《When There Is Nothing Left But Love》


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Six weeks pregnant.


    Shellshocked, I was riveted to the spot by the three words that appeared on my ultrasound report.it only happened once! How did I get pregnant?


    What should I do now?


    Should I tell Ashton about this? Will he refuse to divorce me because of this?Nah, I doubt it! He''ll probably think that I''m shamelessly using this child to ckmail him.


    Suppressing the frustration that was rooted in my heart, I stuffed the ultrasound report into my bag as I made my way out of the hospital.


    There was a Maybach waiting outside the hospital with one of its windows rolled down by a fraction. An attractive man with a frosty expression could be vaguely seen sitting at the driver''s seat. A handsome man in a luxury car would undoubtedly garner the attention of many passersby. Ashton Fuller was the epitome of wealth and good looks. I had long grown used to the curious gazes of the passersby after so many years. Ignoring them, I slid into the front passenger seat. When the man who was resting with his eyes closed felt a slight movement, an indistinct frown settled between his brows. Without opening his eyes, he asked in a deep voice, ¡°Has everything been settled?¡±


    "Yes!" I nodded as I passed the contract signed with the hospital to him, uttering, ¡°Dr. Ludwick told me to send his greetings to you.¡± I had intended to sign the contract alone at the hospital today, but I ran into Ashton on my way here.For a reason unknown to me, he offered to drive me here, saying that it was on his way.


    ¡°You''ll be in charge of the case.¡± Ashton had always been a man of few words. He didn''t take the contract; instead, he gave me these instructions in a perfunctory manner before he started the car engine.


    I nodded and kept silent.


    Obeying him and carrying out his orders seemed to be the only two things that I knew how to do The car drove toward the city center. It was already evening now, so I was confused as to where he was headed if not back to the vi. Although I felt puzzled, I never took the initiative to ask him anything. I simply remained silent.


    The ultrasound report was at the forefront of my mind, but I didn''t know how to broach the topic with him. Caught in a dilemma, I peeked at him from the corner of my eye. As usual, he exuded a cold and distant aura, his sharp and ruthless gaze focused straight ahead.


    ¡°Ashton!¡± I blurted out. My palms grew a little mmy as I clutched my bag; it was probably due to my fraying nerves.


    ¡°Speak.¡± This single syble was barked out without a trace of emotion.


    He had always treated me like this anyway. After a good few seconds, the tension gradually left my body as I calmed my nerves. Taking a deep breath, I announced, ¡°I''m..."Pregnant.


    I had merely two words to confess, but I swallowed the second word that was on the tip of my tongue the moment his phone abruptly rang.


    ¡°Reba, what''s wrong?¡°Some people only reserve their gentle and loving side for one person. Ashton¡¯s gentle side was only reserved for Reba Larson; it was in to see from the way he conversed with her.


    Reba''s words over the phone caused Ashton to abruptly hit the brake as he spoke to her in a soothing tone, ¡°Alright. I''ll be over in a while. Don''t go anywhere, okay?¡±


    As soon as the call ended, his icy expression slipped back into its ce. ncing at me, he ordered in a clipped tone, ¡°Get out.¡±


    His order left no room for discussion.


    This was not the first time that he had kicked me out of his car. Seeing as such, I nodded and shoved the words I had nned to say down my throat before opening the car door and getting down.


    My marriage with Ashton came about due to a twist of fate, but love was never in the equation. Ashton already had Reba in his heart, so my existence was redundant. Perhaps, it could even be considered an obstacle.


    Two years ago, George Fuller, Ashton¡¯s grandfather, suffered from a heart attack. While he was hospitalized, he forced Ashton to marry me. For his grandfather''s sake, Ashton reluctantly did so. During the two years that his grandfather was still around, Ashton disregarded my existence but otherwise did nothing else. Now that his grandfather had passed on, he couldn''t wait to get awyer to draft the divorce papers for me to sign.


    The sky was already dark when I returned to the vi. The enormous house was empty, resembling a haunted house. Perhaps it was because of my pregnancy that I didn''t have an appetite. Hence, I went straight to my bedroom to wash up and call it a night.


    In my drowsy state, I heard the faint sound of a car engine being switched off; it wasing from the courtyard.


    Is Ashton back?


    Isn''t he supposed to be with Reba?

 Chapter 2

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 2


    The bedroom door was abruptly pushed open before I could ponder any further. Slightly drenched,


    Ashton headed straight for the bathroom without sparing me a second nce. Following that was the


    sound of running water.


    His return made it rather impossible for me to continue sleeping, so I got up and put on some clothes. I


    took out a set of his pajamas from the wardrobe and ced it by the bathroom door before going


    straight to the balcony.


    As it was the monsoon season, it started to drizzle outside. The sky was dark and the sound of the rain


    pelting on the bricks could be heard vaguely.


    Sensing the sound of movement behind me, I turned and saw that Ashton had emerged from the


    bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. His hair was damp and the droplets of water dripping


    down his muscr body created an enticing sight.


    He probably noticed my gaze, so he nced at me with a slight frown. ¡°Come here,¡± hemanded in


    a voice void of emotion.


    I obediently walked over and caught the towel that he had thrown toward me. He then demanded, ¡°Dry


    my hair.¡±


    I had long gotten ustomed to his domineering ways. Just as he sat on the edge of the bed, I climbed


    onto it and kneeled behind him to wipe his hair.


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    ¡°Grandpa¡¯s funeral is tomorrow. We should head over to the family home earlier,¡± I reminded him. I


    wasn¡¯t trying to make conversation with him. Rather, I was worried that he would possibly forget about


    it as his mind was rather upied with Reba.


    ¡°Mm,¡± he grunted out a response and said nothing further.


    Knowing very well that he didn¡¯t want to interact with me, I kept mum and focused on drying his hair.


    After that, Iy on the bed once again, ready to sleep.


    I realized that I had been feeling rather sleepytely, and attributed my behavior to my


    pregnancy. Ashton would usually head to his study after he showered and would stay there until


    midnight. Given that was the norm, I was befuddled when he got under the sheets after he put on his


    pajamas.


    With reasonable effort, I managed to withhold my questions even though I was utterly confounded. In


    spite of that, his arms suddenly wrapped around my waist as he pulled me in toward him. Then, a


    feather-light kiss brushed across my lips.


    I raised my eyes to gaze at him in perplexity. ¡°Ashton, I¡¯m¡­¡±


    ¡°Unwilling?¡± he questioned. His obsidian eyes shed, a hint of wild desire swirling within them.


    I lowered my gaze. Indeed, I was unwilling, but it wasn¡¯t for me to decide.


    ¡°Can you be gentler?¡± The fetus was only six weeks old and the risk of a miscarriage was high.


    His brows furrowed, and without a word he rolled over and started ravaging me roughly. My body


    curled from the pain and I could only do so much to protect the child from harm¡¯s way.


    The rain started to pour heavily in tandem with his rough movements. Lightning shed across the sky


    and thunder boomed right after that, causing the room to be illuminated every time that happened. After


    a long while, he got up and went into the bathroom.


    Drenched in a cold sweat from the pain, I had the urge to get up to take some painkillers. Nevertheless,


    I dismissed the idea as soon as I thought of the child.


    All of a sudden, the phone on the bedside table rang. It was Ashton¡¯s phone. I nced at the clock on


    the wall and saw that it was already eleven o¡¯clock.


    Reba was the only one who would call him at such an hour.


    The sound of running water in the bathroom stopped. Ashton stepped out once again, wrapped in his


    towel. Wiping his hands dry, he hurriedly answered the call.


    Unable to hear the words that were being uttered on the other end of the line, I could only observe


    Ashton¡¯s brows furrowing slightly as he eximed, ¡°Reba, stop fooling around!¡±


    With that, he ended the call, got changed, and prepared to leave. In the past, I would have turned a


    blind eye to it, but this time I abruptly grabbed Ashton¡¯s arm and pleaded softly, ¡°Can you stay tonight?¡±


    He frowned as a hint of displeasure made its way to his handsome face. ¡°Did I pleasure you so much


    that you¡¯re starting to act out?¡±


    His words oozed with sarcasm.


    I was taken aback for a moment before I began to think that his words were absurd. Tilting my head to


    gaze at him, I exined, ¡°It¡¯s Grandpa¡¯s funeral tomorrow. Although you can¡¯t bear to let her go,


    shouldn¡¯t you practice a little restraint?¡±


    ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± He narrowed his eyes at me. He gripped my chin in a trice and spat out in a


    low and dangerous voice, ¡°You seem to have grown a spine, Scarlett Stovall.¡±

 Chapter 3

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 3


    I knew very well that getting him to stay was impossible, but I still wanted to try my luck. Leveling my


    gaze with his, I announced, ¡°I agree to a divorce, but I have my conditions. Stay here tonight and


    apany me throughout Grandpa¡¯s funeral. I¡¯ll sign the divorce papers as soon as it ends.¡±


    His gaze narrowed. His dark orbs brimmed with ridicule and his mouth twitched slightly. ¡°Please me.¡±


    He released my chin and leaned forward to whisper against my ear, ¡°All talk and no action will get you


    nowhere, Scarlett.¡±


    His voice was icy with a hint of provocation. I knew what he meant, so I snaked my arms around his


    waist as I leaned my face close to his. I probably lookedical due to the height difference between


    us.


    I didn¡¯t know how to feel about it; I had used such a despicable method to force the person I liked to


    stay with me. Pathetic, perhaps.


    Following my instincts, I was about to slide my hand downwards when I was suddenly grabbed by him.


    I snapped my head up and was met with his dark and imprable eyes. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±


    His t voice stunned me for a moment as I tried but failed toprehend his words. He then took his


    grey pajamas from the bed and put them on in a few elegant motions.


    I was dumbfounded for a while before I eventually recovered from my shock. Is he¡­ staying?


    To my utter misfortune, before I could even feel happy about my aplishment, a woman¡¯s voice


    sounded outside the window amidst the pitter-patter of the rain. ¡°Ashton¡­¡±


    While I was still in shock, Ashton had already reacted. He walked toward the balcony inrge strides


    and looked out. Then, with a gloomy expression, he picked up his coat and left the bedroom.


    Reba was standing in the rain below the balcony. The cold droplets had already drenched her thin


    dresspletely by then. The beautiful woman was already frail, and she looked increasingly pitiful as


    she persevered in the rain.


    Draping the coat that he had brought with him over her shoulders, Ashton was about to chide Reba.


    In spite of that, she hugged him tightly and sobbed in his arms.


    As the scene unfolded, a sudden realization dawned upon me. I finally understood why my two-year


    marriage with Ashton couldn¡¯tpare to a single phone call from Reba.


    Ashton led Reba into the vi with his arm around her. I stood at the top of the stairs when he


    brought her up, blocking their way just as I scanned their soaked clothes.


    ¡°Get out of the way!¡± Ashton snapped in disgust.


    Was I sad?


    I didn¡¯t know, either, but my eyes hurt more than my heart did, having witnessed the person they loved


    treating another woman as a precious gem, all while trampling all over me.


    ¡°Ashton, back when we¡¯d gotten married, you promised Grandpa that you would never allow her to set


    foot in this house as long as I am here.¡± This was where Ashton and I lived together. On more nights


    than I could count, I had let Reba have him. As if that weren¡¯t enough, he was allowing her taint the


    only ce I could call mine.


    ¡°Hah!¡± Ashton sneered in return. Shoving me aside, he retorted coldly, ¡°You think too highly of yourself,


    Scarlett.¡±


    His mockery toward me knew no bounds. In the end, I could only watch as he brought Reba into the


    guest room like the bystander I was.


    Tonight was destined to be a restless night.


    Reba was exposed to the heavy downpour outside. Her body was already weak, to begin with, so


    she developed a high fever from standing in the rain. Ashton cared for her like a precious gem,


    assisting her in changing into a clean set of clothes while using a towel to bring down her temperature.


    Perhaps the sight of me standing there was an eyesore to him, so he directed his cold gaze at me and


    ordered, ¡°Go back to the Fullers¡¯ family home now! Reba won¡¯t be able to go anywhere tonight in


    her current state.¡±


    He wants me to go at this hour? Haha¡­


    I guess I really am an eyesore.


    After staring at Ashton for a long time, I couldn¡¯t find the words to remind him that the family home was


    miles away from here; it would be dangerous for a woman to go out alone thiste at night.


    However, such things didn¡¯t concern him. He only cared about making sure that Reba¡¯s rest wasn¡¯t


    affected by my presence.


    I forced myself to breathe through the bitter pain in my chest before dering cidly, ¡°I¡¯ll return to the


    bedroom. It¡¯s not¡­ appropriate to be heading to the family home now!¡±


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    I would not allow him to step all over me even though I knew he didn¡¯t cherish me one bit.


    Upon leaving the guest room, I met Jared Crest along the corridor as he hurried over. Noticing that he


    was still d in his ck pajamas, I deduced that he must have rushed over to the vi. He hadn¡¯t even


    changed his shoes and his pajamas were almostpletely soaked through.

 Chapter 4

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 4


    The corridor wasn¡¯t exactly wide, so we came face to face with one another. Stunned for a while, he


    then straightened his clothes and exined, ¡°Ms. Stovall, I¡¯m here to treat Reba.¡±


    Jared was Ashton¡¯s best friend. They say that you only need to look at the attitude of a man¡¯s best


    friend to truly know whether he holds affection toward you.


    Attitude aside, the way that he addressed me was enough to prove that I would only ever be Ms.


    Stovall.


    What a polite and distant form of address!


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    I learned not to dwell too much on the details as they would only bring me heartache. Forcing a smile


    onto my lips, I gave way to him as I replied, ¡°Mm, go ahead!¡±


    Now and again, I truly admired Reba. She merely needed to shed a few tears to receive the warmth


    that would never be bestowed upon me even after half a lifetime of hard work.


    Back in the bedroom, I found a suit that Ashton had never worn before. Eventually, I brought it with me


    as I walked down toward the living room.


    Jared made quick work of treating Reba. After measuring her temperature and prescribing her the


    relevant medications, he was prepared to leave.


    When he came downstairs and saw me standing in the living room, he offered me a civil smile. ¡°It¡¯s


    gettingte now. Aren¡¯t you going to sleep yet, Ms. Stovall?¡±


    ¡°Mm, I¡¯ll sleep soon.¡± I passed him the clothes in my hand as I professed, ¡°Your clothes are wet and it¡¯s


    still raining outside. You should change into this before you leave or you¡¯ll catch a cold.¡±


    He was probably surprised by my gesture because he blinked at me without saying anything for a


    while. Then, his handsome face stretched into a grin. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m as fit as a bull, so I¡¯ll be


    completely fine!¡±


    I stuffed the clothes into his hands and insisted, ¡°Ashton has never worn this before. Even the tags are


    still there. You two are almost the same size; just take it.¡±


    With that, I climbed the stairs and returned to the bedroom.


    My actions weren¡¯t out of pure kindness by any means. Back when my grandmother was hospitalized,


    Jared was her attending surgeon. He was an internationally renowned doctor. If it weren¡¯t for the


    Fullers, he would never have agreed to perform surgery on my grandmother. The clothes were my way


    of repaying him.


    The next day.


    After a whole night of heavy rain, the morning air was filled with a musky and fresh scent. I was used to


    waking up early. After washing up, I went downstairs only to see Ashton and Reba in the kitchen.


    Ashton had a ck apron tied around his hips as he was frying eggs by the stove. Gone was his harsh


    and wintry vibe. Now, he seemed as though he was surrounded by a halo of joy.


    Reba¡¯s bright eyes followed his movements. Her delicate and pretty face was slightly flushed, likely


    due to the fact that her fever had only just subsided. She actually appeared both cute and charming.


    ¡°Ash, I want my fried eggs to be slightly burnt.¡± As she spoke, her hand lifted to feed Ashton a


    strawberry before she continued, ¡°But not too burnt, or it¡¯ll taste bitter.¡±


    Ashton munched on the strawberry as he turned his gaze toward her. Although he had merely kept


    silent, his eyes were enough to convey the extent of his indulgence toward her.


    They were both blessed with refined features and they made such a fine couple.


    Their gestures were warm and sweet; there was indeed romance in the air.


    ¡°They look really good together, don¡¯t you think so?¡± A voice resounded from behind, startling me. I


    looked over my shoulder and found Jared standing there. I forgot that it had rained heavilyst night,


    and given Reba was down with a high fever, of course Ashton did not let Jared leave.


    ¡°Good morning!¡± I smiled when my gaze lowered and realized that he was wearing the clothes I had


    given him the previous night.


    Observing my gaze, Jared raised his brows with a smile. ¡°These clothes fit me quite well. Thank you.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it!¡± I had bought it for Ashton, but he never once bothered to try it.


    Hearing our voices, Reba turned toward us and called out, ¡°Scarlett, Jared. You¡¯re both awake.


    Ashton has fried some eggs for breakfast. Come on over and have some!¡±


    She spoke as though she was thedy of the household.


    Shooting her a nd smile, I hurriedly refused, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I bought some bread and milk yesterday. The


    milk is still in the fridge. You¡¯ve only just recovered, so you should drink more.¡± I lived here for two


    years; the title deed had both my name and Ashton¡¯s listed on it.


    Although I was oftenpliant, it was only natural that I could not bear seeing someone else barge


    into my home and acting as if they owned the ce.

 Chapter 5

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 5


    Reba was stunned upon hearing my words. Her eyes darkened a little and she looked back at


    Ashton, tugging on his sleeve before telling him softly, ¡°Ash, I was out of linest night. I see that I have


    disturbed both you and Scarlett. Can you ask her to stay to have breakfast with us? Just take it as an


    apology from me, please?¡±


    I¡­


    Haha! Indeed, some people don¡¯t need to work to earn an ounce of affection. All they need to do is bat


    theirshes and act vulnerable, and they¡¯ll be able to get away with even murder.


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    Ashton had initially paid me no heed, but when Reba spoke up, he nced at me and stated, ¡°Let¡¯s


    eat together.¡±


    His tone was cold andmanding.


    Did it hurt? I was already numb to the pain.


    I shed a smile and nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I could never bear to refuse Ashton. Because he was someone whom I had fallen in love with at first


    sight, getting over him would be undoubtedly difficult.


    I supposed that it was my lucky day since this was the first time that I got to taste the food made by


    Ashton. Fried eggs and bacon were nothing special, but they still left a deep impression on me. All


    along, I had thought that a man like Ashton Fuller was above everyone else. I thought he would never


    stoop so low as to cook with his own two hands.


    ¡°Scarlett, try the fried eggs that Ash has made. They¡¯re excellent. When we were together, he always


    made this for me,¡± Reba urged while cing an egg on my te.


    Then, with a sharine smile on her face, she gave one to Ashton as well. ¡°Ash, you promised to


    apany me to see the flowers today. You can¡¯t break your promise, okay?¡±


    ¡°Mm!¡± Ashton responded while eating his breakfast, his movements as refined as that of a prince. He


    was never one to speak unnecessarily, but whenever it came to Reba, he would always be sure to


    respond to all of her questions and requests.


    Jared seemed to be ustomed to this already as he ate his breakfast in a sophisticated manner. He


    was quietly watching our interactions as if he was an outsider.


    I lowered my gaze as my brows furrowed into a frown. Grandpa¡¯s funeral is today! If Ashton leaves with


    Reba, what¡¯s going to happen to our n of going to the Fullers family home¡­


    No one could fully enjoy their breakfast today. After having a few bites, Ashton headed upstairs to


    change his clothes. I set my cutlery down and followed after him.


    In the bedroom.


    Ashton knew that I had entered after him so he asked in an indifferent voice, ¡°Do you need


    something?¡±


    With that, he casually removed his clothes, putting his sturdy figure on disy. I instinctively turned


    around so that my back would face him. ¡°Grandpa¡¯s funeral is today!¡±


    I heard some shuffling noises behind me as well as the sound of his zipper being zipped. His


    monotonous voice soon followed. ¡°You can go over yourself.¡±


    The frown on my face deepened. ¡°He is your grandfather, Ashton.¡± Ashton was the eldest grandson of


    the Fullers. If he were absent from the funeral, what would the rest of his family think?


    ¡°I¡¯ve already told Joseph Campbell to handle the funeral. You canmunicate with him on the


    details.¡± He spoke without emotion as if he were exining a matter that was irrelevant to him.


    When he walked toward his study, a pang of sadness engulfed me. I was quick to raise my voice.


    ¡°Ashton, is everyone other than Reba dispensable to you? Does your family mean nothing to you?¡±


    He paused in his stride before turning to look at me with narrowed eyes. Emanating a chilly vibe, he


    told me, ¡°You¡¯re not in a position to lecture me on my family matters.¡±


    After a brief pause, he curled his lips and spat disdainfully, ¡°You¡¯re not worthy!¡±


    His words hit me like a bucket of cold water, chilling me to the bone.


    As I listened to his gradually retreating steps, a mirthless chuckle escaped my lips.


    I am unworthy!


    Hah!


    Two long years had passed. Yet, my efforts in getting him to warm up to me were futile.


    ¡°I thought you¡¯re thick-skinned, but I never expected you to poke your nose into other people¡¯s


    businesses as well.¡± A mocking voice reached my ears.


    I turned toward the voice and saw Reba leaning against the door frame with her arms crossed in


    front of her chest. Gone was her cute and innocent facade. Instead, a frosty expression had taken


    residence on her face.

 Chapter 6

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 6


    ¡°Ms. Larson, I¡¯m surprised at how fast you¡¯ve switched personalities.¡± Casting her a cursory nce, I


    picked up my bag and prepared to make my journey to the Fullers¡¯ home.


    Since Ashton was unwilling to go, it was my job to go in his stead.


    As soon as I reached the door, Reba stepped forward to block my way. Seeing that Ashton was


    absent, she could finally take a breather from pretending to be a harmless little bunny. She questioned


    me sharply, ¡°When are you going to sign the divorce papers?¡±


    I was stunned for a second. Nevertheless, I released a chuckle as I looked at her. ¡°Are you ying the


    homewrecker by forcing me to divorce him?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the homewrecker!¡± Calling her that seemed to have hit a nerve because her face darkened as


    she snarled, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, thedy of this house would have been me by now. Since George has


    died, there is no one to protect you, no one who will ensure that you can continue living here. If I were


    you, I¡¯d sign the divorce papers, take the money that Ashton has offered, and get as far away from here


    as possible.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a pity that you¡¯re not me, Ms. Larson!¡± I retorted coldly as I ignored her jabs and skirted


    around her to go downstairs. Other than Ashton, no one in the world could say anything to hurt me.


    Being a person who had always basked in the limelight, Reba felt dissatisfied that I was ignoring


    her. She suddenly gave a hard grip on my arm. ¡°How shameless can you get, Scarlett? Ash doesn¡¯t


    even like you, so what¡¯s the use of clinging onto him?¡±


    ncing back at her, I had the urge tough but my next words were uttered calmly. ¡°Since you¡¯re


    aware of his stance toward me, what¡¯s there to be nervous about?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± She flushed a bright red, unable to respond.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    I leaned closer to her with a faint sneer on my lips and lowered my voice into a whisper. ¡°As for why I¡¯m


    clinging onto him¡­¡± I paused as I evened out my tone. ¡°He¡¯s got some mad skills. So you tell me,


    what¡¯s the use of it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so shameless!¡± Reba¡¯s eyes reddened with anger. Without thinking, she raised her hands


    and intended to push me. The stairs were behind me, so out of instinct, I twisted sideways to avoid


    getting pushed by her.


    Nheless, I never expected her to lose her own footing. She fell right down the stairs.


    ¡°Ahhhh!¡± Her ear-splitting scream resounded throughout the living room, and I stood rooted to the


    ground for a while, unable to react.


    To my misfortune, I was shoved aside just as I sensed a frosty front darting my way. Then, Ashton¡¯s


    figure shot down the stairs as he went to check on Reba, who was already lying at the bottom of the


    stairs.


    Reba was curled into a ball on the floor, holding her abdomen with an agonized look on her ashen


    face. She spoke in a feeble voice, ¡°My child. My child.¡±


    There was blood pooling beneath her body, staining arge area of the carpet red. Every fiber in my


    body froze. She¡¯s¡­ pregnant?


    With Ashton¡¯s child?


    ¡°Ash, the child. The child¡­¡± Reba tugged at Ashton¡¯s sleeve as she repeated the words like a


    broken record.


    Beads of sweat covered Ashton¡¯s forehead, his icy expression sank with dread.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. The child will be fine.¡± Heforted Reba and scooped her into his arms before he


    strode toward the door.


    After taking a few steps forward, Ashton stopped abruptly. His glowering eyes were as dark as an


    abyss, and the anger in his voice was palpable. ¡°I bet that you¡¯re happy, Scarlett.¡±


    His simple words were full of hatred and fury.


    I was bereft of speech; I did not know how to react.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going after them to exin?¡± A deep voice came from behind, jolting me into action. I


    turned and was stunned to see Jared there all of a sudden.


    Suppressing the panic that was rising in my heart, I calmly asked, ¡°Exin what?¡±


    He raised his brows. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that he would think that you pushed Reba?¡±


    My eyes dipped down as a hint of bitterness shone through them. ¡°It¡¯s doesn¡¯t matter whether I pushed


    her. The truth is that Reba is hurt and someone has to take the me for it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you know!¡± Jared descended the stairs as he left the vi with his medical kit in hand. He


    was probably heading off to the hospital to see Reba.

 Chapter 7

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 7


    It was an hour¡¯s journey from the vi to the Fullers¡¯ family home. Throughout the entire hour, I felt like I


    was in a daze.


    My mind was flooded with thoughts about the child in Reba¡¯s belly and the look in Ashton¡¯s eyes


    before he left. I couldn¡¯t seem to draw enough air into my lungs.


    My chest tightened, and just as the car pulled to a stop in front of the Fullers¡¯ family home, a wave of


    nausea washed over me. I rushed out of the car and retched on the flowerbed for a long time, unable to


    throw up.


    ¡°It seems like being Mrs. Fuller has made you fragile, seeing that you¡¯ve almost vomited after a short


    car ride.¡± A sharp and distasteful voice sounded out from the front door of the house.


    I didn¡¯t need to look to know who it was. George had two sons. The elder one was Christopher Fuller,


    who had died in a car ident along with his wife years ago, leaving his only son, Ashton, behind.


    George¡¯s second son was Charlie Fuller.


    At that moment, the one mocking me outside the family home was Uncle Charlie¡¯s wife, Helen rke.


    There were many internal feuds within wealthy families, so I had already gotten used to this.


    I suppressed the difort in my stomach as I stared at Helen, greeting her politely. ¡°Aunt Helen.¡±


    Helen had always disliked me. Perhaps she was jealous that I was favored by George despiteing


    from a poor background, or perhaps she was disgruntled because George had valued Ashton so much


    that he handed the reigns of this household to him. Given the context, she could have been venting out


    her anger on me.


    She cast an icy nce at me before gazing behind me. Upon noticing there was no one else inside the


    car, her expression darkened. ¡°What? Ashton, the favorite grandson, didn¡¯t even show up for his


    grandfather¡¯s funeral?¡±


    There would be many guests here today, so Ashton¡¯s absence was indeed uneptable. I lifted my


    lips into a smile and gave her a perfunctory reply. ¡°An important issue has arisen, so Ashton might run


    late.¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡± Helen sneered. ¡°This is the person whom my father-inw has ced all his hope on. I wonder


    what he saw in him.¡±


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    The Fullers were an influential family, so many people attended the funeral to pay their respects.


    Although Helen was repulsed by me, for the sake of appearances, she didn¡¯t make things too difficult


    for me.


    We entered the family home together. George¡¯s casket was in the middle of the hall where some white


    flowers were arranged on top of it.


    Many people entered, one after the other, all d in ck mourning attire. George was well-known, so


    those who came to offer their respects were all from outstanding backgrounds. Charlie and Helen


    greeted them outside, while I greeted them inside the hall.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall.¡± Mrs. Eriksen strode toward me with a sandalwood box in hand.


    ¡°Mrs. Eriksen, what¡¯s wrong?¡± The Fuller family wasn¡¯t all thatplicated despite being a wealthy


    family because there weren¡¯t many descendants. George had always preferred a life of peace and


    sce and had only hired Mrs. Eriksen to take care of him.


    Mrs. Eriksen ced the sandalwood box in my hands with a sympathetic expression on her face. ¡°This


    was left to you by Mr. Fuller before he passed on. Keep it safe.¡±


    She paused briefly before continuing, ¡°Mr. Fuller was aware that Mr. Ashton would possibly force you


    into a divorce upon his demise. If you don¡¯t want that to happen, give this box to him. Once he sees it,


    he¡¯ll think twice before divorcing you.¡±


    I dipped my head to look at the square-shaped box in my hand. It was secured with a hidden lock.


    ncing at Mrs. Eriksen, I asked in puzzlement, ¡°Where is the key?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Fuller already gave it to Mr. Ashton.¡± Mrs. Eriksen studied me as she advised, ¡°You¡¯ve lost a lot of


    weight recently. You should take care of your health. Mr. Fuller has always hoped that you and Mr.


    Ashton would have a healthy son together so that there would be an heir to the family. Now that Mr.


    Fuller is gone, don¡¯t let the family bloodline end with the two of you.¡±


    At the mention of a child, I was taken aback for a while. Then, I offered Mrs. Eriksen a smile, deciding


    not toment any further on it.


    After the prayers, Grandpa¡¯s casket would be brought to the cemetery for burial. It was already noon


    when we arrived, but Ashton still hadn¡¯t shown up.


    Ashton had yet to make an appearance even after the funeral was over. Charlie soon approached me


    with Helen on his arm as he urged to me, ¡°Letty, your Grandpa George won¡¯t being back ever


    again. Go and tell Ashton to stop holding a grudge against his grandfather¡ª¡ªthe old man doesn¡¯t owe


    him anything.¡±

 Chapter 8

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 8


    Helen scoffed. ¡°She is merely an ingrate. Dad treated her well over the past few years for nothing.¡±


    ¡°Stop it!¡± Charlie red at her before he nced at me helplessly. ¡°It¡¯ste. Your grandpa¡¯s funeral is


    already over. Go home now.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle Charlie,¡± Both Helen and Charlie were over fifty years old. They didn¡¯t have any


    children and livedfortably on the shares of Fuller Corporation.


    Helen could be rather sharp-tongued, but she wasn¡¯t a bad person at all. They were a loving couple,


    envied by many others.


    As they walked away, I stood in front of George¡¯s grave, still deep in thought. My rtionship with


    Ashton would possiblye to an end since Grandpa had passed on.


    I¡¯m going to lose him, after all.


    ¡°Grandpa, take care. I¡¯ll visit youter.¡± I bowed sincerely before I spun on my heels to leave. In spite of


    that, I was momentarily shocked by the sight that greeted me.


    When did Ashton arrive?


    He was dressed in ck, his expression thunderous. He was standing close by and was gazing at


    George¡¯s gravestone sternly. I was unable to sense the thoughts that were running through his mind.


    At the sight of me, he hurriedly urged, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Did hee to pick me up?


    I stopped him hurriedly just as he was about to leave. ¡°Ashton, Grandpa has passed on. You should let


    it go. After all, he has sacrificed a lot for you over the years¡­¡±


    Seeing that his gaze darkened, I trailed off hesitantly.


    I expected him to fly into a rage, but he merely turned around and left.


    I followed him out of the cemetery. The sky was already dark by now. The driver who had brought me


    here had left because Ashton was here.


    Left with no other option, I got into Ashton¡¯s car. He started the engine and drove off silently. I clenched


    my fingers, wanting to ask him about Reba, but when I saw his dark expression I thought better


    than to do it.


    After a long silence, I couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°How is Ms. Larson doing?¡± I didn¡¯t push her, but she did


    happen to fall in front of my eyes.


    The vehicle let out an ear-splitting screech as it came to an abrupt halt. I was thrown forward by the


    force of it. Before I could react, Ashton pinned me down and leaned over.


    The man was glowering at me icily. Keenly detecting a sense of danger, I recoiled as I soon parted my


    lips. ¡°Ashton.¡±


    ¡°How do you want her to be?¡± he mocked. ¡°Scarlett, do you seriously think that I won¡¯t divorce you


    because of the box Grandpa has given you?¡±


    My heart skipped a beat. Did he find out after merely a few hours? That¡¯s fast.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t push her.¡± I met his gaze and held back the bitterness in my heart. ¡°Ashton, I ampletely


    unaware of the contents inside the box. I wasn¡¯t about to use it to threaten you to stay married to me.


    Since you want a divorce, fine. Let¡¯s get one tomorrow.¡±Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    The sky was fully dark by now. I could hear the rain sttering outside the window as a heavy silence


    hung in the air.


    Ashton was stunned that I had suddenly agreed to divorce him. After a brief pause, he sneered.


    ¡°Reba is still in the hospital. Are you nning to get a divorce so that you can get away


    unscathed?¡±


    ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± As his beloved was in the hospital, it was evident that he wouldn¡¯t allow


    me to leave so easily.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to take care of her starting tomorrow,¡± he straightened his back and announced, his fingers


    drumming on the steering wheel casually.

 Chapter 9

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 9


    I was unaware of what he was nning, so I merely nodded in agreement.


    Sometimes, one could possibly feel inferior in a rtionship for no reason. I was ustomed to


    following Ashton¡¯s requests. I also constantly obeyed his orders even though I despised them.


    As the vehicle approached the city, I thought he would drop me off at the vi. To my utter surprise, he


    headed straight toward the hospital instead.


    The smell of antiseptic wafted in the air, permeating every corner of the hospital. I didn¡¯t like it, but I


    followed Ashton quietly to Reba¡¯s ward.


    Reba was hooked to an IV drip. She was lying on the bed, her appearance all the more frail and


    petite.


    When she saw me entering with Ashton, her expression fell. She spoke up after a long silence, ¡°I don¡¯t


    want to see her, Ashton.¡±


    Her child had died and her motherlike vibe was gone. She grew increasingly cold and resentful instead.


    Ashton approached her and pulled her into his arms. Resting his chin on her forehead in an effort to


    comfort her, he hurriedly uttered, ¡°She¡¯s here to take care of you. It¡¯s only right for her to do that.¡±


    Their adoration and intimacy pierced straight through my heart like an iron shard.


    Reba parted her lips to say something but she eventually decided against it. Hence, she shed a


    smile at Ashton. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll let you call the shots.¡±


    They were talking about me; nevertheless, I didn¡¯t get to join in on the discussion.


    I was merely forced to listen to their arrangements.


    Ashton was a busy man. He was a Fuller but did not attend George¡¯s funeral. He had to run the family


    business, so he didn¡¯t have time to apany Reba throughout her stay at the hospital.


    It seemed like the only person who was free to look after Reba was me.


    At two in the morning, Reba was still awake as she had slept too much throughout the day. There


    were no extra beds in the hospital so I resorted to sitting on a chair beside her bed.


    Sensing that I was still awake, Reba soon turned her gaze to me. ¡°Scarlett, you¡¯re too inferior.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what to say in response. I stared at the ring on my finger for a long time before I looked


    up. ¡°Isn¡¯t love supposed to be like this?¡±


    She did not understand what I meant. After a pause, she broke out into a grin. ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired of it?¡±


    I shook my head. Everything in life is tiring. All I did was fall in love with a man.


    ¡°Can you pour me a ss of water?¡± she inquired, sitting up straight.


    I nodded and rose to my feet to get her a ss of water.


    ¡°Don¡¯t add any cold water. I want it piping hot!¡± she instructed coolly.


    After pouring the water out, I handed her the ss. Nevertheless, she didn¡¯t take it from me. Rather,


    she told me, ¡°I pity you¡ª¡ªyou¡¯re seriously pathetic. I don¡¯t me you for the miscarriage, but I


    couldn¡¯t help but vent my hatred out on you.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what she meant, so I offered the ss to her. ¡°Be careful. It¡¯s hot.¡±


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    She took the ss from me as she gave me a sudden tug. I instinctively tried to pull away, but she


    gazed at me intently. ¡°Let¡¯s have a bet, shall we? Will he be concerned for you?¡±


    Stunned, I realized that Ashton was standing by the door. I wasn¡¯t made aware of his arrival. Gazing at


    me, Reba asked calmly, ¡°Would you like to bet on it?¡±


    I said nothing as I allowed her to pour the ss of scalding water down my hand. A sh of agonizing


    pain struck my senses.


    I had joined the bet with my silent assent.


    Reba ced the ss down as she spoke innocently, ¡°I¡¯m sorry; I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. The ss


    was too hot so it slipped from my grasp. Are you okay?¡±


    What a hypocrite!


    I retracted my hand as I bit back the burning pain. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I replied, shaking my head.

 Chapter 10

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 10


    Ashton, who was watching the entire debacle, strode in slowly. Thereafter, he nced at Reba and


    asked, ¡°Why are you still awake?¡±


    Reba acted like she was pleasantly surprised at his arrival. Pouting daintily, she tugged him so that


    he would sit by the side of her bed before she wrapped her arms around him. ¡°I slept too much during


    the day and I can¡¯t sleep now. Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°To visit you.¡± Ashton¡¯s gazended on me. Frowning, he immediately ordered, ¡°Deal with that now!¡±


    His voice was cold and devoid of concern.


    Reba put on a regretful expression while her arms were sped around him. ¡°I was too careless


    and I identally injured Scarlett.¡±


    Ashton calmly stroked her long hair; it seemed like he wasn¡¯t going to reprimand her.


    My heart ached as if I had been forced to the edge of a cliff. Slowly, I dragged my feet out of the ward.


    I knew I would lose the bet, but I was hoping that Ashton would at least inquire if I was hurt. That would


    have been sufficient for me.


    s, he didn¡¯t spare me a second nce. He didn¡¯t even seem to pity me.


    In the hallway, a tall figure blocked my way. I looked up and was met with Jared Crest¡¯s stern gaze.


    Confused, I greeted him, ¡°Dr. Crest!¡±


    He gave me a long look before he asked, ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    At his question, sorrow and bitterness washed over me. Tears began to stream down my cheeks and


    fall to the floor. I couldn¡¯t help but shudder as the cold wind blew across the hallway, intensifying the


    bleakness I felt inside me.


    Even an acquaintance would ask if I was hurt. How could he, the person who was married to me for


    two years, ignore me like a heartless prick?


    Jared took my hand in his. I shrunk back subconsciously but his grip simply tightened.


    ¡°I¡¯m a doctor!¡± Jared said pointedly, leaving no room for argument. He was a doctor, so it was his


    responsibility to treat me.


    I knew that he wasn¡¯t a nosy person. He only wanted to treat my injuries because I was Ashton¡¯s wife.


    I followed Jared into a room. He uttered some words to the nurse on duty before he turned to tell me,


    ¡°She will tend to your wound.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Thank you!¡±


    After Jared left, the nurse cleaned the burn on my hand carefully. Her brows scrunched up when she


    caught sight of several blisters. ¡°This is rather serious. It might leave a scar.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± This is a lesson to be remembered.


    As there were blisters, the nurse had to prick them to clean the burns thoroughly.


    Worried that I wouldn¡¯t be able to bear the pain, she cautioned me, ¡°It might hurt. Bear with it.¡±


    ¡°Mm!¡±


    This is nothing. The pain tugging at my chest is more unbearable than this.


    Upon treating my wound, the nurse gave me some brief instructions before letting me go. I was on the


    way back to Reba¡¯s ward when I heard someone talking in the stairwell. I came to a stop out of


    curiosity.


    ¡°George has already passed on. When will you divorce her?¡± It was Jared¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Her? You mean Scarlett?¡± another familiar voice asked coolly. I immediately knew that it was Ashton.


    I inched closer to the stairwell and saw Ashton leaning against the railing with his hands in his pockets.


    Jared was leaning on the wall, holding a half-lit cigarette in his hands.


    Tapping on the cigarette gently, Jared stared at Ashton before he stated, ¡°You know that she is


    innocent. She loves you.¡±


    Ashton met his gaze icily. ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware that you were this concerned for her.¡±


    At his words, Jared frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. I was merely reminding you in hopes that you won¡¯t


    come to regret your decision in the future. Even though she loves you deeply now, she may eventually


    throw her love away.¡±


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    ¡°Ha!¡± Ashton sneered. ¡°I¡¯ve always scorned her love¡­¡±


    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to listen to the rest of his sentence. Some things are better not heard; I would be


    a fool if I insisted on eavesdropping.

 Chapter 11

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 11


    When I arrived at Reba¡¯s ward, she was already asleep. There was a middle-ageddy in the room


    who turned out to be the caretaker that Ashton had hired. Thedy greeted me politely as she informed


    me that she was going to take care of Reba under Ashton¡¯s orders. This meant that I no longer had


    to stay.


    I walked out of the hospital and hailed a cab to bring me home.


    After a night that was full of hassle, I found that it was dawn by the time I returned to the vi. I found


    that I was frequently exhausted; perhaps it was because of my pregnancy. Hence, I went to my


    bedroom at once as I fell into a slumber on my bed.


    The heavy smell of cigarette smoke roused me from my deep sleep. Opening my eyes, I was shocked


    to see a figure in ck sitting at the edge of my bed. It took me a while to realize that it was Ashton.


    I didn¡¯t know when he had returned, but the bedroom was full of thick smoke. The doors and windows


    were all shut tightly. There was a burning cigarette between his fingers. It seemed like he had been


    smoking for a long while.


    ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± I sat up and gazed at him.


    I had never seen him smoke prior to this. Something must have happened, seeing as he was smoking


    to such an extent.


    He said nothing as his gazended on me. I couldn¡¯t read his mind at all. The smoke was choking me,


    so I rose to my feet to open the window.


    Meanwhile, Ashton was lounging on the sofa. When I walked past him, he pulled me into his arms


    abruptly. As his grip tightened, I grew increasingly afraid.


    ¡°Ashton!¡± I didn¡¯t know the reason behind his sudden action, but I couldn¡¯t stand the stench of the


    smoke. Thus, I struggled while he remained unfazed.


    Calming down, I looked back at him. ¡°You¡¯re drunk?¡± I didn¡¯t realize it earlier, but now that I was in his


    arms, I could smell the alcohol on his breath.


    ¡°You don¡¯t hate me?¡± he blurted out suddenly. I was confused as I studied him carefully. He was


    frowning unhappily. I noticed that there were beard stubs on his jaw. He must have been upied


    recently, seeing that he had yet to shave.


    ¡°I do!¡± I answered truthfully as I reached out to pry his hands off. Nevertheless, he refused to release


    his hold on me.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ashton?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°Will you stop?¡± He was staring at me in a daze.


    ¡°Stop what?¡± I inquired quizzically.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    He stopped talking immediately. As his palms began to explore my body, I was keenly made aware of


    what he wanted from me.


    I instinctively stopped him as my brows furrowed. ¡°Ashton, I¡¯m Scarlett, not Reba. Look carefully.¡±


    He said nothing as he picked me up, devouring my lips greedily. I only felt attacked by his alcoholic


    breath.


    ¡°Ashton, I am Scarlett! Look carefully!¡± I held his face in desperation, forcing him to look at me.


    Exhaustion rimmed his eyes as he gazed at me silently. ¡°Mm!¡± he grunted in reply, resuming his


    actions.


    His suit that was once crisp was all wrinkled now. He removed his zer as he flung it onto the bed.


    When I noticed that our clothes were strewn across the ground, I snapped back to reality. I¡¯m pregnant.


    We can¡¯t do this.


    I shoved him off and covered myself with the covers. ¡°Ashton, you¡¯re drunk,¡± I told him.


    With that, I left the bedroom.


    After changing into a fresh outfit, I headed out. I was afraid that I wouldn¡¯t be able to keep the child if I


    remained in the house.

 Chapter 12

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 12


    I was at a loss, so I went to Macy.


    She was at Hour Bar.


    It was still early, so there weren¡¯t many customers. Macy ordered a cocktail before she handed it to me.


    ¡°Why are you here at this hour? Did something happen?¡±


    My gaze swept across the girls spinning around the poles. Hearing the tremendously loud pop music


    and yells, I shook my head. The cocktail was already on my lips when I put it down. ¡°No. I came here to


    wind down.¡±


    ¡°Did Ashton bully you again?¡± Macy asked in exasperation. ¡°If you¡¯ve had enough of it, get a divorce.


    You¡¯re pretty enough to get other men whom you¡¯re attracted to. Why would you stay with an ice


    sculpture forever? Isn¡¯t that tiring?¡±


    Macy was always this outspoken. We were good friends, so she hated seeing me mope over Ashton.


    I handed the pregnancy report to her as I uttered helplessly, ¡°Even if I¡¯m pretty, would any man ept


    me if I have a child?¡±


    Grabbing the pregnancy report from me, Macy studied it carefully. Her eyes widened as she asked me,


    ¡°You¡¯re six weeks pregnant? I¡¯d thought that you never had sex with Ashton? How did you get


    pregnant?¡±


    ¡°Remember how I got drunkst month? Ashton came to pick me up.¡± I took the pregnancy report from


    her.


    It took her a while to regain herposure. ¡°So what will you do now?¡±


    I shook my head. To be honest, I was at a loss too.


    ¡°Abort the baby,¡± suggested Macy. ¡°Ashton and you don¡¯t belong together. George is dead, so being


    pregnant spells trouble. You should abort it and get a divorce. Life isn¡¯t short. He¡¯s not the only man in


    your life.¡±


    I was in a daze. As the crowd was growing, I told Macy, ¡°You should head back to work. I¡¯ll stay here


    myself.¡±


    It was evident that I wouldn¡¯t heed her advice. Seeing as such, she changed my cocktail to a ss of


    orange juice, rolling her eyes before she left.


    As night fell, the bar became crowded and rowdy. Macy was too busy to talk to me, so I sat in a corner


    and stared into space nkly.


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    The people milling around in the bar fascinated me.


    I didn¡¯t even realize it when the thugs had arrived. It wasn¡¯t until people started yelling and stuff went


    crashing on the ground that I snapped back into reality.


    A few thugs were in the bar; all of them were surrounding Macy. Most of the customers had fled. Even


    the booming music was now silent.


    I was sitting in the corner in the shadows, so no one noticed me. The thugs who were surrounding


    Macy were holding wooden sticks.


    It was evident that they were here to find fault. To my surprise, Macy was eerily calm. Eventually, she


    asked them, ¡°Are you here to find fault or to have fun?¡±


    ¡°To find fault, of course. Missy, if you¡¯re bold enough, let¡¯s have fun together!¡± the leader spoke lewdly


    as he reached out to touch Macy¡¯s cheek.


    p! Before the pervert could touch Macy, I flung the ss of orange juice right at him.


    At the sudden interruption, the thug roared in pain. ¡°Who did that to me?¡±


    ¡°Me!¡± I stood up from my seat as I boldly approached them. Macy seemed anxious to see me. ¡°Why are


    you still here?¡±


    I was speechless. She thought that I had left earlier.


    Rolling my eyes, I quipped, ¡°Where else would I be?¡±


    ¡°What a fool!¡± Macy chided. She stood in front of me in a defensive pose as she whispered, ¡°If we end


    up fightingter, you should escape.¡±


    I knew that she was worried for me, so I didn¡¯t exin further. Looking straight at the thug who I had hit


    earlier, I inquired, ¡°Are you ganging up against a youngdy?¡±

 Chapter 13

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 13


    ¡°Why not?¡± the thug replied with an evil smile. ¡°You flung that ss at me, right?¡±


    I inclined my head. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Sorry about that.¡±


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Damn it! Do you have a death wish?¡± yelled the thug as he waved his baton at me menacingly. Macy


    and I avoided his attack. Seeing a beer bottle on a table aside, I picked it up and hurled it at him.


    The other thugs were enjoying the show before Macy and I retaliated. They immediately grabbed their


    batons and charged at us.


    Macy and I were skilled in fighting, so we weren¡¯t taken advantage of. When the police arrived,


    everyone was lightly wounded. We were brought to the police station together.


    After recording our statements, Macy and I had to be bailed out. We were the victims, but we had


    fought back in the fight.


    Macy was an orphan. I was her only friend in J City. Hence, she had to rely on my connections to bail


    us out.


    I spent my days at work and at home. As I was an introvert, I didn¡¯t have many friends. Hence, I


    decided to call Jared for help.


    The call was answered after a few rings. As the person on the other end of the line remained silent, I


    felt slightly awkward as I spoke, ¡°Dr. Crest, I¡¯m sorry for disturbing you at this hour. Can you do me a


    favor? I¡¯m at the police station. Can youe to bail me out?¡±


    As there was still no reply, I hurriedly added, ¡°Dr. Crest, please.¡±


    Soon, someone uttered, ¡°Scarlett Stovall!¡±


    Isn¡¯t that Ashton? Why did he answer Jared¡¯s phone?


    I was both shocked and terrified. ¡°Ashton, you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Where are you?¡± Before I could finish, he interrupted me rudely.


    I could sense his displeasure even through the other end of the line.


    ¡°Metropolitan Police Station!¡± Once I gave him an answer, he hung up.


    Macy was staring at me. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call Ashton directly? Look what you¡¯ve gotten yourself into.¡±


    I massaged my temples. ¡°When I left the vi, Ashton was drunk. I thought that he¡¯d be sleeping by


    now and I called Jared instead. I didn¡¯t know¡­¡±


    I didn¡¯t know that he would answer Jared¡¯s phone.


    Half an hourter, Ashton entered the police station with an entourage. He was cool and imposing, like


    a Greek god.


    Besides, his name would appear in the financial paper almost every other day. Almost everyone in the


    police station came to greet him.


    At the sight of that, Macy bumped my shoulder. ¡°I get why you¡¯re so infatuated with him. He¡¯s an


    outstanding man, I¡¯ll give him that. Women drool all over him, vying to be his wife. I can¡¯t believe that


    you get to sleep with him every day.¡±


    I shot her a look. Earlier, she was urging me to get a divorce. Look at her now¡­


    Women are so fickle.


    As soon as Ashton signed the papers, Macy and I were free to go.


    At the entrance of the police station, the police officer who arrested us earlier told us, ¡°If something


    simr happens in the future, don¡¯t take action. You can call the police directly.¡±


    Macy and I looked at each other. We smiled at the police officer as we thanked him profusely.


    The moment we turned to leave, Macy muttered, ¡°Damn it. If I hadn¡¯t taken action, the police would¡¯ve


    already arrived to collect my dead body!¡±


    I wanted to say something, but suddenly, I felt a chill traveling down my spine. Whipping my head


    around, I saw Ashton standing by his ck Jeep in his ck suit silently.

 Chapter 14

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 14


    I knew that he was upset, so I bade goodbye to Macy softly as I walked toward him. Lowering my head,


    I expressed my gratitude. ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Ashton merely nced at me as his expression turned thunderous. ¡°Get into the car!¡± he ordered.


    I entered the car obediently.


    On the way back home, I received a text from Macy informing me that she was back home safely.


    Hence, I replied and texted her: Good night!


    Looking out the car window, I realized that we were almost back home. The man was still as cool as


    ever. If he refused to say a word, I would remain silent too.


    At longst, the vehicle came to a stop in front of the vi. He alighted the car as he soon made his


    way inside. I trailed along behind him as I exined, ¡°Ashton, I thought that you were drunk. That is


    why I called Dr. Crest. I didn¡¯t mean anything else.¡±


    My exnation was possibly feeble, but I still spoke up even though I knew that he wouldn¡¯t care.


    Suddenly, he came to a stop as he narrowed his gaze at me. ¡°Anything else? Do you seriously think


    Jared likes you?¡±


    I was at a loss for words.


    He¡¯s right. Jared is Ashton¡¯s friend. I am also Ashton¡¯s wife. Even if I weren¡¯t married to him, Jared


    wouldn¡¯t like me.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    I knew that Ashton treated me like dirt. If it weren¡¯t for George¡¯s help, I wouldn¡¯t even get to meet


    Ashton, let alone marry him.


    Seeing that I had kept silent, Ashton red at me as he stomped upstairs.


    All of a sudden, he came to a stop, looking as though something had just urred to him. Looking


    back, he ordered, ¡°Buy some supper for me at Granger¡¯s.¡±


    I was stunned. Why didn¡¯t he say so on the way back? Granger¡¯s was on the opposite end of town.


    Besides, it was already midnight. Was he telling me to travel across town to buy breakfast for him?


    ¡°Do you need it by today? It¡¯s already midnight! Wouldn¡¯t the shop be closed?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s open 24/7!¡± came his reply. He headed upstairs immediately.


    He doesn¡¯t want supper. He wants to torture me.


    After all, I owed him one. I headed out of the vi as I prepared to leave.


    It was the rainy season, so the air was moist. It seemed like it would rain soon. I wanted to drive


    Ashton¡¯s Jeep, but he had brought the keys upstairs with him. Seeing as such, I walked to the garage


    and drove another vehicle with a lower base.


    At one in the morning, I drove across town to buy supper. I was secretly pleased because it hadn¡¯t


    rained.


    Nevertheless, by the time I stepped out of Granger¡¯s, it was already pouring.


    I drove back home slowly, avoiding the tunnel. J City was famous for sh floods involving highways


    and tunnels. Hence, I took a longer route home to avoid the sh floods.


    s, I never expected that the car would break down halfway. As I took a longer route home, I was still


    far away from home. I ended up being stuck in a deste area. It was pouring, so I couldn¡¯t hail a cab


    either.


    Whipping out my phone, I realized that the battery was about to go dead. Seeing as such, I hurriedly


    called Ashton.


    I called him several times, but he never picked up. My battery was about to go t, so I rummaged


    around in the car and found an umbre. Grabbing his supper, I alighted the car.

 Chapter 15

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 15


    If I were lucky enough, I would possibly bump into a kind driver who would offer to give me a ride


    home. As it was pouring, the tiny umbre didn¡¯t manage to serve its purpose. Soon enough, I was


    drenched.


    I was seriously unlucky as I was still alone after walking for some time. My belly was throbbing painfully


    by now. After a while, I could no longer hold back the pain that was attacking my belly.


    Worried for my child, I soon decided to stop as I hurriedly covered my belly. Eventually, I knelt on the


    ground in pain. I reached into my pocket, but my phone wasn¡¯t there. I must have left it in the car


    earlier.


    Nevertheless, I was too far away from my car now. My stomach was throbbing so painfully that I


    couldn¡¯t make the journey back. I held on to a rock by the side of the road for support, limping forward


    slowly. As I was sweating buckets, I finally sumbed and got on my knees.


    Suddenly, I felt something flowing down between my legs. Oh no, my child is about to leave me.


    ording to an old nursery rhyme, little girls were made of sugar, spice, and everything nice.


    s, not all little girls were destined to lead a delightful life. Some of them were born in poverty and


    despair, destined for a life of pain.


    When I heard the splitting sound of a car hitting its brakes, my vision grew blurry.


    Forcing my eyes open, I saw a ck Jeep with the te number ACL999. It was Ashton¡¯s car.


    Upon realizing that it was him, I mustered up all of my remaining energy as I struggled to stand to my


    feet.


    Unfortunately, seeing as I had been kneeling on the ground for too long, and my head was spinning, I


    lost bnce and toppled backward.


    ¡°Foolish woman!¡± The man¡¯s cool voice sounded in my ear. I struggled to open my eyes, but my eyelids


    were too heavy. I could sense Ashton bringing me into his car before I lost consciousness.


    When I regained my consciousness again, I was in a daze. A white ceiling greeted me the moment my


    eyes fluttered open. I¡¯m in the hospital.


    Shifting ufortably, I realized that my body was aching all over.


    Instinctively, I reached out to caress my belly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Your baby is fine.¡± A sudden male voice brought me out of my reverie. Turning toward the


    voice, I saw Jared.


    After a pause, I asked, ¡°Why¡­¡± Why are you here? My throat was burning, so I couldn¡¯t evenplete


    my sentence.


    He arched a brow and left to pour me a cup of water. When he returned, he helped me up from the


    bed. I immediately tried to resist being near to him by putting my arms out between us.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Ignoring my actions, he ced the cup right by my lips. I reached out to take it myself, but he brushed


    me away. ¡°Drink it!¡±


    I obliged.


    After taking a few sips of water, I felt better.


    He helped me toy down before cing the cup by the bed. I gazed at him as I parted my lips. ¡°Thank


    you!¡±


    He was looking at his phone and he soon murmured in response.


    I contemted for a while before asking, ¡°Is Ashton aware that I am pregnant?¡± If I wasn¡¯t mistaken, it


    was Ashton who had brought me to the hospitalst night. Since Jared knew about it, Ashton must


    have been informed too.


    Jared froze before he squinted at me. ¡°You don¡¯t want him to know?¡±

 Chapter 16

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 16


    I nodded truthfully. ¡°He wants a divorce. If I tell him of the baby, he might think that I am using it to keep


    us married.¡±


    Jared raised a brow in question. ¡°But he already knows of it. What will you do?¡±


    I was taken aback by his question.


    Trying to sound him out, I asked, ¡°Will Ashton want a child?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not Ashton,¡± replied Jared. He ced his phone in his pocket as he nced at me. ¡°But Ashton is


    thirty. There¡¯s no reason for him to refuse one.¡±


    With that, he ced his hands in his pockets and left.


    Does that mean that Ashton will want me to have the baby?


    It seemed that my optimism was premature. When Reba barged into my room, I was still hooked


    onto the IV drip. She rushed in rashly as she gripped my throat.


    Her eyes were red-rimmed. ¡°Why? Why did you get pregnant? Scarlett, you killed my baby. I won¡¯t let


    your baby live!¡±


    As she was holding me in a chokehold, I couldn¡¯t breathe. All I could do was try to pry her hands off my


    neck. She had obviously lost control of herself.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you give birth to a baby. You won¡¯t use the baby to tie Ash to you!¡± she dered viciously.


    She was petite and frail, but right now, my resistance was futile in the face of her strength.


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I managed to choke out a few words, ¡°Kill me¡­ And you will pay¡­¡±


    She sneered and tightened her grip. ¡°I get to kill both mother and child. It¡¯s worth it!¡±


    ¡°Reba, what are you doing?¡± a man¡¯s voice rang from the door.


    Upon hearing the familiar voice, Reba stiffened at once. The menace in her gaze faded away. As


    tears streamed down her eyes, she copsed onto the ground at Ashton¡¯s sudden appearance.


    Ashton caught her in time while I regained my freedom again. I immediately gasped for air.


    It took us a while to calm down. Reba was sobbing pitifully in Ashton¡¯s arms by now. ¡°Ash, you


    promised me that you wouldn¡¯t allow other women to give birth to your child. You gave me your word!¡±


    I stared at the loving couple calmly. The sight of them made my stomach churn.


    Ashton nced at me coolly as he patted Reba¡¯s back to console her. ¡°Stop crying. You¡¯ve just


    recovered, hmm?¡± he asked, his voice deep and resounding.


    Reba looked up at him. She wiped her tears away and inquired, ¡°Ash, you won¡¯t allow her to give


    birth to the baby, right?¡±


    I stared directly at Ashton, waiting for his answer anxiously.


    Ashton couldn¡¯t even be bothered to look at me. Instead, he gazed at Reba tenderly as he swept


    her tears away. ¡°Stop it, Reba.¡±


    I sighed in relief inwardly at his answer. At least he isn¡¯t going to ask me to abort the baby.


    ¡°No!¡± Reba grew emotional once again. Her tears started gushing out uncontrobly as she tugged


    at Ashton¡¯s shirt pitifully. ¡°Ash, you promised me that you would take care of me. After my brother died,


    you were the only one who I could depend on.¡±


    Sniffling, she pointed at me. ¡°If she gives birth to your child, you won¡¯t divorce her, right? Will you go


    back on your word to take care of me forever? You¡¯ll have your own family, but I¡¯ll have nothing. I don¡¯t


    want to end up alone.¡±

 Chapter 17

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 17


    Reba couldn¡¯t stop herself from sobbing like a child who had been abandoned by her mother.


    Ashton pulled her into his arms. ¡°Reba, you¡¯re not alone. You won¡¯t be alone. Calm down, will you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let her give birth to the baby, please,¡± Reba begged, her eyes swollen from all of her sobbing.


    ¡°Ash, please don¡¯t let her give birth to the baby. Do you want me to die?¡±


    She sounded so determined.


    Fury shed across Ashton¡¯s gaze. ¡°Reba, stop it!¡±


    Reba gave him a sudden shove as she grabbed a knife meant for the fruits and shed her wrist.


    Her actions were swift. Ashton and I had no idea that Reba would go to this extreme. Hence, the


    man panicked as he picked her up to bring her to the ER.


    Reba clung to the bed¡¯s railing, refusing to loosen her grip. She gazed at Ashton intently as she


    repeated, ¡°Don¡¯t let her give birth to the baby!¡±


    I was shocked. Why is she so determined on this? Before Ashton could reply, I spoke up, ¡°Reba,


    don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t¡­¡± Trailing off, I took a deep breath to keep the pain at bay. ¡°I won¡¯t give birth to the


    baby!¡±


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± Ashton roared angrily.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t send her to the ER, she might die. Imagine how bad you¡¯ll feel!¡± I threw forth bitterly.


    Pursing his lips, Ashton gazed at me darkly before he left with Reba in his arms.


    I was left alone in the ward. The pool of blood on the floor, which evidently belonged to Reba, was


    ringly obvious.


    My fever had subsided, but the doctors told me to get another IV drip. I wasn¡¯t in the mood to stay, so I


    refused as I discharged myself from the hospital.


    After a night of heavy rain, the air smelled rather refreshing. I didn¡¯t go back to the vi as I soon made


    my way to Fuller Corporation instead.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    At thepany¡¯s lobby, the receptionist hurriedly approached me. ¡°Ms. Stovall, Dr. Ludwick¡¯s wife is


    waiting for you in your office. She has been there for around fifteen minutes.¡±


    I inclined my head as I pressed the button on the elevator. ¡°Tell Stacey to prepare some gifts for Mrs.


    Ludwick to show her our sincerity.¡±


    The receptionist nodded.


    After entering the elevator, I called Jared. He picked up after two rings and answered, ¡°Scarlett?¡±


    I was surprised to hear him calling my name. Frowning, I asked, ¡°Are you free tonight? Can we meet


    up?¡±


    He seemed astounded at my request. ¡°Sure,¡± he replied after a short pause. ¡°Let me know the time and


    location.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send the details to youter.¡± I had reached my destination, so I hung up and sent the details to


    Jared by text.


    Then, I went to the bathroom to touch up my makeup before I returned to my office.


    I had been married to Ashton for two years. I couldn¡¯t get him to fall in love with me, but I had achieved


    considerable sess at work.


    I was no longer the inexperienced office worker. Now, I was capable enough to deal with various


    problems at work.


    In my office, an elegantly dresseddy was sitting on the sofa, reading something on her phone.


    I knocked twice on the half-closed door before I entered. ¡°Mrs. Ludwick, I¡¯m sorry to have made you


    wait. The traffic was really bad,¡± I greeted her with a smile.


    Martha stood up at the sight of me. ¡°No worries. I just arrived too.¡± She was smiling pleasantly.


    After a brief exchange, Martha went straight to the point. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, I¡¯m sorry to disturb you at work.


    You know that Caleb signed a contract with Fuller Corporation earlier, right? Nevertheless, since the


    horrible thing has happened, can you help us in convincing Mr. Fuller to dy thepletion? Doing


    that will help Caleb and I get a little breathing room.¡±

 Chapter 18

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 18


    Fuller Corporation¡¯s coboration with the hospital was a project under the national fund. As a


    construction and tradepany, the coboration with the hospital was under thepany¡¯s


    construction business. I was in charge of this project, as ordered by Ashton. Caleb was in fact,


    Martha¡¯s husband.


    We had both signed a contract, stipting that full payment should have to be made before the


    completion of the construction. Unfortunately, Caleb had used the money from the fund elsewhere, so


    we couldn¡¯tplete the construction.


    To simply put it, Caleb couldn¡¯t pay the bnce to Fuller Corporation on time as stipted by the


    contract.


    After listening to Martha¡¯s plea, I forced out a smile. ¡°Mrs. Ludwick, you know very well that Ashton and


    I aren¡¯t that close. It¡¯s a huge sum of money. Ashton is known for his thoroughness at work. If


    something happens, I won¡¯t be able to exin it to him.¡±


    Martha panicked instantly. She thought about it and suggested, ¡°Will one week do? Please extend the


    deadline by a week. When Caleb pays the bnce, we¡¯ll thank you personally.¡±


    I could have easily agreed, but I chose to utter, ¡°Mrs. Ludwick, Fuller Corporation isn¡¯t an SME. We


    have strict rules regarding funding. If I help Dr. Ludwick, I¡¯ll have to bear responsibility. Unless¡­¡±


    I paused and nced at her.


    She immediately asked, ¡°Unless what?¡± It was as if I was herst ray of hope.


    I hesitated before answering, ¡°Unless I have a reason to dy my work.¡±


    Before she could answer, I added, ¡°There¡¯s a perfect excuse avable now.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Martha¡¯s grip on her ss tightened.


    ¡°I need Dr. Ludwick¡¯s help in arranging for an ob-gyn to tend to me. I¡¯m going to abort my baby.¡±


    Martha was shocked to hear my words. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, you¡¯re pregnant?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I¡¯m six weeks along.¡±


    ¡°Why are you aborting your child at this stage? Does Mr. Fuller know about your pregnancy?¡± Martha


    was confused. ¡°You¡¯ve been married for some time. The child has arrived at the perfect time!¡±


    I gave her a faint smile. ¡°Ashton and I aren¡¯t ready yet.¡±


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I paused briefly before adding, ¡°I can use the excuse to dy thepletion. Please inform Dr.


    Ludwick of my request.¡±


    ¡°Does Mr. Fuller know about this?¡± she repeated unconvincingly.


    I nodded. ¡°He does.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s too bad.¡± She sighed.


    That was it.


    Stacey prepared some supplements for Martha before she left. ¡°Go to the president¡¯s office and ask


    Joseph to hand me the divorce agreement that Ashton drafted earlier,¡± I told her after Martha was


    gone.


    Stacey was dumbfounded. ¡°Ms. Stovall!¡±

 Chapter 19

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 19


    Stacey had been with me for about two years, and she was well aware of the things that happened


    between Ashton and me. Knitting her brows, she said, ¡°If you agree to the divorce, you know Old Mr.


    Fuller would be disappointed with your decision, right?¡±


    ¡°Besides, if you agree to it right now, the shares which Old Mr. Fuller had transferred to you will belong


    to Mr. Fuller. Ms. Stovall, the odds will not be in your favor if you make this decision.¡±


    I was well aware of her concerns. After looking at the time, I noticed that it was already quitete.


    Hence, I did not care to exin things further and said, ¡°I have my own ns. Please fetch me the


    documents. I need to head outter.¡±


    Stacey stomped out of the office when she noticed that I did not pay heed to her.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    I cleared up my stuff and found the car keys. Thanks to Stacey¡¯s efficiency, I only had to wait at the


    staircase for a short while before she fetched the things that I requested.


    She still had not given up on talking me out of the divorce. ¡°Ms. Stovall, it¡¯s really not wise to sign the


    divorce papers now. You¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± I interrupted her before she could finish her sentence. After getting into the lift, I looked into


    her eyes and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me and focus on your work. I know what to do.¡±


    She parted her lips to say something, but the elevator door already closed.


    I started my car after I reached the parking lot and drove straight to the ce where Jared and I had


    agreed to meet.


    South Bay was a restaurant where people from the upper echelon would frequent despite its obscure


    location. The dishes here were exquisite.


    Since I had made a reservation beforeing, I went straight to my table after I had arrived at South


    Bay. However, I was surprised to see that Jared had arrived ahead of time.


    He was dressed rather casually, exuding a ssy demeanor as he sat by the window. He tapped his


    slender fingers against the table in a carefree manner.


    ¡°Sorry for beingte!¡± I said as I took a seat right opposite him and called for the waiter to take my


    order.


    He was initially staring nkly out the window. At the sight of me, he lifted his brows and a hint of smile


    fleeted across his face. ¡°How could I bete on a date with a pretty girl?¡±


    It was actually quite rare to catch him with a smile. I pushed the menu toward him. ¡°Has anyone ever


    told you that you look really gentle when you smile?¡±


    He raised an eyebrow at myment and gestured me to order from the menu first. His almond-


    shaped eyes narrowed slightly as he looked into my eyes. ¡°You¡¯re the first person to say that.¡±


    I merely smiled and did notment further. After skimming through the menu, I ordered a few dishes


    that I thought he would enjoy.


    After handing the menu back to the waiter, I sipped on my water. He did not say anything and merely


    smiled as he looked at me.


    Puzzled at his demeanor, I put down the ss of water and asked, ¡°Is there something on my face?¡±


    His lips curved into a smile. It was apparent that he was in a good mood. ¡°It¡¯s my first time dining with


    my best friend¡¯s woman. It feels¡­¡±


    He paused and grinned from ear to ear. ¡°Well, I¡¯d have to say it feels quite great.¡±


    Birds of a feather flock together. Naturally, the people around Ashton would not be as easy to


    manipte.


    I did not doubt his words, nor did I ruminate over his undertone. Seeing that he was not beating around


    the bush, I returned the favor by asking him directly. ¡°If somethinges up and I need your help, I


    believe that you would offer me a helping hand?¡±


    He raised a brow and leaned back into his seat. ¡°What kind of help are we talking about here?¡±


    ¡°Get me some medicine for women recovering from a miscarriage.¡±


    He frowned upon hearing my request. ¡°Only this?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Well, you have a good reputation. So is that a yes or no for the medicine?¡±

 Chapter 20

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 20


    With a frown, Jared stared straight into my eyes with his obsidian deep-set ones. He was


    contemting whether I was being truthful.


    I did not fret. I sat quietly as he tried to gauge me.


    After some time, he finally spoke. ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Dr. Crest.¡± It was always a pleasure to deal with smart people. Just throw them a look and


    they would have gotten the gist of it.


    After the waiter had served our food, he shot a nce at me again. ¡°Has Ms. Stovall always


    downyed your brilliance this way?¡±


    I chuckled at his remark. ¡°Oh, you tter me. It¡¯s just a small trick to protect myself. Besides, Ashton


    and I are really not meant for each other anyway. This is a really bad time to have the baby.¡±


    He had a few bites, seemingly pleased with my answer. ¡°When do you n to leave?¡±


    I was taken aback and locked eyes with him. My n was to deal with the baby and divorce Ashton. As


    for leaving J City, I really had no inkling as to where I should be headed at the moment.


    He had even gotten thest step of my n correct.


    I paused for a moment, putting down the utensils in my hands. ¡°Maybe in two months¡¯ time. I haven¡¯t


    decided on the ce.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you consider Q City? I think you¡¯d fit in perfectly there.¡± He put down his utensils and wiped


    the corners of his mouth. Maybe he was done eating.


    I actually found Q City to be a good suggestion and nodded. ¡°Yes, maybe I should consider that.¡± Even


    though Q City was modest inparison with J City, the pace of life there was slower. If I were to


    choose somece where I would spend the rest of my life, Q City was actually a viable option.


    I was supposed to foot the bill but he was one step ahead of me. We walked out of the restaurant


    together and I said, ¡°I owe you one. It¡¯s going to be my treat next time!¡±


    ¡°Well, I hope you would treat me at Q City then.¡±


    I was at a loss for words and merely smiled.


    It was gettingte and I should be heading home. He suddenly asked when he reached his car, ¡°So the


    surgery has been scheduled?¡±


    ¡°Yes, tomorrow,¡± I turned around and replied.


    Why dwell on the course of our actions if the decision has already been made?


    ¡°Does Ashton know?¡±


    ¡°No, and I don¡¯t intend to let him know about it anyway.¡±


    He frowned, albeit making noment.


    After I started my car, I noticed that he was in a daze right beside his own car. I figured it was best not


    toment about it. I drove back to the vi right after.


    It was a ten-minute drive. I parked the car downstairs and did not get off as I took the divorce papers


    that Stacey handed over to me.


    A wave of bitterness washed over me. I thought that I would only sign the divorce papers should


    Ashton ever put a knife to my neck. Never would I have imagined that one day I would willingly sign


    and hand this over to him.


    Ashton had always been liberal with the terms in the event of a divorce. He had promised me the vi


    and the yearly dividends from the Fuller Corporation shares.


    I could not help but be amused as I looked at the terms of the divorce. Maybe all along he had been


    thinking that I had only gotten together with him because of all these, and that there would absolutely


    no reason for me to refuse to sign the papers if he had given me what he allegedly thought I was after.


    After looking at the papers for some time, I finally penned down my signature.


    Back in the vi, the living room was all dark. I changed into slippers and reached out to turn on the


    lights. To my surprise, there was a man sitting in the living room.


    He stared impassively at me with his deep dark eyes. I could not discern what was on his mind.


    I looked at him and said slowly, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you turn on the lights? Have you had dinner yet?¡±


    He did not answer my questions. ¡°Where have you been?¡± His tone was icy, and there was a hint of


    displeasure in it.


    ¡°I just went to the office.¡± I headed right into the kitchen afterward and said, ¡°I¡¯ll make something for


    you.¡±


    Well, I guess he wouldn¡¯t have a hearty appetite after what Reba had done at the hospital today.


    Why should I care? He was about to leave anyway. What did it have to do with me if he were to starve


    to death?


    I thought it was best to split on good terms. He had been someone whom I cared about for such a long


    time anyway. It would be in our best interests to leave behind at least some sweet memories.


    I suddenly felt a chill down my spine after I was done cooking. I turned around and was greeted by his


    cold, hard gaze.


    ¡°Wh- what¡¯s the matter?¡± There was only contempt in his eyes whenever he would look at me.


    Somehow, it felt different today¡­ It feltplicated. I did not know how to deal with it and panicked.


    He did not reply, and I took that as because he did not feel like talking to me. So, I kept my mouth shut


    and cooked ramen for him. ¡°We don¡¯t have much at home, only eggs. You¡¯d have to make do with that.¡±


    I turned around and went upstairs to wash up. However, he suddenly spoke, ¡°So do we make do with


    our marriage too?¡±


    Stumped, I felt a searing pain in my chest. I would have chosen to keep quiet some other time.


    However, today was different. My eyes went red at his words. ¡°So what? Big deal. Haven¡¯t we been


    doing that for almost two years now?¡±


    ¡°Ashton Fuller. I¡¯m saying yes to the divorce.¡± I fished out the divorce papers in my bag and put them


    right in front of him. I felt bitterness creeping up inside of me. ¡°I¡¯ve signed it. You take a look at it and


    put down your signature too. Let¡¯s set a time and head to the Civil Affairs Bureau to make things


    official.¡±


    I breathed a sigh of relief after getting those words off my chest. Looking at his handsome, chiseled


    face, I spoke, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the baby. I will deal with it in a manner that both you and Reba will


    find satisfactory.¡±


    One had to bear the consequences of one¡¯s actions.


    A hint of fury fleeted across his face but it went unnoticed as I turned around to head upstairs. This may


    well be thest time we¡¯re having such a conversation in the vi.


    I felt a sudden grip on my wrist. ¡°Care to exin more?¡± The fury in his tone was apparent.


    I knew he was getting mad, but still, I did not turn around. I tried hard to suppress the swelling emotions


    and said, ¡°I¡¯ll get it done so that it won¡¯t affect Reba.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett Stovall!¡± His grip tightened on my wrist as his fury reached a tipping point. ¡°What¡¯s your n,


    huh? To divorce me? To abort the baby? What¡¯s next? Are you going to leave the city?¡±


    ¡°What other choice do I have?¡± The tears welled up in my eyes streamed down my cheeks despite my


    best efforts at holding them in. ¡°What else could I do? Ashton, haven¡¯t you always wished for me to


    agree to this? You¡¯ve always wanted me to stay as far away from you as possible right? What exactly


    am I doing wrong here? Isn¡¯t this what you¡¯ve wished for?¡±


    His gaze darkened. The iciness was even more apparent.


    ¡°You think you¡¯re really smart, huh?¡± He snorted as he pinched my chin with his slender fingers. I tried


    to shrug him off but he pinched down harder. The two of us were so close that I could feel his breath


    against my skin. ¡°That is my baby. You do not have the right to determine whether it lives or dies.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the right?¡± I chuckled, enunciating myself. ¡°So does Reba have a say in this?¡±


    ¡°Stovall, you¡¯re ying with fire here!¡± He narrowed his eyes at me, his gaze threatening.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

 Chapter 21

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 21


    He let go of his hand, not exerting any force. However, I felt a searing pain extending from my chin all


    the way to my heart.


    Even my toes were curling from the pain.


    I had not yet recovered from getting drenched in the rain. The sudden confrontation and him abruptly


    letting go of me made me slump into his embrace.


    His strong arms from the years of fitness training held me steady. I could clearly feel his muscles


    flexing as I leaned into his embrace. My energy was running low, and I did not wish to be entangled in a


    fight with him. So, I closed my eyes.


    ¡°Well, someone¡¯s gotten bolder. You even know how to y dead now!¡± His mocking voice rang in my


    ears. The anger in his tone was still apparent.


    He tapped my cheeks repeatedly, and it was by no means gentle. However, I did not feel well and kept


    my eyes closed.


    Perhaps he had regretted his actions, he carried me and brought me back to the bedroom after noticing


    that I did not respond.


    After he put me on the bed, there were no discernible movements.


    I thought he just could not be bothered with me. However, after some time I heard him calling Jared. It


    sounded like he was asking Jared toe take a look at me.


    So, he¡¯s not that heartless after all.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    After about ten minutes, I fell asleep from the drowsiness. Still in a daze, I heard Jared talking.


    ¡°Ashton, you¡¯d better think how you want to deal with the baby.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. You¡¯d better head back and get some rest.¡± Ashton sounded quite exasperated.


    Sometimes I actually pitied Jared. He was a renowned doctor after all. How did he actually feel about


    being at Ashton¡¯s every beck and call?


    I was all tuckered out from running around the whole day, so I fell asleep for good.


    In the middle of the night, I could feel someone scooping me in an embrace. I tried to open my eyes but


    to no avail. I was just too tired.


    The next day.


    After I woke up, Ashton was no longer at the vi. It did not require a genius to guess that he had gone


    to visit Reba.


    I had made an appointment with Caleb the day before and headed straight to the hospital after washing


    up.


    Martha had been waiting at the hospital entrance after she had gotten the news about my appointment


    today. At the sight of me, she asked in a worried tone, ¡°Are you sure about aborting the baby? Aren¡¯t


    you going to discuss it with Mr. Fuller first?¡±


    I knew she was just looking out for me. Smiling, I entered the hospital together with her. ¡°It¡¯s going to be


    okay. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡±


    Caleb had arranged a doctor for the surgery. I did all the basic prior checkups for the surgery. After


    getting the green light, I got into an operation theater.


    Martha was worried sick, and she had not given up on advising me against the abortion. ¡°Mrs. Fuller,


    even though you¡¯re young, this is going to take a toll on your body. Have you thought it through?¡±


    I nodded. It was time for the surgery. I patted her arm andforted her, ¡°It¡¯s going to be alright.¡±


    I followed a nurse into the operating theater. The doctor was a middle-aged woman, and she tried to


    calm my nerves. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, we¡¯re going to go with general anesthesia here. You¡¯re going to be


    unconscious right after, and there¡¯s going to be no pain. Don¡¯t worry!¡±


    I nodded. Everything was just as she said. It did not take me long before I drifted off.


    I was on a hospital bed when I woke up.


    Ashton was giving me the dead eyes again. His thin lips were pursed. The temperature in the room and


    his cold, hard gaze were sending chills down my spine. The hint of fury in his eyes did not help either.


    I had never seen him like this and my heart sank. Subconsciously, I reached out to him but he flung my


    hand away forcefully.


    I parted my lips to say something but could not bring myself to say it. Averting my gaze from his death


    re, I closed my eyes and decided to keep quiet.


    ¡°Scarlett, you¡¯re really heartless.¡± He turned around to leave afterward.


    This was the best way for things to end. I sighed as I watched his silhouette getting out of my sight.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of Mr. Fuller hating you for this?¡± A deep voice came from the door. It was Caleb. He


    had my medical records in his hands, checking on my condition. ¡°I mean, he is the child¡¯s father after


    all. You can fool him once but you can¡¯t fool him forever. The cat will be out of the bag sooner orter.¡±


    I smiled and sat right up on the hospital bed. Taking the medical records from his hand, I nced at my


    stats. Everything seemed fine to me. ¡°No more next time. Thank you for keeping up the act up for me.¡±


    I prepared to get off the bed after keeping my medical records. However, I was stopped by Caleb. ¡°Why


    don¡¯t you keep your story consistent? When have you ever seen a woman up and running not even half


    an hour after having an abortion?¡±


    Well, he was right.


    Iy back down on the bed and said, ¡°Well, Ashton is a careful person, and he¡¯s likely to send someone


    to check on my medical records, as well as to keep an eye on me. I¡¯d appreciate your help then, Dr.


    Ludwick.¡±


    His wrinkled face curled into a smile. Helplessly, he said, ¡°Youngsters these days. Why do you guys


    have toe up with things like these? But since I¡¯ve agreed to help you out with this, I¡¯ll make sure


    the rest of the story ties together.¡±


    I nodded and thanked him. ¡°I believe that you wille up with something for Martha too.¡± It was best


    not to let too many people in on the truth.

 Chapter 22

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 22


    Caleb smiled and said nothing before leaving.


    Iy on the bed for the whole morning. After the doctor came in to brief me on things to take note of


    and taking my medicine, I was discharged from the hospital.


    Stacey was waiting for me at the hospital entrance. She helped me into the car as I looked at her and


    said, ¡°Pleasee up with something so that Reba knows I¡¯ve had an abortion.¡±


    She nodded, started the car and sent me back to the vi.


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Ashton was not around. I sent Stacey back to the office. There was nothing much I could do since I had


    just been discharged from the hospital. So, I fell asleep on the bed.


    However, before I drifted off, I heard the sound of an engine humming downstairs. I walked over to the


    balcony and saw Ashton and Jared.


    Just as I thought, Ashton did not even cast me a second nce. He was just calling Jared here to


    check on me.


    I got on the bed. Jared came in with his kit. At the sight of me, he titled his brows. He motioned for me


    to let him check my pulse.


    ¡°Have you brought the medicine I asked for?¡±


    He looked at me and said, ¡°Your cover-up n is brilliant.¡±


    I kept mum and he checked my pulse, taking some medicine out of his kit, and said, ¡°These are all


    medicine to keep the baby healthy. If you eat these regrly and there¡¯s no mishap, the baby should


    be just fine.¡±


    Jared went downstairs afterward. I swapped out the medicine that Jared gave me with the ones I


    brought back from the hospital.


    Then, Iy on the bed again. I had to take at least a week to fully recover from the miscarriage. There


    was no problem with dragging Caleb¡¯s project for a week. However, it would feel like hell to stay at the


    vi for one whole week.


    I thought Ashton¡¯s fury would subside after he met up with Reba, and that it would take him only a


    while to move on from it all.


    What I did not know was the fight between him and I was just about to start.


    There were not many people in the vi. Ashton did note back because he was still mad about the


    abortion. Well, I was actually quite pleased not having him around.


    I stayed in for the whole day to keep up with my act, and would ask for Stacey¡¯s help when I needed


    anything.


    Soon, it was already afternoon. After Stacey ced everything in the fridge, she walked over to my


    side and said, ¡°Ms. Stovall, the bnce payment from Medwin Hospital has been pending for a number


    of days, and the Finance Department has called in a few times to check on it. Do you think you should


    make a call to Dr. Ludwick?¡±


    I had a few bites of durian but could not stand the fruit¡¯s strong smell and threw it into the trashcan.


    Stacey was still standing beside me. I gestured for her to take a seat, wiped my hands, and said, ¡°How


    many days has it been pending at Dr. Ludwick¡¯s end?¡±


    ¡°About two to three days.¡± She paused before continuing, ¡°It¡¯s not really about how long the payment


    has been pending. It¡¯s just that the amount involved is quite considerable. The money has been


    earmarked for a new market development project of thepany. Now that the payment has been


    dyed, it might affect the profit of thepany for the next quarter.¡±


    I nodded. Fuller Corporation¡¯s cash flow had been very dynamic. Any dy from our partners will, to a


    certain degree, affect our operations. The amount pending on Dr. Ludwick¡¯s end was quite huge. Even


    if the money had not been earmarked for any investment, it would still make a handsome profit just by


    sitting in the bank alone.


    I paused for a moment before saying, ¡°Dr. Ludwick is a man of his word. I¡¯ve been staying at home


    these few days and this has been thrown to the back of my mind. I will bear responsibility for this


    payment. Just give a heads up to the Finance Department. I will deal with this as soon as I¡¯m back in


    the office.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ms. Stovall.¡± She rose from her seat and headed for the kitchen to make me some food.


    I looked at my phone and there was a text from Martha. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, are you feeling better? Caleb has


    managed to settle his cash flow situation. We really need to thank you for this.¡±


    It seemed like the problem had been resolved at Caleb¡¯s end. So, I could technically head right back to


    work. After replying to her message, I gave Caleb a call to set a time for him to sign the project


    completion agreement after he had cleared his payments.


    Stacey was done cooking by the time I made an appointment with Caleb. She had something on and


    had to leave, and so I did not insist for her to stay. ¡°I think I have almost fully recovered, so you can


    stay in the office tomorrow. I¡¯ve made an appointment with Dr. Ludwick, and I will get to the bottom of it


    tomorrow.¡±


    She was worried as she looked at me. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re alright? Don¡¯t you have to at least rest for


    about two weeks after a miscarriage? It¡¯s only been a few days, Ms. Stovall.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°I look fine, right? Besides, if I don¡¯t settle this thing with Dr. Ludwick, this would have to drag


    on for a long time. How much losses would thepany have to bear by then? By that time I won¡¯t be


    only getting dead eyes from Ashton.¡±


    There was no abortion in the first ce. Things would go haywire if I just sit here and do nothing all


    day. Besides, my belly would only be getting bigger with each passing day. I would have to deal with a


    bigger problem if I did not draw the line with Ashton as soon as possible.


    So, my only choice was to hurry up and settle everything before I could leave J City for good.


    Stacey sighed and said, ¡°Alright, but you have to take good care of your health.¡±

 Chapter 23

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 23


    I sent Stacey away and returned to the dining table. Eating alone was no fun, but it was alreadyte


    and I couldn¡¯t be bothered to head out.


    After a few bites of dinner, I returned to my bedroom. Ashton wasn¡¯ting back, nor did I have much


    else to do, so I spent the past two days reading at home and searching the Inte for some houses in


    Q City. If I were to live in Q City, I¡¯d have to find at least a ce that was decent enough for my child


    and me.


    A sudden phone call made me stop in my tracks. It was Macy. The moment I picked up, my ears rang


    before I could even speak.


    ¡°You damned woman! Did you abort the child?¡±


    It had only been a few days. ¡°Yeah. How did you find out?¡±


    Macy went ballistic. ¡°How did I find out? You have the nerve to still ask me that? Do you even consider


    me your friend? How could you have done such a thing without even telling me anything?¡±


    There was no refuting this woman when she unleashed her fury. I clutched my slightly throbbing head.


    ¡°Dying it would only cause more problems, so I took care of it ASAP. I wanted to tell you about it, but


    you¡¯ve been busy these days, so I figured I¡¯d wait two more days!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that bullsh*t! I¡¯m not against abortion, but don¡¯t you need someone to care for you after


    the surgery? You never said a word to me about it! What if something happens to you?¡± Macy was so


    frantic that she didn¡¯t mince her words.


    My heart felt warm knowing that she was worried about me. After letting her give me a long lecture, I


    finally decided to speak. ¡°I n to divorce Ashton, Mary. I might leave J City after that. Do you want to


    leave too?¡±


    I chose not to tell her about the child for now¡ªthere wasn¡¯t much of a point in doing so by now. Still, I


    had to tell her about my intentions to move. Macy was now in J City because of me, after all; she¡¯d


    surely cut me off if I were to leave without a word.


    The woman fell silent for a long while before asking, ¡°When will you leave? Where do you want to move


    to?¡±


    ¡°Sometime within these few months. I think Q City¡¯s not bad. I¡¯d like to live there.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I got it,¡± she replied immediately.


    To my surprise, Macy said nothing more. Thinking we had nothing else to talk about, I was about to


    hang up when she suddenly spoke up again.


    ¡°Come get your man. He¡¯s totally wasted.¡±


    I froze. ¡°Ashton?¡±


    ¡°What other man would you have apart from him?¡±


    I was at a loss for words.


    Why did Ashton get himself drunk? After ending the call, I packed a few things, put on my coat and


    drove toward Macy¡¯s bar.


    Hour Bar wasn¡¯t too far off from the vi, so it only took me ten minutes to get there.


    As usual, Macy was drinking by the counter, and she remarked helplessly upon seeing me. ¡°He¡¯s


    upstairs in the private room. The guy¡¯spletely knocked out.¡±


    I put the car keys into my purse. ¡°Why did hee here to drink?¡±


    ¡°How would I know? He¡¯s beening over since two days ago, but that hunky assistant of his always


    took him home before he could get drunk. The assistant isn¡¯t here today, though. That¡¯s why your man


    is wasted,¡± Macy responded with pursed lips as she put her ss down. ¡°You got rid of the child


    without talking to him about it; what makes you think he¡¯d be in a cheery mood?¡±


    I was stunned. Was Ashton really that upset because of the child?


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    I headed up to the second floor and found the room Ashton was in. No one answered after I knocked


    twice, so I decided to enter anyway.


    The intense smell of cigarettes and booze wafted into my nostrils the moment I opened the door. I kept


    the door open, secretly airing out the room a little.


    Inside the dimly lit room, a man leaned on the sofa with his eyes closed and lips slightly pursed. He


    didn¡¯t seem drunk at all; in fact, he looked like he was just getting some shuteye.


    ¡°Ashton!¡± As I called out to him, I spotted several empty bottles of whiskey. There was no way his liver


    could take all this alcohol!


    Upon hearing my voice, his eyshes fluttered as he opened his eyes to gaze at me coldly.


    Perhaps because I had disrupted his peace, the atmosphere turned chilly in an instant, and the way he


    looked at me grew increasingly contemptuous by the minute.


    ¡°Get out,¡± he ordered in a deep voice, his lips parted slightly.


    Knowing that he didn¡¯t wish to see me, I sighed and walked toward him. ¡°You¡¯ve had too much to drink,


    Ashton. Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    Yet, the man squinted as a cold smirk appeared on his face. ¡°Home? Is that what I¡¯d call home?¡± he


    sneered.


    I furrowed my brows, feeling my temper getting shorter due to my pregnancy. I would usually put up


    with his humiliation, but this time, I couldn¡¯t help but respond grimly, ¡°If that isn¡¯t home, what is it? If you


    don¡¯t wish to see me, Ashton, I can always give Reba a call and have here pick you up. Macy


    has a business to run, so stop giving her a hard time!¡±


    Suddenly, Ashton grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me onto hisp before wrapping his arms around


    my waist. Then, he violently shoved a hand down my cor and scoffed, ¡°Home will never be home as


    long as you¡¯re around. I¡¯d say it¡¯s more like¡­ an inn.¡±

 Chapter 24

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 24


    Ashton grabbed onto me as he finished.


    Rage boiled within me as I frowned in pain. I pulled his hand out, ring at him. ¡°Well, if it¡¯s nothing but


    an inn to you, feel free to nevere back. Sign the divorce papers and we¡¯ll never see each other


    again!¡±


    Suddenly, he bit me on the shoulder, causing me to hiss in pain. My tears were on the verge of spilling


    out.


    ¡°Oh? So you¡¯re going to stay far away from me now that you¡¯ve gotten the money, the house, and the


    shares?¡± Ashton red at me and let out a coldugh. ¡°Your love sure is cheap, Scarlett. To think


    you¡¯re taking it all back so easily.¡±


    My head began to hurt seeing how intoxicated he was. What was I doing, trying to reason with a


    drunkard?


    Suppressing my anger, I softened my tone and held his face. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, Ashton. Let¡¯s go home


    okay?¡±


    Ashton stopped talking. He closed his eyes and leaned back into the couch, but still held on to me.


    Not knowing what he wanted, I paused briefly before suggesting, ¡°If you don¡¯t want toe home with


    me, I¡¯ll ask Reba to pick you up, okay?¡±


    He didn¡¯t want to return to the vi anyway, I assumed he had been staying with Reba all this while.


    Refusing to let him disrupt Macy¡¯s business, I grabbed my purse and took out my phone, ready to give


    Reba a call.


    Yet, Ashton snatched my phone before I could even dial Reba¡¯s number.


    Crash! He tossed my phone far away.


    I froze in shock before turning to him. ¡°What the hell do you want, Ashton?¡±


    He didn¡¯t want to leave with me, yet he refused to let someone else pick him up. Did he intend to die


    here on his own?


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home,¡± the man spat out coldly as he carried me and began to stagger out of the room.


    I was utterly frightened. With a child inside of me, I wouldn¡¯t even have a chance to regret it if he were


    to identally drop me.


    Holding onto him tightly, I dared not speak too sternly. ¡°You¡¯re drunk, Ashton. Put me down. I can walk


    on my own! I just had surgery, so it¡¯d be bad if I slipped.¡±


    Ashton suddenly stilled in ce before gazing at me with his pitch-ck eyes. ¡°Was it to get back at


    me?¡±


    I froze, not knowing what he was talking about. ¡°Of course not,¡± I answered while shaking my head. ¡°I


    love you so much; why would I want to get back at you? Put me down and let¡¯s go home, okay?¡±


    God! A drunk man was no different from a child.


    Just when I thought he was up to something again, he put me down to my surprise and cast me a


    nce. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    I had grown tired from nodding at this point. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go!¡± I replied, holding onto him.


    Not knowing how much he had drunk, I helped the staggering man down to the ground floor. Macy


    stood at by the counter with her arms crossed. ¡°Do you need help?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Has he paid the bill?¡±


    Macy rolled her eyes at me. ¡°Paid the bill? My bar is already practically his now.¡±


    With Ashton¡¯s entire weight on my body, I couldn¡¯t be bothered to ponder over Macy¡¯s remark. I simply


    nodded and brought Ashton out of the bar.


    It took me so much effort just to get him into the car. My back and clothes werepletely drenched in


    sweat by the time I was done.


    I finally understood why people said pregnant women were fragile; I was about to fall apart just from


    doing such a menial task.


    I gazed at the man in the passenger seat. With his eyes closed, he didn¡¯t look as frosty as usual.


    Instead, he looked so peaceful in his sleep. This man was surely favored by the gods. He had such a


    handsome face, a nice body, and an infinite amount of wealth. He was the cream of the crop.


    Just as I continued to stare at Ashton, his eyes suddenly flew open, causing my heart to skip a beat.


    ¡°Mmph!¡± Before I could react, the booze and tobo scent invaded my nostrils as he proceeded to


    nibble on the tip of my tongue.


    Why was Ashton kissing me all of a sudden?


    He was even kissing me so hard that I couldn¡¯t breathe. My mind went abuzz and he let go of me only


    when I was about to run out of air.


    I stared at Ashton in shock. At this very moment, he didn¡¯t have his usual cold gaze. Instead, there was


    aplicated look in his eyes, albeit unfathomable as usual.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Ashton¡­¡±


    ¡°I want my child back,¡± he spat out frigidly before leaning into his seat and shutting his eyes once again.


    I was speechless.


    Unsure whether he had fallen asleep or was just resting his eyes, I decided to just start the engine and


    drive back to the vi.


    Yet, the same words yed in my mind like a loop. I want my child back.


    Was he actually not rejecting this child?


    The thought of this gave me mixed feelings.


    At the end of the day, Reba was someone he had to look after for the rest of his life. Even if he


    didn¡¯t actually like her, there was no way he would ever leave her be.

 Chapter 25

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 25


    Things would only get moreplicated if he were to find out the truth. The situation between the three


    of us would worsen with the addition of this child.


    Hence, I figured that leaving was the best option¡ªa win-win situation for everyone.


    I grew frantic upon parking outside the vi. Taking Ashton upstairs was not going to be an easy task.


    After contemting for a moment, I alighted the vehicle, walked toward the passenger seat and


    opened the car door. ¡°Ashton,¡± I called out while tugging at his sleeve.


    Ashton instantly woke up upon hearing his name. His stomach was probably giving him a hard time


    from all the whiskey he had drunk.


    The man slowly opened his eyes and nced at me before scanning his surroundings. ¡°You brought


    me here?¡±


    I nodded, unsure if he was already sober or still drunk. ¡°Come on down. It¡¯ste.¡±


    It was already almost dawn by now. Being pregnant, I simply didn¡¯t have the energy to stay up with him.


    Ashton sat up straight, showing no intention of getting down the car. His dark eyes appeared harmless,


    but I knew he was in a vtile mood.


    After giving it some thought, I eventually spoke up. ¡°Do you want me to help you get down?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to bask in the sun for a while,¡± he answered and sat there motionlessly.


    I waspletely taken aback. Bask in the sun? Now?


    How drunk is he?


    ¡°Okay. Take your time.¡± Feeling too awful to stay with him outside, I headed into the vi.


    I returned to the bedroom andy in bed. Then, the silenceing from the living room began to fill me


    with concern. What if he decided to head outside and got into an ident?


    After struggling with my own thoughts, I got up and headed downstairs. To my surprise, Ashton was


    already lying on the couch in the living room.


    I could finally sleep in peace.


    After such a long night, I fell into a deep slumber and only woke up at noon.


    With an appointment with Caleb in mind, I hurriedly washed up and headed out the door. By the time I


    arrived at work, Caleb was already waiting for me at the office.


    He smiled apologetically upon seeing me. ¡°Sorry to bother you at work, Ms. Stovall.¡±


    Having just rushed over, I calmed my breathing and had Stacey pour Caleb a ss of water. Then, we


    signed both thepletion and transfer agreements.


    After we were done, Caleb offered, ¡°It¡¯s already noon. I suppose you haven¡¯t had lunch, Ms. Stovall?


    How about a meal together? My wife¡¯s been wanting to thank you. Do you happen to have some time?¡±


    I didn¡¯t actually have other ns, but I noticed Stacey gazing at me as though she had something to tell


    me. Hence, I smiled and turned the man down. ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Dr. Ludwick. I should be the one


    thanking you both. I¡¯m afraid I have something to take care of today, so let¡¯s meet up another time


    instead.¡±


    Hearing that, Caleb left after exchanging some pleasantries.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Then, I turned to Stacey. ¡°Mr. Fuller wants you to see him at his office, Ms. Stovall,¡± she said.


    See him?


    I furrowed my brows, feeling stunned. ¡°Has our department done anything wrong recently?¡± Ashton


    normally wouldn¡¯t summon me over personal affairs while at work.


    Unless the issue was work-rted.


    Stacey nodded. ¡°Finance has approached Mr. Fuller regarding the issue with Dr. Ludwick. Mr. Fuller


    seems rather unhappy about it and wants you to drop by the president¡¯s office.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I answered and headed to the top floor at once.


    Ashton¡¯s office gave off the same cold, stern vibe that he did. The atmosphere here felt chilly even in


    the midst of summer.


    The spacious office area looked frosty and unweing. The door to the meeting room was closed.


    Joseph caught sight of me. ¡°Mr. Fuller is still in a meeting with Mr. Quinn and Dr. Crest, Ms. Stovall.¡±


    I nodded while thinking. If Dr. Crest is Jared Crest, is Mr. Quinn referring to Joe Quinn?


    I walked over to the couch and sat down. ncing at my watch, it was now noon. I had left home in


    such a rush that I hadn¡¯t had anything to eat. Thus, I was now starving.


    Joseph poured me a ss of water and remarked icily, ¡°Please wait a moment, Ms. Stovall. Mr. Fuller


    will be done in about half an hour.¡±


    I took the ss from him. Brushing aside his cold front, I asked, ¡°Has Mr. Fuller been drinking


    frequently, Mr. Campbell?¡±


    Macy had mentioned that Ashton had been visiting her bar often, so I couldn¡¯t help but try to find out


    why this was happening.


    Hearing my question, Joseph stilled for a moment before answering, ¡°I guess Mr. Fuller hasn¡¯t been in


    the best mood.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± There was no way Ashton would get so upset over the child. It usually had something to do


    with Reba.


    Seeing me gaze at him with curiosity, Joseph coughed lightly. ¡°I¡¯m not too sure either.¡±


    I fell silent.


    This guy wasn¡¯t being honest.


    I slowly dozed off. Upon hearing a few people¡¯s voices after what felt like forever, I tried my best to sit


    up straight.

 Chapter 26

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 26


    The three men who walked out of the meeting room shifted their gazes over to me. With a slight raise


    of his brows and purse of his thin lips, Jared muttered a few words to Joseph, causing thetter to


    nce at me before taking his leave.


    Ashton¡¯s gaze darkened as he stared at me. I had a feeling that he was about to unleash his wrath on


    me.


    I hurriedly stood up upon thinking about Caleb. ¡°I¡¯m more than willing topensate for all the losses


    incurred for the past two days, Mr. Fuller.¡±


    Ashton frowned while remaining silent. Instead, it was Joe who began to cause a stir. ¡°You¡¯re


    incredible, Ms. Stovall. This is a project worth a few billion, and you¡¯ve managed to incur your own


    husband a loss of over ten million in just two days! You¡¯re being far too generous!¡±


    His words were dripping with sarcasm.


    Seeing Ashton remain silent with a grim look on his face, I rolled my eyes at Joe. ¡°You sure are a nosy


    one, Mr. Quinn.¡±


    Pfft! Jared stifled hisughter. With his hands in his pockets, he looked on with innocent eyes as


    thoughpletely uninvolved.


    Joe cast him a re before turning to me, looking dour. ¡°What makes you think you can talk to me like


    that, Scarlett Stovall?¡±


    I really had no intention of wasting my breath talking to Joe. The guy never had anything nice to say to


    me because he thought I was always getting in between Ashton and Reba.


    Still, we had known each other for a long time, so I chose not to mince my words. ¡°Are you a king who


    has time-traveled to the future, Mr. Quinn? If so, I¡¯m afraid only the likes of Alexander the Great and


    Julius Caesar would have the privilege of talking to you. You¡¯re from that era too, after all.¡±


    Joe¡¯s face flushed red in anger and he no longer held back his words. ¡°Even a dead man has more


    right to talk to me than you do! To think you¡¯d be wicked enough to kill off your own child¡ª¡±


    ¡°Joe,¡± Jared cut the man off sternly. ¡°Ashton and Ms. Stovall have some matters to discuss. I¡¯ve made


    a lunch reservation, so let¡¯s head over and wait for them there.¡±


    Then, he turned to me. ¡°I believe you haven¡¯t had lunch either, Ms. Stovall. Why don¡¯t you and Ashton


    join uster?¡±


    Before I could turn down his offer, the man left, dragging Joe along with him.


    Only Ashton and I remained inside therge office. Unsure of how he intended to deal with the matter


    rted to Caleb, I decided to break the ice. ¡°I¡¯m responsible for what happened. I stayed home to


    recuperate after the surgery and couldn¡¯t stop thinking about the child, so Ipletely forgot about Dr.


    Ludwick.¡±


    Ashton remained gloomy and silent, so I continued, ¡°I know I¡¯ve caused unimaginable losses to the


    company. I¡¯d be more than willing to resign¡ª¡±


    ¡°Is that how you intend to solve this issue?¡± Ashton suddenly asked. His voice and eyes were so chilly


    that I felt goosebumps.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I had it all nned out¡ªnow that I had a reason to quit, I could finally leave J City.


    The tall man stood in front of me, letting out a cold chuckle and engulfing me with his frosty presence.


    ¡°You got rid of the child, signed the divorce papers, and now, you¡¯re about to quit your job. What are


    you up to, Scarlett?¡±


    My palms began to turn sweaty. I instinctively stepped backward, only to feel Ashton grab me by the


    waist. ¡°Are you nning to leave J City?¡± he demanded, ring at me with his sharp eyes.


    ¡°No!¡± I immediately denied it. ¡°Haven¡¯t you been wanting to sign the papers? Now that I¡¯ve signed them,


    you¡¯re finally free to be with Reba. What is there not to like about that?¡±


    ¡°Fine!¡± The man¡¯s smirk turned even more frigid as his grip on my waist tightened. ¡°You know how


    much I hate it when others do as they please, Scarlett. Do you think I¡¯d let you off so easily after you


    killed my child?¡±


    ¡°But you didn¡¯t want the child.¡± I frowned, feeling increasingly bewildered. ¡°Reba kept using it as


    leverage, so I figured I¡¯d take things into my own hands instead of being coerced into getting an


    abortion!¡±


    The air in the office grew even more chilly. As Ashton narrowed his eyes, I had a feeling that this man


    standing in front of me was like a vicious lion¡ªone wrong move and he¡¯d shred me into pieces.


    ¡°You¡¯re a smart one, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    I didn¡¯t know what he meant, but I certainly understood it wasn¡¯t apliment.


    ¡°Well, since you¡¯ve already gotten rid of the child, that¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll just have another one.¡±


    With that, he walked away. I remained frozen in ce, staring at him in a daze. Perhaps these would


    have been words of encouragement if they came from a loving husband, buting from him, they


    were nothing but crude.


    ¡°What are you waiting for? Let¡¯s go,¡± he remarked coldly, turning back to nce at me.


    In a moment of confusion, I merely grunted a response and trotted over to him.


    Ashton took me to a huge courtyard with a restaurant within it. Upon entering the yard, a woman in a


    fancy gown walked toward us. ¡°This way, please, Mr. Fuller.¡±


    Then, she brought us past the yard into a room. There, I spotted Jared and Joe having a chat over


    some tea.

 Chapter 27

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 27


    As thedy left, Ashton walked over to the chair next to them and sat down, his eyes looking nk.


    ¡°Why hasn¡¯t the food arrived?¡±


    Devon needs some time to prepare,¡± answered Jared before turning to me. ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    After a quick pause, I shook my head.


    Joe wasn¡¯t impressed by how Jared treated me. ¡°Why are you acting so fragile? It¡¯s just an abortion, for


    God¡¯s sake. Why did we have to go out of our way to get a world-renowned chef like Devon to cook for


    you? What a waste of his time.¡±


    Before Jared could stop him, I merely smiled. ¡°The view here isn¡¯t bad. I¡¯ll go take a walk.¡±


    My words were meant for Ashton and Jared.


    Ashton gave me a cool nce and said nothing. ¡°The courtyard looks stunning. Go take a look,¡± Jared


    suggested. ¡°There¡¯s also a bonsai garden with ake full of fish in the middle.¡±


    With a smile and word of thanks, I headed outside.


    ¡°Are you insane, Jared? Why are you caring so much about that woman? Have you lost your mind? If


    she hadn¡¯t married Ashton through underhanded means, Reba and Ashton would¡¯ve long been


    happily married by now.¡±


    Those words clearly came from Joe. I couldn¡¯t help but hear them even if I didn¡¯t want to. From how


    loudly he spoke, pretty much everyone in the building could hear him.


    Not wanting to hear them anymore, I picked up my pace. It was indeed a different sight as I arrived in


    the courtyard.


    Considering how this huge courtyard was located in the heart of a morous ce like J City and even


    had an enormous plot ofnd for nting an array of greenery, there was no doubt that the owner of


    this restaurant was filthy rich.


    As I strolled along the pebble path, I spotted a man in his mid-thirties plucking some branches with a


    child next to him.


    Upon walking closer, the man noticed me too. ¡°Hello,¡± he greeted, dropping whatever he was doing.


    I returned a smile. ¡°Hi.¡±


    The child, who seemed to have just learned how to walk, began trotting over to me. He seems to be


    quite friendly.


    Unable to speak, the little boy stared at me wide-eyed and gave me the yellow flower he was holding.


    I was instantly overjoyed and couldn¡¯t help but want to pick him up, only to be stopped by the man. ¡°Be


    careful! He¡¯s a yful one. I don¡¯t want you getting hurt while you¡¯re pregnant.¡±


    I stared at the man in disbelief. ¡°How¡­¡± How did you know I was pregnant?


    The question never left my mouth.


    Still, the man responded, ¡°Don¡¯t be surprised. I know a little about medicine and could guess that you¡¯re


    pregnant from the way you subconsciously held your belly while walking.¡±


    I nodded, feeling amazed by this man.


    ¡°This courtyard is really unique,¡± I remarked. ¡°It¡¯s like a vegetable garden.¡±


    The man couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Well, to be exact, this is a medicinal herb garden. There are over


    two thousand different species of medicinal nts here. They¡¯re on the brink of extinction, so they¡¯re


    being cultivated here.¡±


    Feeling stunned, I nced at my surroundings carefully. Indeed, there weren¡¯t many vegetables here,


    but there were lots of unrecognizable nts as well as an unusually tall cactus.


    ¡°This ce is called Herb Garden. J City is the most suitable area in the whole country to cultivate


    these nts, and that¡¯s how Herb Garden became the center of our country¡¯s medicinal herbs. There


    aren¡¯t many, but every species is being preserved.¡± After sorting out the branches he had plucked, the


    man began to leave with his child.


    I nodded, gaining a newfound liking for this ce as I watched him and the little boy walk away.


    Suddenly, the man stopped and called out to me, ¡°Don¡¯t hang around too long, Mrs. Fuller! Some herbs


    here aren¡¯t good for the child.¡±


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Feeling taken aback, I returned to my senses only after they had walked far away. He knew who I was?


    Soon, Ashton came out and saw me kneeling by a stream looking at ants. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he called out,


    standing next to me.


    I was so focused on whatever I was doing that I nearly slipped upon hearing his voice. Thankfully, he


    helped me up with his quick reflexes.


    ¡°Did you leave your brain at home?¡± Ashton asked, frowning.


    I smiled sheepishly. ¡°I spaced out.¡±


    The man turned and walked away without a word.


    I couldn¡¯t help but notice that Ashton had been treating me less coldly for the past two days.


    Following him from behind, I mustered up the courage to ask, ¡°So Herb Garden isn¡¯t actually a


    restaurant?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he answered briefly, clearly not interested in holding a conversation.


    The man walked so quickly that it didn¡¯t take us long to return indoors, and the table was already filled


    with an array of dishes. Furthermore, apart from the four of us, there was now a family of three at the


    table too.


    It was the man and little boy I had just met, along with a woman, who was the man¡¯s wife.


    The man smiled as he saw me and turned to his wife. ¡°Bring Mrs. Fuller some cuttlefish stew from the


    kitchen. It¡¯s good for the baby.¡±


    I paused briefly before thanking them. ¡°The baby¡¯s already gone. What¡¯s the point in serving her that?¡±


    Joe muttered resentfully.


    The way Ashton nced at me made me feel anxious. Worried that he would infer something from the


    man¡¯s words, I hurriedly turned to him. ¡°You haven¡¯t introduced me to this man!¡±

 Chapter 28

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 28


    From how gently I spoke, I probably sounded like a thoughtful wife.


    Ashton¡¯s gaze on me darkened for a moment before he began to introduce the man briefly.


    This man so happened to be Henry Lowell, the owner of this courtyard and heir of a prominent family of


    doctors. He was so passionate about medicinal herbs and ingredients that he decided to cultivate them


    here.


    The beautiful woman with him was his wife, and the one-year-old child was his son.


    After a brief exchange of greetings, I felt unsettled. I had been trying too hard to keep my pregnancy a


    secret from Ashton all this while; what if Henry were to reveal it?


    Feeling worried, I couldn¡¯t help but nce at Jared, hoping he would think of a way to help me.


    At this moment, Mrs. Lowell returned with the freshly cooked cuttlefish stew and beamed at me. ¡°Try


    some of this, Mrs. Fuller. I loved this when I was pregnant. It may taste a little strange, but my husband


    added some nourishing herbs into it, so they¡¯re especially good for you. How many weeks old is your


    child?¡±


    Suddenly feeling panicky, I returned a smile. ¡°It was six weeks old, but Ashton and I hadn¡¯t nned for


    the child. That¡¯s why we decided to get an abortion.¡±


    The woman was dumbfounded and stared at me, looking rather doubtful. ¡°You don¡¯t look like¡ª¡±


    ¡°These are just some symptoms of false pregnancy, Mrs. Lowell. She¡¯ll be fine as time passes. I can¡¯t


    help but admire you and your husband, though. You¡¯re both so experienced that you could tell she was


    pregnant just by observing her.¡± Jared, who was sipping some tea, finally spoke up.


    Henry squinted for a moment before smiling and saying nothing more. Mrs. Lowell, on the other hand,


    still couldn¡¯t seem to believe I was merely exhibiting false pregnancy symptoms.


    After our meal, Henry whispered something into his wife¡¯s ear, causing her to nce at me in surprise


    before nodding and leaving the room.


    Then, Henry turned to Ashton. ¡°Since you¡¯vee all the way here, I¡¯ve prepared some herbs for Mrs.


    Fuller. If she takes them diligently, it won¡¯t be difficult for you both to have another child.¡±


    Ashton nodded and gazed at me emotionlessly. I couldn¡¯t tell what he was up to.


    But somehow, it felt as though he had specifically brought me over to have Henry take a look at me. As


    for his reasons, I truly had no idea.


    Feeling perplexed, I remained silent the whole time until we left.


    It was already evening by the time we got into the car. Joe couldn¡¯t stand the sight of me, so he


    pestered Ashton to send me home.


    Knowing they probably still had other matters to take care of, I got down and said I would take a cab.


    Ashton didn¡¯t say much. He merely told me to be careful before leaving with the other two men.


    My mind was filled with all sorts of worrying thoughts that I was unable to sleep at all. I considered


    approaching Jared, but couldn¡¯t as he was surely with Ashton now. With nowhere else in mind, I


    headed to Hour Bar.


    The sky had gotten dark and the bar was fairly packed.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Macy was utterly shocked to see me. ¡°What are you doing here instead of resting at home?¡± she


    demanded, looking like she wanted to beat me up.


    ¡°Relieving my boredom,¡± I spat out before finding myself a seat.


    Macy clutched her forehead, seemingly about to explode. ¡°You¡¯ve just had an abortion a few days ago,


    Ms. Stovall. Can you please take better care of yourself and stay home?¡±


    Knowing she was worried about me, I turned to her. ¡°Give me a ss of orange juice. Let¡¯s have a


    chat.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not here to relieve my boredom,¡± she replied before heading to the counter.


    Despite keeping my eyes on the bar¡¯s patrons, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder why Ashton had brought me


    to Herb Garden. Did he possibly suspect that I had kept the child?


    ¡°What are you spacing out about? Didn¡¯t you say you were bored to death? Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you


    somewhere nice.¡± Macy tapped me on the shoulder and began to drag me outside.


    I followed her out of the bar in confusion. ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll find out when we get there!¡±


    The entire street was filled with bars, and I thought she was just taking me out for a stroll. ¡°Don¡¯t you


    feel bored taking me out like this instead of watching over your own ce?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± She pointed at a morous-looking nightclub nearby. ¡°There are other


    people looking after my bar. Didn¡¯t you say you were bored? Well, I¡¯m about to show you a whole new


    world!¡±


    I hardly frequented anywhere else apart from Macy¡¯s bar, so my ears instantly felt like they were about


    to burst from the ring music ying in the dazzling nightclub.


    Macy seemed to know this ce like the back of her hand. She found a nice spot on the second floor


    and called the manager over. ¡°I want two of your men.¡±


    The manager immediately nodded. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll have a selection sent over to you.¡±


    I turned to Macy in despair. ¡°What are you getting male hosts for?¡±


    ¡°To keep uspany, of course!¡± she answered matter-of-factly before cing a ss of juice in front


    of me. ¡°Have a look at them and pick anyone you like. They¡¯re much more skillful and gentle than


    Ashton. Don¡¯t waste your time thinking about him all day. You should put on an attitude too!¡±

 Chapter 29

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 29


    Before I could respond, the manager from earlier returned with over a dozen male models, stunning me


    into silence.


    ¡°Pick anyone you like. They have every kind of guy imaginable. Don¡¯t you like those domineering Mr.


    CEO types? Take a look at that man in the suit. He looks just as good as Ashton, doesn¡¯t he?¡± Macy


    remarked while choosing a youthful, puppy-like male model.


    The model seemed awfully experienced. He walked over to Macy and carefully poured her a ss of


    wine before cing her hand in his. Macy showed no signs of refuting; she merely leaned into his


    arms.


    My jaw dropped. Did this womane here often?


    No wonder she could never get a boyfriend¡­


    ¡°What are you staring at us for? Hurry up and choose your guy!¡± Macy urged.


    Not knowing what to do at all, I smiled. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m good.¡±


    Rolling her eyes at me, Macy pointed to the man in the suit. ¡°You stay here and keep herpany,


    then.¡±


    After the other male models left, the man in the suit sat down next to me. I felt especially


    ufortable. Meanwhile, Macy and her guy prepared to leave and have more fun among


    themselves.


    With just the two of us left here, I turned to the man in the suit and said awkwardly, ¡°Uhh¡­ I¡¯m not¡ª¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin, Miss. I understand,¡± the man responded with a grin. ¡°Everyone¡¯s like this the


    first time. You¡¯ll get used to it.¡±Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    I¡­


    I had no words.


    On the other hand, the man readily tried to strike up a conversation. ¡°What do you usually enjoy doing,


    Miss?¡±


    I smiled. ¡°I like reading.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s no wonder you give off such a ssy vibe.¡±


    Not knowing what to say, I got up. ¡°I have to use the bathroom.¡±


    I never found the bathroom despite wandering around the club for a long time. Instead, I bumped into a


    few familiar faces.


    Reba and Joe.


    The two walked side by side, and we met while walking on the same path from opposite sides. I


    couldn¡¯t avoid them even if I wanted to.


    Reba¡¯s smile instantly vanished as she saw me, and she turned to Joe. ¡°What is she doing here?¡±


    Joe was surprised too. He shook his head lightly. ¡°Ashton told her to go home while we were at Herb


    Garden. He didn¡¯t let here with us.¡±


    From their conversation, I could guess that the few of them had intended to meet up here. They


    probably didn¡¯t want me tagging along, which was why they had sent me away back at Herb Garden.


    ¡°Why do you follow Ashton wherever he goes, Scarlett? How shameless could you be?¡± Joe never had


    anything nice to say to me, so he didn¡¯t hold back the moment he opened his mouth.


    Not bothering to exin in detail, I answered briefly, ¡°You think too much. I¡¯m here with a friend.¡±


    I didn¡¯t have the time to stalk Ashton everywhere.


    Reba eyed me from head to toe and narrowed her eyes. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just get an abortion? What are


    you doing in a ce like this?¡±


    .¡±She¡¯s probably sad and lonely. Ashton never touches her, so she has no choice but to find someone


    else.¡± Joe never knew when to shut up


    I frowned, feeling a wave of anger rise within me. ¡°You should rinse your mouth when you get home,


    Mr. Quinn. You¡¯re polluting the air.¡±


    I never liked either of them, so I hastily turned to leave.


    Yet, Reba stood in my way and sneered at me. ¡°It¡¯s only been a few days since west met, and


    you¡¯re getting all smart-mouthed again, huh? Have you not signed the divorce papers? You don¡¯t think


    Ash would actually stay with a woman who just lost a child, do you?¡±


    Feeling increasingly livid, I red at her coldly and scoffed, ¡°Have you already forgotten that you¡¯ve just


    lost your child too, Reba?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± The woman turned red with fury and swung her arm at me, but I grabbed it in time.


    ¡°If ying innocent is what you¡¯re into, you¡¯d better a better job. Ashton¡¯s going to hate you if he saw


    what you just tried to do.¡±


    With that, I shoved her arm away and prepared to leave.


    Unexpectedly, Reba had decided to set me up. The moment I let go of her, she deliberately


    stumbled and copsed against the wall next to her.


    From far, it looked as though I had pushed her.


    To make matters worse, Ashton and Jared had just walked over. They saw what just happened.


    ¡°Are you out of your mind, Scarlett?¡± Joe yelled while helping Reba up. ¡°All she did was say a few


    words to you! Did you have to do that?¡±


    A few words? Should I have let her insult me, then?


    ¡°If you have no intention of using your eyes and brain, please give them to someone who needs them,


    Mr. Quinn. Don¡¯t waste what you¡¯ve been given.¡± I just couldn¡¯t understand why Ashton would hang


    around someone as despicable as this man.


    With Ashton and Jared watching from the sidelines with their hands in their pockets, I shot a nce at


    them and got ready to leave without even sparing them a greeting.


    Yet, Joe decided to grab onto my hand. ¡°You¡¯re leaving after running your mouth and hitting someone?


    Were you raised by dogs, Scarlett?¡±


    ¡°Are you mental, Joe? When did I ever push her? You¡¯re whining about me running my mouth, but you


    started it!¡± I was in an awful mood to begin with, so I really didn¡¯t want to be involved with this bunch. I


    began to walk away after breaking free from Joe¡¯s grasp.


    But just when my shoulder touched Ashton¡¯s, thetter held me by the wrist, forcing me to stop in my


    tracks and gaze at him.

 Chapter 30

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 30


    The man¡¯s face instantly darkened, and his eyes turned frosty. Evidently, he was mad.


    ¡°Can I help you, Mr. Fuller?¡± I didn¡¯t feel like I was Ashton¡¯s wife at all here, but rather, an outsider.


    The more I felt this way, the more upset I became.


    Even the way I gazed at Ashton was full of defiance.


    ¡°Apologize.¡± His tone waspletelymanding.


    My brows creased as rage consumed me. ¡°Have you lost it, Ashton? Why the hell should I apologize?¡±


    ¡°You pushed her,¡± he replied grimly in his deep voice.


    I pushed her? Iughed in anger. ¡°You should get your eyes checked, Ashton!¡±


    ¡°Scarlett Stovall!¡± The man immediately addressed me by my full name. ¡°Apologize to her now.¡±


    ¡°And if I don¡¯t?¡± Suppressing my anger, I red at him, unafraid of his cier eyes.


    With a frown and purse of his lips, a chilly air engulfed our surroundings. ¡°Macy¡¯s bar seems to be


    doing a little too well these days, huh?¡±


    I was instantly terrified. How could this man resort to such lowly methods just to get me to apologize to


    Reba?


    I looked up at the man


    ¡¯s face. His lips remained pursed, and he had a bit of stubble, making him look unruly yet alluring at the


    same time.


    But at this very moment, I couldn¡¯t admire that face of his at all. My heart growing cold, I stilled for a


    moment before speaking. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll apologize.¡±


    Breaking free of his grasp, I walked over to Reba. Suppressing all the wrath I felt, I gazed at her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Reba looked incredibly helpless as though I had actually bullied her.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Meanwhile, Joe obviously had nothing better to do than to stir things up. ¡°So you think you just have to


    apologize after hitting someone? In that case, I¡¯ll kill a guy and say sorry, and everything will be fine.


    Who needs thew, right?¡± he remarked with a look of disdain.


    Holy sh*t.


    Once again, I resisted the urge to cuss him out. ¡°What else do you want from me?¡± I turned to him and


    asked frostily.


    He crossed his arms in a matter-of-fact way. ¡°We buddies have a rule¡ªwhoever messes up has to


    apologize sincerely and hold a drinking session for everyone. When we¡¯re happy, you¡¯ll be forgiven.¡±


    You dipsh*t!


    How is THAT a way to apologize?


    ¡°Knock it off, Joe.¡± Jared, who had been watching the whole time, furrowed his brows.


    Joe didn¡¯t bother looking at him and nced at Ashton instead. ¡°What do you think, Ashton?¡±


    Ashton¡¯s gaze on me darkened, and the crease between his brows deepened. After a long while, he


    turned to Reba. ¡°What do propose we do?¡±


    Reba lowered her head slightly. She spoke softly, but everyone could hear her. ¡°Scarlett¡¯s your wife,


    so you decide.¡±


    You pretentious little b*tch.


    I held it in and turned to Joe. ¡°So, where shall we drink?¡±


    Jared walked up to me and frowned. ¡°Have you got no fear?¡±


    I knew what he meant. I had to be careful since there was another life inside of me. Who knew what


    would happen if I decided to drown myself in alcohol?


    Joe obviously didn¡¯t want Jared to rain on their parade. ¡°Stop meddling, Jared! Let¡¯s go, Ms. Stovall.¡±


    I followed them to their room.


    As though afraid I wouldn¡¯t get knocked out, Joe ordered ten bottles of whiskey and two crates of beer.


    ¡°Think you can handle this, Ms. Stovall?¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± I wanted tough. Does he think this is fun?


    After filling ten sses with beer, Joe said to me, ¡°The rule here is that you can get anyone here to


    drink for you¡ªanyone at all. But that depends on your own abilities. If you can¡¯t convince anyone to


    help you, you¡¯ll have to drink everything on your own.¡±


    Seeing the table full of sses, I frowned as I subconsciously ced a hand over my belly. Hang in


    there, my baby, I prayed silently.


    I picked up a ss and began to drink. Yet, my stomach began to churn from just a few sips.


    ¡°Ugh!¡± Unable to contain my nausea, I dashed toward the bathroom and retched over the toilet.


    Jared followed me from behind and stroked my back. ¡°Show Ashton your vulnerable side and ask him


    to help you. You¡¯re his wife, after all. He won¡¯t let Joe do as he pleases.¡±


    I smirked coldly. Unlike Reba, I wasn¡¯t someone who could captivate the hearts of men just by


    shedding a few tears.


    Not responding to that, I asked him, ¡°Is there anything that can reduce the side effects on the baby?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°But drugs are drugs. They can¡¯t undo all the harm.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Please get me someter.¡±


    I left the bathroom. Joe had put on a song and was casually singing when I made my way back.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Can¡¯t even handle one ss?¡±


    Not bothering with him, I nced at the table. Apart from the ss I had drunk from, all the others


    remained untouched.


    Ashton and Reba sat close to each other. I watched as the woman muttered something to him, and


    he responded with a slight nod.


    The man¡¯s gaze darkened upon seeing me, but he soon looked away.


    Feeling my heart ache, I walked to the table and nced at Joe. ¡°I hope you won¡¯t go back on your


    word, Mr. Quinn.¡±

 Chapter 31

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 31


    After speaking, I lifted my full ss of wine. Resisting the urge to throw up, I chugged down a few


    sses in a row. My alcohol tolerance wasn¡¯t that high to begin with. Hence, by the third ss, a dull


    ache had formed in my lower abdomen.


    Jared sensed the change in me and held down my hand. ncing at Ashton, he said slowly, ¡°Ashton,


    she¡¯s still your wife now. You know she can¡¯t drink in her current state. It¡¯ll be toote to regret if


    something happens to her.¡±


    ¡°Let me go!¡± I was already a little dizzy. Driven by rage and indignance, I pushed Jared¡¯s hand away


    and reached out to grab a ss of wine.


    I was stopped by a powerful grip, right before being pulled into a familiar embrace. Joe stared at


    Ashton with a bewildered expression. ¡°Ashton?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s my wife, so I¡¯ll drink the rest!¡± With that, he finished the remaining amount of wine. As Reba


    watched him, her eyes instantly glowed red.


    My stomach felt queasy, the urge to retch surging within me several times, but I was trapped in


    Ashton¡¯s arms. Thus, I had no choice but to fight through nausea.


    Ashton had been polishing off ss after ss for quite some time when Reba abruptly stood up


    and ordered Joe, ¡°Take me home!¡±


    Anger and hurt could clearly be detected in her voice.


    Joe looked at Ashton with a conflicted expression, opening his mouth to speak, but no words came. In


    the end, he trailed after Reba and left.


    Immediately after, Jared snatched away the wine ss in Ashton¡¯s hand and snapped at him, ¡°If you


    don¡¯t want anything to happen to her, you¡¯d better take her back now!¡±


    He was referring to me.


    Ashton frowned and carried me out of the nightclub, bridal-style. My head spun slightly and I didn¡¯t


    know what happened to Jared after that. After Ashton put me in the car, I felt a stabbing pain in my


    abdomen.


    Seeing me curled up into a ball while cradling my belly, Ashton¡¯s brows scrunched together and his


    palm caressed my abdomen. ¡°Does it hurt very badly?¡±


    I nodded in response, ayer of sweat already forming on my forehead.


    He started the car and said, ¡°Hang it there. I¡¯ll take you to the hospital!¡±


    Breaking out in cold sweat, I quickly grabbed his arm and peered into his dark eyes while shaking my


    head. ¡°Bring me back to the vi and get Dr. Crest toe. He can treat me!¡±


    He frowned, looking slightly unhappy.


    Afraid that he might overthink things, I exined, ¡°After the surgery, he was the one who monitored my


    recovery, so he knows what to do.¡±


    Ashton paused for a moment before putting the car into drive and heading back to the vi.


    I breathed a sigh of relief at that.


    Ashton skillfully maneuvered the car and floored the elerator at the same time, so we reached the


    vi in no time.


    Ashton carried me into the bedroom, where Jared gave me some medicine which slowly eased the


    pain in my abdomen.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    After a hectic day, I was exhausted, not to mention light-headed as well, so I gradually drifted off to


    sleep.


    While I was asleep, the muffled sound of Ashton calling me pierced through the haze in my mind, but


    too drowsy to open my eyes, I vaguely felt him taking off my clothes and carrying me into the bathroom


    to give me a bath.


    My subconsciousness wanted to refuse him, but I just couldn¡¯t wake up no matter how hard I tried.


    His palm seemed to graze my abdomen. Unsure of what he was trying to do, I squirmed away from him


    a little.


    In my groggy state, I felt him carry me back to bed. Once again ovee by exhaustion, I fell into a


    deep slumber almost immediately.


    The next day.


    Perhaps it was because I had too much to drinkst night, I woke up with a hangover. I sat in bed for a


    long time while my phone rang a few times.


    After feeling more rxed, I checked my phone to see that there was a message from Macy.


    How was the male escortst night? Did everything go well?


    I held my forehead, utterly speechless, and typed out a message: Macy, you do know that after a


    miscarriage, it¡¯s not advisable to have sex for at least a month, right?


    Not long after I sent the message, she called me.


    I answered it and Macy began fussing on the other end. ¡°What the heck? You should¡¯ve told me that


    earlier! Do you know how much I paid that male escort yesterday?¡±


    I stretchedzily and got out of bed to draw the curtains open while speaking into the phone. ¡°Let¡¯s go


    shopping one of these days and I¡¯ll get you something you like. By the way, I ran into Rebast


    night.¡±


    Macy was stunned to hear that. ¡°Isn¡¯t she always unting about what a virtuous woman she is? Why


    did she go there then?¡±


    ¡°Ashton and the rest were there too.¡± After a heavy downpour, the vi¡¯s surroundings seemed to


    sparkle brilliantly, as if cleansed by the rain.


    Macy sighed. ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s not talk about her anymore. Have you nned when to leave J City?¡±


    Thinking about this matter gave me a headache. ¡°Ashton hasn¡¯t signed the divorce papers, and I


    haven¡¯t settled things at thepany yet.¡±


    She hummed a response, falling silent for a while before saying, ¡°Tell me after you¡¯re done with all of


    those. I¡¯ll head to Q City in a few days to check out some good locations, then settle the bar transfer


    here.¡±


    I felt my throat tighten from emotion. ¡°Hour Bar has been operating for so many years already. Don¡¯t


    you feel sad about giving it up?¡± The fact that she was doing it for my sake didn¡¯t leave a pleasant


    feeling in my heart.


    ¡°Tsk!¡± She sounded slightly exasperated when she spoke again. ¡°Some thingse and go in life.


    What¡¯s there to be sad about? Besides, it¡¯s not like I can¡¯t open up another bar in Q City.¡±


    Having said that, she instantly chirped excitedly, ¡°Have you ever thought about what you wanna do


    once you leave Fuller Corporation and move to Q City?¡±

 Chapter 32

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 32


    I was caught off guard by her question, because not once have I ever thought about it. After everything


    here was settled, my belly would probably get bigger, so it wouldn¡¯t be convenient to look for a job in


    that state.


    ¡°I might take a short break or something.¡± After the baby was born, I would probably have my hands


    full, so it would be best to wait until the baby was older to think about this.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡± She stayed silent for a while, probably contemting something. ¡°You¡¯ve suffered


    so much all these years because of Ashton, so it¡¯s time for you to take a good rest. It¡¯s a good thing I¡¯ve


    saved enough money for the two of us to spend over the years!¡±


    I burst outughing. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t bepletely helpless even after Ashton and I divorce. I still


    have my savings.¡± The vi was left by Grandpa. Even if Ashton gave it to me after we divorced, I


    probably wouldn¡¯t sell it away. As for thepany shares, I still hadn¡¯t decided what to do with them.


    After a few goodughs, we ended the call. I wrapped my arms around myself and leaned against the


    floor-to-ceiling windows, gazing at the scenery outside.


    Indeed, it was time to think about what I wanted to do with my future.


    For some inexplicable reason, the air seemed to turn slightly chilly. Rubbing my arms a little, I turned


    around to look for a coat and was startled to see Ashton standing behind me in a rigid posture.


    I was so rmed my hands instantly turned mmy, ¡°Didn¡¯t¡­ Didn¡¯t you go to thepany?¡± I had no


    idea how long he had been standing here and how much of my conversation with Macy he had heard.


    He obsidian eyes seemed to bore into my soul as he asked in a brooding tone, ¡°Going somewhere?¡±


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    His question stunned me, and I guessed that he must have heard some of our conversation. ¡°What do


    you mean?¡± I feigned cluelessness with a guilty conscience.


    Seeing him stalk toward me, I started to panic and racked my brain for a way to divert his attention. I


    abruptly clutched my abdomen and furrowed my brows. ¡°Ow! My tummy! It hurts so much!¡±


    With that, I squatted down to finish the act.


    He faltered in his steps, then quickly came to my side and hauled me up with a frown. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the


    hospital!¡±


    Crap.


    Does this count as digging my own grave?


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    I rejected him a little too quickly. He narrowed his eyes at me, his gaze on me intensifying. ¡°You seem


    to be really against going to the hospital, Scarlett.¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± A hint of sadness shed across my face, and I answered him with red-rimmed eyes, ¡°It just


    reminds me of how helpless and afraid I was while lying on the operating table!¡±


    He visibly stiffened at that. After a long while, he roughly pulled me out of the bedroom.


    Thinking that he was going to take me to the hospital, I tugged on his sleeve and protested with teary


    eyes. ¡°I really don¡¯t wanna go to the hospital, Ashton!¡±


    Besides, I didn¡¯t actually have any stomach pain.


    ¡°Go down and eat something.¡± He nced at me with cold eyes, but there seemed to be a trace of


    helplessness in them too.


    For a while, an indescribable feeling grew in me. Last night, he rescued me, and today, he


    compromised. Somehow, he wasn¡¯t as impassive toward me anymore.


    Humans were greedy creatures. Once we had a taste of something, we would crave for more, and in


    the end grow possessive.


    After seating me at the dining table, he went into the kitchen and came out with a bowl of something in


    his hand.


    I thought it was just canned mushroom soup, so surprise was an understatement when I saw that it


    was home-cooked ginger carrot soup. For a moment, I stared at him as conflicting emotions raged


    through me. He only cast me an indifferent nce before informing in a low voice, ¡°Jared wille


    over to check up on youter. Don¡¯t go to thepany for now. Even though the project with Dr.


    Ludwick has beenpleted, you still need to bear the losses due to the dy you caused. But for


    today, just rest at home!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he put on his jacket, grabbed his car keys and left.


    I was frozen in ce for a while. When did he start treating me differently? After knowing that I was


    pregnant?


    For a long time, all I could do was stare at the ginger carrot soup.


    When Jared came over, I was still a little bit out of sorts.


    He frowned as he looked me over. ¡°You don¡¯t have to eat this if you don¡¯t like it. You can still eat


    whatever you like. The fetus isn¡¯t that fragile, you know?¡±


    His voice jolted me out of my stupor and I looked up to see him standing by the dining table, staring at


    me with his medical kit in hand.


    I quickly got to my feet. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here!¡±


    He blinked in surprise, but didn¡¯tment. Opening his kit, he took out some medicine and handed


    them to me. ¡°Take this 3 times a day for 21 days. Abstain from alcohol from now on, as it might cause


    fetal growth retardation or malformation. Also, you might need to start going for pregnancy checkups at


    the hospital.¡±


    I nodded and took the medicine from him. ¡°Thank you!¡±


    He was initially going to leave after this, but he hesitated and looked toward me. ¡°In your current state, I


    don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be able to leave just yet. Why don¡¯t you be upfront with Ashton? Since he intends to


    keep the child, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll handle everything else too!¡±


    I knew what he was getting at. The ¡°everything else¡± he said was referring to Reba.


    I didn¡¯t know much about things on her end, neither have I ever asked Ashton about it, but I couldn¡¯t


    help from blurting out, ¡°Ashton must really love Ms. Larson!¡±


    Jared walked toward the sofa and took a seat, sending me a fleeting nce before replying, ¡°This has


    nothing to do with love. If you really want to be with Ashton, tell him the truth. He has his own way of


    handling things.¡±

 Chapter 33

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 33


    What way? I didn¡¯t voice this question. Everyone had their own way of thinking, so I didn¡¯t know what


    Jared meant. All I knew was that this child belonged to me alone.


    Ashton never had any feelings for me to begin with. If Grandpa were still alive, I could probably stay by


    Ashton¡¯s side for a few more years, but he was gone, so I didn¡¯t have the confidence to continue


    holding onto him.


    Risking my child to do it wasn¡¯t a wise choice.


    Silence stretched out between us before I spoke again. ¡°Since I¡¯m pregnant now, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to


    trouble you for the time being. As for everything else, I have my own ns. Thank you, Dr. Crest.¡±


    He probably thought I didn¡¯t understand him as a crease formed between his brows, but he didn¡¯t say


    any more.


    He sighed. ¡°I have something to doter on. Remember to eat your medicine. I¡¯ll take off first.¡±


    After seeing him off, I didn¡¯t eat the bowl of ginger carrot soup Ashton cooked for me as my stomach


    felt slightly ufortable. Perhaps it was because I was still in the early stage of pregnancy, I didn¡¯t


    have any morning sickness, but I really didn¡¯t have an appetite.


    I had just gone back to the bedroom andy down on the bed when my phone rang. It was an unknown


    number, but I picked it up anyway.


    Half a beat passed before the person on the other end spoke. ¡°It¡¯s me, Reba!¡±


    I blinked in surprise, then frowned. ¡°Do you need something from me, Ms. Larson?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk! I¡¯ve sent you the address!¡±


    Before I had the chance to refute, the line went dead.


    I couldn¡¯t fathom why Reba was looking for me now.


    I bet it had something to do with Ashton though.


    But what made her think that I would rush over to meet her just because she told me to? Looking at the


    address she sent to me, I took a screenshot and sent it to Ashton with a single sentence beneath


    it. Ms. Larson asked me to meet her, but I was afraid that I might get triggered and end up punching


    her, so I declined.


    Ashton called me not long after the message was delivered.


    I answered the call and leaned on the balcony railing while enjoying the scenery, then said in a carefree


    voice, ¡°Yes, Mr. Fuller?¡±


    After saying this, I could almost picture the frown on his face. ¡°Where are you?¡± he asked in an


    unhappy tone.


    ¡°Home.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡± There was a brief pause. ¡°Rest well at home!¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    It seemed that he had read my message. After ending the call, I couldn¡¯t sleep and had nothing to do,


    so I went to his study out of boredom.


    As I was constantly upied by work previously, I rarely had time to look through the books here. Now


    that I had some time off, I deserved toze around for a bit.


    Ashton¡¯s study was veryrge and there were all kinds of books here. I flipped through some books


    with illustrations to pass the time, and it didn¡¯t take long for my back to feel sore.


    I put down the book in my hand and wandered around the study. My gaze fell on a small cab tucked


    in the corner that looked slightly dated.


    Out of curiosity, I searched through it and found some photos. They were quite old and worn, but I


    could tell that they were all photos of Ashton when he was young.


    I¡¯ve never met Ashton¡¯s parents, so an old and faded photo of a young couple holding a baby together


    with smiles on their faces caught my eye.


    The man¡¯s eyes were quite simr to Ashton and Grandpa¡¯s, so I deduced that he must be Ashton¡¯s


    father. Hence, the woman, who looked gentle and elegant, was probably Ashton¡¯s mother.


    I flipped through the album and noticed that something didn¡¯t add up. The next few photos showed


    Ashton¡¯s parents carrying a baby girl. Confused, I turned back the pages and found that there were


    indeed several photos where there was a little girl, about two to three years old, standing beside


    Ashton¡¯s parents.


    In the past, Grandpa told me that Ashton was his parents¡¯ only child. I don¡¯t recall there ever being a


    daughter. As for Uncle Charlie and his wife, I heard that they didn¡¯t want any kids, so this couldn¡¯t be


    their daughter either.


    Just who is this little girl in the photo?


    With no other exnation, I assumed that it was the daughter of one of their neighbors from back then.


    Without giving it much thought, I continued looking through the album.


    The photos at the back were of Ashton during his schooling days. This showed how sentimental


    Grandpa was, recording every special moment of his grandson¡¯s life since he was but a baby and


    keeping them as memories.


    At the end of the album was a group photo which seemed to have been taken more recent. Reba,


    Jared, and Joe were all in it.


    There was a boy who looked bubbly and enthusiastic. All of them were good-looking in their own way,


    but this boy had a palerplexion, seeming like he had some kind of health condition. Because I


    didn¡¯t recognize him, I didn¡¯t try to figure out who he was.


    The girl standing among the four boys was none other than Reba. At that time, she still gave off an


    innocent and shy vibe.


    It was obvious at first nce that she was the precious little princess everyone coddled. How lucky.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    After looking through all the photos, I felt like my heart was being squeezed by an invisible force.


    Ashton and Reba had a long history, while I had only known him for barely two years.


    If it weren¡¯t for my grandma¡¯s illness and desperation which led her to bring me to meet Grandpa


    George, I would never have had the chance to marry Ashton.


    If anything, I had only relied on Grandma and Grandpa George to marry Ashton. It was justifiable that


    he harbored no feelings toward me.


    Come to think of it, even after such a long time, I never once stopped to think just how Grandma and


    Grandpa George came to know each other. Logically speaking, the Fullers were wealthy and influential,


    while Grandma was a rural olddy who lived in the countryside. Just how did they meet each other?

 Chapter 34

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 34


    Unwittingly, I had stayed in Ashton¡¯s study until the sky turned dark. I couldn¡¯t tell if it was because of


    my pregnancy, but I didn¡¯t feel hungry even after not having anything to eat for the whole day, but my


    stomach did feel ufortable.


    I went downstairs and rummaged through the kitchen cabs for something to eat. Fortunately,


    Stacey stocked up enough food previously. After some time, I spotted some cucumbers in the


    refrigerators. Since I was toozy to cook, I simply washed some cucumbers and nned to eat that as


    my dinner.


    I didn¡¯t notice Ashton returning to the vi. It wasn¡¯t until I walked out with a slippery cucumber in hand


    that I saw him sitting in the living room.


    When did hee back?


    Sensing my presence, Ashton turned his head, his eyes instantly zooming in on the cucumber in my


    hand. A frown appeared on his face as he asked in a gruff voice, ¡°What do you n on doing with


    that?¡±


    I was baffled, and answered in a matter-of-fact manner, ¡°Eat it, of course!¡± What else can I do with this


    besides eating it?


    Ashton scoffed. ¡°Did I fail to satisfy you? Is that why you¡¯ve resorted to using that?¡±


    What?


    I couldn¡¯t quite grasp where he was going with this. What does he mean by ¡°using that¡±?


    He stood up and approached me with a brooding look on his face. I couldn¡¯t figure out what was up


    with him, so I raised the cucumber in my hand and asked, ¡°Do you want one?¡± I just so happened to


    wash two cucumbers just now.


    Ashton¡¯s gaze turned stormy as he growled, ¡°No!¡± Before I knew it, he had snatched the cucumber in


    my hand and thrown it aside. His hand wrapped around my waist, while the other hand reached up to


    my lips, grazing them with his fingertips.


    No matter how slow-witted I was, I still realized what he wanted to do right now. I instinctively tried to


    make a run for it, but his arm was holding me firmly in ce. In a deep and husky voice, he said, ¡°It¡¯s


    already been a few days. We should be in the clear now!¡±


    I just couldn¡¯t hear the logic in his words.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    ¡°Ash¡­¡± My words were cut off by his actions. I reached up to try and push him away. Unfortunately, he


    overpowered me as a man, and I was utterly powerless against him.


    When I felt his arousal against my belly, my eyes widened. He¡­


    ¡°Ashton, don¡¯t¡­¡± I gasped halfway through my sentence.


    ¡°No, Ashton, we are so not in the clear! There¡¯s still a risk of infection!¡± Reba just recently had a


    miscarriage, so he couldn¡¯t touch her, and the same was true for me. Hence, I could understand why


    he was acting like a sex-deprived man now.


    Seeing him ignore my warnings, I started to panic. ¡°Ashton, the doctor said to abstain for a month.


    Please!¡±


    I was on the verge of tears.


    Perhaps he heard the plea in my voice, because he gradually stopped what he was doing. Without a


    word, he hugged me tightly in his arms, then gently traced my corbone with his lips.


    After a long time, he finally calmed his raging hormones and released me. ¡°Hungry?¡± he asked with


    hooded eyes.


    I was slightly embarrassed because of how loud my stomach had growled. With a slight nod, I cracked


    a smile that looked more like a grimace. ¡°I didn¡¯t eat anything since I woke up.¡±


    Ashton was stunned, then his eyes fell on the cucumber from just now. He transferred his gaze back to


    me, aplicated expression on his face. ¡°You were going to eat the cucumber just now?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like cooking because of the smoke and grease, so I washed two cucumbers.¡±


    He gazed at me as the corners of his mouth tugged upward slightly, as if he was smiling but


    exasperated at the same time.


    A moment passed before he went into the kitchen. After a while, he came out with a bowl of noodles.


    He even added two eggs to it.


    When he saw the way I was gaping at him, he cocked a brow at me and said, ¡°Come and eat!¡±


    Although it was an order, it didn¡¯t sound unpleasant.


    What Jared said to me earlier today surfaced in my mind. If Ie clean with Ashton, will he really


    handle this matter?


    I got up and sat at the dining table. Noticing that Ashton had only cooked one bowl of noodles, I blinked


    in surprise. ¡°You¡¯ve already eaten?¡±


    He nodded and motioned for me to quickly eat. Then, he lowered his head and read through the


    messages on his phone.


    The noodles looked and smelled delicious, but after only a few bites of it, my stomach started to churn.


    I managed to endure the difort for a while, but could no longer suppress the nausea rising in my


    stomach and began to dry heave. Without a second¡¯s dy, I ran to the bathroom and emptied my


    stomach of its contents.


    ¡°Does it taste bad?¡± A cold voice reached my ears and I froze. Looking over my shoulder, I saw Ashton


    standing by the door.


    I hurriedly shook my head. ¡°No. Maybe after going a whole day without food, my stomach couldn¡¯t


    handle it when I finally ate something.¡±


    He helped me up and tugged me upstairs, making me slightly confused.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    He took off his suit and changed into casual wear, then nced at me to announce, ¡°Change your


    clothes. I¡¯ll take you out to eat whatever you feel like eating.¡±


    I was taken aback and quickly objected. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry, so I won¡¯t be able to eat even if we go out.¡±


    However, my words seemed to fall on deaf ears because he pierced me with a gaze and said in a tone


    that left no room for discussion. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you outside!¡±


    To be honest, I really wasn¡¯t hungry, but¡­


    After mulling over it, I still changed my clothes and went out with him.


    At this hour, J City was buzzing with activity. While Ashton was driving, he nced at me and asked,


    ¡°What do you feel like eating?¡±


    I turned over the question in my mind before answering, ¡°Something light!¡±


    It might be because morning sickness was starting to hit me, so I constantly felt nauseated by certain


    odors.


    He nodded slightly in response. As I studied the gentle look on his handsome face, I suddenly realized


    that this was the most peaceful day Ashton and I had shared since the day we got married.

 Chapter 35

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 35


    For a transient moment, I deluded myself into thinking that the two of us could stay like this forever, and


    that our family of three could live happily ever after.


    The car stopped in front of a cozy-looking restaurant. I got down and went straight into the restaurant to


    find us a table.


    It looked like not many people came here at night, so as soon as I sat down, the waiter handed me a


    menu. Since Ashton already had his dinner and I was having an upset stomach, I ordered some light


    bites and a bowl of pumpkin soup.


    To my surprise, after Ashton parked his car, he came in with Reba and Joe nking him.


    A coincidence? Or did they n this beforehand?


    Seeing that I was already seated, Ashton and the two of them came over to join me. When Reba


    saw me, there was a subtle shift in her expression, but she didn¡¯t make any remarks since this was a


    table meant for four.


    Because I was already seated, Reba sat down next to me before Ashton could. She peered at me


    and asked in a voice as sweet as nectar, ¡°You don¡¯t mind me sitting beside you, right, Scarlett?¡±


    Could I say that I minded it?


    Of course not!


    Hence, I remained silent.


    ¡°What did you order?¡± Ashton asked as he took the menu from the waiter.


    ¡°Some small bites and a bowl of soup,¡± I replied.


    He nodded and chose a few items from the menu. Just then, Joe pursed his lips andined,


    ¡°Don¡¯t order anything for me, Ashton. I don¡¯t have an appetite.¡±


    Ashton nodded and gave the menu back to the waiter.


    Thereafter, the three of them started to chat. I couldn¡¯t join in their conversation, so I simply stayed


    silent.


    The waiter brought over a bowl of pumpkin soup after a while. The moment he ced in on the table,


    Ashton naturally pushed it toward Reba and said in a deep voice, ¡°I ordered this for you. Drink


    some. It¡¯ll warm you up.¡±


    Reba beamed. ¡°Pumpkin soup is my absolute favorite! You really do know me best, Ashton!¡±


    The chemistry between them was like a knife stabbing straight into my heart.


    He remembered many things about her down to the tiniest details. His bone-deep affection toward her


    was something I could never earn even if I were given a whole lifetime to pursue it.


    ¡°Scarlett, what soup did you order? Why don¡¯t we share? The pumpkin soup here is really good. Ash


    used to bring me here, so I know.¡± Without waiting for me to reply, Reba pushed the bowl of soup in


    front of me.


    I shook my head and pushed the bowl back with a smile. ¡°I ordered one too. It¡¯ll be here soon.¡±


    She shrugged and continued chatting with the two men, making me feel slightly left out.


    Before long, the small bites and soup I ordered were served. Reba noticed that I had also ordered


    pumpkin soup and smiled innocently at me. ¡°It looks like you like pumpkin soup too, Scarlett. Let me tell


    you a secret. Ashton makes the best soup!¡±


    As she spoke, she leaned so close to me that I could feel her breath on my neck. I didn¡¯t like it when


    others came too close to me, so I shifted slightly with a frown on my face.


    ¡°Ow!¡± Suddenly, my half-eaten bowl of pumpkin soup was spilled all over me, making aplete mess.


    Because it was hot, my knee-jerk reaction was to stand up, but I identally bumped into Reba


    who was leaning close to me. Following that was her whimper of pain.


    The blistering pain from getting scalded was so unbearable that I couldn¡¯t be bothered to apologize,


    frantically reaching out to grab a piece of tissue to wipe the soup on my legs. Beforeing out, I had


    only changed into a dress because Ashton was already waiting for me. The dress was thin, so my skin


    was already red.


    After wiping most of the soup from my legs, I looked up to see that Ashton was crouched in front of


    Reba as he carefully wiped her bleeding nose.


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    I thought back and realized that I must have knocked her nose when I got up too abruptly just now,


    so¡­


    Joe grabbed a tissue and handed it to Ashton, ring at me as he spat, ¡°Are you always such a klutz,


    Ms. Stovall?¡±


    I was momentarily at a loss for words.


    Looking at Reba¡¯s swollen eyes and her bleeding nose, I forced an apology through the ache in my


    heart. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Larson.¡±


    I was certain that I didn¡¯t touch the bowl of pumpkin soup just now. Other than Reba, who was the


    closest to me, I couldn¡¯t think of anyone who would be some as to intentionally spill a bowl of soup


    on me.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Scarlett. Just be more careful next time.¡± After that, Reba turned her red-rimmed eyes to


    Ashton. ¡°Ash, I¡¯ve lost my appetite. Can you go for a stroll with me?¡±


    Ashton frowned, looking at the untouched food on the table and said, ¡°Eat a little bit first.¡±


    It seemed like amid this crisis, no one had noticed that I was scalded or even realized that the soup


    was spilled on me.


    Standing by the side, I suddenly felt that my presence was redundant andughable.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving,¡± I announced, then turned and left to the restaurant. My heart felt like it had been stabbed


    with a de made of pure ice, the agony almost making my legs give out beneath me.


    God is so unfair. He gifted some women with happiness, while other women with suffering.


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± A low and furious voice came from behind me. I looked back and saw that Ashton had


    followed me out.


    He looked at me with furrowed brows, seemingly controlling his anger when he asked, ¡°What are you


    doing?¡±


    What am I doing? Is it usation I¡¯m detecting in his tone? Is he using me of knocking into


    Reba?


    ¡°I don¡¯t have an appetite, so I¡¯m going home.¡± Feeling miserable, I didn¡¯t want to say too much for fear


    of losing control of my emotions and ending up airing my grievances to him.

 Chapter 36

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 36


    He strode toward me with a displeased look on his face. ¡°Scarlett, is this how you were brought up?¡±


    I raised my head when he grabbed my wrist, my eyes colliding with his icy ones. As we stared at each


    other, a humorless smile abruptly stretched across my lips. ¡°You¡¯re talking to me about upbringing?


    Ashton Fuller, what exactly is your version of a good upbringing? Taking care of another woman in front


    of your own wife andpletely disregarding her feelings? Is that it?¡±


    Ignoring the grim expression on his face, I sneered. ¡°Do you mean to say that Reba is a cultured


    person? She brazenly covets another woman¡¯s husband and has no qualms being a homewrecker.


    Just how were you brought up that made you have such different views about a good upbringing


    compared to me?¡±


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± His hand on my wrist tightened. The veins on his forehead bulged out as he forced his next


    words through gritted teeth. ¡°You should feel lucky that I don¡¯t hit women.¡±


    I huffed out augh, enduring the bone-crushing pain on my wrist as I looked at him. ¡°How kind of you,


    Mr. Fuller. But can you do me a favor and let go of me? Grabbing a woman¡¯s wrist so hard is no


    different than hitting a woman.¡±


    Ashton was so angry that he looked like he might pop a vein any second now. Fortunately, he flung my


    hand away. ¡°Don¡¯t act like you know Reba. You¡¯re not worthy of judging her!¡± His voice was harsh.


    He swiveled around, emanating an impossibly cold aura.


    I¡¯m not worthy? His words struck a nerve in me. All my pent-up anger and frustration poured out of me


    in raging torrents. I stormed toward him and yanked his arm, cracking a smile that didn¡¯t reach my


    eyes. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. I¡¯m not worthy. In terms of hypocrisy, indeed, I can¡¯tpare to Reba. In


    fact, how could I everpare to the bunch of you since ying on other people¡¯s feelings isn¡¯t my


    forte? As if that isn¡¯t revolting enough, you lot just can¡¯t help yourselves from spreading your filth to


    others.¡±


    Having said that, I ignored the anger radiating off him and went back into the restaurant. Reba and


    Joe were still sitting at the same table.


    Upon seeing me return, Reba stered a fake smile on her face and called out to me in a


    pretentious tone, ¡°Scarlett¡­¡±


    Slicing her a look that could kill, I poured all the food and soup I had ordered onto her head, all trace of


    restraint in me already gone.


    Without waiting for her to react, I said, ¡°I don¡¯t know how you turned out to be such a vicious attention-


    seeker who loves bullying others while ying the victim, or how you became a b*tch who loves


    stealing things that clearly don¡¯t belong to you, but let me tell you something, hmm? Karma is a b*tch,


    and all your evil deeds wille back and bite you in the a** someday.¡±


    ¡°Since you like second-hand goods so much, I¡¯ll grant your wish. To tell you the truth, yes, I have


    feelings for Ashton. But honestly speaking, when ites to his wandering eye, I feel sick just thinking


    about it. In fact, it¡¯s loathsome. So please, spend more time with him, or god forbid he starts sleeping


    around. Disgusting!¡±


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± An angry voice resounded from the restaurant¡¯s entrance.


    I didn¡¯t spare him a nce. So what if he¡¯s angry? I was a saintpared to them and their


    backstabbing ways.


    After saying my piece, I pivoted on my heels and walked out. As I brushed past Ashton¡¯s shoulder at


    the door, my elbow was grasped tightly by him. My temper got the best of me and I lowered my head to


    bite him hard.


    Initially, I thought that he would let go, but he scooped me up without warning and roughly threw me


    into the car before starting the engine.


    He drove recklessly throughout the whole journey, causing nausea to wash over me once again due to


    the bumpy ride.


    Luckily, the car stopped not to long afterward. Before I could whoop with joyful relief, I was hauled out


    of the car and carried into the vi.


    Ashton was livid as he briskly brought me into the bedroom.


    Bang! The sound of the door mming reverberated throughout the entire vi.


    ¡°Let me go! Ashton Fuller, you¡¯re such a sorry excuse of a man!¡± Trepidation swelled in me and I spoke


    in an unbridled manner.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    He sneered and wrapped his hand around my throat to keep me quiet, glowering at me with a hint of


    violence in his eyes. ¡°A sorry excuse of a man? My wandering eye? I¡¯m disgusting?¡±


    The strength of his grip increased and his pupils constricted while he growled menacingly, ¡°You really


    surprised me, Scarlett.¡±


    His hand around my neck cut off my airway, causing me to suffocate. I kicked him hard several times,


    because even though I couldn¡¯t speak, I wasn¡¯t going to back down without a fight. Remaining stubborn


    to the end was better than surrendering myself to his torture.


    We locked gazes, starting each other down.


    After some time, I could barely breathe, causing my brain to be in an oxygen deficit. A wave of


    dizziness crashed into me. He wants to strangle me to death!


    Shortly after, he loosened his grip. As soon as I was free, he leaned over and sealed my lips with his,


    making it hard for me to draw in some much-needed air.


    Unable to move an inch, I was so angry my chest heaved violently. After he pulled back, I snapped at


    him, ¡°Bullying a woman. That¡¯s the only thing you¡¯re good at?¡±


    He curled his lips just as his gaze turned ravenous.


    Panic rose in me when I saw the brutal and hostile glint in his eyes. ¡°You can¡¯t do this to me, Ashton!¡±


    My voice trembled when I spoke.


    He caged me in and kissed me wildly.


    My brows scrunched together from his biting kiss and I grew flustered. ¡°You will regret this, Ashton!¡±


    He momentarily paused in his actions and uttered in a low and hoarse voice, ¡°Be a good girl. I¡¯ll be


    gentler.¡±


    B*stard!


    I broke down all of a sudden, all the umted grievances and heartache bursting out of me like


    water from a broken dam.

 Chapter 37

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 37


    Tears rolled down my cheeks, and my muffled sobs gradually turned into piercing wails of anguish. I


    couldn¡¯t care less about how Ashton felt at that moment.


    He stopped in the end, softening his tone to soothe me. However, the more heforted me, the


    louder I cried.


    In the end, he stopped talking and just held me in his arms since neither gentle coaxing nor harsh


    threats worked on me.


    Once the waterworks started, it was close to impossible to stop it. He was left with no choice but to


    embrace me and let me cry it all out.


    After a long while, I had finally cried myself hoarse. With my tears all dried up now, I started to quiet


    down.


    ¡°Are you done crying?¡± he asked in a low and hoarse voice.


    I wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk to him now. My eyes were so swollen that I could barely open them.


    ¡°Four years ago, I brought Grandpa to the southwest border to meet his oldrade-in-arms. On the


    road, we ran into a group of ouws.¡± As he hugged me and spoke, I could hear the mncholy and


    sorrow in his voice, surprising me quite a bit.


    I didn¡¯t know where he was going with this, so I remained silent and allowed him to hug me while I


    listened to him. ¡°The border was poor and supplies were scarce there. At that time, several border


    countries were at war with each other. Those ouws sought asylum and broke into the home of


    Grandpa¡¯srade, trying to threaten us into taking them in. The situation was urgent then.


    Undocumented individuals were not allowed to sneak into the country. Grandpa was a veteran who


    guarded the country for decades and would never vite thews, so he immediately dered that he


    wouldn¡¯tply. They were ouws, so when Grandpa disagreed, they were going to kill him.


    Grandpa¡¯srade died to protect us.¡±


    When he suddenly stopped speaking, I looked up at him and asked curiously, ¡°Then what happened?¡±


    My voice was severely hoarse from all the crying just now.


    Seeing me take the initiative to ask him, the corners of his mouth rose slightly and he dropped a kiss on


    my forehead.


    With that, he continued, ¡°Then, Grandpa and I fled all the way back into the country. We were running


    for our lives, so we looked the worse for wear. Halfway, we met a pair of siblings, a boy and a girl. They


    traveled from D City to abroad for business. Grandpa and I had basically lost all our money and


    identification documents while we were on the run, so we could only borrow money from the brother


    and sister for our return back home, but we never expected the ouws to follow us all the way there,


    so we ended up dragging the pair of siblings into our mess¡­¡±


    By then, I had already made a few guesses of my own.


    I looked at him and asked, ¡°The pair of siblings were Reba and her brother?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Parker sustained a heart injury, so I took him back here to recuperate. He could be cured,


    but something happenedter on. Before he died, he entrusted me to take care of Reba.¡±


    ¡°They rescued you, so why didn¡¯t Grandpa approve of you and Reba?¡± If Grandpa approved of my


    marriage to Ashton, why not Reba? After all, she showed up earlier than me, and she and her


    brother had even saved their lives.


    When he saw me staring at him with big round eyes, his lips stretched into a broad smile. ¡°Feeling


    better now?¡±


    This was the first time he was smiling at me. His smile was gentle, angelic even. There was no


    coldness or ferocity in sight, only joy.


    My breath hitched and I felt shy all of a sudden, trying to squirm out of his arms. ¡°You haven¡¯t answered


    my question!¡±


    ¡°Those aren¡¯t important anymore. It¡¯s gettingte. We should sleep now!¡± He pulled me against his


    chest and pressed my hand to his crotch, rasping out in a deep voice, ¡°Scarlett, you have to finish what


    you started.¡±


    My eyes widened as I stared at him with incredulity, and my cheeks flushed crimson red. This man¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m not fully recovered yet!¡± I protested in a tiny voice.


    His breathing grew heavy.


    I¡­


    This night was going to be a long one.


    It finally ended in the middle of the night. He carried me into the bathroom and helped me wash up


    before cuddling me to sleep.


    In the morning, sunlight seeped through the gaps in the floor-to-ceiling windows. The dappled beams of


    light on the ground looked like candle lights.


    Ashton left for work early, while Ized in bed for a long time, feeling tired from sleeping sote. When I


    finally got up, I swept my gaze around the messy bedroom. The air still had a sensual quality to it,


    hinting of the events that unfurled in here.


    Scenes fromst night flooded my mind, making me blush furiously.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    I never knew that Ashton had such a side!


    I was supposed to go to thepany today. By the time I got ready, it was already almost ten. Skipping


    breakfast, I drove directly to thepany.


    After I parked my car in the parking lot, I was unfortunate to run into Joe at the elevator. Both he and


    his secretary were holding a stack of papers. Upon seeing me, he released a cold sneer and mocked,


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, you¡¯re not even the CEO yet, but here you are, acting like you¡¯re the president. Is Fuller


    Corporation going to be changed to Stovall Corporation?¡±


    Fuller Corporation started as a real estatepany, but in the past few years, it had also began to


    venture into other markets. Joe had previously started his ownpany, but after Fuller Corporation


    was listed and needed capital flow support, Quinn Corporation merged with Fuller Corporation.


    Joe was a shareholder and managed thepany as well. Even though I was also a shareholder, I


    didn¡¯t own many shares, and these shares were left by Grandpa George for me. Hence, even though


    the shares were under my name, my right to use them was in Ashton¡¯s hands.

 Chapter 38

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 38


    I wasn¡¯t given the position of director right from the start, but had worked my a** off these two years to


    earn it. But of course, to outsiders, I was someone who used my title as Mrs. Fuller to climb through the


    ranks.


    That was especially the case for Joe, who assumed I relied on Ashton to gain the position of director.


    Hence, he greatly looked down on me.


    I shot a fleeting nce at the documents in his hands, noting that it was a n about electronic


    technology. It seemed like there was going to be a new productunch soon.


    ¡°Mr. Quinn, you¡¯re taking it a little too far with your jokes. How could Fuller Corporation ever be


    something else? I simply took two days off from work because I wasn¡¯t feeling well, so I¡¯m very touched


    that you¡¯re so concerned about a mere director like me, Mr. Quinn. Though, it looks like you¡¯re quite


    busy with work, so it¡¯s better if you focus on getting it done. If you have too many things on your mind,


    you¡¯d inevitably make mistakes, don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    There were only three of us in the elevator, and I didn¡¯t intend to let him trample on me. However, his


    secretary was present after all, so I felt quite awkward getting into an argument with him here.


    Just as he was about to respond, the elevator doors opened, causing him to bite back his retort. In the


    end, he only shot me a cold re and stepped out.


    Back in my own office, before I could even settle down, Stacey came in. ¡°Ms. Stovall, Mr. Fuller wants


    to see you in his office.¡±


    My butt hasn¡¯t even warmed my seat. How did Ashton know that I¡¯ve arrived at thepany?


    Shaking off my bewilderment, I nodded and replied, ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll head up in a bit.¡±


    In Ashton¡¯s office.


    Without a single soul here, therge and spacious office area was quiet and empty. I pursed my lips,


    thinking that only Ashton could stand working in such an environment.


    After scanning the area, I spotted Joseph in the secretary¡¯s office with his eyes fixated on hisputer,


    busy with something. I walked over and knocked on his door.


    He raised his head and looked over, slightly taken aback when he saw that it was me. ¡°Ms. Stovall, Mr.


    Fuller is in Mr. Quinn¡¯s office. He¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Alright. Don¡¯t mind me.¡±


    Then, I went into Ashton¡¯s office and took a book from the shelf before sitting in the lounging area to


    read it. After the project with Dr. Ludwick waspleted, a lot of things had cropped up, so the


    company hadn¡¯t yet arranged any more projects for me.


    I assumed that Ashton called me here to assign me work for the days ahead.


    When I thought about my ns for this period of time, I began to feel conflicted. It would have been so


    much easier if Ashton remained cold and impassive to me like he always did. However, his attitude


    toward me had taken a drastic turn recently, causing me to have second thoughts.


    If I leave now, would my child and I be missing out on something good?


    ¡°Ashton, when Parker died, you promised you¡¯d take care of Reba. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re breaking


    your promise to him by treating Reba like that? Have you ever considered Reba¡¯s feelings?


    Besides, that woman Scarlett isn¡¯t evenpatible with you, no?¡± The voice that spoke was anxious


    and rushed. I could instantly tell that it belonged to Joe.


    I wasn¡¯t eavesdropping, but they just happened to walk in. Not to mention, Joe spoke so loudly, so it


    was inevitable.


    Ashton and Joe entered the office just then. Upon seeing me, Ashton raised his brows. ¡°When did you


    arrive?¡±


    ¡°Just now.¡± I gave Joe a sidelong nce and spied the indifferent look on his face.


    ¡°Twopanies under HiTech will beunching new products this month. Follow up with them and


    keep tabs on OrbitTech as well,¡± Ashton said to me. He took a file from his table and handed it to me


    before continuing, ¡°Also, thepany¡¯s annual review is approaching. Our contract with AC Credit is


    ending, so go check with finance. If we need to continue the coboration, follow up with them. If not,


    go to Harrison Credit and discuss it with their boss, Nick Harrison.¡±


    ¡°Hasn¡¯t everything with AC Credit been going well? Why switch to another audit firm?¡± Joe interjected


    and asked in confusion, ¡°Besides, Harrison Credit is only a recently established smallpany. Letting


    them handle Fuller Corporation¡¯splicated financial structure is risky. If something goes wrong,


    things will get messy.¡±


    Without answering Joe, Ashton said to me, ¡°Look over these documents. Find Joseph if you have any


    questions.¡±


    I wordlessly took the documents from him, but I shared the same worries as Joe. Hesitating for a


    moment, I finally decided to voice it out. ¡°Mr. Fuller, I was previously in charge of constructions. HiTech


    is an electronic technologypany, and I¡¯ve never once handled thepany¡¯s audit. Joseph has


    always been the one who handled these things, so I think it¡¯s better if he continues doing it.¡±


    Ashton¡¯s eyes pierced through me as he frowned. ¡°Ms. Stovall, are you clear about your responsibilities


    as a director?¡±


    Slightly stunned, I nodded at him. ¡°I am, but¡­¡±


    ¡°No buts. Since you¡¯re a director as well as a shareholder of thepany, you are entitled to familiarize


    yourself with any part of thepany.¡±


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    With that, he looked at Joe and began giving him his orders.


    I held the documents, aware that there was no way for me to back out of this. I also realized that the


    workload this time was unusually heavy.


    Back in my office, I called for Stacey and got her to make the arrangements for me to her best


    capabilities. During this period of time, we had to observe HiTech¡¯s market, so we would probably be


    very busy for the uing days.

 Chapter 39

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 39


    Since I was now in charge of thepany¡¯s audit, I went to the Finance Department to check things


    out. I was shocked to find that the internal audit had already begun.


    Isabelle Leek, the person in charge of the Finance Department, handed me all thepany ounts.


    ¡°These are all the ounts up until now, Ms. Stovall. Take a look at them. This year¡¯s audit will include


    Mr. Quinn¡¯s side of things as well, so the workload will be heavier. Mr. Fuller intends to let Harrison


    Credit handle the external audit this year.¡±


    Flipping through the ledgers, I nodded and felt a headache brewing behind my eyes. ¡°Alright, I


    understand. I¡¯ll look through these first. Also, can you sort out a copy of AC Credit¡¯s audited data from


    the previous years for me?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡±


    After that, I went back to my office with the documents. Stacey settled some things beforeing in


    only to see me with my head buried in a stack of documents. ¡°Ms. Stovall, the president of AC Credit,


    Mr. Thomas Lowe, just called. He wants to meet with you.¡±


    If AC Credit and Fuller Corporation stopped coborating, there would probably be a loss of millions.


    Hence, I wasn¡¯t surprised that he was anxious to meet me. However, Ashton wanted to end their


    coboration. Perhaps something happened in between which I wasn¡¯t aware of, but I had no time to


    spare for Thomas Lowe.


    Directing my gaze at Stacey, I ordered, ¡°Just tell him I¡¯m busy. One other thing, contact the president of


    Harrison Credit for me. I need to meet him. Look up thepanies which were recently audited by


    Harrison Credit as well.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± After Stacey left, I buried myself in my work once again.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    In the blink of an eye, it was already evening. My back was sore and my whole body felt stiff from


    sitting for so long. I stood and walked out of my office, finding that there was no one in the office area.


    I made a cup of coffee and went back to my office, nning to order takeout. It looked like I had to stay


    here and work overtime today.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be packing up already?¡± A voice disrupted the silence, startling me slightly. I looked up


    and saw that it was Jared.


    An involuntary smile appeared on my lips. ¡°Well, you haven¡¯t left yet either.¡±


    He smiled vaguely and handed me the lunch box in his hand. ¡°This soup was just prepared by Devon.


    It¡¯s good for your health.¡±


    Surprise filled me as I peered at him. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    We weren¡¯t all that familiar with each other, so I thought that he¡¯d leave right after this. To my surprise,


    he remained standing there. Unable to find anything to talk about, I simply kept silent.


    ¡°Did Ashton put you in charge of thepany¡¯s audit?¡± He searched for a ce to sit down and asked


    me.


    I nodded. ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t have much experience with this, so it¡¯s a bit of a headache for me.¡±


    He seemed to fully agree, nodding his head quite a few times. ¡°It has only one year since thepany


    went public. There is a huge difference between this year¡¯s audit and those from previous years. A


    slight mistake will cause thepany stocks to plummet. In fact, manypanies go bankrupt every


    year due to errors in their annual audits.¡±


    He spoke earnestly, so I put down my work and nced at him with a simr expression, to which he


    continued, ¡°Furthermore, the auditpany has been switched this year, so you have to be extra


    careful.¡±


    This was his reminder to me.


    ¡°Ashton knows that auditing isn¡¯t my strength. Why did he still put me in charge of this?¡± A single


    mistake would cost the entire Fuller Corporation. The risk was too great, so I just couldn¡¯t figure out


    Ashton¡¯s intentions behind this decision.


    Jared straightened up and looked at me. ¡°If you do this right, the shares Old Mr. Fuller left for you will


    be legally transferred to your name. You¡¯d possess all the rights to those shares, and you wouldn¡¯t just


    be a director. You¡¯d be a partner of thepany.¡±


    After a brief pause, he adjusted his clothes and continued, ¡°But if you mess this up, Fuller Corporation


    will be in trouble, and you might also face the risk of leaving thepany once and for all.¡±


    My brows drew together, and I didn¡¯t know what to say to that.


    Is Ashton betting the entire Fuller Corporation on me, or¡­


    I didn¡¯t allow myself to entertain the other possibility and closed the ledger in my hand. As I opened the


    soup he had brought, I nced at him and asked, ¡°I¡¯ve taken over the matters regarding HiTech, but


    why does Ashton want me to keep tabs on OrbitTech?¡±


    Jared frowned slightly as if in contemtion, and said after a few beats, ¡°HiTech was acquired by Fuller


    Corporation because of its cash flow issues. So far, Joe has been the one managing it. Now that it has


    been handed to you, perhaps Ashton wants you to get more exposure to new technologies. After all,


    there are policies in ce. Soon, the country will support the development of inte and tech


    companies. In the future, Fuller Corporation might mostly deal with new technologies, so maybe he


    wants you to familiarize yourself with these things in advance.¡±


    He added after a moment, ¡°As for OrbitTech, perhaps Ashton has ns to acquire it. So telling you to


    keep tabs could be because he wants to find out their potential for future development.¡±


    I nodded and took a few sips of the soup. Finding it quite delectable, I looked at him and expressed my


    gratitude. ¡°Thank you for your care during this time.¡±


    He smiled and got up to leave.


    ¡°Are you heading home?¡± I asked, ncing at the sky which was already darkening.


    He hummed a yes and replied, ¡°I have something onter in the night.¡±


    I nodded as a hint of disappointment shed through me. I initially thought that we could have supper


    togetherter if he had the time.


    After he left, I drank the soup and continued going through the documents until my butt screamed for


    me to pack up and leave for the day.

 Chapter 40

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 40


    Before I could start my car, I got a call from Macy.


    I checked the time to see that it was ten already. As soon as I answered my phone, Macy¡¯s voice


    reached my ears. ¡°Babe, guess where I am now.¡±


    Listening to the bubbling excitement in her tone, I thought for a while before answering, ¡°Q City!¡±


    ¡°Damn!¡± she cursed. ¡°Ms. Stovall, you¡¯re such a bore!¡±


    Based on her choice of words, I knew that I guessed it right. Smiling into the phone, I teased, ¡°It¡¯s not


    like today¡¯s your first day knowing me. So how¡¯s it going? Have you found a suitable location?¡±


    Fuller Corporation¡¯s underground car park wasrge, and not to mention, vacant now. While I sat in the


    car and spoke on the phone, I could vaguely hear the echo, making the hair on the back of my neck


    stand.


    ¡°Mhm. Q City is indeed a good ce to settle down. It¡¯s very rxing here too. I stayed here for a few


    days, and I really like the pace of life here. The weather here is really pleasant too, so I think it¡¯s a


    perfect ce to settle down.¡±


    Macy talked a lot on the other end of the line, so I put her on speaker and started the engine. The car


    park was too empty and I felt a little uneasy staying here for too long.


    I answered while reversing. ¡°You should stay in Q City for a couple more days more to get used to it,


    and maybe check out some ces for me while you¡¯re there. Ashton arranged another project for me.


    It¡¯s quite a difficult one, so I probably won¡¯t be able to go anywhere for the time being.¡±


    She swore a little and started nagging at me. ¡°You¡¯ve already decided to leave, so why the heck did


    you ept another project? Since you¡¯ve decided to leave, then do it once and for all. Stop having


    second thoughts or dragging things on.¡±


    Of course I knew that I had to leave once and for all, but humans were prone to indecisiveness, and


    some things were easier said than done.


    Bang! I had just reversed out of my parking space when I ran into something. My heart skipped a beat


    and I hurriedly said into the phone, ¡°Macy, I think I hit something. I¡¯ll call you backter. Gotta go.¡±


    Before Macy could answer, I hung up the call and got out of my car.


    There would asionally be stray cats in the underground car park, so I hoped that it wasn¡¯t anything


    too serious.


    After circling my car, sure enough, I found a kitten at a blind spot behind my car. Its injury looked quite


    serious, so I walked over to check it out. The moment I bent down, someone covered my nose and


    mouth from behind. The pungent smell of some kind of chemical invaded my nostrils.


    By the time I realized the danger I was in, I had already lost consciousness.


    I woke up to pitch-ck darkness. Everything around me was so quiet that I could probably hear the


    sound of a pin drop on the ground.


    Panic surged in me, but after several minutes, I managed to calm myself down. Since my kidnappers


    kept me alive, it meant that they had other ns for me. Based on my title as Mrs. Fuller, they either


    wanted to demand a ransom or use me to threaten Ashton.


    No matter the reason, my life probably wasn¡¯t in danger for now.


    With that thought in mind, my nerves gradually calmed. After about half an hour, I heard an ear-splitting


    noise just before the lights came on, blinding my eyes.


    Then came the voice of a middle-aged man. ¡°The woman¡¯s awake!¡±


    After some time, my eyes finally adjusted to the light. I scanned my surroundings and realized that I


    was being held in a container. Right in front of me, there was a man approximately three meters away,


    but because his back was to the light, I couldn¡¯t make out his features.


    Despite that, I noticed that he was slightly plump and had a gravelly voice. Hence, I determined him as


    a middle-aged man. It was also partly because I caught a whiff of his cologne, which was usually what


    men who were quite aplished would wear.


    This man was no thug. Instead, he was either a business owner or a white-cor worker.


    ¡°She¡¯s awake! Blindfold her and take her there!¡± said the man. Thereafter, a man with a thin frame


    came over. Their faces were covered, so I couldn¡¯t see what they looked like.


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    I was still dizzy, so although I could see my surroundings clearly, my body couldn¡¯t move at all. After my


    eyes were blindfolded, I was dragged on my feet for quite a long distance before being pushed into a


    room of some sort.


    Then, my blindfold was untied. I had recovered some strength by then and questioned them with a


    hoarse voice. ¡°Who are you? Why did you kidnap me here?¡±


    The thin man didn¡¯t speak, but the middle-aged man said, ¡°Rx, Ms. Stovall. We invited you to watch


    a good show. After you¡¯ve watched it, we¡¯ll send you back.¡±


    Then, the door to the room was mmed shut. I was seated on a dpidated bed with my arms and


    feet tied up. After struggling a few times but to no avail, I gave up.


    Suddenly, the sound of a conversation rang in the originally dim room.


    ¡°Ashton, you told me before that you¡¯d divorce her and marry me. Don¡¯t make me wait for too long,


    okay?¡±


    Is this¡­ Reba¡¯s voice?


    ¡°Reba, stop kicking up a fuss!¡± Ashton¡¯s voice sounded different from usual, as if he had a little too


    much to drink.


    Why can I hear them talking? Who¡¯s doing this?


    ¡°Ashton, are you in love with her? Is that why you don¡¯t want to divorce her?¡± Her voice sounded


    frantic, making things seem rather suggestive between them.


    Then came a rustling sound, probably from undressing. Ashton said in a tight voice, ¡°Reba, don¡¯t


    fool around. I¡¯m already married to her.¡±

 Chapter 41

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 41


    ¡°So what if you¡¯re married to her? You don¡¯t love her. Didn¡¯t you say you love me, Ash? My body is all


    recovered now. Let¡¯s have another child, okay?¡±


    ¡°Reba¡­¡± What came next were the sounds of a man and woman getting intimate with each other. I


    squeezed my eyes shut and struggled to tune out those sounds.


    The harder I tried not to listen, the more I was tormented by those noises.


    As Reba¡¯s moans became louder, my body trembled violently. I even felt nausea rise in me and


    started to dry heave.


    I had always known that there was something going on between Reba and Ashton, so I wasn¡¯t


    surprised that they had slept together. However, I never expected to have to listen to them right in the


    act, nor did I want to know anything about how passionate they were in bed.


    Itsted for a long time. By then, I had already thrown up everything in my stomach and my whole body


    felt drained of energy. I sat limply on the bed, and my heart started to crack, shattering into a million


    pieces that were impossible to pick back up.


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, how was the show? Entertaining enough?¡± The door was opened, and the plump man


    walked in. I could clearly hear the smile in his voice, making me feel disgusted.


    Even though I couldn¡¯t see his face, I looked straight into his eyes and spat, ¡°Is Reba behind this?¡±


    Apart from her, I couldn¡¯t think of anyone else who would do something so disgusting.


    ¡°Does it matter?¡± He snickered. ¡°I¡¯m sure you must be in a special mood after listening to such a good


    show, Ms. Stovall!¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡± They wouldn¡¯t have gone through all the trouble to kidnap me just to spite me.


    There was no way things were that simple.


    ¡°Clever woman!¡± The plump man raised his voice and continued, ¡°I heard that you¡¯re in charge of Fuller


    Corporation¡¯s audit this year, Ms. Stovall. I wonder if you¡¯d be interested in making a deal with me?¡±


    I scoffed derisively. ¡°What makes you think that I¡¯d make a deal with you after you¡¯ve used such dirty


    means to bring me here to spite me?¡±


    He pondered for a while and said in a low voice, ¡°The baby in your belly, Ms. Stovall.¡± I was stunned,


    instantly breaking out in cold sweat. How did he know?


    He seemed to be satisfied with my reaction, smiling lightly as he said, ¡°What do you think? It seems to


    me like you don¡¯t want Mr. Fuller to know. I¡¯m guessing you have your own ns. If that¡¯s the case, we


    might as well work together. What do you say?¡±


    ¡°What exactly do you want?¡± Whoever got to handle Fuller Corporation¡¯s external audit would make a


    lot of money. Hence, it was normal that someone would fight to get their hands on it, but this method


    was too despicable.


    ¡°An open tender for Fuller Corporation¡¯s audit!¡± he answered.


    I was taken aback and my brows knitted together. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. As long as you agree, you have my word that henceforth, you and the child in your belly


    will be safe. I will make sure that nothing happens to you,¡± he said in a very convincing tone.


    My frown deepened. ¡°Why should I trust you?¡±


    ¡°Because you don¡¯t have a choice, Ms. Stovall!¡± His reply grated on my nerves.


    Despite my frustration, I had to get myself out of this situation first and figure out the restter on, so I


    looked at him and nodded. ¡°Fine!¡±


    He grinned in return. ¡°Then it¡¯s a deal!¡±


    After that, he motioned to the thin man to cover my eyes again. ¡°Is this necessary?¡± I frowned.


    His chuckle reached my ears. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ms. Stovall. We¡¯ll send you back the same way we brought


    you here!¡±


    Later on, I was pushed into a car. My hearing sharpened due to myck of sight, but I fell asleep not


    long after.


    When I came to again, not only was I back in the underground car park, but I was also inside my own


    car. Everything around me was the same, as though what happened earlier was nothing but a dream.


    I fumbled for my phone to check the time and found that it was twelve midnight already. I could hardly


    believe that in the past two hours, I had experienced a life-and-death situation.


    Fear still lingered in my heart, so I didn¡¯t stay in the car park for long, hastily starting the car and


    heading back to the vi.


    My emotions were all over the ce.


    Back at the vi, when I stepped in and saw the man looking through some documents in the living


    room, the earlier sounds of their lovemaking flooded my mind.


    A retching sound escaped my lips. Before I could even change my shoes, I made a run for the


    bathroom and retched in the sink. I had already vomited quite a lot earlier, so there was nothing left for


    me to throw up now.


    ¡°What did you eat?¡± His low and icy voice reached my ears.


    I was trembling all over and my stomach felt awful. He stepped forward and reached out to stroke my


    back, but the sounds they made overwhelmed my senses and I felt sick to the core. I snapped my head


    up and shoved him away.


    Ignoring the dark look on his face, I immediately dashed up the stairs.


    Once in the bedroom, I locked the door. Knowing what had transpired in here, my stomach turned. I


    quickly opened all the windows and changed all the sheets on the bed.


    Knock, knock! Two rapid knocks sounded on the door. ¡°Open the door, Scarlett!¡± The man¡¯s voice had


    a dangerous undertone.


    As my mind was swamped by those revolting sounds they made, not to mention the difort in my


    stomach was unbearable, I automatically tuned out everything that was happening beyond the door.


    Desperate to get rid of his scent in the room, I cleaned every inch of the space. When I was done, I felt


    disgusted by my own body. After taking off my clothes, I went into the bathroom and turned on the


    shower to full st, wanting so badly to wash off every part of me that he had touched.

 Chapter 42

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 42


    Bang! A loud noise came from outside. I hastily locked the bathroom door and curled into myself. I


    knew that if Ashton wanted toe in, there was no stopping him.


    Sure enough, it didn¡¯t take long before he mmed open the door from outside. In a harsh voice, he


    growled, ¡°What the hell are you doing, Scarlett?¡±


    He was standing just beyond the bathroom door now.


    I held the door down, not wanting to hear his voice at all. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna see you, Ashton. Please,


    please stay away from me!¡±


    I felt disgusted beyondprehension. If I didn¡¯t hear those sounds, perhaps I could¡¯ve lied to myself


    even after knowing what happened. But now, it was impossible for me to unhear them. No matter how


    many times I told myself not to picture him lying naked in bed with Reba, I just couldn¡¯t. Everything


    was ying in my mind on repeat.


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Scarlett, open the door. Whatever it is, we can talk it out!¡± His icy voice could probably freeze anything


    that came to close.


    I shook my head, still feeling ufortable in both my heart and stomach. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to talk


    about between us. Please just stay away from me!¡±


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± He said through gritted teeth outside the door, ¡°Don¡¯t test my patience! Okay?¡±


    On the verge of breaking down, I screamed at the door, ¡°I told you to stay away from me! Stay away!


    Didn¡¯t you hear me?¡±


    Bang! A huge impact shook the door on its hinges and I took a few steps back in fright.


    After only three times, the bathroom door burst open and his towering figure cannoned in. With pitch-


    dark eyes, he stared at my cowering form beside the bathtub.


    ¡°Scarlett, you¡­¡± When he saw my quaking body and the resentment in my gaze as I looked at him, his


    anger subsided slightly.


    After a long time, he walked to my side and crouched down, slowly extending his fingers toward me.


    Afraid that he¡¯d touch me and repulsed by his proximity, I instinctively shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡±


    His outstretched hand froze midway and his chilly aura diffused into the air around us. ¡°Tell me what


    happened.¡±


    ¡°Ashton, let¡¯s get a divorce! Please. Let¡¯s just get a divorce. I don¡¯t want anything. Just sign the


    papers!¡± My voice cracked.


    Ashton¡¯s already sullen expression became impossibly darker. His frosty eyes were fixated on me as


    he muttered, ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re saying, Scarlett?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Of course I did. For two years, I endured all the hurt inflicted on me, but love couldn¡¯t be forced.


    No amount of warmth and kindness could rece love!


    He grabbed me hard, then hauled me out of the bathroom and ced me on the bed. He wrapped a


    towel around me before squatting in front of me. With both hands tightly holding my shoulders, he


    looked up at me and spoke softly. ¡°What exactly happened?¡±


    He was calm. Even when I had an angry outburst, he still managed to remain calm.


    I shook my head vigorously as my eyes reddened, croaking out, ¡°Ashton, do you love me?¡± I didn¡¯t


    know why I asked this question, but there was no turning back now.


    He stiffened for a split second and frowned while looking at me with an intense gaze. ¡°Love isn¡¯t a word


    you just throw around, Scarlett!¡±


    But you said it to Reba. My heart clenched in my chest, and I almost screamed out the words.


    ¡°Then what is it?¡± I lost control of my tears and choked out, ¡°Ashton, you don¡¯t love me, do you?


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± His low voice sounded strained. ¡°Tell me what happened, okay? Why are you suddenly


    asking for a divorce?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t love you. I really don¡¯t!¡± My eyes were red-rimmed and the pain in my heart had spread to every


    part of my body. ¡°I don¡¯t love you as much as I thought. I¡¯m still young and there are countless


    opportunities for me to find someone I truly love, so let¡¯s get a divorce and set each other free, okay?¡±


    From the moment I met Ashton, I never thought that there woulde a day where I¡¯d beg to leave


    him.


    I thought that as long as I worked hard enough and offered him my heart, body and soul, one day, he


    woulde to appreciate me and perhaps even love me.


    Unfortunately, I forgot that there were too many uncertainties in life. In this world, many things could be


    yours as long as you worked hard, but love was an exception.


    It was already a blessing from God if two people found love in each other, because most people could


    only dream of getting that!


    The temperature in the bedroom seemed to drop sharply, chilling me to the bone. Even so, I bowed my


    head and averted my gaze.


    After a long time, he drew in a breath and said in amanding tone, ¡°Rest well. We¡¯ll talk after you¡¯ve


    calmed down!¡±


    He stood and left the bedroom right after saying that short and concise sentence.


    That night, Ashton left the vi while I stayed up all night.


    Even so, we had to move on or else the world would leave us behind.


    After a sleepless night, I arrived at thepany bone-tired. When Stacey noticed my paleplexion,


    she asked in concern, ¡°Ms. Stovall, did you stay up all night to read the documents? Company audits


    aren¡¯t that difficult, so don¡¯t put too much pressure on yourself. Your body has just recovered so you still


    need to take care of yourself!¡±

 Chapter 43

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 43


    I nodded as my head buzzed slightly. After reviewing Fuller Corporation¡¯s financial statements, I moved


    on to Quinn Corporation¡¯s.


    Noticing that I kept yawning, Stacey brought me a cup co coffee and asked, ¡°By the way, Ms. Stovall,


    will thepany¡¯s external audit be given to AC Credit or Harrison Credit?¡±


    Thinking about this problem made my head spin. The middle-aged man from yesterday asked me to


    hold a tender, but left everything else vague.


    Perhaps I could use this to my advantage. I contemted for a while before answering, ¡°How long will


    the audit take?¡±


    ¡°In previous years, it took about half a month, but I think this year, it¡¯ll take at least one month!¡± Stacey


    spoke while cing the audit information from the previous years on my desk.


    I gave it a cursory nce, already feeling a pounding headache as I queried, ¡°How much longer do we


    have this year?¡± Every year, thepany¡¯s audit had to be published on the Economic Network upon


    completion. Fuller Corporation is a listedpany, so many stockholders and investors were waiting to


    see it.


    ¡°Not much, there¡¯s only one and a half months left, but Fuller Corporation has branch offices in other


    provinces. Although you don¡¯t need to visit every branch office, you¡¯d still need to visit a few of them.


    Otherwise, there¡¯s no way for you to understand the specific situation.¡±


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    I nodded and put away the documents. Checking the time and seeing that it was already noon, I looked


    at Stacey and ordered, ¡°I need to meet the president of Harrison Credit. Make an appointment for me.


    The sooner the better!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± She paused a beat before continuing, ¡°Do you still want to see the president of AC Credit?¡±


    I originally didn¡¯t n on seeing him, but thinking about what happenedst night, I couldn¡¯t help but


    wonder if it was all AC Credit¡¯s scheme to grab this deal.


    After giving it some thought, I replied, ¡°I¡¯ll see him. Did AC send some of their people over again


    today?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Stacey hesitated before continuing, ¡°The president of AC Credit, Thomas Lowe, is waiting in the


    reception area downstairs.¡±


    The president himself came here? It seems that Fuller Corporation¡¯s audit is indeed a big catch.


    ¡°Make a reservation at a restaurant nearby for me.¡± I got up and took my bag with me. ¡°Do it quick. I¡¯ll


    go down to meet Mr. Lowe first.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Stacey left in a rush after that.


    Once out of my office, I went straight to Fuller Corporation¡¯s reception area. Fuller Corporation was


    based in an enormous office building, and with its abundant funds, a luxurious and rxing reception


    area was set up in the lobby on the first floor to wee any guests.


    Most employees were on their lunch break now, so there weren¡¯t many people left. Hence, when I


    arrived at the reception area, I immediately spotted a middle-aged man sitting on the ck leather sofa.


    Thomas seemed like a buoyant person, and I noticed that he looked rather fit for his age.


    Seeing me, he got to his feet and walked toward me with a smile. Extending his hand out for a


    handshake, he greeted me, ¡°Ms. Stovall, I¡¯m the founder of AC Credit, Thomas Lowe. I¡¯m d you


    could meet me!¡±


    I returned his smile and said, ¡°Sorry for the wait, Mr. Lowe, but I¡¯ve really been very busytely, so I


    couldn¡¯t find the time to meet you until now.¡± I checked the time on my watch, then looked back at him.


    ¡°Since it¡¯s currently lunch hour, would you like to have lunch together, Mr. Lowe?¡±


    He smiled subtly and nodded. ¡°Sure, Ms. Stovall. And thank you in advance!¡±


    Both of us didn¡¯t talk about work just yet. When we arrived at the restaurant Stacey pre-booked for us,


    Thomas still didn¡¯t mention anything about the audit.


    He only shared with me some interesting events in his life, and it looked more like a gathering between


    two friends. Since he didn¡¯t bring up work-rted matters, I refrained from it as well, only quietly


    listening to his narration.


    After some time, he peered at me and asked, ¡°Ms. Stovall, I heard that you¡¯re responsible for Fuller


    Corporation¡¯s audit this year?¡±


    I nodded brusquely. ¡°After thepany went public, Mr. Fuller and Mr. Quinn basically don¡¯t have any


    spare time on their hands, so I had to temporarily take over this project.¡±


    He smiled. ¡°In the past years, Fuller Corporation¡¯s audits were all handled by AC Credit, and now¡­¡±


    He trailed off, but of course I knew what he meant. With an amicable smile, I replied, ¡°Fuller


    Corporation and AC Credit have worked together for many years. Logically speaking, AC should be put


    in charge, but AC¡¯s contract with Fuller Corporation has expired. ording to our standard practice,


    Fuller Corporation will organize a bidding event. Of course, I hope AC and Fuller Corporation can once


    again cooperate after this bidding.¡±


    This revtion led to the conclusion of our discussion. Thomas smiled, replying in a polished manner,


    ¡°Mm. We are also looking forward to working with Fuller Corporation.¡±


    After lunch, I sent Thomas off. Stacey followed beside me and questioned, ¡°Ms. Stovall, didn¡¯t Mr.


    Fuller want this year¡¯s audit to be handed over to Harrison Credit? Why do we need to hold a bidding


    event?¡±


    ¡°If we don¡¯t, Fuller Corporation won¡¯t just offend AC Credit, but many other audit firms. AC has been in


    this business for a long time. Moreover, they¡¯ve been working with Fuller Corporation all these years. If


    we terminate the coboration just like that, do you think they won¡¯t create a ruckus by using Fuller


    Corporation¡¯s past audits?¡±


    Another reason I agreed to meet Thomas was that I wanted to see if he had something to do withst


    night¡¯s incident, but after glimpsing the reluctant look on his face after I mentioned the bidding event, I


    doubt that he was involved.


    However, I couldn¡¯t be too sure. Thus, I decided to keep an eye out.


    Stacey nodded with a frown on her face. ¡°Then, why didn¡¯t Mr. Fuller¡­¡±

 Chapter 44

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 44


    ¡°Inform me beforehand?¡± I interjected. My eyes darted to hers before I exined, ¡°I¡¯m not Ashton¡¯s only


    subordinate. If he has to exin every little thing word by word, then what¡¯s the point of employing so


    many people? He might as well do everything on his own.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re his wife!¡±


    I found it funny, looking at her to say, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m his wife. Putting aside the fact that he¡¯s not satisfied with


    me as his wife, even if he was, he¡¯s still the president of Fuller Corporation, while I¡¯m the director. In the


    company, we are superior and subordinate. If I¡¯m so stupid that I need him to point out everything, he


    might as well tell me to go home and be a full-time housewife!¡±


    In the world, pure intelligence would get you nowhere; only experience slowly umted from hard


    andborious work would bring you far.


    Back in my office, Stacey made a dinner appointment with the president of Harrison Credit. I didn¡¯t


    mentionst night¡¯s incident to anyone, only keeping it locked up in my heart and bearing it on my own.


    Fortunately, thepany was huge, so I didn¡¯t have to meet Ashton if there wasn¡¯t anything of utmost


    importance. To distract myself from thinking about how he was going to handle the matters between us,


    I poured myself into my work.


    After a whole day of work, it was finally time to clock out. Stacey came into my office carrying her bag.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, do you need me to follow you for your dinner appointment with Mr. Harrison from Harrison


    Credit tonight?¡±


    It took me a while to recall my appointment. Sensing that she was eager to leave, I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s


    fine. Just give me the address and I¡¯ll head there alone in a bit.¡±


    She smiled and answered, ¡°Thank you, Ms. Stovall. I¡¯ve already sent the address to your phone.¡±


    I nodded, then cupped my chin and narrowed my eyes at her. ¡°Are you dating someone?¡± Stacey


    wasn¡¯t young anymore. Over thest two years she worked for me, her love life was non-existent.


    Hence, I immediately noticed how starry-eyed she had be recently.


    ¡°No! It¡¯s just a simple get-together with an old ssmate of mine, so¡­¡± Although she phrased it like


    that, her face had already turned red.


    With a nod, I gestured for her to go ahead without saying anything else.


    People said that the eyes were the windows to the soul. I agreed, because no matter how much you


    verbally denied it, your eyes would betray your feelings.


    After tidying up my desk, I drove directly to the address Stacey sent to me. I initially thought that the


    president of Harrison Credit would be a middle-aged man.


    Hence, I was shocked to see that Nick Harrison was only a young man in his early twenties.


    ¡°Scarlett Stovall?¡± Upon spotting me, Nick stood up from his seat and raised his brows at me.


    I offered him a cordial smile. ¡°Mr. Harrison?¡±


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t call me Mr. Harrison. It makes me sound so old. Just call me Nick.¡± Nick had well-shaped


    eyebrows and defined features. When he spoke, two dimples would asionally appear on his cheeks,


    making him look very cute. However, the look in his eyes showed that he was wise beyond his years.


    It seemed like this kid was quite capable.


    I made my way to the table and took a seat. Nick smiled at me cutely as he asked, ¡°What do you want


    to eat, Scarlett? I¡¯ll order it for you!¡±


    For someone of his age, I wasn¡¯t surprised that he had immediately dropped the formalities.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a picky eater,¡± I answered while putting my bag aside and then raised my head as he looked


    through the menu.


    After expertly cing our orders, he rested his chin on his palm and squinted at me. ¡°You¡¯re even more


    beautiful than I expected!¡±


    I raised my brows. ¡°Is Harrison Credit yourpany?¡± From the looks of it, this kid was about twenty-


    three years old. Even though Harrison Credit wasn¡¯t considered arge firm, there was definitely a


    reason Ashton chose them. I was surprised that a kid was capable of managing apany like that.


    He slumped against the table and answered in a rather disinterested tone, ¡°Yeah. I was bored in


    university, so I founded Harrison Credit just for fun.¡± Then, he tilted his head at me. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about


    something else, Scarlett.¡±


    He really is a kid.


    I nodded. ¡°Sure. What do you wanna talk about?¡±


    He instantly perked up, straightening in his seat and sending me an imploring gaze. ¡°Are you and Old


    boy nning to get a divorce?¡±


    I blinked in bewilderment. ¡°Old boy?¡±


    He hummed a response and exined, ¡°Ashton is already thirty plus years old, so if he¡¯s not an old boy


    what is he? You¡¯re only twenty-six, Scarlett. Do you really n to be with him for the rest of your life?¡±


    I was stupefied by what he said for a moment, unable to formte a response. In the end, I smiled


    wryly and asked, ¡°Are you that interested in my private life?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± He nodded and regarded me seriously. ¡°Hasn¡¯t anyone ever told you how beautiful you


    are, Scarlett? Especially how you just radiate elegance.¡±


    I smiled at this peculiar young man and said sinctly, ¡°Thank you!¡±


    ¡°What do you think about me, Scarlett? Am I your type?¡± There was no end to this kid¡¯s peculiarity.


    After drinking some water, I nced at him and avoided his question. ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll be able to


    sessfullyplete Fuller Corporation¡¯s annual audit if I hand it over to you?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Seeing that I had changed the subject, he pursed his lips and sprawled on the table again, speaking in


    a feeble voice, ¡°I¡¯ll only know after doing it, so how am I supposed to answer your question now,


    Scarlett?¡±


    I furrowed my brows, slightly reluctant to continue the conversation. ¡°Fuller Corporation has recently


    gone public, so there¡¯s a lot of funds involved. I¡¯m sure you know better than me how the slightest


    mistake can lead to a colossal loss. Since I¡¯m the person-in-charge this year, of course I¡¯d have to be


    more mindful!¡±

 Chapter 45

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 45


    He narrowed his eyes a fraction, those ck orbs glowing slightly. ¡°Scarlett, do you think I¡¯m incapable


    of doing a good job for Fuller Corporation¡¯s audit?¡±


    My brows lifted, but I refrained from being too direct. With a smile, I said, ¡°You established Harrison


    Credit at a very young age. Naturally, I believe in your capabilities. But after all, we¡¯ve never worked


    together before and we don¡¯t know each other well, so Fuller Corporation will be holding a bidding


    event in theing days. When the timees, Harrison Credit will have to prove themselves. If


    Fuller Corporation¡¯s audit ends up being handed to Harrison Credit, then I hope to have a pleasant


    cooperation with you, Mr. Harrison.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter!¡± he huffed. Supporting his chin with a hand, he looked at me with squinted eyes. ¡°It


    looks like you don¡¯t really trust me, Scarlett!¡±


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    My brows drew together slightly as I disliked how he was acting overly familiar with me. ¡°That¡¯s not it,


    Mr. Harrison.¡±


    ¡°So you think I¡¯m young?¡± He pushed the food that was just served toward me, his eyes never once


    leaving mine. ¡°Don¡¯t you think younger men are more passionate, Scarlett?¡±


    Unable to continue this anymore, I stood up and announced, ¡°I will notify you about the date of the


    bidding as soon as possible. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll take my leave first!¡±


    He grabbed my wrist with some force. ¡°Why are you in such a hurry?¡± He drew out his words and


    looked out of the restaurant.


    Out of instinct, I followed his gaze and met Ashton¡¯s gloomy eyes.


    When I glimpsed Reba standing beside him, I withdrew my gaze and forcefully tried jerking my


    hand away from Nick. However, this kid seemed to have a death grip on me.


    I frowned and hissed with displeasure, ¡°Let go!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s watch the show together first!¡± With that, he pulled me back down onto my seat and pressed


    down on my shoulders while shing a smile at Ashton and Reba as they walked in. ¡°Mr. Fuller,


    what a coincidence! Join us!¡±


    Upset, my face turned icy. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Watching the show!¡± he merely said, then took the seat next to mine.


    Wearing a solemn expression, Ashton walked over with Reba, and both of them sat opposite us.


    Reba had of course seen me since just now. She no longer continued to act friendly, casting me a


    cold look instead.


    I preferred it like this anyway. Couldn¡¯t be bothered with them, I fished out my phone to busy myself


    with something.


    Nick¡¯s enthusiastic voice sounded just then. ¡°Mr. Fuller, Ms. Larson, what would you both like to eat?


    Allow me.¡±


    I felt the urge tough. Didn¡¯t he call him ¡®old boy¡¯ just a while ago? Now it¡¯s Mr. Fuller?


    Ashton gave him an indifferent nce, then looked at Reba. ¡°What do you want to eat?¡±


    This was a habit engraved deep in him. It was impossible to get rid of it.


    Reba said she was fine with anything, then remained silent. Nick, on the other hand, was a pain in


    the a** as he kept trying to get me to talk. If he wasn¡¯t blocking my way, I would¡¯ve left by now.


    ¡°Letty, are you busyter? Do you wanna go for a movie with me?¡± It was clear that Nick was trying to


    stir up trouble. A minute ago, he was still calling me Scarlett. Now, he was shamelessly calling me


    Letty.


    Since when did we be that close?


    ¡°I¡¯m busy!¡± I snapped, then didn¡¯t say another word.


    I could vaguely sense Ashton¡¯s eyes on me and ignored him.


    Seeing how unresponsive I was, Nick turned to Ashton and rambled on, ¡°Mr. Fuller, I heard that you¡¯re


    very close to Ms. Larson. My mom even said that she wants you two toe for a meal at Pear


    Garden sometime!¡±


    ¡°Thank Ms. Anderson on my behalf,¡± Ashton replied with a stoic expression.


    ¡°Is Ms. Anderson the fashion magnate you mentionedst time?¡± Reba asked, an intrigued light


    entering her eyes.


    Seeing this, Nick immediately dived into the topic. ¡°Do you know my mom too, Ms. Larson?¡±


    Reba¡¯s eyes gleamed as she responded, ¡°So she¡¯s your mother. She¡¯s known as the Queen of


    Fashion in Western and Northern Europe, as well as locally. I also heard that Ms. Anderson manages


    two listedpanies. Last time, she ranked third on Forbes List, and she¡¯s the richest woman in the


    world!¡±


    Nick¡¯s mother is Cameron Anderson? I read about Cameron Anderson in financial magazines before.


    She was the typical career woman people in this era looked up to. I never expected her to be Nick¡¯s


    mother.


    Once both of them found amon topic, they began to chat excitedly. I was already bored enough,


    but now, I wanted to leave desperately.


    Finally, the two of them stopped talking once the food was served.


    ¡°Letty, I hope you like what I ordered for you. It¡¯s very nutritious and it tastes bomb too!¡± Nick seemed to


    have hit his head on something because he started cutting up my food as he spoke affectionately to


    me.


    For the sake of maintaining the peace, I didn¡¯tment on it, but I frowned slightly and protested, ¡°I


    can do it myself!¡±


    He ignored me, his eyes darting to Ashton who was busy tending to Reba. Then, he eximed with


    admiration sprawled on his face, ¡°Mr. Fuller, you¡¯re so sweet to Ms. Larson. I can see that you really


    care for her!¡±


    Reba¡¯s lips arched upward, obviously delighted by what he said. Ashton, however, frowned in


    response as his eyes found me.


    I remained expressionless and bowed my head, turning a blind eye to everything.


    As long as I didn¡¯t take it to heart, I¡¯d be fine.


    I took a small bite of the cut meat on my te, but before I could chew it, my stomach turned violently.


    pping a hand on my mouth, I frantically signaled Nick to let me out.

 Chapter 46

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 46


    Realizing that I was about to vomit, he was stunned and got up immediately. He anxiously cursed, ¡°You


    only ate fish. Why would you feel like vomiting? Are you pregnant?¡±


    His words made me break out in cold sweat.


    However, there was no time for me to waste and ponder over it. Within seconds, I ran to the restroom


    and spent a long time emptying my stomach¡¯s contents into the toilet. When my stomach finally began


    to settle down, I turned around to see Ashton standing there rigidly.


    ¡°Scarlett, we should bring you to the hospital,¡± he stated gruffly. His low tone sounded emotionless and


    unfriendly.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to go there.¡± Shoving past him, I left the restroom.


    Unfortunately, he managed to grab my wrist, and in the heat of the moment, I gave him a death re.


    ¡°Ashton, I told you to leave me alone.¡±


    I paused for a while and continued, ¡°Besides, if there is nothing wrong with your memory, I wonder if


    you have thought about what I told youst night. I want a divorce with you as soon as possible.¡±


    His eyes turned dark. ¡°Scarlett, do you know what you¡¯re doing?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± I scoffed. ring at him, I tried to hold in myughter. ¡°While you¡¯ve been meticulously


    taking care of Reba, our rtionship is still ambiguous. Do you enjoy being entangled with two


    women at the same time?¡±


    His face turned pale, and his lips were pressed into a thin line. I knew he was angry, but it was the


    truth. Although I might be too straightforward, he had to face the truth someday.


    ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± There was helplessness in his tone when he finally spoke after an


    awkward pause.


    I froze for a while before I replied, ¡°Let¡¯s file for a divorce. We can cut our ties and live our lives


    separately.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that!¡± He yelled in frustration with his eyebrows pinched together.


    Turning to him, I chuckled, ¡°Otherwise, you can choose to stay away from Reba instead. Give her


    some money and ask her to get out of your life.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett, who are you to decide what I should do with my life?¡± Reba suddenly snarled.


    I looked past Ashton to see her. Seeing the angry look on her face, I mocked, ¡°Who am I? Well, based


    on the fact that Ashton doesn¡¯t want to divorce me and I am hiswful wife, it gives me a right to say


    that. He can¡¯t even let me go.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Reba stuttered as her face gradually turned red. She was fuming and wanted to rebut me,


    but I was not interested in dragging things out.


    Therefore, I chose to return to my seat. Grabbing my bag, I left.


    Nick followed behind me.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I turned back and questioned him.


    ¡°Can you give me a ride? I didn¡¯t drive here today,¡± he whined.


    Scanning him from head to toe, I choked out a response, ¡°You aren¡¯t heading the same way.¡±


    Then, I got into my car and started the engine.


    ¡°Hey, I haven¡¯t told you the address. How are you so sure that we are going in separate directions?¡± He


    comined.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    In the following days, my morning sickness became more serious. To avoid Ashton, I found refuge in


    Glenwood Apartments. Previously, when Macy nned to settle down in J City, we each bought a two-


    room apartment. That way, we could look out for each other.


    After I got married to Ashton, I stayed in the vi instead, and it had been some time since I returned


    here. On a positive note, Macy took care of the chores here, making it morefortable for me to stay.


    Seeing the state I was in after vomiting, she poured a ss of warm water for me. In a serious tone,


    she suspiciously asked, ¡°Scarlett, tell me the truth. You didn¡¯t go through with the abortion, right?¡±


    I was not nning to hide it from her anyway, so I took a sip from the cup and nodded. ¡°I did not.¡±


    She paused for a few seconds in surprise and gently responded, ¡°What are you nning to do then?¡±


    ¡°After I divorce Ashton, I will move to Q City and raise my child by myself.¡± This had always been my


    n.


    Rolling her eyes, she sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not referring to that. I meant, what are you going to do in this period


    of time? With the state you are in, it¡¯s already obvious to me. Every day, you are living under Ashton¡¯s


    nose. Do you think he is an idiot and would not notice?¡±


    I know that, but how can I leave? How can I possibly pack up my things and leave immediately?


    If I leave abruptly, Ashton would definitely get suspicious.


    After thinking about it, I called Jared. It did not take long for the call to go through.


    After the lesson I learnt when Ashton picked up the call thest time, I waited for Jared to speak first.


    ¡°Dr. Crest, do you have any solution to suppress or reduce morning sickness?¡±


    Macy discreetly inched towards me and whispered beside my ear, ¡°Who is Dr. Crest? How can he help


    you?¡±


    Instead of giving her a reply, I silently waited for Jared¡¯s answer. ¡°There is a medication for it. However,


    it may be harmful, and I don¡¯t rmend that you use it. I will consult with Devon tomorrow instead


    and see whether there are other less harmful medications that you can take to tackle your morning


    sickness.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Thank you, Dr. Crest,¡± I thanked him.


    ¡°No problem!¡±


    After I hung up, Macy probed, ¡°What is your rtionship with Dr. Crest?¡±


    I yfully pushed her head away and left the bedroom. ¡°Don¡¯t be nosy and go to sleep already.¡±

 Chapter 47

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 47


    ¡°Ah, Scarlett¡­¡±


    I ignored her whining and went back to my bedroom. Then, I continued on with my work for Fuller


    Corporation. Tomorrow, the bidding for the audit would begin.


    At first, I thought the middle-aged man would reappear that night. After forgetting about him, he had not


    appeared for a while.


    The details of the situation was unclear to me.


    The next morning, the sun rays already spilt into the apartment by eight. The weather in J City was


    getting hotter, but Macy was a night owl, so she was still sleeping.


    Meanwhile, my body clock woke me up after being so busy for the past few days.


    When I arrived at the office in a hurry, Stacey immediately handed me the documents she prepared.


    She suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s go straight to the bidding venue.¡±


    Nodding, I brought the documents and myptop to head out of the office with her.


    While waiting for the elevator, I bumped into Ashton and Jared. Thetter casually passed me a lunch


    box. ¡°Devon made some soup for you that will be good for your recovery. I heard that you were


    vomiting quite badly recently, but I guess it is a side effect of the miscarriage. You should take some


    time to rest.¡±


    Initially, I was worried that Ashton would notice that something was wrong. Thankfully, Jared phrased it


    well, and I gratefully responded, ¡°Thank you!¡±


    On the other hand, his boss had a gloomy expression, and I could not tell what he was thinking about.


    It was hard to figure out what he was feeling and who I was to him. How does he feel about me?


    Ding! The elevator doors opened, and four of us entered it. No one dared to speak, as the atmosphere


    seemed cold.


    When we finally got out, Stacey cautiously inquired, ¡°Ms. Stovall, Mr. Fuller and you¡­¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have much time. Let¡¯s get to the bidding venue as soon as possible!¡± I cut her off and


    changed the topic. Since I met Ashton at the restaurant that day, we had not seen nor spoken to each


    other.


    Just as we arrived at the bidding venue, we bumped into Nick. Just my luck! He stepped forward


    immediately after seeing my arrival, and with vigor, he eximed, ¡°Scarlett, you are here!¡±


    I hate how he pretended to be close to me. Nheless, I politely nodded and entered the site. There


    were more people here today because they all wanted to fight for the audit of Fuller Corporation.


    The bidding exercise went on for a while, and my head began to hurt. Seeing how ufortable I


    seemed, Stacey brought me to the lounge and handed me a ss of water. ¡°Ms. Stovall, for the


    bidding, there are still a few morepanies to go. If you don¡¯t feel well, we can head to the hospital.¡±


    I shook my head. Anyway, I had already listened to the majority of them. I gulped the water down then


    instructed, ¡°For the remainingpanies, you can keep those that you deem suitable. Otherwise,


    forget about them.¡±


    After listening to so manypanies¡¯ speeches, I could roughly gauge the rankings. While I rested in


    the lounge, Stacey listened to the remaining session in my ce.


    To be a mother was not an easy task. Someone as tough as me would make mistakes in such


    situations too.


    ¡°A penny for your thoughts?¡± Abruptly, a cold voice sounded in a mocking tone.


    I saw Nick in my peripheral vision. Frowning, I scoffed, ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be preparing for the


    bid? What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m concerned about you!¡± Then, he walked behind me and massaged my temples. His hands were


    strong, and the amount of power he used was just right. At first, I wanted to move away, but he held me


    in ce.¡±


    ¡°Stop pretending you¡¯re okay.¡± He chided.


    Without the energy to struggle against his grip, I went along with it. Not long after, my headache


    reduced into a mild throb.


    Loosening his grip, Nick muttered, ¡°How does it feel now?¡±


    I smiled. ¡°I feel a lot better. Thank you!¡±


    Settling down in an empty spot, he no longer had the frivolous expression on his face. Sternly, he


    commented, ¡°What is your rtionship with Ashton?¡±


    What a boring topic. I narrowed my eyes before questioning, ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be concerned


    about the bidding results by now instead?¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°Well, I¡¯m more concerned about you.¡±


    I ignored him. At that moment, Stacey walked in. The bidding event must be over. She informed me


    that all the relevant information had been put together forparison.


    From the pile, I picked out a few suitable candidates and instructed, ¡°Can you draw up a report and


    compare the audits that thesepanies have done in the past two years? After you have filtered


    them, you can submit it to me.¡±


    Stacey took the documents from me and nodded. ncing at Nick, she hesitantly offered, ¡°Ms. Stovall,


    should I send you back or¡­¡±


    ¡°Ms. Holmes, you can get back to work. I will send her home!¡± Nick immediately chirped.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    However, Stacey still looked at me to see if I agreed. I looked at Nick, then shrugged. ¡°You can leave.¡±


    After Stacey left, I turned to Nick and stated, ¡°If you keep beating around the bush, I don¡¯t mind waiting


    for you to get to the point.¡±


    He would not show up here for no reason. After the whole time he had been here, he still did not reveal


    his true intentions. What a waste of time!


    In response to how direct I was, he pouted. ¡°Scarlett, it is not always a good thing for a woman to be so


    clever.¡±


    I could not bother to deal with him anymore, so I took my bag, preparing to leave.


    Stopping me, he finally uttered, ¡°Fuller Corporation¡¯s audit is crucial to its future. Aren¡¯t you curious


    about why Ashton chose to partner with me instead of AC Credit, whom they have partnered with for a


    long time?¡±

 Chapter 48

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 48


    Sitting down again, I said nothing and waited for him to continue.


    He found a space to sit beside me and continued, ¡°It has been about a year since Fuller Corporation


    was listed. On the surface, thepany¡¯s growth seems to be in full swing and has yet to meet any


    problems. However, if you think carefully about it, why would thepany lose so much simply


    because of a short dy in the project you and Caleb handled? Do you really think the loss was due to


    the dy in funds because thepany was growing too fast?¡±


    Frowning, I pondered about it.


    ¡°If Fuller Corporation lost so much due to the dy in the final payment of a project, it indicates that the


    company¡¯s internal funds have been used up. Ashton is not partnering with AC Credit because once


    Fuller Corporation¡¯s deficit shows up in their audit report, Fuller Corporation¡¯s stock prices will plummet,


    and investors will panic.¡±


    Squinting at him, I probed, ¡°Wait, but Ashton did not directly appoint you to conduct Fuller Corporation¡¯s


    audit. Besides, as the director of thepany, don¡¯t you think I would know better?¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡± He mocked, ¡°Scarlett, don¡¯t jump to conclusions too quickly.¡±


    Agitatedly, I rose to my feet and cut him short. ¡°Since we made everyone bid for Fuller Corporation¡¯s


    audit, we shall see if Harrison Credit is worthy enough to win the project. As for mypany¡¯s


    situation, I think I know it better than you. You should return home and wait for the news instead, Mr.


    Harrison.¡±


    Then, I left the lounge and headed for my car.


    As I started the engine, I recalled what he said. There was some truth to his words, but I could not


    believe it as a whole. After all, Fuller Corporation had suffered losses from dys of payments before,


    so this is nothing out of the ordinary.


    Nheless, I could not assume that there was nothing wrong with Fuller Corporation either.


    When I drove back to my office, I was surprised to see Jared there, and it seemed like he had been


    waiting for me.


    At the sight of me, he put down the magazine in his hands and greeted, ¡°How was the bidding?¡±


    ¡°It was alright.¡± Then, I stared at the lunch box on the desk. Raising my brows, I asked, ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the soup Devon made, and it helps with reducing morning sickness.¡± He exined while stepping


    forward to open the lunch box.


    I remembered the serving he gave me this morning. It seemed to work as I did not feel nauseous the


    whole morning since I had some. I guess the soup is effective.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± I gratefully eximed and returned to my seat. Then, looking at him suspiciously, I jabbed,


    ¡°Are you only here to send me soup?¡±


    ¡°Nope!¡± He replied truthfully. ¡°Have you decided whichpany to select after the bidding?¡±


    I shook my head. With regards to the selection, it was quite a headache. ¡°I instructed Stacey toe


    up with a more detailed report. Once it is submitted to me, I will make my choice.¡±


    As though he was disapproving it, he frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t you realize that if Harrison Credit doesn¡¯t get


    through, AC Credit would be the next best choice?¡±


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Truth be told, there was a huge chance for AC Credit to be selected. I lifted my gaze and stared back at


    him. ¡°What is the real reason behind why Ashton wants to switch from AC Credit?¡±


    ¡°You should ask him directly!¡± He advised and defended, ¡°There must be a reason why Ashton chose


    Harrison Credit.¡±


    This was tooplicated, and I did not want to think too much about it. Therefore, I changed the topic.


    ¡°Once we confirm the bidding results of the audit, I may have to go on a business trip. For my trip, I will


    need your help to prepare some medicine that I can take along with me.¡±


    Having to be out often, there would be times where I would get tired. Jared had good medical


    knowledge, and it would probably help to have some of his medicine with me.


    Acknowledging my request, he signaled for me to drink the soup. Otherwise, it would turn cold soon.


    Before I could take more than two sips, my phone rang. It was Macy. She must have woken up since it


    was already afternoon.


    Picking up the call, Macy eximed before I could even speak, ¡°Scarlett, I am at the police station.


    Pleasee here!¡±


    I was shocked. Why is she at the police station?


    The call ended before I could ask any further. Hurriedly, I grabbed my bag and rushed outside. ¡°What


    happened?¡± Jared stopped me to ask.


    ¡°Macy is at the police station. I have to go there.¡±


    ¡°Let me go with you!¡± Jared offered.


    Without rejecting him, we arrived at the police station together and spotted Macy at the observation


    area. When the policeman on duty saw me, he confirmed, ¡°Are you Ms. Stovall?¡±


    I nodded and anxiously enquired, ¡°Why are you detaining Macy? What happened?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Markle is involved in the illegal reselling of kyanine. She will need to be questioned, and I hope


    you can cooperate with us Ms. Stovall.¡± The policeman sternly requested.


    I broke out in cold sweat. Drugs?


    How could Macy be involved in such things?


    Grabbing the policeman, I agitatedly raised my voice and rebuked, ¡°Sir, Macy can¡¯t be involved in


    something like that. I¡¯m sure there is some misunderstanding, so I hope you can clear it up.¡±


    Seeing how emotional I was, the policeman furrowed his eyebrows and assured me. ¡°Ms. Stovall, don¡¯t


    worry. We will carry out a thorough investigation. There are some questions we have to ask you


    personally though, so I hope you cane with us.¡±

 Chapter 49

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 49


    I could not think of anything else in that situation and followed the policeman into an interrogation room.


    After answering a few questions, I could roughly grasp the issue.


    Last night, someone found kyanine at Macy¡¯s bar, and there was arge amount of it. However, it was


    odd that he did not report to the police when he found it. Instead, why did he report it a day after?


    After the interrogation, I finally met Macy. Although she had been held for only a few hours, she looked


    especially haggard, bare-faced and with prominent dark eye circles.


    Immediately, she reached for me and pleaded, ¡°Scarlett, someone set me up! I¡¯m sure it is Reba.


    Last night, she came to the bar with a man, and I thought she was only there for a drink. Who would


    expect her to set me up?¡±


    Reba was at the bar with another man?


    ¡°Did you see how the man looked like?¡± Reba was only close to Ashton and Joe, so who else would


    she be with?


    ¡°He was tall and looked mboyant. Oh, and when I went to Fuller Corporation to look for you thest


    time, someone called him Mr. Quinn.¡±


    Joe?


    Well, Reba did hate me. However, why did she have to do this to Macy?


    ¡°Why would they call the police today? If I were them, I would call the policest night.¡± There was


    something that did not match up.


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    Rubbing her eyes, Macy responded, ¡°They want to torture me. When the police went there to


    investigate, they found the drugs in my closet.¡±


    ¡°Macy, are you hiding something from me?¡± Based on Reba¡¯s character, she would definitely try to


    destroy Macy. Why did she only attack Macy but leave her bar alone?


    Macy hesitated before she confessed, ¡°Scarlett, I¡¯ll tell you the truth, but you have to promise me not to


    get mad. Ashton bought over The Hour Bar. When you asked me to go to Q City, I have already sold


    the bar to him.¡±


    Her sudden confession took me by surprise, and I fumbled to think of what to say. ¡°Why would Ashton


    buy out your bar?¡± He was busy enough with Fuller Corporation. Why would he take over another


    business?


    Shaking her head, Macy stammered, ¡°I am not sure either. A month ago, he came to look for me and


    paid me double the bar¡¯s worth. Then, he even registered it under Reba¡¯s name. I wanted to tell you


    about it, but you were busy and not feeling well¡­¡±


    It was a terrifying thought. What is the difference between buying the bar to transfer it to Reba¡¯s


    name and Reba buying it herself?


    Whatever she wanted, Ashton would willingly give to her. Unfortunately, getting the bar was not


    Reba¡¯s ultimate goal.


    I¡¯m afraid she nned to do this to me.


    My head started to hurt, so Iforted Macy and left the detention room. Jared, waiting for me outside,


    immediately walked up to me when he saw me emerging from the room. ¡°Is everything alright?¡±


    ¡°If she gets charged, how many years will she have to serve?¡± I forced out the words as my head


    started to pound harder.


    ¡°It will be either fifteen years of imprisonment, life imprisonment or the death penalty. The sentence will


    be based on the details of the case. The heavier the crime, the heavier the sentence will be,¡± Jared


    rified as he walked out of the police station with me.


    I could hear a buzzing sound in my head, and my world started to spin. Reba was ruthless. Simply


    by using the bar, she ruined Macy¡¯s life.


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic yet. The police are still investigating, and there is a possibility that things may turn out


    differently,¡± Jaredforted me as he brought me to a corner to rest.


    Immediately, I grabbed onto his arm and looked into his eyes. ¡°How can we get her out of it?¡±


    ¡°There is no trace of the kyanine in her body and her closet was in the bar. There is a high possibility


    that it may be touched by someone else along the way. As long as the police find out that she has


    nothing to do with those drugs, she would not be found guilty.¡±


    ¡°Oh yes! We can take a look at the security tapes in the car!¡± Instantly, I jumped to my feet and headed


    for the bar.


    However, Jared grabbed my wrist and stopped me. There was a sorry expression on his handsome


    face. ¡°Your guess is as good as the police. You should be worrying about whether someone did


    something to the security tapes.¡±


    My eyebrows twitched, and in frustration, I tugged at my hair. I turned to Jared and vented, ¡°You should


    head back first. I need to take a breather!¡±


    Although Jared seemed like he was about to say something, he paused when he sensed my


    frustration. Then, he left after a short sentence. ¡°If there¡¯s anything you need, I¡¯m just a call away.¡±


    I stood before the police station for a while before I got onto the car.


    At that moment, Stacey called. She reported that she had finished the analysis report and had already


    emailed me. As my mind was in a mess, I could only muster out an ¡°okay¡±.


    After some hesitation, I decided to drive to the vi. It had been a while since I had been there because


    I was trying to avoid Ashton. Unfortunately, there were some things I could not escape from.


    By the time I reached the vi, it was still early and bright. There were not many people in the house,


    and the bedrooms and bathrooms on the second floor had been renovated.


    I knew there was no use in worrying about it now. Therefore, I headed to the study room and looked


    through the report that Stacey emailed me. I knew that AC Credit had a high chance of winning the


    audit but was surprised that Harrison Credit was ranked right after it.

 Chapter 50

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 50


    It was impressive and surprising that a smallpany that had only been recently incorporated could


    win against a group of establishedpanies that have been in the industry for years.


    Ashton must have chosen Harrison Credit because he saw their potential and growth.


    In view of what happened in the garage thest time, I decided to remove AC Credit from the list.


    I dialed Stacey¡¯s number, and within seconds, the call was connected. ¡°Ms. Stovall!¡±


    ¡°You can inform everyone that Harrison Credit will conduct Fuller Corporation¡¯s audit.¡±


    Stacey was somewhat surprised by my decision. She hesitantlymented, ¡°Ms. Stovall, if you hand it


    over to Harrison Credit, I¡¯m afraid AC Credit would make trouble for us.¡±


    Of course, I was aware of that. The man in the parking lot that kidnapped me that day certainly put up a


    good show for me. Hisst request was only for me to hold a bid.


    He wanted me to choose who would win the audit at the end of the day. Since he did not explicitly


    indicate who would be the winner, I did hold the bid. Despite so, I never intended to hand over the audit


    to the winner since I nned the bidding.


    I could not let anything happen to Fuller Corporation while I am still in charge of it. It was not for Ashton


    but a repayment to George, who took care of me all these years.


    ¡°Follow my instructions. I wille up with an exnation for AC Credit.¡± After I hung up, I sat in


    silence for a while.


    Mustering my courage, I dialed a number I have never dialed before. After a few rings, a deep baritone


    voice answered, ¡°It¡¯s been five years!¡±


    The man uttered two words, and I could hear a faint echo in the background. ¡°I thought you would


    never call me again.¡±


    Suppressing my unhappiness, I went straight to the point, ¡°I want a list of failed audits conducted by AC


    Credit as well as news of their current financial position.¡±


    ¡°Letty, you haven¡¯t called me in so long!¡± It seemed too quiet on the other end when he spoke.


    I could not help but feel a chill run down my spine. I spat, ¡°John!¡±


    Unamused, John sneered, ¡°Letty, you shouldn¡¯t call me that!¡±


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Although we were not speaking in person, I could sense the tense atmosphere around me. This cold


    and hostile feeling was different from the coldness that Ashton emitted. This was a lot more intense


    and brutal.


    ¡°John,¡± I tried to respond calmly.


    ¡°Be good!¡± John praised.


    Abruptly, I ended the call. I fell onto the ground with fear soaking through my bones.


    It took some time for me to recover. Getting up, my body felt weak as I staggered to the bedroom. I


    climbed into bed, wrapping the nket tightly around myself.


    The terror from the earlier phone call still haunted me. I shouldn¡¯t have called him.


    Slowly, I returned to my senses by the time Ashton returned to the vi. When he saw me, I could not


    tell whether he was surprised or not.


    ¡°Have you eaten?¡± There was fatigue in his voice.


    Recently, many things were going on in Fuller Corporation. He had gone on several business trips.


    Come to think of it, he just returned from one recently, but he still seemed tired.


    I shook my head and realized that the sky was already dark outside. At that moment, I remembered


    Macy. I got out of bed and offered, ¡°I¡¯ll make dinner for you.¡±


    Out of the blue, he gave me a back hug and rested his chin on my shoulder. Perhaps because he was


    too busy to shave recently, his stubble tickled my skin. He whined, ¡°Let me rest here for a while.¡±


    Then, he pulled me to the bed. Lying down with me, he wrapped his limbs around me and prevented


    me from moving. I could hear his breath beside my ear.


    His breath was warm and ticklish, and although I opened my mouth, I could not utter a single word.


    I stared at the ceiling and decided to give up on talking about Macy now. It may backfire if I mentioned


    her situation now. It would be better to talk to him after he wakes up instead.


    As I had been stressed out the entire day and easily felt sleepy since I got pregnant, Ashton¡¯s embrace


    seemed tofort me. Before I knew it, fatigue overcame me and I started to yawn.


    My eyelids grew heavy.


    But suddenly, my eyes flew open. Frustrated, I stared at the man before me who was up to no good.


    ¡°Ashton, if you want to sleep, then you should do so. What are you trying to do?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s just a natural reaction! Just ignore it then.¡± He whispered in a low and husky voice. Anyone


    could tell that he was sleepy.


    However, I could no longer fall asleep, so I tried to move back slightly. Unfortunately, his palm stopped


    me and eventually, he pulled me closer.


    ¡°Ashton!¡± I was beginning to get angry. Can¡¯t he just sleep properly?


    ¡°If you ignore it, everything will be alright!¡± He groaned and could not help but squeeze my palm.


    I was at a loss for words.


    Annoyance bubbled within me. ¡°Damn you!¡±


    Perplexed about how I should scold him, I could only utter those words.


    Ashton chuckled, sounding very pleased with himself. Yet, I paid no attention to him. Closing my eyes, I


    ignored his reaction and tried to sleep.


    Minutes passed, but I could not fall asleep.


    Worry began to set in. I did not know how I should bring up Macy¡¯s situation. If he stepped in to solve


    her problem, it would be much easier. After all, money makes the world go round.

 Chapter 51

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 51


    Maybe because of my guilty conscience, I stiffened. Sensing it, Ashton became more cautious.


    After listening to the recording about him and Reba, I began to resist him.


    He turned, but¡­


    After a long time, he got out of bed and changed into his pajamas. Walking to the balcony, he stood


    there for a smoke.


    Lying in bed, there was a mysterious feeling creeping into my heart.


    Following suit, I walked to him. Wrapping my arms around him, I pressed my body against his back.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the bathroom and try again.¡±


    I could feel him stiffen as he stubbed his cigarette out. He turned around, and with some hostility in his


    voice, he asked, ¡°When did it start?¡±


    I was stunned. Did he mean how I was rejecting him?


    Lowering my head, I gritted my teeth and uttered, ¡°Maybe after the miscarriage¡­¡±


    His rtionship with Reba will always be like a knife lodged in my heart. Even as time passed, the


    wound only festers.


    Taking a long look at me, he pushed past me andmented, ¡°I¡¯ll wait in the study room.¡±


    Instinctively, I grabbed his arm. I pleaded, ¡°Did you buy over Macy¡¯s bar for Reba? Macy was


    framed. Can you help me?¡±


    I knew he would be furious if I asked him now. After all, I did not satisfy him, but I could not dy the


    question any longer.


    He lowered his gaze and matched mine. His eyes narrowed, and he scoffed coldly, ¡°Did youe back


    because of that?¡±


    Startled by the look in his eyes, I fervently shook my head and denied, ¡°No, I¡­¡±


    ¡°You wanted to persuade me with your body. Is that why you allowed me to do whatever I wanted to


    you?¡± He chuckled and mocked me, ¡°Scarlett, don¡¯t you even realize that you are no longer attracted to


    me?¡±


    I shook my head. Regardless, while his words made me flustered, he was right.


    Staring back at him, I choked, ¡°Ashton, you have Reba and many other friends. However, I have no


    one else but Macy. Please, I beg you.¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡± He sneered, ¡°You don¡¯t have anything but Macy? Scarlett, what a surprise!¡±


    He was evidently livid. However, I had no other solution for this.


    If I had another way out, I would never have asked him. Unfortunately, he was my only way of helping


    Macy.


    Grasping his hand, I looked away from his furious gaze. I bit my lips, and with tears in my eyes, I


    apologized, ¡°Ashton, I can only plead with you. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    The temperature in the room had dropped several degrees, and with the little clothes I had on, I was


    chilled to the bone.


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    Ashton saw me falling into despair, and his anger slowly dissipated. After a pause, he sighed. He


    grabbed my arm and sternly ordered, ¡°Go to the bathroom.¡±


    I was taken aback but quickly realized what he meant. At that instance, he carried me bridal style and


    headed for the bathroom.


    ¡°Scarlett.¡± He called out hoarsely.


    I turned to look at him with teary eyes. He lowered his head and covered my eyes.


    I gasped, ¡°Ashton, please be more gentle!¡±


    I was afraid that something would happen to my baby.


    Suddenly, I felt a throbbing pain in my lower abdomen. Startled, I stammered, ¡°Ashton, please stop.


    I¡¯m¡­bleeding.¡±


    He froze and lowered his head to see a pool of blood that had umted at my feet.


    I twitched in pain and tugged his arm. With sweat dripping off my forehead, I panted, ¡°Hurry, take me to


    the hospital!¡±


    The sensation I felt this time was a different type of pain.


    Ashton¡¯s mood dropped instantly, and his gaze scattered. He took a towel beside him and wiped off the


    water on my body before he carried me out.


    Laying me on the bed, he searched for his clothes and dressed me with them. Then, he called Jared. I


    grabbed the end of his shirt and huffed in pain, ¡°There¡¯s not much time left. Ashton, you need to take


    me to the hospital now!¡±


    ¡°F***!¡± This was the first time I had ever heard him curse.


    He immediately carried me to the car and started the engine. His eyes darkened, and his lips were


    pressed into a thin line. I could not tell what he was feeling.


    Along the way, he sped and ignored many red lights. When we finally arrived at the hospital, he rushed


    me inside, and a nurse greeted us with a wheelchair.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Someone in the crowd asked anxiously.


    Ashton coldly nced at me and demanded, ¡°Scarlett, will you tell them, or should I tell them?¡±


    My heart pounded wildly, and I broke out in cold sweat. Despite so, the pain in my lower abdomen left


    me with no choice. I grabbed the nurse beside me and eximed, ¡°I¡¯ve been pregnant for less than two


    months, and there are signs of a miscarriage. Please make sure I¡¯ll be able to keep the child!¡±


    The nurse nodded understandingly andforted me, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll bring you to the operating


    room first.¡±


    In the midst of the chaos, I gradually loss consciousness.


    I felt an overwhelming sense of regret for being so careless. Initially, I thought I would be fine since I


    had been to the hospital several times before but ended up fine.

 Chapter 52

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 52


    However¡­ When I woke up, the sky was dark.


    The moment I opened my eyes, a man¡¯s sleeping face caught my attention. There were dark eye


    circles around his eyes, and light stubble appeared around his chin.


    He was here the whole time?


    I looked around to see four white walls. This was the hospital ward.


    Out of instinct, I stretched out my hand and touched my tummy uneasily. Fortunately, there was still a


    slight bulge on my stomach, and it no longer hurt.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± The man beside me grufflymented.


    I was momentarily stunned. When I turned to look in his direction, I realized that Ashton was awake. He


    got out of the chair and walked to my side to pour a ss of water.


    He ced the cup on my bedside table. ¡°Do you want some water?¡±


    His emotions were hard to decipher, and I cautiously asked, ¡°Am I still pregnant?¡±


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    His pair of obsidian eyes pierced through my soul. He looked cold and terrifying. My heart was


    palpitating extremely fast as I widened my eyes and waited for his response.


    He took some time before breaking the silence, ¡°How long were you nning to hide it from me?¡±


    There was no good answer to his question. Given this situation, there was no use in arguing with him. I


    held back my tears and stammered, ¡°Reba forced you to make me abort the child by threatening


    suicide. I could not bear to do it, so¡­¡±


    I saw his expression turn ugly, but I continued, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to lie to you. If you don¡¯t want anything to


    do with the baby, we can get a divorce. Once we file for it, we can go our separate ways. I will not let


    the baby affect your future with Reba, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± He raged, and his eyes burned with anger. ¡°Do I seem so pathetic to you that you don¡¯t even


    think I¡¯m worthy as the father of our child?¡±


    Taken aback by his words, I croaked, ¡°It¡¯s nothing of that sort. I was only worried that you wanted


    nothing to do with the baby given your rtionship with Reba¡­¡±


    ¡°Therefore, you decided to call the shots on your own?¡± He sneered. I was sure that he would tear me


    into bits if I were not lying in the hospital bed then. ¡°Scarlett, listen up. That is my child, and you better


    bring the child up well.¡±


    This was the first time I witnessed Ashton ever being angry and yet happy at the same time.


    Judging from his reaction, it was clear that I was still pregnant, so I kept my silence.


    Not long after, a doctor in a white coat walked in and exined the situation. He awkwardly looked at


    Ashton and advised, ¡°The first trimester of a pregnancy is a crucial period. You should try to control


    yourself during this time.¡±


    I bit my lips and watched Ashton nod with an uneasy look on his face.


    Luckily, there was nothing wrong with the fetus. The bleeding was only caused by the stress I was


    under recently.


    The doctor gave some advice before he left Ashton and me in silence.


    I knew he was angry and did not want to stay in the hospital any longer. I nced at him. ¡°Ashton, let¡¯s


    go home, okay?¡±


    He gave me a cold hard look. I sighed and exined, ¡°Last night, I did not have dinner, and I¡¯m


    famished now.¡± Pointing to my belly, I gave him a pitiful look, ¡°The baby needs to eat too.¡±


    At first, I expected him to ignore me. However, I did not expect him to stand up and even suggest,


    ¡°What are you craving? I¡¯ll buy it for you!¡±


    Stunned, I cheekily smiled. I supported myself up and tugged on his clothes to reply, ¡°I want to eat


    pork, grilled fish and also the noodles that you always cook !¡±


    In fact, I wanted to trick him so that I could go home. It was unbearable to stay in the hospital for too


    long.


    Studying my expression, he reluctantly agreed. ¡°I¡¯ll settle the discharge papers now.¡±


    Then, he sternly chided, ¡°In the meantime, you should lie down!¡±


    Seeing him exit the ward, I looked at the IV drip. There was not much left, so I pressed the bell for the


    nurse. She came in and took it out.


    ¡°Is there any more medicine for me?¡± I could not wait to go home.


    The nurse replied, ¡°There is no more. Mrs. Fuller, you should lie down and rest.¡±


    It took me by surprise. How did she know I was Mrs. Fuller?


    The nurse packed the medicine bottle and looked at me with some envy. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, your husband is


    very good to you. When you were sent to the operating room earlier, Mr. Fuller did not leave and looked


    very worried. Although he is an adult, he seemed like a helpless child waiting outside the operating


    room.¡±


    I was puzzled, and my mind was buzzing. Ashton was worried for me? Or was he worried about our


    child?


    ¡°A penny for your thoughts?¡± A low voice sounded beside my ear. I looked up and realized that the


    nurse was not there anymore.


    Instead, Ashton came in at some point in time and had a stack of documents in one hand and a bunch


    of medicine in the other.


    ¡°What are those?¡± I lowered my head and looked at the medicine bag. In response, he stretched out his


    hand and helped me up.


    He carried me out of the hospital, but I quickly tried to get down. ¡°Ashton, let go of me. I can walk by


    myself.¡±


    It was so awkward!


    ¡°If you want to go home, then you should listen to me and stop moving!¡±


    That was how I got carried out from the hospital. I was embarrassed.


    After he put me down in the car, he took the driver seat. Taking a look at me, he moved closer to me.

 Chapter 53

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 53


    It took me by surprise as I thought he was going to kiss me.


    Instinctively, I shrank back and stammered, ¡°Ashton, there are people outside¡­¡±


    Far from what I imagined, he took the seatbelt from the other side and strapped me in. He smirked at


    me with his eyes gleaming. ¡°What were you thinking?¡±


    I¡­misunderstood the situation!


    I did not expect him to be reaching for my seatbelt.


    I forced a smile before turning my head to look outside the window.


    Unexpectedly, I felt a warm touch on my fingertips, and the warmth started spreading through my body.


    Surprised, I look down to see Ashton holding my fingertips with one hand while driving with another.


    Sensing my gaze, he brought my hand up to his lips and kissed it. ¡°Apart from pork, grilled fish and


    noodles, is there anything else you want to eat?¡±


    My heart raced. It was rare to share such warm and peaceful moments with him. As my face started to


    flush, I could only think about the warmth that lingered on my fingertips after he kissed them.


    I retracted my hand and voiced out, ¡°I can eat anything!¡± Any food would sound good to me at this


    point.


    His deepughter sounded through the car. Anyone could tell that Ashton was in a good mood today.


    When we arrived back at the vi, Ashton opened the door and helped me out of the car before I could


    even open the door for myself.


    ¡°I can walk on my own!¡± I was not that delicate that I had to be carried in and out of the car.


    ¡°Come here!¡± He demanded. Domineeringly, he picked me up and headed into the vi.


    He ced me on the sofa in the living room, then took out the medicine he brought back from the


    hospital. After taking a closer look at the bottles, he divided them and handed me a few ck pills. He


    ordered, ¡°Eat them!¡±


    Unwilling to eat them, I frowned.


    In response to my reaction, he went to the kitchen and emerged with a white¡­rock candy.


    ¡°After you take your medicine, you can eat this, and it would not be bitter anymore.¡±


    I¡­


    Of course¡­sometimes men can be dumb. These pills weren¡¯t even that bitter, so why would I have to


    eat it with rock candy?


    Taking the ck pills in his hands, I plopped them into my mouth. After I gulped the water to swallow


    them, I returned to the bedroom.


    If I stayed with Ashton any longer, I was worried that I would be clingy towards him.


    At first, I tossed and turned when I was in bed. Yet, I unknowingly fell asleep.


    Perhaps because I slept like a dead log, I did not realize that Ashton joined me in bed.


    The next day, I only woke up when it was way past noon.


    Opening my eyes, I saw Ashton¡¯s handsome face before me. He was so close that I could see the


    pores on his face. I had to admit that he had wless skin.


    His facial features were sharp and attractive, exuding confidence. I could not help but reach my hand


    towards his face and gently caressed his stubble.


    He probably slepttest night and had been going back and forth for business trips recently.


    Therefore, he was still suffering from jetg and fell into a deep sleep.


    I yed with it for a while before my stomach rumbled. Since he was not awake, I wriggled in bed and


    wanted to get up to look for food. Unexpectedly, he lifted his leg and pressed me down.


    Maybe he thought of something and moved his leg.


    ¡°Ashton!¡± Iined and tried to shift his leg away.


    His eyes fluttered open, and in a daze, he looked at me with sleepy eyes. ¡°You¡¯re awake already?¡±


    I nodded and tried to wriggle out of the nket. However, his long arms stretched out and encircled


    me. With a mesmerizing expression on his handsome face, he looked at me with a slight smile. ¡°Don¡¯t


    move.¡±


    I¡­


    Although I usually seemed indifferent, but¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry!¡± I whined with a slightly flushed face.


    He gave a short acknowledgment with his hoarse voice and pulled me closer to him.


    I¡­


    ¡°Ashton, you really are a pervert!¡± I scorned.


    He was doing it again. I almost felt like a masochist for putting up with him time and again. Entering the


    bathroom, I washed my mouth out many times but I could still smell it on my breath.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Following that, he entered the bathroom too and hugged me from behind with a devilish smirk on his


    face.


    I ignored him and squeezed some toothpaste onto my toothbrush. He seemed excited and raised his


    eyebrows as hemented, ¡°You¡¯ll be fine after a few more times.¡±


    Annoyed, I raised my head and gave him a death re. Then, I quickly brushed my teeth and left the


    bathroom.


    Somewhat affected by the pregnancy, when I sat in front of the dressing table, I felt like I had gotten


    even fatter.


    After applying some cream, I put on some light makeup and dragged myself to the closet to look for


    some decent clothes to change into. Meanwhile, Ashton came out from the bathroom and saw my


    changed outfit. Frowning, he demanded, ¡°I want you to change into another outfit!¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± There¡¯s nothing wrong with my clothes! It was summer in J City soon, so it was not ideal


    dressing in long sleeves.


    He walked to my side and scanned the closet. Grabbing a pale pink suit jacket, he passed it to me. ¡°Put


    it on!¡±


    I wanted to rebut, but he gave me a serious look.


    Without a choice, I silently put on the jacket.


    Shortly after, when we were heading downstairs, I heard a crackling sound from the kitchen. It shocked


    me, and for a moment, I thought it was a thief. However, Ashton seemed calm.


    Looking downstairs again, I realized that it was Mrs. Eriksen.


    At the sight of us, Mrs. Eriksen stopped her preparations, and with a smile on her face, she eximed,


    ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Fuller, you are up! Breakfast is ready, you should eat it while it¡¯s hot. Don¡¯t starve


    yourselves!¡±

 Chapter 54

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 54


    With a big grin on her face, Mrs. Eriksen did a thorough clean-up of the vi. I couldn¡¯t help but look at


    Ashton for any indication.


    He did not utter a word but gestured for me to sit down and eat.


    ¡°Ashton, did you get Mrs. Eriksen toe over?¡±


    He waited till he swallowed the food in his mouth before finally saying, ¡°Yes. It¡¯s better that she stays


    here to look after you.¡±


    He was probably right, but I was still worried about Macy. After drinking some soup, I asked tentatively,


    ¡°Ashton, Macy is still detained at the police station. Could you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Finish your meal,¡± he ordered before I could finish my sentence.


    What the¡­


    My morning sickness was getting more serious these days; there was more fooding out from my


    mouth than going in. I already lost all appetite after taking a few bites of food.


    Putting down my fork, I was about to go to the living room and wait for him to finish his food so that I


    could talk to him about Macy.


    However, I had not expected him to smack the table and bark, ¡°Finish your food!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± My brows were pulled together into a frown.


    I couldn¡¯t take in any more food. Besides, I did finish a huge bowl of soup.


    He scowled at me. ¡°Finish the eggs, and we¡¯ll talkter.¡±


    That sounded like there was possibly room for discussion.


    With that, I sat at the table again.


    However, I soon came to realize that I had been too naive. Right after I managed to force down the


    fried eggs, Ashton shoved a slice of cake and a ss of milk in front of me and said, ¡°Have these too.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t take it anymore and barked back at him, ¡°I¡¯m not a pig, you know!¡±


    Ignoring my protest, he continued to order me, ¡°Just eat. It¡¯s nutritious!¡±


    This man could really rile me up to no end. ¡°I¡¯m on the brink of bursting, and I really can¡¯t stuff food


    down my throat anymore,¡± I retorted.


    Despite my pleas, he remained silent and motionless, as though the world was hinging on me finishing


    my food.


    My head was pounding so badly that I had to massage my temples as I tried to gain his sympathy.


    ¡°Please, I really am full. If I stuff anymore food down my throat, it¡¯s just gonnae right back up.


    That¡¯s the worst part.¡±


    ¡°Just eat, and we¡¯ll deal with that when it happens¡±


    Son of a¡­


    ¡°Why are you being such a jacka**!¡± I shot him a deadly look while stuffing the stupid cake into my


    mouth and washing it down with the milk.


    Seeing that his will was obliged, he was pleased with himself, cocking a brow. ¡°I thought you already


    knew that from the beginning.¡±


    I did? Forget it. I need his help to settle something more important.


    ¡°As I was saying, Macy has already been held at the police station for one whole day, so could you¡­¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re worried about her?¡±


    Obviously!


    However, Ashton did not seem concerned at all. He was now sittingfortably on the couch, sipping


    the tea Mrs. Eriksen brought him as though he was on a freaking holiday.


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    The little warmth that I had felt in the morning was now fumesing out of my ears.


    I looked at my watch and realized that it was already one in the afternoon, but Ashton did not seem like


    he was going to the office or the police station. At this rate, I might as well take matters into my own


    hands.


    I went upstairs to get my handbag and was about to head to Hour Bar when Ashton stopped me


    midstride and asked nonchntly, ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°To the police station!¡±


    Frankly, I felt that he had no intention to help me at all.


    He pondered over something for a while before jumping into the driver¡¯s seat of my car. ¡°Come in¡±


    I got into the passenger seat, still oblivious to his n. After a while, I realized he was not driving to the


    police station. Instead, we were on the way to the office.


    ¡°Ashton, you¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with Macy. You¡¯re going to stay in the office and not cause any trouble, okay?¡± That did not


    sound convincing at all, and why was he talking to me like I was a child?


    But it didn¡¯t seem like I had much of a choice, considering that he was the one behind the wheel.


    I took a deep breath and zipped my lips. When we arrived at Fuller Corporation, he dropped me off at


    the lobby and drove away.


    Once I stepped into the office building, I bumped into none other than that jerk, Joe.


    I was not in the greatest of mood and wanted to just ignore his presence.


    ¡°It¡¯s already noon. Did you go for a meeting?¡± Such an annoying person.


    ¡°Mr. Quinn, are you working in the HR department now? If not, why don¡¯t you just mind your own


    business?¡± I shot him a re and retorted calmly while pressing the elevator button.


    Joe seemed equally irritated as he snorted, ¡°Well, I was told that your good friend is currently locked up


    at the police station. And here you are, waltzing in casually at noon as if all¡¯s good. You¡¯re more cold-


    blooded than I thought.¡±


    After being bossed around by Ashton this morning, I had had it up to here, and now he just struck the


    match that kindled my explosion. ¡°Is it because you¡¯ve been such apdog to Reba for so long that


    you forgot how to talk like a human? Your loyalty to Reba is reallymendable, but I can¡¯t help


    but wonder, is it because she ys catch with you all the time or because you get to learn tricks from


    the greatest pretentious snob in the office?¡±


    As I fired away, something suddenly came to mind. ¡°Oh, and there¡¯s something you should know.


    Although Hour Bar is registered under Reba¡¯s name, her assets basically all came from Ashton. If it


    pleases me, I can always hire awyer to repossess them. As Ashton¡¯s legal spouse, I don¡¯t foresee it


    being an issue.¡±

 Chapter 55

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 55


    ¡°You think you¡¯re better than me!¡± He was not prepared for my counterattack and now looked like he


    had swallowed a bitter pill, fumbling for more insults.


    At that moment, the elevator door opened, and I shot him onest dirty look. ¡°I sincerely hope to see


    you upgrade from a second-rated bootlicker to a first-ss minion. See you around!¡±


    Imagining smokesing out of Joe¡¯s ears made me forget about Ashton pissing me off this morning.


    When I stepped into my office, there was already someone waiting for me.


    Stacey quickly walked up to me and said, ¡°Ms. Stovall, Mr. Harrison from Harrison Credit has been


    waiting for you all morning in your office.¡±


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    After nodding in acknowledgment, I told Stacey to fetch me a ss of warm milk.


    Upon entering my office, I saw Nick sittingfortably in my chair with his legs up and eyes closed as


    though he had been resting for a while.


    He heard me walking in but did not bother to open his eyes. ¡°Ms. Stovall, do you alwayse to the


    office whenever it pleases you?¡±


    Ignoring his sarcasm, I set aside my handbag and sat down on the couch. Stacey came over with my


    milk and asked, ¡°Ms. Stovall, do you want me to bring over all the audit reports for Fuller Corporation?¡±


    I shook my head and took a sip of milk before suggesting to Nick, ¡°I suppose you have already


    received the message. Since you¡¯re here, shall we sign the contract right away?¡±


    Nick finally opened his eyes, half squinting them at me while he said, ¡°Does this mean you have


    decided to coborate with us?¡±


    Furrowing my brows, I took a deep breath to ease the numbing ache radiating from my lower back.


    Then I turned to Stacey and asked her to bring the contract over.


    After receiving it, Nick merely nced through the papers without an ounce of seriousness and signed


    the contract on the spot.


    I was only responsible for the signing of the agreement, and the next step would be for Harrison Credit


    to liaise directly with our Finance Department. That part was out of my scope.


    But Nick did not seem like he was ready to leave, so I shot him a questioning look. ¡°Mr. Harrison, is


    there anything else?¡±


    Hearing that, he stood up and walked over to sit next to me. ¡°Let¡¯s have lunch together.¡±


    I really did not have the patience for this brat, so I turned to Stacey. ¡°Go downstairs and get Mr.


    Harrison some takeout.¡±


    Stacey was a little startled but nodded her head nheless and retreated from my office to get his


    lunch.


    Nick was disappointed and tried to protest, ¡°Hey Scarlett, that was a sincere request to have lunch with


    you. Did you have to turn me down like that?¡±


    Feeling annoyed, I gave him a cold re. ¡°Mr. Harrison, in terms of work, my job here is done. As for


    personal rtionships, I¡¯m married, so I¡¯d appreciate it if you could keep your distance.¡±


    Massaging my temples, I walked back to my desk and pulled out HiTech¡¯s file. After settling Fuller


    Corporation¡¯s audit, there were still more HiTech cases to follow up. Just thinking about all these


    pending matters made my headache worse.


    I could not understand what was going through youngsters¡¯ minds these days. Do they not fathom


    social cues at all? I thought I had made myself crystal clear about not wanting to have anything further


    to do with Nick, and yet he was still lingering in my office like a fungal infection.


    Well, he could suit himself. I¡¯d just get started with my work.


    Right then, Stacey returned to the office. cing the takeout in front of Nick, she said politely, ¡°Mr.


    Harrison, your lunch.¡±


    Nick was not amused at all and replied sarcastically, ¡°Well, thank you so much!¡±


    Responding with a faint smile, Stacey walked toward me. ¡°Ms. Stovall, Mr. Lowe from AC Credit has


    come looking for you a few times. Would you like to see him?¡±


    I opened my inbox to check for new emails, but there were none. ¡°Not at the moment, Stacey.¡±


    I knew this woulde back to haunt me. We skipped over the winner of the open tender and gave the


    job to Harrison Credit. As expected, there was no way AC Credit would let this go so easily.


    This was far from over.


    ¡°If you asked me, I¡¯d say go see him. You may be surprised!¡± Nick interrupted while eating his takeout,


    ¡°Ah, I almost forgot to inform you, Harrison Credit will only be responsible for Fuller Corporation¡¯s audit.


    We won¡¯t be dealing with any of your subsidiaries.¡±


    Furrowing my brows, I asked, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    He slowlyid his fork down and looked at me. ¡°You heard me. Correct me if I¡¯m wrong. Fuller


    Corporation went publicst year and merged with Quinn Corporation. So I suppose their finance falls


    under your supervision as well?¡±


    At that point, he was starting to get on my nerve. ¡°You¡¯re saying you will only handle Fuller


    Corporation¡¯s audit but not Quinn Corporation¡¯s?¡±


    He nodded and said, ¡°Fuller Corporation¡¯s financial reports are massive andplicated as it is. If we


    are to include Quinn Corporation¡¯s, we won¡¯t be able to catch up with the release of next quarter¡¯s


    financial statements.¡±


    I was almost hyperventting after listening to his assertion. ¡°That¡¯s nonsense! The twopanies


    were already mergedst year, and they¡¯re now operating under the umbre of Fuller Corporation. If


    yourpany is going to handle the parentpany¡¯s audit, you have to include Quinn Corporation as


    well.¡±


    He smirked and said, ¡°Ms. Stovall, I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    Piece of sh*t!


    I walked right into his freaking trap.


    ¡°Stacey, please escort Mr. Harrison out of my office!¡± I wasn¡¯t sure whether I could stop myself from


    punching his stupid face if he stayed any longer.


    I needed to discuss this with Ashton immediately. This was just the right recipe for chaos.


    Before leaving with the takeout in his hands, Nick turned around and emphasized, ¡°I shall remind you


    that we have just signed a legally binding agreement, so I¡¯d advise you against screwing us over.¡±

 Chapter 56

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 56


    Such an idiot!


    ¡°Get out!¡± My whole body was trembling with anger.


    ¡°Hahaha! Take care, Ms. Stovall.¡± He continued tough on his way out.


    My head was pounding again, and I was very close to losing my sanity. Having two auditors working for


    onepany is just ridiculous!


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, should we get AC Credit to take over the whole job? Mr. Harrison doesn¡¯t seem very


    reliable,¡± Stacey suggested.


    You¡¯re preaching to the choir, sister. But Ashton explicitly said he wanted Nick to handle this job.


    I paused briefly before telling Stacey, ¡°I¡¯ve got to talk to Ashton about this.¡±


    On top of the matter with Macy, now I had a teful of contractual issues to worry about, and my head


    was about to explode. Speaking of whom, Ashton still hadn¡¯t indicated if he was going to help her or


    not.


    I could no longer sit back and do nothing. As I packed up my stuff, I instructed Stacey, ¡°Keep an eye on


    Nick for me. In the meantime, I¡¯ll speak to Ashton about the other matter. Also, see if there is any need


    to go outstation for inspection and put everything in a report for me.¡±


    Stacey was worried about my well-being. ¡°Ms. Stovall, are you sure you¡¯re all right?¡±


    I assured her that I was fine and headed out. Since Ashton took my car, I had to take a cab to the


    police station.


    There was not much progress in Macy¡¯s case, and she was to be held for fifteen days for further


    investigation.


    After arriving at the police station, I managed to talk to the officer who was interrogating Macy


    yesterday. Unfortunately, he just reiterated what I already knew; there was no substantial development.


    Just as Jared had said before, the security cameras in the hotel were broken that night. In other words,


    there was no admissible evidence.


    As such, I was not allowed to see Macy until they concluded their investigation.


    Feeling helpless, I headed over to Hour Bar only to find out that the bar was cordoned off and no one


    was allowed in.


    It was times like this that made me realize the cold hard truth of the invisible caste system that


    governed this society. The wholework wasplicated yet interconnected. It would be nearly


    impossible for me to gather enough evidence to free Macy all by myself.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    I thought Ashton would be at one of these two ces, but I guessed I was wrong about him again. His


    call came in while I was sitting in front of Hour Bar like a deted balloon.


    His background was noisy, but his voice was clear. ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in the office.¡± I dared not tell him where I really was.


    However, I immediately came to regret the lie I just told when his voice became cold and distant. ¡°Since


    when is your office in such a dump?¡±


    Stunned, I looked up to see my own car te six feet away from me, and there it was, the


    unmistakable pair of icy obsidian ck eyes which were staring at me.


    Uh oh¡­


    That exined the noisy background¡­ Oh, I might as well.


    At that thought, I walked over and climbed into the passenger seat. As I leaned back against the seat, I


    puffed out about a gallon of air and asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°That should be my question for you,¡± he retorted, sounding displeased.


    Ignoring his rhetorical question, I closed my eyes and massaged my temples. ¡°Nick from Harrison


    Credit said they are only responsible for Fuller Corporation¡¯s audit. They want nothing to do with Quinn


    Corporation.¡±


    ¡°Let AC Credit handle it,¡± he replied sinctly and started the car.


    I was still confused. ¡°Bothpanies, or just Quinn Corporation?¡±


    Driving past a traffic light, he looked at me and scoffed, ¡°Do you n to breach a contract you just


    signed?¡±


    Ah, I did just sign a contract with Harrison Credit. So it¡¯s only natural that Quinn Corporation¡¯s audit is


    to be handled by AC Credit.


    Right then, my shoulders and back were acting up again. I was trying to getfortable on the seat


    when I realized we were not heading home. ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°Dinner.¡±


    He had always been cold and distant, so I continued to keep my mouth shut. But as he parked the car


    in a shopping mall¡¯s underground car park, I could not help but ask, ¡°We¡¯re having dinner at a shopping


    mall?¡±


    Is he taking me shopping before dinner?


    That¡¯s quite¡­ romantic of him.


    Still not answering any of my questions, we got out of the car and walked into the mall together. I never


    liked walking next to him. He was tall and handsome but detached, just the rightbination that was


    bound to attract unwanted attention.


    Naturally, most of the attention came from women; some were shy and inward, while others stared at


    him openly.


    Marching behind him with my head down, I muttered, ¡°Show off.¡±


    Abruptly, he came to a halt, causing me to bump into his back. ¡°Ouch! Why did you stop all of a


    sudden?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t space out while walking.¡± He then pulled me into a branded store and ordered, ¡°Pick something


    nice. We¡¯re meeting a few people tonight.¡±


    What people?


    I froze momentarily as I knew that fashion was really not one of my strong suits.


    Seeing that I failed to choose something he considered good enough, he instructed a shopping


    assistant toe to my rescue.


    After some time, we finally agreed on a floral dress with a beige zer. I was actually quite satisfied


    with the attire. In fact, it would be perfect if paired with nice heels.

 Chapter 57

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 57


    Unfortunately, Ashton rejected my request to wear heels. In his own words, pregnant women shouldn¡¯t


    wear high heels.


    There was just no winning with him. But 3cm heels are not tall at all!


    It wasn¡¯t until we got back into my car that I realized he took me to the shopping mall just to get an


    outfit.


    ¡°Ashton Fuller!¡± I pouted my lips and protested as he started the car.


    ¡°Yes?¡± This man was a serious driver. He took a quick nce at me before his eyes were back on the


    road.


    ¡°I¡¯m mad at you.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure why I was irritated, but my anger had to be vented. I thought he was


    finally being nice to me and going to take me shopping.


    The man raised his eyebrows, seeming bemused by me. ¡°What are you mad at?¡±


    What am I mad at?


    Err¡­


    I have no idea either!


    I just kept quiet and tried to suppress my frustration. My hand was suddenly enclosed by his. A warm


    feeling channeled from my hand to my heart. A dulcet, pleasant voice flowed out of Ashton¡¯s mouth as


    he spoke, ¡°Being emotional is bad for the baby, so don¡¯t be angry.¡±


    Yeah, right!


    Some sweet moments could reallyst forever. Yearster, memories like this one would be the only


    thing that I could still hold on to.


    Our car stopped in front of avish and elegantly designed vi. I was befuddled. ¡°So when you said


    we¡¯d be meeting a few people, you actually meant we¡¯re visiting someone?¡±


    Ashton gestured for me to get out of the car and handed the car key to the valet parking driver. He then


    leaned into me and whispered in my ear, ¡°Just meeting a few friends.¡±


    Why did he have to make everything so secretive!


    I followed him into the vi and saw a well-dressed middle-aged woman weing us with a broad


    beam across her face. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Ashton.¡±


    Then, the woman turned to me and smiled politely. ¡°And this must be Mrs. Fuller?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Ashton nodded and extended his hand to shake hers. ¡°Good to see you, Ms. Anderson. Sorry that we


    kept you waiting.¡±


    Ms. Anderson? After sizing this woman up, I finally recognized her. She was Nick Harrison¡¯s mother,


    Cameron Anderson!


    I wonder what Ashton had in mind taking me here.


    After we exchanged some pleasantries, Cameron led us upstairs to where the dining hall was. A few


    people were already seated at the table. They appeared to be a few middle-aged men and their wives.


    Cameron got us all seated and arranged for her helper to bring out the food, after which she turned to


    all the guests. ¡°Thank you for being here today. It¡¯s been a long while since we were able to invite


    everyone for a gathering like this. So, let¡¯s all have a good time, and please make yourselves at home.¡±


    ¡°Haha, hold on, Cameron. You have yet to introduce this young couple to us.¡± The voice came from a


    middle-aged, slightly plump man. Although he said that with a smile, his stately demeanor was


    apparent.


    Cameronughed. ¡°What¡¯s the hurry, Mr. Clinton? This is the young and sessful Mr. Fuller whom I


    was always telling you about. Thedy next to him is his wife, Mrs. Fuller.¡±


    The hostess went on to introduce her guests to us one by one. After a round of introduction, it finally


    dawned on me that this was no ordinary dinner gathering. These were all prominent and powerful


    people in politics and business.


    While we were dining, Cameron mentioned some interesting local news she hade acrosstely. I


    wasn¡¯t sure if she did that deliberately, as she was now talking about kyanine and how difficult it was for


    her to source some for medical use. ording to her, it had not been seen on the market for decades.


    Clinton joined in, ¡°Speaking of which, I dide upon a case involving kyanine yesterday. But if you¡¯re


    only after medical use, just a few grams should do.¡±


    Cameron shook her head and quickly added, ¡°That¡¯s the problem, Mr. Clinton. I was just sharing this


    with Mrs. Fuller the other day. Bless her, such a nice girl. She actually got a friend of hers to go looking


    for it. And guess what happened? Her friend¡¯s now being locked up at the police station!¡±


    I was stunned for a few seconds and then realized she was referring to me when she said ¡®Mrs. Fuller.¡¯


    She said we met the other day? And since when were we this close?


    I turned to Ashton to gain some rity, but he was looking at Clinton casually.


    Clinton was a clever person. After all, he did not climb all the way to his position by being insensitive.


    He knew in an instant that Cameron was dropping hints. His weathered eyes, however, were looking


    for my way when he said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you and Cameron are so close. May I know what¡¯s your


    friend¡¯s name so that I can check on this? If it¡¯s indeed a misunderstanding, it¡¯d be unfair to your


    friend.¡±


    I got up and held out my ss of orange juice toward Clinton and thanked him in my sweetest voice


    possible, ¡°Thank you so much for your help, Mr. Clinton. Her name is Macy Markle, about my age. I¡¯m


    pregnant, so I¡¯ll toast you with this orange juice instead. Really appreciate your help.¡±


    Clinton let out a heartyugh and said, ¡°I like your attitude. Cheers!¡±


    Phew, it sounds like Macy would be okay after all.


    As we continued to drink and dine, the guests were more loosened up.

 Chapter 58

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 58


    Clinton and Cameron had had quite a few to drink and were now reminiscing the past.


    The man looked at Cameron and spoke empathetically, ¡°All these years, you¡¯ve been searching for


    your kid. Are you getting any closer to finding her?¡±


    A hint of destion crept over her refined features. ¡°It has been more than twenty years, but there¡¯s not


    a single piece of useful information. I¡¯m not even sure if she¡¯s still alive.¡±


    Clinton sighed and offered his constion, ¡°Don¡¯t give up. I¡¯m sure things will start looking up soon.¡±


    I had eaten quite a bit of food, so when the next dish was served, I felt my stomach churned.


    And so, I left my seat and headed to the toilet.


    Ashton came over to check on me. ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay, just a little nauseated.¡± I only started experiencing morning sickness, so this was considered


    mild.


    When I was well enough to speak, I asked him, ¡°Do you understand what Mr. Clinton and Ms.


    Anderson were talking about just now? I thought she only has a son?¡±


    He then led me out of the toilet and seated me down at a chaise longue in the corridor. cing his big


    hand on my lower belly, the man slowly exined, ¡°Ms. Anderson had another marriage before she


    married Nick¡¯s father. She and her ex-husband had a daughter, but he abandoned the child, and Ms.


    Anderson has been looking for her since then.¡±


    Ashton¡¯s warm palm did not leave my lower belly as he spoke. I had never seen such a gentle


    expression on his face. With a smile, I looked at him and asked, ¡°Ashton, do you really like babies?¡±


    We had been married for two years now. Previously, I was nothing more than a walking wallpaper to


    him. But since he learned that I was carrying his child, his attitude had taken a positive change.


    I had always believed that there were only two types of love between a man and a woman; It was either


    love at first sight or people falling in love with each other gradually over time. But with Ashton, it was


    neither. To him, the only catalyst seemed to be his unborn child.


    He dodged my question and walked me back to the dining table.


    It was a lengthy and drawn-out dinner. By the time we left Pear Garden, it was already past my


    bedtime.


    I soon fell asleep in the car.


    When we arrived at our vi, Ashton carried me to the bedroom without waking me.


    The next morning, I was woken up by my ringing phone, and Ashton was nowhere in sight.


    I looked at my phone and was surprised to see that it was Macy calling.


    ¡°Babe, I¡¯m free! I¡¯m free!¡± Macy¡¯s voice was full of excitement, sounding as though she was panting and


    running.


    Still perplexed, I wanted to double-check with her. ¡°You mean the officers have finished investigating


    the matter and finally decided that you were innocent?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The officer said the traces of kyanine they found in my cupboard was within the legally allowed


    amount of possession for medical use, so they let me go!¡±


    Hearing Macy so ted made me heave a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s great! Try and get some rest now.


    We¡¯re going out to celebrate tonight!¡±


    ¡°Yes! Let¡¯s have barbeque, steak, seafood¡­¡± she rattled off all the food she could think of, and I agreed


    to all of them. ¡°Alright. Go home now and take a nap. I¡¯ll call you when I get off workter.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    My mood was also elevated after hanging up the phone.


    I remembered that when I was little, my teacher was always telling us kids that the world was a just


    ce. Everything we did would fall under only one of two camps, either right or wrong. But over the


    years, I inevitably learned that there was no absolute right or wrong in this world.


    Just as we shouldn¡¯t judge a book by its cover, we couldn¡¯t categorically dere a person as wholly


    good or evil.


    After washing up, I went downstairs to see a feast already prepared by Mrs. Eriksen. She smiled at me


    and said, ¡°Good morning. Come and try a few of these dishes. Let me know which ones you prefer.¡±


    My eyes searched one round for Ashton but to no avail. As I sat at the table, I was astonished by the


    amount of foodid out in front of me. ¡°Mrs. Eriksen, this is too much food.¡±


    Still smiling, Mrs. Eriksen shook her head and said, ¡°Not at all. Mr. Ashton said you ate too little.


    Pregnant women need more food intake.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of whom, do you know where he is?¡± He was nowhere to be found since this morning.


    ¡°He has gone to the office. Someone kept calling him since early morning,¡± Mrs. Eriksen muttered. I


    nodded in acknowledgment while nning my day ahead in my head.


    Given my recent tough luck of always bumping into that good-for-nothing jerk Joe Quinn, I¡¯d better


    make sure I was on time today.


    I was ready to get out after taking just a few bites but was stopped by Mrs. Eriksen, who put some fruits


    in a container and insisted that I bring it with me.


    Knowing she only meant well, I gave in and took it before getting into the car.


    I was d that I did not bump into Joe when I arrived at the office building. Stepping out of the elevator,


    someone grabbed hold of my arm and swung me around.


    The world was still spinning before my eyes when a handnded loudly on my cheek.


    p!Original from N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 59

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 59


    Pin drop silence filled the room instantly.


    Right then, all I felt was the burning sensation in my face.


    After a while, I narrowed my eyes and looked at the woman in front of me. Her face was distorted with


    rage, as if she had a lot of pent-up anger.


    Reba tugged at me and yelled, ¡°Scarlett, you lied to me!¡±


    Did I lie to her?


    Was it about the baby?


    Seeing that she raised her hand again, I immediately grabbed it and scorned in an icy tone, ¡°Ms.


    Larson, don¡¯t you have any self-respect? How can you be so impudent when you are a mistress?


    You¡¯re really shameless!¡±


    The sound of rushing footfalls came from the corridor before she could respond.


    Abruptly, Reba shook my hand off. The sudden loss of bnce caused her to fall and hit her head


    hard on the desk.


    By the time Ashton and Joe hurried in, they saw Reba lying on the ground in a disheveled state with


    blood on her forehead.


    Meanwhile, I remained intact and stood condescendingly in front of Reba.


    D*mn it! What a waste of talent that she didn¡¯t be an actress!


    ¡°Reba, are you all right?¡± Joe immediately helped her up and scolded me, ¡°Scarlett, you¡¯ve gone too


    far!¡±


    Did I?


    I could not be bothered with him and turned toward Ashton, whose face was expressionless at that


    moment. ¡°I didn¡¯t push her. Do you believe me?¡±


    He then looked at the bloodstains on Reba¡¯s forehead and warned me with a cold-eyed stare,


    ¡°Scarlett, know your boundaries!¡±


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Those few words stamped out my trust in him. As I stared at him in disbelief, I let out a chuckle. ¡°I¡¯m so


    naive!¡±


    He had fooled me into believing he was the right one with his change in attitude for the past few days.


    How ridiculous!


    Suppressing my sorrow, I walked toward Reba and sneered in disdain. ¡°Ms. Larson, you need to


    improve your acting skills! Have you seen anyone, not to mention a pregnant woman, capable of


    pushing someone so far away?¡±


    Right after finishing my sentence, I nted a p on her cheek without giving her the chance to


    respond. The p was so hard that my hand hurt as well.


    As Reba covered her face in shock, I gave her a faint smile. ¡°This is payback! Do practice the code


    of ethics for mistresses. Don¡¯t make a joke out of yourself!¡±


    With the turn of events, the atmosphere in the office had be unbearably awkward, and I


    desperately wanted to flee the scene.


    After shooting them onest re, I stomped out of the office. Ashton grabbed my wrist when I passed


    him. Immediately, I retracted my hand from his grasp and said sarcastically, ¡°Mr. Fuller, you¡¯d better


    cheer your sweetheart up!¡±


    Upon leaving the office, I headed straight to Glenwood Apartments but soon recalled that Macy was


    resting at that hour, so I made a detour to the supermarket to buy some groceries.


    As she was away from home for the past few days, some of the groceries had expired and needed to


    be reced. Besides, I had some spare time on my hands.


    Unexpectedly, I bumped into Nick, who was being pestered by a young beauty on the street. It seemed


    like he had offended that girl and got himself into trouble.


    Initially, I had no intention to interfere since I was in a grim mood.


    However, Nick noticed my presence and came over, tugging at me helplessly. ¡°Help me!¡±


    Without waiting for my response, he quickly told that beauty, ¡°Sarah, this is thedy whom I talked


    about. I have admired her for almost ten years. I¡¯m really not interested in you. Could you please stop


    pestering me?¡±


    Sarah looked pitiful after being rejected. ¡°Nick, just because you fancy her doesn¡¯t mean she feels the


    same way about you. Besides, she should have been married at this age. What do you like about her?¡±


    What? Do I look that old?


    I did not want to be involved in their fight, but Nick was holding onto my hand tightly. With a stern


    expression, he exined to Sarah, ¡°During our junior year, you once asked me about the picture of a


    girl in my wallet. Look at her carefully. She¡¯s the one. It¡¯s true that I¡¯ve admired her since ten years


    ago.¡±


    The girl scrutinized me with her big brown eyes for some time before bursting into tears.


    I was starting to get a headache seeing them bickering over such a trivial matter. ¡°Nick, what are you


    doing?¡±


    He gave me a helpless look. ¡°I just want her to give up. It¡¯s really annoying that she won¡¯t stop


    pestering me all these years.¡±


    Give up? This is a waste of time.


    I rolled my eyes at him, then turned around and walked away. Sarah¡¯s crying could still be heard behind


    me. However, Nick ignored her and ran up to me. ¡°Scarlett, I really like you. Besides, I¡¯m rich and


    powerful. Ashton doesn¡¯t have feelings for you, so why don¡¯t you leave him and consider me?¡±


    I was in no mood for his gibberish, so I stopped abruptly and red at him coldly.


    Stunned, he paused in his tracks but soon regained hisposure and asked again, beaming, ¡°Could


    you please consider me?¡±


    I warned him, ¡°I¡¯m not interested in you. Stay away from me!¡±

 Chapter 60

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 60


    Nick was unlucky for bumping into me that day as I was still feeling indignant about the


    misunderstanding that happened earlier.


    I suppressed my anger and headed straight toward the apartment.


    Unbeknownst to me, Nick was trailing behind me the entire time. All of a sudden, he grabbed my hand


    and asked with rage written all over his face, ¡°Are you still treating me like a kid?¡±


    D*mn it! I can¡¯t get rid of him!


    ¡°Yes! You¡¯re really annoying. I¡­ Ahh!¡± Right then, he wrapped his arms around my thighs and threw


    me over his shoulder before I could finish my words.


    ¡°Oh really? This kid will show you what he¡¯s capable of!¡± he growled as he became increasingly


    flustered. After that, he raised his hand and pped my buttocks twice.


    I was rendered speechless.


    Due to my pregnancy and the pressure exerted on my belly by his broad shoulder, I started feeling


    dizzy.


    As he hurried away, I could not bear it anymore and shouted at him, ¡°Nick, put me down! This is


    dangerous because I¡¯m pregnant.¡±


    Hearing that, he came to an abrupt halt and let me down. He then stared at me with intense curiosity.


    ¡°Since when?¡±


    Still feeling dizzy, I looked at him helplessly. ¡°I¡¯m two months pregnant, so keep your antics to yourself


    and stay away from me!¡±


    D*mn it!


    ¡°Is Ashton the baby¡¯s father?¡±


    I tried to hold my anger in and looked at him solemnly. ¡°Of course! I¡¯m his wife. Who else could it be?


    Please leave me alone!¡±


    However, the man lost his temper and blocked me in. He then asked while gazing at me intently, ¡°Does


    he know?¡±


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    Exasperated by his question, I replied, ¡°Duh, he¡¯s the father of the baby.¡±


    He became deted upon hearing that, but I was really upset and exhausted, so I ended the


    conversation and entered the apartment.


    As expected, Macy was sleeping soundly in the bedroom. I supposed she did not get to sleep well in


    the lock-up.


    It had been quite a while since myst visit here, and her ce was in a mess. After cleaning it up, I


    prepared some fruits and swiped my phone in the living room while waiting for Macy to wake up.


    Unexpectedly, I fell asleep as well. When I woke up, I realized that Macy had left a note on the coffee


    table, saying that she went out to buy some stuff.


    It was almost midnight at that time. Thus, I decided to go home since my apartment was just next to


    hers.


    When I got home, it was already eleven at night. At that moment, my phone vibrated a couple of times.


    Its screen disyed a string of unfamiliar numbers, and I did not want to answer the call.


    However, that person kept calling and left me no choice but to answer, ¡°Hello!¡±


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± It sounded like Joe.


    Why is he calling me at this hour?


    ¡°Anything?¡±


    ¡°Ashton didn¡¯t go home, right?¡± He seemed to be gloating as he continued, ¡°You thought that you would


    be treated differently after you got pregnant, didn¡¯t you? Honestly, I really pity you. Your husband is


    sleeping with another woman now while you are left alone at home. Are you upset?¡±


    I pinched my be and replied impatiently, ¡°Mr. Quinn, are you mad because Ashton and Reba


    are having sex and they left you behind? That¡¯s why you¡¯re calling me at this hour to treat me as your


    punching bag, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    After a pause, I continued, ¡°Don¡¯t call me to vent your anger! If you really like Reba, you can


    discuss with Ashton. There might be a possibility that the three of you could¡­¡±


    ¡°Scarlett, screw you¡ª¡± I ended the call before he could finish his sentence.


    It was an awful day with both work and rtionship problemsing my way.


    My apartment measured approximately one hundred square meters. It was not spacious but big


    enough for me to livefortably.


    Feeling irritable after having a bad day, I intended to sleep my worries away. But after taking that short


    nap earlier on, I couldn¡¯t fall asleep anymore, so I turned on myputer to study some data.


    Upon logging into my email ount, I was stunned by that conspicuous email in my inbox. I had almost


    forgotten about it. Harrison Credit was supposed to handle all of Fuller Corporation¡¯s audits. However, I


    had not expected Harrison Credit to set me up. It gave me no choice but to ask John for a copy of AC


    Credit¡¯s internal report over the years. That report was intended to counter the trouble caused by AC


    Credit.


    However, that report became futile as Quinn Corporation¡¯s audit would be handled by AC Credit


    instead of Harrison Credit.


    Hence, I decided to ignore the email. In fact, I wouldn¡¯t even have sought help from John if there was


    an alternative n.


    I felt that I should let bygones be bygones.


    Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Assuming that Macy had returned from grocery shopping, I tried getting to


    my feet but ended up feeling dizzy, possibly due to long hours of sitting.


    Right after opening the door, I bent down to get her a pair of indoor slippers. ¡°You went out for quite


    some time. What did you buy?¡± I was still feeling light-headed.

 Chapter 61

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 61


    I ced a pair of furry slippers at the entrance. As there was no response, I shifted my gaze to the


    door.


    That was when I saw a stern-looking man with an unfathomable gaze at the door, his slender figure


    looming over me.


    I could not help but frown. Why is Ashton here? He should be lying on Reba¡¯s bed now.


    I wanted to close the door, but Ashton stopped me in time. As his face darkened, he demanded, ¡°Who


    are you waiting for?¡±


    He pushed against the door so hard that I couldn¡¯t close it. With that, I gave up and repliednguidly,


    ¡°Who else could I be waiting for in the middle of the night? Of course someone who can ease my


    loneliness.¡±


    He blocked me in after entering. A sharp glint shed across his eyes as he sneered, ¡°Ease your


    loneliness?¡±


    Then he straightened his hip and thrust it at me. ¡°Do you think your loneliness can be eased by this?¡±


    At a loss for words, my face flushed a bright red.


    ¡°Why¡¯re you so quiet?¡± While pressing his body against mine, hended a soft kiss on my forehead.


    Then, things started getting steamy.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go home?¡± He bit my lip and continued in a hoarse voice, ¡°Why are you hiding here?¡±


    ¡°Ashton, let go of me!¡± I had never seen such a brazen guy. He was just doting on Reba earlier on,


    but now he had the audacity toe here and mess around with me.


    He held me close and whispered, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m able to do that now?¡±


    I was dumbfounded.


    Usually, I would have yed along. However, after the previous incident, I could hardly respond


    whenever he touched me.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    He frowned after noticing that I gave no reaction when he was fingering me. Following that, he carried


    me to the shoe cab and ced me on top of it.


    I immediately stopped him when he tried to take my clothes off. ¡°Don¡¯t even bother. I don¡¯t seem to feel


    anything toward you anymore.¡±


    I did not know what precipitated it. Sometimes things might seem fine on the surface, but deep down,


    they were already riddled with holes.


    Furrowing his brows, Ashton stared at me coldly. ¡°No feelings toward me?¡±


    I opened my mouth to speak, but no words could escape from it.


    Abruptly, he grabbed my hand and dragged me to the bathroom. I was then held in ce under the


    showerhead with the icy cold water raining over me.


    ¡°Ashton, why are you doing this? You should get Reba to satisfy your lust. Don¡¯t torture a pregnant


    woman!¡± I almost broke down.


    Since he has always been doting on Reba, why can¡¯t he just look for her and leave me alone?


    The explosion of anger suddenly subsided. Ashton stopped unzipping and became silent for quite a


    while. He then turned the tap off and stepped away from me.


    I averted my eyes from him. With little strength left, I slumped onto the floor after losing his support.


    Perhaps due to consecutive days of sultry weather, a thunderstorm broke all of a sudden, followed by a


    heavy downpour.


    The bathroom was filled with an eerie silence. Initially, I thought Ashton was angry at me, but


    apparently, he was not.


    After regaining hisposure, he tidied himself up before turning to me. ¡°Get some rest!¡±


    After that, he left without saying another word.


    What a temperamental man!


    I was sitting in a daze when Macy entered the bathroom. When she saw my disheveled state, she


    yelled at me, ¡°Scarlett, what have you done to yourself? You must think of the baby no matter what


    happens!¡±


    Following that, Macy took me out of the bathroom and towel-dried my hair while I sat on my bed,


    staring into space.


    After a while, I asked her, ¡°Will a man fall in love with a woman because of their baby?¡±


    Macy paused for a moment and thought about it. ¡°It¡¯s possible. After all, many women tend to fall in


    love with someone due to that reason.¡±


    Indeed, there are many such cases.


    I looked at her in a daze and asked, ¡°What if the baby is gone?¡±


    Shocked by my words, Macy patted me on my shoulder. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind? You are two months


    pregnant now, and the baby has grown substantially. You should deliver the baby. Don¡¯t overthink the


    situation!¡±


    I covered my face in frustration. Recently, I had been feeling flustered and irritable.


    After Macy dried my hair, she brought me to the bed and tucked me in.


    Ashton didn¡¯t turn up again for the rest of the night. Worried that I would be unable to sleep because of


    the thunderstorm, Macy stayed for the night.


    It turned out that she was right, except that I was too irked to sleep instead of scared. Eventually, I


    stayed up until the middle of the night.


    I had barely slept before I was awakened by the buzzing of my phone and realized that it was already


    morning.

 Chapter 62

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 62


    It was a call from Stacey, and she seemed quite anxious. ¡°Ms. Stovall, Harrison Credit has liaised with


    the Finance Department. What about Quinn Corporation?¡±


    I was aware that I might not make the right decisions in my current state. Thus, I instructed her,


    ¡°Contact AC Credit now and hand over Quinn Corporation¡¯s audit to them. You¡¯re taking charge of this


    matter.¡±


    Stacey murmured in acknowledgment before continuing, ¡°Sure, Ms. Stovall. HiTech will operate end of


    this month. You may have to go on a business trip for a few days.¡±


    I nodded as I knew that the business trip was inevitable. After I ended the call, I got up from bed though


    I was ufortable and tired.


    Macy had prepared soup for me. She looked at me awkwardly and said, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry! I seem to have


    lost my touch as I had not cooked for many years.¡±


    After stealing a nce at the burnt soup on the table, I chuckled. ¡°You won¡¯t be so cruel to a pregnant


    woman, will you?¡±


    Her lips curled up into a wry smile. ¡°Try it anyway.¡±


    Judging by the appearance of the burnt soup, I could guess its taste without even trying it. But seeing


    how eager Macy was, I had no choice but to put my life on the line and try some.


    ¡°How¡¯s the taste? Is it nice?¡± She waited expectantly for my answer.


    I could note up with a sincerepliment even after racking my brain. Yet, I did not want to


    discourage her, so Iughed and replied curtly, ¡°You need more practice!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t bear to see her dejected, so I hastily grabbed my bag and left for work.


    However, Macy followed me to the door, refusing to give up. ¡°Come back earlier. I¡¯ll cook something


    delicious.¡±


    What? No!


    Spare my life, please!


    It was still early by the time I arrived at the office. Unfortunately, Joe was in the elevator when I entered


    it. I could not agree more with the saying, ¡°The more you hate someone, the more likely you will run


    into him.¡±


    Joe greeted me with an enigmatic smile. ¡°Good morning, Ms. Stovall! Did Ashton stay with you during


    the thunderstormst night?¡±


    I remained silent while he continued talking in a sarcastic tone, ¡°Reba is afraid of thunder, so


    Ashton will stay with her whenever there is a thunderstorm. I¡¯m sure Ashton didn¡¯t leave her alonest


    night.¡±


    As I looked at the pearls on my shoes, I had a strong urge tough.


    It all makes sense now. Last night, Ashton only snapped out of his frenzy because he was worried that


    Reba wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep if she were alone during the thunderstorm. There was no way he


    would have left his lover alone.


    Joe was right this time, and I had no reason to retort him.


    In a tripartite rtionship, the two who love each other are the actual couple, whereas the other person


    is the third wheel, which is me in this case.


    Joe suddenly nudged me. ¡°Hey! Why are you in a daze? Did you hear what I just said?¡±


    I looked at him calmly and responded, ¡°Yes, I did. They are a perfect match!¡±


    Having said that, I got out of the elevator as the doors opened just in time.


    Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    Joe shouted from the elevator, ¡°Scarlett, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    As soon as I entered the office, Stacey passed me a stack of documents and exined, ¡°Ms. Stovall,


    you need to sign all these papers before the audit. Harrison Credit has already started and should


    complete J City¡¯s audit within these two days, whereas AC Credit will start auditing Quinn Corporation


    today.¡±


    I nodded and signed those documents. ¡°Pay more attention to Fuller Corporation¡¯s audit and inform me


    of any problems. Keep an eye on HiTech as well. We can start when everything is ready.¡±


    She nodded while waiting for me to finish signing those documents.


    However, I started to feel ufortable after looking through some documents. I had been unwell for


    the past few days and to make matters worse, I did not get enough sleepst night.


    Since there were only a few documents left, I told Stacey, ¡°You go ahead! I¡¯ll pass it to you once I¡¯m


    done.¡±


    She replied with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s fine! I can wait. I have to pass these documents to Harrison Credit and


    AC Credit shortly and prepare for the audit.¡±


    It gave me no choice but to finish it as soon as possible. While I was signing the documents, I felt a


    throbbing pain in my temples. Thus, I quickly finished up and handed the documents over to Stacey.


    ¡°Here you go!¡±


    Noticing my condition, she asked out of concern, ¡°Ms. Stovall, are you all right?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine!¡±


    After all, there was nothing much that could be done, even if I told Stacey about my headache. I had


    been suffering from it for quite a while.


    With that, she left with the documents.


    When I was about to call Jared, I received a call from him.


    Before I managed to talk, he asked me, ¡°Are you going on a business trip once Fuller Corporation¡¯s


    audit is settled?¡±


    I answered, ¡°Yep.¡± While rubbing my be, I asked irritably, ¡°I have been suffering from dizziness


    recently. asionally, I even get headaches. Are these normal symptoms during pregnancy?¡±

 Chapter 63

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 63


    Jared paused for a moment before replying, ¡°Mm, you must¡¯ve exerted yourself for the first two months.


    I¡¯ll prescribe some medicine for you. Remember to take them and rest well.¡±


    I mumbled in reply and sprawled on the table unhappily. ¡°If I knew being pregnant is this exhausting, I


    wouldn¡¯t have gotten pregnant in the first ce!¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? I¡¯ll join you on your business trip in a few days. I


    can take care of you.¡±


    Stunned, I asked shyly, ¡°You¡¯reing along just for me? Or¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it. I have something on, too.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll contact you then!¡± I replied, feeling reassured. Jared was a great friend¡ªattentive and


    thorough.


    After hanging up, I remained sprawling on the table, utterly drained out. I was two months pregnant by


    now.


    I thought I¡¯d get a divorce and leave J City after handing off my work. s, life was unexpected. What


    should I do now?


    If Ashton liked our baby, I could stay. I¡¯ve already endured Reba¡¯s existence for two years. With my


    child, things couldn¡¯t get any worse, right?


    Compared to my child not having a father, my worries paled inparison.


    For the next few days, it kept raining buckets. Some areas in J City would be flooded during the rainy


    season. Thepany was kind enough to let us get off work earlier than usual.


    I knew Ashton would be spending his time with Reba as she was afraid of thunder. I didn¡¯t return to


    the vi and remained at Glenwood Apartments with Macy.


    Macy had stopped going to her bar because of the drug incident. She started throwing herself into


    cooking at home. I was d to spend more time with her.


    After I thought it through, I stopped clinging to the hope that Ashton would drop by and visit me.


    However, I¡¯d stare nkly into space sometimes.


    Sometimes, my limbs would go numb if I sat for too long. Jared gave me plenty of medicine and


    reminded me to take them on time, but I¡¯d forget about them. Macy had to remind me every time.


    After a week of torrential rain, it finally cleared up. The sun started showing itself in J City.


    The audit process of Fuller Corporation had begun, and I was busy with HiTech. Macy, on the other


    hand, told me she wanted to travel alone for a few days.


    I knew she was frustrated over being wrongly used of possessing drugs. If Clinton hadn¡¯t helped get


    her out of jail, she would be serving her sentence by now.


    She was frustrated because she couldn¡¯t do anything. Even if we knew Reba was behind this,


    Ashton was protecting her.


    Hence, I could understand why Macy wanted to go on a vacation.


    Since Macy was not around, there was no point for me to stay at Glenwood Apartments. So, I returned


    to the vi. With Mrs. Eriksen there, I wouldn¡¯t be alone.


    After work, I drove back to the vi. Coincidentally, I bumped into Reba at the entrance of the vi.


    She was dressed in a long and flowy blue dress, looking like a Greek goddess beside Ashton¡¯s ck


    Jeep.


    ¡°How gorgeous!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but praise out loud.


    At the same time, my heart broke into a million pieces, releasing the anger and hatred within.


    I should slow down by then, but instead, I floored the elerator, heading straight for Reba. My evil


    side was showing itself.


    As long as Reba was dead, I would not have to endure her and worry whether Ashton would return


    or leave.


    When I sped toward her, I seriously wanted her to die.


    Suddenly, Ashton appeared and stood between the vehicle and Reba. His expression was dark.


    I immediately mmed on the brakes in a daze. For a moment there, I really wanted Reba dead.


    Ashton strode to my vehicle and pulled me down menacingly. ¡°Scarlett, what are you doing?¡±


    I crumbled weakly to the ground. He grabbed and steadied me as anger shed across his gaze.


    Tearfully, I gazed at him. ¡°Ashton, ask her to leave, please.¡±


    Tugging his hand, I pleaded, ¡°Ashton, I love you more than you can imagine. Seeing her here is driving


    me insane. Please ask her to leave, or else, I don¡¯t know what I will do to her.¡±


    Yes, I couldn¡¯t hold back my emotions anymore. I had ripped my heart open, showing him my cruelty,


    selfishness, and everything else within.


    As our gazes met, Ashton pursed his lips as his gaze softened. He reached out and brought me closer


    to him. Pressing his nose against mine, he rasped, ¡°What a fool!¡±Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

 Chapter 64

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 64


    Picking me up, he nced at Mrs. Eriksen, who had rushed out after hearing themotion. ¡°Get a


    cab for Ms. Larson!¡±


    Mrs. Eriksen nodded profusely.


    Reba had just recovered from the shock. She stared at us, her expression pale. ¡°Ash,¡± she


    implored.


    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Go back home!¡± Ashton told her before heading into the vi with me.


    Behind us, I could hear Mrs. Eriksen saying, ¡°Ms. Larson, here¡¯s your cab.¡±


    Back in the bedroom, Ashton ced me on the bed gently. He gazed at me and gave me a light peck.


    ¡°Don¡¯t act recklessly anymore. Otherwise¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t finish his sentence. When his cool lipsnded on my shoulder, leaving his mark there with a


    bite, I frowned slightly but said nothing.


    After pulling up the covers for me, his phone started ringing on the bedside table. I nced at it and


    realized it was Reba.


    Ashton took a nce at it, but he didn¡¯t answer her call.


    After a few missed calls from Reba, she texted him.


    The message read: Ash, please don¡¯t leave me alone. After losing my brother, you¡¯re the only one I


    have.


    I wanted to smile, but there was a lump in my throat stopping me from doing so.


    Ashton saw the text, too. He didn¡¯t reply to it. Instead, he lit up a cigarette and went to the balcony to


    smoke quietly.


    Perhaps I was tired after the earlier incident as I fell asleep soon.


    The thunder was booming loudly when I finally woke up. I thought the sky had cleared, but it was still


    pouring at midnight.


    Previously, I wasn¡¯t afraid as I was with Macy. But that night, the bedroom was empty. The lightning


    shed across the night, and it was terrifying in the dark bedroom.


    I switched on the light and looked around. Ashton was nowhere to be seen. There were a lot of


    cigarette stubs on the balcony.


    As he wasn¡¯t in the bedroom, I walked out barefoot, hoping to see him in his study.


    s, I was too na?ve.


    In the living room downstairs, Reba stood there stubbornly, utterly drenched. Her gaze was fixated


    on Ashton.


    ¡°Go back home!¡± said Ashton in exasperation.


    ¡°No!¡± Reba¡¯s lips curved up in an innocent smile. ¡°You know I¡¯m afraid of thunder.¡±


    She seemed frail and delicate, especially since she was drenched, with her hair in a messy state.


    After a long silence, Ashton gave in. ¡°Go take a shower.¡±


    Reba nodded. ¡°But I don¡¯t have clean clothes to change into,¡± she said.


    ¡°Your clothes, which you brought here earlier, are still in the guest room.¡±


    I stood at the top of the stairs silently and overheard their conversation.


    Reba sauntered into the guest room.


    Back then, George bought this vi because he thought it was spacious. It could amodate if


    Ashton and I had more kids.


    Later on, I realized that day might nevere. I didn¡¯t even know when Reba moved her clothes to


    the guest room.


    How ridiculous!


    ¡°Ah!¡± A shriek sounded from the guest room. It seemed like Reba had slipped.


    Ashton¡¯s brows knitted up as he strode toward the guest room. Suddenly, he stopped midway and


    looked up, meeting my gaze. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡±


    I nodded, feeling a pang in my heart. ¡°She is hurt. You should go check up on her.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett!¡±


    I parted my lips and insisted. ¡°Go!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t get him to love me, but I couldn¡¯t stop him from loving someone else, could I?


    At once, I returned to the bedroom. The rain was sttering noisily on the balcony. I strode out and


    stood there, allowing the rain to soak my body entirely. Slowly, my heart grew numb.


    Falling to my knees, I hugged myself tightly. Burying my head between my knees, my tears streamed


    down uncontrobly.


    Fairytales didn¡¯t exist in the real world.


    No one had the ability to help me, nor was it anyone¡¯s duty. I had to grit my teeth and get over it myself.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if it was because I stood in the rain for too long, but my head felt heavy. The pain in my


    heart had gone numb. My whole body was shivering from the cold.


    Footsteps sounded from the bedroom. Looking up, I saw Ashtoning to a stop beside me.


    He was obviously livid.


    ¡°Is it fun to torture me?¡±


    Stunned, I replied, ¡°Are you happy?¡±


    He scooped me up unhappily. ¡°Scarlett, there are responsibilities which I cannot push away from. Don¡¯t


    torture me using you and our child, alright?¡±


    I lowered my head as tears spilled out. ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to torture you. The heartache was too much for


    me to bear.¡±


    I was dripping wet as he brought me into the bathroom. Turning on the shower, he undressed me


    without a word.

 Chapter 65

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 65


    I sat in the bathtub, staring into space. My head was spinning as a dull ache throbbed ufortably in


    my heart.


    We had seen each other naked many times, so I wasn¡¯t embarrassed at all and allowed him to clean


    me.


    Soon, steam filled the bathroom. My freezing body started to warm up.


    He wrapped me up in a towel and brought me out. After helping me to put on clean pajamas, he began


    drying my hair.


    None of us spoke to each other.


    I closed my eyes and leaned backfortably as exhaustion washed over me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fall asleep. Let me dry your hair first,¡± Ashton spoke. He was no longer furious.


    I remained silent with my eyes shut.


    The sound of the hairdryer whirring rang in my ears abruptly. It felt so warm and unrealistic to me.


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± Ashton called out my name after switching off the hairdryer.


    My eyes snapped open in confusion.


    He pulled me in for a warm hug before saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go down together!¡±


    It was amand that left no room for discussion. Picking me up, he left the bedroom.


    Downstairs, Reba had already showered, her hair half-dried. She was sitting in the living room with


    Joe next to her. Since when did Joe arrive?


    Spotting me in Ashton¡¯s arms, Reba¡¯s gaze shed with jealousy.


    She jolted up and tugged at Ashton without hesitation. ¡°Ash, are you going to abandon me?¡±


    Her eyes were red and puffy, but she was wailing again.


    I looked down and shut my eyes tiredly. Why did Ashton bring me downstairs?


    To see them being intimate?


    ¡°Reba, stop it. Joe will give you a ride home,¡± said Ashton in displeasure.


    Joe had the same idea. He offered, ¡°Reba, I¡¯ll drive you home.¡±


    Reba was on the verge of breaking down as she eximed, ¡°You people think I¡¯m unreasonable,


    don¡¯t you? Now that my brother is dead, all of you despise and abandon me!¡±


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    ¡°Ha!¡± I sneered.


    My sneer triggered Reba. She turned to re at me. ¡°Scarlett, what is so funny about it? Oh, you


    should be gloating now. You¡¯ve got everything you want.¡±


    I was amused. ¡°What did I get?¡± Pausing, I let out a bitter chuckle. ¡°Yes, I got everything I wanted.


    Thanks to you, Ms. Larson, I am stuck in a loveless marriage. I don¡¯t even dare to tell anyone I¡¯m


    pregnant. You can use your deceased brother to destroy another family. I can¡¯t believe how shameless


    you are, being someone else¡¯s mistress proudly!¡±


    ¡°Scarlett, stop spouting nonsense!¡± Reba¡¯s face flushed red angrily.


    I couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with her. ¡°Nonsense? Look, aren¡¯t you acting shamelessly now? This


    house belongs to Ashton and me. It isn¡¯t somewhere for you to show off. Please leave, Ms. Larson!¡±


    Reba¡¯s hands wrung together furiously. She gazed at Ashton. When her gazended on me, it was


    full of hatred.


    I was too exhausted to continue the conversation.


    When I turned to leave, I heard Reba imploring, ¡°Ash¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Ashton dered, ¡°Joe, bring her home!¡±


    I strode upstairs without hesitation. After all, I wasn¡¯t in the mood to hear the rest of their conversation.


    As Iy on the bed, my head and my eyes were throbbing painfully. I immediately made a call to Macy.


    The phone rang for a while before she picked up. ¡°Ms. Stovall, look at the time.¡±


    It seemed like my call had woken her abruptly. I nced at the clock, which showed it was 2 a.m.


    Feeling guilty, I stammered, ¡°M-Macy, I think I¡¯m ill.¡±


    She was taken aback by my words. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re ill? Go to the hospital! Is Ashton with you


    now?¡± she demanded loudly.


    I fell silent as I didn¡¯t know how to exin my illness. It wasn¡¯t something the naked eye could see.


    Sighing, I replied, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I miss you!¡±


    Macy didn¡¯t press on because she was sleepy. ¡°Babe, you can¡¯t sleep?¡±


    I parted my lips, but my voice died in my throat. ¡°Mm, you should sleep. We can talk tomorrow!¡± In the


    end, I ended up saying nothing.


    After hanging up, I curled up in bed. Everything felt dull to me.

 Chapter 66

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 66


    I fell into a deep sleep. Sometime in the middle of the night, the bed dipped. Someone crawled into bed


    and pulled me into his embrace.


    It must be Ashton. I said nothing and went back to bed.


    I couldn¡¯t really sleep well the previous night, perhaps due to all the stress recently. When I arrived at


    thepany, I felt muddled.


    Stacey entered my office with a few documents for me to sign. She poured me a ss of milk. ¡°Ms.


    Stovall, you look pale. Do you need to go to the hospital?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I didn¡¯t sleep wellst night. You should go back to work.¡±


    Indeed, my sleep schedule was horrible recently.


    She gave me a concerned look and left with the files. Before leaving, she told me, ¡°Do you want to see


    Dr. Crest? He¡¯s here today. I saw him in the elevator just now.¡±


    Jared was obsessed with medical research. He was a shareholder in Fuller Corporation, but he rarely


    showed up.


    Ashton must be nning to invest in medical research. That was why he set up a researchboratory


    for Jared in thepany.


    I gave a nod. ¡°Sure!¡±


    My condition was horribletely. I stood up and went to Jared¡¯s office.


    His office was on the same floor as Ashton¡¯s. I didn¡¯t mean to eavesdrop, but the moment I stepped out


    of the elevator, I immediately noticed Reba standing in Ashton¡¯s office.


    She was d in a long and flowy white dress, her signature style. That was why I recognized her at


    once.


    Heading straight to Jared¡¯s office, I knocked on the door.


    ¡°What is it?¡± A deep male voice sounded. It was Ashton.


    I recognized his voice at once.


    ¡°Ash, I thought about it. I¡¯ve decided to neither go abroad nor enter showbiz,¡± dered Reba. She


    didn¡¯t seem delighted at all.


    ¡°Mm!¡±


    He sounded quite uninterested.


    Jared didn¡¯t answer the door. I knocked a few more times. Was he asleep?


    ¡°Joe will be hereter. He¡¯ll give you a ride home,¡± said Ashton coolly.


    His words might¡¯ve upset Reba because she only replied after a long pause. ¡°I¡¯ve given up. Isn¡¯t


    that enough?¡±


    A heavy silence hung in the air before Ashton responded, ¡°Reba, I told you not to make any


    decisions involving me! Scarlett is pregnant. If you insist on staying in J City, I¡¯ll take care of you, but


    that doesn¡¯t include your love life. I have my own family!¡±


    ¡°Your family?¡± Reba shrilled. ¡°What about me? My brother left me in your hands¡­¡±


    ¡°Parker didn¡¯t ask me to marry you. Reba, we have separate lives.¡± Ashton¡¯s reply was cruel.


    ¡°Do you love her?¡± Reba asked in a trembling voice. ¡°You don¡¯t! You think you¡¯re responsible for her


    because she¡¯s pregnant with your child. Ashton, you don¡¯t even know your feelings. What you have for


    Scarlett is a sense of responsibility, not love! Just like how you used to care for me. You felt responsible


    for me, too!¡±


    I heard nothing after her exmation. I thought it was the end of their conversation. As Jared didn¡¯t


    open his door, I was going to leave.


    Before I could do so, Reba¡¯s voice rang out again. ¡°Ash, please let me stay by your side. I don¡¯t


    want anything else. I will listen to you. Please don¡¯t abandon me. I can¡¯t survive without you.¡±


    Her plea was desperate and inferior.


    I lowered my gaze, feeling sorry for her. It was easy to lose oneself in love.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± A male voice questioned. Snapping back to reality, I saw Jared walking out


    of his office tiredly.


    I was astounded. Was he really sleeping?


    ¡°I¡¯m here for you,¡± I replied. Before he could say anything, Reba¡¯s voice rang out again.


    ¡°Ash, I know you don¡¯t love Scarlett. A loveless marriage will ruin you. You have a child, but it won¡¯t


    make you happy. Instead, it will be a gap between you both. You¡¯ll be forever tied to her because


    of the child!¡±


    Jared heard her clearly and raised a brow at me. ¡°Eavesdropping?¡±


    I was speechless.


    ¡°No.¡± Afraid he wouldn¡¯t believe me, I added, ¡°I need your help.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± he responded without looking at me. He was evidently engrossed in the ongoing


    conversation inside Ashton¡¯s office.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel well these days. Can you find out if my child is affected?¡± I asked.


    As he was still eavesdropping, my voice turned louder. ¡°Dr. Crest!¡±


    He shot me a look and gestured for me to continue eavesdropping.


    Meanwhile, Reba was certain she was right. Sobbing, she continued, ¡°You know Scarlett loves you,


    but you don¡¯t love her. After some time, she¡¯ll break down. This is not what a girl wants.¡±

 Chapter 67

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 67


    ¡°Ms. Larson, you¡¯re not me. How would you know that¡¯s not what I want?¡± I couldn¡¯t hold back any


    longer. After all, Jared was listening to them as well. Stepping into Ashton¡¯s office, I shot Reba an


    icy re. ¡°Ms. Larson, even if my husband does not love me, we now have a child together. That


    means we¡¯re a true family. You might be clueless, but not all couples love each other.¡±


    Both Reba and Ashton were shocked at my sudden appearance. She swiftly retorted, ¡°Do you


    seriously think you can make him stay with your child?¡±


    I gave her a nod. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure if I could, but after seeing your reaction, I think I¡¯ve seeded. After all,


    my child and Ie first instead of you, Ms. Larson.¡±


    Ashton¡¯s expression soured at my words. I ignored him and continued, ¡°Of course, you¡¯re shameless


    enough to stay by his side. Perhaps after I¡¯ve given birth, he might be bored at home and want to


    experience something different. By then, you will have the chance to provide him a fresh experience.¡±


    ¡°Pfft!¡± Fits ofughter could be hearding from the entrance. As it turned out, Joe and Nick were


    standing at the door.


    Stifling hisughter, Nick drawled out, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to eavesdrop on your conversation, but


    you were so loud. I couldn¡¯t stop myself fromughing.¡±


    Joe red at me, seemingly enraged. He went to Ashton and handed him a file. ¡°You can have your


    own family, but you shouldn¡¯t have allowed someone like Scarlett to insult her!¡±


    With that, he dragged Reba away.


    I stood in their way and stared at Joe icily. ¡°Mr. Quinn, someone like me? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re selfish, despicable, and heartless!¡± he replied immediately.


    Nodding, I shed a mocking smile. ¡°Thank you for your detailed answer. Then what is the woman you


    fancy like?¡±


    Ignoring their expressions, I added with a grin, ¡°Once a b*tch, forever a b*tch. Ms. Larson might seem


    nice enough to make you forget she¡¯s a homewrecker. But the truth is, she has forced the wife to abort


    her baby and framed someone for possessing drugs. Are her actions forgivable because she looks


    delicate and weak?¡±


    ¡°Scarlett, stop spouting nonsense!¡± Reba blurted out angrily.


    I cocked my eyebrows at her. ¡°Desperate much?¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Ashton finally spoke up. He nced at Joe and ordered him, ¡°Send her back home! Don¡¯t let


    here here again.¡±


    Joe was about to say something, but Jared cut him off. ¡°Joe, when you¡¯re backter,e to my office.


    I have something for your father. It¡¯s for his rheumatism.¡±


    At the same time, Nick looked at Ashton and asked, ¡°Mr. Fuller, are you free now? Let¡¯s talk.¡±


    Joe had nothing else to say. He glowered at me and left with Reba.


    I said to Jared, ¡°I need to talk to you.¡±


    I really did!


    Nodding, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to my office.¡±


    In his office, I sat down and sighed tiredly, ¡°I¡¯ve been suffering from dizzy spells recently. My shoulders


    and spine feel awful.¡±


    He went to his seat and began running checks.


    After a while, he returned with my diagnosis. ¡°Well, it looks like your dizziness is the result of you


    staying upte. You should refrain from doing that and rest earlier. Besides, there are signs of


    depression due to stress. You should lighten up and keep a good mood.¡±


    Resting my chin on my hand, I informed him, ¡°I¡¯m going on a business trip to A City. Is there any


    sleeping pill I can bring along?¡±


    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yes, but they are not good for your baby,¡± he replied. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t rely on them.¡±


    I murmured in assent. If this kept going on, I wasn¡¯t even sure whether I could pull through, let alone


    the baby.


    When I stepped out of Jared¡¯s office, I nearly bumped into Ashton, who seemed terribly upset. I wasn¡¯t


    feeling well, so I couldn¡¯t be bothered to talk to him.


    He grabbed my hand when I brush past him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± he asked in his deep voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m still alive!¡± I pulled away from him in irritation and stepped into the elevator.


    Back at my office, Stacey ced a stack of files on my desk. ¡°Ms. Stovall, these are the reports of


    Fuller Corporation¡¯s audit. Please read through and sign your name.¡±

 Chapter 68

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 68


    I nodded and inquired, ¡°What about AC?¡± The auditing process for Quinn Corporation might take some


    time.


    ¡°Mm! It¡¯s going smoothly.¡±


    I started flipping through the documents. Suddenly, I recalled I was supposed to go on a business trip


    tomorrow. Looking up, I asked, ¡°What time is my flight to A City tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°5 a.m.!¡± After a brief pause, Stacey added, ¡°We n to wrap up things in A City in two days, so we


    should head there as early as possible. A representative from Harrison Credit will alsoe along.¡±


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    ¡°Okay,¡± I replied. ¡°I can go by myself. You should stay here to assist Harrison Credit and AC.¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡±


    The rainy season in J City shrouded the city in the gloom. Yesterday, the sun was up for a few hours


    before it started pouring again.


    At 5 p.m., I finally finished reading the documents. My eyes were dry, so I told Stacey to help me buy


    some eye drops.


    After wrapping up my daily report, it was already 6 p.m.


    My stomach was growling in hunger by now. I switched off myptop and headed downstairs. It was


    time to get off work, so the employees were all exiting the building.


    They greeted me politely as I made my way out. I forced out a smile and scurried out. There was a


    KFC right next to our building, so I entered and ordered a meal for one.


    When I was waiting for my order to be prepared, a few youngdies greeted me shyly, ¡°Ms. Stovall,


    what a coincidence!¡±


    I nodded politely. I racked my brains, but couldn¡¯t remember who the girls were.


    A professional-looking youngdy said, ¡°Ms. Stovall, I¡¯m Isabelle Leek from the Electronic Design


    Department.¡±


    I was startled. Her words reminded me of who they were. As I was in charge of HiTech¡¯s case now, I


    would asionally pop to the Design Department. No wonder they recognized me.


    Fuller Corporation was toorge apany. In J City alone, it had a few thousand employees. We all


    worked in the same building, but we¡¯d only see the same few colleagues every day.


    Smiling faintly, I greeted the youngdies and left with my fried chicken.


    ¡°Izzy, I didn¡¯t know the higher-ups eat fried chicken like us!¡±


    ¡°The higher-ups are human beings too. Why can¡¯t they eat fried chicken?¡±


    ¡°Their annual sry is several times more than ours. I thought they¡¯d eat something better!¡±


    I left the restaurant and didn¡¯t hear the rest of their conversation.


    Men would never be satisfied with what they had. When one was poor, one would work hard to earn


    money. But when one got rich, one would wallow in love.


    After spending the whole day working tirelessly, I entered the car and began chomping on my fried


    chicken. A car honked in my direction, so I wound down the window.


    A ck Maybach was parked right beside my vehicle. The only ck Maybach I knew was parked in


    the vi¡¯s garage.


    Even if my friends were rich enough to afford this car, it was too shy to drive it around daily.


    I couldn¡¯t recall who else had this car, so I thought it was a stranger and wound up my car window.


    Suddenly, the Maybach¡¯s window rolled down, revealing Nick¡¯s cheeky face. ¡°Hey, gorgeous. Wanna


    have dinner together?¡±


    How childish!


    I rolled my eyes at him and showed him my fried chicken. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ve eaten.¡±


    Frowning, he poked his head out. ¡°You¡¯re pregnant. How could you eat this? Is Ashton mistreating


    you?¡±


    I ignored his remark.


    After clearing up the trash, I started the engine and prepared to head home.


    He parked his car right in front of mine, blocking my way out. ¡°Scarlett,e on. Let¡¯s have dinner


    together!¡±


    I was annoyed by him. ¡°I¡¯m full!¡±


    ¡°Then spend some time with me!¡±


    What was his problem?


    As his car stopped in the middle of thene, I wasn¡¯t the only one who got stuck. No one else could


    leave.


    The other cars started honking at him, but he merely gazed at me cheekily.


    I put a hand to my forehead in irritation. ¡°Fine. Lead the way!¡±


    Arching a brow, he announced, ¡°Let me drive you there. You shouldn¡¯t drive as you¡¯re pregnant!¡±


    Damn it!


    I alighted from my car and went to his car, taking the passenger seat. ¡°Will you leave now?¡± I asked


    coolly.


    Grinning, he replied, ¡°Of course. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Young men like him were ostentatious. He was driving a shy car, and instead of keeping a low


    profile, he opened the convertible top in the middle of the city.


    He was seriously childish.


    The wind felt chilly, but I didn¡¯t say anything. He could do whatever he wanted.


    ¡°Scarlett, do you think we¡¯ll show up in the gossip column of J City¡¯s news tomorrow?¡± he yelled over


    the rock music ying on his radio.


    I rolled my eyes and ignored him.


    If we appeared in the gossip column, it would be his fault.


    His car came to a stop in a bustling section of the city. It was somewhere all the young people liked to


    hang out.

 Chapter 69

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 69


    Both he and his car were ostentatious. The moment the car rolled to a stop, youngdies stared and


    tittered while young men took photos of his car enviously.


    ¡°Tacky!¡± Imented and got off his car.


    Looking around, I inquired, ¡°What do you want for dinner?¡±


    He responded with a smirk, ¡°You decide.¡±


    After surveying the avable restaurants, I entered a French restaurant without hesitation. Nick trailed


    behind me and teased, ¡°Scarlett, you¡¯re quite the romantic.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t be bothered to reply. I had chosen this restaurant because I didn¡¯t want to be ogled by others.


    Inside, the server greeted us, ¡°Table for two? We have a couple set today. Would you like to order


    that?¡±


    ¡°Sure, we¡¯ll take that, and a bottle of wine, please.¡± Nick ordered without thinking much.


    I looked at the server and said, ¡°I¡¯d like a ss of fruit juice, please.¡±


    After the server left, Nick grinned at me. ¡°Scarlett, I forgot you can¡¯t drink alcohol.¡±


    He was doing it on purpose!


    I stared at my phone as Ashton had just sent me a text: Where are you?


    What a brief message!


    I didn¡¯t reply and locked my phone. Nick was gazing at me, so I furrowed my brows. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Scarlett, has anyone ever told you that you look like a celebrity?¡± The server was serving our steak


    when Nick asked.


    I thanked the server before answering, ¡°Who?¡±


    Surprised I¡¯d acknowledge him, he straightened his back and replied in all seriousness. ¡°Angelina


    Jolie!¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yes. I used to get that a lot in university.¡±


    My friends used to say that, but after I wore sses, I rarely hear that anymore.


    As I seemed arty with sses, I no longer resembled her.


    ¡°Also, you resemble another person I know,¡± he said in all seriousness. I sliced my steak, thinking he


    was bored and trying to strike up a conversation.


    ¡°Mm!¡± I replied and focused on my steak.


    He didn¡¯t eat his food. Instead, he swirled his wine andmented, ¡°You resemble my mother,


    especially your eyes. Both of you have simr eyes.¡±


    He was annoying me at that point. Stuffing a piece of steak into my mouth, I red at him. ¡°I guess I


    have one of those faces. Someone told me I resembled Reba too!¡±


    George used toment on how much I looked like Reba back then. However, I never felt that


    way. After all, many people had simr brows and eyes. We probably had the same ancestors a few


    centuries ago.


    He pouted and downed his wine. ¡°Why did you transfer away from N University back then?¡±


    I was stunned by his question. It was ages ago. How did he know about this?


    Putting my utensils down, I looked at him. ¡°Were we university mates?¡±


    Raising a brow, he refilled his ss before retorting, ¡°You don¡¯t remember me?¡±


    I shook my head. I only remembered seeing him after taking over Fuller Corporation¡¯s audit. That was


    it.


    He shrugged and said nothing else.


    ¡°Never mind. Just remember me from now on,¡± he concluded.


    We chatted briefly. Throughout the whole exchange, he ate nothing and finished the bottle of wine.


    After emptying the wine, he sprawled on the table and stared at me nkly.


    As it was gettingte, I went to pay the bill. I was afraid I might oversleep tomorrow if I were to sleep


    late tonight.


    Coincidentally, we bumped into Nick¡¯s mother¡ªCameron, and Reba here.


    Bumping into Cameron wasn¡¯t strange, nor was bumping into Reba. But I was surprised to see


    them both together.


    I didn¡¯t think Reba and Cameron knew each other, did they?


    I watched as they linked hands and shopped together happily like mother and daughter from a


    distance.


    After paying the bill, I returned to Nick. His cheeks were flushed, so he must be drunk. ¡°Can you walk?¡±


    I asked.


    ¡°No,¡± he replied petntly.


    Sighing, I took my bag and helped him out of the restaurant.


    A while ago, Nick had entered elegantly. Now, he was exiting the restaurant clumsily.


    I ced him in the passenger seat and started the engine. As his sports car was too low, I couldn¡¯t


    really drivefortably. I was too used to driving my Cadic.


    Luckily, there weren¡¯t many cars on the road. I didn¡¯t get into any mishap.


    I wanted to send him back to Pear Garden. Ashton and I had been there once, but he refused to let me


    send him back there.


    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    It took me some effort before he revealed he was staying at Peakville Estate alone. I was surprised to


    find out he was staying in the same residential area as us.


    ¡°Scarlett, don¡¯t you remember me?¡± Halfway home, he suddenly muttered.


    I shook my head. ¡°Do we know each other?¡±


    He let out a bitter chuckle. ¡°Am I the only one who remembers the mulberry tree in Winona¡¯s yard, the


    flowers on the riverbank, and you with a snotty nose?¡±

 Chapter 70

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 70


    At his words, my mind started wandering how did he know about this¡­


    Soon, we arrived at Peakville Estate. I helped him down when we reached his house. It took a while for


    someone to answer the door, and it was a senior.


    When he saw how drunk Nick was, he eximed, ¡°Oh, Nick. Why are you so drunk? Thank you for


    bringing him home.¡±


    I smiled politely and left Nick with him.


    I wanted to walk back home, but Peakville Estate was arge residential area. Every vi had its own


    compound, so it would take me a long time to reach home.


    Hence, I drove Nick¡¯s car back home.


    It was already midnight when I reached home. As I had to wake up early tomorrow, I parked the car


    downstairs. After that, I prepared to wash up before going to bed.


    s, I saw Ashton waiting outside the door with a flickering cigarette between his fingers.


    Frowning, I wondered why he was suddenly smoking outside.


    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    At the sight of me, he put out his cigarette and red at me. ¡°Where have you been?¡±


    ¡°I had dinner with a friend.¡± I brushed past him and entered the vi.


    He pulled my hand and brought me into his arms. The heavy stench of cigarette smoke burned my


    lungs. ¡°Ashton!¡±


    ¡°Who did you have dinner with? Did you drink wine even though you¡¯re pregnant?¡± he rasped.


    The alcohol stench must be from Nick.


    I felt ufortable in his arms, so I shoved him away. ¡°I didn¡¯t drink any wine!¡±


    All I wanted was to sleep, but Ashton refused to back off. He pulled me to the Maybach and demanded,


    ¡°This is a limited edition model. Scarlett, you¡¯ve found your next target, huh?¡±


    What the f*ck?


    I nearly cursed out loud and pushed him away. At his dejected expression, my anger heightened.


    ¡°Ashton, please don¡¯t judge me with that narrow mindset of yours. I¡¯m not you, who has plenty of


    backups waiting for you.¡±


    With that, I spun on my heels and returned to the bedroom.


    After locking the door, I washed up and went to bed.


    I fell asleep in no time.


    It wasn¡¯t until my phone started ringing incessantly that I got woken up rudely. In a daze, I stared at the


    ceiling nkly when my phone rang again. I was about to answer when the person hung up.


    I wanted to go back to bed. However, it suddenly urred to me that I was supposed to go on a


    business trip. I sat up abruptly as my sleepiness faded away.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± a hoarse voice rang out by my side.


    Stunned, I swiveled around and saw Ashton going back to sleep. His arm was around my waist. How


    did he¡­ Didn¡¯t I lock the door?


    Ah, after he kicked the door open back then, he must have prepared a spare.


    I pried his hand off and took my phone. It had stopped ringing by now. Ashton must have been


    disturbed by it and switched it off.


    After switching it on, a call came in. I answered, ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, our flight is at 5 a.m. Shouldn¡¯t you be prepared to go to the airport by now?¡±


    Hearing Nick¡¯s voice, I frowned as I inquired, ¡°You¡¯re going on the business trip with me?¡± Stacey told


    me about a representative from Harrison Credit would being along with me, but she didn¡¯t specify


    who it was.


    ¡°Mm. Get ready and pick me up. You drove my car awayst night!¡±


    ncing at the clock, I realized it was only 4 a.m. I couldn¡¯t help but admire Nick¡¯s professionalism.


    How could he wake up this early when he was in a drunken state just a few hours ago?


    After hanging up, I packed up hurriedly and left with my luggage.


    When I reached Nick¡¯s house, he was yawning sleepily, his hair a messy nest. Coming to me, he said,


    ¡°I¡¯ll drive.¡±


    There was no way I¡¯d risk letting him drive.


    ¡°I¡¯ll drive!¡± Peakville Estate was nearby the airport. Traffic was smooth, so we reached in less than half


    an hour.


    Luckily, the queue was short. We got our boarding passes in no time and boarded the ne. Once we


    settled in, Nick got a nket and promptly fell asleep.


    It was a three-hour flight from J City to A City, so I had some sleep, too.


    When I woke up, Nick was already freshened up. He told me, ¡°We¡¯ll be heading to the branch office to


    work first. Then, let¡¯s go back to the hotel to get some sleep.¡±


    Those words sounded weirding out from him.


    I didn¡¯t think much and followed him out of the ne in a daze. The branch office sent a car to pick us


    up, so we arrived there shortly.


    As a branchpany, the operating model was more or less the same as Fuller Corporation. Once we


    arrived, the president of the branch office, Howard Wrangler, chatted with us briefly.


    We contacted the Finance Department and other relevant departments for a brief meeting. Then, Nick


    received the relevant documents from them. We left the branch office shortly after.

 Chapter 71

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 71


    I nced at the files in his arms and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to work in their office?¡±


    ¡°Not here,¡± he replied. ¡°I ordered food to be delivered to our room. You can rest after you eat.¡±


    I was startled by his attentiveness. Nevertheless, I gave him a nod.


    Our rooms were booked earlier. The bellboy brought us to our room and said, ¡°Your meal has been


    delivered. If you need anything else, please call the front desk.¡±


    Although we booked two rooms, for our convenience, the lunch was sent to Nick¡¯s room. We thanked


    the bellboy and entered the room.


    We had an early flight and immediately started working upon arrival. I was exhausted and hungry after


    a few hours.


    I ate my share and got up, preparing to leave the room to Nick. He looked at me and said, ¡°You can


    rest here. I¡¯ll leave after a while.¡±


    As he was still eating, I nodded in acknowledgment. The room was a suite, where the living room and


    bedroom were separated.


    I entered the bedroom and switched on the air conditioner. Plopping on the bed, thest thought I had


    before falling asleep was to take a shower after Nick left.


    When I jolted awake again, there was a nket covering my body. I could hear someone flipping


    through files in the living room.


    Stunned, I jumped up and walked out of the room. Nick was sitting on the sofa, flipping through the files


    and typing on hisptop asionally.


    It seemed like he had been dealing with work the entire afternoon.


    It was unhealthy to sleep right after a meal. I sat on the bed for a while with a bloated stomach.


    After a long while, I exited the bedroom. Nick was sprawled on the table, engrossed in a document. He


    didn¡¯t seem to notice I was awakened.


    I poured a cup of water for him. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a break?¡±


    He looked up and nodded, seemingly in a daze. After taking a sip of the water, his gaze cleared.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡±


    I gave him a slight nod. Judging from the report on hisptop, I had to admit he was bold and efficient


    at work.


    He soon finished the report and snapped hisptop shut. Leaning back on the sofa, he massaged his


    temples and shut his eyes. ¡°Mr. Wrangler called earlier. He said he wants to buy you dinnerter,¡± he


    uttered in exhaustion.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I replied. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a nap in the room?¡±


    ncing at his watch, he shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± He paused briefly before adding, ¡°The financial


    report for the branch office isn¡¯t right. I wouldn¡¯t have found out about it if I hadn¡¯t looked closely. I think


    a manager embezzled the funds and made up a project to fool everyone else. A few million were gone.


    Take a look for yourself.¡±


    I opened the ounts and read them carefully. The branch office was operated based on Fuller


    Corporation¡¯s operating model. As it was doing well in A City, Ashton gave the president a lot of power.


    He rarely interfered in the business decisions here. I scanned the ounts and realized a construction


    project that seemed odd. In usual circumstances, a minor construction site ident wouldn¡¯t cost


    millions. Even if they had topensate the injured staff, it wouldn¡¯t cost that much. Obviously,


    someone had ripped us off.


    ¡°I think we need Howard to deal with this,¡± I spoke, looking up at Nick. To my surprise, he was already


    asleep.


    Getting to my feet, I went to the bedroom and got the nket and put it over him.


    We had two hours left until the next schedule. He could get some shut-eye before that. After all, we got


    hometest night.


    I received a call from Macy after I sorted everything out.


    When I answered her call, I could hear she was in a noisy setting. ¡°Scarlett, I¡¯m in A City. Send your


    location to me. I¡¯ll be thereter!¡±


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    ¡°Oh! You¡¯re in A City, too?¡± I questioned in astonishment.


    Didn¡¯t she says she¡¯ll be traveling in H City? Why was she in A City all of a sudden?


    ¡°I saw your post, remember? I immediately booked a ticket to A City when I know you¡¯re here. Send me


    your address. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡±


    I sent my address to Macy after the phone call. There were some unread texts, too. Scrolling down,


    some of them were from Stacey, reporting work stuff. There were also a few texts from Jared.


    I nearly forgot about Jared. He had told me earlier he¡¯d be in A City, too. Hence, I called him at once.


    My call got through almost instantly. ¡°Where are you?¡± Jared asked in his deep voice.


    ¡°You¡¯re in A City, too?¡± What a coincidence!


    ¡°I¡¯ve just arrived. I was about to call you, but you beat me to it. Which hotel are you at?¡± His voice was


    low, but his surroundings were noisy.

 Chapter 72

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 72


    My voice grew louder. ¡°Winthem Hotel on Southfold Street.¡±


    ¡°Okay, see youter!¡±


    I hung up and prepared to take a shower. We were going to dinnerter, so I knew Macy would ask me


    to go shopping with her.


    It was nice to walk around. After all, I hadn¡¯t done that in a while.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    I wanted to return to the other room to take a shower, but I couldn¡¯t find the other room card anywhere.


    Since Nick was asleep, I didn¡¯t wake him up and took a shower right in this room.


    It should be fine. I was not going to shower in front of him, anyway.


    I felt really sticky all over. After taking a shower, I felt so much better.


    I blow-dried my hair, changed into a new outfit, and put on light makeup. When I emerged from the


    bathroom, Nick was talking to someone on the phone.


    ¡°Hello? Who is this?¡± he uttered sleepily.


    The person on the other end of the phone said something, so he replied, ¡°She¡¯s taking a shower. You


    can call herter.¡±


    He ended the conversation with a murmur and hung up.


    Exiting the bathroom, I saw him lounging on the sofazily.


    He yawned after seeing me. ¡°Why are you all dressed up? It¡¯s just dinner.¡±


    I ignored him and noticed he was holding my phone. Recalling the conversation he had earlier, I


    realized he had answered my phone.


    Shocked, I questioned, ¡°Did you answer a call meant for me?¡±


    He nodded and straightened his back. Flinging my phone to me, he replied, ¡°It kept ringing and woke


    me up.¡±


    I caught my phone and went through the call records. Thest call was from Ashton.


    When I tried to call Ashton, his phone was switched off.


    ring at Nick in frustration, I asked, ¡°What did you say to him?¡±


    He rose to his feet casually. ¡°Nothing. Ashton asked me where you are, and I told him you are in the


    shower. Then he asked if I was in the same room with you. I replied in the affirmative, of course.¡±


    Giving me an innocent look, he quipped, ¡°I was telling the truth. I did nothing wrong, did I?¡±


    All I wanted to do was to beat him up. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right,¡± I replied sarcastically.


    His words were very misleading!


    I tried calling again to no avail. But then again, I didn¡¯t think Ashton would be that petty.


    By the time I gave up and pocketed my phone, Nick had juste out of the bathroom. His hair was


    wet. He must¡¯ve washed his face back there.


    Drying his hair with a towel, he said, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go. It¡¯s gettingte.¡±


    As we walked out of the hotel, I texted Macy and Jared. Macy had just arrived at the hotel, so she told


    me she¡¯d take a nap first andeter. Jared informed me he had something on for now.


    I replied to their texts briefly and went to the restaurant Howard had reserved.


    Howard was an efficient man. When Nick and I arrived, the others were already waiting for us.


    In the VIP room, Howard introduced us to everyone and made some small talk.


    The others were all higher-ups from the branch office. Nick chatted with them casually before delving


    into work-rted matters.


    They were conversing pleasantly when I left, but there was a slight change in their tones when I


    returned.


    Nick said to Howard, ¡°Mr. Wrangler, you¡¯re a shareholder of Fuller Corporation. It was listed two years


    ago and doing well currently. If someone embezzles a few million, it won¡¯t affect thepany much.


    But if it happens frequently, one day, it might sink the ship we¡¯re all on.¡±


    Howard was confused. He raised his ss politely. ¡°Mr. Harrison, you¡¯re young and capable. I don¡¯t


    understand what you mean by that.¡±


    ¡°Then read your financial reports closely!¡± Nick raised his ss, too. ¡°Cheers!¡±


    Before I could reply, he had downed his drink. He took my ss and added, ¡°I know you can¡¯t drink. Let


    me drink on your behalf.¡±


    The other higher-ups were scowling at Nick¡¯s words. The manager of the Finance Department spoke,


    ¡°Mr. Harrison, cheers. Thank you for auditing the branch office personally.¡±


    The other higher-ups came to toast with Nick one after another, and soon enough, Nick got drunk.


    At the end of dinner, I struggled to bring Nick into a cab. I had a splitting headache by then. Why was


    he so fond of drinking when he was not good at it?


    Macy¡¯s call arrived. When I answered, she asked cheerily, ¡°Where are you? Come, let¡¯s go shopping.¡±


    I looked at the unconscious drunkard beside me and sighed, ¡°I have to take care of a drunkard. Can¡¯t


    come now.¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Macy cursed. ¡°This is no fun.¡±


    Staring at Nick, I resisted the urge to pinch him as I replied, ¡°I¡¯ll still be here tomorrow. If possible, I¡¯ll


    finish work in the morning. We can go shopping after that!¡±

 Chapter 73

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 73


    ¡°Fine. Tomorrow, then!¡± Macy replied and hung up at once.


    Our cab rolled to a stop in front of the hotel. I paid the fare and got out with Nick. ncing at the stairs


    in front of us, I couldn¡¯t help but sigh in exasperation.


    What a strange five-star hotel¡­ Was there a need to build these stairs right at the entrance?


    Comining silently, I helped Nick up the stairs slowly. Luckily, it wasn¡¯t tiring at all as I was wearing


    ts.


    Halfway there, my phone started ringing. I put a hand into my bag to grab it, but Nick¡¯s hand snaked


    around my waist.


    I instinctively shoved him away. s, I forgot we were climbing the stairs.


    Nick promptly tumbled down the stairs.


    I froze in my tracks, utterly dumbfounded. It wasn¡¯t until the security came to help him up that I snapped


    back to my senses. ¡°Hurry, send him to the hospital!¡±


    Hopefully, he did not hurt himself¡­


    With the security¡¯s help, Nick and I arrived at the hospital smoothly. After running the necessary


    checks, the doctor confirmed Nick had only sustained injuries to his head. He had to be hospitalized for


    a few days.


    After all the hassle, Nick was still unconscious. The doctor couldn¡¯t be sure what went wrong, so he told


    me he¡¯d be back tomorrow morning when Nick regained consciousness.


    Nick¡¯s wound had been bandaged. The doctor said someone had to stay with him, so I remained there.


    When Macy called again, it was dawn. I was nodding off on the bench outside Nick¡¯s ward.


    ¡°Scarlett, let¡¯s go shopping!¡± Macy dered once I picked up. I knew at once she was tipsy.


    It was already dawn, so I yawned and sat up. ¡°Macy, where are you?¡±


    Did she drink alone again?


    ¡°Southvale Avenue. Come, let¡¯s go shopping together!¡± she announced drunkenly.


    I couldn¡¯t help but worry as she was drinking alone in a foreign city. As Nick was still hooked on an IV


    drip, I couldn¡¯t leave right now.


    I thought about it and consoled Macy over the phone. After cutting the line, I called Jared.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Jared answered sleepily. I seemed to have woken him up from his sleep.


    Feeling apologetic, I inquired, ¡°Dr. Crest, can you do me a favor? My friend is on Southvale Avenue. I


    think she¡¯s intoxicated. Can you help me pick her up? I¡¯m currently busy.¡±


    After a brief pause, Jared responded, ¡°Sure. Send me her number. I¡¯ll be there in a while.¡±


    Sighing in relief, I proceeded to thank him profusely. I immediately sent Macy¡¯s phone number to him.


    After all the hassle, I made myselffortable on the bench and fell asleep promptly.


    The next day, when Nick woke up, he asked me, ¡°Why am I in the hospital?¡±


    I smiled awkwardly. ¡°You drank too muchst night and fell down the stairs. I brought you to the


    hospital after that.¡±


    Frowning, he asked, ¡°I fell down myself?¡±


    I nodded guiltily.


    Suddenly, he broke into a grin. ¡°Scarlett, I remembered it was you who shoved me down the stairs.


    Why are you feeling guilty, huh?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t talk back to him. ¡°Why did you get drunk in the first ce?¡± ring at him, I added, ¡°Use your


    brain. If you¡¯re fine, we can go back now.¡±


    Our business trip was a short one to begin with. As he was in the hospital, our work had to be dyed.


    The doctor examined again and announced he was fine. He could leave right after changing the


    dressing. After his discharge, he shamelessly insisted I had to take responsibility for what I¡¯ve done to


    him.


    I had no time for his antics. We went to the office and showed Howard the evidence about the


    embezzlement.


    Howard was shocked to hear the news. He hastily ordered a thorough investigation of the Finance


    Department and other relevant departments.


    It wasn¡¯t a huge issue. After Nick prepared the final statement, I scanned through the overall operation


    of the branch office and listened to some reports. As there were no other problems, we ended our


    business trip.


    We were supposed to go back to J City, but Nick insisted we should eat something good before


    returning. So, we ended up at the biggest food hall in A City.


    I called Macy to invite her out. She only picked up after several rings. ¡°Hello?¡± she uttered sleepily.


    How could she still be asleep at this hour? ¡°Are you awake? Wake up. I¡¯m at the food hall now!¡±


    ¡°Mm!¡± Macy replied. ¡°You go ahead. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡±


    I was about to hang up when a man spoke, ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡±


    Damn it!


    Did she get herself a manst night? I thought she was wasted!


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    ¡°Ms. Markle, pray tell. What¡¯s going on?¡± I couldn¡¯t stop myself from asking.

 Chapter 74

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 74


    ¡°Uh, bye. Talk to youter!¡± Macy cut the line abruptly.


    Huh? What was going on?


    Didn¡¯t I ask Jared to send her backst night? I couldn¡¯t believe she found herself a one-night stand in


    that circumstance!


    Wait, was that Jared?


    I proceeded to call Jared next. The phone rang for quite some time before someone picked up.


    ¡°Scarlett,¡± he answered in a clear voice. It didn¡¯t seem like he was asleep, so I asked, ¡°What are you


    doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m driving. What¡¯s wrong?¡± he replied.


    Well, it looked like he wasn¡¯t with Macy.


    Chuckling, I told him, ¡°I¡¯m done with work. Are you free this afternoon? Let¡¯s have lunch together.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± he agreed without hesitation.


    When I hung up, Nick was looking at me, amused. ¡°Scarlett, seriously?¡±


    I shot him a puzzled look. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    He sighed, ¡°Is it that bad to spend some time alone with me? You keep calling your friends and inviting


    them here!¡±


    Ugh, how childish! I ignored his outburst and gazed at the bustling city. ¡°A City is developing swiftly.¡±


    Gazing at International Trade Center located right in the bustling area, I told Nick, ¡°This is a tall


    building!¡±


    He knew I was trying to change the topic and huffed, ¡°Fuller Corporation¡¯s building is taller than this.


    Plus, it houses differentpanies inside.¡±


    ¡°Oh? You seem to know it well.¡± I grew curious.


    ¡°Mm.¡± He grunted and added, ¡°My mom bought this building with another techpany¡¯s owner. She


    has apany inside.¡±


    So this building was owned by Cameron. I couldn¡¯t help but admire this capable woman. She was both


    wealthy and pretty.


    I recalled her saying she had another daughter when we were in Pear Garden. ¡°You have a sister?¡± I


    asked Nick curiously.


    Nick seemed to hate this topic as his expression soured. ¡°That¡¯s her daughter. It has nothing to do with


    me!¡±


    I stopped talking about it at once. Looking around, I noticed a store selling cream puffs on the first floor


    of International Trade Center. Suddenly, I had a craving for it.


    Turning to Nick, I suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t you wait for Jared and Macy in the mall? I¡¯m going to buy


    something.¡±


    I ran toward the cream puff store right after that. Both Macy and I loved eating cream puffs. We had


    simr tastes in food.


    After I ordered a few cream puffs, I stared into space nkly. My childhood memory was fuzzy by then,


    but I remembered how I loved eating cold and sweet stuff.


    ¡°Two iced cream puffs, please!¡± Suddenly, a deep male voice rang in my ear. It was so familiar and


    brought back some memories of the past.


    If the store owner hadn¡¯t hummed in acknowledgement, I would¡¯ve thought I was dreaming.


    My reflexes always got the better of me. I didn¡¯t know when it started, but John had always terrified me.


    Once I sensed his presence, my skin would crawl.


    The sun was shining brightly, but a chill was running down my spine, seeping into my veins. I started


    panting and trembling in fear.


    Behind me, a man greeted me icily, ¡°Letty, long time no see!¡±


    My body stiffened as I panted with difficulty. The cream puff store owner handed me my order, but I


    couldn¡¯t bring myself to take it.


    The man¡¯s hand reached out and took it. He pulled my hand naturally and ced the box in my hand.


    ¡°Letty, your reaction is really upsetting me,¡± he uttered menacingly.


    It took me some time to calm down. I stepped away from him and choked out, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You got the


    wrong person!¡±


    With that, I fled the scene as fast as possible.


    It had been five years since Ist met John. He had once said he wouldn¡¯te looking for me on his


    own. However, our next meeting would be the beginning of his new scheme.


    I thought I wouldn¡¯t see him again after he left J City. After all, the world was huge.


    Never in a million years did I think we¡¯d see each other again in A City.


    After escaping from John, I found Nick and Macy together. I stuffed the ruined cream puffs in her hands


    and pleaded in a trembling voice, ¡°Macy, we need to return to J City now. Right now!¡±


    Sensing my panic, Macy returned anxiously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°John Stovall. I saw him here!¡± I mumbled fearfully.


    Macy slumped into her chair in shock. It took her some time to process that piece of information. ¡°Let¡¯s


    head back to J City now!¡± she urged.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Nick didn¡¯t know what was going on. His brows knitted together as he asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    Macy took my hand, ready to leave. Nick tugged at my other hand in confusion. ¡°Wait, what¡¯s going


    on?¡±

 Chapter 75

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 75


    ¡°Stop dilly-dallying. We¡¯ll exin back in J City!¡± Macy pried his hands off before we left the mall. We


    hailed a cab back to the hotel, packed up, and rushed to the airport at once.


    Macy and I held hands tightly during the three-hour journey back to J City.


    After getting off the ne, we took a cab back to Glenwood Apartments. Back there, she proceeded to


    lock all the doors and windows before copsing in a corner dejectedly.


    A heavy silence hung in the air. Finally, she met my gaze, her eyes red-rimmed. ¡°Scarlett, what should


    we do?¡±


    I shook my head. The fear still lingered within me, and I was at my wit¡¯s end.


    ¡°He might not know we¡¯re in J City. We might be safe here,¡± she continued. The next minute, she shook


    her head and wept. ¡°We can¡¯t hide from him. He¡¯s an IT expert. It¡¯s easy for him to find us!¡±


    I stared at her wordlessly.


    We both knew John wouldn¡¯t let us off the hook easily this time. Back then, Macy and I had barely


    escaped from his clutches. If the same thing were to happen again, I wouldn¡¯t have the courage to save


    myself.


    ¡°Get Ashton¡¯s help!¡± Suddenly, Macy blurted out. ¡°Scarlett, go to Ashton. He¡¯s capable enough to


    protect you. Plus, you¡¯re pregnant with his child. If you tell him everything, he¡¯ll make sure John stays


    away from you.¡±


    Macy grew increasingly excited and took my hand to leave her house.


    I stopped her, my heart sinking. ¡°Macy, calm down first. Let¡¯s think of something after we calm down,


    alright?¡±


    Macy shook her head and bit her lip fearfully. In the end, she burst out in tears and wrapped her arms


    around me tightly. ¡°How can I calm down? Huh? I¡¯ve already forgotten about the nightmares after five


    long years. Why did he show up? Why?¡±


    With Macy in my embrace, my heart was aching in sorrow. I had the same thought, too¡ªwe wouldn¡¯t


    meet him again, ever.


    That night, Macy and I barely slept through the night. We kept jolting awake from the horrible


    nightmares.


    Macy finally fell asleep at dawn. I couldn¡¯t sleep, so I returned to the vi when the sun came up.


    Macy was right. Ashton might be of help.


    Nevertheless, I didn¡¯t expect to be locked out of the vi. Previously, Ashton and I recorded our


    fingerprints so both of us could unlock the door at Peakville Estate.


    This time, I tried a few times but failed to unlock the door. It took me a while to realize the lock had


    been changed.


    I tried to call Ashton, but his line was busy. Obviously, he had blocked my number.


    I didn¡¯t know what was going on, so I went to thepany instead. It was still early, so the building was


    practically empty.


    The executives in the Finance Department used to wee me warmly, but today they kept whispering


    behind my back.


    My brows snapped together. I didn¡¯t know what was going on, so I entered my office first. Stacey hadn¡¯t


    arrived yet.


    I browsed through the files on my desk and signed every document that needed my signature. An hour


    later, Stacey arrived. She was taken aback when she saw me at my desk. Nevertheless, she greeted


    me with a polite smile.


    Something was amiss. She took the files I signed and was about to leave.


    Sensing her hesitation, I asked, ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    Her expression turned awkward. ¡°Ms. Stovall, are you seriously going out with Mr. Harrison?¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what she was talking about. ¡°Which Mr. Harrison?¡±


    ¡°Nick Harrison!¡± She looked at me curiously. ¡°The news about you and Mr. Harrison had been


    circting around for days. Last night, someone exposed a video of you entering the same hotel room


    with Mr. Harrison at A City. But Ms. Stovall, you¡¯ve just suffered from a miscarriage. Plus, you¡¯re still


    married to Mr. Fuller. Why did you¡­¡± she trailed off.


    I was still confused. ¡°What happened these few days?¡±


    She took out her phone and showed me the front page news.


    I read carefully through the news. It started two days ago when Nick brought me to the city center for


    dinner in his shy Maybach. Netizens started making up stories that got more malicious. In the end, I


    became a slut.


    After reading the article, my head began throbbing in pain. So that was why those people from the


    Finance Department were staring at me strangely.


    Was that why Ashton changed the lock of the vi and blocked my number?


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    When I recalled how Nick answered the call from him at the hotel, my headache intensified.


    Why did everythinge down on me, all at once?


    My phone started buzzing. Seeing I was busy, Stacey left with the files.


    I nced at the caller ID. It was Nick. Feeling annoyed, I answered his call. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Did you see the headlines?¡± he asked casually.


    ¡°Mm,¡± I mumbled in response. ¡°Yes, I did.¡±

 Chapter 76

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 76


    ¡°It¡¯s my mom¡¯s birthday tomorrow night. Wannae along?¡± he asked. It seemed like our scandal


    meant nothing to him at all.


    I massaged my temples, which were throbbing dully. ¡°I¡¯m not free. You should refute the rumor soon.¡±


    Ashton was the only person I could ask for help to keep John away from us.


    But right then, the rumor about Nick and me was a problem.


    He fell silent for a moment before answering, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of that.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said tiredly. ¡°Stop causing any more trouble!¡±


    I didn¡¯t know when John woulde to J City. If Ashton got upset at me over the scandal and the


    nightmare from five years ago happened again, I¡¯m afraid I couldn¡¯t survive any longer.


    Staying alive was the most important thing for me then.


    After hanging up, I ced my phone aside before deciding to go to Ashton¡¯s office.


    This time, his office was quiet. Joseph wasn¡¯t even there.


    As the cking sounds of the keyboard sounded from his office, I came to a stop outside and knocked


    on the door.


    ¡°Come in!¡± the man¡¯s irresistible voice rang out.


    I hesitated for a while before pushing the door open. When I came closer to him, my heart started


    thumping furiously.


    He was still typing furiously on his keyboard.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    I stood in front of his desk silently, watching him deal with work. Indeed, he looked hot when he was


    focusing on work.


    ¡°Put it down. I¡¯ll sign itter.¡± As he was too focused, he didn¡¯t realize it was me and ordered without


    looking up.


    I remained standing without a word.


    After a long while, he frowned and stopped typing. When he looked up and saw me, his expression


    darkened.


    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked icily.


    ¡°Ashton, we need to talk.¡± I had to exin to him about my so-called scandal with Nick.


    He leaned back in his chair and arched a brow sarcastically. ¡°Ms. Stovall, you need to talk about work?¡±


    he inquired in a tone dripping with disdain.


    He soundedpletely distant.


    I pursed my lips and wrung my hands together tightly. ¡°Ashton, I can exin the rumor about Nick and


    me.¡±


    ¡°You slept with him?¡± He raised a brow and inquired coolly.


    I didn¡¯t quite understand it at first, but it quickly dawned on me what he was insinuating. ¡°No!¡± I


    dered, my face was ashen.


    ¡°Ha!¡± he sneered loudly. ¡°Scarlett, do you think I¡¯ll trust you?¡± he taunted.


    ¡°Ashton, at least give me a chance to exin, alright?¡± As both Nick and I didn¡¯t exin the rumors, the


    matter had worsened by now.


    Seemingly impatient, he pinched his forehead and looked at me. ¡°Ms. Stovall, you¡¯re getting paid


    handsomely to work in Fuller Corporation. Please do not waste your time discussing your private affairs


    with your employer.¡±


    ¡°Ash¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ms. Stovall,¡± he interrupted. ¡°You should know that this isn¡¯t the appropriate time to talk about this.¡±


    I parted my lips to retort, but Joseph was walking toward us. He shot me a polite smile. ¡°Ms. Stovall,


    Mr. Fuller is busy.¡±


    He was asking me to leave.


    I gazed at Ashton, who obviously didn¡¯t want to continue this conversation.


    Ignoring Joseph¡¯s words, I asked, ¡°Mr. Fuller, when are you free, then? We really need to talk.¡±


    He said nothing, but his expression grew thunderous.


    Joseph immediately spoke, ¡°Ms. Stovall, if there¡¯s nothing else, please leave at once!¡±


    I knew he wouldn¡¯t listen to me today, so I left his office. On my way out, I bumped into Jared.


    He was holding some stuff in his hands. When he saw meing out of Ashton¡¯s office, he


    questioned, ¡°Did you have a fight?¡±


    I nodded in response.


    Ashton had always been bad-tempered over the years. We might be a married couple, but I didn¡¯t even


    know why he was mad this time.


    ¡°Here, your medicine. Remember to take them regrly back home.¡± Jared handed me a package. He


    nced at Ashton¡¯s office before telling me, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about the scandal. You should exin to him.¡±


    He returned to his office while I went back to mine.


    When it was finally time to get off work, I grabbed my bag and headed to the parking lot to wait for


    Ashton.


    I spotted his ck Jeep and stood beside it. It was my problem, so I had to exin everything to him


    clearly.


    However, Ashton still hadn¡¯t shown himself after an hour. The parking lot was practically empty by now.


    I thought he was working overtime.


    To my utter surprise, Joseph showed up.

 Chapter 77

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 77


    Joseph was taken aback when he saw me. ¡°Ms. Stovall, what are you doing here?¡± he questioned


    politely.


    ¡°Where is Ashton?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°He left with Mr. Quinn,¡± Joseph replied as he took out the keys from his briefcase.


    I parted my lips in disbelief.


    In the end, I shot him a smile. ¡°Goodbye, then.¡±


    Seriously, Ashton?


    I drove back to the vi in a hurry. When I arrived, I pressed on the doorbell a few times before Mrs.


    Eriksen opened the door. Wiping her hands, she grinned. ¡°You¡¯re back!¡± She motioned for me to look


    inside.


    I stepped inside and saw the man sitting on the sofa, reading the newspaper.


    After changing into house slippers, Mrs. Eriksen went back into the kitchen. I sat down beside Ashton


    and waited patiently for him to finish reading the papers.


    Ashton finally finished after some time. I gave him the fruit juice Mrs. Eriksen prepared. ¡°Ashton, can


    we talk now?¡± I inquired.


    He nced at the fruit juice but didn¡¯t take it. ¡°Ms. Stovall, what position are you assuming to talk to


    me?¡±


    As he was so calm, I didn¡¯t know what was going on in his mind.


    I spoke after a brief pause, ¡°Ashton, before we are officially divorced, I¡¯m still Mrs. Fuller.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± he sneered. ¡°So you are aware that you¡¯re still Mrs. Fuller.¡±


    I knew he was upset over the scandal, so I cajoled him in a gentle voice, ¡°Nothing ever happened


    between Nick and me. The paparazzi made those stories up. Ashton, you know me well. I won¡¯t do


    that.¡±


    ¡°So?¡± He rose to his feet. ¡°Scarlett, do you seriously think you can do whatever you please as you¡¯re


    pregnant!¡±


    His mockery was unbearable. Despite knowing Nick and I were innocent, he still acted this way just


    because he was livid at me.


    Feeling a little aggrieved, I raised my voice at his figure. ¡°I do whatever I please? What about you and


    Reba? Did you forget what you did to hurt me?¡±


    As he stopped in his tracks, I continued, ¡°If Reba hadn¡¯t suffered from a miscarriage, I wouldn¡¯t


    even be here. She¡¯d be your wife by now.¡±


    He glowered at me angrily. After a few exchanges, I wasn¡¯t as afraid of him anymore. Before he could


    reply, tears rolled down my cheeks.


    ¡°Why are you ring at me? Isn¡¯t that the truth? I¡¯m your wife. Do I deserve to be treated this way just


    because I love you? Spending my days waiting for you in this empty house?¡±


    As I was sobbing profusely, he frowned and came to me. ¡°You feel aggrieved?¡±


    He reached out to wipe my tears away, but I stepped back out of his reach. ¡°Why can¡¯t I feel that way?


    Ashton, someone cooked up that scandal. You knew it well, but you changed the lock and even


    blocked my number.¡±


    I was studying his expression carefully. When his face softened, I added, ¡°Are you chasing me out of


    the Fuller family? using me of cheating on you? You don¡¯t mind me marrying another man, do you?


    You are fine with your child calling another man his father?¡±


    His expression soured. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare.¡±


    I bit my lip and insisted. ¡°You¡¯re leaving me with no other choice! Fine, as long as you don¡¯t regret your


    decision.¡±


    With that, I spun on my heels and headed out. I had done everything that I could. If he refused to


    relent, I couldn¡¯t force him, could I?


    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    Suddenly, he grabbed my wrist and implored in a low voice, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you have dinner before you


    leave?¡±


    The anger in his voice had faded away. Mrs. Eriksen beamed and announced, ¡°Dinner is ready. Come,


    eat up!¡±


    Ashton brought me to the dining table andid down my utensils. He then started eating politely.


    The Fullers never talked when they ate.


    Mrs. Eriksen served me my soup. ¡°You are in your first trimester, right? Have you gone for your check-


    up yet? Don¡¯t get worked up too often. I¡¯m only nagging you for your own good. Trust me¡ªI¡¯ve been


    there.¡±


    I nodded and sipped on my soup, listening to her attentively.


    ncing at Ashton, I noticed he was enjoying his meal quietly and calmly.


    After dinner, Mrs. Eriksen asked in concern, ¡°Letty, are you getting cramps in your legs recently?¡±

 Chapter 78

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 78


    Stunned, I was about to shake my head when Mrs. Erikson winked at me. She continued, ¡°Having


    cramps suck. You can¡¯t exert yourself during the first three months. Otherwise, you might risk having a


    miscarriage.¡±


    Ashton was about to head upstairs to work, but Mrs. Eriksen called out, ¡°Mr. Ashton, it¡¯s painful to have


    cramps. You should give her a massageter. I bought some essential oil earlier. It¡¯s in your bedroom.¡±


    I must admit Mrs. Eriksen was doing a good job as a wingman.


    Ashton put his files down and gazed at me. ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    I btedly realized he was asking if the cramps hurt.


    Mrs. Eriksen was nodding profusely at me, so I nodded and forced out a smile. ¡°Yes!¡±


    Frowning, Ashton uttered, ¡°Come on!¡±


    As he went straight to the bedroom, I stared at Mrs. Eriksen. ¡°Mrs. Eriksen, I don¡¯t have cramps.¡±


    I had other symptoms, but having cramps wasn¡¯t one of them.


    Mrs. Eriksen shot me an exasperated look. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You¡¯ll have that when you¡¯re five or six


    months along. Hurry, go back to your bedroom now.¡±


    My legs felt like lead as I made my way back to the bedroom. Ashton was taking a shower in the


    bathroom.


    Looking around, I noticed a bottle of essential oil on the bedside table. I couldn¡¯t believe it. Mrs. Eriksen


    was indeed full of tricks!


    I was gone for a few days but luckily, Ashton wasn¡¯t cruel enough to throw my clothes away.


    He stepped out of the bathroom soon, his hair dripping wet. The water trailed down his naked chest,


    reaching his waist wrapped in a towel.


    ¡°Take a shower!¡± he ordered, interrupting my thoughts.


    I swiveled my head around and met his gaze wordlessly. Feeling guilty, I looked away and scurried into


    the bathroom.


    The shower was loud, but I could still hear the noise from the bedroom. I thought the ringtone I heard


    was from Ashton¡¯s phone, but he was holding my phone to his ear when I came out of the bathroom.


    I went to him. ¡°Who is on the phone?¡±


    He said nothing and gave my phone to me coolly.


    ncing at the screen, I saw Nick¡¯s name and frowned.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Harrison,¡± I greeted him politely, walking away from Ashton.


    From the corner of my eye, I noticed he was gloomily focusing on his phone.


    ¡°I¡¯ve dealt with the scandal. If needed, I¡¯ll hold a press conference,¡± Nick told me in all seriousness.


    It was rare to hear him speak so formally. ¡°Okay, thank you!¡± I replied.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± he said, seemingly distracted. ¡°If I like you, I¡¯ll make you Mrs. Harrison in a


    respectable manner.¡±


    What the hell? ¡°Good night!¡± I responded because Ashton was already ring at me impatiently.


    After hanging up, I ced my phone aside. ¡°It¡¯s about the scandal. He¡­¡±


    Trailing off, it urred to me that there was no need to exin. I sat on the edge of the bed to dry my


    hair with the towel.


    Suddenly, someone took the towel away from me. I whirled around and saw Ashton standing behind


    me. Before I could react, he had already started drying my hair.


    Silence lingered in the air.


    Soon, my hair was almost dry. He flung the towel aside andmanded, ¡°Lie down!¡±


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Huh?


    The essential oil was now in Ashton¡¯s hand. He was kneeling on the bed, waiting for me. So he was


    going to give me a massage!


    My cheeks heated up. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this. I can¡­¡±


    I stopped talking as his threatening rended on me.


    Silently, Ashton poured the essential oil onto his palms and massaged my calves. It was an awkward


    situation for me. I wanted to say something, but nothing seemed appropriate for this situation.


    ¡°Are you still mad at me?¡± I asked hesitantly.


    His hands stopped moving. Meeting my gaze, he uttered, ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    I was taken aback by his sudden question. Thinking he was referring to my cramps, I shook my head.


    After all, Mrs. Eriksen made it up to ease our rtionship. ¡°Not really,¡± I told him.


    Suddenly, he rose to his feet. I grabbed his arm instinctively and implored, ¡°Ashton, if you¡¯re mad, you


    can yell at me. Please don¡¯t ignore me!¡±

 Chapter 79

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 79


    It felt so horrible when he ignored me.


    He let out a snort and retorted, ¡°Mad? Do you think you can cool me down?¡±


    I fell silent at his words.


    Mustering my courage, I sat up and leaned into his embrace clumsily.


    Perhaps I was too heavy for him as he pushed me away. ¡°Is this how you brush me off?¡±


    I replied timidly, ¡°If I am smart, I wouldn¡¯t have allowed Reba to remain by your side.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± he roared.


    ¡°Yes!¡± I yelled. Why did he have to speak so loud? It wasn¡¯t as if I was deaf.


    ¡°Ha!¡± he scoffed. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen an apology this indignant.¡±


    After our intimacy, he pulled me into his arms and rasped out sexily, ¡°Come here.¡±


    I said nothing. I didn¡¯t tell anyone about that incident and never saw my kidnapper again.


    It felt like a dream to me.


    He carried me out of the bathroom. Iy in his armszily after the vigorous session.


    Before I fell asleep, I said, ¡°Ashton, don¡¯t be mad at me. Nick and I are innocent. I¡¯m pregnant, and he¡¯s


    younger than me. There¡¯s no way we¡¯d end up together.¡±


    He rolled over and pulled me into his arms. ¡°What about other men?¡± he inquired.


    He was obviously picking on me. I pursed my lips and red at him. ¡°You don¡¯t trust me!¡±


    A smirk yed on his lips. I could sense his satisfaction as he nted a light kiss on my forehead.


    ¡°Sleep tight!¡±


    I was already sleepy by now, so I soon fell asleep.


    The next day, I woke up feeling refreshed.


    After the tiring business trip, I finally got to sleep in.


    Iy in bed for a while before getting up. Immediately, I spotted a few missed calls from Stacey on my


    phone.


    My phone was on the silent mode the whole time. I immediately returned Stacey¡¯s call and when the


    call got through, I heard her anxious voice. ¡°Ms. Stovall, we¡¯re in trouble. Last night, Mr. Harrison


    posted a statement and invited the media to attend a press conference, iming he¡¯ll announce your


    rtionship. Right now, the reporters and the public are gathered at the entrance of Fuller Corporation,


    awaiting your arrival.¡±


    What the heck? Had he gone nuts?


    I got to my feet and pulled the curtains open to reveal the beautiful scenery outside. The bright rays


    flooded the room immediately.


    Holding back my displeasure, I answered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t be going to work today. Nick is an adult.


    I believe he knows what he should do!¡±


    She replied in affirmation before asking cautiously, ¡°Are you doing okay with Mr. Fuller?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we are doing well.¡±Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    After hanging up, I headed downstairs. Mrs. Eriksen was in the kitchen. Ashton was nowhere to be


    seen. I went to her and asked, ¡°Has Ashton left?¡±


    Mrs. Eriksen was so engrossed in her task that she jolted in fright at my voice. Turning around, she


    smiled when she saw me. ¡°Mr. Ashton left early in the morning. He told me he has something urgent to


    do. Oh, I prepared some nutritious food for you and your baby!¡±


    I nodded and patted my bulging belly. I think I¡¯ve gained weight for the past few days.


    When Macy¡¯s call arrived, I was still eating. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I picked up and asked. ¡°Did something


    happen?¡±


    ¡°I read the headline. It spells trouble. What if John sees it?¡± Macy was terrified of John and so was I.


    My heart clenched anxiously at the mention of his name.


    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with it. Don¡¯t worry. Rest at home and don¡¯t go anywhere for a few days.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know whether John would travel to J City. But before he did, I had to seek Ashton¡¯s protection.


    I ate a simple breakfast and left. Outside, I ran into Cameron. To be exact, she came here for me.


    Not many people knew about this vi. Only those who were close to us knew we were living here.


    Cameron was dressed in an elegant icy blue frock with a designer bag slung across her shoulder.


    I hesitated for a few seconds before going out to wee her warmly. ¡°Ms. Anderson, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t


    know you¡¯d be here.¡±


    She smiled faintly and replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t inform you about my arrival. Ms. Stovall, please don¡¯t me


    yourself.¡±


    The vi was separated into the rear house and main house. Ashton and I spent most of our time at the


    rear house, while the main house was where we¡¯d serve our guests. The tea room and garden were in


    the main house, too.


    I brought Cameron to the tea room. After asking Mrs. Eriksen to prepare some fruits and light snacks. I


    started boiling some water on the stove. ¡°Ms. Anderson, are you here to talk to Ashton?¡±

 Chapter 80

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 80


    She shook her head as her gaze fell upon my hands. In a soft voice, sheplimented, ¡°I¡¯m here to


    see you, Ms. Stovall. By the way, Ms. Stovall, I must say, you have a pair of really lovely hands.¡±


    After a polite greeting, I chuckled lightly and said, ¡°You must be joking, Ms. Anderson. Your hands are


    even fairer and softer than mine.¡± Such was the conversation between two women ¨C pretentious, polite,


    and full of insinuations.


    Seeing that she was here personally, I was sure that she did note for just a mere chat. I went to


    retrieve some ck Ivory coffee beans that were bought by Ashton and smiled, ¡°I usually don¡¯t drink


    coffee much. Ashton, however, loves them. Let me serve you some of Ashton¡¯s prized coffee beans


    today. I hope that you¡¯ll find them suitable to your taste.¡±


    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    Sheughed politely. Spotting the coffee beans in my hand, she smiled, ¡°This is one of the world¡¯s most


    expensive coffee. Even those with money can¡¯t possibly buy this easily in the market! To be able to


    taste such rare coffee is indeed an honor for me. I have to thank you for that, Ms. Stovall!¡±


    I chuckled along with her. Meanwhile, I was still wondering what was the reason for Cameron¡¯s visit.


    Taking a few sips of coffee, I could not hold my curiosity in any longer and uttered, ¡°After chatting for


    such a long time, I still can¡¯t figure out why you¡¯re here for me today. Is there anything I can help you


    with, Ms. Anderson?¡±


    She took a sip of coffee, looked straight at me with her beautiful eyes, and said in a soft tone, ¡°It¡¯s


    nothing much. It¡¯s just that thest time I saw you at Pear Garden, I couldn¡¯t help but think that you look


    familiar to me. After that party, I can¡¯t stop thinking about it. Hence, I came here to meet you.¡±


    Hearing her words, I was stunned. I had thought that the reason she came looking for me was to


    discuss about Nick. Never have I expected that she was here because she found me familiar.


    As I refilled her coffee, I smiled, ¡°Mr. Harrison has said the very same thing in the past about how


    familiar I look. For me, I think it¡¯s quite normal. After all, there are many in this world who resemble one


    another. Even Ms. Larson, who we are both acquainted with, shares some simrities with me in


    looks.¡±


    Previously I had seen her together with Reba at a cafe, therefore I did not hide that fact.


    Taken aback for a moment, she regained herposure and smiled as she agreed, ¡°Ah, I guess that


    makes sense. So, Ms. Stovall, are your parents still around?¡±


    I shook my head as suspicion crept into my heart, ¡°No. My parents left me when I was still very young. I


    was raised by my Grandma, as such, I don¡¯t have much impression of them.¡±


    ¡°Is your grandmother still around then?¡± Her follow-up question was getting a little too personal for my


    liking. Sensing that she might have overstepped her bounds, she quickly changed her tone. Looking at


    me earnestly, she confessed, ¡°Ms. Stovall, please don¡¯t cast any doubts on my intention. I have this


    bad habit of being too curious and more often than not, I tend to ask too much. Pardon me.¡±


    Having said that, she took out an exquisite-looking envelope from her bag and handed it to me. ¡°I¡¯m


    having a small party over at Pear Garden tonight. If It¡¯s alright with you, you¡¯re more than wee to


    attend with Mr. Fuller.¡±


    I stretched out my hand and received the exquisite envelope. After breaking open the wax seal, I saw a


    birthday invitation inside. The piece of paper reminded me that Nick had actually mentioned to me


    before that his mother was having her birthday tonight.


    Putting the invitation card back carefully, I looked at Cameron and replied, ¡°Thank you, Ms. Anderson.


    It is an honor to be invited by you.¡±


    Sheughed politely before lowering her head to take a sip of her coffee. After a momentary pause,


    she looked intently at me and said, ¡°Ms. Stovall, I heard you¡¯ve been married to Mr. Fuller for two


    years. I could tell that the two of you have a lovely rtionship after seeing you and Mr. Fuller together


    at Pear Gardenst time.¡±


    I simply smiled in response. After all, Cameron was just an acquaintance to me, hence I did not feel like


    talking about my personal life. After sipping her coffee silently for a while longer, Cameron excused


    herself and left.


    Mrs. Eriksen saw her leave and looked at me questioningly, ¡°Letty, isn¡¯t she the richest woman in the


    world?¡±


    I was caught in a surprise. Looking at Mrs. Eriksen, I asked, ¡°You know her?¡±


    Nodding her head, she recounted, ¡°When Mr. Fuller was still around, she paid a visit to the Fullers


    before. I¡¯ve seen her around.¡± After a brief pause, Mrs. Eriksen muttered softly, ¡°She has been looking


    for her child for so many years, but I¡¯m afraid her search would be for naught.¡±


    With my curiosity piqued, I could not help but asked, ¡°Mrs. Eriksen, you know that she is looking for her


    child?¡±


    ¡°The reason she paid a visit to the Fullersst time was because she wanted to ask Mr. Fuller about the


    matter from twenty years ago. It just so happened that I was there serving tea when I overheard their


    conversation. Mr. Fuller had been keeping an eye out over the years but to no avail. After all, the child


    has been lost for more than twenty years! With no particr eye-catching details or distinctive features,


    it¡¯ll be like searching for a needle in a haystack.¡±


    After cleaning and storing the coffee mugs away, my phone suddenly rang. Taking a nce at the


    caller ID, I could feel my body tensing up. Without informing Mrs. Eriksen, I quickly got up and rushed


    to my bedroom.


    Back in my own room, I epted the iing call. As I held the phone, gearing myself up for the


    arduous conversation ahead, my body started trembling uncontrobly. ¡°What do you want?¡± I


    managed to utter sternly.


    There was a peal of leisurely, low-tonedughter on the other end of the phone. ¡°My, my, Letty. What


    are you so nervous about? As your elder brother, can¡¯t I ring up my own sister anytime?¡±


    I had always hated John¡¯s darkughter. Biting my lips to control my anger, I told him off sharply, ¡°John,


    both of us are no longer children like five years ago. We all have our own lives now. So please, I¡¯m


    begging you, just let us off. Leave us alone!¡±


    I did not want to go through the hellish experience that he put me through ever again.


    ¡°Letty,e on. We¡¯re siblings. How could I bear to let you leave just like that? Without you around,


    such a lonely life is not worth living. I need you!¡± Such words would have been heartwarming if they


    wereing from a normal person, but since it was from him, it sounded vile.


    I could feel myself on the verge of copsing as the feeling of despair gnawed on my heart. Still holding


    onto the phone, I inquired hoarsely, ¡°John what the hell do you want?¡±

 Chapter 81

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 81


    Like a devil, his mere presence instilled terror in others. Such was the description that fitted John


    Stovall.


    ¡°You!¡± He hung up after spitting out the word sinisterly.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Just when a myriad of emotions was rushing through me, a message soon arrived from him. It


    read: Lucksville Lane 221, four o¡¯clock. Letty, be there or be square.


    As I held onto my phone, looking at his message time and again, I forced myself to calm down. I tried


    to convince myself that it was impossible for a person to fall into the same trap over and over again.


    Since I could not avoid John, I might as well brainstorm a way to make him stay away from me on his


    own ord.


    Bzzzzzzttt! My phone vibrated suddenly, indicating an iing call.


    It was Ashton. The moment I picked up the call, a frosty voice filled with indifference came from the


    other end of the line, ¡°Get ready. You¡¯ll be apanying me to a partyter.¡±


    Still feeling troubled because of the matter regarding John, I tried toe up with an excuse after a


    pause, ¡°Is it necessary for me to attend? I¡¯m feeling a little unwell today. I want to stay home and have


    a good rest.¡±


    There was silence on the other end of the line before it was broken by his deep voice. ¡°Is it very


    serious?¡±


    Shaking my head, I assured him, ¡°It¡¯s not that serious, but I don¡¯t want to go out.¡±


    After a pause, I asked tentatively, ¡°Is the party important?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Go ahead and have a good rest then.¡± His voice was low and almost devoid of any emotions.


    After hanging up the call, I sent a message to Macy. After that, I spent some time preparing before


    getting in my car and drove directly to the address sent by John.


    It was four o¡¯clock in the evening.


    The sun was zing and people wereing and going on the streets. The address John sent me


    pointed to a high-end private dress shop.


    Keeping my guards up, I did not step in immediately. Taking out my phone from my pocket, I called


    John, yet I could not get through to him. Just then, a youngdy in a green dress ambled out from the


    shop.


    With a smile on her face, she looked at me and asked, ¡°Are you Ms. Scarlett Stovall?¡±


    Surprised, I nodded.


    Still smiling, she said, ¡°Pleasee in, Ms. Stovall. Don¡¯t worry. Mr. Stovall has given us his


    instructions. Please leave everything to us.¡±


    I followed her up to the VIP room on the second floor. After giving some orders to a few people, she


    brought me to pick a gown.


    I could tell what they were going to do since I wasn¡¯t a fool. That being said, I had no idea what


    was John actually up to. It wasn¡¯t before long before my phone was confiscated.


    After that, I was escorted to the dressing table, the girl in green dress smiled at me and said, ¡°Ms.


    Stovall, don¡¯t be nervous. Since Mr. Stovall has already prepared everything, all you need to do is


    cooperate with us.¡±


    Within ten minutes or so, the whole process was done. Looking at my almost unrecognizable self in the


    mirror, I frowned and felt displeased.


    John himself did not show up but instead arranged for a ck, sleek Bentley to wait for me outside the


    store. As I nced at the car, I noticed that the chauffeur looked really young.


    Feeling reluctant to get into the car, I stared at the man with my arms crossed and questioned, ¡°What¡¯s


    the address? Since I have a car, I¡¯ll drive myself there.¡±


    ¡°Does this means that Ms. Stovall doesn¡¯t trust me?¡± the chauffeur asked with a smile on his face.


    I nodded and replied curtly, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Perhaps he did not expect me to be so brusquely direct, he was slightly taken aback. It didn¡¯t take long


    for him to rposed himself though as he tried to convince me with a smile on his face, ¡°Ms. Stovall,


    don¡¯t worry. Mr. Stovall just wants to bring you to a party where he hopes to introduce you to everyone.¡±


    ¡°Cut the crap and just tell me the address.¡± I wasn¡¯t going to let my guard down since I had no idea


    what John was up to.


    In response, the chauffeur got out of the car and opened the door for me. With the smile still stered


    on his face, he said firmly, ¡°Ms. Stovall, please don¡¯t make things difficult for me. By the way, Mr. Stovall


    knows that you¡¯ve given Ms. Markle a call. In fact, he has already sent someone to pick her up too.


    Surely you don¡¯t want to trample on his kindness, right?¡±


    Is this a threat?


    Is he using Macy to threaten me?


    After mulling over it for a long while, I gave a bitterugh and got into the car in an elegant fashion. I


    guess John really understood me, huh.


    The chauffeur drove me to a resort located somewhere in the southern part which was more than an


    hour¡¯s drive away. At first, I had no idea where I was being taken to.


    However, after seeing the car driving into the golf course, which was located in the southern suburbs, I


    instantly knew where I was. After all, J City was a famous ancient capital for three sessive empires


    back in the past. Despite the rapid infrastructure development and modernization in this present day, it


    still managed to retain its cultural heritage of the old city.


    Although the ce was not a military nor political capital, many great talents had been produced here


    in the past century. As a result, many senior citizens who used to hold high positions in the capital


    preferred to own a piece of real estate here in J City, seeking a stable investment for the next hundred


    years for their offspring¡¯s generation.


    As such, these preciousnds in the southern area of J City had be a melting pot for those with


    power, prestige, and possessions. The saying that all were created equal was simply not true. For the


    ordinary everyday folks, this luxuriousnd in the southern suburbs of J City was way beyond their


    means even if they had strived and toiled hard for a hundred years.


    Despite so, there were still many people who racked their heads daily to try to enter here. In their


    minds, they thought that anyone they met here had the potential to be their life¡¯s benefactors and would


    help them paved their way to sess.


    Upon entering thepound of the golf course, the car stopped. Someone came and ushered me out


    to get into another privately contracted ck Bentley which was waiting by the side.


    The moment I boarded the car, I saw John inside with his usual smug, masculine aura and a gentle


    expression. A pair of clear, foxlike eyes were fixed on me as he greeted, ¡°Scarlett! It¡¯s been a while!¡±


    Unable to react in time, I propped my long skirt and wanted to get out of the car. However, it was too


    late as he wrapped his arms around me and pinned me to the seat. In a low voice, he whispered, ¡°Be a


    good girl now, won¡¯t you? For our first encounter, I have hoped that we can be a tad more romantic.¡±

 Chapter 82

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 82


    No matter how enchanting his words were, anything that came out of his mouth sounded malicious.


    Forcefully suppressing my fear deep inside, I put on a tough front and asked, ¡°What have you done


    with Macy?¡±


    Raising his hand, he edged closer and peered at me before saying casually, ¡°She¡¯s fine.¡± Lifting up my


    chin, he remarked helplessly, ¡°Letty, you¡¯ve grown thinner, but you still look stunning still!¡±


    I lowered my gaze, refusing to talk to him.


    ¡°J City¡¯s Harrison Family is a prominent centuries-old n. They have produced many top military


    leaders and politicians throughout the years. In the business world, they are second to none. You¡¯d


    better stay close to meter.¡± he said with a strict tone.


    Hearing that made me frown. It¡¯s been five years since west met, I wonder what he has been doing


    for all these years/ How did he transform himself from a hacker into someone who could reach the


    pinnacle in both business and politics?


    Just as I was lost in my thoughts, my ride came to a stop outside a European-styled luxurious vi.


    John alighted first from the car before opening my side of the door and ushered me out in a


    gentlemanly manner. He then whispered in my ear, ¡°Make sure you hold my arms at all times.¡±


    I hated and feared his hypocrisy. His smiling fa?ade was simply revolting. He had always been the type


    of person who would stab someone in the back without even blinking an eye. Everything nice he ever


    did was always the precursor to his evil intent.


    Yet I had no choice but to listen to him. Holding onto his arms, I got off the car.


    The vi was architecturally elegant outside while tinged with culturally inspired design on the inside.


    The entrance led not into a hall as per a normal vi, but rather a cobblestone path that meandered


    through a small garden before arriving at the actual hall.


    Walking arm-in-arm with John, I strutted on smoothly in my high heels.


    Outside the hall, I caught sight of Ashton standing not far in front. He was d in a ck suit and a


    white shirt underneath. With crisp-white cors, short-cropped hair, and groomed-sharp features, he


    looked handsomely stunning.


    His mere presence exuded a strong, manly aura that even among the crowd, he could still be easily


    spotted with a mere nce.


    Realization finally dawned on me that this elegant party was Cameron Anderson¡¯s aforementioned


    birthday banquet. Ashton, together with many from the J City¡¯s business and political circles were


    invited. My eyes widened as I realized that I knew quite a few of them.


    I was Ashton¡¯s wife, yet here I was, holding onto another man¡¯s hand. By showing up like this, I knew


    that it was akin to a p on Ashton¡¯s face.


    I descended into a state of fear and worry and abruptly withdrew my hand.


    However, John was never the type of person to miss out on opportunities to torment others. Grabbing


    my hand forcefully, he growled, ¡°Letty, behave!¡±


    I could only bit my lips as sweat started to break out from my palms.


    Raising my eyes to look in the direction of Ashton, I realized to my horror that he had his sights on me


    too. His deep, dark eyes narrowed as his gaze fell on the ck, drop-shoulder gown on my body.


    Shortly after, he turned his attention to John and greeted, ¡°Mr. Stovall, it¡¯s been a long while since Ist


    saw you.¡±


    What? Ashton and John know each other?


    John pulled me closer as he smiled, ¡°Indeed, Mr. Fuller. It has been a while since ourst meeting.¡±


    The exchange between the two seemed ordinary enough that I could not sense anything wrong.


    Ashton shifted his gaze onto me and queried, ¡°And who¡¯s this lovelydy beside you, Mr. Stovall?¡±


    ¡°My fianc¨¦e!¡± John¡¯s false admission clearly shocked Ashton. Thetter¡¯s expression became grim as


    his gaze turned frosty.


    Still, he maintained his smile as he remarked, ¡°Words on the street is that Mr. Stovall has no interest in


    women. But I guess that¡¯s not true, seeing that you have such a stunning fianc¨¦e by your side.¡±


    John held my hand as he smiled, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t have interest in women. It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve been


    waiting for the right one to appear.¡±


    Hearing those words, Ashton narrowed his eyes dangerously as his lips repeated softly, ¡°The right one


    to appear¡­¡±


    At this point, I was already in full-blown panic mode. I had never mentioned John to Ashton. Even


    though I might able to do so in the future, but for now, the matter itself had been exacerbated to a


    critical point. All I wished at that moment was for a hole to open up and swallow me whole.


    However, I could not get away as my hand was held firmly by John. I dared not open my mouth either


    to denied the nonsense he spouted.


    My heart was in a mess.


    Ashton¡¯s dark gaze fell upon me for a moment before he suddenly smiled and asked sarcastically,


    ¡°How shall I address you now? Mrs. Fuller? Or Mrs. Stovall?¡±


    My heart sank. Forcefully yanking away from John¡¯s iron grasp, I stepped forward and grabbed Ashton


    as I stuttered, ¡°A-Ashton, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Ashton!¡± Just then, a gentle and sweet voice of a woman called out from the side. Turning my head


    toward the source, I saw Rebaing over. She was wearing a nude-colored, mermaid-bareback


    gown that fully ented her gorgeous figure. Lifting her gown skirt in one hand, she sashayed


    gracefully to Ashton¡¯s side and hooked her arms into his.


    Standing together, they looked like a match made in heaven.


    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    Reba was not surprised when she noticed me. Her expression betrayed a certain dislike as she


    greeted, ¡°I see that Ms. Stovall is here as well.¡±


    As her eyes rested upon John who was beside me, she smiled faintly and remarked, ¡°Ms. Stovall, is he


    your¡­ friend?¡±


    She purposely emphasized the word ¡°friend¡± in an ambiguous manner.


    I looked down and averted her gaze. I was prudent enough to suppress the retort I had in mind


    because no matter how I put it, in the current situation, I would be merely making a fool out of myself.


    ¡°Letty, let¡¯s go in.¡± John simply nced at Reba with indifference as a look of disdain shed across


    his face. Holding onto my arm, he pulled me toward the hall.


    Truthfully speaking, it wasn¡¯t that John had no interest in women, it was that he was disgusted by


    women. He had been repulsed by women since the age of eight. If it were not for the fact that I grew up


    with him, he would have also hated me.


    His special condition was like a sentence to hell for me, as it made it that much harder for me to escape


    from his evil clutches.

 Chapter 83

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 83


    I could hear Reba¡¯s voiceing faintly from behind, ¡°Ash, I¡¯m surprised that Scarlett is acquainted


    with Mr. Stovall from Animus. No wonder Cameron told me that the guests tonight are all big names


    and prominent people.¡±


    Animus Corporation?


    Rather than a birthday banquet, it would be better to describe the party as a gathering of the societal


    elites. That night, Cameron was garbed in a ck velvet gown that had golden flowers embroidered


    onto it and a pair of exquisite aquamarine-adorned high heels.


    The woman was almost fifty years old, yet she looked young for her age, and seemingly free from the


    ravages of time. For others, beauty and youth would pass with time, but for her, time seemed to have


    added a certain charm to her, and she was still in her prime.


    She caught sight of John from afar. Excusing herself from the few guests she was entertaining, she


    sauntered over to John with a ss of champagne.


    ¡°Mr. Stovall, thank you so much foring!¡± Smiling and holding her champagne, her eyes then fell


    onto me. Cocking her head at John, she asked, ¡°And who might this be?¡±


    Without waiting for John, I spoke first, ¡°Ms. Anderson, you are looking absolutely gorgeous today!¡±


    She froze for a moment before she regained herposure and smiled, ¡°Ah, it¡¯s Ms. Stovall! You¡¯re so


    dazzling tonight that I failed to recognize you at first. Do forgive me!¡±


    Grinning politely, I said, ¡°Ms. Anderson tters me too much. I¡¯m just a bit sloppy usually. It¡¯s only


    natural that some simple tidying and touching up would make me look different. It¡¯s not Ms. Anderson¡¯s


    fault for not recognizing me in the first ce.¡±


    She looked at me intently for a while before noticing that John was holding my hand. Taken aback for


    just a slight moment, she mumbled faintly, ¡°Do the two of you know one another?¡± before looking at


    John with doubts in her eyes.


    John smiled, ¡°Of course! We¡¯ve known each other for more than a decade!¡±


    Cameron obviously had more questions to ask. However, she suddenly fell silent upon noticing that


    many guests had directed their gazes outside the hall.


    Instinctively, I turned my head to look as well. What greeted my sight was a middle-aged man dressed


    in avish coat with a suave temperament striding in from outside the hall, escorted by four men in


    ck.


    The appearance of the middle-aged man drew the attention of many people who rushed over to greet


    him. Right then, his gaze fell straight upon Cameron and he approached her promptly.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s the great Mr. Zachary Moore of D City. Be it in J City or D City, the moment he makes his


    entrance, the nobles and the rich alike would tremble in fear,¡± John whispered with a straight face.


    I observed both Cameron and Zachary discreetly and noticed that the level of intimacy exuded from


    both of them was different from that of ordinary people, and the curious side of me could not help but


    wonder.


    ¡°What¡¯s up with them?¡±


    John raised his eyebrows and looked at me mysteriously, ¡°They¡¯re a pair of lovebirds who are destined


    to be apart.¡±


    I could not quite catch the meaning of his words. ¡°Didn¡¯t Ms. Anderson got married once before this? I


    heard it was to some ordinary guy. After that, she got remarried to Nick¡¯s father and gave birth to Nick.


    So¡­¡±


    So where did this Zachary guy fit in the picture? Seems like they have quite a messy rtionship.


    John sneered and whispered, ¡°I guess the stories she cooked up for the outside world are too realistic.¡±


    Just then, I saw Ashton leading Reba to greet both Cameron and Zachary, I also noticed that


    Cameron had whispered something in Zachary¡¯s ear.


    As Zachary examined Reba, his facial expression seemed to change a little. His initially determined


    look had a sh of surprise which he managed to recover from. Meanwhile, Reba¡¯s gaze was that


    of pure adoration.


    I could not figure out what had transpired between them. John, who was observing me the whole time,


    was amused and whispered to me, ¡°Reba is the daughter that Cameron been searching for the past


    twenty-plus years. By the way, she¡¯s also Zachary¡¯s daughter. Do you get it now?¡±


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    I gawped at him in shock at the sensational revtion. Reba is their daughter?


    How in the world is there no rumor about this at all?


    After Cameron and Zachary finished their conversation, they stole a nce at John and me. The


    moment Zachary saw me, he cocked his brows in surprise.


    Cameron seemed to know what he was thinking, so she whispered a few words back in his ear that


    made Zachary regained hisposure.


    John released my hand and stepped forward to greet Zachary.


    Now that I had regained my freedom, my eyes darted around to search for Ashton. Thest I saw of


    him was when he was greeting Zachary. However, he was now nowhere to be found.


    After looking around, I heard a familiar voiceing from the corner of the hall. I walked over and


    found Nick there.


    He was surprised to see me but managed to utter his greeting, ¡°Good evening.¡±


    Seeing that he was not looking too good, I could not help but ask, ¡°It¡¯s your mother¡¯s birthday. What¡¯s


    with the haggard look? I just heard someone said that your mother has found her long-lost daughter.


    Why don¡¯t you go over and check it out?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to see?¡± he said with a lonely look in his eyes, ¡°Her mind and heart had always been


    filled with nothing but her daughter. As for me, I¡¯m merely an idental offspring.¡±


    Hearing the sorrow in his words, I grabbed a te of cheese and tried to offer him some, ¡°Every child is


    a treasure in the hearts of their parents. Besides, she lost her for more than twenty years. Now that she


    has found her, let her savor her joy to make up for the lost time. After this, I¡¯m sure everything will be


    back to normal.¡±


    He sneered bitterly as his eyes fell upon the cheese I was offering him. In a thoughtless manner, he


    quipped, ¡°I have hoped that the daughter they¡¯ve found is you instead of Reba. That girl is too much


    of a schemer, and will only cause trouble if she is to stay in Pear Garden in the future.¡±


    Confused by his outburst, I could not help but smiled, ¡°You sounded as if it is so easy to be a


    daughter of your family.¡±


    He peered at me with a condescending look as if he were looking at an idiot, ¡°Really? You seriously


    think that my mother is so free that she would purposely look for you just to have a casual chat?¡±

 Chapter 84

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 84


    What does he mean by that? Is he referring to the matter the other day?


    Having no idea what he was implying, I asked, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± It was true that Cameron


    had asked me some strange questions that day and although I was puzzled, I did not think those


    questions would amount to anything.


    Now that Nick had brought it up, doubt started to grow within me.


    ¡°Hmph!¡± With a tinge of derision in his voice, he prodded, ¡°You are lucky to be able to marry Ashton


    with that little IQ of yours. I reminded you before that you possess simr features to my mother, just as


    Reba. Are you so naive to the point where you¡¯ll believe that people would actually resemble one


    another for no apparent reason in this world?¡±


    I furrowed my eyebrows deeper and demanded, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Rolling his eye at me, he revealed, ¡°It simply means that my mother has already taken your DNA as


    well as Reba¡¯s DNA for a paternity test.¡±


    Having said that, he seemed a little confused as he continued, ¡°I thought you were the one at first. I


    never expected Reba to be the one confirmed by the paternity test.¡±


    My mind was filled with a thousand unanswered questions by then. Surveying the hall, I decided that it


    was unwise to interrogate Nick here, hence I dragged him into the lounge next to the corridor.


    ring at him, I questioned in a serious tone, ¡°So the lot of you stole my DNA for a paternity test just


    because I bear some teeny resemnce to Ms. Anderson?¡±


    He pursed his lips and replied, ¡°Of course not. My mother has been searching for more than twenty


    years. She would not persist for so long without a clue to lead her on. Since many of your experiences


    are consistently simr to Reba¡¯s, my mother wasn¡¯t sure who was the genuine daughter. She


    plotted with Ashton to meet you and Reba separately. Only after that she went and did the paternity


    test for both of you.¡±


    I was not interested to know what simrities I shared with Reba. Rather, I was more interested to


    know whether my initial meeting with Cameron was the result of Ashton wanting to save Macy, or him


    merely returning Cameron a favor.


    I couldn¡¯t believe that I was kept in the dark andpletely clueless about everything the whole time.


    ¡°Does Reba know about these things at first?¡± I asked, feeling uneasy.


    He nodded, ¡°I think that Ashton must have told her in advance. That¡¯s why she has kept herself close to


    my mother after that. It surely doesn¡¯t look to me like she doesn¡¯t know anything.¡±


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    I felt likeughing out loud. Throughout the whole thing, I was the only ignoramus all along.


    ¡°Hah!¡± I wanted to chuckle, but my chortle was stuck halfway in my throat. I had been made aplete


    moron and an oblivious fool to such a degree that I would not have realized even if I were to be sold


    off.


    Seeing that I was upset, Nick paused. Perhaps he had realized his tactlessness, he tamped down his


    sarcasm and started talking to me in an emphatic manner. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about this. No one told


    you about this matter because they were worried that you might get the wrong idea about the whole


    thing. Since no one was sure of the oue, so¡­¡±


    ¡°So, you decided for yourself that I should be kept in the dark, like a fool?¡± I burst out, baring the


    discontent that had filled my heart.


    Frowning, he defended himself, ¡°Scarlett, you know full well I don¡¯t mean that.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know! I never knew!¡± I rushed out of the lounge. I had naively thought that as long as I was kind


    and trusting toward others, I would not suffer too much hurt. However, it seemed that I was too gullible,


    and life always had a way to even out everyone¡¯s share of sufferings.


    In the main hall, droves of people had arrived. All of them were high-ranking officials. In the midst of the


    crowd, Reba was the center of attention. As Cameron and Zachary greeted the guests, they also


    introduced her to everyone. Such a beautiful and heartwarming scene.


    It¡¯s true, some people have been blessed with good luck since birth.


    Getting my emotions under control, I proceeded to circle around the food area. No matter how pitiful my


    life is, I can¡¯t neglect myself. I need to get some food in me. After all, The little one in my tummy still


    needed to grow up.


    Feeling distracted, I identally walked into someone. The cake that I had just put onto my te rolled


    a few times before it sttered onto someone¡¯s suit.


    ¡°I¡¯m so¡­¡± Panicked, I looked up only to see Joe¡¯s stern and sneering face.


    I immediately regained myposure. I even retracted my apology. I knew that in this situation, an


    apology would not make an ounce of difference. Instead, it would only lead to more unnecessary


    arguments.


    I wanted to avoid any confrontation. But apparently, Joe had decided not to let me off that easily.


    ring at me, he sneered, ¡°Scarlett, tell me, are you feeling bitter now? Are you jealous? With


    Reba being Cameron¡¯s daughter, her whole life is going to go through a drastic change for the


    better. Meanwhile, a woman who grew up in the slums like you will never be worthy of someone as


    noble as Ashton no matter how hard you work.¡±


    I put down my teful of food and directed my scowl at him, ¡°Since I am not worthy of him, do you


    consider yourself worthy then?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± His anger shot up his face as he prepared for a retort.


    Before he could do that, I interrupted, ¡°I have married Ashton. We even have a child together. Seeing


    how much you loved to mock me, can I surmise that this is due to you not feeling qualified enough to


    be with Reba? Is your inferiorityplex bubbling inside you so much that you¡¯reing to me to


    vent it all out?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Flushed with anger, he took off his stained suit and threw it at me before he demanded,


    ¡°Get it cleaned.¡±


    There were times when I thought that Joe could be quite endearing. Every time he tried to annoy me or


    get in my way, he would always be the one who ended up getting flustered, just like right now.


    Even though he had never beaten me once, he still kept trying. And that in itself made him adorable.


    ncing at his suit in my hand, I remarked coolly to Joe, ¡°I would advise you not to let me handle your


    suit. Who knows, you might end up wearing a wet suit in this grand party here and that would definitely


    not score you any appearance points in Reba¡¯s book.¡±

 Chapter 85

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 85


    ¡°I don¡¯t care! Figure out yourself how you¡¯re going to clean my suit!¡± Not wanting to say more, Joe took


    the food in his hand and walked to Reba¡¯s side before handing it to her. The birthday banquet


    officially began, and Cameron went up the stage to speak.


    Reba noticed how Joe was looking distracted, hence she scanned around. When she spotted me,


    her delicate face produced a provocative yet disdainful smile.


    I returned her look before realizing that the suit in my hand needed my attention more. As I racked my


    brain, trying to figure out what to do with it, Ashton walked up to me with a small gift box in hand.


    With a cold look, he said curtly, ¡°This is Ms. Anderson¡¯s birthday gift.¡±


    With that, he passed me the box in his hand. When he saw the suit in my hand, he frowned and asked,


    ¡°Whose suit is that?¡±


    ¡°Joe¡¯s. I identally bumped into him and spilled some food onto it just now,¡± I exined while


    examining the box he passed to me. Did he prepare it?


    He nced at the suit with impatience and suggested, ¡°Just throw it away!¡±


    At this moment, the banquet had be lively as Reba was ushered onstage by Cameron.


    Squinting and trying to get a better view, I poked sarcastically, ¡°Isn¡¯t my dear Mr. Fuller supposed to be


    escorting the lovely Reba?¡±


    His face soured as he ignored my jibe, ¡°Scarlett, shouldn¡¯t you exin to me how you and John got


    acquainted?¡±


    If it were half an hour ago, I would definitely have exined it to him. At this juncture, however, I did not


    feel like exining at all.


    Walking to a nearby trash can, I threw Joe¡¯s suit in as I coldly answered, ¡°There is nothing to exin. It


    is exactly as what Mr. Fuller sees.¡±


    Meanwhile onstage, Reba and Cameron were hugging each other, staging a mother-daughter


    bonding scene. To show her maternal love, Cameron announced that she would put fifty percent of her


    properties under Reba¡¯s control. Also, thetter would gradually be integrated into Cameron¡¯s


    company to learn management skills.


    At the same time, Reba would also move in with Cameron at Pear Garden. After all, she was the


    long-lost daughter that was finally found after two decades. With Zachary onstage as well to show his


    support, the signs were clear. The stars had aligned in such a way that Reba now had the powerful


    backings from two of the most prominent persons in both D City and J City.


    Turning to look at him, I could tell that Ashton was really in a bad mood. Luckily, we were at a party, or


    else he would have initiated a quarrel. He restrained himself and said sternly, ¡°You will be my dance


    partnerter.¡±


    In response, I scoffed and said, ¡°Is Mr. Fuller not afraid that Ms. Larson may¡­ Ah, no. I mean she


    should be Ms. Moore now. Shouldn¡¯t Mr. Fuller be Ms. Moore¡¯s dance partner instead? Don¡¯t worry, I


    won¡¯t participate so as not to disturb you two.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± he gritted his teeth as he pulled my wrist. His sudden force made me felt a jolt of pain.


    Seething with suppressed anger, Ashton threatened, ¡°Stop being so stubborn.¡±


    Me? Stubborn?


    I was bitterly amused. Locking my eyes on him, I nodded and said, ¡°Ashton Fuller, you really are


    something else, you know that?¡±


    ncing around and seeing John approaching, I shook myself loose of Ashton¡¯s grip and headed


    toward John. Sometimes the devil can be much better than the angel.


    John¡¯s eyes narrowed and studied me as I approached. With a smirk, he remarked, ¡°Letty, this is the


    first time you¡¯ve voluntarilye to me.¡±


    Ignoring the gloom in his eyes, I asked, ¡°When can I leave?¡±


    ¡°For you, anytime!¡± he shrugged as he raised his eyebrows questioningly, ¡°Where do you want to go?¡±


    Since he had stated earlier that he wanted me to apany him to this party, and he did not mention


    anything else, I took it to mean that as long as I had shown my presence, I was free to leave at any


    time.


    With that thought in mind, I nced at the gift box in my hand before turning to look at Cameron who


    had already finished her speech.


    Carrying the box, I walked toward her. When she saw me, she beamed at me and greeted, ¡°Ms.


    Stovall, I do apologize should you feel any misgivings about myck of reception, it seems that I¡¯ve


    underestimated the number of guests.¡±


    I smiled faintly. Her politeness had seemingly added more distance between us. ¡°Ms. Anderson is too


    polite. Here¡¯s the birthday gift I prepared for you. I wish you a happy birthday and may you stay youthful


    at all times!¡±


    It was obvious that she was in high spirit that night. Laughing good-naturedly, she took the gift and


    replied, ¡°Ms. Stovall is too kind. I¡¯ll dly ept your blessings and wishes then.¡±


    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    Zachary, who had brought Reba to mingle with the other guests, saw me chatting with Cameron.


    After whispering a few words in Reba¡¯s ear, he proceeded to walk toward us.


    Reba peeked at me with a darkened re before she walked away.


    Zachary was tall and imposing. Even with his age, his noble temperament and awe-inspiring aura were


    still present. Peering down at me, his dark eyes had a hint of affection in them when he asked, ¡°Are you


    Scarlett?¡±


    I nodded, and simply greeted him in a way that I usually do to other people. ¡°Hello, Mr. Moore.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± he guffawed good-naturedly as he nudged Cameron who was beside him, ¡°This girl looks


    like you when you¡¯re younger. Not only the looks but also the attitude and resolve.¡±


    Cameron nodded in agreement as her eyes softened. She smiled and said, ¡°When I first saw her, I had


    the same thought too. If I hadn¡¯t read the DNA test results, I would have thought that this child is my


    daughter.¡±


    ¡°Letty,¡± Zachary called as his gaze fell upon me again. ¡°May I call you with that name?¡±


    I nodded. Something in my memory seemed to be triggered. However, perhaps it was a memory from


    long ago, all I could see was a fleeting scene that shed past my mind in a blur. All I got from that


    memory was the vague sense that his voice sounded really familiar.

 Chapter 86

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 86


    ¡°Your parents¡­¡± ¡°Dad, mom!¡± Just then, Reba interrupted what Zachary was about to say. With a


    flute of champagne in her hand, she sauntered gracefully over on her high heels. Looking at Cameron


    and Zachary intently, she said, ¡°Mr. Smith has something to discuss with the two of you. He¡¯s waiting


    on the second floor.¡±


    Taken aback by the suddenness, both Cameron and Zachary looked at one another before ncing at


    me, ¡°Ms. Stovall, please excuse us, for something hase up. If there¡¯s anything you need, feel free


    to tell them to Reba.¡±


    With that, they went up the second floor, leaving me behind with Reba.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, shall we have a chat?¡± Reba initiated with a look of arrogance.


    There were a lot of guestsing and going in the vi. Some I knew while the rest I did not. It was


    true that I was having a bad mood, and it was also true that I feel like ignoring her.


    Releasing a long sigh, I replied, ¡°I would appreciate it if Ms. Larson would keep her distance from me.


    We have nothing to talk about.¡±


    She scoffed and spat sarcastically, ¡°You do realize this is my mother¡¯s ce, right? Where would you


    want me to go?¡±


    I chuckled, ¡°Ah yes, I forgot. You¡¯re no longer Reba Larson, but Reba Moore.¡±


    After a short pause, I continued, ¡°Since this is your ce, then I shall be the one to keep my distance


    from you then. Sounds better, right?¡±


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    As I turned to leave, she blocked my way and said, ¡°Scarlett, what will it take for you to leave Ashton?


    He is an outstanding man, destined for greatness. Only those who are standing on the pinnacle of


    sess are qualified to stand alongside him. Scarlett, I¡¯m sure you know very well that you¡¯re not


    worthy!¡±


    ¡°So you are worthy then?¡± I could not help but rebutted. Witnessing her sudden boost of self-


    confidence made me snicker sardonically, ¡°For thest two years, I have been worthy of him. So why


    would I be unworthy now? Is it because you¡¯re no longer the helpless orphan, but instead the daughter


    of the richest woman that you¡¯re now denying my worth in such a high-and-mighty manner?¡±


    ¡°Scarlett, he doesn¡¯t even love you. Why would you cling on to him? Is it worthwhile?¡±


    I raised my brow before uttering, ¡°Yes!¡± I then let loose a small chuckle. ¡°No matter how far he goes, no


    matter who he actually loves, as long as I am his wife, he wille back to me eventually. He will


    come back to his family, and to his child who will address him as father.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± her face soured terribly as she shot back, ¡°Is this really the kind of marriage that you want? I


    will grant you whatever you wish for as long as you leave Ashton. How¡¯s that sound?¡±


    I could tell that she was really desperate. Normally, I would think that this meant she loved Ashton very


    much. Yet now, I felt nothing but pity for her. The feeling she had for Ashton was not of love, but rather


    of regret for losing him to someone else.


    A heart filled with regret would transform into an obsession over a period of time. By then, it would no


    longer have anything to do with love.


    I could not stop myself from chuckling as I narrowed my eyes at her. ¡°Reba, I¡¯m really curious. Are


    you really in love with Ashton, or are you just bitter about losing him? Your so-called ¡®mutual feeling¡¯ is


    nothing more than a one-sided, unrequited love.¡±


    In the end, Reba was a proud person who cared very much about her image. Trying to keep her


    anger under control, she whispered vehemently, ¡°Who are you to question our rtionship? You are


    obviously the third wheel in this rtionship.¡±


    I could not help but taunt her further, ¡°Have you ever seen a third wheel who¡¯s also the legally


    recognized wife such as I?¡± Pausing to regain my breath, I continued, ¡°By the way, do you know why


    Ashton¡¯s been avoiding your touch now?¡±


    I purposefully leaned closer and whispered in her ear, ¡°It¡¯s because I told him that I hate it when he


    touches anybody else. I even gave him an ultimatum, if he dares to touch others, he¡¯s better off staying


    away from me.¡±


    ¡°Bulls**t!¡±


    I sneered, ¡°Bulls**t? Why do you think he would rather have me satisfy his needs by giving him


    h*ndjobs rather than hooking up with youtely?¡±


    Seeing her in utter disbelief made me felt better. In fact, it was quite fun for me to toy with a pretentious


    pr*ck like her.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t we try it out then? Let¡¯s see if he cares for me or not?¡±


    With that, Reba smiled as she approached me. It was the sort of sick, scheming kind of smile.


    Before I could react, she grabbed me tightly. Shocked by her sudden action, I tried shaking off her grip.


    However, before I could loosen her grip, she threw herself into the tower of wine sses behind us.


    In that instant, the exquisite and elegantly arranged wine ss tower came crashing down. sses fell


    and shattered all over the ce. The sound was maddening. Plenty of nearby guests suffered from the


    incident as well.


    Some of them screamed while some stepped back trying to avoid the disaster. There were also some


    others who were still blissfully unaware of what happened.


    ¡°Reba!¡± Cameron¡¯s screamed with worry, as chaos erupted in the scene.


    A figure brushed past me and swiftly picked Reba up from the midst of shattered wine sses.


    The ss bits on her body were cleaned before she was ced on the sofa. Several family doctors


    rushed in and began to examine her.


    Someone had contacted the ambnce, while some were busyforting Cameron.


    Just then, Reba opened her eyes slightly and searched around for Ashton. When she saw him


    standing in front of her, she called out to him in a pitiful voice, ¡°Ashton!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± he replied, his furrowed brows loosened as his worry and tension dissipated.


    ¡°It hurts!¡± she whimpered, her soft and delicate hand holding on to the corner of Ashton¡¯s suit.


    Someone had driven the car over. Picking Reba up, Ashton consoled, ¡°Since it hurts, Stop talking


    and just take a rest.¡±


    She leaned on him, quiet and content.


    As Ashton held her, his pair of dark eyes red at me ominously for a brief moment. Carrying Reba


    in his arms, he left.

 Chapter 87

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 87


    With the star of the night gone, what followed next was the repercussion.


    All eyes seemed to be on me as they started discussing the incident.


    ¡°This Mrs. Fuller has always been at odds with Ms. Larson. Since thetter has officially joined the


    family, Mrs. Fuller probably pushed her due to jealousy.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I have dealt with Mrs. Fuller before on several projects. She is a woman of swift


    actions and resolute decisions. She knows what she is doing and does them well. She¡¯s not the type to


    hurt someone on such an asion.¡±


    ¡°In the end, it¡¯s still a rtionship issue between a man and a woman. Didn¡¯t you see Mr. Fuller¡¯s


    expression just now? He was clearly worried for Ms. Larson. If you were the wife, how would you feel if


    your husband worries about another woman?¡±


    ¡°True, I guess. Since Ms. Larson has rejoined her family, as a person with power, she might just force


    Mrs. Fuller to divorce Mr. Fuller in the future.¡±


    ¡°Seems like Mrs. Fuller¡¯s going to have hard life ahead of her.¡±


    I simply stood there and listened to their discussions quietly.


    Just then, Joe appeared out of nowhere to cash in on my misery. He had been observing the whole


    fiasco and was now giddy with excitement. He leaned in and jeered mockingly, ¡°Hey, Scarlett, are you


    tantly showing off your jealousy now? But I guess it can¡¯t be helped. After all, Reba is far above


    you in terms of beauty, status, and lineage. She is now definitely worthy of Ashton, as for you¡­¡±


    He purposely left his sentence unfinished. However, his contempt and disdain toward me were not lost


    on me, he was clearly implying the whole time that I was not suited to be Ashton¡¯s wife.


    Raising my eyes to meet his, I shrugged and smiled, ¡°Yes, it may be outrightly obvious, butpared


    to your sneaky scheming, I am proud that I had nothing to hide!¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Once again, he was beaten at his own game. Overcame by frustration and at a loss of words, Joe


    could only snort before he walked away.


    The guests started to disperse for the night. Having seen the exciting spectacle and dealt with the


    gossips and talks, I left the hall with my head held high.


    John was leisurely sitting on a swing in the courtyard. Upon spotting me approaching from the distance,


    he smiled at me.


    Seeing his face, I blurted out, ¡°I¡¯ve never thought that you actually like real-life dramas.¡± With that, I


    walked away.


    Everyone was bound to change in their lifetime. Five years ago, John was the type of person who liked


    to torture his victims directly. Now, it seems that he preferred to indirectly involve his victims in


    compromising situations.


    But when I thought about it, he had always loved to drag out his torture session, so that he could


    squeeze out every singlest wail and scream from his victims.


    Stepping outside the vi, I realized that the southern suburbs were far away from the city. As it was a


    wealthy residential area, there were no taxis avable.


    In addition, unless given permission, no one could enter here by car. As such, for me to be able to hail


    a taxi, I would have to walk all the way out of this golf course area.


    And that was going to be a long journey by foot.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    I took off my high heels and hiked along the asphalt road by the golf course. After a while, a car


    appeared behind and deliberately followed me at a slow speed.


    Without having to guess, I already knew who it was. Instead of stopping, I increased my pace.


    After walking for a while and seeing that the car was still trailing after me, I decided to stop and sat


    down on thewn of the golf course.


    A minuteter, someone sat down right beside me.


    The man let out a long sigh before he spoke with a hint of sorrow in his voice, ¡°Letty, don¡¯t you believe


    that a bad person may turn over a new leaf?¡±


    I answered his question with another instead, ¡°What is your motive for returning this time around?¡±


    In my memory, John had always been a gentle soul. However, since then he had caused the death of


    Macy¡¯s parents, forced Grandma to her early grave, and tried to drown both Macy and me. Five years


    were too short of a time to forget John¡¯s wrongdoings from my memory.


    As heid down, he rested his head on his hands and stared into the deep, dark sky. ¡°I got lonely, so I


    thought that I woulde back and live a good life with you.¡±


    If these words were uttered by a long-lost family member during a reunion, I would definitely be moved.


    However, there was no warmth between us, only frosty estrangement.


    ¡°Do I have to die to be free from you?¡± I mused as I gazed at the street lights. My heart was feeling


    gloomy.


    Chuckling grimly, he replied, ¡°I won¡¯t let you die. You still got a long future ahead. Without you, I can¡¯t


    go on.¡±


    I decided to stop talking.


    After all, life needed to go on. There was no room for fear.


    ¡°Leave Ashton. We¡¯ll live a good life together. We can still be as happy as when we were young. He is


    not worthy of you.¡±


    I bowed my head, feeling the urge tough aloud. Others had thought that I was unworthy of Ashton,


    and yet, he of all people thought that Ashton was unworthy of me.


    ¡°We can never go back to how it was. Grandma is gone and the old mulberry tree at the front door has


    been cut down. John, please, don¡¯te to me anymore. Stop ruining my life, okay?¡± Even though I


    knew that my words would achieve nothing, I still decided to utter them anyway.


    His gaze remained glued to the night sky, his eyes seemed distant and dark. After a long time, he


    blurted out, ¡°I¡¯ve tried to. But it¡¯s useless.¡±


    I sighed inwardly, feeling exhausted all of a sudden. To hell with this!


    Seeing that there was no point in continuing our conversation, I got up and asked him to send me back.


    At this point, I figured that if he had wanted to harm me, he would not have spent so much time and


    effort to get me here. I knew that he just wanted to witness my fear and helpless look to satisfy his


    selfish desire. After all, he was a hunter, and without a prey to entertain him, he would feel


    ufortable.


    With that reasoning in mind, I was sure he would not do anything to me ¨C at least for the time being.


    He obediently sent me back to Peakville Estate. However, before I could get off the car, he suddenly


    locked the door and gazed at me with his dark eyes, ¡°Don¡¯t you have a goodnight kiss for me?¡±


    Damn!


    Looking at him expressionlessly, I muttered, ¡°Just open the door.¡±


    The evil side in him seemed to emerge once more as he cocked his brows, leaned against his car seat,


    and looked at me condescendingly, ¡°What do you think Ashton would feel if he saw you in a car with


    another man for such a long time?¡±

 Chapter 88

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 88


    The moment he spoke, he seemed to have remembered something as he nodded and snapped his


    fingers, ¡°Oh, I nearly forgot! He should be in Reba¡¯s ward now caring for his beloved woman


    instead. I doubt he has time to pay any attention to you!¡±


    Having said that, he leaned closer, his tobo-filled breath made me even more disgruntled and I spat,


    ¡°Hey, John. If I die, will I be finally liberated?¡±


    His face turned grim, ¡°You can try.¡±


    How could I? It was not the right time yet. But even if it were, I guess it would not be a bad thing if I


    could drag a devil with me to my death.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Just then, the yard was lit by the headlight of another car. Turning my head, I saw Ashton¡¯s jeep driving


    up.


    I nced at my watch. It was twelve midnight. I was slightly surprised that he had actuallye back.


    John¡¯s car was easily spotted by Ashton upon thetter¡¯s return. However, he did not get down


    immediately. Instead, he stayed in his car, lit up a cigarette, and started puffing away while observing


    us with a deathly re.


    John, being the despicable opportunist that he was, leaned closer to me and sniggered the moment he


    saw Ashton. ¡°I wonder what will Ashton¡¯s reaction be if he witnessed me kissing you?¡±


    ¡°You sick b**tard!¡± I screamed and tried to move away from him, but s, there was not enough space


    in the car.


    Lunging his body forward, he managed to nt a kiss on my lips before moving back. Licking his lips in


    satisfaction, he deliberately stared back at Ashton with a taunting look on his face.


    ¡°John, are you crazy?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am!¡± John nodded just as Ashton got out of his car.


    I stared at him fiercely and demanded, ¡°Open the door now!¡±


    He totally ignored my demand. He was busy tracking Ashton who just got out of his car. When he saw


    that thetter went straight back to the vi. He turned to look at me beforeughing, ¡°Letty, he doesn¡¯t


    love you at all. He doesn¡¯t even care if others touch you!¡±


    John had indeed learned the essence of tormenting his prey as his words struck a nerve deep within


    me. I retorted, ¡°So what? It has nothing to do with you. Just let me go¡­¡±


    Smash! A loud noise reverberated throughout the whole car. It was immediately followed by the sound


    of a car window cracking.


    Lifting my gaze, I was shocked to see Ashton standing beside the car. His eyes were full of cold


    malice. Great, herees another devil.


    From afar, they all looked like well-dressed well-mannered gentlemen. But upon closer inspection,


    everyone¡¯s souls were rotten to the core.


    John¡¯s a rotten guy. I was no better. And even Ashton could be despicable at times.


    Concealed behind his cold sophistication and high nobilityid a feral, bloodthirsty soul.


    And that untamed side of him was unleashed that night. Ashton was holding a sledgehammer in his


    hand which was left by the stone smith who repaired the yard rockery a few days ago. Against a


    hammer, a car¡¯s window could never withstand its smash.


    John stared icily at the shattered window ss. He simply watched as Ashton stretched his hand in


    and opened the car door.


    As soon as the door was opened, I got out of the car silently before ncing at the two evenly-matched


    men that were locked in a stare down contest.


    John broke off the stare first as he blinked. Even though he was sitting on his car seat, the imposing


    aura he was exuding was not any less than Ashton¡¯s who was standing towering over him. ¡°How about


    a showdown?¡±


    Since the beginning of time, men had always resolved problems using their fists. Physical altercation


    seemed to be the preferred way to solve any disagreements for the masculine species. Perhaps they


    found joy in beating the daylight out of one another or maybe it was the only way they could think of to


    vent their emotions.


    Ashton¡¯s dark eyes glinted as he smirked, ¡°Sure!¡±


    Themotion was enough to wake up Mrs. Eriksen who was living in the outer courtyard. She turned


    on the lights to the yard and rushed out.


    Her gazended on me and Ashton before it fell upon John. Seeing an unfamiliar man in the yard, she


    was stunned for a while before she worriedly offered, ¡°Mr. Ashton, shall I call the police?¡±


    Ashton took off his ck, custom-tailored suit. His eyes were glinting dangerously as hemanded,


    ¡°No need. Go into the house and get my wife a chair so she can sit and spectate.¡±


    What¡­


    Mrs. Eriksen nodded and hurried in.


    I knitted my brows. Feeling upset, I looked at Ashton and said, ¡°I¡¯m not going to stay here and spectate


    anything. It¡¯s not good for our child. Just be careful and try not to hurt yourself. I¡¯ll wait for you at home.¡±


    My words seemed to liven him up. Ashton¡¯s dark expression seemed to lighten up. He smirked


    confidently as he gazed at me, ¡°Got it, go back and wait for me then.¡±


    ¡°F**k!¡± For some reason, John got even more agitated by the whole scene as he let loose his fists


    toward Ashton.


    The two men started fighting without so much as a warning.


    I did not even stop to look back. Instead, I walked on and blocked the sound of fists hitting against flesh


    from reaching my ears.


    Back in the living room, Mrs. Eriksen asked me with a very concerned expression, ¡°What is going on?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s no big deal,¡± I said as I shook my head. Since I had barely eaten anything at the party, I


    was feeling quite famished. Looking at Mrs. Eriksen, I diverted the topic by asking, ¡°Is there still food at


    home?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ Of course,¡± she affirmed before rushing toward the kitchen to bring out a te of scrambled egg


    and a pot of chicken stew.


    Seeing the food before me, I could not help but feel a little surprised, ¡°Mrs. Eriksen, you do know it¡¯s


    midnight now, right? These dishes¡­ How did you even¡­¡±


    The fact that these dishes were still piping hot made it even more astounding.


    She grinned and revealed, ¡°Mr. Ashton called a while ago, saying that you didn¡¯t manage to eat much


    at the party and that you¡¯d be hungry upon reaching home.¡±


    Upon hearing that, I was pleasantly surprised and was at a loss for words.


    But¡­ Is he concerned for his child or me?


    Just as I was lost in my own thoughts, muffled grunts and yelps could be hearding from outside.


    While serving me a meal, Mrs. Eriksen asked worriedly, ¡°Why don¡¯t we just call the police?¡±


    Shaking my head, I concentrated on chewing my food slowly and muttered, ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡±


    Since both of them were evenly matched, I was very confident that none of them would die.

 Chapter 89

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 89


    Half an hourter, there seemed to be no more movement outside. The sound of a car starting could be


    heard, and Ashton stumbled in after a few minutes.


    Having eaten my fill, I was feeling a little bloated. I also could not shake the feeling that my belly had


    been growing a lot biggertely. I decided that I would drop by the hospital tomorrow for a regr


    check-up.


    Mrs. Eriksen, who had been cleaning the kitchen while paying attention to themotion outside,


    yelped when Ashton stepped into the house. ¡°Oh my! Look at the state that you¡¯re in!¡± She then rushed


    over to check on him.


    Meanwhile, I was resting on the sofa after my meal. I looked up to see that Ashton¡¯s handsome face


    was now swollen with a streak of bloodstain at the corner of his mouth. Despite the sorry state that he


    was in, he still stood tall and proud, exuding a certain triumphant aura.


    While Mrs. Eriksen was busy looking for a first-aid kit, I took a nce at him before turning to inform the


    olderdy, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯m going to rest first.¡±


    She gawked at my nonchnce, unable to say anything.


    Avoiding Ashton¡¯s intense gaze, I went upstairs.


    I knew that I was being cruel by acting in such a cold-hearted way, but such was the fact of life, the


    more I took the initiative to care, the more I would be taken for granted. Just like I had things that I had


    hidden from him; he too, had many secrets that he had kept from me.


    When I came out of the bathroom, Ashton was standing on the balcony, smoking. His tall and slender


    figure looked forlorn and cold.


    Averting my gaze, I sat in front of my dressing table for my nightly skincare routine.


    After a long while, and countless cigarettester, he came in from the balcony and nced at me


    before stepping into the bathroom.


    Since it was already veryte, I quickly dried my hair and went to bed, drifting into slumber almost


    immediately.


    I guess we¡¯re having a cold war again, huh.


    The summer night of J City was a little too quiet, making the cacophony of insects and animals in the


    yard of our vi sounded unusually loud. As the dazzling moonlight shone through the windows, the


    atmosphere in our bedroom was uneasily silent.


    Feeling some difort, I tossed and turned as I tried to find the right position. Just then, a pair of


    large hands held me down.


    I was jolted awake, only to find that Ashton was trying to have his way with me.


    Squinting at him, I muttered, ¡°If I don¡¯t even bother to respond to you when I¡¯m awake. What makes you


    think that I will when I¡¯m in deep sleep?¡±


    I could feel him stiffened as he looked at me sulkily, ¡°Are you taking your revenge on me?¡±


    I closed my eyes, still feeling sleepy. ¡°Not in a mood to talk.¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± he sneered, before saying, ¡°Seems like I have to try harder then.¡±


    I frowned. Indeed, behind that good look and well-dressed appearance, he is nothing but a despicable


    scum.


    Biting my lips, I endured his forceful thrust in silence.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you won¡¯t respond to me?¡± Thinking that I was beginning to respond to him, he


    sneered, ¡°I guess what you said earlier was just an excuse, huh?¡±


    I remained silent and let him have his way with me.


    After a long time, he was finally done. He turned on the light on the bedside table and was prepared to


    carry me into the bathroom as usual.


    When he turned to look at me, he saw something that made him recoiled in horror. The hand that was


    originally on my lower abdomen tightened suddenly.


    He fixed his gaze at me and muttered in a hoarse voice, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you yell?¡± Panic was written all


    over his usually stoic face.


    I kept my silence still. I was starting to feel a little dizzy, the pain in my lower abdomen and the blood


    that was flowing out of me continuously were all indications that the child inside me might be gone.


    Strangely enough, the pain that I was feeling was not on any part of my body, but rather in my heart.


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    It was the kind of gripping pain that stemmed from being tightly crushed by something. The kind of pain


    that cut your breath off.


    Bam! Ashton lost his bnce when he was getting down from the bed and bumped into the chaise


    lounge beside.


    I did not say anything as I watched on indifferently.


    Grabbing his phone, his fingers were trembling as they slid across the phone screen. It took him a long


    time before he was able to call somebody.


    The moment the call got through, Ashton spoke with an urgency not heard before, ¡°She is bleeding a


    lot! It¡¯s really serious! I need an ambnce now!¡±


    Hanging up on the phone immediately after, he stumbled into the bathroom and emerged with a towel


    in his hands.


    Rushing to my bedside, he bent down and tried to wipe the blood away and to stop the bleeding but to


    no avail. The blood just kept on flowing.


    I looked at him in a strangely calm way despite all that was happening to my body. My vision seemingly


    started to swim and drift further and further away.


    My eyes were drinking in the panic, helplessness, and horror that was stered on his face. Even


    during this dire situation, I felt nothing but a tinge of amusement. After all, he had brought this upon


    himself.


    All the while, he did not look at me. When he realized that he could not stop the bleeding, he went to


    my closet, found a set of clothes, and put them on me.


    Carrying me up from the bed, I could feel his trembling hands. He was obviously very concerned and


    disturbed.


    Just then, the sound of police sirens came from the direction of the yard, indicating that the ambnce


    had arrived.


    Sure enough, a momentter, a group of people carrying a stretcher burst into the vi. Ashton tucked


    me in and gave me a look filled withplicated feelings.


    Unwilling to look at him again, I closed my eyes.


    My mind was clear the whole journey from the vi to the hospital, andstly to the operating room.


    In fact, I was unfeeling throughout the whole process.


    I knew from the bottom of my heart that whether or not this child could be saved had no bearing on the


    schism between Ashton and me. The crack in our rtionship had long since progressed into an


    irreparable rift dividing the two of us.


    ¡°If you feel sleepy, just close your eyes and take a good rest. We¡¯ll try our best to save the child. Don¡¯t


    worry!¡± the doctor at the operating table reassured me.


    I nodded and closed my eyes.


    However, even after two hours, I was still awake and alert. The moment I was pushed out of the


    operating room, I saw Ashton standing by the door.


    When he saw the doctor, he asked with a pale face, ¡°Is everything okay?¡±


    The doctor nodded reassuringly, ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that she was sent here in time. Both she and the


    child are fine. Still, Mr. Fuller, you need to restrain yourself in the future. Since Mrs. Fuller had


    polycystic ovary syndrome, the chance of conceiving a child is very small. Therefore, do keep in mind


    that the baby growing within her belly is hard-won. Please be careful and take good care of them.¡±

 Chapter 90

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 90


    Ashton nodded. Even though only a few hours had passed, he looked like he had aged a lot.


    Feeling exhausted after being sent to the hospital, I fell asleep soon.


    The next morning, I was awakened by amotion. I saw the nurse changing my IV drip when I


    opened my eyes. Massaging my temples, I asked, ¡°Who¡¯s arguing outside?¡±


    Pausing mid-action, the nurse replied, ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Ashton and Ms. Larson. She wants to visit you, but he


    refuses to let her enter. Hence, she¡¯s crying outside now.¡±


    Crying?


    I remained silent, thinking that Reba¡¯s tears were probably fake.


    Seeing that the nurse was about to leave, I asked, ¡°When you go out, can you tell them toe in?¡±


    She nodded, gathered the bottles of medicine and left.


    Soonter, Ashton and Reba entered. Her forehead was bandaged, probably due to an injury from


    last night.


    Her pretty eyes were bloodshot, which made her look extremely pitiful.


    She entered the ward along with Ashton. Shooting a nce at me, she feigned concern and asked,


    ¡°Are you alright, Scarlett?¡±


    Iughed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯m still alive. I guess your wish hasn¡¯t been fulfilled.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett, do you need to sound so sarcastic?¡± Ashton¡¯s expression looked quite unpleasant and


    frazzled.


    I chuckled. With a voice devoid of any emotions, I said, ¡°I won¡¯t dare. You¡¯re very impressive, Mr. Fuller.


    You almost killed me in a single night. I¡¯d rather stay far away from you.¡±


    Due to the solemn atmosphere, he was unwilling to talk much with me. Instead, he dragged Reba


    out of the hospital.


    Lying on the hospital bed, I felt a wave of dejection and a sense of defeat engulf me. There was always


    a certain point where one would lose all hope in life.


    A lot of things happened for the next few days¡ªthe shocking news Nick published, Reba rejoining


    the family, and Johning back to J City to develop his career. However, I paid attention to none of


    them.


    After a week¡¯s stay in the hospital, I was already three months pregnant. My pregnancy was also


    starting to be slightly noticeable due to the small bump in my stomach.


    Sometimes, I would fall into a daze while stroking my stomach or staring at the ceiling.


    Ashton woulde to the hospital almost every day and asionally talk to me. However, we ended


    up quarreling each time.


    This happened a few times. In the end, he stoppeding to the hospital so frequently. However, as


    he had paid a lot of money, the doctors and nurses still took good care of me.


    I did not question him why he did not visit either. Mrs. Eriksen still visited me every day, bringing over


    different soups she had made for me.


    Sometimes when I daydream, I would feel even more reluctant to have this baby¡ªperhaps due to my


    mental state.


    As long as I did not have this child, I could leave Ashtonpletely and lead my own carefree life.


    The more I thought of it, the urge to abort my child increased.


    I knew that this was because of my poor mental state, but I could not help but keep thinking about it.


    During the weekends, the bluebell trees along the main streets of J City bloomed. Thevender flowers


    lining the streets imbued this initially mundane city with a sense of vitality.


    A few dayster, I was discharged from the hospital. Ashton drove very slowly as if he was deliberately


    allowing me to admire the beautiful scenery along the streets.


    I turned my head and stared at the scenery that whizzed by, but my gaze became unfocused.


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    ¡°Ashton, I¡¯ve lost my true self for too long.¡± Ever since I first met Ashton, I was no longer myself.


    Instead, I was selfish, stubborn, and cold. Why did I turn out like this?


    Frowning, a solemn look appeared on his handsome face. ¡°Your stomach is getting bigger. Just leave


    the HiTech case aside for a while. Let¡¯s take some time off and travel.¡±


    I knew that he wanted me to destress, but I did not feel like going anywhere.


    Shaking my head, I stroked my stomach. ¡°The Fuller Corporation¡¯s audit is probably ending soon. I


    won¡¯t be giving birth anytime soon anyway, so let¡¯s settle the HiTech case first.¡±


    He fell silent for a while before nodding. ¡°Okay. If there¡¯s anything wrong,e look for me.¡±


    I remained silent after that. ncing at the couples hugging each other on the streets, I recalled the


    past twenty years of my life. I did not seem to have dated someone properly.


    I had never experienced the blissful feeling of love, nor how to love someone or be loved.


    A quarter of my life had passed, yet I seemed to be constantly clueless.


    At that thought, I could not help but cast my gaze downward and let out a self-mocking chuckle. Was


    my life destined to remain so bitter forever?


    ¡°What are youughing about?¡± When Ashton noticed my action, he suddenly asked solemnly.


    I shook my head and replied nonchntly, ¡°I suddenly thought of something amusing.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Although he wanted to know, I was in no mood to answer.


    Silence filled the car again.


    After a short while, we arrived at the vi. When I stepped out of the car, Mrs. Eriksen rushed over and


    asked, ¡°Are you feeling better? I made some oatmeal for you. Would you like to have some?¡±


    Smiling faintly, I shook my head. ¡°Mrs. Eriksen, you just brought me chicken soup this morning. I¡¯m too


    full for anything else.¡±

 Chapter 91

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 91


    She smiled and relented. ¡°Okay, then. You can eat when you¡¯re hungryter. Mr. Ashton had a swing


    built in the courtyard and nted a lot of flowers. Would you like to take a look?¡±


    I knew that she wanted me to rx and get into a better mood. Hence, I squeezed her arm and smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Mrs. Eriksen. I¡¯ll go back to my bedroom to rest. You should take a break too.¡±


    After entering my bedroom, I took out all the clothes in my closet and tossed them onto the bed. Then, I


    folded them and ced them into a suitcase.


    When Ashton came in and saw what I was doing, a frosty look crept into his eyes. ¡°Why are you


    packing up?¡±


    With my head lowered, I continued folding my clothes and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to stay in Glenwood


    Apartments for a while.¡±


    He grabbed my hand and stared at me, his fury evident. ¡°Scarlett, what are you doing?¡±


    My heart ached. In the past, I would have heartbreakingly thrown the question back at him. I did not do


    anything, but why was I the one hurt in the end?


    That day, I merely gazed at him calmly. ¡°Ashton, I¡¯m not trying to do anything. I just don¡¯t want that


    night to happen again.¡±


    After a short pause, I flung his hand away and continued packing my clothes. ¡°We must notmit the


    same mistake over and over again. Both of us know very well that arguing won¡¯t solve the problem. I


    know that you don¡¯t love me too. I¡¯ll try to forget the past.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean forget the past?¡± He scoffed, ¡°Scarlett, what do you want to forget? Me?¡±


    Not knowing why he was so agitated, I sighed and said, ¡°Stop being so hung up on it. I¡¯ll give birth to


    and raise my baby well. I won¡¯t intervene between you and Reba.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± He grabbed my hands again. His expression was cold, emanating a hostile aura. ¡°How many


    times do I have to tell you that there¡¯s nothing between Reba and me? Are you leaving so urgently


    because you¡¯ve already thought of a backup n?¡±


    I frowned, not wanting to argue with him. ¡°Ashton, do you think that you didn¡¯t do anything wrong at


    all?¡±


    His face fell. ¡°Do you want me to admit that I¡¯m wrong?¡±


    I was at a loss for words. As he refused to let me pack my clothes, I stood up and walked out of the


    bedroom without bringing anything along.


    Suddenly, he hugged me from behind and mmed the door shut. With a solemn expression, he


    warned, ¡°I won¡¯t stop you from staying wherever you want. However, you can only do that after you


    give birth to your child. Before that, you must stay here.¡±


    ¡°Hah!¡± I felt an urge to burst intoughter. ¡°Ashton, are you concerned about my child or your


    reputation? If you truly care about your child, why would I have several near-miscarriage experiences


    because of you? Aren¡¯t you being ridiculous here!¡±


    Looking at his conflicted expression, my smile widened. ¡°What are you nning to do by forcing me to


    stay here? Do you want me to look at this painfully familiar house every day? Do you want me to be


    depressed, thinking about how you¡¯re going to ruin me?¡±


    A grim look crept into his eyes as if my words had managed to hurt him. He moved closer to me and


    asked coldly, ¡°Am I such a despicable man to you?¡±


    I scoffed, ¡°Are you not?¡±


    Ashton¡¯s expression became extremely unpleasant. ¡°Scarlett, so this is the extent of your love.¡±


    I no longer wanted to speak. It did not matter how much I loved him anymore. Gazing at him calmly, I


    replied, ¡°I will make my love disappear slowly. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t cause any trouble to you.¡±


    ¡°Hah!¡± spat Ashton as he left the bedroom, mming the door behind him.


    After a few close encounters with death, I was able to keep my calm better. While I packed my clothes,


    Mrs. Eriksen rushed in. She grabbed my hand and persuaded, ¡°Letty, you mustn¡¯t leave! Although Mr.


    Ashton has a bad temper, you can see his sincerity. Youngsters like you must not make rash decisions.


    Otherwise, you might regret it in the future.¡±


    Looking at Mrs. Eriksen, who was adamant about blocking my path, I felt a bit exasperated. ¡°Mrs.


    Eriksen, I just don¡¯t want to stay here. I¡¯m not going somewhere far away.¡±


    She shook her head and grasped my arm firmly. Seeing how resolved I was, she suddenly burst into


    tears.


    I held onto my forehead, feeling helpless of what to do.


    After some persuasion, I had no choice but to relent and stay behind. However, instead of staying in


    the master bedroom, I moved to a room on the top floor which was beside a rooftop garden.


    By then, I was already three months pregnant and my stomach was starting to protrude. As I could not


    roam around much, I spent my days traveling between the office and the vi.


    Luckily, there was not a lot of work to be done at HiTech. I just needed to go to the office to check the


    market reports and statistics every day.


    I heard that Ashton had gone on a business trip, but I did not pay much attention to that. Although we


    stayed in the same house, our feelings for each other were not mutual. It did not matter to me where he


    went.


    On a Friday evening, Macy called me and asked me out to shop. As my child would be born after a few


    months, I needed to buy some baby products.


    Hence, I agreed. At that moment, Stacey ced a stack of documents on my desk and said, ¡°Ms.


    Stovall, the audit for Fuller Corporation is almostpleted. We can finish it after a few days. This is


    the report for Harrison Credit¡¯s audit, which you can take a look at it. I¡¯ll get the one for AC Credit


    tomorrow.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

 Chapter 92

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 92


    ncing at the pile of documents on the desk, I nodded. As I had previously asked her to pay attention


    to OrbitTech, I asked, ¡°Let me see the market report for HiTech. The feedback for the products seems


    quite good. Are there any updates regarding OrbitTech?¡±


    She replied, ¡°Yes. OrbitTech and HiTech have released a product in the AI education category at the


    same time. As their target consumer group is students, their publicity efforts are mainly concentrated in


    schools. The product is quite good, but the price and cost are quite high. Hence, only a selected group


    of people can afford it.¡±


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    I nodded. ¡°Okay. Continue keeping an eye on them. If necessary, you can arrange for a meeting


    between the president of OrbitTech and myself.¡±


    As OrbitTech was focused on technology research and development, its marketing and management


    efforts were not exceptional. If Fuller Corporation could acquire a technology powerhouse like


    OrbitTech, it could have a breakthrough for its future developments in the technology field.


    Stacey nodded. ¡°Understood. However, the manager of OrbitTech¡¯s marketing department seems to be


    in close contact with a technologypany in A City.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± As a technologypany, it probably wanted to find investors to expand its business. Not


    concerned about it, I raised my head and looked at Stacey. ¡°Are you dating?¡±


    She was stunned for a while before smiling shyly. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re going to get married soon.¡± As she


    spoke, she subconsciously touched the wedding ring on her finger.


    I smiled. ¡°Does he work in the same industry as us? Why don¡¯t we have a meal together?¡±


    Looking like a woman happily in love, she chuckled and said, ¡°He¡¯s quite busy recently, so he doesn¡¯t


    have much time to spare. Why don¡¯t we wait till this busy period passes? If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like you


    to be our presider.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve already decided to marry?¡± I was a bit shocked. From my recent observations, she had only


    dated for one or two months.


    Blushing, she nodded and exined, ¡°We were ssmates. We¡¯ve known each other for a long time,


    but we¡¯ve only started dating recently. Our families have been urging us, so we decided to get married.¡±


    Iughed and did not say anything else. After Stacey ced the documents down and left, I received a


    call from Jared.


    I picked up the call and greeted, ¡°Hello, Dr. Crest!¡±


    ¡°Are you free, Scarlett?¡± He sounded like he wanted to talk to me about something.


    Stunned momentarily, I replied, ¡°I¡¯m meeting Macy tonight. What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    He fell silent for a while before saying, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Ashton called me to check up on your body.¡±


    I subconsciously frowned and replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡±


    ¡°Did you guys get into a fight?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    Our disagreements could not be counted as full-fledged arguments. We simply did not see eye to eye


    because we were both on different wavelengths.


    After a slight pause, he continued, ¡°That¡¯s good, then. There¡¯s a box on my office¡¯s desk which contains


    some supplement pills. You cane and retrieve it whenever you¡¯re free. Remember to take it


    regrly.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Thank you!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±


    After chatting for a while, I hung up the call and nced at the clock. The workday had already ended.


    I was going to meet Macy at the shopping mall, so I tidied my desk and headed directly to the car park.


    After what happened the previous time, I rarely parked my car in the underground car park.


    Instead, I parked it in the open car park on the ground floor. Underground car parks were often dark


    and shady. Although an open car park would expose my car to the sun, it was still safer.


    After getting into the car, I reversed the car out of the parking lot. I was about to leave when I suddenly


    spotted someone familiar. A slightly chubby middle-aged man was sitting in a ck Cayenne beside


    Joe¡¯s red sports car. Somehow, his figure looked familiar to me.


    Although I didn¡¯t manage to see the face of my kidnapper clearly, I could remember his figure well. I


    could not help but stop my car and scrutinize the middle-aged man sitting in the Cayenne.


    However, the man drove away quickly.


    As I did not get a good look at the kidnapper, and there were a lot of chubby middle-aged men around,


    it was difficult for me to identify him amongst so many people.


    After hesitating for a while, I still drove toward the shopping mall where I was supposed to meet Macy.


    By the time I arrived, Macy had already been waiting for me for a long time. When she saw me, she


    pouted andmented, ¡°Scarlett, you¡¯rete for half an hour.¡±


    Passing a cup of milk tea to her, I exined, ¡°I¡¯m notte on purpose. There¡¯s a traffic jam along the


    way. As an apology, here¡¯s a cup of milk tea I bought for you.¡±


    She took it from my hands and replied proudly, ¡°Since you¡¯re so sincere, I¡¯ll let you off the hook.¡±


    The shopping mall in the city center of J City was humongous. Perhaps it had been quite some time


    since Macyst came out, she was extremely excited. In fact, she deliberately skipped breakfast in the


    morning just to prepare herself for the sumptuous seafood buffet here.


    I chuckled, recalling the times in college when we did not have a lot of money. In order to eat good


    food, we would save up for a long time before splurging on a buffet together.


    Memories were the souvenirs of time.


    Come to think of it, those were the happiest days of my life. Although I was poor, I did not love anyone


    ¡ªlife was carefree and burdenless.


    After dinner, Macy dragged me into a baby shop. She walked around and picked some items which I


    would need once my baby is born.

 Chapter 93

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 93


    When I saw that everything she picked was pink, I could not help but chuckle bitterly. ¡°Why is


    everything so pink? What if my baby is a boy?¡±


    While she looked at the cots, she replied, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Regardless of whether your baby is a boy


    or a girl, they¡¯ll still need these items. If your son really doesn¡¯t like them, we can buy them again after


    he¡¯s born.¡±


    She was not wrong.


    Slowly, the things in the trolley piled up. As I would start to gain weight due to my pregnancy and swell


    up, she even bought some skincare products for me.


    Watching as she ced the items in the trolley, I could not help butugh. ¡°Macy, you, as the


    godmother, are paying even more attention than me!¡±


    She chuckled. Suddenly, her eyes reddened as she hugged me. ¡°Letty, leave Ashton! I can take good


    care of you.¡±


    I did not know why she suddenly uttered those words. Stunned momentarily, I patted her shoulders and


    assured her, ¡°Why are you being so emotional all of a sudden? I will leave Ashton sooner orter. But


    I¡¯d like to leave proudly, instead of sneaking away like a thief.¡±


    She nodded and replied hoarsely, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll wait for you. I¡¯ve already found a suitable ce in Q


    City, where the property prices are lower. After adding up our savings, we can buy a small vi there.


    Both of us and your child can stay there.¡±


    There was something different about this girl. For a moment, I could not tell how exactly she had


    changed. All I could tell was that she was hiding something and seemed sadder than before.


    Sighing softly, I chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not in such a dire state now. We have a long journey ahead of


    us!¡±


    As it was gettingte, we directly headed to Glenwood Apartments and ced the baby products there.


    It was more convenient to do so.


    I initially nned to stay in Glenwood Apartments. However, my phone rang after a while.


    ¡°Letty, someone¡¯s calling you!¡± Macy was squatting in the guest room and assembling the cot. When


    she heard my phone ringing, she called for me.


    I was washing the fruits that we had bought by the road. Wiping my hands and ncing at my phone, I


    saw that it was a call from Ashton.


    Frowning, I looked at the time. It was not even 9 pm yet.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Fuller.¡± I was not deliberately trying to sound distant. As he was probably calling me to


    discuss some official matters, I naturally had to be polite.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    I could hear the roaring of the wind through the phone. After a few seconds of silence, he asked,


    ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°Glenwood Apartments.¡± I looked at the cot which Macy had assembled. She had thoughtfully ced a


    layer of mosquito around the bed.


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± I thought that Ashton needed to talk to me about something. To my surprise, he had


    nothing else to say after calling me.


    After he hung up, I tossed my phone aside and admired the cot. The more I looked at it, the cuter it


    seemed.


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯ve got everything settled. All that¡¯s left is for your child to be born.¡± Macy was a hands-on


    person. After assembling the cot, she shot me a proud look and asked, ¡°How am I faring as a


    godmother?¡±


    I smiled and passed her a fruit. ¡°Very impressive!¡±


    As it was gettingte, Macy looked at me and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go take a bath first. Look around and see if


    there¡¯s anything else we need to do!¡±


    Nodding, I sat down in the living room and started scrolling through my phone.


    The doorbell suddenly rang. Thinking that Macy had ordered some food, I got up and opened the door.


    Meanwhile, I yelled in the direction of the bathroom, ¡°Macy, did you order food?¡±


    A voice came from the bathroom. ¡°No!¡±


    Before I could say anything, I saw a tall man standing at the entrance. I was stunned. Why did Ashton


    come here?


    ¡°You¡­¡± I wanted to ask him that question, but my voice faltered gradually.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to invite me in?¡± he asked with a cold, yet rxed expression.


    I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s not a good time!¡± As Macy often came out from the shower with only a towel


    wrapped around her, it was not appropriate for him to enter.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that, Letty?¡± Macy¡¯s voice sounded from the bathroom again.


    I nced at Ashton and replied, ¡°He¡¯s from the estate management team.¡±


    ¡°Estate management?¡± Ashton raised his eyebrows, but his expression was indecipherable.


    I pouted and asked calmly, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± It was almost 10 pm, so he should have gone


    home already.


    He stood at the entrance. As he was very tall, he blocked the faint lights in the corridor. When I raised


    my head and looked at him, he was shrouded in darkness.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to fetch you home!¡± As he spoke, he took out his hands from his pocket. He waved the car


    keys at me.


    I heard some noisesing from the bathroom. Hence, I shoved Ashton back and yelled, ¡°Macy, I¡¯m


    going out for a while!¡±


    Then, I closed the door and dragged Ashton to the stairway, knowing that it was inappropriate to argue


    loudly sote at night.


    With a gentler tone, I said, ¡°I¡¯m nning to stay here for a while. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of my baby


    well.¡±


    ¡°Go back to the vi!¡± instructed Ashton coldly. ¡°Mrs. Eriksen can take care of you.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°Ashton, I¡­¡±


    ¡°You can live here, but Mrs. Eriksen and I will move over to stay with you,¡± he said seriously.


    I was rendered speechless for a brief moment. After a short pause, I retorted, ¡°It¡¯s too small to


    amodate both of you!¡±

 Chapter 94

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 94


    ¡°Go home with me, then.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± The stairway was very spacious. Even though we spoke very softly, our voices echoed through


    the ce.


    I raised my head and stated firmly, ¡°I¡¯ll stay here for the night and go back tomorrow!¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll stay with you here tonight.¡±


    What the heck?


    Looking at how determined he was, he would probably stay here if I refused to go back.


    Left with no choice, I walked out of the stairway and snapped, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    I then went downstairs and sent a message to Macy. As I did not bring my car keys, I got into Ashton¡¯s


    car.


    A relieved expression crossed Ashton¡¯s initially gloomy face when he saw me sit on the front


    passenger seat. After helping me buckle my seatbelt, he closed the door and walked over to the


    driver¡¯s seat.


    When we arrived at Peakville Estate, Mrs. Eriksen was waiting at the entrance for us. The anxious


    expression on her face was reced by relief when she saw us. ¡°Where did you go at such ate


    timing?¡±


    ¡°I had some matters to attend to.¡± Stepping into the living room, I saw that dinner was stillid out on


    the table.


    I could not help but be stunned. Gazing at Mrs. Eriksen, I asked, ¡°Have you eaten dinner?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°I have. However, when Mr. Ashton came home and saw that you¡¯re not here, he went to


    look for you without eating anything.¡±


    Ashton entered the house after parking the car and hung his coat on the rack. As it was dark earlier, I


    did not manage to catch a clear glimpse of his face. He looked extremely exhausted, with dark circles


    under his eyes.


    As it was a busy period for Fuller Corporation, he had been going on business trips and attending


    meetings round the clock. In fact, he had to wake up at five or six in the morning to work.


    ¡°Mrs. Eriksen, the dishes might be cold by now. Please help us heat them up again.¡± Then, I walked


    towards Ashton and reminded him, ¡°Eat something first. It¡¯s bad for your stomach if you remain


    hungry.¡±


    He froze as he massaged his temples. Then, he nced at me and replied, ¡°Okay!¡±


    Mrs. Eriksen was in the midst of heating up the dishes in the kitchen. As there was nothing left for me


    to do, I returned to my room and washed up. When I left the bathroom, I saw Ashton outside.


    I could not help but frown. ¡°We¡¯re sleeping in separate rooms for this period of time.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t do anything rash,¡± replied Ashton as he took his shirt off. He grabbed a bathrobe and entered


    the bathroom.


    Initially, there were only my clothes in the closet. Now, Ashton¡¯s clothes were also in it.


    Forget it. If I continue harping on it, we¡¯ll end up arguing. That¡¯s meaningless, anyway.


    After drying my hair, I got into bed.


    Half an hourter, Ashton finished bathing. He casually walked out, with water droplets still dripping


    down his body. After wiping himself down casually with a towel, he flipped the nket aside andy


    down.


    I did not like the moist feeling of his body. Wrapping the nket around me, I shifted away to the side.


    However, Ashton pulled me back into his arms. ¡°Don¡¯t keep hiding from me. We¡¯ve got a lifetime ahead


    of us. Must we always give each other the cold shoulder?¡±


    Instead of his usual frosty tone, there was a hint of exasperation when he spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to hide from you. Your body¡¯s wet!¡± I replied, feeling a little tired.


    Ashton released me. He grabbed the towel, which he had casually tossed aside earlier, and passed it


    to me. ¡°Help me wipe my body.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s dry now!¡± I turned around, pulled the nket over myself, and prepared to sleep.


    Hey down again and hugged my waist. ¡°You can wipe me down in the future.¡±


    Feeling a bit upset, I remained silent for a while. ¡°Ashton, are you doing this out of guilt?¡± Is he trying to


    get closer to me andpensate me because he feels guilty?


    The room was filled with dead silence. I closed my eyes while my heart ached. Can a rtionship even


    be sustained through guilt alone?


    ¡°I won¡¯t do it anymore!¡± His deep voice sounded beside my ear. Kissing my shoulder gently, he assured


    me, ¡°I¡¯ll do a better job next time!¡±


    I remained silent, not knowing how to reply.


    Time ticked by slowly. With him hugging me, I could not fall asleep. I could hear his steady breathing


    beside me, which indicated that he had probably fallen asleep.


    I turned around and moved his hand away from my stomach. However, he grabbed my hand instead. I


    frowned and said, ¡°Ashton, I can¡¯t fall asleep like this.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± he replied.


    I was rendered speechless.


    As he was grabbing my hand, I could not help but open my eyes and stare at him, who was barely


    inches away from me. I whispered softly, ¡°Ashton, I can¡¯t sleep if you do this.¡±


    ¡°You can sleep once you get used to it,¡± replied Ashton. He opened his eyes, revealing a look of


    exhaustion. ¡°Be a good girl. You¡¯ll fall asleep shortly.¡±


    Only heaven knows how tormenting this is to me.


    I closed my eyes slowly. Luckily, I could not stand the tiredness anymore and fell asleep.


    It was not a restful sleep that night. I was woken up by Ashton early in the morning. When I opened my


    eyes in a daze, I could hear his frantic breathing¡­


    Only then did I realize that he was holding my hand and¡­


    I was immediately jolted awake. ¡°Ashton, you¡­¡±


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    After a long while, he carried me to the bathroom. He ced me beside the sink and hugged me from


    behind. As he washed my hands, he said hoarsely, ¡°You can continue sleepingter.¡±


    I nodded. It was only six in the morning, and I would usually still be sleeping at this time. After washing


    my hands, Ashtonid me on the bed again.


    Then, he nted a gentle kiss on my forehead. ¡°Sleep for a while longer!¡± Then, he changed his


    clothes and left the room.

 Chapter 95

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 95


    Shortlyter, I heard the sound of Ashton starting the engine of his car downstairs.


    As I was still feeling drowsy, I fell asleep again soon after he left.


    It was already 9 a.m. when I woke up. The moment I opened my eyes, I received a phone call from


    Ashton.


    Still lying down, I picked up the phone. ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Are you awake?¡± He sounded like he was in a good mood.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Wake up and let¡¯s have breakfast together. I¡¯ll be waiting for you in the office.¡±


    Stunned, I replied instinctively, ¡°I¡¯m eating at home.¡±


    ¡°Joseph¡¯s waiting for you downstairs,¡± replied Ashton. When I vaguely heard someone knocking on the


    door on his end, I guessed that he had something to attend to. As expected, he quickly repeated, ¡°I¡¯ll


    be waiting for you!¡±


    Then, he hung up.


    Lying on the bed, I rested for a while before washing up and heading downstairs. I saw Mrs. Eriksen


    making a pot of tea, while Joseph sat in the living room solemnly.


    When Mrs. Eriksen spotted me, she smiled and said, ¡°Letty, Mr. Ashton asked Mr. Campbell to fetch


    you for breakfast.¡±


    Mrs. Eriksen had not prepared breakfast yet. It seemed like Ashton had already reminded her


    beforehand.


    I nodded and left the vi.


    When we arrived at the office, Joseph directly brought me to Ashton¡¯s office and left after pouring me a


    cup of water. Ashton was still in the middle of a video conference.


    When he saw me enter, he stood up and walked toward me. He ced a te of nuts in front of me,


    kissed my forehead before going back to the video conference.


    As I had just woken up, I did not have much of an appetite. Hence, I sat on the sofa and fiddled with my


    phone. Soon, Ashton finished his conference and sat down beside me.


    ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    I shook my head and kept my phone. He gave Joseph a call before holding my hand and massaging


    my fingertips. Smiling, he asked, ¡°Is your hand still sore?¡±


    I only realized what he was talking about after some time. Blushing, I pulled my hand away. ¡°What are


    we eating?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll find outter.¡± He pulled me into his arms and gently pressed my head against his chest.


    Feeling uneasy, I was about to move away when he hugged my waist. ¡°Let me hug you for a while.¡±


    Joseph entered with a bag that contained a few boxes. He left after cing it on the table.


    At that moment, Ashton received a call again. Knowing that he was busy, I took out the boxes one by


    one. They contained some pastries and soup from Granger¡¯s.


    I took a few bites. Since Ashton was quite busy, I did not disturb him either. I stood up and was about to


    return to my office to work when I bumped into Reba.


    I was not surprised to see her. She was holding some lunch boxes, which looked like they were meant


    for Ashton.


    When she saw me walking out of Ashton¡¯s office, she stretched out her arm and blocked my path.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    She sounded like she was interrogating me.


    I stared at her and raised my eyebrows. ¡°Ms. Larson, do you think that you¡¯re superior to everyone else


    just because you wear luxury clothes and watches?¡±


    Her aura seemedpletely different now that she was part of a wealthy family.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m superior to you. Only I am worthy enough of Ashton.¡± Her face was filled with arrogance.


    Not in the mood to quarrel with her, I replied calmly, ¡°Yeah, both of you suit each other.¡±


    With that, I brushed past her and walked toward my office.


    However, I wore a pair of high heels when I left for work this morning. When I was trying to distance


    myself from Reba, I forgot about the two pots of nts ced outside Ashton¡¯s office and tripped


    over them.


    As I was walking quickly, I lost my bnce and lurched forward.


    Instinctively, I grabbed the nearest thing to me. As Reba was right beside me, I clung to her.


    However, she fell down with me because she was wearing a pair of high heels as well.


    Both of us crashed onto the ground simultaneously. My instincts as a mother kicked in and I quickly


    landed on my knees and elbows.


    Reba fell in the opposite direction andnded on her butt. She let out a loud shriek when she fell.


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    Her voice was so loud that she caught Ashton and Joseph¡¯s attention.


    Ashton was still on the phone. When he saw both of us sprawled on the ground, he frowned and


    quickly helped Reba, who was right beside him, up.


    Then, he rushed towards me. By then, Joseph had already helped me up. As he scrutinized me, he


    asked in a deep voice, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    I nodded. When I looked at Reba, who was clutching her wrist miserably, I noticed that there was a


    bleeding cut on the back of her palm.


    Intentionally avoiding Ashton¡¯s outstretched hand, I said, ¡°Ms. Larson is injured. Send her to the


    hospital to treat her wound.¡±


    Then, I looked at Joseph and asked, ¡°Can you help me over there to take a seat?¡±


    Joseph nodded and helped me walk toward a couch in the lobby.


    As Reba had fallen down for no reason, she felt hurt and aggrieved. With tears streaming down her


    cheeks, she stared at Ashton pitifully. ¡°Ash, it hurts!¡±


    Ashton shot a nce at me before instructing Joseph, ¡°Send Ms. Larson to the hospital.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± interrupted Reba as her eyes reddened. ¡°Send me there, Ash. Otherwise, I won¡¯t go!¡±


    ¡°I still have work to do.¡± Ignoring Reba¡¯s expression, he directly headed back to his office.

 Chapter 96

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 96


    Reba felt unjust. Upon seeing Ashton leaving, she insisted she didn¡¯t need Joseph¡¯s help carrying


    her up. While limping, she stared at me and said, ¡°Scarlett, you did it on purpose.¡±


    I uttered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it wasn¡¯t intentional.¡± The reason I¡¯d pulled her earlier was that I was panicking.


    After Joseph had left with Reba, Ashton came out of the office with a first aid kit in his hand. He


    came and crouched down next to me.


    Staring at me, he said, ¡°Give me your hand.¡±


    I pursed my lips and extended my hand towards him. All I could feel was a burning sensation due to the


    cuts and grazes. I wasn¡¯t aware when it had started bleeding.


    At that moment, Ashton took my hand and looked at it. His brows furrowed deeply upon seeing that it


    was covered in blood. ¡°Bear with me. This might hurt a little!¡±


    I nodded and bit my lips slightly.


    The skin¡¯s upperyer was torn apart, exposing the tender flesh beneath it. Feeling the stinging pain


    from the antiseptic-soaked cotton swab, I retracted my hand instinctively as he was midway cleaning.


    However, he gripped onto my hand and uttered, ¡°It¡¯ll be fine in a while.¡±


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    I raised my eyebrows. ¡°Just bandage it and get it over with.¡± It would hurt more if he started being


    meticulous about it.


    After he applied the dressing, he looked up and stared at me in concern. ¡°Is your knee hurt too?¡±


    I shook my head, hoping that he wouldn¡¯t touch it. Furthermore, it wasn¡¯t obvious as I was wearing a


    skirt.


    He ignored my words and lifted up the hem of my skirt. A big red patch revealed itself and it was a real


    eyesore.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you feel pain?¡± He asked angrily.


    I pursed my lips and replied, ¡°Nope!¡±


    Right after, he applied a little pressure on it and that had me gasping in pain. I couldn¡¯t help but


    exim, ¡°Ashton!¡±


    With his head lowered down, he attended to the wound and replied in a soft tone, ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±


    It was obvious that he did that on purpose.


    While pursing my lips, I lowered my head without saying a word. He lifted his gaze at me, then made


    sure the wounds were well bandaged before he tidied up the first aid kit.


    He took out all of the breakfast boxes that Joseph had brought earlier. There was pumpkin soup,


    steamed buns, dumplings, and soy milk.


    I had no idea what was going through Joseph¡¯s mind. What made him think we could finish all these?


    Besides, I had already eaten earlier.


    Ashton ced all of the food in front of us, looked at me, and said, ¡°Finish all of these, then lie down


    and take a nap.¡±


    I raised my head and looked at him. After letting out a deep breath, I uttered, ¡°Ashton, are you raising


    pigs here? How are we able to finish all these foods?¡±


    He nodded and raised his eyebrows. ¡°Yes, two!¡±


    I¡­


    I had dug my own grave.


    ¡°I can¡¯t finish them all.¡± I paused for a moment, then continued, ¡°Besides, I need to deal with some


    matters back in my office.¡±


    Without saying a word, he walked towards his desk seat and sat down. Then he made a phone call.


    Not long after, Stacey arrived with a stack of documents. She looked at me then shifted her gaze to


    Ashton. Then she uttered mischievously, ¡°Ms. Stovall, these are the documents which require your


    signature. We¡¯re almost done with the work at AC Credit. Please have a look.¡±


    Stacey ced the documents down and blinked her eyes at me in a prying manner.


    I knew what she meant. She was trying to pry into whatever was going on between Ashton and me. I


    packed up the breakfast that was untouched on the table and gave them to her. ¡°Well noted. You surely


    haven¡¯t had your breakfast yet. Eat up!¡±


    Seeing that I¡¯d shoved all the food to her, she shook her head immediately. Then I whispered next to


    her ear, ¡°Don¡¯t decline, just help me.¡±


    Stacey uttered, ¡°Ms. Stovall, I can¡¯t eat all these.¡±


    ¡°No worries, there are many people in the office. Everyone can eat together.¡±


    After handing over the breakfast to her, I sat on the sofa and turned my head towards Ashton. He was


    staring at me motionlessly.


    In a moment of guilt, I asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°What am I going to eat?¡± he replied with a smile.


    I was stunned and looked at him with widened eyes. ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten yet?¡±


    He raised his eyebrow and said nothing.


    I facepalmed and nced over at the ss of soy milk that I had taken a sip from. Then I asked, ¡°Do


    you want to drink that?¡±


    I was just casually asking because he was very particr about hygiene and would never touch other


    people¡¯s things. Not to mention, I have already taken a sip of it.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± he replied and walked in my direction. He sat next to me then emptied the entire ss of soy


    milk right away.


    Seeing that he drank with the straw that had my lipstick stain on it, I was lost for words.


    I had a funny feeling in that instant.


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± he asked while cing his arm around my waist and then gently rubbed my


    belly with his palm. The corners of his mouth curled up. ¡°It seems like you¡¯ve gained some weight!¡±


    I rolled my eyes and pushed him away. Then I attended to the documents that were in front of me. The


    audit for Fuller Corporation and Harrison Credit waspleted. As for AC Credit, it was awaiting my


    signature.


    He grabbed an audit report and went through it. Then he asked, ¡°AC Credit is in charge of Robinson


    Group¡¯s audit?¡±


    I nodded while signing the documents I had gone through and then continued with the next pile.


    After acknowledging that, he flipped through a few more documents then nced at me. ¡°Who did you


    assign for this project?¡±


    I was taken aback for a moment. ¡°Stacey. I was busy back then, so she has been in charge of that.


    What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Upon seeing his gloomy expression, I thought something must have gone wrong. So, I went through


    the files he had read but didn¡¯t find any problems.

 Chapter 97

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 97


    For a while, I was slightly confused.


    Seeing that I was waiting for a response, he curled his lips and teased, ¡°Give me a kiss and I¡¯ll tell you!¡±


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± I ignored him. Since I had reviewed the document carefully, there shouldn¡¯t be any


    problem. It was probably just his usual dubiety.


    He ced the document down, took the ones that I was going to sign from my hand, and said, ¡°I will


    have a look at these and sign them if everything is fine. Go inside and have some rest.¡±


    Ashton¡¯s office was so huge that there was even a lounge fully equipped with facilities.


    I frowned as I replied, ¡°I¡¯m not tired.¡±


    However, he ignored mepletely and brought me into the lounge. As the weather was warm, he


    switched on the air conditioning. ¡°Lie down and have a good rest.¡± Meanwhile, he took my cell phone


    away.


    ¡°Ashton!¡± How am I supposed to sleep while it¡¯s still early? ¡±I woke upte this morning, so I¡¯m not


    tired.¡±


    He looked at me. ¡°Do you need me to apany you to sleep?¡±


    I was speechless. I climbed to the bed angrily and pulled the nket over my head. ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep.


    You can go out now.¡±


    I vaguely heard hisughter.


    After a while, it was quiet in the lounge. Upon thinking he had left, I removed the nket and stared at


    the ceiling. There was still an unpleasant feelinging from within.


    Did Ashton change because of guilt?


    Can a loveless marriage reallyst a lifetime?


    It was impossible to sleep with all these thoughts running through my head. Hence, I nned on finding


    my cell phone. Then I remembered it was ced outside.


    After getting out of bed, I headed out. Ashton wasn¡¯t in the office at that time.


    I looked around and saw someone standing behind the balcony curtains. I grabbed my phone and


    prepared to return to the lounge when I overheard Ashton talking on the phone. ¡°Is she alright?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure what was being said on the other end of the call, but I heard him reply, ¡°Alright, bring her


    for a checkup and have her wounds bandaged well. After that, send her back to Pear Garden.¡±


    It was about Reba.


    That¡¯s right, how could I have forgotten? Reba was also hurt. Even though he made no mention of


    her, but she was the person he cared for the most.


    As for me, he didn¡¯t love me. All he had was just a sense of responsibility.


    Ashton wasn¡¯t expecting me to suddenly appear. His eyebrows furrowed when he saw me standing


    there. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you resting?¡±


    I shed the cellphone as I said, ¡°I¡¯m here to retrieve this.¡±


    ¡°Since you¡¯re going to sleep, there¡¯s no use holding on to your phone.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    After returning to the lounge, I was slightly absentminded.


    Fortunately, pregnant women tend to feel lethargic. I dozed off after zoning out for a while.


    It was already afternoon when I woke up. I heard people arguing outside so I got out of the bed. My


    head was hurting at that point, probably due to oversleeping.


    I opened the door and saw Ashton and Joe fighting with one another. They stopped the moment they


    saw me.


    Ashton threw a pile of documents to Joe and uttered coldly, ¡°Stop causing trouble for yourself. I hope


    you don¡¯t repeat the same mistakes again.¡±


    Joe picked up the documents and red at me. After that, he left without saying a word.


    I was a little baffled. Is it a bad time for me to show up?


    ¡°What are you daydreaming about?¡± Ashton asked while his slender body leaned against the chair. As


    he stretched out his hand towards mezily, he said, ¡°Come here!¡±


    I walked up to him and sat on hisp. ¡°I¡¯ve slept too much and I don¡¯t feel too well!¡±


    He tucked some loose strands of hair behind my ears and pressed his face against my neck. ¡°It¡¯s


    alright. We¡¯ll go for a walkter. What do you feel like eating?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± I looked at the clock on the wall. It was already three o¡¯clock in the afternoon. I had


    slept for three or four hours. No wonder I wasn¡¯t feeling well.


    He handed me a ss of warm water. ¡°Dr. Ludwick invites us for dinner tonight. Do you want to go?¡±


    Stunned, I took a sip of water and ced the ss on the table. ¡°Did you say yes?¡±


    He lowered his eyes and nodded. ¡°Yes, I want to bring you out for good food.¡±Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    That was good excuse.


    However, as a president himself, he didn¡¯t need someone to foot the bill if he wanted to bring his


    pregnant wife to a nice dinner.


    ¡°You decide.¡± I stood up and straightened my wrinkled clothes. ¡°I need to go back to the office.¡±


    For the entire day, I hardly did anything at the office apart from sleeping.


    At that moment, his phone rang. He nodded in acknowledgment and said, ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯lle and


    pick you upter.¡±


    Back at the office, Stacey didn¡¯t look too good. She forced a smile after seeing me. ¡°Ms. Stovall!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I saw there weren¡¯t any documents on the table and asked, ¡°There are no documents


    needing my attention today?¡±


    Stacey lowered her head and said glumly, ¡°AC Credit¡¯s documents have been sent back by Mr. Fuller.


    He wants them to redo everything.¡±


    ¡°The audit for Quinn Corporation needs to be redone?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°It was Ashton¡¯s decision?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Yes!¡±


    Now it makes sense¡­ No wonder Joe looked furious at Ashton¡¯s office earlier.

 Chapter 98

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 98


    ¡°Do you know why?¡± Ashton would not deliberately increase the workload for others for no apparent


    reason.


    ¡°It seems to be AC Credit had missed out on certain aspects during the audit. It wasn¡¯t a serious issue.


    However, Mr. Fuller was angry,¡± Stacey muttered timidly.


    I did not probe further. Since Ashton had requested it to be redone, it didn¡¯t matter what I have to say.


    Besides, he would know what he was doing.


    I hummed in response. While I was pouring the mineral water to the nters on the balcony, I suddenly


    recalled something. ¡°Is there any problems in HiTech?¡±


    ¡°No, the market responded very well. However, there seems to be something wrong with OrbitTech.¡±


    I was startled and looked at her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a technologypany in A City that is preparing to acquire themtely. The matter is still


    being discussed as there were differing opinions.¡±


    Stacey had been keeping an eye on OrbitTech. I nodded and uttered, ¡°Look up information for the


    company in A City. Then quickly make an appointment for me to meet with the management at


    OrbitTech.¡±


    Since Ashton had been paying attention to OrbitTech, it meant that he was nning to acquire them. It


    seemed that the other party was also anxious to acquire OrbitTech because of their technological


    expertise.


    After our chat, Stacey went back and continued her work. I turned on theputer and did some


    research on OrbitTech. Even though thepany was small but the market value was decent. Clearly,


    the boss was only good at technical knowledge. Otherwise, the finances of thepany wouldn¡¯t be in


    a mess.


    While I was reading up on OrbitTech¡¯s information, Ashton entered the office. He removed his coat and


    revealed his tall and slender figure. Without the usual seriousness, he looked stunning at that moment.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    I turned off theputer and stood up. ¡°OrbitTech. Are we leaving now? Did Dr. Ludwick give you the


    address?¡±


    He nodded and pulled me into a hug. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go. Are you hungry?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Even though I didn¡¯t remember eating that afternoon. I had not been hungry for a couple of days


    already.


    Ashton¡¯s car was parked in the garage. Due to my bad experience with the garage, he went to his car


    alone while I waited for him at the exit.


    It was crowded in the lobby. I couldn¡¯t bear standing for too long, hence I took a seat on a bench.


    Everyone was rushing to leave the office after working hours and it was inevitable for me to see a few


    familiar faces. I saw Stacey who had changed into a light yellow dress with her makeup done. After


    exiting the building, she happily got into a ck Cadic which was stopped in front of the office.


    For someone who was about to get married, her face was filled with happiness. I was curious to know


    what type of man could bring a smile to Stacey¡¯s usually rigid expression.


    The driver¡¯s side window was wound down so I managed to get a look. The man looked like he was in


    histe twenties He appeared well-groomed and intellectual.


    Suddenly, a car honked and I returned to my senses. Turning my head around, I saw Ashton¡¯s car.


    I went into the car and nced at the office entrance again but the Cadic had already left.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Ashton came closer to me and fastened my seat belt.


    ¡°A friend,¡± I replied while looking away.


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    He did not probe further and drove to the restaurant where Caleb had made a reservation.


    After we arrived at the entrance of a high-end Chinese restaurant, Ashton stopped his car. Right after,


    he took me to the room which Caleb had reserved.


    Caleb and his wife had already arrived. Standing beside them were two other people whom we had


    never met.


    After seeing Ashton and I had arrived, everyone introduced themselves to one another. Other than


    Caleb and his wife, one of the strangers was a middle-aged woman who was a gynecologist, while the


    other was a youngdy who was Caleb¡¯s niece. She seemed very vibrant and adorable.


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, I have ordered a salted chicken and their signature soup for you. It tastes pretty good. I


    hope you will like it.¡± As I was acquainted with Martha, we began to chit-chat once we were seated


    down.


    She whispered to my ear, ¡°You don¡¯t know how much you have scared me. I thought you had really


    aborted the baby.¡±


    I was remorseful and said embarrassingly, ¡°I have no intention to hide it from you. I¡¯m really sorry.¡±


    She shook her head and smiled. ¡°What are you apologizing for? Things are looking good now, aren¡¯t


    they? Let¡¯s not mention the past anymore.¡±


    After Caleb and Ashton chatted for a while, he turned to me and said, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, Dr. Linnard is a


    gynecologist at our hospital. Mr. Fuller requested for me to get a specialist to look after you during your


    pregnancy.¡±


    Dr. Linnard looked at me and smiled. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, you are weed to visit me anytime if you have


    any problems.¡±


    With a smile, I poured some juice into my wine ss and toasted with both of them. I looked at Caleb


    and said, ¡°I might need to trouble Dr. Ludwick in the future. I would like to thank you in advance.¡±

 Chapter 99

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 99


    After some formal exchanges, the atmosphere in the room had gotten more vibrant.


    In the meantime, the youngdy next to Caleb seemed to be hinting at him about something. Caleb


    looked at us and said, ¡°Actually, I have a favor to ask from you both. I hope you can agree to it.¡±


    In response, I said with a smile, ¡°Dr. Ludwick, we have been working together for many years. Let us


    know what do you need from us and we will do our best to help.¡±


    Dr. Ludwickughed and thanked us profusely. However, he was embarrassed to make his request.


    Seeing as his husband was embarrassed, Martha uttered, ¡°Well, the truth is, our niece has just


    graduated from university not long ago. Joining Fuller Corporation is her dream. She may be shy but


    she is really smart. Knowing that Fuller Corporation¡¯s hiring requirement is extremely strict, we are


    hoping if you guys could assign a position for her in thepany.¡±


    I was stunned for a moment before looking towards Ashton. Fuller Corporation¡¯s recruitment had


    always been strict, and every employee was carefully selected by the Human Resources department.


    The strict procedure was not without reason. Firstly, Fuller Corporation was a listedpany and the


    remuneration was way higher than otherpanies.


    Secondly, one could gain a lot of exposure to the industry in Fuller Corporation. After all, employees


    had to go through extensive training in thepany. Hence, ex-employees of Fuller Corporation were


    highly sought-after bypanies of the same industry.


    I had to go through the selection process as well to join Fuller Corporation. With George¡¯s help, I was


    able to climb up the corporatedder. Though, it was not without great effort on my part.


    At that moment, the youngdy was staring at Ashton with admiration clearly written all over her face.


    After Ashton heard what Martha had said, he didn¡¯t say anything but serve me a bowl of soup. ¡°Drink


    more soup, it with calm your nerves and help you sleep better.¡±


    I nodded and was curious about how he was going to deal with Caleb¡¯s request. He looked at Caleb


    then shifted his gaze to Martha. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to be valued highly by the both of you. As you know,


    even my wife had to be assessed by Human Resources back then. Fuller Corporation will hold a job


    fair in June, maybe she could go for a tryout then.¡±


    I was speechless upon seeing how Ashton dealt with the matter, seeing as he was unconcerned about


    doing others a favor on goodwill.


    In truth, he was telling the youngdy to enter thepany based on her own abilities.


    After seeing Caleb turned slightly embarrassed and that youngdy didn¡¯t look too pleased as well, I


    couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Ms. Ludwick is a graduate of a top university. With her ability, I believe we¡¯ll be


    able to work together under the same roof.¡±


    The youngdy seemed better after hearing that. She looked at Ashton timidly and asked, ¡°Really?¡±


    It¡¯s normal for young graduates to be hopeful about their future. Ashton was too direct with his


    approach. Hence, it would be better for him to stay silent in such a situation. Fortunately, he wasn¡¯t a


    man of many words. Seeing as he remained silent, the youngdy interpreted his silence as


    agreement.


    After a satisfying feast, the dinner came to an end.


    Upon leaving the restaurant, Caleb and Martha were very polite. As I was feeling tired and cold from


    the night temperature, I spoke less as well.


    Suddenly my shoulders felt warm. I lifted my head and saw Ashton covering me with a coat. I was


    stunned and said to him, ¡°Thank you!¡±


    A ck Cadic stopped in front of the restaurant and a well-groomed gentleman stepped out of the


    car. He looked at Caleb and Martha, then said, ¡°Dad! Mom! Please inform me half an hour in advance


    next time.¡±


    Martha pulled his arm lovingly and said to Ashton and me, ¡°This is my son, Felix. Initially, he was


    supposed to join us but he couldn¡¯t make it due to some matters. It¡¯s great that you bumped into him


    here. Now everyone can get to know one another.¡±


    After a few exchanges, I thought that Felix looked familiar, but I couldn¡¯t recall where I had seen him


    before.


    ording to Martha¡¯s introduction, he was working in AC Credit, and that caught my attention.


    Since the dinner was over and there wasn¡¯t anything important left to discuss, we all bid our farewells


    and headed back to our own homes.


    After getting into the car, I furrowed my eyebrows and stared nkly outside.


    I felt something warm covering my hand. As I turned around, one of Ashton¡¯s hands was holding mine


    and the other was on the steering wheel. I uttered right away, ¡°It¡¯s not safe like this!¡±


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    He nced at me smilingly and said, ¡°Are you concerned about me?¡±


    Not at all!


    ¡°I¡¯m in the car too, with the baby in my belly!¡±


    His eyes darkened while he held my hand tightly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even if I die, I¡¯ll protect you


    and the baby.¡±


    I did not reply to him further. At that point, all I could think about was Felix. It was also a ck Cadic


    that had appeared at the office¡¯s entrance earlier today.


    However, I was at a distance at that time and couldn¡¯t see that man¡¯s face clearly. I couldn¡¯t help but


    frown and a sense of uneasiness came over me.

 Chapter 100

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 100


    We did not speak throughout the journey and I was quite sleepy upon arriving at the vi.


    Ashton carried me out of the car, and we headed straight into the bedroom. Heid me on the bed and


    said, ¡°Don¡¯t fall asleep yet. Go and wash up first.¡±


    I was slightly groggy and couldn¡¯t help butze on the bed. I pulled the nket over and was nning


    to fall asleep then and there.


    Ashton saw through what I was trying to do and he carried me from underneath the nket. We went


    into the bathroom and he said softly, ¡°Wash up first. Or else, you will suffer tomorrow.¡±


    I agreed and hung myself onto him groggily. As I was stretching my hand to grab the toothpaste,


    suddenly he took it away.


    He applied the toothpaste onto my toothbrush then passed me a ss of water. ¡°Brush your teeth


    properly.¡± He sounded as if he was teaching a child.


    With the toothbrush in my mouth, I murmured, ¡°I¡¯m not a child.¡±


    Heughed and said, ¡°There¡¯s no difference.¡±


    After I forced myself to wash up, I seemed to be slightly more awake. Iy on the bed with Ashton next


    to me. He hugged me in his arms with his chin resting on my neck. ¡°Let¡¯s have a good sleep tonight.¡±


    I raised one of my eyebrows. ¡°Are you saying that to yourself?¡±


    He starred at me and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m saying that to you. It¡¯s normal for it to have a reaction when it sees its


    owner.¡±


    He can be turned on anytime, anywhere!


    I pursed my lips and pushed him away. ¡°You stink so bad. Go wash up.¡±


    He smiled menacingly and asked, ¡°Where does it stink?¡±


    ¡°Everywhere!¡± Just when I shut my eyes and was preparing to fall asleep, his voice traveled next to my


    ear. ¡°Scarlett, let¡¯s live together in harmony from now on? Hm?¡±


    My chest hurt as if my heart had sunk. I pursed my lips without saying a word. Can we really live a


    good life?


    ¡°Ashton, do you love me?¡± I knew that question was silly but I just had to ask.


    He ced his hand on my face and touched my earlobe with his fingers. ¡°What about you?¡±


    Me?


    I was a little apprehensive as it had been such a long time. It was love at first sight when I met Ashton. I


    relied on that feeling during theter days. However, much time had passed without him reciprocating


    my love. At that point, I realized I wasn¡¯t as persistent as before and even nned to leave him.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Maybe, I didn¡¯t love him as much as I thought.


    Seeing that I was silent, his eyes darkened, and said, ¡°It¡¯s alright, we¡¯ll take it slow. We will be madly in


    love with each other in the future!¡±


    I didn¡¯t say anything and pushed him slightly. ¡°Go shower. I¡¯m tired.¡±


    I should have let go earlier, rather than dragging on for so long. It was eating away at me.


    Hended a kiss on my forehead before going into the bathroom.


    I stared nkly at the ceiling.


    His phone that was on the bed started to vibrate. Initially, I wasn¡¯t nning to pick up the call but it kept


    vibrating. Hence, I answered it.


    ¡°Ash, can youe and apany me? I¡¯m scared to be alone.¡± Reba¡¯s voice was weak and


    pitiful.


    After taking a nce at the bathroom, I uttered, ¡°He is in the shower. Call backter!¡±


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± She sounded very unpleased. ¡°Why did you pick up Ash¡¯s phone? What are you both


    doing?¡±


    I was distressed by her voice. ¡°He is in the shower! Call backter!¡±


    ¡°Scarlett, you¡¯re so shameless.¡± Sometimes I felt that Reba had run out of tricks. Besides scheming,


    crying, and throwing tantrums, there was nothing else to her. If it weren¡¯t because of her good looks, a


    girl like her wouldn¡¯t pose as much of a threat.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m shameless. Why not you, Ms. Larson, as his mistress can call him all you liketer? So I don¡¯t


    have to fulfill his sexual desires while I¡¯m pregnant.¡± I wasn¡¯t disgusted by her, but the clingy behavior


    that was disyed. It was too tiring.


    Before Reba was able to scream her head off, I hung up the phone.


    I threw the cell phone to one side and pinched my eyebrows. When I looked up, I saw Ashton standing


    at the bathroom door, his expression gloomy.


    I didn¡¯t shy away but instead, I said, ¡°Your phone kept vibrating, so I answered it. Reba wants you to


    go over and keep herpany.¡±


    It was already midsummer but somehow, I felt cold lying in bed. I couldn¡¯t help but snug under the


    nket.


    ¡°Oh, what did you reply?¡± he asked. Sporting a casual look, his voice was devoid of emotion. It seemed


    as if he was genuinely asking without any further intention.


    ¡°I told her to call you backter.¡± I hid under the nket and indeed, I felt warmer like that. Shutting my


    eyes, I was ready to sleep.


    He let out a soft chuckle. Lying next to me, he brushed the hair that was on my forehead to one side.


    I opened my eyes and stared at him.


    He said with a smile, ¡°Scarlett, I¡¯m your husband. Another woman called in the middle of the night to


    ask me to keep herpany. Shouldn¡¯t you be arguing with me?¡±


    Stunned, I got up from the bed, looked at him, and uttered, ¡°Then don¡¯t stay here tonight. Go stay


    somewhere else.¡±


    He was taken aback. Then rubbed my forehead, and said helplessly, ¡°You¡¯re my wife. Even if we are


    arguing, we should still remain in the same house.¡±


    I knew I wasn¡¯t able to banter with him any further. Hence, I hummed in acknowledgement andy


    down on the bed again.

 Chapter 101

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 101


    He wrapped his arms around me and trapped me in an embrace. Eyebrows raised, he asked, ¡°You¡¯re


    falling asleep just like that?¡±


    I was bing really annoyed by his antics. I turned to face him and said, ¡°My arms are sore. Why


    don¡¯t you go settle it yourself in the bathroom?¡± Seriously, how could you expect anyone to do it every


    day? Especially a pregnant woman.


    His eyes darkened as he grinned from ear to ear, ¡°It¡¯s an honor to let you know how tough I am.¡±


    Me? You call this tough?


    I ignored him, shut my eyes, and begged for sleep toe.


    His voice softened. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t sleep yet. You don¡¯t like it wet, right? Help me dry up. Then, we


    can sleep.¡±


    I grimaced. ¡°Do it yourself.¡±


    Ashton rested his chin on my shoulder, but his hands stayed put. ¡°There are some things that couples


    do together.¡±


    Fine. I won¡¯t be getting any sleep anyway if this goes on.


    I broke off from his embrace, sat up, picked up the towel he had thrown aside a moment ago, knelt on


    the bed, and began to wipe his hair.


    His upper body was still wet, with water droplets trickling down. I pursed my lips. Doesn¡¯t he know he


    should dry himself beforeing to bed?


    ¡°You¡¯re getting water on the bed!¡± I eximed in annoyance, eyes on the damp patch under him. ¡°The


    next time you do something like this, you¡¯re not sleeping here.¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°Fine. Next time you should help me dry up in the bathroom.¡±


    I pressed my lips together, opting to ignore him.


    After I was finished with him, Iid down to sleep. I was unsure what he was up to, but he went out


    shortly and came back with several ointments.


    I was tired, and had no intention to ask.


    His cell phone began to ring in that arrogant tone again. He answered in a chilly voice, ¡°Reba, what


    is it?¡±


    I did not expect him to answer his phone hands-free, ying the call on loudspeaker. On the other end,


    Reba spoke in a low voice, ¡°Ash,e stay with me, please? I can¡¯t stand being alone.¡±


    Hasn¡¯t she gone back to Pear Garden with Cameron? Why is she still broadcasting her loneliness


    here?


    ¡°Call Joe, will you? I have to give Scarlett a massageter. She¡¯s pregnant. Her calves and feet have


    gotten swollen, so she needs to be massaged every day.¡±


    He said it very calmly and soon hung up the phone, not waiting for Reba to say more.


    I glowered at him. ¡°What do you mean my feet have gotten swollen? I¡¯m barely four months along. Why


    do you say that?¡±


    He smiled faintly, already cing my thigh on his. Next, he began applying essential oils gently on my


    skin. ¡°Alright, you¡¯re not swollen. You¡¯re just fat!¡±


    I really wanted to punch him.


    My temper would rise if I kept this up.


    So, I opted to close my eyes and went to sleep, ignoring the idiot.


    I had been lethargic recently. I could sleep all day long and still be able to sleep through the night.


    I did not know when exactly Ashton fell asleep, but he was no longer in the room by the time I woke up.


    I knew he would be busy these days, so I did not give it much thought.


    I washed up, went downstairs, grabbed something simple to eat, and then left the house.


    I was surprised that Cameron and Zachary wanted to meet me, but I knew it woulde to this


    eventually. We had arranged to meet in a coffee shop in the city center.


    When I entered the shop, Zachary was gazing at Cameron affectionately as he put a fine gold-rimmed


    watch on her wrist.


    I could tell they were very much in love.


    ¡°It looks like I¡¯mte,¡± I walked to the table and announced my presence with a smile on my face.


    When Cameron saw me, she kindly led me to the seat next to her. ¡°What would you like to drink?¡± she


    offered.


    I put up a faint smile, ¡°Anything, really.¡±


    ¡°I hear their Blue Mountain coffee is great. Care to try one?¡± Cameron suggested. It would not feel right


    to refuse, so I nodded, ¡°Thank you!¡±


    After we ced our orders, Zachary¡¯s gloomy eyes fell on me. He sighed, ¡°Ms. Stovall, you certainly


    look like Cam in her prime.¡±


    For a moment, I did not know how to respond to that, so I got straight to the point, ¡°Is there something


    you¡¯d like to discuss with me?¡±


    Since I brought it up, Cameron smiled too and said, ¡°My dear, I haven¡¯t even asked how you¡¯ve been.¡±


    Zachary, on the other hand, spoke up, ¡°It¡¯s like this. You know Cam and I liked you very much from the


    first time we saw you. We may have gotten our daughter back, but fate had already bound us together.


    If you don¡¯t mind, Ms. Stovall, we¡¯d like to have you join our family.¡±


    I knitted my brows. I had a hunch that one would not simply seek out someone else without having an


    agenda. Thus, I replied, ¡°Meeting you two has been a great blessing. Please, do tell.¡±


    Cameron¡¯s expression shifted, and it was not in a good way. She paused before saying, ¡°Ms. Stovall, it


    should be clear to you what kind of rtionship there is between Reba and Mr. Fuller, am I right?


    Is she here to speak on behalf of her daughter?


    I grinned and nodded casually, ¡°Yes. Crystal clear, in fact. You want to persuade me to divorce Ashton


    so that your daughter can marry the one she likes, am I right?¡±


    The two seemed awkward right then, but they were people who practiced self-restraint. Cameron


    looked a little guilty. ¡°I can understand how you feel, Ms. Stovall. Zachary and I had not considered this


    thoroughly, but please think of this as a mother¡¯s fondness for her daughter.¡±


    I nodded. I felt indifferent, actually. ¡°Ashton and I are husband and wife in the eyes of thew, no matter


    how you put it. It¡¯s certainly inconsiderate of you to try to talk me into getting a divorce. Besides, even if


    I were willing to let Ms. Larson take my ce, Ashton would have to agree to that as well. Furthermore,Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    I¡¯m three months pregnant. As parents yourselves, what choice do you think I should make for my


    child?¡±

 Chapter 102

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 102


    Zachary was a businessman, and profits always came first in his world. After he heard what I said, he


    ced a gold card in front of me. ¡°Ms. Stovall, you don¡¯t have to worry about your child¡¯s future. The


    money I have here is enough for you to purchase a suite in K City. Whatever you need down the road,


    name it, and I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    I smiled faintly. Wow, they¡¯re certainly all in on this!


    I grinned as I examined the gold card on the table. The whole thing was rather absurd. ¡°How terrible it


    must have been to suffer the loss of a daughter for twenty years. I suppose it must be painful for Ms.


    Larson as well, spending her early years without her parents. You two have gone through this, and it¡¯s


    certainly not what I want my child to experience. I believe my child would prefer staying with his parents


    over swimming in luxury.¡±


    After a pause, I went on, ¡°In addition, the Fuller Corporation¡¯s current financial entitlements may be


    insufficientpared to what you have, but this doesn¡¯t mean that it will stay that way. You admire


    Ashton, so you must know that his future is quite promising. If that¡¯s the case, I don¡¯t have to seek


    farther for what I want.¡±


    Cameron and Zachary exchanged nces, feeling rather embarrassed.


    I shrugged as the coffee was served. ¡°I admire the love you have for your children. And perhaps I¡¯m


    envious too. But that¡¯s all there is. Ms. Larson is lucky to have such supportive parents, but I want to


    secure a better future for my child as well.¡±


    Cameron let out a loose sigh and said, ¡°Zachary and I haven¡¯t thought this through. Please, Ms.


    Stovall, don¡¯t take this to heart. As parents, it¡¯s easy to lose our sense of propriety for the sake of our


    children.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Yes, of course!¡±


    I have said everything that should be said. I supposed there was nothing more for me to add that would


    not be a waste of breath.


    I grabbed the bag beside me and made to get up, maintaining myposure as I took my leave. ¡°I


    understand your objective in meeting me today. I¡¯ve also made myself very clear. If there¡¯s nothing else


    you want to say, I¡¯ll be leaving.¡±


    I had barely taken several steps when Cameron rushed in front of me, looking shaky. ¡°Ms. Stovall,


    please take this. You¡¯re still young. You still have plenty of opportunities to have children in the future.


    Please reconsider. Allow Zachary and I to take you in as our goddaughter, and you can enjoy the same


    prospects as Reba does. All you need to do is give up Ashton, and you shall receive tenfold of your


    current privileges. I know you¡¯ll be mad, but I beg you to think about it.¡±


    This was all quiteughable to me. Looking at the bank card she pressed into in my hand, I grinned,


    ¡°Ms. Anderson, I¡¯ve always thought of you as someone sensible, empathetic, and governed by


    principles. But now, you seem quite ordinary to me. You talk about taking me in as a goddaughter, but


    honestly, even if I were your flesh and blood, I don¡¯t think I¡¯d admit that we¡¯re rted. We¡¯d better go


    our separate ways.¡±


    Cameron looked like she wanted to say something, but I shoved her aside. Humans are really


    disgusting creatures. We carve out an image to show that we are good and harmless, call ourselves


    entrepreneurs, and then shamelessly ept the admiration and praise of others. Even so, we aren¡¯t


    able to conceal our shady nature.


    Cameron lost her footing and fell to the ground. Repulsed, I looked on coldly as Zachary helped her up.


    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean it,¡± I said tly.


    ¡°That¡¯s presumptuous! I only hope that Ms. Stovall won¡¯t think that our methods are too cruel.¡±


    Zachary¡¯s anger had begun to show, and his plucky face turned hostile. ¡°Since Ms. Stovall rejected


    such a peaceful settlement, we shall resolve this differently.¡±


    ¡°Surprise me!¡± With that, I left the premises. After experiencing such an ordeal, I couldn¡¯t help but thank


    my grandmother. She might have been living a hard life all these years, but she had taught me to follow


    my conscience. Thus, I did not be as corrupted as them.


    I exited the coffee shop and headed straight to thepany.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    To be frank, I was not in a good mood, but I could bear it.


    I bumped into Nick downstairs. He seemed to be in a hurry, so I pretended not to have seen him, but


    he came up to me instead.


    He stepped into my path. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in a while. What have you been up to these days?¡±


    ¡°Work!¡±


    His mouth twitched. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be such an ice queen. At any rate, I¡¯m still a fan of yours. Can¡¯t


    you be a bit friendlier towards me?¡±


    I turned to face him and changed the subject, ¡°Where¡¯s your biological father?¡± If Cameron is Nick¡¯s


    mother, where did his father go?


    Perhaps the question came up too suddenly, for his face instantly sank. He scowled at me, ¡°Why do


    you ask?¡±


    ¡°Just curious!¡± Cameron was a piece of work too. Who knows how many men she has bedded.


    ¡°He¡¯s dead.¡± He dropped a simple reply, then carried on, ¡°Have dinner with me tonight. I will answer all


    your questions then.¡±


    ¡°Not interested!¡± I steered away from him and entered the elevator.


    ¡°I¡¯ll cook for you,¡± He added hurriedly.


    The elevator doors closed, automatically putting an end to his nonsense.


    Back at the office, I called for Stacey, who did not look very well. I couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What


    happened to you?¡±


    She sighed. ¡°Mr. Fuller wanted to look at AC¡¯s audit personally. I¡¯m so stressed right now.¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be stressed about. He just wants to take a look at it. You know I do that


    too. What¡¯s the difference? Just dock it like you always do, and there won¡¯t be a problem.¡±

 Chapter 103

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 103


    Then I recalled seeing her with a man downstairs yesterday, so I pried some more, ¡°Was that your


    boyfriend yesterday? The one who came to fetch you downstairs?¡±


    She froze for a moment as surprise came over her. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The handsome fellow in the ck Cadic. Is he your boyfriend?¡± It was just a casual question, and


    yet she seemed so skittish.


    I joked, ¡°I saw you two by chance. Why are you so nervous? Don¡¯t worry, a married woman such as I


    can¡¯t possibly steal him away.¡±


    Her smile seemed a little forced. ¡°Ms. Stovall, I don¡¯t mean that. You know how I refrain from talking


    about my private life with the people here. Moreover, there are many women in thepany, all of


    whom have pledged not to get married or have children for at least five years of working here.¡±


    Fuller Corporation was a good ce to work in, but George Fuller had set a rule that female employees


    were not allowed to develop romantic rtionships or have children within their first five years of


    working here. He took into ount that women might take maternity leave and marriage leave


    sometime during their employment, which would affect their work.


    This rule was unreasonable in the first ce, so after Ashton took over thepany, it was basically


    pushed aside. However, because the rule was set by George, his grandfather, it could not be removed


    directly. So, although this rule was written in ck and white, female employees were allowed to keep


    their options open, and they would not be penalized for taking maternal leave or marriage leave.


    But this was her private life after all, and I had no right to pry, so I smiled in return, ¡°Well, I just


    happened to see you two together yesterday, and I got curious.¡±


    I handed her the processed documents and said, ¡°Here, get to work! Since Ashton has requested to


    check AC¡¯s audit personally, you should probably put in more effort. In addition, please do a summary


    for the credit audit report.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ms. Stovall!¡±


    As she walked out of the office, I looked up at the clock. It was already noon.


    That¡¯s strange. Based on Ashton¡¯s recent habits, he should havee to take me out to lunch by now.


    Someone knocked on the office door. I snapped out of my thoughts to find Jared there. He seemed to


    be in a rush. Before I could say anything, he invited himself in and dragged me out.


    ¡°Dr. Crest, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Because I was shorter and smaller than him, I could not keep up. I was


    basically trotting behind him.


    When we got in the elevator, he knitted his brows and announced sternly, ¡°Ashton got into a car


    ident. He¡¯s been taken to the hospital.¡±


    Car ident?


    I was confused. He was fine justst night, wasn¡¯t he?


    ¡°How is he? How did it happen?¡± He couldpete in the National Championship with his set of driving


    skills. How could he possibly get into a car ident?


    ¡°Let¡¯s go check on him first!¡± Jared did not say much after we got out of the elevator, leading me to his


    car in a hurry.


    Jared sped all the way, and very soon, we arrived at the hospital.


    I hurriedly followed him to the ER, where Joe was standing guard at the door.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Jared asked, catching his breath. We came in a hurry.


    Joe seemed fine at first nce. When prompted by Jared, however, he did not answer right away.


    Instead, he peered at me awkwardly before looking towards the other end of the corridor.


    I followed his gaze and froze. Reba was there too. Her hair was unkempt, and the back of her


    hands was injured. She looked miserable.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t there too. I don¡¯t know what happened,¡± said Joe. Then he approached Reba.


    Ha!


    Not much thought was required to figure out what happened. Ashton must have been with Reba,


    that¡¯s why he got into an ident,


    ¡°Can I speak to the patient¡¯s family?¡± A doctor wearing a white coat came out of the ER with the


    patient¡¯s medical records in hand.


    ¡°How is Ash? Is he alright?¡± Reba quickly rose to inquire when the doctor called.


    As a medical personnel himself, Jared was much calmer. He asked the doctor, ¡°How is the patient¡¯s


    condition?¡±


    ¡°The patient hit his head and is currently in aa. We won¡¯t know the specifics until he wakes up.


    Also, we found some ss fragments deep below the ribs, so we¡¯d have to perform a minor operation


    on him to remove them. If his family is here, can you please sign this?¡± The doctor surveyed us all


    before producing a consent form.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Reba scurried over, ¡°Me! Let me sign!¡±


    The doctor nodded and asked her, ¡°Miss, what¡¯s your rtionship with the patient?¡±


    Reba froze in her steps and bit her lip.


    I stood aside with my arms crossed and said tly, ¡°Does a signature by the patient¡¯s lover have any


    legal effect?¡±


    The doctor frowned in rm. ¡°Everyone, the patient is in critical condition. You¡¯d better take this


    seriously. Furthermore, please be informed that the surgical consent form is only valid if it¡¯s signed by


    the patient¡¯s parents, wife, or children.¡±


    I walked over to him, took the consent form, and signed it casually, all the while maintaining an icy


    stare. ¡°Are there any other documents that need to be signed??¡±


    The doctor shook his head in a daze, ¡°And what¡¯s your rtionship with the patient?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m his wife!¡±


    I added, ¡°If that¡¯s all there is, I¡¯m going back to work. I have other matters to attend to.¡±


    The doctor probably sensed aplicated rtionship here, for he looked back and forth between


    Reba and me, paused, and said, ¡°Since you¡¯re his wife, I¡¯ll need you to go through the


    hospitalization procedures. I¡¯ll also suggest that you stay for the night to care for the patient.¡±


    I was quite irritated at this point. ¡°Is he dying?¡±


    Onement caused several heads to roll as they turned to stare at me.


    The doctor furrowed his eyebrows, ¡°No, the patient¡¯s condition isn¡¯t serious. Only flesh wounds.¡±


    ¡°There we go!¡±


    Since he was not on his deathbed, there was no need for me to stay.

 Chapter 104

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 104


    After going through all the formalities that required signatures andpleting all rted procedures, I


    passed the documents to Joe. Jared had entered the operating room.


    Joe did not look pleased when I handed him the documents. ¡°Scarlett, what¡¯s the meaning of this?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it clear?¡± I looked at him, eyebrows creased. ¡°I¡¯ve done everything I¡¯m required to, so I don¡¯t think


    I¡¯m needed here anymore.¡±


    ¡°Is that how you perform your role as a wife?¡± Joe sneered. ¡°Your husband is lying in there right now,


    and you¡¯re here thinking of ways to stay far away. Is this how a wife should behave?¡±


    The whole scene was hrious. I looked at Reba, who was drowning in misery on one side, then


    turned to face Joe. Iughed. ¡°I must say, I don¡¯t know what other people¡¯s wives would do when they


    find out their husband and his mistress have been involved in a car ident. But, in my case, the fact


    that I refused to dy Ashton¡¯s operation is the greatest kindness I can give him. To be honest, if it


    weren¡¯t for the sake of my unborn child, I¡¯d rather not sign at all.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett, you¡¯re a vile woman!¡± Reba cut in before Joe could respond.


    I nodded, ring at her twisted features. ¡°Yes, I guess I¡¯m quite vicious, but that¡¯s not enough. I should


    have prayed for the two of you to die together in that car crash, like a pair of lovers.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett, don¡¯t you have a heart?¡± Joe berated. He could not tolerate me cursing at his sweetheart.


    ¡°Apparently not!¡± Anything else I said would be taken as tongue-in-cheek. I regarded the operating


    room, with its lights on, then turned to leave the hospital.


    It was three in the afternoon by the time I returned to thepany. Stacey brought in AC¡¯s documents


    and reported, ¡°Ms. Stovall, AC¡¯s audit has been revised, but Mr. Fuller is not in the office. Can you sign


    it?¡±


    I looked up at her and, for a while, but said nothing. She got a little flustered by the staring and rushed


    to speak, ¡°Ms. Stovall, this document is urgently needed. I don¡¯t want to cause any dy at work, so¡­¡±


    ¡°Is Felix your boyfriend?¡± I spoke in a chilly tone.


    Her face instantly paled. ¡°Ms. Stovall, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Is he working at AC?¡± I added, eyeing her sharply.


    For a moment, her hands clutching the document began to tremble, but she remained silent and merely


    bit her lip.


    Eventually, I took my eyes off her and sighed, ¡°Stacey, I like to think I¡¯ve treated you fairly. From the day


    you joined thepany until now, no matter what happens, the first thing on my mind has always been


    about getting the best possible offer for you.¡±


    I went silent after that, leaving the rest unsaid. When she did not respond, I spoke some more, eyes


    fixed on her, ¡°The Fuller Corporation¡¯s audit is a big deal for both ourpanies. During this period, if


    anything happens to AC or the Fuller Corporation, the other AC is to me.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, I¡­¡±


    I did not give her a chance to talk as I continued, ¡°Take the audit data back and review it once more.


    Make sure there are no errors before sending it to the president¡¯s office to be finalized. Inform AC that


    coboration is a long-term deal, not something that onlysts several days. Of course, if the matter is


    only between you and AC, then we have a solution, and I¡¯ll leave that to you. Don¡¯t allow the problem to


    escte to the point where the leaders of the twopanies have to sit down and talk it over.¡±


    After I was finished, I asked her to leave. I was not dumb. I knew nothing about auditing. Ashton


    spotted a problem.


    He did not me me directly but instead approached Joe, indicating that this matter mostly had to do


    with Joe. Deception and framing one another in the workce weremon urrences.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Besides, Joe never really saw eye to eye with me. If he wanted to throw a wrench in the works and


    eventually cook up some problems to kick me out of thepany, it would not be difficult.


    Stacey was my employee. I leave most of the tasks to her. If she were to act a little selfishly and side


    with him, I would have to leave thepany sooner orter.


    I was familiar with Stacey¡¯s character. She could be moved only by matters of the heart. Other ways


    would prove difficult.


    It was both a surprise and a coincidence toe across Felix that day. I connected the dots, threw in


    Stacey¡¯s personality to the equation, and basically had the whole story figured out.


    I did not have much to do anyway, and I was feeling a little depressed as well, so there was no use


    staying at thepany. I gathered my things and prepared to leave.


    Before I could do that, Nick, who had changed into a formal suit, appeared at the door. With his arms


    folded, his eyesnded on me, ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner together!¡±


    I frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t want to!¡±


    ¡°We can go for something grand. How about a barbeque?¡± He said as he walked in and grabbed the


    car keys on my desk. ¡°Going in my car would attract too much attention. We need to keep a low profile,


    so let¡¯s take yours.¡±


    I rolled my eyes at him. ¡°Where?¡±


    With a cheerful grin, he said, ¡°Juste with me.¡±


    I did not really want to go, but I felt a tightness in my chest just thinking about Ashton and Reba, so


    I might as well grab a bite to eat.


    I did not expect Nick to take me to such a humble part of town. He drove into a small, darkne that


    seemed to have be worn down over time.


    The shady walls covered in poincianas looked absolutely stunning against the backdrop of the setting


    sun.

 Chapter 105

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 105


    Not long after that, he parked the car then turned at me, ¡°The nextne is just narrow enough for two


    people to cross at the same time. So, we¡¯ll get off here and walk.¡±


    We got out of the car. As he had said, thene was narrow indeed, just the right size for two people to


    pass through. Against the setting sun, the poincianas on the gray wall lit up quite brightly.


    ¡°This ce is off the beaten track. How did you find it?¡± I had spent so many years in J City, but I had


    not been here at all.


    Thene looked rather old.


    He leisurely tucked his hands into his side pockets, ¡°I stumbled into it by chance a few years ago. This


    lane was built around the mid-twentieth century. J City was originally a vige on water, where most


    buildings were constructed with white walls and ck tiles. You basically can¡¯t find ane as deep as


    this one in the south.¡±


    I nodded. Thisne certainly resembled more like northern architecture.


    He nced at me with his eyes aglow. ¡°Thisne was built by the local marshal for his wife. It¡¯s over a


    thousand meters in length and over five hundred centimeters in width. Many couples like toe here


    on dates.¡±


    ¡°Sounds romantic.¡± The blooming branches on both sides of the walls gradually switched from


    poincianas to roses. These roses were beautifully trimmed, and they looked gorgeous in full bloom,


    making up marvelous scenery.


    If one were in a bad mood, walking along thisne would provide pleasantry.


    He shrugged. ¡°It is.¡±


    Back in our university days, Macy and I agreed that we would make a lot of money in the future, and


    then the two of us would travel the world together. I wanted to see the mysteries of the world outside,


    experience different cultures, and witness the traces left by the ancients.


    I was not sure what happened next but, after graduating from university, this dream was buried. We


    had given over to reality and the harsh society, forgetting what we dreamed of in the first ce.


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± Nick announced abruptly. I regained my senses and turned to face him.


    He was a short distance in front of me, holding his cell phone. I looked up to find him snapping photos


    with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s a shame you didn¡¯t pursue acting. You have the face of a celebrity, and you¡¯re really


    photogenic.¡±


    I knew he was sneaking shots at me, but I did not bother pointing it out. I asked about the roses on


    either side, ¡°Do these flowers bloom all year round?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. Roses don¡¯t have seasons, and we¡¯re in the south, where the climate is


    perfect for these nts to prosper, so they get to bloom all year round.¡±


    It¡¯s splendid!


    We walked like this under the sunset, enjoying the ease andfort.


    He put his phone back into his pocket, gave me a sideways nce, and then asked me sternly, ¡°Why


    must it be Ashton?¡±


    I froze and replied tly, ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be him.¡± I just so happened to meet him when I was young


    and experienced love for the first time. Hence, he has be indispensable to me.


    He stopped in his tracks and proceeded to block my path, his face all serious. ¡°You¡¯ll leave him


    eventually, right?¡±


    I could not resist augh as I shoved him aside. ¡°Who knows what the future holds,¡± I said.


    So what if I do leave him? It would be best if we don¡¯t meet the one who sparks our souls too soon.


    Otherwise, it¡¯ll be hard to get over them for the rest of our lives, and we may end up disappointing


    others who capture our hearts.


    Without knowing it, we hade to the end of the road. It opened up to a crowded food street lined


    with stalls selling an assortment of food and supplies to the masses.


    Many Hanfu enthusiasts were walking along the street in their favorite clothing, which was delightful


    scenery in and of itself.


    We finally arrived at our destination after some more walking. It was already getting dark.


    ¡°You don¡¯t mind hanging out at a roadside booth with me, do you?¡± Nick found a seat at a barbecue


    stall and said to me with his chin propped up.


    ¡°If I say I do, are we hitting up a different stall?¡±


    He got up. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do that.¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    I dragged him back to his seat and passed him the menu. ¡°I don¡¯t like spicy food, but I¡¯m fine with


    everything else.¡±


    When he noticed I had selected some food from the menu, he pulled a seat next to me and chuckled, ¡°I


    knew you were different from the other girls.¡±


    I snickered as I peered at him, ¡°How so?¡±


    He ordered his food and said, ¡°Most girls believe that eating at roadside booths is degrading. They


    aren¡¯t willing to try because they associate it with ack of hygiene.¡±


    I let my eyes linger on him before answering in a t tone, ¡°And what makes you so sure I don¡¯t think


    that eating here is degrading? Or that I don¡¯t mind the dirt?¡±


    He seemed dumbstruck. ¡°Do you really think that?¡±


    ¡°Does it matter?¡± I took a sip of water and put on a faint smile. ¡°In the absence of mutual


    understanding, you brought a female friend to this roadside booth. Either you¡¯re testing her, or you like


    the food here so much you simply want to share your joy with her. These are two separate concepts.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s the former, regardless of the woman¡¯s reaction, you aren¡¯t worthy of the mutual attraction


    between the two of you. If it¡¯s thetter, then cherish it, for there aren¡¯t many out there who can share


    wonderful moments.¡±


    He turned to me. ¡°What about you? If Ashton loses everything one day, will you still love him? If he¡¯s no


    longer the president of Fuller Corporation.¡±


    ¡°There are no ifs in life!¡± I cut him short. The waiter chose this time to bring us our meat, and I fumbled


    with the grill knob.

 Chapter 106

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 106


    The phone in my pocket vibrated.


    I answered the call and immediately heard a cold voice screech, ¡°Scarlett!¡±


    It was Ashton. I guess he must havee out of the ER.


    ¡°Yes!¡± I answered. Upon seeing I¡¯m on a call, Nick stood up and went to get some drinks.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I could tell that the man on the other side of the line was not in a good mood.


    ¡°I¡¯m having barbecue now!¡± I told him, frankly.


    He responded with a cold short. ¡°Enjoying barbecue while your husband is still at the hospital? You¡¯re


    seriously the best wife ever.¡±


    I pressed my lips into a thin line. ¡°Since you still have the strength to be mad at me, I guess you¡¯re


    doing fine.¡±


    If he can quarrel with me, his injuries mustn¡¯t be that serious, right?


    Nick soon returned with a few bottles of drinks and said, ¡°Have some drinks to cool you down.¡±


    I gave him a thumbs-up to express my appreciation.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that? Who¡¯s with you?¡± Ashton asked impatiently.


    ¡°Mr. Harrison from Harrison Credit.¡± I grew a little annoyed as I was having a hard time talking to him


    over the phone and barbecuing my food at the same time. ¡°Is there anything else you want to know? If


    not, I¡¯ll end the call now.¡±


    ¡°Do you still remember you have a husband? You should be taking care of me!¡± He sounded angry.


    That was when I, too, got a little irritated. ¡°I¡¯m sure you have people to take good care of you. If I¡¯m not


    mistaken, Ms. Larson is there with you, right? What if I get into a fight with her, and you can¡¯t do


    anything about it? I think it¡¯s better for me to stay away from you. Take care! Goodbye!¡±


    I hung up the call, put my phone on silent mode, and continued to enjoy the barbecue with Nick.


    It took us about two hours toplete the barbecue, and we left after Nick had paid for the dinner. As


    we walked around the area, the man noticed some pop-up stalls. ¡°Do you want to go and have a look?¡±


    I turned down his offer as I was not a big fan of shopping. ¡°Let¡¯s just go home.¡±


    Nick raised his brows in questioning silence but eventually walked me back to the car.


    I¡¯m d he didn¡¯t drink tonight and was able to send me home.


    Upon arriving at the vi, Nick stopped his car by the entrance and looked me in the eyes. ¡°If one day,


    Ashton and you decide to go separate ways, I can take care of you and the baby. I promise you that.¡±


    I responded with a wry smile, ¡°Thank you, but I don¡¯t think that will ever happen. It¡¯ste now. You


    should head home.¡±


    Seeing that he did not drive his own car today, I allowed him to drive mine home.


    The moment I stepped into the vi, I saw someone I did not wish to see. It was the one and only


    Reba Larson.


    She was sorting out Ashton¡¯s clothes in the living hall. Perhaps Mrs. Eriksen was busy with something


    else.


    Our eyes locked for a bit, and the woman immediately looked away with a deadpan expression. She


    kept mum and continued arranging Ashton¡¯s clothes.


    I took out my phone and saw a few missed calls. They were all from Ashton.


    I ignored the notifications straight away and called the police.


    ¡°Hello, this is the R Province police department. How can I help you?¡±


    ¡°Good evening, officer. Someone just trespassed my property, and I want to lodge a report. Please


    send police to Peakville Estate, Zone D, Block 78.¡±


    ¡°Just a moment, please.¡±


    Hearing me make the police report, Reba stared at me in disbelief. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re


    doing?¡±


    I folded my arms and leaned against a wall by the entrance before saying nonchntly, ¡°I lodged a


    police report, of course.¡±


    Reba clenched her fists as the color drained out of her face. A towering rage zed in her eyes as


    she growled, ¡°This is Ashton¡¯s house, and he even decorated this vi to match my taste. I wonder


    who¡¯s the real ¡®trespasser¡¯ here!¡±


    I raised my brows and scanned the house. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you like a lot of things, Ms. Larson. Does


    this mean you can im ownership of all the things you like? Did you learn such behavior in school?¡±


    Well, Ashton did buy those exquisite vases for her.


    I walked to the vases and looked at them appreciatively. ¡°You do like them very much, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Without hesitation, I tilted the entire disy rack, causing all the vases to fall and shatter into pieces


    instantly.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± A hard glint shed through her eyes, and she lunged at me.


    After having dealt with her for two years, her violent reaction did not surprise me anymore.


    With steady steps, I moved away, causing her to lose her bnce and crash into the disy rack.


    Oops, another few vases gone.


    I felt bad for the broken vases. ¡°Oh, no. You broke my things, Ms. Larson. I guess you¡¯ll have to


    compensate me now.¡±


    Reba was so mad that her whole body was trembling. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare test my patience.¡±


    Suddenly, the doorbell rang.


    I opened the door and saw three young cops standing before me. ¡°Good evening. We received a report


    about someone trespassing on this property. Is the owner around?¡±

 Chapter 107

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 107


    ¡°I¡¯m the owner!¡± I then showed them my identity card andnd title. ¡°Thisdy entered my house


    without my permission. Look, she even broke quite a number of valuable items. Please help me,


    officers.¡±


    ¡°All right, Ms. Stovall. Are you hurt anywhere?¡± one of the cops asked as he gave me back the


    documents.


    I shook my head.


    Perhaps, Reba had never experienced this kind of humiliation. Her eyes glowed with a towering


    rage as she snarled, ¡°You b*tch!¡±


    The cops hurriedly took her away.


    I looked at the mess in the living hall and let out a deep sigh. Instead of cleaning the broken vases,


    however, I simply went straight back to my room.


    I jumped right into bed after taking a shower.


    All of a sudden, I heard the doorbell ring loudly. At first, I ignored it, thinking that my mind was ying


    tricks on me.


    However, the doorbell rang for the second time a few moments after.


    I got out of bed and headed downstairs, wondering who hade to disturb me at this hour.


    I looked at the surveince camera and saw Jared dressed in a ck suit, standing outside the door.


    What¡¯s he doing here at 2 a.m.?


    I opened the door and gave him a confused look. ¡°Anything of importance, Dr. Crest?¡±


    He looked at me and heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you answer your phone?¡±


    I was taken aback by his crude question. ¡°Oh, I set it on silent mode and went to sleep. Is there


    anything urgent?¡±


    He entered the vi and copsed on the couch, looking exhausted. ¡°Ashton wants you to bring some


    soup to the hospital. He wants to eat something.¡±


    I did not know how to react to such a ridiculous request. ¡°There are so many restaurants in the hospital.


    Why can¡¯t you just buy something for him?¡±


    The man massaged his forehead and answered, ¡°He wants you to cook for him and deliver the soup to


    him personally.¡±


    ¡°Now?¡± What the hell is wrong with that man? Is he trying to torture me?


    Looking at how tired Jared was and the dark circles beneath his eyes, I sighed and said, ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll cook


    and bring the food to the hospital. Why don¡¯t you stay here for a night? Pick one of the guest rooms


    and get a good rest.¡±


    Poor guy. How can Ashton torture him like this?


    Jared, who was already half-asleep, nodded gently and dozed off on the couch right away.


    After making sure he wasfortable, I went to the kitchen and began cooking. The second time I


    walked out to the living hall to check on Jared, he was already sound asleep.


    Since I alone could not carry him up to the guest room, I went upstairs to get him a pillow and a nket


    instead.


    Soon, the soup was ready. I took a nce at my watch and realized it was already 3 a.m. After pouring


    the soup into a container, I went straight to the hospital.


    Ashton was still awake when I reached, lying on his bed in the ward. He was wearing the typical blue


    patient uniform and had a bandage around his head. All the wounds on his body seemed to have


    scabbed over.


    The man might look a little disheveled, but he was still as handsome as ever.


    Upon noticing me in the ward, his expression changed, but he kept staring at the container hungrily.


    In a casual voice, I said, ¡°You just had an operation, and Dr. Crest told me you have to watch your diet.


    So I made you soup. Here you go.¡±


    Ashton responded with a low grunt. His expression didn¡¯t change as he did so. I knitted my brows when


    I realized he was staring at me. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Did Jared wake you up?¡± he asked before lowering his head and drinking the soup.


    His question rendered me speechless. I told myself to calm down so as to not yell at a patient before


    replying to his query with a single word. ¡°Nope.¡±


    Are you kidding me? Jared came all the way to the vi because of you and your fricking hot soup!


    While waiting for him to finish, I sat on a chair, shut my eyes, and took a nap.


    ¡°Are you still mad?¡± the man asked aloofly.


    I was too tired to open my eyes as I replied, ¡°About?¡±


    ¡°Parker has helped me a lot. Since I can¡¯t repay his kindness now, I have to treat her well.¡± He spoke


    calmly, but I could tell that he was in a difficult position.


    I opened my eyes and looked at him. ¡°So? Does that mean you have to repay his kindness for the rest


    of your life?¡±


    He gazed deeply into my eyes. ¡°No. This is thest time I do such a thing.¡±


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    I let out of a cold snort, cupped my chin with my hands, and stared back at him. ¡°Old habits die hard.¡±


    Ashton was so used to taking care of Reba. I don¡¯t think he will ever get used to being around her.


    Before he could say what was on his mind, I peeped at his bowl and said, ¡°The soup¡¯s getting cold.¡±


    A line formed between his brows. He shot me a pointed look and finished the soup right away. He then


    turned his attention to me once again. ¡°I got injured in an ident. Don¡¯t you feel sorry for me?¡±


    What a weird question. I stood up, grabbed the bowl from his hands, and said in a tired voice, ¡°It¡¯ste.


    You better sleep early.¡±


    Do I feel sorry for him? I don¡¯t know. After having been through so much, I guess I¡¯ve be


    emotionally numb.


    When I was about to leave, he immediately said, ¡°Someone has to be here to take care of me. It¡¯s the


    hospital¡¯s instruction.¡±


    I nearly wanted to give Reba a call and ask her toe, but she might still be stuck at the police


    department.


    Since there was no one else to take care of him, I reluctantly agreed. ¡°All right.¡±


    I¡¯ll stay. It¡¯s just one night anyway.


    I returned to my seat and decided to continue sleeping.

 Chapter 108

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 108


    All of a sudden, his phone rang. I had no interest in his phone calls, but he seemed to enjoy putting his


    phone on loudspeaker recently.


    He answered the call, and the person on the line started crying. ¡°Ash, Scarlett reported me to the


    police! Help!¡±


    Reba? At this hour?


    I thought she would have called earlier when the cops got her.


    Ashton shot me a stare, and I just shrugged my shoulders. ¡°What was I supposed to do? She appeared


    in my house without my permission.¡±


    He massaged his forehead, obviously unsure about how to handle the situation. ¡°It¡¯ste now. Just stay


    overnight in the police department. I¡¯ll ask Joseph to get you the next morning.¡±


    ¡°Ash¡­¡± Before Reba could say anything, the man ended the call.


    He then looked at me, clearly not knowing what to do with me. ¡°Did you have to report her to the


    police? Why couldn¡¯t you just have changed the lock?¡±


    I lowered my eyes and examined my nails as I scoffed, ¡°Did you give her the key to the vi? Perhaps,


    you should even record her fingerprint for identification purposes and grant her ess to the house. If


    you n to do so, tell me in advance, so I can sell my share of the property to you and move out.¡±


    ¡°Listen carefully, Scarlett Larson.¡± He raised his voice. ¡°We¡¯re married, and you¡¯re my wife.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I called the cops to take her away. The vi belongs to us. She shouldn¡¯t


    have been there.¡±


    At that, he tapped his forehead with his palm and said, ¡°Come here!¡± He moved to the other side of the


    bed and signaled me to go over.


    Without hesitation, I walked up andy beside him on his bed.


    He looked at me and smirked, but I ignored him. I shut my eyes and tried to sleep.


    I woke up quitete the next day as I had not managed to get enough sleep the night before.


    Upon hearing birds chirping outside the ward, I opened my eyes and looked out the window.


    At first, I thought I was still in the vi, but the moment I stretched my arms, I identally hit Ashton.


    He was already awake and signing off some documents.


    He raised his head to look at me when my palmnded right on his face. ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡±


    I immediately retracted my hand and nodded.


    When I finally remembered that I had spent a night in the hospital, I slowly crawled out from his bed.


    The bed in the hospital was not asfortable as the one in my room, so it was difficult for me to sleep


    well. Besides, the fear of cold had caused me to stay close to anything that could keep me warm.


    Clearly, Ashton wasst night¡¯s victim ¨C he had been pushed to the very edge of the bed.


    I embarrassedly lowered my eyes. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡± I can¡¯t believe I did that to a patient!


    The man simply grinned and kept his documents away. ¡°Hungry?¡±


    He then gently moved back to the middle of the bed. A nurse soon came in to check on him and gave


    him his medicines. By her facial expression, I could tell that she must have waited outside for a long


    time.


    Once the nurse had finished performing her duties in the ward, I replied to Ashton¡¯s question earlier,


    ¡°Not really.¡± I then turned around and went to the washroom to freshen up a little.


    Since he still needed to take his medicine, I asked, ¡°Is there anything you wish you eat?¡±


    He responded with a gentle smile. ¡°You can decide!¡±


    Can he stop being so annoying? When I took my bag and was ready to leave, Jared walked into the


    ward with Ashton¡¯s medical records. He must havee to check on him.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    The man saw me and immediately said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    He must be thanking me for allowing him to sleep in the vi. ¡±You¡¯re wee. You deserve a good


    night¡¯s rest after being tortured by someone.¡±


    Jared suppressed his smile. ¡°Are you leaving?¡±


    ¡°To buy breakfast.¡± I paused and then asked him, ¡°Have you eaten?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°I just arrived at the hospital.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything you want to eat?¡±


    Once again, he shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m fine with anything!¡±


    I nodded, walked along the corridor, and headed downstairs in an elevator.


    Mrs. Eriksen soon called me, asking why I was not at home, so I exined the situation to her briefly.


    The woman wanted to bring breakfast over, but I declined her offer.


    Yet, after walking around the hospital for a while, I realized there were no restaurants in this area. In


    the end, I had no choice but to get her to bring us breakfast.


    I waited for her outside the hospital, but she still had not appeared after a long while. All of a sudden, I


    saw Joe walking toward the hospital with food in his hand.


    He must have brought food for Ashton.


    Soon after, Mrs. Eriksen arrived with many different types of food like mushroom soup, buns, and milk.


    After passing all the items to me, she left in a hurry.


    Since Joe had brought food for Ashton, I decided to deliver breakfast to Jared¡¯s office instead.


    Upon seeing the amount of food in my hands, Jared raised his brows. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to finish all


    these on our own?¡±


    I nodded, walked into his office, and started sipping on the mushroom soup. ¡°We have milk, buns, and


    mushroom soup. Feel free to choose what you want to eat.¡±


    Jared nodded. He quickly gobbled down a few buns and drank a ss of milk ¨C he needed to go for his


    patient rounds.


    There were still so many buns and mushroom soup left; I knew I would not be able to finish them on my


    own.


    I hesitated for a bit before deciding to bring the leftovers to Ashton¡¯s ward anyway. Upon seeing


    someone in the ward, I waited outside the door and peeked in to get a good look.

 Chapter 109

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 109


    Unsurprisingly, Reba was there, was crying andining as if someone had died.


    ¡°Ash, Scarlett broke all the vases you bought for me and even called the cops on me. How could she


    do that? She¡¯s in evil!¡± she grumbled angrily.


    ¡°That woman has no limits, Ash. Do you really want to stay with her for the rest of your life for the sake


    of a child?¡±


    Those mean remarks came straight out of Joe, the woman¡¯s assistant¡¯s mouth.


    Instead of eavesdropping like a creep, I thought I should be the bigger person.


    The moment I opened the door, the ward was instantly filled with an awkward silence. I could see a


    towering rage zing in Reba¡¯s eyes when she saw me.


    I ignored her and also the food he had not touched and looked at Ashton. ¡°Do you still want your


    breakfast?¡±


    He took one nce at the bag in my hands and nodded.


    I took out the mushroom soup and buns and put them next to him. ¡°Mrs. Eriksen prepared this. What


    do you want to eat?¡±


    ¡°Soup!¡± I nodded while folding the bag before putting it away.


    When I turned around, I realized that he was staring at me. He had not touched the mushroom soup at


    all.


    I wanted to ask what he was waiting for, but I decided not to waste my time. ¡°It¡¯ste. I have to get back


    to the office now.¡±


    Before I stepped out of the ward, Ashton said, ¡°You expect me to eat on my own?¡±


    I paused for a moment, turned around to look at him, and saw the drip on his arm. Reba and Joe


    were still there watching us.


    Please don¡¯t tell me you expect me you feed you.


    I studied his expression from afar and noticed his raised brows. He actually wants me to feed him!


    Reba, too, noticed his expression. ¡°Come, Ash. I¡¯ll feed you. Let me know what you want to eat!¡±


    Tears welled up in her eyes when she picked up the breakfast Joe bought and ced it in front of him.


    ¡°I made this soup for you when I got home from the police department this morning. Try some.¡±


    A line formed between Ashton¡¯s brows. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡±


    Awkward¡­


    Reba smiled wryly and said, ¡°Try a little, please?¡±


    I could not stand the romantic drama here anymore. ¡°I¡¯m leaving. Bye!¡±


    Once again, Ashton stopped me from leaving. ¡°You don¡¯t have to go to the office today. Joe, send


    Reba home and inform the office that Scarlett will be taking a day off today.¡±


    Excuse me?


    Come on, give me a break!


    Reba was smart enough to read the situation. She knew Ashton did not want her there.


    Upon seeing Ashton¡¯s expression, Joe immediately turned around and said to Reba, ¡°Come, let¡¯s


    go.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± The woman¡¯s eyes turned red as she looked at Ashton pleadingly. ¡°Why should I go? She then


    pointed at me and yelled in anger, ¡°She¡¯s just a hillbilly. Mr. Fuller took her in because he sympathized


    with her! She¡­¡±


    Ashton instantly responded with a roar, ¡°Go back with Joe right now!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m staying!¡± Reba was not ready to budge. ¡°Are you mad at me because I quarreled with you while


    you were driving and caused this ident to happen?¡±


    Tears started rolling down her cheeks, and she said in between sobs, ¡°Forgive me, Ash. Please don¡¯t


    be mad at me. I¡¯ll listen to everything you say. Please don¡¯t ask me to leave!¡±


    Love was indeed blind. The sacrifices she was willing to make just made her look even more pathetic.


    I was not a kind person, but even I felt sorry for how lowly she had be. At one point, I wanted to


    say something, but words stuck in my throat.


    In the end, I decided to ignore them and walked out of the ward.


    I went straight to the office. Stacey was on leave, so I had to take care of a lot of things today.


    The HiTech project had been in operation for quite some time now. I had permitted Stacey to run the


    project on her own.


    But right now, I was a little worried, so I went to the Finance Department to get an update.


    As expected, the data Stacey had provided me earlier was quite different from what I got from the


    department. To put my mind at ease, I decided to go there and observe the problems personally.


    The problems HiTech encountered were minor ones, but the workflow could be a tadplicated. A lot


    of processes were also not put in ce when it was under Joe¡¯s supervision.


    Everything that had happened here pissed me off. The moment I stepped out of HiTech, I bumped into


    Thomas from AC Credit.


    He was surprised to see me. Upon seeing how disheveled my appearance was, a corner of his mouth


    quirked up. ¡°You seem busy.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m busy getting updates from apany,¡± I said while looking at the woman beside him.


    Thomas was in his forties, and this woman at most should be in her mid-twenties.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Instead of asking if the young woman was his wife, I responded with a grin. ¡°Shopping?¡±


    He looked at the woman beside her and raised his brows. ¡°Would you like to join us?¡±


    ¡°No thanks. I¡¯ve got to run now!¡± I left after saying goodbye to them.

 Chapter 110

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 110


    The young woman asked Thomas, ¡°Who is she, Mr. Lowe?¡±


    ¡°Do you know Mr. Fuller from Fuller Corporation? She¡¯s his wife, Scarlett Stovall.¡±


    ¡°Wow, what a lucky woman! I heard Mr. Fuller is not only young but also¡­¡±


    I could no longer hear what she said anymore as I had walked away. From her coquettish voice, I knew


    something was going on between the two of them.


    HiTech had quite a several sites in J City, and I felt tired after visiting a few. I went through the list


    and decided to visit those that had more critical problems.


    As soon as I arrived at thest site in the South District, I was dumbfounded by what I saw. Despite


    being in the suburbs, the South District was considered well-developed. The only downside was it was


    too far away from the city center.


    I remembered vetting the quotation for that particr site. Though the budget was high, thepany


    had still generously approved the application.


    Normally, an electronics factory would have more than one building. Yet, there was only one building on


    this site, and it looked dpidated. The guard at the entrance came up to me and said, ¡°This factory is


    closed. Please leave!¡±


    Closed?


    I was taken aback and asked with a frown, ¡°Howe? How long has it be closed?¡±


    He did not know who I was. Perhaps he was bored being alone, so he decided to exin to me,


    ¡°Almost six months. Someone died here, and the management panicked. They decided to shut down


    the factory.¡±


    ¡°When did this happen?¡±


    ¡°End ofst year!¡± The guard looked at him and asked, ¡°You¡¯re not from this area, are you? Mr. Quinn


    visited this factory quite some time ago. He said this factory was not making money because someone


    had died here, so it was best for them to suspend the operations.¡±


    Mr. Quinn?


    Joe?


    Joe had been in charge of HiTech, but he had never reported anything to thepany. Based on his


    report, this factory still managed to generate steady revenues in thest few months. If this site has


    ceased operations for nearly half a year, where did Joe get the money from?


    I continued asking the guard a few more questions. Since he forbade me from entering the building, I


    could only return to the office and go through all the financial records from the South District.


    Why did Joe choose to sweep the workce ident under the carpet instead of reporting the incident


    to thepany? And where did he find the money to cover up the losses that this factory had made in


    thest six months?


    Where did all the reported revenuese from then?


    So many questions popped up in my mind, but I had to wait for Ashton to investigate the matter.


    It was already afternoon by the time Ipleted my site visits. I supposed I did not need to make a trip


    to the hospital since Reba would be there anyway, and I did not feel like going back to the vi


    either.


    I took out my phone to give Macy a call.


    To my surprise, the screen greeted me with notifications of more than fifty missed calls from Ashton.


    What does he want from me now?


    I hesitated but decided to return his call anyway. He answered it almost immediately.


    ¡°Where are you?¡± he asked before I could say anything. It looks like someone¡¯s in a bad mood today.


    I was tidying my desk. ¡°At the office. What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Watch your attitude,¡± he expressed his dismay in a deep voice. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember you have a


    husband in the hospital? A husband who needs your care!¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Ms. Larson?¡± I grabbed my handbag and was about to leave the office.


    ¡°She¡¯s not my wife!¡±


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    ¡°Your lover can take good enough care of you too.¡±


    I knew he was mad, but I did not give a damn. What I said was true anyway.


    Ashton tried to control his anger by keeping mum for a bit. ¡°Are you jealous?¡±


    I grinned. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡±


    I could hear his suppressed chuckle. He continued, ¡°Come and have dinner with me. We have fish


    fillets with rosemary on the menu tonight. Your favorite.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t make it. I¡¯ve made a dinner n with someone! Sorry.¡± I was going to ask Macy out anyway.


    ¡°With whom?¡±


    I grew a little annoyed at his question. ¡°Is there anything else you want to say? If not, I¡¯m going to end


    this call.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you half an hour toe to the hospital. If not, I¡¯ll send someone to bring you here!¡± he


    threatened.


    ¡°All right, Mr. Fuller,¡± I replied. Whatever.


    Hearing his voice gave me a headache. I instantly hung up on him, got into my car, and gave Macy a


    call, but the woman did not answer.


    I tried several times, but no one answered.


    All of a sudden, an unknown number called me. I answered, ¡°Hi, there.¡±


    ¡°Hey, how have you been?¡±


    I got the shock of my life upon hearing John¡¯s voice.


    My headache turned more severe, but I tried to stay calm by clenching my fist. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°I miss you!¡±


    Those three words sent a chill down my spine. I thought I would be able to enjoy peace of mind after


    the fight he had with Ashton. I was wrong.


    ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯m going to hang up now.¡± Ashton alone gave me a massive headache. I did


    not need John to cause me any more trouble.


    The man on the lineughed lightly. ¡°Don¡¯t you miss me?¡±


    ¡°Enough of this nonsense!¡± My head pounded as I ended the call right away.


    I ced my hands over the steering wheel, leaning over to catch my breath and have a moment¡¯s rest.


    After a short moment, someone knocked on my window. I opened my eyes and saw Joseph staring at


    me with a deadpan expression on his face.

 Chapter 111

    ?


    Chapter 111 Feed Me


    While the car window unwound, Joseph said in a respectful tone, "Ms. Stovall, Mr. Fuller sent me to fetch you."Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    What a stalker.


    "I told him that I''m not going!" I was starting to get annoyed.


    "Mr. Fuller sent me to fetch you," Joseph repeated sternly.


    At that moment, I became upset and exined, "Alright, I know. I will head there myself, okay?"


    "Let me send you."


    What in the world...


    Smack! I pped the stirring wheel to let off some steam. Then, I looked out at Joseph again and demanded, "Move!"


    He stepped aside, waiting for me to get off the car.


    Ashton is driving me crazy. After I got off my car, Joseph, with his sternness, as usual, said, "Ms. Stovall, please follow me."


    I boarded the ck Bentley and was still filled with frustration. Although I needed to vent so badly, Joseph was not an ideal person to do so. He wasn''t exactly punchbag material. Upon arriving at the hospital, I sprinted towards Ashton''s ward.


    Jared, Joe, and Reba were all there and were staring at me dumbfoundedly; I guessed I had probably appeared too suddenly.


    I nced at Ashton, then to the rest of them, and said politely, "If there''s nothing else, you guys may take your leave."


    After all, I could not possibly let out my frustration on Ashton in the presence of others.


    Jared had always been a sensitive guy. He was stunned for a moment but took the hint and left the ward as well.


    However, Reba raised her brows and eximed, "Excuse me, Scarlett, but where are your manners? You came in without even knocking."


    "Ms. Ludwick, what were you and the rest of them doing in the ward with the door wide opened? It wasn''t even closed, so why should I knock?"


    "Scarlett, you prick! You''re shameless!" Reba eximed in embarrassment.


    With the frustration still boiling within me, I retaliated, "Oh, is that so? Who''s been clinging onto Ashton all this while, huh? How does it feel, though, picking up scraps all the time?"


    "Scarlett... Y-you!"


    While sneering, I interrupted, "Why? Mr. Quinn and Dr. Crest aren''t that bad too. Oh, that''s right. A gentleman like Dr. Crest wouldn''t fancy a shameless girl like you. But doesn''t Mr. Quinn have a crush on you? So why do you still keep him hanging? Are you that desperate?"


    Right then, Joe''s face darkened. "Scarlett, please mind your words."


    "Oh, look, what do we have here! Mr. Quinn trying to save the damsel in distress!" I sneered.


    "Enough is enough!" Ashton called out. He then nced over at the both of them and said, "Please get going."


    Both Reba and Joe were very displeased but kept silent as they did not want to further aggravate the situation. They left shortly afterward, and I was finally left alone with Ashton.


    We faced each other, and I noticed that his face was slightly pale. Meanwhile, he also noticed my discontent.


    He raised his eyebrows and asked in concern, "What happened?"


    "Didn''t you call me over to have lunch with you?" I said in annoyance as I started to let out my frustration.


    "Alright, then... What would you like to have?"


    "Ashton, are you that bored?" Did he get me toe all the way here just to ask me this simple question? "If you''re lonely, why don''t you get Reba dearest to keep youpany? Don''t waste my time." Ashton went silent and kept staring at me; There was a hint of guilt in my eyes. Seeing that, he stepped back a little.


    At that moment, his gaze was extremely bitter, and his expression wasn''t exactly pretty.


    "Are you going to stay and keep mepany?"


    "No," I replied as I lowered my head.


    I paused for a moment and continued, "I''m currently in a bad mood and don''t have the patience to deal with you right now."


    Grabbing me by the wrist, he pulled me to the side of his bed, lowered his voice, and asked, "Are you upset because I took the injury on behalf of Reba?"


    "No!" After so many years had passed, I was no longer upset at such issues.


    His gaze softened as he stared at my tummy while rubbing it gently. "Because of this little one?" He inquired with his brows raised.


    I rolled my eyes.


    Just then, Joseph brought a feast of takeout into the ward.


    After he arranged them on the table nicely, he looked at Ashton and asked, "Mr. Fuller, is there anything else you need?"


    Ashton nced over at him and shook his head. "That''s all for now. You may leave."


    Once Joseph left, Ashton looked at me and uttered, "Hey... look! These are all your favorite food."


    Indeed, it was.


    I was famished. Grabbing the cutleries, I gobbled down the food without waiting for Ashton.


    A few mouthfuls of foodter, I felt his gaze on me and was ufortable. I nced at him and asked, "Aren''t you going to eat?"


    He frowned, and his eyes looked towards the drip needle on his arm. He was trying to hint that it was inconvenient for him to use his arms to eat.


    I knew he wanted me to feed him, but I pretended not to know and continued to eat.


    That was my mini revenge on him.


    When I was about done, he was still staring at me. Thus, I felt sorry for him and grabbed some food over to his side.


    "Open your mouth!" I demanded.


    He was very obedient - like an innocent little boy.


    Seeing that he was almost done, I informed him, "I''m not sleeping here tonight because I can''t sleep well here."

 Chapter 112

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 112


    Last night, I stayed as I had no other choice. If I were to stay over again tonight, I would get a migraine.


    He nodded at me and remarked, ¡°Your leftovers were tasty.¡±


    My what?


    A momentter, I realized what he meant and red at him. ¡°You pervert!¡±


    He raised his eyebrows and eximed innocently, ¡°Wait¡­ no! I meant your¡­ leftovers!¡±


    Just how childish is this guy?


    Ignoring him, I cleaned up and informed, ¡°Well, I¡¯m leaving now!¡±


    He grabbed my wrist again. ¡°Are you seriously going to leave me alone here?¡±


    ¡°You can call your sweet Reba over!¡± I mocked.


    He frowned and continued, ¡°Why are you rushing to leave? Do you hate to see me so badly? Or are


    you rushing to meet someone? Nick? Or is it John?¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    I was not in the mood, so I shrugged off his hand. ¡°So Mr. Fuller can look for his sweet lover, but I can¡¯t


    even meet my close friends? Hypocrite much?¡±


    Ashton seemed to be getting upset, and my mood worsened at the thought of Reba. ¡°So Mr. Fuller


    can talk about anything under the stars with Ms. Larson, yet I can¡¯t even meet my friends for casual


    catchup? My rtionships are not asplicated as yours!¡±


    ¡°Hah! Oh, wow, the pot calling the kettle ck! Your rtionships are definitely moreplicated!¡± He


    sneered, and the room¡¯s atmosphere turned tense that instant. ¡°Would you like me to show you?¡±


    With that, he used his strength and tossed me over his shoulder. Pulling out the drip needle on his arm,


    he flipped and pressed me down underneath him.


    ¡°Ashton, let me go!¡± I yelled.


    ¡°Let you go? You agitated me on purpose so that I¡¯d do this, right? Why are youining now?¡± He


    said in agitation.


    ¡°Ashton, you should just tell me if you don¡¯t want the child. There¡¯s no need for you to harm the baby


    this way.¡± At that point, I knew that it was pointless for me to struggle anymore, so I tried to calm myself


    down.


    He stopped at that. With his gaze darkened, he sighed, ¡°Scarlett, what do you want me to do?¡±


    I remained silent as my heart was clenching in pain. Just when would this torture end?


    ¡°For starters, you can get off me!¡±


    Issues like these couldn¡¯t possibly be exined or solved in just a few days.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t!¡± He insisted.


    Then, he inched closer to my lips, causing my face to flush. ¡°Ashton, we¡¯re at the hospital! Have some


    self-control, will you?¡± I eximed.


    ¡°I know that, but are you up for it?¡± He smirked.


    ¡°No!¡± I rejected his advancement as I wanted to keep my boundaries.


    He then nted a kiss on my forehead and pulled me into an embrace. At that moment, I wanted to


    escape so badly.


    After some time, he was still holding me in his embrace, so I was starting to get restless. ¡°Are you


    done?¡± I eximed.


    ¡°Just a while more,¡± he said softly.


    I¡­


    Finally, he let go of me and rolled over to lie on his back.


    I did not wish to stay any longer, so I got up, straightened my clothes and left the ward.


    Coincidentally, I bumped into Reba in the corridor. Just my luck ¨C my flushed face had not subsided


    yet.


    From her riled-up expression, I could tell that she had witnessed that interaction I had with Ashton


    earlier.


    ¡°Scarlett, you b*tch!¡±


    ¡°Mmm-hmm, but you¡¯re not any better, either. You were shamelessly peeking at us!¡± I clenched my jaw


    and continued, ¡°You can head in now. Maybe he¡¯ll pull you onto his bed too. After all, he¡¯s full of


    stamina.¡±


    I stepped aside to make way for her, but she left.


    Since Ashton¡¯s sweat was still on my hands, I went to the restroom and washed them thoroughly.


    By the time I left, the sun had set, and the sky was already dark.


    John had been pestering me a lot recently. The moment I saw his car parked in the basement of my


    vi, I immediately turned my car towards Glenwood Apartments.


    He stopped his car in front of mine, intentionally blocking my way. ¡°There¡¯s no need to hide, Scarlett. I¡¯ll


    always find you.¡±


    After that, he got off his car, walked over leisurely, and leaned against my car window.


    That¡¯s right ¨C there was nowhere for me to hide.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± I asked him while I got off my car and red at him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave this ce, Letty! I¡¯ve missed you so much!¡±


    ¡°I bet you were thinking of ways to torture me and to get me depressed,¡± I sneered.


    Right then, he shut his eyes for a few minutes and pondered for a while before saying, ¡°You are


    unhappy with Ashton, aren¡¯t you?¡± He was right.


    ¡°No, we¡¯re so happy together!¡± I shook my head and rified.


    ¡°And how long do you think this willst? After all, you snatched him away from Zachary¡¯s daughter,¡± he


    smirked.


    I do not wish to answer his meaningless questions, so I eximed, ¡°You came all the way here just to


    ask me such silly questions?¡±


    To that, he cut the chase and went straight to his motive. ¡°Follow me back to R Province. I¡¯ve bought


    our family home and renovated it to be exactly how it was ¨C the way you liked it.¡±


    ¡°Back to living in depression with you?¡±


    Upon hearing that, his face turned dark, and he frowned. ¡°Letty, I never intended to hurt you.¡±

 Chapter 113

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 113


    ¡°So¡­ did you mean that I was the one who hurt myself?¡± I sneered.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡°Letty, stop being so stubborn.¡± He was starting to get annoyed. ¡°Do you think Zachary and Cameron


    are so generous to let you go after that dispute? Even if you are not afraid, have you thought about


    your baby?¡±


    I froze in disbelief. ¡°You stalked me?¡±


    He pulled his eyebrows together and eximed, ¡°No, I was just protecting you!¡±


    ¡°Ha! Thank you for that!¡± I said sarcastically.


    Since he did not want to move his car, I had no choice but to move.


    He grabbed my arm and warned, ¡°Don¡¯t say that I didn¡¯t warn you, but your stubbornness will ruin you!¡±


    I was already in a bad mood, and there he was, making it worse. ¡°You know what? I¡¯d rather have it


    that way! Why can¡¯t you just let me be? Why do you have to take my life away from me?¡± I let out.


    Those bad memories had already been buried deep within me, but with John¡¯s appearance, they


    surfaced once again.


    I felt weak and vulnerable.


    Twenty-five years ago, in an alley within R Province, a lonely middle-ageddy picked up a baby. The


    two-month-old baby was crying desperately in hunger.


    She was a kinddy who decided to bring the baby back, fed her, and provided her with afortable


    ce to sleep. She wanted to hand her over to the police, but they said that there was no orphanage


    within the province. They could not keep the baby at the police station as well.


    Thus, the olddy had no choice but to bring the baby back home and raised her. She was a farmer


    with a meager sry that could not even afford to provide for herself ¨C it was even worse with a kid.


    However, right at that time, an investor built arge factory in R Province and was opened to recruiting


    people of all ages.


    The sixty-year-olddy took the chance and applied for the job. Fifteen yearster, she was still


    working at the factory. Meanwhile, the little girl had grown up old enough to work as well.


    However, thedy was already seventy-five years old, and her body¡¯s condition was deteriorating.


    To support the girl¡¯s school fees for high school, the olddy volunteered to help raise the investor¡¯s


    illegitimate son.


    The investor gave arge sum to the olddy and paid for the little girl¡¯s school fees in exchange for it.


    That little girl was me, and John was that illegitimate son.


    I did not know his actual name. I knew him as John after I overheard grandma calling him that when he


    followed her back home.


    John¡¯s arrival ruined my peaceful life. He was rebellious and often caused trouble. He used to lock me


    up in a cage and throw me into the pond.


    Those pranks were still bearable as he would always look for Grandma if I got hurt. Hence, Grandma


    would just let him be.


    The year of my college entrance exam, the factory was under investigation for emitting harmful


    pollutants. The investor wanted to n for an incident to ruin the factory as he did not want to take


    responsibility for the offense.


    One of the managers, Mr. Markle, overheard about it and objected. His major concern was that the


    toxic substances would be released into the surrounding area, causing serious health damage to the


    residents.


    The investor wanted to keep Mr. Markle quiet, so he offered him a hefty sum to get thetter to leave


    that ce. However, Mr. Markle strongly opposed and started a protest.


    Eventually, the investor was arrested for bribery. While that happened, his wife got a promotion in K


    City. To protect her reputation, she filed for a divorce and submitted all the evidence of his deed.


    After that, the investor was sentenced to jail, and his assets had all been confiscated. When all that


    happened, he could not handle the stress andmitted suicide.


    I only knew the investor was John¡¯s father after that news and that his mother passed away due to lung


    cancer that same year he was brought home by Grandma.


    John was originally a pessimist. It got worse after his father¡¯s death ¨C he did not speak much anymore.


    Kids in the neighborhood would gather to beat him up while insulting his father.


    After that, John fell deeper into depression and stopped interacting with people.


    He started to kill stray cats and dogs, often breaking their legs and throwing them into the homes of


    those bullies. Not only that, but he would also poison some of those animals and pile them on the


    streets, leaving them to rot.

 Chapter 114

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 114


    The factory was abandoned, and the people who once lived in the alley moved. As Bradley had been


    awarded tens of thousands for his efforts, he was about to move to somewhere else with his wife and


    daughter.


    Right on the night before he moved, Bradley Markle and his family were admitted to the office for food


    poisoning. At the same time, someone had bombed the processor of the abandoned factory.


    As it was a deserted factory, not many cared about what happened to it. After Bradley and his family


    stayed in the hospital for three days, all but one died¡ªhis daughter. She had survived, but she could


    not mentally function the same as before.


    It was a small county ¨C no one would bat an eye at the death of a family. However, I knew Bradley did


    not die from food poisoning. John Stovall had murdered him by sticking a needle into the top of his


    scalp. That was also the way the man¡¯s wife had died.


    However, Macy had not died because John saw me. Back then, I had just finished my exams, and I


    had gone to the hospital to visit Macy. At that time, I saw everything he did.


    She survived, but for a long time, she could not bear to look at John.


    I was not much better off than her. I was not even twenty at that time, but I had witnessed two people


    dying. After witnessing their deaths, I had a high fever for dozens of days before I recovered.


    Neither Macy nor I ever mentioned it. We were young and foolish, and we never thought of calling the


    police. After that day, the thought of John hung over both Macy and me like death.


    Itsted for two years. Later, Grandma was diagnosed with lung cancer. To save up for her medical


    fees, I sold the house and brought Grandma to J City. From then on, I kept herpany while she


    underwent treatment as I studied.


    Macy did not attend school. She had no friends nor family, so she came to J City to work.


    John¡¯s disappearance had something to do with the ones that came from K City. I heard rumors that it


    had been a developer who hade to bring their grandson home.


    After that, I stopped hearing news about him.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Macy and I continued living in J City, where I worked and studied. I often took time out to apany


    Grandma in the hospital. After almost three years of chemotherapy, Grandma was starting to decline in


    health, and the money from selling the family home was slowly depleting.


    It was difficult to study and work at the same time, so I started having thoughts of dropping out of


    school. After hearing about it, Grandma fumed, and that was when she looked for George.


    Grandma told me she had known the man for many years. If he were to take care of me after she was


    gone, she would be at peace.


    In less than a year, Grandma ended the agony of chemotherapy. She refused to undergo it anymore.


    Soon, she was gone.


    After I graduated from college, George asked me to marry Ashton.


    That was over twenty years of my life summarized into simple words. In my memories, John was


    nothing but a touch of gloom; I simultaneously hated and feared him.


    I despised the man; I did not want to be around him. I walked around him, trying to leave, but he


    hugged me from behind.


    ¡°Letty, since I¡¯m back now, I won¡¯t leave anymore.¡±


    I tried to break free from him, but I was no match for his strength. Hence, I frowned and uttered, ¡°John,


    I don¡¯t want to see you. You should know that from the moment you appeared.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. We can take it slow.¡± As he spoke, he turned me around and looked me in the eye. ¡°I can


    give you anything you want.¡±


    ¡°Can you give me the life of Mr. Markle and his family?¡± I questioned. ¡°It¡¯s been so many years. If you


    never came to me, I would¡¯ve forgotten about that moment in my life. However, John, your appearance


    reminded me of it. I can¡¯t guarantee that I can keep it a secret.¡±


    The manughed, a sound as cold as always. ¡°Do you think you can do anything by going to the police


    now? Their bodies are already cremated. What do you think the cops can find out? Moreover, do you


    really think Macy can live the rest of her life peacefully? She escaped from me back then, but it doesn¡¯t


    mean I¡¯ll let her go.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve already killed her parents!¡± I cried out in agitation. ¡°John, you know they weren¡¯t at fault. Don¡¯t


    you feel even a little remorseful all these years?¡±


    ¡°Remorseful?¡± He sneered, ¡°They had iting.¡±


    At that, he leaned closer to me as the corner of his lips tilted upward. ¡°My family was destroyed, so why


    should they be allowed to have a good life?¡±


    I lowered my head as I clenched my fists in anger. For a moment, I had forgotten that he was a


    stubborn-headed man. He refused to listen to anyone ¨C he had already lost his mind.


    Suppressing the upset in my heart, I tried to push him away. However, he was a man, and I was a


    woman; he did not budge an inch.


    Right as we were in a stalemate, I heard a sudden screech of a car braking. Before I could turn around


    to look, I heard a groan.


    John, who had been hugging me, released his grip on me, and I fell into someone else¡¯s arms.


    Snapping my head back, I realized it was Ashton. At the sight of him, I furrowed my brows. Isn¡¯t he


    supposed to be in the hospital? Why is he here?


    John let out a huff. Ashton had hit him, so there was now blood by the corner of the man¡¯s lip. After


    bncing himself, his lips curled, and he raised his hand to wipe the blood away. Then, he sneered at


    Ashton.


    ¡°Again?¡± thetter voiced cially as he let go of me.


    The two men were about the same height and build. If they really engaged in a fight, neither would


    have an upper hand.


    ¡°When did you meet him?¡± Jared, who hade with Ashton, walked toward me as he cast a casual


    nce at John. The doctor rarely expressed strong emotions, so I could not guess what he was


    thinking about at that moment.

 Chapter 115

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 115


    I looked at the two men, who were ring at each other, and said, ¡°A long time ago.¡± After a pause, I


    asked, ¡°Is there anything I can do to stop them from fighting?¡±


    It had been only days since Ashton¡¯s ident. He was still covered in wounds, so it was unsuitable for


    him to engage in a fight now. Thest time he fought, he was still injured despite him being in his best


    health. This time¡­


    Jared raised a brow at me. ¡°Who do you feel bad for?¡±


    Speechless about his need to gossip, I muttered, ¡°It won¡¯t look good for them to fight here.¡±


    ¡°There aren¡¯t a lot of people around,¡± Jared noted. He then looked at the two, amused. I was starting to


    think he might take out a packet of popcorn to enjoy the show.


    I could not help but let out a huff of annoyance.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Then, I turned to Ashton. ¡°Ashton, send me back. Don¡¯t fight and cause a scene here.¡±


    The man looked at me, his brows furrowed in silence.


    Thus, I walked toward him and held his hand. Softening my tone, I repeated, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s go


    back.¡±


    ¡°Do you feel bad for me?¡± he asked with a smile.


    I easily ignored his question. ¡°Are we going back?¡±


    After sweeping his gaze at John, who was staring at me, Ashton nodded. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    At that, he led me to the car before he nced at Jared. ¡°Send Scarlett¡¯s car for repair.¡±


    It seemed like John had not truly nned on fighting against Ashton, so he did nothing but watch the


    man and I leave.


    In the car.


    Driving past the bright road lights, the inside of the car was illuminated for a second and not the next. I


    fell deep into my thoughts.


    All of a sudden, my stomach felt warm. Ashton had ced his hand on it. I lowered my eyes to look at


    him before I let him be.


    ¡°Four months soon,¡± he uttered in a deep voice. ¡°Do you want to go for a walk?¡±


    I turned to look at him in mild surprise. Shouldn¡¯t he be asking me about John right now? Why¡¯s he


    talking about something else now?


    ¡°It¡¯s busy at HiTech,¡± I replied as I pried his hand away from my stomach. ¡°Fuller Corporation¡¯s audit is


    almostpleted. I¡¯m just waiting for the report to be handed in now, but I still have Fuller Corporation


    to deal with next.¡±


    After a short pause, I continued, ¡°Ashton, why did you assign me to HiTech and Fuller Corporation¡¯s


    audits?¡±


    I had sensed that there was something that I could not wrap my mind around. After I took over the two


    cases, things were not going as smoothly as I expected.


    Moreover, Fuller Corporation¡¯s audit was yet to bepleted. I did not know how it was currently


    going. Furthermore, there was a major issue in HiTech as well.


    Yet, no matter how hard I thought about it, I could not figure out what was wrong.


    The man peeked at me as he drove, and a smile grew on his lips. ¡°What are your thoughts on why I did


    so?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Something is really wrong with the audit, but I can¡¯t figure out what it is.


    It¡¯s the same for HiTech. Do you know anything about it?¡±


    With the smile still ying on his lips, he focused back on the road. ¡°Let¡¯s talk business when we¡¯re in


    the office. We¡¯re a married couple, so we should talk about what married couples talk about. Let¡¯s talk


    about the kid, and let¡¯s talk about you and me.¡±


    Knowing that he had intentionally changed the topic, I dropped my head and fidgeted with my fingers,


    now silent.


    I could not force him to speak if he did not want to. Furthermore, if he was not going to talk about John,


    there was no point in me bringing that topic up.


    Too many things were happening, and I could not settle everything perfectly. I was all but human, and I


    was getting exhausted by the issues piling up in my heart.


    When the car stopped outside the vi, Mrs. Eriksen came out. Noticing that it was Ashton and me, a


    smile crept upon her face. ¡°It¡¯s cold outside, so you shoulde home earlier next time. Your stomach


    is getting bigger, and you can¡¯t always go out all the time now. It¡¯s safer at home.¡±


    That was how Mrs. Eriksen always acted, so I nodded and said nothing. Suddenly recalling the box


    George gave to me, I queried, ¡°Mrs. Erikson, did you spot the sandalwood box you gave me previously


    while cleaning the house?¡±


    Ashton had been changing his footwear by the door, and he froze when he heard my question. With a


    slightly gloomy gaze, he looked at me. ¡°Why are you suddenly asking about the box?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°It just suddenly came to mind.¡± I met John today, and I had recalled many memories I


    thought I had lost. Yet, this was how life was; I could not live in a daze forever.


    John was not going to stop at that. He would continue clinging to me. No matter what I did, I couldn¡¯t


    avoid it forever. Since that was the case, it would be best for me to prepare myself.


    After contemting it, Mrs. Eriksen shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen the box after I gave it to you. Mr.


    Fuller told me to let you keep it safe. Some things were left behind for you by him, while there are some


    things left behind by your grandmother.¡±


    Too many things had happened in the past few days, and I had forgotten all about that. Now that I


    thought about it, I could not recall where I had left the box.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll try to find it another day.¡± That box was a memory of George, after all.


    After changing out of his shoes, Ashton entered the living room and sipped on a ss of water. His


    contemtive gaze was fixed on me. Knowing that his mood was unpredictable, I ignored him.


    Instead, I headed straight to my old bedroom, thinking that the box might be there. I tried looking for it


    in the cupboards.


    After moving rooms, my clothes and personal items were all gone from the room. The spacious room


    now looked empty.a

 Chapter 116

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 116


    I could not find the box.


    Meanwhile, Ashton had his hands folded as he watched me. After sparing him a glimpse, I said, ¡°Go


    ahead and wash up first. I¡¯m going to keep looking for it.¡±


    He was quiet for a while. ¡°Do you know what¡¯s inside the box Grandpa gave to you?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t. Mrs. Eriksen only told me that I could give the box to you if I really didn¡¯t want


    to marry you. I don¡¯t what Grandpa put in there. Maybe he was nning to deter you from marrying me


    by threatening you with Fuller Corporation.¡±


    He sneered, ¡°How shallow.¡±


    I did not deny his words. After what seemed ages of searching, I still couldn¡¯t seem to find it. By now, I


    was starting to feel irritated. ¡°Grandpa gave it to you. Have you seen the box?¡±


    He nced at me. ¡°Are you short of money now?¡±


    Taken aback by his words, I replied, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s meaningless for you to look for the box. In the box is Grandpa¡¯s money for you. I¡¯m sure he


    was afraid that you would starve to death if you left me.¡±


    Knitting my brows, I felt a tinge of anger. ¡°You opened it?¡±


    He nodded truthfully.


    ¡°Ashton Fuller,¡± I snapped. ¡°That was mine! What right did you have to open it without my permission?¡±


    This was not the first time he had done such a thing. Thest time, he brought me to Cameron without


    my consent and asked her to take my hair for a DNA test. This time, he opened the box without asking


    me first.


    He was staring at me, but I could not decipher what he was feeling at that moment. ¡°I have no ns to


    divorce you, so that box is useless.¡±


    ¡°So what?¡± I stepped closer to him. ¡°Ashton, do you think I have to let you do anything you please


    because I¡¯m married to you? Do I not deserve any respect from you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he apologized. Then, he straightened his back and said with a sigh, ¡°I was wrong not to tell


    you about it. I won¡¯t do it again.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± I barked out a shortugh. ¡°Ashton, aren¡¯t you funny? Are you trying to change the topic so


    easily? Do you think of me as the same as that useless box? Will you do the same to me if I were


    Reba? Will you disrespect her by taking her things without telling her?¡±


    ¡°Scarlett, this is between you and me.¡± He had a frown on his face, evidently displeased by my words.


    ¡°We¡¯re a couple. Why do you have to involve someone else in our private matter?¡±


    Amused, I asked, ¡°Are we a couple?¡±


    At that remark, he fell silent.


    Raising my head to look at his handsome face, I could not help butugh. ¡°Ashton, it seems to you that


    we¡¯re not a married couple. We¡¯re only a couple because of your parents. There¡¯s someone in your


    heart ¨C I know I don¡¯t have a ce in it. Naturally, I won¡¯t be respected. That¡¯s why you can do anything


    you want with my things, and that¡¯s why you can decide whether I stay or leave.¡±


    Too many things had piled up over the days, and the box had been the final straw. I knew I could no


    longer close an eye to his interaction with Reba.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Perhaps he did not wish to discuss it with me as he cidly said to me, ¡°Scarlett, you¡¯re my wife, and I


    respect you. I¡¯ve apologized for the box, and I¡¯m not the one deciding whether you stay or go. It¡¯s


    gettingte. Let¡¯s go back to our room.¡±


    ¡°Ashton, let¡¯s get a divorce.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure how my tone sounded, but I knew I was calm when I spoke.


    This was something I had kept in my heart for a long time. The opportunity to voice it out loud had


    come, and hence, I took it.


    Ashton stood, transfixed, with his dark eyes on me. I could not decipher the emotions in them, but I was


    sure that he was not feeling particrly gleeful.


    ¡°Have you thought it through?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡± He continued looking at me with an apathetic expression. In fact, I sensed that he


    was only going along with my outburst.


    After pausing for a while, I continued, ¡°I don¡¯t want anything. I only hope my child will have nothing to


    do with you from now on.¡±


    If I were to cut ties with him, I would have to make a clean cut.


    Narrowing his eyes, he questioned, ¡°You have nothing with you. How will you raise your kid? Are you


    going to rely on Nick? Or are you going to rely on John?¡±


    I stared at him in disbelief. ¡°Ashton, do you think I¡¯m the same type of person as you? Stop using your


    way of thinking to define me!¡±


    ¡°What type of person am I?¡± He took a step closer to me as he lowered his voice. ¡°I¡¯ve exined to you


    countless times about things between Reba and I. As for you and John, were you not nning to


    tell me anything if I didn¡¯t ask you about him?¡±


    I pursed my lips, not knowing what he meant.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Ashton lifted a brow. ¡°During Cameron¡¯s birthday banquet, you rejected me, but you were holding


    hands with John a momentter. Have you ever given me an exnation for that?¡±


    I opened my mouth, but no words came to me.


    The man had excellent control over his emotions. ncing at me, he continued, ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you


    anything because I hoped that you¡¯ll tell me about it yourself. Scarlett, not every kind of love has to be


    in the form of a verbal ¡®I love you¡¯.¡±


    ¡°John and I¡­¡± I trailed off, not knowing how to exin what had happened as my chest tightened.


    I did not want to exin it to him; I did not want to mention it at all.

 Chapter 117

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 117


    Looking at him, I said, ¡°Reba has Cameron and Zachary too, but you can¡¯t let her go either, can


    you? I¡¯m just normal friends with John. Nothing else.¡±


    Those were wordsced with guilt. Right after I finished saying my piece, I could not conceal the


    awkward expression from my face.


    The atmosphere was tense, and I knew Ashton must be furious right now. Guiltily, I continued, ¡°I¡¯m


    different from Reba. The moment she cries, Cameron, Zachary, Joe, and you will feel bad for her


    and console her. I don¡¯t. I only have myself. To me, John is a nightmare, and we¡¯re only normal friends.¡±


    At that, Ashton softened his gloomy expression and motioned to me. ¡°Come here.¡±


    I sat on the bed with a hung head, murmuring, ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    Furrowing his brows, he walked toward me and crouched down by the side of my legs. ¡°You can¡¯t


    because you feel guilty?¡±


    I remained silent. What I heard next was his exasperatedugh. ¡°I was wrong to touch your box.


    Grandpa gave you the box, hoping to use the box to bind us to the marriage. But Scarlett, you and I


    both know marriage won¡¯t work when the two are forcefully bound together. That¡¯s why I threw the box.


    I¡¯ll take care of you and the kid. We¡¯re a married couple, so let¡¯s spend the rest of our days peacefully,


    okay?¡±


    A sense of security was not something I had in our marriage. I could not tell what parts of his words


    were true and what parts were not. Furthermore, I could not be sure that he had truly let go of


    Reba.


    However, there was something I was sure about¡ªI wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. To


    marry someone I loved was a blessing.


    To be together was a blessing, too.


    That was why I did not want to leave Ashton unless it was ast resort. This marriage was not only for


    myself; it was for my child too.


    If I could, I wanted to spend the rest of my life peacefully with him.


    Looking at him, I nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    He gave me a small, helpless smile. ¡°Don¡¯t mention the notion of divorce anymore.¡±


    I nodded one more, feeling helpless as well.


    At that, he carried me up into his arms and headed to the sunroom on the top floor. Afterying me on


    the bed, he ced his palm on my stomach and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the antenatal visit tomorrow.


    Sleep early tonight.¡±


    I nodded. I would have forgotten about the visit if not for his reminder.


    As it was gettingte, he headed to the bathroom to shower. As Iy on the bed, I lost myself in my


    thoughts. It¡¯s not good for me to keep feeling insecure. I¡¯ll never be able to fully trust him or myself.


    I don¡¯t like me acting like this.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± He hade out of the bathroom, and he was now drying his hair with


    his towel as he watched me.


    Coming back to my senses, I sat up and wrapped my arms around his waist. His skin was still damp.


    As he was not wearing his pajamas, I was leaning on his solid stomach in silence.


    Hearing my silence, he threw the towel aside and embraced me. After he let me lean on his shoulder,


    he whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t keep so many things in your heart. You¡¯ll be drained out.¡±


    I nodded slowly. In a sorrowful tone, I murmured, ¡°Ashton, can you not contact Reba anymore?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    After a beat, I continued, ¡°She has her parents to love her now. She¡¯ll do fine without you, but I can¡¯t. I


    only have you.¡±


    I was using the woman¡¯s method against him. There were things I had to try before I could find out the


    kind of results they would bring.


    His embrace was a tight one, and in his arms, I could barely hold back the urge to smile. It seemed like


    men loved the fragility of women.


    Sensing the hug growing tighter, I froze. Then, he cupped my cheek and made me stare into his dark


    eyes.


    He uttered coldly, ¡°Scarlett, this isn¡¯t who you are. Be yourself.¡±


    I¡­


    I frowned and shot him a fierce re. ¡°So Reba can say something like this, but I can¡¯t?¡±


    How funny. She can pretend to be pitiful, but I can¡¯t?


    Ashtonughed. ¡°You have me, so you don¡¯t need to pretend to be pitiful. Moreover, you¡¯re not pitiful.¡±


    I suddenly felt as though my acting skills were useless against Ashton, so I climbed out of his arms and


    went into the bathroom.


    At the end of the day, some shows could only be put on for certain people.


    After I exited the bathroom, the man was already lying on the bed. I dried my hair with a towel as I


    walked toward the dresser, about to use the hairdryer.


    He stood up and voiced, ¡°Come here.¡±


    Thinking that he wanted to tuck me in, I frowned. ¡°My hair is still damp.¡±


    He hummed in response and simply repeated, ¡°Come here.¡±


    With no other choices, I walked over and looked at him. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    He gently pushed me into a sitting position on the bed before he took the towel to dry my hair. Quietly,


    he exined, ¡°It¡¯s bad for your hair if you dry it with the hairdryer all the time.¡±


    I pursed my lips and mumbled, ¡°It¡¯s too slow to use the towel.¡±


    My head was spinning a little by now, making me feel ufortable. ¡°Ashton, I¡¯m tired. Just use the


    hairdryer.¡±


    Instead of answering me immediately, he enveloped me in his arms. ¡°Sleep now.¡±


    Since I was already running out of energy, I fell asleep before he finished drying my hair.


    Days flew by in a daze. Perhaps it was because I was pregnant, but I often felt a little uneasy. After the


    checkup at the hospital, I found out the baby had developed into a humanoid form.


    Ashton seemed to be in a good mood. As after entering the car, he asked, ¡°What do you feel like


    eating?¡±

 Chapter 118

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 118


    I shook my head and weakly leaned back on the seat. ¡°Anything will do.¡±


    I had not done anything, but I felt abnormally exhausted.


    Noticing my state, he buckled my safety belt for me and continued, ¡°Let¡¯s go home for the meal. After


    eating, you should get some rest for a while.¡±


    Nodding, I closed my eyes, about to nap.


    The following days, I remained worn out. I was only four months pregnant, and my stomach was not


    necessarily that big, so I could still work.


    The audit for Fuller Corporation was nowpleted, so I felt relieved.


    Due to the AC¡¯s incident, Stacey hade to me with a letter of resignation. However, I did not


    approve it, asking her to rest at home for a while instead.


    On the weekend, I made an appointment with Joe, hoping to learn more about the factory in South


    District.


    It would be inappropriate for me to report this to thepany ¨C especially since he was Ashton¡¯s


    friend.


    Thus, I decided to have a private chat with the man instead.


    The caf¨¦ was ying soft music, making the atmosphere in the shop seem light. After ordering a ss


    of juice, Joe stared at me with an impatient look. ¡°What did you want to talk about?¡±


    ¡°Do you hate me because of Reba, or is it because of something else?¡± I queried, sounding as if I


    wanted to make small talk with him.


    He was taken aback for a second before he let out augh. ¡°Is that what you wanted to talk to me


    about?¡±


    Shaking my head, I denied, ¡°No, I muttered tiredly, ¡°I was just asking.¡±


    ¡°Everyone has to keep walking forward. Ashton and I have already gotten married. You like Reba,


    so why don¡¯t you tell her about your feelings and get together with her?¡±


    ¡°Are you done?¡± His expression turned grim. ¡°Scarlett, who do you think you are? Do you think you¡¯re


    an all-powerful being? Do you think the best will happen just because you said so?¡±


    I lowered my gaze, falling silent.


    Persuasion was not a strong point of mine, so I stopped pursuing the topic. ¡°All right, forget it. Let¡¯s talk


    about the factory you stopped production in South District.¡±


    Tensing up, his gazended on me for a long while before he said, ¡°I¡¯m surprised you found out about


    it.¡±


    ¡°I want to know why you did that.¡±


    This was part of my job, so I did not bother with courtesy and small talk anymore.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask Ashton about it? Why are you asking me about this first?¡±


    Lowering my gaze, I answered, ¡°You were the one in charge of HiTech in the past. The factory in South


    District was halted for half a year. Although I don¡¯t know how you got the funds for half a year, I don¡¯t


    think you have any malicious intentions. I think you simply couldn¡¯t deal with it alone. Moreover, you¡¯re


    friends with Ashton. I hope there won¡¯t be any unnecessary fights between the two of you.¡±


    ¡°Ha,¡± he sneered. ¡°Scarlett, aren¡¯t you too na?ve?¡±


    He raised a brow at me before cynically replying, ¡°You can talk to Ashton about HiTech. He knows what


    he should do.¡±


    ¡°However,¡± he paused tough before saying, ¡°although I hate you in certain ways, I admire your work.


    You¡¯re not bad of a business partner to have, but that doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re not a despicable person.¡±


    Knowing that he was always mean, I did not take his words to heart.


    Since I had spoken my piece, there was nothing else to talk about. Hence, I bid him farewell.


    The moment I stepped out of the caf¨¦, Macy called, sounding upset.


    She told me to head to the hospital.


    After reaching the said location, I parked my car in the parking lot. It was then I found her on the first


    floor of the hospital, looking helpless and in a daze.


    The woman had a medical report in her hands which I quickly took from her.


    It was the results of a blood test and an ultrasound. I was dumbfounded when I noticed the time at the


    top of the report. ¡°Eight weeks? Whose?¡±


    Although I knew that she would sometimes¡­


    However, she always made sure to use protection. How can she possibly be pregnant?


    She lowered her head into her hands and tugged on her hair helplessly. ¡°When you were away for a


    business trip in A City.¡±


    After recalling my trip, I looked at her and asked, ¡°The night you got drunk?¡± That night, I had not been


    able to pick her up, so I had asked Jared to pick her up instead.


    However, Jared was a disciplined man who would not go around carelesslyying his finger on women.


    ¡°Was it Jared?¡±


    She remained quiet, seemingly not nning to tell me the truth.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    After a long while, she raised her head to say, ¡°I¡¯m nning to sell my house at Glenwood. I¡¯m going to


    move to Q City.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Okay. I have some money saved up. No matter what you choose, I¡¯ll respect your decision.¡±


    It seemed like she was nning to keep the baby. I knew her too well. We were both lonely souls, so


    we loved the angels sent to us by God dearly.


    Hearing my words, some of the gloom on her face dissipated. She pulled me to sit beside her and


    leaned toward me. ¡°Letty, we won¡¯t be lonely from now on.¡±


    She was right. With our angels, we would not be lonely anymore.


    After apanying her for a while, I sent her back before I headed to the office.


    I had nothing to do there, but Jared spent most of his weekends in the office. After knocking on the


    door what seemed to be eons, the man finally opened the door with a tired look.

 Chapter 119

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 119


    Realizing it was me by the door, he stiffened. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here to visit you.¡± I put the takeaways I bought for him on his desk. ¡°I know you haven¡¯t eaten, so I


    brought you some food.¡±


    Confused by my actions, he asked, ¡°You don¡¯t evere without reason. What¡¯s up?¡±


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    Rendered speechless for a second, I shed him an awkward smile. ¡°Do you remember the time I went


    to A City for a business trip?¡±


    He nodded as he started digging into his food. Perhaps he had been in the office the entire day, for I


    could see that he seemed weary.


    I continued, ¡°When I asked you to pick Macy up, did you leave after you sent her to the hotel?¡±


    I was not good with words. An outstanding example of it would be this moment. I had wanted to ask


    him about it in a subtle manner, but I ended up being straightforward.


    All his motions halted, and he looked at me incredulously. ¡°You¡¯re not good at taking the long route.


    Speak your mind.¡±


    I covered my face for a brief moment, feeling foolish.


    ¡°Did you do it with Macy that night?¡± Right after the words left my mouth, I had the urge to hit my head


    on the desk. What the f*ck did I just say?


    He looked at me and lifted a brow. ¡°Do what?¡±


    It was immensely awkward and inappropriate to discuss this with a man.


    Unfortunately, I was the one who started the topic; I could not stop it right now.


    ¡°Did you guys have sex?¡± I rephrased my question before waiting for his reply with a burning face.


    He covered his takeaway and leaned back. Looking at me without any expressions in his eyes, he


    inquired, ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me why you¡¯re asking this?¡±


    I was two seconds away from cursing at him.


    However, I could not tell him about Macy¡¯s pregnancy. I did not know whether his knowledge would be


    a good thing or a bad thing for her. Instead, I said, ¡°I think she¡¯s ill.¡±


    He had been sipping on a ss of water at that moment, and he spat out his mouthful of water upon


    hearing my answer.


    I took a piece of tissue and handed it to him. After dabbing the puddle of water on his desk, he


    questioned, ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I felt a little guilty, but the words were already out of my mouth. All I could do was to steel myself


    and repeated, ¡°So did you two¡­¡±


    Jared raised both brows before he responded, ¡°You should rest more since you¡¯re already four months


    pregnant. Everything you say and do will affect the development of the baby.¡±


    I was definitely baffled by his reply.


    Did he just change the topic?


    With that said, the man stood up and went back to his work. He gave me no more replies about what


    had happened that night.


    However, his silence was an answer as well¡ªit was likely that he had slept with her.


    Right as I was about to open my mouth again, someone pushed open Jared¡¯s office door. It was


    Ashton, striding in with his long legs.


    Jared turned a little to look at him before he uttered, ¡°Take your wife home and talk to her about sexual


    rtionships. She seemed unusually curious about it.¡±


    What?


    Ashton walked toward me as the look in his eyes darkened. He then peeked at Jared and asked, ¡°What


    did she ask you?¡±


    Jared shrugged, seemingly exasperated. ¡°She asked me if I¡¯ve slept with Macy.¡±


    When my husband stared at me, I gave him a dryugh before I awkwardly exined, ¡°I was just


    curious. Why don¡¯t you ask him about it on my behalf?¡±


    ¡°Did you?¡± That was Ashton¡¯s question for Jared.


    ¡°What?¡± Thetter jumped to his feet from his chair. ring at us, he groaned, ¡°You two are indeed


    peas from the same pod. Hurry up and leave.¡±


    Although I had gotten no direct answer, I was not going to continue interrogating him.


    It seemed like Ashton was here for me, as he helped me up before he headed out of the office with me.


    While I walked behind him, I felt a trace of fear ece my heart.


    After boarding the car, Ashton remained silent. It seemed like anger to me, but I could not be sure.


    Unable toprehend what he was feeling at that moment, I asked, ¡°Have you eaten?¡± It was


    mealtime anyway.


    He stayed silent for a long time.


    Fifteen minutester, he parked his car at a restaurant and got down from the car. I hurriedly followed


    him, jogging for a short distance.


    After finally sitting down, he queried, ¡°What do you want to eat?¡±


    ¡°Anything is fine. I¡¯m not picky.¡± Looking at him, I sensed that he was going to lose his temper in a


    moment. Yet, even after mulling over what happened earlier, I could not think of the reason for his


    anger. Regardless, I knew he was in a foul mood.


    Soon, our orders were served. Not feeling hungry, I ate a few mouthfuls before I watched him eat with


    my hand supporting my chin.


    Ashton was a quick eater, but my constant staring made him slow down. He lifted his head and smirked


    in a yboy-like manner. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to eat your food, do you want to eat me?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Then why are you looking at me in that manner?¡±


    I straightened up and shook my head, avoiding his question. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡±


    He put down his fork as he raised his brows. ¡°Something on your mind?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded before confessing, ¡°There are a lot of problems with HiTech. The factory in South


    District has halted operations for half a year, but there are still ongoing records of thepany¡¯s


    current ount.¡±


    ¡°I know that,¡± he replied. ¡°Anything else?¡±


    Um.


    ¡°Will Dr. Crest¡¯s parents be mindful about their future daughter-inw¡¯s family background?¡± Jared¡¯s


    parents were prominent figures in K City, and Jared himself was an excellent doctor. I was afraid of


    how they would handle this matter if her child really turned out to belong to the man.

 Chapter 120

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 120


    Raising a brow, Ashton noted, ¡°You seem awfully interested in Jared¡¯s matter.¡±


    I subconsciously nodded, but when I noticed something amiss with his expression, I quickly chuckled.


    ¡°Not really. I just suddenly recalled that night, so I wanted to ask about it. I don¡¯t mean anything else.¡±


    Lowering his gaze, he kept quiet.


    After realizing I had not much appetite, he stopped eating as well. Leading me out of the restaurant, we


    headed to the mall. Ashton¡¯s way of shopping always seemed like he was nning to buy an entire


    warehouse worth of goods.


    Although I was shopping with him, it seemed as though I was only there for moral support. However, he


    was buying baby products, so I said nothing about his shopping. After all, everything he bought would


    be put to use eventually.


    After a round of shopping, it was gettingte. Feeling tired, I fell asleep soon after I entered the car.


    I slept the entire journey home. Before my eyes could open, he had picked me up into his arms, and


    my eyes flew open.


    ¡°We¡¯re home.¡±


    I gave him a quiet hum in response as he carried me all the way to our bedroom. After gently putting


    me on the bed, he went to the bathroom.


    The sleep during the journey home had been a nap, so I could not go back to sleep after waking up.


    Instead, I stared at the ceiling, daydreaming.


    After Ashton finished showering, he dried himself before pulling the nket away and lying beside me.


    With his arm around my waist, he held me in an embrace.


    As we stared into each other¡¯s eyes, I found myself lost in his.


    Knitting his brows, he gently pushed the stray hairs on my forehead to the side. ¡°Do you want to take a


    shower?¡± he asked in a quiet voice.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel like moving.¡± I adjusted myself to the side, feeling slight difort in my stomach.


    However, in minutes, the pain became worse.


    I sat up, grimacing as I did so.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He ced his hand on my stomach and asked concernedly, ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡± I did not know what was going on, but I had recently been experiencing minor pains. Checkups


    told us there was nothing wrong, however.


    After staying in the same position for a while, I no longer felt like sleeping. Hence, I reached out to grab


    my phone and check the time. It was only eleven at night.


    Getting off the bed, I told him, ¡°Go ahead and sleep first. I¡¯ll be sitting in the living room for a while.¡±


    I was worried I would wake him by tossing and turning on the bed.


    However, he wrapped his arms around my waist and stopped me from leaving. ¡°Don¡¯t go there. Just lie


    down here. You¡¯ll fall asleep soon enough.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The room fell quiet again, and he changed the room¡¯s lighting into a warm tone. Breathing slowly, I


    closed my eyes and tried to sleep.


    ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± he queried. As the room was quiet, his voice sounded exceptionally clear and loud.


    I nodded and curled into myself.


    ¡°Let¡¯s visit the hospital tomorrow.¡± As he spoke, he held me in his arms again.


    I shook my head and mumbled, ¡°We just went there.¡±


    It did not seem right for me to keep visiting the hospital.


    After a moment of silence, when I thought he had fallen asleep, he muttered, ¡°You¡¯re four months in,


    right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Six more months to go.¡±


    I was starting to feel sleepy, so I did not answer him. After I shut my eyes, I soon fell asleep.


    Fortunately, my sleepsted until the morning.


    I woke up after shifting slightly and leaned on Ashton as he asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°You¡¯re awake?


    How was your sleep?¡±


    I nodded and hummed, ¡°It was good.¡±


    Turning to look at his handsome face, I burrowed myself into his arms. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to the office


    today?¡±


    He should be quite busy these days.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay home to keep youpany,¡± he replied as he hugged me tightly. With a small smile, he


    continued, ¡°I¡¯m nning to hand all thepany matters to Joe tomorrow and apply for a maternal


    leave.¡±


    I huffed out augh. ¡°So, does that mean you¡¯re going to give birth to the baby?¡±


    His palm gently caressed my stomach. With each passing day, I could acutely feel the baby growing in


    me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can.¡± He pecked a kiss on my lips and asked, ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± I had just woken up; I could not eat yet.


    Now that I was fully awake, I could not go back to sleep. I was still lying in bed with a warm nket


    wrapped around me. For reasons unbeknownst to me, I was constantly feeling cold despite it being


    almost July.


    Shifting again, I leaned closer to Ashton, identally touching the bottom half of his body.


    He gasped quietly before lowering his gaze to look at me. ¡°Your hand is fine now?¡±


    I stiffened and shook my head before I moved backward. However, he stopped me from retreating. ¡°I


    have to endure this for another six months.¡±


    Um.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    When he grabbed my hand, I could guess what he was trying to do.


    Biting on my lower lip, I muttered, ¡°It¡¯s not good for the baby.¡±


    ¡°Who said that?¡± he chuckled as he pressed my hand onto the bulge in his pants.


    ¡°Dr. Crest!¡± I blurted out. It was true that the doctor had told me it would affect the baby since I was


    already four months into the pregnancy.


    After a while of rubbing himself with my hand, he panted, ¡°He¡¯s full of nonsense.¡±


    He continued for an hour. By then, I could noty on the bed anymore, so I climbed out of it to wash up.


    Meanwhile, Ashton went to take a change of clothes before he went to take a shower.


    After exiting the bathroom, I headed downstairs.


    Mrs. Eriksen had been busy recently because a grandson had recently appeared in her life. As she


    was busy taking care of her daughter-inw after her pregnancy, she could note over as often as


    she usually did.


    Ashton had wanted to hire someone else, but I disagreed with it. Firstly, the new help would be a


    stranger, and I did not enjoy the process of getting familiar with a stranger. Secondly, it was just a


    month before Mrs. Eriksen would return. I was only four months into the pregnancy, so I wanted to save


    us both the trouble.

 Chapter 121

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 121


    Mrs. Eriksen had prepared many things in the kitchen. I was aszy as my norm, so I rarely entered the


    kitchen. Even if I did, mac and cheese was the mostmon dish I would make.


    In terms of cooking, Macy and I were the same kind of people. In the past, Grandma always said that


    women should not be in the kitchen. Instead, we should read more books and delve into more poetic


    activities.


    As time went by, the kitchen became a ce I rarely entered. Now that I thought about it, it was


    because Grandma loved me and was reluctant to make me work in the kitchen. That was why she had


    said those words to me.


    Since I was staying home, I did not want to waste my timezing around. Therefore, I decided to cook


    something. After preparing all the ingredients, I poured some oil into the pan.


    Right then, Ashton came down after his shower. I froze when I saw his styled hair. ¡°You have


    something to do today?¡±


    He nodded in answer. Entering the kitchen and seeing the uncooked food, he asked, ¡°I¡¯ll be going out


    for a bit. Will you be fine at home by yourself?¡±


    I hummed as a reply and put the meat into the pan. As the meat flopped in, the oil on the pan sshed


    onto my hand, and I retracted my arm instinctively.


    Instantly, I hissed in pain.


    Swiftly, Ashton took the pan from my hand and pushed me to the side. ¡°Let your hand stay under the


    cold water for a while. I¡¯ll cook.¡±


    After putting my hand under the tap for a while, I stood aside and watched him move around the


    kitchen. His movements were smooth with no trace of hesitation.


    It differed him from the other rich men.


    Having nothing to do, I grabbed an orange and asked, ¡°Who are you meetingter?¡±


    He scooped spaghetti into a pot as he looked at me. ¡°Reba and Zachary are about to go back to K


    City, so they¡¯ve invited a few of us to lunch.¡±


    I froze until I saw an oil stain on his sleeve. Only then did I take off my apron and put it on him instead.


    ¡°Okay. Don¡¯t drink ande back earlier.¡±


    Everyone had their own paths to walk, and I could not force Ashton to cut ties with Reba. After all,


    they were human, not machines.


    He nodded and left a kiss on my forehead. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. Jared, Joe, Cameron, and Zachary will


    be there too. You¡¯re pregnant, so it won¡¯t be convenient for you to move too much.¡±


    I nodded in response before I took the te out of the kitchen to the dining room.


    After scooping a portion for himself, he untied the apron and took my hand to check on it. ¡°Does it still


    hurt?¡±


    He then stood up and walked toward the cupboard.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    When I saw him taking the first-aid kit, I hastily said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡±


    However, he ignored my words. Sitting beside me, he applied a thinyer of ointment to my hand.


    The two of us had a quiet lunch before he mumbled some reminders and left.


    After he left, I started to get bored being alone in the spacious house. Hence, I headed to the study


    room and started reading The Brief History Of Time.


    When Macy called, I was on the verge of falling asleep. She roared into the phone, ¡°What are you


    doing? Your man is probably going to-¡±


    ¡°Going to what? It¡¯s daytime now.¡± I was leaning on the balcony; the warm sunlight was making me


    sleepier.


    ¡°So what if it¡¯s daytime? Do you not have feelings in the day? Ashton and Reba just entered


    Winthem Hotel. Aren¡¯t you going there to take a look?¡±


    Macy sounded urgent, and I could guess that she was shopping outside as I could even hear the ck


    of her heels.


    ¡°You¡¯re pregnant, so stay at home. Stop wearing heels.¡±


    I yawned before looking at the clock. It was now five in the evening, and it had been hours since


    Ashton had left the house.


    I had been sitting down for hours, so my back was feeling ufortable.


    ¡°Wait, I¡¯m talking to you about your man. Aren¡¯t you going to take a look?¡± Macy sounded urgent. ¡°That


    woman, Reba, is dressed up allvish. I¡¯d say it¡¯s best for you to check them up.¡±


    I hummed disinterestedly in response. ¡°Have you had your dinner? Do you want toe to my house


    for it?¡±


    ¡°F*ck!¡± She then grunted, ¡°You¡­ Forget it. I¡¯m not going to your house. I¡¯ll be going home straight after


    shopping.¡±


    After ending the call, I walked out of the study room and took a short stroll in the vi¡¯s backyard.


    The weather was nice for the stroll. In the backyard was a row of blue jacarandas, and by now, it was


    the right season for blooming. The blue flowers were scattered across the grass patch, and it was a


    picturesque scene.


    Not long after, someone rang the doorbell of the vi. Just as I turned to head to the door, my phone


    rang.


    It was from Ashton.


    After picking up the call and before I could say anything, he uttered, ¡°Open the door. They¡¯re here to


    furnish the nursery. Also, the sunroom on the top floor isn¡¯t the best room for resting, so I¡¯ve asked


    them to remodel the master bedroom too. You¡¯ll rest better there.¡±


    I gave him a short hum in response and opened the door. The middle-aged man who appeared outside


    the house looked at me and greeted, ¡°Hello, Mrs. Fuller. We¡¯re the ones Mr. Fuller asked to furnish the


    nursery.¡±


    I nodded before opening the door wider to let them in.


    I then muttered into the phone, ¡°Where are you? When are youing back?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m at Winthem Hotel. I might be a littlete. I¡¯ve ordered some soup for you for dinner and asked Mr.


    Lewis to bring it to youter.¡±


    He sounded nonchnt though he had arranged everything perfectly for me.

 Chapter 122

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 122


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll end the call then,¡± I replied.


    Looking at the rockery in the backyard, my heart raced as if someone was gently squeezing it. It hurt a


    little, but I felt touched.


    Ashton was good at taking care of others. I had known that a long time ago. If someone had a ce in


    his heart, he would take care of that person until that person knew not how to do anything.


    However, I could not help but wonder, How long will days as heartwarming and perfect as thesest?


    The sun slowly set, and Devon had indeed instructed someone to send the soup to me. What came


    with the soup were some dishes that were suitable for pregnant women.


    I did not eat much. After the men who were remodeling the rooms were gone, I walked around the


    house.


    Many parts of the house had changed. The collections that were originally in the living room were gone.


    Some I had broken, and the remaining Ashton had kept it at the warehouse.


    Warm lights were installed in the dark house, and even the brown couch was changed into a deep blue


    one. The house now felt somewhat homely.


    A carpet had been ced over the grand staircase, and many warm-palette paintings now hung by the


    corridor. As for the nursery, the men had furnished the room with a sky-blue theme ¨C a perfect choice.


    Just by looking at the room, one could not help but brighten up.


    However, tears brimmed in my eyes. Is he doing this for the baby or me?


    It¡¯s probably for the baby.


    I clung to that moment, hoping that it would freeze in time as I remained in the nursery. In my daze, I


    did not realize the house¡¯s doorbell had been ringing for ages.


    After finally registering the noise, I rushed down the stairs.


    It turned out to be Joe. As I had taken quite some time before I opened the door, he had a scornful look


    on his face. ¡°How big is the house that Ms. Stovall needs to take so long to reach the door?¡±


    I ignored his harshment. I then spotted Ashton, who was leaning against the rockery. It seemed


    like he was drunk.


    When I walked over to him, the strong scent of alcohol wafted across my nose. Frowning, I helped him


    up before looking at Joe. ¡°Thank you for sending him back.¡±


    He did not reply, only giving me another look before he left.


    I slowly supported Ashton back to the bedroom. He seemed like he was drunk, but not at the same


    time¡ªhe seemed distracted, and he was quiet. All he did the entire time was to hang his head in a


    daze.


    ¡°Do you feel unwell?¡± I asked as I shook his body a little.


    He raised his head to look at me, and I could see his eyes were unfocused. ¡°Have you eaten?¡±


    I nodded and sighed. It seemed like he had drunk more than usual, so I stood up to get him some


    water. However, he stopped me.


    Pulling me to his leg, he narrowed his eyes. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m getting some water for you.¡± Why does he look like a child when he acts like this?


    He slowly nodded. ¡°I¡¯lle with you.¡± With that said, he stood up. Unfortunately for him, his body


    refused to cooperate, and he sat back down when he lost his bnce.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Be good and sit here. I¡¯ll get you some water. Stop making things difficult for yourself.¡± You¡¯re


    already in such a state. Why are you insisting oning with me?


    After returning with some water for him, I saw his arms hanging by the side of his body, as if he had no


    bones. I could not help but sigh as I lifted the ss to his lips. ¡°Open your mouth.¡±


    Squinting at me, he mumbled, ¡°Scarlett.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± After he took a sip, I reached out, about to take his clothes off when he stopped me. ¡°Don¡¯t


    move.¡±


    ¡°Ashton, you should seriously get some sleep now.¡± A nce at the time told me it was already


    midnight.


    He nodded, stood up, and announced, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be heading home first. It¡¯s not safe for Scarlett to be


    alone.¡±


    Huh?


    How much did he drink?


    Pulling him back to the bed, I cupped his cheeks and told him, ¡°Ashton, you¡¯re already home. Look at


    me. I¡¯m Scarlett.¡±


    He widened his eyes to look at me again. The usual coldness in his eyes was nowhere to be found at


    that moment. Instead, some tenderness was in his eyes. He reached up to touch my face and smiled.


    ¡°You¡¯vee to pick me up. Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    It looks like he really drank a lot.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go home,¡± I relented as I helped him up. Just as I was about to take him around the house


    beforeing back, he ended up dragging me down the stairs, stumbling the entire time.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Out of all the rooms in the house, he brought me to the main bedroom. I thought it had beenpletely


    remodeled, but it had not. The sandalwood bed was gone; it had been changed into a tatami.


    The wedding photos we took back then covered the wall, and a small pastel cot was by the side of the


    bed.


    The wardrobe remained, but the men had changed it to a walk-in closet instead. It was spacious. I liked


    it a lot.


    I only saw what changed in the master bedroom when I entered then; I had only checked out the


    nursery earlier.


    Ashton took me around the room before giving me a silly grin. ¡°Do you like it?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡± He was an aloof man, so I was sure that the remodeled color palette was meant for me.


    He had drunk a lot. After walking around the room, he fell asleep on the bed.


    Monday soon arrived.


    It was a working day ¨C Ashton usually woke early. As I had nothing else to do, I came to the office with


    him.


    Stacey had rested a few days by now. When I saw her again, she looked much better. It seemed like


    she had finally collected herself.


    When she caught sight of me, she smiled. ¡°Ms. Stovall, I wish to talk to you.¡±


    I nodded and led her into the office.


    Stacey was someone I had known for two to three years, and in certain personality aspects, we were


    the same. After motioning her to take a seat, I said, ¡°I¡¯ve already sent in the audit for Fuller Corporation.


    You¡¯ll have to pay more attention to HiTech¡¯s case. My stomach is growingrger, and I¡¯m experiencing


    more pregnancy symptoms by the day. There might be things I might miss out on, so it¡¯ll be best if you


    go through them too.¡±

 Chapter 123

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 123


    With her hands on her knees ovepping each other, the woman turned towards me after a brief


    pause. ¡°I am here to tender my formal resignation, Ms. Stovall!¡±


    I widened my eyes in surprise. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d give up on this job so easily, especially after how


    hard you¡¯ve worked.¡±


    Everyone makes mistakes, but you don¡¯t have to leave because of it! Just fix it and move on!


    I was starting to grow anxious when she kept quiet. ¡°What¡¯s your reason for leaving?¡±


    ¡°I might be getting married soon, and my husband wants me to stay home and look after the family.¡±


    Judging by her regretful tone of voice, I could tell that she was actually reluctant to resign.


    ¡°But you haven¡¯t got kids, right? You can still work after getting married! Besides, you¡¯ll probably find it


    difficult adjusting to life without work.¡±


    Grandpa had also wanted me to stay at home back then¡­ I know he meant well. He didn¡¯t want me to


    overwork myself, but I couldn¡¯t stand watching Ashton and Reba being so close to each other every


    day!


    Stacey nodded and shed me a faint smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ve already made up my mind. Thank you


    for all your support and guidance during my time here, Ms. Stovall.¡±


    Having no reason to try and stop her any further, I nodded and said, ¡°Very well, then. Email me your


    resignation letter and then hand over your work.¡±


    She gave me a nod of acknowledgment and began walking out of my office. Suddenly, she stopped in


    her tracks and turned around all of a sudden. ¡°Ms. Stovall, things are not as simple as they seem with


    Fuller Corporation¡¯s audit and HiTech.¡±


    I looked at her in confusion, but she had left before I could ask her what she meant by that.


    My mind sure is a messtely¡­ I keep forgetting things, and I can¡¯t even think straight at times¡­ I


    know there¡¯s something wrong with Fuller Corporation¡¯s audit and HiTech, but I can¡¯t quite point out


    what it is. Oh well¡­ Ashton won¡¯t discuss work at home, so I guess I¡¯ll have to set that issue aside for


    now¡­


    At lunchtime, I got a call from Ashton telling me to go to his office and have lunch with him.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if he had done it on purpose, but I noticed quite a lot of changes when I arrived. For


    starters, the color theme in his office had been changed, and the nts originally ced by the door


    had been reced with two pots of cupheas.


    The previously empty lobby was now also decorated with all sorts of potted nts.


    Joseph had finished packing and was about to head out for lunch when he saw me. ¡°Mr. Fuller is in his


    office. You may go straight in, Ms. Stovall!¡± he said after a brief pause.


    I nodded in response and nced at the newly-added desk in the corner. ¡°You guys have a new hire in


    the Secretarial Department?¡±


    Joseph, being a man of few words, nodded and replied, ¡°Yeah!¡±


    I knew I wasn¡¯t going to get any information out of him, so I didn¡¯t bother asking any further. I headed


    straight into Ashton¡¯s office.


    The man was busy with his work when I entered, so he pointed towards the food on the table when he


    saw me. ¡°Help yourself. I¡¯ll be done in a bit.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I muttered as I eyed the Devil¡¯s Ivy on his desk and began chowing down.


    He sat down next to me after he was done. ¡°Is there anywhere, in particr, you would like to go?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Nope!¡±


    I thought pregnant women are supposed to stay home! Why is he asking me where I want to go?


    I stopped eating after a while as I didn¡¯t really have much appetite. ¡°Is there a new hire in your office?¡±


    He raised an eyebrow at me. ¡°You sure are acting more and more like Mrs. Fuller!¡±


    I ignored hisment and waited for him to continue, which he did after a brief pause, ¡°It¡¯s someone


    who used to work for Dr. Ludwick. You¡¯ll be taking a break from work in a few months, so I figured


    having an extra secretary around would help smoothen things out.¡±


    Dr. Ludwick?


    The first person who came to mind was that woman I had met previously.


    At that moment, a woman came into his office. She was wearing a bright yellow dress with a high


    ponytail and exuded an air of youth.


    ¡°Pardon my intrusion, Mr. Fuller. I¡¯m here to deliver some documents!¡± She awkwardly ced the files


    on Ashton¡¯s desk and shot me a nervous nce before leaving.


    I looked at him and let out a light chuckle. ¡°Looks like youth is in the air, eh?¡±


    With an eyebrow raised, he reached out and pulled me into his arms. ¡°Are you jealous?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­ Your office looks a lot different now that it¡¯s filled with life.¡±


    His shallow breathing could be felt on my neck as he spoke, ¡°Well, you¡¯ve now got our child inside of


    you.¡±


    I kept quiet. For some reason, his sweetness only seemed to fill my heart with an inexplicable sense of


    dread.


    After lunch, I took a short break in the lounge before returning to his office.


    The ce was a bit noisy ¨C he seemed to have gone out. Since I had nothing else to do there, I figured


    I would head home.


    On my way out, I ran into a petite young woman who shed an awkward smile when she saw me. ¡°Ah,


    Mrs. Fuller, I didn¡¯t realize you were here! Am I disturbing you?¡±


    She looked somewhat familiar, but I couldn¡¯t quite remember who she was. ¡°You are?¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.

 Chapter 124

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 124


    ¡°My name is Kristina. We¡¯ve actually met before. Maybe you don¡¯t remember me, but I¡¯m sure you


    remember my uncle Caleb. Mr. Fuller has recently hired me as his secretary!¡± she said with a smile.


    My mind was still in a bit of a daze as I had just woken up from a nap, but I got the gist of what she


    said. Why would Ashton hire her as his secretary all of a sudden?


    ¡°So you¡¯re the one who decorated his office with these nts?¡± I asked. Both Ashton and Joseph used


    to have nts in their offices, but it didn¡¯t take long before Ashton got rid of them for being in his way!


    Why is he letting her decorate his office now?


    ¡°Yup! Mr. Fuller¡¯s office seemed rather lifeless due to his cold personality, so I asked Mr. Campbell for


    some advice and ced some potted nts in there,¡± Kristina replied.


    ¡°Ah, fair enough.¡± I nodded and massaged my forehead as I walked out of his office.


    With Stacey gone, I had to do most of the work on my own. Although Fuller Corporation¡¯s audit had


    beenpleted, there were still many things to work on with HiTech.


    By 8 p.m., I found myself incredibly exhausted despite having made it safely through my first trimester.


    As I was packing up and getting ready to head home, I received a text message from Ashton: I have


    some business to attend to, so I¡¯ll be homete. I¡¯ve ordered some soup for you, so make sure you


    have dinner on time!


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    I didn¡¯t give it much thought as I understood how busy he was and didn¡¯t want to hog him all the time.


    I drove straight back to the vi and was surprised to see Mrs. Eriksen busy mopping the floor.


    ¡°What are you doing here, Mrs. Eriksen? Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯ll be very busy these few days?¡±


    The woman paused and let out a sigh before turning towards me. ¡°What could an old woman like me


    possibly be busy with when even my son finds me useless?¡±


    We have a part-time maid to clean the vi. Seeing as to how she has cleaned the entire ce


    spotless, I¡¯m assuming she¡¯s in a bad mood¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ve been feeling rather unwell after dinnertely, Mrs. Eriksen. Is this something you could help me


    out with?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, you do look bloated. Give me a minute. I¡¯ll whip you up a home remedy. Go for a walk after


    drinking it, and you¡¯ll be all better!¡±


    I followed her into the kitchen and leaned against the door as I ranted, ¡°Oh, Mrs. Eriksen¡­ You have


    no idea how tough life was for Ashton and I while you were gone! Neither of us can cook, so we didn¡¯t


    really have anything to eat!¡±


    ¡°Haha! You kids should really learn to take better care of yourselves! I¡¯ll stay here to look after you from


    now on. That baby of yours will be due in a few months, so we¡¯ve got to be extra careful!¡± she said with


    a chuckle.


    Mrs. Eriksen seemed to be in a much better mood after a brief chat. Feeling a little tired, I drank a bit of


    the herbal mixture she made me and went straight to bed.


    I was woken up in the middle of the night by the ringing of my cellphone.


    ¡°Hello¡­¡± I answered sleepily without checking the caller ID.


    ¡°Am I speaking to Ms. Scarlett Stovall, the wife of Mr. Ashton Fuller?¡± The man on the phone sounded


    very professional.


    ¡°Yes, and you are?¡± I replied while checking the time. It¡¯s two in the morning! Who on earth could be


    calling me at this hour?


    ¡°I¡¯m calling to inform you that flight H898 from J City to K City has been involved in an ident. Your


    husband was on board that flight and is currently being rushed to K City Hospital. We need you to


    come over right away!¡±


    I sat bolt upright. An airne ident? How¡­


    My mind went nk, and I agreed without a second thought, not knowing what else to do.


    My hands trembled as I punched in Ashton¡¯s number on my phone. No one answered the call.


    I tried calling Joe and Josiah too, but it was probably toote at night as they weren¡¯t picking up either.


    In my state of panic, I decided to call Reba. She answered the phone rather quickly, and I could


    hear her sobbing profusely on the other line. ¡°Where are you, Scarlett? Ash is in danger! Come quick!¡±


    ¡°What happened? Where is he?¡± I clutched the phone tightly in my palm as I asked.


    ¡°He was bringing me over to K City, but then something went wrong with the ne¡­ He tried to protect


    me during the emergencynding, and he¡­¡± She began crying even louder as she continued, ¡°My


    parents are in the ER as well. The doctors need you toe to sign the consent forms. I¡¯m sorry,


    Scarlett! I won¡¯t try to steal him from you anymore! As long as he survives, I¡¯ll do anything¡­¡±


    I felt no need to listen any further and hung up the phone to save myself from the heartache.


    Now that the news had me wide awake, I got off the bed and paced about in the room. After calming


    down a little, I decided to give Macy a call, but there was no answer.


    I tried calling Nick instead, and he picked up the phone, much to my surprise.


    ¡°What the hell, Letty? It¡¯s three in the morning! Do you miss me that much? Is that why you¡¯re calling


    me at this hour?¡±

 Chapter 125

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 125


    ¡°Do you know where Ms. Anderson is?¡± I didn¡¯t trust Reba, so I had to confirm it with someone else.


    ¡°She was sending Reba to K City with Zachary. Oh, I think your husband went with them as well.¡±


    Nick was probably staying upte as he didn¡¯t sound tired at all. I could even hear the faint cking of


    his keyboard in the background.


    ¡°Have they checked in with you from K City?¡± I asked with a frown.


    ¡°No, why would they? I¡¯m a nobody!¡± He raised his voice a little.


    ¡°I meant your mother, Cameron. Did she text you saying that they¡¯ve allnded safely in K City?¡± I


    didn¡¯t know a lot of people in this circle, so Nick was the only person I could ask.


    I heard a loud smack when he mmed his fist on his keyboard. ¡°She has never talked to me about


    anything for over twenty years now. There¡¯s no way she¡¯d tell me about minor stuff like these! Anyway,


    why are you calling me thiste at night? Is there something you wanted to ask me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve received word that the ne they took was involved in an ident. Could you please help me


    look into it?¡± He was the only person I could count on to find out more about what happened.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go check!¡± he said after a brief pause and hung up the phone, leaving me to wait for his reply.


    Feeling empty without Ashton around, I went downstairs and switched on all the lights in the vi.


    I even tuned into the news on TV in hopes of hearing something about the ident, but there were no


    reports about it whatsoever.


    Nick called me back about fifteen minutester. ¡°I¡¯ve booked us tickets for the earliest flight. It departs


    at seven. Are youing?¡±


    I shuddered a little upon hearing that. ¡°Yes!¡± My voice was weak, and I was finding it difficult to breathe.


    I had a ton of questions in the back of my head, but they all ended up stuck in my throat.


    ¡°Things got a little bumpy when the ne made an emergencynding at the airport, but I think they¡¯ll


    be fine,¡± he said after a long pause.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow morning!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t go back to sleep after hanging up the phone, so I sat in the living room with my arms wrapped


    around my knees. The next four hours felt like hell as I sat there in the huge and empty vi, waiting for


    time to pass.


    I suppose a smaller house would¡¯ve been better¡­


    At dawn, I packed my stuff and left the house as quickly as I could.


    Nick was already at the airport with the tickets in hand by the time I got there.


    The airport wasn¡¯t that crowded at the time as most of the people there were in a hurry.


    Nick nced at his watch when he saw me and said, ¡°We¡¯ve got half an hour left. I think we should go


    through security now.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t get any sleep at all, did you?¡± I asked when I saw how pale he looked.


    He raised an eyebrow at me. ¡°I could ask you the same thing.¡±


    I kept quiet, simply nodding in response.


    The queue at the security wasn¡¯t long, and it was soon our turn. I handed my flight ticket and ID card


    over to the security officer, who gave me a strange look after seeing my name. ¡°Scarlett Stovall?¡±


    I saw that Nick had already cleared security on his end and urged the officer, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Could


    you please hurry it up? We¡¯re in a bit of a rush.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but we¡¯ll need you to cooperate with the investigation,¡± the security officer replied.


    Before I knew what was going on, two young men in police uniforms hade up to me and began


    dragging me away.


    Nick ran over and stood in front of them. ¡°What¡¯s going on here, officer?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re from the Bureau of Industry and Commerce (BIC). We¡¯ve received reports of Fuller Corporation


    being involved in the ck market, so we¡¯re having Ms. Stovalle with us to aid the investigation.¡±


    I had no idea what they were talking about.


    Nick grabbed one of them by the arm and said, ¡°Why are you guys arresting her? She¡¯s an ordinary


    employee! If anything, you should be arresting the person in charge of Fuller Corporation!¡±


    ¡°Sir, please don¡¯t get in the way of us doing our job. Ms. Stovall is an employee of Fuller Corporation,


    as well as the wife of the person in charge. Most of thepany¡¯s documents were signed by her, so


    she has a direct connection to this case. You may consult awyer if you have any further inquiries.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ll go check on things in K City. We¡¯ll decide our next course of action then!¡± Nick called


    out to me.


    This is bad¡­ With both Ashton and myself absent from Fuller Corporation during such a crisis, I¡¯m not


    sure if Joe and Jared can handle it on their own¡­


    The police officers brought me to an interrogation room where I was sat down in front of a middle-aged


    woman. ¡°My apologies for bringing you all the way here like this, Ms. Stovall. As yourpany has


    been involved in some legal issues, I will need to record my following conversation with you. I hope you


    will cooperate with me in this investigation.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    I nodded, having finally calmed down from the shock and fear.

 Chapter 126

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 126


    The middle-aged woman continued, ¡°ording to our investigations, Fuller Corporation has already


    been audited under the supervision of the public during this month, and you have submitted the audit


    report to the Economic Network.¡±


    I nodded without saying a word.


    ¡°I¡¯ve gone through the reports, and I see your signature on most of them. Are you aware of the


    company¡¯s fiscal deficits, Ms. Stovall?¡±


    ¡°Officer, that¡¯s not illegal, is it?¡± I asked with a frown.


    She shook her head and shed a faint smile at me. ¡°No, but the problems that arise from it are.


    HiTech, which¡¯s owned by Fuller Corporation, has caused the idental death of four employees six


    months ago due to inadequate safety measures. However, Fuller Corporation has tried to sweep


    everything under the rug instead of resolving the issue. That has resulted in three of the workers¡¯ family


    membersmitting suicidest night.¡±


    ¡°Four employees died in an ident?¡± I stood up from my chair in shock. ¡°Howe?¡±


    She sneered at me upon seeing my panicked reaction. ¡°Drop the act, Ms. Stovall. You were the one


    who handled those incidents, so you should know it better than anyone else.¡±


    I stared wide-eyed at her in confusion. ¡°I¡¯m not putting up an act! It¡¯s only been a little over a month


    since I¡¯ve taken over HiTech, and the ident in South District happened about half a year ago! I


    wasn¡¯t in charge of it back then!¡±


    ¡°I knew you were going to say that. It¡¯s true that you¡¯ve only taken over HiTech¡¯s case recently, but


    HiTech was already under your management when you were made director of Fuller Corporation a year


    ago. George Fuller handed thepany over to you along with 15% of its shares.¡±


    I waspletely bewildered and shook my head profusely as I said, ¡°I¡¯m not in charge of the South


    District. I have no idea about what happened!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re doing to need evidence to back up your statement, Ms. Stovall. We have all the documents


    you¡¯ve signed in HiTech throughout the entire year, so I suggest you plead guilty. Since you¡¯re not the


    person in charge, your improper handling of the ident will only get you fired at worst.¡±


    I began to calm down as I ryed what the woman had said. She¡¯s right; this isn¡¯t a criminal case at all!


    It¡¯s just an industrial andmercial issue involving thepany!


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m unable to answer your questions on this. What you¡¯re doing right now counts as uwful


    imprisonment, and I have the right to sue you for viting my human rights by interrogating me for a


    criminal case.¡±


    There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll be the one being investigated for issues with Fuller Corporation. As for the case with


    HiTech, I can only assume someone is trying to set me up! I mustn¡¯t admit to any of these usations,


    or my reputation will be ruined forever!


    The middle-aged woman chuckled when she saw how calm I was. ¡°Very well, then. You may have your


    attorney bail you out so you can go have a chat with Fuller Corporation and its stockholders in J City!¡±


    ¡°Oh, you bet I will!¡±


    I then quickly contacted mywyer and was allowed to leave after taking care of the paperwork.


    I drove straight to Fuller Corporation and parked somewhere nearby when I saw a huge group of


    people assembled outside the building.


    I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but I have a feeling that things are about to get a whole lot worse¡­


    Instead of getting out of the car right away, I tried calling Jared again, but there was still no answer.


    Fortunately for me, Joe answered his phone when I called him after that.


    ¡°Mr. Quinn, I need an exnation for the four lives that were lost in the workce ident at HiTech!¡±


    ¡°I think you should be more concerned about Ashton making it out of the operating theatre alive,


    Scarlett.¡±


    At that point, I felt myself breaking down as I rubbed my aching forehead. ¡°He got himself into an


    ident because he decided to go to K City for no apparent reason, so how is that my responsibility?


    You shouldn¡¯t have double standards like this, Mr. Quinn. Now, I know you¡¯ve heard about what


    happened in Fuller Corporation.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already had someone assigned to handle the situation in Fuller Corporation. As for HiTech, old Mr.


    Fuller has transferred 15% of its shares over to you with your knowledge. Ashton decided to have you


    sign the papers for the factory in South District, so you can ask him about it when he gets out of the


    ER.¡±

 Chapter 127

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 127


    The man then paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°Here¡¯s a piece of advice, Scarlett. Some things


    aren¡¯t worth fighting for.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± I felt like I had fallen into a bottomless pit with no hope of getting out.


    ¡°I gotta go.¡± He then hung up on me, leaving me to stare nkly at the huge crowd outside the building.


    My phone started ringing all of a sudden, and I saw that it was Macy calling. ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°Outside the office building!¡±


    ¡°Got it, stay where you are! I¡¯lle and get you!¡±


    Macy hung up after saying that, and I saw her appear at the entrance of the building about fifteen


    minutester.


    I quickly gave her a call and said, ¡°Look behind you!¡±


    She turned around and ran up to me when she saw my car. ¡°Let¡¯s discuss this back at my ce.¡±


    We arrived at Glenwood Apartments shortly after.


    ¡°What on earth is going on with HiTech?¡± she asked with a serious look on her face.


    I tried my best to exin, ¡°Grandpa handed HiTech over to me a year ago. Though I¡¯m not in charge of


    it personally, most of its official documents are signed under my name.¡±


    She froze. ¡°So¡­ You¡¯re gonna be the one to take the fall for what happened to HiTech?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°On top of that, there¡¯s also some issues with the audit handled by AC Credit and Harrison


    Credit. A discrepancy in the data reported by bothpanies. The Bureau of Industry and Commerce


    is investigating the matter as we speak. If this isn¡¯t handled well, Fuller Corporation¡¯s stock market will


    plummet, and thepany will face bankruptcy.¡±


    Macy paced about anxiously as she said, ¡°To hell with Fuller Corporation! You should be more worried


    about yourself right now! The media is pinning everything on you, and some of the stockholders can be


    very extreme. As for the case with HiTech, you might be looking at a very heavy fine here. Well¡­


    Ashton should be able to help you take care of all of this, but things are surely going to be tough for you


    after this!¡±


    I held my head between my knees as I tried to calm myself down. ¡°Ashton has gotten into an ident


    and is currently in the ER¡­¡±


    Her jaw dropped in shock. ¡°What the¡­ Why is everything happening all at once?¡±


    I could only shake my head helplessly in response.


    Thanks to how advanced inte technology was, word got out very easily in J City.


    I didn¡¯t return to the vi after Mrs. Eriksen gave me a call to tell me that there was a huge group of


    reporters crowded outside.


    Fortunately for me, not many people knew about Glenwood Apartments, so it was safe for me to stay


    there.


    I got a call from Nick shortly after. He told me Ashton was still in the ICU; he didn¡¯t have any further


    information regarding his condition.


    As expected, Fuller Corporation¡¯s stocks hit rock bottom in just two days, and to say the stockholders


    weren¡¯t taking it very well would be an understatement. Some of them had mental breakdowns so bad


    that they were even close to attempting suicide.


    Despite Joseph holding a press conference to ease the public¡¯s concerns, all of Fuller Corporation¡¯s


    operations had to be suspended due to the investigation by the Bureau of Industry and Commerce.


    Over half of J City¡¯s shops, malls, construction sites, and hospitals were owned by Fuller Corporation,


    so the sudden halt in its operations had almost the entire city paralyzed as a result.


    Macy headed to shop for groceries every day and report the situation outside of the building to me


    when she returned.


    I still had a lot of unanswered questions, but waiting was all I could do.


    ¡°Look, all you have to do right now is get enough rest. Don¡¯t worry about everything else, okay? I mean,


    look at how big your tummy has gotten! The baby is due in a few months!¡± Macy said while serving up


    dinner. Her cooking has improved a lot recently, much to my relief as I didn¡¯t have anything else to eat.


    I nodded at her in response, but there was no way I could rx. ¡°The Bureau of Industry and


    Commerce will announce the results of their investigation tomorrow, and I don¡¯t even know what to


    expect¡­¡±


    ¡°Whatever the oue is, at worst, Fuller Corporation will go bankrupt. Sure, you having to take the


    fall isn¡¯t exactly pleasant, but Mr. Fuller is both the President and Chairman of thepany! He¡¯ll have


    to pay up to billions inpensation! That¡¯s way worse!¡± What Macy said was true. I knew humans


    were selfish by nature, but it wasn¡¯t something I agreed with.


    ¡°How could I possibly leave after all Grandpa has done for me? I¡¯d live the rest of my life in guilt if I do!¡±


    I eximed with a sigh.


    ¡°Say, do you think Joe could be behind all of this? He was in charge of HiTech when that ident


    happened, yet he chose to ignore it and do nothing! Also, Quinn Corporation was mostly responsible


    for the issue with AC Credit and Harrison Credit! Maybe he¡¯s trying to get at Ashton by using you¡­¡±


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t considered that possibility, but Ashton is no fool either! I brought that up with him


    once, but he told me Joe wouldn¡¯t do that as both Fuller Corporation and Quinn Corporation would be


    one soon!

 Chapter 128

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 128


    Joe is a smart guy. He wouldn¡¯t make such a huge sacrifice to get at Ashton. Still, without Ashton


    around, I had no idea as to what I should do¡­


    Macy gave me a pat on the shoulder when she saw how stressed I was. ¡°There, don¡¯t worry about it.


    You¡¯re only twenty-six, so you couldn¡¯t have known much about workce politics and conspiracies to


    avoid them. Besides, I can tell there¡¯s a lot more to this incident than it may seem.¡±


    She¡¯s right! This whole thing happened while Ashton, Joe, and Jared weren¡¯t around! Now that I think


    about it, it does seem premeditated! Who could¡¯ve¡­ Zachary!


    The look on my face turned cold the moment the man¡¯s name came to mind.


    Yes, it all makes sense! Zachary and Cameron are the only ones capable of helping Ashton if Fuller


    Corporation were to fall! It¡¯d be a piece of cake, considering the connections and the amount of money


    they have! After all, they just recovered their daughter who was lost for over twenty years! It¡¯s only


    natural for them to do everything in their power to help her get what she wants! We all know Reba


    loves Ashton, but it¡¯s very unlikely for him to divorce me when I¡¯m pregnant with his child. With this


    incident, however, it¡¯ll be a whole different story!


    ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± Macy snapped me out of my train of thoughts by tugging at my shirt sleeve.


    ¡°It¡¯s a conspiracy!¡± Having lost all appetite, I put my cutlery down and looked her in the eye as I


    continued, ¡°I think they¡¯re actually targeting me instead of Ashton!¡±


    ¡°Hold up. I¡¯m confused now. What are you talking about?¡±


    I ignored her question as another conflicting thought popped into my head. But¡­ If it


    really were Zachary and Cameron that did all this, why would they be involved in the ident along


    with Ashton and Reba? As much as they may love Reba, it wouldn¡¯t make sense for them to risk


    their lives like that!


    ¡°Never mind, I¡¯m probably overthinking things¡­¡± I got up and walked into the bedroom after saying


    that.


    After giving it some thought, I decided to give Nick a call. ¡°Are you alright, Scarlett?¡± he answered


    within seconds.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m alright!¡± I said while staring down from the balcony. ¡°How are things on your end?¡±


    ¡°Ashton¡¯s still in the ICU, so there isn¡¯t much I can do. Waiting here is a waste of time, so I¡¯ll being


    back today. Got a lot of things to take care of now that Harrison Credit is under investigation.¡±


    There was indeed no point in staying there if he wasn¡¯t able to see Ashton anyway.


    ¡°Are Joe and Jared there? Have you seen them?¡± I asked.


    There¡¯s no way they¡¯d stay there with Ashton after what¡¯s happened to thepany! It wouldn¡¯t make


    any sense!


    ¡°Jared is in the ICU. Joe left this morning after having someone take his ce there. Hey, you don¡¯t


    have to worry about Fuller Corporation, okay? I¡¯m sure everything will be alright after a couple of


    weeks.¡±


    He was probably talking to me in the corridor; I could hear his voice echoing from time to time.


    ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± Icked the vision they had to fullyprehend what was going on, so I hung up after a


    brief exchange.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Joe must be heading towards the office if he¡¯sing back today! With that thought in mind, I hurriedly


    packed my stuff and got ready to leave the house.


    Macy was shocked when she saw me leaving and quickly stopped me at the door. ¡°Are you crazy?


    Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±


    ¡°Joe¡¯s on his way back. I have to go to the office.¡±


    ¡°Let him handle it! We can¡¯t have you going out there when you¡¯re pregnant like this! What if something


    happens to you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine!¡± I figured it was probably not as serious as I had imagined. Besides, Joe was onlying


    back a few days after the incident had urred, so it was obvious that he knew something I didn¡¯t.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you!¡± Macy knew there was no stopping me, so she grabbed her coat and headed out with


    me.


    The huge group of reporters and stockholders gathered outside the building made it impossible for us


    to get in through the main entrance, but Macy had a brilliant idea.


    By driving my car and parking it outside the building, she had managed to gain the crowd¡¯s attention


    fairly quickly. ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that Mrs. Fuller¡¯s car?¡±


    That little distraction allowed me to quickly snuck into the building while the entire crowd rushed over


    and surrounded my car.


    Only a few managerial staff were in the office at the time. The rest of the people there were all


    investigators from the Bureau of Industry and Commerce.


    I made my way to the conference hall and saw Joe talking to the investigators.


    The man raised an eyebrow at me when he noticed me. ¡°How did you get in here?¡±


    ¡°I walked!¡±


    One of the investigators then handed him a stack of documents and said, ¡°The results of the


    investigation will be announced tomorrow. As far as I know, there are no other issues apart from the


    safety vitions at HiTech.¡±


    Joe nodded in acknowledgment. ¡°Thank you, officers!¡±


    He then began reading through the documents after the investigator left. Despite everything that has


    happened, he didn¡¯t seem even a tad bit anxious. In fact, he was so calm that it felt slightly unnerving.

 Chapter 129

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 129


    ¡°Mr. Quinn, let¡¯s talk!¡± I said as I took the documents from his hands.


    ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡± Joe asked as he raised his eyebrows.


    The casual way he addressed the conversation really irked me. However, I just swallowed my rage and


    replied, ¡°It has only been two months and there has already been a problem. Do you take me for a


    fool?¡±


    ¡°What do you expect? Or are you implying that I have something to do with this?¡± Joe said with a sneer.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you?¡± I stated with a cold re. ¡°You were in charge of the Fuller Corporation audits all this


    while, especially the Robinson Group. Now the very same Robinson Group that was supposed to be


    AC Credit¡¯s responsibility has problems with their auditing and you expect me to believe that you have


    nothing to do with this?¡± I remarked.


    Joe leaned back into his chair and red at me. ¡°Hmph! Yes, it is true that the audits have always been


    my responsibility. But you should also note that during the past few years when I was in charge, there


    was nothing that went wrong. The Robinson Group audits had issues after you took over. Can you be


    sure that you never have made a mistake while looking at their documents and reports? Weren¡¯t you


    the one who verified and signed the documents? Do you think I was able to interfere in that?¡± he


    dered.


    Joe paused for a moment to readjust his seat before continuing, ¡°The issues regarding HiTech were


    brought up by you. Ashton was aware of the nonconformity of the factory in the South District and how I


    found an alternative to the water supply. We tried to keep all that under wraps because thepany


    has gone public listed and any negative news would have tanked the stock prices. However, you just


    have to be a little ¡®Miss Perfect¡¯ and bring up this issue.¡±


    I was stunned by the revtion. ¡°So you knew all this while but didn¡¯t tell me?¡± I queried.


    ¡°Oh Ms. Stovall, do you still not know the unspoken rules of our industries after all these years? Do you


    have any idea howrge the Fuller Corporation is? Any corporation of this scale would definitely have


    its ws. As long as these ws don¡¯t affect the development or cause any significant problems, the


    corporation would just overlook them. Moreover, the factory in South District already had its issues


    settled, it just wasn¡¯t reported to the higher-ups. Did you think the families affected would let the Fuller


    Corporation off so easily otherwise?¡± Joe sneered.


    ¡°So why did someone take their life then?¡± I questioned since I heard the interrogator mention a suicide


    case when I was taken into the prosecutor¡¯s office.


    Joe chuckled like he was being amused by an idiot. ¡°It was more than half a year after the incident


    before someonemitted suicide. I guess pregnancy really does make someone lose their sense of


    logic,¡± he mocked.


    So someone tried to implicate the Fuller Corporation by tying the two incidents together and I¡¯m the


    only one out of the loop?


    I was stunned by the revtion and was at a loss for words. Joe wasn¡¯t worried about this incident at


    all because it was like what Nick said, this was all a reshuffling and the one who is being kicked out is


    me!


    I was the person who signed the auditing documents for Fuller Corporation and HiTech was in my


    name. Therefore, both incidents were directly tied to me.


    Fuller Corporation knows that if worsees to worst, they would announce the termination of


    employment on me to the public. After that, they would continue operations like normal.


    I couldn¡¯t help but give a chuckle. ¡°Well, well Mr. Quinn, well yed!¡± I said with my tone dripping with


    sarcasm.


    Joe knew that if everything went ording to n he could oust me from thepany without anyone


    even caring.


    He looked at me and my swelling belly for a moment before saying condescendingly, ¡°It¡¯s OK Ms.


    Stovall. Even if you were forced to leave the Fuller Corporation, you will still have your stocks. Your


    pregnancy will be due soon so you will leave thepany one way or another. Therefore, please go


    easy on this.¡±


    Yes, I know I¡¯ll be leaving eventually. You don¡¯t need to remind me.


    ¡°Since I¡¯m leaving eventually, it doesn¡¯t matter if I leave because of this or other reasons right?¡± I


    chuckled dryly.


    ¡°Does Ashton know about this?¡± I asked while holding back my emotions.


    Joe looked at me for a moment before nodding his head solemnly.


    As soon as I saw that, I felt as if my heart was torn asunder and the air felt suffocating. I actually


    suspected it was Zachary who was behind this.


    It really seemed like everything was just a joke in the end.


    Nothing up till now was a coincidence but a ploy that was orchestrated by people in the know.


    s, everything that happened next was all ording to what Joe had described.


    The following day, the report from the prosecutor¡¯s office was sent out and it showed that the Fuller


    Corporation¡¯s audits had been affected by HiTech and were thus non-conforming. This also meant that


    the report appearing in International Weekly was falsified.


    It was decided by the prosecutor¡¯s office that everything had to be re-audited, including Fuller


    Corporation which was managed by Harrison Credit, and Quinn Corporation, and handled by AC


    Credit. There would also be a fine formercial fraud under deceptive practices. The silver lining was


    that because Fuller Corporation practically had a monopoly on the economic sector of J City, they didn¡¯t


    publicize the findings and opted to settle it privately.


    As for HiTech, I had to take responsibility for all the liabilities as I was the person in charge, and that


    had affected Ashton indirectly.


    All in all, the situation was resolved without much issue. With that, the operations in Fuller Corporation


    that were put on hold to assist in the investigation for most of the week resumed to normal.


    As for me, it went exactly as Joe had predicted. Thepany terminated my employment publicly with


    immediate effect.


    Everything that happened went exactly as scripted so I wasn¡¯t too upset since I knew what would


    happen beforehand. There was only a tinge of dissatisfaction in me.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.

 Chapter 130

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 130


    I didn¡¯t return to the vi after everything settled. I only sat around in Glenwood Apartments to pass the


    time since I didn¡¯t need to go to work at Fuller Corporation any more.


    After a few restless days, it was pretty obvious how much my belly had grown.


    I didn¡¯t even try looking up news regarding Ashton anymore. I just resolved to take care of the budding


    life within me.


    During the weekend, Macy practically begged me to go to Q City with her for a few days since she was


    so bored. With the free time that I have right now, and me being theid back person I am, agreed


    immediately.


    It was a short trip from J City to Q City and it only took about an hour to arrive from one to the other.


    We hopped onto the train and Macy looked like an excited schoolgirl as she looked at the scenery


    outside. ¡°I just made a down payment on a new house and the renovations justpleted. I am inviting


    you over for a few days to jazz up my new ce,¡± she said while holding my hand.


    ¡°When did you buy a new house? This is the first time I¡¯m hearing this,¡± I asked. Admittedly, things


    have been hectic for me so I didn¡¯t pay as much attention to her affairs.


    ¡°I only got it recently. I wanted to tell you earlier but you were so upied with everything at work so I


    decided not to tell you until now,¡± she said nonchntly as she was looking at her phone.


    I guess she has a point.


    Our hour-long journey came to an end as quickly as it had begun.


    After we alighted, Macy hailed a cab to get us to our destination as soon as possible. I could tell that it


    was a newly developed residential area on our way there.


    The unit wasn¡¯t very big, being only a hundred-odd square meter. The renovations were exquisite but


    not something that high-end. It was perfect for two people to live in.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get some food in a bit. We¡¯ll rest for tonight and then I¡¯ll show you around tomorrow,¡± Macy said


    while leaning against the door to my room.


    ¡°So what are we havingter?¡± I nodded in agreement with her n.


    ¡°What do you feel like eating?¡± she asked while ncing at my belly. ¡°Oh, I know! Let¡¯s get some


    pasta!¡± she continued.


    ¡°OK! Let¡¯s have some spicy pasta! I haven¡¯t had spicy food in ages! I¡¯m already five months into my


    pregnancy, there shouldn¡¯t be any problems,¡± I expressed. I knew Macy was concerned for me.


    ¡°Are you sure you can handle it?¡± she questioned me with her eyebrows raised.


    ¡°Yes, I am,¡± I assured with a nod.


    ¡°Well, alright then!¡± Macy agreed.


    I wasn¡¯t familiar with Q City so I just tagged along with Macy wherever she went. We went over to


    Million za where they had the whole of the third floor dedicated to food. Macy went a little wild once


    we got there as it has been a good while since west ate out.


    We decided to do a little shopping before we ate and Macy was like a kid in a candy store. She was


    only held back by the fact that I was pregnant and couldn¡¯t walk that much. Otherwise, she would have


    probably shopped till the next day.


    After finding a nice little pasta shop, we sat down and ordered our food. ¡°Shucks! I had so much I


    wanted to eat while we were walking around. But now that I¡¯ve actually ordered them, I¡¯ve lost my


    appetite!¡± she said with a sigh.


    By my estimations, she was about two months pregnant now. ¡°Do you get any morning sickness?¡± I


    asked.


    ¡°Nope. I just don¡¯t have much of an appetite. Everything else is pretty much normal,¡± she said as she


    shook her head.


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    Pregnancy was different for everyone and I knew that, so I just nodded my head at her statement.


    ¡°Remember to be prepared for everything. Stay in Q City and live out the rest of your pregnancy in


    peace. We¡¯re only two to three months apart, so if you have anything you need for yourself or your


    child, just let me know,¡± I reassured her.


    ¡°I already have everything nned out! I¡¯ve even gotten the confinement center sorted out for my


    confinement period. The only issue I ran into is that Q City doesn¡¯t have as many confinement centers


    as J City. But I found one near my ce so it will be convenient when the timees,¡± she nodded


    with augh.


    Macy had always been better at taking care of herself than me so I wasn¡¯t too worried. I took out an


    ATM card from my purse and ced it in front of her. ¡°This ATM card was something George gave me


    when I got married to Ashton. I have never used it but there is money in the ount. You¡¯re gonna be


    alone in Q City and I¡¯m sure this would be of some use to you,¡± I stated.


    Macy frowned a little and pushed the card back to me. ¡°I was able to pay off the house with just my


    savings. The money I got from selling off the bar is still in my bank untouched. Ashton was also really


    generous with his offer and paid me more than double the market price. So don¡¯t worry about me, I


    have more than enough funds to support myself if there were any emergencies. So please take the


    card back and keep it for yourself. I¡¯ll be fine,¡± she reassured.


    I ignored her pleas and pushed the card back to her again. ¡°I¡¯m not taking no for an answer. I¡¯ve


    worked at Fuller Corporation for two years and I¡¯ve barely touched what I earned. Ashton also gave me


    a card that I¡¯ve barely used. Moreover, Grandma left me some money too. On top of that, I¡¯m still


    married to Ashton so he won¡¯t mistreat me or anything technically. Even if we get divorced I would still


    get a lump sum of alimony. So please just take what I¡¯m offering,¡± I pleaded in a serious tone.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll ept it. But in return if there¡¯s anything bothering you, you have to let me know


    immediately!¡± she finally conceded and kept the card away.


    It was then the waiter brought our pasta out to us. So I just gave Macy a shrug and shot her a look


    saying, ¡°I promise you! Now let¡¯s eat!¡±


    Time flew by as we were eating and chatting away.


    Seeing as it was gettingte, Macy gave her belly a rub and suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s get some milk tea and


    do a little shopping before we head back! I haven¡¯t shopped in a very long time!¡± she suggested.


    I agreed since it really had been a long time since west came out together. We got the bill and left for


    the shopping area.


    ¡°Letty, what brand have you¡­¡± Macy froze as soon as she heard those words. Her face filled with terror


    and dread.


    I couldn¡¯t help but follow her gaze and not far from where we were was John. He was in casual attire


    and with his statuesque physique and charming features, he was more attractive than any male


    celebrity around.

 Chapter 131

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 131


    If not for a ssy yet prettydy standing by his side, he would have been surrounded by a lot of young


    women by now.


    What made hime over to Q City?


    Thedy beside him with a slim waist was wearing a long dress. She looked charming but not


    bewitching. It was a match made in heaven as she held his hands within a group of people while


    attracting the crowd¡¯s attention.


    It seemed that he bought her here to hang out. I held Macy¡¯s hand instinctively while turning my back


    on them and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back first!¡±


    Macy had lost the mood for shopping so she nodded her head. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s leave!¡±


    Initially, I thought that he had not seen us. Unexpectedly, a muscr man wearing a ck suit


    suddenly blocked us after Macy and I walked for few steps.


    That man was wearing shades. Thus, his expression couldn¡¯t be seen. ¡°Mr. Stovall would like to see


    both of you!¡± The man who blocked us said.


    ¡°Letty!¡± Macy looked slightly nervous while holding my hand tightly.


    While patting her hand gently, I assured her, ¡°It¡¯ll be fine!¡± Then, I looked at the ck suit man and


    uttered, ¡°Sorry, it¡¯ste now. Please go and tell Mr. Stovall that we¡¯ll pay him a visit in the next time.¡±


    While holding Macy and preparing to leave, we were being stopped. ¡°Ms. Stovall, Mr. Stovall mentioned


    that if you don¡¯t obey him, he will personally drop by tonight to visit both of you.¡±


    ¡°Go and tell John to stop being pushy. Otherwise, he will have a tough time if he makes life difficult for


    us.¡± Macy raised her voice suddenly while still grabbing my hand as her emotions ran high.


    That man still remained cool and gestured, ¡°Will both of you, please? Otherwise, I don¡¯t mind carrying


    the two of you there.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Macy was annoyed as her face became red with anger.


    I restrained her and looked at the man in a ck suit. ¡°Lead the way!¡±


    I know that John was very stubborn all this while. Hence, there was no point to put up a fight.


    The man in a ck suit led us out of the shopping mall and crossed the street without taking a ride. We


    then walked into a cafe.


    Upon arriving on the second floor, we walked to a room¡¯s entrance. Then, the man who apanied


    us said, ¡°Please, Mr. Stovall is inside.¡±


    Macy and I looked at each other and proceeded to enter the private room. The cafe¡¯s private room was


    different from the restaurant¡¯s private room as it looked more elegant yet artistic. The people¡¯s


    conversation within the private room can be heard clearly through the window screen.


    ¡°John, it has been a long time since youst visited me in Q City. I thought that you have forgotten all


    about me,¡± a woman voiced in a whimsical manner but it didn¡¯t sound awful.


    Macy and I walked inside and lifted the window screen. Then, we saw an octagonal sandalwood table


    where John sat facing ady.


    Thatdy wore a green-colored gown which showed her exquisitely slender yet curvy figure. She was


    making tea in an elegant manner. Furthermore, her moves were natural yet smooth.


    I was frozen spontaneously. ¡°Making tea in a cafe?¡± Rich people surely know how to have fun!


    Upon seeing Macy and I, John knitted his eyebrows. His face was gloomy with some facial expressions


    that I was unable toprehend. ¡°The two of you, it has been a while since west met!¡±


    Macy was naturally afraid of him. However, her inner rage made her stared angrily at John. ¡°Why are


    you bringing both of us here?¡±


    John just ignored her. Meanwhile, he stared at me while raising his eyebrows. ¡°Shall we have some


    tea?¡±


    I restrained Macy as she still wished to continue speaking. After stopping her, I looked at John and


    replied, ¡°Okay!¡±


    I grabbed Macy and sat down. The girl in a green-colored gown ced the delicate porcin cups in


    front of us gracefully. She smiled graciously. ¡°Please have a tea.¡±


    Macy didn¡¯t respond. She stared at John with her hands still holding me and responded furiously.


    ¡°John, just get straight to the point!¡±


    ¡°Have a tea first!¡± John expressed with a cold stare.


    I didn¡¯t move the teacup. In addition, I just gazed at him and said, ¡°It is alreadyte. You can speak


    your mind. It will be hard to fall asleep after having tea at this hour.¡±


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Thedy smiled sweetly and remained silent.


    John smirked with the intention to ridicule. ¡°Are you really that calm? I thought that you already have


    insomnia even without having tea considering the fact that you left your own husband¡¯spany


    miserably.¡±


    His eyes paused at my tummy and remarked in a harsh tone. ¡°He should be five months if I am not


    mistaken. There is still time to perform an abortion.¡±


    ¡°John, you are such an insane person!¡± Macy hurled at him. Meanwhile, her original fearful expression


    changed to a furious look.


    John frowned as he was a bit unhappy. Then, he raised his eyes to nce at the man in a ck suit


    and said, ¡°It is too noisy. Please take thisdy outside and have some desserts.¡±


    The man in ck suit then walked to Macy and gestured to her politely and ushered her to go outside.


    She panicked and stared at John. ¡°What do you n to do?¡±


    John didn¡¯t reply as he just looked at me. ¡°Just be good. Let us chat. Then, both of you can return


    home safely. Letty, I miss you dearly and I don¡¯t have any other motives.¡±


    After ncing at Macy, he sank his eyes. ¡°If we continue to quarrel, it will be difficult for me to control


    my emotions as you know.¡±


    So this is a silent threat.


    Upon seeing Macy¡¯s worried face while looking at me, I patted her hand spontaneously and pacified,


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You go and eat something. Just give me a few minutes.¡±


    ¡°Letty¡­¡±

 Chapter 132

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 132


    Before Macy could even finish her words, she was stopped by me. ¡°Just go, I¡¯ll be fine!¡±


    With that, she didn¡¯t say much after that. Nheless, she stared angrily at John and warned, ¡°If you


    dare to harm her in anyway, I¡¯ll take you on at any cost!¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    John raised his eyebrows and said nothing.


    Macy left after that.


    Thedy wearing green-colored gown changed my teacup as well as the tea for me. She looked at me


    and mentioned, ¡°If Ms. Stovall is afraid of insomnia, you can try drinking a bit of ck tea. Don¡¯t worry


    about insomnia and you can take it without any doubt.¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡± I smiled at her.


    John looked at thedy and frowned a bit as though he med her for acting without his consent.


    Thedy then shut her mouth and kept quiet while smiling sweetly at me.


    After John had a few sips of tea, he gazed at me. ¡°Since you already left Fuller Corporation, aren¡¯t you


    nning to divorce Ashton?¡±


    I giggled. ¡°Since when is Mr. Stovall interested in someone else¡¯s personal matters?¡±


    He frowned and asked, ¡°Is there a need to differentiate between general and personal matters among


    us? Letty, you should know that I can let you live a better life should you leave him.¡±


    ¡°Do I look like I am not living a good life now?¡± The incident that happened at Fuller Corporation in J


    City has caused a greatmotion. Thus, I am not surprised that he knew about it.


    He put the teacup that he held on to the table with a deep gaze. ¡°Letty, you know that I understand you


    better than yourself. Stop pretending to be tough. You know clearly that Ashton is not your refuge. The


    best way out is for you to leave him.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± I couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°Is Mr. Stovall kidding? Even if I have left Fuller Corporation, I am still


    Ashton¡¯s legitimate wife.¡±


    ¡°Tsk!¡± He took a sip of tea while his eyes were fixed to focus on me. Hemented in a strange tone.


    ¡°You are so confident and that makes me feel a little surprised. I came back from K City just yesterday.


    There is a rumor among the well-off families saying that Mr. Moore and Ms. Anderson had found a son


    inw with a dignified demeanor that goes by a family name of Fuller.¡±


    After saying that, heughed spontaneously. ¡°Where is your hubby, Ashton currently?¡±


    John had intended to make me feel disgusted. However, I pretended not to hear his words and calmly


    replied, ¡°Mr. Stovall, if there is nothing else, then I shall leave first.¡±


    He gave a cold smiled while looked at the green dressdy next to him and said, ¡°Hannah, tell my


    beloved sister about the incident at K City!¡±


    I frowned while feeling a little annoyed. ¡°There is no such need. It¡¯ste now. I need to leave!¡±


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, there¡¯s no need to rush. Since you havee, just treat it like you are listening to a story.


    There is no need to be so impatient!¡± Hannah started to speak as she remained rx.


    Oddly enough, thisdy, Ms. Anne doesn¡¯t seem like the type of woman who indulges in debauchery


    with the disposition that she possesses.


    ¡°Listen first?¡± John rested his chin on his hand while looking at me.


    I didn¡¯t reply so as to imply giving in silently. Since I had heard a lot of stories, I wouldn¡¯t mind hearing


    another one.


    Hannah gave a soft smile while filling up my teacup as she spoke, ¡°Mr. Stovall and I were at K City for


    few days. During our stay, we heard some news regarding Mr. Ashton!¡±


    She paused for a while and continued, ¡°Maybe not all of those stories are true. So, Ms. Stovall can just


    treat them as gossips.¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡± I answered while guessing what the stories would probably be.


    Ashton had stayed in K City for almost a month based on the time calcted. During this time, I


    received neither calls nor text messages from him. Even if he stayed at the emergency room, he should


    havee out after a few days.


    It was funny as I struggled reluctantly to make the decision. Basically, I was unsure what were the


    things that I couldn¡¯t let go of.


    ¡°The Moore family in K City has been bureaucrats for three generations. Therefore, they are quite well


    known in K City. Nheless, Zachary is a happy-go-lucky type of person in the Moore family. Over the


    years, he has his eyes only on onedy, Cameron Anderson. However, she is neither an exemry


    lady nor from an upper-ss family. Thus, the Moore family objected to their rtionship. Later, she got


    pregnant and left K City. Then, she ends up encountering unscrupulous people and her daughter went


    missing too. Both Zachary and her suffered from this bleak rtionship for years. She depends on the


    chairman of the Cruise Corporation, Mr. Smith¡¯s support in order toe this far and was given new


    lease of life. In addition, she also found her lost daughter with the help of Zachary.¡±


    After saying that, Hannah caught a glimpse of me immediately before looking back at John. He seemed


    gloomy and remained silent.


    Hannah then continued, ¡°Ms. Stovall also knows that Reba is the missing daughter of Zachary and


    Cameron whom they have found. The Moore family in K City has also recognized Cameron¡¯s status. At


    the same time, Ms. Larson has been epted into the family. With that, her name has been changed


    from Reba Larson to Lynn Moore. It is said that the Moore family is fond of this girl and has


    prepared a grand banquet for her during the mid of next month. The Moore family has searched for


    violin teacher among the world greatest to teach her as she likes ying the violin.¡±


    Upon hearing until this point, I became a little bit impatient. ¡°Ms. Anne, why are you telling me all these


    things while they are not rted to me at all? I wish to know what is your motive behind this?¡±


    She just smiled softly while calmly exined, ¡°Yes. Ms. Stovall won¡¯t care about someone who is not


    rted to you but Ms. Stovall, at least you should care for your husband, right?¡±


    I just giggled. ¡°As such, do I need to hear from others about my husband¡¯s well-being?¡± I sighed, ¡°The


    two of you probably think too much. Anyway, I would still like to thank the two of you for expressing


    concern over my personal life. However, as far as I am concerned, I think I should at least believe in


    him no matter what he did. Perhaps, I should take this gossips with a pinch of salt.

 Chapter 133

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 133


    ¡°ck!¡± Suddenly the cup that John held was being released and itnded on the table producing a


    sound. ¡°If you are really unperturbed, why did you leave Fuller Corporation so disgracefully? Letty, if


    you truly don¡¯t care about it, then you should divorce Ashton quickly for the sake of your pride.¡±


    ¡°It is none of your business how I want to divorce or the way in which I use to divorce. John, I


    appreciate your concern. However, it is just appreciation. Please don¡¯t get involved in my matters in the


    future. Since we used to be siblings, I am begging of you!¡±


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    With that, I turned my back. ¡°Thanks for the tea, both of you. It¡¯s gettingte and I need to go back


    now!¡± I left the private room without waiting for their reply.


    Soon after I left the room, a smashing sound of the ss from inside could be heard faintly.


    Nevertheless, I didn¡¯t really stop but walked along the corridor to go down the stairs.


    Macy was at the lobby of the cafe waiting for me. She stood up and trotted towards me upon seeing my


    appearance. She worriedly asked, ¡°Are you okay? Did he cause any trouble?¡±


    I shook my head while grabbing her hands tightly. ¡°Nope. It iste now. Let¡¯s go home!¡±


    She looked up and glimpsed at the second floor dreadfully. John with an emotionless face had already


    come out from the private room as he stood along the corridor watching us quietly.


    She then grabbed me tightly and nodded. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go home!¡±


    We left the cafe while she held my hands without turning her head back.


    It was past midnight by the time we reached our neighborhood. Upon taking a simple shower, we went


    to bed together. Recently, I had an unexined fear which resulted in me not being able to drop off


    alone. Luckily, Macy was sleeping by my side. With herpany, I slept through the night.


    On the next day¡­


    Q City is famous for its fine weather. It was just seven in the morning. The ray of morning sunlight


    streamed through the gap of the curtain into the room with a vague sight and it was beautiful.


    While looking up at the ceiling nkly, my mobile phone on top of the bedside table started vibrating.


    Then, I extended my hand to get it and look at the iing call shown. It was from a rtively familiar


    number.


    Anyhow, I couldn¡¯t recall who it was. Then, I picked up the mobile phone. ¡°Hello!¡±


    ¡°Where are you?¡± the voice sounded a bit cold yet very familiar. I was dumbfounded at first. As I got


    hold of myself, it was Dr. Crest who called. Then, I spoke spontaneously. ¡°Dr. Crest?¡±


    So far, he had been talking to me gently. I can¡¯t help but wondered why he is so cold today.


    There was a moment of silence over the phone. Then, Dr. Crest with a toned-down voice asked,


    ¡°Scarlett, are you with Macy?¡±


    In a hindsight, I only realized that this mobile phone belonged to Macy after looking at it clearly.


    I was shocked and spoke over the phone. ¡°Yes, how are you doingtely?¡±


    Nick told me that he was inside the intense care unit all the while. I guessed that he already came out


    from there. I opened my mouth when Ashton came across my mind but in the end, I didn¡¯t mention


    anything about him.


    ¡°Yes, I have been inside the operation theater all this while. Joe told me about the happening at Fuller


    Corporation. Anyway, don¡¯t think too much. I¡¯ll go back to J City tomorrow. Let¡¯s catch up then.¡± Dr.


    Crest¡¯s voice sounded very gentle as he meant to console me.


    I nodded with some relief and responded, ¡°Alright. Don¡¯t worry as I am not in J City now. Perhaps, a


    few dayster.¡±


    ¡°Where have you all been?¡± He asked as he seemed to sense that my tone was a bit impatient just


    now. He paused before continuing to ask, ¡°You are away to ease your mood?¡±


    I didn¡¯t think much and replied, ¡°At K City. Well, presumably yes.¡±


    Macy who slept beside me had awoken probably due to my conversation on the phone. Then, she


    turned over her body as she looked at me and queried with a hoarse voice. ¡°Who¡¯s call was that?¡±


    I told her in a soft voice. ¡°Dr. Crest. It seems like he is looking for you!¡± I passed her the mobile phone


    while talking to her.


    Her expression changed while receiving the mobile phone. Then, she stood up and went to the


    balcony.


    I also stood up and searched for my mobile phone. Then, I nced through the screen but there were


    no messages. The chat box with Ashton was empty on WhatsApp.


    My chest felt tight and I was feeling rather ufortable. Nheless, I got up and washed up in the


    bathroom.


    When I came out from the bathroom, Macy was looking at me with an unpleasant expression.


    I was shocked. ¡°What happen?¡±


    ¡°You told him that we are in Q City?¡± asked Macy.


    I nodded while my heart missed a beat. Then, I tried to ask, ¡°Does the baby belong to Dr. Crest?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± She was about to tell me but after pausing a while, she said, ¡°I will take a shower now. You can


    pack up first. We¡¯ll stay in the countryside for few days.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± I was astounded. ¡°Why are we going to the countryside again? We just came to Q City!¡±


    ¡°Ashton should be back in J City now. Do you want to meet up with him to sort thing out?¡± Macy


    seemed to be upset and said softly, ¡°Letty, I don¡¯t wish to have anything to do with any of these people


    ever again. You have already left Fuller Corporation. If you are reluctant to let go of him, then you can


    go back to him and start afresh. However, if you are able to let go, then we¡¯ll leave that ce together


    and stay far away from them, okay?¡±


    Was she referring to Ashton or Jared?


    Macy was a very decisive person. I knew that once she had made up her mind to leave, then there


    would be no turning back.


    I was stupefied as my mind was in a mess. Do I continue to be on good terms with Ashton?¡± I refused


    to ept the entanglement between him and Reba whether it was in the past, present, or the


    future.


    However, I was reluctant to break up with Ashton. Furthermore, I already had his baby and I didn¡¯t want


    the child to be born without a father¡¯s love.

 Chapter 134

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 134


    Noticing that I was in a daze, she sighed helplessly. ¡°Forget it and continue clinging on to Ashton. After


    all, you¡¯ll be reluctant to leave until disappointment finally overwhelms you.¡±


    After a pause, she entered the bathroom, sighing as she went. What she said was quite true and I had


    nothing to say.


    When she came back out again, she dried her hair as she asked, ¡°What do you want to eatter?¡±


    ¡°Anything is fine.¡± I was particrly envious of how determined Macy could be. I was always one who


    could never let go, and over time, some people were disgusted with my stupid attitude.


    Q City was a ce perfect for living. It was a slow-paced city with lower living expenses, pleasant


    weather, and plenty of good food. It didn¡¯t matter where I was¡ªin the city or at the outskirts. The entire


    Q City was a picturesque sight.


    In spring, the entire city would be covered with cherry blossoms. In summer, there would be blue


    jacarandas. In autumn, maple leaves scattered across the streets. In winter, soft, white snow veiled


    over everything.


    No wonder Jared kept rmending me to move here.


    Macy was a gluttonous one. Now that she had a baby in her, she did not need to watch her figure


    anymore. As her morning sickness symptoms were not severe, we spent most of the following days


    eating and shopping.


    After staying in Q City for a few days, Macy told me she nned to stay in the countryside for a few


    days but I didn¡¯t go with her.


    No matter what happened in the future, I had to rify things with Ashton.


    Hence, I bought the tickets to J City while Macy bought tickets heading to the countryside. We split


    ways at the train station. After boarding the train, I soon found a window seat.


    When I was a young child, I remembered hearing Auld Lang Syne ying in the streets of R Province.


    Back then, I did not understand why so many adults loved the song, and I did not understand why it


    had been so popr.


    Now that I thought about it, the song was a special memory to some people. It was a song that


    symbolized the longings that could not be conveyed with a few letters in a time when technology was


    not as advanced.


    Perhaps I was too lost in my thoughts, as I did not know that John had sat down beside me. I only saw


    his face when I turned around after the train had moved.


    ¡°What a coincidence, Letty.¡±


    I swiftly turned away to avoid seeing his smile, feeling annoyed. He was good with technology, and


    getting a seat beside me was an easy feat for him.


    ¡°What do you want, John?¡± I was someone ordinary, so I knew not of a reason for him to keeping


    back to me.


    Instead of answering immediately, he stared at the passing scenery before he slowly said, ¡°A sense of


    belonging.¡±


    A sense of belonging?


    I knitted my brows. ¡°Your sense of belonginges from me?¡±


    He fell silent as he turned to stare at me instead.


    Unable toprehend his words, I kept quiet.


    Q City to J City was just an hour¡¯s train ride. John had gone through the trouble to sit beside me, but all


    he did was silently watched the scenery outside.


    ¡°Dear passengers, we have reached J City,¡± came the voice in the speakers as the train came to a


    stop.


    I stood up to take the suitcase above, but before I could reach it, he took them.


    My clothes were in the suitcase, so it was not heavy. However, it was not that light either.


    John was taller than me by at least half a head. I looked at him before reaching out for the suitcase and


    said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    He used one hand to hold the suitcase and his other hand to hold my outstretched hand. Instantly, I


    frowned and tried to retract it.


    However, he stopped me. ¡°There are many people around. It isn¡¯t safe.¡±


    My frown deepened. ¡°I know. Let go of me.¡±


    It was as if he did not hear me. I tried to take my hand back several times, but all he did was tighten his


    grip. As the passengers slowly filed out of the train, we followed the crowd too.


    As we walked out, I could hear the quiet discussions of the people.


    ¡°Wow! That man is gorgeous!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t stare at him. Can¡¯t you see he has a wife already? She¡¯s pregnant too.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right. What a pity. How fortunate his wife must be.¡±


    At that, John turned to me with a hint of a smile on his lips.


    I ignored his expression as I continued to follow the crowd with my eyes lowered.


    The train station¡¯s exit was crowded. I was heavily pregnant, but John was escorting me out.


    Fortunately, most people made way for me, so nothing happened on our way out.


    After exiting the train station, John made a call before leading me to the side of the road.


    Irritated, I said, ¡°We¡¯re already out, so it¡¯s time for you to let go of me. I¡¯m going to take a cab home.¡±


    He lowered his head slightly to look at me. ¡°I¡¯ve asked someone to pick us up. I¡¯ll take you home in a


    while.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± I reached out my other hand to pry his away from mine.


    However, he tightened his hold again and asserted, ¡°Be good. Fuller Corporation¡¯s stock has been


    falling for a few days. Although it¡¯s not a long time, there are stockholders who couldn¡¯t hold out for that


    few days. You just left Fuller Corporation, and you might encounter those stockholders who are out for


    blood.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to try to scare me. Fuller Corporation¡¯s stock prices only dropped for a week.


    So something like that won¡¯t happen.¡± I was not one to invest in stocks, so I could not understand what


    he meant.


    He nced at me as if I were a clown making a fool of myself.


    A ck Bentley parked at the side of the road. Without saying anything, he handed my suitcase to the


    man in ck who came down from the car. Then, he pulled me toward the car.


    There were many cabs around, but since his ride was already here, it would be melodramatic for me to


    keep it up. Hence, I entered the car.


    John took his seat beside me and instructed the driver, ¡°To The Tulip.¡±


    My brows furrowed. ¡°If we¡¯re not going to Peakville Estate, I¡¯m going to take a cab instead.¡±


    At that, I moved to leave the car, but John stopped me. ¡°It¡¯s already noon. Even if you¡¯re not hungry,


    are you not going to care about the baby in you?¡±

 Chapter 135

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 135


    I froze before muttering, ¡°I¡¯m going back for lunch at Peakville Estate. Mrs. Eriksen will be there.¡±


    He sneered, ¡°If my guess is right, you¡¯ll probably lose your appetite after going back. After all, Ashton


    had been in K City¡¯s hospital for half a month, and you¡¯ve never expressed even a bit of concern for


    him. What kind of husband do you think will be able to tolerate such indifference?¡±


    As he spoke, he leaned closer to me in a suggestive position.


    I shifted my body to keep a distance from him and snarled, ¡°I don¡¯t think I can savor my food while


    eating with you.¡±


    ¡°You can ignore my presence,¡± he suggested as his dark eyes looked out of the window with a grin. I


    could sense the arrogance oozing out from him.


    Turning around, I spotted a ck Jeep parked close by. Soon, the car window winded down.


    Ashton!


    I had not seen him for half a month, and he looked tired. However, his weariness did not affect his good


    looks, and I could see that his eyes were fixed in our direction.


    I could not decipher whether he was happy or sad from his gaze.


    Instinctively, I pushed away John, who was in my personal space. However, when I raised my hand,


    John grabbed my wrist with a smile and pulled me into his arms.


    He then looked in Ashton¡¯s direction with a taunting smile and ordered the driver, ¡°Drive.¡±


    Then, the car window wound up again, and we were gone. I shoved John aside as my chest rose and


    fell from the anger I felt.


    ¡°John, there¡¯s seriously something wrong with you!¡± Evidently, he was trying to infuriate Ashton.


    After letting me go, he leaned back in the chair and muttered nonchntly, ¡°Have you just found out?¡±


    Speechless, wrath overcame me, and I wished I could shred him like paper. In the end, all I could do


    was shoot him a re before twisting my head to look out of the window, ignoring him.


    Soon, we reached the restaurant. As John had pre-ordered the meals, the moment we took our seats,


    the servers served us.


    As I was angry, I only ate a little of the food. After elegantly eating a few mouthfuls of the food, John


    lazily raised a brow at me.


    ¡°Is the food not to your liking?¡±


    I sensed something different about him inparison to five years ago, but I could not pinpoint what


    was the change exactly. Shaking my head, I replied, ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡±


    He frowned and supported his head in his hand before looking at me. ¡°Don¡¯t pregnant women eat a


    lot?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I did not know how to express it to him, so I took a few more scoops before muttering, ¡°Maybe


    I¡¯m not that hungry.¡±


    He nodded. Softening his sharp gaze, he asked, ¡°When did you fall in love with Ashton?¡±


    That was a topic I did not want to talk about, not to mention with him. I creased my brows. ¡°John, this is


    a private matter of mine.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re my sister,¡± he said in a quiet yet assertive tone.


    Amused by his reply, I huffed, ¡°You know we¡¯re not biological siblings.¡±


    He nodded and agreed, ¡°Yes.¡±


    It seemed like my response had not affected him at all, and I quietly sighed to myself.


    Putting down my spoon, I said, ¡°I¡¯m full. It¡¯s gettingte now, so I¡¯m going back.¡±


    He stood up when I did and offered, ¡°I¡¯ll send you home.¡±


    In the past, he was the personification of horror. Now, he was more like a pest that I could not shoo


    away no matter what I did.


    Then, the car drove toward Peakville Estate, a luxurious residential area. As the car drove on the path


    sheltered by trees, I listened to the asional bird cries.


    He was silent the entire way, and I did not start a conversation either.


    Finally, the car stopped in front of the house. Looking at me, he asked, ¡°Are you not going to invite me


    in for some tea?¡±


    ¡°This is not the right time.¡± With that said, I left the car.


    He followed me out of the car and stopped me. ¡°Even if you refuse to admit it, we¡¯re still siblings. There


    is no reason for me not to meet my brother-inw. Scarlett, you can¡¯t deny the fact that you have no


    other family members. Other than me, your brother in name, you have no one else.¡±


    His words were a dagger that pierced through my heart, making it difficult for me to take in the next


    breath. Looking at him, I felt rather upset that my chest felt tight. ¡°John, you can¡¯t take your story and


    make it mine. You have no family and no friends. You have nothing in your heart. You can¡¯t define me


    with your story.¡±


    I knew he was lonely, but I had never broached the topic with him. The moment the topic started, there


    would be no reason for it to stop. Looking at his gloomy expression, I continued, ¡°I once had Grandma,


    and now, I have my husband and child. I have Macy too. I¡¯m not like you. You¡¯re a lone wolf, and that¡¯s


    why you have nobody.¡±


    His grip on my wrist was hurting me, and his expression was as dark as night. ¡°You¡¯re the same as me,


    Scarlett. You can¡¯t deny the fact that Ashton doesn¡¯t love you. You know this well.¡±


    His gazended on my stomach, and the look in his eyes turned apathetic. ¡°This child won¡¯t bear the


    bright future you¡¯re looking forward to. As for Macy, you know better than anyone else that she¡¯ll leave


    one day. That¡¯s why you¡¯re the same as me; you¡¯re a lone wolf too. In that case, why do you refuse to


    be with me? I will give you everything you want. We will form a family like we used to be, and we¡¯ll


    quietly live our lives in the house at R Province. Doesn¡¯t that sound good?¡±


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    I furrowed my brows before I pulled my hand away. However, I could not, so I raised my head to look


    into his eyes and I pitied him. ¡°John, there are many people in this world that can be with you for the


    rest of your life. Stop looking for me, okay?¡±

 Chapter 136

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 136


    He sneered again as pain crept upon his face. ¡°You don¡¯t understand!¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    But I did. For someone who had darkness and loneliness in their heart, they wouldn¡¯t hold on to the


    sunlight even if the sun came. He couldn¡¯t let me go not because of love, but because he felt that I


    would be the same as Grandma. We would never chase him away no matter how despicable he was.


    The house in R Province would forever be his home.


    He had no sense of belonging, and that was why he was lonely.


    Sensing a cold gaze, I could not help but turn around to see Ashton staring at the two of us by the


    doorway.


    I took my hand back and kept a distance away from John. It had been an instinctive move; I knew it


    was meaningless for me to do that, for John might not even care about it.


    However, it was already a habit I could not get rid of.


    Looking at John, I muttered, ¡°Go back. I¡¯ve buried Grandma at Hillcrest Cemetery. If you miss her, go


    visit her there.¡±


    After finishing his words, I noticed that all emotions were gone from his face except for a tinge of


    loneliness.


    ¡°John, things that had gone by can only stay in the past. We can¡¯t turn back the time. We can only


    move forward. If we keep turning back to look at our memories, we¡¯ll only feel sorrowful, and we¡¯ll never


    be able to do anything else.¡±


    After Grandma passed on, I never returned to the house at R Province. I knew from then on, I was all


    by myself in this world.


    I was a leaf with no roots. No matter how much I struggled, at the end of the day, someone would pick


    me up from the ground and throw me into the bin.


    At that, I spared no nce at John and entered the vi.


    I had not been back for half a month, but nothing had changed. The only difference was that there were


    fresh flowers in the house, and they made the house a little livelier.


    Mrs. Eriksen looked much wearier than thest time I saw her. When she noticed me, she quickly


    glimpsed at Ashton behind me before smiling. ¡°The two of you left for such a long time. Half a month! I


    was beginning to think that this isn¡¯t a home anymore.¡±


    After a pause, she sighed, ¡°I¡¯m d the two of you are back now.¡±


    It was hot in the afternoon, and the heat made me restless. I barely had any words to say to anyone, to


    begin with, and now, I was even starting to feel tired. After a brief chat, I retreated to the bedroom.


    Ashton followed me, but I said nothing to him. All I did was climb onto the bed and shut my eyes,


    prepared to sleep.


    I thought Ashton would say something or even lose his temper, but he never said a single word the


    entire time. The room sounded abnormally silent.


    After a moment, I felt the side of the bed sink in. In the next second, I was pulled into his arms.


    Soon, the sound of even breathing traveled into my ears, and I fell asleep to that sound.


    It was just an afternoon nap, so I woke about an hourter. When I opened my eyes, I was greeted by


    Ashton¡¯s handsome features.


    Iy still, quietly watching him.


    How long have I now looked at him like this?


    All of a sudden, his eyes flew open, and we locked eyes as I froze.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± he asked. As he just woke, his voice was still hoarse. He lifted his hand to tuck the


    stray strands of my hair behind my ears before he continued to stare at me.


    After a while, I started feeling ufortable by his silent staring, so I cleared my throat. Supporting


    myself up with my elbow and about to leave the bed when he held me down. He raised a brow and


    queried, ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m getting out of the bed.¡± I moved again, but he held my body down again.


    Furrowing, I huffed, ¡°Ashton, let go of me!¡±


    However, he heeded none of my words. He pressed me onto the bed and his hand slid to my stomach.


    I was five months pregnant now, and I was starting to feel the motions of the baby in me.


    Sensing the movement of the baby in the stomach, a bright smile grew on his face. He eximed, ¡°The


    baby¡¯s moving!¡±


    He was like a child, and I could not help but chuckle, ¡°Yes. I want to get out of the bed.¡±


    Visibly brightening up, he sat up and helped me to a sitting position while leaning onto the headboard.


    Gesturing for me not to move, he then ced his ear on my stomach.


    After a few seconds, he grinned and looked at me. ¡°Do you feel ufortable when the baby moves?¡±


    My jaw dropped. Do men really have a brain?


    ¡°If you¡¯re really curious, you can read up some books about pregnancy. Maybe you can learn


    something from it, and your knowledge might be put to use in the future.¡± Then, I moved to leave the


    bed again.


    Right then, he hugged me from behind. ¡°Lie down for a little longer.¡±


    I pried his arms off and frowned when I noticed the new marks on his arms. They looked like scratch


    wounds. The scabs had fallen off, and the wound of the injuries was still red.


    Noticing my stiffened body, his eyes followed my gaze to his arms. Immediately, he retracted them and


    casually asked, ¡°What do you want to eatter?¡±


    I remained quiet.


    Seemingly worried that I would overthink, he sat beside me and held my hand. Gently, he squeezed


    and caressed it, but he was still silent.


    ¡°Are these from protecting Reba?¡± Perhaps it was a question too straightforward, but I could not


    think of another way to ask it.


    He tensed up for a moment. When I sensed it, I took my hand back and sighed, ¡°I¡¯m going to take a


    shower.¡±


    Maybe no answer was the best answer; it was better than hearing him tell me that all his injuries and


    scars had something to do with Reba.


    I would rather be a fool who knew nothing.

 Chapter 137

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 137


    He grabbed my wrist and pulled me back to the bed. Casting me a determined look, he inquired, ¡°Do


    you still feel bad?¡±


    His question made me freeze. ¡°Feel bad?¡±


    ¡°About my injury.¡±


    I lowered my head and chuckled. Shaking my head, I responded, ¡°No, Ashton. Whether you live or die


    is none of my concern anymore.¡±


    I knew those words would make him angry and lead to a fight.


    Yet, I still voiced them out.


    He stared at me for a long while before he finally asked, ¡°Scarlett, I never have a ce in your heart,


    do I?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded as my chest tightened. Breathing out slowly, I averted my eyes from his gloomy gaze


    and muttered, ¡°When Grandpa asked me to marry you, I agreed to it because you¡¯re the dream


    husband of all girls¡ªhandsome and rich. In the beginning, I hoped for a beautiful love story. That was


    why I married you happily. However, as time passed by, I realized it had just been wishful thinking.¡±


    Reba was all that was needed to defeat me.


    ¡°So?¡± It was a grim look on his face and a cold sneer on his lips. ¡°John¡¯s appearance made you realize


    that you can choose someone who likes and adores you. On the other hand, I became less important


    to you. Is that so?¡±


    His words made fury burned bright in my chest, and I raised my voice. ¡°Yes! Why do I have to remain


    by your side when you can choose someone you love and be with her freely?¡±


    ¡°Huh.¡± The atmosphere in the room turned tense. ¡°Scarlett, you think too simple of the world. What are


    you nning to do now? Are you going to divorce me and get together with John? Let me tell you this.


    You can dream on. I won¡¯t agree to divorce even if you don¡¯t have my child in you right now.¡±


    ¡°Ashton, you are a b*stard!¡± He refused to let me lead a good life. He would rather drag this on than to


    see me live a happy life. I was on the verge of a breakdown from enduring the upset for such a long


    time.


    I swept the lights and decorations off the headboard, and they shattered on the ground. ¡°Why can you


    do anything you want with Reba, but I can¡¯t? Ashton, let me tell you the truth. I never wanted this


    baby.¡±


    Indeed, one would say anything and everything when anger consumed them.


    His face reddened as he grabbed me and warned, ¡°Say that again.¡±


    I red at him, wishing all the pent-up frustration within could burst out of me at that moment. ¡°I don¡¯t


    want this baby at all. Ashton, do you hear me? I don¡¯t want this baby at all!¡±


    I raised my hand to pound my fists onto my stomach as I wailed, ¡°The baby ruined everything for me. I


    don¡¯t want to give birth to your child. It¡¯s not worth it for me to give birth to a child for someone like you!¡±


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± By now, his eyes were red, too, and I could hear his gritting teeth. ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re


    saying?¡±


    I shoved his hand away and stered a smile on my face. ¡°I do and I know very well!¡± I screamed.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    The feeling of sorrow was invading every part of my mind, and my heart ached as though someone


    stabbed knives into it. ¡°Ashton, I don¡¯t care if you don¡¯t want to get a divorce, but I¡¯m warning you now


    not to get involved with my matters.¡±


    At that, he narrowed his eyes as he hissed in a deliberately quiet voice, ¡°Your matters?¡±


    ¡°If you can be together with Reba, why can¡¯t I be with John?¡± I roared out the words spoken in


    anger.


    He shoved me onto the bed and croaked, ¡°What do you want to do with him?¡±


    Then, he pulled his hands apart, and I heard the sound of fabric tearing.


    I wasn¡¯t wearing manyyers, and he had torn them all in one rough move. ¡°What has he done with


    you? Has he touched you in this intimate way?¡±


    ¡°Ashton, I dare you to kill me!¡± I bellowed as I pinched his back.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be a pity if you die! It¡¯s only fun when I torture bit by bit.¡±


    Right then, I stopped resisting, finding no meaning in doing that. I let go of him and stared at the ceiling


    instead.


    After a long while, he got up and went to the bathroom. After spending a few minutes in there, he came


    back out, changed his clothes, and left without saying a word.


    When he stepped out of the room, he mmed the door, and the noise reverberated in the room for a


    long time.


    When will this end?


    As I did not need to go to the office, I had nothing else to do. When Macy called, I just came out of the


    bathroom.


    Upon picking up the call, I muttered, ¡°Are you in the countryside yet? Have you found a ce to stay?¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± she answered. ¡°Did Ashton pick you up at the train station?¡±


    I froze. ¡°You told him?¡± No wonder I saw Ashton at the train station. Turns out it¡¯ was Macy who told


    him.


    She hummed in response again. ¡°If you¡¯ve decided to go back to him, the two of you have to be open


    with each other. No matter what happens between him and Reba, you¡¯re still his wife legally. Since


    you have to live the rest of your life with him, you might as well have a good life and enjoy it. Scarlett,


    don¡¯t make your marriage seem like hell. It¡¯s tiring to live a life that way.¡±


    I knew that, but I could not help and sigh, ¡°Unfortunately, we had a fight, and he just left.¡±


    ¡°Why are you fighting again?¡± she grumbled. ¡°Why can¡¯t you have a peaceful discussion with him?¡±

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    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 138


    ¡°How? He can¡¯t let go of Reba, and he doesn¡¯t want to grant me a divorce. Tell me, Macy, how


    should I have the discussion with him?¡±


    ¡°Then, you divorce him. Write it down clearly on paper and make clean cuts when you cut ties with him.


    From then on, no one has the right to interfere in each other¡¯s private lives.¡±


    I wanted to, but it would not be as simple as that anymore. Throwing the towel aside, I sat in the


    armchair and sighed, ¡°I met John at the train station, and he left the ce with me. Then, I met Ashton


    at the exit of the train station. Ashton now thinks I have something with John, so he refuses to get a


    divorce.¡±


    ¡°F*ck,¡± she swore. ¡°What kind of f*cking luck is that?¡±


    You¡¯re asking me?


    ¡°What are you going to do now?¡±


    Gripping the phone, I muttered, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I can only hope to give birth to the baby safely now.¡±


    My stomach was already at this size, and I could not possibly change my mind about the pregnancy


    now. John was right. I was a lone wolf that belonged nowhere.


    This baby would be the only person I could fully trust. I had no reason not to give birth to the baby as


    this baby was not for Ashton.


    This baby was my only salvation.


    After ending Macy¡¯s call, the sun had set. Someone knocked on the door.


    I opened the door to find that it was Mrs. Eriksen. She had a bowl of hot chicken soup in her hands,


    and she said to me, ¡°You must be hungry. Mr. Ashton told me to make some chicken soup for you.¡±


    I had my lunchte in the afternoon, and John had forced me to eat arger portion than I usually did.


    Hence, I did not have an appetite for food at that moment. However, looking at Mrs. Eriksen¡¯s smile, I


    realized I could not possibly reject her.


    Thus, I answered, ¡°Okay. Thank you, Mrs. Eriksen.¡±


    Reaching out to take the bowl from her, Mrs. Eriksen hastily said, ¡°Don¡¯t! I¡¯ll do it. It¡¯s too hot, and I¡¯m


    afraid you might scald yourself.¡±


    After putting the bowl onto the table and wiping her hands, she inquired, ¡°Did you have a fight with Mr.


    Ashton?¡±


    It was normal for her to have heard our loud argument from downstairs.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Therefore, I nodded and sat down by the side of the table. ¡°Yes.¡±


    She sighed, seemingly exasperated. ¡°You young people are always so short-tempered. Why can¡¯t you


    discuss everything calmly instead? Did you have to get into an argument?¡±


    I smiled but said nothing to that. I knew best what happened between the two of us, not Mrs. Eriksen.


    ¡°Letty.¡± She sat down beside me and held my hand. ¡°You¡¯ve been with the Fullers for almost three


    years. I¡¯ve practically raised Mr. Ashton myself. He¡¯s a short-tempered and quiet man, so he¡¯ll keep


    many things in his heart.¡±


    She then sighed, ¡°After you came to the Fullers, Mr. Fuller thought Mr. Ashton will open up and be


    kinder if you two spent time together. However, the two of you kept arguing day and night. Since you¡¯re


    both married, why don¡¯t you try to make life easier?¡±


    I knew Mrs. Eriksen said that with good intentions, so I patted her hand and consoled, ¡°Mrs. Erikson,


    the scariest thing someone can do is to try to change a person. I won¡¯t try to change Ashton, and I


    can¡¯t, anyway. This is my fate. I¡¯ll try my best to refrain from arguing with him from now on. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    With reddened eyes, she shook her head gently. ¡°You¡¯re young, and you have to remember to cherish


    the days of you two being together. Otherwise, when you grow old and look back at your memories,


    you¡¯ll realize that you let the person go too easily¡ªthat you¡¯ve let go of your love halfway down the


    road. When you¡¯re in your twilight years, you¡¯ll realize your life is full of regrets. It¡¯s normal to have


    regrets, but if those are all you have, you¡¯ll feel awful about your hasty decision.¡±


    I nodded, not knowing what to tell her. Now that I thought about it, the wall between Ashton and I did


    not seem towering.


    It was a small wall, built up by many insignificant matters. Yet, when all these trivial matters piled up


    together, it was impossible for me not to explode in anger. I couldn¡¯t list out everything that troubled me


    clearly, for the grievances in my heart had long merged into one.


    ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Eriksen.¡± I knew she wanted us to live a better life than this.


    However, she seemed to sense that I did not n to heed her words, so she sighed, ¡°You¡¯re just too


    stubborn.¡±


    Augh escaped me, and I nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    Feeling helpless, she paused for a second before continuing, ¡°Letty, don¡¯t think that you don¡¯t have a


    ce in Mr. Ashton¡¯s heart. Last night, he asked where you were multiple times after he came home.


    You changed your phone number, so he thought you left for good. He was so anxious that he did


    everything he could to find out where you were. When he found out you were at Q City, he nearly


    rushed to look for you. You know he just came out of the hospital, and he hasn¡¯t fully recovered yet;


    he¡¯s supposed to be resting. Dr. Crest was afraid that something might happen to him if he went to look


    for you, so he stopped him. That was why he left early this morning to pick you up.¡±


    A few beatster, she sighed again. ¡°I can see that Mr. Ashton cares for you a lot and you clearly care


    for him, too. Why can¡¯t you both just stay by each other¡¯s side peacefully?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Erikson, were you in the middle of cooking?¡± I interrupted.


    Immediately, she stopped and took a whiff of the air. Then, she jumped to her feet. ¡°Oh no! I was


    making stew for Mr. Ashton!¡±

 Chapter 139

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 139


    At that, she rushed downstairs.


    Staring at the untouched soup, I found myself lost in my thoughts. I was born without getting much love


    and attention in my life, and the ¡°so-called¡± love that I met was pretty much the same.


    In fact, I had never experienced much familial love not to mention romantic love. Hence, I didn¡¯t know


    much about love, nor have I learned how to love someone.


    Grandma adopted me, and she showed me what love and care were in those short years. I regarded


    her and her care as the figure of love.


    On the contrary, John¡¯s extreme behavior, inflexibility, and apathy meant stubbornness to me.


    Whereas Macy¡¯s protection and support meant friendship to me.


    As for Ashton, in the two years of our married life, he rarely treated me well. I dared not consider those


    rare moments as romantic love.


    It had not been my intention to misinterpret it as love.


    I liked Ashton, and that was why I could endure his cold treatment to me in silence. However, that did


    not mean I could pretend to be a fool who saw his cheap love as true love.


    The sky was getting darker, and I was exhausted. Yet, I could not fall asleep despite lying on the bed


    for quite some time. I had gotten used to sleeping with Macy.


    Right now, to lie on the bed all by myself, I felt as if there was a gap in my heart. Outside the window,


    the wind was howling. Soon, the heavy rain came.


    Sleepless, I nced at the clock on the wall. It was already one in the morning. Too frustrated to lie still


    anymore, I headed to the balcony instead.


    As I was soaked by the rain thest time I was on the balcony, Ashton had made some modifications to


    the balcony. Now, raindrops could not reach me, only the cold breeze.


    Still frustrated, I went down the stairs to the garden instead.


    Mrs. Eriksen had nted many nts in the garden. Now that it was raining heavily, the nts were


    tilting to the side by the force of the raindrops. The sight of them mirrored my mood.


    I could not help but think of how much the nts and I had inmon. With that thought, I walked into


    the garden and let the rain shower on me.


    My summer pajamas were thin, and in several seconds, I was soaked from head to toe. The rain was


    not cold, but it felt good to be in it. I had been sheltering the sorrow in me, and I crouched down to let


    the tears fall quietly.


    No one could keep living without ever venting their emotions, so the rain was my chance to express my


    agony freely.


    When Mrs. Eriksen found me, I was in the middle of crying. She anxiously came to me with an


    umbre, trying to drag me back to the house. However, she was not as young as me; if I did not want


    to leave, there was no way she could move me from my spot.


    Out of options, she threw the umbre aside and ran to the living room. When she came back out, she


    had a raincoat in her hands. As she put it on me, she consoled, ¡°Letty, you can¡¯t do this to yourself.


    Even if you don¡¯t think about yourself, think about the baby in you. What shall I do if something


    happens to you?¡±


    To me, her words were lost in the howling wind. All I wanted to do was to crouch down and cry, hoping


    that I could cry out all the grievance and misery in me.


    Although the rain in midsummer was not cold, I was still a pregnant woman. Even if I were in the best


    of health, my body would not be able to take it after being in the rain for an hour.


    At that moment, the world spun around me.


    Just then, I heard Mrs. Eriksen¡¯s delighted voice. ¡°Mr. Ashton, you¡¯re back!¡±


    I turned instinctively and saw Ashton in a ck suit by the doorway. Then, he walked toward me with a


    furious look in his eyes.


    After he lifted me up into his arms, he entered the house.


    My eyes were sore from the prolonged crying, and I could see that he had a gloomy expression on his


    face. Then, I shut my eyes as I don¡¯t want to see him anymore.


    Since Ashton was back, Mrs. Eriksen no longer intervened in our matters.


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    After closing the bedroom door, Ashton pulled off my clothes and carried me into the bathroom.


    As he said nothing, I kept my lips sealed as well. The bathroom was dead silent.


    Time ticked by, and my freezing body finally gained some warmth. Even my sore eyes felt better by


    now.


    I opened them slowly, the sight of Ashton¡¯s stony look and piercing gaze greeted me. After a while, he


    uttered, ¡°Is it fun tormenting yourself?¡±


    At that, I furrowed my brows. Feeling uneasy being in a tub, lying stark naked for him to see, so I tried


    to get up and leave the bathroom.


    However, he quickly pressed me back into the tub. ¡°Stay still.¡±


    My frown deepened, and I shot him a surly look. ¡°I want to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Are you nning to sleep outside?¡± He pressed me back into the water again, still not smiling. ¡°Why


    did you go into the rain?¡±


    I yanked the towel over to cover myself and responded, ¡°I was in a bad mood.¡±


    ¡°In a bad mood?¡± He sneered, ¡°If everyone tried to die whenever they¡¯re in a bad mood, the streets


    would be littered with corpses. Scarlett, are you tormenting yourself, or are you tormenting me?¡±


    When I tilted my head upward to look at him, I saw my reflection in his eyes. ¡°Can I even do that?¡± After


    a pause, Iughed, ¡°Right. You should be together with the love of your life at this time, but you had to


    come back here because Mrs. Eriksen asked you to. Of course, you¡¯re tormented.¡±


    Ignoring his dour look, I apologized half-heartedly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I guarantee that this won¡¯t happen again.


    It¡¯s gettingte, so it¡¯s best if you go back and apany your love. I¡¯m going to rest now.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett Stovall!¡± he gritted out. ¡°Do you have to speak so sarcastically?¡±

 Chapter 140

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 140


    At that, I raised my brows and derided, ¡°You¡¯re overthinking this. How can I possibly be sarcastic? I¡¯m


    just stating the truth.¡±


    ¡°You-¡± Huffing an angryugh, he scooped me out of the water and threw me onto the bed.


    Promptly, I grabbed the nket to cover myself, and he sneered, ¡°I can¡¯t believe you actually feel


    embarrassed.¡±


    I ignored him again. Pursing my lips, I swept my gaze at the side of the bed but found no clothes. The


    next thing I saw was him taking off his soaked jacket.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Half of his dress shirt was wet, and the fabric was clinging to his muscr chest. The sight of him was


    tempting, but I pursed my lips into a thin line. ¡°Ashton, I don¡¯t want to do it with you.¡±


    His hands that were unbuttoning his shirt paused for a second before he barked out augh. ¡°I see you


    have confidence in my energy.¡± After ncing at me, he uttered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not that absurd.¡±


    Once he unbuttoned his shirt, he threw it aside before working on his belt. After he took off his pants


    and hunched over, I spotted a massive scar on his back, and I froze.


    It seemed like the ne crash had been bad.


    He then tossed his pants aside. When he noticed me staring at his scar, he frowned and said, ¡°I¡¯d do


    the same for anyone.¡±


    I kept quiet as I averted my eyes and covered the nket over my head.


    Unfortunately, there was a price to pay for my idiotic actions. In the middle of the night, I started having


    a high fever. As my throat was dry, my hands fumbled around for a ss of water in my feverish daze,


    and I nearly flew off the bed.


    Luckily for me, Ashton was swift to hold me before I fell off the bed. He seemed as if he just woke, for


    his voice was still hoarse. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    My head kept spinning, and my voice was hoarse. It took me ages to spit out a few words, ¡°I am


    thirsty.¡±


    Turning on the bedsidemp, he got out of bed to get me a ss of water. After drinking, some of my


    difort dissipated, but I still felt weak and dizzy.


    Noticing something was amiss with me, he touched my forehead to check my temperature. Realizing it


    was warmer than usual, he stood up and got changed. Right then, I held the edge of his shirt and


    mumbled, ¡°We can¡¯t go to the hospital.¡±


    Medication and injections were not good for the baby.


    He frowned as sweat started beading his forehead. ¡°If we¡¯re not going to the hospital, I¡¯ll call Jared for a


    house visit.¡± With that said, he called him.


    After some hushed words with Jared over the phone, he entered the bathroom. When he came back


    out, he ced a wet towel on my forehead before he went to boil some water.


    In a daze from the fever, I did not realize when Jared came. It was only when he was speaking with


    Ashton, then did my mind cleared a little.


    ¡°Why did she suddenly get a high fever? She¡¯s already five months pregnant, and the baby¡¯s body is


    developing at this time. Something might go wrong easily.¡±


    Jared was the one who had a reprimanding tone.


    ¡°She was in the rain for half an hour,¡± came Ashton¡¯s voice.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been too careless. Pregnant women have mood swings, and so many things had happened


    lately. She kept everything to herself, and she has no way of venting her feelings other than doing this.¡±


    My head continued to spin, so I could not continue eavesdropping on their conversation.


    For the rest of the night, I alternated between feeling cold and hot, and my sleep was restless.


    By the time I woke again, it was already the following night. Out of motherly instincts, I reached out to


    touch my stomach, relieved to find it stillrge.


    I slowly breathed out and closed my eyes to settle my emotion. I open them again only after I felt


    calmer.


    There was no one in the room. Feeling thirsty, I crawled up and was about to get down from the bed


    when I realized my legs were weak.


    The moment my feet touched the ground, my entire body fell.


    Shocked, I grabbed the bedside table. Fortunately, my knees were the ones tond on the floor, so I


    was fine. On the other hand, the things on the bedside table were not as fortunate as they all crashed


    to the floor.


    The room door suddenly swung open, and I saw Ashtoning in with papers still in his hand. It


    seemed like he had rushed over after hearing the noise.


    When he saw me kneeling on the ground, he furrowed his brows and carried me back up onto the bed.


    He asked in a low voice, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I want to get some water,¡± I replied, feeling sore in my throat.


    After putting some pillows behind me to support me into a sitting position, he turned and poured me a


    ss of water. While holding the ss to my lips, he muttered, ¡°You have a phone by the side of the


    bed. Call me or Mrs. Eriksen if you need anything. Just don¡¯t be stubborn.¡±


    I nodded quietly.


    I felt much better after drinking some water.


    He then looked at me and inquired, ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    I shook my head before my gazended on the documents in his hands. It was HiTech¡¯s case files for


    the new productunch.


    I stiffened before averting my eyes to stare at the wall instead.


    Noticing my actions, he handed the file to me and asked, ¡°This is HiTech¡¯stest proposal. Do you want


    to have a look?¡±


    I shook my head again, feeling a little upset as I answered, ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±


    Since I had already left Fuller Corporation, no matter how unhappy I felt, I could not make a fuss about


    it. My current priority was to give birth to the baby safely.


    ¡°Once you¡¯ve given birth to the baby, you can go back to work if you want to. It¡¯s my fault about Fuller


    Corporation and HiTech¡¯s audit, not yours.¡±


    Hearing him initiate the topic himself, I knitted my brows.


    Although I was unhappy, I did not know what to tell him about it, so I remained silent.

 Chapter 141

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 141


    Hearing my silence, he must have thought that I was still unable to let it go. Hence, he said, ¡°HiTech is


    still yours. No matter what happens from now on, it¡¯ll always be yours. Please rest well for the baby.¡±


    ¡°Ashton,¡± I called out, my voice slightly rough. ¡°About the ident that happened when you sent


    Reba to K City and the Fuller Corporation¡¯s emergency. Were these all part of your n?¡±


    These two incidents had happened too coincidentally, and after they happened, I ruminated over all


    kinds of possibilities. The only possibility I dared not think about was the possibility that they were all


    part of Ashton¡¯s n.


    He looked at me with a stern gaze. ¡°Are you suspecting that I¡¯ve used you as the scapegoat?¡±


    My heart ached as I stared at him. ¡°From the moment I entered thepany, I¡¯ve been in charge of the


    projects. I¡¯ve never done any marketing and auditing jobs. Yet, afterpleting Dr. Ludwick¡¯s case, you


    put me in charge of the audits for Fuller Corporation and HiTech. Based on what I gather from how you


    usually work, you¡¯d give me only one case at a time. However, you¡¯ve given me both at the same time.¡±


    At that, he raised his brow. ¡°Go on.¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    I shifted my body to find a morefortable position to lie in before I continued, ¡°You say it¡¯s my


    punishment for dying Dr. Ludwick¡¯s final payment, but it¡¯s just a cover. The two major problems that


    Fuller Corporation faces after listing are the capital chain and financial risk.¡±


    ¡°Fuller Corporation¡¯s funds have always been the most sufficient among the listedpanies. Why do


    you think that the Fuller Corporation will be short of funds?¡±


    Looking at how confident he was, I could not help butugh. ¡°If your funds are sufficient, why did the


    company lose tens of millions just because Dr. Ludwick dyed his final payment by a few days?¡±


    ncing at his furrowed brows, I continued, ¡°Fuller Corporation¡¯s emergency is just part of your n.


    During those few days, you eliminated the stockholders who could not survive and bought their stocks


    at low prices. When Fuller Corporation returned to normal, these stock prices would be then sold at a


    higher price. In this way, the Fuller Corporation¡¯s market value will increase by almost double.¡±


    He was the one in charge of thepany. Naturally, he knew all of these.


    After hearing that my analysis was close to the truth, he raised a brow and said, ¡°You¡¯re my wife. There


    is no reason for me to put you at risk.¡±


    The moment those words left his mouth, I burst intoughter. ¡°Ashton, do you really take me as your


    wife?¡±


    There are only so many important people in thepany. Jared and Joe are friends who had gone


    through tough times with him. There was no way he would make them the scapegoat.


    At the end of the day, I was the most suitable candidate.


    ¡°Scarlett, many things in this world aren¡¯t as simple as what meets the eyes. You¡¯re smart, but you


    don¡¯t know everything.¡±


    He sounded weary, and I could see that he was exhausted.


    Falling silent, I leaned on the headboard to collect myself. Then, I climbed out of the bed and muttered,


    ¡°Go ahead with your work. I¡¯m going to take a walk downstairs.¡±


    Mrs. Eriksen was tending to the nts that the rain had wrecked yesterday. When she saw me


    downstairs, she chuckled, ¡°You¡¯re awake. Are you still feeling unwell?¡±


    I shook my head in response. It was then I noticed the bayberry tree in the garden could not avoid the


    cruelty of the rain too; the bayberries were all over the floor, and they all looked ripe.


    After recovering from my fever, I was in a much better mood. I then returned to the living room to grab a


    basket so that I could pick the bayberries that were close to me.


    Looking at the delicious, red fruits, my mouth watered, and I moved to put them in my mouth.


    ¡°What a glutton!¡± came a voice behind me. It was Ashton. He walked over to me and took the basket


    from me as he muttered, ¡°There are a lot of insects inside these bayberries. If you don¡¯t wash them


    before you eat them, you¡¯ll have an upset stomachter.¡±


    At that, he handed the basket to Mrs. Eriksen and instructed, ¡°Soak them in saltwater for a while.¡±


    Mrs. Eriksen quickly took it, and she gave us a wink before she left.


    After that, I raised my head to look at the bayberries that I could not reach. Ashton thenmented,


    ¡°Pick the ones by the end of the branches. Otherwise, they¡¯ll all fall to the ground, and it¡¯ll be a waste.¡±


    At that, he nced at me. However, instead of reaching out to pick the fruits, he bent over and carried


    me up.


    Before I coulde to my senses, he had already carried me up onto his shoulders. ¡°Stay still and be


    careful.¡±


    For a moment, my world spun. Instinctively, I held his head to support myself as I wondered in


    disbelief. Why is he making me pick the fruits this way?


    ¡°Stop daydreaming and pick them quickly,¡± he urged.


    I was now at a height much taller than I was used to. After a pause, I picked the fruits that I could


    reach.


    However, I did not have a basket with me, so I froze. A thought popped into my mind, and I shoved the


    bayberry into Ashton¡¯s mouth.


    As both of his hands were holding onto me, he could only let me shove the fruits into his mouth.


    After eating several bayberries, he mumbled, ¡°Stop putting them in my mouth and ask Mrs. Eriksen to


    bring the basket over. I can¡¯t eat that many.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say I¡¯d get an upset stomach if I eat it like this? Have more. I want to know if you¡¯d get an


    upset stomach,¡± I replied as I continued picking the fruits.


    Mrs. Eriksen then took out the basket. When she saw me on his shoulders, she blurted out, ¡°Oh my


    god. Be careful! She¡¯s already five months pregnant. What if she falls from that height? We have a


    ladder at home. Don¡¯t do this; it¡¯s not safe!¡±

 Chapter 142

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 142


    Watching Mrs. Eriksen panic, I ced my handful of bayberries into the basket and chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s okay.


    There are only a few left. I¡¯ll be done once I get them.¡±


    After picking the fruits by the end of the branches, I uttered as I held onto Ashton¡¯s head, ¡°I¡¯m done. Put


    me down.¡±


    Beside us, Mrs. Eriksen was wracked with worry as she held onto the basket. ¡°You young people are


    too daring. Don¡¯t you know how dangerous this is?¡±


    As Ashton was quite fit from his usual workout sessions, he held onto my waist and carried me down.


    Once my foot touched the ground, I looked at the sweat beading on his forehead. After stiffening for a


    second, Iughed, ¡°Why are you sweating? Am I that heavy?¡±


    He gave me a small smile and spat out the bayberry in his mouth. ¡°I have two people on my shoulders.


    What do you think?¡±


    I froze for a second before touching my stomach. Recently, I had been feeling that the baby was


    growing by the day.


    Just then, Ashton¡¯s phone rang, and he walked aside as he epted the call. Hence, I took the basket


    from Mrs. Eriksen and entered the living room.


    As I soaked the bayberries in saltwater, my eyes could not help but drift toward the garden, feeling


    nervous.


    The only call he would take while avoiding me was from Reba.


    At a certain point in life, people would think of taking extreme actions. I couldn¡¯t control myself and flip


    the bowl of saltwater.


    I did it deliberately.


    The noise was loud, and Mrs. Eriksen rushed in. Looking at the mess, she looked at me worriedly and


    asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you injured?¡±


    I shook my head before ncing at Ashton without any expressions on my face. He walked toward me


    and looked at me from head to toe. Realizing that I was fine, he sighed in relief. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± I answered. Looking at the bayberries scattered on the floor, I suddenly lost interest in


    washing them. Thus, I turned and retreated to the bedroom.


    Behind me, I heard Mrs. Eriksen¡¯s murmur. ¡°Mr. Ashton, if you¡¯re free, I think you should bring Letty to


    the hospital. I think she¡¯s not well.¡±


    Am I not? Isn¡¯t mental exhaustion an illness?


    After returning to my room, I still felt upset, so I ended up calling Macy.


    The call went through after a few rings. ¡°Letty!¡±


    ¡°Hey. How are things on your side?¡± I did not know what else to say.


    However, Macy seemed excited. ¡°Yes, let me tell you, this ce is beautiful! The plums around the


    house are all ripe, and they taste amazing. I¡¯ll send some to you in a few days, so watch out for the


    mailman.¡±


    She sounded happy.


    Perhaps happiness was contagious, for Iughed, ¡°How¡¯s your morning sickness? Do you have any


    problems getting used to the ce?¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡± I guessed she must be in the mountains, as I could hear the sound of howling wind through


    the call. ¡°The air is very fresh here, and I¡¯ve nted some nts in the garden. I even got some


    wildflowers to nt in the garden. They¡¯re really pretty, and if you have the time, you shoulde and


    see them. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll love it here.¡±


    I nodded before realizing she would not be able to see it. ¡°Okay.¡±


    She must have sensed that I was in a bad mood from how quiet I was, so she asked, ¡°Letty, did


    something happen?¡±


    For a moment, I did not know how I should word it for her. After a pause, I finally muttered, ¡°Macy, I


    think I¡¯ve hit a dead-end, and I can¡¯t get out of it.¡±


    Ashton was already minimizing his contact with Reba, but I would lose my calm every time I heard


    any news of him with her. It was as if a million ants were gnawing at my heart and that sensation


    overwhelmed me.


    ¡°Is it because of Ashton?¡± she queried before sighing. ¡°Letty, it¡¯s easy for pregnant women to get


    emotional. Maybe you¡¯re overthinking it.¡±


    She paused again. ¡°Why don¡¯t I get Jackson toe back to the country? Maybe he can help you.¡±


    I hummed in response. Right then, the bedroom door swung open, and in came Ashton.


    I returned my focus to the call and reminded, ¡°You have to take care of yourself there.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± she responded. After a moment, she insisted, ¡°Don¡¯t tell Jared about me.¡±


    By now, Ashton had reached me, and I could see him holding some bayberries in his hands.


    I hummed in agreement before I ended the call.


    Once I hung up the phone, he sat beside me and ced one by my lips. ¡°Try them.¡±


    I shook my head, not in the mood for it.


    At that, instead of saying anything else, he quietly kept mepany. After a while, he brought the


    documents over from his study room and started reading through them.


    As I had nothing to do anyway, I found a book and sat by the side, and started reading it.


    Macy was an efficient woman. When Jackson called, I was almost asleep from reading, so the ringing


    of my phone woke me up.


    Ashton was still reading his documents, so when he heard the phone, he only spared me a nce


    before returning to the papers.


    As I picked up the call, I stood up to head to the balcony.


    ¡°Jackson.¡±


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    ¡°Oh my god, woman! If not for Macy contacting me, I¡¯d have thought you were dead.¡± Jackson Kane


    would never change. He was a man, but he was talkative and fussy.

 Chapter 143

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 143


    Ignoring his words, I inquired, ¡°Are you still overseas?¡±


    Jackson and I were college friends. After we graduated, he went overseas to further his studies in


    psychology. As I was quite aloof, rarely contacted my friends after graduating college and marrying


    Ashton.


    He rambled on, ¡°Yes. Where are you? Are you still in J City? Oh yes, how are you feeling?¡±


    I frowned, not wanting to broach the topic. ¡°I¡¯m fine. When are youing back?¡±


    ¡°Soon.¡± It seemed like he was drinking something, as he paused for a while before continuing. ¡°You


    shoulde to M Country when you¡¯re free. Macy has told me about your condition. I think you might


    have depression. The symptoms are the same as before. Come to M Country, and let¡¯s catch up.¡±


    Sensing an oing headache, I rubbed my temples and agreed, ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett, don¡¯t take it lightly. You can die from this illness.¡±


    Knowing he meant well, I nodded and muttered, ¡°All right. I know.¡±


    Realizing that Ashton had put down the documents in his hands, I quickly ended the call. ¡°It¡¯s getting


    late. Good night.¡±


    ¡°F*ck. It¡¯s still daytime here. What the hell do you mean good night?¡±


    Instead of continuing to listen to him, I ended the call.


    Ashton walked toward me, and I kept my phone before casting an indifferent gaze at him. ¡°You¡¯re done


    with your work?¡±


    He nodded and reached out to pull me into his arms. Pressing a light kiss on my forehead, he


    whispered, ¡°Do you want to go for a trip to K City?¡±


    ¡°K City?¡± I stiffened before curiously asked, ¡°Do you have something to do at K City?¡±


    He pulled me to the bed before cing his hand on my stomach. ¡°I¡¯m nning to move the


    headquarters of Fuller Corporation to K City.¡±


    K City was the capital of the country. In terms of economy and lifestyle, K City was the best among all


    other cities. If Fuller Corporation wanted to expand and develop, K City was an excellent choice.


    However, he was nning to move the headquarters, so I frowned. ¡°I think Fuller Corporation is fine


    here in J City. It¡¯s already established here for years. If you suddenly move it to K City, I¡¯m afraid you


    might not be able to expand the business for a while.¡±


    He ced his chin on my shoulder and nodded gently. ¡°Indeed. However, Fuller Corporation has


    established a newpany there, so it won¡¯t be that difficult.¡±


    I nodded quietly.


    Feeling sleepy from a long while of sitting, I leaned my body on his and fell asleep.


    After resting in the vi for two days, I was starting to get restless. Hence, I decided to leave the house


    for a walk.


    Other than Macy, I had no other female friends in J City. Now that Macy had gone to the countryside, I


    could not invite anyone to go for a stroll.


    After a while of contemtion, I decided to go to the mall alone. No matter what I did, it would be


    boring anyway.


    When I parked my car by the entrance of the mall, I bumped into someone familiar¡ªNick. Beside him


    was a girl, and she looked familiar to me as well.


    A brief thought made me realize she was the one I previously met at the supermarket.


    I watched as the two headed to the mall clinging on to each other. It seemed like Nick was here to keep


    the girlpany, unlike thest time.


    By the look of things, Nick quite liked her, for they seemed happy to be hugging each other while


    walking.


    Perhaps my staring was too obvious, as Nick noticed me. The moment he saw me, he visibly froze for


    a split second before striding toward me.


    He eximed, ¡°Are you here to shop or to date?¡±


    Noticing the girl following behind him, I smiled. ¡°I¡¯m here for a walk.¡±


    ¡°Shall we eat together?¡± As he spoke, the woman was already by his side, tugging his sleeve. It was


    obvious what she was hinting to both him and me.


    Hence, I shook my head. ¡°No, you go ahead.¡±


    Why would a pregnant woman like me get in between a young couple?


    Just as I was about to leave, Nick stopped me. ¡°Let¡¯s eat together. I have something to talk to you


    about.¡±


    ¡°Nick!¡± The girl beside him was now upset. She whined, ¡°You promised to keep mepany today. Ms.


    Stovall seems like she wants to shop by herself. Let¡¯s not disturb her.¡±


    Nick frowned, seemingly annoyed. ¡°I have something to talk to her about. Why don¡¯t you go home first?


    I¡¯ll see you another day.¡±


    At that, the girl¡¯s face fell. She fumed, ¡°You promised Ms. Anderson that you¡¯ll spend time with me!¡±


    ¡°Stop using her as an excuse. It¡¯s annoying,¡± Nick growled. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to go shopping, then go


    home yourself. I still have something else to attend to, so I got to go now.¡±


    With that said, he dragged me into the mall.


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    The girl jogged over to tug on his sleeve. Her eyes were bloodshot as she mumbled pitifully, ¡°Nick, I¡¯m


    sorry. I¡¯m wrong. I won¡¯t interrupt your talk with her. Once you¡¯re done, let¡¯s go shopping, okay?¡±


    Hearing her miserable tone, I felt bad for her. Thus, I pried off Nick¡¯s hand and told him, ¡°Let¡¯s talk


    another day. I still have some things to do, so I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡±


    The mall in this part of the city wasrge, and I headed straight to the baby store. As Ashton was


    almost done setting up the nursery, I didn¡¯t have much to buy.


    Right as I exited the store, I spotted Nick, who was looking around. Upon seeing me, he shouted, ¡°Let¡¯s


    go!¡±

 Chapter 144

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 144


    When I noticed the girl was missing from his side, I inquired curiously, ¡°Where¡¯s your girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not my girlfriend.¡±


    Not a curious cat, I stopped asking him about it.


    I then followed him to a steakhouse. Right at the entrance, he paused and worriedly cast me a look.


    Then, he suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s go to another restaurant.¡±


    At the start, I did not spot anything unusual. However, when I saw his grim look, I peeked into the


    restaurant.


    It was then I saw Ashton by the window seat. He was in a casual suit, and he was elegantly cutting the


    steak on his te. In front of him, surprisingly, was not Reba. Instead, it was another woman I had


    seen twice in the past. Although I was unfamiliar with her, I could still recognize who it was.


    It was Caleb¡¯s niece, Kristina.


    They¡¯re both eating steak here?


    The president and his secretary?


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to another restaurant.¡± I was not avoiding him, but it would be awkward for me to encounter


    him here.


    Nick nodded. After a pause, he looked at me again. ¡°They look close. Aren¡¯t you going to ask him about


    it?¡±


    Confused, I stared back at him and asked, ¡°Ask what?¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± he mumbled. ¡°Never mind.¡±


    After ncing at my surroundings, I spotted a barbecue restaurant around the corner. I then suggested,


    ¡°Let¡¯s go there.¡±


    Just then, my phone rang.


    Ashton was the one calling me.


    Raising my head to look toward the restaurant, I realized his dark eyes were staring in my direction.


    Picking up the call, I heard his cold voice at the other end of the line. ¡°Come in and eat with me.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯m here with my friend.¡±


    Moreover, I had something to talk to Nick about, and I was sure Ashton and Kristina had something to


    discuss as well.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    I could see him narrowing his eyes before he put down his fork. Leaning back in his chair, he tilted his


    head to stare at Nick and me.


    Into the phone, he icily said, ¡°Is it because of me or is it just you?¡±


    ¡°Both of us can¡¯t.¡± If he wanted me to head to his side, that meant that he and Kristina were having a


    serious conversation. Hence, it would not be appropriate for me to join them with Nick.


    However, I saw him swaying his ss, seemingly infuriated. I replied, ¡°See you tonight.¡±


    With that, I ended the call and headed to the barbecue restaurant by the corner.


    After we found a seat, Nick ordered the food. He rested his chin on his hands before asking, ¡°Aren¡¯t


    you afraid another Reba wille to him?¡±


    Sipping on the water, I ignored his question and voiced the question in my head instead, ¡°What do you


    need to talk to me about?¡±


    Unable to get any gossips from me, he murmured disinterestedly, ¡°It¡¯s about K City. It seems like


    Ashton has thoughts of moving Fuller Corporation there.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I know about that.¡±


    However, it seemed like he was not surprised by my answer. ¡°This isn¡¯t the strangest part. What¡¯s


    strange is that my mom is nning to move Cruise Corporation to K City as well.¡±


    ¡°That sounds good,¡± I replied when I saw his mncholic look. ¡°K City is an international trading hub.


    Moving to K City helps to create more opportunities for thepany to develop.¡±


    The way he was looking at me was as though he was looking at an idiot. ¡°Do you really not know about


    this, or are you pretending not to? The Fuller Corporation nearly dominated half of J City¡¯s economy.


    The Fuller Corporation is doing much better in J City than in K City. Moreover, it already has a branch


    office in K City for so many years, but it never developed any better than the office in J City. Ashton


    isn¡¯t an idiot. His n to move the Fuller Corporation¡¯s headquarters to K City isn¡¯t because of the


    company; it¡¯s because of someone!¡±


    Bewildered by his words, I was stunned. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    At that, he rolled his eyes, exasperated. ¡°Are you stupid? Zachary is nning to make his daughter into


    the heiress for thepany, and Reba is in love with your man. Don¡¯t you know that her chances of


    getting him will be higher if he¡¯s by her side?¡±


    I nodded, but I was not as agitated as he was. ¡°If that¡¯s what Ashton¡¯s nning, it¡¯s not as if I can do


    anything about it.¡±


    ¡°Do what? The first thing you should do right now is to protect yourself. Find a way to get the best out


    of Ashton before you leave him. You¡¯re going to be caught up in Zachary¡¯s grand n.¡±


    I was rather baffled by his words. Soon, the waiter brought our food and I started digging into my food


    instead.


    After all, I was starting to feel hungry.


    ¡°Letty, do you get what I mean?¡± Nick was so anxious I could even see sweat beading on his forehead.


    ¡°You have toe up with a n to save yourself before you lose everything in their schemes!¡±


    Still chewing on the meat, I muttered, ¡°It¡¯s still too early for me to do anything. Eat your food before it


    gets cold.¡±


    How will they set me up? I have nothing else for them but my life.


    If Ashton wanted a divorce right now, I would sign it eagerly. Other than living and dying, nothing else


    mattered in life.


    After seeing no reactions from me after his long rant, he hung his jaw and was silent for a moment. In


    the end, he spat out, ¡°It¡¯s as if I¡¯m talking to a wall!¡±


    His gaze thennded on my stomach. ¡°You¡¯re already so heavily pregnant, but you¡¯re not even


    nning for the baby¡¯s future?¡±


    By now, I was a little frustrated by his nagging. Putting down my cutlery, I uttered to him, ¡°The baby can


    go to you if life with me doesn¡¯t work out.¡±

 Chapter 145

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 145


    Hearing that, he chortled. ¡°Sure. Make me the kid¡¯s godfather, and I¡¯ll let the kid inherit my assets.¡±


    Is he drunk?


    At a loss for words, I pushed the sd bowl closer to him as a way to shut him up. ¡°Have more of this.¡±


    He grinned cheerfully as he ate from the bowl. ¡°Letty, I¡¯m serious. I want to be your kid¡¯s godfather.¡±


    Right then, my phone rang. Once again, it was from Ashton.


    I did not wish to pick it up, but the phone kept ringing, and Nick could not stop talking. Hence, I


    epted the call.


    ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m at the barbecue restaurant.¡±


    ¡°The address.¡±


    Not wanting to meet him, I answered, ¡°We¡¯re almost done, and I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to make an announcement through the PA system in the mall?¡±


    F*ck. Feeling agitated, I grumbled in my heart. How can this man be so annoying?


    ¡°It¡¯s just around the corner.¡± The moment I finished the sentence, I ended the call.


    By now, I was almost done with my meal. Realizing I had eaten arger portion than usual, Nick


    giggled. ¡°Do you want more?¡±


    I nodded. After all, Ashton was going to be here soon, and I was not going to let him watch us eat.


    Two minutester, Ashton arrived.


    Swiftly and naturally, he took his seat beside me and ced his arm behind me. Looking at the te on


    the table, he asked, ¡°What else would you like?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m full.¡± It was an honest answer. I had finished almost a te full of meat earlier, and it was more


    than enough.


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    ¡°We¡¯ve ordered more food,¡± Nick replied. ¡°Mr. Fuller, aren¡¯t you a busy man?¡±


    Ashton gave him a glimpse before responding, ¡°Somewhat.¡±


    Nothing good coulde out from Nick, and I never had any expectations for him to speak good words


    either. Yet, it still surprised me to hear him say, ¡°That girl earlier looks like she¡¯s at least ten years


    younger than you. Mr. Fuller, are you interested in youngerdies recently?¡±


    I froze in the middle of drinking my water. Is he challenging Ashton¡¯s patience?


    Observing Ashton¡¯s expression from the corner of my eye, I realized he only had a casual smile on his


    face. ¡°So, you like pregnantdies?¡±


    I immediately spat out the water I had yet to swallow.


    Ashton peeked at me before he gracefully wiped my face with a few pieces of tissue. Feeling anxious, I


    took the tissues from him and continued dabbing my face.


    Meanwhile, Nick had the gloomiest expression I had not seen the whole time. ¡°Not exactly. It¡¯s just so


    that the person I like is a pregnant woman.¡±


    What the hell?


    I promptly shot him a re. Are you trying to y with fire?


    He averted his eyes from me, choosing to stare at Ashton with a defiant look instead.


    Still calm and elegant, Ashton muttered, ¡°What a pity this pregnantdy is already someone¡¯s wife, and


    she¡¯s about to be a mother. You have no chances.¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily. There are many people who marry again. She is just too young and inexperienced,


    she married the wrong person. Hence, it is just a matter of time for her to marry someone else.¡±


    Utterly disinterested in their conversation, I stood up and announced, ¡°I¡¯m full. Enjoy your


    conversation.¡±


    Then, I headed out. Behind me, I heard Nick¡¯s foolish words. ¡°Letty, we¡¯ve made an agreement. I¡¯ll be


    your child¡¯s godfather. If that doesn¡¯t work out, I don¡¯t mind be the child¡¯s father either.¡±


    I walked away even faster at that.


    The car was parked outside the mall, and it did not take me long to reach it. Ashton had followed me to


    the parking lot, and I could see a terrifying grim look on his face.


    After starting the engine, I uttered, ¡°Put on your safety belt.¡±


    He shot me a look before he responded, ¡°I won¡¯t die.¡±


    Hearing his haughty tone, I did not insist and drove back to the vi. It was only four in the evening, and


    it was still early.


    Mrs. Eriksen was still tending to the garden. After a few days of hard work, the garden that had been


    wrecked in the heavy rain was back to its lovely state.


    Noticing my return with Ashton, she smiled and asked, ¡°You¡¯re back. What do you want to have for


    dinner tonight?¡±


    ¡°Anything¡¯s fine,¡± Ashton replied before I could.


    Then, a pain traveled up my arm from my wrist, and he dragged me back to the bedroom.


    Once he mmed the door shut, he strode toward me. The shadow of his towering figure loomed over


    me, and I felt a tinge of fear creeping onto me.


    ¡°Ashton, you¡­ ¡° I was a little overwhelmed by his sudden anger.


    ¡°Godfather?¡± A mocking smile curled on his lips. ¡°And he even wants to be the father. Scarlett, when


    did the two of you get so close?¡±


    I was lost for words as I cursed Nick for his blo*dy mouth in my heart. Of all the things to say, he has to


    say that!


    Raising my head to look at Ashton, I stered a smile on and mumbled, ¡°He¡¯s talking nonsense. You


    were there, so I¡¯m sure you could tell that it¡¯s nonsense too.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± At that, he dropped his head and bit my neck.


    Feeling a sharp pang of pain, I yelled, ¡°Ashton, you¡¯re being unreasonable!¡± Clearly, that was clearly


    Nick¡¯s rubbish. He¡¯s already in his thirties. How can he not realize they¡¯re rubbish?


    I didn¡¯t even say anything about him having lunch with someone else. All Nick did was spout some


    nonsense, and he¡¯s already acting like this.


    At that moment, I felt I was wronged and I red at him.


    Looking at me, he narrowed his dark eyes. Then, he slowly pressed light kisses on the spots he bit as


    he mumbled, ¡°You are ungrateful!¡±

 Chapter 146

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 146


    The steamy atmosphere made the two of us feverish. He grabbed my waist roughly, growling sensually,


    ¡°Focus on me.¡±


    The next thing I knew, Ashton was carrying me to the bed. Towering over me, he spoke as if giving a


    command, ¡°Take it off.¡±


    Following his gaze to myher regions, I was at a loss for words. I ced my hands over my belly and


    looked at him nervously. ¡°The doctor said that we shouldn¡¯t! It¡¯s going to hurt the kid.¡±


    I¡¯m not going to budge on this!


    Upon hearing my words, his gaze visibly darkened. ¡°So what? You want me to just give up like that?¡±


    He whispered, his tone dangerous.


    I nodded lightly. ¡°That¡¯s what the doctor said. Don¡¯t do it unless you don¡¯t want this kid anymore.¡±


    As he pursed his lips in silence, my phone suddenly rang.


    I got him off me and took my phone. It was John.


    Feeling somewhat nervous, I nced at Ashton. He seemed to be rather displeased upon seeing the


    name disyed on my phone screen.


    I got up, wanting to answer the call at the balcony.


    However, a pair of hands quickly grabbed my shoulders. ¡°Answer it here!¡± Hemanded before


    pressing on the speaker button.


    I frowned. ¡°Ashton, you¡¯re invading my privacy!¡±


    In response, he sneered and said, ¡°We¡¯re a married couple. Everything should be shared between us.¡±


    ¡°How shameless!¡±


    As I answered the call, I could only pray for John to keep things straightforward and clean. Nick has


    already given me enough trouble¡­ So if John acts up now, I¡¯ll definitely get skinned by Ashton.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Stovall. May I know why you¡¯re calling me?¡± There, that should sound formal enough.


    I nced at Ashton. His expression seemed less unpleasant, as I expected.


    John sounded weary. From the clicking noises of his keyboard, I reckoned that he must still be at work.


    ¡°Letty,e to have dinner with me tonight.¡± He seemed to be informing me rather than asking me.


    I furrowed my brows and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t have the time. If that¡¯s all, I¡¯m hanging up then.¡±


    Before I could end the call, John suddenly spoke, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to talk to me about Jackson?¡±


    I almost jumped. Sensing Ashton¡¯s scorching gaze on me, I could feel every muscle in my body starting


    to tense up.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to talk about!¡±


    ¡°Letty, drop the act. You know very well why Jackson left the country in the first ce. The fact that you


    cut off all contact with him for so long only to contact him now could only mean one thing. Ashton isn¡¯t


    treating you right, is he?¡± he continued.


    His words, along with the sound of him typing furiously on his keyboard was truly getting on my nerves.


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t matter to you whether or not I¡¯m living a happy life! Why are you so nosy? Goodbye!¡± I


    spluttered.


    Without any more hesitation, I hung up the call before he could utter another word.


    His words had triggered me so much that I almost could not control my anger.


    On the other hand, Ashton was simply looking at me intently, as if he were trying to interrogate me with


    his eyes. Gosh. I really have to give it to John for having absolutely no tact whatsoever.


    He knows exactly where my wounds are, and he¡¯s sprinkling his salt on all the right spots!


    The atmosphere in the bedroom became chilly. I knew that Ashton was not feeling happy about the


    things he heard and I wanted to talk to him, but I simply did not know where to begin.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Feeling troubled, Iy back down on the bed in silence.


    Having sex out of repressed anger felt a little odd. Ashton was touching me all over roughly, yet I could


    not sense any passion in his movements.


    I did not try to stop him and let him have his way with me.


    After a few moments of not getting any reactions from me, he paused and stared at me as he grew


    more annoyed by the second.


    To make things worse for me, that was not the first time something this awkward had happened


    between us, and he knew exactly how this type of sex would make me feel.


    As the silence in the room persisted, my phone started ringing again in an untimely manner. Ashton


    seized it before I could even react.


    After answering the call, he remained quiet and gave me a mocking look.


    ¡°Letty, I¡¯ve sent you some fruits. You can go collect it now. I think they have been delivered.¡± Macy¡¯s


    voice sounded from the speaker.


    Just as I was about to reply to her, Ashton cut me off and said, ¡°She¡¯s busy!¡±


    After a moment of silence, Macy said, ¡°It¡­ It¡¯s just downstairs. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s far away¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s literally under me right now. Do you really think she¡¯s able to go and get it?¡± He spoke, gritting


    his teeth in anger.


    Macy went silent. After another short pause, the call ended.


    Fuming, Ashton turned my phone off and gave me a stern look as he went on with what he was doing.


    I could tell that his mood was terrible, but that was about it.


    After a few rounds of our ¡°workout¡± in bed, I feltpletely dead inside. Not only was it tiring, but it also


    made me feel ufortable and offended.


    Ashton pulled me into an awkward position in the crook of his arm, talking to me with his eyes half-


    open, ¡°Go clean yourself.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel like moving.¡±


    Feeling beyond exhausted, all I wanted to do at that moment was toy in bed quietly.


    Perhaps the sex somewhat made up for his emotional void, he leaned in for a gentle kiss before


    smiling. ¡°You need to improve your stamina a little, don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    My eyelids felt heavier than ever and I could no longer muster the strength to reply to him.


    As I rested in his arms, the stickiness of my sweat gradually started bothering me.

 Chapter 147

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 147


    Eventually, I got up and went to the bathroom for a shower. The warm water stung as it hit my swollen


    bits. After a minute-long shower, I stumbled back toward the bed and copsed onto it.


    I was so drained that I was already fast asleep when Ashton walked out of the bathroom after his


    shower.


    I could vaguely remember him holding me for a bit before leaving.


    When I woke up, night had already fallen. Sleeping in the daytime always made me feel as if I had a


    hangover.


    I took my time to get out of bed.


    Ashton seemed to be busy with his phone calls in the study. Upon seeing mee downstairs, Mrs.


    Eriksen immediately went to the kitchen to get me some food.


    I did not really have the appetite for all the dishes she had prepared and got her to keep them after a


    few bites.


    The sound of a heavy downpour could be heard from outside. All of a sudden, the doorbell rang.


    Seeing that Mrs. Eriksen was still upied in the kitchen, I went to get the door myself. It was Kristina.


    She looked absolutely stunning. At the golden age of twenty years old, she seemed to be able to rock


    anything she wore.


    Nevertheless, she was already very much a fashionista herself. Donning a military green casual top


    matched with a pair of ck high-rise wide pants, she looked youthful but ssy. Her hair and


    essories also looked good.


    ¡°Hi, Ms. Stovall. I¡¯m here to deliver the documents that the president requested!¡± She said as she


    closed her umbre, her charcoal eyes peering behind my shoulder.


    She was obviously looking at Ashton.


    I nodded. ¡°Come on in!¡±


    My brows furrowing, I could not help but wonder why would Ashton get a girl to send him documents on


    such a stormy day.


    Meanwhile, Ashton, who hade out of the study, also frowned upon seeing Kristina. ¡°Why is it you?


    Where¡¯s Joseph?¡± He questioned.


    Kristina chuckled shyly and replied, ¡°Mr. Campbell¡¯s girlfriend fell sick. He¡¯s kind of upied with that


    now, so he got me toe instead.¡±


    She then passed the documents to him.


    Just then, Mrs. Eriksen appeared from the kitchen again with a cup of water in hand, she looked at


    Ashton and said, ¡°Mr. Ashton, Ms. Stovall didn¡¯t eat much just now. I think she¡¯s feeling under the


    weather too. How about you cook her some pumpkin soupter? It¡¯s her favorite!¡±


    I was a little taken aback. Evidently, those words were not meant for Ashton but Kristina.


    There was a slight change to Kristina¡¯s expression at that but otherwise, she still looked normal.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Gosh, Mrs. Eriksen. Thanks, but you might be overthinking this. In the two years that I had been


    together with Ashton, there was something that I sure about, and that was the fact that he still loved


    and felt indebted to Reba.


    However, he was not a yboy who wouldy a finger on just any girl.


    After taking the documents, he gave me a look and nodded. ¡°Sure!¡±


    With her taskpleted, Kristina feltpelled to leave. She gave Ashton a look and promptly made


    her way out.


    As Ashton went upstairs to organize the documents, Mrs. Eriksen pulled me to one side surreptitiously


    and asked, ¡°Hey, Letty. How could you just let some strange woman enter the house like that? Did you


    see it? Her eyes were glued to your man! How are you so calm about it?¡±


    I could not help but smile. ¡°Mrs. Eriksen, it¡¯s not that serious, you know? He¡¯s quite busy with his work.


    Ms. Ludwick is his secretary. She came for work-rted matters.¡±


    Mrs. Eriksen clicked her tongue. ¡°Didn¡¯t seem like it to me. That girl clearly has a crush on Mr. Ashton.


    You¡¯d better watch out!¡±


    Seeing Ashton walking down the stairs, she dropped the banter and went back into the kitchen.


    After sleeping for half a day, my eyes felt swollen and dry, so I decided to wash up again. When I came


    out of the bathroom, I was pleasantly surprised when I saw a bowl of pumpkin soup on the table.


    My eyes darted to the kitchen. Mrs. Eriksen had already returned to her own room. On the other hand, I


    could see Ashton reading a book in the living room.


    Upon seeing me, he said, ¡°Go and have some soup first.¡±


    ¡°You made it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Have a taste,¡± he replied.


    Seeing how it was a question that Mrs. Eriksen brought out of nowhere and the fact that he agreed to it


    so casually, I never would have expected that he would actually prepare the soup for me.


    However, because I wasn¡¯t feeling too hungry, I only had a few spoonful.


    As I nced toward the living room, I was a little swept away by Ashton¡¯s elegant side profile as he


    immersed himself in his book. He looked like a noble warrior basking in the light of dawn in some


    Renaissance paintings.


    He exuded a different type of aura from John. For John, the aura he exuded had always been one that


    was cold and maniptive like that of a vampire. No matter how gentle and caring he would try to act,


    he could never hide his cold-blooded nature.


    ¡°Is my face more appealing than your food?¡± His voice suddenly sounded in my ears.


    Coming back to my senses, I realized that he had already walked into the dining room and was


    standing before me. ¡°When¡­ When did you¡­¡±


    He raised an eyebrow in amusement and said, ¡°I was already here when you were still giving me that


    thirsty look.¡±


    Gosh¡­ This guy is too much!


    Diverting the topic, I said, ¡°There¡¯s too much soup, I can¡¯t finish it.¡±


    He frowned upon looking at the left-over soup.


    ¡°I actually ate a lot just now! Mrs. Eriksen prepared a lot of food for me, and I had half a bowl of this! I¡­


    It¡¯s not like I¡¯m a pig, so¡­¡± My voice trailed off.


    Heughed, ¡°I¡¯m not interested in rearing pigs either!¡± As he spoke, he took the bowl from the table and


    began drinking the soup.


    My eyes widened. I just ate from that! And I used that spoon!


    This¡­ Isn¡¯t this too intimate?


    As I watched him eat, I could feel my face burning up .

 Chapter 148

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 148


    ¡°It¡¯s too early to go to bed now. Let¡¯s go out for a bit.¡± Ashton said before putting down the bowl.


    I nced at the clock and saw that it was eight o¡¯clock. Sure, it¡¯s still quite early, but¡­


    I stood up and said, ¡°But it¡¯s still raining!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll go when the rain stops.¡± He was really stubborn about his ns. After putting the bowl down, he


    dragged me along to sit on the sofa.


    After a brief moment, he said, ¡°I think you should start going for walks and stuff. Pregnant women need


    adequate exercise too, you know? Slow walks thatst for about an hour or two should be sufficient.¡±


    I blinked. Where is he learning all this information from? It was then that I noticed the title of the book


    that he was reading earlier was named ¡±The Shears¡¯ Pregnancy Encyclopedia.¡±


    Huh?


    So that¡¯s the book that he was so immersed in?


    As his gaze fell upon my surprised expression, he coughed and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go out for walks every day


    from now on.¡±


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    I nodded. ¡°What other books did you buy?¡±


    He paused for a moment before replying, ¡°Just the ones that Jared rmended me. And look, the


    rain has stopped. Go and put on something warm.¡±


    ¡°Do I really need to go?¡± I whined.


    He nodded at me, his gaze firm. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you here.¡±


    Gosh. It seems like I won¡¯t be able to refuse him. After getting a jacket upstairs, I left the vi with him.


    The vis were spaced out wide apart in the vi estate to allow for sufficient green space in between.


    After walking a short distance, a familiar sense of lethargy soon crept up my legs. I stopped and turned


    to look at him. ¡°We¡¯ve walked long enough. Let¡¯s go back!¡±


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t even been ten minutes!¡± He dismissed my pleas sternly. ¡°We¡¯re going to walk for at least


    another fifty minutes more!¡±


    The pavement was still wet from the rain, but the air felt warm. One could see the reflections of the


    streetmps lined up along the paths. It was a great ce to have a walk at.


    It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t want to! I¡¯mzy!


    Unfortunately, with him dragging me on, I had no choice but to follow. The two of us stayed rtively


    silent, and all that apanied our walk was the chirping of birds in the surroundings.


    As I walked with my head low, I suddenly asked, ¡°Ashton, have you thought of a name for our kid?¡±


    The baby would be due in just a few months¡¯ time.


    After some thought, he turned to look at me. ¡°How about Sca?¡±


    My Grandma named me Scarlett because the color scarlet symbolized courage, passion, force, and joy


    ¨C qualities she hoped for me to have.


    Locking gazes with Ashton, I said, ¡°Sca¡­ Does that name symbolized a fiery girl like the color


    scarlet?¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°You could say that.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s a girl¡¯s name. What if the baby turns out to be a boy instead?¡± I said. Even after having a few


    pregnancy checkups, it did not cross my mind to check the sex of my baby at all, so I was not sure


    about it myself.


    ¡°Well¡­ If it¡¯s a boy, we¡¯ll think about the name after he¡¯s born.¡± He scoffed, kicking a branch off the


    ground.


    Pouting, I protested, ¡°Ashton! Do you need a lesson on gender equality?¡±


    He pursed his lips as he put his hand around my waist. ¡°That¡¯s just how things are in my family. I can¡¯t


    help it, you know?¡±


    I rolled my eyes.


    After strolling for another twenty minutes, we began on our way back to the vi. However, my legs had


    pretty much turned into jelly at that point. Wanting to give up, I squatted down and whined, ¡°Ashton,


    you should go back by yourself. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll make it.¡±


    He put his hands on his hips as he stared at me. ¡°Gosh. It¡¯s only been thirty minutes so far.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not walking even for a minute longer!¡± I said, cing the umbre on the ground so that I could sit


    down. Urgh. Being pregnant is so hard!


    He sighed, and kneeled down before me. ¡°Come on up then!¡±


    Is he trying to carry me on his back?


    I shook my head, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea. It¡¯ll hurt the kid!¡±


    Wiping the sweat off his forehead, he replied lovingly, ¡°How about a princess hug?¡±


    ¡°Hell yeah!¡± I nodded fervently, grinning from ear to ear.


    However, on second thought, I realized that the distance back to the vi was considerably long and


    hesitated a little. ¡°The road back is quite far. Are you sure that you want to carry me for so long?¡± I


    asked.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you think, you¡¯re wee to stay here.¡±


    Upon hearing that, I instantly got up and wrap my hands around his neck,ughing, ¡°No thanks! Off we


    go then!¡±


    He carried me up and began walking in the direction of the vi. I could not help but ask, ¡°Am I heavy?¡±


    I knew that he was a disciplined man who did workouts regrly. His muscles were defined and strong,


    so I usually would not worry about him having a hard time carrying me.


    But I have a kid in my belly now! so letting him carrying me is making me feel a tad bit guilty¡­


    He eyed me with an amused expression. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Guess that means I am heavy, huh.


    Tensing up, I started squirming around. ¡°I think you should put me down¡­¡± Gosh. Why am I still gaining


    weight when I¡¯m already controlling my caloric intake?


    At that moment, I finally understood why many women would rather not have children. Pregnancy


    meant that maintaining a conventionally skinny body shape would be pretty much impossible.


    He grabbed me tighter and spoke sternly, ¡°Stop it. You¡¯re going to fall at this rate.¡±


    Looking at his serious expression, I stopped moving around. In fact, I got sofortable in his arms


    that I was asleep by the time we arrived at the vi.


    I had no idea how I entered the vi or how I got back to bed.


    The next day.


    When I woke up, Ashton was already gone. As I wandered around, I found many books on pregnancy


    and child-rearing in the study.


    Putting my hands on my belly, a sweet feeling warmed my heart. I felt that the baby gave us all


    something to look forward to in our lives.

 Chapter 149

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 149


    When Mrs. Eriksen found me in the study, I was staring nkly at the bookshelves. ¡°Mr. Ashton went to


    work early this morning. There¡¯s probably something urgent for him to attend to. He cooked you the


    soup that you like again and boiled some eggs. He also reminded me that you need to go for a walk


    after breakfast,¡± she said.


    I nodded with a smile on my face. What a refreshing day!


    As I went to the kitchen after having breakfast, I was startled to see a plethora of fruits which were


    organized in neat boxes. ¡°Wow. Why did we buy so many fruits all of a sudden?¡± I asked Mrs. Eriksen.


    Putting away the mop she was using, Mrs. Eriksen replied, ¡°Mr. Ashton brought back those fruits just


    the night before. He said that someone had sent them to you. They are all the freshest fruits that are in


    season! I¡¯ve washed some and left the rest in the fridge.¡±


    Thinking back to the time when Macy called me, I nodded to myself. These must be from her.


    But the sheer quantity of it is¡­ She¡¯s definitely treating me like a pig!


    With nothing to do that day, I decided that I would pay a visit to thepany. Turning to Mrs. Eriksen, I


    said, ¡°Can you wash them for me? I want to bring them to thepany to share with others!¡±


    I¡¯ll pay Jared a visit while I¡¯m at it. It¡¯s about time I tell him about Macy.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Mrs. Eriksen began preparing the fruits.


    When I tried to help her, she quickly stopped me, saying that pregnant women should not be doing


    housework.


    I sighed inwardly. Everyone is pampering me so much nowadays. Unable to decline her kind gestures,


    I stood by the side and helped with the packing.


    After a while, we finally finished all the preparations.


    As I moved the bags of fruits into the car, I turned to Mrs. Eriksen and told her that I might eat out with


    Ashton for lunch that day.


    With that, I left the vi.


    When I reached Fuller Corporation, I dialed Ashton. To my surprise, he answered the call immediately.


    ¡°Have you had breakfast?¡± His voice sounded crisp and clear.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m actually here at thepany. I brought some fruits. Are you busy? Can you help me with


    them?¡± I said.


    ¡°Is there a lot?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Yeah. I took them all. Macy sent me way too much and I don¡¯t want to waste the fruits.¡±


    ¡°Alright then. Give me a few minutes.¡± He said before hanging up.


    About two minutester, I could see Joseph in his ck suit running toward my car swiftly. ¡°Mr. Fuller¡¯s


    in a meeting. I¡¯ll help you with the bags instead,¡± he said.


    Nodding, I got off the car and opened the trunk.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Upon seeing the mountain of bags, Joseph gave me a look of surprise.


    ¡°My friend sent these to me. I can¡¯t finish them, so can you help me distribute them to the employees


    later? The weather is scorching hot today. I think these would be pretty refreshing,¡± I said, passing him


    the car keys before entering thepany building with a bag of fruits in hand.


    It had been a while since Ist visited thepany, but it felt great to greet some of my acquaintances.


    As soon as I got out of the lift, I came across Kristina in a figure-hugging one-piece with her curls


    cascading down her shoulders. Isn¡¯t it just great to be young?


    It looked like she was on the way to deliver some documents. Noticing my presence, she greeted me


    politely, ¡°Ms. Stovall, are you here to see Mr. Fuller?¡±


    Nodding, I replied, ¡°The weather is too hot today, so I brought him some fruits.¡±


    She smiled back and continued her way into the lift. On the other hand, Isabelle, who was following


    behind me, spoke in my ears, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, don¡¯t you think that it¡¯s risky for a woman like that to be your


    husband¡¯s secretary?¡±


    Isabelle was the manager of the Finance Department, a rtively high rank in thepany. She was a


    well-respected figure with an above-average annual ie, a ssy appearance that people envied,


    and a wealthy husband.


    I could not help but chuckle a little. After making sure that the lift doors had closed, I replied calmly,


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing risky about it, really. She¡¯s only in her twenties. With a bright future of endless


    possibilities, there¡¯s no need for her to waste her youth on a married man.¡±


    Isabelle was still unconvinced. ¡°You need to be even more careful then. If she¡¯s not after his money,


    she¡¯s probably after his heart. That¡¯s even harder to deal with!¡±


    Truth be told, I was aware that Kristina had been looking at Ashton a certain way. However, I had


    be used to such things. It¡¯s not like I can do anything about it.


    Not wanting to be burdened by her gossip, I smiled awkwardly and told Isabelle, ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll go


    ahead now. I shouldn¡¯t interrupt your work.¡±


    Since Ashton was in a meeting, there was no one on the top floor. I decided to wait at Jared¡¯s office


    instead, knowing that he would not mind.


    At first, it seemed like nobody was in his office either.


    However, as I was about to leave, the door swung right open.


    I was greeted by the sight of his weary face. His white shirt looked old and battered, and his face was


    unshaved. Frowning, I entered his office.


    My brows furrowed even deeper upon seeing the wreckage in his office. I asked, ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going


    on? You¡¯re a mess, and so is your office!¡±


    It was rather odd for him to be in such a state. After all, he was a doctor and a clean freak to some


    extent.


    ¡°I was doing some research,¡± was the response he gave me before he hastily made his way back to his


    chair to continue on his work.


    Having no idea what he was talking about, I simply nodded and passed him the fruits. ¡°These are from


    Macy. Do you want to have some?¡±


    He froze. Staring at the fruits on his table with a troubled look, he asked, ¡°Why did she suddenly leave


    J City?¡±

 Chapter 150

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 150


    Judging from the situation, I was certain that he was unaware of Macy¡¯s pregnancy. ¡°How about you tell


    me what happened between you too first?¡±


    ¡°Nothing happened!¡± He sounded irritated. He sighed and resumed his work.


    It seemed that Macy did not tell him about her being pregnant.


    After some hesitation, I decided to tell him about Macy. ¡°Dr. Crest¡­¡±


    Before I could even begin, he eyed my belly and said, ¡°How have you been feeling?¡±


    Knowing that he was referring to the baby, I nodded. ¡°Pretty good!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. It would be best if you take these once a day. Oh, and remember to maintain your


    usual diet patterns.¡± He opened his drawers and took out a box of medicine.


    After handing me the medicine, he returned to his pile of papers without another word, leaving me with


    no appropriate opportunity to talk to him about Macy.


    Well, I guess there¡¯s nothing I can do now.


    After staying silent for a few moments, I could feel that the atmosphere was getting awkward and


    eventually left his office.


    When I arrived at Ashton¡¯s office, Kristina had just poured him a cup of coffee and was organizing his


    desk for him.


    They seem close.


    A voice echoed in my head. If she¡¯s not after money, she¡¯s after his heart! That¡¯s even harder to deal


    with!


    I sighed. But Reba and Kristina are two different people. He wouldn¡¯t possibly¡­


    But if he does falls for Kristina one day¡­


    My head was starting to hurt from all these thoughts. I massaged my temples for a bit before entering


    the office.


    Upon seeing me, Kristina smiled and promptly left.


    Ashton put aside the papers on his desk and pulled me close. ¡°Where did you go just now?¡±


    ¡°I paid Dr. Crest a visit,¡± I replied, my eyes darting around the office. Ashton¡¯s office was really big, and


    Kristina¡¯s workspace was right around the corner outside his. She would be able to see what he was


    doing just by looking up a little.


    Gotta admit that woman got a good spot.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± He asked, stroking my hand.


    I looked back at him and leaned my head on his chest. ¡°I¡¯m thinking about a romance drama called the


    foxy secretary and Mr. Wolf.¡±


    He cracked up. ¡°And how¡¯s it going?¡±


    Pouting a little, I pointed a finger at Kristina¡¯s desk outside his office, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Can you see


    her? The foxy secretary.¡±


    ¡°So, does that mean I¡¯m Mr. Wolf?¡± He said with a grin.


    I nodded and walked toward the sofa. Sitting down, I said, ¡°Mr. Wolf is suave but a yboy, while his


    foxy secretary is young and beautiful. You can pretty much call them a match made in heaven.¡±


    Knock! Knock! Joseph had arrived outside the office after distributing the fruits as I had instructed. Still


    grinning from ear to ear, Ashton said calmly, ¡°Come on in!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, ording to thetest updates from OrbitTech, it seems like they are going to sign an


    acquisition contract with Animus next week!¡± Joseph said, passing over some files to Ashton.


    Ashton nodded and gave Joseph an odd look. Joseph blinked. ¡°Mr. Fuller, is there something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Were you the one who put that there?¡± Ashton asked, gesturing at the workspace right outside his


    office.


    Joseph turned to look and paused for a moment before asking, ¡°Mr. Fuller, are you unhappy with the


    position of Kristina¡¯s workspace?¡±


    Ashton simply gave him a look.


    Upon seeing Joseph turning to look at me, I shrugged and said, ¡°It has nothing to do with me.¡±


    Ashtonughed, ¡°You shall take over Kristina¡¯s job. I¡¯ll arrange for her to work for Joe. I don¡¯t really


    need a female secretary here.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ ¡°


    Though it seemed that Joseph had something to say, Ashton cut him off straightaway and added,


    ¡°Please help me make a reservation for a restaurant nearby.¡±


    Ashton was making it crystal clear that he did not want Joseph to talk too much. Joseph nodded at him


    and made his way out.


    As we watched Joseph leave the office, Ashton turned to me again and asked, ¡°Okay, are there any


    more plot developments that you would like to share?¡±


    Making myselffortable on the sofa, I said, ¡°Well, with the foxy secretary gone, I¡¯ll think about


    another story. This time, it¡¯s called the delicate princess!¡±


    Ashton stared at me and rubbed his temples for a bit. After keeping the documents on his desk, he


    walked toward me and said, ¡°Reba has already left for K City.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Later at noon, because it was summer, J City was in a state of perpetual heat. The weather was so hot


    to the extent that most people would prefer to stay at home. As such, the streets became less crowded,


    and the restaurant that we visited was quite empty.


    While Ashton made the orders, he caught a glimpse of me resting ufortably on my seat and


    asked, ¡°Are you feeling unwell?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°The weather is ungodly!¡±


    Squinting my eyes and smiling at him meekly, I said, ¡°Ashton, you¡¯re feeling the heat too, aren¡¯t you?


    So you¡¯ll understand my urge to have something icy, right?¡±


    Back at the vi, he would always take it upon himself to ensure that I was not consuming anything


    cold, making my cravings even worse.


    ¡°This ce is air-conditioned. I¡¯ve also ordered you some juice. You¡¯ll feel better after drinking that.¡± He


    gestured for the waiter to adjust the temperature of the air conditioner.


    Hearing that, a sh of irritation stirred within me. I red at him and huffed, ¡°I¡¯ve just lost my appetite.


    I¡¯m going home!¡±

 Chapter 151

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 151


    Just as I was about to get up, he grabbed my arm and said sternly, ¡°Joseph will send you back once


    you finish the meal.¡±


    Resting my head on the table, I pouted and stared at Ashton with puppy eyes. ¡°Ashton¡­ Do you see


    me as your pet?¡±


    Raising a brow, he pushed the fruit juice that just got served toward me and said fondly, ¡°Who would


    want such a naughty pet?¡±


    I kept quiet and looked out through the window. As I watched the crowds of people walk by, a sense of


    warmth and satisfaction slowly swelled within my heart.


    How nice is it, to have three meals a day? To have him and the baby. To experience the good times


    and bad times together.


    Maybe I should just focus on this and ignore everything else!


    After having the meal, I could not help but think that Ashton was feeding me like a pig again. If not for


    the phone call he suddenly received, I reckoned he would have fed me till I vomited.


    After ending the call, he turned to me and asked, ¡°Is there anything else you want to eat?¡±


    I shook my head and put my hands on my bloated stomach. ¡°I¡¯m feeling full to bursting!¡± I protested.


    Chuckling, he said, ¡°Joseph wille to pick you up in a bit. I have a meeting at thepany soon.


    Don¡¯t run around too much and rest well at home, okay?¡±


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    I nodded.


    When Joseph finally arrived, I was just about to leave the restaurant. Instead of getting in the car, I told


    him that it was fine to leave me alone and return to the office. ¡°I ate too much. I¡¯m going for a walk,¡± I


    said.


    I knew that he had a lot of work to do aside from these errands, which were probably troublesome for


    him to do.


    After a moment of thought, Joseph nodded and said, ¡°Be careful then.¡±


    Upon seeing him drive off, I heaved a sigh of relief. Oh, sweet freedom! The restaurant was located


    rather far from the vi. My initial n was to go back to thepany and drive my car from there, but I


    felt like taking a walk.


    Eventually, the walk turned into window shopping. In the city center, the streets were filled with high-


    end, luxury brand shops.


    I was suddenly reminded of Ashton¡¯s boring, monotone ck suits and entered a men¡¯s wear shop.


    ¡°Hi, ma¡¯am. Are you here to look for something for your husband?¡± The shop assistant said cheerfully.


    I nodded and began making my way down the aisle. After some time, I finally picked out two sets of


    suits, one in grey and the other in indigo. Though they were not tailor-made like Ashton¡¯s other suits,


    the quality and designs seemed decent. After all, they were still clothes from a luxury brand.


    Seeing that I picked out two expensive suits, the shop assistant raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°Ma¡¯am,


    have you decided on these two?¡±


    I nodded. Suddenly realizing that I have no idea what Ashton¡¯s size was, I quickly made a call.


    The call rang for a long while before someone finally picked up.


    ¡°Hello!¡± It was not Ashton¡¯s voice but a high-pitched female voice.


    I tensed up a little as I talked, ¡°I¡¯m Scarlett. Would you please pass the phone to Ashton?¡±


    ¡°Hi, Ms. Stovall. I¡¯m Kristina. Mr. Fuller is at his meeting right now. You can talk to me, and I¡¯ll pass the


    message to himter.¡±


    At that moment, I felt rather bitter. I knew that Ashton had never let anyone touch his phone before. He


    used to bring his phone along even during meetings and only kept it on silent mode. So why does she


    have it¡­


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Just get him to call me backter.¡± I said and hung up the call.


    Meanwhile, the shop assistant was waiting for me patiently as I made the call. ¡°Ma¡¯am, may I ask what


    size are you getting these suits in?¡±


    ¡°My husband is about six feet tall and weighs around seventy-five kilograms. Please get me an


    appropriate size based on those measurements.¡±


    While Ashton¡¯s suits were always tailor-made, with every detail made-to-measure, I could not


    remember all his measurements, so I gave an estimate.


    After the shop assistant finished packing my items, I simply swiped my card and was about to leave the


    shop.


    Just when I was near the exit, a young couple entered the shop. That girl looks familiar¡­


    Wait¡­ It¡¯s Stacey!


    After Stacey left Fuller Corporation, I was not expecting to see her face again at all.


    She recognized me too and looked a little startled. Stopping to talk to me, she said, ¡°Hi, Ms. Stovall.


    What a coincidence! Are you here to buy clothes too?¡±


    She nced at the bags in my hand.


    I gave her a nod and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m just walking around, doing some casual shopping here and there.


    How have you beentely?¡±


    As I chatted with her, I noticed that her partner was Felix and gave him a slight nod as a greeting.


    Stacey looked much better than thest time I had seen her. It seemed like she was living a normal life


    after leaving Fuller Corporation.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s good. I¡¯m about to get married!¡± She replied and paused, looking a little nervous. ¡°I¡­ I


    heard that you got fired from Fuller Corporation over the matter rted to HiTech. Ms. Stovall,


    regarding that, I didn¡¯t do it on purpose¡­ I never thought that things would turn out this way.¡± She


    continued.


    I chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I have to leave thepany because of my pregnancy anyway.¡±


    I knew too well the part that Stacey and Felix had to y in my departure from thepany, but I


    would rather not stay caught up in past events.


    Looking down at my bloated stomach, she eximed, ¡°It¡¯s really showing, isn¡¯t it? How far along are


    you? Is there anyone here to apany you?¡±


    I shook my head, chatted a little while more, and made my way out.


    The two of them continued with their shopping. Standing outside, I felt my back starting to hurt.

 Chapter 152

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 152


    After leaving the shop, I found myself a ce to sit somewhere on the opposite street. Looking at my


    watch, I realized that it was almost time that Ashton would get off work.


    Maybe I¡¯ll just wait for him, and then we can go home together.


    With that thought in mind, I bought a milk tea from a nearby shop and sat by the street,


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Stacey and Felix emerged from the men¡¯s wear shop after about an hour¡¯s time. I did not go up to them


    again. We were not close friends after all.


    The two of them held hands and seemed to be enjoying each other¡¯spany.


    Stacey left first after receiving a phone call.


    On the other hand, Felix stood there and waited for a while before a ck Maserati stopped by before


    him. I could not help but take a closer look at the car.


    Upon seeing the plump middle-aged man in the car, every muscle in my body seemed to tense up. I


    knew that face.


    He was the man who kidnapped me in the garage.


    Before I knew it, I stood up to follow them. Felix got in the car, said a few words, and left.


    I quickly hailed a taxi on the road and got the driver to tag the Maserati.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, are you sure you want to do this? You¡¯re pregnant! Is that your husband in that Maserati?¡± The


    taxi driver said.


    I waspletely focused on the car in front and simply told him not to lose the car.


    The ck Maserati eventually made its way into a neighborhood in the North District. The taxi driver


    stopped and turned to talk to me. ¡°Only residents can enter the Gold Scale Estate. I won¡¯t be able to


    follow them from here.¡±


    I paid him and got off the taxi.


    I walked to the guard post to see if I could talk my way in but s, it was to no avail.


    I then decided to give Mrs. Ludwick a call. The moment the call was connected, the other woman


    greeted, ¡°Hi, Mrs. Fuller.¡±


    ¡°Hi, Mrs. Ludwick. I¡¯m sorry to bother you at this time. But I have some personal affairs that I need your


    help with. Would you help me?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re too polite. Tell me about it, and I¡¯ll try my best.¡± I could tell from the background noise that


    she was probably at a beauty salon.


    I took a brief look at the estate before me and said, ¡°Well, Ashton and I are nning to move and I


    heard about you living in the Gold Scale Estate. So I was just wondering if you could tell me more


    about the ce. I¡¯m pregnant and can¡¯t really move around checking out the area too much, and


    Ashton¡¯s really busy too.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really? To tell you the truth, the Gold Scale Estate is actually not as good as the Peakville Estate. I


    only bought a vi there for Felix so that he could move out after he gets married. The whole process is


    quite problematic, honestly. If the two youngsters weren¡¯t so keen on getting married this quickly, I


    would have sold the house off!¡±


    Felix¡¯s house? Felix works at AC Credit. Maybe that middle-aged man also works there?


    After some thought, I said, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m nearby the area right now. Can you tell the security guards


    here to let me in? I want to take a look around here.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing! Pass the phone to the security guard, and I¡¯ll talk to them!¡±


    In no time at all, I was able to get into the estate.


    I got the block number of Mrs. Ludwick¡¯s vi from the security guard and I started searching for it.


    Because the vis were built in an urban area, it had a rtively limited area, couple that with the fact


    that there were several other buildings in the vicinity, the people that were living in the Gold Scale


    Estate was quite a substantial amount.


    When I finally found Mrs. Ludwick¡¯s vi, I saw the ck Maserati parked before it.


    I took down the numbers on its license te, took a look around me, and was about to leave.


    To my horror, Felix¡¯s voice sounded from behind. ¡°Hi, Mrs. Fuller. Since you¡¯re here, how about you


    take your time and have a good look inside the vi?¡±


    I turned around stiffly. Felix was standing on the stairs, looking down at me with a cold face.


    My heart sank. shing him an unnatural smile, I replied, ¡°Did Mrs. Ludwick tell you about my visit? It¡¯s


    just a casual visit, really. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be going in.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, how would you know how the vi is if you don¡¯te in? Besides, it¡¯s a little rude to reject


    my invite, isn¡¯t it?¡± Felix narrowed his eyes at me, his gaze looking hostile.


    I fidgeted around, feeling uneasy. ¡°Alright then. Please pardon my intrusion.¡±


    He pursed his lips and ushered me in. ¡°Pleasee right in!¡±


    It was just as Mrs. Ludwick said. The vi was less spacious than I imagined, at only about two


    hundred and five meters square. The middle-aged man was sitting there in the living room.


    Upon seeing me step inside, he gave an unsettling smile and said, ¡°Mrs. Fuller! You have sharp eyes!


    And you¡¯re good at remembering faces too!¡±


    His behavior and words confirmed my suspicions about him.


    As I stared at him, my face turned a little pale. ¡°And you are?¡±


    ¡°You can call me Mr. Tuffin.¡± He seemed to be really calm. Gesturing for me to sit down, he said, ¡°Mrs.


    Fuller, you¡¯ve been tailing us this entire time. What are you trying to do?¡±


    ¡°I have some questions for you, Mr. Tuffin. We are not actually acquainted with each other, are we? I


    was just wondering why would you kidnap me because of a trivial public tender?¡± I asked.


    He made a nasty expression and leaned back against the sofa. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, if you really want to talk,


    how about you stop your voice recording first? Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s rude?¡± He uttered in a displeased


    tone.

 Chapter 153

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 153


    Breaking out in cold sweat, I almost dropped my phone. How did he find out? I hid it in my coat!


    Forcing out a calm front, I took out my phone and switched off the power right in his face. ¡°Can we talk


    now?¡±


    He sat up straight and replied, ¡°Of course!¡±


    ¡°So, Mr. Tuffin, why did you kidnap me for no good reason?¡± Though that incident was kept hidden for a


    few months now, it was something difficult for me to get over without an exnation.


    Mr. Tuffin lit a cigarette and took a few puffs. ¡°About that¡­ I was just acting on someone¡¯s orders for


    the sake of money.¡±


    I remained silent as I listened.


    ¡°AC Credit used to be in charge of Fuller Corporation¡¯s audit. However, Mr. Fuller suddenly chose


    Harrison Credit to do it instead. AC Credit needed to take action, you know? And another thing,


    someone did want you to leave Mr. Fuller. Those are the reasons why I did what I did. I apologize if I


    caused you any trauma, Mrs. Fuller,¡± he continued.


    Iughed bitterly, ¡°You¡¯re making all of it sound so normal and justified, aren¡¯t you? What a joke. From


    what I know, you¡¯re not rted to AC Credit in any way. Are you seriously telling me that you risked


    your life and went through all the trouble of setting me up just for the sake of AC Credit?¡±


    Mr. Tuffin snubbed out his cigarette and smirked, ¡°How are you so sure that AC Credit¡¯s survival is in


    no way rted to me? About your kidnapping, why don¡¯t you go and ask Mr. Quinn instead? I bet he


    has a lot more to say.¡±


    ¡°Joe Quinn?¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°To be honest, threatening you to host the public tender was not a difficult matter, and I


    had thought about all the different ways I could achieve that. However, due to some external factors, I


    had to go for the more unpleasant method. Sorry about that!¡±


    External factors?


    Joe must have been involved because of Reba.


    So, all in all, Reba is the mastermind behind the kidnap?


    After all, the incident did create a crack in my rtionship with Ashton, and I¡­


    After leaving the Gold Scale Estate, I was overwhelmed by nausea. I felt as if I was still trapped in that


    dark space, drowning in the sounds of Ashton and Reba intertwining with each other.


    Since the incident, I had been trying to remove myself from all that agony, but I simply could not


    recover from the trauma no matter what I did.


    Staring nkly into space, I called Jackson.


    ¡°Scarlett, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Jackson, I need to talk to you.¡± I was scared about falling back into the trauma of the past.


    I had kept everything to myself for too long, and it felt like my heart was about to burst.


    ¡°What going on? How are youtely? Are you getting enough sleep?¡± Jackson sounded tired. He had


    probably just gotten off work.


    I inhaled deeply and ced a hand over my chest. I was struggling to breathe. ¡°A lot is going on for me


    right now. Can youe to visit me in J City sometime? I¡¯m pregnant, and I can¡¯t go all the way to find


    you.¡±


    ¡°What the hell? You¡¯re pregnant? Are you married? With whom? Who did you marry?¡± His voice went


    up by an octave.


    I blinked. Gosh, he¡¯s asking too many questions at once. ¡±It¡¯s a long story. When can youe?¡± I


    replied.


    ¡°I¡¯ll definitely go. As for the exact time, I¡¯ll follow you up on it, but can I just say. Scarlett, how can you


    hide all of that from me? Seriously? A pregnancy?¡± He rambled on.


    My head was starting to hurt even more. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. A lot has happened over the past two years. I¡­¡± I


    trailed off weakly.


    From the other end, he sighed and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s talk when I go visit in a few days¡¯ time.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    After ending the call, I still did not feel like going back to the vi. In the end, I called for a taxi and


    headed to Glenwood Apartments.


    Once I arrived, I locked the door, switched my phone off, and curled up in bed. Too much had


    happened that day, and it was taking a toll on me.


    My head was hurting so much that I was falling in and out of sleep the entire time. Bam! All of a


    sudden, loud thumps reverberated in the entire house. It wasing from the door.


    By the time I got out of my bedroom, Ashton had already broken into the apartment and was standing


    at the entrance with a frown on his face.


    ¡°Why did youe here? Why didn¡¯t you answer my calls?¡± He growled.


    I sighed deeply and said, ¡°I turned my phone off. Go fix that door.¡± With that, I turned and trudged back


    to the bedroom.


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    Once I was back in the bedroom, Iy on the bed and stared nkly at the ceiling. I was emotionally


    drained, but I could not fall asleep at all.


    Upon seeing me wide awake in bed, Ashton tugged on my arm and said, ¡°Get up and have some food.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± I really had no appetite at all.


    He furrowed his brows and questioned me, ¡°Why did youe here all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°I came here because I wanted to.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett! I can forgive you and understand you for acting this way, but please tell me why! Don¡¯t make


    me guess, will you?¡± He was starting to get emotional.


    I could tell from his raspy voice that he was extremely tired that day.


    I could not help but feel a little guilty for taking my emotions out on him.


    As I look at him, I felt rather absent-minded. I asked, ¡°Ashton, have you ever felt sorry for Reba¡¯s


    child?¡±

 Chapter 154

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 154


    Surely he must have been upset when the child was suddenly gone just like that, right?


    His brows were pinched into a deep furrow. ¡°This matter is already in the past!¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯m just asking.¡± I nodded, but I couldn¡¯t help wanting to add to that. More words rolled off my


    tongue in a mumble, ¡°I¡¯m just wondering if I ever have a miscarriage, will you feel upset?¡±


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± he raised his voice. My arm was beginning to hurt under his tightened grip. The look on his


    face was gloomy. ¡°Who did you meet today?¡±


    My head was full on throbbing in pain by now. I rested my skull against his chest, devoid of energy to


    say anything else. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. As you said, It¡¯s all in the past.¡±


    The tension in the atmosphere went up a notch while the temperature felt like it had dropped several


    degrees. I knew he was angered. But there was no point in talking about this anymore. I closed my


    eyes as I leaned against him.


    Just then, a buzz sounded, followed by a ringtone that came from his phone. I tried to withdraw myself


    from his embrace at the thought of letting him pick up the call, but before I could, I was pressed tighter


    against his body as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders. With his other arm, he fumbled for his


    phone and made a quick swipe across the screen.


    ¡°What is it?¡± he answered. He had turned on the speaker.


    ¡°Ash, I recently took up the job at my mother¡¯spany in J City. I¡¯ll being over tomorrow. Are you


    free to pick me up at the airport?¡± Reba¡¯s voice echoed from the other end of the call.


    I nuzzled my head and burrowed myself into a morefortable position in his embrace.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got something to do at work tomorrow. I¡¯ll send Joe over to pick you up,¡± Ashton replied tly.


    A brief pause came before her voice sounded through the phone again. There was a hint of


    disappointment in it this time. ¡°Ash¡­ Can¡¯t we even be friends with each other now?¡±


    Ashton took a deep breath and held it for a second. I could tell he was probably feeling uneasy.


    I tilted my head and looked up at him. Seeing that he had no intention of answering the woman¡¯s


    question, I said towards the phone, ¡°He¡¯s apanying me on my pregnancy checkup tomorrow. I


    hope you¡¯ll understand and not put my husband in a tight spot, Ms. Larson.¡±


    The arm around my shoulders exerted a faint squeeze. He let out a helpless sigh and added, ¡°Send


    your flight details to Joe. He¡¯ll be there to pick you up tomorrow.¡±


    At that, he hung up on Reba and rested his chin on my face. My skin burned a little as his stubble


    scrapped against my cheek, but he wouldn¡¯t let me pull away. ¡°Was that a deration of ownership


    over your man?¡± He gazed down upon my wincing face.


    ¡°Can¡¯t I?¡±


    Wriggling myself off as soon as his grip rxed a little, I got up and walked out of the bedroom.


    When I entered the living room, a waft of aroma that came from a bowl of noodles sitting on the dining


    table entered my nose. Ashton had cooked it and it looked delicious.


    As I stared at the home-cooked dish prepared by my husband, he came up from behind and cuddled


    me. ¡°I read a book saying that a pregnant woman shouldn¡¯t eat something too rich, so I didn¡¯t put a lot


    of spices in it. Won¡¯t you give it a try?¡±


    I could only gaze at him nkly in response. I felt like I was living a dream¡­ A dream where Reba


    and I had switched ces.


    Ashton had never been so gentle and caring in the past two years of our marriage.


    It felt as if all the care he had for Reba was transferred onto me. The whole situation was surreal to


    me, and for some reason, I was a tad bit displeased about it.


    He led me towards the table and sat me down. The noodles tasted great, but my heart was burdened


    with too many things at the moment. As such, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to eat more after a few slurps.


    Upon seeing that I was uninterested in the food he made, he frowned. ¡°It doesn¡¯t suit your taste?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No, I¡¯m just not hungry.¡±


    ¡°You should eat a bit more at least,¡± he spoke as he walked to the refrigerator and took out some milk


    for me. ¡°Otherwise your tummy¡¯s going to feel ufortable when you start feeling hungryter


    tonight.¡±


    That whole night, Ashton stayed with me at Glenwood Apartments.


    The next morning.


    I cracked my eyes open in a daze when I felt something shifted beside me. Everything looked hazy, but


    Ashton¡¯s silhouette came into clearer view as I squinted and blinked. He was putting on his clothes.


    Noticing that I was awake, he asked, ¡°Did I wake you up?¡±


    I shook my head sluggishly. My body felt a little too heavy to move. ¡°Are you going to the office?¡± I


    croaked.


    ¡°Mm-hmm,¡± he answered with a nod. ¡°Joseph will deliver your breakfast in a while. Rest up a bit after


    you eat. I¡¯lle back to pick you up for your checkup in the afternoon.¡±


    A soft kissnded on my forehead just as he finished speaking. He pulled his necktie into a perfect knot


    and walked out.


    It felt odd. Ashton treated and cared for me so well these days, yet there seemed to be an invisible


    distance between us.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Soon after breakfast, Macy called. She told me she needed someone to pick her up from the airport as


    she had too many things to lug around.


    Seeing that there was still much time to spare before the checkup at the hospital, I hailed a taxi to


    Fuller Corporation and took my car. By the time I arrived at the airport, Macy¡¯s flight hadn¡¯tnded yet.


    With nothing to do, I parked my car at the basement carpark and went to the lounge to wait for Macy.


    As I scanned my surroundings from my seat, a fine-looking pair entered my view from a distance. It


    didn¡¯t surprise me in the least bit to see Ashton there and the woman beside him. Anyone else


    would¡¯ve thought they were a match made in heaven.


    I fished out my phone and dialed Ashton¡¯s number.


    He answered within a second. ¡°Where are you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m at the airport,¡± his voice rang from the phone as I watched his lips moved from where he stood.


    ¡°Joe has something urgent going on, so I had toe instead.¡±


    For some reason, it felt like a weight was lifted off my chest. Perhaps I was relieved that he didn¡¯t lie to


    me.


    ¡°Look in front of you,¡± I replied. My eyes were glued to him while I waited for him to realize where I was.


    Our eyes soon locked and he frowned slightly. ¡°Why did youe here?¡±


    ¡°Macy¡¯s flight isnding at half-past eleven. I¡¯m here to pick her up.¡± Reba noticed me as well just


    as I spoke while staring in their direction. Needless to say, the surprised look on her face wasn¡¯t a


    pleasant one. I heard her asking, ¡°Should I head over and say hi to Ms. Larson?¡±


    Ashton looked somewhat flustered. ¡°There¡¯s no need to.¡±


    To me, he said, ¡°Just stay where you are. I¡¯lle over soon after this!¡±


    With that, he hung up the call and led Reba out of the lounge.


    I sat alone, watching their backs disappear into the distance. My chest tightened a little. It should¡¯ve


    been normal for Ashton toe since Joe was busy, right? So why does it hurt to see them together?

 Chapter 155

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 155


    Ashton was just picking her up at the airport, and it¡¯s not like I never knew that he still cared about her


    all along. So why am I upset about this?


    Ten minutes had passed.


    Ashton appeared again in the lounge and jogged over to where I was. He sat down next to me and


    tugged on my arm. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much into it. Something happened this morning so Joe couldn¡¯t


    make it.¡±


    I nodded and forced a smile. ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin.¡±


    Indeed, there was no need to make a fuss over something like this. I was probably being a tad bit


    sensitive these days.


    Macy showed up after a while, dragging a huge suitcase with her. She was stunned for a second at the


    sight of Ashton together with me. ¡°What¡¯s this¡­ Are you both here to unt your love with your show of


    PDA?¡±


    I simply shed her a smile in response. Ashton took over her luggage as we walked. Clinging onto my


    arm, Macy patted my belly. ¡°It¡¯s gotten bigger. It¡¯s almost six months already, huh?¡±


    Hearing that, I nced at her slightly bulging belly. Because she was wearing loose-fitting clothes, I


    wouldn¡¯t be able to tell that she had a baby growing inside her belly as well if I hadn¡¯t known


    beforehand that she was pregnant.


    I smiled and asked, ¡°Why did youe back all of a sudden?¡± I had thought that Macy was going to


    stay in her hometown until the baby was born.


    ¡°Well¡­ Jackson¡¯sing to J City too, right? It¡¯s been a long time since Ist saw him. I¡¯m starting to


    miss him a little,¡± she said. Herplexion looked good that day.


    She nced at Ashton who had been walking in front of us before whispering in my ear, ¡°I¡¯m assuming


    things are better between you and him now?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°Who knows. Reba just returned today as well.¡±


    ¡°What!¡± Macy frowned in frustration. ¡°That woman is such a pain! Hasn¡¯t she already found her ce in


    K City as a nobledy of the Moore family? Why does she feel the need toe back and cause


    trouble again?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s probably nning to take over Cameron¡¯s job.¡± Now that Reba had returned, I had no idea


    how things would unfold in the future. All I was aware of was the unsettling feeling that had settled in


    my heart.


    Macy pursed her lips before saying, ¡°I swear, it¡¯s almost like this woman¡¯s haunting you with the way


    she keeps showing up!¡±


    Any topic rted to that woman was a mood-killer. As such, I tried to change the topic. ¡°Did Jackson


    say anything about when he¡¯s arriving?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°Nope!¡±


    We soon arrived at the carpark. I looked at Ashton while he loaded Macy¡¯s luggage onto the trunk.


    ¡°Has Ms. Larson gone home?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Joseph sent her back. Come on, let¡¯s go.¡±


    The engine roared as the three of us entered the car.


    ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± Ashton asked.


    It was twelve noon, just about the right time for lunch.


    ¡°Anything¡¯s fine.¡± I nced back at Macy who was slumped against the backrest on the passenger


    seat. She must have been exhausted after hours of flight.


    Ashton nodded as we drove into town. He parked in front of a nearby Italian restaurant and looked at


    me. ¡°How about Italian food then?¡±


    I turned towards Macy. ¡°Is that okay with you?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Of course!¡±


    As soon as we got off the car, Macy came close and whispered next to my ear again, ¡°How has Ashton


    been to you these days?¡±


    ¡°Okay, I guess.¡±


    She rolled her eyes and smacked her forehead. ¡°Why do I feel like you both seem like an old couple


    who¡¯s been together for ages¡­¡±


    I was at a loss for words. ¡°Why is that?¡±


    She smirked. ¡°The love between you two seemed more like familial love rather than a romantic one!¡±


    My mind went nk for a short while. Familial love? I didn¡¯t see thating.


    Everything after that happened quickly. We sat down and decided on our orders soon after we entered


    the restaurant. Within minutes, the dishes were all served.


    Ashton had ordered a bowl of tomato soup specifically for me, on the reason that a pregnant woman


    shouldn¡¯t eat anything that was too heavy. It would be too greasy, he said.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Probably because soups and water-rich foods had been my constant diet these days. After a mere few


    mouthfuls, I handed it over to Ashton so that he could finish it for me. I managed to take a few bites of


    grilled salmon before my stomach called it quits.


    Macy didn¡¯t seem to have much appetite either. She nced at me and Ashton every once in a while


    as we ate, looking perplexed at how we interacted with one another.


    After lunch, we dropped Macy off at Glenwood Apartments and headed to the hospital.


    The obstetrics department was unusually crowded. I was lucky to have made a prior appointment so I


    could skip the long queue. Nheless, there were various examinations to go through and Ashton


    had to wait outside.


    The doctor gave me a few hesitating looks while she did an ultrasound. She seemed to be troubled


    about what to say, which made me wondered if there was something wrong with the child.


    ¡°Doctor, is there a problem with the baby?¡±


    She nodded lightly. ¡°The fetus¡¯ heartbeat seems very weak. Normally, it should have stabilized at


    twenty-four weeks old. The child could be underdeveloped¡­¡±


    After a brief pause, she continued, ¡°Ms. Stovall, you must try your best at maintaining a positive


    emotional state and regr sleep cycle. These things are among the most basic factors which can


    directly affect a fetus¡¯ development.¡±


    I nodded. What the doctor said was information that I¡¯d known. Otherwise, why would I have asked


    Jackson toe to J City?


    After the checkup, I sat in the hallway and stared nkly. Ashton began asking the doctor questions as


    she came out, and then gestured her aside to talk.


    Their conversation went on for a while. I had no idea what the doctor told him, but his expression


    wasn¡¯t very happy when we left the hospital. His brows were scrunched up in a frown the whole time.


    ¡°Scarlett, are you hiding anything from me?¡±


    ¡°What did the doctor tell you?¡± I smiled. ¡°Did she say the child isn¡¯t yours?¡±


    ¡°Stop messing around!¡± He looked helpless yet concerned. ¡°If there¡¯s anything on your mind, please tell


    me!¡±


    We continued walking towards the carpark. ¡°I don¡¯t like it when you meet with Reba. I wish that you


    won¡¯t even look at her or speak one word to her¡­¡±


    I looked up at him and added, ¡°Is that okay with you?¡±


    He stopped in his tracks and raised his eyebrows in a somewhat delightful manner. ¡°Are you going for


    an imparity use?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t going to back down in any way. I nodded and shot him a firm re. ¡°Every time you meet with


    Reba or speak to her, we shall live separately for a week. If you can¡¯t do that, we¡¯ll get a divorce.¡±

 Chapter 156

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 156


    The amusement look on his face disappeared as his brows pinched together in a deep frown again.


    ¡°Scarlett, is divorce such a trivial thing to you?¡±


    I lowered my gaze. Trivial? Nothing could ever be trivial when it has something to do with Reba.


    He pulled me into the car and started the engine.


    The entire journey was silent. Nobody said a word.


    When we pulled up in front of the vi, his phone rang. I remained in my seat and simply looked at him.


    As he nced at the ID shing on his phone screen, his brows knitted tightly together.


    ¡°We¡¯re home. Rest up and don¡¯t think too much.¡± With a flick of his fingertip, he swiped across the


    screen and hung up the call. He looked at me, and there was a glint of gentleness in his eyes. ¡°There


    was nothing between me and her from the start, and there will be nothing still in the future.¡±


    I pursed my lips and stared back at him, noticing the subtle flicker of conflict in his eyes. How could


    there be nothing when he had cared for her so much back then?


    He pulled me into his embrace. ¡°Stop thinking about it. You are my wife and the person I will spend the


    rest of my life with.¡± The way he was patting my back feltforting, but I couldn¡¯t help noticing the


    slight hint of helplessness in his voice.


    He carried me into the bedroom and gave me a peck on my forehead. ¡°I need to head back to the office


    now. I¡¯ll try toe home a bit earlier tonight.¡±


    I pursed my lips at the thought of him leaving so abruptly. ¡°You¡¯re going to see her, aren¡¯t you?¡± I


    tugged at his shirt.


    He let out a chuckle. ¡°Do you think your husband has nothing better to do and has so much time to


    spare?¡±


    I gave up questioning him. ¡°Fine, leave then,¡± I said as I turned toward the window and retracted my


    hand.


    Even if he really is going to see her, it would be pointless to demand an answer from him if he wanted


    to hide it from me.


    With a faint sigh, he walked out and left the house.


    It was an exhausting day. Before long, my consciousness faded into darkness as I drifted off to sleep.


    The doctor¡¯s words about how my emotions would affect the child still rang clearly in my head. I stayed


    in the vi for the next few days, spending most of the time reading a book and going for asional


    walks outside.


    Ashton would apany me on my walks almost every day for an hour. He would carry me if I ended


    up too tired to walk back into the house.


    My emotions had been on a roller coaster ride. Thankfully, he was tolerant whenever I lost it and yelled


    at him.


    It eventually bored me out, so I gave up yelling after a couple of times.


    We had agreed to go out for another walk on the weekend.


    But when the morning came, my entire body felt so heavy that I decided to sleep in instead. As such,


    Ashton had no choice but to stay home with me.


    Mrs. Eriksen had left earlier with a fully loaded baggage. She had wanted to pay a visit back to her


    hometown that day.


    I was drifting in between hazy dreams when the doorbell¡¯s incessant buzzing dragged my mind back


    into reality. Ashton got off the bed and pulled me up. ¡°You should get ready and eat something soon.


    Let¡¯s go for a walk after this,¡± he said and left to open the door.


    It was already noon. A growl of hunger came from my empty stomach.


    I dragged my feet into the bathroom, leaving the unknown guest to Ashton.


    I couldn¡¯t remember how long it took for me to clean up and get ready for the day. But my mind was


    fully awakened when a series of wails and screams greeted my ears as I stepped out of the bedroom.


    My eyes traced downstairs toward the source of themotion.


    It was Reba. Dressed in a long white dress with her hair tied up in a loose bun, she looked almost


    like a young teenage girl.


    Her ruined makeup had stained her tear-stricken face. What could Ashton have said to her that made


    her bawl her eyes out like this?


    Should I even get myself involved in this? I hesitated for a second on the stairs and was about to walk


    back up toward the bedroom when Ashton suddenly called out to me.


    ¡°If you¡¯re done washing up,e down and have some food!¡±


    I peeked downstairs. Ashton was looking up at me with an indifferent expression, while Reba


    shifted her resentful re onto me with her red, swollen eyes.


    There was no turning back and hiding my presence. With an inaudible sigh, I proceeded downstairs


    and into the dining hall as softly as I could.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    I could hear Reba¡¯s voice from the living room. There was no doubt she raised her volume on


    purpose. ¡°Scarlett is just an orphan with nothing to offer you! How can she possibly help you with Fuller


    Corporation¡¯s future expansion? On the other hand, I have everything that you need! My mother and


    the Moore family, all these resources could be yours and they¡¯ll be useful for your family business.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t wrong. Regardless of how excellent a person was, financial resources and influential


    connections would always be a crucial stepping stone toward sess.


    Abination of Cameron Anderson and Zachary Moore would be an almost perfect deal.


    As I sat in the dining room sipping on my soup, my appetite gradually faded because the soup was too


    sweet for me. Just then, Ashton¡¯s voice echoed, ¡°Reba, if I¡¯m the kind of person that would leave


    my family behind for the things you offer me, that just means that I will leave you behind one day when


    there¡¯s a better offer from someone else.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter even if you leave me one day!¡± Reba sobbed. ¡°I love you. I¡¯m willing to let you go


    then if something better reallyes your way!¡±


    Ashton maintained his volume, but there was a mild hint of anger. ¡°But it matters to me. I won¡¯t simply


    leave a person for another. I will only marry one woman throughout my life, and Scarlett is the one I¡¯ve


    chosen.¡±


    ¡°But you don¡¯t even love her!¡± she shrieked. ¡°A marriage that wasn¡¯t founded on love won¡¯t work out in


    the end! You and your child are going to suffer if you stay on in this rtionship!¡±


    ¡°Reba, listen to me.¡± Ashton¡¯s tone became colder. ¡°This marriage is mine, it¡¯s up to me and Scarlett


    to handle it. I don¡¯t need anyone to intervene. The only reason I took care of you was because your


    brother had entrusted you to me, hoping that you¡¯d carry on and live a proper life. Right now, you¡¯ve


    already found your parents who love and care for you, while I have my own family to take care of.¡±


    He paused for a split second and added, ¡°I need you to behave yourself and not hurt my family in any


    way. If you¡¯re unable to do that, then I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s no need for us to see each other anymore.¡±


    ¡°No need to see each other anymore, you said?¡± she whimpered, her faltering voice mixed with


    surprise and disbelief. ¡°Ash¡­ Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve actually fallen in love with her?¡±


    My jaw nearly dropped at that. Reba¡¯s question was surprising, but the way Ashton talked to her


    that day was even more shocking. He had always been an honest and straightforward man. As such, I


    could tell that his attitude toward her really have changed.

 Chapter 157

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 157


    I almost choke on my soup when I heard Ashton answering her, ¡°Yes!¡±


    He fell in love with me? I must have heard it wrongly¡­


    Reba continued at the top of her voice, ¡°That¡¯s impossible! What you feel toward her is nothing but


    a sense of guilt and responsibility, not love! She¡¯s been by your side for two years after all, not to


    mention she¡¯s pregnant with your child now¡­¡±


    Ashton was never a smooth talker, so when he saw that Reba was throwing her tantrum, he uttered


    tly, ¡°That¡¯s enough, Reba. Go back with Joe!¡±


    He had probably kept his voice low the whole time to avoid disturbing me as much as possible. Soon,


    the doorbell rang again, and there came Joe.


    Reba wailed and iled about as Joe dragged her out of the vi.


    As soon as everything quietened down, Ashton came into the dining hall. I was almost done eating by


    then. He looked at me with tired eyes as he pinched his brows. ¡°How¡¯s breakfast?¡±


    The food wasn¡¯t bad, so I nodded. ¡°Did you not sleep wellst night?¡±


    Smiling wearily, he sat beside me and pulled me into his embrace. His chin rested upon my shoulder.


    ¡°Do you have any ns for the evening?¡±


    I paused a little before answering him, ¡°I might be going out for a bit. I haven¡¯t managed to spend time


    with Macy these few days ever since she came back. I¡¯m thinking I should pay her a visit.¡±


    I knew that Jackson should have arrived in J City by now. But there was no need to tell Ashton about


    this yet. It¡¯s not like I was having a fatal illness anyway.


    ¡°Okay,¡± he murmured, looking somewhat upset. ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll have to be home alone today.¡±


    I reached out and grabbed onto his hand. ¡°Ashton¡­¡± I slowly looked up. ¡°Whatever you said to


    Reba just now, are they for real?¡±


    When his gaze met mine, I could see my own image reflecting off his clear eyes vividly. ¡°Have I ever


    lied to you?¡±


    ¡°Okay then. Let¡¯s get along properly from this day onward!¡± Whether love truly existed between us or


    not, nothing weighed more in a marriage than a man¡¯s responsibility.


    I wasn¡¯t exactly sure about how Ashton felt toward me, but I was certain that he would be responsible


    toward me and our child. He wasn¡¯t one to give up on things so easily.


    And that alone was good enough for me.


    We spent the next few moments chilling in the living room before I left. It surely felt like there was less


    space in the car as my belly grew bigger, though it still hadn¡¯t affected my driving.


    Traveling to the airport straight from the vi gave me just enough time to arrive at three o¡¯clock, which


    was the scheduled arrival of Jackson¡¯s flight.


    At the arrival hall, the man who came into view looked like a different person. I froze for a


    millisecond. How did he suddenly grow so much taller from a previous height of one hundred and


    seventy centimeters?


    The twenty-something young man was dressed fashionably. Amidst the summer heat, he donned a pair


    of knee-length grey shorts with a blue checkered shirt that had been trendingtely. His shades were


    positioned perfectly above his sharp nose bridge. He strode with confidence while his moderate-length


    hair swayed with the wind, looking like a stylish model on a runway.


    ¡°Hello there, Babe! It¡¯s been a while.¡± Before I could react, my body was crushed beneath the embrace


    of this man who now spanned a height of around a hundred eighty centimeters.


    ¡°Long time no see! How did you shoot up so much?¡± As we parted, the close-up view of him was even


    more impressive. Time really flew by quickly¡­ The Jackson I had known back then didn¡¯t even look so


    charming!


    His appearance had changed so much. With how he styled himself up now, I would say he could easily


    be on par with celebrities.


    He pinched my cheeks teasingly and grinned. ¡°I¡¯m what they called ate bloomer. Who knows? I might


    still continue to get taller after this growth spurt!¡±


    It was almost unbelievable that I had to look up at him while talking. I pursed my lips. ¡°You¡¯re going to


    get ssified as a giant if you get any taller than this!¡±


    Soon, we got onto the car and he nced around. ¡°Why isn¡¯t Macy here to greet me? Don¡¯t tell me she


    already went looking for another man!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but let out augh. This guy was still as cheeky as ever. ¡°You¡¯ll get to see her in a


    moment! She went ahead of us to the restaurant to book a table.¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°That could¡¯ve been settled with just a phone call!¡± he groaned while securing his seatbelt. The corner


    of his eye twitched slightly as his gaze fell upon my belly. ¡°Should I drive the car instead?¡±


    I lifted an eyebrow. ¡°Do you even know the way?¡±


    He shook his head nonchntly. ¡°Nope!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate then,¡± I teased back as I turned the key in the ignition. ¡°I¡¯ve booked a four-star hotel


    for you. So just enjoy yourself to the fullest in J City for the next few days!¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to stay in a hotel,¡± he grumbled. ¡°Aren¡¯t you married to a rich guy? Macy said your


    husband¡¯s the CEO of a listedpany. I¡¯m sure your house is as big as a five-hundred-square-meters


    vi!¡±


    With a smirk, I shot a nce at this busybody. ¡°My husband is somebody you know. In fact, you¡¯ve


    even written an article to criticize him back then.¡±


    His eyes widened at the revtion. ¡°Ashton Fuller?¡±


    I smiled and nodded. The memory of when we were still in college started to y in my mind. Back


    then, Ashton had just inherited Fuller Corporation. As a twenty-eight-year-old at that time, he was


    deemed by many to be too young to take over the management of such arge-scale conglomerate.


    Moreover, Ashton had immediately expanded thepany¡¯s portfolio soon after he assumed the role


    of its leader. As such, he had be a sensation within the corporate world. Many students in J City


    University were discussing about him on online forums and praising this nouveau corporate leader for


    his extraordinary wisdom and talent.


    Jackson, on the other hand, had published an analysis on how Fuller Corporation would eventually


    meet its demise in the hands of Ashton. He had even listed ten reasons in that article.


    In the end, the article made the headlines of J City¡¯s news at one point in time.


    It was said that the Fullers had approached Jackson in private as the news circted widely. Nobody


    knew what happened behind the scenes, but Jackson eventually published an apology letter on the


    inte shortly after.

 Chapter 158

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 158


    His body was limp in the passenger seat as he said weakly, ¡°What kind of ill fate is this? I couldn¡¯t even


    run from it!¡±


    I broke intoughter. ¡°There are empty rooms in my house. If you don¡¯t like to stay at hotels, you can


    come and stay at my house.¡±


    ¡°Hang on,¡± he said while shaking his head. ¡°I still want to live for a few more years. I¡¯ll think of


    something.¡±


    We talked about what had happened over these years on our way. He then furrowed his brows and


    said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you want to tell Ashton about your kidnapping? It¡¯ll be much easier if you ask him to


    investigatepared to when you do it yourself.¡±


    There wasn¡¯t anything I had to hide since it was about treating an illness. ¡°Ashton and Reba¡¯s


    rtionship still confuses me sometimes. If she¡¯s really the one behind this, I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯ll just be


    digging a grave for myself. I might as well just investigate on my own as a precaution.¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Feeling frustrated, he said, ¡°How did you be so miserable after getting married? I don¡¯t


    see any good in your luxurious life at all.¡±


    It really wasn¡¯t.


    Not long after that, we arrived at the restaurant.


    After parking the car, we got down and entered the restaurant. Macy had arrived earlier and found us a


    table. Upon seeing us, she waved her hand and called out, ¡°Here! I¡¯m here.¡±


    Jackson shed a smile before saying, ¡°Babe! I¡¯m here!¡± His words caught the attention of many of the


    customers.


    The man was good-looking and he was wearing sunsses. He looked just like a celebrity in the


    restaurant.


    A few women were discussing among themselves. ¡°He¡¯s so good-looking. Is he a celebrity?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. He¡¯s either a celebrity or a model. But the woman beside him is pregnant so he¡¯s


    probably a married man.¡±


    ¡°That might be it. As expected, all the good men are always taken.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s such a pity.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Once I sat down, Jackson nudged me and said while looking at Macy and me, ¡°Did you hear that? It¡¯s


    not embarrassing toe out with me, right?¡±


    Macy pursed her lips and rolled her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t be such a narcissist. It¡¯s like walking a monkey around


    with everyone watching us. So troublesome!¡±


    ¡°Tsk.¡± Her words made him unhappy. ¡°We haven¡¯t met in a few years. Don¡¯t you have anything nicer to


    say?¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± I said. ¡°Both of you quarrelsome people just have to fight even when we¡¯re out to eat,


    don¡¯t you?¡±


    Both of them red at each other but said nothing after that.


    They had always argued with each other since the moment they met. This was how some people got


    along. After all, there were so many different kinds of people in this world.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Jackson stared at the entrance in confusion in the middle of our meal.


    Macy took one look at him and said nkly, ¡°What is it, monkey? Did you see one of your own kind?¡±


    ¡°Shut up if you¡¯ve nothing nice to say,¡± he huffed. Then, he added while ncing at the entrance, ¡°I saw


    someone I know.¡±


    Feeling curious, I turned to look. It was indeed someone he knew, Nick Harrison. And there was a


    woman beside him.


    It was the woman from thest time.


    I turned back to Jackson and couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously, ¡°Do you know him?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Not only do I know him. Back then, I almost¡­¡±


    He stopped talking halfway as he stared at the woman beside Nick. ¡°Why does she keep tailing him like


    that?¡±


    ¡°That has nothing to do with you. Just focus on your food, will you?¡± Macy said as she took a piece of


    meat and put it in his bowl.


    Jackson turned back to the table and said unappreciatively, ¡°I don¡¯t eat meat.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re acting like a woman, Jackson. Are you gay?¡± Macy loved to irritate people whenever she was


    bored.


    He became livid upon hearing her words but only hissed after hesitating for a moment, ¡°You are saying


    I¡¯m gay just because I don¡¯t eat meat? So are monks gay then?¡±


    Both of them continued with their childish bickers while I turned back to look at Nick.


    I noticed that he and the woman had already gotten into their seats. There was quite some distance


    between our tables so they couldn¡¯t really see us.


    After our meal, Jackson tugged on both Macy and my arms while he said, ¡°We should go have some


    fun tonight. I finally came back after such a long time, you two wouldn¡¯t just leave me in the hotel and


    rot there, would you?¡±


    She became speechless at that. ¡°What do you mean have fun? Don¡¯t you see that we¡¯re both


    pregnant? Dragging two pregnant women out with you¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh damn! Two pregnant women? Since when did you get pregnant, Macy? Who¡¯s the baby¡¯s father?¡±


    Jackson¡¯s voice was quite loud since he was a bit excited.


    It attracted the attention of those sitting by the neighboring table. I quickly hinted at him to lower his


    voice and said, ¡°I¡¯m pregnant which means she is also pregnant. We¡¯re both pregnant. You know how


    we¡¯re like conjoined twins. Don¡¯t think too much about it.¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    The thing was Macy didn¡¯t want to let anyone know.


    She heaved a sigh of relief when she heard what I said. Then, she said to Jackson, ¡°It¡¯s such a shame


    if you don¡¯t be an editor with a brain like yours.¡±


    ¡°What the f**k!¡± he cried. ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s not using your brain when talking, alright?¡±


    The sky was getting dark by the time we exited the restaurant. My phone was running out of battery but


    Jackson kept tugging on my arms as he said in a babyish voice, ¡°Come on, you girls. Please, can we


    just go have some fun for a little while before we go back?¡±


    Macy was dumbfounded. ¡°Gosh, stop dilly-dallying. Scarlett is pregnant now! How is she supposed to


    go partying with you?¡±


    He smacked his lips in response. ¡°Is there a rule which says that pregnant women can¡¯t party? It¡¯ll be


    fine if she doesn¡¯t drink. Besides, there are some things that she has to talk about now that I¡¯m here.


    It¡¯s going to harm the baby if she keeps everything in her heart and not talk it out.¡±

 Chapter 159

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 159


    Macy froze for a moment before looking at me. ¡°How about we go and chat for a bit?¡±


    I nodded and put my phone back into my pocket. ¡°I don¡¯t think bars or karaoke clubs are suitable. The


    smell of tobo and alcohol is too strong. Let¡¯s go to a caf¨¦.¡±


    ¡°No way. What kind of caf¨¦ opens sote at night? Let¡¯s just go to the hotel I¡¯m staying at.¡± Jackson


    said. With that said, he dragged us into the car and added, ¡°There were times when three of us used to


    sleep in the same bed back then. What¡¯s there to be embarrassed about?¡±


    Macy shrugged as she didn¡¯t think there was anything wrong with it.


    Well, it was true. We didn¡¯t have money during our college days. Whenever we went out on a vacation,


    we¡¯d try to save money by cramming in the same room. Three of us had been friends for such a long


    time that Macy and I see Jackson as a friend and nothing more than that.


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    He started driving after turning on the navigator and he kept on chattering throughout the way there.


    Macy found him annoying and didn¡¯t bother with him anymore. She closed her eyes and slept but I


    listened quietly. He took a nce at me and said, ¡°The most obvious symptoms of depression are


    feeling dejected, and those who have it wouldn¡¯t sleep when it¡¯s time to sleep and vice versa. They¡¯d


    feel indifferent most of the time and wouldn¡¯t be interested in anything¡­¡±


    I started to feel frustrated as he continued to talk so I changed the topic, ¡°Have you settled down in M


    Country? Are you nning on a long-term career development there?¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡± His hands remained on the steering wheel when we stopped at a traffic light. ¡°I¡¯ve


    finished my studies on psychology and I¡¯m preparing to return to K City. I n to open up a clinic and


    live there.¡±


    I knew that K City was Jackson¡¯s hometown. After pausing for a moment, I asked, ¡°Are you nning to


    stay now that you¡¯re back?¡±


    He shook his head and replied, ¡°I still have to get back to M Country after I know what has happened to


    you. There are still some things I have to settle there.¡±


    He stopped the car once we arrived at the hotel and tossed the car keys to the valet. By then, Macy


    had already woken up and she got down from the car, saying, ¡°Why don¡¯t you just open up a clinic here


    at J City? It¡¯ll be much convenient for us too.¡±


    Jackson chuckled as he nced at her. ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong with you? Is there something wrong with


    you emotionally or mentally too?¡±


    She rolled her eyes but said nothing else afterwards.


    He had reserved the room beforehand so after registering, we went up to the room together.


    Once in the room, Jackson said listlessly, ¡°I hate staying in hotels. It¡¯s so boring and lonely.¡±


    I took a nce at my phone and realized it had already turned off on its own. Macy seemed to be


    exhausted and had already fallen asleep on the couch.


    ¡°Since when did you notice that there¡¯s something wrong with your emotions?¡± Jackson asked.


    ¡°Half a year ago,¡± I answered, feeling a little unsettled. ¡°I would feel down very easily and do some very


    extreme things that would hurt myself or my child.¡±


    It rarely happened and I would only lose control asionally.


    He pinched his nose bridge and said, ¡°You know how you were five years ago, Scarlett. That¡¯s why you


    gotta take this seriously. Otherwise, it would be dangerous for you and your child once you break


    down.¡±


    How could I not know? Finding out about Grandma¡¯s sickness and watching Macy¡¯s parents die with


    my own eyes had a great impact on me.


    When Grandma passed away, I wouldn¡¯t have made it through if it weren¡¯t for George.


    He then sighed and said, ¡°Luckily I learned quite a lot while studying overseas. I won¡¯t let you go to the


    extremes like what happened years ago.¡±


    I nodded. It was almost 9 p.m. and Macy was already sound asleep.


    So I asked quietly, ¡°Is there something on your mind?¡±


    He looked normal since the moment I saw him, but the disappointment in his eyes was so obvious. I


    could still see it even if he tried to hide it by acting like he was okay.


    He froze for a moment before smiling at me. ¡°Your eyes are still as sharp as always.¡±


    As he spoke, he got up and dialed the number for the reception to order two bottles of wine. Then he


    said, ¡°Both of you can¡¯t drink, so you can only watch me drink. I¡¯m not in a great mood. Once you guys


    leave, I¡¯ll be able to sleep after having some drinks.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but frown at his words. ¡°Does it have something to do with rtionships? Or is it


    something else?¡±


    From what I recall, he was rarely troubled by love. But as for his family, I hardly ever hear him talk


    about them even though we had known each other for so long.


    I didn¡¯t know how to console him if I didn¡¯t know the reason he was being like this.


    Heyzily on the couch and nced at Macy who was sprawled on the other side. He avoided my


    question and asked, ¡°The child in her belly, who does it belong to?¡±


    Um.


    His question took me by surprise. ¡°You- You noticed?¡±


    Jackson rolled his eyes at me before saying indifferently, ¡°Even though we haven¡¯t seen each other in a


    long time, I¡¯m not blind. She used to be someone who wouldn¡¯t grow no matter how much she ate. But


    now she looks like she¡¯s put on some weight. Not only that, but she also seems more gluttonous,


    lethargic and she¡¯d been subconsciously rubbing her belly from time to time. What else would she be if


    not pregnant?¡±


    Alright, then.


    It wasn¡¯t my ce to tell him anything so I said, ¡°You should ask her the next time. Tell me about your


    thing instead. It¡¯ll be meaningless if you don¡¯t talk about anything after dragging us here.¡±


    Just then, the doorbell rang and he got up to answer it. It was the waiter delivering his wine.


    After he took the wine and closed the door, he said, ¡°It¡¯s not anything serious. I just think that it¡¯s quite


    lonely even though I¡¯ve lived for more than twenty years. Coming to think of it, I actually have nothing.¡±


    I was rendered speechless at that. As I watched him open up a bottle of wine, I started drinking too.

 Chapter 160

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 160


    Both of us took a few sips before I said, ¡°You should build your career here in J City if you have the


    chance. Everyone¡¯s here so someone could take care of you in the future.¡±


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    No matter how many people came and went into a person¡¯s life, there would only be a few friends who


    would stay by their side. If they were separated for too long, then the bond would be gone forever.


    He gulped down the rest of it and it was obvious that he was only doing it because of his bad mood.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see in the future. I¡¯m quite envious of your friendship with Macy. Both of you wouldn¡¯t separate


    no matter what. Even though you have no family now, both of you still have someone loyal by your


    sides.¡±


    Macy and I weren¡¯t just simple friends anymore. We were each other¡¯s only family now.


    The wine we were drinking was quite strong so I stopped after taking a few sips. I started to get worried


    when Jackson finished a whole bottle after a while. ¡°That¡¯s enough! This wine is strong.¡±


    His cheeks were tinted red, seemingly tipsy already. He then reached out to open up the other bottle.


    However, his voice was still clear when he said, ¡°It¡¯ll be fine as long as it doesn¡¯t kill me. I doubt there


    would be anyone who cares if I die anyway!¡±


    With that said, he started to gulp down the wine. His eyes reddened as he spoke, ¡°Humans are


    ridiculous beings. They¡¯d throw insults and humiliate you when they don¡¯t need you. Yet, when you¡¯re of


    use to them, they¡¯de and beg like a pathetic dog. How ridiculous is that?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t understand what he was saying and could only listen silently as I didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Macy, however, had already woken up and she said while lying on the couch, ¡°Did your family in K City


    ask you to go back?¡±


    Her words were obviously directed at Jackson. He narrowed his reddened eyes and nodded. ¡°They¡¯re


    all a family of greedy and ruthless monsters. They forced my mom to death and now they want me to


    cure that sick bastard. What a joke!¡±


    I still couldn¡¯t understand what he was saying so I looked at Macy for help. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    She took a sip of water and held onto her forehead. ¡°Jackson is the illegitimate son of a rich


    businessman in K City. Five years ago, his mother brought him to K City and begged the Kanes to


    ept him into the family. However, they refused and chased them out. Judging by his words earlier, it


    seems like the Kanes are ready to ept him now.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t think I know anything about this.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you don¡¯t. You almost went crazy when you found out what happened to your Grandma


    back then. Even if he were to tell you, you probably won¡¯t even register to a single thing he said.¡±


    I looked over to Jackson. His face was grim as he leaned against the couch.


    Everyone in this world was fighting their own battles. It was either something physical or mental. I didn¡¯t


    know much about consoling people so I stayed silently by his side.


    Unfortunately, we had to fight these dreadful battles alone.


    I looked up at the time and realized it was already past midnight. Seeing that Jackson was drunk, I got


    up and helped him to his bed. Macy quickly got up and helped me. Then, she nced at the time and


    asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t Mr. Fuller call you?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°My phone is out of battery.¡±


    She frowned at my words. ¡°You¡¯d better get home quickly, then. I¡¯ll take care of things here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I already told Ashton that I¡¯ll be staying over at Glenwood Apartments this afternoon,¡± I


    answered as I tucked Jackson into bed.


    I couldn¡¯t help but ask when I noticed the dark circles under Macy¡¯s eyes, ¡°Are you not sleeping well


    lately?¡±


    She nodded tiredly. ¡°It seems like this baby is here to torture me. I¡¯m suffering quite badly because of


    it.¡±


    All pregnant women had different reactions. I experienced little to no reaction and my morning sickness


    didn¡¯tst for long. After pausing for a moment, I said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. We should get home now.¡±


    We arrived at the apartment just after a while since it wasn¡¯t very far away.


    By the time we got into bed, it was already one in the morning. Both of us were exhausted and we fell


    asleep momentster.


    ¡­¡­


    The next afternoon, I ate breakfast with Macy before heading back to the vi.


    I had been fumbling the whole time and only realized that I left my bag and phone at Glenwood


    Apartments when I arrived at the vi.


    There wasn¡¯t anyone in the living room when I opened the door. The workaholic Ashton must¡¯ve gone


    to hispany already and it seems like Mrs. Eriksen is out too.


    After changing my shoes, I made my way to the study to read up on some parenting books. However,


    the strong smell of tobo choked me the moment I opened the door to the study.


    It was daytime, yet all the curtains in the room were pulled shut, causing the room to be eerily dark.


    ¡°Ashton?¡± I called when I saw a spark in the darkness.


    He must still be smoking!


    I reached out to turn on the lights and instantly met with his cold gaze. His face was grim as he


    ordered, ¡°Turn it off!¡±


    What¡¯s wrong with him?


    I frowned and walked towards him. ¡°Didn¡¯t you sleep wellst night?¡± I could smell the faint scent of


    alcohol on him and I unwittingly furrowed my brows. ¡°Why did you drink?¡±


    Ashton kept silent as his dark eyes bore into my soul. He then stubbed out his cigarette and asked,


    ¡°Where did you gost night?¡±


    ¡°The Glenwood Apartments,¡± I answered with a frown. ¡°I told you yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Hah!¡± His voice was low and hoarse, and his words were filled with hostility. ¡°What else are you hiding


    from me, Scarlett?¡±


    I became frustrated from the smell of tobo in the room and I was starting to get a headache from


    being stared at by him. ¡°What could there possibly be that you don¡¯t know about? There are only those


    few people in my life. Just ask me directly if you want to know something. There¡¯s no need to be like


    this.¡±


    ¡°So will you really tell me if I ask?¡± Maybe it was because he stayed up all night, but his eyes were


    bloodshot and I could see beard stubs on his chin.

 Chapter 161

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 161


    He looked especially grouchy as he stared at me.


    I hated this feeling of uncertainty. So I answered with a frown, ¡°Yes! I will if you ask me.¡±


    He got up and his shadow loomed over me. ¡°Who was the man you hugged at the airport yesterday?¡±


    I froze for a moment and gaped at him in disbelief. ¡°Are you spying on me?¡± A wave of inexplicable


    anger boiled in me. ¡°Wow, Ashton. What is the meaning of this? So I don¡¯t even have the rights to


    freedom and privacy now?¡±


    His gaze was suffocating and I backed away subconsciously. He grabbed hold of my shoulder and


    questioned, ¡°Why are you so eager to back away? You¡¯re my wife! Shouldn¡¯t I know of your


    whereabouts?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. You should know. Whatever the great Mr. Fuller says is an order.¡± I shrugged off his hands


    the next second as I couldn¡¯t stand the smell of tobo and alcohol anymore.


    Before I could even step out of the study, he grabbed hold of my wrist and took me in his arms. ¡°You¡¯re


    not nning to exin yourself?¡±


    I despised the feeling of not having any privacy, so annoyance bubbled within me. ¡°What¡¯s there to


    exin? It¡¯s just like how you saw, Mr. Fuller! I went to meet with the person I like and stayed the night


    with him at a hotel,¡± I shouted.


    Then, I added as I turned around swiftly to look at him, ¡°Can you let go of me if you¡¯re satisfied with the


    answer, Mr. Fuller? I don¡¯t like the smell of tobo in here!¡±


    Ashton¡¯s eyes darkened and they turned terrifying. ¡°I want the truth, Scarlett!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the truth. It¡¯s what you wanted to hear!¡± If he had enough trust for me, he wouldn¡¯t have


    resorted to spying on me.


    His hand that hadnded around my waist tightened due to his anger. ¡°Then, it seems like we don¡¯t


    have anything else to talk about anymore.¡±


    Ashton shoved me into the wall like a beast that had lost its temper and pressed me against it before


    tearing off my clothes forcefully.


    My back hurt from being pressed against the wall but I only took in a deep breath and said nothing,


    allowing him to continue with his aggressive approach.


    Soon, his breathing became uneven and he stopped moving. The man before me stared at me and he


    asked, ¡°What kind of rtionship do you have with him?¡±


    He obviously still had a speck of rationality intact.


    I hated the smell of tobo around us and I couldn¡¯t help but furrow my brows when I looked at him


    coldly. ¡°Will you believe me if I tell you?¡±


    He nodded, the look in his eyes indecipherable.


    ¡°He¡¯s a friend of mine from college. He has some things to settle here in J City and I only went to the


    airport to pick him up.¡± I didn¡¯t tell him about the illness. There was no point in telling him something


    that couldn¡¯t even be written down in ck and white, it would only make me seem melodramatic.


    He lowered his head, his face so close to mine as he whispered, ¡°Am I still the one who is in here?¡± As


    he spoke, he put his hand over my heart.


    I felt a lump in my throat and I couldn¡¯t get the words out for a second. My voice was especially low as I


    said, ¡°Yes. It has always been you.¡±


    His fingertips traced down my chin and our eyes met. He couldn¡¯t hide the desire in his eyes as he


    lowered his head and nted a kiss on my lips.


    For some reason, I felt annoyed and I quickly grabbed his hand. ¡°I need to go to the bathroom!¡±


    The shadows in his eyes darkened. I pursed my lips at that, unable to vent my emotions out. This was


    an illness. And it wasn¡¯t something that I could tell others.


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    Ashton carried me into the bathroom after that. He could have been feeling terrible after several times.


    His breathing was heavy as he pushed me into the wall and crouched down.


    His actions shocked me and I instantly took his hands and shook my head. ¡°N-No, Ashton!¡±


    ¡­¡­


    He looked back at me, his voice was still hoarse as he said, ¡°Be good¡­ Let¡¯s just give it a try. You can¡¯t


    always rely on water!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I replied while shaking my head.


    He stopped when he saw that I was being so insistent.


    ¡°Just bear with it for now!¡±


    I bit my lips, feeling disgusted as I told him, ¡°Stop it, Ashton!¡±


    I felt extremely ufortable so we might as well not do it.


    I pushed him away from me as I spoke and saw the unhappy look on his face.


    I felt dispirited in an instant and said to him, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You should go to Reba.¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    I meant what I said. It seemed like we couldn¡¯t even continue with the most basic married life anymore.


    No one could ept a marriage like this.


    Without even seeing the look on his face, I rushed back into the bedroom. I got into bed once I was


    done with a simple shower, my feelings were in a mess.


    He came in a whileter. I could hear the sound of water in the bathroom and he only came out after an


    hour.


    After drying himself off, hey down beside me and took me in his arms. His voice was hoarse as he


    said, ¡°We¡¯ll go see a doctor once you¡¯ve given birth.¡±


    I kept silent but I was feeling distressed deep down.


    ¡°What if I can¡¯t be cured?¡± This was something psychological, not physical.


    His arms tightened around me. ¡°You will!¡±


    The bedroom was then filled with silence. After a long while, I heard the sound of soft breathing which


    indicated that he had fallen asleep.


    Iy in bed, unable to sleep, as I thought about whether or not I should talk to Jackson about this.


    It was hot in the afternoon and Ashton¡¯s body was rtively warmer. That was why I started to sweat in


    his embrace. I adjusted my body slightly but he tightened his grip around me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move! Sleep with me for a while more. I didn¡¯t sleep wellst night.¡±


    I-


    I guess he didn¡¯t sleep all night. Both of us slept till it was dark out. I wasn¡¯t even tired originally but


    being in his arms, I couldn¡¯t do anything else except to sleep with him.

 Chapter 162

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 162


    I rolled over in bed when I woke up and immediately saw Ashton staring at me. I was stunned for a


    moment but I asked, ¡°You¡¯re up?¡±


    He raised his eyebrows. ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t since I had just woken up, so I shook my head in response. I adjusted myself a little but felt


    extreme pain in my waist and I couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°My waist hurts.¡± I don¡¯t know why but I felt like my baby was growing too fast. It had only been six


    months but my baby bump had grown a lot.


    I took a closer look while showering yesterday and noticed some stretch marks on it that were quite


    unsightly.


    Ashton moved his hand to my waist and helped me massage the area. ¡°You should sign up for a


    prenatal care ss and do some yoga. I¡¯ll go with you tomorrow.¡±


    I was feeling a littlezy so I shook my head and said, ¡°It¡¯s going to be troublesome to go to the center


    ande home every day.¡±


    ¡°Then, how about we hire a coach so you can do it at home?¡±


    Thinking that Macy should do it too, I shook my head again. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll think about itter. You


    should go ahead and do what you need to do. Macy¡¯s freetely so she can apany me.¡±


    His brows knitted together as he continued to massage my waist area. ¡°Am I your husband, or is she


    your husband?¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s you!¡± After getting a massage from him, I felt better so I turned to let him massage the


    other side. ¡°You have so many things to take care of at thepany. I¡¯ll be fine with her apanying


    me. Besides, you¡¯re already so busy. You should take some time off and get some rest!¡±


    The corner of his lips tilted upwards into a bright smile as he asked, ¡°Are you worried about me?¡±


    I nodded and said casually, ¡°Being with Macy isn¡¯t so bad anyway.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll hand over thepany matters to Jared and Joe. Besides, I¡¯ll be taking maternity leave until you¡¯ve


    given birth.¡± He ended his sentence with a serious look on his face and he grabbed his phone, about to


    make a call.


    I quickly stopped him. ¡°I¡¯m serious, Ashton. Just go to work as usual. We¡¯d only fight if you¡¯re always by


    my side anyway. You might as well work and save up some money for the baby.¡±


    We already fought so often even if we only meet in the morning and night. I couldn¡¯t even imagine what


    would happen if we stayed together all the time.


    A slight smile appeared on his lips. ¡°When did we fight? It¡¯s only a fight if two of us do it. Does ours


    really count as a fight? Besides, I¡¯m the CEO of a hugepany. Do you think we¡¯llck money if I


    don¡¯t work for a few months?¡±


    Well, he had a point. Apart from some stuff, I was the only one causing trouble every time we fought.


    He would always let me be.


    However, I really didn¡¯t want him to not go to work. After pausing for a moment, I changed the topic and


    asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say we¡¯ll be going to K City a few days ago?¡±


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    My belly was getting bigger day by day. I was afraid that it would be inconvenient if we went muchter.


    He got up and put on his pajamas before saying, ¡°We¡¯ll head there in a few days. We should go there


    to familiarize ourselves with the environment first. Then, we¡¯ll start the discussion of moving the


    headquarters after you gave birth.¡±


    There wasn¡¯t really much of thepany affairs that I could get involved in. When I saw that he went


    into the bathroom, I instinctively looked around for my phone, only to realize after a while that I left it at


    Glenwood Apartments.


    I took Ashton¡¯s phone since I was feeling bored and saw that he had set up a password for his phone. I


    rarely touched his phone before this so after pausing for a moment, I called out in the direction of the


    bathroom, ¡°What¡¯s your phone¡¯s password, Ashton?¡±


    ¡°Your birthday!¡± The sound of water in there stopped for a moment and his husky voice was heard.


    My birthday? I typed it in unwittingly and it actually worked.


    An indescribable feeling bloomed within me in an instant. I might be feeling happy as my mood became


    a little better. However, I was rendered speechless when I saw the contents on his phone.


    Besides the few necessary apps, there wasn¡¯t anything else on the phone, not even the apps to watch


    short videos to pass time.


    I downloaded a social media app and couldn¡¯t help but check his WhatsApp out of curiosity after that.


    Just as I expected, he didn¡¯t have many contacts saved, only a little more than fifty. Besides his friends


    and family, the others were all sessful businessmen.


    Most of them had names saved. Then, I saw a contact saved as ¡®Aunt¡¯ and I unknowingly froze for a


    moment. Does Ashton have another aunt?


    George hadn¡¯t mention her before.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± His voice came from behind me. I snapped back to my senses and saw him


    drying his hair with a towel while he said, ¡°What do you want to eat? I¡¯ll go make it for you.¡±


    I answered with an ¡°Anything,¡± before holding his phone in front of him. ¡°You have another aunt?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Yeah. She lives in K City. I was nning to bring you to meet her in a few days.¡±


    ¡°Why hadn¡¯t George spoken about her before?¡± Not only that, but none of the Fullers had also ever


    mentioned her.


    ¡°She left the Fuller family when she was still a teen to study in K City. She rarelyes home too.¡±


    But it still made no sense that the Fullers doesn¡¯t talk about her even if she rarely came home.


    I suddenly realized that we hadn¡¯t visited George even though he had passed away for such a long


    time. I put the phone aside and went to his side. Wrapping my hands around his waist, I looked up to


    him and suggested, ¡°Ashton, let¡¯s go visit George before we head to K City.¡±


    His hand that was drying his hair froze but he nodded a secondter. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Seeing this, I got up with a smile on my face before I held his face and kissed him. ¡°Then, please block


    your time earlier.¡±


    He was dumbfounded at what I did and I quickly got down from the bed and went to the bathroom.

 Chapter 163

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 163


    I knew he was surprised, but I would try my best to resolve the dispute between George and him to free


    up his worries and to repay him for his kindness towards me.


    Ashton was already in the kitchen when I got out of the bathroom.


    He saw me and noticed that I was barefooted. ¡°The floor is cold, so please wear slippers!¡± he said out


    of concern.


    Ah!


    I was too focused on looking for him that I forgot about it.


    After slipping into a pair of slippers, I entered the kitchen to take a peek at what he was cooking. ¡°What


    are you cooking?¡± I asked to find out what was behind that rich,forting smell.


    ¡°Chicken soup!¡± he replied with pride. He came close to me with his gleeful eyes and requested, ¡°Give


    me a kiss!¡±


    I was startled, and I blushed. ¡°Have you decided when to visit George?¡± I tried to change the topic.


    He noticed, so he smirked and teased, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you after you give me a peck on my cheek!¡±


    I gave him a light peck on his cheek and looked at him, ¡°Alright, can I know now?¡±


    Ashton smiled so brightly ¨C he resembled a happy baby with blushed cheeks and flushed ears.


    ¡°The day after tomorrow then!¡±


    ¡°Great!¡±


    I slept surprisingly well that night. When I woke up, Ashton was already off to work.


    Ized on the bed and thought of heading back to Glenwood Apartments to retrieve my cellphone. It


    felt awkward to not have my phone with me.


    To my wonderment, I saw Macy and Mrs. Eriksen chattering away happily.


    ¡°When did you get here?¡± I interrupted.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been here for quite some time already. I brought your cellphone and bag here for you. Let¡¯s get


    some breakfast and head to the hotel afterwards to meet Jackson!¡±


    I nodded in reply as the n sounded great.


    Macy was a chatterbox. She always had endless topics to talk about. There was a time when she was


    in the kitchen with Mrs. Eriksen, and both of them discussed topics from food to raising kids. I would


    not be surprised if they carried on their conversation for days.


    Lucky for me, Mrs. Eriksen had to get groceries after breakfast, so I was able to grab Macy to go to the


    hotel.


    Let¡¯s go!


    ¡°Your helper is so experienced! She¡¯s the reason why I¡¯m tempted to move in with you!¡± she eximed


    while munching on the green mango sd that she brought from the vi.


    I chuckled. ¡°You are always weed for stayovers!¡±


    Mrs. Eriksen was an olddy who had been with the Fullers for many years. Hence, she was treated as


    part of the Fullers family.


    ¡°Why are there so many medicines in your car?¡± Macy eximed as she pulled open the glove


    compartment at the front seat. ¡°Hmm¡­ most of them are pills to aid the release of progesterone.¡±


    She looked up at me and questioned, ¡°Didn¡¯t the doctor advise limiting the consumption of pills during


    pregnancy? Why are you taking so many different types then?¡±


    I stopped the car as the traffic lights turned red and exined, ¡°I¡¯ve been to the hospital several times,


    and those were what the doctors prescribed to me. Dr. Crest prescribed some drugs to help suppress


    my nauseousness and to stabilize my pregnancy.¡±


    Her facial expression changed when I mentioned Jared. ¡°Oh,¡± she replied softly.


    I nced at her and asked mindlessly, ¡°Do you n on telling Dr. Crest about your baby?¡±


    She pressed a finger on her temple and exined in a slightly annoyed tone, ¡°The baby is mine, and it


    has nothing to do with him. I don¡¯t feel the need to tell him about it.¡±


    I didn¡¯t probe further and parked the car in the basement.


    It was already 11 a.m. ¡°Should we bring some breakfast for Jackson? He probably hasn¡¯t woke up yet.¡±


    ¡°He would¡¯ve probably ordered room service. Let¡¯s go!¡± She pulled me into the lift andmented,


    ¡°That sleepyhead is probably still in dreand.¡±


    We knocked on the room door several times, but there was no response. Macy pped her hands


    once while she imed, ¡°I knew it!¡±


    Just when I was about to give him a call, Jackson opened the door.


    ¡°Why are the both of you so early?¡± Jackson asked with his eyes half-closed.


    ¡°Dude, it¡¯s already noon! What did you dost night? Even pigs get hungry at this hour.¡± Macy rolled


    her eyes and was just about to step into his room.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Jackson stopped.


    ¡°Why?¡± Macy and I were startled.


    Macy scanned the room, squinted her eyes and guessed, ¡°Did you bring ady over?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not!¡± Jackson eximed with a slight hint of guilt. ¡°This is a guys¡¯ room! There are


    private stuff that you may not wish to see.¡±


    Tsk! Macy went speechless. ¡°We know you so well down to the size of your pants. What else could we


    be surprised by?¡±


    I admire Macy¡¯s quick wit.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± A voice sounded from the room. Both Macy and I dropped our jaws.


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    We nced at each other and eximed in unison, ¡°It¡¯s a guy?¡±


    ¡°Jackson, you slept with a guy? Oh god¡­¡± Macy blurted. The voice sounded familiar.


    I was stunned, while Jackson¡¯s face turned red. Macy and I entered the room.

 Chapter 164

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 164


    To my surprise, I bumped into Nick, who walked out of the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around


    his torso. I was bbergasted.


    He was bewildered to see us as well.


    ¡°What the h*ll?¡± I eximed. ¡±What is with the two of you?¡± Macy followed up right after.


    ¡°N-No! That is not what it looks like! Can you both please hear me out?¡± Jackson was flustered and


    exasperated.


    Macy nced at Nick, then at Jackson. Along with her fingers pointing back and forth, she squinted her


    eyes and let out, ¡°Are you sure? This sure looked wrong!¡±


    Jackson stood speechless for a moment. ¡°How could you think of something so absurd?¡±


    I nced over at Macy and nodded in agreement. ¡°Please restrain your thoughts a little!¡±


    She smacked her lips and eximed, ¡°I was just speaking from what we saw before our eyes!¡±


    I looked at Nick in embarrassment. ¡°Y-you!¡± Nick¡¯splexion turned pale.


    While fuming with anger, he demanded. ¡°Jackson, you¡¯d better clear up this misunderstanding, or I¡¯ll kill


    you!¡±


    Jackson felt wronged and exined to us, ¡°I went to the barst night to party and unexpectedly


    brought him back with me.¡±


    ¡°Unexpectedly brought a guy back with you?¡± Macy¡¯s eyes were wide opened at that point.


    ¡°He was drunk and almost got pped by ady. I wouldn¡¯t have cared if I didn¡¯t know him.¡± Jackson


    red at Nick and continued, ¡°You got yourself so drunk that you might¡¯ve been raped by that woman if


    not for me!¡±


    Nick frowned and held a finger on his temple, trying to recall what had happened.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you send me back to my home?¡± he questioned.


    ¡°How would I know your address?¡± Jackson replied.


    It was evident that Jackson was telling us the truth as Nick¡¯s left eye was bruised.


    Macy wanted to probe further for gossip. ¡°Nothing else happened? Both of you slept on one bed and


    were both drunk!¡±


    ¡°I am straight. Stop spouting nonsense!¡± Nick eximed in frustration.


    Macy sighed at theck of exciting stories. ¡°Hurry up! Let¡¯s head out to grab some food.¡±


    Jackson and Nick both headed into the bathroom together. Macy said mockingly, ¡°He¡¯s straight? Yet,


    they are showering together?¡±


    The bathroom was huge. It seemed normal to me that two guys were sharing the shower to save time.


    Once again, Macy with her amazing wild thoughts.


    I felt a vibration in my pocket. Ashton texted me: Where are you?


    I replied: At a Hotel.


    He probed: Meeting a friend?


    I replied: Yes!


    Macy raised her eyebrows andmented, ¡°It seems like Ashton has been keeping a close eye on


    you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably because of the baby.¡±


    Ashton sent another text: I¡¯ve signed you up for a ss and sent you the details. Don¡¯t forget to attend!


    I read his text and mentally did a facepalm. I replied: Alright!


    I kept my phone and asked Macy, ¡°Are you interested in joining prenatal yoga ss?¡±


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    ¡°Nope!¡± She shook her head. ¡°I n to return to my hometown after Jackson returns to M Country.¡±


    I nodded and didn¡¯t say anything else.


    Nick and Jackson were done showering and had changed into their outfits.


    Nick looked at me and furrowed his brows. ¡°You two know each other?¡±


    ¡°Yup, we were high school ssmates!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s grab lunch together!¡± It was just a coincidence. It seemed like Jackson and Nick knew each other


    since college.


    I was surprised that they knew each other even though Nick was a few years younger than us. I


    wonder how they met.


    Over at the restaurant.


    After lunch, Nick left as he had ns, and Macy left due to an emergency.


    Jackson thought for a while and suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s chat at a cafe.¡± It was hard for me to bring up the


    topic of my loss of sexual desire.


    It was hard for me to bring up the topic that I was frigid.


    I gathered my courage and brought it up. Even though Jackson was usually the joker, he switched to


    his professional mode and exined, ¡°It¡¯s likely caused by psychological factors, which would require


    Ashton¡¯s help.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°I do not want him to know about this!¡±


    ¡°What are you afraid of? You are the victim here, so stop overthinking! Ashton has the right to know


    about this too.¡± He further eximed, ¡°You have a mental barrier, and you¡¯re assuming that Ashton had


    slept with Reba, which caused your body to withdraw any physical interactions with him.¡±


    I felt a little embarrassed but continued, ¡°B-But I¡¯ve never felt like this before.¡±


    ¡°That was because you trusted that Ashton would not cheat on you no matter how attractive other


    women are. However, after you heard those rumors, you started to have doubts. You couldn¡¯t ept


    the fact that he was not clean, so your body then reacted by being immune to getting aroused by him.¡±


    ¡°Will this illness disappear if I don¡¯t love him anymore?¡± After all, I got this illness after getting together


    with Ashton.


    Jackson furrowed his brows and exined, ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. The only way to know is to try it out with


    other guys. You could try to test if you get aroused by other guys.¡±


    I rolled my eyes at him and changed the topic. ¡°When are you returning to M Country?¡±


    ¡°Probably within these few days. I¡¯ll stay for a few more days to observe your condition to see how long


    you can survive!¡± Jackson teased.

 Chapter 165

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 165


    I red at him and finished the juice. ¡°Please enjoy your dinner alone. I¡¯ve got to leave as there is


    some stuff I need to attend to.¡±


    He gave me a look of discontent and eximed, ¡°I came all the way here, and you guys are all leaving


    me by myself! Why can¡¯t y¡¯all apany me around J City?¡±


    ¡°You are already so familiar with this ce. If you need to borrow a car, I can lend it to you. I really


    need to go.¡± I passed my car keys to him and left the cafe, headed to the yoga ss.


    I had been azy bum all my life. After half an hour of yoga, I was exhausted.


    My phone kept on ringing while I was resting. It was from an unknown number. I did not answer the call


    and continued with my practice.


    When I was just about to leave, Ashton called. I answered, and he eximed, ¡°Quick,e to the


    hospital now! Macy and Jared got into an ident!¡±


    My heart skipped a beat. There was no time to waste, so I hurried over.


    Ashton and Joe were waiting at the ER. My legs were sore as I ran over, and I almost fell.


    Ashton noticed and rushed forward to catch me. ¡°Macy had a slight graze on her scalp. She¡¯s in the


    dressing room and will be out soon.¡±


    I sighed a breath of relief and looked at the ER and asked in concern, ¡°How serious is Dr. Crest¡¯s


    condition?¡±


    ¡°Jared is still in critical condition. Your best friend must¡¯ve jinxed him.¡±


    The person who would have made such a remark was none other than Joe.


    That was not my first time hearing such remarks from him, so I ignored them. I looked at Ashton and


    asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    He brought me over to take a seat and exined, ¡°Macy and Jared quarreled in the car. Jared got


    distracted, drove past the red lights, and crashed into a delivery truck. Macy injured her head while


    Jared is still in the ER.¡±


    I was stunned. ¡°Any other persons injured?¡±


    ¡°The truck driver died in the crash,¡± Ashton informed regretfully. ¡°I¡¯ve already sent Joseph to handle the


    matter. You don¡¯t need to worry too much.¡±


    I sat on the chair with my hands trembling. Joe red at me and said in sarcasm, ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t know


    Scarlett was so easily scared.¡±


    ¡°Joe, that¡¯s enough!¡± Ashton yelled in frustration.


    Joe shut his mouth and red at me again.


    Reba ran over in heels and asked hurriedly, ¡°I just got to know about this. What actually


    happened?¡±


    Joe pulled her aside and told her while consoling her.


    When she noticed that Ashton and I were seated together, she pouted. Then, she stood at the side and


    said nothing.


    Shortly after, Macy was pushed out of the dressing room. The doctor called for someone to go through


    the admission procedures. Ashton did not want me to move, so he went with her instead.


    I went into the ward to take a look at Macy. Due to the anesthesia, it would take approximately half an


    hour for her to wake up. I gave Jackson a call and stayed in the ward.


    Reba crossed her arms and leaned against the door. ¡°Seems like you and Ashton get along very


    well.¡±


    I did not feel like conversing with her, so I replied sarcastically, ¡°Thank you, Ms. Larson, for your


    attention to our rtionship. Don¡¯t worry, as our love will only grow as time goes.¡±


    ¡°Y-You!¡± Her face flushed in anger. ¡°Scarlett, Ash is mine. Don¡¯t even dream of keeping him by your


    side after the baby is born. You don¡¯t stand a single chance against me!¡±


    I nodded as I agreed with those words. I replied insincerely, ¡°I believe in Ms. Larson¡¯s abilities, but


    you¡¯re telling the wrong person ¨C you should tell Ashton instead. It is up to him who he chooses to be


    with.¡±


    ¡°If Ashton wants to be with you, no matter how attractive I am, I would not be able to keep him by my


    side. I believe you know that very well.¡±


    She should be smart enough to get what I meant by those words.


    I did not want to dwell on that topic further, as her face turned dark. However, she was not the type who


    would let suchments go.


    She entered the ward, squinted her eyes and warned, ¡°Scarlett, even though I can¡¯ty a finger on you,


    don¡¯t forget that you still have a bestie.¡±


    She pulled out the IV on Macy¡¯s hand. I was astounded. My defensive instinct was to push her with all


    my might.


    She fell onto the ground and knocked onto the corner of the wall.


    She eximed, ¡°Scarlett, this is too much! Just because you are pregnant doesn¡¯t mean that I dare not


    lay my hands on you!¡±


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Ashton rushed in before I could utter a word. Joe followed in as well. Seeing that his sweetheart had


    fallen on the ground, Joe red at me and yelled, ¡°Did you pushed her?¡±


    I red at her and eximed, ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Scarlett, do you have a death wish?¡± He raised his hand and was about to hit me.


    ¡°Stop right there!¡± Ashton yelled.


    ¡°I am just protecting Reba! Why does Scarlett get to harm others and get away with it?¡± Joe


    eximed.

 Chapter 166

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 166


    ring at him with a frown, I soon retorted, ¡°Excuse me, Mr. Quinn? I know that you¡¯re trying to protect


    the love of your life, but shouldn¡¯t you be getting to the bottom of this by finding the true culprit? Ms.


    Larson was the one who had assaulted me. I was merely trying to defend myself.¡±


    As always, Reba put on a pitiable front as she started to weep in front of us. ¡±Stop lying, Scarlett!


    You were the one who threatened me, telling me that I wouldn¡¯t get to see Ash anymore! You pushed


    me because I refused to sumb to your absurd request!¡±


    With his brows furrowed, Ashton stared at me as if he were frustrated. ¡°That¡¯s enough drama for today,


    I suppose. I have already dealt with the paperwork to get Macy hospitalized.¡±


    He turned around and instructed Joe, ¡°I don¡¯t think that this is the best time to get worked up over such


    trivial matters. I want you to stay put in front of ER and get in touch with me if there¡¯s anything wrong.¡±


    Joe red at me because he was infuriated. He grasped Reba and whispered as he passed by my


    side, ¡°Scarlett, I¡¯ll get even with you on this, just you wait!¡±


    I nced at the seemingly pitiable woman as she departed.


    She was a lucky woman¡ªloved by both Ashton and Joe, adored by Jared, and blessed with doting


    parents who wielded great influence. A woman like her could easily live a carefree life without getting


    married.


    Ashton ced the documents that he had with him on the nightstand by the bed and asked, ¡°What do


    you have in your mind?¡±


    Since Macy had yet to regain consciousness, I took a seat on the couch as I suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t


    you tend to the things that you¡¯ve listed on your schedule? I mean, there¡¯s nothing else we can do as of


    now.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think I¡¯m supposed to leave at such a critical time?¡±


    He was right¡ªJared was still in the ER.


    Slouching against the couch, I was readying myself to take a nap as I was exhausted after having gone


    through several consecutive hours of yoga lessons. A few minutester, Ashton received a call from


    Joe and figured out that Jared had been brought out of the ER.


    In spite of being thrilled, I had to remain by Macy¡¯s side until she regained consciousness.


    Nevertheless, before I could fall asleep, Macy had regained consciousness. She identally bumped


    her head as she brought herself up from the bed. ¡°Is everything alright with him?¡±


    It was pretty evident that she was referring to Jared. Seeing as such, I told her, ¡°He¡¯s fine. He¡¯s on his


    way out from ER as we speak.¡±


    She heaved a sigh of relief as she soon grew lost in her train of thoughts, staring at the ceiling. I


    couldn¡¯t resist the urge as I asked, ¡°How are things going for both of you?¡±


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    Macy levelled me a gaze as she heaved another long sigh of despair. ¡°It¡¯s pretty much the same¡­¡±


    ¡°Is he aware that you¡¯re pregnant?¡±


    ¡°Nope!¡±


    In the end, I decided to stop poking my nose into their business because I couldn¡¯t possibly


    comprehend the things that were going on behind the scene. Since she had no intention to share it with


    me, I decided to wrap up the conversation.


    Eventually, Jackson showed up with a basket of fruits in the ward.


    Since we were engaged in a conversation, he let out a long sigh of relief when he learned that Macy


    had regained consciousness. ¡°Goodness gracious! Thankfully, it¡¯s nothing serious. I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ll


    recover in no time!¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡± The exhausted Macy nodded in return.


    Jackson was curious and he couldn¡¯t resist the urge to get to the bottom of the ident. Hence, he


    queried, ¡°Why were you involved in an ident? Was there anyone else that was around you?¡±


    Macy had no intention to tell him the truth. She brushed him off and lied, ¡°I-It was an ident! How was


    I supposed to foresee an ident happening?¡±


    Jackson rolled his eyes as he reprimanded his friend, ¡°You¡¯re lying, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    I yed along with Macy because I was aware that she had no intention of sharing the truth with


    Jackson. Immediately, I interrupted their conversation and asked, ¡°What have you brought along with


    you? Where did you get such a delicate-looking basket of fruits?¡±


    ¡°You can always drop by the entrance of the hospital to get another one for a hundred and fifty each.¡±


    After he finished his sentence, he walked away and took a seat on the couch.


    The room went dead silent since there wasn¡¯t anything else we could talk about. I decided to go with


    the flow and kept my mouth shut tight since Macy needed some time to collect her thoughts. On the


    other hand, Jackson started browsing through his phone.


    I almost fell asleep by the time Ashton returned. Some time ago, Jackson had an encounter with him.


    Therefore, before I could introduce them to one another, Jackson jolted up from the couch and greeted,


    ¡°Ashton!¡±


    To be honest, I was afraid that Jackson would blurt out the things he had in mind.


    Therefore, I rushed over to Ashton¡¯s side and asked, ¡°What is Dr. Crest¡¯s condition?¡±


    ¡°He has been transferred to his ward. As of now, his condition has stabilized, and his life isn¡¯t at stake


    anymore.¡± Halfway through his sentence, he cast a skeptical gaze at Jackson.


    Jackson wasn¡¯t a fool¡ªhe could tell that the man in front of him was having a fit due to his presence.


    He started to exin himself, ¡°You should stop looking at me in such a manner because I have nothing


    to do with your beloved wife.¡±


    I was rather speechless due to the odd situation.


    Ashton looked away as he turned to Macy who had regained consciousness, saying, ¡°Just to be safe,


    you should spend the next two days in the hospital to ensure that everything is fine.¡±


    He had always been an indifferent man. Apart from his close friends and family members, he would


    rarely greet others. It was obvious that he was trying tofort Macy. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have


    engaged in a conversation with them.


    Frowning, Macy replied, ¡°O-Okay¡­¡±


    Meanwhile, Jackson had his eyes glued to Ashton without concealing his curiosity.


    ¡°You should return home. I¡¯ll get someone else to drop by and keep an eye on them. You¡¯re only


    allowed to return when you¡¯ve received adequate rest.¡± After Ashton made himself clear, he walked


    over and retrieved my bag that was on the couch.


    Initially, I wanted to tell him that I needed to stay behind to take care of Macy, yet the patient got ahead


    of me and stated, ¡°Both of you should return home and call it a day. There are doctors and nurses that


    are on duty twenty-four seven. I¡¯m fine. Scarlett, I don¡¯t think that it¡¯s wise for you to stay behind since


    you¡¯re pregnant.¡±


    I gave it a thought and nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll drop by and check on you again tomorrow.¡±


    After we walked out of the ward, Jackson came after us and started speaking behind us, ¡°Mr. Fuller, I


    believe that it¡¯s time for us to have a talk.¡±


    Ashton asked rhetorically in a callous tone, ¡°What do you wish to talk about with me?¡±


    ¡°What else could it be? Your wife!¡± Jackson was an imbecile fool. I couldn¡¯t believe that he had the guts


    to size Ashton up, all while he brought up such an absurd request.


    Standing in front of the elevator, I got in his way and interrupted their conversation, asking Jackson,


    ¡°Hey! Have you had your dinner?¡±

 Chapter 167

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 167


    He shook his head and suggested, ¡°Nope! Care to join me for a meal?¡±


    I got ahead of Ashton and uttered before he could reply, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that we¡¯ll be unable to keep you


    company because we have something else to tend to! You should head over and have your dinner


    without us!¡±


    Jackson reprimanded me, ¡°Hey! You can¡¯t do this to me! You were the one who¡¯d summoned me back


    from M Country!¡±


    I felt lightheaded all of a sudden because of his words. In the end, I warned him and showed him my


    exhausted front. ¡°Have you seen my tummy? I¡¯m afraid that my child will be born way ahead of the


    estimated date of delivery if I don¡¯t restrain myself.¡±


    He looked at Ashton and muttered, ¡°Since you¡¯re exhausted, you should head back home without


    Ashton because he¡¯s the one that I¡¯m looking for.¡±


    Ashton turned around and asked, ¡°Why? What do you wish to talk about?¡±


    Jackson stared at me as he directed another question at Ashton. ¡°Are you not aware of your wife¡¯s


    condition?¡±


    I was utterly dumbfounded because the fool had actually turned his back against me, selling me off in


    front of Ashton.


    Ashton narrowed his eyes in return and affirmed, ¡°I¡¯m well aware of her condition.¡±


    E-Excuse me?


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Jackson was taken aback as well. He paused for a few seconds and gave it a thought before throwing


    another question at him. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why have you not done anything about it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll think of something and deal with it soon.¡±


    As their conversation continued, I grew increasingly confused.


    Once the elevator reached the floor, I sprinted in because I had enough of their conversation. To begin


    with, they seemed to be on a different page.


    ¡°Ashton, I believe you need to make a trip to M Country with Scarlett and get her to go through a


    thorough diagnosis,¡± Jackson asserted.


    ¡°Have you made a trip back because of her condition?¡± Ashton queried.


    Jackson nodded as he asked rhetorically, ¡°Why else would I return? It took me more than twelve hours


    to make a trip back. I don¡¯t have that much time to kill, okay?¡±


    It sounded as though Ashton was aware of my actual condition. I couldn¡¯t care less about it as I


    decided to interrupt their conversation. ¡°Let¡¯s catch up some time in the future! We¡¯ll return for the time


    being! Let¡¯s get going already! I¡¯m exhausted after a long day!¡±


    Initially, Jackson was about to go on, but he received a call out of the blue. He answered the call, yet


    he could barely hear the person on the other end of the call due to the poor signal in the elevator.


    It took him a few seconds to figure out the thing that the other person was talking about. Eventually, he


    burst outughing as he eximed, ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll head over at once!¡±


    After he hung up the call, we finally reached the designated floor. He looked at Ashton and repeated


    himself in a serious tone for onest time. ¡°Ashton, I mean it! You need to make a trip to M Country


    with her!¡±


    Once he was done, he departed and disappeared amongst the bustling crowd on the streets.


    After we boarded the car, Ashton started the car and had his eyes on the road as we made our way


    home. I looked at him and wanted to confront him if he were aware of the truth, yet I was afraid that I


    would expose myself in return.


    In the end, I decided to call it off and keep the thoughts that I had in mind to myself.


    The car was brought to a halt when we reached the junction. He turned around as he professed in a


    husky voice, ¡°I don¡¯t think that we should make a trip to M Country. You¡¯re heavily pregnant¡ªyou¡¯re not


    in the best condition to do that. Let¡¯s drop by K City a few dayster. I have gotten in touch with a few


    renowned specialists there.¡±


    ¡°Y-You¡­¡± I stuttered because I couldn¡¯t grasp the situation.


    ¡°When we dropped by the hospital during thest prenatal care, the doctor brought it up in front of me.


    Also, do you remember the time when you werepletely soaked in rain? I noticed that something


    was off since then. If you¡¯re still unwilling to tell me about it, it¡¯s fine. However, I want you to know that


    everything will be fine soon.¡±


    Heaving a sigh, he continued driving since the traffic light had turned green again.


    I nodded in return because I was too tired to be bothered by other things by then. I suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s


    head over and pay Grandpa a tribute tomorrow. Why don¡¯t you join me during my yoga ss in the


    afternoon? The instructor told me that it would be great to have the child¡¯s father around because there


    are certain moves that require cooperation.¡±


    He nodded and queried, ¡°What do you want for dinner?¡±


    ¡°Anything will do!¡± Since we had sorted things out, I couldn¡¯t suppress my urge to sleep anymore. As I


    closed my eyes, I started dozing off in the car.


    By the time we reached the vi, the sky had gotten pitch-ck. In spite of being sleepy, I was aware


    that we had reached home as Ashton lifted me and brought me back to our bedroom.


    Perhaps it was due to the activities I had carried out in the day¡ªI slept like a log for a few hours. When


    I woke up, it was already midnight.


    I got out of the bed and noticed that Ashton was nowhere to be seen in the room. As I made my way


    out of the room, I noticed the strong illumination that was in the study room and decided to knock on


    the door.


    A hoarse voice could be heard from within, instructing neutrally, ¡°Come in!¡±


    After I entered the room, I saw him with a stack of documents on his table. It turned out that he had


    logged into thepany¡¯s system to ess some internal data. I caught a glimpse of the data and


    noticed something was wrong. ¡°Hasn¡¯t the audit for AC been re-conducted? Why aren¡¯t the changes


    reflected yet?¡±


    The exhausted man nced at me and smiled as though he was proud of me. ¡°It seems like you


    haven¡¯t been spending your time in Fuller Corporation in vain, huh? I¡¯m d that you¡¯re able to detect


    the issue with the data.¡±


    I was speechless because I hadn¡¯t spent my time with Fuller Corporation in vain, yet he seemed to


    have perceived otherwise all along.


    He didn¡¯t answer my queries. Instead, he tended to the agreements that he had with him. Since there


    wasn¡¯t anything else I could do, I sat by his side, waiting for him to finish the things that he had on his


    te.


    As I scanned through the content on the screen, I noticed that something was wrong because there


    was a red exmation mark at the bottom left of the screen. I told him, ¡°Ashton! Someone is trying to


    gain ess to thepany¡¯s system without the administrator¡¯s consent!¡±


    He ignored the seemingly urgent issue as he looked at me in the eyes. Frowning, he asked, ¡°Since


    when have you picked up fundamentals inputer science?¡±


    Staring at the eye-catching signal, I couldn¡¯t believe my ears because he behaved calmly as though it


    was part of his n to allow the other party to ess the system.


    I finally linked the missing pieces of puzzles together¡ªthe wed data was deliberately uploaded to


    mislead the other party.


    ¡°E-Er¡­ Not really, but I picked up the fundamentals ofputer science during my university days. It¡¯s


    nothing worth mentioning at all.¡± I felt so guilty deep down because I had no choice but to lie to him.


    John was the expert in the field. He had always been brushing up his skills just so he could infiltrate


    others¡¯ ounts as he desired. Theputer science enthusiast had always shared his newfound


    skills with me, but I never paid attention to the things that he had told me.

 Chapter 168

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 168


    He smirked and stated, ¡°Fundamentals ofputer science don¡¯t really allow you to detect hostile


    infiltration of the system through a nce.¡±


    I wanted to say something to defend myself, yet he got ahead of me and asked after he put the


    agreements aside, ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°What do you want to have forte-night supper? I¡¯ll make you something to eat!¡± After he


    offered to prepare me a meal, he got up from his seat and switched off hisputer.


    I didn¡¯t have cravings for anything in particr. Hence, I told him that anything would do.


    We walked downstairs, but he was the one who had entered the kitchen, whereas I slouched against


    the couch in the living room. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder about the goals of the hackers who were behind


    the incident. There were only a mere few who possessed such capabilities to infiltrate another


    company¡¯s system without being exposed.


    I had a hard timeprehending the hacker¡¯s true intention of infiltrating Fuller Corporation¡¯s system;


    nevertheless, the only person who crossed my mind was John.


    He was a prodigy in the field of information technology, but that was a fact that was merely made


    known to a mere few.


    All of a sudden, Ashton yelled and invited me over. ¡°Hey! What¡¯s bothering you again? The meal is


    ready. Come over and join me.¡±


    I decided to cast my thoughts aside for the time being as I walked to the dining hall. Initially, I thought


    that he would merely prepare some simple dishes that could be easily whipped out within a few


    minutes, but I was astonished once I saw the feast on the table because he had prepared aplete


    meal for both of us.


    Since we were way past the ordinary mealtime, I didn¡¯t expect him to cook up a feast in the middle of


    the night.


    Handing my cutleries to me, he was quick to serve the dishes as he offered, ¡°You should hurry up and


    finish the meal. Mrs. Eriksen will drop by to get our breakfast ready in the morning. Let¡¯s have our


    breakfast before we drop by the cemetery.¡±


    If he hadn¡¯t brought it up in front of me, I would have forgotten about the agenda I had suggested a few


    hours ago. I nodded and affirmed, ¡°Okay!¡± I had a few mouthfuls of the food he prepared, yet that was it


    because I wasn¡¯t in the mood to eat anymore.


    He asked with a sullen look since I stopped savoring the dishes he had prepared, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do


    you not like the food?¡±


    I shook my head and rebutted, ¡°No, but I¡¯m not really hungry anymore¡­¡±


    He stopped insisting on me finishing the meal since I seemed to be at my limits.


    ¡­


    After we had our meal, we returned to the bedroom.


    As I had been sleeping over the past few hours, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to sleep anymore. After Ashton


    took his shower and walked out of the bathroom, he noticed that I was wide awake at two o¡¯clock in the


    morning, staring at the ceiling while lying on the bed idly.


    Looking at his disapproving expression, I was certain that he was irritated again. A few secondster,


    he told me, ¡°You¡¯ll have to adapt to a normal lifestyle within these next few days. Apart from an


    afternoon nap, you¡¯re not allowed to sleep anymore in the uing few days.¡±


    I pouted my lips and beckoned for him to get his phone. ¡°Reba called earlier. I think she that has


    something urgent to tell you.¡±


    After that, I returned to our bed and tucked myself in, closing my eyes in an attempt to lull myself to


    sleep.


    He chuckled as he cast his phone aside, lying beside me after he wiped his hair dry. Ashton ced his


    head on my tummy in an attempt to detect our child¡¯s fetal movement. There wasn¡¯t any obvious fetal


    movement since our child was merely six months old. In spite of that, Ashton insisted on spending time


    with our child.


    I grew irritated as I grasped his shirt, telling him, ¡°Hey! You¡¯re getting in the way of my sleep!¡±


    He took a peek at me and moved over to my side, cing my head on his arm as he told me, ¡°I have


    bought our tickets to K City. We¡¯ll depart in two days¡¯ time. Before departing, let¡¯s drop by the hospital


    for onest prenatal care. Perhaps the baby will join us soon when we¡¯re at K City.¡±


    Truthfully, I was pretty d to have him by my side because he would always have everything sorted


    out. Hence, I nodded and suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t you revert back to Ms. Larson¡¯s call? I suppose that it


    must be an emergency, seeing that she has called you in the middle of the night.¡±


    He cradled my head in his arms as he responded, ¡°Are you trying to push me away?¡±


    Since he had made himself clear by saying that he had no intention to revert back to Reba, I


    decided to stay out of his way as I told him, ¡°Fine! I guess that it¡¯s none of my business too! Good


    night!¡±


    Nestled in between his arms in the middle of the night, I felt a strong sense of security overwhelm me;


    nheless, I couldn¡¯t fall asleep. On the other hand, Ashton, who had to deal with a lot of things on a


    daily basis, waspletely worn out. A few minutester, I could hear him snoring as he had fallen into


    slumber.


    No matter how hard I tried, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to sleep due to the extended nap that I had earlier. I


    was afraid that I would rouse him if I were to browse through my phone by his side.


    Eventually, I started thinking about all sorts of things. What else could I do in the middle of the


    night? Insomniacs would often start to overthink the events in their lives. Otherwise, they would start


    thinking about the foods they were craving.


    Needless to say, I was part of thetter.


    I started recalling my younger days when my grandmother had all sorts of fruits and vegetables in her


    courtyard. Whenever it was time to harvest the crops, we would have endless supplies of them.


    Tomatoes were my favorite! asionally, I would have tomatoes for dinner whenever Grandma had to


    work for extended hours. I would have lots of them if I were extremely hungry because I couldn¡¯t cook


    on my own.


    After I reached J City, I didn¡¯t have the chance to savor any freshly harvested tomatoes anymore. The


    ones that were avable in the supermarket tasted nothing close to the ones I had.


    Wait! I should stop thinking about it! I get hungry whenever I recall the wonderful taste of the fresh


    tomatoes!


    Suddenly, my phone that was on the nightstand vibrated. Since I couldn¡¯t fall asleep either, I decided to


    get out of bed. Upon retrieving my phone, I noticed that I had received a text from Macy, stating: Letty, I


    can¡¯t sleep, and I¡¯m craving mangoes all of a sudden!


    I found it hrious because we had the exact same thing in our minds when we were in a simr


    situation.


    Scarlett: Me too! I¡¯m craving the freshly harvested tomatoes I used to have in R Province!


    Macy: Arghh! Me too! I have been craving for the mangoes that we used to have in front of the house!


    I¡¯m very sad because I can¡¯t have it anymore. I heard the entire residential area will be revamped soon.


    Scarlett: Well, I guess that we¡¯re unable to do anything apart from reminiscing about the good old days


    we had.


    We were rather aware that we couldn¡¯t get our hands on the things that we were craving easily due to


    all sorts of realistic factors that stood in our way.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    The room was pitch-ck, and I couldn¡¯t bring myself to fall asleep no matter what. In the end, I tiptoed


    my way out of the bedroom and walked downstairs to see if I could get myself some tomatoes. If I


    couldn¡¯t get any of them, I would get something simr to satisfy my cravings.


    As I strode down the stairs, I had the shock of my life because I received a call in the middle of the


    night. I furrowed my brows because it was a call from John; I had no idea as to why he had decided to


    call me at such an odd hour.


    I answered the call and asked callously, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to have some tomatoes?¡± Judging by his tone of voice, the man on the other end seemed


    to be wide awake as well.

 Chapter 169

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 169


    Upon hearing his words, I almost cast my phone aside. A few secondster, I raised my voice and


    confronted the maniac, ¡°John, what the hell is wrong with you? What have you installed on my phone?¡±


    He replied nonchntly, ¡°It¡¯s just a form of simple spyware. You should stop getting worked up over


    such a trivial matter. I¡¯m trying to keep an eye on you and ensure that everything is fine on your end.


    That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re rotten to the core!¡± I could barely suppress the urge to smash my phone.


    ¡°Please calm down, Scarlett. I just want to keep an eye on you and ensure that you¡¯re fine. Isn¡¯t it


    great? I get to know what you¡¯re up to whenever I want!¡± He sounded aggrieved, speaking as if he


    meant no harm.


    ¡°You should stay away from me!¡± After I hung up the call, I rushed into the washroom and flushed my


    phone away without a second thought.


    I was so angry that my heart wouldn¡¯t stop racing. I couldn¡¯t pinpoint the exact time he had installed the


    spyware on my phone.


    After the farce, I wasn¡¯t in the mood to satisfy my cravings anymore. I went to the living room and took


    a seat on the couch to collect my thoughts because I was greatly infuriated.


    Eventually, I fell asleep on the couch in the living room. When I woke up a littleter, I noticed that there


    was a nket over me.


    Once I opened my eyes, Ashton and I exchanged nces because he was right in front of me.


    I was taken aback by his presence and I greeted him immediately, ¡°G-Good morning!¡±


    ¡°Why have you fallen asleep on the couch?¡± He broke the silence, asking me this question indifferently


    as if he was displeased.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t bring myself to sleepst night. Therefore, I decided toe downstairs for a change of


    environment. I didn¡¯t expect to fall asleep on the couch as well.¡±


    He asked rhetorically with a poker face, ¡°Are you trying to imply that you had a hard time sleeping by


    my side?¡±


    I shook my head vigorously as I rebuked, ¡°No! I was having a hard time sleeping! Hence, I came


    downstairs for a walk! T-That¡¯s¡ª¡±


    As he knew that something was wrong with me, he lifted me into his arms andforted me, ¡°Alright,


    I¡¯m not ming you. I¡¯m just worried that you¡¯re going to catch a cold. If you can¡¯t bring yourself to


    sleep in the future, wake me up and get me to keep youpany, okay?¡±


    My mind was over all over the ce because it was evident that he was trying to be tolerant of me


    again. He had always been a patient man and had given in to every request of mine.


    I nodded and nestled in between his arms as I slowly returned to my usual self.


    What happened in the morning and the night before was nothing more than a farce. After finishing our


    breakfast, we dropped by the cemetery. We arrived early, and it was a great day.


    Ashton had readied the things that we had needed beforehand. He supported me and brought me up to


    my grandfather¡¯s grave because the road there was quite slippery.


    The sun had already risen from behind the hills when we were about to arrive. We paused when we


    merely a few feet away from the grave because someone else was in front of George¡¯s grave.


    I furrowed my brows unwittingly as I had my eyes fixed on the woman in front of the grave.


    Ashton also caught a glimpse of Reba, who had dressed up in a ck tulle dress, in front of the


    grave. Perhaps it was because she had never put on a ck dress whenever she was around me¡ªit


    took me some time to figure out that it was Reba.


    I turned around and asked Ashton once I noticed that Reba was the one in front of the grave, ¡°Were


    you the one who told her that we¡¯d be here today?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± After he answered my query, he approached her and asked indifferently, ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I be here? I have been missing Parker because he has been showing up in my dreams


    recently. I decided to drop by to visit Old Mr. Fuller after I paid Parker a visit.¡±


    She nced in my direction and greeted me with a faint smile after she exined the goal of her visit.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to run into both of you here! What a coincidence!¡±


    Truthfully, I felt awful all of a sudden. I had forgotten that Parker was buried in the same cemetery.


    I took a few steps forward and ced the bouquet that Ashton had prepared in front of Grandpa¡¯s


    grave. Since I was heavily pregnant, I couldn¡¯t bow to pay tribute to him. Instead, I nodded to show my


    respect to him.


    Staring at me with his abysmal pair of eyes, Ashton grasped my hand firmly as he wiped my tears dry.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry. Otherwise, our child will be sad as well.¡±


    I nodded as I told my beloved grandfather, ¡°Grandpa, Ashton and I will start a family soon. Perhaps


    we¡¯lle as a family of three, the next time we drop by to pay you a visit. You can finally rest in


    peace.¡±


    Halfway through my speech, I turned to look at Ashton with an intimate gaze before orating, ¡°You don¡¯t


    have to worry about me anymore because we¡¯re on good terms! He has been taking great care of me,


    and I believe that he¡¯ll be a great husband and a doting father!¡±


    Truth be told, my words were not intended for my grandfather at all¡ªit was intended for Reba who


    was there.


    Her face puckered in response as she tugged at the hem of Ashton¡¯s shirt and urged, ¡°Ash, can you


    please drop by and pay Parker a visit as well? It has been quite some time since you¡¯vest visited.¡±


    I lowered my gaze because I was aware of Reba¡¯s petty scheme in leveraging the deceased to her


    favor in order to win Ashton over by reminding him of the good old days they had spent together.


    Ashton looked at me in the eyes as though it was an attempt to acquire my consent to pay Parker a


    visit.


    I peered at Grandpa¡¯s grave with a smile and offered, ¡°Let¡¯s drop by and pay him a visit together! After


    all, he was one of your best friends, wasn¡¯t he? You should introduce us to one another!¡±


    Reba had a grim expression on her face because I insisted on tagging along, yet she did a great job


    of suppressing her emotions.


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    Ashton grasped my hand as he asserted, ¡°You¡¯re right! Let¡¯s go!¡±


    The aforementioned grave was merely a short distance away because the cemetery wasn¡¯t a huge


    one. As soon as we arrived at Parker¡¯s grave, I saw the photo of a handsome young man inscribed. In


    spite of his attractive-looking face, it was evident that he had been having it tough, enduring a series of


    treatments.


    As soon as we arrived at her brother¡¯s grave, Reba¡¯s eyes began to brim with tears. Eventually, it


    morphed into an intense wail. ¡°Parker, I have brought Ash along with me!¡±


    Thankfully, Ashton had another bouquet with him. He ced it in front of Parker¡¯s grave as he bowed to


    show his respect. After he was done, he stared at the photo on the grave.


    I stood by Ashton¡¯s side and bowed to show my respect. In an attempt to figure out if Reba had put


    on another show in front of us, I peered at her the entire time we were there.


    After a few minutes, Ashton suggested, ¡°I believe that it¡¯s time to leave.¡±


    Reba couldn¡¯t snap out of her intense wailing session. She held on to Ashton¡¯s hand as she cried


    out in a husky voice, ¡°Ash, Parker is no longer around to keep me safe! You¡¯re the only one whom I can


    rely on! Although I¡¯m a member of the renowned Moore family, I didn¡¯t grow up alongside them! I was


    merely the long-lost daughter of the family. No matter how much they love me, I can¡¯t possibly


    reciprocate the affection because we aren¡¯t close at all!¡±

 Chapter 170

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 170


    ¡°Ash, please take your friendship with Parker into consideration, and don¡¯t leave me alone! I need you


    by my side. Please, Ash! I don¡¯t need anything else apart from yourpanionship. Along with Jared


    and Joe, we can live a carefree life as we had used to, can¡¯t we? I¡¯ll always be the innocent little girl


    that requires the guidance of the three reliable brothers of mine. Please don¡¯t leave me alone! I can¡¯t


    possibly live on my own!¡±


    Ashton¡¯s initially indifferent look seemed to have eased up because he was affected by her words.


    Nobody would know him better than me¡ªhe had never enjoyed being alone; he couldn¡¯t bear to leave


    the needy ones alone either.


    Reba¡¯s seemingly sincere words had touched him. He had always been alone ever since he was


    young. Although Ashton had his doting grandfather by his side, none of the things that his grandfather


    had done couldpensate the man for his loss.


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    Therefore, he couldn¡¯t bear to forsake his friendship with Parker and his rtionship with Reba


    because being needed would give him a sense of aplishment that he desired. It would make him


    feel loved.


    I stood by his side silently because I couldn¡¯t be sure as to how I was supposed to react. All along, I


    knew that I wasn¡¯t a match for Reba. I could never put on such a great show to deceive others.


    As Ashton returned to her side and brought her up, casting a gentle gaze as if he could forget the


    things that she had done, I knew that my efforts were in vain.


    Apart from the sound of Reba sniffling behind us, we were dead silent throughout the entire ride. It


    felt as though I could hear the ambient noise in the car.


    In the end, I broke the silence, requesting once the car was brought to a halt at the junction, ¡°Why don¡¯t


    you pull over at the bus station in front? I¡¯ll drop by a certain somewhere before making my way home.¡±


    Furrowing his brows, Ashton looked at me as he queried, ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    I tried my best to force a smile onto my face as I denoted, ¡°I¡¯ll go for a walk and get Macy the mangoes


    that she¡¯s craving for before I make my way to the ward.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you!¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    I was afraid that I would lose my cool in front of them. Hence, I tried my best to regain myposure


    and stated, ¡°It will be fine; the hospital is merely a few streets away. I won¡¯t get lost, okay? Y-You


    should drop Ms. Larson off before making your way over¡­¡±


    He pursed his lips and gave it a thought for a few seconds. In the end, he gave in to my suggestion.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Subconsciously, I sucked in a deep breath because it felt as though a heavy boulder had been lifted off


    of my shoulders.


    Once I got out of the car, I bade them farewell with a bright and gentle grin, behaving as though


    everything was fine while I waved at them as they departed.


    As their car disappeared on the bustling streets, I started feeling nauseous, as though I would puke at


    any given point in time. It felt awful because my heart wrenched.


    I tried to reach for my phone to get in touch with Jackson, but I suddenly recalled that I had flushed my


    phone away the previous night.


    As I walked along the green, I started to feel weak because of the scorching sun that was on top of me.


    A few minutester, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to walk any further. I took a seat by the road and buried my


    face in my palms as I began to weep.


    At that moment, I med myself for being such a fragile woman. It wasn¡¯t a big deal at all, yet I


    behaved as though something serious had urred.


    I couldn¡¯t stand the heat anymore and I thought that I was seeing things when I caught a glimpse of


    Jackson in front of me. Soon, I muttered, ¡°Jackson, I¡¯m not feeling good.¡±


    He raised his voice and reprimanded me. Nevertheless, he leaned over and lifted me up, bringing me


    into his car. ¡°What happened? Why are you alone on the streets in the middle of such a hot day? You


    might have passed out from a heatstroke!¡±


    I finally returned to my usual self after I was brought into the cool environment that was filled with


    chilling air. It took me a few seconds to grasp the situation. In the end, I asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    He handed over a few pieces of wet tissue to me as he exined, ¡°I was on my way to visit Macy.


    Unfortunately, I¡¯ve encountered my pathetic and pregnant friend who¡¯s crying on the streets beneath


    the sun.¡±


    I avoided his gaze and wiped my face clean after I took the wet tissues from him. I stared at the man in


    the front passenger seat wide-eyed as soon as I caught a glimpse of him. ¡°Mr. Harrison, why are you


    here?¡±


    Nick craned over and asked, ¡°I¡¯m getting him to give me a ride. What about you? Why are you crying


    on the streets when you are heavily pregnant?¡±


    I pursed my lips and diverted their attention immediately, instructing Jackson, ¡°Hey! Let¡¯s drop by


    another ce before heading over to Macy¡¯s ward.¡±


    ¡°Where do you want to go?¡±


    ¡°Tech Square! I have identally broken my phone!¡±


    Jackson nodded and steered the driver¡¯s wheel, turning in another direction from the designated route


    to the hospital.


    Initially, I thought that I would get myself thetest version of the brand I had been using, but Nick


    suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t you get a domestic brand instead? It¡¯s better in terms of functions and price.¡±


    After I got myself a new phone and a new contact number, we dropped by to check on Macy and Jared.


    Once I was done, I walked out of Jared¡¯s ward and noticed that Jackson and Nick were smoking while


    they were engaged in a conversation.


    Nick seemed to be infuriated as he red at Jackson in a hostile manner.


    I rushed over and got in their way, making a request for Jackson to do me a favor. ¡°Hey! Can you


    please keep Macypany when I¡¯m gone? I have to leave soon because I have something to tend


    to!¡±


    Before Jackson could respond, Nick put out his cigarette and walked toward me. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you!¡±


    Although I wasn¡¯t sure what was going on between them both, I was pretty sure that they were in the


    middle of a conflict. Hence, I told Nick, ¡°I¡¯m not driving. I¡¯ll be hailing a cab instead. I think that you


    should wait for Jackson.¡±


    Jackson looked in Nick¡¯s direction and stated, ¡°Yes! You should wait for me!¡±


    With an upset expression, Nick responded, ¡°I have a lot of things on my schedule! I don¡¯t have time for


    you!¡±


    ¡°Are you indicating that I am wasting your time?¡±


    I was at a loss for words and I decided to stay out of their conflict. There wasn¡¯t anything I could do


    about it.


    Thus, I departed silently and told Macy that I would be leaving before I headed back to the vi.


    Initially, I wanted to join the yoga ss that was scheduled to be held in the afternoon, but the ss


    would require the husband to be around. Since Ashton had to keep Rebapany, I thought that


    he wouldn¡¯t have time for me. In the end, I hailed a cab home because I didn¡¯t want to go through the


    tormenting experience anymore.

 Chapter 171

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 171


    Once I reached home and saw the ck Bentley that was parked in front of the entrance, I couldn¡¯t be


    sure if I were disgusted or infuriated.


    John alighted from the ride as he greeted me with a courteous smile, ¡°Hey! I have been waiting for you!


    Where have you been? Why have you switched off your phone?¡±


    I stood right where I was statically and clenched my fists with all my might in order to suppress my


    emotions. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here to visit you¡­ and the baby¡­¡± Once he finished his sentence, he stared at my tummy as


    though he was up to no good.


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    I disliked the uncanny sensation that he had often brought along whenever he showed up in front of


    me. ¡°Fine! Since you¡¯ve already met us, can you leave?¡±


    If I had the choice to stay away from him for the rest of my life, I would ept the offer without a


    second thought.


    I walked past him as I made my way into the vi. Nevertheless, he came after me, standing in my way


    as I was about to reach the house. He smirked viciously as he stated, ¡°Scarlett, are you going to treat


    me in such a manner for the rest of our lives? I¡¯m not your foe¡ªI¡¯m your beloved brother! We¡¯re


    supposed to be each other¡¯s strongest backing on this! Why have you pushed me away over


    and over again?¡±


    For thest time, I tried my best to suppress my emotions as I asked, ¡°Am I supposed to treat you


    differently? John, you¡¯re aware of our rtionship, aren¡¯t you? Are we really siblings? Are you sure that


    I am the one who has pushed you away? How can you say this when you¡¯re the one who has left me


    behind! It¡¯s all your fault! You¡¯re the reason that we¡¯re no longer close! You have turned into a selfish,


    vicious, and cunning man over the years!¡±


    Previously, when Grandma brought him back to R Province, I was thrilled because I thought that I


    finally had another sibling and someone to keep mepany! However, as time went by, I noticed that


    I was wrong because his deeds had sent chills running down my spine!


    When he heard my words, he replied with a bitter smile as though he found himself hrious and


    pathetic at the same time. ¡°Are you going to forsake me as well?¡±


    I avoided the helpless man¡¯s gaze as I murmured, ¡°I have no intention of forsaking you, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Great! Letty, as long as you¡¯re not going to forsake me, I believe that we¡¯ll patch things up and return


    to the good old days soon!¡± His expression morphed as soon as he heard my reply. He returned to the


    car and brought me a basket of tomatoes.


    Grinning, he repeated, ¡°I am aware that you are craving for the fruits and vegetables that we used to


    have back in R Province! Do you remember that I had bought the plot ofnd? I have nted your


    favorite fruits and vegetables using the seeds that have been left behind by Grandma! I have brought


    you your favorite tomatoes and mangoes today!¡±


    For a moment, I felt rather confused when I looked at him because he seemed to be different from his


    usual indifferent and blood-lusting self. I was clueless about the reason that had done all those things


    behind my back.


    I couldn¡¯t be sure if it were one of his attempts to deceive me again, but I couldn¡¯t bear to turn him


    down when I saw the bright and innocent grin on his face.


    In the end, he brought the basket of fruits into the courtyard of the vi and told me, ¡°If you like it, I¡¯ll


    asionally drop by and hand it over to you! Also, if you feel like making a trip back to R Province, feel


    free to get in touch with me! Let¡¯s make a trip together!¡±


    I felt a prickling sensation behind my eyes because John seemed to have been alone all this while. I


    finally figured out that he wasn¡¯t lying when he told me that he had been feeling alone.


    In order to avoid weeping in front of him, I took a deep breath to calm myself and replied cheerfully,


    ¡°Mmm! It¡¯s gettingte. You should return to where you¡¯vee from.¡±


    Perhaps humans had always been social beings that had to rely on one another to get through the


    tough moments in life.


    Since there wasn¡¯t anyone that we could rely on, at the end of the day, we were just two lonely souls on


    this.


    He stared at me in the eyes to express his joy. Before I could reciprocate his affection, he leaped over


    and held me firmly in between his arms. ¡°Letty, I hope that our rtionship will remain this way forever!¡±


    I was silent for a few seconds, taking in the man¡¯s embrace as I stared at the Jeep that was closing in


    behind him.


    Ashton! Why is he back?


    Ashton got out of his car and rushed over to my side swiftly, dragging me away from John before I


    could push thetter away. Thankfully, John¡¯s car was nearby. Otherwise, I would have been sent flying


    by the powerful force.


    As soon as I stopped myself from staggering, Ashton¡¯s punch hadnded on John¡¯s face. It was a fatal


    blow, and John¡¯s face turned swollen while his lips began to bleed.


    Ashton pinned John to the ground and delivered him several punches in the face before he could even


    grasp the situation.


    I rushed over to stop Ashton immediately, yet he turned around and stared at me with his bloodlust pair


    of eyes. ¡°If you don¡¯t want me to send him to hell, stay right where you are!¡±


    Immediately, I brought myself to an abrupt halt. Thankfully, John had returned to his senses. He wiped


    the blood off his lips and started ridiculing Ashton in return. ¡°Is threatening a defenseless woman all


    that you¡¯re capable of? Ashton, why don¡¯t you keep your words and send me to hell?¡±


    ¡°Are you challenging me and pushing your luck?¡± The moment he finished his rhetorical question,


    Ashton started delivering another few blows on John¡¯s face.


    I couldn¡¯t bear it anymore because John was rendered defenseless by the aggressive Ashton. In


    another attempt to stop them, I yelled hysterically, ¡°Ashton, stop it! He¡¯s going to die for real!¡±


    The scene of the incident that had urred when we were children shed back in my mind while I


    stood aside, witnessing the entire fight that had ended up with John being the defenseless victim. Back


    when we were younger, I was bullied and cornered by a bunch of delinquents. John rushed over to my


    rescue and took the beating on my behalf in the nick of time.


    He was a man of few words, yet after he defended me, heforted me and assured me, ¡°Don¡¯t worry!


    It doesn¡¯t hurt at all! You don¡¯t have to be sad!¡±


    Nevertheless, the more he assured me that things would be fine, the more I wailed. Once we made our


    way home, he finally told us that his leg was broken during the intense fight. Grandma could barely


    suppress her wrath and she almost taught the kids a lesson on our behalf.


    In order to keep me safe from the delinquents, he would ignore his injuries and make his way to my


    school because he was afraid that they would show up after school. Since he had brought along a knife


    with him, the delinquents were often intimidated by him and they soon decided to stay away from us.


    Since Ashton showed no signs of stopping while John was about to pass out due to the serious


    injuries, I stopped hesitating and reached out for the baton that was avable in the courtyard. I made


    up my mind and swung it in Ashton¡¯s direction with all of my might.

 Chapter 172

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 172


    Although I was afraid of John, instinctively, I couldn¡¯t bear to forsake him because we used to spend a


    lot of time together back in the day¡ªhe was a brother from another mother of mine in spite of the


    vicious things that he had done over the years.


    Ashton¡¯s body stiffened all of a sudden. He turned around and stared at me in disbelief. The initially


    wrathful man stopped and lost himself in the process of thought, with disappointment being written all


    over his face.


    I stared at him and cast the baton that I had with me aside. As my vision blurred due to the torrents of


    grief that rushed out of my eyes, I got down on my knees and begged, ¡°Stop it! He¡¯s going to die for


    real!¡±


    Ashton moved his lips in an attempt to say something, yet he seemed to be at a loss for words.


    Mrs. Eriksen rushed out as soon as she heard themotion. She shouted when she caught a


    glimpse of the horrifying scene. ¡°Oh, God! What¡¯s going on? What the hell is wrong with all of you?¡±


    I ignored Ashton as I rushed over to John¡¯s side.


    His entire face was drenched in blood as hey on the ground statically, behaving as though he had


    passed out.


    ¡°Hey! Are you okay? I¡¯ll rush you to the hospital at once!¡± I tried to check on his leg because I recalled


    that Ashton had delivered a few kicks on his leg that had gone through a few surgical operations


    before.


    The gravely injured man stopped me as he assured me with a bright grin, ¡°It¡¯s fine! Don¡¯t worry! It


    doesn¡¯t hurt at all!¡±


    He shouldn¡¯t have repeated the words of assurance that he used to tell me. I ended up wailing in front


    of him as tears gushed down my cheeks uncontrobly.


    I tried to help him up, but I was abruptly dragged away by a powerful force. Ashton red at me and


    warned me, ¡°You should stay away from him because he¡¯s fine!¡±


    Although I could feel Ashton¡¯s wrath, I couldn¡¯t possibly leave John alone when he needed me by his


    side during such a crisis. As a matter of fact, he had to go through a few surgical operations to regain


    the capability to walk normally because of me.


    Ashton didn¡¯t bother to hold back against him at all. I was afraid that I wouldn¡¯t get to stay away from


    John for the rest of my life if he were diagnosed with any kind of long-term seque as a result of


    Ashton¡¯s brutality.


    ¡°Ashton, can¡¯t you see that he¡¯s hurt?¡± I tried to shrug him off because I was slightly infuriated. ¡°Why


    have you beaten him up? If there¡¯s anything that irritates you, why don¡¯t youe at me instead? Is it


    necessary for you to take things out on him?¡±


    ¡°A-Argh¡­¡± John started coughing and he puked a few mouthfuls of blood a few secondster.


    I panicked and attempted to shrug Ashton off once more, but due to the difference between our


    strengths, I couldn¡¯t get his hands off of mine at all.


    ring at him in the eyes, I raised my voice and demanded, ¡°Ashton, let go of me!¡±


    He cast a stern gaze in return and insisted, ¡°I want you to get inside at once!¡±


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    Since he showed no intention of setting me free, I leaned over and bit onto his arms while ring at


    him to express my determination.


    In spite of the racking sensation that I had brought upon him, he didn¡¯t even budge as though it wasn¡¯t


    a big deal at all.


    As I was afraid that something bad would happen to John soon, I moved away from Ashton and


    enunciated my warning, ¡°If you refuse to move away from him, it¡¯s time for you to forget about our


    child!¡±


    I tried to smash my tummy with my hand once I warned him, but he managed to get ahead of me as he


    stopped me in the nick of time. He lugged me over and replied in a callous tone, ¡°Scarlett, I can¡¯t


    believe that you¡¯re going to resort to such an extreme measure for his sake!¡±


    The wrathful man couldn¡¯t suppress his emotions any longer¡ªhe grasped my hands without holding


    back his strength.


    ¡°Ashton, please allow me to send him to the hospital!¡± At that point in time, there wasn¡¯t anything that I


    could do about it anymore. I had to resort to something else and beg him to be merciful since he


    showed no signs of giving in to my threats.


    As soon as he felt my tears on his hand, he loosened his grip. I tried to beg him to show us some


    mercy once more. ¡°I¡¯ll return once he¡¯s in the hospital! I won¡¯t go anywhere without your consent! I¡¯ll


    allow you to do anything that you want with me! Please!¡±


    The wrathful man chuckled. ¡°Ha! Are you begging me because of some unworthy jerk? Scarlett, you


    never fail to surprise me!¡±


    ¡°Letty, you don¡¯t have to beg him! I¡¯m fine!¡± John struggled as he tried to bring himself up from the


    ground.


    He staggered and fell to the ground. Judging from the wincing expression on his face, I was pretty sure


    that he must have been gravely injured.


    I couldn¡¯t stand to leave him alone anymore. When Ashton had his guard down, I shrugged him off and


    rushed over to John¡¯s side. After I helped him up, I sniffled and offered, ¡°I¡¯ll rush you to the hospital at


    once.¡±


    I lowered my gaze because I couldn¡¯t bring myself to look at Ashton anymore. It was no easy task, yet I


    managed to bring John back to his car.


    Mrs. Eriksen heaved a long sigh, telling me, ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you, okay?¡±


    I nodded as I rushed over to the driver¡¯s seat, departing as soon as I got the car started.


    After John was rushed to the hospital, I took a seat on the bench in the corridor. I couldn¡¯t be sure if I


    felt awful due to the chilling breeze or the feud that had urred.


    Things weren¡¯t supposed to turn out as such, yet it seemed to have gotten to the point of no return.


    I spent an hour outside of the operating theater, waiting for John. At longst, the nurse brought him


    out as they made their way to his ward.


    Meanwhile, the doctor instructed me to deal with the paperwork to get him hospitalized. Hence, I


    stopped the doctor because no one told me how John¡¯s conditions were. ¡°Doctor, how is the patient? Is


    there going to be any long-term seque?¡±


    The doctor smiled and assured me, ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal, but it¡¯s going to take some time for his wounds


    to recover. With that being said, I was made aware that the patient¡¯s leg had gone through surgical


    operations. I need to send the patient for a simple X-Ray examination to figure out his true condition.¡±


    I nodded vigorously and expressed my gratitude before I headed over to the ward.


    Since anesthesia had been administered, Johny on the bed as he was rendered incapable of


    movement. He seemed to be in a great mood as his lips curved upwards once I showed up in the ward.


    ¡°Please have a seat and keep mepany!¡±

 Chapter 173

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 173


    I paid no heed to his request and told him, ¡°You should get someone else to drop by and take care of


    you. It¡¯s gettingte. I need to return home soon.¡±


    Since the sky had already gotten pitch-ck, I really had to return to Ashton soon. To be frank, I wasn¡¯t


    sure what would ur once I reached home.


    John¡¯s expression darkened almost instantly. He replied petntly, ¡°Do you think that I have anyone


    else to rely on apart from you? Since you have something else to tend to, feel free to leave!¡±


    I was at a loss for words due to his response. He behaved as though he would give up on himself


    again. Frowning, I offered, ¡°I¡¯ll get you a caretaker to keep an eye on you.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett! Are you holding a grudge against me? Do you want me dead? Are you going to leave me


    alone as well?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Truthfully, he had never brought upon my misery, yet I couldn¡¯t move on from the things he had


    done.


    The sulky man added, ¡°You do realize that you¡¯re the only one I can rely on, don¡¯t you? Over the past


    five years, I resisted the urge to approach you because I didn¡¯t want to get in your way and ruin your


    blissful life. Initially, I thought that I would make it through the darkest moments of my life on my own,


    but I was wrong¡ªI didn¡¯t expect to encounter you in A City.¡±


    He lowered his gaze and stared at his wounded hand, acting all gloomy. ¡°Ever since we¡¯dst met, I¡¯ve


    come to realize that I no longer wish to be separated from you any further! Can we return to the good


    old days? Let¡¯s keep one anotherpany for the rest of our lives! What do you think?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to answer him because I knew that he had a ruined childhood¡ªhe had been


    spending his entire life searching for a ce to call home.


    ¡°John, I have gotten married to someone else and I¡¯ve started my own family. I don¡¯t mind having you in


    my life, but you should know your ce and refrain from going overboard.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so great about Ashton? He¡¯s a cruel and violent man! He doesn¡¯t even love you! Why do you


    want to spend the rest of your life with such a man?¡±


    We needed to stop. Otherwise, he would go berserk again. ¡°You should take good care of yourself for


    the time being. I¡¯ll go get you a caretaker to keep an eye on you.¡±


    Before he could stop me again, I rushed out of the ward and headed over to the nurse station, asking


    them to take care of him.


    I had no choice but to hail a cab back because I had used John¡¯s car in order to rush him to the


    hospital. After I reached the vi, I stood in front of the entrance for some time.


    To be frank, I was anxious and couldn¡¯t be sure if I could face Ashton.


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    Nevertheless, it was only a matter of time before I would have to face him in person.


    After I brought myself in, I noticed that there was barely any source of illumination in the living room;


    nheless, someone was in the kitchen¡ªit must have been Mrs. Eriksen because she had always


    enjoyed baking and cooking during her free time.


    Perhaps she was in the middle of trying out several new recipes that she hade across on the


    inte. After I got changed into a pair of indoor sandals, I walked into the living room as I soon noticed


    that no one was around.


    I heaved a sigh of relief as I made my way toward the kitchen. Mrs. Eriksen turned around wide-eyed


    because she was taken aback by my presence. ¡°Oh, God! Letty! Can you make some noise the next


    time you approach me? You¡¯ve just given me the shock of my life!¡±


    She patted her chest tofort herself as she queried, ¡°Did you just arrive? Are you hungry? Come


    over and check out the things that I¡¯ve prepared for you!¡± Immediately after she returned to her usual


    sprightly self, she headed over and showed me the things she had prepared.


    I caught a whiff of a pleasant scent and heard my stomach growling. ¡°Mrs. Eriksen, what is it? It smells


    great!¡±


    She smiled as she started to tell me about hertest recipe. ¡°It¡¯s a potato casserole! I have added some


    homegrown rosemary as the key condiment! I believe that it gives the entire dish an aromatic


    fragrance. It¡¯s almost ready. You should head over to the dining hall and wait for me.¡±


    Mrs. Eriksen didn¡¯t want me to be anywhere near the kitchen because she imed that it would be


    hard for pregnant women to get used to the stench in the kitchen.


    I did as instructed and headed over to the dining hall in anticipation of my meal that was going to be


    served shortly.


    After a few minutes, she showed up in the dining hall with a serving of the freshly baked potato


    casserole. ¡°It¡¯s fresh out of the oven. You should wait for a while because it¡¯s scorching hot.¡±


    She ced it in front of me and looked at me as if she had something to tell me.


    I caught the odd look of hers and decided to be the proactive one. ¡°Mrs. Eriksen, what is it about? Feel


    free to tell me about the things that are bothering you.¡±


    She replied with a sheepish grin, ¡°Letty, I shouldn¡¯t poke my nose into your business, but I can¡¯t


    possibly allow things between you and Mr. Ashton to head south anymore. I used to go through the


    things that you¡¯re currently going through, and I don¡¯t want you to end up miserable like me. I have to


    stop you before things between both of you get to the point of no return. Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid that the


    late Mr. Fuller will cast the me on me.¡±


    I responded with a faint smile because I knew that she had brought it up for my sake. ¡°Mrs. Eriksen,


    you don¡¯t have to be afraid. Over the years, you¡¯ve been the one who has taken care of me during my


    days here. I have long thought of you as a senior of mine. Feel free to share whatever you have in


    mind with me. I¡¯ll definitely take it into consideration and give it a thought.¡±


    She heaved a long sigh as she eventually told me of the issue that had been bothering her. ¡°Ever since


    Mr. Ashton returned, he locked himself up in the study room. I saw his back drenched in blood. Can


    you please serve him his dinner and talk things through with him? If it¡¯s possible, please check on his


    wound on my behalf because he paid no heed to the things that I had told him. As a married couple,


    both of you should stop fighting over such trivial issues and stop holding a grudge against one another.


    Open up to one another. Otherwise, it will umte and blow up in the near future.¡±


    I nodded and told Mrs. Eriksen to get me a serving of the potato casserole immediately because I was


    worried about Ashton¡¯s wound. ¡°I¡¯ll head over and check on him at once.¡±


    Mrs. Erikson chuckled as she uttered, ¡°It¡¯s fine! You should prioritize yourself over him. I¡¯m sure that


    you must be starving after such a long day since you¡¯re heavily pregnant. Take your time and finish


    your meal before you head over to check on him.¡±


    I knew that she was worried about me. Seeing as such, I took my time and finished my meal as I was


    instructed. In the end, I told her, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry, Mrs. Eriksen. I¡¯ll finish my meal before I head


    upstairs.¡±

 Chapter 174

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 174


    Seeing this, Mrs. Eriksen walked into the kitchen, smiling.


    Meanwhile, outside the study.


    I hesitated for a while, then raised my hand to knock on the door.


    After a moment, a low voice came from inside, ¡°Mrs. Eriksen, you go and rest. I¡¯m not hungry!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me!¡± I said, almost biting my lip, feeling so anxious that I nearly sweated.


    There was a short silence. After a while, the low voice spoke loudly, ¡°Come in!¡±


    I sighed with relief. Then, I pushed the door open. I nced at the good-looking yet unapproachable


    man seated at the desk.


    Holding the bowl of soup, I paused and said, ¡°Mrs. Eriksen said you haven¡¯t eaten anything. She made


    this fish soup. Would you like to take it? ¡°


    As I spoke, I walked up to him and put the bowl next to him. Then, my eyes fell on his back.


    It was the same suit as before since it was ck and there was nothing else except for the faint mark


    from the spade.


    I was about to ask if he suffered any injuries but I stopped when I saw him staring at me nkly.


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    I was a little frustrated.


    ¡°Why are you back?¡± He frowned and the expression on his face was distant and remote.


    I lowered my head. After all, I panicked in this matter and didn¡¯t handle it well. I paused and said,


    ¡°Ashton, I¡¯m sorry but I can¡¯t leave him alone. If you are still angry now, you may hit me or scold me.¡±


    ¡°Hah!¡± Heughed, coldly, ¡°How likely is it for me to scold or hit you?¡±


    Looking at him, I nodded very seriously, ¡°Yes. If you are angry, you can hit me!¡±


    ¡°Hit you?¡± Heughed hysterically, ¡°Scarlett, when did you learn to give a carrot after giving a smack?


    You have be more cunning over the years of working in Fuller Corporation.¡±


    Uh-oh!


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you take the soup first and fill your stomach? If you don¡¯t take any food, it is harmful to your


    health!¡± Now, I can only be gentle with him. If I push him too hard, I¡¯m afraid¡­


    At this moment, there was an extremely gloomy expression on his face. It was almostparable to


    the gathering of dark clouds before theing of a storm.


    ¡°Will you exin what happened between you and John?¡±


    I frowned as always when this matter was brought up as it would make me irritable. That was all in the


    past and I was not willing to recount everything in detail to anyone.


    Seeing his distant expression, I couldn¡¯t help but knit my eyebrows, saying softly, ¡°John and I were both


    children adopted by Grandma. He was a few years older than I was and we grew up together. Later,


    something happened and he left us. He disappeared and didn¡¯t show up until now.¡±


    I did not want to go into the details as I was not willing to dig up too much pain from the past.


    He narrowed his eyes. ¡°Are you childhood sweethearts or love between siblings? Or is it both?¡±


    I frowned and red at him as I was getting annoyed. ¡°He was my elder brother and that was all!¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± He sneered. ¡°This elder brother treats his younger sister in a very unusual way, hugging and


    embracing. If he is your elder brother, why didn¡¯t you say so right from the beginning?¡±


    ¡°It was not necessary,¡± I said quite angrily, ¡°It¡¯ste. You¡¯d better get some rest after taking the soup.


    I¡¯m going to bed now.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to quarrel with him as I didn¡¯t think it was necessary. There were many instances where I


    chose to leave as I couldn¡¯t control myself.


    Inside my bedroom, I was unable to sleep immediately so I went out to the balcony and sat on the


    swing while staring nkly at the scenery outside the window.


    Ashton came in and fixed his eyes on me for a moment. I knew he was suppressing his anger and he


    didn¡¯t want to quarrel with me.


    Seeing him enter the bathroom, I couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Sometimes, pregnant women get angry easily


    and I had no control over it.


    Ashton showered very quickly. When he came out, he only had a towel wrapped around his lower body


    and the translucent water drops rolled down the sexy texture of his chest and abdomen.


    As he dried his hair with the towel, I noticed the bruise on his back where I had hit him with a shovel. I


    got up and went out of the bedroom to find the first aid kit in the living room.


    When I returned to the bedroom, Ashton was already lying on the bed, reading. Seeing me holding the


    first aid kit in my hand, he raised his brows and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to apply ointment on your back.¡± I went to his side, took out some ointment for bruises, and


    told him, ¡°Your back is blue and ck, so let me rub some medicine on it.¡±


    He nced at the ointment and sat up with his back toward me.


    I ced some of the ointment on the palm of my hand and rubbed it gently on his back. For fear of


    causing him pain, I didn¡¯t use much force. This medicine had an extremely unpleasant smell.


    After a moment, he turned his deep dark gaze toward me. ¡°You can rub harder!¡±


    Taken aback, I burst out, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of pain?¡±


    He lowered his eyebrows and his guard. ¡°When you hit me, did you not think that I could feel the pain?¡±


    At his words, my hand paused and I looked down, not knowing how to reply to him. In silence, I


    continued rubbing the ointment for him.


    After some time, I kept the first aid kit and washed my hands.


    I took a quick shower and went to bed. Recently, he had taken up the habit of sleeping nude and when


    I rolled over, I identally touched hisher regions.


    I was startled for a moment and instinctively nced at him. He didn¡¯t respond but continued to read


    his book calmly.

 Chapter 175

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 175


    With a sigh of relief, Iy down and got ready to sleep.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    The next morning.


    I woke up earlier than usual.


    Ashton had not woken up yet and he was sleeping very soundly. Even then, his sleeping posture was


    very pleasant to the eyes. His neat and short ck hair revealing his ssic facial features which were


    well-defined.


    It was the first time that I looked at his face so carefully.


    His eyshes were very long, his lips were tightly closed and the corners of his lips were turned down


    slightly!


    This facial expression was an indication of constant alertness.


    It had been said that people who slept with this posture were persistent and insistent on getting their


    way.


    Indeed, Ashton fitted that description.


    He had a broad chest, wide shoulders, and a narrow waist. Additionally, his legs were well-proportioned


    and slender!


    His level of alertness was extremely high even when he was sound asleep.


    He opened his pitch-ck eyes suddenly with not the slightest bit of sleepiness and staring straight at


    me.


    As our eyes met, I was taken aback for a moment but quickly returned to normalcy.


    After a while, his tense body rxed. His eyes narrowed and he stretched out his hand. ¡°Come here?¡±


    I looked away, without the slightest embarrassment of being caught looking at him in his sleep. ¡°You get


    more sleep. I¡¯m going downstairs.¡±


    Mrs. Eriksen must have gotten up early and gone to the market. The box of fruits that John brought


    earlier was still in the yard and it was too big for me to move it alone.


    I decided I might as well just fill the fruits in a te and brought some in. John was right. They were all


    fruits from R Province. The tomatoes were not very big but they tasted good.


    The green mangoes were great too. When I was a kid, I always liked to eat that with chili. It tasted


    superb.


    He sent a lot. Macy had always said that she craved for them, so I washed some and packed them for


    her. After checking the time, I sent her a message.


    Since she was still in hospital, I would send them to herter.


    Hearing some movement from the top of the stairs, I turned around to look and saw it was Ashton in


    grey pajamas. He was tall and slim and looked attractive even in pajamas.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you sleep in?¡± It was still early and there was nothing for him to do.


    ¡°I can¡¯t sleep,¡± Ashton¡¯s eyes seemed cold but there was apelling air about him. Sure enough, he


    looked at me for a long time and said softly; ¡°I am restless.¡±


    I could not help but remain still. I put down my mobile phone and told him inly, ¡°Later, I shall be


    going to the hospital to see Macy.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± He embraced me from behind and his voice was raspy. ¡°Cats tend to be irritable and cranky


    when they are feeling unsettled. Humans are the same and we haven¡¯t done it for a long time.¡±


    His voice was full of suppressed desire, ¡°Shall we go to the bathroom? Huh?¡±


    I said nothing.


    Sure enough, no matter how proper and well-dressed a man might be; he would be a horny


    ba*tard whenever he had sexual urges.


    Since silence was consent, he held back no more. His hands moved around my waist and explored,


    sliding up and down.


    ¡°Ashton, this is the living room!¡± If he continued and if Mrs. Eriksen came home, we would be so


    embarrassed.


    ¡°We¡¯ll go to the bathroom!¡± As he spoke, he had already picked me up and stepped into the bathroom.


    Then, he turned on the shower before putting me on the edge of the bath. He put his arms around my


    waist as he lowered his head onto me.


    I was not surprised, ¡°Ashton, no¡­¡±


    His voice was low and seductive as he caught my hands and our fingers intersected¡­


    We did not speak.


    After rolling in the tub for nearly an hour, Iy limp in his arms. He washed me and dressed me in some


    clothes he selected.


    He carried me into the living room and ced me on the sofa before going back to bathe himself.


    I have finally had a good understanding of the saying ¨C A hungry wolf is an angry wolf.


    John called me quite a few times. While Ashton was in the bathroom, I answered the call, feeling quite


    tired. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Are you awake?¡± Hearing the tone of his voice, I realized that he had woken up too early and had


    nothing to do.


    ¡°Yes, I am. So, what is it?¡±


    ¡°I want to eat the pasta you cook. You bring it to meter!¡± His tone was really childish.


    I frowned as I felt rather annoyed. ¡°The nurse will do it for you. I have some errands to runter.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett,¡± he used a stronger tone, ¡°if you don¡¯t bring it for me, I shalle to your ce.¡±


    This is madness!


    I calmed myself down and replied, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll make it for you.¡±


    Then, I hung up immediately.


    Mrs. Eriksen came back from the market and looked surprised when she saw that I was already up.


    ¡°Do you have something to do? Why are you up so early?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I slept earlyst night so I woke up early.¡± Then, I got up and took the shopping bag from


    her hands. ¡°Is there any minced beef in the kitchen?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°Yes, we do. I bought some more today. Why? What would you like to eat? I¡¯ll cook for


    you.¡±


    I smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ll eat anything you cook. Just leave some minced beef for me to cook some pasta


    which I¡¯m bringing to the hospital.¡±


    She could not help but feel surprised and she gave me a puzzled look. ¡°Is it for the gentleman who was


    here yesterday?¡±


    As Ashton wasing downstairs, I smiled without replying to her. Then, I went back into the living


    room to sit down.


    He had changed into a suit and sat down leaning next to me. He looked rxed as he turned on the


    TV.


    I frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t you have any ns for today?¡± There was so much to do at the office. How could he


    find time to sit down and watch TV with me?

 Chapter 176

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 176


    He raised his eyebrows. ¡°The tickets to K City for the evening have already been booked. Have you


    forgotten?¡±


    If he had not brought this up, I definitely would have forgotten.


    I was dumbfounded for a moment and then I asked, ¡°What must I bring with me?¡±


    ¡°Nothing!¡± He put his arm around my waist. ¡°Joseph has arranged everything. We¡¯ll be staying for a few


    days. I¡¯ll bring you to meet Aunt Sally!¡±


    ¡°Should we go for another check-up?¡± The baby is almost seven months old. It didn¡¯t develop so well in


    the early stages. Since we are not familiar with K City, would it not be better to do a check-up before we


    leave?


    Perhaps he knew what bothered me as he said, ¡°Dr. Ludwick has arranged for an obstetrician and


    gynecologist toe with us. I have also arranged for a doctor in K City, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    I just nodded and thought for a while, ¡°Macy and Dr. Crest are still in the hospital. When we go off, who


    will take care of them?¡±


    ¡°Jared has recuperated well. He just has to stay in the hospital for a few more days. The doctor for


    Macy said that she can be discharged. If you are worried about her, let here with us.¡± He had


    thought of everything so well that I was at a loss for words for a while.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    After pondering over it, I asked, ¡°Shall we not go to the family home and say goodbye to Uncle Charlie


    and Aunt Helen?¡±


    He stopped talking and looked at me. His dark eyes gazed at me for a long time and then he asked,


    ¡°Scarlett, you don¡¯t want to go to K City, do you?¡±


    I was stunned and shook my head. ¡°No, it¡¯s just that I¡¯m used to staying here in J City. It¡¯s basically


    strange to go to K City. Besides, I don¡¯t sleep well now. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s going to get worse in K City.¡±


    I didn¡¯t like it and I didn¡¯t want to go. Reba¡¯s biological parents were both there and their power and


    authority were based there. I had a bad omen that I might get blown up in bits if I go there.


    ¡°I have contacted the doctor. This time I won¡¯t be there for a long time, at most one month. After seeing


    Aunt Sally and the doctor, we¡¯lle back. We won¡¯t stay for long. You are not well and you need


    treatment, both for you and for the child. I know that Dr. Kane is with you but both of you are friends. A


    doctor¡¯s judgement may be affected by personal emotions!¡±


    He said this in a very sincere tone so I didn¡¯t and couldn¡¯t deny it.


    Looking down at the palm of my hand, I nodded, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll go with your arrangements! What time is the


    flight tonight?¡± Later, I would go and see Macy and Jackson. We summoned Jackson back from afar


    so, I definitely couldn¡¯t go off to K City without seeing him.


    ¡°Six o¡¯clock!¡±


    I nodded and said inly, ¡°In a while, I shall go to see Macy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you!¡±


    I thought of refusing him. Then, I remembered that he needed to see Jared, so I didn¡¯t say anything.


    After breakfast, I went into the kitchen and started cooking the pasta for John. Mrs. Eriksen refused to


    let me breathe in the oily fumes and forced me out. I did not protest but just asked her to cook three


    portions.


    It was not far from our vi to the hospital and Ashton¡¯s driving was safe and fast so we reached our


    destination very quickly.


    He got a phone call while we were in the lift. We were supposed to visit Macy¡¯s ward first but it was


    improper for him to talk while visiting so he remained at the staircase while I went ahead.


    As I entered the ward, Macy looked at me with eyes full of expectation and she said pitifully, ¡°You¡¯re


    here finally. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll be a permanent part of the hospital. Please help me with the discharge


    procedurester. I don¡¯t want to stay in the hospital anymore. I¡¯m going to suffocate and die here.¡±


    She was too funny for words. I handed her the pasta and said, ¡°It¡¯s freshly cooked so eat it now. It will


    turn soggy after a while. Just enjoy it and I will send the other two portions now.¡±


    ¡°Two portions? Whom are they for?¡± She looked at me with a face full of curiosity.


    ¡°John and Jared!¡±


    She gaped. ¡°I know Jared is hospitalized. What happened to John?¡±


    This was giving me a headache as it was not easy to exin so I replied, ¡°Ashton beat him up. I¡¯lle


    backter and tell you about it.¡±


    Coming out of the ward, I bumped into Joe and Reba. She cast me a nce that was both calm


    and nonchnt. I always felt that she had changed a lot, seemingly more at peace with herself.


    Passing the lunch boxed into Joe¡¯s hand, I said, ¡°Mr. Quinn, you don¡¯t mind bringing these to Dr.


    Crest¡¯s room, do you?¡±


    Joe raised his eyebrows. ¡°You made them?¡±


    ¡°It was Ashton!¡± With that, he took the food containers. I did not say much but went to the surgical


    ward.


    John seemed especially good at berating people. At the door of the ward, I could hear him telling the


    nurse to get out in a very cold tone.


    The nurse came out of the ward looking ashen. When she saw me, she pulled my hand and said, ¡°Ms.


    Stovall, something urgent hase up at home so, I am unable to continue working here. Please will


    you contact another nurse quickly?¡±


    ¡°Letty, are you here?¡± From inside the bedroom came John¡¯s voice.


    The nurse left without saying much.


    Entering the ward, I saw John on the hospital bed with a mobile phone in his hand. Seeing me, his


    gloomy face started smiling ¡°You¡¯ve got the pasta ready?¡±


    I nodded as I passed the pasta to him, ¡°Don¡¯t make things difficult for the nurses. Tonight I¡¯m leaving for


    K City with Ashton. We¡¯ll be there for some time. You¡¯d better get someone toe and take care of


    you.¡±

 Chapter 177

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 177


    He was taken aback. ¡°What are you and Ashton doing in K City?¡±


    I didn¡¯t exin much to him. Besides, he was not seriously injured. Staying in the hospital was just a


    ploy to get my sympathy. I looked at him and said inly, ¡°Some business to deal with!¡±


    As I turned around to leave, he raised his voice, with a bit of coldness, ¡°You¡¯d better leave Ashton


    soon.¡±


    I frowned, not wanting to engage in further conversation with him.


    When I returned to Macy¡¯s ward, she had finished eating the pasta. She had been medicated and was


    up by herself, peeling the green mangoes I had brought for her.


    Seeing me back in her ward, she acted really silly. ¡°Babe, where did you get these green mangoes?


    They taste exactly like those from the tree in the garden back in R Province.


    I sat down beside her and watched her eat quite a few at one go. I couldn¡¯t help but feel worried.


    ¡°You¡¯re eating too many. Are you okay?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°I can finish all that you brought!¡±


    I was speechless. John had brought quite a lot and I almost took all the green mangoes here.


    The main reason was that she ate a portion of pasta and then so many green mangoes. Will this affect


    the baby she is carrying?


    ¡°Darn it, you¡¯re eating like a horse!¡± Jackson walked in and eximed when he saw the way Macy was


    eating.


    Seeing Nicking together with him, I felt surprised. ¡°Mr. Harrison, are you with Jackson most of the


    time?¡±


    Macy was a busybody. With her hands full of green mangoes and looking at the two men, she put on


    an evil smile. ¡°Are you two doing it?¡±


    ¡°Doing what?¡± Jackson looked at her and asked, ¡°You¡¯d better stop eating or else you¡¯ll die of


    overeating. Eat less but more frequently. Be careful of your eating habits, Macy.¡±


    She sneered and ignored him but turned her attention on Nick. ¡°Mr. Harrison, are you here to visit me?¡±


    Nick looked at me and smiled gently. ¡°Yeah!¡± It was obviously perfunctory.


    Macy curled her lips and kept quiet.


    Nick looked at me and asked, ¡°Are you going to K City?¡±


    I nced at Jackson. This guy told him everything. Nodding my head, I replied, ¡°I¡¯ll be there for a few


    days and will be back soon.¡±


    He nodded, ¡°That¡¯s good. I have to go over to run an errand. What time are you leaving?¡±


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°My flight is at six in the evening.¡±


    ¡°F****!¡± Jackson cursed, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you mention it earlier?¡±


    I was stunned. ¡°What business do you have there?¡±


    ¡°I could go with you!¡± When Macy gave him a contemptuous look, he rubbed his nose. ¡°If I had known


    that you were going to K City, I would have returned to M Country to work.¡±


    ¡°Too many things happened in the past few days so I forgot all about it.¡± Then, I looked at Nick and


    asked, ¡°When are you going to K City?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go tomorrow!¡± He raised his eyebrows. ¡°Perhaps, we¡¯ll meet again in a few days¡¯ time.¡±


    Seeing that we were all leaving, Macyined, ¡°None of you will be in J City so what am I


    supposed to do here? That¡¯s it. I¡¯m going back to the vige and staying there.¡±


    Jackson found a seat and sat down. Looking at me, he asked, ¡°Did Ashton n to take you to a doctor


    in K City?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°That¡¯s part of the n but not the only reason.¡±


    After we had chatted for a while, Ashton came over and asked us to have lunch together.


    Macy was well enough to move around but not Jared.


    Naturally, I asked, ¡°Is Dr. Crest well enough to move around freely?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a doctor so he knows better!¡±


    Having said that, I did not have much to say. It was just that when both our friends got together for


    lunch, the atmosphere might get odd.


    Ashton booked a restaurant and we had a big private room in which Nick and Jackson seemed to have


    an unending list of topics to discuss.


    Macy was all focused on the food while Joe was busy looking after Reba.


    Reba tried hard to serve Ashton with some dishes while I took a few mouthfuls of food that he got


    for me.


    It was extremely boring.


    Everyone at the table knew each other but didn¡¯t meet often. The only stranger was Jackson.


    Sitting between Macy and me, Jared looked pale as he still needed to be hospitalized.


    He did not speak much and spoke even less now. His gaze fixed on Macy most of the time. Seeing that


    she was eating without any control, he frowned and said, ¡°Eating too much is bad for your digestive


    system.¡±


    Macy lifted her eyes and nced at him. She replied with an indifferent expression in a in voice,


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    And then, she continued to eat.


    That was her character. Seeing that she paid no heed, Jared did not say anymore and just frowned.


    Reba looked at me, and with a well-controlled and pleasant expression, she spoke gracefully, ¡°Ms.


    Stovall, would you like to introduce your friend to us?¡±


    She meant Jackson!


    Jackson was always babbling and he might even seem to be too carefree. However, he was even more


    protective of his friends than Macy.


    He knew about what happened between Reba and Ashton.


    From the time we sat down till now, he has been talking to Nick, but his eyes had been looking towards


    Reba, waiting to find a chance to st her.


    At this opportunity, Jackson said, ¡°You must be the legendary Reba, right? The one who snatches


    someone¡¯s man by crying, and got epted into a family by lying?¡±

 Chapter 178

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 178


    Given the size of the table, he had to raise his voice so everyone could hear.


    All eyes were on Reba for a while. It was awkward, and nobody spoke, but she took it all in stride.


    Her face was frozen in an elegant smile, yet she did not seem angered.


    ¡°You¡¯re surrounded by such upstanding and cultured people, Ms. Stovall,¡± said Joe. ¡°I¡¯ve barely said a


    few words, and they¡¯re already engaging with me ad hominem.


    ¡°Oh, spare us the fancy usations! Ad hominem indeed!¡± sneered Jackson. ¡°You¡¯re Joe Quinn, I


    assume. Look, if you want to protect her so badly, then just marry her! Stop her from moping around


    and pining for someone else¡¯s husband like a lovesick puppy.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s human nature, isn¡¯t it?¡± responded Macy. ¡°The grass is always greener on the other side.


    Forbidden fruit will always taste sweeter if you can¡¯t have it for yourself.¡±


    I was taken aback by the resentment in her eyes when she looked at Jared. Whatever their history


    was, it seemed to run quite deep.


    Ashton¡¯s face sank. ¡°Well, I think pregnant women shouldn¡¯t tarry in such hectic ces,¡± he said mildly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s all just resume eating.¡±


    Reba looked aggrievedly at me, but said nothing.


    I massaged my temples. That remark was obviously directed at me. Few knew about Macy¡¯s


    pregnancy, but my belly was bulging.


    ¡°What a bold disy of favoritism!¡± retorted Jackson smugly.


    Nick nced at me with a mild expression. Having also noticed that Jackson had passed over a dish to


    him, he frowned with some displeasure. ¡°You know that I don¡¯t like fish.¡±


    ¡°You will once you eat it!¡± Jackson seemed to be in rtively decent spirits. He was constantly


    pestering Nick to try new things, but his actions seemed ambiguous.


    It was odd, considering how it was only a meal.


    Jared had initially required to remain in hospital, but he refused to stay there since he was already


    nearing aplete recovery. Topensate for this, he employed a personal doctor to see to his


    needs. Macy was much better now so she insisted on being discharged.


    Jackson turned around and tossed the car keys at me. ¡°I¡¯m also getting ready to depart for M Country.


    Please call me any time, should you have any problems.¡±


    Ashton and I had a ne to catch so we went straight back to the vi to pack.


    It was ten o¡¯clock at night by the time we reached K City. Someone had been assigned to pick us up


    from the airport in a ck limousine.


    Ashton was juggling with the luggage and me when suddenly, a middle-aged man exited the car. In a


    very respectful tone, he gave Ashton a heartfelt greeting.


    Ashton nodded at him and handed our luggage to him before helping me into the car. I was drowsy but


    still managed to catch the introduction Ashton provided. The man was Croyden, his aunt¡¯s butler.


    I gave him a slight nod to greet him but soon dozed off on Ashton¡¯s shoulder. It might have been the


    long flight, coupled with the running around all day. In no time, I fell into a deep slumber.


    I didn¡¯t even wake up when Ashton brought me to our room.


    When I woke up the next day, I was dumbstruck. The furnishings in the room seemed oddly familiar. I


    was sure that we were already in K City, so what was all this?


    While I noticed the simrities between the furnishings in the bedroom and what we had in the J City


    vi, these items seemed to be newer and more up-to-date. It was likely that the designs were a bit


    less popr due to how new they were.


    Iy down for a while longer to get rid of the drowsiness before finally getting up. Theyout of the


    bedroom was the same as that of the vi we lived in. Even the toiletries were brands that I used


    frequently, arranged per Ashton¡¯s instructions.


    When I stepped out of the bathroom, I saw Ashton standing there in a full suit. He smiled and asked,


    ¡°Did you sleep wellst night?¡±


    I nodded and gave him the once-over. He was dressed in his usual all-ck, custom-designed suit, just


    like everything else he owned. ¡°Have you considered wearing other colors?¡±


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    I had bought him clothing in other colors before, but they were all hanging in the closet, untouched.


    He arched a brow and walked towards me. ¡°I can try!¡± With that, he proceeded to tug my arm towards


    the exit.


    I froze for a moment. ¡°At least let me get dressed!¡±


    ¡°Go have breakfast first. You can change after eating!¡±


    I frowned. ¡°Aren¡¯t we at your aunt¡¯s ce?¡±


    He shook his head and took my hand. ¡°It¡¯s too hectic over there and crowded to boot. For that reason, I


    bought this ce. I was concerned that you wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep well. The bedroom has been


    designed ording to the vi in J City, but it is muchrger. It¡¯ll also be easier to cater to the arrival of


    the baby.¡±


    His thoughtful consideration surprised me. Immediately, I felt warmth bloom in my heart. Smiling at him,


    I asked, ¡°Is Mrs. Eriksen here too?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Pulling me out of the bedroom, he said, ¡°Someone needs to manage things in J City. However,


    I¡¯ve hired some part-time staff, a personal doctor, and housekeepers to tend to your needs. They live in


    the next block.¡±


    I didn¡¯t understand what he meant initially but learntter that it had to do with theyout of the grounds


    itself. It was arge, elegant Oriental-style building divided into three main blocks. The main building,


    where Ashton and I lived, was two-story high. The other two buildings housed the doctor, the


    housekeepers, and a few bodyguards.


    The whole ce was also beautifullyndscaped. A rockery and water feature adorned the main house


    and garden, but it was also filled with seasonal fruits and vegetables. The backyard was mostly filled


    with fruit trees. Extra care was taken to include flowers and nts that were in season to decorate both


    areas.


    It was arge ce. After breakfast, Ashton led me on a tour of the ce and told me to get dressed.


    We were going to visit his aunt.

 Chapter 179

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 179


    This was my first time in K City. Being the country¡¯s capital, it came with rich historical background. Not


    only did it pay homage to its rich past, but it also served to usher in its even brighter future.


    However, such arge city meant that it came with its own set of problems, namely traffic. Ashton had


    one hand on the steering wheel while his other drummed impatiently against the steering wheel.


    I looked at the scenery outside the car window distractedly. I may have seemed calm on the outside,


    but I was actually quite nervous.


    I had never met Ashton¡¯s aunt before.


    The city center was a glorious sight. In an area where every square inch ofnd was worth a lot of


    money, they had also developed natural green pockets and parks. The people who lived here were


    super-rich with their cars dotting the parking lots.


    When I got out of the car, I noticed that even shrubs and trees in the area were exotic. There was also


    an eye-catching lily pond in the center, where pink and white lilies were in full bloom.


    Ashton took me along a cobblestone path. As we walked up the stairs, we soon reached another


    stately-looking Oriental-style vi.


    In the two years that I¡¯d been with Ashton, I¡¯d seen plenty of luxurious vis. The property in front of me


    was particrly outstanding and overwhelming.


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    Standing at the gate was a veryposed woman who looked to be in her thirties. She wore a dress


    the color of ink, embroidered with daisies.


    As soon as she saw us, she greeted us with a joyous smile. ¡°Well, I¡¯d been expecting you both for


    breakfast instead! Since you took so long to arrive, we can only have lunch.¡±


    ¡°I apologize. The traffic was terrible!¡± replied Ashton, looking sheepishly at her.


    His gaze returned to me. All this while, he hadn¡¯t let go of my hand yet. ¡°This is my wife, Scarlett.¡±


    The woman looked at me indulgently as her smile widened. She pulled me towards her for a closer


    look. ¡°So she is the woman father chose? She has an elegant and good-natured air, plus she also


    looks beautiful even though she¡¯s with child!¡±


    I grinned and said, ¡°Hello, Aunt Sally.¡±


    George Fuller only had three children in his lifetime. Out of the three, two were sons. The eldest died


    young, leaving only one other male in his wake. The second son was more carefree and wasn¡¯t


    particrly interested in corporate affairs. Little else was known about his daughter, Sally Fuller.


    With all the introductions out of the way, Aunt Sally then led us both into the vi. With its white walls


    and ck tiles, the building had a simple color palette. However, there was no denying that the


    materials and overall design were top-notch.


    Next to the vi was an open-air yard area. From here, I could see someone sitting under a sunshade,


    drinking tea with a book in his hands. Next to himy arge gray Tibetan mastiff. I wasn¡¯t particrly


    fond of dogs, especiallyrge ones like this intimidated me.


    I couldn¡¯t help but lean against Ashton, instinctively clutching his elbow.


    Having noticed my reaction, Ashton paused to nce at what triggered it before looking away.


    ¡°That¡¯s your Uncle Benjamin¡¯s son, Marcus,¡± said Sally with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re both of the same age,


    Ashton.¡±


    Ashton nodded and said nothing else.


    I had been feeling odd since I entered the vi. Sally looked to be only a few years older than Ashton,


    yet when she introduced Marcus, she referred to him as ¡®your uncle Benjamin¡¯s son¡¯.


    Ashton had never even mentioned anything about Sally Fuller. Although I had my doubts, I couldn¡¯t just


    blurt my thoughts out and ask questions. That would¡¯ve been tactless.


    As we entered the foyer, I couldn¡¯t help but nce at Marcus, who was still lounging on the deck. He


    was dressed in an off-white shirt and gray cks with white household slippers. Marcus exuded an air


    of elegance and gentility, despite the attire he was d in.


    A man like this would¡¯ve been the perfect catch for any woman.


    Suddenly, I heard my name being called in the distance. Putting aside my thoughts, I hastily continued


    down the foyer.


    ¡°You¡¯re pregnant, dearest,¡± said Sally with a gentle smile. ¡°You should watch your movement.¡±


    I nodded. My scalp prickled as I had the feeling that someone was watching me. Instinctively, I turned


    around.


    Marcus had been looking at me, his gaze clear as day. As our eyes met, I was stunned. I smiled on


    impulse and nodded slightly, hoping that it would pass for a greeting.


    He furrowed his brows at me for a moment and went back to his book.


    The foyer leading into the living room was bright and luxuriously decorated. An expensive and well-


    maintained grand piano was ced near the staircase, further highlighting the sophistication of the


    decor.


    Sally instructed her staff to set about preparing lunch before inviting us all to have a seat in the living


    room. ¡®Your Uncle Benjamin is at the office, but he¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    She then directed her gaze at me before asking, ¡°You¡¯re seven months pregnant, right? Do you know


    when the baby is due?¡±


    I smiled at her gently before ncing at Ashton. ¡°Yes, he¡¯s had everything arranged.¡±


    Sally nodded. The grin on her face was enough to warm anyone¡¯s heart.


    After a brief chat, Sally ushered us into the backyard for some tea. Although the two were family,


    Ashton did not speak much, so Sally had to fill in most of the gaps.


    She asked about all sorts of things. From the Fullers to thepany and of other updates, but the one


    thing she hadn¡¯t asked about was Old Mr. Fuller.


    Ashton¡¯s responses were brief and made for sufficient banter as he answered each of those questions.


    A cursory nce in Sally¡¯s direction made me notice that she had red-rimmed eyes. I gingerly got up


    and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you both catch up, Aunt Sally? I¡¯ve been sitting for too long, and my back feels a


    little ufortable.¡±


    Sally got up as well, with some concern etched on her face. ¡°We have a personal doctor employed


    here. Shall I ask him to take a look at you?¡±


    I quickly shook my head. ¡°There¡¯s no need, really! I¡¯ll just take a walk. Please, continue.¡±

 Chapter 180

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 180


    Ashton nced at me and said, ¡°Alright, but do be careful.¡±


    Seeing this, Sally smiled at me with gratitude in her eyes. If Ashton were unwilling to discuss the


    Fullers, I couldn¡¯t just interject on her behalf. As such, this was a private matter within the family. A


    person as elegant orposed as Sally would definitely not want me around to witness her impending


    faux-pas.


    I decided to take a stroll, marveling at the size of the yard. I followed a cobblestone path and soon


    found a shady ce to sit in silence and observe my surroundings.


    However, Marcus¡¯s arrival immediately shattered the silence that I had been enjoying.


    A tall and slender figure loomed over me with a condescending look in his eyes.


    For the sake of maintaining decorum, I got up and greeted him with a smile.


    He furrowed his brows again, still clutching the book he was reading earlier. His gaze fell onto my


    swollen belly before asking, ¡°A Fuller child?¡±


    I was a little taken aback by how abruptly he had asked about the child in my belly. I paused to collect


    my thoughts before nodding at him. ¡°Well, I¡¯m Scarlett. Nice to meet you.¡±


    He nodded and didn¡¯t say much, but there was no mistaking the hostility beneath his lowered gaze.


    His reaction made me feel puzzled. I wonder why he was so hostile towards me, seeing as we¡¯ve never


    met?


    Fortunately, he simply grunted a response at me and left.


    By the time we had lunch, it was already two in the afternoon.


    There were only five of us present at the table. Apart from Sally, Ashton, and myself, there were two


    others, Marcus and Benjamin, both of whom were formally introduced then.


    At a nce, Benjamin appeared to be in his fifties, at least. He also seemed to be surprisingly warm


    and gentle despite being a middle-aged man in an industry as ruthless as business or finance.


    For people like Benjamin and Sally to appear together in public as husband and wife, I¡¯m assuming


    they were prone to gossip. After all, the visual image they both conjured was startling. Benjamin looked


    much older than the more youthful Sally.


    However, all other queries I had instantly vanished the moment a woman named Sharon appeared.


    What was initially a quiet and harmonious meal was disrupted by the arrival of this middle-aged woman


    who clearly meant to start a fight. Her eyes were full of tears, her voice hoarse, but that did not stop


    her. ¡°Listen here, Benjamin White. I can ignore your dalliances with your mistress and still put up with


    you being with her, but this is going too far. Why did you will thepany to this woman instead of your


    flesh and blood? Yes, have you forgotten about him? Our son? Are you hell-bent on making him the


    joke of K City?¡±


    The woman shuddered and looked venomously at Sally. ¡°Sally Fuller, just what have you done? I know


    that I haven¡¯t been able topete with you for thest ten years! You¡¯ve already ruined my marriage


    and my family, so why are you now targeting my son?¡±


    Sally was quite surprised at the revtion. She turned took at Benjamin with a frown and asked, ¡°When


    did you will thepany to me?¡±


    ¡°Sooner orter, they will be yours. I¡¯m getting older and won¡¯t be around for much longer.¡± Benjamin


    sighed dejectedly and looked at Sharon. ¡°I have not neglected our son. Marc will inherit all of my other


    assets, so he¡¯ll have a promising future in M Country when the day arrives.¡±


    Sharon was still unsatisfied with the exnation and could only see red. ¡°Thispany was something


    we built and managed together over the years. Why are you giving it to an outsider?¡±


    ¡°Sally is not an outsider. She is my wife.¡± As he said this, his tired gaze fell on Marcus. Wearily, he said,


    ¡°Take your mother home.¡±


    Marcus arched a brow with an impassive yet dangerous look on his face. ¡°Home? Doesn¡¯t she live


    here?¡±


    ¡°You¡ª¡± Before he could finish, Benjaminpsed into a coughing fit. In a panic, Sally immediately


    rushed to his side and tried to ease his difort. ¡°I don¡¯t want to have anything to do with the


    company,¡± said Sally, seemingly distraught. ¡°Please stop forcing him. He¡¯s already in poor health! Just


    go home and leave us be.¡±


    This was directed at both Marcus and Sharon.


    Sharon could only stare resentfully at the couple. In a huff, she quickly grabbed Marcus¡¯s hand. With a


    shaky voice, Sharon asked him to take her home.


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    Marcus observed Benjamin and Sally with a grim expression on his face. He sat there unmovingly for a


    while, contemting his actions. If not for how upset Sharon was, he would¡¯ve likely taken out more of


    his anger on the couple.


    Ashton and I weren¡¯t meant to witness this. This was a private family spat, after all. I released the


    breath I had been holding instinctively. Having seen what just happened, I now understood why


    Grandpa did not want to acknowledge Aunt Sally¡¯s presence.


    All three generations of the Fullers made a name for themselves by joining the army and have received


    praise for their meritorious service to the nation. They were raised with good values, but things took a


    different turn when Grandpa led the family. He didn¡¯t want the future generations to be living such


    dangerous lives anymore. Thus, he left the army and founded the Fuller Corporation, steering the


    family towards business ventures instead.


    I wasn¡¯t blind to why Sharon came here and kicked up such a big fuss. From what I gathered,


    Benjamin¡¯s son was in his thirties, yet Sally was only thirty-five years old. I could tell that their marriage


    was definitely not a simple one.


    The unfortunate incident suddenly made the atmosphere deeply ufortable for everyone present.


    What was supposed to be a pleasant meal turned into a disaster in the end.


    The doctor employed at the vi waster called into Benjamin¡¯s room as Sally apanied him.


    With that, evening had already approached. Benjamin was already feeling better and was fast asleep.


    Sally breathed a sigh of relief and looked guiltily at Ashton. It was evident that she med herself for


    this. ¡°I apologize for my oversight. It¡¯s my fault that lunch was ruined.¡±


    Ashton didn¡¯t respond immediately but merely studied her for a brief moment. Coolly, he asked, ¡°Do


    you regret it?¡±


    Sally could only smile bitterly at the question. ¡°Regret? It¡¯s toote for that. It¡¯s been so many years


    now and life goes on.¡±


    Ashton pursed his lips and didn¡¯t have much else to say. Tugging my arm, he looked at Sally and said,


    ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s about time for us to head back.¡±

 Chapter 181

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 181


    Based on their interaction, there was no mistaking the fact that they did care about each other.


    However, it was gettingte, so Sally didn¡¯t try to hold us back from leaving. What they had left unsaid


    would have to wait.


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    I got into the car and stared at the scenery outside the window. As Ashton drove, he asked, ¡°What do


    you feel like eating?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I am not feeling particrly hungry.¡±


    My meeting with Sally a few hours ago left a deep impression. She seemed as majestic as a phoenix


    andmanded a sense of awe from the people around her. This, together with the worldliness she


    possessed, was a force to be reckoned with, making her very desirable as well. A woman like her


    could¡¯ve had any man she wanted, so why did she choose such an old spouse? Given their age gap,


    people would¡¯ve also spread nasty rumors about her as well.


    I nced sideways at Ashton and found that his eyes were fixated on the road. The expression on his


    face was unreadable. Wishing to break the silence, I said, ¡°Aunt Sally must really love Benjamin.¡±


    If you are willing to shoulder that much of a burden for someone, surely that means you love him


    dearly.


    Hearing this, Ashton furrowed his brows and pursed his lips as he looked at me. ¡°What is love?¡±


    I was stunned at the question and couldn¡¯t answer that immediately. What is love? Come to think of it, I


    had no earthly idea.


    It was dark by the time we reached home. Despite my exhaustion, Ashton still managed to get me to


    eat something. After that, I immediately went to bed.


    When I awoke the next day, it was already noon. Ashton was nowhere to be seen.


    As I made my way downstairs, I found out that Ashton had made arrangements for Molly to tend to me.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake, Mrs. Fuller! Mr. Fuller is currently out on business, but he left instructions asking me to


    take care of your needs. Are you hungry?¡±


    I nodded. I gingerly massaged my temples, trying to soothe the dull ache that I felt around my head. I


    must¡¯ve slept too much.


    After a simple meal, I was informed that we had a visitor. Sally had decided to drop by.


    The weather in K City was hot today, so it was no surprise that she was appropriately dressed. Sally


    wore a long skirt with her hair pulled up in an updo. Having noticed that I¡¯d just finished my meal, she


    smiled and said, ¡°Well, I was thinking of asking you to grab a quick bite with me if you hadn¡¯t eaten yet!


    We¡¯re going out!¡±


    ¡°Have you eaten yet, Aunt Sally?¡± I asked. ncing over at Molly, I asked her to prepare something for


    Sally as well.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ve eaten at home,¡± replied Sally, who waved the request aside. She then tugged at my


    arm gently and asked me to get dressed. ¡°Let¡¯s go on an outing! I¡¯m assuming you¡¯re not too familiar


    with K City, and we should fix that.¡±


    I wanted to refuse but found it hard to do so. After all, she was merely being kind. A tant refusal


    would have reflected poorly on me. In the end, I just nodded and gave in.


    As I contemted what to wear, I couldn¡¯t help but marvel at Ashton¡¯s fastidiousness. My closet was


    full of clothing for pregnant women. After rummaging about inside for a bit, I pulled out a white


    sundress to wear. With that sorted, Sally led me out of the vi.


    Because I couldn¡¯t drive, she brought her driver along as well.


    Sally sat with me in the back seat. As we chatted, she held my hand. If I were to be perfectly honest,


    the gesture was too intimate for my liking and made me feel ufortable.


    Fortunately, it didn¡¯t take long to arrive at the shopping mall. Situated in the city center, the atmosphere


    was quite vibrant.


    As we both exited the car, she instructed the driver to find a ce to wait and dragged me into the mall.


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve just arrived, I think you¡¯d have quite a bit of shopping to do! Besides, you¡¯re pregnant


    now, and movement might be inconvenient for you soon, so let¡¯s buy everything you need today!¡±


    I nodded and did not say much.


    Just then, I received a message from Ashton asking me where I was.


    I sent him the address and obediently tagged along as she prattled on about products that she would


    be selecting.


    After about an hour, I started to feel weary. Pausing momentarily, I blurted, ¡°Aunt Sally, I don¡¯t have that


    much more to buy. Let¡¯s go home!¡±


    The weather in K City was too warm for strolling about.


    Sally was still staring at the baby bottle in front of her, not knowing what to choose. She heard what I


    say and turned around to face me. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you tired?¡±


    I smiled a little bashfully at her in response. ¡°A little!¡± I knew that if I didn¡¯t say anything, I¡¯d be stuck


    there for another hour. The very thought made me shudder a little.


    That was when Sally decided to call her driver and ask him to bring our purchases to the car. She then


    dragged me to a nearby cafe. Excitedly, she said, ¡°Then, we¡¯ll rest when we¡¯re tired. After this, we still


    have to look at maternity supplies. You¡¯re due in three months! A pregnant woman¡¯s needs must be


    meticulously looked after, so the products you choose for postpartum use are important too. After all,


    Ashton is still a man, and some things are still best handled by ourselves.¡±


    I nodded, but truth be told, I was exhausted already.


    The cafe wasn¡¯t crowded at all. She had picked a quiet and elegant ce away from the hustle and


    bustle of the crowds outside. After we found a seat, she proceeded to order some coffee.


    ¡°Letty, can you tell me more about the situation between you and Ashton? You know how cold he is. I


    used to sneak over to J City to see him, but he¡¯d constantly avoid me.¡± Sally sighed, clearly


    exasperated. ¡°It wasn¡¯t till hisst trip here that he mentioned his intention to bring you over for a few


    days.¡±


    I noticed the hint of bitterness in her expression as she said this. ¡°I thought that this was going to


    happen every time for the rest of our lives, this game of hide and seek. I didn¡¯t, however, expect that


    he¡¯de to me on his own and bring you with him.¡±


    Seeing that her eyes were red with the hint of tears, I was a little flustered. ¡°The Fullers are still your


    family, Aunt Sally. If you¡¯re willing to return, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll wee you with open arms.¡±


    She looked at me and smirked. ¡°After so many years, I doubt father wants to see me.¡±


    Did she mean Grandpa?


    I was stunned but looked her straight in the eye. ¡°Grandpa passed away a few months ago. Were you


    not aware of this, Aunt Sally?¡±


    She was about to take a sip of coffee when she paused abruptly. With an incredulous look on her face,


    she asked, ¡°He what?¡±


    The expression she had on her face shocked me into silence. Sally lowered her head for a few


    moments, but when she looked at me again, I saw that her eyes were red and puffy. ¡°W-what


    happened to him?¡±

 Chapter 182

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 182


    ¡°Grandpa had been in poor health thesest few years. He passed away from rectal cancer¡­¡± I trailed


    off, unsure of what else to say.


    The coffee cup she was holding fell, and a loud crack was heard as it shattered on impact. In a panic,


    she got up to pick up the shards, but a waiter quickly stepped forward to handle the mess.


    Sally¡¯s voice trembled as she apologized profusely for her carelessness.


    The waiter hurriedly shook his head and tried to calm her down. ¡°It¡¯s really nothing, ma¡¯am. I just need


    to clean this up.¡±


    I stretched out my hand to help her up, not knowing how tofort her. I knew that her apology was


    not actually meant for the waiter but her deceased father.


    Soon enough, Sally was able to regain herposure. Ever the elegant woman that she was, she was


    able to recover quite quickly from the earlier mishap.


    However, her expression was no longer asposed as it was when we entered earlier. Even though


    she was smiling, it was strained.


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, Aunt Sally. Let¡¯s head back.¡± I figured that after this revtion, she¡¯d likely not be in the


    mood to continue shopping.


    Sally nodded. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go. You should be resting after a full day out.¡±


    Since I was fumbling around with my bag, I also failed to notice that Sally had stopped in her tracks on


    her way out. I looked up immediately, only to be surprised by what I saw.


    It was just our lucky day.


    Sharon, of all people, happened to be standing at the entrance of the cafe. Behind her was Marcus,


    who presumably just parked his car and entered the building.


    ¡°Marc, let¡¯s go somewhere less filthy,¡± said Sharon cruelly. The expression on her face was truly a


    nasty sight.


    Marcus nced at me and frowned before nodding in response.


    The pair turned around to leave but were stopped by a well-intentioned waiter. ¡°Are you here for


    coffee? Where would you like to be seated?


    Sharon barely nced at the waiter but kept her eyes on Sally the whole time. ¡°Well, your


    establishment seems to be more suited to entertaining notorious maneaters.¡± She sneered and


    continued. ¡°A popr hangout spot for mistresses, perhaps, but definitely not for me.¡±


    The waiter was taken aback and turned to look at Sally as well.


    The cafe was initially quiet, but themotion had attracted the attention of the other patrons. Soon,


    whispers were heard among everyone present.


    ¡°What the f*ck is wrong with that woman?¡±


    ¡°Oh, haven¡¯t you heard? That¡¯s the ex-wife of Benjamin White. The one standing next to thedy in


    white is a scion of the Fullers, a prominent family here in J City. I think her name is Sally or something


    like that. I heard that she was his mistress for a good number of years but only became his official wife


    in thest two years or so.¡±


    ¡°That exins it! No wonder the ex-wife is so unhappy about this. How can such a prominent family let


    the heiress be another man¡¯s mistress? What is the family even thinking?¡±


    ¡°Who knows! Maybe it¡¯s true love after all?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the couple are about twenty years apart. Doesn¡¯t this age gap seem¡­.a little too


    extreme?¡±


    The sound of gossip was far from subtle. Sally nced pale-faced at Sharon but did not say much else.


    She turned around and prepared to leave.


    Sharon was quick to move in Sally¡¯s way, thus blocking her path. ¡°What¡¯s the rush? Everyone is curious


    about your little love story, so why not tell everyone what happened?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Bauman, just because you enjoy airing your dirty linen in public, doesn¡¯t mean everyone else likes


    it too.¡± I was aware that I was being a little harsh, but I could not let this slide. ¡°You failed to retain


    something valuable and let it slip through your fingers. I¡¯d suggest having some self-awareness and


    self-respect.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure I¡¯m the one without self-respect here?¡± Sharon was angered by my words, and her voice


    immediately went up by a few octaves. ¡°Just who the hell do you think you are? What gives you the


    right to be pointing fingers at me?¡±


    Sally immediately pulled me behind her, concerned that Sharon might hurt me. ¡°Nobody is pointing


    fingers at you, but if you¡¯d like us to, just keep going as loudly as you can. I dare you. By tomorrow,


    you¡¯ll be the talk of the town.¡±


    Sharon was so angry that she was nearly foaming at the mouth. She grabbed Marcus by the arm and


    gestured at both of us wildly. ¡°Marc, it is clear that they are ganging up on me here! They¡¯re trying to


    humiliate me!¡±


    I frowned. This woman clearly had no qualms about picking a fight, but this was still, by andrge, a


    problem for the White family to sort out. Because of that, whose fault it was remained unclear to me.


    However, her appalling behavior was embarrassing. Was the disy she gave us yesterday not


    enough? Why did she have to cause a scene so publicly today as well?


    Looking at Marcus straight in the eye, I said, ¡°You seem like a reasonably smart person, Mr. White. I¡¯m


    sure that you¡¯re not going to continue blocking the way and turn us all into the joke of the century,


    right?¡±


    Marcus raised a brow and did not say much. Instead, he stepped aside a little and muttered, ¡°By all


    means.¡±


    The episode that happened earlier was a particrly exciting spectacle and it was definitely not a


    pleasant sight. With that, Sally hurriedly pulled me aside and tried to leave without bumping into either


    of them.


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    However, the entrance to the cafe was not spacious enough. Sharon, in her rage, refused to give way.


    Sally was reluctant to engage with her and marched out of the cafe.


    I followed Sally closely from behind and couldn¡¯t help but steal a nce at Sharon. There was


    something quite pitiful about the state she was in right now. Having gone through a divorce at her age


    just meant that her marriage was far from perfect.


    What I wasn¡¯t expecting was for Sharon to stumble in my direction and bump into me. Sensing that I


    was about to fall, I instinctively covered my belly in a feeble attempt to cushion myself.


    My heart stopped for a moment as a chill overcame my body. The only thing I could think of was¡­


    Having seen that I was about to fall, I felt my arm being pulled upwards by force. Another hand came


    around my belly and tried to keep me stable. The motion immediately snapped me out of my thoughts.


    ¡°Are you okay? Are you in a shock?¡± Sally held me by the arm and was now fussing over me in a panic.


    I was alright, but the thought of falling gave me a cold sweat. I stood still and shakily drew in a breath


    while shaking my head at her. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

 Chapter 183

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 183


    I soon realized that his hand was still on my waist and felt my face flush with embarrassment. Marcus


    had caught me in time. Raising my head, I looked at Marcus and thanked him for responding so


    quickly.


    He frowned and immediately retracted his hand. ¡°It was nothing.¡± Marcus then turned to address


    Sharon. Coldly, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Sally was not usually the type to deliberately seek out conflict, but this time, she was the one who held


    Sharon back. ¡°You tripped and bumped into someone, yet you¡¯re trying to leave without apologizing?¡±


    Sharon was not happy, yet her arrogance remained undiminished. ¡°Are you implying that a bunch of


    sl*ts like you are worthy of an apology?¡±


    The p that followed rang loud and clear.


    Sharon looked at Sally in disbelief as she clutched her reddened cheek. ¡°You b*tch! How dare you p


    me?¡±


    Sally tried to suppress her anger. In a low voice, she said, ¡°Sharon, I daresay that I¡¯ve never wronged


    you all these years. You, of all people, should know the exact reason why you and Benjamin drifted


    apart. I¡¯ve had to swallow my anger and give in to you every step of the way, but I never did it out of


    fear. I did that because I pitied you. I pitied the fact that you¡¯ve lived out half your life, yet you still don¡¯t


    know what you¡¯re living for!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re rude or arrogant towards me, but you shouldn¡¯t behave that way towards a


    pregnant woman.¡± Sally pointed towards my belly and carefully enunciated each word. ¡°You can have a


    tough life, but you cannot forsake your morals and your soul this way.¡±


    ¡°The baby in her belly is seven months old. If not for Marcus¡¯s reflexes, you would have hurt not one


    but two lives. Do lives matter so little to you, Sharon? Just because your family is one of the bigshots in


    the city, you can now afford to be so callous about human life?¡±


    Sally¡¯s tone of voice was so loud that it had attracted more onlookers. Some even had their phones out


    to record the confrontation.


    Her heartfelt words had swayed many in the crowd. Now, all the gossip was directed at Sharon.


    ¡°Tsk. It¡¯s no wonder she was cast aside by her husband. Why would the Whites want to be associated


    with someone so vicious?¡±


    ¡°Exactly! Thatdy was pregnant and still, she had the audacity to act that way!¡±


    ¡°Good god, she¡¯s so f*cking heartless!¡±


    As the gossiping grew louder, some people had stopped trying to hide the fact that they were


    discussing the incident and instead began to berate Sharon openly.


    Throughout themotion, Marcus remained impassive and silent. As time passed, the remarks


    became more and more heated. Suddenly, that coldness was gone and was reced with grim anger.


    Addressing the crowd directly, Marcus said, ¡°Have you had enough excitement yet? If you had, kindly


    f*ck off.¡±


    Nobody could take so much disdain and disgust from everyone else, and Sharon was no different. With


    the number of usations and insults being hurled at her, she could only hide dejectedly behind


    Marcus. She bore none of the arrogance or swagger from earlier.


    I couldn¡¯t help but sigh. I tugged at Sally¡¯s hand gently and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Aunt Sally. It¡¯s gettingte.¡±


    Sally took onest look at the pair and decided that she¡¯d had enough. ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡±


    As soon as we left the cafe, whatever desire we had to continue shopping was no longer there.


    After Sally sent me back to the vi, she looked at me and eximed, ¡°What a day it was! You¡¯ve had


    some torture with the shopping and a proper scare. I think a good rest is in order.¡±


    I nodded and got out of the car. ¡°Ashton should be back by now, so why don¡¯t you join us for dinner?¡±


    Sally shook her head and declined politely. ¡°I can¡¯t. Nobody is supervising Benjamin at night, and he


    sometimes won¡¯t eat properly. I have to go.¡±


    Having heard this, I was stunned. Without saying much, I merely sent her on her way with a smile.


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    After she left, I lingered outside and looked at the green belt at the side of the road in a daze. Knowing


    that feelings and affection came in many different forms, I wondered what Benjamin and Sally had.


    Soon, I received a call from Macy. ¡°How did you find K City? Do you think you¡¯d get used to it there?¡±


    I nced at the vi in front of me and took my time following the cobblestone path. ¡°It¡¯s alright! How


    are you holding up over there? And how was your checkup?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all good. There is a hospital downtown that I¡¯ll visit once a week.¡± For some reason, I could still


    hear the sounds of her chewing through the receiver. ¡°I never thought my belly was thatrge, but I¡¯ve


    recently noticed that it has gotten so much bigger! I¡¯m guessing that I won¡¯t be able to move around so


    freely in the months toe. You¡¯re due pretty soon, right? I reckon I won¡¯t be able to see you for a


    while, so you have to take care.¡±


    ¡°I will!¡± It was still early, and the vi seemed to be empty still. I found a ce to sit down in the


    courtyard and looked around before continuing with the conversation. ¡°When the babyes, I¡¯ll bring


    it over for a visit. You¡¯ll be the godmother!¡±


    Macy clicked her tongue. ¡°Godmother? Just call me ¡®mom¡¯. It¡¯ll be the same when I have mine as well.


    I¡¯ll have the child address you as ¡®mom¡¯ too, none of that godmother nonsense.¡±


    I could onlyugh at her. ¡°Alright, you win.¡±


    ¡°I think Jackson should be returning to K City in a few days. If you¡¯re bored, maybe you can give him a


    call. Have a chat, go out, do something¡­ After that incident involving his mother, I think he has been


    stressing over a lot of things and is likely overwhelmed too. He¡¯s also more likely to run into the Kanes


    in K City, and god knows how ufortable he¡¯ll feel if he saw them.¡±


    I nodded and sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll call him and ask when he¡¯ll be arriving then.¡±


    Macy grunted in response. ¡°By the way, please take down his new number. He¡¯d gone ahead and


    changed his number during his visit to M Country and notified me about the change online.¡±

 Chapter 184

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 184


    We were all used to Jackson¡¯s habit of frequently changing phone numbers by now. ¡°Well, tell me and


    I¡¯ll save it now.¡±


    I then put Macy on speakerphone and prepared to update his contact details. I also caught a glimpse of


    Molly, who was wiping the tables in the living room. I walked in and said hello.


    As I made my way upstairs, Macy could hear all the movements I had been making. ¡°Well, don¡¯t take it


    down while you¡¯re walking. Either find something to write on, or I¡¯ll just text you.¡±


    I was feeling alright, but since she called, I figured we¡¯d chat for a while longer. I did not feel like


    hanging up so soon. ¡± Give me a moment. I¡¯m going to pop into the study and find something to write


    on.¡±


    The study was veryrge and well furnished, all ording to Ashton¡¯s tastes. As I made my way


    around the table, I rummaged through the drawers and found a piece of paper that I could jot down


    what Macy told me.


    As we continued our banter on banal topics, I noticed a hard, yellow folder in the drawer. Keeping her


    on the line, I reached for the folder and opened it.


    Seeing the contents of the file, I was momentarily distracted.


    ¡°By the way, do you still have morning sickness? I¡¯d heard some old wives¡¯ tale about how we seem to


    stop vomiting when we reach our third trimester. But that will take ages!¡± Macy whined from the other


    end of the line.


    As I stared at the words on the file, I lost all desire to chat. ¡°I¡¯ll get back to you in a bit, Macy.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°I need to tend to something. We¡¯ll talkter.¡±


    After hanging up, I closed the drawer and felt a strange heaviness in my heart. It could be that the


    atmosphere in the study was too dull.


    When I went downstairs again, Molly greeted me with a smile. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, is there something you feel


    like eating? Some dessert, maybe?¡±


    ¡°No, thank you.¡± My reply was listless, but I truly didn¡¯t have the energy to deal with her. With that, I left


    the living room.


    K City was arge city. Where could I go if I wanted to be alone for a while?


    I ventured out of the vi and wandered aimlessly on the street. As I looked at my surroundings,


    everything felt unfamiliar.


    I contemted my current situation. Things were not that bad. I¡¯d been mentally preparing myself for a


    divorce since I married Ashton, after all.


    However, if not for this child, we¡¯d have likely burnt our bridges much earlier.


    My listless wandering hadnded me in a bit of a tough spot. It took me a while to realize that I was


    lost. I gazed at all the people around me and couldn¡¯t quite make out where I was. I had even lost track


    of time!


    The weather was too hot, so I simply found a ce to sit down. Unfortunately for me, I even forgot to


    bring along my phone and bag.


    It would seem that I was truly lost.


    Seeing that the sky was darkening, I tried to borrow a phone from the passers-by but was promptly


    refused.


    I had noticed a ck BMW on the other side of the road. Thinking he wanted to park where I stood, I


    turned around and began walking in the other direction.


    ¡°Scarlett?¡±


    A man¡¯s baritone voice called out to me from behind. It was unfamiliar, so I had to turn around to check.


    Upon closer inspection, I realized that the car window was rolled down, revealing the man¡¯s clear


    profile.


    Wait a moment, was that Marcus?


    What was he doing here?


    ¡°Mr. White! What a coincidence running into you here!¡± I chuckled, trying to hide my embarrassment.


    Marcus didn¡¯t seem like a man of many words. His gaze soon fell at my bare, bleeding feet. I¡¯d taken


    my shoes off because they chafed my feet from all the walking.


    Being scrutinized by him like this was so awkward, but I had nowhere to hide. All I could do wasugh.


    ¡°Get in the car,¡± he said, his tone neutral.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± I¡¯d refused him, instinctively. ¡°I came out for a stroll, and I should be able to go back


    soon. There¡¯s no need to trouble yourself for my sake.¡±


    He frowned at me, slightly displeased. ¡°It¡¯s getting dark. You¡¯d have trouble finding your way back.¡±


    I swore inwardly.


    Pursing my lips, I lowered my gaze to stare at my bloodied feet and sighed quietly. Now was not the


    time to y coy.


    When I entered his car, all he did was nce at me and curtly asked me to fasten my seatbelt.


    I nodded. Seeing that he¡¯d started the car, I asked him to take me back to Southcott Residential Area.


    The car ride waspletely silent.


    The quietness had an intimidating air. To add to my embarrassment, however, my stomach decided


    that it was the perfect time to growl weakly.


    He turned to look at me again, with his eyebrows slightly raised. ¡°What do you want to eat?¡±


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    The awkwardness I felt at the time was devastating. I lowered my head and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll just eat


    when I get back home.¡±


    ¡°Something spicy? Pasta? Barbeque?¡±


    ¡°Barbeque, then.¡±


    I opened my mouth, intending to refuse again, but I was so stunned that nothing came out. I stole a


    nce at him and saw that he was still observing me with raised brows. I bit my lip and cursed myself


    again for not having eaten anything before leaving the vi. Eating would be the death of me, the bane


    of my existence.


    It wasn¡¯t long until Marcus parked the car and asked me to follow him down.


    I¡¯d noticed that he¡¯d chosen a fine establishment as well. It was well-decorated and had a steady


    stream of customersing and going.


    After a brief wait, a waitress found us a seat and gave Marcus a menu. I noticed that the girl¡¯s pretty


    eyes would dart towards him as she stole nces at him several times.


    Marcus flicked open the menu and asked, ¡°What will you have?¡±


    I looked through the menu myself, and without dwelling too much on it, just selected a dish that


    seemed appealing. After that, I met his gaze directly. ¡°I have to warn you, Marcus. I didn¡¯t bring my


    phone and wallet out.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°It¡¯s on me.¡±


    Seeing that he said this, I returned the nod and picked out something to quench my thirst as well. With


    that done, I returned the menu to the starry-eyed waitress who was staring at Marcus again.


    I noticed that the youngdy couldn¡¯t help but sneak another nce at him before she left.

 Chapter 185

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 185


    For someone as attractive as Marcus, it was no surprise that she had eyes on him all the time.


    ¡°Thanks again for helping me out today, Mr. White. And thank you for dinner, as well.¡±


    He had done quite a bit for me today. I couldn¡¯t just keep quiet and not thank him for his deeds.


    He frowned slightly and grunted indifferently at me in response. After that, he said nothing further.


    Our meal was a very quiet affair, but it was not unexpected. After all, we were individuals who barely


    knew each other. Neither of us had much to say, to begin with, especially since he seemed like such a


    refined and elegant person. Marcus was attracting quite a bit of attention with his good looks as well.


    After eating my fill, I set aside my cutlery.


    Having noticed my movements, Marcus looked at me. In a low voice, he asked if I was full.


    I nodded and smiled faintly at him.


    He put down his cutlery as well and wiped his mouth clean in a graceful gesture. ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡±


    Marcus¡¯s way of handling things made it difficult for me to findmon ground. Even so, I realized that


    he was not cold or aloof, but rather, he radiated a certain calmness. He was the type who used that


    level-headedness to solve any conundrum.


    When I got into the car, I saw that the clock on the dashboard said nine o¡¯clock.


    As I thought of the divorce papers I found in the drawer of the study, my heart sank. A part of me was


    reluctant to return to the vi, but I had no choice. Even though K City was arge ce, I had nowhere


    to go.


    It took me a while to notice the scenery outside the car. I was taken aback. Wasn¡¯t this the city center?


    Marcus had not brought me back home but to the Greenleafe Residential Area instead. ¡°The White


    Residence?¡± I queried, looking at him.


    ¡°You¡¯ll spend the night here.¡± His expression was impassive and difficult to read.


    I was stunned. Yet before I could say more, he had already parked and exited the vehicle.


    I followed him into the White Residence, only to be met by a teary-eyed Sally who wasing


    downstairs. She had her coat on and appeared to be heading somewhere.


    The sight of me and Marcus together stopped her dead in her tracks. ¡°Wait, why are you with Marcus?¡±


    ¡°I found her along the way.¡± Having said that, Marcus went upstairs, seemingly reluctant to continue the


    conversation.


    Sally looked at me, and her panic-stricken face rxed a little. ¡°What were you doing wandering about


    without your phone and purse?¡±


    I chuckled sheepishly. ¡°I¡­forgot to grab them before I left.¡±


    Sally then pulled out her phone to make a call. For a moment, I didn¡¯t know what to say, so we merely


    sat there in silence.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Ashton to arrive. Sally had been waiting by the door and immediately flung her


    arms up to slow him down. ¡°Calm down, Ashton. She¡¯s fine,¡± said Sally in hushed tones. ¡°Don¡¯t startle


    her and speak calmly.¡±


    Her voice was lowered, but I could still hear what she said.


    I plopped myself onto the couch and tried to suppress my emotions.


    Grunting at Sally in response, Ashton entered the living room and walked towards me. In a low voice,


    he asked, ¡°Have you had dinner? Are you hungry?¡±


    I nodded once and then at Sally, who was standing right behind him. ¡°Thank you for this, Aunt Sally. I¡¯ll


    be heading home first. Please also convey my thanks to Marcus.¡±


    After that, I got up and walked out of the vi without sparing Ashton a second nce.


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    Sally followed us from behind to send us off. ¡°Drive carefully!¡± she said with a wave.


    When I got into the car, Ashton didn¡¯t speak but leaned over and tried to help me fasten my seatbelt. I


    brushed him off and fastened it on my own. After that, I looked out the window in a daze.


    He paused, not speaking, and started the car.


    The journey home took no longer than thirty minutes. I got out of the car after he parked and noticed


    that the vi was brightly lit. Quite a few people were standing in the courtyard as well.


    Among the small crowd that gathered, I spotted the doctor, the housekeeping staff, and a few


    bodyguards whose faces were unfamiliar to me. I paused briefly to nce at them again and went


    straight to my bedroom without a word.


    Ashton didn¡¯t enter the bedroom till half an hourter. By then, I was ready to go to bed.


    Iy there in a daze when I heard some movement in the room. I opened my eyes and saw that Ashton


    was there, removing his zer.


    ¡°Can I sleep alone tonight?¡± I was on my side of my bed, but I chose not to hide the weariness in my


    voice.


    He continued to remove his clothes without a word and threw them all aside in a pile. ¡°Why?¡± he asked


    icily. Even his gaze was cold.


    ¡°I just want to sleep alone.¡± I looked at him again, waiting for him to make a decision.


    He pursed his lips and said nothing for a while. ¡°You¡¯d better give me a satisfactory exnation!¡±


    I looked at the patterns on the sheets. ¡°We should start getting used to our impending separation,¡± I


    said irritably.


    Suddenly, Ashton sneered at me. ¡°It¡¯s only been a while, and you¡¯ve already found your next target?


    Have you taken a liking to Marcus?¡±


    ¡°What bullsh*t are you going on about this time, Ashton?¡± My anger red, and I could not help but


    raise my voice at him.


    He snickered. ¡°Isn¡¯t it so?¡±


    I suppressed the turmoil in my heart for a moment, but I was not sure of how to respond. All I felt was


    panic, anger, and frustration coursing through my veins. After a brief pause, I looked at Ashton and


    asked, ¡°Do you hate me?¡±


    Maybe I calmed down too quickly, or maybe the question I asked was too naive. Ashton frowned. ¡°Why


    would I hate you?¡±


    I moved forward and leaned against the bedframe. ¡°All that I am right now should¡¯ve belonged to


    Reba. I¡¯ve appeared out of thin air and caused a disruption in both your lives and caused you both


    to break up. The fault is mine alone.¡±

 Chapter 186

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 186


    I did not look at his grim expression as I continued, ¡°I know. If it weren¡¯t for this baby, we would have


    divorced by now. After all, there¡¯s no love between us!¡±


    Raising my eyes to lock with his, I felt a strange sort of calm sweep over me. ¡°I won¡¯t cling on to you.


    Once the baby is born, I¡¯ll leave voluntarily. I¡¯ve already signed the divorce papers.¡±


    He let out an incredulousugh, furious beyond measure. ¡°So this is the reason you ran off without your


    phone or wallet today?¡± Anger twisted his features into a scowl. ¡°Scarlett, do you seriously think


    everything I do has to revolve around you? That my responsibility to this marriage is to constantly be by


    your side every second of the day? What happened with Reba is in the past. I already told you I


    never liked her, let alone loved her. Everything I did back then ¨C looking out for her and taking care of


    her ¨C was all because of Parker¡¯s dying wish. Do you understand?¡±


    When I kept quiet, he added in an exasperated tone, ¡°You¡¯re already seven months pregnant. How


    could you just leave without bringing anything with you? This is a city that you¡¯ve only been in for less


    than two days! Have you ever thought about me or the baby? What if something happened? Would you


    be able to live with yourself then?¡±


    A bubble ofughter escaped me. ¡°You never loved her?¡± I stared right into his eyes, snapping, ¡°If you


    never loved her, why would you sleep with her? Why would you get her pregnant? You risked your life


    time and again for her! Ashton Fuller, if that isn¡¯t called love, then love doesn¡¯t exist in this world


    anymore.¡±


    Since he was vehemently against us sleeping apart, all thoughts about sleeping left my mind. I got up


    and was about to leave the room.


    He was quick to stop me. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


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    ¡°None of your business!¡± I shoved him aside and stormed out of the room, fury brewing inside me.


    I heard him following me so I increased my pace. When I made my way down the stairs, he growled,


    ¡°Slow down!¡±


    Upon reaching the first floor, I spotted Molly and several bodyguards blocking the front door. Ashton


    sped over and grabbed my hand. ¡°This is K City. Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°To die!¡± I hissed back at him. I was so mad I could not even think straight.


    He chuckled, both annoyed and frustrated. ¡°Scarlett, you¡¯re really the embodiment of all the ws a


    woman could possibly have. Stop your nonsense and go back to the room. You need to rest!¡±


    As if I¡¯m in any mood to sleep right now!


    Shoving him aside, I yelled, ¡°What ws are you talking about? Being unreasonable? Being resentful


    and petty? Unable to tell right from wrong?¡±


    When he remained silent, I dered, ¡°Well, that¡¯s who I am! Since you love Reba so much, you¡¯re


    more than wee to go find her! There¡¯s no need for you to stay here and point out my ws!¡±


    I pushed the bodyguards out of my way and rushed out of the vi. Obviously, there was no way a


    pregnant woman like me would be able to take on those men. They only allowed me to go because


    they did not want to hurt me.


    However, Ashton was right. This was K City, not my hometown. There was no ce for me to go.


    Thus, I took a walk around the yard. All the while, Ashton stood by the door with his arms crossed


    before his chest. His gaze was indifferent as he tracked me. It was almost like he was waiting for me to


    go to him.


    With how enraged I was right then, just the sight of him had me wanting to beat him senseless. Despite


    that, I could not exactly go up to him and start hitting him.


    After a moment of deliberation, an idea urred to me. I nced at him and called out, ¡°Ashton,e


    over here!¡±


    He raised an eyebrow, the anger in him dissipating slightly. A smile curved his lips as he made his way


    over to me.


    Once he was standing in front of me, I tilted my head back to look him in the eyes. I announced boldly,


    ¡°I have no idea why I¡¯m so mad, but the truth is I¡¯m infuriated. Since I can¡¯t vent my anger on innocent


    parties, the only choice I have left is you.¡±


    With that said, I shoved him into the pond that was right behind him.


    Caught off guard, Ashton was struck speechless as he tumbled into the pond. Thankfully, it was not


    very deep. He climbed to his feet easily enough.


    Sweeping a damp lock of hair away from his eyes, he had an exasperated expression on his face.


    I did not wait for him to respond as I turned around and left. Doing that made me feel a lot better and I


    happily returned to the bedroom.


    I curled up in bed, ready to fall into dreand.


    Ashton trudged in behind me and headed for the bathroom to take a shower. A few minutester, I


    heard hime out before the bed dipped down beside me, causing me to frown.


    His low voice drifted into my ears, ¡°I¡¯m going to the study to do some work.¡±


    I kept my eyes shut, not saying anything in reply as I pretended not to hear anything.


    I expected him to say something more, but all he did was get up and leave the room. The door clicked


    shut softly.


    Even though I was lying in bed, I did not feel the slightest bit sleepy. My arms were aching terribly. I


    rolled over onto my side but was still unable to find afortable enough position to sleep in.


    I continued to toss and turn, unable to fall asleep at all. The next thing I knew, it was already two in the


    morning.


    There¡¯s no way he¡¯s still working at this time!


    Since I could not sleep anyway, I crawled out of bed and went to his study. I noticed that the lights were


    already off, but the door was unlocked. A gentle push from me had the door swinging open.


    There was a bed in the study, which he was currently upying. He looked like he was already asleep.


    Being unable to sleep in the middle of the night was one of the most annoying things that could happen


    to a person. I stated in a neutral tone, ¡°Are you done with work already?¡±


    A few seconds passed. Just when I thought he was truly asleep and was about to leave, his deep voice


    washed over me, ¡°Are you having trouble falling asleep?¡±


    I paused before biting my lip and nodding. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Click. A yellowish light enveloped the room as the tablemp was flicked on. He sat up in bed and


    stared at me. ¡°Come here.¡±

 Chapter 187

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 187


    I walked over and he pulled me down onto the bed beside him. He murmured, ¡°I thought we were going


    to sleep in separate beds?¡±


    ¡°Huh, you¡¯re right.¡± I stood up and continued expressionlessly, ¡°Well, you have a good night¡¯s sleep


    then!¡±


    With that said, I made to leave. His hand darted out to grab my arm as heined, ¡°Were your


    ancestors mules? Why do you have to be so stubborn?¡±


    ¡°You only realize that now?¡± I retorted while scowling at him.


    Letting out a frustrated sigh, he reeled me back to the bed and pushed me down beside him. He


    pecked my forehead lightly, uttering, ¡°Go to sleep now. You shouldn¡¯t be staying up sote.¡±


    His palmnded on my belly before he added lowly, ¡°It¡¯s not good for him if you don¡¯t sleep.¡±


    It was not like I did not know that. But the problem was that a lot of the time, I could not control my


    emotions. That was the reason for the sleepless nights.


    He settled down beside me, gesturing for me to close my eyes and sleep.


    Iy there for a good long while. Even after shifting my position several times, sleep eluded me. I was


    ufortable, tired, and annoyed. Atst, I sat up and growled furiously, ¡°Ashton, I don¡¯t want this


    baby anymore! He¡¯s the reason I can¡¯t sleep!¡±


    He chuckled and wrapped his arms around me. ¡°Where are you feeling ufortable? Shall I give you


    a massage?¡±


    ¡°My arms and legs are incredibly sore and swollen. Not to mention the weight of my belly is so heavy I


    can hardly breathe!¡± All these were true statements. The baby had been growing immensely in the past


    two months. Now, even walking was difficult sometimes. Quite often, I found myself out of breath


    because of the baby.


    He snickered and had me turn on my side. Then, he began to massage my arms and legs for me.


    Although his ministrations did not really help much, his presence was enough to soothe me into sleep


    not longter.


    The next morning, I woke up feeling like I was suffocating. Usually, I liked to sleep on my back, which


    was why I would subconsciously move in my slumber to assume that position.


    Hence, my massive belly would press down on me, causing me to run out of breath.


    I rolled over onto my side until I could finally catch my breath. It was then I noticed that Ashton was no


    longer in the study.


    When I went downstairs, Molly had already cooked breakfast.


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    Not really having much of an appetite, I did not eat much. She asked me anxiously, ¡°Is the food not to


    your liking? What would you like to eat instead? You can tell me and I¡¯ll make it for you right away!¡±


    I shook my head, not wanting to eat anything.


    Heading out to the yard, I wandered around for a bit. Exhausted from not sleeping well the night before,


    I climbed into the hammock and was asleep within moments.


    Just when I was sleeping rather soundly, I could vaguely feel something crawling up my leg. It felt soft


    and smooth. I shook my leg slightly but it was no use. The feeling remained.


    Forced to wake up, I looked down to see what the thing was. Since it was an incredibly hot summer


    day, I was wearing a short dress. I instantly caught sight of the ck and white snake slithering up my


    leg. The snake reared back its head and hissed, shing its fangs at me. Goosebumps formed all over


    my skin.


    My entire body was shaking with fear. I instinctively swatted at the snake, but the violent motion caused


    me to fall out of the hammock. I shrieked, ¡°Get away from me!¡±


    My scream attracted the attention of everyone in the vi. The doctor, housekeeper, and bodyguards


    rushed toward me. When they saw me on the ground, all the color drained from their faces.


    Dr. Linnard, who hade with us from J City, swiftly ordered, ¡°Call an ambnce! We have to get her


    to the hospital right now!¡±


    Blinking in surprise, I looked down when I felt something wet beneath me. To my confusion, there was


    arge and growing patch of liquid. What is that?


    I did not even get a chance to recover from my snake scare when I was shocked by the liquid seeping


    out of me.


    I clutched Dr. Linnard¡¯s arm tightly, my voice high with panic, ¡°Will the baby be fine? What¡¯s going to


    happen?¡±


    She held me and gestured for two bodyguards to help me stand up. ¡°Both of you will be fine. Rx.


    We¡¯re just going to the hospital for a checkup, okay? Does your abdomen hurt?¡±


    I shook my head and replied truthfully, ¡°No.¡±


    Nodding, she reassured me, ¡°Then everything should be just fine. Don¡¯t worry and don¡¯t get stressed


    out!¡±


    In no time at all, I was whisked off to the hospital where the doctor examined me carefully. Fortunately, I


    was not feeling any pain in my abdomen at all. Other than some secretions, everything was fine.


    However, due to my earlier fright, I had to be hospitalized for a few days for further observation.


    It was already afternoon when Ashton arrived to visit me. Joseph came with him as well. After finding


    out what exactly happened, his brows knitted and he asked the bodyguard, ¡°Why was there a snake in


    the vi?¡±


    The bodyguard¡¯s expression was solemn as he answered, ¡°We do a sweep of the yard every day to


    check for snakes and other dangerous pests. We also make sure to renew the pest repents. There


    shouldn¡¯t have been snakes anywhere near the vi.¡±


    Ashton nced at Joseph andmanded, ¡°Get to the bottom of this!¡±


    Joseph nodded in understanding.


    Everyone left the room, leaving Ashton and me alone. I gazed at him and stated, ¡°Ashton, I want to


    head back to J City!¡±


    I really did not feelfortable staying here in K City. What happened earlier today only made me even


    more unsettled.


    He took my hand in his andforted me, ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll go back next week. I still have some matters to


    attend to at thepany. Once everything is settled, we can return home.¡±


    Ashton was kept busy withpany matters and so was unable to spend much time with me. I was


    bored out of my mind as I stayed at the hospital alone. By that point, I was close to eight months


    pregnant. I would be giving birth soon.


    After three days of observation, I was discharged from the hospital. Since I could not find my phone, I


    borrowed Molly¡¯s to call Ashton. My original n was for him toe and pick me up. Unfortunately,


    nobody picked up even after the phone rang for a very long time.


    The second time I called him, he had turned off his phone.

 Chapter 188

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 188


    Left with no choice, I had Molly help me settle the discharge procedures.


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, even though the doctor has agreed to let you leave, he wants me to remind you to be


    careful! You need to rest more!¡±


    Molly chattered away as she packed my things. ¡°Look at how much your belly has grown! The baby is


    due soon. If it weren¡¯t for you not wanting to stay in the hospital any longer, I would¡¯ve rmended


    you to stay here. After all, it¡¯s much safer!¡±


    I was silent while I listened to her nagging half-heartedly. My mind was upied with thoughts about


    Ashton. I wondered why he was not picking up his phone and worried whether something had


    happened at Fuller Corporation. It would seem like things were not going as smoothly for thepany


    as expected. After all, it wasn¡¯t an easy feat to establish a foothold here in K City.


    He¡¯s been leaving early anding backte these days. It¡¯s too bad that there¡¯s nothing I can do to


    help him in my current condition.


    Molly sent the bodyguard ahead with my things as she stayed behind to support me. ¡°Remember to eat


    your medicine when you get back home!¡±


    I nodded to show that I heard her. While we were waiting for the elevator, her phone rang. She


    answered it, giving me a much-needed reprieve from her chatter.


    The elevator doors opened to reveal it crammed full of people. I was about to enter when Molly stopped


    me while in the midst of talking on the phone. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, let¡¯s wait for the next elevator. It¡¯s not safe to


    squeeze in with so many people.¡±


    I took a second look at the elevator and had to agree with her. Thus, we waited for the next round.


    Molly ended her call right as the elevator came again. Holding my arm to steady me, she reported, ¡°Mr.


    Fuller says that you shouldn¡¯t be in such a hurry to leave the hospital. He thinks that it¡¯s safer if you


    stay a few more days for further observation.¡±


    I shook my head to dismiss her words. ¡°That was him just now?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°He tried calling your phone but nobody answered. I guess you must have left it at home.¡±


    I hummed in acknowledgment but did not say anything more as we entered the elevator.


    The lobby was bustling with countless people. Worried that someone would bump into me, Molly


    stepped closer andmented, ¡°The hospitals here are nothing like the hospitals in J City. There are just


    too many people! If we aren¡¯t careful, someone might bowl us over!¡±


    I eyed the frazzled-looking nurses manning the various stations before I nodded in agreement. All the


    private hospitals in K City had a lot of peopleing every day, let alone the government hospitals.


    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that Ms. Moore? Why is she here?¡± Molly was looking in the direction of the Lab Department.


    Following her gaze, I spotted Reba currently having her blood drawn. I stiffened in surprise. What¡¯s


    wrong with her? Why would she need to get her blood drawn?


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, I¡¯m going to head over and say hello to Ms. Moore.¡± With that said, Molly guided me over


    to sit down in a nearby chair before walking toward Reba.


    At first, it did not register in my brain that the Ms. Moore Molly was talking about was Reba. Then, I


    recalled that thetter had changed her name after being epted by the Moore family.


    But how does Molly know her? Not to mention they seem quite familiar with each other too.


    The two of them were all smiles as they chatted with each other. Once Reba was done getting her


    blood drawn, she pressed a cotton ball to the needle site. Her gaze then flickered over to me.


    She said something to Molly before they headed toward me.


    ¡°Scarlett, long time no see!¡± A smug smile yed across her lips.


    I had no idea why she was suddenly feeling so superior. Barely dipping my head in a nod, I focused my


    attention on Molly. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte so we should be going.¡±


    Molly seemedpletely oblivious to my impatient tone. She smiled broadly and eximed, ¡°You know


    Mrs. Fuller, Ms. Moore? What a coincidence!¡±


    ¡°Reba Larson, please head to Counter 4 for your ultrasound results,¡± the speakers crackled with an


    announcement from the Ultrasound Department.


    Reba nced at Molly with a smile. ¡°Molly, could you help me get my results? I haven¡¯t seen


    Scarlett in a very long time and I was hoping we could talk!¡±


    Molly beamed at us and replied, ¡°Sure, no problem!¡± With that, she trotted away to get Reba¡¯s


    ultrasound results.


    Since I had nothing much to say to her, I merely gave her a cold look before ignoring her entirely.


    She did not seem to care about my aloof attitude. Moving over to sit down beside me, her gazended


    on my distended abdomen. Her smile widened. ¡°Judging from the size of you, you¡¯re due to give birth


    soon, right? I guess that means Ash won¡¯t be bringing you with him to my birthday party.¡±


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Birthday party?


    ¡°Just tell me what is it you want!¡± I snapped in a frosty tone.


    There was no love lost between the two of us. Whatever she wanted to say must definitely have


    something to do with Ashton.


    My response caused her to frown. However, she did not get angry. Instead, she grinned and drawled,


    ¡°What¡¯s the hurry? Technically, we could be considered old friends. It¡¯s not very nice of you to be so


    repulsed by me. Who knows, our children might end up having to call each other siblings in the future!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that, Reba? What siblings?¡±


    She merely chuckled, not saying anything more.


    At that moment, Molly rushed over with a delighted expression on her face. She handed the ultrasound


    results to Reba. ¡°It was only a short while back that I heard you were engaged, Ms. Moore, yet


    you¡¯re already with child! Congrattions!¡±


    She¡¯s with child?


    Reba took the results, her expression blissful and joyous. Thanking Molly, she turned to look at me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s catch up another day, hmm? I still need to tell my fianc¨¦ the good news!¡±

 Chapter 189

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 189


    I watched Reba prance off happily before fixing a nk look on Molly. ¡°She¡¯s pregnant?¡±


    Molly nodded. ¡°Two weeks! It would seem like Ms. Moore has finally found someone to live out the rest


    of her life with.¡±


    I nodded distractedly. Reba¡¯s earlier words echoed in my mind: Our children might end up having to


    call each other siblings.


    We climbed into the car and I gazed out the window moodily. After a long moment, I turned to Molly.


    ¡°Molly, have you known Ms. Larson a very long time?¡±


    Molly paused before replying, ¡°Do you mean Ms. Moore? Well, not really. I used to look after the elderly


    Mr. Moore. After he passed away, I remained with the Moore family. However, they already have a lot


    of housekeepers. So when word got out that Mr. Fuller was hiring a housekeeper here in K City, Ms.


    Moore rmended me to him.¡±


    ¡°Reba rmended you?¡±


    The older woman nodded and grinned, saying, ¡°I thought only Mr. Fuller and Ms. Moore knew each


    other. I had not expected you to know her as well!¡±


    After a few seconds of silence, she continued, ¡°By the way, it¡¯s going to be Ms. Moore¡¯s birthday soon.


    This will be her first birthday party after being epted by the Moore family. I heard that Mr. Moore is


    going to have an official ceremony for her eptance. It¡¯s definitely going to be a huge event! Mrs.


    Fuller, you and Mr. Fuller will be going, right?¡±


    I shook my head and answered, ¡°Most likely not. I shouldn¡¯t be running around when I¡¯m so heavily


    pregnant.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true. Did you know that you and Ms. Moore have the same birthday though? I


    think it might be likely that Mr. Fuller won¡¯t go either.¡±


    To be honest, I hadpletely forgotten about the fact that I had the same birthday as Reba.


    Laughing, I replied, ¡°We¡¯ll see. It¡¯s still too early to say.¡±


    I hesitated briefly before probing, ¡°You said Reba was engaged. Do you know to whom?¡±


    ¡°No. Us employees don¡¯t really involve ourselves in the private matters of these big families. We just


    hear rumors every now and then, not all the details.¡±


    I nodded and stopped asking.


    When we arrived at the vi, Ashton was not home yet. I scrolled through my phone only to see that I


    had several missed calls, the majority of which were from Nick.


    It was then I remembered Nick saying he would being to K City. It had been a while since I was


    here and I had not contacted him during that time.


    I dialed his number, the call going through in just a few rings.


    ¡°Scarlett, if I hadn¡¯t called you, would you have treated us like we were dead?¡± a male voice


    comined.


    I blinked at his choice of words. ¡°We?¡±


    There was a brief pause before he rified, ¡°Macy and Jackson!¡±


    I giggled and continued, ¡°Wow, Nick, your sweet words truly left me speechless! I don¡¯t know how to


    reply to that!¡±


    ¡°Bull***t! Send me your addresster. I¡¯m in K City too, so I¡¯lle and visit you!¡±


    We continued to chat for a bit before I sent him the vi¡¯s address.


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    Next, I checked through the rest of the missed calls. A few of them were from John but I did not bother


    calling him back. Turning off my screen, I sat in the living room and stared off into space.


    By the time Ashton came back, it was already afternoon. Seeing how I was daydreaming in the living


    room, his brows furrowed.


    He ced a nket over my knees before pulling me into his embrace. Pressing a kiss to my forehead,


    he questioned, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stay in the hospital for a few more days?¡±


    I lifted my head to take in his face. The stubble on his chin was getting out of hand while the terrible


    eyebags made him look exhausted.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to stay there one moment longer. Have you been very busy recently?¡± It¡¯s only been a few


    days since west met. What happened to him that made him look so sallow and haggard?


    He shut his eyes and rested his chin on my shoulder. Letting out a hum of agreement, he fell silent,


    presumably falling asleep.


    The words that had been building in me lodged in my throat at the sight.


    In the end, I continued to stare at the coffee table nkly.


    Suddenly, a melodious tune cut through the peaceful silence. It wasing from Ashton¡¯s phone. I


    jerked my shoulder to try and wake Ashton. When he did not even twitch, I called out, ¡°Ashton, your


    phone is ringing!¡±


    He moaned before saying tiredly, ¡°Answer it for me.¡±


    With that said, he shifted into another position and resumed sleeping. It was obvious he was absolutely


    drained.


    I fished out his phone from his pocket and checked the caller ID. Upon seeing it was Reba, I tensed


    in surprise. I did not answer the call as I told him, ¡°It¡¯s Reba.¡±


    His eyes snapped open and he took the chiming phone from my hand. He shot me a nce before


    stating, ¡°I¡¯m going out to take this call.¡±


    He did not wait for me to reply before he left.


    Strangely enough, I was not angry as I watched his retreating back. All I did was stare dumbly until he


    was out of sight.


    Molly was busy making some soup in the kitchen. After a while, she came out and reminded, ¡°Mrs.


    Fuller, you¡¯ll be giving birth very soon. You shouldn¡¯t be sitting so much. You need to exercise a bit


    more; it¡¯ll be good for when you go intobor. Wouldn¡¯t want you to be too weak to push the baby out,


    eh?¡±


    I nodded and got up, intending on taking a walk in the yard. But then, memories of what happened a


    few days ago shed through my mind. I shuddered as the hairs all over my body stood on end.


    Giving up on that idea, I headed upstairs to the bedroom.


    I stood by the windows, noting how the skies were gradually darkening as evening approached.


    Realizing that Ashton had probably left the vi, I remained in the room, pacing restlessly.

 Chapter 190

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 190


    In the end, I put on a pair of ts and went back downstairs.


    Upon realizing I was about to leave the house, Molly cried out, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, are you going out? No, you


    can¡¯t! Mr. Fuller gave specific instructions not to let you leave the vi alone. Give me a moment and I¡¯ll


    go with you!¡±


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    With that said, she hurriedly cleaned up in the kitchen.


    I told her, ¡°There¡¯s no need. I won¡¯t be going far. I¡¯ll probably just walk around the neighborhood for a


    while.¡±


    Dr. Linnard, who hade over to give me a checkup, suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t you let me go with you


    instead?¡±


    Molly paused and said uncertainly, ¡°Is that okay?¡±


    That question was clearly aimed at me. I nodded. ¡°Sure.¡±


    With how pregnant I am, having someone with me is probably a good idea.


    After exiting the vi with Dr. Linnard, we did not take the car. Instead, we took a leisurely stroll around


    the neighborhood.


    Dr. Linnard looked at me andmented, ¡°I can see that you¡¯re the same as me, you don¡¯t seem to be


    too used to the fast-paced lifestyle of the bigger cities, huh?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°While J City is considered quite a developed city, the lifestyle is just not as rushed as K City.¡±


    ¡°You know, the first few days after I came here, I took the time to wander around and scout out the


    neighborhood. I stumbled upon a quaint and quiet cafe that sells delicious desserts. It¡¯s a good spot to


    listen to the rumors and gossips of the various influential families here in K City. Interested in checking


    it out?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± I was bored out of my mind anyway.


    I had thought the shop would be a distance away. To my surprise, it was right next to the vi


    neighborhood. The shop was a vi that had been converted into a cafe. The atmosphere inside was


    indeed very peaceful and quiet.


    ¡°What do you think? Not bad, right?¡± Dr. Linnard asked me.


    I bobbed my head in agreement, my spirits lifted by the soothing atmosphere. While she was busy


    chatting with the waiter, I took the opportunity to take in our surroundings.


    ¡°The view on the second floor is amazing. Let¡¯s go!¡± She ordered a few desserts and took our table


    number. Then, she dragged me up to the second floor.


    Going up a wooden revolving staircase, she searched out an empty table for us.


    A few secondster, she came back and tugged on my arm. ¡°Hey, um, let¡¯s go to the first floor instead.


    There aren¡¯t any empty tables for us.¡±


    I was bewildered at her words as I could clearly see several empty tables scattered around. Why did


    she¡­


    It was then that my gazended on a couple sitting by the window. For a moment, I was stunned. So,


    the reason Ashton didn¡¯te back after so long is because he¡¯s here having tea with Reba!


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, shall we go downstairs?¡± Dr. Linnard queried nervously.


    I shook my head. ¡°No need. You said so yourself, the view here is amazing. So let¡¯s just stay here!¡±


    With that, I headed for a table by the window as well.


    Dr. Linnard came over and sat down opposite me. Her tone was awkward when she asked, ¡°Is there


    anything else in particr that you want to eat?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± From my current position, I had an unobstructed view of Ashton and Reba¡¯s table.


    Our own table was not exactly in a hidden corner either. If Ashton were to lift his head, he would


    immediately see me. I wonder what they¡¯re talking about.


    Based on Reba¡¯s stony expression, I could tell that the conversation was not going in her favor.


    Probably getting thirsty from their chat, Ashton lifted his ss of water to take a drink. It was then his


    eyes locked onto mine.


    In an instant, his brows knitted deeply before he set down his ss. He seemed rmed to see me.


    I shot him a nd smile in greeting. At that moment, the waiter appeared with our desserts, so I turned


    away from him. Lowering my head, I focused on tasting the desserts.


    After taking a few bites, I smiled at the doctor. ¡°No wonder you rmended this ce ¨C the desserts


    are superb!¡±


    She returned my smile. I could see how she kept throwing uneasy nces behind her, clearly feeling


    ufortable.


    I did not me her. After all, Ashton and I were already married, yet, here he was, currently enjoying


    tea with another woman. And not just any woman either. Reba and his rtionship had been a hot


    topic of debate even back in J City.


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, maybe we should go say hi to Mr. Fuller? I¡¯m sure his discussion with Ms. Larson is going


    to end soon. We can all head back together then!¡± she suggested awkwardly.


    What a way of phrasing it! A discussion, huh.


    I took a few more bites of dessert before raising an eyebrow and answering, ¡°There¡¯s no need for us to


    go over. Mr. Fuller ising here.¡±


    Right on cue, Ashton came to a stop beside our table. He chastised me with a frown, ¡°You only just got


    out of the hospital. Why are you running around already?¡±


    I propped my chin on one hand and looked over at Reba. Her expression was incredibly stormy. I


    wonder what they talked about that has her looking so furious.


    Of course, it could be possible that she just did not want Ashton to realize I was there.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid she¡¯ll get mad that you just came over like that?¡± I fixed my gaze on Ashton before


    narrowing my eyes.


    He scowled and snapped in displeasure, ¡°Scarlett!¡±


    His tone had me straightening up in my seat as annoyance swelled in me. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so


    loud. I can hear you just fine.¡± Eyeing the desserts on the table, I found that my appetite had left me.


    What a pity.


    I shot Dr. Linnard an apologetic look. ¡°I¡¯m afraid your good intentions have gone to waste. I don¡¯t really


    feel like eating these anymore. Perhaps we should bring them back home?¡±

 Chapter 191

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 191


    Dr. Linnard nced at the surly expression on Ashton¡¯s face before turning back to me and nodding.


    Not sure what else to say, she agreed, ¡°Sure!¡±


    I called the waiter over and had him wrap up the desserts for me.


    Feeling annoyed at how Ashton was looming over me, I stood up and told Dr. Linnard, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you


    downstairs.¡±


    All she could do was nod awkwardly.


    The weather was a bit hot so I moved to take cover under the shade of arge tree. Ashton had


    followed me out with Reba close on his heels.


    I instantly took in the way Reba looked like she was about to cry.


    ¡°Why did you have to reject my mother¡¯s suggestion? She¡¯s right, you know. Are you going to waste the


    rest of your life on a child?¡± she cried out in a teary voice.


    Ashton ignored her as he headed in my direction. Coming to a stop before me, he practically ordered,


    ¡°C¡¯mon, get in the car!¡±


    ¡°You can leave first if you¡¯re busy. I¡¯ll wait for Dr. Linnard!¡± Then, I shot Reba a pointed look and


    smiled thinly. ¡°Besides, it looks like the two of you still haven¡¯t finished talking yet. So please, do


    continue!¡±


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± he snapped in annoyance. ¡°We can talk when we get back home.¡±


    My expression was serious as I nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true. Whatever we have to say can be said back at


    home while we¡¯re lying on our bedfortably. We have all the time in the world, after all. That¡¯s why


    I¡¯m telling you to talk to Ms. Larson here now.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett, you!¡± Reba¡¯s face flushed in anger, ¡°You¡¯re absolutely shameless!¡±


    I stared at her in bewilderment. ¡°Ms. Larson, in what way am I shameless? Ashton and I are married.


    Naturally, that means whatever we have to say to each other can be said at home. What are you acting


    all innocent for? You¡¯re about to be a mother yourself. I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯ve already had sex countless


    times. Is there really any need to act all prudish like this?¡±


    The redness on Reba¡¯s face spread all the way down to her neck. Feeling both humiliated and


    infuriated, she red at me. ¡°Scarlett Stovall, you-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Ashton scowled heavily and turned to Reba. ¡°I¡¯ll have Joseph send you back.¡±


    With that said, he tugged me away.


    ¡°Ashton Fuller, let me go! Didn¡¯t you see how Reba was close to tears? Don¡¯t you know that you¡¯re


    supposed to treat a woman gently?¡± I berated Ashton. Reba was still standing at the same spot, her


    eyes red and growing misty.


    He stopped walking abruptly, the movement was so sudden that I was unable to stop in time. I crashed


    into his hard chest and pain shot through me. I hissed as my nose started throbbing.


    I lifted my head to re at him. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have warned me that you were going to stop?¡±


    He sneered and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to treat a woman gently; you said so yourself.¡±


    Hah!


    ¡°And you only proved how true my statement was! All you know how to do is spread your seed around.


    Everything else is probably too hard for your simple mind to understand,¡± I was still mad at him so my


    tone was harsh and unforgiving. ¡°Sorry to have ruined your wonderful date with Reba, even though


    it was purely a coincidence that I bumped into you guys at the cafe. However, to use such a tasteless


    method to get revenge is petty and humiliating even for you.¡±


    ¡°Getting revenge?¡± He grimaced and continued, ¡°Scarlett, can you at least try to be reasonable? Do


    you have to be so critical and nasty when you speak?¡±


    ¡°How else am I supposed to talk to you?¡±


    He shut his mouth and resumed dragging me in the direction of the vi.


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    As I walked behind him, my pace was incredibly slow due to my burden. Atst, he stopped and asked


    me, ¡°Do you need me to carry you?¡±


    I quirked an eyebrow at him. ¡°Sure!¡±


    His gazended on my distended abdomen before he scooped me into a bridal carry.


    He had barely taken a few steps when he stated, ¡°You¡¯ve gotten heavier.¡±


    Excuse me? Is he seriously calling me, a heavily pregnant woman, fat? How the f*** is that even fair?


    I red at him before shutting my eyes. It was easier for me to ignore him if I could not see him.


    I was not exactly mad, per se. But at the end of the day, I was still a woman, it was only natural that I


    would be upset seeing him together with Reba.


    Normally, I would have pretended not to notice. However, my hormones were more than a little out of


    whack due to my pregnancy. This led to me being unable to control my emotions as much as I would


    have liked. Before I knew it, I had be a shrew.


    ¡°Heh!¡± My eyes popped open at Ashton¡¯s sudden scoff.


    We were back at the vi already. There was a ck Bentley parked outside the gates. Having seen it


    several times before, I instantly knew who it belonged to.


    It¡¯s not that long ago that John was hospitalized because of Ashton. What is he doing here again?


    John was a very handsome man with a tall and lean figure. He had the looks and the wealth to have


    every single female falling over herself to be with him.


    Presently, he was holding arge bouquet of roses and a gift box.


    Thankfully, there were not a lot of people who came by this neighborhood. If this had been at the


    entrance to apany or a shopping mall, he would have definitely attracted the attention of arge


    crowd of females.


    I patted Ashton¡¯s arm, indicating I wanted to be set down.


    He chuckled coldly andmented, ¡°What a useless, good-for-nothing jerk who doesn¡¯t know how to


    get a decent job and earn money. The Stovall family will be ruined if it really ends up being managed by


    him.¡±


    I was struck speechless by Ashton¡¯s words. Since when is he so talkative? ¡±Aren¡¯t your arms sore at


    all? Put me down!¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± He looked down at me before turning to re at John icily. ¡°nning onining to him


    about me?¡±


    Well, well, this is a first! Is that jealousy I sense?


    ¡°So you would rather I speak and do nothing and just wait to see tomorrow¡¯s headlines, is that it?¡±


    Eyeing the stormy expression on his face, I continued, ¡°K City is nothing like J City. You probably don¡¯t


    want to see the news headlines tomorrow all proiming how two such important men as you were


    fighting over a pregnant woman like me, would you?¡±

 Chapter 192

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 192


    Ashton snorted and put me down on my feet. Throwing John and the roses he was holding a scornful


    look, he said indifferently, ¡°You like this sort of courting method?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I paused before adding, ¡°But a lot of women do.¡±


    He pursed his lips and crossed his arms before his chest. When it seemed like he had no intention of


    going inside, I questioned, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to leave?¡±


    ¡°Why should I?¡± His retort had me at a loss for words.


    In the end, I gave up and let him be.


    I made my way over to John. He had noticed us a while ago but had not moved from his spot. Once I


    was near him, he offered the bouquet to me. ¡°I¡¯m here to wish you an early ¡®Happy Birthday!¡¯¡°


    ¡°It¡¯s way too early!¡± I did a quick calction, noting my birthday was still roughly two weeks away.


    ¡°Besides, I never celebrate my birthday.¡±


    I stared at the bouquet, my brows crinkling in a frown. It was way toorge for me tofortably carry


    it.


    Before I could think of a solution, Ashton snatched the bouquet away. ¡°Mr. Stovall, how very romantic of


    you! Unfortunately, Scarlett has never really liked flowers. Please be a little more thoughtful next time!¡±


    Oh my god, I¡¯ve never seen such a shameless person before!


    John raised an eyebrow at me. ¡°She doesn¡¯t like flowers? Since when?¡±


    I pressed my lips into a thin line, feeling more than annoyed at the posturing of the two men.


    Seeing as I did not answer him, John turned to narrow his eyes at Ashton. ¡°I remember Letty used to


    love flowers when she was young. Why did she lose her love for it after getting together with you, Mr.


    Fuller? Flowers are a way of expressing love. Could it be that you¡¯ve never given her flowers and


    simply assume that she doesn¡¯t like them?¡±


    Is this his roundabout way of saying Ashton doesn¡¯t love me? D*mn jerk!


    Ashton tightened his hold on the bouquet in his hands. Lifting a brow, he asked me, ¡°You like flowers?¡±


    Caught up in their word game, I wondered how to reply to that.


    Unexpectedly, Ashton took my silence as admission. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to ept flowers from anyone


    else. If you really do like them, I¡¯ll buy them for you every day.¡±


    With that said, he tossed the bouquet of roses into the nearby garbage bin. Then, he looked at John


    with an innocent expression on his face. ¡°Oops, my hand slipped. Sorry about that!¡±


    Honestly, how much more childish can Ashton get!


    ¡°If you don¡¯t like the man, you really should just reject him and be done with it. Come back earlier. I¡¯ll be


    waiting for you and the baby in the vi!¡± Ashton¡¯s face was neutral as he said that to me.


    His gaze drifted over beforending on the gift box in John¡¯s hand. He paused before eximing, ¡°Mr.


    Stovall, you even brought desserts! What perfect timing! I didn¡¯t really eat much earlier. You don¡¯t mind


    if I help myself, do you?¡±


    Without even waiting for John¡¯s approval, he simply took the box away from the other man. With that,


    he turned and headed into the vi.


    He is absolutely shameless!Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    For a moment, I could think of no better words to describe Ashton.


    Once he was gone, the atmosphere between me and John lightened a little. I broke the silence first,


    ¡°You really like waiting by people¡¯s houses, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Ever since the first time I met him, he had nearly always been waiting by my house. I was beginning to


    wonder if it was a hobby of his.


    The only response he gave to my taunt was a raised eyebrow. Then, he grinned and said, ¡°I just really


    wanted to see you, so I came.¡±


    I pursed my lips. With how adept he was at technology, it did not take a genius to figure out how he


    managed to find me. I huffed and pressed, ¡°Alright, out with it. What do you want from me?¡±


    ¡°Come back with me to R Province!¡±


    Knitting my brows, I snapped, ¡°John, are you really that bored?¡± I could not think of any reason for me


    to go with him. And even if I did want to, I wondered what was his n on going back. After all, the


    Stovall family already epted him as one of their own, and there was no way he could leave just


    because he wanted to.


    He¡¯s making it sound so easy! As if he can just go away on a whim like that!


    ¡°Are you reluctant to leave Ashton?¡± He narrowed his eyes and leaned back against his car, his posture


    sexy and charming.


    I barely managed to keep myughter from escaping my lips. ¡°He¡¯s my husband, so it¡¯s normal for me


    to be unwilling to leave, isn¡¯t it? John, I¡¯ve already told you this before. As long as you don¡¯t affect my


    daily life, I can allow you to remain by my side. However, can you at least try to be a little more normal


    when you do appear?¡±


    Every time he reappeared in my life, he would either get into a fight with Ashton or cause me to get into


    an argument with Ashton.


    ¡°Let¡¯s make a bet then!¡± He dug through his pockets for a pack of cigarettes. Then, his eyesnded on


    my pregnant belly and he paused. Keeping the box again, he continued. ¡°In less than a month, you¡¯ll


    divorce Ashton. When that happens, you¡¯reing back to R Province with me.¡±


    I was honestly surprised at his unfounded confidence. Exasperated, I berated him, ¡°John, I really don¡¯t


    understand why you keep pestering me. Let me say this one more time. I really, really hate it when you


    bother me like this. Your appearance disturbs my peaceful life and makes me very troubled.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, just leave Ashton and all these troubles will disappear!¡± he answered casually.


    I was so mad I wanted to pull out my hair and scream in frustration. John was being utterly


    unreasonable and obstinate. Fighting to push back my annoyance, I growled, ¡°Fine, whatever! I¡¯m


    done. You can do whatever you like!¡±


    With that, I stomped through the gates.


    I followed the cobblestone path that led up to the front doors of the vi. Stepping inside, I immediately


    caught sight of the box John had brought me tossed to the floor forlornly. Some of the cakes inside


    already had a bite taken out of them. I assumed Ashton had been disgusted by their taste and flung


    them aside.


    What an immature man!


    I was about to leave when a metallic glint caught my eye. Something silvery was peeking out of the


    half-eaten cake. Surprised, I walked over to pick up the cake.

 Chapter 193

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 193


    I pulled out the silver thing, revealing it to be a silver flying fish ne.


    ¡°Is something that only costs a hundred or so worthy of you to dig through the trash?¡± Ashton¡¯s icy


    voice reached my ears.


    Ipletely ignored him and focused on using a tissue to wipe away the cream on the ne. His


    guess was spot on. The ne was indeed not very expensive.


    Back when I was fourteen years old, I was at the age where appearances were starting to matter. This


    was a sentiment that most girls in my ss shared. Though our grasp of what construed as beauty was


    still shaky, a lot of them still tried to imitate the older women in their lives. It became a trend to


    essorize themselves with nes or bracelets.


    In truth, these essories could be rather cheap. Some were maybe over ten or so, while others were


    a little pricier. At the time, an essory that cost ten was already considered quite expensive to me.


    Despite how much I wanted to wear such pretty things as well, I refused to ask Grandma for money to


    buy them. In the end, I went behind her back to work for one of our cafeteria staff. I would help him


    move and carry stuff, and in return, he would pay me five each time. I continued working for him for a


    month before an ident happened and I injured my leg. Worried that Grandma would find out, I


    stopped helping out.


    My one month of effort led to me saving up close to two hundred. I spent a hundred buying this flying


    fish ne made of pure silver while I used the leftover money to buy a belt for John and a thimble


    for Grandma.


    Since it was my first time wearing something so expensive, I lost the ne within a few days.


    That caused me to feel I was not suited for wearing such extravagant items. To this day, I still do not


    wear essories because I subconsciously feel like I am not worthy enough to do so.


    I never expected that this ne would ever be found, especially not after so many years. To say


    that I was delighted would be an understatement. If John actually returned this ne to me, I


    wonder¡­


    At that thought, I looked at the scowling Ashton. ¡°Where¡¯s the outer box for the cakes?¡±


    He frowned at my question, his displeasure evident. ¡°In the garbage bin!¡±


    I disregarded his unhappy expression and searched through all the garbage bins in the vi. Finally, I


    spotted the box in the kitchen garbage bin.


    I crouched down to rummage through it when Ashton seized my wrist. ¡°You really care so much for


    what he gives you?¡±


    Prying his fingers from my wrist, I couldn¡¯t be bothered to exin to him. All I said was, ¡°It¡¯s not what


    you think.¡±


    I finally managed to dig out the outer box and opened it. As I thought, a well-kept belt was inside there.


    Since he had given me the belt and the ne, it made sense that Grandma¡¯s thimble would be here


    as well.


    I continued to search the box but it was empty, I even went as far as to tip it upside down.


    Straightening from my crouch, I went back to the cakes by the door. Fed up by that point, Ashton


    shoved me down on the couch. ¡°Scarlett, that¡¯s enough!¡±


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    My brows furrowed in annoyance as I snapped impatiently, ¡°Ashton, just go busy yourself with work or


    something. I¡¯m not in the mood to argue with you right now!¡±


    A terrible scowl twisted his features. When he spoke, it was in a cial tone, ¡°You¡¯re not in the mood to


    argue with me? Hah! What are you in the mood for then? Admiring all the precious trash that John


    gave you?¡±


    The force with which he held me down was immense due to his anger. I was in so much pain I could


    hardly breathe. ¡°Ashton Fuller, you¡¯re hurting me!¡±


    He did not release me, but his grip loosened slightly. ¡°Oh, so you can feel pain.¡±


    This man is just ridiculous! Infuriated at his actions, I shoved him away from me. ¡°Ashton, these items


    might be trash in your eyes, but they¡¯re incredibly precious to me!¡±


    Not wanting to waste any more time on him, I continued my search for Grandma¡¯s thimble.


    As expected, John had hidden the thimble in the cakes. I carefully washed the three items clean.


    Feeling a lot calmer now that I had found them, I noticed Ashton was fixing me with a cold stare from


    the living room. I knew he was furious at me, so I opened my mouth to exin, ¡°These items-¡±


    He did not even wait for me to finish before he ced his phone against his ear and ordered icily,


    ¡°Joseph, buy all the gold, silver, and jade essories you can find in K City. Also, bring all of this year¡¯s


    newest jewelry designs to the vi.¡±


    Joseph said something on the other end of the line.


    Ashton¡¯s voice grew even more frosty as he spat, ¡°Just do as I say!¡±


    Then, he ended the call.


    For a moment, all I could do was stare at Ashton. I could not evene up with an adjective to


    describe him. Atst, I walked over to sit down opposite him. Giving him a thumbs up, Iplimented,


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, you are a wealthy man indeed!¡±


    At this rate, he should switch jobs instead of working as an acquirer!


    He arched an eyebrow at me. ¡°Throw away all that trash John gave you. Just tell me what you want


    and I¡¯ll buy it for you!¡±


    I pursed my lips, not sure what to say to that. In the end, I settled with, ¡°Mr. Fuller, that¡¯s very generous


    of you!¡±


    I gazed down at the items in my hand. Mary-wise, they really weren¡¯t worth that much. However, to


    me, they were extremely precious.


    Not wanting to get into another fight with him, I tried to exin again, ¡°Back when I was in high school,


    my allowance was only fifty to spend on my food. At the time, a lot of the girls in my school would doll


    themselves up with nes or bracelets. Yet, I had nothing.¡±


    Here, I paused and sighed. ¡°Since I really wanted to be like them but couldn¡¯t ask for money from my


    Grandma, I decided to work for it. I helped one of the cafeteria staff in our school and earned a few


    hundred for my efforts. After that, I bought this ne for myself, this belt for John, and this thimble


    for my Grandma.¡±

 Chapter 194

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 194


    Noting how Ashton¡¯s expression had mellowed out a little at my exnation, I set the items down on


    the coffee table. ¡°To you, these items might appear cheap and ugly. But to me, they¡¯re a part of my


    past. They represent just how stubborn and persistent I was back then!¡±


    Atst, he locked gazes with me. Undecipherable emotions swirled in his eyes as he stated, ¡°Next time,


    just tell me whatever you desire. As long as you want it, I¡¯ll definitely give it to you!¡±


    Although I was originally in a rather despondent mood, I nearlyughed upon hearing his words. Is it


    just me or can Ashton be quite an idiot sometimes?


    Joseph really was quite the efficient man. It took him less than an hour to troop into the vi with a


    group of people following him. Each of them was carrying intricate boxes in their hands.


    Joseph turned to Ashton, his expression as indifferent as ever. ¡°Mr. Fuller, these are this year¡¯s newest


    jewelry designs.¡±


    Ashton nced at me and raised an eyebrow pointedly. ¡°Go and have a look. Pick out what you would


    like to keep.¡±


    My eyebrow twitched slightly before I asked Joseph, ¡°Are all these jewelry expensive?¡±


    I was a realist so I hope myck of tack could be forgiven. I seriously had zero knowledge of all these


    luxurious items.


    Joseph replied solemnly, ¡°All of them are from well-known brands and were crafted by the most skilled


    and patient artisans. On average, each piece costs at least twenty million.¡±


    I was utterly stunned at his words. For a few seconds, all I could do was gape at him in shock. Then, I


    turned to Ashton and said, ¡°Ashton, I don¡¯t like any of them. Please tell them to take them all away.¡±


    Only someone crazy would spend so much money on a piece of jewelry!


    Ashton frowned. ¡°You don¡¯t like any of them?¡± He took a sweeping look at all the jewelry before


    focusing on me, waiting for my answer.


    I shook my head and answered earnestly, ¡°Nope, not a single one of them.¡±


    ¡°Leave them all behind!¡± hemanded. Then, he pinned Joseph with a look. ¡°Next time, be more


    patient when you¡¯re selecting things. It¡¯ll save you more energy in the long run.¡±


    Joseph blinked in surprise before he nodded sternly.


    Having gotten involved in the business world in the past two years, I had picked up on certain nuances


    businessmen liked to use. Ashton¡¯s words were a clear chastisement that Joseph was not a very


    efficient man.


    Joseph had the people set down all their jewelry cases. After giving them some instructions, they all


    left.


    Taking in all the jewelry that had been left behind, I stared at Ashton dumbly. ¡°Mr. Fuller, you¡¯re a


    generous man indeed!¡±


    With that said, I turned and headed for the bedroom.


    Since I was not in the habit of wearing jewelry, all those were nothing better than useless clutter. I was


    at a loss for how to evenin about Ashton¡¯s extravagant behavior.


    Thankfully, Ashton was no longer angry about John giving me those items. Nheless, he was an


    extremely strange man, because now, he was actually asking me to buy him a belt.


    ¡°Ashton Fuller! Why don¡¯t you go and consult Dr. Crest if you¡¯re mentally ill instead of tormenting


    me!¡± What the hell kind of request is that?


    ¡°If you can earn money to buy a belt for John, why can¡¯t you buy one for me? I¡¯m your husband while


    he¡¯s just your nominal brother!¡± Hearing such wordse out of his mouth really was a surreal


    experience. It was also incredibly awkward.


    I chuckled and retorted, ¡°And you¡¯re just my nominal husband! Besides, why should I buy you a belt?


    You¡¯ve never deemed any of the other clothing I bought you worthy of even a nce!¡±


    ¡°Other clothing?¡± He was visibly surprised. ¡°When did you buy me other clothes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always been buying you clothing; they¡¯re all back at the vi in J City. You¡¯ve never worn any of


    them though. I gave one to Dr. Crest previously when his clothes got wet. It¡¯s not like you were wearing


    it anyway.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett, do you even know where I normally put my clothes?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do!¡±


    What did it matter that I did though? His closet was filled with either ck or white shirts. The shirts I


    bought him were not even in the same league quality-wise. Even if I put the clothes I bought him in


    there, he probably would not touch them anyway.


    He red at me. ¡°Who else did you give my clothes to?¡±


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    I shook my head and replied, ¡°He¡¯s the only one.¡±


    ¡°Get it back from him!¡±


    What the hell? Did he seriously just say what I thought he said?


    ¡°Ashton Fuller, you can get it back yourself! I¡¯m not as shameless as you!¡± Does he honestly think I can


    just get back what I already gifted to someone else?


    To my horror, he actually fished out his phone to call Jared. I took in his serious expression and voiced


    my disbelief, ¡°You seriously want it back?¡±


    He quirked an eyebrow at me. ¡°It¡¯s my shirt. Why can¡¯t I get it back?¡±


    I had nothing to say to that. I was utterly dumbfounded at the sheer depth of his shamelessness. This


    really has been an eye-opening day.


    ¡°Go outside if you want to call! I don¡¯t want nor need to hear your conversation.¡± Just the thought of


    how that conversation would go with Jared had shame burning through me.


    Unfortunately, the call went through before he could leave the room. Jared¡¯s cool voice came over the


    speakers, ¡°Ashton, what is it?¡±


    ¡°I want the shirt that Scarlett lent to you previously back. Clean it and return it to me as soon as you


    can.¡± Ashton went straight to the point, his expressionpletely unchanged from its normal nd


    look.


    He¡¯s good, I¡¯ll give him that!


    I could already imagine the look on Jared¡¯s face. Ashton turned on the loudspeakers and I could hear


    silence on the other end for several seconds. Then, Jared spoke up, ¡°Do you have so little clothes that


    that one shirt matters so much?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯tck clothes.¡±


    ¡°Then forget about it. I don¡¯t even know where I left it.¡± Much like Ashton, Jared was a rather


    standoffish man. With that said, he got ready to end the call.

 Chapter 195

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 195


    Ashton grew annoyed at that. He snapped, ¡°Then find it! How could you possibly wear something


    someone else¡¯s wife bought for them? Does it even fit you?¡±


    ¡°It fits perfectly actually!¡± Jared did not seem to be in a good mood. I could hear how his background


    was rather noisy, hinting that he was possibly in a bar.


    ¡°Do you know that the bone cancer hospital in M Country has officially been established? Looks like


    you don¡¯t need a rmendation letter anymore.¡± Ashton rxed back against the chaise lounge,


    looking as cool as a cucumber.


    ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll return you the shirt as soon as I can! In fact, I¡¯ll get on it right away!¡±


    With that said, Jared hung up.


    What the hell just happened?


    I rolled my eyes at Ashton¡¯s antics. Not having anything more to say to him, I got myself ready for bed.


    With Nick and John both in K City, my days were not boring as before. And whenever I felt bored at


    home, I would start sorting through the insane amount of jewelry Ashton bought for mest time, I had


    the feeling that it was probably enough for me to start up a jewelry store of my own.


    When Cameron came to visit me this time, I was not as panicked nor tense as before. I invited her into


    the living room, where Molly poured her some tea.


    We sat down opposite each other. The gentle smile on her face was ever-present as her gazended


    on my swollen abdomen. After a few seconds of staring, she asked, ¡°The baby is due soon, right?¡±


    I nodded and replied with a sinct ¡°Yeah.¡±


    She did not seem to mind my curt tone as she continued, ¡°How wonderful! You two are about to


    wee a new life into your lives.¡±


    Since this was obviously nonsensical chatter, I only gave her a small smile in reply.


    Finally realizing that I had no intention of chatting with her, she ced a contract on the table between


    us. She smiled slightly and gestured to it. ¡°Have a look. You might just find that it¡¯s something that


    benefits you.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow but did not move to take it. ¡°What is it?¡±


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    ¡°Just take a look.¡±


    At her urging, I reached out to grab the contract and flipped through it. When I was done, I did not know


    whether tough or cry. In the end, I settled on pinning her with a gaze. ¡°As expected from someone


    known as the world¡¯s richest woman. You¡¯re very generous.¡±


    She gave a tinklingugh in response. ¡°You tter me. As you can see, the terms I¡¯ve set are beneficial


    to you in every way. If you really love Ashton, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll consider signing this due to concern for his


    future. After all, he¡¯s a very ambitious man. Why else do you think he chose toe here to K City?


    That¡¯s because J City is no longer big enough to contain his ambitions.¡±


    Here, she paused and toyed with her ring. ¡°Based on his current abilities and connections only, there¡¯s


    no way his business will prosper here as it did back in J City. He will need some external help if he


    wants to build an empire here as well.¡±


    I stared down at the contract in my hands as I listened to her speak. When she was done, I had the


    sudden urge tough. ¡°Ms. Anderson, I apud you for really knowing how to push your advantages.


    However, you don¡¯t seem to know Ashton very well. He¡¯s an incredibly proud man. He has never


    wanted nor epted anyone¡¯s help before. If he really sets his mind to it, even if he doesn¡¯t have any


    external help, he¡¯ll still be able to build his business empire with his own two hands.¡±


    I have never once doubted Ashton¡¯s capabilities, nor have I ever thought he was the type of man who


    would give up on me and the baby just to secure his future.


    The only thing that might cause him to abandon us would be love. Even so, unless his love for


    Reba was infinitely deeper than his sense of responsibility, he would never voluntarily leave me.


    Her eyebrow twitched upward before she set her cup down in a none-too-gently manner. ¡°Well, he


    might not need any external help. But what if someone were to create resistance for him? I might not


    be the most powerful person out there, but that doesn¡¯t mean the Moore family can¡¯t do anything to


    him.¡±


    It was a tant threat.


    I pursed my lips and met her gaze. ¡°Ms. Anderson, you truly think I¡¯ll leave Ashton because I care


    about his future?¡±


    ¡°Oh? Does that mean you don¡¯t love Ashton then?¡± A smile spread across her face at that. ¡°That makes


    things even easier! You leave with your child and I¡¯ll give you enough money tost several lifetimes. I


    can also transfer severalpanies to your name. If you want to work, you can manage the


    companies. Otherwise, you can just rx at home and wait for the dividends. As a bonus, if you ever


    feel like you don¡¯t have enough money, you can alwayse to find me. I¡¯ll be more than happy to give


    you more!¡±


    The way rich people deal with their problems really is out of this world! There doesn¡¯t seem to be an


    end to their generosity!


    At that moment, I felt like I would be an idiot not to agree to such terms.


    A short pauseter, I replied, ¡°It would be incredibly foolish of me to outright refuse you now. How about


    this instead ¨C let me think about it.¡±


    She lifted a brow at me and chuckled lightly. ¡°No problem. Next weekend is Reba¡¯s birthday. You


    have till then toe to a decision. If you agree, I¡¯ll have awyer draw up a contract on the spot.


    However, if you don¡¯t, I hope you cane to Reba¡¯s birthday party before eight.¡±


    ¡°Why eight?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯ll officially announce Reba¡¯s engagement to Ashton after eight.¡± Cameron¡¯s tone was


    firm and decisive. The words mmed into me like a hammer.


    Right then, I was envious of Reba for having such a wonderful mother who was willing to n


    everything out for her.


    ¡°Fine!¡±


    Now that this matter had been temporarily settled, there was nothing more for us to say to each other.


    Thus, Cameron left soon after.


    Perhaps it was due to my advanced pregnancy, but I found myself getting even more tired easily


    nowadays. I was also prone to spacing out.

 Chapter 196

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 196


    The sun was at its highest point, and the temperature hit the highest of the day. When Ashton was


    back, I was sitting on the couch in the living room, sweating profusely while staring nkly into space.


    Upon noticing the perspiration covering my forehead, he raised his voice to reproach me, ¡°Are you


    nning to die from heatstroke, killing the baby as well?¡±


    I shoot him an indifferent nce while remaining silent. Then, ignoring his presence, I went back to the


    bedroom to get some rest. I was not in the mood to talk with him, knowing very well that we would end


    up getting into an argument.


    He entered the bedroom after me. After looking around for some time, he found a white smock dress


    and tossed it to me. ¡°Get yourself changed! We¡¯re going out right now.¡±


    I was feeling exhausted, so I gave him the brush-off. ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    He said as a matter of fact, ¡°Today is Benjamin¡¯s birthday, and they are having a small family gathering.


    Aunt Sally called just now to invite us over for dinner.¡±


    Although he didn¡¯t put pressure on me, it would be too unthoughtful of me if I absented myself from


    Benjamin¡¯s birthday. Letting out a sigh, I changed into the dress and then put on light makeup.


    In the car, Ashton gave me a sidelong nce before he asked, ¡°What did Ms. Anderson say to you?¡±


    I was slightly bewildered but immediately understood that either the bodyguards or the doctors must


    have informed him that someone had paid a visit to the vi.


    ¡°She gave me a lucrative offer. I can then find myself an honest and reliable man who will take care of


    me and provide my baby with fatherly love.¡±


    ¡°Honest and reliable man?¡± Raising his brow, he snorted while starting the engine. ¡°Looks like you have


    got it all nned out. But aren¡¯t you afraid that this ¡°honest and reliable man¡± of yours might run away


    with all your money?¡±


    Hearing that, I pouted and couldn¡¯t help but roll my eyes at him. ¡°You can only see the ugly in humanity,


    huh? There¡¯s still plenty of good guys in the world!¡±


    ¡°What is considered a good guy?¡± he retorted. ¡°Ms. Anderson asked me to leave you for her daughter.


    Pretty good deal there right?¡±


    When the car came to a stop at a traffic light, he turned to face me. ¡°What did she offer you?¡±


    ¡°Well, she offered me twopanies and a handsome sum of money. These can afford the baby and


    me afortable life.¡± The way the rich settled matters was surely unimaginable to the ordinary


    people.


    Hearing that, he sneered, ¡°Did you ept it?¡±


    Raising my brow, I retorted, ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°What if the baby asks for his father when he grows up?


    How are you going to answer him?¡± He pretended to ask casually while turning the steering wheel to


    the right, keeping his eyes on the road.


    Being caught off guard by his question, I was at a loss for words. Regardless, he continued criticizing


    me with his sharp tongue, ¡°Must you find the baby a stepfather when he has his own father? Scarlett


    Stovall, are you stupid or something?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s stupid!¡± ring at him, I scoffed, ¡°Don¡¯t you know why I¡¯m finding the baby a


    stepfather? That¡¯s because his own father is problematic.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m problematic?¡± He sneered, ¡°Why don¡¯t you use that poor little brain of yours to think why Cameron


    was willing to spend so much money just so that you would leave a ¡°problematic man¡± like me?¡±


    I spoke up, ¡°Because Reba likes you. Cameron loves her daughter so much, so she did all this to


    make her daughter happy.¡± This was what I truly thought.


    However, he looked at me disdainfully as if I¡¯m an idiot. ¡°Now I believe motherhood does really make a


    person stupid.¡±


    I was pissed at his sarcastic remark. Ugh! This man is truly a conversation killer!


    ¡°Don¡¯t meet Cameron again. I have nothing to do with Reba, and we don¡¯t need to care about them.


    What¡¯s important is that you take good care of yourself and the baby. We¡¯ll live a peaceful life, with just


    you, me, and the baby.¡± He made a turn onto the avenue before continuing to reassure me. ¡°You need


    not worry that I can¡¯t take good care of you and the baby. We can live a good life with the Fuller family¡¯s


    fortune.¡±


    Instead of answering immediately, I turned to look at the passing scenery outside the car window. A


    momentter, I asked in a barely audible voice, ¡°If you have nothing to do with Reba, then why was


    she pregnant?¡±


    Furrowing his brow, he shifted his eyes to me. ¡°What does her pregnancy have to do with me?¡±


    ¡°She likes you!¡± How can I believe in you when all past incidents point to the fact that the two of you


    have an intimate rtionship?


    He let out a cold smile at myck of trust in him. ¡°So, ording to your logic, does that mean your baby


    is John¡¯s since he likes you?¡±


    ¡°How is that the same?¡± Hmph! That¡¯s pure sophistry!


    ¡°How is that not the same?¡± he retorted. Soon, the car pulled up in front of the Whites¡¯ vi. After


    helping me out of the car, looking deeply into my eyes, he uttered, ¡°It¡¯s my responsibility to take care of


    her since Parker entrusted her to me. There¡¯s nothing more between us.¡±


    Unwilling to let go of this matter, I was determined to elicit an answer from him. ¡°If the baby is not yours,


    then who¡¯s the baby¡¯s father?¡±


    ¡°Is it that important to know? Why do you care so much about it? That¡¯s her own business.¡±


    Biting my lips, I fell into silence. I couldn¡¯t care less about Reba¡¯s life, but it was just that I was still


    suspicious of him being her baby¡¯s father. Also, I couldn¡¯t think of someone else other than him to be


    Reba¡¯s baby¡¯s father. If the baby is not his, then why is Cameron willing to spend so much money


    for me to leave him? Don¡¯t tell me they are treating Ashton as a beta provider!


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    As we walked along the cobblestone path and walked up a few steps, the grand and magnificent vi


    came into sight. Even though it was not a long distance away, my pregnant belly left me panting. It took


    us a while to reach the vi as I stopped to rest intermittently.


    ¡°Arhhh¡ª ¡° I let out a shriek when all of a sudden, a ck furry figure was running toward me.

 Chapter 197

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 197


    Ashton reacted swiftly by giving it a kick, which sent it flying onto the ground.


    Later, I returned from my shock. As I took a closer look at the attacker, I recognized it was Marcus¡¯s


    Tibetan mastiff. Thest time when I saw it, it was tame and docile, lying beside his master. What¡¯s


    wrong with the mastiff?


    The mastiff was seen lying on the ground, whimpering in pain; maybe it was seriously injured by the


    kick.


    Just then, the people came out of the vi as a result of themotion. Upon seeing his injured pet,


    Marcus frowned slightly and then shifted his gaze to Ashton. ¡°Mr. Fuller, why did you hurt my pet?¡± His


    anger was clear in his voice.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Holding his gaze, Ashton replied calmly, ¡°Please understand it was not my intention to injure your pet.


    In fact, I¡¯m trying to protect my wife.¡±


    Hearing that, Marcus shifted his gaze to me. He didn¡¯t utter a word when he saw me hiding behind


    Ashton, shivering in fear. Being at a loss, I lowered my head to avoid his gaze.


    Just then, Sally came running out of the vi in her heels. Being as clever as always, she drew a causal


    link between the injured dog and my abnormality and immediately figured out what had happened.


    Before I had even realized it, she had rushed up to me and held both sides of my arms. ¡°Are you


    alright? Your hands are shaking. Should we go to the hospital?¡± she asked worriedly, her voice loud


    and clear.


    Walking behind her was Benjamin, whose wrinkled face was clouded over. Fixing his cloudy eyes on


    Marcus, he scolded angrily while pointing at the mastiff, ¡°Get rid of this savage beast! Fortunately,


    Scarlett and the baby are alright. If not, you and your dog must pay for the harm caused with your


    lives!¡±


    With his eyes full of hostility, Marcus let out a snicker. ¡°To you, I¡¯m no different from a dog.¡± His words


    oozed with sarcasm.


    However, I could tell he was upset when I caught sight of the emotions hidden at the bottom of his


    eyes. ¡°Benjamin, I¡¯m fine. Today is your birthday, and we shouldn¡¯t let this spoil the mood.¡± I tried to


    introduce a note of levity so that Benjamin would go easy on his son.


    Sally, too, tried to jolly Benjamin along. ¡°That¡¯s right. After all, Letty is alright. Dinner is almost ready, so


    let¡¯s get in!¡±


    Benjamin¡¯s expression softened as he cast his eyes at Ashton and me. ¡°You and your wife are so


    thoughtful.¡± Then, he invited us in. ¡°Now,e on in! I bet you guys must be hungry already?¡±


    I shook my head, smiling faintly. ¡°No. I¡¯ve been eating all day. Ashton has been feeding me up since I


    got pregnant. Hopefully, I won¡¯t be as fat as a pig the next time you see me.¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡± Benjamin gave a heartyugh. ¡°You¡¯re such a cheeky youngdy!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Sally concurred with his husband, ¡°Letty is indeed lovable. That must be why she caught


    my dad¡¯s eye.¡±


    The tension in the atmosphere was reduced in a minute.


    As the others entered the house, I turned around to check on Marcus, who was standing beside his


    dog. The man held a gloomy expression, and an air of destion surrounded him.


    In the living room, Sally was serving us tea.


    Ashton took out the gift we prepared, handing it over to Benjamin. ¡°I heard from Aunt Sally that you


    love collecting antique porcin. I came across this at the Glenderg Auction and decided to bid it,


    thinking you might like it.¡±


    Benjamin brightened up the moment he saw the porcin. ¡°That¡¯s very caring of you. I¡¯ve sent my men


    to look for it at the auction, but I was told that it was bid on by someone else. It turns out it was you.¡±


    While carefully holding the porcin, a smile gradually appeared on his face. ¡°Thank you for the gift. I


    like it a lot.¡±


    Smiling pleasantly, Sallyplimented, ¡°Ashton has always like that. Now that he is going to be a


    father himself, he has learned to be more considerate toward others.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I almost forgot to bring the gift. Luckily, Scarlett reminded me,¡± Ashton said humbly.


    I was slightly bewildered when he suddenly gave me credit. In fact, I had not the slightest idea that he


    had prepared a gift.


    Benjamin handed the porcin over to Sally. ¡°Keep it in the disy room. Be careful!¡± Then, he turned


    to face me. ¡°I suppose the due date is around the corner. Have you gotten in contact with the hospital?


    Make sure you make all necessary arrangements before the delivery of the baby.¡±


    I nodded in response. ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve contacted the hospital. Ashton has had everything prepared.¡±


    Sally gave her husband a nudge. ¡°Oh! Ben, put your mind at ease. Ashton and Letty know what they


    should do.¡±


    Soon, dinner was ready, and all of them took their seat in the dining hall. While the servants were


    serving the dishes, Sally tried to strike up a conversation with Marcus. ¡°Marc, you¡¯re not young


    anymore. It is time for you to settle down and build a family. Are you dating anyone?¡±


    However, her effort to engage Marcus in their conversation was in vain. With a cold expression, the


    latter replied impassively, ¡°No.¡± An awkward silence ensued in his curt reply.


    As if she was used to his distant attitude, Sallyughed it off as if nothing untoward had happened.


    Benjamin, on the other hand, was displeased. He scoffed, ¡°I wonder who would have their eyes on him.


    He is in no way husband material nor a good father.¡±


    ¡°Well, well, now that is the pot calling the kettle ck.¡± Marcus sneered while asking rhetorically, ¡°You


    think you¡¯re really a good father?¡±


    In an instant, Benjamin¡¯s anger spiked. ¡°You¡­ How dare you!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it! I believe Marc didn¡¯t mean what he said. Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± Sally interrupted her husband.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ruin this wonderful atmosphere. Come, have a try at this wine from the Merlin Winery.¡± With that,


    she raised her wine ss to make a toast.


    Observing their exchange from the sidelines, I must admit that Sally yed a crucial role in the family.


    Although she had the potential of stirring up a fight between the father and son, likewise, she had a


    knack for defusing potentially explosive situations between them.

 Chapter 198

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 198


    Since I was pregnant and couldn¡¯t consume alcohol, I raised my teacup and toasted Benjamin.


    ¡°Benjamin, I wish you a happy birthday. May God bless you always!¡±


    My words brought a smile to his face. ¡°Thank you for your blessing. May God bless everyone! Cheers!¡±


    Throughout the meal, except Marcus, who was apathetic as before, everyone greatly enjoyed


    themselves.


    In the end, Benjamin was drunk, so Sally took him upstairs to rest in the bedroom. In the meantime,


    Ashton yed chess with Marcus while waiting for the cake cutting session.


    I had eaten a little too much just now, so I decided to take a walk in the yard. Ashton was attentive


    enough in asking a housemaid to apany me.


    The Whites¡¯ vi had a huge yard, which was home to a diverse range of flora. I got tired after a while


    and decided to take a seat on a nearby granite bench.


    Just then, the housemaid advised, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, it¡¯s rather cold outside in the evening. Why don¡¯t we


    head to the pavilion? It¡¯s morefortable to rest there as it is equipped with a cushioned hammock.¡±


    I nodded my agreement. Reclining in the hammock, as the housemaid suggested, it was indeed more


    comfortable. The oscition of the hammock made me drowsy, but I was trying to take the edge off


    sleepiness.


    Right then, I heard the housemaid¡¯s voice. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, feel free to take a nap. Mr. Fuller asked me to


    look after you while you¡¯re asleep. Don¡¯t worry. We regrly put snake repellent in the yard.¡±


    I nodded nkly. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Ever since I got frightened by the snakest time, I didn¡¯t dare to stay long in the yard. Yet, I never


    expected Ashton would take notice of my fear.


    As I cast my worries away, the soothing evening breeze slowly lulled me into a deep slumber.


    When I woke up, I realized it was nighttime, and the pavilion was dimly lit. In my half-awake state, I saw


    a tall figure standing before me.


    Thinking it was Ashton, I buried my head in the pillow, grumbling in a muffled voice, ¡°Ashton, my back


    aches a lot. I think it must be a boy because he¡¯s so uncaring, like you.¡± Experiencing mild stomach


    pain and cramps, I closed my eyes to rest.


    Receiving no response from him, I requested, ¡°Help me massage my leg. It hurts.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± He agreed and thenid his fingers on my leg.


    It suddenly dawned on me that that voice was not of Ashton¡¯s.


    The next moment, when I opened my eyes to see Marcus¡¯s face, I quickly retracted my legs to back


    away from his touch.


    In a panic, I blurted out, ¡°Mr. White, how¡­ Why are you here?¡± I regretted my words the moment they


    emerged. What a stupid question I¡¯ve asked. This is the White family¡¯s vi, of course, he could go


    wherever he wants!


    Seeing my reaction, he retrieved his gaze from my leg while replying softly, ¡°I¡¯m out here taking a walk.¡±


    I gave a perfunctory nod. Having nothing to say to him, I rose to my feet and decided to leave.


    Just then, he took a seat on the hammock. ¡°Are you avoiding me? Am I that scary to you?¡± he asked


    casually.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I shook my head. ¡°No.¡±


    He nodded and then uttered, ¡°They have sent Snowball away. I apologize for Snowball¡¯s behavior, but


    it didn¡¯t mean to scare you.¡±


    It took me a second to understand that ¡°Snowball¡± was referring to the mastiff. My lips twitched upon


    realizing that his ck mastiff was named ¡°Snowball¡±. His brain sure works differently from normal


    people.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I didn¡¯t me it.¡± Noticing he had gotten the blues, I paused for a while before I added, ¡°You


    don¡¯t need to send Snowball away.¡±


    As long as he leashed the dog properly and made sure it wouldn¡¯t cause harm to others, he need not


    send it away.


    Raising his brow, he sneered, ¡°I have no say in this matter.¡±


    Sensing the resentment and a hint of sorrow in his voice, I felt sorry for him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Why are you apologizing?¡± He furrowed his brows. ¡°I find you are in some way simr to Sally. Both of


    you know how to act pitiful and what to say to tug on a man¡¯s heartstrings.¡± His words were rather rude


    and humiliating.


    I got tired of standing, so I leaned against a nearby pir. With my brows knotted, I fixed my gaze on


    him. ¡°You need not direct your anger at me because I have no idea things would turn out this way. Even


    though your dog didn¡¯t mean it, it has indeed frightened me. After all, I¡¯ve epted your apology. It has


    nothing to do with me that Snowball was sent away. As you¡¯ve said earlier, you have no say in this


    matter, neither do I.¡±


    I was not mad at him, but I felt displeased that he cast me on me. Letting out a sigh, I continued, ¡°It¡¯s


    not my ce to meddle with your family affairs, but I must tell you that Aunt Sally didn¡¯t ruin your


    parent¡¯s marriage. You know better than anyone else that your parents¡¯ marriage was broken not


    because of Aunt Sally.¡±


    In fact, Benjamin had divorced Sharon way before he married Sally. It was Sharon whoter regretted


    it, putting Sally into an awkward position. That woman wanted to ruin Benjamin¡¯s life when she saw the


    latter had already moved on, living a happier life than her.


    ¡°Huh,¡± Marcus snorted. Narrowing his eyes, he shifted in the hammock, staring at me with a scornful


    smile. ¡°It sounds to me that you know a lot about the Whites¡¯ family affairs.¡±


    ¡°I know nothing, and I don¡¯t care about your family affairs,¡± I replied curtly.


    However, before I could leave, the man had grabbed hold of my arm. ¡°In your eyes, having a second


    marriage is no big deal at all, huh? Are you prepared to remarry as well? What do you think about me?


    You can divorce your husband and marry me. I don¡¯t mind if you have a baby!¡±

 Chapter 199

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 199


    Hearing his flighty remarks, my face darkened in an instant. ¡°I¡¯m thankful that you don¡¯t mind being my


    baby¡¯s stepfather, but you¡¯re too good for a woman like me, as you¡¯ve said, who doesn¡¯t treat their


    marriage seriously,¡± I riposted, ring at him.


    I shouldn¡¯t waste my time on him. This man is way too unpredictable.


    With that, I walked past him out of the pavilion and then briskly walked along the pond, heading toward


    the house.


    I was annoyed when I heard his footsteps getting closer.


    My anger was aroused the moment heid his hand on my shoulder. Without a second thought, I


    turned around and shoved him away.


    As a result of being caught off guard by the sudden force, he fell into the pond with a thud.


    The yard light was the only illumination in the pitch-dark night. I tried to take a closer look, but I saw


    nothing but water ripples in theke. I hit the panic button when it hit me that he was drowning. ¡°Help!


    Someone is drowning!¡±


    Then, I leaned on the edge of the pond, calling out his name. However, I received no response. Since I


    had no idea of the depth of theke, thinking that he was drowned, I got too frightened that I broke into


    tears. ¡°Somebody, help! Help!¡±


    ¡°Pfft!¡± All of a sudden, Marcus emerged from the water, wiping the water off his face. ¡°Stop crying! I¡¯m


    not dead yet!¡±


    I was in a daze the whole while when he climbed out of theke with his clothes soaking wet.


    Looking at hisposed manner, I realized he had frightened me on purpose. My chest heaved


    heavily while I was quivering in anger.


    ¡°Marcus White! You think this is funny?¡±


    How could he scare a pregnant woman like that? My heart nearly leaped out of my chest!


    Despite my anger, he was acting calm and rxed. ¡°It¡¯s cooler in theke, so I decided to stay there a


    little longer.¡±


    Hisme excuse further aroused my anger. Being ovee by fury, I once again pushed him into the


    lake. ¡°Then you should stay in there forever!¡±


    Thump!


    ¡°Scarlett Stovall! You¡­¡± He was iling about in the water, but I decided to turn and leave.


    That was when I saw Ashton¡¯s tall figure standing in the shadows. His expression was perfectly hidden


    in the darkness, but I sensed his aloofness.


    I paused for a while before making my way toward him. ¡°Has Sally sobered Benjamin up?¡±


    He retrieved his icy gaze from Marcus as he answered, ¡°Yes. He¡¯s feeling better now.¡±


    A momentter, Benjamin and Sally were seening out of the house. The former was displeased


    upon seeing Marcus climbing out of the pond. ¡°How did you get in there? Couldn¡¯t you be more


    careful?¡± The reproach was clear in his voice.


    Inexplicably, I felt pity for Marcus because of his father¡¯s attitude toward him. That poor guy never got


    any concern from his father.


    I raised my head to face Benjamin. ¡°Benjamin, I¡­¡±


    ¡°I identally fell into theke.¡± Before I could finish my words, Marcus interrupted me. With a defiant


    smile, he provoked his father, ¡°Sorry to disappoint you, but I didn¡¯t drown.¡±


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    As expected, Benjamin hit the roof. ¡°You¡­ You¡­¡± He stuttered while pointing at Marcus.


    Sally quickly patted his back, trying to ease his breathing. Then, she turned to face Marcus. ¡°Marc, you


    shouldn¡¯t make your father angry. It¡¯s cold outside. You better go get changed, or else you might catch


    a cold.¡± With that, she helped her husband into the house.


    Marcus sneered while looking at his father and stepmother¡¯s back figures. Then, giving Ashton a


    taunting sidelong nce as he walked past him, he stopped in front of me. ¡°Stop crying. You¡¯re the one


    who pushed me into theke, but now you¡¯re crying for me. Aren¡¯t you contradicting yourself?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help frowning as I found his words puzzling.


    As Marcus¡¯s figure vanished from sight, I instinctively looked at Ashton to exin to him in case he


    misunderstood me. ¡°I¡¯m not crying for him! I¡¯m crying because I was frightened.¡±


    Smiling gently, he tucked my hair behind my ears. ¡°I know.¡±


    Luckily, the following hours passed uneventfully. It was alreadyte at night, and I became sleepy by


    the time the cake-cutting session ended.


    On the way of walking us to our car, Sally reminded us, ¡°Stay at home for the next few days as your


    due date is near. It¡¯s your first time having a baby, so you guys should be more careful.¡±


    I nodded, taking her advice to heart. With that, we departed from the vi.


    When the car came to a stop at a traffic light, he gave my pregnant belly a sidelong nce. ¡°The baby


    is due within half a month. I¡¯ve made all the necessary arrangements with the hospital.¡±


    Feeling sleepy, I nodded quietly, leaning against my seat to get some rest.


    The car in front started moving when the light turned green. In my half-asleep state, I heard his deep


    voice that was tinged with discontentment. ¡°Stay away from Marcus!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± My sleepiness was driven away by his words. ¡°But why?¡± I asked.


    He looked at me out of the corner of his eyes while slowly elerated the car. ¡°You¡¯re not willing to?¡±


    I shook my head in denial. ¡°No. I¡¯m just curious, why are you asking me to stay away from him?¡±


    Seeing him remaining silent, I gave a chortle. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you think Marcus would take a fancy to a


    pregnant woman.¡±


    ¡°From where did you get that confidence?¡± he asked, furrowing his brows.


    Raising my brow, I held my head high and shed him a cheeky grin. ¡°You gave me the confidence!¡± I


    couldn¡¯t help teasing him, thinking he was making a big deal of it. Ever since I got pregnant, I didn¡¯t


    even dare to look at my swollen limbs in the mirror. Ashton was definitely thinking too much because


    Marcus would never be attracted to me, a woman inted like a balloon unless he had unusual tastes.

 Chapter 200

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 200


    Thus, Ashton was simply overthinking it.


    When we finally arrived home, I was too tired to even get out of the car, so he carried me bridal style all


    the way into the bedroom.


    In no time, I was soundly asleep.


    ¡­


    The next day, I woke up to find the other side of the bed empty. When I tried to find my handphone,


    only did I realize that I¡¯ve identally left it in the pavilion.


    After washing up, I headed downstairs and was instantly greeted by Mrs. Eriksen, who was brought


    back to the house by Ashton. ¡°Good morning! Your baby bump looks bigger! Well, I bet it¡¯s a baby boy.¡±


    I was amused. ¡°We didn¡¯t check the baby¡¯s gender to keep it a surprise, so I can¡¯t tell right now.¡±


    Mrs. Eriksen pursed her lips upon hearing my words. Fixing her eyes on my belly, she insisted on her


    opinion, ¡°Believe me, the baby must be a boy! Oh, I almost forgot! We¡¯ve prepared some fish stew for


    you. The broth is rich and well-seasoned. Come, have a taste!¡± Both Mrs. Eriksen and Molly had


    prepared a tableful of dishes.


    Having not seen Ashton anywhere, I asked, ¡°Where is Ashton?¡± Has he gone to the office again?


    ¡°Mr. Ashton left the house early in the morning, but he said he would have lunch with you. I think he¡¯ll


    be back at any minute.¡± Mrs. Eriksen replied while serving the fish stew and other dishes.


    I knew Ashton was very busytely, and I agreed with Cameron in saying he was an ambitious man.


    After all, his goal was never K City, but the global market. K City was only his stepping stone to take his


    company global by entering the Western European market.


    The thought of this left me feeling deted. Cameron was right. If Ashton chooses to be with Reba,


    he could¡¯ve gotten more support and help in building his business empire.


    Unlike me, who could be of little help to him. Even after I gave birth to the baby, I could no longer work


    in Fuller Corporation after that ident at HiTech and the problem with AC Credit. Thus, I could only


    work in anotherpany.


    ¡°Cough¡­¡± As my mind wandered off, I swallowed arge piece of fish and had gotten the fishbone


    stuck in my throat. In an instinct, I made a few forceful coughs hoping to dislodge it but to no avail.


    Mrs. Eriksen immediately fetched me a ss of water and then patted me on my back. ¡°Oh no! You got


    a fishbone stuck in your throat! Are you alright?¡±


    I tried to swallow hard, but the sharp pain in my throat instantly brought tears to my eyes.


    Seeing this, Molly picked up the phone to call for help.


    Right then, Ashton was back in time to see them in a panic state. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked.


    Holding my arms, Mrs. Eriksen answered, ¡°Letty got a fishbone stuck in her throat!¡±


    Ashton rushed to my aid. ¡°Open your mouth!¡± he instructed.


    I was grasping at straws, doing as he said. He lifted my chin with his hand, propping my mouth open


    with his fingers to examine my condition. Soon after that, he loosened his grip and then gave Molly an


    order. ¡°Call Dr. Linnard over!¡±


    Molly nodded as she trotted to the living room to grab the phone.


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Looking at me, Ashton snorted. ¡°Why are you eating in a hurry? The food is all yours. I won¡¯t


    steal food from a pregnant woman.¡±


    I pouted at his words. Looking at him with a pitiful face, I said in a hoarse voice, ¡°My throat hurts.¡±


    He stroked the bridge of his nose helplessly. ¡°That will teach you a lesson. It will serve as a reminder to


    you to eat slowly next time.¡±


    My eyes reddened upon receiving a reprimand from him. I couldn¡¯t believe not only that he didn¡¯t try to


    console me, but he reprimanded me instead. ¡°It was an ident!¡±


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Letting out a sigh, Mrs. Eriksen tried to take the heat off me. ¡°Mr. Ashton, I believe she has learned her


    mistake.¡±


    Ashton raised his eyebrow. Eventually, he decided to go easy on me.


    It wasn¡¯t long before Dr. Linnard arrived. He managed to remove the fishbone from my throat in no


    time. ¡°Fortunately, it was stuck in your pharynx. It¡¯s going to be disastrous if such arge fishbone


    caused any damage to other parts of your throat.¡±


    I was relieved when the fishbone was finally removed, but I had lost appetite for the fish stew.


    Seeing my subtle act of pushing the fish stew aside, Ashton shook his head in amusement.


    After Dr. Linnard left, he took a seat beside me and then handed me another bowl of fish stew. ¡°Have


    some more of it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry!¡± With that, I beat a hasty retreat to the study upstairs.


    Half an hour had passed when Ashton finally came to the study, bringing me dessert.


    Seeing me flipping through a book absentmindedly, he brought a spoonful of dessert close to my


    mouth, asking, ¡°Are you mad?¡±


    Ignoring his question, I pursed my lips to shun away from the dessert, making it clear that there was no


    use cozying up to me.


    Surprisingly, he was mild-tempered and patient, cing the dessert on the table before picking me up


    from the swinging chair in a bridal carry. He sat on an armchair, propping me on his thighs. Then, he


    took a folder out of the drawer, handing it over to me. ¡°Take a look at this.¡±


    Pouting my lips, I rejected petntly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°When have you be so childish?¡± He shook his head resignedly.


    Rolling my eyes at him, I took the folder from him and opened it. I was stunned the moment I saw what


    was inside.


    ¡°What are you¡­¡± I was at a loss for words.


    ¡°These are all yours now.¡± With a faint smile, he exined, ¡°You have ess to Fuller Corporation¡¯s


    net ie with these credit cards. These are basically all my assets.¡±


    In my befuddled state, I flipped through the documents in the folder. It turned out they were all


    conveyance documents of properties and stores. ¡°Why are all of them under my name?¡± I had no


    memories of purchasing all these properties.


    ¡°These are all of my properties in the country, and some of them are overseas. A few days ago, I


    instructed Joseph to transfer ownership to you.¡±


    ¡°But why?¡± Why are you suddenly transferring their ownership rights to me?

 Chapter 201

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 201


    ¡°To provide for you and our child!¡± He said, smiling widely.


    Pursing my lips, I returned it to him and said, ¡°I don¡¯t need money. Grandpa left quite a lot of money to


    me and I¡¯ve saved up over these few years of working in Fuller Corporation. I don¡¯t have much to


    spend on, so I don¡¯t need it!¡±


    He paid for most of my living expenses, such as food, amodation and transport. Furthermore, as I


    was not in the habit of shopping nor did I have sudden impulses to buy things, I rarely spent any


    money.


    When I stuffed the file back to him, he frowned. ¡°You don¡¯t want to spend my money? Or are you just


    unwilling to?¡±


    I was rendered speechless. Is there even a difference between these two questions?


    Looking at him, I replied, ¡°None of the above. I don¡¯t really spend money that frequently. Aren¡¯t you


    nning to expand your business? Just use these funds for it. It¡¯ll be useless to leave them with me.¡±


    He frowned unhappily. Just when he was about to say something, his phone rang.


    I got up from hisp. When he picked up the call, I realized that it was from Jared.


    ¡°What¡¯s up, Jared?¡±


    After cing the file back in the drawer, I left the study room instead of listening in to their conversation.


    A short whileter, Ashton hurriedly rushed out. It seemed like he needed to attend to something


    urgent.


    As Molly and Mrs. Eriksen refused to let me leave the house, I baked some pastries with them out of


    boredom.


    When the doorbell rang, Mrs. Eriksen was rushing to take the pastries out of the oven and Molly¡¯s


    hands were still covered with flour.


    As I was the only one idling around, I walked to the living room and opened the door. I was taken aback


    when I saw Marcus standing there.


    Why did hee here?


    ¡°Hello, Mr. White!¡± I greeted him with a smile.


    He raised his eyebrow. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to invite me in?¡±


    ¡°Of course I am! Pleasee in.¡± I led him into the living room.


    As Mrs. Eriksen and Molly did not know him, they merely greeted him politely.


    We sat down opposite each other in the living room.


    Feeling confused, I could not help but ask, ¡°Why are you here, Mr. White?¡±


    Instead of answering immediately, he passed a box to me before exining, ¡°Your phone was


    damaged after you dropped into the pond. I took out the SIM card and inserted it into a new phone.¡±


    I was stunned. Suddenly, I recalled how he followed mest night just to return my phone to me.


    However, I¡­


    At that thought, I could not help but blush and apologize, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about what happenedst


    night. I assumed that you were¡­ I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    He raised his eyebrows. ¡°What did you assume?¡±


    After a slight pause, he smirked. ¡°That I want to take advantage of you?¡±


    I quickly shook my head and denied, ¡°It¡¯s not that.¡± How could a handsome man like him possibly be


    interested in a pregnant woman like me?


    I thought that he resented me and Ashton because of what happened to Sally, so¡­


    Mrs. Eriksenid the pastries out and said, ¡°Letty, I¡¯ll apany you to the officeter and bring some


    pastries to Mr. Ashton. If he knows that you baked them yourself, he¡¯ll definitely be very happy.¡±


    I smiled and did not respond. After all, I did not bake those pastries on my own¡ªat the very most, I


    merely helped out.


    She merely said that because she wanted my rtionship with Ashton to improve.


    Hence, I did not say anything else.


    Marcus nced at Mrs. Eriksen and asked, ¡°Can I take some home?¡±


    I gaped in shock.


    He did seem like someone who likes to eat pastries. I had visited the White family twice and the chefs


    there were all extremely skilled. Yet, I had never seen him eat any pastries. Why¡­


    Mrs. Eriksen nodded and went to pack some pastries.


    Surprised, I looked at Marcus and eximed, ¡°So you like to eat pastries?¡±


    He raised his eyebrow. ¡°It won¡¯t hurt if I eat some asionally.¡±


    He was not wrong.


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    After Mrs. Eriksen finished packing the pastries, Marcus stood up and prepared to leave. Looking at the


    phone he left behind, I could not help but say, ¡°Mr. White, about the cost of the phone¡­¡±


    ¡°These pastries make up for it!¡± He lifted the bag of pastries and said, ¡°We¡¯re even now.¡±


    With that, he left.


    Mrs. Eriksen, who did not know him, watched him leave and asked me, ¡°Who is he?¡±


    ¡°Marcus White. He¡¯s Benjamin¡¯s son.¡±


    ¡°I see!¡± She nodded as she mumbled to herself, ¡°I don¡¯t know him.¡±


    I smiled, but did not borate further.


    After packing some pastries up, Mrs. Eriksen held onto my arm and said, ¡°If you send the pastries to


    Mr. Ashton personally, he¡¯ll definitely be delighted.¡±


    I did not know if he would be delighted, but one thing was for sure¡ªhe was probably very busy now.


    I rarely visited thepany¡¯s office in K City. When I arrived at the building in a taxi, I could not help


    but be slightly surprised.


    It was really showy of Ashton to have bought three magnificent skyscrapers right smack in the city


    center.


    Crowds of people surged in and out of the building. Afraid that someone would bump into me, Mrs.


    Eriksen held onto my hand carefully and reminded me, ¡°You must be careful!¡±


    Soon, we arrived at the receptionist.


    Despite calling for assistance twice, everyone ignored Mrs. Eriksen. The pretty receptionist was so


    busy dealing with the visitors that she dismissed Mrs. Eriksen a few times.


    Frustrated, Mrs. Eriksen scolded, ¡°Why can¡¯t you tell us where the president¡¯s office is? Why are you so


    unprofessional?¡±

 Chapter 202

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 202


    Her voice was loud, attracting the crowd¡¯s attention. The receptionist had no choice but to turn toward


    her and say politely, ¡°I¡¯m not concealing the information from you deliberately. Mr. Fuller receives many


    guests every day, but each of them has to make an appointment with him. If you don¡¯t have an


    appointment with him, I¡¯m afraid that I can¡¯t let you meet him.¡±


    Mrs. Eriksen was annoyed. ¡°How busy is he? Does his wife need to make an appointment to visit him?¡±


    The receptionist was stunned for a while before bursting intoughter. ¡°Ma¡¯am, Mr. Fuller¡¯s fianc¨¦e just


    visited. How is it possible for him to have a wife? Did you mistake him for someone else?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Mrs. Eriksen ced the pastries on the table and said furiously, ¡°Mr. Fuller has


    been married for almost three years. Why would he have a fianc¨¦e? He¡¯s even going to have a child


    soon. Are you sure that you aren¡¯t mistaken?¡±


    The receptionist scoffed disdainfully. ¡°You mustn¡¯t spout such nonsense, Ma¡¯am. Of course we¡¯d know


    if Mr. Fuller is married or not. His fianc¨¦e has been visiting him for the past few days. We can¡¯t possibly


    be mistaken, right?¡±


    Mrs. Eriksen was about to rebuke when I interrupted, ¡°Mrs. Eriksen.¡±


    ¡°Letty!¡± She looked at me and asked worriedly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you tired? Sit there for a while and


    I¡¯ll speak to them.¡±


    Chuckling, I shook my head and walked to the receptionist with my hand on my stomach. ¡°There¡¯s no


    need for that!¡± Looking at her, I asked, ¡°Is Mr. Fuller¡¯s fianc¨¦e¡¯sst name Larson?¡±


    She was shocked for a while before nodding. ¡°Yeah! She¡¯s the missing daughter from the Moore family.


    She got to know Mr. Fuller in J City and they already have a child together. I heard that they¡¯re going to


    be married soon!¡±


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Unable to stand it anymore, Mrs. Eriksen cursed, ¡°What crap is that? Even until now,


    Reba¡¯s still constantly pestering Mr. Fuller. It¡¯s impossible for that child to be his.¡±


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, please be more careful with your words. Don¡¯t nder others so casually!¡± The receptionist


    seemed to be very defensive of Reba.


    Mrs. Eriksen scoffed, ¡°nder her? Ha! If she¡¯s a decent and upright woman, it¡¯s impossible for her to


    be ndered.¡±


    After ncing around at the silent crowd in the lobby, I looked back at the receptionist and asked,


    ¡°Does Ms. Larsone here frequently?¡±


    She nodded. Gazing at my stomach, she asked hesitatingly, ¡°She¡¯s been visiting regrly ever since


    Mr. Fuller came to K City. Who are you, Ma¡¯am?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Ashton¡¯s official wife!¡± Pointing at my stomach, I smiled. ¡°This is his child who¡¯s going to be born


    soon.¡±


    Then, I ignored the receptionist¡¯s doubtful gaze and called Ashton.


    The call went through almost instantly.


    ¡°Hello!¡± A female voice answered the phone, so it was obvious that Ashton was not the one who picked


    it up.


    It was Reba!


    ¡°Let Ashton answer the phone!¡± I was not particrly upset either. After all, it was normal for other


    women to be obsessed with a man like Ashton.


    ¡°He¡¯s having a meeting!¡± Reba said smugly. ¡°Your baby¡¯s about to be born, right?¡±


    I narrowed my eyes and hung up.


    When the receptionist saw that, she scoffed, ¡°Don¡¯t think that anyone can pretend to be Mr. Fuller¡¯s


    wife. A random woman on the streets isn¡¯t worthy enough of him!¡±


    ¡°Why are you so rude?¡± Mrs. Eriksen flushed in fury as she red at the receptionist. She looked like


    she was on the verge of cursing at her.


    I pulled her back and shook my head slightly. As there were many people watching us, it would be


    inappropriate to create a ruckus here.


    I decided to call Jared next. He picked up the call almost immediately.


    His voice was as calm as usual. ¡°What¡¯s up, Scarlett?¡±


    ¡°Are you in K City?¡±


    He replied, ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on the ground floor of the Prism Building. Can you bring me up? The receptionist said that I need


    to make an appointment, but I didn¡¯t make one with Ashton.¡± I spoke calmly, my voice devoid of any


    emotion.


    ¡°Sure!¡± Jared replied and hung up.


    The receptionist¡¯s expression was turning unpleasant. Dumbfounded, she looked at me skeptically.


    Stroking my stomach, I stood there silently with my head lowered. Mrs. Eriksen red at the


    receptionist and mumbled, ¡°How snobbish!¡±


    She was about to retort when someone approached her. ¡°Hello, I made an appointment with Mr. Fuller.


    Please pass the message on to him!¡±


    The receptionist nodded. ¡°Alright, hold on for a while.¡±


    As his voice sounded familiar, I could not help but turn around and nce at the person. It was none


    other than Thomas, the president of AC Credit.


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Stunned, I called out to him, ¡°Mr. Lowe!¡±


    When Thomas spotted me, he eximed in surprise, ¡°Why have youe to K City as well, Mrs.


    Fuller? As your pregnancy is in itste stages, I thought that you¡¯ll remain in J City to manage Fuller


    Corporation.¡±


    I chuckled. ncing at my stomach, I said, ¡°My stomach¡¯s getting bigger, so I can¡¯t travel to work


    anymore. Why did youe to K City too?¡±


    He smiled and replied, ¡°Fuller Corporation is nning to expand its business in K City. Naturally, I¡¯m


    here for potential future coborations.¡±


    AC Credit had been around for decades. The Fuller Corporation was a massive conglomerate with an


    extensive production chain. The gains from a coboration with Fuller Corporation could amount to half


    of AC Credit¡¯s annual revenue. Hence, he would not give up on such an opportunity.

 Chapter 203

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 203


    I nodded and did not continue the conversation.


    When he saw me standing there, he frowned and asked, ¡°Are you waiting for someone?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell Ashton beforehand that I¡¯ming, so I¡¯m waiting for him here.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Lowe, Mr. Fuller has allowed you to go up!¡± announced the receptionist as she looked at me


    uneasily.


    Thomas nodded. Looking at me, he suggested, ¡°Mr. Fuller is probably busy. Why don¡¯t you go up with


    me? Since you¡¯re in theter stages of your pregnancy, it¡¯s not good if you stand for so long.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m fine. You can go up first. Mr. Crest will being down to fetch me. Please go


    ahead! I don¡¯t want to disrupt your work.¡±


    He raised his eyebrows and smiled. ¡°Mr. Jared Crest?¡±


    I nodded.


    Smiling, he entered the lift without saying anything else.


    Having witnessed such a scene, the receptionist had probably figured out what was going on. She


    immediately looked at me and apologized, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, please don¡¯t take what happened earlier to


    heart. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I¡¯m just doing my job, so please forgive me.¡±


    Mrs. Eriksen rebuked furiously, ¡°Doing your job? What¡¯s your job supposed to be? You¡¯re supposed to


    wee guests and convey messages. Yet, you failed to wee us warmly and did not even convey


    any messages to Mr. Fuller.¡±


    After a slight pause, she scoffed, ¡°It¡¯s not your fault that you didn¡¯t inform him. After all, we had not


    made an appointment. But an important part of your job is to wee guests! Not only did you fail to


    do a good job in it, but you also mocked us. Why should thepany continue to hire you?¡±


    As Mrs. Eriksen had worked for George for a long time, she had witnessed all kinds of scenarios. She


    was thus able to retort skillfully and sharply.


    The receptionist was rendered speechless for a while. Gazing at me, she said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Fuller. I


    didn¡¯t do it on purpose!¡±


    ¡°Do you think that an apology would matter much after I murder someone?¡± As Mrs. Eriksen had been


    suppressing her anger earlier, she was starting to vent it out through her words.


    ¡°Why are you acting like this?¡± The receptionist raised her volume. ¡°I¡¯ve already apologized. Why are


    you still being so overbearing? Mr. Fuller¡¯s the one who has a mistress. Your own husband is cheating


    on you, but why are you venting your anger on others? Do you think that you can do anything just


    because you¡¯re rich?¡±


    Her loud voice attracted a lot of people. Her volume increased as she spoke, ¡°It¡¯s no wonder that Mr.


    Fuller is unwilling to have a petty woman around with him. Unlike you, Ms. Larson is beautiful and kind.


    You need to have some self-awareness. You probably had to resort to some unscrupulous methods to


    marry Mr. Fuller!¡±


    Her words became meaner as she spoke.


    Furious, Mrs. Eriksen raised her arm and was about to p her when I pulled her back. I said calmly,


    ¡°Let¡¯s not create a ruckus.¡±


    There were people filming us. Someone might make a huge deal out of this by spreading the videos.


    Suppressing the rumors in K City would be harder than if we were back in J City.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Furthermore, Ashton was trying to expand the business now. It would be undesirable for scandals to


    break out at this juncture.


    ¡°So, are you just going to let her bully you like that?¡± said Mrs. Eriksen as she furiously red at the


    receptionist.


    I shook my head. ¡°She¡¯s just shooting her mouth off. It¡¯s fine!¡±


    When Jared came and saw the huge crowd, he frowned and looked at me. ¡°What happened?¡±


    I nced at the receptionist. Despite rebuking us so feistily earlier, she now looked quite flustered. An


    embarrassed look quickly crossed her face.


    It was normal for people to admire talented people. Thisdy probably had a crush on Jared.


    Averting my gaze, I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    When we were in the lift, Jared raised his eyebrows andmented, ¡°You¡¯re stilling along despite


    knowing that Reba¡¯s here. Won¡¯t you feel upset?¡±


    Iughed. ¡°I¡¯ll feel even more upset if I didn¡¯te.¡±


    Chuckling, he nced at my stomach and his gaze became solemn. He reminded, ¡°Your baby¡¯s about


    to be born, so you mustn¡¯t roam about!¡±


    I nodded and asked curiously, ¡°How did you find out that I know Reba¡¯s here?¡±


    ¡°The receptionist looked pale. She probably said something inappropriate,¡± replied Jared calmly.


    He was right. As expected, intelligent people were very observant.


    Hence, I did not borate further.


    The lift soon reached the top floor. ncing at the corridor, he said, ¡°Just walk along the corridor and


    you¡¯ll reach Ashton¡¯s office. You can go ahead first. I have other matters to attend to.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Okay, thanks!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±


    While he returned to his office, Mrs. Eriksen and I walked along the corridor. She nced at me and


    whispered, ¡°Letty, that receptionist shouldn¡¯t remain in thispany.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t intervene with thepany¡¯s affairs. It¡¯s got nothing to do with me whether she¡¯s working here


    or not. Don¡¯t overthink!¡±


    When I reached Ashton¡¯s office, I knocked on the door. As no one responded, I pushed the door


    slightly.


    The door was not locked, so it immediately swung open.


    There was no one in the office. After cing the pastries in the lounge area, Mrs. Eriksen looked at me


    and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go out for a while and wait for you downstairster. Have a chat with Mr. Ashton for the


    time being!¡±


    I nodded, thinking that she probably needed to buy something.


    Ashton returned soon with Reba following behind. When he saw me, he was surprised. ¡°When did


    youe?¡±


    ¡°Around an hour earlier!¡± Although I had just reached the office, I wasted a lot of time due to the


    receptionist.


    Raising his eyebrows, he walked toward me and tucked my hair behind my ears. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call


    and inform me?¡±

 Chapter 204

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 204


    I raised my hand and nced at Reba, who was d in branded goods from head to toe. Averting


    my gaze, I calmly said, ¡°I called you, but Ms. Larson said that you¡¯re in a meeting.¡±


    He frowned. The veins in his temples throbbed as he looked at Reba. ¡°Interesting.¡±


    Noticing that he was furious, Reba¡¯s face paled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ash. I didn¡¯t touch your phone on


    purpose. As it kept ringing a few times, I picked up the call, thinking that it¡¯s about something urgent. I


    didn¡¯t expect it to be from Scarlett!¡±


    After hearing her words, I raised my eyebrows and remarked thoughtfully, ¡°I only called once before the


    call went through.¡± Smiling coldly at Ashton, I said, ¡°Looks like you normally receive a lot of calls.¡±


    Ashton frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t be so sarcastic!¡± Then, he nced at Reba and said coldly, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte.


    I¡¯ll let Joe send you back.¡±


    An unpleasant look crossed her face. She looked at me and protested unhappily, ¡°Ash, my Dad wants


    you to send me home.¡±


    Ashton frowned. ¡°Since when did I be your chauffeur?¡±


    Reba paled and was rendered speechless.


    Feeling aggrieved, her eyes reddened. ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I meant.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s how I understood it.¡± Ashton was bing more skilled at rebuking others.


    If I were Reba, I would have felt utterly defeated by now.


    Reba sped her hands so tightly that her fingernails dug into her flesh. With tears brimming in her


    eyes, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll visit you tomorrow.¡±


    When she left, she kept turning around to look at Ashton.


    Propping my chin up with a hand, I could not help butment, ¡°The receptionist said that your fianc¨¦e


    visits you every day. Looks like she isn¡¯t lying. Should I go home and prepare to wee your


    fianc¨¦e?¡±


    He frowned. ¡°Fianc¨¦e?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± As my arm felt a bit sore, I stretched it toward him. While he instinctively massaged it, I


    continued, ¡°She visits you so frequently and is even pregnant. Who can she possibly be if not for your


    fianc¨¦e?¡±


    With a grim expression, he raised his eyebrows and looked at me. ¡°You believed that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not up to me whether I believed it or not!¡± As I was not in the mood to argue with him, I remained


    calm.


    He whipped out his phone and made a call. As I was near him, I could clearly hear the person speaking


    on the phone.


    It was Joseph. ¡°Yes, Mr. Fuller?¡±


    ¡°Change the receptionist on the ground floor. She¡¯s barred from working here forever.¡± Then, he


    continued, ¡°Without my permission, don¡¯t let any irrelevant personnel in.¡±


    Joseph was a bit confused. ¡°Who are you referring to, Mr. Fuller?¡±


    ¡°Reba!¡±


    With that, Ashton was about to end the call when Joseph quickly protested, ¡°She came with Mr. Quinn.


    I¡¯m not in the position to intervene!¡±


    Ashton frowned. ¡°Find a solution, then.¡±


    He hung up immediately after. ncing at me, he asked, ¡°How¡¯s that?¡±


    I nodded in approval. ¡°Simple and straightforward!¡±


    He frowned. ¡°So, are you satisfied?¡±


    Pouting, I rebuked, ¡°What¡¯s your business got to do with me?¡±


    As I could not be bothered to argue with him, I passed the pastries I brought to him. ¡°Mrs. Eriksen said


    that if you knew that I baked these pastries, you¡¯d definitely enjoy them.¡±


    Taking the box from my hands, he nced at it then back at me. ¡°Did you really bake them?¡±


    ¡°I helped out!¡± As Mrs. Eriksen and Molly baked them too, I did not deserve full credit.


    Chuckling, hemented, ¡°Although they look quite ugly, they probably taste quite good.¡±


    Ugly?


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    I was rendered speechless.


    It was already evening, so the workday had already ended. Mrs. Eriksen called, saying that she would


    return first and that I should go home with Ashton.


    Knowing that she was deliberately trying to make me spend more time with Ashton, I agreed without


    saying anything else.


    Ashton was not particrly fond of pastries, so he merely took a few bites. Notmenting on it, I


    leaned against the couch and used my phone.


    However, he snatched my phone away. ¡°Stop using your phone so regrly. It¡¯s bad for your eyes.¡±


    ¡°Then, do I look at you instead?¡± I was extremely bored. Furthermore, as I was quite upset by what


    happened downstairs, I felt an urge to rebuke Ashton whenever he spoke.


    Heughed and offered generously, ¡°Sure, you can look at me to your heart¡¯s content!¡±


    Completely uninterested in his offer, I rolled my eyes. ¡°You should ask Reba to do it instead. I¡¯m not


    interested!¡±


    ¡°Are you still angry?¡± He pulled me into his arms as he said exasperatedly, ¡°Rumors spread easily in a


    company asrge as this. It¡¯s inevitable for some people to deliberately stir up trouble. What¡¯s the use


    of being bothered by it?¡±


    I said sarcastically, ¡°So you knew about it right from the start, but you just idly stood by? If I hadn¡¯t


    visited today, would you have been enjoying this a lot? Your wife and your mistress are both pregnant.


    Once we both give birth, you might be blessed with a son and a daughter! How perfect!¡±


    Hearing the sarcasm in my words, he massaged his temples. ¡°You have such a wild imagination. Why


    can¡¯t you think about other issues instead?¡±


    I scoffed, ¡°Like what? Should I think about your passionate rtionship with Reba and how the both


    of you are sleeping with each other behind my back?¡±


    He frowned, feeling frustrated. ¡°I keep saying that there¡¯s nothing between both of us, so why do you


    keep harping on it? Are you never going to get over it?¡±

 Chapter 205

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 205


    ¡°How can I get over it?¡± As I was upset, I spoke in a very blunt manner. ¡°You let her enter the office


    whenever she wants to and allow the staff to call her your fianc¨¦e. Yet, you still act so indifferently


    about it, as if it¡¯s got nothing to do with you. Are you lying to yourself or to me, Ashton? What¡¯s the point


    of all this?¡±


    When he met my gaze, he suddenlyughed. ¡°You allow John to shower you with concern, send you


    fruits and reminisce over good memories. Why can¡¯t you tolerate Reba¡¯s presence?¡±


    Not expecting him to mention these things, I immediately seethed in fury. When I stood up abruptly, I


    almost lost my bnce and fell. He tried to hold me, but I shoved him away. ¡°Stay away from me!¡±


    I stomped out of the office. When I opened the door, I saw Joe who was about to knock on the door.


    There was an awkward expression on his face, probably because he had overheard our conversation


    earlier.


    ¡°Did you have a fight?¡± He suddenly asked. I was stunned for a while before returning to my senses.


    ¡°No, Mr. Quinn. We aren¡¯t a couple!¡± With that, I brushed past him and left.


    Ashton caught up with me and grabbed my arm. ¡°Where are you going, Scarlett?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± I flung his hand away and was about to leave when he dragged me back to


    the sofa. Looking at Joe, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Having witnessed this scene, Joe felt a bit embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯ve settled the matters regarding the


    European market. Jared and I are nning to celebrate tonight. Will you being along?¡±


    Ashton nced at me and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Do you think that I can go?¡±


    Joe was rendered speechless for a while before suggesting boldly, ¡°Why don¡¯t you bring Scarlett


    along? She can just refrain from drinking alcohol!¡±


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Do you want to go?¡± Ashton asked, still holding me.


    ¡°Is Reba going?¡± I asked Joe with a determined gaze.


    Taken aback, he paused for a while before saying, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll go!¡±


    Joe nced at me, then back at Ashton. Withoutmenting any further, he left the office.


    Ashton grabbed my hands. ¡°What are you nning to do?¡±


    Iughed. ¡°What can I do? The Moore family is so powerful. It¡¯s impossible for me to ruin Reba,


    right? I just want to keep an eye on my husband. Why? You don¡¯t want me toe?¡±


    He said exasperatedly, ¡°Your baby is about to be born. It¡¯s not safe for you to roam about!¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Dr. Crest there?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s really busy so he won¡¯t have time to take care of you.¡± He made me sound like a burden.


    ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t go then.¡± Since he was already trying so hard to persuade me, it would be shameless of


    me to insist.


    With that, he fell silent.


    ncing at me, he asked, ¡°What do you want to eat for dinner?¡±


    I could not think of something in such a short span of time. After deliberating about it, I suggested,


    ¡°What about barbecue?¡± I had an urge to eat something heavy perhaps due to my pregnancy cravings.


    I rarely ate barbecue in the past because it was too hot and oily. However, I now felt uneasy if I went


    too long with eating any barbecue.


    He frowned. Not very fond of barbecue, he said, ¡°Eat something else.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I disliked it whenever he acted like that. ¡°You¡¯re the one who asked me what I wanted to eat.


    Now that I¡¯ve said barbecue, you¡¯re unwilling to eat it. What do you want me to do?¡±


    He frowned. ¡°The smell is too strong and it¡¯s very crowded. It¡¯s not safe!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s even more dangerous if I go hungry!¡± Ashton was extremely annoying at times. ¡°Oh, right. It¡¯s more


    suitable for a dignified president of apany like you to dine at a Western restaurant with an elegant


    lady like Reba. You can enjoy ssical music and bask in the romantic atmosphere instead of


    suffering in a crowded and noisy ce like a barbecue shop. It¡¯s not worthy enough for a nobleman like


    you.¡±


    Since I was in a bad mood, I did not mince my words.


    Pursing his lips, he chided, ¡°Scarlett, can¡¯t you be gentler like other women? It¡¯s pointless to be so


    mean.¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°If I¡¯m being pointless, look for Reba instead. Why are you criticizing me here?¡±


    As it was gettingte, I did not continue arguing with him. Instead, I stood up and left the office.


    ncing back at him calmly, I said, ¡°It¡¯s alright if you don¡¯t want to eat barbecue. But if you¡¯re worried


    that something bad might happen to your son, wait for me outside the restaurant. Send me home after I


    finish eating.¡±


    He was so furious that he burst outughing. ¡°Are you even a woman, Scarlett?¡±


    ¡°How could you not know about that?¡± When the lift doors opened, I strode in.


    He followed me silently and our conversation ended right there.


    In the barbecue restaurant, I ordered a lot of dishes. Ashton looked at the oil dripping down the meat


    and averted his gaze.


    I had always known that he disliked barbecue. Not only was it noisy, but he also thought it had a strong


    smell and was unhygienic. Hence, he rarely ate barbecue.


    As the meat was still being barbecued, I felt bored and started using my phone.


    He snatched my phone away and repeated his usual catchphrase. ¡°Stop using your phone so regrly.


    It¡¯s bad for your eyes.¡±


    I pursed my lips and ignored him.


    Propping my chin up, I stared at the barbecued food. When I noticed his hungry expression, I could not


    help but suggest, ¡°If you really dislike barbecue, you can dine in the adjacent Western restaurant. Let¡¯s


    meet after eating.¡±

 Chapter 206

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 206


    I was not trying to imply anything else. Instead, I genuinely thought that this was a win-win situation for


    both of us. However, he nced at me coldly and instructed, ¡°Eat quickly!¡±


    At that moment, his phone rang. He nced at it and frowned. ¡°I¡¯ll go and answer this call.¡±


    I nodded and watched as he left with his phone.


    The barbecued meat was ready after a while. Not waiting for him, I stuffed them into my mouth eagerly.


    It felt so carefree to eat without anyone disturbing me.


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    When I raised my head and nced at Ashton, I saw him enter the car with his phone. He probably


    wanted to talk in his car.


    Ten minutes passed. While I was eating happily, he came in and sat opposite me. However, he did not


    touch his cutlery at all.


    Instead, he asked, ¡°Jared and Joe are having a celebration tonight. Will you being along?¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°The Paramount Club.¡±


    The Paramount Club was the most luxurious ce in K City. It was where men visit to splurge and a


    ce for women to seek their riches. I was not interested in a ce like that.


    Hence, I replied calmly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Good!¡±


    Ashton really disliked barbecue, so he did not take a single bite. Instead, he merely watched as I ate.


    By then, I was already slightly full. Looking at the remaining food that had not been barbecued, I felt


    that it was a pity that I could not bring them home.


    Hence, I could only give up and say to Ashton, ¡°Pay the bill!¡±


    He stood up and went to the cashier without a single word. After dragging me out of the barbecue


    shop, he asked, ¡°Are you tired? Do you want to take a stroll?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Remembering that he had not eaten anything, I asked, ¡°Would you like to


    eat something?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± After a short pause, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s go home first.¡±


    At that moment, my phone suddenly rang. Sitting on the passenger¡¯s seat, I epted the call.


    Jared¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°Scarlett, is Ashton busy now?¡±


    Taken aback, I shook my head. ¡°No.¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°We¡¯re at Paramount Club. Would you like toe over?¡±


    I nced over at Ashton. He had already started the engine and was driving back to the vi.


    After hesitating for a while, I replied, ¡°Okay, we¡¯lle soon.¡±


    Hanging up the call, I looked at Ashton and instructed, ¡°Let¡¯s go to Paramount Club.¡±


    Ashton raised his eyebrow, but did not say anything.


    We soon arrived at the third floor of Paramount Club.


    With the energizing music booming beside my ears, I followed behind Ashton and headed to the private


    room.


    He nced back and reminded me, ¡°Stay by my sideter. We¡¯ll leave after a short while.¡±


    I nodded.


    Ashton pushed the door open, revealing a dimly lit room. The lights on the stage were shing brightly


    while a young girl danced.


    When Ashton entered, Joe and Jared stood up and dismissed the girl on the stage.


    The room was basked in a warm yellow light, which made the atmosphere less lively than before.


    Reba was sitting beside Joe quietly, while another girl wearing a blue skirt sat beside her. She


    looked quite familiar to me.


    After mulling over it for a while, I suddenly realized that she was Kristina. I could not help but frown.


    She was sitting next to Jared and looked very intimate with him.


    I felt slightly upset. Although Jared was clueless about what happened to Macy, she was currently


    pregnant and hiding in the countryside, while Jared was here acting so intimately with another woman.


    More importantly, Kristina was not as naive as she seemed. She was so obsessed with Ashton earlier,


    so why did she suddenly shift her target to Jared?


    After we sat down, Ashton and Jared started talking about work, so I did not join in the conversation. As


    for Reba, she was a very unlikeable and arrogant person who was unwilling to socialize with others.


    Instead, she watched as Kristina eagerly poured alcohol for the other men with a bright smile while


    asionally interjecting their conversation.


    The resentful look in Reba¡¯s eyes intensified. After Kristina finished pouring some alcohol into Joe¡¯s


    ss, she could not help but stand up and instruct Kristina, ¡°Ms. Larson, buy some tacos for me. I


    didn¡¯t eat much for dinner tonight, so I¡¯m feeling a little hungry.¡±


    The men did not pay much attention to her. However, Ashton looked at me and asked, ¡°Would you like


    to eat anything?¡±


    I thought for a while before shaking my head. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡±


    Ashton fell silent. On the other hand, Kristina¡¯s expression became slightly ugly. Smiling at Reba,


    she said, ¡°Ms. Larson, you can order food over if there¡¯s anything you¡¯d like to eat. It¡¯s gettingte, so


    it¡¯s not safe for a girl like me to go out alone.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing in the food delivery options that catches my eye. Why can¡¯t you just run an errand for


    me? Are you afraid that I won¡¯t pay you?¡± Reba¡¯s arrogance and stubborn personality was acting


    up.


    As she had always been like this, I had already gotten used to her attitude.


    The other men were the same too. However, Kristina was not used to it. In her opinion, Reba was


    deliberately trying to put her in a tight spot. After all, she was the only one whom Reba could order


    around.


    Although Kristina¡¯s face clouded over, she still squeezed out a smile and tugged Jared¡¯s sleeve. She


    asked gently, ¡°Jared, is there anything you¡¯d like to eat? I can buy some for you when I go down to buy


    Kristina¡¯s food.¡±


    Jared frowned. ncing at Reba, he asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you eat earlier?¡± He always had a cold


    demeanor. If he had no intention of treating someone gently, he often acted in an aloof manner.

 Chapter 207

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 207


    ¡°I¡¯m still hungry!¡± Reba replied stubbornly.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you buy it yourself?¡± Jared responded in a frank and unemotional manner.


    Upon hearing that, Reba and Joe became visibly upset. Reba pouted as she argued, ¡°What¡¯s


    the matter with you? She¡¯s just a mere employee. Why can¡¯t I order her to buy something for me?¡±


    ¡°Mere employee? What about you?¡± Jared continued relentlessly, ¡°You have forgotten about your past,


    haven¡¯t you?¡±


    Reba had been a helpless orphan before being adopted by Cameron and Zachary.


    Upon hearing those words, Reba felt humiliated and could not hold back her anger. ¡°Screw you! Are


    you seriously getting mad at me because of her?¡±


    Jared sneered, ¡°You expect others to be submissive and tolerate you just because you are now part of


    the Moore family, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Jared, shut up!¡± Joe interrupted and nced at Kristina in annoyance. ¡°What a scheming little mind


    you have! Why are you deliberately creating a scene and upsetting everyone over such a simple


    request?¡±


    Shaking her head vigorously, Kristina was aggrieved at his allegation. ¡°Mr. Quinn, that¡¯s not true! I


    didn¡¯t mean it!¡±


    Jared scoffed at the statement, ¡°Why are you ming her? Is there a need to make her life so difficult?


    Why don¡¯t you buy it for Reba if you care for her so much?¡±


    His words aggravated the situation and infuriated Joe. ¡°Jared, what do you mean? Did Reba offend


    you? Are you looking for trouble?¡±


    The tit for tat continued and made the atmosphere tense.


    Bam! Ashton mmed his ss on the table and looked at them coldly. ¡°Did you guys invite me here to


    watch you quarrel with each other?¡±


    Joe immediately pointed at Kristina and directed all me at her. ¡°Ashton, it¡¯s all because of her!¡± He


    screeched while looking utterly disgusted at her.


    I had gotten used to Joe¡¯s habit of insulting others who annoyed him.


    Though Kristina and I did not get along well, I sympathized with her at that moment.


    Ashton frowned and nced at Kristina. Then he asked impassively, ¡°Are you reluctant to buy?¡±


    She immediately shook her head and denied, ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that!¡±


    Ashton raised his eyebrows and ordered, ¡°Then go buy it now!¡±


    Hearing Ashton¡¯s order, Kristina shot a nce at Jared. However, seeing that even he chose to remain


    silent, she reluctantly stood up and left.


    ¡°What are you? In love with her?¡± Seeing that Kristina had left, Ashton looked at Jared and asked


    tantly.


    ¡°No!¡± Jared immediately denied the usation and took a sip of wine, refusing to say anything else.


    ¡°Then don¡¯t let her ruin your rtionship with Joe!¡± Ashton chided softly. He then shifted his gaze to


    Joe, ¡°And you, y nice next time!¡±


    Joe nodded and raised his ss towards Jared. ¡°Jared, I¡¯m sorry for losing my cool just now!¡±This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    Without saying a word, Jared toasted to him and emptied the ss. That was considered as a


    reconciliation.


    The rtionship between men was notplicated, and they let bygones be bygones.


    The three of them continued to chat, and it seemed like they have chosen to forget about the ruckus


    rting to Kristina.


    Reba pursed her lips and was obviously unhappy. She stayed in the room for only a while longer


    before she stood up and left.


    Having sat for a prolonged period of time, I was starting to feel ufortable, so I approached Ashton


    and whispered in his ear, ¡°I need to get some air!¡±


    He nodded and stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you!¡±


    However, I shook my head and refused. ¡°It¡¯s all right. I¡¯ll go by myself.¡±


    I then gently pushed him down to his seat and smiled before I left.


    With all kinds of peopleing to Paramount Club, I dared not travel too far and chose to stroll along


    the corridor.


    Reba saw me wandering along the corridor when she came out of the bathroom. So she


    approached me and sarcastically remarked, ¡°It looks like your baby is due soon! But it¡¯s hard to say if it


    will be safely delivered, nor will it survive!¡±


    I frowned and immediately leaned against the wall to steady myself. After ensuring my own safety, I


    looked at her and replied, ¡°Ms. Larson, I thought you would be gracious and be more gentle after


    joining the Moore family. But it seems like you are getting worse instead. No wonder Ashton is getting


    more tired of you!¡±


    Reba was speechless with rage for a moment. She then red at me. ¡°Scarlett Stovall! Who do you


    think you are? Do you really think you can make Ashton stay by your side by having his baby? That¡¯s


    impossible! Killing a person, not to mention a baby, is a simple task for the Moore family. You won¡¯t


    have him! I won¡¯t let you give birth to the baby!¡±


    Going through all means to destroy one¡¯s enemy was the darkest aspect of human nature.


    While I held on to my belly, I gave her a cold-eyed stare and sneered, ¡°There is always rule ofw, no


    matter how formidable the Moore family is. They won¡¯t simply hurt an innocent because of you. Look at


    yourself, all anxious and panicked. There must be tons of people in the Moore family who look down on


    you and refuse to ept you into their family!¡±


    If Reba led afortable life in the Moore family, she would not engage in such attention-seeking


    behavior.


    Seeing as she was losing to me in argument, Reba stomped her feet and threatened me, ¡°Just you


    wait!¡±

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    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 208


    Reba turned around and walked back to the room.


    Perhaps it was because she walked so fast, but she ran into Kristina at the corner, and the both of


    them collided together. ¡°Ah!¡±


    ¡°Are you blind?¡± The collision irritated Reba utterly, and she pushed Kristina to the ground after


    bncing herself.


    At that moment, Reba presented herself as a domineering and arrogant woman.


    Kristina suppressed her anger and got up from the ground with the tacos in her hand. Fortunately, the


    tacos were not crushed.


    She scampered to her feet and began apologizing profusely. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I was in a hurry just now. It was


    an ident.¡±


    ¡°ident?¡± Reba yelled. She then gave Kristina a side re and responded in disdain, ¡°It was


    disgusting toe into contact with your filthy body!¡±


    Then, she grabbed the tacos from Kristina and threw them into the trash bin without hesitation.


    Reba contemptuously ordered, ¡°It¡¯s dirty. Buy me a new one!¡±


    Furrowing her brow, Kristina was speechless with rage. ¡°Ms. Larson, you¡¯ve gone too far!¡±


    Reba responded arrogantly, ¡°Okay! Should I inform Joe that you refuse to buy tacos for me? Should


    I also tell Jared and Ashton that you hit me deliberately as a payback?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a jerk!¡± Kristina gritted her teeth in anger.


    ¡°Haha! Are you going to buy or not?¡± Reba looked at Kristina condescendingly with her arms folded.


    I witnessed the incident from afar and chose not to interfere.


    After a while, Kristina bit her lip and nodded, concealing her fury. ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll buy it for you.¡±


    She then turned and walked toward the lobby of Paramount Club.


    Reba leaned against the wall and gave me a contemptuous look. ¡°I thought you were a brave


    person and would stand up for her. It seems that you are colder than I thought. Scarlett, you are not a


    good person either!¡±


    She entered the room after finishing her speech.


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    I followed behind her and sunk in thought.


    I¡¯ve never said I am a good person. I don¡¯t act blindly to seek justice for anyone! Besides, I find Kristina


    more scheming than Reba after having dealt with her several times.


    Didn¡¯t she have a crush on Ashton? Since when did she turn her target to Jared?


    As Ashton saw me following Reba into the room, he immediately stood up and approached me.


    Then he asked while cuddling me, ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    I remained silent but nced at Reba, who was ring at me and pursing her lips.


    Indeed, she was jealous.


    Ashton noticed my gaze and looked toward Reba with a scowl on his face.


    Though he did not say a word, Reba was aggrieved at his silent warning.


    I guessed Ashton had never looked at her that way.


    However, he ignored her and turned to Jared and Joe. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. We are leaving.¡±


    Jared got up and threw down the nket, ¡°I¡¯m leaving too.¡±


    Joe immediately stood up and replied in annoyance, ¡°Damn! Why are you guys leaving so soon?¡±


    Ashton nced at them and exined, ¡° Scarlett is not supposed to stay upte. You guys have a nice


    chat!¡±


    Knowing I was pregnant, Joe did not say much but looked at Jared. ¡°Why are you in such a hurry to


    leave?¡±


    ¡°I want to sleep!¡± Jared said tly.


    Joe was this close toshing out curse words, but he held them back and paused for a while before


    speaking, ¡°Fine! Let¡¯s go! We must get together for a drink some other day!¡±


    At that moment, Kristina came back with the tacos. She realized everyone was about to leave and


    handed the food to Reba immediately. ¡°Ms. Larson, here¡¯s your taco.¡±


    Reba did not even spare her a nce. ¡°Why did you take so long to buy the food? I¡¯m no longer


    hungry!¡±


    She took the tacos and threw them into the trash. That was a skillful operation!


    Ashton gave me an impassive nce and dragged me away. Jared frowned but did not say a word. He


    then looked at Joe. ¡°See you!¡±


    Although Kristina was upset, she remained silent and calm, keeping up her facade of being meek and


    gentle.


    Ashton went to get his car and asked me to wait at the entrance of Paramount Club.


    The sky was dark with an asional cool breeze. It was about to rain.


    ¡°When is your due date?¡± A voice from behind startled me. I turned around and saw Jared.


    ¡°Soon. Two more weeks.¡±


    He nodded. As Kristina was not there, I asked him, ¡°Is Kristina your assistant or¡­?¡±


    ¡°Secretary!¡± Jared answered without hesitation. He then continued, ¡°Did you get in touch with her


    recently?¡±


    I was confused. ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Macy!¡±


    I froze for a while and then shook my head. ¡°No! I am kind of busy and seldom call her. Why?¡±


    He shook his head and said no more.


    I hesitated, unsure of what to say. ¡°Why don¡¯t you visit her after youplete the task at hand?¡±


    I did not know much about their story, but I did know that people who missed each other would hold the


    other in their hearts.

 Chapter 209

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 209


    Macy was unsure if Jared fell for her. Thus, she was reluctant to tell him about the baby as she did not


    want him topromise because of it.


    Truth be told, Jared himself was probably still uncertain about what feelings he had for Macy.


    Ashton¡¯s car was approaching, and we bade each other goodbye. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you another day. I have to


    go now!¡±


    Jared¡¯s voice sounded out behind me after I barely took a few steps, ¡°Get a trustworthy person to be by


    your side when you deliver the baby!¡±


    I froze for a moment but found it strange. ¡°All right!¡± Well, I don¡¯t have a mother-inw. Unless I suffer


    from deliveryplications, do I have to hesitate in choosing whether to save the mother or the baby?


    After I got into the car, I moved clumsily and leaned into the seat, feeling tired. ¡°When can the job at


    hand be settled?¡±


    Macy was going to deliver her baby in two months. I was worried about her as she was on her own,


    and the healthcare over there was limited.


    Ashton started the car engine and nced at me. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing! Let¡¯s visit Macy when everyone is free. I haven¡¯t seen her for quite some time.¡±


    He agreed and sighed, touching my belly, ¡°You must have suffered these few months.¡±


    I remained silent and felt flustered. It would be Reba¡¯s birthday two dayster.


    I looked at Ashton and asked, ¡°Are you going to celebrate Reba¡¯s birthday?¡±


    Knowing Reba, she would definitely invite them for a party.


    Much to my surprise, he shook his head and replied, ¡°The baby is due soon. I shouldn¡¯t go out.¡±


    I could not help butugh. ¡°The exact date of delivery is not confirmed yet. Besides, there is a doctor


    and maids at home. What are you afraid of?¡±


    He raised his eyebrows and looked at me. ¡°They are not your hubby!¡±


    I burst outughing and stopped talking.


    Looking at the scenery along the road, Cameron¡¯s words came to my mind and made me uneasy.


    Though those days seemed to be calm, I felt as if threats were hiding in the dark, crouching and waiting


    for the time to make their death strike.


    Cameron would do whatever it took to make the engagement between Ashton and Reba happen.


    Though Reba was arrogant, she dared not cross the line. But Cameron was different. She was a


    self-made tycoon and was definitely a worrisome foe.


    Ashton noticed my less than favorable condition, but he dismissed his worries, thinking that I was just


    tired. Thus, the moment we arrived at the vi, Ashton carried me to the bedroom right away.


    I pretended to be asleep in his arms, as I was in no mood to chat. I waited till there was a pin drop


    silence in the bedroom before opening my eyes.


    I then called Jackson and he answered after a few seconds.


    ¡°It¡¯s five in the morning here, my dear!¡± His voice was a little hoarse.


    I was taken aback and responded, ¡°Why are you still at M country? Haven¡¯t you already returned? You


    haven¡¯te back, have you?¡±


    I thought he had returned when Nickst called me.


    ¡°No! I¡¯m taking a flight back tomorrow afternoon.¡± He sounded rather tired. ¡°Why did you call me


    suddenly? Is the baby here yet?¡±


    ¡°Not yet!¡± I paused for a second. ¡°The baby is due within these few days. I feel uneasy, and Macy is not


    around. Could you pleasee back early?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know! I¡¯m trying to settle the things over here so that I can rush back immediately. But I got


    caught up in the client¡¯s matter, and it¡¯s a bit of a headache.¡±


    I knew he was upied most of the time, so I nodded but didn¡¯t press on. ¡°Okay! My baby is due in


    about two weeks. I should be able to wait till youe back.¡± Then I continued, ¡°By the way, I can¡¯t


    reach Macy. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°There is no signal at her ce asionally. She¡¯s in a mountain, after all. Don¡¯t worry about her! Take


    care of yourself and call me if you need me, or else you can look for Nick! He¡¯s already in K City.¡±


    I nodded and felt more secure. ¡°Please take care of Macy. She lives far from the city, and it¡¯s difficult to


    reach out for help if anything happens.¡±


    Jackson sighed, ¡°I know! Both of you are weird, with one hiding in the mountain and the other one


    feeling insecure even with her husband by her side.¡±


    I kept quiet when I heard the sudden footfall in the corridor. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you another day. Have a good


    rest!¡± I spoke softly and promptly ended the call.


    Two days had passed.


    Though Ashton had been busy, he would dine with me every day.


    I had gotten used to waiting for him at the yard around dinner time.


    It was autumn, and the evening breeze was cool. The deciduous trees shed their leaves and covered


    the yard with yellowish-brown leaves. Some nts had withered from the cold temperature.


    Ashton promised to get some new nts to make the yard more lively as soon as he had spare time.


    ¡°Madam, there¡¯s a call!¡± Molly handed the phone over to me.


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    It was John.


    ¡°Happy birthday, Letty!¡± He was smiling and wished me with a soft tone.

 Chapter 210

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 210


    Upon receiving his birthday wishes, I nced at the phone to look at the date and realized it was my


    birthday.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± I was stunned. I had forgotten my birthday after getting married to Ashton. Truth be told, if


    it were not for the asional nces at my identity card, I probably would have lost track of my age.


    ¡°Do you have any ns for the evening?¡± He inquired.


    I raised my head and looked at the sunset. The night was falling. I seldom went out as I was about to


    deliver the baby. Thus, I answered, ¡°I¡¯m staying at home!¡±


    ¡°Oh. Do you want me toe over then? To celebrate your birthday?¡± John asked.


    ¡°No, thanks! It¡¯s fine.¡± I appreciated his kindness, but Ashton would rather not see him.


    I thought it was Ashton when the doorbell rang. Why did he press the doorbell when he could unlock


    the door with his fingerprint?


    John ordered, ¡°Open the door! There¡¯s a gift for you!¡±


    After sitting there stunned for a while, I got up and opened the door.


    The was a huge pink cake ced at the entrance, surrounded by many heart-shaped balloons with


    fluorescent lights inside. They looked beautiful in the night.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± John¡¯s voice traveled over from the other end of the line.


    I was stunned and tried to suppress the feeling of joy. ¡°You made that?¡±


    He replied softly, ¡°Yeah! Raise your head and look at the sky!¡±


    I followed his instruction and was amazed by the beautiful fireworks. The night sky was filled with colors


    and light.


    ¡°Thank you, John!¡± I was touched, and I could feel myself tearing up.


    It was great to be on someone¡¯s mind.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee! I¡¯ll celebrate your birthday every year onward,¡± John responded calmly.


    Watching the fireworks shattered into thousands of sparks, I was dazzled by its beauty. Reba and I


    shared the same birthday.


    After the colorful sparks faded, the pink cake was carried into the vi. Mrs. Eriksen and Molly looked


    around and asked me whose birthday was it.


    I smiled and told them, ¡°It¡¯s mine!¡±


    Mrs. Eriksen was shocked to learn that. ¡°Oh my, it¡¯s your birthday today, Letty? I should call Mr. Ashton


    right now! I¡¯ll tell him to give you a big surprise!¡±


    I smiled and rejected, ¡°No. I¡¯ve never celebrated my birthday all these years. We can all have dinner


    together once hees back. That¡¯ll be more than enough.¡±


    Mrs. Eriksen was trying to call Ashton but to no avail. She frowned andined, ¡°Why did he turn


    off the phone? Could it be out of battery?¡±


    Staring at the beautiful cake, I wondered how Macy was doing as she did not call me recently.


    During those years on my birthday, she used to call and wish me well, or she would get me a cake.


    Thinking of Macy, I tried to call her, but she did not pick up.


    After a few attempts, I was worried and called Jackson instead.


    When the call was connected, he spoke anxiously, ¡°Letty, something happened to Macy! Make a move


    to Clermont now!¡±


    I was shocked to hear that. ¡°Isn¡¯t Macy by the countryside in J City? Why is she back here all of a


    sudden?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Nick called to inform me that he found Macy unconscious in his courtyard half an hour


    ago. He has called the doctor. We have no idea what¡¯s going on.¡± He then continued, ¡°I¡¯m at the airport


    now and should arrive tomorrow morning. Please check on her first. Take care!¡±


    After I ended the call, I put on a jacket and called Nick. There was no time to give anything any thought.


    Seeing that I was so anxious, Mrs. Eriksen followed me and asked worriedly, ¡°Letty, what¡¯s going on?


    Don¡¯t panic! I¡¯ll call Mr. Ashton.¡±


    I had no time for her nagging and left in a hurry. ¡°Mrs. Eriksen, please inform Ashton that I¡¯m going to


    Serene Vi in Clermont.¡±


    I ordered the bodyguard to drive me to Clermont.


    Nick finally answered my call after few attempts. I could hear the background noise.


    ¡°Scarlett!¡±


    I hurriedly asked, ¡°Is Macy at your ce? Are Macy and her baby all right?¡±


    I could not calm myself down and was so anxious that my hands and feet turned cold and kept


    trembling.


    He assured me, ¡°The doctor has checked on Macy. Both she and her baby are fine. She has taken


    some sleeping pills and will awake when the effect of drugs is over.¡±


    Then he tried tofort me. ¡°Don¡¯t panic and rush over! You should stay at home and get ready to


    deliver your baby!¡±


    I was so panicked that I could not think straight. Why would someone give Macy sleeping pills? Why is


    she back here in K City instead of J City?


    All those questions, including Cameron¡¯s words, came into my mind.


    Thinking about these, I panicked, tried to call Ashton but he did not pick up.This is from N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 211

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 211


    When I called again, the phone was off.


    Something must have happened!


    These words kept going round and round in my mind. I could not help but think that Cameron¡¯s real


    targets were my child and me.


    When this thought came to my mind, I blurted out, ¡°Turn around! Head back to the vi!¡±


    Before the bodyguard could turn the car around, however, we were hit by a huge force.


    Instinctively, the bodyguard stopped the car. Thankfully, he was trained personnel. In less than two


    seconds, he quickly regained his senses and realized that something was wrong, so he started the car


    again.


    Before the car started, however, a ck off-road vehicle crashed into the front of the car. These two


    huge impacts came flying at me one after another, and they terrified my senses.


    I started to feel the pain of falling in my lower abdomen. At the same instant, I felt cold and sweaty. I


    was sure I was about to give birth.


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    Taking a breath of air, I said, ¡°Don¡¯t open the door! Hurry, call the police!¡±


    The pain in my lower abdomen got more intense, and I panicked. If the police could not make it in time,


    both my child and I would be in danger.


    With some difficulty, I got out my phone and dialed John¡¯s number. The phone rang twice before being


    connected.


    ¡°Letty!¡±


    ¡°John, help me, Southvale Road¡­¡± Before I could finish, a loud noise interrupted my speech.


    Crash! The windscreen of the car was smashed, and a few men in ck pulled the car doors open


    forcefully. The bodyguard tried to protect me, but the men in ck injected some substance into his


    neck, and he passed out immediately.


    The men in ck dragged me out of the car, ignoring that I was a pregnant woman, and roughly stuffed


    me into another vehicle. Then they tied my hands and feet, gagged my mouth, and started driving


    away.


    I could not make a sound. From a distance, I watched them pour gasoline on the three cars, which


    were then blown up together. I looked at all this in disbelief. There was still a person in the car. How


    could they just take a life like this without hesitation?


    Horror, disbelief, and fear ¨C all these emotions flooded into my mind at this moment.


    My lower abdomen hurt, and I sweated profusely. My legs were tied tightly together, but I could feel my


    cervix tearing, and the child seemed to being out.


    The hem of my skirt was soaked with amniotic fluid as the water broke¡­


    I struggled desperately to untie my legs, to spread them and give birth to the baby. But no matter how


    hard I tried, I could not break the rope.


    Instead, my legs were cut by the ropes and started to bleed. I could feel my son¡¯s desperation as the


    amniotic fluid drained out, and I could feel as he struggled for breath.


    If he were not out of my womb before the fluid drainedpletely, he would soon suffocate.


    He would die fromck of oxygen, suffocated to death.


    As these thoughts entered my mind, the pain in my heart started to spread. No, this mustn¡¯t be. I must


    give birth to my child!


    After much struggling, I moved the rope down a little, and my knees could be separated slightly. I tried


    my best to spread my legs.


    The speeding car stopped abruptly, and the door was opened. Then two men in ck lifted me out of


    the car.


    My mouth was gagged, and I could not speak. The men dragged me into a warehouse that had been


    cleaned up in advance and did not look too messy.


    ¡°Boss, she seems to be giving birth? Shall we do it now?¡± one of the men in ck said.


    ¡°Wait a minute!¡± another ck-clothed man said, ¡°The big boss ordered that as long as it¡¯s past eight


    o¡¯clock, we need not bother about her life or death. Looking at her current state, she probably won¡¯t be


    struggling for long.¡±


    After they finished speaking, a phone rang. The man in ck nced at the caller ID, looked at his


    partner, and said, ¡°Boss, it¡¯s the Big Boss calling!¡±


    ¡°ept the call!¡±


    The man answered the call, and after listening to the caller, he replied hesitatingly, ¡°Ms. A¡­ won¡¯t that


    be too cruel?¡±


    As if hearing the affirmative answer on the other end, the man hung up the phone and looked at the


    boss, saying, ¡°The big bossmanded we tie her legs together firmly. As long as the child remains


    inside her womb, once the amniotic fluid runs out, the baby will suffocate and die.¡±


    Hearing this, the ck-clothed man was stunned and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t this too cruel? It seems that this child


    is already full-term.¡±


    ¡°The big boss promises to double the price. We only need to tie her legs and leave her here. Whether


    she lives or dies depends on her luck!¡±


    After the two finished their discussion, they decided to tie my legs together. I kept shaking my head,


    begging them to stop.


    The pain in my lower abdomen was like tens of thousands of needles piercing me, but my mouth was


    gagged, and I could only make a whining sound.


    After finishing their job, the two men in ck drove away.


    I was alone in the dark warehouse, and the pain in my lower abdomen came in waves one after


    another. In the lower part of my body, I could feel the child struggling to be born.


    I tried over and over to break free, but the strength exerted by the two men in tying the knots made it


    impossible for me to break free.


    The pain became more and more intense, and I could vividly feel every single movement of the baby,


    who was struggling inside of me.

 Chapter 212

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 212


    After all the struggling, I was close to total exhaustion. The fluid was getting less, and the movements


    from the baby were dying down.


    I guessed that the baby¡¯s strength was slowly draining away as he could not breathe.


    No, not like this. My baby! You can¡¯t die like this! I have not seen what you look like, and I haven¡¯t


    brought you to look at the world. I can¡¯t let you go just like this!


    I was tormented by the pain in my heart and my abdomen. Then, I saw something shiny in the dark


    warehouse. It was a mirror!


    A glimmer of hope was ignited, and I moved my body with difficulty towards it.


    It was only two steps away, but it seemed to take me an eternity to reach the mirror. I knocked on it with


    my head.


    Crash! The mirror broke into a few pieces, and I felt a sharp pain on my forehead.


    Without giving it much thought, I grabbed a piece of ss with my hands, which were tied together, and


    began to saw at the rope that tied my legs together.


    The hemp rope was very thick, and I did not know how long I was cutting at it. There was a sharp pain


    in the palm of my hand, and I felt warm blood on my hands and legs, which felt sticky like batter.


    However, this pain could notpare with the pain of feeling the baby dying slowly in my womb.


    That pain was worse than death.


    Boom! Suddenly, thunder struck across the sky, and the air was filled with moisture.


    The pain in my abdomen continued, but the child¡¯s strong movements gradually stopped. I suddenly


    froze, and the piece of ss in my hand fell.


    I went limp and copsed on the floor, which was covered with a thick sticky liquid. I could not tell if it


    was blood or amniotic fluid.


    Suddenly, there was a heavy downpour. The thunder became louder and louder, and the lightning


    shed brighter and brighter.


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    In the shes of lightning, I seemed to see that child struggling to live as he tried again and again to


    crawl his way out.


    Certainly, he cannot understand why his mother refused to let him out. He must be ming his mother


    for keeping him in, even though he tried so hard.


    I was wrong. It was really my fault. I should not have yearned for Ashton¡¯s warmth, should not have


    trusted him to protect the child and me. I should not have challenged the authority and viciousness of


    Cameron and the Moore Family.


    It was stupidity to take them too lightly. It was my fault. If not for me, this child would not die in such an


    inhumane way.


    As time passed by, I began to think it was okay. I¡¯m going to die with my baby. At least, my baby won¡¯t


    be alone and afraid in theherworld.


    I¡¯ll apany him. He won¡¯t be bullied. Here on earth, I could not protect him, but in the next world, I


    will.


    Bang! The warehouse door was opened, and a strong light shone in.


    In a daze, I saw a tall man walk in. I was so dizzy. When I tried to see him clearly, I did not have the


    strength to open my eyes.


    Perhaps, this is the door to the next world. This door is opened.


    In a daze, I felt as if I had stood up and under my feet was this thick red liquid which I knew was my


    blood.


    Instinctively, I felt my abdomen with my hand and found that it was t. In shock, I looked around for my


    child.


    ¡°Baby, Baby¡­¡± I called innumerable times. I seemed to see a small figure in a sphere of light.


    He tottered toward me stumblingly, for he was so tiny and unsteady.


    Overjoyed, I ran towards him and held him in my arms. Then I looked at the child carefully. He was so


    small, and there was a red mark on his head. He must have tried so hard to get out of my womb that he


    squeezed himself red.


    His tiny nose and eyes looked so cute. He even knew how to smile, curving his lips like a little flower.


    ¡°Scarlett, Scarlett¡­¡± A low faraway voice came to my ears again and again.


    I tried to find the source of the voice, but it was white everywhere, and I could not see anything.


    When I looked at my child again, he was gone, and I was alone, lost in the midst of the thick, white fog.


    ¡°Scarlett, Scarlett¡­¡± The voice came to me again. I covered my ears, not wanting to hear it as I only


    wanted to look for my child.


    However, that voice kept haunting me like a curse. Again and again, it came to my ears.


    In desperation, I shouted with all my strength, ¡°Baby, Baby¡­¡±


    There was a sudden pain in my heart. I drew in a deep breath and forced open my eyes. What I saw


    was a familiar whiteness all around.


    I was surrounded by a group of doctors wearing white coats and masks.


    Someone heaved a sigh of relief and said, ¡°She¡¯s finally awake, and she¡¯s alive.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s best to take precautions and transfer her to the intensive care unit. Observe the situation. If


    she stabilizes one dayter, she can be transferred to the normal ward.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    In a daze, I was taken to the ward. My throat hurt, I had difficulty breathing, and I could not speak.

 Chapter 213

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 213


    After the anesthesia wore off, my body began to ache everywhere, especially in the abdomen. It was


    the kind of pain thates with every breath.


    ¡°The doctor said you can¡¯t eat for these six hours, and you can only drink water. You can only eat after


    the effects of the anesthesia wear off.¡± The person who spoke was none other than Marcus.


    Never had I imagined that he would be the one to appear. I had thought it would be Ashton or John, but


    he was the only one I had never thought of!


    I could not speak, so I just looked at him with tears flowing from the corners of my eyes.


    He seemed to understand what I was thinking. He sighed softly and said, ¡°Take care of your health. In


    the future, you can still have kids.¡±


    In that instant, I felt like my heart had been torn apart, and salt was being rubbed into my wounds. An


    intense pain started spreading, right to my bones.


    Unable to control the pain in my heart, I began to tremble and sob. Marcus held my hand, his


    expression gloomy, and in his dark eyes was this deep bottomless pain.


    Silently, he held my hand and let me cry. I did not know for how long, but I cried myself to sleep. He


    called me a few times as I dozed off. I responded in a daze and fell asleep again.


    This catastrophe was indescribably painful, and the pain seemed to have no end. It felt like I had been


    physically broken into pieces and then joined back together again.


    After three days of suffering, I was able to get down from the bed and speak a little. Pulling at Marcus¡¯s


    sleeve, I spoke in a hoarse voice, ¡°I want to see my child.¡±


    With tears in my eyes, I said, ¡°At the very least, let me see what he looks like.¡±


    After carrying him in my womb for nine months, I wanted to see him face to face.


    Marcus frowned, and his brows throbbed faintly as his veins pulsated noticeably, ¡°In the morgue, I¡¯ve


    handed him over to the hospital!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I pleaded with a heart-rending voice, pulling at him as I shook my head, tears rolling down my


    face, ¡°Don¡¯t throw him away like this, please! He is my child. He had juste into the world. Even if


    he is¡­ dead, as his mother, I should take care of the funeral.¡±


    He knitted his brows while his dark eyes were filled with distress. ¡°Okay, take care of yourself well.


    When you have fully recovered, we shall do it, alright?¡±


    I nodded even while my heart ached. All this while, the pain gnawed at me ceaselessly.


    Marcus looked after me well. He hired two confinement nannies for me. Everything that women must


    have after giving birth was provided for, and every care that was needed was met with.


    The child was suffocated to death inside my womb. His dead body was taken out by surgery. Hence,


    there was a long scar on my abdomen that was slowly ttening.


    Every time I touched it, the painful memory returned. This kind of pain had no visible outward sign, and


    I had no one to talk to.


    Nearly a month passed by before I realized that the hospital I was in was a private hospital, far away


    from K City, and belonged to Marcus¡¯ industry.


    These days, all my thoughts had been on the child, and there was nothing else on my mind. Then, I


    realized that I had to tell Macy and Jackson that I was safe.


    I borrowed a mobile phone from one of the nannies to call Macy, but then I realized that I do not


    remember any phone numbers, so I gave it up.


    Marcus came to visit me every day. He brought me a lot of news each time, mostly about finance and


    trade. Some of them I could understand, some of them I could not.


    I knew that he meant well, and he just wanted to distract me from thinking about the baby.


    One month passed. My confinement was over, and I could sunbathe in the garden yard. Sometimes I


    would stare nkly at the nts and flowers, thinking of my baby.


    It waste autumn, and the trees in the surroundings were turning brown. Fallen leaves were covering


    thendscape, and it was a depressing sight.


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    ¡°It¡¯s windy outside. Come back inside soon!¡± A low maic voice was heard, and I turned around to


    find that it was Marcus.


    I smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re back!¡± He was holding some documents, so I guessed he had juste from


    his office.


    After handing the file to the nanny, he walked up to me and was about to pick me up ording to our


    ritual as ofte. I quickly avoided his arms and smiled, ¡°I¡¯m getting better now, and my confinement is


    over. Besides, my wounds have healed well.¡±


    He had been carrying metely because I could not walk as my wounds were deep. Now that I have


    healed, I did not want to burden him.


    He frowned, narrowing his dark eyes, and he said, ¡°What would you like to eatter?¡± He always tried


    to get me food for fear that I would die on a hunger strike.


    I shook my head, smiling as I replied, ¡°I¡¯m not hungry. I just had my breakfast not long ago!¡±


    He turned around and looked at the nanny, asking in a low voice, ¡°What time did she eat?¡±


    ¡°Seven o¡¯clock in the morning!¡±


    Marcus frowned and raised his hand to look at the Swiss watch on his wrist. He looked at me with his


    dark eyes. ¡°It¡¯s already afternoon. You need some food!¡±


    I nodded. These days, I seemed to have grown ustomed to his temperament. Externally, he looked


    distant, but he had a kind heart deep within.


    Perhaps it was because of the child I lost. For one month, I hardly ate, and even after the one-month


    confinement period, I had no hunger pangs. If not for Marcus¡¯ constant reminder, I would have skipped


    many meals.

 Chapter 214

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 214


    The nanny prepared a lot of delicious food. After a few bites, I could not eat anymore. Marcus frowned


    and was a little displeased. He selected a few choice pieces and ced them onto my te. Then he


    spoke quite seriously, ¡°Eat these!¡±


    I pursed my lips as I really did not have the appetite. Knowing he meant well, I took a few more bites.


    Retch! Before I could swallow, however, I vomited it out together with the food that I had already


    swallowed before.


    I vomited over the sink for a long time, and Marcus turned to the nanny in the living room, ¡°What¡¯s


    wrong with her?¡±


    The nanny said with some hesitation, ¡°Ms. Stovall has always been like this. Basically, she can¡¯t eat


    much. Sometimes it¡¯s okay, and she could at least get some down, but if she took an extra bite, she


    would throw up all of it. The family doctor has also examined her, but he said it¡¯s psychological, so he


    cannot treat her.¡±


    Finally, the retching stopped, and I washed up. Then I straightened up and looked at myself in the


    mirror. In just one month, I had bepletely unrecognizable.


    My cheeks were almost hollow, my eyes were sunken, my brows were protruding, and my chin was so


    pointed that it looked sharp. The plumpness from my pregnancy was all gone.


    I looked down at my hands that were just skin and bones. I looked like a skeleton.


    ¡°What happened to me?¡± Looking at the mirror, tears gathered in my eyes and dripped onto the white


    basin.


    Pitter patter. The sound pierced my ears.


    ¡°Your body is just recovering, so you will get better in the future!¡± Marcus was not eloquent when it


    came toforting the distressed. His tall and slender figure stood beside me as he spoke in a low


    voice.


    I pursed my lips as I brushed off the tears with my hands, and he handed me a tissue.


    I could not eat anymore after I dealt with my emotions. Sitting in the living room in a daze, my heart still


    felt painful and in distress.


    ¡°Shall we go out for a strollter?¡± He asked.


    I lifted my eyes to him, feeling a little dizzy. The autumn sun shone on him from behind, and he seemed


    translucent and brilliant, looking gorgeous.


    I nodded. ¡°Okay!¡±


    The bedroom.


    The White family was huge. I have always known that this vi of Marcus¡¯ was located in the suburbs. It


    was extraordinarilyrge, like an ancient European castle, extraordinarily luxurious and elegant.


    There were a lot of rooms in the vi. I have not looked at them carefully, but the one I lived in seemed


    to be thergest with a huge cloakroom in it.


    I did not know if Marcus had a girlfriend. I always felt that the clothes he bought in the cloakroom were


    not only designer costumes, but they were also some very beautiful clothing.


    ¡°Do you need me to help you choose?¡± Marcus leaned against the door with his arms folded, and he


    smiled as he watched me looking at the clothes with a stunned expression on my face.


    We were to go out in a short while, and I wanted to change, but looking at so many clothes made me


    feel at a loss of what to wear.


    After turning around and shooting him a nce, I gave it some thought and decided on a ck dress


    with gold trimmings. Then, I selected a ck coat and a pair of ck Dr. Martens shoes.


    Holding the clothes and about to enter the next room to change into them, I was stopped by Marcus.


    He raised his eyebrows and asked, ¡°Every item is ck. Are you sure?¡±


    I paused and then nodded. ¡°Can¡¯t I?¡±


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    He pursed his lips. ¡°No!¡±


    Taking the clothes away from me, he picked a gold-pink dress of the same style from the cloakroom,


    with a rose embroidered on it. It looked dazzling and gorgeous.


    Instinctively, I resisted this color, looked at him, and shook my head, ¡°Can I change it?¡±


    He pursed his lips, looked at the dress he had chosen, and said, ¡°This one looks good!¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I do not like it!¡±


    He was silent, and his gaze darkened, ¡°Must you choose lifeless ck?¡±


    I was stunned. I had never thought of ck as lifeless. Yet, after he mentioned it, this color, which had


    been normal to me, now seemed lifeless and dull.


    I sighed softly and then said with resignation, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll change it then!¡± My eyes explored the


    cloakroom, and I decided on a blue dress. It was not eye-catching but warm and pleasant.


    I took it from the rack and looked at Marcus questioningly. His countenance was approving, and he


    looked at me, saying, ¡°Yes, go and change into it.¡±


    After I had finished changing my clothes, he had reced the ck coat with a white mink coat and


    told me, ¡°Put it on!¡±


    I was stunned but dressed up as he suggested, and then I wore the Dr. Martens shoes.


    He looked and was satisfied. Nodding his head with approval, he said, ¡°You look beautiful. How about


    some light makeup?¡±


    For the first time, I felt that this man could be a good judge at a beauty contest.


    These days, I had be really haggard. So, if I went out without makeup, I am afraid that I will scare


    passers-by.


    I nodded and put on some light makeup. Then, I went out with Marcus.


    Stepping into K City again, it felt like a world away. The streets were still busy. It waste autumn, and


    everyone had their coats on. Fallen leaves gathered on both sides of the road. The sanitation workers


    finished sweeping and then turned back to sweep again. It was an endless repetition.


    ¡°What do you want to eatter?¡± Marcus questioned me, asking for my opinion.


    I tilted my head for a moment, then shook my head and said, ¡°Dessert!¡±


    He smiled. ¡°I¡¯m talking about dinner!¡±

 Chapter 215

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 215


    ¡°Haven¡¯t we just eaten?¡± It was a little past noon, and we had eaten lunch.


    He raised his brows, ¡°You consider that as lunch?¡±


    I went speechless at his question. I pursed my lips and contemted, ¡°I can¡¯t think of what to eat right


    now.¡±


    The car passed by the city center. There was a dessert shop in the streets with a long queue.


    I asked curiously, ¡°Is their food nice? There are so many people queueing.¡±


    Marcus took a side nce and parked the car by the road. He looked at me and said, ¡°Wait for me in


    the car. Don¡¯t get out. It¡¯s cold outside. I will be back soon !¡±


    Before I had the chance to reply, he jogged towards the dessert shop and joined the queue.


    His good looks shone in the crowd. Moreover, his tall and slender figure made him stood out like a


    crane.


    I leaned against the car window and watched quietly. People approached him with their phones


    asionally, probably trying to ask for his number.


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    He was friendly. He pointed to the car and waved his hands with a faint smile. It seemed like he had


    rejected them.


    After that scene repeated a few times, the girls stopped approaching him. On the other hand, people


    seemed to be looking towards my direction more frequently.


    I didn¡¯t know what happened, so I could only nod and gave a faint smile to look friendly.


    Half an hourter, he jogged towards me with the dessert in his hands. He boarded the car and passed


    the dessert to me, ¡°I bought a little of everything. You can try it all and tell me which one you like.¡±


    I nodded and took the Blueberry Cheesecake from him. I¡¯m not sure of the reason, but I really liked this


    vor.


    The corners of his lips curved upwards after he saw me taking a few more bites, ¡°It is good?¡±


    I nodded in agreement, ¡°It¡¯s delicious!¡± I saw him looking at me, so I paused and said, ¡°Do you want to


    try?¡±


    He went through the trouble of queueing for a long time. So it seemed inappropriate not to get a taste


    of it. I instinctively scooped a mouthful and brought it to his lips.


    He was stunned for a moment, and then, his eyes lit up brightly. He ate from the spoon with a hint of a


    smile.


    Looking at him chew, I asked, ¡°Is it good? There¡¯re blueberries inside!¡± Not everyone was a fan of


    blueberries.


    Marcus smiled slightly and nodded. He seemed to be in a good mood today, ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s delicious and


    sweet.¡±


    The mood was contagious. Since he was in a good mood and we had desserts, I felt more relieved. I


    looked at him, ¡°Where are we goingter?¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°We are going to eat!¡±


    ¡°What are we going to eat?¡± It seemed like he was more chatty when he was in a good mood.


    He smiled and said, ¡°You decide!¡±


    I thought for a second and said, ¡°Steak?¡±


    He raised his brows in agreement and started the car.


    There was a popr restaurant in the mall, and it was fairly empty since it was after lunch hours.


    We found a ce with a wide view and sat down. He ordered some dishes and raised his eyes to look


    at my desserts, which had a bit leftover.


    He raised his arms and took away the desserts, ¡°Don¡¯t eat too much. Or else you won¡¯t be able to eat


    other food,¡± he said.


    I froze in my tracks and nodded. I ate quite a few bites of desserts just now, so my stomach did feel a


    little funny.


    After watching him finished my leftover desserts, I spoke, ¡°Do you like this vor too?¡±


    He smirked and smiled widely, ¡°Yeah, I really like it!¡±


    ¡°Should we buy some when we go backter?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡±


    Marcus seemed to be in a particrly good mood.


    Because of the desserts, I couldn¡¯t eat much food, but he ordered a lot. I stared at the leftover dishes


    and said pitifully, ¡°What a waste!¡±


    He smiled faintly, ¡°We can takeaway the leftovers!¡±


    I was stunned. He didn¡¯t seem like someone frugal. He was picky with his food at home too.


    Yet, he finished my leftover desserts and is going to take away the leftover food?


    He saw me staring at him and smiled, ¡°If you turn right ahead, there are many stray dogs and the


    homeless. We can leave it there. They will take it when they are hungry.¡±


    I was stunned for a moment. I couldn¡¯t describe what I was feeling. I thought he was a rich man who


    didn¡¯t know about the difficulties in life, but¡­


    ¡°Yup, sure!¡± I asked for the takeaway boxes and packed the food.


    After leaving the restaurant, I followed him. He walked a while and turned his head to me, ¡°Are you


    tired?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°I¡¯m not tired!¡±


    ¡°Alright. We are reaching soon!¡±


    The city center was supposed to be a bustling andvish ce. I never expected that there would be


    hidden corners, forgotten by society, in such a ce.


    This area was not easily found, and the corner was fairly hidden. There was food ced neatly beside


    the rubbish bin. Marcus left the food boxes over there.


    When he was about to bring me away, I looked at the surroundings. The area nearby was kept clean,


    and even the space beside the rubbish bin was spick and span. The food boxes beside were ced


    neatly too.


    After walking a few steps with him, I couldn¡¯t help but raised my eyes at him. I smiled, ¡°Marcus, there


    are still many kind souls in this city, right?¡±


    He saw me smile and was stunned for a second. Then, he nodded and held tightly onto me, ¡°Yes, there


    are still many of them!¡±

 Chapter 216

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 216


    My tears rolled down uncontrobly. He raised his arms and tugged me into his embrace. Heforted


    me, ¡°No matter what, you will have a ce in the sun!¡±


    I nodded and cried uncontrobly. After a while, I pulled out from his embrace. Then I saw the stains of


    my tears and snot on his expensive suit. It looked hrious.


    I couldn¡¯t help andughed. ¡°Your clothes?¡± My voice was hoarse.


    He sighed helplessly. He took out a tissue and passed it to me, ¡°Clean up your own mess!¡±


    I took the tissue and cleaned it for him, but there were still some stains.


    I raised my head and looked at him, ¡°It seems like it can¡¯t be wiped off.¡± I said apologetically.


    He raised his hands and flicked my forehead. He smiled, ¡°I will have to send it for cleaning.¡±


    I nodded, that was all we could do now.


    After eating and taking a stroll, my mood was brightened up.


    When we reached the mall¡¯s car park, he went to fetch the car, and I waited for him at the exit. I was


    bored and stared nkly under the sun.


    The autumn sun was not ring, but it would still give one a headache if one stayed for too long.


    ¡°Jackson, did your driving skills get rusty? Aren¡¯t you only reversing? Why are you so bad at it?¡±


    The voice was particrly familiar. I froze in my tracks and turned over to look instinctively.


    But I froze again. The voice echoed from my back. It was Jackson, ¡°Can you stop talking? Just stay


    quiet!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t!¡±


    While listening to their voices, Marcus arrived with his car. He had also caught sight of Jackson and


    Marcy, and he looked up to see that my expression was grim.


    He furrowed his brows, ¡°Do you want to meet them?¡±


    I shook my head and boarded the car, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± I said.


    I was in a half-dead state. I would only make them worry if I met them. I might as well meet them when


    I get better.


    He paused for a moment and said nothing else. He drove the car back to the vi in the suburbs.


    On the road, the sceneries went past in a sh. I stared out the window and was lost in my thoughts.


    I heard a faint sigh, ¡°You would have to get through it by yourself.¡±


    I went silent. I knew that I had to get through it, and I needed to do it by myself.


    The rest of the days were peaceful. Marcus was good at taking care of people.


    But I couldn¡¯t possibly stay here forever and impose on him.


    Until now, I had been avoiding everyone for two months. I didn¡¯t want to meet anyone. I didn¡¯t check my


    phone, the television, nor the news. The days were peaceful as they went by.


    Marcus was back early at night. He saw me reading in the hammock chair in the yard.


    He covered a nket on my legs and said, ¡°The weather is cold. Stay warm, don¡¯t get sick.¡±


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    I closed my book and looked up at him. I smiled faintly, ¡°You are kinda like my grandma!¡±


    He raised his brows. But he wasn¡¯t angry because Ipared him to an elder. He smiled lightly, ¡°How


    so?¡±


    I tilted my head and gave it a thought, ¡°Hm¡­you are both naggy.¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to do something about that. If not, you are going to dislike me.¡±


    The maid walked out from the living room and said politely, ¡°Ms. Stovall, Mr. White, the dinner is ready.¡±


    Marcus briefly responded and took away the book from my hands. He took a nced and raised his


    brows, ¡°Romeo and Juliet? You seemed to be reading this these days?¡±


    I nodded and got down from the hammock chair. I smiled, ¡°I used to only feel pity for the love story


    between Juliet and Romeo. But now I could see the life stories of every character.¡±


    He nodded and ced the book on the bookshelf, ¡°Let¡¯s eat first!¡±


    The vi was huge, but it didn¡¯t seem empty. At the dining table, Marcus saw me drinking a few sips of


    the fish soup and scooped me another bowl, ¡°Drink more if you like.¡±


    I smiled as I touched my face and looked at him, ¡°Do you see any changes in me?¡±


    He nodded and looked at me closely, ¡°Yes, you have lost weight!¡±


    What the¡­


    It was obvious that I had gained weight since Marcus had been using all types of methods to get me to


    eat these days. My thin face had grown chubbier.


    I saw him putting down his cutleries, so I thought he was done with eating. After a short pause, I asked,


    ¡°Marcus, I have something to say!¡±


    He nodded and looked at me, ¡°Go ahead!¡±


    Having stayed here for some time, I would have thought that my life was always this peaceful if weren¡¯t


    for the painful memories that had been constantly pulling me back to reality.


    I paused before speaking, ¡°I¡¯m nning to move to the city.¡± I looked at his face, which had gone grim. I


    continued, ¡°I¡¯m grateful for your care all this while. But I can¡¯t be staying here forever. I can¡¯t let you


    take care of me for life, nor hide here forever. You were right. There are some things that I have to get


    over by myself, and nobody can help me with that. K City is huge. I think I can stand on my feet in the


    city.¡±


    Even though the past was painful, but I still have to look forward, right?


    Thud! He mmed down the cutlery in his hands and said in a low voice, ¡°I can¡¯t untie the knot in your


    heart. But if you are willing to stay here, I can take care of you forever. You don¡¯t have to worry about


    providing yourself.¡±


    I smiled forcefully and said cruelly, ¡°I do not want to!¡±


    His handsome face froze. After a long silence, he spoke, ¡°Alright. It¡¯s fine if you are going back to K


    City. But you have to promise to contact me at any time. Call me if anything happens and tell me any


    time if you need anything.¡±

 Chapter 217

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 217


    I nodded. My heart felt warm from his words. With the tears brimming in my eyes, I forced a smile,


    ¡°Yeah, okay!¡±


    After a pause, I continued, ¡°I¡¯m nning to go back during the uing public holiday!¡±


    He furrowed his brows, ¡°You haven¡¯t fully recovered yet!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m all better now!¡± I always felt that he was treating me like a porcin doll. I said helplessly, ¡°I had


    been resting for the past two months. Moreover, I can rest in K City too. I can find a job that is not so


    tiring.¡±


    He gave some thought and nodded, ¡°Fine. But you don¡¯t have to rush for the job. I will settle it for you. I


    have houses in the city too. I¡¯ll find a nearby house after knowing your workce¡¯s location.¡±


    I wanted to reject him, but he interrupted, ¡°Just nice there are vacancies in mypany. Since you


    think you owe me a favor, you cane and help out. Also, I¡¯m going to collect rent from you too. I¡¯ll


    deduct ten percent of your sry for the rent.¡±


    I was speechless and said helplessly, ¡°I still have some savings. You don¡¯t have to do this for me.


    Anyways, I was nning to find something else to do.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know!¡± He seemed a little angry knowing that I was rejecting him.


    I did not say much after looking at him.


    Whatever. The White family¡¯s business was big. If he really had the heart to help me, it will be easier for


    me in the future too.


    After I made the decision and had dinner, he asked someone to pack up. We were ready to leave


    tomorrow morning.


    The next day.


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    The daylight cameter in thete autumn. The sky slowly turned bright only at seven.


    I woke up early to clean up. By the time I was done, Marcus was already waiting downstairs.


    Noticing my arrival, he kept his phone and spoke, ¡°Grab a quick bite. We will set off after you¡¯re done


    eating!¡±


    I nodded in response and nibbled on some bread. He knew that I didn¡¯t usually eat much, so he


    furrowed his brows as he looked at me dine, but he didn¡¯t say much.


    After bringing me to the car, he started the engine and passed me a notebook, ¡°I found a few job


    positions that suit you. Take a look and let me know which do you prefer. I will settle it. You can start


    working after the holidays!¡±


    I flipped open the notebook, and the neat handwriting first came into sight. I took a look. He had listed


    around ten job positions, and they were all easy jobs.


    I furrowed my brows, ¡°Can I do projects? Or you can put me under the project management


    department. I¡¯m fine with starting from the bottom!¡±


    He nodded, ¡°Alright. The project director just went home after an ident. You can rece him.¡±


    I was stunned for a moment. I never thought he would agree so quickly and asked, ¡°You are going to


    decide just like that? Won¡¯t you worry that my ability is not of standard and ruin yourpany?¡±


    He took a side nce at me and smiled, ¡°Will you?¡±


    I pursed my lips, ¡°That¡¯s hard to say!¡± After all, I had not been working for almost a year.


    At the traffic junction, he rested his arms on the steering wheel and looked at me, ¡°If you could handle a


    huge project like Fuller Corporation, White Corporation would just be a piece of cake!¡±


    I didn¡¯t know how to react to him. He was humble with his words. White Corporation was huge, and


    they worked towards internationalization. Fuller Corporation was huge as well, but it stillcked at


    certain aspects.


    The traffic at the city center was fairly heavy. Marcus briefly exined thepany history of White


    Corporation while driving. He also told me some general work affairs and current developments in the


    company to prepare myself.


    Benjamin White wasn¡¯t very well, so Marcus had been taking care of thepany in ce of his father.


    He would asionally face some difficulties, and he admitted that he had his own motive for arranging


    me into hispany.


    He wanted to nurture his own trusted men.


    The car entered the Central Park residence in the city center and stopped under a residential block.


    I looked at the surroundings and was shocked. This area was in the city center, where the housing


    prices were staggeringly high. Even upper-middle-ss people could barely afford the housing in this


    area.


    He saw me staring and smiled, ¡°Let me bring you in first. We can buy whatever that¡¯scking


    afterward!¡±


    I looked at the time and said, ¡°You¡¯re not going to the office today?¡±


    He smiled faintly, ¡°I¡¯m having a week-long holiday!¡±


    Alright then!


    We entered the residence, and he spoke when the elevator door opened, ¡°This area is nearby the


    office. We¡¯ll see what¡¯s missing in the house and get it at the supermarket nearby. I will bring you to the


    office two dayster. You can take a look at the surroundings and see what¡¯scking, then buy them


    later.¡±


    I nodded in response and thought, I¡¯m probably the person who has the least worries at work. The boss


    had already settled everything.


    The house was on the tenth floor. It was not high and spacious. The interior was cozy yet different from


    the vi. But it wasfortable to live in.


    I looked at the arrangements of the rooms and looked at him, ¡°The rental should be a few hundred


    thousand, right? Especially since it¡¯s located in an expensivend like the K City.¡±


    He raised his brows, ¡°Are you worried about the rental?¡±


    I shook my head and smiled, ¡°I was wondering what are property investors like you were thinking. You


    bought the house and renovated it nicely. But no one lives nor rent here. It¡¯s such a waste to just leave


    it like this!¡±

 Chapter 218

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 218


    Ashton tends to do things this way too. I hung my head low at the sudden, intrusive thought about him


    while my nose wrinkled in difort.


    Marcus did not notice my minute reaction. He merely grinned. ¡°It¡¯s not a waste. See, we¡¯re using it now,


    aren¡¯t we?¡±


    We took a spin around the house. It didn¡¯t look like we need to buy or rece anything, but the kitchen


    looked quite empty. Perhaps Marcus, assuming that I was not much of a cook, did not bother too much


    with theyout.


    ¡°Is there anything missing?¡± He said, changing the house key and fingerprint code to mine.


    I nodded in response. ¡°Since you¡¯re free tonight, why don¡¯t we cook at home? I can give Macy and


    Jackson a callter, invite them to join in. I should let them know I¡¯m safe anyway. Ever since I left, it¡¯s


    like I¡¯ve been cut off from the outside world.¡±


    Marcus nodded. He did not look too good, but I paid little mind to that.


    We left the residence together and headed to the supermarket. There, we stocked up on basic cooking


    necessities, including rice, cooking oil, sugar, and salt. Marcus turned to me with a look of surprise.


    ¡°You can cook?¡±


    It was so embarrassing to have that question thrown at me. Impatiently, I rebutted, ¡°Don¡¯t


    underestimate me, alright? What makes you think I can¡¯t cook?¡±


    I picked a few seasonings and added bluntly, ¡°Just you wait, I¡¯ll show you what I¡¯m capable of tonight!¡±


    Laughter escaped him. He raised a hand, patted me on the head, and said, ¡°Alright then. I¡¯ll wait!¡±


    I lifted my head and smiled at him. My eyes fell upon an item on the shelf behind him, so I asked for a


    favor, ¡°Marcus, can you help me get that seasoning bag? I can¡¯t reach it!¡±


    He did not respond. Instead, he just stared at a target behind me, looking rather solemn. I froze, faintly


    wary of an icy re that seemed to be directed at me.


    Out of instinctive reaction, I was about to whip my head around, but Marcus pulled me into his arms


    and buried me into his embrace.


    When he spoke, it was in a stern tone, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s head back!¡±


    I was stunned, but before I could figure out what was going on, someone forcibly grabbed hold of my


    wrist and pulled me out of Marcus¡¯ embrace.


    I was shell-shocked when my eyes took in Ashton¡¯s face, filled with depth, eagerness, and delight


    interwoven in aplicated mess. In short, the emotions reflected in his eyes were an impetuous,


    messy lot. The thoughts in my head crashed to a halt as though my brain had been struck by a


    lightning bolt.


    I was at a loss of what to do. My body stiffened, my heart began to ache, and the dense pain began to


    spread. Fear and bewilderment engulfed me.


    I felt my hands and body tremble. In a moment, I broke off eye contact and stopped looking at him


    while my heart suffocated from the pain.


    I was not ready to face him yet. I was not ready to tell him what happened to the baby. I was not ready


    to give him any sort of exnation at all.


    ¡°Scarlett, why are you¡­¡± A woman¡¯s dainty voice suddenly rang, and it fell heavily on my ears.


    My eyes darted to Reba, whose belly had already begun to show. She was standing next to a


    shopping cart stacked with lots of baby supplies fit for baby girls.


    I suddenly recalled Ashton picking out these items before. They were more or less the same things.


    Reba, Cameron¡­ Staring at Reba with a pair of reddened eyes, I was on the brink of emotional


    copse. In that instant, I lost control. I shoved Ashton¡¯s arm away with all my might.


    And then Iunched myself almost frantically at Reba. No one expected I would turn out like that.


    Reba stepped back in shock. I did not give her time to respond at all. The next thing I knew, I tore at


    her delicately styled hair, yelling in a frenzy, ¡°Reba, a life for a life! I won¡¯t let you and Cameron


    escape!¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ she¡¯s gone mad! Scarlett, you mad woman! Ash, save me!¡± Reba, scared out of her wits, kept


    screaming. The scene descended into chaos.


    Someone tackled me from behind. They had me tightly secured in their arms. A low, gruff voice rang in


    my ear, ¡°Scarlett, it¡¯s me! I¡¯m Ashton! I¡¯m your husband!¡±


    Almost instantly, I felt my strength dwindling, my eyes still maddening red. I broke myself free from his


    arms with what little strength I had left.


    Marcus held onto me. I squeezed his hands tightly, my voice hoarse and painful, ¡°Marcus, take me


    away from here!¡±


    I really did not want to stay here a minute more. I feared I would not be able to control myself and


    engage in another fight with Reba.


    I was even more afraid of seeing Ashton protecting her and much more afraid of seeing them being


    intimate with each other.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go home!¡± Marcusplied. He carried me in his arms and headed towards the exit.


    Random shoppers kept looking our way. Ashton, hot on our heels, eventually blocked Marcus¡¯ path, his


    voice deep, chilly, and terrifying, as he ordered, ¡°Let her go!¡±


    Marcus sneered, looking rather grim. ¡°Do you think she will go with you?¡±


    Ashton¡¯s eyes flitted to me, and his pupils shrank. Then, he shouted, ¡°Scarlett,e back to me!¡±


    I clung onto Marcus like my life depended on him, my eyes now red and swollen. I begged him, ¡°Take


    me away, take me away from here!¡±


    Marcus nodded. Then he turned to Ashton, lips pursed, and pronounced one word at a time,


    ¡°Ashton, you¡¯ll hound her to death if you keep pushing it!¡±


    Ashton pursed his lips, and I could vaguely see in his dark eyes that he was crumbling bit by bit. For a


    long while, he had his eyes fixed on me before he slowly spat out a few words, ¡°Fine! Go!¡±


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    Without Ashton on our trail, I was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. Marcus carried me into the car


    and brought me straight back to Central Park residence.

 Chapter 219

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 219


    When we got home, heid me down on the sofa in the living room before getting me some water and


    my medicine. He then squatted next to me and said, ¡°Do you still want to take your meds?¡±


    I nodded, reached out to take medicine from him, and swallowed it. I managed to calm down a bit after


    that. Feeling exhausted, I proceeded to lean back on the sofa.


    He sat down and stayed right there next to me throughout a very long silence. I felt lucky that every


    time something bad happened, there was always someone who would stand by me, and we would pull


    through whatever it was together.


    When Grandma died, George Fuller stayed with me. And now it was Marcus¡¯ turn. I had no clue how


    much longer I could stay sane, but I always felt that perhaps tomorrow, or somedayter, I would not be


    able to hold on anymore.


    Depression kepting back. I could not tell whether I was just really bad at coping with it or was it


    destined to be this way.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I fell asleep without knowing it. I did not know how long I had slept, but night had fallen by the time I


    woke up.


    Noises came from the living room. I rose to check, only to find Marcus in the kitchen, donning an apron


    as he cooked. His stance and actions resembled those of a master chef.


    Hearing movementsing from behind, he turned around and, upon seeing my conscious self,


    smiled as he said, ¡°You should go wash your face. Dinner will be ready soon!¡±


    I leaned on the door frame, watching him prepare the food with great expertise. ¡°Were you a student at


    Neo Oriental Academy?¡±


    He chuckled, pride glinting in his eyes. ¡°Ho? You¡¯re talking about that famous culinary school? Well,


    hearing this questione from you, that should be apliment!¡±


    I nodded, not holding back on ttery. ¡°You seem to know your stuff very well!¡±


    He turned off the stove, looked back at me, and nagged, ¡°Go wash up!¡±


    I nodded and obediently entered the bedroom for a quick wash-up. By the time I came out, he had a full


    course ready on the table,plete with a pleasant aroma.


    I sat down at the dining table, and he brought me a bowl of rice. ¡°You should eat more. When you¡¯re


    done, we¡¯ll go for a walk outside!¡±


    I nodded. The food was wonderful, but I did not have much of an appetite and only managed to


    consume several mouthfuls.


    Despite that, Marcus did not force me to continue. He merely said, ¡°We have fruits in the fridge, and


    snacks too! Go get what you like.¡±


    I chuckled, ¡°Have you always been this experienced in taking care of women?¡± As a woman, I admired


    his attention to detail.


    He nodded and replied frankly, ¡°That¡¯s how I take care of Snowball!¡±


    That caught me off guard.


    I could not go on. I looked in the refrigerator and found that he bought quite a number of fruits. He


    probably went out on his own when I was asleep.


    I took out a small box of strawberries and was about to wash them in the kitchen when he called out,


    ¡°They¡¯re already washed. You can go ahead and eat them!¡±


    I¡­ Fine, he¡¯s quite considerate.


    He cleared the table while I returned to the sofa. Noting myck of activity, he suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t


    you change into something else? We can go for a walk outsideter!¡±


    I opened my mouth to speak. Initially, I did not want to go, but then I thought, why not? We need to live


    a little, don¡¯t we?


    It waste autumn, so the sun would descend earlier than usual, casting our surroundings into


    darkness. Marcus was rather good-looking, so much so that he managed to draw the attention of the


    many people wandering around the residence, especially young women, who also happened to be out


    for a walk.


    After some time, I got tired. I sat down on a bench under a streetmp. Looking up at him, I said, ¡°The


    woman who marries you in the future will be very happy.¡±


    With both hands in his pockets, he arched his eyebrows and said in aid-back manner, ¡°Are you


    happy now?¡±


    I froze. Without knowing it, certain memories began to flood into my mind, and for a while, I bowed my


    head without saying another word.


    Marcus must have perceived my emotions, for he let out a loose sigh. He stayed beside me and patted


    me on the back, ¡°Sorry about that. I didn¡¯t mean it!¡±


    I shook my head. It had nothing to do with him. It was my own problem, and I could not get over it. No


    matter how hard I tried, I seemed to be stuck.


    ¡°Did you get him¡­ a funeral portrait?¡± I choked. My hands had begun to tremble on their own.


    Pursing his lips, he lifted a hand to wipe away my tears. He sighed silently, ¡°Don¡¯t look. It¡¯ll get better!¡±


    In the end, I did not have the courage to bury my own child myself, nor did I have the guts to see what


    he looked like.


    Marcus said I had an adorable baby boy with a healthy weight who was fair and chubby.


    I could not bear to see him. I was afraid I would lose control and would want to die along with him. I


    was afraid that, if I saw him, I could not bear to have him buried.


    ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t!¡± I lowered my eyes. At the same time, I pinched my palm so hard it actually hurt.


    It was gettingte, and the night got cooler too. Marcus rose to his feet before assisting me as well,


    ¡°Let¡¯s get back inside! It¡¯s cold out here.¡±


    I nodded. Slowly, we headed back to the residential building together.


    As soon as we got there, he came to a halt. I looked up at him. He was staring grumpily at something


    straight ahead. I followed his gaze.


    I froze at the sight of our guest. Why is Sally here?


    When she saw Marcus and me, Sally sprinted towards us and pulled me away from Marcus. Holding


    onto me, she asked, ¡°Letty, where have you been all this time? What happened? Where¡¯s the baby?¡±


    Her series of questions left me at a loss. I instinctively looked at Marcus, who furrowed his brows.


    Eyes still on Sally, he said in a solemn tone, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Stunned by his inquiry, Sally turned to him, her brows knitted, ¡°Marc, why is Letty with you? Why


    haven¡¯t you gone home? What exactly is going on here? Ashton has gone crazy looking for Letty! Do


    you think it¡¯s appropriate for you to do this?¡±

 Chapter 220

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 220


    Marcus sneered. His voice turned ice-cold as he continued, ¡°He¡¯s gone crazy looking for Scarlett?


    What do you take us for? Idiots?¡±


    ¡°Marc!¡± Sally said angrily, ¡°Watch your tongue!¡±


    ¡°My tongue?¡± Marcus snorted. ¡°The best way to hide a misdeed is not tomit it. Go back and tell


    Ashton that Scarlett doesn¡¯t need him. And tell him to stay away from her!¡±


    Sally realized there was no way tomunicate with Marcus, so she took my hand and said, ¡°Letty, if


    for some reason you¡¯re not willing to see Ashton, thene back with me. Don¡¯t stay here. Marc is an


    unmarried man, while you are a married woman. This is K City. People talk. If you¡¯re caught by


    someone with ill intentions, think of what it¡¯ll do to the Fullers and the White family¡¯s name!¡±


    ¡°Ho!¡± Marcus scoffed, ¡°Family name? Oh, now you bring it up! Haven¡¯t you done enough damage to the


    Fullers and the White family? What? Are you here to put the me on us?¡±


    Those words hit Sally like a hard p on the face, rendering her speechless.


    I was not in a good state of mind. I pushed Sally¡¯s arms away and, unable to answer or add anything to


    their argument, I ran towards the residential entrance.


    Sally called out to me from behind. She wanted to give chase, but Marcus stopped her. ¡°That¡¯s enough.


    Do you think the Fullers haven¡¯t hurt her enough? Her baby died two months ago, on the night of


    Ashton and Reba¡¯s engagement. He died from suffocation. Where were you all then? Where were


    all of you when she was locked in a warehouse, struggling to escape? Her baby¡¯s dead. The Scarlett


    you know is dead too. Now, she wants nothing to do with the Fullers.¡± Marcus¡¯ booming voice echoed


    in the night.This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    I froze in ce when my eyes took in the figure standing in front of me. It was Ashton. Under the night


    sky, his eyes appeared red, while agony crossed his face.


    Behind me came Marcus¡¯ angry voice. ¡°You go back and tell Ashton to stay far away from her, or I¡¯ll


    beat him into a pulp each time I see him.¡±


    Ashton had his eyes locked on me as he approached me, one step at a time. I could not move away.


    Once again, the searing pain in my heart caused my whole body to tremble.


    ¡°What happened to the baby?¡± He spoke, his voice lowered to the extremes. Indescribable emotions


    rose to the surface.


    I opened my mouth but could not utter a single word.


    Marcus caught up to us. When he saw Ashton, his face was ovee by fury. ¡°The baby¡¯s dead. He


    couldn¡¯t be born in time, so he died from suffocation. Are you satisfied with the answer now, Ashton?¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Ashton barked at him, his eyes still reddened. He directed his gaze towards me and, with


    restrained emotions, he uttered, word by word, ¡°Scarlett, tell me, what happened to the baby?¡±


    I wanted to speak, but the whole thing was too painful to be put into words, so I could only look at him


    in a daze.


    After a long while, I breathed in deeply and spat out the two words that could potentially cost me my


    life, ¡°He¡¯s dead!¡±


    Ashton¡¯s tall form took a step back, seeming to have lost his bnce. He looked at me with a faint


    glimmer glinting in his dark eyes.


    I knew he was crying.


    We can¡¯t be crying all the time. If we suffer but flesh wounds, there is nothing to cry about. If we cry, let


    it be because of sorrow.


    That was what he used to tell me.


    I had been locking away my emotions, and it was making me feel horrible. My head was starting to feel


    dizzy. Realizing that the situation was getting from bad to worse, I reached out a hand to hold onto


    Marcus and whispered to him, ¡°Get me out of here!¡±


    Marcus¡¯ eyes darkened when he noticed something was off. He promptly carried me into the residence


    and got me home.


    He passed me my medicine, which I swallowed, and brought me to the bed. He stuck around to


    console me, ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. They aren¡¯t ming you. They just don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve been


    through. ¡°


    I did not speak. Tears began to flow down my cheeks uncontrobly.


    Life is too hard!


    Time passed slowly. I could not fall asleep. At two o¡¯clock in the small hours, Marcus received a call.


    Benjamin White¡¯s condition had taken a turn for the worse, and he was sent to the ER.


    Before Marcus left for the hospital, he worried about my being alone. He ced a phone next to me


    and gave his instructions, ¡°Get some sleep. Call me if there¡¯s anything. I have stored Macy and


    Jackson¡¯s phone numbers in there. If you can¡¯t sleep, call up Jackson and have a chat with him.¡±


    I nodded and gave him a faint smile, ¡°You should get going. Drive safe!¡±


    He nodded and left in a hurry.


    My insomnia had been amon urrence in the past few months. In the beginning, I relied on


    drugs to fall asleep, but consuming too much of them would be detrimental to my health.


    Marcus worried that I would be too dependent on the antidepressants if I take them too often, so he


    would only let me take them when my emotions were beyond control.


    At the moment, it was dark outside. Themp on the bedside table was dim. I stared at the ceiling, my


    head still a little dizzy.


    Rumble! Suddenly, thunder roared outside. The residence was a tall building with a wide view, with the


    curtains currently drawn open. One after another, bolts of lightning shed. The scene was especially


    horrifying.


    Before long, the heavy rain came pouring down. As the storm crackled outside, I closed my eyes, trying


    to force myself to sleep.


    But the more I wanted to sleep, the more I could not. Bolts after bolts of lightning lit up the room.


    Devastated, I rose and got out of bed.


    I headed to the balcony and pulled the curtains close. Then, I turned back and went to bed. But along


    the way, I identally tripped over the chaise lounge and fell onto the ground.

 Chapter 221

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 221


    My knees hurt. It took me a long time to get up from the ground and make my way to bed.


    Boom! Thunder roared again before I could reach my bed, and themp on the bedside table suddenly


    went out.


    The whole house immediately sank into darkness. Only the sound of thunder mixed with rain outside


    could be heard.


    The house was pitch ck. I could not see anything. My body stiffened as Iid low on the floor, the


    memories bringing me back to that particr night.


    My arms and legs were tightly bound. I wanted to move but was unable to.


    Fear and grief began to spread within me. In the darkened room, I seemed to hear a baby crying, each


    cry more miserable than thest.


    I wanted to look for him, but no matter what I did, I could not get up from the floor. I did not know what


    was going on with my mind, but I had actually thought of death.


    If I die, I can reunite with my baby. With that thought, I fumbled and stumbled into the living room.


    Because of the darkness, everything was flipped and tossed onto the floor, making crackling noises


    wherever I stepped.


    I did not know where Marcus stored the knives, so I could only look for them blindly, but the tool was


    nowhere to be found.


    The baby¡¯s cries rang again. The noise sounded so close to me, yet so far away. I did not think much of


    it as I hurried to the source.


    By the time I regained consciousness, I found myself on the sidewalk, with no memories of how I got


    there.


    It was raining heavily. There were no pedestrians, only carsing and going on the road. I was


    freaking out. I had no idea what was wrong with me.


    There were many times where I could not control myself. I kept having hallucinations. I kept seeing my


    baby and hearing his cries.


    I wanted to go with him, but whenever I did that, I ended up losing him and getting myself lost as well.


    Looking at the cars on the road, I felt desperate. This was the soberest moment, since I fell ill, that


    suicide was on my mind.


    Given my current condition, I would only be a burden to others. Without knowing it, I began walking


    towards the middle of the road.


    I heard the harsh sounds of car horns honking. I looked up and saw a sh of white light ahead. My


    mind went nk.


    Right when the car was about to crash into me, someone suddenly caught my waist and dragged me


    away.


    I fell to the ground. My head was spinning. All I could think of was the baby.


    I murmured to myself, ¡°Why did I lose him? How could I lose him?¡±


    Tears began to leak.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay. We¡¯ll get him back eventually!¡± A low, hoarse voice rang in my ears, and I was


    drawn into a warm embrace.


    I froze. When I looked up, I was gazing into Ashton¡¯s eyes, dark as night. As though something had


    struck my head, I lifted my arms and pushed him away. I stumbled as I got up from the ground.


    I ran aimlessly, just wanting to get away from him.


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± Ashton was faster than me. He got hold of me and held me tightly in his arms. He was


    incredibly strong, and I had no room to struggle.


    I was shaking all over, and every cell in my body screamed at me to push him away.


    Marcus was not here. There was no one I could turn to for help. My body went stubbornly numb as I let


    him hold me.


    The longer we stayed there, the heavier the rain poured. I was losing strength by the minute, getting


    increasingly lightheaded.


    The next time I woke up, I was in the hospital.


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    I looked sideways and saw Ashton¡¯s pale, haggard face. Even so, he was still as handsome as ever.


    Perhaps he was physically drained, too, for he had fallen asleep on the edge of the bed. I had not seen


    stubble on his chin in a long while, and he looked even more sloppy with that.


    Was he the one who brought me here?


    That thought gave me a headache. I fumbled to get out of bed. I might have moved too much, for he


    was soon roused awake.


    When he saw me attempting to get off the bed, he got up and forced me back down. Eyes darkened,


    he said, ¡°Take a good rest. The doctor wille over for an infusion shortly!¡±


    I knitted my brows and frowned, my heart surging with irritability and restlessness. I shoved aside the


    arm he had ced on my shoulder and barked at him, my emotions unstable, ¡°Ashton, I want you to


    stay away from me. As far as possible. Do you hear me?¡±


    When I was with Marcus, I could keep my mood swings in check, but that was not the case with


    Ashton. I would take his association with Reba to the extremes, revealing the misery and hatred


    that I had buried so deeply within me.


    When Ashton saw how furious I suddenly was, he seemed lost for a moment, but only for a moment.


    He soonposed himself and tried to calm me down. ¡°Alright. Take it easy. I¡¯ll be leaving now. But


    you have to get your infusion and take your medicer.¡±


    ¡°Ash! I¡¯m done with my checkup!¡± Reba¡¯s voice rang from outside the ward.


    In just a second, she entered my ward with her medical records in hand. When she saw me, her lips


    curled upwards, and very gently, she said, ¡°Oh, Scarlett, you¡¯re awake. Are you feeling better?¡±


    I did not want to see her, especially her bulging belly, the image of which cut into me like a sharp knife.


    I felt a stabbing pain every time I see it.


    The agony of that night drifted into my mind, filling my heart with hatred. I gritted my teeth. The


    depression was killing me. I picked up a random object from the bedside cab and, without checking


    what it was, I threw it at Reba.


    The scare made Reba¡¯s face turn pale, but Ashton reacted quickly and took the blow in her stead.


    The object struck him on the back.


    I gritted my teeth, still boiling with resentment. The despair in my heart took over like water bursting out


    of the riverbank. I wanted them dead. That was all I thought about. Anyone who had hurt me must die. I


    wanted them to be buried along with my baby.

 Chapter 222

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 222


    ring at Reba¡¯s pregnant belly, my face turned stone-cold. ¡°Reba, my baby is dead! Don¡¯t


    think you¡¯ll get away with it! You, and your mother, will get what¡¯sing!¡±


    ¡°Scarlett, you mad woman! What nonsense is that?¡± Reba dropped her fa?ade entirely following my


    threat.


    My anger contained, I clenched both my fists tight. ¡°Mad? When your mother did what she did, she


    should have considered how a madwoman such as I would retaliate against you!¡±


    I took note of the chair next to me. Without warning, I lifted it and aimed it at Reba. She let out a


    scream.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Ashton, being the strong man that he was, snatched the chair from me and red at


    me in disbelief. ¡°Scarlett, what¡¯s the matter with you? How did you be like this? We might have


    lost one baby, but we could always have another one.¡±


    ¡°Ho!¡± I scoffed. I lifted my chin and gave him an icy stare before shing my palm in his face. Very


    slowly, I said, ¡°Ashton, you¡¯re one to talk. It¡¯s easy for you, isn¡¯t it? Giving birth. All you need to do is fire


    several shots. You don¡¯t have to go through ten months of hardbor!¡±


    His eyes fell on the scar on my palm, and frowned, ¡°How did this happen?¡±


    Iughed, but it was much more painful than crying. ncing at Reba, I resisted my tears. ¡°How did


    this happen? You should ask your most precious Reba over there how I got this scar.¡±


    I looked back at Ashton, a lot calmer this time, and continued, ¡°Ashton, do you know how our baby


    died? That night, he tried so desperately to get out of me, but he was not able to.¡±


    Seeing the tormented expression on his face, I suddenly realized, why do I have to suffer alone? Why


    is it only my burden to bear? ¡±Ashton, do you know? When I was abducted, I tried calling you over and


    over again, hoping that you woulde and save us. But no matter how many times I called, your


    phone was always turned off. Ashton, do you know how desperate I was?¡±


    He wanted to say something, but I interrupted him with a snort. ¡°You don¡¯t know. I believe, at that time,


    you should be admiring your dear princess, celebrating her birthday. At that time, you must have


    prepared a wonderful gift for her.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± He yelled, his voice hoarse. ¡°I left my phone in thepany. I really didn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. You didn¡¯t know!¡± I sneered. ¡°You have no idea that I was locked up in a warehouse, with my


    arms and legs tied up. You don¡¯t know how I felt when my baby tried so hard toe out, but I couldn¡¯t


    help him. You don¡¯t know how I felt when he slowly stopped breathing inside of me¡­¡±


    I began to choke. I could not go on. But as Ashton¡¯s face got paler and more frightful, all of a sudden, I


    felt better because I was not the only one in pain anymore.


    I cracked a smile. ¡°Ashton, do you know what it feels like to have a baby die inside you? Do you know


    what the baby looked like when it was taken out? Do you know how it felt like to be suffocated to


    death?¡±


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± On the verge of breaking down, he covered his face with his hands as his tall body


    gradually crouched down to the floor. In front of me now kneeled a helpless and fragile man, visibly in


    pain.


    I felt better seeing him like this. Then, I turned to Reba, whose face had gone pale, and sneered,


    ¡°How is it, Reba? Do you feel more at ease after listening to my story? The money you and your


    mother spent had been worth it!¡±


    ¡°Scarlett, what are you babbling about?¡± Reba raised her voice, fuming. ¡°What makes you think my


    mother and I were behind it?¡±


    I cackled. ¡°Why are you so eager to deny it? You have caused such a huge uproar. Do you really think I


    won¡¯t be able to find anything about the culprit? Does the Moore family really think they are so


    invincible that they can bury the truth?¡±


    Reba was so terrified that she backed away, her mouth hanging open as though in a trance. ¡°I didn¡¯t


    do it!¡±


    Ashton turned to look at her with an extremely icy re, ¡°So your family¡¯s behind it?¡±


    Reba shook her head, her body trembling non-stop, ¡°No! That¡¯s not what I meant!¡±


    I did not want to see how she would put on airs, so I exited the ward. Ashton wanted to run after me,


    but Reba stopped him. In tears, she pleaded, ¡°Ashton, you have to believe me. I have absolutely


    nothing to do with this. I don¡¯t know anything¡­¡±


    I was not familiar with K City, so after I got out of the hospital, I did not know how to get home.


    Looking at the crowds, I had no clue where I should go from here. I had neither phone nor cash on me,


    and I was afraid that Ashton would catch up.


    Along the way, I kept asking the passers-by for directions. By the time I reached Central Park


    residence, my feet were worn out.


    When I got home and took off my shoes, I had already bled a fair amount.


    Bang! The door mmed open. Marcus was still panting when he saw me. My appearance stunned


    him, if only for an instant, for he soon pulled me up and into his arms.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a day and a night. Where have you been? Why didn¡¯t you give me a call?¡±


    I was stunned by his reaction. My heart leaped when I only realized his feelings for me in hindsight. I


    seemed to be in trouble.


    After what seemed like an eternity, he released me. Next, heposed himself, gazed at me, and


    said, ¡°Where did you go? Why didn¡¯t youe back after one night?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but I ran out. Then, when I came to, I was already in the hospital.¡± I mumbled,


    omitting the part about Ashton.

 Chapter 223

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 223


    He nodded with a sigh. ¡°You¡¯re safe. That¡¯s what matters.¡± He looked down at my bloody feet. A frown


    crossed his face. ¡°You walked all the way here?¡±


    I nodded, too, my head hanging low. ¡°My phone¡¯s not with me, and I don¡¯t have any money. I can¡¯t get a


    taxi!¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you call me to get you?¡± He closed his eyes in frustration and then sighed. ¡°Forget it. I didn¡¯t


    think this through.¡±


    He led me to the sofa and went to get the first aid kit. Then he knelt on the ground, ced my foot on


    his knee, and started cleaning the wound.


    When the cotton swab came into contact with the wound, I winced from the pain and sank back into the


    sofa. He let out a loose sigh. ¡°It¡¯ll be over soon!¡±


    To reduce my pain, he blew on it several times while applying the ointment. I got a little distracted


    seeing him at work.


    I should not be staying with him. Sally was right. If word got out that there was something between us,


    the Fullers and the White family would be subjected to public opinion. The oue would be much


    more horrifying than what we imagined.


    ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± He said, looking my way as he kept the first aid kit.


    I retracted my feet as I watched him put away the kit. And then I watched him sit next to me. I watched


    him pour me a ss of water.


    There was a pause before I answered, ¡°Marcus, you¡­ don¡¯t have toe here again!¡±


    He paused, his dark eyes gazing at me. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Thank you for taking care of me all this time. If there¡¯s anything you need in the future, I won¡¯t hesitate


    to help you. But for now, Aunt Sally¡¯s right. You and I are but a single man and a single woman. We


    have such a close rtionship¡­ and if anyone with ill intentions starts to spread rumors, both the


    Fullers and the White family will be dragged into the mess.¡±


    I should not have said those words. I should not have said them so bluntly.


    But what had been said could not be unsaid.


    His face hardened, looking rather grim. ¡°What are you worried about?¡±


    I pinched my own palms as I spoke, ¡°I owe you too much. We can¡¯t keep going like this!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± He eximed as he looked at me with mixed emotions. ¡°Scarlett, if you¡¯re worried about


    what other people will say, then I can stay away from you. But know that you only have one other


    option, and that is going back to Ashton. Otherwise, I can¡¯t leave you alone here.¡±


    I kept my head low as I muttered. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be fine. I¡­ can¡¯t deal with pain, and I¡¯m afraid of


    heights!¡±


    Even if I considered suicide, I might not have the courage tomit it. I was awfully afraid of pain.


    He was still staring at me, his eyes unreadable. ¡°There¡¯s no way to hide it. I can never hide it now!¡±


    I looked at him in rm, not understanding what he said, ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    He shook his head, chuckling. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it when you feel better. Right now, the Independence


    Day celebration ising to an end. I¡¯ll be real busy soon. I won¡¯t have as much time to spend with


    you. You¡¯ll have to take care of yourself from this point forward.¡±


    I nodded. Exhaustion and the desire for sleep were beginning to creep on me. The medicine I had


    taken must havee into effect.


    I rose and announced, ¡°I¡¯m going to rest!¡± Then, off to the bedroom, I went.


    I had a dreamless sleep that night!


    It was several dayster when I learned that Ashton had beening to the residence. Because my


    emotions were still unstable, Marcus hardly let me go out.


    I believed he really understood me inside and out. He knew how to keep my mood in check. And he


    certainly got busy after Independence Day.


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    On the other hand, I had started working for the White Corporation. Marcus had arranged for me to


    work in project management. Since I just started, there were many aspects of the job that I knew


    nothing about. Therefore, he arranged an assistant to help me.


    Working on projects was different from other jobs. It was almost impossible to have fixed working hours


    because I had just started. Hence, I usually kept myself busy untilte at night.


    Benjamin had been admitted to the hospital because of a stroke, so Marcus got the assistant to take


    me home.


    These days, I could manage well on my own. He had little to worry about me.


    Lindsay, my assistant, dropped me off at the residential entrance. Before leaving, she told me, ¡°Ms.


    Stovall, Mr. White wanted me to give you this. He also reminds you to eat well.¡±


    I nodded as I took over the documents from her and got out of the car. It was only a five-minute walk


    from the entrance to the residential building. I walked slowly, thinking about the new project along the


    way.


    Marcus already had apany abroad, but for now, he might prefer to develop domestically. Both


    were techpanies, which made me think of OrbitTech in J City. They had excellent technicians.


    The quality of their products was guaranteed too. The one thing I worried about was their management


    issue. The White Corporation was a listedpany. It would be a wise choice if thepany could


    acquire OrbitTech.


    I was very engrossed in my thoughts when the phone rang. It was Jackson.


    I had been calling him almost every day for some time now, but I could never get through. Macy should


    be going intobor anytime soon. I wondered how they were doing.


    Now that he had finally called, I quickly picked it up. ¡°Jackson, how¡¯s Macy? How are you two doing?


    Has she delivered the baby?


    On the other end of the phone, Jackson probably got caught off guard when he heard my voice. There


    was a long pause before he eventually spoke. ¡°She¡¯s fine. The baby¡¯s fine. It¡¯s a girl. So¡­ where are


    you? How¡¯s your baby?¡±


    My heart ached. I was beginning to feel sick. I took a detour to the nearest resting spot and sat down.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Where are you? Why can¡¯t I contact you at all? Where¡¯s Macy? Why can¡¯t I get through her


    phone?¡±

 Chapter 224

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 224


    ¡°She¡¯s doing great. She¡¯s in postpartum confinement now and is caring wholeheartedly for her child.


    That¡¯s why she probably didn¡¯t have time to answer your call.¡± I had a nagging feeling that he sounded


    weird, but I couldn¡¯t put my finger on what it was.


    So I replied, ¡°Then where are you guys now?¡±


    I could vaguely hear the voice of a kid crying over the phone. It brought tears to my eyes, and my heart


    clenched in pain


    ¡°We¡¯re still in the countryside. We¡¯lle to visit you in K City once Macy is feeling better.¡±


    I quickly nodded and couldn¡¯t stop the feeling of happiness from welling up in me. At least Macy¡¯s child


    is doing good.


    He was probably busy taking care of his child. That was why he hung up hastily after talking for a bit


    more.


    As autumn approached, the temperature in K City dropped by the day. I already felt cold even though I


    had only been sitting outside for a while.


    After taking a few steps, I stopped walking when I saw the familiar ck Jeep with the car te number


    JA888C on it. Ashton.


    What is he doing here?


    Instinctively, I turned and walked away.


    However, I only managed to take a few steps when he grabbed hold of my arm. ¡°When do you n to


    stop hiding from me, Scarlett?¡±


    My body froze, and I started to feel suffocated. ¡°Let¡¯s get divorced, Ashton.¡±


    Not only was I running away from my problems, but I was also hiding from him. I just couldn¡¯t continue


    living with that man anymore.


    Initially, I could ept the fact that he didn¡¯t love me. I could also tolerate theplicated rtionship


    he had with Reba and the way they flirted with each other.


    As long as I could keep the child, I was able to keep going. Even if he didn¡¯t love me, he would still love


    the child since it was his.


    But now, I had lost our child, and I couldn¡¯t find a reason to stay with him anymore. I didn¡¯t want to lie to


    myself, nor did I want to go berserk whenever I saw him and Reba being intimate.


    ¡°Divorce?¡± Hurt shed across his face as he added, ¡°Must it end this way, Scarlett?¡±


    I nodded. My face looked much calmer by then, but I was hurting inside. ¡°I can¡¯t go on with you


    anymore, Ashton. I married you back then all because of my gratitude toward George for taking care of


    Grandma and me. I was willing to repay him at all costs. But now that I¡¯ve gone through so much, I¡¯ve


    already done my part. So just let me go now.¡±


    A cold smile appeared on his lips upon hearing that. ¡°So you married me because you wanted to repay


    him?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said with a nod.


    Ashton¡¯s face turned ugly. ¡°Well, since you married me to repay Grandpa, you should finish what you


    started by staying with me for the rest of your life. Anyway, I never nned to break up or leave you.¡±


    I was stunned by his words and was close to an emotional breakdown. ¡°Can¡¯t you understand, Ashton?


    I hate you. I don¡¯t want to be with you, and I don¡¯t want to see you!¡±


    He narrowed his dark eyes, hiding the pain in them. ¡°Then get used to it slowly. Get your revenge since


    you hate me. The best way to take revenge is to pester me, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re crazy!¡± I broke down and screamed. ¡°You¡¯ll get your karma when the timees. I don¡¯t want


    to dirty my own hands.¡±


    With that said, I walked toward the door. He quickly followed suit. ¡°Marcus wouldn¡¯t be able to take care


    of you forever. Go back with me!¡±


    He grabbed my arm, but I didn¡¯t want him to touch me. I couldn¡¯t care less even if I fell down the stairs


    as the only thought in my mind was to push him away.


    Realizing that he was falling backward, Ashton was afraid that I would be dragged along with him, so


    he quickly released my arm.


    I watched expressionlessly as he copsed onto the floor and turned to open the door before stepping


    into the elevator.


    Once I was home, I quickly ate my medicine to control my emotions. Then, I got into bed and waited for


    sleep toe.


    Suddenly, my phone rang, and I answered when I realized that it was Marcus calling, ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Remember to eat. Don¡¯t just go to sleep immediately.¡± His words made me suspect if I was being


    spied on.


    I couldn¡¯t stop myself from asking, ¡°How did you know I was going to sleep?¡±


    ¡°Because I know you too well.¡± He chuckled.


    I bit my lips as I continue lying in bed. ¡°I took my medicine earlier. Now I¡¯m toozy to move.¡±


    ¡°Why did you take them all of a sudden?¡± His voice turned serious.


    ¡°I met Ashton downstairs a while ago,¡± I said.


    Since my emotions had been more stable these days, I didn¡¯t need to take my medicine anymore.


    He kept silent for a moment before saying, ¡°There¡¯s food in the fridge. At least eat a little before you


    sleep. Otherwise, you might not be able to fall asleep at night.¡±


    I nodded and took a nce at the clock. It was only around seven. After some thought, his words


    actually made sense. If I slept now, I might not be able to fall back asleep if I woke up at night.


    I went into the kitchen to get something to eat once we hung up. Marcus must have expected that I


    would be toozy to cook. Hence, he prepared a meal for me beforehand and left it in the fridge. All I


    needed to do was reheat it.


    The medicine started to kick in after I took a few bites. I quickly went to bed and fell asleep soon after.


    After some time, I was woken up by the sound of thunder, trembling from the cold when I opened my


    eyes. As thunder roared outside, I realized that I had forgotten to close the windows before going to


    bed, which exined how the cold rain invaded my room.


    Fumbling around in the dark to get my phone, I looked at the time to find that it was only midnight. I


    couldn¡¯t help but frown. Now that I was awake, I might not be able to fall asleep anymore.


    Then, I noticed that there were multiple missed call notifications shown on the phone screen. Even


    though there wasn¡¯t a caller ID, I knew that the familiar numbers belonged to Ashton.This is from N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 225

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 225


    Irritated, I was about to turn off my phone when another call came in. I frowned as I answered the call,


    ¡°Are you still not satisfied with how miserable I am now, Ashton? Do you want to see me die?¡±


    ¡°You know what I actually want, Scarlett. If I could stay by your side¡­¡± His voice was hoarse, and I


    could vaguely hear the sound of rain over the speaker.


    Feeling more irked, I had a strong urge to hang up immediately, but he added, ¡°I¡¯m downstairs.¡±


    I was stunned. The next thing I knew, I was walking to the balcony. The moment I looked down, I saw


    Ashton standing in the rain by themppost downstairs.


    Instantly, I was infuriated. ¡°Are you crazy, Ashton?¡± Is he trying to torture himself by standing in the rain


    in the middle of the night?


    But he chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re angry. Does that mean you¡¯re worried about me?¡±


    What the¡­


    He¡¯s crazy!


    ¡°You need to see a doctor, Ashton.¡± I hung up after saying that, a wave of frustration rising in me.


    It was still pouring outside, and it wasn¡¯t warm like the rain during summer. I was worried as he would


    definitely get sick if he stayed out there any longer.


    After thinking about it, I gave Jared a call, but it went unanswered, so I called Joe. After some time, he


    finally picked up.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Scarlett?¡±


    I pursed my lips. ¡°Ashton is harming himself at the residence near Central Park. You¡¯d bettere and


    get him if you don¡¯t want him to die. And please tell him that if he wants to die, he should do it far away


    from here. I don¡¯t want to watch him die. Thanks.¡±


    ¡°What the hell! I knew you weren¡¯t a good person! You¡ª¡± I turned off my phone before he could finish


    his sentence. Joe was known for having a sharp tongue, and I didn¡¯t want to hear him insult me.


    There was no sign of the rain stopping anytime soon, but Ashton remained rooted to his spot


    nheless. Joe finally arrived to pick him up after half an hour.


    I was too high up in the building to hear what they were talking about, but I watched as they fought for a


    little before they left.


    After that, I drew the curtains shut and sat on the bed, knowing well that I wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep


    anymore.


    The next day at dawn, I got out of bed and went straight to thepany after washing up.


    Marcus came early in the morning. When he saw that I wasn¡¯t in good spirits, he frowned and asked,


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you sleepst night?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Ashton was downstairs. It was so annoying.¡±


    His brows knitted together but said nothing else about it. He then changed the topic, ¡°Did you read


    through the document I gave you yesterday?¡±


    I froze immediately. It was all because of Ashton¡¯s sudden appearance that I forgot about my work.


    Without a choice, I replied truthfully, ¡°I forgot.¡±


    Rendered speechless, he gave me a helpless smile. ¡°There¡¯s a meeting that you have to attendter.


    You¡¯ll have to think on your feet since you didn¡¯t read the document.¡±


    Me?


    Alright then!


    I nodded and nced at him. ¡°What is it about?¡±


    He got up and poured me a ss of water before telling his secretary to hand me my breakfast. ¡°I¡¯ll talk


    you through it as you eat.¡±


    I was beginning to suspect that he was worried that I would starve to death. That was why he was


    always trying to feed me something.


    I started to eat after taking a seat on the sofa. ¡°Go on.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about the research and development of new technology. White Corporation made a fortune by


    selling automotive and electrical appliances. A few years ago, when the market for new technology


    blew up, manypanies were trying to benefit from it. White Corporation managed to get a slice of


    the pie, mainly focusing on phones andputers. Currently, thepany intends to dabble in the AI


    field. However, the IT Department of thepany has been stumped. That¡¯s why we need to discuss


    whether or not we should continue pursuing AI technology. And if we do, how should we promote it?


    Besides, we would also need to hire a group of skilled technicians to work on the project.¡±


    I nodded before stuffing a few mouthfuls of bread into my mouth. ¡°Are all the current technicians in the


    IT Department the same ones as before?¡±


    He shook his head and said, ¡°No. We spend a fortune to hire the best technicians to work for us every


    year. But we haven¡¯t managed to get any results so far.¡±


    ¡°The meeting starts in an hour, right? Can I meet these people first?¡±


    Marcus was stunned by my question, but he nodded nheless. Seeing that I was almost done


    eating, he got up and said, ¡°Of course.¡±


    I followed him out of the office. White Corporation valued AI a lot and had reserved two floors just to do


    research in this field.


    Since it was a researchboratory, the protocols for the entry and exit of staff were stringent. Marcus


    and I had to put on protective gear before going in.


    I nced around at the equipment around me but didn¡¯t really understand their usage, so I immediately


    went to meet the technicians.


    Since there wasn¡¯t much time, we only talked for a little before Marcus and I had to return to the office.


    ¡°How was it? Do you have any afterthoughts?¡± he asked with a slight smile as he plopped down into his


    seat.


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    I only answered after giving it some thought, ¡°Why are all the people you hired foreigners? And why do


    they have so much authority?¡±


    He raised a brow. ¡°So far, there aren¡¯t many great technicians in our country. Since they have the skills


    and qualifications, of course I have to give them more benefits.¡±


    ¡°But have you ever thought about the fact that AI is being researched and studied by every country?


    What if the foreigners return to their own countries with these research results?¡± Although I knew that I


    might be wrong, I still couldn¡¯t help but worry about it. After all, we weren¡¯t the only ones who loved our


    own country.

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    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 226


    His brows were knitted tightly as he drummed the table with his fingers and only looked at me after a


    long time. ¡°We¡¯ve considered this possibility previously, but if we want to get involved in the AI field, we


    need their help. Never hire the person you doubt and never doubt the person you hire.¡±


    Nodding, I took a nce at him. ¡°If I can find a batch of elite local technicians and guarantee to make a


    breakthrough in the AI field, would you dare to give it a try?¡±


    He froze for a moment before letting out a smile. ¡°How can you be so sure?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not, but I want to give it a shot!¡± If this project is sessful, I¡¯d probably have a way to go up


    against the Moore family.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    After all, most of the Moore family¡¯s sess in the business world was attributed to technology.


    Marcus kept silent for a moment before he nodded. ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Almost all of the higher-ups of White Corporation were in the meeting room, including Sally. When she


    saw me, she furrowed her brows slightly, but her expression was back to normal almost immediately.


    Marcus told me to take a seat, then got up to turn on the projector. ¡°Let me introduce the person who


    just came in with me. This is Scarlett Stovall. I have appointed her as White Corporation¡¯s project


    director, and she will be in charge of thepany¡¯s AI project from now on.¡±


    Amotion broke out in the meeting room in an instant. Someone questioned, ¡°Mr. White, even


    though the project director¡¯s position is currently empty, White Corporation isn¡¯t like other small


    companies. Not anyone can take on this role. Besides, we¡¯re all here today to discuss if we should


    continue with the research on AI. We haven¡¯t even finished our discussion and yet you have already


    made a decision. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being a little hasty, Mr. White?¡±


    Marcus nodded his head slowly and raised his brows. ¡°Am I?¡± He smirked, showing his unruly side. ¡°It


    seems like all of you are used to being overambitious. That¡¯s why you think the people you


    rmended are morepetent, isn¡¯t it? This isn¡¯t a problem for me. If you feel that you have


    someone who is much more capable than Scarlett to take on this responsibility, you can make your


    rmendations anytime. My only goal is for AI to be introduced to our country¡¯s market within a


    year.¡±


    Someone replied, ¡°Does that mean we won¡¯t be discussing whether we¡¯re continuing with the AI


    project?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Yes. Within a year, if all of you decide that Scarlett isn¡¯t suitable to manage this project,


    you can rmend someone else. But I expect to see results in a year. Otherwise, don¡¯t waste my


    time.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± Sally said. The soft demeanor she had at the White residence was nowhere to be seen, and


    she resembled ady boss as she spoke. ¡°We¡¯ve already invested billions in this AI project after all. Not


    only that, but we¡¯ve also spent so much time and energy on it, so of course it would be great news if


    Ms. Stovall is capable of producing the results we want. And if she isn¡¯t, we can just cancel this


    project.¡±


    For a second, the people in the meeting room exchanged nces with each other before they started


    to discuss among themselves. After a moment, someone finally said, ¡°Since Ms. Fuller has said so,


    let¡¯s just give it a try. It would great if we manage to achieve our goal. However, if we fail, half of White


    Corporation¡¯s assets will go to waste, and Ms. Stovall will have topensate for that.¡±


    I got up and assured them, ¡°If I can¡¯t make any progress with the AI project after a year, I will bear the


    losses that White Corporation suffered due to the project.¡±


    ¡°Hah!¡± someone snorted. ¡°Which prominent family are you from, Ms. Stovall? Did youe to White


    Corporation to experience life? White Corporation invests at least a billion per year in AI research. It¡¯s


    easy for you to say that you¡¯ll bear the losses for it. But the corporation will still be the one paying if you


    leave by then.¡±


    Unperturbed by his harsh words, I put on a faint smile. ¡°I¡¯m willing to hand over HiTech to you as


    coteral. If none of you believe me, we can sign a contract. In the case that our AI research doesn¡¯t


    make any progress after a year, then HiTech will be ced under the ownership of White Corporation


    through acquisition. How about it?¡±


    Even though HiTech wasn¡¯t considered a bigpany, the new products they developed were hot


    sellers, and the source of Fuller Corporation¡¯s profit came mostly from HiTech.


    Back when George put HiTech under my name, he wanted to make sure that Ashton and I would be


    entangled for the rest of our lives. If I wanted to get a divorce, I had to make sure that I wasn¡¯t the legal


    owner of thepany anymore. But this process was extremely troublesome.


    Everyone in the room began murmuring among themselves except for Sally. She nced at me as she


    said, ¡°From what I know, Ms. Stovall, even though you¡¯re the wife of Fuller Corporation¡¯s president, you


    don¡¯t have the rights over HiTech. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being a little too ambitious here?¡±


    ¡°You might not know this, Ms. Fuller, but while HiTech is indeed under the Fuller Corporation, George


    already arranged awyer to transfer thepany to me before he passed on two years ago. To be


    precise, I¡¯m the legal owner of HiTech. Although it is under the Fuller Corporation, it doesn¡¯t legally


    belong to the Fuller family.¡±


    Her face darkened, but she said nothing else.


    All of them could not find anything to pick on after they heard what I said. If HiTech was under the


    White Corporation, there would be more technical resources avable. At the same time, thepany


    would rise to a whole new level.

 Chapter 227

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 227


    No one would reject such a great advantage.


    After leaving the meeting room, Sally blocked my path and said, ¡°Let¡¯s have a chat, Scarlett.¡±


    She probably wants to talk about HiTech. I nodded and took a nce at Marcus. ¡°Let¡¯s get lunch


    togetherter.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you.¡±


    The woman frowned unhappily when she saw our exchange. After Marcus left, she asked, ¡°Shall we


    talk in my office?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Alright.¡±


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    Her office was nicely decorated with lots of flowers. Once we were in there, she gestured for me to sit


    down and poured me a cup of coffee.


    Then, she sat down in her chair. Instead of talking about HiTech, she asked, ¡°How are you and Ashton


    doing recently?¡±


    Since she was an elder to me, it didn¡¯t seem inappropriate for her to ask that question. I answered


    indifferently, ¡°We don¡¯t meet, nor do we poke our noses into each other¡¯s business.¡±


    She nodded but didn¡¯t say anything in response. After pausing for a moment, Sally asked, ¡°What are


    your ns now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet.¡± I had been giving her somewhat lukewarm reactions so far, and she seemed


    unsatisfied with them. However, she didn¡¯t say much about it. ¡°Both you and Ashton are husband and


    wife. No matter what mistake the other party made, you should solve the problem and stay by each


    other¡¯s side. You shouldn¡¯t hold grudges and force the other party to leave!¡±


    She harped on earnestly, ¡°I know that you¡¯ve gone through a lot, Scarlett. But you have to talk it out.


    We¡¯re a family, not enemies. You shouldn¡¯t carry all these burdens alone. You can hate Ashton all you


    want, but you¡¯re still his wife. And when you¡¯re living under the same roof, you have to solve the


    problems you¡¯re facing. You can¡¯t just run from them, Scarlett.¡±


    I lowered my gaze as I started feeling annoyed. She was right, but I was afraid that I wouldn¡¯t be able


    to stand living in the same house as Ashton.


    Seeing that Sally was about to say something else, I quickly said, ¡°Aunt Sally, we¡¯re at work right now.


    Let¡¯s talk about private stuff at home, alright? You called me here to talk about thepany¡¯s matters,


    right?¡±


    There wasn¡¯t any problem with what she said. In fact, I could understand her reasoning and even


    agreed that she was right. But things were always easier said than done.


    Sally stopped talking about this matter when she saw that I was getting impatient. After sighing slightly,


    she said, ¡°Alright, then. We¡¯ll talk about thepany¡¯s matters. Do you know what the consequences


    would be if you use HiTech as coteral and there is no progress after a year?¡±


    I raised my brows. ¡°Are you thinking for the Fuller family or the White family? If you¡¯re concerned about


    the former, don¡¯t worry, Aunt Sally. I obviously already have a n in mind if I had the guts to make that


    suggestion. Besides, George already handed over thepany to me before he passed on, so I have


    full discretion over it. It¡¯s my own business, to put it bluntly.¡±


    A displeased look appeared on her face once I was done talking. ¡°Dad handed over HiTech to you only


    because he trusted you and hoped that you could make it a betterpany. He also wanted you and


    Ashton to be together for the rest of your lives. He didn¡¯t give you thepany just to let you put it at


    stake so hastily,¡± she said in a low voice.


    Seeing that she was getting worked up, I got to my feet and retorted, ¡°You said it yourself that George


    trusts me. Since it¡¯s my decision to make, it¡¯s not something that other people or even George can


    control. After all, never doubt the person you hire.¡±


    ¡°You¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I still have an appointment in the afternoon, so I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± I wasn¡¯t a good person,


    and I had no right to judge whether someone was good or bad. After all, everyone¡¯s experience in life


    was different. Therefore, I could only endure the hardships I experienced. As for everyone else, I would


    never be able to fathom their suffering, nor did I want to.


    I headed straight to Marcus¡¯ office after leaving Sally¡¯s.


    The man was in his seat, looking really bored.


    Upon seeing me, he raised a brow as he asked, ¡°What did you talk about?¡±


    ¡°Rtionships!¡± I sat down on the couch and gulped down a few mouthfuls of water to suppress the


    irritation I was feeling.


    His lips twitched. ¡°Did she manage to convince you?¡±


    I looked up at him and replied, ¡°Do you think I would be convinced so easily?¡±


    He pursed his lips. ¡°That¡¯s hard to say.¡±


    Marcus paused for a while before adding, ¡°I know you really love Ashton. Wouldn¡¯t you regret it if you


    just gave him up like that?¡±


    I rolled my eyes at him. ¡°How were you able to tell that I love him?¡±


    He shrugged and got up before saying, ¡°Would you have pushed yourself to this point if you didn¡¯t?¡±


    Marcus walked over to me and reached out his hand. ¡°These are the information of the two men from


    that night. I¡¯ll continue investigating if you really want me to.¡±


    Then, he handed me a file. I was stunned for a moment. Unable to contain the frustration I was feeling,


    I quickly opened up the file to read the documents. It was as though the old wound in my heart was


    about to be ripped open again.


    After reading up their files, I couldn¡¯t stop myself from saying, ¡°Both of them have their own families. Do


    you think they would stop being so cruel if they experienced the pain of losing a child?¡±


    Marcus pursed his lips as his gazended on my cold face. He heaved a sigh and asked, ¡°What do you


    want to do?¡±

 Chapter 228

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 228


    I stared at the files for a long moment before keeping them. ¡°Just continue investigating. I have nothing


    to do with them. There must be a reason for them to attack me.¡±


    He nodded and paused briefly before adding, ¡°Ashton seems to be investigating this matter too.¡±


    ¡°It involves his child after all, so it¡¯s quite normal for him to investigate this,¡± I sneered.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. What do you want to eat?¡± he asked as he took his car keys.


    With no particr food in mind, I stood up and answered, ¡°Anything is fine.¡±


    After we entered the elevator, he said, ¡°Are you using HiTech as a stake so that you can go against the


    Moore family with White Corporation?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you noticed. Are you going to stop me?¡± I asked with a smile.


    Frowning, he said, ¡°The Moore family isn¡¯t as simple as we think. It¡¯s troublesome enough dealing with


    Cameron, let alone Zachary.¡±


    I nodded but remained adamant about my decision. ¡°So what? I can¡¯t ept what happened to me.¡±


    Marcus knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to change my mind no matter what he said, so he stopped


    talking.


    Once we left thepany and got into the car, he began driving without saying another word.


    He always had great taste in food. When we stopped at a French restaurant, I took a nce at it before


    saying to him, ¡°You should write a book about the food in K City. I think lots of people will like it.¡±


    Marcus grinned at my words. ¡°You¡¯re just going to assume that they serve good food even before you


    start eating?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°This ce is quite low-key, and the environment here is serene. No one would be able to


    find this ce if they weren¡¯t purposely looking for it. Normally, people who open up ces like this


    don¡¯tck money, and their boss must be quite a sentimental person. If I¡¯m not wrong, the chef here


    must be the boss.¡±


    His lips curled into a faint smile as he locked the car. ¡°You¡¯re right!¡±


    As I followed him into the yard, a waiter greeted us and brought us to the second floor. The restaurant


    wasn¡¯t spacious, but there were lots of flowers and nts in the yard. It was quiet and had an artistic


    vibe to it.


    Marcus didn¡¯t ask what I wanted when it was time to order. Instead, he took the initiative and picked the


    dishes. Normally, he would choose unique dishes while making sure that they were to my liking.


    I had a feeling that whoever became Marcus¡¯s girlfriend in the future would definitely be spoiled.


    This man was really good at taking care of people.


    He handed the menu back to the waiter and said, ¡°We¡¯ll have tea, please.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Please wait for a moment.¡±


    After the waiter left, I propped my chin up with my hand and said with confidence, ¡°You¡¯ll definitely have


    a daughter in the future.¡±


    Stunned by my remark, he smiled and asked, ¡°And how did you know that?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Because you take such good care of people. You must¡¯ve been a yboy with lots of


    mistresses in your past life.¡±


    ¡°Hah!¡± He burst intoughter. ¡°Since when did you be a fortune-teller?¡±


    ¡°Since¡­ a long time ago!¡± Out of the corner of my eye, I saw three people who just came upstairs.


    Immediately, I shut my mouth.


    Noticing my odd reaction, Marcus looked over too. Seeing that it was Reba, Cameron, and John, he


    frowned and nced at me. ¡°Do you know all of them?¡±


    I nodded and shifted my gaze from them, my face turning grim.


    When John saw me, he quickly walked over to us, looking flustered. Grabbing my arm, he said


    somewhat emotionally, ¡°Where have you been all this while?¡±


    I furrowed my brows and pried his hand off. ¡°I hid away to give birth. Where else could I go?¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s your child then?¡± he asked with a frown.


    ¡°It¡¯s dead!¡± Starting to get frustrated, I shot a nce at Marcus.


    Immediately, he got up and pulled John away, then suggested, ¡°Mr. Stovall, we¡¯re still eating now. It


    seems that you¡¯re also quite busy now. How about we find a chance to talk once you¡¯re done?¡±


    However, thetter¡¯s face was icy cold as he looked at me. ¡°Since when were you so close with him?¡±


    I chuckled in amusement. ¡°Since when did you care so much?¡±


    Right then, Cameron and Reba walked over with smiles on their faces. The former¡¯s gazended


    on my belly. ¡°Ms. Stovall, you managed to maintain such a great figure even after giving birth. I¡¯m so


    envious.¡±


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    I pursed my lips and clenched my fists. While suppressing my anger, I answered, ¡°Ms. Anderson, you


    should pray that Ms. Larson can be in good shape like me after giving birth. Oh, right. I paid great


    attention duringbor. I will share what I did with Ms. Larson. As long as she follows the instructions,


    she¡¯ll be able to maintain a great figure too.¡±


    Reba didn¡¯t know what I was implying, so she was baffled. On the other hand, Cameron¡¯s


    expression changed drastically upon hearing what I said because she knew the implicit meaning


    behind my words.


    Her previous friendly facade disappeared as she stood in front of her daughter and replied in an icy


    tone, ¡°There¡¯s no need. Not everyone is as lucky as you are, Ms. Stovall. It¡¯s all a matter of fate.


    Besides, Reba has been very fortunate all her life. As her mother, I would do my best to provide her


    with whatever she wants.¡±


    Hah¡­


    People who still have their mothers around really are treated like treasures!


    I smiled at that. ¡°I hope that Ms. Larson would always be able to live a good life and never have to


    suffer¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± With that said, Cameron dragged Reba away. She took a nce at John and said, ¡°Mr.


    Stovall, it seems that we have nothing to discuss anymore.¡±

 Chapter 229

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 229


    John was adamant that he had overheard something important as he looked at Cameron and said, ¡°I


    won¡¯t keep you any longer, Ms. Anderson.¡±


    After Cameron and Reba left, John sat beside me and pestered me about the reason behind my


    two-month disappearance.


    Miffed, I couldn¡¯t be bothered to exin to him. Hence, I turned to Marcus and changed the topic. ¡°Let¡¯s


    order some takeaways and go home!¡±


    Marcus nodded in response. Just as we were heading out of the restaurant, John blocked our path and


    asked, ¡°Scarlet, what¡¯s wrong with you? Do you know how much trouble you¡¯ve caused us just to


    search for you? Someone even¡­¡±


    ¡°Mr. Stovall, if you really care about her, I¡¯d advise you to stop pestering her. The hardships she had to


    go through are way tougher than what you can imagine,¡± said Marcus.


    After grabbing the takeaways, Marcus held my hand and escorted me to the car as he saw that my


    face was getting pale.


    ¡°If you want to badger her to death, then be my guest.¡± Marcus took a nce at John who was still on


    our tail.


    Ignoring him, John grabbed my hand. ¡°I thought your illness has been cured. Why is it rpsing?¡±


    asked John.


    He then turned his attention to Marcus and questioned in a cold tone, ¡°What¡¯s going on here? I thought


    she has fully recovered.¡±


    Perplexed, Marcus looked at me curiously and queried, ¡°You¡¯ve had this illness before?¡±


    I nodded and said to John, ¡°I don¡¯t want to get into it now. Let me get back home first, okay?¡±


    Since I didn¡¯t bring my medicine, I had a hard time keeping my emotions in check.


    John nodded and gave Marcus a minatory look. ¡°You don¡¯t need to look at me like that. Ask Ashton if


    you have any questions,¡± scoffed Marcus.


    Having said that, he quickly drove off, leaving John in the dust.


    Since Marcus was driving at high speed, we were home in no time. After taking my medicine, I looked


    at him and asked, ¡°Are the two of them still in our hands?¡±


    Marcus was stunned for a while before nodding. ¡°I¡¯ve already ordered some of our guys to keep an eye


    on them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to meet them now!¡± I stated. In order to deal a blow to the Moore family, I must start with


    Reba.


    He pondered for a bit and replied, ¡°Okay!¡±


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I wasn¡¯t worried about my illness acting up again as I had taken medicine to stabilize my emotions. And


    so, I went straight to the suburbs with Marcus.


    The warehouse was nothing different from my vivid memories of it. Upon seeing it, I reminded myself


    repeatedly not to break down.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to force yourself. We cane back here some other day.¡± Marcus stared at me with a


    concerned look on his face.


    I shook my head, then took a deep breath and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Let¡¯s just get it over with!¡±


    When the lights were switched on, I was able to see the interior of the warehouse clearly. The


    warehouse wasn¡¯t that big, and there wererge piles of junk in it.


    Someone had already cleaned up the bloodstains on the floor, and the ss shards were gone too.


    Marcus asked one of the bodyguards to bring me a chair so that I could rest my legs. Shortly after, the


    two people were brought in front of me.


    On the night of the incident, I recalled seeing two men who were wearing hats. However, since both of


    them were in disguise, I only had a vague impression of how they looked like.


    Marcus ordered his men to bring the men closer for me to take a good look at their faces. Surprisingly,


    the two of them didn¡¯t seem like vicious and violent people at all. In fact, both of them looked


    trustworthy and sincere.


    That being said, looks could be deceiving as they were without a doubt the ones who murdered my


    child.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, this isn¡¯t our fault. We were just following orders. We¡­¡±


    The two of them must¡¯ve been tortured for quite a while beforeing here. That¡¯s why they are so


    desperate to be vindicated.


    ¡°Are you that deprived of money?¡± I chuckled.


    Both of them nodded like little chickens pecking on the ground.


    ¡°Oh, I see,¡± I murmured nonchntly. ¡°Since you two are just doing things for money, that means you


    guys would do something for me too as long as I pay both of you. Right?¡± I queried.


    The two of them exchanged nces before turning their gazes toward me and asked tentatively, ¡°What


    do you need us to do?¡±


    ¡°Just do some acting!¡± I responded. After taking a look at the surroundings, I calmly said to them, ¡°I


    want you two to act out the incident that night. And after you guys are done, it would nice if each of you


    could give me your confessions as well.


    Upon hearing the second request of mine, their faces immediately turned pale. ¡°Ms. Stovall, we could


    re-enact the scenes for you. As for the confession part, we¡¯ve already been paid. Therefore, we can¡¯t


    expose our client¡¯s identity. That would vite the trust between us,¡± one of them responded.


    I nodded as I fiddled with my phone out of boredom and said, ¡°Well, if that¡¯s the case, then there¡¯s no


    point for you two to act out the scenes. I assume that both of you have wives and kids, right? How


    about this, I¡¯ll return the favor of what you guys did to me by getting rid of your¡­¡±


    Before finishing my statement, I turned to look at Marcus and feigned a smile. ¡°I don¡¯t want to kill


    anyone though, especially kids. Is there anything worse than death that I can put them through?¡± I


    queried.


    Marcus thought about it for a while before responding, ¡°How about chopping their limbs off or make


    them¡­¡±


    ¡°You two are callous b*stards!¡± Both of them were getting riled up and tried to lunge themselves toward


    us but to no avail as they were pinned down by the bodyguards.


    Although I was livid after hearing what these hypocrites said, I managed to retain my sangfroid before


    uttering, ¡°Oh, so we¡¯re the heartless ones, huh? Said the guys who left the child and me in my belly to


    rot in this abandoned warehouse just for a few hundred thousand. I was about to give birth to my child,


    but you pieces of sh*t tied my legs and blocked his way out. Do you know how he died in the end? He


    was suffocated to death in my belly. The two of you should be grateful that I didn¡¯t ask you to pay me


    back with your children¡¯s lives. So what are you guys whining about?¡±

 Chapter 230

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 230


    ¡°Well, if you guys still don¡¯t want to cooperate, we might have to get our hands dirty. It should be easy


    enough to get away with a few murders since you guys were able to do it,¡± I said in a serious tone while


    staring at the two of them menacingly.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t! Ms. Stovall, we¡¯ll do anything you ask. Just leave our wives and kids out of this. They¡¯re


    innocent and innocuous. The me is all on us. If revenge is what you want, then you can take our


    lives instead. We¡¯ll give you anything that you want!¡±


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll do anything as long as you leave our families out of this.¡±


    The two men were acting pitiful, which disgusted me. I calmed myself down before looking at Marcus


    and suggested, ¡°Since they both agreed, let¡¯s have them re-enact the scene!¡±


    Marcus nodded and brought out the actress who was going to y a pregnantdy. She was dressed


    in the clothes that I wore on the day of the incident. The actress we found already had some


    resemnce to me in terms of looks and body figure. But after a few touches by the make-up artist, the


    identicality between us was surreal.


    To top it off, Marcus also ordered his men to bring out the same mirror from that night.


    After setting everything up, the warehouse returned to how it was during the incident two months ago.


    As for the stormy inclement weather on that night, we prepared additional lighting and sound effects to


    reproduce the same ambiance.


    Since I didn¡¯t want to cast my mind back to the incident, I only gave the actress aconic exnation of


    what I went through that night. After that, I told Marcus to get some of his men to escort me home as I


    couldn¡¯t care less about watching the y. The video recording of the y was what I actually wanted


    because I could use it as evidence.


    As for the two men¡¯s confession, I already knew who their client was, so there was no need to hear it


    from them. I wanted their admission because I needed testimonies that I could hand over to the police.


    With this, I could make sure that they were indicted for the crimes that theymitted and given the


    fitting punishment.


    However, I have to admit that people do change after going through certain experiences. We be


    stronger as we slowly be immune to the things that once hurt us. Those who are vulnerable will


    learn to steel their hearts and move on.


    After arriving at my residence, I went to have a quick shower and then passed out on my bed. It had


    been quite a while since I had such a good night¡¯s sleep.


    It was pure hogwash that people couldn¡¯t sleep after doing a bad deed. In fact, no bad person would


    ever rue the dreadful things that they had done. Reba and Cameron were the epitomes of such


    people. Even after murdering those whom they had beef with before, they were still able to sleep


    soundly at night. In fact, they even felt relieved that the people who got in their way were dead.


    ¡­


    The next day, Marcus gave me the video recording of the y enacted by the two men while we were


    at White Corporation. ¡°So, what do you n to do next?¡± asked Marcus.


    It was pure torture for me to watch the video recording because I felt as though I was experiencing that


    incident all over again. I then turned to Marcus and said, ¡°Schedule a meeting with John as soon as


    possible.¡±


    ¡°Why do you want to meet him?¡± asked Marcus while frowning.


    I stopped the video recording and said casually, ¡°He¡¯s aputer expert. With his help, we can get this


    video recording to the eyes of Reba anonymously. Moreover, he would definitely go against the


    Moore family after learning what they did to me.¡±


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    ¡°Scarlett, you¡¯ve changed. It¡¯s like you¡¯ll deign to do just about anything to get what you want now.¡±


    Marcus frowned again, but this time it was out of revulsion.


    I chuckled a bit and aligned my eyes with his before uttering, ¡°So you¡¯re saying that I¡¯m just using


    John¡¯s feelings for my own benefit?¡±


    Marcus furrowed his eyebrows, seemingly rather displeased. I queried, ¡°Marcus, didn¡¯t you notice that


    I¡¯m also using your feelings for me to get my revenge?¡±


    Having heard what I said, he was overwhelmed withplicated emotions. He then let out a sigh and


    uttered, ¡°I know you¡¯re feeling depressed right now, but¡­¡±


    ¡°So are you still willing to help me out?¡± I asked before he could finish his sentence. I could be kind and


    forgiving, but I wasn¡¯t a saint. If someone took away something precious from me, I would swear to do


    the same to them and hold a grudge in my heart until I had exacted my revenge.


    After wrapping his head around my question for a while, Marcus looked at me and replied, ¡°Whatever it


    is that you want to do, I¡¯m always willing to lend you a hand. That being said, I just don¡¯t want you to


    have any regrets in the future.¡±


    Regrets?


    After hearing what he said, I let out augh, tears welling up in my eyes, but I managed to recollect


    myself and said to him, ¡°Look, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever regret getting revenge on the Moore family.


    However, I think I¡¯ll probably regret having to take advantage of both you and John someday in the


    future. It¡¯s not like I have a choice though since the only people who can help me out are the two of


    you.¡±


    Marcus sighed softly in response.


    The meeting of John and I happenedter in the afternoon at a local cafe. I hadn¡¯t seen him in two


    months, and he seemed a little strained. Upon seeing my face, he looked like he was overwhelmed


    with guilt and sorrow.


    John was rather taciturn at first. But after a while, he broke the silence between us and said, ¡°Scarlet,


    that night when I received your call, I rushed over as soon as I could. But when I arrived, the only thing


    I saw was a burnt car outside the warehouse. I¡¯m sorry that I took too long to get there. For the past


    two months, I have been ming myself for what happened to you that night. Can you tell me what


    was actually going on? How did your child die?¡±


    The painful feeling that stays in your heart and doesn¡¯t fade away no matter how much time passes is


    called hatred.


    It took a while before I responded in a t tone, ¡°I can¡¯t exin to you as I don¡¯t want to evoke the


    painful memories of that night. Every time I bring up the topic, my head just starts hurting to the point


    where I can¡¯t breathe. Here, you can take a look at the video footage that was recorded by a camera


    found in the warehouse. The video basically covers everything that happened that night.¡±


    I yed the video recording and handed the phone over to him.


    While watching the video, John became angrier by the second with a menacing expression on his face.


    He was gripping the phone so tightly that his blood veins were showing not just on his hand but on his


    forehead as well.

 Chapter 231

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 231


    Some time had passed when John finally looked at me with misty eyes and queried, ¡°Who did this?¡±


    I lowered my head and tried to hold back my tears but to no avail as they flowed down my cheeks like a


    broken string of pearls. ¡°Cameron and the Moore family!¡±


    Furious, he threw the phone onto the ground, thus attracting the attention of others in the cafe.


    A waitress then rushed over to our seat and asked in a timid voice, ¡°Sir, i-is there anything that I can


    help you with?¡±


    ¡°Get out of my face!¡± he yelled angrily.


    To prevent things from exacerbating, I turned toward the waitress and said with a smile, ¡°Sorry to have


    troubled you! Everything¡¯s fine here.¡±


    With that, the waitress walked away quietly. ¡°I¡¯m gonna kill the two of them!¡± John sprang up from his


    seat and was about to head out, but I managed to stop him.


    After regaining myposure, I turned to him and exined, ¡°The Moore family is backed up by the


    mob. If I could get rid of them that easily, I would¡¯ve done it myself months ago.¡±


    After hearing my statement, he sat back down and looked at me, asking. ¡°What do you want to do


    then?¡±


    I went quiet for a while before saying, ¡°Bro, you have to help me!¡± It was the first time that I had


    addressed him in such a way instead of his name since he moved to R Province.


    He was stunned in ce, unable to believe what he had just heard. ¡°Letty, what did you just call me?¡±


    An ted expression started creeping onto his face.


    ¡°Bro!¡± I uttered while looking him in the eye. ¡°Bro, you¡¯re the only help I can get. No matter what


    happened in the past, we¡¯re still each other¡¯s only family, so please help me. The Moore family must be


    punished for what they did,¡± I added.


    John stared at me vacuously like a little kid. ¡°Okay, so what do you want to do?¡± he asked after nodding


    his head.


    ¡°Just get this video to Reba without exposing our identity. I want her to live in constant paranoia,¡± I


    replied. As the popr saying goes, torture a man¡¯s heart rather than sever his body. We¡¯ll take our


    time tearing her heart apart bit by bit.


    He nodded and answered, ¡°Okay!¡±


    Since he was aputer expert, I had no qualms letting him handle the whole thing. Rxed, I took a


    sip of my coffee.


    ¡°Does Ashton know about this?¡± asked John after he had suppressed his anger.


    I lowered my gaze and nodded.


    ¡°So what do you have in mind going forward?¡± he continued asking while signaling the waitress to refill


    my coffee.


    ¡°Can you guarantee your own safety while you infiltrate Zachary¡¯spany?¡± I answered with another


    question of my own.


    He was stupefied in ce for a bit before asking in a gravitas manner, ¡°Letty, you n to involve


    Zachary in this as well?¡±


    I raised my eyebrows as I replied, ¡°Am I not supposed to?¡±


    John pursed his lips and looked at me confusedly. ¡°Perhaps Zachary wasn¡¯t cognizant about any of


    this. It might be all be nned by Cameron alone.¡±


    ¡°So what?¡± I chuckled before adding, ¡°I doubt Zachary will just sit back and watch as I torture Reba.


    After all, she¡¯s his precious daughter too.¡±


    John seemed frustrated as he asked, ¡°But why must we infiltrate Zachary¡¯spany?¡±


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    I rested my chin on my hand before responding, ¡°I yearn for the day when the Moore familyes


    crumbling down. I¡¯d like to see just how strong their love for their daughter is when that happens.¡±


    John was bewildered after hearing what I said. He gave it some thought before switching the topic.


    ¡°About you and Ashton¡­¡±


    Whenever Ashton was mentioned, I would get very irritated and an extreme headache would follow


    afterward. In pain, I nced at John and said, ¡°Bro, send me back home!¡±


    He stole a nce outside the window. ¡°It¡¯s still early though. Do you have something to do at home?¡±


    I nodded in response before saying, ¡°Since I¡¯m now the project director at the White Corporation, I¡¯ll


    need to go home and figure out ways to elevate the AI technology of the corporation to the next level.¡±


    He let out a smirk and teased, ¡°So you¡¯ve be more mature and intelligent, huh? I can barely


    recognize you now. Anyway, I¡¯m happy for you. At least you know to protect yourself now.¡±


    I curled my lips and stared at him nkly.


    After taking a sip of his coffee, John added, ¡°The reason you¡¯re telling me all this is my specialization in


    computers, right? And since I own a fewpanies that dabble in AI technology, you knew that I would


    be well versed in this field.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to help me, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll just think of another approach!¡± I said as I shrugged.


    He then gave me a subtle smile and uttered impatiently, ¡°Just spit it out. How do you want me to help?¡±


    ¡°I n to set up a meeting with the boss of OrbitTech and discuss with him about acquiring this


    company of his. Therefore, I¡¯d like you to not interfere with my n!¡± I said earnestly. ¡°Bro, I know that


    the Moore family isn¡¯t an easy opponent to deal with. But if I sessfully acquire OrbitTech and all of


    its assets, I¡¯ll have a higher standing at White Corporation, which in turn gives me more opportunities to


    do what I want!¡±


    John couldn¡¯t help but sigh before responding, ¡°Okay, Letty. I won¡¯ty a hand on OrbitTech. However,


    you need to know that relying on just the White Corporation won¡¯t get you anywhere against the Moore


    family.¡±


    ¡°But I have you, Marcus, and the Fullers behind my back too, right?¡± I looked at him confidently.


    John paused for a bit, thenmented with a sigh, ¡°Letty, we have been part of your n all along, huh?¡±


    Like I previously said, people would always change. If we had something we desperately wanted to


    protect or destroy, we would go to extreme lengths to achieve it.


    ¡°You can still say no if you want because it seems like I¡¯m just using you for my own benefit,¡± I blurted


    out while looking at him.


    Raising his eyebrows, John replied, ¡°Do you think that I would reject?¡±

 Chapter 232

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 232


    I shook my head. ¡°I won¡¯t!¡±


    He smiled but remained silent.


    For the first time, I realized that John was actually quite talkative, seeing as he¡¯d been babbling away


    all afternoon. Since the matter with the AI project was settled, I wasn¡¯t in a hurry to leave either.


    So, I propped my chin on my palm and listened intently to him. ¡°Letty, all these years, I¡¯ve been thinking


    about where I belong in the world, but you were always the one who came to my mind. So I don¡¯t think


    I¡¯ll ever be able to let you go.¡±


    I stared at him, not knowing what to say. In the end, I gave him a terse reply, ¡°Just take things one step


    at a time.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t give him false promises about his future when my own life had already hit a dead end. If it


    weren¡¯t for the hatred fueling me, I would never have lived until today. Hence, I never promised anyone


    anything. I was selfish like that, unwilling to spare him even a sliver of hope.


    Noticing the exhaustion lining my features, he asked, ¡°Are you tired? Do you want me to take you home


    now?¡±


    I nodded and left the restaurant with him.


    Along the way, I started to feel drowsy. He stopped talking and yed some mellow music for me to


    ease into slumber.


    Leaning against my seat, I closed my eyes and tried to sleep. However, it proved impossible. More


    often than not, Iy wide awake in bed, so falling asleep in a car was out of the question.


    Even though I was sleepy, I just couldn¡¯t drift off. When the car stopped, I instinctively opened my eyes,


    only to see John getting out with a dark look on his face.


    Ashton¡¯s towering figure was nted firmly in front of the car. He looked slightly haggard and seemed


    to have waited at the entrance of the residential area for a long time.


    John had a lot of bottled-up anger in him, so after getting out of the car, he raised his fist wordlessly


    and threw a punch at Ashton. Despite that, Ashton didn¡¯t fight back, allowing John to hit him however


    he liked.


    I didn¡¯t intend to stop the fight either. I just remained in the car, my heart as hard as a stone and my


    facepletely devoid of emotion.


    After some time, John slumped onto the ground beside Ashton, probably from exhaustion. Even so, his


    anger hadn¡¯t yet diminished as he roared furiously, ¡°I¡¯ve never met a b*stard worse than you, Ashton


    Fuller!¡±


    Ashton remained silent and slowly got to his feet. Although he had been beaten up quite badly, there


    was still an air of nobility surrounding him.


    As he stood in front of the car, he stared at me with dark eyes. When our eyes locked, I felt no love,


    only the pressure of bitter memories threatening to overwhelm me.


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    We stared each other down for a long while before I relented and got out of the car.


    I walked toward him and said in a clipped tone, ¡°Please step aside. We need to drive the car in!¡± He


    was blocking the entrance, and I couldn¡¯t very well make the car fly over him.


    He grabbed my hand with the strength of his grip gradually increasing, causing pain to shoot through


    my hand. After staring at me for a long time, hurt shed across his eyes as he forced out the words,


    ¡°Scarlett, this isn¡¯t your home.¡±


    I was trembling slightly, but not because of him, no. It was probably due to thete autumn¡¯s cold


    weather.


    I felt the urge tough, but my voice was caught in my throat. My eyes stung with imminent tears, and I


    flung his hand away with all my might, keeping my emotions on a tight leash before speaking, ¡°Sure.


    You can continue standing in the way if you wanna die!¡±


    With that, I got into the car. John left the keys behind, so I started the engine and looked at the man


    standing motionless in front of the car. ¡°Get out of the way!¡± I shouted.


    His bottomless eyes gleamed slightly when he said, ¡°If my death will make you feel better, so be it.¡±


    The autumn wind in K City was freezing, billowing so strong that the leaves on the roadside were blown


    everywhere, like orphans left to fend for themselves.


    ¡°It¡¯s still not toote to get out of the way!¡± I paused, narrowing my eyes a fraction before continuing,


    ¡°Because I will run you down.¡±


    ¡°Mm. Do it!¡± His voice was calm, but John started to panic.


    He looked at me and warned in a grave tone, ¡°Letty, don¡¯t be rash!¡±


    Am I being rash? No, I know what I¡¯m doing. Squinting my eyes, I lifted my foot and floored the


    elerator.


    Love was indeed terrifying and stupid at the same time. Stupid because right before the car rammed


    into Ashton, I jerked the steering wheel to the side and crashed into the flowerbed on the roadside.


    This suicidal act caused my head to buzz. There was a sharp pain in my chest before something warm


    surged in my throat.


    I spat a mouthful of blood and slumped weakly onto the steering wheel, gradually losing


    consciousness.


    Everything happened so quickly, and my hazy mind could vaguely hear two anxious shouts.


    ¡°Scarlett!¡±


    ¡°Letty!¡±


    Ashton¡¯s and John¡¯s voices sounded in unison.


    I was in the hospital when I came to.


    My whole body was numb with pain. Staring at the ceiling, I began to hate myself because I had failed


    to kill the person I despised the most. How useless.


    Turning to look at the person standing beside my bed, I said apologetically, ¡°Sorry. I seemed to have


    lost control of my emotions again and got myself into trouble.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t the first time Marcus had seen me try to kill myself. He was terrified at first, but now that I


    was brought back from the brink of death, he could finally rx.


    He raised his hand to push away the stray strands of hair on my forehead and uttered in a low voice,


    ¡°John¡¯s Bentley is scrapped. You¡¯re lucky to be alive!¡±


    I smiled feebly, uncertain whether he was relieved or freaked out. There was a needle stuck into the


    back of my hand which was slightly swollen, probably because I had been on a drip for quite some time


    already.


    ¡°Was I out for a long time?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Two days and one night. Your forehead and chest sustained injuries.¡±


    I stared at the ceiling again and said nonchntly, ¡°This time didn¡¯t hurt as bad.¡±

 Chapter 233

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 233


    I didn¡¯t have the courage to die because I was scared of the pain, be it slicing wrists or jumping off a


    building.


    The fear of pain made me a cowardly person.


    His face sank. ¡°Scarlett, this is thest time. If you¡¯d rather hurt yourself than get revenge, then I¡¯m


    done. Whether you live or die will have nothing to do with me.¡±


    I lifted my hand to grab his arm, apologizing in a hoarse voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have


    let my emotions take control of me!¡±


    The fact was, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to die just like that.


    Seeing my red-rimmed eyes, he sighed and ced my hand underneath the nket before saying,


    ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid again. You have a long way ahead of you. Take things slowly and you¡¯ll be


    fine.¡±


    I nodded and fell into a daze with my eyes fixated on the ceiling. Why couldn¡¯t I run Ashton over? Why


    wasn¡¯t I brave enough?


    Sleep took over me once again, and it was already midnight by the time I woke up.


    The moment I opened my eyes, I locked gazes with the man I was supposed to meet in the afterlife.


    As usual, Ashton was d in a ck tailored suit. Perhaps because the heater was turned on, he took


    off his coat, revealing the impably ironed white shirt, which waspletely befitting of his


    personality.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡± He came forward and looked at me with an unreadable glint in his eyes.


    He was thest person I wanted to see, so I shut my eyes.


    ¡°Are you hurting anywhere?¡± he continued speaking.


    Without any desire to talk, I remained tight-lipped.


    ¡°Would you like some water?¡±


    A frown appeared between my brows as the back of my hand throbbed with a dull pain. I¡¯d had too


    many infusions in the past two months, so the bruise on the back of my hand hadn¡¯t subsided.


    It started to get annoying.


    My body was lifted up all of a sudden, causing my eyes to fly wide open and see Ashton¡¯s handsome


    face up close.


    A ss of warm water was held out in front of me. I stared unflinchingly at it but didn¡¯t react for a long


    time. Finally, I raised my infused hand to take it.


    Truth be told, holding the ss was a rather difficult task with the needle stuck into my hand. Ashton¡¯s


    eyes were filled with pain as he looked at me.


    As I squinted my eyes, the ss in my hand unexpectedly slipped out of my grasp. The ss shattered


    uponing in contact with the floor, the loud noise reverberating through the room.


    Instantly, the temperature in the room seemed to plummet. With a faint smile on my face, I said, ¡°Sorry.


    I didn¡¯t mean it.¡±


    Even though I was apologizing, my gaze on him was unfeeling and had no trace of guilt in it.


    His brows drew together as he replied in a tensed voice, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Then, he crouched down to pick up


    the broken ss.


    Perhaps he couldn¡¯t stand the silence hovering over us, so he spoke again, ¡°Do you still want some


    water? I¡¯ll pour you another ss.¡±


    I lowered my gaze just then. Perceiving the slight tremble in his hands, the chill in my heart intensified.


    ¡°He was suffocated to death. Did you see it?¡± I knew that with John¡¯s personality, he would¡¯ve shown


    Ashton that video.


    From the moment Ashton appeared, I had noticed the repressed pain in his eyes.


    Yes, he had cried, and that was all that mattered to me¡ªknowing that he was in pain.


    His hand stiffened midway, and he slowly raised his eyes to look at me.


    When our eyes met, I sneered, ¡°Mr. Fuller, do you think a quick death is better or a slow one?¡±


    He stayed silent, the pain he was feeling clearly disyed in his eyes.


    Seeing as he didn¡¯t speak, I got frustrated and pulled out the drip needle on the back of my hand.


    Because I had used too much force, some blood spurted out and stained the white sheets.


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    I swung my feet to the side and stepped onto the ground barefooted even though I knew it was littered


    with ss shards.


    Without hesitation, I pressed one foot down. When my solended on the back of Ashton¡¯s hand, blood


    spilled from his palm and slowly spread on the ground. Did it hurt?


    I didn¡¯t know. All I knew was that when I held the ss shard and desperately tried to cut the rope that


    bound my child¡¯s fate, it pierced into my palm again and again, staining the rope a dark red. Even so, I


    had failed to save my child.


    I slowly looked down and saw that Ashton¡¯s face had gone slightly pale from the sudden pain. With a


    casual smile, I said, ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t see your hand there.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± His voice was t, so t that I couldn¡¯t detect any emotion in it.


    Skirting around him, I poured myself a ss of water and sat down on the chair to sip on it.


    Ashton remained crouched on the ground, pulling out the ss shards from his palm with an


    expressionless face.


    Blood oozed from the cuts on his palm and pooled on the ground.


    Did it hurt?


    I was numb to everything, with only frustration as mypanion.


    When Reba arrived and saw Ashton¡¯s bloodied palm, she looked as though she wanted nothing


    more than to tear me apart. ¡°What the hell did you do, Scarlett?¡±


    ncing outside the windows, I surmised that it was probably veryte now. She was really crazy


    about Ashton, even more so than I thought.


    With an arched brow, I shifted my gaze toward her, only to realize that both Jared and Joe hade in


    after her.

 Chapter 234

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 234


    I smiled ndly. ¡°Thank you for visiting me even at this hour, everyone.¡±


    Reba red at me and knelt down to check on Ashton. Suddenly, the television in the room


    switched on by itself.


    As I suspected, that video started ying on the screen, forcing Reba to watch it until the end.


    I was already numb by then, so I observed everyone¡¯s expressions instead.


    There was fear, heartache, shock and disbelief.


    John really was a genius to havee up with this idea to let all of them watch the video together.


    The video finally ended after some time. Reba looked at me, then at Ashton¡¯s hand.


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    She was ashen-faced; I liked seeing her this way. Putting down the ss of water in my hand, I slowly


    approached her. Then, I crouched in front of her and smiled. ¡°Ms. Larson, did you enjoy the video? Do


    you wanna know what it feels like when your child is finally taken out of you after being suffocated to


    death?¡±


    Her face nched with horror as she eximed, ¡°You¡¯re crazy!¡±


    I huffed out a humorlessugh, admiring the panic sprawled across her face as she protected her


    protruding belly with both hands. Slowly, my smile turned vicious, and I lowered my voice to say,


    ¡°Would you like to have a taste of the pain I felt at that time? Hmm? Your mother probably likes that


    method too. Why else would she have used it on me? Don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t go around throwing baseless usations, Scarlett!¡± Reba fell back onto the ground in


    shock, scrambling backward on her fours.


    Having just recovered from his shock, Joe helped the panicked Reba up from the floor. ¡°How can


    you be so sure that it was her mother who did this, Scarlett?¡±


    I raised my brows in response. ¡°Would you like to see the evidence, people?¡± I paused for a moment


    before saying in a bored tone, ¡°Actually, spoilers are no fun. Tell you what, I¡¯ll show you guys what a


    suffocated child looks like some other day.¡±


    Then, I pinned my gaze on Reba¡¯s belly and smiled meaningfully. ¡°Isn¡¯t it great? You get to watch in


    advance what your child will look like after being suffocated to death.¡±


    ¡°Take me away! Take me away! She¡¯s crazy!¡± Reba was so petrified that she started rambling


    incoherently, yanking on Joe to bring her away.


    Joe stared at me with conflicting emotions swirling in his eyes.


    As soon as Reba left, I felt immensely bored. So I flicked my gaze to the man on the ground who


    had a devastated look on his face, then nced at Jared who was standing by the door.


    Seeing the heartache shining in his eyes, my own heart wrenched with pain.


    Frustrated, I dialed for Marcus and immediately expressed my displeasure when the call connected.


    ¡°Do you not want me anymore? Don¡¯t just leave me at the hospital. I¡¯m scared!¡±


    Ashton looked at me with eyes that held endless darkness.


    I knew that he was hurting, but so what?


    To my surprise, Marcus arrived at the hospital in no time, so I suspected that he had been nearby all


    along.


    Seeing the mess in the ward, his face clouded over as a crease appeared between his brows. Then,


    his gazended on Ashton. ¡°Mr. Fuller, look at the state she¡¯s in. How long are you nning to keep


    tormenting her?¡±


    Ashton didn¡¯t say anything. From the start until then, his eyes hadn¡¯t once left me. I could tell that he


    was drowning in self-me and grief.


    Despite knowing that, my heart didn¡¯t break for him.


    I walked toward Marcus, who frowned upon noticing the blood on the back of my hand. ¡°You pulled it


    out on your own?¡±


    I nodded and said softly, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m exhausted.¡± Just like everyone else, there was a limit to my


    energy. Hence, going out of my way to hurt others had taken a toll on me.


    Sensing the truth in my words, he replied curtly, ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡±


    At the door of the ward, Jared¡¯s face seemed to be covered with ayer of frost. His eyes glinted coldly


    as he blocked our way out and said to me, ¡°The child was also Ashton¡¯s. He isn¡¯t hurting any less than


    you are. Why do you hate him so much? Does piling all your pain on him and letting him bear it for you


    make you happy?¡±


    ¡°Move aside!¡± Marcus¡¯ expression darkened. They were both men who wielded power in the corporate


    world. Thus, they were equally imposing.


    Jared stood as still as a statue with his gaze fixed on me.


    Pursing my lips, I looked back at Ashton to say, ¡°On the night of Reba¡¯s birthday, you were at the


    Moore family¡¯s banquet, right?¡±


    Ashton looked at me, his eyes dimming slightly. ¡°Yes.¡±


    My chest still ached, but I pushed past it and replied, ¡°I¡¯m sure you know better than me why Cameron


    chose to do it that night, right? For two months, Marcus hasn¡¯t let me touch any electronic devices. I


    didn¡¯t watch the TV or read the news. I didn¡¯t even have any contact with outsiders.¡±


    Having said that, I couldn¡¯t help but release a softugh. ¡°But I¡¯m not an idiot. Even though I didn¡¯t read


    about your engagement with Reba in K City¡¯s news headlines, I already guessed that Cameron did


    what she did because she wanted both me and my child dead. After all, with me gone, there wouldn¡¯t


    be anything standing between you and Reba. It¡¯s too bad she miscalcted. She never expected


    that Marcus would show up and take me away.¡±


    I didn¡¯t wait to see the look on Ashton¡¯s face. Whether he was hurting, distressed, or wallowing in guilt


    had nothing to do with me.

 Chapter 235

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 235


    I looked at Jared and forced a smile. ¡°See? If you think this isn¡¯t enough of a reason for me to hate him,


    I can tell you more. He¡¯s like a brother to you, so I can understand why you feel the need to defend


    him, Dr. Crest. Perhaps to you, I merely lost a child, and no matter how you think about it, it just doesn¡¯t


    seem like such a big deal. Well, I¡¯m sorry to say this, but this is how I am. I must get my revenge at all


    costs. Not to mention, that child was my life!¡±


    No one in this world could truly empathize with others. Some couldn¡¯t even bring themselves to feel


    sympathy, and most would only stand on the sidelines to watch the show.


    After leaving the hospital with Marcus, he sighed with a contemtive gaze. ¡°John really went over the


    top this time. It¡¯ll be difficult for you to do anything from now on. There¡¯s no doubt that the Moore family


    will have their guard up.¡±


    I nodded and released a tired sigh. John had directly yed the video in the hospital so that Ashton


    would feel anguished upon watching it.


    Whatever. Since things have already been put into motion, there is no reason to stop now.


    As he started the car, I looked sideways at him and asked, ¡°Did you take a photo of the child?¡±


    My voice was calm, but his body visibly stiffened. He nced back at me and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you


    didn¡¯t want to see it?¡±


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    My breath caught in my throat as I looked out of the window, struggling to breathe through the pain in


    my chest. ¡°Mm, I don¡¯t. Send it to John. Tell him to hack it into Reba¡¯s phone discreetly. If possible,


    do it at midnight.¡±


    He nodded and drove for a while before changing the subject. ¡°Is there any news about the AI project?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°John is aputer expert. There¡¯s a techpany in J City. Many of their researchers are


    geniuses, but they have poor management. We¡¯re nning to make a trip there one of these days and


    find a way to acquire it.¡±


    He raised his brows. ¡°Apany like that exists?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡±


    ¡°Alright, it seems like you don¡¯t have to risk HiTech anymore.¡± He smiled faintly with a subtle tease in


    his tone.


    My eyes dipped to myp before looking at him again. ¡°If it fails and I lose HiTech, I¡¯ll have to live off


    you.¡±


    He bellowed withughter at that. ¡°Sure!¡±


    By the time I reached home, it was already past midnight. Fortunately, there were many rooms in the


    house. He found a random one to sleep in while I went to my bedroom. With so many things on my


    mind, it was yet another sleepless night.


    Sharon would be celebrating her 56th birthday on the fourth of November.


    The Baumans were considered schrs in K City. Sharon had stayed with them after her divorce from


    Benjamin. They weren¡¯t arge family, and among them were two elderlies who were close to a


    hundred years old.


    Sharon had two older brothers; one was in politics while the other in business. They both had a son


    each, who had moved abroad and settled down with families of their own there. Hence, they rarely


    came back to visit.


    Sharon was the youngest daughter in the family, so she was rather spoiled and arrogant. Marcus was


    aware of his mother¡¯s temper and would asionally advise her on it, but he eventually gave up.


    When Marcus said he was taking me to her birthday banquet, I refused tly. After all, I had rubbed


    elbows with Sharon before, but the oue wasn¡¯t very pleasant.


    Marcus smiled. ¡°The Baumans are schrs. The two elders will be holding a birthday banquet for my


    mother, and they¡¯ve invited many business and political figures. The Moore family will be attending too.


    Don¡¯t you want revenge? Well, this is the perfect time to strike.¡±


    I was stunned for a while and came back to my senses after his words registered in my mind. If I was


    really serious about bringing the Moore family down, I had to be their equal or perhaps superior to


    them. Only then would I be able to overturn them. Otherwise, everything I did would be insignificant,


    and I would never achieve the desired effect.


    I nced at Marcus and nodded. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll go!¡±


    The world¡¯s social structure looked simple. All of us were human beings living on the same.


    However, no human was the same. We were all divided into different categories, like a pyramid. Some


    people would never be able to climb from the bottom to the top even if they were given a few lifetimes.


    Poor people could rely on education to climb up one level at most and live a rtivelyfortable life,


    but to climb another level higher, they would need talent and wisdom.


    However, when you reached a certain level, talent and wisdom were no longer valid. The next thing


    was to rely on connections and blood rtions. Gaining a firm foothold in the upper-ss circles at the


    pyramid¡¯s apex depended on how tactful you were at garnering admiration and respect from others.


    The reasons Cameron was shunned by the Moore family for many years were her family background


    andck of wisdom.


    It was only because of Zachary¡¯s persistence, the discovery of their long-lost daughter, and the wealth


    Cameron had umted over the years that the Moore family begrudgingly epted her.


    Reba¡¯s instant boost through the ranks was solely because of blood rtion, and such was life; no


    one could control the direction in which it flowed.


    Marcus informed me the n for that day, ¡°I¡¯lle to pick you up at 6 p.m., which is an hour earlier.


    Then I¡¯ll take you to shop and get your makeup done.¡±


    I nodded since doing it myself would probably be a bad idea. Seeing howpliant I was, he grew


    slightly worried.

 Chapter 236

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 236


    It was still early when I got home. Bored out of my mind, I called Macy.


    To my dismay, her phone was still switched off. It¡¯s already been three months. She should¡¯ve been


    done with her confinement by now, but why is her phone still turned off?


    Helpless, I called Jackson instead. The call rang for a long time before it connected, and he sounded


    quite busy when he spoke. ¡°Scarlett, I¡¯m taking care of the baby now. What about you? What are you


    doing?¡±


    I blinked in surprise. It must be quite difficult for a grown man to take care of a baby.


    ¡°Are you still with Macy in the countryside?¡± I asked while making myselffortable on the sofa.


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    There was a momentary pause on the other end of the line before he answered, ¡°Yeah. And you? How


    are you doing? Good?¡±


    I nodded even though he couldn¡¯t see me. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll return to J City around the end of the year. Are


    you two nning toe back to celebrate the new year? Or are you going to stay in the


    countryside?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not too sure yet!¡± He seemed busy, so I quickly asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Macy? Is her phone broken?


    Why isn¡¯t she answering her phone? I haven¡¯t been able to get through to her for quite some time


    already.¡±


    ¡°Yeah! She¡¯s quite busy. Anyway, I gotta go now. Let¡¯s talk again some other time.¡± With that, he hung


    up the call.


    I froze for a moment before putting my phone away.


    ¡­


    At C Hotel, an international five-star hotel.


    After parking the car at the hotel¡¯s entrance, Marcus got out. Then, he gracefully walked to the front


    passenger side and opened the door for me before helping me out.


    The train of my royal blue gown was too long. When I got out of the car, I couldn¡¯t help but express my


    concern, ¡°To be honest, this is my first time wearing a dress with such a long train. I¡¯m worried that I


    might fall.¡±


    He smiled faintly. ¡°Then you¡¯ll have to follow me closely, lest you fall.¡±


    Besides this, I didn¡¯t see any other way to prevent myself from tripping.


    I shrugged my shoulders and followed him toward the hotel. There was already someone standing by


    the Roman columns at the hotel¡¯s entrance to wee the guests.


    It was Sharon.


    Having not seen her for quite some time, she seemed to have aged quite a bit. Today, she was wearing


    a burgundy gown with an ink-colored shawl to match, making her look incredibly elegant.


    Older women tended to exude an elegance that was umted over the years as time had the ability


    to polish off the rough edges of women, giving them a gentle and alluring aura.


    ¡°Marc, you¡¯re finally here! The guests should be arriving soon. Your grandparents are already here.


    Hurry up and go say hello to them, thene out to wee the guests.¡± Sharon pulled Marcus


    toward the hotel.


    With that, her gazended on me. She smiled. ¡°And who might this beautiful youngdy be? Why


    haven¡¯t I seen her before?¡±


    I was dumbfounded. Seeing as she couldn¡¯t recognize me, I was at a loss for a moment and


    instinctively looked at Marcus.


    Marcus chuckled and answered, ¡°Mom, you¡¯ve met her before. This is Scarlett.¡±


    Sharon froze, her eyes dipping down to look at my stomach. After a transient moment, she eximed,


    ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± She frowned and chided Marcus, ¡°Marc, why did you¡­¡±


    Marcus cut her off, ¡°Mom, you said that no matter who I brought today, you wouldn¡¯t intervene. You¡¯ll


    respect my choices, won¡¯t you?¡±


    Parents would always relent whenever it came to their children. Sharon obviously hated Sally and


    looked down on the Fullers.


    However, she was willing to put up with me, the daughter-inw of the Fuller family, for Marcus¡¯ sake.


    With a soft sigh, she nced at me and warned, ¡°Just make sure you don¡¯t stir up trouble.¡±


    Marcus smiled lopsidedly before leading me into the hotel lobby.


    There weren¡¯t many people in the lobby yet. Refreshments were arranged on both sides, and the two


    Bauman elderlies were chatting with some guests who had just arrived.


    Marcus tugged me forward to greet them. Perhaps it was because they hadn¡¯t seen their grandson for


    a long time that they were overjoyed.


    Even though they were close to a hundred years old, they looked as spirited as ever.


    ¡°Marc, you brought such a beautifuldy with you. Which family is she from?¡± Anthony Bauman asked


    as his slightly ssy eyes fell on me.


    Marcus pulled me to the front and said with a smile, ¡°Grandpa, she¡¯s the project director at my


    company. She¡¯s my date for today.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, so she¡¯s an employee from yourpany. You¡¯re not getting any younger, boy. You should start


    thinking about marriage. Stop dying it,¡± Sophia Carter, Marcus¡¯ grandmother, piped in.


    Marcus nodded profusely before saying, ¡°Grandpa, Grandma, I¡¯m going outside to wee the guests


    with Mom. I¡¯ll leave Scarlett here to apany you.¡±


    His grandparents nodded and motioned for him to go ahead.


    As soon as Marcus left, Sophia pulled me to sit beside her. ¡°How old are you this year, girl?¡±


    I arched my lips into a polite smile and answered, ¡°Twenty-six.¡±


    ¡°Are you married?¡± This seemed to be the billion-worth question for the entire older generation.


    Maintaining the smile on my face, I said, ¡°Yes, I am.¡±


    She was taken aback, ncing at Anthony beside her. Then, she chuckled. ¡°That brat Marc seems to


    get moreplicated the older he gets.¡±


    Anthony released a chuckle of his own as he looked at me. ¡°By the way, what was your name again?¡±


    I remained courteous and replied, ¡°Scarlett Stovall.¡±

 Chapter 237

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 237


    The old man nodded and remarked, ¡°Ah, like the color. A beautiful name for a beautifuldy.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Mr. Bauman.¡± I smiled broadly.


    His turbid eyes lit up slightly. ¡°Since Marc made the effort to introduce you to us, it means that he cares


    about you. It¡¯s very rare for a woman to catch his eye.¡±


    ¡°Shush! What nonsense are you spouting, old man?¡± Sophia castigated him with a stern expression.


    ¡°You think you¡¯re mister know-it-all, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Anthony grinned sheepishly. ¡°The younger generation have their own way of thinking. Even if we can


    see through their thoughts, we have to keep it to ourselves, or we¡¯ll end up embarrassing them.¡±


    Sophia huffed, ¡°Good that you know!¡±


    Even though I couldn¡¯t fully understand what they were talking about, I found their conversation


    intriguing. They were almost a hundred years old, but they could still banter back and forth, seemingly


    younger than they actually were. It was truly a blessing.


    In life, not many managed to stay together until the end like them. Instead, most people would separate


    at some point, then walk their respective paths as they tried to forget the past.


    Initially, I didn¡¯t understand why Marcus wanted me to apany his grandparents. Later on, I realized


    that every guest had toe up to greet them.


    Naturally, they would engage in small talk. As I was lounging with the two elderlies, many of the guests


    were curious about my identity. Hence, I was introduced to them one after another.


    With that, I was able to know which guests were invited.


    Zachary attended the banquet with Cameron. It was evident that both of them took great care of


    themselves. The man looked handsome and dignified, while the woman was gentle and sophisticated.


    Together, they were a charming middle-aged couple.


    Upon greeting Marcus¡¯ grandparents, both Zachary and Cameron noticed me. They stiffened at the


    same time and looked at Anthony. ¡°Mr. Bauman, thisdy beside you is?¡± Zachary asked.


    Anthony smiled and said, ¡°This is Scarlett Stovall. An employee at my grandson Marc¡¯spany. She


    came here with him today.¡±


    Zachary and Cameron exchanged nces, unable to conceal their shock. ¡°Scarlett?¡± Their gaze


    landed on me as mixed emotions flickered in their eyes.


    ¡°Mr. Moore, this girl looks really simr to your wife during her younger days. If your family hadn¡¯t


    already found your daughter, I would¡¯ve mistaken this girl for her,¡± Louis Stovall, who was almost the


    same age as Zachary, joked.


    Many people agreed with his remark. Even Marcus¡¯ grandparents were slightly stunned and started to


    study Cameron and me more closely.


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    Shortly after, Anthony eximed, ¡°It¡¯s true. The girl¡¯s eyebrows are shaped very simrly to Cameron¡¯s,


    and her nose looks like Zachary¡¯s, high and dainty. If you both hadn¡¯t already found your daughter, I


    would¡¯ve thought this girl is your biological daughter.¡±


    Everyoneughed good-naturedly at thisment while Zachary peered at his wife, then at me, with


    his brows knitting together into a frown.


    Marcus walked in with a smile after he was done entertaining the guests. ¡°Since everyone thinks they


    look alike, why don¡¯t you take Scarlett as your goddaughter, Mr. Moore? This way, we¡¯ll have two


    causes for celebration today. Isn¡¯t that great?¡±


    My limbs froze up, and I couldn¡¯t figure out where Marcus was going with this.


    As soon as he suggested that, someone in the crowd chimed in, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a good idea. You¡¯re so


    lucky, Mr. Moore. You¡¯re going to have another beautiful daughter.¡±


    No one knew about the strife between the Moores and me, so they assumed that this was something


    worth celebrating. However, Cameron and Zachary¡¯s faces became slightly stiff.


    A momentter, Cameron smiled and said, ¡°We appreciate everyone¡¯s good intentions, but as you all


    know, our daughter Reba is a very emotional child. She has endured a lot of hardship all these


    years. As her parents, we feel that we can never make it up to her. If we were to take in a goddaughter


    now, I¡¯m afraid she might get the wrong idea.¡±


    What she said inevitably caused everyone¡¯s expressions to change, especially Marcus, as he was the


    one who suggested it.


    The atmosphere instantly turned awkward.


    Feeling relieved, a small smile stretched across my lips. I nced at Cameron and Zachary before


    saying, ¡°I¡¯m sure many of us envy the love you both have for your daughter. It¡¯s a shame I¡¯m not


    blessed enough to deserve the same.¡±


    ¡°Now, now. Don¡¯t say that,¡± Louis said heartily, ¡°Why are you so harsh on yourself, girl? Since Marcus


    brought you here, it means he sees something special in you that others haven¡¯t. And for some reason,


    I have a good feeling about you. I only have one son, and everyone knows myte wife didn¡¯t give me


    the daughter I¡¯ve always wanted. Now that fate brought us here today, my family is your family if you¡¯re


    willing to ept me as your godfather.¡±


    I blinked rapidly, rather baffled by this turn of events. Louis Stovall was a well-known official in K City


    and was a model of rectitude throughout his entire political career. Nowadays, very few in power were


    able to maintain their integrity and morals. Hence, he was a truly rare in-spoken and virtuous city


    official.


    Having someone like himpliment me this way caught me by surprise.


    ¡°Look, the girl is so happy that words have failed her. Louis, what are you going to do now that you¡¯ve


    scared her?¡± Anthony teased with a bright smile on his face as pride shone in his eyes.


    Marcus patted my shoulder gently and said, ¡°Well? Aren¡¯t you going to thank your Uncle Louis?¡±

 Chapter 238

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 238


    I finally found my voice, saying a little too emotionally, ¡°Thank you, Uncle Louis. It is my greatest


    honor.¡±


    ¡°See? Fate works in mysterious ways. Louis has always wanted a daughter, and now he finally has


    one. What¡¯s more, they have the same surname!¡± Anthony beamed.


    Then, he continued, ¡°Since she¡¯s a Stovall, you can practically consider her as your biological


    daughter!¡±


    Louis let out a loud bellyugh, then picked up a champagne flute and looked at me. ¡°Follow me, girl!¡±


    He led me toward the stage at the front before raising his voice, ¡°May I have your attention, please?


    First of all, I¡¯d like to thank Mr. Bauman for hosting a birthday banquet for his daughter, Ms. Bauman,


    because it gave me a daughter in return, fulfilling my long-time wish. Today, I¡¯d like to use this


    opportunity to announce that soon, I¡¯ll invite all of you to my home so that we can celebrate the addition


    of a new member to my family.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, all the guests were astonished, then they swiftly apuded.


    Louis had a straightforward and cheerful personality. Since he wholeheartedly epted me as his


    daughter, he also brought me around and introduced me to the guests present tonight.


    Before long, I remembered all the upper-ss socialites here. Halfway through the banquet, Louis


    excused himself to chat with a few friends.


    Since I was free, I went looking for Marcus. Having just finished doing his part, he led me to the pantry.


    ¡°See? This wasn¡¯t all in vain,¡± he pointed out.


    I smiled and said with gratitude, ¡°Mm, it wasn¡¯t. But why did you suggest Zachary be my godfather


    earlier? You know that after what Cameron did, I would never agree to that.¡±


    He boiled some water, preparing to brew some tea before ncing at me. ¡°For many years, Louis has


    been yearning for a daughter, but he didn¡¯t have any intention to marry. This is a known fact in K City¡¯s


    upper-ss circle. Since he pointed out the resemnce between you and Cameron, I thought I¡¯d just


    go along with it. I knew for a fact that Zachary and Cameron wouldn¡¯t want you as their goddaughter


    and vice versa. So, I already expected them to refuse. Louis has been a man of virtue his whole life,


    not to mention he wants a daughter. All I did was get the ball rolling and voil¨¤. Everything worked in


    your favor.¡±


    I stared at him in awe. Sighing softly, I said, ¡°I thought you just suggested it mindlessly, but after


    listening to your exnation, I¡¯m starting to doubt my IQ level.¡±


    Even if I had ten brains, I probably wouldn¡¯t be able toe up with such an intricate scheme.


    He raised his brows in return. ¡°What? Scared of getting close to me now that you know how frightening


    my mind works?¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡± A smile formed on my lips. ¡°I¡¯m grateful more than anything. You spoke to your


    grandfather about this beforehand, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Otherwise, why would Anthony have yed along so enthusiastically?


    Marcus nodded in response and ced a teacup in front of me. With raised brows, hemended,


    ¡°Not bad. At least you got that right.¡±


    I giggled softly before falling silent. ¡°Louis is an honorable man. In the future, if I were to ask for his help


    to go against the Moore family, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡±


    Marcus smiled. ¡°The Moores have extensive connections in the underground world. It¡¯s too bad they


    cover up their tracks too well because, truth be told, there are many people who¡¯d like the see them


    completely uprooted.¡±


    My brows lifted toward my hairline. Indeed, rich and famous people would always have a target on their


    backs.


    Marcus¡¯ phone rang just then. It was Sharon on the other end of the line, probably needing him for


    something. Before he hurried off, he told me to sit here to rest and to call him if I needed anything.


    After he left, I sat in the pantry and spaced out. As an orphan, I guess I was lucky to have stumbled


    upon Louis who wholeheartedly epted me as his goddaughter.


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    I sat for a while before getting up to use the washroom.


    At the washroom, Cameron stood in my way and said, ¡°Ms. Stovall, shall we have a chat?¡±


    Taking in her slightly sagging cheeks, I nodded. ¡°What exactly is it that you want to talk about, Ms.


    Anderson?¡±


    She smiled cidly. ¡°There¡¯s a lounging area outside the hotel. Let¡¯s talk there.¡±


    I followed her to the back of the hotel and came to an open-air lounging area. After finding a seat, she


    gracefully lowered herself into it, motioning for me to do the same.


    As I settled myself on the seat across from her, a waiter came for our orders. I asked for a ss of


    water, while she asked for a cup of coffee without sugar.


    Then, I fixed my gaze on her, waiting for her to speak.


    However, she didn¡¯t seem to be in a hurry, waiting until her coffee was served and taking a sip from it


    before saying, ¡°You don¡¯t drink coffee, Ms. Stovall?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°The bitter taste doesn¡¯t sit well with me.¡±


    She smiled and took another sip. Perhaps because she found it too bitter, a small frown appeared


    between her brows. ¡°That¡¯s actually a blessing.¡± Her eyes fell on me before she smiled again. ¡°To be


    honest, you really do look like me when I was younger. If I didn¡¯t personally get a DNA test done, I


    would¡¯ve really thought you were my daughter.¡±


    I replicated her smile, but there was a hint of animosity in it. ¡°It¡¯d probably take a lot more than bearing


    a resemnce to you to be your daughter, Ms. Anderson. I¡¯m not worthy.¡±


    The smile on her face faded as she narrowed her eyes at me, then released a long sigh. ¡°Thirty years


    ago, I¡¯d just turned 20. As I was from an ordinary background, I knew since young that in order to live


    my dream life, I had to work for it. When I was 23, I¡¯d just graduated from university and met Zachary.


    Being able to capture his attention is probably the luckiest thing that urred in my life. He¡¯s noble,


    charming, and gentle; basically what all women look for in a man. Fortunately, both he and I love and


    admire each other.¡±

 Chapter 239

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 239


    Wordlessly, I just listened to her with no intention of interrupting. She got the waiter to refill her cup


    before continuing, ¡°When I was 24, both of us started to envision our future. I even imagined what my


    life would be like after getting married to him. I found it beautiful and worth looking forward to, but the


    reality is cruel. Very few children born from ordinary families can easily gain the respect of others. Only


    those who are born of noble birth are gifted with inherent superiority and elegance, which make them


    stand out from the crowd.¡±


    She looked at me with contempt in her eyes. ¡°Very few people possess inherent nobility because a trait


    like this only runs in the blood.¡±


    I frowned inadvertently but let her continue.


    She leaned back slightly before speaking again, ¡°Because of our difference in family background, I was


    rejected by the Moore family. Being the proud woman I was, I left Zachary in a fit of anger, wanting to


    make a living for myself. So on the day I left K City, I vowed to one day be someone the Moore


    family looked up to.¡±


    Here, she chuckled with self-mockery. ¡°But fate is a funny thing. I only realized I was pregnant after


    leaving K City. My pride did not allow me to go back to Zachary, but I was young and it was my first


    child, so I couldn¡¯t bring myself to abort it. Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t raise her either. While I was caught


    in a dilemma, my belly grew bigger and bigger. In the end, I had to give birth to her. I¡¯d thought of


    finding a man to make things easier, but how could I settle for anything less than Zachary? So after


    giving birth, I went abroad alone.¡±


    Seeing the sorrow lining her features, my brows drew together slightly. This woman had been fueled by


    ambition her whole life, but now, I wasn¡¯t sure if it was a good thing.


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    A brief silence ensued before she went on, ¡°Do you know how difficult it is for a woman in her twenties


    to live abroad? It¡¯s like walking on a tightrope. I couldn¡¯t sleep at night as I was gued with thoughts


    about my child, missing her day and night. But I couldn¡¯t go back to get her, not until I¡¯d saved enough


    money and had a stable ie. Ten years passed just like that. When I went back to R Province to


    look for her, I found that she had already been thrown out by that damnable man. My child whom I had


    risked my life for!¡±


    Noticing the mist pooling in her eyes, I lowered my gaze as a dull ache formed in my chest. Even if I


    sacrificed my life, I would never be able to get my child back. A sneer escaped my lips as I looked at


    her again. ¡°So? Is this an excuse for you to hurt others?¡±


    She shook her head, calming herself before replying, ¡°Sixteen years. That¡¯s how long I¡¯ve been looking


    for Reba. Even as I longed for her during those sixteen years, I prayed that she was living a good


    life. To find her, I wasn¡¯t willing to have a baby with someone else after I got married and would rather


    be a stepmother. I¡¯ve been atoning for my mistakes for so many years and now, I¡¯ve finally found her.


    You may say that I¡¯m selfish and evil. I won¡¯t deny it. But as a mother, I¡¯m willing to do whatever it takes


    to fulfill all of Reba¡¯s wishes. Right now, I only live for her.¡±


    I sneered. ¡°You love your daughter more than life itself. Don¡¯t you think other people would feel the


    same about their own child?¡±


    ¡°Nothing else is more important than my daughter.¡± She looked at me, raising her tone a little when she


    said, ¡°Scarlett, you had a choice. If you¡¯d chosen to get rid of the child and leave Ashton from the start,


    things wouldn¡¯t have turned out this way. I gave you a choice, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    I really had the urge tough, but my anger overpowered it. There were indeed shameless people in


    the world who could make their selfish and evil deeds sound so noble.


    ¡°I¡¯m impressed, Ms. Anderson. As expected of someone who has been through many hardships in life,


    you can even justify such heinous crimes so effortlessly. Since your hands are covered with my child¡¯s


    blood, aren¡¯t you afraid that your grandchild will receive retribution because of you?¡± I was no saint. My


    heart would never waver just because of a couple of sob stories.


    Right then, I realized that it was truly impossible to perform the virtuous act of burying the hatchet.


    Her face darkened at my words. ¡°Do you think you pose a threat to me just because you¡¯re associated


    with Louis Stovall now? To put it bluntly, you¡¯re nothing but an ant beneath my boot. If I want you dead,


    do you think there¡¯s anything you can do to stop me?¡±


    Hah!


    What arrogant words!


    ¡°My life isn¡¯t worth that much to begin with. If you have what it takes to im it, by all means, go ahead.


    Indeed, being associated with Uncle Louis isn¡¯t all that impressive, but you¡¯d do well to remember that


    the child you killed belonged to Ashton. Not to mention, I¡¯m now connected to Louis Stovall in addition


    to the White family. Oh, by the way, I forgot to tell you. I also have a brother called John Stovall. You


    should know him. With a line-up like this, what do you think are the chances of me pushing the Moore


    family off the edge?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Cameron¡¯s face nched.


    ¡°Those are very arrogant words, youngdy. What makes you think you¡¯d be able to convince that


    many people to help you?¡±


    I hadn¡¯t sensed Zachary¡¯s presence, but I wasn¡¯t intimidated by him whatsoever. He came over and sat


    beside Cameron, cocking a brow at me. ¡°The matter regarding the child was a mistake on Cameron¡¯s


    part, but Ms. Stovall, do you really think you have the power to topple my family?¡±

 Chapter 240

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 240


    Since the cat was let out of the bag, there was no need to put up a pretense. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t hurt to try.


    Worst case scenario, I¡¯d just lose my worthless life and join my child in the afterlife. No big deal.¡±


    He frowned slightly and nced sideways at Cameron, lowering his voice as he reprimanded,


    ¡°Harming a child? Since when did you be so inhumane?¡±


    Cameron looked aggrieved upon being questioned. ¡°Zachary, do you know how hard Reba¡¯s life


    has been? I just couldn¡¯t bear to see our daughter suffer anymore!¡±


    ¡°Outrageous!¡± Zachary seethed with anger. ¡°You¡¯ll only end up ruining Reba by overindulging her


    like this.¡±


    Cameron bowed her head, her eyes turning red. ¡°Both of us have owed her too much over the years.¡±


    Zachary heaved a sigh and directed his gaze to me. ¡°Ms. Stovall, what¡¯s done is done. You can state


    your condition. We¡¯ll do our best topensate you for the harm we¡¯ve caused.¡±


    I felt likeughing. This couple was really something else; onemitted the crime while the other


    offered hush money. They made quite the pair.


    I straightened my back and looked them in the eye. ¡°Since both of you are so sincere, forget about


    money and status. You know that I¡¯m notcking in those. How about this? A life for a life. Rather than


    waiting for karma to run its course, you both can make it happen right away. If I¡¯m not mistaken, Ms.


    Larson is nearing her due date. Why don¡¯t you let both children apany each other in the afterlife?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t step out of line, Scarlett!¡± Cameron¡¯s face flushed with panic. ¡°Do you really think you¡¯re all that


    just because you have some influential figures on your side? Let me tell you, you¡¯re still an amateur!¡±


    I smiled coldly and nodded without an ounce of anger. ¡°You¡¯re right, Ms. Anderson. I know I¡¯m still an


    amateur, but time is on my side and there are plenty of opportunities toe.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a smart person, Ms. Stovall. Is it really worth it to make everyone unhappy and ruin your own


    future because of a child?¡± This was an undisguised threat.


    My lips curled into a sneer. ¡°It is! I¡¯ll leave you two alone now. Have a good chat.¡± Then, I looked at


    Cameron, smilingly brightly at her as I said, ¡°Ms. Anderson, we¡¯ve got all the time in the world. I¡¯m in no


    rush.¡±


    Her face was especially grim. Letting my smile drop, I went back into the hotel.


    Their feelings were their business. All I cared about was my own feelings, and right now, I felt great.


    People with power and wealth could indeed do whatever they wanted. One life was but a speck of dust


    to them. How absurd!


    Back in the lobby, I found that almost all the guests had already left. When Louis spotted me, he broke


    into a kind smile and said, ¡°The Stovall family isrge, but since you¡¯re now my daughter, let¡¯s pick a


    good day to wee you into the family. A daughter of mine deserves to be treated with dignity and


    respect.¡±


    A smile stretched across my lips even as my eyes stung with tears. In a voice thick with emotion, I


    replied, ¡°Thank you, Uncle Louis!¡±


    He clucked his tongue and chided, ¡°Silly girl, you should be calling me Dad now!¡±


    I pressed my lips into a thin line, then smiled with tears in my eyes and blurted, ¡°Dad!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s more like it!¡± He chuckled heartily. ¡°Give me your current address. I¡¯ll be carrying out an


    inspection in other provinces for the next two days. When I¡¯m back, I¡¯ll take you out for some good


    food.¡±


    I nodded and stated, ¡°I¡¯m living in Central Park. Remember to be careful on your trip.¡±


    He nodded with a smile. ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll have your brother take care of you these few days. We¡¯re a


    family now. Just tell him if there¡¯s anything you need.¡±


    Hearing those words, a warm bubbly feeling rose in my chest.


    After Marcus sent off all the guests, he walked over to us and said to Louis, ¡°Uncle Louis, don¡¯t worry.


    I¡¯ll take good care of your daughter.¡±


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Louis cackled withughter, then squinted at us and whispered, ¡°Tell me the truth. Are you two dating?¡±


    Marcus blinked in surprise before grinning. ¡°Uncle Louis, I¡¯m afraid this isn¡¯t for me to answer.¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha!¡±


    Everyoneughed in unison at that. After sending off Louis, Marcus bid Sharon goodbye.


    Sharon nced at me, then turned to Marcus with aplicated expression on her face. ¡°You should


    know your own limits. Don¡¯tplicate matters. If a scandal involving the two of you were to spread in


    K City, it¡¯d affect the Fuller family and the White family, and now the Stovall family as well. Things will


    get messy.¡±


    Marcus nodded and reassured her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom. I know what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    Then, we left the hotel and got into the car.


    I couldn¡¯t help but look at him in suspicion. ¡°Although Louis has always wanted a daughter, he¡¯s a high-


    ranking politician. It doesn¡¯t make sense for him to ept a random girl as his daughter just based on


    feelings.¡±


    He started the car and smiled. ¡°Well, would you look at that? You¡¯re not a lost cause after all. You both


    have the surname Stovall. Do you think it¡¯s a coincidence?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    He drove while exining, ¡°John yed a part in this too. He¡¯s Louis¡¯ nephew and currently under his


    care. In fact, John has mentioned about you to Louis more than once already. I guess he¡¯s said


    everything that needed to be said.¡±


    I was taken aback, struggling to wrap my mind around this revtion. ¡°Isn¡¯t John¡¯s father a


    businessman?¡±


    He arched a brow at me. ¡°You should ask him yourself when you have the time. Louis doesn¡¯t have


    children of his own. As for his brothers, one is dead while the other is disabled, so even though their


    family isrge, none of them are close to each other.¡±

 Chapter 241

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 241


    I nodded, making a few guesses of my own. Indeed, John was brought back to K City by the Stovalls a


    few years ago. I didn¡¯t ask him anything about what happened after that, so I didn¡¯t know the details.


    We were still kids back when he came to R Province, and Grandma never told us about the investor


    who hadmitted suicide.


    For so many years, I¡¯d never asked John about his origins in detail either.


    After an entire night of mingling, I leaned against my seat, feeling sleepy. In my drowsy state, I vaguely


    noted that the car had entered the residential area.


    Marcus stopped the car. Seeing me nod off, he got down and came over to my side to open the door


    for me. ¡°Do you need me to carry you?¡±


    My eyes flew wide open just then, and I hurriedly shook my head. ¡°I can go up on my own!¡± Sharon


    was right. If someone were to take such indecent photos of us, things could get ugly for everyone


    involved.


    I wasn¡¯t surprised to see Ashton at the gate, but a frown appeared on my face. Is this his way of


    convincing me to go back with him?


    He was sitting on the doorstep, looking like an abandoned child.


    After several days of not seeing him, he had visibly lost weight. His former defiant and overbearing


    demeanor was nowhere in sight, and I noticed that his eyes were bloodshot.


    Marcus frowned slightly as he informed me, ¡°I¡¯ll head inside first.¡±


    I nodded and shifted my gaze to Ashton, who was slowly getting to his feet, catching a glimpse of the


    white gauze wrapped around his hand.


    If I could change the past, I would make sure that I never crossed paths with Ashton in this lifetime.


    Even though it meant living an impoverished life, I would be more than willing.


    I was physically and mentally exhausted. Within three years, I had bepletely unrecognizable.


    We stared at each other for a long time. I tried to think of something to say, but nothing came to mind.


    In the end, I said curtly, ¡°Go back and don¡¯te here ever again!¡± Ignoring his intense gaze, I skirted


    around him and walked toward the door.


    ¡°You¡¯re living together?¡± he asked with a hint of fatigue in his voice.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    I frowned, pausing momentarily. ¡°This is none of your business!¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡± Then, he continued in a weak and raspy voice, ¡°Is this really how things are going to be between


    us?¡±


    Is this how things are going to be? I honestly didn¡¯t know. I had thought about a hundred ways to


    torture him, but I knew I would be the one getting hurt in the end. Thus, I gave up the idea.


    ¡°I know that you hate me and me me! It¡¯s all my fault for not protecting you and our child, but


    Scarlett, I can¡¯t ept how things are between us now. If you hate me, you can take your revenge


    however you want, but¡­e home with me at the very least. We¡¯re husband and wife. We still have


    to face this together, right?¡±


    Pursing my lips, I felt my heart squeeze in my chest. ¡°Then let¡¯s get a divorce!¡± I would learn how to let


    go of my hatred for him. To stop hating the person I once loved would be pushing me to my limits.


    My heart felt like it was being shredded to bits, and it hurt everywhere.


    Humans are ironic. It¡¯s wrong to love, but wrong to stop loving too.


    With nothing more to say to him, I swiveled around to climb the stairs.


    ¡°After everything we¡¯ve been through, you¡¯re going to end it with just a simple sentence?¡± he said in a


    voice that was so low I could barely detect any emotion in it.


    I stopped in my tracks but didn¡¯t look back.


    ¡°Scarlett, if you really hate me, are you willing to let me off just like that? The best revenge is making


    the other person¡¯s life a living hell. Is what you¡¯re doing considered revenge or giving up?¡±


    Mystified as to what would prompt a proud man like Ashton to say something so out of character, I


    inadvertently looked over my shoulder at him.


    With a frown, I said, ¡°You know provocation won¡¯t work on me, Ashton!¡±


    His gaze seemed to pierce into my soul when he urged, ¡°Come home with me. Only then will you have


    an outlet for your anger and hatred.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that I might wake up in the middle of the night and stab you to death?¡± I would never


    have entertained that idea in the past, but things were different now. When you were filled with so much


    hatred, killing wouldn¡¯t even be enough to dispel it.


    He pressed his lips together as his eyes flickered with a barrage of emotions. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just have to


    wait and see!¡±


    I looked up and saw that the lights upstairs were already switched on, with Marcus¡¯ tall and slender


    figure by the French windows.


    At this distance, I couldn¡¯t see the look on his face, but I could make a rough guess.


    When Ashton followed my line of sight, he frowned in displeasure but didn¡¯tment.


    A long moment passed before I nced back at him, feeling much calmer than just now. ¡°I¡¯ll go back


    with you, but you must do something for me.¡±


    ¡°Tell me.¡±


    ¡°I want everyone in K City to know who I am to you, and cut all ties with Reba while you¡¯re at it.


    Lastly, don¡¯t question what I do from now on!¡±


    His brows scrunched together as he nodded resolutely. ¡°Alright!¡±


    After a short pause, he continued, ¡°I¡¯lle to pick you up tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    ¡­


    Upon reaching the corridor, I saw Marcus waiting by the door with his arms crossed over his chest.


    He looked at me calmly and asked, ¡°All settled?¡±


    I nodded and bent down to change my shoes. ¡°I can¡¯t very well hide behind you forever. Besides, I said


    I was going to face it myself.¡±


    ¡°Hah!¡± He scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re just worried that people will spread rumors about the two of us and end up


    implicating the Fullers and Stovalls, right?¡±


    I twisted my lips together at his choice of words. ¡°Marcus, I¡¯m still Ashton¡¯s wife. Indeed, your mother¡¯s


    worries are well-founded.¡±


    He was a good man, but I couldn¡¯t be so selfish. Besides, I already had my te full with Ashton alone.


    I couldn¡¯t juggle between him and Marcus.


    Seeing the downcast look on his face, I leveled my gaze with his and said, ¡°Thank you for these past


    few months, but I can¡¯t keep ying dumb, Marcus. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

 Chapter 242

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 242


    Without looking at his expression, I straightened and went into my bedroom. In this world, no one would


    go out of their way to help someone else for no apparent reason. There had to be a motive. I was smart


    enough to know why Marcus treated me so well.


    Sometimes, I wanted to continue feigning ignorance just so that I could stay. However, humans were


    complex beings. I couldn¡¯t very well put on a facade forever, not to mention the current me couldn¡¯t


    afford to be ignorant anymore.


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± He paused before asking in a low voice, ¡°Have you ever¡­ felt anything for me?¡±


    His question stunned me, and my mind couldn¡¯t formte a response for a while. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Marcus!¡±


    A lowugh came from behind me. ¡°Okay. I understand.¡±


    His simple words carried a sense of heaviness.


    Even so, there was nothing I could do about it.


    I parted my lips, attempting to say something, but no words could escape.


    Back in my bedroom, my chest tightened ufortably. Even after a whole night of tossing and


    turning, I still couldn¡¯t fall asleep.


    During the past two months, I never once thought about how I was going to spend the rest of my days.


    Besides solving the matters between Ashton and me, there was also Marcus. I had no qualms


    epting his meticulous care. In fact, I even enjoyed it. However, I seemed to have forgotten that there


    was nothing I could give him, and at the end of the day, he was the one who¡¯d get hurt.


    I was broken and beyond repair, so I shouldn¡¯t drag him into my mess.


    The night passed by so slowly that I thought the sun would nevere up.


    The next day.


    After a sleepless night, my head buzzed with a pounding headache.


    Marcus was already in the living room. Upon sensing my presence, he looked at me with a neutral


    expression. ¡°Have some breakfast first.¡±


    I nodded, my gazending on the homey mealprising of eggs, bacon, and bread spread out on the


    dining table.


    As we sat across from each other., he remained silent and ate his food elegantly.


    Upon noticing the dark circles beneath his eyes, I asked without much thought, ¡°Didn¡¯t sleep wellst


    night?¡±


    He met my gaze and replied tersely, ¡°Eat more.¡± With that, he filled my te with more food.


    I studied him for a while but remained silent otherwise.


    My mind had wandered off when my phone rang. When I felt Marcus¡¯ eyes on me, I snapped out of my


    daze and nced at my phone.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Ashton¡¯s phone number was shing across the screen.


    Seeing myck of reaction, Marcus raised his brows. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to answer it?¡±


    After picking up my phone and swiping it to answer, I ced it against my ear and waited for him to


    speak first.


    ¡°Do you have a lot of stuff? I can go up and help you with them. I¡¯m downstairs now,¡± Ashton spoke in a


    monotonous voice.


    I got up and walked to the windows, then pulled the curtains open. True enough, the man was standing


    tall and proud downstairs, d in a ck suit.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I declined in a t voice, then added, ¡°I¡¯ll meet you downstairs.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll wait for you,¡± he answered in a tone that matched mine. I guess this had always been the


    way we interacted.


    After ending the call, Marcus looked at me with pursed lips. ¡°You haven¡¯t finished eating.¡±


    I stared at him and hesitated for a moment, knowing that he was in a bad mood. ¡°Thank you, Marcus.¡±


    Except for this, I didn¡¯t know what else I could say. Since everything in the bedroom was arranged by


    him, I didn¡¯t have anything to take with me.


    I skirted around him to walk out of the bedroom, but he abruptly grabbed my wrist. Before I could react,


    he grasped the back of my neck.


    It all happened so quickly that I had no way to dodge him. I hurriedly shoved him away and massaged


    my neck as anger simmered in me. ¡°Marcus, I thought you respected me!¡±


    He huffed out augh. ¡°You always see the good in humanity!¡±


    My expression was grave when I stared at him, then I said in a heavy tone, ¡°Goodbye.¡±


    This happened because of me, so I didn¡¯t have the right to lecture or criticize him. Hence, I had to bear


    the consequences.


    Ashton was waiting by the gates downstairs.


    Upon seeing mee out, the crease between his brows eased slightly, and he extended his hand to


    me. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    His voice was so soft that it was almost carried away by the wind.


    I pursed my lips and ignored his outstretched hand, then brushed past him and marched toward the


    car.


    Just then, Marcus¡¯ menacing voice came from behind. ¡°You¡¯d better take good care of her, Ashton, or I


    won¡¯t let her go the next time.¡±


    I faltered in my steps and looked over my shoulder to find that both men were staring each other down


    in a silent battle.


    Ignoring them, I got into the car and vaguely heard Ashton saying, ¡°There won¡¯t be a next time.¡±


    Ashton revved up the engine and started driving. Since he didn¡¯t make conversation, neither did I.


    Instead, I gazed out the window to watch as high-rise buildings whizzed past.


    As we passed by more buildings, it began to dawn on me that K City was much more than just a


    bustling city.


    ¡°What would you like to eat?¡± Ashton finally broke the silence, asking me airily. When he nced


    sideways at me, his eyes darkened slightly with a hint of frost seeping out of them.


    With pursed lips, I replied sinctly, ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± It was true since I already had something to eat


    earlier.


    He kept silent and parked the car in front of a breakfast ce, ncing at me to dere, ¡°Well I am.¡±


    After getting out of the car, he entered the shop and found a table before settling into a seat. With an


    expressionless face, he asked, ¡°Do you eat pancakes?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t hungry to begin with, so I gave him a nod. ¡°Anything¡¯s fine.¡±


    Right after that, I bowed my head and scrolled through my phone. Just then, I received a text from


    John. Are you meeting up with OrbitTech¡¯s president in J City this Wednesday?

 Chapter 243

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 243


    It had almost slipped my mind. I swiftly replied to him, already making ns to visit Jackson and Macy


    in J City as I hadn¡¯t seen them for quite some time. Making a mental calction, I realized that Macy¡¯s


    child was probably already two months old.


    Right then, my phone was abruptly snatched out of my hands. I whipped my head up and was met with


    Ashton¡¯s obsidian eyes. With a frown, I questioned, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    He put the phone out of my reach and instructed, ¡°Eat first.¡±


    My frown deepened as I looked at the food in front of me, not having much of an appetite. ¡°I already ate


    earlier. I¡¯m not hungry.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You should eat more.¡± He pushed a te of stacked pancakes toward me.


    I sighed aloud to express my displeasure but didn¡¯t kick up a fuss.


    After having breakfast, I could vaguely sense that he was in a foul mood, but I couldn¡¯t figure out the


    root cause of it. Hence, I chose to be silent.


    Silence hovered between us all the way back to the vi. The moment we stepped into the bedroom,


    Ashton abruptly hugged me from behind. ¡°Did he touch you?¡± he asked in a deep and hoarse voice,


    evidently trying to suppress his rage.


    Befuddled by his question, I didn¡¯t get the chance to react when he started peppering me with fervent


    kisses, suckling the skin of my neck and shoulders.


    My brows furrowed as his actions became rougher. Despite the anger surging in me, I managed to


    calmly say, ¡°Did you bring me back here because Reba can¡¯t satisfy you now that she¡¯s pregnant?


    Am I recing her?¡±


    He paused just then and lifted his head, his breathing bing heavy with anger. ¡°Scarlett, am I really


    that despicable to you?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡± I refuted, turning my head to look at him and meeting his bloodshot eyes.


    The temperature around us seemed to plummet drastically.


    An inconspicuous smile appeared on Ashton¡¯s handsome face, and his gaze on me was like a knife


    stabbing into my chest. ¡°Very well. I won¡¯t disappoint you then!¡±


    He pushed me onto the bed without waiting for me to react. Then, he jerked off his necktie and threw it


    aside, the buttons of his coring undone from his rough movements.


    I was dazed for a while before realizing what he was about to do. With my heart pounding wildly


    against my ribcage, I scrambled off the bed to make a run for the door.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    However, before my feet touched the ground, I was pressed down by his body, and the scent that was


    solely his instantly filled my senses. ¡°Based on Marcus¡¯ personality, he probably wouldn¡¯t have taken


    you by force, right?¡±


    Then, he said through gritted teeth, ¡°Let¡¯s do something different, shall we?¡±


    ¡­


    Mrs. Eriksen was originally delighted that I was back, so she made a scrumptious meal and came


    upstairs to deliver it. Upon reaching the door, she cheerfully called out, ¡°Letty!¡±


    However, she immediately froze when she saw Ashton and me in that posture.


    ¡°Get out!¡± Ashton¡¯s features twisted with rage and viciousness.


    As Mrs. Eriksen had never been at the receiving end of his wrath, she stood paralyzed for a split


    second before hastily backing away and closing the door.


    ¡°Hah!¡± Augh escaped my lips as I stared into his imprable dark eyes, mocking him in a voice


    dripping with sarcasm. ¡°Haha! I¡¯m actually grateful that the child isn¡¯t alive. I can¡¯t imagine how


    miserable his life would be with a father like you.¡±


    He pinned me with a dangerous gaze and clenched his jaw in an effort to control his temper.


    During those few seconds, I thought that he was going to hit me.


    But the impact didn¡¯te.


    All he did was lean forward to ce his lips to my ear before gritting out in a low and hoarse voice,


    ¡°Let¡¯s have another one and see if he¡¯ll be miserable or blessed.¡±


    I was stunned.


    Then, Ashton smashed his lips against mine.


    My mind only registered the stinging pain on my lips several momentster.


    ¡°Are you an animal?¡± I yelled angrily.


    ¡°Hah!¡± He sneered. ¡°Good to know that you still feel pain!¡±


    ¡°Ashton¡­¡±


    Before I could curse him to hell and back, I felt his whole body stiffen all of a sudden just as his breath


    hitched slightly.


    Taking a closer look at him, I noticed that his gaze was fixated on the scar spanning my lower


    abdomen.


    He raised his hand to touch it, but I pped it away as an idea popped into my mind.


    ¡°Why? Does the scar disgust you?¡±


    As he looked at me, I could see the heartache and pain swirling in his eyes. However, I merely found it


    hrious and ironic.


    ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± He seemed to have regained control over his emotions as his gaze returned to


    being indecipherable.


    My heart wrenched in pain at his absurd question, and I struggled to draw air into my lungs for a


    moment.


    I pushed him away and got up, then put on my clothes mechanically before uttering, ¡°You¡¯re even more


    farcical than I thought, Ashton.¡±


    With that, I swiveled around and went downstairs.


    Mrs. Eriksen was in the kitchen. Seeing mee down, she stole a nce at me and turned slightly


    embarrassed. ¡°You must be hungry, Letty. Molly and I cooked some food earlier. Would you like some?¡±


    I shook my head and turned her down. ¡°No, thank you. I¡¯m going out for a walk.¡±


    I was rather surprised to bump into Reba at the vi¡¯s entrance, but then again, it wasn¡¯t all that


    strange. With one hand supporting her protruding belly, Reba got out of the car with the help of her


    nanny.


    The driver drove off after she gave him some instructions. Then, she walked toward the vi with the


    nanny¡¯s support.


    When she saw me leaning against the door frame with my arms folded across my chest while looking


    at her icily, she paused in her steps. The initial excitement on her face was reced by surprise and


    hostility.


    ¡°Good morning, Ms. Larson. Aren¡¯t you going to move in now that your belly has grown so big?¡± I didn¡¯t


    mean for it to sound sarcastic but simply felt that it seemed inappropriate for a pregnant woman to go


    back and forth like that.

 Chapter 244

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 244


    After all, she is everyone¡¯s precious princess.


    She pursed her lips as her features contorted with rancor. The tone in which she spoke to me was


    especially uncongenial. ¡°I thought you hated Ash? Why are you back here?¡±


    Amusement filled me as I countered, ¡°No matter how much I hate him, we¡¯re still a legally married


    couple. Besides, I own half the rights to this house. If I don¡¯te back, wouldn¡¯t that be an act of


    surrender?¡±


    She curled her lips in disdain. ¡°Oh, quit the snarky act. I¡¯m not interested in fighting with you over


    money.¡±


    I raised my brows. ¡°I find that hard to believe. After all, you¡¯ve even set your sights on my husband.¡±


    Faced with her venomous re, I turned and headed toward the yard before she could say something


    nasty to me and further dampen my mood. Realizing that it was already autumn in K City, I sighed at


    how time flew.


    Perhaps Ashton had heard our voices outside. After a while, he came out. When he saw Reba, he


    frowned as his lips ttened into a line. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Seeing her lover, a soft smile reced the angry scowl on Reba¡¯s face. ¡°Ash, I heard my father say


    that you¡¯ll be going to a border town next month to discuss the development project, so he told me to


    pass the coboration contract to you.¡±


    Then, she signaled her nanny with her eyes, to which thetter took out a file and respectfully handed it


    to Ashton.


    ¡°Pfft!¡± I failed to stifle myughter and ended up attracting their gazes to me.


    Ashton pursed his lips as he ordered, ¡°It¡¯s cold. Go in and put on a coat.¡±


    Reba shot daggers at me and gnashed her teeth in anger.


    I ignored her death stare and walked up to Ashton, holding his arm toin, ¡°You were too rough


    earlier, so I don¡¯t really feel like walking so much. Can you go get it for me?¡±


    To emphasize, I deliberately tilted my head slightly, revealing the bite mark on my neck.


    My skin was delicate, so he would always leave a mark no matter where he bit me.


    Perceiving Reba¡¯s increasingly vexed expression, I broke into an incredibly sweet smile at Ashton.


    ¡°Please?¡±


    Ashton was no fool, so he easily saw through my little trick.


    An indiscernible frown appeared between his brows before he nced at Reba. ¡°Just get your


    father to look for me at thepany for matters like this in the future. You don¡¯t need toe here.¡±


    ¡°The weather¡¯s cold. Go home earlier,¡± he added after a brief pause.


    ¡°Ash, I¡­¡± Reba wanted to say something but was cut off by Ashton.


    ¡°Send my regards to your mother,¡± he said in a voice that had dropped a few octaves lower.


    The hidden warning in his words was clear. Reba instantly tensed up, an aggrieved look taking


    residence on her face.


    Ashton wanted to tug me back into the living room, but I released his arm at that time and said to him,


    ¡°Go get me a coat. I¡¯ll send Ms. Larson off.¡±


    His brows drew together.


    Seeing his hesitation, I reminded him, ¡°You promised that you wouldn¡¯t question me no matter what I


    did.¡±


    After a short pause, he relented, ¡°It¡¯s cold outside, so don¡¯t take too long.¡±


    I nodded and watched as he went back into the living room. Then, I turned back to Reba with a faint


    smile. ¡°Let me send you off, Ms. Larson.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary!¡± Reba was upset after being given the cold shoulder, and seeing me only


    made her more displeased. ¡°You couldn¡¯t even protect your own child, so stop gloating, Scarlett.¡±


    There was a cobblestone path that extended from the front door to where we were standing, and


    beside ity a small pond.


    Because of the cold weather, the fish inside were rtively inactive and the lotuses that bloomed on


    the water¡¯s surface had withered by now. To ensure that the pond stayed visually pleasant, snapped


    branches and leaves were frequently cleared away. Hence, the water was considered quite clean.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Having already shooed off the nanny, Reba supported her waist with the contempt on her face clear


    as day.


    I couldn¡¯t help but sneer at her. ¡°What is there for me to gloat about, Ms. Larson? Indeed, I failed to


    protect my child, but why don¡¯t we see if you can?¡±


    Her eyes widened, seemingly just realized that she was standing close to the pond. I took a few steps


    toward her and grabbed her arm before yanking her to the edge of the pond.


    Forcing her to look at the still surface of the pond, I said, ¡°You won¡¯t drown even if you fall in. You¡¯ll only


    suffer a little bit. Why don¡¯t you jump in and see if you can protect your baby?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± she shrieked. ¡°If you harm a hair on me, my father will give you hell!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try, shall we?¡± I smirked slightly and felt the urge to roll my eyes when she shivered.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± She raised her voice. ¡°My father will never let you get away with it if you push me in!¡±


    I felt bored listening to her yapping away about her father in an attempt to intimidate me, so I casually


    shoved her slightly in the direction of the pond.


    She screamed in fright and instinctively pushed me away.


    Ssh!


    Holy sh*t. The water during the cold seasons was really freezing. After thrashing in the water for a


    while, I was abruptly hauled out of the pond.


    As the chilly air kissed my skin, I shivered violently.


    Ashton wrapped the coat he had brought out around me before turning to Mrs. Eriksen who had


    anxiously followed him out and ordered, ¡°Call Dr. Crest over now.¡±


    Mrs. Eriksen nodded profusely and proceeded to make the call.

 Chapter 245

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 245


    Ashton scooped me into his arms and shot a cold look at Reba, who was still dumbstruck.


    Then, he snapped, ¡°Next time, please refrain from setting foot in our humble abode. My wife has a frail


    body and can¡¯t handle your aggressive ways.¡±


    He was indirectly implying that Reba wasn¡¯t wee here anymore.


    As Reba slowly regained her senses, her eyes reddened while she anxiously tried to exin


    herself, ¡°Ash, it wasn¡¯t me. I didn¡¯t touch her!¡±


    Ashton scoffed, ¡°So, are you saying that she fell in on her own?¡±


    Reba once again defended herself, ¡°She was going to push me in, but when I resisted, she fell in


    instead. It has nothing to do with me. She¡­¡±


    ¡°So, she couldn¡¯t even defend herself against you, a pregnant woman?¡± Ashton questioned. With his


    lips pressed into a tight line, he exuded a chilly aura.


    ¡°Reba, you should be well aware of why I¡¯ve always indulged you. It was a privilege bestowed on


    you in return for Parker¡¯s kindness, but within these few years, you¡¯vepletely exhausted that


    privilege.¡± These words were admittedly brutal.


    Reba¡¯s face had turned pale, and her eyes were red when she choked out, ¡°My brother died


    because of you back then. How can you casually dismiss that just because of me? What¡¯s the meaning


    of this, Ash?¡±


    ¡°Do you need me to spell it out for you?¡± Ashton¡¯s breathing grew heavy as he suppressed his anger.


    ¡°Go back and tell your mother that one of these days, we¡¯ll settle the scores between us.¡±


    With that, he carried me into the living room. After making the phone call, Mrs. Eriksen came out with


    an infuriated look on her face. ncing at the pregnant woman standing outside, she said in a clipped


    tone, ¡°I think it¡¯s time for you to leave, Ms. Larson. The Fullers are a simple family and can¡¯t keep up


    with your ir for drama.¡±


    Without waiting to see Reba¡¯s reaction, she shut the door in her face.


    As my clothes were soaked through, water dripped onto the floor all the way to the bedroom.


    Ashton directly carried me into the bathroom and ced me by the bathtub. Then, he turned on the hot


    water and reached out to remove my clothes, but I quickly dodged his hands.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself!¡± I snapped.


    Thereafter, I peeled off the coat around me and started undoing my clothes when I noticed that he was


    still standing off to the side. With a frown, I asked, ¡°Do you like watching me undress?¡±


    His frosty face broke into a smile. ¡°Can¡¯t I?¡±


    I stopped fiddling with my clothes to meet his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Fuller, but I don¡¯t share your


    sentiment, so I¡¯ll have to ask you to leave.¡±


    He pursed his lips, but fortunately, he did as I said without any protests.


    When I came out of the shower, there was a ss of milk on the nightstand while Ashton was nowhere


    in sight.


    Casting a fleeting nce at it, I settled in front of the vanity mirror to blow-dry my hair. I was already


    frail to begin with. After falling into the pond, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if I caught a cold.


    Feeling lethargic but reluctant to sleep, I crawled under the sheets to warm myself.


    Without Ashton here, I felt more rxed. After reading a book, I fished out my phone to entertain


    myself.


    Ashton came in with some documents in his hands, seemingly here to check up on me.


    When he noticed me looking at my phone on the bed, his forehead creased. ¡°Looking at your phone so


    often is bad for your eyes.¡±


    I flicked my eyes toward him and nodded brusquely before cing my phone on the nightstand.


    After that, I burrowed underneath the nket.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    The bed sank slightly as Ashton sat beside me. ¡°Finish the milk, then sleep for a while if you¡¯re tired.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want the milk!¡± I rejected as I had never been a fan of milk.


    ¡°Be a good girl, Scarlett. Get up and drink it,¡± Ashton ordered. This was the first time I felt so annoyed


    by someone.


    I flipped the nket off me and stared him dead in the eye for several seconds. Then, I rolled out of


    bed in anger and grabbed the ss of milk before walking into the bathroom.


    After pouring the milk into the toilet bowl, I came out and put the ss back down with a dark look on


    my face. ¡°Please take the ss with you when you leave. Thanks!¡±


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± he growled. ¡°Do you think this is funny?¡±


    Flummoxed, I cocked a brow at him. ¡°What¡¯s funny?¡±


    Faced with my reaction, he seemed to be at his wits¡¯ end. After staring at me for a while, he sighed and


    said in a deted manner, ¡°Get some rest.¡±


    Watching him get up and leave, I pulled the nket over myself and decided to do just that since I was


    indeed feeling a little tired.


    Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t fall asleep even though I was very sleepy. This feeling was torturous, to say


    the least.


    After a few hours of rolling around in bed, I finally began to doze off.


    Right then, the bedroom door was opened from the outside. Ashton walked in and stood beside the


    bed, his gazending on me. ¡°Don¡¯t sleep too much during the day. Get up and eat something. You can


    continue sleeping after that.¡±


    It had taken me a painstakingly long time to finally drift off into sleep. Now that he had awoken me, I felt


    rather speechless. Paying him no heed, I kept my eyes shut and tried to let sleep take over me once


    again.


    He walked up to me and pulled me up from the bed, saying in a stern voice, ¡°Get up and eat


    something.¡±


    Anger tore through me, and I opened my eyes, shoving him away as I red at him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong


    with you, Ashton? Do you know how hard it is for me to get a good night¡¯s sleep? How many f**king


    times are you going to barge in on me? Have you ever considered my feelings?¡±


    Perhaps I had reacted too violently. He frowned as a cold glint entered his eyes. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s sleep


    together.¡±


    I was taken aback when he climbed into bed. Deep down, I was aware that there were certain things


    that could not be avoided forever.

 Chapter 246

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 246


    No matter how hard I struggled, he ignored it and coaxed me in a semi-domineering manner instead.


    I dug my nails into his skin, scratching him wildly as I cursed, ¡°You¡¯re a b*stard, Ashton!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am!¡±


    I began to suspect that he hadn¡¯t touched a woman at all during this period of time as he acted like a


    starved beast, ravaging me without restraint.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    After the deed was done, he leaned against the headboard and lit a cigarette.


    Under the dim light, I could discern the scratch marks on his sturdy chest. There were even faint


    bloodstains in a few spots.


    I wanted to get up and wash my body, but his arms were wrapped around me, forcing my head to lie


    against his chest.


    The smell of tobo permeated the air in the room. When he finished smoking his cigarette, he said in


    a deep voice, ¡°Let¡¯s set a date and time. I¡¯ll apany you to see a psychiatrist.¡±


    I was dumbfounded for a moment, arching my neck to look at him. After he stubbed out his cigarette in


    the ashtray, I finally came to my senses and pursed my lips. ¡°No!¡±


    Besides finding me unresponsive, I couldn¡¯t think of any other reason he would suggest something like


    that right after we had sex.


    I had never thought of getting treatment after my pregnancy. When there were already so many


    problems with my body, one more wouldn¡¯t make a difference.


    Leveling my gaze with his, I said nonchntly, ¡°If you can¡¯t feel anything from me, you can look


    elsewhere from now on.¡±


    Ashton¡¯s brows snapped together, and he scooted down on the bed expressionlessly, then pinned me


    with a savage gaze. ¡°Look elsewhere? Scarlett, you really don¡¯t know when to stop, do you? I want you


    to go for treatment because I don¡¯t want you to hurt anymore. And right now, you¡¯re unwell both


    physically and emotionally.¡±


    As I was enveloped in his arms, most of the light was blocked by his body. I frowned, not liking this


    cramped enclosure one bit. ¡°This isn¡¯t the first day you know about my health problems. In fact, I have


    so many. How are you going to treat them all?¡± I challenged softly.


    Without waiting for him to reply, I wriggled out of his embrace and went to the bathroom.


    When I came out, he was sitting on the bed with the nket covering his lower body and his phone in


    one hand. He looked at me and instructed, ¡°Jared is downstairs. Change your clothes and go down to


    get yourself¡­ treated.¡±


    What?


    I threw the bath towel aside and replied coldly, ¡°He can¡¯t treat me.¡±


    Ashton frowned. ¡°Why not? He¡¯s a doctor.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes at him. ¡°If I tell Dr. Crest that I¡¯m unresponsive, what do you think he¡¯ll say? That


    I¡¯m the problem? Or¡­¡± I trailed off.


    He knew what I was implying perfectly well.


    Seeing his brows furrowed together, I kindly reminded him, ¡°I¡¯m only unresponsive to you, so Mr. Fuller,


    I suggest that you find some time to get yourself checked.¡±


    When his face darkened, I immediately walked out of the bedroom because challenging a man¡¯s limits


    had consequences that I couldn¡¯t handle.


    Sure enough, the moment I stepped out of the bedroom, a furious roar reverberated from inside.


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± Following that was the sound of ss shattering.


    I made sure to close the door behind me, lest his outburst disturbs the others.


    When I went downstairs, I saw Jared sitting in the living room. Mrs. Eriksen had prepared a lot of sweet


    snacks for him, which he barely touched, only drinking a few sips of English breakfast tea.


    Come to think of it, men usually don¡¯t fancy sweet snacks.


    Upon hearing some shuffling sounds behind him, he looked back at me. His brows raised toward his


    hairline. ¡°You¡¯ve lost weight!¡±


    Well¡­ he¡¯s quite good at ttery.


    I sat beside him and replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were so good at ttery.¡± Girls always liked it when


    others said they had lost weight.


    He took a sip of his tea, furrowing his brows slightly. ¡°Did I sound like I was ttering you?¡±


    ¡°Yep!¡± I continued, ¡°At least that¡¯s what I think.¡± After all, no one wanted to be called fat.


    He didn¡¯t speak anymore after that, perhaps finding it hard to continue the conversation.


    Just then, Mrs. Eriksen came to me and said, ¡°Letty, I cooked some food earlier. Come and eat a little


    bit first before letting Dr. Crest take a look at you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not hungry.¡± With that, I looked at Jared and asked, ¡°Do I look unwell to you?¡±


    Jared arched a brow at me. ¡°You do. Go eat something first.¡±


    I shouldn¡¯t have asked him¡­


    I frowned when Mrs. Eriksen remained standing where she was. ¡°Mrs. Eriksen, I¡¯m really not hungry.


    You¡­¡±


    ¡°Does it mean you don¡¯t have to wear clothes if you¡¯re not cold? Go eat something.¡± Ashton descended


    the stairs with a broody face.


    The corners of my mouth turned downward. Well, someone seems to have improved inebacks.


    He¡¯s even using analogies now.


    I was about to snap a retort when my phone rang. The caller ID disyed on the phone screen was


    John¡¯s.


    Seeing both Ashton and Jared staring at me, I said cidly, ¡°Excuse me. I have to take this.¡±


    Ashton had caught sight of John¡¯s caller ID shing across my screen. Narrowing his eyes a little, he


    said, ¡°Just answer it here.¡±


    How childish!


    I rolled my eyes at him and picked up the call. ¡°Hey John, what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Ashton seems to be interested in the OrbitTech project as well. We¡¯ve been fighting in secret for so


    long now. If I give up this project, it¡¯ll very likely fall into his hands. What you need to do now is


    convince him to give up acquiring OrbitTech.¡± John¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t loud, but given the silence in the


    living room and our close proximity, Ashton and Jared were able to hear everything he said.


    I nced at both of them before speaking into the phone, ¡°Got it. I¡¯m hanging up now.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± John said hastily. ¡°News about Uncle Louis epting you as his goddaughter will probably


    be a hot topic in K City in the days toe. It¡¯s best if you and Marcus keep a distance from each


    other. Also, you should return to J City to settle the matters regarding OrbitTech as soon as possible.


    After Uncle Louises back from his inspection in other provinces and officially takes you into the


    family, you can proceed with your ns.¡±

 Chapter 247

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 247


    Ashton looked at me, his lips curving up into a smirk.


    I ignored him and said into the phone, ¡°Alright, I got it. I¡¯ll hang up now.¡±


    After I ended the call, Ashton¡¯s eyes were still on me while his face seemed to have be a few


    more shades darker. ¡°What ns do you have in mind? Even Louis Stovall is involved?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m nning to¡­¡± Divorce you!


    However, I stopped myself halfway when I remembered that I still had to persuade him to give up


    acquiring OrbitTech. If I provoked him now, it would be difficult to get his cooperationter on.


    ncing at Jared, I asked, ¡°Dr. Crest, would you like to eat together?¡±


    Jared¡¯s eyes darted toward Ashton, and his mouth tugged upward slightly upon seeing the sullen look


    on his friend¡¯s face. Then, he nodded. ¡°Sure. I¡¯m actually quite hungry now.¡±


    We went into the kitchen together to find that Mrs. Eriksen had prepared quite a spread. A short while


    later, Ashton joined us in the kitchen as well.


    Both men sitting beside me were brought up in simrly strict households, so their lessons kicked in


    and they kept silent throughout their entire meal.


    After eating, Mrs. Eriksen tidied up the kitchen. I automatically extended my hand toward Jared, who


    was beside me. ¡°Recently, I¡¯ve been experiencing insomnia, headaches, and anxiety. Take a look and


    see what¡¯s wrong with me.¡±


    Jared¡¯s mouth arched up as he nced fleetingly at the silent Ashton before raising his brows at me.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    After doing the routine procedure of examining me, he reported in a solemn tone, ¡°You have too many


    health problems. Firstly, you have severe gastritis, so pay attention to your diet from now on. Your


    insomnia has led to a weak heart rate, so your heart isn¡¯t in very good shape now. Your poor blood


    cirction is probably because you didn¡¯t focus on recuperating after giving birth. You have to take


    good care of yourself to recover from all these health problems.¡±


    I nodded and withdrew my hand. When he lowered his head to prescribe the relevant medicine, I


    turned to Ashton with a faint smirk. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to let Dr. Crest take a look at you?¡±


    Ashton pursed his lips. ¡°You think it¡¯s funny?¡±


    I raised my brows and shrugged to end the topic.


    Jared kept hesitating while he was supposed to leave, so I figured that he had something to say to me


    and offered to walk him out.


    At the vi¡¯s entrance, he spoke up before I could, ¡°Scarlett, did Macy contact youtely?¡±


    I was stunned for a split second before shaking my head. ¡°No.¡± When I thought about her child, I


    couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°You haven¡¯t seen her recently?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Please contact me if you see her.¡±


    I hummed in response, wondering if he knew that Macy had a child. Since I was upied with my own


    matters recently, I didn¡¯t have time to think about Macy and wondered how she was doing now.


    After Jared drove away, I went back into the living room, where I saw Ashton reading a book on the


    sofa.


    Hearing mee back in, he only sent me a cursory nce without saying anything.


    After hesitating for a while, I went to make him a cup of tea and walked over to his side to ce the cup


    in front of him. ¡°Drink some ck tea for better digestion.¡±


    He looked at me, then put down the book in his hand to reach out and pull me into his arms.


    Peering at me with his abyssal eyes, he asked, ¡°So, when are you nning to bring the matter up?¡±


    Even though I was taken aback, I managed to control my voice. ¡°You know what they say. Men are the


    mostpliant when they¡¯re sated in bed.¡±


    He raised his brows. ¡°So, were you nning to bring it up when you¡¯re lying under me?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°But if you¡¯re in the mood to agree right now, then there¡¯s no reason for me to wait.¡±


    ¡°Hah!¡± He leaned his forehead against mine and scoffed, ¡°What do you want OrbitTech for?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t very well be a meek little housewife. I think it¡¯s good to be a strong and career-oriented woman.¡±


    My expression was serious as my gazended on his Adam¡¯s apple. Then, my eyes traveled down to


    the top button of his white shirt.


    He raised my chin and grazed the corner of my mouth with his lips. There was a mirthless smile in his


    voice when he said, ¡°If OrbitTech was so easy to acquire, do you think John and I would¡¯ve let it drag


    on for a year?¡±


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I know, that¡¯s why I implore you to give up acquiring OrbitTech. If both you and John give up, it¡¯ll make


    things much easier for White Corporation.¡±


    He squinted his eyes at me and said in a calm voice, ¡°Scarlett, should I feel blessed to have such an


    intelligent and money-minded wife?¡±


    Hearing the sarcasm in it, I nodded with a deadpan expression. ¡°Working together as husband and wife


    is better than fighting alone, no?¡±


    ¡°Hah!¡± he scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re quite bold to say that.¡±


    I pursed my lips and ignored his jab, bringing us back to the topic. ¡°So, do you agree?¡±


    He lowered his gaze to look at me with a cold glint in his eyes. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were going to ask


    me in bed?¡±


    What the¡­


    Hah!


    Indeed, his mind was constantly in the gutter.


    We were bound to get into an argument if this went on, but I didn¡¯t feel like fighting with him just yet.


    To diffuse the ticking bomb, I simply asked, ¡°What are you and the Moore family coborating on?¡±


    Actually, I wasn¡¯t that interested in knowing the details and merely asked out of curiosity.


    His eyes dimmed a little as he replied, ¡°A development project.¡± I could hear a dangerous undertone in


    his words.


    Fine. I guess it¡¯s not an appropriate topic.


    Hence, I stood up and was about to go upstairs, but he held me down in his arms. ¡°Let¡¯s watch some


    Korean drama.¡±


    What? Korean drama? Is he serious?


    After being apart for a while, he seemed to have be rather entric.


    ¡°No thanks.¡± With that, I tried to get up again. However, his arms remained tightly locked around me.


    Just then, the sound of a phone ringing reached our ears.


    It was his phone.


    He nced at his phone screen. Seeing that it was Sally, he turned to me and asked nonchntly,


    ¡°Can you pick it up for me?¡±

 Chapter 248

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 248


    I pressed my lips and sulked. ¡°It¡¯s inappropriate for me to answer the call.¡±


    My response clearly showed him that I refused to ept his family. This was no doubt an insult to him,


    and I immediately regretted it.


    ¡°Inappropriate?¡±


    Before I could react, he reached out his hand and grabbed my chin. ¡°Inappropriate in what sense? Are


    you trying to tell me you¡¯ve spent so much time with Marcus, and soon, you¡¯re going to be someone


    else¡¯s stepmother?¡±


    The incessant ringing got on my nerves, but I chose to ignore it.


    He then exerted more force on my chin. ¡°Have he kissed you as I did? Had Marcus made you answer a


    call like this, you would have done it in a heartbeat, right?¡±


    The color drained from my face, but I tried to stay calm. I smirked, ¡°You¡¯re just trying to humiliate me


    because you think I¡¯m filthy, aren¡¯t you? If that¡¯s the case, why do you still bother toe and fetch


    me?¡±


    I paused for a moment and continued, ¡°And who are you tell me what¡¯s appropriate and what¡¯s not?


    How should I face the family of a man who constantly humiliates me? Should I bow before them and


    wash their feet? I bet you¡¯ve never treated Reba like this, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    He gave me a death stare as soon as I finished. Yet, his grip never loosened.


    At that point, my chin was already hurting so badly, but I still put on a tough look. ¡°There are women


    whom you can hit and humiliate as you wish after you¡¯ve paid them, but I¡¯m not one of these women. I¡¯ll


    not allow a man to disrespect and degrade me all the time, and I¡¯ll definitely not hold on to a man who


    failed to protect his own child.¡±


    With his lips tightly pressed together, he let out a loud harrumph. However, by the time he turned his


    attention to his phone, the caller had ended the call.


    After grabbing the car key, he left.


    I¡¯ll do what it takes to defend my honor too.


    If you don¡¯t know how to respect me, then don¡¯t expect me to respect you in return!


    The revving sound of a car¡¯s engine emerged from the porch, and soon, the car left thepound of


    the vi.


    I let out a long sigh and copsed onto the couch, feeling utterly exhausted.


    Once again, I screwed up. I should not have let my emotions get the better of me. And guess who¡¯s


    going to benefit from this fight? Reba!


    It was still early, and I couldn¡¯t sleep. Thus, I gave John a call and asked him where he was so I could


    meet up with him.


    I had been to Paramount Club several times, so I went straight into his suite after knowing where he


    was.


    It was a surprise to see him singing and drinking alone in the suite as I thought he was with his client.


    After seeing me standing by the door, he tapped on the couch and invited me, ¡°Come! Sit!¡±


    I pressed my lips, sat behind him, and lowered the volume of the song. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    He took a sidelong nce at me and ced the mic in front of me. ¡°I heard you¡¯re back with Ashton.¡±


    I nodded and poured myself a ss of wine. ¡°Any updates about Reba?¡±


    ¡°After the video incident, Cameron found someone to hack into myputer and deleted all the videos


    and photos,¡± he said as he leaned against the couch.


    I could not help but frown, ¡°She has her eyes on you now?¡±


    In response, John raised his brows. ¡°Why are you here at this hour anyway? Where is Ashton?¡±


    ¡°The White residence.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid Benjamin¡¯s number is up.¡±


    He nodded then turned around and looked at me. ¡°Are you not going to pay the family a visit? Marcus


    has been nice to you all this while.¡±


    Of course, I wanted to visit them but in private. Hence, I ignored his question and moved on to another


    topic. ¡°So, there¡¯s nothing else we can do with Reba?¡±


    He pursed his lips and took a sip from his wine ss. ¡°You seem to think I¡¯m just a good-for-nothing


    other than having good looks.¡±


    What?


    ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± What an overly confident man.


    He took a deep breath and said, ¡°I¡¯ve sent her the pictures. She should be delivering her baby by the


    end of the year. What are you going to do?¡±


    Hearing his question, I was stunned for a bit and knitted my brows. ¡°What am I supposed to do?¡±


    By the expression on John¡¯s face, I could tell he must have thought how unbelievably stupid I was. ¡°Are


    you not going to do anything to the baby?¡±


    I could not help but bite my lips. Yes, I had made all sorts of threatening remarks in the past, but how


    could I harm a baby? I did not want to be just like Cameron!


    He then let out a long sigh. ¡°You¡¯re too kind. Dealing with Reba is not difficult, but you¡¯ll have a hard


    time dealing with Cameron. Not only is she cruel, but she also has years of experience in eliminating


    enemies who get in her way.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure I can find her Achilles¡¯ heel. I¡¯ll start with Reba.¡± The best way to crush Cameron¡¯s spirit is


    to destroy Reba first!


    John kept mum and did not respond. He then looked at me, ¡°Listen carefully. Ashton is not the father to


    the two babies that Reba had carried.¡±


    Obviously taken aback, a frown warped my face. ¡°How did you know?¡±


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°I found out about this by chance. It seems someone had raped Reba and made her pregnant, but


    she eventually lost the baby due to an ident. As for this pregnancy, Joe is the father to the baby, but


    Reba insisted it was Ashton¡¯s.¡± He shrugged his shoulders.

 Chapter 249

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 249


    I was absolutely dumbfounded. ¡°Does Cameron know about this?¡±


    ¡°No one else knew the truth except Reba. I bet Joe is still in the dark about this too. Since Reba


    has imed that it¡¯s Ashton¡¯s baby, I¡¯m sure Cameron would have believed her words.¡± John shook his


    head.


    Is that why Cameron tried so hard to get rid of my baby, so she could pave way for Reba¡¯s?


    ¡°How about Ashton? Does he know about it?¡± Ashton seemed to have rified that he had not had any


    physical intimacy with Reba.


    John let out a cold snort. ¡°He would be the stupidest man in the world if he himself doesn¡¯t know it.¡±


    Thatment rendered me speechless for a moment.


    Alright. Fine.


    So did that mean Ashton took great care of Reba but had never touched her? Why didn¡¯t he exin


    to me?


    I would not have believed his words anyway. I guess he knew my temper better than I did.


    Though, I really had to take my hat off to her brother, Parker. After all, he still managed to find a man


    who was willing to take good care of his sister even after so many years.


    Despite knowing the baby was not his, Ashton was still willing to take on the responsibility.


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± John patted me on the back. ¡°My birthday is around the corner. You better get


    me a nice gift since I¡¯ve helped you a lot.¡±


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    I pressed my lips and asked, ¡°What do you want for your birthday?¡±


    ¡°Anything!¡±


    ¡°Like a shirt? A necktie? Or a belt?¡± I ran out of ideas.


    He looked at me and said in a serious tone, ¡°No. I want you for my birthday.¡±


    I scoffed, ¡°Over my dead body.¡±


    Hearing that, he was at a loss for words.


    ¡°Don¡¯t buy things for me. Make me something special that I can appreciate.¡±


    I did not know how to react to that. Are we still living in ancient times? Does he expect me to sew him a


    pouch?


    It was already 11 p.m. by the time I returned to the vi. Ashton was still not back yet, and Mrs. Eriksen


    seemed to be sewing something in the living hall.


    Upon noticing me standing by the door, she put aside her sewing kit and smiled at me. ¡°Wee


    home.¡±


    I nodded gently and went to get myself a cup of water. Yet, there was only cold water in the dispenser.


    Mrs. Eriksen said, ¡°I may have damaged the water dispenser when I was mopping the floor earlier, and


    it¡¯s toote to get someone toe and repair the device at this hour. Should I boil you some water?¡±


    I shook my head. She then started packing her things and was ready to return to the rear house. She


    must have stayed upte to wait for me toe home. ¡°You can go and rest now. I¡¯ll go to bed soon.¡±


    She pointed at the water dispenser. ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not thirsty. You can go now!¡± I frowned involuntarily as I did not want to talk to anyone at this point.


    My reaction left her stunned for a bit. She then kept quiet and left the living hall.


    I seemed to have lost my patience with people.


    After Mrs. Eriksen had left, I sat on the couch in the living room for a while. ncing up at the wall


    mindlessly, I noticed the clock had already struck twelve.


    Why is Ashton not back yet? Does he n to stay overnight at the White¡¯s residence?


    I went to the kitchen and boiled some water for drinking. In the meantime, I took out my phone to check


    if I had missed any messages.


    After realizing there were no updates on the notification tab, I let out a long sigh. I then lifted the kettle¡¯s


    lid to check if the water was boiling but was unfortunately scalded by the steam.


    It hurt so badly that I immediately retracted my hand. After staring at the kettle for some time, I took out


    my phone once again.


    Just when I was hesitating if I should give him a call, I heard someone entering the house.


    Is he back?


    I bit my lips, brought the kettle to the living hall, and poured two sses of water.


    The moment Ashton came in, I could see water droplets resting on his coat. Perhaps it was raining


    outside.


    After hanging his coat by the door, he realized I was sitting in the living hall. He frowned and came up


    to me. ¡°Couldn¡¯t sleep?¡±


    I nodded and looked at him in the eyes. ¡°How¡¯s Benjamin?¡±


    A line formed between his brows as he was surprised that I asked. ¡°Marcus told you?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I knew Benjamin has not been in the pink for quite some.¡±


    He nodded gently and stood in front of me. ¡°Are you worried that I might note home today?¡±


    I shook my head. After that, I reached for a ss of water as my throat felt dry. Thanks to my clumsy


    self, I identally spilled some water on my thighs.


    It was so hot that I winced.


    Just then, Ashton walked up, carried me in his arms, and brought me to the washroom.


    After turning on the cold shower to relieve my pain, he looked at me with a frown. ¡°Did you drink?¡±


    I nodded after a short pause.


    The moment he tried reaching for his phone, I knew he was going to trouble Jared again. I snatched his


    phone and said, ¡°It¡¯ste now. Let¡¯s not disturb him anymore.¡±


    After seeing the red patch on my thighs, he looked up at me with a scowl. ¡°Did you do this on


    purpose?¡±


    I simply admitted, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because I need your help.¡± I was still waiting for him to help me with OrbitTech, though.


    He responded with a smirk, carried me to the bedroom upstairs, and stripped off my wet clothes.


    After helping me change into my pajamas, he applied some ointment on my thighs. It hurt a little, but


    the pain was still bearable.


    It seemed he had intentionally avoided my question earlier. I lowered my eyes and tapped on his hand.


    ¡°I feel better now. Thanks.¡±

 Chapter 250

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 250


    As soon as I said that, Ashton knitted his brows. ¡°I¡¯m only halfway done.¡±


    I pressed my lips and was at a loss for words.


    While I was still thinking of a way to respond to that remark, he threw out this question all of a sudden,


    ¡°What are you going to do if I decide not toe home today?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d probably have to scald my whole body and call you.¡± This idea did cross my mind. I knew he would


    not ignore me.


    He tightened his grip on my thigh, causing me to gasp in pain.


    ¡°Does it hurt?¡± he sneered. ¡°Have you thought of turning yourself into a cripple?¡±


    I kept mum, but I still gently ran my fingers all over his arm while he continued applying the ointment on


    my thighs.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± He furrowed his eyebrows and looked at me.


    I bit my lips. ¡°Seducing you.¡±


    He let out a mirthlessugh, put away the ointment, and squinted. ¡°You¡¯re doing this for that project?¡±


    And again, I chose to remain silent. I got up, wrapped my hands around his shoulders, and pressed my


    lips against his.


    He, too, wrapped his hands around my waist and said in a husky voice, ¡°How much did you drink?¡±


    I mumbled, ¡°A few sses, I think.¡±


    Frankly speaking, I was not good at seducing men, and forey always wore me out. I just wanted to


    hit the bullseye.


    His breathing grew heavier as he pulled me closer to him. ¡°So are you nning to give up?¡±


    I shook my head and changed my position.


    While he was enjoying the time of his life, I took the opportunity and asked, ¡°Fuller Corporation has


    HiTech now, so how about OrbitTech¡­¡±


    ¡°Nope. No OrbitTech!¡± He instantly turned rough.


    I looked up at him with a scowl, reached for the phone, and passed it to him. ¡°Call Joseph now!¡±


    He stopped what he was doing and gazed into my eyes. ¡°You really think you can make me do things


    just by offering me your body?¡±


    I did not know what to say. But I knew he was not happy about it.


    I bit my lips. ¡°You promised to support me in everything I do.¡±


    He took over the phone with a smirk and gave Joseph a call.


    It took Joseph quite a while to answer the phone. Ashton then said to him in a cold voice, ¡°Do not follow


    up on OrbitTech¡¯s case anymore!¡±


    He ended the call, threw the phone aside, and went straight to the shower.


    It was either I was too drunk or simply relieved that I had one less problem to worry about.


    Nheless, I fell asleep almost instantly.


    By the time Ashton got out of the shower, I was already sound asleep. But he was not ready to call it a


    day.


    He thought he could torture me the whole night by staying on top of me almost every hour. But jokes on


    him as I had already transported myself to a faraway dreand.


    My head hurt the moment I opened my eyes the next morning. It must be due to all the drinks I hadst


    night. I raised my hands and clenched my fists to wake myself up.


    Since I had to make a trip to the White Corporation, I had to freshen up and start organizing some


    documents. Yet when I tried getting out of bed, I realized someone still had his grip on my wrist.


    Ashton was still asleep, and the stubble on his chin made him look even more appealing.


    I could not stop myself from reaching for the sexy stubble. It was soft to the touch, but at the same


    time, it was also kind of prickly.


    Under the dimmed light in the room, his facial features became even more prominent. Upon noticing


    someone was touching him, he woke up with a start and looked at me with his sleepy eyes.


    With a deep growl, he asked, ¡°Do you want more?¡±


    I immediately retracted my hand. He then sat up, exposing some scratches on his abs.


    Yes, I was the one who scratched himst night.


    Ashton raised his brows after noticing I was staring at his body. ¡°Someone has gone pretty wildst


    night.¡±


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    Now that the alcohol¡¯s effect had mostly worn off, my mind became much clearer. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have done


    this to you had you behaved wellst night.¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°Oh? So do you want to go for another round?¡± He leaned forward and gave me a peck


    on my forehead, ¡°You¡¯re my wife, and I¡¯m your husband. Ask me if you have any doubts, and don¡¯t let


    rumors get to you. Okay?¡±


    I nodded and gently pushed him away. ¡°Alright, alright, that¡¯s enough. I need to go to the office today,


    so give me a break.¡±


    He could not help butugh upon hearing what I said. Right after flipping the nket over, he kept


    staring at my thighs for quite some time.


    Initially, I thought he was aroused but soon realized he was staring at the red patches on my thighs.


    He lifted his head and looked at me. ¡°Does it still hurt?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°Just stay home and rest today.¡±


    I refused. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I have to get back to the office to settle some work today.¡±


    A sudden frown warped his face. He was apparently unhappy with my answer but held back his anger.


    ¡°I¡¯ll drive you!¡±


    Since Ashton had made apromise, I should too. I nodded and epted his offer.


    He parked his car outside White Corporation and immediately became the center of attention when


    employees walked in and out of the building.


    When I was about to get out of the car after unfastening the safety belt, I realized the car was locked. I


    tilted my head and gave Ashton a stare. ¡°Open the door!¡±


    A sharp glint appeared in his eyes for a brief moment as he pressed his lips and looked at me. ¡°So,


    you¡¯re just going to leave like that?¡±

 Chapter 251

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 251


    At first, I did not understand what he wanted, but as soon as he pointed at his cheek, I knew he was


    asking for a kiss.


    ¡°We¡¯re in public, for goodness sake!¡± It was extremely inappropriate to disy affection in front of so


    many people!


    A corner of his mouth quirked up. ¡°We¡¯re married, so it¡¯s normal for a wife to give her husband a


    goodbye kiss.¡±


    Now was not the right time or ce to argue with him on this topic.


    Instead of starting a fight with him, I leaned forward and gave him a kiss on his cheek. All of sudden, he


    winded down the window and kissed me on my lips. ¡°Oh yes. Sweet!¡±


    I got out of the car and tried to control my anger.


    As I was walking toward the entrance, I bumped into Marcus.


    He had been standing outside the entrance. I bet he must have seen what Ashton did to me in the car,


    especially after Ashton winded down the window for the whole world to see.


    His expression changed, and I could tell he was shooting daggers at Ashton. In spite of that, I went up


    and greeted him as if nothing ever happened, ¡°Good morning!¡±


    He bit lips and gradually turned his attention to me. ¡°Hey.¡±


    Once we got into the elevator, he gave me a document. ¡°Take a look at some information about


    OrbitTech. Our chances are slim as both John and Ashton have their eyes on thispany too.¡±


    I nodded and took over the document. ¡°What are our chances if they decide to give up on OrbitTech?¡±


    He paused for a moment and frowned, ¡°Have you talked to them?¡±


    I responded with a nod. Once we stepped out of the elevator, I said, ¡°One of them is my brother, and


    the other person is my husband. I guess luck is on my side.¡±


    ¡°If only things are as simple as you thought.¡± Marcus let out a cold snort.


    We did not dwell on this topic after that. I went to my office and studied the document he gave me.


    At noon, Sally came to my office. ¡°We need to talk.¡±


    ¡°About?¡± I gave her a puzzled look.


    d in a ck dress suit, she looked exceptionally elegant. She pressed her lips for a bit and said,


    ¡°You¡¯ll know.¡±


    I nodded, put aside the document, and left the office with her.


    We arrived at one of the caf¨¦s in the city center, and I ordered a cup of coffee. Sally looked at me and


    asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on between you and Marcus?¡±


    The way she spoke to me was as if she was questioning a teenager.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°We¡¯re friends. Business partners.¡± I gave her the standard answer.


    She nodded and took a sip of her coffee. ¡°How about Ashton? Are you nning to divorce him?¡±


    Oops. I don¡¯t think many people know that I¡¯ve moved back to the vi.


    I looked at Sally and squinted. ¡°Is this what you want to talk to me about?¡±


    She said, ¡°I heard you were going to divorce Ashton after Dad passed away. The only reason that¡¯s


    holding you back was your pregnancy. Ashton is a responsible man, and he was willing to take care of


    you and the baby. Does this mean there¡¯s no love in this marriage?¡±


    Who told you this?


    I grinned. ¡°Thank you for paying attention to the problems of my marriage. I appreciate it.¡±


    She also responded with a calm smile. ¡°Do you still love him? Just tell me.¡±


    ¡°It seems you really like to make swift decisions just after weighing the pros and cons, Ms. Fuller.¡±


    Upon hearing that remark, she let out a mirthlessugh. ¡°You two decided to stay together because of


    the baby. Now that the baby is out of the way and you don¡¯t love each other, then it¡¯s time for you to


    move on! I noticed you seem to be very close with Marcus. Why not give him a chance?¡±


    That¡¯s how you convince someone to get a divorce? What a joke.


    ¡°Did Ashton agree to your suggestion?¡± She might have advised Ashton too since he visited the White


    familyst night.


    Sally frowned. ¡°Stop wasting each other¡¯s time and move on.¡±


    I nodded. I could not really me her for giving me this suggestion. After all, I had indeed been quite


    close with Marcus recently. Let¡¯s not forget the fact Ashton and I were also on bad terms with each


    other and had been separated for quite some time.


    Perhaps, to Sally, the best option for me was to file for a divorce.


    Hence, I believe Sally must have evaluated the situation before throwing out her suggestion.


    Unless she had an ulterior motive that I was not aware of.


    I had to say something in response to her suggestion. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s fair for you to advise us to get a


    divorce just because my marriage is on the rocks. If there¡¯s something else on your mind, please share


    it with me, so I can evaluate the pros and cons like how you¡¯d do.¡±


    She took another sip of her coffee and paused for a bit. ¡°You should know who¡¯s the father of


    Reba¡¯s baby, right? I¡¯m sure you know it better than I do. She¡¯s also the main cause of the problems


    in your marriage. Now that she¡¯s carrying Ashton¡¯s child, we have to step in and acknowledge the child


    as a part of the Fuller family.¡±

 Chapter 252

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 252


    I see.


    How stupid of me! Of course it¡¯s all because of Reba¡¯s baby.


    I looked at her and grinned. ¡°You must have known about her pregnancy for quite some time, right?


    You didn¡¯t mention this, because legally speaking, I am still Ashton¡¯s wife, and you didn¡¯t have a reason


    to break us apart. Now that my child is gone, you want to get rid of me, so you can bring Reba into


    the family because of the baby she¡¯s carrying. I wonder if Ashton knows about your intention?¡±


    Sally¡¯s expression instantly changed. She did not like how straightforward I was, even though the


    things I said were exactly what¡¯s on her mind.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Don¡¯t we all make decisions after weighing all the pros and cons? Since your marriage


    with Ashton is doomed to fail anyway, why don¡¯t you take this opportunity to free yourself?¡±


    I nodded in agreement. What she said made sense, but somehow, I was not pleased to hear that.


    After that, I turned my attention to my phone, which I had ced on the table, and said, ¡°You heard it?


    If you agree, we shall make a trip to Civil Affairs Bureau and sign the divorce papers.¡±


    Sally was taken aback when she realized Ashton was on the phone and heard what she said.


    The color drained out of her pale, and she gave me a disdainful look.


    Ashton, on the other hand, expressed his dismay in a deep voice. ¡°Don¡¯t ever allow others to tell us


    what to do. It¡¯s our marriage, and we make decisions for ourselves. And above all, you should know my


    feelings for you.¡±


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    He then raised his voice, ¡°I¡¯m afraid your understanding of love is quite different from us, Aunt Sally.


    How much do you, as an outsider, know about our marriage, anyway?¡±


    She froze instantly as she was dumbstruck upon hearing the word ¡°outsider.¡±


    Before she could defend herself, Ashton continued, ¡°Next time, please mind your own business, Aunt


    Sally. You¡¯re the daughter-inw of the White family now, so it¡¯s time for you to leave the Fullers alone.


    If possible, we don¡¯t even have to keep in touch anymore.¡±


    Ashton sounded harsh over the phone as if he wanted to sever ties with her.


    After ending the call, Sally looked at me with her pallid face. ¡°How dare you pull this trick on me?¡±


    I smiled and shrugged my shoulders. ¡°I just wanted to confirm if he wants to apply for a divorce too.¡±


    A corner of my mouth quirked up, ¡°Well, it looks like you¡¯re doing this behind Ashton¡¯s back when he¡¯s


    not aware of anything. I¡¯m d he heard the conversation. Otherwise, we might start arguing over this


    unnecessary misunderstanding.¡±


    I believe Sally was smart enough to know that we had identified her as a troublemaker who tried to


    wreck our marriage.


    All of a sudden, she raised her voice. ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll leave your marriage alone, but Reba¡¯s child belongs


    to the Fullers, and I¡¯ll make sure the child gets the recognition he or she deserves!¡±


    Once again, I nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. I agree with you totally. But how certain are you that Ashton is the


    father to Reba¡¯s child? You better investigate properly before acknowledging the child as a Fuller.¡±


    Time was running out, and I still needed to grab a quick lunch. With that, I picked up my handbag and


    smiled. ¡°Oh yes, there¡¯s something else you might not know. Do you know who caused the death of my


    child? Perhaps you can have a chat with Cameron or even Reba and see what they¡¯ll tell you. It¡¯s


    time for you to analyze the situation and not be fooled by what you see.¡±


    Following that, I grabbed my bag and left the caf¨¦.


    Why on earth did she choose a caf¨¦? I don¡¯t need coffee for lunch. I need a proper meal, damn it!


    I went down to the second floor and passed by a new restaurant. I could not help but giggle at its name


    ¨C The Unptable.


    Toe up with such an unpleasant name, the proprietor must be a young and wealthy risk-taker.


    Out of curiosity, I decided to order takeout from them. Surprisingly, both the food and the lunchbox they


    used looked pretty good.


    I supposed Marcus had not had his lunch too, so I returned to order another takeout. Lo and behold, I


    bumped into Cameron and Reba outside the restaurant.


    The mother-daughter duo, who was probably shopping in this mall, was so well-dressed that I could


    hardly tell one of them was pregnant.


    What a blessing it was to be rich.


    I was just a stone¡¯s throw away from them, so if I could see them, I was sure they could see me too.


    Under normal circumstances, we should avoid each other. After all, none of us wished to make a din in


    this public area.


    But since there were not many people in the mall, the two of them noticed me right away.


    Reba walked up to me with a look of haughty disdain. ¡°I wonder if there are any ces in this world


    that I can go without seeing your irritating face.¡±

 Chapter 253

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 253


    I raised my brows and shrugged my shoulders, ¡°How funny! That¡¯s exactly what I was thinking too!¡±


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    Unlike me, Reba did have a way with men. But I, too, had a knack for irritating the hell out of her.


    Upon seeing how I treated her daughter, Cameron shot daggers at me. ¡°It looks like Ms. Stovall has


    learned to carry an air of confidence like a true Stovall now.¡±


    I responded with a giggle. ¡°I¡¯m sure Ms. Larson is as confident as I am.¡±


    ¡°Stop blowing your own horn. You¡¯re just a hillbilly who was lucky enough to be adopted by a prominent


    family. Do you really think you¡¯re qualified to take on the family name?¡±


    Wow. That b*tch¡¯s mouth is really one of a kind.


    I grinned and said nonchntly. ¡°You¡¯re right. I was born a hillbilly and will forever be one. Likewise, an


    undignified woman will also always be the same no matter how rich she bes. Am I right, Ms.


    Anderson?¡±


    Cameron¡¯s expression turned grim, and she could not take it anymore. ¡°You better watch your mouth,


    Ms. Stovall.¡±


    I yed along and nodded in agreement. At this moment, Sally, who had just left the caf¨¦, appeared.


    Seeing that Sally was here, I intentionally turned my attention to Reba¡¯s belly and raised my voice,


    ¡°I heard that my husband, Ashton, is the father to your baby. Is that true, Ms. Larson?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± The awkwardness was written all over her face. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s Ashton¡¯s


    child. Don¡¯t you dare do anything to my baby!¡±


    ¡°What else can I do?¡± What she said was so ridiculous that I could not stop smiling. Now that Sally had


    walked toward us, I continued, ¡°Ashton told me he had never had physical intimacy with you in the


    past. How did you exactly get pregnant? Did he shoot his baby gravy into your womb from afar?¡± I


    winked.


    Reba¡¯s expression turned murderous. ¡°What do you mean? Are you trying to say I don¡¯t even know


    who my baby¡¯s father is?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you know who he is!¡± Seeing her panic reaction made me believe what John told me earlier. I


    smiled and continued, ¡°This is why I hope you can leave Ashton alone and don¡¯t make him the


    scapegoat anymore. Shall we take the paternity test to find out who the father is?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m actually don¡¯t mind him having a child with someone else, but since the Fuller¡¯s and Stovall¡¯s


    reputation are at stake, it¡¯s better to be safe than sorry.¡±


    As Sally approached us, I turned around and gave her a smile. ¡°What do you think, Aunt Sally?¡±


    Sally was dumbfounded, and her eyes instantly fell on Reba¡¯s tummy. To defuse the tension, she


    looked at Reba and said in a gentle voice, ¡°Shall we make an appointment to do the test? We just


    need to find out if the baby belongs to the Fuller family. We have to protect our family reputation, after


    all.¡±


    Reba was taken aback as she did not expect I would make this move.


    At that point, she was at a loss for words. ¡°You have to trust me, Aunt Sally. Besides, doing the test


    during pregnancy may cause a miscarriage. Are you willing to risk the life of a member of the Fuller


    family? Moreover, it¡¯s obvious that Scarlett is trying to sow discord between us because she wants to


    take revenge against me.¡±


    Iughed. ¡°Take revenge against you? For?¡±


    ¡°For killing your baby¡­¡± Reba identally blurted out.


    Cameron instantly raised her voice and stopped her, ¡°Reba!¡±


    Sally must have heard what Reba said as she was obviously startled at her sudden confession.


    However, she decided to just keep mum.


    To divert everyone¡¯s attention, Cameron looked at me and asked, ¡°What made you think Reba¡¯s


    baby is not Ashton¡¯s? And why can¡¯t we do the paternity test after the child is born?¡±


    She then turned to Sally and said, ¡°If you insist on doing it, fine, we¡¯ll cooperate. But from then on, we¡¯ll


    cut ties with the Fullers and raise the baby on our own, even if the results prove that the baby is


    Ashton¡¯s child.¡±


    A line formed between Sally¡¯s brows, but she did not know how to react to that threat.


    She stered a smile on her face and said, ¡°I think we should talk to Ashton first. Besides, Ashton is


    already married, so I¡¯m not the best person to make any decision on his behalf.¡±


    Well yed, Aunt Sally. By shoving the responsibility to Ashton, you don¡¯t have to worry about


    offending anyone anymore.


    Cameron¡¯s expression changed. She grabbed Reba¡¯s wrist and left in frustration. On the other


    hand, Sally gave me a sullen re that I had no clue what it was for.


    Well, I was not bothered by it, anyway. Let¡¯s see what would happen in the future.


    At about 6 p.m., I received a call from Ashton. ¡°Yes?¡±

 Chapter 254

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 254


    ¡°You haven¡¯t gotten off work yet?¡± His voice sounded calm and emotionless.


    Not deliberating over the question, I merely grunted a response. I nced at the clock casually and


    saw that it was already 6 p.m., which marked the end of the workday.


    ¡°I have to work overtime today. What¡¯s up?¡± As I had to go to J City tomorrow, I needed to confirm that


    everything was in order.


    After tidying the files on my desk, I noted down some things that I needed to bring tomorrow. Since the


    phone waspletely silent, I thought that he had already hung up.


    When I tapped the screen, it showed that the call was still continuing. Hence, I could not help but say, ¡°I


    might be quitete¡­¡±


    Before I could finish my sentence, I saw a tall man standing at the entrance. Stunned, I asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t


    the employees of White Corporation stop you?¡±


    He raised his eyebrows and hung up the call. Walking towards my desk, he said, ¡°Work has already


    ended, so I¡¯m allowed to pick you up.¡±


    He¡¯s allowed to? I¡¯m not so sure about that.


    He nced at the work I was handling at that moment. ¡°You should eat first before continuing with it.¡±


    As I did not have much work left, I initially nned to finish them first before returning home. However,


    it seemed unnecessary now.


    I kept my belongings and stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll continue working at home. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    There were a lot of people in the office, so it was inevitable for some to recognize Ashton. It was


    obvious what they were thinking about.


    As expected, when Ashton and I left the office, there were a lot of people in the stairway ncing at


    him and muttering softly under their breaths.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he the president of Fuller Corporation? I¡¯ve seen him on the headlines a few months ago. It was


    when he announced that the headquarters of Fuller Corporation would be moving to K City for future


    development.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I saw it too. He¡¯s much hotter in person than on television!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s such a mysterious and charming man. But why is he with Ms. Stovall?¡±


    ¡°I heard that he¡¯s here to pick her up!¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t Ashton engaged with Reba two months ago? Why is he together with Ms. Stovall now?¡±


    ¡°Who knows? We can never know what kind of lifestyles the wealthy have. Furthermore, only the


    Moore family is still harping on Ashton¡¯s engagement with Ms. Larson. He has never responded to it at


    all. I think that the woman from the Moore family likes Mr. Fuller, but he doesn¡¯t reciprocate her


    feelings.¡±


    As we exited the White Corporation, Ashton and I overheard a lot of gossips.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    It was finally silent again when we got into the car.


    Ashton started the engine. Then, he nced at me and instructed, ¡°Buckle your seatbelt!¡±


    As he drove, I took out my phone and sent a message to Marcus, asking him when the flight tomorrow


    was.


    ¡°Do the employees in the office bully you?¡± I was stunned by Ashton¡¯s sudden question.


    I shook my head. ¡°No. What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    He pursed his lips and continued, ¡°Do you often hear such gossips?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I replied softly. Marcus had replied to my message and sent me the timing of the flight. He also


    reminded me to bring all the items necessary.


    When I ced my phone down, I caught him staring at me with a frown. I had no choice but to exin,


    ¡°Marcus appointed me as the Project Director of White Corporation right off the bat. It¡¯s not an


    extremely high-ranking position, but I have only worked in Fuller Corporation for a few years and even


    got fired. It¡¯s expected that people in thepany would gossip about me.¡±


    When I first joined thepany, I could often hear people saying that I was Marcus¡¯s mistress.


    To be honest, it was true that I joined thepany through Marcus. All I needed to do now was to fulfill


    my duties well and do a good job. Otherwise, others would deem me as someone who was only hired


    through connections.


    Without another word from Ashton, he directly drove back to the vi. Although he made no further


    comments, a grim look crept into his eyes.


    Instead, he mentioned Sally. ¡°Did Aunt Sally talk to you about other things?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°She only talked to me about Reba. She probably doesn¡¯t want a child of the


    Fullers to be left abandoned.¡±


    He scoffed coldly, ¡°Do you believe that the child is mine?¡±


    ¡°Is the child not?¡± I raised my eyebrows and questioned back.


    He paused for a while before staring at me seriously. ¡°Will you believe me if I say no?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°There¡¯s no reason for me to doubt you.¡±


    Stunned momentarily, heughed and said in relief, ¡°The child¡¯s not mine, and I will never marry her. As


    for the engagement, I was never part of the discussion right from the start. The reason why I didn¡¯t


    deny it publicly and embarrass Reba is solely because of Parker.¡±


    I smiled. Pursing my lips, I peered out of the car window and remained silent.


    When he saw me smiling without saying anything, he thought that I still did not believe him. He insisted,


    ¡°Scarlett, I have never touched her at all.¡±


    Noticing his serious expression, I nodded and reassured him, ¡°I know. You don¡¯t have to keep


    exining.¡±


    The car screeched to a stop at the vi. He grabbed my arm solemnly and asked, ¡°Did you join the


    White Corporation and take over the AI project because you wanted to oppose the Moore family using


    the White family?¡±


    I nodded, not wanting to deny it. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡±


    He pursed his lips in frustration. ¡°Why in the world would you rather seek help from Marcus over me?¡±


    ncing at him, I took a deep breath and asked, ¡°Is the child mine alone?¡±


    Stunned, he fell into a brief silence. He gazed at me and said, ¡°With regards to the child, I¡¯ll make


    Cameron pay the price. Don¡¯t you dare take any risks.¡±

 Chapter 255

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 255


    Knowing that he would say that, I nodded. ¡°Okay, I understand.¡±


    Although I did not know what he nned to do, it had nothing to do with me. After all, I did not n to


    rely on someone else to avenge me for all of my past sufferings. Except for myself, everyone else


    merely served as support.


    As I had to go to J City tomorrow, I went to bed early that night. Yet, as expected, I was still gued by


    insomnia.


    When Ashton noticed that I could not fall asleep, he embraced me with his arms. ¡°Why don¡¯t we do it


    for the night?¡±


    I was speechless.


    There¡¯s a huge difference between ¡°do it for the night¡± and ¡°do it once.¡±


    ¡°Ashton, I need to go to J City tomorrow. I don¡¯t have the energy for that!¡± I chided before turning


    around. With my back facing him, I closed my eyes and prepared to sleep.


    He hugged me from behind. Although he did not do anything, I¡­


    After a while, I frowned and said, ¡°Ashton, I can¡¯t sleep like this.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re a couple. Why can¡¯t we do this?¡± He sounded so righteous.


    I pursed my lips and inched towards the edge of the bed, trying to distance myself from him.


    However, he quickly pressed his body against my back again. Left with no choice, I closed my eyes


    again and tried to fall asleep.


    However, the more I wanted to sleep, the more I failed to do so. Just like that, I was kept awake for the


    entire night.


    The next morning at 6 a.m., I woke up and got out of bed. As I had not slept at all, my body was weak,


    and I could hear ringing in my ears. It felt extremely ufortable.


    Ashton got up too. He probably had not gotten a restful sleep either. ¡°I¡¯ll send you to the airportter.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s still early, so you should sleep for a while longer!¡± I replied while heading into the


    bathroom to wash up.


    He changed out of his pajamas and pinched his nose bridge. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I can rest in the afternoon.¡±


    Frowning, I suppressed my urge to refuse him and entered the bathroom. By the time I came out, he


    had already changed his clothes.


    Soon, we arrived at the airport.


    Ashton parked the car outside the airport terminal and asked, ¡°When will you be returning?¡±


    Quickly rushing out of the car, I replied hastily, ¡°I¡¯ll return after the matter¡¯s settled.¡±


    When he saw how eager I was to get out of the car, he pulled me back and narrowed his eyes. ¡°Why


    don¡¯t I apany you there?¡±


    I frowned. As it was almost time for boarding, I could not help but feel anxious. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not like I¡¯ll


    nevere back, right?¡±


    He moved closer to me and smirked. Narrowing his eyes, he said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯ll be reluctant to


    return after you go there and meet someone.¡±


    His words made me so uneasy.


    When I saw that he was staring out of the car windows, I could not help but follow his gaze. Stunned, I


    saw that Marcus had already arrived and was waiting at the entrance of the terminal.


    No wonder Ashton¡¯s suddenly acting so weird. Sighing, I looked at him and asserted, ¡°Ashton, I¡¯m there


    to work!¡±


    He pursed his lips and nodded. ¡°I know. I¡¯ll give you three days. If you don¡¯t return after three days, I


    won¡¯t let you go on business trips alone anymore.¡±


    Although he said it casually, his tone was very firm.


    I nodded and got out of the car,menting silently in my mind. He¡¯s nosing into my business.


    Marcus passed the boarding ticket to me. ncing in Ashton¡¯s direction, he narrowed his eyes and


    remarked, ¡°He seems to be really worried that you¡¯ll elope with me.¡±


    I shrugged and did notment on that. Instead, I reminded calmly, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, so let¡¯s board the


    ne now!¡±


    The ne ride from K City to J City took four hours. When we reached J City, it was just in time for


    lunch.


    Marcus then brought me to a restaurant in which he had already reserved seats. Initially, I nned to


    return to Peakville Estate first. As the meeting with the president of OrbitTech was in the afternoon, I


    could still return to the vi for a short rest.


    However, as I could not argue against Marcus, I went to the restaurant with him.


    Right then, Ashton¡¯s call arrived just in time. The moment I sat in the car headed to the restaurant, he


    called.


    I picked it up. As I was a little tired, I did not really want to speak. Hence, I waited for him to say the first


    word.


    His voice was deep and emotionless. ¡°Have you reached yet?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I mumbled softly. When I noticed Marcus staring at me, I continued, ¡°I just reached the airport


    and will be eating at a restaurantter.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I hired a maid to take care of the house. After finishing the business meeting at night, go home


    earlier. Don¡¯t stay outside for too long.¡± For some reason, he seemed a little naggy.


    I nodded and muttered an acknowledgment. As he had something else to attend to, he hung up


    afterward.


    Marcus looked at me with his lips pursed. ¡°He seems worried about me.¡±


    I shrugged. Isn¡¯t it obvious?


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    When he saw my reaction, he smiled and stopped mulling over it. ¡°After the meeting, you can rest at J


    City for a few days before going back. Since you¡¯re used to this ce, it¡¯s probably going to be a


    comfortable stay for you.¡±


    I nodded. When the car arrived at the restaurant, I got out of the car and entered with him.


    As I did not have a good night¡¯s sleep, I felt quite drowsy. After taking a few bites, I did not have much


    of an appetite anymore.


    Hence, I propped my chin up with my hand while waiting for Marcus to finish his meal.


    ¡°You b*tch! Who are you to control what I do?¡± The voice was extremely loud, especially in the quiet


    restaurant, thus causing the rest to nce over.


    Marcus and I peered in the direction of the voice too. A man had just thrown a te of roasted


    vegetables at a woman.


    As there were waiters surrounding them, we could not see their faces clearly. However, it could vaguely


    be seen that the woman had been badly beaten up by the man.


    When I saw that, I could not help but frown. Isn¡¯t this domestic abuse? He¡¯s beating her up in public. Is


    no one going to stop him?

 Chapter 256

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 256


    As they caused quite amotion, Marcus lost his appetite after taking a few more bites. He looked at


    me and suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s go and rest for a while. We¡¯ll go to OrbitTech at two in the afternoon.¡±


    Nodding, I stood up with him and subconsciously shot a nce at the woman, who was shrieking in


    pain as the man hit her.


    I could not help but frown. Why is no one stopping them when things are looking so bad?


    When the man was about to smash a ss on the woman, she cowered and desperately shielded her


    head. It seemed like she was used to being beaten up.


    Instinctively, I yelled, ¡°Stop it!¡±


    When I regained my senses immediately after, I could not help but feel frustrated at myself. After all, it


    was not quite appropriate for an outsider to interfere in one¡¯s family affairs. Even if I could help this


    time, I would not be able to help them forever.


    However, since I had already yelled at him, it was impossible for me to leave just like that.


    When the man heard my voice, he paused mid-action and turned around to look in our direction.


    When I saw his face, I was stunned. Felix?


    Why is he here?


    My gaze then turned to the woman cowering in front of him. She timidly raised her head and nced at


    me.


    I was once again astonished. As expected, the woman was Stacey. It had been some time since Ist


    saw her, but her mature beauty had already disappeared and was reced instead by a sunken and


    depressed look.


    Only half a year had passed, but she had changed so drastically.


    Both of them were stunned to see me. Felix was the first to scoff in disdain, ¡°I was wondering who it


    was! So it¡¯s Mrs. Fuller, huh? Didn¡¯t you go to K City with Mr. Fuller? Have you returned?¡±


    When he nced at Marcus, he raised his eyebrows and remarked frivolously, ¡°Tsk-tsk! You¡¯re still as


    pretty as before. Looks like you¡¯ve found another man for yourself.¡±


    Frowning, I ignored hisment and gazed at Stacey instead. For a moment, I was at a loss for


    words.


    How did she be like this?


    After a slight pause, I unhesitatingly whipped out my phone and called the cops. After the call went


    through, I said, ¡°Hello. I¡¯d like to report a case of domestic abuse here, and it seems to be quite


    serious.¡±


    I told them about the address before hanging up. At the same time, Felix red at me viciously, almost


    flying into a rage. ¡°Why are you nosing into my business? Do you think that I won¡¯t dare to hit you?¡±


    This was not how a rational person was supposed to react.


    I nced at Stacey. After a moment of shock, she became calm again. It looked like she was used to


    Felix¡¯s attitude.


    Walking toward her, I stretched out my hand and offered, ¡°It¡¯s been ages since I saw you. Do you need


    me to send you to the hospital?¡±


    She shot a timid nce at Felix before shaking her head fearfully. Forcing a smile out on her face, she


    insisted, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m alright. Thank you!¡±


    Felix smirked coldly and shoved his hands into his pocket. Albeit being reported, he showed no signs of


    fear at all. Instead, he looked extremely reassured, as if nothing would happen to him.


    The cops arrived soon. After understanding the situation, they brought Felix away.


    As they needed evidence of what had happened, I told Marcus to look for the restaurant¡¯s owner and


    get the surveince tapes.


    Meanwhile, Stacey was brought to the police station to give a statement. As I was the one who


    reported the incident, I had to head there too.


    After all that, it was already 1 p.m., and there was no time to rest anymore.


    Meanwhile, Felix had been detained for intentional assault.


    Outside the station, Stacey kept remaining silent. As she did not say anything, I was at a loss for what


    to ask her either.


    Yet, I knew I couldn¡¯t leave her just like that. Hence, I walked towards her and assured her, ¡°Although I


    don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve experienced over the past six months, please note down my number. If the


    need arises, just call me, and I¡¯ll help you to the best of my abilities!¡±


    As we had worked together for two years, I would feel guilty if I left her in that state.


    Stunned, she stared at me sorrowfully as tears streamed down her cheeks. ¡°Ms. Stovall, I¡­ I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    I sighed. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Let bygones be bygones. Call me if anything happens!¡±


    Since I had changed my number previously, I left her my new number.


    Then, I hailed a cab for her and sent her off.


    Marcus stared at me with his lips pursed. ¡°She¡¯ll probably look for you soon.¡±


    Looking at the cab that left, I replied sadly, ¡°She wasn¡¯t like this in the past!¡± What has marriage done to


    her?


    As it was already quitete, Richard, the president of OrbitTech, was already waiting for us when we


    arrived at the office building.


    When he spotted Marcus and me, he approached us with a smile. ¡°It must¡¯ve been tiring for both of


    you. Have you had lunch?¡±


    Marcus nodded and had a polite chat with him while we walked into the meeting room.


    Seeing that the upper management of OrbitTech had all arrived, Marcus nced at me and instructed,


    ¡°Describe our project brieflyter. We¡¯ll negotiate the scope of OrbitTech¡¯s conditions afterward.¡±


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    I nodded, having prepared all those beforehand.


    There were not a lot of shareholders in OrbitTech, with a total of only six. The person with the greatest


    shares was the president, Richard. He was in his mid-forties and was a huge techie.


    As he was obsessed with developing new products, he founded OrbitTech at the start. For the past few


    years, OrbitTech¡¯s products had always been top-notch.


    However, as he was not so skilled in management, OrbitTech had been incurring losses. As a result,


    many investors decided to invest in OrbitTech and participate in its management.

 Chapter 257

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 257


    Money was not a solution, though. Even if they were well-endowed with funds, thepany would still


    be gued by problems they did not know how to manage.


    Over the past year, John and Ashton had realized OrbitTech¡¯s advantages. As experts in management,


    the first thing they thought of was not to invest but to acquire it directly.


    After spending half an hour speaking, I returned to my seat. One of OrbitTech¡¯s shareholders asked


    confusedly, ¡°Ms. Stovall, have you worked in Fuller Corporation previously?¡±


    I was stunned because I had never interacted with the people of OrbitTech, nor have I appeared on the


    newspaper headlines. Staring at the person, I replied in surprise, ¡°Yeah, I was the Project Director at


    Fuller Corporation previously.¡±


    The people at the meeting table exchanged nces with one another. After a short pause, Richard


    looked at me and said, ¡°Ms. Stovall, I¡¯m sure that you know this even better than us, but Ashton, the


    president of Fuller Corporation, has ns to acquire OrbitTech too. We initially nned to ept his


    proposal. However, for some reason, the Fuller Corporation suddenly gave up on acquiring OrbitTech.


    We would like to know if you had a role to y in this.¡±


    Smiling, he continued, ¡°Although the White Corporation would be acquiring OrbitTech, we all know that


    you value our people and technicians the most. Hence, I wish that we can be honest with each other.¡±


    Richard was very straightforward. Hence, Iughed and admitted, ¡°Mr. Fuller is my husband. As for


    why he suddenly gave up on acquiring OrbitTech, it¡¯s true that I yed a role in it.¡±


    When I said that, everyone starting whispering to each other. Richard asked calmly, ¡°In that case, why


    did you stop Fuller Corporation from acquiring OrbitTech? Inparison, there¡¯s more potential for our


    development if Fuller Corporation acquired us instead.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true!¡± After a slight pause, I continued, ¡°But has everyone forgotten that Fuller


    Corporation also owns HiTech? Both HiTech and OrbitTech are technologypanies. Upon closer


    analysis, you¡¯d realize that Fuller Corporation doesn¡¯t actually want OrbitTech that badly. They¡¯re only


    after a certain technology owned by OrbitTech, but these aren¡¯t that hard to find in the market either. As


    a result, acquiring OrbitTech would not reap a lot of profits for Fuller Corporation. This is the reason


    why Ashton has been dying the acquisition of OrbitTech for the past half a year.¡±


    ncing at Richard, I persuaded, ¡°Mr. ckwood, you should know this better than us. No corporation


    will acquire another technologypany when the potential of their current one has not been


    maximized. Most of Fuller Corporation¡¯s revenuees from real estate development, and their only


    technologypany is HiTech.¡±


    Richard nodded. Pursing his lips and deliberating about it, he said hesitatingly, ¡°We don¡¯t really know


    about what¡¯s going on in Fuller Corporation. If we just take the current situation into consideration, the


    conditions they offered are quite attractive. However, we can¡¯t guarantee that OrbitTech will be


    better under the control of Fuller Corporation.¡±


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Raising his eyebrows, Marcus stood up and dered, ¡°The White Corporation¡¯s businesses revolve


    around technology. Although we have jewelry and other businesses under our wing, our forte still lies in


    technology. Thergest reason why we decided to acquire OrbitTech is because of your research in AI


    technology. Naturally, we have some conditions that need to be met for acquiring OrbiTech. If OrbitTech


    doesn¡¯t develop a new AI technology in theing year, we will regard it as any other technology


    company. All of White Corporation¡¯s funds and manpower will be withdrawn and reinvested in other


    areas.¡±


    His speech caused most of the shareholders at the meeting table to turn pale. In other words, he was


    saying that even if White Corporation acquired OrbitTech, it would still face potential copse if it failed


    to meet White Corporation¡¯s expectations.


    Looking at their strange expressions, I felt anxious. Marcus is being too straightforward.


    OrbitTech is very capable. Hence, it¡¯s impossible for the oue he described earlier to happen.


    After a long while, Richard looked at Marcus and said, ¡°Mr. White, can you guarantee that you¡¯ll invest


    in AI research and development?¡±


    Marcus nodded firmly. ¡°That¡¯s a given!¡±


    As the rest at the meeting table were investors who did not know much about technology, they did not


    have arge say in things. Hence, they all directed their gaze at Richard and waited for his response.


    A long time passed before Richard slowly stood up from his chair. He walked towards Marcus, offered


    his hand, and said, ¡°We look forward to working with you, Mr. White.¡±


    I was stunned for a while before realizing what had happened. Does this mean that the deal is sealed?


    Quickly after that, we signed the contracts. After thewyers from both parties had reviewed the


    contract, Richard looked at Marcus and me. ¡°It must¡¯ve been tiring for both of you toe all the way


    from K City. Why don¡¯t I treat you to a meal tonight? It¡¯ll be an honor if both of you would dine with me.


    Let¡¯s eat at the Pavilion Restaurant.¡±


    It was amon business practice to have dinner together after the signing of a contract for further


    negotiation. Even if Richard did not extend an invitation, Marcus would.


    As there were still a few hours left, Marcus and I left OrbitTech. He went to the hotel while I returned to


    my vi.


    It had been ages since I hade back to Peakville Estate. Luckily, someone had been keeping the


    ce clean, so it looked no different from before.


    When I returned to the vi, the maid whom Ashton hired had already prepared some food. But since I


    did not have much of an appetite, I took a few bites before going back to my bedroom to rest.

 Chapter 258

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 258


    As I woke up early in the morning and did not have a good night¡¯s sleepst night, I fell asleep in a


    daze the moment Iy on the bed.


    I could vaguely feel that someone was beside my bed. As I was in a deep sleep, I thought that it was


    an illusion. However, even though some time had passed, I kept sensing that the shadow was still


    lurking nearby. It felt the same as sleep paralysis, which I had when I was younger.


    Although I was so exhausted that I could barely open my eyes, I could still vaguely feel that someone


    was sitting beside the bed. Anxious and flustered, I was at a loss for what to do.


    It was a huge struggle for me to finally wake up. By then, my forehead was already dripping with sweat.


    Yet, when I nced around, there was no one sitting beside my bed. The entire room was empty.


    It was probably because I was in a deep sleep. My body became very frail after my pregnancy, which


    was most likely the reason for this hallucination.


    Still feeling light-headed, I went downstairs. The sky had already darkened by then. When the maid


    saw me walking down the stairs, she said, ¡°Ma¡¯am, your phone has been ringing a few times. I¡¯m afraid


    that it¡¯s about something urgent. Please take a look.¡±


    When I returned earlier, I had casually left my bag downstairs. I quickly went to grab my phone after


    hearing that.


    It was a call from Marcus. As I did not pick up his calls, he messaged me with the address of the


    restaurant for dinner.


    By the time I arrived at the second floor of the Pavilion Restaurant, everyone was already present.


    Some teased when they saw me rushing in, ¡°Our busy Ms. Stovall has finally arrived. Since you¡¯rete,


    take three shots as a punishment!¡±


    Iughed as I sat down beside Marcus and downed three shots.


    After that, we chatted casually for the entire duration of the meal. I was sitting beside Marcus, and he


    kept cing food on my te.


    I was already used to his actions. ncing over a few times, Richard smiled andmented, ¡°Both of


    you really have the chemistry. If you aren¡¯t married, Ms. Stovall, we¡¯d think that you two are a couple.¡±


    Although this was meant as a casual remark, Marcus and I were both stunned. I raised my head and


    said jokingly, ¡°It¡¯s because we¡¯ve been working with each other for a long time. Please don¡¯t


    misunderstand. My husband gets jealous very easily.¡±


    A few peopleughed out loud at this light-hearted remark.


    However, Marcus¡¯s expression was grim.


    When I subconsciously grabbed my wine ss, he grabbed my hand and said in a deep voice, ¡°You¡¯ve


    drunk too much!¡±


    Everyone at the table nced over at both of us. Withdrawing my hand, I replied calmly, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve


    drunk too much.¡±


    It felt ufortable to have everyone looking at me like I was a monkey in the circus. Furthermore, as


    Marcus was deliberately trying to make things difficult for me, I became even more uneasy.


    As usual, he still ced food on my te and stopped me from drinking. He even thoughtfully ordered


    a ss of warm water for me.


    As the intentions of his actions were too obvious, everyone present there instantly understood.


    I felt really uneasy. Yet, if I tried to rify this situation, it would make things seem even more


    suspicious.


    Suddenly, a message from Ashton popped up on my phone screen. What are you doing now?


    Me: We¡¯ve finished signing the contract, so I¡¯m dining with them now.


    Ashton: Did you drink?


    Me: Yeah, but not a lot.


    After a while, he instructed: Send me the address.


    I pursed my lips. He was at K City, so it was impossible for him to fly over to pick me up. Hence, I


    answered: I¡¯m at the Pavilion Restaurant. I¡¯ll be going back soon.


    My phone finally stopped vibrating. I ced it down, god up, and headed to the washroom. Since I had


    three shots earlier, I felt a bit dizzy.


    Trying to sober up, I sshed some cold water on my face in the washroom. When I came out, I


    identally bumped into a waitress who was carrying some liquor.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry!¡± apologized the waitress profusely.


    Slightly dizzy, I waved my hands and said dismissively, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Just be more careful.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Stovall!¡± A surprised voice sounded. Shocked, I raised my head and nced at her.


    It was none other than Stacey, who was wearing a wig and had heavy makeup applied on her face.


    Wearing an extremely short mini-skirt, she looked like a hostess in a nightclub.


    I could not help but frown. It was a coincidence to meet her twice a day, but wasn¡¯t this a bit odd?


    Hence, I asked, ¡°What happened to you?¡±


    She¡¯s being abused in the morning and had to serve alcohol at night. How did shee to this?


    Her head drooped as she whispered softly, ¡°Mr. Fuller cklisted me in J City¡¯s human resources field.


    None of the real estate or technologypanies is willing to recruit me. As I have to earn a living, I


    have no choice but to be a server here.¡±


    I was confused. ¡°Why would Ashton do that?¡± Although he was by no means a kind person, he would


    not target someone just like that.


    She nced at me before quickly lowering her head. ¡°It¡¯s because of my involvement with the AC


    Credit and HiTech scandal. I yed a significant role in getting you fired by Fuller Corporation. I forged


    your signature for a lot of AC Credit¡¯s documents.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    I actually knew about this. Back then, I was indeed extremely furious. However, as she had worked for


    me for two years, I merely gave her a harsh warning. She left Fuller Corporation afterward.


    Never in a million years would I expect this to happen!


    So, does Ashton know about it too?


    After a short pause, I looked at her and reassured her, ¡°It¡¯s already in the past. I¡¯ll go back and talk to


    Ashton. You¡¯re a capable person, anyway. He might¡¯ve done it out of fury, so I¡¯ll rify this matter with


    him quickly. Don¡¯t work here anymore. Also, since Felix isn¡¯t a good person, you should think of a way


    to leave him!¡±

 Chapter 259

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 259


    Life was bitter and short. She definitely did not wish to have such a toxic presence in her life, anyway.


    As I was still a bit woozy, I wanted to go back as soon as possible. Hence, I patted her shoulders and


    left.


    Surprisingly, she suddenly grabbed my hands and fell onto her knees. When she knelt, she sobbed


    softly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Stovall. I shouldn¡¯t have done that in the past. I know my mistake now and have


    suffered my due punishment.¡±


    I frowned and tried to help her out. However, she refused to stand and continued sobbing. ¡°Ms. Stovall,


    you¡¯re the only one who can help me now. Felix is aplete devil. Back then, in order to gain a


    foothold in AC Credit, he instructed me to do things that I¡¯m not supposed to. After I got together with


    him, I realized how terrifyingly violent he is. He would beat me and scold me for no reason, even


    chasing me out of the house in the middle of the night. I can¡¯t take it anymore! As I don¡¯t have any


    family or friends left, you¡¯re the only one who can help me.¡±


    At a loss for what to do, I asked, ¡°Since you aren¡¯t happy, you can divorce him. Isn¡¯t he detained right


    now? Change a job and live a peaceful life from now on. How can I help you?¡±


    She kept shaking her head desperately as tears streamed down her cheeks. ¡°It¡¯s useless. When he


    first started to abuse me, I called the cops on him and got him detained. However, he was released a


    few dayster and started abusing me even more harshly. I have no other choices. I wanted to get a


    divorce, but he refused to. I really don¡¯t know what to do anymore. I¡¯m begging you, Ms. Stovall, please


    help me out!¡±


    ¡°T-This¡­ It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t want to, but how?¡± I did not know what to say. After all, as this was her


    domestic affairs, I was not in much of a position to help. Furthermore, only she could help herself when


    it came to something like this.


    Raising her head, she gazed at me with her bloodshot eyes. ¡°Felix¡¯s got the president of AC Credit and


    the Ludwick family backing him up. If they don¡¯t help him, he¡¯ll get jailed for more than three years. If I


    live apart from him for three years, the marriage will be dissolved automatically, and I¡¯ll finally regain my


    freedom. Ms. Stovall, since Mr. Fuller loves you so much, he¡¯ll definitely help you if you ask.¡±


    I frowned, feeling speechless. Since when does Ashton love me?


    Opening my mouth, I was about to say something when someone interrupted me.


    ¡°She can¡¯t help you.¡± Marcus had alreadye out. His tall figure strode towards me as he said to


    Stacey, ¡°She¡¯s already facing so much trouble, so how can she possibly help you? Her actions today


    were impulsive, without any considerations of the consequences. If she helped you, a ruthless man like


    your husband will take revenge on her after he¡¯s released. You should know this better than she does.¡±


    With that, Marcus dragged me away. Shocked, I turned around and saw Stacey still kneeling on the


    ground and crying her heart out. I could not help but feel guilty.


    ¡°Actually, she might really need my help!¡± I mumbled behind Marcus¡¯ back.


    ¡°Hah!¡± He suddenly stopped in his tracks. However, I did not manage to stop in time and crashed into


    him, causing my nose to sting in pain.


    ¡°Scarlett, do you know that sometimes, your so-called kindness may backfire? Do you know how


    hriously ridiculous it is?¡± He looked at me, his eyes zing with fury.


    Not knowing why he suddenly got so angry, I massaged my nose and protested, ¡°I¡¯m not being kind for


    no reason. She worked for me for two years¡­¡±


    ¡°So what? Does she still work for you? Is she still your assistant? Scarlett, do you even have


    boundaries? Why do you feel such pity for everyone, men and women alike? What are you trying to get


    out of it? Are you trying to make yourself seem like a saint? Do you want others to idolize you?¡±


    His voice was agitated and aggressive, while his eyes were bloodshot. I could smell the alcohol in his


    breath, which puffed on my face. It was obvious that he was drunk.


    ¡°Marcus, are you drunk?¡± I asked, trying to steady him. However, he flung my arms away.


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    Grabbing my shoulders, he stared intently into my eyes. ¡°Do you pity me too? Sally managed to


    squeeze my mother away and chase her out of my life. On the other hand, I have to indifferently


    endure her and my father¡¯s happiness while suffering from his cold treatment. Do you pity me?¡±


    I frowned. Looks like he¡¯s really drunk.


    Sighing, I held onto his arm and said, ¡°You don¡¯t need my pity. You¡¯re drunk, Marcus. Let me send you


    back.¡±


    After bidding farewell to the others in the private room, I ignored their gaze and helped Marcus walk


    down the stairs.


    He was still slightly conscious. At the entrance, he slumped down on the steps childishly and refused to


    walk anymore.


    Exasperated, I looked at him and instructed, ¡°Marcus, I¡¯m sending you home!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a home!¡±


    ¡°Then go back to your hotel!¡±


    He looked at me and pursed his lips. ¡°Let¡¯s go together!¡±


    Hearing that, I was rendered speechless.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send you there.¡±


    God¡­ He¡¯s such a difficult person to handle.


    ¡°Then forget it! I¡¯ll stay here for the entire night.¡± He was half-drunk and even throwing a tantrum.


    Too frustrated to say anything, I stared at him and said after a slight pause, ¡°Fine! Stay here for the


    night, then. I¡¯m going home.¡±


    With that, I turned around the hail a cab.


    Suddenly, he hugged me from behind. I heard his deep, hoarse, and helpless voice sound beside my


    ear. ¡°Scarlett, where¡¯s your sense of empathy? Do you really want me to freeze to death here?¡±


    Gazing at his flushed yet handsome face, I nodded. ¡°Yeah! Be my guest.¡±

 Chapter 260

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 260


    I guess I shouldn¡¯t get my hopes high since I was talking to a drunkard.


    As soon as he heard my words, he stared at me with his abysmal pair of eyes and a frowned look. He


    was cradling me in his arms while caressing my head.


    I pushed him away because I knew what he had in his mind. ¡°Marcus, you¡¯re drunk!¡±


    Nevertheless, the man didn¡¯t even budge the slightest. Since we were next to the street, I was afraid I


    would push him off to the bustling streets and get him involved in an ident.


    In the end, we ended up behaving as though we were making out in the middle of nowhere, being


    lovey-dovey in public.


    ¡°Marcus-¡± I yelled at him to express my frustration because he started running his hands behind my


    back.


    Before I could reprimand him, I felt him being lunged away from me full force. A few secondster, I


    heard a muffled grunt from him.


    By the time I returned to my senses, Ashton and Marcus had gotten involved in an intense fight. To be


    precise, Ashton started beating Marcus to a pulp with all his might.


    Within a few seconds, Marcus¡¯ face was bruised. Perhaps because he was awfully drunk, he was


    defenseless against Ashton and allowed the brutal man to throw several consecutive punches at his


    face relentlessly.


    I sprinted over and grasped the hem of Ashton¡¯s shirt to stop him. As I was worried that something bad


    would happen, I warned him, ¡°Ashton, stop! He¡¯s going to die for real if you keep going on!¡±


    Ashton¡¯s expression darkened, and then he asked callously, ¡°Are you worried about him?¡±


    I responded with a frown while Marcus remarked sarcastically, ¡°Scarlett, I knew it! You still care about


    me, don¡¯t you?¡±


    To be honest, I waspletely speechless because of the things Marcus said in front of Ashton ¨C it


    sounded as though Marcus had a death wish and couldn¡¯t wait for Ashton to send him to hell.


    As expected, Ashton got increasingly infuriated and dragged the man that was pinned to the ground up,


    throwing punches at him without showing him any mercy.


    On the other hand, Marcus seemed to have lost his mind ¨C he wouldn¡¯t stop grinning no matter how


    brutal Ashton was. ¡°Ashton, the more you beat me up, the more Scarlett cares about me!¡±


    Something was definitely wrong with Marcus¡¯ mind. His words worked like a charm as Ashton cast him


    to the ground andunched a few merciless kicks on his abdomen.


    I could hear another muffled grunt from the drunk yet brutally beaten-up man when he struggled to


    bring himself up.


    Since Ashton was about to rush over to Marcus¡¯ side once more, I got in his way and stopped him in a


    calm manner. ¡°Ashton, can¡¯t you tell he¡¯s trying to provoke you deliberately? Do you really want to kill


    him and be thrown behind bars because of him?¡±


    He pursed his lips and started panting heavily. ¡°This jerk asked for it!¡±


    I rolled my eyes helplessly and decided to stay away from the heavily injured man to prevent further


    conflicts. Thankfully, Richard rushed out when he heard themotion. ¡°Mr. ckwood, can you do


    me a favor and bring Mr. White to the hospital before sending him back to his ce? Thanks in


    advance.¡±


    Richard took a peek at the indifferent Ashton and responded with a nod and a smirk. He proceeded to


    bring Marcus up and brought him away soon.


    Once they departed, Ashton red at me in the eyes to express his irritation.


    I should be med for the entire incident, but I tried to defend myself.


    ¡°I-I¡­ H-He¡¯s drunk!¡±


    ¡°So what about it?¡±


    What the heck? What does he mean? What am I supposed to tell him when I have just exined the


    reason behind it?


    I gave it a thought and said, ¡°Nothing was going on between us! He was the one who drank too much


    and ended up being drunk! Speaking of which, I ran into Stacey in the restaurant just now. She seemed


    to be living a tough life. Are you the one behind her misery?¡±


    He replied with a frown and raised his volume because he was enraged. ¡°Scarlett, stop trying to divert


    my attention!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe he managed to see right through my n again.


    Staring at Ashton in the eyes, I decided to keep my mouth shut tight because I knew it would be


    impossible for me to talk some sense into him.


    The frustrated man broke the silence, asking indifferently since I was dead silent. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to


    exin yourself?¡±


    ¡°I tried, didn¡¯t I? You have no intention to listen to me at all!¡±


    ¡°Y-You¡­¡± He stuttered in return because he was at a loss for better words to rebuke my statement. All


    of a sudden, I couldn¡¯t help but find him adorable.


    A few secondster, I offered, ¡°Why don¡¯t you beat me up just like how you have beaten Marcus to a


    pulp? I mean, if it helps, why not, right?¡±


    I knew it sounded dumb, but literally, that was the only thing I could think of.


    Ashton looked a little bemused, yet he replied indifferently, ¡°I¡¯ll definitely take you out someday in the


    future.¡±


    After he cast a stern gaze at me, he turned around and departed.


    Since we were in the middle of the streets, perhaps the incident of him beating another man had made


    it to the social media due to themotion that was caused.


    I trotted over the onlookers and went after him. He boarded the car before me, but when I tried to open


    the door to the passenger seat, I couldn¡¯t because it was locked.


    Aspared to an ordinary car, his car had a higher ride height. Hence, I had to tiptoe to reach the


    window. ¡°Hey, Ashton! What are you trying to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have you walk your way home!¡± Once he finished his sentence, he started the car and departed


    without a second thought, leaving a confused me behind.


    What the hell! Fine!


    Usually, it wasn¡¯t tough to hail a cab since we were in the middle of a bustling street, but the cabs that


    passed were all upied on that night.


    A few minutester, a ck Cadic stopped in front of me as the driver in the car winded down the


    window.


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    It was Joseph who showed up, and he offered, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, Mr. Fuller has instructed me to give you a


    ride home.¡±


    I was astonished because he had never addressed me as Mrs. Fuller before. I wouldn¡¯t lie ¨C I couldn¡¯t


    get used to it after being addressed as Ms. Stovall all this while.


    In spite of being ttered, I replied in a petnt manner, ¡°Wasn¡¯t he the one who refused to give me a


    ride home? He should have left me behind and allowed me to freeze to my death!¡±


    Joseph rebuked, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, the temperature wouldn¡¯t drop any further than seven or eight degrees


    Celsius. Technically, you won¡¯t freeze to death, but you may catch a cold if you spend a night on the


    streets.¡±


    Oh, God! Am I hearing what I¡¯m hearing? I have never ever encountered such a geeky man before!


    I asked rhetorically, ¡°What if I catch a cold and fall terribly sick?¡±


    He paused and gave it a thought. Shortly, he nodded and affirmed, ¡°You may pass on as a result, but


    there¡¯s only a slight chance of such an oue; that is ¨C unless you¡¯re infected by other viruses.¡±

 Chapter 261

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 261


    Argh! I guess I can¡¯t out-talk him, huh?


    ¡°Thanks for the ride home!¡± I decided to keep my mouth shut and boarded the car as instructed.


    He nodded and responded with a poker face.


    When we were about to reach the vi, I couldn¡¯t suppress the urge to ask him about the thing that had


    been bothering me. ¡°Joseph, where¡¯s your girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have one, Mrs. Fuller!¡±


    I nodded and remarked, ¡°Well, I thought so. Otherwise, your girlfriend will have a hard time dealing with


    you.¡±


    He took a peek at me for a few seconds before turning around to focus on the road. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m


    married.¡±


    I waspletely speechless and decided to wrap up our conversation because I was pretty sure I


    would get increasingly infuriated if I were to go on.


    Once we were back in the vi, I got out of the car as soon as possible and strode my way into the


    living room.


    I changed into a pair of indoor sandals in the foyer and noticed the light in the living room was switched


    on. There was a man in the living room, enjoying his cup of tea as he indulged himself in reading a


    book.


    ¡°A**hole!¡± I blurted out the things I had in my mind almost instantly.


    He frowned and stared at me silently, but I ignored him and bounced my way up the stairs without any


    hesitation.


    ¡°Hold it right there, Scarlett!¡± Ashton broke the silence and raised his volume out of the blue, rendering


    me incapable of motion while I was on my way up the stairs.


    I turned around and confronted, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    The infuriated man burst out chuckling and asked rhetorically, ¡°What do I want? How dare you raise


    your volume against me when you¡¯re the one at fault?¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess you have proven yourself to be right! Is there anything else you want from me?¡± I red


    at him with my mouth shut tight.


    Ashton took a deep breath and announced in a righteous manner, ¡°I¡¯ll turn a blind eye to the incident


    that has urred today, but I want you to stay away from Marcus in the future!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re ridiculous! I have to work, for goodness¡¯ sake! Marcus was merely drunk!¡± Halfway through my


    reply, I avoided his gaze due to the sense of guilt I felt.


    He rushed over and grasped my wrist because he couldn¡¯t hold back his anger anymore. ¡°Scarlett,


    what does it take to get you to stay away from him?¡±


    I raised my head and looked at him in the eyes because he was frustrated for real. ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll try to stay


    away from him in the future. I¡¯m conscious of the things I¡¯m doing, okay? You have been getting in


    touch with Reba while nothing¡¯s going on between Marcus and me! Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being


    unreasonable?¡±


    It was a habit of mine to bring up Reba whenever we were involved in a conflict. I knew nothing was


    going on between the duo, but I couldn¡¯t resist the urge to provoke him whenever I had the chance.


    His expression turned gloomy all of a sudden. ¡°Which part of me is being unreasonable? Besides, what


    makes you think something¡¯s going on between Reba and me? Scarlett, who the hell do you think


    you are?¡±


    Judging by his expression, I knew I had to bring the conversation to a halt. Otherwise, things would


    spiral out of control soon.


    I assured Ashton, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, okay? I¡¯ll definitely stay away from Marcus in the future. I promise you I


    won¡¯t get anywhere near him anymore!¡±


    He narrowed his eyes because he was confused by my sudden change of attitude. ¡°Scarlett, are you


    keeping something from me?¡±


    Argh! Why would I apologize and give in to his request when I hadn¡¯t done anything wrong? Actually,


    what does he want? I can¡¯t seem to talk any sense into him at all! I have done everything he wants, yet


    he isn¡¯t going to let me off the hook at all!


    I took a deep breath and forced a smile. ¡°Ashton, I have told you the things I have in mind! It¡¯s up to


    you to believe it or not!¡±


    As soon as I finished my sentence, I brought myself upstairs because I couldn¡¯t take it anymore-if the


    conversation went on any longer, I might pass out due to frustration.


    To my surprise, he grasped my wrist and stopped me once again.


    ¡°Ashton, what the heck do you want?¡± I turned around and confronted him because I couldn¡¯t suppress


    my wrath anymore.


    He finally returned to his calm and collected self as he requested, ¡°Calm down, Scarlett. Let¡¯s head


    upstairs after we get ourselves something to eat, okay? I¡¯m hungry. Can you please make me


    something to eat?¡±


    Perhaps he had just reached J City. Therefore, his housekeepers and maids weren¡¯t around in the


    night. This time, it was my turn to express my discontent. I yelled, ¡°Can¡¯t you make yourself something


    to eat? Why does it have to be me!¡±


    Ashton had his lips pursed in an aggrieved manner while he showed me his hands. ¡°I¡¯ve identally


    hurt my hands during the fight.¡±


    What kind of excuse is that? I thought I was hearing things when I heard the absurd reply from him. If I


    hadn¡¯t witnessed the fight he had with Marcus, I would have fallen for his words for real!


    He was merely faintly bruised. I guessed he must have identally hurt himself when he got all worked


    up during the fight.


    ¡°Ashton, have you no shame at all?¡± He had the audacity to put on an innocent front when he was the


    aggressive one who had caused the uproar.


    Ashton leaned over and peered into my eyes, asking rhetorically in return, ¡°Don¡¯t you know me better


    than others? Anyway, I¡¯m really hungry because I haven¡¯t had anything throughout the entire night.¡±


    At that point in time, I was startled by his response because he seemed to be a needy man instead of


    his usual egoistic self.


    I couldn¡¯t be sure if it were a hallucination, but I walked into the kitchen to make him something to eat


    as requested nheless.


    There were a lot of fresh ingredients that had been prepared by the maids in advance.


    Truth be told, I wasn¡¯t a great cook either. I diced a little garlic and started preparing a simple Spaghetti


    Aglio E Olio from scratch.


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    ¡°Are you going to make me some spaghetti?¡± Leaning against the wall while crossing his arms, Ashton


    stared at me wide-eyed and asked when he saw the ingredients I had with me.


    ¡°Mm-hmm!¡± Since there wasn¡¯t anything else I could prepare apart from spaghetti.


    ¡°Is this how you¡¯re supposed to treat your husband?¡±


    Halfway through my preparation, I turned off the stove and red at Ashton. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you can


    always get yourself something else to eat. Why don¡¯t you get someone else to deliver you a fancy


    meal?¡±


    Startled, he quickly blocked me and touched my nose. ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t mind at all. Spaghetti sounds


    great.¡±


    The irritating man finally stopped getting in my way.


    I waspletely worn out after I finished making his food.


    Immediately after I served him his meal, I returned to the bedroom and fell asleep after I carried out my


    bedtime routine.


    I got irritated in the middle of the night because the buzzing phone roused me from my wonderful sleep.


    By the time I opened my eyes, Ashton had picked it up.


    He leaned over and ran his fingers through my unkempt hair, asking gently, ¡°Did I wake you up?¡±

 Chapter 262

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 262


    I nodded and asked, ¡°Who is it?¡± It was three o¡¯clock early morning, so I couldn¡¯t figure out which


    maniac would interrupt others at such odd hours.


    He looked elsewhere and denoted in a serious tone, ¡°Reba is going to give birth soon.¡±


    All of a sudden, my mind was all over the ce because she was nowhere close to her estimated date


    of delivery yet. Hence, I was confused that she was going to give birth so soon.


    I wondered what the person on the other end of the call told him. Meanwhile, he held on to his phone


    with a frown as though he had received some upsetting news.


    Ashton lowered his volume and replied, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Ms. Anderson. I¡¯m currently not in K City.¡±


    He was aware I had my eyes on him. Hence, he decided to carry on with the conversation with the


    speaker.


    At that moment, Cameron¡¯s voice could be heard as she pleaded anxiously, ¡°Ashton, Reba needs


    you by her side more than ever! Can you please make a trip back to K City immediately? As long as


    she¡¯s able to give birth to her child safely, I¡¯ll give in to whatever request you have! Please, Ashton!¡±


    Ashton furrowed his brows because he was slightly irked by Cameron¡¯s fretful voice.


    I took over his phone and replied on his behalf, ¡°Ms. Anderson, I¡¯m afraid I have to turn you down


    because my husband is in the middle of something. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s able to make the trip back.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± Cameron eximed in shock and yelled, ¡°You¡¯re the one who has sent Reba the photos


    of the deceased children! She almost fell down the stairs in the middle of the night because of you ¨C


    you vicious woman!¡±


    I found her words hrious and replied sarcastically, ¡°Ms. Anderson, how am I, a trivial character,


    supposed to expose your beloved daughter to such horrible photos that can drive her mad? You should


    stop ming me for everything that has gone wrong on her end. Perhaps God was behind this. After


    all, look at what you have done over the years. Instead of asking Ashton to fly back, why don¡¯t you


    atone for your sins instead?¡±


    Cameron gasped when she heard my sarcastic remark. She warned me in return, ¡°Y-You! Come at me


    with everything you have if you¡¯re holding a grudge against us! Aren¡¯t you afraid of karma if you make a


    move against a defenseless pregnant woman?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m terrified, Ms. Anderson! However, you¡¯re the one who should be afraid because it¡¯s your karma


    that we¡¯re talking about! I haven¡¯t done anything to get my revenge, and I don¡¯t think I need to do it


    myself anymore.¡±


    Immediately after I made myself clear, I hung up the call and looked at Ashton. ¡°Are you going to make


    a trip back to K City?¡±


    He smirked and directed a rhetorical question at me in return. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll make the trip back?¡±


    I shook my head and asserted, ¡°Nope! If you dare to make your way back to K City, I¡¯ll kill you for real!¡±


    ¡°Shall we give it a try?¡± Ashton sneered and provoked me.


    I stared at him and caressed my chin in silence while he narrowed his eyes and asked, ¡°Are you a part


    of this?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± For a short while, his words confused me. However, after a few seconds, I noticed he


    was talking about the incident that had urred right before Reba¡¯sbor.


    ¡°Does that mean you¡¯re not involved in this?¡±


    I nodded and queried in return, ¡°Since I¡¯m in J City, how am I supposed to get the better of her? If I


    wish to get my revenge, I¡¯ll definitely stay back to witness the oue of my n.¡±


    The bedsidemp was the only faint illumination that was avable in the room. Ashton stared at me


    and leaned over to cradle me in between his arms. He gasped and apologized out of the blue, ¡°I¡¯m


    sorry, Scarlett!¡±


    I pushed him away and said, ¡°Stay away from me! It¡¯s pretty war, tonight!¡±


    Although I couldn¡¯t figure out the reason he had apologized, I had no intention to get to the bottom


    behind his odd behavior either.


    I stared at the ceiling with my eyes shut tight because I felt empty deep down as I recalled the


    traumatic experience with our child back then.


    Previously, I held a grudge against Ashton and med him for not protecting us. I resented him for not


    being around when I needed him by my side the most.


    Eventually, I noticed I was the selfish one because I had never put myself in his shoes and looked at


    things from his perspective.


    Right then, Ashton broke the silence, asserting in a serious manner, ¡°I won¡¯t repeat the same silly


    mistake anymore.¡±


    I peered into his eyes and queried, ¡°Ashton, do you love me?¡±


    It was a foolish question, but I decided to bring it up since I didn¡¯t have anything else on my mind.


    He turned over and nced at me. ¡°I¡¯ll never file for divorce with you.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± I replied quietly because I didn¡¯t expect such an odd reply from him.


    To be honest, his reply was as good as none because it didn¡¯t mean anything to me.


    He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and asked since I went into dead silence once more. ¡°Are


    you angry?¡±


    I shook my head and denied it because I couldn¡¯t resist the urge to fall asleep anymore.


    Perhaps it was due to the wonderful news right before my sleep; a few seconds after I closed my eyes,


    I fell into a deep slumber.


    Since we had sealed the deal with OrbitTech, it wouldn¡¯t be necessary to adhere to the initial schedule


    that had been devised for the uing three days anymore.


    Ashton got up early in the morning because he had something to tend to and would have to depart


    earlier than usual. As he was getting ready, I stared at him while lying on the bed because I had just


    woke up. ¡°Have you ever put on clothes of other colors throughout your entire life?¡±


    He got himself a necktie from the walk-in closet and ignored me. Instead, he instructed me, ¡°Hurry up


    and put this on for me.¡±


    I shook my head and told him, ¡°No! I can¡¯t tie a tie!¡± It was the truth because I didn¡¯t need to pick up


    such a skill since I had never gotten romantically involved with another man prior to my rtionship


    with him.


    As always, he replied with a frowned look, ¡°I¡¯ll teach you!¡±


    He refused to give up just yet and instructed me to sit upright.


    Instantly, I sat upright on the bed and peered at him in the eyes. ¡°Come over!¡± Since it was way ahead


    of my schedule, I refused to bring myself out of bed because there wasn¡¯t anything else I could do that


    early.


    He shook his head helplessly and walked over as demanded, taking a seat by my side on the bed


    because I showed no signs of getting out of bed just yet. ¡°Scarlett, why are you such azy bum?¡±


    ¡°Me? Are you sure I¡¯m azy bum?¡±


    Ashton couldn¡¯t think of better words to rebuke my statement.


    Then, I started tying the tie based on the methods he taught me. After a while, I managed to tie the


    knot after my first attempt.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    He asked with his eyes widened in disbelief, ¡°You were saying?¡±


    I grinned awkwardly because I didn¡¯t expect it would be such a piece of cake. ¡°Are you going to believe


    me if I say I¡¯m a prodigy when ites to tying a tie?¡±


    Actually, I was surprised because it was easier than I thought it would be.

 Chapter 263

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 263


    Ashton sneered and pinched my cheek. ¡°I hope you¡¯re telling the truth.¡±


    After Ashton departed, I nned to return to bed and take another nap before starting my day, but my


    phone on the nightstand had started buzzing.


    I took a peek and noticed I have an iing call from an anonymous number. The first call was hung


    up by the person on the other end because I had no intention to pick it up.


    After several consecutive calls, I picked it up and heard a man¡¯s hoarse voice the moment the call got


    through. ¡°I¡¯m at your doorstep!¡±


    ¡°John?¡± I was surprised.


    ¡°Are you trying to avoid me?¡± he replied, utterly irritated.


    ¡°N-No! I¡¯m not in K City! Currently, I¡¯m at J City!¡±


    He got worked up all of a sudden and yelled, ¡°Stop it! I¡¯m currently at Peakville Estate! Are you going to


    open the door or not?¡±


    I finally figured out the reason behind his frustration ¨C it turned out he was right at my doorstep, yet I


    refused to pick up the call.


    After I changed and headed downstairs, I noticed the maid had gotten the breakfast ready. I told her to


    get me another serving and pack it for me.


    By the time I reached the entrance, I saw the Bugatti that was parked right in front of the gate. The


    driver of the eye-catching vehicle winded down the window and instructed, ¡°Get in the car!¡±


    As soon as I boarded the car, I caught a whiff of a pleasant scent. Perhaps it the air freshener that was


    applied to conceal the awful stench of tobo.


    Johnid the seat t and stared at me with his pale and haggard face while he took another whiff of


    smoke. ¡°Why have you cklisted my contact number?¡±


    I was confused. A few secondster, I asked, ¡°Huh? Since when have I done such a thing?¡±


    John sneered and asked, ¡°Have you spent the night with Ashton again?¡±


    I nodded and affirmed his thoughts while he scoffed, ¡°Hmph! He must be the one behind it!¡±


    Does that mean Ashton was the one who had cklisted John¡¯s contact number? Though, why would


    Ashton pick on John out of the blue?


    ¡°Have you called mest night?¡±


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    John nodded and told me he called me at three o¡¯clock in the middle of the night.


    ¡°3 a.m.? Well, you should have seen thating!¡± I blurted out the things in my mind. After all, no


    ordinary man would reach out to others in the middle of the night.


    The man, who was in a foul mood, told me, ¡°Reba was rushed to the hospitalst night, and I don¡¯t


    think her child will make it through.¡±


    I was astonished by his statement and recalled the conversation Cameron had with Ashton at three in


    the morning. ¡°What have you shown Reba?¡±


    John squinted his eyes and yawned as though he didn¡¯t have enough sleepst night. ¡°I have shown


    her the photos of all sorts of children and given her a special souvenir.¡±


    ¡°Which was¡­¡±


    ¡°Have you heard of a voodoo doll?¡± He queried with an odd expression that made it hard to read his


    actual mood.


    It took me a few seconds to grasp the things he was talking about. In the end, I stared at him with my


    eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°Is that what you have shown her?¡±


    He nodded and exined, ¡°I told her it would take a seven to eight-month-old fetus to produce a


    custom-made voodoo doll. Coincidentally, her child is about eight-month-old.¡±


    I was baffled by his words and couldn¡¯t be sure if I should be delighted or not. ¡°Fine, I guess I should be


    grateful because you have gotten rid of her on my behalf. At least I don¡¯t have to go through the trouble


    of dealing with her anymore.¡±


    John rolled his eyes and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s your phone? I want you to unblock me at once.¡±


    I nodded and reached for my phone, going through the contact list to search for John¡¯s contact. There


    was no way John could reach me since Ashton had blocked both John¡¯s phone and WhatsApp ount


    on my phone.


    Later on, John started dissing Ashton for his unbelievably childish act.


    ¡°I think Ashton is the only person who will resort to such a childish and despicable trick on this!¡±


    I remained silent throughout the session and handed over the set of breakfast I had brought along with


    me to him. ¡°Have you been staying up throughout the night?¡±


    John nodded and shared, ¡°Initially, I wanted to call you and tell you everything about Reba, but I


    ended up being frustrated for the entire night because I couldn¡¯t reach you at all.¡±


    He was such a sentimental man and tend to overthink things whenever he was on his own.


    ¡°Have you gotten rid of the evidence after sending those nasty things on Reba¡¯s way?¡± Judging by


    Cameron¡¯s words, I was pretty sure she was suspicious of me being the mastermind behind everything.


    He stuffed a sandwich into his mouth and muttered with a scowl, but his words were inaudible. ¡°H-Have


    you always perceived me as such a foolish man?¡±


    I shrugged my shoulders and told him, ¡°Reba and Cameron aren¡¯t much of a threat, but you have to


    keep an eye on Zachary because we¡¯re both doomed if he dispatches the men from the underworld


    society toe after us.¡±


    In spite of my sincere warning, John scoffed as though it wasn¡¯t a big deal. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s not much


    of a threat because he will be doomed soon.¡±


    I asked with a baffled look, ¡°What do you mean? Is anyone going to take the Moore family out?¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t me others for their miseries when they¡¯re such an easy target, can they?¡±


    John was right ¨C the Moore family had been around for many years. They must have a lot of foes that


    were constantly going after them.


    ¡°When are you going back to K City? Uncle Louis is going to make a trip back to K City soon, and he¡¯s


    nning to acknowledge you as an official member of the family. He told me to share his n with you


    because he wants you to get yourself ready by then.¡±


    I was slightly astonished when I heard the things John told me.


    When I recalled the incident that urred during Marcus¡¯ mother¡¯s birthday banquet, I lost myself in a


    train of thoughts and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind because I¡¯ll be heading to the countryside soon. I


    wonder if they are fine because it has been quite some time since west got in touch.¡±


    He responded with a nod and assured me, ¡°Forget about Reba for the time being. I¡¯ll deal with her


    for now and keep you updated.¡±


    I took note of his words and got out of the car. Staring at the gloomy weather, it felt as though


    everything was part of God¡¯s greater n.


    All along, I had never intended to get Reba¡¯s innocent child involved, but since things had turned


    out as such, there wasn¡¯t anything else I could do to turn the tables.


    Shortly, Marcus gave me a call and inquired when would I be back.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to take me another two to three days. I have stricken a deal with OrbitTech. All you have to


    do is to get in touch with the person in charge regarding the progress of the project.¡±

 Chapter 264

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 264


    ¡°Are you going to look for Macy?¡± Marcus went silent for a few seconds before asking.


    I was taken aback by his sudden question, but I recalled I once brought it up in front of him during our


    random conversation.


    The person on the other end of the call remained silent in anticipation of my reply. Shortly, he probed


    once more with a husky voice, ¡°Have you finally located her?¡±


    I shook my head and denied him of his thought. ¡°No, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn¡¯t reach her.


    Jackson was the one who would pick up the call on her behalf. I wanted to pay them a visit and check


    on them for myself.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you!¡± Instead of a suggestion, it sounded more like amand.


    Thus, I turned him down right away and said, ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary because Jackson will be


    around to take care of me.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett! Why don¡¯t you give Jackson a call before heading over? I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re going to make a


    futile trip,¡± Marcus rebuked in a callous tone.


    ¡°How do you know that when I haven¡¯t got in touch with Jackson? I think it¡¯s going to turn out just fine


    because Jackson told me he would stay by Macy¡¯s side to keep herpany.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t jump to the conclusion! What if they had made their way back to J City ahead of you?


    Perhaps they had traveled elsewhere! Don¡¯t you think you should figure out their exact whereabouts


    before heading over?¡±


    I nodded and gave in to the anxious man¡¯s request since he sounded so desperate. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll give


    Jackson a call and figure out their whereabouts beforehand!¡±


    As soon as I detected the sound of the vehicle¡¯s engine from the courtyard, I told Marcus, ¡°I have


    something to tend to on my end. I got to go.¡±


    Once I hung up the call, Ashton strode into the living room and noticed the packed meal that was in


    front of me. He asked with a frown, ¡°What is this, and who¡¯s it for?¡±


    I was confused for a short while, but I rebuked him and said, ¡°No! I¡¯ll be heading out soon! So I got the


    maid to get my meal packed!¡±


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Ashton asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be heading over to look for Macy and Jackson!¡± After I told him about my uing agenda, I


    stuffed the meal into my bag, which seemed to be unnecessary at all.


    As a matter of fact, I could have my meal before heading out, yet I couldn¡¯t back down anymore since I


    had told him an out blunt lie.


    When I was about to leave, Ashton stopped me and said, ¡°Wait! I¡¯ll go with you, but allow me to retrieve


    a certain something from the study before that.¡±


    ¡°N-No-¡±


    ¡°Just stay right here until I¡¯m back!¡±


    He didn¡¯t even allow me to stop him and proceeded to bounce up the stairs.


    While he was away, I grabbed the opportunity and gave Jackson a call.


    It took a while for him to pick up the call. ¡°Scarlett.¡±


    ¡°Jackson, can you please drop me a text of your current location? I¡¯ll be heading over to pay you and


    Macy a visit soon.¡± If they were in the countryside, we would have to drive there. Otherwise, we would


    have a hard time maneuvering around because it would be tough to get a cab there.


    ¡°Are you back in J City?¡± It was evident Jackson, who was on the other end, was taken aback by our


    presence.


    ¡°Yeah! I came back because of a certain project. It has been some time since west met, so I wanted


    to drop by and pay both of you a visit!¡± I told him about the truth without holding back.


    ¡°I¡­ We¡¯re currently away from J City. A few days ago, I brought Macy along with me and made a trip


    back to M Country. We¡¯ll return after some time. Once we¡¯re back, I¡¯ll bring her over to K City and pay


    you a visit,¡± Jackson stuttered.


    I furrowed my brows because of his suspicious tone. It sounded as though he was nervous. ¡°Why didn¡¯t


    you tell me earlier? Besides, how could you bring an infant everywhere with you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine! The baby is already three-month-old and proven suitable for a flight! We¡¯ll return and drop by


    K City by the end of the year, okay?¡± I thought Jackson was in the middle of something due to the noise


    coming from the other end of the call.


    After he told me he had to tend to the things he had on his te, he hung up the call without further


    ado.


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    I slouched against the couch after the call was hung up. A sense of insecurity engulfed me because it


    felt as though Jackson was trying to stay away from me.


    ¡°What¡¯s bothering you?¡± Ashton, who had returned with a folder, asked as he walked down the stairs.


    I looked in his direction and paused for a few seconds. ¡°Ashton, is Dr. Crest in M Country?¡±


    He nodded and said, ¡°Jared has been staying there because he¡¯s the person in charge of the


    expansion of thepany. What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Can you get him to do me a favor?¡± I couldn¡¯t shrug the very thought of Macy¡¯s disappearance off my


    mind because it had been a few months since Ist heard from her.


    Every time I got in touch with Jackson through a call, he would try to wrap up our conversation as soon


    as possible. I couldn¡¯t figure out if things were fine on their end.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be joining us for a dinner tonight. Why don¡¯t you bring it up in front of him when the timees?¡±


    Ashton paused and stared at me with his brows furrowed when he noticed I had my bag on the coffee


    table. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you not heading out anymore?¡±


    I nodded and exined, ¡°Macy and Jackson had departed to M Country a few days ago.¡±


    He responded with a nod and stated, ¡°Alright, if that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll head out because I have something


    to deal with. I¡¯ll be back and pick you up for dinner tonight.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s alright. I can drive!¡±


    ¡°Scarlett Stovall, have you gotten used to turning me down?¡±


    Staring at Ashton¡¯s downcast face, I murmured to myself, ¡°N-No¡­ I-It¡¯s because¡­¡±


    ¡°Make sure you¡¯re keeping your eyes on the road while you¡¯re driving!¡± After he finished his so-called


    heads-up, he walked out of the house with a darkened expression.


    He seemed to be angry, but I wasn¡¯t sure of the reason behind it.


    Anyway, I felt lightheaded after the series of confusing incidents I had to deal with within a day.


    At seven o¡¯clock in the evening, after I reached Imperial Hotel and parked my car, I headed over to the


    private dining room and made my way in before the designated time.


    Apart from Ashton and Jared, there were two other figures in the spacious dining room. One was Felix,


    whom I had encountered a few days ago, and Thomas, the president of AC Credit.


    ¡°It has been a while, Mrs. Fuller!¡± Thomas could be considered a close acquaintance of mine because


    we used to encounter one another back in the day on several asions for our work.


    After I nodded and greeted Thomas in return, I took a peek at Felix. I was clueless about the reason he


    was there when he was taken into custody by the cops a few days ago. Thus, it didn¡¯t make any sense


    for him to be released within a few days.

 Chapter 265

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 265


    Perhaps Stacey was right ¨C the police officers were no match for the backings that were behind Felix.


    With that being said, it would be close to impossible for a certain party to exert influence to such an


    extent in J City because it would take more than a fortune to get one¡¯s way around thew with ease.


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, what a coincidence! I can¡¯t believe we get to meet again so soon!¡± Felix greeted me with a


    bright grin, concealing the despicable side of his which he had shown in the restaurant back then.


    He seemed like apletely different person altogether. In fact, he appeared to be a well-educated


    gentleman who could carry himself politely in front of others.


    I returned the favor and responded with a nod and a smile.


    Since everyone had arrived, Thomas got himself engaged in a conversation with Ashton after he


    instructed the waiter to serve us our meal.


    Most of their topics were regarding their work, including the operations of Fuller Corporation in J City.


    Thomas expressed AC Credit¡¯s intention to be Fuller Corporation¡¯s external audit for the uing


    quarter.


    Ashton looked elsewhere and replied nonchntly, ¡°Mr. Lowe, my wife is the one in charge of most of


    the operation of Fuller Corporation in J City. Feel free to get in touch with her instead of me.¡±


    I couldn¡¯tprehend the meaning behind Ashton¡¯s words because I wasn¡¯t given the task to oversee


    the operation of Fuller Corporation in J City.


    Although the headquarter of Fuller Corporation had been relocated to K City, J City was one of the


    corporation¡¯s bases of operations. In short, I would never be given such an important role.


    On one hand, Jared, who was about to finish his ss of wine, paused and looked at me when he


    heard Ashton¡¯s words. After he cast a skeptical nce at me, he regained hisposure.


    On the other hand, Thomas smiled and denoted, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have any idea of the change if you hadn¡¯t


    brought it up in front of me, Mr. Fuller! It turns out Ms. Stovall is the person in charge of Fuller


    Corporation nowadays!¡±


    I peered at Ashton in the eyes in an attempt to figure out his motives, but my effort was to no avail.


    However, since Ashton indicated he wanted me to engage in a conversation with Thomas, I was pretty


    sure the topic would revolve around the audit of the corporation.


    The things that should be discussed had been brought to light since thest quarter, though. I looked at


    Thomas and initiated the conversation, stating, ¡°Mr. Lowe, I¡¯m not trying to boycott yourpany, but


    the incident that has urred during thest quarter has brought about a huge loss for Fuller


    Corporation. As a result, I was no longer affiliated with thepany. I will never allow myself to repeat


    the silly mistake twice.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, don¡¯t worry! I won¡¯t allow the same thing to happen twice either! In order to prove our


    sincerity, I have brought along Mr. Ludwick with me. He has always been in charge of Fuller


    Corporation¡¯s audits. Fuller Corporation is in good hands with him around.¡± Thomas assured me


    everything would be fine as though he had been anticipating the urrence of the conversation.


    Judging by the tone of Thomas¡¯ words, I couldn¡¯t help but think Felix had a higher position in AC Credit.


    When I turned around and looked at Felix, he responded with a bright grin and asserted determinedly,


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, what happened was nothing but an ident. I assure you everything will be fine this


    time.¡±


    After much consideration, I turned and looked at Ashton while inquiring, ¡°Can I turn down the audit


    request from Fuller Corporation?¡±


    ¡°Why? What¡¯s the reason behind it?¡± Ashton asked with his brows furrowed.


    ¡°I have no intention to get myself involved in such a nasty situation. Apart from that, I don¡¯t want to


    commit the same mistake twice.¡± Most importantly, I was a member of White Corporation. If I were in


    charge of the said audit, things would end up miserably due to my ambiguous identity.


    Ashton gave it a thought. A few secondster, he told Thomas, ¡°Mr. Lowe, I¡¯m afraid the incident and


    the misunderstanding may have traumatized my wife. Allow me to make myself clear ¨C AC Credit and


    Harrison Credit were given the task of auditing Fuller Corporation¡¯s financial statement. Although


    Harrison Credit was a rtively small firm, they did a great job while I was on the verge of bankruptcy


    due to AC Credit. Thankfully, things ended up well at the end of the day. Nevertheless, AC Credit was


    the reason my wife had to leave Fuller Corporation. Considering the factors that were mentioned


    above, I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t allow AC Credit to be in charge of Fuller Corporation¡¯s audit


    anymore.¡±


    Thomas and Felix were dumbfounded by Ashton¡¯s decision. ¡°Mr. Fuller, I believe you¡¯re aware of the


    actual reason behind the incident that has urred during thest quarter ¨C ourpany might be one


    of the reasons the incident spiraled out of control, but we shouldn¡¯t forget about the underlying issues


    of Fuller Corporation.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Lowe, does that mean you think AC Credit¡¯s neglection during the incident has nothing to do with


    it?¡± Ashton replied with a faint smirk.


    When Thomas heard Ashton¡¯s question, his face turned pale and haggard.


    I wouldn¡¯t lie, though; it was one of the most embarrassing meals I had ever had throughout my entire


    life.


    After we finished our meal and returned to the car, Ashton stared at me with his abysmal pair of eyes


    and asked, ¡°What do you have in your mind?¡±


    I stopped looking out the window and had my eyes on Ashton instead. ¡°Since you have no intention to


    acquire AC Credit¡¯s service, why would you invite them over?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try to figuring it out?¡±


    ¡°Ashton, why do you always do that!¡± I responded with my lips pouted. It was very immature of him to


    ask them out just so he could get them back for the things they had done and humiliate them in front of


    me.


    I waspletely worn out and wasn¡¯t in the mood to carry on with the conversation we had after the


    feud. It wasn¡¯t necessary to get worked up over such a trivial incident either.


    Initially, I would make a trip back to K City after taking a day¡¯s break.


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    I had the flight ticket ready, but I received a call from Stacey out of the blue. ¡°Ms. Stovall, do you have


    some time for me?¡±


    When I recalled the content of my conversation with Marcus on the day we signed the agreement with


    OrbitTech, I hesitated and asked, ¡°What do you want from me?¡±


    She started sniffling and murmured through the phone, ¡°Ms. Stovall, I should have seen iting, but I


    don¡¯t wish to be confined by the man for the rest of my life! Please spare me some of your time and


    allow me to tell you the things I have in mind!¡±


    Since Ashton was not around, I was quite free. After much consideration, I gave in to her request and


    told her to meet me at Bridge¡¯s Court at Barbara Road.


    She heaved a sigh of relief and told me she would be there on time.

 Chapter 266

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 266


    After I hung up the call, I got changed into a set of winter clothing and departed. By the time I reached


    the venue, Stacey was already there.


    She put on an old-fashioned cashmere jacket and wrapped herself up. In order to conceal the bruises


    on her face, she had applied light make-up, yet they were still visible because she was heavily bruised.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wait for me inside? It¡¯s cold outside.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but ask when I caught her


    shivering while waiting for me outside of Bridge¡¯s Court.


    ¡°I-I have been waiting for you!¡± She responded with a sheepish grin, yet it could barely conceal the fact


    she had been having it tough. I decided to stop poking my nose into her business.


    Bridge¡¯s Court wasn¡¯t the most premium eatery in town. A meal or two at Bridge¡¯s Court wouldn¡¯t take a


    toll on her financially at all because she had considerably high pay while she was affiliated with Fuller


    Corporation back in the day.


    However, she was nowhere close to her prime anymore.


    I wasn¡¯t aware of her actual condition, but even if Felix mistreated her or she was jobless, she shouldn¡¯t


    end up so miserable because she was a capable woman.


    After we made our way into Bridge¡¯s Court and ced our orders, we returned to our seats. She


    attempted to tell me the things she had in mind a few times, but she couldn¡¯t do it.


    In the end, I was the one who broke the silence and asked, ¡°Stacey, why have you-¡±


    She got ahead of me abruptly and asked, ¡°Ms. Stovall, do you remember the time you were abducted


    from the parking lot?¡±


    I was taken aback by her words because only a mere few were aware of the incident that had urred


    back then, and she wasn¡¯t one of the few.


    ¡°Did Felix told you about it?¡± I recalled encountering the man back then. He was there on behalf of AC


    Credit to secure a deal with Fuller Corporation. Apart from that, Joe and Reba seemed to be the


    masterminds behind the abduction.


    Since it hadn¡¯t impacted me, I decided not to go after them and didn¡¯t bother to make a fuss out of it. I


    didn¡¯t want others to figure out I was abducted.


    Stacey shook her head. In spite of her make-up, it couldn¡¯t conceal her pale look. ¡°I¡¯ve overheard some


    stuff. Have you thought of the possibility of a third party that was aware of the forged abortion apart


    from Dr. Ludwick? Is anyone else aware of the things you have done to keep Mr. Fuller by your side?¡±


    I thought about it, but I couldn¡¯t think of anyone else apart from Jared and Caleb.


    To be honest, it had been quite some time since the incident urred. Thus, I couldn¡¯t recall the details


    anymore.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you find it odd when there were only a mere few who were aware of the incident? Why would


    those who had abducted you decided to leverage your child as the bargaining chip to secure the tender


    of the project?¡± Stacey added.


    ¡°Felix is Dr. Ludwick¡¯s son, isn¡¯t he? I saw the mastermind by Felix¡¯s side¡­ Am I thinking what you¡¯re


    thinking?¡± Once Mr. Tuffin showed up by Felix¡¯s side, I could rule out the possibility the abductor was


    aware of my pregnancy back then.


    Stacey shook her head and rebuked, ¡°Dr. Ludwick would never share it with Felix when he didn¡¯t even


    tell Mrs. Ludwick about it. The father and son duo aren¡¯t on good terms since a few years ago. Frankly,


    they rarely talk to one another.¡±


    Apart from Caleb, the only person I could think of was Jared. I asked with my brows furrowed, ¡°Dr.


    Crest is one of Ashton¡¯s close friends. Are you indicating that he¡¯s involved in the incident?¡±


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    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m lying to you?¡± Stacey stared at me and asked in a quivering voice; she couldn¡¯t


    suppress her emotions anymore.


    I shook my head and sighed. ¡°Jared wouldn¡¯t have done this.¡± It was the truth ¨C Jared wasn¡¯t the


    shareholder of Fuller Corporation, so he wouldn¡¯t put my life at stake for Reba¡¯s sake because they


    weren¡¯t that close either.


    Yet, Stacey got worked up because I expressed my doubts over her words. She paused for a few


    seconds before adding, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, why don¡¯t you confront Ashton and get him to tell you


    about the things that had urred between him and Jared back then!¡±


    I was surprised by the overwhelming news Stacey had brought up out of the blue. ¡°Stacey, I know


    you¡¯re trying your best to leave Felix, but you don¡¯t have to stir things up to achieve your goal. I have


    moved on from the past.¡±


    Aspared to the miscarriage, the abduction was a rtively trivial incident in my life.


    ¡°Are you going to believe me if I tell you Jared is working with the Moore family and plotting something


    against Ashton? Correct me if I¡¯m wrong, but the president of AC Credit has approached Ashton again,


    hasn¡¯t he? They¡¯re noting after the fortune, but they¡¯reing after the foundation of the Fullers!


    They can only get the better of the Fullers by jeopardizing Fuller Corporation from within, bits by bits.


    Otherwise, the Fullers will be unstoppable if Ashton continues to lead the corporation to its prime! The


    Moore family wants to take the Fullers out from J City once and for all!¡±


    I was dumbstruck because Stacey finished her orated speech so sincerely as if it was the actual truth.


    ¡°What is Jared going after?¡±


    ¡°Something happened between Jared and Ashton back then! You have to ask Ashton to get to the


    bottom of the truth!¡±


    ¡°Why does the Moore family want to take the Fullers out when Reba has a thing for Ashton?


    Reba¡¯s doting parents will never put their daughter¡¯s crush at stake.¡±


    She sneered and queried, ¡°Ms. Scarlett, I finally figure out the reason you¡¯re terminated by the


    management of Fuller Corporation. Do you think Reba¡¯s parents are fools? Reba has a thing for


    Ashton because she can¡¯t get her hands on him no matter what! When she¡¯s sick of him, do you think


    her parents will allow him to get away unscathed? In fact, they¡¯re disguising their actual motives


    through their daughter¡¯s crush on Ashton ¨C they¡¯re trying to acquire the Fullers through hostile


    takeover!¡±


    Stacey thought of something else after pausing for a few seconds. ¡°Ashton has decided to prate K


    City because of his ambition and the potential the city has to offer. Why don¡¯t you put yourself in the


    other conglomerates¡¯ shoes? There was only so much the five parties that were involved had to share.


    Do you think they¡¯re willing to share the limited fortune with another outsider? They won¡¯t get as much


    as they initially would since Ashton has shown up. If you¡¯re one of them, do you think you¡¯re going to


    allow Ashton to get things his way? Are you willing to share the limited fortune with ateer?¡±

 Chapter 267

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 267


    Ashton had moved the headquarter to K City due to the abundant resources and information that was


    avable there. Stacey was right ¨C the conglomerates from K City would never allow such an ambitious


    and capable man to get a share of the limited wealth the city had to offer.


    The Moore family did a great job of disguising their actual motive ¨C they wished to acquire Fuller


    Corporation through Reba¡¯s rtionship with Ashton.


    If Ashton and Reba got married, the Moores and the Fullers would be affiliated with one another. By


    then, the Moore family would have nothing to lose. Instead, they would gain ess to all sorts of


    information and resources through Ashton.


    All things considered, I couldn¡¯t figure out the sort of past Ashton and Jared had.


    ¡°I can barely recall the things that have urred back then, but allow me to express my utmost


    gratitude to you, Stacey. Although I¡¯m grateful, I can¡¯t possibly put my future at stake for your sake


    because helping you is going to expose me to immeasurable risk.¡±


    Even though I couldn¡¯t help but sympathize with the things Stacey had to go through, I wouldn¡¯t


    necessarily offer my help because I was never a kind woman.


    In fact, if the Moore family couldn¡¯t win Ashton over, they would consider him a foe in the future. Since I


    was Ashton¡¯s wife, I would have to get myself ready to go against Jared and the Moore family with him.


    Considering the number of foes we had to be wary of, I couldn¡¯t afford to offend the nasty and


    pretentious Felix anymore.


    Stacey felt dejected and decided to push her luck for onest time. She said, ¡°Ms. Stovall, I¡¯m


    conscious of your concerns, but what if I trade my future for my freedom? I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware of my


    capabilities and educational background, aren¡¯t you? As long as I get to leave Felix, I¡¯ll infiltrate the


    Moore family on your behalf!¡±


    She¡¯s willing to infiltrate the Moore family on my behalf?


    I peered at her in the eyes and confronted, ¡°Are you trying to deceive me? Cameron and Zachary can


    easily get their hands on our rtionship. What are you going to do if they find out you used to be my


    subordinate for two years?¡±


    She chuckled because she found my words hrious. ¡°Do you really think the Moore family has time for


    such a trivial matter?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t deny the fact you used to be affiliated with Fuller Corporation, can you?¡± Stacey was a


    capable woman. Hence, it would be odd if she were to tell others she had been unemployed ever since


    her graduation.


    She looked at me in return and asked, ¡°As long as you get John to do you a favor, he will never say no,


    won¡¯t he?¡±


    I raised my brows in surprise as I was shocked by the amount of information she possessed regarding


    my closed ones.


    Due to my skeptical look, she sat upright and asserted, ¡°Ms. Stovall, you don¡¯t have to worry. I started


    gathering all sorts of information after Felix showed his true colors once you left J City. I had been


    keeping an eye on the things back in K City because I was pretty sure I was the only one who could be


    of aid to you.¡±


    ¡°Are you insisting I should offer my help?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have another choice! If you don¡¯t help me, I¡¯ll end up living a miserable life with him! No! I don¡¯t


    think I can make it through another few months, let alone my entire life!¡±


    I was clueless about the things that had urred over the past six months. She used to live a blissful


    life with Felix, yet things took a drastic turn for the worst within six months.


    ¡°You have been acquainted with Felix for so many years. Have you only discovered his true colors after


    both of you are married?¡±


    Stacey smirked as though she found herself pathetic and foolish when she heard of Felix. ¡°You¡¯re right.


    I used to think he was the right one after the years we spent together. However, I was wrong because


    he had been putting on a show to deceive me! I wasn¡¯t the only one he had deceived. In fact, he even


    tricked his parents and his friends into believing he was a gentle and innocent man!¡±


    Halfway through her speech, she started trembling and avoided my gaze. Perhaps she started recalling


    the horrifying memories she had with him again. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t witnessed the vicious things he had done


    behind others, I would never figure out he was such a cruel man! After we got married, he became


    another man. In the first few months, he would throw a tantrum and vent his anger on me, but


    eventually, he started abusing me. I once thought of acquiring the cops¡¯ aid, but others would step up


    and vouch for him, stating he was a gentle and kind man. They med me for his vulgar acts and said


    I was the reason behind the change in his attitude! You saw how he behaved and got infuriated


    abruptly for no apparent reasons when we were in the restaurant, right? I had nothing to do with it, and


    I couldn¡¯t figure out the reason behind it either!¡±


    Hearing what she had said, I decided to stop poking my nose into her horrifying experiences and


    asked, ¡°What sort of help do you need from me?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t in a position to judge, but I could definitely use another reliable ally instead of making myself


    another foe.


    Perhaps Stacey didn¡¯t expect I would give in to her request just yet; she stared at me wide-eyed and


    replied excitedly, ¡°Felix is a perverted man deep down. He enjoys going after women who are hard to


    get, and that¡¯s you! I need you to join me for a meal.¡±


    ¡°Have you been thinking about this all this while?¡±


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    She looked elsewhere and nodded because she felt guilty deep down. ¡°You¡¯re the only one who¡¯s


    capable of taking Felix out once and for all amongst the ones I¡¯m acquainted with.¡±


    I cast a skeptical gaze in return and eximed, ¡°I¡¯m impressed because that¡¯s actually a brilliant n,


    Stacey! Once you¡¯re ready, feel free to call me.¡±


    She suggested and handed over a name card to me. ¡°What about tonight? The address, contact


    number, and room number are listed on the card.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but scoff when I saw the name card. ¡°What makes you think I¡¯m going to give in to your


    request?¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you already agreed to it?¡± Stacey replied with a determined look.


    ¡°Great! I guess I¡¯ll look forward to working with you!¡± I took over the name card and initiated a


    handshake.


    She returned the favor and replied, ¡°I won¡¯t let you down!¡±


    At 8 p.m., I reached the private dining room of a rtively miniature bar at a hidden alley.

 Chapter 268

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 268


    Stacey had arrived by the time I entered the private dining room, but Felix was nowhere to be seen.


    Ten minutester, the man finally showed up and joined us.


    He was surprised by my presence and greeted me with a courteous smile the moment he saw me.


    ¡°Stacey told me she has a friend that¡¯s keen to have some wild and raunchy fun together. I didn¡¯t


    expect it would be you, Mrs. Fuller! To be honest, I¡¯m surprised by your kink!¡±


    I responded with a smirk, but I couldn¡¯t get used to the odd set of outfits I had put on. It was a set of


    exposing outfits that I would rarely wear.


    On top of that, I had gone to great lengths to doll myself up because I knew what it would take to charm


    a man like him.


    ¡°Mr. Ludwick! Have a seat!¡± I offered him to take a seat by my side and shed him a bright smile.


    Meanwhile, he sized me up over and over again as though I was some sort of exhibition item.


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, aren¡¯t you afraid that Mr. Fuller would find out that you¡¯re here with us today? I mean, no


    ordinary man can ept the fact their spouse would, you know, have fun with another man,¡± he


    expressed his concerns, but his expression suggested he wasn¡¯t worried the slightest.


    The messed-up man had a vicious grin on his face because he was thrilled by the malicious thoughts in


    his mind. I recalled Stacey¡¯s warning ¨C Felix was corrupted to his very core.


    With that, I tucked my hair behind my ears and denoted, ¡°Well, all we have to do is to keep him in the


    dark, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Felixughed and announced, ¡°I have always wondered the reason Ashton neglected you


    and spent most of his time with other women! It turns out you¡¯re special!¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    I was disgusted by the conversation we had, but I forced a smile and asserted, ¡°We only get to live our


    life once, don¡¯t we? Thus, shouldn¡¯t we live our life to the fullest and enjoy ourselves to our heart¡¯s


    content?¡±


    Felix swirled his ss of wine and had his eyes glued to me since the moment he walked into the


    room.


    He guffawed at my words because I was spot on. As revolting as it was, he enjoyed being around a


    woman with the same interest as him the most.


    Then, Stacey took a seat beside me and whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll head out for a short while. Get in touch with


    me as soon as possible if you need me.¡±


    I nodded and muttered under my breath, ¡°You better make your way back soon.¡±


    Once Stacey departed, Felix leaned over. Despite his gorgeous-looking face, I frowned subconsciously


    because I was disgusted by his superficial disguise, and the smell of his over-powering cologne made


    me gag.


    I inched away and asked, ¡°Have you always been so easily excited, Mr. Ludwick?¡±


    I guess he can¡¯t resist his urge anymore since his wife isn¡¯t around, huh?


    ¡°Since we¡¯re here for some fun, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s perfectly fine for us to be who we truly are? I mean,


    we don¡¯t have to put on a show when we¡¯re aware of the preferences we have, don¡¯t you think? So why


    don¡¯t we have some fun and forget about it after the night ends!¡±


    As he announced his sickening n, he leaned over and ran his fingers across myp.


    Although I could barely resist the urge to throw a punch at him in the face, I had no choice but to carry


    on with the act.


    Nevertheless, I couldn¡¯t stand it anymore because he wouldn¡¯t stop caressing my thigh. Suddenly, I


    raised my head and smiled while stating, ¡°M-Mr. Ludwick, I need to use the washroom because it¡¯s the


    first time I¡¯m involved in such an activity! I-I think I¡¯m nervous!¡±


    It was evident he didn¡¯t have enough of me yet. Although he was displeased, he nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ll


    be waiting for you, darling! Hurry up!¡±


    After I made it to the washroom, Stacey approached me and asked, ¡°You alright? Can you handle it?¡±


    I nodded and started washing my face with the running tap. As I waspletely baffled, I couldn¡¯t


    conceal my curiosity anymore.


    ¡°Have you been asking others out on his behalf through such a peculiar method all this while?¡±


    Stacey signaled her acknowledgment with a nod and exined, ¡°I would get in touch with university


    students on his behalf. If he had fun, he would allow me to live in peace for a few days. Otherwise, he


    would take things out on me if he had an awful session.¡±


    I nced at her openmouthed because I had never heard of a woman desiring her husband to have


    some fun with another woman.


    ¡°I want you to spike his drink with this once you have the chance. He¡¯s an extremely observant and


    cautious man, so if he notices something¡¯s off, things may head south. However, this will make him less


    rational.¡± Stacey handed over a pill to me after she finished her sentence.


    ¡°What¡¯s this? Ecstasy?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! It¡¯s best to take him out as soon as possible to avoid unwanted oues!¡±


    I thought it was a great idea and walked out of the washroom after I took the pill from her.


    A few stepster, she told me, ¡°Ms. Stovall¡­ please take care of yourself!¡±


    Stunned, I turned around and paused for a short while. I then responded with a nod and left the


    washroom.


    On the way back, I caught a glimpse of Felix while he was smoking in the corridor.


    At first, I intended to pretend I wasn¡¯t aware of his presence. However, I brought myself to a halt when I


    noticed his disgusting pair of slitted eyes because he had his eyes glued to me.


    I had no choice but to suppress the frustration I felt and forced a smile as I greeted, ¡°Mr. Ludwick!¡±


    He seemed to enjoy the process of seducing me. After he had one final whiff of smoke, he put off the


    cigarette and walked over to my side.


    ¡°Scarlett, has anyone ever told you that you look great? Your smile is what kills me!¡± He was merely a


    few inches away from me by the time he finished his flirtatious remark.


    I nodded and said, ¡°Yes! You just told me that!¡±


    The perverted man chuckled in return and offered, ¡°The night is still young! Why don¡¯t we go


    somewhere else for another round of drinks?¡±


    ¡°Huh? S-Somewhere else?¡± I queried with my brows furrowed.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you enjoy staying here?¡±


    I paused for a short while and asked, ¡°N-Not really, but don¡¯t we have to wait for Stacey?¡±


    He got slightly irked when I brought up Stacey in front of him. ¡°Why should we wait for her? We can


    have all sorts of fun without her! It¡¯s better for her to stay out of our ways anyway. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    As soon as he brought up the suggestion, he reached over in an attempt to grasp my hand, but I


    evaded his hands and said, ¡°But she¡¯s your wife. Shouldn¡¯t you have at least waited for her?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine! She¡¯ll make her way back home on her own!¡± Once he assured me everything was fine, he


    gripped my hand tightly and brought me out.


    Even so, I stopped him and rebuked, ¡°Mr. Ludwick, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s fine at all! You should allow me to


    tell Stacey we¡¯re heading elsewhere!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Felix seemed to be too eager. Initially, I thought the session would be conducted in the private


    dining room, but I was wrong because he indicated his will to bring me elsewhere.

 Chapter 269

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 269


    I felt a chill running down my spine and knew I had to stop him before things got to the point of no


    return. ¡°Mr. Ludwick, are you trying to take me into custody against my will? If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m afraid


    I won¡¯t keep youpany anymore because it¡¯s not fun at all!¡±


    ¡°Shut up ande with me! Since we¡¯re going to have some fun, we should spice it up a bit!¡± I wasn¡¯t a


    match for him in terms of strength. In the end, I was dragged out of the bar against my will.


    My life might be at stake if I were to leave with the vicious man.


    Therefore, I leaned against the wall and warned him, ¡°Mr. Ludwick, if we¡¯re going to leave, I¡¯m afraid I


    have to turn you down!¡±


    The man red at me and confronted, ¡°Why do you insist on staying here? Are you trying to deceive


    me? Scarlett, do you really think I¡¯m not aware of the n Stacey has devised with you? I¡¯m conscious


    of the n to trick me, but that¡¯s not going to stop me from having you spend a night with me! I¡¯m not


    afraid of Ashton at all, but I don¡¯t want others to get in my way when I¡¯m having the best time of my life!


    They¡¯re going to ruin my mood!¡±


    My heart sank when I heard his words ¨C he knew of our n all along! Immediately, I tried to yell for


    help, but before my voice could reach others in the bar, I was rendered unconscious the moment I felt a


    racking sensation from my neck.


    By the time I regained consciousness, Felix was right in front of me with a perverted look. I surveyed


    the surroundings and noticed I was ced in a bathtub in a hotel room.


    I waspletely drenched because he had sshed water on me to wake me up. What was worse


    was that my clothes were soaked, making every single part of my body exposed.


    Staring at the now butt-naked Felix in front of me, I squinted my eyes and asked calmly, ¡°Mr. Ludwick,


    what are you nning to do?¡±


    Grinning, the pervert approached me and said, ¡°What else could it be? Have you forgotten the reason


    we¡¯re here?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Ludwick, are you trying to force me into submission? I told you I had no intention of changing the


    venue!¡±


    ¡°So what? Don¡¯t you think this is even better? However, I¡¯m afraid of hurting you during the process! My


    heart will shatter into pieces if that¡¯s the case!¡±


    He ced his arms on the bathtub and leaned over.


    Instinctively, I raised my leg andunched a kick in Felix¡¯s direction. However, he managed to evade


    my kick and moved away swiftly.


    After he brought himself up, he wiped the water droplets that were on his face andplimented, ¡°Oh,


    aren¡¯t you a feisty one! You made me all excited now.¡±


    I paid no heed to his words because the only thing I had in mind was to get in touch with Ashton. Since


    we were in a hotel, I was sure there was andline in the room.


    Once I thought about it, I brought myself out of the bathtub. Yet, the moment I got out of the tub, he


    held me by the neck and pushed me back into the tub.


    I was appalled by the sicko and retaliated against him in an attempt to break free from his grasp.


    Nheless, my effort was futile because he was way too strong.


    Eventually, I was bruised all over my body because I knocked into the bathtub while retaliating against


    Felix.


    It was an awful scene, yet it seemed to have pleased the sadist even more. Right then, he started


    teasing me, ¡°Tsk-tsk! You have such a gorgeous figure! I guess a woman who has given birth before is


    better than those virgins! What¡¯s so great about Ashton anyway? If you¡¯re mine, I won¡¯t approach


    another woman anymore!¡±


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Using my knee, Iunched a fatal blow in the direction of his crotch when he got caught up in delivering


    his arrogant speech.


    ¡°Argh!¡± He finally unfastened his grip when he felt the racking sensation. I grabbed the opportunity and


    sneaked away from him, making my way out of the bathtub.


    However, the man couldn¡¯t be bothered by the pain at all. He grabbed my ankle and stopped me,


    causing me to stumble.


    As a result, I fell to the ground and thought that would be it for me because I could literally hear my


    bones cracking due to the impact.


    He then got out of the bathtub and pulled my hair to bring me up from the floor. Without a second


    thought, he pped me in the face after he brought me up.


    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going? Since you havee to me, why are you ying hard to get all of a


    sudden?¡± That pervert didn¡¯t bother to hold back against me at all. My face was swollen after the


    several consecutive, merciless ps.


    The man, who had been proven to be aggressive, let loose of himself since there wasn¡¯t anyone in the


    room to restrain him.


    Perhaps he wasn¡¯t satisfied with the few ps in the face ¨C he lifted me and kicked me in the abdomen


    after he pulled himself together.


    I couldn¡¯t stand against the powerful force. Therefore, I bumped into the basin and had a hard time


    breathing due to the excruciating sensationing from my head and my abdomen.


    As a result, I copsed on the ground because I was rendered defenseless by the sadistic man. That


    pervert approached me with a vicious smirk and crouched by my side after he reached me.


    He ran his fingers across my shirt and stopped when he reached the cor. ¡°You know what? I can¡¯t


    wait to devour you when you¡¯re in such a pathetic state! I wonder if Ashton will be disgusted when he


    looks at you right now!¡±


    I gasped due to the pain I felt. Although I could barely open my eyes, I forced myself to glower at the


    man. ¡°Felix, you better make sure I don¡¯t get to make it out alive! Otherwise-¡±


    ¡°Argh!¡± I felt as though I would pass out again soon as he started biting me on the neck.


    Truth be told, I would break down soon if Stacey failed to show up as promised.


    In the nick of time, Felix stopped when he heard the vigorous knock on the door.


    Then he looked at me and yelled, ¡°Scarlett, I¡¯ll send you to hell for real!¡±


    Immediately after his warning, he started strangling me once more. It felt as though I was merely a step


    away from hell.


    Meanwhile, the person outside of the room wouldn¡¯t stop knocking on the door. Eventually, he started


    yelling because no one was there to answer the door. ¡°Felix! Open the door!¡±


    H-Huh? Is that¡­ a middle-aged man¡¯s voice?


    We were equally dumbfounded because we thought Ashton was the one who was at the doorstep.


    Quickly, Felix cast me aside and rushed over to answer the door.


    Although it was merely a few minutes, I waspletely messed up due to Felix¡¯s brutal act. In spite of


    my horrifying look, I brought myself up and rushed out of the bathroom to ask for help.


    To my surprise, the person who had shown up was none other than Mr. Tuffin ¨C the man who had


    abducted me from the parking lot some time ago.


    Mr. Tuffin looked at Felix because he was shocked by my presence. ¡°Why did you ask me over when


    you¡¯re clearly in the middle of something?¡±


    Felix, who waspletely drenched, replied with a confused look, ¡°What do you mean? I have never


    asked you to meet me here!¡±

 Chapter 270

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 270


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who had called me over because you have something to tell me? I wasn¡¯t going


    to rush over, but you insisted you had something urgent to tell me and said it was about a new mission


    from the Moore family!¡± After he exined himself, the middle-aged man looked in my direction and


    asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Felix rebuked with his eyes wide open, ¡°No! I¡¯ve never contacted you! I didn¡¯t receive any mission from


    the Moore family either!¡±


    They exchanged nces and knew something was wrong almost immediately.


    The vicious duo looked at me while Felix confronted, ¡°Are you the one behind this?¡±


    I supported myself and leaned against the wall to bring myself up. After I took a breather, I nodded and


    announced, ¡°Yes! Since we¡¯re holding a grudge against one another, eventually, we¡¯ll have to settle the


    scores, right?¡±


    Mr. Tuffin couldn¡¯t grasp the situation. He looked at Felix with a frown and asked, ¡°Are you the one who


    has brought her over?¡±


    Felix nodded with a horrified expression and told Mr. Tuffin, ¡°Hurry up and let¡¯s go!¡±


    Leaning against the wall, I neglected the pain I felt and warned them, ¡°It¡¯s toote! Do you really think


    I¡¯ll let any one of you go after the things you have put me through?¡±


    p! The middle-aged mannded a hard p on Felix¡¯s face. He then got worked up and yelled,


    ¡°You¡¯re such a fool! Do you know who the hell she is? Of all the people you could get your hands on,


    why the heck does it have to be her? Didn¡¯t you know that you¡¯re ying with fire!¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, Ashton is just a businessman! He can¡¯t do anything against us apart from throwing us behind


    bars for a few days! What are you afraid of?¡± Felix wiped the blood from his lips and replied scornfully.


    ¡°You idiot! Don¡¯t you know Louis had acknowledged her as his goddaughter when they were in K City?


    And it just so happened that Louis is attending an event with Clinton today?¡±


    ¡°W-What? S-She¡¯s Louis¡¯ goddaughter?¡±


    After giving it a thought for a few seconds, Felix made up his mind and cast a wrathful gaze at me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s kill her!¡±


    ¡°Oh, you must be out of your f*ckin¡¯ mind! What should we do about the surveince system of the


    hotel, huh? Do you really think you can get away unscathed if she turns out dead when you were the


    one who had brought her into the room? Please tell me you¡¯re not such a simple-minded fool!¡±


    The middle-aged man was infuriated and could barely catch his breath. He added, ¡°Louis has always


    been known for being extremely protective over his close ones! Meanwhile, Ashton is a cunning man


    that¡¯s capable of pulling the strings to send you to hell! Do you really think Mr. Clinton can keep you


    safe? And to think that you¡¯re the bastard who would drag me down along with you!¡±


    Felix looked at me with his eyes narrowed to a slit. ¡°Scarlett, I have never offended you! Why did you


    set me up? What are youing after? Don¡¯t you think you should tell me about the rationale behind


    your action since you have gotten the better of me?¡±


    Leaning against the wall, I didn¡¯t bother to conceal my bruises at all. Instead, I wanted to be as pathetic


    as possible. ¡°I¡¯m merely doing Stacey a favor while getting my revenge for the abduction that has


    urred half a year ago. Coincidentally, I found out both of you are executing the orders from Zachary.


    I will never allow those from the Moore family to live a peaceful life! Therefore, I didn¡¯t mind putting my


    life at stake to achieve my goal!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re crazy!¡± Felix was no longer the arrogant and proud man he was a few minutes ago.


    Truth be told, I couldn¡¯t figure out the reason he was released from the police station.


    His influence due to his position as an auditor affiliated with AC Credit and the Ludwick family wouldn¡¯t


    allow him to wield such great influences. Stacey wasn¡¯t a fool either ¨C she came to me for help because


    the one behind Felix wasn¡¯t AC Credit or the Ludwick family; it was Clinton!


    I should consider myself lucky because if it weren¡¯t because of Stacey, I wouldn¡¯t have figured out the


    rtionship between Felix and Clinton, let alone Clinton and Cameron.


    Previously, Ashton brought me to Pear Garden to get Macy out of jail. It turned out Cameron was the


    one who had brought Clinton over.


    An instruction from Cameron was all it took to get Clinton to do her bidding.


    Meanwhile, Felix, who was still being hopeful, hadn¡¯t given up on the thought of killing me. He looked at


    the middle-aged man and instructed, ¡°Kill her! As long as she¡¯s dead, I¡¯m sure we can get off the hook


    easily! Let¡¯s get Mr. Moore to deal with the surveince system for us. I¡¯m sure he can go against


    Louis.¡±


    Compared to Felix, the other man was rtively calm. All of a sudden, he ran and crashed into Felix in


    an attempt to knock him out.


    Instinctively, Felix moved away and evaded the middle-aged man¡¯s attack. Since thetter had a


    rtively chubby built, he passed out after he knocked on the wall. His head started bleeding as a


    result.


    I couldn¡¯t help but was surprised. Undeniably, he was a smart and shrewd man.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    At the same time, Felix also realized what the middle-aged man was trying to do. Hence, he cursed,


    ¡°Savini, you¡¯re such an a**hole!¡±


    A few minutester, a bunch of police officers and bodyguards barged into the room and surrounded


    us.


    Felix was pinned to the ground by the police officers while Ashton, Louis, and John showed up in the


    room side by side.


    Ashton, who had a gloomy expression, rushed over and ced his zer over me.


    Thest to enter the room was a terrified Clinton. He got infuriated the moment he caught a glimpse of


    Felix. A few secondster, heunched a kick on his stomach and warned him, ¡°How dare you


    challenge the authority of the police when you¡¯re in J City! Who the heck do you think you are,


    scoundrel?¡±


    It was a heavy blow on Felix. If the police officers hadn¡¯t pinned Felix to the ground, he might be sent


    flying by the powerful kick.


    In the meantime, I was rushed to the hospital immediately after they found me.


    After Ashton left, John, who was had stayed by my side in the ward, held onto my hand and teased,


    ¡°Do you really think you¡¯re capable of defending yourself? Who gave you the audacity to lure them out


    on your own? Do you have a death wish?¡±


    I replied with a faint smile and checked on my pair of hands that were wrapped in gauze. ¡°It¡¯s nothing


    serious, isn¡¯t it? Shouldn¡¯t you be congratting me for a job well done?¡±


    He scoffed, ¡°If Uncle Louis and I weren¡¯t around, how would you get yourself out of the nasty situation?


    And if it weren¡¯t because of our influences, do you think Felix will be intimidated by the presence of


    Ashton, a businessman?¡±


    I shrugged my shoulders nonchntly and beamed. ¡°Well, it turned out just fine, hasn¡¯t it? If none of


    you were around, I wouldn¡¯t have put myself at stake either.¡±

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    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 271


    Pausing for a while, I asked, ¡°What¡¯s awaiting Felix?¡±


    John told me the truth, ¡°He will be sentenced to death or thrown behind bars for the rest of his life since


    he was the culprit behind a few innocent lives. Previously, Hector allowed Felix to get away after all the


    nasty things he has done because no one was around in J City. Since Uncle Louis has shown up and


    reported the things that Felix was involved in, he will never be set free anymore! As Hector was the one


    backing him up over the years, he, too, will have to bear the consequences of his actions. Honestly


    speaking, you did a great job because your action has allowed Uncle Louis to get his hands on the


    foundation of the Moore family.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t conscious of the exact rtionship that was involved behind the scene, but I knew Cameron


    was a close acquaintance of Hector. They must have some sort of dodgy deals that could be exposed


    through a simple investigation. Perhaps Uncle Louis could get to the bottom of the Moore family¡¯s


    scandals over the years. If the Moore family wished to protect the sake of the greater crowd, they


    would have to forsake Cameron and chase her away from the family.


    John stared at me for a short while before asking, ¡°So¡­ are you happy about this?¡±


    I shrugged my shoulders and said, ¡°Hmm¡­ Not really, because the best is yet toe! This is merely


    the beginning of a wild ride!¡±


    Before heading over to meet Stacey, I found out Louis was in town to carry out his duty, but he would


    depart after he was done with the things he had scheduled beforehand. Initially, I asked Louis to join


    me for a simple meal, but he had a lot of things on his te and didn¡¯t have time for me.


    Therefore, I headed over and meet Stacey in advance.


    When she asked me to do her a favor, I thought of the options avable. After a while, I figured that


    Stacey only wanted me to make use of Ashton¡¯s influence to keep Felix behind bars for a few years,


    alive.


    However, I had the exact opposite idea. Since I was involved in the operation, I figured he would


    definitelye after me once he regained freedom. Thus, I would never allow him to make it out alive,


    let alone getting his revenge.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    I decided to give him a fatal blow through Louis¡¯ aid after I had everything sorted out.


    In spite of the wless n, I was traumatized because I was merely a step away from hell a few hours


    ago. After John departed, I fell asleep.


    Halfway through my sleep, I opened my eyes and caught the silhouette of a certain someone by my


    side. It was Ashton ¨C he stared at me with a poker face in the pitch-ck ward that was illuminated by


    the streemps, making him extraordinarily unfathomable.


    I looked at him quietly because I was conscious he was infuriated by my careless acts. He refused to


    talk to me the moment we made our way to the hospital. However, he urged the doctor to keep an eye


    on me over and over again as he was afraid something bad might happen to me.


    Suddenly, the nurse switched on the light because it was about time to change the bag of saline


    solution, but she noticed something seemed to be off and made her way out since it wouldn¡¯t be


    necessary to change it yet.


    I noticed his wrinkled zer once the light was switched on. Ashton had a rtively haggard look while


    his eyes were bloodshot. Although he had chapped lips, it didn¡¯t impact his ethereal-looking face at all.


    I thought he wouldn¡¯t break the silence should I keep quiet throughout the night, but he initiated a


    conversation and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to talk about it?¡±


    To be honest, I couldn¡¯t be sure of the things to talk about because all sorts of things shed through


    my mind, including the part where his participation was all part of my intended n.


    Although he didn¡¯t expose me, I knew he had figured it out after he rendezvoused with John and Louis


    to rescue me.


    I gave it another thought and put on a pitiable front in response because I thought he would feel better


    after teaching me another lesson as he had always done.


    Ashton got infuriated and had his abysmal pair of eyes glued to me when he noticed my response.


    ¡°How could you get yourself involved because of a jerk? Is it worth it?¡±


    He was worried about my condition because I was bruised all over my body. Therefore, he asked in a


    serious tone to express his concerns.


    Thus, of course, I replied with a miserable look in an aggrieved tone, ¡°I-It hurts¡­¡±


    I wasn¡¯t lying. It was like nothing I had ever felt throughout my entire life because Felix went all out and


    strangled me as though he wanted me dead. Thankfully, I managed to make it out alive.


    Upon that, Ashton sneered sarcastically, ¡°Oh? Does that mean you can feel the pain?¡±


    I pursed my lips and yed along with him because I was aware of his frustration. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect him


    to be such an aggressive man either! At first, I thought you guys would rush to my rescue after a few


    punches, but it turned out to be slightly off track at the end.¡±


    ¡°Are you ming us for not being there for you?¡±


    I shook my head and asserted, ¡°No! I¡¯m grateful to have everyone there in the nick of time!¡±


    Just then, he recalled something and asked solemnly, ¡°Why is Savini in the room when you¡¯re there to


    avenge Stacey?


    I was surprised by Savini¡¯s response as well. But when I thought about it, I reckoned Stacey was the


    one who had lured him over, but the cunning man knocked himself to the wall. Thus, he managed to


    make it seemed as if he were there to rescue me.


    I didn¡¯t have the evidence that he was the one who had abducted me previously. So they might not


    believe me even if I brought it up in front of the rest. Upon that thought, I decided to keep everything to


    myself.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but he seems to be a close acquaintance of Felix and has dropped by to meet him.¡±


    However, Ashton, knew that I was holding something back. Then, he red at me and warned me,


    ¡°Scarlett, tell me the truth!¡±


    Raising my chin against my will, a dangerous glint could be seen in his eyes. ¡°Are you sure you have


    never seen him before?¡±


    I nodded and assured, ¡°What makes you think I have?¡±


    ¡°Are you telling me Savini, who¡¯s the vice president of a technologypany in A City, has shown up in


    the hotel because he was there to rescue you? Have you always perceived me as a fool? Why would


    such an influential corporate figure sacrifice himself to protect someone he isn¡¯t affiliated with?¡±


    I was baffled because I didn¡¯t expect Cameron to be affiliated with another influential figure from A City.


    Frankly, I was shocked by Savini¡¯s actual identity.


    ¡°Are you going to believe me if I tell you he¡¯s an aplice of Felix?¡± I asked as I looked at Ashton.


    Frowning, Ashton queried, ¡°Did he deliberately hurt himself?¡±

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    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 272


    I acknowledged his words with a nod and said, ¡°The cunning man started hurting himself once he


    noticed that the cops were near.¡±


    ¡°Did he know you before this?¡± I furrowed my brows when I heard his question because he had brought


    up the topic I wished to avoid the most.


    A few secondster, I told him the truth, ¡°Reba used to send him to abduct me.¡±


    ¡°When?¡±


    ¡°It was during the period when I had just taken over AC Credit and HiTech¡­¡±


    Ashton frowned once again. He rebuked my statement with a determined look, ¡°It¡¯s impossible¡­


    Reba couldn¡¯t be the one behind it¡­¡±


    I chuckled at his response, but I felt dejected deep down. ¡°I know Reba still holds a special ce in


    your heart¡­¡±


    Immediately, his face loomed with a gloomy expression as he stated, ¡°It would be impossible for her to


    utilize Cameron¡¯s subordinate because she had just reunited with them back then.¡±


    ¡°Ha! You¡¯re right because I don¡¯t think she¡¯s capable of executing such aplicated scheme! To begin


    with, she was never a smart woman!¡± I had no intention of rebutting his statement.


    ¡°Scarlett!¡±


    Initially, I thought he was there because he was worried about me. However, I seemed to have


    misperceived his intentions ¨C he was there to interrogate me.


    As I was sleepy, I yawned and said, ¡°Mr. Fuller, it¡¯s time for you to leave because I need to sleep.¡±


    Nevertheless, the infuriated man showed no signs of leaving as he leaned against the chair while


    ring at me in the eyes indifferently.


    His presence had intimidated the nurse who had dropped by to change the bag of fluid. She wouldn¡¯t


    stop shivering in fear because she thought she had done something wrong and offended Ashton.


    After she got the bag of fluid changed, she heaved a sigh of relief and walked out of the ward with the


    used bag of fluid immediately.


    However, after she walked a few steps, she turned around and stuttered while delivering her


    instructions. ¡°S-Sir, you have to apply the o-ointment that has been prescribed by the doctor on Ms.


    Stovall¡¯s n-neck. I believe Ms. Stovall has the ointment with h-her.¡±


    Immediately after the nurse departed, he stared at me and asked callously, ¡°Where¡¯s the ointment?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with it myself! You should just go back!¡± I pouted my lips as usual because I had enough of


    him.


    He got up from his seat and neglected my words, searching high and low for the ointment. After he


    found the ointment on the nightstand, he squeezed some of it on his palms.


    ¡°I can do it myself!¡± As he approached me to apply it to my neck, I inched away from him because I


    didn¡¯t want him anywhere near me.


    It was toote because, by the time I finished my sentence, I could feel his palms on my neck. I pursed


    my lips and allowed him to apply the ointment.


    I frowned due to the tingling sensation I felt and tried to move away from him because it was


    unpleasant.


    ¡°Does it hurt?¡± He hushed and started blowing my bruised neck to alleviate the pain I felt.


    ¡°No!¡± Since I was the one who decided to get myself hurt, I wasn¡¯t in a position toin about the


    injuries.


    ¡°You have to refrain from acting on impulse in the future. Even if you want to lure someone out, you


    have to ensure your own safety.¡±


    I closed my eyes and remained silent while nodding because I had no intention to carry on with the


    conversation.


    After he applied the ointment on my neck, he asked, ¡°Anywhere else that hurts?¡±


    I shook my head because there were certain parts that I couldn¡¯t share with him.


    He took me by surprise and unfolded the nket, exposing my stomach that was bruised due to Felix¡¯s


    aggressive kick. The tender skin on my stomach had turned purple as a result.


    ring at me once more, he gritted his teeth and asked, ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    I knew it wouldn¡¯t do me any good to reply to him, so I kept mum.


    After he applied the ointment on my stomach, he checked on my body to ensure I was fine before


    cing the ointment aside and tucking me in. In the end, the man instructed, ¡°You should get some


    rest.¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­ Thanks!¡± I replied with a nod.


    He narrowed his eyes and queried, ¡°What are we?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ Humans?¡±


    I rephrased my reply because I knew he was rendered speechless by my reply.


    ¡°We¡¯re a married couple!¡±


    ¡°Since we¡¯re a married couple, is it necessary for you to express your gratitude for such a trivial favor?¡±


    He cast a skeptical gaze at me.


    Ultimately, I decided to keep my mouth shut because I was at a loss for words.


    After spending most of my time on the bed for the uing few days, I heard the word of Felix¡¯s


    conviction. John was spot on ¨C Felix was sentenced to death due to his involvement with a few other


    victims.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Meanwhile, Hector was terminated from his position because of his wrongdoings over the years.


    As there were a lot of people that were involved in their dealings, Louis instructed some of his men to


    investigate those who used to be in touch with Hector when he brought back Hector to K City with him.


    On the other hand, Marcus had long made his way back to K City because of an emergency that had


    arisen within hispany that required his attention.


    After Ashton had people back at thepany to take over his role, we made our trip back to K City as


    well.


    A week after we returned, we found out Reba had lost her baby. Consequently, she started


    behaving like a madwoman due to her miscarriage.


    I had to follow up with the deal we had with OrbitTech and set up the necessary groundwork for the


    operation to take ce soon.


    Therefore, I spent the entire week working after we returned because I had a full schedule.


    As Felix hadunched a fatal blow on my abdomen area, we dropped by the hospital for a few rounds


    of check-ups as the doctor in J City advised.


    When Ashton and I dropped by the hospital, we encountered Cameron and Reba in the corridor.


    They were on their way to the doctor¡¯s office for an examination as well.


    To be honest, I was shocked because Reba was much skinnier than thest time we met.


    Reba¡¯s eyes started brimming with tears as soon as she saw Ashton. She catapulted in his direction


    while wailing, ¡°Ash, you¡¯re finally here for me!¡±


    Ashton evaded her, but the fragile woman, who had copsed to the ground, grasped Ashton¡¯s pants


    and stopped him. ¡°Ash, I have lost my child! When Parker passed on, he told me I would live a blissful


    life as long as I have you by my side! What am I supposed to do when you¡¯re no longer around? I-I


    can¡¯t rely on anyone else¡­ My life is miserable without you!¡±


    The moment she spoke about Parker, Ashton leaned over and helped her up. ¡°You need to take good


    care of yourself because you still have a long way to go in life.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t be sure of the emotions behind his words because he enunciated his reply callously.


    Nevertheless, his words of encouragement were the best remedy Reba could ever ask to pull


    herself together. She held him firmly in between her arms as she started wailing again. ¡°A-Ash, I don¡¯t


    want anything else¡­ Please forgive me for the things I have done! A-As long as you¡¯re willing to


    forgive me, I¡¯m willing to forsake other things in my life¡­ I¡¯ll behave myself and treat your wife with


    respect as though she¡¯s my beloved sister!¡±

 Chapter 273

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 273


    Sobbing, she dered, ¡°I was too stubborn and unreasonable. Ash, I¡¯ll change my bad habits. I¡¯ll be


    good!¡±


    Ashton frowned. After all, he had been taking care of her for years. It wouldn¡¯t be easy for him to forget


    her.


    He nced at me without a word, and I immediately knew what he was about to do.


    After a pause, I told him, ¡°You can stay with her. I¡¯ll go to the doctor myself.¡±


    He pursed his lips. ¡°I¡¯ll join youter?¡±


    ¡°No. She needs you more than I do.¡± He was obviously worried about her. If he leaves with me, he¡¯ll be


    worried the whole time. Why would I humiliate myself?


    Tears rolled down Reba¡¯s face. ¡°Scarlett, are you still mad at me? I apologize on behalf of my mom.


    I would¡¯ve stopped her if I had an inkling of her intention.¡±


    With that, she fell to her knees with a loud thud while sobbing profusely.


    Everyone in the hallway, including the patients in their wards, craned their necks to see what was going


    on.


    Cameron, who was silent for the entire time, immediately tried to help her up. As her daughter refused


    to budge, she sank to her knees, too. ¡°Scarlett, it was all my doing. Reba doesn¡¯t know I tried to


    abduct you. You made Reba lose her baby the same way. Do you feel better now?¡±


    I furrowed my frows.. Interesting.


    ¡°Youngdy, everyone makes mistakes. You should forgive them.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Besides, she¡¯s still ill. Don¡¯t make things difficult for them.¡±


    The crowd¡¯s voice grew louder, criticizing me for being unreasonable.


    I had run out of ideas. ¡°Ladies, if you want me to forgive you, pay your respects to my child, whom you


    choked to death. Reba, your miscarriage has nothing to do with me. Did I choke or suffocate your


    child to death? You were the one who was afraid Sally might run a DNA test after you gave birth. If the


    results prove the child isn¡¯t Ashton¡¯s, he¡¯ll leave you for sure. You dared not give birth to your child and


    med its death on me!


    ¡°If I am that capable, I would¡¯ve saved my child when Ms. Anderson kidnapped me and murdered my


    child. You did something wrong. I¡¯m not obliged to forgive you every time you beg for forgiveness


    shamelessly.¡±


    With that, I stepped back and entered the elevator.


    Ashton soon caught up to me as we entered the car.


    I sneered. ¡°Mr. Fuller, won¡¯t you apany your crush?¡±


    He sat in the driver¡¯s seat and grabbed my chin to kiss me deeply.


    ¡°Scarlett, why are you this rude?¡±


    I shoved him away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to hurt your crush. I¡¯ll control myself next time.¡±


    After struggling in vain, my anger heightened. ¡°Ashton, you don¡¯t have to insult me this way. If you want


    to defend her, you¡¯re wee to p me. We¡¯ll both feel better that way.¡±


    He stopped and forced me to meet his gaze. ¡°You¡¯re not mad. Is it because it¡¯s unnecessary, or do I


    disgust you?¡±


    I was stunned.


    His gaze darkened. ¡°Do you think I will defend Reba? You don¡¯t think of me as your husband? Am I


    that heartless?¡±


    I pressed my lips together and nced at him silently.


    ¡°No!¡± I responded after a pause.


    He felt responsible for Reba. Even if he knew what was going on, he had to fulfil his promise to


    Parker.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Besides, both Reba and I lost our babies. To others, we suffered from the same plight, so we should


    call it even.


    From the perspective of a bystander, I shouldn¡¯t be holding a grudge against her.


    Ashton gazed at me before sneering. ¡°You¡¯ve never thought of me as the father of your child. You don¡¯t


    care what I¡¯ll do, right? After losing the child, you asked for Marcus¡¯ help. You wanted to help John.


    You¡¯ve never thought of asking me. Scarlett, what am I to you? A useless ornament?¡±


    I was amused by his outburst. ¡°Ashton, you¡¯re the one who can¡¯t get over Reba. You weren¡¯t there


    when I was in trouble. Did you forget how you went to Reba several times after midnight? I don¡¯t


    know what your feelings for me are.¡±


    Why is he so upset? I¡¯ve tried my best to be magnanimous. Whenever he went to Reba, I said


    nothing. I didn¡¯t hold a grudge against her for killing my baby and forgave her. When she needs him, I


    even advised him to take care of her.

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    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 274


    Ashton stared at me wordlessly. Holding back his anger, he demanded. ¡°Tell me. What should I do?


    Huh?¡±


    His reaction upset me. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do anything to please me. Do whatever you want. If you want


    to take care of Reba, go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± He looked down and scoffed. Straightening his back, he whipped out his cigarettes. ¡°Should I feel


    lucky for having such a magnanimous and understanding wife?¡±


    His voice was full of contempt and mockery.


    I replied lightly, ¡°Mr. Fuller, you¡¯re wee. I¡¯m just doing my job.¡±


    Yes. I was saying everything out of fury.


    He puffed on his cigarette and asked sternly, ¡°Are we seriously arguing now?¡±


    ¡°Arguing? Are we arguing now?¡±


    Ashton suddenly snickered and put out his cigarette. ¡°When will you stop talking that way?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m just going along with you,¡± I responded with a chuckle.


    He inhaled sharply to control his anger. ¡°Going along with me? That¡¯s just your presumption. Just be


    honest with me instead of hurting each other with mean words. We¡¯re a couple, not rivals. There¡¯s no


    need to argue to decide who¡¯s right and who¡¯s wrong every time. Do you understand, Scarlett?¡±


    After a moment, I got off the car and picked up a brick by the flower bed. Handing the brick to him, I


    said, ¡°Okay. I want you to beat the disgusting mother and daughter duo up. Tell them I¡¯m no pushover.


    Also, tell Reba she has no right to take my husband away from me!¡±


    Arching a brow, I gestured at the brick. ¡°So? Will you go?¡±


    Ashton was astounded by my reaction. ¡°Are you sure?¡± he inquired helplessly.


    ¡°Why? You won¡¯t do it?¡± I glowered at him.


    A hint of a smile appeared in his gaze. ¡°Do you want me to end up in jail? So you can marry another


    man?¡±


    I rolled my eyes at him. Returning the brick back to the flower bed, I got into the car again.


    As I was no longer mad, he chuckled faintly. ¡°What do you want for lunch?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry!¡± I wasn¡¯t hungry after getting mad earlier.


    He started the engine and shot me a look. ¡°That¡¯s because you didn¡¯t exercise regrly. You¡¯ll be


    starving after a rigorous workout at home.¡±


    It took me a while to realize what he meant. ¡°Ashton, stop it!¡±


    He sped away and replied faintly, ¡°We barely did it for the past month. Scarlett, are you trying to


    deprive me of my husbandly rights?¡±


    Damn it. He¡¯s f*cking annoying.


    Sensing my anger, he added, ¡°I¡¯ve been holding back since we came back from J City. Stop torturing


    me.¡±


    ¡°Ashton, will you stop?¡± Why is he saying this in broad daylight?


    Back at the vi, before I could step out of the car, he carried me in his arms and went upstairs at once.


    Both Mrs. Eriksen and Molly were at home.


    In our bedroom, I avoided his gaze.


    ¡°Ashton, it¡¯s not dark yet. Let¡¯s not do this now.¡±


    As he inched nearer and ignored my plea, I immediately suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a shower


    first?¡±


    He frowned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Well, we just came back from the hospital, which is full of germs. You should take a shower.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Sensing my difort, he nodded gently. He picked me up, and we entered the bathroom together.


    Winter hade. K City was chilly by now, but luckily our house was fitted with central heating. The


    bathroom was steaming hot, and my cheeks were flushed a crimson red soon.


    Ashton¡¯s deep and tender voice soon made me lose my guard.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say no to me. Scarlett, we¡¯re married. You¡¯re my closest kin. No matter what happens, we¡¯ll face


    it together. The Moore family isn¡¯t as simple as you think. But don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be by your side.¡±


    His sudden announcement confused me.


    He didn¡¯t exin further and left after a while.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    The following day, I woke up with an aching body.


    My eyes were shut as I grimaced in pain.


    Ashton buckled his belt and nted a kiss on my forehead. He caressed my face lightly, but I couldn¡¯t


    bring myself to move.


    Soon, he left the bedroom. I was drained out by the activitiesst night.


    With my eyes shut, I tried to drift off to sleep. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn¡¯t sleep as my


    body felt awful. Tears prickled at my eyes. I buried myself under the covers and started sobbing.


    Footsteps sounded in the bedroom as Ashton¡¯s voice,ced with fury, rang out. ¡°Scarlett, why are you


    crying?¡±


    I pressed my lips and said nothing.

 Chapter 275

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 275


    He pulled my covers open, causing the sunlight to blind my eyes momentarily.


    Scowling, he inquired, ¡°Are you trying to suffocate yourself?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk to him. ¡°Ashton, can¡¯t I vent my feelings? Have you ever been considerate


    of my feelings?¡±


    Knitting his brows together, he asked, ¡°Are you unwell?¡±


    I felt tempted to strangle him. ¡°Can¡¯t you feel it?¡± I gritted out angrily.


    His frown deepened. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital.¡±


    Infuriated by his suggestion, I threw a pillow at him. ¡°Get out!¡±


    Ashton left without a word and shut the door behind him.


    I shut my eyes andy on the bed, but I was too upset to sleep.


    Mrs. Eriksen brought breakfast upstairs and called me hesitantly. ¡°Letty, I brought breakfast. Why don¡¯t


    you eat something and apply some ointment before going back to sleep?¡±


    ¡°No need!¡± I wasn¡¯t someone who¡¯d throw a tantrum without reason, so I merely replied to her coolly.


    She paused before exining, ¡°Letty, Mr. Ashton left a while ago. He told me to watch you eat a little. If


    you feel unwell, apply the ointment and get some rest.¡±


    ¡°No need!¡± My voice grew louder.


    Mrs. Eriksen stopped trying to persuade me and ced the tray on the table. Before she left,


    something urred to her. ¡°Letty, actually, Mr. Ashton adores you. I watched him grow up. His


    grandfather brought him up, so he doesn¡¯t know how to take care of others. He¡¯s good at solving


    problems because that was what his grandfather taught him. Mr. Fuller wanted him to take over the


    business. Mr. Ashton wasn¡¯t born a cold-hearted person. He might not know how to please you. But it¡¯s


    obvious he cares about you a lot.¡±


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    She added, ¡°He wanted toe up earlier, but you were mad at him. Hence, he told me to ry his


    wishes. You¡¯re a married couple and should understand each other. Don¡¯t argue over trivial matters as


    that would only bring harm to your rtionship.¡±


    I was too exhausted to think of a reply. ¡°I got it, Mrs. Eriksen. You should go back to work. I¡¯d like to rest


    now.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Okay. Remember to eat your breakfastter.¡±


    She left right after saying that.


    Iy in bed and stared at the scenery outside the window with my half-opened eyes. Winter in K City


    was a dreadful affair. It was drizzling now. This wouldn¡¯t help me feel better at all.


    Every inch of my body was throbbing painfully. I couldn¡¯t fall asleep or bring myself to eat anything.


    I wanted to lie in bed and do nothing.


    I stared nkly at the ceiling. Actually, the news of Reba¡¯s miscarriage didn¡¯t lift my mood at all.


    Annoyed, I tried to force myself to sleep. However, the more I wanted to sleep, the more my body


    refused to cooperate with me.


    After a few tries, I sat up in frustration and made my way to the balcony.


    I opened all the windows. The drizzling rain was sttering lightly as the chilly wind gushed into the


    bedroom, waking me up instantly. I felt terribly ufortable, so I sat by the window and allowed the


    rain and wind to waft through the open window.


    The trees outside the vi were bare. No birds were visible. It was a deste scene.


    As the drizzle turned into a huge downpour, the annoyance in my heart faded away gradually.


    After calming down, I felt sleepy. I leaned against the wall next to the window, closing my eyes to sleep.


    Time flew by quickly. When I was about to drift off, someone pushed the door open.


    Ashton had returned. He spotted me on the balcony as the cold wind wafted into our bedroom.


    I sat up as he gazed at me, my drowsiness gone.


    He hurried over to me and gritted out, ¡°Scarlett, what are you doing?¡±


    Pulling me back into the bedroom, he demanded, ¡°Am I that disgusting to you? Why are you torturing


    yourself? Who do you think you are?¡±


    After being awake for over twenty-four hours, I wasn¡¯t in the mood to argue with him. I looked up at him


    and lowered my gaze in exhaustion.


    My throat was parched. ncing around, I realized there wasn¡¯t any water around and gave up.


    Ashton grew upset seeing my reaction. He tucked me up in bed before closing the windows and set the


    heating to the warmest temperature avable.


    My flimsy pajamas were wet by now. He rummaged through my closet and helped me change before


    tucking me in.


    Mrs. Eriksen arrived and asked softly, ¡°Mr. Ashton, is she alright?¡±


    Ashton ordered gloomily. ¡°Bring her some warm water. Reheat the dinner.¡±


    Nodding, she walked out and left us alone.


    I was lying in bed when he pulled back the covers.


    Stunned, I grabbed his hand. ¡°Ashton, you¡­¡±

 Chapter 276

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 276


    ¡°I¡¯ll apply the ointment for you,¡± he replied sternly.


    ¡°No need. I¡¯m fine,¡± I croaked out in a raspy voice.


    His gaze darkened. ¡°Either I help you apply the ointment, or you do it yourself. Decide.¡±


    I burst out furiously. ¡°Ashton, will you please stop?¡± I was drained out, but he kept getting on my


    nerves.


    He nodded. ¡°So, I¡¯ll do it?¡±


    His insistence annoyed the hell out of me.


    I sat up and gave him a forceful shove. He was caught unaware and toppled to the ground. ¡°Ashton,


    can you stop annoying me? I¡¯ve told you again and again to leave me alone. Are you deaf?¡±


    As soon as I yelled that out, I flopped down and buried myself under the covers.


    I hadn¡¯t acted that way for some time.


    Deep down, I knew it was wrong tosh out at him. But I couldn¡¯t help myself.


    I thought he would leave, but he wrapped his arms around me gently. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have done thatst


    night. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    He lowered his voice and cajoled, ¡°Don¡¯t be mad at me. You can beat me upter after you feel better.


    Eat something, will you?¡±


    Mrs. Eriksen arrived with dinner. ¡°Dinner¡¯s ready!¡±


    Ashton nodded and ordered, ¡°Leave us alone.¡±


    After she departed, he picked me up and strode toward the table.


    He ced me in hisp. I wasn¡¯t wearing shoes, so he told me to step on his shoes.


    It seemed like he was cajoling a child. ¡°Look at the delicious spread. Come on, eat up.¡±


    He was really bad at this. Offering a forkful of pasta to me, he coaxed, ¡°Come on. Open your mouth!¡±


    I closed my eyes and avoided him. ¡°I can eat myself.¡±


    ¡°Let me feed you.¡± He pushed the pasta into my mouth. Utterly vexed, I insisted, ¡°I can eat myself!¡±


    I sat on the sofa, picked up a fork, and started eating.


    I didn¡¯t have lunch, but I wasn¡¯t hungry at all. After a few mouthfuls, I stopped.


    Ashton frowned at me. ¡°Finish your food.¡±


    I knitted my brows and forced down another few bites. ¡°I¡¯m done. I want to sleep now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay with you.¡± He pressed on the bell so Mrs. Eriksen would clear up the utensils.


    I gazed at him in frustration. ¡°Ashton, I want to sleep alone.¡±


    He stood firm. ¡°I¡¯ll sleep with you,¡± he insisted and reached out to hug me.


    ¡°I said, I want to sleep alone!¡± I shoved him away and yelled.


    Immediately, I sucked in my breath as I had jostled my wound identally.


    A hint of exasperation showed on Ashton¡¯s face. He wrapped his arms around me firmly. ¡°Be good. I


    won¡¯t touch you or disturb you at night.¡±


    ¡°Go away!¡± I gave him another push angrily.


    His lips pressed in annoyance. ¡°If it hurts, let¡¯s go to the hospital.¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± He was about to drive me insane.


    Ashton carried me in his arms and was about to head downstairs. ¡°Ashton! No one goes to the hospital


    because of this! What shall I tell the doctor? That you forced yourself on me?¡±


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll help you apply the ointment. Then, we shall rest.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re crazy!¡± I couldn¡¯t be bothered to continue this conversation.


    As I didn¡¯t retaliate, Ashton returned to the bedroom and put me down on the bed.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    He started applying the ointment carefully. As I was frowning, he assured me. ¡°I¡¯ll try my best to control


    myself next time. I won¡¯t hurt you from now on.¡±


    I ignored his words and closed my eyes.


    After applying the ointment, he stood up and removed his jacket before lying down beside me. The


    stench of tobo irritated me.


    ¡°Ashton, stay away from me. I hate the smell of tobo!¡± I jogged him and shifted away from him.


    He stiffened and got up. I thought he¡¯d leave, but he entered the bathroom to take a shower.


    Soon, he came out and wiped his hair dry beforeing back to the bed. Pulling me into his arms, he


    announced, ¡°I don¡¯t reek of tobo anymore.¡±


    My eyes were already shut as I tried hard to fall asleep.


    s, sleep refused toe. I tossed and turned in bed restlessly.


    Suddenly, I sat up in bed. Ashton was astounded. ¡°I¡¯ll go shower again,¡± he offered as he thought the


    tobo stench was still lingering around.


    I got off the bed and looked around, but the sleeping pills I brought back the other day were nowhere to


    be seen.


    I red at him. ¡°Where are the pills?¡±


    He narrowed his gaze at me. ¡°What pills?¡±


    Utterly vexed, I swept the vase on the cab to the ground. ¡°The sleeping pills! Ashton, where are my


    sleeping pills? Give them to me now!¡±

 Chapter 277

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 277


    He gazed at me and replied in a low voice. ¡°Why do you want the sleeping pills? I told Mrs. Eriksen to


    take them away.¡±


    As I was irritated, he stood up and put on his jacket. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital.¡±


    I pushed him away. ¡°Ashton, just give me the pills, please. I just want to sleep. Can¡¯t you let me take


    the pills and sleep peacefully for one night? Why do you insist on bringing me out?¡±


    Mrs. Eriksen heard themotion and chimed in immediately. ¡°The pills are with me. I¡¯ll go take them


    now. Letty, calm down. I¡¯ll bring them here now!¡±


    Ashton stopped Mrs. Eriksen firmly. ¡°She¡¯ll be dependent on it. You¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Ashton!¡± I turned to Mrs. Eriksen and ordered, ¡°Bring me the pills now!¡±


    She looked at Ashton to gain his approval.


    I yelled in fury, ¡°Ashton, if you want to control me, why would you bring me back? Are you delighted to


    see me in pain?¡±


    Furrowing his brows, he hugged me tightly tofort me. ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to control you. It¡¯s bad to take


    too many sleeping pills. You might be dependent on it.¡±


    ¡°Shut the f*ck up! If you won¡¯t let me sleep, send me to Marcus. Stop torturing me!¡±


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± His eyes reddened in anger. I was too stubborn and emotional, so he caved in. ¡°Bring her the


    pills.¡±


    Mrs. Eriksen scurried away and promptly returned with a pill.


    She only gave me one pill, but it was enough. I grabbed it from her and swallowed it without hesitation.


    Then I shoved Ashton away andy on the bed.


    He sensed something was amiss with me. ncing at me in bed, he turned to Mrs. Eriksen and


    commanded in a low voice. ¡°Call Jared now and tell him toe.¡±


    She nodded profusely and left.


    After taking the pill, I calmed down and fell asleep swiftly.


    However, even if a light sleeper fell asleep with the help of medication, he or she would still react to


    sounds.


    When Jared arrived, I sensed him somehow. I also overheard their conversation.


    Nevertheless, I couldn¡¯t open my eyes. Perhaps it was because of the pill I¡¯ve taken earlier.


    I heard Jared saying my condition could be rted to depression.


    He prescribed some medication and told Ashton, ¡°Scarlett might be suffering from major depression


    right now. She feels calm in the worst situation. Make sure someone stays with her all the time. She


    might hurt herself anytime. When she¡¯s mentally and physically hurt, she¡¯ll make irrational decisions


    with no warning. At least she expressed her emotions today and vented at you. If she stops expressing


    her emotions, that means she mightmit suicide anytime. Don¡¯t trigger her for the time being. Make


    sure she¡¯s in a good mood.¡±


    Ashton grunted in response.


    I didn¡¯t manage to hear the rest of their conversation as I drifted into dreand.


    At dawn, I jolted awake. I thought the pill would allow me to sleep till the next morning, but I was wrong.


    Themp by the bedside table was switched on. I was afraid of the dark, so there would always be a


    light on in my room.


    Wide awake, I rolled over but identally jostled my wound again. I inhaled sharply at the painful


    sensation.


    Ashton, being a light sleeper, opened his eyes upon hearing my gasp.


    As our gazes met, I knitted my brows. ¡°Get out!¡±


    His brows snapped together while he wrapped an arm around me. ¡°Are you going to be mad at me


    forever?¡± he asked hoarsely.


    I pursed my lips silently.


    I wasn¡¯t going to be mad at him forever, but right now I didn¡¯t want to be sharing a bed with him.


    I couldn¡¯t understand why I had overreacted, but I refused to back down and ended up dumping my


    negative feelings to him.


    In fact, Ashton did nothing wrong. He was rough and failed to control himself when we had sex. That


    was it.


    But I got upset nheless.


    ¡°Scarlett, you¡¯re the only woman in my life. I apologize for being rough on you when we had sex. I


    promise I won¡¯t do that again.¡±


    ¡°So, you think I should forgive you?¡± I might be the only woman in his life, but he had always restrained


    himself perfectly in the past. Why can¡¯t he control himself now?


    That isn¡¯t a valid excuse.


    He chuckled. ¡°Mm, I was too rough on you, so you shouldn¡¯t forgive me. When you recover, you can


    beat me up if you¡¯re still mad.¡±


    I rolled my eyes at him and shut my eyes to sleep.


    With one arm around me, he leaned on my shoulder and whispered, ¡°Scarlett, I¡¯ll get angry and jealous


    when another manes near you. I feel upset when you ignore me and push me to another woman.


    Can you stop pushing me to others? I¡¯m your husband, not something you can give up easily.¡±

 Chapter 278

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 278


    His voice was low and soft. Clearly, he was trying to ease the tension between us.


    I knew I shouldn¡¯t be mad at him anymore unless I wanted a divorce.


    After a brief hesitation, I shifted nearer. ¡°It still hurts. I feel sleepy but I can¡¯t fall asleep.¡±


    He pulled me closer to him. ¡°Mm, I know. Close your eyes and stop thinking of anything. You¡¯ll fall


    asleep soon.¡±


    It was already the next day by the time I woke up.


    I thought Ashton would be at work, but he was still lying by my side with his eyes shut. Gazing at his


    Grecian nose, which cast a shadow on his cheek, my gaze trailed down his face. There was stubble on


    his chin as he stayed uptest night.


    His sleeping figure was handsome and regal, a far cry from his usual icy demeanor. I couldn¡¯t take my


    eyes off him.


    I had a good night¡¯s rest, so my brain was no longer muddled. I stood up to wash myself.


    My movements must¡¯ve startled him awake. He pulled me back to the bed, allowing my head to rest on


    his arm with a light peck on my forehead.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡±


    I nodded dazedly. ¡°Why are you not at work?¡±


    He rubbed his chin against my cheek, his stubble prickling my face ufortably. ¡°It¡¯s the end of the


    year, so I will be busy at work soon. I slept in with you because I¡¯m free today.¡±


    I pressed my lips together. ¡°But I have to go to work today!¡± OrbitTech and White Corporation had


    started on the project. I was only in charge of the progress, but I had to pay attention anyway.


    ¡°I¡¯lle with you.¡± He came closer to me.


    ¡°Huh?¡± What does he mean by that?


    He raised a brow before kissing the corner of my lip. ¡°Does yourpany have a rule stating you can¡¯t


    bring your husband to work?¡±


    No, but¡­


    I stared at him. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea.¡± He was an attractive man in an influential position. If


    he followed me to work, the others would talk.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s a great idea.¡±


    I was at a loss for words.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go wash up!¡± I rose to my feet and entered the bathroom.


    The weather was getting colder as winter had arrived. There was a thick mist hanging in the air outside.


    I turned on the faucet and waited for a while before the water heated up.


    Ashton came in after me. I noticed his dark eye circles. He must¡¯ve slepttest night.


    ¡°What time did you fall asleepst night?¡± I asked.


    He yawned and replied, ¡°2 a.m.¡±


    Thatte?


    It was only seven in the morning, so I told him, ¡°Why don¡¯t you sleep in?¡±


    Ashton pulled me into his embrace behind me as he answered, ¡°Jared told me to be with you 24/7.¡±


    What the heck?


    ¡°You can wash up. I¡¯ll take a shower.¡±


    His sudden announcement took aback me. Why is he suddenly acting this way?


    My gaze followed him instinctively before I caught myself in time. ¡°You can take a shower. I¡¯ll wait for


    you outside.¡±


    Before I could leave, he grabbed hold of my arm. ¡°Why are you avoiding me? It¡¯s not like you haven¡¯t


    seen me naked before.¡±


    Er¡­


    He pecked on my lips lightly and said, ¡°Go on. Wash up.¡±


    As he turned the faucet on, I stated my request. ¡°Ashton, let¡¯s go to the doctor when you¡¯re free.¡±


    His eyes glinted. ¡°You¡¯ve finally thought it through?¡±


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    I nodded. ¡°I heard taking too many pills is bad for my health.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± He suddenly guffawed. As the water gushed down, he came to me and ran his fingers through my


    hair. Grabbing my head, he devoured my lips in a possessive kiss. When he finally released me, he


    spoke, ¡°This isn¡¯t just about your dependence on sleeping pills. Stop running away from me, okay?¡±


    I inclined my head. My lips were throbbing from his kiss, so I lowered my head andined, ¡°You¡¯re


    always rough. Why can¡¯t I run away?¡±


    It was a criticizing remark.


    He burst outughing. ¡°Yes, it was my fault. I¡¯ll be more gentle from now on.¡±


    I shoved him away. ¡°Take a shower!¡± After washing my face briefly, I walked out.


    I wasn¡¯t that desperate to watch him shower.


    After having breakfast, Ashton followed me to White Corporation. We left home early in the morning,


    but because of the morning traffic, it was almost 9 a.m. when we finally arrived.


    Luckily, I didn¡¯t have to clock in.


    The elevator was packed with people. Ashton¡¯s arms formed a shield around me so the others wouldn¡¯t


    squeeze into me. He was tall and handsome. Besides, he had appeared in the financial news in K City


    frequently.


    Most employees working in White Corporation recognized him instantly and kept stealing nces at


    him. Some even greeted him warmly.


    However, I was put in an awkward spot. Ashton and I were locked in an intimate embrace, so someone


    asked, ¡°Mr. Fuller, are you dating Ms. Stovall?¡±

 Chapter 279

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 279


    I thought Ashton wouldn¡¯t be bothered to answer and would only smile politely, but to my surprised, he


    replied, ¡°We¡¯ve been married for a few years.¡±


    Everyone in the elevator was shocked at the news. I could feel their stunned gazes on me.


    I parted my lips to speak, but there was nothing to say. In the end, I shed a smile.


    The curious employees started asking about our rtionship, like how we started dating and got


    married.


    To my relief, we arrived at our destination right then. I took Ashton¡¯s hand and apologized to the others.


    We exited the elevator and headed to my office.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    After entering my office, I chided him, ¡°I told you not toe here.¡±


    He arched a brow. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? I was telling the truth earlier.¡±


    Stunned, I retorted, ¡°I thought you hate people gossiping about you?¡± He had his private elevator back


    in Fuller Corporation, so he rarely spoke to his employees. Why is he so talkative back in the


    employees¡¯ elevator?


    Does he enjoy talking to others about our rtionship?


    A smile flitted across his lips as he tugged me closer. ¡°You¡¯re my wife. That¡¯s not gossip. Gossip is all


    about nonsense.¡±


    I pried his hands off and showed him the sofa. ¡°You can¡¯t hug me whenever you want. I have to work,


    get it?¡±


    Amused, he returned, ¡°Am I a child?¡±


    Well, no.


    ¡°Anyway, you can¡¯t disturb me at work. Get it?¡±


    Ashton nodded obediently. He took a magazine and read it silently. I switched on myputer and


    started going through the files on my table.


    I was in charge of only one project, so I wasn¡¯t that busy. Besides, Marcus was also involved.


    After I finished dealing with the files, I looked up and realized Ashton was gazing at me with his chin on


    his hand.


    ¡°Why are you staring at me?¡±


    He lifted an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re gorgeous when you work.¡±


    I fell speechless after hearing hisment.


    Soon, it was noon. I was wondering what we should have for lunch when Ashton¡¯s phone rang.


    He answered it with a frown. Judging from his conversation, something must¡¯ve happened to Jared.


    After hanging up, he came to me and pulled me in for a hug. ¡°I can¡¯t have lunch with you. Something is


    wrong with Jared¡¯s project, so I have to leave.¡±


    I gave him a nod. ¡°Okay.¡±


    With him around, I couldn¡¯t really focus on work.


    He grinned. ¡°Are you that desperate for me to leave?¡±


    Er, is it that obvious?


    I shed a smile. ¡°No. You¡¯re busy, right?¡±


    He brushed his finger across the tip of my nose affectionately. ¡°Remember to have lunch. I¡¯ll see you at


    night.¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡±


    At the sight of his broad shoulders, I recalled what Stacey told me earlier. My heart skipped a beat as I


    called out, ¡°Ashton, be careful!¡±


    He turned around and shot me a grin. ¡°Okay!¡±


    Not long after Ashton left, I received a call from Reba.


    Her voice was calm. ¡°Scarlett, can we meet up?¡±


    I rejected her at once. ¡°Reba, I have nothing to say to you.¡±


    She fell silent for a moment. ¡°What about Ashton? Can we talk about him?¡±


    I was quite irritated by now. ¡°What about him?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m outside White Corporation¡¯s building now. Let¡¯s talk somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Downstairs, I saw Reba d in a white dress. As she had just suffered from a miscarriage, her face


    was pale and haggard. It seemed like she had lost some weight.


    With her arms crossed, she stood beside a white Maserati. When she saw me, she raised her brows


    and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    I nodded and entered her car.


    ¡°You seem to be doing well without Ashton.¡± I broke the silence. I wasn¡¯t mocking her.


    The Moore family gave her the best as they wanted her to run thepany.


    Her expression clouded over. ¡°It has nothing to do with Ashton. Nothing to do with you, too.¡±


    Clearly, she was in a foul mood.


    At the cafe, we found a table and sat down.


    She ordered a cup of ck coffee. When it arrived, she stirred it slowly and elegantly.


    I ordered a ss of milk as I wasn¡¯t interested in coffee.


    As her gaze darkened, I spoke out. ¡°You resemble your mother a lot.¡±


    Both of you like ck and bitter coffee.


    Reba looked at her coffee silently. She seemed to have understood what I was trying to say. ¡°When


    will you stop?¡± she inquired.


    Her sudden question took me aback. ¡°What?¡±


    She arched a brow icily. ¡°Felix was sentenced to death. Mr. Clinton is currently under investigation. My


    mother got implicated, too. To take revenge, you¡¯ve sessfully killed my child and ruined my mother¡¯s


    reputation. Aren¡¯t these enough?¡±

 Chapter 280

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 280


    ¡°No!¡± I retorted. ¡°I wasn¡¯t the one who killed your child. I¡¯ve never wanted to sacrifice someone¡¯s life to


    comfort myself. Your mother is still influential, right? Cameron might be under investigation, but she¡¯ll


    still be a billionaire if she¡¯s innocent and gained her fortune rightfully. If she was involved in shady


    deals, she¡¯ll get caught eventually, right?¡±


    Biting her lip, Reba took a deep breath and glowered at me. ¡°Karma wille for you!¡±


    I was amused. ¡°Karma? You have a crush on Ashton, so your mother set up a trap to kill his wife. Now,


    she¡¯s about to lose her reputation and standing. This is karma.¡±


    Reba¡¯s jaw hardened angrily at my words. She grabbed her coffee and flung it in my direction. The


    coffee wasn¡¯t hot, but it stained my clothes instantly.


    I sat still and stared straight at her.


    Seemingly emotional, she stood up and red at me. ¡°Scarlett, you lost your child. If you want another,


    you can get pregnant anytime. What about other innocent people? Felix¡¯s about to die. Hector Clinton¡¯s


    career and my mother¡¯s future are ruined. Do you think you¡¯re above us all? I think you¡¯re the most


    heartless person I¡¯ve ever seen. After wrecking my rtionship, you took the person I love away from


    me. You destroyed the life my brother arranged for me before he died.¡±


    I sneered and grabbed a napkin to wipe the coffee off my face. ¡°Innocent? If Felix¡¯s innocent, then what


    about the people he killed? Don¡¯t you know why he¡¯s sentenced to death? Is Hector innocent? Don¡¯t


    you know how much money he has extorted over the years? What about the people he harmed? As for


    your mother, she isn¡¯t innocuous at all. You know how she murdered my baby, right? Look how much


    she has achieved over the years. Imagine how much illegal stuff she has done!¡±


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    I couldn¡¯t help but snicker at this point. ¡°Your brother. Yes, Parker¡¯s indeed smart. He asked Ashton to


    take care of you because he knew he¡¯d die soon. His death isn¡¯t anyone¡¯s fault. But his request trapped


    Ashton forever. You love Ashton, but does he love you?¡±


    Reba¡¯s jaw was still clenched. I smiled at her and continued, ¡°Clearly, you know Ashton doesn¡¯t like


    you. Your brother made you his responsibility, so no matter how much Ashton despises you, he¡¯ll still


    take care of you because he gave your brother his word. How could Parker burden Ashton¡¯s life with


    just one promise? Is he innocent?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± she blurted out. ¡°You¡¯re wrong. If you didn¡¯t show up, Ash would marry me and take care


    of me forever. He was stumped because of your arrival!¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°Stumped? When his grandpa told him to marry me, he could reject the offer. Do you really


    think Ashton would allow it if he weren¡¯t willing? We¡¯ve been married for only three years, but he has


    already fallen for me. What about you? How many years have you been by his side? Why didn¡¯t he


    marry you in the end? If he thinks of you as a woman, he would¡¯ve married you before I came into the


    picture, right?¡±


    Reba was sobbing profusely by now. I knew my words had gone straight into her heart like an iron


    shard. The pain must be too much for her to bear.


    ¡°Stop harming my mother. You¡¯ve achieved your objective. I¡¯ll stop clinging to Ashton or try to ruin your


    marriage. I admit defeat. Spare my mother and the Moore family. We¡¯ll stay away from each other. You


    and Ashton can live happily ever after.¡±


    Reba sounded agitated. She knew well I wouldn¡¯t let Cameron off easily, but she still went ahead


    and begged.


    Perhaps she loved Ashton dearly, or she enjoyed it when he paid attention to her. Nevertheless, that


    had nothing to do with me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll live happily ever after with Ashton. Thank you for staying away from him. But I will not let your


    mother off easily. I¡¯ve just started. There¡¯s still a long way to go.¡±


    Reba paled visibly. Desperate, she dered, ¡°Scarlett, I agreed to stay away from you. Why won¡¯t


    you stop? You know that if I insist on asking Ashton to take care of me, he won¡¯t leave me alone. There


    will always be another person in your marriage. Are you okay if I cling to him forever?¡±

 Chapter 281

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 281


    I drew my lower lip between my teeth. She was right. After all, Parker was dead. Ashton would have to


    keep his word, no matter what. If something had happened to Reba, he would need to take care of


    her.


    I sneered at her. ¡°Reba, if you¡¯re willing to sacrifice your whole life, I don¡¯t mind your existence. After


    all, we share a bed at night. You know he doesn¡¯t love you romantically. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re okay with


    waiting for him. You¡¯re not even his mistress. If that¡¯s the case, why should I mind?¡±


    As the color drained from her face, I continued, ¡°Your existence might bother us asionally, but you¡¯ll


    have to waste the rest of your life doing this. However, if you leave Ashton, you¡¯ll have a different life.


    You¡¯re pretty with a powerful family background. There will be other men who would make you happy.


    Look, Joe is a good example. It¡¯s obvious he really likes you. Even if Cameron¡¯s reputation gets torn to


    shreds, you can still take care of her. The Moore family is too strong for me to destroy. So, as long as


    you leave, I won¡¯t get to sabotage your future.¡±


    I was telling the truth. As long as Reba was willing to give up, my actions wouldn¡¯t bring harm to her.


    However, judging from her persistence toward Ashton all over the years, I knew she would refuse to


    leave as she was used to him.


    Indeed, a menacing glint shed across her gaze.


    She shook her head. ¡°No, I won¡¯t leave him. If you refuse to let my mother off, then we¡¯ll fight till the


    end. Let¡¯s make things difficult for each other. Scarlett, you want nothing else, but I want both him and


    my family. I won¡¯t give up.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s see who will win.¡±


    Reba was greedy, as she wanted everything. She was right. It seemed like I wanted nothing else,


    but it was because I had nothing to begin with.


    I didn¡¯t realize when Reba left the cafe. I sat in my seat as my heart clenched slowly. To her, losing


    a baby meant a few days of pain.


    After I lost my child, I lost the will to live. She had her parents and rtives, but I had nothing else.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    The coffee stain had dried off. I knew I must be a pathetic mess by now.


    Standing up, I got ready to head back to work. Suddenly, I noticed someone standing beside me.


    Ashton¡¯s sudden appearance gave me a shock. I thought he¡¯s busy?


    ¡°W-Why are you here?¡± I grabbed my bag and prepared to leave.


    He narrowed his eyes. ¡°Who were you with earlier?¡±


    ¡°No one!¡± I replied. Turning around, I noticed Jared and Joe taking a seat at a nearby table. It seemed


    like they had just arrived.


    Ashton urged. ¡°Why is there coffee on your outfit?¡±


    The coffee had dried by now, but the stain was still visible. I furrowed my brows and lied, ¡°I spilled


    coffee on myself identally.¡±


    Ashton snickered and nced at me as if I were a clown making a fool of myself. ¡°You poured coffee


    on yourself?¡±


    I bit my lip and changed the topic. ¡°Are you here to talk about work?¡±


    He looked away from the empty cup on my table and insisted, ¡°Who did this to you?¡±


    ¡°Will you beat her up or pour a cup of coffee over her head?¡± I frowned and retorted.


    He arched a brow. ¡°So that¡¯s what you like?¡±


    I was rendered speechless.


    ¡°Forget it. You should go back to work. I need to return to my office!¡± Tattling on Reba was useless.


    After all, he wouldn¡¯t beat her up, would he?


    He grabbed my wrist. ¡°What did she tell you?¡±


    I could feel my head throbbing. ¡°Ashton, we can talk about this at home. You should go back to work.¡±


    Prying his hand off, I headed out of the cafe.


    Soon, Ashton caught up to me. He draped his zer over my shoulders. ¡°You didn¡¯t drive here, right?


    I¡¯ll give you a ride home. Change into a clean clothes before going back to yourpany.¡±


    I knitted my brows and shook my head to refuse his offer. ¡°No need. It¡¯s dry by now. I just need to deal


    with something back in thepany. I¡¯ll head home right after that.¡±


    ¡°Is it that urgent?¡± he inquired sternly. When I met his gaze, he softened and said, ¡°Go home and take a


    shower. Don¡¯t you feel ufortable?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± Ashton scowled. ¡°We should get along better. After all, we¡¯re married. Why are you doing


    this?¡±


    I frowned instinctively at his words. Mrs. Eriksen was right. He had been working hard to deal with the


    problems. I could see how hard he was trying to take care of me.


    After a pause, I gave him a nod. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go home, then.¡±


    His expression rxed as he brought me to his car. After he drove away, I asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you need to


    inform Dr. Crest and your friend?¡±

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    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 282


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± he replied. We returned to the vi in no time.


    Back home, I took a shower swiftly. When I exited the bathroom, Ashton was talking to someone over


    the phone on the balcony.


    The door wasn¡¯t shut, so his voice floated over. He was talking to Reba.


    ¡°Reba, you shouldn¡¯t involve Scarlett in our business,¡± he said unhappily.


    ¡°Ash, what do you mean by that?¡± Reba¡¯s voice was shrill. ¡°Did she tattle on me?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Ashton kept his voice low. When he heard my footsteps, he turned back and came into the


    bedroom.


    I could hear Reba¡¯s displeased voice over the phone as she was loud. ¡°Then why do you think I did


    it? Am I that horrible in your eyes?¡±


    He wasn¡¯t about to waste his time to argue with her. ¡°This is thest time. If it¡¯s because of your mother,


    you cane to me. Scarlett is my wife; I¡¯m responsible for her.¡±


    ¡°Ashton Fuller!¡± Reba yelled angrily. ¡°My mother was trying to protect me. Was she wrong? Why do


    you insist on targeting her?¡±


    Ashton frowned as his gazended on me. He gestured for me to dry my hair. I tilted my head and


    stood rooted to the spot.


    After shooting me a smile, he spoke gravely, ¡°I was trying to seek justice for my child. Was I wrong?¡±


    Wow, what a brutal reply.


    Reba immediately ended the call.


    Ashton flung his phone aside and urged me to take a seat. He took my towel and began drying my hair.


    His phone kept ringing incessantly. In the end, I looked back and told him, ¡°You should answer that.¡±


    He spoke calmly. ¡°I will. After I dry your hair.¡±


    It took him some time to dry my hair. Finally, he was ready to leave.


    After he left, I returned to thepany. I wanted to talk to Marcus about the new AI project because it


    was rtively new.


    I looked around, but he was nowhere to be seen. His assistant told me Marcus was at the hospital as


    Benjamin was on his deathbed.


    I immediately called Marcus, but he didn¡¯t pick up. I didn¡¯t know what was happening, so I called Sally


    instead.


    When she answered my call, all I could hear was people bawling desperately. None of them were Sally.


    ¡°Ms. Fuller, what happened to Benjamin?¡±


    ¡°Tell Ashton he¡¯s dead. Come to the hospital with him. I need Ashton to manage Benjamin¡¯s funeral


    with Marcus,¡± Sally told me calmly.


    I was stunned to hear the news. Benjamin¡¯s dead?


    I thought he was fine?


    After getting the address, I headed there without hesitation. Ashton didn¡¯t answer my calls. He might be


    busy, so I sent him a text informing him of the situation and address.


    When I arrived at the hospital, Benjamin was dead. Sharon had copsed on the ground in front of his


    ward dejectedly.


    Sally wasn¡¯t there, and neither was Marcus. Hearing my footsteps, Sharon looked up. Suddenly, she


    leaped at me and knocked me to the ground while yelling, ¡°F*ck the Fullers! Your aunt took my


    husband away from me while you took my son away from me! Go to hell!¡±


    As Sharon was too emotional, she started hitting and cursing me. I was caught unaware, so I couldn¡¯t


    escape from her ws in time. Soon, bloody scratches appeared on my cheeks and neck.


    She had her hands on my hair and pulled out a handful of my locks. The nurse hurriedly tried to stop


    her.


    Utterly devastated, Sharon shrilled. ¡°Karma will punish the Fullers one day. You¡¯ll die a horrible death.


    Sally, this isn¡¯t over. Even if you have inherited White Corporation, I won¡¯t give up. You¡¯ll die a horrible


    death!¡±


    When Marcus returned after dealing with the necessary procedures, he inquired, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    I was still in shock at Sharon¡¯s actions. Shaking my head, I replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know. She leaped at me


    right after I arrived. I think she¡¯s too upset now.¡±


    Sally showed up soon. When she saw Sharon, who was on the verge of an emotional breakdown, she


    furrowed her brows and came to me. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    I assured her I was fine. Right now, I was concerned about Marcus. His father had just passed away,


    and his mother was brokenhearted. He seemed calm, but I wonder what he felt deep down.


    Benjamin¡¯s body was sent to be cremated at the funeral parlor. His funeral was to be held next month.


    After Marcus dealt with everything and sent Sharon home, he came to Sally.From N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°My father handed White Corporation to you. I¡¯ll hand over my responsibilities as soon as possible and


    return to M Country,¡± he said coolly.

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    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 283


    Sally nodded calmly.


    It took me a few seconds to process the fact that Sally was going to take over White Corporation


    ording to Benjamin¡¯sst wishes. I was confused because Marcus was Benjamin¡¯s son.


    Marcus walked out of the hospital right after saying that. I ran after him, but I didn¡¯t know how to


    console him. ¡°Marcus, have you had dinner yet?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry!¡± He seemed reluctant to talk to me.


    I was at a loss for words. As he was heading to his car, I slipped into the driver¡¯s seat before he could


    do so. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a ride back to your house.¡±


    It would be dangerous to let him drive now.


    He narrowed his eyes menacingly. ¡°Why? You pity me?¡±


    My brows furrowed up. ¡°No!¡± After starting the engine, I added, ¡°You¡¯re my friend. I owe you one, so I


    can¡¯t leave you in the lurch.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± He sneered. ¡°So you¡¯re repaying my favor?¡±


    I knew he was in a foul mood. I said nothing and focused on driving until we reached his house.


    When the car came to a stop, Marcus¡¯ eyes were shut. He spoke tiredly. ¡°You can stay in White


    Corporation. Sally will take over from now on. She¡¯s Ashton¡¯s aunt, so she won¡¯t do anything to harm


    you.¡±


    I pursed my lips. ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll return to M Country!¡± He massaged his temples. ¡°I came back to take care of my mother. Now that


    the person she cared for is gone, I should return to M Country.¡±


    I knew little about his family affairs, so I said nothing.


    After a brief silence, I offered, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go in. You should eat something and rest well. Don¡¯t think


    too much.¡±


    He looked at me, his gaze undecipherable. ¡°Louis is nning to make you his daughter. Your future will


    be a bright one. Don¡¯t go overboard with your revenge. Many people had died in Zachary¡¯s hands


    identally. Be careful.¡±


    I nodded and sighed. ¡°Do you have to return to M Country? The White family is rich. Even if you don¡¯t


    get to run White Corporation, there is still the Bauman family, right?¡±


    He chuckled lightly. I noticed his lips were cracked. ¡°Are you concerned about me? You don¡¯t want me


    to leave?¡±


    Well, not really. I answered, ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t want you to leave. I owed you too much. If you return to M


    Country, there¡¯s no way I can repay your favor.¡±


    He sat up. ¡°Do you want to repay my favor?¡±


    I nodded. Back then, if he hadn¡¯t arrived in time and asked me to hang on till the sun rises, I would¡¯ve


    died together with my child. He had saved my life.


    With a smirk, he suggested, ¡°Then stay for the night.¡±


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    I simply stared at him nkly.


    He snickered at my reaction. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re not willing? In ancient times, our ancestors would


    devote themselves to their patron to show their gratitude. But since you¡¯re married and I can¡¯t marry


    you, I could only ask you to stay for the night.¡±


    I gnashed my teeth helplessly. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Marcusughed out loud. ¡°It¡¯s just one night. Why are you overreacting? Benjamin might be a


    scoundrel, but he was in love with my mom when they gave birth to me. Although I wasn¡¯t close to him,


    he¡¯s still my father. I feel horrible after his passing.¡±


    He added, ¡°If you¡¯re here, at least the house doesn¡¯t feel that empty.¡±


    My lips parted in disbelief. I thought¡­


    Seeing my reaction, a faint smile flitted across his lips. ¡°Why did you think I asked you to stay?¡±


    ¡°Nothing!¡±


    ¡°Mm, it¡¯s settled then.¡± With that, he alighted from his car and dragged me into the house.


    The White residence was huge. As Benjamin¡¯s remains would be ced here for a few days, the


    house¡¯s furnishings had been stripped to the bare minimum. It was spacious yet empty.


    The Whites had few people. As there was an ongoing funeral, even the air felt chilly. I followed Marcus


    into the living room where he ordered the helpers to prepare dinner.


    Sally returned a whileter with a bunch of documents about the family¡¯s inheritance. Marcus nced


    at her briefly before looking away coolly.


    To my surprise, Sally came to Marcus. ¡°You can have the White family¡¯s properties and cars. I only


    want to be the chairperson of White Corporation.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Marcus sneered and gazed at her intently. ¡°He¡¯s still here, but you¡¯re already dividing his fortune?


    Aren¡¯t you afraid he¡¯ll haunt your dreams?¡±


    Sally answered icily, ¡°That was what he promised me, to give me the majority of the 50% shares he


    had. Hence, ording to the bws, I have the right to be White Corporation¡¯s chairperson.¡±


    Raising his brows, Marcus retorted, ¡°You¡¯re demanding that earlier than expected. Are you leaving the


    White residence before his funeral?¡±

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    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 284


    Sally¡¯s reply was calm. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so mean. Both you and your mother own some shares in


    White Corporation. I won¡¯t take away what¡¯s yours.¡±


    ¡°You can have everything,¡± Marcus dered. ¡°The shares mean nothing to me. You can have them.


    After all, you¡¯ve schemed and worked hard all over the years.¡±


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    ¡°No need!¡± Sally¡¯s heels clicked on the floor. ¡°I will only get what¡¯s mine. Please tell your mother to stop


    bothering me. That incident had nothing to do with me. She should move on by now.¡±


    ¡°Nothing to do with you?¡± someone shrilled from the door. It was Sharon. Her eyes were reddened and


    swollen. Gazing at Sally menacingly, she dered, ¡°If you hadn¡¯t seduced Benjamin, he wouldn¡¯t fall


    out of love with me. We¡¯ve been together for decades! We grew up together and traveled all over the


    world!¡±


    She walked into the house and sobbed. ¡°I was with him when White Corporation was at its lowest point.


    He loved me dearly. When Marc was born, I took great care of him until he left to go overseas. I


    thought we¡¯d live happily ever after, but I never expected your arrival would lead to our divorce in his


    fifties! Sally Fuller, you said it wasn¡¯t your fault, but we only started arguing after you showed up. If you


    hadn¡¯t acted all pitiful in front of Benjamin, he wouldn¡¯t have fallen in love with you! Things wouldn¡¯t


    have turned out this way! You¡¯re an heiress yourself. Why did you seduce a married man?¡±


    Sharon¡¯s expression clouded over with hatred. ¡°Why do you even love him? He can¡¯t even give you a


    child. Are the shares worth that much? You¡¯re nothing but a lowly b*tch!¡±


    Herst sentence was an insult.


    Sally¡¯s expression soured immediately. She clenched her hands like she was trying to control her


    anger. Suddenly, a softugh escaped her throat. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a b*tch. But don¡¯t forget, you¡¯re also one.


    Sharon, think carefully. Why did Benjamin insist on a divorce?¡±


    ¡°Because of you, homewrecker!¡± Sharon yelled aloud. ¡°You seduced him and ruined our family. It was


    all your fault!¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Sally scoffed. ¡°It seems like you¡¯ve forgotten about your past. Remember what happened in


    Victory Hotel ten years ago? Do you seriously think no one would know if you kept it a secret and forget


    about it?¡±


    Sharon¡¯s face contorted. ¡°W-What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°You know what I mean. You didn¡¯t know that man showed the video of your wild night together to


    Benjamin, right?¡±


    Sharon paled instantly. Her body trembled as she stuttered out, ¡°Impossible. Benjamin found out?


    Seriously?¡±


    Sally continued, her face devoid of expression. ¡°He knew. To prevent a scandal from breaking out, he¡¯d


    pay whenever the man ckmailed him with the video. Do you know how much he had suffered? You


    knew how much he loved you. Why did you upset him with your actions?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Tears rolled down Sharon¡¯s cheeks. ¡°I knew nothing about that night! I wanted to exin, but I


    was upset when I saw him with you. That was why I argued with him. I didn¡¯t know he knew


    everything!¡±


    Sally watched her breaking down for a moment before exining, ¡°We were innocent back then. To


    cover up your scandal, he promised to give me some of his shares and money. Fuller Corporation was


    on the verge of bankruptcy back then. It was my father¡¯s effort, so I needed his help and agreed to his


    conditions. We put up an act so a scandal of his affair would break out. That man knew his video was


    useless by then. Do you know why that man ended up dying in a car ident? Benjamin arranged for


    his death because of you.¡±


    Sharon copsed on the ground, wailing profusely. ¡°Why didn¡¯t he tell me about it? Why?¡±


    ¡°Tell you?¡± Sally¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°What can you do to help? After the man died, you nearly


    killed Benjamin for that scoundrel. Why would he tell you about it? So you can hate him for killing the


    man you loved the most?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s utter nonsense! I don¡¯t love that man at all. That night was an ident. After he died, I went to


    look and saw you with him. I was so upset and ended up stabbing him. This is driving me crazy.¡±

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    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 285


    Marcus¡¯ expression was as dark as night.


    As he stared at Sally, he uttered coldly, ¡°Is there a point for you to say this now? Benjamin is dead. Are


    you trying to kill my mother too?¡±


    Sally sneered, ¡°So you want your mother to hate your father for the rest of her life? He¡¯s been framed


    for so many years, so why can¡¯t you let him die an innocent man?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who should die! I should be the one to die!¡± Sharon cried out as she climbed to her feet.


    When she looked at Sally, sheughed. ¡°He loves me. Yes, he loves me.¡±


    I sensed something amiss about her behavior, so I said to Marcus, ¡°I think you should send her to the


    hospital. Something¡¯s wrong with her.¡±


    Few could withstand a shock as intense as that. After ncing at Sally, Marcus helped Sharon out of


    the White residence.


    Now, the only ones left in the house were Sally and me. Looking at the apathetic woman, I mumbled,


    ¡°Aunt Sally, it¡¯s gettingte, so I¡¯ll be heading back first.¡±


    Before I could take more than three steps, she uttered, ¡°Do you think I did this wrongly as well? That I


    shouldn¡¯t talk about these old matters?¡±


    At that, I froze for a moment before turning to look at her. ¡°Benjamin didn¡¯t mention it when he was


    alive. Maybe he had other ns.¡±


    ¡°Ha,¡± she scoffed. ¡°He¡¯s only keeping it to himself because he¡¯s concerned about Sharon¡¯s feelings and


    reputation. What other ns can he possibly have?¡±


    I could not help but frowned at her words, sensing the disgust in them. ¡°Aunt Sally, Benjamin¡¯s ns


    are also his concerns. All he wants is to protect his first wife¡¯s reputation. The way you¡¯re saying it is


    dismissing half of her life.¡±


    She had endured in silence and stewed in hatred for half of her life. In the end, she realized she was


    the one at fault; she had been the one to hate and love the wrong person. There was no way Sharon


    could spend the rest of her life at peace.


    She looked at me and narrowed her eyes. ¡°Are you trying to put in a good word for Marcus? Do you


    mean that my life isn¡¯t the same as everyone else¡¯s? My entire life was ruined because of her. I didn¡¯t


    marry the one I love, and I don¡¯t have anyone to grow old with. At the end of the day, I¡¯m the miserable


    one.¡±


    To my surprise, I felt no urge to extend my sympathy to her despite seeing her suffering. ¡°Aunt Sally,


    Benjamin gave you half of White Corporation¡¯s shares and the emergency fund. These are the things


    you exchanged for. All those years he had been with you, he gave you all his love and attention. You


    shouldn¡¯t be too greedy. You¡¯ve enjoyed his wealth and love. Now that he¡¯s gone, you¡¯reining


    that he has wasted your time. Do you think that¡¯s right for you to do so?¡±


    Everyone had a choice. When she made her choice to follow Benjamin back then, she should have


    known that a day like this woulde. It was only a matter of time.


    ring at me, she hissed, ¡°It¡¯s all because you killed the daughter-inw of the Fullers. You¡¯re on the


    side of the outsiders. Ashton¡¯s an idiot to have fallen in love with you.¡±


    I knitted my brows and stopped replying to her. Perhaps our brains functioned differently from each


    other. No matter what I did, I could not share the same thoughts as her.


    When she looked for me because of Reba¡¯s baby, I knew she was someone who prioritized herself.


    After leaving the White residence, the sky was already dark.


    I headed back to the vi, thinking that Ashton had already gone home. However, I saw no signs of him


    at home.


    Hence, I went to the study room. In the afternoon, I had gone through many documents in the office,


    and there were a handful of terms I was not familiar with. This would be the best time for me to


    research them.


    While I was reading, Mrs. Eriksen asked me to go for my dinner. As I was too focused on my research,


    I told her not to disturb me.


    By the time Ashton came back, it was alreadyte at night.


    He must have realized I was not in the bedroom, so he came to the study for me.


    Noticing him, I looked away from theputer screen and fixed my gaze on him instead. ¡°You¡¯re


    back!¡±


    He gave me a small smile before walking over to me. As he sprawled by the edge of the table, he


    asked me what I was looking at.


    The faint fragrance from him made me subconsciously furrow my brows.


    I was not one to use perfume frequently, and he rarely used them too. Furthermore, I could tell that the


    scent was a women¡¯s perfume.


    Immediately, I dropped the smile on my face and stood up. Avoiding his hand that reached out to grab


    me, I went straight to the bedroom.


    Stunned by my actions, Ashton quickly followed me as he queried, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m tired,¡± was my only reply to him before I entered the bathroom, about to wash up.


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    He stopped me and asked with a deep frown, ¡°Scarlett, be honest with me, okay?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired after staying out for a day?¡± I was not angry. In fact, I was even smiling when I said


    those words.


    In response, he narrowed his eyes and uttered icily, ¡°I¡¯m not. Did Ie back toote?¡± After a pause,


    he apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I won¡¯t let you wait for me for that long from now on. I¡¯ll try my best to finish


    my work up as quickly as I can, okay?¡±


    ¡°No need for that. Your work is more important.¡± I shoved him aside and entered the bathroom.


    Before I could close the door, he squeezed in. Noticing my still-upset look, he furrowed his brows and


    hugged me from behind as he leaned his chin on my shoulder.


    He murmured affectionately, ¡°Nothing¡¯s as important as you.¡± With that said, he rained kisses on me.


    The scent of other women assaulted my nose, and frustration grew in me. Pushing him away again, I


    pursed my lips before ordering, ¡°Ashton, go out. I¡¯m going to shower.¡±

 Chapter 286

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 286


    As I had said those words harshly, he knitted his brows upon hearing them. ¡°We¡¯ll shower together.¡±


    Instantly, rage coursed through my veins. ¡°Ashton, do you not speak human? I said I¡¯m going to


    shower. If you want to take a shower, go to the other bathroom.¡±


    His expression darkened. ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you? Why are you losing your temper over nothing?


    What did I do to you?¡±


    ¡°Nothing!¡±


    I was not in the mood to talk to him. If he were not going to leave, I would. If you¡¯re not going to leave


    me alone, I¡¯ll do it myself!


    However, he was persistent in clinging to me¡ªhe pressed me against the wall and bit down hard on


    my shoulder. ¡°Tell me why you¡¯re angry, all right? Don¡¯t keep me guessing.¡±


    ¡°Hurry up and take a shower. You smell,¡± I voiced instead as I scrunched up my face.


    Lifting a brow, he raised his arm to take a whiff of himself. Instead of scrunching up his face like I did,


    he smirked. ¡°Scarlett, do you have a dog¡¯s nose? I¡¯m surprised that you can even smell that.¡±


    ¡°Hurry up and shower now!¡± I yelled with a tinge of anger.


    Amused by my reaction, he patiently said, ¡°She¡¯s sick. I was with Joe, so we went there together. I¡¯m


    your husband, and I¡¯ll be loyal to you for the rest of my life.¡±


    By now, my lips were pursed into a thin line. Pushing him away again, I softened my tone to say, ¡°Take


    your shower.¡±


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    With a small smile, he went back into the bathroom.


    When he came back out again, he was in a bathrobe that revealed his muscr chest. It was a


    pleasant sight for my eyes.


    When he saw me reading a book on the bed, he walked over to me and asked, ¡°Why are you reading a


    travel guide? Do you want to go there for a trip?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of going to M Country. Macy and Jackson have been there for quite a while, but they


    haven¡¯t sent me any messages or calls. I wonder how they¡¯re doing, so I want to visit them.¡± I have not


    seen them, including Nick, since my ident, and I was curious about how they were doing.


    He nodded before taking the travel guide from me. As he put it aside, he uttered, ¡°It¡¯s useless to read


    these. Come with me to M Country since I¡¯ll be heading there soon.¡±


    ¡°Why are you going there?¡± Can he really leave the city when thepany¡¯s so busy recently?


    At that, he pursed his lips before pressing a habitual kiss on my forehead. ¡°Some major issues have


    arisen for the few hospitals that Jared¡¯s managing. I¡¯ll have to go there to check things out. There are a


    handful of those hospitals in the country, so it¡¯s a pretty grave situation.¡±


    I froze. So that¡¯s why his phone has been ringing all day today.


    In the beginning, I did not take Stacey¡¯s words to heart. However, the moment the seed of doubt had


    been nted, it would start growing uncontrobly. It was the same for everyone.


    After a moment of mulling over his words, I asked, ¡°Only Dr. Crest¡¯s hospitals?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°He¡¯s been managing the medical side of things.¡±


    ¡°Then, could it be that¡­¡± I trailed off, realizing that my next words would sound like I was trying to sow


    discord between them. Hence, I changed the topic and asked, ¡°How long have you known Dr. Crest?¡±


    Hearing that, heughed before lowering his gaze to look at me. ¡°I¡¯ve known him since my college


    days. Why are you asking about that all of a sudden? Why, are you finally interested to know about my


    past?¡±


    I smiled before asking again, ¡°How did the two of you be such close and trusting friends?¡±


    To my knowledge, individuals had to have memorable days of heart-to-heart interactions before they


    could be friends that trusted each other.


    Raising my head to look at him, I took in the sight of his defined jawline. Indeed, someone who


    possessed good looks would look good from any angle.


    Hearing my question, he briefly frowned before answering, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you more in the future. Are you


    feeling sleepy?¡±


    It seemed like he was not keen on answering me, so I did not pressure him for one. All I replied was,


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After that, I fell silent.


    His phone rang a few more times, but he never seemed like he was going to ept the call. When I


    looked at it from the corner of my eyes, I realized Reba was calling.


    Thus, I frowned. ¡°It¡¯s noisy.¡±


    Giving me back a simr frown, he silenced his phone. Unfortunately, even when silenced, the phone¡¯s


    screen continued to light up.


    The call came in one after another, and I was starting to feel frustrated. To Ashton, I snarled, ¡°Can¡¯t you


    just pick that call up? It¡¯s annoying.¡±


    When he grimaced, I could see a trace of gloominess in his expression. ¡°Do you want me to?¡±


    ¡°Ashton, cut your crap. If you want to pick it up, then pick it up. If you don¡¯t, reject the call and look for


    her in person. It¡¯s annoying to keep seeing her name on the screen.¡± It truly was. It was the middle of


    the night, but instead of sleeping, she was calling someone else¡¯s husband. This was honestly


    something that only Reba could do.


    Dumbfounded by the sudden reprimand, Ashton stiffened for a few seconds before a cold look crept


    upon his face. ¡°What do you mean by asking me to look for her in person? Scarlett, is there something


    wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. There¡¯s something wrong with me. Either you switch off your phone, or you leave the


    room.¡±


    He then picked up his phone and epted the call on speaker mode. ¡°Is there something you need?¡±


    he asked in a cial tone.


    ¡°Ash, I¡¯m all alone in the hospital now. Can youe and keep mepany? I¡¯m scared of being


    alone.¡± Her voice was as sweet as cotton candy.


    ¡°Am I your dad, or am I your mom? Do you think I¡¯lle to you just because you asked me to?


    Reba, you should know when to stop pushing your luck. Your brother asked me to take care of you,


    but he didn¡¯t tell me to sacrifice myself for you.¡±

 Chapter 287

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 287


    After a pause, he continued, ¡°Also, stop calling me in the middle of the night from now on. My wife is a


    light sleeper, and she has a bad temper. If she wakes from the noise, I¡¯ll have to take a long time to


    coax her because she¡¯s hard to coax.¡±


    At that, he promptly ended the call and switched off his phone.


    Gazing back at me, he raised a brow and asked, ¡°Are you satisfied?¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°You have a few screws loose.¡±


    I then burrowed myself into the nket. And so did he. When he settled down on the bed, he ced a


    few kisses on me again.


    It was gettingte, so I closed my eyes, about to sleep. Right then, I sensed something wrong.


    Frowning, I pushed Ashton, who was holding me tightly, away as I roared, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m hard.¡± I could hear no tinge of embarrassment from him, and he made it sound as if he were talking


    about the weather.


    Nearly choking on my saliva, I took in a deep breath before replying, ¡°If you want to act crazy, get out.


    Stop annoying me.¡±


    Like a shameless man he was, he pulled me into his arms and mumbled, ¡°Where can I go? It¡¯s a cold


    and lonely night. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re a little cruel to me?¡±


    Holding my breath for a few more seconds, I stered on a fake smile. ¡°Mr. Fuller, thank you so much


    for your praises.¡±


    He smiled back. ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±


    I was a second away from strangling him there and then.


    He was so shameless to the point he might as well stop wearing clothes like a civilized person.


    ¡°Ashton, if you¡¯re not going to keep it to yourself, let¡¯s sleep in different rooms from now on. If you keep


    doing this, I won¡¯t be able to sleep. You know I¡¯ve always had trouble resting.¡± What I was telling him


    was nothing but the truth. No ordinary person could stand his actions for long.


    He paused before whispering, ¡°Twice a week. I won¡¯t touch you any other time, okay?¡±


    Maybe strangling him was not enough; throwing him out of the window was better.


    He doesn¡¯t mean twice; he definitely means two f*cking nights!


    Rolling my eyes at him, I stopped arguing because I was too tired. Hence, Imanded, ¡°Sleep.¡±


    In my daze, I felt him embracing me. When I hear his breathing getting heavier and heavier, I sighed.


    ¡°Ashton, sleep in the guest room.¡±


    He hoarsely muttered, ¡°Once?¡±


    I pursed my lips, but my exhaustion was pulling me into thend of dreams. ¡°Ashton, I¡¯m very sleepy


    right now.¡±


    And I truly was. That was why I had no idea how I fell asleep.


    The next morning, I woke to see him putting on his suit. He looked noble and elegant, worlds away


    from the animal he acted likest night.


    At the sight of him, I mumbled under my breath, ¡°Wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing.¡±


    However, the man had a keen sense of hearing, so he heard my words despite how quiet I said them.


    Narrowing his eyes, he walked over with a smile on his lips.


    I ignored him as I shut my eyes, about to sleep for a while longer.


    Unfortunately for me, he had never been nice to me. He dug me out from under the nket before he


    started rubbing against my pajamas.


    I only managed to get his hands off after several blows. When I finally seeded, I shot him a grim


    look. ¡°Ashton, don¡¯t you know how annoying you are? You won¡¯t let me sleep at night, but you won¡¯t let


    me sleep in the morning either. If you want to kill me, do it quick. Stop dragging it out.¡±


    Augh escaped him, and he rubbed his face in my ear. ¡°Scarlett, are you having your period?¡±


    Instantly, wrath rose in me like a tide. I pulled the closest pillow to me and hurled it toward him. ¡°Get


    lost!¡±


    It seemed like he was used to it, as he pecked a kiss on my forehead before leaving.


    ¡­


    At the start, I had no ns to leave the house today. However, Stacey called and asked to meet me.


    After Felix¡¯s event, she hade to K City. She, a highly educated and witty woman, soon joined the


    Moore family¡¯spany after a few interviews.


    We ended up agreeing to meet at a tearoom. It seemed like the residents of K City rarely drank tea, so


    it was tough for us to find one.


    However, as long as we wanted to, a tearoom could still be found.


    The tearoom she found was located in a more secluded district. The two of us then ordered a pot of


    floral tea after we sat down by the window.


    ¡°They¡¯ve sentenced Felix to death, and I¡¯m finally free. Thank you,¡± she said right after she sat down.


    With a faint smile, I replied, ¡°No need for thanks. I have my own ns myself.¡±


    She smiled back, not minding her reply. ¡°Mr. Fuller¡¯spany is in big trouble, right?¡±


    Her words made me tensed up for a moment. I knew Ashton would not publicize the matter, and the


    only ones who knew were the few shareholders that had a prominent position in thepany.


    Finally, I inquired, ¡°The Moore family did this?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°No. It¡¯s Cameron¡¯s side. I¡¯ve heard of Jared and her making a move earlier, so


    I¡¯m sure this was nned. Everything went wrong for the two hundred hospitals managed by the Fuller


    Corporation in the country and overseas. That¡¯s why I¡¯m thinking that they might be trying to destroy


    Fuller Corporation.¡±


    At that, I tensed up again. Ashton had been busy recently, but he was the kind of person who shared


    little with me, so I barely knew anything about the incident.


    From Stacey¡¯s words, I realized the situation was grave.


    ¡°Any evidence?¡± Isn¡¯t Cameron under investigation? How did she find the time to set Fuller Corporation


    up?


    Is she trying to divert our attention?


    Stacey shook her head. ¡°I just realized it recently. Before Mr. Fuller nned toe to K City to


    expand his business, I found out from Felix that Cameron and Jared have been meeting frequently.


    Back then, I didn¡¯t know what they were trying to do. Now that I think about it, they must have been


    nning for the hospitals¡¯ incident.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    The few hundred hospitals have been making illegal extra fees. In fact, one of the old patients in K


    City¡¯s hospital had passed away for months, but the hospital is still finding reasons to charge the


    patient¡¯s family. There are a handful of cases like these in the country, and every hospital wille


    across a case like this. The hidden charges are always either checkups or medication. However, this


    case is much more serious than the others.¡±

 Chapter 288

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 288


    After a pause, she exined, ¡°The hospital charged the family a million after the old patient passed


    away, and that¡¯s why the patient¡¯s children sued them.¡±


    Drawing my brows together, I uttered, ¡°They¡¯re still charging the family medical fees after he passed


    away for months? What are they treating? His corpse?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. These are obviously questionable charges, but there are many


    simr cases. All the hospitals under Fuller Corporation have these cases. That¡¯s why it¡¯ll be difficult to


    handle them all now. There¡¯s a chance that Mr. Fuller might have to go to jail for this.¡±


    No way! Ashton can¡¯t possibly have done this!


    ¡°Jared has always been the one managing the medical side of the business, and Ashton has never


    asked anything about his management because he trusts him. Now that they¡¯re expanding the


    business overseas, all the business rted to medical and research is Jared¡¯s responsibility. How can


    things turn out this way?¡±


    Does Ashton and Jared have a secret past?


    Stacey sighed. ¡°Clearly someone has nned for this for a long time. All that¡¯s left now is to find out


    how Mr. Fuller is going to deal with it.¡±


    I pressed my lips together. ¡°The children of the old patient have been paying the fees after he passed


    away? They said nothing even though they¡¯re paying a million for no good reason?¡±


    No one would continue to pay the fees after their parents are gone, right?


    She nodded. ¡°They¡¯ve even kept records of every receipt and medication, so everyone is talking about


    how evil Fuller Corporation is.¡±


    It was almost impossible for Ashton to turn the tables with all evidence pointing toward him while


    everyone was criticizing him.


    Cameron really is ruthless. She¡¯s all quiet until she deals a deadly blow that no one can recover from.


    After a brief while of contemtion, I said, ¡°There are no results for Mr. Clinton¡¯s case in the


    investigation. Do you have any ns?¡±


    Although Cameron and Clinton frequently contacted, neither of their ounts had any transfer of funds


    from each other, and no one could find a trace of evidence regarding cash transactions. Moreover, they


    had found nothing in Clinton¡¯s house.


    Mulling over my words, she replied, ¡°I¡¯m not too sure about that. What about this? I¡¯ll go back and ask


    around for more details to see if I get anything useful.¡±


    I nodded; that was all we could do now.


    ¡­


    Stacey and I did not converse for long as someone was bound to notice us if we stayed around too


    long.


    I had originally nned to head straight back to the vi, but I suddenly recalled the White¡¯s matter.


    After a pause, I went to the White residence to visit Marcus instead.


    However, it was not long before I was stuck outside a building in the city center.


    A handful of people had gotten down from their cars and headed toward the building, trying to find out


    what was going on. Even just by looking out of the car, I knew that something major must have


    happened.


    I was not a busybody, but I was trapped between two empty cars. In the end, I could not help but ask a


    middle-aged woman nearby what was going on.


    Middle-aged women were either on social media or trying to gossip, so the moment she heard my


    question, she quickly responded, ¡°Oh, youngdy, if you¡¯re in a rush, it¡¯s best that you leave this ce.


    Someone¡¯s trying to jump from the building ahead, and I heard it¡¯s the ex-wife of the White


    Corporation¡¯s chairman who just died. What a tough life for the rich too. Her ex-husband just died, and


    now she¡¯s being forced to jump because of the mistress. I¡¯d say that J City¡¯s Fullers¡¯ woman is really


    something. I mean, look. She already has her inheritance, but she¡¯s still forcing the man¡¯s first wife to


    kill herself. Karma wille to her for this eventually.¡±


    Outside the building was a noisy, chaotic crowd. After exining the situation to me, the middle-aged


    women hurried over to watch themotion.


    For a few seconds, I was in a daze. The ex-wife of White Corporation¡¯s chairman?


    Sharon? Marcus¡¯ mother?


    After a few more seconds of rumination, I locked my car and followed her toward the crowd.


    Within a few minutes, the people had gathered into arge crowd outside the Prism building in the city


    center. Even the roads were blocked, and no cars could pass.


    The Prism building was the location Ashton had chosen for thepany¡¯s new headquarters. Around


    them were several offices of famouspanies, including White Corporation and Moore Corporation.


    Sharon was all the way at the top of the hundredth-floor building. If one did not squint, one would not


    have noticed someone about to jump.


    Many passersby were gathered at the bottom of the building out of morbid curiosity, knowing that this


    was the result of grudges between wealthy families.


    Someone had called the police early on, and the officers were already here. I could spot a fire engine


    around, and the police had already blocked off the building.


    No one from the inside coulde out, and no one from the outside could go in.


    Not knowing what was going on, I tried calling Marcus, but none of my calls went through.


    I then called Ashton, but he sounded like he was on the ne. Perhaps he was in a rush, for he only


    told me, ¡°I¡¯ll be making a quick trip to J City, so I¡¯ll be backte. Don¡¯t wait for dinner for me.¡±


    With that said, he ended the call. When I tried to call him again, I heard the automated response telling


    me that his phone was not in service.


    With no choice, I squeezed past the crowd to talk to the police. ¡°Sir, can I go in? I know the woman


    who¡¯s about to jump.¡±


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Who is she to you?¡± the officer inquired as he motioned for me to move backward and away from the


    scene.


    As Benjamin and Sharon were already divorced, I could not think of who I was to her for a moment. In


    the end, I replied, ¡°She¡¯s my friend¡¯s mother. Can I go up and talk to her?¡±

 Chapter 289

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 289


    ¡°Only family members are allowed into the building. Miss, please take a step back and don¡¯t intervene


    in our procedures.¡± At that, the officer pushed me backward.


    I nearly fell, but fortunately, someone supported me from behind.


    ¡°I¡¯m Marcus, the son of the woman up there. Can I go up?¡± After Marcus helped me to a stable position,


    he then took out his identity card to show it to the officer.


    After a nce, the officer responded, ¡°Mr. White, go ahead.¡±


    Marcus shot him an exceptionally cold look before he towed me into the building. Trailing behind him,


    we soon reached the top floor.


    Outsiders were usually barred from entering these office buildings, especially the top floors; individuals


    were only allowed in if they had an employee¡¯s card with them.


    The top floor of this building was an open space with tall railings. Greeneries were nted everywhere,


    and there were even chairs, tables, and umbres. Evidently, this was a ce meant for resting.


    I did not know how Sharon had mustered the strength to get past the railing. She was standing on the


    short ledge that was only as wide as a palm, and her hands were holding onto the railing. Even from a


    distance away, I could see she had an exhausted look on her face.


    The wind on the top floor was intense, and her body was swaying with it. If she were to pay less


    attention, she would have fallen off the building.


    From this height, I was sure she would be unrecognizable if she were to fall.


    It was terrifying to watch her stand by the ledge, and I vaguely realized the psychologist and rescue


    team were already on the top floor with us.


    When Marcus brought me to the top floor, Sharon became even more agitated. With bloodshot eyes


    and a hoarse voice, she croaked, ¡°Marc, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Tamping down the fear in his heart, he looked at Sharon with an ashen face. In a trembling voice, he


    uttered, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t be. I don¡¯t me you for anything. Come to us first. Let¡¯s talk about whatever it is


    on your mind when we¡¯re back home, all right?¡±


    However, Sharon shook her head, her face pale from the cold. ¡°Marc, live a good life after this. You¡¯re


    the White family¡¯s only son, and your father loves you. He didn¡¯t have a child with Sally because he¡¯s


    afraid you¡¯ll have nothing after he¡¯s gone. You have to keep living and have a family. Take care of the


    family. That way, your dad and I will rest in peace.¡±


    She was telling him herst words.


    By now, Marcus¡¯ eyes were red, and he was trying his best to collect himself. ¡°Mom, I know. Come


    down. You have to find me a girlfriend, and you have to be there at my wedding. Mom, don¡¯t do this.


    Come back here and let¡¯s live happily as a family.¡±


    She shook her head, her tears streaming down her cheeks in mncholy. ¡°Marc, don¡¯t me me for


    this. I survived the past ten years on my hatred for him. I refused to give in, and I refused to admit


    defeat. But I don¡¯t hate him anymore, so life is now meaningless to me. It¡¯s been so many years, and I


    owe him an apology. I have to look for him in the afterlife. I couldn¡¯t grow old with him in the world of the


    living, so I¡¯ll apany him in the world of the dead.¡±


    Sharon was determined to die, and I could see the despair in her eyes as she stared at Marcus.


    Without the strength to live, death was the best option.


    Marcus knew that well, but how much sorrow would he have to face to lose his mother right after he


    lost his father?


    When he realized Sharon was refusing to heed his words, he broke down. ¡°Mom, if you escape from


    this, what will I do? You¡¯ll leave me behind. You¡¯re my only family left. What am I going to do if you¡¯re


    gone?¡±


    Sharon cast him a loving look. ¡°Marc, without me, you¡¯ll have a better life. I¡¯m your burden as long as


    I¡¯m alive. Listen to me, don¡¯t go to M Country. Stay in White Corporation. Your dad wants to give you


    thepany. Once I¡¯m dead, you¡¯ll have more of the shares, and you¡¯ll still be White Corporation¡¯s


    chairman. Manage thepany and live well.¡±


    At that, Sharon instantly let go of the railing. Marcus¡¯ eyes widened, but it was toote by the time he


    reached the railing.


    ¡°Mom!¡± he screamed as tears escaped his eyes. Subconsciously, he climbed the railing, about to follow


    in her footsteps.


    Fortunately, the swift members of the rescue team stopped him and injected him with sedatives.


    It was as if the sky had heard his cries. When Sharon fell off the building, it started raining. It gradually


    washed the blood puddle on the first floor away.


    Marcus was sent to the hospital while a mortician brought Sharon¡¯s body away. The crowd dispersed.


    Within a few hours, the scene ended with a death.


    I spend several hours in the hospital watching over Marcus. Sedatives coursing through his vein, hey


    unmoving on the bed as he stared at the ceiling. It was as though he was dead, too.


    The doctor came by a few times to check on him, and he reassured me that there were no major


    issues. His heart had stopped for a while from the extreme sorrow he felt, but fortunately, he was young


    and he would recover.


    The sky gradually darkened. I went downstairs to buy some food to eat. By the time I return, the


    sedatives had worn off.


    Marcus was sitting on the bed when I entered. The moment he saw me, he whispered hoarsely,


    ¡°Where is she?¡±

 Chapter 290

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 290


    I knew he was asking about Sharon, so I hid my sadness away and replied, ¡°She¡¯s been sent to the


    funeral parlor.¡±


    Although I did not witness her final moment, I had overheard the conversation of those who had. As


    she had fallen from such great height, their description of her final appearance was that she was


    crushed beyond recognition.


    For a brief moment, I could even imagine it.


    He nodded, an abnormally distant look in his eyes. When he looked at the soup I brought, he asked,


    ¡°Do you only have soup?¡±


    I froze, not used to his calmness after going through such tragedy. Then I nodded before shaking my


    head. ¡°What do you want to eat? I¡¯ll buy it right away.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll take that.¡± He took the soup from me and began drinking it like he normally would. It was as


    though he had not just gone through a tragedy several hours ago.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    His unusual reaction worried me, but I did not know how to console him. ¡°What else do you want to


    eat? I can buy it for you.¡±


    He paused his motion and shook his head. After a beat, his gazended on me. ¡°Have you eaten?¡±


    I stiffened, but shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡±


    He put down the bowl before he stood up and grabbed his jacket. Looking at me, he uttered, ¡°Let¡¯s go.


    Let¡¯s grab a bite and a walk.¡±


    As he dragged me out of the hospital, I stared at his towering figure, unable to spot anything different


    about him from the usual.


    However, there was one thing that was different¡ªhis gaze. He had a murderous gaze, and that was


    something he never had. It was hatred¡ªdeep hatred.


    I was shocked by it. Where did thate from?


    After boarding the car, I ruminated for a while before suggesting, ¡°Marcus, let¡¯s go to Central Park. I¡¯ll


    make whatever you want to eat at home.¡±


    If we were to go somewhere crowded, I was sure that it would only make him even more upset.


    His hands on the steering wheel visibly tensing, he nced at me. ¡°Why aren¡¯t we going to the White


    residence?¡±


    My mouth set in a hard line. ¡°The White family has maids, and I won¡¯t get to cook when I¡¯m there.¡±


    Then, I tentatively asked, ¡°You want to go back to there?¡±


    After lowering his gaze for a second, he started driving in the direction of Central Park. ¡°No.¡±


    The hospital was not far from Central Park, so we soon returned. As it had been a long while since I


    came back here, the fridge was essentially empty.


    It took me a second after peeking into the fridge before I said, ¡°Give me a moment. I¡¯m going to buy


    some things back from the supermarket downstairs.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯lle with you.¡±


    With a faint smile, I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can go alone.¡±


    He looked at me for a little longer. A silent agreement.


    As it was alreadyte, there were not many groceries in the supermarket. After picking some food that I


    knew how to prepare, I soon left.


    When I returned to the house, I saw Marcus was no longer in the living room. After I ced my


    groceries in the kitchen, I went around to search for him.


    The study room was where I found him, and he seemed like he was typing something into the


    computer.


    When he saw me, he only looked at me and tly replied, ¡°You¡¯re back.¡±


    Nodding, I shed him a smile. ¡°I¡¯m making pasta. It¡¯ll be done in a while.¡±


    The only answer he gave me was a quiet hum.


    It was normal for me to overthink the situation, for his reactions would worry anyone else, too. He did


    not seem depressed or mncholic. It really was as if nothing had happened to him.


    He hid his feelings so well that it seemed like Sharon had not died, and life was still going on as usual.


    Once I was done with the pasta, I turned around, about to get him to eat. To my shock, he was leaning


    against the doorframe, arms folded, with a gloomy look on his face.


    Sweat covering my back from the shock, I shakily asked, ¡°Marcus, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    The gloomy look dissipated, and he asked, ¡°Are you done with the pasta?¡±


    I nodded, fear still lingering in my heart. After scooping a serving out from the pot, I ced the te on


    the table.


    As I watched him eat, I could not help but mumble worriedly, ¡°Marcus, are you okay?¡±


    He paused and lifted his head to look at me. ¡°What?¡±


    I shook my head, sensing him bing distant from me. ¡°Hurry up and eat. It won¡¯t be nice to eat cold


    pasta.¡±


    He narrowed his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re not hungry?¡±


    I gave him a small smile before shaking my head. ¡°I¡¯m not. Eat more.¡±


    At that, he pursed his reply and fell silent.


    As I watched him eat, I wondered if he tasted nothing of the pasta. It was as though he was only eating


    to fill his stomach.


    After the meal, he sat on the couch, staring at the television that he did not turn on with a dark gaze.


    At that moment, I felt as though I was reliving the moment when John found out about his father¡¯s


    death. Back then, John¡¯s eyes were filled with darkness. It was as if he had fallen into a ck hole,


    determined to drag everyone into the void.


    After keeping the tes, I sat down beside him and said, ¡°Marcus, you have to keep going forward.


    Your mom wants you to have a bright future.¡±


    He was silent for a moment. ¡°You¡¯re consoling me?¡±


    I was at a loss for words.


    After a while, I finally said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. You should rest early. I¡¯lle around to deliver breakfast


    to you tomorrow. Put your work aside; you should rest at home for the next few days.¡±

 Chapter 291

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 291


    I did not know how to console him, so all I could do was give him reminders.


    Lifting a brow, he cast an icy gaze at me. ¡°You¡¯re not going to stay?¡±


    After a pause, I shook my head.


    Then I grabbed my jacket and left.


    So many things had happened unexpectedly. By the time I reached the vi, it was already past


    midnight.


    Before my car entered the garage, I saw the man standing by the doorway. He was a towering man.


    Under the dim streetlight, he looked like a weary traveler.


    After parking my car, I stood by the doorway. Once again, it started drizzling.


    His expression darkened. ¡°Are you nning to stand outside for the rest of your life?¡±


    With that said, he strode toward me. The more dropletsnded on him, the more distant he seemed to


    me.


    Pressing my lips tightly together, I muttered, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯ll bete tonight?¡± What I had


    understood from his call earlier was that it was likely he would not return tonight. After all, J City was far


    from K City. It would take him half a day just to fly there and back.


    He sneered, ¡°Do you think this isn¡¯tte?¡±


    He was right; it was already past midnight.


    Instead of saying anything else, he pulled me into the vi. Staring at me with a dark look, he asked,


    ¡°Where did you go?¡±


    ¡°Central Park,¡± I replied, not nning to hide anything from him. Whatever happened today was major,


    and I waste ining home. Even if I said nothing about it, he would find out about it tomorrow.


    He narrowed his eyes dangerously. ¡°Why don¡¯t you say there for a few more days? It¡¯ll save you the


    trouble from having to travel around.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Sounds good. I n to do that too.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± He gritted out, ¡°Who is your husband?¡±


    Speechless for a moment, I huffed, ¡°You¡¯re the one who asked me to move there. Why are you angry at


    my reply?¡±


    ¡°Am I not allowed to be angry? You¡¯re spending most of the day with Marcus. Why don¡¯t you just take


    him in as your godson? That way, you can keep himpany every second of your life.¡±


    Looking at his enraged expression, I retorted, ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me to marry him instead?¡±


    Smack! He mmed his hand onto the table, looking a second away from strangling me to death. ¡°So


    it¡¯s right of you toe back after midnight?¡±


    I dropped my head, whispering miserably, ¡°No. You only know how to lose your temper every time. You


    don¡¯t even bother asking me why I¡¯m there or what happened. All you do is lose your temper. You¡¯re


    even saying that I¡¯m in the wrong just bying homete. Ashton, you¡¯re unreasonable.¡±


    He tensed, nearly barking out an angryugh. A beatter, some of the anger melted away from his


    face, and he asked, ¡°All right. Tell me then. Why did you go to Marcus¡¯ ce?¡±


    I sat down and muttered, ¡°Get me a ss of water first.¡±


    He froze as the corner of his lips twitched. ¡°Scarlett, you-¡±


    ¡°Forget it if you don¡¯t want to. Don¡¯t yell at me again. I¡¯ll stop talking if you want me to.¡± After all, it was


    not like he could do anything to me, even if he got mad.


    His dark eyes stared at me for a while as he bit down on his thin lips. In the end, he said, ¡°You¡¯d better


    say something I want to listen toter, or else¡­¡±


    He did not continue his sentence. Instead, he gave me a ss of water and sat down opposite me.


    ¡°Speak.¡±


    I cupped the ss with both hands as I ruminated over the events before replying, ¡°Benjamin¡¯s dead.¡±


    He raised a brow at that. ¡°I know. Aunt Sally told me about it.¡± After a pause, he narrowed his eyes and


    uttered, ¡°That¡¯s all?¡±


    I sighed. ¡°Marcus¡¯ mother, Sharon, jumped off Prism building today. I¡¯m scared that Marcus would not


    be able to take it, so I spent some time with him at Central Park. That¡¯s why I¡¯m backte tonight.¡±


    He furrowed his brows and questioned, ¡°What actually happened?¡±


    In recent days, he had been busy. Perhaps Sally only mentioned Benjamin¡¯s passing to him; she might


    not have even told him any details.


    After all, this was the Whites¡¯ family matter. At the end of the day, Ashton and I were outsiders.


    After a brief thought, I continued, ¡°The day Benjamin passed, Sally told Sharon things from a decade


    ago, and I think they really affected her. Her mental state did not seem right near the end. Maybe she


    couldn¡¯t take it, so she followed in Benjamin¡¯s footsteps.¡±


    He only nodded, having little thoughts about the Whites¡¯ family matter. Then he looked at me and said,


    ¡°Marcus has his own life to continue, so don¡¯t keep going there. Don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m your husband, not


    him.¡±


    I could hear the jealousy oozing out of his words.


    Pursing my lips, I huffed, ¡°Ashton, I¡¯m just repaying a favor. Can you not assume that everything is as


    complicated as you think they are?¡±


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Repaying a favor? You¡¯ve got so many ways to repay a favor. Did you have to go there yourself?¡±


    There he was, being sarcastic again.


    Anyway, he was not in a good mood, and he did not wish to talk much to me. Therefore, I did not take


    his words to heart.


    Instead, I said, ¡°It¡¯s alreadyte. Aren¡¯t you sleepy?¡±


    He shot me a nce before storming up the stairs.

 Chapter 292

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 292


    Knowing that he was fuming on the inside, I did not make him angrier anymore. When I returned to the


    bedroom, he was not around, and I was sure he must have gone to the study.


    I then went to wash up in the bathroom. It had anti-slip tiles, so I usually took off my house slippers


    when I went in.


    However, I somehow managed to slip and fall a few steps into the bathroom.


    ¡°Ah!¡± I shrieked in fear.


    Bang! The bedroom door burst open to reveal Ashton, panting by the doorway. It seemed like he had


    rushed over.


    When he saw me on the floor, he frowned as he lifted me up into his arms. ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°I sprained my ankle.¡±


    He then reached out to pinch my ankle, and I could not help but gasp from the pain. ¡°Ouch!¡±


    ¡°So you know it hurts?¡± he snarled. ¡°Do you use your eyes to breathe?¡±


    Pouting, I whispered, ¡°How am I to know that the floor is so slippery. Who in their right mind would want


    to fall?¡±


    He gave me a taunting look. ¡°Who can you me if you were the one to not watch where you were


    going?¡± After a pause, he continued, ¡°What were you about to do?¡±


    ¡°Shower!¡± Why does he have such a terrible temper?


    He ced me gently into the bathtub and filled the tub before coldly saying, ¡°Do you need me to wash


    you?¡±


    ¡°No need!¡± came my quick reply.


    He continued, staring at me apathetically. ¡°It¡¯s as if you¡¯ve lost your parents-inw when his parents


    died, Scarlett Stovall.¡±


    I-


    What kind of logic is that?


    How did he even connect this to that?


    ¡°Ashton, is this fun for you? It¡¯s not whatever you think it is; I slipped on ident. Moreover, Marcus


    helped me in the past, and now that he¡¯s having so many troubles. What¡¯s wrong with me helping him a


    little? Have I ever said anything about your rtionship with Reba? Besides, there¡¯s nothing


    between Marcus and me.¡±


    Ashton was being melodramatic. If not for Marcus¡¯ appearance back then, I would have died with the


    baby. Now that he was facing such a tragedy and there was no one around him he could talk to. What


    was wrong with me being concerned about him as a friend?


    ¡°Ha!¡± He barked out augh. ¡°Do you have to help him in this way? Scarlett, do you think you¡¯re the


    only one who knows how to repay a favor? Will it kill you to get someone to take care of Marcus


    instead?¡±


    ¡°Sure! You get someone to do that, then!¡± I huffed. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you could¡¯ve found someone to


    take care of Reba, too. Why did you have to do it yourself then?¡±


    The anger overwhelmed him and took away his words for a moment. With an expression as dark as


    charcoal, he uttered, ¡°Stop talking about things from the past. Hurry up and shower. Call me when


    you¡¯re done.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that!¡± I was furious, too. ¡°I can do this myself!¡±


    His lips twisted into a sneer. ¡°You can? Are you nning to jump out of the tub and slip one more time?


    Are you that keen to cripple yourself?¡±


    ¡°You-¡± Inwardly, I was seething and closed to erupting like a volcano, but I did my best to tamp it down.


    ¡°Get out.¡±


    Even as he left, I could see that he was in a foul mood.


    Half an hourter¡­


    After my shower, I stared at my swollen ankle under the water. I stood up by myself while holding onto


    the edge of the bathtub.


    It was a level of pain I could bear, so technically, I could do this by myself.


    On the rack beside the tub were my towel, pajamas, lotion, and essential oil. As I sat by the edge of the


    tub, I started applying the lotion on myself. As the scent of the essential oil was too strong, I left them


    alone.


    Just as I was about to grab the towel to dry my hair, I knocked over the bottle of essential oil, and the


    ss shattered on the ground.


    At the loud sound, I stiffened for a moment. Staring at the ss fragments by my feet, I could not help


    but frown at how inconvenient it would be for me to crouch down and clean up the mess.


    However, the mess would not clean itself, so that was what I did. Just as I was about to crouch down,


    Ashton entered to see me in my odd position.


    ¡°Scarlett, are you a masochist?¡± he gritted out in a deep voice.


    I lifted my head to look at him before realizing I was still naked. Promptly, I reached out to tug the


    pajamas to cover myself, but the lotion fell onto the ground when I did that.


    Staring at it, he sneered. ¡°Why don¡¯t I give you all my ssware at home for you to break them?¡±


    Seriously, this man-


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    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to do it!¡± I huffed as I peeked at him. ¡°Carry me out. I can¡¯t move around like this.¡±


    Under my feet were all ss fragments, and if I were to put my foot down, the soles of my feet would


    not look like soles when I leave the bathroom.


    When he noticed I was no longer angry, he walked toward me with a faint smile. ¡°Isn¡¯t it nice for you to


    be so quiet like this?¡±


    He then carried me up into his arms as he swiftly bit my lips. I red at him, thinking, He¡¯s really taking


    advantage of me whenever he can.


    Back at the bedroom.


    He ced me onto the bed, but instead of standing back up, he murmured, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you like


    to repay favors? How are you nning to repay my favor for carrying you out of the bathroom?¡±


    What the f*ck!


    Is this a favor?


    It¡¯s barely anything worth mentioning!


    ¡°Ashton, is this entertainment for you?¡± You only carried me out! How shameless can you be?


    With no signs of blushing, he said, ¡°Can we do it tonight?¡±


    This¡­


    I raised a brow. ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired?¡± He just traveled between J City and K City, but he still has the


    energy for nightly activities?

 Chapter 293

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 293


    He curled his lips and raised his eyebrows while giving me an extremely seductive stare. ¡°Do you want


    to try?¡±


    Darn it.


    ¡°Ashton, I¡¯m too tired. I can¡¯t!¡± This man was really trying to take advantage of me whenever there was


    an opportunity.


    It was as if he didn¡¯t hear what I had said. With a heavy breath, he asked, ¡°Can¡¯t or won¡¯t?¡±


    Won¡¯t!


    However, I couldn¡¯t say that.


    After a moment of consideration, I pulled myself away from him and uttered seriously, ¡°Ashton, I think


    you should purchase a blow-up doll. That way, you can do it whenever you want.¡±


    He squinted while pinning me down. ¡°How would you know if it¡¯ll be convenient? Have you tried it?¡±


    I¡­


    ¡°It¡¯ste, we should sleep!¡± I avoided him instantaneously while moving my body away.


    Upon seeing that, he stared at me and sighed. ¡°Scarlett, when are you going to treat me as your


    husband?¡±


    For a moment, I was stunned and didn¡¯t know how to respond to him. I wriggled my body and buried


    myself underneath the nket.


    When I realized he had held onto my ankle, I couldn¡¯t help but furrow my eyebrows. Upon lifting up the


    nket, I saw he was already fully clothed. He ced my ankle on hisp and squeezed it gently.


    I held back even though it hurt a little. It should heal after a while because it was just a sprain.


    When he saw that I was looking at him, he frowned. ¡°Is it painful?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°It¡¯s alright, I¡¯m fine!¡±


    It hurt a bit more when he applied pressure. The sprain area was swollen, that was why it hurt when he


    massaged it.


    I took a deep breath instantaneously and bit my lip slightly while enduring the pain.


    He stared at me and with an uncertain tone in his voice, he asked, ¡°Is it painful?¡±


    I pursed my lips and replied softly, ¡°I¡¯m fine, it¡¯s alright now. It¡¯ll get better in a few days. Ashton, it¡¯ste


    already, quickly go to bed!¡±


    His expression suddenly changed while he stared at me and said, ¡°Scarlett, you¡¯re so dull. What do you


    mean by fine? Just be clear if it hurts or not. What¡¯s the point of you holding it in? Since I¡¯m your


    husband, will it kill you just to cry out in pain or be loving with me? Why are you acting like a widow all


    the time?¡±


    I was taken aback. I opened my mouth instantly, but couldn¡¯t utter a single word.


    Upon seeing his angry face, I replied softly, ¡°It¡¯s painful!¡±


    He took a nce at me while regaining hisposure. Then he said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to act


    tough in front of me next time. The reason for me marrying you is to make you my wife, not a Barbie.¡±


    I pursed my lips. What kind of metaphor is that? After a while, I nodded my head. My heart fluttered


    with joy.


    It was quite swollen around my sprained ankle. Ashton stopped massaging after noticing I was in pain.


    After that, he applied some medicine on it and gently rubbed my ankle. He stared at me and said, ¡°It¡¯s


    better for you to stay indoors tomorrow. Focus on your recovery.¡±


    I nodded and looked at him. ¡°Ashton, thank you.¡±


    All these years, I had never been cared for in such a way. Deep down in my heart, I knew he was


    amazing.


    He frowned while packing up the medicine box. ¡°Do you have to be so formal with me?¡±


    I was stunned and recalled the moment when he said there was no need for such formality between a


    married couple.


    After I had paused for a moment, I bent down and held his face in my hands. I gave him a kiss on the


    forehead and said, ¡°Ashton, I¡¯m not being overly courteous with you but I really just want to thank you


    for taking such great care of me.¡±


    He stared at me, held my hands, and kissed me so passionately that left me feeling weak at my knees.


    Not long after, he let go of me and said, ¡°Alright, if you really want to thank me, then stay at home for a


    few days. Don¡¯t go out.¡±


    I wanted to agree with him initially, but after remembering so much had happened to the White family


    and Fuller Corporation, it wouldn¡¯t be possible for me to stay at home and do nothing.


    I looked at him and said, ¡°I can ask Mrs. Eriksen to apany me while I go out. It would be fine as


    long as I¡¯m being cautious.¡±


    His face darkened. ¡°Who has the final say, you or me?¡±


    This man was overbearing. He single-handedly destroyed his perfect image that I had built.


    I remained silent while he packed up the first aid kit. He removed his coat and nced at me. ¡°Rest


    well and don¡¯t think too much. I¡¯ll go for a shower.¡±


    I ignored him and snuggled under the nket. At that time, I had trouble falling asleep and I couldn¡¯t


    find my cell phone. Then I saw his phone was on the bedside table.


    I turned towards the bathroom and eximed, ¡°Ashton, can I use your cell phone?¡±


    ¡°Spot check?¡± Half of his body was out of the bathroom, and he smiled. ¡°Just use it; you know my


    password.¡±


    I gave him a re and said, ¡°It¡¯s not a spot check, I just want to use it for fun.¡±


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    He raised his eyebrow and went back into the bathroom.


    I grabbed his phone and clicked the video application I had downloaded for him. He didn¡¯t delete it, so I


    thought he would have at least taken a look at it. Upon opening it, I only found out that not only did he


    not watch it, but he also hadn¡¯t registered at all.

 Chapter 294

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 294


    Since I was bored, I registered his phone number on his behalf.


    After that was done, Iy on the bed and went through some of the videos. Then someone called his


    cell phone.


    It was Joe.


    Ashton was still in the shower as I could hear the water running. I told him about it and he asked me to


    pick up the call.


    Before I could say anything after the call was connected, Joe started yapping away. ¡°Ashton, what are


    you doing? Why haven¡¯t you picked up my calls earlier?¡±


    I wanted to tell him that Ashton was in the shower, but he interjected further.


    Joe continued ranting, ¡°We need to go to the hospital because there are some stuff we need to settle,


    especially the one at K City south district. There¡¯s a patient who had passed away two months ago, and


    the hospital is still asking for payment which is almost five million. This matter is escting as of now.


    The patient¡¯s family is creating a ruckus at the public health department. We need to sort this out as


    soon as possible and we are having problems dealing with the media too.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll let him know shortly!¡± I replied. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder, how did Jared create such a huge


    problem?


    ¡°Scarlett?¡± Joe was shocked. ¡°Why did you pick up Ashton¡¯s phone? Where is he?¡±


    I was sleepy and gave out a yawn while replying, ¡°He is showering. I will ry your messages to him. If


    there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯m going to hang up now.¡±


    He might have thought that I was eavesdropping on the call, so he eximed angrily, ¡°Scarlett, how


    could you be so nonchnt after eavesdropping on someone else¡¯s call? Do you have any principles?


    Not only did you steal someone¡¯s man, but now you even want to spy on other people¡¯s matters. How


    can you do such a thing? Initially, I thought the main reason for Ashton marrying you was because of


    his grandfather. From the looks of it, you must have deceived him as well.¡±


    I became quite speechless. ¡°Mr. Quinn, have you been reading too many novels? How can your brain


    think of such things? Even Ashton wouldn¡¯t go around talking about our marriage, but you have been


    talking non-stop about it. Do you like Ashton or what? If you like him and hate me so much because


    I¡¯ve stolen him, I wouldn¡¯t mind if you and him have an underground rtionship. Also, let me be clear


    with you. Ashton told me to pick up his phone. Please be clear about the situation next time.¡±


    He stammered and said, ¡°Scarlett, what nonsense are you talking? I¡¯m referring to Reba, don¡¯t you


    know Ashton¡¯s heart is with her all this time? You¡¯re still trying to sound logical even though you¡¯ve


    ruined their rtionship.¡±


    Ha-ha!


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel amused. ¡°Mr. Quinn, what do you mean by ruining their rtionship? How in the


    world can you tell that Ashton¡¯s heart is with Reba? Isn¡¯t it just some booty call? Based on your


    logic, it seems that you care for Reba. Does that mean your heart is with her as well?¡±


    ¡°Scarlett, y-you¡­¡± he stammered even more.


    I paused for a while before saying, ¡°You what? Please stop acting as if you understand other people


    very well in the future. You have a brain, so don¡¯t rush into things or make things up. Whether Ashton


    has true feelings for Reba, I don¡¯t have a clue. But please, manage yourself better before talking


    about others.¡±


    After saying that, I hung up the phone immediately.


    When Ashton came out from the shower, his hair was still wet and he was wearing a pair of shorts. He


    dried his hair with a towel and looked at me. ¡°Was it Joe?¡±


    I nodded and stared at him. ¡°You¡¯ll sleep in the guest room tonight.¡±


    In a moment of shock, he raised his eyebrow. ¡°Why? What did he say?¡±


    ¡°Nothing!¡± I wasn¡¯t in the mood to use my phone anymore, so I threw it to one side and buried myself


    underneath the nket.


    Ashton pulled the nket away and embraced me in his arms. His hair was still dripping wet. I resisted


    a little, pushed him away with my arm and said annoyingly, ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡±


    He pursed his lips and frowned. ¡°What did he say?¡±


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Nothing!¡± I was displeased and wanted to ignore him. After that, I lifted my hand and pinched his waist.


    He allowed me to do whatever I wanted without protest. Then he said helplessly, ¡°Are you more


    relieved?¡±


    I stared at him and pursed my lips.


    He sighed. ¡°Joe¡¯s temper has always been quirky. I¡¯ll let him know next time. Why are you angry at


    him?¡±


    What did he mean by me being angry at him?


    I was ufortable because the water on his body started dripping onto me. I couldn¡¯t help but


    comin, ¡°Ashton, let go of me. You¡¯re wet.¡±


    He was dumbfounded. ¡°I¡¯ll just dry it then. Why are youshing out? If you¡¯re still annoyed, you can


    continue pinching me. If that doesn¡¯t help, you can hit me!¡±


    I ignored him because I felt utterly down. I covered myself with the nket and said coldly, ¡°You¡¯ll sleep


    in the guest room tonight.¡±


    Upon seeing that I was inconsble, he picked up his cell phone helplessly and phoned Joe.


    In no time, the call was connected.


    Ashton lowered his voice and asked, ¡°What did you say to Scarlett?¡±

 Chapter 295

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 295


    He had the call on speaker. Joe took a few seconds before he replied in an aggravated manner,


    ¡°Ashton, what else could I possibly say to her? Sheshed out and scolded me earlier. Don¡¯t tell me


    you¡¯re calling me to yell at me too?¡±


    Ashton let out a cough and said in a deep voice, ¡°It is understandable for her to scold you. I was even


    beaten up because of you. Find an opportunity to apologize to her.¡±


    Joe frowned. ¡°What for? I didn¡¯t even provoke her. Why should I apologize?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t apologize, I will have to sleep in the guest room. Do you think you should apologize now?¡±


    Upon hearing Ashton¡¯s words, I became speechless instantly. It sounded as if I had mistreated him.


    Joe paused for a while then said, ¡°Ashton, you¡­ Are you in love?¡±


    Without any hesitation, Ashton nodded. ¡°Yes, she is my wife.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll set a time and invite Jared as well. Let¡¯s have a meal and I¡¯ll apologize to¡­ your missus!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Ashton hung up right after.


    I hid under the nket and couldn¡¯t see what he was doing. A few secondster, he turned off the lights


    and plopped onto the bed.


    He tugged the nket a few times. ¡°Scarlett, it¡¯s winter now. K City¡¯s way colder than J City. If you don¡¯t


    share the nket with me, you might need to help me dial for an ambnce tomorrow morning.¡±


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Soon, he stopped tugging andy quietly next to me.


    Listening to his shallow breathing, I thought he might have fallen asleep. I wriggled out of the nket


    carefully and saw his upper bodyying bare beneath the dim light.


    Normally, he would sleep in his pajamas. It was obvious that he slept without clothes on purpose that


    night.


    After some time, his body was cold to the touch. Upon seeing him fast asleep, I removed the nket


    that was wrapped around me and ced it over him.


    Suddenly, he grabbed my hand and slithered under the nket. With his arms pulling me into his


    embrace, I could feel the coldness from his body surrounding me.


    ¡°So you¡¯re worried that I might catch a cold? Hm?¡±


    I wanted to kick him instantly. However, he held me down swiftly and said, ¡°Your leg is still hurt, don¡¯t


    move too much.¡±


    ¡°Ashton, you bastard!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but yelled. Then I pursed my lips and stared at him sullenly.


    He pulled me into his arms again and uttered, ¡°Joe didn¡¯t do that on purpose, and it¡¯s my fault for not


    handling it well. Initially, I should have made our rtionship known to the public, but I had some work


    to manage in K City. Many people are eyeing on K City too. If someone catches our weakness, I¡¯m


    worried I might not protect you well then.¡±


    He let out a sigh and hugged me tightly.


    I was speechless for a moment. I knew he had a lot on his te, and that was why I had never forced


    him.


    I had a good sleep that night. After many rainy days in K City, the sun was bright when I woke up the


    next day.


    Ashton wasn¡¯t in the bedroom. As I stretched my body, my ankle was still hurting. I got out of bed and


    was getting ready to wash up.


    Mrs. Eriksen brought some breakfast to the room while Ashton and Jared followed her from behind.


    Upon seeing that I was awake, she ced the breakfast on the bedside table and said, ¡°It seems like a


    good day today. I think it¡¯ll start snowing these two days. Letty, go ahead and wash up. After your


    breakfast,e downstairs and we¡¯ll admire the winter roses in the courtyard. They have just bloomed


    yesterday, how beautiful.¡±


    I was surprised. There weren¡¯t winter roses or snow in J City. Based on what she had said, it would


    start snowing in just a few days. I beamed. ¡°Yes, yes, that¡¯ll be great!¡±


    After Mrs. Eriksen went downstairs, Ashton had Jared examine my sprained ankle.


    ¡°Her ligaments were strained. She should be fine after applying medicine and having a few days of


    rest.¡± While saying that, he removed his rubber gloves and threw them into the trash bin.


    Ashton nodded. Then he looked at me and said, ¡°Rest up after you have your breakfast. I have


    something to discuss with Jared in the study. Call me if there¡¯s anything, alright?¡±


    I nodded obediently.


    Since I had just woken up not too long ago and hadn¡¯t washed up yet, I got out of bed and headed for


    the shower after they left bedroom.


    The moment my foot touched the ground, a sharp pain shot through my entire body. Fortunately, I


    could get used to it after taking a few steps.


    After a brief shower, I returned to bed, panting. It seemed like I had overestimated myself, and it would


    be difficult for me to go to work that day.


    I reached out to grab a ss for some water. However, I lost sight for a moment and dropped it on the


    floor instead. The ss shattered instantly.


    While I was on the floor picking up the ss pieces, the bedroom door opened. Ashton frowned angrily


    and said, ¡°Did you scald yourself?¡±


    He walked towards me and carried me onto the bed. While doing so, his lips were tightly pursed and


    his gaze was intense.


    I felt as if I had done something wrong. ¡°No, the ss shattered.¡±


    He lifted his head and gazed at me. ¡°Do you want some water?¡±


    I nodded.


    He got up and poured a ss of water for me. Meanwhile, he told Mrs. Eriksen to help with the


    cleanup.


    Upon remembering he had a discussion with Jared, I said immediately, ¡°Go back to the study. Dr. Crest


    must be waiting for you.¡±

 Chapter 296

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 296


    He ced the breakfast that Mrs. Eriksen had brought earlier next to me. ¡°No worries, he can wait.¡±


    After he had apanied me for breakfast, Ashton went back to the study.


    I couldn¡¯t sleep even if I wanted to because I had a good slumber the night before. I was bored after


    being on my cell phone for some time.


    I wanted to spend some time in the study reading books, since my ankle wasn¡¯t hurting much after


    Jared had applied some medicine on it.


    Slowly, I motioned towards the study. As I was about to knock on the door because Ashton and Jared


    were in the room, I heard them talking in hushed voices. ¡°How is she now?¡±


    ¡°She has been having high fever and is absent-minded most of the time. The Moore family found a


    doctor for her and she is well-taken care of. Since Cameron was transferred away, she doesn¡¯t have


    the time to be there for her.¡±


    There was a silent pause before Jared asked, ¡°Are you nning to visit her?¡±


    ¡°No. She didn¡¯t have anyone when Parker died, but now she has the Moores. She will be fine.¡±


    Jared nodded and said, ¡°It seems like things have progressed for you and Scarlettpared to before.


    Are you serious about Scarlett?¡±


    ¡°She is my wife. I¡¯m not too sure if serious is a word to describe a marriage.¡± Ashton¡¯s voice was rather


    calm yet slightly arrogant. ¡°What about you? Have you moved on after so many years?¡±


    ¡°Moved on from what?¡± Jared seemed unhappy.


    ¡°Since you have, it¡¯s time for you to find someone else to settle down together,¡± Ashton said firmly.


    ¡°Damn!¡± That was the first time I heard Jared swearing. ¡°Ashton, there must be something wrong with


    you. Are you worried that I might intervene in your marriage, that¡¯s why you¡¯re focusing on my personal


    life? Why don¡¯t you ask Joe to get married!¡±


    ¡°He is in love with someone. It¡¯s only a matter of time before he gets married. As for you, what¡¯s going


    on with Macy? I thought you¡¯re serious about her when you sacrificed your life to save her during the


    ident. Why aren¡¯t you doing anything about thattely?¡±


    That was the first time I thought of Ashton as someone who was meddlesome. Jared opened the door


    while saying, ¡°I think you should just set up a matchmaking agency.¡±


    The moment they saw me at the door, they were stunned. Ashton raised an eyebrow. ¡°What¡¯s the


    problem?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m here for some books!¡±


    Out of curiosity, I turned to Jared and asked, ¡°Dr. Crest, what¡¯s going on between you and Macy?


    Haven¡¯t you been in contact?¡±


    Jared was taken aback. He replied after taking a pause, ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡±


    Upon hearing him uttering those three words nonchntly, I almostshed out at him. I thought he


    would treat Macy differently based on the conversation he had with Ashton earlier.


    But why did he sound so nonchnt about it!


    I left after picking up some books, then I took a nce at Ashton. ¡°Send me to White Corporation if


    you¡¯re not busy.¡±


    Mrs. Eriksen was right. K City started snowing in just a few days. I wasn¡¯t able to head out because of


    my injured leg.


    During my recovery, I gained more weight because I was either reading books or sleeping in the vi.


    Upon seeing that my ankle had almost fully recovered and thinking that I could finally go out for a walk,


    K City snowed heavily.


    I loitered on the balcony while admiring the snowy white scenery. Ashton was busy with work and didn¡¯t


    have the time to apany me.


    At that moment, I recalled something Macy had said. When we were younger, she wanted to find a city


    that would snow so she wouldn¡¯t miss out on every winter.


    In just a blink of an eye, new year was around the corner. I recalled when Jackson said he would return


    with Macy by the end of the year.


    I reached out to grab my cell phone right away and phoned him. The call was connected after a few


    seconds.


    I could hear Jackson¡¯s hoarse voice on the other end. ¡°It has started snowing in M Country. What about


    K City?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yes, it has already started snowing since two days ago and the snow level is rather high.


    The whole world has turned white. So are the both of youing back anytime soon?¡±


    I paused for a moment before expressing my thoughts. ¡°I miss the both of you.¡±


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Jackson seemed to have caught a cold as his voice was rather hoarse. ¡°I was nning to go back


    initially, but it¡¯s not even three months and now it¡¯s already winter. I have been pondering if I should go


    back but I¡¯m worried my body wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up with everything. I might need to wait until


    early spring.¡±


    ¡°What about Macy? Why hasn¡¯t she called me or returned my calls for so long? I really miss her.¡± My


    heart shrank as I stared at the snow falling outside the window.


    ¡°She is taking an afternoon nap with the baby. I¡¯ll let her know to return your call once she wakes up.¡±


    My brows instantly furrowed. ¡°Jackson, be honest with me. Has something happened to her? If not,


    why wouldn¡¯t she reply to my messages? I would understand if it¡¯s once or twice, but it has been three


    months now. Why isn¡¯t she responding?¡±


    After a prolonged silence from Jackson, I couldn¡¯t help but asked anxiously, ¡°What happened to Macy?


    Are the both of you alright?¡±


    ¡°She¡­ She¡¯s alright. It¡¯s because she hasn¡¯t fully recovered after giving birth and I brought her to M


    Country for rehabilitation. She wouldn¡¯t allow me to tell you whenever you call.¡± Nothing seemed


    strange when he said that.

 Chapter 297

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 297


    We were miles apart. I wasn¡¯t too sure if Jackson was being honest, so I said, ¡°Jackson, give me your


    address in M Country. I¡¯lle over for a visit in a few days. I want to see your child.¡±


    ¡°The weather is too cold so just stay at home since you usually fall sick easily. M Country is way colder


    compared to K City. You wouldn¡¯t get used to it here. Just wait until Macy has recovered and the baby


    grows older, then we wille back,¡± Jackson said hurriedly. At that moment, I heard the baby¡¯s cries


    on the other end. ¡°The baby is crying. I need to go now. I¡¯ll send you pictures of the baby shortly. I¡¯m


    going to hang up now.¡±


    He hung up the call right after. I was stunned for a moment with the phone in my hand.


    Since Ashton was busy with Fuller Corporation¡¯s hospital and I wasn¡¯t able to help him in any way, I


    decided to not bother him further.


    It was snowing heavily when Sally arrived at the vi. Her body was covered with snowkes in just a


    few minutes when she got out of the car and entered the vi.


    Mrs. Eriksen was shocked to see her. ¡°Ms. Fuller!¡± Sally was familiar with Mrs. Eriksen because she


    had been working for the Fullers for many years.


    Sally was stunned for a moment. ¡°Mrs. Eriksen, why have youe to K City?¡±


    ¡°Because of Mr. Ashton and Letty. These few days, Letty hasn¡¯t been feeling well and Mr. Ashton told


    me toe over and take care of her. How¡­ are you these years?¡±


    Sally smiled and looked over while I was preparing to get up and greet her.


    ¡°Scarlett, where is Ashton?¡±


    After asking Mrs. Eriksen to prepare some tea, I looked at her. ¡°He has a lot of work to do at the office


    and hasn¡¯t been home for a few days. Why are you looking for him, Ms. Fuller?¡±


    Upon sensing the animosity from the way I¡¯d addressed her, she frowned. ¡°Scarlett, are you still mad at


    me about what happened previously?¡±


    I smiled and gestured her to take a seat. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking. I was just addressing you without


    thinking twice.¡±


    She let out a gentle sigh. ¡°Scarlett, I hope you won¡¯t hold a grudge towards what had happened in the


    past. I¡¯m the daughter of the Fuller family and now we are in the middle of a crisis. Your Aunt Helen


    couldn¡¯t be able to conceive anymore because of her previous injuries. You are aware of my current


    situation and know that I might not bear children anymore. We were hoping for Ashton to provide an


    heir to the family. At that time, when you had a miscarriage. Reba came to me, saying that she was


    pregnant with Ashton¡¯s baby. As an elder, it was impossible for me to not do anything and abandon an


    heir who belongs to the Fuller family. Who would have thought¡­ Ah!¡±


    Her face looked drained. Even though her clothes were thick, it was obvious that she had loss quite a


    bit of weight. Furthermore, some wrinkles could be seen on her face that was once wless and well


    taken care of.


    Compared to thest time I had seen her, she had aged considerably.


    At that moment, I didn¡¯t think it was necessary to continue with that topic, so I changed the topic. ¡°Is


    there anything you would like to talk to Ashton about? I¡¯ll give him a call.¡±


    I picked up the cell phone and was about to call Ashton when she quickly said, ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to


    call him. I¡¯m here for you.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    She nodded while her pale lips moved slightly. Then she uttered, ¡°Letty, as you know, the Whites have


    been dealing with a lot of problemstely. We don¡¯t have many family members to start with. Now that


    Benjamin and Sharon are dead, I¡¯m the only one remaining in the family. Your uncle hasn¡¯t been buried


    yet. There are too many tasks concerning the Whites, and I can¡¯t handle all of them myself. Since


    you¡¯re married to Ashton, you¡¯re also part of the Fullers. I understand he is busy with hispany. I


    can¡¯t be much help in regards to that, so I wouldn¡¯t want to burden him even more. Since you don¡¯t


    have much to do now, can I ask you for help?¡±


    So this is why she came here today. I paused for a moment, then I uttered, ¡°Initially, Ashton and I


    wanted to help you after finding out what has happened to the White family. However, I was injured


    recently and something came up with Ashton¡¯spany, that¡¯s why we got dyed. If there¡¯s anything


    you need our help with, let us know.¡±


    The most difficult thing to organize in the world was a funeral. Even though the White family was


    prestigious, they didn¡¯t have many family members. Furthermore, as a young widow, it was normal for


    Sally to be responsible for many tasks.


    Initially, it was Marcus¡¯ responsibility to manage everything. However, before he could fully grieve after


    Benjamin¡¯s death, Sharon died, too. Now he would need to handle both his parents¡¯ funeral. It must be


    very traumatizing for him.


    Sally felt more relieved by my assurance. ¡°It¡¯s really not too big of a deal, actually. I was just thinking


    that the White residence is too huge and it¡¯s usually empty since Marcus left. It¡¯s really lonely for me to


    stay there alone. Therefore, I was thinking if you would want to move in to the house and apany


    me for a few days until Benjamin¡¯s funeral is over.¡±


    I noticed the dark circles beneath her eyes. It must be due to theck of sleep for the past few days.


    Since I gave my word earlier, it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for me to reject her.From N?velDrama.Org.


    After a moment of consideration, I replied, ¡°Alright, but I need to have a talk with Ashton before that.¡±


    ¡°No need for that!¡± Sally eximed hurriedly. ¡°I will inform him. It must be hectic for him at work these


    days, and he wouldn¡¯t have the time to take care of you as well. You should bring Mrs. Eriksen along


    with you. In that case, he would be relieved knowing that someone is taking care of you.¡±

 Chapter 298

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 298


    I nodded. Somehow, I was perplexed about it.


    After that, she smiled and said, ¡°Go upstairs and pack up your stuff in a bit, then we will leave for the


    White residence. Fortunately, it¡¯s not snowing too heavily today and the roads have been cleaned. If we


    were to wait for a few days more, I¡¯m afraid the snow would be heavier and they might even block


    some roads.¡±


    I was taken aback. ¡°Do I have to move today?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Yes, it would be more convenient that way. I¡¯ll give Ashton a callter and inform him


    about this. The White residence is pretty well-equipped so you just need to bring some clothes and


    shoes. I¡¯ll let the butler know that you¡¯re going over as well. He¡¯ll get everything prepared ording to


    your preference.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I¡¯m just staying there for a few days and wouldn¡¯t be


    needing much stuff anyways. Furthermore, it¡¯s near to home, I cane back and grab whatever I


    need then.¡±


    She smiled and shifted her gaze to Mrs. Eriksen who was standing on one side. ¡°Mrs. Eriksen, do pack


    up as well. We will be leaving in a short while. Have a look and see what Letty might need. Please help


    her pack up.¡±


    Mrs. Eriksen was stunned and she looked at me. ¡°It¡¯s just nearby, what¡¯s the matter? It wouldn¡¯t be


    much of a hassle to travel back and forth. Why do we have to move?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more convenient to stay there. Going back and forth at night is simply too troublesome. So just


    bring along whatever that¡¯s necessary.¡±


    Mrs. Eriksen said little and went upstairs to pack up.


    Initially, I thought it was ast-minute n. To my surprise, I noticed Sally had brought two drivers when


    I arrived at the entrance. I was dumbfounded.


    ¡°I thought that I should be well prepared since it¡¯s been snowing heavily, that¡¯s why I had everything


    arranged.¡± She exined instantly after seeing my shock.


    I remained quiet since it was impossible for me to take back my words and refuse to go with her.


    The White residence.


    Because of the snow, the scenic view from the White¡¯s vi became even more breathtaking.


    There were quite a few winter roses nted in the family¡¯s courtyard. With a bed full of pink roses


    apanied by the snow, the view was extremely magnificent.


    Along the snow-covered pebbles, there was a path that led directly to the vi¡¯s entrance.


    Upon entering the vi, I could see Benjamin¡¯s memorial tablet was ced in the living room. The vi


    that was once glorious and lively was now awfully quiet.


    Meanwhile, a few servants were busy cleaning up the courtyard and Sally had one servant brought me


    to the room that was on the second floor.


    As I was admiring the snowy view from the living room balcony, I suddenly thought that new year was


    just around the corner.


    This year had passed rather quickly.


    ¡°Did she ask you toe over?¡± I heard an icy voiceing from behind.


    I turned around and saw Marcus. He seemed to have lost more weight since thest I saw him. His


    face was thin and sullen, apanied by a pair of darkened eyes which looked icier than the snow


    outside.


    I grabbed onto my coat instantaneously and asked him, ¡°How have you been?¡±


    He took a nce at me while he motioned towards the ck sofa in the living room and sat down on it.


    ¡°Not too good. What about you? Did Ashton agree with Sally bringing you over here?¡±


    He lit up a cigarette and took a few puffs. His face remained darkened.


    I walked towards the sofa and sat down, while facing him from across the room. ¡°It¡¯s just for a few days.


    He¡¯s been busy with work and didn¡¯t have the time for me as well. Since you have a lot to handle, I¡¯ll be


    more than happy to help.¡±


    He curled his lips sarcastically. ¡°You might be of help to Sally indeed.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel that his current tone was strange. I pursed my lips and asked, ¡°How¡¯s everything


    going with Sharon¡¯s funeral?¡±


    Since Sharon and Benjamin had divorced, the Baumans were in charge of the funeral.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite well!¡± He massaged his brows.


    It was normal for him to lose sleep after what had happened recently. Upon noticing he wasn¡¯t


    interested in continuing the conversation, I kept quiet. Since Sally had gone to thepany for some


    work matters, I had little to do in the White residence.


    Not long after, I heard Marcus¡¯ heavy breathing. It seemed like he had fallen asleep.


    I got up, grabbed a nket, and ced it over him. Suddenly, he pulled my hand. ¡°Stay with me!¡±


    Before I could react, he was asleep once again.


    He was still holding onto my wrist, and I tried to pull back a few times. As I could not free myself, I


    frowned and eximed, ¡°Marcus, let go of me!¡±


    He lifted his hand and nailed me down next to him. ¡°Apany me for a while, it¡¯s been a few days


    since Ist slept.¡±


    Seeing that he was extremely exhausted, I remained silent and pretended everything was alright. I


    continued sitting next to him. After some time, he fell into a deep sleep after being bone-tired for many


    days.


    Seeing Marcus sleeping soundly for quite some time, I too fell asleep because there wasn¡¯t much for


    me to do.


    Out of nowhere, I was woken up by a startling sound. I opened my eyes hazily, unsure of what was


    going on. Then I heard Sally¡¯s voice.

 Chapter 299

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 299


    ¡°Letty, what are the both of you doing? There are many servants going in and out of the vi. The both


    of you¡­ should avoid being like this. You as well¡­¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure what was going on. Coming back to my senses, I lifted my head and looked around.


    Ashton appeared out of nowhere. His handsome face had intensely darkened, and he looked


    murderous.


    I looked at him and uttered in a croaky voice, ¡°You¡¯re back!¡±


    He stared at me silently, and his gaze was terrifyingly dark. I only realized that I was leaning in Marcus¡¯


    arms when I had fallen asleep.


    That was why upon entering, they saw Marcus and I sleeping soundly while leaning against each other.


    The moment I knew why Ashton was angry, I stood up instantaneously. However, because I had been


    sitting for too long, I felt dizzy straight away and I fell back onto the sofa.


    Before I knew it, Inded on Marcus¡¯p. He woke up and had his arms around me. ¡°You need to take


    care of yourself since you¡¯re weak.¡±


    I was stunned. Suddenly, I was dragged up and Ashton uttered, ¡°Mr. White is a loving person. However,


    you don¡¯t need to worry about my wife.¡±


    While saying that, he hugged me tightly in his arms and I felt a wave of coldness surrounding me.


    ¡°Huh!¡± Marcus stretched his waist and said casually, ¡°Why are you so nervous, Mr. Fuller? Are you


    afraid that I might steal her?¡±


    Marcus was obviously trying to provoke him. Ashton pursed his lips, and his eyes narrowed


    dangerously. ¡°Mr. White, where do you find such confidence? Why would you think she might like you?¡±


    Marcus raised an eyebrow, shifted his gaze, and looked at me with a smile. ¡°Letty, what do you think of


    me? Do you hate me?¡±


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    It seemed like he had other intentions while saying that. Ashton¡¯s grip around my hand tightened.


    I pursed my lips and remained silent because it was all too silly.


    Seeing that I was silent, Ashton red at Marcus and said sarcastically, ¡°My wife is a ster person.


    However, Mr. White, you need to remember that she is a married woman.¡±


    I felt that their conversation was rather silly.


    He gave Marcus an icy stare and carried me into the room that was just a few steps away.


    After he shut the bedroom door, Ashton immediately cornered me in the doorway.


    His hand grabbed tightly onto my waist as he lowered his head and nced at me. There was a hint of


    suppressed anger in his voice. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to exin yourself?¡±


    I pursed my lips and let out a sigh. ¡°There¡¯s nothing going on between us. He might have been


    suffering from ack of sleep because he was busy with his parents¡¯ funeral. When he fell asleep, I just


    wanted to cover him with a nket. Then he pulled me and that led to what you saw earlier.¡±


    I apologized after seeing the sad look on his gorgeous face. ¡°I know. I shouldn¡¯t have done that.


    However, Ashton, I can¡¯t just ignore him. If it weren¡¯t for him, I wouldn¡¯t be standing here. This has


    nothing to do with whether I like him. It¡¯s the fact that he had saved me before and I owe him because


    of that. He was by my side during my darkest days. In turn, I should be here while he is going through a


    tough time. I hope you can understand that, alright?¡±


    He pursed his lips and gazed deeply into my eyes. After a moment of hesitation, he replied, ¡°Yes, I can


    understand that!¡±


    He continued, ¡°You¡¯re allowed to be there for him during these times but you have to keep your


    distance after everything is settled, alright?¡±


    He wore a ck coat that day. There were drops of melted snowkes on his shoulder. After not seeing


    him for a few days, his hair had grown longer, and he looked more haggard.


    I nodded. It must have been hectic for him these few days. Since I could finally have some of his time,


    it would be wasted if we continued bickering!


    He put his arms around me and pecked my forehead with his lips lovingly. ¡°Let¡¯s go out for dinner. What


    do you feel like having?¡±


    I was taken aback. ¡°Aren¡¯t we staying for dinner with the Whites?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s been a few days since Ist saw you, so let¡¯s have a meal together. Just the two of us!¡± He


    hugged me and pressed me against his chest tightly. ¡°Do you miss me?¡±


    I could hear his heart beating and my lips curled instantaneously. ¡°What are we going to eat?¡±


    He pulled away from me slightly, cupped my face in his hands, and caressed my face. ¡°What do you


    feel like eating? Why don¡¯t you miss me?¡±


    I knew he wanted to hear me say that I missed him, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say that for now.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have steak.¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°Hm, do you miss me?¡±


    He buried his head against my neck. ¡°Last night, I¡¯ve thought about you the entire time in the hotel. I


    just wanted to hold you like this forever.¡±


    He had never spoken such sweet things to me. I couldn¡¯t stop myself from staring into his deep,


    shimmering gaze.

 Chapter 300

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 300


    For a moment, I felt the warmth exuding from within.


    ¡°This morning when I was staring at the snow outside the balcony, I wondered to myself if you had a


    good rest in the hotelst night. After all, it wouldn¡¯t be asfortablepared to staying at home.


    There wouldn¡¯t be any heater or warm clothing. You looked weaker when I saw you earlier.¡± Even


    though I whispered those words, he was listening to them intently.


    I could sense a smile in his baritone voice. ¡°Alright. Tonight I¡¯ll let you make it up to me!¡±


    I lowered my head and blushed.


    Upon hearing that we wanted to head out for dinner, Sally didn¡¯t say much. After all, Ashton was


    around and he was the one who mentioned that he wanted to take me out. She remained silent, even if


    she wasn¡¯t too pleased about that.


    After we left the White residence, Ashton drove and brought me to a restaurant in the city center.


    The crowd was huge at night. Fortunately, he had chosen a high-end area and there weren¡¯t many


    people.


    The ambience was nice and quiet. After the waiter guided us to our seat, Ashton looked at me and


    said, ¡°Besides steak, what else do you want?¡±


    I rested my chin on my hand while staring at the city¡¯s bright lights. Without any hesitation, I replied,


    ¡°Up to you, I¡¯m fine with anything!¡±


    He took a nce at me and saw that I was gazing at the scenery outside the window. Without


    questioning further, he ordered the food. ¡°What ns do you have this new year?¡±


    I shifted my gaze away from the bright lights and looked at him. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be the same as in previous


    years?¡±


    But it was only at that moment that I realized in the previous years, Ashton and I would return to the


    Fullers¡¯ family home to spend the new years when George was still alive. However, he wasn¡¯t there


    anymore. Since we weren¡¯t close to Uncle Charlie and Aunt Helen, it would be pointless to go back.


    I pursed my lips at the thought.


    Seeing my unease, he said, ¡°I think the Stovall family would ask you to go over. What do you think of


    that?¡±


    I had almost forgotten that Louis had asked me to be his god-daughter. ¡°Then I guess I¡¯ll be heading


    over to K City for New Year¡¯s Eve.¡±


    Macy and Jackson were both abroad, and I didn¡¯t have any other rtives in J City. At the very least,


    Aunt Sally, Joe, Jared, and the Stovall family would also be here.


    Upon thinking of Jared, I instantly asked Ashton, ¡°Is everything settled at the hospital?¡±


    He looked haggard. These few days must be hectic for him.


    After the waiter served the food, Ashton cut my steak and handed over to me. ¡°Yes, I think everything


    will be settled next year. No hurry. Let¡¯s think of how we want to celebrate New Year first.¡±


    Upon seeing that he had cared little about that, I was taken aback. I couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Dr. Crest


    has always been in charge of the hospital. How has he been dealing with such a big problem?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s dealing with it. Apany Aunt Sally these few days. I might need to go on a business trip


    tomorrow. I¡¯ll be back in a few days.¡±Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    I sulked, with my chin resting on my hand. ¡°New Year is almost here but you¡¯re still busy with work.¡±


    He smiled and brushed my hair. ¡°I¡¯ll make it up to you after that. Let¡¯s renew our vows next year. You


    can decide on the theme?¡±


    I was stunned. ¡°Why is there a need to renew our vows?¡±


    He chuckled and said, ¡°I¡¯ve shortchanged you for our wedding. Let¡¯s have one and make it perfect for


    us. Furthermore, being a part of the Stovall family, we will have Louis walk you down the aisle. He will


    be happy to see his daughter being happily married. It would be a wishe true for him.¡±


    ¡°How is it possible for you to understand Uncle Louis so well, even though you have only met him a few


    times? What if he didn¡¯t really mean it to have me as a god-daughter?¡± Iughed.


    ¡°Everyone in K City knows Louis is a man of his words. Since he has announced publicly that he wants


    you to be part of the Stovall family, that¡¯s what he will do!¡±


    I lowered my head and had difficulties with swallowing my food.


    Upon noticing my changed expression, Ashton took my hand. ¡°What else do you feel like eating?¡±


    I shook my head. There was so much food on the table. ¡°Ashton, do you think there are parents in the


    world who would really abandon their children? Even though I¡¯ve only met Uncle Louis a few times, he


    has already portrayed such willingness to make me as his god-daughter. That means I¡¯m not that bad.


    Why didn¡¯t they want me?¡±


    I suppressed the bitterness from overwhelming me. For over twenty years, I told myself that my life was


    fine even without them.


    Grandma loved me even though I wasn¡¯t rted to her by blood. She loved me like her own. That was


    enough.


    Growing up, my heart would ache even more whenever I saw my friends apanied by their parents


    or rtives.. Why was I still alone in the end?


    Ashton stood up and walked over to me. Then he embraced me in his arms while caressing my back.


    ¡°You still have me, right?¡±

 Chapter 301

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 301


    After a long time, I freed myself from his arms and exhaled sharply. Looking at him, I chuckled lightly


    and said, ¡°You really don¡¯t know how tofort others at all, Ashton.¡±


    He replicated my smile and gazed back at me warmly. ¡°I¡¯ll try my best next time.¡±


    I giggled softly and had a few more bites of my food even though I had already lost my appetite. He


    was going on a business trip the next day, so we nned to go back to the viter.


    However, Sally kept calling him. There was even a plea in her voice when she asked the two of us to


    visit the White residence together. Ashton was reluctant at first, but she was practically begging him.


    Hence, he had no choice but to agree.


    At the White residence, Ashton had to attend a video conference, leaving me bored stiff on my own.


    I looked out the window and saw that it was snowing outside, The scenery looked especially


    enchanting under the silvery moonlight.


    Thus, I went downstairs with the intention of going outside for a stroll.


    There were many winter roses and trees in the White residence¡¯s yard. The snow on the ground


    seemed to be nketed by ayer of silver, glimmering exquisitely and giving the whole ce a


    dreamy vibe.


    I took a few steps into the yard and lifted my face to the sky to wee the snowkes. Looking over


    my shoulder, I noticed my uneven footprints in the snow and found it to be a rather pleasing sight,


    which greatly improved my mood.


    It was a pity that Ashton was busy or I would¡¯ve dragged him down for a snowball fight.


    With that thought in mind, I started rolling snowballs. Due to the thickyer of snow, I managed to make


    a whole mountain of them.


    Then, I found a spot and began throwing the snowballs to alleviate my boredom.


    The thinyer of snow on the tree branches fell to the ground as I threw the snowballs, painting a rather


    bleak scene.


    When Marcus came outside, I was having quite a lot of fun throwing snowballs at the trees so that the


    snow would fall off its branches.


    I never expected him toe out from under the archway and right in front of the snowball that had


    just left my hand, which unsurprisingly hit him right in his face.


    My heart missed a beat and I hurriedly apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s windy out here. You might catch a cold if you stay too long.¡± His handsome face was cold and


    indifferent, so much so that I couldn¡¯t read his emotions as I looked at his stiff posture through the


    snowkes that were caught in myshes.


    As he spoke, he draped arge coat over my shoulders. ¡°Let¡¯s go in. It¡¯s cold outside.¡±


    I was stunned for a split second, but nodded nkly and turned to go back in.


    Suddenly, he yanked my arm and asked in a low, restrained voice, ¡°Are you and Ashton¡­ back


    together?¡±


    I stiffened momentarily before nodding. After giving it some thought, I decided to add, ¡°Marcus, you¡¯re a


    good man. You¡¯ll definitely find happiness in the future.¡±


    He gazed at me and was silent for a while. ¡°How do you know I¡¯ll be happy? Scarlett, do you know what


    happens when someone who has been living in the dark for many years suddenly sees the sun?¡±


    I pursed my lips and met his gaze, allowing him to continue speaking. ¡°If I¡¯d never seen the sun,


    perhaps I wouldn¡¯t find living in the dark difficult, but reminiscing about the sun from within the darkness


    is probably something you will never be able to rte to.¡±


    His confession seemed to suck all the air out of my lungs, making me feel weak and powerless, but I


    couldn¡¯t seem to find the words that could bring him sce.


    With my eyes still fixed on him, I parted my lips to speak, yet, no words came.


    He grabbed my hand and forcefully interlocked our fingers before pulling me into his arms. He pressed


    me tightly against his body and patted my back. ¡°Forget it. If Ashton cherishes you enough, you¡¯ll live


    happily for the rest of your life. But if he misses out on his chance with you-¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Ashton cut him off in a deep and assertive tone.


    I broke free from Marcus¡¯ embrace and looked back to see Ashtoning out with a long coat in his


    hand. He walked to my side, took the coat off my shoulders, and handed it back to Marcus. He then


    ced the coat in his hand around me. ¡°Thank you for the coat, Mr. White.¡±


    Marcus narrowed his eyes at him and pressed his lips into a thin line. With a stony expression, he


    replied in a clipped tone, ¡°No thanks are needed.¡±


    Ashton hugged me to his side and led me straight into the living room. I struggled a little bit to keep up


    with his long strides and when we entered the bedroom, I noticed that the rage written on his face


    hadn¡¯t yet subsided. Initially, I expected him to vent his anger on me, but surprisingly, he only barked,


    ¡°I¡¯m going to take a shower!¡±


    With that, he strode into the bathroom. I knew he was angry.


    He came out dressed in a white bathrobe that covered over his broad shoulders and narrow hips,


    looking elegant and poised no matter how I looked at him. Seeing me sitting on the chaise lounge, he


    said with a stoic expression, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Go to bed earlier.¡±


    Faced with his lukewarm attitude, I was at aplete loss. I lowered my head slightly and simply


    turned around to go into the bathroom.


    When I came out of the shower, he was already lying down on the bed and seemed to be asleep.


    After blow-drying my hair, I slowly climbed into bed. His back was to me, so I reached out to wrap my


    arms around his waist and press my cheek against his back before calling out softly, ¡°Ashton, I can¡¯t


    sleep if you don¡¯t hold me in your arms.¡±


    His body stiffened for a split second, then came his monotonous voice, ¡°Go to sleep now.¡±


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    I pursed my lips and hugged him for a while. Seeing that he was still reluctant to turn around, I got up


    and crawled to the opposite side before wriggling to get myself into his embrace.


    After nestling against his chest and making sure his arms were around me, I looked up to study his


    face. His eyes were closed and he had a slightly wanplexion that was probably due to overworking


    these few days.


    I lifted my hand to stroke the stubble on his chin before murmuring, ¡°Ashton, if you don¡¯t talk to me, I¡¯ll


    assume that you¡¯re ignoring me. Let¡¯s sleep on separate beds from now on. I don¡¯t want to share a bed


    with such a cold husband.¡±

 Chapter 302

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 302


    His eyes flew wide open to reveal his obsidian orbs that were particrly bright in the night. ¡°Cold?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Very cold. You¡¯re even colder than the snow outside!¡± There was a subtle whine in my voice.


    He raised his hand to tuck my hair behind my ear and sighed softly, ¡°I just don¡¯t want you to see him.


    Not even for one second!¡±


    After a brief pause, he continued, ¡°I know that Marcus was kind to you, but he has feelings for you and


    as a man, I see it clearer than you do. Scarlett, promise me that from now on, you¡¯ll stay away from him


    as much as possible, okay?¡±


    I nodded and nuzzled his chest. ¡°I know. It was just a coincidence just now. We¡¯re staying under one


    roof, so it¡¯s difficult topletely avoid each other. We¡¯ll go home once Benjamin¡¯s funeral is over and


    we won¡¯t have to see him anymore.¡±


    Pursing his lips, he tightened his arms around me and rolled over so that he was on top of me. ¡°Then,


    make it up to me, hmm?¡±


    A blush spread across my cheeks and I subconsciously tried to dodge, but I was imprisoned by his


    arms. Thereafter, he began savoring every inch of my body, from top to bottom.


    ¡­


    As usual, Ashton was very busy managing the crisis that involved hundreds of hospitals. If it wasn¡¯t for


    his willpower andpetence, Fuller Corporation would have been crushed by public opinion.


    At the end of the day, there was nothing I could do. I didn¡¯t know if there was some kind of history


    between Jared and Ashton. Hence, it wasn¡¯t my ce toment.


    The next day, after Ashton left, Sally came upstairs and insisted on taking me out with her.


    Benjamin¡¯s funeral was in a few days and she wanted to find a new house.


    The White residence was left to Marcus, so after the funeral, Sally had to move out.


    Over the course of these few days, I felt like I was going to freeze to death while house-hunting with


    Sally. She wasn¡¯t satisfied with any of the houses, either saying that the natural lighting wasn¡¯t good or


    it wasn¡¯t close enough to the city center.


    However, houses like the White residence that were of top-quality in all aspects from its environment to


    location were impossible to buy even if one had the money.


    Sally had been living in the White residence for so many years. So naturally, she was reluctant to


    ept anything less than that. After all, she wasn¡¯tcking in money.


    s, it wasn¡¯t easy to find a suitable house on such short notice. When the day of Benjamin¡¯s funeral


    came, Sally had to put her house-hunting on hold to settle funeral matters.


    On the day of the funeral at the White residence, Sally got up early to make the preparations for the


    funeral procession.


    After the guests paid their homage to Benjamin, the funeral procession began at noon.


    Sally, who had been nervous for several days, finally let out a sigh of relief after the burial ceremony


    was over.


    Standing before Benjamin¡¯s tombstone, she bowed her head and said a prayer before she bid him


    farewell. She nced at Marcus who was standing as still as a statue in front of the tombstone. Over


    this period of time, his demeanor had be crueler and colder.


    His slender figure seemed to be shrouded in ayer of frost as he emanated a murderous intent.


    After Sharon passed, the violence thaty dormant in him seemed to have awakened.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Letty.¡± Sally tugged me away after onest nce at Marcus.


    I opened my mouth in an attempt tofort him, but the words died in my throat.


    After getting into the car with Sally, she inhaled deeply before informing, ¡°Ashton wille to pick you


    upter. I¡¯ll get the driver to send you to the city center. He¡¯ll be waiting for you there.¡±


    I nodded without saying anything else. The image of Marcus¡¯ lonely figure standing in front of his


    father¡¯s tombstone kept reying in my mind.


    My heart felt oddly hollow. From now on, he would be on his own with no one to care or worry about


    him. Sometimes, freedom was only a nicer way to describe loneliness.


    Sooner than expected, the car stopped in the city center. I got down and was surprised to see Sally


    getting down as well. Then, the driver headed straight for White Corporation.


    My brows furrowed in confusion. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to White Corporation?¡±


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    She hummed a response, then stared at the direction the car was going before sighing. ¡°I¡¯ll go in a bit-¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, a deafening sound shook the ground. I was slow to react, only


    turning toward the direction the car had driven off after a good few seconds.


    A fuel tanker had run smack into the back of the White family¡¯s ck Bentley. The car waspletely


    deformed. The chances that the driver survived the crash were slim to none.


    Sally¡¯s legs gave out beneath her and she slumped onto the ground. Her eyes widened in horror and


    her body trembled violently. Due to her shock, she spoke slowly, enunciating each word, ¡°He wants to


    kill me. He really wants to kill me!¡±


    I stopped breathing for a few seconds, then reached out to help her to her feet. She abruptly grabbed


    my arm and looked at me with disbelief in her eyes. ¡°Letty, Marcus has gone crazy. He wants to kill me.


    He wants me dead!¡±


    I found her spection to be baffling. I patiently said, ¡°Get up first. It was just an ident.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± She kept shaking her head. ¡°It wasn¡¯t an ident. It wasn¡¯t an ident at all. He nned this in


    advance. This is all a conspiracy. It¡¯s all a conspiracy.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but frown. Guiding her to sit on a bench by the side, I sighed and said, ¡°Wait for me here,


    Aunt Sally. I¡¯ll go get you some water.¡±


    She¡¯s obviously in shock. That¡¯s why she¡¯s overthinking things.


    Before I could take a step, she grabbed me and shook her head vehemently. ¡°You can¡¯t go, Scarlett.


    Marcus wants to kill me. You can¡¯t leave me!¡±


    With my brows still furrowed, I reasoned, ¡°If Marcus really wanted to kill you, there are a million other


    ways to do it. Why would he choose this method? What happened just now was just an ident. Don¡¯t


    think too much. I¡¯ll go get you some water now.¡±

 Chapter 303

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 303


    I pried her fingers off my arm and went to the supermarket. My chest tightened ufortably at Sally¡¯s


    ims. Indeed, there seemed to be a cloud hanging over Marcustely, but this didn¡¯t mean that he


    hated Sally to the point of wanting to kill her.


    After buying a bottle of water, I was about to go back when I spotted a ck Maybach speeding toward


    the ce where Sally was seated.


    Everything happened so quickly that I couldn¡¯t react fast enough. All of a sudden, Ashton came out of


    nowhere to protect Sally.


    My breath caught in my throat and I dropped the bottle of water before running toward Ashton,


    instinctively shielding him.


    Glimpsing the person at the driver¡¯s seat, my eyes widened in terror. Marcus? Why is he¡­


    Perhaps he didn¡¯t expect that I would rush over at the veryst second, he abruptly spun the steering


    wheel and swerved sharply to avoid me, ramming his car directly into the traffic light at a junction.


    Seeing the caring to a halt, I released a sigh of relief and turned back to look at Sally who was


    paralyzed with fear.


    ¡°I told you he wants to kill me-¡±


    Bang! A loud crash assaulted my ears, interrupting Sally¡¯s quaking voice.


    My entire body froze and devastation tore through my chest.


    Somehow, I managed to muster the courage to look back at Marcus who had supposedly stopped his


    car safely.


    At that moment, he was lying on the ground drenched in blood that was quickly pooling all around him.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Why did hee out of the car?


    My knees buckled and my body was drained of all strength. I fell to my knees and stared at him, I


    wanted to crawl over to him but I don¡¯t have the strength to do so.


    How could this happen?


    He was clearly safe just now. Why did he get down? Why did he cross the road? Why¡­ Why is this


    happening?


    ¡°Ahhh¡­¡± With tears welling in her eyes, Sally shrieked in horror when she saw Marcus lying on the


    ground.


    Ashton picked me up from the ground, but I tugged on his shirt, using every fiber in my body to force


    words through the lump in my throat. ¡°Send him to the hospital!¡±


    Ashton ced me on the bench while a crowd surrounded Marcus whose blood had already stained a


    large section of the ground.


    As I stared at him, I noticed he was looking at me while moving his mouth, but I didn¡¯t know what he


    was saying. All I could feel was the stabbing pain in my chest that was so palpable I could barely


    breathe through it.


    Ashton approached him and reached out to check his breathing, then turned to look at me with a grave


    expression.


    I got up and walked toward him with what remaining strength I possessed. Marcus lifted his hand


    weakly to grab mine. The moment he opened his mouth, blood poured out from the corners of his lips.


    I shook my head and looked at him through my tears. ¡°Don¡¯t talk, Marcus. You¡¯ll be fine. Help is on the


    way.¡±


    He struggled to force a smile onto his lips that had turned bloodless along with his face. ¡°Scarlett,


    everything¡¯s over now. In our next lives, I¡¯ll meet you first, and you¡¯ll¡­ fall in love with me first.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t seem to find my voice. My chest felt congested and there was a buzzing sound in my ears. I


    forced myself to choke out, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have been so selfish. I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s my fault.


    I shouldn¡¯t have¡­¡±


    I shouldn¡¯t have set him aside when he lost both his parents almost at the same time. I shouldn¡¯t have


    disregarded his feelings and deliberately kept a distance from him. I shouldn¡¯t have ignored his


    emotions and the faith that kept him going. I was wrong.


    He smiled again as more blood trickled down the sides of his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I know things have


    been tough on you, so live¡­ well.¡±


    Watching his eyes flutter shut, despair crashed into me. I had already lost count of how many times I


    watched my loved ones leave my side one by one.


    And I was always the culprit who either directly or indirectly caused their deaths. I was clearly the one


    who deserved to get hurt, who deserved to be punished, and who deserved to die. But in the end, it


    was always someone else who took my ce.


    I stared at Marcus¡¯ lifeless body, then turned to see Ashton¡¯s impassive expression before ncing at


    Sally who had a disdainful look on her face. Lastly, I swept my gaze over the passersby that had


    gathered around and were engaged in heated discussions.


    Never before had I felt that the world was such an unsympathetic and cruel ce. My heart felt like it


    had been stabbed by a hundred knives and it hurt to even breathe.


    Why do people die so quickly? I haven¡¯t even digested hisst words or recalled what happened just


    before this, and he¡¯s already gone?


    When the medical staff carried Marcus¡¯ body from the ground, I abruptly shoved Ashton away and held


    tightly onto Marcus¡¯ hand, preventing them from taking him away. However, Ashton easily overpowered


    me and enveloped me in his arms before saying in a crisp voice, ¡°Calm down, Scarlett. He¡¯s already


    dead.¡±


    As I stared at the pool of blood on the ground, heavy resentment grew in my heart. I looked at an


    ashen-faced Sally and articted my words, ¡°The person who should¡¯ve died is you, isn¡¯t it, Sally?¡±


    She was so shocked she staggered backward. With a paleplexion, she looked at me in disbelief.


    ¡°What did you say, Scarlett?¡±


    ¡°The person who should¡¯ve died is you, isn¡¯t it? But why are you still alive? You¡¯re the one who pushed


    Sharon to her death. You¡¯re the one who used Benjamin and Sharon¡¯s deaths to kill Marcus. It¡¯s all you,


    from the beginning until the end. You¡¯re the real murderer and the one who deserves to die the most.¡±

 Chapter 304

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 304


    ¡°What nonsense are you spouting, Scarlett?¡± Sally widened her eyes and shot me an incredulous stare


    before eximing, ¡°You¡¯re crazy. You¡¯re absolutely crazy!¡±


    I felt rancor toward this woman and couldn¡¯t help but find herughable. ¡°You personally sent the White


    family to their death¡ªthree lives in total. Aren¡¯t you afraid of retribution? You were the one who forced


    them to their deaths!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± Sally roared. ¡°Scarlett, I won¡¯t pursue this matter since you¡¯re Ashton¡¯s wife, so you¡¯d better


    stop running your mouth or I¡¯ll exercise my right to sue you for nder and false usations.¡±


    My lips curled into a sneer. ¡°Sure, go ahead. As long as you can sleep peacefully at night instead of


    being haunted by your conscience; as long as you can let go of those three lives, go ahead and sue


    me!¡±


    Sally¡¯s chest heaved from so much anger that she couldn¡¯t speak for a long time as she red at me.


    Finally, she sneered. ¡°Why are you so sad that Marcus is dead, Scarlett? Are you in love with him? Are


    you heartbroken? Are you reluctant to part with him? Don¡¯t forget whose wife you are and what you


    should and should not say.¡±


    Hah!


    It¡¯s so crazy how people can be so shameless.


    It started snowing heavily just then. Large snowkes fell from the gloomy sky and onto the ring pool


    of crimson blood on the ground. Before long, it was covered with ayer of white snow so thick that I


    could barely make out the blood beneath it, as though everything that happened earlier was only a bad


    dream.


    Ashton brought me back to the vi and never once spoke during the whole journey. Neither did I have


    the urge to talk as the image of the pool of blood Marcus left behind weighed on my heart and mind


    along with self-me and guilt.


    If only I had noticed the changes in him sooner and realized that he had lost faith, I could¡¯ve ignored


    the gossips and Ashton¡¯s jealousy to apany him through this period of time. If I did, perhaps things


    wouldn¡¯t have turned out this way for him.


    It¡¯s because of me. I was selfish and too guarded. It¡¯s all my fault!


    The night sky darkened to an inky ck and the snow outside was getting heavier. My mind kept


    reying the scene of Marcus closing his eyes for thest time.


    It was so maddening that I went downstairs and out to the yard, wanting to use the cold winter to drive


    away the resentment and pain overwhelming my heart.


    But there was no way to erase the guilt buried deep within me. The harder I tried, the more violently the


    memories of Marcus¡¯ kindness flooded my mind, like raging torrents threatening to pull me under.


    The guilt in my heart grew as though in correspondence with the falling snow. Molly came out with an


    umbre. Seeing me covered in so much snow, she persuaded in a gentle tone, ¡°Madam, let¡¯s go


    inside. The weather¡¯s too cold. You might get frostbite like this.¡±


    I looked at her in a daze and broke into a peculiar smile. Shaking my head at her, I murmured feebly,


    ¡°Molly, I¡¯m so tired of living.¡±


    She was taken aback for a moment, then quickly draped a coat she had brought out for me over my


    shoulders before reaching out to tug on my hand. ¡°Don¡¯t say such things, child!¡±


    Uponing in contact with my ice-cold hand, she gasped in shock. ¡°Look at how cold your hands are!


    Quick! Let¡¯s go back inside. You¡¯ll get a frostbite if you stay here.¡±


    I remained motionless. The only way I could numb myself and have some semnce of relief was if I


    stayed in this kind of harsh environment. Molly tugged on my hand a few times, but for someone who


    was up in the years, she couldn¡¯t make me budge an inch. Hence, she had no choice but to relent.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fall asleep. I¡¯ll go get Mr. Ashton. You¡¯re putting your life in danger, child!¡±


    After Ashton brought me home, he immediately went into his study. Probably having heard Molly¡¯s


    voice, he came downstairs right then.


    He strode out of the vi with pursed lips. When he saw me standing rigidly in the snow, his face


    darkened and he looked at Molly. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Molly shook her head and sighed. ¡°Madam is acting strange.¡±


    I raised my eyes to see Ashton who was d in all-ck. As I looked at him, a sense of detachment


    and unfamiliarity rose in me. I shook my head weakly and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡±


    Wriggling my stiff toes, I began walking toward the vi, making sure to skirt around Ashton. Just like


    my heart, my face had gone slightly numb from the cold.


    Not knowing what happened, Molly asked with concern, ¡°Mr. Ashton, Madam seems¡­¡±


    Ashton replied in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Go in and rest first.¡±


    With that, he followed me into the living room and reached out to pull me. When he touched my frozen


    hands, his eyes turned terrifyingly cold. ¡°Are you punishing yourself because of him, Scarlett?¡±


    I shook his hand off. For some reason, the sight of him filled me with loath and animosity. ¡°Let go of


    me!¡±


    The sides of Ashton¡¯s mouth tightened and his expression hardened.


    He blocked my path while staring at me with a frightening glint in his eyes. Suddenly, he scooped me


    into his arms and went directly to the bedroom on the second floor before cing me down in the


    bathroom.


    The heater was turned on in the bathroom. Swaddled in warmth, my thoughts became slightly jumbled


    and hazy.


    Seeing me staring nkly into space, Ashton stretched out his hands to undress me.


    ¡°Scarlett, everyone has their own lives to live. Don¡¯t torture yourself, okay?¡± he advised in a


    dispassionate tone.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Indignation swelled in my heart. What does he mean everyone has their own lives to live? I pped his


    hands away and uttered in an eerily cold voice, ¡°Get out.¡±


    My abrupt manifestation of anger took Ashton by surprise. After a brief moment, he narrowed his eyes


    dangerously at me and growled, ¡°You are my wife, Scarlett!¡±


    ¡°So what if I am?¡± I yelled. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m your wife, but you failed to protect your own child; you failed to


    protect me. Marcus was the one who did all of this. Without him, do you think I¡¯d be able to stand here


    in front of you, alive and breathing? To put it bluntly, I¡¯d be dead if it wasn¡¯t for him.¡±

 Chapter 305

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 305


    My chest heaved rapidly. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t havee back with you. You Fullers are cold and heartless


    creatures. Sally killed the White family, while you killed your own child and broke your own wife¡¯s heart.


    You¡¯re all beasts in human skin who are capable of cruelty beyondprehension. In fact, all of you


    are even worse than Cameron. Despicable and revolting!¡±


    Ashton pressed his lips together as his gaze sharpened and a horrifying chill shed in his eyes. Even


    with the heater switched on, a shiver still traveled through my body.


    He sped my wrist and gritted out, ¡°So the Fullers are so worthless in your eyes, huh? Why? Are you


    feeling sorry for the White family and their tragic ending? You¡¯ve turned me into your punching bag


    because of Marcus¡¯ death. I have to admit, I¡¯m impressed. He left this world with a bang, seeing as he¡¯s


    still influencing our lives beyond his death!¡±


    I looked at him, but no longer had the strength to argue with him. Suppressing the pain in my heart, I


    said emotionlessly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you.¡±


    When I recalled how Sally had been using me as her shield the days before Marcus¡¯ death, my guilt


    intensified all the more. She knew from the very start that Marcus hated her. Fearing that he might do


    something to her, she made sure I stayed in the White residence as an assurance for her own life.


    She knew that she¡¯d be safe with me around because Marcus would never hurt me, be it emotionally or


    physically. Hence, she kept me by her side. Even at the veryst second, Marcus had swerved the car


    to protect me.


    I never wanted to hurt anyone, but that seemed like the only thing I was good at.


    Ashton peered at me with an unfathomable gaze. After a long time, he let out a soft sigh and said, ¡°I


    know you feel guilty about Marcus¡¯ death, but Scarlett, no one killed him. He was the one who crashed


    the car.¡±


    Anger sparked in me. I removed my high heels and threw them at him. ¡°Get out, Ashton! I don¡¯t want to


    see you!¡±


    How can he say that no one killed him? It was obviously Sally! She forced Sharon to her death, then


    targeted Marcus next. It was clearly all her doing! She killed so many people without even batting an


    eyelid. How dare she pretend to be innocent in the end?


    Surprisingly, Ashton had built up his patience. Even though I had just hurled my heels at him, besides


    his gaze darkening subtly, he showed no other reaction as he took me into his arms and soothed, ¡°Are


    you done? Take a bath now before you fall sick.¡±


    I felt as if I was punching at cotton. Nothing I said or did manage to elicit a response out of him.


    I, on the other hand, was filled with more anguish.


    When his hand reached out to remove my clothes, I flinched and shoved him aside. ¡°Leave!¡±


    His expression turned sullen. ¡°How long are you going to keep this up?¡± Everyone¡¯s patience had a


    limit.


    But, so what?


    Clenching my jaw, I stared fixedly at him and repeated, ¡°Leave!¡±


    With a glum expression, he extended his hand to press me against his chest, using his other to grasp


    my chin before forcibly kissing me.


    His kiss was fierce, as though he wanted to swallow me whole.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Just when I thought he was going to take me right then and there, he released me and mumbled, ¡°Are


    you done kicking up a fuss now? Hmm?¡±


    I was already an emotional train wreck to begin with. Another wave of anger rose from deep inside me.


    ¡°I told you to leave, Ashton. Leave! Can¡¯t you hear me? Are you deaf or dumb?¡±


    Without waiting for a response, I climbed out of the bathtub and started throwing everything and


    anything I could at him.


    He stared at me with knitted brows but didn¡¯t dodge the onught of flying objects. I grew tired after a


    while and seeing that there was nothing left for me to throw, he finally spoke, ¡°Are you done?¡±


    A sense of hopelessness washed over me as I gazed at him.


    After I copsed in a heap on the ground, he crouched down to peel off my soaked clothes, his temper


    as mellow as ever.


    He carried me and ced me in the bathtub again. Heaving a sigh, he coaxed, ¡°No more tantrums,


    okay?¡±


    Seeing that I no longer had any emotional outbursts, he filled the tub with warm water, then searched


    through the mess on the floor. After finding the shower gel and bath towel, he ced them beside me.


    Thereafter, he went out wordlessly.


    As Iy in the bathtub, my mind whirred; everything was a blur. Marcus¡¯ death had pushed me into a


    bottomless abyss that I couldn¡¯t seem to climb out of, and the guilt that came with his death would


    haunt me for the rest of my life.


    Ashton did nothing wrong. He was only protecting his family and guarding me, his wife.


    The one in the wrong was me. I was cowardly and spineless. Ashton didn¡¯t know why Sharon died, so


    he couldn¡¯t understand why Marcus hated Sally, let alone why he wanted to kill her and chose to end


    his own life in the end.


    I was wrong for not being there for Marcus during his darkest days; during the time he needed me the


    most. I didn¡¯t give him a reason to live, so he chose to leave.


    After a long time, I emerged from the bathroom to see cigarette butts littering the balcony floor. It was


    obviously Ashton¡¯s doing.


    I nced around but didn¡¯t see him. Not bothering to wonder where he was, I put on some clothes and


    tied up my blow-dried hair before trudging downstairs.


    Molly was slightly taken aback upon seeing me. ¡°Madam, are you going out?¡±

 Chapter 306

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 306


    I nodded and hummed a response, then searched for a pair of shoes from the shoe rack.


    Molly peered at me with hesitation stark in her eyes. ¡°Madam, it¡¯ste now and it¡¯s still snowing outside.


    Why don¡¯t you wait for Mr. Ashton to finish his shower and go with him?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    I walked out of the living room and noticed two bodyguards standing guard at the door. My face fell and


    I snapped, ¡°Step aside.¡±


    Both of them remained silent.


    Molly had already gone upstairs to call Ashton.


    My brows drew together with rage, but I was aware that I was no match for the two burly men.


    They blocked my path, remaining immovable like two stone statues.


    Shortly after, Ashton came down in a bathrobe with water still dripping from his hair.


    Seeing me all dressed up, he frowned. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Out.¡±


    ¡°To do what?¡±


    Irritation wed at me. ¡°To see a doctor.¡±


    He pursed his lips in response. ¡°I¡¯ll get Jared toe over in a bit. Go upstairs and rest now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary!¡± I emphasized, ¡°I¡¯m going to the hospital.¡± Marcus¡¯ body had been taken away.


    Without any family, the only one who could hold a funeral for him was Sally, but of course she wouldn¡¯t


    be willing to do it.


    So, I had to do this for him.


    Ashton¡¯s expression turned overcast and his mouth grew taut. ¡°You¡¯re going to see a doctor at the


    hospital at a time like this? Are you using that as an excuse to settle Marcus¡¯ funeral?¡±


    I nced at him and sneered. ¡°What does it matter to you?¡±


    He seemed to be trying hard to maintain his cool as he rebuked, ¡°What do you think? Scarlett, I know


    you¡¯re in a difficult ce, but you should know when to stop. Aunt Sally will handle Marcus¡¯ funeral.


    There are others in the White family who can handle it too. Why should you go? Will you stop only after


    rumors about both you and Marcus spread through the entire K City?¡±


    There was no way for me to refute him, so I could only shoot him a withering stare. In the end, I


    stormed back into the vi.


    He trailed after me and softened his tone. ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to deal with Marcus¡¯ funeral. You¡­¡±


    I stopped abruptly in my tracks and whipped back to look at him, noticing the winding staircase behind


    him from the corner of my eyes.


    With anger still coursing through my veins, I raised my hands and shoved him. Since the railing was


    completely within his reach, he could¡¯ve held it to steady himself, but unexpectedly, he allowed himself


    to fall and roll down the stairs.


    Even tumbling down the stairs, he miraculously managed to maintain his usual charming and suave


    appearance.


    I cast a nce at him, then spun on my heels and returned to the bedroom.


    He came in just after I changed into my pajamas and climbed into bed. His eyes were dim and there


    was blood on his forehead and the corner of his mouth. His legs and hands were also injured from the


    fall.


    I gave him a fleeting nce before closing my eyes, nning to give him the cold shoulder and go to


    sleep.


    Ashton didn¡¯t seem to be angry, but his eyes darkened a few shades as he stalked toward me.


    Lowering himself beside the bed, he ordered in a solemn tone, ¡°Get up and apply the medicine for me.¡±


    Without saying a word, I opened my eyes to give him an indifferent look before closing my eyes again.


    He lifted the nket and pinned me down with his sturdy body, nuzzling my forehead with the tip of his


    nose as he asked in a low whisper, ¡°Doesn¡¯t your heart ache for your injured husband?¡±


    I pursed my lips, refusing to speak. Does my heart ache?


    Yes!


    But I knew that with his reflexes, falling down the stairs wouldn¡¯t pose that big of a problem. At most, he


    would only suffer some minor wounds.


    When I remained tight-lipped, a mirthless smile formed on his lips. ¡°You think this is nothingpared


    to Marcus¡¯ death and that it doesn¡¯t deserve your care, right?¡±


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    My heart squeezed in my chest, but I remained stubborn. ¡°Get off me.¡±


    He didn¡¯t listen. Instead, he grabbed my hands and interlocked our fingers above my head before


    kissing me aggressively.


    He bit into my bottom lip, causing me to frown from the pain, but I endured it without saying a word.


    As though he wanted me to beg him, he started to attack my lips mercilessly.


    ¡°When you threw yourself in front of the car, you acted based on your true feelings, right?¡± His lips


    grazed mine as he panted slightly.


    Our fingers were interlocked so tightly that I felt a little bit ufortable. ¡°Is it guilt or love that you feel


    for Marcus? And what about me? Hmm?¡±


    He narrowed his eyes at me a fraction, but his gaze was warm and expectant as he waited for my


    answer.


    I pursed my lips, having no intention to answer him. I could no longer differentiate between love and


    guilt. Many a time, the lines between them seemed to be blurred.


    Silence stretched between us and as the seconds ticked by, the temperature around us seemed to


    drop along with his increasingly indecipherable expression.


    After a long time, he broke eye contact. The simmering anger swirling in his eyes subsided slightly as


    he said in a deep and maic voice, ¡°How long has it been since we had sex, Scarlett?¡±


    My brows instantly knitted together and I snapped, ¡°I don¡¯t want to!¡±


    My mind was still gued with images of Marcus lying in a pool of his own blood. A pang of pain hit me


    and I shoved him away. ¡°I said, I don¡¯t want to, Ashton. I don¡¯t want to! Can¡¯t you hear me?¡±


    He frowned, his handsome features turning grim. Before I knew it, he pulled off the bathrobe covering


    his body and blocked my protests by smashing his mouth against mine.


    When he moved to tug off my clothes, I instinctively scrambled away.


    Bang! Due to my carelessness, I mmed into the bedside table, feeling a dull pain spread through


    me.

 Chapter 307

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 307


    In a fit of anger, I raised my leg and kicked Ashton off the bed. Completely caught off guard, he rolled


    off andnded on the carpeted floor, which undoubtedly cushioned his fall.


    He sat up almost instantly and looked at me with a mixture of exasperation and amusement, the


    zing fire in him seemingly doused. With his gaze still fixed on me, he growled, ¡°You¡¯ve got guts,


    Scarlett!¡±


    I clutched my head and ignored his remark. ring at him, I spat, ¡°If you touch me again, it won¡¯t be so


    simple as getting kicked off the bed.¡±


    With that, I pulled the nket over myself, making sure to wrap it firmly around me before closing my


    eyes to sleep.


    I didn¡¯t expect that even without doing anything, Ashton would continue gazing at me with a sexually


    frustrated look on his face. After a long time, he finally went to the bathroom with a sulky expression.


    With everything that happened, my head was hurting so badly I couldn¡¯t fall asleep at all.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    I fumbled for my phone and went through my contacts for John¡¯s number.


    The person who answered the call was a woman instead of John. Her voice sounded familiar, but I


    couldn¡¯t seem to recall who it was.


    Hence, I merely said, ¡°Hi, I¡¯m looking for John.¡±


    The woman replied calmly, ¡°He¡¯s in the shower. He¡¯ll probably be out in about five minutes. If you trust


    me enough, you can tell me and I¡¯ll ry your message to him. If you don¡¯t want to, you can call again


    after five minutes.¡±


    I paused briefly before exining, ¡°I need his help to keep an eye on Marcus¡¯ funeral matters as well as


    Sally. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee, Ms. Stovall,¡± the woman responded in an amicable tone. After thanking her again, I


    hung up the call.


    I still couldn¡¯t put my finger on the woman¡¯s identity, so I simply chose to set it aside.


    Not long after I ended the call, Ashton came out of the bathroom with some vapor still clinging to his


    body. After wiping himself dry, he climbed into bed.


    To avoid him, I deliberately turned so that my back was facing him. When he pulled me against his


    chest, I immediately tried to squirm out.


    However, he caged me in with his arms and coaxed, ¡°Behave. I won¡¯t touch you.¡±


    I pursed my lips and huffed, ¡°Go away. I can¡¯t sleep with you so close to me.¡±


    ¡°You have two choices. Either we sleep like this, or I¡¯ll pull you closer to me. Of course, if you wanna


    join bodies, I¡¯m all for it too. So, what¡¯s it going to be, hmm?¡±


    A**hole¡­


    ¡­


    News of Marcus¡¯ death blew up the next day. Many citizens pointed fingers at Sally, using her of


    plotting the death of the family of three so that she could have White Corporation all to herself.


    Three consecutive deaths no doubt raised many suspicions. Except for Benjamin who died a natural


    death, both Sharon and Marcus hadmitted suicide. Hence, it was clear that there was more to the


    story than met the eye.


    The Bauman elderly couple, Anthony and Sophia, were prominent figures in K City. The fact that both


    their daughter and grandson hadmitted suicide didn¡¯t add up. Hence, they ordered the police to


    conduct a thorough investigation for both deaths.


    Something of this magnitude was breaking news. Even if Anthony and Sophia didn¡¯t bring it to


    attention, the police would¡¯ve taken action.


    Thus, Sally was brought in for interrogation and barred from participating in anything rted to the


    White family and White Corporation¡¯s financial flow.


    She wasn¡¯t even allowed to step into the White residence, the reason being that everything inside could


    be crucial to their investigation and that the ce itself might be a crime scene.


    In other words, Sally was basically banned from everything.


    As a result, she was homeless and could only temporarily live in our vi since it was huge. The ce


    that Ashton had previously arranged for Dr. Linnard was vacant ever since she left, so Sally moved in.


    When Stacey called me, I was staring absent-mindedly at the show ying on TV.


    Sally moved into the vi just then and I couldn¡¯t help but feel on edge since she had indirectly caused


    so many people¡¯s deaths.


    Perhaps she was aware of my hostility toward her, she only squinted her eyes at me without saying


    anything else.


    She was still Ashton¡¯s aunt after all. Even if I hated her, there was nothing I could do about it, so I


    stayed silent as well.


    As soon as I answered my phone, Stacey¡¯s low voice drifted across. ¡°Meet me at the caf¨¦ on the third


    floor of Fortuna Complex.¡±


    After leaving me with a simple sentence, she swiftly hung up the call.


    Usually, this meant that she had discovered something major.


    After getting ready, I was about to head out when I ran into Sally at the door. She was wearing a ck


    coat with a dark green scarf around her neck. A faint smile formed on her ageless face as she looked


    at me. ¡°Are you going out?¡±


    I grunted in affirmation but wasn¡¯t inclined to continue the conversation.


    She stood in my way with derision gleaming in her eyes. ¡°Why are you in such a hurry? Who are you


    meeting?¡±


    She was obviously looking to stir up trouble. ¡°Ms. Fuller, do you need something?¡±


    Raising her brows, she answered in a nonchnt tone, ¡°No. I just wanted to have a nice chat with my


    niece-inw. After all, we¡¯re still a family, so we have to get along well from here on out, don¡¯t you


    agree?¡±


    I pursed my lips and said cidly, ¡°So, what exactly do you want to chat about with me?¡±


    ¡°About your conflict with Cameron and Reba, of course. To be honest, Cameron is indeed a


    detestable woman. She may look gentle and graceful, but she is actually rotten on the inside. I don¡¯t


    like women like her either. Not to mention, she killed my grandnephew. Speaking of which, she and the


    Fullers are officially at loggerheads.¡±

 Chapter 308

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 308


    Folding her arms across her chest, she looked at me with her alluring eyes and continued, ¡°It¡¯s a


    wonder how Cameron managed to climb to such a high position over the years, but of course, she has


    her fair share of dirty secrets. It just so happens that I¡¯m in possession of those secrets. Don¡¯t you think


    handing them over to the Moore family would be much faster than investigating on your own?¡±


    A crease formed between my brows. ¡°Why would you help me?¡±


    Sheughed as though I had just asked a stupid question. ¡°The child in your belly was my


    grandnephew. Isn¡¯t that a good enough reason?¡±


    I scoffed in response. ¡°It¡¯s probably been at least three months since the incident, right? And you


    probably knew about it for quite some time already, yet, you¡¯re only telling me this now. Do you think I¡¯d


    actually believe that you¡¯re doing all this just for your grandnephew?¡±


    Her reason was tantly imusible.


    She let out a tinklingugh and remarked, ¡°I finally understand why my father allowed an ordinary


    woman like you to marry Ashton. Even though you¡¯re not that smart, at least you still have some


    brains.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes into slits. She¡¯s obviously mocking me!


    ¡°What do you want from me?¡± I asked and subconsciously nced at my watch.


    ¡°I want you to tell your godfather, Louis, to get the police to stop investigating the White family!¡± She


    leaned against the wine cab beside her, taking up a casual posture.


    Stop investigating the White family? Won¡¯t that mean that she can legally take over White Corporation


    and be the chairperson?


    With Marcus gone, no one would be able toy a hand on White Corporation except her.


    I smiled politely and replied in a cool tone, ¡°Ms. Fuller, I think it¡¯s best we find time to sit down and


    properly discuss this matter. This isn¡¯t something that should be hastily settled with a few casual words.


    Anyway, I¡¯m meeting a friend soon, so let¡¯s talk some other time.¡±


    She frowned but didn¡¯t argue. Narrowing her eyes, she agreed, ¡°Sure. We¡¯ll talk some other time.¡±


    After leaving the vi, I drove straight to the meeting ce. When I arrived, Stacey was already waiting


    for me.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    From her empty coffee cup, I could tell that she had been waiting here for quite some time.


    Upon seeing me, she nced at her watch and raised her brows. ¡°You¡¯re half an hourte, Ms.


    Stovall.¡±


    I shrugged and sent her an apologetic look. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry. I got caught up in something.¡±


    She offered me a small smile but didn¡¯tment otherwise. Then, she took out a document from her


    bag and handed it to me, saying, ¡°This is the transaction history between Cameron and Savini Tuffin.


    Have a look.¡±


    ¡°Savini Tuffin?¡± I froze for a good few seconds before recalling who this person was.


    He was the one who knocked me unconscious back then when we were dealing with Felix.


    Stacey nodded. After the waiter refilled her cup, she continued, ¡°Savini is the middleman between


    Cameron and Hector. He¡¯s the project director at AC Credit and he handles the quarterly audits of


    severalpanies under Cameron, so the transactions between them are within reason. Even if


    someone investigates it, they wouldn¡¯t find anything unusual.¡±


    My brows pulled into a frown. ¡°So, the money transactions between Cameron and Hector are basically


    done through Savini?¡±


    She nodded, but I was still slightly confused. ¡°Savini and Cameron are both entrepreneurs, so it¡¯s


    normal for them to have transactions with each other, but what you¡¯re telling me is that Cameron wires


    money to Hector through Savini. Savini is an entrepreneur, while Hector is a politician. So, if the


    transaction between them is toorge, it would no doubt arouse suspicion.¡±


    Stacey hummed in affirmation. ¡°My thoughts as well, so I continued looking into the exchange between


    Hector and Savini. I found out that Hector¡¯s wife owns a livestockpany. It¡¯s quite arge-scale


    production and has been operating for nearly a few decades.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that Hector collects money through his wife?¡±


    She nodded and went on, ¡°Also, I found someone to look into Hector¡¯s wife. She¡¯s been a housewife in


    the past few years, so she basically won¡¯t have the time nor energy to run such arge-scale livestock


    farm. In fact, Hector spent a few hundred thousand to buy a piece ofnd in a remote vige for the


    livestock farm. He simply threw in some chickens and hired a local viger to keep an eye on the ce,


    so it¡¯s basically been left unattended to all these years.¡±


    I could somewhat catch her drift. This livestock productionpany, to put it bluntly, was nothing but a


    front for moneyundering. In fact, it probably didn¡¯t even bring in any profits. The ounts registered


    by thispany were used to facilitate money transactions between Hector and other businessmen.


    It was no wonder that Louis couldn¡¯t find anything even after investigating for such a long time. Hector


    was too cunning for his own good.


    After a short pause, I looked at Stacey and asked, ¡°Are there any transfers from Cameron in the


    livestockpany¡¯s ount records?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°No, Cameron has been very cautious. Thepanies under her have no reason


    to coborate with the livestockpany, so her transactions are all done through Savini.¡±


    ¡°Then, what about Savini? On what basis can he transfer money to Hector?¡± Savini was from an audit


    company. Even though auditpanies often conducted business with all types ofpanies, money


    should be credited, not debited, from their ounts. Hence, an auditpany wiring money to a


    livestockpany wouldn¡¯t make sense at all.


    She smiled and exined, ¡°I wondered about that as well. It wasn¡¯t untilter on that I found out that


    Savini owns a frozen meat market. This way, no matter howrge their transactions are, it would still be


    considered reasonable and legitimate as it¡¯spletely normal based on market demand standards.¡±

 Chapter 309

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 309


    They¡¯re good, I¡¯ll give them that!


    Without obtaining the inside story, it was impossible to find out the truth. Even after knowing the inside


    story, it was difficult to convict Hector. After all, all of this looked to be reasonable transactions.


    My head spun slightly. Even if I ryed this information to Louis, there was no way to directly identify


    Cameron¡¯s involvement in this.


    Seeing the conflict lining my features, Stacey suggested after some hesitation, ¡°You can try starting


    with Savini. He¡¯s not as loyal to Cameron as he seems. Besides, there seems to be a third-party


    intervention in this matter. If I¡¯m not wrong, someone wants to take Cameron down.¡±


    ¡°A third party?¡± My curiosity was piqued. ¡°Who else did Cameron offend?¡±


    She shrugged and replied, ¡°I¡¯m not too sure, but I recently discovered that someone dug up videos of


    Cameron rising to her position when she was young. In fact, there were quite a number of people


    involved. By the way, Hector¡¯s wife should be a good approach in this matter. Even though we can¡¯t


    trace any money transactions, you may be able to discover sexual transactions.¡±


    I nodded and kept all the documents she handed to me. ¡°Thank you for doing this,¡± I expressed my


    gratitude.


    She smiled and took a sip of her coffee. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. You helped me deal with Felix, so this is the


    least I could do.¡±


    Since she put it that way, there was no reason for me to contradict. After exchanging some simple


    pleasantries, she excused herself.


    It was quitete by the time I returned to the vi. Hence, I was surprised to see an unwanted guest.


    Reba and Sally were seated in the living room, engaged in a friendly conversation.


    Upon spotting me, Sally smiled and waved to me. ¡°Letty, you¡¯re back. Ms. Larson and I were just


    talking about you!¡±


    I frowned. Her words sounded so pretentious they raked on my insides.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Reba was in a white cotton dress with her hair pulled up into a ponytail, looking every bit like a


    youthful and sultry woman.


    Catching sight of me, she smirked lightly. ¡°Scarlett, you¡¯re back. It¡¯s cold outside. Come on over and


    have some tea with us.¡±


    I remained expressionless with only my slightly pursed lips as an indication of my displeasure. ¡°No,


    thanks. You two don¡¯t mind me. I¡¯m going up to rest now.¡±


    ¡°Letty, don¡¯t go just yet. Come here and sit with us for a while. I¡¯ve been so busy with the White family


    matters all these years that I didn¡¯t have the time to sit down and have a nice chat with anyone. Since


    everyone¡¯s here today, you should join in too!¡± Sometimes, I really envied Sally¡¯s ability to put up such a


    wless and natural act.


    Unable to refute her indisputable reasoning, I went to the living room and took a seat.


    Sally brew some tea while Reba had a faint smile on her face. At a nce, we portrayed an


    uncannily harmonious scene.


    The three of us looked like we had always been close friends, but of course, we knew better.


    After Sally was done brewing the tea, she said gently, ¡°The most ssic step in tea brewing is to get a


    whiff of its fragrance, but people often skip this step. Since we¡¯re not in a hurry today, let¡¯s enjoy the


    fragrance of this tea.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t a tea lover, but I raised the cup and took a whiff of it anyway. Indeed, the smell was very


    fragrant, but I found it inappropriate to be drinking tea sote at night.


    Reba lifted the teacup to her nose in an elegant manner before breaking into a smile. ¡°This tea is of


    excellent quality. I¡¯m already intoxicated with its fragrance. I¡¯m starting to look forward to tasting it.¡±


    Sally returned her smile, then poured the brewed tea into separate teacups and gracefully said, ¡°Try it.¡±


    I only took a sip, whereas Reba smiled and remarked enthusiastically, ¡°This is really good tea!¡±


    The two of them earned my utmost admiration for being able to act so rxed and poised while


    drinking tea in the middle of the night.


    Noticing that I only had a small sip, Sally queried, ¡°Is the tea not to your liking, Letty?¡±


    I shook my head and simply replied, ¡°No. I just don¡¯t have the habit of drinking tea at night. I¡¯m prone to


    insomnia, so drinking too much isn¡¯t good for me.¡±


    She nodded with a smile. ¡°Then, why don¡¯t you drink something else?¡±


    I shook my head and declined, ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. It¡¯s gettingte now. Both of you enjoy the


    tea. I¡¯m going to head upstairs and call it a night.¡±


    Just then, the sound of a car engine came from outside. Sally smiled when the noise ceased abruptly.


    ¡°It sounds like Ashton¡¯s back.¡±


    Soon, Ashton came in. He ced the car keys on the shoe cab, then looked over at us.


    Upon seeing Reba, his brows drew together, but he turned his gaze to me and asked, ¡°Have you


    had your dinner?¡±


    I nodded and was about to go upstairs.


    He took long strides and I had barely made it a few steps when he caught up to me and wrap an arm


    around my waist. ¡°What did you do today? Did anything interesting happen that you wanna share with


    me?¡±


    I shook my head, having the blues.


    ¡°Ash!¡± Reba¡¯s gentle voice rang just then.


    Ashton nced at her with an impassive expression. ¡°It¡¯ste. Aren¡¯t you going home yet, Ms. Larson?¡±


    Evidently, he was telling her that it was time for her to leave.


    Reba turned ashen-faced and she parted her lips to say in a meek voice, ¡°I didn¡¯t bring¡­¡±

 Chapter 310

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 310


    She sounded like she was too embarrassed to continue, so Sally spoke for her, ¡°Reba didn¡¯t bring


    her driver along. She came here with me. It¡¯s already veryte now and it¡¯s not safe for a girl to go


    home alone at this hour. The vi¡¯s big, so let her stay here for the night.¡±


    Sally¡¯s words were meant for Ashton.


    Thetter narrowed his eyes and looked to me instead. ¡°What do you think about having a guest over


    for the night?¡±


    I frowned, feeling slightly peeved. ¡°What does it have to do with me?¡±


    With that, I moved to head upstairs, but he grabbed my arm and ordered in a deep voice, ¡°I¡¯ll get a


    driver to send Ms. Larson home.¡±


    Unhappy with her nephew¡¯smand, Sally¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°Is this how you treat your


    guests? Since when have you be so inhospitable? Don¡¯t you know how cold it is outside? It¡¯s not


    appropriate to allow a girl to go home on her own. The house is so big and isn¡¯tcking in rooms.


    Besides, my ce is so empty, so I¡¯d like her to keep mepany. I don¡¯t like being alone at night.¡±


    Noticing Ashton¡¯s darkening expression, Reba timidly chipped in, ¡°Ash, your aunt has gone through


    a lottely. I was also thinking of staying back to keep herpany. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t disturb you


    and Scarlett. I only want to apany your aunt, so that she won¡¯t feel so lonely.¡±


    Tsk, tsk!


    How kind and considerate of her!


    Ashton furrowed his brows in discontent, but since Sally put it that way, it would be unwise for him to


    reject her request.


    With his arm still around me, he barked, ¡°Do as you please.¡±


    Then, he tugged me upstairs and studied my face. ¡°Are you mad?¡±


    I was stunned, but I quickly shook my head in response. Without speaking, I trudged into the bathroom,


    feeling slightly exhausted.


    Sally was obviously threatening me by grantly bringing Reba here.


    She probably knew a little bit about Ashton and Reba. A married woman¡¯s biggest fear was having


    to witness her husband being intimate with his mistress.


    Sally was really an expert at emotional maniption, seeing as she came up with such a trick.


    However, she seemed to have overestimated Ashton¡¯s ce in my heart. If Ashton still regarded


    Reba as a friend, I wouldn¡¯t mind giving him up. This way, it would be easier to deal with Cameron.


    I stayed in the bathroom for so long that Ashton thought I had fallen asleep, so he knocked on the door


    a few times to urge me.


    As I towel-dried my hair aftering out, Ashton looked at me with his brows pinched together. ¡°Were


    you hiding in the bathroom to avoid seeing me?¡±


    My lips curved into a cool smile. ¡°You have a very active imagination, Mr. Fuller.¡±


    He pressed his lips together and squinted at me. ¡°Make sure you dry your hairpletely, lest you


    catch a cold.¡±


    He went into the bathroom after that.


    My phone rang with an iing call from John just then. I answered the call, but he spoke before I


    could, ¡°I¡¯ve sent someone to keep an eye on things, but isn¡¯t Sally staying right under your roof?


    Wouldn¡¯t it be better for you to keep an eye on her instead of having me send someone else to do it?¡±


    I grunted out a response and replied in a weary voice, ¡°She only just moved in. I emailed you some


    information just a while ago. Take a look at it and see if it¡¯s of any use to Uncle Louis.¡±


    ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± Then, he clucked his tongue, as though impressed. ¡°You¡¯ve been busy


    gathering information in secret, huh? Not bad. Did Ashton help you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I wasn¡¯t in the mood to exin further. Plus, it was alreadyte, so I said in a tired voice, ¡°It¡¯s


    gettingte. Say hi to Uncle Louis for me. Let¡¯s talk soon.¡±


    Before I ended the call, he blurted out, ¡°Letty, have you been feeling offtely?¡±


    I stiffened a little bit. ¡°No. Why?¡±


    He hummed in relief and continued, ¡°I received a medical record stating that you have depression, and


    by the looks of it, it seems kind of serious. How are you coping with Marcus¡¯ death?¡±


    Frowning, I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m coping just fine. I¡¯ll survive.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we spare some time to meet tomorrow? I¡¯ll take you to see a doctor.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary.¡± My frustration was apparent in my tone. ¡°John, I¡¯ll tell you if there¡¯s anything


    wrong. Alright, I¡¯m going to bed now. You should rest too.¡±


    I hung up the call immediately.


    Perhaps seeing Reba made me feel irritated, so I chucked my phone aside.


    Sensing someone behind me, I looked back to see Ashton staring coldly at me. Only God knows how


    long he had been standing there.


    My forehead creased. How much of my conversation with John did he hear?


    I opened my mouth to ask him, but he abruptly ced his hands on my waist and lowered his head to


    kiss me.


    Not expecting him to do this, I simply stood there, feeling slightly disorientated.


    But I came back to my senses after a few seconds and shoved him away irritably. ¡°Let go of me,


    Ashton!¡±


    He froze for a moment, frowned, then pulled me into his arms again. In a hoarse voice, he grumbled,


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it supposed to be like this between husband and wife?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± A hint of anger streaked through me and I shot him a dirty look. ¡°Your lover is


    still downstairs. Aren¡¯t you afraid that she¡¯d be heartbroken if she sees you behaving so uninhibited?¡±


    A chuckle escaped his lips and he pressed me against him. ¡°Lover? What an interesting choice of


    word, Scarlett. Why? Are you jealous?¡±From N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 311

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 311


    I pushed against him, but he didn¡¯t budge an inch. A frown appeared on my face as I evaded his kiss.


    ¡°Ashton, where did you get all this confidence? Why would I be jealous?¡±


    He smirked devilishly. ¡°I know you¡¯re jealous.¡± He trapped me in his embrace and purred in a baritone


    voice, ¡°You love me, don¡¯t you, Scarlett?¡±


    Momentarily losing control over my mind and body, I subconsciously grabbed onto his arms, looking a


    little flustered.


    Noticing my subtle action, he lowered his voice and whispered into my ear, ¡°Finally responding, hmm?¡±


    My cheeks heated up all of a sudden. Suppressing my anger, I red daggers at him and gritted out,


    ¡°Are you done yet? Get out.¡±


    He tightened his arms around me, as though unfazed by my show of anger. ¡°Where do you want me to


    go?¡±


    ¡°Wherever you want. I don¡¯t care!¡± I pursed my lips and shoved him hard. Then, I crawled into bed and


    closed my eyes in exhaustion.


    He climbed into bed after me and circled me in his arms. My phone, which I had set aside, rang again


    out of the blue.


    I flicked my eyes toward it and saw that it was John. Thus, I answered it without hesitation.


    ¡°Wait for me tomorrow. I¡¯ll take you to see a doctor,¡± was what he said the moment the call was


    connected.


    Upset, I was about to refuse when Ashton beat me to it with a gloomy expression. ¡°Mr. Stovall, by


    calling sote at night, I don¡¯t suppose you want to listen in on my private conversation with my wife?¡±


    Probably not expecting Ashton to be around, John fell silent for a moment before scoffing derisively.


    ¡°Private conversation? You really do have a knack for blowing your own trumpet, Mr. Fuller. Though,


    I¡¯ve never heard of a wife answering a call in the midst of having a private conversation with her


    husband.¡± This undoubtedly struck a nerve in Ashton.


    Ashton¡¯s arms tightened around my waist,pletely holding me down as he spoke meaningfully into


    the phone, ¡°Sometimes, husband and wife tend to spice things up between each other. Don¡¯t you know


    that, Mr. Stovall?¡±


    ¡°Oh? Is that so? What an eye-opener. Why? Did you use to call Letty like this too when you were with


    Ms. Larson?¡±


    Ashton¡¯s face clouded over and he looked terrifyingly cold.


    ¡°Don¡¯t sound so spiteful, Mr. Stovall. At least the woman in my arms is mine to take, whereas she¡¯s


    someone you can never dream of touching. So, I¡¯d say that my situation is much more practical


    compared to your wishful thinking.¡±


    Ashton¡¯s words were indeed cruel. After ending the call, he tucked my hair behind my ear without


    demonstrating any signs of anger. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the hospital tomorrow,¡± was all he said.


    I pursed my lips, but merely shut my eyes and let sleep take over me.


    That night, I had quite a good sleep.


    The next day, I woke up to see that Ashton had already changed his clothes.


    He was sitting on the chaise lounge by the side with aptop propped on his thighs, either working or


    looking up some information.


    Seeing that I was awake, he ced hisptop down beforeing over and bending down to peck me


    on the forehead. ¡°Do you wanna lie down for a while longer?¡±


    I creased my brows. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    He cocked a brow. ¡°I said that I¡¯d take you to see the doctor today.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going!¡± Although Marcus was gone, I was still an employee at White Corporation. I was the one


    in charge of the OrbitTech project, so there was no reason for me to give up halfway.


    He frowned and pulled me into his arms, kissing me softly before saying, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go and wash


    up first?¡±


    After a good night¡¯s sleep, I felt more clear-headed. I squirmed out of his embrace and got out of bed to


    head straight into the bathroom.


    When I was brushing my teeth, I could vaguely hear someone knocking on the bedroom door and


    automatically assumed that it was Mrs. Eriksen calling us down for breakfast.


    After washing up, I went out to see Reba and Ashton locked in an embrace. I didn¡¯t know what


    came over Reba, but she was crying pitifully at that moment.


    What the hell?


    Staring at the pair of lovers, I inadvertently pursed my lips. I was in no hurry, so I merely folded my


    arms over my chest and watched as the two of them express their affection for each other.


    Ashton seemed to be slightly tensed, but because he had his back to me, he didn¡¯t notice me standing


    there. He pushed Reba away and said indifferently, ¡°You¡¯ve been with the Moore family for at least


    half a year now. They¡¯re a prominent household, so you need to act the part. Why are you behaving


    like this now, without self-respect?¡±


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Having been pushed away by Ashton, Reba naturally noticed that I hade out of the bathroom.


    She squinted slightly before directing her gaze back to Ashton.


    With tears in her eyes, she said, ¡°Ash, you¡¯ve always known how I felt about you. You didn¡¯t promise


    my brother to take care of me out of responsibility. You did it because you fell for me. And the only


    reason you can¡¯t leave Scarlett now is because you feel responsible and indebted to her. You don¡¯t love


    her at all, do you?¡±


    My brows shot toward my hairline. Tsk, tsk. Is she trying to provoke Ashton into saying something that


    would hurt me?


    Ashton¡¯s voice was chilly when he grunted, ¡°This has nothing to do with you. Don¡¯te here again


    from now on.¡±


    ¡°The fact that you¡¯re not giving me a straight answer means that you don¡¯t love Scarlett at all, right?¡±


    Reba gazed at him and continued, ¡°On the night of my birthday, you clearly knew that it was also


    her birthday, but you still chose toe to the Moore Residence because, in your heart, I¡¯m more


    important than her, right?¡±

 Chapter 312

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 312


    Infuriated, Ashton warned, ¡°Enough.¡±


    But Reba prattled on, unafraid of his warning. ¡°My mother wouldn¡¯t have had any chance to attack


    Scarlett if you had gone to celebrate her birthday. When all is said and done, you only let her go out


    alone when it¡¯s near her delivery because you don¡¯t love her enough. And that¡¯s why my mother had


    the chance to attack her. My mother might have been the culprit behind the baby¡¯s death, but you¡¯re


    her aplice.¡±


    Reba was getting agitated, and she peered at Ashton. ¡°Ash, if you¡¯re staying with Scarlett just


    because you feel guilty, that¡¯ll just end up hurting her. You know you shouldn¡¯t force rtionships. If


    you¡¯re going to stay together despite theck of love, both of you are just going to end up hurt.¡±


    Ashton had his back against me, so I couldn¡¯t see his face, but I sneered. ¡°He can and he will. It


    doesn¡¯t really matter if he and I will be happy together. The most important part here is that you¡¯re not


    happy, Ms. Larson. That¡¯s all I care about because that makes me happy.¡±


    Hearing my voice, he turned and narrowed his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re done washing up?¡±


    I nodded at him before smirking at Reba. ¡°I know people can be rambunctious in the morning. Do


    you need to release the stress? Should I give you two some space?¡±


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    Ashton frowned and his face fell. ¡°Scarlett!¡± I could hear the warning in his voice.


    I shrugged, not angered in the slightest. ¡°Have fun, you two. I¡¯m going now.¡±


    But before I could go far, Ashton grabbed my hand. ¡°Calm down, okay?¡±


    I pursed my lips in displeasure and was about to retort when he told Reba coldly, ¡°Do I need to send


    you off personally, Ms. Larson?¡± He was obviously upset.


    Reba looked pale, and she was tearing up. She opened her mouth to say something, but she shut


    up after seeing how angry Ashton was. All she did was re at me and left, holding down her anger.


    With that, only Ashton and I were left in the big room. I could see the resignation in his eyes as he


    looked at me. ¡°How long have you been listening?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°No idea.¡±


    He smiled. ¡°Alright, what are you angry about?¡±


    I replied calmly, ¡°It¡¯s a regret that my birthday is also my child¡¯s death anniversary.¡±


    Perhaps caught by surprise or heartbreak, he hugged me tightly, almost melding me with his chest.


    ¡°She won¡¯t get away with this.¡±


    She? She who? Reba? Or Cameron? I didn¡¯t ask. All I did was let him keep hugging me. ¡°I¡¯m


    hungry, Ashton. Can you let me go now?¡± I blurted, feeling stuffy from the hug.


    He froze for a moment before letting me go and taking me downstairs. I thought Reba had gone


    home, but she was still there.


    She was talking to Sally in the dining room, and when Sally saw using down, she came up to us,


    smiling. ¡°I thought you have a meeting today, Ashton. Why did you sleep in? Mrs. Eriksen made your


    favorite pumpkin soup for you. Have it while it¡¯s hot. Reba and I will go with you to Fuller


    Corporationter.¡±


    As she spoke, Sally had squeezed herself in between Ashton and me, separating us. I slowed down


    and followed behind them. A momentter, Sally pushed him down on the seat beside Reba and


    told Mrs. Eriksen, ¡°Mrs. Eriksen, get Mr. Ashton a bowl of pumpkin soup right away.¡±


    She grinned at Reba. ¡°Reba, you¡¯d love to know this. There was one time when Ashton came


    back from school, and he saw Mrs. Eriksen making pumpkin soup in the kitchen. Guess what he did?


    He finished the whole thing himself. Mrs. Eriksen thought she overcooked it when she came back.¡±


    Reba nudged closer to Ashton and smiled. ¡°Is that true, Ash?¡±


    Goddamn. I sat down and put my chin on my hand. Bored, I asked, ¡°When did you leave your home,


    Sally?¡±


    Sally didn¡¯t answer, but Ashton did. ¡°Fifteen.¡±


    I arched my eyebrow. ¡°But your grandpa said he sent you to M Country after your parents¡¯ death when


    you were five. And you only came back to J City when you¡¯re twenty. Hmm, does that mean you


    managed to down a whole cauldron of soup when you were only five years old? Whoa, either that


    cauldron is too small, or you have a big appetite.¡±


    Ashton squinted at me. ¡°I hate pumpkin soup the most.¡±


    What Ashton was implying was that Sally was simply talking nonsense. I shrugged before ncing at


    Sally, who was going white with the awkwardness. Then I took the food Mrs. Eriksen gave me and


    handed it to Ashton. ¡°Finish your breakfast fast. We have some business to settle.¡±


    Annoyed and unwilling to see me gloat, Sally looked at Ashton. ¡°Ashton, Reba and I will be going to


    the Fuller Corporationter. Give us a ride, okay?¡±

 Chapter 313

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 313


    Ashton took a spoonful of soup and looked at Sally calmly. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a hassle.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. We¡¯re all going to the Fuller Corporation, anyway.¡± Sally was getting more and more upset.


    Just then, Reba, who had been silent for the most part, uttered softly, ¡°Ash, you don¡¯t want to see


    me, do you?¡±


    He looked at her, nodding solemnly. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Oh my.


    Reba was hurt by that remark, and I could see her on the verge of tears. She stood up, answering


    quietly, ¡°I won¡¯t be disturbing you then.¡±


    She was going to go out, but Sally stopped her. ¡°Oh, you child. He¡¯s just joking with you. Don¡¯t leave.¡±


    Then, she pulled her back to the table. Sally was the elder in the house, so she red at Ashton.


    ¡°Where are you going anyway? Why is it going to be a hassle?¡±


    Annoyed by his aunt¡¯s constant nagging, he put his fork down. ¡°I have some business to attend to.¡±


    When he noticed I wasn¡¯t eating much, he frowned. ¡°You don¡¯t like the food?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Nope. The taste is fine, it¡¯s just a bit noisy.¡±


    Hearing that, Sally, who was already irked to begin with, blurted, ¡°Scarlett, you¡¯re a part of the Fullers.


    What did you mean by that? Can¡¯t I stay over for a few days? I¡¯m in my nadir here. Are you going to


    chase me away? I¡¯m Ashton¡¯s aunt!¡±


    My appetite was instantly gone. Feeling amused, I said, ¡°Oh, so you know you¡¯re the elder here, Ms.


    Fuller? It¡¯s the twenty-first century now, but you¡¯re still trying to get another wife for Ashton, huh?¡±


    ¡°Get him another wife?¡± Sally frowned. ¡°What are you talking about, Scarlett?¡±


    I arched my eyebrow. ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re trying to break us up, then.¡±


    Her face fell after hearing my caustic remark. ¡°What nonsense are you spouting, Scarlett?¡±


    Iughed. ¡°Is it really nonsense though? Since you¡¯re his aunt, I¡¯m sure you know Reba likes


    Ashton. I¡¯m sure you know she wants to marry him. But who is she to you, and why did you bring her


    here? Are you trying to give her a chance to seduce Ashton and make him divorce me?¡±


    I was getting agitated, and I looked into Sally¡¯s eyes as I continued, ¡°You can tell it straight to my face if


    you dislike me. I can get a divorce at any time. There¡¯s no need to take her here, you know?¡± I stormed


    out of the dining room after that, not giving her any chance to retort.


    Behind me, I could hear Ashton growl out, ¡°Aunt Sally, you know she¡¯s not in the best of health. You


    didn¡¯t have to keep going against her. Come at me if you want to vent, not her.¡±


    I didn¡¯t listen to the ensuing conversation since I had gotten into the car outside the vi by then.


    Ashton followed me out not long after, and he smiled when he saw me sitting leisurely in the car. ¡°You


    done venting?¡±


    I rolled my eyes and said nothing more. Then, I started the car so I could go to White Corporation. He


    quickly got into the passenger seat. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°White Corporation.¡±


    He frowned. ¡°No. You¡¯re going to see a doctor first.¡±


    I pursed my lips and stopped the car. ¡°Get out. I have some business to attend to.¡± I stared at him


    calmly.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    He leaned back against the seat. ¡°Fine. Get your business done with and then we¡¯ll go for the


    checkup.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have better things to do? You¡¯re being annoying, Ashton.¡± He was following me around the


    whole day like I was a criminal.


    ¡°My to-do list today only has one thing on it¡ªstay with you.¡±


    I tapped the steering wheel, feeling frustrated. With no other choice, I tamped down my anger and


    looked at him calmly. ¡°Fine, but you¡¯re driving. I don¡¯t know the directions.¡±


    He arched his eyebrow and sat up before giving me a peck on my cheek. ¡°You can go to thepany


    after the checkup. It¡¯s still the same thing.¡±


    I frowned, but I waited for him to get out of the car patiently. He went around the car, and when he was


    about to open the door, I finally let loose. I squinted at him and locked the door. ¡°Have fun strolling, Mr.


    Fuller.¡±


    With that, I floored the elerator, leaving him behind. I could see his expression darkening from my


    rear-view mirror. Then, I drove to White Corporation without sparing him another nce.


    There wasn¡¯t much to do, but there were still things that needed my attention. Even though Marcus was


    gone, thepany was still running as usual. I talked about work with Richard for a while before


    coming out. Just then, I received a call from John. ¡°Where are you?¡± he asked coldly.


    ¡°I¡¯m at White Corporation. What¡¯s up?¡± I wasn¡¯t in a hurry to leave after getting out of the office. Instead,


    I took the call as I stood beside the elevator. The signal was bad inside.


    Sounding like he hadn¡¯t slept, John¡¯s voice was hoarse when he said, ¡°Give me a few minutes. I¡¯m


    taking you to the hospital to see a doctor.¡±


    Feeling slightly irritated, I spat, ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡±


    My refusal angered him. ¡°And why is that? You¡¯re going to kill yourself if you leave your illness


    untreated.¡±


    D*mn this guy!


    ¡°I¡¯m perfectly healthy, John. Depression is just an emotional issue. It¡¯ll be fine if I keep it in check. Don¡¯t


    make a mountain out of a molehill. I don¡¯t have time for this. Now tell me, how¡¯s your investigation on


    the Moores?¡± I shifted the topic since I didn¡¯t want to talk about my checkup.

 Chapter 314

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 314


    John was angered by my remark. ¡°I¡¯m making a mountain out of a molehill? You tried to kill yourself for


    God¡¯s sake! Are you going to keep saying that it¡¯s nothing until you¡¯re dead?¡±


    Feeling helpless, I kept trying to change the topic. ¡°I gave you the documents yesterday. Is the Moore


    family making any move now?¡±


    I could vaguely hear him sigh. ¡°Uncle Louis looked into Hector and Savini just like you asked. He found


    something and has gone to J City today.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Oh, by the way, Cameron might look like she¡¯s not involved in this. Since their rtionship is


    purely professional, it¡¯d make investigations hard, as everything will look normal. Tell Uncle Louis to


    look into Hector¡¯s wife. He¡¯ll probably find out the deal between Hector and Cameron then.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Wait for me at thepany. I¡¯ll pick you up in a jiffy.¡± I had thought that I managed to distract


    him, but he just wouldn¡¯t let the matter slide. He must be an idiot.


    Taking a deep breath, I said calmly, ¡±Don¡¯te. I¡¯m leaving thepany now.¡±


    The elevator was here, so I hung up. It wouldn¡¯t take a few minutes for me to leave, so it was


    impossible for him to pick me up. Unless he could fly.


    I thought I could leave right away, but unfortunately, life had to throw a wrench in my ns. Ashton


    came for me when I arrived at the first floor. He was in a ck bespoke suit, looking dashingly


    handsome with his extraordinary height and attractive looks.


    I subconsciously tried to evade him, but before I could, he was already walking over to me. Before I


    knew it, he was hugging me without a care in the world. ¡°When are you going to stop throwing a


    tantrum?¡±


    I pursed my lips, but I didn¡¯t resist since everyone was looking at us. ¡°I¡¯m not throwing a tantrum.¡± I


    forced out a smile.


    Just when he was dragging me out of thepany, a conspicuous sports car skidded to a halt,


    attracting everyone¡¯s attention. The door spun up in style, and out came John. He was wearing


    sunsses, and he radiated a thuggish air.


    John took off his sunsses when he saw me in Ashton¡¯s arms, and he squinted at Ashton. ¡°Mr. Fuller,


    can¡¯t you see she doesn¡¯t want this?¡±


    Ashton threw him a look of disdain before turning to me. ¡°So this is why you don¡¯t want me around,


    huh?¡±


    What the hell? This is nder! ¡±No.¡± I said calmly, ¡°I have no idea why he¡¯s here.¡±


    Handling Ashton alone was problematic enough. Adding John into the mix would be a recipe for


    disaster. I looked at both men before caving in. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go for the checkup.¡± Then, I went into Ashton¡¯s


    car.


    At the psychology department within Top Three Hospital, only I and the psychologist were in the ward.


    The psychologist, Dr. Davidson, was an elderly man.


    ¡°Dr. Davidson, Mr. Fuller has asked me to give you this.¡± The nurse came in and gave a document to


    Dr. Davidson. Before she left, she nced at me with a serious look.


    After Dr. Davidson was done reading through the document, he adjusted his sses and looked at me.


    ¡°Are you frequently bugged by insomnia, Scarlett?¡±


    I thought about it before answering, ¡°Yeah, whenever I lose control of my emotions, I¡¯ll lose sleep. Does


    that count?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Your emotions got the better of you, but you have to learn how to vent them out. Come to me


    whenever possible, and don¡¯t bottle your feelings up. Life goes by us fast, and before you know it,


    you¡¯re already an old geezer like me.¡±


    Dr. Davidson seemed to be having a casual chat with me, and I nodded in agreement. He wrote


    something to me and smiled. ¡°Do whatever you want. Don¡¯t hold back too much.¡±


    I took the prescription and was stupefied after seeing it. Most of them were just calming pills. ¡°This is


    the same prescription.¡±


    ¡°Yes. You¡¯ve been haunted by your depression for years. At this point, a full recovery is impossible


    unless you yourself want to heal. All I can do is tell you to keep moving forward no matter what,¡± he


    said calmly.


    I nodded in silence. When I came out of the consultation room, Ashton and John looked at me. ¡°How


    was it?¡±


    I paused for a moment and smiled at their reaction. Then I handed the prescription to Ashton. ¡°He told


    me to make sure I take enough water every day.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± John was mystified. ¡°Dr. Davidson said so?¡±


    I nodded and tilted my head. ¡°Even the doctor says I¡¯m fine. You guys should stop asking me to consult


    a doctor.¡±


    John frowned. ¡°But that¡¯s just¡­¡± He nced at Ashton, who was looking upset, and he stopped talking.


    After a moment, he said, ¡°Uncle Louis wants you toe with me to the Stovall residence next week


    for dinner and a chat. He wants you to get to know the family.¡± John looked at me.


    I froze for a moment before I nodded. Then, I yawned. ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep wellst night. So I¡¯ll be going


    back now. See you.¡±


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He was going to say something, but seeing that I was sleepy, he stopped in his tracks and nodded.


    ¡°See you. Rest well, Scarlett.¡±

 Chapter 315

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 315


    John then turned to re at Ashton. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be getting a rest too, Mr. Fuller?¡± he mocked.


    Ashton smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve always been healthy, you know.¡±


    John stormed off, infuriated. The moment he left, Ashton squinted at me. ¡°Where¡¯s the prescription?¡±


    I pursed my lips and gripped the prescription tighter. ¡°There is none,¡± I replied calmly. ¡°The doctor told


    me to have a lot of rest and drink plenty of water.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett,¡± he emphasized.


    Annoyed, I left the hospital without saying a thing. He followed me into the car and put the matter of the


    prescription aside. ¡°Joe invited you to South Metro for a meal. Are you going?¡±


    I was going to say no, but I paused. ¡°Why did he invite me?¡±


    Ashton started the car. ¡°For the thing we discussed over the callst time.¡±


    I was surprised to hear that. So he¡¯s going to apologize?


    There was a saying that a man¡¯s love could be measured by how his friends treat you. I considered it


    for a moment and nodded. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll go.¡±


    It was still early when we came to South Metro. I thought we hade too early, so I asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you


    think it¡¯s a bit early?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Yeah. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner you get to rest.¡±


    Right¡­


    When I saw the trio in the room, I felt likeughing. I looked at Ashton. ¡°I thought this is supposed to be


    an apology. Didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be a trap.¡±


    A frown creased Ashton¡¯s forehead, and he narrowed his eyes at Joe. ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡±


    Joe stood up and fidgeted. ¡°Ashton, it¡¯s been a while since Reba could go around since her


    hospitalization. She¡¯s just here with us. I¡¯m sorry for not telling you about this, but I promise it¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Jared sipped his tea, pulling himself away from the drama. Ashton nced at Reba calmly. He


    didn¡¯t care if she was putting up a pitiable front, and he looked at me. ¡°You still want to do this?¡±


    Joe looked at me apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Scarlett. I¡ª¡±


    Reba interrupted. ¡°What am I, a chopped liver?¡± She looked as arrogant as usual with a hint of


    grievance. ¡°Since I¡¯m obviously unwanted, I¡¯ll leave then. Bye.¡± She took her bag and tried to leave.


    Joe gave me another apologetic look. ¡°Sorry, Scarlett. I¡¯ll send her off.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Everyone¡¯s already here whether we like it or not. Let¡¯s get on with it.¡± I gazed at Reba


    mockingly. ¡°You don¡¯t mind sharing a table with me, do you, Ms. Larson?¡±


    Joe took the chance to invite Reba back and happily made the orders. Ashton had always been a


    man of few words. So he simply sat beside me and chatted with Jared, looking cool as a cucumber.


    Once everything was served, Joe stood up and gave me a toast. ¡°A toast for you, Scarlett. I apologize


    for my rude behavior. Now that you¡¯re Ashton¡¯s wife, you¡¯re a part of the family.¡± He gulped the wine


    down graciously.


    I peeped at Ashton again and found that he was still as inscrutable as ever.


    Jared looked at me and paused for a moment. ¡°There¡¯s a rule in our group. You have to down ten shots


    for it to be an effective apology.¡±


    I looked at the ten sses of wine before Joe, and I was taken back to the time when I was the one


    who had to drink. They¡¯re really something, aren¡¯t they? Ten shots would be fine for a good drinker, but


    someone with a problem could end up injured or dead.


    When Joe was going for the second shot, I shot up and looked at him calmly. ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving if we aren¡¯t


    eating anytime soon.¡±


    ¡°What is the meaning of this, Scarlett? Haven¡¯t your parents taught you about manners?¡± Reba shot


    up and barked. She was already angry enough with me, and my obviously rude behavior lit the me


    within her.


    Her face darkened. ¡°Joe went out of his way to apologize, and this is how you treat him? Are you trying


    to ruin their friendship?¡±


    Frowning, I answered calmly, ¡°Ms. Larson, are you standing up for them? Because it sounds like you¡¯re


    venting to me.¡±


    ¡°Why you little¡­¡±


    I cut her off. ¡°I have no parents, so I¡¯m not sure what they would have taught me. You, on the other


    hand, have parents, don¡¯t you, Ms. Larson? They should have taught you to mind your own business


    and that sticking your nose where it doesn¡¯t belong is rude.¡±


    ¡°Who are you calling rude, Scarlett?¡± Seeing that she couldn¡¯t win against me in a banter, she gave


    Ashton a puppy-eye look. ¡°Ash, are you going to just let your wife insult me like that?¡±


    My, my, this woman is shameless.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Ashton frowned at her in cold silence. Obviously, he thought she saw everyone else as an idiot.

 Chapter 316

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 316


    Joe stopped smiling and turned to Reba. ¡°Stay out of this, Reba.¡±


    ¡°Why should I? Everyone agreed to this rule when Parker was here. I was there too. Why should I stay


    out of this?¡±


    ¡°But the rule didn¡¯t say anything about sticking your nose into this. Don¡¯t you know that, Reba?¡±


    Jared finally spoke. His gaze was cold and also impatient. Reba was stunned before tears started


    to stream down her face.


    I was starting to get impatient. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you guys agreed to the rule, but I ept your apology.


    Thanks for the treat, and there¡¯s no need for the wine. You¡¯ve apologized, and that¡¯s good enough.¡± I


    paused for a moment. ¡°Everyone settles their matter differently. You have your way, and I have mine.


    Do away with the wine.¡±


    Joe was bbergasted, and he cast a confused look at Ashton.


    Ashton, who had kept quiet all the while, finally stood up and looked at Joe. ¡°We¡¯ll go with Scarlett¡¯s


    way. It¡¯s gettingte, and she¡¯s exhausted. We¡¯ll be leaving now.¡±


    He was going to take me away when Reba stopped us and red at us with tear-filled eyes. To be


    precise, she was looking at Ashton. ¡°You can¡¯t just break the rule Parker made whenever you want. Do


    you think this woman is more important than our decades of friendship?¡±


    An angry frown creased Ashton¡¯s forehead. ¡°This woman is my wife.¡±


    Reba sneered. ¡°So what? That doesn¡¯t give her a free pass to break every rule.¡±


    Hearing that, I felt the urge tough. ¡°Ms. Larson, I¡¯ve heard of how you used your own brother for your


    own gains. Frankly, if you were to write it all down, you could probably start an online novel filled with


    drama. I don¡¯t care what the reasons were behind this inhumane rule, but Ms. Larson, let¡¯s stop for a


    moment and think. You guys were just twenty-year-old kids back then. I can understand why this rule


    was made in a fit of impulse, but for Pete¡¯s sake, do you think it¡¯s still relevant now?¡±


    I took a deep breath. ¡°Everyone¡¯s in their thirties now, for god¡¯s sake. Doesn¡¯t matter how healthy they


    are, ten sses of alcohol is going to hurt. Not to mention they¡¯ve been pulling all-nighterstely for the


    company. Their bodies are at their limits. If you¡¯re going to force them into drinking all ten sses, Joe


    might just end up dead like your brother. Is that how much you value your friendship?¡±


    Reba paled, then her face turned red with anger. Her chest heaved, and she glowered. ¡°That¡¯s


    sophism! You¡¯re leaving because you¡¯re too arrogant to ept his apology!¡±


    There were times when I thought Reba might be a five-year-old. Every word she uttered and the


    way her thought worked was like a child¡¯s.


    I looked at her for a moment before turning to Joe. ¡°Honestly, you¡¯re a good guy, Joe. You know right


    from wrong. Ashton¡¯s my husband, and since he sees you as his brother, then by extension, you¡¯re my


    brother too. I won¡¯t argue with you just because of some childish insults. Naturally, I won¡¯t get between


    you and Ashton. I ept your apology, and you don¡¯t have to drink the wine. It¡¯s precisely because


    you¡¯re family that I don¡¯t want you to kill yourself over some stupid rule.¡±


    Then, I took Ashton¡¯s hand and left the room. The moment I got into the car, I flung his hand away and


    red at him. ¡°Did you bring me here just to annoy me?¡± I wouldn¡¯t havee if I had known Reba


    was present.


    He pursed his lips in resignation. ¡°I was with you the whole time. I couldn¡¯t have known about this.¡±


    Even so, I was still irked. ¡°Go back on your own.¡± With that, I went into the car and left without him. I


    looked at the rear-view mirror and saw him pping his forehead lightly.


    ¡­


    The moment I stopped my car at the vi, I saw Sally standing at the doorstep. She was wearing a


    jacket. When she looked behind me and didn¡¯t see Ashton, Sally looked at me. ¡°Got some time? Let¡¯s


    talk.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°Us.¡±


    Iughed. ¡°Haven¡¯t you had enough fun bringing Reba in?¡±


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She frowned. ¡°I just want to do something that can benefit both of us. If we can live in harmony, I won¡¯t


    do anything to your marriage and family.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so in other words, if I refuse to work with you, you¡¯d ruin my marriage and family, is that it?¡± I went


    past her and entered the living room. Molly and Mrs. Eriksen weren¡¯t there. She must have made sure


    they aren¡¯t in.


    She flicked her hair and drawled, ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the matter at hand. I don¡¯t really like Reba, to


    tell you the truth. Honestly, I¡¯d like to be your friend, not your enemy.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s not get ahead of ourselves, Ms. Fuller. You¡¯re a visionary, so to speak. I don¡¯t think


    someone like me can be your friend.¡± One of the most terrifying things in the world was to be friends


    with someone who only cared about profit.


    She arched her eyebrow. ¡°That¡¯s just how human nature works. You¡¯ll get it once you¡¯re my age.¡±

 Chapter 317

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 317


    So I would have to wait for a decade before I can understand where she wasing from? I smiled. ¡°I


    can¡¯t do anything about the White family¡¯s matter if that¡¯s your goal. Louis might be my godfather, but I


    can¡¯t call any shots, since Mr. Bauman¡¯s the one who came up with the idea. You don¡¯t have to panic if


    the death of the White family has nothing to do with you. Justy low for the time being, and you can go


    back to being the chairperson of White corporation.¡±


    She narrowed her eyes, and her face fell. ¡°So that¡¯s a no then?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°I have my own way of dealing with Cameron, but thanks for the offer, Ms. Fuller.¡±


    With that, I went to the bedroom. Sally followed after me. ¡°Don¡¯t be in a hurry to refuse, Scarlett. I know


    you have your ways, and my info on Cameron won¡¯t be of use to you. But think about this, if Reba


    keeps getting in between you and Ashton, what will happen to your marriage?¡±


    I stopped in my tracks and turned my head. ¡°So, I take it that you¡¯re going to ruin my marriage using


    Reba?¡±


    She pursed her lips, looking upset. ¡°There¡¯s no need for us to be enemies. You¡¯re underestimating the


    help that I can give you.¡±


    I felt likeughing, but I held it in. ¡°Ms. Fuller, the most I can do is stay out of your way, and I ask you to


    stay out of mine. I can¡¯t help you, and I know I can handle my own business well. Let¡¯s just keep this


    up.¡±


    My belly throbbed when I came into the bedroom. It was making me ufortable, so I went into the


    bathroom and found out that it was the special time of the month. Ever since the miscarriage, there


    would be lochia and ck blood. It hadn¡¯t been normal for months, but that finally ended.


    Finally, something good. I was sitting on the bedroom¡¯s sofa watching TV when Ashton came back.


    Feeling cold, I wrapped myself with a nket.


    His hair was wet, and he was holding a bunch of flowers. When he saw me on the sofa scrolling my


    phone, Ashton came over to adjust my nket. ¡°Why are you still up? Were you waiting for me?¡±


    I sat up. The lethargy was catching up to me, and my waist was sore. ¡°Yep,¡± I said calmly.


    He ced the flowers in the vase and caressed my face. Since I¡¯ve been feeling toasty for a while, his


    hands felt cool to me.


    ¡°Why were you waiting for me?¡± He pulled me into his embrace and smiled. I could feel his stubble


    rubbing against me, and it was prickly.


    I looked at the flowers he bought. The packaging and the state of the flowers alone were enough to tell


    me it screamed of money. He handed the flowers to me and smiled. ¡°See if it smells nice.¡±


    ¡°Is this for me?¡± I took it and had a whiff. Indeed, they smelled nice.


    He hugged me, whispering, ¡°Who else if not you?¡±


    I lowered my gaze and said tly, ¡°Aunt Sally said Ms. Larson is going to stay over for a few more


    days.¡±


    He frowned, looking upset. ¡°So?¡±


    I loosened my grip on the flowers. ¡°Put these in the living room.¡±


    He frowned, anger welling up in his eyes. ¡°So this is how you¡¯re treating my gift?¡±


    I pulled away from him and looked at him calmly. ¡°What should I do then? Hug them while I sleep?¡±


    He pursed his lips but said nothing more. Then, he tossed the flowers onto the TV cab before taking


    off his jacket and entering the bathroom.


    Sounds of him taking a shower came from the bathroom a short whileter. I looked at the flowers


    before going to bed, feeling despondent.


    My belly was acting up, and every time I took a step, I felt myself bleeding. Since I wasn¡¯t in my best


    mood, I was easily infuriated.


    Ashton was still dripping with water when he came out, and his hair wasn¡¯t fully dried. He frowned when


    he saw me lying on the bed. He then tossed his towel to me. ¡°Dry me off.¡±


    I frowned, but I kept quiet and ignored him.


    Seeing that I was not budging, his face darkened. ¡°Talk to me, Scarlett. There¡¯s no need to throw a


    tantrum. I know I¡¯ve handled things poorly, but you¡¯ve vented enough. What else do you want? Please


    stop sulking, okay?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t in my best condition, and I was getting sleepy. I nudged myself and tried to push myself up. I


    gave him a kiss and said, ¡°Thank you. I really like the flowers you gave me. Good night.¡± Then I went


    back to bed.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Ashton¡¯s gaze never left me. Once I was done speaking to him, he squinted. ¡°Well, that was a half-*ss


    effort. He then leaned over and kissed me, supporting his body with his elbow. It was a deep kiss, and I


    didn¡¯t fight back. Instead, I responded to his kiss, prolonging it for quite a while before he let me go.


    He stared into my eyes. ¡°Can we do it tonight?¡±


    I fell into a trance for a moment, then the pain from my belly shot up into my head. ¡°I¡¯m exhausted,


    Ashton.¡±


    He got what I was saying and didn¡¯t force me. He nodded. ¡°Sleep tight then.¡±

 Chapter 318

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 318


    Even so, when Ashton was lying beside me and hugging me, I could feel his kiss getting more


    passionate. Obviously, he had been holding it in for a while.


    I tried to back off, but I was already on the edge of the bed. Moving more would make me fall, so I


    pushed him, but he held my hand. I frowned when I noticed his hand wasing up my shoulder.


    ¡°Ashton¡­¡±


    ¡°Be good. Don¡¯t be scared.¡±


    I held his hand down. ¡°Sorry, but I can¡¯t.¡±


    He smiled and kissed me more before trying to lure me into it. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. We can take it slow.¡±


    Realizing that he must have misunderstood me, I was speechless for a moment. Nheless, he


    noticed it a short whileter. He looked at me, surprised. ¡°When did this happen?¡±


    ¡°Tonight.¡± It took all I had to say that.


    He went out of the bedroom, leaving me alone in the bed, not knowing what to do. Before I realized it,


    he hade back with a bowl of ginger carrot soup and a bowl of chicken soup. That surprised me.


    ¡°Mrs. Eriksen made some chicken soup for you. Have it before you sleep,¡± he cooed as he tried to feed


    me.


    I didn¡¯t like sweet stuff, so two mouthfuls were all I could handle. He then said, ¡°Finish the chicken.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°I brushed my teeth, so no.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll just take you to the bathroomter. Finish this and go to sleep.¡± He pressed on, allowing no


    refusals. We had been living together for years, and I knew I would be on the losing side if I kept it up.


    In the end, I resolved myself to finish it.


    My whole body felt heavy, for I hadn¡¯t recovered from the miscarriage, and it was my special day of the


    month. I had a good night¡¯s sleep the first night, but because of theck of blood, I felt dizzy.


    Ashton had a lot of business to settle, and the annual general meeting wasing up, so he told Mrs.


    Eriksen to take care of me. I tried to sleep, but I couldn¡¯t, so I scrolled through my phone. A moment


    later, it rang.


    I took the call. ¡°Hello, Mr. Tuffin.¡±


    Savini was a shrewd man. The moment I talked to him, heughed. ¡°Did you sleep wellst night, Ms.


    Stovall? Do I have the honor to treat you to lunch?¡±


    ¡°Sure, Mr. Tuffin.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for giving me the honor, Ms. Stovall.¡±


    After I hung up, Stacey called me before I could get out of bed. ¡°So? Did Savini set up a meeting with


    you?¡± She cut to the chase as expected.


    I nodded. ¡°Yep, news does travels fast to you, huh?¡±


    She smiled. ¡°I just overheard something this morning. Hector¡¯s been detained, and they have evidence


    of his illegal earning of hundreds of millions. This is a serious crime. I reckoned he¡¯s going to stay


    behind bars for a long, long time.


    ¡°But Savini seems to have disappeared. He probably caught wind of the news. He¡¯s already gone when


    the police went to his house, so I thought he might have contacted you.¡±


    Her deduction piqued my curiosity. ¡°How are you so sure he¡¯d contact me?¡±


    She found my question amusing. ¡°After the incident with Felix, he should have guessed that you were


    behind it, but he hesitated for too long, and this is what happened. If he contacted you earlier, maybe


    Cameron would have been the wanted one here, not him.¡±


    That was true. Louis was in charge of the political side of things. Even if Savini were to be convicted,


    he would not have it worse than Hector. If he hade to me earlier, he might have had the chance to


    redeem himself.


    ¡°What about the Moores then?¡± I asked.


    She answered, ¡°Rumors have it that Emery, the youngest daughter of the Moores, have returned.


    Jonathan is blessed with her when he was sixty. He spoils her, and she¡¯s one little devil. She¡¯s


    hotheaded, stubborn, and hard to handle. She seems to dislike Cameron and Reba, so she kept


    tripping them up ever since she came back.¡±


    I smiled and got out of bed. ¡°Sounds like Cameron¡¯s getting busy.¡±


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Stacey smiled. ¡°Now that Hector¡¯s arrested, she¡¯d probably get caught if she so much as to make a


    slight misstep. So, what¡¯s your n in dealing with Hector¡¯s wife? Should be easy to get something


    from her.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about that for now.¡± I looked at the time. ¡°But since Savini came to me, that makes


    things easier. Hector¡¯s wife should be no problem to handle.¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯ll let you handle it then.¡± I nodded. When I was about to hang up, she added, ¡°Oh, right. I


    almost forgot to tell you this.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about Jared. There¡¯s nothing going on with the Fullers now, right?¡± she asked. ¡°The matter with the


    hospital hasn¡¯t been settled yet, but something else broke out in J City and is making the rounds. It¡¯s


    about and Fuller Corporation is developing. It¡¯s only two months since then, and they found the


    bodies of the residents¡¯ children buried there. Not just one too. At this rate, the whole corporation¡¯s


    going to be forced to a halt.¡±

 Chapter 319

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 319


    Stacey¡¯s words caught me by surprise, and I was shocked for a few moments. ¡°When did this happen?¡±


    ¡°Two or three days ago, but it¡¯s under wraps for now. Ashton probably had a hand in it, though I doubt


    he can settle it easily. After all, it¡¯s human¡¯s lives we¡¯re talking about here. Fuller Corporation is going to


    suffer.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I got it.¡± The news was quite shocking for me. How did this happen?


    Ashton had been managing the corporation well. The hospital¡¯s incident was already unbelievable


    enough. It was almost ludicrous that deaths would be involved. If the incident made its way to


    mainstream news channels, that would undoubtedly ruin the corporation.


    ¡°There¡¯s something else. It¡¯s about another rumor I heard. Macy went to see Jared during your


    recovery period. Something could have happened between them, but I¡¯m not sure. Then I heard she


    delivered prematurely.


    Premature birth? I gasped. ¡°Are you saying that Jared could be involved in the hospital¡¯s incident, the


    children¡¯s deaths, and even Macy¡¯s premature delivery?¡±


    Stacey wasn¡¯t too sure about that either. She paused for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m not too sure about that, since I


    don¡¯t know the full story either. Finding Macy is the best way for you to go about this. Get some


    answers out of her. Maybe she knows more about Jared.¡±


    After Stacey hung up, I called Jackson, but nobody picked up.


    For three months, I wondered why Macy never spoke to me directly on the phone. I had a feeling that


    they were avoiding me but I couldn¡¯t figure out why. Did something happen?


    I didn¡¯t want to involve myself with Ashton and Jared¡¯s matter. Jared was unlikely to force Ashton into a


    corner even if they had a grudge. After all, they were already friends for years.


    I was more worried about Macy. I could see no love between her and Jared. It was obvious she wanted


    to tell him about her pregnancy when she went to see him. I knew she was trying to help me, but Jared


    didn¡¯t seem to care about the child.


    Otherwise, there was no way he would let her deliver prematurely and leave K City right after that.


    Since I couldn¡¯t get through to Jackson, I could only infer the events that had transpired.


    Savini sent me the location, and I dressed myself up simply before going out.


    Thanks to the traffic, I was slightlyte when I came to the private room. Savini seemed to have been


    waiting for a while when I went in. He shot up hastily the moment he saw me. ¡°d you coulde,


    Ms. Stovall.¡±


    I nodded before walking over to the table and sitting down. He smiled and said cautiously, ¡°I¡¯ve made


    the orders. Are they to your liking, Ms. Stovall?¡±


    I simply grunted and said nothing. I looked toward the window, and it reflected Savini, who was


    fidgeting. A long whileter, he couldn¡¯t hold back any longer. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for disturbing your peace on


    this fine morning, Ms. Stovall.¡±


    I nodded at him, waiting for him to continue, though my silence wracked his nerves even more. He


    asked, ¡°Have you heard about Hector¡¯s arrest, Ms. Stovall?¡±


    I paused for a moment, pretending to be surprised. ¡°Mr. Clinton is arrested? Why?¡±


    He seemed to calm down after noticing my reaction. ¡°Let¡¯s put that aside for now. Ms. Stovall, there¡¯s a


    reason why I invited you here today. Let¡¯s strike a deal.¡±


    I sipped from my ss and arched my eyebrow before nodding. ¡°What¡¯s the deal about?¡±


    He stopped talking for a moment since the waiter was serving the food. Once we were alone again, he


    said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you the details of Ms. Anderson¡¯s trades and how she manages to elude all the detectives.


    Not to mention I have the evidence that can seal the nail in the coffin.¡±


    I put my chin on my hand and looked at him calmly. ¡°How should I trust you when you¡¯ve sold out your


    employer?¡±


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re the one behind the whole thing here, Ms. Stovall. You looked like you did nothing, and


    yet, you¡¯re the one who is controlling everything. You¡¯ve started your n the moment Felix was set up.


    Felix was just a catalyst, while Cameron¡¯s your real target. All you need now is the evidence for her


    crimes, and I have that evidence.¡±


    I looked at himnguidly. ¡°I know, but you haven¡¯t answered my question. How should I trust you?¡±


    He pondered for a few moments before cing a document before me. He looked at me. ¡°This


    document here contains the trades between Cameron and Hector which are done through me. The


    transactions are all here. This alone is enough to deal a heavy blow to her.¡±


    I looked at the document, but I wasn¡¯t in a hurry to take it. Instead, I peered at Savini. ¡°What are your


    terms?¡±


    ¡°Freedom.¡± He looked haggard. ¡°The police are already here for me. I know I can¡¯t escape it, so all I


    ask for is my freedom.


    I sighed, but I had to give a cold answer. ¡°Honestly, I could get the same document you¡¯re giving me if I


    spend some time on it, and I don¡¯t have to bear the risk. Working with you is the riskiest choice here.


    You¡¯re a businessman, so you should know that better than me.¡±

 Chapter 320

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 320


    Clearly, he never expected that I would reject him. With a scowl, he asked, ¡°What if I tell you I can


    defeat Cameron entirely?¡±


    I shrugged indifferently. ¡°Well, Cameron had iting. I didn¡¯t take action as I thought seeing her being


    tortured was far more interesting.¡±


    As I wasn¡¯t going to cave in, his scowl deepened. ¡°Ms. Stovall, since you¡¯ve made up your mind, why


    did you agree to meet me?¡±


    I rested my chin on my hand and replied nonchntly, ¡°I want to know why you kidnapped me back


    then.¡±


    Surprised at the mention of the kidnapping incident, he paused before answering. ¡°I thought you¡¯ve


    asked me about it before? What else do you want to know?¡±


    My eyes crinkled up in amusement. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll believe that? AC was part of the reason, but only


    a few people know about my pregnancy. Care to share where you found out about it? Also, remember


    the recording you shared with me? I¡¯m curious as to who acted alongside Reba. Let¡¯s talk about it,


    Mr. Tuffin!¡±


    It had happened six months ago, but ever since Stacey mentioned it to me, I felt a niggling feeling in


    my chest telling me something was amiss. Back then, when I struck a deal with Caleb, I didn¡¯t tell him


    the reason for my fake abortion. However, when Savini kidnapped me, he obviously knew why.


    I already had a suspect, but I needed something more to confirm my suspicions.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Seeing my narrowed gaze, he let out a light chuckle. ¡°Ms. Stovall, will you work with me after finding


    out the reason?¡±


    I arched a brow. ¡°I can consider that.¡±


    He took a sip of his tea calmly. After a pause, he uttered, ¡°Ms. Stovall, do you know Dr. Crest well?¡±


    ¡°Jared Crest?¡± I returned, preparing myself for his answer.


    He shrugged. ¡°Well, I wasn¡¯t nning on kidnapping you at first as the risk was too high. Besides, AC¡¯s


    president could¡¯ve talked to you about the bid instead of nning the kidnapping.¡±


    I nodded and beckoned for him to go on.


    ¡°Jared Crest came to us and offered to work with us. He actually wanted to partner up with Cameron.


    I¡¯ve been working for Cameron for years, but he offered ten years of the Crest family¡¯s audit in return.


    That means I¡¯ll be in charge of part of Fuller Corporation¡¯s audit and work with the Crest family for ten


    years. Hence, I agreed to his n.¡±


    It was within my expectation, so I continued calmly, ¡°Why did Jared do that?¡±


    Savini thought about it and shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. He only told me to not harm you. After the


    bidding, he carried out the rest of the n. I wasn¡¯t really involved.¡±


    I pursed my lips after hearing his exnation. Why did Jared arrange for me to overhear that scene


    between Reba and Ashton? What was his purpose? To force me to leave Ashton?


    But what will he gain?


    As everything was clear now, I gazed at him coolly. ¡°Mr. Tufin, thank you for your exnation. But I


    need to consider working together with you. After all, I¡¯m someone who holds grudges.¡±


    The man furrowed his brows in displeasure and gazed at me sharply. ¡°Ms. Stovall, what do you mean?¡±


    I looked out of our private room and leaned back into the sofa. ¡°You kidnapped me previously. Do you


    think I¡¯ll forget it and pretend as if nothing had happened?¡±


    Throwing daggers at me, he demanded, ¡°But you weren¡¯t injured!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I wasn¡¯t physically hurt. But you forgot about my mental health.¡± After hearing that disgusting


    recording that Reba faked, I lost interest in having sex with Ashton. It was a great loss.


    Savini parted his lips to say something when the door was pushed open. A team of police officers


    rushed in and arrested him. ¡°Savini Tuffin, you¡¯re being arrested for illegal trade and kidnapping. Please


    come with us.¡±


    Realizing what was going on, Savini red at me and heaved. ¡°Scarlett, you set up a trap!¡±


    My lips thinned. ¡°This isn¡¯t part of my n.¡±


    He continued glowering at me. ¡°Scarlett, you¡¯d better make sure I get the death sentence just like Felix.


    Otherwise, I¡¯ll take revenge after they release me.¡±


    After the police brought him away, I remained in my seat and nced at the untouched food.


    Slowly, I began eating the food elegantly. After all, it wasn¡¯t good to waste them.


    ¡°You¡¯re too calm. Didn¡¯t you hear what he said earlier?¡± John came in and looked at me in


    exasperation. ¡°After he serves his sentence, he¡¯ll take revenge.¡±

 Chapter 321

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 321


    I took a few bites of the delicious food. ¡°Won¡¯t you have some?¡± I offered.


    He harrumphed and took a seat across from me. After getting a new set of utensils from the server, he


    started eating. ¡°Are you seriously not afraid of him?¡±


    I ced my spoon down and sipped on my tea. ¡°Will you give him a chance to hurt me?¡± I returned.


    Stunned, he broke intoughter. ¡°Scarlett, why would you think I¡¯ll protect you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who called the police. Why would he take revenge on me?¡± Hmm, it¡¯s upsetting not


    being able to finish the food.


    He was rendered speechless. ¡°You were involved, too!¡±


    ¡°Am I the mastermind?¡±


    John shook his head.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Shrugging nonchntly, I replied, ¡°Well, that has nothing to do with me then.¡±


    I stopped eating after a while. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I should go home now. Let me know when the results


    are out.¡±


    ¡°Tsk,¡± came his exasperated reply. ¡°Why? Are you asking me to clean up the mess after you?¡±


    I met his gaze. ¡°What else do you expect?¡±


    He faked a smile. ¡°I see. Turns out women indeed hold grudges and remain mad longer than men do.


    Scarlett, I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re this petty.¡±


    I didn¡¯t bother to refute his words. Rising to my feet, I prepared to leave.


    John followed me out of the restaurant. ¡°Won¡¯t you tell Ashton about Savini?¡±


    I shook my head while fishing for the car keys in my bag. ¡°No need. It¡¯s already settled. Find a way to


    dig Cameron¡¯s dirt from Savini as soon as possible.¡±


    My original n was to drag Cameron down slowly, but that obviously wouldn¡¯t work anymore.


    Both me and Macy had been implicated in Jared and Ashton¡¯s affairs. I didn¡¯t even know how Macy


    was coping with things, so I wanted to end this swiftly and investigate the rtionship between Macy


    and Jared thoroughly.


    John nodded and folded his arms. ¡°That¡¯s easy. But you¡¯ve set up an borate trap. Isn¡¯t it


    disappointing to discard it just like that?¡±


    Disappointing?


    ¡°I have other things to do.¡± It was useless to waste time on Cameron as she must be extremely anxious


    now.


    Finally, I found my car keys and unlocked my car. ¡°Well, let¡¯s meet up another day. Bye!¡±


    John stood in my way. ¡°When will you stop getting back at Cameron?¡±


    ¡°When she¡¯s in a living hell?¡± All I wanted was for her to get a taste of her own medicine¡ªthe pain of


    losing her child.


    Frowning, he told me, ¡°One day, if you regret your decision, don¡¯t me me for going all out.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°If that happens, it means she¡¯ll be full of regrets too. Don¡¯t be such a fool. See you


    around!¡±


    We went on our separate ways and I drove back to the vi.


    I was on my period, so I fell asleep not long after I returned home.


    Soon, amotion woke me up. My belly was throbbing dully by now. My irritation crackled when the


    noise continued downstairs.


    Five minutester, the noise showed no signs of stopping. I rose to my feet in annoyance and went


    downstairs.


    At the top of the stairway, I saw Reba. Her camel-colored coat was drenched with rainwater. She


    seemed like a damsel in distress, with her hair lying in damp curls and her makeup all gone. She


    looked haggard.


    When she spotted me, she pushed Mrs. Eriksen aside and dashed up the stairs. Tugging at my


    sleeves, she demanded viciously, ¡°Scarlett, it was you, right?¡±


    I was still in a daze. It took me a moment to formte a reply. ¡°Ms. Larson, could you perhaps provide


    an exnation on your question?¡±


    Her eyes were bloodshot as she gripped my sleeves. Clearly, she was forcing herself to calm down.


    ¡°Scarlett, stop putting up an act. You were the one who framed my mother, right?¡±


    Oh, that. I shed a smile and replied, ¡°Set up a trap?¡± My stomach was aching badly. ¡°Ms. Larson,


    have you graduated from primary school? Do you need me to exin what ¡®frame¡¯ means? Don¡¯t tell


    me you really think your mother has been framed?¡±


    ¡°Why won¡¯t you stop targeting me? You¡¯ve taken Ash away from me.¡± Her voice was desperate. ¡°I was


    reunited with my parents and family, but you destroyed my family in a blink of an eye. Scarlett, why do


    you hate me so much? What did I do to you?¡±


    She seemed to be on a verge on an emotional breakdown.


    My reply was cold. ¡°Ms. Larson, you should stop questioning me and reflect on your own actions.¡±


    Well, well. It seems like Cameron is currently under investigation. John is fast!


    She sneered. ¡°You deserve it for taking Ash away from me. That baby came at the wrong time. He


    didn¡¯t want to be born, so I merely gave him what he wanted¡ªdeath.¡±

 Chapter 322

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 322


    I pursed my lips as a fresh swell of rage rose in me. Scanning her venomous being, I let out an abrupt


    laugh. ¡°That means your mother shouldn¡¯t exist in this world too. Do you know what will happen to her


    next? Come, let me exin everything.¡±


    Seeing how furious she was, my voice grew increasingly cold. ¡°Next, she¡¯ll be charged for bribery, theft,


    murder, and illegal trading. Then, her assets would be seized and auctioned off. Even if you and


    Zachary could get her out of jail, she¡¯ll be left with nothing.¡±


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    I paused and let out a sinister chuckle. ¡°She used to be a wealthy and powerful woman. Now, she¡¯d


    returned to square one, broke and left with nothing. Do you think she can handle the pain? By the way,


    I heard that the youngest daughter of the Moore family, Emery Moore, is back. You must be in a tight


    spot now. If she loses everything, I wonder how you¡¯ll survive in the Moore family.¡±


    As the color drained out of Reba¡¯s face, I shrugged casually. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t wait for that to happen.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett, you b*tch!¡± She raised her hand to give me a p, but I gripped her wrist before she could do


    that.


    Her gaze was aze with fury and killing intent.


    I released her and chuckled lightly. ¡°Don¡¯t stare at me. I know you hate me, but I can¡¯t help it. I¡¯m sorry,


    Reba.¡±


    Utterly furious, her lips curled into a smirk. ¡°Do you really think I care? Yes, I can¡¯t be with Ashton


    anymore. But he¡¯ll never forget about me. After knowing that my mother is in trouble, he has arranged


    everything nicely for me. Even without the Moore family¡¯s help, I can survive abroad with his


    arrangements.¡± She sneered, ¡°Scarlet, you¡¯ll live under my shadows forever. I might be suffering, but so


    are you!¡±


    I was overwhelmed momentarily by her words. Ashton has thought of everything.


    When I snapped back to reality, Reba was gazing at me smugly. ¡°He might be your husband, but


    he¡¯ll grow sick of you one day. Time will tell everything. By then, no matter what has be of me,


    he¡¯ll still take care of me. Scarlett, you might think you¡¯ve won, but the truth is, you¡¯ve lost miserably.¡±


    Shrugging casually, I pretended as if I wasn¡¯t bothered. ¡°Congrattions in advance, then. Regardless


    of how he¡¯ll treat me in the future, it doesn¡¯t matter to me now. No one knows what will happen in the


    future, right?¡±


    Her breathing got heavier, as though she couldn¡¯t understand why I was still calm. She raised her hand


    to try to hit me again, but thought the better of it.


    ¡°Tell me what you¡¯re going to do next. Scarlett, since things have gotten ugly now, you don¡¯t have to


    keep it a secret anymore.¡±


    I smiled faintly. ¡°Why would I do so? I¡¯ve always been a bad b*tch. When I take revenge, I like to torture


    my enemy. An instant kill is not fun at all. Torturing her is far more interesting. I¡¯ll watch as everything


    slips out of her reach slowly while she has a mental breakdown. Just thinking about it sends a thrill of


    anticipation through me. It won¡¯t be fun if I reveal everything to you now.¡±


    ¡°You must be crazy!¡± Reba¡¯s face contorted with anger. ¡°Scarlett, if you insist on making me suffer,


    I¡¯ll make your life a living hell, too!¡±


    She might be enraged, but this was my house. In the end, she spun on her heels and left in a huff.


    Before she left, she hissed, ¡°Scarlett, if I can¡¯t have it, nobody else will!¡±


    She was so overwhelmed with hatred. My drowsiness faded away as I stood at the door nkly.


    ¡°You¡¯re good at pissing people off.¡± Sally¡¯s voice sounded from behind.


    I nced at her coolly and said nothing.


    Even though I ignored her, she continued, ¡°Cameron is particrly vengeful. You should either defeat


    her entirely or make sure she ends up in jail forever. Otherwise, if shees backter, you¡¯ll be in


    trouble.¡±


    I stared at her calmly. ¡°Are you saying I should kill her once and for all?¡±


    After all, only the dead wouldn¡¯t be able to make aeback.


    She snickered, ¡°You can try that.¡±


    How ruthless of her.


    Our conversation ended after that. I entered the kitchen and told Mrs. Eriksen to prepare some ginger


    carrot soup for me.


    I was talking to her when Ashton¡¯s call came in. His voice was crisp and clear as usual. ¡°Are you at


    home? Do you have any cravings? I can buy them for you.¡±

 Chapter 323

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 323


    I racked my brains and mentioned a few dishes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be home in fifteen minutes!¡±


    After hanging up, Mrs. Eriksen giggled. ¡°What a loving couple. Letty, why don¡¯t you n for another


    child in spring? I can¡¯t wait to see that.¡±


    I was taken aback. Another child?


    I¡¯ve never thought of having another child after the miscarriage. I couldn¡¯t even protect my first child, so


    I dared not dream of having another.


    ¡°Scarlett, you¡¯re far more ruthless than I imagine!¡± Out of nowhere, Sally rushed in and smashed my


    bowl onto the ground. ¡°Did I ever offend you? Why are you forcing me into a corner?¡± she pointed at


    me and demanded angrily.


    Huh?


    I frowned in confusion. ¡°What did I do?¡±


    ¡°The incident from ten years ago is all over the news. Besides the three dead Whites, you and I are the


    only ones in the know. Tell me. Why would I ruin my own reputation? That leaves only you, Scarlett.


    There¡¯s no one else!¡±


    As fury overcame her, she picked up a shard of broken ss on the ground and came for my face.


    I couldn¡¯t well dodge her attack as I hadn¡¯t expected it. The ss shard was about to slit my cheek


    when someone suddenly grabbed the ss shard in Sally¡¯s hand.


    Stunned, I looked up and saw Ashton. Blood had started to trickle down from his palm.


    Immediately, I shoved Sally away and gazed at Ashton with concern. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    I squeezed his hand and forced him to open his palm. The ss shard had pierced his skin, creating a


    deep sh. ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    Hebed my hair with his other hand. ¡°No. What happened?¡±


    Sally regained herposure on the ground. Instead of getting to her feet, she told Ashton, ¡°You


    should ask her. She¡¯s cruel enough to scheme against her own rtive!¡±


    Ashton¡¯s lips thinned. With his brows knitted up, he returned, ¡°Even if she¡¯s cruel, she¡¯d never try to


    sh another woman¡¯s face with a sharp object.¡±


    A hint of anger crept into his voice.


    Sally paled visibly. ¡°I could ruin her looks, but she had ruined the rest of my life! Ashton, don¡¯t be fooled


    by her!¡±


    Ashton¡¯s gazended on me. ¡°What exactly happened?¡±


    I shook my head. At the sight of the blood pooling in his palm, I told Mrs. Eriksen to get the first aid kit.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Aunt Sally, what is going on?¡±


    Sally sneered. ¡°You don¡¯t know? Scarlett, you¡¯re good at putting up an act, huh?¡± She yelled, ¡°Weren¡¯t


    you the one who told the reporter why I married Benjamin ten years ago? You even exposed Sharon¡¯s


    scandal and how I forced Sharon to her death by using the scandal to threaten her!¡±


    I frowned at her words. Indeed, I knew everything. After Benjamin¡¯s passing, Sally revealed this piece


    of news to Sharon, causing her to go crazy and jump off a building in guilt.


    However, I¡¯ve never told anyone about it.


    Ashton stared at me as his brows snapped together. ¡°Was it you?¡±


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Shaking my head, I denied. ¡°No!¡±


    Nodding, Ashton¡¯s voice turned icy. ¡°She said it wasn¡¯t her,¡± he told Sally coolly. ¡°I trust her. You¡¯d better


    have evidence before touching her. Otherwise, I¡¯ll make you pay for your actions.¡±


    Sally¡¯s eyes widened incredulously. ¡°Ashton, you¡¯re a fool! The Whites are dead, and she¡¯s the only


    person alive who knows the truth. Why would I ruin my reputation right now?¡±


    Ashton was unfazed. ¡°Then you can punish her when you find the evidence.¡±


    With that, he tugged me out of the kitchen and headed for our bedroom.


    I took the first aid kit from Mrs. Eriksen and trailed after him obediently.


    In our bedroom, I cleaned his wound carefully. Some of the blood had dried up over his wound.


    ¡°Does it hurt?¡± It was a deep cut, so I couldn¡¯t help but wince as I dabbed the cotton on it.


    Shaking his head, he chuckled lightly. ¡°Are you feeling sorry for me?¡±


    I pursed my lips and sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t act on impulse next time.¡±


    ¡°What a fool,¡± he uttered and caressed my cheek. ¡°You¡¯re precious to me. Next time, remember to


    avoid her attacks swiftly, hmm?¡±


    Nodding, I resumed bandaging his wound. ¡°I think someone else is involved in Aunt Sally¡¯s scandal,¡± I


    told him and exhaled sharply.


    His gaze darkened. ¡°Stay out of this. The White family¡¯s matter has nothing to do with us. I¡¯ll deal with


    Aunt Sally.¡±


    My mouth set in a hard line. Marcus¡¯ death had left a void in my heart. I couldn¡¯t well forget him. Right


    now, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to pity Sally as she had brought this upon herself.

 Chapter 324

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 324


    Nevertheless, I was curious as to who exposed the entire debacle to the public.


    The Baumans knew nothing of this. Besides Sally and me, who else could it be?


    I couldn¡¯t understand any of it, so I simply stopped thinking. Looking up at Ashton, I asked, ¡°Is


    everything alright at Fuller Corporation?¡±


    He seems pretty exhaustedtely.


    With a faint smile, Ashton shook his head. ¡°We¡¯re expanding, so there are bound to be some


    difficulties. Don¡¯t worry. I can solve the problems easily.¡±


    Clearly, he didn¡¯t want me to worry. I changed the topic deftly. ¡°I might go to M Country to visit Macy


    and Jackson. It might take a while.¡±


    His brows furrowed up. ¡°It¡¯s almost the end of the year. Why can¡¯t you leave after the celebrations?¡±


    I let out another sigh. ¡°I¡¯m just worried for them. You told me Dr. Crest is in M Country, so I told him to


    keep an eye on both Macy and Jackson. But he didn¡¯t send me anything.¡±


    After I finished bandaging his wound, Ashton tugged me down to sit beside him. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about this


    calmly, shall we?¡±


    As he was rarely this patient with me, I gave him a nod. ¡°Sure, go on.¡±


    ¡°The temperature in M Country is at least ten degrees lower than K City. You¡¯ve just recovered, so I


    don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to head there now. Do you understand?¡±


    I inclined my head.


    He pulled me into his arms and added, ¡°Besides, Louis is going to hold a grand party to celebrate you


    being his goddaughter. Also, your n to take Cameron down is about to seed. Won¡¯t you stay and


    see her ending for yourself?¡±


    It took me a few seconds to realize what he was saying. Looking up in surprise, I blurted out, ¡°Y-You


    know about it?¡±


    Chuckling lightly, he brushed his finger across my nose. ¡°Do you seriously think Stacey could get


    ess to all the information easily in K City?¡±


    Lips parted in surprise, I stared at him wordlessly as warmth enveloped my heart. He knew what I


    wanted and never stopped me from doing anything. Instead, he gave me his full support by helping me


    secretly.


    A wave of warmth washed over me as I snuggled into his embrace. ¡°Thank you, Ashton.¡± My voice was


    hoarse.


    He pressed a kiss on my forehead before inquiring, ¡°Why did Rebae here today?¡±


    ¡°For her mother,¡± I replied curtly. My belly wasn¡¯t aching anymore, but I couldn¡¯t summon any energy.


    Ashton spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll ask Joe to escort her to M Country. She¡¯ll live there peacefully.¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± came my cool reply.


    Sensing my displeasure, he lifted my chin and forced me to meet his gaze. ¡°Are you upset?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I shook my head and exhaled. ¡°Ashton, I know you¡¯re forever responsible for her the moment you


    made your promise to Parker. We can¡¯t predict the future, so let¡¯s just savor the present.¡±


    George was a retired soldier. He had brought Ashton up to be a responsible man. Hence, even though


    Ashton never loved Reba, he¡¯d still take good care of her.


    I must say Parker had picked the perfect person to take care of his sister.


    Sally was determined that it was me who told the reporters about her past, so she deliberately made


    things difficult for me.


    Ashton was on a business trip, and I was fed up with Sally¡¯s mockingments. Hence, I went to


    White Corporation to view the progress of the OrbitTech project.


    Before I could leave, I bumped into Cameron outside. K City was freezing in winter, so she was d in


    a fashionable but warm outfit¡ªck thigh-high boots and white knee-length puffer jacket.


    Upon spotting me, she alighted from her vehicle and removed her sunsses. ¡°Ms. Stovall, you¡¯re


    pretty busy. Are you heading out in the cold?¡±


    I knew why she was here and went straight to the topic. ¡°Ms. Anderson, why are you here?¡±


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    She shed an elegant smile. ¡°It¡¯s freezing out here. Do you mind chatting in my car?¡±


    After pulling the door of her car open, she added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The car is well-heated.¡±


    I entered the passenger seat. ¡°What is this about?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Did you provide that information to Louis?¡± she inquired without any hint of warmth.


    Tilting my head, I pondered about it before responding, ¡°Which information?¡±


    She curled her lips into a smirk and fiddled with her sunsses. ¡°To be honest, you are exactly like me


    when I was young¡ªvindictive and cold. I¡¯ve worked hard over the years just to marry Zachary. Now,


    I¡¯ve finally achieved my dream. You¡¯re smart enough to attack my weak spots¡ªReba and Zachary.¡±


    She added, ¡°You dug up dirt about me so the Moore family would kick me out. But have you ever


    thought about how I¡¯ll retaliate? After all, I didn¡¯t suffer from a fatal blow. When Iunch an attack, what


    will happen to you?¡±

 Chapter 325

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 325


    I noticed how calm she was. Slightly stunned, I returned, ¡°So what do you want to discuss, Ms.


    Anderson?¡±


    ¡°Stop right here. I admit I was too reckless to kill your unborn child, but Reba had lost her child too.


    Karma got back to us. I¡¯ve been busy dealing with the mess you¡¯ve gotten me into. The Moore family is


    also making things difficult for me. That is my punishment. We¡¯ll stop here and stay away from each


    other from now on. How does that sound?¡± she suggested calmly.


    Her eyes narrowed as she waited for my reply.


    I stared at her and pondered. What¡¯s her weak spot? Reba and Zachary?


    After a pause, I spoke slowly, ¡°What if I refuse to stop? What do you n to do, Ms. Anderson?¡±


    She raised a brow and shot me a menacing look. ¡°With my wealth and the Moore family¡¯s influence, we


    can easily make you and Fuller Corporation disappear in K City.¡±


    I nodded with a smirk. ¡°Mm, you¡¯re capable of doing that.¡±


    She offered me a cordial grin and said, ¡°So? If you stop now, we won¡¯t have to be enemies.¡±


    I nearly snickered out loud. Holding back myughter, I stared at her. ¡°Ms. Anderson, you¡¯re


    experienced and magnanimous, seeing how you can forget things easily.¡±


    After a pause, I continued, ¡°But I can¡¯t do that. I¡¯m not as experienced as you. There¡¯s no way I can


    laugh things off. The same nightmare gued me over and over again about a baby crying in anguish


    and blood all over the ground.¡± I let out a bitterugh. ¡°Ms. Anderson, you have never heard a baby


    howling in despair, right? I have. I could even hear his pleas, asking me to save him.¡±


    Myughter was mirthless. ¡°Ms. Anderson, I couldn¡¯t do anything as my child bled to his death. If you


    were in my shoes, can you move on? I don¡¯t think so. This will be etched in my memory forever.¡±


    Her face turned ashen as her lips pressed together tightly. After a long silence, she answered, ¡°Well,


    since you¡¯re not willing to settle our difference, let¡¯s see who will end up being the winner.¡±


    I tamped down my emotions and shed a smile. ¡°I look forward to that day.¡±


    After I got off her car, I watched calmly as she drove away. Memories spilled forth, engulfing me as they


    spiraled rapidly out of control.


    Indeed. I should attack her weak spot. There¡¯s no need to spare her anyway.


    I whipped out my phone and called John. He picked up swiftly.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He sounded weary.


    I paused briefly. ¡°Are you sleeping?¡± I asked.


    He grunted in acknowledgement. ¡°Last night, I had to deal with something in A City and returned quite


    late.¡±


    Nodding, I requested, ¡°Please arrange for me to meet Savini Tuffin.¡±


    He seemed stunned by my request. ¡°Why? I thought he¡¯s useless now?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± I responded. ¡°I need to talk to him about something. Can you help?¡±


    ¡°Sure. When do you want to see him?¡±


    ¡°Today, if possible.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Wait for my call.¡±


    After cutting the line, I returned to the vi. Sally was having her breakfast in the kitchen.


    At the sight of me, she stared daggers at me viciously.


    I ignored her reaction and took the seat opposite her. ¡°I need your help. Give me all the videos showing


    Cameron¡¯s dirty deeds. I can ask Mr. Bauman¡¯s help to cover up the White family¡¯s scandal.¡±


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Her hand paused midair at my sudden offer. She narrowed her gaze and demanded, ¡°What do you


    mean?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s partner up,¡± I offered. Mrs. Eriksen brought me breakfast, but I didn¡¯t have any appetite.


    Nevertheless, I thanked her politely.


    Sally was still in a daze. She put down her ss of milk and replied, ¡°Sure. I have another condition,


    though. You need to persuade the Baumans to stay out of the White Corporation¡¯s operation.¡±


    ¡°No problem!¡± I agreed without hesitation and promptly took out my phone to give Louis a call.


    The call went through after a few rings. ¡°Letty, have you had breakfast yet?¡±


    ¡°I have. Good morning, Uncle Louis. Are you free to meet up with me and John? You¡¯ve been busy


    after returning from J City. Can we have dinner together?¡±


    Louis roared in delight. ¡°Do you need my help on something, huh? We can meet up for dinner tonight.


    There¡¯s an Irushean restaurant in the southern suburbs. Let¡¯s meet there tonight.¡±


    Sally¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously.


    I took one look at her and continued, ¡°Uncle Louis, should we ask Mr. and Mrs. Bauman to join us? If it


    weren¡¯t for them, we wouldn¡¯t have crossed paths. We should treat them to dinner to show our


    gratitude!¡±

 Chapter 326

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 326


    The old man chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re full of tricks, huh? Okay, I¡¯ll call himter. See you tonight.¡±


    We exchanged pleasantries before cutting the call.


    A smirk flitted across Sally¡¯s lips. ¡°I¡¯m curious. Why did you suddenly decide to help me?¡±


    I stared at the ss of milk on the table and felt my stomach churning. Instead of answering her


    question, I inquired, ¡°I¡¯ve set up an appointment with them. What about you?¡±


    She gave a nonchnt shrug before standing up to go to her bedroom.


    When she returned, there was a folder in her hand. ¡°Here you go. They are of no use to me anyway.


    You can have them all.¡±


    I emptied the folder and went through the contents, which proved Cameron had hooked up with


    influential men all around the world, most of them from overseas and J City.


    It seemed like she didn¡¯t hook up with any man in K City. The woman was smart enough to preserve


    her reputation here. Otherwise, even if Zachary agreed to marry her, the Moore family would despise


    her.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯ll go back on my word?¡± I asked and pocketed the folder.


    She raised her brows. ¡°My father chose you to be his granddaughter-inw. I won¡¯t question his


    choice.¡±


    Her reply took me by surprise. ¡°Actually, you can easily take over Fuller Corporation after returning to J


    City. You¡¯re capable enough of running thepany.¡±


    Stirring her soup, she let out a faint chuckle. ¡°I¡¯ve worked in White Corporation for ten years. From the


    minute I stepped into thepany, I¡¯ve never thought of leaving.¡±


    She reminded me of Ashton a lot. I blurted out, ¡°It¡¯s your sense of responsibility.¡±


    My exmation startled her. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Sense of responsibility. Grandpa¡¯s a soldier, so he instilled a sense of responsibility in you from a


    young age. You remained in White Corporation not because you¡¯d gain profits, but because you¡¯ve


    decided to bore the responsibility the day Benjamin struck a deal with you.¡±


    Sally merely arched her brows. ¡° No wonder Father picked you. You¡¯re quite smart.¡±


    Rising to her feet, she added, ¡°We¡¯vee to an agreement. I hope to receive good news soon.¡±


    That very afternoon, Savini was sentenced to ten years in prison for demanding and receiving bribes.


    Through the bulletproof ss window, I noticed how haggard he was. It was as if he had aged


    overnight.


    When he saw me, a sneer appeared on his face. ¡°Why are you here? To mock me?¡±


    I didn¡¯t refute his words. Instead, I told him, ¡°Your assets and illegal ie have been seized. I heard


    that your daughter is about to take the high school admission test. She¡¯s enrolled at a private school,


    so the tuition fees and living expenses must cost a bomb. Now that your ounts are frozen, your wife


    can¡¯t hold on for long. I believe your daughter is about to drop out of school soon.¡±


    His eyes widened in shock. ¡°What do you want?¡± he demanded.


    I wasn¡¯t in a hurry to reveal my request. ¡°Your wife seems to have found her next target. She¡¯s used to


    leading avish lifestyle. I guess the sudden downfall must be too much for her to bear.¡± With a grin, I


    added, ¡°I heard your wife is pretty good-looking. It will be easy for her to find another man and continue


    squandering money away.¡±


    His fury was evident even through the clear ss. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°I want every single bit of evidence regarding Cameron¡¯s illegal deals all over the years and a detailed


    report of her background.¡±


    He sneered. ¡°You can find her life story online. Why would you get that from me? I know nothing about


    her!¡±


    As he seemed reluctant to reveal anything, I tamped down my irritation and offered, ¡°If you give me


    what I want, I¡¯ll take care of your daughter for the next ten years. The Fullers and the Stovalls will


    protect her. As long as she¡¯s hardworking enough, she¡¯ll have a bright future. Think about it.¡±


    Savini nced at me hesitantly. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°You can choose not to believe me. But this concerns your daughter¡¯s future. The choice lies in your


    hand.¡±


    Pursing his lips, he ran his hand through his hair in frustration, seemingly torn.


    After some time, he finally spoke. ¡°Sure. But I need confirmation.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°No problem.¡±


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He fell silent for a while before saying, ¡°Go to Centurion Garden in J City. You can find my wife there.


    Tell her about my current condition and ask her toe with the stuff I left with her.¡±


    I nodded again. ¡°Anything else?¡±


    He shook his head and said no more.

 Chapter 327

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 327


    Aftering out of the prison, I looked up at the gloomy skies. It had been over a month since the sun


    last came out.


    The weather had been cloudy all the while with asional rain and snow. It was horrible.


    However, after the new year, spring would arrive soon.


    I nced at my watch and realized it was time to meet Louis at the Irushean restaurant in the southern


    suburbs.


    When I arrived, John was there. He was parking his car when he spotted me. Raising a brow, he


    remarked, ¡°You¡¯re early.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°The same goes to you.¡±


    His lips curved up into a smile. ¡°Uncle Louis told me toe earlier to order the dishes so Mr. Bauman


    could enjoy dinner with us.¡±


    Oh, I see.


    We went upstairs and ordered the dishes before entering our private room.


    The vintage-themed room was decorated elegantly. There was a wooden screen at the entrance.


    As I was staring at the screen, John told me, ¡°This Irushean restaurant is famous for its vintage


    decoration.¡±


    I nodded in acknowledgment and took a seat. As I seemed disinterested, John asked, ¡°What¡¯s with


    Savini?¡±


    Ah, right. I¡¯ve nearly forgotten about that man. ¡°Send someone reliable to Centurion Garden in J City to


    meet up with Savini¡¯s wife. Tell her toe to K City to visit Savini with the stuff he left with her


    previously,¡± I told him.


    John lifted his eyebrows in silent assent. ¡°I thought he¡¯s useless to you now? Why did you visit him in


    prison?¡±


    I rest my chin in my hand, feeling slightly exhausted. ¡°I want to ruin Cameron¡¯s reputation.¡±


    He scrunched up his brows and squinted. ¡°Did Camerone to you?¡±


    My silence gave him the answer he wanted.


    Sighing, he suddenly queried, ¡°Letty, have you ever thought of finding your biological parents?¡±


    His sudden question caught me off guard I thought about it and shook my head. ¡°No. It has been years.


    They abandoned me in the first ce, so that means I wasn¡¯t important to them. Besides, Grandma


    brought me up. I only need to remember her.¡±


    John pressed his lips together and tried to sound me out. ¡°If you run into your biological parents one


    day, will you reunite with them?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± It was pointless to reunite with them. After all, all they wanted was to make up for their guilt for


    abandoning me back then. If they loved me, they wouldn¡¯t have abandoned me in the first ce.


    He fell silent after that.


    I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about what Reba said that day. She wasn¡¯t a threat to me, but since we had


    a fallout, it would be a good idea to put my guard up.


    As I was staring into space nkly, he asked, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°John, do you know what my weakness is?¡±


    If Reba wants to take action, she will target the ones around me. I can¡¯t think of anything else.


    His eyes grew wide as he replied, ¡°Me, of course.¡±


    I rolled my eyes in exasperation. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡±


    ¡°Normally, a person¡¯s weakness would be someone or something he cares the most for,¡± said John with


    a shrug of resignation. ¡°Think about what concerns you the most. It might be also the person¡¯s


    reputation, position, or dream.¡±


    Someone I care for?


    I knew Reba wouldn¡¯t be able to hurt Macy and Ashton, so she could only destroy my reputation.


    She was capable enough of doing that.


    When I was deep in thought, Louis and the Baumans showed up. As it was a casual dinner, we chatted


    amiably.


    Both Anthony and Sophia seemed to have aged a lot after their daughter and grandson¡¯s demise.


    After exchanging pleasantries, we sat down and the server started serving dinner. Sophia took one look


    at me and said, ¡°Scarlett, you¡¯ve lost weight. You should eat more.¡±


    I epted her kind reminder gratefully. ¡°Thank you. I will!¡±


    Louis chuckled. ¡°The new year is about to arrive. I¡¯m wrapping things up at work, so the party can be


    held next week to celebrate Letty joining my family. You muste to the party next Monday.¡±


    ¡°Sure, we will!¡± Sophia agreed happily. ¡°When she came to our house with Marc back then, I really liked


    you. I¡¯m d you became her godfather. Marc, well¡­¡±


    Her voice started to waver at that point. Knowing that the mention of her grandson had upset her,


    Anthony patted her hand. ¡°Alright. We need to move forward.¡±


    The air was thick with sorrow. I rose to my feet and got on my knees in front of the Baumans and


    bowed respectfully.

 Chapter 328

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 328


    ¡°What are you doing? Stand up! Don¡¯t do this!¡±


    Sophia tried to tug me up, but I remained kneeling and sobbed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Bauman. I was there


    that day. It was my fault. If it weren¡¯t for me, Marcus wouldn¡¯t have died.¡±


    Anthony stiffened before they both helped me up. ¡°This isn¡¯t your fault. We watched the surveince


    footage. He was really emotional back then. He got off the car because of you. Well, it was fate. We


    can¡¯t me anyone else.¡±


    I parted my lips and made a solemn promise. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Bauman, if you don¡¯t mind, I can take care


    of you on behalf of Marcus.¡±


    ¡°What a thoughtful child. No wonder Marc fell for you,¡± said Sophia. She sighed andmented, ¡°I wish


    Marc is still here. What a pity.¡±


    After a pause, Anthony gazed at me. ¡°Letty, be honest with me. What happened that day? Why did


    Marc act that way? He wasn¡¯t usually that reckless. Did he have a reason for doing so?¡±


    John and Louis, who had remained silent the whole time, promptly looked at me.


    I exined, ¡°Marcus died in despair after Benjamin and Sharon died. It was my fault. I didn¡¯t know he¡¯ll


    follow his parents¡¯ path.¡±


    Anthony narrowed his gaze. ¡°What do Sharon and Marc¡¯s deaths have to do with Sally?¡±


    I hesitated and revealed the incident which happened ten years ago to them. I also informed them how


    Benjamin deliberately left most of White Corporation¡¯s shares to Sally. As Sally had sacrificed her life


    for Sharon¡¯s sake, Benjamin thanked her by giving her the shares.


    Both of them had never paid attention to the news and didn¡¯t know about the scandal. After hearing my


    exnation, tears rolled down Sophia¡¯s cheeks. ¡°What a misfortune in our family!¡±


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Everyone was sighing, but Anthony remained calm. Finally, he exhaled sharply and concluded, ¡°Forget


    it. It¡¯s nothing but a tragedy.¡±


    I had said and done everything I could, so it was all up to the elders now.


    It was 9 p.m. when dinner ended. John told the driver to send Louis, Anthony, and Sophia home before


    turning to me. ¡°Give me a ride home, will you?¡±


    I pursed my lips. ¡°You didn¡¯t drive here?¡±


    Shrugging his shoulders, he replied, ¡°I came here in Uncle Louis¡¯ car.¡±


    Fine!


    In the car, John kept stealing nces at me.


    He finally blurted out, ¡°You seemed to be on Sally¡¯s side earlier. Am I right?¡±


    I held the steering wheel and answered calmly, ¡°Yep!¡±


    Narrowing his gaze, he said, ¡°Please exin. Don¡¯t tell me you became a saint because of Ashton?


    Marcus meant a lot to you. You knew why he died. Don¡¯t you feel guilty?¡±


    The car rolled to a stop at the traffic light. I nced at him and arched a brow. ¡°Let¡¯s deal with Cameron


    first. Someone will punish Sally for all her deed, right?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asked in surprise.


    ¡°It must be someone avenging Marcus. A few days ago, someone posted an article about the death of


    the Whites. It was all over the news. The article was basically cursing Sally for being a shameless


    homewrecker.¡±


    He paused. ¡°You didn¡¯t write that article?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not that good at writing.¡± Clearly, someone had hired a reporter to write that ndering article.


    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t the Baumans or you, who else would it be?¡± John frowned and massaged his temples.


    He couldn¡¯t figure out who it was. ¡°Who do you think it was?¡± he asked me.


    Shaking my head, I replied, ¡°I have no idea. But since that person knows everything, he or she must be


    someone close to the White family. Let¡¯s wait and see. That person won¡¯t give up as Sally wasn¡¯t really


    affected by this incident. I believe that person will continue to trouble her.¡±


    He smiled faintly. ¡°So you struck up a deal with her and agreed to ask the Baumans to help her?¡±


    I thrust the folder Sally gave me earlier in his direction. ¡°Take this with you. Release the juicy bits to the


    media slowly Let¡¯s torture Cameron inch by inch. Anyway, each video inside could tear her reputation


    to shreds.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Her reputation is extremely important to her now. If her name is sullied, she could no longer be


    Mrs. Moore. The Moore family values its reputation. If this goes on, they will kick her out for sure.¡±


    He smirked and gave me a thumbs up. ¡°Her career and reputation are almost destroyed. Are you going


    to target her loved ones next?¡±

 Chapter 329

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 329


    I raised my eyebrows. ¡°Bingo!¡±


    Seeing my reaction, he hesitated before saying, ¡°Letty, you really don¡¯t care for your biological


    parents?¡±


    I nced at him again and frowned. ¡°You¡¯ve mentioned this at least a few times. Wasn¡¯t I clear


    enough? They¡¯ve abandoned me, so that means they no longer wanted me. If I keep thinking about


    this, I can¡¯t move on. Why not let go and move on?¡±


    He nodded, seemingly preupied.


    My car came to a stop at John¡¯s vi. I turned my head and realized he was deep in thought.


    It took him a while to snap back to reality. ¡°Letty, do you still hate me?¡± he asked in a serious manner.


    I was taken aback. ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°About Macy, and how I tortured you.¡± His voice grew softer. This is unlike him.


    My mouth snapped shut as my expression darkened. ¡°John, that¡¯s in the past. Let¡¯s not talk about it


    anymore.¡±


    ¡°So? Do you still hate me?¡±


    As he insisted on getting an answer like a stubborn child, I was astonished. ¡°It¡¯s over. Besides, it was


    just a harmless threat. But for Macy, the painful memory would remain with her forever.¡±


    Humans wereplicated beings. I used to fear John, but now I relied on him as though he was my


    family. To a certain extent, I was very much like Sally, cing profits before feelings.


    After a long silence, he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. ¡°One day, if you found out I did something to harm


    you, will you forgive me?¡±


    My eyes widened at his sudden question. ¡°What did you do? Why would you need me to forgive you?¡±


    He pressed on, ¡°Will you?¡±


    As he refused to answer my question, I pouted and responded, ¡°Well, it depends on how outrageously


    wrong you are. John, you know me better than I do. I won¡¯t forgive you if you go past my bottom line.


    So, don¡¯t do anything to harm me. Let¡¯s be siblings forever, alright?¡±


    He reached his hand out and pulled me into his arms. ¡°Mm, we¡¯ll be siblings forever. Your parents


    aren¡¯t with you, but you have me and Uncle Louis. We¡¯ll be your family forever.¡±


    I nodded. Strangely, my sixth sense told me he was hiding something from me.


    Yet, I knew he wouldn¡¯t say anything even if I urged him to.


    Sighing, I pulled away. ¡°It¡¯ste. Time to go home!¡±


    After dropping John off, I returned to the vi.


    It was already 10 p.m., so I was utterly shocked to see Reba waiting there.


    Does she think this is her house? Shees and goes as she likes!


    The moment she spotted me, she stood in my way as her lips drew back in a snarl. ¡°Well, well. Look


    who¡¯s back homete at night. Scarlett, you can¡¯t stop being a yer, huh? Now that Ash isn¡¯t home,


    you¡¯re acting like a horse that had just broken free from its reins.¡±


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Reba was the most ipetent love rival I¡¯ve ever seen. If it weren¡¯t for Parker, she wouldn¡¯t even


    get to be here right now.


    I nced at her briefly and suggested, ¡°Ms. Larson, why don¡¯t you rent a room here? If you agree to


    pay rent, I can consider renting out a spare room so you don¡¯t have to waste time traveling.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± She pointed at me angrily.


    I cut her off sternly. ¡°It¡¯ste. Please leave now, Ms. Larson!¡±


    With that, I spun around and strode toward the kitchen.


    Reba refused to leave and grabbed my arm. ¡°Scarlett, I swear I¡¯ll drag you down with me! You


    wanted to avenge your dead child, right?¡± She sneered. ¡°Let me tell you the truth. Even if my mother


    did nothing to hurt you, your child will die soon from his abnormality.¡±


    p! I gave Reba a tight p without hesitation. ¡°Reba, don¡¯t cross the line. My child is already


    dead. Why would you curse him? You¡¯re such a wicked woman.¡±


    As I used up all my energy to p her, Reba¡¯s head whipped aside. It took her a while to regain her


    composure. With that, she flew into a fit of anger. ¡°Scarlett, how dare you p me?¡±


    I tamped down my irritation and ignored her. During dinner, I drank some cold juice, so my stomach


    was protesting slightly.


    Every month, my period would torture me greatly. It was not easy to be a woman.


    Mrs. Eriksen was still up and about. She came out of her room to wee me home. At the sight of


    Reba, she frowned in displeasure. ¡°Ms. Larson, you¡¯re still here?¡±

 Chapter 330

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 330


    Reba ignored her. However, she came towards me with a thundering expression. ¡°You hit me


    because I hurt your feelings? Then, let me ask this. Do you really think that Ash cared about you during


    your pregnancy? All because he gave you those prenatal vitamins? Well, those vitamins can cause


    birth defects. You must be extremely stupid. Your baby obviously looked deformed in the ultrasound


    scan. Yet, you still continued to take those vitamins.¡±


    My eyebrows crumpled together. Narrowing my eyes at her, I asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    ¡°What do I mean?¡± Reba scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m saying that the child in your stomach deserved to die. It was


    not wanted by anyone. If you don¡¯t believe me, go check the leftover vitamins you have. Just because


    Ash is biased to you now, doesn¡¯t mean he cares about you. He¡¯s only being nice to you because he


    feels remorseful! It¡¯s because he¡¯s gued by a guilty conscience.¡±


    As my face paled to a ghostly white, a brazen smile slit across her face. She sniggered, ¡°You deserved


    it. Your child too. It deserved to die, he didn¡¯t deserve to be born into this world.¡±


    This awoke the negative emotions in me that I had previously suppressed. Those awful emotions


    mored inside me, their screeches wed at my throat.


    I raised my hand. She responded immediately by blocking my arm. A sneer came from her, ¡°Oh?


    Trying to hit me again? Do you take me for a fool, thinking that I¡¯d let you hit me twice?¡±


    A bitterugh escaped my lips. I looked at her grimly as I spoke in a lowered voice, ¡°No. That¡¯s not


    enough to punish someone like you. A p from me would be considered letting you off easy.¡±


    I paced towards her one step at a time. My gaze locked onto a fruit knife nearby before flicking back to


    Reba, who was still sneering. ¡°I thought I could live with a troublesome person like you and just put


    up with your nonsense. Unfortunately, it¡¯s clear to me now. You are not only a troublemaker but also


    in loathsome! Since that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t you just die!¡±


    As the words left my mouth, I immediately lunged for the fruit knife and stabbed her with it. My actions


    were quick, without a trace of hesitation.


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± The shouting voice didn¡¯t belong to Reba, nor was it from Mrs. Eriksen, whose knees had


    given in from fear¡ªit was Ashton¡¯s.


    Right then and there, I fell into a momentary daze. By the time I came to, I had already pushed the


    knife too far, sinking it deep into Reba¡¯s abdomen.


    Then, a warm vermillion liquid oozed into my hands. It dripped onto the ground, tipping and


    tapping away. Everything stained a hideous red¡ªmy hands, her stomach and the floor. It was all


    stained in Reba¡¯s blood.


    Reba¡¯s eyes erged incredulously, her jaw dropped and her lips trembled, unable to utter a single


    word.


    Almost instantly, Ashton rushed in. He shoved me aside and hurried to support Reba, who was


    about to fall to the floor.


    Do you see? Another coincidence. It¡¯s as if everything had been pre-nned and scripted. My sudden


    desire to kill her, Ashton¡¯s precisely timed heroic rescue, and how he came in right when I stabbed


    Reba. It all made me the viin in this story.


    A pool of red slithered down Reba¡¯s thighs, and the knife was still in her stomach.


    Ashton¡¯s arms coiled securely around her before carrying her up. He stared down a frazzled Mrs.


    Eriksen and ordered in a deep voice, ¡°Call the hospital immediately!¡±


    I felt myself dissociating as I watched them move like panicked ants. And, truly, none of it frightened


    me. In fact, my thoughts were surer than ever¡ªReba must die. Only when she was dead will my life


    be cleansed of all the pain and suffering.


    Ashton held Reba tightly in his arms. Those cold, piercing eyes of his struck straight into me again.


    His lips pursed tightly as all emotion drained from his face.


    Our frightfully cold gazes met. His eyes stabbed me as if they were sharpened icicles, while mine


    howled like an ice storm at him.


    Something tickled at the back of my throat. I felt likeughing loudly, but nothing came, not even a


    chuckle. My grinning lips parted slightly as I felt no fear. Instead, I felt joy filling up my chest like the air I


    inhaled.


    He watched me. His handsome face had frozen over with hints of anger, me, and indifference.


    There was not a trail of warmth left.


    Seeing his stone-cold gaze, it felt like a pair of arms had plunged into my chest. They moved slowly yet


    haphazardly, sinking inwards. The pain made it unbearable for me to breathe.


    Something sharp stung my chest as I took in a breath. Watching him carry Reba out of the vi, my


    legs gave way and gravity pulled me down.


    ¡°Letty!¡± Mrs. Eriksen eximed, extending a supportive arm around me. Distress shed onto her face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll get through this. Everything will turn out fine.¡±


    My head shook in response. I wasn¡¯t worried at all about Reba, it was Ashton who unnerved me.


    Reba was right. I will never get the truthful, genuine kind of concern that Ashton had for Reba


    because he only had space for her.


    He would never move on from her, never.


    I pressed hard against my chest, hoping to suppress the pain. Turning to face the woman next to me, I


    croaked, ¡°Mrs. Eriksen, it hurts so much!¡±


    She held me firmly, lifting me up and guiding me over to the sofa.


    Ambnce sirens red outside the vi. The harsh sound shot at high speed and it ricocheted around


    the walls, breaking the vi¡¯s initial peace and quiet.


    Once the sirens grew distant, Sally entered the room in her nightgown. Her eyes roamed from my


    sullen face, down to my bloodied hands.


    With a sharp inhale, Sally¡¯s voice shrilled with me. ¡°Even if you hate her that much, it doesn¡¯t mean


    you can tantly assault her like that. An eye for an eye, Scarlett. The Moore family won¡¯t let you off


    the hook so easily.¡±


    My lips tightened. I felt my emotions slowly stabilizing as I sat in silence.


    Ashton loves Reba. All those years ofpanionship and care for her, there was no way he could


    ever pick up and move on from that easily. He hid it so well just like how he hid the remorse for harming


    my child and turned it into an obligated, false love for me. He transferred the kindness he has for


    Reba onto me¡­


    Reba ignored her. However, she came towards me with a thundering expression. ¡°You hit me


    because I hurt your feelings? Then, let me ask this. Do you really think that Ash cared about you during


    your pregnancy? All because he gave you those prenatal vitamins? Well, those vitamins can cause


    birth defects. You must be extremely stupid. Your baby obviously looked deformed in the ultrasound


    scan. Yet, you still continued to take those vitamins.¡±


    My eyebrows crumpled together. Narrowing my eyes at her, I asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°What do I mean?¡± Reba scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m saying that the child in your stomach deserved to die. It was


    not wanted by anyone. If you don¡¯t believe me, go check the leftover vitamins you have. Just because


    Ash is biased to you now, doesn¡¯t mean he cares about you. He¡¯s only being nice to you because he


    feels remorseful! It¡¯s because he¡¯s gued by a guilty conscience.¡±


    As my face paled to a ghostly white, a brazen smile slit across her face. She sniggered, ¡°You deserved


    it. Your child too. It deserved to die, he didn¡¯t deserve to be born into this world.¡±


    This awoke the negative emotions in me that I had previously suppressed. Those awful emotions


    mored inside me, their screeches wed at my throat.


    I raised my hand. She responded immediately by blocking my arm. A sneer came from her, ¡°Oh?


    Trying to hit me again? Do you take me for a fool, thinking that I¡¯d let you hit me twice?¡±


    A bitterugh escaped my lips. I looked at her grimly as I spoke in a lowered voice, ¡°No. That¡¯s not


    enough to punish someone like you. A p from me would be considered letting you off easy.¡±


    I paced towards her one step at a time. My gaze locked onto a fruit knife nearby before flicking back to


    Reba, who was still sneering. ¡°I thought I could live with a troublesome person like you and just put


    up with your nonsense. Unfortunately, it¡¯s clear to me now. You are not only a troublemaker but also


    in loathsome! Since that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t you just die!¡±


    As the words left my mouth, I immediately lunged for the fruit knife and stabbed her with it. My actions


    were quick, without a trace of hesitation.


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± The shouting voice didn¡¯t belong to Reba, nor was it from Mrs. Eriksen, whose knees had


    given in from fear¡ªit was Ashton¡¯s.


    Right then and there, I fell into a momentary daze. By the time I came to, I had already pushed the


    knife too far, sinking it deep into Reba¡¯s abdomen.


    Then, a warm vermillion liquid oozed into my hands. It dripped onto the ground, tipping and


    tapping away. Everything stained a hideous red¡ªmy hands, her stomach and the floor. It was all


    stained in Reba¡¯s blood.


    Reba¡¯s eyes erged incredulously, her jaw dropped and her lips trembled, unable to utter a single


    word.


    Almost instantly, Ashton rushed in. He shoved me aside and hurried to support Reba, who was


    about to fall to the floor.


    Do you see? Another coincidence. It¡¯s as if everything had been pre-nned and scripted. My sudden


    desire to kill her, Ashton¡¯s precisely timed heroic rescue, and how he came in right when I stabbed


    Reba. It all made me the viin in this story.


    A pool of red slithered down Reba¡¯s thighs, and the knife was still in her stomach.


    Ashton¡¯s arms coiled securely around her before carrying her up. He stared down a frazzled Mrs.


    Eriksen and ordered in a deep voice, ¡°Call the hospital immediately!¡±


    I felt myself dissociating as I watched them move like panicked ants. And, truly, none of it frightened


    me. In fact, my thoughts were surer than ever¡ªReba must die. Only when she was dead will my life


    be cleansed of all the pain and suffering.


    Ashton held Reba tightly in his arms. Those cold, piercing eyes of his struck straight into me again.


    His lips pursed tightly as all emotion drained from his face.


    Our frightfully cold gazes met. His eyes stabbed me as if they were sharpened icicles, while mine


    howled like an ice storm at him.


    Something tickled at the back of my throat. I felt likeughing loudly, but nothing came, not even a


    chuckle. My grinning lips parted slightly as I felt no fear. Instead, I felt joy filling up my chest like the air I


    inhaled.


    He watched me. His handsome face had frozen over with hints of anger, me, and indifference.


    There was not a trail of warmth left.


    Seeing his stone-cold gaze, it felt like a pair of arms had plunged into my chest. They moved slowly yet


    haphazardly, sinking inwards. The pain made it unbearable for me to breathe.


    Something sharp stung my chest as I took in a breath. Watching him carry Reba out of the vi, my


    legs gave way and gravity pulled me down.


    ¡°Letty!¡± Mrs. Eriksen eximed, extending a supportive arm around me. Distress shed onto her face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll get through this. Everything will turn out fine.¡±


    My head shook in response. I wasn¡¯t worried at all about Reba, it was Ashton who unnerved me.


    Reba was right. I will never get the truthful, genuine kind of concern that Ashton had for Reba


    because he only had space for her.


    He would never move on from her, never.


    I pressed hard against my chest, hoping to suppress the pain. Turning to face the woman next to me, I


    croaked, ¡°Mrs. Eriksen, it hurts so much!¡±


    She held me firmly, lifting me up and guiding me over to the sofa.


    Ambnce sirens red outside the vi. The harsh sound shot at high speed and it ricocheted around


    the walls, breaking the vi¡¯s initial peace and quiet.


    Once the sirens grew distant, Sally entered the room in her nightgown. Her eyes roamed from my


    sullen face, down to my bloodied hands.


    With a sharp inhale, Sally¡¯s voice shrilled with me. ¡°Even if you hate her that much, it doesn¡¯t mean


    you can tantly assault her like that. An eye for an eye, Scarlett. The Moore family won¡¯t let you off


    the hook so easily.¡±


    My lips tightened. I felt my emotions slowly stabilizing as I sat in silence.


    Ashton loves Reba. All those years ofpanionship and care for her, there was no way he could


    ever pick up and move on from that easily. He hid it so well just like how he hid the remorse for harming


    my child and turned it into an obligated, false love for me. He transferred the kindness he has for


    Reba onto me¡­

 Chapter 331

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 331


    God, I was so blind. I perceived his duplicated kindness as a genuine love for me. I never once thought


    of this. If anything bad happened to Reba, he would always choose her.


    Seeing my silence, Sally knew that no amount of lecturing would get to me anymore. A soft sigh


    slipped from her lips. She headed to her bedroom for a change of clothes before leaving the house.


    Thoughts engulfing me whole, I stilled for some time before getting up to leave. Mrs. Eriksen, who


    stayed with me, immediately got up to stall. ¡°Letty, where are you going?¡±


    ¡°The hospital.¡±


    She hurriedly blocked the door. ¡°No, don¡¯t! Mr. Ashton and the Moore family are most likely furious with


    you, so it¡¯s not wise to go there now. Come, let¡¯s stay here, okay? We¡¯ll deal with things once everyone


    calms down.¡±


    At her request, I sank back down onto the sofa and buried my face into my palms. The vi became


    abnormally quiet, save for the drums pounding in my head and heart.


    Endless confusion weighed down the air around me.


    After a while, footsteps drew closer in the vi. Mrs. Eriksen¡¯s voice sounded, ¡°Dr. Crest. Why aren¡¯t


    you at the hospital?¡±


    A huge shadow shaded over me. Irritation prickled under my skin as I looked up to see Jared¡¯s slender


    figure standing in front of me. A distant and indifferent frown etched on his face.


    I nced at the blood on my hands then warned, ¡°Please hire awyer if you¡¯re here to use me of


    what happened. I¡¯m in a very bad mood right now, so I can¡¯t guarantee whether I will have an emotional


    episode and start assaulting you.¡±


    Jared¡­


    He looked at me with profound impotence. Some seconds slipped past before he finally challenged,


    ¡°There are no knives here. How exactly do you n to attack me?¡±


    My lips pursed in sizzling annoyance. There was nothing more to say to him.


    Then, he sat beside me as Mrs. Eriksen fetched him a ss of water. He sipped quietly with no


    intention of continuing our conversation.


    I turned to him and frowned. ¡°Aren¡¯t you here to lecture me?¡±


    He raised a brow and questioned back, ¡°Why should I lecture you? It¡¯s not like my daughter was


    stabbed by you.¡±


    I¡­


    ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re here to get amused at my pathetic situation?¡±


    An emptyugh sounded from him as he chuckled, ¡°Do I look like I have nothing better to do?¡±


    Neither? So he¡¯s just here to watch how things will y out¡­


    Footsteps rushed closer from the yard. There was no doubt as to whose it was. Ashton is back.


    With blood still tainted on his hands, his slender figure entered the vi. The gloom on his face emitted


    a dangerous warning, saying that he wasn¡¯t one to be messed with.


    His lips parted and he instructed indifferently at me, ¡°We¡¯re going to the hospital!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I refused.


    He lowered his voice at me as if he were trying to suppress his zing emotions. ¡°Get up,¡± he


    instructed. Then, he pulled me up off the sofa without waiting for my answer.


    He yanked at my wrist and dragged me out to the yard. After shoving me into the car, we raced for the


    hospital.


    There, Reba had already been rushed into the ER. Perhaps it was Ashton¡¯s seething anger, his


    hold tightened as his fingers ripped into my wrist.


    I felt the faintest tingle before numbness took over my wrist. I barked at him, ¡°Let go of me! If she dies,


    I¡¯ll pay with my own life. You don¡¯t have to exterminate me in advance.¡±


    Hearing my words, he looked back at me and realized how roughly he gripped onto me. Then, his


    fingers finally slid off, freeing my wrist.


    Purple and yellow blotches obnoxiously seeped across my bruised wrist.


    His brows furrowed into an agonizing frown. For a moment, it seemed as if he hadn¡¯t intended to hurt


    me. He muttered, ¡°S-sorry, I¡­¡±


    I gnawed on my lower lip. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡±


    His face scrunched up. The coldness in his eyes intensified and his lips mped shut to steady the


    anger inside him. ¡°How could you, Scarlett? No matter how much you hate her, she¡¯s already lost a


    child. She¡¯s already been punished. You¡¯ve gone too far this time.¡±


    Emptyughter sounded from me as I asked him casually, ¡°Really? I don¡¯t think I did enough. I didn¡¯t


    drive that knife deep enough to kill her, now she still has a chance to live.¡±


    My words rendered him speechless. He stilled for a second before responding, ¡°It¡¯s a life for a life,


    Scarlett! Do you really think Zachary is someone you can mess with? He spent thest twenty years


    searching for his long-lost daughter, Reba. If anything happens to her, do you think anyone can


    protect you?¡±


    We met gazes again. My eyes were bold, filled with a surety that was also reflected in my words. ¡°If she


    dies, then I¡¯ll atone with my own death. There¡¯s nothing holding me back in this world¡ªif my death can


    bring her down then it¡¯ll all be worth it.¡±


    His eyes narrowed again. Clearly disappointed with me, he said, ¡°Nothing is holding you back? Do you


    even have a heart at all? What about the people around you, those who care about you?¡±


    Annoyance tickled my throat. I slumped into a nearby chair, ignoring his disapproving words.


    Seeing my devil-may-care attitude, Ashton rubbed at his temples resignedly. Not knowing what to do,


    he called for a doctor to check on my injuries.


    The doctor scanned my vermillion-stained hands. After seeing that I wasn¡¯t wounded, he left briskly.


    Ashton eyed me impassively. ¡°Why did you stab her?¡±


    I¡­


    Why did I?


    Now that I¡¯ve calmed down, guilt poured over me like a bucket of cold water. How could I act so


    impulsively earlier? Regardless of how awful her insults were, they were still just harmless words¡­


    After pondering about it, I looked up at Ashton. ¡°She said that you caused our child¡¯s death. She told


    me that you gave me those prenatal vitamins to deform him and that you never wanted our child in the


    first ce.¡±


    I was probably upset because of this, and also because of Reba¡¯s vile words.


    He grimaced. ¡°And you believed her?¡±All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 332

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 332


    I nodded, confidently staring him down. ¡°You have every reason to do so!¡±


    His eyes narrowed into a livid re. ¡°If you believed what she said, then why didn¡¯t you stab me


    instead?¡±


    ¡°You weren¡¯t there at that time¡ªbut she was!¡± I spat the words boldly, challenging his indifferent stare


    with my own fearless one.


    ¡°Huh!¡± He snorted.


    It was sudden and cold. He dropped my hand immediately, looking at me with a grey face of


    disappointment. ¡°Have you ever trusted me? No wait, I should ask you if you even love me, Scarlett?¡±


    ncing at him, the thoughts ruffled in my head. Have I ever loved him? I didn¡¯t know anymore. I


    couldn¡¯t tell if what I felt for him was even love.


    He stared at me for the longest time. There was some kind of deep and intense emotion lingering in his


    eyes as he waited for my answer.


    Then, he snorted softly at himself as if he already knew my answer. He stood and said coldly to me,


    ¡°You should head back. Before Reba gets out of surgery, it¡¯s best that you stay home and not go out


    recklessly. The Moore family can¡¯t do anything to you for the time being, not while I¡¯m around. So just


    go home.¡±


    I said coldly, ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll take responsibility for my own actions, so whatever punishment the Moore


    family decides is between me and them. It doesn¡¯t concern you at all.¡±


    He watched me without speaking. The indifference in his darkened eyes was enough to suffocate


    everyone around us.


    Not long after, Cameron and Zachary dashed in. Anxiety overwhelmed Cameron¡¯s bulging red eyes.


    When they saw Ashton, they rushed over and frantically asked, ¡°How is Reba? Is she okay?¡±


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Ashton spoke with a deep solemn voice, ¡°She¡¯s still in the ER.¡±


    With a steadyposure, Zachary asked Ashton for the name of the perpetrator that hurt Reba.


    Though calm, a murderous air radiated from Zachary. It made the hairs on my fingers stand straighter.


    Despite this, I approached the man and announced, ¡°I did it!¡±


    Zachary looked at me with a pair of narrowed, bloodthirsty eyes. A murderous growl sounded as he


    threatened me, ¡°Ms. Stovall. You¡¯d better pray that Reba is fine, else I¡¯ll have your life to make up


    for hers.¡±


    After hearing my confession, Cameron jumped at me with lethal w-like fingers. Ashton rushed before


    me, blocking her attack. He warned them, ¡°Best save the confrontation until after your daughter


    awakes, Ms. Anderson. If Scarlett hasmitted a crime, thew will punish her justly. There¡¯s no


    need for the two of you to rush her punishment.¡±


    Still seething with anger, Cameron red viciously at me.


    Then, the ER doors suddenly opened. A nurse appeared and called out, ¡°Where are the patient¡¯s family


    members? She needs a blood transfusion. We¡¯ll need to run some tests on you, in case our blood bank


    doesn¡¯t have enough of her blood type.¡±


    Cameron and Zachary quickly trailed after the doctor for their blood tests. They returned soon after.


    We waited outside the ER for a long time. Cameron paced back and forth anxiously, asionally


    throwing nasty res my way.


    When the ER doors opened again, the nurse from earlier came out. She frowned at Cameron and


    Zachary before asking, ¡°Are you two really the patient¡¯s blood-rted family?¡±


    The two were taken aback for a moment, unsure of what the nurse was hinting at. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re her


    parents. What¡¯s the matter with her?¡±


    The nurse¡¯s eyes scanned the two of them. She exined in a puzzled manner, ¡°It¡¯s impossible for a


    couple with blood type A and O to give birth to a child with type B blood. Could something be wrong


    with the test?¡±


    Cameron and Zachary¡¯s faces paled to a stark chalk-white. They stared wide-eyed at the nurse. ¡°What


    are you talking about? We¡¯re not blood rted?¡±


    The nurse stiffened in hesitation. She looked at the two and assured, ¡°Don¡¯t panic. Perhaps it¡¯s just an


    issue with our test. Now, the patient needs two hundreds of blood and there¡¯s an insufficient amount


    in our blood bank. Does anyone here have type B blood?¡±


    Ashton looked at the nurse and spoke up, ¡°You can use mine!¡±


    Promptly, the nurse ushered him away to have his blood drawn. Cameron¡¯s face froze grey and still


    with confusion at her husband. She kept mumbling, ¡°The DNA test said that she¡¯s our daughter. How


    could this be?¡±


    Zachary¡¯s face furrowed into a deep frown. He stilled for a second before consoling Cameron, ¡°Don¡¯t


    stress yourself out. Maybe the hospital made a mistake.¡±


    A red shade had already tinged Cameron¡¯s panicked face. She nodded at him, repeating over and over


    again that Reba was their daughter, that there was no way she wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize her


    own biological daughter.


    I pondered at the scene before me. What a dramatic irony. If Reba, the daughter they have


    suddenly reunited with, isn¡¯t blood-rted to Cameron¡­ then where is her biological daughter?


    Cameron had dirtied her hands doing many unspeakable things for Reba¡¯s sake. It would be pitiful if


    Reba wasn¡¯t actually her biological daughter.


    Ashton returned shortly after. Seeing that I still sat motionless in the same chair, he approached my


    side and hugged me. ¡°Everything will be okay. The doctor said she¡¯s not in a life-threatening state.¡±


    He was clearly trying tofort me. I pursed my lips, not saying anything more.


    About half an hourter, Jared and Joe arrived. It seemed like they were all up to date with Reba¡¯s


    current situation.


    Joe shot a threatening look at me, his face was tainted with gloom but he didn¡¯t say a word. Maybe it


    was because of Ashton¡¯s presence that Joe refrained from doing anything more.


    On the other hand, Jared raised a brow at Ashton. ¡°There¡¯s some time till the surgery¡¯s over. Care to


    join me for a smoke?¡±


    Ashton nced at him and nodded. Then, they left together for the stairway.


    Cameron and Zachery were lost in a temporary daze. They were still hung up on the nurse¡¯s earlier


    conversation about theirs and Reba¡¯s ipatible blood types.

 Chapter 333

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 333


    Joe stared at me. It seemed like his emotions were well-controlled as he asked, ¡°Only a murder¡¯s death


    canpensate for their victim¡¯s death. Have you thought about what you¡¯ll do now?¡±


    Raising my gaze, I noticed the hidden malice in his frosty stare. ¡°I thought you liked her back then, now


    I¡¯m not so sure anymore. She¡¯s still in there being operated on and you¡¯re already saying that she¡¯s


    dead.¡±


    My words stunned him. By the time he parted his lips to speak, I had already lost interest in arguing


    with him.


    I stood up and left for the washrooms. As I passed the door to the stairway, my feet couldn¡¯t help but


    slow down. Ashton and Jared were smoking behind the door.


    However, it was obvious that the two of them wanted to speak in private. Smoking was an excuse to do


    so.


    My feet halted a distance away, not going any closer. I heard Jared¡¯s unfriendly voice as it echoed from


    behind the door, ¡°Do you regret it?¡±


    A cigarette sat between Ashton¡¯s slender fingers. He spoke unemotionally, ¡°There¡¯s nothing to regret.¡±


    This prompted augh from Jared. ¡°What if Reba dies? What will you do then?¡±


    ¡°Compensate them,¡± Ashton spat. The word came out tantly.


    Jared sniggered, ¡°You¡¯d let both of the women who love you die? So having one dead isn¡¯t enough for


    you? What a bold thought.¡±


    Hearing this, I no longer cared about what they were saying. I shouldn¡¯t have listened to their


    conversation in the first ce. I already knew how this story would end. Yet, my brain insisted on


    confirming his thoughts and feelings again, even if it only brought more sorrow to me.


    I left directly for the washroom. By the time I came out, Reba had been transferred to the general


    ward.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Once the effects of the anesthetic wore off, Reba awoke. All color had drained from her face as she


    shifted sluggishly on the hospital bed.


    Seeing Cameron and Zachary, her lips parted slowly. She rasped, ¡°Mom? Dad? Why am I here?¡±


    Cameron held her hand and exined that she had gotten hurt, that Ashton had rushed her to the


    hospital.


    Reba stilled in a blur, probably struggling to recall what had happened earlier.


    She looked around, taking in the hospital ward¡¯s surroundings. Then, her gazended on Ashton. Her


    eyes tinted red as she cried out with a grating voice, ¡°A-ash, it hurts!¡±


    Plump teardrops glided down her face. Feeling pitiful and wronged, she reached out to pull Ashton


    closer. As she moved, the wound started to rip. It made a long and painful-sounding hiss.


    Ashton reacted immediately, rushing up to support her lower back. His eyelids lowered slightly as he


    ushered her to stop. ¡°You just had surgery. Don¡¯t overwork your body with big and fast movements!¡±


    Rebatched tightly onto him. She shot a fierce re my way and imed, ¡°It was Scarlett, Ash!


    She¡¯s out to kill me. This woman is terrifying and wicked. You can¡¯t be with her!¡±


    ¡°Go away!¡± She pointed a spiteful finger at me and shrilled, ¡°I don¡¯t want you here. And I don¡¯t want you


    in my sight at all. Leave!¡±


    I watched her with a nk stare and my lips pursed ufortably. Seeing her lean into Ashton¡¯s


    chest, a sharp, growing pain prickled in my chest.


    Reba¡¯s attention turned back to Cameron and Zachary. She announced with a pitchy shrill, ¡°Mom


    and Dad. I want to sue her for deliberately assaulting me. I want to sue her!¡±


    Then, she scrambled for her phone.


    For some reason, Cameron and Zachary didn¡¯t reach for their phones. They just stood and watched


    her with aplicated gaze. This intensified as they looked over to me.


    Even Ashton kept silent. His expression dimmed as he watched Reba pull out her phone and dial in


    three digits.


    ¡°Hello, is this the police station? I¡¯d like to file a report for attempted assault. That person has caused


    me serious injury.¡±


    She speedily reported the hospital¡¯s address.


    I watched as Ashton¡¯s face darkened, yet he still said nothing.


    Jared nced over at me. He paused slightly before saying, ¡°Come on. I¡¯ll drive you back.¡±


    My lips pressed together into a thin line. Without the slightest care in the world. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for the police!¡±


    Jared frowned. ¡°Ashton¡¯s here. He¡¯ll handle everything, soe on, let¡¯s get you home!¡±


    My eyes remained on Ashton. I sneered, ¡°If I leave with you now, what does that make me? A fugitive


    on the run? Might as well add a heavier sentence to my murder attempt.¡±


    That shut Jared up. He turned to look at Ashton, waiting for some kind of signal or sign. But Ashton


    showed no intention of responding.


    In the moments that followed, two young men in police uniforms came in. They froze in shock at the


    people in the room.


    After all, these were some of K City¡¯s famous and influential figures. They often made news headlines.


    Surely, these policemen must have read about them in the newspapers often.


    The two policemen approached Reba¡¯s bed and asked, ¡°Are you Ms. Larson? Did you call to report


    about an assault against you?¡±


    Silence engulfed the entire ward. Reba stared bewilderedly at Cameron and Zachary. She seemed


    surprised that they hadn¡¯t said a single word at all.


    But Reba didn¡¯t ponder on it for long. Both her furious gaze and using finger pointed directly at


    me. ¡°It¡¯s her. I want to sue her for attempted murder.¡±


    The policemen came over to me and said, ¡°Pleasee with us, miss.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t her! She didn¡¯t do it. Sirs, I can testify that Madam wasn¡¯t murdering anyone.¡± Mrs. Eriksen


    had suddenly barged in from nowhere. She rushed before me and looked the two policemen in the eye.


    She said, ¡°Madam didn¡¯t murder anyone. Sirs, you¡¯re arresting the wrong person.¡±


    Reba scoffed, ¡°Not her? Are you saying that I stabbed myself?¡±


    Mrs. Eriksen shot a wide-eyed re at Reba. She responded boldly, ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m


    saying. You did it to yourself so you could frame Madam on purpose!¡±


    This upset Reba, who hadn¡¯t expected that Mrs. Eriksen would face her threat head-on. She red


    back at the housekeeper and spat, ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± Then, she turned towards Ashton and started


    whining, ¡°You saw it, right? She hurt me. You saw it, right?¡±

 Chapter 334

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 334


    Reba¡¯s eyes darted around agitatedly. ¡°Aunt Sally was there, she witnessed it too. She can testify


    for me.¡±


    Nervous, her fingers quickly dialed Sally¡¯s number. Then, a phone rang immediately from the corridor


    outside.


    It turned out that Sally had already been in the hospital since earlier, but was sat in the lobby waiting.


    She paced towards them after receiving Reba¡¯s call.


    A frown creased on Sally¡¯s face as she looked at everyone inside the ward.


    Seeing this, Reba burned a bright red and called out emotionally, ¡°Aunt Sally! Tell these policemen


    that Scarlett stabbed me. She was going to kill me, you saw it too! Tell the policemen what you saw,


    okay?¡±


    Sally¡¯s attention turned towards Ashton. His features dulled. Although his gaze was intense, there were


    no emotions on his face.


    Sally struck a sideways nce at me. Her eyebrows knitted together as she uttered a simple response,


    ¡°I was in the bedroom at the time. I don¡¯t know what exactly transpired, but when I came out, Ashton


    had already carried you up to the ambnce.¡±


    Shock stuck like lightning onto Reba¡¯s face. ¡°Aunt Sally! You definitely saw the whole thing, why


    aren¡¯t you telling them?¡±


    The police shuffled ufortably. Their ears turned slightly red from being in an awkward situation.


    They were clueless as to what was going on, nor did they know what to do next.


    Reba tugged at Ashton¡¯s arm, her teary eyes pierced like nails onto him. ¡°Ash, you saw it! You


    witnessed it with your own eyes. Tell them that Scarlett was trying to murder me, you have to tell them!¡±


    But Ashton said nothing. His lips remained shut whilst his ominous eyes stared at me, they darkened to


    a chilling pitch-ck.


    When Ashton didn¡¯t respond, a thick smog of awkwardness spread throughout the ward. It especially


    bothered the two policemen who said nothing out of respect for the famous figures in the room.


    After a long pause, one of the policemen turned to me and said, ¡°Miss. Come with us so we can record


    your statement. We¡¯ll need to investigate more into the matter before determining the best course of


    action.¡±


    I nodded. Standing in front of me, Mrs. Eriksen darted frantically to stop the policemen. ¡°You can¡¯t take


    Madam away without a shred of evidence. How can you solve the case by just relying on her


    testimony? Is this how you handle things?¡±


    A touched sigh escaped my lips. Mrs. Eriksen was only worried that I would end up with a criminal


    record, that this tainted record would affect my life negatively.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    I assured her that everything was fine, saying that I would just be giving a simple statement.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be okay.¡± I reminded her onest time before exiting the ward. There¡¯s no escaping


    this. I knew this from the very moment I plunged that knife into Reba.


    As my foot stepped across the ward¡¯s threshold, Ashton finally spoke up. ¡°It wasn¡¯t her!¡±


    His words took me by surprise. I felt a stiffness as my head turned to face him.


    Even Reba was shocked at his unexpected interjection. Her eyes widened to the sides of her face,


    staring unbelievably at him. She protested with an ear-piercing screech, ¡°Ashton! How could you say


    that? Are you even aware of what you¡¯re doing right now!¡±


    Ashton had not only surprised Reba, but also Sally, who froze with narrowed eyes and a pursed lip.


    Ashton¡¯s calm voice deduced, ¡°The whole thing is illogical. The incident happened at my house, but


    what was Ms. Larson doing there in the middle of the night? If my wife really intended to hurt her, why


    would she use such an obvious method? Moreover, when I arrived at the scene, the knife was in Ms.


    Larson¡¯s hands.¡±


    Smack! Reba¡¯s palmnded on his cheek. Her eyes were no longer moistened with tears. She


    shook her head incredulously at him and roared, ¡°Ashton. How could you do this to me? How could you


    do this?¡±


    ¡°With all due respect, sirs, let us resolve this matter privately.¡± Zachary finally broke his silence. He


    dered to the policemen, ¡°I¡¯m the victim¡¯s father. Rest assured, I¡¯ll get to the bottom of this, so we¡¯ll


    take this matter off of your hands now.¡±


    Conflicted emotions crashed like furious waves in Cameron¡¯s eyes. She looked at me and nodded


    before exining to the police, ¡°Thank you for making the trip down here. I apologize for any


    inconvenience caused, but we¡¯ll handle it privately from here.¡±


    Reba stiffened like a corpse, she gawked at the two in disbelief. Even Sally, Jared, and Joe froze at


    the scene before them. They watched the Moores with bewilderment.


    ¡°Mom, Dad. What are you saying? I¡¯m your daughter! How can you do this to me?¡± Anger and sorrow


    crackled in Reba. She yanked at the hem of Cameron¡¯s sleeve and wailed, ¡°You told me that I¡¯m


    untouchable. And if anyone dared to hurt me, you said you¡¯d make their lives a living hell. Mom, don¡¯t


    you remember?¡±


    A confused sorrow shed in Cameron¡¯s eyes. She held a firm grip on Reba¡¯s hand whilst looking


    to her husband for advice on what to do.


    Zachary¡¯s head spun to face the policemen. His voice deepened with simmering anger, ¡°You may leave


    now, sirs. We¡¯ll settle this on our own.¡±


    The two policemen nodded their heads immediately in relief, unkeen on handling this messy case.


    ¡°Alright, then we¡¯ll leave you to it.¡±


    Once they left, Reba threw a fiery fit. She stared down every single one of us in the room. Her eyes


    blurred with a terrifying rage as she shoved everything on the bedside table onto the ground.


    A sharp, piercing scream came from her lips. ¡°Get out! All of you, get out! Liars. Murderers. You¡¯re all a


    bunch of liars!¡±


    Ashton eyed her gloomily. ¡°Name what you want, and I¡¯ll do my best to meet your conditions.¡±


    At this, a toothy smile crept on Reba¡¯s face. She looked unhinged as her face darkened into a


    hideous shade of brownish red. She raised a finger at me and howled, ¡°What do I want? I want her


    dead, I want her gone from this world. Can you do that for me?¡±


    Ashton frowned, his expression grew furiously colder. ¡°There are limits to everything, Reba.¡±


    Reba¡¯s head lowered. Although her expression was hidden, her shoulders started to rattle


    murderously. A peal of vileughterced in her voice. ¡°Great. Just peachy! You¡¯re all siding with her


    huh? Every single one of you is taking her side and defending her. How peachy!¡±

 Chapter 335

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 335


    She raised a questioning brow at everyone in the ward. Emptyughter cackled from her lips. ¡°I¡¯m the


    victim! I got stabbed for no reason, yet you¡¯re all so cold-blooded to me. You asked me what I want.


    Well, I want to stab her back! Can you fulfill this request?¡±


    My jaw tightened. I eyed her coldly and agreed, ¡°That¡¯s fine by me!¡±


    Ashton¡¯s brows furrowed into a deep ¡°V¡± as he looked furiously at me. ¡°Scarlett, shut up!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re fine with it?¡± Reba smiled ear-to-ear. ¡°Great! Come over here, and we¡¯ll get even after


    stabbing you.¡±


    With that said, her cold re fixated on me as she ripped out the IV needle from her arm. ¡°There are no


    knives here, but I won¡¯t need one. I¡¯ll use this needle instead. We can call it even after I impale you.¡±


    I approached her. My body moved surely and steadily, devoid of any fear. As I closed in on her, her


    sneering smile curved deeper.


    Within seconds, her arm snaked forwards with the needle, aiming for my eye. Gasps sounded from all


    round.


    Ashton was quick to notice her n. His arm darted faster than hers, snatching the needle from her


    grasp. Unfortunately, the needle drew blood. It slit a long, bloodied line down his palm.


    Witnessing this, heavy sighs of relief weighed down the room. Cameron copsed into Zachary¡¯s arms,


    burying her head into his chest. Complicated emotions surged as she said to me, ¡°You should go. Let¡¯s


    forget any of this ever happened.¡±


    Reba sizzled in betrayal. ¡°Mom! What are you talking about? She wanted to kill me! How can you


    let her get away with it?¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Cameron yelled. Disgust colored her eyes green. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t have hurt you if you didn¡¯t


    harass her in the middle of the night. Deep down, you know perfectly well why she stabbed you.¡±


    Reba¡¯s stared incredulously at her. Shock and disbelief burned under her skin; she refused to


    believe that the woman before her was her mother.


    Realizing how harsh her words sounded, Cameron paused to rpose before meeting her


    daughter¡¯s eyes again. Then, she spoke in a gentler voice, ¡°Reba, you¡¯re okay now. Just take a


    couple of days to rest and recover in the hospital, don¡¯t stress yourself over anything else.¡±


    But Reba was not easily swayed. She had spent most of her time alongside Ashton who sheltered


    and spoiled her. All those years in her life had cemented her arrogant and stubborn temperament.


    There was no way anyone could convince Reba to let go of her grudge.


    Shooting daggers at me, Reba snorted. ¡°Even if everyone here defends you, you¡¯ll still go to jail.


    Don¡¯t forget, Scarlett. Your fingerprints are all over the knife that you stabbed me with. I doubt anyone


    here can stop me if I insist on filing a case against you. As long as I¡¯m alive, I¡¯ll sue you for attempted


    murder. I¡¯ll make sure you get at least a couple of years and rot in a jail cell.¡±


    ng! Ashton smashed a ss of water that originally sat on the bedside table.


    With eyes locked on Reba, he picked up a shard off the ground. ¡°Your wound receives seven


    stitches on it, is that right?¡±


    Reba watched him cautiously, ¡°What are you up to?¡±


    ¡°You wanted a life for a life,¡± he responded. ¡°Clearly that won¡¯t do because you didn¡¯t die. So however


    deep your wound goes, that¡¯s how deeply I¡¯ll stab myself. Are you happy with that?¡±


    Ashton proceeded to lift his shirt. Within seconds, he forcefully plunged the shard into his abdomen.


    I was so shocked and I rushed to stop him, but it was already toote. The shard sank deeper and


    deeper into his skin.


    Reba stared at him in disbelief. Her hands shot up to her lips as she watched him in anguish. ¡°Does


    she really mean that much to you?¡±


    Ashton¡¯s hand pressed onto his wound, blood gushed onto his fingers, seeping into the cracks of his


    nails. An overwhelming pain pulsed in my chest. I raced towards him, hoping to drag him outside to a


    doctor or a nurse to get treated.


    But he held me down while looking at Reba. ¡°She¡¯s my wife. I will bear the burden of her mistakes


    as well as any pain she feels. What I can do is to protect her to the best I can. Whether or not she¡¯s a


    good or bad person will not change the fact that she¡¯s my wife.¡±


    My eyes reddened at the sight of his wounds. Concern and anger brimmed at the corner of my lips.


    ¡°Who asked you to bear those burdens for me? I don¡¯t need your intervention. I can take responsibility


    for the troubles I¡¯ve caused. It¡¯s just a few years in prison. I can handle it on my own.¡±


    I spun around to leave as I was ready to turn myself in.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Suddenly, Ashton¡¯s fingers coiled tightly around my wrist. He growled with a low voice, ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Then, his attention turned back to Reba. ¡°If this wound isn¡¯t deep enough for you, I can still pierce


    the shard deeper.¡±


    ¡°Get out!¡± Reba shrilled. Her bubbling emotions were on the verge of an explosion. ¡°All of you, get


    out! I don¡¯t want anyone in my sight!¡±


    Blood seeped onto Ashton¡¯s clothes. It dripped and formed a strikingly vermillion puddle on the hospital


    floor. Jared had just called for a doctor. He immediately picked up that Ashton¡¯s hand that was still


    pressing on the shard. Furiously, he shouted, ¡°Stop forcing the shard inwards! Do you really want to die


    that badly?¡±


    Ashton said nothing. He only looked at Reba, obviously waiting for her to say that she¡¯d drop the


    charges against me.


    Reba focused on Ashton, her eyes were filled with pain and despair. She mbered off the hospital


    bed, picked a shard from the ground, and rammed it at him.


    Since I stood next to Ashton, I quickly rushed in front of him and blocked Reba¡¯s attack. The ss


    shard cut through my arm. The pain caused beads of sweat to form at the nape of my neck.


    Thankfully, Reba was injured and didn¡¯t have much strength to shove the shard any deeper. She


    red at us for the longest time before she loosened her grip on the shard, letting it shatter onto the


    ground. Her voice quavered, ¡°Both of you just leave. I won¡¯t press charges!¡±


    ¡­


    In the doctor¡¯s office, Jared cleaned my wound. Ashton, however, was sent into the operating theater.


    Messy thoughts bounced at high speeds in my mind.

 Chapter 336

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 336


    I was still recovering from the shock of what had just happened. My entire body feltpletely numb.


    Jared continued chattering next to me, but I didn¡¯t register a single word he said. When Cameron and


    Zachary arrived in the room, Jared turned to look at me with a ratherplicated expression on his


    face.


    Cameron was the first to open his mouth. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    I looked up at them and said in a dull tone, ¡°If the both of you want to file awsuit against me, please


    go ahead.¡±


    Cameron shook her head frantically. ¡°No, we¡¯re here to take a look at you! Ms. Stovall, you¡­¡±


    Zachary interrupted her impatiently. ¡°Alright, you¡¯ve seen her. Let¡¯s go and visit Reba now! This


    matter is over as far as I¡¯m concerned.¡±


    Jared helped me to bandage my wounds. As he gazed darkly after their retreating backs, he said with a


    frown, ¡°I suppose the Moore family won¡¯t be filing awsuit against you, then.¡±


    Truthfully, I wasn¡¯t afraid of what they might do to me. I bowed my head and stared at the wound on my


    arm.


    Looking up at Jared again, I asked, ¡°Nothing will happen to Ashton, right?¡±


    He burst intoughter. ¡°He didn¡¯t sustain injuries to his lungs, so he¡¯s fine. He¡¯ll be alright after a few


    stitches, don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    I nodded, still feeling a little uncertain.


    Ashton jumped down from his hospital bed after the stitching and said to me, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go home!¡±


    I gaped at him, feeling rather stunned. Aplicated mix of emotions surged up within me. ¡°Ashton,


    you must be knocked in the head!¡± I eximed. ¡°You¡¯ve juste out of the operating room, and


    you¡¯re looking for death again? Don¡¯t you think your injuries are bad enough as they are?¡±


    It was already three in the morning now. Mrs. Eriksen and Sally had returned to the vi. Jared and Joe


    went home, too. As for Reba, the Moore family had hired a night nurse to look after her.


    I remained in the hospital with Ashton. When he tried to sneak out against doctor¡¯s orders, I managed


    to stop him with an angry yell.


    He looked at me, stunned. With a frown, he demanded, ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired of being cooped up at the


    hospital?¡±


    I pursed my lips and shoved him back onto the hospital bed. The injuries on his abdomen had been


    bandaged and were healing well, but I felt my heart ache just looking at them. ¡°Lie down on your back,¡±


    I ordered. ¡°We¡¯ll leave the hospital only when the doctor discharges us.¡±


    Ashtony back down obediently and patted the space next to him on the bed. ¡°Lie here with me, or


    we¡¯ll go home right now.¡±


    I pressed my lips together in exasperation. There was no use in arguing with a sick person. Besides, I


    was pretty tired. To his delight, I lowered myself into his bed, trying to put as much distance between us


    as possible.


    However, Ashton snuggled closer to me and wrapped his arms around my body. In a low voice, he


    mumbled, ¡°Sleep tight.¡±


    Hearing his voice, the tears I had been holding back started flowing down my cheeks uncontrobly.


    I turned around to face him, my face wet with tears. ¡°Ashton, don¡¯t you dare do this for me in the future.


    I don¡¯t need it, and I don¡¯t want you to get injured because of me.¡±


    He tilted my chin up and looked deeply at me. ¡°Does your heart ache?¡±


    I gazed into his eyes and leaned up to press a kiss on his lips. Because of my clumsiness, Ashton


    looked rather amused.


    Since we were still at the hospital, he pushed me away lightly and mumbled, ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough.


    Don¡¯t you know where we are?¡±


    However, women were ruled by emotion. Since I had started it, I couldn¡¯t possibly stop right now.


    Avoiding his injury, I buried my head in his neck.


    Ashton¡¯s breathing sounded even more ragged now. ¡°Scarlett, stop fooling around. We¡¯re at the


    hospital!¡±


    I refused to listen to him. After stering his entire face with kisses, Iy my head against his chest and


    started crying silently again.


    Ashton sounded a little helpless. ¡°We¡¯re still at the hospital, you know. If you want to make out, we can


    do that when we get home!¡±


    I ignored him and continued sobbing against his chest. Haplessly, he tried to console me. ¡°Do you


    really want to do it right now?¡±


    After a pause, he continued, ¡°Let¡¯s go home first, alright? We can make out as much as you want when


    we get home. It¡¯s a little inconvenient to do that in the hospital.¡±


    I looked up at him, registering the sharp features of his face. Ashton was so handsome that God was


    so unfair. In a rather hoarse voice, I said, ¡°Ashton, don¡¯t do this again in the future, alright? I¡¯m n¡ªnot


    worth putting your life on the line for.¡±


    Ashton froze when he heard my words. In a deep, restrained voice, he replied, ¡°You¡¯repletely


    worth it. Everything I do for you ispletely worth it.¡±


    I took in his words, my heart throbbing with indescribable pain and sadness.


    Although the bed in the VIP lounge was huge, it was iparable to the size of the one we had at


    one. Because of the shock of the event, I scarcely slept a wink that night.


    I jolted awake numerous times that night, startled awake by the nightmarish images of Ashton lying in a


    pool of blood.


    A few more timester, my entire body was dripping with sweat. Upon realizing that I was having a


    nightmare, Ashton pulled me into his arms and patted my back tofort me.


    I gazed up at him, my heart hurting tremendously. ¡°Ashton, make sure you die behind me when the


    timees, alright?¡±


    I was terrified. Thoughts of those frightening events were still swirling in my mind, and I never wanted


    to experience them again.


    In a low voice, Ashton asked, ¡°What did you see in your dream?¡±


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    ¡°You went missing!¡± The moment I opened my mouth to reply to him, tears rolled down my cheeks


    again. My heart was aching so much that I didn¡¯t think I could bear it anymore.


    ¡°You silly girl,¡± heughed. ¡°Close your eyes and go to sleep! I promise I¡¯ll still be here when you wake


    up.¡± He sighed and caressed my hair gently.


    Because we had such a difficult time falling asleep in the hospital, Ashton went and got himself


    discharged from the hospital the very next day. We returned to the vi instead.


    Sally had already returned to the White residence. Apparently, Mr. Bauman had called off the


    investigation on her.


    Mrs. Eriksen was the only employee left at the vi. Molly had been dismissed by Ashton before we


    returned home.


    Because I had slept so badly the entire night, my head was throbbing painfully. The moment we got


    home, Ashton knitted his brows together and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to go take a shower first.¡±

 Chapter 337

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 337


    I knew he was desperate to shower because of the overpowering stench of blood on his body. I


    followed him into the bathroom.


    He turned to look at me with a frown. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you wash up!¡± I eximed, reaching out to help him remove his jacket.


    Just as my fingers reached his belt buckle, Ashton grabbed my hands and said in a ragged voice,


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. I¡¯ll do the rest by myself. Go to sleep first!¡±


    It was my turn to frown at him now. ¡°You can¡¯t get wet because of your injuries. How are you supposed


    to shower or even bathe? Your only option now is to wipe yourself with a washcloth, but I don¡¯t think


    you¡¯ll be able to do that yourself.¡±


    Ashton demurred. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Don¡¯t make such a huge fuss about it. I¡¯ll wipe myself down.¡±


    However, I insisted stubbornly, ¡°I¡¯ll wipe you down!¡±


    His eyes grew darker. Gazing at me with an unreadable expression, he said, ¡°Mess with the bull and


    you get the horns. Are you sure about this?¡±


    This man was going to be the death of me!


    ¡°If you try and wipe yourself down, your injuries might get worse,¡± I said sulkily, changing the topic.


    Ashton smirked devilishly. Taking my hand, he helped me unbuckle his belt, before guiding my hand to


    unzip his pants, his eyes growing even darker with lust.


    I wasn¡¯tpletely stupid. Knowing where this was going, I hastily retracted my hand and hissed, ¡°You


    wipe yourself down, then. I¡¯m going to sleep first.¡±


    Before I even exited the bathroom, Ashton had pulled me back, hugging me from behind. Afraid that I


    might aggravate his injury, I froze and tried not to move around as much.


    I could feel his eyes boring into the back of my head. ¡°Can we do it now?¡±


    My face turned red with embarrassment. ¡°Your wound might reopen.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a small injury. What¡¯s the worst that could happen?¡±


    The temperature in the bathroom was high to begin with. His voice sounded a little rough, but he


    continued to press, ¡°Can we?¡±


    I looked down and shut my eyes, refusing to answer him. He took my silence as consent.


    After a hot, passionate round of love-making, I felt as though my body was about to fall apart like a rag


    doll. As I wiped myself clean, I noted that Ashton¡¯s wound had bled through the white bandages again.


    His abdomen looked like a crime scene.


    I frowned and gazed at him, feeling a little angry. ¡°Look, you¡¯re bleeding again! I told you that was going


    to happen. Your wound has opened up again!¡±


    Ashton seemed to find this very funny. After putting on his bathrobe, he said, ¡°It¡¯s alright. Just get Jared


    toe over and take a look at it again. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    I shot a re at him, at a loss for words. I made my way out of the bathroom and made a call to Jared.


    The call went through almost immediately. Hastily, I said, ¡°Dr. Crest, Ashton¡¯s wound has reopened


    again. He seems to be bleeding quite badly. Can you pleasee and take a look at him?¡±


    Jared froze for a second and demanded in confusion, ¡°Why would his wound reopen suddenly?¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what to reply him. I couldn¡¯t tell him that we just made love in the bathroom, could I?


    Rather helplessly, I muttered, ¡°Anyway, he¡¯s bleeding quite a lot. Come over and take a look, won¡¯t


    you? Please do me a favor.¡±


    As I hung up the phone, Ashton looked mischievously at me with his arms crossed over his chest. With


    a faint smile, he said, ¡°Are you going to tell him that my wound reopened because of unspeakable


    physical exertions?¡±


    I red at him and said, ¡°Would this have happened if you controlled yourself just now?¡±


    Ashton barked withughter. In a helpless tone, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not as serious as it seems.¡±


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Jared arrived at our house very quickly. Seeing the blood on Ashton¡¯s wound, Jared narrowed his eyes


    and raised a brow at him. ¡°Just this once, do you understand me? I won¡¯t do this for you again.¡±


    Ashton shrugged amiably and replied with a drawl, ¡°You don¡¯t have a wife. How are you supposed to


    understand the struggle of us married men?¡±


    I gazed at him, shocked.


    Was he ming this on me?


    Jared snorted loudly and ced the first aid kit aside. Turning to look at me, he said, ¡°I¡¯m kind of


    hungry? What time is dinner?¡±


    I gaped at him for a second before replying, ¡°Mrs. Eriksen is still preparing it. Can you help patch up his


    injury first?¡±


    Jared found a ce to sit down. Smirking slightly, he dered, ¡°But I¡¯m hungry and don¡¯t have much


    energy left. Ashton won¡¯t die of his injuries anyway.¡±


    Um¡­


    Alright then!


    I went downstairs and helped Mrs. Eriksen with the dinner. Just before I left, I heard Ashton turn to


    Jared and mutter, ¡°You aren¡¯t young anymore, you know. Do you n to be single for the rest of your


    life?¡±


    Jared sighed dramatically. ¡°How would a married man like you understand the freedom of a single


    man?¡±


    However, Ashton wasn¡¯t deterred. ¡°Oh, stop sounding so smug. Why don¡¯t you use your hands the next


    time you feel an itch in your pants, instead of sleeping with the next woman you see?¡±


    I felt rather stunned¡­


    Conversations between men were really something else! I shuddered and flew down the stairs.


    Mrs. Eriksen was nearly done with the food by the time I arrived in the kitchen. Just as I finished setting


    the table, Ashton and Jared made their way downstairs too.


    The two of them seemed to be getting along very well. Due to the unspoken rule that we shouldn¡¯t be


    talking during mealtimes, none of us made conversation with each other throughout the meal.


    After that, Jared helped to clean up Ashton¡¯s wound. In a voice of extreme disgust, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t call


    me the next time you get into this sort of trouble again, thanks!¡±


    Ashton shrugged and said with a nonplussed expression, ¡°Well, that will depend on the situation.¡±


    Too tired to continue arguing with him, Jared got up and packed up the first aid kit. After jangling his


    keys in farewell, he turned around and left.


    Ashton seemed to be in a pretty good mood. He leaned back against the sofa and ordered Mrs.


    Eriksen to bring him his documents from his study.


    With nothing to do, I sat down beside him and flipped listlessly through a book.


    ¡°Ashton, why did the Moore family stop investigating the case?¡± This question had been stuck in my


    head since yesterday. Reba was the love of Cameron¡¯s life, and I had performed the sphemous


    act of stabbing her. Even if I had so much as given Reba a push, Cameron would have been after


    my neck. Why had her attitude towards the whole situation changed so quickly?


    Ashton narrowed his eyes and put down the documents in his hands, gesturing for me to sit down next


    to him.


    I obeyed him and lowered myself into the seat beside him. He wrapped his arms around me and said in


    a slightly hoarse voice, ¡°Without any evidence, what can they do?¡±

 Chapter 338

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 338


    I felt a little confused. No evidence? Reba was right¡ªmy fingerprints were on the fruit knife itself,


    and any forensics department worth their salt would know immediately that I was the perpetrator.


    I couldn¡¯t help but suspect that Ashton was hiding something from me. ¡°Did you have something to do


    with Mrs. Eriksen¡¯s sudden appearance yesterday?¡±


    It was quite obvious that Mrs. Eriksen hadn¡¯t thought of those words by herself. Ashton must have


    coached her on it beforehand.


    He paused before replying, ¡°You want me to watch my wife get shipped off to jail? I have no wish to live


    as a widower for the next few years.¡±


    I felt rather speechless.


    This man had very strange ways of thinking. I didn¡¯t quite know how to respond to him.


    I decided it would be better for me to keep my mouth shut.


    The new year was just around the corner. Ashton was going to take me back to J City after concluding


    thepany¡¯s new year meeting. However, now that he was injured, it would be very inconvenient for


    him to move anywhere.


    He had handed over the meeting arrangements to Jared and Joe. Since I had already left Fuller


    Corporation, none of this was my business anymore.


    As for the matter with Fuller Corporation, the Stovall family had contacted me through John before I


    even had a chance to ask them about it. Louis had finally announced when he was going to enter my


    name into the family register.


    He ordered me make preparations, and to return to the Stovall Residence two days before to get used


    to the surroundings. Louis had decided to make it a grand asion, and he had invited lots of guests


    to the ceremony.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Knowing that Louis had my best interests at heart, I agreed to obey his instructions and told John about


    the matter with Reba.


    He was so shocked that he didn¡¯t speak for a few seconds. ¡°Didn¡¯t Reba or the Moore family take


    any action against you?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Well, Reba insists that I should pay with my own life, and Ashton got injured


    because of this incident. However, the Moore couple has been behaving very strangely indeed¡ªtheir


    attitude towards me changed drastically, and they refused to investigate this matter anymore. Even this


    seems rather ludicrous to me.¡±


    John thought for a few moments. ¡°Why did they stop investigating the matter?¡±


    ¡°Probably because they didn¡¯t want the matter to blow up. After all, Reba was the one who ran over


    to our house to cause a scene. If word got out that the precious daughter of the Moore family was a


    married man¡¯s mistress, and that she had kicked up a fuss at his house, it¡¯ll only bring shame on them.¡±


    That was the only reason I could think of. Every other possibility seemed rather improbable to me.


    John nodded and replied, ¡°In the future, stay away from members of the Moore family. Oh, right, I have


    hired a costume designer for you. Come with me when you¡¯re free¡ªwe need to get you a few gowns.


    There will be lots of new year parties and banquets for you to attend recently, and as the daughter of


    the Stovall family, you should look good at those events so you don¡¯t embarrass us.¡±


    I pouted, feeling a little worried about the cost. ¡°One gown is already going to cost tens of thousands!


    Some of them even cost six figures. Do you know what a waste of money it is to buy a dress that you¡¯ll


    only wear once or twice in your life?¡±


    John looked rather amused. ¡°Nobody asked you to foot the bill. What are you so anxious about?


    Besides, gowns are a necessity. Ashton has already bought a few pieces of jewelry for you¡ªmake


    sure you learn how to wear them properly! Don¡¯t you dare show up at a dinner party looking like a nun,


    like you always do.¡±


    This man had a poisonous tongue!


    Toozy to argue with him, I thought for a while and said, ¡°Did Uncle Louis invite the Moore family to


    the ceremony?¡±


    John nodded and replied, ¡°There are only so many elite families in K City. I think I could count them off


    on my fingers! As I see it, Uncle Louis will probably invite all of them. Are you avoiding them or


    something?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I shook my head vehemently. After pondering for a bit, I said, ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m avoiding them


    or anything. I was just thinking that I should find a way topensate Reba somehow.¡±


    Truthfully, I hated Cameron before this. After I injured Reba, however, my attitude towards her had


    softened a lot, possibly because of her daughter¡¯s rtionship with Ashton.


    I didn¡¯t want to keep fighting with Reba like this. We still had to see each other for a long time. If I


    continued to battle it out with the Moore family, I would never enjoy a day of peace in my life.


    John fell silent before saying, ¡°That¡¯s your decision to make. But since Reba has already been


    injured, Letty, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll think about it!¡± I hung up the phone immediately, feeling a little impatient.


    It was a very gloomy day outside. I was still spacing out when Stacey called me.


    When I picked up the call, I could hear the noise in the background immediately. ¡°Ms. Stovall, will you


    being back to J City to celebrate the new year with us?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that yet,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯ll ask Ashton about itter. Is there something wrong?¡± I did a


    quick calction in my head and realized that there were only two weeks left to the new year.


    Most of the office workers were on holiday. I continued, ¡°Are you back in J City?¡±


    Stacey nodded her head and said enthusiastically, ¡°Yes, I arrived a few days ago. I thought you were


    going toe back too, so I went out and bought some items for the new year party. I even bumped


    into Mr. Harrison! He was walking around with a handsome man and a baby boy. I haven¡¯t seen him in


    a long while, and he seems to have changed quite a bit.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know which Mr. Harrison she was referring to. ¡°Mr. Harrison?¡±


    Stacey replied cheerfully, ¡°Yes, that young president of Harrison Credit, Nick Harrison! He¡¯s Cameron¡¯s


    son.¡±


    That jolted me out of my daze immediately. So she was talking about Nick! I hadn¡¯t seen him in over six


    months.


    I replied, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been a long time since Ist contacted him. I wonder how he¡¯s been doing.¡±


    ¡°Right? You know, when I saw that man and that baby with him, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he¡¯s gay.


    He seemed to be very close to the man, and the baby was probably no older than three months. He¡¯s


    the most adorable creature I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±

 Chapter 339

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 339


    I wasn¡¯t paying attention to her. ¡°Hey, could you help me take a few pictures?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What do you suddenly need pictures for?¡±


    ¡°Help me get a nice shot of the three of them, thanks!¡±


    I had a sneaking suspicion that Mr. Harrison¡¯s friend was Jackson, and the baby was Macy¡¯s kid.


    Stacey gave me her word before hanging up the phone. I gave a call to Macy, but no one picked up.


    After thinking for a while, I decided to call Nick instead. To my surprise, the call went through. ¡°Ms.


    Stovall, my dear, how did you suddenly think of contacting me?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Harrison, are you in J City right now? One of my friends has gotten into a spot of trouble over


    there. Could you help me sort it out?¡±


    There was a pause on the other side of the phone. Nick replied warily, ¡°I¡¯m in M Country right now. Is it


    very urgent? I¡¯ll get my men in J City to go over instead.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s alright then. I¡¯ll give my other friends a call. I¡¯ll hang up now! Let¡¯s catch up another time.¡± Why


    was Nick lying to me?


    Stacey¡¯s text message came very quickly. The picture she sent was taken in a building in J City¡¯s city


    center. Nick was wearing a brown coat, with both his hands stuck in its pockets. He looked both


    dashing and very bored. The image was a little blurry, but that was Nick in the picture¡ªthere was no


    doubt about that.


    Jackson was standing right next to him, wearing a dark-colored sweater and a casual pair of shorts.


    Both of them were pushing a pram about. The entire picture was so strange that it was bound to draw


    some attention from passers-by.


    I gave Stacey another call. She was probably on her phone again, because she picked up instantly this


    time.


    I jumped straight to the point. ¡°Stacey, I need your help again. Can you help me find out where they¡¯re


    living? Pay special attention to the man and baby who are with Nick. Also, I need you to find out if Macy


    is with them.¡±


    Jackson had told me they were in M Country. The weather in J City was too cold, he imed, and it


    wouldn¡¯t be good for the baby. They were going to return after the new year, but unbeknownst to me,


    they had arrived in J City ahead of time.


    With Macy¡¯s personality, she would probably give in and contact me eventually. In fact, ording to my


    calctions, she should¡¯ve called me to ask after the baby by now.


    However, it had been some time, and Macy still hadn¡¯t contacted me. In fact, I had seen neither hide


    nor hair of her. Every time I gave her a call, I had a distinct feeling that she was avoiding me on


    purpose.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be keeping tabs on them. Don¡¯t worry!¡± However, as I hung up the call, I couldn¡¯t help but


    worry even more.


    I had a feeling that something bad was going to happen.


    ¡­


    The next day, I discovered for myself that John was extraordinarily efficient at his job. Just as Ashton


    left for work, I received a call from him.


    ¡°Come down to Joy Luck Boutique for your gown fitting! Do you want me to send a car over to fetch


    you?¡±


    I shook my head, climbing up from my bed as I did so. Still feeling rather sleepy, I replied blearily, ¡°It¡¯s


    alright, I¡¯ll drive there. Can you give me the address?¡±


    John rattled it off to me. Rather sternly, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t take your own sweet time. I¡¯ll be waiting for you


    there.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    He did have quite a blunt, abrupt personality.


    After hanging up, I washed up and got ready to leave the house. Afraid that I might be hungry on the


    way there, Mrs. Eriksen stuffed a few chocte buns into my hands, clucking her tongue anxiously.


    I used to drive a Cadic back in J City. After Jackson sent it to the car repair shop, I hadn¡¯t used it


    since.


    After I arrived in K City, Ashton had gifted me a Cayenne. However, I couldn¡¯t get used to driving it¡ªthe


    bottom of the car was too high, and that made it very awkward for me to drive it around.


    However, in a ce like K City, which was flooded with all sorts of luxury cars, even an expensive car


    like the Cayenne seemed pretty low-key.


    I was nning to go down to Joy Luck Boutique straight-away. When I drove past a pastry shop in front


    of the city center, however, I couldn¡¯t help but remember the delicious pastries I had once enjoyed


    there.


    Before I could stop myself, I pulled up in front of the pastry shop. After my miscarriage, Marcus had


    brought me here to cheer me up. The pastry shop was very popr¡ª dozens of people queued up to


    get their hands on freshly-baked pastries and buns almost every day.


    However, there were usually less customers on a weekday. When I arrived, the shop had just opened,


    and there wasn¡¯t a queue to be seen.


    After going around the entire shop once, I selected a few of my favorite pastries, all of them mocha-


    vored. As I paid for my purchase, the shop assistant grinned at me and said, ¡°Miss, our first


    customer of the day gets a free pastry on the house. Please select another pastry.¡±


    I felt delighted. What a pleasant surprise! ¡°Oh, is that so?¡±


    Although I couldn¡¯t possibly finish all the pastries, a free gift was always wee. My mood became


    much better immediately. I felt as though I had just picked up some money on the sidewalk! Although it


    was just a pastry, it was enough to lift my spirits. Today was going to be a great day.


    I walked out of the shop in high spirits. While I was searching in my bag for my car keys, a harried-


    looking pedestrian bumped into me while he was trying to cross the road.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    ¡°I beg your pardon!¡± he eximed. However, since the traffic lights were about to turn red again, he


    took off in a hurry almost immediately.


    I looked down at the squashed box of pastries in my hands, feeling a little sorry at how out of shape


    they looked. I decided to find somewhere to sit down and finish the pastries.


    I watched the city crowds pass me by, shivering as the cold winds of K City chilled me to the bone.


    After a few bites, I lost my appetite.


    There were still so many pastries leftover. I paused for a moment, feeling a little guilty for wasting food.


    In the end, however, I stood up and made my way to the nearest rubbish bin.


    Suddenly, a voice rang out from some distance away. ¡°Mr. White, we¡¯ve booked your hotel for you.¡±


    I flung the box of pastries into the rubbish bin and turned around to look hastily.

 Chapter 340

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 340


    Not far away, a man in a ck suit was passing a file of documents to another person in a ck


    Bentley parked by the roadside.


    They were probably conducting a business deal. Seeing as it was ratherte, I decided to be on my


    way.


    Just as I was going to look away, I caught a glimpse of the man in the backseat. His face was cold and


    handsome, and it seemed as familiar as it was foreign.


    That¡¯s Marcus!


    Was¡ªwas that really him?


    I froze immediately, too stunned to know what to do next. Without turning to pick up my bag from the


    bench, I ran towards the car immediately.


    ¡°Marcus!¡± I yelled. As soon as he heard my voice, an expression of shock appeared on Marcus¡¯s


    handsome face.


    He swept a cold look towards me, before taking the file of documents from the man expressionlessly.


    After that, he mmed the door shut, and the Bentley pulled away quickly.


    I continued to run after the car like a mad woman, screaming loudly, ¡°Marcus! Marcus!¡±


    However, the car refused to slow down. At that moment, the traffic light turned red, and the Bentley


    screeched to a halt.


    Feeling extremely relieved, I ran over to the car at once. In my haste, I didn¡¯t realize a car speeding


    towards me until it was toote.


    Before I could react, I had flown through the air andnded on the ground with a sickening crash.


    I felt an excruciating jolt of pain shoot through my knees and my elbows.


    ¡°Miss, are you alright?¡± The driver of the car emerged from the car and ran towards me, helping me up


    from the ground. He looked extremely apologetic. ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to do it! You just


    appeared out of nowhere¡ªI didn¡¯t see youing at all.¡±


    I shook my head. Before I could respond, I looked up to see the traffic lights turn green again. The


    Bentley sped off into the distance.


    I stood and gaped as it left, feeling rather confused. My eyes didn¡¯t deceive me¡ªI was sure the person


    I just saw was Marcus.


    But Marcus was supposed to be dead¡­


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    ¡°Miss, why don¡¯t I take you to the hospital? You¡¯re bleeding quite badly. Just to be safe, you should


    probably get a doctor to take a look at your injuries.¡±


    The driver¡¯s face was white as a sheet as he said that. Clearly, he was more stunned than I was.


    I snapped out of my daze and looked down at myself. My knees and elbows were drenchedpletely


    in blood.


    Thanks to Reba, I had gotten a couple of scratches on my body while defending Ashton from her


    attack. However, the wounds had reopened again when I was thrown to the ground.


    The wounds were rather deep, and they were bleeding rather profusely.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll have to trouble you then!¡± I couldn¡¯t possibly drive myself to the hospital now, could I?


    ¡­


    We arrived at the hospital soon enough.


    The doctor helped me to clean and dress my wound. Meanwhile, the driver footed the medical bill and


    fetched my prescription from the pharmacy, looking very apologetic as he did.


    Since he seemed to be in a hurry to get somewhere, I felt a little guilty at the amount of care he was


    lavishing on me. ¡°Today¡¯s ident was my fault! Thanks for taking the time to send me to the hospital!


    I¡¯m much obliged to you, and very sorry indeed. I¡¯m fine now, so please leave now if you need to!¡±


    Seeing the bloody mess on my knee, he mumbled, ¡°Regardless, I was the one who crashed into you,


    so that¡¯s on me. Please give your family members a call. When they arrive, I¡¯ll let them know that I¡¯m


    willing to bear all the responsibility.¡±


    This driver was a nice, honest man. Feeling bad for taking up so much of his time, I tried to decline his


    request a few times. However, he insisted on waiting for my family members to show up so he could


    settle the matter with them.


    Left with no choice, I could only give Ashton a call.


    He answered the phone in a deep voice. ¡°Have you had lunch yet?¡±


    I opened my mouth and shut it again, unsure of where to begin. Feeling a little awkward, I said,


    ¡°Ashton, are you busy right now?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± he demanded.


    ¡°I just got knocked down by a car and sustained some injuries. Can you swing by the hospital if you


    have the time?¡±


    ¡°Knocked down by a car?¡± Ashton suddenly sounded very concerned.


    I didn¡¯t know how to exin the incident over the phone. In the end, I merely said, ¡°Yes, but I didn¡¯t get


    badly injured. Can youe over anyway?¡±


    ¡°Give me the address!¡± Immediately, he covered the receiver with his hand and announced to his


    subordinates, ¡°We¡¯ll end this meeting for today. Please make sure to think about how we¡¯re going to


    resolve these issues. That¡¯s all from me!¡±


    ¡°Are you still in a meeting?¡± I asked, stunned. I looked down at my watch¡ªit was already six in the


    evening.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ashton replied impatiently. ¡°What¡¯s the address of the hospital?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m at Medwin Hospital! Be careful on the way here, my life isn¡¯t in danger or anything.¡± With that, I


    hung up the phone.


    The driver continued to gaze at me, his face clouded with worry and despair.


    We waited for another fifteen minutes before Ashton arrived at the hospital.


    He had arrived in such a hurry that the chilliness of the office air-conditioner still clung to his clothes.


    When he saw me lying on the hospital bed, he frowned and turned to the nurse beside me. ¡°Is she


    alright?¡±


    The nurse froze for a second, her eyes brightening with delight as she appraised the handsome man in


    front of her. Flushing slightly, she replied, ¡°She¡¯ll be alright. She just suffered some abrasions, that¡¯s all.


    It¡¯s slightly worrying that her old injuries reopened because of the fall, but she¡¯ll recover after a few


    days¡¯ rest.¡±


    Ashton nodded curtly. His gaze fell on me, and he pursed his lips. He then turned and looked directly at


    the driver, who was cowering in a corner.


    ¡°Was it her fault or yours?¡±


    The driver looked rather stunned by his iciness. After a brief silence, he replied haltingly, ¡°I was driving


    within the speed limit. This woman here suddenly rushed onto the road and straight into my path. I


    didn¡¯t manage to stop my car in time. I¡¯m really sorry about this, I didn¡¯t mean it!¡±


    Ashton turned to look at me. ¡°Is this true?¡±

 Chapter 341

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 341


    I nodded and replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Sir, my family is here now. Thanks for your help, and sorry for all the


    trouble. You can go now.¡±


    Looking slightly intimidated by the expression on Ashton¡¯s face, the driver shuddered a little. Bowing


    his head, he muttered onest apology before bolting out of the door.


    However, the nurse didn¡¯t seem to want to leave. She stood by the bed, arranging the medicine bottles


    slowly, shooting admiring nces at Ashton when she thought he wasn¡¯t looking.


    Ashton was a handsome man to begin with, and he attracted the attention of people wherever he went.


    Besides, because of the cold, arrogant expression he constantly wore on his face, girls tended to flock


    to him in droves.


    ¡°How did you get hit by a car?¡± Ashton asked, shooting a look of consternation at my bandaged foot. It


    quite resembled a dumpling.


    I thought for a moment before replying sheepishly, ¡°I got lost in my thoughts while walking and


    identally walked onto the road. That¡¯s how I got myself into this spot of trouble.¡±


    Ashton frowned. ¡°What do you even have eyes for?¡±


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    I pouted sulkily. Tilting my head at him, I demanded, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be hugging andforting me right


    now? I¡¯m not really in the mood for another lecture.¡±


    The nurse finally left the room. I looked up at him and muttered, ¡°Stop being so cold all the time. I might


    misunderstand one day and think you have zero concern for me.¡±


    He walked over to me and looked down at my bandaged injuries. Sighing, he said, ¡°Make sure you look


    out for cars when you¡¯re walking. Thank goodness you only sustained light injuries this time. If it were


    any more serious, I might see you at the mortuary.¡±


    I was speechless.


    This man¡¯s thought process never failed to amaze me.


    Ashton nced at the box of pastries next to my bed. ¡°Were you buying these when you got knocked


    over by the car?¡±


    I nodded enthusiastically and smiled up at him. ¡°Do you want to try some? They taste pretty good. I had


    pastries from this shop once and they were the best I¡¯ve ever tasted. I went and got more of them


    today!¡±


    Ashton frowned¡ªhe wasn¡¯t exactly a big fan of pastries. ¡°Do you want to eat them?¡±


    I raised an eyebrow and jerked my chin towards my bandaged hands. ¡°Do you think I could eat by


    myself now?¡±


    His lips curved into a smile, looking so handsome that it was almost a sin. ¡°Show me how much you


    love me, and I¡¯ll consider feeding you.¡±


    ¡°Show you what?¡± I asked, cocking my head in confusion.


    He told me. However, one look at the mischievous expression in his eyes told me all I needed to know.


    I froze for a second before registering his words.


    He brought his face closer to me. I was toozy to y games with him¡ªinstead, I nted a kiss on


    his cheeks and asked smilingly, ¡°Are you happy now?¡±


    Ashton smirked and grinned back at me. ¡°Just barely!¡±


    After a few bites of the pastries, I gazed at him and ventured cautiously, ¡°Ashton, do you think the dead


    cane back to life?¡±


    On the day of Marcus¡¯s death, I saw his lifeless bodyying in a pool of his own blood. How was it


    possible that he hade back to life?


    Ashton gazed at me and knitted his brows. ¡°Did you see something? Why are you suddenly asking that


    question?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing!¡± I replied,ughing it off. I tried to change the topic hastily. ¡°I was just a little curious,


    that¡¯s all.¡±


    My injuries weren¡¯t that serious, and I found it too difficult to rest in the hospital. After a few hours there,


    I found myself begging Ashton to take me back to the vi.


    After dropping me off in the bedroom, he made his way to the study, saying that he still had work to do.


    Thoughts of Marcus still haunted my mind. I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about the man I had met in the city


    center today.


    After lying in bed for a long time, I finally gave in and gave John a call.


    When he finally picked up the phone, he sounded very tired indeed. ¡°It¡¯s been five hours, you know. Tell


    me honestly¡ªwhy did you skip our appointment today?¡±


    At this, I suddenly remembered that I was supposed to meet John at Joy Luck Boutique for my gown


    fitting today.


    Immediately, I started apologizing to him. ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry, but I got knocked down by a car on my way


    there. I just got back from the hospital. Sorry, I should¡¯ve informed you about it.¡±


    ¡°What? You got knocked down by a car? What happened?¡± John yelped.


    The story was too long andplicated for me to tell him about it right now. Instead, I jumped straight


    to the point. ¡°John, do you know who the coroner in charge was of inspecting Marcus¡¯s body?¡±


    John spluttered in confusion, ¡°Marcus has already been cremated and turned to ashes! What¡¯s going


    on now? Did you suddenly discover that you were in love with him all along?¡±


    Feeling rather annoyed, I snapped, ¡°Oh, stop talking rubbish? I saw someone who looked exactly like


    John today. They looked perfectly identical! I could almost swear they were the same person.¡±


    ¡°Did you get injured because you were chasing after him?¡± John sounded rather mocking now. ¡°My


    dear Scarlett, the man is dead. Do you really believe that he would suddenlye back alive? Unless


    he faked his death, there¡¯s no way you¡¯ll ever see him again. Stop digging yourself into a bigger mess


    and get ready for the banquet!¡±


    I pursed my lips. I wanted to argue with John, but he would probably think I was going insane.


    After making some small talk, I hung up the phone miserably.


    At that moment, I realized that Ashton had been standing in the doorway, listening to our entire


    conversation. His expression looked rather grim.


    ¡°Are you done with your work?¡± I asked, hastily dropping my phone aside.


    He continued to gaze at me, his cold eyes boring straight into mine.


    ¡°Stop making calls here and there. If you¡¯re as tired as you im to be, go to sleep immediately!¡± His


    words were supposed tofort me, but they sounded aloof and detached to my ears.


    I nodded. I wanted to tell him something else, but he had already left the room, mming the door shut


    heavily behind him.

 Chapter 342

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 342


    He¡¯s mad?


    I was not sure what he was mad about. I just found it odd.


    That night, Ashton did not return to the bedroom, probably because of the medication.


    Although I was injured, I managed to fall into a deep sleep that night. Amid the daze, I could have


    sworn I sensed someone standing by my bed.


    But I was practically dead to the world. My eyes were sealed shut.


    The next day.


    I was awakened by a cool feeling on my elbow, and when I opened my eyes Jared was changing my


    dressing.


    Startled, I instinctively opened my mouth to speak, ¡°Dr. Crest, did Ashton call you toe here?¡±


    He nodded, his eyes focused on applying medicine for me.


    Mrs. Eriksen came up with breakfast for the day. ¡°Letty, Mr. Ashton has gone out for work. He wants


    you to eat your fill and rest at home!¡± she informed me.


    I nodded, rmed, and turned to ask Jared, ¡°Is it busy at thepanytely? So busy that they have


    to work overtime on weekends?¡±


    He raised his eyes and looked at me, brows arched. ¡°Not really.¡±


    I nced back at Mrs. Eriksen and, after a pause, said, ¡°Was he in the study the whole night?¡±


    To which she answered, ¡°When I went to check in the morning, I saw Mr. Ashton exit the study. I¡¯m not


    sure if he was there all night though.¡±


    This did not seem right. I had a feeling Ashton might have been mad, but I had no clue what or who he


    was mad at.


    After treating my wound, Jared looked towards me and said, ¡°For the next few days, I advise you to


    stay in bed, don¡¯t go walking around, don¡¯te into contact with water, and stay away from vigorous


    exercises too.¡±


    I nodded at him. ¡°Did Ashton sound angry when he called you this morning?¡±


    He knitted his brows and said nothing. Then, he packed up the first aid kit and left without a word!


    What just happened?


    The day went by.


    In the evening, Ashton did note home until after dinner. His face was pale. I took the initiative to


    talk to him, ¡°Mrs. Eriksen has a wonderful meal prepared just for you.¡±


    He merely peered at me, his expression a cold one. ¡°I¡¯ve taken my dinner!¡±


    He¡¯s still mad?


    Then he stormed up the stairs and entered the study, leaving mepletely baffled.


    ¡°Letty, do you mind taking this up to him? Mr. Ashton doesn¡¯t look very good. Maybe he¡¯s dealing with a


    lot of issues at work. You two should have a good chat as husband and wife. Life¡¯s like that. You¡¯re


    happy one day and then sad on another. Marriage is all aboutmunication.¡±


    Mrs. Eriksen spoke. Then she handed me the tray of home-cooked food she had prepared. They were


    all Ashton¡¯s everyday favorites.


    At the entrance to his study.


    I knocked a few times on the door and, after some time, when no one came to answer it, pushed it


    open and entered the room.


    The study was barely lit. A strong smell of tobo drifted in the air when I stepped in.


    ¡°Ashton?¡±


    I turned on the lights to find Ashton leaning back on his chair next to the European-style desk, his eyes


    shut tight. The gloom on his face signaled that he would not tolerate disturbances at that time.


    I ced the tray of food on the desk, and whispered to him, ¡°Ashton, Mrs. Eriksen¡¯s prepared some of


    your favorite food. Please try some.¡±


    His eyes were closed so I could not get a good read of his emotions but, judging by the chill in the


    study, it seemed pretty clear that he was still bristling with anger.


    The second I noticed the screen on hisputer, I was stunned. It was a video of my car ident in


    the city center the day before.


    Why is he watching this?


    ¡°Uncle Louis says we¡¯re expected at the Stovall residence next Monday to go over the family registry.


    You¡¯ve been busy recently, so maybe I¡­¡±


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± Ashton interrupted me. His eyelids snapped open, revealing a pair of bloodshot eyes.


    ¡°Do you love him?¡± He said, his voice low and stern. He turned in his chair, his dark eyes fixed on me.


    ¡°You managed to spot him in a sea of people, and then you went after him with little regard for your life.


    Is it because you can¡¯t get over him?¡±


    The way he spoke was extraordinarily calm and ironic. I froze on the spot, having understood the


    reason behind his fury.


    I leveled my gaze at him and ultimately chose not to evade the question, so I said, ¡°It¡¯s not what you


    think. He¡¯s just an ordinary friend. But even so, if I chanced upon his lookalike on the streets, I would


    want to find out more about that person, just to assure myself. After all, I owed him my life.¡±


    He rose and slowly made his way towards me. His voice was low and deep as he enveloped me with


    his coldness. ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s not what I think? Are you saying you know what¡¯s on my mind?¡±


    I pursed my lips and subconsciously stepped back. When I hit the cold wall behind me, I realized I was


    cornered.


    ¡°Ashton, are you angry because I can¡¯t get over him, or are you mad because you believe I shouldn¡¯t


    get upset over a dead person?¡±


    He sneered. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    I pursed my lips. I, for one, knew that this man was extremely possessive and domineering. After a


    pause, I said, ¡°Whichever it is, Marcus is dead. That¡¯s an undeniable fact, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°What if he isn¡¯t?¡± he countered, his eyes darkened even more. ¡°If he¡¯s alive, would you still want to


    repay his life-saving grace by offering your affection?¡±


    I frowned, finding his argument awfully stubborn. Suppressing my emotions, I put my foot down and


    replied, ¡°No ifs, and that¡¯s final!¡±


    From the way I see it, Marcus was already gone. Only guilt and regret remained.


    Ashton¡¯s overreaction undoubtedly meant he could not bring himself to ept that the regrets I had for


    Marcus would increase little by little over time.


    He gazed at me, his dark eyes as deep as the sea. A long whileter, he tugged his dry lips. Then, his


    slender and tall figure fell back onto the chair.

 Chapter 343

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 343


    ¡°Get out!¡± he ordered, his voice cold and harsh.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    The ck jacket he was wearing made him seem more distant than usual. His dark eyes, which rarely


    revealed any emotions, to begin with, were unusually icy as well.


    I opened my mouth to say something but, in the end, no words came out.


    My gaze fell on hisputer. Suppressing the pain in my heart, I said to him, ¡°Ashton, I don¡¯t know


    why you get so mad at me over a person who¡¯s no longer living in this world. If you really think I¡¯m that


    fickle and capricious, then we can file for divorce. Rtionships between people will eventually end one


    way or the other. Every gathering will have to disperse in the end. Some live on while others die. I don¡¯t


    me you, and I won¡¯t resent you.¡±


    There are some things in the world that you have to let go of if they are no longer within your grasp,


    especially when ites to matters of separation¡­ and death.


    Between the two, I would pick separation over death every single time. That way, at least both parties


    were still alive.


    A cold glint mixed with anger shed in his eyes. He raised his hands and, in one fell swoop, shoved


    hisputer and some other junk off the desk. They crashed onto the ground and shattered into


    smithereens.


    ¡°Divorce?¡± His thin lips outlined a vicious grin. ¡°Scarlett, what does this marriage look like to you? Do


    you see it as a trade? Or a momentary pleasure? I wonder how it is that you can utter the word


    ¡®divorce¡¯ so freely. Have you been rehearsing it over and over again in your mind, to the point that it


    comes out so smoothly? Huh?¡±


    I stepped back subconsciously when my eyes came into contact with his cold gaze. My heart ached.


    ¡°You were the one who drafted the divorce agreement. You were the one who kept hinting at me about


    divorce. You can deny it all you want, but you can¡¯t let go of your responsibilities towards Reba, and


    I feel guilty for Marcus, so¡­ it would be better for both of us if we just split!¡±


    I did not know why I could be so calm andposed at a time like that. I could even describe my


    internal frustrations, which had been repressed for so long, in a calm and concise manner.


    Perhaps I had them buried deep within my conscience for so many years, and I felt that the timing was


    right to bring them up since the topic of divorce was now on the table.


    We clearly acknowledged the helplessness and grievances we had for each other. Furthermore, no


    matter what, we were basically incapable of achieving mutual understanding. So, divorce might just be


    the best option.


    ¡°Better for both of us?¡± His sharp re gave me the chills as he curled his lips, ready to mock me. ¡°For


    you, maybe. The man who you initially thought had gone to heaven suddenly showed up among the


    crowd. Before that, you had decided to put the past behind you but then your heart grew restless again


    at the sight of him. What you harbored was not guilt, but regret. And when you saw him again, you


    were tempted.¡±


    He sneered. ¡°My responsibilities towards Reba? What a joke. Here I am working my hardest to give


    you a sense of security while all you think about, Scarlett, are a million ways to get rid of me. Good


    gracious!¡±


    His words might be harsh and mean, but I chose not to refute them. No matter what he said, it was


    useless for me to set things straight.


    I nced at him with an impassive expression. Compared to his anger, I took his reaction in stride.


    ¡°Ashton, let¡¯s stop lying to ourselves!¡±


    I did not want to argue, for I did not even know where to start. I could not even tell how our rtionship


    hit the rocks. Was I at fault or was he being a pain?


    So I did not want to fight. Grandma said that if two people loved each other, no matter what obstacles


    laid between them, they would always be able to forgive and tolerate each other. Maybe love was what


    wecked, and thus we could not find relief.


    I turned to leave but he caught my arm and held me within his grasp. He had me pressed against the


    table and began to kiss me aggressively.


    From the bottom of my heart, I wanted to resist his strength and dominance. I turned my head away to


    evade his attack while I tried my best to push him away.


    But, sadly, men and women differ in strength. To him, my strength wasparable to a mosquito. He


    sped one hand around my waist and pinched it so hard that I winced in pain.


    His free hand held my head in its grip, forcing me to reciprocate his kiss.


    It was unbearable. I lifted my hands to push him away, but he bit down so forcefully that I yelped.


    ¡°Ashton, let go of me! I don¡¯t want this!¡±


    He snickered. ¡°We are a couple. This is what couples do. What¡¯s wrong with that? Heck, you don¡¯t want


    to do it with me because you¡¯d rather do it with Marcus, is that right? You¡¯re still thinking of someone


    who¡¯s already dead. What for?¡±


    p! I hit his face as though on instinct, while the disgust and pain intertwined in my heart.


    He stopped abruptly. His face resembled the turbulence that gathered before the pouring rain. The


    storm he was brewing made me tremble all over.


    I thought he would hit me back or push me to the ground out of fury, but he did not.


    Instead, he raised a hand and held my chin in ce before taking a brutal bite of my lips. After that, he


    proceeded to ravage me like a feral beast.


    I roared, ¡°Ashton, no! I said no! Release me!¡±


    He scoffed. ¡°When have you ever wanted it? When have you ever asked for it? Huh?¡±


    My mind went nk. Just when it was about to short-circuit, I felt a burst of pain spread throughout my


    body.


    I did not resist. In fact, I had no way of resisting.


    I questioned myself over and over again in my head. How did we end up like this? Is it because we


    have fallen out of love? Is that why he can step all over me as he pleases?


    As I looked at him, I noticed there was nothing but a bottomless abyss in those dark eyes of his. There


    was only eternal darkness.

 Chapter 344

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 344


    How dreary! How ridiculous!


    I could not help but snigger, with him in my sight. A faint smirk curled up the corner of my mouth.


    He nced at me, his eyes darkened once again as he lowered his head and kissed me. ¡°Say my


    name!¡± he called.


    I pursed my lips and tilted my head to one side. I closed my eyes, refusing to see him.


    His thin lips hovered at my ear, his voice softened a little as he repeated, ¡°Scarlett, say my name!¡±


    I said nothing. My mind was forming a n to escape. I deserved to make him wait for me to tell him


    personally that I cared about him, that I loved him, and that I wanted him.


    But I could not bring myself to tell him. Over the years, I had buried so much in my heart, including his


    coming to Reba¡¯s defense time and time again, his never-ending care towards that woman, and the


    harm he had caused me so nonchntly and in so many ways.


    I had suppressed so much of that. Over time, those frustrations began to take root, multiply, and


    became more and more intense.


    Love could not be that all-forgiving. In the highly selective social circle, anyone could be tolerated.


    Anyone could fit.


    ¡°Ashton, let¡¯s file for divorce!¡± I said it, not on impulse or out of anger, but after putting in considerable


    thought.


    He stiffened. I pushed him aside. Then I grabbed my clothes to cover myself, though just barely, all the


    while showing little emotion.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± he eximed. His dark eyes fell on me, looking extremely tense.


    I pursed my lips and nodded. Then, I gazed into his dark eyes as I exined it to him. ¡°Let¡¯s just calm


    down and think this through. Perhaps it was a mistake right from the start. What Grandpa considers as


    ¡®a good match¡¯ might not resonate with our definition of it. My feelings for you at the beginning might


    not have been love at all, but admiration. Your feelings for me, on the other hand, might just be guilt


    umted over time by your neglect towards me.


    There was no love between us, only bits and pieces here and there that werebined together to


    resemble something like it.


    When he spoke, the gloom on his face resembled a dark cloud that had been umting droplets for


    some time now. ¡°Not love!¡±


    It seemed like he said that out loud for himself to hear. In the days that followed, I kept thinking about


    the many couples in the world. How many of them stayed together through a lifetime of responsibilities


    just because they were made for each other, and how did these so-called couples who imed they


    love each other spend the rest of their lives together? Firstes lust, thenes love. Perhaps,


    there never was such a thing called love, and everything else was just an excuse for our own


    constion.


    He forced me into a corner, a ruthless sneer crossing his face. ¡°What do you know about love? Tell me,


    what does love mean to you? You keep talking about divorce. You make it sound like it¡¯s such a trivial


    matter. Do you think just because I spoil you, because I protect you, that I deserve your abuse?¡±


    I lowered my gaze. My legs gave way as I slumped onto the floor, still leaning against the cold, hard


    wall. Hugging my knees, I said, ¡°The woman whom you love, spoil, and protect is currently lying on a


    bed in the hospital.¡±


    ¡°Ho!¡± he scoffed. ¡°You just have to bring that up, don¡¯t you? You just have to force me to give up on


    Reba, to prove that I love you? Scarlett, you are one horrible woman. Why must you take things to


    the extreme?¡±


    I pressed my lips as I stared at my toes, before looking up at him. ¡°You only realize that now?¡±


    He smirked with disdain. ¡°And what about you? You fill your heart with someone that¡¯s already dead,


    and then you¡¯re quite willing to throw your life away to chase after a shadow. What does that make


    you?¡±


    I calmed down and stared back at him. ¡°Since we have our own hurdles, then we might as well file for


    divorce. I don¡¯t want anything from the Fullers. Grandpa transferred HiTech to my name, I can transfer


    that to you. I don¡¯t want your house or your car. Luckily, we don¡¯t have any children. Since we agree


    that this is a huge mistake, we can get a divorce now and start over. It¡¯s not toote.¡±


    ¡°Screw this!¡± Ashton violently knocked over the tablemp beside him. It fell to the ground. Still fuming,


    he roared at me, ¡°What do you mean ¡®not toote¡¯? You¡¯re the one who can¡¯t let go of the past. What¡¯s


    that got to do with me?¡±


    I was exhausted. I felt like I was trapped in a dead-end, with no way to get out.


    Ashton¡¯s temper seemed to have reached its limit. I could not tell which statement was spoken out of


    anger and which one was for real.


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    I pushed him away, stood up against the wall, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll move out and live on my own for a while


    until both of us have calmed down. And then, we can discuss the divorce.¡±


    Yet he held me down again, his thin lips pressed against the corners of my mouth. They lingered, and


    then, in a voice that sounded restrained, he asked me, ¡°Have you ever loved me?¡±


    I bit my lips, my heart aching as though it had just taken a bad hit. Even breathing became difficult.


    ¡°Does it matter?¡±


    ¡°It does!¡± He kissed me, and continued in a depressed mood, ¡°After we divorce, is there still a chance


    between us? No?¡±


    I pursed my lips. ¡°No!¡± Who in the world would file for divorce, only to end up together again? Since


    people file for divorce because they fall out of love, it¡¯s only natural that they won¡¯t fall for each other


    again.


    ¡°Ha!¡± he snickered. ¡°Then why should I agree to that?¡±


    He bit my lips again, his eyes filled with bloodlust and a tinge of coldness. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t


    love me. I¡¯ll give you time. One day you¡¯ll surely fall for me. You¡¯d better forget about Marcus. I don¡¯t


    care if he¡¯s dead or alive. Either way, I won¡¯t let you be with him. Scarlett, you belong to me, and only


    me!¡±


    He grabbed his clothes and swiftly put them on before throwing a cold nce at me. ¡°Stay put!¡±

 Chapter 345

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 345


    As I watched him m the door and leave, my mind buzzed away. It was fine in the beginning, so how


    did it be like this?


    Momentster, Mrs. Eriksen came upstairs. When she saw me on the floor, seemingly at a loss, she


    merely sighed. ¡°Oh dear, you two¡­¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Eriksen, I want some peace!¡± I said, ovee by fatigue. I rose from my spot, stumbled out of


    the study and into my bedroom, where I proceeded to lock the door.


    I must have cked out after that.


    Iid on the bed, in a daze, until midnight, when I was awakened by a nightmare.


    There was no one beside me. I got up to pour myself a ss of water. I checked the time. It was three


    o¡¯clock in the early morning. I supposed I would not be able to fall asleep again after this hour.


    I had not eaten anything that night. I opened the door and went downstairs. Mrs. Eriksen had left some


    food for me. I took several bites but, honestly, I did not have much of an appetite.


    As I headed upstairs, I nced at the study out of habit. There was no one inside. The chaotic mess


    had been cleaned up.


    It seemed Ashton did not return at all that night. I retired to the bedroom and looked through the email


    sent by OrbitTech again.


    It did not take long for the weather to get cold, as the second round of heavy snowfall in K City came as


    expected.


    The entire yard was covered with snow. To avoid traffic jams, people have already begun to shovel


    snow outside their homes.


    Mrs. Eriksen was surprised to see me up and about when she came in for work. She said, ¡°The new


    year¡¯s rolling in soon. People are stocking up on new year goods and decorations. Letty, what do you


    say we go shopping after breakfast? See what the stores have on sale.¡±


    I grinned at her. ¡°I have somewhere to go in the afternoon, so I¡¯ll have to pass. Has Ashton purchased


    the air ticket to J City for you?¡±


    Mrs. Eriksen¡¯s son and daughter lived in J City. She usually spent the new year break with them every


    year. For me, I used to spend it with either Grandma or George. It was great while itsted.


    Now that both of them were gone, it had be quite lonely during festivities, as though the holidays


    had be meaningless.


    I wonder what¡¯s going on at Macy¡¯s. With that thought, I had the urge to give Jackson a call, but I


    shrugged it off when I checked the time. It was too early to do that.


    I simply turned to Mrs. Eriksen and said, ¡°I¡¯m heading to thepany in a while. Ashton¡¯s not here, so


    you don¡¯t have to make breakfast for us.¡±


    She looked like she wanted to say something, but I had already grabbed the keys and gone out the


    door.


    Work at the White Corporation started at nine. I got there early, so I waited in the office for a while


    before I went looking for the person in charge of OrbitTech to discuss work.


    Research and development of AI could not possibly be achieved in a few short days, but I was pleased


    to see the progress we were making.


    As I came out of the R&D Department, I bumped into Sally. It had been a few days since she moved


    back to the White residence, and it seemed she had officially returned to work at the White Corporation


    as well.


    She saw me egging to leave, and said, ¡°Are you in a rush?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No. What¡¯s up?¡±


    She sped her hands and spoke, ¡°The new year¡¯s just around the corner. What ns do you and


    Ashton have this year? Are you returning to J City or staying here in K City? I heard that the Stovall


    family is adding you to the family register. What are your ns for theing year?¡±


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°Not sure,¡± I said, facing her. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask Ashton?¡±


    With that said, I got ready to leave, but when I reached the lobby I chanced upon a group of people just


    entering the building.


    Among them were Ashton and Joe. They must havee to talk about work.


    In the reception area, Ashton¡¯s slender figure was particrly eye-catching. He stood with one hand in


    his pocket and seemed to be chatting with Joe about something important.


    Our eyes met. He frowned at me, apparently still bitter about what happened. Briefly stunned, I pursed


    my lips and looked away as I headed towards the exit.


    ¡°Scarlett, have you had your breakfast?¡± Joe spoke as he came up and blocked my way. I could not


    pretend that I did not see them.


    I stopped walking. My eyes darted to Ashton, who was still wearing the suit fromst night. I could see


    the wrinkles.


    ¡°Later!¡± I replied. Other colleagues greeted me from the side and I responded to them in turn, ready to


    leave.


    I looked back at Joe and said, ¡°I have other matters to tend to, so I¡¯ll get going!¡±


    ¡°Come on, Scarlett. Ashton and I are going for lunch soon. You shoulde with us!¡±


    ¡°No, thanks. I really have other things to do. You go ahead!¡± I said, feeling for my car keys.


    Ashton¡¯s face grew cold. He threw an icy nce at Joe and uttered calmly, ¡°Are you that free?¡±


    I pressed my lips. I had no intention to linger, so I said to Joe, ¡°I¡¯m leaving. See you!¡±


    Then I left without waiting for Joe to respond.


    I managed to hear Joe¡¯s petnt strife with Ashton from behind me. ¡°You¡¯re saying I¡¯m too free?


    Ashton, you¡¯re one to talk. Who was the one who didn¡¯t sleep at allst night and spent every waking


    moment drinking? Who¡¯s the depressed one here?¡±


    I was not sure what to make of that.


    I got out of the building and into my car. I had barely got the engine started when my phone rang. It was


    Stacey.


    I turned the engine off to take her call. ¡°Hi. What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Can youe to J City, hopefully by today?¡± she said, sounding quite serious over the phone.


    I froze at her request. ¡°What happened?¡±


    There was a pause before she continued, ¡°I don¡¯t really know how to put this. I think they want to keep


    this a secret from you. That¡¯s why they haven¡¯t called. But the truth wille to light sooner orter.


    So¡­ why don¡¯t youe back and take a look at it yourself? You need to know the cause.¡±

 Chapter 346

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 346


    For a moment, there was a rumbling in my mind. My heart skipped a beat. Eventually, I took a deep


    breath and asked the unthinkable, ¡°Did something happened to Macy?¡±


    She did not reply me. There was a moment of silence before she stressed again, ¡°Juste here.


    You¡¯ll see!¡±


    ¡°Fine!¡±


    Right after I hung up the phone, I booked an air ticket to J City. I was lucky because there was still time.


    There was a flight from K City to J City in an hour.


    When that was done, I started the car again. It was then I saw Joe exit the White Corporation office


    building. He jogged towards me, arms waving.


    His appearance surprised me. I stopped the car and peered at him. ¡°What now?¡±


    ¡°Scarlett, Ashton¡¯s booked a table at a Western restaurant in South Metro. Do you want to join us?¡± He


    extended an invitation to me with a broad grin on his face.


    Wait, South Metro? Where young folks in K City like to go to hang out at night? The mostvish ce


    to enjoy nightlife?


    I looked at the time. I could barely make it to the airport in under one hour if I set out now. I did not have


    time for lunch.


    Ashton also walked out of the building to join us, his face still void of emotions.


    I could not help but bit my lip and turned to Joe. ¡°Sorry, Mr. Quinn. I won¡¯t be able to join you. I have


    other things to doter. Why don¡¯t you give Reba a call? She should have time to join Ashton¡­ and


    you for lunch!¡±


    With that said, I started my car once more. Joe seemed furious. ¡°Scarlett, what¡¯s that supposed to


    mean? Don¡¯t you know why Ashton booked a table at a Western restaurant in South Metro? He¡¯s


    making up for that feud between you two. You should ept it. Why do you have to add more to the


    tension?¡±


    I pursed my lips as time ticked away. I looked at Ashton standing by the door, then at Joe, and said


    stiffly, ¡°Mr. Quinn, I thank you for making the effort to help Ashton and I sort things out. And I appreciate


    Ashton¡¯s kindness. But, please tell him this. Since we can¡¯t go on anymore, we can end the rtionship


    on a good note. He and I are on a break in the meantime. Anyway, I have other ces to be, so


    goodbye!¡±


    I hit the gas and sped off onto the road, feeling extremely irritated.


    It was not that I refused to ease the rtionship between us, but I still had some resistance. Resistance


    against what, even I was uncertain.


    It should be fine. I was off to J City, where I would take a short break, and perhaps everything would


    turn out alright.


    There was always a lot of foot traffic at K City airport every day, in addition to the congestion on the


    road. Fortunately, I made it in time.


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    I retrieved my air ticket in a hurry and boarded the ne. I found my seat and sat down, finally relieved.


    Pretty soon, the ne took off.


    ¡°Attention, all passengers. The ne is ready for takeoff. For your safety, please put up your tray table,


    buckle your safety belts, and kindly turn off your phone or set it to airne mode. Thank you.¡± The


    sweet voice of the air stewardess rang from the speakers.


    I subconsciously fished my phone out from my bag and was about to turn it off when I was notified of


    the dozen of missed calls, all of which were from Ashton. There were also a few text messages, all sent


    by him too.


    Since I had to turn it off quickly, I merely scanned through them. The first one asked for my


    whereabouts, and the rest were just usual greetings.


    The ne was taking off. There was no time for me to reply, so I just shut it down.


    It was a four-hour journey from K City to J City. I barely sleptst night so, not long after the ne took


    off, I asked the air stewardess for a nket and took a nap.


    By the time I woke up, the ne hadnded. I turned on my phone and checked the time. It was six


    o¡¯clock sharp.


    Stacey was already there to pick me up when I got off the ne.


    The sky got dark earlier during winter. It was barely six and it already looked like night had fallen.


    Stacey was wrapped in a thick padded jacket. She chuckled when she saw that I came with only one


    bag and nothing else. ¡°Did youe directly after receiving my call?¡±


    I nodded and said, ¡°Yes. Take me there right away!¡±


    Her expression was undecipherable. After a pause, she spoke, ¡°Let¡¯s get something to eat first. I¡¯ve


    booked a restaurant. After that, I¡¯ll take you to their residence.¡±


    Since she had made the arrangements, I had nothing more to say. I nodded in agreement.


    I did not have much of an appetite, to begin with. I simply ate what I could. After dinner, Stacey took me


    for a drive to the Glenwood residential area.


    At the entrance to the residence, I froze. ¡°Does Macy really live here?¡±


    Stacey nodded and exined, ¡°Well, they basically take walks around the residence at night. The


    weather¡¯s been cold recently, so I guess they just take a brief stroll before returning home.¡±


    The information left me stunned for a couple of seconds. I thought Macy should be staying at the house


    we had previously bought.


    I asked Stacey to get us inside, and then we went straight to their apartment building.


    We keyed in the passcode, opened the door, and found ourselves an empty house. No one had been


    living here for some time. It was in the exact condition when we left.


    Stacey came to a realization. ¡°No wonder they would rather live here than stay at their vi. You guys


    have a house here!¡±


    The news caught me off guard. ¡°What vi?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve checked. Nick used to stay at his vi at the Peakville Estate but, for whatever


    reason, he moved here.¡±


    We left the ce and headed downstairs. It was not snowing in J City, but the temperature was


    exceptionally low. Stacey led me to the residential rest area for a short break.

 Chapter 347

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 347


    She turned to me and said, ¡°When you see himter, do you intend to say hi?¡±


    That was a strange question. ¡°Why not?¡± I responded.


    She shrugged. ¡°Have you ever considered why they¡¯re all in J City, but they lie to you about being in M


    Country?¡±


    ¡°Maybe they don¡¯t want me to worry!¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, what do you think their reaction would be when you appear out of the blue? I have


    an idea. Would you care to listen?¡±


    ¡°What do you have in mind?¡±


    Stacey sat up straight and faced me. ¡°You¡¯ll see them tonight, but don¡¯t go up to them first. Wait until


    tomorrow. I¡¯m taking you somewhere to have the whole story sorted, and then we¡¯ll deal with this


    calmly, alright?¡±


    I was taken aback by what she said. It felt like she had overestimated the seriousness of the matter. I


    wanted to ask for more information but she silenced me. ¡°Look, there they are!¡±


    I looked in the direction she was pointing and saw two men, both about six feet tall, pushing a stroller


    as they talked.


    There was some distance between us and them. I was a bit short-sighted anyway, so I could not make


    out exactly who they were but based on their silhouettes I could tell they were Nick and Jackson.


    I really wanted to go over and talked to them, but Stacey stopped me. She urged me to call them on


    the phone first.


    rmed, I took out of my phone. The screen showed some more missed calls from Ashton.


    I had set my phone to silent mode after getting off the ne and since then I had not had the time to


    look at it.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell Mr. Fuller that you¡¯reing?¡± She said hesitantly after taking a peek at the number of


    missed calls on my phone screen.


    I nodded. I looked through the contacts for Jackson¡¯s phone and dialed his number.


    Before long, the call went through to Jackson¡¯s phone. From a distance, I watched him hesitate to pick


    it up. Nick muttered something to him, and after that, he answered the call.


    ¡°Scarlett, how¡¯s it going?¡± Jackson answered the call.


    I lowered my voice and said, ¡°Hi, Jackson. Where are you? I¡¯ming to J City in a few days and I¡¯m


    wondering if you¡¯d like to visit as well. We can celebrate the new year together in J City. What do you


    think?¡±


    There was silence at first, and then he said, ¡°Hi, Scarlett. I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t go. We¡¯re still in M Country


    at the moment. It¡¯s cold here. It¡¯s not good for the baby, traveling back and forth. Maybe after the


    celebration, when it gets warmer. Then we can go back to see you.¡±


    I watched as the man standing not far away fed me with lies. The feeling was unbearable. Why is he


    lying to me? If I had note here and see them with my own eyes, I would think they were in M


    Country.


    Pushing aside the disappointment, I asked, ¡°What about Macy? How¡¯s she doing these days?¡±


    From afar, I saw Jackson exchange nces with Nick. There was a moment¡¯s silence again, before he


    said, ¡°She¡¯s at home. I¡¯m outside right now and, if you don¡¯t mind, I have stuff to do. I¡¯m hanging up.


    See you.¡±


    Afterwards, he ended the call without waiting for me to finish what I had to say.


    I was stunned for a while as I watched them walk further away, pushing the stroller ahead of them and


    talking between themselves.


    If Stacey had not stopped me, I would have run up to them and demanded to know why he lied to me.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    It was sometimeter when I finally calmed down. I took a deep breath and turned to Stacey. ¡°So, what


    did you find? Lay it on me.¡±


    After everything that had happened, I was confident that I could ept whatever woulde my way. I


    had lost my baby, my rtionship with Ashton had hit the rocks, and the same had gone to Reba.


    Things are actually going quite well!


    She looked me straight in the eyes and pursed her lips. ¡°I suggest you give Mr. Fuller a call first. There


    are about one hundred missed calls from him. He must be worried sick about you!¡±


    I got annoyed. Ashton happened to be calling me again when I peeked at my phone. In cases like this


    one, a fight would most likely ensue if I take the call.


    I chose to turn it off. Then I looked at Stacey and asked, ¡°Is your ce far away from here?¡±


    She replied with a shrug, ¡°It¡¯s around here. I originally nned to return to my hometown for the new


    year. How¡¯s this? Tomorrow, I shall take you to that ce I¡¯ve been talking about, and after you get that


    sorted out, I¡¯ll make my way home. I heard that the Stovall family in K City is nning to add you to


    their family register. If things work out, you¡¯ll have a lot on your te.¡±


    I was not one who liked to get to the root of whatever we were dealing with. Since she had made all the


    arrangements, I would not want to interfere. Ashton¡¯s calls kepting. I spoke to Stacey for the final


    time that night, ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll head back first. See you tomorrow!¡±


    She nodded as she got out her car key from her handbag. ¡°That¡¯s that, then. I¡¯ll pick you up tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°Right!¡±


    After we separated, I went straight to the Glenwood residential area. It had been a rough day. I did not


    have the energy to go all the way to the vi at Peakville Estate.


    There was no one there waiting for me. The emptiness would be unbearable if I stayed there alone.


    When I got back, I received another call from Ashton¡¯s phone. This time, I answered it. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± I


    said.


    ¡°Scarlett, where are you?¡± Is that Joe?


    He startled me. I asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Scarlett, can youe to Joy Luck Boutique? Ashton needs a pickup. He¡¯s had one pint too many.


    Jared and I can¡¯t do anything to stop him. Can youe over and take him home?¡±


    It was rather noisy on Joe¡¯s side. From what I could hear, they must be at a bar.


    I pressed my lips and, over the phone, turned down the man¡¯s request. ¡°You can wait for him to


    ckout, then bring him back. I¡¯m not at home right now. I can¡¯t go there!¡±

 Chapter 348

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 348


    ¡°No, Scarlett, you don¡¯t get it. You don¡¯t know how much Ashton can drink. If he¡¯s not drunk, he can


    drink all the way until the sun rises. He¡¯s causing harm to himself, but nothing Jared and I say can deter


    him. If anything happens to him because of this, we can¡¯t bear the responsibility!¡±


    Joe described Ashton¡¯s situation so vividly. I could feel the anxiety manifested in his tone.


    I stood on the balcony, allowing the wind to blow softly against my face. Irritated, I spoke on the phone,


    ¡°If he can¡¯t bother to take care of himself, then let him drink to death!¡±


    ¡°Scarlett¡­¡±


    ¡°Scarlett, are you a woman at all?¡± Apparently, Joe¡¯s phone was snatched away by none other than


    Ashton. He spoke to me in a strong nasal voice, obviously drunk.


    ¡°What¡¯s that got to do with anything? Ashton, you go drinking at this hour and now you¡¯re throwing


    tantrums at me? How old do you think you are? Three?¡± The other side of the line might have been put


    on speaker because Joe seemed to fly off the handle once I finished my rant.


    He called out Ashton in a drawl, obviously in a teasing tone.


    But Ashton probably shot him back an eerie look, thus the other end of the phone went quiet again.


    I was really not in the mood to be dragged into this sort of nonsense, so I said, as casually as I could,


    ¡°Ashton if you¡¯re doing fine, don¡¯t call me! I¡¯m hanging up!¡±


    Before he could think of aeback, I hung up right away and turned off the phone for good measure.


    That night, I could not sleep well, as per usual. I kept having nightmares. I finally managed to get some


    sleep when dawn broke, and then Stacey called.


    She could hear the exhaustion in my raspy voice. She asked, ¡°Ms. Stovall, you didn¡¯t sleep well, did


    you?¡±


    I affirmed her query, and then said, ¡°Give me the address. I¡¯ll be there soon!¡±


    A throbbing headache assailed me. I got up and sat on the side of the bed for several moments before


    regaining my senses.


    After listening to the sound of my voice, Stacey paused and said, ¡°Let¡¯s do it this way! I¡¯lle to pick


    you up in a while, so you can catch a little bit more sleep. I¡¯ll even bring you breakfast along the way!¡±


    I wanted to reject her but she was faster. ¡°Open the door for meter, okay? I¡¯m hanging up. See you!¡±


    And that was what she did.


    Still in a daze, I checked my phone. Other than the bunch of missed calls from Ashtonst night, there


    were no other messages or phone calls from anyone else.


    When Stacey arrived, I was not in bed anymore but my head still hurt. It subsided after I swallowed


    some pills.


    She brought breakfast and, upon seeing the dark circles under my eyes, said, ¡°How about you take a


    rest for the day?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°The Stovall family is throwing a banquet on Monday. John¡¯s arranged a fitting


    session for me but I kept ditching him. After we sort this out, I still have to get back to K City!¡±


    She went quiet for a bit, her eyes darkened as she muttered a confusing choice of words, ¡°I¡¯m just


    afraid that¡­ things won¡¯t go too well.¡±


    And then she turned to me. ¡°Come on, eat up!¡±


    I nodded, my head still pounding terribly.


    After leaving Glenwood Apartments, I experienced difort straight away. It was like being hounded


    by a daunting aura, trapping me in an anxious state, on top of that pulsating headache. My mood was


    at an all-time low.


    I realized she was driving towards the suburbs. That raised some questions. ¡°Why are we going to the


    suburbs?¡±


    She pressed her lips before replying, ¡°I¡¯m taking you to someone you¡¯d want to meet!¡±


    Someone I¡¯d want to meet?


    I ran ap in my head but nothing came up. I could not think of anyone I would want to meet who


    stayed in the suburbs.


    Turning to her, I prompted, ¡°Who, exactly?¡±


    She did not answer. It was another half-hour drive before we came to a stop in the parking lot of a


    cemetery.


    I had been to this cemetery many times in the past. Grandma and George were buried here, so I was


    quite familiar with this ce.


    She got down from the car, bought a bouquet of chrysanthemums from the entrance, and handed it to


    me. ¡°Take this!¡±


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    Then, she dragged me into the cemetery.


    My mind was still buzzing, not quite getting why she had brought me here, of all ces. ¡°Is it one of


    your friends, or someone in your family? After we pay our respects, where are we going next?¡±


    She was walking in front of me. In a low voice, she said, ¡°Probably Mr. Harrison, but they should be


    here today.¡±


    ¡°What for?¡± She led me a little more ways into the cemetery before stopping in front of a tombstone in


    the back row.


    I froze as my gaze fell on the tombstone. My thoughts came to an abrupt stop as an epiphany struck.


    The chrysanthemums in my hand fell to the ground.


    I stared at the ck-and-white photo and epitaph on the tombstone in disbelief.


    I shot a nce at Stacey, suppressing the pain and shock growing in my heart, my voice trembling as I


    eximed, ¡°Is this a prank?¡±


    She pursed her lips and, when she spoke, her words bring no mercy, ¡°Do you think this is a prank?¡±


    I looked at the tombstone again and examined the ck-and-white photo. Hereid the one person I


    was most familiar with, the closest friend I had ever had!


    I could clearly see that she was buried on September 28. It was around the time of my ident. How


    could she¡­


    I shook my head, still unwilling to ept the matter of her death. Angrily, I confronted Stacey. ¡°I don¡¯t


    understand why you have to do this to me. But I¡¯m quite certain I haven¡¯t done you wrong in any way.


    Don¡¯t you think this is too much, even for you?¡±

 Chapter 349

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 349


    She raised an eyebrow and said calmly, ¡°I only found out recently that Macy died during childbirth. She


    was brought to K City on the day of your incident. She was drugged and ced in Nick¡¯s house to draw


    you out of the vi so as to kidnap you. After she found out that she caused your miscarriage, Macy


    became overwhelmed and had a premature birth at only seven months that ended in her death.¡±


    I copsed on the floor in front of the photo on the headstone. My eyes hurt and I felt like a dagger had


    pierced through my chest.


    Jackson had been avoiding me and stayed in Jadeborough all this time because he didn¡¯t want to see


    me. For so long, I assumed that Macy had gone to Moranta because she fell ill during childbirth.


    Everything happened because she¡¯s gone. But why? Why didn¡¯t Jackson tell me?


    Stacey walked over to me and supported my body. I shook my head but no tears fell.


    I kept reying the scene of thest time I said goodbye to Macy in my head.


    It was funny. I never expected the time Marcus brought me out for a walk would be thest time I saw


    her and Jackson.


    I thought that once I recovered, I would be able to happily rejoin them and everything would be just like


    how it used to be.


    I never could have imagined that that was thest time.


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± shouted a doubtful male voice from behind me.


    I turned but my eyes hurt so badly that I couldn¡¯t open them. Through the blinding sunlight, I managed


    to make out the figures of two people.


    Nick and Jackson!


    They didn¡¯t bring the child!


    When was thest time I saw them? It hadn¡¯t been very long, but it felt like a lifetime had passed.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± The voice that escaped me was raspy and pained. I struggled to breathe.


    Jackson walked towards me and helped me up from the ground. He tried to clear his hoarse throat as


    he said, ¡°She hoped you would focus on recovering and told us to only tell you after your condition


    improved!¡±


    I smiled and gazed at the ck-and-white photo on the headstone. I couldn¡¯t even squeeze one tear


    out. Yet, my heart was bleeding. I knew that she was just afraid that I wouldn¡¯t be able to take the blow


    of her passing so soon after losing my child.


    ¡°Did she say anything at the end?¡±


    ¡°She said that she wanted you to raise her child. You can choose the name. You don¡¯t have to be


    worried about being lonely with the child by your side.¡±


    Jackson spoke calmly, as though he had rehearsed this speech a hundred times.


    My body was freezing, but my forehead was sweating profusely.


    I fought the pain in my chest as I smiled and replied, ¡°Okay!¡±


    The moment I spoke, I tasted an acrid sweetness for a second.


    I coughed and blood spewed from my lips.


    An agonizing pain in my chest followed. The pain was so intense that even my bones felt like they were


    being rattled.


    ¡°Scarlett!¡±


    ¡°Ms. Stovall!¡±


    Jackson held me in his arms. His eyes shed red as he bellowed at Stacey, ¡°Don¡¯t you know she¡¯s


    depressed? Did you bring her here to push her over the brink?¡±


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    Stacey was stunned and she shook her head dazedly. ¡°I didn¡¯t know. I thought that you guys had some


    reasons for not telling her, so¡­¡±


    ¡°Send her to the hospital!¡± Nick, who had been silent till that point, roared. His face was as white as a


    sheet.


    There was a buzzing noise in my head and the pain in my chest was so excruciating that I couldn¡¯t


    breathe.


    I was loaded into the car in a blurry daze by Jackson. Shortly after, we arrived at the hospital.


    I initially assumed that I would be able to remain conscious until we arrived at the hospital. s, I


    fainted before we arrived.


    It was as though I had fallen into a deep slumber thatsted a lifetime.


    When my eyes slowly blinked open, the first thing I registered was white ceilings. It took a while for me


    to realize that I was in the hospital.


    ¡°She¡¯s awake! Letty is awake¡­¡± Jackson cried out. Stacey and Nick¡¯s voices soon joined his.


    I looked dumbly at them while my brain processed the situation. ¡°You¡¯re all here?¡±


    Stacey¡¯s eyes were red as she looked and me and said, ¡°You vomited blood and have been


    unconscious for a whole day.¡±


    I was stupefied. My head still throbbed terribly. I fought through the difort and said, ¡°How did she


    die?¡±


    Jackson pursed his lips and his Adam¡¯s apple bobbed as he answered, ¡°Letty, let¡¯s not talk about the


    past, okay?¡±


    I stared at the ceiling. Every inch of my body cried out in pain. ¡°I know what you¡¯re worried about. But I


    don¡¯t even know how she died, Jackson. How will I be able to continue living my life peacefully?¡± I said


    calmly.


    He hung his head and cradled it between his hands. His slender fingers were pressed into his hair as


    he said raspily, ¡°During the day of your incident, she was tricked and ended up fainting at Nick¡¯s door.


    Later, someone told her that you had been kidnaped by Cameron aftering out of the Fullers¡¯


    residence.


    She found out about how you almost lost your life too and knew that it was her fault. At that moment,


    she became overwhelmed and blood started pouring out of her when she went to look for you. She


    knew that she wasn¡¯t going to make it and entrusted her child to me. She instructed me to have you


    raise the child.¡±

 Chapter 350

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 350


    He choked out, ¡°She was afraid that you wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the blow of her passing so soon


    after the loss of your child. Hence, she asked me to raise the child for half a year first before telling


    you.¡±


    In the short span of a year, I had experienced the woes of grief. I kept my gaze locked on the ceiling.


    My eyes hurt and my vision was slightly blurry. However, no words fell from my lips.


    After a period of silence, I finally found my voice and asked, ¡°Who told her about me?¡±


    She had been pregnant. In the month after my incident, I stayed with Marcus. During that time, I had


    attempted to take my life through various methods.


    Marcus was busy taking care of me and did not have time for anyone else. Given his character, if I


    hadn¡¯t insisted on seeing Macy, he would not have sought her out on his own, much less provoke her


    intentionally.


    Such an evil deed¡­


    ¡°It was Jared¡¯s assistant Kristina!¡± He blurted, his tone cold.


    Kristina!


    I frowned and thought about the well-dressed youngdy. The same youngdy that had been


    humiliated by Reba at Imperial Hotel.


    ¡°Her?¡±


    Jackson nodded. ¡°She went to see Macy. I¡¯m not clear on what exactly transpired between them, but


    Macy¡¯s mood soured after their conversation. Just as Macy was about to leave, she said to never tell


    Jared about the child.¡±


    Never tell Jackson about the child?


    I stopped speaking. In life, one needed to be at least a little fierce. If you show how weak you are from


    the beginning, everyone will zero in on you as prey who could be easily taken advantage of.


    Jackson watched as I went back to staring at the ceiling with a nk expression. He called out softly to


    me, ¡°Letty, you¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡±


    I pushed down all the surging emotions within me and said to Stacey, ¡°You might need to help me with


    this.¡±


    Stacey was momentarily stupefied before she nodded. ¡°Sure!¡±


    I nodded back at her. ¡°Thank you!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me. It¡¯s the least I can do!¡± She sounded rather stern.


    I knew she was just thanking me for helping her with Felix. However, I was still grateful to her.


    I looked at Jackson and tried to move my body. Unfortunately, my body still hurt terribly. ¡°Jackson,


    when will I be able to leave the hospital?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The doctor suggested that you stay and recuperate for a few days!¡± He saw how I was trying to get up


    and helped me before he continued. ¡°It¡¯s almost spring. Letty, promise me you¡¯ll take it easy. Let¡¯s have


    a nice spring together, okay?¡±


    I nodded and stered a smile on my face. ¡°Okay. But, I want to go back to K City for a while. I still


    have some work to do there. Once I¡¯m done, I¡¯lle back to Jadeborough and we¡¯ll spend a happy


    spring together with the child.¡±


    He frowned slightly. ¡°Can¡¯t it wait till ater date?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I might need to go back tonight. Louis Stovall is now my godfather. I have to go


    because I¡¯ll be written into the family register tomorrow night.¡±


    ¡°Louis Stovall?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yes!¡±


    He furrowed his brow. ¡°Is it because of John?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    He pursed his lips and remained silent.


    Sometimeter, he looked at me and said, ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll wait for you toe back to Jadeborough to spend


    spring with us.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± After a moment, I asked him, ¡°The child¡­ Does she have a name yet?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°We were waiting for you to name her. Macy¡¯s instructions were for the child to take


    your surname. This way, you¡¯ll really be a family!¡±


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    My chest contracted painfully, and a vein throbbed in my temple. It was painful to speak. ¡°Is it a boy or


    a girl?¡±


    ¡°A girl!¡±


    ¡°Her name shall be Summer.¡±


    Jackson was slightly stunned. ¡°Summer Stovall. What a beautiful name.¡±


    I nodded as tears welled in my eyes. ¡°I hope she¡¯ll receive all the warmth and joy that I wasn¡¯t able to


    share with Macy!¡±


    He nodded and pondered for a moment. ¡°I love the name.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a great name. It¡¯s full of old-fashioned charm, yet it¡¯s not outdated.¡± Nick voiced his agreement.


    I nodded. Perhaps it was due to the excessive talking, or because my body was weak, to begin with,


    but I was utterly drained.


    Stacey noticed how exhausted I was and said, ¡°You should rest in the hospital today. The banquet is


    tomorrow night, right? You should rest up and save your strength.¡±


    I sighed heavily. The day passed slowly as I remained within the confines of the bed.


    By the time I traveled from Jadeborough to K City, it was the afternoon of the next day. John picked me


    up at the airport. When he saw the dark circles around my eyes, he sneered, ¡°I can¡¯t believe one trip to


    Jadeborough reduced you to this. Did you see a ghost or something?¡±


    I climbed into the car and muttered, ¡°I was short on time and didn¡¯t manage to rest properly.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re headed for gown fitting. You can take a rest at my ceter. I¡¯ll go get you at night,¡± said John


    as he started up the engine.


    I looked at him and a smile tugged at my lips.


    He cocked an eyebrow when he saw my smile. ¡°Why are you staring at me so creepily?¡±


    I turned my gaze away from him and murmured, ¡°Has anyone told you that you¡¯re looking more and


    more like an older brother?¡±

 Chapter 351

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 351


    He scoffed and barked, ¡°Don¡¯t say such crap.¡±


    I stared out the window and let my mind wander. ¡°John, we¡¯re the only ones left from R Province,¡± I


    lamented.


    He froze for a second before frowning. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    At the traffic light, he stopped to stare at me.


    My throat hurt slightly, and my eyes were ufortably dry. ¡°Macy¡¯s gone!¡±


    ¡°Gone?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s buried with Grandma in Jadeborough. I wanted to bring them to R Province. But now, we can¡¯t


    go back to R Province.¡±


    The light turned green.


    However, the elderly man was slowly hobbling across the zebra crossing.


    The car behind punched their horns ceaselessly, but John did not start driving. Instead, he leaned back


    and closed his eyes.


    The horn persisted. John burst out of the car and mmed the door ferociously. I was stunned by his


    reaction. When I realized what he was nning on doing, I scrambled after him.


    He marched up to the car with the impatient driver and knocked on the window. The driver rolled down


    his window and snapped, ¡°So what if you drive a Bentley? You¡­¡±


    The driver shut his mouth after one murderous re from John.


    John pursed his lips, raised his eyebrow, and coldly stared down the man. ¡°Get out!¡±


    The man panicked slightly as he tried to make sense of the situation. He suppressed his anger and


    replied, ¡°Is there something wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°I told you to get out!¡± John erupted as he wrenched the car door open and yanked the stout driver out


    of the vehicle.


    The terrified man was scared stiff. He gazed at John¡¯s handsome face in terror and started to plead for


    mercy.


    After expressing some of his furies, John tossed a name card in the man¡¯s face and barked gruffly,


    ¡°Don¡¯t honk your horn like a madman in the city center next time. Otherwise, you won¡¯t get away with


    just a beating again.¡±


    John returned to the car and started driving.


    I sighed. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to be so¡­ impulsive! Just let him scream for a bit. You only had to wait till the


    old man was across the road. You didn¡¯t have to cause a scene.¡±


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    He pursed his lips but didn¡¯t reply. It was clear that his bad mood stemmed from elsewhere.


    ¡°How did she die?¡±


    I paused and turned to see him driving seriously. He seemed to have just posed the question in


    passing.


    ¡°She died while giving birth. The child survived, but she had lost too much blood.¡±


    He knitted his brow. ¡°Who¡¯s the father?¡±


    I pondered for a moment before responding. ¡°Can I not say? She entrusted her child to me and she


    didn¡¯t want the father to know about the child.¡±


    ¡°You got yourself into such a state in Jadeborough because of this?¡± he asked. We had arrived at the


    stylepany and he stopped the car.


    I climbed out of the car and made a sound of acknowledgment. ¡°Will there be many people at the


    banquet tonight?¡±


    ¡°Every notable person and journalist in K City will be there!¡± He gestured for me to go in and tossed the


    car keys into my bag.


    I pursed my lips and muttered, ¡°Where did you learn this? Who told you you could flippantly throw car


    keys into women¡¯s bags?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°Hannah told me that family and lovers can act in such an intimate manner.¡±


    I¡­


    Hannah? The elegant woman I met in Jadeborough?


    I did not think much about what he said and replied, ¡°Does this mean that everyone in K City knows


    about the banquet?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Everyone in the country knows about it!¡±


    I grinned. ¡°You¡¯re the best!¡±


    He found my smile odd and raised an eyebrow. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°John, I¡¯ve always thought of myself that let things go easily. After some time, I stop holding


    grudges. But I was wrong. I still want to ruin Cameron. I want her to kneel before me and beg for mercy


    for her and Reba.¡±


    His eyebrow shot up and he looked troubled. ¡°What do you n on doing?¡±


    ¡°Do you remember the items that I told you to hold on to? I initially nned to rest my case because


    Reba had lost her child and was stabbed by me. Moreover, Cameron¡¯spany is being


    investigated. They¡¯ve lost quite a lot. However, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s enough. I want to expose all of


    Cameron¡¯s dirtyundry to the Moore family. I want them to see how she¡¯s actually a repulsive monster


    under that ssy mask of hers.¡±


    People shouldn¡¯t be clouded by hate. Otherwise, there would be no room for kindness.


    In a television show that I had watched when I was a child, the main character had been forgiving


    despite having gone through a genocide. It seemed ludicrous to me now. Only third parties watching


    from the outside said nonsense like ¡®revenge begets revenge¡¯.


    I had never heard an actual victim utter such words.


    Only the people watching from afar could say such things. It was because they had not experienced


    the pain for themselves.


    Spectators were afforded the luxury of seeing everything in ck and white. The advice they imed to


    offer was often just salt in the victims¡¯ wounds.

 Chapter 352

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 352


    He stopped and gazed at me with sadness and vexation. ¡°Letty, no matter what you n on doing, I¡¯ll


    support you all the way. I just hope that you don¡¯t end up with regrets. Life is too short and you should


    write your own story. It¡¯s not wrong to seek revenge, but I hope that you can spend your remaining


    days happily. I hope to see you carefree and enjoying the sights of this beautiful world. You should also


    treasure the people you love, and who love you!¡±


    I was momentarily stupefied. I never would have expected such words to havee from him. I stared


    at him and wondered if he was still the same John that I knew and loved.


    I mulled over his words and understood where he wasing from. He had been trapped by hatred


    and only managed to escape after hurting many people.


    I initially thought that I would never see him again. I was extremely surprised when I bumped into him


    at A City.


    He was different now. I don¡¯t know what he went through thest few years, but I had a sense that he


    had learned to let go. He was a more epting person now.


    When I didn¡¯t respond, he smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. I might assume that you¡¯ve fallen


    in love with me.¡±


    I was speechless and rolled my eyes at him. ¡°I just can¡¯t let this go. If I don¡¯t do it at the banquet, I


    might never have the chance to do it again.¡±


    I needed to wait for the White family for at least a year. If Marcus was gone, my chances of taking


    advantage of the White Corporation were practically zero. The banquet seemed like my only chance.


    He looked at me for a second before nodding. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll help you with whatever you need!¡±


    As I looked at him, warmth crept into my heart. I beamed and eximed, ¡°Thank you, John!¡±


    It seemed as though he had been selflessly helping me from the beginning. Without him, I would never


    be able toy a hand on Cameron.


    He pulled a face and sneered, ¡°Those are just words. How about you thank me with something


    tangible?¡±


    Iughed and said, ¡°Can I treat you to a meal?¡±


    ¡°Just one meal?¡±


    ¡°As many as you want!¡±


    ¡°Deal!¡±


    At the stylepany, we nced through some gowns and custom jewelry. I didn¡¯t know much about


    fashion. Thus, I could only rely on the stylist¡¯s expertise.


    ¡°Your dark eye circles are too serious!¡± John announced as he instructed the makeup artist to apply a


    thickeryer of product on my face.


    The makeup artist studied my face and said, ¡°Ms. Stovall is naturally beautiful. It¡¯s a pity that she


    seems rather sickly. A regr makeup look will be fine. She has a high nose bridge andrge eyes. If I


    apply too thick ayer of makeup, she will look too cold and unapproachable.¡±


    John scanned my face, pursed his lips, and replied, ¡°Fine. Do as you see fit. All that matters is that she


    looks beautiful at the end.¡±


    ¡°At this rate, people might mistake me for your partner rather than your sister,¡± I muttered with a hint of


    annoyance.


    He shrugged casually and said, ¡°I don¡¯t care about what they think.¡±


    He took out his phone and looked like he was about to make a call. I couldn¡¯t move while the makeup


    was being applied. After sitting still for some time, I felt myself getting sleepy.


    The makeup was not thick. A sparingly thinyer or powder obscured my feeble pallor, and I looked


    rather charming.


    The stylist fitted me into a green tight-fitting dress lined with a gold slit. I looked elegant and feminine.


    John came back into the room after his call. He noticed that it was almost time and said, ¡°The banquet


    starts at 7 p.m. and it¡¯s almost time. Are you done?¡±


    When he noticed I was done, he froze momentarily. He coughed and barked, ¡°Change into something


    else!¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    The stylist and makeup artist thought that his expression had been one of approval. They were


    shocked to hear his response.


    They voiced their protests, ¡°Ms. Stovall looks good in this dress. She has an old-world kind of beauty.


    This tight-fitting dress suits her well!¡±


    John peered at me with his lips tightly pressed together. ¡°Can¡¯t you see how bony she is? Tight-fitting


    dresses should be worn by voluptuous women. She¡¯s clearly ill-suited.¡±


    Me?


    ¡°We were happy with this decision so let¡¯s stick with it. Besides, we¡¯re going to bete.¡±


    It¡¯s such a pain to change in and out!


    He frowned as his gazended on my leg. ¡°Your entire leg is about to fall out of that slit. It¡¯s


    inappropriate! Change!¡± he snapped.


    I¡­


    I lowered my head to look at the slit. It was not as he had made it out to be. Although it was rather


    revealing, it was not in bad taste.


    ¡°Stop being so persnickety, John. This tight-fitting dress is fine. If we drag this out any longer, we¡¯ll be


    late.¡±


    He paused and stared at my face. ¡°Additionally, you don¡¯t have to dress her up in such a sexy manner


    just because she has movie-star features.¡±

 Chapter 353

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 353


    Iughed, ¡°Mr. Stovall, why don¡¯t you do it yourself?¡± How is this sexy? It¡¯s not showing anything.


    He chuckled and looked at both of them. ¡°Anyways, she has to be the prettiest out of all today. But she


    can¡¯t look too sexy or exposing. Understood?¡±


    Both of them looked at each other and nodded simultaneously.


    After struggling for a while, John was finally satisfied before we rushed to the banquet.


    The Stovall family chose a private resort located in the South District. It was spacious and bustling.


    When John and I arrived, most of the guests had arrived as well. Louis and several elders of the Stovall


    family were greeting the guests at the entrance of the hotel lobby.


    As many people were invited, some of the reporters and the media came from their ownpany.


    There were also many securities and staff guarding at the entrance.


    As soon as John and I alighted, Louis spotted us and waved to us with a smile. ¡°Letty, Jo. Over here!¡±


    John held me as my gown was changed to a long tail dress. The hemline dragged especially long, and


    the heels were high too. I was walking slowly, and John slowed down to wait for me.


    Louis was in great good. He saw that we were walking slowly and jogged to us. A smile appeared on


    his handsome face. ¡°My daughter is beautiful. You look the most dazzling among all.¡±


    John clicked his tongue and smiled. ¡°Of course! A handsome man and a beautiful woman, of course,


    we would be eye-catching.¡±


    Louis chuckled, ¡°You really had to go over the top.¡±


    A wave ofughter immediately filled the air.


    When I was escorted to the banquet, many guests came to greet me. Most of them were distinguished


    families from K City. The majority of the guests who were invited today were politicians. After all, Louis


    was a politician as well. His social circleprises mainly prominent politicians.


    There were some schrly families of a hundred years of history as well. After all, I attended a few


    banquets and events after marrying Ashton, although they were mostly business in nature.


    When most of the guests had arrived, a long red rug was ced in the middle of the hotel lobby,


    reaching all the way to the stage at the end of the hotel.


    Ashton was slightlyte. The man was handsome, and his demeanor was dignified. He could be easily


    spotted among the crowd.


    We locked gazes. I looked away lightly without any reaction.


    Instead, John, who was beside me frowned. ¡°Did you guys fought?¡±


    I pursed my lips and changed the topic. ¡°Has the Moore family arrived?¡±


    ¡°Yup! They should be here,¡± he said. His gaze fell upon Ashton as he scrutinized him.


    After all, K City and J City werepletely different ces in the South and North. Many of their


    customs differ from each other.


    In the South, one had to host a memorial ceremony for the ancestors to join the family. But this seemed


    to differ in the North.


    After a long speech by the emcee, Louis brought me to the stage for a bow, and that was it.


    Louis gifted me an exquisite sandalwood box and said, ¡°This was Moira¡¯s favorite pair of imperial jade


    bangle bracelets when she was still around. She always said that if she had a daughter in the future,


    she would give this bracelet to her.¡±


    Tears filled his stoic expression. I took it and gave him three deep bows and said, ¡°Dad!¡±


    Tears filled up in Louis¡¯s eyes. He helped me up and brought me to introduce me to everyone.


    A poor girl was adopted by a well-known person and hosted an extravagant banquet. Rumors and


    gossips would probably circte.


    Luckily, John had been here with me all along.


    ¡°Have the reporters and the media arrived?¡± I held onto a ss of champagne, and my gaze fell upon


    the couple of the Moore family, who were speaking with someone not far from me.


    Cameron seemed to love body-hugging gowns. She was dressed in a tight-fitted dark green floral-


    printed gown, looking elegant and noble.


    Reba was nowhere to be seen, probably still in the hospital.


    John also saw the Moore couple and nudged me. ¡°They¡¯re already here!¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    I smiled and nodded. Holding the ss of champagne, I walked towards the Moore couple and smiled.


    ¡°Mr. Moore, Ms. Anderson, wee!¡±


    Cameron and Zachary looked towards me simultaneously and were stunned slightly. Cameron spoke


    up first, ¡°Scarlett, you¡¯re looking gorgeous!¡±


    I gave a generous smile, ¡°Thank you for your kindpliments, Ms. Anderson. I don¡¯t see Ms. Larson


    around, is she still hospitalized?¡±


    Cameron was stunned and smiled. ¡°She¡¯s discharged. Since her body is weak, Zachary and I had sent


    her back to J City for rehabilitation. The weather there is nice and suitable for her health.¡±


    Reba was sent alone to J City for rehabilitation? I subconsciously frowned. Reba only had


    Ashton and the others to depend on in J City. Now that they were in K City, but she was sent alone to J


    City. Is this appropriate?


    But I shouldn¡¯t worry about this. It only took a second and I smiled. ¡°Ms. Anderson and Mr. Moore, you


    are so kind to your daughter!¡±


    Both of them looked at me and smiled with aplicated expression. That kind of surprised me.


    If this was the past, Cameron would definitely fight back with her words since I hurt Reba. But now


    she was quiet.


    ¡°K City is known for their opera. Since Mr. Moore had been living here for a long time, how do you


    enjoy the operas?¡± I looked towards Zachary and smiled.

 Chapter 354

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 354


    He nced at me and uttered in a low voice, ¡°Girl, now that you are the legitimate daughter of the


    Stovall family, you should call me uncle!¡±


    I was stunned and said, ¡°Uncle Zachery.¡±


    He looked at me with an unpredictable gaze. ¡°Girl, I know you still hold a grudge against Cam. But


    Louis had specially prepared this banquet for you today. You shouldn¡¯t ruin it!¡±


    I held onto the tall ss in my hands, and my face turned pale. So they knew about it?


    I raised my eyes to look at him. I shrugged my shoulders and said nonchntly, ¡°As Uncle Zachery had


    mentioned, this is my own banquet. I can decide how I want it to be. No matter what, as long as I meet


    my goal, it would have achieved its purpose.¡±


    Cameron looked at me with a sigh. ¡°Nevermind. This is karma, Zachary!¡±


    Looking at their unusual attitude, I couldn¡¯tprehend what was happening at the moment!


    Was it because I became the daughter of the Stovall family, so they became hesitant and were treating


    me differently?


    John stood beside me and was silent all along. He saw me frowning and went quiet. He said calmly,


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡±


    I shook my head and looked up subconsciously towards the people who were prepared on the second


    floor.


    John saw my hesitation and said, ¡°Actually, this is for the best. At least it¡¯s not worse off.¡±


    Worse?


    The child and Macy had died. Reba only suffered from some injuries, but the rest had left my world


    forever. I couldn¡¯t get them back anymore even if I tried.


    That thought alone had made me calm. The people on the second floor nodded. There was a huge


    projection screen on the stage of the hotel lobby.


    Two minutester, the scenes on the screen had attracted the guests of the banquet. The Moore family


    had stood on top of K City for years. And Cameron¡¯s fame was on par with the Moore family due to her


    sess over the years.


    Gasps wereing from the guests every time she appeared in the video.


    I didn¡¯t look at the screen since I wasn¡¯t interested in what was ying. I was only interested in


    Cameron¡¯s reaction when she watched these scenes.


    But she didn¡¯t seem as devastated as I thought she would be. Instead, she seemed to have prepared


    beforehand and leaned closely against Zachary¡¯s embrace.


    My brain was buzzing. In the noisy crowd, Zachary looked at me with an indecipherable look. It wasn¡¯t


    filled with rage, neither was it bloodthirsty, but sympathy.


    I saw him held onto Cameron and left in the crowd. But I didn¡¯t feel any pleasure. I knew that after


    today, Cameron¡¯s reputation was going to be in tatters.


    My goal seemed to have been achieved!


    The video ying on the screen was stopped after Cameron and Zachary left. The lobby was filled with


    whispers about Cameron¡¯s sordidness in contempt.


    The banquet had concluded. Louis and John hurriedly sent off the guests.


    I stood in the lobby, feeling lost.


    Joe came into my sight expressionlessly. ¡°Let¡¯s have a chat?¡±


    I averted my unfocused eyes. My heart was feeling heavy. ¡°What is there to chat about?¡±


    He sat on the chair beside me and raised his brows before he spoke. ¡°You did it?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    I didn¡¯t n to hide. Nobody would have dared to interfere with the Stovall family¡¯s banquet unless he


    was from the family.


    He sneered. As if he had already known, he looked at me with a sarcastic look. ¡°I thought you would at


    least be relieved when you wounded Reba. You already have a prominent family and Ashton who


    solely cares for you. She was just a child, do you really have to go this far?¡±


    I pursed my lips. Feeling tired after standing, I sat down casually on the chair beside me and said


    tiredly, ¡°So now that I have everything I should have pretended that the injuries that I had suffered


    never existed?¡±


    He furrowed his brows. ¡°Scarlett, have you thought of why did the Stovall family acquiesce to this and


    the Moore family had allowed this to happen? By only relying on John¡¯s meddling?¡±


    I raised my brows. ¡°If not?¡±


    He sneered, finding this ridiculous. ¡°Do you think everyone would fall for your tricks like an idiot? Who


    is Zachary? He is someone who had been walking on dead bodies in the seventies. Do you think he


    would let you step all over his wife without taking any actions?¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± I said, feeling calm.


    He sneered disdainfully, ¡°I want to let you know that a brainless, cold-blooded, and idiotic woman like


    you should stop now. Please refrain from everything else and live your life in peace.¡±


    He paused for a moment and continued in a sulky manner. ¡°Also, Ashton is sick. Even if you guys


    fought, you shouldn¡¯t go so far. He is your husband, so you should at least look out for him.¡±


    It was obvious he was angry but helpless at the same time.


    After watching him left, I daydreamed on the chair for a while before standing up.


    The guests had already left the lobby. John looked at me and said, ¡°Are you going back to the Stovall¡¯s


    tonight or, would you like me to send you back?¡±


    To Ashton¡¯s side¡­


    After giving some thought, I said, ¡°I¡¯ll take a taxi back by myself!¡±This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 355

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 355


    He didn¡¯t agree but went silent when he was about to refute, then signaled me to look at the entrance.


    It was a sleek ck luxury car. Those we mostly encountered were Lamborghini, Ferrari, Maybach, and


    Bently. This was the first time Ashton was being mboyant. He was driving a Rolls-Royce.


    But there were many luxury cars at this type of banquet, so it was not a rare sight.


    The driver stood beside the car. He came up to me with a smile when he spotted me. ¡°Madam, Mr.


    Ashton had been waiting for you. He is sick, please go back soon!¡±


    What he meant was, even though Ashton was sick, yet he was still waiting for me!


    I wanted to reject the idea subconsciously, but the driver sped his hands together anxiously,


    although he was wearing a smile.


    I couldn¡¯t help but furrowed my brows. ¡°He¡¯s very sick?¡±


    The driver nodded and said, ¡°It has been two days. He hasn¡¯t been taking medication, and he refuses


    to go to the hospital. He even insists oning today. Please¡­ please talk to him!¡±


    I turned around and looked at John. ¡°Tell Uncle Louis that I¡¯ll visit him when I¡¯m free!¡±


    He nodded in response and narrowed his gaze towards the car.


    Without much thought, I quickly walked towards the car and opened the door.


    Ashton¡¯s eyes were closed with his lips pursed. His handsome face was ghastly pale.


    I leaned closer to him instinctively. The heater in the car was off, but his forehead was drenched with


    his perspiration in the ice-cold winter.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    He still had his eyes closed. His expression was grim with no intention of looking at me.


    With grouchiness and chillness in his voice, he said, ¡°Get down if you¡¯re noting up!¡±


    His words had no warmth and were filled with a tint of anger.


    I pursed my lips. My heels were too high, so I took them off and lifted my dress when I got into the car. I


    looked at the driver and said, ¡°To the hospital.¡±


    The driver was stunned as he looked at Ashton. After seeing he had no objections, he started the car.


    K City was prone to traffic jams, especially around ten at night.


    Upon reaching the city center, the car couldn¡¯t move anymore. Ashton frowned slightly, and his


    forehead was glistening with droplets of perspiration. He was extremely pale, and he furrowed his


    brows tightly.


    His condition seemed terrible. I saw his slender fingers pressed against his stomach from the corner of


    my eyes. I was startled and said to the driver, ¡°Stop at the junction in front!¡±


    The driver thought I was going to alight and said hesitantly, ¡°Madam, we¡¯re about to reach the hospital.


    You should apany Mr. Ashton to see the doctor¡­¡±


    I was speechless. Since when did people start to see me as a cold-blooded person?


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    I paused briefly before speaking. ¡°There¡¯s a drug store in front. I¡¯ll get down and buy some medicine for


    him.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine!¡± Ashton said.


    I got into a temper upon hearing him and said angrily, ¡°Shut up if you don¡¯t want to die!¡±


    The car stopped along the roadside. I didn¡¯t see the shocking expression of the driver and alighted


    while lifting the hem of the dress.


    To be honest, the gown was not fit for humans. It was not only troublesome but way too cold to be in.


    Especially in a cold ce like K City.


    After getting the medicine, I divided the medicine properly before passing the warm water from the drug


    store to the aloof man. ¡°Eat the medicine.¡±


    He didn¡¯t speak, and he was as cold as ice. The driver saw me shivering and switched on the heater.


    He even passed me a jacket and said, ¡°Madam, please put on this jacket first.¡±


    The ck tuxedo suit that Ashton was wearing was taken off at some point in time. It was the one that


    the driver passed to me.


    I was speechless. This man was more long-winded than a woman.


    He was still closing his eyes with his brows furrowed. I said, ¡°Ashton, eat the medicine. You can die of


    pain if you refuse to eat. I¡¯m too tired to deal with you now.¡±


    I put down the medicine and the warm water on the rack as I spoke. I threw the jacket back to him and


    was about to alight the car.


    He grabbed my wrist. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡±


    ¡°Go home!¡± He said in a low voice as the car started.


    I didn¡¯t say much. I looked at Ashton and said, ¡°Eat the medicine!¡±


    He opened his bloodshot eyes. I could imagine he probably had not been resting well these few days.


    He ate the medicine in silence and continued to close his eyes to rest. The driver was confused and


    queried, ¡°Madam, should we go to the hospital or?¡±


    ¡°Go home!¡± Ashton said. His tone was final.


    I pursed my lips. My brain was buzzing. ¡°Ashton¡­¡±


    ¡°Jared wille overter!¡± There was fatigue in his voice.


    I didn¡¯t say anything else.


    It didn¡¯t take long to reach the vi. It felt inconvenient to lift my dress. After alighting the car, Ashton


    still closed his eyes without budging.


    The driver looked at me helplessly, as if he didn¡¯t dare to touch Ashton lightly.


    I sighed and walked to Ashton¡¯s side. ¡°Ashton, get down. We¡¯re home!¡±


    He opened his eyes without any further movements. Instead, he stared at me with a dark look in his


    eyes.


    After exchanging a long stare, I gave up and reached out to him. ¡°I¡¯ll help you down!¡±


    He pursed his lips, refusing to speak. But half of his slender body was leaning on me.

 Chapter 356

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 356


    Besides wearing a long dress, I was in super high heels which I rarely find myself in, so I found it hard


    to bnce.


    In addition, the man had shifted most of his weight on me, and to support a grown-ass man while


    walking in heels proved to be a challenge.


    However, it was toote to go back on my decision. Since the driver had left, I could only grit my teeth


    as I supported him into the house, and we still had to walk past the garden to the bedroom.


    That was the first time I realized big houses weren¡¯t really ideal under some circumstances. Stopping in


    my tracks, I asked, ¡°Ashton, can you walk?¡±


    He frowned and gazed at me with his dark eyes. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    I¡­


    Well¡­ One will always pay the price for one¡¯s action.


    Slowly but surely, we finally reached the bedroom. Having used up all my strength, I didn¡¯t feel right


    and the first thing I wanted to do after cing him on the bed was to change into a morefortable


    outfit.


    However, I was too quick on my movements that I stepped on my dress when I was getting up from the


    bed.


    The tube-top dress didn¡¯t have any straps to support it on my body, so the heavy dress slid down, and I


    was exposed, wearing only my flesh-colored underwear and the nipple tapes.


    Wearing the nipple tapes made no difference to being naked. Ashton looked at me while he snickered,


    ¡°You¡¯re so eager today.¡±


    I¡­


    Pursing my lips, I ignored his words and went to the wardrobe to change into some casual wear. When


    I came out, Ashton was nowhere to be found, while the sound of water could be hearding from the


    washroom.


    Too many things had happened today. Feeling exhausted, I went to the study and switched on the


    television. Reading the news headline, it was exactly as I had expected. Those videos of Cameron


    were leaked to the public.


    To my surprise, the Moore family had the power to suppress the news from getting out of hand, but


    they did nothing.


    Even Cameron sat by and did nothing. It felt like she was deliberately giving me a chance.


    Seeing how it was ratherte at night, I gave up on the thought of calling Jackson.


    After resting for a while, I went back to the bedroom. Ashton was still in the washroom.


    This shouldn¡¯t be, as he was one of those who showered fairly quickly and always get himself clean


    under ten minutes. I¡¯ve stayed at the study for a while, so he should be out by now.


    With worry in my heart, I headed toward the washroom and knocked on the door. ¡°Ashton, are you in


    there?¡±


    No response.


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    I grew restless and turned the doorknob. To my surprise, the door actually opened.


    Opening the door slightly, the warm and moist steam came out from the washroom with the scent of


    shampoo. I said, ¡°Ashton¡­¡±


    Before I could finish my sentence, my view was blocked by his lower abdomen. Lifting my head


    subconsciously, I saw his firm and sexy abs.


    He was retracting his hand from the door, and it seemed he was here to open the door.


    I froze for a bit and asked awkwardly, ¡°Are you done?¡±


    The man hummed a reply. He was just done bathing and looked really attractive with his wet hair.


    I moved away from the entrance while he exited the washroom with a towel wrapping on his lower body


    and wiped his hair.


    How can he be so cool even when he¡¯s sick?


    He¡¯s good. I¡¯ll give him that.


    My makeup was rather heavy that day, and I wanted to get them off my face. Entering the washroom, I


    removed my makeup and washed up before entering the shower.


    I tossed my clothes into the washing machine in the washroom, while Ashton¡¯s suit was way too


    delicate, so it was better to leave it to the professionals.


    Noticing Ashton¡¯s blue undergarments were left in theundry basket, I washed them in the sink.


    He would wash his inner garments every time while his other limited edition clothing was cleaned by


    the professionals. And sometimes, he would just throw them into the washing machine and let the


    machine do its work.


    It had been three years since I was married to him, and I didn¡¯t really help in washing his clothes. Now


    that I think of it, he was following my will on everything except things rted to Reba.


    When I was lost in a daze, he opened the washroom door suddenly. Looking at the blue garment in my


    hands, he was slow to react and spoke indifferently soon after. ¡°You left a hole in it.¡±


    I was stunned and turned to look at the blue in my hands subconsciously. Realizing that he was just


    bluffing, my cheeks blushed in embarrassment. ¡°Well, it¡¯s better to leave theundry basket empty,


    no?¡±


    Pursing his lips, his dark eyes were implying something, but he said nothing and entered the


    washroom. He took the wristwatch from the cab and wore an indifferent expression all the time.


    After looking at the garment in my hands, he left.


    I¡­


    We are a married couple, but why does this feel so awkward?


    When I dried the underwear and came out from the washroom, Jared was there. Ashton sat on the


    chaise lounge and cooperated with the former for a body checkup.


    Jared had mastered both medicine and traditional acupuncture, so he liked to use both of the


    techniques when he was treating his patients.


    When he saw meing out from the washroom, he retracted his hand and took out a bottle of


    medicine from his bag. ¡°If you don¡¯t wish to die, please take your meds on time. She¡¯s back, so stop


    being suicidal¡­¡±


    He swallowed his words when Ashton red at him coldly.


    Jared let out a sigh and packed his bag. I followed him downstairs when he was about to leave, as


    there was something I had been wishing to tell him.


    Walking to the door, he noticed I was following behind him, so he turned around and raised a brow. ¡°Is


    there anything else?¡±

 Chapter 357

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 357


    I nodded and took in a deep breath. ¡°Dr. Crest, can we talk?¡±


    The doctor frowned and checked his wristwatch. Raising his brow, he asked, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re


    going to talk to me at this hour?¡±


    It was 11 p.m. It wasn¡¯t thatte, so I insisted, ¡°It won¡¯t take long.¡±


    Pursing his lips, he walked to the living room and sat down before cing his bag down. ¡°Alright.¡±


    I sat on the couch opposite him and poured him a ss of water. ¡°Dr. Crest, have you¡­ met Macy


    recently?¡±


    He raised a brow and stared at me while frowning. ¡°No. What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    My heart began aching as I felt a weight on my chest. ¡°She¡¯s gone.¡±


    When I was saying the words, my hands felt wet, but I wore a serious expression as I looked at him.


    His hands trembled slightly while holding the ss and pursed his lips. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s dead!¡± I began tearing up as I forced those words out of my lips. Lowering my head to hide my


    pained expression, I blinked profusely to force back my tears.


    ng! He ced the ss on the table gently. Narrowing his eyes, his voice was low and deep. ¡°How


    did she die?¡±


    ¡°She got into an ident. Two lives were lost.¡± I lied as I promised Macy to keep the truth a secret.


    He pursed his lips as his eyes grew dark. ¡°Two lives?¡±


    I nodded while suppressing the pain in my heart. ¡°She was pregnant.¡±


    The doctor stared at me as his eyes went dull. ¡°She was pregnant with my kid?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I clenched my teeth and fought the urge to cry.


    The man said nothing, and silence ensued in the spacious living room. The atmosphere grew chilly,


    and I shivered subconsciously.


    After a long while, he looked at me, devoid of any emotions, and got up from the couch. Staring at me


    with a cold gaze, he asked, ¡°That¡¯s all you wanted to tell?¡±


    I was stunned by his reaction and nodded soon after. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I got it.¡± He took his bag and exited the vi without bidding farewell.


    I froze on the couch, seeing his nonchnt reaction. Is Macy nothing but a passerby in his life?


    Mrs. Eriksen had a bag of groceries in her hand as she walked into the house. Seeing me alone in the


    living room, she asked, ¡°What happened to Dr. Crest? He was fine when he¡¯s here, but why did he look


    so lifeless when he was leaving? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°He looks lifeless?¡± I turned to Mrs. Eriksen while she nodded and wore a surprised expression. ¡°That¡¯s


    right. When I came in just now, I greeted him, but he didn¡¯t seem to notice and almost bumped into


    me.¡±


    I lowered my heart and felt rxed. Does this mean Macy is rather important to him?


    After easing the pain in my heart, I went to the bedroom upstairs.


    Ashton had changed into a suit, and his hair wasbed neatly. I was stunned. ¡°You¡¯re going out?¡±


    He nced at me indifferently, with a stony expression on his face. ¡°Can¡¯t I?¡±


    I was stumped for a moment. Shaking my head, I exined, ¡°That¡¯s not it. It¡¯s sote at night and it¡¯s


    still snowing outside. You¡¯re sick, so you shouldn¡¯t go out in this weather.¡±


    My care for him was met with a sneer. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡±


    I pursed my lips and was at a loss for words.


    Fine!


    Shortly after, sounds of a car engine red,ing from the yard. It was rather loud, as the world was


    silent at this hour.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Standing in the bedroom, I pressed my lips and sighed. No matter what I do, I¡¯m always in the wrong.


    Although Reba and Cameron were punished, I couldn¡¯t even feel happy seeing my enemies suffer. I


    had lost many of the things I held dear.


    The vast vi was eerily silent like a graveyard after Ashton and Mrs. Eriksen left.


    The strong wind was blowing outside, making a whistling sound at the window. The snow was heavy


    with the freezing breeze, while the sound of snow falling to the ground was clear.


    Lying on the bed, I found it difficult to sleep with my mind buzzing away. I sat up and opened myptop


    to watch some horror movies.


    It was two in the midnight when John called. The first thing I heard after answering the call was, ¡°Did


    you get into a fight with Ashton?¡±


    Staring at the ambiguous scene on theptop, I replied, ¡°We¡¯ve been at it for days. Why?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that I bumped into him at the Imperial Hotel. What is he doing out here at this hour? He should


    stay with you at home.¡± John¡¯s words made meugh. ¡°Now you¡¯re behaving more like a brother,


    worrying about my marriage life.¡±


    He huffed and replied petntly, ¡°Don¡¯t mock me. Your man has a woman in his arms. Are you not


    worried?¡±


    The drama was quite nice, and I enjoyed it very much. After changing my position, I spoke, ¡°He¡¯s an


    adult, not a kid. If he behaves like this when he¡¯s mad after a fight, I can¡¯t stop him. Plus, I can¡¯t


    possibly focus on him all day.¡±


    In the past, I might feel hurt or wronged when he went to mess around with other women. However,


    now that I hade to terms with myself, all I had to do was to y my part as his wife, and whatever


    he did had nothing to do with me.


    If we could stay with each other until the end, it would be the best, but even if we didn¡¯t, I could live on


    without him. I¡¯m well past the age of falling head over heels for love.

 Chapter 358

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 358


    ¡°Fine.¡± Shortly after, he offered, ¡°Do you have trouble falling asleep? How about a drink?¡±


    I rested my chin on my hand and stared nkly at the screen. ¡°I just finished two episodes of a drama.


    My head hurts so much. John, I think my illness¡¯ getting worse.¡±


    John paused for a moment before saying, ¡°I¡¯ll go pick you up now.¡±


    With that, he hung up.


    Looking at the scene on theptop, my heart twisted in pain for some reason. It was agonizing, and I


    felt suffocated. Tears wouldn¡¯t well up in my eyes anymore, but the pain in my heart was agonizing.


    Everything seemed dull to me. My world was a shade of grey without brightness. Sometimes, I even


    felt likemitting suicide to end my suffering.


    And I don¡¯t know who I am anymore.


    John arrived at the vi after thirty minutes. He stopped his car downstairs and honked.


    I looked down from the balcony and saw him popping his head out from the car window. ¡°Come down.


    Let¡¯s go for a ride.¡±


    Listening to his words, I changed my clothes and went downstairs.


    After getting into his car, he turned to me and asked, ¡°Do you feel like drinking?¡±


    Hoping that alcohol could make my pain vanish for a short while, I nodded and smiled. ¡°Sure!¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do from now on?¡± He spoke as he drove his car fast.


    Thinking to myself, I couldn¡¯te up with an answer, as I sighed helplessly. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Come to


    think of it, I have nothing I want.¡±


    I had lost the yearning for love and the desire to live. My future seemed bleak now.


    He shot me a look and asked, ¡°Do you want to return to R Province?¡±


    I froze and turned to him in confusion. ¡°Isn¡¯t R Province demolished?¡± That alley was so small, and


    some developers nned to build a vi there as the surroundings there caught their attention.


    He nodded. ¡°Others were demolished, but our old house wasn¡¯t. It was still there.¡±


    Widening my eyes, I asked, ¡°A holdout?¡±


    Seeing my reaction, he burst intoughter. ¡°You can say that.¡±


    I didn¡¯t press the matter. Given his capabilities, it was a piece of cake for him to remain the over a


    hundred square meters ofnd as it was.


    I thought for a second and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go there next year when springes. I¡¯ll bring Summer with


    me too.¡±


    He frowned, ¡°Summer?¡±


    I replied, ¡°She is Macy¡¯s daughter.¡±


    He froze and fell silent without saying anything in return.


    At the nightclub in Imperial Hotel.


    John tossed the car keys to the valet and held my arm. ¡°Make sure to enjoy yourselfter.¡±


    I felt likeughing. ¡°How do I enjoy? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to find me some hosts to serve me?¡±


    He clicked his tongue and said, ¡°Damn! Do you want hosts? Am I not enough?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Since we were already there, there was no point in backing out now.


    I wasn¡¯t into drinking. John only brought me here because he knew I was in a foul mood and needed


    something to keep me busy.


    We didn¡¯t book a private room and only sat at a table in the main hall. He ordered some alcohol before


    turning to me and said, ¡°If you¡¯re unhappy, you can just go for a divorce. The Stovall family¡¯s wealth is


    on par with the Fullers, so no worries.¡±


    I broke intoughter. It had been a while since I had drunk; it felt extremely refreshing after chugging


    down a ss of cocktail.


    ¡°How did you tell that I am miserable?¡± Squinting my eyes, I rested my chin on my hand and looked at


    the woman dancing on the stage. Turning to John, I said, ¡°Everything has turned out great. Why should


    I be sad?¡±


    He didn¡¯t drink and only stared at me with a sympathetic look. ¡°Scarlett, promise me. No matter how


    hard things are in the future, I¡¯m your brother and I¡¯m here for you, so don¡¯t¡­¡±


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    He didn¡¯t finish his sentence while his eyes were filled with pain and hurt.


    I sighed. It seemed he had many things he didn¡¯t wish to tell me.


    Even if I asked him about it, he wouldn¡¯t tell.


    Drinking when you have a lot on your mind was rather bad because you get drunk after only a few


    shots.


    p! A woman was pped by a middle-aged man on the table next to us. The impact threw her to the


    ground.


    Both of us turned our heads in that direction. The woman¡¯s delicate face was swollen as she trembled


    in pain on the floor.


    ¡°F*cking b*tch! Acting all pure and innocent in front of me? What a turnoff!¡± The furious man kicked her


    abdomen.


    Unable to suppress the fury growing within me, I threw my ss at the man and it hit his leg.


    He growled, ¡°Ouch! Who threw this at me?¡±


    ¡°Me!¡± I kept silent while John spoke and got up with one of his hands in his pocket.


    ncing at the man with disgust, he frowned and said, ¡°Disgusting. Not only does he not look like a


    human, his behavior vexes me too. When did Imperial Hotel start catering to dogs?¡±


    The manager heard themotion and rushed to the scene. When he saw John, he smiled and


    apologized. ¡°My apologies, Mr. Stovall. How about you follow me to the private room on the second


    floor?¡±


    John nced at him and said indifferently, ¡°I like to drink here. Nothing wrong with that, right? There¡¯s a


    dog here, so kick it out.¡±


    The manager had a stiff expression on his face. Looking at the chubby man beside him, he apologized,


    ¡°Sir, I¡¯m really sorry, but we have rules here. We don¡¯t allow our customers to disturb others and ruin


    their moods.¡±


    Is this what they called saying unreasonable words in the most polite way possible?

 Chapter 359

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 359


    The man was rather displeased. Seeing how he dressed and the gold chains on his neck, he must be


    one of the wealthy mine bosses. who bought a house in K City and behaved arrogantly.


    He pushed the manager away and red at John. ¡°Who the hell are you? Mind your own business!¡±


    Who¡¯s John? If John wanted him dead, he had tons of tormenting methods to make the man suffer.


    And so John kicked the man in his belly without sparing another word. His movements were so swift


    that the man had no chance of defending himself.


    Being the merciless man he was, John kicked the man¡¯s crotch without hesitation. ¡°You like it this way?


    Keep cursing, and I¡¯ll break you.¡±


    ¡°Argh,¡± the man screamed out of pain as he rolled on the floor while covering his crotch.


    His shrieks attracted a crowd, and they were looking at me and John.


    After expressing his anger, John felt a lot better. He turned to the manager andmanded, ¡°Take him


    away. Don¡¯t let people like him in from now on.¡±


    Faced with John¡¯s domineering aura, the manager could only do as John said and asked some men to


    carry the man away.


    Standing at the side, I looked at him and pursed my lips. This was the second time I witnessed him


    hitting people because he was in a foul mood.


    Noticing my stare, he pursed his lips and calmed down before saying, ¡°Did I scare you?¡±


    I shook my head and replied, ¡°This is the second time. Are you implying something by using violence in


    front of me deliberately?¡±


    He took off his coat and tossed it on the couch. Leaning against the couch, he exined, ¡°It was an


    ident. I¡¯ll control my temper next time.¡±


    I was left speechless by his rxed attitude after beating someone up.


    He ordered a few drinks while the server was cleaning up the mess after themotion. Looking at


    me, he said, ¡°You really like to butt into others¡¯ business.¡±


    Me?


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    Tilting my head in confusion, I asked, ¡°When did I start meddling with others¡¯ business?¡± I wasn¡¯t one to


    follow the crowd.


    He chugged the ss of wine down in one go before raising a brow at me. ¡°There. Thatdy is


    ncing at you.¡±


    I froze and nced back. The female worker who was hurt just now stood still beside the table. It


    seemed like she was waiting to face the music.


    I pursed my lips and looked at John. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can help her with.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve just made it worse for her.¡± A voice sounded suddenly, and I was shocked.


    A beautiful woman sat down beside me. She was mboyant and gave off a sense of aggression.


    I was stunned. ¡°Hello!¡±


    The woman swept a nce at me and spoke disdainfully. ¡°I¡¯m Emery Moore. And you are?¡±


    Emery Moore?


    The youngest daughter of the Moore family and Zachary¡¯s little sister?


    Hah!


    What a coincidence!


    I said, ¡°Scarlett Stovall.¡±


    When she heard my name, she froze for a moment. Soon after, she narrowed her eyes at me. ¡°You¡¯re


    the one who destroyed Cameron?¡±


    I pursed my lips and didn¡¯t respond. I didn¡¯t really like the Moores, so I was reluctant to talk to her.


    John said, ¡°Cut the crap. We¡¯re here to drink and enjoy. If Ms. Moore wants to seek trouble, you can go


    to other tables to try your luck and stop your bickering here.¡±


    Emery snorted and turned to me. ¡°You have so many people to protect you.¡±


    ¡°What do you want, Ms. Moore?¡± I made it clear that I didn¡¯t wish to drag on this conversation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so repulsive toward me. I¡¯m here to be your friend.¡± Emery sat beside me and continued, ¡°As


    the saying goes, ¡®the enemy of my enemy is my friend.¡¯ I hate Cameron and that pretentious daughter


    of hers too, so we should be friends.¡±


    I remained silent, listening to her bold words.


    She looked at the female worker who was hurt and said, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you help her to the end? She¡¯s


    such a fragiledy. Do you think it ends here after John castrated the man?¡±


    When I turned to John, he was impatient. ¡°Can you stop dilly-dallying?¡±


    Emery remained calm and said, ¡°You two are the heirs of the Stovall family. The man wouldn¡¯t dare to


    seek revenge on you guys. However, that¡¯s not the case for her. She is on her own, without a powerful


    family background. Now that she had caused trouble, that fatty will surelye for her and make her


    suffer.¡±


    When she saw me furrowing my brows, she gave a scornfulugh. ¡°Stop putting up the image of being


    uninterested in mundane affairs. You¡¯re lucky enough to meet so many benefactors in your life. You


    have a pretty face and people around you to protect you. Unlike you, there are a lot of pitiful people


    leading miserable lives.¡±


    She pointed at thedy and said, ¡°Look at her. She¡¯s beautiful and has a delicate figure. Perhaps her


    family background is simr to yours. However, she doesn¡¯t have Ashton as her husband and Mr.


    Stovall as her brother, nor did she have someone like Louis in her life. So, her life is full of sorrow.¡±


    This woman¡­

 Chapter 360

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 360


    The manager came back after sending the fatty away. He red at the female worker and


    reprimanded, ¡°Yvonne, you know the rules here. The boss is generous, so spend a night with him and


    you¡¯ll be highly rewarded.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you do it?¡± I got up and walked toward the manager. ¡°ording to your logic, how about


    you take off your clothes here and perform an erotic dance on the stage? I¡¯ll give you a hundred


    thousand. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, this¡­¡± The manager stuttered before rephrasing his sentence. ¡°Ms. Stovall, your jokes are


    so funny.¡±


    I wore a serious expression, as I rified that I wasn¡¯t fooling around. ¡°I mean it. If one hundred isn¡¯t


    enough for you, let¡¯s make it two hundred. Is that enough?¡± The expenses in K City were quite high, but


    the ie of the workers without proficiency qualifications was less than ten thousand.


    The manager¡¯s expression fell as he looked at me. ¡°Ms. Stovall, I didn¡¯t offend you or anything. You


    wrecked my ce and demanded such an unreasonable request. You can¡¯t trample on usmoners


    just because you have a powerful family background.¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡± I chuckled. ¡°Manager, may I know your name please?¡±


    He was stunned for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m Long.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Hello, Mr. Long. As a manager, shouldn¡¯t you stop those unreasonable customers from


    hitting your workers? I can understand if you¡¯re busy and didn¡¯t notice Yvonne was hit by the man.


    However, after the incident, shouldn¡¯t you understand the situation first before giving her punishment?¡±


    After pausing for a moment, I folded my arms and continued, ¡°Oh right! From what you said, I bet you


    knew why she was beaten. She has the freedom of choosing the way she wants to earn money. Not


    only did you not defend her, you humiliated her. Mr. Long, transactional sex with customers is illegal


    ording to thew. At the very least, you¡¯ll have to get her consent first. There is nothing wrong if she


    disagrees to being beaten.¡±


    ¡°What was that supposed to mean, Ms. Stovall? Are you here to wreck my business?¡± The manager¡¯s


    expression turned grim. Once he spoke his words, a few men dressed in ck showed up beside him.


    It seemed like they were bodyguards.


    Raising my brows, I said, ¡°That¡¯s very arrogant.¡± They know my identity, but they are so tantly


    standing up against me. It seems like someone powerful is backing them.


    I turned to John and asked, ¡°Who owns the Imperial Hotel?¡±


    Thetter cocked his brows as he looked at Emery, who was sipping on her wine.


    So, the Moore family owns the Imperial Hotel.


    The woman noticed my gaze on her and grinned with delight. ¡°Ms. Stovall, let¡¯s be friends.¡±


    I put on a fake smile. ¡°What a unique way to befriend someone, Ms. Moore.¡±


    She shrugged and said with no hesitation. ¡°I¡¯m not some honorable woman, so there¡¯s nothing wrong


    with me using methods like this. Now, it¡¯s up to you.¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Her words made me feel likeughing. ¡°You¡¯re quite forceful in making friends, Ms. Moore. If I don¡¯t


    agree, are you going to make us stay?¡±


    Emery hurriedly shook her head. ¡°Nope. I¡¯ll think of other solutions if you¡¯re don¡¯t agree. However, you


    guys can¡¯t leave her alone. After all, she has angered the man. That fatty wouldn¡¯t dare to go against


    the Stovall family, but he may seek revenge on me.¡±


    Upon hearing her words, John scoffed. ¡°Ms. Moore, your nightclub has been going on smoothly all


    these years. Are you scared of a nouveau riche like him?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Emery replied before looking at Yvonne. ¡°I¡¯m not scared, but she is. That fatty can¡¯t do


    anything to me, but he mayy his hands on her.¡±


    So she means I¡¯ll have to take Yvonne under my wing.


    John clicked his tongue and turned to look at Yvonne. ¡°Miss, do you mind finding another job?¡±


    Wow!


    Is John trying to poach people openly?


    Yvonne was startled. She turned to Emery with a smile stered on her face, as she didn¡¯t know what


    to do.


    Emery curled her lips and smiled. ¡°So you have decided to be my friend, Mr. Stovall?¡±


    John cocked his brows while he smirked devilishly. ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t hurt having more friends.¡±


    The woman chuckled and said, ¡°Alright. Then that¡¯s it!¡± With a satisfied smile on her face, she turned to


    Yvonne and beckoned at her. ¡°Mr. Stovall had given his words. Are you refusing his help?¡±


    Yvonne widened her eyes in surprise and hurriedly bowed at John. ¡°Mr. Stovall, thank you for saving


    my life.¡±


    Thetter held onto his forehead and sighed helplessly. ¡°Enough. Don¡¯t be so serious about it.¡±


    With that, he checked his watch and looked at Yvonne. ¡°Do you have your phone with you?¡±


    The woman nodded and hurriedly took out her phone.


    John took over her phone before typing a string of numbers. When he was done, he returned her


    phone and instructed, ¡°Call this number tomorrow and tell him I asked you to.¡±

 Chapter 361

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 361


    Yvonne took over her phone and blushed when she stole a nce at John.


    Seeing her reaction, Emery cocked her brow and suggested, ¡°How about leaving your phone number


    to her? Well, she might give her heart to you since you saved her life.¡±


    Displeased, John frowned at her words. After ncing at Emery, he turned to me and asked, ¡°Are you


    tired?¡±


    I nodded, as I was quite exhausted. It was right at this moment the alcohol kicked in, and my head was


    spinning.


    Seeing how I couldn¡¯t bnce myself, he reached out and pull me up from my seat before looking at


    Emery indifferently. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. We¡¯ll be heading back.¡±


    Emery ced her wine ss on the table before raising a brow at me. ¡°Ms. Stovall, since we¡¯re already


    friends, do you mind giving me your contact number? We can stay in touch in the future.¡±


    I was stunned before handing my phone to her. She typed a string of numbers and smiled at me. ¡°Let¡¯s


    stay in touch!¡±


    When we exited the Imperial Hotel, it was 3 a.m.


    When I got back to the vi, Ashton wasn¡¯t there. I wasn¡¯t surprised or anything because it was


    expected.


    Overwhelmed by fatigue, I drifted off to sleep without mulling over it.


    On the next day, I was still in my dreams when Jackson called.


    Awoken by the ringtone, I sat up on my bed with an intense headache.


    Once I answered the call, Jackson¡¯s voice sounded from within. ¡°Are you the one behind the incident


    involving Cameron?¡± His tone was heavy, and even though I was in a daze, I could hear the curt


    reprimand in his voice.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I stretched my body and felt difort all over. It might be because of theck of sleep.


    He sighed and said, ¡°Scarlett, if you can¡¯t get over the pain, there¡¯s nothing you can do. Promise me


    never to do this again. Don¡¯t be someone you hate.¡±


    I lifted a hand to massage my forehead and immediately sobered up a little. Tiredness still lingered on


    my being as I replied, ¡°Jackson, I had be who I hate long ago.¡±


    When did I cease to live as the old me?


    He fell silent for a while before saying, ¡°Come back to J City. Summer and I are here for you.


    Everything will be better in the future.¡±


    Listening to his words, tears welled up in my eyes. I nodded slightly and forced a word out of my lips as


    I choked up. ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still sleeping, aren¡¯t you? When are youing back? We¡¯ll pick you up.¡± Jackson¡¯s voice


    sounded happy.


    Thinking for a while, I replied, ¡°I suppose¡­ These few days? It¡¯s almost the new year. I¡¯ll take care of


    the matters here and return.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± After hanging up on the call, I stared nkly at the ceiling.


    Feeling light-headed, I washed up before going downstairs.


    Mrs. Eriksen had prepared breakfast. When she saw me walking down the stairs, she asked with a


    worried expression. ¡°Did you have trouble sleeping yesterday? Why do you look so pale?¡±


    I yawned and nodded. ¡°Mrs. Eriksen, when are you returning to J City?¡±


    She froze a while before blinking out of her daze. ¡°I was about to discuss this with you. Aren¡¯t you and


    Mr. Ashton returning to J City? I¡¯ll have to head back tonight. Have you guys decided on how to


    celebrate New Year¡¯s Eve?¡±


    I shook my head and replied, ¡°I guess I¡¯ll return to J City.¡±


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    She furrowed her brows and exined, ¡°Letty, didn¡¯t you be a part of the Stovall family tree? This


    year, you should celebrate with the Stovalls. It¡¯s only right.¡±


    Oh, the Stovall family! My head throbbed in pain, and I held my forehead. ¡°Yeah. Let me think about it.¡±


    After eating my breakfast, I went to the White Corporation directly to meet Richard. He came to K City


    for the annual meeting.


    I contacted him beforehand, and he agreed to wait for me at the office. When he saw me, he said,


    ¡°There¡¯s a breakthrough in the AI products. We¡¯ll hold a productunch next year and it was believed


    that the White Corporation will monopolize the AI market if nothing goes wrong.¡±


    I was stunned by his words, as I never expect he would give me such a tremendous surprise. Smiling


    joyfully, I replied, ¡°This is the best news I¡¯ve received this year. Make some arrangements and make


    sure everyone goes home for their new year celebration after the annual meeting. After the new year,


    we¡¯ll hold a productunch.¡±


    He nodded and left after handing me the documents, while I was lost in a daze, standing in the office.


    I came to work at White Corporation to acquire OrbitTech. It was my attempt to poach for business with


    the Moores, but it seemed there was no need for this anymore.


    Nheless, the oue was great but quite unexpected. Marcus wasn¡¯t around anymore, and I felt


    rather lost.


    After exiting the White Corporation, I called Louis to invite him for a meal.


    It was the end of the year and most people were enjoying their holidays. Louis was done with his


    inspection in different regions, so he had more leisure time on his hands now.


    At the restaurant.


    After ordering, Louis looked at me and said, ¡°How¡¯s your holiday n? I heard from Jo that you¡¯re


    returning to J City. Do you have someone important there?¡±


    I nodded and looked at him in the eyes. ¡°They are an important friend and a child, which my deceased


    friend left behind. It wouldn¡¯t be convenient to bring a child that young on a flight, so I n to return to J


    City. Dad, will you me me for not celebrating New Year¡¯s Eve with you?¡±


    He smiled and spoke, ¡°It¡¯s your decision, so I won¡¯t interfere. I¡¯ve gotten used to it after all these years.


    Say, did something happen between you and Ashton?¡±

 Chapter 362

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 362


    I froze and shook my head slowly. ¡°No, everything¡¯s fine.¡±


    He frowned. ¡°Kid, you be one with your spouse the moment you exchange wedding rings. You


    have to treat all your future problems with the same attitude. Disagreements aremon since you¡¯re


    both young and have your own personality and opinions, so naturally, you¡¯ll do things your own way.


    But that¡¯s all part of the rtionship. You can¡¯t think of splitting up just because of an argument. Getting


    married isn¡¯t a game. You can¡¯t quit whenever you feel like it. Ashton is a genius when ites to


    business, but he¡¯s not perfect. I can see how much he cares about you.¡±


    I nodded, understanding where he came from. ¡°How¡¯s the Moore family doing, Dad?¡±


    He smiled helplessly when I suddenly changed the topic. ¡°As long as Zachary stays quiet, you¡¯ll be fine.


    It¡¯s kind of strange how quiet the Moore family has been since what happenedst night. Apart from


    just keeping the media silent, they didn¡¯t do anything to you.¡±


    I pressed my lips together tightly. The Moore family¡¯s non-action was rather confusing and I couldn¡¯t


    help but wonder if they were nning to do something even worse.


    After chatting to Louis for a while, I stopped by the Baumans that afternoon to visit Sophia and


    Anthony.


    It was ratherte when I got back to the vi, but surprisingly, Ashton was reading in the living room.


    Since we wouldn¡¯t argue if we weren¡¯t talking, I went upstairs straightaway. In Mrs. Eriksen¡¯s absence,


    the house felt as empty as a ghost town.


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve visited Mr. and Mrs. Bauman, are you going to stop by the graveyard to visit the rest of


    them tomorrow?¡± Ashton said suddenly in a cold voice.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    I curled my lip. Rather than get angry, I just replied, ¡°I guess Mr. Fuller really likes sticking his nose into


    others¡¯ business.¡±


    I knew he arranged for me to have bodyguards but I hadn¡¯t imagined that he would send people to stalk


    me 24/7.


    He put his book down and leaned his arm against the sofa as he looked at me frostily. ¡°Have you


    prepared anything for that visit? I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a lot you can bring to dead people though.¡±


    I frowned. He was being way too cynical at this point. ¡°Ashton, I¡¯m minding my own business so I hope


    you can stick to minding your own too.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t in the mood to argue with him, nor did I think we had to.


    I turned to walk upstairs and went into our bedroom. New Year¡¯s Eve was arriving soon so I decided to


    pack some of the things I¡¯d be bringing back to J City.


    Ashton had followed me up. Once he saw me packing my things, his expression darkened and he


    reached out to snatch away the clothes that I was folding. Then he proceeded to toss my luggage on


    the ground.


    ¡°If you really want to leave, shouldn¡¯t you at least follow through with the procedures properly? Ms.


    Stovall, are you really nning on throwing three years of marriage away without a word? Is that the


    so-called ¡®manners¡¯ that you love to nag about?¡±


    I gritted my teeth and felt a sudden headacheing on. ¡°Ashton, I don¡¯t feel like arguing with you


    anymore. I already told you that we needed to take a break from each other. If we feel like this marriage


    is a dead end, then we can break it off on good terms.¡±


    I sighed, feeling tired. ¡°Every problem has a solution. We¡¯re both adults. There¡¯s no need to throw a


    tantrum at me like that.¡±


    He scoffed coldly. ¡°No need? So you want a divorce, huh? Is it because I don¡¯t treat you well enough or


    am I abusing you? Is marrying into the Stovall family and having me as your husband pointless to you


    now? Leaving after using me is indeed vicious of you, Scarlett.¡±


    I looked up and tried to suppress the emotions building up inside of me but eventually failed. ¡°Then


    what do you want me to do? I tried to talk things out with you but you threw a tantrum. Now that I¡¯m


    trying to give us a break, you call me vicious. Ashton, even a machine needs instructions and


    programming before it does what you want it to. I¡¯m only human. How am I supposed to read your


    mind? I can¡¯t just magically guess whatever you want from me!¡±


    He looked down and said in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t be involved in anything that has to do with Marcus


    anymore, including the Baumans and the Whites.¡±


    I frowned. I didn¡¯t really need to bother with the Whites anymore, but Sophia and Anthony¡­


    Ashton grew irritated at my silence and gripped my chin firmly. ¡°Answer me!¡±


    ¡°What do you want me to say?¡± I could have just replied ¡®Okay¡¯, but the thought of not being able to visit


    any of them pained me. Marcus saved me after all. Was it so hard to go and visit once in a while?


    ¡°Stop wasting your time on a dead man!¡±


    My frown deepened as I started to get even more annoyed. ¡°Ashton, I think you¡¯re the one who needs


    to get over Marcus.¡±


    Constantly talking about how he was ¡®dead¡¯ was incredibly disrespectful.

 Chapter 363

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 363


    Heughed coldly. ¡°Get over it? How am I supposed to get over it when my wife gets all depressed


    because of another man no matter where she goes? He¡¯s dead and yet he¡¯s on your mind all the time.


    Don¡¯t even think about telling me that you¡¯re just grateful. You know Marcus better than I do. Would he


    help some stranger because he sympathized with them? No! You know exactly why he started getting


    close to you, but despite that, you still let him take care of you. Do you know what that¡¯s called?¡±


    He paused and looked at me before saying firmly, ¡°Being selfish.¡±


    I pressed my lips tightly together and looked at his darkening gaze before shing a smile. ¡°Yup, that¡¯s


    me. I¡¯m the most selfish person to ever exist so you should probably cut ties with me before my


    selfishness bes contagious.¡±


    I pushed him away and felt my eyes start to cloud over with tears. He seemed to realize and reached


    out to pull me back.


    My chest was starting to ache from all the emotions and I yelled, ¡°Get away from me!¡±


    He wasn¡¯t prepared for that and stumbled back a couple of steps. Instead of walking toward me like I


    expected him to, he continued to stare at me.


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    The tension in the air was so thick, it could be cut with a knife. I braced myself for what I thought was


    about to be another yelling match.


    But he stayed quiet.


    He looked at me for a long time before turning and walking away.


    I didn¡¯t know why things turned out like this. I knew he was good to me and I knew he was in love with


    me, but why did things have to turn out like this?


    My tears started falling on the ground.


    Before he stepped out of the room, I rushed forward and hugged him tightly. ¡°Don¡¯t go,¡± I whispered


    hoarsely.


    He stiffened and let me continue to hug him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said, burying my face into his back.


    He still stayed quiet as if he was waiting for something else.


    After a long time, he put a hand on mine and turned away from my tight grip. ¡°If that¡¯s all you had to


    say, then save it.¡±


    I looked at his handsome, angr features and into his eyes.


    He lifted a hand to tuck my messy fringe behind my ear before leaning down and nting a kiss right at


    the corner of my mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t involve yourself with the Whites anymore, including the Baumans.¡±


    I froze. I had already pulled my hands away but he took them in his own as he said in a deep voice,


    ¡°Okay?¡±


    I didn¡¯t need to care about the White family anymore, nor did I have much to do for the Baumans.


    But the involvement that Ashton was talking about and the involvement I was talking about clearly


    differed. I owed Marcus my life. If Sophia and Anthony got into any trouble and needed my help, I


    couldn¡¯t turn them down.


    That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t say yes to Ashton.


    ¡°Ashton!¡± I finally spoke up and pulled my hands out of his grasp. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    His gaze started freezing over again along with a hint of a murderous stare.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize to me,¡± he said, his voice already returning to his usual cold self.


    I sighed, feeling like a deted balloon. I looked up at him and said lifelessly, ¡°Ashton, let¡¯s get a


    divorce.¡±


    This had nothing to do with Marcus and Reba. It was simply the two of us that no longer worked


    out.


    He gripped my shoulders tightly and stared at me with eyes like charcoal. He was mping his lips


    together as if he were trying to suppress his rage.


    ¡°Dream on,¡± he said in a low, raspy voice.


    He let me go and stepped back, looking at me meaningfully before turning to leave.


    I lifted a hand to massage my forehead. My headache was getting worse.


    My mood got even worse when I looked around at the clothes strewn all over the floor after his little


    tantrum. I tried my best to control myself and continued picking them up and packing them into my


    carrier.


    After that, I sat on the bed and booked my ne ticket to J City tomorrow.


    Two sleepless nights were probably the most my body could take and I ended up passing out.


    I thought I would be able to sleep until sunrise, but that was too naive of me. Ashton returned at about


    two in the morning.


    I don¡¯t know when he returned to the bedroom exactly, but I got woken up by the sound of water


    running in the bathroom. After the water stopped for a few minutes, I felt Ashton lie down next to me.


    His body felt slightly cold but dry except for his hair, which was slightly damp. He reached out an arm


    and wrapped it around my waist as he pressed his chest against my back. I stiffened.


    We were close enough that I could smell the faint pheromones mixed in the smell of his shampoo.


    I pressed my lips together and tried to move away, but he tightened his grip on me and nestled his chin


    into my shoulder as he said roughly, ¡°Go to sleep.¡±


    After a while, I heard his breathing be slow and steady. He must be asleep.


    I turned around and saw him in a deep sleep with his eyes tightly shut. His features were still chiseled


    and the shadows outlined his features. There were some faint purple shadows under his eyes that


    were probably due to his immense workload the past few days.


    He seemed to be deep asleep, so I lifted a hand and started tracing his features absentmindedly.

 Chapter 364

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 364


    I could smell the faint scent of alcohol on his breath and couldn¡¯t help but frown. I hadn¡¯t been able to


    smell it underneath his shower gel and shampoo, but now I realized that he had been out drinking.


    I was extremely tired as well, but I couldn¡¯t fall asleep properly at all. I¡¯d wake up every time I managed


    toe close to sleeping.


    Eventually, the sun rose.


    Unfortunately, I was woken up by Ashton.


    I tried to push him away but he held my hand in a death grip.


    He was much harder to get rid of in the morning.


    I was still exhausted. I caught a glimpse of his dark irises staring at me.


    I didn¡¯t feel very good and tried to push him away again, but this time he pinned both of my hands


    above my head andmanded, ¡°Stop moving.¡±


    I pressed my lips together to avoid his kiss. ¡°Ashton-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t piss me off more. We¡¯re not getting a divorce, so don¡¯t even think about missing out on anything


    a wife should do.¡±


    I-


    The phone rang. It was a call from Jackson, who probably wanted to ask me what time my flight was.


    Ashton picked up before I could and said in a low voice, ¡°Calling so early? Are you trying to listen in on


    how we usually spend our mornings?¡±


    How shameless!


    I didn¡¯t manage to catch what Jackson said, but once he hung up, Ashton seemed even angrier.


    ¨C


    When he was finally satisfied, it was already afternoon.


    I was more than exhausted. I had already been tired, but after what he did, I was feeling even worse.


    ¡°Why are you going to J City?¡± Hey down next to me and still continued feeling me up even after he


    was done.


    I kept my eyes shut, not feeling like talking to him. I stood up and was about to go to the bathroom


    when he suddenly pinned me down. ¡°Answer me.¡±


    I gritted my teeth. ¡°I¡¯m going to go shower.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll walk you there,¡± he said as he held me tightly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to.¡±


    ¡°I want to.¡± His tone was alreadyced with anger.


    After that, he picked me up and put me in the bathtub before helping me fill it up.


    I thought he would be done after that, but he started to take a shower right then and there.


    This was even more awkward than what we just did!


    Once I was done with my shower, I walked out in my towel to see him already fully clothed. His gaze


    darkened and he said, ¡°I¡¯ll be on holiday after tomorrow. We¡¯ll go visit Aunt Sally then go to J City


    together.¡±


    ¡°No thanks,¡± I said with a mild expression. ¡°I already booked my ticket.¡±


    ¡°Cancel it!¡± he barked in a scarily cold tone.


    I pressed my lips together and frowned, trying to suppress my irritation. ¡°You should go back tomorrow,


    then. It¡¯s troublesome to cancel the ticket anyway.¡±


    He looked at me and reached out a hand. My frown deepened. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll cancel it for you.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± I didn¡¯t feel like arguing with him and went to the closet. He was already gone by the


    time I came out.


    After tidying up a bit, I checked the time. It was almost time for me to head off so I carried my luggage


    downstairs.


    Suddenly, my phone pinged with a notification from the airlinepany. It said that my flight had been


    canceled.


    After my initial shock, I realized that it was Ashton¡¯s doing.


    I couldn¡¯t hold my rage in after a whole morning of trying and threw my phone on the floor with a


    loud bang.


    I walked downstairs. He was having breakfast, which was just a couple slices of toast since Mrs.


    Eriksen wasn¡¯t home.


    I picked up a piece of toast and tossed it at him in rage. ¡°Ashton, what the hell are you trying to do?¡±


    He frowned and red at me. ¡°Watch it.¡±


    ¡°Watch it? Why should I?¡± I yelled, ¡°How could you cancel my ticket without my permission? Ashton,


    what am I to you? A toy? Maybe a robot or a puppet that has to listen to your every word?¡±


    He kept his mouth shut and continued staring at me for a long time before speaking. ¡°You sound


    furious.¡±


    I paused and pressed my anger down again. ¡°I¡¯m not furious, but please don¡¯t touch any of my private


    matters without my permission ever again. I don¡¯t mind that you¡¯re not willing to get a divorce. We¡¯re


    just wasting each other¡¯s time after all. Still, please respect me. That¡¯s all I¡¯m asking for, thank you very


    much.¡±


    My polite, slightly aloof tone clearly showed how exhausted I was.


    I didn¡¯t look at his expression as I went upstairs again, booked another ticket, and came down with my


    luggage.


    He stood in the living room with that familiar pair of dark eyes staring daggers at me.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    He didn¡¯t chase after me even as I loaded my luggage into the car.


    The car drove out of the vi and I sighed in relief when I noticed that he was still in the vi.


    I got my air ticket once I reached the airport. Since it was still early, I got a book and sat down in the


    departure lounge to wait.


    A girl suddenly approached me, giving me a shock.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, are you heading back to J City today as well?¡± The girl was dressed in a fashionable


    trench coat over a knitted knee-length dress paired with ankle boots. Her outfit was both modern and


    ssic at the same time.

 Chapter 365

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 365


    I looked at her dainty features for a minute or two but still failed to recall when and where I had ever


    met this girl.


    The girl giggled at my confusion. ¡°Ms. Stovall, did you forget? We just met. My name is Yvonne Wilde.


    You and Mr. Stovall saved me at the Imperial Hotel.¡±


    I paused for a second and finally remembered. I asked in confusion, ¡°You¡¯re from J City too?¡±


    She nodded and smiled. ¡°Yep. I¡¯m from S County, but I study in K City.¡±


    After a pause, she said awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯m not from a very well-off family, you see. My parents managed to


    send me to high school but they couldn¡¯t afford to send me to college after that. That¡¯s why I had to


    work the night shift at Imperial Hotel to get enough money. I ended up getting mistreated because I


    wouldn¡¯t leave with a client. Thankfully you and Mr. Stovall saved me!¡±


    I nodded in acknowledgment. I was never a sociable person, so I didn¡¯t know how to carry on the


    conversation from there and fell silent.


    She seemed to enjoy talking to me nheless and smiled when she saw the book I was reading. ¡°Ms.


    Stovall, do you like The Hunchback of Notre Dame as well? I just read it a couple of days ago.¡±


    I nodded in response and paused before asking, ¡°The New Year is in a couple of days. Why didn¡¯t you


    choose to work a couple more shifts in K City before going back?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Stovall arranged some shifts for me in J City so I can work closer to home and return at the end of


    the month,¡± she said with a smile. She seemed happy just talking about John.


    I nodded but remembered that John didn¡¯t seem to have any businesses in J City. What shifts could he


    have given her?


    Out of curiosity, I asked, ¡°What shifts did he arrange for you?¡±


    ¡°I study ounting, so he contacted an auditpany for me called Harrison Credit. They only started


    growing these past few years. They have plenty of work that needs to be done since it¡¯s the end of the


    year, so I can also getmission on top of my sry.¡±


    She smiled and asked me, ¡°Ms. Stovall, is Mr. Stovall also going back to J City for the New Year?¡±


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    Could it be this girl have a crush on John?


    I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. He¡¯s probably staying in K City.¡±


    She murmured softly, ¡°He said he was going to J City, though¡­¡±


    I didn¡¯t ask any more questions. It was almost time for my flight anyway, so I said goodbye to her and


    got on the ne.


    Jackson was already waiting for me at the airport. Once we got in the car, he started nagging at me.


    ¡°Can you turn off your phone the next time you¡¯re doing that stuff with Ashton? It made me seem like


    some sort of pervert.¡±


    I pressed my lips together and felt my face heat up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll turn it off next time.¡±


    He nced at me and narrowed his eyes. ¡°You used protection, right?¡±


    I was especially sensitive at the topic of conception and stiffened momentarily before replying, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Good. Your body is in no state for another pregnancy. Anyway, follow me somewhereter


    once we get back.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°To see the doctor. You coughed up bloodst time, and the doctor said even though it stopped, it¡¯s still


    very dangerous and your life is at risk if it continues. I managed to contact a traditional doctor who can


    help you take a look,¡± he exined as he drove.


    He took a look at my pale visage and asked, ¡°Have you been burning the midnight oil again?¡±


    I pressed my lips together and pinched my brow. ¡°I just can¡¯t sleep.¡±


    If chronic illnesses could be cured once and for all, of course I¡¯d do my best to follow the doctor¡¯s


    instructions. But chronic illnesses took forever to treat and that took time and energy that I didn¡¯t have.


    He sighed. ¡°If you and Ashton really are on such bad terms, then you should take a break until you get


    better. Dragging this on for so long isn¡¯t good for either of you.¡±


    ¡°He isn¡¯t willing to get a divorce!¡± I said as Jackson mmed the brakes at the red light in front of us.


    He looked at me with wide eyes. ¡°Are you crazy? Who¡¯s thinking of getting a divorce? He has money,


    he¡¯s fit and he¡¯s good-looking. Why would you get a divorce?¡±


    I looked at him in annoyance. ¡°Would you like to take my ce then?¡±


    He suddenly started stammering and managed to say, ¡°I already have someone else in mind, so no


    thanks.¡±


    I paused in suspicion. His tone sounded a little off. ¡°You have someone else in mind? Who is it? What¡¯s


    her name? Are you two already together? How long have you been dating?¡±


    He was struck speechless by my onught of questions and looked at me as he started to drive again.


    ¡°Calm down! Damn, I never thought a woman could be this nosy.¡±


    ¡°Have you never met a woman before? That¡¯s exactly why I¡¯m so curious!¡± If I were a man, would I be


    this curious?


    After a few more minutes, he finally cleared his throat and said, ¡°You¡¯ll know soon enough.¡±


    I hummed in response and finally stopped bombarding him with questions.


    I wasn¡¯t exactly willing to go see a doctor the very moment I arrived in J City. After all, who enjoyed


    being treated like a patient all the time?


    After bickering with Jackson for a little while, he finally gave in and brought me back to Glenwood


    Apartments.

 Chapter 366

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 366


    Rather than going to Macy¡¯s old ce, he brought me to a different block. He carried my luggage into


    the elevator for me as he said, ¡°The houses here aren¡¯t as big as Peakville Estate¡¯s, but it has a great


    environment and it¡¯s better for Summer.¡±


    I nodded. I was feeling nervous and pressured for some reason which Jackson probably spotted. He


    patted my shoulder and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. Summer is a good kid and doesn¡¯t give us any


    trouble.¡±


    I pressed my lips together and nodded but still felt nervous.


    My hands were damp with sweat by the time we reached the door. He pressed the doorbell and Nick


    opened the door dressed in an apron with a baby bottle in hand.


    I paused, not knowing what exactly I was feeling at the moment. Nick, however, was calmer than ever


    at the sight of me. ¡°You¡¯re here. Come in, the food is getting cold,¡± he said.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Jackson said to me, ¡°You can go wash your hands first and take a look at the kid before you eat.¡±


    He ced my luggage in a room and said, ¡°You can stay with us while you¡¯re here.¡±


    I didn¡¯t really hear everything he was saying as my head was full of the thought of seeing Summer. I


    followed Nick into the baby room decorated all over in soft pink including the crib and the mosquito


    over the crib. It was neatly equipped with everything needed to take care of a baby.


    I was pretty impressed that two men managed to take care of a baby this efficiently.


    Summer probably just woke up and as shey on the bed, herrge eyes nced around in wonder.


    She started giggling at the sight of a new face. She was just as small and soft as most three-month-old


    babies tended to be.


    Nick noticed my growing smile at the sight of Summer and offered, ¡°You can feed her.¡±


    He passed the baby bottle in his hand to me and smiled before leaving.


    I stayed still for a whole minute with the baby bottle in hand as waves of unspeakable emotions washed


    over me. One of the best things life had to offer was bringing new life into the world. After all, love and


    hope always bloomed in the face of new life.


    I didn¡¯t know where Marcus had buried the child back then and had never gotten the courage to even


    think about it, much less go and find the child.


    My heart softened at the sight of Summer and my tears finally came to my eyes. Happiness and pain


    created an ufortable lump in my throat.


    Jackson came in and saw my tears. ¡°Summer¡¯s your child now. Treat her well.¡±


    I nodded and felt my nose sting again. She was so small, I didn¡¯t dare to pick her up.


    I ced the mouth of the baby bottle right next to hers and she cleverly started sucking.


    ¡°Summer was born prematurely and has only had baby form, so she¡¯s quite smallpared to other


    babies her age,¡± Jackson said with a small sigh.


    I froze and immediately remembered how I wasctating when Marcus sent me to the hospital and they


    took the baby out.


    Due to theck of an actual baby who was feeding, there wasn¡¯t enough prctin and I stopped.


    I looked at Jackson and said, ¡°Go to the hospital with me tomorrow.¡±


    He froze. ¡°Are you finally willing to get checked up?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Nope. I want to visit the gynecologist and ask if it¡¯s possible for me to breastfeed four


    months after birth. I also want to see if there are other solutions.¡±


    He widened his eyes and asked, ¡°You¡¯re thinking of-¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Summer is still young. I just gave birth, and I wasctating but because I didn¡¯t have a child


    to feed, my body didn¡¯t produce prctin and I stopped. If we go consult a gynecologist, they might


    give us a solution.¡±


    I was thinking about all of this for Summer¡¯s sake, but Jackson¡¯s face suddenly became red. ¡°Scarlett,


    do you not see me as a man?¡±


    I paused and asked in confusion, ¡°What made you ask that?¡±


    He pped a palm to his forehead. ¡°Is it really appropriate for you to talk about this with me?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°Why not? I¡¯m already a hag who¡¯s given birth before, so what could you possibly want


    from me? Anyway, you¡¯re pretty good to Nick so I don¡¯t see a problem with me talking about this to


    you.¡±


    He froze again and then asked, ¡°How did you know about me and him?¡±


    ¡°I guessed,¡± I replied. ¡°Before this, I was chalking it up to it being a coincidence. But after seeing you


    together all the time and how he can¡¯t keep his eyes off of you, I figured it out myself. I¡¯m not blind after


    all.¡±


    He went silent for a second before asking, ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange?¡±


    ¡°Why would I? The world is full of strange things anyway. Just because there are more heterosexual


    couples doesn¡¯t mean that¡¯s inherently how the world works and vice versa for homosexual couples.


    What¡¯s right and what¡¯s wrong is a human concept after all. As long as you¡¯re happy and healthy,


    there¡¯s nothing wrong with being a little bit different from everyone else.¡±


    He looked at me with slightly red eyes and fell silent for a second before suddenly hugging me tightly.


    ¡°Thank you, Scarlett!¡±


    I sighed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me. It¡¯s your right to be happy.¡±


    To everyone else, my marriage with Ashton must seem like a blessing. After all, being able to marry a


    man you loved with excellent qualities to boot was most women¡¯s dream. Sadly, only I would ever truly


    know what went on behind the scenes.

 Chapter 367

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 367


    Inparison, peace and harmony were what¡¯s best.


    That night, I stayed at Glenwood Apartments and had a pretty good night¡¯s sleep. I didn¡¯t even hear


    Summer crying from hunger in the middle of the night.


    It was only the following day when Jackson asked me if Summer¡¯s crying had bothered me that I found


    out.


    I shook my head and yawned. ¡°After breakfast,¡± I said as I looked at him, ¡°remember to apany me


    to the hospital.¡±


    Jackson rolled his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. You broke it off for four months; how could you show


    up when you want to.¡±


    Nick was done in the kitchen. He emerged, d in a tailor-made suit, and looked very dashing. When


    Jackson and I came out, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll go into the office in a while. It¡¯s a busy time as we took on some


    new projects. Here¡¯s some breakfast for you and Summer.¡±


    I nodded and noticed that he slid an egg very carefully onto Jackson¡¯s te. I felt curious. How did they


    end up together?


    Nick caught me looking. ¡°Doesn¡¯t look appetizing?¡± he said.


    I shook my head and changed the subject. ¡°Did John leave a youngdy at yourpany?¡±


    Jackson pondered for a moment. ¡°Are you referring to the one called Yvonne?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s her.¡± I nodded.


    Jackson paused to take a sip of milk. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on right now with them. John told me


    that it was your intention, so I took her in.¡±


    What?


    When did I say such a thing?


    Jackson saw me frown. ¡°It¡¯s her first day today. Do you want me to keep an eye on her?¡±


    ¡°No, that won¡¯t be necessary,¡± I replied. ¡°I was just curious.¡±


    Nick was in a hurry; he left shortly afterward. Jackson and I had some breakfast, and I pestered him


    again to take me to the hospital.


    An hourter, we were at the gynecologist¡¯s consultation room.


    Jackson held Summer as I sat opposite the doctor¡¯s office. I asked sheepishly, ¡°Doctor, it was four


    months since I delivered my child. Since she died, I couldn¡¯t produce any more milk. Is it still possible to


    breastfeed now?¡±


    The gynecologist was a woman of fifty or so. She cast a nce to Jackson at my side and the child in


    his arms, and said, ¡°Under normal circumstances, that would be impossible. Of course, there is a small


    chance to, as many new mothers are able to breastfeed up to six months after delivery. But it all


    depends on the individual.¡±


    After a brief pause, she continued. ¡°We don¡¯t rmend that you go for specialized therapy, but you


    could let your husband give it a go. Usually, abination of diet and sexual stimtion is enough to


    inducectation.¡±


    It took a while for the full meaning of her words to register on me. I blushed furiously and was about to


    retort but I stopped myself. Instead, I chose to disregard that part. ¡°What do I have to pay attention to in


    my diet?¡±


    ¡°Consume food that encourages breast milk secretion, look up herbal remedies as well. I don¡¯t have


    any for sale, but I could write you a prescription for the ingredients. Other people prefer massages, but


    we won¡¯t rmend you doing that. It¡¯s been four months for you; if the masseuse is overly heavy-


    handed, they could damage your mammary nds. Your husband could give you a hand with that. And


    let your child keep trying. The pressure from her suction won¡¯t hurt you.¡±


    At that, she bent over and wrote my prescription. After handing it to me, she added, ¡°This process


    would require positivity and decent sleep to work. Make sure you get plenty of those!¡±


    I nodded, still flushed in the face. After thanking the gynecologist, we departed the hospital.


    Jackson was still holding Summer. He let out a cough and he turned to me. ¡°This will take a toll on your


    body. Summer has been on milk powder for three months, and other than being slightly frail for her


    age, she doesn¡¯t appear unhealthy. Should we just forgo this?¡±


    Studying the prescription, I pursed my lips. ¡°Summer is my child. If I am able to breastfeed her, why


    shouldn¡¯t I? We owe it to her to try. You wouldn¡¯t want her to be sickly when she gets older, would you?¡±


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    Jackson nodded. ¡°Be that as it may, but the doctor said that it could harm you. Four months is a pretty


    long time. It would be difficult to start again after that long.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I said, in an effort to end the conversation. I reached over and took Summer from his arms


    and got into the car.


    Jackson got into the driver¡¯s seat, clearly unsatisfied with the way our chat was going. But something


    on the outside caught his eye and he froze.


    I followed his gaze and saw a woman dressed in a hospital gown outside of the patient¡¯s ward. She


    was walking alongside a man in a ck suit. He had a cold-looking demeanor.


    It was clear that he had just visited the woman at the hospital, and was apanying her for a walk


    around the hospital grounds.


    Jackson looked over at me. ¡°What¡¯s the situation now between you and Ashton?¡±


    I mmed the car door shut and watched the couple return to the hospital. ¡°Contemting divorce.¡±


    Jackson frowned. ¡°Because of him and Reba?¡±


    I frowned back at him. ¡°Isn¡¯t that enough?¡±


    He started the car without another word. After a period of silence, he said, ¡°If you still care about each


    other, you should talk it out. Divorce is too rash.¡±


    I didn¡¯t respond. Looking back out at the hospital, they were nowhere to be found. Ashton had already


    escorted Reba back in.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! We have a herbal recipe to prepare,¡± I said, with as much calmness as I could muster.


    It¡¯s been so many years; I¡¯m numb to these feelings. Even anger is unnecessary at this point.

 Chapter 368

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 368


    Jackson sighed as he drove.


    Back at Glenwood, I followed the doctor¡¯s instructions with the herbal remedy. Summer began crying


    again. Jackson said that she¡¯ll cry whenever she¡¯s feeling hungry. But she didn¡¯t seem to enjoy the milk


    form very much.


    Nick stayed back at the office that night. That presented a dilemma, as he was the handiest with


    Summer. Without him, Jackson and I were at a loss in regards to her constant crying.


    The only thing we could do was to hold her and paced around the room. It wasn¡¯t easy, but we


    managed to get her down for a nap.


    The remedy was ready. I helped myself to arge bowl of it. Jackson stared at me glumly. ¡°The smell


    alone is bitter enough to make me gag. Are you sure you want to do this?¡±


    I nodded, took a deep breath, pinched my nose, and gulped it all down. It was bitter as hell, and the


    honey lozenge that Jackson handed me afterward couldn¡¯t have been more wee.


    My stomach wasn¡¯t agreeable, either. It rumbled on and on like a grouchy old dog. I went back into the


    bedroom andy down for a bit. Not long after, Nick came home and took Summer and Jackson out for


    a walk.


    I was almost asleep when the phone rang; It was Ashton. I picked up groggily. ¡°What is it?¡± I mumbled,


    irritated.


    ¡°Come down, we need to talk!¡± He said in a low voice.


    ¡°Can we do this another day? I¡¯m not up for moving much today.¡± I didn¡¯t feel like having another


    quarrel again, and I felt that my irritation might just spark one. Besides, another day might give us both


    time to calm down and talk things through better.


    ¡°I¡¯ming up!¡±


    I¡­


    ¡°Hang on!¡± I yelled in a panic. I got up, got dressed, and met him downstairs.


    It was unexpected that he knew I was living here. The winter in J City wasn¡¯t that harsh. d in a wooly


    sweater and a dark overcoat, Ashton leaned against his car, looking as aloof as ever. He lit a cigarette


    that glowed warmly in the cold night.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I repeated. I felt extra prickly today, for some reason. It might be due to the herbal


    medicine I had consumed.


    When Ashton saw me, he put out his cigarette and flung it into a bin nearby. He straightened up, took


    off his coat, and pulled it around my shoulders. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you dressed for the cold?¡±


    I pouted in annoyance. ¡°Say whatever it is you¡¯re here for!¡± My patience wore thin and I was not in the


    mood for idle chatter out here in the cold with him.


    He frowned but I couldn¡¯t read his expression. ¡°Come back to Peakville Estate.¡±


    ¡°I have things going on!¡± I shrugged off his coat and handed it back to him. ¡°Besides, I like it here.¡±


    My head throbbed as I sensed another argument on the horizon.


    ¡°Scarlett, you¡¯re a married woman now.¡± There was a bite of impatience in his voice. ¡°Don¡¯t you know


    that? Do you think it¡¯s appropriate for you to be living with two men?¡±


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t.¡± I looked up at him. ¡°Ashton, I¡¯ve told you this before. If you¡¯re not happy with this


    arrangement, I¡¯m happy to sign the divorce papers for you,¡± I said with no regard for his feelings.


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± Ashton grabbed my arm roughly. It hurt. ¡°Is our marriage a joke to you? Have you be so


    comfortable in flinging the threat of divorce around?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is! It¡¯s a joke! So, Ashton, when are you going to leave me?¡±


    Ashton narrowed his eyes, his eyes dark and dangerous. After a long while, he tightened his grip


    around my arm and flung me into the backseat of his car, with strength and roughness that frightened


    me.


    I wasn¡¯t strong enough to retaliate. Before I could sit upright, he drove away.


    It was a dangerous ride; he sped past countless red lights. At breakneck speed, we arrived at his vi.


    I was still in a daze when Ashton yanked me out of the car. ¡°Ashton, are you crazy?¡± I struggled.


    He said nothing and hoisted me up on his shoulders. I grew dizzy and lost my bearings. With every


    step he took, I felt seasick.


    Ashton brought me into a bedroom and flung me onto the bed. He climbed on top of me and took off


    his coat before I could sit up.


    ¡°Ashton, you scumbag!¡± I shouted as I bit into his shoulder and held on until I tasted blood.


    I didn¡¯t know what to do with him.


    I stopped struggling and opened my eyes. I couldn¡¯t divorce him, nor could I get rid of him. All hope is


    lost.


    Ashton must have noticed me ceasing to struggle. He stopped what he was doing as well and looked at


    me with his dark eyes. We gazed at each other for several moments.


    ¡°Do you hate me?¡± he asked coldly.


    I pursed my lips. I had no intention to speak with him.


    ¡°Scarlett, we are husband and wife, not enemies,¡± he breathed heavily. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t fight like that.¡±


    I said nothing and gritted my teeth to withstand the pain.


    The torment persisted. As he gasped and shuddered to a stop, he hugged me from behind. ¡°Come


    back and live with me, will you?¡±


    His voice sounded sad and weary.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    I was still unwilling to speak with him, and elected for silence. Not long after, Jackson called.


    ¡°I¡¯m at Peakville Estate!¡± I said at once upon picking up.


    Jackson took several moments topose himself. ¡°Summer is crying really hard. I¡¯ll try to put her to


    bed,¡± he said casually, as though I hadn¡¯t said anything.


    I grunted in response. ¡°Have a good night!¡± he said and hung up.


    Ashton pulled me closer against him. ¡°Summer?¡±


    ¡°Ashton, I¡¯m so tired of this. Please let¡¯s just separate,¡± I said quietly. ¡°I¡¯ll admit that I love you and care


    about you, but this doesn¡¯t mean that I would be willing to keep being at odds with you. You¡¯ve ruined


    the expectations I have for marriage. I don¡¯t me you, because I haven¡¯t tried my best for us too. So I


    guess we¡¯re even.¡±

 Chapter 369

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 369


    I felt his body stiffen up. Without allowing him respite for a response, I continued. ¡°When I got married


    to you, I thought the world of you, like the prince that every girl deserves. It was a blessing, and I will


    always treasure what we have. That is why I have made my peace with whatever you did with Reba


    all those years ago. I thought that if I were by your side long enough, you would be able to see the


    good in me and treat me better. But it¡¯s been three years.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re attentive to me now. But let¡¯s be realistic. This feels worse than when you ignored me. I¡¯m


    so tired of this. Whenever I think of you, all I could think of is to escape. The love I have for you is


    nowhere near enough to keep me going down this path with you. For that, and everything else, I am


    sorry.¡±


    The atmosphere in the room was cold with solitude. He didn¡¯t speak. The silence was deste.


    After a long while, he spoke. ¡°What would you like me to do to make you stay?¡± he asked quietly.


    I was momentarily startled and didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Taking advantage of the moment, he flipped me around so that we were face to face. ¡°Scarlett, I¡¯m


    trying very hard to save our marriage here. Tell me, what do you want?¡±


    We locked eyes again. I felt exhausted and closed my eyes. I didn¡¯t feel at all like replying.


    Yes, the problem was with me. I was crazy. I didn¡¯t know how to tell him what was wrong with me,


    because whenever we ran into the tiniest of obstacles, we would fight like cats and dogs until both of us


    were drained.


    I knew that divorce wasn¡¯t the solution, but I really didn¡¯t know what is.


    ¡°Ashton, I¡­¡±


    ¡°I know. Whatever you want to do in the future, just let me know ahead of time. You can go on


    managing affairs of the White family, just don¡¯t get yourself in too deep. Other than that, you can do


    whatever you like. We¡¯ll have better days ahead. Stay with me, Scarlett, will you?¡±


    I never knew he was capable of speaking with me this calmly. His tone was full of pleading and


    compromise.


    As if from the start, our thoughts had been different. I wanted to run whereas he wanted to stay and fix


    things.


    I didn¡¯t speak; I felt awful. It was a restless night. Perhaps because I was mentally upied, or maybe I


    felt lost.


    I awoke naturally the next day. Upon opening my eyes, I found Ashton looking at me with a smile on his


    face.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, startled.


    ¡°Have you thought about it?¡± Ashton lowered his gaze, his eyes dark as a stormy sea.


    I felt strange.


    I suddenly recalled my encounter with the herbal remedy, I had the suspicion that this difort had


    something to do with that.


    I debated with myself for a moment, and got up and went into the bathroom. The doctor advised that in


    conjunction with the herbal remedy, I should massage myself and see if anythinges out.


    I turned on the shower and got in. While I rinsed myself, I pressed my breasts gingerly. It felt strange; I


    must have done something wrong. No milk emerged, but it hurt like hell.


    Ashton entered at a moment when I was pumping myself in desperation. I almost fell over from his


    sudden appearance.


    He was silent for several moments in shock at my antics. ¡°What¡¯re you doing?¡± he demanded.


    I¡­


    Can I be straight with him and tell him that I¡¯m trying to inducectation?


    I grabbed my towel and wrapped myself up. I threw a casual nce at him and replied, ¡°Nothing, I¡¯m


    just taking a shower.¡±


    That excuse was some!


    Ashton looked disbelieving. He blocked my path as I was leaving. ¡°Tell me now or I¡¯ll ask Jackson,¡± he


    threatened as his eyes narrowed.


    I¡­


    ¡°Summer is Macy¡¯s baby. She was premature and because she had not had mother¡¯s milk, she has


    been sickly and frail, so that¡¯s why I¡¯m¡­¡± I blurted out in a rush, not evenpleting my sentence. But


    he understood.


    Ashton bit his lip, looking abashed. ¡°So you were thinking of feeding her yourself?¡±


    ¡°What else do you need to do?¡± He sighed, looking resigned.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    We were all adults. Anyway, I had delivered a baby before. I looked at him and said, ¡°When I gave


    birth, I still had milk of my own. After that, when I lost my baby, I didn¡¯t have to feed. Which stopped the


    prctin secretion.¡±


    ¡°So is that why you were trying by yourself?¡± Ashton frowned, looking slightly unhappy. ¡°What did you


    eat yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Some herbal remedy which would inducectation,¡± I replied truthfully.


    ¡°The doctor said, coupled with massages and other methods¡­¡± I bit my lip and left the sentence


    hanging.


    ¡°Massage and other methods?¡± Ashton chuckled. ¡°Self-massage? And how would you carry out the


    other methods?¡±


    ¡°If you have something you¡¯d like to say, spill it,¡± I retorted angrily.


    He fell silent at that.


    After a long while, I said, ¡°The child was premature and is very frail. Without the milk of a mother, she


    looks like a newborn despite being three months old. Ashton, I grew up as an orphan and my


    grandmother raised me. It was a blessing, but now that Grandma and Macy are gone, this child is now


    my responsibility and I will do my best to protect her.¡±

 Chapter 370

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 370


    I did not know how to love, or even how to receive love, but I did know that it meant to treat them well.


    Love is the reason why I was considerate on his behalf. I felt this way for this child. All I could do, I


    would do for her, and do it well.


    Ashton looked at me thoughtfully. ¡°And what about me? Am I even somebody important in your life? All


    Marcus left for you are regrets. What about me? Does it make a difference to you that we are married?¡±


    I knew perfectly well what Ashton wanted. He wanted me to need him and hold him in my heart.


    The light in the bedroom was dim, but his eyes appeared strangely bright. We stared at each other; I


    was at a loss for words.


    After a long while, Ashton let go of me and stepped back a few paces dejectedly. He smiled


    sarcastically to himself.


    ¡°Good for you, Scarlett.¡± He turned to leave, but I reached out and grabbed his arm.


    I had things I wanted to say to him from my heart, and almost instinctively, I blurted, ¡°I want more than


    anybody else to ce you first, but I¡¯m afraid that if one day I find myself unable to leave you, you¡¯ll be


    the one to leave.¡±


    He turned back and looked at me with a prative gaze. ¡°Was that why you neglected my feelings?


    Out of all the people in your heart, you chose to hurt only me?¡±


    I shook my head and felt terrible about the pain in his eyes. ¡°No, I¡¯ve never meant to hurt you. I just


    don¡¯t feel secure. I¡¯m afraid that you would leave me and not want me anymore.¡±


    Ashton was startled. His slim frame stiffened as he pulled me in for a tight hug. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly,¡± he


    whispered huskily in my ear.


    We hugged for a while, with my head on his chest. ¡°No matter how badly we fight, we should never


    threaten to leave each other, alright? Scarlett, I will never let you go, and I¡¯ll never divorce you.¡±


    I said nothing. I was stupid for not knowing how to be married.


    It was the end of the year. Most of the staff in thepany were on leave, but Ashton was still here.


    Mrs. Eriksen did not celebrate New Year¡¯s with us, so it was only me and Ashton left.


    I brought him over to Glenwood. Nick was still hard at work as hispany did not allow leaves, and


    Jackson was busy caring for Summer.


    When he opened the door to me and Ashton, he froze in surprise. Swiftly, he rearranged his features


    into an expression of serene indifference and reported, ¡°Summer just fell asleep.¡±


    I nodded and entered. ¡°Was she alrightst night?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, not too bad,¡± he replied as his gaze fell on Ashton and quickly looked away.


    I recalled his incident at the college and attempted to make introductions. ¡°This is Jackson, my friend


    from college. You should be acquainted with him.¡±


    Jackson red at me. Turning to Ashton, he smiled apologetically and said, ¡°Mr. Fuller, nice to meet


    you.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you too,¡± Ashton responded.


    Ashton exuded a cold and unfriendly presence; I found him unapproachable. After introductions with


    Jackson, he left to visit Summer.


    I tugged on Ashton¡¯s arm and followed Jackson to Summer¡¯s bedroom. She had her milk form and


    was fast asleep.


    Ashton looked stunned when he saw Summer and raised his hand as if to caress her, but pulled back


    on second thought.


    I guess all men are like that. They don¡¯t know how to deal with newborns.


    Jackson brought Summer¡¯s dirty clothes to theundry room. ¡°Do you n on taking the medicine


    today?¡± He turned to me and asked.


    It was an awkward moment. I looked away at Summer¡¯s underfed frame and nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    He stole a nce at Ashton and saw him watching the child too. Jackson raised his eyebrows and


    departed the room, leaving behind me and Ashton.


    He was transfixed by Summer. After a long while of staring at her, he asked, ¡°Is she Jared¡¯s?¡±


    I did not expect him to ask this. ¡°No¡­¡± I jumped and shook my head.


    I sensed his inquiring gaze and lowered mine. The words that came to my lips went unsaid.


    ¡°Does Jared know?¡± he went on as he stroked Summer¡¯s cheek with one long finger.


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°No, he doesn¡¯t,¡± I replied. As Ashton probably guessed everything at this point, I had no reason to hide


    it from him anymore.


    He nodded and watched as Summer smiled in her sleep. It was a pretty sight. ¡°We¡¯ll let Mr. Kane make


    the preparations, and then we¡¯ll register her. Since it¡¯s the New Year, we could take her back to my


    family and let them meet her.¡±


    Ashton noticed that I didn¡¯t respond and frowned. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± I shook my head, but my heart was filled with a warm glow.


    ¡°Thank you, Ashton!¡± I said after a brief pause. Caring for Summer was something I had to do, and it


    really made matters easier for me that he decided to think of her as his own.


    Jackson prepared the herbal remedy for me. It was a big bowl of dark liquid, and it made my stomach


    turn just looking at it. But it had to be done.


    I pinched my nose and gulped it down. Almost by reflex, Jackson handed me a lozenge. ¡°The doctor


    said that you need to massage yourself along with the medicine, and an adult should test it out.¡±

 Chapter 371

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 371


    He said it as a matter of fact, and it slowly dawned on him how inappropriate it sounded. Jackson


    nced embarrassingly at Ashton and promptly left the room.


    ¡°It¡¯s not good to take so much of that, you know,¡± Ashton said.


    I grunted in agreement, as my gaze fell on Summer. ¡°I want to visit the hospital in a while.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll apany you.¡± Ashton volunteered.


    I wanted to reject, but Summer chose that moment to wake up and cry loudly.


    I wasn¡¯t good withforting infants and did not dare lift her up, so I scrambled out to fetch Jackson.


    He was in the kitchen. He did not know how to cook so he employed a housekeeper. He heard


    Summer too and was on his way over.


    ¡°She must be hungry,¡± Jackson said as he grabbed the milk bottles.


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    I followed close behind. He suddenly stopped in his tracks and I ran right into him.


    ¡°Jackson, you¡­¡± I clutched my nose which seemed to have received most of the force from the


    collision. He and I were both stunned.


    When we returned, we found Summer already in Ashton¡¯s arms, tiny and frail like a newborn.


    Summer stopped crying. She stared adoringly up at Ashton with herrge unblinking eyes.


    Jackson was surprised. He strode over and gave the bottle to Ashton. ¡°She should be hungry, try


    feeding her,¡± Jackson said as he let out a cough.


    Ashton sat down and coaxed the bottle to Summer¡¯s lips with tenderness.


    Usually cold and haughty, he couldn¡¯t have been more different than when he sat there with the baby in


    his arms. I was at a loss for words, and thought privately to myself at how very sweet and lovely it was,


    but also pretty funny.


    Jackson had no words to spare and promptly exited the room.


    I walked over to Ashton¡¯s side and watched Summer drink vigorously, with her eyes stilltched onto


    him. ¡°When did you learn to feed babies?¡± I asked him.


    And such a small one at that.


    He looked up at me. ¡°When you were pregnant,¡± he said simply.


    ¡°When was that?¡± I waspletely clueless.


    He pursed his lips but did not speak. He said as he gazed back down at Summer, ¡°Let¡¯s take her back


    to Peakville Estate. Jackson and Nick have their hands full with their own affairs. We can¡¯t burden them


    with her.¡±


    I was taken aback, for I had not considered that. For a moment I did not know what to say.


    He sighed at my silence. ¡°At Peakville Estate, you would have plenty of time and help, as I would be


    hiring a couple of housekeepers. You would be able to calm your thoughts and spend time with the


    child too. When Mrs. Eriksenes back next year, she would be there to help you, as she has plenty


    of experience with young children.¡±


    He looked me in the eye. ¡°Would you agree to that?¡± he asked seriously.


    I nodded without realizing it. When I had regained my wits, I shook my head. ¡°I need to ask Jackson


    and Nick. They have been caring for the child for so long, I couldn¡¯t just leave with her. They¡¯ve grown


    attached too; I need to consider their feelings on the matter.¡±


    Ashton nodded but didn¡¯t object.


    Nick came home for lunch at noon. He brought over some fruits as well. At the dining table, I noticed


    that he looked vastly different from the time I first met him.


    Back then, he was a carefree and boisterous fellow from a rich family with no thoughts about the future.


    In the span of six months, he became more reticent and considerate, as he spent most of his time


    caring for other people besides himself.


    He noticed that I was studying him. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Are you going back for the new year?¡± The Harrisons were not a powerful family, but they owned a lot


    of property. Cameron, his mother, was responsible for expanding the family wealth. Though she had an


    heir, Cameron never considered for him to inherit the wealth.


    Nick tidied up the cutlery and froze slightly at my question. ¡°Go back where?¡± he asked sullenly.


    I was embarrassed and did not know how to respond.


    The rest joined us at the dining table. Nick turned to Ashton. ¡°You two should bring Summer to the


    Registration Office and register her,¡± he said.


    I couldn¡¯t help looking at Ashton to see how he would respond to that.


    ¡°Jackson and I have no business officially raising her,¡± Nick said cidly. ¡°You two are a legally married


    couple. It¡¯s easier for you to follow along with the procedures to adopt her.¡±


    Jackson was startled, but at Nick¡¯s words, he fell into thought.


    Ashton grunted in approval and cast his eyes on Summer. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with this as quickly as I can,¡± he


    assured Nick.


    Nick nodded. ¡°My mother would like to invite all of you for a meal,¡± he informed after a pause.


    Cameron?


    I was startled. ¡°All of us?¡±


    Reba was her daughter. Though it was a while ago, the fact that I¡¯d hurt her and made her famous


    for the wrong reasons remained vividly on everyone¡¯s minds. Cameron was willing to invite me for a


    meal after all that?


    Nick nodded. ¡°You and Ashton as well.¡±


    I nced at Ashton instinctively. He nodded his consent as well.


    After lunch, we parted ways. Nick made his way back to the office while Ashton and I took Summer for


    registration.

 Chapter 372

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 372


    I brooded for a good long while. ¡°Isn¡¯t Nick Cameron¡¯s biological son?¡± I asked Ashton, breaking the


    silence.


    It was obvious how much Cameron loves Reba. But she treated Nickpletely differently. She


    was negligent and dismissive of him.


    Ashton started the engine. With his eyes on the road, he grunted in acknowledgment. ¡°When Nick¡¯s


    father married Cameron, his birth mother had already passed away from an ident. He was in his


    early teens when Cameron became his stepmother.¡±


    Early teens. He was old enough by then. Nick did not feel much affection towards Cameron as well.


    ¡°Why did Cameron invite all of us for a meal?¡± Logically, I would be thest person she wants to meet.


    At a red light, Ashton pulled the handbrake and turned to me. ¡°Are you still feeling a grudge?¡±


    ¡°What grudge?¡± I was startled.


    ¡°Towards Cameron and Reba?¡±


    I bit my lip and nced towards Summer, who was fast asleep. ¡°Life is long, we have to move forward


    one way or another,¡± I answered evasively.


    It wasn¡¯t possible for me to stay where I was. The matter with Macy and the child was out of my control.


    What was within my control was the ability to make my peace with it.


    Furthermore, Reba and Cameron weren¡¯t doing so well themselves.


    The process of registering for Summer was surprisingly easy. It was credited to Ashton¡¯s influence


    within J City. He had good rtions and decent financial capabilities. He must have pulled some strings


    to get the matter resolved for us without them asking us too many questions.


    Ashton nced over at my household register and smiled. ¡°There¡¯s a third member of our little family.¡±


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Has your Household Register always been at R Province?¡± He suddenly frowned.


    I nodded. ¡°When we got married, Grandpa told me to move it over here. But I was thinking of Grandma.


    She would be left alone if I did that.¡±


    Ashton raised an eyebrow. ¡°Didn¡¯t you and John create your ounts together?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°When his father sent him to us, he was almost a grown man. The Stovalls found him


    at Grandma¡¯s and took him away. I think his registration was created by his father under the Stovall


    name.¡±


    Ashton narrowed his eyes. ¡°The Stovall family is influential in K City. Have you ever thought about why


    John¡¯s father chose your grandmother out of all the other families?¡±


    ¡°It could be due to the circumstances at that time,¡± I replied, nonplussed. It was twenty years ago, who


    could remember?


    He frowned and carried Summer to the car. ¡°A lonely olddy in a forlorn county town was somehow


    acquainted with the heir apparent of the Stovall family from K City, and a famous merchant in J City.


    Scarlett, don¡¯t you think that this is an astonishing coincidence?¡±


    I thought hard about Grandma knowing old Mr. Fuller in the past. I did think that it was a coincidence.


    When she brought me out of R Province, she told me that old Mr. Fuller was an old friend of hers.


    I did not think much of it at the time. Looking back at it now, however, it did seem strange. Grandma


    spent her entire life in a tiny county within R Province. How on earth did shee to befriend a man


    from a powerful family in another city?


    The more I thought about it, the more it gnawed at me. Now that Grandma was gone, I couldn¡¯t find out


    about their connection.


    ¡°There¡¯s no use in investigating about the past. Forget about it. It¡¯s cold outside, let¡¯s hurry up and bring


    Summer home,¡± Ashton said.


    I directed my thoughts towards the n of moving with Summer to Peakville Estate. She may not like


    the sudden change, so Jackson and I agreed to have her at Peakville Estate by day and at Glenwood


    at night.


    After a hectic day, we got homete to Peakville Estate.


    I was rather tired. When the car pulled up and I threw open the door, Ashton appeared to lift me up in


    his arms before I had the chance to react. He carried me all the way into the vi.


    After several moments of startled silence, I said, ¡°Ashton, let me down. I can walk on my own.¡±


    I was dreadfully thin after giving birth. Ashton didn¡¯t seem to exert himself overly much when he carried


    me.


    At the door, he shot me a sly look that inly said he had no intention of letting me down. ¡°Open the


    door!¡± hemanded.


    I reached out and scanned my thumb. The front door swung open. He carried me past the living room


    and straight into the bedroom on the second floor.


    He dropped me on the bed and climbed on top of me. It was intimate being in his arms.


    We were all adults. Naturally, I knew what wasing up next, but I felt a little awkward all the same.


    ¡°Ashton¡­¡±


    At the sound of his name, he looked at me with his dark eyes. ¡°Never leave me again for any reason,¡±


    he said hoarsely, his Adam¡¯s apple shifted seductively. ¡°You must know that you¡¯re my wife. You can


    depend on me for any problems you have. Please think of me whenever you run into any difficulties.


    Only me!¡±


    I felt my eyes shift dreamily. ¡°Thank you, Ashton.¡±


    He nuzzled his face close to my ear and chuckled. ¡°No need to thank me. Let¡¯s get practical.¡±


    Heughed again at the surprised expression on my face and pulled me into his arms. ¡°You¡¯re too thin.


    We¡¯ll get you started on a nutritious diet tomorrow onwards, or people will start talking about how I¡¯m


    starving my wife.¡±


    I bit my trembling lip. I had in my heart appreciation for that man which I did not truly know how to


    express.

 Chapter 373

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 373


    He held me even tighter. ¡°Tomorrow we¡¯ll bring Summer over to live with us.¡±


    I nodded, not quite knowing what to say.


    Ashton seemed exceedingly warm and gentle that night. I¡¯m not sure what caused it, but I couldn¡¯t quell


    the suspicions that arose in my heart.


    I woke up the next day and found no trace of him next to me.


    He was already dressed and stood by the window. ¡°Why don¡¯t you sleep a little while longer?¡± he said


    as he turned to me.


    ¡°Are you going out?¡± His clothes were prim and he was in a splendid mood; even went out of his way to


    style his hair. He looked even more dashing that way.


    Ashton came closer and pecked my forehead. ¡°I¡¯m leaving to fetch Summer,¡± he informed me. ¡°Just


    trying some clothes to see if they¡¯re a good fit.¡±


    Iughed involuntarily. ¡°You¡¯re just picking her up, why do you need to dress so formally?¡±


    And did his hair.


    He chuckled and passed his necktie to me. ¡°I¡¯m a father now. I have to look good for my daughter.¡±


    I tied his tie neatly for him. ¡°She¡¯s only three months old, what impression are you hoping to leave?¡± I


    giggled.


    He bent down and examined his tie. ¡°How does it look?¡± he asked happily.


    There was nothing much I could say but nod.


    I stretched and was prepared to get up from the bed when I was struck by a sudden bout of intense


    pain. I stared at him in a fury. ¡°Ashton you b*stard!¡±


    He was taken aback at my outburst. ¡°What is it?¡±


    I pursed my lips and was about to get out of bed when he scooped me up in his arms. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll be


    more careful next time.¡±


    I red at him again as he carried me into the bathroom. I washed my face and brushed my teeth, as I


    was still held by him.


    ¡°Ashton, if you¡¯re going to do this again, we¡¯ll sleep in separate beds,¡± I said.


    He raised his eyebrows and put me down. ¡°How about what you did?¡±


    I froze in surprise. What have I done?


    He bit his lip in a terrible attempt to keep from smiling and looked at me knowingly. It was a while


    before I noticed a patch of white fluid on his shirt.


    To my horror, I realized that it was my breast milk! My face grew red hot. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t ask you to carry


    me!¡± I stuttered.


    ¡°Noted. I¡¯ll be more careful next time,¡± Ashton said as he smiled wickedly.


    I¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. As long as you keep feeding Summer, it won¡¯t be uncontroble like this. It¡¯s normal for


    women who were recently pregnant. By the looks of it, Summer would have more than she needs,¡±


    Ashton said as he took off the soiled jacket.


    I ignored him. After I shoved him out of the bathroom, I proceeded to clean myself up.


    When I got dressed, I found Ashton downstairs preparing breakfast.


    ¡°Have some breakfast before going!¡± he called out when he saw me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go now,¡± I dered as I picked up my purse. I was in no mood for breakfast.


    Ashton felt helpless at my petnce. He scooped up two boiled eggs and handed them to me. ¡°Eat


    them in the car.¡±


    He then grabbed his keys and left the house with me.


    Throughout the journey, I was reluctant to speak to him. ¡°I found two housekeepers,¡± he said, in an


    attempt to break the awkwardness. ¡°Give them a go, and if you think they¡¯re not a good fit, we¡¯ll find


    new ones after the new year, okay?¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said, andpsed back into silence.


    I could sense that Ashton was looking for ways to remain conversational with me. ¡°When we get


    Summer, we¡¯ll drop by the hospital.¡± He tried again.


    ¡°For what?¡± I asked, in spite of myself.


    He raised his eyebrows and smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t n on undergoing treatment every time you feel


    difort?¡±


    I¡­


    ¡°How would you treat this sort of thing?¡± This was a psychological problem, not a physiological one.


    ¡°All illnesses can be treated. It depends on the doctor.¡±


    After a pause, he continued. ¡°Furthermore, you¡¯ve been losing sleep. It won¡¯t do to let this problem drag


    on.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been much better recently,¡± I retorted in an effort to defend myself. He wasn¡¯t aware that I had


    trouble sleeping when I lost my child. But it¡¯s been much better since I knew that Summer ising to


    live with us.


    He bit his lip again, barely suppressing his amusement. ¡°If every night is going to be likest night, are


    you nning on wringing me dry?¡± he asked, with a mischievous glint in his eye.


    I¡­


    I looked up at him and said in a level voice, ¡°If you don¡¯te on to me, how would I wring you dry?¡±


    ¡°When did you be this confused?¡± Ashton frowned as he held the wheel.


    As he said that, he took my hand in his and kissed it. ¡°If your reaction has slowed down, and if it¡¯s


    happened multiple times, it won¡¯t heal up as well. You still need to visit the hospital in the future.¡±


    I stared at him defiantly. ¡°If you didn¡¯t touch me, it wouldn¡¯t have happened!¡±


    His gaze darkened. ¡°So your n is to deprive me to death?¡±


    This man and his filthy mouth. How could he say such wicked things!


    ¡°That¡¯s fine by me too. If you¡¯re dead, Summer and I can inherit your money and we wouldn¡¯t have to


    worry about anything for the rest of our lives.¡± I was in a huffy mood.


    ¡°You wish!¡± He stopped the car at a red light. Taking the opportunity, he bit me on the hand, hard.


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    It felt like a punishment.


    He raised his eyebrows at the two eggs still clutched in my hand. ¡°Hurry up and eat them.¡±

 Chapter 374

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 374


    ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± I pouted.


    The light turned green. ¡°Last night wasn¡¯t enough for you?¡± Ashton asked as he eyed the way I fiddled


    absentmindedly with the eggs.


    I was taken aback for an instant. It slowly dawned on me as I looked down at the eggs in my hand.


    ¡°Ashton, what kind of crap do you have in your brain!¡± I yelled, furious. There he is spewing all sorts of


    rubbish!


    He smiled devilishly again. ¡°Watch your tongue!¡±


    Ugh, I¡¯m sick of him.


    He became serious when I ignored him again. ¡°Why don¡¯t you want to go to the hospital?¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t fix anything even if I went,¡± I said sullenly. The past few trips had been in vain; this was not


    something that could be fixed with prescription drugs. Every session was just a chat with the


    psychologist, which yielded nothing in my opinion.


    He looked down and didn¡¯t speak again. As the car pulled up to Glenwood, he parked outside of the


    block.


    He got down and turned to look at me. ¡°Would you like me to carry you?¡±


    I shook my head and followed him.


    We called ahead and asked Jackson to pack Summer¡¯s things. When we showed up at the door, he


    gave us an update. ¡°These couple of days she has been falling asleep ratherte. She¡¯s not used to


    her new surroundings, I think.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Where is Summer?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s in her room. Nick is feeding her with the form.¡±


    I went in and felt startled. Nick was there in a suit of ck; he looked dashing. He appeared to be ready


    to leave for work.


    ¡°I¡¯ve fed her, she won¡¯t be crying for a while,¡± he said as he caught sight of me.


    ¡°Let me!¡± I said as I took the bottle from him. ¡°Please look around for any of her belongings that we


    might have missed out on.¡±


    He nodded. As he was about to leave the room, I asked him to shut the door.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He frowned.


    Before I could answer, Ashton swooped in from behind. ¡°She wants to breastfeed. Are you nning to


    watch?¡±


    I¡­


    Nick flushed red and left without a word. However, Jackson voiced his surprise. ¡°You¡¯ve only had the


    herbal remedy twice! Have you been massaging and¡­¡±


    His voice trailed off. He looked at me and Ashton as suddenprehension dawned on his face.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    ¡°D*mn, I¡¯m overstepping my bounds,¡± he said sheepishly as he closed the door behind him.


    I¡­


    I red at Ashton in spite of myself, blushing like the setting sun. He¡¯s horrible.


    ¡°You too, get out!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be here to guard you.¡±


    ¡°Get out!¡± I repeated, staring fiercely at him.


    Ashton ignored me and helped himself to the seat on the balcony. He browsed his phone.


    I¡­


    He is so thick skinned.


    Without much energy left to deal with him, I turned away from him and lifted Summer. I foresaw this


    scenario earlier that day and dressed conveniently for it.


    I had the notion that Summer wouldn¡¯t know how to suckle as she had never done it before, but I was


    worried for nothing. The little thingtched on and suckled away joyfully, as though she had known how


    to all along. I sighed with relief.


    After a while, Ashton stood intrusively at my side, casting a long shadow over me and Summer.


    I looked up and found him staring down at me. I turned away from him instinctively. If Summer weren¡¯t


    here, I would have berated and cursed at him.


    I willed myself not to. ¡°Ashton, please have some sense of shame,¡± I said through gritted teeth.


    ¡°It pleases me to watch my wife,¡± he replied coolly.


    I¡­


    After Summer had finished, Ashton carried her out of the room. Jackson watched him with amusement


    ¡°Mr. Fuller looks like a paraplegic when he¡¯s carrying the child.¡±


    I shot Ashton a look. Strapping tall at six feet but hunched in half as he carried Summer carefully like


    she was a grenade. Each step was taken with measured caution; his body looked awfully stiff from


    doing this.


    I struggled not tough at the sight. Nick turned to me and said, ¡°Summer doesn¡¯t have much. Jackson


    and I will send them over afterward. She usually cries at night from hunger. Try to let her sleep by your


    side for a night or two, you can just reach over and feed her easily.¡±


    I nodded with gratitude. ¡°Come to Peakville to spend New Year¡¯s Eve with us. It¡¯s rare that all of us are


    at J City together.¡±


    Nick looked at Jackson and read his mind.


    Jackson nodded. ¡°Yes, why not. I¡¯m not returning to K City anyway. It would be nice to spend Summer¡¯s


    first New Year with her.¡±


    Nick nodded in agreement as well. ¡°I¡¯ll send you the address and time afterward. My mother reminded


    me many times: if it¡¯s not convenient for you at night, bring Summer along.¡±


    I was taken aback, forcefully reminded of Cameron¡¯s invitation.


    ¡°It¡¯s not safe to bring Summer,¡± I blurted. ¡°I won¡¯t be going tonight, you guys go ahead.¡±


    Nick turned to Ashton with a meaningful look in his eye. ¡°Mr. Fuller, are youing?¡±


    I thought that Ashton would adhere to his habit and decline. It surprised me when he said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be


    there.¡±

 Chapter 375

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 375


    Ashton carried Summer in his embrace as he tiptoed out of the room. A smile tugged Jackson¡¯s lips


    upwards, and he tried to stifle hisughter when he saw Ashton¡¯s expression.


    If Ashton didn¡¯t always have a cool and stoic demeanor, I suspected that he would have burst out


    laughing immediately.


    I was gued with a pounding headache and had no desire to meet Cameron.


    As I followed Ashton to the car, he carefully ced Summer in the back seat and strapped her in the


    toddler seat. After that, I made my way to the back of the car.


    Jackson and Nick had already moved all of the stuff to the car. Unfortunately, Nick was forced to leave


    after a quick greeting because he had to hurry to his office.


    Ashton started the car and exited Glenwood residential area. ¡°I thought that you didn¡¯t like attending


    dinner functions?¡± I asked him while on the journey.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice that Nick has been extremely busytely?¡± he replied coolly as he pursed his lips.


    ¡°Yeah, a little!¡± I jolted in shock before answering in response to the sudden change of topic.


    ¡°Have you figured out the reason for that?¡± Because of Summer¡¯s presence in the car, his driving pace


    was slower than usual.


    ¡°Hees from a wealthy family and has a great fortune under his name. It doesn¡¯t matter if Cameron


    controls the Harrisons¡¯ family business as Nick is still the rightful heir of the Harrisons. He formed


    Harrison Credit in part of his interest in the field while sharpening his skills. Seeing as it¡¯s the year-end


    now, there shouldn¡¯t be any audit assignments. However, he seems really busy. Does heck money?


    Or has he bumped into something troublesome?¡±


    ¡°Good analysis!¡± Ashton said approvingly, ¡°It shows that you¡¯re not that stupid.¡±


    What is he implying?


    ¡°So, what trouble did Nick run into?¡± I asked again while I yed with Summer.


    ¡°Have you heard about the butterfly effect?¡±


    ¡°Does it mean that the gentle flutter of a butterfly¡¯s wings will ignite a storm?¡± I asked him quizzically.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he replied. His eyes were fixated on the road ahead with unwavering focus.


    Ashton added, ¡°Cameron¡¯s affairs do not only affect the development of her personal assets, but rather,


    all businesses in connection to her. This means that all businesses under the Harrisons have


    subsequently taken a hit as well¡ªincluding Harrison Credit under Nick. That being said, Cruise


    Corporation is a well-establishedpany. Hence, they have the necessary capital to buffer the


    pressure during this critical period.


    ¡°However, the same can¡¯t be said for Harrison Credit. It has been established for only two years. Sure,


    it has gained a good reputation and sizeable ie over these two years. However, those alone would


    not be enough to withstand the adverse external forces. This is especially true in the case of a credit


    company. In fact, many bigpanies have terminated their contract with Harrison Credit.¡±


    I was stunned at Ashton¡¯s exnation. With a furrowed brows, I asked, ¡°Before the year ends, Nick


    needs to find a fewpanies to work with to keep hispany afloat?¡±


    ¡°Yup!¡± He nodded in confirmation.


    ¡°Is Fuller Corporation not working with him anymore?¡± At that moment, Summer raised her chubby


    fingers to wind them around my hand. Curiously, she peered around her surroundings with a bright,


    round gaze.


    ¡°Nope, the contract signed between Fuller Corporation and himst year only includes the branch in J


    City. This year, I moved the head office to K City. Byparison, our capital has been reduced by half.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there still Quinn Corporation?¡±


    As the car entered Peakville Estate, he pursed his lips in deep thought. ¡°Quinn Corporation is in a


    simr situation. Have you forgotten? Quinn Corporation has assigned the job to AC Credit.¡±


    Right! I was once kidnapped by Savini because of that.


    I couldn¡¯t help but frown at the thought of that unpleasant memory.


    It was already noon when we reached the vi. ¡°You should go check on her. I¡¯ll move the stuff back,¡±


    Ashton said after he carried Summer to the baby room.


    I nodded in agreement. After a few steps, I turned to look at him again. ¡°Ashton, I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    Having not eaten anything since morning, I began to feel the effects of skipping breakfast right then. I


    didn¡¯t eat either when I was at Jackson¡¯s earlier.


    Ashton raised his head before he burst outughing. ¡°Are you ming me? What happened to the egg


    that I gave you this morning?¡±


    ¡°I left it at Jackson¡¯s house!¡± I pouted with a jut of my bottom lip as I looked at him with a helpless gaze.


    Ashton chortled at my pleading expression. ¡°What do you want to eat? I¡¯ll cook it for youter,¡± he


    asked.


    ¡°Anything is fine!¡± I replied with arge grin painted across my face as I watched him unload the stuff


    from the back of the car. ¡°Ashton, you look like the perfect househusband right now!¡± I teased him with


    a giggle.


    ¡°Come and shut the car door,¡± he instructed as he nced over to me.


    I nodded and made my way towards him. After I shut the door, I trailed behind him back to the vi. ¡°If


    you could breastfeed and have a child of your own, it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea if you remain unmarried.


    Right?¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Ashton turned around and asked with a pinch of his brows.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to praise you!¡±


    ¡°You should reward me in a more practical way!¡± Ashton retorted as he ced the stuff in the baby


    room.


    Without hesitation, I sidled closer and tiptoed to raise myself before nting a delicate kiss on Ashton¡¯s


    cheek. ¡°Is this good enough?¡± I asked cheekily.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    His eyes darkened as I stepped away. ¡°I¡¯ll settle the scores with you tonight,¡± he said.


    Summer was an obedient child. She would not make a fuss as long as she was well fed and had


    enough sleep, staying quietly where she was, watching her surroundings. asionally, she would


    reach out to grab items that piqued her interest.


    Meanwhile, Ashton was busy in the kitchen. He had left his phone in the baby room after moving the


    stuff.

 Chapter 376

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 376


    When the phone buzzed in the room, Summer turned towards the direction of the noise and listened


    intently in a curious manner.


    I did not bother picking up the call. ¡°Ashton, your phone is ringing!¡± I yelled towards the kitchen.


    ¡°Pick it up!¡± he answered curtly as the sound of sshing water echoed from the kitchen.


    I nced towards his phone and noticed Reba¡¯s name shing across the screen.


    Instinctively, a frown graced my face when I caught sight of her name. Once I answered her call, I was


    instantly greeted by her loud wails that echoed across the phone.


    ¡°Ash, you shoulde to visit me. I don¡¯t know why my mother insists on me staying in the hospital.


    Why isn¡¯t she letting me return to Pear Garden? Do you think that she doesn¡¯t want me anymore?¡±


    Reba sobbed in anguish.


    Cameron doesn¡¯t want Reba back in Pear Garden? Why not?


    ¡°Ms. Larson, I suggest you contact Mr. Quinn for your problems. That would be more appropriate. Right


    now, your beloved Ash is cooking for his daughter and wife. I¡¯m sure that he does not have the spare


    time to handle your affairs,¡± I said coldly.


    Upon hearing my voice, Reba¡¯s mood seemed to take a drastic turn. ¡°Why did you pick up Ashton¡¯s


    phone? Scarlett, do you have no shame?¡±


    Gosh, this woman has a rotten mouth. It seems that anything thates out of her is malicious.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I pick up the call on my husband¡¯s behalf? You don¡¯t think you share an intimate rtionship


    with my husband, do you? By the way, you should take this opportunity to reflect upon your actions¡ª


    even your parents detest you! Don¡¯t harass my family and me anymore!¡±


    ¡°Scarlett, you¡­¡±


    I ended the call before she could finish her sentence. There was no point continuing when I knew that


    she would be cussing me out.


    I tossed Ashton¡¯s phone aside as soon as I hung up the call. Before I could react, I was enveloped in a


    back hug.


    ¡°Say it again,¡± Ashton¡¯s maic voice sounded.


    There was a hint of oil and smoke that clung to his body. However, the smell did not affect his charming


    presence. ¡°What do you want me to say?¡±


    ¡°What did you call me just now?¡± he asked in a deep voice.


    His question left me stunned for a moment. ¡°Husband?¡±


    Ashtonughed delightedly as his stubble rubbed against my cheek when he kissed me. ¡°One more


    time,¡± he demanded.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to help Reba?¡± I asked him with an angry huff and pushed him off my body.


    ¡°I thought you asked her to look for Joe? Why do I have to go to her still?¡± Ashton said with an amused


    grin.


    I couldn¡¯t help but roll my eyes in exasperation. ¡°Has Cameron been neglecting Reba?¡± I asked


    while I walked towards the crib to gaze at Summer.


    It was clear that Reba¡¯s health was deteriorating. Not only did Cameron forbid her from nursing her


    health in K city, she even moved her to J City. Furthermore, why did she ban her from Pear Garden?


    Seeing as I changed the subject abruptly, Ashton asked helplessly as he face-palmed, ¡°That¡¯s none of


    your business. When did you be such a meddler?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not meddling. I¡¯m just curious,¡± I argued. Summer clutched onto my head while her tiny mouth


    gaped open repeatedly.


    It looked like she was hungry.


    It seemed like Ashton held no interest regarding Reba. ¡°Jackson will help her if needed. Summer is


    hungry. Are you going to eat first or feed her first?¡± he asked.


    I am going to feed her first, of course!


    ¡°You should leave and give me some privacy!¡± I glowered at him.


    ¡°Which part of your body have I not seen before?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that you are acting strangely?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re my wife. How is that strange?¡± Ashton replied in a tone full of self-confidence.


    I didn¡¯t expect Reba woulde to Peakville Estate herself. Summer was already in a deep


    slumber by then.


    I was halfway eating when the doorbell rang, and Ashton rose to his feet to greet the door. After a long


    moment of silence, I couldn¡¯t help but look over to the door.


    Much to my surprise, Reba was on the front porch. Herplexion was extremely haggard and


    sickly pale.


    In the few days that we hadn¡¯t met, she looked like she¡¯d be even skinnier than before.


    Initially, I didn¡¯t n to head over. However, it would seem rude and inappropriate.


    I caught wind of Reba¡¯s faint voice as I padded over to the door. ¡°I want to stay out of your life as


    well and leave a good impression on you. At least, you would still think of me once in a while. Unlike


    now, I¡¯m nothing but an annoyance to you! However, I have no choice. Ash, I came looking for you


    because you are my only hope.¡±


    ¡°Come in and talk,¡± I interjected before Ashton could reply.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Ashton whirled around to meet my gaze for a brief second before he stepped aside indifferently to let


    Reba in.


    Reba didn¡¯t show any surprise when she caught sight of my figure. Instead, her face darkened.


    ¡°Ash, I¡¯ll face death if you don¡¯t help me,¡± she continued to beg him desperately.


    Ashton had always been an aloof person. When it came to Reba, his stance gravitated towards


    responsibility rather than affinity. ¡°What do you want?¡± he asked her icily.


    Reba took a deep breath. She didn¡¯t anticipate for Ashton to treat her in such a harsh manner.


    ¡°Bring me to my mother,¡± she said with a pale face.


    I was stunned by Reba¡¯s request. Why did she need Ashton¡¯s help to meet her own mother?


    ¡°Alright,¡± Ashton replied brusquely. His demeanor remained as cold as ever.

 Chapter 377

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 377


    He gave her a cold stare. ¡°Joe will be responsible for taking care of you. Please refrain froming


    here unless there¡¯s something critical.¡±


    Reba¡¯s face paled even further. ¡°Okay!¡± There was a slight tremble in the tone of her voice as she


    spoke. She nodded her head as she tried to conceal the hurt gleaming in her eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯ste now. Scarlett and I have matters to attend toter. You should head back first,¡± Ashton


    continued emotionlessly, unmoved by Reba¡¯s wounded expression.


    It was clearly an order to leave. Both Reba and I could decipher the strict tone of his voice.


    ¡°Okay.¡± There was a trace of bitterness that flickered in her longing gaze. She left after that.


    I pursed my lips as I watched her figure leave the vi. It was as if I could glimpse a hint of my past self


    in her lonely back. ¡°Ashton, do you treat all women so heartlessly?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t treat you that way.¡± Ashton turned to me. His dark gaze resembled the night sky.


    I decided not to tease him any further. ¡°Why does Reba need your help to visit Cameron?¡± I asked


    curiously.


    What happened between the two of them?


    ¡°Have you ever thought of looking for your biological parents?¡± Ashton asked me as his stare clouded


    over.


    ¡°Why did you change the topic so quickly?¡± For a moment, I was left speechless in shock.


    ¡°Answer my question,¡± Ashton¡¯s brows pinched together.


    ¡°I¡¯d be lying if I say no. However, it has been so many years. I wouldn¡¯t know how to react if I ever meet


    them again. I suppose we wouldn¡¯t have the chance to reunite. Besides, I believe they had no ns to


    reunite with me when they abandoned me back then. So, quite frankly, I no longer want to look for them


    anymore,¡± I said after a fleeting thought.


    ¡°Why did you ask me about that?¡± I asked as I met his strange gaze.


    He shook his head. ¡°Go upstairs and change. We¡¯ll head out in a while!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but scowl when I recalled the message Nick sent me: Are we really meeting Cameron for


    a meal?


    Ashton merely nodded¡ªan indication that I should change my clothes.


    At first, I wanted to deny his request. But on second thought, I decided to go along with him.


    After freshening up in the bathroom, I put on a fresh outfit and dressed my face in ayer of light


    makeup. When I descended the stairs, Ashton had already packed Summer¡¯s diapers and milk bottles.


    ¡°Ashton, did you change Summer¡¯s diapers?¡± I asked casually as I saw his smooth and practiced


    movements.


    He nodded in reply and moved the milk bottles into Summer¡¯s stroller. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Ashton called out.


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel useless when Ashton swiftly prepared Summer¡¯s things before we headed out.


    After pushing the stroller out of the vi, Ashton headed to the garage. While Ashton started the car, I


    waited patiently for him in the yard as I braced the stroller in one hand.


    The sight of a kneeling woman outside the yard gate left me stupefied. Realization dawned upon me


    after a few moments. Reba hasn¡¯t left the vi!


    At the same time, Ashton noticed Reba as he drove over. Promptly, a deep frown graced his face.


    Yet, he did notment on Reba¡¯s presence. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Ashton called out to me as he carried


    Summer onto the car.


    When Reba heard themotion, she rose to her feet from the vi steps and dashed in. Hurriedly,


    she stood in front of the car¡¯s path to block its way.


    ¡°Ash, are you going to meet my mother? Bring me along!¡± Reba pleaded when she saw Ashton.


    ¡°Joe will pick you upter,¡± Ashton replied in displeasure.


    At Ashton¡¯s rejection, Reba¡¯s eyes reddened with sorrow. ¡°It¡¯s freezing! Ash, please! I¡¯m begging


    you to bring me along!¡±


    ¡°Come in!¡± I said in annoyance, ¡°Ms. Larson, you do not have to resort to such wretched measures to


    gain our pity.¡±


    Reba¡¯s face turned pale when she heard myment. Yet, she still shifted her pitiful gaze towards


    Ashton.


    Ashton¡¯s mood turned foul at the sight of her pleading stare. ¡°There¡¯s no more space in the car! Wait for


    Joe!¡± he snarled brusquely and started the car. Immediately, he drove around her and sped out of the


    vi.


    I peered at Reba¡¯s motionless figure from the rearview mirror before turning to Ashton. ¡°Could you


    really bear to treat her that way?¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to take pity on her?¡± Ashton rebuked.


    ¡°Focus on the road!¡± Ashton¡¯s mercy towards her made no difference to me.


    During the ride, Summer behaved very obediently. The reason for her well-behaved mannerisms must


    be due to her love for car rides. She was always very excited when she was in the car. asionally,


    she¡¯d reached her hands out to grasp at empty air.


    Ashton stopped at the entrance of Pear Garden. Cameron and Zachary were already standing by the


    gates when we arrived. It seemed as if they had been waiting for us for a long time.


    ¡°Wee! Dinner is ready. We have been expecting your arrival.¡± Cameron stepped forward with a


    warm beam.


    As Ashton carried Summer out of the car, Zachary and Cameron shared an equal look of shock in my


    direction. ¡°T-The child is alright?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Anderson, are you nning to make another move on me?¡± I asked her in a frigid tone.


    Cameron¡¯s bright eyes reddened with unshed tears as she shook her head to deny profusely. ¡°It¡¯s not


    like that. My dear, please don¡¯t think too much about it. I¡¯m just d that your child is safe.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Ashton did notment any further. Instead, he cradled Summer to his chest and turned to


    me.


    The dining hall was located on the first floor. Alongside Jackson and Nick, even Jared, who was rarely


    seen, had attended the asion. Jared was apanied by Kristina.


    It was a surprise to meet her here.


    Jackson once told me that most of Macy¡¯s troubles were caused by Kristina. I could feel my anger


    growing the more I looked at her.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

 Chapter 378

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 378


    ¡°Scarlett,e sit here!¡± Jackson beckoned me over when he caught sight of me.


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    I walked over to Jackson and took a seat next to him as Ashton pushed the stroller aside.


    The Pear Garden vi was possibly the most luxurious in J City. The dining hall alone spanned over


    one hundred square meters. It was muchrgerpared to an average hall.


    The round table was equally huge. I figured that the guests seated opposite would not be able to hear


    me unless I raised my voice.


    There was a hint of tenderness in Cameron¡¯s gaze towards me. Together with Zachary, they took a


    seat next to Ashton and me as Cameron instructed the butlers to serve the dishes.


    ¡°She is adorable. I think that she is around four months old now,¡± Cameron peered towards Summer in


    her stroller as she cooed with a bright smile.


    Zachary¡¯s expression seemed to drop when he caught sight of my stony face. ¡°Scarlett, Summer


    seems to be a little smaller than most children. Are you giving her the proper nutrient intakes?¡± he


    asked with concern.


    ¡°As an infant, she has faced countless struggles. That¡¯s why she¡¯s much more petite than most


    children,¡± I replied as my mood soured upon hearing Zachary¡¯s question.


    Cameron tugged on Zachary¡¯s sleeve with a hurtful expression. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault,¡± she murmured.


    Why are they acting so strangely? I turned to Ashton with a puzzled look, and he sped my hand in


    his palmfortingly. ¡°Thank you for inviting us to dinner!¡± he said and shifted his gaze to Cameron


    and Zachary.


    As if sensing my displeasure, both Zachary and Cameron merely murmured in acknowledgment.


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel utterly bewildered at their demeanor due to two main reasons. Firstly, their


    attitudes towards me were a stark contrast to their past mannerisms.


    Secondly, Zachary must have found out about Cameron¡¯s past through the videos. Yet, he remained as


    cool as a cucumber.


    Is there such a husband who holds no regard for his wife¡¯s past? There were even more to those that I


    haven¡¯t seen. How could Zachary face her with such a calmposure?


    ¡°Since the dishes are served, let¡¯s dig in while they are warm.¡± Cameron gestured for the guests to


    begin eating.


    Before she could finish her speech, a discordant noise resounded through the hall. ¡°Mom, what have I


    done? Why won¡¯t you meet me?¡± Reba¡¯s voice echoed through the hall.


    Reba and Joe appeared in the room. She was still dressed in the same clothes as she had on when


    she visited Peakville Estate. Her disheveled clothes gave her a very ragged and pathetic appearance.


    Cameron leaped to her feet in an instant. It was clear that her mood had turned foul at the sight of


    Reba. ¡°I thought I told you not toe looking for me?¡±


    She was about to storm over towards Reba. Yet, Zachary yanked her to a screeching halt.


    ¡°Sit down and share a meal with us,¡± Zachary said coolly as he addressed Reba.


    Reba remained standing despite his invitation. ¡°Dad, what did I do for you and Mom to abandon


    me?¡± she asked with swollen and reddened eyes filled with anguish.


    Zachary sighed heavily as if he had nothing more to say. ¡°Since everyone is present, why don¡¯t we talk


    after dinner?¡± he asked.


    Reba opened her mouth to retort, but she was yanked away by Joe before she could cause a


    commotion. He dragged her to the table, where they both took a seat.


    Reba red at me in a haze of murderous rage when she saw how Ashton helped to pick my


    favorite foods.


    ¡°I heard that you have a sweet tooth,¡± Cameron beamed. ¡°I asked the cooks to prepare a matcha


    dessert for you. Why don¡¯t you try it? You should drink more soup to replenish your energy since you


    are still breastfeeding Summer. Ah, you should put on more weight! It¡¯s also important to remain


    healthy if you are breastfeeding.¡±


    As she spoke, she sliced a piece of cake and ced it in front of me. Cameron even helped to fill up a


    bowl of warm soup.


    I was not ustomed to her sudden warm hospitality. Warily, I turned to Ashton and looked at him with


    a confused look.


    ¡°You should try it and see if you like it,¡± Ashton replied.


    Reluctantly, I took a small bite of the cake. Although it tasted great, the sweet taste of the dessert was


    muddled by my chaotic thoughts. I pushed it aside after a single nibble.


    Next, I decided to sample the soup. To my surprise, I found it rather delectable.


    Upon seeing that I savored the soup, Cameron quickly leaped to refill my bowl. However, Ashton


    stopped her in her tracks. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Ms. Anderson. I can take more for my wife if she likes it.¡±


    Although it was a minuscule movement of kindness from Ashton, Reba still met my gaze with fury.


    In the stroller, Summer babbled loudly. With a single nce, Jackson could tell that she was hungry.


    ¡°Have you brought her milk?¡± he asked me.


    Before I could reply, Ashton was already one step ahead of me. He had already prepared her milk


    powder and was ready to feed Summer. Yet, the little rascal refused to drink from her bottle. Instead,


    she clutched onto my hand tightly.


    Gently, I cradled her as she continued to warble in my arms. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, my dear?¡± I cooed at her


    fondly.


    ¡°I think she doesn¡¯t want milk power. Scarlett, you should head upstairs to feed her,¡± Nick broke his


    silence and uttered.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you the way.¡± Cameron hurriedly rose to her feet. ¡°Your child is only a few months old. They


    tend to prefer breast milk.¡±


    I decided not toment any further and followed Cameron to the second floor with Summer in my


    embrace.


    ¡°You can feed her here. She must be starving,¡± Cameron said warmly as she guided me into an empty


    room.


    Without any lingering suspicions, I took a seat on the chaise lounge and began to breastfeed Summer.

 Chapter 379

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 379


    Originally, I thought that she would leave as I began feeding Summer. Instead, Cameron remained


    rooted in her spot as she watched me breastfeed Summer.


    Summer¡¯s antics as she suckled on my breast were awfully adorable. She would clutch her feet in her


    hand as her bright eyes remained wide open.


    ¡°Scarlett, you are too skinny. Although you just gave birth, you¡¯ve lost all of the fat around your


    abdomen. The two of you are still young parents. You don¡¯t know how to take care of yourselves. Now


    that the New Year is almost here, why don¡¯t you stay in Pear Garden for a few days? I heard from Nick


    that you n to celebrate it with Mr. Fuller. We have experienced chefs and nutritionists working in


    Pear Garden. They can help to strengthen your body. What do you think?¡± Cameron asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Ms. Anderson. Thank you for your offer,¡± I rejected her offer politely.


    A flicker of awkwardness painted her face upon my refusal. ¡°Scarlett, are you still holding on to the


    past?¡± she asked tentatively. ¡°The two of you are safe and sound right now. Besides, I¡¯ve already


    received punishment for my actions. The Moore family does not acknowledge me. As a result, Zachary


    had to apany me to J city. Now that everything is in the past, let¡¯s start afresh, shall we?¡±


    Upon hearing her words, I felt smothered with a haze of irritation. ¡°Ms. Anderson, you can always


    regain your status and wealth. Yet, you stole the life of a living person. How do you n to repay for


    your irreversible actions?¡± I asked her with a twitch of my lips.


    Her face paled. ¡°Please give me some privacy when I¡¯m feeding my child,¡± I said firmly.


    Cameron opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something. Yet, she remained silent. Without


    another word, she exited the room.


    As I remained seated on the chaise lounge, I observed my surroundings. The room was beautifully


    decorated invish and pink designs.


    In an instant, one could tell that the room belonged to a woman. Although Nick visited the Pear Garden


    asionally, there was no way that such a girlish room would belong to him. Cameron was also out of


    the picture. I concluded that this room must have been Reba¡¯s.


    After she had her fill, Summer reached out her hand. Her sudden touch jolted me out of my daze as I


    turned to gaze at her with a smile. Gently, I lifted her and pressed a delicate kiss on her adorable face.


    My heart seemed to warm affectionately every time I saw her face.


    All of a sudden, the bedroom door burst open. I quickly yanked my shirt down in haste. I looked up to


    see Reba. Her face turned as cold as ice when she saw me sitting in her room.


    ¡°Scarlett, why did you steal everything from me? First, you stole my lover and loved ones. Now, you¡¯re


    even in my bedroom.¡±


    I was puzzled by her words. ¡°Ms. Larson, your inability to retain what¡¯s yours has nothing to do with me.


    I have no interest in your bedroom nor your loved ones. So why would I try to steal them away? As for


    the person you like, why don¡¯t you borate a little more? I am his legally married wife. How is that


    stealing from you?¡±


    Her eyes reddened in a mixture of anguish and anger. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for your meddling, Ash would never


    have married you! You are but a responsibility to him! Who do you think you are?¡± Reba snapped


    angrily in response.


    I nearly burst outughing upon hearing her remark. ¡°Ms. Larson, at least he is willing to take that


    responsibility and marry me. What about you? Do you think that he loves you? If it was true love, why


    doesn¡¯t he spare you a single nce? Why do you think that Ashton loves you when he can barely


    tolerate your presence? Is that what you call love?¡±This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Y-You¡­¡± Reba stuttered as she was at a loss for words.


    In a furious rage, she raised her hand to deliver a vicious strike. However, I managed to stop her. ¡°Ms.


    Larson, it¡¯s best if you reconsider your actions. You¡¯ve yed your cards at the wrong time. Your


    downfall is the result of your loss. Have you ever considered why your parents decided not to meet


    you?¡±


    I did not wish to squabble with Reba as I had Summer in my embrace. I would suffer greatly if


    Summer got hurt in our crossfire.


    As I prepared to leave the room, Reba stood in my path and barricaded the exit. ¡°Scarlett, what are


    you nning to do?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Larson, I should be the one asking you this question instead. What are your intentions?¡± I rebuked


    her question.


    Why is she not letting me leave? Does she n to harm me?


    ¡°I¡¯m willing to let go of Ash. However, don¡¯t ever show up in front of my parents again. If you do, I¡¯ll


    make sure you regret your actions!¡± she threatened.


    I felt puzzled at her remark. ¡°I hope I will never have to meet you or your parents again. So please


    move aside. In the future, you should think before you act,¡± I replied coldly.


    Reba seemed helpless at my reply. Although she still harbored a deep hatred, she could notsh


    out recklessly. Instead, she stepped aside and stormed out of her bedroom.


    When I entered the dining hall again, Ashton hurried over and took Summer into his arms. ¡°What


    happened? You don¡¯t look too good,¡± he asked worriedly.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    When we returned to the table, Ashton continued to help me load my te. After a few more bites, he


    left to y with Summer.


    My appetite must have increased because I breastfed Summer earlier. Ashton grinned as he fooled


    around with Summer yfully. On the other hand, both Cameron and Zachary¡¯s gazes were fixated on


    me.


    Although I felt uneasy under their scrutiny, I could not question their actions. After a few moments,


    everyone had their fill. Subsequently, I decided to stop eating.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you full?¡± Ashton asked with a smile as he ced a piece of barbequed pork


    on my te.


    ¡°Yup!¡± I nodded my head.


    ¡°Do you want to take a walk after eating?¡± Cameron asked. ¡°The winter roses in blossom at Pear


    Garden are absolutely stunning around this time of the year.¡± As she spoke, her gaze shifted to


    Summer.


    At the sight of Summer¡¯s sleeping figure, Cameron called out for a housekeeper, ¡°Come and take care


    of the child.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s already dark outside. We should head home now.¡± I turned down her offer. ¡°Thank you


    for your generosity.¡± Cameron and Zachary remained silent as I bid them farewell.

 Chapter 380

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 380


    It felt odd that we were here at Pear Garden for a meal.


    Zachary nced at Ashton with a smile and asked, ¡°Mr. Fuller, the Moores¡¯pany is facing some


    problems. Do you have a moment for a chat?¡±


    Ashton did not reply to him right away but turned to look at me with pursed lips. ¡°Go take a stroll¡ªit


    aids in digestion. I¡¯ll be home after I¡¯m done here. Summer can stay with me.¡±


    I nced at Zachary and asked Ashton, ¡°Looks like both of you are having a discussion. Is it


    appropriate to bring along Summer?¡±


    ¡°Sure. Just go ahead!¡±


    I had a feeling that Ashton was deliberately setting up bonding opportunities for Cameron, Zachary, and


    me.


    So Ashton thinks that I can easily forget how they have hurt me previously?


    Pear Garden¡¯s yard was huge¡ªexactly how Cameron had described earlier. I was mesmerized by the


    breathtaking view of the blooming winter roses.


    ¡°Scarlett, there are some freshly baked cookies in our kitchen. I¡¯ll let you bring some backter,¡±


    Cameron said cheerfully as she trailed behind me.


    Feeling uneasy about the change in her attitude, I pursed my lips and rejected her offer politely, ¡°Ms.


    Anderson, it¡¯s alright. I am cutting down on sugar as it is bad for health.¡±


    She looked at me and asked warily, ¡°Scarlett, you still loathe me because of what I¡¯ve done earlier,


    don¡¯t you?¡±


    My brows furrowed as I responded impatiently, ¡°Ms. Anderson, what do you want from me exactly?


    Stop beating around the bush! I don¡¯t have time to y the guessing game with you.¡±


    She shook her head at once and exined nervously, ¡°I don¡¯t have any bad intentions. You don¡¯t have


    to worry. My heart is filled with remorse for what I¡¯ve done previously, and I¡¯m just trying to make it up to


    you.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that. There is nothing you can do after all that you¡¯ve done. The best is to stay


    away from one another.¡± I quickened my pace after my speech to avoid further conversations.


    She caught up to me and continued, ¡°I know that I¡¯ve no right to beg for your mercy. I really regret what


    I¡¯ve done. Scarlett, both Zachary and I really hope that you can give us a chance to make things right.¡±


    Reba suddenly emerged and red at me as she yelled, ¡°Mom, what are you doing? Why do you


    need to beg her? She has caused us so much trouble!¡±


    The next moment, she raised her arms and shoved me impetuously. There was an outdoor swimming


    pool right behind me, with a certain depth of water in it.


    It never crossed my mind that Reba would get so agitated all of a sudden. I didn¡¯t manage to duck


    her in time and fell backward into the pool.


    It was a shallow pool. The water was freezing during winter. Beingpletely drenched, the coldness


    pierced through my body. I struggled to get out of the pool frantically.


    The moment Cameron saw me fall into the pool, she yelled anxiously, ¡°Help! Someone has dropped


    into the pool!¡±


    Two bodyguards dashed out of the vi and pulled me out of the pool.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Cameron took off her coat and wrapped it around my body. Then, she instructed the bodyguards,


    ¡°Send her to the bedroom at once so she can take a hot shower in the washroom.¡±


    Next, she looked at the maid and ordered, ¡°Boil some chicken soup for her.¡±


    It was a chaotic scene then.


    Reba tugged Cameron and asked furiously, ¡°Mom, what¡¯re you doing? You don¡¯t have to rescue


    her. She deserves it. Just let her meet her end!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Cameron snapped at her in exasperation, ¡°Why did you do that? If anything happens to her, I


    won¡¯t let you off easily.¡±


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m your daughter!¡± Pointing at me, Reba shrieked hysterically, ¡°Why are you still speaking


    up for her even after what she has done to hurt you?¡±


    Cameron pushed her away and sent me to the bedroom together with the bodyguards.


    I was still trembling, and my body had stiffened due to the extreme coldness. It took me a while to


    regain some warmth after soaking myself in the bathtub.


    When I was out of the washroom, Ashton was waiting outside with Summer in his arms. There was


    rowdiness outside the room.


    The moment he saw me, he asked with knitted brows, ¡°Are you feeling better? How did you end up in


    the pool?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I should have looked after her well.¡± Cameron exined to Ashton guiltily and asked me


    concernedly, ¡°Scarlett, are you all right? How are you feeling now?¡±


    I looked at her and replied coldly, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Next, I turned to ask Ashton, ¡°Are you done with your discussion?¡±


    He nodded and asked, ¡°Do you want to go home now?¡±


    I just nodded and turned to look at Summer. She was staring at me with her pair of sparkling round


    eyes. It really melted my heart to see her adorable face. I was about to take her from Ashton, but he


    moved aside swiftly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home first. Don¡¯t catch a cold.¡±


    I nodded silently and followed him out of the bedroom. Coincidentally, a maid was holding a tray with a


    bowl of chicken soup. Cameron immediately advised, ¡°Scarlett, take some chicken soup first to warm


    yourself up.¡±


    Suddenly, Reba appeared out of nowhere and snatched the bowl of chicken soup from the maid.


    With a vicious look on her face, she sshed the bowl of soup at me.


    Ashton was moved to shield me from her attack.


    I was stupefied and looked at him worriedly. He just frowned slightly with an intimidating look.


    Fortunately, Jackson was responsive and took Summer away from him at once.


    He turned to look at Nick. ¡°Bring Mr. Fuller to go for a change now. Check his back to see if it is


    scalded.¡±


    Nick nodded in acknowledgment and gestured to Ashton. ¡°Mr. Fuller, this way, please.¡±

 Chapter 381

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 381


    Ashton¡¯s face darkened as he red at Reba in silence. At that instant, it was as if there was a


    drastic drop in the room.


    After he walked away with Nick, Cameron raised her hand abruptly.


    pping hard on Reba¡¯s face, she bellowed, ¡°Reba, what is wrong with you? Are you looking to


    stir up trouble!¡±


    Reba¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief as she covered her face and asked in despair, ¡°You pped me


    because of her?¡±


    Cameron snapped at her with a stern look, ¡°This p serves as a reminder for you to behave yourself! I


    wanted you to have a good rest in the hospital, yet you refused. Thanks to you, we are in a mess now!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sick. Why do I need to stay in the hospital? Mom, you¡¯ve changed. What¡¯s going on? It¡¯s


    Scarlett¡¯s fault, yet why are you punishing me?¡± Reba wailed in grief.


    She cried her eyes out, and her high-pitched tone triggered Summer instantly, causing her to burst into


    tears.


    Jackson tried to soothe Summer by all means to no avail. Pursing my lips, I took Summer from him and


    let her rest on my chest. Patting her back gently, I ignored the mother and daughter duo.


    Without hesitation, I descended the stairs and decided to leave at once.


    My ears caught the faint voice of Zachary¡¯s indifferent tone from far. ¡°Reba, it looks like both Pear


    Garden and the Moore Residence are not suited for you. I¡¯ve assigned my personal assistant to


    purchase anded property for you in South District. Just stay there for your recuperation. Don¡¯t ever


    cause any troubles again.¡±


    I quickened my pace, not keen on hearing the rest of the conversation. I bet she could only refute


    Zachary¡¯s words by repeating those few sentences.


    Once we were in the car, Summer stopped crying and looked at me with a puzzled look. I cheered up


    again at the sight of her adorable face.


    Ashton came down as well five minutester. He had changed into a ck shirt.


    However, the shirt was a bit too fitting for him. His body feature was apparently different from Nick¡¯s,


    although they were about the same height.


    Ashton went to the gym frequently so he had a fine physique.


    On the other hand, Nick had a slender body and fairplexion¡ªlike a teenage idol.


    Sensing that I was gazing at him, Ashton asked me with a glint of mischief in his eyes, ¡°You¡¯re not


    concerned if my back is feeling pain?¡±


    I raised my brows and asked instinctively, ¡°Is it painful?¡±


    He chuckled and replied teasingly, ¡°A kiss from you would help soothe the pain.¡±


    I pretended to scoff at him and looked away at once in order the conceal my flushed cheeks.


    He smiled knowingly and started the car without saying anything.


    The journey from Pear Garden to the Peakville Estate took approximately one hour. Not long after


    Summer was asleep in the Moses basket, I dozed off as well.


    The next time I woke up, I was already lyingfortably on my bed in the Peakville


    Estate. Surprisingly, Ashton was not lying next to me.


    I scanned every corner of the bedroom, but there was no sign of him. A whileter, I got up and walked


    toward the baby room. In the baby room, Ashton was holding Summer in his arms and trying to coax


    her.


    I was dumbfounded and asked, ¡°Was she crying?¡±


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    He nodded and asked in concern, ¡°Did her cries wake you up?¡±


    I shook my head and told him that I wanted to breastfeed Summer. Although I¡¯ve just woken up, I was


    still feeling drowsy. In the midst of breastfeeding, I almost dozed off and dropped her. Fortunately,


    Ashton was by our side and reacted immediately by taking Summer away from my arms.


    Considering that I still needed more rest, he refused to let me continue breastfeeding Summer and


    talked me into catching some more sleep.


    I had a deep sleep. When I woke up again, it was already the next morning. Again, there was no sign of


    Ashton in the bedroom.


    I headed straight for the baby room after a quick wash-up. As expected, Ashton was sleeping on the


    bed next to Summer.


    Seeing the both of them sleeping soundly, I tiptoed into the bedroom to check on them. The dark circles


    under Ashton¡¯s eyes indicated that he did not have a good night¡¯s rest.


    When the doorbell rang abruptly, I rushed down to open the door. To my surprise, Cameron was


    standing outside the door.


    In a split second, I started to get frustrated and asked impatiently, ¡°Ms. Anderson, what brings you here


    early in the morning?¡±


    Upon hearing my hoarse voice, she asked anxiously, ¡°You sound different. Did you catch a cold after


    falling into the poolst night? Have you taken any medicine?¡±


    I was at a loss for words.


    What is exactly ying in her mind?


    ¡°Ms. Anderson, thanks for your concern. I¡¯m fine. Are you here for Ashton? He is still sleeping. You may


    need to wait for a while.¡± Trying to suppress my displeasure, I hinted at her.


    As if she could not sense my displeasure, she said with a smile, ¡°Infants cry a lot at night. I figured both


    you and Ashton are still young and maybe inexperienced in taking care of Summer. Hence, I¡¯ve brought


    along two experienced nannies for you. Not only can they take care of Summer, but they can also


    nourish you. That way, you guys can have a good night¡¯s sleep.¡±


    After her speech, she introduced the two kind-looking middle-aged women behind her. However, I was


    repulsed by Cameron¡¯s pretentious look and replied coldly, ¡°Ms. Anderson, you didn¡¯t have to do that.¡±


    Nevertheless, she ignored my words and began to brief the nannies on Summer¡¯s conditions. Later,


    she nced at the kitchen and caught a glimpse of my pot.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t taken your breakfast, right? Let me prepare for you now. You can try my cooking and give


    me somements as well.¡±


    Before I could say anything, she had made her way into the kitchen.


    I was stunned again and stood motionless.


    There must be some hidden motives behind her unusual kindness!


    My expression of displeasure and impatience did not deter her from showing her concern. I was almost


    drowned in her nagging¡ªfrom the food I eat to the way I take care of Summer.

 Chapter 382

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 382


    I gave up saying anything since she would turn a deaf ear to my words. Half an hourter, she served


    me breakfast and urged me to give it a try.


    At the same time, she instructed the two nannies to clean up the house.


    She turned to me again and advised, ¡°You need to take foods that are rich in protein now as you¡¯re


    breastfeeding.¡±


    When Ashton woke up and saw the nannies, he asked quizzically, ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±


    Cameron chimed in before I could open my mouth, ¡°I bring them here to help take care of Summer. You


    two could take a breather and have a good rest yourselves.¡±


    Ashton nced at both of the nannies who were cleaning the house at the moment and thanked


    Cameron courteously, ¡°Ms. Anderson, sorry for the trouble.¡±


    ¡°Not at all! Don¡¯t mention it,¡± Cameron replied jubntly as he did not turn her down.


    After that, she urged Ashton to give the breakfast a try. Surprisingly, Ashton was not repulsed by


    Cameron at all.


    Cameron stayed in the vi the whole morning. She juggled between monitoring the nannies cleaning


    up the house and looking after Summer in the baby room.


    Ashton was busy with his work matters in the study. As I was reluctant to be together with Cameron in


    the baby room, I chose to stay in his study.


    After quite a while, he raised his head and asked me, ¡°You¡¯ve been here for quite a while. Anything you


    want to discuss with me?¡±


    I put down the book and asked him directly, ¡°Do you sense that there¡¯s something amiss about


    Cameron?¡±


    He shifted his gaze from hisptop momentarily and looked at me. ¡°Anything wrong?¡±


    ¡°Why did she suddenly invite us for a meal at Pear Garden. What¡¯s more, she brought along two


    nannies and prepared breakfast for us! What has gotten into her? She has done so much for us. Even


    our own friends might not have done that!¡± I was really baffled.


    Ashton walked toward me and crouched next to me. With smiling eyes, he asked, ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡±


    I shook my head in response.


    Holding my hand, he nted a few kisses on it and said softly, ¡°Perhaps she¡¯s doing all these to make


    it up to you?¡±


    ¡°Feeling guilty? If she really feels guilty, she shouldn¡¯t have done so much to hurt me previously!¡±


    My expression turned grim as I continued, ¡°Ashton, I really feel uneasy with her around. Can you ask


    her not to appear before us again? The New Year is just around the corner. We should make time to


    visit Grandpa and Grandma¡¯s grave. Not to forget about Macy as well¡ªit¡¯s time to bring Summer to


    visit her.¡±


    He stood up and pulled me into an embrace. ¡°You¡¯re right. We should visit them. But it¡¯s not appropriate


    for Summer to follow us to the graveyard. She¡¯s still too young.¡±


    I nodded and asked again, ¡°When are we going?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow,¡± he replied briefly and lowered his head to kiss me passionately.


    Coincidentally, Cameron entered the room with Summer in her arms. She smiled in embarrassment


    and said, ¡°Don¡¯t bother about me. You go ahead. I¡¯ll bring her down for a walk.¡±


    Ashton recollected himself and asked cidly, ¡°Is Summer hungry?¡±


    Cameron nodded and replied, ¡°I made her some milk with the milk powder, yet she was reluctant to


    drink and kept sticking her tongue out. I guess she must be yearning for breast milk. That¡¯s why I bring


    her up now.¡±


    Ashton immediately took Summer away from her and handed her to me.


    After that, he left the study with Cameron.


    I had a hunch that Ashton was hiding something from me. However, it could be just me being over-


    sensitive.


    When I walked out of the study after breastfeeding Summer, Cameron had left. Ashton was on a call in


    the living room. It sounded as if he was assigning Joseph some tasks.


    The moment he saw me, he hastily concluded his conversation and hung up within seconds. Taking


    Summer away from me skillfully, he looked at me and asked, ¡°What do you feel like eating?¡±


    I held onto his arm and replied softly, ¡°I¡¯m fine with anything. You decide then.¡±


    We had more time to ourselves ever since the nannies were here. Ashton and I no longer had to take


    turns waking up in the middle of the night anymore. Since Summer was in their care most of the time,


    Ashton cherished the time spent with Summer even more. Basically, he brought her along everywhere


    he went. Life seemed to be peaceful and rxing for all of us.


    Due to the stress-free lifestyle, I had put on quite some weight. As J City was located in the South, the


    weather would usually turn warmer towards the year-end.


    On New Year¡¯s Eve, Nick and Jackson visited us at our home. The Peakville Estate was engulfed by a


    lively atmosphere with the arrival of our guests.


    John gave me a call, requesting me to pick him up from the airport. As Ashton was just seated beside


    me, I passed the phone to him and let both menmunicate on the arrangement.


    After hanging up the phone, Ashton said casually, ¡°Just go, but take care alright.¡±


    I squinted and looked at him curiously. ¡°Be frank with me, what did he tell you? I¡¯m surprised that you


    willingly let me be his chauffeur without a second thought.¡±


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    He replied with a chuckle, ¡°Louis is with him and requested for you to go fetch him from the airport. If I


    apany you there, do you think you can cope with the things at hometer?¡±


    I shook my head at once. Preparations for reunion dinners were a real challenge for me. Without


    hesitation, I grabbed the car key and left.

 Chapter 383

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 383


    The journey from Peakville Estate to the airport would usually take only around forty minutes. However,


    the traffic was bad due to New Year¡¯s Eve.


    Cars were crawling along the road. Looking at the Ferrari in front of me, I could not resist gaping. This


    must be a millionaire!


    Bang! The sudden hit sent me into a tizzy. I didn¡¯t even start my car!


    My car had been stationary for quite some time in the long queue. It did not make sense for it to


    suddenly move forward and collide into the race car in the front!


    A man in sunsses got out of the royal blue race car. The man was dashing in his custom-made


    outfit.


    Thud! Thud! He knocked on the window of my car.


    Rolling down the window, I gulped and raised my head to greet him, ¡°Hi, I was¡­¡±


    The man cut me off with a stern look, ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I¡¯ll be responsible for any damages done. Can you


    get out to check on the condition of your car?¡±


    I was stunned for a while before getting out of the car. After taking some photos of the incident, I was


    about to inspect the condition of my car.


    Suddenly, I was ovee by unusual dizziness. Within seconds, I could feel my eyelids bing


    heavier and my energy draining off my body. Sensing something amiss, I was about to make a call.


    However, I sank into unconsciousness the next moment.


    I understood that no one could spend the rest of their lifetime peacefully without any hups. However,


    it never came to me that there would be another massive blow awaiting me just right before the arrival


    of a brand New Year.


    By the time I came to my senses, I was already on the hotel bed. After struggling to sit up, I discovered


    that my entire body was naked. My clothes were all over on the floor. I was devastated the moment I


    saw a used condom on the floor.


    There was a sudden excruciating pain in my heart, and the extreme helplessness creeping into my


    mind was choking me up.


    I got down from the bed hastily, yet I copsed to the floor. I didn¡¯t have the strength to walk!


    Reaching out my hand, I grabbed the clothes scattered on the floor with great difficulty.


    Bang! The door swung open abruptly. I stiffened as Ashton emerged with a grim look.


    As we locked gazes, his face darkened. The profound coldness in his eyes was piercing through my


    heart.


    Gripping my clothes to cover myself, I began to tremble and quiver, ¡°I-If I say I don¡¯t know anything, do


    you believe me?¡±


    I am telling the truth! The only thing I could remember was when I got out from my car on the highway.


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Ashton looked at me with a glint of indecipherable emotions in his eyes. After what seemed like ages,


    he finally raised his head again and took a deep breath, obviously trying to stifle the erupting emotions


    within himself.


    Walking calmly toward me, his voice sounded unusually low and raspy as he replied, ¡°I believe!¡±


    Crouching down beside me, he covered my body with his jacket silently. However, his pupils


    constricted when he caught a glimpse of the used condom on the floor.


    At the sight of his reaction, the throbbing pain of my heart deteriorated. Tears started to trickle down my


    face, yet I could not utter any words.


    Twitching his lips, he raised his hand to wipe off my tears. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. Let¡¯s go home now!¡±


    He lifted me and strode out of the hotel room without hesitation. When I stole a nce at him, I noticed


    his chiseled jawline tightened. At that very moment, there was not the least bit of warmth in his


    movement.


    The main entrance of the hotel was already crowded with reporters.


    Someone had apparently set me up and deliberately dug a pit for me.


    One of the reporters stepped forward but retreated due to Ashton¡¯s intimidating stare. Nheless,


    another reporter was daring to blurt out, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, rumor has it that you were drunkst night and


    had a one night stand with a stranger. Are you having any problem in your marriage with Mr. Fuller?¡±


    That was indeed a provocative question.


    Ashton¡¯s face fell as he red at the reporters blocking his way. ¡°Get out of my way!¡±


    The painful blow earlier on had turned him into a vicious predator with burning mes in his eyes. If not


    for the bodyguards holding him back, he might have thrown a punch on the reporters blocking his way.


    After squeezing his way through the crowd, Ashton ced me gently on the car seat and instructed the


    driver to speed off.


    Once we reached Peakville Estate, I jumped out of the car and stumbled all the way toward the vi.


    Thump! Only after a while, I fell and knelt to the floor. As my knee knocked onto the ground, the


    stabbing pain seemed to wake me up.


    Upon hearing the sound of hasty footsteps behind me, I clenched my fists with my eyes tightly shut.


    ¡°Just leave me alone!¡± I growled like a trapped and injured animal in despair.


    The sound of the footsteps came to a halt as Ashton froze in his steps. With gritted teeth, I supported


    myself up. I tried to bear with the throbbing pain and dragged myself toward the vi.


    Once back to the bedroom, I locked myself in the bathroom and scrubbed my entire body frantically.


    After a long moment of scrubbing, it felt like ayer of my delicate skin had been peeled off. However, I


    could not stop scrubbing. I was shameful and felt disgusted with myself. I did not know what I had


    encountered earlier!


    How did I end up in the hotel room? Why did I have to go through that!


    Knock! Knock! Ashton was knocking on the door as he yelled anxiously, ¡°Scarlett,e out now!


    Please open the door. We can go through this together!¡±


    Covering my ears with my hands, I slumped onto the floor. The running water from the showerhead


    continued to flow onto my face and my entire body. My heart ached when I heard Ashton¡¯s voice. I


    really did not have the courage to face him at that moment. It looks like there is no end to my misery. I


    thought that I could finally lead a simple and peaceful life.


    Having a loving husband and an adorable baby¡ªI¡¯m really looking forward to a better life.


    Now that this has happened¡­ What have I done wrong? It¡¯s the New Year, yet I¡¯m in such a piteous


    state!

 Chapter 384

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 384


    ¡°Scarlett, listen to me. Come out of there!¡± he instructed in a serious tone.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    ¡°I¡¯ll barge in if you don¡¯t open the door now!¡±


    ¡°Leave me alone!¡± My voice was hoarse, as my throat was still hurting.


    Bang! The bathroom door was forced open by Ashton. He then directed his dark gaze onto me.


    With his lips pursed, he scooped me up from the bathtub and carried me onto the bed. I tried my best


    to struggle to no avail. ¡°Ashton, let me go!¡±


    Afterying me down on the bed, he subdued me to prevent me from hitting him. His voice turned chilly


    as he uttered, ¡°I will never let you go!¡±


    My tears started pouring down incessantly like a running faucet.


    A long whileter, I finally ceased my crying as he embraced me. ¡°No matter who it is, I¡¯ll make sure he


    pays for his deeds.¡±


    I remained silent as my throat was still in extreme pain.


    When John arrived, I was finally able to calm myself down for a bit. As soon as he saw Ashton, he


    abruptly went up to him and gave him a strong jab.


    And just like that, the two of them started throwing punches at each other.


    Peeved, John grabbed a cup in the bedroom and smashed it against Ashton. ¡°You¡¯re a piece of sh*t


    who can¡¯t even protect your own woman. You call yourself a man?¡±


    John was livid. He had no intention of backing down as he kept on hitting him with everything he


    managed to get his hands on. ¡°Last time when she lost her child, I gave you a chance to make it up to


    her. Now, look at how that ended up! You let her get hurt again and again. You dare call yourself a


    man?¡±


    The bedroom was all thrashed up after their fight. Ashton had a somber look on his face.


    Upon walking into the room, Louis nced at him with a pale face before querying, ¡°Do you know who


    did this?¡±


    Ashton replied with a frown, ¡°I¡¯m still investigating!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so full of sh*t!¡± John was getting riled up again and threw something at him.


    With his quick reflexes, Ashton was able to dodge his attack.


    Louis, who was able to maintain hisposure, red at John and said, ¡°Go get a cigarette. Don¡¯t


    make a scene here.¡±


    Irritated, John blurted out, ¡°Rx my a**! I will bring Scarlett home today.¡±


    He then turned his gaze toward me and uttered, ¡°Letty, go pack your things now and leave with me.¡±


    Louis looked gloomy as he stared at John. ¡°Stop messing around, will you!¡±


    Seeing that Louis was miffed, John solemnly responded, ¡°I¡¯m going to smoke outside!¡±


    After John left the room, Louis asked, ¡°Do you have any suspects?¡±


    Ashton frowned and went silent for a bit before answering, ¡°Let me investigate first!¡±


    ¡°Is it the Moore family?¡±


    Ashton shook his head. ¡°The possibility is low!¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s not out of the question.¡±


    Before Louis could finish his speech, Ashton interrupted him. ¡°Louis, we should let Scarlett rest first.


    Let¡¯s take this to the study room.¡±


    Stupefied, Louis paused for a while before nodding his head.


    It was impossible to fall asleep. I couldn¡¯t take my mind off the incident.


    When was I drugged? Have I been targeted for a while now? How was I not vignt about any of this?


    I remembered that I was still sober when I got down from the car to take pictures. That man was


    wearing sunsses¡ªboth his voice and face features were unfamiliar to me.


    He was not someone I knew. I ended up spending half a day trying to wrap my head around all of this,


    but with no sess. Annoyed, I covered my head with my hands and pulled on my hair.


    When Ashton came back, he saw the state I was in and quickly embraced me. ¡°Scarlett, don¡¯t be like


    this. Don¡¯t hurt yourself, okay?¡± he murmured in a deep tone.


    ¡°It was a car from K City¡ªa royal blue Ferrari. I don¡¯t recognize the man, but perhaps there were other


    people in the car.¡± I lifted my head to gaze at him after I had settled down my emotions.


    He nodded in response and kissed me on the forehead. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m already investigating on this. I¡¯ll


    have an answer soon.¡±


    His phone rang at that moment. Ashton picked up the call swiftly. It¡¯s Joseph!


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, the royal blue Ferrari belongs to the White Corporation. After Benjamin left, this car was left


    unused in the garage at the White residence. Someone must¡¯ve taken it out a few days ago.¡±


    Ashton pursed his lips. ¡°Who¡¯s responsible for these cars?¡±


    Joseph went quiet for a second before replying, ¡°It¡¯s Sally, your aunt.¡±


    The atmosphere in the room suddenly tensed up. After a while, Ashton suppressed the anger fueling


    up in him and instructed, ¡°Carry on with your investigation.¡±


    Joseph nodded before adding, ¡°Mr. Fuller, one more thing. The man who abducted Mrs. Fuller was


    Sally¡¯s assistant, Hudson.¡±


    Having heard what Joseph said, Ashton gave no response.


    Joseph cut straight to the point and queried, ¡°Mr. Fuller, what do you need me to do?¡±


    ¡°Find Hudson. Use whatever means necessary to get him to speak,¡± answered Ashton. His gaze was


    malicious.


    After he hung up the phone, I stared at him silently for a long time.


    He then embraced me in silence since he was probably as conflicted as me.

 Chapter 385

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 385


    Is Sally the one behind all of this? If she is, then what¡¯s her motive? What benefit does she gain from


    doing this?


    ¡°Stay at home and get some rest. Try not to think too much into this,¡± heforted me with a soft


    voice.


    Seeing as he was about to leave, I grabbed hold of him and red at him. ¡°Can you take me with you,


    Ashton? I don¡¯t want to be alone here.¡±


    He paused for a while and nodded. ¡°Sure!¡±


    Since Summer was away with Jackson, there wasn¡¯t anyone else at home. If I were to stay in the


    house alone, I would be too anxious to sleep at night.


    As it was New Year¡¯s Eve, there were fewer people on the streets. After driving out of the urban areas,


    Ashton stopped the car in front of an abandoned factory and helped me down from the car.


    We were immediately greeted by two men in ck suits who were standing guard outside the factory.


    They bowed to Ashton respectfully. ¡°Mr. Fuller!¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ashton responded tersely and dragged me into the factory. He seemed rather callous and


    detached.


    Upon seeing the man with the sunsses again, my body began to shiver. Ashton hurriedly embraced


    me and said in a deep tone, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m here!¡±


    He then signaled Joseph to bring out two chairs. After helping me onto the chair, he crouched down


    beside me and held my hand.


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    ¡°Close your eyes if you¡¯re scared, okay?¡± His voice sounded warm and gentle.


    I then nodded in response.


    ncing menacingly at Hudson, he stood up and toned his voice down a few levels before threatening


    him, ¡°Speak up now! Or I¡¯ll make you.¡±


    Hudson¡¯s face was already badly disfigured from the beating. It seemed like he had gone through quite


    the torture before we even got here.


    ¡°What more can you do to me?¡± he sneered.


    Ashton pursed his lips and had a minatory look on his face as he violently kicked Hudson in the face.


    The kick left Hudson lying on the ground, with blooding out of his mouth.


    Ashton gave him a cold stare. ¡°So, you feel like talking now? Or do you want me to continue?¡±


    Hudson wasughing as he groveled on the ground. He really didn¡¯t seem to care about his life. ¡°Kill


    me if you have the guts.¡±


    Infuriated, Joseph sent another kick towards his stomach. ¡°Let¡¯s see how long you can keep this up.¡±


    Ashton gazed at Hudson, who was beaten half to death, with revulsion in his eyes. After a while, he


    finally signaled Joseph to stop the beating.


    Sitting on the chair, Ashton was emitting an intimidating aura. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to talk. I¡¯ll bring


    your parents and fianc¨¦e here to join in on the fun.¡±


    Ashton seemed heartless and evil when he said that to him.


    Furious, Hudson gazed at Ashton with his eyes wide opened and yelled, ¡°You son of a b*tch! You can


    kill me now if you¡¯ve got the balls to do so. Don¡¯t you darey a hand on my family members!¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Ashton chuckled. ¡°You think you¡¯re in a position to make demands? By the way, I heard that your


    fianc¨¦e is pregnant. What if I told her about the things that you¡¯ve done? Do you think that she¡¯ll be so


    shocked and end up having a miscarriage?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Hudson climbed up from the ground and lunged himself toward Ashton.


    Joseph was quick to react by kicking the back of his feet, causing him to lose bnce and fall onto the


    ground.


    Meanwhile, Ashton continued to stare at him with contempt in his eyes. After a while, he instructed


    Joseph, ¡°Bring his parents and his fianc¨¦e over here right now.¡±


    Hudson got up from the ground again and grabbed Joseph by his cor. His gaze turned toward Ashton


    as he eximed, ¡°You¡¯re despicable!¡±


    Ashton red at him apathetically. ¡°I can be even more despicable. Do you believe me?¡±


    As they stared down at each other, Ashton was confident that he had the leverage against Hudson.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll talk! What do you want to know?¡± Hudson finally budged.


    Ashton averted his eyes from him to nce at Joseph. ¡°Go get Mrs. Fuller a ss of fruit juice and


    some pastries too while you¡¯re at it.¡±


    Joseph was stunned for two seconds or so before ncing at me with a perplexed look. After that, he


    simply nodded and went on his way.


    Slumping on the ground, Hudson seemed chagrined as he looked at me and uttered, ¡°I didn¡¯ty a


    finger on her. You guys can go and check for yourselves if you don¡¯t believe me.¡±


    Ashton stayed quiet as he gazed at him nonchntly. That being said, he looked like he was able to kill


    someone with just his cold stare.


    Hudson stopped for a while before adding on, ¡°I only did what Ms. Fuller told me to, which was to bring


    Ms. Stovall to the designated hotel. As to what happened after that, I have no idea.¡±


    The Ms. Fuller that he was referring to, was Sally Fuller.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Ashton queried, with his eyes darkened.


    Hudson nodded. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s it. I didn¡¯t recognize the guy waiting inside the hotel. As I was escorting


    Ms. Stovall into the hotel, he had his back against me. He looked like he was about six feet tall. He had


    this cold demeanor about him.¡±


    Ashton remained silent. Since Joseph was nowhere to be seen, Hudson was worried that Ashton was


    still nning to threaten him with the lives of his parents and fianc¨¦e.


    He spilled out as much as he could to deter that from happening. ¡°Ms. Fuller gave me three hundred


    thousand. The money is in the Ferrari. I desperately needed the money to pay the dowry to my fianc¨¦e.


    I wouldn¡¯t have done such a thing if it wasn¡¯t for that.¡±

 Chapter 386

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 386


    ring at Ashton, Hudson feigned a pitiful look. ¡°Mr. Fuller, please, I beg you. You can do whatever


    you want with me. Just please don¡¯t hurt my family.¡±


    Ashton continued to remain silent. After a while, Joseph came back with a bag filled with pastries and a


    ss of fruit juice.


    He got someone to bring a table over to me and ced the pastries and the fruit juice neatly on the


    table. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, please help yourself!¡±


    After that, Joseph immediately turned his gaze toward Ashton and reported, ¡°I¡¯ve already brought them


    here. They¡¯re outside right now.¡±


    Hudson thought that his family was brought here and got furious. He nced at Ashton with his fiery


    eyes and uttered, ¡°Ashton, you¡¯re an abhorrent piece of sh*t. You said that you weren¡¯t going to harm


    my family if I told you what I know. You mendacious scoundrel!¡±


    Joseph ordered two big strong men to hold him down before replying, ¡°Who told you that the people


    outside are your family?¡±


    At that moment, the sound of high heels ttering could be heard approaching. The person who was


    walking in was none other than Sally herself.


    It was a warm and cozy day in J City. Although it was only January, the temperature had already risen.


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    She was wearing a dress paired with shiny high heels, which made her seem ssy and elegant.


    That being said, her ssy attire didn¡¯t quite fit into the setting. It made her look out of ce.


    Following beside her were two men in ck suits. She was probably forcefully brought to this ce.


    After taking a scan around the ce, Sally¡¯s face turned pale when she saw Ashton. ¡°Ashton, why are


    you here?¡±


    Ashton stretched his back and gazed at her with his eyebrows raised. ¡°Why can¡¯t I be here?¡±


    Seeing how severely hurt Hudson was, Sally suddenly felt queasy and almost fell to the ground.


    Ashton pinched his forehead while staring at Hudson. ¡°Repeat what you¡¯ve just said.¡±


    Hudson¡¯s facial expression rxed after he realized it wasn¡¯t his family who was being brought here by


    Joseph. Having calmed down, his train of thoughts became clearer.


    ¡°Five days ago, Ms. Fuller gave me a call after taking her annual leave. In the call, she asked me to do


    a task for her. The award forpleting the task was three hundred thousand. Normally, I wouldn¡¯t


    ept a task like this. However, I desperately needed the money to pay off the dowry to my fianc¨¦e¡¯s


    parents. If I couldn¡¯t pay the dowry, we would have no choice but to abort our baby.¡±


    He took a breather before continuing, ¡°My parents are farmers. We struggled to build a house with the


    meager ie they make. Eventually, we ended up borrowing a lot of money. Not to mention, my


    family obviously wouldn¡¯t have three hundred thousand lying around. So, to get three hundred


    thousand, I promised to do the task.¡±


    ¡°What utter nonsense!¡± Sally was enraged. ¡°I don¡¯t recall ever calling you, much less giving you money.


    Enough with your false usations!¡±


    Hudson red at her. ¡°The money is still in the car. Since you were paranoid of anyone finding the car


    key, you hid it under the wall surrounding the White residence. Didn¡¯t you tell me all of this yourself?


    The three hundred thousand were in cash, and you¡¯ve stashed them all inside the Ferrari.¡±


    ¡°The money is still there. You can go and have a look yourself. I¡¯m not lying!¡±


    Ashton stayed silent as he directed his eyes toward Joseph. Joseph then nodded his head before


    saying, ¡°I¡¯ve checked inside the car. There was indeed three hundred thousand worth of cash inside it.


    Since the notes weren¡¯t marked, they probably weren¡¯t taken out from the bank. And because of that, I


    wasn¡¯t able to trace the origin of the money.¡±


    Sally was feeling despondent as he nced at Ashton. ¡°Ashton, I¡¯m your aunt. There¡¯s no incentive for


    me to hurt your wife. You know that, right? You can¡¯t just blindly trust what he¡¯s saying.¡±


    Joseph passed his phone over to Ashton and said, ¡°Ms. Fuller here has met Ms. Larson once before in


    J City.¡±


    After looking at Joseph¡¯s phone, his cold gaze turned toward Sally. ¡°You came to J City in advance?¡±


    Anxious, Sally¡¯s face turned pale white. ¡°I-I came to see my father,¡± she stuttered.


    ¡°Then why did you meet with Reba?¡± Ashton was running out of patience. His eyes were ice-cold.


    Sally¡¯s body was shivering as she responded, ¡°She was the one who wanted to meet up. She


    ckmailed me into tricking Scarlett. If I didn¡¯tply, she would inform Cameron of the things I did


    behind her back, which would then lead to a fallout between us.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Ashton sneered.


    A whileter, he gazed at me and noticed that I hadn¡¯t yet touched the fruit juice and pastries in front of


    me. ¡°Are they not to your liking?¡± he queried while frowning.


    ¡°No!¡± I shook my head.


    ¡°Are you tired?¡± He reached out his hand to grab my arm.


    I nodded in response. I don¡¯t know if we should continue to dig deeper or not. Would doing so further


    complicate the situation? If the culprit behind all this really was Sally, what would Ashton do?


    Not to mention, Reba is also now involved in all of this. Since he has such close ties with both


    Reba and Sally, I don¡¯t think he could bring himself to hurt them.


    Exhausted, I uttered, ¡°Ashton, send me back home.¡±


    He took a nce at the two people on the ground before looking at Joseph. ¡°Call the police. We¡¯ll leave


    these two to them.¡±


    Having heard his statement, Sally panicked. ¡°Ashton, you don¡¯t have any concrete evidence. You can¡¯t


    do this to me.¡±


    Ashton red at her intently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. After the police are done with their investigations, we¡¯ll use


    other alternatives to solve the problem.¡±

 Chapter 387

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 387


    Another method?


    In a sh, Cameron went limp, and she copsed onto the ground helplessly.


    After leaving the factory, I got into the car. Then I leaned back against the seat and closed my eyes.


    Instantly, weariness held me captive.


    Out of the blue, a sense of warmth traveled up my palm. I opened my eyes and saw that it was Ashton.


    Holding my hand, he started the car andforted me in a cool voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Everything will be


    fine.¡±


    However, I merely pursed my lips and said nothing. Who could it be?


    Upon returning to the vi, I was a tad drowsy, so Ashton escorted me back to the bedroom. Then, he


    left some instructions for the confinement nanny before leaving.


    After he left, Iy on the bed, feeling extremely sleepy. Yet I just couldn¡¯t fall asleep.


    Thus, I took out my phone and gave Stacey a call. A few ringster, she picked up the phone.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, are you¡­ okay?¡± she asked tentatively.


    Grunting in affirmation, I then asked, ¡°Have you seen the news?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Pausing briefly, she then continued, ¡°I¡¯ve asked a friend to investigate this matter as I can¡¯t find


    anything on my side. The hotel¡¯s surveince footage has been destroyed, so there¡¯s no way to


    investigate further.¡±


    Nodding, I inhaled before replying, ¡°There¡¯s no need to investigate this further. Rather, find someone to


    keep an eye on Kristina. If possible, find out whether she has been in contact with Reba and Sally


    A touch puzzled, she hesitated for a moment before questioning, ¡°Kristina? Why are you investigating


    her?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a hunch that hasn¡¯t been verified, so check her out first. I¡¯ll tell you the specificster.¡±


    On the other hand, Ashton and John were far swifter than her in investigating all else that was


    pertinent, for they¡¯d investigated basically everything crucial.


    After a long time had passed, she nodded. ¡°Alright, got it!¡±


    After hanging up the phone, I remained on the bed, but still, I couldn¡¯t sleep with the myriad of worries


    assailing me.


    I was finally dozing off groggily after havingin there for what seemed an eternity, only to hear a


    commotion downstairs.


    Irritated by the racket, I got out of bed and left the bedroom.


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    ¡°Have Scarlett Stovalle out at once!¡± Reba roared as though having lost her mind in the living


    room.


    The confinement nanny and the housekeeper tried their best to hold her back, pulling her outside. Even


    the bodyguards in the vi came rushing over and carried her out.


    As I descended the stairs, I drawled, ¡°Is something the matter, Ms. Larson?¡±


    At this, the bodyguards stopped in their tracks though they still restrained Reba, who was struggling


    wildly.


    ¡°How could you shove the me of your ident on me, Scarlett Stovall? You were only set up


    because someone detests you, so why are you making me the scapegoat?¡±


    She struggled mightily. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that the bodyguards had a tight grip on her, she would


    probably have charged forward and ripped me to shreds.


    Upon hearing this, I pursed my lips. ¡°When did I make you the scapegoat?¡±


    ¡°Who else could it be besides you? Ashton wants to send me away, and even my parents don¡¯t want


    me. They all me me, thinking that it was me who did that to you when I did nothing at all. If it were


    truly me, I would¡¯ve ensured that you¡¯re dead, no doubt about that!¡± she sneered.


    As she said that, she wanted to rush forward to hit me, but to no avail, since the two burly bodyguards


    kept her securely restrained.


    Just then, a few people tore into the vi. I looked up and saw that it was Cameron and Zachary.


    When Cameron saw Reba kicking up such a fuss, her control snapped. Striding forward, she swung


    her hand at her without bothering to ascertain whether she was steady on her feet.


    All at once, Reba fell to the ground from the blow. She then covered her face and lifted her eyes.


    The moment she caught a glimpse of Cameron, her eyes abruptly went red. ¡°Mom, you¡¯ve never


    treated me in such a manner! What gives? How could you p me because of this woman? I¡¯m your


    daughter!¡± she eximed incredulously.


    Nheless, Cameron stared at her indifferently. ¡°How did I treat you in the past? You know full well


    how I treated you, yes? Just look at yourself right now. Look at what you¡¯re doing at this moment! Why


    won¡¯t you repent, Reba Larson?¡±


    Reba abruptly broke down at that. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, so why should I repent? The whole


    lot of you are at fault, yet you¡¯re all ming me. Why? I didn¡¯t do anything wrong!¡±


    Livid, Cameron wanted to hit her again, but Zachary held her back. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Things are already


    a mess, so don¡¯t add to the chaos.¡±


    He turned around to take a look at the bodyguard and then ordered, ¡°Help her up and send her back.¡±


    The bodyguard went to pull Reba up, but she pped his hand away and bellowed, ¡°Stay away


    from me! Don¡¯t touch me! I didn¡¯t do anything to her, so why are you all framing me?¡±


    She pointed her finger at me with stark grievance written all over her face.


    Meanwhile, Cameron gazed at her with abhorrence and repulsion in her eyes, herpassionate


    expression a thing of the past. ¡°Who else could it be if not you? Did you think I¡¯m unaware of the many


    times you rendezvoused with Sally furtively and the matter you both discussed?¡±


    ¡°Mom!¡± Tears streamed down Reba¡¯s face. ¡°Why won¡¯t you believe me? My meeting with Sally has


    nothing to do with Scarlett. If I truly made a move against her, I would¡¯ve ensured that she¡¯s dead. I


    wouldn¡¯t have allowed her a chance to live!¡±


    p! Cameronnded a solid p across her face.


    Reba gaped at her, her face a mask of incredulity. ¡°Do you remember how many times you¡¯ve


    pped me because of her?¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Cameron snapped, still as enraged as ever. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, would she have been hurt


    time and again? Yet, you¡¯re crying here? If I¡¯d known about this, I wouldn¡¯t have allowed you to join the


    Moore family!¡±

 Chapter 388

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 388


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Zachary thundered, his gaze ebony. ¡°The result of the investigation is clear as day,


    and we¡¯re also partly responsible for Reba¡¯s actions. Let¡¯s just send her away.¡±


    Hearing that, Reba stared at him in disbelief. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m your daughter. Where do you want to send


    me? Don¡¯t you want me anymore?¡± she wailed at the top of her lungs.


    ¡°Listen to me, Reba. Neither I nor Cam can protect you when you¡¯ve done such a grievous thing.


    Besides, Ashton won¡¯t let you off the hook so easily. Sally is his aunt, so he can¡¯t do anything to her,


    but it¡¯s different with you. Despite his promise to your brother, no one can guarantee that he¡¯ll spare


    you. The Moore family can¡¯t take any more hits. Hence, if you don¡¯t leave, neither we nor the Moore


    family will be able to withstand this disaster. Louis Stovall will do everything in his power to attack the


    Moore family, so everyone will be destroyed at that time!¡±


    Reba shook her head as tears poured down her cheeks. ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t me. I don¡¯t have the ability to


    do that, and how could I possibly be so stupid? I would¡¯ve just killed her off.¡±


    As she was dragged out of the vi by the two bodyguards, I suddenly blurted, ¡°Don¡¯t give her hell


    anymore. Perhaps it truly wasn¡¯t her doing.¡±


    Both Cameron and Zachary were momentarily taken aback. Staring at me, they started, ¡°Ms. Stovall,


    you don¡¯t need to¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to help her,¡± I asserted. ¡°Ashton, Louis, and even the Moore family couldn¡¯t find anything


    about the man in the hotel room. Do you think Ms. Larson has the ability to do as much?¡±


    I know better than anyone that Reba Larson hates me and wants me dead, but there are too many


    uncertainties in this matter. Hudson imed that it was Sally who phoned and paid him, but he never


    had direct contact with her, nor had he ever heard her say all that personally.


    Everything hinges on the phone, but a person¡¯s voice can be changed, and the phone could¡¯ve been


    borrowed or lost. If someone had done something here, there¡¯s no way to ascertain it. Furthermore, the


    man in the room had also told Hudson that he¡¯s very mysterious.


    Upon hearing this, both Cameron and Zachary went silent. Pausing for a moment, they looked at me


    and murmured, ¡°Ms. Stovall, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Just go back first. After all, a decision can¡¯t be made before the matter is cleared up.¡±


    ¡°Stop feigning kindness, Scarlett Stovall. Don¡¯t think I¡¯m unaware that you were fooling around out


    there because you were feeling lonely. Yet, you¡¯re now shifting the me on me to cover up your


    misdeed. How shameless!¡± Rebambasted me harshly.


    At this, Zachary motioned to the bodyguards to take her away with slight distaste. Then, he cast a


    nce at me, but in the end, he left without saying a single word.


    As Cameron looked at me, she hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°Rest well and don¡¯t worry. The


    cops will investigate this matter.¡±


    However, I didn¡¯t respond to that. My drowsiness was all but gone, so I wearily sat in the living room


    after seeing them off.


    ¡°Madam, Mr. Ashton called and asked what you would like to eat tonight. He said he¡¯ll bring it back for


    youter,¡± the confinement nanny remarked while walking towards me.


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    Frowning, I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll be going out in a while.¡±


    The confinement nanny was just about to counter, but she then swallowed her words when she saw my


    grim expression.


    After sitting in the living room for some time, I gave John a call and asked him to apany me to the


    police station.


    John drove over and waited for me outside the vi. To my surprise, he drove a very low-key


    Mercedes-Benz.


    Hence, after climbing into the car, I couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why are you so low-profile all of a sudden?¡±


    Starting the car, he answered, ¡°If I¡¯m too ostentatious, it¡¯ll bring Uncle Louis trouble.¡±


    At this, I shrugged withoutmenting further. I threw him a nce and then queried, ¡°Can you find


    out the grudge between Ashton and Jared?¡±


    Upon hearing this, he frowned. ¡°A grudge? Aren¡¯t they good friends? What grudge do they have?¡±


    ¡°Just investigate it for a bit. I don¡¯t know the specifics either.¡± I can¡¯t think of any valid reason for


    Reba or Sally to deal me such a lethal blow, so they may have been unwittingly dragged into this as


    scapegoats when the real target is Ashton.


    He nodded with his brows furrowed. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll check it out.¡±


    Meanwhile, at the police station¡­


    Stacey, who was waiting at the entrance, was slightly stunned upon seeing John with me. Stepping


    forward, she tugged at me and whispered, ¡°Ms. Stovall!¡±


    She seemed a tad apprehensive, and her nervousness was for no reason other than the fact that she


    needed to talk to Felixter.


    Patting her hand, Iforted her while murmuring, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just talk to him for a bit and treat it as


    bidding him farewell.¡±


    When the police had escorted her into the visiting room, John looked at me and demanded, ¡°You asked


    me here just to be your driver?¡±


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡±


    At this, he pursed his lips, having rendered speechless. ¡°Nope!¡± After a brief pause, he noted, ¡°There¡¯s


    basically nothing to be gained from Felix, so don¡¯t waste your energy on him. Rather, you might get


    something from Sally.¡±


    I frowned as a mild headache assailed me. ¡°Still, I¡¯ve got to try.¡± Then, I questioned in a slightly irritable


    voice, ¡°Is the DNA result out?¡±


    He was startled for a moment before replying, ¡°Yes, but procedures dictate that the result will be


    collected by Ashton.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t I collect it myself when I¡¯m the victim here?¡± I stared at him with my brows creased.

 Chapter 389

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 389


    Pursing his lips, John narrowed his eyes slightly. ¡°You want to investigate the matter by yourself?¡±


    ¡°I just want to know the result. Or are you saying that I can¡¯t even know who hurt me?¡± I retorted mildly.


    He stared at me intently. After a long time, he sighed and ordered, ¡°Wait for me. I¡¯ll go check it out.¡±


    He¡¯d just left when Stacey came out. She looked at me and was just about to speak when I interrupted


    her.


    ¡°It¡¯s ratherte now, so let¡¯s eat together another day.¡±


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    She was momentarily taken aback before noticing that John was making his way back. Looking at me,


    she nodded and answered, ¡°Sure. Thank you for getting me in today.¡± As she said this, she looked over


    her shoulder at John and murmured, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Stovall.¡±


    John shrugged. ¡°Why are you thanking me? It¡¯s no big deal. It¡¯s quitete now, so let¡¯s go and have


    dinner together.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I still have to rush back to the countryside, so you two go ahead. Please excuse me.¡±


    After saying that, Stacey left.


    John looked at me with pursed lips. ¡°Your subordinate has the same temperament as you. So, what


    would you like to eat?¡±


    ¡°Anything.¡± I slipped into the car after replying him. Then, I turned my gaze on him and asked, ¡°Is the


    DNA report out?¡±


    At this, he nodded. ¡°It doesn¡¯t match Hudson¡¯s, so they¡¯re currently still investigating the matter.¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s not Hudson¡¯s. I just want to know the identity of the man at the hotel, for he might have


    nned this entire incident. I¡¯m guessing that Reba and Sally are likely scapegoats.¡±


    At this moment, my phone vibrated with a text message from Stacey, but I merely nced at it before


    closing it.


    As John drove in the direction of the city center, the sky had already grown dark. ¡°Both Uncle Louis and


    I will investigate this matter, so don¡¯t fixate on it. Take good care of yourself instead. Jackson said your


    depression has gotten worse. If you truly can¡¯t stand staying at Peakville Estate, just move in with me


    and Uncle Louis. I don¡¯t like that b*stard, Ashton, anyway, so you can just remain the pampered


    daughter of the Stovall family, and I¡¯ll support you for the rest of your life.¡±


    All at once, I giggled. ¡°I¡¯m only twenty-six years old, yet I can justze around and do nothing?¡±


    ¡°Of course. With the Stovall family¡¯s wealth and my assets, it¡¯s not a problem even if you were to fritter


    a few million a day. After all, there¡¯s infinite money for you to splurge.¡±


    I chuckled, ¡°Summer is probably the most blessed child in this world. The moment she¡¯s born, her


    grandfather and uncle have made all arrangements for her.¡±


    At this, he arched an eyebrow. ¡°That¡¯s for sure. After all, look who her uncle is.¡± After a brief pause, he


    shifted his gaze to me, turning serious. ¡°Are you not nning to have your own child?¡± he queried.


    Taken aback, I instantly clenched my hands tightly, at a loss for words.


    After a long silence, I inhaled and muttered, ¡°We shall see.¡± Some heartache is more than enough to


    have just experienced it once in a lifetime. When my child left, I never thought of having another child,


    for that terror will gue me for the rest of my life!


    ¡°Makes sense. With Summer to keep youpany, it doesn¡¯t matter whether you have your own child


    in the future.¡±


    I nodded even my heart clenched. Recently, I seem to be getting increasingly irritable, and I can¡¯t even


    control my emotions at times.


    The car then came to a stop before a restaurant in the city center, whereupon a parking valet came up


    to help park the car.


    Throwing the car key at him, John took my hand and led me into the restaurant.


    Perhaps his looks were too outstanding that countless gazes swung our way the moment we stepped


    into the restaurant. Even whispers drifted into the air from time to time.


    With a grim expression, John dragged me into a private room hastily. After ordering, he looked at me


    and remarked, ¡°You¡¯ve lost much weight from breastfeeding Summer recently, so you¡¯ve got to fatten


    up.¡±


    I shed him a smile even as a wave of misery flooded me, for I¡¯d heard the whispers when we came


    in.


    It wasn¡¯t John they were staring at, but me. I¡¯d almost forgotten that Ashton was a renowned young


    entrepreneur in J City, and news of his wife messing around with another man in the hotel hadn¡¯t been


    suppressed yet.


    Thus, the fact that I¡¯m making an appearance here with John was making imaginations run all the


    wilder! News of me being a sl*t is most likely making headlines every single day!


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± John knocked my head even as he drawled in exasperation, ¡°Stop spacing


    out. The food will be served soon.¡±


    I nodded in acquiescence.


    Upon noticing my dour expression, his brows furrowed. ¡°Scarlett, someone who¡¯s overly concerned by


    others¡¯ perception and opinions can never go far. Look at the celebrities out there. Which of them aren¡¯t


    disparaged and condemned with scathingments? Besides, we all know the truth of this matter.


    Listen to me and don¡¯t take it to heart, okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just feel like eating a lobster. Do they have lobsters here?¡± I mused as I snagged the menu.


    John propped a hand against his forehead in exasperation. After staring at me for a long while, he


    dered, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go out and get you some lobster, but you¡¯ve got to pander to me in the future!¡±


    He then got up and left. In the meantime, I remained sitting in the private room, my mind a chaotic


    mess. How could I possibly not bother? I¡¯m human, not a robot! No matter how calm and unruffled I


    pretend to be in some matters, there¡¯s simply a thorn stuck in my flesh at the end of the day!


    ¡°Tsk-tsk. Your life is rather colorful, Ms. Stovall.¡± Joe¡¯s voice sounded out of nowhere ¨C his appearance


    was quite the surprise.

 Chapter 390

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 390


    Joe was impably dressed, and his hair specially styled, rendering him extraordinarily robust. From


    his looks, it seemed as though he was here to discuss business.


    Pursing my lips, I threw a cid nce at him. ¡°Your life is rather colorful as well, Mr. Quinn.¡± After all,


    there are only a few possible people who¡¯de out to talk business during the new year.


    Sure enough, the person following behind him was Reba.


    Surprisingly, she nched upon seeing me. She said nothing to me, merely tugging at Joe¡¯s sleeve


    and urging, ¡°Joe, the food is here, so let¡¯s go!¡±


    Taking her hand, Joe murmured in a gentle voice, ¡°Wait for just a moment.¡± Then, he shifted his gaze at


    me and proimed, ¡°You¡¯re quite strong mentally, Ms. Stovall, to eat out and chat with another man


    after experiencing such a monumental event. Looks like Ashton has been worrying for nothing.¡±


    I frowned even as I suppressed my fury. ¡°Do you always speak without thinking, Mr. Quinn?¡±


    At this, he sneered, ¡°Are you hurt? Ashton has been tolerating and indulging you time and again,


    drinking himself to oblivion when you get upset and throw a tantrum. Worried about your health after


    suffering a miscarriage, he had a vasectomy for your sake despite his pride. And look how you repay


    him now. Not only have you cheated on him openly, but you¡¯ve started eating out with another man in


    just a few days. Do you know how many people will ridicule him if photos of this get out?¡±


    His expression was wintry even as he stifled his emotions to the point of indifference. ¡°Scarlett Stovall,


    do you never consider other people¡¯s feelings before acting? He¡¯s your husband, yet what do you take


    him for? A dispensable stranger?¡±


    Stunned, I only snapped back to my senses after a long while. ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    He sneered as his eyes brimmed with disdain. ¡°Do you know what a vasectomy means to a man? He


    doesn¡¯t even mind forgoing having his own child because of you and the child of your so-called friend.


    Isn¡¯t it ludicrous?¡±


    For a few seconds, my mind went nk as my gaze remained fixed on him. ¡°Why?¡± My voice was a


    smidge hoarse.


    At this, his expression turned apathetic and mocking. ¡°Why? He¡¯s afraid that you¡¯ll suffer the slightest


    pain and agony ¨C afraid that you¡¯ll again be put through the terror of having a child and that you¡¯ll worry


    that he won¡¯t be able to regard Summer as his own child. He has considered almost everything for you


    ¨C all that is pertinent. Yet, what have you done for him?¡±


    Not knowing what to say, I pursed my lips while a ball of distress lodged within me.


    Upon hearing this, Reba couldn¡¯t resist scoffing, her voice anguished and austere. ¡°It¡¯s ludicrous.


    It¡¯s truly ludicrous.¡±


    Finally recalling her presence, Joe looked back. As soon as he glimpsed her pale face, he called out,


    ¡°Reba!¡±


    Looking up at him, Reba appeared wretched and pathetic as tears trickled down her cheeks. ¡°You


    know what? From the day I met him, I¡¯d always felt that he¡¯d protect me forevermore. How ludicrous!¡±


    Perhaps Joe didn¡¯t want me to witness her sorry state, for he supported her before casting me a


    meaningful nce. Then, he turned around and left with her.


    When John returned with a huge container of lobsters, he threw a look at the two people who¡¯d just left.


    cing the lobsters on the table, his gaze was a touch gloomy when he turned to look at me. ¡°Did they


    pick trouble with you?¡±


    I shook my head. When I saw the server serving the food, I blurted, ¡°Can we have it to go?¡±


    At this, John pursed his lips. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± All of a sudden, Joe¡¯s remark of ¡°do you never consider other people¡± shed across my mind,


    and I swallowed the words that were right on the tip of my tongue at once. Gazing at him, I replied, ¡°I


    was just thinking that Uncle Louis probably hasn¡¯t eaten, so why don¡¯t we bring some food back for


    him?¡±


    Taking his seat, he countered, ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. The maids will cook at home.¡± As he said this, he lifted his


    hand and waved the server out. Subsequently, he looked at me and dered, ¡°I¡¯ve bought lobster with


    garlic butter. Try some and see whether it¡¯s to your liking.¡±


    I nodded even as I opened the container. It was very fragrant, but I just hadn¡¯t the appetite when


    something was troubling me.


    When John noticed that I stopped eating after a few bites, he asked, ¡°Do you not like it?¡±


    ¡°No, I just don¡¯t feel like eating it all of a sudden,¡± I replied.


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    At this precise moment, my phone vibrated with a text message from Ashton: Where are you?


    I replied: Outside.


    Ashton then asked: When are youing home?


    I texted him back: I¡¯ming back in a while.


    At this, Ashton responded: I¡¯ll be waiting.


    To which I replied: Okay.


    I looked up after replying to his text message, only to be greeted by John¡¯s unwavering stare. ¡°You¡¯ve


    got to leave?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ratherte, so I should go back now.¡± I nodded my head.


    Pursing his lips, he murmured, ¡°Okay.¡±


    We basically ate nothing, for I packed everything up to go.


    In the car, John opened his mouth to say something upon seeing that I hadn¡¯t spoken much. Yet in the


    end, he said nothing even after a long time had passed.


    It was only when we had finally arrived at Peakville Estate did he look at me and questioned, ¡°Is your


    n to return to R Province after the new year still on?¡±


    I was stunned for a while before replying, ¡°Yes.¡±


    At this, he nodded. When the car hade to a stop, he turned to me and urged, ¡°Go on in.¡±


    When I stepped into the hallway, the lights in the vi were still zing. Ashton was reading on the


    sofa, and he nced over his shoulder upon hearing movement.


    Subsequently, he ced the book down and focused his gaze on me.

 Chapter 391

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 391


    Looking at him, I hesitated for a moment before walking over. I sat down beside him and rested my


    head in his embrace.


    Sensing that I was feeling down, he hugged me and asked in a gentle voice, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is


    something bothering you?¡±


    I raised my gaze at him before looking away. The next moment, I reached out to unbuckle his leather


    belt.


    He stopped me suddenly, feeling amused. ¡°Wait, we¡¯re still in the living room. Are you that desperate?¡±


    I pursed my lips in silence before dragging him upstairs.


    However, he swept me off my feet and carried me instead.


    Sensing something was wrong, he frowned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    As he pinned my hand, I pursed my lips as I didn¡¯t know what to say. After a long while, I looked up at


    him. ¡°When did you do it?¡±


    He furrowed his brows. ¡°Do what?¡±


    ¡°The vasectomy!¡±


    His expression darkened while his tone grew solemn. ¡°Who told you such a thing?¡±


    My eyes reddened while my voice began to choke. ¡°Did it hurt?¡±


    Staring at me in amusement, he pulled me into his embrace. ¡°It was just a minor surgery. I hardly felt a


    thing.¡±


    Feeling dejected, I wrapped my arms around his waist. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    ¡°The operation went without a hitch. Besides, we already have Summer now and don¡¯t have to think


    about having children. There¡¯s nothing to be sorry about.¡±


    His voice was warm as he stroked my long silky hair. Lifting my hands to take a sniff, he asked, ¡°What


    did you eat outside?¡±


    I pursed my lips. ¡°Crayfish. John bought them. I brought back some leftovers. Do you want to have


    some?¡±


    Staring at me, he ignored my question. ¡°I feel more like eating you now.¡±


    I was stunned as I looked at him. As if by reflex, I got up and headed to the bathroom.


    I stood underneath the showerhead and desperately scrubbed every inch of my skin.


    Knocking on the bathroom door, Ashton ordered in a deep voice, ¡°Scarlett,e out!¡±


    Pursing my lips, I still felt the sting in my heart. After taking a deep breath, I hugged myself and


    squatted on the ground.


    Tears started to stream down my cheeks uncontrobly.


    Probably because of what happenedst time, he had changed the bathroom lock. Now, he could


    easily open it from outside.


    After he entered, he turned off the shower and looked at my reddened eyes.


    As I buried my head in between my legs, I murmured in despair, ¡°It¡¯s hopeless. I just can¡¯t get over it.


    No one can!¡±


    Squatting beside me, he threaded his fingers through my hair and sighed gently. ¡°Scarlett, one can¡¯t


    just live in the past, and neither can we be sure of the future. But I will try my best to live the life I want.


    There will be the asional pain which we must learn to deal with. However, no matter what you go


    through or be, I will still love you. As long as you don¡¯t change, we will strive to walk this path


    together.¡±


    I raised my gaze and wanted to say something, but no words came out.


    After a while, he pulled me up and dried me with a towel. Sweeping me off my feet, he settled me in


    bed andforted me, ¡°Close your eyes and try to get some sleep.¡±


    He headed to the bathroom after which I could hear the sound of flowing water. Lying in bed, I couldn¡¯t


    fall asleep.


    I was still disturbed by the unfortunate event. It felt as if thousands of old wounds had been torn open


    the moment I breathed. After that, an intense and stinging pain crept into my whole body.


    As it was still early, Ashtony in the bed reading after having taken his bath.


    Although I couldn¡¯t sleep, I didn¡¯t feel like doing anything else.


    After a long while, he put down his book and looked in my direction. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    Pursing my lips, I looked at him with widened eyes. ¡°Ashton, when do you have time to reverse your


    vasectomy?¡±


    He frowned. ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°I did some research and found that a vasectomy is no good for a man¡¯s health. Besides, you¡¯re the


    only son of the Fullers. If Grandpa finds out, he will turn in his grave!¡±


    I knew he did it for my sake, but this was a price too great for him. No matter how progressive our


    thinking might be, we still carried the burden of inheriting and passing down the legacy of our


    forefathers. Hence, our lives were not solely dictated by our own desires.


    If we did not pass down our culture and continue our line, what was the point of us living on this earth?


    He reached out and pulled me into his embrace. His body felt unusually hot today, giving me a warm


    andfortable feeling. ¡°Scarlett, we don¡¯t have to be altruistic and consider the interest of others. All


    you need to do is think for yourself. With regards to having children, why don¡¯t we talk about it again


    once your body recovers, alright?¡±


    Pursing my lips, I still felt guilty as Iy in his embrace. I mumbled, ¡°It seems my life is bing more


    of a mess.¡±


    ¡°As long as you have me, you won¡¯t be lost. So don¡¯t overthink it!¡± Hugging me, he reassured me with a


    gentle tone that everything would be alright.


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    That night, he hugged me to sleep and did nothing else.

 Chapter 392

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 392


    The next day.


    As the sky was still dark when I opened my eyes, I figured it was only four or five in the morning.


    Ashton was still in deep slumber. Hence, I tried to get back to sleep but to no avail.


    Staring listlessly at the ceiling, I felt a sharp piercing pain in my head.


    I decided to get up after a while. Ashton still had his arm wrapped around me. His eyes were still closed


    while he was in a groggy state.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked in a raspy voice.


    ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m just going to use the bathroom,¡± I replied while gently moving his hand away. As I got out


    of bed, I went to the bathroom and got some water to drink.


    Despite not having much going on, I knew I couldn¡¯t keep staying awake like that. Hence, I rummaged


    through the bedside table.


    Before this, I had gotten the doctor to prescribe me some sleeping pills.


    ¡°What are you looking for?¡± Ashton opened his eyes and looked at me.


    Pursing my lips, I replied, ¡°I¡¯m looking for¡­ something. Did I wake you?¡±


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    He shook his head as he pulled me back up to bed. ¡°I threw the pills away. Jared says it may turn into


    an addiction. Hence, you shouldn¡¯t take them often.¡±


    Grunting in acknowledgment, I massaged my head to ease the splitting headache I had, which made


    me feel irritable. ¡°Only this one time.¡±


    I wouldn¡¯t be able to manage without it. After not sleeping a wink the whole night, I would be quick to


    anger the next day.


    As his gaze darkened, he tightened his hug on me. While his lips gentlynded on my forehead, he


    began kissing me slowly as he trailed downward.


    I was supposed to bectating, but I didn¡¯t feel anything over thest two days. Perhaps, it was due to


    the sleepless nights.


    Ashton noticed it too. ¡°Let¡¯s bring Summer over tonight.¡±


    Pursing my lips, I tried to push him away but he didn¡¯t let go.


    His actions were too¡­


    Laying down, there was a gentle look in his eye. ¡°Shall we give it a try?¡±


    I didn¡¯t remember anything that night as my memory just drew a nk.


    ¡°Gasp!¡±


    Seeing that I was lost in thought, Ashton pulled my hand and bit on it. ¡°Why are you spacing out?¡±


    Briefly stunned, I pulled back my hand the moment I regained my senses. I could already feel my


    cheeks burning.


    Given that he had just gone through an operation and that the doctor ordered him not to engage in


    strenuous exercise, I shook my head and asserted, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t want to do it.¡±


    He froze for a moment before finally letting me go.


    Getting up, I headed into the bathroom.


    There, I felt my movements being exceptionally fluid.


    I could already see that the sun was up as I looked outside. Sighing slightly, I proceeded downstairs.


    My head was still buzzing from the pain. At the rate it was going, I was going to be driven crazy by it.


    As the nanny was on leave, I entered the kitchen and checked the fridge. However, there was hardly


    anything inside.


    After giving it some thought, I decided to prepare some oat porridge.


    Meanwhile, Ashton had taken a bath when he entered the kitchen.


    Standing by the door, he stared at me with his ck obsidian eyes while looking amused.


    I turned toward him. ¡°The nanny is on leave today. What would you like to have?¡±


    ¡°Anything will do.¡± He hugged me from behind. cing his face next to mine, he gently whispered, ¡°Do


    you want to go out for a while?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Jackson will being by with Summer in a while. Uncle Louis and John will also be


    here.¡±


    He nodded. When he saw how sluggishly I was at preparing breakfast, he stopped my hands. ¡°Don¡¯t


    tell me you¡¯re nning to cook?¡±


    I nodded at him. ¡°Can¡¯t I?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°You can, but I suggest you remind them to eat before theye over.¡±


    Taking over my preparations, he suggested, ¡°Step aside. There¡¯s some milk and juice in the fridge. You


    should have some first.¡±


    Does he think I cannot do it?


    Holding my head, I went back upstairs to change. When I got down, Ashton already had breakfast


    made.


    There was oat porridge and some fried eggs. It all smelled delicious.


    He smiled faintly when he saw that I had changed. ¡°Come sit down and eat.¡±


    Taking my seat, I wasn¡¯t in a hurry to eat. After staring at my food, I looked up at him with my hands


    cupping my chin. ¡°Did Grandpa teach you how to cook when you were young?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°Every Fuller knows how to do everything that¡¯s expected of him. Uncle Charlie and


    Grandpa know how to cook too. In fact, they are really good at it.¡±


    Nodding in acknowledgment, I gave it some thought. Uncle Charlie and Aunt Helen enjoyed a good


    rtionship and were very loving. As Aunt Helen couldn¡¯t conceive, they chose to spend their lives as a


    ¡°DINK¡± household.


    Come to think of it, the men of the Fuller family were allmitted in their rtionships.


    ¡°Stop spacing out. Eat quickly!¡± He stuffed an egg onto my te and looked at me. ¡°When spring


    comes, let¡¯s take Summer on a trip together to K City.¡±


    I was briefly stunned when I realized the season holidays wereing to a close. Almost all


    companies have started to return to work.


    I replied, ¡°Summer is still young. I n to take her to J City for a short stay.¡±


    He frowned. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you willing to go to K City?¡±


    I pursed my lips. ¡°Not that I¡¯m unwilling. It¡¯s Summer.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just an excuse!¡± he eximed with an indifferent expression. ¡°I will get to the bottom of what


    happened at the hotel and will never allow something like that to happen again. Although there¡¯s no


    incriminating evidence against Aunt Sally and Reba, Aunt Sally has been arrested by the police for


    being involved. Scarlett, we will have to face this going forward. There¡¯s no point hiding from it.¡±

 Chapter 393

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 393


    Furrowing my brows, I sighed at his words as I understood what he meant.


    ¡°I know. I¡­¡±


    ¡°In that case, just go along with my ns.¡±


    ¡°I want to take her on a trip to R Province!¡± I insisted while ring back at him.


    ¡°With who?¡± he put down his cutlery with a dispassionate expression.


    ¡°John!¡±


    He pursed his lips in displeasure. ¡°When was it decided?¡±


    ¡°Before the new year!¡± I didn¡¯t know that something had happened to Macy back then.


    ¡°Were you not nning to tell me about this?¡± He was upset.


    I pinched my forehead in a bid to relieve my headache and snapped, ¡°Don¡¯t you already know now?¡±


    Having lost my appetite, I put down my cutlery and headed to the study.


    The White Corporation¡¯s AI project was still my responsibility. As they would beunching a new


    product after the new year, work for it would begin once the holidays ended.


    However, I hardly had any mood to go on reading. Although I wasn¡¯t sleepy, my head was still aching


    from staying up the whole night.


    Leaning by the door, Ashton¡¯s gaze was cold but he didn¡¯t look angry.


    I was annoyed by his stare and snapped, ¡°What is it?¡±


    He raised his eyebrow. ¡°Summer is back.¡±


    Caught by surprise, I dropped what I was doing and headed out of the study. While he was blocking the


    door, he kissed me.


    It took a while before he let me go and led me downstairs.


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Jackson was sitting in the living hall ying with Summer, while John and Louis were also present.


    John wasn¡¯t good with children. Hence, he preferred to keep his distance from them, especially since


    Summer was still an infant¡ªunlike a one or two-year-old where he could y with them without having


    to worry about hurting them.


    However, watching Jackson carry Summer, he would asionally point out what Jackson was doing


    wrong.


    Peeved, Jackson stuffed Summer into his arms and snarled, ¡°Since you think you¡¯re so smart, why


    don¡¯t you carry her!¡±


    The moment he held Summer, John didn¡¯t dare move a muscle. Despite hisrge frame, he carried


    Summer in a careful manner.


    As John was stiff as a rock, Summer fiddled with his luxury watch curiously and not minding the fact


    that she was hardly familiar with him.


    When he saw Ashton and I walk down the stairs, he heaved a sigh of relief and quickly remarked, ¡°Stop


    dilly-dallying and carry your precious daughter.¡±


    As Ashton had taken care of Summer for a long time, he was experienced at handling her despite the


    lack of instruction.


    When he received Summer from John, he instinctively carried her in his arms.


    Jackson nced at John in contempt. ¡°Someone like you won¡¯t even know how to take care of his own


    child. Knowing nothing, how do you expect any girl to fall for you?¡±


    John retorted, ¡°I¡¯m sure you know everything while I know nothing. But, aren¡¯t you still single despite


    being almost thirty?¡±


    Jackson sneered, ¡°And you¡¯re almost a step away from your grave? Do you only n to find someone


    when you¡¯re dead? Do you think just wagging that tongue of yours is enough?¡±


    Those two men were being extremely childish.


    Sitting beside Uncle Louis, I made him some tea. When he saw how busy I was, he frowned. ¡°Didn¡¯t


    you hire a nanny?¡±


    ¡°I did. But it¡¯s her day off today,¡± I replied with a smile. ¡°Ashton and I prefer some privacy. Hence, the


    nanny will only be here whenever Summer needs to be cared for. Or else, Ashton and I would prefer to


    be alone at home.¡±


    Louis nodded. ncing at Ashton inquisitively, he asked, ¡°I heard you found a treasure recently. Aren¡¯t


    you going to show it to me?¡±


    Ashton raised his eyebrow and passed Summer to Jackson. After that, both men headed to the study


    as they obviously had something to discuss.


    When I looked in John¡¯s direction, I was surprised to see that he was observing Summer intently.


    ¡°You¡¯re already thirty-five. Aren¡¯t you nning to find a partner to settle down?¡±


    When he turned to look at me, Jackson cleared his throat and spoke up. ¡°How can any girl be


    interested in someone who has no substance behind those good looks?¡±


    ¡°What do you care?¡± John shot him a re before replying, ¡°What¡¯s the point of getting married? I¡¯m


    happy just having you and Summer by my side.¡±


    ¡°Sheesh!¡± Jackson rolled his eyes. ¡°Why do you need to dramatize having a crush? Give it a few more


    years and you will turn into a statue just from waiting.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± John stared daggers at him. ¡°Don¡¯t you n to take Summer out?¡±


    Sensing that John was about to lose his temper, Jackson was sensitive enough to carry Summer into


    the garden to y.


    As the atmosphere calmed down, I looked at John and asked, ¡°Has Uncle Louis found anything?¡±


    Pursing his lips, his expression grew serious. ¡°The report is out and seems to indicate that man may


    not have touched you.¡±


    I furrowed my eyebrows. ¡°Didn¡¯t touch me? Then why¡­¡± Did he leave those things in the room on


    purpose?


    ¡°There were no traces of your DNA there and we have run aparison. The police have two theories.


    First, the owner is an extremely powerful and mysterious person where his DNA information is hard to


    obtain. Second, that person may be dead, which is why they can¡¯t find a match too.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°Can they retrieve it from the dead?¡±


    ¡°Within a specific timeframe, they are able to obtain it with certain scientific methods.¡±

 Chapter 394

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 394


    Leaning against the sofa, he pinched his forehead. ¡°My guess is the former. But, there are not many


    people who are higher in position than Uncle Louis. Besides, none of these people have any dealings


    with the Fullers. Therefore, he is still investigating.¡±


    I pondered briefly before replying, ¡°It seems to me someone intends to sow discord between Ashton


    and me. However, the animosity doesn¡¯t seem to be directed at me.¡±


    After a brief pause, I continued, ¡°Someone used the same modus operandi previously. When he


    kidnapped me, he forced me to listen to a disgusting movie. His motive then is simr to what


    happened this time.¡±


    He knitted his brows. ¡°Do you know who he is?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯ll need to take another look.¡± Looking at him, I hesitated briefly. ¡°About


    going to R Province, I may have to dy it, or perhaps Ashton maye along with us.¡±


    He pursed his lips in displeasure. ¡°Why does Ashton need to follow you wherever you go?¡±


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I follow wherever my wife goes? Aren¡¯t you worried about beingughed at for constantly


    clinging to your sister?¡± Ashton and Louis came down from the study on the second floor.


    At the same moment, Jackson came back in from the garden with Summer. Looking at me, he


    eximed, ¡°It really is lively today.¡±


    Ashton looked at him with his eyebrows raised. ¡°Who¡¯s here?¡±


    Before Jackson could reply, Cameron and Zachary entered. Zachary had his hands full carrying stuff.


    ¡°It¡¯s wonderful to see that everyone is here. I suppose none of you have had lunch yet. I brought some


    cakes. Why don¡¯t all of you try some?¡± Cameron smiled warmly as she put the cakes she brought on


    the table.


    Unwrapping them and taking them out, she looked at me. ¡°Scarlett, try some. I heard Mr. Fuller say that


    you love chamomile-tea-vored cakes. Hence, I made them for you.¡±


    I was briefly stunned before epting the cake she handed me. After taking a bite, I realized that it did


    taste good.


    With regards to how warm Cameron and Zachary had been, I had a strange feeling about it but could


    never pin my finger on what it was.


    Hence, I never brought it up.


    After letting everyone try her cakes, Cameron brazenly marched into the kitchen to inspect the fridge. ¡°I


    only knew the nanny took the day off after calling her in the morning to ask what you were having. With


    both of you youngsters at home, I expect you will end up not having a proper meal. Hence, I decided to


    come over. And now, it seems you hardly had any breakfast. The two of you should take better care of


    your body.¡±


    Just as she spoke, she brought out the ingredients from the fridge and put on an apron.


    Ashton and Louis hardly batted an eyelid. While John, who was focused on his phone, didn¡¯t see a


    problem at all.


    Instead, it was only Jackson and I that felt awkward. As Summer was already asleep, he lowered his


    voice and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you and Cameron rivals? Why do you behave like mother and daughter now?¡±


    I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°I would like to know the answer more than you do.¡±


    Looking at all the other men who weren¡¯t bothered, he sighed and pursed his lips. ¡°There must be


    something amiss!¡±


    When Zachary asked about the case, Ashton updated him while I went to make some tea.


    At that moment, Stacey called. I told her it wasn¡¯t a good time as we were having guests. Hence, I told


    her I would call her back in the evening.


    Soon, Cameron had cooked up a feast and invited everyone to take their seats. In the meantime, I


    helped distribute the cutlery.


    The moment we sat down, Zachary looked at me. ¡°Scarlett, do you know how to cook?¡±


    Hesitating a moment, I replied, ¡°A little bit.¡±


    He smiled slightly. ¡°Next time, you can get Cam toe over more often to cook. Recently, she has


    enrolled herself in some cooking sses and learned a lot from them. Hence, she is looking for an


    opportunity to showcase her skills.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If you don¡¯t mind, I can cook every day for you going forward,¡± Cameron eximed in


    delight.


    I quickly replied, ¡°You tter us. However, it would be rude for Ashton and me to trouble you as our


    elders. Besides, we already have a nanny. Today is just one of her rare days off as she would be here


    most of the time. Hence, there¡¯s no need to trouble both of you.¡±


    Cameron smiled in response but didn¡¯t press on.


    After all, everyone knew each other there. Despite their differences, it was still polite to initiate small


    talk with one another.


    After dinner, Louis took his leave after receiving a call while John sent him off.


    Meanwhile, Summer began to whine. Guessing that she was hungry, I carried her upstairs to nurse her.


    As I wasn¡¯t well-rested over thest two days, I was feeling lethargic. Holding Summer while nursing


    her, I was suddenly struck by a bout of drowsiness.


    However, I didn¡¯t fall asleep still. When Ashton came up to check on me, the sleepiness went away.


    When he saw me lying down, he came over to carry Summer. He asked, ¡°Are you tired?¡±


    I shook my head and could still feel the pain in between my eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep no matter how hard I


    try.¡±


    Summer didn¡¯t make a fuss while Ashton carried her and coaxed her. Turning his attention back at me,


    he suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go to the hospital for a check-up?¡±

 Chapter 395

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 395


    Lying in bed, I shook my head and replied, ¡°Ashton, did you notice that Cameron and Zachary¡¯s attitude


    toward us recently has changed?¡±


    Briefly stunned, he looked at me. ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°Disregarding how they treated us with contempt previously, they were never as warm and friendly until


    recently. In fact, they seem to be overdoing it. For the life of me, I can¡¯t think of what their objective of


    doing so is. Ashton, do you think that they are in the midst of plotting something?¡±


    He was amused. ¡°You¡¯re just overthinking it. Perhaps, they just hope that you can let bygones be


    bygones. So that everyone can coexist in harmony.¡±


    Is that possible?


    Can rivals who are at each other¡¯s throats make peace all of a sudden?


    Impossible!


    Sighing, I cupped my chin in annoyance before adding, ¡°Ashton, was there any bad blood between you


    and Jared?¡±


    He looked at me intently. ¡°You have asked me this question twice.¡±


    Frowning, I pursed my lips and didn¡¯t utter another word.


    He gazed deeply at me, ¡°Do you suspect Jared?¡±


    Loss for words, I looked at him in silence. ¡°I just want to go through all the possibilities.¡±


    He pursed his lips. ¡°You don¡¯t have to concern yourself with Jared. I know what I¡¯m doing. For now, you


    should just rest.¡±


    With that, he got up and headed downstairs.


    I was left stunned and didn¡¯t know what to say.


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    After Jackson left with Summer, Iy down the whole day but couldn¡¯t sleep.


    Meanwhile, Ashton only returned when it was dawn. He frowned when he saw that I was still awake,


    ¡°Still up?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m about to sleep.¡±


    He grunted in acknowledgment before remarking, ¡°You should turn off the lights and turn in.¡± He then


    walked closer and kissed me gently on the forehead.


    His voice was deep. ¡°I¡¯m going on a trip to M Country and will be back tomorrow afternoon. Mrs.


    Eriksen is already here, so just let her know what you want to eat. Sleep well and don¡¯t stay upte. Or


    else, I will take you to the hospital by force when I¡¯m back.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± I wondered why he needed to go to M Country at such an ungodly hour.


    He stroked my hair and reassured me. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. I¡¯ll only be gone for a short while.¡±


    I frowned in response as I knew he wouldn¡¯t have informed me on purpose if it wasn¡¯t something major.


    Usually, he would just send me a text. Given that he came back just to tell me, it was likely that


    something serious had happened.


    Grabbing onto his hand, I asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help butugh as he kissed my forehead. ¡°You seemed reluctant to let me go. Are you


    preparing a farewell present for me?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ Ashton! You pervert!¡±


    Heughed. ¡°I¡¯m your husband, so how can I be a pervert? I¡¯m just flirting with you. You should make it


    up to me when I¡¯m back.¡±


    How can he always be so calm when talking dirty?


    He stopped when he saw me blush. ¡°Joe is waiting for me downstairs. So rest well and wait for my


    return.¡±


    He grabbed his jacket and a few simple items before leaving.


    When I wanted to walk him out, he pinned me on the bed. ¡°Be good and rest!¡±


    A short while after he went down, I heard the roar of an engine and the car driving away.


    Lying on the bed, I was still feeling restless as expected. Now that Ashton was gone, it was harder for


    me to fall asleep.


    Having struggled till daylight, I got out of bed groggily. Every step I took would make me feel dizzy.


    Mrs. Eriksen was busy in the kitchen. When she saw me staggering in, she quickly came to support


    me.


    ¡°Letty, did you not sleep wellst night? Why do your eye circles look so dark?¡±


    Massaging my forehead, I could feel my whole body ache. Hence, I sat down and requested, ¡°Mrs.


    Eriksen, please get me a ss of water.¡±


    She quickly nodded and poured one for me. Watching me drink, she suggested, ¡°I¡¯ll cook some oat


    porridge for you. After that, you should go and get some proper rest. If it gets any worse, I¡¯ll take you to


    the hospital.¡±


    Feeling the sharp pain in my shoulders, probably from theck of rest, I meekly nodded.


    At the same time, I took out my phone and called Stacey, getting through quickly.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, I¡¯ll go over in an hour as I was held up by something at home.¡±


    I had made an appointment with her the day before but dyed it as I wasn¡¯t feeling well.


    Catching my breath, I replied, ¡°I won¡¯t be able to make it today. Why don¡¯t youe over to Peakville


    Estate?¡±


    She hesitated before agreeing. ¡°Sure!¡±


    ¡°On your way here, please drop by the hospital and get me some sleeping pills.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t sleep recently.¡± There was no way I could continue like that.


    After a brief pause, she replied, ¡°I¡¯ll be there in thirty minutes.¡±


    After ending the call, Mrs. Eriksen was ready with the oat porridge. When she saw how lethargic I


    looked, she asked in concern, ¡°Why don¡¯t I take you to the hospital for a check-up?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± After all, it was caused by insufficient sleep. After going through many


    diagnostic tests, the doctor would likely ask me to get some proper rest and nothing more.

 Chapter 396

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 396


    I instructed Mrs. Eriksen, ¡°By the way, I have a friending over soon. Can you please prepare some


    fruits and cake?¡±


    She nodded and urged for me to finish my breakfast.


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    As I didn¡¯t have enough sleep, I could hardly eat anything. After just taking a few mouthfuls, I no longer


    had the appetite to continue.


    I thought I might as well wait in the living room while watching TV. When Stacey arrived, she was


    shocked to see my dark eye circles. ¡°Aren¡¯t you recovering well? What happened?¡±


    I pinched my forehead and replied, ¡°Ashton is hiring a secretary for his headquarters in K City. Are you


    interested?¡±


    She was surprised. ¡°The president¡¯s secretary? Doesn¡¯t Mr. Fuller already have Mr. Campbell?


    Furthermore, he never hires a female secretary.¡±


    My head was buzzing at that point. I took a sip of water and exined, ¡°After the new year, the


    company is expanding. There will be many trivial matters that Joseph will have no time for. Since you


    have worked at Fuller Corporation before, you know his character and would fit right into the job.¡±


    She didn¡¯t understand the reason behind it. ¡°Ms. Stovall, now that you¡¯re not as busy with work at White


    Corporation, you cane straight back to Fuller Corporation. So, why?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true that White Corporation is running well by itself. But, I won¡¯t join Fuller Corporation as I still


    have my own ns. Anyway, you can decline the role if you don¡¯t want it.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood. Honestly, my current position is no different from being a


    receptionist. Hence, it is an honor to be offered the role of the president¡¯s secretary at Fuller


    Corporation. But what about the Moore family¡­¡±


    ¡°You have nothing to worry about that.¡± I had done everything I needed to do. The punishment had


    been meted out ordingly as well.


    Since a year had passed, it was time to start anew.


    Passing me the sleeping pills she brought, she was stunned by my words. ¡°Felix knows a little about


    what happened between Mr. Crest and Mr. Fuller. He mentioned that when Mr. Crest was a teenager,


    he fell in love with a girl who was Mr. Fuller¡¯s cousin. Later on, the girlmitted suicide by jumping off


    a building. Since it happened a long time ago, the Fullers hardly talked about it. As for Mr. Crest, he


    probably hasn¡¯t gotten over it yet. Hence, he wants to create a little trouble for Mr. Fuller at work.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but furrow my eyebrows. ¡°Just a little trouble?¡± More than ten years had passed since


    that incident.


    Furthermore, cousin? Doesn¡¯t Uncle Charlie not have any children?


    What¡¯s going on?


    There seems to be more to the matter than it meets the eye.


    She grunted in acknowledgment before adding, ¡°I¡¯ve been watching Kristina recently. Other than being


    close to Mr. Crest, I don¡¯t see her keeping in contact with anyone else. However, she has just gone on


    a trip to K City. But, I¡¯m not sure what it was for.¡±


    ¡°She went there despite the holidays?¡±


    Stacey nodded. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, she has gotten in touch with the White family.¡±


    I grunted in acknowledgment. In the meantime, Mrs. Eriksen had prepared the dishes. After my meal, I


    took the sleeping pills. Its effects came quickly. Hence, I went straight back to my room.


    This time, I slept through the night and only woke up at dawn. Mrs. Eriksen seemed to have been


    waiting for me to get up.


    When she heard a sound from the bedroom, she quickly came upstairs and brought some food.


    ¡°Luckily, you¡¯re awake. Are you hungry? Mr. Fuller called to say that his return has been dyed.


    Knowing that you have fallen asleep, he asked me to prepare food for you the moment you wake up.¡±


    After sleeping a few hours, I finally felt better. Looking out at the sky, I realized it was still dark. The


    clock on the wall showed that it was one in the morning.


    Having just woken up, I had no appetite to eat. ¡°Mrs. Eriksen, why don¡¯t you leave the food here. I¡¯ll eat


    themter. Anyway, it¡¯s alreadyte, so you should get some rest.¡±


    As Mrs. Eriksen was advanced in age, she looked a little tired. After nagging me to finish my food, she


    went back downstairs.


    Despite feeling recharged, I regretted sleeping for such a long time. Even though it was nighttime, there


    was no way I could sleep anymore.


    In other words, I had to struggle through the night again.


    Suddenly, the phone rang and it was Ashton on the line.


    I answered with a gentle tone. ¡°I just woke up.¡±


    ¡°Mmm-hmm!¡± his voice was raspy but pleasing to the ear. ¡°Try and eat somethingter. It¡¯s alright if you


    can¡¯t sleep. Coincidentally, I have nothing on now, so we can chat awhile.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Mmm-hmm!¡±


    ¡°I have to stay in M Country for a few more days. So, remember to have regr meals and don¡¯t stay


    upte. You should also get Jackson to bring Summer to you.¡±


    ¡°Mmm-hmm!¡±


    ¡°Uncle Louis and John won¡¯t be in J City these few days. If you need anything, give Nick a call, and he


    will help you.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Ashton fell silent after that.


    As I wasn¡¯t good with words, I didn¡¯t know what to say suddenly in that moment of silence.


    After about half a minute of racking my brain, I replied, ¡°Come back soon.¡±


    There was another long silence before his raspy voice rang out. ¡°Alright.¡±


    Since I didn¡¯t have much to say, I looked at the phone and prepared to end the call.

 Chapter 397

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 397


    Unexpectedly, Ashton¡¯s voice rang out again. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to miss me.¡±


    Suddenly, a warm sensation enveloped my heart.


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I couldn¡¯t help but reply with a gentle tone.


    After ending the call, I still couldn¡¯t sleep. Hence, I decided to head for the study. As usual, I spent the


    whole night awake. But having slept in the day, it wasn¡¯t as bad this time.


    Mrs. Eriksen was very attentive in her care. Early in the morning, she had already arrived and made


    breakfast.


    When she saw mee down changed with my hair bundled up, she was caught by surprise. ¡°Are you


    going out?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I¡¯m meeting someone shortly.¡±


    ¡°Do you need me toe with you?¡± she asked in concern. ¡°The dark circles around your eyes


    seemed to have worsened. Did you stay up the whole night after you awoke?¡±


    I grunted in acknowledgment and left after having breakfast.


    Initially, I didn¡¯t n to go out. Then, I received a message from Emery telling me that she was in town.


    She wanted me to show her around since we were friends.


    As she had tantly spelled it out, there was no reason for me to refuse. Therefore, I agreed to her


    request.


    I went to the garage to look for a lower-profile car to drive. Unfortunately, they were all sent for


    maintenance. All that was left were the shy ones that had just returned from service.


    After some thought, I decided to drive Ashton¡¯s Maybach. To me, it was among the most ordinary-


    looking car in the lot.


    As I wasn¡¯t familiar with driving it, I ended up traveling at a snail¡¯s pace on the road.


    When I reached our agreed meeting point, I saw that she had already arrived.


    She waved at me when she saw me.


    Emery was truly the epitome of ady from a rich family. On top of her illustrious family background,


    her features and figure were equally eye-catching.


    She was older than me by a year or two and was still single. Furthermore, she was also a career


    woman¡ªsomeone who was both savvy and decisive in her actions.


    The moment I sat down, she called for the waiter without any hesitation and asked me, ¡°What would


    you like to have?¡±


    As we were in a restaurant that was new to me, I shrugged my shoulders and replied, ¡°I haven¡¯t tried


    anything here before. Why don¡¯t you decide?¡±


    Raising her eyebrow, she ordered without dy, ¡°Butter-grilled salmon, seafood chowder, and seared


    lobster.¡± She pursed her lips for a brief moment. ¡°That¡¯s all for now. Thanks!¡±


    As the waiter left, she looked at me coldly. ¡°Why are your eyebags so heavy? What happened?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal,¡± I replied. ¡°Are you here for work?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°No, I¡¯m here on a vacation. I wanted to go overseas. Bute to think of it, I¡¯ve


    been to most ces already. So I thought I¡¯d ask you out for lunch and have a little chit-chat.


    I raised my eyebrows in surprise. ¡°Is that all there is?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Of course, what else can there be? Only three things matter to me in my life¡ªmy


    parents, friends, and money.¡±


    I figured that the values of someone sessful were certainly different.


    Dressed elegantly, she looked at me and remarked, ¡°Among all the friends I have, you¡¯re the one who


    seems to be the more boring one.¡±


    She didn¡¯t mince her words at all.


    I responded with a smile.


    She added, ¡°Both the Fuller and Stovall families businesses are enough for you to settle down and


    enjoy life. Hence, I¡¯m curious as to how you managed to mess up your life to this extent? Don¡¯t you feel


    meaningless when you focus all your efforts on love and hatred?¡±


    I looked at her, stunned. As the waiter served the butter-grilled salmon, she changed the subject


    casually. ¡°Try this!¡±


    I took a bite and it tasted delicious. The chef here was renowned, and he used a wide range of


    ingredients that were of exceptional quality.


    ¡°How is it?¡± she raised eyebrows cheerfully.


    She suddenly reminded me of how I was like when I first graduated. I wasn¡¯t rich then but Macy and I


    would dress up and explore the city. In fact, we would often visit other cities too.


    Wherever we went, we would see the famous sights and try the best food. At that time, we even agreed


    to travel the world when we were rich. This was so that we could try everything that all the different


    cities had to offer.


    ¡°It¡¯s juicy and has a great texture!¡± I remarked as I gradually rxed.


    Next, the waiter served us some sorbet. Raising her eyebrow with a smile, Emery suggested, ¡°Try this!¡±


    When I took a sip, shemented, ¡°The most important aspect of eating here is the VIP experience.


    After every course, the waiter will serve a sorbet. They are usually a mixture of juice and Champagne.


    Other than its refreshing taste, they also help whet your appetite.¡±


    It was indeed as she described. Not only did it taste good, but it also increased one¡¯s desire to eat.


    As I smiled faintly at her, my mood improved significantly. ¡°You really didn¡¯t have toe all the way


    just to share this delicious food with me.¡±


    Shrugging her shoulders, she clicked her tongue, ¡°Scarlett, you are overthinking. Not everyone has an


    agenda in doing something. I¡¯m here to see you and share a meal with you. That¡¯s all!¡±

 Chapter 398

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 398


    ¡°So, you paid a few thousand for the air ticket from K City to J City just to lunch with me?¡±


    She raised her eyebrows. ¡°Mmm-hmm!¡±


    Evidently, I didn¡¯t understand how the rich think.


    After the meal, we had a nice chat. And yet, I still didn¡¯t know what Emery was really up to.


    When I saw that she didn¡¯t intend to leave, I got worried and asked, ¡°Ms. Moore, we¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s here! He¡¯s here!¡± Ignoring me, she looked at the person entering the restaurant in excitement.


    Stunned for a few seconds, I turned to see who it was that could drive her to react so hysterically.


    A man with exquisite features and an elegant swagger entered.


    Prince Charming!


    That was the only word that shed across my mind.


    ¡°He¡¯s called Hunter Zane. What do you think? Is he handsome?¡± Emery asked as she couldn¡¯t peel her


    eyes off him.


    I turned around with my lips pursed. ¡°Therefore, you invited me to spend half a day with you just


    because you¡¯re waiting for him?¡±


    She shrugged her shoulders with an innocent smile. ¡°You have to understand¡ªeating alone for such a


    long time feels really awkward.¡±


    In the end, I was just here to be her wingman.


    Whatever. I¡¯m here anyway.


    Looking at her, I couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°How long have you known each other?¡±


    As if we had hit it off, she replied, ¡°Four hundred and sixty-nine days. Including today, it is four hundred


    and seventy.¡±


    That¡¯s unusually precise.


    After Hunter entered, he sat down at another table where a beautiful girl was waiting for him.


    I looked at Emery in surprise. ¡°You¡¯re stalking him?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. Don¡¯t make it sound so degrading. This is a coincidental meeting.¡±


    Haha!


    ¡°He is a professor at J University and thedy sitting with him is his student,¡± she exined while her


    eyes were still fixated on him.


    ¡°A nightclub boss and a professor. Tsk, you really are something, Ms. Moore,¡± I quipped.


    She gave me the side-eye in response. When she saw me struggle to hold back myughter, she


    snapped, ¡°What are you talking about? We¡¯re made for each other.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but cup my chin, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just reprimand me for indulging myself in love and hatred?


    What about you now?¡±


    She squirmed her lips. ¡°Other than career and love, there¡¯s still life. Don¡¯t you know that?¡±


    When we returned our attention to Hunter, thedy who sat with him had left.


    Emery dragged me along and shamelessly suggested, ¡°Come, let¡¯s join him.¡±


    I was speechless.


    When she led me to Hunter¡¯s table, Emery¡¯s smile became exceptionally sweet.


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    ¡°Professor Zane, it¡¯s been a while. What a coincidence to see you here. Are you here alone?¡±


    Hunter looked at her before turning his attention to me. He raised his eyebrows in surprise while


    adjusting his ck-rimmed specs. ¡°And you are?¡±


    I was shocked to realize that he didn¡¯t know her at all despite Emery dering that she had known him


    for four hundred and seventy days.


    ¡°Professor Zane, I am Emery. I attended one of your talks at K University.¡±


    Hunter paused for a moment before he remembered. He then stood up and replied, ¡°You¡¯re Lynn¡¯s


    younger sister, Ms. Moore!¡±


    Emery¡¯s face lit up when she saw Hunter remembered her. Before he said another word, she added,


    ¡°Given this rare opportunity, I have many questions regarding economics for you. I wonder if now is a


    good time?¡±


    Only Emery can make shamelessly joining someone¡¯s table look so natural.


    Hunter agreed with a smile. ¡°Of course, please have a seat.¡±


    The moment we sat down, Emery turned toward me. ¡°Scarlett, don¡¯t you have to pick your husband up


    from the airport? Will you make it in time?¡±


    Dumbfounded, I nodded with a cheeky smile. ¡°Mmm-hmm, both of you should go ahead. I¡¯ll take my


    leave first.¡±


    I knew it then¡ªthe reason Emery went through so much trouble to ask me out was just so that I can


    wait with her for her dream guy.


    When I stepped out of the restaurant, the sky looked dark, as if it was going to rain.


    As it had been two days since Ashton left on business, I missed him suddenly. Hence, I took out my


    phone and gave him a call.


    After a few rings, I finally got through. ¡°Scarlett, how are you doing?¡± Over the line, his voice was deep,


    as if he was sleeping a moment ago.


    Looking at the time, it was likely dawn still at M Country. Realizing my mistake, I asked apologetically,


    ¡°Did I wake you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he replied in a maic voice. ¡°I was just dreaming of you and missing you.¡±


    Standing at the restaurant entrance against the wind, I could feel a sense of warmth envelope me.


    ¡°I miss you too!¡± That¡¯s right! Love and longing should always be expressed.


    Over the line, he seemed to be caught off guard. ¡°Wait for me. I¡¯ll be back soon once everything is


    done.¡±


    ¡°Mmm-hmm, I will.¡±


    Realizing that he still needed to work tomorrow, I added, ¡°You should get some rest. I¡¯m hanging up


    now.¡±


    Before he could reply, I ended the call. However, my heart was suddenly racing as I felt the urge to fly


    to M Country to see him.

 Chapter 399

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 399


    After more than ten hours, I drove straight to the airport.


    Along the way, I dropped Mrs. Eriksen a message, informing her that I won¡¯t be returning for the night.


    As I needed to turn off my phone for the flight, I sent Ashton a message telling him that I was busy.


    After that, I arrived at the airport and boarded a flight for M Country.


    As it was a long flight, I drifted in and out of sleep on the ne. By the time I woke up, there were a few


    more hours before arrival. Hence, I took out the books I bought at the airport to read.


    Along the way, the flight made a transit stop. I went to thedies and grabbed a bite at the transit


    airport.


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    When it was time to board again, I almost forgot my book and ran back to get it.


    ¡°Ah!¡± While rushing back out, I crashed into ady in killer heels.


    She was holding a can of Coke which spilled all over her clothes while the beach hat she was wearing


    dropped onto the floor, revealing her blonde hair.


    ¡°My clothes!¡± she eximed.


    I quickly helped her clean up with a napkin. While I apologized profusely, I picked up the things she


    dropped.


    Having calmed down, I finally got a good look at her. She had deep blue eyes, chiseled features, and


    wless white skin.


    She was so gorgeous that even I couldn¡¯t peel my eyes away from her.


    ¡°Luckily it¡¯s just Coke and my clothes are dark in color. Or else, it would be impossible to remove the


    stains. Miss, you are really lucky!¡± she remarked.


    Feeling bad for what I did, I apologized again as I handed her hat back to her.


    Shrugging her shoulders, she didn¡¯t say anything further. As she put on her cap, she mumbled, ¡°Mr.


    White must be wondering where I am.¡±


    With that, she headed to the boarding gate.


    After getting my book from the cafe, I boarded the ne again. When I took my seat, I saw the blonde


    from just now sitting on the other side of the aisle.


    She had put her hat back on together with a pair of sunsses. Also, she was holding a book. When I


    nced at it, I realized it was the same book that I was reading¡ª¡±And Then There Were None.¡±


    When John saw that I was reading ¡°Murder on the Orient Express,¡± heined that I was boring. I


    wondered who doesn¡¯t like reading whodunnits on a ne.


    Noticing that I was looking in her direction, the girl looked back at me in surprise as she removed her


    sses, revealing her deep blue eyes. ¡°It¡¯s you again!¡±


    I smiled slightly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about just now. I¡¯m really sorry.¡±


    Shrugging her shoulders, she replied, ¡°Stop apologizing. I told you it was nothing.¡±


    When she saw the book in my hand, she gasped in surprise. ¡°You¡¯re reading the same book as I am.


    Mr. White always says that the girl he fancies likes to read it too.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but find the girl adorable. I replied with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s a very long flight, so I decided to


    read to while away the time.¡±


    She agreed. ¡°Mr. White, says the exact same thing. He loves to read during flights to pass time. Even I


    have been influenced by him to do the same.¡±


    Despite sounding like she wasining, I was amused at how she kept bringing up Mr. White in her


    conversation. ¡°You seem too young to be married.¡±


    She seemed embarrassed. ¡°Not yet. I just got engaged. The wedding will be in May.¡±


    As the ne was about to take off, the flight attendant adjusted the tray tables and inspected the cabin.


    In the first few minutes the ne soared into the air, I put my book aside and closed my eyes to rest.


    As most of the distance had been covered before the transit, we arrived at our destination shortly.


    At the M Country airport.


    Due to the long and strenuous flight and the fact that I didn¡¯t sleep for two days, I felt light-headed when


    I disembarked from the ne.


    When the blonde noticed that I didn¡¯t look well, she approached me and asked, ¡°Do you need help?¡±


    I shook my head with a faint smile. ¡°I¡¯m alright. I¡¯m just feeling disorientated from disembarking. I¡¯ll be


    fine in a while.¡±


    She helped me to a seat in the rest area and got me a cup of water. ¡°I know people from your country


    prefer warm water but it¡¯s not readily avable here. So, please make do for the moment.¡±


    I smiled as I received the water. ¡°Thank you!¡±


    My dizziness was likely caused by not having proper sleep over thest few days. After sitting a while,


    the girl looked at me and asked, ¡°Are you in M Country to see a friend?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°My husband is here, so I¡¯m going to see him.¡±


    She gasped in surprise. ¡°You look really young still. I didn¡¯t expect you to be married.¡±


    Iughed. ¡°Aren¡¯t you also engaged despite being equally young?¡±


    The moment I brought up her fianc¨¦, she easily became shy. ¡°But we aren¡¯t married yet.¡±


    Just as she spoke, the phone in her pocket began to ring. Giving me an apologetic look, she remarked


    softly, ¡°Let me get that first.¡±


    With that, she answered her phone in a sweet tone. ¡°Hello, Darling, I have alreadynded. However, I


    just met anotherdy who isn¡¯t feeling well. So, I¡¯m just helping her settle down. I¡¯ll be out in a short


    while.¡±

 Chapter 400

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 400


    Just as she spoke, she protested with a pout after hearing what the person on the other line said. ¡°Hey,


    I haven¡¯t even finished!¡±


    Putting her phone back into her pocket, she suggested, ¡°Come, let¡¯s leave together. Where are you


    heading? If it¡¯s on the way, I can give you a lift.¡±


    Smiling slightly, I gratefully replied, ¡°Thanks. However, I¡¯ll just get a cab. Thanks again.¡±


    She smiled and didn¡¯t insist. ¡°I¡¯m Camelia Alvarado, you can just call me Camelia. What about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Scarlett Stovall!¡±


    She nodded and replied, ¡°When I¡¯m married, I¡¯ll take on my husband¡¯s surname. So I¡¯ll be known as


    Camelia White then.¡±


    When we reached the airport¡¯s exit, she repeated, ¡°Do you want me to give you a lift? I¡¯m worried that


    you might lose your way since you¡¯re unfamiliar with the ce.¡±


    Smiling, I found her adorable. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Camelia, I won¡¯t get myself lost.¡±


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    She puffed her cheeks and replied, ¡°Alright. By the way, why don¡¯t you take down my phone number?


    In case you lose your way, you can always call me.¡±


    After taking down her number, her phone rang again. Having answered it, she looked in the direction of


    the airport¡¯s pickup area.


    When she saw a ck Ferrari parked nearby, she waved. ¡°Darling, I¡¯m here!¡±


    She turned to me. ¡°Scarlett, I¡¯m going off. See you again!¡±


    Camelia ran towards the car. After she got in, she wound down her window and popped her head out,


    ¡°Bye! Scarlett!¡±


    When I look in her direction, I was utterly shocked to see the man beside her.


    Mr. White was Marcus!


    How could it be? I saw Marcus lying lifelessly in a pool of blood with my own eyes.


    Inside the car, Marcus shot me a cold nce before averting his gaze and driving away.


    The look he gave me was no different from that of a stranger. It took me a while after the car left before


    I regained myposure.


    Jolted back to my senses by my phone ringing non-stop, I quickly answered despite still being shaken.


    The voice over the line was one of suppressed anger. ¡°Where are you?¡±


    I was stunned as it was Ashton.


    ¡°I¡¯m at the airport.¡± Looking up at the sky, it felt as if it was going to rain. Hence, I looked around for


    some cover.


    Ashton was furious over the phone. ¡°Where do you n on going? It¡¯s already midnight in J City.


    Scarlett, must you always make me worry? You simply left me a message saying that you were busy


    and turned off your phone. Do you know how worried I was?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m at the airport in M Country,¡± I stated as it began to drizzle.


    Ashton¡¯s anger dissipated immediately as he asked in disbelief, ¡°Where are you?¡±


    Looking for a cab, I replied, ¡°I¡¯m at the airport in M Country. I¡¯m about to get a cab to Fuller


    Corporation.¡±


    ¡°What for?¡± He was suppressing his emotions.


    ¡°I¡¯m here because I miss you!¡± I wasn¡¯t good at baby talk so I came off as being expressionless.


    ¡°Stay where you are and wait for me,¡± he instructed with a deep and mesmerizing tone.


    I was surprised. Looking around, I saw a cab approaching. ¡°Aren¡¯t you at Fuller Corporation?¡±


    Heughed in delight. ¡°Mmm-hmm!¡±


    Just when I was about to respond, I felt a sudden force tug me into a tight embrace.


    When I caught a familiar scent, I was surprised.


    After being in his embrace for a while, I looked right up at him. His ck shirt was visibly wrinkled,


    probably from hugging me too tightly. Usually, it would be absolutely creaseless.


    His dark obsidian eyes were a little bloodshot while his voice was deep and alluring. ¡°Are you tired?¡±


    I shook my head as I snaked my freezing hands underneath his clothes.


    He raised his hands to cup my face. I could feel his burning palms as he nted a deep passionate


    kiss on my lips.


    Engrossed in the kiss, he didn¡¯t care about the passersby at the airport. All he wanted to do was to


    ravage me right there and then.


    If not for the fact that we were in public, he would have really done it.


    After getting in the car, Ashton ordered us to be taken to the hotel. Closing the privacy screen in the


    middle of the car, he pressed me against the seat, unable to restrain himself.


    I held onto his roaming hands and asked, ¡°How did you know I was at the airport?¡±


    He pulled me into his embrace and replied in a husky voice, ¡°Mrs. Eriksen said that she couldn¡¯t get


    through to you on the phone.¡±


    I was stunned. ¡°Were you on your way back to look for me?¡±


    He smiled faintly in response. As traffic wasn¡¯t heavy in M Country, we reached the hotel shortly.


    Instead of letting me get down, he carried me out of the car instead.


    The moment we closed the hotel room door, he pressed me against the wall and kissed me deeply.


    Without anyone to disrupt us here, Ashton¡¯s actions were further unrestrained.

 Chapter 401

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 401


    Despite the eagerness of his advances, his movements were gentle and elegant.


    Holding me in his arms, his breathing was calm and his voice raspy. ¡°Did you miss me?¡±


    As he thrust forward, I felt a painful sensation, causing me to tighten my grip on him and burying my


    nails into his skin.


    He recoiled in pain and stopped. The next moment, he was staring at me in amusement. ¡°If you


    continue to scratch me like that, I will hardly have any skin left in the end.¡±


    I blushed in response. ¡°You deserve it.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Since when do I deserve to be punished for sleeping with my wife? Hmm?


    You little kitten.¡±


    After a long while, I finally fell asleep in exhaustion as with my body sore all over.


    Perhaps it was because Ashton was by my side, I slept exceptionally well. By the time I woke up, it was


    already the next morning.


    The moment I opened my eyes, I saw him lying beside me, beaming. He was wearing a bathrobe


    which obviously meant he had woken up before this.


    When he saw that I was awake, he asked in his maic voice, ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    I nodded. When I tried to stretch, I could feel excruciating pain radiated through my body after what he


    did to mest night.


    When he saw me furrow my eyebrows, he raised his and stroked my belly. ¡°Does it still hurt?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ve ordered room service. Once we have eaten, you can get back to rest.¡±


    When I saw him turn on hisputer and tidy up his documents, I was surprised. ¡°Do you need to


    work today?¡±


    Grinning, he gave me a peck on my forehead. ¡°Yes!¡±


    Right after his reply, he gave me another warm sloppy kiss on my lips. ¡°However, you¡¯re still more


    important.¡±


    As I tried to wiggle my body, I realized I could hardly get up. I requested, ¡°Carry me to the bathroom.¡±


    Laughing, his eyes glistened as he picked me up. Once we entered the bathroom, he put me in the


    bathtub. ¡°Can you bath on your own?¡±


    I nodded. When I noticed the agenda hidden behind his gaze, I quickly understood and blushed. I


    reprimanded, ¡°Ashton, you pervert!¡±


    He chuckled in response. ¡°I just wanted to help wash your face. What were you thinking about?¡±


    Leaning closer to me, he lowered his voice. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t helped you bath before.


    Hmm?¡±


    Suddenly, the doorbell rang and he answered it. It was room service.


    After washing up, I came back into the room to see that he had prepared all the cutlery. When he saw


    me, he raised his eyebrow and asked, ¡°Did youe here without packing anything?¡±


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    I nodded. My face was feeling dry as I didn¡¯t bring along my usual toiletries. He gave me a knowing


    look and gestured to a pack by the bed.


    When I turned to see, I realized it was a set of toiletries and makeup. They were all what I usually used


    back home.


    I couldn¡¯t help but turn toward him, ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°Come and eat after you¡¯re done,¡± he interrupted.


    He was indeed a boar of a man as he didn¡¯t even give me the opportunity to express my affectionate


    thanks.


    The food in M Country didn¡¯t look appetizing. When he saw me staring at the steak, he likely read my


    mind.


    He asked, ¡°There¡¯s a ce that serves food from our country but it¡¯s far from here. Let¡¯s make do for


    the time being and I¡¯ll take you there tonight, hmm?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t you have to work? Do you have time to apany me?¡±


    Smiling slightly, he took over my steak and cut it before handing it back to me. ¡°Joe will deal with it.¡±


    After finishing the steak, I returned to the bed as I was still aching all over. As I already had a good


    night¡¯s sleep, there was no way I could sleep any further.


    Hence, I brought out my unfinished books from the ne while Ashton was busy at theputer with


    his work.


    ¡°So who is the killer in the end?¡± Before I realized it, he was sitting by my side and leaning over.


    Caught by surprise, I turned toward him as he pulled me into his embrace and gave me a peck on my


    cheeks.


    Somehow, I noticed that he was obsessed with kissing me.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t finished it yet¡ªjust about to.¡± Just as I spoke, I buried my head in thest few pages.


    When I realized the conclusion didn¡¯t state who the killer was, I was stunned. Turning back the pages


    to check, I raised my gaze at him. ¡°The author didn¡¯t say who it was.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Why don¡¯t you deduce it?¡±


    ¡°Everyone on the ind is dead but the murderer still hasn¡¯t appeared¡­¡± I had a sudden realization


    and eximed, ¡°The murderer had feigned death?¡±


    He raised his eyebrows and scratched the tip of my nose. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re sharper than I thought.¡±


    Stunned, I still couldn¡¯t guess who it was as I looked at him. ¡°But who is the murderer?¡±


    In ¡°And Then There Were None,¡± the author didn¡¯t spell out who the murderer was in the end.


    He couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Rack your brains a little. Who has the greatest ess to resources and


    information?¡±


    Pursing my lips, I pushed him away. ¡°The judge?¡±


    He nodded. When I saw his gaze deepened, I almost broke down. ¡°Ashton, you¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time already.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t we just do itst night?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t enough!¡±

 Chapter 402

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 402


    Suddenly, I remembered that he needed to rest after his vasectomy.


    ¡°Ashton, you are supposed to rest for a month!¡± Despite me pushing him away, it was to no avail as his


    hug was too tight.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s not affected at all.¡±


    Frowning, I couldn¡¯t help but push him away. ¡°Do you no longer care for it? Give Jared a call and ask


    him.¡±


    When he saw how adamant I was, he had no choice but to sit up and call Jared.


    When the call got through, Jared asked, ¡°It¡¯s the middle of the night. What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    As I was close by, I could hear him clearly.


    Ashton¡¯s expression darkened as his voice was soft. ¡°By doing it, does it have any impact?¡±


    Jared didn¡¯t understand what Ashton was babbling about and snapped, ¡°What are you doing in the


    middle of the night that will impact it?¡±


    Ashton snorted, ¡°What else can be done in the middle of the night?¡±


    Jared wasn¡¯t dumb as he quickly understood what it was about.


    He couldn¡¯t help but purse his lips and retort, ¡°Can¡¯t you endure for a month?¡±


    I lowered my gaze and felt my cheeks burn.


    Previously, I had not thought about it but only realized after the fact.


    When Ashton saw me blush, he sneered into the phone, ¡°Cut the crap! What impact does it have?¡±


    ¡°What else can it be? Can¡¯t you feel it yourself?¡±


    Ashton hesitated. ¡°I didn¡¯t feel a thing!¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Jaredughed.


    Ashton had lost his patience. ¡°Fine. I¡¯m ending the call now.¡±


    ¡°Go and get yourself checked at the hospital. Don¡¯t say that I didn¡¯t remind you.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    After ending the call, Ashton chucked the phone to a side as he looked at me intently.


    Looking at him, I asked, ¡°Did Jared note along with you on this trip?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Someone needs to stay back and hold the fort.¡±


    I nodded. After a slight hesitation, I asked, ¡°Did Uncle Charlie and Aunt Helen used to have a


    daughter?¡±


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    He furrowed his eyebrows and gazed solemnly at me. ¡°Who told you that?¡±


    ¡°No one. I¡¯m just asking.¡± To be honest, I wasn¡¯t trying to probe into his past. It was just that I had


    doubts that needed clearing up.


    Pulling me into his embrace, he had a grave look on his face. ¡°Don¡¯t go asking about the past anymore,


    alright?¡±


    I nodded before getting up and heading into the bathroom.


    I wondered why he didn¡¯t like talking about his past with Jared. Sometimes, he seemed to care, but


    other times, he didn¡¯t.


    Coming out of the bathroom, I saw him talking on the phone on the balcony with a solemn expression. I


    wasn¡¯t sure if it was about work.


    When he saw me, he gave out a few more instructions before ending the call. Walking toward me, he


    pulled me into his embrace again.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to go on a walk with youter as there is a signing ceremony at thepany. Do you


    want toe along?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t feel like going. I prefer to rest in the hotel as I n to return to J City


    tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Is there something you need to do?¡± he asked in a low voice.


    ¡°Not really.¡± I came to M Country to see him on impulse. Now that I have done so and we had made


    love, there was nothing else left to do. Hence, it was time to go home.


    Hugging me, he whispered, ¡°Next time, don¡¯t go running off on your own like that. There can be no


    repeat of this, hmm?¡±


    Nodding, I raised my gaze at him. ¡°When will you be back?¡±


    ¡°Once we sign the contract, I will be able to return.¡±


    I nodded but suddenly felt a little heavy-headed. When he saw the change in my expression, he


    furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Laying back on the bed, I closed my eyes and replied, ¡°Just a little tired. Let me lie down for a while.¡±


    As Ashton had to rush to the office to sign the contract, so he left shortly afterforting me.


    While I was lying in bed drowsily, I was jolted awake by the ring of my phone. Answering it, I realized it


    was Camelia from the airport.


    ¡°Hi, Scarlett! It¡¯s Camelia. Do you still remember me?¡±


    I nodded but realized she couldn¡¯t see my actions. I then replied, ¡°I do! Camelia, how are you?¡±


    ¡°Are you free now? I would like to invite you to dinner. I don¡¯t have any friends here and my fianc¨¦ is


    busy. It just feels so boring staying here alone!¡±


    Looking out the window, I saw that it was already dark and the clock showed that it was eight.


    If I slept then, I figured I would wake up at dawn.


    After giving it some thought, I replied, ¡°Mmm-hmm, I¡¯m at rk Hotel. What about you?¡±


    She was delighted to hear my answer. ¡°I¡¯m at the winery. I¡¯ll be there in a while. I¡¯ll give you a call when


    I arrive.¡±


    Nodding, I grunted in acknowledgment. After making some small talk, we ended the call. When I stood


    up, I realized I didn¡¯t bring a change of clothes.


    I hated wearing clothes that had already been worn. Hence, I gave Ashton a call.


    When he picked up, I could hear him whisper. ¡°Scarlett.¡±


    When I heard the noise in the background, I was stunned. ¡°Are you in a meeting?¡±

 Chapter 403

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 403


    He replied, ¡°The signing ceremony. What is it?¡±


    Worried that I was disturbing, I murmured, ¡°Nothing, just calling for no particr reason. I¡¯ll call you


    backter.¡±


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    Before I ended the call, he added, ¡°It¡¯s no problem at all. Go ahead, I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°Can you get me a new set of clothes? I¡¯m going out to meet a friend.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± he answered before hesitating a moment. ¡°Who are you going out with?¡±


    ¡°Someone I met on the ne. You don¡¯t know her but don¡¯t worry. I will be careful.¡±


    After a brief silence, he replied, ¡°Alright, remember to drop me a message when you go out. Also, send


    me the address so that I can pick you up.¡±


    I grunted in acknowledgment and ended the call.


    Not long after, someone knocked on the room door. It was Joseph.


    His expression was as icy as usual. When he saw me open the door, he exined, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, Mr.


    Fuller had me bring these clothes for you.¡±


    I nodded and received them. ¡°Thank you!¡±


    He left after acknowledging my thanks.


    Back in the room, I got myself changed.


    Soon, Camelia gave me a call, informing me that she was in the hotel lobby.


    Once I was ready, I headed downstairs where I was stunned to see a ck Bentley parked at the hotel


    entrance.


    As the window went down, I saw Marcus coldly looking in my direction.


    Feeling familiar and distant at the same time, I wondered if he was the same Marcus that I knew.


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± Camelia who was sitting at the front passenger seat called out. ¡°Quick, get in!¡±


    After regaining my senses, I got into the car.


    ¡°What were you spacing out for? You didn¡¯t respond to my repeated calls.¡± Camelia turned to the man


    beside her and introduced, ¡°This is my fianc¨¦, Marcus White. On my way to see you, he coincidentally


    finished work. I hope you don¡¯t mind him joining us?¡±


    Still gaping from the shock just now, I shook my head. ¡°No¡­ Not at all.¡±


    The moment I saw Marcus, I suppressed the burning questions I had as Camelia was present.


    At the restaurant.


    Camelia seemed to be in a good mood. She held Marcus¡¯ hand and suggested, ¡°Marcus, why don¡¯t you


    order? I always enjoy whatever you choose.¡±


    Marcus inly grunted and raised his eyebrow at me. ¡°Ms. Stovall, what would you like to have?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with anything,¡± I replied. Faced with someone I thought was dead and watching him act as if


    nothing happened, I couldn¡¯t even begin to describe what I was feeling.


    Throughout the dinner, Camelia had a lot to say. However, Marcus¡¯ responses alwayscked


    enthusiasm. As I didn¡¯t have much of an appetite, I hardly touched the food.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you like the food, Ms. Stovall?¡± Marcus asked in a distant tone.


    Surprised, I shook my head at him. ¡°Oh no, I just had dinner at the hotel before I came, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Raising his eyebrows, Marcus pointed out the elephant in the room. ¡°Ms. Stovall, you seem to be afraid


    of me.¡±


    Stunned, I exchanged nces with him before I shook my head. ¡°No, Mr. White¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I noticed it too, Scarlett. When you saw Marcus, your face lost all color. What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Camelia asked inquisitively.


    Won¡¯t you also be afraid to see someone rise from the dead in front of you?


    Suppressing my emotions, I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s not that. I¡¯m just feeling under the weather. Why don¡¯t


    both of you go ahead? I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡±


    Just as I spoke, I stood up and prepared to go.


    However, Marcus blocked my way. He was a whole head taller than me. As his gaze deepened, he


    gave Camelia a sullen look. ¡°Camelia, go and get the bill. I¡¯ll escort Ms. Stovall out.¡±


    Slightly stunned, Camelia nodded andplied.


    Pursing my lips, I sidestepped him and headed for the exit. He followed me from behind without saying


    a word.


    Outside the restaurant, I raised my hand to hail a cab while he stood beside me in silence.


    Suddenly, my phone rang. When I answered, I realized it was Ashton. ¡°Where are you? Are you


    coming back? I¡¯lle to pick you up.¡±


    ¡°I-I will be back in a short while. You don¡¯t have toe.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure how Ashton would react if he


    saw Marcus, hence I chose to lie to him.


    The voice over the line fell silent. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wait for you at the hotel.¡±


    After ending the call, I stared at the oing cars with only a single thought in mind¡ªreturn to the


    hotel as soon as possible.


    ¡°It¡¯s not easy to get a cab here. Why don¡¯t I give you a lift?¡± Marcus finally spoke after a long silence.


    ¡°No, thank you.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± Marcus sneered. ¡°Scarlett, this isn¡¯t like you¡ªto ask no questions.¡±


    I pursed my lips. ¡°Mr. White, lying is the worst of all sins between men.¡±


    ¡°Lying?¡± He scoffed, ¡°Since when did I lie to you?¡±


    I didn¡¯t reply. When the cab arrived, I got in and gave the driver my hotel¡¯s address.

 Chapter 404

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 404


    By the time Camelia came out, the cab was already long gone. All she saw was Marcus frowning in


    frustration.


    I didn¡¯t want to know what happened to Marcus after the ident. Since we were leading our own


    separate lives, I felt it better to keep it that way.


    What I was angriest about was how he treated everyone else like fools. Perhaps he saw himself as the


    audience who was watching the drama unfold.


    Back at the hotel, I saw Ashton waiting for me in the lobby. He was dressed in a sharp ck suit and


    polished ck shoes. With a hand in his pocket, he was standing upright in the hotel lobby.


    Standing there, my heart was filled with a myriad of emotions. Should tell him about Marcus?


    He, too, saw me and took a stride in my direction. As I watch him approach, I was suddenly reminded


    of the Sun.


    Before I could even say a word, he pulled me into his embrace.


    I wrapped my arms around his waist and buried my cheeks in his chest. Taking in the scent of his


    cologne, I managed to calm myself down. With my eyes closed, I called out softly, ¡°Hubby!¡±


    Jolted, he tightened his arms around me. ¡°What happened?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    As there were many passersby in the hotel, they would stare at us. Hence, Ashton led me back into the


    hotel room.


    Back in the room, I saw the dining table filled with food from back home. Taking off my jacket, I couldn¡¯t


    help but look at him. ¡°Have you not had dinner?¡±


    He smiled faintly. ¡°I was waiting for you to have it together.¡±


    I was stunned. ¡°You know that I would have eaten while I was out.¡±


    Grunting in acknowledgment, he settled me into my seat and served me food. He exined in a gentle


    voice, ¡°I know you don¡¯t like the food here. So, you must be hungry when you return.¡±


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    Camelia did take me out for local food, but I looked at him, stunned. ¡°How did you know I went out for


    local food?¡±


    The food on the table felt like it had just arrived as it was still warm. After serving me, he took a bite


    himself and replied inly, ¡°There¡¯s a bodyguard watching out for you.¡±


    Because of what happenedst time, he had arranged for bodyguards to be by my side. I was aware of


    it but had gradually forgotten about that fact.


    After a brief silence, I looked at him. ¡°Did you see him?¡±


    Ashton raised his eyebrows with an indifferent gaze. ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Marcus!¡±


    He grunted in acknowledgment as if it didn¡¯t matter. ¡°Let¡¯s eat. Or else the food will get cold.¡±


    With that, I buried myself in the food and didn¡¯t discuss the matter further.


    After dinner, it was alreadyte. Ashton looked busy as his phone rang incessantly.


    When the hotel staff came to collect the food, I waszing on the sofa watching TV. However, I couldn¡¯t


    focus at all.


    After he ended his call, he took a seat beside me and pulled me into his embrace. He asked in a gentle


    tone, ¡°Do you want to go for a walk?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    He smiled inly. ¡°I was worried you might get indigestion. Or perhaps we can try some other form of


    exercise.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Getting up, he tried to pull me toward the bed.


    ¡°No, I want to watch TV!¡± I protested while keeping my eyes on the TV.


    Bringing his lips close to my ear, he whispered, ¡°We are going back to J City tomorrow. Don¡¯t you want


    to go out for a walk?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡±


    I didn¡¯t feel like going out as I had just returned and it was cold outside. Although I know he meant well,


    I really didn¡¯t feel like it.


    Given howzy I was, he decided to let me be and returned to his work. Iid myself in bed to finish my


    book as my aching back was still killing me.


    Perhaps I had exposed myself to the cold for too long, my back felt exceptionally sore. I tried to


    massage it with my hands from behind, but it felt awkward to do so.


    Ashton got up and came to my side. ¡°Where does it hurt?¡±


    ¡°My back. It¡¯s really sore!¡± He massaged the part underneath my scap and asked, ¡°Is it here?¡±


    ¡°Closer to the center.¡±


    Probably because he had not done this for ady before, he didn¡¯t mind his strength when he


    massaged me.


    Hence, his force aggravated the pain, causing me to flinch. Chucking my book away, I red at him.


    ¡°Do you think you¡¯re kneading dough?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Did I hurt you?¡±


    I pursed my lips. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Reaching out, he pulled me back into his embrace and grunted, ¡°Why don¡¯t we try again?¡±


    Why does he make it sound so provocative?


    I tried to push him away but to no avail. His hug was too tight to break away from.


    Noticing the physiological change in him, I couldn¡¯t help but re at him. ¡°Ashton, you¡­¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it.¡±


    How brazen can he be?


    Pursing my lips, I kept a lid on my anger and snapped, ¡°Dr. Crest said that if you don¡¯t discipline


    yourself, you will inadvertently destroy it.¡±


    He protested with a faint smile, ¡°But it¡¯s not within my control!¡±

 Chapter 405

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 405


    I tried to push him away and told him sternly, ¡°Be good and turn in early. We still have a long journey


    back to J City tomorrow.¡±


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    He did not budge and continued to keep me inside of his embrace.


    ¡°No funny business, Ashton!¡±


    The man held on, but stopped misbehaving.


    We stayed that way for a while more before he made his way into the washroom. He looked more like


    himself after he reemerged.


    Perhaps it was his presence, that enabled me to sleep soundly. I awoke the next morning, greeted by


    an M Country shrouded by thickyers of snow.


    I had half-expected that the flight would be dyed, but my concerns proved to be unfounded.


    Joe did not seem happy to see me at the airport with my hand in Ashton¡¯s. ¡°You both are together


    twenty-four seven and could not even be apart for just a few days¡¯ work-trip. You¡¯re practically joined at


    the hips. Anyone would have mistaken you for Ashton¡¯s mistress had they not known any better.¡±


    My lips were pursed in embarrassment.


    Ashton shot him a look. ¡°If you have so much energy to expend, might as well use it to find yourself a


    wife.¡±


    Joe pulled a long face before he turned to collect the air tickets.


    Ashton led me straight to the boarding gate. The timing of our arrival was perfect as we did not need to


    wait long.


    Once inside, we made our way to the spacious seats in first-ss. He then asked the flight attendant


    for a nket. Concerned that I might be bored, he had also the screen for in-flight entertainment


    lowered.


    The man wrapped his arms around me while his bodyid next to mine. ¡°The flight would take ten over


    hours. Is there anything you would like to see?¡±


    I was not much into show binging, but one particr series dide to mind. It was one that Macy


    would stay up all night to watch during our college days.


    ¡°Shall we watch some Koandrian drama? How about this one?¡±


    His brows perked up. ¡°Well, sure!¡±


    We located the title on the menu and started from the first episode. It was a rarity that he would watch it


    with me, so I was not bored at all.


    Joe looked a little miffed when he entered. ¡°Go home and get a room, you two. Mind you, this is a


    public space!¡±


    Gianna Jun had just encountered Professor Do in the elevator when I redirected my attention onto Joe.


    ¡°We¡¯re watching a Koandrian drama. Would you like to join us?¡±


    Joe¡¯s gaze fell upon Ashton as he twitched his lips. ¡°You are done for, Ashton.¡±


    Ashton lifted his eyes into a re. ¡°Stop bothering us if you aren¡¯t going to watch!¡±


    Joe offered no retort.


    The man must have gotten bored himself after we took to the air, as he too turned on his own screen.


    He looked sideways at me and asked, ¡°What are you watching?¡±


    ¡°My Love From The Star,¡± went Ashton¡¯s quick reply.


    That made Joe pause.


    ¡°A human falling for an alien? No way this is going to end well.¡± His cynicism did not prevent him from


    searching for it.


    Perhaps the ability to keep ourselves entertained made it easier to pass the time over the ten-over-hour


    journey. Soon, we were almost reaching J City.


    It was timely too, as the scene where Professor Do was preparing to depart had me choking up.


    Ashton passed along a piece of tissue. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They¡¯ll be together in the end.¡±


    I looked up at him with eyes reddened. ¡°How do you know that?¡±


    He raised an eyebrow. ¡°That¡¯s how these stories always end.¡±


    That had me positively bbergasted.


    At the J City airport.


    It was into the wee hours when we stepped outside the terminal. As my eyes were glued to the screen


    throughout the flight, I found myself overwhelmed by fatigue.


    Ashton had already arranged transport beforehand. I could barely keep my eyes open when we got in,


    so he held me close and motioned for me to rest.


    I had no idea how we got to Peakville Estate.


    When I came to the next morning, he was not beside me, and it became chilly under the sheets.


    I got out of bed and freshened up.


    Downstairs, Mrs. Eriksen was busying herself as usual. The sun would usually rise around seven or


    eight in J City, and with it, came the moderation of the temperature.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re up, Letty. Come help yourself to some breakfast while it¡¯s still hot.¡± Mrs. Eriksen hummed a


    little tune while she cleaned the table.


    Settling myself down to sample the food, I found them quite appetizing.


    Most of the majorpanies had begun to wrap up for the year. Richard sent quite a few messages to


    ask when I would be returning to K City.


    With the uing productunch just around the corner, I suppose I ought to head back within the


    next two days.


    ¡°At what time did Ashton leave the house this morning, Mrs. Eriksen?¡± I asked as I had another


    spoonful of soup.


    ¡°As soon as dawn broke. He left in quite a hurry too.¡± She paused briefly while she looked at me. ¡°I¡¯ve


    learned just a few days ago that it would seem that we are mistaken. Reba isn¡¯t actually from the


    Moore family.¡±


    I was stunned. Is this the reason why Ashton went out?


    I did not probe further. My initial n was to return to K City together with Summer, but I had to leave


    her in Jackson¡¯s care as I had not been feeling well.


    At Glenwood residential area.


    Nick was in the kitchen when I arrived. Jackson approached me with Summer in his arms. ¡°I thought


    you¡¯ve gone and bailed on me. Some mother you are.¡±


    That left me a little apologetic. ¡°I¡¯ve just returned from M Countryst night. How has Summer been


    these few days? Has she been a good girl?¡±


    He nodded and passed her along when he saw the girl extend her arms toward me. ¡°This little imp


    would not drink from a bottle after she had a taste of breast milk.¡±


    Summer indeed felt lighter in my arms. I settled down on the couch and watched as Nick focused on


    his task.

 Chapter 406

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 406


    Turning to Jackson, I asked, ¡°Are you nning to go back to K City?¡±


    ¡°Are you?¡± he frowned as he countered my question with one of his own.


    ¡°The White Corporation has an uing productunch that I¡¯ve been overseeing. It doesn¡¯t seem


    right for me to stay away.¡±


    His gaze shifted onto Summer. ¡°Do you n to take her with you to stay in K City?¡±


    ¡°Yup!¡±


    He fell silent before he looked to Nick. ¡°How about you?¡±


    Nick stilled his hands and turned to regard me. ¡°Both Harrison Credit and my family are in J City. If I¡¯m


    going to be in K City, it¡¯ll only be for work.¡±


    He appeared thoughtful before he continued, ¡°You could resign from White Corporation ande back


    to J City. The Fuller Corporation is almostpletely managed by outsiders currently. Since you are


    the youngdy of the house of Fuller, it should not be controversial for you to take over the reins at the


    company.¡±


    I pursed my lips and wanted to turn him down, but he carried on, ¡°Ashton has a lot of ambition, but J


    City is both Fuller Corporation¡¯s ce of origin as well as its base of power. It would be preferable for it


    to be in the hands of family.¡±


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    I gave it some more thought before I replied, ¡°The reason why I left Fuller Corporation was because of


    failure. If I want to make a return now, I¡¯d have to demonstrate that I¡¯m able to deliver oues first.


    The AI development in White Corporation is in my charge. If I were to leave before we see results, how


    would that be different from my departure from Fuller Corporation in the first ce?¡±


    ¡°So, what¡¯s your n then?¡±


    ¡°I would like to wait to see the results of the AI market. That aside, I¡¯ve met Marcus.¡± I felt a tug at my


    sleeve and looked down at Summer. She must be hungry.


    Nick¡¯s brow¡¯s knitted. ¡°You mean Benjamin¡¯s only son?¡±


    I nodded.


    Jackson was confounded. ¡°Didn¡¯t he die in a car ident?¡±


    ¡°I saw him in M Country. I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going on as I have no idea what really happened to him


    back then either.¡±


    With that, I carried Summer into the room to feed her.


    I spent the rest of my day there without incident.


    My intention was to ferry Summer over to Peakville Estate, but Jackson did not feel safe having me


    alone at the wheel. It was agreed then that I should return with Ashton for her on another day.


    The sky was still bright after I left the apartment, so I decided to head over to the cemetery to visit


    George, Grandma, and Macy.


    My car got stuck in traffic en-route. Fortunately, I was not trapped on the freeway.


    As it had not cleared up after quite a while, a number of drivers alighted to investigate.


    One of those who came back sighed in resignation. ¡°It¡¯s pretty bad up ahead. The youngsters these


    days are so reckless. There was even a heavily pregnant woman in the car. It was a real close call for


    her.¡±


    ¡°The Maybach¡¯s driver is in his twenties and doesn¡¯t look like some ordinary spoiled brat. I¡¯d say sloppy


    driving is what it was. It looks like we might be stuck here for a while,¡± another chimed in.


    With a quick nce at the time, I reckoned that I would not be able to make it to the cemetery when


    this was resolved.


    With little else to do, I got off the car. In the corner of my eye, I spied the vehicle at the heart of the


    ident. It was a ck Maybach.


    The number te struck me as oddly familiar.


    An rm went off in my head when I realized that it belonged to Ashton. My legs gave way beneath me


    and left me slumped onto the floor.


    ¡°Are you alright, Miss?¡± An onlooking cab driver reached over and helped me up.


    He massaged my temples with his thumb and that offered some relief.


    I blinked as I looked at him. ¡°Thank you!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± He continued to support me. ¡°Do you have low blood sugar? Do you need me to


    send you to the hospital?¡±


    Shaking my head, I replied, ¡°I think I¡¯m okay now. Thank you.¡±


    I steadied myself as I trudged forward.


    Because the congestion went on for some distance, the ident area was packed with onlookers,


    which impeded the ambnce¡¯s advancement.


    I waded in through the crowd.


    Amongst them, I spotted a man in a crisp ck suit. He had a solemn look as he stood protectively


    over the woman next to him. With his cellphone in hand, he appeared to be seeking emergency


    services.


    The ground was saturated with blood from the conceiving woman. There was someone administering


    aid to her and other medically trained personnel helping to clear out the crowd on site.


    My gaze fell upon the heavily pregnant woman¡¯s bloated belly. The trail of crimson extended onto her


    legs. The sight jolted like a bolt of lightning.


    I subconsciously held a hand over my own abdomen which was suddenly hit by spasms, and slowly


    backed away.


    Ashton, who was on the phone, appeared to have seen me. His eyes darkened as he approached.


    The color fell from Reba¡¯s face behind him.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    My abdomen hurt so much that I furrowed. ¡°I was just passing through. Are you alright?¡±


    He shook his head and lifted me into a cradle in his arms when he saw how pallid I was. ¡°Where¡¯s your


    car?¡±


    ¡°Back there.¡±


    Once inside my car, I managed to recover a little to my own relief.


    ¡°Why are you hurting all of a sudden?¡± he asked.

 Chapter 407

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 407


    I could not exin that either. ¡°It started after I saw the pregnant woman just now. I guess it must be a


    repercussion of what happened thest time.¡±


    After a brief pause, I regarded him. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Reba came over to us. It had only been a few days since, but she looked visibly sallow and seemed


    to have lost considerable weight.


    Ashton was calm. ¡°I was sending her to the hospital when I lost focus and ran into someone.¡±


    There may be more to this than what he described, as he had always been a cautious driver. It was


    unlikely that the cause had been a loss of concentration on his part.


    I nced over to Reba¡¯s pale facade and puffy eyes.


    They were filled with hatred and resentment. Did I somehow offend her againtely?


    A siren filled the air as the ambnce approached. Ashton ran his fingers through his own hair and


    swept it behind his ears before he whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Wait for me at home. I¡¯ll be back


    when this is settled, alright?¡±


    I nodded in acknowledgement.


    It was a matter of life and death that he should see to it without dy.


    As I watched him depart, Reba red at me. ¡°You should have died!¡±


    Those words were as chilling as they were perplexing.


    I was seriously baffled as I was certain that I had done nothing recently that might have roused her ire.


    Ashton followed in the ambnce when it took the pregnant woman away. The disruption was cleared


    for traffic to resume.


    I had lost half the day and might not have enough time to safely make the return trip from the cemetery


    before dark. This would be particrly risky, as I would be by myself.


    After some deliberation, I thought I might as well drive down to the hospital to see how the conceiving


    woman was doing.


    At the hospital.


    It would appear that the woman got out of it unscathed. She had a fright, which made her water broke.


    She had been sent into the delivery room by the time I got there. Her family was present as well.


    Joseph had taken over Ashton¡¯s duty tomunicate with her family. Reba sustained light injuries


    and was taken in for observation.


    Once that matter was settled, Ashton finally found time to sit down. I regarded him silently for some


    time. ¡°You¡¯ve always been careful at the wheel. What happened back there?¡±


    There were mixed emotions in his gaze which instilled a sense of foreboding within me.


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Indeed, he said, ¡°Reba was arguing with me in the car!¡±


    The scent of iron and copper which filled my nostrils brought my attention to a soaked patch against his


    ck sleeve.


    ¡°Are you hurt?¡± I asked as I reached out for it.


    He intercepted my hand with his. ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± There was a profound look in his eyes.


    My lips pursed as my long-suppressed emotions surged to the surface. ¡°Do you think neglecting to take


    care of your wounds somehow makes you manlier? What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    He was taken by surprise by my unexpected outburst, and my re shut down whatever response he


    had in mind.


    I reached over to remove his coat. That was when I noticed a lengthy cut over his arm. The blood had


    caked over time and the color of his clothing made it hard for anyone to tell that he was injured.


    Were I not close enough to smell the blood, I might not have noticed either.


    Upon seeing my distress, he said in aforting voice, ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. Just a scratch.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± I was upset. Whether it was because he was with Reba, or because he did not take care


    of himself¡ªI was not sure.


    All I knew was that I was mad as hell.


    The nurse was brought in to help clean up his wound. He was frosty when his exquisite, limited edition


    shirt was cut open.


    Unfamiliar with his ways, the fingers of the youthful nurse trembled at his cold demeanor.


    A frown creased upon his face before he lifted his eyes. ¡°You do it!¡±


    Her hands stiffened and the alcohol soaked wad fell upon his wound.


    Ashton reiterated himself aggressively, ¡°Let her do it!¡±


    I exhaled before I took the bottle from her. ¡°Thank you. Let me handle this.¡±


    A weight seemed to have been lifted from the young nurse¡¯s chest as she nodded profusely. ¡°Alright!¡±


    After she had gone far, I regarded the man with severity. ¡°I¡¯m not as gentle, so you better not be


    whining.¡±


    He pursed his lips. ¡°What¡¯s with the temper?¡±


    I quietly wiped the cotton wad over his wound. It was fortunate that the cuts were superficial in spite of


    its goriness.


    With a bit of cream, it should heal in a couple of days.


    Once done with the dressing, I got to my feet and started to clean up. ¡°Why were you arguing in the


    car?¡±


    I knew him well enough that he would not have gotten into an ident otherwise.


    He bit his lip and did not seem intent on speaking. A voice then cut me off before I could say anything


    else.


    ¡°About you, Scarlett Stovall. You jinx!¡± Reba stepped out of the ward after she had her injuries


    attended to.


    Hers was a look of antagonism.

 Chapter 408

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 408


    When Ashton saw that she was alright, he said, ¡°That¡¯s enough. Go home!¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Reba sneered. ¡°How long do you think you can continue to keep this from her?¡±


    I looked to Ashton, confused. ¡°Is there something I should know about?¡±


    The man seemed distant when his gaze fell upon Reba. He then turned to Joseph who had just


    settled things on the other front. ¡°Send Ms. Larson home.¡±


    The other man nodded, but Reba pushed him away when he tried to put a hand on her. ¡°Do you


    think no one else is going to talk just because I won¡¯t?¡±


    She turned to regard me scathingly. ¡°You¡¯re a pathetic idiot¡ªbeing happy and contented when


    everyone¡¯s taking you for a ride.¡±


    ¡°Get her out of here!¡± Anger permeated Ashton¡¯s voice.


    Joseph got a hold of Reba in an attempt to have her forcibly removed.


    I looked into her wild eyes and asserted myself, ¡°Let her speak.¡±


    I approached and pushed Joseph off her. ¡°What was it you wanted to say?¡±


    Reba replied with a smirk, ¡°Ask your husband. You are going to love the surprise if you got it


    straight from him.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± I asked Ashton.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when we get back!¡± He rubbed his forehead in fluster.


    The man pulled me into the elevator and prepared to take me away.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Hesitantly, I stood my ground.


    He did not look pleased. ¡°Let¡¯s go home first, alright?¡±


    I paused momentarily before I followed him in.


    I waited by the hospital¡¯s entrance while Ashton went to fetch the car from the parking lot, all the while


    preupied with thoughts about what I was being kept in the dark about.


    My phone then chimed a couple of times in a row. Messages hade in, with attachments.


    They were from an unknown number, and the first opened to reveal a photo of a baby.


    The baby looked to be a newborn. It was tiny, with patches of red and green on its forehead. The eyes


    were closed.


    The rest of the photos were, as far as I could tell, also of the same baby. There was also a video that


    featured it inside of an incubator.


    My limbs went limp, as though struck by a ray of enfeeblement. The phone fell loose from my hands


    and onto the floor.


    My mind droned on¡ªfilled with scenes of what I saw inside of the warehouse and my inability to deliver


    the baby before its fragile little life was snuffed out of existence.


    I felt a moment of asphyxia. By my own admission, I was weak, or should I say, a coward.


    I had not seen that child even once before Marcus buried him. I feared that if I did, I would be scarred


    for life.


    Never had I thought that I would be able to see him under these circumstances. He had the same


    features as the child in my dreams.


    Reba came down the steps shortly after. ¡°What sort of face is this? Did Ash not tell you everything?


    Do you realize what a fool you¡¯ve been, allowing yourself to be strung around in circles the way you


    did?¡±


    My head throbbed as I looked at her. I was speechless.


    She seemed to relish the expression on my face. ¡°How does it feel to have your own mother kill off your


    offspring?¡±


    I conjured the remnant of my strength. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°So, he hasn¡¯t told you yet, huh? You are Cameron Anderson¡¯s real daughter. It was Ash who passed


    the sandalwood box your Grandma left for you to that woman. It was Ash who told her that it was mine,


    and also he who swapped our DNA samples.¡±


    She continued, ¡°Do you not see how far he went to get me into the Moore family so that I may enjoy the


    luxurious life of a wealthy youngdy while you remained an impoverished nobody? This is proof that


    he doesn¡¯t love you, and never will.¡±


    My body felt like it was no longer anchored as I staggered backward and sat slumped on the floor.


    The demise of my child, my own close brush with mortality, and Macy¡¯s death. Were all these of


    Ashton¡¯s machinations?


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked. From whom was I seeking the answer from, exactly?


    Rebaughed coldly. ¡°What do you think? Because he has never loved you. I¡¯m the one that he


    wants to protect and provide the best for. What other evidence do you need of that?¡±


    I was dumbstruck. Then I abruptly broke into hysteria. ¡°So his affections were feigned, just like


    everything else.¡±


    She was conversely delighted. ¡°Yes. All of it were lies.¡±


    The people who passed between the hospital doors cast looks of bafflement my way as I sat there.

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    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 409


    Reba leaned in and breathed in a sinister tone. ¡°Did you really think he did not know about the


    child? If your child didn¡¯t die in your mother¡¯s hands, he would have been smothered by the prenatal


    vitamins that Jared gave you. The man closest to you is more frightening than you could ever imagine.¡±


    My stomach churned. A metallic taste cumted inside my mouth before I retched blood.


    Reba¡¯s eyes widened as her delight grew. ¡°You¡¯ve lost¡ªutterly andpletely.¡±


    She stood up and loomed over me briefly before she made her exit.


    When Ashton returned, I was in a daze as I stared at the pool of ret on the floor. The only sensation I


    felt was pain¡ªin my chest and in the very fibers of my being.


    ¡°What happened here, Scarlett?¡± he said as he extended his hand to lend support.


    p!


    That backhand, rendered with every ounce of energy that was left inside of me, seemingly had no


    effect whatsoever on him.


    The man¡¯s slender frame stiffened as he tried to suppress his anger. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    I suddenly found him extremely revolting. ¡°Get out of here!¡±


    He furrowed in response and swept me into his arms before he took me back inside the hospital.


    I was examined and made to undergo numerous tests.


    Uponpletion, Iy on the hospital bed and stared vacuously at the pitch-ck screen of the LCD


    television. ¡°Let¡¯s get a divorce, Ashton!¡±


    It would be best if we went our separate ways.


    The rage he tried to force down boiled over. ¡°Do you know what you are saying?¡±


    I lowered my puffy eyes and lifted my hands to soothe them. ¡°It was a mistake right from the beginning.


    Right now, it¡¯s still not toote to split up and start over.¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± he sneered. ¡°Mistake? Starting over? Are you condemning me, Scarlett?¡±


    I did not waver as I looked at him. ¡°I¡¯m returning everything that belongs to the Fullers, including


    whatever shares in HiTech that Grandpa left me. Consider this my repayment for the debt of gratitude


    that I owed him.¡±


    His eyes narrowed and his thin lips trembled as he struggled to contain himself. ¡°Your reason being?¡±


    Reason?


    I smiled a slight smile. Having gone through and endured so much along the way, I had be dead


    and putrid inside.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been married to you for three years. I also know from when I stepped into the Fullers that Reba


    will always be special to you. I¡¯ve already mentally prepared myself for the day that you would leave me


    for her.¡±


    Against his darkened eyes, I could not muster a smile. ¡°You couldn¡¯t protect me and love me, nor was I


    able to make you. That is my failing, for which I have only myself to me. However, it doesn¡¯t justify


    you taking advantage of my foolish affections to hurt me and our baby for Reba¡¯s sake.¡±


    His mouth was agape. ¡°What did she tell you?¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    My fingers gripped against themselves and dug my nails into flesh so as to alleviate my anguish. ¡°She


    told me whatever there was to tell. I¡¯ve never actually thought about reconnecting with my birth parents.


    I¡¯m not upset about you wanting Reba to steal my identity so that she may have a brighter future,


    but you shouldn¡¯t have dragged me down. I¡¯ve told you before that if you chose to divorce me, I would


    leave with the child and make a life for ourselves. Both of you could then use the Moore family¡¯s


    connections and lead your own lives.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett¡­¡± his voice held a multitude of emotions.


    I took in a deep drawl. ¡°But why must you ruin my life? Why must you make me suffer the pain of


    separation over and over, and even bring harm to the people around me? What did I ever do to you to


    make you hate me so much that you must keep me around and keep torturing me this way?


    ¡°I¡­¡± He sounded a little choked up. Exhaling, I tried tough, but could not even manage that. ¡°I will


    find someone and work out the divorce agreement. This will be thest thing I ask of you, Ashton. Let


    me go.¡±


    His eyes were bloodshot when he regarded me. I could sense the pain that percted within.


    I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. ¡°Please leave.¡±


    Grandma said that life was short. Some would muddle through it, and others would go through it with


    rity. Either way, one must live as one deemed fit.


    Having stumbled my way through so many years, it would take a tremendous effort for me to try to turn


    things around.


    His gaze remained transfixed upon me. The lights in the ward were simply too bright. It stabbed at my


    eyes and forced them shut.

 Chapter 410

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 410


    In the end, I pulled the nket over my face and shut myself off.


    Cameron and Zachary rushed over and were met with the sight of a dejected Ashton standing by the


    bed.


    The older woman turned her attention to me. ¡°Why did you vomit blood? Were they able to find out the


    cause?¡±


    I did not answer, as I had neither the strength nor the desire to.


    Ashton looked at them but continued to keep mum. It was the beginning of a prolonged silence.


    In the days that followed, Ashton, Cameron, and Zachary all visited in turn. It was as though they had a


    mutual agreement to maintain the cidity.


    As it was not any serious affliction, I was discharged after three days.


    Ashton came to fetch me and brought me to the vi.


    The quietude almost felt like second nature to me. One look at everything in the bedroom had me


    feeling what a joke this life of mine had been.


    I did not have much that I needed to take with me, as everything that came into my possession since


    my marriage into the Fullers was purchased by Ashton. Apart from my identity card and graduation


    certificate, I had practically brought nothing along.


    ¡°It¡¯s alreadyte and won¡¯t be safe for you to go out now. You should rest for today.¡± Ashton reached


    out from behind me and held down the hand I was packing with.


    With my lips pursed, I withdrew and regarded him staidly. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. Thank you for your


    concern, Mr. Fuller.¡±


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    His brows folded into a deep frown. ¡°Must we go down this path, Scarlett? It doesn¡¯t have to be like


    this.¡±


    ¡°Yes. We didn¡¯t. But why have Ie to see this as the only way out?¡±


    His expression was wrenched in despondency and misery. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    ¡°If you could bring back my child and Macy, I¡¯d dly ept your apology.¡± To believe that a simple


    apology could erase his sins was sheer mockery.


    It was a grey day in February. A slight drizzle tapped icily against the other side of the fogged-up


    windows as I took my luggage from his hands.


    When I left the bedroom behind and stepped outside the doorway, I breathed a sigh of relief. At long


    last, it was over.


    Jackson turned in. With his hair cropped short, he looked energetic as he loaded my bags into the


    trunk.


    He then looked me straight in the eye. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Ashton was by the entrance to the house as I got into the car.


    This was goodbye, and may be forever.


    We had gone far, yet he remained where he was. His tall and slender frame subtly faded into the


    distant mist.


    ¡°Perhaps it wasn¡¯t so bad that it could not work out!¡± Jackson said.


    I held the divorce papers in my hand. ¡°At times, even when the flesh wounds heal, the trauma


    remains.¡±


    Am I not able to let go?


    From the fate that befell my child to learning about Macy¡¯s death¡ªI kept searching for excuses. I


    heaped my hatred and indignation upon Cameron in an attempt to absolve Ashton of all me.


    He really was an innocent party¡ªhelpless to do anything about the child and unable to look out for


    Macy. He took care of Reba out of a sense of obligation and responsibility. That was what I kept


    telling myself¡ªover and over again.


    I was not that petty. I could have epted everything if he only cared about me.


    What I had not expected was that he knew exactly what he was doing because he knew that Cameron


    and Zachary were my parents. I did not hate him for not telling me. Neither did I hate him for swapping


    the DNA samples of Reba and myself.


    What I could note to terms with was how he allowed Cameron to hurt me and for my contempt for


    her to fester in spite of him being aware that we were rted by blood.


    He could have let me go right from the start. He could have agreed to divorce when I first proposed it. I


    could have taken Summer and Macy to Q City and had my child there. We could have found sanctuary


    there.


    In spite of foreseeable struggles with my finances, I could have raised the two children and lived out the


    rest of my life alongside them. Anything would have been better than contending with the loss of a child


    and my best friend.


    At Glenwood Apartments.


    Nick stood by the doorway with Summer in his arms. He paused when he saw Jackson and me. ¡°The


    food¡¯s ready. It¡¯ll be served in a while.¡±


    Inside the house, he passed the little girl along to Jackson before he returned to the kitchen.


    Summer had been well behaved. It softened my heart just looking at her. I reached out and held her


    little hands in mine and yed with her.


    This went on for a while more before Jackson spoke up, ¡°What¡¯s next?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to take Summer to R Province,¡± I replied after giving it some thought.


    I then turned to regard him. ¡°Help me make some calls. I¡¯d like to sell the apartment that I have here at


    Glenwood.¡±


    ¡°Are you short on cash?¡±


    ¡°No! Macy and I bought one unit each back then. With the proceeds from the sale of the bar, I could get


    another in Q City. Couple that and the remaining one here, Summer should be set for the future.¡±

 Chapter 411

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 411


    As for myself, I have made a considerable sum from my time at Fuller Corporation as well as from the


    deal with OrbitTech, so I feel pretty safe going forward.


    I would sell off the property I own in Glenwood Apartments and acquire a smaller unit in R Province.


    That would be where Summer and myself would reside.


    The man was silent for some time before he regarded me. ¡°Is there no way back for you and Ashton?¡±


    I merely smiled. ¡°I¡¯d been deluding myself for far too long. Before this, I used to see that baby in my


    dreams, calling out for me to save him. The birthmark on his forehead was stuck in my head. Yet I keep


    telling myself that Ashton had no choice, that it was not what he wanted. At some point, Jackson,


    everyone has to face up to reality.¡±


    He pursed his lips. ¡°What about the Moore family? And the Stovalls? Have you thought about them?¡±


    Summer held on tight and refused to go.


    That put a smile on my face. ¡°I had never thought about the Moores, but I¡¯m sure Uncle Louis would


    understand.¡±


    I took in a deep drawl. ¡°John and Cameron were closely aligned back then. If Ashton knew, why do you


    think John would not? He knew I¡¯m Cameron¡¯s daughter, and knew what Ashton did. Who knows,


    maybe he might be in on it too. Cameron and Zachary are not foolish. How could they not know the


    DNA samples were tampered with?¡±


    Jackson pursed his lips and held his tongue.


    Spring arrived early in J City. After a few torrential showers, some trees had begun to sprout.


    Summer had grown a few more inches. She now liked having adults bounce around with her.


    Ever the efficient worker, Jackson managed to find a buyer for my unit in Glenwood Apartments within


    a couple of days.


    When I purchased the unit years ago, I did not pay too much for it. Most of my spending went into the


    interiors and furnishing.


    The prospective buyers were easygoing. Even though I was in a hurry to sell, they did not try to bargain


    and offered to take it off my hands at the market rate.


    The paperwork would take some time to settle. I had wanted to go to the cemetery to visit George and


    Grandma for a while then.


    Over the weekend, I headed out early. As Summer was still little, I did not want to take her there.


    Hence, I drove down alone.


    We were almost into March. The morning sun was mild. Perhaps owing to the rain, the environment


    glistened with dew.


    Since it was still early, there were not many visitors at the cemetery. Those present stood on the bs


    and paid respects to their dear and departed.


    I spaced out before Grandma¡¯s grave, transfixed upon the photograph that had been weathered brown


    upon the headstone.


    ¡°I¡¯ve almost lost my way when all of you left me on my own, Grandma. Please take care of my baby on


    the other side¡­¡±


    I breathed in deep and held my pain and my silence. May the dead be at peace, and the living be well.


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    The presence I sensed behind me made me froze. Without guessing, I knew it was him.


    Some time had passed before I exhaled. I turned and made straight for the outside of the cemetery


    without acknowledging him.


    As I brushed past him, my wrist was seized upon. It caught me off guard, albeit momentarily. I twisted


    out of his grasp and regarded him without emotion. ¡°It¡¯s fine even if you won¡¯t sign on the papers. Once


    we¡¯re separated for three years, our marriage will be dissolved automatically.¡±


    ¡°Is there no way back?¡±


    I collected myself and scoffed, ¡°You should have thought about that when you decided to deceive me.¡±


    ¡°Do you hate me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t hate you, Ashton. But that¡¯s all about it.¡±


    I felt like I have turned the corner and was ready to move on.


    Physically distancing from him, I broke eye contact. ¡°If you have ever felt anything for me at all, let me


    go so that we may both go our own ways. That would be for the best.¡±


    I turned around and exited the cemetery. It was dusk by the time I returned to the Glenwood


    Apartments.


    A voice emanated from within as I stood outside. It was Cameron¡¯s.


    I opened the door and entered.


    As expected, Cameron and Zachary were seated inside the living room ying with Summer. They sat


    upright, seemingly as startled as a deer in the headlights.


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re back!¡± Cameron was first to speak. Hers was a bundle of nerves.


    I nodded. It appeared that Jackson and Nick were not around. ¡°Did they go out?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she replied. ¡°Mr. Kane¡¯s in the nursery, and Nick¡¯s gone out to get something.¡±


    I nodded and left it at that.


    Summer extended her arms toward me. I took the opportunity to take her off their hands before I


    settled myself on the couch.


    Cameron and Zachary exchanged awkward looks with each other.

 Chapter 412

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 412


    They might have something they wished to say, but I did not prompt them and focused my attention on


    Summer instead.


    When Cameron finally had enough of the inertness, she looked to me. ¡°I heard from Nick that you are


    getting a divorce from Mr. Fuller.¡±


    I nodded to that but merely grunted under my breath.


    She was stunned and did not know how to respond.


    It was Zachary who got a little agitated. ¡°Good riddance to him. Having a scheming man like him


    around will sooner orter lead to our ruin.¡±


    Cameron frowned slightly, momentarily at a loss. She looked at me and exhaled. ¡°Where will you go


    from here?¡±


    I pursed my lips. ¡°If you have something to say to me, just get to it.¡±


    They were dumbstruck. ¡°Have you found out about the swapping of your DNA samples, Scarlett?¡±


    ¡°I have. I was brought up by Grandma and never needed my birth parents for so many years. When


    you abandoned me back then, you should have been mentally prepared that I¡¯m not likely to


    acknowledge you.¡±


    Cameron was taken aback. She paused briefly before she cried into her own hands. I took a moment


    before I continued, ¡°After everything that happened in thest year, the most I could do is not to ord


    hate or me. So from now on, we should all keep our distance and lead our own lives.¡±


    Her eyes were reddened and moist when she looked at me. ¡°My dear, I understand if you are upset.


    But you can¡¯t possibly not acknowledge us as you are our flesh and blood. How would I have harmed


    you if I knew this right from the start?¡±


    ¡°So if I were Reba and not your own child, you would harm me without restraint? Where in the world


    are there people without enmity? But if enmity justifies murder, then what would be of humanity?¡±


    ¡°I made a mistake!¡± Cameron burst into tears. ¡°I¡¯ve been reflecting a lot about the path I¡¯ve gone down


    recently and realized how wrong I was. In the end, I was punished for them!¡±


    Zachary looked a little downcast as he pulled his wife into his arms andforted her, ¡°There, there.


    It¡¯s all in the past.¡±


    He turned to me. ¡°My child, I understand your sentiments. It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to return with us,


    but as parents, we can¡¯t possibly let you endure hardship outside.¡±


    The elderly man retrieved a ck card from his suit pocket. ¡°Hang on to this. You will always be the


    youngdy of the Moore family, no matter where you are. There¡¯s no spending limit on this card. I won¡¯t


    try to dictate the future that you choose. I only ask that you take care of yourself.¡±


    Cameron¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What do you think you are doing? Now she can only depend on us as she¡¯s


    divorced from Ashton. Where do you expect her to go? I can take care of her if shees with us.


    What¡¯s more, how is she to cope with a child on her own?¡±


    Zachary exhaled. ¡°It would be better if she doesn¡¯t get embroiled in our troubles. I¡¯m sure she has her


    own ns and the right to choose something better.¡±


    Cameron lowered her head and finally relented and regarded me with eyes reddened. ¡°Do take care of


    yourself outside, ande back to us anytime, whenever you are ready.¡±


    I did not ept the ck card. ¡°I appreciate your concern. Though I may not be well off, I¡¯ve enough


    savings over the years to raise my girl. Please bring that back with you.¡±


    With that, I got to my feet. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte and Summer is hungry, so I must excuse myself.¡±


    When I carried Summer into the room, we bumped into Jackson at the door. He blinked before he eked


    out an awkward smile. ¡°You go ahead. Let me make myself scarce.¡±


    He stepped away from the bedroom before I closed the door behind him and tended to Summer.


    It was not long before Jackson knocked upon the door. ¡°Are you done, Scarlett? Can Ie in?¡±


    Iid down the sleeping child and went to the door. ¡°Summer¡¯s asleep. Let¡¯s go outside.¡±


    He nodded.


    In the living room.


    He extended a palm toward me. ¡°Give me your hand!¡±


    ¡°What for?¡± I asked with a frown.


    He looked at me and did not answer.


    When I grudgingly did as asked, a ck card was ced on my palm. He stopped me just as I was


    about to protest. ¡°Keep it. It¡¯ll make them feel better.¡±


    I pursed my lips and remained silent.


    ¡°No one wanted this. Nothing could be undone, but we can all move forward. And this is what we can


    do in the here and now to facilitate that process.¡±


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    I understood his intentions. ¡°Don¡¯t get all righteous on me. I¡¯m not as vindictive a person as you might


    think. The present isn¡¯t too bad, all things considered. So let¡¯s try to do better.¡±

 Chapter 413

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 413


    It was the start of Spring.


    It was drizzly at times in J City, and the sun was high on others. The greens along the scenic areas


    within the city center invariably started to explode in a dazzle of hues.


    Peach blossoms had also begun to flower in more than a few tourist attractions too. Once I have tied


    up the loose ends in J City, I brought Summer along to book tickets for K City.


    At the airport.


    Jackson and Nick insisted on seeing us all the way to the boarding gate. Jackson looked particrly


    reluctant to part from Summer as he held her. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you have to leave when you


    could make as good a life for yourself here in J City.¡±


    ¡°I distinctly remember someone saying yesterday that it¡¯s important to not part on bad terms. Are you


    worried about leaving Summer with me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re her mother, so what¡¯s there for me to worry about? Go on then. Stop being an eyesore and get


    out of here.¡±


    I had just one carry-on with me as I did not own much, to begin with. It would be a hassle to lug the rest


    of my things around with Summer in tow, so I packed only her bottle and diapers with me.


    Nick had instructed the flight crew so everything was loaded on board beforehand.


    Seeing that it was almost time, Jackson apprehensively asked, ¡°Are you really not going to say


    goodbye to Ashton?¡±


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    I shook my head and merely smiled.


    He exhaled. ¡°This is some major beef with the Moores, so he must have his hands full trying to stave


    off Zachary¡¯s wrath. I¡¯m doubtful that he¡¯ll be able to make himself avable to see you off anyway.¡±


    I made noment. With the air tickets in hand, I watched him wave to us. ¡°Take care of yourselves!¡±


    The man choked up as he was missing Summer already. ¡°Send me a message when you¡¯ve settled


    down. We¡¯lle to visit.¡±


    I nodded. Nick had one hand in his pocket. ¡°See you!¡±


    ¡°Bye, you guys!¡± I smiled.


    Once inside the first-ss cabin, the air stewardess brought a baby-sized bolster for Summer and had


    a child safety seat set up next to me.


    Flying for the first time must have been very exciting for Summer as she did not sleep a wink in four


    hours.


    Her endearing appearance ensured that some air stewardesses woulde by and interact with her


    from time to time, all the way to K City. It was only when we disembarked that the little one fell asleep


    on my chest.


    Outside the airport, I nned to hail a ride to take us directly to the hotel. This was when John¡¯s call


    came in.


    I switched off the phone and turned my attention toward looking for a cab instead.


    As I waited, a ck Bentley rolled to a halt in front of me. Then the window winded down.


    John seemed to have thinned out since Ist saw him several days ago. His facial features had


    be gaunter.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to catch a ride at the airport, and traffic is going to get crazy near peak hour. You should hop


    in!¡± he said.


    I noticed a cab turn in not far behind, so I ignored the man and walked toward the hired car instead.


    When I got in, I cited the destination. The driver was curious to see a child with me. ¡°Are you here in K


    City to visit?¡±


    I shook my head and softened my voice as Summer was sleeping soundly. ¡°I¡¯m here to settle some


    business.¡±


    The driver smiled as he engaged the engine. ¡°Is it work rted?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yup!¡±


    ¡°My daughter¡¯s about the same age as you are. It¡¯s tough on young people like yourself, having to bring


    your kid around for work!¡± hemented as he nced up at the rear-view mirror.


    What he observed put a frown between his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s the deal with this Bentley behind


    us. It¡¯s been on our tails since the airport. Do you know who¡¯s in it?¡±


    ¡°Nope!¡±


    Thankfully, we eluded the jam and made it to the hotel in forty minutes. When I alighted, I went straight


    inside.


    John was still following. As I was checking in, thedy at the front desk asionally stole nces at


    the handsome chap with a hand in his pocket standing behind me.


    As I was carrying both the child and a bag, the woman asked, ¡°Would you like for us to assist with your


    luggage, Miss?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll bring her up!¡± John got in before me.


    Thedy was astounded. ¡°Mr. Stovall!¡±


    John nodded. He picked up the bag that I had left on the floor and grabbed the key card directly from


    the woman before he made a beeline for the elevator.


    I frowned, but did not voice my disapproval.


    Inside the room, when he ascertained that I was unwilling to converse, he went on to survey the interior


    to ensure that it was secure. Once satisfied, he called for service.


    As it was a long day, I was a little exhausted. The man did not seem like he was going to leave. ¡°If


    there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯d like to rest!¡±


    His dark eyes seemed to light up when I took the initiative to talk to him. ¡°I¡¯ve ordered some food. You


    should have some before you turn in. I promise that you won¡¯t even notice that I¡¯m here.¡±


    Oh, forget it. I went inside the washroom to freshen up and got out Summer¡¯s bottle and diapers.


    I would feed her as soon as she was awake, and give her a change of diapers.


    Room service arrived shortly. The food heid out was mostly lighter on the taste buds and suited for


    my pte.


    I looked at him. ¡°It¡¯s been delivered. Now go!¡±


    He tried to say something but changed his mind when he saw that my daughter had roused. ¡°She¡¯s up,


    so it¡¯ll be easier if I attend to her while you eat. I¡¯ll leave as soon you¡¯re done!¡±

 Chapter 414

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 414


    I was indeed famished so I made no protest, and ate some of it before I had the food runner clear the


    table.


    Summer kept crying, the cause of which I attributed to being in an unfamiliar environment. I proceeded


    to change her diapers.


    I would not usually use the water from hotel rooms. After some consideration, I looked to John. ¡°I will


    need some warm mineral water.¡±


    He nodded and figured out what it was for, and left the room.


    In his absence, I fed Summer. That got her to quiet down.


    When John returned, he had someone ferried in a water dispenser and a barrel of mineral water, as


    well as a new basin.


    ¡°You could use that to bathe Summerter as her skin is sensitive¡­¡± He then looked at me attentively.


    I nodded and poured some water to wipe down Summer¡¯s face. Having slept enough and ate her fill,


    she looked to be in fine spirits.


    John had my daughter in his arms when I dozed off on the couch.


    It was night when I came to. I shot up when I saw that Summer was not beside me.


    The nket put over me slid off as my eyes darted around the room. Summer was nowhere in sight.


    I managed to keep my wits and fished out my phone to call John.


    Before the call went out, the door opened.


    In came John with a baby cart. Summer was fast asleep inside.


    He was surprised when he saw me covered in cold sweat. ¡°I noted that you traveled light from K City so


    I got someone to get you some clothes and essentials. K City is much colder than J City, so it would be


    more convenient in case you need tounder!¡±


    Upon seeing Summer, I sat back down. ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s gettingte so you should get going!¡±


    He appeared tentative. ¡°I know that you are resentful of me, so it¡¯s fine if you want to take it out on me.


    But you can¡¯t possibly keep me away as I¡¯m your brother. Both Summer and yourself need someone to


    care for you.¡±


    My eyes narrowed. ¡°Leave! I can take care of her myself!¡±


    ¡°Why are you so stubborn? What¡¯s done is done. Have you thought about Summer¡¯s future, pushing all


    of us away like this?¡±


    Nothing was going to shake my resolve in this regard. ¡°That¡¯s right. We can¡¯t change the past. All I


    want is to have some peace and quiet. Is that too much to ask?¡±


    He was taken aback and responded with a shrug. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll leave you to it then.¡±


    My purpose for being in K City was firstly to fulfill my responsibility by wrapping up the AI development


    project that I had been overseeing for White Corporation.


    The other being to bid Louis farewell. As it may be hard for me to travel with Summer, I expected to be


    staying put in R Province for a couple of years, at least.


    Once the matters in K City were settled, we moved on to a new ce and thus a new chapter began.


    Four yearster.Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Time flew by in the blink of an eye. We moved into an old property located in one of R Province¡¯s


    alleys.


    That being said, it was not exactly old, as it had been revamped previously. At first impression, it would


    not look markedly different from any newer property.


    There were two stories and four rooms. It was not particrly big overall, but the yard wasparably


    spacious. The walls enclosed our area and separated ours from the neighbors¡¯.


    The environment and weather in R Province were pretty decent. Apart from the locals, most of the


    residents who lived here were retirees, seeking to enjoy life in the countryside.


    With the huge yard, Summer had more space to be active in. I watched as she tottered until she grew


    to be swift and steady on her feet.


    The longer the days, the more there was for remembrance.


    Summer was not able to adjust to life in R Province when we first arrived. She used to cry in the middle


    of the night and nothing that I tried, worked. As the frequency grew, I often found myself crying


    alongside her.


    I ended up very sick on one asion. When she turned one, she became more obedient once she was


    able toprehend my moods better.


    R Province was a very remote ce, and I only started job hunting when she turned three.


    On her first day of kindergarten, she tugged at my hand. ¡°You have toe to pick me up in the


    evening, Mommy. I¡¯ll be waiting.¡±


    In the three years that came, Summer healed me. She helped me recover from my longing for my lost


    child, and to forget everyone in K City and J City.


    It was as though our lives no longer had anything to do with them.


    I held her close and kissed her. ¡°Mommy will be here on time!¡±


    This child had already melded with me into one inseparable entity.


    There were basically no listedpanies in R Province and no techpanies which developed


    advanced technologies here either. The first job I could find as a single mother was the position of


    dishwasher at a small family restaurant.


    In the corner to the back of the eatery, I scrubbed down the utensils. While the revelry went on around


    me, I enjoyed in solitude thefort which the soft foam brought me.


    Though this way of lifecked the grandeur and excitement that K City offered, it was where I felt most


    at ease.


    At five in the afternoon, I went to pick up Summer and brought her over to the restaurant where she


    would help with the dishes at the back.


    She would often ask this of me, ¡°Do I have a father, Mommy?¡±

 Chapter 415

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 415


    ¡°Do you want a Dad?¡± I asked her.


    Surprisingly, Summer was more sensible than I expected. She shot back, ¡°What about you?¡±


    I smiled lightly. The darkness slowly descended over the city. On the way home, I gave her a bag of


    freshly baked chocte buns.


    The buns tasted delicious as we savored them, sitting on a stone bench in the yard.


    Sometimes, I would dream of a young Macy running towards me with her arms full of mangoes.


    We would slice the mangoes up and mix them with sugar. Our entire afternoon would be dedicated to


    doing only that.


    I started sleeping better after Summer had gotten used to living in R Province. In fact, the sun was


    usually already high in the sky whenever I woke up.


    There was a resort next to the R Provinceke that was constructed about half a year ago. After


    finishing work at the restaurant, I headed over to the hotel to start my janitorial job.


    The job was rtively easy. I only took up the job because it was near Summer¡¯s school, so it was


    convenient for me to drop her off and pick her up.


    It waste evening when I finished cleaning the hotel and changed into a set of new clothes, preparing


    to pick Summer up from school.


    ¡°Going to pick your daughter up?¡± Colin asked, leaning against a door frame.


    Colin was the hotel manager¡ªa tall, broad man in histe thirties with a handsome face. I turned to


    look at him, nodding. ¡°Do you need me to help pick Michael up too?¡±


    He chuckled and shook his head. ¡°I intend to go together with you.¡±


    Colin was the one who interviewed me when I first applied for a job here. Looking confused as he read


    over my resume, he had asked, ¡°You graduated from a reputable university, so why are you applying to


    be a janitor?¡±


    ¡°I believe all work is equal.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Besides, the sry of a janitor isn¡¯t that low.¡±


    He had raised an eyebrow, smiling in amusement. It was true that the rest of the job positions in the


    hotel had trial periods and promotion periods, with everyone sharing the same low sry in the


    beginning.


    However, the janitor position was different, and it had a fixed, above-average sry.


    It might have been fate that brought the two of us together. We eventually became closer after learning


    that we were both single parents.


    Due to his job as a manager, there were times when he couldn¡¯t pick his son up from school and would


    asionally ask me to pick his son and Summer up together.


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    We left the hotel premises in his car. The drive to school took less than ten minutes.


    Many parents were waiting outside the kindergarten entrance. There were also several senior citizens


    in the crowd, sitting in the rest area outside the school.


    ¡°We still have five minutes. The sunshine is really bright today, so why don¡¯t you sit down over there for


    a bit?¡± Colin pointed to an empty seat under the shadow of arge tree.


    Iughed. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine! Five minutes isn¡¯t that long.¡± Perhaps it was the postpartum side effects, but my


    body was easily prone to bing sore and tired in recent years.


    He chuckled and decided not to push the topic any further, ncing at his watch. ¡°There¡¯ll be an


    opening for a position with an attractive sry package. The only downside is that you will have to


    make business trips. I can talk with the higher-ups and make some arrangements for you if you¡¯re


    interested.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t go on business trips. Summer gets scared when she¡¯s home alone.¡± I refused, shaking my


    head.


    ¡°I knew you¡¯d say that.¡± Colin wiped at his forehead and grinned. ¡°There are not many business trips to


    attend to. Besides, you will receive two paychecks¡ªanother one as a receptionist. After all, R Province


    is a small city. There wouldn¡¯t be many business trips or reception. So, thepany believes that they


    could get one person to take up two roles.¡±


    I blinked owlishly. The offer did sound tempting. ¡°How much is the pay?¡±


    ¡°Eight thousand!¡± He paused briefly, then said, ¡°You¡¯re a graduate of a well-known university. Being a


    janitor is a waste of your talents. Plus, living costs are going to increase as Summer grows up, and


    your current sry isn¡¯t going to cut it.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t wrong. The expenses and cost of buying a house after leaving J City had left me with little


    savings.


    Summer was already five years old, and most kids started developing hobbies and interests at her age.


    I was considering signing her up for an art ss just a few days ago.


    I thought the idea over, looking up at Colin. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°I promise!¡± He nodded.


    ¡°Then, could you please make the arrangements for me? Thank you!¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± he promised. ¡°Just a thank you won¡¯t suffice, though. You¡¯ll have to treat me to dinner


    someday.¡±


    ¡°No problem!¡±


    The gates to the kindergarten swung open, and the teachers brought students out ss by ss.


    Summer and Michael were in the same ss. Bright smiles were stered on their faces as soon as


    they spotted us.


    ¡°Mommy!¡± Summer squealed, looking up at her teacher. ¡°Ms. Nikki, Michael¡¯s and my parents are here!


    We¡¯re leaving now, bye-bye!¡±


    The sentence barely left her mouth before she grabbed ahold of Michael and took off dashing towards


    us.


    Hugging my legs, Summer pleaded cutely, ¡°Mommy, I invited Michael to eat with us today because we


    both think your cooking is yummy.¡±


    Then she leaned in close to my ear and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t embarrass me, okay?¡±


    Iughed awkwardly, turning to the young boy. ¡°Would you like to eat at our ce tonight, Michael?¡±

 Chapter 416

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 416


    Michael was an introvert. He gripped his father¡¯s hand tightly as he stared at Summer and nodded.


    ¡°Mhm. Thank you, Ms. Stovall!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, then!¡±


    At home, Summer and Michael busied themselves with picking produce in the backyard while Colin left


    to purchase fish.


    Meanwhile, I started washing vegetables in the kitchen.


    For the past four years, I had made a habit of personally cooking for Summer so as to ensure she had


    a bnced diet. As a result, my cooking skills had improved greatly.


    After I¡¯d washed the vegetables, the two kids came stumbling into the kitchen, each carrying a small


    basket.


    Michael¡¯s basket was filled to the brim¡ªsome of the vegetables inside threatening to spill over.


    Summer¡¯s basket only had several misceneous vegetables. It looked like she had been walking


    behind Michael and carefully picking up anything that had actually fallen out of his basket.


    ¡°We¡¯re back, Mommy!¡± Summer proudly held her basket high up in the air, her face streaked with dirt.


    I took the basket from Michael, hurriedly wiping away the sweat on his face. ¡°You should share some


    with Summer next time. It¡¯s too heavy for you to carry yourself!¡±


    The boy grinned, his eyes soft and full of affection as he looked at Summer. ¡°She¡¯s too small to carry


    this!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Mommy! I asked Michael to help me carry these because I¡¯m not strong enough!¡±


    Summer giggled. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she had learned this shamelessness from Jackson.


    Furrowing my eyebrows, I scolded, ¡°If you bully Michael like this again, I¡¯ll make you water all the


    vegetables in the backyard by yourself.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. I won¡¯t be by myself, anyway.¡± She pouted.


    This little¡­


    Michael had always rushed to help her whenever she was receiving punishment. It would seem that


    she had gotten used to hispany, and there was nothing I could do about it.


    Colin came back, having bought some carp fish and shrimp.


    Summer picked up one of the shrimp and started chasing poor Michael around with it in the yard.


    Taking the basket of produce from me, Colin said, ¡°I¡¯ll wash these. The fish have been cleaned, so you


    can cook them straight away.¡±


    I nodded.


    Soon, the two kids smelled the food and gathered around the stove, staring up at me as their stomachs


    grumbled.


    ¡°Go and set the table, you little wolves!¡± Colin ordered them, putting down the clean vegetables next to


    me.


    Just like I¡¯d expected, Michael went off to take out the tes and utensils while Summer didn¡¯t budge


    an inch.


    Colinughed, picking her up in his arms and setting her aside. ¡°Be a good girl and take the fruits by


    the sink and ce them on the dinner table. We¡¯ll start eating soon, I promise.¡±


    She nodded, whining in my direction, ¡°Hurry up, Mommy! I¡¯m hungry!¡±


    Nodding, I ted up the dishes and Colin served them up.


    A giggle escaped me when I spotted the kids were already waiting eagerly in their seats. ¡°You guys go


    ahead. My vegetable stew¡¯s not done yet.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll wait for you, Mommy!¡± Summer suggested, grinning in anticipation at me even though she was


    starving.


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    After dinner, Colin and Michael washed the dishes while Summer and I went to the yard to pick some


    fruits.


    I had scattered lots of watermelon seeds in the gardenst spring and bought several peach trees


    when I first moved to R Province. Now, the yard would bless us with an abundance of fresh fruits every


    year at the height of summer.


    A basket in one arm, Summer picked up some peaches from the ground, asking, ¡°Mommy, do you like


    Mr. Johnson?¡±


    I cracked up withughter, pinching her tiny nose. ¡°What are you trying to say, sweetheart?¡±


    She held her chin, deep in thought. ¡°I was thinking if you could make Mr. Johnson my Daddy.¡±


    ¡°Do you want a Daddy that badly?¡± I did a double-take.


    Summer tilted her head, scrunching her face up in contemtion before solemnly saying, ¡°Not really.


    But, I like Michael. If you got married to Mr. Johnson, then I can get married to Michael too.¡±


    ¡°You can still get married to Michael without Mr. Johnson marrying your Mommy!¡± A deep, loud voice


    called out from behind us.


    The both of us whipped around in surprise. Summer gasped and ran as fast as her short legs could


    take her. ¡°Mr. Jackson!¡±


    His arms opened wide for Summer to run into them, which she happily did. ¡°If you really want a father,


    why don¡¯t you call me Daddy, Summer?¡± he suggested.


    She was quiet for a moment before replying, ¡°But my friend said that a Daddy is someone who sleeps


    on the same bed as Mommy.¡±


    She¡­


    Jackson pursed his lips, ncing over at me. ¡°Your daughter knows too much.¡±


    Guffawing, I held the basket in one arm and a watermelon in another as I walked towards him. ¡°Why


    are you here? Didn¡¯t you say that you were busy?¡±


    He let go of Summer, taking the basket and watermelon from me. ¡°I figured that the fruits in your


    garden would be ripe by now, so I n on staying over for the next few days to eat some. Is that okay?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    Jackson had opened up a counseling clinic in J City, and things were going swimmingly for him these


    past few years.


    He hade to visit us quite frequently when we first moved to R Province. However, those visits were


    reduced to only once per year due to how busy he was getting.


    The sky was dark after we had fruits for dessert, and Summer insisted on going out to take a walk.


    Not having much else to do, everyone subsequently tagged along and headed out.

 Chapter 417

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 417


    Both sides of the street were lined with rose bushes that were always in full bloom during this time of


    the year. Summer liked ying here, and she liked dragging Colin and Michael along here with her as


    well.


    Every time she came here, she would ask for an ice cream cone, and Colin would buy one for her.


    Colin exited a shop, handing one ice cream cone each to Summer and Michael before giving me one


    as well.


    I chuckled. He¡¯s treating me like a child.


    Summer carefully licked at her cone, lifting her head up to look at Colin. ¡°Mr. Johnson, why do you


    always buy ice cream for Mommy too? Mommy says that only kids eat ice cream, and adults don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Your Mommy is a kid, just like you,¡± joked Colin.


    Summer nced at Jackson in confusion, going on to ask, ¡°Mr. Jackson is the same age as Mommy,


    so does that mean he¡¯s a kid? Why didn¡¯t you buy ice cream for Mr. Jackson?¡±


    Jackson nearly spat his water out. ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m a manly man. I¡¯m not a kid, so I don¡¯t eat these


    kinds of things. Your Mommy and I are different¡ªno matter how old your Mommy gets, she will always


    be a child.¡±


    Summer nodded, although it didn¡¯t look like she understood a single thing he¡¯d said.


    As the sky grew darker and darker, the streetmps suddenly lit up. I couldn¡¯t help but gasp at the


    sight. Nick and I had walked through a street that looked simr to this one in the past.


    That street had also been filled with rose bushes, but this one didn¡¯t have a night market, nor a


    barbecue stand.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Jackson nudged me, jolting me from my daze.


    I realized that Summer and Michael had already run off a good distance away. Colin was following


    closely behind them.


    I shook my head slowly in response to Jackson¡¯s question.


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    His eyes darted between Colin and me, raising an eyebrow. ¡°He¡¯s quite alright¡ªpersonality-wise and


    looks-wise. Other than being a little older, he¡¯d be a good choice.¡±


    His suddenment took me aback, and I furrowed my eyebrows as I turned to him. ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Trying to find you a good partner!¡± He shrugged.


    ¡°I take it you¡¯re not so busy with work after all,¡± I teased.


    He sighed, saying casually, ¡°I just think he¡¯s a good guy. He treats you well and has been helping to


    look after Summer these past few years. Besides, you¡¯re thirty years old. Now that you¡¯ve moved on,


    you should start rebuilding your life and find someone so that you¡¯ll feel less lonely when Summer


    grows up.¡±


    I rolled my eyes and decided to ignore him, heading towards the kids.


    ¡°Don¡¯t roll your eyes at me. I¡¯m being serious!¡± Jackson chased after me, ranting on, ¡°Ashton is already


    nning on getting engaged. You should really start to think about your own future as well.¡±


    A chill ran down my spine, and I stiffened for the briefest moment. Taking a few seconds to process the


    new information, I nced back at Jackson. ¡°Engaged?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°With Reba. She is his responsibility, after all. Even if there¡¯s no love between them, he


    has to take responsibility for her, so getting married isn¡¯t that big of a deal. You, on the other hand,


    should honestly consider Colin.¡±


    I sighed, walking away. The night had turned darker than Ist remembered.


    That¡¯s right.


    It¡¯s been four years. Ashton starting to live his own life shouldn¡¯t havee as a surprise.


    We were now strangers to each other. I should be wishing him well.


    Quietly finishing my ice cream under the dim glow of the streetmps, I suddenly felt like this street


    resembled my life¡¯s journey.


    Summer was sound asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow at home. Colin had brought Michael


    home as well, and Jackson stayed up chatting with me for a while longer before retreating to his guest


    room.


    In my bedroom, I hugged my hurting stomach for a long time, unable to move from the pain. Even after


    four years, I would still suffer from horrible cramps every time I got my period.


    And to top it all off, I had also eaten ice cream today.


    I¡¯d thought that I could sleep off the pain, just like I used to, but I didn¡¯t expect to lose consciousness in


    the middle of the night.


    When I came to, I was at the hospital. Jackson¡¯s arms were crossed as he red at me. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me


    you didn¡¯t know you¡¯re not supposed to eat ice cream while on your period.¡±


    I sighed weakly, licking my dry lips. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡±


    He huffed, his eyes slightly swollen and red. ¡°Summer was so scared that she burst into tears and


    refused to leave your side. I was in the next room. You could have called me or shouted out. Why did


    you endure the pain by yourself? Since when you started not telling others whenever you¡¯re hurting?¡±


    He has a point.


    Since when had I started to keep all my pain to myself?


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry about me,¡± I chuckled lightly, shaking my head.


    Sensing that I wasn¡¯t taking any of his words to heart, Jackson stormed out of the hospital ward, clearly


    pissed off.


    Colin helped me with some of the hospitalization procedures, looking apologetic as he turned to me.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I should have noticed sooner!¡±


    ¡°I was craving a sweet treat, so it wasn¡¯t your fault,¡± I reassured him. ¡°Has Michael already gone off to


    school?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and so has Summer. Though, she¡¯s still very worried about you. I¡¯ll make a trip to the schoolter


    and tell her that you¡¯re doing better.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Summer and I were co-dependent on each other. I couldn¡¯t leave her, and she couldn¡¯t


    leave me.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± He smiled like he wasn¡¯t sure what to do with me. ¡°You need to rest here for two


    days while I handle things at the hotel. You can pause your janitorial job for a while and focus on your


    new job. Hopefully, that¡¯ll take some of the burdens off of your shoulders.¡±

 Chapter 418

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 418


    Afraid that Colin would think I was a broken record if I thanked him again, I justughed self-


    consciously. ¡°I¡¯ll leave that to you.¡±


    He set the hospitalization form down on the bedside table, sighing. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t try to shoulder


    everything yourself.¡±


    I pursed my lips.


    As it turned out, I was not in a serious condition. Jackson stayed apanying me. There was


    someone to take care of Summer, and Colin would visit me sometimes.


    I had been busy with work and taking care of Summer every day for the past four years. It felt strange


    to have a few days of free time with nothing to handle or manage.


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Jackson looked at me as we were packing my things before getting discharged from the hospital. ¡°The


    doctor says that you developed this illness as a result of giving birth. You better take good care of


    yourself from now on. You¡¯re only thirty years old, so don¡¯t end up looking like a hag by the time you


    turn forty.¡±


    I hummed, changing the topic. ¡°Summer wants to eat fried chicken. Let¡¯s drop by the supermarket on


    the way home.¡±


    He rolled his eyes and shrugged. ¡°Of course. That¡¯s your top priority.¡±


    I picked up my stuff and headed downstairs without another word.


    Colin had kindly offered to drive us and was already waiting for us in the parking lot. I didn¡¯t have a


    good reason to refuse him, so I got in his car.


    After buying chicken at the supermarket and sending Jackson and me home, he went back out to pick


    Summer and Michael up from school.


    My days returned to their ordinary, mundane routine. I recalled how I used to dream about if, by some


    miracle, I could spend the rest of my life with Ashton.


    Perhaps I was a more family-focused person. My ideal life was to take care of my children, learn new


    recipes, and make sure that my children and husband were healthy and happy.


    But life doesn¡¯t always work out the way you want it to. I had let go of many things in the past four


    years. Yet, I always found myself thinking that maybe Ashton had his own grievances. Maybe he had


    his reasons for lying to me and hurting me.


    Because I loved him too much, my hatred and anger towards him were poisoned with love. As time


    passed, those opposing emotions canceled each other out and dissolved into nothing. No matter what


    happened, we were now two separate people leading two separate lives.


    Colin worked efficiently to secure me a spot in the office, but it was hard for me to get used to having a


    job that gave me so much free time.


    As a result of that free time, I distracted myself by listening to some gossip and rumors that were going


    around the office. Apparently, someone in the hotel hadmitted suicide by jumping off a building


    because they were facing rtionship troubles.


    Some people in the office debated over the issue.


    ¡°I heard that the girl¡¯s parents are ministers from K City. I know that our hotel had no part in her death,


    but it still happened on our hotel grounds. I have a bad feeling about this.¡±


    ¡°I know, right? We had put so much effort into helping the hotel recover, but now, it looks like we¡¯ll have


    to look for new jobs again.¡±


    ¡°Ugh. I also heard that our parentpany is super well-off and doesn¡¯t care about the profits our


    small hotel is making. Those snobbish higher-ups probably don¡¯t want to waste money on handling the


    situation. In fact, they might just shut down the hotel.¡±


    ¡°That means, we¡¯re going to be unemployed¡­ To think that I went through so much trouble to


    work here¡ªwhere the pay is actually good and the environment is alright. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m losing my


    job because of this.¡±


    Some of the hotel receptionists stood near me and chatted as I subtly listened in on their conversation.


    They did have a point. R Province was a small city without anyrge corporations. Instead, it only had


    some factories and smallerpanies.


    This holiday hotel was already consideredrgepared to the other hotels in the city, with a better


    sry and working environment. If it shut down, I would have to look for a new job all over again.


    It would be hard to find a job that paid even three thousand monthly. I couldn¡¯t help but sigh internally. It


    was just my luck that this would happen right before I was about to get this month¡¯s paycheck.


    Colin walked in, furrowing his eyebrows as his stare swept over the gaggle of receptionists. ¡°If you


    have time to stand around moping, I¡¯d rather you use that time to think about the work you have done.¡±


    The young women jumped, instantly scattering.


    Colin headed towards me, noticing that I was staring nkly at myputer screen. ¡°What are you


    doing? It¡¯s nearly time to get off of work. Do you want to go pick up Summer and Michael together?¡±


    I nodded on reflex before remembering the work I still had left. I frantically shook my head. ¡°Please help


    me pick Summer up. I haven¡¯t finished my tasks yet.¡±


    ncing at myputer screen that disyed an iplete table, heughed and walked away


    without another word.


    The group of receptionists from before started whispering among themselves as soon as he stepped


    out the door, turning their focus to me.


    Joyce stared me down with disdain. ¡°Hey, Scarlett. How did you turn from a janitor into one of the most


    laidback workers at this hotel in charge of two positions overnight? What¡¯s your secret?¡±


    Her tone sounded weirdly sharp and icy as she spoke. Someone else, adding fuel to the fire, chimed in,


    ¡°Tell us, Scarlett. You seem so much prettier and wiser with experiencepared to us. I¡¯m sure you


    know some tips for sweet-talking people.¡±


    Joyce scoffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder. ¡°Sweet-talk? More like sleeping around! I heard that


    women turn into hungry cougars when they be thirty years old, and it looks like Mr. Johnson


    couldn¡¯t escape this old witch¡¯s clutches either! Her method of using sex to benefit herself is much


    more convenientpared to our way of working hard day by day to get to where we are now!¡±


    I looked up at them as they continuously spat out terms like ¡°old witch¡± and ¡°sleeping around.¡±

 Chapter 419

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 419


    Immense envy for youth surged through me. The leniency that came with being a juvenile meant Joyce


    could speak without reservation andsh out at people as she pleased.


    My gaze settled on the ss of water on the table. I stood up and approached her. There was no anger


    in my voice, but a cold indifference seeped through my words. ¡°Indeed, I¡¯m thirty now. That¡¯s four to five


    years older than you. I wonder what I was up to when I was your age.¡±


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    Quirking an eyebrow, I continued, ¡°I was a newlywed at that time, and my career had just taken off. The


    work culture back then was a lot moreplicated than what you¡¯re experiencing now. I, too, had my


    fair share of interactions with some older girls at my workce. They were all my superiors, but I


    focused on working hard to reach their status instead of sabotaging them.¡±


    ¡°Witnessing your insolent behavior gave me an epiphany¡ªthat good upbringing is crucial. My parents


    taught me to look up to those who are better than me and follow in their footsteps, not defame them.


    Ms. Newton, your upbringing sure is¡­ Disappointing.¡±


    Objectively, these were not harsh words, but it was a different story altogether since I involved her


    family and character.


    Joyce was still young and easily incensed. Fuming, she raised a hand to p me.


    I was not a naivedy in her twenties. In one swift motion, I intercepted her swinging arm, picked up the


    ss of water, and mercilessly threw the water in her face.


    ¡°Ms. Newton, you¡¯ll get your tongue severed if you don¡¯t watch it well. Remember to choose your words


    wisely the next time you decide to run your mouth.¡± I was in no mood to finish the forms and promptly


    left the office.


    An enraged shriek pierced the air. ¡°Scarlett, you vile woman! Just you wait and see!¡±


    I could hear her having a mental breakdown behind me, but I paid her no heed and returned home.


    Colin had brought Summer back. The young girl had been acting as my shadowtely, trailing behind


    me wherever I went. Perhaps my bout of illness had worried her, so she took to following me around for


    fear that something would happen to me.


    Halfway through our meal, Colin suddenly looked at me and said, ¡°A developer from K City will be


    checking in at the hotel tomorrow. You may need to entertain him on my behalf and n an itinerary for


    his stay at R Province, which willst for a few days. The higher-ups decided that it would be best for


    him to take over the hotel after the incident.¡±


    I paused momentarily before voicing my confusion. ¡°Why is a developer taking over a hotel business?¡±


    Colin smiled wryly. ¡°Thend around the hotel is undeveloped. As you rightly suspected, these


    developers have no interest in the hotel itself. Instead, they have ns to start up new projects near


    the hotel. R Province has been doing well in the past two years. Paired with the fact that we have


    beautiful scenery and a good number of foreign visitors, it would only take a couple of years to develop


    R Province into a tourist destination.¡±


    His reasoning made sense. R Province was not huge, but it had picturesque scenery. Every year


    during spring, the daffodils surrounding the city would be in full bloom, making it appear as if the


    nondescript city were floating on a sea of yellow.


    There were also numerous natural waterfalls and minorities living at the edge of the province. Recent


    trends showed that more and more people from busy, bumbling cities wished to live in a tranquil


    environment after retirement. R Province, with its peaceful surroundings, would be an ideal spot.


    ¡°What time will he arrive?¡± I inquired as I piled Summer and Michael¡¯s tes with vegetables. The two


    children had identical preferences for food¡ªboth being meat-eaters with a strong aversion to greens.


    Their picky appetite warranted force-feeding to ensure that they get their nutrients.


    Colin finished his food and set his utensils down. ¡°Around noon. Make sure to dress professionally.¡±


    I nodded in understanding. While I had never been a hostess, I had been on the receiving end a few


    times before, back when I held a high position in Fuller Corporation.


    I had a good idea of how things worked.


    The following day, I donned the clothes I brought with me from J City. I intentionally selected the outfit


    with hopes that I would appear presentable when I greeted the esteemed visitor. I barely bought any


    clothes in thest few years I lived in R province, and on the off chance that I did, the clothes were


    cheap items from night markets. It had been long since Ist wore branded clothing, let alone


    customized outfits.


    The outfit I had on was a customized piece by a renowned Italian designer, courtesy of Ashton. A


    plethora of simr clothing hung in my wardrobe. Back then, I was carrying Summer and had thrown on


    this formal attire for convenience when I left.


    After arriving at R Province, the outfit had been shoved in a box, never to see the light for years. The


    attire that was worth tens of thousands now smelled vaguely of mold, but its exceptional workmanship


    shone through. Even years of neglect could not dim its excellent quality.


    I stood waiting at the entrance of the hotel.


    Coincidentally, Joyce was the receptionist on duty for today. When she glimpsed my luxurious attire,


    she could not help but make a sarcastic remark.


    ¡°Is seducing the manager not enough? Are you targeting the developer now? You¡¯re a mere sparrow


    hoping to be a phoenix. Do you have no shame at all?¡±


    Taking into ount that we were in public, I refrained frommenting and gave Joyce the side-eye.


    Our rtionship had grown tense after the dispute the day before.


    It was known to all that she had a beef with me.


    A ck Mercedes-Benz pulled up at the entrance. It might very well be the best vehicle in R Province.


    Upon noticing the developer¡¯s arrival, Joyce averted her eyes and stered a cordial smile on her face


    as she took her post near the door.


    The hotel staff gathered at the entrance and stood in a line to wee the distinguished guest.

 Chapter 420

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 420


    I walked toward the car and bent down to open the door.


    However, I was interrupted before my hand made contact with the cool metal.


    ¡°Please, allow me!¡±


    The man¡¯s low, clear voice was familiar to me.


    I reflexively lifted my eyes. A wave of astonishment washed over me as recognition clicked in my head.


    I realized in a split second that the developer in question was none other than Ashton.


    Joseph appeared to be taken aback too. He flinched when he met my gaze before withdrawing his


    hand. He backed away and gestured toward the car. ¡°Please.¡±


    I went rigid. It would be a lie to say that I was unruffled, but the shock onlysted for a brief moment.


    I quickly regained myposure and opened the car door with deference.


    A pair of polished leather shoes appeared, followed by the man¡¯s slender physique. He stood tall, his


    gaze shrewd but indifferent.


    He red frostily at Joseph, his imposing voice brimming with displeasure as he spoke, ¡°Joseph,


    you¡­¡± He faltered midsentence. His hands, which were straightening his suit moments ago, froze in


    midair as if someone had cast a spell on him.


    His sudden silence garnered the attention of everyone present, and they peered over with curiosity.


    I frowned, loathing the unsolicited spotlight.


    It took a while for him to collect himself. The hotel staff began to fidget uneasily, suspecting that they


    had butchered the wee somehow.


    Joseph knew him best. When he noticed the depth of Ashton¡¯s gaze on me, he cleared his throat and


    broke the awkward silence. ¡°Mr. Fuller, let¡¯s head into the hotel to get some rest!¡±


    Perhaps it was a hallucination, but I could sense his body quivering ever so slightly¡ªwhether it was


    due to excitement or ire would be a mystery.


    After a long standstill, he tore his eyes away from me and wordlessly entered the hotel, escorted by a


    swarm of people.


    He exuded a unique aura that made him stand out no matter where he went.


    I watched his broad back and sighed. This is a reunion of sorts, but we are nothing more than


    strangers. The bitter irony was not lost on me.


    The throng of people that surrounded him was so thick that I barely managed to squeeze past them to


    press the elevator button¡ªa feat that would have been impossible had it not been my status as the


    hostess.


    I was not paying attention to where I was going and tripped on someone¡¯s feet. I lost my bnce and


    fell face-forward to the ground.


    My knees hit the ground with a thud, and the pain shot up my thighs, spreading through my whole


    body. A hiss of agony escaped my lips.


    In any other situation, my embarrassing predicament would have blown over quickly. After all, it was


    understandable that one would fall over in such a hectic environment.


    However, I never expected Ashton to stop in his tracks and approach me. He pulled me to my feet


    without hesitation.


    Time had been good to him. He had grown even more handsome in the past four years. ¡°Are you


    hurt?¡±


    I shook my head and found my footing. Retracting my hand from his grip, I gave him a faint smile. ¡°I¡¯m


    fine!¡±


    Faking a tough exterior, I endured the pain in silence as I staggered to the elevator.


    Colin introduced me to Ashton once we stepped into the elevator. ¡°Mr. Fuller, this is Ms. Stovall,


    otherwise known as Scarlett. She is in charge of reception at the hotel and will be arranging your


    itinerary for the next few days. Please feel free to approach her if you have any inquires.¡±


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Ashton¡¯s eyes riveted on me as he replied impassively, ¡°Alright.¡±


    I would have believed his calm facade had I not noticed the tremble in his hand, which was shoved in


    his pocket. The movement was so imperceptible that it almost escaped my notice, but it was hard to


    miss when I had my head down the whole time.


    Colin swiped the key card to the room and left to attend to other matters. Joseph looked at me and


    spluttered, ¡°Mrs. Fu¡ª Ms. Stovall, you can go over Mr. Fuller¡¯s schedule with him. I have some tasks to


    do!¡±


    I pursed my lips. Under normal circumstances, shouldn¡¯t I be arranging Ashton¡¯s schedule with


    Joseph? So why am I going over it with Ashton himself?


    Joseph scuttled away, leaving the two of us in the room. Ashton reclined on the sofa, looking weary


    and worn out.


    Work was work, and I had my responsibility to fulfill. The silence stretched on, but Ashton seemed


    reluctant to talk. I figured he was tired and did not want to discuss work at the moment.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, you must have had a long day. Why don¡¯t you rest for now? I can go over your schedule


    with your assistantter,¡± I suggested.


    After saying my piece, I turned to leave.


    His sonorous voice sounded behind me. ¡°We¡¯ve already met, so why are you still trying to avoid me?¡±


    Stunned by his candor, I came to a halt. I turned to look at him and replied serenely, ¡°You¡¯re reading too


    much into it, Mr. Fuller. You¡¯re our guest, so it is customary to let you get some rest before discussing


    work.¡±


    His obsidian eyes bore into me,plex emotions lurking in the depths. Curving my lips in a smile, I


    continued, ¡°Please rest well, Mr. Fuller. Should you have any problems, feel free to approach me during


    my working hours.¡±


    With that, I left the room. I was not escaping him, truly.


    I knew since the day I left J City that our paths would cross sooner orter. I had epted the


    inevitable and braced myself for this day.


    Everyone carried their own baggage. There was no reason why I should be weighed down by mine.


    My knees were throbbing in pain when I got back to my office. I pulled up the hem of my cks to


    reveal a huge bruise that looked rather swollen.


    ¡°It¡¯s such a rarity to see you so elegant and poised, and yet you¡¯ve injured yourself. Don¡¯t wear heels in


    the future,¡± Colin chastised as he entered the office, not bothering to conceal his concern for me.

 Chapter 421

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 421


    The rest of the staff filed into the office. They caught sight of Colin passing an ointment to me but


    ignored us promptly.


    Since it wasn¡¯t a serious injury, I shooed Colin away. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Go and do your work!¡±


    Thinning his lips, he nced at me, then at the female employees who were staring in our direction


    beforeplying.


    Just then, Joyce returned to the office as her shift had ended. When she noticed the medical ster on


    my knee, she mocked, ¡°The sight of a wealthy and influential person must have weakened the knees of


    an uneducated peasant like you. Such a disgrace!¡±


    I pressed my lips together but did not retaliate. Although I was in a rush just now, I knew the true


    reason I had tripped.


    I knew everyone working in the hotel, and there had only been a few people around me at that time. It


    made sense that Joyce, who had been standing closest to me, was the culprit behind my injury.


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    After tending to my bruised knee, I walked to the water dispenser and filled a cup with boiling water.


    I neared Joyce and asked coolly, ¡°Your face or hand ¡ª what¡¯s your choice?¡±


    Her face turned a ghastly white when she noticed the hot water in the cup. ¡°Scarlett, what are you


    trying to do? I¡¯m warning you. My father is the county mayor of R Province. If you darey a finger on


    me, I¡¯ll make sure you regret it for the rest of your life.¡±


    I nodded nonchntly, unfazed by her threats. ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll just wait and see!¡±


    Before she could react, I seized her arm and poured scalding water on her porcin skin. She


    screamed in agony, but I kept my grip on her and emptied the cup.


    As she thrashed around in pain, I said emotionlessly, ¡°Ms. Newton, please n your schemes better


    next time. I will let you off easy this time, but I fear your pretty face will have to bear the consequences


    if this happens again.¡±


    ¡°You¡ª¡±


    I cut her off as a thought struck me. ¡°By the way, since you im that your father is such an important


    official, it might be good for him to retire now. After all, R Province never flourished under his


    management despite its advantageous environment. Our economy has been stagnant for the entire


    time he was in office. It¡¯s about time he stepped down.¡±


    With those parting words, I took the ointment and left the office.


    By the time I reached the ground floor, Colin had pulled up at the entrance. ¡°Get in!¡± he beckoned.


    I raised an eyebrow and was prepared to reject his offer when I remembered my limping gait.


    Resigned, I slid into the car and put on my seatbelt.


    His gaze swept over me. ¡°I¡¯ll drop by the pharmacy to buy medicine before sending you home,¡± he


    announced.


    I looked down at my ankle, which had almost doubled in size by now, and did not protest.


    ¡°You and Ashton know each other?¡± Colin blurted after we had long since left the hotel.


    I froze before chuckling humorlessly. ¡°Do I look like someone who has connections with the filthy rich?¡±


    He pursed his lips and contemted solemnly. ¡°Yes!¡± There was apse before he continued, ¡°He was


    staring at you the whole time just now. It looks like things areplicated between you two.¡±


    Smiling, I didn¡¯t admit nor deny his spection.


    By the time I reached home, I had given up battling my swollen ankle and slumped unceremoniously in


    a rattan chair.


    Unexpectedly, I fell into a slumber, only to be awoken by a loud knock on the door.


    Streaks of tears wetted my face.


    It had been a long time since Ist cried or dreamt of that child. He had grown up well. He looked


    healthy and was heavier than I remember.


    The incessant knocks on the door urged me to hurry up. I wiped away my tears and sshed some


    water on my face to wake myself up.


    I swung the door open.


    To my surprise, Ashton appeared in my line of sight. Backlit by the sun, a golden halo surrounded his


    lean frame. His expression was somber, and his dark eyes were deep as ever. His Adam¡¯s apple


    bobbed when he saw me, giving away the churning emotions within him.


    Arge hand grasped mine before I could utter a word. ¡°I can¡¯t do it. I can¡¯t act like I don¡¯t know you.


    I¡¯ve tried to let you go for thest four years, but you¡¯re stuck in my head. I can¡¯t forget you,¡± he


    admitted.


    He has changed!


    He¡¯s not the same anymore. The Ashton I knew would never say anything so corny.


    I sighed softly and withdrew my hand. ¡°Mr. Fuller, pleasee in for a seat,¡± I offered, my tone


    courteous but distant.


    I suppose I wasn¡¯t too astounded. This encounter was not filled with heartache and yearning as I had


    imagined. Four years was enough to heal a lot of wounds.


    Even my resentment for him had faded into nothing.


    He stepped into the yard and sat on the rattan chair. I offered some fruit I had picked the day before as


    I would any guest. A smile stretched across my face, but my tone was detached. ¡°This is home-grown.


    The texture is lovely if I do say so myself. Please have a taste.¡±


    He stared at me, his gaze deep and unwavering. After a long moment, he nodded and took a small bite


    of the peach.


    He savored the fruit before looking at me. ¡°It¡¯s sweet,¡± was his earnestpliment.


    I nodded in response. Four years had stolen my love for chatter.


    At that moment, Colin came home with Summer and Michael. He faltered when he saw the man in our


    yard. However, as a man of culture, he quicklyposed himself and bowed his head in greeting.


    ¡°Good evening, Mr. Fuller!¡±


    Realizing that Ashton had no recollection of Colin, I interjected, ¡°He¡¯s the hotel manager.¡±

 Chapter 422

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 422


    My prompt registered immediately. Ashton stood up and proffered a hand, suave and refined. However,


    his gaze lingered on Summer and Michael when he noticed them.


    Michael seemed to be ate bloomer, at least inparison to Summer. Both of them were five years


    old, but Michael appeared a year younger.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Ashton¡¯s expression darkened, but I waved it off. ¡°What would you like to eat?¡± I directed my question


    to the children.


    Summer seemed to be in a foul mood. While her eyes were still on Ashton, she replied, ¡°Anything you


    make is fine, Mommy.¡±


    Michael caught sight of my injured ankle and suggested, ¡°Let Daddy cook for us tonight.¡±


    This was nothing out of the norm, but Michael¡¯s words were piercing to Ashton¡¯s ears.


    I offered no rification. Instead, I looked at Colin and teased lightly, ¡°Looks like it¡¯s your turn to show


    off your cooking skills tonight.¡±


    Colin could be rather tactless at times, and his ability to read the room was failing him at the moment.


    Though he was taken aback by Ashton¡¯s presence, he invited graciously, ¡°Mr. Fuller, please stay for


    dinner with us. We cook with homegrown produce. You should try some.¡±


    Ashton masked his emotions and nodded, his eyes dark and unfathomable.


    I nced at the children and instructed them as usual, ¡°Both of you pick some vegetables from the


    back garden. Summer, don¡¯t bully Michael, understand?¡±


    Summer pouted but nodded obediently. ¡°You¡¯re so unfair, Mommy. You always help Michael.¡±


    Amused by her childish usation, I exined, ¡°Michael is already shorter than you. If you continue to


    bully him, he¡¯ll never grow taller!¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, I won¡¯t bully him!¡± Summer picked up both baskets and told Michael indignantly, ¡°Mommy


    says that I can¡¯t bully you, so I¡¯ll help you carry your basket, okay?¡±


    Michael, the small gentleman he was, corrected Summer, ¡°Daddy says that I¡¯m a strong man, and


    strong men should protect girls. You¡¯re not bullying me. I¡¯m protecting you!¡±


    The two children walked toward the back garden, bickering all the way.


    I shook my head in resignation, but my lips curled upwards involuntarily. I had always worried that


    Summer would feel lonely, but seeing how Summer and Michael were closer than biological siblings


    put me at ease.


    As I retracted my gaze, I felt someone¡¯s eyes on me, snapping me back to reality. I turned to find


    Ashton burning holes in me with his scorching stare. A myriad of emotions shed in his dark eyes.


    Stunned by the intensity of his gaze, I blurted, ¡°Please make yourself at home while I check if my help


    is needed in the kitchen.¡±


    Long fingers wrapped around my wrist, pulling me back. His voice seemed to rumble in his chest as he


    asked, ¡°Have you been well all these years?¡±


    My heart skipped a beat at the simple question. I met his gaze and replied with conviction, ¡°I¡¯ve been


    good. These four years have been the most peaceful years of my life.¡±


    Pain flickered in his eyes as he chuckled ruefully. ¡°Yeah, you do look happy.¡±


    I nodded slightly. ¡°Make yourself at home while I help out in the kitchen,¡± I repeated as the conversation


    ran dry.


    ¡°Can we be friends?¡± Ashton asked timidly, his voice helpless and distant. ¡°I¡¯ve tried numerous ways to


    numb out in the past four years, but my mind has been cruel to me. The more I try to forget, the clearer


    the memories be. It¡¯s all engraved in my brain. It¡¯s impossible to erase.¡±


    I heaved a sigh, wishing I had the right words to console him. I turned to look Ashton in the eye. ¡°Mr.


    Fuller, you¡¯ll have to move on someday. I¡¯m doing great here. Staying by your side only filled me with


    hate and resentment. It would break me. Perhaps it might have seemed like I had plenty of friends and


    family in J City and K City, but I was dying inside. There¡¯s no way I cane to terms with my


    suffering. R Province is my home. Here, I can be the person I aspire to be. I hope you understand my


    choice, Mr. Fuller.¡±


    Ashton held my gaze. His eyes were gentle yet pained, reflecting the conflicting emotions within. A loud


    silence fell upon us. Seconds ticked by before he finally spoke. ¡°Fine!¡± The weight of a single syble


    pressed down on both of us.


    He left soon afterward. I exhaled heavily as I watched his retreating back. Everyone¡¯s biggest enemy is


    themselves.


    I entered the kitchen to find Colin preparing the ingredients. He stilled when he saw me. ¡°I can handle


    this myself. Go and keep Mr. Fullerpany.¡±


    ¡°I can wash the vegetables,¡± I insisted.


    He quickly declined when he glimpsed my ankle. ¡°It looks swollen again. Go and rest!¡±


    Colin could be stubborn at times. Realizing that I wasn¡¯t going to change his mind, I surrendered and


    returned to the yard where I found Joseph waiting for me, expressionless as always. His back was stiff,


    and his eyes followed me as I approached him.


    ¡°Mr. Campbell, is there something I can help you with?¡±


    He handed me a stic bag and exined, ¡°Mr. Fuller told me to pass this to you. It¡¯s medicine for your


    injury.¡±


    ¡°Please ry my thanks!¡± I epted the stic bag with a nod.


    Joseph mirrored my action. He thinned his lips before divulging, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, Mr. Fuller has been


    waiting for you. He knows well that he could have easily found you in the past four years if he wished


    to, but he¡¯s afraid. He¡¯s afraid that you still hate him and that you would push him away. So he¡¯s been


    patiently waiting¡ªwaiting for you to let go of the pain¡­ Waiting for you toe home.¡±


    A faint smile yed on my lips. Though heartfelt, Joseph¡¯s words did little to sway me. ¡°Help me thank


    Mr. Fuller,¡± I responded. ¡°Please tell him that each person has their own path to take. There¡¯s no need


    to stay entangled in the past.¡±


    Joseph opened his mouth to reply but stopped when he heard the finality in my words. He sighed,


    perhaps in disappointment, and left.


    The next day, my ankle had healed significantly. After dropping Summer off, I headed to the hotel.


    At the entrance, I ran into Joyce, who was nked by two burly men.

 Chapter 423

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 423


    I coldly stared at her while suppressing my rage.


    ¡°Scarlett, if you kneel and beg for my forgiveness, I might consider letting you off for hurting me and let


    you continue working in the hotel. Else¡­¡±


    ¡°Else what?¡± I asked.


    She scoffed, ¡°Else, your daughter would be the one to suffer.¡±


    I frowned. Being youthful was supposed to be a beautiful thing, but she just made it really annoying.


    My gaze fell on the man behind her. ¡°You can try.¡±


    Her temper sparked from my remark and said, ¡°Alec, David, did you hear what she just said? Show her


    what you¡¯re capable of. I want to see if she¡¯s still haughty then?¡±


    Status was everything in this tiny city. There weren¡¯t many wealthy people here. Even if there were,


    they wouldn¡¯t even concern themselves with these folks.


    Joyce¡¯s arrogance was partly attributed to her father¡¯s position. He had maintained his position for so


    many years that he was considered the local tyrant.


    Seeing the two men approached me, my brows snapped together, and I scoffed, ¡°Joyce, didn¡¯t you


    investigate one¡¯s background first before you offend the person?¡±


    Joyce sneered, ¡°Investigate? What is there to investigate about you? You¡¯re just a nobody.¡±


    I pulled out my phone and called Louis while keeping my gaze on her. ¡°I¡¯ve warned you before.


    Because of you, your father would lose his position, and you deserve it.¡±


    Her face darkened at my warning, then she ordered angrily, ¡°I want her dead!¡±


    Once the call connected, Louis asked, ¡°Scarlett, did something happen?¡±


    I pressed my lips together and answered, ¡°Uncle Louis, the R Province¡¯s county mayor Stanley


    oppresses and exploits its residents. He pocketed the funds used to alleviate poverty. Please send


    someone here to investigate!¡±


    Louis grunted in acknowledgment and reconfirmed, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. They wouldn¡¯t dare to do anything to me!¡±


    He continued, ¡°I¡¯ll drop byter tonight, so be sure to take care of yourself. Leave the rest to me.¡±


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I nodded and ended the call.


    Joyce paused briefly, then scoffed, ¡°Scarlett, didn¡¯t you only have a mother who¡¯s in dire straits. Why


    are you acting like some rich man¡¯s daughter?¡±


    She demanded, ¡°Alec, David, take her to a deste area and torture her. Don¡¯t worry if she dies in the


    process. I¡¯ll bear the responsibility.¡±


    Alec and David still had their wits about them. They stared at me with hesitation and asked, ¡°What¡¯s


    your family name?¡±


    I arched a brow. ¡°Stovall. Didn¡¯t Joyce tell you my name?¡±


    The two men were dumbfounded and exchanged nces. ¡°We know there¡¯s a Louis Stovall among the


    higher-ups. We even met him the other day when Uncle Stanley went to the city for a meeting. I heard


    that he was going to be promoted again.¡±


    Joyce mocked, ¡°Oh please! She has been in R Province for four years. If she really does have


    connections with some powerful figure, she wouldn¡¯t have stayed here all these while with no visitors.¡±


    ¡°It looks like you won¡¯t believe it until you see it.¡±


    The voice came from Joseph, who was leaving the hotel, followed by Ashton. Thetter¡¯s eyes were


    cold.


    Joyce was taken aback by their appearance. ¡°Mr. Fuller and Mr. Campbell!¡±


    Ashton didn¡¯t spare a nce at her and instead focused his gaze on me. ¡°Are you feeling better now?¡±


    I only nodded in reply.


    Joseph nced at the two brawny men by my side. ¡°It would be best for the both of you to quickly


    apologize and return home to discuss a way out of this mess.¡±


    Both men were not dumb. They noticed Ashton had an elegance, simr to those born in upper-ss


    families.


    They hung their heads and swiftly apologized. ¡°Ms. Stovall, sorry for the trouble. We hope that you


    could forgive us and let it be water under the bridge.¡±


    ¡°Leave!¡± said Joseph as he waved his hand dismissively.


    Before they left, both men persuaded, ¡°Joyce, don¡¯t do anything rash. You better hurry home as well!¡±


    Joyce¡¯s face turned red with rage. ¡°Scarlett, aren¡¯t you just good at seducing men? Maybe¡­¡±


    I wasn¡¯t in the mood to fight with her, so I ignored her and entered the hotel, but she held on to me, not


    letting me leave. ¡°Why are you running? Didn¡¯t you say you know someone powerful? Well, where is


    he? Aren¡¯t you going to investigate my father? I¡¯m waiting!¡±


    My brows drew together, and I fixed my gaze at her. ¡°Ms. Newton, I was curious from the start as to


    why a county mayor¡¯s daughter was working the front desk in a hotel. But now I understand. Your


    father is smart enough to know you¡¯re dumb. So, instead of letting you hold any important position, he


    asked you to work here. Else, his future would¡¯ve been shot.¡±

 Chapter 424

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 424


    ¡°You¡­¡± I pushed her away then headed straight for my office in the hotel.


    Finally, it was afternoon.


    There was no more trouble from Joyce since the morning. It could be that she had left work early due


    to being in a bad mood.


    Deep in thought, I didn¡¯t notice Joseph standing at the entrance to my office until I heard the excited


    screams from my female colleagues.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, may we speak in private?¡± inquired Joseph.


    I felt the prying nces from all around me, so I nodded uneasily. ¡°Sure!¡±


    We left my office and came to a quiet area. ¡°Mr. Campbell, is there anything I can help you with?¡±


    He pressed his lips into a thin line. ¡°Mr. Fuller wishes to see you.¡±


    I instinctively wanted to reject but nodded after some hesitation. ¡°Where is he?¡±


    ¡°The hotel¡¯s parking lot!¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Okay!¡±


    When he saw me walking back towards my office, he continued, ¡°Ms. Stovall, Mr. Fuller is already


    waiting for you downstairs.¡±


    I turned to look at him silently before saying, ¡°I know. I need to get my purse.¡±


    Baffled by my answer, he acknowledged, ¡°Then I will wait for you here.¡±


    ¡°Fine by me.¡±


    These two had worked together for many years, so their behaviors were getting more and more simr.


    Once I had my purse with me and exited my office. He let out a relieved sigh. He acted as if I would


    turn around and leave right away.


    Momentster, we arrived at the parking lot.


    When Joseph noticed the door to the ck Mercedes-Benz was left open, he immediately turned and


    left with a feeble excuse.


    I got in the car and saw Ashton was reading a document intently and elegantly.


    ¡°It¡¯s two o¡¯clock. I still have to workter,¡± I reminded.


    He paused briefly, snapped the document closed, and focused his gaze on me. ¡°After lunch, I¡¯ll send


    you back here.¡±


    R Province was small, so there weren¡¯t many good-quality restaurants around. However, Ashton


    managed to find one and a Chinese one at that.


    Since it was pre-booked, once Ashton and I were seated, the dishes were served promptly.


    I nced disinterestedly at the view outside through the window. Time passed by so fast, and it was


    already July. Soon, summer would end in a blink of an eye.


    He kept silent and ced some food on my te. He halted once my te was full.


    He nced at me and said, ¡°Try it. These are all your favorite.¡±


    I lowered my gaze, looking at the table. Indeed as he said, all of them used to be my favorite dishes.


    However, as time passed and people changed, my taste changed after I had left J City. So I sat still,


    staring at him, and said, ¡°Spicy food is bad for health, so I¡¯ve adapted to a light diet.¡±


    Since young, Summer wasn¡¯t able to eat spicy food, so I stopped eating too. I would even skip garlic


    and ginger in my cooking because they would be spicy.


    He gulped to keep his emotions in check. After a while, he nodded and said gently, ¡°I¡¯ll change the


    food!¡±


    He waved down a waiter and asked for all the dishes to be changed to light food.


    I wanted to stop him but felt that it wasn¡¯t necessary, so I stared indifferently at him and let out a sigh.


    The waiter served new dishes and changed the tes. He continued to ce food on my te. ¡°Eat


    more. You seemed thinner.¡±


    My mouth set in a hard line. I stared at the mountain of food on my te without any appetite.


    Four years had passed, and I became more taciturn. In the past, I would have taken the initiative to ask


    him for my purpose here.


    But now, I didn¡¯t want to talk much, so I ate in silence.


    He ced a ss of water in front of me. ¡°Eat slowly. There¡¯s no rush.¡±


    I lowered my gaze in silence.


    Half an hour had passed when lunch ended. He didn¡¯t touch any of the food, only stared as I ate.


    When I put down my cutlery, he questioned, ¡°Finished?¡±


    I nodded and wiped my mouth.


    I noticed the time was already half past one. ¡°Thank you for the meal. It¡¯ste now, so I have to return


    to work.¡±


    I excused myself from the table and left the restaurant.


    I wasn¡¯t acting cold towards him, nor was I pushing him away. I only wanted to leave the past, in the


    past.


    He followed me out. ¡°Let me send you back.¡±


    I nodded because gging down a taxi in R Province was difficult.


    The whole car trip back was silent.


    He noticed that I had no intention to speak, so he spoke up. ¡°Let me handle Joyce. You only need to


    focus on your job.¡±


    My brows knitted into a frown. ¡°There¡¯s no need!¡± I already got Uncle Louis to help, so I didn¡¯t need to


    involve Ashton.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Moreover, Louis was investigating corruption cases all over the country, so I was only helping him.


    Ashton lowered his gaze and didn¡¯t reply further.


    Once we reached the hotel, I said, ¡°Thanks for the ride!¡±


    He nodded, being the gentlemen he was, and kept his good manner and elegance.


    Louis arrived shortly at the hotel at five in the evening. An hourter, the county mayor and mayors of


    neighboring cities arrived one after another as well.

 Chapter 425

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 425


    They were joined by a few local wealthy businessmen.


    Louis arranged for someone to run a check on the county mayor and dismissed the rest.


    He nced at me and sighed, ¡°Scarlett, you¡¯ve gotten thinner.¡±


    I smiled faintly. ¡°Are you hungry? Why don¡¯t youe over for dinner? You can visit Summer as well.¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°I thought you would never ask! I¡¯ll be more than willing to join you.¡±


    I gave a vague smile. ¡°I hope the food would be to your liking!¡±


    He frowned. ¡°Scarlett, what are you talking about? You are registered under the Stovall family register,


    so you¡¯re my daughter. Since when did our rtionship distance to this extent?¡±


    And so I brought him to my house.


    Earlier, I had asked Colin to help pick Summer up. When Louis and I arrived, Colin and Summer were


    already home.


    Summer lifted her head and stared at Louis. ¡°Uncle, I¡¯ve seen you on Mommy¡¯s phone before.¡±


    Louis and I were bewildered by her remark. ¡°Do you recognize me then?¡±


    Summer nodded. ¡°Yes, you catch bad guys.¡±


    I quickly realized that she probably saw Louis in the news because, at times, I would pay special


    attention to K City¡¯s happenings when I watched the evening news, so naturally, Louis would appear


    then.


    Summer had an excellent memory, so it wasn¡¯t unusual for her to remember him.


    Holding on to Summer, I said, ¡°Summer, let¡¯s be polite and call grandpa.¡±


    Summer lifted her head again to look at Louis. ¡°Grandpa, could you help me catch bad guys?¡±


    Louis bent down slightly and said, ¡°Who is the bad guy you need me to catch?¡±


    Summer thought about it for a while and answered, ¡°The bad guy in Mr. Johnson¡¯s hotel always scolds


    my mommy. She also calls me a bastard.¡±


    Children were pure in nature. I had brought Summer to the hotel for housekeeping before because I


    was worried about leaving her alone at home. We would asionally bump into Joyce, and she would


    even curse at children.


    I thought that Summer wouldn¡¯t remember such a minor detail, so I wasn¡¯t expecting her to expose


    Joyce under such circumstances.


    I smiled as I held on to Summer. ¡°Summer, grandpa is here for dinner today, not for work. So catching


    bad guys would have to wait. I¡¯m going to give you a small task. Why don¡¯t you and Michael bring


    grandpa to the back and see what he likes and bring those back?¡±


    Summer nodded. ¡°Sure, mommy!¡±


    She paused briefly as if she remembered something and tugged Louis. ¡°Grandpa, let¡¯s go. The grapes


    Mommy grew around the fence are ripe now. Let¡¯s pluck them.¡±


    Summer had forgotten all about catching bad guys and was already tugging Louis to the back.


    Colin noticed my unusual mood. ¡°You¡¯re Louis Stovall¡¯s daughter?¡±


    How should I exin this?


    ¡°Four years ago, he acknowledged me as his daughter by fate. So yeah, I¡¯m his daughter.¡±


    He went silent and didn¡¯t pursue further.


    The optimal rtionship between people was by maintaining a polite distance and not probe for one¡¯s


    secrets.


    Mid-way through dinner, the doorbell rang.


    Being the active little girl Summer was, she ran to get the door once she heard the bell rang. I got up


    and followed her.


    Summer¡¯s words reached me before I could understand the situation. ¡°Mommy, there is a bad guy


    outside our door!¡±


    I jumped in shock and rushed towards Summer. I saw Joyce barging in with red, puffy eyes and a


    haggard look.


    Before I could react, Joyce dashed towards me. She held on to me and knelt.


    She sobbed. ¡°Scarlett, it is all my fault. My father is innocent, so do whatever you want to me, but


    please let me father go.¡±


    Hearing her words, I was able to guess what happened. Louis was efficient in his work, and there


    weren¡¯t many who would doubt his decisions.


    I thought the investigation would take ce the next morning since Louis had just arrived at R


    Province.


    Just a few hours had passed, and Joyce was on her knees begging in front of me.


    I pursed my lips while I removed her hand and took a few steps back to keep my distance from her.


    ¡°Ms. Newton, I think you¡¯re mistaken. Why are you on your knees begging me for help here? This is not


    a church or temple.¡±


    Hearing themotion, Louis and Colin came to see.


    They were baffled at Joyce¡¯s appearance, then frowned at her behavior.


    Joyce surprisingly recognized Louis despite not watching the news often. She came up to him and


    sobbed. ¡°Mr. Stovall, please let me father go. He was just an average person. He has always been an


    honest man and followed thew strictly. It was me who caused trouble. I shouldn¡¯t have behaved


    arrogantly.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Please, it is all my fault. If you¡¯re taking revenge on me by abusing your power, please don¡¯t involve


    my father. Mr. Stovall, you¡¯re a person with high status. I know you¡¯re not afraid of anyone, but we¡¯re


    different. All these years, my father had abided by thew. He had never done anything bad. He was


    only a petty official. Every step forward was difficult for him. He couldn¡¯t win against you.¡±

 Chapter 426

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 426


    These words imply that we¡¯re abusing our power to oppress others.


    Her words angered Louis, who had always been a principled and honest person, and he ignored her.


    He looked at me instead. Obviously, he wanted to know her identity.


    Biting my lips, I responded, ¡°She¡¯s the only daughter of Stanley Newton.¡±


    Louis¡¯ expression darkened as he fell silent.


    I said to the calm andposed Colin, ¡°Carry on eating with the kids and Uncle Louis. I¡¯ll handle this.¡±


    Colin nced at me but did not say much. After muttering something to Louis, he brought the two kids


    inside.


    As an esteemed official, there were things that Louis could not say openly. He looked at me briefly, then


    followed suit, leaving behind Joyce and myself.


    Not wanting to speak rashly, I remained indifferent while looking for a ce to sit.


    Joyce¡¯s expression was awful. She probably felt frustrated at not being taken seriously despite making


    a big fuss for a long time.


    She pulled herself together and looked at me. ¡°Scarlett, what do you want me to do?¡±


    With a faint smile, I chose my words carefully. ¡°Had it not been for the men standing behind me at this


    moment, it would have been me begging for your mercy now, right?¡±


    She had it all nned out when she found two sturdy men to give me a hard time. Thankfully, I


    escaped death and avoided the tragedy of being chucked away as a corpse in a deserted area.


    Undeniably, the rtionship between humans is extremely important. It can help save a life or get even


    with another person for a private grudge.


    Suppressing her rage, she looked at me. ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    Smiling, I said, ¡°Nothing.¡± I pursed my lips. ¡°I¡¯ve done all that I could. The rest is up to your father. If


    he¡¯s innocent, no one can press any charges on him. Otherwise, he¡¯ll be in trouble. I¡¯ve recorded every


    single word you said to Mr. Stovall. From a legal perspective, the way you¡¯ve alleged him for misusing


    his power for personal gains is regarded as defamatory statements. I hope things won¡¯t look too


    embarrassing for you when we meet in court.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± she huffed. ¡°Scarlett, you¡¯re despicable!¡±


    Staring at my gorgeous garden in full bloom, I was not in the mood to argue with her because that


    would affect my quality of life. Hence, I simply replied, ¡°Ms. Newton, you should leave now. Staying


    here doesn¡¯t help and it will put your father in jail.¡±


    Even the silliest person on earth would weigh both pros and cons to avoid any disadvantages. She


    didn¡¯t know the people around me back then. Therefore, she couldn¡¯t care less about what I did or said


    to her.


    Now that she knows, she¡¯ll surely think hard before she acts. After Joyce¡¯s departure, I stayed in the


    yard and sunk into deep thoughts.


    I¡¯ve stolen four years¡¯ worth of time. With all of them turning up at the same time, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s hard to


    seek peace.


    Louis was picked up by his assistant after dinner whereas Colin left with Michael.


    Without her ymate, Summer went to bed early.


    I could not fall asleep easily as I age. The beautiful midsummer night sky was full of stars.


    The crescendo of high-pitched buzzing produced by cicadas was the characteristic sound ofte


    summer. It made the night less lonely.


    At midnight, there was a loud knock at the door. I got up to answer it. It was Ashton.


    Under the dim streetmp, the man¡¯s eyes looked even deeper. His slender body stood like a statue at


    the entrance.


    Before I could react, he held me in his arms quietly. A faint smell of alcohol lingered around us.


    I assisted him into the yard. ¡°You drank?¡±


    Hugging me, he remained silent as if he had fallen asleep.


    It was quite chilly outside so I took him back to the bedroom.


    The moment we stepped in, he pinned me against the wall and cupped my face.


    I tried to push him away to no avail. ¡°Ashton, let go of me!¡±


    He refused. A rarely seen sorrowful expression appeared on his handsome face. ¡°It¡¯s been four years. I


    thought I could walk out of it, but it only gets rooted deeper over time. In times like these, I could only


    numb myself with alcohol.¡±


    His words were confusing. One could not help but notice the pain in his voice.


    ¡°You¡¯ll feel better after a good night¡¯s rest.¡± I ced him on the bed. Some people acted like a child they


    were drunk.


    He was reluctant to lie down on the bed. Instead, he ran his hands around my waist andy his head


    on myp. Momentster, I could hear his breathing sound.


    I sighed and asked calmly, ¡°Are you really drunk?¡±


    Saying nothing, he continued embracing me.


    I should know better. If he was truly wasted, he wouldn¡¯t be able to get here.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    I propped him up and put him on the bed before leaving the bedroom to pour him a ss of water.


    When I returned, the good-looking man was still on the bed with his eyes shut.


    ¡°I have a child at home. Should youe again next time, do so during the day. Summer is a light


    sleeper; any slight motion or noise will wake her up easily.¡±

 Chapter 427

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 427


    He opened his bleary eyes slowly and fixated his gaze on me. Elegantly, he asked, ¡°Are you mad?¡±


    I shook my head without much emotion. ¡°Not really. Drink some water and rest well.¡±


    I can¡¯t bring myself to be a stranger, albeit not having anymore feelings toward him. After all, we were


    once lovers.


    I walked out of the room and went to bed in another one.


    As the gentle morning sun gained ascendancy, its soft rays enveloped the entire R Province and


    flooded in between the dense fog engulfing the city.


    If one climbed up the mountain at dawn, one could catch a glimpse of a mesmerizing view straight out


    of dreand.


    I woke up early because Summer had to attend school. Standing before the bathroom mirror, I


    observed the reflection of my barefaced. Since when did the grievances on my face disappear?


    Maybe it was when I left everything behind, and came to R Province. Indeed, this is my healing ce.


    Ashton had already woken up. He seemed to be in deep thoughts standing under the almond tree.


    I took a peek, but did not disturb him.


    He turned back and called out to me, ¡°You¡¯re up.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°What would you like to have?¡±


    ¡°Anything.¡±


    Without saying much, I felt like I was bing more and more even-tempered as the days went by.


    Summer was surprised to see Ashton. She asked innocently, ¡°Mr. Fuller, why are you here at my


    house?¡±


    Kids would always say the darnest thing.


    Ashton curled his lips. ¡°I don¡¯t have a home to go to.¡±


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    His unintentional reply was rather intriguing as if he wanted me to read between the lines. Lowering my


    eyes, I did not take it seriously. As years go by, my heart is like a bleak pool of dead water where no


    breeze can raise a ripple.


    On the other hand, Summer was very chatty and continuously asked Ashton many weird questions.


    He answered all of them patiently.


    Then he looked at me and uttered, ¡°The matters at the hotel are almost done. I¡¯ll be going back to K


    City for a few days.¡±


    I nodded and did not continue the conversation.


    He stared at me deeply and said, ¡°Take care.¡±


    Joseph drove him off. When he left, he said nothing else besides reminding me to take care of myself.


    I sent him off with a calm heart. Just like that, he came and gone.


    The presence of Louis was a like breath of fresh air to the province. Finally, Stanley was removed from


    his position.


    People at the hotel more or less knew about my rtionship with Joyce.


    When I was in the bathroom, Jackson sent me a text message, saying that he had returned to J City


    and would visit in the next few days.


    I gave him a short reply.


    When I was about to get out of the cubicle, I heard someone gossiping.


    ¡°Have you heard? Joyce¡¯s father got into trouble. Not only was he sacked, he¡¯s also been arrested.


    Rumor has it that the procuratorate has seized an exorbitant amount of money from his house.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they did. He¡¯s been involved in acts of corruption for years and eventually receiving the


    punishment that he deserves. Remember how disdainful was Joyce? Look at her now! How shameful.¡±


    ¡°I heard that this has got something to do with Scarlett? How did the old witch in her thirties do it?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s probably a sugar baby!¡±


    ¡°I doubt it. I heard that she¡¯s the daughter of Louis Stovall. That¡¯s why¡­¡±


    I decided to get out of the cubicle. They were startled when I opened the door and immediately, the


    tittle-tattles stopped.


    Not knowing how to wriggle their way out of the quagmire, everyone looked at me and blurted the most


    awkward greeting, ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here, Ms. Stovall.¡±


    I nodded, washed my hands, and left in a sh.


    In life, one may get very affected by gossips, especially during the younger days. In retrospect, it boils


    down to how capable a person is.


    Rumors shouldn¡¯t make a person with strong abilities feel insecure because trivial talks don¡¯t matter,


    what more when spoken by insignificant people.


    As long as it¡¯s innocuous, don¡¯t mind it. Who hasn¡¯t been talked about or passed on an unsubstantiated


    hearsay within a lifetime?


    When I got back to my office, Louis called to inform that he wanted to visit the city. Everything in the R


    Province was almost settled.


    The deputy county mayor had been maintainingw and order for a few days. Everything would


    resume to its normal operations when the new county mayor arrived.


    Since he was my rtive, I sent him off. There was no airport in R Province, so they had to take a drive


    to the city.


    We exchanged pleasantries before bidding goodbye.


    Everything happened expeditiously and seemed to return to a normalcy. I felt so surreal as if everyone


    had never appeared before.


    It was the summer festival.


    Though R Province was small, it was a vibrant ce. I was on leave, so Colin suggested visiting a


    famous temple on the outskirts of town. There was a nice hiking trail where the kids could have some


    good fun and enjoy what nature offered.


    The Lotus Temple was situated at a mountaintop in the province. Since many flooded the city center for


    more festive gaieties, there was only a small crowd worshipping at the temple.


    It was nice to start the journey early in the morning when the children were so energetic and did not


    need any assistance throughout. Weughed and chatted all the way until we reached our destination.


    The statue of the deity was enormous. Colin helped Summer to light the candles that she had obtained


    from the counter. The small-framed body then prayed sincerely.


    ¡°Look at how solemn she is. Doesn¡¯t look like a child at all!¡± Colin whispered and sighed, ¡°She¡¯s too


    mature for her age.¡±


    I pressed my lips into a straight line and stared at the bronze statue nkly. Thirty years of my life have


    passed me by and I¡¯ve experienced quite a bit of the cycle from birth, old age, sickness, and even


    death. I¡¯ve even lost a few closed ones along the journey.

 Chapter 428

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 428


    Seems like I haven¡¯t lost much.


    ¡°People say that wishes made at the Lotus Temple wille true. Do you want to try?¡±


    Arching his brows, Colin handed me some candles.


    I did not take it. ¡°I don¡¯t have any special wish to make besides hoping that the living is well whereas


    the dead rests in peace. Everything is fated and pre-destined.¡±


    Summer came running towards me. ¡°Mommy, do you have anyone you long to meet? You can ask for


    your wish to be granted in your dreams.¡±


    I chuckled and took the lit candle from her hand to ce it on the incense burner. ¡°I don¡¯t need to ask


    for that, Summer. I can see whoever I want to see in my dreams, always.¡±


    Tilting her head, Summer did not quite understand what I said. She gazed at Colin. ¡°Mr. Johnson, what


    about you? Have you made a wish?¡±


    ¡°My wish is for you and Michael to grow up happily.¡± Colin grinned with a candle in his hands.


    Right when we were leaving, sullen dark clouds gathered along the horizon while cold wind blew in our


    direction.


    Colin offered me his jacket. ¡°Your body is weak, don¡¯t catch a cold.¡±


    I declined with a polite smile.


    He frowned and then covered me with his jacket nheless.


    Grabbing Michael by the arm, Summer asked softly, ¡°Michael, does your father not like me?¡±


    A boy of few words, he lifted his head to look at Colin and then shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    A child would never beat around the bush.


    It brought a smile to Colin¡¯s face. He did not rify.


    I took a quick nce at the jacket on my shoulders. My heart did not skip a beat. It¡¯s just a regr care


    and concern gesture from a close friend. Nothing more than that.


    We had something to eat before the children dozed off. Colin drove us back under the grey, inclement


    sky.


    When he pulled over at the yard, he wanted to get down and carry Summer into the house.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    I interrupted his action. ¡°I¡¯ll do it. It¡¯ste, you should get going with Michael.¡±


    He was slightly taken aback before regaining his senses and obliged. Although he was already in his


    forties, Colin still carried himself like a young man in his twenties.


    Declining him politely and respectfully served as the best form of reply to his genuine heart.


    Romance in the twenties was passionate and romantic. However, for the middle-aged, it was nothing


    more than predictable daily meals and a gentle nod or a polite smile.


    With Summer in my arms, I sent him off. Suddenly, my phone rang. It was Ashton. I shifted her to the


    other hand before answering his call.


    ¡°Is it too abrupt for me to show up now?¡± a low, sexy voice asked.


    Subconsciously, I scanned the yard and found a familiar silhouette under the dim streetmp. He was


    in his regr, elegant suit.


    His Mercedes-Benz was parked beside him. I could sense a pair of eyes staring at me, reserved yet


    intense.


    It¡¯s been four long years. He¡¯s be even more impressive and dependable, exuding an effortless


    charm, and is still as attractive as ever.


    ¡°I need you to help me carry Summer,¡± I said over the phone. With the keys in my bag, a child falling


    asleep in one arm, and holding a phone on the other, I could not reach for the keys.


    I could hear him chuckle before hanging up. As he approached nearer, I noticed a bouquet of pretty


    flowers in his hands.


    He took over Summer single-handedly while handing the bouquet to me. Grinning from ear to ear, he


    greeted, ¡°Happy summer festival.¡±


    Admiring the flowers, I smiled bashfully. I knew he would be back, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be so soon.


    Perhaps having a joyful heart is better than falling in love.


    I fished for the keys and opened the door. The moon was like a pearl adorning the dark blue night sky.


    I directed him to Summer¡¯s room. When he came out, his shirt was wrinkled. Yet, he still looked dapper


    in it.


    ¡°Do you mind if I stayed the night?¡± he asked with a smirk.


    I looked down. Saying nothing, I searched for the needed amenities and handed it over to him. He


    epted it and then habitually made his way to the guest room.


    Joseph did not seem to follow him here. It¡¯s not hard to guess that he¡¯s not here on a business trip; he


    came because of me.


    I tried not to overthink things. He remained a gentleman throughout his stay at my ce.


    Somehow, his presence deterred Colin¡¯s frequent visits to the house.


    He had been dropping Summer off at school and picking her up at the end of the day. In addition, he


    also started joining me in meal preparations. He would even do theundry!


    Life went on peacefully along with other daily activities. We had a ton of fruits picked from the yard, so I


    brought some with me to the hotel.


    Joyce was still working at the hotel. The only difference was her attitude. She no longer put up an


    arrogant front. In fact, she was mostly quiet when we met.


    I guess that¡¯s a good thing. Being a civilized acquaintance with nomon topic is better than being a


    hypocrite with an ulterior motive.


    During lunch, she took the initiative to ask me out, but I turned her down. ¡°I¡¯m going home to eat.¡±


    She did not look offended. ¡°You don¡¯t have to avoid me. My father is in jail and I¡¯m no longer a threat to


    you. I know I used to be very snobbish and stepped on the toes of many. That¡¯s why everyone loathes


    me. However, live and let live. This is my workce. I don¡¯t want to strain the rtionship even further


    and make it difficult or awkward for everybody.¡±

 Chapter 429

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 429


    ¡°We just need to be seen sitting down and having a meal together. I¡¯m not asking for us to shake hands


    and make up. It¡¯s just an act.¡±


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    I pursed my lips and smiled. ¡°You¡¯re very straightforward.¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°Well, there¡¯s nothing else I can do at this point besidespromising.¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± I agreed, thinking that it was just a simple gesture.


    There were not a lot of good choices when dining out in R Province. Joyce found a restaurant with


    comparatively good atmosphere and ced orders for food.


    She looked at me sharply. ¡°Since you¡¯re Louis¡¯ daughter, why don¡¯t you date Ashton openly?¡±


    Her sudden question dumbfounded me. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know that the fianc¨¦e and wife of the president of Fuller Corporation have always been the


    talk of the town? It¡¯s a major focus in K City.¡± She looked at me in disbelief.


    I sipped my drink. ¡°Whatever is the status of our rtionship, it¡¯s got nothing to do with an outsider like


    you.¡±


    She made a face. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you aren¡¯t willing to tell me. I just feel that it¡¯s such a shame to be in a


    secret rtionship with someone and not publicly acknowledge it. It¡¯s embarrassing. It can also hurt the


    reputation of a dignifieddy like you.¡±


    Wow. I didn¡¯t like thatment.


    My frown deepened. ¡°Go ahead and read the tabloids if you like to be entertained by gossips and


    scandals.¡±


    Having lost my appetite to eat, I rose to my feet and left right away.


    She came running after me and snapped in an unfriendly tone, ¡°You¡¯re jealous of how Ashton keeps on


    protecting Reba. You also hate the fact that Nancy is the one who apanies him to all kinds of


    events. Just because you can¡¯t win him over from those girls, you release your anger on me. How


    could you fear the strong but bully the weak? Scarlett, why did you channel your grievances to me?¡±


    Her words depicted Ashton as a womanizer and also implied that I was a worthless third wheel. I


    knitted my brows. This is getting interesting.


    I stared at her in the eyes. ¡°If one only knows how to pass the me to others without reflecting on


    oneself, one will end up bearing the pain and shame as a total failure.¡±


    I was reluctant to meddle in the affairs of others. All I ever wanted was to live life ording to my


    preference.


    When I got back to the house, Ashton had already picked Summer up from school. She had plucked a


    lot of fruits and was enjoying the watermelon scoop after scoop.


    Summer was extremely excited to see me. ¡°Mommy, you¡¯re back!¡± She put her watermelon aside and


    dashed over to hug me.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller said he¡¯s making chicken wings for dinner. We¡¯re just waiting for you.¡±


    Having not seen Ashton around, I asked, ¡°Where¡¯s he?¡±


    She pointed at the backyard. ¡°He said that you have some clothes that can¡¯t be washed by the


    machine, so he¡¯s washing them by hand.¡±


    Astonished, I walked to the backyard. Which of my clothes is not machine washable?


    I saw him squatting beside the tub and scrubbing the clothes. He changed from his regr dark


    colored suit into the beige casual pajamas I bought for him from the city.


    I never thought he would wear anything other than high-quality tailored clothing.


    I was mortified to see him washing my undergarments fromst night.


    He turned and cast a gentle gaze at me. ¡°You¡¯re back? Just wait for a moment. You can have some


    watermelon prepared by Summer, just don¡¯t eat too much of it till your stomach hurts.¡±


    I don¡¯t know how a blissful life looks like, but I think it¡¯s simr to this.


    I did not answer. Instead, I approached him and took over the washing. Blushing, I told him I would do it


    myself.


    His brows furrowed. ¡°I¡¯m almost done. Just leave it to me.¡±


    Then he nudged me with his elbow. Seeing Summer was just around the area, he insisted, ¡°Bring your


    mommy to have some watermelon.¡±


    This is not the Ashton I know. Come to think of it, he¡¯s about thirty-five or thirty-six now. He¡¯s bing


    more dependable as he ages.


    Knowing that he had the upper hand, I went back to the main house feeling a little uneasy.


    I¡¯ve roughly read some from the inte regarding what Joyce said today. News travel fast, especially


    the juicy ones revolving around the prominent figures in K City.


    Nowadays, rich and handsome bachelors are more appealing than young teen idols.


    With the media and paparazzi zero in on his private life, it¡¯s inevitable that they would dig out


    something sensational. Reba¡¯s existence doesn¡¯t matter to me.


    As for Nancy, she rose to stardom two years ago and her poprity continues to soar with each drama


    she stars in. Fuller Corporation invests a lot in her, so there¡¯re no qualms for Ashton to bring her along


    in some social events.


    As time goes by, these topics and highlights are magnified by the media. The truth doesn¡¯t matter


    anymore.


    I live in R Province with Summer. I won¡¯t reject his visit and neither will I keep him when he leaves.


    There¡¯re many uncertainties in life. There¡¯s no disappointment if I don¡¯t put any hope in it.


    Soon, it was dinnertime.


    Ashton cooked and ted the dishes. Suddenly, we heard someone knocking on the door. Summer


    darted across to open it.


    It was none other than Colin and Michael.


    The father and son brought some freshly caught lobsters.


    Entering the house, Colin was briefly surprised to see Ashton. He handed me the lobsters and said, ¡°I


    bought it from an elderly man when I was picking Michael up this afternoon. Michael is allergic to


    lobsters, but Summer loves them. Keep them now and cook for her tomorrow.¡±

 Chapter 430

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 430


    I nodded and took the lobsters from him. Then I ushered him to take a seat.


    This was their first official meeting, though both Ashton and Colin had met each other before. They


    were about the same age.


    After shaking hands and exchanging smiles, they sat down and talked about the economy.


    Ashton turned to me with a smile. ¡°You have alcohol at home?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Is wine okay?¡± We had too many grapes, so I used some and made them into wine.


    He chuckled. ¡°Sure. It¡¯s impolite not to serve our guest with a bottle of wine.¡±


    Colin was rather stunned by his statement.


    Iughed. After getting the wine, I went back to the living room and found the two chit-chatting away


    harmoniously. Their topic seemed to be revolving around me.


    I took my seat. Colin said, ¡°I¡¯ve known you for so long but never knew you can¡¯t consume shrimps.¡±


    I cast a look at Ashton, who was uncorking wine collectedly.


    Transferring my gaze from him to Colin, I rified, ¡°Not exactly. Summer likes it, so I eat it too


    sometimes.¡±


    I developed a condition during postpartum. Having seafood sometimes makes me sick, so I try to avoid


    it whenever I can. However, it doesn¡¯t mean that I can¡¯t eat it totally.


    Colin curled his lips upward. Ashton poured him a ss. ¡°Thank you for taking care of Scarlett all these


    years.¡±


    I haven¡¯t told anyone about my rtionship with Ashton. Colin suspected it before, but as a gentleman,


    he never asks. Hence, I never told him.


    Both men enjoyed their wine merrily.


    After a few sses, they became friendlier with each other and their pool ofmon topics grew


    larger.


    Ashton was a legendary businessman in K City. If his business decisions and activities in J City were


    considered reserved, then his development in K within thest four years had fully showcased his


    ability and potential.


    Under his leadership, Fuller Corporation propelled into an excellent listedpany within a short span


    of four years. He had boldly invested in a plethora of projects across all industries, with a lucrative


    return in investments.


    A man like him was very much desirable amongst thedies and well-liked by the men, too.


    The children went to bed early. Summer had gone back to her bedroom whereas Michael slept soundly


    on Colin¡¯sp.


    Seeing that, the men did not continue their conversations.


    After Colin left, Ashton washed the dishes and cleaned the table. Iplemented him, ¡°Ashton, you¡¯ve


    be really dedicated and steadfast.¡±


    He teased, ¡°How should I praise you in return? You¡¯ve be gentle?¡±


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    I burst outughing while bringing the table cloth back to the kitchen.


    He collected the utensils and took the cloth from me. ¡°I¡¯ll do it. Go ahead and wash up, then go check


    on Summer.¡±


    He insisted. I obliged.


    When I came back from Summer¡¯s room, he had finished cleaning up and was lying down in the living


    room. His eyes were shut and his breathing was slow. He seemed to be asleep.


    I took a nket from the bedroom and put it on him. identally, my hand brushed his shoulder and


    woke him up.


    As we stared into each other¡¯s eyes, I did not know what to do and found myself lost in his.


    There was a twinkle in his eyes. ¡°I saw you in my dreams a few times, but you weren¡¯t there when I


    opened my eyes. Each time that happens, I¡¯m left with a void in my heart.¡±


    I was distracted by his words. The weight of his intense gaze made me flush.


    I avoided eye-contact with him and sat on the sofa. Checking the time, I reminded him, ¡°It¡¯ste. You


    should go back to the guest room.¡±


    He reached out to me and ced my hand on his palm. ¡°I¡¯ve contacted the school in K City. If you will,


    bring me and Summer along,¡± he uttered.


    I smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t need me to bring you there.¡±


    He continued to stare me in the eyes. ¡°Wherever you are, I¡¯ll be there.¡±


    I felt so ufortable and covered his eyes with my hands. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about this in the future.¡±


    He acknowledged and then pulled me closer. Burying his head in my neck, he eximed, ¡°You smell


    good.¡±


    Before anything could happen, I stood up and said quickly, ¡°Go to bed early.¡±


    During his stay here, we had been very cautious in our interactions. He remained a gentleman and


    nobody crossed the line.


    The next day, we seized the opportunity of having the weekend to rest and rx.


    Summer wanted to go out and y. R Province was a small ce with limited options for amusement


    parks. Ashton drove around the city center as we shopped and wandered around.


    I was not very happy that he bought Summer so many things. ¡°It¡¯s not good for you to spoil her.¡±


    There¡¯re many ways to show affection to a child. It¡¯s not wise nor beneficial to pamper her blindly.


    He pressed his lips into a thin line. ¡°I¡¯ve missed four years of her childhood and couldn¡¯t control myself.


    Sorry.¡±


    I was shocked to hear him apologized but epted it anyway.


    Summer wanted to eat fried chicken. It was her monthly request, so I agreed.


    The big screen at the mall was advertising the jewelrymercial endorsed by Nancy.


    Sitting at the restaurant, we could see the screen clearly. Tabloids about her were also published in the


    magazines disyed at the reception counter.

 Chapter 431

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 431


    Basically, all the gossips revolving around Nancy was rted to Ashton. Anyhow, the magazine did not


    publish his front profile tantly.


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He was looking at Nancy with his back at the camera. It seemed like a photo taken during an event.


    Obviously, the reporters did that to boost the sale of the magazine.


    ¡°It¡¯s all nonsense,¡± he said abruptly.


    Startled by his words, I withdrew my gaze from the magazine and looked at him. ¡°What did you order?¡±


    ¡°A family bucket, ice-cream, hamburgers, coke, and French fries.¡± Summer was thrilled!


    I frowned. ¡°Can we finish them?¡±


    She sulked. ¡°Mommy, I can only eat this once a month. I must satisfy my cravings.¡±


    Ashton concurred with her logic and it made me upset. ¡°Summer, eating and working are the same,


    don¡¯t bite more than you can chew. When you can¡¯t finish it, you waste money. When you can¡¯t deliver


    a promise, there¡¯s a price to pay and you might even lose the person you love. Do you understand?¡±


    A crease formed between Ashton¡¯s brows. ¡°She¡¯s only four!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the same even if she¡¯s a year old. There¡¯s no need to wait until she¡¯s eighteen to understand the


    principle that she can learn now.¡± I might have sounded harsh, but I strongly feel that these are things


    that Summer needs to grapple with at an early age.


    He sighed and indicated for us to wait at our table.


    Summer seemed to have realized she over ordered. She kept silent for a while and then approached


    me. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m sorry. I won¡¯t do it again.¡±


    I nodded. My eyes were fixed on Ashton as he walked toward us.


    He put the food on the table and told Summer, ¡°Eat whatever you like and enjoy yourself.¡±


    She waited for my approval before digging in.


    I did not have much appetite. The big screen caught my attention. It was still broadcasting the videos of


    Nancy promoting the jewelry.


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s Reba or Nancy, to me, it¡¯s all for show. If you mind, I won¡¯t bring along a female


    companion to any social events.¡± He sounded firm.


    I heaved a soft sigh. ¡°You don¡¯t need to do that. I¡¯ve found my life¡¯s goal and I know what I want. You


    don¡¯t have to worry about what I think.¡±


    He grimaced. ¡°So, you¡¯re mad at me?¡±


    I denied because I did not care. ¡°Regardless of who you¡¯re with, these are just tactics used by the


    media to entertain its audience. They can do that at our expense, but we shouldn¡¯t dwell in it.¡±


    A warm smile settled on his face. ¡°I¡¯ll cook tonight.¡±


    I chuckled.


    ¡°Huh? Didn¡¯t we n to dine out tonight? Are we still going for a movieter?¡± asked Summer with a


    greasy mouth.


    Her reaction made usugh. Ashton cleaned her mouth and replied gently, ¡°Whatever you say.¡±


    Summer made the call for the rest of the outing and the day seemed so perfect.


    When we returned home, it was alreadyte. The exhausted Summer fell asleep on Ashton.


    Maybe we walked too much the entire day. My previously injured foot started throbbing painfully.


    Post injury effects?


    Ashton sent Summer back to her room. When he got out, he saw me pouring hot water into a bucket.


    Without hesitating, he took over and tested the water temperature.


    Seemingly, the water was too hot. Thus, he added some cold water. Thereafter, he untied my


    shoces, intending to wash my feet for me.


    I blocked his hands and refused. ¡°I can do it on my own.¡±


    He was adamant. ¡°The old injury hasn¡¯t healedpletely. Apply some ointment after soaking your feet


    in the hot water.¡±


    As he spoke, he immersed his long fingers into the water.


    Some fates are inextricably intertwined. I can¡¯t seem to get rid of him.


    He helped me massaged my ankle. ¡°There must be many happenings going on in K City. You¡¯ve been


    staying here for a long time. It¡¯s time to go back.¡±


    He lifted his head. ¡°Are you asking me to leave?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a suggestion.¡±


    He kept quiet as he continued to massage my ankle attentively.


    It had almost been two weeks since he came to R Province. I know how busy it could get at Fuller


    Corporation. He was always seen engaging in virtual meetings on hisptop and settling a lot of


    documents.


    Even so, the heart of Fuller Corporation was in K City. Clearly, his stay in R City would never be a


    viable long-term solution.


    I was so used to having three meals a day and managing major and menial tasks in the yard.


    Therefore, I was reluctant to live with him in K City and surrounded by the hustle and bustle.


    It may seem that his subtle intrusion into my life has portrayed a harmonious union between us two.


    It¡¯s actually just an illusion because he will leave ultimately.


    It was a starry night. I could not fall asleep as I pondered over Summer¡¯s future.


    I knew better than anyone that she didn¡¯t belong in R Province. I might have found my peace and my


    pace of life, but she was only a child who needed exposure and a better environment to learn and


    enrich her life.

 Chapter 432

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 432


    Although I loved being in R Province, I should never affect Summer¡¯s future.


    With a buzzing sound in my head, Iy on the bed, unable to fall asleep. Overthinking things was giving


    me insomnia.


    I got up for a ss of water and admired the gorgeous moonlight.


    Standing in front of the window looking out at the scenery, I awas lost in my thoughts. This journey of


    life seems too long. It¡¯s not easy to live from day to day peacefully.


    The next day, as much as he was unwilling to, a few phone calls forced Ashton to leave.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back as soon as I settle the matters in K City.¡± His gaze mesmerized me. Why is this man


    always so charming?


    I nodded. ¡°Take care and drive safe!¡±


    Without saying goodbye, I sent him off.


    As his car sped off, I went back to the yard and fetched my phone. The notification caught my eyes.


    Death at Fuller Corporation¡¯s construction site four years ago. Family of the deceased child hasn¡¯t


    received anypensation after three years of postponement.


    It was difficult to ignore the leading headline.


    Four years ago?


    Death of a child?


    I recalled reading the news back then, but had no idea how Ashton eventually settled the matter.


    It has resurfaced again. It¡¯s apparent that someone is trying to find fault.


    Could it be Jared or the Moore family?


    I stopped thinking about it since it had nothing to do with me.


    In the absence of Ashton, both Summer and I returned to our tranquil life.


    At the hotel, rumors about Colin and me had been brewing. Some even had the impression that we


    lived under one roof.


    I did not mind it since it was untrue. If I did, it would only add to my worries. Thankfully for the


    rtionship I had with Louis, most staff did not portray any malice or hostility.


    Some wanted to butter me up. Then again, with a personality like mine, it was hard for people to get


    close to me.


    It was payday in mid-August.


    Colin passed me the pay slip and said, ¡°You should treat me a meal.¡±


    Looking at my sry which had doubled, I agreed. ¡°Anything you want to eat? My treat.¡±


    Somebody heard our conversation and chimed in, ¡°Since it¡¯s on you, you can¡¯t just treat one person,


    can you? Scarlett, you should celebrate your promotion with all colleagues.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m dead bored. I haven¡¯t been out for two months.¡±


    Colin just smiled and did not make anyment.


    I suggested, ¡°Shall we all have dinner and drinks tonight?¡±


    ¡°Wow, sounds like a n!¡±


    The young girls were over the moon. Feasting and having fun were their weekly themed activities.


    When the frenzy died down, Colinughed at me. ¡°With a total sry of eight thousand, you¡¯ll be left


    with nothing after treating over twenty colleagues to dinner and drinks. Dinner will most probably cost


    one or two thousand, excluding the expenses at the bar.¡±


    I grinned. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t spend much anyways. Let¡¯s just hang out and have some fun as long as


    everyone¡¯s happy.¡±


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll let my mom look after Summer and Michael this evening in case we get homete. What


    do you think?¡±


    I agreed.


    The restaurants in R Province were rtively cheap. I found a big one and made a reservation for two


    rooms on the first floor.


    A few colleagues were busy ordering food while someone teased me, ¡°This must be the best restaurant


    in R Province since it¡¯s picked by Scarlett. An average expenditure per person here is about two


    hundred. How generous of her!¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Half of your pay will be gone after this meal.¡±


    Someone else added, ¡°Why are you worried? Ms. Stovall doesn¡¯t depend on her sry alone, so why


    should you feel bad for her?¡±


    It was Joyce. Without saying anything, I smiled as they continued cing orders.


    There was no need for any introduction since everyone knew one another. Chats were heard


    immediately when all sat down together.


    Someone asked, ¡°Scarlett, do you n to settle down in R Province? Or are you here temporarily?¡±


    I answered, ¡°I haven¡¯t decided.¡±


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°I heard that the two young heirs of Fuller Corporation in K City and White Corporation are locking


    horns in the corporate world. They both n to get support from the Stovall family. Scarlett, can you


    share some inside news with us?¡±


    Their topic could never go beyond gossips. ¡°I only stayed in K City for three years, so I¡¯m not too


    familiar with all the happenings there.¡±


    Joyce had always been in the limelight. Conversely, she was no longer the center of attention without


    his father¡¯s backing.


    She jeered. ¡°You want to hear something interesting? I recall Ms. Stovall having a four-year-old


    daughter. I wonder why a person born with a silver spoon like you would run all the way to a rural


    province and hide with a child. May we know why?¡±


    That was a massive piece of gossip.


    Instantaneously, everyone fixed their eyes on me curiously. ¡°Scarlett, we¡¯ve not heard you mention


    anything about the father of your child.¡±


    I took a sip of the wine and pursed my lips. Right then, the waiter served us food. I quickly changed the


    topic. ¡°All of you must be starving. Let¡¯s dig in.¡±

 Chapter 433

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 433


    I don¡¯t like to gossip about others and I don¡¯t like to be talked about either, especially when the topic is


    brought up intentionally by Joyce.


    People from a small province may be kind-hearted, but due to too much free time on their hands, they


    tend to be very nosy.


    A topic like this should either be rified or forever kept under wraps. There¡¯s no way I can clear the air


    right now, so I can only choose not to mention it at all.


    Seeing that I had no intention to exin further, they did not pursue the matter. The dinner ended


    pleasantly around nine o¡¯clock.


    As the host, I had promised everyone to hit the bar for some drinks. I could not go back on my words.


    We went to a bar in the city center.


    It was quite crowded. We picked a good seat on the first floor and had a great view of the stage


    performance on the ground floor.


    Thetest songs were being yed on the screen while three men, who seemed to be in their thirties,


    were performing a soundcheck.


    After ordering some drinks and snacks, we continued yammering on. The ce was not too noisy but


    very lively.


    With shing lights and the upbeat music ying in the background, men and women danced merrily


    and bobbed their heads to the rhythm.


    Colin sat beside me. He leaned over and asked, ¡°Is Ashton Summer¡¯s father?¡±


    His unexpected question stunned me. I looked at him; we both smiled.


    Adults would let it slide, and we both left the question unanswered.


    It was quite dull to just sit and drink, so we ended up ying some games. Colin did not touch a drop of


    alcohol because he had to drive.


    I was not a big fan of drinking games. After a few rounds, I lost quite a bit and had to down a couple of


    sses.


    Feeling rather tipsy, I saw a bouquet of flowers appearing in front of me.


    At that moment, everyone was observing me with anticipation.


    A boy in his early twenties introduced himself. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Matthew. Can we be friends? You¡¯re the nation¡¯s


    sweetheart, Nancy, right?¡± His bashful expression could be seen even under the dimly colored lights.


    I froze for a few seconds. ¡°I¡¯m not Nancy. You¡¯re mistaken.¡±


    He was quite persistent. ¡°How could it be? You are Nancy. Although you look slightly different without


    make-up, your beauty is ethereal. You just stand out in a crowd!¡±


    Hmm.. how should I put it? It¡¯s great being young and reckless.


    I thought about it for a while and came up with an idea to debunk the boy¡¯s perception. I showed him


    my identification card. ¡°See, I¡¯m not Nancy Goldstein.¡±


    He scrutinized my photo with disbelief. ¡°You both look alike.¡±


    I replied politely, ¡°There¡¯re indeed many doppelgangers in this world.¡±


    Blushing, he presented me with the bouquet. ¡°This is for you, Ms. Stovall. You¡¯re very pretty. I don¡¯t


    think I¡¯ll ever see Nancy in person within my lifetime.¡±


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    With that said, he left.


    The group of colleagues started moring for attention. ¡°Scarlett, you really look like Nancy, especially


    your eyes. I was also mistaken when I first met you.¡±


    I let out a faint smile in response.


    It seems like I have a lot of look-alikes. In the past, people said I resembled Joyce, and then it was


    Cameron. Now, I¡¯m apparently a twin of a top celebrity.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take it seriously. Beautiful faces are mostly simr,¡± said Colin as he switched the ss of wine


    from my hand to a ss of fruit juice.


    I was not bothered. ¡°It goes to show that I¡¯m quite good looking.¡±


    It was a harmless joke after all. The effects of the alcohol started to kick in and I felt a little dizzy. After


    footing the bill, I left with Colin.


    He drove me home. ¡°Let Summer stay with my mom tonight. I¡¯ll take her to school tomorrow morning.¡±


    I rubbed my temple and nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll head in.¡±


    Colin continued to be caring toward me, albeit the presence of Ashton in my life. However, his concern


    gradually feels like how an elder brother would dutifully take care of his sister.


    Adults are good at weighing pros and cons. Ashton is a steady and trustworthy man. His style of doing


    things is unconventional aspared to most people.


    On the other hand, Colin respects me as an individual, but he also knows his ce.


    The way he treats me started off as a man caring for his beloved woman and it slowly changes its form


    to sibling love. This is probably the best ending for the both of us.


    I was searching for the house key in my bag when John showed up. His car lights were exceptionally


    bright, contrasting the dim streetmp in the alley.


    I could recognize his ck Bentley and the number te.


    My guess was right.


    He turned off the engine and got down from the car. His casual attireplemented his chiseled good


    looks.


    I remained silent and gazed at him at the door.


    The towering figure came forward. ¡°I was so surprised to learn that you¡¯d returned to R Province when


    Uncle Louis told me you¡¯re here. I thought you¡¯d choose to settle down in a county within Q City after


    leaving K City.¡±


    ¡°Come have a seat inside.¡±

 Chapter 434

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 434


    I turned on the lights and served him a ss of water. Sitting down on the rattan chair, I tried to sober


    up.


    He stared at me meaningfully and asked, ¡°Have you returned to the family home?¡±


    I hesitated. ¡°Twenty years have gone by. It is probably demolished orpletely renovated.¡±


    I did paid the family home a visit when I first came to R Province with Summer. In fact, I like to bring her


    there and stroll around. Although it has beenrgely modified, many interior items still remain.


    He continued looking at me. ¡°I only reced what was broken. I didn¡¯t change the rest.¡±


    I was taken aback when I realized he bought the family home.


    Except for nodding, I refrained from saying anything. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s catch up another time, you


    should go home and get some rest.¡±


    There¡¯s no need for him to stay over since he¡¯s got a house in R Province.


    He quietly made his way to the door.


    I followed him from behind until we got to the main entrance.


    Out of the blue, he turned around and hugged me. I was stunned at first, but calmed down within the


    next minute.


    ¡°I miss you, Scarlett,¡± he said hoarsely in a childlike manner.


    I stood still and patted his back. In a light voice, I said to him, ¡°Summer is already four. Come over and


    visit her whenever you are free.¡±


    There¡¯s no need to brood over it because time will heal it all.


    The next day, John went looking for me at the hotel.


    During Ashton¡¯s absence, rumors about Colin and me spread like wildfire amongst the hotel staff.


    Some used him of bootlicking me in order to gain Louis¡¯ favor. Some criticized us for being


    scandalous albeit having our own families.


    I was so used to all these unfounded spections that I had grown numb to all the talks.


    John¡¯s sudden appearance at the office was like the grist for the mill as far as the talk in the workce


    was concerned. Immediately, there was a pin-drop silence.


    I was busy arranging the files and did not notice that he was there.


    I noticed something strange when the girls who were discussing lipsticks and cosmetics quieten down.


    I turned around and found a handsome man standing upright before me.


    His unannounced presence clearly surprised me.


    ¡°You¡­ Why are you here?¡±


    He withdrew his gaze from myputer screen and looked at me. ¡°I¡¯m taking you out to breakfast.¡±


    It didn¡¯t sound like an invitation.


    Even though John was not as well-known as Ashton, being a businessman from the Stovall family had


    earned him some fame.


    Those who recognized him were excited to see him in person.


    I checked on some pending work on theputer. ¡°You might need to wait for a while, I have to finish


    some work.¡±


    He nodded and then found a ce to settle down. He seemed to be at ease.


    With a good-looking man sitting in the office, thedies were so distracted and started idling.


    Someone curiously asked, ¡°Who¡¯s this man? What¡¯s his rtionship with Scarlett?¡±


    ¡°I think he¡¯s the president of an electronic technologypany, John Stovall, the son of Louis Stovall.¡±


    ¡°So, they are siblings?¡±


    ¡°Seriously? I haven¡¯t heard anything about this before.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so strange about it? We didn¡¯t know that Scarlett was Louis¡¯ daughter too.¡±


    Shutting down myputer, I said to John, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Though thedies huddled together and talked


    in hushed voices, they were not entirely inaudible. Disliking what I heard, I left the ce quickly.


    John sought my opinion once we got out of the hotel. ¡°What do you feel like having?¡±


    ¡°Anything.¡±


    He picked a restaurant. It was not the most fancy one, but it was the best in the province.


    We sat opposite each other. ¡°What would you like to eat?¡±


    ¡°You go ahead and order.¡±


    Without further ado, he ordered two steaks and said to me, ¡°You lost weight.¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°Are you here on a business trip?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here to see you!¡± He was very honest. ¡°Uncle Louis told me you¡¯re in R Province, so I came.¡±


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    I simply acknowledged and kept quiet thereafter.


    Time flies, he¡¯s already in his thirties.


    ¡°When will you be going back to K City?¡± He posted a direct question to me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t n to return.¡±


    He frowned. ¡°What about Summer¡¯s future? She could enjoy a better school and a plethora of


    resources. Why would you say no to that?¡±


    The weather was very humid. I rubbed my forehead and replied impatiently, ¡°John, can¡¯t we just sit and


    eat?¡±


    Que sera sera. We¡¯ll cross that bridge when we get to it. What¡¯s the use of discussing in advance?


    He fell silent at that and watched me eat, but consumed nothing himself. It was a weird habit of his.


    I would not step foot into such a good restaurant on my own. It¡¯s too expensive for my limited sry.


    As we left the restaurant, I looked up at the scorching sun. The heat was unbearable in R Province,


    and it could easily make someone snappy.

 Chapter 435

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 435


    ¡°Shall I take you home?¡± he asked.


    I squinted my eyes at him. ¡°Going to see Summer?¡±


    He was surprised. ¡°May I?¡±


    ¡°Why not? You¡¯re her uncle.¡±


    He beamed with joy but tried to suppress it.


    We went to pick Summer up from her school.


    She had not seen John even once during the four years here in R Province. However, she was not too


    shocked to see him as we had been having many visitors recently.


    Summer and I took the back seat. She turned her head to and fro to look at John and I. ¡°Mommy, is Mr.


    Stovall your friend?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Summer, he¡¯s your Uncle John.¡±


    ¡°Uncle?¡± she gasped.


    John thought she was calling him and he immediately turned around gleefully.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± I yelled upon seeing the carsing our way.


    Luckily, his quick reflexes in maneuvering the steering wheel prevented a car crash.


    He pulled over and cast a serious look at both of us. With anticipation, he asked, ¡°Summer, call me


    again.¡±


    I¡­


    Summer was bbergasted but did as he said. ¡°Uncle John!¡± she addressed him sweetly.


    A delighted smug settled upon his face. He eximed ecstatically, ¡°Did you hear that, Scarlett? She


    called me ¡®Uncle John¡¯!¡±


    I could totally feel him. He¡¯s just like me, lonely on the inside and always searching for a sense of


    belonging.


    A simple greeting from Summer made John feel joyful. It gave him the warmth that he had been


    yearning.


    He was very happy. At the same time, he also had aplicated feeling toward others.


    When he sent us home, I noticed that his gaze was fixated on Summer for a very long time. He looked


    like he was in deep thoughts.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Something¡¯s not right.


    As soon as we reached home, Summer went to pluck some fruits. I asked, ¡°Is there anything bothering


    you?¡±


    He came back to his senses. ¡°Scarlett, what would you do if you¡¯re pregnant but the father of the child


    wants you to abort the baby?¡±


    I narrowed my eyes. ¡°Well, since it¡¯s your child, there¡¯s no reason for you to abandon it. John, don¡¯t


    disappoint the person who holds you in her heart dearly.¡±


    Feeling rather embarrassed and shocked, he rified, ¡°I didn¡¯t say it¡¯s my child.¡±


    I found it amusing. ¡°When you stared at Summer, you¡¯re imagining if the child would be as adorable as


    Summer, given the chance to be born into this world. Am I right?¡±


    He hissed and sat down on the rattan chair in sizzling annoyance.


    Holding his head with both his hands, he seemed lost.


    I squatted down next to him and shared my two cents. ¡°Regardless of the situation, if that¡¯s your child,


    you can¡¯t leave it alone nor cut off ties with it. John, don¡¯t do something you¡¯ll regret.¡±


    He abruptly got up from his seat. Looking slightly dazed, he left me a sentence before leaving the yard.


    ¡°I¡¯m heading back to K City. I¡¯lle see you again in a few days¡¯ time.¡±


    Seeing him walking away, I could not help but smile. People will always be healed, whether through an


    eventful life or the existence of a child.


    Summer came out carrying a watermelon with all her might. She scanned around for John. ¡°Mommy,


    where¡¯s Uncle John?¡±


    I took over the watermelon from her and put it aside. ¡°He¡¯s left.¡± I sighed. ¡°Summer, the fruit will rot if we


    don¡¯t finish it quick enough.¡±


    She lowered her head. ¡°I wanted to eat it with Uncle John.¡±


    I stroked her hair and sat her down on the rattan chair. ¡°Summer, do you want to live in the city where


    Grandpa and Uncle John are?¡±


    She tilted her head, looking confused. ¡°Will Michael be there too?¡±


    Gosh!


    I was rendered speechless and struggled toe up with a reply. ¡°No, he won¡¯t. Michael will stay here


    with his daddy.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± She was disappointed. ¡°If I¡¯m gone, Michael won¡¯t have any friends left.¡±


    Pondering over the idea, she asked, ¡°Mommy, will I have a daddy if I go live with Grandpa and Uncle


    John?¡±


    I felt uneasy. All children would want their fathers to be by their sides. Summer is no exception.


    I felt sorry for her. ¡°Summer, do you want a daddy that badly?¡±


    She bit her lips and thought hard about it. ¡°Yes, if I have one, I could go out and y on weekends, just


    like the outing we had with Mr. Fuller. Daddy will be just like Mr. Fuller who buys me yummy food, tells


    me stories, and piggybacks me.¡±


    I listened to her without responding.


    I had never thought of telling her about Macy. Simrly, I never wanted Jared to know where Macy was.


    This girl has be a part of me since four years ago. I can¡¯t allow her to live with Jared. I don¡¯t feel


    good about that option.


    Yet, I can¡¯t give her a father.

 Chapter 436

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 436


    I choked up while hugging her. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you to K City to see Daddy. You¡¯ll be just like your little friends,


    spending time with Daddy every day, okay?¡±


    Bewildered, she widened her eyes. ¡°Really? Mommy, you¡¯re not lying to me, are you?¡±


    ¡°When have I ever lied to you? Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Then, can we bring Michael along?¡± She gave me those puppy-dog eyes.


    ¡°Summer, Michael needs to live with his daddy. If he follows us to K City, he has to part ways with his


    parent. Do you want to see him live separately from his daddy?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Each of us has something that we hold close to our hearts. We get what we ask for.¡±


    She fell silent for a while, then lifted her head to stare me in the eyes. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯ll go with you to K


    City.¡±


    I nodded my head as a response to her decision. We all have different needs and wants. Hence, our


    priorities are different.


    I had not fixed a date to return to K City. First, I needed to ensure that all tasks in R Province were


    completed thoroughly.


    Thanks to the back-to-back appearance of the Stovalls and coupled with the special treatment from


    Colin, I was ostracized by others at the hotel.


    Where there are more girls, there are more dramas.


    When I was in the bathroom, I heard some people talk behind my back.


    ¡°Who do you think is the father of Scarlett¡¯s child? Would it be John¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s highly unlikely. Aren¡¯t they siblings?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯re a series of scandals swept under the carpet amongst the rich and famous. Otherwise, why


    wouldn¡¯t she stay in K City and enjoy avish life as a Stovall? Don¡¯t you find it strange that she came


    all the way here to a small county with a child?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. We¡¯ve never heard her mentioning the father of the child, let along meeting him in person.


    Could it be that it¡¯s John¡¯s daughter?¡±


    ¡°Probably a case of incest. She got pregnant and hid herself here in a small county to avoid


    spections.¡±


    This is ridiculous. I cringed. Such was the frightening effect of gossips.


    A girl ran into the bathroom frantically. ¡°Oh my, I think I¡¯ve got my period. Who has a sanitary pad?¡±


    ¡°No, not me.¡±


    ¡°What should I do? I forgot the date and wore a white skirt today. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll stain itter.¡±


    She was in an awkward position.


    I pushed the cubicle door open and handed a pad over to her without saying a word. Subsequently, I


    washed my hands and left.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    My abrupt appearance caused a few peeps to feel extremely uneasy.


    Anyhow, I was so used to all these talks and had heard different versions of them.


    I returned to my desk and continued arranging the files. I wonder how I should tell Colin about my


    resignation.


    ¡°Excuse me¡­ thanks for helping me out just now.¡± The embarrassed girl ced a ss of milk on my


    desk as she whispered into my ear.


    I looked up and was met with a blushed face. It was the girl whom I met in the bathroom.


    ¡°Save it,¡± I blurted subconsciously and then felt it sounded a tad bit harsh. So, I added, ¡°It¡¯s just a small


    matter.¡±


    Biting her lips, she looked down. ¡°So sorry, I¡­¡± she faltered.


    It seemed like she could not squeeze the rest of the words past her lips.


    I guessed she wanted to apologize for gossiping.


    I stopped what I was doing and gazed at her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, I didn¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    Indeed, I¡¯m not bothered by the vast rumors about me that I¡¯ve heard thus far.


    ¡°Abby, what we said is true. Why are you apologizing? The fault isn¡¯t ours,¡± someone retorted.


    Abby?


    I¡¯ve been working in this hotel for almost two years and I don¡¯t remember a colleague with that name.


    I studied her name tag carefully. Abigail Schoot.


    Panicked, Abigail turned to the other colleague, who snapped back at her. ¡°Don¡¯t say anymore.¡±


    Feeling bad, she turned to me again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    She then returned to her desk.


    At noon, Abigail took the initiative to approach me.


    ¡°Scarlett, let¡¯s go for lunch together.¡±


    I was surprised at her invitation and checked the time, only to realize that it was already lunch hour.


    I wanted to decline, but changed my mind when I saw she was looking forward to an affirmative


    response.


    ¡°Sure, let¡¯s go.¡±


    There were not a lot of restaurants nearby the hotel, besides some fast-food joints and small eateries.


    She chose thetter. We ordered and found a table for two.


    She looked like she had something to say.


    I sipped my tea indifferently.


    ¡°Scarlett, sorry about this morning. I¡¯m really sorry. Please don¡¯t take it seriously.¡±


    She paused before continuing, ¡°Also, thank you.¡±


    I epted it with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s all tittle-tattles. I¡¯m used to it by now.¡±


    She felt so guilty. ¡°Why don¡¯t you exin to everyone?¡±

 Chapter 437

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 437


    I raised my brow. ¡°What is there to exin?¡±


    ¡°Your daughter¡¯s identity and your rtionship with Mr. Johnson,¡± she stated seriously.


    I grinned. ¡°It¡¯s up to others however they want to perceive it.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t clear the air, they will think that their spections are correct.¡± She started getting anxious.


    I asked her, ¡°Do you think that it¡¯s true?¡±


    She froze for a while and replied timidly, ¡°It does feel like it¡¯s a true story after hearing it umpteen


    times.¡±


    I maintained myposure. ¡°I like the environment here in R Province and brought Summer here to


    start our new life. I didn¡¯t think much about it.¡±


    ¡°What about Summer¡¯s father?¡± Abigail was a curious young girl.


    The waiter served our food. ¡°It¡¯s ratherte. Let¡¯s eat and go back soon.¡±


    She stopped asking me questions.


    I buried myself with work when we got back to the office. Although it was a small hotel, my to-do list


    seemed endless, with me wearing two hats at the same time.


    When I focused on my work, I would usually neglect the surroundings, be it a severe cough or a pin


    drop silence.


    About ten minutester, my shoulders felt tired. I got up and was about to fetch a ss of water.


    As I turned, I was startled by the man behind me. ¡°Since when did you get here?¡±


    I regretted the moment those words left my lips because the tone was too casual. It would definitely


    suggest an unexinable affair between us, as others had perceived.


    ¡°A while ago.¡± Ashton cast a gentle gaze at me. ¡°Go get some water.¡±


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    When I came back to my ce, he had already pulled a chair next to mine and was skimming the


    documents on my desk. A myriad of expressions showed up on my colleagues¡¯ faces, from surprised,


    perplexed, to curious. Some kept staring at us, whereas the others tried to peek from their seats.


    He took the ss from me and drank from the same spot I did. Someone coughed at the sight of


    it. This feels odd.


    I frowned, but did not voice my disapproval. I returned to my desk and attempted to finish my work.


    Rather than interfere, Ashton waited quietly beside me until I paused.


    ¡°Are you done?¡± he finally spoke.


    Nodding, I kept the files.


    ¡°What do you want to have for dinner?¡± He asked outrightly as if he had not noticed the strange looks


    on my colleagues¡¯ faces.


    I¡¯m pretty sure he did it on purpose. With this, I¡¯m certain that the gossips will only get juicier about how


    flirtatious I am.


    ¡°Anything.¡± It was about time to get off work.


    Colin delivered some documents to Ashton. ¡°Mr. Fuller, these files contain all the information about the


    hotel¡¯s operations in the past two years. Please have a look.¡±


    Ashton acknowledged. He did not read the documents, but passed them to me instead. With an arched


    brow, he ordered, ¡°Take a look.¡±


    Colin chuckled. ¡°Mr. Fuller and Ms. Stovall seem to have known each other for a very long time.¡±


    Did he say that intentionally?


    Ashton gently brushed the stray hairs from my forehead to the back of my ear. ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve been


    married for seven years.¡±


    No one expected that, including Colin. I could hear many gasped in disbelief. They were probably


    shocked to the core.


    Ashton did not seem to be bothered by their reactions. He smirked when he noticed that I was ring


    at him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? As your husband and the father of Summer, am I so hideous that you have to


    pretend not to know me?¡±


    He definitely did it on purpose.


    My body stiffened. I pursed my lips shut.


    Murmurs could be heard from every nook and cranny in the office. ¡°She¡¯s Ashton¡¯s wife! Oh my


    goodness¡­¡±


    It soon sent the entire office into a frenzy. Simultaneously, it also dismissed all sorts of rumors and


    unfounded ims.


    I sighed. I¡¯m pretty sure Colin must have said something, which caused him to make a trip to the office


    today and performed the surprise act.


    ¡°Are you done with work?¡± Ashton asked while holding my hand.


    I nodded as I rose to my feet.


    He looked at Colin. ¡°Shall we have dinner together?¡±


    Colin declined, ¡°I¡¯m talking Michael to see my mother tonight. You guys go ahead. We¡¯ll meet next


    time.¡±


    Then, we left the hotel and got into the car.


    I stared daggers at him. ¡°When did you arrive?¡±


    ¡°Not too long ago.¡±


    We chatted casually throughout the journey and everything seemed the same as before.


    At the school, Summer was carrying her bag and standing in line when she saw Ashton from a


    distance. Her face beamed with joy.


    She waved at him excitedly. In response, Ashton smiled and waved back at her.


    ¡°How¡¯s Dr. Crest?¡± I brought up a name I¡¯ve not mentioned for a long time.


    With a stern look on his face, he held my hand. ¡°He¡¯s gone to W City and might settle down there.¡±


    ¡°Is he married?¡± It had been four years, and Macy was just like a passerby in his life.


    ¡°Probably not.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s someone he couldn¡¯t forget?¡± I was eager to know.

 Chapter 438

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 438


    ¡°Mr. Fuller!¡± Summer interrupted our conversation.


    He carried her into the car. ¡°What would you like to eat?¡±


    ¡°Ice-cream and a family bucket!¡± the munchkin blurted at once.


    Ashton took a peek at me and said under his breath, ¡°You might want to check with your mommy first.¡±


    Knowing what my answer would be, the sulky smart girl tried her luck by rephrasing her request,


    ¡°Mommy, what do you want to eat?¡±


    Dining out in a heatwave wasn¡¯t an appealing choice. I pondered slightly and said, ¡°Let¡¯s eat at home.¡±


    Feeling let down, Summer replied unwillingly, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Ashton changed his route and drove us all home.


    I made a few simple dishes since nobody had a voracious appetite in this hot weather. After having


    only a few bites, Summer went to pluck a watermelon again.


    She came back with arge one. ¡°Mr. Fuller, let¡¯s eat this together. I wanted to have it with my uncle the


    last time but he left early.¡±


    Ashton turned to look at me. ¡°Uncle?¡±


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s John.¡± I had no intention to hide it from him.


    He nodded, took the watermelon from Summer, and broke it in half. The ones we nted in our yard


    were not big, but very sweet.


    The man held a big piece and the child, a small one. It was so cute to see them both sharing a fruit.


    ¡°Your father tried to match make him, so he came here to look for you and visit Summer?¡±


    He continued looking at me, waiting for an answer.


    I was taken aback. ¡°He didn¡¯t escape that because of me. I could tell that he¡¯s fallen for someone but


    he hasn¡¯t realized it. So, he came to me.¡±


    Speaking of which, I wonder who¡¯s that girl.


    Ashton did not ask further. He scooped a spoonful of watermelon from the center of the fruit and sent it


    to my mouth.


    I was forced to have a bite. ¡°I don¡¯t like to eat watermelon.¡± That¡¯s why Summer always serves our


    guests that. She loves having apany while eating watermelon.


    When night fell, Joseph came by. Ashton stood up and hugged Summer. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. You¡¯d better


    go get some rest.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you¡­¡± Staying over? I was baffled, but decided not to finish my sentence.


    I¡¯ll wee him if he stays; I won¡¯t keep him if he ns to leave.


    Perplexed, Summer asked, ¡°You¡¯re not staying in our house, Mr. Fuller?¡±


    He leaned over and exined, ¡°I have something that I need to attend to. I¡¯lle visit you next time.¡±


    Summer was dismayed.


    ¡°Go to bed early,¡± he reminded me.


    I remained quiet when we sent both Joseph and Ashton off. The heat in August was unbearable.


    Looking at the calendar, Summer would be turning five soon.


    The next day, which was a weekend, Joseph came by.


    I was not surprised to see him but was quite astonished to see the loads of goods he brought over.


    There were a lot of organic vegetables, just like the types I had in my yard. It¡¯s redundant for Ashton to


    make Joseph send these over, especially when he knows that I don¡¯tck any.


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller.¡± Joseph looked exhausted with two obvious dark circles and a croaky voice. He probably


    did not sleep wellst night.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I prompted him to enter the house, but he stood on the spot and handed over those


    items to me. ¡°Mr. Fuller has been attending quite a number of business events in K City these few


    days. He had a bit too much to drink and had a stomach ulcer. Last night, he didn¡¯t want you to be


    worried so he put up a night at the hotel.¡±


    I waited for him to finish.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t allow me to tell you and isn¡¯t willing to go for a checkup. If this drags on, I¡¯m afraid his


    condition will get worse. Can you persuade him to go to the hospital?¡±


    Feeling like a cat on hot bricks, I tried to suppress my anxiety with a faint smile. ¡°How long has he been


    like this?¡±


    ¡°Since you left four years ago. From the outside, he looks like he¡¯s devoted all of his time and energy to


    his work. In actual fact, he¡¯s driving himself to a point of no return. Sometimes, he would drink


    throughout the night and resulted in several hospital visits due to a stomach ulcer. The doctor has


    advised against alcohol but he never listens. Mrs. Fuller, you know how significant you are in his life,


    better than anyone else.¡±


    I epted the vegetables he brought. ¡°I¡¯ll head over in a bit. Please give me his room card. You should


    go get some rest and take care of yourself.¡±


    His face instantly brightened up like a child as soon as I agreed to see Ashton. ¡°Please go see him as


    soon as you can.¡±


    I spaced out when he walked away. After all these years, some people are treating their wounds,


    whereas some are still struggling in hell.


    From a woman¡¯s perspective, a man is said to be very much in love with a woman if he¡¯s lost without


    her.


    Yet, it¡¯s different with Ashton. He seems to have turned over a new leaf by putting an end to his


    reckless years. What emerged after four years of transformation was sophistication and maturity.

 Chapter 439

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 439


    Having met again after several years, he did not overwhelm me with his eagerness to reconcile, but


    carefully invading into my space and slowly entangled his life with mine.


    Although he was not aggressive, it was hard to reject or refuse him.


    I made some soup for him. When I arrived at the hotel, he was resting on the bed with one hand ced


    on his forehead.


    I got quite emotional when I saw his pale face. I put the soup aside and sat next to him.


    If we¡¯ve made the right decision from the beginning, perhaps we wouldn¡¯t havended ourselves in this


    situation. We¡¯re looking forward to the future, yet we act with caution when around each other.


    I held his hand gently in order not to wake him up.


    My effort was in vain. The light sleeper was alerted a few secondster. When he opened his eyes and


    saw that it was me, a smile appeared on his face.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it the weekend? Why did youe over on your off day?¡± He sounded hoarse and tired.


    ¡°You¡¯re sick, that¡¯s why I came.¡± I withdrew my hand and wanted to reach for the bowl of soup, but he


    got hold of me.


    ¡°Joseph told you?¡±


    I nodded. He propped himself up and frowned. He seemed to be in pain.


    ¡°Have you had your medication?¡± I scanned the room but did not find any medicines.


    He smiled. ¡°It¡¯s just a small matter. I¡¯ll be okay once I¡¯m rested.¡±


    I was slightly upset by what he said. ¡°If it can be cured without taking any medicine, you should have


    fully recovered a long time ago.¡±


    I pulled my hand away from his, but lost my bnce and fell into his embrace.


    His body was so warm, exuding a strong masculine scent.


    ¡°I¡¯ll drink the soupter. Lie down with me,¡± he whispered.


    No, I shouldn¡¯t let him be. He¡¯s sick, and he needs to get well.


    Knitting my brows, I cast him a look. ¡°Drink the soup and take your medication before you continue


    sleeping, okay?¡±


    He burst outughing and then stoked the tip of my nose affectionately. ¡°Since when did you be


    so domineering?¡±


    ¡°Healthes first.¡± He probably won¡¯t want to take any injection. We shall see how things go after


    taking some meds. I got up and called Joseph to send the medication over.


    After hanging up, I scooped a bowl of soup for him. ¡°Drink it while it¡¯s hot.¡±


    ¡°Would you get mad at me if I want you to feed me?¡± He tested the waters.


    I was briefly surprised at his request, but did it anyway.


    He did not expect my response when I fed him. He removed his gaze from me and drank the soup.


    I sighed as he continued to finish the soup.


    ¡°How¡¯s the taste?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very sweet,¡± he answered instantly.


    ¡°I put a dash of salt, not sugar.¡± He¡¯s obviously distracted. Otherwise, how can he not know how does


    soup taste like?


    He smirked and then uttered in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s just sweet.¡±


    Joseph came with the medication and heaved a sigh of relief when he noticed that Ashton finished the


    soup. ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Fuller.¡±


    I did not say much.


    Joseph left. Ashton took his medicine and refused to let me go. I sighed. ¡°It¡¯s time for you to take a


    good rest.¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°Lie down with me.¡± Worried that I would reject him, he bargained, ¡°I¡¯ll sleep better


    when you¡¯re beside me.¡±


    I leaned next to him. The air-conditioning made the room nice and cool, aplete opposite to the


    scorching heat outdoor.


    I wanted to leave the hotel room once he fell asleep, but ended up dozing off myself.


    By the time I woke up, it was already three in the afternoon. Luckily, it was not a working day.


    Ashton was not in the room. The wrinkled sheets were the only traces he left behind.


    Some noises were hearding from the living room. It sounded like someone was having a


    conference.


    I rose to my feet and walked out to have a look.


    ¡°We shall fight the White Corporation till the end.¡± Ashton was resolute and unswerving in his decision.


    Had I not witnessed this scene with my own eyes, I might have forgotten his true colours.


    In thest four years, I heard a lot about how brutal he was in K City.


    Hearing my movements, he lifted his eyes. In a sh, his sharp and cold gaze turned into a warm and


    gentle one. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡±


    I nodded while taking a peek at hisptop screen. He was having a video conference. I stood still and


    told him to carry on with his work.


    He shut hisptop and strode across the room to hold me in his arms. ¡°Why don¡¯t you sleep for a while


    more?¡±


    I looked at the view outside of the hotel windows. What was originally acres ofnd overrun with weeds


    had been cultivated into fertile loess.


    ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± I focused on him and used the back of my hand to feel his forehead. The


    temperature felt normal, indicating he was not down with a fever.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 440

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 440


    ¡°I¡¯ve recovered the moment I saw you.¡± I could hear him chuckling.


    He buried his head against my neck. ¡°Scarlett, love shouldn¡¯t be a burden. In thest four years, I¡¯ve


    imagined myself pampering you countless times. I was overjoyed when fate brought us together again


    in R Province. I¡¯m dying to hold you dearly and never let go, but I know this is too much.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to scare you away. How many four years do we have in life that we can afford to live


    recklessly? I had to y hard to get. I didn¡¯t expect much when Joseph went to look for you. I thought


    to myself, if you came, it means that you still love me. Scarlett, I don¡¯t want to go through another four


    years repeating the same mistake.¡±


    I let him hug me. My heart wrenched as I listened to him. I know I¡¯m standing on quicksand. I buried


    everything safely in my heart for the past four years, thinking this too shall pass as long as I don¡¯t ever


    revisit the old memories.


    I¡¯ve thought about our meeting again and he would treat me like how he used to.


    Never have I expected the changes in him. He¡¯s be very sensitive and thoughtful. He now cares


    for my feelings and the way he shows affection is very different.


    He didn¡¯t join me as I fall apart. On the contrary, he remains objective and gently pulls me out of this pit


    I¡¯m in. He does it step by step so that I won¡¯t get hurt.


    ¡°Your life might beplete if you¡¯ve never met me.¡± He was supposed to marry Reba seven years


    ago. If he did, he¡¯s probably enjoying a blissful marriage, a sessful career, and building a happy


    family now.


    He held my hands. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t met you, I¡¯d probably not know what love is, let alone feeling happy.¡±


    Joseph told me that the skies in R Province stay very calm. Even the clouds move at an extremely slow


    pace. Love and affection take its own sweet time to develop, but they are genuine and real.


    ¡°Why did Reba and I swap in the first ce?¡± I¡¯ve always wanted to ask this question since the day I


    discovered I was Cameron¡¯s daughter. I was a coward four years ago and didn¡¯t have the courage to


    find out his answer, so I chose not to know.


    Now, I believe I¡¯m strong enough to bear the consequence. As long as I know I have a ce in his


    heart, the answer doesn¡¯t matter anymore.


    He tightened his embrace. ¡°If you went back to the Moore family back then, would you have divorced


    me without hesitation?¡±


    I was ready to separate with him, even in the absence of the Moore family.


    Momentster, I spoke, ¡°It¡¯s got nothing to do with the Moores. Without them, I¡¯d still go ahead with the


    divorce.¡±


    He jeered at me, ¡°Divorcing me isn¡¯t easy without the backing of the Moore family.¡±


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    That¡¯s true, moreover, I was pregnant then.


    He sighed and smiled wryly. ¡°All of this happened because I was as stubborn as a mule.¡±


    ¡°How did John get involved?¡± I know John cares for me, but why didn¡¯t he want me to return to the


    Moores?


    He paused. ¡°The Moores are too unpredictable. If nothing happens, good, but when something goes


    wrong, the entire family perishes. They have offended too many people over the years. Without their


    protection, how do you think you can survive?¡±


    That¡¯s why John made use of Marcus to help me get connected to Louis, in the hope that I could gain


    support from the Stovalls or Ashton if the Moores lost their power one day?


    As I connected all the dots, I realized they were all trying to protect me. However, unfortunate


    circumstances urred along the way by mistake. The death of Macy and my poor child couldn¡¯t be


    avoided.


    I sighed as I stared at the big blue sky. There¡¯s a serious void in my heart. How long has it been? I


    almost forgot who I used to be.


    Four years can heal a wound, but can it really reunite two hearts? It¡¯s not as easy as it seems.


    ¡°Come home to K City with me. We¡¯ll have our very own wedding. I¡¯ve been preparing for it for four


    years. I¡¯m just waiting for you toe back,¡± he persuaded me.


    I did not agree right away. Taking a nce at my watch, I realized it was gettingte. I got out of his


    embrace and said, ¡°It¡¯s almost time to pick Summer up. I¡¯d better get going.¡±


    Biting his lips, his gaze darkened. ¡°Let me go with you.¡±


    I shook my head and pointed at hisptop. ¡°You¡¯re still in a meeting.¡±


    He left in the middle of the meeting, and that must have disrupted the ns of the top management of


    Fuller Corporation.


    He was not bothered by it. ¡°Let Joseph send you back.¡±


    I was adamant about declining his offer, but figured he would surely insist. So, I decided to go along


    with it.


    On the way home, Joseph seemed to have something to say.


    I looked out of the window. He¡¯s most likely trying to convince me to get back with Ashton.


    I took a deep breath. ¡°Fuller Corporation is at its prime time now. Do you have any kids?¡±


    I recalled that he¡¯s married.


    He faltered before answering, ¡°Yes, my child is two years old now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Everyone is moving on with their lives.


    Holding onto the steering wheel, he looked at me and hesitated. ¡°K City has undergone vast


    development over the years. Would you like to pay a visit?¡±

 Chapter 441

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 441


    Should I go back? Is it too early?


    Seeing that I had fallen silent, Joseph took that as a sign that I refused to return. Sighing, he said, ¡°Mrs.


    Fuller, who¡¯s going to feel the pain if Summer falls down?¡±


    Startled, I nced at the man who was driving seriously and said, ¡°Although we¡¯re not biologically


    rted, we have spent thest four years together. She¡¯s a significant part of my life. It hurts me to see


    her suffering in pain.¡±


    He brought the car to a halt when the traffic light turned red. Staring at me in the eyes, he asked,


    ¡°Then, can you imagine the sort of pain he has to go through over the past four years? Mr. Fuller was


    afraid you would be irked by his presence. In order to oppress his affection for you, he spent most of


    his time working and getting himself drunk.¡±


    Halfway through his orated speech, Joseph paused. ¡°On the first winter you left, he passed out on the


    streets in the middle of the night. As a result, he caught a high fever. However, he said he had the best


    time of his life because you showed up with a bright grin in his dream.


    ¡°He was the person in charge of Fuller Corporation by day, yet he would turn into a drunkard when


    night falls. His intestine started bleeding internally as a result. If he couldn¡¯t get himself drunk, he would


    approach me and ask me if he should approach you just to keep an eye on you. As soon as he


    sobered up the next day, he would be the indifferent man again.


    ¡°Undeniably, he did a great job keeping his emotions to himself, but at the end of the day, he¡¯s but a


    human. He suffers from mental breakdowns as well. Mrs. Fuller, you should move on from the past and


    appreciate your future with him. Since you have a thing for him, why don¡¯t you stop torturing yourself


    and Mr. Fuller?¡±


    I was in a state of bewilderment when the traffic light turned green. It was a surprise since an outsider


    had brought up everything about Ashton in front of me.


    Perhaps Joseph¡¯s right. The past is in the past.


    After picking up Summer, I brought her back to the yard.


    Prior to his departure, Joseph peered into my eyes with his lips pursed. ¡°Mr. Fuller will be heading back


    to K City tonight.¡±


    With that, he departed immediately.


    I decided to send Ashton a simple message, wishing him a safe flight.


    Seconds after I dropped him the text message, he called and asked in a gentle tone, ¡°Have you had


    dinner?¡±


    He seemed to be boarding the ne soon. Nodding, I looked up and gazed at the pitch-ck sky.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon. Take good care of yourself when I¡¯m away. And don¡¯t forget to have your meal on


    time,¡± he replied in a hushed voice.


    Through the phone, I heard the announcement urging him to board the ne. Immediately, I said, ¡°I¡¯ll


    talk to you soon! See you!¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    After hanging up the call, I lost myself in another train of thoughts because I was overwhelmed by


    Joseph¡¯s words.


    It¡¯s true that the ones we love hurt us the most.


    I used to think I was head over heels in love with Ashton, but I slowly figured out it was nothing much.


    The moment that I figured out that I was pregnant, I started nning my escape. When I lost my child, I


    knew he was in great pain as well, yet I still resented him.


    The moment he tried to exin the reason why he swapped the DNA samples, I left without allowing


    him to exin himself. Perhaps my selfishness was the reason why the two of us had ended up like


    this.


    A week after Ashton¡¯s departure, I quit the job at the hotel.


    When Colin received my resignation letter, he asked with a straight face, ¡°Have you informed Mr.


    Fuller?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get in touch with him soon.¡±


    He fell silent. A few secondster, he nodded and acknowledged my resignation.


    ¡°What are you going to do from now onwards?¡± he asked, looking slightly sullen.


    ¡°Well, nothing for the time being.¡± Since John and Ashton had shown up one after another, I was pretty


    sure others would start talking behind my back again.


    He nodded. ¡°Keep in touch with me, okay?¡±


    Smiling, I said, ¡°I still need someone to look after the nts in the yard.¡± I had no intention to sell my


    ce in P Province. Should Summer further her study at the university and start a family, I might make


    my way back in the future and spend the rest of my life there.


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    He nodded and replied with a grin, ¡°Let¡¯s catch up over a meal soon. Michael has no idea you guys are


    leaving. I believe we should allow the children to bid farewell to each other.¡±


    After we wrapped up the conversation, I returned to the yard. It was already thest week of August.


    Therefore, most of the crops were ready for harvest.


    Usually, I would cultivate a new batch of crops, but I stopped because we would be leaving soon.


    I only packed a few sets of clothes for Summer and myself.


    Colin and I had agreed to meet up for a meal over the weekend. I told Summer beforehand that we


    would be leaving soon so that she could prepare herself. Nheless, she couldn¡¯t help feeling


    sentimental when the time of our departure neared.


    The usually mischievous little girl started behaving herself and shared the things she liked with Michael.


    She said, ¡°Mommy said we wouldn¡¯t be able to bring this away with us. Can you keep this on my


    behalf? I¡¯ll retrieve it once I¡¯m back.¡±


    Michael, who had always been a little boy of few words, looked at me in the eyes and asked, ¡°Ms.


    Stovall, when are youing back with Summer?¡±

 Chapter 442

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 442


    My mind wentpletely nk. I gave it a thought and said, ¡°We¡¯ll be back every now and then.


    Perhaps we¡¯ll make a trip back during the next festive season.¡±


    Michael smiled when he heard that. ¡°Then, Daddy and I will be waiting for you and Summer toe


    back to R Province to celebrate the festive seasons!¡±


    For a moment, I was flustered because I almost forgot there was another joyous asion around the


    corner. Secondster, I nodded and said, ¡°Summer and I will be back soon.¡±


    The children were equally thrilled when they heard my words of assurance.


    On the other hand, Colin, who had been quiet all this while, broke the silence and queried, ¡°Are you


    going to K City?¡±


    Shaking my head, I stated, ¡°Not for the time being.¡±


    I never had the chance to bring Summer back to J City when she was an infant. Now that she was


    slightly older, I wanted to bring her back to visit Macy. I felt quite lost because I never mentioned Macy


    over the years.


    Summer snuggled in my arms after we bade farewell over the meal and made our way home. She was


    mncholic because we would be leaving soon.


    After I tucked her in, I called Ashton.


    The moment he picked up the call, his hoarse and seductive voice could be heard. ¡°I was about to call


    you, yet you got ahead of me. It¡¯s almost like our thoughts are connected.¡±


    I responded with a smile and looked out the window. Staring at the bright moon, I said, ¡°I just resigned.¡±


    ¡°Well, it was inevitable since staying at that hotel would be a waste of your talent,¡± he replied


    nonchntly as though he had been anticipating my departure.


    I smiled, wondering whether his words counted as apliment.


    Once again, he broke the silence and asked in a gentle tone, ¡°Where are you nning to go?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t made up my mind.¡± R Province might have much to offer. However, when I took Summer¡¯s


    future into consideration, I thought she deserved better things in life.


    ¡°No matter where you¡¯re going, I¡¯ll always have your back. Don¡¯t forget I consider Summer as my


    daughter,¡± he asserted in a calm and collected manner.


    I was dazed for a moment before I nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±


    Compared to the way we interacted with one another in the past, I enjoyed our current rtionship


    more. Now, he wouldn¡¯t make the call on my behalf and instead, he would simply provide his opinion


    and guidance.


    After I hung up the call, I purchased the air tickets to J City. It took me an hour to reach the central


    business district to purchase the tickets because there wasn¡¯t any airport in R Province.


    In September, I brought Summer to J City with me. It was her first visit there. The moment she walked


    out of the airport, she swept her gaze around and shared her joy with me. ¡°Mommy, this is such a huge


    airport!¡±


    I responded with a smile and brought her to Glenwood Apartments. When I left the city, I bought myself


    an apartment and kept one of Macy¡¯s apartments for Summer.


    Since there were photos of Summer and me in the apartment, she returned with a photo after roaming


    around the house. She asked, ¡°Mommy, who¡¯s the woman beside you in the photo?¡±


    Seeing how Summer had directed her question at me in such a sincere manner, I suddenly felt a heart-


    wrenching sensation.


    I took over the photo and noticed the photo was taken in the year we graduated. Back then, Macy


    already started working in the bar.


    After she got her wages, she insisted on having me join her for a photoshoot in a studio. She said we


    needed a photo as a keepsake of our best time in life. Otherwise, age would catch up to us soon and


    we would forget what we looked like in our prime.


    I was grateful she insisted because the photo was something that could remind me of the most


    carefree period of my life.


    ¡°Mommy, why are you crying?¡± Summer asked in a mellifluous tone. I crouched in front of her and


    cradled her in my arms, shedding tears of grief.


    ¡°Summer, let¡¯s pay this aunt a visit tomorrow, okay?¡± It had been four years since myst trip back. I


    couldn¡¯t help but wonder if things were fine on her end.


    Summer nodded and stared at Macy in the photo. Shortly after, she wiped my tears off my face and


    said, ¡°Okay!¡±


    Holding the little girl in my arms, I suppressed my emotion and announced, ¡°Summer, she¡¯s an


    important friend of mine and an important figure in your life. Can you promise me that you¡¯ll address


    her as your mom instead of your aunt in the future?¡±


    Confused, the little girl asked, ¡°Why? Michael said an ordinary family consisted of only one father and


    one mother. If I¡¯m addressing her as my mother, how am I supposed to address you?¡±


    ¡°Summer, we¡¯re all special in our own ways. In short, you¡¯re different from Michael as well. He¡¯s a boy,


    but you¡¯re a girl. He only has a mother, but you have two mothers. Macy is someone that¡¯s important to


    me. Can you promise me that you¡¯ll keep that in mind?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to tell Summer she wasn¡¯t my biological daughter, yet I was afraid ofpletely


    detaching her from Macy. She may not have any memory of Macy in the four years of her life, but from


    now on, I wanted her to know about Macy.


    Summer was perplexed, but she nodded when she saw how serious I looked. ¡°I¡¯ll listen to you and


    address her as mommy Macy in the future.¡±


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    I nodded.


    After we had settled down, I hailed a cab and brought Summer to the cemetery with me on the next


    day.


    Compared to myst visit, the cemetery seemed to be rtively spacious. It must have expanded


    again.


    Judging by the number of tombstones that were erected over the past four years, I couldn¡¯t help but


    wonder how many people had lost their loved ones.

 Chapter 443

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 443


    When the middle-aged florist in charge of the store not far from the cemetery saw us, she asked, ¡°Do


    you need a bouquet of white chrysanthemum?¡±


    Smiling, I shook my head and brought Summer into the store. ¡°Is it fine for us to pick the flowers?¡±


    The florist was stupefied for a short while before she nodded in return and asserted, ¡°Of course!¡±


    Macy once told me she was never a fan of chrysanthemums. She would get irked by the mncholic


    and monochromous colors. Instead, she was thrilled whenever she received sunflowers.


    After I got a few stalks of sunflowers, I asked Summer to hold on to it because I needed to get Old Mr.


    Fuller a bouquet as well. In the end, I got the reliable man a bouquet of yellow chrysanthemums.


    Grandma had always appreciated the bunch of celosia by the edge of the yard in R Province. The


    ornamental amaranth was no match for other species in terms of look, but it could brace itself through


    harsh weather and flourish in harsh conditions.


    As a result of the cemetery¡¯s expansion, there were a lot of stairs. Walking through the steps amid the


    heavy morning fog, I was grateful there were signs everywhere. Otherwise, I would have lost my way.


    There were a lot of people there to visit their deceased loved ones on that particr day. After dropping


    by the two seniors¡¯ graves, I brought Summer to visit Macy¡¯s grave.


    Another tall man with a callous look could be seen in front of her grave. After four years, he was no


    longer the gentleman I used to know.


    People would mature at different ages, but most people would turn into gentle adults as they got older.


    However, there were also some cases where certain adults might develop the other way and fall into


    the vicious cycle of despair due to their awful memories.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if Jared was the former or thetter category. After all, after four years, I still had no idea


    the sort of rtionship he had with Macy.


    Staring at the bouquet of balloon flowers in front of the tombstone, I was dumbfounded for a short


    while.


    Balloon flower had two kinds of meaning¡ªeternal love and eternal despair.


    At the end of the day, we would be overwhelmed by the things we owned in life if we failed to practice


    moderation in life. It would be better to appreciate things than constantly asking for more.


    ¡°Mommy!¡± Seeing how I was standing rooted to my spot for a while, Summer broke the silence. When


    she saw the photo on the tombstone, she asked, ¡°Is mommy Macy dead?¡±


    Her mellifluous voice caught Jared¡¯s attention. He turned around and gave me a wide-eyed stare when


    he saw me.


    When he noticed I wasn¡¯t the one talking, he turned his gaze to Summer.


    The man and the little girl exchanged nces. He pursed his lips with his brows furrowed. Perhaps


    they were meant to cross paths in life to sort out theplications behind their rtionship.


    A few secondster, he looked at me and asked, ¡°Is she¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish his question, I cut him off and instructed Summer, ¡°Summer, can you please


    ce the bouquet in front of mommy Macy¡¯s grave?¡±


    Macy would never want Summer to spend her time by Jared¡¯s side. I happened to share a simr


    vision and would never allow that to happen.


    Summer nodded; the little girl had no idea the emotions an adult had toward the deceased ones. After


    she ced the bouquet in front of the tombstone, she gazed at the photo.


    She was about the height of the tombstone. When she caught a glimpse of her biological mother,


    torrents of grief streamed down her face.


    ¡°Mommy said you¡¯re an important figure in her life. If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll always keep you in mind.¡±


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Although the little girl¡¯s words seemed to make little to no sense, others would feel wistful when they


    heard her mellifluous voice.


    Jared wasn¡¯t a fool. He was aware of my miscarriage back then. Therefore, he could easily rule out the


    possibility that Summer was my daughter.


    Judging by his look and response, I knew he had figured out Summer¡¯s identity.


    I had never once told him that Macy had passed on. Since he was here now, I reckoned it must be


    others who shared the news with him.


    He asked, ¡°What¡¯s her name?¡±


    It was evident he was talking about the little girl. ¡°Summer Stovall.¡± I looked at the photo on the


    tombstone while replying.


    As I watched Summer¡¯s attempt to wipe the photo clean, I could feel my heart breaking into a million


    pieces.


    Jared nodded and replied with a quivering voice, ¡°That¡¯s a great name.¡±


    I pursed my lips and felt a prickling sensation behind my eyes.


    asionally, she would show up in my dream with a little boy waving at me. She would say, ¡°Scarlett,


    I¡¯ll take good care of him on your behalf.¡±


    I started weeping because I wasn¡¯t given the chance to spend time with the little boy. Sometimes, I


    would imagine how our son would turn out since Ashton was such an exceptional man.


    On several asions, I would get overwhelmed by a plethora of emotions. Fortunately, Summer was


    by my side to keep mepany. I was able to move on from the mortifying past because of her.


    As we were no longer in the same realm, the only thing we could do was to take care of each other¡¯s


    loved ones on the other party¡¯s behalf.


    Once the fog subsided, a woman¡¯s voice could be heard from behind. ¡°Jared, shall we go home?¡±


    I found the woman¡¯s voice familiar. When I turned around, I was stupefied for a few seconds because


    the woman turned out to be Kristina.


    After four years, she had turned into a gorgeous and mature woman aspared to the childish young


    woman a few years ago.


    She was equally surprised when she saw me. When she caught a glimpse of Summer, her eyes


    flickered in confusion.

 Chapter 444

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 444


    A few secondster, she approached and greeted me, ¡°Hello, Ms. Stovall.¡±


    ¡°Hello,¡± I replied tly. To be honest, I hadn¡¯t moved on from the past, but I was no longer haunted by


    the things that had urred ages ago.


    It only took me a few seconds to figure out she had conceived Jared¡¯s child when I saw her baby bump.


    As a surge of anger welled up within me, I scoffed and red at him. ¡°Jared, you shouldn¡¯t have


    brought her here¡­¡±


    What the heck is this? Is she trying to assert dominance over Macy?


    Kristina rebutted, ¡°Ms. Stovall, please don¡¯t me Jared for this. I was the one who insisted on tagging


    along.¡±


    I found the duo hrious and fell silent. Staring at her baby bump, I asked rhetorically in a sarcastic


    manner, ¡°How dare you show up in front of her? Aren¡¯t you afraid of her paying you a visit in the middle


    of the night to get her revenge?¡±


    Kristina was one of the main reasons Macy had passed on back then. Since she had the audacity to


    show up in front of Macy¡¯s grave, she must be having a great time over the years.


    With a frightened look, she cast her gaze on Jared. She seemed to be afraid of Jared instead of Macy.


    What a joke! It seems that Jared was never made aware of the truth behind Macy¡¯s death.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, I know you¡¯re a close friend of Macy¡¯s, but we can¡¯t possibly bring the dead back to life.


    Do you really want us to spend the rest of our life in sorrow?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe she had the guts to pick on me in such a righteous manner.


    If I wasn¡¯t conscious of her past doings, I would definitely think of her as a noblewoman with a positive


    mindset.


    ¡°We can¡¯t bring the dead back, but we can always ensure justice is served!¡± I looked at Jared with a


    scowl and asked, ¡°Have you never wondered the reason behind Macy¡¯s death?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Stovall!¡± She yelled to stop me in the nick of time because she didn¡¯t expect me to be so frank


    about it. ¡°Macy died because she couldn¡¯t handle the news of your incident! Why are you bringing this


    up again?¡±


    Why?


    As I looked at her baby bump, I changed my mind about saying the truth. After all, the child had nothing


    to do with the feud.


    Seeing that I fell silent, Jared probed further, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Why don¡¯t you send someone to get to the bottom of this if you¡¯re curious? You need to


    stop behaving like a fool. Otherwise, others won¡¯t stop taking advantage of you.¡±


    At the end of the day, there were a lot of parties involved in Macy¡¯s death. Although Kristina was one of


    them, if I brought the truth up when she was the most vulnerable, it would simply make me another


    vicious woman like her.


    ¡°Summer, it¡¯s time to go home.¡± As we departed early in the morning to reach the cemetery on the


    outskirts, the little girl started spacing out as she stood in front of the grave.


    Summer nodded and paused. Looking at Jared, she bade him goodbye. ¡°Goodbye, Uncle!¡±


    Her words took me by surprise. Simrly, Jared¡¯s body stiffened because he too was taken aback by


    her response. He replied with his voice quivering, ¡°G-Goodbye!¡±


    I carried Summer on my back and made our way down the stairs because it would take me a lot of time


    to walk her down.


    Halfway through the seemingly endless stairs, I asked, ¡°Summer, do you like that uncle?¡±


    I knew Summer better than others¡ªshe wouldn¡¯t greet a stranger unless instructed to do so. To my


    surprise, she took the initiative and greeted Jared who was aplete stranger.


    ¡°Not really. It just feels like he¡¯s different from the other uncles.¡±


    I chuckled lightly as I wondered if it had something to do with the fact they were biologically rted.


    ¡°Mommy, do you hate him?¡± Seemingly exhausted, the little girl ced her head on my shoulder.


    After some consideration, I shook my head and shared my feelings. ¡°I don¡¯t really hate him, but I don¡¯t


    like him either. He¡¯s heavily indebted to an important person in my life.¡±


    She yawned, ¡°O-Oh¡­¡±


    By the time we walked out of the cemetery, Summer had fallen asleep on my back.


    I ended up standing by the road for some time because it wasn¡¯t easy to hail a cab.


    Just then, a ck Jaguar pulled up in front of me. As soon as the window was wound down, Jared¡¯s


    gorgeous face could be seen.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a ride home.¡±


    I shook my head and turned his offer down. ¡°Thanks, but no thanks. I prefer hailing a cab and making


    our way back on our own.¡±


    Kristina leaned over and added with a courteous smile, ¡°Ms. Stovall, it¡¯s not easy to hail a cab around


    here. Why don¡¯t you get in the car and allow us to give you a ride home?¡±


    Pursing my lips, I said tly, ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± I had no intention of continuing the conversation with


    her.


    Staring at Summer behind my back, Jared instructed, ¡°Do you want the child to sleep behind your back


    until you get a ride home? Just get in the car already!¡±


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I furrowed my brows because the duo was slowly getting on my nerves.


    Thankfully, a cab showed up from afar just then. I waved at the driver and cast an indifferent nce at


    the duo. ¡°Thanks for the offer, but my ride is here.¡±


    Summer continued sleeping soundly after we boarded the cab. I tucked her in when we reached


    Glenwood Apartments. After packing my stuff, I reached for my phone to order something to eat.


    I noticed I had a few missed calls from Ashton and Jackson. I was supposed to tell Ashton that I had


    arrived safe and sound, but Ipletely forgot about it since we touched downte in the night.


    Seeing that it was a weekday, I knew Jackson should be in the middle of work. Hence, I dropped him a


    text and told him I had reached my destination.

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    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 445


    The moment I gave Aston a call, it was picked up almost instantly. The man on the other end of the line


    asked, ¡°Are you busy?¡±


    I stuffed the clothes we had changed out of into the washing machine. After all, the cemetery was built


    on a hill and there were muddy stains on our clothes.


    ¡°I brought Summer out for a walk with me.¡± Halfway through the call, I heard noisesing from the


    bedroom.


    Thus, I walked over to check on Summer because she seemed to have roused from her sleep.


    ¡°Do you have anything on your schedule in the afternoon?¡± Ashton asked.


    ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ll take a stroll around.¡± Summer was indeed awake. She sat on the bed, ying with the


    lamp on the nightstand.


    When she saw me, she called out, ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m hungry!¡±


    I nodded and told Ashton, ¡°I need to make Summer something to eat. I¡¯ll talk to youter.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± he replied in a gentle tone.


    After hanging up the call, someone rang the doorbell. I thought it was the food I had ordered, but I saw


    Jackson the moment I opened the door.


    He showed up with a bunch of different things. As it took me some time to answer the door, he asked,


    ¡°Were you sleeping?¡±


    ¡°No. Why are you here when you¡¯re supposed to be working?¡±


    He brought the things he had into the kitchen and heaved a long sigh. ¡°How am I supposed to work


    when I know there¡¯s nothing in your refrigerator? I can¡¯t possibly allow you and the child to starve, can


    I?¡±


    He was spot on because Summer had wrapped her arms around his leg, stating she was hungry.


    He showed her the desert he bought her and offered, ¡°Why don¡¯t you finish this while I make you


    something to eat?¡±


    Once he dealt with Summer, he looked at me in the eyes and queried, ¡°Where have you been?¡±


    As I helped him put the things he bought into the refrigerator, I told him, ¡°I dropped by the cemetery.


    Ironically, I ran into Jared and Kristina.¡±


    I hesitated for a short while but decided to tell him the truth after much consideration. ¡°Kristina seems to


    be pregnant.¡±


    Jackson paused before turning around and asked with a frown, ¡°She¡¯s pregnant with Jared¡¯s child?¡±


    ¡°Maybe?¡± I shrugged and replied with a rhetorical question because I wasn¡¯t sure either.


    He looked at Summer and said in a hushed voice, ¡°I want you to keep Summer¡¯s existence a secret.¡±


    I pursed my lips. ¡°There¡¯s a possibility that he has already figured out her identity. After all, Summer


    sort of resembles him in terms of look.¡±


    ¡°So what? As long as you keep him in the dark and deny it, he won¡¯t be able to bring her away!¡±


    Jackson was getting slightly worked up. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t because of Kristina, Macy wouldn¡¯t have passed on


    due to hemorrhage!¡±


    Summer was munching away at the food Jackson bought her in silence because she was famished.


    Since Jackson was there, there wasn¡¯t anything much for me to do in the kitchen. After a moment, I


    received a text from Ashton. Ashton: It¡¯s raining in K City. Is it raining on your end? Remember to bring


    an umbre with you if you¡¯re heading out.


    I found him adorable and couldn¡¯t help but smiled. Scarlett: Alright, I¡¯ll keep that in mind.


    Ashton: Remember to put on a few jackets when you¡¯re out. I¡¯ll drop by and visit you once I¡¯m done


    with my business.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Scarlett: Okay!


    Ashton: Do you miss me?


    Scarlett: I do.


    Ashton: Me too.


    By the time I wrapped up our conversation, Jackson had our meal ready. I put my phone aside and


    brought Summer to the kitchen to join him.


    In the afternoon, Jackson said he wanted to bring Summer out for some fun with him.


    I was slightly worn out. Thus, I decided to take a break and told them to go ahead without me.


    After the duo departed, I noticed I had a hard time falling asleep. By the time I woke up, my body ached


    due to the awful sleep.


    I got slightly depressed when I caught a glimpse of the gloomy weather. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t a great idea


    to stay back on my own.


    After washing up, I brought an umbre with me and made my way out.


    J City was shrouded in rain and mist. When I passed by Fuller Corporation, I noticed a lot had changed


    after four years.


    The entire building was renovated. There were all sorts of skyscrapers, including malls and offices


    around the building. I reckoned that particr area would be the brand new city center in the future.


    As I stood in front of the majestic building, I lost myself in a train of thoughts. It¡¯s been four years,


    huh¡­ I noticed I was not the same person anymore.


    It was still early. As I sat in the middle of the square staring at the passerby, I could see couples with


    bright grins on their faces as well as elderlies who were just taking a stroll.


    Time seemed to pass by in the blink of an eye. When Ashton showed up and took a seat by my side, I


    was startled for a moment. ¡°Aren¡¯t you in K City?¡±


    Smiling, he asked in return, ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be in R Province? Since when have you made


    your way back to J City? Why haven¡¯t you mentioned anything about it?¡±


    I leaned over and ced my head on his shoulders. ¡°I was about to tell you, but I changed my mind


    when I thought you were still in K City. My initial n was to get in touch with you the moment I reach K


    City.¡±


    He nodded and wrapped his arm around me. ¡°No matter where you are, you have to let me know. I


    need to know that you¡¯re safe.¡±


    I responded with a nod. Staring at the bustling crowd on the streets, I asked, ¡°How did you find me?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you give it a guess?¡±


    I shook my head. As I looked into his eyes, I could see the warmth in them. ¡°Perhaps, this is fate.¡±


    ¡°Mmm!¡± He nodded and kissed me on the forehead.


    The sudden kiss took me by surprise because it came out of nowhere in the middle of a bustling street.


    The drizzle didn¡¯t seem to affect the amorous kiss at all. Gasps could be heard as the surprised


    passersby stopped and stared at us.


    Perhaps some of them recognized who Ashton was. The passersby couldn¡¯t move their eyes away


    from us. They seemed to be shocked and curious at the same time.

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    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 446


    Those who recognized Ashton started taking photos with their phone.


    I looked him in the eyes with my face flushed red. ¡°It¡¯s your fault that others are staring at us!¡±


    Smiling, he cradled me in his arms. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Just then, a ck Maybach pulled over by the street. Joseph alighted from the car and approached


    Ashton after showing me the way to the car.


    After Ashton whispered something in Joseph¡¯s ear, he joined me in the car. He looked at me and


    asked, ¡°Do you have any particr cravings?¡±


    By the time I returned to my senses, I noticed we had been there for a few hours.


    ¡°Anything will do.¡±


    J City had gone through drastic changes within four years.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    In the end, we went to a nearby restaurant that he had always frequented.


    We were seated on the roof of a skyscraper in the middle of the city overlooking the entire cityscape.


    Before we could ce our order, we encountered a close acquaintance of ours; to be precise, a close


    acquaintance of Ashton.


    Nancy, the renowned celebrity, had put on her best fit and dolled herself up ostentatiously. She became


    the center of attention the moment she showed up from afar.


    When she saw me, her smile froze, seemingly thinking about something.


    The odd expression merelysted for a few seconds, however, and she greeted Ashton courteously,


    ¡°What a surprise! I thought you were busy with your work, who knew you¡¯d be here meeting with a


    friend.¡±


    ¡°Are you here alone?¡± Ashton asked tly.


    ¡°I¡¯m here with a friend to talk about HiTech¡¯s promotional clip. I need to find myself a suitable


    photographer for the job.¡±


    Ashton nodded and said, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you should get going then.¡±


    Hearing that, Nancy was rendered speechless with an awkward look on her face. She looked at me


    and asked politely, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to introduce us to one another?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s my wife, Scarlett Stovall.¡± After he introduced me to Nancy, he pointed in her direction while


    looking at me. ¡°She¡¯s an artiste under the management of Fuller Media.¡±


    I could hear Nancy¡¯s heart breaking into pieces by Ashton¡¯s indifferent introduction. Her emotions were


    written all over her face with a rigid smile, but as a veteran artist in showbiz, she initiated a handshake.


    ¡°Hello, Ms. Stovall. My name is Nancy Goldstein. Please feel free to address me as Nancy.¡±


    I returned the favor and nodded with a smile, introducing myself, ¡°Hello, Nancy. Ashton and I used to


    be husband and wife.¡±


    Shocked by my remark, she stared at me openmouthed. ¡°Used to be? Does that mean you¡¯re no longer


    Mr. Fuller¡¯s spouse?¡±


    I nodded and said, ¡°It has been four years since our divorce.¡±


    Nancy seemed to be surprised by the news, but she did a great job at keeping her emotions to herself.


    ¡°Well then, please enjoy yourselves. I¡¯ll head over and join my friend now.¡±


    Being a man of few words, Ashton simply responded with a nod while I smiled in return.


    After Nancy departed, I felt a chill running down my spine because of Ashton¡¯s re. I took the initiative


    and asked, ¡°You¡¯re not going to ruin such a great evening, are you?¡±


    He chuckled out loud at my words. After dicing his serving of steak into bite-size pieces, he swapped it


    with my te of steak.


    I was never a huge fan of steak because it was a hassle to eat it. On top of that, Macy used to tell me


    having a steak felt like dissecting a corpse.


    She told me that society had gotten used to having their meals with cutleries because raw food was the


    only source of protein back in the day. Therefore, cutleries were essential to savor the food.


    I didn¡¯t bother to check whether what she said was real, but I couldn¡¯t deny the fact that I was bothered


    by it.


    Nancy was seated a few tables away from us. Thus, she could easily catch a glimpse of our interaction.


    ¡°Here, have a ss of juice before your meal.¡± By the time he finished his sentence, he had already


    passed the ss to me.


    I was forced to finish it. I had the urge tough because I knew it was a deliberate move on his part to


    intimidate Nancy.


    ¡°I can help myself, okay? Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re overreacting?¡± I wasn¡¯t ying hard to get, but I


    couldn¡¯t get used to Nancy staring at us throughout our meal.


    ¡°Since we¡¯re in the middle of a date, don¡¯t you think we¡¯re supposed to behave intimately?¡± he asked in


    a pretentious manner.


    I sighed in response. What a petty man.


    He continued feeding me another bite of steak. ¡°Hey, I really can help myself, okay?¡±


    Frowning, he insisted, ¡°But I enjoy feeding you.¡±


    After we finished our meal and made our way out of the restaurant, I shared a trivial incident with


    Ashton. ¡°When I was at R Province, a man called Matthew thought I was Nancy and confessed the


    affection he had for her.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t particrly interested in Nancy, but I couldn¡¯t help but feeling perplexed when others brought


    up the fact that we resembled one another over and over again.


    As such, I kept ncing at Nancy throughout our meal, observing her. Indeed, we resembled one


    another in terms of look, especially our facial features.


    Ashton started the car and replied with a smirk, ¡°There are plenty of people who looked alike in this


    world. But one thing they can¡¯t ever change or mimic is the way they carry themselves. In short, you will


    never be able to find one person that is the exact replica of another.¡±


    I simply smiled in response and fell silent.


    After spending a day with him, I waspletely worn out. When I woke up from a short nap, I noticed


    we have pulled over in front of a vi.


    Albeit sleepy, I asked, ¡°Where are we?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re home.¡± He leaned over and unfastened the seatbelt for me.


    I peered into his eyes and felt slightly confused. A whiff of tobo could be detected from his heavy


    breath.

 Chapter 447

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 447


    I looked away and avoided his gaze, but he took me by surprise with an amorous kiss.


    It took me a short while to pull myself together. ¡°Summer is still in Glenwood Apartments! I need to


    return to her!¡±


    Staring at me, he said, ¡°I have gotten in touch with Jackson. He told me he would look after Summer.


    Since you¡¯re back, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re supposed to live with me?¡±


    My brows furrowed. ¡°But we¡¯re already divorced!¡±


    ¡°I have never signed the agreement.¡± He uttered in a hoarse voice.


    He then lifted me up and brought me into the vi against my will. It was only then that I noticed we had


    made our way back to the vi at Peakville Estate.


    Apart from the exterior of the vi, nothing much had changed over the past four years.


    I felt ufortable being carried by him. Hence, I insisted, ¡°I can walk on my own!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just close your eyes and take a break.¡±


    I found his words absurd because it was only a short distance that would take me a few minutes at


    most.


    The moment we entered the living room, I was caught off guard by the presence of Sally and Nancy.


    It had been four years since Ist saw Sally. In spite of her pale and haggard face, it didn¡¯t impact the


    noble presence she was blessed with since birth.


    The fact that we showed up in such an intimate manner startled the duo who was drinking tea in the


    living room. They jumped up from the couch.


    Sally¡¯s displeasure was written all over her scrunched-up face. Staring at Ashton, she asked petntly,


    ¡°Why have you brought her back? You¡ª¡±


    Simrly, Ashton replied with a frown, ¡°Aunt Sally, I believe that¡¯s none of your business.¡± His tone was


    t and emotionless, indicating to her that she should stop poking her nose into his business.


    Sally was on the verge of losing her cool. ¡°Ashton, since you guys are divorced, why can¡¯t you move


    on? It has been four years¡ª¡±


    ¡°Aunt Sally, it¡¯s gettingte. I believe it¡¯s time for you to leave!¡± He made himself clear that he wanted


    his aunt to get out of his sight at once.


    Ashton lowered his gaze and looked at me before uttering in a gentle tone, ¡°If you¡¯re sleepy, go ahead


    and take a nap.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but sigh when I realized I had indirectly offended Sally once again.


    He brought me upstairs and asserted, ¡°I have everything you need in the bedroom. Nothing much has


    changed.¡±


    I caught a glimpse of Nancy¡¯s dejected look. She seemed to be having a hard time pulling herself


    together.


    As a fellow woman, I knew the emotions associated with that look¡ªI was certain she was head over


    heels in love with Ashton.


    Nheless, I couldn¡¯t be certain of the sort of rtionship she had with Ashton over the past four


    years.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller!¡± Nancy called out, her voice echoed in the spacious living room.


    ¡°What do you need, Ms. Goldstein?¡± Ashton turned around and queried with a frown. It was evident he


    was irked by her presence.


    Aggrieved, Nancy replied with her lips pursed, ¡°I have something regarding the deal with HiTech to sort


    out with you.¡±


    Ashton knew the proper way to carry himself as a gentleman. Upon a simple nce, he replied in a


    callous tone, ¡°Ms. Goldstein, it¡¯s nine o¡¯clock in the evening. Fuller Corporation only operates from nine


    in the morning till six in the evening. Since we¡¯re three hours beyond work hours, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s


    rude to talk about work now? I¡¯m afraid others are going to misperceive our rtionship since you


    brought up such an odd request in the middle of the night.¡±


    Halfway through his orated speech, he cast a stern gaze at her and asked, ¡°You¡¯re twenty-six-year-old,


    aren¡¯t you, Ms. Goldstein? I¡¯m sure you know the appropriate time to bring work up, don¡¯t you? It


    doesn¡¯t feel great to have a stranger in the house. I¡¯m not sure how you manage to gain ess to my


    house, but I don¡¯t wish to see you here without my consent in the future. After all, I don¡¯t enjoy having


    others interrupting my quality time with my wife.¡±


    In spite of his carefully curated speech that had perfectly disguised his wrath, no ordinary woman could


    stand being stung by such harsh double innuendos.


    It must be tough for her since the gentleman who happened to be her crush uttered such cruel remarks


    against her without a second thought.


    Sally was infuriated when she heard her nephew¡¯s words. She reprimanded, ¡°Ashton, that¡¯s too much!¡±


    Meanwhile, all the colors had long since drained from Nancy¡¯s face. Nheless, she did her best to


    keep her emotions to herself after the awkward confrontation.


    Sally consoled the helpless woman, ¡°Nancy, you don¡¯t have to take Ashton seriously. He doesn¡¯t mean


    it. I¡¯ll get you a cab to send you back.¡±


    Nancy shook her head and denoted, ¡°It¡¯s fine, Ms. Fuller.¡±


    Afraid of having eye contact with Ashton, she lowered her gaze while making her way out of the vi.


    Sally went after Nancy to console her. Perhaps Ashton was infuriated because of the things Nancy had


    told Sally.


    Although I couldn¡¯t be sure of the sort of rtionship Nancy had with Sally over the past four years,


    judging by the fact she tried to defend Nancy, I knew things were not the same anymore.


    Once Ashton brought me into the bedroom, he kissed me on my forehead and assured me earnestly,


    ¡°You should call it a day.¡±


    He returned downstairs after he tucked me in.


    I was sure Sally only nagged him because she cared about him as his senior. After all, after everything


    that happened, it was natural for Sally to reject the idea of us patching things up.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 448

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 448


    If our roles were reversed, I would never allow it to happen as well. After all, we used to hurt one


    another. It would be close to impossible for us to patch things up, behaving as though nothing had


    urred.


    He switched off the light in the room because he wanted me to sleep, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to


    sleep in the pitch-ck room since I was afraid of the dark.


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    I sat upright on the bed and switched on themp on the nightstand. Since Summer wasn¡¯t around, I


    would need the aid of incense to bring myself to sleep.


    When I walked out of the bedroom, I heard amotioning from the living room.


    Ashton and Sally were in a heated discussion. Needless to say, I was the center of their discussion.


    Sally reprimanded Ashton, ¡°Why can¡¯t you move on from her? You¡¯re well aware of her background,


    don¡¯t you? There¡¯s no way things will work out between both of you! Why can¡¯t you give Nancy a


    chance?¡±


    She got increasingly worked up and asked, ¡°In terms of look, Nancy resembles Scarlett, yet she¡¯s way


    younger and better than Scarlett! Why don¡¯t you start a family with her? Since she¡¯s far more sensible


    than Scarlett, I¡¯m sure you can focus on your career after getting married! Why can¡¯t you stop torturing


    yourself?¡±


    To be honest, her words made a lot of sense because it would be better for us to move on and start a


    new life with a better half.


    I thought Ashton would ignore his aunt, but he actually rebutted her. ¡°She was merely twenty-two years


    old when I first encountered her in the library of J University. Holding on to Romeo and Juliet while


    making her way out of the library, Scarlett was engaged in a conversation with Macy. I couldn¡¯t hear


    what they were talking about, but she said she would rather live a life like Juliet¡¯s, staying true to


    herself, forsaking her life for the sake of love.¡±


    He paused before adding, ¡°Perhaps she had the best time of her life back when I first saw her. I knew


    she was an ambitious girl, yet Grandpa forced her to join the Fullers and insisted on having us married.


    I knew it was never her intention to get married to me. Therefore, I made the decision to call off our


    wedding. Unfortunately, Grandpa insisted and forced us to carry on with the wedding ceremony. On the


    day of the ceremony, I was determined to set her free if she truly desired to leave me. Over the two


    years, I stayed away from her and spent my time honoring Parker¡¯s final wish. However, my lust took


    over my rationality. When I got drunk, I identally forced her into submission and got her pregnant.


    ¡°Perhaps that was part of our destinies. Therefore, I changed my mind and started taking care of her


    with everything I had. I promised her a grand wedding ceremony and swore upon my name to take


    good care of her and our child. I was the only one she could rely on, and yet, I was the one who


    brought upon her misfortune. Over the past four years, I had been thinking over and over again. If it


    weren¡¯t because of me, could she have lived apletely different life?¡±


    He looked at his aunt with a deprecating smile. ¡°Aunt Sally, she¡¯s not the one who can live without me


    ¡ªI¡¯m the one who can¡¯t go by a day without her. I ended up hurting her because I didn¡¯t learn to love


    her. After our encounter, she had be my one and only. No matter what lies in the future, I want to


    keep her by my side and let bygones be bygones. The future is the one that matters the most, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    My heart ached when I saw the ring on Ashton¡¯s finger¡ªhe had never once removed our wedding ring.


    On the other hand, Sally didn¡¯t expect Ashton would share his most inner thoughts with her. She stared


    at him openmouthed because she was at a loss for words.


    When she raised her head and saw me, she shook her head before spinning on her heels and left.


    I returned to the bedroom and noticed I had never looked at things from his perspective. Although I was


    conscious of the affection he had for me, it turned out to be more than I thought.


    Lying on the bed, I couldn¡¯t fall asleep. When Ashton entered the bedroom, I was still wide awake.


    I closed my eyes when I noticed he was about to enter the room, but he caught me red-handed and


    asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Having trouble falling asleep?¡±


    After hesitating for a short while, I said, ¡°Perhaps it was because of the unfamiliar environment.¡± The


    moment I enunciated my reply, I regretted my words because it used to be my room four years ago.


    Frowning, he took a seat by my side and cradled me in his arms with a bright grin. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s not


    because I¡¯m not around?¡±


    I was startled by his words.


    It was early September. The weather wasn¡¯t as frigid, but it was a chilly night. I couldn¡¯t stand the cold


    anymore and I snuggled in between his arms to keep myself warm.


    When he cradled me in his arms, I was overwhelmed by the uncertainties that were in store for us. In


    the end, I decided to appreciate the limited times we have.


    ¡­


    I was roused from my sleep when the shaft of sunlight illuminated the entire bedroom.


    In my groggy state, I saw Ashton by the edge of our bed, sorting out the documents he had.

 Chapter 449

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 449


    ¡°Ashton!¡± I called out because I thought I was in a dream, but when he turned around and looked at me


    with his glistering pair of eyes, I knew then he was real.


    He put his documents aside and leaned over to kiss me. ¡°Do you want to join me on a trip


    somewhere?¡±


    ¡°Does it have something to do with your work?¡±


    ¡°It does, but it¡¯s not just work. Since today is such a great day, let¡¯s go for a walk.¡±


    I nodded.


    HiTech¡¯s promotional clip was one of the reasons Ashton had returned to J City.


    An outdoor studio was leased for the shoot. Ashton wouldn¡¯t have to be there, but he brought me over


    because he thought I would enjoy a walk.


    The staff in the spacious studio were dealing with their respective tasks. Before entering the studio,


    Ashton received a call that required his attention to sort out a certain emergency.


    ¡°Does that mean the things needed aren¡¯t prepared beforehand?¡± He raised his volume because he


    was infuriated.


    The person on the other end of the call was on pins and needles. ¡°It¡¯s one of White Corporation¡¯s many


    projects. Mr. White insisted on dealing with you in person.¡±


    Ashton was frustrated, yet he did a great job suppressing his emotions. Nodding, he asserted, ¡°Fine!¡±


    Once he hung up the call, he turned around and looked at me. I got ahead of him and announced with


    a smile, ¡°Why don¡¯t you tend to the emergency? If you¡¯re here, I¡¯m afraid others are going to talk about


    us behind our back again.¡±


    Literally, everyone from Fuller Corporation was familiar with Ashton. Therefore, if others saw another


    woman by his side, the gossipmongers would start spreading rumors again.


    He nodded and beckoned Joseph over to show me the way around the studio prior to his departure.


    Joseph followed me everywhere I went. After a few steps, I turned around because I couldn¡¯t stand the


    awkwardness anymore. ¡°I can take care of myself. Why don¡¯t you tend to the things you have on your


    te?¡±


    He shook his head and insisted, ¡°I can be your guide!¡±


    I rolled my eyes and chuckled helplessly. Actually, it wouldn¡¯t be much of a difference to have him or


    Ashton by my side.


    When I saw the person at the entrance, I felt a sense of relief. After making sure that she was the


    person I had in mind, I approached her with a smile. ¡°Stacey!¡±


    After four years, she seemed to have been promoted to a higher position.


    She was equally surprised when she saw me. Before I could grasp the situation, she had rushed over,


    firmly holding me in her arms. ¡°What on earth happened? Where have you been over the years? It has


    been such a long time since Ist heard from you!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m back!¡± I replied with a smile. When I left, I got everything changed, including my contact number.


    In other words, it would be tough for others to reach me.


    Stacey took a breather and stared at me with her eyes widened when she saw Joseph behind me. ¡°Are


    you here with Mr. Fuller?¡±


    I nodded and exined, ¡°I¡¯m just here for a walk. Why don¡¯t you show me around?¡± ncing at


    Joseph, I asked, ¡°Mr. Campbell, is that fine with you?¡±


    Since I had made myself clear, Joseph couldn¡¯t possibly turn me down. He nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ll leave


    you guys alone then. Please contact me if there¡¯s anything you need.¡±


    After he departed, I told Stacey, ¡°I am so grateful you¡¯re here! Otherwise, your colleagues are going to


    talk about me behind my back again.¡±


    She nodded and added, ¡°Although Mr. Campbell is merely Mr. Fuller¡¯s assistant, his presence is still


    going to attract other¡¯s attention. Allow me to show you around instead.¡±


    After we took a few steps, she turned around and teased, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about attracting


    others¡¯ attention because I¡¯m merely a manager in the nning Department.¡±


    As Stacey showed me the way to the studio, she introduced Fuller Media to me and asked me to tell


    her the things that had urred over the years.


    It was a pleasant moment to be around Stacey.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Ms. Holmes, those from the Publicity Department said Nancy wouldn¡¯t be able to join the shoot


    because she had fallen ill. What should we do? We have everything ready, but our lead actress isn¡¯t


    here.¡± Ady showed up and asked anxiously.


    Surprised, Stacey frowned and asked, ¡°What happened? How could she be so irresponsible and call it


    off at thest minute? It took us an entire week to get the required setup ready! Not to mention, the


    weather today is perfect for the shoot!¡±


    Just then, a few other people in charge of the production gathered around. They were equally flustered.


    ¡°We need the teaser for the promotional clip tomorrow because we have gotten in touch with the media


    way beforehand. If we can¡¯t keep our words, I¡¯m afraid Fuller Corporation¡¯s image is at stake.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! We can¡¯t afford to dy the production any further! The production fee is nothing serious,


    but Fuller Corporation¡¯s share price will take a heavy blow!¡±


    ¡°I think Nancy is deliberately ying hard to get! Does she really think she¡¯s a bigshot in the showbiz


    just because she was Mr. Fuller¡¯s partner for a few official events?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s forget about the things she has done in the past, but how could she be so irresponsible when


    she¡¯s involved in such an important project?¡±


    The anxious bunch couldn¡¯t do anything else apart fromining about the things they had been


    keeping to themselves.

 Chapter 450

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 450


    I was dumbfounded when I saw Stacey staring at me with an odd grin. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you look like Nancy?¡± she asked, pursing her lips.


    She was so loud her fellow colleagues could hear her. I was rendered speechless because I was aware


    of the fact I resembled Nancy.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    I looked her in the eyes with a frown. ¡°So what?¡±


    Stacey cast a sincere gaze and begged, ¡°Scarlett! Can you do me a favor?¡±


    I was confused for a few seconds. ¡°What sort of favor do you need?¡±


    She hesitated and had a hard time bringing up the request. Thus, those around her got ahead of her


    and said, ¡°She does resemble Nancy in terms of look, but the vibe she¡¯s giving off is far more


    exceptional than Nancy¡¯s!¡±


    All of a sudden, someone looked at Stacey and stuttered, ¡°M-Ms. Holmes, are you going to¡ª¡±


    Stacey nodded and nced at me. ¡°Scarlett, Nancy could never be a match for you. I need to get the


    promotional clip produced today. Otherwise, Fuller Corporation will sustain a serious loss. If Mr. Fuller


    confronts me, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to lose my job for good. Can you please help me with the


    promotional clip?¡±


    ¡°A promotional clip? Are you sure? I¡¯m aplete rookie with zero exposure to the things you¡¯re talking


    about.¡±


    Stacey assured, ¡°It¡¯s fine! It¡¯s not a big deal! As soon as you got changed and dolled up, the


    photographer will take over!¡±


    When I saw the beads of sweat streaming down her forehead, my resolve wavered.


    After hesitating for a short while, I nodded and gave in to her request.


    Her colleagues heaved a sigh of relief because they managed to resolve the emergency. Stacey


    dragged me away and said, ¡°Thank you so much!¡±


    She showed me the way to the dressing room, asserting over and over again, ¡°You have no idea how


    grateful I am, Scarlett! I was afraid you would turn me down because Mr. Fuller might not want you to


    show up in the limelight. Myst option was to get down on my knees to acquire your consent.¡±


    I thought she was exaggerating things and assured her once more, ¡°It¡¯s not that big of a deal. There¡¯s


    no need for that.¡±


    ¡°You have no idea how impactful this seemingly trivial favor of yours is going to help me!¡±


    After we got into the dressing room, the stylists and makeup artists had everything ready. As soon as


    Stacey delivered the instructions, she returned to the studio for the setup.


    When I took a seat in front of the dressing table, the makeup artist couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°Ms.


    Stovall, you really do resemble Nancy!¡±


    I responded with a faint smile and brushed her off.


    Someone interrupted and said, ¡°Their facial features are the only things that are the same, but Ms.


    Stovall¡¯s ones are way more natural. I can¡¯t help but wonder if Nancy is trying to mimic someone.¡±


    The makeup artist started dolling me up. They started gossiping in front of me without holding back


    because they thought I was just another substitute for the role.


    ¡°Do you think she¡¯s trying to mimic Reba? After all, Mr. Fuller has been protecting Reba all this


    while.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re right! Rumor has it that Ms. Larson was Mr. Fuller¡¯s mistress. Over the years, he had


    been keeping her in his vi, afraid of exposing her to excessive risk.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Do you remember the time I was dispatched to doll her up for the auction? Oh, God! If you tell me


    Nancy is Ms. Larson¡¯s twin, I won¡¯t doubt it at all!¡±


    While the duo was engaged in a hectic discussion, I thought Ashton must have been keeping Reba


    away from the public as part of his duties.


    The duo continued gossiping. ¡°I heard Mr. Fuller would get engaged to Ms. Larson soon! Someone told


    me they had been having a great time together!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Of course! Someone uploaded photos of Mr. Fuller and Ms. Larson kissing in the middle of the square


    and said the woman she saw resembled Nancy! However, only the woman¡¯s back could be seen in the


    photos!¡±


    I was astonished when I heard them talking about photos of Ashton kissing with another woman in the


    square.


    Another person interrupted and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think that woman is Ms. Larson nor Nancy because it¡¯s


    impossible for them to show up on the streets when they have garnered the attention of the public. On


    top of that, Nancy¡¯s clothes have always been designer¡¯s items, but the woman¡¯s clothes are merely


    from a fast-fashion brand.¡±


    Someone wanted to say something, but they were interrupted by amotioning from outside the


    dressing room.


    The makeup artist gaped at me in silence after she dolled me up. ¡°Oh, my! Ms. Stovall, you have such


    wless facial features and skin!¡±


    All of a sudden, a bunch of people barged into the dressing room under the guidance of a middle-aged


    woman in her early forties.


    She seemed to be frustrated and yelled, ¡°Nancy isn¡¯t here yet! Who gave you the permission to


    proceed with a substitute?¡±


    Isabelle, the person in charge of the Publicity Department, rebuked, ¡°Vanessa, didn¡¯t you say Nancy


    has fallen ill? Since she¡¯s noting for the shoot, we need to get someone else to carry on with the


    production!¡±


    Vanessa scowled at me and announced, ¡°It¡¯s true that Nancy is not feeling well, but since when has


    anyone mentioned anything about noting? Do you really think this woman here is able to take over


    Nancy¡¯s role? She¡¯s nothing close to Nancy!¡±

 Chapter 451

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 451


    As soon as Vanessa made herself clear, she beckoned the assistants behind her over and instructed,


    ¡°Please go get Nancy over and get the rest of the team ready. We¡¯re going to doll Nancy up for the


    shoot.¡±


    The team of stylists and makeup artists was put in a tight spot. One of them said, ¡°Vanessa, our


    supervisors have instructed us to get Ms. Stovall ready for the shoot. I¡¯m afraid the shoot will be


    dyed if we start all over from scratch.¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to say we¡¯re wasting your time? Is it really that tough to get everything ready from


    scratch? Do you really think this substitute over here qualifies to be involved in such an exclusive


    promotional clip?¡± Vanessa looked at me with a scornful look.


    Sneering, she said, ¡°Does she really think she¡¯s a match for Nancy in terms of look just because she


    resembles her? Has she no shame at all?¡±


    The middle-aged woman started picking on me.


    ¡°Vanessa, since when have you be such a vicious woman? Who are you calling a shameless


    woman?¡± Stacey, who had rushed into the dressing room, patted me on my back and asked, ¡°Are you


    okay?¡±


    I shook my head because it wasn¡¯t a big deal. I had long gotten used to this kind of situation since four


    years ago.


    Vanessa sneered when Stacey showed up. ¡°Ms. Holmes, why is the person in charge of the Marketing


    Department interfering with the affairs of the Publicity Department?¡±


    ¡°What about you, Vanessa? Who gives you the right to poke your nose into the internal affair of Fuller


    Corporation? At the end of the day, I¡¯m a staff, but what about you? ording to Mr. Fuller, you¡¯re


    merely Nancy¡¯s manager, aren¡¯t you? In other words, you¡¯re not really affiliated with Fuller Corporation.¡±


    ¡°Y-You¡ª¡± Infuriated, Vanessa started panting heavily. ¡°Are you calling off the coboration with Nancy?


    I guess this necessitates a session with Mr. Fuller to figure out if Nancy is a member of Fuller


    Corporation or not!¡±


    She seemed to have misperceived Stacey¡¯s words. Nheless, Stacey couldn¡¯t be bothered by


    Vanessa anymore. She instructed the photographers, ¡°Since everything¡¯s ready, I want everyone to


    start with the shoot! Please ensure that there isn¡¯t any non-relevant personnel in the studio!¡±


    Vanessa had never gone through such humiliation. When she was about to lose her cool, Nancy


    showed up and entered the dressing room.


    She had put on a white tulle dress with her long hair cascading down her shoulders. Her already


    miniature face seemed even more delicate.


    It was the third time we encountered one another. Upon a simple nce, she was startled by my


    presence.


    Vanessa got ahead of Nancy and instructed, ¡°Nancy, since you¡¯re here, let¡¯s get you ready for the


    shoot!¡±


    Nancy ignored Vanessa¡¯s instruction and looked me in the eyes, asking in a callous tone, ¡°Ms. Stovall?¡±


    I nodded and replied with a faint smile, ¡°Hello, Nancy.¡±


    She sized me up and had her eyes glued to my face. Frowning, she raised her volume and asked,


    ¡°Since when have you been chosen to take over my role?¡±


    Stacey rebutted, ¡°Ms. Goldstein, didn¡¯t you say that you couldn¡¯t make it because you¡¯re sick?¡±


    ¡°So what about it? Are you trying to tell me you can always get another person from the streets to


    rece me?¡± Nancy countered.


    Vanessa yed along with Nancy and grumbled, ¡°Do you really think a random woman can take over


    Nancy¡¯s role? She merely resembles Nancy, but she¡¯s nothing close! She should know her ce and


    get lost already!¡±


    ¡°If you can¡¯t mind your words, please get out of the studio at once!¡± Stacey couldn¡¯t suppress her wrath


    anymore. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we¡¯re not looking for a nitpicking model to represent thepany! We¡¯re


    searching for an ambassador who can carry herself in an elegant and humble manner!¡±


    ¡°Who are you calling a nitpicking model?¡± Vanessa had enough of beating around the bush. She yelled


    at Stacey, ¡°You¡¯re merely a manager from the Marketing Department! Do you really think you¡¯re able to


    make the call? If Nancy wants you to get lost, do you think you¡¯re able to keep your job?¡±


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Stacey almost burst intoughter. ¡°Ha! Since when has Nancy be the person in charge of Fuller


    Corporation? Why have I not been made aware of the change?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? Nancy has been by Mr. Fuller¡¯s side over the years! How dare you get so full of


    yourself in front of us?¡± Vanessa insinuated the sort of rtionship Nancy had with Ashton was beyond


    their expectation.


    Although the onlookers weren¡¯t particrly fond of Nancy, they dared not pick on her after Vanessa


    indicated the former was rted to Ashton.


    Stacey, being the strong and stubborn woman that she was, had no intention to give up just yet. She


    found Vanessa¡¯s words hrious and scowled at Nancy. ¡°Vanessa is not aware of the rtionship you


    have with Mr. Fuller, but what about you, Ms. Goldstein?¡±


    ¡°Y-You¡ª¡±


    Stacey sneered and announced, ¡°Haven¡¯t you undergone stic surgery based on another woman¡¯s


    look? I¡¯m sure Mr. Fuller has gotten sick of you after spending his time with a doppelganger over the


    years! Besides, I doubt you even know who you are anymore after mimicking a person so hard over the


    years.¡±

 Chapter 452

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 452


    Stacey¡¯s remark was a vital blow for a celebrity in showbiz. On top of that, she exposed the fact that


    Nancy had undergone stic surgery in front of others.


    If there were any paparazzo nearby, the news would definitely make it to the headline within several


    hours.


    I did, however, noticed the simrities between Reba and Nancy when I heard Stacey¡¯s remarks.


    Both of them seemed to enjoy putting on monochromous dresses. If I hadn¡¯t run into her before, I


    would have mistaken Nancy for Reba.


    ¡°What sort of nonsense are you spouting?¡± Enraged, Vanessa pounced on Stacey and pinned thetter


    to the ground. ¡°Stacey, don¡¯t you dare abuse your authority as Fuller¡¯s Corporation staff! I can file for


    defamation against you!¡±


    I rushed over and helped Stacey up. She tapped on my hand and assured me, ¡°It¡¯s fine! It¡¯s nothing


    big!¡±


    After she brought herself up, she red at Vanessa and smirked. ¡°Are you infuriated because I touched


    on your nerves?¡±


    ¡°Y-You¡ª¡±


    Vanessa could barely keep herposure. She rushed over and pushed me aside before pping


    Stacey in the face.


    I didn¡¯t expect the middle-aged woman would go berserk out of the blue. As a result, I staggered and


    fell, knocking my arms on the edge of the dressing table.


    An intense fight broke out between Stacey and Vanessa. The onlookers dared not interfere and simply


    shouted in an attempt to stop them. ¡°Stop it!¡±


    Unfortunately, their yells were of little to no effect at all.


    Nancy crossed her arms and stared at me with a deadpan expression all the while Stacey was being


    beaten to a pulp.


    Stacey, who had long hair and a pair of heels on, was an easy target.


    When I saw Vanessa started scratching at Stacey¡¯s face, I sprinted over to stop the former¡¯s brutality.


    Vanessa pushed Stacey aside, aiming at me the moment I reached her. She seemed to be anticipating


    me all along.


    Because I was not prepared, I couldn¡¯t defend myself against her p when I reached her. Hence, I


    braced myself through the impactful p.


    For a few seconds, my ears were ringing and I could feel the racking sensation from my swollen cheek.


    Yelling, Stacey threw everything she could get her hands on from the dressing table in Vanessa¡¯s


    direction. ¡°Have you lost your mind? How dare you p her?¡±


    Initially, the spot that I was standing at made sure I won¡¯t get caught in the line of fire. However,


    someone pushed me over to take the blow on Vanessa¡¯s behalf.


    Stacey gaped in silence and looked at Nancy in disbelief. ¡°You despicable woman! How could you push


    her?¡±


    Nancy jeered and asked, ¡°She¡¯s merely a substitute of mine, isn¡¯t it? Is it worth making a fuss because


    of her?¡±


    Joseph rushed into the dressing room when Stacey was about to go berserk.


    He brought everyone to a halt and gaped in silence when he saw my pathetic state. ¡°W-What¡¯s going


    on?¡±


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Stacey stepped forward andined, ¡°Nancy and her manager are causing a ruckus! I asked


    Scarlett to help me with the production of the promotional clip, but they started a fight because they


    were against it!¡±


    She made it sound as though the other party was the one at fault.


    Joseph was on pins and needles when he saw my pathetic state. He red at Nancy and announced,


    ¡°Ms. Goldstein, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary to have you in the showbiz anymore since you can¡¯t even get


    the job done.¡±


    He was Ashton¡¯s assistant. In other words, to a certain extent, his instructions could be Ashton¡¯s


    instructions.


    Nancy paled upon hearing that. She looked at Joseph and asked, ¡°Mr. Campbell, don¡¯t you think you


    should listen to the other party¡¯s story as well?¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary!¡± Joseph wasn¡¯t the one who answered the question. The voice belonged to


    Ashton who had just made his way in.


    He approached me and had his eyes narrowed into a slit when he ran his fingers across my swollen


    cheek.


    Shooting daggers at the rest in the room, his tone was icy when he asked, ¡°Who¡¯s the one behind


    this?¡±


    ¡°Ashton!¡± Nancy was thrilled by the man¡¯s presence.


    He ignored her and peered into my eyes. ¡°Who did this to you?¡±


    The crowd fell silent as they exchanged nces, specting about the sort of rtionship we had.


    Stacey, whose hair waspletely messed up, red at Nancy and said, ¡°It¡¯s Ms. Goldstein¡¯s


    manager, Vanessa! I believe Scarlett is injured elsewhere as well!¡±


    It was evident that Stacey was trying to get the better of the vicious duo. I pursed my lips in silence.


    Ashton frowned and had his eyes glued to me. He uttered in a hoarse voice, ¡°Are you hurt anywhere


    else?¡±


    I shook my head and shed him a faint smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Have you sorted out the emergency?¡±


    By now, the room was so silent to the extent I could hear others breathing. Some were surprised, some


    were thrilled, but most were confused.


    Ashton had no intention to let them off the hook just yet. He caressed my swollen cheek and red at


    the rest.


    ¡°Who¡¯s the fool that daresy a finger on the woman I have been looking after with utmost care?¡± As he


    spoke, he emanated a strong murderous intent.


    Nancy¡¯s knees turned to jelly. She took a few steps back as all the colors drained from her already pale


    face.


    Simrly, Vanessa also noticed something was wrong. Her face paled and she stared at Nancy with a


    confused look, wondering how Ashton was associated with me.

 Chapter 453

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 453


    I knew Ashton was infuriated, but this was ultimately still hispany. There was no need to make a


    ruckus here. Besides, knowing his personality, Nancy¡¯s showbiz career was probably over.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, it¡¯s just a small injury. Speaking of which, what shall we eat?¡±


    He took a few moments topose himself. While holding my hands, Ashton proimed reassuringly,


    ¡°You¡¯re my woman. You don¡¯t need to give in to anyone.¡±


    His obsidian eyes bored into Vanessa menacingly. ¡°It¡¯s basic courtesy to return one a favor.¡±


    Upon hearing his words, she copsed to the ground, begging repeatedly. Her voice quivered. ¡°Mr.


    Fuller, I know my mistake! I didn¡¯t do it on purpose, I¡¯ll apologize to her! I beg you, please let us off this


    time.¡±


    Her words fell on deaf ears. With his unchanging look, he continued, ¡°Can an apology resurrect the


    dead?¡±


    Vanessa knew there was no getting through to him. She wiped off her tears and turned towards me.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you! Hit me back all you want. But just this once! Please convince Mr.


    Fuller to let Nancy off the hook.¡±


    Ashton remained unresponsive. He turned towards me, his expression softened. ¡°Will your palms be


    ok?¡±


    He took my hands in his as he spoke, gesturing for me to open up my palms. Then he looked right at


    Vanessa.


    Taking it as her queue toe in, she stood up and stopped right in front of me.


    p! It happened in a sh. Before my brain could process anything, Vanessa was already bleeding


    from the corners of her lips. Although Ashton had led my hands, I had almost no part in this. The brute


    force came entirely from him.


    It did nothing to reduce his rage. The air remained stale and grim.


    He red at Vanessa, voice cold, ¡°Don¡¯t let me see you ever again.¡±


    Next, he stared at Nancy. Although he said nothing, it was enough to convey his hatred towards her.


    With my hands still in his, Ashton reminded, ¡°Next time, don¡¯t show any mercy. There¡¯s nothing to feel


    bad about.¡± Just then, he remembered the other two present in the studio. Stacey and Joseph¡¯s failure


    to protect me had earned them a resentful stare.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    I knew Ashton was worried for me, but he shouldn¡¯t me them for my grievance.


    Now that the score was even, I tugged on Ashton¡¯s elbow and asked, ¡°Are you done with work? My


    stomach¡¯s growling.¡±


    He chuckled lightly before giving a light tap on my nose. He had no qualms about showering me with


    affection in front of a crowd. ¡°All right. Let¡¯s go grab something delicious.¡±


    Ashton led the way out of the studio. Once outside, I let out a sigh. Looks like Fuller Corporation will go


    into a frenzy.


    The prediction was realized sooner than expected. Behind me, there were loud murmurs. ¡±Who is this


    woman?¡±


    ¡°So who exactly is the recement here?¡±


    Only after we got in the car, then there was finally some respite. I turned over and asked, ¡°Do I really


    look like Nancy?¡±


    He smiled as his fingers trailed down my cheeks. ¡°No. She¡¯s not worthy to bepared to you. You¡¯re


    way better than her.¡±


    Upon hearing his words, I pursed my lips in embarrassment. Did he be gentler? The truth was,


    Ashton had not. He had only gotten more ruthless over the past four years. What made the difference


    was, he was now good at concealing his emotions. The only ounce of warmth he had left was all


    reserved for me.


    Back at the vi, Summer was having fun with a furry little dog.


    I was surprised to see her here. I turned and asked, ¡°Were you the one who brought her here?¡±


    Ashton nodded. ¡°Once everything is settled, we¡¯ll return to K City. I¡¯ve already chosen the school


    Summer would be attending. Meanwhile, let her enjoy herself first.¡±


    Noticing our arrival, Summer ran excitedly towards me with expectant eyes. ¡°Mommy, can we keep it?¡±


    She pointed at the brown fluffy dog behind her. It looked to be approximately three months old.


    I reflexively frowned at her request. Just as I was about to say no, Ashton interjected. ¡°When we¡¯re


    busy, this little buddy here will make a goodpanion for Summer.¡±


    I did notice. Back in R Province, with Michael by her side, she had been an unstoppable chatterbox.


    But ever since our return, Summer had mellowed down considerably.


    I could not me her. It was a new environment, and she had no friends. I guess a dog will make a


    goodpanion for her.


    I caved.


    Back inside the vi, dinner was being prepared. Due to Mrs. Eriksen¡¯s old age, she had retired. Ashton


    found a new housekeeper to rece her duties.


    She was a woman in her mid-forties. Her name was Susan Madden.


    While waiting for dinner, Joseph had arrived at the vi. He was greeted by Ashton, who was sitting


    cidly in the living room.


    He mustered up his courage and said, ¡°Mr. Fuller, what happened just now was due to my negligence.


    What shall we do with Nancy?¡±

 Chapter 454

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 454


    Ashton continued tapping away at his phone, his demeanornguid. ¡°She¡¯s no longer carrying herself


    the way a celebrity should. Four years of being in the limelight is enough. It¡¯s time to make way for the


    new generation.¡±


    ¡°I understand. What about her mother, Vanessa?¡±


    ¡°You make the call. Also, find another celebrity to rece Nancy. This time around, get someone


    decent.¡±


    Joseph nodded. He gave me a quick look before leaving.


    Back in the living room, Summer was chatting happily away with her dog, Snowfluff. It was indeed a


    wonderfulpanion for her.


    Meanwhile, I tried cating Ashton about the incident earlier on. ¡°There¡¯s really no need to go this far


    on Nancy!¡±


    He responded with an enigmatic smile. He proceeded to blow on the hard-boiled egg Susan had


    cooked before gently cing it on my bruise; this helped ease blood cirction.


    It was not as serious as Ashton had made it out to be. The marks were barely visible now.


    ¡°She needs to learn her ce. There are some people in this world she can¡¯t afford to offend,¡± he said


    indifferently.


    Before I could respond, Ashton noticed Susan had finished preparing dinner. He took my hand, carried


    Summer in one arm and led the way into the dining room.


    Soon, the weekend arrived. Ashton had booked an early flight for us to return to K City. Summer was


    still fast asleep in his arms.


    It was only in the waiting area that Summer had woken up. She noticed beside her, there was a kid


    approximately seven or eight months old being cradled in by his mom.


    The vivacious child was moving about spiritedly. When he saw the donut plush Summer was holding,


    he reached out his tiny set of hands. Conflicted, she looked at her precious donut, and then at the kid¡¯s


    expectant pair of eyes.


    After some moments of deliberation, she walked towards the child¡¯s mom. ¡°Miss, can he y with


    this?¡± Summer gestured at her plushy.


    The woman understood her grand gesture and nodded appreciatively.


    Seeing her donut given away, Summer surpassed the sad longing that was welling up within her. She


    ran back to Ashton and me before asking, ¡°Mommy, will you give me a brother in the future?¡±


    Clearly, Summer did not understand theplexities of her words. Ashton chuckled before pulling her


    into his arms. ¡°Not so fast, brat. Your mommy is going to give me a child.¡±


    It was amusing to see him take her seriously.


    Summer pursed her lips, looking serious. ¡°Then, will you marry Mommy?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Ashton proimed. His gentle gaze looking right at me.


    Feeling satisfied with his response, Summer asked chirpily, ¡°Mommy, once you¡¯re married to Mr. Fuller,


    will I have a daddy? Will I also have a brother too?¡±


    I could only answer with a helpless smile. Noticing the clock, I stood up. ¡°It¡¯s time for boarding. Let¡¯s


    go.¡±


    Summer felt unsatisfied with my answer, but just like a child of her age, she was quick to forget.


    Fast forward in the cabin, Summer had fallen sound asleep. Ashton chose this time to pick up where


    they left off earlier. ¡°How about we get married in October?¡±


    That¡¯s next month!


    This was happening all too fast for me. ¡°Ashton, let¡¯s just take things slow.¡±


    Compared to marriage, Summer¡¯s future was my priority once we returned to K City.


    Despite my rejection, he replied patiently, ¡°Ok. I¡¯ll wait until you¡¯re ready.¡±


    I slept throughout our four-hour flight.


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    Upon touchdown, Ashton received a work call. As the chairperson of a listedpany, it was natural


    for him to be busy.


    He nced at his watch before saying, ¡°I¡¯ll get the chauffeur to send you and Summer back to the vi


    first. I¡¯ll be back in time for lunch.¡±


    ¡°What time will that be?¡±


    ¡°Half-past twelve.¡± With that, he gave a light peck on my forehead before sending us off.


    Approximately forty minutester, Summer and I arrived at the vi. Ashton had been living here for the


    past four years, and even the housekeeper had changed.


    The chauffeur carried our belongings in and gave the housekeeper a few instructions before he bade


    farewell.


    After a tiring flight, Summer was sound asleep on the sofa. I was fiddling with my phone, getting bored


    with reading the same old news on the inte.


    Unexpectedly, I chanced upon a headline mentioning both Fuller and White Corporation. Both


    companies had been engaged in a long-standing rivalry with each other for the past four years. Neither


    side seemed to be giving in.


    In fact, rather than it being a rivalry between corporations, many would see it as a personalpetition


    between Ashton and Marcus.

 Chapter 455

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 455


    Both men had a brilliant mind for doing business.


    There was a question lingering at the back of my mind. White Corporation had always been under


    Sally¡¯s control. When did Marcuse into the picture? What exactly happened in these four years?


    As I was lost in my thoughts, time flew by. It was soon after noon. Summer had just woken up. In a half-


    asleep state, she asked, ¡°Mommy, is Mr. Fuller busy with work?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll be back soon. Let¡¯s freshen you up and wait for him together.¡±


    It was pretty obvious she had taken a liking to him. Whenever he was not around, she would ask for his


    whereabouts.


    Yet, I couldn¡¯t help but worry about the possibility of Jared taking Summer back to the Crest family. If


    that day everes, what should I do?


    After Summer had freshened up, she was in high spirits. As this was her first time here, she started


    exploring parts of the house. First, it was the living room, then she proceeded to the yard.


    Meanwhile, I sat in the yard patiently for Ashton to arrive home. Joseph had carried Snowfluff over to


    Summer.


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    He continued standing, looking anxiously at his watch.


    I assumed he had something to say to me. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Erm¡­ Mr. Fuller might be running a littlete. There is traffic.¡±


    Oh right. It was two minutes before the agreed time. Understanding the likelihood of Joseph¡¯s words


    coming true, I unknowingly stopped smiling.


    Immediately after, there was the sound of hurried footsteps approaching the yard. Next, a voice started,


    ¡°There was a traffic jam, but nothing I can¡¯t handle!¡±


    Ashton walked right up to me. There was a sheen of sweat on his forehead; he had rushed home. His


    pair of obsidian eyes glistening. ¡°Made it in time, just a minute before half-past twelve!¡±


    It was adorable to see him put in the effort to keep his promise. I reached for his forehead and started


    dabbing the sweat off. ¡°There was no need for you to rush home in this hot weather. Look at you now,


    all sweaty.¡±


    As I spoke, Ashton removed his outerwear. With a boyish grin, he said, ¡°Just a workout!¡±


    ¡°In the future, there¡¯s no need for you to rush back. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going anywhere. I¡¯ll always be here.¡±


    ¡°I know. But, I just wanted to see you earlier!¡±


    Hearing his sweet words, I broke into a smile. Summer, too, was delighted to see him. She ran over


    and hugged his leg. ¡°Mr. Fuller, are you not feeling well? Why do you need to work out?¡±


    Ashton picked her up into his arms. ¡°My body has always been in tip-top condition.¡± While saying that,


    he looked suggestively at me.


    After their meal, Ashton took a bath and came back down with a file in one hand.


    He handed it to Joseph. ¡°Once Summer¡¯s school application is processed, you can start sending her to


    school.¡±


    Joseph took the file and was already on his way toplete his task. Nearby, Summer had heard


    everything. She looked at the floor and pouted sadly.


    Naturally, Ashton had noticed. ¡°Summer, do you not want to attend school?¡±


    She started shaking her head. ¡°It¡¯s not that I hate school, but I don¡¯t know anyone there. I¡¯ll be alone.¡±


    I knew it was daunting to be alone in a new environment. I chuckled lightly. ¡°That¡¯s normal at first. But I


    believe you, my dear, will make some new friends in no time!¡±


    She continued pouting, seemingly considering my words.


    Ashton had handled Summer¡¯s school matters perfectly. There was nothing much for me to worry


    about.


    That night, I started unpacking some clothes I bought from R Province. Although they were cheap and


    well-worn, they feltfortable.


    While folding halfway, Ashton, who had finished his work, walked to my side. He took the half-folded


    clothes from my hands. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but noticed his long and slender hands, and on his wrist was a watch that was priced in


    the millions. Just closing a deal with these hands would guarantee me a worry-free life for the rest of


    my life.


    ¡°What¡¯re you thinking?¡±


    I kept the clothes he had folded into the closet before suggesting, ¡°Now that Summer¡¯s school is


    settled, it¡¯s time for me to find a job.¡±


    Although he nodded, his words said otherwise. ¡°I think you should rest a few more days.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been two weeks. I¡¯ve had plenty of rest.¡±


    ¡°Then, how about working at Fuller Corporation?¡± While suggesting, he kept the rest of my clothes in


    the closet. He took a sweeping look and presumed they were not to my liking. He continued, ¡°Also if


    you don¡¯t like these clothes, I¡¯ll get you new ones.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need. Some of these clothes were specially designed for me, they did cost quite a bit. Also,


    I feelfortable wearing them now. Anymore would just be a waste of space.¡±


    Ashton had no qualms about my decision. Instead, he pulled me to the center of the bed, voice hushed


    and sincere, ¡°Give it some thought. I really want you toe work for Fuller Corporation.¡±


    I knew that a straightforward rejection would not convince him. ¡°Ashton, I don¡¯t want this to be just a


    job. If it was in the past, I would be more than happy to work a stable nine-to-five at Fuller Corporation.


    Now that I have you supporting me, I want to work on something I am passionate about.¡±

 Chapter 456

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 456


    He smiled in amusement. ¡°What do you want to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to studyw at K University, but my college entrance examination results were not


    so good. So I stayed at J University. Now that I have time, I want to apply for a postgraduate program


    at K University and continue to studyw,¡± I replied. It was my childhood dream. Being able to pursue it


    again at the age of thirty would be a great blessing.


    He nodded in understanding and teased, ¡°Okay. Do you need a tutor? I can ask Joseph to find one for


    you.¡±


    Chuckling, I raised my head to meet his gaze. ¡°Doesn¡¯t this feel like you¡¯re raising two daughters?¡±


    Heughed and stroked my hair. ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure to help you to do the things you¡¯re passionate


    about.¡±


    As I rested my head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat, I felt at peace. No one knows what the


    future holds. All we can do is to live in the moment.


    September in K City was neither too hot nor too cold. Staring up at the ceiling in the dimly lit room, I


    could not fall asleep, probably because I had napped too long during the day.


    Ashton had been busy with his paperwork in the study. I saw the light in the study was still on when I


    got up in the middle of the night to have some water. So, I poured a ss of water and entered the


    room.


    In the study, I saw that theputer was switched off and the documents on the desk were neatly


    stacked. It seemed that he was done with his work.


    Ashton was sitting in his seat with his eyes closed. When he heard me walking into the room, he


    opened his eyes and asked, ¡°Can¡¯t sleep?¡±


    I nodded in response and put the ss of water in front of him. Leaning against the desk, I looked at


    him. ¡°It¡¯ste. If you¡¯ve finished your work, you should turn in early.¡± We¡¯re no longer young. Staying up


    all night can be taxing on our bodies.


    He narrowed his eyes and smirked. ¡°Is that an invitation?¡±


    It took me quite a while to realize the meaning behind his words. I could not help but blush at the


    innuendo. ¡°Just go to bed earlier.¡±


    Then, I got up and headed back to my bedroom. Ever since we met at R Province, he had treated me


    like a gentleman and respected my boundaries. If it were not for the look of desire in his eyes just now,


    I would have forgotten this matter.


    I had barely taken a few steps before he suddenly grabbed my hand and said, ¡°Scarlett, have a chat


    with me.¡±


    Feeling bemused, I looked back and saw that he looked worn out. I realized that he was probably


    troubled with work-rted issues.


    Feeling sorry for him, I went near to his side and put my hand on his brow. ¡°When¡¯s thest time you


    had a good sleep?¡±


    He nced at me and pulled me into his embrace. Resting his head against my stomach, he mumbled,


    ¡°Four years ago.¡±


    It was a simple statement, yet it stunned me utterly.


    As he held me in his arms, he said wearily, ¡°I need you by my side.¡±


    Stroking his hair, I realized that his hair was longer than before. ¡°You need a haircut.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡±


    He sounded sleepy. ncing at the clock, I realized that it was past midnight already. ¡°Ashton, go to


    bed and sleep.¡±


    He muttered an answer and took me back to the bedroom with a tired face.


    We originally slept separately, but he pulled me onto his bed and held me tightly.


    Seeing how exhausted he was, I did not have the heart to wake him up, so I closed my eyes and fell


    asleep in his arms.


    That night, I slept soundly and woke up the next morning feeling groggy. I peeked out from Ashton¡¯s


    embrace and found that he had not woken up yet.


    Staring at his face, I was once again mesmerized by his good look. Currently, his dark brown eyes


    were closed and his curly eyshes were particrly good-looking. He seemed to be sleeping well.


    Unlike his usual demeanor, he looked exceptionally gentle and peaceful when he was asleep.


    Feeling tempted to touch his eyshes, I raised my hand. The moment my fingertips grazed them, he


    woke up instantly.


    Locking his eyes on me, he said with a raspy voice, ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡±


    I nodded in reply and tried to wriggle myself free from his grasp, but he stopped me. ¡°It¡¯s still early. We


    can sleep more.¡±


    I looked up at the clock. Normally, he would be out at this hour. ¡°Don¡¯t you need to go to work?¡±


    He smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay to bete.¡±


    But of course, the boss doesn¡¯t need to worry about being tardy.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    However, even if I continued to stay in bed, I could not fall asleep again. So, I told him honestly, ¡°I can¡¯t


    sleep anymore.¡±


    He nodded, but he did not let go of me. ¡°Stay with me for a while.¡±


    In the end, I acquiesced to his request and stared at the ceiling. But a momentter, I turned beet red.


    ¡°Ashton, you¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a normal reaction. I have it every day!¡± He gave me a side-eye. ¡°Scarlett, I¡¯m a man. This is


    extremely normal.¡±


    I knew it was normal but I couldn¡¯t help but pursed my lips and uttered, ¡°Let go of me. I want to get up.¡±


    He did not budge and his breath turned slightly ragged. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine in no time.¡±


    At a loss for words, I looked away in resignation andy stiffly beside him.


    After a long while, he finally got up and went to the bathroom.


    He eventually came out, looking calm and collected. When he saw my flushed face, he grinned and


    asked, ¡°Did I scare you just now?¡±


    Blushing again, I quickly shook my head in denial. ¡°The housekeeper came up just now and said that


    our breakfast is ready.¡±


    He nodded in response and motioned for me to go freshen up.

 Chapter 457

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 457


    Although we did not file a divorce, four years of separation was considered a divorce. Both of us knew


    that getting back together now was a bad idea.


    While we were having breakfast, Summer appeared anxious about going to the new school.


    So, Ashton and I went to the kindergarten with her to ease the butterflies in her stomach. When we


    arrived there, the teacher-in-charge was waiting at the gate. She looked about twenty.


    Upon seeing Ashton, bewilderment was written all over her face. Letting her emotion get the better of


    her, she blurted out, ¡°Mr. Fuller is married? And even has a child already?¡±


    The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted it. She hurriedly bowed and apologized for her


    lack of courtesy just now.


    Ashton did not reply, so I smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Your reaction was understandable.¡±


    In the past four years, Ashton had spread his influence all over K City, exhibiting his talents. Besides


    his outstanding ability, his striking looks alone were enough to make women swooning over him.


    Moreover, in recent years, he was only seen with Nancy on public asions and there was no news


    about his marriage. Since then, many people have thought that he was still an eligible bachelor, which


    caused more women to fantasize about him.


    Back then, Summer was registered under Ashton¡¯s name. Hence, byw, she was his legal daughter.


    After we dropped Summer off, he had pressing issues to attend to at work. So, he asked the driver to


    bring me home and kissed me goodbye.


    When I went back to the vi, I began to read through the admission requirements of K University. The


    application for the program would open in November, so I had three more months to prepare for what


    was needed.


    Later, in the middle of the day, I received a call. It was an unfamiliar number. Looking at my phone, I


    wondered whether to answer it or not.


    The phone continued to ring several times, leaving me with no choice but to answer the call.


    A female voice came through the phone. ¡°Scarlett, it¡¯s been a while.¡±


    It was Reba. Even after four years, I could still remember her voice.


    I stopped what I was doing and remained silent.


    She did not seem to mind my silence as she continued, ¡°I¡¯m outside the vi now. I need to talk to you,


    but the security guard won¡¯t let me through.¡±


    Is she here for Ashton? I quickly closed the book in front of me and went out to the balcony. Peering


    across the courtyard, I could not see her outside the gate due to the high walls.


    ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡± I asked. It had been four years since Ist saw her. I had no idea


    what we could chat about.


    ¡°Anything will do. We can go out for a coffee,¡± she suggested.


    She sounded collected and mature. It seemed that everyone had changed in the past four years.


    Lowering my gaze to my watch, I fell silent for a moment before agreeing. ¡°Okay. Give me a moment.¡±


    Having a chat outside the vi seemed inappropriate, so I tidied myself up and went out of the vi.


    Reba stood outside the gate, leaning against a white Coro. She wore a white suit with a pair of


    ck high heels, and her hair was curled. She looked drastically different from the time Ist saw her.


    Before I could greet her, someone approached me. It was Joseph. He had been staying in the vi


    these days.


    I did not ask much about him. But Ashton told me to contact Joseph whenever I need help. It seemed


    that he had be my personal assistant.


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, are you going out?¡± he inquired before ncing at Reba, who was standing outside the


    gate.


    I gave him a nod. ¡°I¡¯m catching up with an old friend.¡±


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    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll go with you then.¡±


    I did not understand his intention at first, but as my gazended on the cars not far away from me, I


    realized that he wanted to protect me.


    Ashton was no longer the same as before; everything he did attracted the attention of the media.


    Joseph wanted to follow along because he was worried about my well-being. After all, I was Ashton¡¯s


    partner, so he needed to watch out for any possible danger I might encounter.


    So, I nodded quietly.


    Just then, Reba turned and saw that I had arrived. ¡°Scarlett, long time no see.¡±


    I gave her a wistful smile. She had be more mature and charming. Now, she was an attractive


    woman with a great career. The woman in front of me was no longer the one who was heavily


    dependent on Ashton four years ago. Her radical change was very unexpected, but I felt no envy.


    ¡°Good to see you,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the caf¨¦ downtown.¡± ncing at Joseph who was standing on the side, she continued, ¡°It¡¯s


    a discreet ce.¡±


    I nodded in response and followed her to the car. Before I could get in, the cars that I saw before came


    toward us and blocked Reba¡¯s car. To my surprise, the people who got out of the car were not


    paparazzi, but a group of sturdy bodyguards.


    Joseph immediately became alert and stood in front of me. With a low voice, he looked at the two of us


    and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t the two of you have your chat inside the vi?¡±


    Reba clearly did not expect a group of people to appear so suddenly. She stood dumbstruck for a


    second before narrowing her eyes at Joseph. ¡°No, we don¡¯t have to talk in the vi. I¡¯ll just speak a few


    words and leave.¡±


    After a slight pause, she scoffed. ¡°Looks like someone wants to see you more than I do.¡±

 Chapter 458

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 458


    Sparks fly whenever love rivals meet, I guess. I pursed my lips in silence.


    Reba threw her phone into her purse and looked at me with her arms crossed. ¡°Since both of you


    are divorced, why are you back now?¡±


    How straightforward of her! Indeed, she has changed a lot in thest four years. Averting my gaze from


    the bodyguards, I replied monotonously, ¡°It¡¯s none of your business, Ms. Larson.¡±


    She snickered in response. ¡°How is it not my business? For four years, I¡¯ve worked hard and changed


    myself for the better. All I ever wanted was to be the one to stand by his side. But your sudden


    appearance just made all my effort go down the drain.¡±


    Ashton had arranged a lot of bodyguards at the vi. They were now gathered at the gate, staring


    coldly at the men from the cars.


    I looked back toward Reba and replied, ¡°If you¡¯re really meant to be with him, you wouldn¡¯t need


    four years to try and get together with him. A year would have been more than enough.¡±


    Her expression immediately turned cold. ¡°Scarlett, you¡¯ve ruined my love and my family rtionship.


    Do you think that I¡¯ll let it slide? If I can¡¯t be with him, I would never let you and Ashton have an easy life


    either.¡±


    Her words did not upset me. Standing from her point of view, I could understand her obsession and


    love. In fact, it was quite inspirational how she had fought to get what she wanted.


    I nodded in response and saw a ck Bentleying to a stop at the roadside. ¡°I couldn¡¯t care less


    about what you want to do with your grudge against me. But I¡¯d like to remind you to cherish what you


    have now. After so many years, you should know better than I do that¡¯s it¡¯s impossible for you to be


    with Ashton. Do you n to continue spending the next four years for your futile love? You could do


    everything for love when you¡¯re a youngster. But at the age of thirty, you should know that life is more


    important than love. Reba, you¡¯re pretty and talented. Even if you can¡¯t find someone like Ashton,


    you should have many good men around you. It¡¯s okay to settle for the next best thing.¡±


    What I said was the truth, but I was not the suitable person to speak those words to her. Any proud


    woman would not like to be humiliated. Naturally, Reba became infuriated.


    When she raised her hand to p me, Marcus hurriedly strode forward and stopped her. After such a


    long time, his expression was still as sullen as ever, and his hostility became even more frightening.


    ¡°This shall be the first and thest time I see you doing this. If you do it again, I¡¯m not sure if this hand


    of yours would still be attached to your arm.¡± He spoke in a hushed tone, but his words were full of


    menace.


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    With that, he flung her hand away.


    Cradling her reddened wrist, she sneered. ¡°What a fickle woman you are, Scarlett. You¡¯re even more


    repulsive than I thought. You have another man other than Ashton. You¡¯re disgusting!¡±


    Pursing my lips, I said nothing to her usation.


    Marcus, however, opened his mouth and responded frostily, ¡°Disgusting? What¡¯s disgusting? Do you


    feel disgusted just because you can¡¯t get what you want? She is worthy to be loved by several people.


    What does that have to do with you?¡±


    As always, Marcus was able to say the cruelest words.


    His words had affirmed his feelings for me. Reba¡¯s upper lip curled in disdain, but the jealousy in


    her eyes was crystal clear.


    Looking at Marcus and me, she snorted and said sarcastically, ¡°Does your fianc¨¦e know about your


    love for Scarlett?¡±


    He frowned. ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡±


    She went silent for a while, but she refused to admit defeat. ¡°Indeed, it has nothing to do with me. But


    I¡¯d like to give you a piece of advice. Scarlett, you should know that there are things you shouldn¡¯t do. If


    your rtionship with Ashton and Mr. White is identally exposed to the public, what kind of


    consequence would you face?¡±


    I could tell that she was trying to threaten me, and I admired her courage. But it doesn¡¯t matter. The


    moment her threat reached Ashton or Marcus, she would just be digging her own grave. Marcus had


    heard it now and Joseph would eventually pass every word of hers to Ashton as well. I was initially a


    tad bit envious of Reba, but I guess I was wrong; there¡¯s nothing about her for me to be envious


    about.


    Marcus was downright furious. Grabbing Reba¡¯s wrist, he said sinisterly, ¡°You should be thankful


    that I¡¯m not a man who hit women, otherwise¡­¡± He then shoved her, causing her to staggered


    backward and bumped into her car.


    Reba immediately went pale and winced in pain as she held onto the car to support herself. She


    was a girl after all and being treated this way was physically and mentally distressing.


    Marcus was not a gentleman. He looked at her indifferently and warned, ¡°You¡¯d better stay away from


    Scarlett. You¡¯re not qualified to even talk about taking revenge on her.¡±


    She seemed to be in a state of shock as she remained quiet and entered her car.


    After Reba was gone, I turned toward Marcus. Seeing him after four years, I did not feel particrly


    touched or sentimental. I just felt that time had flown so fast. Now that he was in front of me, I did not


    know what to say.


    After a moment, he broke the silence first. ¡°You¡¯re divorced. So why are you still living with him? You


    can live outside. I bought a house for you. It¡¯s decorated with everything that you liked before.¡±

 Chapter 459

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 459


    I wanted tough at his words, but I could not. Looking at him, I remained calm and said, ¡°Even if I¡¯m


    divorced, at least I could stay at his ce as his ex-wife. But if I live at your house, what reason should


    I use?¡±


    Frowning, he looked slightly desperate to convince me. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You can use whatever reason you


    want. As long as you¡¯re willing to move out of here, I¡¯m fine with anything.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°Even if the reason is me staying as your wife?¡±


    His body stiffened upon hearing my words. ¡°If you want, I¡¯d be more than happy toply.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°Marcus, you¡¯re engaged. And Camelia is a good girl. Don¡¯t drop the gem in your hand to pick


    up a stone. That¡¯s really foolish. Four years ago, I¡¯d said clearly that we could only be friends. I love


    Ashton. No matter how much time has passed, it will only be him. Life is too short and I can¡¯t cater to


    everyone¡¯s needs. I want you to be happy, but I can¡¯t be the one who makes you happy.¡±


    I was not sure if he understood what I wanted to convey, but at least I had clearly refused him.


    He was silent for a moment, but there was no disappointment written on his face. Instead, he was as


    calm as ever. ¡°I don¡¯t ask you to love me. I just need to know what I want in my life.¡±


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    He came closer to me and spoke in a hushed tone. ¡°I regret it. Four years ago, I shouldn¡¯t have left


    without gaining anything on that night.¡±


    I was dazed for a moment before anger rose in my gut. ¡°It was you?¡±


    Four years ago, on the night of new year¡¯s eve, I was on the way to pick up John at the airport when I


    got abducted. The Fullers were somewhat famous at that time, but their influence was limited.


    Fortunately, they had some power in J City.


    So, the incident was not made known to the public. However, neither the Stovalls nor the Fullers could


    discover the person who took me away that night and Sally became the scapegoat.


    She was imprisoned for two years and Reba was kicked out of the Moore family. Later on, I left J


    City and the incident was then forgotten. If Marcus did not reveal the truth just now, I would have


    thought that it was Sally who kidnapped me for the rest of my life.


    No wonder Sally¡¯s doing everything possible to separate me and Ashton over the past four years. It¡¯s


    because she hates me.


    ¡°My original n was to make you and Ashton part ways, but I didn¡¯t expect that your rtionship


    would get better after the incident. What¡¯s more surprising was that it was him who caused both of you


    to separate four years ago.¡± Hended his gaze on me. ¡°Since both of you have separated, why don¡¯t


    you have a clean break with him?¡±


    Looking at him, I realized that the person in front of me was no longer the person I knew. The affection


    between us was gone. What was left was his unwillingness to ept reality. I sighed as I could not


    help to get rid of his obsession. I looked up at the zing sun and said, ¡°Marcus, I want to live my own


    life.¡±


    I was indebted to him; I could not tell him anything that was too vicious or harsh.


    Pursing his lips, he fell silent. After a long while, he finally said, ¡°I can give you the life you want.¡±


    Sighing at his stubbornness, I realized I could not continue talking to him. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I should go


    back now.¡±


    As I turned around, Joseph walked toward me and quietly breathed a sigh of relief, as if he was worried


    that I would leave with Marcus.


    However, an obsessive person would not let go easily. Marcus pulled me by my wrist and said, ¡°I took a


    video that night. You said that people would eventually change in four years. I didn¡¯t force you four


    years ago because I wanted to win your heart. But since you refuse to be with me, I have to do it my


    way. I know that love can¡¯t be forced, but I don¡¯t care. If Ashton does not care about his reputation, I


    don¡¯t mind ruining it.¡±


    I looked at him in stunned silence. I had always believed that humans were good by nature. At that


    moment, I wondered why things had turned out this way.


    So, I asked him, ¡°Marcus, why? You don¡¯t love me, so why do you want to ruin me? I¡¯ve never harmed


    you in any way.¡±


    I was always grateful to him for being the one who saved me when I was on the brink on the death. So


    why? Why did we turned out like this?


    He snickered. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say to destroy the unattainable?¡±


    I was dumbstruck, and my mind couldn¡¯t formte a response for a while. Shaking off his hand, I said,


    ¡°I¡¯d rather die four years ago.¡±


    After I returned to the vi, thoughts buzzed around in my mind. I couldn¡¯t understand why Marcus


    wanted to harm me. If he likes me, why does he want to hurt and destroy me? If he doesn¡¯t like me,


    what is his purpose in doing so?


    Ashton¡¯s forehead was covered in sweat when he entered the vi. He looked as if he hade back


    in a hurry.


    When he saw me sitting on the sofa, he heaved a sigh of relief and pulled me into his embrace. ¡°Be


    careful when you¡¯re out next time.¡±


    I nodded in response and said, ¡°Marcus came by just now.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Right, Joseph probably told him. Changing the topic, I asked, ¡°Ashton, does Aunt Sally reside in J City


    now?¡±

 Chapter 460

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 460


    Taken aback by the change of topic, Ashton paused for a moment before nodding his head. ¡°Marcus


    forced her out of White Corporation, so she went back to J City.¡±


    Marcus was traumatized by the death of his parents. And now, he was threatening me with the incident


    from four years ago. I wonder if his goal is to have me or to make Ashton suffer?


    Leaning against his chest, I asked wearily, ¡°Did something happened between you and Marcus?¡±


    He froze for a second and held my shoulders. ¡°Why?¡±


    I looked up at him and said, ¡°He¡¯s apletely different person now. He even threatened me with a


    video from that night four years ago. I don¡¯t understand why he did that. He¡¯s no longer the person I


    knew.¡±


    He pondered for a moment and sat me down on the sofa. Then, he held my hand and confided, ¡°Back


    when Aunt Sally was in charge of Fuller Corporation, he came back from M Country and wanted to take


    back White Corporation from her. It was supposed to be easy for him to do so, but Mr. and Mrs.


    Bauman suddenly heard of the truth behind their daughter¡¯s death. And someone from the Fuller


    Corporation even leaked the news of Sharon¡¯s infidelity to the media. In the end, the elderly couple


    could not ept the news and passed away.¡±


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    It took me a while to digest what he had said. Then, I asked, ¡°Who did it?¡±


    Ashton avoided my question. ¡°And that¡¯s how the rivalry between the Fuller family and the White family


    started. I knew he was the one behind the incident that night. All these years of business feud benefit


    no one. I guess he wants you to be with him because he wishes to join hands with the Moore family.¡±


    I sighed, feeling a little frustrated. Resting my head against his shoulder, I had no mood to speak


    further on this matter. Before this, I thought things would be over after four years. But I guess everyone


    is different. Some people just can¡¯t let bygones be bygones.


    I was a little surprised when Sally came to find me. Recently, Ashton had been very busy with his work,


    and I started my preparation for the admission test.


    The guard let Sally in, and the housekeeper told me at the entrance of the study that Sally was waiting


    for me in the living room.


    I nodded nkly and went downstairs.


    Thest time I saw her was about half a month ago. Now, she was modestly dressed as usual. But at


    the age of forty, signs of aging had appeared on herplexion.


    She slowly took a sip of tea and looked at me. ¡°Charlie and Helen immigrated two years ago, so I¡¯m the


    only elder left here in the Fuller family now. You and Ashton were once husband and wife. Since both of


    you have parted ways, it¡¯s always good to have a clean break. When you left four years ago, you didn¡¯t


    take anything from us. Now that you¡¯vee back, I¡¯m guessing you probably want something from


    the Fuller family, so don¡¯t hesitate to tell me. We¡¯ll do our best to give you whatever you want.¡±


    It was obvious that she was here to tell me to leave. After a brief moment, I replied, ¡°Are you chasing


    me out, Ms. Fuller?¡±


    She shook her and gave me a faint smile. ¡°No. I just think that as the adopted child of the Stovall family


    and the biological daughter of the Moore family, you must know that if some unpleasant news of you is


    spread out in the future, it wouldn¡¯t be good for your reputation. Am I right?¡±


    Each and every word of hers sounded as if she was being considerate of me. But I did not believe so.


    Since she had tantly expressed her intention, she left me with no choice but to leave.


    Hence, I stood up and smiled politely at her. ¡°Thank you for your advice, Ms. Fuller. You¡¯re right. I


    shouldn¡¯t be living with Ashton since we¡¯ve been separated. It is inappropriate for me to stay here.¡±


    I then continued, ¡°Thank you for your kind words. I¡¯ll pack up and leave immediately.¡±


    I had always been a straightforward person, so I swiftly turned around to go upstairs. But she stopped


    me and smiled. ¡°You¡¯re definitely an impatient child. I¡¯ve only been here for five minutes and you¡¯re


    suddenly trying to leave. Wouldn¡¯t this be an outright indication for Ashton that I¡¯m the one who chased


    you away?¡±


    I raised my brows in response. ¡°Isn¡¯t that so?¡±


    The smile on Sally¡¯s face immediately turned into an awkward grin. ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m just doing this


    for your own good. A girl needs to have a good reputation, after all.¡±


    I smiled back. ¡°Thank you again, Ms. Fuller.¡±


    She shook her head in response and the awkward look she had on her face faded. ¡°You don¡¯t have to


    be in a hurry to move out now. Actually, you can discuss this with Ashton first. You know how


    unreasonable he can be at times. So, why don¡¯t you find a reason to leave him and move outter?


    This is for the good of you and him.¡±


    Is she saying that I should pick a quarrel with Ashton so it seems like I¡¯m the one who wants to move


    out?


    I almostughed out loud at her suggestion. Being born with a rebellious temperament, the more she


    did not want it to happen, the more I was motivated to do it.


    Looking at her, I said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for so many excuses. I have no intention of staying here for


    long anyway. It¡¯s just a matter of time before I move out.¡±


    As soon as I finished speaking, I went upstairs and put all my clothes in my suitcase. When I came


    down, Sally looked nervous and she blocked my path. ¡°Scarlett, you don¡¯t need to rush.¡±


    I beamed at her and said, ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m free today.¡±

 Chapter 461

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 461


    Joseph had been staying in the vi these few days. So, when he saw the luggage in my hand, he


    immediately called Ashton.


    Then, he halted me in my tracks and gave me a perplexed look. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, are you going


    somewhere? Why don¡¯t I give you a ride?¡±


    I shook my head. Smiling faintly, I said, ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ve already called a cab. It¡¯ll arrive soon.¡±


    Indeed, the car arrived soon after.


    Sally probably never expected me to leave so hastily. So, when she saw the car, she panicked and


    turned pale. Tugging on my hand, she hurriedly said, ¡°Scarlett, no. You don¡¯t need to leave so soon.


    I¡­¡±


    ¡°What Ms. Fuller said was true. I should have known better.¡± I cut her off. With that, I got into the cab.


    Joseph was puzzled, but he could not stop me by force. In the end, he hopped into his car and followed


    me.


    Previously, John had given me a house in K City. I thought I would never use it, so I had never gone


    there. Now that I was in need of a ce to stay, I hailed a cab and headed there.


    The house was located some distance away from the city center. The ce was spacious with a stylish


    interior design. However, because it had been unupied for quite a number of years, it inevitably had


    a musty smell.


    I did not expect the first person to visit my new ce would be Marcus. When I saw him, my expression


    immediately turned cold.


    I looked at him in disdain and spoke in an irritated tone. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    He seemed to be happy to see me here. ncing at the room behind me, he nodded approvingly. ¡°Do


    you feelfortable living here?¡±


    I pursed my lips and ignored his question. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    He waspletely unaffected by my unfriendliness. He grinned and asked, ¡°May Ie in?¡±


    I pondered for a while before stepping aside. He came in and sat on the sofa in my living room. I did


    not serve anything to him, not even a ss of water. If it wasn¡¯t for our friendship in the past, I wouldn¡¯t


    even let him in. After ourst encounter, the rtionship between us is no longer the same.


    ¡°Four years ago, after we parted ways in M Country, I came back not long after. After knowing that


    you¡¯d left the Fuller family, I looked for you everywhere. I always wondered if you¡¯re fine and where


    you¡¯d gone. Every year, I wander in various cities to search for you. But at the same time, I was afraid


    of meeting you.¡± He spoke calmly and gently, unlike the way he had talked that day. ¡°Scarlett, you have


    no idea how much I missed you.¡±


    If we reunited four years ago, I would calmly ask him how the ident happened, why did he go to M


    Country, and why didn¡¯t hee back after he survived the ident. But I¡¯m no longer interested to


    know any of the answers. Now, I just want him to leave.


    I took a deep breath and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know your purpose in pestering me. But if you¡¯re nning to use


    me to join hands with the Moore family, I¡¯d like to tell you that it¡¯s not going to work. Four years ago, I


    didn¡¯t acknowledge them as my family. What makes you think that I¡¯d return to them now? As for the


    Stovall family, I think John hates you as much as Ashton despises you. As such, he is even less likely


    to cooperate with you. What I want to say is that bothering me would not bring any benefit to you.¡±


    Since he¡¯s a businessman, I shall analyze the benefits for him.


    Silence filled the living room momentarily. He then reached out to take my wrist before pressing my


    palm onto his abdomen. What I touched was his scar. ¡°Four years ago, I brought you back to Clermont


    from the hospital. You were mentally unstable after you lost your child. And you would often sit on the


    balcony alone, staring nkly into the distance. If there was no one around you, you¡¯d try to jump out of


    the window. Afraid that you¡¯d hurt yourself, I locked all the windows in the vi. Later on, you would


    wake up in the middle of the night to look for a knife and cut yourself. One time, you almost hurt


    yourself. I went to grab the knife in your hand and let you stab it into my body. The moment you saw my


    blood, you fell unconscious for several days.¡±


    He was as cool as a cucumber, but I felt a sudden wrenching pain in my heart. It had been so long that


    I have almost forgotten that period of time.


    He continued, ¡°After you woke up, I asked the housekeeper to store away all the knives and sharp tools


    in the house. I thought that without these things, you couldn¡¯t hurt yourself anymore. I never expected


    that you would bang your head against the wall to kill yourself. In order to make sure you¡¯re safe, I


    forced myself to stay awake so I could watch over you every night. I was afraid of losing you.¡±


    people would always choose to forget the most painful moments in their life. For me, that period of time


    was the most torturous moment of my life that I would choose to forget.


    As he recalled the moments that we shared, my heart ached terribly. But I could not bring myself to


    speak a word to interrupt him.


    I withdrew my hand and wanted to say thank you to him, but it sounded too shallow at this moment. So,


    I chose to remain silent.


    He was still smiling, but there was now a hint of hostility in the way he was looking at me. ¡°You got


    better day by day after that. And I naively thought that you would not have any hope in your rtionship


    with Ashton again. Scarlett, I know you don¡¯t love me. But so what? We have a long time to bring love


    and joy into our rtionship. However, you still choose to be with him in the end.¡±


    He thenughed sarcastically and mocked, ¡°Scarlett, you never learn your lesson, do you?¡±


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    I had nothing to refute him. Pursing my lips, I fell silent.


    He scoffed. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to hurt you. But Scarlett, do you know how I got through the nights after my


    parents passed away? Every night, my parents would appear in my dreams. My mother would yell at


    me, saying that she was cold while my father would tell me that he was lonely. Then, I¡¯d be wide awake


    for the rest of the night, haunted by those dreams. How I wish you¡¯re by my side to apany me like


    how I¡¯d taken care of you back then. But every time I opened my eyes after the nightmares, there¡¯s no


    one else but me in my lonely, hollow room.¡±

 Chapter 462

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 462


    As Marcus looked at me, I could see his expression darkening. ¡°Do you know how it feels to struggle


    alone in the darkness?¡±


    I pursed my lips. I wanted to apologize but the words were stuck in my throat.


    ¡°Scarlett, I used to love you. But now, I hate you as much as I loved you in the past.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe these words woulde out of Marcus¡¯ mouth. Stunned, I was lost in my thoughts for


    a long while.


    When I was back in high school, I learned about thew of conservation of energy in physics. Later, I


    learned that in political materialism, it was also believed that conservation was everything.


    Back when we were young and naive, we thought that everything we learned in school was purely


    about astronomical geography. Thinking it over then, I finally came to the realization that we had


    actually learned life lessons throughout those years without even noticing it.


    There was no such thing as unconditional love in this world. It was impossible for love to exist without


    attached conditions. In fact, love was all about to give and take. The rtionship between two people


    was designed to be an exchange process. If you enjoyed receiving all the love and affection from your


    partners without making any effort to return back, the uneasy feeling in your heart would never fade


    away.


    I would probably never be able to face Marcus in my lifetime.


    He¡¯s right. He was the one who got me out of hell. So why didn¡¯t I reach out my hand when he was in


    hell?


    After he left, I stayed up all night sitting in the living room. I was in no position to judge Marcus. Every


    step he took was him trying to find peace in his heart.


    September in K City was neither too cold nor too hot, but the cool breeze in the middle of the night was


    enough to keep people awake.


    It was a sleepless night for me.


    After I had left Ashton¡¯s side, it didn¡¯t take him long to show up. It wasn¡¯t something beyond my


    expectation. Hence, I wasn¡¯t surprised at all.


    I didn¡¯t have to worry about Summer as the housekeeper and driver were responsible for taking care of


    her.


    Ashton came at seven o¡¯clock in the morning while I was still sitting on the sofa. I had no idea how long


    I had been sitting there, but it was probably a few hours since my body felt stiff and numb.


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    I opened the door when I heard the doorbell rang. It had only been a night since Ashton and Ist saw


    each other. As our eyes met, I noticed that there was stubble on his chin. He looked haggard as if he


    had gone through the vicissitudes of life.


    ¡°Can Ie in?¡± He sounded distressed.


    I nodded and made way for him.


    He looked at me with a gentle gaze. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    I smiled faintly. ¡°I¡¯m not mad.¡± After all, Sally was the elder in the Fuller family. There was nothing much


    he could do.


    He pulled me into his arms, enveloping me in the tobo smell on his body. ¡°It won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    It sounded like a promise, as well as an assurance.


    I hummed faintly in response. At that moment, I felt a sense of peace and relief to be able to lean on


    him.


    I began to feel sleepy. I closed my eyes and asked, ¡°If you¡¯re not busy today, can you stay with me for a


    while?¡±


    He answered with a slightly indulgent smile, ¡°I¡¯m not busy. We have all the time in the world.¡±


    I knew that there was no way he wouldn¡¯t be busy. After all, Marcus had the intention of targeting Fuller


    Corporation. He was dying to see the downfall of Fuller Corporation. Hence, he would not miss out on


    any opportunity to pick on Ashton.


    Even though I knew that he was lying, I simply pursed my lips and smiled faintly. It didn¡¯t matter. Life


    was a long journey. At some point in our life, we just had to live for ourselves, even if it was just for a


    few days.


    It was actually quite a good option if we could just live our lives in peace and serenity like that.


    By the time I woke up, night had already fallen. Unknowingly, I had slept for the whole day.


    Ashton was leaning on me. He chuckled softly when he noticed I was awake. ¡°What were you


    dreaming of?¡±


    ¡°I dreamt of a beautiful sea of flowers.¡± I dreamed quite often recently. In my dream, Macy, Grandma,


    and Grandpa were there, as well as my child who had grown up.


    Noticing how absent-minded I looked, he reached out and pulled me into his arms. ¡°Initially, I kept the


    vi just for you. If it triggers some bad memories, how about we move to a new one?¡±


    I was amused. ¡°How bold of you. Aren¡¯t you afraid of being captured by the paparazzi and being


    branded as a spendthrift?¡±


    He rested his chin on my cheek, his stubble prickling me. ¡°I don¡¯t mind being the subject of some


    gossip for you.¡±


    I stopped teasing him and simply smiled in response. Then, I got up from bed. There was nothing much


    in the house since I had just moved in.


    Hence, I decided to order a takeout.


    In the living room, he was working on hisptop, while I was studying some documents. The


    atmosphere was peaceful and harmonious.


    Not long after, Joseph sent Summer over and he brought some daily necessities as well.


    While the two of them were talking about work in the study, Summer was leaning in my arms. She


    raised her head and looked at me. ¡°Mommy, I think I got myself into trouble today!¡±


    I was shocked for a moment before I put down the book in my hand and looked at her. I asked in a


    gentle tone, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Looking like she was on the verge of tears, she pursed her lips and said. ¡°I identally pushed a kid


    down the slide. I didn¡¯t mean it! It¡¯s just that he had been sitting there for a long time, and many other


    kids were waiting to y on the slide. So, I nudged him gently. I never thought he would lose his


    bnce and fell down.¡±


    ¡°How is he now? Did someone send him to the hospital?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Mr. Campbell sent him to the hospital. He gave them a lot of money as well. Mommy, I


    know I was wrong.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not right to hurt someone and we should always apologize for our mistake. But Summer, I knew


    you meant well, it¡¯s just that the way you handled the situation was wrong. Have you thought about how


    you are going to deal with the situation if the same situation were to happen again in the future?¡± Since


    it had already happened, there was no point in me to keep ming her. What I could do was to let her


    know that we must take responsibility for our actions.

 Chapter 463

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 463


    Summer lowered her eyes and thought about it seriously. After a while, she answered, ¡°I will tell him


    that he shouldn¡¯t sit there and block other people¡¯s way. We must y together with the other kids.


    Also, I shouldn¡¯t push him.¡±


    She paused for a while and asked, ¡°Mommy, how much do I owe Mr. Campbell? Is it a lot?¡±


    From Summer¡¯s point of view, the money that Joseph had spent didn¡¯t belong to her. Subconsciously,


    she probably doesn¡¯t treat Ashton as her family.


    I pondered about it for a while and said, ¡°I will pay Mr. Campbell back. But Summer, remember this, as


    you grow older, so will I. There wille a day where you have to learn how to deal with your problem


    wisely. Okay?¡±


    She nodded. I could tell she was feeling rather guilty for hurting people as she was leaning in my arms


    silently.


    By the time Ashton and Joseph came out, Summer had already fallen asleep. Joseph greeted me


    before leaving.


    Seeing that she was asleep, Ashton wanted to carry her back to the bedroom. However, the moment


    he touched her, Summer woke up.


    Perhaps she was still feeling groggy, Summer didn¡¯t notice Ashton right away and she said, ¡°Mommy, I


    saw Uncle John at the hospital today. He was with ady.¡±


    I was stunned for a second. I couldn¡¯t help but look at her. ¡°Do you know what they are doing at the


    hospital?¡±


    After blinking a few times, Summer finally saw that it was Ashton who was carrying her. She couldn¡¯t


    help but feel shocked. She then greeted, ¡°Mr. Fuller.¡±


    Ashton nodded. Then, he carried her back to the sofa and gestured for her to carry on answering my


    question.


    Summer thought about it for a moment and said, ¡°Uncle John said he brought thedy to see the baby.


    There¡¯s a baby in her tummy!¡±


    I suddenly recalled John¡¯s condition in R Provincest time, I already had some guesses by


    then. However, who was thedy?


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    It was getting dark. Summer fell asleep soon after she had her dinner. I couldn¡¯t sleep as I had been


    sleeping a bit too much during the day.


    Ashton received a call. It seemed that something urgent hade up at Fuller Corporation. Thus, he


    had to rush over to handle it.


    After saying goodbye, he left.


    The following day, after knowing that she had been cklisted by Fuller Media, Nancy Goldstein was


    on her way to the top of Fuller Corporation¡¯s building to attempt suicide. She even made up false


    stories about the past between me and Ashton and spread them to the media.


    Thanks to her, Ashton and I had turned from being a divorced couple after years of marriage to me


    being an easy-going sl*t who wouldn¡¯t stop pestering Ashton for the sake of money.


    Everything from my past four years ago were all revealed as well.


    The media wouldn¡¯t say no to any news rted to Ashton. ording to Nancy¡¯s statement, there were


    many versions of what had happened between Ashton and me, and it was all a mess.


    I didn¡¯t care about those news at the beginning, but I had neglected Summer.


    Whenever Ashton and I picked Summer up from school, we would always keep a low profile.


    Nheless, it was inevitable that we would catch the attention of other people eventually.


    Kids were pure beings by nature. However, it was unavoidable that they would imitate whatever they


    saw or hear from the adults.


    Summer was already in the hospital when I received the call.


    It wasn¡¯t until I got to the hospital that I found out Summer was upset because someone had been bad-


    mouthing me. Therefore, she got into a fight with them.


    Since it was a brawl between kids, it was not a serious fight. They were simply pushing each other


    when they ended up hurting themselves identally.


    There was gauze wrapped around Summer¡¯s forehead. She looked lost as tears streamed down her


    face. The moment she saw me, she sobbed while hugging me tightly. ¡°Mommy, they are all bad people.


    I don¡¯t want to go to school. They are all bad people.¡±


    We had underestimated the influence of an artist, as well as how terrible the consequences the rumors


    could bring.


    I didn¡¯t know how to make Summer feel better besides holding her in my arms. My heart ached to see


    the little girl crying like that.


    Four years ago, I was filled with resentment. In the end, my parents were the ones who got hurt.


    Hence, I left K City and went to R Province.


    Now that I was back after a long time, I couldn¡¯t believe that my kid ended up being dragged into this


    mess. If I continued doing nothing, I would probably bring more harm to Summer.


    I was holding Summer in the cab while calling Marcus.


    When he picked up the call, I could tell that he was busy by the sounds of hisputer cking away


    from the other side of the line. Despite that, he answered in a gentle tone, ¡°Have you eaten?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s meet up,¡± I said while heading to White Corporation.


    There was silence on the other end for a few seconds. Then, he answered, ¡°Sure.¡±


    The car stopped outside White Corporation¡¯s building. Summer had long since fallen asleep after crying


    on my shoulder.


    I was at therge waiting area of White Corporation. There were two good-looking receptionists at the


    front desk.


    I didn¡¯t approach them as I knew Marcus well. He woulde down himself.


    About five minutester, he came downstairs.


    He knitted his brows when he saw Summer sleeping. He reached out to carry Summer but I avoided


    him. ¡°Let¡¯s talk somewhere else. Or should we just stay here and talk?¡± His presence had already


    caught the eyes of many people at thepany.


    He frowned. ¡°Let¡¯s go to my office. There¡¯s a lounge there. Summer can have a rest on the bed.¡±


    I nodded in agreement. I wasn¡¯t willing to let him hold Summer. I followed him upstairs by using his


    personal elevator.


    I hadn¡¯t been here for almost four years. White Corporation seemed to be twicerger than before.


    Even the president¡¯s office had been upgraded to a two-story office. It looked atmospheric and


    luxurious.


    Afterying Summer down on the bed, I took a seat in the conference room. He instructed his secretary


    to pour me a cup of tea. Since it was my first time to be there, the secretary couldn¡¯t help but take a few


    more nces at me. I could imagine people were trying to find out everything about me at the moment.


    ¡°Would you like something to eatter?¡± It seemed like he didn¡¯t care about why I was there. Instead,


    he was more concerned about what I wanted to eat.

 Chapter 464

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 464


    I pursed my lips and ignored his question. ¡°I would willingly ept if you want to take revenge against


    me, or even humiliate me. But, Marcus, the kid is innocent. I only have one purpose foring back to


    K City. All I want is a bright future for Summer. She is just a kid, and she doesn¡¯t know anything at all.


    However, you¡¯re an adult. You have to understand that you shouldn¡¯t hurt innocent people even if you


    have some evil thoughts in mind, especially a kid.¡±


    He furrowed his brows and was baffled. He was clueless about what I had just told him. ¡°Revenge?


    Humiliate you? Why would I do that?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°The only reason I can think of is that you hate me. I understand that, and I¡¯m willing to


    ept it. But the kid is innocent. I don¡¯t want to drag her into this mess.¡±


    After a moment of silence, he raised his eyes to look at me. ¡°You think that I was the mastermind


    behind all these? You think I was the one who held the press conference when Nancy attempted


    suicide?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that so?¡± There weren¡¯t many people around me. There was nobody else who had the ability to


    persuade Nancy to give up her own future by framing me. I couldn¡¯t think of anybody else, except for


    him.


    Marcus sneered abruptly in disdain. ¡°Scarlett, what kind of person am I to you? It seems like I am just a


    joke to you. How ridiculous! Since when have I be such a despicable person?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not despicable. As a businessman, you are not short of money. People spend half of their lifetime,


    greedily chasing for something they couldn¡¯t get. I am willing to ept your aggrievements and


    resentments. Besides, it was obvious that you are using Sally to chase me out of the Fuller family.


    That¡¯s why you¡¯ve been keeping Sally with you for years. Honestly, you don¡¯t have to do that. Even if I


    couldn¡¯t stay at the Fullers, Ashton and I can still be together somewhere else. Ashton may respect


    Sally since she was his aunt, but there¡¯s a limit to a man¡¯s patience. If you crossed the line, we both


    know what he would do.¡±


    Marcus snickered. Hisughter was rather cold and mocking. He fixed me with a dark and piercing


    stare. ¡°Scarlett, you are way smarter than you were four years ago.¡±


    I pursed my lips. I didn¡¯t take his words as apliment.


    He paused for a moment before continuing with his legs crossed, ¡°It¡¯s true that I¡¯ve given Sally a hint.


    My intention was simple. I don¡¯t want you to live together with Ashton because I¡¯m jealous. As for what


    happened to Nancy, I¡¯m not that kind of hical person to cross someone¡¯s limits as you thought. This


    has nothing to do with me. Believe it or not, that¡¯s all I have to say. I understand how much Summer


    means to you. So, I won¡¯t do anything to hurt her. Rather, I will protect Summer. I don¡¯t want you to be


    upset and heartbroken. Scarlett, I love you. I was in love with you four years ago, and I still love you


    now. As for Nancy, I will take care of it. As long as you agree to separate from Ashton, trust me, your


    life would be better. I will even pave the way for Summer¡¯s future.¡±


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    I frowned. His words sounded off to me. I answered indifferently, ¡°There¡¯s no need¡­¡±


    ¡°Ms. Alvarado, you¡¯re here!¡± There was a voiceing from outside the door.


    The voice interrupted me.


    It¡¯s Camelia!


    I was stunned for a moment, and my heart dropped. I turned around and saw Camelia with her blonde


    hair. She was standing at the door and I had no idea when she hade in.


    She looked differentpared to the first time I met her. She had gained some weight now and her


    tummy was slightly swollen. It seemed like she was pregnant. She pulled up her blonde hair into a


    ponytail and stared at me with her blue eyes in surprise. She was at a loss and didn¡¯t know what to do.


    Subconsciously, I got up and greeted, ¡°Camelia.¡±


    She looked at me in disbelief and tears started to well up in her eyes. ¡°You and Marc know each


    other?¡±


    She looked at Marcus. Her voice became hoarse, ¡°So, the room that you have been stopping me from


    going in was hers? She is the woman that you¡¯re willing to protect with your life? The name that you¡¯ve


    been calling out in the middle of the night is hers? Is she the reason why you couldn¡¯t return to your


    senses every time you¡¯re woken up by your nightmare?¡±


    Marcus furrowed his brows with a displeased look on his face. ¡°Who let you in?¡± His voice was filled


    with displeasure and disdain.


    Camelia smiled, but her eyes were overflowing with tears of grief. ¡°You want me to get lost? You want


    me to leave, so you can live happily ever after with her?¡±


    I pursed my lips and heard some noiseing from the lounge. Summer might have been awoken by


    their voices.


    I wasn¡¯t nning to exin. I stood up and looked at Camelia. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to be here. I shouldn¡¯t have


    come. I have my own family and kid, and there is someone that I love.¡±


    As soon as I finished speaking, I turned around and headed to the lounge. Summer was indeed awake.


    She got down from the bed with her fluffy hair looking a bit messy.


    When she saw me, Summer ran toward me immediately before she could even steady herself.


    ¡°Mommy, did you quarrel with someone because of me?¡±


    Stunned, I shook my head as I scooped her into my arms. ¡°No, Summer. I didn¡¯t. It has nothing to do


    with you. It¡¯s something else that I need to deal with as an adult.¡±


    Summer seemed to be ming herself. She buried her head into my chest and mumbled, ¡°Mommy, did


    I cause you a lot of trouble?¡±


    I shook my head once again. It killed me to see her like that. I started feeling lost. The purpose of me


    bringing Summer back to K City was to give her a bright future. But things didn¡¯t go as nned. Did I


    choose the wrong path?


    Aftering out from the lounge, Camelia was obviously not in a good mood. The way she stared at


    me was not the same as four years ago.


    ¡°Since you already have your own family and child, why are you still in his life? You have no idea that


    your presence has shattered my happily ever after, do you?¡±


    Marcus was displeased. He gave Camelia a cold-eyed stare. ¡°Enough! You¡¯re in White Corporation.


    This is not a ce for you to cause troubles.¡±

 Chapter 465

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 465


    Camelia sneered. ¡°I¡¯m causing trouble? I didn¡¯t know you were so concerned about your reputation.


    Marcus, you were the one who courted me. You even told me you want to get engaged with me. I¡¯ve


    been longing for love and marriage for four years. But my hopes were all dashed. You ruined my life! I


    had the most terrible experience with you. And now, you find me annoying because I keep pestering


    you?¡±


    Summer was hiding behind me as she was a little afraid to see Camelia screaming.


    Seeing that I had said what I had to say, there was no point in me staying there anymore.


    I left with Summer, not wanting to get involved in their drama.


    We headed back to the residence. Just as I reached the entrance, I heard the sound of someone


    coughing from the stairs.


    It sounded familiar to me.


    Summer could recognize the sound right away. She let out a smile immediately. ¡°Mommy, it¡¯s Mr.


    Fuller!¡±


    Then, she let go of me and ran toward the stairs.


    I followed behind her and caught Ashton stubbing out the cigarettes in his hand. He looked pale and


    haggard.


    Summer was quick to wrap her arms around his legs as she greeted him.


    He carried Summer up and noticed the wound on her forehead. Ashton¡¯s gaze darkened instantly. ¡°Did


    something happened in school?¡±


    Before I could say anything, Summer answered right away, ¡°They were talking bad about Mommy. So, I


    got into a fight with them.¡±


    Ashton pursed his lips as an icy gaze shed across his dark eyes. His voice was deep and maic


    when he said, ¡°Good girl, Summer. Next time, you can fight but you can¡¯t hurt yourself, understand?


    You must learn how to protect yourself.¡±


    Summer nodded. She probably thought that Ashton was right. Besides, he didn¡¯t me her for getting


    into a fight. Hence, she answered cheerfully, ¡°Got it! I¡¯ll make sure to protect myself if I got into a fight in


    the future.¡±


    I was speechless.


    I couldn¡¯t help but look at Ashton, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyone who teaches their daughter to fight.¡±


    He raised his eyebrows. ¡°Sometimes, fists hurt more than words. Summer is turning five years old


    soon. It¡¯s time for her to learn martial arts. I¡¯ll get Joseph to get in touch with some instructors.¡±


    I pursed my lips and remained silent. For some reason, I thought what he said made sense.


    Back in the house, Ashton was apanying Summer while I was busy preparing a meal. None of us


    brought up the topic about Nancy.


    After we finished eating, and Summer had fallen asleep, Ashton looked at me intently before pulling me


    into his arms.


    He asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°Where have you been?¡±


    I leaned into his arms, allowing him to hold me tight. I was silent for a moment before answering his


    question. ¡°I went to look for Marcus at White Corporation.¡±


    His body went slightly stiff upon hearing my words. He then asked again with his deep voice, ¡°Why are


    you looking for him?¡±


    ¡°Just to have a little chat.¡± I didn¡¯t know how I should tell him. I couldn¡¯t find the appropriate words to


    say. Hence, I chose to avoid it.


    He didn¡¯t try to force me. He fell silent for a moment and said, ¡°No matter where you¡¯re going,


    remember to bring your phone with you in the future. Also, make sure I can reach you by phone.¡±


    I froze for a second. I suddenly realized that my phone was out of battery during the day. Therefore, it


    must have switched off by itself after I reached White Corporation.


    I looked up and responded with a faint smile. ¡°Alright!¡±


    He wrapped his arms around me. Looking solemn, he said, ¡°I will deal with Nancy. Scarlett, no matter


    what others tell you, you must remember that I¡¯m your husband. I am the father of your kid.¡±


    Seeing how stern and serious he was all of a sudden, I couldn¡¯t help but feel shocked. ¡°To be honest, I


    don¡¯t care about what other people say. I¡¯m just worried about Summer. She still has to go to school.


    Besides, she is quite sensitive. I¡¯m afraid that she will be affected by those nonsense in school.¡±


    He buried his face into my neck, his tone wasced with guilt as he uttered, ¡°I won¡¯t let something like


    this happen again.¡±


    I smiled faintly. He was a man who was standing at the pinnacle of sess. He had always been high-


    profile. If he could ept thepliments and admiration from people, he should also learn to deal


    with rumors and all the criticisms. It was natural and inevitable.


    The news about Nancy was soon covered up by other news releases within a few days. It was all water


    under the bridge. After all, everyone had their own lives to live. Nobody would waste too much of theirN?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    time on rumors about someone else.


    It was mid-September. Ashton redecorated the vi in order to let Summer grow up in a better


    environment. He even transferred her to another school.


    I found outter that the initial preschool that Summer went to had been shut down by the Education


    Ministry. As for what the reason was, I had no idea.


    However, those matters had nothing to do with me.


    On the weekend, Ashton got Joseph to help me out with moving. Summer¡¯s stuff had already been


    moved.


    As for myself, there was nothing much for me to pack. I was basically just changing a ce to live. It


    was almost of no difference to me.


    We finished moving in the evening. Then, I received a call from Ashton. His tone was gentle as he said,


    ¡°Joseph will send some ingredients overter. You might need to prepare some dishes.¡±


    I responded in acknowledgment. Ashton had dismissed the housekeeper due to Sally¡¯s surprise visit


    last time.


    Now, only part-time cleaners woulde over during weekdays to tidy things up. They would only cook


    asionally. Both Ashton and I knew how to cook. So, we would do the cooking on our own if we got


    the time. Days like these were rather carefree.


    He paused for a short while and continued, ¡°No, scratch that, you might need to prepare more dishes.


    I¡¯m still in a meeting. So I¡¯ll get Joseph to help you. There¡¯ll be guests joining us for dinner tonight.¡±


    Surprised, I asked, ¡°Is it someone I know?¡±


    He hummed a response, ¡°Yes. We¡¯re family. Some simple home-cooked meals will be fine.¡±


    After hanging up the phone, I started getting confused and curious. I had just moved into a new ce.


    Who woulde over to have a meal?

 Chapter 466

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 466


    Joseph delivered several dishes over and saw me while I was arranging the books in the living room.


    As he moved, he asked, ¡°Are you preparing for the exam, Mrs. Fuller?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to take the exam for a while but had to postpone it after everything that¡¯s


    happened. Now that I finally have the time to, I might as well do it.¡±


    He smiled. ¡°That¡¯s good. It¡¯s nice to be able to do the things you like.¡±


    It was rare to hear a typically aloof man like Joseph uttering such words.


    When Ashton returned with Summer, I was just about to cook after having washed the vegetables.


    Noticing me in the kitchen, his slender figure came up to me from behind and held onto me clingily.


    ¡°Each time I see you in the kitchen, I think I¡¯m the world¡¯s luckiest man.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. Who¡¯sing overter?¡±


    ¡°John and his fianc¨¦e, who¡¯s also your future sister-inw,¡± he said with a smirk, leaning down to kiss


    me on the lips when he caught me giving him a sidelong nce.


    I swerved in time to avoid it, chiding, ¡°Stop it. Joseph and Summer are around.¡±


    ¡°Just five seconds,¡± he said in a husky voice.


    But it was never only five seconds with him. Had it not been for the vegetables in the frying pan, it


    would¡¯ve taken several more five seconds than one hand could count.


    Just as I was done cooking, the sound of a car engine sounded from the outside. Hearing that,


    Summer dashed energetically toward it.


    When she saw John get off the car, she jumped on him without any consideration and shouted in


    excitement, ¡°Uncle John!¡±


    He walked over to the passenger side and pulled open the car door with Summer in his embrace.


    I never imagined that the woman who would appear in sight was Hannah Anne.


    Having only met her a few times four years ago, it seemed like she hadn¡¯t changed much. She was as


    gentle and elegant as she used to be, albeit instead of the tight-fitting dress she used to love, she now


    wore a loose-fitting one.


    Well, I guess she¡¯s not a stranger.


    She turned toward me and smiled faintly. ¡°Ms. Stovall, it¡¯s been a while.¡±


    I returned to my senses and approached her, taking her hand in mine. ¡°It¡¯s been a while indeed. The


    dishes are ready. Let¡¯s eat first.¡±


    As the four of us took our seats, John nced at Ashton for a bit before resting his gaze on me. ¡°If


    you¡¯re used to living in the apartment in the city center, then don¡¯t shift anymore. A house shouldn¡¯t be


    left vacated for too long anyway.¡±


    I froze. It was obvious he was indirectly telling me not to live with Ashton.


    Ashton naturally understood as well, knitting his brows slightly as he ced a slice of meat onto my


    te. He smiled faintly. ¡°Eat more. You seem to have lost weight these days.¡±


    It was meant to imply that I had lost weight from living alone with no one to care for me.


    I pursed my lips silently. I had originally thought the two of them could have a meal in peace. It seemed


    that was merely my wishful thinking.


    Needless to say, Summer was unable to understand the adults¡¯ conversation. Perhaps children tend to


    gravitate toward expectant women as she had been chatting with Hannah.


    At times, she could be particrly precocious. She tugged at Hannah and said softly, ¡°Ms. Anne, do I


    have to call you Aunt Hannah in the future?¡±


    As soon as she said so, it drew John¡¯s attention away from me. He looked at Summer and said, ¡°Be


    good, Summer. Let me know what you want to eat. Don¡¯t bother Ms. Anne too much.¡±


    Persistent, Summer tilted her head and asked, ¡°Uncle John, Mommy says once you get married, I¡¯ll


    have to refer to your wife as Aunt. Are you and Ms. Anne getting married?¡±


    John frowned, pursing his lips. ¡°Kids shouldn¡¯t talk so much during mealtime. Eat your food.¡±


    He clearly didn¡¯t want Summer to probe. At that, everyone at the table paused.


    Hannah smiled bitterly. As a mellow and docile woman, she merely lowered her head and kept quiet,


    bottling her feelings to herself.


    I furrowed my brows. The way John was behaving was incredibly hurtful. No matter what, Hannah was


    already pregnant. He shouldn¡¯t be unbridledly hurting her that way.


    ¡°Summer, be good and eat your food,¡± I said. Looking at John, I scooped some dishes onto his te


    and questioned, ¡°Do you still remember you picked up a puppy in the field when I was eleven?¡±


    He seemed to be taken aback at my abrupt change of topic but still responded, ¡°Yes. It was such a long


    time ago.¡±


    ¡°Do you still remember what happened to the puppy?¡±


    He thought about it for a moment. ¡°I let you keep it, but you only raised it for a couple of months before


    giving it away when you had to go to school in the county.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°At that time, I thought it was troublesome to bring it with me. Hence, I gave it away. But


    when I tried to look for itter, I couldn¡¯t find it anymore. All these years, I¡¯ve always wondered¡ªif I


    hadn¡¯t sent it away but let it stay in the yard to apany Grandma, perhaps I won¡¯t feel so guilty


    every time I¡¯m reminded of it.¡±


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    He remained silent for a while and filled my te with some meat before muttering, ¡°It¡¯s all in the past.¡±


    ¡°Mommy used to have a puppy? Was it like Snowfluff?¡± Summer interrupted, staring at me curiously.


    Smiling, I nodded.


    ¡°Then I won¡¯t lose Snowfluff next time. I¡¯ll take care of it well so that I won¡¯t have any regrets in the


    future,¡± she stated proudly.

 Chapter 467

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 467


    My smile faltered as I subconsciously turned toward John and said, ¡°John, even Summer could


    understand the theory. Stop living in a world of your own.¡±


    He pressed his lips together and didn¡¯t respond.


    As a normally quiet person, Hannah never spoke much either.


    After the meal, when we moved to have tea in the yard, Summer pestered Hannah to look at the


    flowers at the rear of the house.


    As I sat across John, I decided not to beat around the bush. ¡°When do you n to hold the wedding?¡± I


    asked.


    He furrowed his brows. ¡°What wedding?¡±


    ¡°Your wedding with Ms. Anne, of course. Are you nning to get a marriage certificate after she has


    given birth?¡±


    He shrugged nonchntly and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t n to get married. I do want the child since it¡¯s mine,


    but I have no ns to marry her. After the delivery, I¡¯ll give her a sum of money and transfer the


    guardianship of the child under you. It¡¯s the same thing as when Summer was transferred to you.¡±


    Listening to him, I was momentarily speechless from the wave of anger. Had it not been because the


    tea in my hands was scalding hot, I would have sshed it right in his face.


    ¡°John Stovall! Do you have any idea how irresponsible you are? I already feel sorry for Summer, yet


    you¡¯re nning to let your child be born into a single-parent family? Moreover, what¡¯s so bad about


    Hannah? She¡¯s elegant and magnanimous. The only reason you could degrade her this way is


    because she loves you. Don¡¯t wait for the day when she has given up that you realize what exactly you


    did wrong!¡±


    Indifferent, he sipped his tea and leaned against the chair, speaking in a leisure tone, ¡°She wants


    money¡ªI¡¯ll give her money. She gives birth to my child, and I give her money in return¡ªis that not


    taking responsibility? Besides, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll dote on the child the same way you love Summer.¡±


    I¡ª


    Unable to hold back, I sshed the cup of tea in my hand in his direction and yelled, ¡°Stop dreaming! I


    won¡¯t raise your child. Since you¡¯ve decided to keep it, as a man, you have the obligation to make her


    your wife!¡±


    I was infuriated beyond reason. In an attempt to suppress my anger, I whirled around and headed


    toward the rear of the house.


    It had been a long time since Ist got that agitated. Bumping into Ashton, who had juste down


    from the second floor, he questioned, ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Men are all good-for-nothing!¡± I answered furiously, having yet to calm myself down.


    Ashton was speechless. A short whileter, when I¡¯d calmed my emotions, he chuckled. ¡°Not mad


    anymore?¡±


    I nodded, looking at him somewhat awkwardly. ¡°Earlier¡ª¡±


    ¡°I get it. Was it about John and Ms. Anne?¡± He smiled in understanding.


    ¡°For a woman such as Hannah, once he has missed it, he¡¯ll never find it again. Rather than cherishing


    the gem he has, he¡¯s decided not to get married. Sc*mbag!¡±


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    With an arm outreached, he took me aside to rest on a chair and said gently, ¡°Are you mad because he


    doesn¡¯t know how to cherish her or because of how he feels toward you?¡±


    I was stunned for a minute when I nced up into his fervent gaze. It took a while for me to find my


    voice and said, ¡°His feelings for me aren¡¯t romantic but like siblings. It¡¯s just that he¡¯s yet to realize it.¡±


    I understood precisely how well John treated me. All these years, he had considered everything about


    me in his heart. In outsiders¡¯ eyes, it seemed to be no different from a rtionship between man and


    woman. But having gotten involved in a real rtionship, how could I not know what John¡¯s feelings


    were for me? We knew each other since we were young and lived through the hard times by each


    other¡¯s side. Having spent those years together, how could I not differentiate between family and love?


    We were both lonely at heart. Without Grandma and Macy, the only person we had to depend on were


    each other.


    If he were to feel romantically for me¡ªbased on his personality¡ªhe would¡¯ve made a move a long time


    ago.


    Ashton watched me for a long time without saying a word.


    Standing in his shoes, I could understand what he was worried about and said in assurance, ¡°I was


    mad because he couldn¡¯t see through his own feelings. I fear it¡¯ll take him losing the most important


    person to him before he finally gets himself together. I was mad about how clueless he was.¡± Pausing, I


    grabbed his hand and got serious. ¡°Ashton, we¡¯re not kids anymore. Having lived for nearly half my life,


    I¡¯m clear about what my heart wants. I merely don¡¯t wish for John to live in regrets, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Despite all that I said, Ashton only stared at me dispiritedly, staying quiet. I searched his face but


    couldn¡¯t figure out what his true thoughts were. Believing that he was mad, I added, ¡°Ashton, you can¡¯t


    be this petty.¡±


    His lips curved, a hint of amusement shining in his eyes. ¡°What do I have to do to not be considered


    petty?¡±


    Realizing that he was teasing me, I shot him a re and refused tomunicate further.


    Before I could stand up and get away, he plopped me down onto hisp and encircled my waist, his


    voiceced with amusement. ¡°How about we let them handle their own problems while we live our own


    lives?¡±

 Chapter 468

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 468


    I sighed. Wouldn¡¯t that be nice? But John was family to me after all.


    ¡°Hannah is a really good woman,¡± I said. ¡°Once John loses her, it¡¯ll be forever.¡±


    Leaning his head on my shoulder, Ashton said moodily, ¡°What can you do then?¡±


    ¡°If Uncle Louis finds out, perhaps he could let Hannah into the Stovall family.¡± John had always been


    respectful to Uncle Louis.


    He lifted his head to stare at me thoughtfully. ¡°You¡¯ve investigated Hannah¡¯s past?¡±


    I frowned, confused about his question. ¡°Even if her background¡¯s inferior, Uncle Louis isn¡¯t one to be


    bothered about it. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have acknowledged me publicly and entered me into the


    Stovall¡¯s family register.¡±


    He raised his brows and said, ¡°Louis may not care about the girl¡¯s family background, but he¡¯ll care


    about her personal experiences. These past thirty years, you¡¯ve had a clean record being the Moore


    family¡¯s daughter, my wife, and a graduate. These could make Louis ept you, but Hannah doesn¡¯t


    have those.¡±


    ¡°Even though she didn¡¯t graduate college nor marry into a wealthy family, she¡¯s elegant and dignified.


    That alone will satisfy Uncle Louis.¡±


    Holding me, he smiled weakly. ¡°Things aren¡¯t always as simple as it seems, Scarlett.¡±


    Out of nowhere, Summer ran over and insisted that Ashton y with her. Unable to decline her, they


    left alongside each other.


    I remained seated in the chair, uncertain what sort of past Hannah had that could make Uncle Louis


    unable to ept her.


    In the evening, at the vi¡¯s entrance, John stared deeply at me and said, ¡°Since you¡¯re back to K City,


    you should take Summer home. After all, you and Mr. Fuller are divorced. The longer you stay here, the


    more tongues will wag.¡±


    I nked out slightly. Deep inside, I knew he was unwilling to see me and Ashton living together


    without clearing up our situation.


    Ashton didn¡¯t say a word as he sent them off politely.


    Having yed for an entire day, Summer was exhausted and fell asleep right on the living room floor.


    I was then backed into the doorframe and caged in by him. ¡°Four years ago, I didn¡¯t sign the divorce


    agreement. We¡¯re stillwfully married. Is it not okay for a married couple to live under the same roof?¡±


    Looking at his willful appearance, I burst outughing. Tilting my head, I said, ¡°It¡¯s fine, that¡¯s why I¡¯m


    staying.¡±


    He smiled softly, his eyes reflecting his happiness. Had it not been for Summer waking up groggily in


    the living room, he probably would¡¯ve been unable to restrain himself.


    Fall in K City was asionally gloomy and uncertain.


    On Tuesday, I had stayed in the vi revising for several consecutive days, bored from having been


    alone for some time.


    After getting a change of clothes, I went to peel some fruits in the kitchen before sending them to


    Summer at her school. However, I was denied ess and had to send them to Ashton at Fuller


    Corporation instead.


    The skies were overcast. Luckily, Ashton had given me a car to drive and the traffic was rtively


    smooth.


    When I arrived at Fuller Corporation, I stopped to allow myself to take it all in. Four years ago, it was


    merely one of the many inconspicuouspanies in the industry. Yet now, it had turned into a multi-


    story building with its name hanging strikingly on the front.


    As soon as I found a parking lot, a bolt of lightning struck and rain began to pour. I initially thought the


    rain wouldn¡¯t be heavy and carried the lunch box with me while I headed toward the Fuller Corporation


    building. But when I finally made it after a sprint, I had gotten fully drenched.


    The dark skies lit up whenever lightning struck. The bad weather didn¡¯t seem to be stopping any time


    soon.


    A group of passersby was taking shelter right at the entrance when I squeezed past them to make it


    into the lobby.


    Having learned my lesson, I didn¡¯t approach the reception but pulled out my phone to give Ashton a


    call.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Several missed calls showed on my phone screen, all of which were from Ashton while I had been in


    the rain. Before I could call him back, the phone rang again. I moved aside in order not to block the


    path and answered it.


    ¡°What happened?¡± His deep voice sounded hurried as if he had been anxious.


    Watching the heavy downpour outside, I said distractedly, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    All of a sudden, an ear-splitting p of thunder rang out, so deafening that the surroundings shook.


    Through the phone, Ashton coaxed in a low, soothing voice, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, I¡¯ll be right there.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, this will¡ª¡± It sounded like it was Joseph beside him.


    ¡°Postpone it!¡±


    Standing in the lobby, I froze, momentarily forgetting to move. ¡°Are you in a meeting?¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± he hummed in response. When another p of thunder sounded, he spoke again, ¡°I¡¯ll be home


    in fifteen minutes.¡±


    It seemed he remembered that I was afraid of thunders. But having lived through R Province¡¯s


    unpredictable weather for four years, I had long gotten used to it¡ªhaving spent many nights embracing


    Summer through them. Although I was still scared, it was no longer a crippling fear.


    Hearing his anxious tone, I couldn¡¯t help but assure him in a light voice, ¡°I¡¯m alright, you¡ª¡±

 Chapter 469

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 469


    Before I could finish my words, he hade out of the president¡¯s personal elevator and zoomed


    through the crowd hastily. His typically refined and imposing self was sweating in a panic.


    His good looks never failed to make him stand out in the crowd.


    Lowering the phone, I headed toward his direction and fell into his embrace, my arms finding their way


    around his waist. I leaned against his chest and said, ¡°I¡¯m alright. I don¡¯t fear the thunder.¡±


    It had been years since. Witnessing him being so worried caused my heart to clench.


    Surprised by my unexpected appearance, he pulled me in and gave me a tight hug. But when I


    returned to my senses, I couldn¡¯t help but be embarrassed as I recalled that this was the Fuller


    Corporation lobby and I had dashed into his embrace in the presence of everyone.


    My face flushed when I lifted my head and realized all the pairs of eyes that were staring at us. ¡°I was


    bored alone at home so I brought you some fruits.¡±


    He chuckled, tucking a stray of hair of mine behind my ear as he held me. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the office and


    eat them then.¡±


    Under the gaze of others, I entered the elevator with him, sighing on the inside. Gossip was bound to


    spread within the Fuller Corporation¡¯s employees in no time.


    Joseph had been teetering anxiously when we reached the office area. At the sight of Ashton¡¯s return,


    his face broke into a wide, relieved grin. ¡° Mr. Fuller, will you speak with the Starlight Group? Mr. Parker


    is exceptionally difficult. Since they initiated the meeting, they must be nning to coborate with the


    Fuller Corporation.¡±


    As he was only an assistant, all he could do was make suggestions.


    I had already known he was in the middle of a meeting. Seeing as Joseph had asked, I turned toward


    Ashton and said, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you in the lounge.¡±


    He nced at the weather outside, seeing that the rain had reduced to a drizzle. Turning his head back


    to me, he lightly tapped me on my nose and said, ¡°All right. I¡¯ll be back very soon.¡±


    There were two floors dedicated to his office. With the meeting room being on the other, I headed into


    the visitors¡¯ room.


    Approximately five minutester, Joseph came in with some fruits and tidbits. ¡°Mr. Fuller doesn¡¯t usually


    eat these, so there aren¡¯t too many of them in the office. Feel free to have whatever you like while you


    wait.¡±


    As it had been years since west met, I had a distinct feeling that Joseph was no longer as small-


    minded as he was before.


    Smiling, I epted them with both hands. I was aware Ashton didn¡¯t like eating fruits. If it weren¡¯t a


    must for him to eat them, he wouldn¡¯t have touched them at all.


    Therefore, not having fruits nor tidbits in the office was very normal.


    About twenty minutester, Ashton returned and saw that I had peeled the fruits on the table but hadn¡¯t


    eaten them. He furrowed his brows. ¡°You didn¡¯t like it?¡±


    I shook my head, picking up a piece of fruit with a toothpick before holding it by his mouth. ¡°I was


    waiting for you.¡±


    He reached out to cuddle me, looking slightly apologetic. ¡°The meetingter could take a while. Will you


    be bored alone here?¡±


    I knew he was busy. This trip was meant as a stroll with no intention to disturb his work. With a smile, I


    said, ¡°Not at all. I¡¯ll go fetch Summer from schoolter.¡±


    He nodded, nting a kiss on my forehead. Feeling slightly fatigued, he held me and shut his eyes to


    take a short rest. No words were needed to be spoken between us. As time passed, our love had


    integrated into the little details. Mutual understanding, care, and tolerance between each other were the


    crux to spending a long life with your partner. To rip into each other¡¯s throats would only end in tragedy.


    When Joseph knocked and entered, Ashton had already been asleep for an hour. He studied Ashton¡¯s


    closed eyes and steady breathing. In a hushed tone, he said, ¡°He¡¯s asleep?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Is it time for the meeting?¡±


    He hummed in response, lifting his wrist to check the time on his watch. ¡°There¡¯s another meeting in M


    Country ten minutester. Mr. Crest has just arrived,¡± he said with urgency.


    Mr. Crest?


    ¡°Jared Crest?¡± I asked instinctively.


    He nodded.


    Didn¡¯t he say he was going to W City for development?


    ¡°If you¡¯re tired, then rest in the lounge,¡± Ashton said, his voice slightly hoarse. It took me a second to


    realize he had awoken and was smoothing out his clothes.


    With no concern of our presence, Joseph said directly, ¡°Thepany in M Country has sent all the


    information to me. Mr. Crest has handed both the hospital and film matters to me. As of now,


    everything¡¯s on stand-by for you for handover.¡±


    Ashton stood up after taking care of his clothes. ¡°Everything that¡¯s handed over from Jared, pass them


    to Joe. Let Joe handle them.¡±


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Seeing as he was about to leave, I stood up and called out, ¡°Wait!¡±


    He smiled as he watched me walk toward him. ¡°Can¡¯t bear for me to leave?¡±


    I shot him a yful re and chuckled. ¡°Your hair¡¯s tousled and your necktie¡¯s nted.¡± I lifted a hand


    to fix them.


    He smiled. ¡°Jared¡¯s about to go to W City. The handover work isplicated, so it¡¯ll likely take some


    time. If you need anything, look for Joseph.¡±

 Chapter 470

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 470


    I nodded my head and pushed him forward. ¡°Go!¡±


    Rushing for his meeting, he left without another word. I decided to read for a bit in the office as I was


    bored.


    Suddenly, I could hear the noises of an argument outside. Curious, I got up to see what themotion


    was about.


    It turned out to be Nancy whom I hadn¡¯t seen in a long time. She looks different today. Her hair is a


    mess and she looks haggard. Although she¡¯s dressed in branded clothes, they always look cheap on


    her for some reason.


    Two secretaries were barring her from entering the huge office area. ¡°Ms. Goldstein, we can¡¯t let you in


    if you don¡¯t have an appointment with Mr. Fuller.¡±


    Despite her image was utterly ruined, Nancy showed no signs of giving up against the secretaries who


    blocked her path. She screamed hoarsely, ¡°Tell Ashton I want to see him right now.¡±


    Amotion like this wouldn¡¯t solve anything. After all, this was a hugepany, and the secretaries


    had other work to do.


    I shouldn¡¯t meddle in this though. Joseph just left and I¡¯m unaware of the proper protocol.


    So after some thought, I turned and prepared to head back to the office to kill time.


    ¡°Scarlett, stop right there!¡± I¡¯d only taken a few steps when my name was called.


    Turning back, I caught Nancy¡¯s gaze on me. She was still fuming as she spat out, ¡°Aren¡¯t you so


    pleased with yourself right now? You think you¡¯re better than the rest of us just because you married


    into money.¡±


    I furrowed my brows in displeasure.


    My gaze fell on her disheveled clothes. It¡¯s going to be exhausting if I talk to her from here. Since she¡¯s


    already seen me, I guess I should just confront her.


    I walked forward and stared at her calmly. ¡°Ms. Goldstein, try not to lose some sense of elegance even


    if you¡¯ve fallen on hard times. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re degrading yourself like this?¡±


    She actually has decent qualities¡ªshe¡¯s young and pretty with a great educational background. Even if


    her path to stardom has be hopeless, she¡¯ll still have many opportunities. She wouldn¡¯t find


    herself in dire straits.


    Sheughed coldly, a hollow gaze in her eyes. ¡°Degrading myself? Are you talking to me from a


    winner¡¯s perspective right now?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°Think what you please.¡±


    She sneered, ¡°Ashton treated me like a substitute. How well do you think he¡¯ll treat you, huh? No one


    will ever match up to that crush of his.¡±


    She¡¯s just degrading herself by being caught up in this whole idea of who among us is the substitute.


    What¡¯s the point in bringing up this issue now? She¡¯s just doing this because she can¡¯t ept defeat.


    As I stared at her, I couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Although I have no clue how you appeared in his circles or


    caught his attention, it¡¯s meaningless now for you to be fixated on this idea of which one of us is the


    substitute. I would¡¯ve helped you if your words were kinder, Nancy. But if you can¡¯t at least be civil, then


    I¡¯ll have to return an eye for an eye. The baseless rumors you spread about mest time gave me a lot


    of trouble. As the victim, it¡¯s only right that I take steps to defend my name.¡±


    Nancy¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Who can you me but yourself for your promiscuity? Everything I said


    was true.¡±


    I nodded, though I wasn¡¯t yet enraged at her words. ¡°My marriage to Ashton seven years ago was a


    valid union. I don¡¯t know who tipped you off about that incident four years ago, but it only takes a bit of


    common sense to understand what really happened. Just because I didn¡¯t make a fuss about it doesn¡¯t


    mean I¡¯m weak. I merely thought it wasn¡¯t worth my time and effort to deal with such matters.¡±


    The two secretaries who¡¯d heard my every word couldn¡¯t help but exchange loaded nces. They


    seemed shocked, likely by the news of Ashton and my marriage.


    I looked at Nancy and continued, ¡°One must always think of the repercussions before taking action. If I


    were you, Nancy, I¡¯d pack my bags immediately and bring my mother to a safe ce where we could


    live quietly for some time. Maybe spend some time nning my future and stop pestering the Fuller


    Corporation. Ashton¡¯s patience is limited. Once he¡¯s concluded his business, no one can guarantee


    how brutal he can be when ites to tying up loose ends.¡±


    Nancy¡¯s face paled. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°She has exined it so well! Ashton only killed your dreams of stardom instead of forcing you into a


    dead end. If you continue creating a fuss like this, he might get annoyed and ruin your entire future.¡± A


    woman¡¯s voice cut in.


    I was startled for a moment and turned around. I didn¡¯t know when Emery had shown up. Dressed in a


    stylish ck suit, she stood next to the lift with her arms crossed.


    Cheekily, she watched my reaction to her arrival with a barely discernible smile on her face. Her lips


    curved upwards as sheughed out loud. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in four years and you seem fatter now.¡±


    I-Isn¡¯t she being too straightforward? Who starts a conversation like that!


    I couldn¡¯t help butugh as I replied, ¡°The environment in R Province is great.¡±


    She shrugged and walked towards me. ¡°I guess that¡¯s true. Yourplexion does look amazing.¡±


    She paused for a moment and looked at Nancy, who hadn¡¯t recovered herposure. ¡°Hey Miss,


    you¡¯re twenty-six this year, right? Think you¡¯re such a hotshot after being a celebrity for a couple of


    years? Oh right, weren¡¯t you in the news a couple of days ago for climbing to the top of that building?


    But nothing happened? I guess you were just making a scene!¡±Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 471

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 471


    She still speaks as recklessly as she did four years ago.


    Nancy¡¯s face was pale as she pursed her lips. ¡°What does that have to do with you anyway? And who


    are you? Why are you sticking your nose into other people¡¯s business?¡±


    ¡°Pfft!¡± Emery sighed, ¡°Looks like the Moore family has been a bit too under-the-radar these few years.¡±


    She turned her gaze towards the two secretaries standing to the side, raising her eyebrows in a taunt.


    ¡°You two would know who I am, would you?¡±


    Both secretaries shook their heads and replied hurriedly, ¡°Ms. Moore, surely you jest.¡±


    Emery nodded and looked back at Nancy. ¡°I guess I should¡¯ve expected your ignorance. After all,


    actresses aren¡¯t really invited to important events to socialize with businessmen or politicians, much


    less the ones like you. ¡°


    ¡°Y-You¡ª¡± Nancy stuttered furiously at her mockery.


    Emery sneered, ¡°Looking at your current state, I¡¯d say you haven¡¯t seen much during those years you


    were hanging around Ashton, yes? Do you think Scarlett isn¡¯t a worthy match for Ashton? I¡¯ll bring you


    up to speed then, so you don¡¯t harbor any regrets when you meet your maker.¡±


    ¡°You b*tch!¡± Nancy yelled. ¡°You just own a few smallpanies and you really think of yourself as


    some bigshot.¡±


    I used to think Nancy was pretty cute and innocent sometimes. Knowing that Vanessa was her mother,


    and after observing her this whole time, I realized that they really were pretty alike. She takes after her


    mother after all!


    Emery scoffed coldly, bored at her antics. But since she¡¯s already taken the shot, it would be more fun


    to take her down a notch or two.


    She nted herself on the secretary¡¯s chair and propped her chin up to stare at Nancy. ¡°You¡¯ve never


    heard of the Moore family of K City, but what about the Stovall family? Ms. Goldstein, do you really


    think Ashton would just marry a nobody?¡±


    Stunned, Nancy asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is that you¡¯re not only inferior to Scarlett in terms of looks and talents but also


    your background. Look at your mother¡¯s character. Now,pare that to Scarlett¡¯s father. Don¡¯t you


    have any idea at all of the difference in your standings? If I¡¯d been the one dealing with your nder


    towards Scarlett, I¡¯d have hired someone to teach you a lesson. But Scarlett was the bigger person and


    chose to let it go. I did hear, however, that her godfather Louis can be very protective towards his own


    despite his strict beliefs in thew. I also know that your mother is a convicted felon. All he needs to do


    is find a small transgression to send both you and your mother back into prison. You¡¯d be lucky to get


    out after that!¡±


    Emery was obviously intimidating Nancy, and thetter appeared to hang on her every word. Pale-


    faced, she asked, ¡°Did you say that Scarlett is Louis Stovall¡¯s daughter?¡±


    Emery shrugged. ¡°Have you never watched the news in the past? I¡¯ll give you a tip¡ªyou just need to


    search for news dating back to about four years ago, and you may be able to learn something useful.¡±


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°Impossible!¡± Nancy looked flustered. ¡°Sally said Scarlett is an orphan. Wasn¡¯t she only married to


    Ashton because old Mr. Fuller liked her? How can she be Louis¡¯ daughter?¡±


    ¡°Aha!¡± Emery looked at me and raised her brows. Laughingly, she asked, ¡°I¡¯ll say, why does she know


    so many things about you? Did you offend Sally? How did you do it this time? Aren¡¯t you away for four


    years? How¡¯d you suddenly gain an enemy once you came back?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s hard to exin. All I can say is it¡¯s ancient history now.¡±


    She scoffed and looked at Nancy disdainfully. ¡°Sorry to disappoint, but her parents are alive and well.


    You should use your brain cells more often or you won¡¯t even know when you¡¯re being duped.¡±


    She looked at the two secretaries and frowned. ¡°Are you two nning to stand here and watch this little


    show for the rest of the day? Are all the employees at Fuller Corporation this ipetent? You


    couldn¡¯t stop a person from barging into the president¡¯s office, yet you failed to call security for help. Is


    this your way of telling Mr. Fuller that he should be recing his secretaries?¡±


    The two secretaries were technically the receptionists to the president¡¯s office. At Emery¡¯s words, they


    quickly apologized and called for security immediately.


    Perhaps Nancy had really taken Emery¡¯s words to heart as she left absent-mindedly with the security


    escort.


    Only Emery and I were left. She hugged me while frowning. ¡°You left without a word and now you¡¯re


    back the same way you left! Some friend you are!¡±


    I was surprised at her words. ¡°I left in a hurry and didn¡¯t think too much of it. I¡¯ve also just returned to K


    City, so-¡±


    ¡°Fine!¡± she pouted. ¡°I¡¯ve heard bits and pieces of that incident. I don¡¯t think anyone else would¡¯ve


    reacted differently. But what¡¯s going on between you and Ashton? Didn¡¯t you get divorced? What¡¯s


    going on right now? What are you thinking?¡±


    How should I put this? I don¡¯t really know how to answer her either.


    Met with my silence, she sighed and stopped asking questions. She followed me to the visitors¡¯ room


    and took a seat. She asked, ¡°The Moore family knows you¡¯re back. What is your n? Are you just


    going to pretend that nothing happened between you and the Moore family?¡±

 Chapter 472

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 472


    ¡°There isn¡¯t any rtionship between the Moore family and me, to begin with. I came back to K City to


    give my daughter a better future. I haven¡¯t thought about anything else beyond that, and I really don¡¯t


    n to!¡± If it wasn¡¯t for Summer¡¯s future, I would¡¯ve stayed in R Province forever.


    Emery knitted her brows and appeared displeased. ¡°But you¡¯re the Moore family¡¯s daughter. No one


    can change that.¡±


    ¡°So what?¡± I looked at her, feeling somewhat agitated. ¡°I never n to acknowledge them as my


    biological parents. Since they¡¯ve already adopted Reba formally, then Reba can just carry on


    being the official daughter of the Moore family.¡±


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    She sighed as shemented, ¡°You¡¯re still not over it then.¡± She paused for a moment before staring


    at me. ¡°By the way, I¡¯m getting married in October. Make sure to be there!¡±


    I was stunned. ¡°Who are you marrying?¡±


    ¡°A man! You¡¯ll know who he is if you attend the wedding.¡±


    I-


    Ashton¡¯s meeting had just ended. Seeing as it waste, and he still had things to discuss with Emery, I


    decided to fetch Summer from school alone.


    As I exited Fuller Corporation, it was just my luck to bump into Jared.


    I wanted to avoid him but he already spotted me. Waving at me enthusiastically, he asked, ¡°Where are


    you going? I¡¯ll give you a lift!¡±


    ¡°No need!¡± After the incident with Macy, my impression of his character had fallen significantly. I had no


    interest in hearing his side of the story. All I knew was that he shared half the me for Macy¡¯s


    incident.


    His brows furrowed as he followed me. ¡°It¡¯s raining right now. I¡¯m free and I can drive you.¡±


    I stopped and turned around to look at him. ¡°Do you want something?¡±


    He frowned before nodding. ¡°I want to have a meal with her.¡±


    He was referring to Summer.


    I pursed my lips. Summer is his kid after all¡­


    After a moment of silence, I replied, ¡°Fine, but just this once.¡±


    He was surprised that I agreed to his request. His smile was bright as he stared at me, seeming


    somewhat in a daze. ¡°That¡¯s great!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go then, I¡¯m picking her up in a while. We can go together,¡± I said before getting into my own car.


    He quickly entered my car. It was drizzling just like he¡¯d said. Traffic jams were amon sight in K


    City, and they became worse during rainy weather.


    The car inched slowly along the jammed roads. I kept my mouth shut, unwilling to initiate a


    conversation. So he decided to start one himself. ¡°I didn¡¯t know she was pregnant. If I had known, I¡¯d


    never have let her leave.¡±


    I frowned, choosing not toment on his rtionship with Macy.


    ¡°What¡¯s her favorite food?¡± he asked, sighing lightly.


    Evidently, his interest would be in knowing her favorite food.


    ¡°She¡¯s not picky¡ªanything is fine!¡± Summer had never been a picky eater. If I had to pinpoint a specific


    food, her favorite food would probably be sweets like most kids.


    Finally, realizing that I had no intention to carry on a conversation with him, he remained silent for the


    remainder of the car ride.


    We reached the school gates half an hourter after the sses ended for the day.


    Just as I parked the car, I saw Summer walking behind a teacher as she looked around for me.


    Once she saw me, she tugged on her teacher¡¯s clothes and said goodbye to her teacher before


    running towards me.


    ¡°Mommy, is Mr. Fuller busy today? Why didn¡¯t hee to fetch me?¡±


    These days, Ashton and Summer were behaving more and more like a father and daughter. Summer


    had grown to depend on him.


    I took her school bag from her and said, ¡°He has a lot of meetings to attend to, so he couldn¡¯te


    today.¡±


    Summer pouted but epted my answer without making a fuss. She lifted her head and stared at


    Jared, who was standing beside me.


    After some thought, she asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you the man standing in front of mommy Macy¡¯s tombstone that


    day?¡±


    I was shocked at Summer¡¯s memory. She actually remembers him after seeing him only once.


    Jared nodded as a small smile grew on his face. He stared at her intently.


    After getting into the car, Jared suddenly appeared nervous and at a loss for words. He just continued


    staring at Summer.


    I quickly asked Summer, ¡°What would you like to eat?¡±


    Summer thought for a while before replying seriously, ¡°This morning, Mr. Fuller said he would bring me


    to eat steak. Mummy, are we going to meet Mr. Fullerter?¡±


    I was momentarily stunned. I totally forgot that Ashton had mentioned his intentions to bring Summer


    out for a meal this morning.


    Jared let out a cough before saying, ¡°I¡¯ll give Ashton a call. We can eat togetherter.¡±


    I nodded but didn¡¯t say anything else.


    Ever since Macy had entrusted Summer to my care, I had never nned to reunite Summer with


    Jared. Though this had indeed been Macy¡¯sst wish, I also had my own selfish reasons.


    Ashton waste to the restaurant because of his meeting. We waited at the restaurant for half an hour


    before he finally arrived.


    After we ordered, Summer climbed into Ashton¡¯sp and jabbered incessantly to him. It was obvious


    that she was clingy towards him.


    Jared made a few attempts to engage Summer in a conversation, but she always replied politely before


    turning her focus back to Ashton again.


    I could empathize with Jared¡¯s feelings at that moment. To prevent the situation from getting more


    awkward, I asked, ¡°I heard that you¡¯re nning to move to W City.¡±


    Jared nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. W City is where the Crest family firstid its roots. It¡¯s past time for me to


    return anyway.¡±

 Chapter 473

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 473


    I heard about the Crest family from Ashton. Though the Crest family had begun as a family of


    academics, its subsequent generations had made exceptional achievements in various fields ranging


    from business to medicine. They were well-known everywhere.


    Over the years, the Crest family had gained extensive control over W City. Jared¡¯s return to W City


    would thus serve two purposes¡ªhe would be able to spend more time with his family as well as


    partake in his family¡¯s business.


    This is all well and good, but what about Kristina?


    Just as my thoughts drifted in that direction, Kristina appeared as if my mind had summoned her out of


    thin air. There weren¡¯t many customers in the Ferropenian restaurant, so her arrival was hard to miss.


    After all, an impably dressed pregnantdy who still emanated a youthful air was an eye-catching


    sight.


    I wanted to ignore her presence so we could have a peaceful meal.


    However, it seemed like she had purposely dropped by to look for us. After she passed the front


    counter, she headed immediately for our table.


    She looked at us with a sweet smile pasted on her face. ¡°Jared, you¡¯re eating here too?¡±


    It may look like a coincidence, but it¡¯s starting to seem more likely that she nned this. After all, why


    would a pregnantdye all the way to a restaurant to eat alone?


    Jared frowned as he nodded. His expression was wooden. ¡°You¡¯re here alone?¡±


    She nodded and answered in a velvety tone, ¡°I got bored at home, and you weren¡¯t answering my calls.


    So, I decided toe out myself.¡±


    ¡°Have a seat then,¡± Jared spoke tly as he ordered a steak for her.


    When the steaks were served, Ashton carefully ced Summer on the seat next to his before


    gracefully cutting the steak.


    Summer didn¡¯t know how to cut a steak, and I was toozy, so I usually let him do it for her.


    Jared ced some cut pieces of steak on Summer¡¯s te as he spoke to her gently, ¡°Summer, do you


    mind eating the ones that I¡¯ve cut?¡±


    Summer hesitated for a moment before nodding.


    Kristina was cutting her steak and frowned at the sight of Jared¡¯s actions. She seemed displeased. She


    transferred her steak to Jared¡¯s te and smiled at him. ¡°Jared, my arms have been feeling so sore


    these few days. Won¡¯t you help me cut my steak?¡±


    Jared¡¯s brows furrowed as he ate a bite of his steak. He looked around for a waiter and waved one


    over.


    The waiter arrived at the table and inquired politely, ¡°Sir, is there anything I can help you with?¡±


    ¡°Could you please cut this steak up, thank you.¡±


    Oh wow, he¡¯s actually asking a waiter to do it.


    I chanced a nce at Kristina, who had paled and appeared humiliated.


    Since it was requested by a customer, the waiter could only smile meekly as he cut up the steak.


    The atmosphere instantly became awkward.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Ashton seemed to ignore everyone else at the table as he carefully ced cut pieces of steak on my


    te. He spoke gently, ¡°Just eat. Don¡¯t get distracted.¡±


    I nodded as I tore my attention away from them.


    Summer looked at me, then turned to look at Kristina. I had no idea what was going on in that head of


    hers.


    She suddenly asked, ¡°Mr. Crest, do you not love thisdy?¡±


    I almost spit out the water I had drank. This kid doesn¡¯t have a filter at all.


    Kristina¡¯s face paled as she lowered her gaze and chewed her lips. She looked utterly humiliated but


    somehow managed to squeeze out a smile.


    Jared raised his brows and looked at Summer. ¡°Do you know what love is?¡±


    Summer nodded. ¡°Uncle John told me. He said that if a boy loves a girl, he¡¯ll take care of her. Just like


    how Mr. Fuller loves my mommy. He always takes care of her by helping her cuts her steak or cooks


    for her. He also calls her a lot to check if she¡¯s ok.¡±


    Looks like John literally teaches her everything.


    At her words, Ashton¡¯s lips curved upwards in a smile. ¡°Your Uncle John has pretty good observation


    skills.¡±


    Heh!


    Summer nodded and continued earnestly, ¡°Of course. He said that I need to learn to be observant so


    that I¡¯ll know if a boy loves me or not. Only then can I be happy.¡±


    ¡°Summer, less talking, more eating,¡± I cut in after seeing Kristina¡¯s dismal expression.


    Pregnant women are prone to mood swings. I don¡¯t particrly like her but I¡¯m not going to agitate or


    provoke her on purpose.


    Summer hummed in acknowledgement and started eating.


    Jared¡¯s gaze fell on Summer as he appeared to be deep in thought. I didn¡¯t know if it was on purpose


    or not, but he suddenly blurted, ¡°That candor! Just like her!¡±


    I frowned, knowing that he was referring to Macy. It¡¯s a bit pointless to be bringing that up now, though.


    I made an excuse and left for the restroom.


    Humans are strange beings. We don¡¯t appreciate things when we have them, yet we scramble for


    scraps when what we have is truly gone. What an irony.


    Kristina followed me to the restroom with an upset expression on her face. ¡°Since you¡¯ve already


    adopted her, why must you parade her around and ruin other people¡¯s lives?¡±


    Shocked, I turned to look at her. I asked with a frown, ¡°Ruin people¡¯s lives?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help a mirthlessugh from escaping. ¡°First of all, let¡¯s be clear that you won¡¯t meet anyone


    who¡¯s more reluctant to let him meet Summer than me. As for today¡¯s meal, he begged me to let him


    eat with Summer. And now you¡¯re ming me?¡±


    She looked at me as she sighed, ¡°I hope we can avoid each other from now on. You can live happily


    with this child in K City. Just don¡¯t appear in my life ever again.¡±

 Chapter 474

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 474


    I began to pity her. She¡¯d be a bundle of nerves over the appearance of this kid. I scoffed,


    ¡°Biological rtionships are such fascinating things. No one can predict how they¡¯ll y out in the


    future, so here¡¯s a piece of advice for you¡ªjust focus on the baby in your belly and live your life without


    worrying about every little thing.¡±


    Jared obviously doesn¡¯t love her at all. The only bargaining chip she has is her unborn baby.


    I didn¡¯t want to continue debating such meaningless topics with her, so I quickly entered the restroom.


    Suddenly Stacey was calling me. I was reluctant to pick up the phone but decided to answer the call


    after some thought.


    ¡°Are you busy? Can we grab a bite together tomorrow?¡± She worked at Fuller Corporation, and I knew


    she was busy as she frequentlymuted between K City and J City.


    After some thought, I replied, ¡°Tomorrow¡¯s the weekend. I may need to bring Summer to the book store.


    I can¡¯t confirm if I¡¯ve any free time yet.¡±


    ¡°We can just grab a quick dinner. It won¡¯t take long.¡± She paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°I


    know you have some misgivings about me, but Scarlett, you need to hear me out. We always have to


    put ourselves first. Besides, she deserved it.¡±


    Stacey¡¯s usation against Nancy on the filming set¡ªwhether intentional or not¡ªwasn¡¯t a big deal to


    me. But I do have the right to choose my own friends, and I¡¯d rather spend my time with people who


    share my values.


    ¡°Alright, see you this weekend then.¡± Phone calls were devoid of visual cues and could often be


    misleading.


    She answered, ¡°See you!¡±


    As I hung up, I exited the restroom and noticed that Summer wasn¡¯t at our table. Only Ashton and


    Jared were there. I frowned as I asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Summer?¡±


    ¡°She wanted to pick a dessert; she went to pick it out with Kristina,¡± Jared replied.


    I was worried and a little angry, but I couldn¡¯t take it out on Jared. I looked at Ashton and said,


    ¡°Summer¡¯s a cheeky kid, and Ms. Ludwick¡¯s pregnant. How can you let her follow Kristina?¡±


    Ashton sensed my panic and stood up, holding my hand. ¡°They¡¯re just in the restaurant. Don¡¯t worry,


    they¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    I shook off his hand and walked towards the dessert area. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust Kristina. It¡¯s just that


    her character is unreliable. Summer¡¯s very existence is a threat to her unborn baby. There¡¯s too much


    risk involved.


    The restaurant was huge, and I walked a whole round before seeing Summer. She was busy choosing


    desserts from the disy counter.


    I let out a sigh of relief when I saw that she was safe. Then I noticed that Kristina was taking a photo of


    Summer on her phone. I frowned and strode forward, snatching the phone from her hands to delete the


    photos.


    ¡°Ms. Ludwick, that is my daughter. You can¡¯t take or distribute photos of her without my permission.¡±


    My sudden appearance surprised her. She appeared chagrined as she looked at me. ¡°Scarlett, don¡¯t


    you think you¡¯re overreacting? I just thought her expression was adorable when she was choosing


    desserts, so I wanted to take some photos. I don¡¯t have any ulterior motives. You can¡¯t possibly think


    that of me.¡±


    ¡°I can and I will!¡± I replied coldly as I walked towards Summer. Pulling Summer towards me, I looked at


    Kristina. ¡°For your own safety, please stay away from my daughter!¡±


    Her smile was chilling as she kept her phone. ¡°If she was really your child, I¡¯d understand the extent of


    your concern. She¡¯s not really yours though. And yet, you¡¯re devoted to her. Don¡¯t tell me the rumors


    are actually true? Is Mr. Fuller barren? And that¡¯s why you¡¯re treating someone else¡¯s child like the


    apple of your eye?¡±


    My expression darkened. My tone was simmering with anger as I replied, ¡°If you don¡¯t use your mouth


    for anything else, I¡¯d suggest sewing it up so you can¡¯t spew any more nonsense.¡±


    ¡°So? Are the rumors actually true? Ashton can¡¯t have any children of his own?¡± she sneered.


    She¡¯de closer to me and whispered thisst bit into my ear. No one else around us would¡¯ve been


    able to hear her.


    I lowered my gaze. Raising my hand, I pped her without a hint of hesitation. It wasn¡¯t a hard p, but


    it was good enough to teach her a lesson.


    She held her cheek as she red at me. ¡°What? Is no one else allowed to mention it?¡±


    ¡°Try again if you dare,¡± I said calmly.


    pping someone in a restaurant would inevitably invite attention. Ashton and Jared soon showed up.


    At the sight of the two men, Kristina immediately switched on the waterworks.


    ¡°Jared, I only brought Summer here to pick out desserts, but Ms. Stovall didn¡¯t want me to touch her


    child. She even pped me! That¡¯s too much!¡±


    I pursed my lips and stared at her coldly. My anger hadn¡¯t subsided. ¡°Kristina, if you¡¯re going to be this


    pretentious, I won¡¯t mind sending another p your way. Don¡¯t think you¡¯re untouchable just because


    you¡¯re pregnant. If you like to act the victim, I can y along and be the viin.¡±


    Jared frowned as he looked at me. ¡°We can talk things out calmly. There¡¯s no need to get physical.¡±


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    He¡¯d uttered these words nonchntly before turning towards Summer. ¡°Summer, is there anything


    else you¡¯d like to eat?¡±


    Summer lifted her head to look at me before she turned to stare at a weeping Kristina. She apparently


    knew what was going on. ¡°She made mommy angry. That¡¯s why mommy hit her.¡±


    Jared was stunned by her answer. He smiled meekly and nodded. ¡°I know. I¡¯m not ming your


    mommy.¡±

 Chapter 475

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 475


    Nodding, Summer passed the desserts she¡¯d picked out to Ashton and said softly, ¡°Mr. Fuller, let¡¯s go


    home. Mommy¡¯s upset.¡±


    Ashton¡¯s knowing gaze had never left me though he had yet to utter a single word.


    Jared, on the other hand, appeared unconcerned over Kristina¡¯s feelings. His whole attention was on


    Summer. He had been trying to start a conversation with her even until we had already exited the


    restaurant.


    Indifferently, we bid them farewell as we boarded the car. Summer fell asleep soon after.


    When we stopped at a red light, Ashton reached out and held my hand. ¡°Are you feeling better now?¡±


    Slightly surprised, I shrugged. ¡°I felt better a long time ago.¡±


    He smiled gently. ¡°So, what did Kristina say to piss you off?¡±


    He lowered his gaze and stared at my hand. He appeared to be suppressing hisughter as he asked,


    ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who pped her. Why would I be hurt?¡± I removed my hand from his hold as I recalled


    Kristina¡¯s words. I couldn¡¯t help my gaze as it traveled towards Ashton¡¯s lower body.


    Apparently, I wasn¡¯t as subtle as I thought. Ashton narrowed his eyes as he asked doubtfully, ¡°What¡¯s


    going on?¡±


    Aware that my staring was inappropriate, I quickly turned my gaze away. After some thought, I asked,


    ¡°Did y-you take it out yet?¡±


    He appeared shocked at the question, and it took him a moment before he was able topose


    himself. The light turned green, and he began to drive forward. ¡°Yes?¡± he answered confusedly.


    Four years ago he had a vasectomy. I haven¡¯t been with him for four years; I wouldn¡¯t know if he¡¯d


    reversed it or not.


    Based on Kristina¡¯s words, maybe he hadn¡¯t reversed the vasectomy. This then became fodder for the


    rumors that were swirling around.


    ¡°Take what out again?¡± He looked at me out of the corner of his eye, a questioning gaze in his eyes.


    Blushing, I said, ¡°The vasectomy clips. Did y-you take them out?¡±


    His shock soon morphed intoughter. He looked at me with his brows raised. ¡°If you want to have


    kids, I¡¯d be happy to remove them.¡±


    My brain stuttered as I pouted. So, did he take them out or not?


    ¡°You¡¯ll be infertile if you keep the clips on for too long!¡± Four years was a long time. I didn¡¯t know if


    his fertility was already affected.


    Heughed lightly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Your husband is a healthy man. If you really want to have kids, I¡¯ll be


    up for it too. Any number is good.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to continue bantering with him over this. Adopting a serious tone, I said, ¡°Let¡¯s make an


    appointment tomorrow and get the clips removed.¡±


    Even if we¡¯re destined to leave each other in the end, I don¡¯t want him to ruin his chances of ever


    having kids in the future.


    He looked at me andughed. ¡°We¡¯re not in a rush to have kids.¡±


    In the end, we didn¡¯t manage to arrange for an appointment to reverse Ashton¡¯s vasectomy due to his


    busy schedule.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    But little did I expect that I was the first person to be notified about Nancy¡¯s death.


    It was the end of September when the autumn rains came frequently. I rarely left the house as I was


    busy preparing for my exams.


    When I received the text, I was surprised. It was a short one: Turn on the TV. Wait for her death.


    The message seemed like nothing more than a horrid prank.


    I frowned and switched off my phone, turning my attention back to my revision.


    Suddenly Stacey called, stumbling over her words. ¡°Was it Mr. Fuller?¡±


    I knitted my brows in confusion. What does she mean by that?


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    As if sensing my confusion, she replied, ¡°Nancy was apparently murdered in her own home. The police


    are investigating now. I heard that it was an ugly scene.¡±


    I was paralyzed with shock. My hands, however, seemed to move on their own ord as they closed


    my books and switched on the TV.


    News of Nancy¡¯s death was being reported on every channel.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Mr. Fuller with you?¡± Stacey asked.


    I frowned and recalled the first thing she¡¯d blurted to me when I answered her call. I answered coolly,


    ¡°Ashton wouldn¡¯t stoop to such a level.¡±


    She probably heard the anger in my tone and quickly apologized.


    People change. She¡¯d spent so much time in the murky waters of the business world that she¡¯d


    be a ruthless woman.


    Now though, we no longer crossed paths. I hung up and looked at the text I¡¯d received earlier.


    The call didn¡¯t connect when I dialed the number listed as the sender of the text. I pondered for a


    moment and decided to call Ashton.


    The call went through, and I heard some background noises. It sounded like he was in the middle of a


    meeting. ¡°Scarlett, what¡¯s up?¡±


    He didn¡¯t speak loudly, but the background noises disappeared once he spoke.


    ¡°What happened to Nancy?¡± I asked, not meaning to interrogate him. Realizing my tone was off, I


    composed myself before saying, ¡°I received a suspicious text just now.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about her since her contract with Fuller Corporation has already been


    dissolved. Her future actions have no bearing on our corporation. Don¡¯t overthink things,¡± he said,


    sounding soft and a bit hoarse.


    I paused for a moment and nodded to myself. There wasn¡¯t anything else to say, so I hung up.


    I was still weirded out by the text I¡¯d received out of the blue, so I decided to try my luck and dial the


    number again.


    The phone still appeared to be switched off.


    The doorbell of the vi rang. I went downstairs and opened the door.


    Sally was here.


    I¡¯d just opened the door and could barely react when she pped me.


    p! She¡¯dnded a solid one on my face.


    My head was stinging from the impact, and I had to take a moment topose myself. Blood trickled


    out from the corner of my lip.


    I looked down at her as I attempted to suppress my rage. ¡°Ms. Fuller, have you always been this


    brash? Why are you pping people for no reason?¡±


    She let out a coldugh and sneered, ¡°Reason? Nancy¡¯s death is reason enough. Scarlett, I thought


    you¡¯d know your ce by now after being gone for four years. Clearly, I¡¯ve underestimated you. After


    all, how good can a woman be if she can even destroy the reputation of her own birth mother? Nancy


    merely admired Ashton. If you weren¡¯t happy with that, you could hit and berate her. Why make her die


    such a painful death?¡±

 Chapter 476

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 476


    Did she think I murdered Nancy?


    I almostughed out in disbelief. Looking at her, I scoffed, ¡°Ms. Fuller, you¡¯ve actually overestimated


    me. If I were that ruthless, that p would never have made it to my face.¡±


    She said disdainfully, ¡°You can drop the act. I know Nancy ndered and humiliated you before, so


    you¡¯ve been vengeful all this while! It¡¯s not impossible to get rid of her. After all, you have the backing of


    the Stovall family or the Moore family. It should be easy for you to get rid of an actress without leaving a


    single trace behind. I never took you to be this cruel, Scarlett!¡±


    Nothing I say will make her change her mind. Plus, she didn¡¯te here to ask if I murdered Nancy.


    She doesn¡¯t even care who really did the deed since she¡¯s already fixated on me being the perpetrator.


    No one else was at home, and I didn¡¯t want to continue talking to her. So I said, ¡°You¡¯ve already


    pped me and scolded me; you can go back now, Ms. Fuller.¡±


    But s, if it was that easy to deter Sally, I wouldn¡¯t have been forced into tight corners by her several


    times.


    She ignored me and entered the vi. Plonking herself down on the sofa in the living room, she tossed


    a folder on the table. Her voice was full of hatred and disgust as she said, ¡°Scarlett, if you have any


    feelings for Ashton at all, you should leave him. Don¡¯t drag him into this mess.¡±


    I frowned and opened the folder she¡¯d tossed on the table. As I flipped through the photographs that


    were inside, a cold sweat broke out on my body.


    These photos were taken before Nancy¡¯s death. The faces of the men who were in the photographs


    couldn¡¯t be seen clearly, but Nancy¡¯s tortured expression was distinctly captured.


    I lifted my gaze and looked at Sally. ¡°Why are you showing me these photos?¡±


    She returned my gaze as her expression darkened. ¡°The police have begun investigating the scene.


    Just how long do you think you can keep this under wraps? Since your return to K City, Nancy¡¯s had


    her contract with the Fuller Corporation dissolved, and she also ndered you when she attracted


    media attention for her little stunt on top of that building. Now, she¡¯s dead. Who else can be responsible


    for her downfall?¡±


    She paused as she attempted to control her emotions. ¡°I don¡¯t know if this is revenge or just pure


    hatred. Frankly, your actions have nothing to do with me. But you must leave Ashton. He cannot have


    his reputation sullied by a wife like you. Just one misstep and it could destroy him and the Fuller


    Corporation. You will only ruin him if you stay by his side.¡±


    I almostughed out loud at her audacity. ¡°What makes you think I did it?¡± You didn¡¯t even get any facts


    right, and you¡¯re cing the me on me already?


    She sneered, ¡°The Moore family has had its fair share of dirty dealings. Do you think Cameron hasn¡¯t


    seen the news? To them, Nancy¡¯s worth less than a dog.¡±


    Iughed. ¡°And what does that have to do with me? Ms. Fuller, my patience is limited. I¡¯ve tolerated you


    many times in the past because you¡¯re Ashton¡¯s aunt. After all, we¡¯re taught to respect our elders. But if


    our elders cannot behave rationally or reasonably, I think there¡¯s no longer a need for tolerance. Please


    leave my house right now!¡±


    She was frozen in shock, not expecting me to retaliate. She looked furious. ¡°Just who do you think you


    are, Scarlett? This house belongs to the Fullers. What makes you think you can kick me out?¡±


    ¡°She can because she¡¯s my wife!¡±


    I was surprised at Ashton¡¯s sudden appearance. He walked into the living room and stood beside me.


    He red at Sally with barely concealed anger. ¡°You may be my aunt, but I expect you to know your


    ce better.¡±


    ¡°Ashton! Are you going to cut ties with me over this woman?¡±


    ¡°If you continue acting like this, it wouldn¡¯t be impossible.¡± Ashton was usually calm, and his emotions


    were hard to discern. Now though, his anger was palpable. As he stared at Sally impassively, he


    asked, ¡°Do you need a lift home?¡±


    As he uttered his words, it was painfully obvious that Sally had overstayed her wee. With her chest


    rising and falling rapidly with anger, she red at me fiercely before leaving in a huff.


    Staring after her as she left, the pain in my head intensified. I also felt frustrated.


    Ashton pulled me down onto the sofa. Already in a sour mood, I blurted, ¡°What¡¯s with Nancy¡¯s death?¡±


    He nced at me. ¡°Her mother owed a lot of money to the loan sharks. They probably knew she¡¯d


    gone into hiding, and that it would be impossible to get the money back. So, they took drastic


    measures.¡±


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Frowning, I asked, ¡°But murder¡¯s a little extreme, isn¡¯t it? Someone obviously wanted her dead. Did the


    Moore family have a hand in it?¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you guess it was me instead?¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t!¡± I said resolutely.


    This stunned him. ¡°You¡¯re that sure,¡± he said as he raised his brows.


    ¡°Nancy may be a hateful woman, but you wouldn¡¯t stoop to murder. You have your morals. Plus, there


    are more than enough things in thepany that deserve your attentionpared to some C-list


    celebrities like Nancy. This whole crime reeks of revenge. That¡¯s something you¡¯d never do.¡± I didn¡¯t


    even wish Cameron dead for what she did in the past, and that was worse than anything Nancy has


    ever done.


    I also knew that Ashton and I shared somewhat simr beliefs, and this further convinced me that he


    would never murder Nancy.


    He paused slightly before pulling me into his arms. His chin rested lightly on my head as he spoke in a


    rumbling tone, ¡°I didn¡¯t know your impression of me would be that honorable. I¡¯m about to burst with


    pride.¡±


    I didn¡¯t banter with him but continued to ponder the situation, which felt strange to me. ¡°The Moore


    family wouldn¡¯t do this. Let¡¯s exclude Cameron first and consider Zachary. He may have dallied with the


    mafia for years, but he wouldn¡¯t just end someone¡¯s life so carelessly.¡±

 Chapter 477

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 477


    He nodded and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Focus on youring examinations.¡±


    Indeed. Why bother? That was none of my business anyway.


    Independence Day holiday.


    Thanks to Emery, I got to sit in on sses at K University. That would really help with my revision for


    the examinations.


    I met Emery¡¯s fianc¨¦, Hunter Zane, as I got out of ss. He was a tall, soft-spoken, bespectacled man,


    every inch of him was gentlemanly.


    He was the one who wrote the rmendation for me to attend sses at K University. ¡°Prof Zane!¡±


    Waving my arms, I called out to him from afar.


    He saw me, smiled and stopped in his track.


    I went up to him and saw he was holding somew books. He must have just finished his ss.


    ¡°Anymore ssester?¡± I asked.


    He shook his head. ¡°I am done for the day. What about you? How was the English ss?¡±


    ¡°I have learned a lot!¡± I replied as we walked out of campus together. ¡°Are you going to Clermontter


    in the day?¡±


    ¡°I may not be able to make it. I have guestsing, so I have to pick them up. Please help me get a


    message to Emery¡ªask her to join us for dinner tonight.¡± Hunter replied.


    ¡°Sure! Your parents areing?¡± I probed. He smiled and nodded.


    Hunter¡¯s from J City. Since it was nearing their wedding date, I supposed the family came for the


    wedding.


    We parted at the car park as he had to rush off for his next appointment.


    I walked to and from ss most of the time as K University was not far from Clermont. The weather


    was refreshing, perfect for a nice and rxing stroll.


    I did not notice the ck Bentley that stopped by the side of the road until someone blocked my path.


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    It was Marcus.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± I grunted.


    ¡°Where are you heading? Let me give you a lift.¡± He stood there leisurely with a hand in his pocket and


    a cigarette between his long fingers.


    A chance meeting? Or maybe he had it all nned out?


    Well, it did not matter.


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. I am just a short distance from home,¡± I replied with indifference.


    ¡°Home? The home with Ashton Fuller?¡± he responded sarcastically with a frown.


    I had no intention of borating. I just stood and stared at him with impatience.


    ¡°Scarlett Stovall, how foolish can you get? If he is true to you, he would not have kept your rtionship


    a secret.¡±


    ¡°That is between the two of us. Please mind your own business. If that is all you have to say, then I will


    take my leave.¡± I brushed him off.


    ¡°Are we worse than strangers now? We went through so much together in that one month. Does that


    mean nothing to you at all? Am I so repulsive that you would not wish to even talk to me?¡± He held me


    back andshed out.


    I let out a sigh and asked, ¡°Camelia should be due soon, right?¡±


    He was stumped. ¡°Is that what is bothering you?¡± He paused and then continued, ¡°That was an


    unnned pregnancy. If that bothers you, I will send her back to M Country after she gives birth. She


    will note between us.¡±


    I pushed him away angrily. ¡°What do you mean she will affect us and you want to send her back?


    Marcus White, do you know what sets Ashton apart from you? Ashton takes responsibility in a


    rtionship. Even if he does not love someone, he would not hurt her. He may be a little clumsy when


    ites to love but he shows respect to the other party.¡±


    I took a deep breath to calm myself before continuing, ¡°I know I have no right to criticize you. Four


    years ago, what I did was not to one¡¯s satisfaction. I will make it up to you. You can state your


    demands. Just don¡¯t ask me to love you. As for you, please man up! If you are not in love with Camelia,


    why did you cozy up to her? How could you be so callous now? What has she done wrong? The only


    mistake she made was to fall for you.¡±


    That was the problem with most of us. The grass would always be greener on the other side. We would


    fail to treasure the rtionships we have and long for the ones who left. How tragic.


    Marcus contemted for a moment. ¡°You will fulfill any demands I have?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Anything, other than to love you.¡± Sometimes, one just got to bite the bullet and face the consequence.


    ¡°Come work at White Corporation, move out of Ashton Fuller¡¯s ce, and do not see him ever again.¡±


    Marcus listed his demands.


    ¡°I will be having my examinations next month so I can¡¯t take on any work for now. As for my rtionship


    with Ashton, that is none of your business. Marcus, please quit pushing my buttons!¡± I was annoyed.


    ¡°No to everything? So that is what you mean by fulfilling any demands?¡± he sneered.


    ¡°I¡­ I can agree to work at White Corporation. Just not now, since I am having my examinations soon.


    That is something beyond my control.¡±


    Marcus deliberated over it. ¡°Since you have your examinationsing, I wouldn¡¯t get in your way. Let¡¯s


    do this instead. Come to Moonlight Bay and cook for me every day. Take that as repaying me for


    saving you back in those days.¡±

 Chapter 478

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 478


    ¡°For how long?¡± I sulked.


    ¡°One year!¡± ¡°Marcus White, I have my life to live too! Don¡¯t push it.¡± Just my luck to have met him.


    ¡°Half a year!¡±


    ¡°Half a year of cooking in exchange for the one month that saved your life. You got a good deal.¡± He


    looked towards me confidently.


    ¡°Deal!¡± I was tired and flustered. All I wanted was to end the episode and move on.


    He did not stop me as I walked away. He just stood behind me and said, ¡°The best way to handle a


    bully is to give them an eye for an eye. If you want Sally to disappear, just let me know. I can make her


    vanish from your sight.¡±


    I was baffled by his words, so I turned around for rification. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    He shrugged and nonchntly dered, ¡°Nothing much. I just felt sometimes you are too indecisive.


    Some people are in revolting. Their existence is a mistake in the first ce.¡±


    ¡°You are the one behind Nancy¡¯s incident?¡± I instantly pieced the puzzle together.


    He stubbed his cigarette and replied impassively, ¡°She asked for it.¡±


    ¡°Marcus White!¡± I was aghast at the person he has turned into.


    ¡°She serves no purpose anymore. She will only get in the way,¡± he spoke without any emotion.


    p! I hit him so hard my hand hurts.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    A man jumped out of the ck Bentley and darted in front of me to shield him from any further strikes.


    Marcus pulled the man aside and unperturbedly wiped away the blood from the corner of his mouth.


    ¡°You feel for her? Or are you disappointed in me?¡± he probed.


    I took a deep breath and stepped back in despair. ¡°Marcus, don¡¯t go overboard.¡±


    ¡°So Ashton Fuller will toe the line? Do you think he is really the generous, forgiving gentleman you think


    he is? Have you seen how he deals with his businesspetitors?¡± Marcus osted me.


    He bent towards me and uttered gravely, ¡°I am no match for his ruthlessness, Scarlett. There is more to


    him than meets the eye.¡±


    ¡°That is enough! I gotta go.¡± Disturbed by his words, I hurried away.


    I was relieved he did note after me. How did one be so incorrigible?


    Ashton was not home when I got back. What Marcus said gave me the chills. I bundled up in a nket


    and stayed in bed.


    Ashton called in the afternoon and said he was going out of town for business. He had a hectic


    schedule. Sometimes, he even brought work home.


    His busy schedule did not bother me as I have my hands full as well.


    s, there was always a curve ball in life.


    The following day, I was supposed to go to my ss at K University. When I woke up, there was a


    crowd gathered outside the gate.


    Paparazzi! Ashton¡¯s vi was in a secluded location. Not many people knew about this ce.


    Obviously, someone has maliciously spread the news and attracted the paparazzi¡¯s attention.


    I grabbed my phone to call Ashton.


    From the pop-up screen of my phone, I saw a photo of Marcus and me. It looked like it was taken when


    we met yesterday.


    Whoever leaked the photos did it with ill will as all the photos published hinted at an intimate


    rtionship between Marcus and me. The earlier incident with Nancy had barely blown over and now a


    scandal with the CEO of White Corporation made headlines.


    I was sure the affair between Ashton and I would be uncovered too.


    Guess I would have to lie low for a couple of days.


    Ashton called tofort me. ¡°Fret not. I have tightened the security at the vi. Those paparazzi would


    not dare to trespass. You just stay put at home till Ie back.¡±


    Surprisingly, I was not worried, even though this was the first time I had to deal with such a crowd. ¡°Ok.


    You get on with your work. I can do my revision at home.¡± I calmly reassured him.


    There was sufficient food at home so it would not be an issue to be trapped in the house for a few


    days.


    I grabbed some food and sat down to surf the headlines. The keyboard warriors were indeed


    impressive. Details of my background and the incidents that happened four years ago all surfaced.


    Luckily, my rtionship with the Moore family was not exposed. The affairs at the Stovall¡¯s were a little


    complicated and touchy so the paparazzi did not go big on that. They probably would not want to risk


    getting into legal trouble with the Stovall family.


    So the focus was on my love affairs with Marcus and Ashton.


    I was expecting the paparazzi to hound me for a couple of days. Surprisingly, when I peeked on them


    in the evening, more than half of the crowd has dispersed.


    I could not be sure what happened to the paparazzi. I assumed Ashton was helping with the damage


    control. Summer was not able toe home to me. John had to bring her to the Stovall residence.

 Chapter 479

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 479


    I was just about to call Ashton for updates when the phone rang. It was Emery on the line.


    ¡°How did it go? Have you decided how you are going to thank me?¡± She was never someone who beat


    around the bush.


    I have not the faintest idea what she meant until I nced at the small crowd of paparazzi still waiting


    outside. ¡°You are the one who got rid of paparazzi?¡±


    ¡°Oh my! Don¡¯t you read the news? Such major news and you are still oblivious?¡± she eximed.


    Indeed. I went back to the sofa and turned on my tablet. Professor Marrying Up! The Moore Heiress


    Engaged To A College Professor! That was headlines all over the town.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°You are behind that news?¡± It was an extremely demeaning headline. Hunter may not havee from


    a rich and influential family, but he worked his way up and became a professor at a renowned college.


    His personal aplishments and capabilities were widely recognized.


    ¡°Hunter was the one who told me to do so,¡± Emery revealed. ¡°You know I hated the idea of being under


    public scrutiny, so we have never nned to go public with our wedding ns. However, your scandal


    with Marcus was obviously orchestrated. Not only were juicy details leaked, but the spotlight was also


    shone on the incident that happened four years ago. It would have been easy to deal with if those were


    tant lies. Unfortunately, most of the information exposed was somewhat true. Both the Moore family


    and Ashton wanted to protect you from this unwanted attention. We could not think of a better way to


    divert the public¡¯s attention other than releasing news of my wedding.¡±


    That made sense. K City had just a few paparazzi and they had been hounding the same few big shots


    and celebrities. They likely ran out of gossip subjects.


    Emery was in her thirties but her family never pressured her to wed.


    However, in the public¡¯s eye, she was the ¡°It girl¡± who had it all¡ªlooks, wealth, capability. The city was


    awash in spection that she would marry into another influential family. After all, it wasmon for


    moneyed families to use marriage as a means to strengthen the n.


    Once news of Emery¡¯s wedding was out, it became the talk of the town. No wonder the paparazzi left


    me alone.


    ¡°What do you and Hunter n to do now?¡± Once the news went out, it meant they would not be able to


    have a low-profile wedding anymore.


    Emery seemed to take it in her strides. ¡°All we need to do is to make public our wedding details. Poor


    Prof. Zane will have to get used to his newfound fame.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry¡­ Yesterday¡¯s meetup with Marcus was unnned. I did not expect someone to be stalking


    and prying into our rtionship.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. It will blow over.¡± She went on to remind me, ¡°but don¡¯t forget our dinner date. You


    have to make time for it.¡±


    ¡°Of course! I will not miss that,¡± I cheerfully replied.


    Night fell.


    I was fast asleep and did not notice when Ashton got home. I woke up to the sound of running water


    from the bathroom.


    Iy in bed, staring nkly at the ceiling, still groggy from sleep. Ashton came into the bedroom,


    wrapped in a towel. He did not switch on the lights for fear of waking me.


    I leaned over to switch on the bedside light and turned around to find him looking at me. He was wet,


    fresh out of the shower.


    ¡°Did I wake you?¡± His handsome face had a smile on it.


    I shook my head. I had always been a light sleeper and would have woken up anyway.


    By the time he came to me, he had already wiped his body dry. His hair was dripping wet though. I sat


    up, took the towel from him, and started drying his hair.


    ¡°Are there any more paparazzi outside?¡± I asked. Although most of them had shifted their attention to


    the Moores, there were still a few hanging around.


    He grabbed me and sat me on hisp, his chest still cold from the shower.


    ¡°They have all left.¡± He sounded tired and rested his chin on my corbone.


    ¡°No! That is ticklish!¡±


    ¡°Where is your itch?¡± he murmured.


    I pursed my lips bashfully.


    ¡°Have you taken your dinner?¡± His voice was mellow and subdued.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied with a nod.


    He bent and suck hard on my neck. ¡°Little liar! The food in the fridge was untouched.¡±


    I did not expect him to be so attentive and observant.


    ¡°I was not hungry. I snacked.¡± It was the truth. I seemed to have put on some weight since I came back


    to K City.


    ¡°How can you consider snacks as a meal?¡± he grumbled.


    ¡°Of course, we can!¡± It¡¯s true, especially fordies.


    He would have none of that. After I dried his hair, he carried me and made his way downstairs.


    It was dark. I clung to his neck for fear of falling. ¡°Ashton, where are you bringing me to? It iste.


    Aren¡¯t you tired?¡±

 Chapter 480

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 480


    ¡°To grab some food,¡± he uttered.


    For me? ¡°I am really not hungry. I swear.¡± I was not a little kid anymore. I could have fixed myself a


    meal if I was hungry. s, he ignored me and continued making his way down. I had to plead again, ¡°It


    iste. I would get poor digestion and suffer badly tomorrow.¡±


    With this, he stopped and fixed his gaze at me. ¡°Are you sure you are not hungry?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am not,¡± I replied affirmatively.


    I breathed a sigh of relief when he finally put me back in bed. Late night meals would really be bad for


    health.


    Hey on top of me, with no intention of leaving. His deep-set eyes gazed into me, his eyes betraying


    nothing.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I was perplexed.


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡± His Adam¡¯s apple moved sensuously as he murmured.


    I fell silent, then said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go downstairs and grab some food?¡±


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°No need. Here is good.¡± He leaned closer to me, breathing heavily.


    I was feeling uneasy being pinned down. ¡°Please let go,¡± I pleaded.


    Our eyes locked. I blinked awkwardly and he kissed me, catching me off-guard.


    I was so shocked I forgot to breathe. He let go of me briefly only when my eyes popped from holding


    my breath. ¡°You n to keep me monk-like forever?¡± He seemed amused by my expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ashton.¡±


    Abstaining from sex for four years may be unthinkable for some people. To me, it was liberating and


    empowering instead.


    I managed to get over the sorrow and painful memories and got myself back on my feet in these four


    years. However, I had yet to recover from the trauma my body endured.


    Ashton was still asleep next to me when I woke up. He would usually be up and gone.


    I propped myself up and studied his face. Memories of the past seven years shed by.


    It seemed the time of tribtion wasing to an end. I hoped what followed would be some peace


    and serenity.


    However, I was afraid of getting my hopes up somewhere deep in me.


    I was lost in thoughts and did not notice Ashton was awake. I only snapped out of it when he spoke.


    ¡°Are you hungry?¡± I turned to meet his eyes. His smiley face was gorgeous.


    ¡°No.¡± I shook my head.


    He pulled me into his arms and said, ¡°You¡¯ve lost weight. You gotta eat more.¡± His voice was manly.


    ¡°You know I had put on weight instead!¡± I smiled. I felt secure in his embrace.


    Joseph brought us quiche for breakfast. It was simple but tasty. However, I had no appetite and so only


    took a few bites.


    My stomach was churning. I bore with it until Ashton left. As soon as he left, I went to the bathroom and


    threw up whatever I ate.


    Maybe I never really wanted to eat in the first ce.


    There was a small handful of paparazzi still waiting outside the gate. More details about my affairs with


    Ashton and Marcus were uncovered. As I had expected, I was portrayed as a slut.


    I had to quit reading too much into what was being written as it would have been too draining. With so


    much negative publicity around, I had to do self-study at home since I could no longer attend sses at


    K University anymore.


    Unable to catch hold of anyone after a few days of futile wait, the paparazzi finally gave up and left. It


    had just blown over so I would not be heading out anytime soon. I was a little traumatized after being


    hounded for the past few days.


    We were no divine beings and thus, could not remain unaffected by the gossips.


    Summer came back after staying with the Slovalls for the past few days. She immediately threw herself


    in my arms and asked, ¡°Mommy, is it true you do not want me anymore? Why did you leave me at


    Grandpa¡¯s ce?¡±


    I was stumped. ¡°Mommy had to attend to some matters, and I could not pick you up. What is wrong, my


    sweetheart?¡±


    ¡°I was told you do not want me anymore and I am not your real daughter, so you will send me away


    once I grow up.¡± An innocent kid would not lie.


    There were not many people at the Stovall residence. The most likely person to have spoken such


    nonsense to Summer would be the nanny.


    ¡°Grandpa was very busy and he workedte every day. Uncle John too, although he would tell me


    bedtime stories when he got home. Mrs. Dune cooks for all of us! She was the only one I can y


    with.¡± Summer¡¯s words confirmed my spection. Only Mrs. Dune would have spoken those nasty


    words to her.


    ¡°Summer, sweetheart, Mommy would never leave you or send you away. You are mommy¡¯s dearest


    daughter. In the future, if anyone says otherwise, you just ignore them, ok?¡± I gave Summer a big hug


    andforted her.


    She nodded and went out to the yard to y. She did not take that gossip to heart.


    I wanted to call John but decided otherwise after some deliberation.


    Ashton called in the evening. ¡°Have you taken your dinner?¡± He sounded husky. He must have had a


    long day.

 Chapter 481

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 481


    If not for Summer¡¯s return, I would never have cooked dinner. I looked into the kitchen, saw that dinner


    was not yet ready, and said, ¡°Not yet!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go downtown to eat tonight. I¡¯ll go over to pick you and Summer upter. Remember to dress


    warmly.¡± There were sounds of Ashton sorting out documents, which meant that he was still at work.


    Having not gone out in a long while, I was worried, and asked, ¡°Will going out suddenly attract


    unwanted attention?¡± After all, a storm had just passed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve booked a private room in the restaurant. It¡¯ll be fine.¡± He paused for a while, then


    continued, ¡°Jared¡¯s back from W City. He wants to see Summer.¡±


    I frowned at the thought of Summer interacting with Jared.


    Ashton must have sensed something amiss in my silence. He suggested gently, ¡°If you don¡¯t want


    Jared to meet Summer, we can still go out. Just the three of us.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine!¡± No matter what, Summer was still Jared¡¯s daughter.


    Half an hourter, Ashton pulled up at the gates. Summer and I got into the back of the car.


    Ashton frowned slightly as he turned around. He asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Shaking my head, I then untied my scarf. The car was hot and getting quite stuffy.


    Summer talked throughout most of the car ride, leaving me to my emotions. I remained quiet, feeling a


    little gloomy.


    Jared was already inside the restaurant¡¯s private room when we arrived. He was alone.


    A smile appeared on his face when he saw Summer and he started to ask her various questions.


    Ashton grabbed my hand as I moved to take a seat. He whispered, ¡°In a bad mood?¡±


    Pressing my lips together, I shook my head and whispered back, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    A waiter soon arrived with the food. As Summer and Ashton chatted, Jared continuously nced at


    her.


    After a while, I turned to Jared. ¡°Kristina should be giving birth soon. You¡­¡±


    ¡°She aborted the child,¡± Jared replied coldly. His face was expressionless as he kept his eyes on


    Summer.


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    Did I hear that wrong? I could not help but ask, ¡±What?¡±


    He turned to me with a serious gaze. ¡°The fetus was in an unstable condition. Even if she gave birth,


    the child would not live for very long.¡±


    Ashton paused and looked over. He frowned as he asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Jared straightened his posture, then replied, ¡°She didn¡¯t tell me that she got pregnant and lost her child


    before. She also had to go to the hospital quite a few times due to her unstable emotions. She


    eventually had to abort it.¡±


    He spoke in an indifferent tone. It was as if this matter was insignificant.


    Iposed myself, then asked, ¡°So what are you going to do now?¡±


    Instead of directly answering my question, Jared suddenly narrowed his eyes at me and asked coldly,


    ¡°Does Kristina have anything to do with Macy¡¯s death?¡±


    The fork fell from my hands.


    Stunned, I looked at Jared¡¯s cold expression. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    I¡¯d always thought Macy¡¯s death was because of me. Cameron purposely got Macy toe to K City


    just to lure me out of the vi. If I hadn¡¯t left the vi that night, maybe things would have been different.


    The entire series of events afterward had all urred because of that one incident.


    I was unsure of how much Kristina¡¯s words had affected Macy. Although Jackson was with Macy then,


    he did not fully hear their conversation either.


    Jared sneered and turned to look at Summer. ¡°I won¡¯t marry Kristina. Summer¡¯s a daughter of the Crest


    family. One day, she¡¯ll have to return.¡±


    I was taken aback. Never would I have expected him to speak so straightforwardly.


    I looked at him helplessly, but could no longer suppress my emotions. ¡°Jared, Summer won¡¯t return to


    the Crest family. This is both Macy¡¯s and my decision. I¡¯ve grown to love her as my own these past four


    years. I¡¯ll fight to the end if you want to take her away from me.¡±


    Ashton was displeased as well. He said in a cold voice, ¡°Summer will never go back to the Crest family.


    You agreed for her to live with us back then.¡±


    Jared scoffed and looked at Ashton. ¡°You¡¯d also promised to take good care of Mia. Look what


    happened in the end.¡±


    Mia? Who¡¯s that?


    Ashton grew serious. ¡°You know exactly why things turned out like that back then. Do you really think


    that Macy¡¯s and Mia¡¯s deaths are both just idents?¡±


    Jared¡¯s expression darkened. He turned to look at Ashton with hurtful eyes. ¡°So? Are you trying to


    me me for everything now?¡±


    Ashton frowned and pinched between his eyebrows. They needed to have a proper talk. ¡°Scarlett, take


    Summer out and wait for me downstairs.¡±

 Chapter 482

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 482


    I nodded, already intending to do so. Jared simply stared as we left.


    On the ground floor, I rushed out of the restaurant and sat down beside the car, afraid that someone


    would recognize me.


    Although Summer was young, she had still understood the conversation to some extent. She sat down


    next to me and asked, ¡°Mommy, why does Mr. Crest want to bring me away?¡±


    I was beginning to have a headache and my stomach felt ufortable. Pressing on my abdomen, I


    replied, ¡°Mr. Crest also wants to have a daughter like you.¡±


    ¡°But doesn¡¯t thatdy also have a baby? Mr. Crest will have his own baby too!¡±


    I could not speak from the difort. Before I knew it, I had thrown up whatever food I just ate.


    Summer was shocked. ¡°Mommy, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    I continued to dry heave for a while beforeposing myself. I then took Summer into my arms.


    Kristina appeared out of nowhere, though I was not surprised. She looked more haggardpared to


    thest time we had met.


    She had probably witnessed me vomiting. ¡°Nausea and vomiting? Are you pregnant?¡±


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    She suddenlyughed and continued sarcastically, ¡°Ashton is infertile, but you¡¯re pregnant? Is the child


    Marcus¡¯? And I thought you were supposed to be a good girl!¡±


    I held myself back, not wanting to argue with her in front of Summer. Just then, Ashton arrived.


    He walked over and noticed my vomit. He then turned to Kristina and asked coldly, ¡°What did you do?¡±


    He looked frightening. Kristina backed away and replied with a trembling voice. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything.


    She was feeling unwell.¡±


    She then rushed into the restaurant. Ashton turned to me with a concerned look in his eyes. ¡°The food


    didn¡¯t sit well with you?¡±


    I shook my head and replied weakly, ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    He agreed, carrying Summer into the backseat, then cing me in the passenger seat.


    Devoid of energy, I simply leaned back and stayed silent.


    Soon, I fell asleep.


    When I woke up, it was the middle of the night. Ashton was nowhere to be seen, so I went to Summer¡¯s


    room.


    She was sleeping soundly in the lovingly decorated room. She looks like an angel.


    I stood, watching her silently. Only some timeter did I realize that Ashton had been standing behind


    me.


    Looking at my dazed expression, Ashton pulled me into a hug and we then left Summer¡¯s room.


    Back in the bedroom, I asked, ¡°What did Jared say to you?¡±


    I did not get the chance to ask him on the way home.


    He pursed his lips in silence, then replied, ¡°It¡¯s about Summer. The Crest family knows about her. They


    want her to return to their family.¡±


    The bedsidemp fell to the ground with a crash. I replied angrily, ¡°I won¡¯t allow it.¡±


    Ashton sighed and moved to pick up themp, then cleaned the ss shards with his bare hands. I


    simply sat there, annoyed.


    When he was done, he looked up at me calmly. ¡°If you don¡¯t want Summer to go, I¡¯ll try to convince


    Jared. But we should ask Summer for her opinion too.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s so young, what do you want her to say? We¡¯ve only had each other to rely on for the past four


    years. She¡¯s part of my life now. I won¡¯t let Jared take her away. No matter what happens, I¡¯ll always


    put her needs in the first ce. How do you know whether or not Jared will take proper care of her?


    What if the Crest family treats her unfairly? Who does he think he is, simply taking away my child?¡±


    I won¡¯t let Jared take Summer away from me. Never.


    Ashton sat next to me and took my hand in his. ¡°No one can force you to do anything you don¡¯t want to.


    It¡¯s gettingte, let¡¯s go to bed first.¡±


    There was a nagging feeling in my heart that Ashton was keeping something from me. However, I


    could not put my finger on it.


    I had just dropped Summer off when Marcus called. Although reluctant, I picked up.


    ¡°Why are you calling?¡±


    Since the previous incident had only just passed, I did not want to have too much contact with him.


    He spoke in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t you keep your promises?¡±


    I thought hard about what he could be referring to but came up with nothing. Frowning, I asked, ¡°What


    did I say?¡±


    ¡°You are supposed toe to cook for me this month, remember?¡± he said, slightly angry.


    I froze. I had been so busy that I forgot all about it until he mentioned it.

 Chapter 483

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 483


    The issue with the reporters had just passed and I was busy dealing with Jared. I still had to think of


    ideas to ensure that Summer would stay with me. I had no time to go cook for him.


    Back then, I only agreed to his request so that he would stop pestering me. I never expected him to


    take me so seriously.


    ¡°Marcus, I¡¯m really busy. Please just let me off.¡± I felt as though I was being forced into a dead end with


    no other way out.


    There was silence on the other end of the line. Then, he scoffed, ¡°Let you off?¡± Since when did I even


    force you?¡±


    My head started to hurt, so I stopped the car by the roadside and hung up, then turned off the phone.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Finally, I felt better after some rest. What¡¯s wrong with me? I¡¯m either suddenly nauseous or I feel


    helpless and get depressed by every little thing.


    Perhaps it was due to everything that had happened recently. I got off the car and went for a walk to


    rx my mind.


    Unexpectedly, I met Kristina. She was wearing a long tan trench coat and came over. ¡°What a


    coincidence. Shall we have a chat?¡±


    I shook my head and turned to leave. ¡°I know you don¡¯t want that kid to return to the Crest family. I


    don¡¯t either. Can we talk?¡±


    I hesitated, but eventually agreed.


    We then went to a nearby caf¨¦. Kristina looked pale, but her makeup brought some color to her face.


    She got straight to the point. ¡°Believe it or not, I¡¯ve nothing to do with Macy¡¯s death. Her hemorrhage


    was really just an ident. I know you don¡¯t believe me. I wouldn¡¯t either. All of you think that I said


    something to provoke her, causing her death.¡±


    I pursed my lips and kept quiet. Then, she continued, ¡°Since you won¡¯t believe me, I won¡¯t waste my


    breath anymore. That child has been with you for four years. I know you won¡¯t let her be taken away. I


    also want a stable status in the Crest family, so I need to give birth to my own baby. Hence, I don¡¯t want


    her back in the Crest family either.¡±


    ¡°Just tell me what you want,¡± I said impatiently.


    She paused, taken aback by my bluntness, then replied, ¡°The two of you have been together for four


    years. You¡¯re basically her mother now. Jared and Ashton¡¯s friendship should still be fine after this


    matter is settled. Since you¡¯re legally married to Ashton, you can make it public that both of you are


    infertile. This way, you can then adopt that child. But the two of you just can¡¯t have your own children in


    the future.¡±


    Kristina continued, ¡°You should know thew better than me. Based on your background, it should be


    easy for both of you to adopt her. It just depends on whether or not you¡¯re willing to give up your


    reputation and the possibility of having your own child in the future.¡±


    I calmed myself down before looking at her and breaking out in a smile. ¡°Kristina, do you really think


    that Ashton would be afraid of Jared in an argument?¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°Of course not. Judging by his social status, Mr. Fuller won¡¯t be scared of Jared. But


    what about public opinion?¡±


    I¡­ Ashton indeed didn¡¯t need to be afraid when it came to background and power. He has the ability


    to keep Summer by his side. But once the Crest family blows things up, what would happen to


    Summer? It¡¯d be fine if both her parents were dead, but I wouldn¡¯t have the right to adopt her since her


    dad is still alive.


    I was getting frustrated. Instead of actually discussing proper matters, Kristina was just trying to agitate


    me.


    I stood up abruptly and looked at her with a straight face. ¡°If this is all we¡¯re going to talk about, I think


    I¡¯m done with this conversation.¡±


    She spoke as I turned to leave. ¡°Think about what I just said.¡±


    ¡°Get lost!¡± I could not help but say. Soon after I left the caf¨¦, I felt sick in the stomach.


    I bent over and threw up, feeling extremely ufortable.


    I was bing more lethargic each day. When I got back to the vi, I simply sat on the balcony and


    enjoyed the breeze for the rest of the day.


    Ashton¡¯s return was what pulled me out of my thoughts.


    He carried me back to the bed and covered me up with a nket. Ashton was furious. ¡°Are you still a


    kid? Don¡¯t you know how to take care of yourself?¡±


    I looked at him in a daze, then remembered that it was alreadyte autumn in K City so the weather


    was getting colder.


    Feeling upset, I hugged his waist and leaned into him, then said in a quiet voice, ¡°Ashton, please sit


    with me.¡±


    His gaze turned warm and he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

 Chapter 484

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 484


    I sighed even as a throbbing headache assailed me. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Just sit with me for a while.¡±


    Initially, I thought everything would take a turn for the better after returning to K City from R Province,


    but I¡¯d forgotten about Marcus and Jared.


    After raising Summer for four years, I¡¯d naturally regarded her as my own child from the bottom of my


    heart, and her existence almost had me forgetting about how my own child died. However, after


    returning to K City, it was as though everyone was reminding me of my bitter and agonizing past with


    Ashton.


    He seemed to be able to understand my feelings, hugging me tightly in his embrace as he echoed my


    silence and stillness.


    In the passing of time, we were often drained of courage by memories as we embarked on the road


    that led to doom, step by step.


    Jared often came to visit Summer, and every time he did so, the distance between them reduced.


    I was too afraid of Summer, so I tacitly acquiesced to Jared¡¯s visits in the beginning. But as the


    frequency grew, I then made to leave with her.


    As November came, the weather in K City grew increasingly chilly. In the evening of a particr


    weekend, Summer yed with the dog in the yard after Jared had left.


    At that moment, I gazed at Summer, my emotions indescribable as I sat beside her and watched the


    interaction between her and the dog.


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    When she noticed that I¡¯d been sitting there for a while, she nced over her shoulder at me, her eyes


    bright. ¡°Mommy,e and y with Snowfluff together, okay?¡±


    I shook my head while looking at her, my gaze radiating a faint sense of tiredness. ¡°I¡¯ll just look on as


    you y with it.¡±


    Upon seeing my dispirited demeanor, she was no longer all that eager to y with the dog. Rather, she


    got up and stared at me while leaning her tiny body against me, her entire person soft and pliable.


    Resting her head against me, she queried, ¡°Are you sick, Mommy?¡±


    I shook my head as I hugged her, with relief slithering into my veins. ¡°No. I¡¯m just exhausted,¡± I replied.


    At this, she nodded before exhaling on a soft sigh and remarked, ¡°You seem to be quite tired recently,


    Mommy. Are you exhausted because exams areing soon?¡±


    shing her a faint smile, I murmured, ¡°I suppose so.¡±


    When the little girl heard this, she seemed to be racking her brains for a solution. After some time, she


    fixed her gaze on me and ordered, ¡°Wait a moment, Mommy!¡±


    Then, she ran into the vi. I remained sitting there, watching Snowfluff roll about on the grass. All of a


    sudden, a wave of pain assailed me. If my child had lived back then and Macy hadn¡¯t died either, would


    we now be sitting here together, chatting as we watched over our children?


    At the thought of this, my mood soured.


    ng! A loud crash rang out in the vi. I was stunned for a moment before I promptly rushed in, only


    to be greeted by the sight of shattered ss all over the kitchen floor. Meanwhile, Ashton, who sprinted


    over from the main house, had yanked Summer away, his swift movement appearing a touch rough.


    Summer was still in a trance, and it was only about two secondster did she abruptly burst into tears


    from fright.


    Racing over, I scooped her into my arms. At the same time, Ashton turned off the stove in the kitchen.


    When he¡¯d ascertained that everything was secure, he walked over. Staring at me, he couldn¡¯t help


    asking, ¡°Why did Summere into the kitchen?¡±


    I shook my head as I hugged her. It was only after I¡¯d mollified her for a long time did I manage to calm


    her down, and I breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that she wasn¡¯t hurt.


    When she¡¯d quietened down, I inquired, ¡°What happened? Why did you suddenlye into the


    kitchen?¡±


    Judging from the situation in the kitchen, she probably ced the ss bowl over the stove, triggering


    an explosion.


    While Summer was no longer crying, her tiny body was still trembling, making it ringly obvious that


    she had suffered quite a fright. ¡°I wanted to cook some eggs for you, Mommy. My ssmate imed


    that eating eggs keeps the doctor away.¡±


    When I took a closer look, I finally noticed two eggs beside the stove. All at once, my emotions turned


    turbulently indescribable,plicating the only word left in my mind.


    As I cuddled Summer, my heart clenched tightly. She only thought that I¡¯m sick because I¡¯ve often been


    distracted from Jared¡¯s visits these few days.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Summer. I¡­¡± I trailed off without finishing my utterance. Right at that moment, anguish had


    engulfed me, making my eyes sting.


    Ashton looked at us as shes ofplex emotions manifesting on his alluring face. Walking over, he


    reached out and embraced us both, his voice low and steady. ¡°Alright, everything¡¯s fine now. Next time,


    make sure to prioritize safety over all else in everything.¡±


    I pursed my lips as my stomach roiled at this precise moment. I suppressed the nausea several times,


    but in the end, I still had to make a mad dash to the washroom.


    All the contents in my stomach were emptied in just a blink of an eye. When I¡¯d finally stopped hurling,


    Summer and Ashton were both staring at me at the door, their gazes brimming with worry.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, is Mommy sick?¡± Summer asked as her big eyes turned red.


    Ashton merely pursed his lips, the expression on his striking face making it known that he was stifling


    his emotions. After a long time, he shifted his gaze to her and told her to go and y with Snowfluff in


    the yard.


    After wiping my hands dry, I exited the washroom. When I noticed that he was still standing by the door,


    I instinctively hesitated and parted my lips to exin, but he spoke before I could do so.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head to the hospital!¡± After saying that, he strode out while dragging me along.


    Frowning, I pushed him away since I was in a bad mood. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Perhaps my stomach isn¡¯t so great


    lately, so I get nauseous easily.¡±

 Chapter 485

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 485


    Ashton¡¯s eyebrows scrunched together, and his eyes were zing scarlet. ¡°How long has it been?¡±


    How long? At this, I hesitated. Mulling it over, I realized that it¡¯d been quite some time. Ever since I


    encountered Marcus, I¡¯ve been seemingly nauseous out of the blue. Every time my mood takes a


    nosedive, the urge to vomit grips me.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± Perhaps I¡¯m truly sick. Jared¡¯s recent visits to see Summer, in particr, has such


    an urrence transpiring all the more frequently.


    Upon hearing this, his brows furrowed. Although he concealed his emotions well and kept them from


    showing on his face, I could sense that he was in a foul mood.


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    ¡°Let¡¯s make a trip to the hospital and have you checked out,¡± he suggested in a deep and aloof voice.


    His emotions were indiscernible unless one listened closely.


    Irritated, I shoved him away since I wasn¡¯t in the mood to bicker about this. My voice was a few


    decibels higher when I snapped, ¡°I said I¡¯m fine! I¡¯m perfectly fine! Why can¡¯t you get that into your


    head?¡±


    At this, he froze, and I likewise reacted simrly. After all, this was the first time I¡¯d ever spoken to him


    in such a manner after returning to K City, and my voice was even threaded with a hint of abhorrence.


    All at once, I didn¡¯t know what to do, so I opened my mouth to say something to salvage things. ¡°I¡­¡±


    However, I couldn¡¯t utter a single word after an eternity had passed. Worse still, my stomach was


    suddenly churning all the more.


    At this exact moment, Joseph arrived. When he came in, he was greeted by the sight of me and Ashton


    in a stalemate. Ashton subsequently looked at him and ordered, ¡°Call and ask the deputy director of


    Medwin Hospital whether he¡¯s free to attend to a patient now.¡±


    Joseph nodded. As he clocked the odd atmosphere between me and Ashton, he fished out his phone


    to make the call.


    The reins on my emotions snapped right then. I didn¡¯t want to go to the hospital, so I snatched the


    phone from his hand at once.


    Then, I roared uncontrobly, ¡°I said I don¡¯t want to go to the hospital! What are you two doing?¡±


    In the next moment, I swung my gaze at Ashton and howled at the top of my lungs, ¡°Ashton Fuller, just


    tell me directly if you want to send Summer away! I¡¯ll leave with her, going to a faraway ce instead of


    staying and being an eyesore to you! Why must you allow Jared to visit her every day? She¡¯s my


    daughter! It is I, who raised her from young to this very day, watching as she babbled when learning to


    speak and toddling when learning to walk. Why should I give her away? I¡¯ll never hand her to him even


    if it means my death!¡±


    I was overly emotional, even a tad manic, but I didn¡¯t realize all this.


    Watching as the look in Ashton¡¯s eyes turned painful from the initial surprise, followed by distress, my


    brows creased as understanding eluded me.


    I then shifted my gaze to Joseph, but the look in his eyes was also different; it was stained with a hint of


    sympathy and anguish.


    What¡¯s wrong with me?


    I couldn¡¯t calm down at all as my emotions held me captive, giving me no way out. The only


    consciousness I had was to curl up on the floor and clutch my head tightly while yanking at my hair.


    I¡¯m not sick! I¡¯m really not sick!


    It was an hourter when I was again in possession of my mental faculties, and Ashton was keeping


    watch beside me. My eyes darted around as I searched for Summer, but I saw no sign of her.


    Thus, I tugged at him and demanded, ¡°Has Summer been taken by Jared?¡±


    Pulling me to him, he shook his head, his gaze tender. ¡°Nope. She¡¯s asleep in the bedroom.¡± Then, he


    hugged me tightly, his voice deep and enticing. ¡°Jared won¡¯t take her away. She¡¯s forever our daughter,


    and she¡¯ll always keep uspany by our side. Don¡¯t worry, for she¡¯ll never leave.¡±


    With that promise, I calmed down and listened to his heartbeat while nestling in his embrace. At the


    same time, a long silence ensued.


    Meanwhile, he patted my back as though in constion. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve been too busytely that I


    neglected you. This is all on me for having failed to take good care of you.¡±


    At this, I shook my head even as I pursed my lips, saying nary a word.


    He then heaved a sigh before speaking in a soft voice as though discussing the matter with me.


    ¡°Scarlett, let¡¯s make a trip to the hospital tomorrow, okay?¡±


    I instantly stiffened in a seemingly instinctual reaction, but he sensed it and simultaneously hugged me


    all the tighter.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. We¡¯ll just go and see what the doctor says,¡± he assured, his voice threaded with a hint


    offort.


    I pursed my lips and remained silent. After a long while, I finally nodded in acquiescence.


    Going to the hospital might make it clear that I¡¯m sick. I thought I¡¯ve shaken it off within the past four


    years and had let the past go, rendering myself fully cured. Yet, never had I imagined that the truth was


    the pr opposite.


    That night, I didn¡¯t lose any sleep nor get irritable. Ashton, on the other hand, didn¡¯t go to the office and


    stayed by my side.


    The next day, Joseph came early in the morning and took Summer away. I watched her leave, only


    snapping back to reality after a long time had passed.


    Snagging his keys, Ashton took my hand and gripped it tightly. Then, he murmured, ¡°Summer will be


    back at night, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    I nodded and followed him into the car. As I sat in the car, I became restless and even felt inexplicably


    irritable.


    Earlier, I thought that he would bring me to a public hospital, but unexpectedly, he brought me to a


    private one instead.


    As soon as we arrived, we didn¡¯t choose a department or specify my illness. Rather, he pulled me all


    the way to an office before asking me to take a seat and wait.


    He stayed and kept mepany, but no one came. Looking at him, I inquired, ¡°Why are we here?¡±

 Chapter 486

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 486


    Ashton patted my hand in constion. ¡°To consult a doctor. Just chat with the doctorter and try not to


    overthink things. Just answer whatever the doctor asks, okay?¡±


    I nodded, but a feeling of suffocation assailed me in this cramped space.


    About ten minutester, an elderly man in a white coat walked in. He looked like he was in his sixties.


    ncing at Ashton, the elderly man shed him a faint smile and inclined his head a fraction in


    greeting. Subsequently, his gaze alighted on me.


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    Shortly after, a few seconds at most, he turned his gaze on Ashton. He said nothing pertinent, merely


    questioning mildly, ¡°Are you staying, Ashton?¡±


    Ashton nodded.


    At this, the doctor pursed his lips and cocked an eyebrow though he didn¡¯tment further on this


    matter.


    He nced at the document in his hand before focusing his gaze on me. ¡°How¡¯s your sleep recently?¡±


    he asked.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± I answered. Inwardly, however, I was already feeling a tad irritable ¨C for I hated such a


    cramped space and chatting as though I was being interrogated.


    As my stomach roiled, I abruptly bolted to my feet and rushed to the washroom without waiting for his


    next question.


    There was nothing else for me to puke, so I vomited blood in the end.


    The moment I glimpsed the sh of red, I myself was stunned. Why is there blood?


    After a while, we didn¡¯t continue with the subsequent questions. As the doctor looked at me, his gaze


    radiated worry, and he asked me to stroll for a bit in the corridor or downstairs.


    Taking my hand, Ashton urged me time and again, ¡°Don¡¯t wander around. Wait for me downstairs or in


    the corridor, but don¡¯t go too far.¡±


    I nodded before shing him a forced smile.


    At this, his grip on my hand tightened considerably. Shifting his gaze to the doctor, he suggested, ¡°How


    about this? I¡¯lle over another day when I¡¯m free, and we¡¯ll talk in detail. For now, let¡¯s call it a day.¡±


    The doctor cast a nce at me. Then, he nodded and sighed softly without saying anything.


    Ashton then led me down the stairs. When we had gotten into the car, I stared at his slightly pale face.


    ¡°Is my condition very severe?¡±


    He shed me a faint smile even as his profound gaze alighted on my face. As he caressed my face


    with his long and slender fingers, he answered in a gentle voice, ¡°No. Don¡¯t think so much. Perhaps


    your stomach just isn¡¯t feeling great, so we¡¯ll have Josephe overter and prescribe you some


    medicine.¡±


    It was clear as day that he was merely cating me with such a remark. As my gaze remained locked


    on him, I went silent.


    In reality, both of us knew full well what was happening here, but neither was willing to spell it out.


    When we returned to the vi, he hugged me tightly as though reluctant to step away for even a single


    second.


    I was feeling exceedingly drowsy, yet my sleep remained shallow.


    Nheless, I felt very safe, knowing that he¡¯d be keeping watch beside me. When I woke up after


    dozing off for a bit, I seemingly saw him talking on the phone on the balcony.


    Although his voice wasn¡¯t loud, I could still hear him.


    ¡°She isn¡¯t sick. She¡¯s just too tiredtely.¡± His voice was rife with barely restrained emotions as he


    countered whatever the person on the other end of the phone said.


    His profile emanated a faint sense of istion and obstinacy. ¡°No, thanks. I¡¯ll take good care of her.¡±


    The person on the other end seemed to be persuading him, for he went silent for a while.


    When he spoke again, his voice was low as he tried his best to sound unaffected. ¡°I won¡¯t have her


    undergoing psychotherapy. She won¡¯t be able to reveal her pain before someone else, nor will I subject


    her to that. I¡¯ve waited and wasted four years. When I saw her at R Province, she¡¯d buried all the


    trauma and distress deep within her. Summer is the only thing keeping her alive, and I know her


    concern. As long as I can keep her happy, I¡¯m willing to do anything at all.¡±


    Getting up, I walked over to the balcony. I could hear the voice from the other end of the phone, and it


    seemed to be Jackson¡¯s voice.


    Jackson¡¯s voice was colored with a trace of anxiety. ¡°Indeed, you¡¯re willing to do anything at all, Ashton


    Fuller, but have you ever considered those who love her and want to keep her safe? You know full well


    that one never fully recovers from depression. In the four years she¡¯d been in R Province, she¡¯d


    focused all her attention on Summer, so much so that her condition has deteriorated this badly at just a


    hint of news that she¡¯d be leaving. Have you ever thought about what you¡¯re going to do when Summer


    grows up and leaves in the future? Are you going to just look on as she goespletely insane?¡±


    Silence hung so thickly in the air that a sense of suffocation pressed in. At that point, Ashton¡¯s back


    was quivering ever so slightly. Seemingly an eternityter, he spoke sorrowfully. ¡°I¡¯ll always stay by her


    side.¡±


    Exasperated that he couldn¡¯t get through to him somehow, Jackson snarled, ¡°Ashton Fuller, you¡¯re not


    protecting her but consigning her to doom!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m hanging up,¡± Ashton blurted, his voice terse.


    As I stared at his broad back while standing behind him, my heart constricted painfully. I thought I¡¯d let


    go of the past and recovered in the past four years, but never had I realized that I¡¯d merely buried my


    pain.


    Sensing a presence behind him, Ashton turned around, his striking face stained with angst and


    anguish.


    In the blink of an eye, however, his expression was again as tender as ever. Gazing at me, he smiled


    faintly. ¡°You¡¯re awake. Are you hungry?¡±


    I shook my head as I slowly walked over to him and burrowed into his embrace in search of a sense of


    safety. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Ashton.¡± I¡¯m truly fine. I merely can¡¯t control my emotions asionally.


    As he hugged me, he patted my back gently as though mollifying a child. ¡°Yeah, I know. You¡¯ll be fine


    after you have a good rest. Everything will be fine.¡±

 Chapter 487

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 487


    The row between Ashton and Sally was something I¡¯d never expected.


    Ashton didn¡¯t go to the office for several days, so he handled all his work over to Joe.


    When Sally came, I wasn¡¯t in the living room.


    Initially, they merely chatted, but out of the blue, they started arguing for some inexplicable reason.


    I actually didn¡¯t want to poke my nose into it, but I couldn¡¯t resist leaving the bedroom to see what had


    happened upon hearing themotion.


    ¡°She¡¯ll ruin you! All thedies from wealthy and noble families in K City are outstanding, so why her?


    You¡¯ve been at odds with Marcus for years when the two of you could¡¯ve prospered together as allies to


    attain greater sess. Why must you be at loggerheads with him because of a woman?¡± Sally


    bellowed.


    ¡°I love her!¡± This remark came from Ashton. His back was ramrod straight, and I couldn¡¯t discern his


    emotions or expression since he had his back to me.


    It was just three words, yet it was more than sufficient to stun me for a long while. After all, I had never


    heard him saying ¡°I love you¡± throughout the past seven years.


    This was the very first time¡­


    Ashton¡¯s voice was low and determined as he spoke to Sally. ¡°In this rtionship, it¡¯s not her clinging to


    me, but it¡¯s me who can¡¯t lose her. Even if she truly bes a lunatic who has no sanity left, I will still


    stay faithful to her. As long as she stays by my side, I¡¯ll take care of her no matter what.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Sally shook her head in disbelief.


    Ashton, however, continued in a low voice, ¡°You have no idea how bright and vivid she was when I met


    her at J University, nor do you know how sweet her smile was when she married me. In the past seven


    years, it was me who turned her into her current shell from a young and dazzling girl. Anyone else can


    abandon her, but not me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re simply hopeless!¡± Sally was infuriated. ¡°Have you ever considered your children in the future


    when you keep such a person by your side? Her condition is already severe, that with her inability to


    control her own emotions. Have you ever considered what she¡¯d do to a child once her condition


    res? Putting it bluntly, she might actually kill the child andmit suicide herself!¡±


    Despite that, Ashton wasn¡¯t at all bothered. ¡°We won¡¯t be having another child. I¡¯m registered as


    Summer¡¯s legal guardian, so she¡¯s my daughter in the eyes of thew.¡±


    ¡°But she¡¯s not of your blood!¡±


    ¡°What does that matter?¡± Ashton pursed his lips. ¡°I¡¯m not having any other children; Summer alone is


    enough.¡±


    The moment Sally heard this, she almost burst a blood vessel. Staring at him incredulously, she


    blurted, ¡°Have you gone mad, Ashton? You¡¯re the only heir of the Fullers! How could you do this to your


    grandfather who¡¯s in heaven?¡±


    Ashton didn¡¯t say anything to this, for he¡¯d glimpsed me standing at thending when he stood up.


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    His initially grim expression gradually turned tender. As our gazes locked, the corners of his mouth


    lifted, and he beckoned to me gently, his voice amicable. ¡°Come down.¡±


    As I looked at him, my heart clenched slightly.


    Meanwhile, Sally wore a forbidding expression that appeared to conceal much hatred. When she saw


    Ashton holding my hand, she snapped with barely restrained fury, ¡°Scarlett Stovall, must you keep


    pestering him so that you can ruin him? You have your choice of the Moore family or the Stovall family,


    so why do you insist on clinging to him? Do you know how badly the initially fine and dandy Fuller


    Corporation had been hit time and again from the rumors and scandals revolving around you ever


    since your appearance? Do you know why Ashton has been so busy?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Ashton wanted to stop her tirade, but I held him back. Staring at her, I murmured in a


    cid voice, ¡°Go on.¡±


    ¡°White Corporation has snatched away several contracts that Fuller Corporation had already signed,


    and in just a month, the shares of Fuller Corporation had plummeted to rock bottom. He¡¯s willing to


    withstand anything for your sake, but why must you be so selfish and pester him time and again? ¡°Plus,


    Summer belongs to the Crest family. Never mind if you don¡¯t want to give him any child, but why must


    you make him a joke in the eyes of others? The price of him fighting the Crest family for Summer is his


    friendship with a good friend and the reputation as well as prestige he¡¯d umted in K City


    throughout the years. Do you truly intend to ruin him, Scarlett Stovall?¡± she sneered in disdain.


    I shook my head as I tried my best to rein in my emotions. Never had I thought of ruining him!


    Sensing the trembling of my hand in his, Ashton turned to her and demanded caustically, ¡°Get out!¡±


    Momentarily stunned by his sudden wrath, Sally instinctively backed away several steps before she


    snagged her handbag and left.


    All of a sudden, I shivered all over. It waste autumn, yet I couldn¡¯t stop perspiring. Ashton hugged me


    tightly, his voice low and restrained. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her, Scarlett. Nothing will happen to either Fuller


    Corporation or me because of you. You¡¯re mywfully-wedded wife, so no one can separate us. I¡¯m


    invincible as long as you remain by my side. Trust me, won¡¯t you?¡±


    I nodded, but still, I trembled greatly.


    Why did thingse to this?


    It was a long time before I finally calmed down. Nheless, I remained curled up like a ball in his


    embrace, wishing to keep myself surrounded by his presence so that I would have a sufficient sense of


    security.


    As I rested against his chest, I murmured in a hoarse voice, ¡°Ashton, I may truly forget everything one


    day, so¡­ it¡¯s not worth staying faithful to a lunatic like me.¡±

 Chapter 488

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 488


    I¡¯m scared more than anyone else. If I can¡¯t remember anyone or lose the ability to take care of myself


    one day, I might as well die early. At least in his memory, he won¡¯t remember me as a lunatic.


    Right then, Ashton put his arms around me and tightened it. His voice was as gentle as always, ¡°No,


    Scarlett, I will be with you. I will not let Summer leave you. No matter what, we will be fine.¡±


    These words sounded like he wasforting himself rather than me. It appeared that I had been a


    burden to him.


    Looking up at him, I ran into his boundless eyes, my heart aching with each passing second. ¡°Wrong, I


    was wrong from the beginning. I should have never married you. No matter what I tried, it is impossible


    to let go of the death of Macy and the child. You can get rid of Reba, but I cannot get rid of Marcus.


    What you owed Reba was a promise, and I owed Marcus a life. Unless I die, I can¡¯t pay it off. So


    Ashton¡­ let¡¯s¡­ break up.¡±


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    If I end up crazy one day, I know he will take care of me and still be with me. But if he devoted the rest


    of his life loving and caring for a lunatic, it would ruin him. Sally was right. He deserves better.


    I didn¡¯t know if it was my imagination running wild or it was real. But I swore, at that moment, Ashton¡¯s


    eyes were bloodshot as if they were stabbed by thousands of ss shards. In fact, it looked like he


    was in great pain.


    His handsome eyebrows narrowed to hide his agony, and heughed at himself. ¡°Scarlett, it¡¯s not you.


    It¡¯s me. You¡¯re right. I can cut loose from Reba¡¯s debt, the Fullers¡¯ involvement, and all the


    responsibility¡­ all except you.¡±


    I pursed my lips with my jaws tightly clenched. At that moment, it was so hard to breathe that I couldn¡¯t


    even say a single word.


    There were many ways to choose in love, but he chose the most difficult one.


    That night, I went to sleep like usual. At one point, I could feel his soft lips against my cheeks. His sultry


    voice whispered beside my ears. ¡°Scarlett, let us go to R Province and nevere back again.¡±


    This sentence struck me like a dream as I really missed those days back in R Province.


    The next day, K city was already getting colder. Ashton didn¡¯t go to the office that morning as I could


    still feel his slender body wrapping around me, giving me aplete sense of security.


    I then woke up from my dream, my bodyfortably warm albeit the cool weather.


    Right at that moment, I could feel his heartbeat through the back of my shirt, beating in a sturdy and


    rhythmic pattern.


    If I could stop time, I could live in this moment forever. But both of us understood what we had to face


    after we left this bed.


    ¡°Ashton!¡± I uttered with my back still facing him. ¡°Is it about to snow in K City?¡±


    I remembered that the snow came earlier than expected in K city four years ago. It was just like the


    current situation, with the weather suddenly cooling down. I guess it really is going to snow soon¡­


    Right then, he tightened his arms around me. With his maic voice, he said, ¡°Yeah¡­ do you like


    watching snow fall?¡±


    I replied softly, ¡°Mm-hmm¡­ Winter in R Province alwayseste, and it hardly snows. Even if it


    snows, the snowkes melt right away. It¡¯s not like the entire area will be covered with thick snow


    anyway.¡±


    He moved his warm body and ced his chin on my shoulder. ¡°I will watch the snow with you this year.


    And maybe we can head to the north together. The scene is even prettier over there.¡±


    I smiled and closed my eyes as imagination filled my mind. ¡°I once dreamed that I went to the north, but


    it was summer.¡±


    ¡°Was I in that dream?¡± he asked with his voice lowered.


    I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s been too long. I can¡¯t remember.¡±


    Without a warning, his hands flew towards my underarms, tickling me. Laughing hard, I turned to face


    him and said, ¡°It¡¯s true. It¡¯s been so long that I forgot.¡±


    He stopped himself soon after that. With a smile on his face, his pair of dark petting eyes were locked


    onto mine. ¡°In that case, you¡¯d better face my wrath.¡±


    I smiled lightly. Approaching him, I kissed the corner of his lips with a stingy amount of passion.


    As he continued to hold my chin, I could see a smile rippling in his eyes. His thin lips started depicting


    my lips for quite a long time, whereas his dark eyes were deeply infiltrated as he looked at me.


    ¡°Scarlett, getting Ashton¡¯s heart is easy for you.¡±


    Some words fell into one¡¯s heart without being noticed. When I thought about itter, true happiness


    would be defined as all warm moments gathered throughout the years. These meant so much more


    than those glorious moments.


    Just like that, time ticked past, and it was already in the afternoon. We would probably still be in bed if


    Joseph hadn¡¯t called to inform us that Fuller Corporation¡¯s stock had plummeted.


    At the dining table, he remained as calm as a cucumber. Instead, he had breakfast with me just like any


    other day as he continued to pamper me with his words. ¡°You¡¯re going to have an exam soon. If you¡¯re


    feeling anxious, why don¡¯t I write you a letter of rmendation?¡±

 Chapter 489

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 489


    I guess it just slipped my mind that he was an outstanding student at K University. After graduating for


    many years, he had donated numerous funds to K University.


    I shook my head and smirked. Honestly, in my heart, I was worried about Fuller Corporation¡¯s business.


    I couldn¡¯t stop fretting about it until I eventually asked, ¡°Fuller Corporation¡¯s stock has fallen and


    suffered heavy losses. You¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± He grinned. ¡°I know what to do.¡±


    Indeed, he had been in control of Fuller Corporation for many years. Hence, it was just as he said ¨C he


    could handle trading in the market with ease. A single downturn in the market meant nothing for him.


    When Joseph arrived, Ashton was feeding the soup delicately into my mouth. Joseph, who was initially


    in panic, became embarrassed when he saw the public disy of affection.


    In spite of that, Ashton didn¡¯t seem to bother at all. He pulled a tissue and wiped the smudge at the


    corner of my mouth. ¡°Marcus is behind this. He intends to drive me to worry so that I be


    unfocused. He didn¡¯t mean to shake the stock market. You can deal with it in the same way as before.


    There is no need to be that worried.¡±


    Joseph nodded but did not say much. He just nced at me and then left after that.


    After he left, Ized on the sofa with a pillow in my arms and gazed at Ashton. ¡°Joseph seems to be


    able to control everything one-handedly.¡±


    He nodded as a recognition of my statement. Without saying much, he walked over to me and plopped


    onto the sofa with me. Needless to say, this was much smallerpared to the bed.


    After that, neither Jared nor Sally seemed toe back to the vi again.


    By the time Jackson came, it was already a weekter. He was sitting in the living roomzily. ¡°Why are


    you retaking thew school exams?¡±


    I responded with a light smile. ¡°My major was thew. Why not?¡±


    ¡°What are your ns after the exam? Where would you like to enjoy your holiday?¡± He shrugged and


    leaned back onto the sofa.


    I shook my head as I was a bit taken aback. ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it yet.¡±


    ¡°How about going to the north? I have been thinking about it for quite a long time now.¡±


    ¡°Why do you¡­ ¡° Why would he suddenly want to go traveling? From what I knew, Jackson was a


    homebody. If there were nothing important, he would not go out, let alone travel.


    He scrolled through his phone and thought for a moment. ¡°As one age, the way one looks at things will


    be different, of course. Oh, I forgot to mention that I have moved my clinic to K City. If you have time,


    you can stop by. The environment is really pleasant there.¡±


    Counseling clinic?


    I suddenly understood why he came over. ¡°Why did you suddenly moved your office to K City?¡±


    He had been in J City for four years, and his contacts and personal connections were basically built


    there. Toe to K City now would be rather challenging.


    Nevertheless, he did not seem to worry. ¡°Nick intends to take over the Harrisons¡¯ business, and the


    headquarter is in K City, so I came.¡±


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    I remembered that Cameron had always been the one who managed the Harrisons¡¯ heritage. Ah¡­ so


    Nick¡¯s taking over now¡­


    After a pause, I uttered, ¡°That might not be such a bad idea. I¡¯d probably see you often then.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Well, you can always pay a visit whenever you are free.¡±


    After that, we kept chatting until afternoon. I nned to let him stay for dinner at home, but Ashton had


    made a reservation in a restaurant. So we departed right away.


    As soon as we arrived at the restaurant, I saw a lot of people who were already there. Earlier, Ashton


    had made me stay in the vi for a week. He picked up Summer every day and kept me away from


    outsiders. Thus, for the entire week, I was enjoying my life peacefully in solitude.


    To my surprise, John and Hannah also came. I had not seen them for nearly a month. Hannah¡¯s belly


    had grown a lot, but her face appeared to be a little pale.


    After meeting her a few times, I had be quite fond of her. She was quiet, elegant, gentle, and


    wise. Such a woman was probably the ideal wife in the hearts of all men.


    I am sure John will have a happy life with her.


    The moment she saw me, she had one hand on her stomach while intending to get up to greet me. I


    hurriedly stepped forward and helped her up. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so courteous. After all, you¡¯re


    pregnant, and every inch you move will be a great burden.¡±


    She grinned, pulling me to sit on a chair. ¡°It¡¯s only seven months. It¡¯s okay.¡±


    Meanwhile, John looked at me and frowned. ¡°Why have you lost weight again recently?¡±


    Upon speaking, his sharp gaze had fallen on Ashton, apparently ming him for not taking good care


    of me.


    Even so, Ashton was not offended at all. He reached out to look at me, with his eyes overflowing with


    tenderness. ¡°You are indeed skinnier now.¡±


    ¡°I look better! But enough about me. Just look at Hannah! She has also lost some weight, and she¡¯s


    pregnant, for goodness¡¯ sake.¡± I joked back at John.


    He raised his eyebrows, nced at Hannah lightly, and chose not to respond anymore.


    In the meantime, Hannah lowered her head, smiled, and kept her silence.


    Right then, I realized that the way they treated each other was rather odd.


    I suddenly remembered what Ashton said to mest time. John would not have married Hannah as the


    Stovall family did not approve it. Besides, John¡¯s future had no ce for such a woman.

 Chapter 490

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 490


    Gazing at Hannah¡¯s slightly bulging belly, I could not help but feel a little troubled. This child should


    come into the world honorably.


    There was a sound advancing from the door. It was Nick, who was apanied by a truly stunning


    young woman. The woman¡¯s beauty hit a nerve to others with such a wless face.


    By the looks of it, it should be an employee-employer rtionship between them. The moment they


    walked in, Nick greeted everyone.


    He spoke faintly, ¡°I just came from the office. You guys won¡¯t mind that I bring an assistant, right?¡±


    Everyoneughed, as naturally, nobody would.


    After sitting down, Nick turned to me. ¡°Scarlett, it¡¯s been a long time since I saw you.¡± His words


    sounded solemn.


    Seeing him holding a wine ss in his hand, I couldn¡¯t help but be as serious as him.


    He continued to speak, ¡°Mother handed everything from the Harrisons to me. Four years have passed


    since you left. You should go to the Moore Residence to visit her if you have time. After all, you are not


    the only one who was affected by this; she has suffered a lot more than you think.¡±


    I pursed my lips and could not help lowering my head. Humans areplicated creatures, and


    forgiveness is easier to be said than done.


    I could understand everything she did, but there was no way to act as if nothing happened.


    At one side, Emery was frowning. She probably thought it was inappropriate for Nick to say such things


    on this asion. Hence, she raised her ss and touched his. ¡°Well, today, everyone is here to have


    fun. Let¡¯s eat more food and chat about something interesting. Cheers!¡±


    She swallowed the wine in the ss haughtily. Just then, Hunter thoughtfully put some fresh food on


    her te. ¡°Come on. Drink less and eat more!¡±


    At that, Emery giggled yfully. Although she was usually bold, she appeared so gentle next to the


    person she adored.


    Her giggle reminded me of Macy; she had such a bold and straightforward personality too.


    While reminiscing the past, a feeling of distress started to engulf me. I bowed my head down, feeling a


    little depressed.


    Ashton held my hand tightly and gazed softly into my eyes. ¡°Eat more and gain some more weight.¡± He


    instructed in his gentle voice.


    At that moment, he had already loaded my te with various dishes. Obviously, he expected me to


    consume them all.


    I looked up at him and beamed.


    Everyone here was close with each other. No one was bothered by Nick¡¯s episode. They continued to


    chat about all the exciting things they encountered in life and work.


    Even Hannah, who was not usually chatty, opened up. ¡°When I went for a maternity check a few days


    ago, an olddy around sixty stood in line with me. I thought she was lining up for her daughter-inw


    until I went into the B-ultrasound room with her. It was then I discovered she was pregnant for six


    months¡­ with twins!¡±


    I was stunned and curious. ¡°This is considered pregnancy at an advanced maternal age. Isn¡¯t it


    dangerous to give birth at such an age?¡±


    She grinned. ¡°Of course there are some risks, but I heard that her husband insisted. Their son had an


    ident two years ago and left. So the twins were a surprise gift for the old couple.¡±


    I nodded while sighing inwardly. We might see the faults in people and situations, but ultimately, one


    would have to decide how to view their own life.


    After sitting for a long time, Hannah, as a pregnantdy, had to get up and take a walk. I reached out to


    help her up. On the other hand, John seemed to be busy with his phone.


    Seeing that, I couldn¡¯t help but reminded him. ¡°John, you should take Ms. Anne to have a walk.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright!¡± Hannah said with a polite smile. ¡°I can go by myself.¡±


    She got up and paced outside alone. Meanwhile, John did not show a single sign of care.


    No matter how people looked at it, it looked ridiculous. I pursed my lips, feeling frustrated, but it was not


    my ce to say anything.


    Thus, I walked out too. In her third trimester, her belly did not seem particrly obvious. It might be due


    to her loose clothing, which made it appeared a little undersized.


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    Noticing that I hade out, she was a little shocked. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll just walk around here. I¡¯ll go in a


    while.¡±


    The corridor of the restaurant was not so spacious. Besides, I did not have much appetite anymore, so


    I suggested, ¡°Let me walk you down. There is arge garden with flowers behind this restaurant.


    Though it might not be the season to look at flowers, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to take a stroll there.¡±


    Without much hesitation, she went downstairs with me.


    ¡°Scarlett, don¡¯t you and Mr. Fuller n to have another baby?¡± She asked as we were walking together.


    I knew it was inevitable to touch on family affairs while we were having a walk.


    ¡°When we adopted Summer, we decided only to have one child. If we have another child, we won¡¯t be


    able to focus that much on Summer, and we¡¯re afraid that it would upset her.¡±


    She frowned, a little puzzled. ¡°Why would that be? If you have another child, Summer will be five years


    old by then. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to have a sister or a brother for her? She had all the love and care


    from her parents until she was three years old. A little kid won¡¯t have that many concerns.¡±


    After a pause, she continued, ¡°Moreover, you have to think about it for Mr. Fuller and yourself. If


    Summer really goes back to the Crest family one day, it won¡¯t be easy for you to have another baby


    since both of you won¡¯t be as young anymore. Now is the time to have a baby! Although Summer is still


    young, I think she will understand.¡±

 Chapter 491

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 491


    Indeed, even if I don¡¯t think for myself, I need to think about Ashton.


    He¡¯s almost thirty-five, and it¡¯s a suitable age to have children now. If he wanted it after Summer is


    older, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be even more difficult to get pregnant.


    Seeing that I was pondering, she patted my hand calmly. ¡°There, there. There¡¯s no need to overthink


    things. I¡¯m just giving my advice. Everyone has their considerations in life, but you need to leave room


    for maneuver.¡±


    When we reached the garden, we found a ce to sit down. I couldn¡¯t help thinking about her and


    John. Thus, I ended up asking out of curiosity, ¡°Is there a n between you and John to get married?¡±


    If they did not officially get married, what would happen to the child?


    Although John apparently could solve it with some money, it was ultimately unfair to Hannah.


    When she heard my question, she appeared a little dazed and gave a mncholy smile. ¡°It is a great


    blessing to be able to have his child. As for the marriage, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not the one for him.¡±


    I frowned, somewhat displeased. ¡°What are you saying? Why are you belittling yourself like this? You


    love him and are willing to bear his child. The Stovall family should definitely give you this status. If you


    don¡¯t consider it for yourself, think about it for your child!¡±


    She smiled helplessly. ¡°Scarlett, I am not you. If only I were an orphan like you, although my life would


    have been difficult, at least I wouldn¡¯t have grown up in such a lowly situation.¡±


    I was stunned for a moment, puzzled. ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°I was born and raised in Southeast Asia. My mother was a woman who grew poppies in Kingcircle


    Town. You know, none of the kids who grew up there had a normal life. Before the age of twenty, I


    always thought that what we experienced back there were normal ¨C killing, fighting, and substance


    abuse. It was not until I met John that I realized that girls could grow up in a much better environment


    without having to go through all these.¡±


    I could not imagine what kind of environment she used to live in. So for a while, I was unable to


    respond to her words.


    She then touched her belly with a gentle expression on her face. ¡°But fortunately, I can raise my child in


    a good environment. This blessing is already more than what I could ever deserve.¡±


    There was a moment of silence before I spoke my mind. ¡°Maybe Uncle Louis wouldn¡¯t mind where


    you¡¯re from?¡±


    Even if she had another nationality, it did not mean anything. She could not have decided on her


    birthce.


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    She smiled and grabbed my hand. ¡°Thank you, Scarlett. But even if they can ept me, I won¡¯t marry


    John. He deserves better.¡±


    After thinking for a while, I realized that it was their own business, after all. Therefore, it would not be


    appropriate if I intervened too much.


    With that, I did not say anything anymore but just sighed.


    We were in the garden for quite some time now, so I said to her, ¡°Let¡¯s go back. Or else they might be


    searching for us.¡±


    She nodded as carrying a huge bump around was not that easy. Whether it was sitting or standing for a


    long time, she would have muscle soreness.


    The ambiance along the stone path was a little quiet. Just then, a young woman¡¯s charming voice


    sounded abruptly from a distance away.


    ¡°Mr. Stovall, thank you for everything.¡± The voice sounded unfamiliar.


    I couldn¡¯t help but gave a side nce. At that moment, I saw a familiar face, and it was John. Standing


    beside him was that assistant who came along with Nick earlier.


    I did not take a good look at her face when she came in. Hence, only now I realized this young woman


    looked familiar, but I could not remember where I had seen her.


    I took Hannah over to greet them. But before we got close, I saw the woman leaning in towards John


    and said coquettishly, ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Obviously, she had sprained her ankle, and John was gentlemanly enough to reach out his hand to


    help her.


    That scene appeared to be normal at first, but that woman went too far. She was now practically lying


    in his arms. I could not help but frown at that. Subconsciously, I nced at Hannah, but for some


    reason, she was expressionless.


    Hannah is probably used to this.


    Feeling uneasy, I voiced out, ¡°Wait for me here.¡±


    Right then, John had noticed that I was nearing them and immediately pulled his distance from that


    woman. ¡°It¡¯s cold outside, so don¡¯t be out here too long. It¡¯s easy to catch a cold.¡±


    I nodded and responded, ¡°Your wife is right there. You should go and find her.¡±


    He frowned when he heard me calling Hannah as his ¡°wife.¡± Obviously, he seemed a little upset, but he


    was not able to retort at that moment. Hence, he nodded since there was nothing else he could do.


    That woman who had been leaning on him was surprised to see me, and she stood up straight.


    After John left, I, too, was about to leave since there was no point staying there anymore. It wasn¡¯t like I


    wanted to chat with that woman anyway.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, do you remember me?¡±


    Stunned for a moment, I turned my attention towards her. My gaze fell on her delicate makeup, but it


    did not ring a bell.


    Nick was a workaholic, but he also always seemed to be generous to his employees. There were


    luxury brands all over her body, which all of them appeared to be of thetest trend.


    ¡°Do we know each other?¡± I really could not recall where I met her before. I just knew that I did not like


    her frivolous behavior with Nick.

 Chapter 492

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 492


    She smiled slightly with her attractive face. ¡°We met four years ago in the capital. At that time, it was in


    Ms. Moore¡¯s nightclub. You and Mr. Stovall saved me.¡±


    Four years was a long time ago, so I could hardly recall that memory. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yvonne Wilde.¡± She introduced herself. ¡°I was still in college four years ago. Mr. Stovall introduced me


    to the Harrison Credit to work for Mr. Harrison.¡±


    Gradually, I started to remember that John and I seemed toe across a bullied young woman at


    Emery¡¯s nightclub back then. At that time, we could not stand it, so we got ourselves involved.


    It was also because of this incident that I met Emery. Later, it seemed like John had introduced this


    young woman to Nick¡¯spany. She used to be just a part-timer. But now, it appeared that she had


    worked her way up over the years.


    I nodded and forced a smile. ¡°Well, that¡¯s good!¡±


    Right after that, I turned around and got ready to leave. To my dismay, she followed up and continued


    to chat with me. However, I did not particrly enjoy the conversation.


    When we reached the room, John and Hannah had already returned. Seeing that Yvonne and I were


    together, Ashton nced at Yvonne but said nothing.


    He got up and said to me, ¡°I ordered some soup for you. Drink someter to warm up your body.¡±


    It was freezing outside, and my limbs became stiff after standing for a long time. Ashton, being the


    darling he was, held my hand to warm me up.


    Jackson scrutinized me, then at Yvonne. ¡°Why are you both together?¡±


    Yvonne exined, ¡°I met her in the garden, and we had a short chat. I haven¡¯t seen Ms. Stovall for four


    years. I have always wanted to thank her.¡±


    ¡°Since when did you know each other?¡± Jackson was puzzled.


    ¡°Four years ago!¡± she looked at John while exining. ¡°Four years ago, if Mr. Stovall and Ms. Stovall


    did not lend a helping hand, I wouldn¡¯t be able to survive. I am happy to be able to meet you two today


    and say thank you.¡±


    I had a feeling that her intention at the moment was not that pure, but I couldn¡¯t tell why.


    John frowned as if he had forgotten her existence a long time ago. Nevertheless, he did not speak


    much and kept his thoughts to himself.


    Meanwhile, Hannah hesitated for a while but remained silent once again.


    Just then, Emery studied Yvonne and raised her eyebrows. ¡°The two of you are truly kind. This girl¡¯s life


    was transformed because of you. Props to you two!¡±


    Obviously, this phrase was meant for me and John.


    After a pause, she continued, ¡°Ms. Wilde, I¡¯d reckon you to not worry about it since they probably had


    long forgotten about it as well.¡±


    Yvonne grinned and responded, ¡°I was rescued, so how could I possibly forget about it?¡±


    Hearing that, Emery teased, ¡°In that case, you should give yourself to him!¡±


    Yvonne blushed for a while and did not know how to react to this abrupt joke.


    At that, Emery curled her lips. She had always been a very straightforward person. ¡°The best way to be


    grateful is to leave your savior alone. Otherwise, it might be more like revenge, isn¡¯t it, Mr. Stovall?¡±


    Why does it feel like there¡¯s another meaning to this?


    Nheless, John continued to keep mum. Just then, the waiter had brought in the soup and ced it


    in front of Hannah, silently acquiescing to Emery¡¯s words.


    After we finished dinner, it was already quitete. Since Emery always went to bed early, she dragged


    Hunter and left together instantly.


    On the other hand, Jackson and Nick appeared to have some business, so they left, leaving Yvonne


    behind alone. She seemed to feel a little awkward.


    Before Nick left, he asked her to take a cab. But it was a private restaurant, so it would not be easy to


    find a cab around the area.


    At the same time, Ashton did not seem to care for that at all as he led me into the car and prepared to


    leave too.


    I noticed Yvonne was saying something to John and Hannah at that moment. As soon as she finished,


    John nodded, appearing to agree about something.


    Then Yvonne got in the car, and John got in too. The car left right away, but Hannah was left alone.


    I was shocked by what I saw. What the heck just happened? Did they quarrel? How could he leave


    Hannah all alone?


    ¡°Turn around!¡± I pulled at Ashton¡¯s clothes forcefully without hesitation.


    Ashton nced into the rearview mirror. He also frowned when he saw Hannah standing alone in the


    chilly wind.


    Immediately, he turned the car around and head towards the restaurant.


    As soon as we reached, I got out of the car and stared at Hannah. Her cheeks had be reddish


    due to the windy weather. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why are you still here?¡±


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Hannah replied softly, ¡°He¡¯ll be sending Ms. Wilde back, and their chauffeur will pick me up in a while.¡±


    I was left speechless at that.


    Is John out of his mind? What the hell?


    Trying hard to control my anger, I helped her into Ashton¡¯s car and asked her to told the chauffeur not


    toe.


    Then, I dialed John¡¯s number furiously.


    After a few rings, the phone connected. ¡°Hey, Scarlett! What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°John, are you freakin¡¯ crazy? Did you just leave your wife all alone to send another woman home?


    What¡¯s the matter with you?¡±


    Hannah didn¡¯t expect that I had called John. Clearly startled, she tried to stop me from saying anything


    further. ¡°Scarlett, don¡¯t. I¡¯m alright.¡±

 Chapter 493

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 493


    I patted her hand and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s okay!¡±


    On the other end of the call, John was taken aback momentarily. ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to pick her up.


    Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    I tried to keep my anger at bay, even though I felt that he had really gone overboard. ¡°For goodness¡¯


    sake, John, this is your pregnant wife! What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    What on earth was going on in his head that made him leave his wife along the road while he sent


    another unknown woman home?


    ¡°Scarlett, I have no intentions of marrying her. She¡¯s just a reproductive tool to me. You don¡¯t have to


    treat her as you would a sister-inw. Once I¡¯ve met the woman I want to marry, I¡¯ll introduce you to


    her. Besides, don¡¯t worry, our chauffeur and maid will take good care of Hannah. I know how I should


    treat her too. Right now, I just want you to rest well and don¡¯t overthink things.¡±


    John may not have been speaking loudly, but Hannah was seated close enough to me that she could


    hear every word he said.


    The call ended right after that, and I was left speechless.


    I looked up at Hannah, whose face had drained of all color. She was clearly hurting on the inside, but


    she still put on a smile and reassured me that she was alright.


    I could see tears welling up in her eyes as she averted my gaze and looked out the car window. Was


    she trying to hide her pain from me?


    My heart went out to her as she reminded me of my old self.


    Silence filled the entire journey as Ashton sent her back to John¡¯s vi. As soon as we reached, a maid


    came out to greet us and bowled us over with her impable service.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    After saying our goodbyes, Ashton and I drove off. He realized how quiet and teary-eyed I was and got


    rather concerned. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    His voice brought me back to my senses. Then, I leaned back in my seat and turned to him. ¡°Ashton,


    do you still remember the day you picked me up from the hospital four years ago?


    He pursed his lips, gently tapping the steering wheel as he tried to recall. ¡°Yes. I do remember.¡±


    When I didn¡¯t offer a reply, he added, ¡°What about it?¡±


    ¡°I had just done my ultrasound scan that day, and the baby was six weeks old. I didn¡¯t expect you to be


    waiting to pick me up. When I got in the car, I kept wondering if you¡¯d change your mind about the


    divorce if you had known I was pregnant. Then again, I was so conflicted about it. If I used the baby as


    a means to trap you in our marriage, that would have been highly unreasonable of me.¡±


    Not making eye contact with him, I lowered my gaze to my nails. They seemed rather long now.


    I continued after a moment of silence, ¡°After Reba had a miscarriage, I saw how you pampered and


    cared for her. I was determined to get that divorce and keep the baby, and so I faked an abortion. But


    little did I know that you would fall for me in the end, and¡­¡±


    The car came to a gentle stop by the road. After that, Ashton tilted my chin up to meet his brooding


    gaze.


    I was so stunned by the gesture that I didn¡¯t know how to respond.


    His eyes darkened as he spoke in a low, raspy voice, ¡°I wanted a divorce because I wasn¡¯t sure if I


    could take good care of you wholeheartedly. I didn¡¯t want to invest too much emotion in it, for fear of it


    hurting even more when we broke up.¡±


    Right then, his breath thatnded on my face felt especially hot. ¡°Do you me me?¡± he asked.


    I shook my head at that. ¡°That¡¯s all in the past now. I was only thinking about how simr Hannah and I


    are, standing by someone who doesn¡¯t love us. How much lower can we go?¡±


    Nheless, Ashton kept his gaze on me. ¡°We¡¯d be so lucky if we can be with our loved ones without


    hurting anyone else.¡±


    His words were mixed with self-reproach, and I could understand why he felt that way. I wrapped my


    arms around his neck andid my head against his chest. ¡°Ashton, I don¡¯t me you,¡± I said earnestly.


    ¡°We¡¯re the same. We¡¯ve never been taught how to love somebody else. Yes, we may have lost a lot


    along the way as we slowly figured things out. But fortunately for us, we finally understood the feelings


    we have for each other.¡±


    After a pause, I continued, ¡°I hope John can soon figure out what his heart really wants.¡±


    After all, Hannah had been with John for ten years. During this time, she had never felt like she


    deserved to be doted on. She took care of John more than a mother would. He had many womene


    and go in his life, yet it never once bothered her. Whether he loved her or not, she could always


    convince herself toe to terms with it.


    Even when she was hurting, she could hide it so well in public. She would suppress her grief, only to


    deal with it when she was all alone.


    John was already used to her being around. Thus, if she were to leave one day, he might not be able to


    carry on.


    In the meantime, the traffic had eased off a bit. Seeing that, Ashton nted a kiss on my forehead


    before driving off slowly.


    Once we got home, Summer was already sound asleep. I checked in on her after I had washed up to


    make sure she was tucked in.


    When I got out of Summer¡¯s room, Ashton had also juste out of the shower. He towel-dried himself


    and sat on the couch while looking at his phone.

 Chapter 494

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 494


    Seeing that it was already gettingte, I told him. ¡°Ashton, it¡¯s time for bed.¡±


    Ashton put down his phone. Just then, the corner of his mouth turned up in a small smile as he set his


    prating dark eyes on me.


    I pursed my lips and looked at him. I had always found this smile of his far too charming to be real.


    ¡°Why are you smiling?¡±


    His eyes lit up as he eximed, ¡°I¡¯m happy!¡¯


    Well, duh, but what about?


    He didn¡¯t borate anymore. And since I didn¡¯t want to probe any further, I made my way to the


    bedroom.


    The sound of footsteps behind me got closer, and I soon found myself in Ashton¡¯s tight embrace. His


    voice was low and sensual as he whispered, ¡°You¡¯re so pretty when you nag.¡±


    ¡°Could you be any cheesier?¡± I mocked.


    Seriously, though, why would anyone like to be nagged at?


    Brushing away my sarcastic remark, Ashton cuddled me as we got into bed. He then moved his palm


    onto my lower abdomen and asked softly, ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    I froze for a moment. I had genuinely forgotten about the pain I had to endure when it got to my time of


    the month. He actually remembered?


    As I shook my head, I couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Can¡¯t believe you remembered even though you¡¯re so


    busy with work. Sorry to have worried you.¡±


    He smiled faintly. ¡°I peeked at the memo on the phone.¡±


    Oh¡­ clever!


    As I thought about Hannah¡¯s words, I turned around and met Ashton¡¯s gaze. ¡°Ashton, shall we go to the


    doctor tomorrow and remove the vasectomy clips?¡±


    His smiled faded. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure how to put it across. Previously, Jared had mentioned that keeping the vasectomy clips in


    for a long time would be bad for the body. It might even result in infertility. I really had expected Ashton


    to get them removed earlier. But so many years had passed, and he still hadn¡¯t shown any desire to do


    so.


    ¡°I¡­ want a child of our own!¡± I eximed. Though that statement might not be entirely true, I just


    needed an excuse to get him to remove the clips.


    He narrowed his gaze as he said solemnly, ¡°It¡¯s not time yet.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I raised a quizzical eyebrow.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    ¡°There are two reasons why Jared hasn¡¯t fought for Summer¡¯s custody. Firstly, you¡¯ve raised her for


    almost five years now. Secondly, we have good financial and social standings to continue to care for


    Summer. If I reversed my vasectomy and got you pregnant, Jared would then have better chances of


    getting custody of Summer should he wish to proceed with it.¡±


    Ashton¡¯s voice was low and even. Even though he kept his emotions out of it, one could still hear a hint


    of helplessness within.


    If both parties had simr financial and social standings, it¡¯d be a fair fight in the eyes of thew. Hence,


    I could lose Summer¡¯s custody.


    Seeing as how I remained silent, Ashton took my hand in his. ¡°No hurry. We¡¯ll still have plenty of


    chances at having a baby in the future.¡±


    ¡°But having the clips on for too long isn¡¯t good for your body. And besides, even after removing them,


    we don¡¯t have to try for a baby immediately.¡± Even if Jared nned to fight for Summer¡¯s custody, we


    didn¡¯t have to use this as a means to stop him from doing so. In the worst-case scenario, I¡¯d ask Louis


    for help. I was sure he¡¯d have a way to deal with Jared.


    He chuckled. ¡°Worried for me?¡±


    I pursed my lips before saying, ¡°Ashton Fuller, I want you to think about this seriously. If we want


    children, we ought to do it soon. The older I get, the more dangerous a high-risk pregnancy would be. If


    you lose both mother and child from that, you¡¯d have to find yourself a new wife.¡±


    My words weren¡¯t entirely true, but I wouldn¡¯t rule out the possibility of having children. I knew he chose


    not to get the vasectomy reversal because of me and Summer.


    He was aware of how important Summer was to me. If I lost her, my condition might worsen too. That


    was why he could bear with not having children of his own.


    However, there was still so much to look forward to in our lives. Love felt forever only in the present


    moment, and no one could guarantee an eternity of it as time went on.


    It would be nice to be honest with each other while we lived and loved in the present.


    Ashton hugged me tightly. ¡°Never!¡± he eximed, his voice low and maic. That single word was so


    ambiguous. Did he mean he would never lose me and our child or that he would never remarry?


    I slept very soundly that night. Even though I had a few vivid dreams, I couldn¡¯t remember any of them


    when I woke up.


    It was already nine in the morning when I opened my eyes. It really had been a long sleep.


    I was surprised when I saw Ashton still in the room. ¡°Don¡¯t you have to go to the office today?¡±


    He smiled faintly, stillfortably dressed in his custom royal blue pajamas. ¡°It¡¯s the weekend. I¡¯m


    taking a day off to be with you!¡±


    I smiled back at him and shifted slightly in bed. When I felt something wet underneath, my heart started


    to race.


    I might have stained the bed, but I needed to be sure. As I gingerly touched the sheets, the dampness I


    felt confirmed my suspicion.


    It felt like I had stained quite arge area which meant that the mattress would also need to be cleaned.


    This might be the heaviest flow I¡¯ve had sinceing back to K City.


    Having noticed the change in my expression, Ashton couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Is your stomach not feeling


    well?¡±


    I shook my head, trying to hide my embarrassment. ¡°Summer should be up by now. Why don¡¯t you


    check on her? She must be hungry.¡±


    He nodded wordlessly.


    I was so relieved when he finally left the room. But as I got out of bed and saw the state of the sheets, I


    gasped.

 Chapter 495

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 495


    What the heck? Did the pipes just burst or something¡­


    The stain on the gray bedsheet was sorge that it looked as if a bucket of water had been sshed


    on it. It was a frightening sight to behold ¨C even for me.


    I hurriedly got into the bathroom with a clean set of clothes to change into. It was only then I realized


    how badly stained my clothes were.


    As I stepped out of the bathroom, I was shocked to see Ashton making the bed. He had already


    reced the bloodied sheets with fresh, clean ones. Thankfully the mattress was waterproof, so it was


    easy enough to wipe it clean.


    Just as Ashton was about to reach for the dirty sheets on the rug, I rushed forward and picked them up.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡± I cried out, face red from the embarrassment.


    He frowned and replied, ¡°The weather¡¯s cold. Let me handle it.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ you don¡¯t have to!¡± No matter how close a rtionship was, it was never appropriate to have


    someone else clean up this sort of mess.


    Ashton gazed at me with an unreadable expression. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Just let me wash that.¡±


    Before I could open my mouth to protest against it, he had already grabbed the sheets.


    Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that one of the most prominent businessmen in K City would


    be rolling up his sleeves and washing a bunch of dirty sheets in the bathroom.


    The stained pajama pants soaking in the basin had also turned the water red. It was a sight that was


    hard to miss, and Ashton had clearly noticed it.


    Despite so, he remained cool as a cucumber as he poured the dirty water away and added detergent.


    ¡°Has your stomach been hurting these days?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I shook my head. I had been in R Province for the past four years. Taking care of Summer had


    resulted in an irregr life with frequent long nights. As such, it wasmon for me to suffer from body


    aches and exhaustion. Apart from that, everything else was fine.


    Seeing Ashton washing the sheets made me so embarrassed that I could feel my face burning up.


    After some hesitation, I decided to leave the bathroom.


    At that time, Summer was practicing her cycling in the living room downstairs. It didn¡¯t pose much of a


    hindrance since it was a huge space.


    Upon seeing me, her face lit up. ¡°Mommy, look! I can cycle now!¡± she shouted in excitement.


    She started cycling again to show off how good she was getting. That exined why she had been


    quiet all this time. She had been practicing really hard on her bicycle.


    ¡°Have you had breakfast?¡± I asked as I walked towards the kitchen.


    Summer nodded, still preupied with her bicycle. ¡°Mr. Fuller came by earlier and gave me breakfast


    and pastries. I¡¯ve already eaten my share. He said you¡¯d being down soon to eat, so I didn¡¯t call


    you.¡±


    I nodded. True enough, I saw the breakfast spread on the kitchen table.


    We didn¡¯t hire a housekeeper, only a part-time maid who came punctually to clean up the ce.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Previously, we had a housekeeper take care of Summer before we came back to the Stovall residence.


    But after hearing what she had been telling Summer, I became warier of outsiders.


    Summer was still young after all, and it was important to watch our words around her. If we had an


    outsider live with us, I wouldn¡¯t be able to check in on her whenever I liked or keep track of what they


    had been telling her.


    Hence, it just felt better to do it myself.


    When I returned to the bedroom, Ashton had already finished washing the sheets and my pajama.


    I stood silently behind him as he hung them up to dry. Right then, I could feel my cheeks flushing up


    again.


    Realizing that I was there, he turned around and look at me with a gentle gaze. ¡°Had your breakfast


    yet?¡±


    I nodded and walked toward him. Wrapping my arms around his waist, I whispered, ¡°Thank you!¡¯


    He grabbed some tissue to wipe his hand dry before focusing his attention on me. ¡°What are you


    thanking me for?¡± He chuckled.


    I tried to reply, but no words came out. My eyes were getting watery when I gazed back at Ashton.


    ¡°Just wanted to thank you,¡± I blurted out.


    Heughed and pulled me in closer. ¡°Don¡¯t go anywhere else today. Just have a good rest in bed.¡±


    As he said that, he swept me off my feet and carried me to the bed. Frankly speaking, I thought he was


    overreacting, so I giggled. ¡°I¡¯m alright!¡±


    Ashton said nothing as he left me in bed and went downstairs. Even though he had taken the day off,


    he had been bustling around the house since morning. Work kept him busy, yet he still had to take care


    of me and Summer when he got home.


    As I thought about that, I couldn¡¯t help but me myself for having inconvenienced him again.


    It was impossible to fall asleep now. It was cold outside, so going out was a no-no. But staying home


    sounded boring too.


    With that, I made up my mind to head to the study. Reading to pass the time definitely sounded like a


    better idea.


    I had only reached the bedroom door when I bumped into Ashton carrying a bowl of ginger carrot soup.


    I thought he had gone downstairs for breakfast, yet here he was¡­


    ncing at the bowl of soup in his hands, I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯ve only just had my breakfast. I don¡¯t


    have the appetite for anything else now.¡±


    I had stopped throwing up in the past few days, but I still had to watch my food intake. My stomach


    would churn if I overate, and I¡¯d find myself dry-heaving.


    Ashton knew that better than me and didn¡¯t force me to drink the soup. After that, he ced the bowl in


    our room and said, ¡°You can eat itter when it¡¯s cooled down.¡±


    I nodded, knowing that he was just worried about me. ¡°I want to go read in the study. Do you want to


    come along?¡± I asked.


    He raised his eyebrows, took my hand, and led us to the study.


    The decoration of the study in this new vi had taken Summer¡¯s needs into consideration, so it was


    vastly different from what we had in the previous vi.

 Chapter 496

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 496


    Ashton had designed this study to be extrarge. Not only that, but he also paid special attention to the


    selection of books and materials in it.


    He was worried about leaving Summer alone downstairs, so he carried her up to the study as well.


    A children¡¯s study with a starry night sky was even designed especially for Summer. It was dreamy and


    exquisite, truly a work of art.


    Summer hadn¡¯t learned many words, so her choice of books was mainlyic or picture books.


    I didn¡¯t want to put too much academic stress on a five-year-old. So instead of making her study more, I


    let her spend time pursuing her interests.


    Initially, I had intended to let her pick up piano when she was three but was told that it might not be


    good for her joints as she was too young. As such, I let her attend dance and drawing lessons instead.


    That entire time, we had a very rxing and leisurely time in the study. However, even though Ashton


    had taken the day off, he still had work to tend to.


    I had been reading for a while when I looked up, only to see him still busy with work.


    Meanwhile, Ashton was typing away furiously at the keyboard with an unwavering focus. He looked


    especially charming when he was deep in concentration. It was as if he had been ced under a


    spotlight that entuated his handsome face.


    He paused to pick his cup up for a sip, only to realize it was empty. With a slight furrow of his brows, he


    ced his cup back down and went back to work.


    I closed my book and went to get his cup. Upon that, he nced at me and smiled. ¡°I can do itter!¡±


    ¡°I just want to walk about.¡± I smiled back.


    He smiled again and went back to work. After refilling his water, I decided to check in on Summer out of


    habit.


    She was lying on the rug, engrossed in heric book. Her chin was propped up in her hands as she


    swayed her little feet.


    That kid was devouring her book page after page, pausing for a bit only to lick her lips that had gotten


    dry.


    I couldn¡¯t help but let out a chuckle upon realizing how alike she and Ashton were. At the same time, I


    decided to get her a cup of water too.


    ¡°Summer, remember to drink your water.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mommy!¡± she replied, her gaze still on her book.


    She was really concentrated on her reading.


    I went back to Ashton and saw that he was still hard at work at his desk.


    Picking up the book I was reading, I walked toward his desk with a serious expression. Then I sat down


    beside him and continued with it.


    His voice was gentle as he asked, ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    I shook my head, resting it against his shoulder, and continued to read.


    ¡°What would you like to eat?¡± He stopped what he was doing and put his arm behind me. I could lean


    into him even more now.


    I thought about it very seriously, only to realize there wasn¡¯t anything I wanted to eat in particr. ¡°I


    don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything specific I want.¡±


    ¡°Then shall we cook at home?¡±


    With a big smile on my face, I nodded and answered, ¡°But you have to do the cooking.¡±


    I said that only because I knew he was so much better than I was when it came to cooking.


    ¡°Sure!¡±


    I then turned my attention back to the book as he took a look at what I was reading. ¡°When did you buy


    this? ¡®The Bossy President¡¯?¡±


    Following that, I closed the book to present the full title, ¡°The Bossy President Falls For Me.¡± I couldn¡¯t


    help but look at him with a smirk. ¡°Macy bought this and kept it at Glenwood Apartments. It looked like


    a fun read, so I took it.¡±


    ¡°So? Is it good?¡±


    I gave it some thought before nodding. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± After a pause, I added, ¡°It just makes me wonder


    why this president has so much time to travel around the world with the female lead.¡±


    In all the years I had known Ashton, he was busy almost all the time. He had endless meetings, a


    mountain of contracts, and various ces to be.


    He picked up on the slight annoyance in my words and chuckled. ¡°How about I start traveling the world


    with the two of you?¡±


    ¡°No way. If you don¡¯t work, we won¡¯t have a breadwinner. Then I¡¯d have to start working.¡±


    I had my savings to fall back on during my four years in R Province, but there¡¯d alwayse a day


    when we might deplete all the money. It wouldn¡¯t be as easy to support an entire family if we were to


    work a nine-to-five job.


    ¡°The savings from Fuller Corporation will be enough to feed you for a lifetime. Why don¡¯t you worry


    about how to spend all this money instead?¡± he teased.


    Wow! Such arrogance.


    After that, we spent the day in peace andfort. I was starting to enjoy more of these simple, quiet


    afternoons with my family.


    The time we had over the weekend seemed to pass more quickly when we found it enjoyable.


    Ashton couldn¡¯t afford to get too many rest days either. Even taking one day off work was a luxury for


    him.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    With Summer attending her various sses, I was the only one left at home.


    Just then, Emery called, asking me to go shopping with her. Late fall in K City was considerably colder,


    so I didn¡¯t feel like going out.


    However, being home alone stirred up feelings of loneliness and depression, so I gave in and decided


    to meet Emery at the mall.


    I didn¡¯t drive but took a cab to the mall instead. By the time I got there, Emery had already arrived. She


    had two bags of pastries in her hand, which I guessed she had only just purchased.

 Chapter 497

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 497


    When she saw me, Emery chuckled and gave me one of the bags of pastries. ¡°You¡¯re always dressed


    so frumpily. We¡¯re out to shop and have fun, all the more we should dress up and look pretty. With your


    looks, everyone¡¯s jaws would drop when they see you.¡±


    I smiled faintly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to attract any unnecessary attention.¡± It was true. Nancy had gotten


    unwanted attention a few times because of that. I would definitely stand out more if I cleaned myself


    up, but that was thest thing I needed.


    Emery nodded in agreement and didn¡¯t probe further.


    The mall was bustling with activity. However, I had gotten used to being alone, that the crowd and noise


    stressed me out, so I didn¡¯t like it at all.


    Emery, on the other hand, was an extrovert. She made sure to browse each jewelry store we came to.


    Whenever she bought something she liked, she¡¯d be like a kid in a candy store.


    Like Macy, she¡¯d get so incredibly excited whenever she got to eat delicious foods or buy her favorite


    things.


    People said that only those with simr personalities could be friends. But Macy and I had known


    each other since childhood, so we still bonded despite our different personalities.


    What I did find weird, though, was how Emery and I became friends.


    When she saw that I was in a daze, Emery elbowed me and asked, ¡°Is it so hard for you to pick a


    ne? What are you thinking about?¡±


    I looked at the two nes in her hand and remarked, ¡°Both of them look good. Just get both.¡±


    ¡°Damn, Scarlett. This is the first time you¡¯re behaving like a rich woman. I¡¯ve always thought you were


    so timid and precious. Ashton got you the clothes and essories you have on you now, didn¡¯t he?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Ashton gets Joseph to buy me new clothes every season. I rarely shop, and I don¡¯t


    understand much about fashion. So, I wear whatever I have at home.¡±


    Hearing that, she gave me a thumbs-up as she curled her lips. ¡°Spoken like a rich woman. Ashton has


    really spoiled you. But as a woman who doesn¡¯t like shopping or eating, what do you do in your free


    time?¡±


    ¡°I read at home!¡¯ I eximed. And that was the truth. When I stayed with Macy, I spent weekends going


    out to eat with her. This all changed when she left because I had no other friends to hang out with


    during the weekends.


    She pped her forehead and sighed. ¡°I knew it. The only reason someone like Ashton fell for you was


    because of your looks.¡±


    Then she returned to look at the nes in her hand, seemingly deep in thought. ¡°Oh, forget it. I¡¯ll get


    both. They add up to forty thousand but so be it. I¡¯m the one wearing them anyway.¡±


    Hearing the price of the nes threw me off. Once I returned to my senses, I asked, ¡°Wait¡­ How


    much are these?¡±


    She raised her eyebrows. ¡°Forty thousand.¡±


    ¡°Even if they¡¯re made of gold, do they have to be that expensive?¡± I was dumbfounded. Even if the


    property prices in K City ballooned to ten thousand per square foot, that still wouldn¡¯t have seemed as


    expensive. But a mere ne for forty thousand? That was outrageous.


    Emery hesitated as she nced at the bracelet on my wrist. ¡°You were the one who suggested buying


    both nes, but now you think they¡¯re too expensive? This ne was handcrafted by a famous


    designer in Ustrana and even has a diamond in the pendant. So it¡¯s definitely worth the price!¡±


    Regardless of the design and the material used, a ne with a price tag in the tens of thousands


    still seemed too much of an extravagance.


    I couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°For the same price, you could get a two-bedroom in the smaller cities. How


    extravagant.¡±


    Ignoring me, Emery paid for her nes and looked at me with annoyance. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you,


    Scarlett? The bracelet you¡¯re wearing is worth a few hundred million. So, why don¡¯t you say that for the


    same price, you could get a vi in K City?¡±


    I was taken aback by that and slowly shifted my gaze to my bracelet. This bracelet was given to me by


    Louis four years ago when he added me to the Stovall family register. I hardly wear it and had almost


    forgotten about it until I saw it a few days ago. To be honest, I wore it only because it looked pretty.


    After all, I knew nothing about jewelry. I could only determine if I liked something or not based on how


    pretty it looked. Hence, I definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to tell the good from the bad.


    Now that Emery had told me about the bracelet, I felt even more pressure. ¡°A bracelet worth a few


    hundred million? That can¡¯t be possible!¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    No matter how valuable it was, it was still just an inanimate object. If it really was worth a few hundred


    million, wouldn¡¯t that make it an antique?


    Emery rolled her eyes before pulling me away to give me a history lesson. ¡°Your bracelet has quite a lot


    of history behind it. A hundred years ago after the civil wars had ended, one of the royal family


    members bought this bracelet and kept it with General Stovall for safekeeping. But General Stovall


    loved his wife so much that he gifted it to her instead. As time went by, this bracelet was supposed to


    be added to the museum collection. However, due to the contributions the Stovall family had made


    toward nation-building, they were allowed to keep it. From then on, the bracelet had been passed down


    in the Stovall family from one generation to the next.¡±


    After a pause, she continued, ¡°This bracelet was originally meant for the next Stovall family¡¯s daughter-


    inw. But I suppose Louis felt generous and gave it to you instead.¡±

 Chapter 498

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 498


    Sometimes when a person says something, they do not have a specific intention. However, the person


    listening might read between the lines, and take it to have the meaning that they were hoping for. At


    that time, I did not know the whole story. Now that I do, I felt that I shouldn¡¯t hold on to this bracelet.


    I didn¡¯t say much as I stroked the bracelet absent-mindedly. I just smiled faintly.


    Emery¡¯s phone rang. She answered it while I just stood and looked around the mall. The hustle and


    bustle made me feel suffocated.


    It was kind of stifling.


    Leaning against the railing and looking at the shops on every floor, I was reminded that R Province did


    not have shops like these. The vendors usually set up stalls along the alleys. You could just buy the


    items you wanted on the way home from there.


    I was lost in my thoughts when Emery ced her phone to the side of my ear and teasingly said, ¡°It¡¯s


    for you.¡±


    Taken by surprise, I took the phone by reflex and responded with an automatic ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me!¡± a deep voice reverberated from the other end. The familiarity of the voice had me rooted


    firmly to my spot. ¡°A-Ashton?¡±


    A low chuckle could be heard. ¡°Why is your phone switched off? Did you wear enough clothes to keep


    yourself warm? Ms. Moore said you are only wearing a thin coat. Do you feel cold?¡±


    Despite being very busy, he still made it a point to call and check up on me. Only Ashton would be so


    meticulous when it came to caring for me.


    My face reddened when I noticed Emery smirking at me. I hurriedly replied, ¡°My phone battery died so


    it turned offpletely. I¡¯m absolutely fine. The mall has a heating system, so it¡¯s really warm in here.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± he said, ¡°I wille for you after work. I have transferred some funds over to you. No need to


    hold back. I am perfectly capable of letting you spend as much as you¡¯d like.¡±


    I giggled, which attracted Emery¡¯s curious stare. Holding it in, I replied, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll hang up now. I¡¯m


    perfectly fine!¡±


    After I had hung up, I passed the phone back to Emery and said, ¡°Thank you!¡±


    She took her phone, shrugged her shoulders, and said with a grimace, ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve just been forced


    to listen to the both of you being all lovey-dovey.¡±


    I responded with a smile and didn¡¯t borate on it.


    As we continued with our shopping, Emery suddenly said, ¡°You know, Scarlett. Ashton really loves


    you.¡±


    I was stunned for a bit, not knowing where this came from all of a sudden. I gave her a side-eye nce


    and she continued.


    ¡°Three years ago, I saw him at the Imperial Hotel. It was 3 a.m., and he was awfully drunk. As he


    walked out of the hotel, I could see that he was holding a bottle of liquor in his hand,¡± Emery recounted.


    ¡°At that time, Nancy didn¡¯t really look like you. If one were to insist, you could only say that she had


    eyes that looked like yours. He looked at Nancy and called out your name again and again. He was


    crying like a child, begging you not to leave.¡±


    She paused as she said this, as if recalling what she had seen at that time.


    I was quite shocked and at a loss for words.


    She was silent for a while, then went on, ¡°Well, he¡¯s the president of the Fuller Corporation after all, so I


    asked someone to send him home. The next day he came to me and asked if you were back. When he


    realized that he had mistaken someone else for you, he sunk into deep despair,¡± Emery paused for a


    bit and continued, ¡°Nancy had her nose fixed to look just like you. After that, she frequently appeared


    around Ashton. Having a great body and features that were simr to yours, she had been cruising


    through life for the past three years. If only she had known her ce, she would not have caused her


    own demise.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything that you would like to eatter?¡± I interrupted. The past is in the past. Those who


    were constantly stuck in their own memories would only suffer. I did not wish to recall, nor did I wish to


    hear about others¡¯ memories.


    Emery noticed my aversion to what she had said, so she didn¡¯t speak any further. We just continued


    with our shopping.


    The mall was absolutely crowded. Therefore, when we ran into Joe and Reba, I didn¡¯t realize it at


    first.


    Joe had an especially marked change. He had be more mature andposed. Perhaps it was


    due to this change that I failed to recognize him from the first nce.


    In a tone that was quite neutral, Emery spoke first, ¡°What a coincidence. The two of you are here to


    shop too?¡±


    Joe¡¯s gazended on me, and he took his time to respond. After a while, he uttered a single ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Reba was intimately holding onto his arm. Noticing this, I was fairly surprised.


    Did this mean they were now together?


    Since this was not really my concern anyway, I neither asked nor thought much about it.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    ¡°When did youe back?¡± Joe asked me.


    I replied nonchntly, ¡°Some time ago.¡±


    We were acquaintances after all. It would have been too pretentious and inappropriate if I had acted as


    if I didn¡¯t know them at all.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have dinnerter,¡± Joe suggested. He hesitated a little and then said, ¡°Ashton should be done


    with work soon. We should all meet up. I¡­ I¡¯ll call Jared too.¡±


    I was caught off guard by Joe¡¯s invitation. My lips tightened into a line as I considered the situation.


    Because of Summer, Ashton had more or less be distant from Jared.


    I fully understood Joe¡¯s intentions. He was hoping that the two friends could patch things up instead of


    letting a child interfere with their friendship.


    ¡°Sure!¡± I nodded, indicating my agreement as to his proposal.


    Emery was looking at Reba. The two of them were not on good terms, so it was inevitable that


    some shots were fired.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be so much better if you knew when to give up and be contented?¡± Emery jeered, clearly


    taking a jab at Reba. ¡°You just had to drag everyone else into the mud before finally knowing what¡¯s


    good for you.¡±


    Reba paled a little and red at Emery. However, she did not scream and shout like she used to


    whenever she got angry. After a few years of not seeing her, it seemed that she had better control over


    her temper.

 Chapter 499

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 499


    Reba lowered her tone, but the coldness in her voice was unmistakable. ¡°Your ability to stick your


    nose into others¡¯ business has gotten even better. You should really find yourself a new hobby.¡±


    Emery shrugged her shoulders. Not really angered, she retorted, ¡°How I carry out my business is none


    of your business.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, just mind your own business and shut your mouth in the future,¡± Reba retaliated


    with an icy re.


    The two of them were not fighting, but their rapid verbal exchange was not exactlyfortable for the


    people around them. In fact, it was quite childish.


    I lightly tugged on Emery¡¯s sleeve, reminding her not to go overboard.


    She pursed her lips. Without another word, she turned on her heels and marched into a jewelry shop


    away from the two of them. As a rule of thumb, nothing works better than retail therapy after an


    unpleasant encounter.


    I gave the two familiar faces onest stare and took my leave as well.


    When I passed by Reba, she grabbed my arm and stopped me in my tracks. ¡°I will not give up, and


    I have no intention of giving up. Mark my words, Scarlett. If I cannot have him, you will not have him


    either.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but take back my earlierpliment, for I had overestimated her. Giving her a sideways


    re, I raised an eyebrow and countered her in a challenging tone. ¡°Ashton is not an item. He will not


    simply fall into your arms just because you want him to. He is a person. He has never, and will never


    love you. If you want to crush me, then bring it on. But if you n to ruin him, I think you are digging


    your own grave. Considering everything you have now is given to you by him, including this man


    beside you; ruining him would only mean ruining yourself.¡±


    I did not fully understand the friendship between Ashton, Joe, and Jared, but I did know that it meant


    something to the three of them. If Reba were to try anything on Ashton, I suppose Joe and Jared


    would not turn a blind eye to it.


    She scoffed coolly and let go of me. ¡°We shall see.¡±


    In rtionships, when you no longer care about someone anymore, that is when you can truly let them


    go. However, the feelings that Reba had for Ashton¡­ It was weird.


    At first, I thought it was love, but after a long period of time, I observed that it could be a form of


    dependence. Ashton took care of her for many years. She was used to being the only woman that he


    cared about. When this attention towards her had diminished, she could not take it.


    Emery had already selected a few sets of clothing when I walked in. She raised a brow and asked, ¡°Did


    she threaten you?¡±


    I gave a light smile. Eyeing the new clothes that she put on, I inquired, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to


    buy some jewelry? Why are you shopping for clothes instead?¡±


    She shrugged and scrutinized her reflection in the mirror. ¡°I have noticedtely that my wardrobe is


    understocked. Besides, even though K City is cold, this should not prevent me from being my beautiful


    self.¡±


    I smiled at what she said. Throughout our whole lives, we girls have been relentlessly pursuing beauty.


    From being cute as a child to bing sexy as an adult. As we approach middle age, we evolve once


    more to be intellectual and graceful. At each stage, women exude different forms of beauty.


    After helping her select her clothes for a while, she noticed that I did not intend to get anything for


    myself. She lifted the corners of her mouth into a smirk and poked fun at me. ¡°I guess Ashton¡¯s vast


    amount of wealth was umted by you being prudent?¡±


    I paused for a bit and shook my head. ¡°No, I just don¡¯t really like buying new clothes. Besides, I have


    enough of them at home.¡±


    My criteria for clothing was so long as they were sufficiently warm, I didn¡¯t really care about anything


    else.


    Emery was speechless. ¡°You are lucky Ashton protected you well. Otherwise, the media would have


    recognized you right away as Mrs. Fuller and criticized your abysmal taste in fashion.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    She wasted no time in picking out a few outfits from thetest collection and ordered, ¡°Go try these


    now.¡±


    ¡°No, thank¡­ ¡° My feeble rejection barely got out of my mouth before I was forcefully interrupted by her.


    ¡°You came out to shop, and you¡¯re not buying anything. Just what are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°But I really don¡¯t need it!¡± During my four years in R Province, I had already gotten used to wearing


    one outfit for many years. The joy derived from shopping was not exactly that gratifying for me.


    Emery snorted in disapproval. ¡°I suspect that you are not even a woman. A woman¡¯s wardrobe will


    always becking something. Stop dawdling, go get changed!¡±


    Knowing very well I could not win against her, I entered the fitting room and tried on whatever she had


    picked out for me.


    It was a knitted top and a pair of casual trousers. Maybe because I had lost weight, the trousers


    seemed kind of loose.


    Noticing that I was taking a long time, Emery asked, ¡°Are you done yet?¡±


    I opened the door and tucked the top into the trousers. She inspected the ensemble, approved of it,


    and said, ¡°There! This would be perfect with a camel toe coat. Your long hair can be tied up too.¡±


    With that, she reached out and put my hair into a topknot.


    Emery was 170 cm in height, and she was wearing heels, which made her way taller than I was.


    After she was done with my hair, she snapped her fingers to summon the sales assistant. ¡°I¡¯m buying


    those outfits that I selected earlier along with this one. Also, please throw away the clothes that she just


    changed out of. Thank you!¡±


    I was startled and eximed with disbelief, ¡°I can still wear them!¡±


    She gave a nonchnt shrug, and said, ¡°I know, they were all signature garments from high fashion


    brands a few years ago. However, they are all outdated by now, but you¡¯re still wearing them. Isn¡¯t it


    better to just wear thetest ones?¡±


    I was speechless.


    Those clothes were bought by Ashton four years ago and kept in the previous vi. After I came back


    from R Province, he had ordered Joseph to get me new clothes, but since this outfit wasfortable, I


    just wore it all the time and didn¡¯t really think of being fashionable.

 Chapter 500

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 500


    After hearing Emery¡¯sments, I realized that I was indeed quite out of style.


    Therefore, Iplied with her wishes and bought many things. Right now we had a bit of a problem. I


    came over by taxi, and she had driven here by herself without a driver.


    Looking at the assortment of big and small bags, we were at a loss as to what to do. She considered


    our situation for a while, whipped out her phone, and called Hunter.


    Had I not heard her speaking so gently, I would not have believed that a tough woman like Emery could


    be as meek as amb when speaking to the one she loved.


    ¡°Hunter, I am at the mall in the city center. Pleasee over. There are too many bags and I can¡¯t


    carry all of them!¡±


    I looked at the bags around us. Women are so dramatic sometimes. It¡¯s just clothes and jewelry. Sure,


    there¡¯s quite a lot, but it¡¯s actually manageable.


    She hung up and noticed that I was looking at her weirdly. ¡°Women need to show weakness at


    appropriate times,¡± she pouted, ¡°it¡¯s not that I can¡¯t carry the bags. It¡¯s only because I have him now. So


    sometimes I can¡¯t open water bottles, lift heavy things, or walk over rain puddles.¡±


    I chuckled at her confession. It seemed that in a rtionship, women were the nurturers, while men


    were the providers.


    Seeing that I was spaced out, she blinked a few times and made another call.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, are you done with work?¡± The words she uttered sessfully brought me back to attention.


    I widened my eyes at her. How could she call Ashton?


    She ignored my prative stare and continued, ¡°The mall in the city center,e and help us carry


    our things.¡±


    She was the only one who dared to say something like this to him.


    She hung up and looked at me with a raised brow. ¡°Mr. Fuller said he will be here in ten more minutes.¡±


    I was quite amazed at her. After giving her a thumbs up, I found a ce to sit down.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Relief enveloped me as I sat down after a long period of walking. Emery started massaging her feet as


    she plopped down next to me wearing her heels. ¡°I¡¯m not wearing these again next time. My feet are


    killing me!¡±


    ¡°You can just wear heels that are 5 cm or 7 cm. Wearing heels that are too high will hurt your feet no


    matter how good the shoes are,¡± I said.


    She tilted her head, propped her chin in one of her hands, and suddenly startedughing. ¡°Scarlett,


    when did you start to consider me a friend?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we friends now?¡± I replied nkly.


    She shook her head. ¡°No,¡± she said, ¡°when I told you my feet hurt, you would just brush me off if we


    were true friends.¡± She continued, ¡°Instead, you just calmly gave me a suggestion. This shows that you


    think of me as an acquaintance and not a true friend.¡±


    I was a little dazed. I recalled Macy liked to wear heels. We weren¡¯t rich at that time, and the only pair


    of heels she had was very high. Hence, it was a pain to wear. Whenever she could no longer walk due


    to the pain, I would buy her a pair of slippers from a roadside booth. I would be making fun of her while


    forcing her to change into the slippers. She would change her shoes butin that they did not suit


    her ssy demeanor.


    Thinking about it now made me feel as if these incidents happened ages ago, yet it also felt as if they


    just urred not too long ago.


    I stood up and said to her, ¡°Just sit here and wait for me.¡±


    There were a variety of choices in the mall. Very soon I was back with a shoebox in my hand. I handed


    it to her and said with a faint smile, ¡°I have taken note of your shoe size just now. Size thirty-seven


    should be just nice.¡±


    I could see that she was momentarily stunned. She took the box, opened it, and looked back at me with


    incredulity in her eyes. ¡°You bought this for me?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Although I do not know which design you prefer, I think it can still match your outfit. It isn¡¯t


    from a major brand, but it should still be wearable.¡±


    Her shoes cost an arm and a leg. Truthfully, I was a bit reluctant to spend that amount of money. Ever


    since I returned from R Province, I had not been working. I did not use the credit card Ashton gave me


    at all. Instead, I was using my own savings. I intended to get a part-time job after bing a


    postgraduate student. This way, my usual expenses would not be a problem.


    Emery changed into her new shoes, and her amusement was apparent. ¡°Did you know this, Scarlett?


    You are the first woman to buy me shoes,¡± she said.


    ¡°My brother is a straight man, so he has poor taste. I always buy my own shoes and never allowed him


    to buy shoes for me. After that, I met Hunter, who is a hopeless straight male as well. For as long as


    I¡¯ve lived, you¡¯re the only one who has ever bought me shoes.¡±


    I smiled lightly. The two elders of the Moore family were always overseas. Emery was the youngest


    daughter of the Moore family, so she did not know much about the Moore family¡¯s actual situation.


    She only knew that she was siblings with Zachary. As for the rest, she did not really know anything.


    ¡°You should just wear this for now, as long as it doesn¡¯t cause pain while walking,¡± I said. As I looked


    up, I immediately noticed Ashton among the crowd. With his towering figure dressed in all ck and


    unrivaled handsome features, he demanded the attention of all the shoppers in the mall.


    ¡°This kind of masculine beauty is simply too conspicuous and would just lead to trouble.¡± I heard Emery


    murmuring.


    As Ashton came near, she said to him, ¡°Mr. Fuller, I think you better be more low profile when you


    appear in public next time. There are already people snapping photos!¡±


    Fortunately, the shoppers here seemed to be more of the rational kind. They did not swarm Ashton as if


    he were a celebrity.


    Ashton gave a softugh, and his gazended on me. ¡°Are you tired? What have you bought?¡± he


    asked gently.

 Chapter 501

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 501


    My hand felt warm in his. Looking over at the bags ced by the side, I said somewhat awkwardly, ¡°It¡¯s


    just a few pieces of clothing.¡±


    Emery chuckled jovially. ¡°And a pair of shoes for me,¡± she added.


    Emery took a few tentative steps, then turned to me and marveled, ¡°These shoes are fantastic! Much


    better than high heels.¡±


    I smiled at her.


    Ashton looked at me and raised an eyebrow. His grip on my hand tightened somewhat as he picked up


    the bags from the floor and pulled me along with him.


    ¡°Hey Ashton, are you blind? There are some more bags here,¡± Emery yelled after us. She was


    seething.


    Ashton said nothing. Paying no heed to Emery¡¯s indignant cries, he dragged me headlong towards the


    mall¡¯s exit.


    I stopped short in my tracks. ¡°We left some bags behind?¡±


    Ashton furrowed his brow. His gaze settled on something beyond me.


    I turned to see Hunter Zane striding towards us. Recognition dawned on me, and I followed Ashton


    obediently.


    Ashton had parked his car just outside the mall. It was a ck McLaren sports car and looked


    tremendously shy.


    ¡°Why did you choose this car today?¡± The car was impressive, but I had rarely seen him driving it.


    We ced our bags in the trunk. I noticed that they were all the items that Emery had picked out for


    me. How did Ashton know that?


    ¡°I just randomly chose this one,¡± Ashton answered shortly. He pulled me into the car. ¡°What would you


    like to eat?¡±


    I suddenly recalled the incident with Joe in the mall and eximed, ¡°Mr. Quinn wants to have dinner


    with us!¡±


    Ashton bit his lip, his eyes darkening.


    ¡°OK,¡± he replied briefly, while fastening my seatbelt.


    Emery and Hunter had followed behind. Emery called to us from afar, ¡°Scarlett, I¡¯ll be enjoying a


    candlelight dinner with my husband tonight. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to join you. Thanks for the shoes


    though, I absolutely adore them! I¡¯ll treat you to a good meal next time.¡±


    I smiled at her and waved goodbye. Ashton had secured my seatbelt, then abruptly bit me on the chin.


    I cried out in pain and looked at him in bewilderment. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve never given me anything!¡± Ashton retorted hotly. At that moment, he sounded rather pitiful.


    Seeing his forlorn look, I couldn¡¯t help but give in. ¡°I¡¯ll buy something for you another day, OK? Is there


    anything you like in particr?¡±


    Ashton grinned. ¡°I¡¯ll be happy with anything as long as it¡¯s from you.¡±


    What?


    The wise person who said that men are just like children must be a woman! Who else would be able to


    come up with such an urate observation?


    Joe had made dinner reservations under his name at a private room in a restaurant specializing in


    pasta dishes.


    It wasn¡¯t the first cuisine that sprang to mind when one considered the winter cold, but the pasta they


    served here was al dente and surprisingly vorful.


    There were five of us present. Besides their usual trio, Joe had brought Reba along while I


    apanied Ashton.


    As we took our seats, Joe broke the ice, saying genially, ¡°I sourced for this ce a few days ago. It¡¯s


    received multiple smashing reviews online, let¡¯s if it lives up to its name.¡±


    Ashton had always been a man of few words. He merely nodded in reply.


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Jared said nothing either, knocking back a ss of water.


    Ever since that day, Jared had never returned to the vi to see Summer. Ashton must have said


    something to him.


    We ate our meal in a silence that seemed weightier than usual. Joe had initially intended the meal to be


    an asion for them to pick up where they had left off before. The situation, however, was far too


    awkward to even consider that possibility.


    We decided to call for the waiter to serve the drinks.


    The waiter swept away the tea and juice on the table. When he approached me, intending toe for


    the ss of juice in my head, Ashton stopped him. ¡°She doesn¡¯t drink.¡±


    The waiter froze for a moment, then moved on to the others.


    Joe gave us a questioning look but said nothing else.


    Jared was also gazing evenly at me. It carried a vague sense of dissatisfaction.


    Who knew where the source of his unhappinessy? Not me. However, I had a sense of foreboding


    about it all the same.


    ¡°Does everyone remember what asion it is today?¡± Joe asked in an attempt to liven things up.


    Ashton frowned as if deep in thought. Jared transferred his intent gaze towards Joe, remarking, ¡°Did


    you go to visit him?¡±


    Joe nodded. ¡°I wentst week. J City isn¡¯t experiencing much cold at the moment. I delivered some


    fruits to him.¡±


    I had no idea who they were referring to.


    Reba had been quiet up to this moment. She now looked at Ashton and said, ¡°Ash, I¡¯ve sold my


    brother¡¯s house in J City. I want to stay in K City.¡±


    Ashton seemed unbothered by that disclosure. Matter-of-factly, he replied, ¡°OK, you can decide for


    yourself. You can look for Joe if you need anything. He¡¯ll help you out.¡±


    That effectively brought that conversation to an end.


    Rebapsed back into silence.


    Jared sniggered. The contempt in his voice was evident to everyone present.


    Joe quickly jumped in to salvage the situation. ¡°Ashton¡¯s been busytely. I¡¯ll look out for Reba.


    Ashton, go ahead and focus on whatever you need to.¡±


    Ashton remained unconcerned. The tension was rapidly mounting at the table. Each of the individuals


    sitting around it remained stubbornly unyielding. Nobody moved to speak.


    It was unbearable I stood up and announced, ¡°I¡¯m going to the washroom,¡± before leaving the table.


    While I was washing my hands, Reba burst in. She leaned against the wall with her arms crossed


    against her chest. Contemptuously, she said, ¡°Are you happy now that things between Ash and Jared


    have gotten to this state?¡±

 Chapter 502

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 502


    Gritting my teeth, I washed and dried my hands leisurely, intending to ignore Reba.


    Reba barricaded the door by standing before it in her high heels, incensed. ¡°What, are you ying


    the victim now? Do you know how much the three of them have gone through together just to have


    gotten to where they were? You ruined everything when you appeared. Scarlett, don¡¯t you realize what


    a jinx you are?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that got to do with you?¡± I shot back, trying to suppress my rage. ¡°It¡¯s entirely up to the three of


    them if they disagree. Why are you in the picture? Or are you worried that you won¡¯t be able to reap


    benefits from them as easily as you did before?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s total nonsense!¡± Reba shrieked. ¡°You don¡¯t even know the depth of their feelings for each


    other. You¡¯re utterly cold-blooded, Scarlett. You have no idea at all.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have no idea!¡± I replied. Countless people hade and gone in my life, but I¡¯d never once


    thought of asking anyone to stay. I was indeed unfamiliar with the feelings that Reba referred to.


    I made another attempt to leave. Reba, however, was determined to stop me. Impatiently, I


    remarked, ¡°Reba, the only reason why you¡¯re ming me right now isn¡¯t that you care about their


    friendship. You¡¯re just upset that I appeared on the scene. You think it¡¯s because of me that they¡¯re


    colder to you than before, but it¡¯s entirely your own doing! You¡¯ve shamelessly used them over and over


    again. You could have depended on Ashton¡¯s goodwill to tide you through, but you were just too


    greedy. His money wasn¡¯t enough for you; you had to have his love as well. You even dared to use


    Parker¡¯sst words to satisfy your own selfish desires! It¡¯s no wonder that they¡¯re disgusted and sick of


    you. You¡¯ve already revealed your worst side to them.¡±


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Reba¡¯s face was white as a sheet. I took the opportunity to push her aside and walked out of the


    bathroom.


    When she had recovered herself, she hastily lunged towards me. However, she lost her bnce,


    tottering on her high heels.


    Reba fell straight onto the bathroom tiles,nding on her behind. It was a most unttering posture


    for her.


    ¡°Scarlett¡­¡± She howled after me in fury.


    I shrugged helplessly. ¡°That was all you. It had nothing to do with me.¡±


    It would have been in keeping with Reba¡¯s usual style if she acted pitifully or started crying.


    However, seeing as there was no one around to witness her suffering, it was rather pointless for her to


    carry on with her usual show.


    I was thus surprised when she actually burst into tears. It quickly evolved into full-blown sobbing.


    Between tremendous sobs, Reba heaved, ¡°Scarlett, how could you say such wicked things? Parker


    was everything to me. When he asked Ashton to take care of me, Ash was the only emotional support I


    had. You snatched him away from me, and now¡­¡±


    I didn¡¯t fullyprehend the situation until I caught sight of Jared striding towards us.


    Looks like a leopard truly never changes its spots!


    Jared never even nced in Reba¡¯s direction as he entered the bathroom. I felt that my presence


    there was no longer necessary and walked back to our table.


    The sound of Reba¡¯s sobs followed me down the corridor.


    I hardly noticed Jared when he caught up with me, assuming it was just another patron in the


    restaurant.


    Instead of going on ahead, however, he walked alongside me.


    Instinctively, I turned to look at him. His face was expressionless, and he looked almost like his usual


    self.


    After a while, Jared suddenly said, ¡°You took care of Summer ever since she was young. I never once


    considered taking her away from you, but she¡¯s still a Crest, after all. No matter what kind of life she


    ultimately chooses, she still has to know that her father is still alive.¡±


    Dumbfounded, I stopped short in my tracks and looked at Jared speechlessly.


    After a pause, I managed, ¡°Before Macy left, she insisted that she¡¯d never let Summer acknowledge


    you nor allow her to be known as a Crest. Jared, you have to understand that some things, once lost,


    can never be regained.¡±


    Jared looked at me icily. ¡°What do you n to do, then? Will she follow you for the rest of her life? You


    might have given her everything, but do you really know what she truly wants?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s been with me since she was born. Why shouldn¡¯t she continue to stay with me? You might be


    her biological father, but have you ever cared for her? Have you ever seen her stumble over her first


    words? Trip over her own feet when she was learning to walk? Were you ever there tofort her in


    the middle of the night when she was bawling for her mother? Never. What right do you have to call


    yourself her father? Based on the sole contribution of your sperm?¡± I snapped back.


    I was incredibly touchy about any matters pertaining to Summer.


    Suppressing his rage, Jared growled, ¡°I wasn¡¯t even aware that Macy was pregnant back then. If I


    knew, I definitely wouldn¡¯t have left her just like that to carry the child to term alone, much less leave


    her in your hands! All this was out of my control.¡±


    I snorted. ¡°How could you not have known? If not for you, then how would Kristina have gotten the


    news? She provoked Macy when Macy was at her lowest, causing her to give birth prematurely and die


    from a hemorrhage. Jared, do you think that flimsy im of yours sufficiently excuses you for all you¡¯ve


    done?¡±


    Jared looked rather dejected. Narrowing his eyes, he asked skeptically, ¡°Did you say that Kristina


    caused Macy¡¯s death?¡±

 Chapter 503

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 503


    ¡°Are you saying that you¡¯ve never tried to find out what happened to Macy back then?¡± I asked. My


    heart ached for Macy. If Jared really cared about her, why didn¡¯t he even try?


    The obvious answer was that he didn¡¯t care. Otherwise, Jared wouldn¡¯t have given up just like that. Not


    only had he never tried to look for Macy, he never even asked after her.


    It made me even more fearful of handing Summer over to Jared.


    He remained silent, biting his lip.


    I¡¯d calmed down. Looking at Jared¡¯s troubled face, I vowed, ¡°No matter what the Crests have nned


    for Summer, I will never give her up to you.¡±


    I then stalked the rest of the way back to the table.


    Ashton had been engaged in casual chit-chat with Joe. When he said me, he reached out in concern


    and asked, ¡°What took you so long?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Have you finished eating already?¡± We¡¯d all gathered here today under the pretext of


    having dinner, but nobody had taken more than a few bites.


    Ashton continued looking at me. ¡°You¡¯re not hungry?¡±


    I shook my head vigorously. ¡°Nope.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Ashton pushed back his chair and stood up. Politely, he said to Joe, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte.


    We¡¯ll get going then.¡±


    Obvious displeasure was written all over Joe¡¯s face. He demanded, ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree to this get-


    together? Are you leaving before we¡¯ve even gotten to say anything?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ste!¡± Ashton repeated firmly, hauling me along with him. Jared was smoking near the door. We


    passed each other without another word.


    My heart throbbed as we got into the car. ¡°Ashton, do you think it¡¯s right for me to keep Summer with


    me?¡±


    Ashton started the car. In a mellow voice, he asked, ¡°Did Jared say anything to you?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I just feel that whatever I do for her won¡¯t be good enough, somehow.¡±


    I had often considered if I should tell Summer everything, all those times that Jared had visited her at


    the vi. But what would I tell an innocent child of four, five years old? What could she do with that


    information?


    Perhaps everyone else was right. Summer would leave someday, eventually. But not now.


    Ashton caressed my hand with his. His gentle gaze soothed me. ¡°How about this? Let Summer and the


    Crests get to acknowledge each other, but she continues to stay with us. They cane over every


    once in a while to see her. Would you be able to ept that?¡±


    I thought about it. For Summer, that would mean a bigger family and more love showered upon her.


    She had nothing to lose from this arrangement.


    I stalled for a while before replying uncertainly, ¡°Can that be arranged?¡±


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Ashton took my hesitation for agreement. ¡°Of course!¡± he agreed heartily.


    Summer was already at the vi when we got back. When she saw Ashton and me enter, she came


    running and flew into his arms. At her age, she was already rather adept at turning on the charm.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, I have something for you!¡± Summer announced, putting on an air of mystery.


    Struggling to contain hisughter, Ashton asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    She furtively fished out a sweet from her pocket, hiding it in the palm of her hand. It was all very


    obvious to us, but she was evidently trying her best.


    Summer instructed, ¡°Give me your hand!¡±


    Ashton nodded and obediently did so. A sweet encased in a shiny wrapper dropped into his


    outstretched palm.


    Iughed in spite of myself. Children often derived joy from the most curious things.


    Ashton swept her up in his hands and carried her over to the sofa. Patiently, he asked, ¡°Why did you


    suddenly want to give me a sweet?¡±


    Summer thought about this for a while, then proimed, ¡°This isn¡¯t any old sweet! My friend Dottie from


    school said that her uncle gave it to her aunt when they got married. It¡¯s a lucky sweet! If you eat it, you


    can marry Mommy. Then I¡¯ll have a Daddy as well.¡±


    I¡¯d originally been heading towards the kitchen. My ears pricked up at herst sentence and halted


    immediately, turning to look at the two of them.


    Their happiness made a lovely picture.


    Ashton held the sweet tightly in his hand. He looked at Summer and me in turn, his gaze unfathomable.


    Then he turned to Summer and said firmly, ¡°OK!¡±


    I refused to give it more thought. I walked into the kitchen, my emotions in tumult.


    Four years ago, I had indeed signed the divorce agreement. However, I left the papers behind before


    leaving.


    Ashton insisted that he¡¯d never even signed them, but that didn¡¯t matter to me.


    Wherever I went, wherever I turned, there he was. Nothing else mattered.


    ¡­


    It was nighttime, and I¡¯d gone to bed early. The shrill sound of my phone ringing, however, pierced


    through the fog of sleep. I awoke blearily to see that Ashton had already answered the call.


    He was clutching some documents in his hand and seemed to have just emerged from the study.


    When he saw that I was awake, he thrust the phone towards me, mouthing, ¡°It¡¯s Hannah!¡±


    I hesitated, ncing at the clock. It was already midnight. I took over the phone.


    Before I could speak, Hannah was panting heavily over the phone. She gasped, ¡°Scarlett, my stomach


    hurts like crazy! Can youe over? I think I¡¯m going intobor.¡±


    rm bells went off in my head. I sprang up from the bed, nearly tumbling off it in my frenzy.


    Alert, Ashton caught me in his arms before I fell. ¡°Be careful!¡± he admonished.

 Chapter 504

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 504


    I nodded and took a deep breath. Having calmed down slightly, I asked Hannah, ¡°Where are you now?


    Send me your address, and I¡¯lle over right away.¡±


    ¡°OK!¡¯


    After we¡¯d ended the call, I found Ashton looking at me anxiously. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I think Hannah¡¯s going intobor. There¡¯s no one with her right now, so I¡¯m going over,¡± I said, already


    making a beeline to my wardrobe to change.


    When I had finished, I saw Ashton waiting for me at the door with his car keys in hand.


    I was startled but had no time to question him. We immediately got into the car and headed off towards


    the address Hannah had given.


    On the way, I began dialing John. None of my calls were sessful.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t John picking up?¡± I fretted.


    Ashton continued driving, his eyes fixed serenely on the road. ¡°Don¡¯t get all flustered yet.¡±


    I knew that I had topose myself but couldn¡¯t keep my hands from shaking. Hannah¡¯s baby was


    only seven or eight months old. How can she suddenly be going intobor? Something must have gone


    wrong.


    It was precisely at this crucial moment that John had chosen to go missing.


    I considered briefly and decided to give Louis a call. It was quiet on his end of the line. Louis¡¯ rich voice


    came through clearly. ¡°Scarlett, what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Uncle Louis, where¡¯s John? I think Hannah¡¯s going intobor now. Can you reach him?¡± I asked


    hurriedly.


    Louis paused, then said, ¡°I¡¯ll look into it. How¡¯s Hannah doing?¡±


    I shook my head instinctively, then replied, ¡°I¡¯m still on my way over to her. I don¡¯t know yet.¡±


    ¡°All right. Don¡¯t fret, my dear. Let me worry about getting in touch with John. Focus on getting Hannah


    to the hospital as soon as you can. Don¡¯t worry!¡± Louis saidfortingly.


    I nodded. Ashton was speeding rather wildly down the roads. He wrinkled his brow as if he was


    ponding over something.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I prompted.


    ¡°It says here that Hannah¡¯s location is in the alley. My car won¡¯t be able to enter. I¡¯ll have to go down to


    take a look,¡± he said, immediately parking the car. He swung his legs out and headed straight towards


    the alley.


    When we finally found Hannah, she was lying in the yard with a puddle of blood forming beneath her.


    She looked rather dazed and on the verge of passing out.


    When Hannah saw us, she heaved a sigh of relief. Then she fainted dead away without saying a word.


    Upon our arrival at the hospital, Hannah was quickly wheeled into the ER. It was only then that I let out


    the breath I¡¯d been holding ever since the call came.


    I turned back to look at Ashton, only to see streaks of blood all over his body. His hands seemed


    dipped in red.


    When he saw my look of horror, he nced down at his dreadful state. He thenmented ruefully,


    ¡°I¡¯m fine! I¡¯ll go back and take a shower soon.¡±


    My legs were trembling slightly from the shock, and I crumpled onto a chair along the hallway. I quickly


    clung to Ashton once I¡¯d partially recovered my wits.


    The terror from thest time I experienced a miscarriage washed over me like a flood, leaving me


    floundering.


    Ashton embraced me, consoling, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, nothing bad is going to happen.¡±


    After the fear had subsided, I remembered my original mission. I took out my phone and called John


    again. It rang for ages before someone picked up.


    It was a woman¡¯s voice, however, that answered. ¡°Hello, Mr. Stovall is currently in the shower. Please


    call him againter.¡±


    Yvonne? The voice sounded incredibly familiar.


    ¡°Get John on the line,¡± I replied coolly.


    There was silence on the other end for a while. ¡°Are you Ms. Stovall?¡±


    I was immensely annoyed, and my voice hardened. ¡°Get John on the line,¡± I repeated.


    Yvonne seemed to have discerned my displeasure. She stuttered, ¡°Ms. Stovall, Mr. Stovall¡¯s really in


    the shower right now. I¡¯ll be sure to get him to call you back. Is that OK?¡±


    I refused to dignify her with a response. I flung the phone away from me without even hanging up.


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    The phone was rather hardy and survived that sudden bout of violence, ttering onto the floor with


    only a cracked screen.


    Wordlessly, Ashton got up and retrieved the phone. He deftly extracted the memory card, then casually


    tossed the phone away.


    Using his own phone, Ashton dialed Joseph. Joseph arrived in no time at all, bearing an entirely new


    phone.


    I sat for a while longer, steadying my nerves.


    Ashton handed the new phone to me, then gestured towards the door of the ER. ¡°Are you tired?¡±


    It was already one o¡¯clock in the morning.


    I shook my head resolutely. ¡°I¡¯m not tired.¡±


    After another few moments of silence, Ashton tugged at my sleeve and said, ¡°Promise me that you


    won¡¯t let anyone get to you, OK?¡±


    Don¡¯t I already know that? I shouldn¡¯t allow anyone to get to me, but¡­


    ¡°I can¡¯t help myself! No matter how awful Hannah is, John was still thest one who had her. The child


    is his! Even now, he¡¯s still messing around with another woman! I¡­¡±


    I was mid-rant when Louis charged in. Seeing Ashton and I seated there with John nowhere in sight, he


    demanded, ¡°Where¡¯s your brother?¡±


    ¡°He must be dead!¡± I said scornfully.


    It was the first time I had ever been rude to Louis. When I realized what I¡¯d just said, I immediately


    froze.


    I looked up at Louis. He was gazing back at me with an unreadable expression on his face.


    My immediately assumed that he was about to reprimand me.


    However, he suddenly chortled. ¡°My dear, what in the world are you saying?¡±


    I¡­


    I took a deep breath and exined, ¡°I don¡¯t think John¡¯s going to make it.¡±


    Then I continued rather impulsively, saying, ¡°Uncle Louis, Hannah¡¯s still a part of the Stovall family after


    all. John¡¯s utterly irresponsible, but if this child is born, what will everyone else think of the Stovall


    family?¡±

 Chapter 505

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 505


    Louis was smart enough to understand what I was trying to say.


    He sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it, but Hannahes from aplicated family. Her parents were drug


    dealers, and she¡¯s also an ex-convict. If she marries into our family, we¡¯ll have to announce her identity


    to the public. I¡¯ll lose my job and the Stovall family¡¯s reputation will be affected too.¡±


    Previously, Hannah told me a bit of her past, but she didn¡¯t go into the details. Indeed,pared to the


    Stovall family¡¯s future and Louis¡¯ career, it was best if Hannah didn¡¯t marry into the Stovall family.


    John knew everything all along. Why did he sleep with her in the first ce?


    Louis was getting old, so after staying up the entire night, he felt exhausted.


    He arranged for someone to wait outside the ER and went back home.


    Ashton had to work, but he insisted on staying here with me. Hence, I had to leave for him to leave too.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Luckily, John showed up half an hourter with Yvonne behind him.


    Even a fool could see they were acting oddly.


    ¡°How is she?¡± John came to me and asked. As his forehead gleamed with a thinyer of perspiration, it


    was evident he had rushed here the minute he received the news.


    I tamped down my irritation and the urge to p him, but I refused to talk to him. Hence, I just red at


    him before leaving with Ashton.


    Outside the hospital, I was still simmering in fury. Ashton offered, ¡°Why don¡¯t you hit me to vent out


    your anger?¡±


    I met his gaze as my anger faded away gradually. Reaching out, I smoothed his creased sleeve, which


    I was tugging on earlier.


    ¡°I¡¯m alright now.¡±


    He chuckled lightly and brought me to his car. When he was buckling me up, he pressed a kiss on my


    forehead. ¡°You were adorable back there.¡±


    Adorable?


    I gaped, but nothing came out of my mouth. Is that correct?


    As I had stayed up the whole night, I fell asleep on the way home.


    The next day, I woke up in my bed.


    Ashton was having breakfast in the dining room. Joseph was there with him. When thetter saw me


    coming down the stairs, he shed me a smile and inclined his head as a greeting.


    As Summer was nowhere to be seen, I froze in my tracks. ¡°Is Summer still in bed?¡± She has to go to


    school soon! Don¡¯t tell me she¡¯s still sleeping?


    ¡°The driver sent her to school earlier,¡± replied Joseph.


    As I wondered why she left home this early, Ashton gave me a bowl of soup. ¡°Follow me to work today.¡±


    I looked up in confusion. ¡°I was nning to visit Hannah.¡±


    Even though Louis had arranged for someone to take care of her and John also showed upst night, I


    had to go visit her.


    He ced the papers down and spoke softly, ¡°You might not be able to go.¡±


    Puzzled, I met his calm gaze.


    Joseph exined, ¡°The hospital is crowded, so you might get hurt. You should stay with Mr. Fuller for


    the time being.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing much.¡±


    As I was staring at him persistently, Ashton ced the papers down and returned my stare. ¡°The


    weather forecast says it¡¯s going to snow in K City soon. Put on more clothes before heading outter.¡±


    I nodded. As he wasn¡¯t about to ay my doubts, I didn¡¯t press on.


    I only found out what was happening when we arrived at the entrance of Fuller Corporation. The


    reporters had barricaded the entrance.


    Joseph alighted from the vehicle to make way for us while Ashton took my hand. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ll


    handle their questions, alright?¡± he spoke gently.


    Although I wasn¡¯t entirely sure, I could guess what was going on. I nodded obediently.


    After getting off the car, the reporters soon surrounded us. Luckily, the bodyguards were around to


    protect us.


    They started hurling questions at Ashton, but thetter kept his mouth shut.


    He pulled me into thepany and headed to the conference room.


    I was clueless at first, but the reporters¡¯ questions enlightened me.


    The news of Fuller Corporation¡¯s president¡¯s ex-wife having an extra-marital affair was trending on


    social media. The blurry photos taken at the hotel were posted everywhere, too.


    Even Nancy¡¯s name was mentioned.


    Making use of a few blurry photos of me, the mediapared me to Nancy¡¯s photoshopped photos.


    They also analyzed the conflict between Ashton and Marcus.


    The public was interested in gossip. As a result, I became their target. Calling me a loose woman was


    no longer enough. They pinned Nancy¡¯s death on me and pitied both men. To them, I was toying with


    Ashton and Marcus¡¯ feelings.


    Theizens expressed their heartfelt condolences to the deceased and showed their sympathy to


    both the men.


    Meanwhile, I became the filthy and unfaithful b*tch who cheated on my husband.


    When I saw how theybeled me as a b*tch, I couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and immediately closed the


    webpage. Pursing my lips, a hint of mirth shed across my gaze.

 Chapter 506

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 506


    Ashton didn¡¯t want me to face the shareholders¡¯ wrath, so he told me to stay in his office.


    I wasn¡¯t afraid of that. After all, I had to face it someday.


    Concerned about my mental health, Ashton arranged for Joseph to stay with me.


    I read everything on the headlines and left my phone aside. Looking down from the French windows, I


    could still see the reporters milling around the entrance of Fuller Corporation.


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, there are plenty of books in the lounge. You can pick one to read if you like,¡± suggested


    Joseph. To him, the easiest way to offer hisfort was to change the topic suddenly.


    I let out a faint chuckle and turned at my shoulder slightly. ¡°There are many influential men in K City.


    Isn¡¯t it a waste of resources to gather at Fuller Corporation¡¯s entrance?¡±


    Joseph pressed his lips together, but he said nothing.


    Shortly after, Ashton came back with a scowl on his face.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Upon spotting me, his expression rxed. He beckoned me over, and I trotted to him obediently.


    Pulling me into hisp, he dered, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Don¡¯t worry!¡±


    I nodded silently. Deep down, I knew something huge must¡¯ve happened to make him frown. The


    rumors hadn¡¯t just affected us, it had also brought a negative impact on thepany.


    A listedpany would be in trouble if its president¡¯s name was dragged through the mud.


    Ashton always had a positive public image. His intimidating presence and decisiveness gave the


    shareholders a sense of security.


    I knew he brought me to his office so I wouldn¡¯t lose control after reading the news. After all, there was


    no one to take care of me there.


    ¡°Mm!¡± I grunted in acknowledgement.


    Joseph handed a file to him. It was a report of how Fuller Corporation¡¯s share prices dropped


    drastically over the past few hours.


    I knew nothing about the stock market, but the red line on the chart was obvious even to a clueless


    person like me.


    Ashton patted my hand and gestured for me to take a nap before returning to his desk.


    Joseph seemed fidgety as his employer said nothing.


    Thud! Suddenly, he pped the file on the table. The loud sound resounded in the silent office.


    Sensing my gaze on him, a warm smile flitted across his lips. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    His voice was reassuring.


    I inclined my head. It doesn¡¯t seem to be a trivial matter.


    I didn¡¯t want to disturb him at work, so I stood up and told him I was tired before entering his lounge.


    He shot me aforting smile. ¡°Okay. Take a nap. Don¡¯t you worry.¡±


    I entered the lounge andy on the bed, but I just couldn¡¯t fall asleep.


    For the first time in my life, I browsed the finance website. As I had expected, the experts were already


    analyzing the after-effects of Fuller Corporation¡¯s current crisis.


    Fuller Corporation had three crises this year, so one expert imed Fuller Corporation would be


    destroyed if Ashton couldn¡¯t solve this crisis soon enough.


    Another expert exined this crisis could be a turning point for Fuller Corporation. After four years,


    Fuller Corporation had reached its peak. Thus, it would be hard for it to achieve more.


    However, the oue would depend on how Ashton dealt with the matter.


    After a long hesitation, I finally decided to call Marcus. Years ago, he gave me his number after I lost


    my child that horrible night. As long as I called this number, he¡¯d pick up for sure.


    Marcus was a man of his words. He answered the call after a few rings.


    Without waiting for me to speak, he asked, ¡°I didn¡¯t leak those photos. Do you trust me?¡± His voice was


    low, and it sounded like he was busy at work.


    ¡°Of course!¡± I replied.


    After a brief silence, his voice turned hoarse. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure you won¡¯t get hurt this time.¡±


    At this stage, my feelings were exhausted. I had nothing but gratitude for him.


    I replied calmly, ¡°I don¡¯t care how you deal with the matter. This call is to let you know that I no longer


    owe you anything.¡±


    He fell silent at the other end of the line. As almost a billion was transferred into his ount, White


    Corporation could survive the ordeal.


    He spoke slowly, ¡°Does Ashton know about the money you transferred to me?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I answered. Under Ashton¡¯s management, HiTech racked up billions in profits every year.


    George didn¡¯t want me to be stripped of everything if Ashton divorced me one day, so he registered my


    name as the recipient of HiTech¡¯spany earnings.

 Chapter 507

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 507


    I¡¯ve never touched a cent all over the years.


    However, when Fuller Corporation and White Corporation encountered the same problem, I transferred


    the money to Marcus to return his favor.


    He sneered over the phone. ¡°Scarlett, you¡¯re really ruthless.¡±


    Ruthless?


    I beg to differ. It had been over four years, so I felt uneasy whenever I thought about how I could repay


    his favor. Back then, he had everything he wanted.


    Right now, bothpanies were in trouble. Ashton had to face some difficulties to resolve the crisis,


    but it was very likely that he would pull through.


    However, White Corporation¡¯s problem was a different matter altogether. It had been a family business


    all along. Benjamin showed no intention of expanding his business back then.


    Now, Marcus was in charge of thepany. He had to be of the same influence and height if he were


    to be Ashton¡¯s rival.


    Hence, Marcus spent two years before White Corporation sessfully became a listedpany. But


    still, it was nothingpared to Fuller Corporation, which had been doing well all along.


    Even though Marcus got a taste of profit from Fuller Corporation a couple of times, after this incident,


    they were almost on the verge of bankruptcy.


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    The money was just what Marcus needed to make sure White Corporation stayed afloat in times of


    trouble.


    After hanging up, I felt much more relieved.


    There was no way I could fall asleep in broad daylight. But besides sleeping in this bed, there seemed


    to be nothing else to do.


    I wrapped myself up in a nket and sat up. Right then, a text from Camelia came in.


    The content was simple and direct. She wanted to meet up with me.


    I could guess what she wanted from me. That trip to M Country was a mistake. If we hadn¡¯t met and


    talked amiably, I wouldn¡¯t feel as awkward to meet up now.


    s, we were quite close back then. One could imagine how awkward things would be if we were to


    meet up now.


    I left my phone aside and didn¡¯t reply to her text.


    When Ashton came in, I was lying on the edge of the bed as my mind buzzed with various thoughts.


    I didn¡¯t hear his footsteps.


    It wasn¡¯t until he picked me up that I snapped back to reality. Looking back, I gazed right into his pitch


    dark eyes.


    My voice was hoarse as I croaked out, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    He shed a faint smile and kissed my forehead lightly. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    I shook my head and sat up. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I grinned and answered, ¡°You!¡±


    His gazed darkened with desire. As his lips inched nearer to my ear, he drawled, ¡°What about me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re my beloved!¡± I crinkled my eyes up in a smile.


    He let out a low chuckle and tightened his arms around me. ¡°Joseph has just delivered our lunch. Are


    you hungry?¡±


    ¡°A little.¡± I leaned into his embracezily. ¡°You¡¯re done with the meeting?¡±


    He picked me up and bounced me slightly. ¡°You¡¯re too skinny.¡±


    I kept my mouth shut as he walked into his office. Joseph took one look at us and exited silently.


    Ashton sat down and ced me in hisps. He asked, ¡°What do you want to eat?¡±


    I salivated at the food because they looked particrly appetizing. Immediately, my eyes lit up in


    delight.


    I tried struggling out of his embrace, but the man pressed me down. ¡°Won¡¯t you reward me?¡±


    Bursting intoughter, I leaned on his shoulder and returned, ¡°What reward do you want?¡±


    He raised a brow. ¡°At least try to please me.¡±


    I arched up and nted a kiss at the corner of his lips. ¡°Will this do?¡±


    He smiled in satisfaction and replied, ¡°That¡¯s sweet.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s sweet?¡± I asked, ncing at the delicious spread of the table. I was obviously distracted and


    starving.


    ¡°Your lips!¡± he answered before covering my mouth in a devouring kiss.


    Time flew by quickly when we were with each other.


    After lunch, I started nodding off. Perhaps it was because of the recent dreary weather in K City.


    Soon, I fell asleep apanied by the sound of sttering rain.


    When I woke up, Ashton was lying by my side. He was undeniably an irresistible man. As he was


    sound asleep, every feature of his face was rxed.


    Macy had once said Ashton was akin to opium. One could either admire its beauty from afar or be


    addicted to it forever.


    Both oues weren¡¯t desirable.


    I had spent the whole day at Fuller Corporation, so I knew nothing about Hannah¡¯s current condition. I


    reached out for my phone and woke Ashton up in the progress.


    He opened his eyes and rasped out sexily, ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡±


    I nodded. My phone was in my hand as I sent a text to John to ask about Hannah¡¯s condition.

 Chapter 508

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 508


    Ashton pulled me into his arms and revealed in a husky voice. ¡°For the past four years, I¡¯ve always


    jolted awake at night alone. Once, I dreamt that you stopped breathing right by my side. After waking


    up in shock, I drove to J City and circled the city for the night before returning to K City the next day.¡±


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    I stiffened in shock. Looking at his features, I felt my heart twisting in pain.


    A smile flitted across his lips. ¡°When I ran into you in R Province, I was prepared to spend my entire life


    there. Remember the first night I spent at your house? I woke up at midnight and sneaked into your


    bedroom. To confirm you¡¯re still alive, I checked for your breath before leaving.¡±


    Never in my wildest dreams had I expected that Ashton would reveal his deepest and darkest secrets


    to me one day.


    My heart clenched painfully as I struggled to breathe.


    After a period of silence, I finally found my voice and uttered softly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    The past four years had salvaged me, but it was a nightmare for him.


    I would be lying if I said I¡¯ve never missed him. There were instances where I woke upte at night as


    his figure and my child¡¯s bloody flesh gued my dreams. The memories and anguish were too much


    for me, so I kept everything buried deep down.


    Those who suffered from depression wouldn¡¯t have a full recovery, but as long as my mind was clear,


    I¡¯d protect my loved ones without hesitation.


    The scandal remained. After all, the reporters wouldn¡¯t back down as it involved two influential


    companies. Both Ashton and Marcus were well aware of that fact.


    That afternoon, the sun appeared all of a sudden. It seemed that it was about to snow in K City soon.


    I sat in the lounge trying to read a book. However, I was worried about Hannah as John hadn¡¯t replied


    to my text.


    Putting the book down, I nced at Ashton who was buried in work. I went to him and leaned on his


    broad shoulders.


    Sensing his delight, I stated, ¡°Ashton, I¡¯d like to visit Hannah at the hospital.¡±


    He came to a stop and offered, ¡°Let¡¯s do that tomorrow.¡±


    He was clearly worried about my safety.


    However, I refused to stay here and do nothing. ¡°I insist on going today!¡± With that, I rose to my feet


    stubbornly.


    He shed a warm smile. ¡°It¡¯s cold outside¡ª¡±


    ¡°You know how unreliable John is. Hannah had just given birth to his baby, so I¡¯m the baby¡¯s aunt.


    You¡¯re the baby¡¯s uncle. I¡¯m free now. As long as I wear a mask and put on sunsses, no one will


    notice me. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± I told him honestly. Indeed, I didn¡¯t know how John would treat Hannah now.


    I couldn¡¯t imagine how Hannah would feel if he wasn¡¯t with her right now.


    Ashton said nothing, so I thought he would refuse. I was about to convince him when he agreed.


    ¡°The bodyguards will go with you. Don¡¯t go anywhere else, and I¡¯ll pick you upter.¡±


    Delighted, I nodded profusely. ¡°Okay!¡±


    I exited Fuller Corporation through the back door and got into my car, surrounded by the bodyguards. It


    was too ostentatious, but I knew Ashton wouldn¡¯t allow me to leave his side if I refused to bring the


    bodyguards along.


    At the hospital, I ran into Kristina.


    Half of her face was covered by the sunsses, but I recognized her immediately from her outfit.


    We weren¡¯t exactly friends, so we could¡¯ve crossed paths without greeting each other.


    Nevertheless, when she walked past me, her lips parted to utter a crudement. ¡°B*tch!¡±


    How annoying.


    I came to a stop and turned to look at her. ¡°Ms. Ludwick.¡±


    She swiveled around and met my gaze. I couldn¡¯t see her expression under the sunsses.


    ¡°Ms. Ludwick, do you know why Ashton won¡¯t take another look at you even though you¡¯ve be


    Jared¡¯s girlfriend?¡±


    People used to say if we got bitten by a dog, we couldn¡¯t bite it back. The only thing we could do was to


    stay away from it to prevent from another misfortune.


    But why couldn¡¯t we kill the dog? After all, the dog would continue to snarl and bite every person who


    came to it. Hence, it would be best to deal with it once and for all.


    As I had struck a sore spot, Kristina blew up. ¡°That¡¯s none of your business!¡±


    ¡°Why is it none of my business? You¡¯ve in love with my husband.¡± I wasn¡¯t that petty, but she had


    vented her anger on me. I couldn¡¯t sit by and let her have her way. Gazing at her coolly, I remarked,


    ¡°Ms. Ludwick, you should go home and reflect on yourself. Some things belong to you, and some don¡¯t.


    You can be ambitious, but please don¡¯t cross the line. You¡¯ll end up ruining your own reputation.¡±


    I knew she had harbored feelings for Ashton since that dinner four years ago. She schemed her way up


    and sessfully became Ashton¡¯s secretary.

 Chapter 509

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 509


    After I talked to her, she went to Jared instead. She was smart, but one would need to be responsible


    for one¡¯s choice.


    She was an arrogant woman, so my reply must¡¯ve been a sharp blow to her. Luckily, the bodyguards


    stood in her way when she tried tounch herself at me while hurling harsh curses.


    Quickly, I stepped into the elevator and watched her emotional figure disappearing behind closed


    doors. I pity her for loving someone she could never get.


    When I arrived at Hannah¡¯s ward, she was lying in bed, pale and exhausted. Upon seeing me, she


    forced out a faint smile.


    My heart ached at the sight. ¡°Do you feel better?¡± I wasn¡¯t good atforting others.


    She nodded and tapped on the chair beside her. ¡°I feel much better now,¡± she croaked out. ¡°The


    anesthetic shot had worn off, so it hurts.¡±


    I took her hand. Before giving birth, the doctor would inject the anesthesia right at the spinal cord. The


    expecting mother would feel nothing throughout the whole process, but after the anesthesia wears off,


    the pain would be excruciating.


    I knew how that felt.


    I rubbed her cold hands, trying to provide some warmth. ¡°Have you eaten something?¡±


    She nodded slowly. Perhaps touched by my action, her eyes turned red. ¡°The doctor told me to drink


    some soup. I had some earlier.¡±


    I struggled internally for some time before asking, ¡°How is your child doing?¡±


    She inclined her head and licked her dry lips carefully. ¡°He¡¯s in the incubator. I think he¡¯ll be there for a


    couple of days as he¡¯s a premature baby.¡±


    I heaved a sigh of relief at her answer. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Summer was a premature baby too. She was skinny


    and frail at birth. Look how healthy she is now.¡±


    Her face lit up with delight. ¡°Mm, you¡¯re right!¡±


    Seeing her cracked lips, I poured her a ss of water and gave her the straw. ¡°Have some water. By


    the way, where are the others?¡±


    I¡¯ve been here for a while, but no one had shown up. John, especially, was nowhere to be seen.


    Resentment red up within me.


    She inhaled lightly at my question. As her lips received moisture, she replied, ¡°The caregiver went out


    for her meal. I¡¯m fine being alone.¡±


    I didn¡¯t ask about John¡¯s whereabouts lest she got upset.


    ¡°What about your child¡¯s name? Is it a boy or girl?¡± I asked after a pause.


    ¡°It¡¯s a boy. Uncle Louis will give him a name.¡± She was still talking when two nurses came in to help her


    with her vaginal discharge.


    I rose to my feet and stood aside as both nurses folded her legs up before pressing on her bump.


    Hannah bit her lip from the agonizing pain. She said nothing, but tears were trickling down from the


    corners of her eyes.


    Two minutester, the nurses left. She calmed down gradually. I tamped down my feelings and pulled


    the covers up. Sitting down, I held her hand, stumped for words.


    Her lips curled up slightly in a tiny smile. ¡°It¡¯s not that painful as we imagine it to be.¡±


    Clearly, she was trying tofort me. I lowered my gaze as my heart ached for her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve experienced the same pain,¡± I told her. Back then, I was so focused on my dead child that


    everything after that didn¡¯t even feel painful to me.


    After a brief chat, Joseph¡¯s call came in. I paused for a moment before answering his call.


    His haste was evident even through the line. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, Mr. Fuller is in a meeting. The bodyguards


    informed me about you running into Kristina. Can you leave with them and go elsewhere for now?¡±


    Frowning, I knew what he meant. The reporters were after me, so Kristina might inform them of my


    whereabouts as she had just bumped into met at the hospital. Besides, we were engaged in a heated


    conversation earlier.


    ¡°Sure!¡± I replied without hesitation.


    I bade goodbye to Hannah and walked out of the ward. The bodyguards were waiting outside. I could


    sense that they were getting anxious.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Looks like Kristina revealed my whereabouts to the reporters.


    After I got into the car, it sped off. We had just entered the expressway when a few other cars caught


    up to us. Some even took out their cameras and took as many photos as possible of our car.


    The bodyguards tried to block the windows, but the reporters wouldn¡¯t give up.


    One car even sped ahead and took photos through the windshield.


    Their actions soon caught the attention of the other people driving on the road.


    Traffic jams weremon on this expressway, so my driver exited the expressway to prevent any


    unwanted idents from happening.


    Before we could reach our destination, our vehicle was barricaded by a huge crowd.


    The driver was forced to hit the brakes.


    Then, the bodyguard immediately called Joseph and put him on speaker.


    ¡°No one can leave the car. Protect Mrs. Fuller. I¡¯ll be there soon!¡± Josephmanded.

 Chapter 510

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 510


    The bodyguard nodded and stayed still.


    We could remain in the vehicle, but the crowd started forcing us to leave the vehicle.


    They started hitting the door violently.


    Themotion outside soon descended into harsh usations.


    My head was buzzing from all the noise. I started fidgeting restlessly.


    I held my hands together tightly, leaving red marks on the back of my hand.


    The bodyguard was shocked to see my reaction.


    He called Joseph once again. Thetter was driving and merely repeated, ¡°No matter what, stay in the


    car!¡±


    The bodyguard told him, ¡°Mrs. Fuller¡¯s hand is injured. She looks unnaturally pale.¡±


    ¡°Hang in there! I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± Joseph responded.


    By then, I was having difficulty breathing after hearing the crudements the crowd flung at me.


    Someone was yelling, ¡°Scarlett, why are you hiding inside? You¡¯re a loose woman who suffocated your


    own child to his death. You¡¯vemitted so many crimes. Why are you afraid now?¡±


    There was no limit to men¡¯s evilness.


    We have heard so much about hell in folklore. On how we will be punished for our evil deeds after we


    died. Who knows if that ce actually exists as no one has ever been there.


    Now, their evil and despicablements could send me to hell easily.


    As I was trembling profusely, one of the bodyguards offered, ¡°Let me go down and ask them to leave.¡±


    He left right after saying that.


    s, the crowd was waiting for this very opportunity.


    The moment he opened the door, they wouldn¡¯t let him shut the door.


    The cameras shed in my direction relentlessly as though they wanted to take note of each and every


    pore on my face to inform theizens hungry for gossip.


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, we might have to leave the car now,¡± said my bodyguard. He could no longer keep his


    cool.


    Two bodyguards nked me, but the pack of wolves refused to let me leave easily.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    As expected, the reporters surrounded me as soon as I got out of my car.


    They hurled usations and harsh questions at me. Clearly, they wanted to trap me here to interrogate


    me thoroughly.


    I knew I had nowhere to escape. Right then, my phone started vibrating in my pocket.


    It was Ashton.


    I reached into my pocket and took it out, but someone tripped me up and my phone was lost in the


    hubbub. The bodyguards helped me up.


    By now, I was scared out of my wits. The reporters were swarming all over the ce. I didn¡¯t have a


    mirror with me, but I knew the color must¡¯ve drained out of my face.


    Joseph soon arrived with more than twenty bodyguards. They cleared a path for me and brought me


    away.


    I ignored the reporters¡¯ vile words and lowered my head. Looks like Ashton¡¯s protection was in vain.


    As Joseph, Ashton¡¯s personal assistant had shown up, the reporters started brewing up groundless


    rumors and stories.


    Someone yelled out loud. ¡°Mr. Campbell, in your opinion, does the corporate rivalry between Fuller


    Corporation and White Corporation that has been going on for years has anything to do with the


    woman standing beside you?¡±


    Joseph said nothing and helped me escape from the crowd.


    Someone else shrieked, ¡°Ms. Stovall, how long have you stayed in this rtionship with Mr. White and


    Mr. Fuller? I heard that you have a daughter. Is she Mr. White or Mr. Fuller¡¯s daughter?¡±


    That awful question caught me by surprise.


    I came to a stop as anger thrummed through my veins. Sensing my displeasure, Joseph whispered,


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave for now.¡±


    We entered the car and mmed the door shut, blocking the noises outside.


    Joseph drove to Winter Vi, which was located in the eastern suburbs. It was miles away from the vi


    which I originally stayed in.


    After alighting from the vehicle, Joseph led me to the bedroom and told me, ¡°The doctor will be here


    soon. You can wash up here. I¡¯ll ask the servants to prepare some food.¡±


    With that, he turned to leave.


    It was winter now. The wind was blowing hard, chilling one to the bone.


    The wardrobe was full of the season¡¯s new arrivals. The sophisticated outfits were to my taste.


    I got myself a brand new outfit and entered the bathroom. After taking a long, hot shower, I returned to


    the bed enveloped by warmth. As Iy in bed, my thoughts were still in a mess.


    My head was buzzing when Ashton barged into the room with a stony expression.


    He ordered the doctor who came in after him, ¡°Please give her a thorough examination and see if she¡¯s


    injured.¡± Turning to Joseph, he added, ¡°Prepare some chicken soup for her.¡±


    Joseph nodded and left to ry his order.


    The man came to me and pulled me into his arms quietly as the doctor opened his medical kit.

 Chapter 511

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 511


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, I¡¯ll need to check your wound,¡± the doctor told me.


    I paused before pulling up my skirt, exposing the bruise on my knee.


    Ashton¡¯s arms around me tightened as he reminded the doctor, ¡°Be gentle. She¡¯s quite sensitive.¡±


    The doctor nodded and pressed on my bruise lightly. ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Not really. I¡¯m fine.¡± It was just a slight fall, and Ashton was exaggerating.


    The doctor nodded and applied some ointment on my bruise. He handed the ointment to Ashton and


    stated, ¡°Apply this on her wound every morning and night. Massage it gently. She¡¯ll be fine after a few


    days of rest.¡±


    Ashton nodded and ordered Joseph to send the doctor out.


    All the while, he kept his arms around me.


    I knew he was worried about me. The quieter he was, the more guilty I felt.


    Raising a hand, I tugged his shirt gently. ¡°Ashton, I haven¡¯t had dinner yet.¡±


    I was starving after the huge outcry earlier.


    A chuckle escaped his lips as he asked, ¡°Sure. What do you want to eat?¡±


    ¡°Anything will do!¡± I was just hungry and didn¡¯t have any specific cravings.


    He nodded and kissed my forehead gently before pulling the covers up for me.


    After he left, I let out a sigh. Today¡¯s incident must¡¯ve caused Fuller Corporation¡¯s situation to worsen.


    Feeling parched, I rose to my feet. The bruise wasn¡¯t painful at all.


    When I arrived downstairs, Ashton and Joseph were huddled together in the kitchen. Both men were


    tall and attractive. Just looking at them was enough to have one sigh in admiration.


    Something was bubbling on the stove. Ashton was washing something while Joseph was helping him.


    They seemed to be engrossed in conversation.


    I walked into the kitchen and grabbed a ss.


    ¡°How did Scarlett¡¯s whereabouts get leaked out?¡± Ashton inquired.


    Startled, I turned to look at them.


    They were so engrossed with what they were doing and didn¡¯t notice I was there.


    Joseph washed the ingredients while exining, ¡°Mrs. Fuller bumped into Ms. Ludwick at the hospital.¡±


    Ashton arched a brow. ¡°Ms. Ludwick?¡±


    ¡°Kristina Ludwick.¡±


    Discarding the stuff in his hand, Ashton¡¯s gazended on the bubbling pot. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°It seems that Mrs. Fuller and Ms. Larson had a fight at the entrance of the hospital,¡± reported Joseph.


    ¡°Ms. Ludwick cursed Mrs. Fuller.¡±


    ¡°What did she say?¡± Ashton pressed on. He proceeded to throw the ingredients into the pot calmly.


    Joseph touched his nose uneasily before replying, ¡°B*tch!¡±


    Ashton¡¯s expression hardened upon hearing the answer. His hands paused midair as he grunted,


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    Everyone who knew him well could tell that he was angry.


    Joseph washed his hands clean before asking, ¡°What do I have to do?¡±


    Instead of giving him an order, Ashton queried, ¡°Do you know what women care about the most?¡±


    Joseph was taken aback. ¡°Their looks?¡± he guessed.


    A hint of mirth appeared in Ashton¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°She¡¯ll only learn her lesson after something she cares for the most gets destroyed.¡±


    Joseph quirked his brows and answered, ¡°Got it!¡±


    He wiped his hands dry and retrieved his phone, about to leave.


    Ashton removed the pot from the stove. ¡°She¡¯s a woman, so spare her slightly. Inform Jared before


    taking any action. If it bothers him, teach her a lesson. If he isn¡¯t bothered, do as you see fit.¡±


    Joseph nodded and exited the kitchen.


    As I was in the living room, I overheard everything. Joseph spotted me immediately. He seemed slightly


    surprised, but quicklyposed himself. ¡°Mrs. Fuller!¡± he greeted me politely.


    He left after that.


    I stood rooted to the spot as Ashton came out. He noticed that I was barefooted. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you


    wearing slippers?¡±


    Gaping, I exined, ¡°I was in a hurry and forgot to put them on.¡±


    Ashton picked me up and brought me back to the bedroom.


    He was going to head downstairs when I pulled on his sleeve. His eyes crinkled up in amusement as


    he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thirsty!¡± I wanted to get some water but overheard their conversation identally.


    Nodding, he responded, ¡°Okay. Wait for me.¡±


    When I finished the ss of water, he brought dinner up and served it to me. ¡°Here you go. Rest well


    after dinner, alright?¡±


    I nodded obediently. There was no need to ask about Kristina. After all, none of us were innocent.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Even though I was starving earlier, I no longer had any appetite after a couple of bites.


    Since I stopped eating, Ashton frowned. ¡°Do you not like the food?¡±


    I shook my head and leaned into his embrace. ¡°It¡¯s yummy, but I don¡¯t feel hungry anymore.¡±


    He didn¡¯t force me to finish the food lest I puke it all out.

 Chapter 512

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 512


    Ashton knew me better than I do.


    We embraced each other silently as time ticked by.


    Gradually, I drifted to sleep. Halfway through the night, I sensed him taking my hand and muttering,


    ¡°Scarlett, I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    His voice was low and blurry, and I soon dozed off.


    The next morning, John showed up bearing gifts.


    Most of them were for Summer.


    My face was unnaturally pale, so he ignored Ashton and suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t you move to the


    Stovall residence?¡±


    The Stovall residence was located in the city center and guarded heavily by the military. If the reporters


    barged in, they would be punished severely.


    I shook my head. Summer didn¡¯t go to school today. She was pleased with his gifts and kept fondling


    the toys adoringly.


    Recalling Hannah¡¯s situation, I furrowed my brows. ¡°Have you visited Hannah?¡±


    Stunned, he responded, ¡°Mm.¡±


    I knew he was brushing me off. Feeling an iing headache, I demanded, ¡°John, if you don¡¯t love


    her, you could¡¯ve broken up with her ages ago. Why did you force her to stay by your side and ignore


    her? Have you ever considered your child¡¯s future?¡±


    Frowning, he massaged his temples and exhaled in frustration. ¡°Scarlett, stay out of this, will you?


    Hannah gave birth to my child, so I won¡¯t mistreat her.¡±


    I fell silent. After a long pause, I inquired, ¡°Did you fall for Yvonne Wilde?¡±


    His frown deepened. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Don¡¯t overthink things.¡±


    ¡°Mommy, I saw Granny when Uncle John picked me up. She said she¡¯ll visit you soon,¡± announced


    Summer suddenly.


    I was astounded. Looking at John, I repeated dully, ¡°Granny?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Cameron. She¡¯s involved in charity work now. I ran into her in Summer¡¯s school


    and chatted with her briefly.¡±


    I pursed my lips and fell silent.


    If Summer hadn¡¯t mentioned her, I would¡¯ve forgotten about our rtionship.


    As I said nothing, John hesitated before adding, ¡°I know you despise her, but she gave birth to you and


    searched for you all her life. She had no other choice. Scarlett, perhaps she¡¯s suffering more than you


    can imagine.¡±


    I held on tight to the warm ss in my hand. ¡°John, when I first met her in Pear Garden, Mr. Clinton


    said I resembled her a lot. I went back home and stared at my reflection for a long time. Back then, I


    thought that I¡¯d look like my mother a lot if she hadn¡¯t abandoned me when I was a child.¡±


    ¡°When I was young, Grandma told me I was a dandelion. My mother took great care of me, but the


    wind blew me away and brought me to Grandma¡¯s arms. In fact, I¡¯ve never med her. Grandma


    might¡¯ve brought me up, but she never told me I was abandoned. I was just a kid who was blown away


    by the wind.¡±


    Summer crawled into myp and consoled me. ¡°Mommy, it¡¯s fine. You have me!¡±


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    My lips curled up into a smile as the bitterness in my heart faded away.


    Staring at John, I continued, ¡°I¡¯ve never med her for abandoning me. When I found out Reba


    was her long-lost daughter, I felt envious. She then showered her love on Reba. I envy her for


    having such a loving mother. Unfortunately, she chose to harm me in order to protect her.¡±


    I let out augh at the absurd way things had turned out.


    A sh of sympathy appeared in John¡¯s gaze. He took a deep breath and answered, ¡°Scarlett, we can¡¯t


    live in the past, right?¡±


    I knew that very well, but there was no use denying what had happened.


    ¡°I dare not hate or despise her as we¡¯re rted by blood, after all. I buried the pain deep down and


    licked my wounds alone.¡± Wincing in pain, I added, ¡°John, I¡¯m not that generous. Do you know why I


    couldn¡¯t bear seeing Hannah¡¯s predicament? That was because I used to be like her. I used to be


    inferior in love.¡±


    ¡°Because of my background, I felt blessed to marry Ashton. I knew he treated Reba differently.


    Whenever there was thunder, he¡¯d wake up and spend hours driving over to her house to be with her. I


    was terribly jealous of her back then. I was afraid of the thunder too. However, I couldn¡¯t call Ashton as


    he had to take care of someone else. I had no choice but to bury myself under the covers and bit my lip


    through the whole ordeal.¡±


    The memories were etched in my brain forever. If I didn¡¯t recall them, they¡¯d still be there somewhere.


    But my heart would still ache the moment they were brought up.

 Chapter 513

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 513


    I guess that was what memories were meant for.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    John parted his lips tofort me, but the words choked in his throat at the sight of someone behind


    me.


    I immediately knew who it was. Turning at my shoulder, indeed, I saw Ashton with a gloomy expression


    on his face.


    John rose to his feet and bade goodbye to us.


    Summer ran out to the yard to y with Snowfluff. Ashton and I were left alone in the living room.


    After letting out a soft sigh, I looked down at my phone as I had no idea how much he had overheard


    earlier.


    Suddenly, his coat fell on my shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s wintertime. Remember to put on more clothes.¡±


    His drawl was attractive and sexy.


    Nodding, I pulled the coat around my body. All of a sudden, he took out a cigarette and lit it up.


    Knitting my brows together, I watched as he puffed on it elegantly. I hadn¡¯t seen him smoke in a while.


    It seemed like Fuller Corporation was in huge trouble.


    ¡°Will it snow tomorrow?¡± I broke the silence.


    He took a long puff and held the cigarette between his slender fingers.


    ¡°Let¡¯s watch the snow tonight,¡± he suggested out of nowhere. Strangely, I was delighted with his


    suggestion.


    I was born in the south. I might be familiar with snow, but I¡¯ve never seen a snowndscape. That must


    be stunningly beautiful.


    Standing up, I went to him. With a smile, I replied, ¡°Sure. I¡¯ve never stayed up to watch the snow. It


    sounds exciting.¡±


    He looked at me as his familiar fragrance permeated my senses blended with a slight hint of tobo.


    Moving the cigarette out of my sight, he said, ¡°Scarlett, you can choose not to see her.¡±


    I looked up and met his gaze.


    Spotting the flickering cigarette, something came over me. I grabbed the cigarette from him and took a


    puff.


    Immediately, the smoke caught in my throat. It wasn¡¯t as pleasant as it seemed. Luckily, it didn¡¯t choke


    me badly.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Ashton snatched the cigarette from me and stubbed it out quickly before


    throwing it into the trash can.


    His gazended on me. ¡°If you feel unhappy, you can vent it out on me.¡±


    I shed a smile and shook my head wearily. ¡°Ashton, I¡¯m tired.¡± Indeed, I was exhausted from all the


    recent events.


    He took me into his arms. As he tightened his arms around me, I felt my heart throbbing dully.


    ¡°I was happy to make her acquaintance. Back then, I thought she was blessed to age gracefully.¡± I


    paused briefly before continuing. ¡°When she locked me in the warehouse and killed my baby slowly, no


    one could imagine the hatred I had for her. I swore if I could survive the horrible ordeal, I¡¯d make sure


    she suffers ten times the pain my child went through.¡±


    At the mention of my child, the pain in my heart intensified.


    I took a deep breath to calm myself down. ¡°Never in my wildest dream did I expect I¡¯d pay the price. I


    wish I never knew her, never married you, and never came to J City in the first ce. Perhaps it might


    be a blessing if we had not known each other.¡±


    He hugged me closer. I could feel his pain too as the pain in my chest intensified.


    He was breathing heavily. Clearly, he was trying to tamp down his feelings.


    I continued like a wooden puppet on strings. ¡°Four years ago, when I first left, I was full of hatred. I


    wanted to stay away from you and have a clean cut with everyone else in my life. Just like how I was


    abandoned at birth, I wanted to leave everyone behind.¡±


    ¡°Yet, things didn¡¯t go the way I hoped for. After meeting you in R Province again, I realized I no longer


    bore any hatred for you. It was as though venting out my feelings was a luxury. I knew if I couldn¡¯t bring


    myself to hate you, I wouldn¡¯t hate her as well. She¡¯s my mother. No matter what happened, I have to


    ept that fact without anyints.¡±


    I had buried my hatred and anguish deep down, allowing them to grow wild without restraint over time.


    Everyone wanted me to move on and start all over again, but my despair would continue to grow under


    the nourishment of the hatred I bore.


    Ashton revealed. ¡°When you left me four years ago, the vi felt really empty. I¡¯d jolt awake at night


    after hearing a child crying and your cries of pain. It was as if someone was choking my throat, and I


    couldn¡¯t breathe. Joseph told me to move out, but I refused. After all, you used to live here.¡±

 Chapter 514

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 514


    He added, ¡°Scarlett, we¡¯re broken souls. Fate has brought us together and our lives are intertwined,


    and my life is not mine alone but shared with you. We¡¯re meant to be together.¡±


    His gaze was soft. ¡°Here.¡± He pointed at his chest. ¡°You¡¯re the only one who has ever been here.¡±


    I pursed my lips and let out a long sigh. We shouldn¡¯t get sucked into the past.


    Rising to my feet, I told him, ¡°Ashton, I wish to be left alone.¡±


    Suddenly, I realized I couldn¡¯t bear to hate Cameron. She was my mother, and her actions stemmed


    from Ashton.


    If Reba wasn¡¯t the one who returned to the Moore family, everything wouldn¡¯t have happened.


    Reba, Cameron, and Ashton were all innocent.


    Everyone merely took action out of overbearing concern for their loved ones. It was a misfortune for


    everyone, so even though we were all hurt in many ways, we couldn¡¯t bring ourselves to despise each


    other.


    Ashton wanted to say something, but I pushed him away. We shouldn¡¯t delve into the past or risk hating


    everyone involved.


    I went back in the bedroom, I locked Ashton outside.


    He stood outside silently.


    I didn¡¯t know where to vent my frustration. In the end, I could only me myself for kicking up a fuss


    over nothing.


    That very night, it snowed just like the weather forecast had predicted.


    I sat on the balcony and watched the snow the whole night while my heart ached silently.


    I knew I should move on, but the past would still haunt me when no one was around.


    It was midnight when my phone started ringing incessantly. I had nodded off on the balcony. Picking my


    phone up, I realized it was Joseph.


    Why is he calling me at midnight?


    I answered his call. Before I could say anything, he spoke hastily, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, Mr. Fuller is at the yard


    of Moore Residence. Can you pleasee and convince him to leave?¡±


    Huh? Why is Ashton at the Moore Residence?


    After a pause, I asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    He hesitated, seemingly stumped. ¡°Mr. Fuller wants to atone for his sins and came to the Moore


    Residence. He¡¯s been here for a few hours. It¡¯s snowing heavily, so I¡¯m afraid of his health.¡±


    My nose started prickling ufortably as I didn¡¯t know what to say. Some memories were best left


    untouched lest they bring harm to someone else.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be there!¡± I promised.


    Summer was asleep. I left the vi, but there was no cab avable due to the heavy snow. I could only


    drive there myself.


    Luckily, the roads weren¡¯t blocked. An hourter, I arrived at Moore Residence.


    The brightly lit Moore Residence stood out against the dark of the night. It waste at night, and


    everyone else should be asleep by now.


    When I pushed the gate open, I saw Ashton almost buried by theyers of snow as expected.


    He was kneeling in front of the door. Snow had piled up on his custom-made ck coat. It seemed like


    he had been here for some time.


    His back was straight and determined. Clearly, the snow didn¡¯t bother him at all.


    Cameron and Zachary stood at the entrance under the roof, seemingly torn.


    My appearance broke the tension in the air. Cameron¡¯s gazended on me. Sadness clouded her


    features.


    I avoided her intense gaze, I went to Ashton and stood behind him silently.


    Joseph¡¯s face lit up at my appearance, but when he realized what I intended to do, he froze instantly.


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Sensing my arrival, Ashton turned and rasped, ¡°Go back and rest.¡± His lips were purple and numb from


    the cold by now.


    I pressed my lips together, opting to ignore him.


    Furrowing his brows, he looked at Joseph. ¡°Send her back.¡±


    Seeing this, Joseph came to me and sighed helplessly. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, let¡¯s go. You¡¯re too weak to stand


    the cold.¡±


    I uttered, ¡°I¡¯m already here. Why would I go back now?¡±


    At a loss for words, he blurted guiltily, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t think this through.¡±


    Quietly, he came to stand beside me.


    Ashton¡¯s face clouded over in fury.


    Zachary¡¯s gaze was full of adoration and anguish as itnded on me. The couple seemed to have aged


    over the past four years.


    Time was indeed capable of ruining the wonderful things in life.


    ¡°Ashton, is this how you atone for your sins?¡± asked Zachary. There was a hint of fury in his voice.


    ¡°Because of your selfishness, we ended up in this state. What are you doing now? Forcing our


    daughter to apany you in this weather so we¡¯ll have no choice but to forgive you?¡±


    Ashton¡¯s back stiffened as he gazed at the man silently.


    We had reached a point where someone would get hurt no matter what happened next.

 Chapter 515

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 515


    At the vi, Emery walked down the stairs with a wool sweater and draped it over me. With a slight


    frown, she said, ¡°In order to let go of the past, one has to be willing to endure the pain thates with


    it. Scarlett,e in with me. The only thing you have to do is to ept everyone¡¯s apologies


    graciously.¡±


    I pursed my lips and looked at Ashton, well aware that things started to go wrong when he hid the DNA


    report which resulted in the switch in ces between Reba and I.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    That was also the beginning of all the pain and suffering.


    Cameron looked at me. Her voice choked up as she said, ¡°My dear, stop torturing yourself. We should


    be the ones bearing the consequences for our own wrongdoings.¡±


    After she said that, she removed her coat, socks and shoes and stepped onto the snow-covered path.


    With the cold wind blowing against her face, each step she took seemed extremely difficult.


    Zachary was heartbroken seeing his wife doing that but did not attempt to talk her out of it.


    Even though I was not able to describe my feelings being in such a situation, I knew it wasn¡¯t anything


    pleasant.


    Everyone was punishing themselves in their own ways, willingly bearing the consequences for their


    actions. It seemed like it was time for me to move on as well.


    ¡°What are all of you doing?¡± I spoke calmly. Looking at Ashton, who was trembling from the cold, I let


    out a dryugh and said, ¡°You know how much I love you and would never want to see you suffer or


    get hurt. Why did you still do that? You should have just let me bury the pain deep inside my heart and


    not dig it up ever again. Do you know how unbearable the pain is for me? What are you expecting from


    me torturing yourself like this? Am I supposed to stop you from doing that and tell you it¡¯s OK and that I


    forgive you with tears streaming down my face? Do you want me to tell you that I forgive you for


    changing my life, for inadvertently causing the death of our child and for everything you¡¯ve done?


    Ashton, do you think I¡¯m a saint who can forgive and forget all the hurt you and everyone else caused


    me?¡±


    Actually, we didn¡¯t have toe to this point. If I had a choice, I wouldn¡¯t mention all those so that I


    could pretend nothing ever happened. I guess I would have been able to carry on with the love and


    care he was showering me with.


    ¡°Ashton, why did you have to revisit my wounds and even dig your nails into them?¡±


    I could see his pale lips quivering. He opened his mouth but was unable to say a single word.


    Then, he lowered his head and let out a self-deprecatingugh. With a grimace, he said, ¡°Sorry, I


    wasn¡¯t thoughtful enough.¡±


    Trying my best to suppress my feelings, which was a mixture of heartache and fury, I said, ¡°Ashton,


    what do you want me to do now? What do you want from the Moore family? Do you expect people to


    get over it and continue to get along like before?¡±


    Yup, I was not able to let go of the pain. But by doing so, I would only continue hurting.


    That was not what I knew atonement to be.


    Looking at Cameron, who was still standing in the snow, I was at a loss for words. ¡°Do you know what


    you¡¯re doing right now? Are you trying to gain sympathy and expecting me to tell you that I¡¯m not mad


    at you anymore and no longer me you? Please, don¡¯t torture yourself this way. What¡¯s done has


    already been done. Even if you would like to be punished, this isn¡¯t the way to do it. What¡¯s your


    objective for doing all these? Is it to tell the whole world that by using your pity tactics, I¡¯m forced to


    forgive all of you? And if I don¡¯t, it would show that I¡¯m petty and merciless as knowing that all of you


    might die from the cold, I¡¯m still not willing to budge. Are you guys trying to announce to the world that I


    am heartless?¡±


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± Cameron¡¯s face was drained of color after I said that.


    She opened her mouth, but seemed to be at a loss for words.


    I removed the wool sweater which Emery had put on me and returned it to her. ¡°Thanks!¡± I said


    unemotionally.


    She took over the sweater with a nod and said, ¡°It¡¯s already sote. Do you want to stay here tonight?¡±


    ¡°I drove here.¡± I shook my head and rejected her offer.


    Without looking at those people still standing in the snow, I left the Moore Residence resolutely.


    The snow was exceptionally heavy that night.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if Ashton had eventually returned to the vi. After I went back, I stayed inside the


    bedroom but was unable to sleep at all.


    Since things had already progressed till the current stage, nothing could make things right again.


    Right before dawn, the glow from the sparkling snowkes had already prated through the


    windows and lit up my bedroom. A lovely snowyndscape outside greeted me in the morning.


    After staying awake the entire night, I nced at the clock and realized it was already 5 a.m.. It was


    time for me to wake up.


    After putting on my jacket, I went downstairs and saw that the lights in the living room were still


    switched on. Apparently, Ashton did note backst night.


    As usual, I headed to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for Summer while waiting for her to wake up.


    After breakfast, I sent her to school.


    I guess we had reached too early as the school gate was still shut.


    ¡°Mommy, we are too early. I¡¯m so sleepy,¡± Summer said as she yawned. Then, shey against the car


    seat, wanting to catch more sleep.


    I tousled her hair and told her that I¡¯d wake her up when the gate was opened. At that moment, I was


    feeling rather emotional but I wasn¡¯t able to pinpoint exactly what feeling that was.


    The school gate finally opened almost half an hourter. After sending Summer off, I realized that I had


    nothing else to do.


    I only saw the news about Kristina when I was scrolling through my social media after I returned to the


    vi and realized that Ashton was still not back yet.


    Initially, it was the headline of that article that caught my attention. It was only after I clicked on it that I


    realized it was about Kristina being a school bully when she was in college. Someone had even


    recorded a video of her in action.

 Chapter 516

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 516


    In the age when technology was developing at a rapid speed and information was easily essible,


    everyone had the tendency to take the moral high ground, bashing the weak and criticizing their


    abusers.


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    As malicious gossips started spreading, as an upper management in Fuller Corporation, Kristina was


    naturally fired.


    Come to think of it, it was quite a coincidence that Kristina¡¯s video got leaked at such a time. It helped


    to divert the reporters¡¯ attentions which were originally on me.


    Just then, Emery arrived. As it was still snowing heavily, she was wearing a down jacket covered with


    snowkes when she entered the vi.


    As she removed her jacket and patted off the snow, she said, ¡°Seems like roadblocks are going to be


    set up in K City soon.¡±


    I offered to take over her jacket and hung it on the hanger before pouring her a ss of hot water.


    ¡°There are going to be roadblocks set up in K City?¡±


    Emery sat on the sofa and as she warmed her hands on the ss, she replied, ¡°That¡¯s for sure. It


    happens quite often. K City is known for its traffic jams. Given that it¡¯s snowing so heavily, the chances


    of traffic idents urring are even higher. Roadblocks are unavoidable if the weather conditions get


    worse.¡±


    I nodded and remembered that there were some fruits at home. Just when I was about to get up to take


    the fruits, she held me back and said, ¡°Stop moving about. Let¡¯s just have a chat!¡±


    Perhaps it was a subconscious reaction, I froze for a moment and replied, ¡°What are we chatting


    about?¡±


    ¡°Ashton and the Moore family!¡± Emery replied instantly. She was indeed one of the most direct people I


    know.


    ¡°What happened four years ago was already in the past, but I won¡¯t try to convince you to let it go.


    Given the pain you had to endure, I understand that it¡¯s easier said than done. As such, you don¡¯t have


    to force yourself to move on or forgive anyone either. I know that you¡¯re the one who¡¯s hurting the


    most.¡± She had just expressed what I was genuinely feeling in the most straightforward manner.


    As I listened to her quietly, I clenched my fists unknowingly, perhaps either due to my anxiousness or


    me feeling upset. I just thought that Emery reminded me so much of Macy that I was a little distracted.


    After a slight pause, she continued, ¡°I know that you¡¯re probably feeling quite unsettled right now and


    don¡¯t know what you should do. But Scarlett, we have to be forward-looking after all and can¡¯t keep


    staying in the past. I think you should just follow your heart. Try not to suppress the memories of the


    past as it would make it harder for you to recover.¡±


    I nodded as I listened to her, even though I was already well-aware of everything she had just


    mentioned.


    Then, Emery held my hand and said with a serious expression on her face, ¡°My purpose foring


    here today is not to preach anything to you. I treat you as my friend and just don¡¯t wish to see you hurt.


    Scarlett, you don¡¯t have to feel any resistance towards me, OK?¡±


    I smiled faintly with a hint of bitterness as I replied, ¡°Thanks foring over and talking to me, Emery.¡±


    She sighed helplessly and said, ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t like Cameron initially too. She¡¯s someone who


    conceals her ambitions very well and will not hesitate to resort to unscrupulous means to aplish


    her goals, even if it means sacrificing everything else. On the surface, it might seem as if she desires


    nothing, but she¡¯s the exact opposite of what she lets out.¡±


    Even though I chose not toment, I agreed with Emery wholeheartedly. Indeed, Cameron had very


    clear objectives for everything she did.


    ¡°And it¡¯s exactly because of this quality of hers that for the past twenty-six years, she endured


    everything and went through struggles after struggles just to find you. I personally witnessed her going


    to extreme lengths, scaling mountains and visiting countless suburban viges to look for you. In the


    process, she was even cheated by people. You probably don¡¯t know, but she donated generously to the


    poor in every vige she went to. I guess that was her way of atoning for her sins,¡± Emery continued


    speaking.


    I pursed my lips and said in a low voice, ¡°During these four years, I did carefully thought about that past


    mistake.¡±


    Emery nodded and replied, ¡°As such, due to a mother¡¯s longing for her daughter, when she met


    Reba, she overly indulged her with all the love she had for her daughter and was constantly worried


    that it might not be enough. From a mother¡¯s point of view, she was just doing her best to love her


    daughter, but to any outsider, that kind of love was excessive, extreme and scary. Scarlett, I¡¯m not


    asking you to forgive her or let go. I just want to tell you that the current situation has already reached a


    stalemate. What¡¯s best for you is not to dwell in the past but to focus your attention on the future. You


    still have a whole life ahead of you.¡±


    I kept quiet. I know better than anyone that as a mother, everything Cameron did was for her daughter.


    Since Reba was in love with Ashton, Cameron would do anything to clear the obstacles in her


    daughter¡¯s path, including me, who was a problem at that time.


    Everything started to go wrong when Ashton switched the DNA reports of Reba and I, changing our


    fates. He not only destroyed my yearning for my mother¡¯s affection, but also caused the death of my


    child.


    By right, I should hate him, but I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to feel that way. Love was quite an absurd


    thing sometimes. Because of love, one could even unconditionally forgive someone who threw them


    into the depths of despair.


    Noticing my silence, Emery spoke, ¡°Actually I really detest Cameron. She¡¯s definitely not a woman who


    can contribute to the Moore family¡¯s harmony and propriety. It¡¯s actually not a bad thing for a woman to


    be ambitious, but she had gone overboard. I¡¯m just worried that her actions might bring disaster upon


    the Moore family. As such, I didn¡¯t have a good impression of her right from the start when she married


    into the family. I even tried various ways to chase her away. However, Scarlett, sometimes, things just


    don¡¯t go the way we want them to. Even though Ashton has hurt you in many ways due to his


    selfishness, he truly loves you. There¡¯s no point for you to continue bearing a grudge against him. You


    should try to look ahead instead.¡±

 Chapter 517

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 517


    There¡¯s nothing I could say. It seemed like the situation had reached a stalemate and there were no


    clear boundaries between the causes and effects of everything that had happened.


    Who was to determine what was right and what was wrong? That was the way life was.


    After a moment of silence, I looked up at her and asked, ¡°Have you eaten?¡±


    Slightly taken aback by the sudden change of topic, Emery shrugged and answered, ¡°Not yet!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get something to eat then!¡± I said as I got up and headed to the kitchen. Life had to carry on no


    matter what.


    We did not have a housekeeper and only had a part-time cleaner who was not around at the moment.


    While I cooked some noodles, Emery leaned against the door and spoke, ¡°I heard that Ashton was


    admitted to the hospital. Are you intending to visit him?¡±


    I was in the midst of chopping some vegetables and froze when I heard that. Immediately after, I asked,


    ¡°Did he catch a cold fromst night?¡±


    ¡°Yup,¡± Emery answered briefly before walking over to help me. ¡°He continued to stay in the snow after


    you left. We know that this was his way of punishing himself. He hoped to redeem himself by doing


    that. As such, we did not try to stop him. He truly loves you, but he had indeed hurt you along the


    process. There¡¯s nothing we can do since whatever happened has already happened.¡±


    I pursed my lips tightly and didn¡¯t respond. I suddenly felt a stinging sensation in my eyes as ayer of


    mist formed on them. I guess it was from the spicy peppers I was holding.


    After blinking a few times, I tossed the spicy peppers into the noodles and asked cidly, ¡°Can you


    take spice?¡±Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Knowing that I was intentionally avoiding the topic, Emery did not pursue and simply replied, ¡°Yup, I¡¯m


    OK with it!¡±


    She left after we finished the noodles. It was still snowing heavily outside and I sat in a daze in the


    living room. After a while, I decided to add some wood to the firece and build a fire. When it was


    ready, I got myself a nket and a book and started reading in the living room.


    Should I visit Ashton? It seemed like it was best that I did not.


    He did that in order to atone for his wrongdoings so that he could feel better. If he saw me, he would be


    reminded of his guilt once again and I would also be reminded of the pain. It wouldn¡¯t do us any good.


    Even though the damage had been done, it was not easy to say for certain who was to me for it.


    Perhaps, God had decided to y a joke on us.


    I was surprised to receive a call from Camelia in the afternoon. However, I had also kind of expected it.


    ¡°Can we meet for a chat?¡± The frostiness in her voice was a stark difference from the charm she


    exuded when we first met.


    What a joke!


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a need for us to meet,¡± I replied indifferently, but not to the extent of being cold.


    There was a moment of silence on the other side of the phone before she said, ¡°Of course, there is a


    need. There are some things we have to face ultimately, don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    I pursed my lips at her words. Camelia was definitely a match for Marcus in terms of their


    stubbornness. No wonder they said that people who were simr were more likely to be attracted to


    each other.


    ¡°Sure then!¡± I agreed and we decided on the meeting venue.


    Looking at the weather outside, I got a littlezy to go out. It was the perfect weather to snuggle by the


    firece with my book.


    I went upstairs to look for suitable clothes to wear and was d that Ashton had previously bought me


    some warm and fashionable winter wear.


    After getting dressed, I took an umbre and started walking to our meeting ce. As the venue was


    just nearby, I chose not to drive.


    A thickyer of snow was piled up on the road. However, I saw someone sweeping the snow away


    from the pathway just slightly ahead, making it easier to walk.


    When I passed by another vi, I could hear joyousughtering from that direction. It came from a


    couple trying to build a snowman.


    The woman had created a huge pile of snow using a shovel while the man tried to shape the snow into


    a snowball. He had created a t surface and seemed like they were ready to make the snowman.


    What was important was not the process of building a snowman, but that the two of them seemed to be


    so happy and having so much fun together. After retracting my gaze, I smiled to myself.


    Being able to spend every day with the one we loved, having kids together and growing old


    together. Isn¡¯t that how life is supposed to be?


    As I drift away further into my thoughts, unknowingly, I had already reached the caf¨¦. Since Camelia


    was there yet, I sat down at a window seat and ordered a cup of coffee while waiting.


    I had never been a fan of coffee as I found it too bitter and hard to swallow. As such, I asked for more


    sugar to go with it.


    Camelia was chauffeured to the caf¨¦ by her driver. Her winter wear was a little thick and bulky, but it


    was still apparent that her stomach had grown bigger since thest time we met.


    Supporting her waist with one hand, she sat down next to me and ordered a ss of hot milk. Then,


    she pulled her cor down a little as it was warmer inside the caf¨¦ aspared to outdoors.


    While she was rubbing her hands together, which seemed to be frozen from the cold, the milk she


    ordered was served. Then, she put her hands to the ss to warm them that way instead.


    I looked at her quietly and did not speak. It seemed like I was waiting for her to finish warming her


    hands.


    After a while, she finally looked at me and at the same time, sized up the surroundings.


    With an air of confidence, she spoke casually, ¡°I can tell that Ashton had protected you well.¡±


    I downcast my eyes in response. The media¡¯s enthusiasm on me had notpletely died down yet


    and Ashton had arranged for some bodyguards to stay close to me. However, they had tried to be


    discreet in their movements.


    It was quite a feat for Camelia to be able to make that observation.


    ¡°I already know about that sum of money,¡± She started speaking and fixed her gaze on me. ¡°When I


    met him four years ago, it was at Corbett Street. I loved to eat the spicy pasta at one of the eateries


    along that street so I go there pretty often. It was raining heavily that day and he was staring nkly


    into space in the middle of the street. He didn¡¯t even realize it had already started to rain. Perhaps he


    was so good-looking that I subconsciously walked towards him and sheltered him with my umbre.¡±


    That ¡°him¡± whom she was talking about was Marcus.


    I didn¡¯t interrupt and listened quietly.


    ¡°Women from M Country were not brought up the same way as women from Chanaea, like yourself.


    Since young, we were taught that men were supposed to be gentlemanly and there were certain things


    that men were supposed to do. Even though sheltering him with an umbre wasn¡¯t really a big deal,


    but because he¡¯s so charming, I was really attracted to him. As such, I wasn¡¯t able to pull away. After


    sleeping with him, I became addicted to his charm and shamelessly stuck to him from then on.¡±

 Chapter 518

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 518


    I looked up at Camelia and nodded. I didn¡¯t think much of her story up till that point.


    Then, she carried on, ¡°He wanted to build a career in M Country and I happened to have the resources


    he needed. Given the circumstances, we got engaged in M Country. When he met you, it was right


    after our engagement ceremony. I was not able to understand why he grew distant after that. My


    pregnancy was just an ident. I only knew afterwards that you and him were not on the same page.¡±


    She touched her stomach and stared outside the window for a moment. It was still snowing heavily. ¡°I


    checked. Even though I didn¡¯t see anything, but Scarlett, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re being very fair to him. He¡¯s


    truly good to you. Come to think of it, God isn¡¯t very fair to him either. Both him and your husband were


    born with silver spoons, but in the area of rtionships, your husband had way better luck. Marcus¡¯


    parents did not have a good marriage and passed away one after another. He also gave you his heart


    but was unable to get your affection. Scarlett, I think you owe him,¡± she continued.


    I looked at the woman. I still found her as adorable as before. She was not the same as Reba in the


    sense that after knowing what happened between Marcus and me, she didn¡¯t insult or humiliate me, but


    rather tried her best to understand the man.


    It was because she loved him. As such, she was able to put herself in his shoes and felt for him.


    ¡°Camelia, I can¡¯t control who I love. You¡¯re right, I do owe Marcus and I¡¯m trying to make it up to him


    using my own ways. There¡¯s someone else I love. You should know better than me that I won¡¯t be able


    to force myself to love Marcus just because I feel bad towards him. Of course, I¡¯m sure that isn¡¯t what


    you want either, right?¡±


    Camelia appeared to be momentarily stunned before nodding her head and said, ¡°Yup. That¡¯s why I


    asked to meet you. I love him, but you¡¯re the one who has his heart. I¡¯m not here to me you. After


    all, I couldn¡¯t manage to win him over even after so many years. Perhaps, I¡¯m just not good enough.


    The reason I¡¯m here is also because I wanted to thank you.¡±


    I paused for a moment and asked, ¡°Thank me?¡±


    She pursed her lips and answered, ¡°Thank you for not loving him.¡±


    I did not expect that reply and was at a loss for words.


    ¡°Can we still be friends?¡± she asked while focusing her gaze on me.


    ¡°Since when are we not friends?¡± I threw the question back at her.


    Cameliaughed upon hearing that and replied, ¡°Thank you, Scarlett.¡±


    Initially, I had expected her to find trouble with me. Well, this was rather¡­ unexpected.


    After a while, I spoke, ¡°I know that Benjamin and Sharon¡¯s death was a huge blow to Marcus. My


    existence in his life was probably a surprise to him. I know I owe him too much but I¡¯m really unable to


    return his feelings. As such, I chose to avoid the situation.¡±


    When Camelia replied, she had an unfathomable gaze in her eyes. ¡°His heart is like a bottomless


    abyss. I tried to pull him back up, but I failed. Four years ago, we went back to Chanaea together and


    stayed at J City for half a year. Initially, I didn¡¯t know his reason for going to J City but I started seeing


    him getting drunk frequently at night. It seemed like he stopped taking care of himself or anyone else.


    After he heard Sally¡¯s announcement of her intention to retrench some employees, someone


    approached Marcus, requesting his assistance. When he returned and chased Sally away, he also got


    to know about what happened to his parents. I thought that he would make Sally suffer for that but he


    didn¡¯t. Instead, he chose to focus all his energy on fighting against Fuller Corporation. I couldn¡¯t


    understand why he did that at that time, but I finally knew that you were the one he was fighting for.¡±


    She paused and smiled at me before continuing, ¡°Please don¡¯t take what I said to heart. I know I


    probably shouldn¡¯t have told you all these, but other than you, I don¡¯t have any friends in M Country.


    Actually, there were times when I really wanted to tell you that Marcus really needs you. You¡¯re like the


    savior of his soul. There were even times when it crossed my mind that if you were the one by his side,


    he wouldn¡¯t be suffering that much, but I¡­ ¡°


    I kept quiet as there was nothing I could say.


    As if she was carrying on a monologue, Camelia continued, ¡°Four years ago, that one month with you


    was enough for him to miss you for the rest of his life. It was difficult for me to understand at that time.


    That night, when you appeared at White Corporation, I saw a USB drive in his study. You might not be


    aware, but the USB drive contained everything that happened after you broke down from giving birth.


    He really loved you so much.¡±


    Joseph appeared abruptly next to us, giving me a shock. He draped a coat over me and said, ¡°Mrs.


    Fuller, Mr. Fuller said that you shouldn¡¯t stay outside for too long. It¡¯s not good for your body.¡±


    Obviously, the bodyguards had informed Ashton who I was meeting.


    I nodded and said to Camelia, ¡°I guess we¡¯ll have to meet again another day.¡±


    She pursed her lips and fixed her gaze on Joseph. Perplexed, she asked, ¡°Does Ashton love you by


    restricting your freedom?


    I smiled faintly but did not reply.


    I left the caf¨¦ with Joseph and kept silent in the car.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Joseph looked at me a few times. It seemed as if he had something to say but stopped himself. In the


    end, he still spoke, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, Mr. Fuller is still in the hospital.¡±


    What he meant was that I should pay that man a visit. I pursed my lips while holding onto the USB


    drive which Camelia had given me earlier on.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back. It¡¯s cold outside.¡± I was not ready and had not thought of how to face the past head-on


    yet.

 Chapter 519

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 519


    Joseph paused for a while but said nothing. He then sent me back to the vi.


    Summer was already home by the time I arrived. She gently pulled my hand as she asked, ¡°Mommy,


    where did you go?¡±


    I hugged her in my arms. ¡°I went to see a friend,¡± I simply answered.


    Recently, I started feeling sluggish again. I was at a loss, unsure about what to do next. My mind was a


    complete mess.


    After I settled Summer down, I headed to the study. After all, I finally watched those videos.


    They were taken four years ago when Marcus took me in. My memories of those days were rather


    vague.


    Deep down, I knew Marcus cared about me very much. However, I chose not to remember those


    details.


    I clicked on one of the videos, which was taken in the vi in K City. As soon as it was yed, the


    familiar faces came into sight.


    I refused to watch the video after my child was taken away from me. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to face


    reality.


    The video recorded every bit of memories I had with Marcus. He always took care of me and tolerated


    me with infinite patience.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    That was the worst time of my life. I was in agony and constantly broke down in tears. One night, I


    woke up at midnight and looked around for a knife to take my own life. Marcus was injured when he


    tried to snatch the knife away from me. I didn¡¯t have a clear picture in my mind, but I knew there was a


    deep scar on his belly.


    After that incident, I couldn¡¯t find any sharp objects in the vi.


    It was a long video to watch. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to finish it as I was feeling increasingly guilty by the


    second. So, I turned it off.


    Why must everything be made clear? Ignorance is bliss, isn¡¯t it?


    Grandma used to say that only ignorant women were able to live their lives happily because they


    wouldn¡¯t hold on to those unpleasant things.


    They knew how to let go when they had to. All they cared about was to live in the present.


    In the evening, I received a call from Cameron.


    ¡°Scarlett, I¡­ I am Mom,¡± she stammered as she wept. I could hear the hidden bitterness in her voice.


    What kind of feeling is this?


    I didn¡¯t put much thought into that. My heart ached slightly. It was neither hatred nor rage that I was


    feeling. I was merely nonplussed.


    I lost my child because of her. I had no idea how to face her.


    After a long while, I asked her, ¡°What is it?¡±


    I spoke in an indifferent tone, fighting hard to contain myself.


    Cameron heaved a sigh. ¡°If you refuse to see me, I won¡¯t force you. But my dear, you have a long way


    to go. Don¡¯t do something that you¡¯ll regret. I know I¡¯m in no position to put the me on Ashton.¡±


    I fell silent not because I was speechless, but because I saw him walking into the study.


    It had just been half a day since Ist saw him. He looked pale and sick as if he was about to copse


    anytime.


    Joseph mentioned that Ashton fell sick after he knelt at the Moore Residence throughout the night.


    ¡°I¡¯m hanging up now.¡± I ended the call and put away my phone as I fixed my gaze on the man walking


    toward me.


    When our eyes met, he looked at me with affection. ¡°Joseph told me that you skipped your meals. You


    should take good care of yourself, Scarlett.¡± A hint of sadness glinted in his eyes as he spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry,¡± I simply replied. I didn¡¯t ask him about his condition, nor did I ask why he wasn¡¯t in the


    hospital.


    He approached me and held my hands. ¡°Please eat something with meter. You¡¯re too skinny.¡±


    He took me downstairs. His footsteps were rather unsteady. It seemed that he hadn¡¯t recovered from


    his fever.


    I followed after him. Staring at his back, my heart ached unwittingly.


    ¡°Your admission to the hospital is all over the news and now Fuller Corporation is under attack. How


    are you going to handle this?¡± Thepany was in deep water right now.


    He turned around and looked me in the eyes. ¡°Are you happy to stay by my side?¡±


    Stunned by his question, I kept silent for a while before I replied, ¡°I¡¯ve never thought of leaving you.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t really happy about that, but at least I felt safe when I was with him.


    ¡°Great,¡± he replied with a faint smile on his face. His response was tooplicated to decipher.


    Sitting at the dining table, he filled my te with food but I didn¡¯t really have the appetite. However, it


    would worry him if I didn¡¯t eat something, so I ate up everything to ease his mind.


    After the meal, I went back to the bedroom. My stomach felt unpleasant but it was still bearable for me.


    Ashton was in the study. After I felt slightly better, I suddenly recalled that I hadn¡¯t ejected my USB


    drive.


    I didn¡¯t intend to hide it from him, but I knew he would be upset when he uncovered the past.


    I left the bedroom and headed to the study. The door was ajar.


    I pushed the door and entered the room. Ashton was sitting in front of theptop. He was rather


    surprised by my entrance. He stared at me in subtle anger.


    The way he looked at me was different from that of his usual self.


    My heart sank instantly. He must have watched the video.


    Standing by the door, I was at a loss. It took me a few seconds before I found my voice. ¡°It¡¯s getting


    late. Are you going to sleep now?¡±


    The anger in his eyes subsided. He pursed his lips and smiled at me. ¡°In a while,¡± he answered.


    I nodded and tried to be collected. I walked over and took a look at the screen. My body stiffened as I


    saw what was shown on the screen.


    It was the vi in K City. He watched it after all.


    My lips parted as I wanted to say something. However, nothing came out of my mouth.


    ¡°You hated me back then, didn¡¯t you?¡± he asked calmly.

 Chapter 520

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 520


    I pursed my lips as I ejected the USB drive. I drew a long breath to calm myself down before I sat


    beside him. ¡°I thought I hated you too. But as time goes by, I realized I was terrified and I med


    myself for losing my child. It¡¯s all my fault.¡±


    Ashton held my hands and gazed at me as he tucked my hair behind my ears. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± he


    said softly.


    I lowered my gaze, trying to pull myself together. Then, I looked up at Ashton and smiled at him. ¡°What


    were you thinking? It was snowing very heavilyst night.¡±


    He burst intoughter upon hearing that. ¡°I thought you would feel sorry for me,¡± he replied.


    ¡°You¡¯ll still feel bad for it anyway.¡± The past left our hearts scarred for life.


    One wrong choice led to another.


    I recalled what Emery once told me. ¡±Ashton was the one in agony. He thought he was protecting you


    when he switched the DNA report. But turned out, he became the one who made your life a living hell.


    He failed you and he killed a living child. He¡¯ll be haunted by the guilt every night for the rest of his life.¡±


    Ashton hugged me in his embrace and took a deep breath. ¡°Scarlett, I know my apologies and


    compensation won¡¯t change anything now. Just stay by my side. If it¡¯s too painful for you, I¡¯ll let you go.¡±


    I sigh softly, then I wrapped my arms around his waist andid my head on his chest. ¡°Emery once said


    that we have to move on to keep our lives going. We can reminisce about the past asionally, but we


    shouldn¡¯t hold on to them stubbornly. We won¡¯t be able to move on if we keep looking back.¡±


    He hugged me in silence.


    The rtionship between two people started off by attracting each other, then they slowly became


    dependent on each other.


    The past is painful indeed, but I still have a long life to live. I believe that time is the best cure for all


    wounds.


    After heading back to the bedroom, he took a shower in the bathroom. My stomach still ached. I


    swallowed it up and walked to the balcony.


    Ashton stepped out of the bathroom with only a white towel wrapped around his waist. He had a good


    built with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. Any woman would¡¯ve fallen for him.


    I couldn¡¯t help but burst into a soft chuckle.


    He looked at me with doubt. ¡°What are youughing at?¡±


    I walked toward him and stared at his chest. ¡°Have someone told you how attractive you are?¡± I teased


    him.


    His face lit up with glee. ¡°I don¡¯t mind you telling me more about that.¡±


    I shed him a faint smile. ¡°I¡¯ll take a shower first.¡±


    Ashton nodded with smiling eyes.


    Staring at my reflection in the mirror, I kept thinking of Ashton while gargling.


    I was depressed to find myself ageing fast. ording to Emery, women at my age should be energetic


    and smile often.


    She¡¯s right. I look so in and lifeless.


    Suddenly, my stomach churned violently and it was soon followed by a wave of vomit. I vomited out


    most of the food I had just now.


    Ashton heard something and quickly knocked on the door. ¡°Scarlett!¡±


    I continued to vomit until my stomach waspletely emptied. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Perhaps I ate too much just


    now,¡± I answered him after gargling.


    As soon as I stepped out of the bathroom, he pulled me into his embrace. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± he said that with


    suppressed emotions.


    I pressed my lips together as I knew he felt bad for me.


    The doctor said that there was no cure for depression. I could only try my best to control my emotions.


    However, even I couldn¡¯t tell whether it was a disease or merely my personality.


    Lying in his arms, I was rather calm as I patted softly at his back. ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s no big deal. I¡¯ll be


    fine.¡±


    He hugged me extremely tight that night.


    Initially, Emery and Hunter nned to have their wedding as soon as possible. However, they had to


    set their wedding date at the end of the year due to the involvement of the media.


    Their wedding was held at Christmas.


    As their friend, I had to attend their wedding for sure.


    Emery called me up. It was noisy on the other side of the phone. ¡°I¡¯m sending the dress over to you.


    The makeup artist will be there too. Don¡¯t forget to arrive early. I¡¯m waiting for you, my bridesmaid!¡±


    I froze for a moment before I realized she was expecting me to be her bridesmaid. I quickly rejected,


    ¡°I¡¯m already married.¡±


    Emery couldn¡¯t care less about that. ¡°So what? Who said that a married woman cannot be a


    bridesmaid? Stop dilly-dallying. Hurry up! I¡¯m waiting for you!¡±


    As the bride, Emery had a lot to attend to on her wedding day. She ended the call before I could say


    another word.


    The doorbell rang after around half an hour.


    I answered the door. There was a short-hair girl holding a makeup kit, followed by two men. ¡°Ms.


    Stovall, Ms. Moore asked us toe over to prepare you for the wedding,¡± said the girl with a smiling


    face.


    I took a nce at the men and saw the boxes in their hands.


    I shed a smile and nodded. ¡°Thank you. Come on in.¡±


    The girl smiled and didn¡¯t say anything further.


    Afterward, I got changed into the dress. It was a strapless dress in nude. Since it was winter, Emery


    prepared a beige suede shawl for me.


    The dress fitted perfectly, showing off my slim waist. Emery had always been a fashionista.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

 Chapter 521

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 521


    The girl was stunned after I got changed. ¡°No wonder Ms. Moore said your beauty is out of the world.


    You look so beautiful just by putting on the dress,¡± she said with astonishment.


    I cast a faint smile upon hearing herpliment. ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Although she was exaggerating, herpliment made me feel good.


    Right when we were about to leave the vi, we ran into Ashton who just came home. He was wearing


    a ck, tailor-made suit as usual. He was tall and well-built, exuding a powerful aura wherever he was.


    ¡°Why are you home?¡± He should be busy with his work at this time, especially now that it was near the


    end of the year. The outbreak of the scandal had affected the stock prices. Although the situation was


    under control now, there was still a lot to deal with.


    He walked toward me and sized me up. His lips curled upward into a bright smile. ¡°You look beautiful.¡±


    He¡¯s not answering my question. I pursed my lips and habitually put my arm around his. ¡°I¡¯m attending


    Emery and Hunter¡¯s wedding. She wants me to be her bridesmaid.¡±


    Indirectly, I was exining why I was dressed like that.


    He nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go together then.¡± He turned to the girl and the two men, who were staring at him


    with shock. ¡°I¡¯ll go there with my wife. Since you came in your car, kindly see yourself out then.¡±


    The three of them nodded. The short-haired girl couldn¡¯t help but stare at Ashton until one of the two


    men elbowed her. She then got into the car and lowered her voice as she spoke to the two men, ¡°I


    thought it¡¯s just baseless rumor. I never thought Ms. Stovall really is Mr. Fuller¡¯s wife.¡±


    After sending them off, I turned to Ashton. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t have to go back to the


    company?¡± Today¡¯s a weekday and now it¡¯s only afternoon. Why does he¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m not that busy. I can still make time for my wife to attend a wedding.¡± He had a tender smile on his


    face as he pulled my shawl up a little. I instantly felt warmer.


    After we got into the car, he put his coat around me. ¡°The weather¡¯s cold. Don¡¯t catch a cold.¡±


    I nodded with a smile. ¡°Today¡¯s a good day indeed.¡±


    He chuckled, then he started the car.


    Emery was a free-spirited, open-minded and bold woman. Therefore, she chose to hold her wedding at


    a five-star hotel at the outskirts of the city.


    There were only winter roses and a limited number of chrysanthemums avable in K City since it was


    December.


    The Moore family wanted to give Emery a perfect wedding. Therefore, they shipped all kinds of flowers


    from different cities to the hotel.


    The hotel entrance was decorated with the flowers of all four seasons. The view of the venue for the


    outdoor wedding was breathtaking as if it was a pce surrounded by blooming flowers.


    I was captivated by the beautiful view before I got out of the car. I leaned my head on the window and


    couldn¡¯t move my gaze away.


    Perhaps I was in a good mood, I unwittingly tugged at Ashton¡¯s sleeves. ¡°It¡¯s my first time seeing so


    many different kinds of flowers. I¡¯ve never seen them before!¡±


    R Province had the most suitable weather to nt flowers. Besides, many kinds of flowers could be


    found in R Province.


    However, the hotel was filled with almost all kinds of flowers on earth. It was eye-opening indeed.


    Suddenly, I felt a tinge of warmth on my forehead. I turned to Ashton and met his tender gaze as he


    ced his palm on my forehead.


    It was cold outside, so we kept the car windows closed. My forehead bumped into the ss as I was


    too excited to admire the scenery through the window.


    He was worried that I might get hurt.


    Smiling, he pulled me into his embrace. ¡°You can see it from here.¡±


    He had the car parked at the hotel¡¯s nicely decorated parking lot, then he opened the door for me.


    The ground wasid with a red carpet. Ashton insisted on keeping the coat on me to keep me warm.


    As we walked along the red carpet, a well-dressed hotel staff led us into the hotel.


    We were to have our lunch in the hotel first. The wedding ceremony would be held only in the evening.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to the wedding ceremony,¡± I whispered in Ashton¡¯s ear as we walked.


    I kept my eyes on the red roses that were ced on both sides of the red carpet. They were evenly


    speckled with gold glitters which made them sparkle under the sunlight, creating an ambience of


    passionate love.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    We hadn¡¯t even set foot in the hotel yet. Thinking of that, I leaned toward Ashton and said, ¡°The


    decorations of the red carpet at the wedding must be even more morous.¡±


    I suddenly remembered that I was the bridesmaid. Looking into Ashton¡¯s dark eyes, I couldn¡¯t help but


    grin wider. ¡°I¡¯ll follow right behind the broom and the bride, so I get to enjoy a different view from what


    you see.¡±


    A bright smile shed across his handsome face. ¡°There¡¯s a fruit ntation behind the hotel. We can


    take a stroll there after lunch,¡± he said softly.


    I was surprised. ¡°How do you know?¡±


    However, I didn¡¯t think there were any fruits in winter.


    Ashton read my mind. ¡°Those nts are shipped from Sumanthova. We can have some fruits,¡± he


    exined.


    My eyes widened as I gasped, ¡°How do you know?¡±


    He only replied with a smile, then he took me into the hotel.


    There was a huge flower cluster at the hotel¡¯s entrance. It was extraordinarily magnificent. I almost


    dropped my jaw upon seeing that. However, I didn¡¯t want to behave like a country bumpkin in front of


    the crowd, so I pretended to be collected.

 Chapter 522

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 522


    Ashton chuckled as he saw the changes in my expression. ¡°This kind of flower cluster is used by


    Ustrana¡¯s aristocratic families. It¡¯s not that valuable, but what makes it precious is that it¡¯s decorated


    with peacock feathers which symbolize happiness and peace.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s Emery¡¯s idea, though,¡± I said.


    ¡°The Moore family got this for her.¡±


    As soon as we entered the hotel, Emery weed us with open arms. She was wearing a white, off-


    shoulder wedding dress. Her dress was long and the hem was dragged on the floor like long, white


    waves.


    ¡°Wow, Babe. You look stunning! I was right to make you my bridesmaid.¡± Emery grabbed my arm and


    pulled me away from Ashton.


    I smiled at her. Looking at the hem of her dress, I was confused. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you wearing a phoenix


    cor? I saw the decorations of the venue. I thought the wedding is held in Chinese style.¡±


    Emery shrugged. ¡°Yes, it is. Hunter¡¯s parents admire Chinese culture very much, so they prefer to


    follow Chinese wedding traditions. What do you think about my wedding dress?¡±


    ¡°You look very beautiful!¡± I wasn¡¯t lying. She was absolutely gorgeous in that dress.


    Emerymented, ¡°Actually, I prefer to have a Western wedding, but Hunter¡¯s parents insisted on doing


    it their way. Therefore, they have the venue decorated in Chinese style. Before the ceremony, I have to


    get changed into a red gown adorned with embroidered flowers. I have to put on the phoenix cor


    too.¡±


    She paused for a few seconds before she continued. ¡°Later, you have to get changed too. I can only


    wear my favorite wedding dress for an afternoon.¡± Emery let out a deep sigh as she looked at her


    dress.


    Hunter came over with a cheerful smile on his face. He looked elegant and gentle in the white suit that


    fitted his tall and slender figure.


    ¡°You must be hungry. You should eat something first. After the guests arrive, you won¡¯t have time to


    eat.¡±


    ¡°Right! We have to serve the guests in a while. Let¡¯s have some good food.¡± Emery pulled my arm as


    she said.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Before we walked away, Emery turned to Ashton who was standing next to me. ¡°Mr. Fuller, your wife


    belongs to me today. Mr. Quinn and Mr. Crest are in the lounge. There are some other facilities in the


    hotel too. Please help yourself!¡±


    Ashton stared at me with his eyebrows slightly furrowed. Right now, the elegant, suave man whom I


    know was like a displeased child who just had his toy taken away.


    I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Wait a moment, Emery.¡±


    I walked toward Ashton and looked at him. ¡°You take a walk first. I¡¯lle to you after I¡¯m done.¡±


    After saying that, I tiptoed and nted a light kiss on his cheek. He held my arm before I could walk


    away.


    ¡°Just like that?¡± Ashton wasn¡¯t satisfied.


    Looking at his flickering eyes, I took the hint immediately. I tiptoed to give him a kiss on his lips. ¡°Are


    you satisfied now?¡± I asked with a smile.


    He nodded and finally smiled. ¡°We¡¯ll continue tonight.¡±


    ¡°Oh my! Just cut the crap. Save it for your raunchy nightter!¡± Emery said with slight frustration.


    My face flushed upon hearing that.


    Emery was open-minded indeed.


    After bidding goodbye with Ashton, I went to the bridal suite with Emery.


    The food was ready.


    We chatted while eating the food. ¡°Have you and Ashton ever thought about holding a grand wedding


    in front of everyone?¡± asked Emery.


    I didn¡¯t see thating. After thinking for a few seconds, I shook my head. ¡°If we hold a ceremony


    publicly, Summer¡¯s identity will be disclosed. So I think we¡¯ll just skip that. We¡¯re fine anyway.¡±


    Emery frowned. ¡°But people have been gossiping about you. If you don¡¯t make it clear, the situation will


    be worsened.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m living my own life. I can just ignore them.¡±


    She pouted, ¡°You¡¯re so generous.¡±


    Someone knocked on the door. ¡°Ms. Moore, here¡¯s your gown.¡±


    Six neatly dressed attendants came in and stood in a row while holding a vintage sandalwood box in


    their hands.


    I was stunned by the view. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re going through all these wedding traditions just as how an


    aristocraticdy did in the ancient times.¡±


    Emery chuckled. ¡°Should I be dramatic and run away in my red robe? The female leads in the Chinese


    folk tales always did that, didn¡¯t they?¡±


    Everyone in the room burst intoughter upon hearing her words. Emery took a look at the essories


    and the apparel.


    They even had the shoes prepared. I was amazed as I stared at the exquisite hairpin in the box. ¡°This


    hairpin is so delicate. The designer studded it with saga seeds.¡±


    Emery nodded. ¡°It¡¯s made by Hunter. He told me saga seeds symbolize eternal love and happiness in


    the Chinese culture.¡±


    It¡¯s such a meaningful wedding.


    After lunch, Emery took me to the hotel lobby to wee the guests.


    The guests invited by the Moore family were mostly from prominent families in K City.


    Although the wedding was made public, only one or two well-known mediapanies were invited.


    They were all experienced reporters who knew what to, and what not to publish.

 Chapter 523

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 523


    The media industry adhered to a set of rules. Only those who followed etiquette and yed by the rules


    were able to gain a foothold in the high society.


    Cameron and Zachary were making arrangements at the lounge.


    Actually, there was nothing much for me to do, so I just helped Emery to get some things.


    However, Emery was worried about me, so she asked the attendant to get the things she needed


    instead.


    Therefore, I could only follow Emery around while wearing a smile on my face.


    ¡°Mr. Murphy will arrive soon. He¡¯s the leading figure of the firearm and ammunition industry in K City. I


    guess Louis will being with him.¡± Emery put an almond into her mouth as she spoke.


    Noticing her unusually good appetite, I intuitively gazed at her belly. Why does she keep eating all the


    time?


    Sensing my gaze, she shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s two months but I don¡¯t get any symptoms though. I just feel like


    eating.¡±


    I was shocked. ¡°Are you really pregnant?¡±


    Emery nodded. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m already thirty-one. It¡¯s the most ideal age for pregnancy. Of course, I won¡¯t


    miss that.¡±


    She paused mid-sentence, then looked at me before she continued, ¡°You¡¯re already thirty as well. Don¡¯t


    you and Ashton n to have a baby of your own?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still too early for us.¡± I gave a perfunctory answer. Right then, a group of people were walking


    toward the lobby.


    I changed the topic. ¡°I think the Murphys are here.¡±


    Emery turned around and saw a group of people escorting an old man with a head of white hair.


    Thetter looked like he was in his nies.


    ¡°Mr. Murphy!¡± Emery greeted Robert with a smile as soon as thetter entered the lobby.


    Robert smiled at her. Despite his age, his gleaming eyes radiated a majestic aura. ¡°I can¡¯t believe how


    time flies, Emery. You¡¯ve grown up in just a blink of an eye and now you¡¯re getting married.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Murphy, don¡¯t get emotional. You¡¯ll live a long life with a healthy body.¡±


    Robert was pleased by Emery¡¯s words. He held her hand and headed to the lounge.


    Emery pulled me close. ¡°Mr. Murphy, this is Scarlett Stovall, my brother¡¯s daughter.¡±


    Robert froze and scrutinized me for a few seconds. ¡°Are you saying she is the one whom your brother


    was searching for?¡±


    Emery nodded. ¡°Yes, we finally found her after all these years.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Mr. Murphy,¡± I greeted.


    Robert held my hand with a puzzled face. ¡°Four years ago, I was told that the girl¡¯s surname is Larson.


    Why is it changed to Stovall? Why don¡¯t you go by the surname of the Moore family?¡±


    I knew he was referring to Reba. I only replied with a smile.


    Emery exined, ¡°No, Mr. Murphy. There isn¡¯t anything about the Larsons. You¡¯ve been staying


    overseas, so you haven¡¯t met her in person. You must take a closer look this time. The woman


    standing in front of you is the daughter of the Moore family.¡±


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Robert nodded and smiled. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ve always remembered all the pretty daughters of the Moore


    family.¡±


    The guests who just arrived at the lobby escorted Robert to the lounge.


    Emery dragged me along and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go get changed now.¡±


    We had to redo the makeup to match the gowns and essories.


    The bridesmaid outfit that Emery prepared for me was a hanfu¡ªthe type that we only see in Chinese


    historical drama. I was rather surprised when I saw the outfit. ¡°Isn¡¯t it too luxurious?¡±


    Emery shook her head. ¡°Not at all. It has to be like that. I purposely customize this outfit for you.¡±


    I didn¡¯t understand her words, so I just smiled in response.


    After we got changed, it was already six in the evening. It was time for the traditional ritual.


    By the time we arrived at the venue, all the guests had been seated.


    Hunter looked amazing in his wedding outfit. He looked dashing in both Chinese and Western-style


    costumes.


    Emery handed me a sandalwood box. ¡°Later, you stand behind me and hand this to me upon receiving


    my signal.¡± I took a look at the box. Inside, it was a pair of jade bracelets iid with gold. One of them


    was carved into a phoenix, while the other had a dragon engraving. The jade was crystal-clear, while


    the gold iys looked extremely exquisite.


    I nodded, then I turned to Zachary who was dressed in a ck suit. He was in his fifties, yet there


    wasn¡¯t a trace of a gray in his hair. There was nothing that could cover up his outstanding demeanor.


    ¡°Later, my brother¡¯s walking me down the aisle. In the future, he¡¯ll walk you down the aisle and hand


    you over to Ashton. Your life will be perfect then,¡± Emery whispered in my ear.


    I held a different opinion on the definition of a perfect life. The day when I was married to Ashton, I


    walked to him alone since my grandmother had already died.


    Zachary overheard Emery¡¯s words. His gaze seemed slightly apologetic.


    As the music was yed, I couldn¡¯t hear anything else.


    Both sides of the red carpet were covered with short-stemmed red roses. The whole ce was


    adorned by white balloons, exuding an air of romance and serenity.


    Hunter gazed at his beautiful bride as Zachary walked Emery down. cing Emery¡¯s hand into


    Hunter¡¯s, Zachary said earnestly, ¡°I now entrust my sister to you, Hunter.¡±


    Hunter nodded. A gentle smile lit up his face as he stared at Emery.


    They just looked at each other and it felt as if they could stay that way forever.


    Unwittingly, I nced around and spotted my man standing among the crowd.

 Chapter 524

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 524


    It was amazing how I could recognize Ashton at a nce although the wedding was full of people.


    The wedding was held ording to Chinese wedding traditions which included walking over a fire pit,


    and serving tea to parents before they gave the wedding couple red envelopes and jewelry.


    After the wedding couple bowed to each other, they exchanged jade bracelets instead of rings.


    The couple served tea to Zachary and Cameron as they are the closest elders to Emery.


    After the ritual ended, Emery tugged me away. ¡°Come with me. Someone has gotten you a gift.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I was startled.


    ¡°Just follow me.¡± She took me to the garden behind the hotel.


    I was taken aback when the garden full of balloon flowers came into my vision. ¡°From where you got all


    these balloon flowers?¡±


    It was nearly impossible to get these summer blooms in winter.


    Emery winked at me. ¡°That¡¯s because someone has nned this for a few months. He had these


    flowers nted in the greenhouse just to show them to you today. Do you know the symbol of balloon


    flowers?¡±


    I pondered for a while before I answered, ¡°Balloon flowers symbolize unchanging love. Jared once


    brought these flowers to Macy¡¯s cemetery.¡±


    Emery pouted, ¡°Can¡¯t you see these are white balloon flowers?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yes. What about it?¡±


    She exined, ¡°White balloon flowers symbolize the one and only love.¡±


    I squinted my eyes as I stared at her. ¡°Is this a confession? You¡¯re married, though.¡±


    Emery held her forehead. ¡°Scarlett Stovall, you¡¯re such a fool!¡±


    I was rendered speechless.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± I took hold of her as she was about to leave.


    ¡°I have to get something. You wait for me here.¡± She sped away after dropping her words.


    Looking at the white blossoms, I was absorbed with the spectacr scenery.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    As the snow flew past, I gazed up at the sky where powdery snow was falling.


    The balloon flowers were ornamented with the snow. It was a very beautiful sight to behold.


    ¡°I remember what you said to me in front of the library seven years ago. You told me that one can only


    witness such scenery at the Kunlun Mountains when the snowplements the snow lotuses. So I


    was thinking perhaps I can bring it to you if I do my best.¡±


    Ashton¡¯s voice rang out from behind. I turned around and saw him holding a bouquet of white balloon


    flowers in his hand.


    I came to a sudden realization that he was the one who had prepared all this. There was no other way


    to exin these white blooms at this red-themed wedding.


    I gave him a sweet smile as I received the bouquet. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t know you are such a romantic


    person. What a pleasant surprise from you. I¡¯m ttered.¡±


    Ashton chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll spoil you more often then.¡±


    We took cover under the eave as the snow was getting heavier. ¡°Why are you doing this for me all of a


    sudden?¡± I asked.


    He gazed up at the sky full of snow. ¡°Do you like it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do. It¡¯s beautiful!¡± It felt good to have a special ce in his heart.


    Suddenly, a bouquet of red roses appeared before my eyes. Before I could think for another second,


    Ashton had stood in front of me and gotten down on one knee.


    I froze on my spot.


    ¡°Wow!¡± A voice rang out. I turned around and saw the wedding couple standing not far from us.


    The guests of the wedding slowly gathered around. Ashton took out the ring box and opened it.


    I was shocked. Is he proposing to me?


    ¡°Scarlett, I owed you a proposal seven years ago. Can you give me a chance to make it up to you?¡±


    His proposal caught me off guard, but my heart had never experienced such warmth before. After a few


    seconds, I asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t we already married?¡±


    Emery interrupted, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. A romantic act like this is worth doing more than once. Besides, a


    romantic proposal is every girl¡¯s dream.¡±


    She then looked at Ashton and raised her voice. ¡°Ashton Fuller, our great president, you haven¡¯t said


    the most important words to her. Aren¡¯t you going to say the three words now?¡±


    Right now, the perfect-looking man was staring at me with affection. I could feel my face burning as our


    eyes met. I reached out to take the ring.


    He held my hand instead and put the ring on me. ¡°Scarlett Stovall, I¡¯ll stay with you till the end of time.¡±


    He didn¡¯t say ¡°I love you,¡± but what he said was an apt description of loving someone with all his heart.


    Smiling, I reached out to pull him up.


    Emery thought the proposal was rather dull. She couldn¡¯t help but whine, ¡°You two are just like an old


    married couple. You should be more passionate, or at least say something sweet.¡±


    ¡°Passion isn¡¯t the key to longsting love. No matter how passionate it is at first, it¡¯ll eventually dwindle.


    Love is embedded in every detail of life,¡± I replied.


    Witnessing the proposal, Cameron¡¯s eyes reddened as she looked at me. She was standing next to


    Zachary.


    Stunned, I recalled what she said to me on the phone the other day. ¡±Scarlett, I am Mom.¡±


    I felt estranged from the word ¡°Mom.¡± I almost forgot that everyone had a mother.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ashton hugged me in his arms as he noticed I spaced out.

 Chapter 525

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 525


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    It was getting dark. The banquet took ce in the hotel after the ceremony.


    It seemed that Emery was the one who gathered the crowd to witness Ashton¡¯s proposal. Actually, I


    preferred a simple love to a passionate one.


    The wedding was very grand and the guests were all prominent figures of the city. All of them were


    greeting and toasting each other.


    After witnessing the proposal, the others were curious about my identity. Previously, Ashton tried his


    best to protect my privacy when the scandals broke out.


    It was hard not to attract the other guests¡¯ attention when the Moore family and Ashton Fuller kept


    focusing on me.


    The spotlights shone brightly, pointing toward Ashton and me. I unwittingly lowered my head.


    Ashton whispered in my ear. ¡°Are you nervous?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯re a lot of people watching us.¡± I pretended to be collected, but my emotions were rioting inside.


    ¡°The banquets held by the Moore family are always grand. Don¡¯t worry. We have to face it anyway.¡±


    I nodded in response. He held my hand all the time when some guests approached us. I was rather


    awkward when they addressed me as ¡°Ms. Stovall.¡±


    I smiled in response. After a while, my face became stiffened.


    We were seated at a table full of exquisite dishes.


    It was a table for sixteen. Emery was busy serving the guests, along with Cameron and Zachary.


    Robert took a seat beside me, followed by Louis. Upon seeing us, Louis waved his hand and beckoned


    me over.


    ¡°Scarlett,e here.¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    I was not good at socializing. I instinctively looked at Ashton. Thetter patted on my hand and said,


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    I walked toward Louis and he gestured for me to sit down. ¡°Mr. Fuller, meet my daughter, Scarlett.¡±


    Robert nodded with a smile on his face. ¡°I¡¯ve met her. Emery said she¡¯s the daughter of the Moore


    family. Howe she¡¯s your daughter now?¡± Robert was confused.


    Louis gave augh. ¡°It¡¯s fate. I like this girl, so I took her in.¡±


    Robert nodded and smiled. ¡°I see. She¡¯s so blessed!¡±


    Everyone burst outughing. I curled my lips upward but didn¡¯t find it amusing at all.


    Based on my understanding, being blessed meant having a peaceful, happy life. I don¡¯t think so,


    though. I merely have good tolerance.


    Emery approached me and whispered, ¡°Scarlett,e with me. I¡¯m going to the hotel room to get


    changed. I¡¯m notfortable in this outfit.¡±


    It seemed that she had toasted all the guests, so she wanted to get changed. I nodded in agreement as


    I wasn¡¯tfortable in my outfit too.


    After we excused ourselves, we went upstairs. My mind wandered off while taking the elevator.


    ¡°Hey, what are you thinking about?¡± Emery¡¯s voice broke my train of thought.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± I shook my head.


    After we changed our clothes, Emery sprawled on the bed. ¡°I swear I¡¯ll only get married once in my life.


    It¡¯s too exhausting,¡± she whined.


    I pursed my lips and kept staring at my phone. I wasn¡¯t listening to her.


    Emery called me a couple of times before I snapped back to my senses. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I was a little


    lost.


    She frowned. ¡°No. What¡¯s wrong with you? You¡¯ve been spacing out since we walked into the elevator.


    What¡¯s on your mind?¡±


    ¡°Can you do me a favor?¡± I asked.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°My grandmother had left me a sandalwood box. Grandpa kept it for me. He then passed the box to me


    before he died, but I didn¡¯t keep it safe. Ashton lost it. However, I think he didn¡¯t lose it and he gave it to


    Cameron Anderson instead. She probably misunderstood because of the box. Can you help me look


    for the box? I think it may be kept in the Moore Residence. Or can you ask Cameron about its


    whereabouts?¡±


    Emery hesitated. ¡°Why do you suddenly think of the box?¡± she asked.


    ¡°It just popped up in my mind.¡± I couldn¡¯t tell her everything yet.


    Emery knew I was hiding something, but she didn¡¯t probe me further. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll try to find it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± I took a look at the time. It was gettingte at night.


    Summer was still in the vi. I had to go home now.


    When I went downstairs, Ashton was not there. I took a seat while waiting for him. Once he was back,


    then we could go home.


    He came back after a short while. His tall figure stood out among the crowd.


    I waved at him, then walked toward him. Before I could say something, he asked, ¡°Have you taken your


    meal?¡±


    I actually forgot about it. I followed Emery upstairs with an empty stomach.


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± He pulled me back to the dining table before I could tell him my intention of going


    home.


    He filled my te with different dishes.


    Someone came over to greet us with a toast. I was worried that he might need to driveter. ¡°I don¡¯t


    think you should drink. Aren¡¯t you going to driveter?¡±


    He downed it in one gulp before he answered, ¡°We have a driver.¡±


    After that, some of them wanted to drink with him and he weed them all.


    I ate my food in silence, but I had lost my appetite.

 Chapter 526

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 526


    He caught me staring nkly at the dishes and asked, ¡°Are you not hungry?¡±


    I nodded and pondered for a moment before responding, ¡°Emery brought some candies over and


    asked me to pass the candies to Summer.¡±


    He nodded and said, ¡°Mm. It¡¯s not good for kids to eat too much of it.¡±


    ¡°Is Aunt Sally okay?¡± Sally seemed to have calmed down ande to terms with what had happened.


    ¡°She¡¯s fine.¡± Someone came over and toasted to him. He acknowledged with a faint smile and drank to


    the toast.


    He saw me watching him and smiled in return. Then, he took the ss of water in front of him and


    handed it to me. ¡°Here, drink some water.¡±


    I was taken aback for a moment. Quickly, I raised my hand to take the ss from him. But before I


    could take it, he said, ¡°Forget it. Don¡¯t force yourself if you don¡¯t want to drink.¡±


    I could see that he wasn¡¯t in a good mood. He had been like that ever since I went down.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long day, and you must be tired. Let¡¯s go home.¡± I knew that he had been busy for the past


    few days in the office. Actually, he didn¡¯t have to attend today¡¯s wedding. But he came because of me.


    I reached out and held his hand. His fingers were long and slender, slightly cold to the touch.


    He was taken aback by my hand on his, but he smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    It was obvious that he drank a little too much because his breath smelled of alcohol.


    Once I pulled him out of the hotel, the driver drove the car over, and we got into it. As we sat in the car,


    he leaned his head on my shoulder. His breathing was shallow.


    It was unusual for him to be quiet.


    On the way back, he suddenly said, ¡°Stop the car.¡±


    The driver was a little confused but pulled the car over at the side of the road. Ashton got out of the car


    and threw up.


    I got out of the car to buy some water. When I returned, I saw him leaning against the car, and his eyes


    were closed.


    ¡°Here, rinse your mouth with this,¡± I said as I handed him a cup of water.


    He opened his eyes slightly and rinsed his mouth.


    As we resumed the journey, he leaned back on his seat, and his eyes were closed.


    Half an hourter, the car came to a stop outside of the vi. The driver threw Ashton¡¯s arm over his


    shoulder and helped him up to the bedroom. I went into the house and headed to the kitchen to make


    him a ss of honey water.


    But before I could step into the kitchen, I heard a loud retch from upstairs. I rushed upstairs and saw


    that Ashton had threw up again before he could enter the bedroom.


    The driver patted Ashton¡¯s back. I looked at Ashton, and for a moment, I did not know what to say.


    I helped him to the bedroom and put him to bed. Seeing that it was gettingte, I asked the driver to


    head home.


    After cleaning up the mess, I went back to the bedroom and saw Ashton lying still on the bed.


    I called out, ¡°Ashton!¡±


    He responded with a ¡°mm¡±.


    ¡°Go wash up before you go to sleep.¡± As I said that, I walked to him and undo the button on his coat.


    His clothes were pressed neatly earlier on, but now they were a little crumpled.


    Fortunately, he was cooperative even though he was drunk. I took off his coat and said, ¡°Go take a


    shower.¡±


    With a nod, he stood up and staggered into the bathroom. I went to retrieve his pajamas and towel


    before heading to the bathroom.


    Without even taking off his clothes, he turned on the shower and started to wash up.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    I put down the clothes in my hand and turned off the shower. I reached out to unbutton his shirt and


    said, ¡°Ashton, you have to remove your clothes first before taking a shower.¡±


    He nodded and his eyes appeared ssy. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Obediently, he took off his shirt.


    When he put aside his shirt, I was a little stunned by his lean and fit body.


    It¡¯s not that I had never seen his body before, but in this situation, I was a little shy and reluctant to


    remove his pants for him.


    Instinctively, I said, ¡°Ashton, take off your pants. I¡¯ll be waiting for you outside.¡±


    He nodded.


    I turned around and walked out of the bathroom, shutting the door behind me.


    After sitting in the bedroom for quite a while, I could finally hear the sound of running water from the


    bathroom.


    I folded the clothes that he took off and ced them outside of the bathroom.


    The sound of water stopped. After a long while, he still did not step out of the bathroom. I couldn¡¯t help


    but feel a little worried.


    Once I pushed open the door and entered, I saw Ashton¡¯s strong and muscr back. I turned around


    instinctively and said, ¡°Ashton, you have to put on your pajamas.¡±


    When there was no reply, I frowned and reiterated, ¡°Ashton¡­¡±


    Suddenly, he hugged me from behind, and I could feel the damp air surrounding me. I stiffened for a


    while and said breathlessly, ¡°Ashton, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Call me Hubby,¡± he said as he rested his chin on my shoulder. It felt a little strange to feel his hot


    breath on my neck.


    ¡°You¡­ put on your pajamas.¡± It was not like we never slept together before. But with my self-control, I


    was able to refrain myself and hardly went to bed with him.


    He didn¡¯t make any movement but hugged me tighter. I had changed into afortable nightgown ever


    since we got back from the wedding.


    Through the nightgown¡¯s thin fabric, I could feel his manhood stirring.


    After all, he was a man in the prime of life.


    I lifted my hand and ced it over his as I muttered, ¡°Ashton, it¡¯s gettingte.¡±


    He grunted in reply. Still intoxicated, he turned me around, and our eyes met.


    Without any surprise, he pressed his lips firmly to mine. It was an eager yet restrained kiss.


    Suffocating from his kiss, I raised my hand to stop him. But he grabbed my hand in return and said,


    ¡°Scarlett, have you been touched by him?¡±

 Chapter 527

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 527


    I was momentarily dumbstruck. Who was he referring to?


    ¡°What?¡±


    Without saying anymore, he lowered his head and kissed me deeply. It was as though he wanted to


    swallow me alive.


    He was being moody.


    I noticed it when we were at the hotel. But, why?


    I thought he was tired from work. But now, he didn¡¯t seem to be tired at all.


    In the bathroom¡¯s permeating heat, his raging desire was full-on.


    ¡°Ashton!¡± I said, but he had already lifted me up in his arms.


    He stopped his movements altogether. He stared at me with his dark eyes, and he was breathing


    heavily.


    I was obviously bewildered.


    ¡°Are you angry?¡± I asked cautiously.


    He looked at me with narrow eyes, but his gaze was soft and gentle as always.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to do it?¡± he asked hoarsely. His voice sounded restrained.


    I shook my head. ¡°I want it. But let¡¯s not do it here, okay?¡±


    He wrapped his arms around me. With a low voice, he said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    With me in his arms, he headed straight to the bedroom and gently put me on the bed.


    It was not the first time for me to sleep with him, but this time it felt different.


    That night, I couldn¡¯t fall asleep. My heart ached as Iy next to him.


    It was past midnight when I was woken up to the sound of Ashton groaning in pain. I sat up in bed and


    turned on the bedsidemp.


    Ashton was sweating profusely. With a frown on his face, he kept crying out in pain.


    He was having a nightmare.


    I woke him up. ¡°Ashton¡­¡±


    When he woke up and saw that it was me, he wrapped his arms tightly around me and said in a low


    and hoarse voice, ¡°Scarlett, please don¡¯t go.¡±


    I was momentarily startled, then I reached out my hand tofort him. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡±


    Lying back in bed, he hugged me as I wiped the sweat from his forehead. I asked, ¡°Did you have a


    nightmare?¡±


    He nodded. Then, he hugged me and drew in a deep, shaky breath. ¡°There¡¯s nothing but darkness.


    You¡¯re all I have, Scarlett.¡±


    Iter learned that I was not the only one who was drowning in pain. For the past four years, I had


    Summer, who helped mend my broken heart. But he was suffering in the dark all by himself.


    Moving closer to him, I huddled into his arms. ¡°I won¡¯t go anywhere as long as you need me. I¡¯ll forever


    be with you.¡±


    He was not the only one who was lonely. Ashton and I were like two puppets that had sunk to the


    bottom of the sea. We needed each other to endure the darkness that engulfed us.


    He said, ¡°Look at this empty room. Every time I woke up in the middle of the night, I was always


    surrounded by bleakness. It was as though you never existed in my life. Sometimes I wondered if I


    made you up and you were just an imaginary character because I was too lonely. The vi in J City


    always felt empty whenever I went there. I would then go to the cemetery to visit Grandma and


    Grandpa¡¯s graves. Their tombstones were so real and clear that it made me wonder again if I was in a


    dream. On the way back, I thought of driving off the cliff to wake myself up from the dream¡­¡±


    My heart ached as I took his hand in mine, interlocking our fingers together. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    He continued, ¡°Scarlett, Grandpa taught me how to thrive in the world of business and taught me how


    to face my enemies. But he never taught me how to love someone. I¡¯m sorry that I have hurt you.¡±


    I shook my head as tears fell from my eyes. ¡°I was too stubborn.¡±


    Nobody was perfect. For the past seven years, I had epted my life the way it was. But I never really


    considered things from his point of view.


    I loved him. But I didn¡¯t love him the way I should have.


    If I had told him what I was in my mind and didn¡¯t fake a miscarriage to deceive him and left him, he


    wouldn¡¯t be in his current state of mind.


    Then, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry that I would leave him after getting the backup of the Moore family. My


    child would not have to die and Macy would not have been dead because of me. My biological parents


    would not turn out the way they were then and live in regret now.


    That night, we embraced each other and we were open to each other.


    Love is a strength, not an emotion. Love is about giving not just taking. Tolerance and support for one


    another are a few of the most important qualities of love.


    Ashton said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to live another four long years of loneliness.¡±


    Hot tears brimmed in my eyes. ¡°There won¡¯t be another such four years. Let¡¯s go on like this for the rest


    of our lives.¡±


    He held me in a tight embrace and said in a deep voice, ¡°Tell me that you love me, Scarlett.¡±


    I lifted my head and looked at his chiseled face. In an earnest and steadfast voice, I said, ¡°I love you,


    Ashton.¡±


    He smiled brightly and said, ¡°I love you too.¡±


    This was the first time we poured our hearts out to each other.


    He said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I froze. ¡°What for?¡±


    Thank you for loving me. And thank you foring back to me.


    It was a long and cold winter in K City. Winter had startedst November and persisted till March.


    Summer caught a cold. After getting out of bed in the morning, I tried to shake her up, but she


    continued to sleep on.


    Ashton was nowhere in sight, but there was a note on the bedside table. ¡°It¡¯s cold. Remember to put on


    an extrayer of clothing. Drink more warm water.¡±Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.

 Chapter 528

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 528


    I smiled faintly and kept the note.


    Feeling a little worried at the sight of Summer¡¯s flushed face, I took out my phone and called Jared.


    ¡°Hello, Scarlett,¡± the man sounded cold and distant.


    But I did not mind. I was silent for a second before saying, ¡°Dr. Crest, can youe over to the vi?


    Summer is having a fever. I don¡¯t want to bring her to the hospital because I¡¯m afraid of cross-infection.¡±


    It was an excuse. But there must be a starting point for everything, otherwise, things wouldn¡¯t be done.


    There was a moment of silence from the other end of the phone. Then, he replied, ¡°Alright.¡±


    With that said, he ended the call.


    About twenty minutester, he arrived at the doorstep. I was a little surprised when I opened the door.


    ¡°Were you somewhere nearby when I called?¡± It would take him at least forty minutes to get here from


    where he lived. For him to be here so soon, it had to mean that he was nearby.


    He pursed his lips and ignored my question. He asked, ¡°How¡¯s Summer?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s still running a high fever.¡± I stepped out of the way and let him in.


    Without removing his shoes, he came in with a doctor¡¯s bag in his hand. I watched hime in and


    thought that Jared was quite caring towards Summer.


    Well, blood is thicker than water.


    I followed him into Summer¡¯s bedroom. He took her temperature before turning to look at me and said,


    ¡°Do you have some ice cubes at home?¡±


    I nodded and said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Wrap the ice cubes with a towel and sponge her. Bring me some thick nkets and turn off the


    heater.¡±


    Having said that, he started to rummage through his bag.


    I was shocked. ¡°It¡¯s cold, and she¡¯s running a fever. Will she be alright if I turn off the heater?¡±


    He halted his movements, lifted his head to look at me with narrow eyes. ¡°Who¡¯s the doctor now?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± I stopped myself. Then, I turned around and went into the kitchen to gather some ice cubes. I


    did as he asked by turning off the heater and brought over some thick nkets.


    Once I had everything prepared, he looked at me with a frown and said, ¡°Leave it to me to tend to her.


    Go and wait in the living room.¡±


    I wanted to say something, but it seemed that he didn¡¯t want me to be in the room. He also noticed that


    I didn¡¯t put on enough warm clothing.


    So I walked out of Summer¡¯s bedroom. There was a stove in the bedroom, and Ashton had arranged


    for the part-time maid to light up the stove every morning. The heat from it couldst the entire day, so


    it wasn¡¯t that cold in the room.


    About half an hourter, Jared came out of the room. He ced his bag on the table in the living room


    and went to the kitchen to wash his hands.


    He said, ¡°Her fever has subsided. Have her rest at home for the next two days. Fix her something light


    to eat. No sour, spicy, and fried food.¡±


    After a pause, he continued, ¡°The medicine is in the room. She should only take it once a day. Don¡¯t


    give her any more than that. It¡¯s not good for children to take too much of it.¡±


    I nodded. I was standing beside him, and I could see the dark circles under his eyes. It was obvious


    that he had not been sleeping well.


    After giving it some thought, I said, ¡°It¡¯s snowing again. It¡¯ll be noon soon. Why don¡¯t you stay for


    lunch?¡±


    I had to admit, but there was a time that I didn¡¯t want to see him. I didn¡¯t even want him to step into the


    house.


    I even hoped that Ashton would break ties with him. That way, no one else would take Summer away


    from me.


    But I couldn¡¯t be so selfish.


    He paused for a second before turning off the water. He wiped his hands on a hand towel and looked at


    me sideways. ¡°Are you cooking?¡±


    I¡­


    I hesitated for a while and nodded. After thinking about it, I said, ¡°I¡¯ll be cooking shortly. Please do me a


    favour and keep an eye on Summer while I cook.¡±


    He frowned. Then, he nodded in agreement.


    I breathed a sigh of relief. Instead of staying in the living room, he went straight into Summer¡¯s


    bedroom.


    After all, he was her father, and she had a special ce in his heart.


    That was why Ashton and I always wanted a child.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    I took out some ingredients from the refrigerator and made some simple and light dishes.


    Soon, lunch was ready for the three of us.


    When I went to Summer¡¯s bedroom to let them know that lunch was ready, Summer was already


    awake, and she was sitting on the bed ying games with Jared.


    Her voice was hoarse, and she was coughing fromughing too hard. With a doting look on his face,


    Jared patted her back to ease her cough.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to eat,¡± I said, interrupting the father and daughter¡¯s bonding time.


    Should I be magnanimous?


    I still felt a little ufortable when I saw them having a good time. After all, this child was brought up


    by me.


    She¡¯s my salvation!


    Both of them were jolted back to their senses. The smile on Jared¡¯s face faded. He got up and bent


    over to carry Summer.


    Summer stretched out her hands and said with a smile on her face, ¡°Mommy, I was ying riddles with


    Mr. Crest. I asked him if he were to smash his head with durian and watermelon, which would be more


    painful? Have a guess. Which one?¡±


    Jared came out of the bedroom with Summer in his arms. I was focused on both the interaction


    between the father and his daughter.


    I answered, ¡°Durian.¡±


    Summer burst outughing and started to cough again.

 Chapter 529

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 529


    Jared patted her back and said, ¡°Your throat is still sore. No moreughing.¡±


    Although his words sounded stern, the affection in his tone was obvious.


    Summer looked at me and said, ¡°Mommy, you have the same answer as Mr. Crest. It¡¯s impossible for


    durian and watermelon to feel hurt. Your head will be the one in pain.¡±


    For the next few minutes, Summer continued to y riddles with Jared.


    At the dining table, Summer ate more than usual. She was so excited and joyful throughout the meal.


    Shortly after lunch, she fell asleep.


    Jared got up from the sofa and picked up his doctor¡¯s bag as he prepared to leave.


    I was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°Dr. Crest, can I have a word with you?¡±


    He pressed his lips together and nodded. Then, he sat back down and looked at me with dullness in his


    eyes.


    I took a deep breath and went straight to the point. ¡°When Macy left, she told me never to let Summer


    know that you are her father.¡±


    His eyes turned cold, with a pained expression on his face. He said, ¡°I can understand.¡±


    ¡°Summer is your child and no one can deny that,¡± I said calmly. ¡°Including Macy.¡±


    He was a little surprised and looked at me with a frown. ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°This is a matter between you and Macy. It¡¯s none of my business. But I have no choice but to


    intervene now. I raised Summer myself and treated her as my own daughter. I hope you can


    understand that.¡±


    He nodded and sat there calmly, as though waiting for me to finish what I have to say.


    I pursed my lips and said, ¡°You and Ashton are good friends. He¡¯s a man who needs a little extra


    emotional support. Of course, same goes to each and everyone of us. And I don¡¯t wish for us to quarrel


    and part in bad terms.¡±


    After a pause, I continued, ¡°I will let Summer know that you are her father, but we¡¯ll have to wait till


    she¡¯s eighteen years old before breaking the news to her. Then, it¡¯ll be up to her to decide if she wants


    to acknowledge you as her father or otherwise. Of course, within the eighteen years, you maye


    and see her anytime you want. And if the Crest family can take good care of her, then I will agree to let


    her go to the Crest family during the holidays.¡±


    He was momentarily stunned. It was as though he never thought that I would say such a thing to him.


    He also never even thought that I would ultimately give in.


    For a long time, he looked at me solemnly and asked, ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    I nodded and said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure. I didn¡¯t make this decision because of you. I did it for Ashton. I don¡¯t


    want him to end his long-term friendship with you all because of me. I hope that you guys will maintain


    your friendship fin the years toe.¡±


    He seemed a little surprised, and he was silent for a while before he spoke again. ¡°Thank you,


    Scarlett.¡±


    He was still a man of little words.


    I lowered my gaze and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me. Although I don¡¯t know how deep you feel for


    Macy, I know for sure that you love Summer. In my opinion, it¡¯s not a bad thing for one more person to


    shower Summer with love.¡±


    Having said what needs to be said, I was prepared to let him leave.


    He was silent for a moment and said, ¡°I want to take Summer to W City. Not to introduce her to the


    Crest family, but to bring her there for sightseeing. I made a promise to Macy before that I would bring


    her to W City.¡±


    I frowned and felt a lump in my throat. But I nodded and said, ¡°Okay. But I don¡¯t want her gone for too


    long.¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Just for three days.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t keep Summer by my side forever. Sooner orter, she was going to grow up and leave me.


    After seeing Jared out, I went to Summer¡¯s bedroom. I couldn¡¯t believe how much she had grown as I


    looked at her.


    Unknowingly, I became a socialite in K City, all because of Emery¡¯s wedding.


    It could either be Emery¡¯s way of introducing me, or it could be Louis¡¯ doing.


    Unintentionally, I became a well-known socialite in K City.


    I took a call from Emery while Summer was still sleeping.


    There was some background noise but I could hear her clearly. ¡°Scarlett, I found the sandalwood box


    that you wanted. It¡¯s with Cameron. I told her that you want it, and she said she¡¯ll give it to you. So I¡¯ll


    mail it to youter.¡±


    I nodded. Not wanting to disturb Summer¡¯s sleep, I lowered my voice and walked out of the bedroom.


    It was hot in the living room as I leaned back on the sofa and said, ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble you then.¡±


    She scoffed, ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all.¡±


    After a few seconds of silence, she said, ¡°There¡¯s something I don¡¯t know if I should tell you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    Emery took a moment before she said, ¡°Ashton and Marcus fought at the wedding banquet. I heard


    from Hunter that there was some exchange between them before the fight. Hunter said it was no big


    deal, but Ashton seemed very angry about it. Marcus must have said something to him.¡±


    I pursed my lips and thought back to the night at the banquet. He had been acting strange and got


    himself drunk. Was it all because of something that Marcus had said?

 Chapter 530

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 530


    ¡°Are you still there, Scarlett?¡± Emery asked on the other side of the line.


    ¡°Yes.¡± After a pause, I asked, ¡°Where are you going for your honeymoon?¡±


    She thought about it and said, ¡°I had a talk with Hunter, and we decided to go to the Mirea for our


    honeymoon. The weather is nice over there.¡±


    There was a noiseing from the bedroom, so I quickly said, ¡°Have a safe flight then. I think Summer


    is up, so I have to go and check on her.¡±


    We said our goodbyes and hung up.


    Summer was awake. She was curled up under the nket, and she still appeared to be weak. When


    she saw me, she said softly, ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m thirsty.¡±


    I poured her a ss of water and brought it to her lips. I ced my hand on her forehead to check her


    temperature and found that the fever had subsided.


    ¡°Mommy.¡± Seeing that I was lost in thought, Summer called out to me and passed me the cup.


    I came around and took the cup from her hand.


    Then, I pulled the nket up to her chin and asked, ¡°Do you want to sleep for a little while more?¡±


    Summer shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to sleep anymore. Did Mr. Crest say that I can get out of bed?¡±


    I smiled faintly and said, ¡°Of course, you can.¡±


    With that, she threw the nket off her and got out of bed. Although her fever had subsided, she still


    seemed a little tired.


    It had stopped snowing. Standing by the window, I stared at the snow-covered ground and was lost in


    thought.


    What was the exchange between Ashton and Marcus? It must have been something that triggered both


    men to be in a fight.


    Ashton had always been able to keep his emotions under control, and he wouldn¡¯t get angry easily.


    An hourter, I received a call from Camelia. ¡°Let¡¯s have a talk, Scarlett.¡±


    I could tell from her tone that she was anxious. ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Are you free to go out?¡±


    I cast a nce at Summer. She was lying on the sofa, and she was about to fall asleep.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not.¡±


    There was a pause before she said, ¡°Ashton bought most of the White Corporation¡¯s shares at a high


    price. Together with the fake news of White Corporation¡¯s shares falling, the rumours about the three of


    you, and him cooperating with other investmentpanies to crush White Corporation. Why is he so


    ruthless?¡±


    I know nothing much about the stock market. But from what Camelia had said, it seemed to have


    reached a critical stage.


    ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure about this. Perhaps you can find out what did Marcus said to Ashton at Emery¡¯s


    wedding.¡± Women should never interfere in the battle among men.


    She sighed. ¡°Scarlett, you don¡¯t have to worry about any losses because Ashton is backed by a ten-


    year HiTechpany. But that is not the case with White Corporation. For the past few years, things


    are not looking good. OrbitTech was acquired by White Corporation in a short four years¡¯ span.


    Although it¡¯s profitable, it can¡¯t bepared to HiTech. Ashton loves you, so please ask him to have


    some mercy.¡±


    I felt a sense of annoyance after hearing that. mping down on my emotion, I asked, ¡°Did Marcus


    asked you to say that?¡±


    ¡°Are you angry?¡± she asked irritably in return.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett, Marcus is my fianc¨¦ and the father of my child. I have to defend him and help him. You can


    resent me all you want. But I¡¯m begging you, please.¡±


    ¡°Ashton is my husband. Did you ever think of that before you asked me to help you?¡± I sighed and


    continued. ¡°Camelia, you and I are the same. We stand by our men.¡±


    After a pause, I said, ¡°I won¡¯t intervene in the matters concerning Marcus and White Corporation. If you


    really think of me as your friend, please stop with this emotional ckmail. I won¡¯t participate in the


    business affairs and I won¡¯t do anything to go against Ashton.¡±


    I hung up the phone andposed myself. When I turned around, I saw that Summer had fallen


    asleep.


    Initially, I wanted to sit for the admission test. But as the day went by, I missed my admission test.


    That evening.


    When Ashton returned home, he looked somewhat tired, probably still a little hungover.


    Seeing me sitting dazedly in the living room, he put down the car key and walked over to me. He pulled


    me into his arms and asked gently, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you give me a call?¡±


    I was taken aback for a moment. I looked up at him, and my eyes fell on his evening shadow. ¡°I¡¯m


    afraid that you¡¯re busy.¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    He leaned his head on my shoulder and said, ¡°Nothing is more important than you.¡±


    After a few seconds, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s for dinner?¡± He scanned the living room and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s


    Summer?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s asleep in her bedroom. She was running a fever this morning,¡± I said. I wondered if I should ask


    him about Marcus.


    He nodded and cuddled me. ¡°Jared came over?¡±


    I answered with a yes. After being silent for a moment, I looked up at him and said, ¡°I saw the news this


    morning. Fuller Corporation bought quite a few shares in OrbitTech. Is Fuller Corporation venturing into


    the AI sector?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a straightforward question. But he had a strong insight, and he could tell what I really wanted


    to ask.


    Ashton¡¯s expression darkened and he asked, ¡°Who called you today?¡±


    For a moment, he realized that his tone was a little too harsh. He controlled himself and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take


    care of the business side of things. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    Although he sounded gentle, there was a hint of coldness in his words.


    I understood what he meant. He didn¡¯t want me to get involved, and he had his own way of dealing with


    the matter between Marcus and him.

 Chapter 531

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 531


    I pursed my lips and looked down at my fingers. ¡°Give yourself a break.¡±


    He got up, and before heading to his study, he turned towards me. ¡°Actually, there are still some things


    I need to deal with. I¡¯ll try to get it done asap, and see you in a bit.¡±


    I mellowed as I saw him walked further away. When I finally came back to my senses, I realized I forgot


    to check if he wanted dinner.


    Regardless, I went to the kitchen, made some spaghetti, and brought it upstairs.


    The door was left ajar, and I could see him on the phone.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what the conversation was about. The fountain pen in his handnded so heavily on the


    contract that it pierced through it. The ink spread into quite a sizeable area from the persistent


    pressure. Something vexatious was brewing.


    Those solemn dark eyes of his noticed what¡¯d happened, but his hand was still driving the pen deeper


    into the table.


    ¡°Are you done?¡± Fury shadowed his face.


    The person on the other end of the line seemed to sense the tightness in his voice. Nevertheless, the


    conversation continued.


    ¡°Brothers? Him and I? You don¡¯t know what the market is like,¡± Ashton growled.


    Yup, he is angry.


    After he hung up, ferocity lurked in every corner of his narrowed eyes. He nced at the patch of ink,


    lifted his hand, and proceeded with signing as if everything was okay.


    Ssh! The flick of his wrist spilled his coffee.


    He maintained his poise, pulled a few sheets of tissue, and pressed his desk dry.


    All these years jostling in the market had made him stoic. A poker face was his go-to expression.


    After going through certain phases in life, a man would know clearly what he desired and what he¡¯d


    rather keep his hands off. Those were the means of survival.


    Knock, knock!


    Ashton looked towards the door and saw me standing outside. ¡°So, what have you brought me?¡± The


    gloom that was on his face a second ago vanished. A faint smile supervened.


    I smiled back and walked into the room. After putting the spaghetti on his desk, I wiped the remaining


    coffee off, feigning oblivion.


    After that, I scooped the tissues from his hand and chucked them into the bin. ¡°I¡¯ve made some


    meatball spaghetti. It¡¯s my first time making it though.¡±


    He gave out a warm twinkle, sat himself down, and munched away as if what happened just now was a


    trivial event.


    ¡°By the way, how¡¯s Aunt Sally?¡± I asked as I tidied the desk.


    Sally was Marcus¡¯ stepmother. Thus, it wasn¡¯t wrong to say that Ashton and Marcus are cousins.


    ¡°Umph!¡± He responded with spaghetti still bunged up in his mouth.


    My eyes looked towards the documents on the desk. It was the proposal of the acquisition on White


    Corporation drafted two years ago.


    Why was it only signed now?


    I scrunched some tissues and dapped on the spread ink.


    ¡°It won¡¯te off!¡± I whined. ¡°Ink is the hardest thing to remove. Moreover, it¡¯s on paper.¡± Coming from


    behind was his low and calming voice.


    I curled my lips and put down the document. I couldn¡¯t get myself to ask him about what happened.


    Looking at the empty te, my sense of aplishmentunched me into an attention-seeking puppy.


    ¡°How was it?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Invigorating.¡± Then, he kissed me on my forehead. ¡°Also, Hannah should be discharged


    soon. Let¡¯s pay her a visit tomorrow.¡±


    It was amazing how he kept track of such paltry matters. ¡°Sure thing!¡± I bobbed my head, and as I tilted


    my chin up, I purred, ¡°Ashton, shall we make an appointment to remove the vasclip?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°The past should be left in the past, shouldn¡¯t it? Summer was born to the Crest family. I love her as


    much as I love you. With Jared visiting her every now and then, she¡¯ll be showered with more love.¡±


    There was a short pause before heid his eyes on me. ¡°You¡¯ve given Jared the green light to see


    Summer?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I¡¯m in no position to oppose as he¡¯s her father after all. Plus, I¡¯d love to have a child of our


    own.¡±


    His muscles went taut upon hearing those words before his smile grew wider. ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am!¡±


    He was with me on this.


    Finally, something to cheer our day up.


    As for the thing between him and Marcus, I guessed it¡¯d be better if I stayed out of it.


    After putting the fork and te onto the tray, I headed back downstairs.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Summer was as active as a hungry squirrel after sleeping for the whole day. She was running around


    with Snowfluff in the living room.


    It was nice to have a dog to keep herpany.


    Contrary to the tranquil and snowyndscape outside, Ashton was so wrapped up with work that I


    almost thought he was at the office all the time.


    ¡°Mommy, does Mr. Fuller have tons and tons of work to do? It looks like he¡¯s having a hard time.¡±


    ¡°Summer, one has to bite the bullet and endure extreme pain to gain the respect of others. Physical


    pain is nothing.¡±


    The toughest pain to undergo would be the torment in the deepest corner of the soul.


    Camelia appeared in our yard out of the blue. But since she was here, it was only right of me to extend


    my hospitality.


    Her face and ears were crimson red. ¡°Scarlett, I thought you were trying to help Marcus when you gave


    him all your savings. Now I see your foul intentions! How could you set him up? You and Ashton are


    the same!¡±

 Chapter 532

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 532


    I was utterly flustered. ¡°Wait a minute. Tell me what¡¯s going on, and we¡¯ll talk about it.¡±


    I kept my cool.


    She followed up with a sneer. ¡°The money you channeled to Marcus for extra cash flow was HiTech¡¯s


    earnings throughout these years. Has ite to your mind that this illegal loan would crush him? If the


    media disclosed this, White Corporation¡¯s stocks would plummet and pulverize the White family. You


    are one cold-blooded cunning b*tch, Scarlett.¡±


    ¡°Illegal loan?¡± I didn¡¯t get it.


    HiTech¡¯s profits had always been under my ount, but I¡¯d never used it. If it weren¡¯t for Marcus, it


    would¡¯ve remained as it was.


    ¡°The money loaned was all legal earnings. How on earth would it be illegal?¡±


    ¡°You should ask your husband.¡± She let out a contemptuous grin. ¡°You couple are so good at ying


    good cop bad cop and would show no mercy.¡± Okay, that only made me more flummoxed.


    My tongue tied up for a bit but managed to unravel itself eventually. ¡°If this mess was caused by the


    money I¡¯d loaned, I¡¯ll take full responsibility. Please leave as it¡¯s reallyte now.¡±


    We were still friends after all. I didn¡¯t think it was nice to be too harsh with my words.


    On top of that, it was understandable that her emotions got the best of her since she was currently


    pregnant.


    After seeing her out, I went to Ashton¡¯s study. He was taking a puff on the balcony.


    The smoke fogged the room, and it wasn¡¯t friendly on the nose. I looked at the clock and stood behind


    him. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s already eleven. Wanna call it a day?¡±


    He kept quiet. His slender figure somehow felt alien to me.


    My eyes wandered onto the table and saw the same acquisition contract lying on the desk.


    ¡°I was the one who gave Marcus the money. He saved my life, and thus, I owed him one. If he weren¡¯t


    desperate, he wouldn¡¯t have epted it. Now we¡¯re even.¡±


    Ashton didn¡¯t budge. The smoke from the cigarette between his fingers stung every strand of my


    olfactory nerves.


    I then rposed myself and carried on. ¡°If you are upset because I didn¡¯t talk to you about this?


    Then, me me. It has nothing to do with White Corporation. Ashton, if you¡¯re acquiring White


    Corporation because of this, you¡¯re doing Marcus injustice.¡±


    ¡°Injustice?¡± He wrenched around and red at me. ¡°Tell me, Scarlett, what¡¯s justice?¡±


    That irked me. ¡°Ashton, didn¡¯t we say that the past is the past? What¡¯s bothering you?¡±


    Was it jealousy that drove him cruel? Was it because he still couldn¡¯t get over the fact that Marcus gave


    me a month of tender love and care?


    He mmed up as his squinted eyes, brimming with anger, pierced through mine. ¡°Who was here?¡±


    I could feel foulness creeping onto me as he inched closer. ¡°Or did Marcus call you?¡±


    Out of natural instinct, I clenched tight to my phone and took a few steps back.


    ¡°Ashton, this shouldn¡¯t be happening!¡±


    He raised his brows. ¡°Be a good girl. Give me the phone.¡±


    I looked down and bit my lip. It wasn¡¯t that I have anything to hide from him, but it was his intimidating


    stance that made me held on to my phone so dearly.


    Snap! He snatched the phone over.


    Thest call was from Camelia.


    ¡°Trying to be ¡®best friends¡¯ with her, eh?¡± He gave a scornful grin.


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    Startled by his mockery, I gaped at him.


    ¡°Stop overthinking. We¡¯re different. I don¡¯t burn bridges unlike you. I¡¯d never push anyone to a dead


    end, expose all my fiendish intentions, and execute them unscrupulously.¡±


    I was calm andposed when I uttered those hurtful words, thanks to the hell I had been through in


    the four years.


    Crash! Ashton mmed the phone on the floor, and it was in bits and pieces. His pent-up fury got the


    best of him.


    We¡¯d been together for seven years, and never had I saw him exploded with wrath. It almost made me


    believed that his vehemence could eat me up alive.


    Stupefied, I stared at him nkly as this dark and bloodthirsty character simmered inside him.


    There was one moment where I actually thought he would hit me.


    But he only smacked his lips and spoke. ¡°Sever the ties between you and Marcus and stay out of


    anything that has to do with him. As for Camelia, stop talking to her.¡±


    To have myself hurt for the benefit of others was just not worth it. It was funny how rage could


    overthrow one¡¯s gentility and propriety.


    Ashton¡¯s sudden burst of anger was the result of repressed emotions.


    I understood where it came from and decided to tolerate it. We all needed to channel our frustrations


    somewhere somehow, right?


    That was why I quietly left the room. We weren¡¯t kids anymore.


    When emotions kicked in, despite how hysterical it became, even to the extent of howling in your heart


    and wishing to part, we couldn¡¯t just smash things, nor should we simply run away.

 Chapter 533

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 533


    Grown-ups were conditioned to mask all crumbles and rumbles with insouciance.


    When I got back to the bedroom, I went on with my routine¡ªI took a shower, brushed my teeth, blew


    my hair, and went to bed.


    However, I was just tossing and turning.


    This very night, Ashton didn¡¯te to bed.


    Both of us had our own emotions to deal with. To talk it out would only cut deeper into our wounds.


    As I finally started to zone out a bit in the wee hours of the night, a man opened the door. ¡°Scarlett.¡± In


    a deep soft tone, he called out my name.


    He walked up to my bedside and murmured my name a few more times but eventually stopped. I


    wasn¡¯t responding


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± His voice whispered contrition.


    I couldn¡¯t be bothered, and let my self sink deep into my sleep.


    By the time I batted my eyelids open, it was alreadyte afternoon.


    I got up and went down to Summer¡¯s bedroom. That was when I saw a middle-ageddy in the living


    room.


    Her name was Flora, the new caregiver Ashton hired. She greeted me affably and went back to her


    task.


    Ashton had hired her to take care of Summer.


    Summer had gotten much better, and was ying with Snowfluff in the yard.


    Seeing this sight, I decided to let it be, and just as I started to head back to my room, Flora called out.


    ¡°Madam, lunch is ready. Would you like me to send it to your room?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll be right down.¡± And I trod back to my room.


    After freshening up, I sat at my dresser, and only then did I notice how long my hair had grown. It was


    around my waist now.


    Back in university, I¡¯d always preferred to have it cropped to my shoulders. Macy once made a joke


    about it, saying that I could use my short hair to turn down love confessions. All I had to do was tell the


    person to wait till my hair grew to my waist and never let that happen.


    The guy would get the message sooner orter.


    I chuckled from the thought of the past. What might seem silly for that instance had turned into a heart-


    warming memory that could be savored forever.


    Serendipity worked in its own peculiar ways. No matter the twists and turns our lives took, what was


    yours would always fall into your hands. On the contrary, despite persistent efforts, you¡¯d eventually


    lose what was meant for someone else.


    Tap, tap, tap¡­ That must be Flora.


    I turned around while braiding my hair. To my surprise, it wasn¡¯t her but Ashton.


    Slowly, I swiveled back, and everything went half the pace.


    Didn¡¯t we quarrelst night?


    His hand softly caressed my shoulders, and I could see his gentle eyes observing my every braid


    through the mirror. There wasn¡¯t a tinge of viciousness.


    I kept my gaze low, refusing to meet his, and kept on with my business. But there¡¯s a limit to my hair


    length, meaning I had toe to a stop eventually.


    I chose silence, and so did he.


    Huh!


    I took a breath, and right before I could ask my question, Ashton put out his. ¡°We¡¯re going to visit


    Hannahter. Do you wanna put on some makeup?¡±


    Oh my, it totally slipped my mind! We spoke about thisst night.


    I appreciated his initiative. He never had to give in since he¡¯d been treated like a king his whole life, so I


    had to say or do something.


    I nodded and opened the drawer as I took out the hairband, and tied my hair with it.


    ¡°Do you still have to go to thepany?¡± I rubbed my lips with chapstick.


    I forwent the idea of putting on make-up as I wasn¡¯t really in the mood for it. Plus, it¡¯d take time to


    remove it. A chapstick would do the trick.


    ¡°You are so pretty!¡± He tried to butter me up in a childlike manner.


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    That put a smile across my face as I stood up and went into the wardrobe.


    At the dining table.


    I wasn¡¯t hungry in the first ce. Ashton¡¯s phone rang when we were few bites into ourte lunch. It


    was Joseph.


    Ashton assumed that it must¡¯ve been about thepany and excused himself.


    He got on his feet as he answered the call and turned his back towards the table. His conversation was


    a string of technical terms, which sounded like a foreignnguage to me.


    One thing that I was positive about was that he was acquiring White Corporation progressively.


    The jacket potatoes on my te didn¡¯t manage to whet my appetite. Scrape! My chair dragged the floor


    as I got up.


    Seeing that I was about to leave, he ruffled and hung up. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s the matter? Is the food not to


    your liking?¡±


    Flora was definitely on edge when she heard that. After all, it was her first day at work, and aint


    would send her straight home.


    I shook my head and said, ¡°I¡¯m not particrly hungry.¡±


    Then, I went upstairs to grab my purse. I need to stop sandwiching myself between Ashton and


    Marcus, regardless of my intentions. Me handing him the money instead of Ashton would send out a


    different message.


    Who knew what horrendous actions Ashton would take if I were to put my oar in again? The only way


    out was to stay out of it.


    I reached for the gold bracelet that I bought for Hannah. It was meant for her baby¡¯s one-month-old


    celebration.


    John mentioned before that due to the freezing weather in K City, they¡¯d just celebrate the asion


    over a nice dinner with their family.

 Chapter 534

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 534


    Ashton¡¯s cheeks plumped up when he saw meing downstairs. He was in the middle of telling Flora


    the dos and don¡¯ts around the house and with Summer.


    ¡°All set?¡± he asked. I nodded, and we headed out.


    Once I got into the car parked in the yard, Ashton carefully ced a box in my hands and started the


    engine. ¡°This is HiTech¡¯stest model.¡±


    I staggered before lifting the cover. Insidey a ssy new phone with a diamonds cast gold rim. Quite


    fashionable, I¡¯d say.


    Right, he smashed my phonest night.


    I then took it out from the box, gave it a rough scan, and slid it into my purse.


    Our journey to Hannah¡¯s ce was in absolute silence.


    John bought Hannah a vi in South District. It was baroque-inspired, and the yard was a medley of


    flora. Unfortunately, the deep snow took center stage this season.


    John hired two caregivers to take care of Hannah and the baby. He wasn¡¯t home when we got there.


    Hannah was still in confinement. She came down to the living room when she heard our car¡¯s rumbling


    engineing to a stop.


    She was in her warm puffy pajamas and looked rather pale as if she was just done with the delivery.


    It took her some effort to squeeze out a smile. ¡°Hey, how¡¯s it going?¡±


    ¡°Not bad. But you lost so much weight!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but noticing how gauntly thin she had be.


    ¡°This is what happens once the baby¡¯s out,¡± she chuckled.


    She then gestured for us to take a seat and had the caregiver bring us water.


    I looked around but saw no signs of the child. ¡°Where¡¯s the baby?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s sleeping upstairs.¡± She then passed me a ss of water. ¡°You know, he¡¯s premature and will


    need to lounge a bit longer in the incubator.¡±


    Despite her light-hearted statement, I still felt sorry for her.


    ¡°Summer was like that too. But things got better as she grew up,¡± I sighed.


    Ashton sat quietly like a totem pole. He would pick up his drink or hang up an iing call once in a


    while.


    Hannah started noticing it and decided to break that drill. ¡°Ashton, I bet that you¡¯ve never seen a one-


    month-old baby. Why don¡¯t you go upstairs and check it out? At least you¡¯ll know what it¡¯s like when it¡¯s


    you and Scarlett¡¯s turn.¡±


    He looked at me for a bit and nodded before being led up to the second floor by the caregiver.


    Once he was out of sight, Hannah asked, ¡°You had a fight, hadn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°No, why?¡± I denied.


    ¡°Come on. It was as obvious as a garish billboard! What made the almighty Mr. Fuller reduced into a


    gawper, listening to our dull conversation and declining calls from thepany? You guys must¡¯ve


    been in a fight for him to tiptoe around you.¡±


    Was that considered a fight?


    I just tilted my head and smiled. Period. End of discussion.


    We chattered on till it was time to go home. As Ashton and I left, I blurted, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± His worried eyes swiveled towards me.


    ¡°Your vasclips.¡±


    His mind went nk for a couple of seconds before turning the car around and drove to the hospital.


    As I waited outside the operation room, his phone rang. It was from Joseph. I was fully aware that I


    shouldn¡¯t be meddling with his calls, but it had been buzzing relentlessly. Thinking that it might be


    something urgent, I picked it up.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, the Bureau of Industry and Commerce is running an investigation on White Corporation,


    meaning it would be closed for some time. Do you still want me to give the media the video clip of Mr.


    White¡¯s mother?¡± Joseph spewed his updates the moment the line got through.


    Sharon¡¯s video?


    ¡°What video?¡± My fuddled mind demanded an answer.


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller?¡± Joseph was taken aback. Little did he know that I¡¯d be on the other end.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Fuller.¡±


    ¡°Joseph, Ashton is upied at the moment. But let me tell you something. We need to know where to


    draw the line.¡± I tried to sound less pushy. ¡°I¡¯m in no position to tell him how to run his business, but


    you, someone who¡¯s been working for him for so many years, should know what his rash decisions


    would lead to. To exterminate a fellow businessman is a big no-no. It wasn¡¯t only his capability that kept


    the ball rolling in K City for the past four years, but also the eptance of the big shots he was dealing


    with.¡±


    It¡¯s a dog-eat-dog world out there. Yet, there¡¯s a limit to how vicious you can be to your opponent to


    ensure amity among allies. Who knows they might be next in line?


    A pause ensued. ¡°I understand, Mrs. Fuller.¡±


    After I hung up, I tried to get a grip on myself. It was since Emery¡¯s wedding that Ashton turned so


    irascible.


    What did Marcus do to cause Ashton to brew such brutish intentions?N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

 Chapter 535

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 535


    Roughly an hourter, Ashton was out. He was in his usual poker face.


    ¡°Sorry to have kept you waiting.¡± There was a gentle twitch at the corners of his mouth.


    I shook my head and held his hand. ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    I heard that it¡¯d be awfully painful.


    ¡°So what if it does? What are you gonna do?¡± He gave a cheeky grin.


    I closed my eyes and brushed my lips on his. ¡°Will this work?¡±


    Cough! The doctor tried to make his presence felt. ¡°You¡¯ll need toe back for a check-up in a week,


    and try resuming intercourse only after a month¡¯s time.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, doctor.¡± It was pretty awkward to be seen smooching. My face was still blushing after


    saying my thanks.


    We lingered at the hospital for another hour till the pain subsided.


    It was already nightfall when we got back to the vi. After having dinner with Ashton, Emery called.


    ¡°Hey, remember that sandalwood box that I wanted to mail to you? I¡¯ve been swamped, and it slipped


    off my mind. You free tonight? Let¡¯s grab a drink.¡± She didn¡¯t sound happy.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll see youter.¡± It didn¡¯t take me long to say yes. Ashton was in his study. He had been warm


    and sweet recently, but I somehow felt that he had something in the back of his mind.


    I went to his study only to see him flipping through arge pile of documents Joseph brought back.


    He looked up when he heard my footsteps. ¡°Are you bored?¡±


    ¡°Nah. Actually, Emery asked me out for a drink.¡±


    He nodded and closed the folder in front of him. ¡°Right, what¡¯s the address? I¡¯ll send you there.¡±


    I didn¡¯t budge. ¡°You still have a lot of things to do, and I can get there myself. Don¡¯t think you should be


    moving around much after the operation, anyway.¡±


    ¡°Okay. So how long will you be there?¡± He raised his brows, waiting for my answer.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Two hours.¡± I guessed that Emery must¡¯ve been caught up with some rtionship troubles.


    His puckered his lips. ¡°One hour. Give me the address, and I¡¯ll pick you up after.¡±


    ¡°B¡ª¡± He cut in before I could voice my discontent. ¡°You being away for too long worries me.¡±


    Since he¡¯d put it that way, I dipped my head, gesturing submission.


    I put on my coat, took the car keys and headed out.


    Emery and I would be meeting at her club in Imperial Hotel situated in the city center.


    As usual, the club was crazily buzzing. I saw her looking out from the second floor and a bottle of red


    wine on her table.


    ¡°Scarlett! Right here!¡± She waved. It seemed like she had been here for quite a while.


    I sat myself down, snatched her ss of red wine, and got the attention of the waiter. ¡°Excuse me, a


    cup of hot milk, please.¡±


    ¡°Hot milk? In a club? Stop joking, Scarlett.¡± Sheughed, but her squinted eyes and droopy brows said


    otherwise.


    The waiter obviously knew who she was. He left briskly after taking the order.


    Emery rested her chin on the back of her hand as she gazed at the girls on the dance floor. ¡°Scarlett,


    I¡¯m not happy.¡±


    I felt a pinch in my heart.


    As I took a sip of the red wine, I looked at her. ¡°Is it about Hunter? Or is it about your mother-inw?¡±


    If someone¡¯sining only after a few days of marriage, these were probably the only reasons.


    She looked back with her eyes slightly shuttered in a teasing manner. ¡°Have you ever seen parents


    who insisted on living with their son after he got married?¡±


    ¡°Well, both Ashton and I don¡¯t have parents, and George barely interferes in our affairs. So, no.¡± Those


    were my honest two cents.


    She tittered. ¡°You see, life always goes against our will. If only I didn¡¯t get married.¡±


    It was normal for a pregnant woman to experience fluctuating emotions. ¡°Maybe they just want to help


    out and to take care of you since you¡¯re preggers.¡±


    ¡°Umph. Let¡¯s talk about something else.¡±


    The waiter came and ced the milk on the table. She bulldozed it out of sight. Nope, not her kind of


    drink.


    ¡°You want some juice?¡± Those who were up the duff got nauseous easily. It must¡¯ve been the fishy


    smell that turned her head away.


    She bobbed her head. I looked at the waiter and ordered a ss of mango juice.


    ¡°How did you know I like mango juice?¡± Emery asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen you drinking it.¡± And I looked towards the first floor.


    ¡°Is there someone you know?¡± She traced my gaze and asked.


    ¡°The youngdy seated on the lounge sofa looks familiar.¡± I shrugged my brows and looked down while


    supporting my chin with the back of my hand.


    When Emery got a clearer picture, she clicked her tongue. ¡°Look at the man beside her, and you¡¯ll


    know who she is.¡±


    Both of them had their backs towards me. I tried to get a glimpse of their side view.


    ¡°John?¡± I froze.


    ¡°You siblings have quite an uncanny connection, don¡¯t you?¡±


    As I looked more closely, I noticed that thedy next to him was scantily d. I still couldn¡¯t figure out


    who she was, though.

 Chapter 536

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 536


    Taking a closer look, I realized that it was indeed Yvonne and I furrowed my eyebrows. Even now, she¡¯s


    still pestering John?


    Emery noticed my confusion, she shrugged as she exined, ¡°It¡¯s normal for a yboy like John to


    have a random woman on his arm at all times and happily wee any girl whoes onto him. Don¡¯t


    worry too much about it. He¡¯ll dump her as soon as he gets tired of her.¡±


    I didn¡¯t care about John and Yvonne¡¯s rtionship. I was concerned about Hannah, who had given birth


    barely a month ago and had grown scarily frail when I went to visit her today.


    Does she know what John was doing?


    I tried to get up from my seat, but Emery stopped me. ¡°Where are you going, Scarlett? Even if you kill


    him, his ghost will stille back to try and hook up with these women. Just let him do what he wants.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want him to regret his actions.¡± I stared at the couple on the first floor who were already


    exchanging heated kisses.


    Emery pursed her lips. ¡°I think you just feel bothered because of Hannah. Back then, you thought about


    leaving Ashton because of his feelings for Reba, and then left without another word when you


    learned that Ashton had set you up.


    ¡°Hannah is also a woman. Once her patience hits its limit, she¡¯ll likely leave and take her child with her


    too. If that happens, John won¡¯t be the one panicking, but Louis. After all, the child is a Stovall.¡±


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    I nodded. ¡°That¡¯s why I wanted to remind John to do everything in moderation.¡±


    ¡°What for?¡± scoffed Emery. ¡°Are you trying to get close to Hannah because you want to help her when


    she eventually leaves? You already know that her kid will be staying with her. Just let the guy get


    estranged from her and his child for a few years so he can suffer,¡± she growled out through gritted


    teeth, as if she was the one getting hurt in this situation.


    I turned to look at her, my eyes narrowing. ¡°Are you thinking of doing that too?¡±


    She raised an eyebrow. ¡°If Hunter dares to upset me, I¡¯ll leave with the baby in me. After all. I have the


    money to raise him by myself anyway!¡±


    I huffed in amusement and gave her a big thumbs up. The couple below looked like they were going to


    leave.


    We quickly got up from our seats and went downstairs so as to not lose them.


    ¡°Wanna stay with me tonight, Johnny?¡± What a waste of the good looks she has.


    Only men would ever fall for her sharine-sweet voice, while women would only feel sick at the


    sound of it.


    I walked forward and pulled them apart, linking my arm into John¡¯s.


    ¡°Who the¡­¡± Yvonne started to screech, but instantly turned her angry expression into a polite smile as


    soon as she recognized me. ¡°Oh! It¡¯s you, Ms. Stovall!¡±


    Nodding, I lifted my chin to look at John. ¡°Mind having a drink with me, brother dearest?¡±


    He pursed his lips and grunted in affirmation, letting himself be dragged upstairs by me.


    Noticing that Yvonne was still following behind us, I turned back to nce at her. ¡°Where do you live,


    Ms. Wilde? I¡¯ll call a taxi for you.¡±


    She did a double-take, seemingly upset as she looked towards John. ¡°Mr. Stovall¡­¡±


    ¡°Go home. I have business to attend to with Scarlett,¡± he responded coldly.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you n to listen in on secrets shared between the two of us?¡± I hummed, stopping her short.


    ¡°No, Ms. Stovall, of course not.¡±


    ¡°Then, please go. I need to talk about some familial matters with my brother. As you know, my sister-in-


    law just gave birth, and my brother will have to head home soon to apany his wife and son. If you


    have anything more to say to him, I¡¯d suggest you do it at the office rather than here of all ces.¡±


    Yvonne¡¯s cheeks flushed red.


    Ignoring her, I continued to pull John up the stairs.


    Emery was leaning against a wall, snorting at the sight of us. ¡°If she knew that you¡¯re not John¡¯s real


    sister, she¡¯d be pulling your hair out by now.¡±


    I looked over my shoulder at Yvonne, whose expression was dark as she fled with her tail between her


    legs.


    On the second floor, I shoved John onto a chair and stared him down, cutting to the chase. ¡°Are you


    only going to stop being a yboy after your wife and son both abandon you?¡±


    He raised an eyebrow, meeting my re head-on. ¡°Since when have I be a ¡®yboy¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Hannah is still in the middle of receiving postnatal care! She just gave birth to your child! Wooing other


    women while she was pregnant was bad enough, but now you¡¯re drinking with girls at a bar while she¡¯s


    recuperating. If you really enjoy being a piece of trash that much, then I¡¯m cutting off all contact with


    you. It¡¯ll save me the annoyance.¡±


    John massaged one side of his temple, one leg crossing over the other. ¡°Did Hannah send you here?¡±


    I felt rage re up within me, along with the violent impulse to punch him in the face. Spotting a bottle of


    wine out of the corner of my eye, I picked it up and dumped the dark liquid over his head. ¡°If she¡¯d sent


    me here, I wouldn¡¯t havee sote. She¡¯s had to endure so much indignance and disappointment,


    and you still think it serves her right? You deserve to die alone,¡± I spat out.


    Suddenly, emotion shed across his face, his dark eyes narrowing as he spoke slowly in a low tone.


    ¡°So you also think that I should die alone?¡±

 Chapter 537

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 537


    The abrupt change in attitude took me aback for a second before I remembered. John¡¯s deepest,


    darkest fear was to live alone for the rest of his life, with no one to rely on.


    ¡°This is all consequences of your own actions,¡± I scolded him. ¡°You say that you¡¯re afraid of being left


    alone, but think about Hannah. She has stayed with you for more than ten years without anyint


    because she knows you¡¯re scared to be alone. She even took the risk and gave birth to a child for you


    knowing that her body might not be able to handle a pregnancy.


    ¡°She might note from a good family and or have high social standing, but with her personality and


    looks, it wouldn¡¯t be hard for her to find someone who treasures and cares for her genuinely. If she


    didn¡¯t love you so much and didn¡¯t insist on staying with you, could you imagine what a better life she


    could be living right now? Which woman doesn¡¯t dream of marrying a man who loves her with all his


    heart? Who the hell do you think she¡¯s torturing herself for?¡±


    John seemed to be rendered speechless, so I continued on, ¡°You can go on and continue fooling


    around with other women for all I care. When Hannah has had enough and wakes up from her daze


    one day, she will realize that she deserves more than this crappy life. She will leave with her child and


    start a new and better chapter of her life. But what about you? Do you think that you¡¯ll be able to meet


    another woman who¡¯s willing to sacrifice her own dignity for your sake, just like Hannah? That¡¯d be


    impossible! You will only ever meet women who are after your wealth and influence. Do you think that


    Yvonne girl truly likes you for who you are? Are you really so stupid to think that she would even bat an


    eysh in your direction if she didn¡¯t know that you were a son of the Stovall family?¡±


    John¡¯s face had turned a sickly shade of green by the time my tirade was over. I didn¡¯t want to deal with


    this any longer, so I tugged Emery along as I left.


    Emery tsked at me as we exited the nightclub. ¡°I always thought you are slow-witted and meek. Who


    knew that you could go off like that?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s my brother,¡± I sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t let him continue like this. Hannah is a kind girl and she deserves


    better.¡±


    Emery nodded in agreement. ¡°Well, to be honest, Hannah is quite a nicedy If she were born in the


    country, Louis wouldn¡¯t mind as much regardless of whatever background she came from. But she hails


    from Southeast Asia; once she marries John and bes a part of the Stovall family, her true identity


    is more than enough to make Louis renounce his position. John¡¯s concern isn¡¯t without reason.¡±


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    I already knew of all of this. ¡°But she¡¯s already given birth to his child. John just can¡¯t abandon her now


    of all times. Even if they can¡¯t get married legally, he is responsible for taking care of her and the child.


    What does he think he¡¯s doing, hanging out at bars and flirting with other women?¡± Imented.


    She shrugged. ¡°You have a point.¡±


    There was a brief pause before she reached into her bag and took out a sandalwood box, handing it to


    me. ¡°Here. Cameron asked me to give this to you. It¡¯s only been opened once, and the key is with


    Ashton. So, if you want to look at its contents, you¡¯ll have to ask Ashton for it.¡±


    I sighed at the familiar sight of the box, holding it up. When looking closely at it, I realized that the


    design of the keyhole was strange. ¡°This keyhole looks unique.¡±


    ¡°I heard from Cameron that the box isn¡¯t unlocked with a normal key,¡± exined Emery. ¡°Ashton might


    know more about it. The box does have quite a fascinating design.¡±


    It was gettingte. I had no time to be standing around studying the box any further.


    Slipping it into my bag, I asked her, ¡°It¡¯s nearly midnight. Aren¡¯t you going to head home?¡±


    ¡°Honestly? I don¡¯t want to.¡± She pursed her lips.


    ¡°Arguing right after the wedding is normal for newly-married couples,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯re already married.


    You love Hunter, and that¡¯s all that matters, no?¡±


    Emery groaned. ¡°I know, but his mother is so annoying. She thinks the world of herself for raising


    Hunter to be a professor of a reputable school, and she constantly nitpicks at me, thinking that I¡¯m


    trying to take advantage of her son.¡±


    Parents¡¯ involvement in their children¡¯s marriage was truly a recipe for disaster. No matter how strong


    the couple¡¯s love for each other was, it was bound to end in disaster sooner orter.


    Pondering over the idea, I suggested, ¡°Do you want toe over to my ce?¡±


    She chuckled, looking more upset than if she were crying. ¡°I refuse to see Ashton¡¯s stone-cold face for


    a second more than I have to.¡±


    ¡°Should I call Hunter and ask him to pick you up?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just hurry on home; I¡¯ll go back to the Moore Residence and stay with my brother,¡± she


    answered after a while, shaking her head.


    There was a brief pause. ¡°Do you want toe with me to the Moore Residence?¡±


    It was my turn to shake my head,ughing. ¡°Ashton will get mad if I arrive home toote.¡±


    Fed up with me, Emery dug out her car keys and waved at me, walking away. ¡°Whatever. Drive


    yourself home; I won¡¯t be sending you. Goodnight!¡±


    ¡°Goodnight!¡±


    I watched her car speed off into the distance before getting into my own, sighing. It looked like life gave


    everyone lemons, regardless of whoever they were.


    All we could do was try our best to turn those lemons into sweet, thirst-relieving lemonade. Sometimes,


    by some stroke of luck or maybe fate, someone would offer you their own lemonade as well.


    The sky grew darker as I drove towards the vi. There weren¡¯t many cars on the road, and it was a


    smooth, uneventful journey home.


    Pulling up to the suburban vi, I noticed that the lights were still on inside the building. It seemed that


    Ashton had waited up for me.

 Chapter 538

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 538


    Outside the vi parked a sapphire blue Te sports car. This car was clearly not Ashton¡¯s.


    The hard, unyielding pride of a soldier was engraved into Ashton¡¯s DNA. As a result, his garage was


    filled with mostly off-road vehicles, such as SUVs, and he detested short and shy sports cars.


    I was about to drive into the vi premises when the Te¡¯s headlights switched on, nearly blinding me.


    Stopping my car, I saw a man getting out of the sports car. It was Marcus.


    He wore a fitting ck suit thatplemented his tall, slender frame. If he were to walk on the streets,


    there was no doubt that everyone would be drawn by him.


    He stood in front of my car, his dark eyes silently staring me down.


    Through the ss of the car window, he seemed to have gotten skinnier and stiffer than Ist saw him.


    There was no use staying locked in a staringpetition like this.


    Sighing slightly, I got out of my car.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about the money!¡± I apologized instantly. It was my fault for not expecting that things


    woulde down to this.


    He ignored my apology, his voice deep as he said, ¡°Ashton was right. It doesn¡¯t matter if a stolen fruit is


    sweet or not. What matters is that it quenches your thirst.¡±


    Before I could react, he pulled me into his arms, the foreign smell of his cologne overwhelming my


    senses.


    I did my best to push him away with all my might, but he tightened his grip around me. ¡°There is a long


    life ahead of me. Why should I give up anything to anyone? Whatever love Ashton can give to you, I¡¯ll


    shower you with twice that amount. I¡¯m never going to give you up again, Scarlett.¡±


    ¡°What the hell?¡± I tried to catch my breath, tired from struggling to escape his hold. ¡°Why do you insist


    on making every one of us suffer?¡±


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He chuckled heartlessly. ¡°Why not? Why does it have to be me whose love is never returned? Why


    does it have to be me who ces someone else¡¯s needs above my own? Why can¡¯t I just take what I


    want? Huh?¡±


    He¡¯s gone mad!


    I red up at him. ¡°You can pursue true love, and you can try your best to obtain the things that you


    want. But I¡¯m telling you right now, I¡¯m not an item. I¡¯m my own person, and I have the right to choose


    my life and my lover.¡±


    ¡°Then, why can¡¯t you choose me? Do I not deserve your love? What does Ashton have that I don¡¯t?


    He¡¯s abusive, toxic, and bloodthirsty! What in the world do you like about him?¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what Marcus had been through recently, but right now, he was acting like a demon,


    foaming at the mouth while trying desperately to crawl his way out of hell.


    I felt terrified yet sympathetic.


    ¡°We all have our own fates, Marcus. I think you deserve to be loved, but regardless of what you think


    Ashton is like, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that I¡¯m in love with him, and it has been the same for the past


    seven years. I¡¯m not sure how I fell in love with him, nor how I grew to rely on him, but I know now that


    he needs me and I need him. I want to warm his heart, and I want to stay with him forever.¡±


    Marcus refused to listen any further, scoffing coldly, ¡°I¡¯m not giving up. As long as I¡¯m alive, I¡¯ll never let


    go of you. I don¡¯t believe in ¡®the early bird gets the worm¡¯ or fate. I only believe in myself.¡±


    The corners of his lips twisted up into an evil smirk before he pressed his mouth to mine.


    I couldn¡¯t dodge his kiss in time, and the action gave way to a wave of disgust and hate within me.


    Suddenly, there was a sharp gust of wind, and Marcus was pushed away from me.


    I fell into another warm embrace, the familiar tobo smell calmed my nerves instantly.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Ashton asked me, an undertone of anger running through his voice.


    I shook my head, meeting his stern gaze. He was obviously pissed off.


    Helping me stand upright, Ashton walked towards Marcus and threw a punch at him without saying a


    word.


    The two men quickly got into a violent brawl, but it wasn¡¯t long before I heard Summer calling for me


    from inside the vi.


    Ashton stopped in his tracks, as did Marcus. They narrowed their eyes, both doing nothing to hide the


    venomous wrath they harbored towards each other.


    ¡°I¡¯m taking Scarlett, Ashton,¡± dered Marcus.


    Ashton let out a low, dangerousugh. ¡°You don¡¯t deserve her.¡±


    ¡°Just you wait!¡± With that, Marcus got into his car and sped off.


    I quickly went back into the vi and located Summer through the sounds of her crying.


    Her sobs grew louder as soon as she spotted me, clinging onto me when I entered her bedroom.


    ¡°Mommy¡­ I had a bad dream that you didn¡¯t want me anymore¡­¡±


    A chill ran up my spine. I bent down to look her in the eye, reassuring, ¡°Oh, sweetheart. How could


    Mommy ever not want you? I¡¯ll always be with you, okay?¡±


    I held her as she cried herself to the point of fatigue, eventually falling back to sleep.


    After making sure Summer was alright, I came out of her bedroom. Ashton was sitting in the living room


    with a dark, gloomy expression on his handsome face.


    He was furious.


    I knew that, just like any other man, he was upset to see his own wife kissing someone else. Even if he


    was aware that I hadn¡¯t consented or done it on purpose, the sight had undoubtedly left a bitter taste in


    his mouth.


    If anything, the incident had likely upset him more than if someone pped him across his face.

 Chapter 539

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 539


    After silently observing Ashton for a while, I turned around and went upstairs.


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    I decided to let him have some space. Some things could be discussed civilly, but there were some


    other things that couldn¡¯t.


    In the bedroom, I stripped and entered the shower, the cold water chilled me to the bone.


    Since when did Ashton and I start walking on eggshells caring for each other¡¯s feelings?


    I had yet to finish watching the content on the USB drive that Camelia had given me. I had been


    emotionally unstable and mentally weak during that one month, and had spent every day with Marcus.


    Developing a physically intimate rtionship with him was unavoidable.


    There were some scenes in the USB drive that looked unfamiliar even to me when I watched them, so I


    couldn¡¯t imagine how they must have made Ashton felt. His suppressed anger for the past few days


    must have been because of the video.


    Emery told me that, knowing Marcus, whatever he told Ashton at the wedding ceremony could not have


    been good news.


    Deep in his heart, Ashton was harboring resentment towards me. Resentment that he didn¡¯t want to


    discuss with me.


    I was drained of all energy after my shower, leaning my weight against the wall as I made my way to


    the bed with much difficulty.


    Maybe this would all go away with a good night¡¯s rest.


    Just as I¡¯d expected, Ashton never returned to the bedroom. I guessed that he didn¡¯t want to affect me


    with his negative emotions, and thest thing he wanted was to start another argument with me.


    One argument was more than enough.


    The next day.


    I descended the staircase. Summer had been sent to school, so only Flora, the housekeeper, was at


    home.


    Flora approached me as soon as I came downstairs. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, Mr. Fuller left not too long ago. He


    told me to prepare soup for you because he said you like it. Come have a taste.¡±


    She served me a bowl of soup, then smiled warmly as she gave me a note. ¡°Mr. Fuller didn¡¯t want to


    wake you, so he asked me to pass this to you.¡±


    The note read: Make sure you eat your meals. Wait for me to get home tonight so we can eat dinner


    together.


    As if everything was perfectly fine. Except we both knew the truth: we were lost, blindly stumbling


    around as we tried to figure out a solution to this situation.


    I nodded and smiled politely back at Flora, thanking her for the food as I sat down to eat.


    Unfortunately, I had no appetite for breakfast and was starting to feel nauseous after a few spoonfuls.


    I forced the soup down, but ended up throwing up in a toilet half an hourter.


    K City was always freezingly cold during this time of the year, and going out was not a viable option.


    I headed for the study to take a proper look at the sandalwood box that Grandma had left me. If Emery


    said that it couldn¡¯t be unlocked with a key, then what could it be unlocked with?


    The working and design didn¡¯t seem to be of modern work. It resembled closer to a woodworker¡¯s


    handiwork from the sixties.


    I grew impatient after fiddling with the box for a while but to no avail, resorting to picking up a random


    book in the study to read.


    My gaze identally swept over some documents left out on Ashton¡¯s desk. I had seen them a few


    times before; they were all acquisition contracts of White Corporation.


    I drifted over to the table and picked the documents up, flipping through them. Mergers and takeovers


    were verymon in the business world.


    Regardless of how this case was going to end, I could not get myself involved in it.


    Sighing slightly, I closed the file and was about to keep it in the drawer when an album in the drawer


    caught my eyes.


    I was a little stunned. I¡¯d thought that Ashton had kept all our pictures from the past in his vi in J City,


    but apparently, he¡¯d brought some here with him.


    Guess it wouldn¡¯t hurt to take a look and walk down memoryne.


    I lifted the photo album out of the drawer, noticing that there had been a few baby pictures hidden


    under the album.


    The baby looked familiar to me. Even though I had never seen what he looked like right after birth, I


    had seen him in my dreams.


    There was a purple bruise on his forehead, caused from his desperation to meet me.


    The infant couldn¡¯t open his eyes and his skin was red and wrinkly, but his features looked extremely


    simr to that of Ashton¡¯s.


    How does Ashton have these photos? When Marcus had asked me if I wanted to see the baby, I had


    refused. I was scared that if I saw him, I would never be able to forgive myself for the rest of my life.


    The sudden sight of him made me feel like a knife had been stabbed through my chest, slowly twisting


    in the wound.


    I put everything back where I¡¯d found them. There was no way that these photos belonged to Ashton,


    which left only one other possibility¡ªMarcus had given them to him.


    Ashton was suddenly hellbent on wiping Marcus out of the market because he had said something to


    deliberately provoke him.


    I returned to the bedroom, curling up under the covers as my mind wandered.


    Marcus had asked me why I insisted on staying with Ashton. I didn¡¯t know who else I could be with


    other than Ashton.


    We were all ready to wee love and happiness into our lives when we were born.


    But then life made us go through so many twists and turns, and we forgot what we used to dream of,


    merely clinging on to dear life in order to survive.


    After not getting much restst night, I drifted off to sleep under the covers. When I woke up, it was


    already dark outside.


    There was a knocking on the door. I got up to open it, and Flora greeted me. ¡°Are you feeling hungry,


    Mrs. Fuller? Would you like to go downstairs for a snack?¡±


    Reflexively shaking my head due to myck of appetite, I suddenly recalled that Ashton mentioned that


    he wanted to eat dinner together. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for Mr. Ashton toe back and then eat with him.¡±


    Flora cleared her throat ufortably. ¡°Mr. Fuller is already home. He¡¯s been waiting in the living room


    and smoking for a while now. Would you like to go and check on him?¡±

 Chapter 540

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 540


    He¡¯s back?


    ¡°When did he get back?¡±


    ¡°Around five o¡¯clock.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure whether to cry or tough from the sheer absurdity.


    If he hade back so early, it meant that he was anxious to have dinner with me, as was written on


    the note. If he had never oncee upstairs to the bedroom, it meant that he still felt resentful.


    Forget it.


    I smiled weakly at Flora. ¡°You guys go ahead. I¡¯m not hungry.¡±


    Maybe it would be easier on both of us if we didn¡¯t see each other.


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    Flora opened her mouth as if to say something, but kept quiet and went back downstairs.


    I went back to the bed and stared at the ceiling, trying to fall asleep but to no avail.


    The room gradually grew darker and darker as I stared nkly into space.


    The bedroom door swung open, and I instantly shut my eyes closed. I heard heavy footsteps and


    breathing, and I knew it was him.


    There was the sound of watering from the bathroom as I kept my eyes shut, knowing that he had


    just exited the bathroom.


    He sat down on his side of the bed. I assumed that he was going to sleep in the study tonight.


    But soon after, I felt the weight of the mattress shift below me and heard the sound of the bedsidemp


    being switched off.


    His even, shallow breathing slowly filled the bedroom.


    Time slowly ticked by. I couldn¡¯t fall asleep, but by the sound of Ashton¡¯s soft breathing, I guessed that


    he was deep asleep.


    I turned over and opened my eyes, freezing in ce when my gaze met his.


    I barely got a word out of my mouth when he reached forward and wrapped me in his embrace. ¡°Flora


    said that you threw up your breakfast this morning, and that you didn¡¯t eat anything for the rest of the


    day,¡± he stated, concerned.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t hungry,¡± I argued, my body stiff in his arms.


    His dark eyes looked like they were staring into my soul. ¡°Scarlett, I¡¯m a man. You can¡¯t me me for


    losing my temper when I saw him kissing you.¡±


    He was talking aboutst night.


    I nodded silently.


    He inched closer to me, pressing his face into the crook of my neck as he sighed painfully.


    His fingers massaged the small of my back, slowly but surely working the stiffness out of my body.


    ¡°What did Marcus tell you at Emery¡¯s wedding?¡± I asked.


    When I felt his breathing stop, I went on, ¡°If it was about the baby, then you can ask me. No matter


    what it is.¡±


    ¡°Good girl.¡± He raised his head and kissed the corner of my mouth. ¡°That was in the past. As long as


    we¡¯re together, nothing else matters.¡±


    He didn¡¯t want me to continue talking for fear that the pain would eat both of us up.


    I fell asleep that night listening to his heartbeat.


    It was rare for Ashton to do anything romantic. When I came to the next day, there was arge bouquet


    of balloon flowers on the bedside table. The faint fragrance that wafted from it lifted my spirits.


    There was a handwritten card ced carefully among the flowers: Eat your meals. Wait for me toe


    home tonight.


    When the heart has a home, the person will always return no matter how far they stray.


    I giggled, setting the card down and crawling out of bed to wash up. Downstairs, Flora seemed to be in


    a good mood.


    Breakfast was already prepared and set out on the table. I didn¡¯t want to eat it, but Ashton was


    probably going to call Flora to check if I had eaten or not.


    So, I ate a little bit of the food.


    Noticing that I was heading out, Flora scurried after me. ¡°Are you going out, Mrs. Fuller?¡±


    I nodded.


    Slightly apprehensive, she said, ¡°May I ask where you¡¯re going? Mr. Fuller said to inform him when and


    where you are at all times.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to pay a visit to Aunt Sally, so she won¡¯t worry too much about me,¡± I chuckled.


    I couldn¡¯t determine if I liked or hated Sally. But she was still Ashton¡¯s aunt, and one of his few living


    rtives.


    He had already lost his parents. I didn¡¯t want him to grow distant from Sally because of me, in case he


    would grow to regret that decision.


    Sally lived in the suburban house that Ashton had once bought. She had left the White Corporation to


    start her own business.


    As a woman raised in the Fuller family, she was used to the first-ss life and had an odd


    temperament. However, that didn¡¯t take away from the fact that her aesthetic in art appreciation and


    sense of romance were more in-tune than the average woman. At the same time, she had a uniquely


    stubborn tenacity.


    Managing the flower shop alone wasn¡¯t particrly tiring, but there were bound to be times where


    things got overwhelming for her.


    Sally¡¯s yard was full of various types of flowers and nts, with some vegetables and fruit trees nted


    in the back yard as well.


    It was the peak of autumn, and many of the flowers in the garden had taken the brunt of several


    snowstorms.


    Sally had tied an apron around her waist and was busy tending to the damaged nts when I arrived.


    ncing around, I took off my coat and picked up a sickle to help her.


    She looked surprised to see me, a faint expression of disdain on her face. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    I kept my head lowered as I pulled some weeds, feeling sorry for the ttened chrysanthemum flowers.


    These chrysanthemums only bloomed after the beginning of winter. They would definitely be able to


    bloom for much longer if this were J City.


    But, unfortunately for these flowers, the snow had arrived early in K City this year.


    ¡°Ashton said that you were feeling a bit under the weather recently, so I came to pay you a visit.¡± Both


    of us knew that we weren¡¯t particrly pleased to see each other, and I didn¡¯t bother to sugarcoat the


    truth.


    She huffed and went back to fixing up her garden.

 Chapter 541

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 541


    After all, she was old and had been living afortable life, so it was only natural that she suffered


    backaches after being out in the yard for too long.


    She was clutching her waist while sitting limply on the bamboo chair in the yard, frowning in pain.


    After clearing away the few weeds left in the yard, I washed my hands and handed her the pain-


    relieving medicine.


    She frowned, unwilling to ept it.


    I pursed my lips. ¡°These are painkillers. They are not harmful.¡±


    Having said that, I put the medicine in her hands. Then, I went inside and fetched a cup of warm water


    for her.


    She seemed stunned. Perhaps unable to bear the pain, she epted the cup of water and took the


    medicine.


    As I kept the rest of the medicine aside, I said, ¡°This medicine has few side effects. If the pain is


    intolerable, you can take one or two tablets to relieve the pain.¡±


    She nced at me with her lips pursed and turned her eyes upon the yard, saying, ¡°Your voice sounds


    so nasal. If you have a cold, please don¡¯t pass it to me.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help letting out augh. She was obviously concerned about me, but she just had to put up a


    mean front.


    Forget it.


    She is, after all, an arrogantdy of a privileged upbringing.


    Being childless and way past half her life, perhaps she was thinking of spending her twilight years


    alone in peace.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll go back and take some medicine.¡± It wasmonce to get the flu during the winter


    months.


    She then got up and went into the house. When she came out, she held a bag of Isatis tinctoria root in


    her hand. ¡°Make drinks with this using hot water, twice a day. You¡¯ll get better in a couple of days. It¡¯s


    not bitter.¡±


    Nodding, I took it and smiled, saying, ¡°Thank you, Aunt Sally.¡±


    She grunted in reply without saying anything.


    It had stopped snowing in K City. The sun was out, and most of the snow had melted. With the sun high


    in the sky, it was not very cold.


    Besides, Sally had started a fire in the yard, which warmed up the ce.


    At noon, she looked at me and asked, ¡°Would you like to stay for lunch? It¡¯s been snowing for a few


    days, so I only have some dry rations.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Anything would do!¡±


    A person¡¯s life could be refined or simple. Although it was only dry rations, it wasn¡¯t going to stop us


    from enjoying ourselves.


    There was already a fire in the yard, so she brought out some potatoes and sweet potatoes for me to


    peel. Then we cut up some meat and washed some vegetables.


    In no time, we were having a barbeque in the yard.


    I always felt that a barbeque for two was too quiet. However, when she brought out some red wine from


    the cer, the atmosphere of the meal was elevated.


    Silence was the best way of interaction for some people. Although there was not much conversation


    between Sally and me, some things need not be said as long as we understood each other.


    Lately, I had not taken any proper meals, so my tummy felt bloated as I had eaten a lot of snacks today.


    When Ashton arrived, fresh charcoal had been put into the fire. Seeing the cutlery, his handsome face


    disyed a smile as he held my hand, asking, ¡°Did you enjoy the food?¡±


    I let out a faint smile. Truth be told, I did not really like it, but I ate some nheless since I was in a


    good mood.


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try it?¡± My taste buds were not the same as his, so he might not enjoy what I liked.


    With a smile, he took the half-eaten baked potato from my hand. After taking a bite, he raised his


    eyebrows and said in amazement, ¡°Good cooking skills!¡±


    Iughed. ¡°Aunt Sally barbecued it.¡±


    Sally looked at him and said, ¡°Okay, there is some more. Go home quickly after eating. You guys are


    causing a racket here.¡±


    When people get old, they tend to keep their true thoughts to themselves.


    Both of us understood that.


    Exchanging nces, we smiled. Ashton took a chair from the house and sat by my side, holding my


    hand. Then, he asked Sally about her health.


    Sally gave curt replies while passing the barbecued meat to him. While handing over the sauce to him,


    I exined, ¡°It tastes better with this sauce.¡±


    He smiled and did as he was told., then nodded and appraised, ¡°Yes.¡±


    As dusk approached, Sally asked us to leave, ¡°My home is too small to amodate the two of you,


    so please leave when you¡¯re done.¡±


    Ashton merely let out a faint smile and after bidding her goodbye, he led me by my hand to his car.


    On the way back to the vi, I stared mindlessly at the passing scenery outside the windscreen.


    Before I knew it, I blurted out, ¡°Ashton, thank you.¡±


    As he drove along the dimly lit road, he smiled. ¡°That¡¯s not good enough. Can I have something more


    affectionate?¡±


    Iughed. As I tilted my head toe up with the right words, my eyes fell on his face, which was


    illuminated by shes of light.


    I have toe up with something better, or he won¡¯t be satisfied.


    Soon, the car stopped at the door of the vi.


    After I got out, he turned off the engine and walked toward me. ¡°Got it already?¡±


    I smirked. ¡°No, not yet. I always feel that you¡¯re making things difficult for me. You know I¡¯m not poetic.¡±


    ¡°Just try!¡±


    I thought for a while and looked up at the sky before shifting my gaze to him. ¡°In the journey of my life,


    Mr. Ashton is my steadfast dream.¡±


    He was stunned for a moment, and then he grinned and took me by the hand into the vi,


    overwhelmed with emotions.


    ¡°Where did you pilfer that from?¡±


    Obviously, he was asking me about that cheesy line I just said. I looked up and pointed at the starry sky


    as I replied, ¡°From the sky.¡±

 Chapter 542

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 542


    If you could love, you must do so with all your heart and make your loved one happy so that you would


    have no regrets in the future.


    ¡­


    The next day, Sally called, and the first thing she asked was, ¡°Taken your medicine?¡±


    I thought for a while before I remembered that yesterday, she had said I sounded nasal and that I


    should take some medicine.


    I nodded and said, ¡°I have.¡±


    ¡°December is just around the corner. Since it¡¯s the festive season, we must have some decorations.


    Later, you must go out with me to do some shopping.¡±


    She sounded domineering, leaving me with no option.


    Nodding, I promised her that I would.


    Ashton was busy with work, and I could not tag along with him all the time.


    Since Flora was not around, I tidied up a little and drove to the mall.


    Sally was waiting at the entrance. When she saw me, she started ranting, ¡°It¡¯s not that far. If you didn¡¯t


    want toe, you could have told me.¡±


    As I took the trolley from her, I took a nce at the supermarket nearby. ¡°Are we shopping there?¡±


    Pursing her lips, she nodded and went straight in.


    I followed her in. She was not verydylike, looking more like a nagging middle-aged housewife. After


    shopping for some necessities, she looked back at me and said, ¡°Are you good at making dough?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No, I¡¯m not!¡±


    She frowned. ¡°We have tacos every year on New Year¡¯s Eve. If you are not good at making dough,


    how can we make the tacos?¡±


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°We can buy the tortis and make the tacos with them,¡± I replied, but then I saw her with a bag of flour,


    so I guessed she wanted to prepare the dough herself.


    ¡°Homemade tortis taste so much better.¡± At that, she did as I thought she would, putting the bag of


    flour into the trolley.


    I was about to say something but decided against it.


    Oh, fine!


    I¡¯ll just y by ear!


    Two hourster, we arranged for the delivery staff to send all the stuff back to the vi. Then Sally took


    me to a Thai restaurant.


    The reason was that she wanted to reward me for going shopping with her.


    After we were seated, Sally started chatting, ¡°In K City, it is hard to find authentic Thai food. This


    restaurant is really good, though. You shall soon try the real thing.¡±


    While ordering food, she said to me, ¡°Before I came to K City, I liked the Thai restaurant on University


    Road in J City the most. After I came to K City, I never went back there anymore. I¡¯ve searched the


    entire K City for so many years, but I haven¡¯t seen any authentic Thai restaurants except this one. You


    should give it a try.¡±


    From her words, I could feel her longing for home.


    Indeed, after she turned eighteen, she spent her remaining life in K City, and her memories of home


    had faded by then. Whenever she tried to reminisce it, only the tastes from her childhood woulde


    to her mind.


    It was just like how my love for candy was influenced by my childhood memories. Grandma always had


    different types of candies in her pocket. Whenever I felt upset, one piece of candy from her would


    dispel all my distress.


    Now that those people in my memories were gone and I could never see them again, the only thing


    that remained for me to reminisce was the sweet taste of candies.


    When the waiter brought the dishes, I got up. ¡°Aunt Sally, I need to go and wash my hands.¡±


    After shopping in the supermarket for some time, we dirtied our hands a little, so she got up and went


    with me.


    On the way back, I went to the washroom while she returned to our table.


    When I came back to our table, there was an old acquaintance seated there whom I had not seen for a


    long time¡ªReba.


    ¡°Aunt Sally, I¡¯ve been busytely. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t have time to visit you. You seem to have lost


    weight,¡± Reba said.


    With her were two others who were strangers to me, most likely her friends.


    Being cordial, Sally smiled and replied, ¡°My dear, you are so good at ttering. I haven¡¯t lost weight or


    gained any. I¡¯m still the same.¡±


    Reba smiled. ¡°When I am freeter on, I¡¯ll go and visit you.¡±


    I knew that my presence would destroy the harmonious atmosphere.


    After hesitating, Sally said, ¡°Letty,e here. The food is ready.¡±


    Letty?


    Other than my close friends and rtives, nobody addresses me by this name.


    I walked to the dining table, and my eyes met Reba¡¯s icy gaze.


    It was evident that she was jealous.


    Ignoring her, I seated myself.


    Sally ced some scrumptious-looking food on my te, saying, ¡°This ce serves the most authentic


    dishes. Come on, give it a try. You¡¯ll love it.¡±


    I nodded without saying anything.


    Seeing that Reba did not intend to leave, Sally remained smiling while she said, ¡°Ms. Larson, do


    you want to eat with us? I ordered a lot. If you don¡¯t mind, you can stay.¡±


    Her words were carefully thought out. She started with ¡®Ms. Larson,¡¯ which was polite but distant to


    indicate that they were not close.


    The second part of her speech sounded like a sincere invitation and not just courtesy, but there


    seemed to be a hidden meaning.


    Reba was slightly taken aback, but she epted her offer without hesitation. Then she sat next to


    Sally and said affectionately, ¡°Aunt Sally, since you like Thai food too, we cane here together when


    you have time in the future. I like it very much as well.¡±


    Hearing that, Sally smiled and served her some food. Then she put down thedle, and with her


    slender fingers, she patted Reba¡¯s hand gently and said, ¡°My child, it¡¯s my honor if you call me aunt


    like Ashton does. However, you and I are neither family nor rted. In the future, it¡¯s better that you


    address me as Ms. Fuller!¡±

 Chapter 543

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 543


    These words were gentle but firm.


    Reba stiffened a bit but kept her smile and said, ¡°Ashton and I have been close like family all these


    years. Since he calls you aunt, that makes me close to you as well. Addressing you as aunt is a show


    of my admiration and love.¡±


    Judging from her ability to use someone else¡¯s words to her own advantage, Reba seemed to have


    advanced a lot since those days when she could only bring up her deceased elder brother, Parker, to


    arouse sympathy.


    In response, Sally merely smiled and did not pursue the matter any further. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine then. If Ashton


    treats you like a younger sister, you can naturally address me as Aunt Sally. My dear, counting those


    years, you should be about thirty years of age and ripe for marriage. Is there anyone in mind?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Obviously, she was using this sibling-like rtionship between Ashton and her to stress that the two


    cannot be in a romantic rtionship.


    Spoken like a true veteran!


    I wonder how Reba is going to deal with this tricky question since we all know what¡¯s on her mind.


    She had just said that Ashton was like family to her, so it would make no sense if she suddenly said


    that she was interested in Ashton.


    Reba¡¯s expression stiffened slightly, but she still managed to put on a smile and said, ¡°No, I¡¯m fine


    with living alone now.¡±


    However, we all knew that those words were merely a lie to console herself.


    Sally nodded and said emphatically, ¡°Oh, no. A woman must get married. It doesn¡¯t matter whether you


    end up getting divorced or living happily ever after. However, a wedding is something you must have if


    you do not want to end up with regrets.¡±


    After a pause, she continued, ¡°I just recalled that in Ashton¡¯spany, there is a Mr. Quinn who takes


    good care of you. I think he is caring and motivated. Besides, he¡¯s handsome andes from a good


    family too. Why don¡¯t you give him a chance?¡±


    Joe Quinn?


    The conversation had drifted to this point, and Reba was at a loss for words, so she faked augh


    and said, ¡°Aunt Sally, I hope you won¡¯t pressure me to get married. Since you said that all of us have


    our own destinies, no one knows how things will turn out eventually, especially when ites to


    marriage. If there is no chemistry, we can¡¯t force ourselves to love someone. So we should let nature


    take its course.¡±


    ¡°Oh! My dear, what do you mean by letting nature take its course?¡± Sally held Reba¡¯s hand as she


    said in a serious tone, ¡°You are wrong because that would only work if two people are in love. If the


    love is one-sided, it¡¯s just wishful thinking. Just look at Letty and Ashton. They have been together for


    seven years, constantly talking about their wedding. If this is not fate, I don¡¯t know what is.¡±


    Sally was, in fact, reminding Reba not to wish for things that weren¡¯t meant to be hers. After all, they


    would not belong to her no matter how hard she tried.


    Of course, Reba understood what she meant, and it was difficult for her to keep herposure.


    But with more than thirty years of experience in society, she was able to continue smiling.


    After taking a few more bites, she finally spoke up, ¡°Aunt Sally, my friends are still around. I¡¯ll leave you


    both now and see you another time when I am free.¡±


    Sally nodded without making any attempt to make her stay, saying, ¡°Sure, please drop by at my ce


    when you can!¡±


    The rtionship between adults wasplicated with truths and lies between shades of grey, neither


    friend nor foe.


    Even when there was much fighting and hurting, they would still ster a smile on their faces.


    The price for growing up was hypocrisy.


    After Reba left, Sally nced at me before chiding, ¡°I really don¡¯t know what Ashton sees in you. It¡¯s


    been seven years, but you cannot even handle a rival.¡±


    I was rendered speechless.


    But I had to admit that she was right.


    After a while, I replied, ¡°She is Parker¡¯s younger sister. Before Parker died that year, he entrusted


    Ashton with Reba, so he¡¯s responsible for her. It¡¯s not like Ashton can just cut off all ties with her,


    right?¡±


    Hearing that, she cast a sidelong nce at me with a tinge of exasperation. ¡°But does that mean he


    has an obligation to take care of her for a lifetime? Even her biological father cannot be responsible for


    her forever, let alone Parker. So please don¡¯t force Ashton to take on such a heavy burden.¡±


    ¡°Besides, this woman is already thirty years old. She can be independent and live her own life. If she


    wants thepany of a man so badly, she can go ahead and pay for one.¡±


    This was the first time I heard Sally speaking so harshly.


    Yet, what she said was true. I pursed my lips and then took in some food.


    Even though Parker had asked Ashton to take care of Reba, he was not her parent, so there was


    no obligation for him to be responsible for her all of his life.


    After lunching with me, Sally left as she had other errands to run.


    Since I had nothing to do, I decided to go home. However, I bumped into Reba again at the


    entrance of the mall. Apparently, it was not coincidental, but rather, she had been waiting for me.


    ¡°Scarlett, do you really think you are so special that everyone likes you?¡± She blocked my way.

 Chapter 544

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 544


    Obviously, she wanted to stop me from leaving.


    With so many passers-by around, it would be unwise to create a scene and attract unnecessary


    attention.


    After a pause, I looked at her calmly and asked, ¡°Are you are actually infatuated with Ashton or are you


    just refusing to ept defeat?¡±


    For a moment, she was frozen in ce, probably wondering why I would suddenly ask such a question.


    Receiving no response from her, I took my car keys out of my bag and said, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go. Since


    you are unable to give him up, take a trip with me!¡±


    After all, humans need closure.


    She looked around at the crowd of passers-by, then followed me into the car with a gloomy face.


    Throughout the whole trip, the grim expression on her face remained, and it was apparent that she was


    unwilling to talk to me.


    As I drove, I broke the silence nonchntly, ¡°I got my driving license six years ago, which was the year


    after I married Ashton. I remember that he took care of you well throughout that year. By that time,


    Fuller Corporation had been under him for two years, and he was busy with meetings every day.


    Sometimes, Joseph was away, but he did not like taking cabs or hiring drivers, so he urged me to get a


    driving license. He said it was pointless for me to wait for him at home, so I might as well learn to drive


    and attend meetings with him. That way, I could drive him back too.


    She sneered. ¡°He only treats you as a member of his staff. No one attends meetings with his wife.¡±


    I smiled calmly and nodded. ¡°Yeah, I thought so too at that time. I felt that he didn¡¯t love me at all but


    treated me as a subordinate. Butter on, I realized that I was wrong. After I learned how to drive, he


    did not go to meetings with me. Instead, he gave me a car for my convenience so that I could drive


    anywhere I like.¡±


    Her face stiffened upon hearing that, unable toe up with a retort.


    I let out a faint smile. ¡°Ashton¡¯s love is not conspicuous. He was concerned that it would not be safe for


    me to take cabs everywhere, so he had me learn to drive because he knew he would not be able to


    fetch me all the time due to his hectic schedule.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re overthinking!¡± she spoke with a sneer.


    I smiled, unperturbed. ¡°You can perceive it as such if you want. If that were all, I would have had the


    same opinion too.¡±


    At that moment, the car stopped at a traffic light intersection, and I continued to speak, ¡°I was just a


    fresh J University graduate when I entered Fuller Corporation. Do you think I learned a lot in university?


    No, I didn¡¯t, but it took only two years for me to attain the position of a project director. Do you think it


    was Grandpa who helped me?¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it?¡± she replied with a question of her own.


    That was hrious to me. ¡°Fuller Corporation has always been in the hands of Ashton. Although


    Grandpa was an elder, it was not up to him to do whatever he wanted. Besides, Grandpa was also an


    expert in management., so he should have known the importance of a project director.¡±


    Her expression darkened upon hearing that. As the lights turned green, I resumed driving. ¡°In a


    rtionship, the love has to be mutual between two people. When I entered Fuller Corporation, I was


    ipetent in terms of both professionalism and presentation skills. Ashton gave me a hard time in


    thepany for two years before I was promoted to the position of a project director. In order to make


    me more professional, every time he went to inspect the projects, he would ask me to tag along.


    Although he was very strict with me, he was constantly training me so that my capabilities would be


    improved.¡±


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    Seeing Reba¡¯s ashen face, I continued, ¡°In fact, he had been helping me grow into a better version


    of myself. As for you, yes, he did promise to take care of you and watch over you, but think about it


    carefully. During those years before I showed up, what kind of feelings did he actually have for you?


    ¡°If he really had any romantic feelings for you, would Grandpa have been able to influence him to marry


    me? Do you think Ashton would be so easily manipted? Both of you are considered childhood


    friends, but why has he shown you nothing except concern for a friend?¡±


    ¡°That is because you are shameless, and you stole him from me!¡± She was infuriated.


    I smiled gently. ¡°Reba, think about it carefully. During those days when he took care of you, did he


    n your future for you or teach you anything? The love of parents is shown when they prepare their


    children for the future. The same is true between lovers. If he loves you, he would definitely consider


    your future as well. But why hasn¡¯t he taught you the important things about survival in the world like


    courtesy, integrity, and life skills?


    ¡°He was not spoiling you by taking care of you. He was just fulfilling his responsibility, so he never


    taught you or even let you learn anything. Instead, he allowed you to go wild and let you fend for


    yourself. Do you think that is love?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡± If we were not inside the car, Reba would have attacked me.


    I sneered, ¡°Why are you so angry? Surely you know the type of person you are, don¡¯t you? You should


    also know very well how you ended up with two children.¡±

 Chapter 545

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 545


    ¡°You¡¯re lying, Scarlett! You¡¯re lying!¡± She seemed to be in great agony as she buried her face in her


    hands.


    I pursed my lips and kept quiet. Those two kids¡­ Ashton has never addressed the situation directly,


    nor has he ever admitted to anything. He says he neverid a hand on her, but he never questioned


    how the kids came to be. I¡¯m guessing he¡¯s trying to protect her dignity or something. Judging by


    Reba¡¯s reaction, I think she knows Ashton didn¡¯t touch her too.


    As the car pulled up outside Serene Vi, I nced at her and noticed that her eyes had reddened,


    evidently suppressing her emotions.


    ¡°Would you like to go for a tour?¡±


    She looked at me and asked coldly, ¡°What are you trying to do, Scarlett?¡±


    ¡°Have you give up on Ashton,¡± I said. For seven years, I¡¯ve let Reba stay around Ashton because I


    couldn¡¯t bring myself to get rid of her, nor was I capable of getting rid of her. But since I¡¯ve started to do


    so, there¡¯s no need to stop now!


    She shot me a cold re and sneered. ¡°You seriously think that¡¯s going to happen?¡±


    I arched an eyebrow at her. ¡°We won¡¯t know unless we try!¡±


    She shot me a disdainful look as I got out of the car.


    Looking up at the vi, I saw that the nts in the yard had all wilted.


    ¡°Ashton and I stayed in this house when we first came to K City. I was going to show you the other vi


    in J City at first, but¡­ I figured it was unnecessary as you¡¯ve already realized that the interiors of


    Ashton¡¯s vis are the same.¡±


    ¡°So? You think showing me this is going to make me give up on him?¡±


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know much about Ashton¡¯s vi in K City. The only thing I know for sure is that our


    fingerprints are the only ones that can get the door open. He said this house belongs to us, you see,¡± I


    said with a shrug as I opened the front gate using the fingerprint scanner and motioned for her to have


    a look inside.


    The look on her face turned ice-cold as she followed me into the house without saying a word.


    I then pointed at the barren trees in the yard that were covered in snow and said, ¡°He was the one who


    grew the nts here so that I could enjoy the view throughout my pregnancy. You see that peach tree


    over there? We nted that when we first moved in here so that we could see the flowers bloom in


    spring and enjoy its fruits in autumn.¡±


    ¡°What does any of this have to do with me?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Indeed, it has nothing to do with you. I¡¯m only showing you this to let you know that Ashton


    was the one who nted everything in this yard for me.¡±


    Noticing her grim expression, I carried on walking over a pavement made of cobblestone and asked,


    ¡°You¡¯re probably wondering why we have this pavement here instead of a proper driveway that leads


    right up to the front door. Am I right?¡±


    Reba bit her lip and kept quiet.


    Hearing no response from her, I continued, ¡°I asked him that same question as well. He said he was


    often under a lot of stress from work and would probably bring all that negativity into the house if his car


    was parked right outside the front door. As such, he had this pavement constructed to remind him that


    the heartwarming love of his wife is what awaits him inside that house and that he has to rid himself of


    all that negativity before he reaches the door.¡±


    From the look on her face, I could tell that she wasn¡¯t too happy about what she heard. However, the


    fact that she didn¡¯t just turn around and walk away indicated that she didn¡¯t want to give up on Ashton


    yet.


    Looks like she¡¯s still obsessed with Ashton¡­


    Right then, I opened the door to the living room with my fingerprint. It had been vacant for a very long


    time, but there wasn¡¯t a speck of dust anywhere as a housekeeper would clean the ce up every now


    and then.


    ¡°You¡¯ve probably been here quite a few times, haven¡¯t you? Do you still remember how Ashton likes his


    decor?¡± I asked with a smile while looking back at her.


    Her face went pale as she seemed to have recalled something. ¡°Practically everything he owned was


    ck or white in color. His house, his car, his clothes, and even his underwear¡­ However, I renovated


    the vi in J City three years ago. You said he decorated it ording to your preferences, but isn¡¯t it


    depressing to live in apletely ck and white house? Look around you and feel the warmth of this


    ce. This is what you call a home. When I came back from R Province, he hugged me and said he


    had been living here during my four years of absence because it had my scent, and he couldn¡¯t fall


    asleep without it,¡± I continued.


    ¡°Scarlett, you shameless b*tch!¡± she shouted at me with reddened eyes.


    I chuckled. ¡°You call that shameless? If only you saw how gentle his gaze was when he looked back at


    me while cooking in the kitchen¡­ You know what he whispered in my ear when he hugged me?¡±


    She was starting to lose it, clenching her knuckles tightly as she spat the words out, ¡°How could you be


    so shameless, Scarlett?¡±

 Chapter 546

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 546


    I grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her toward the bedroom on the second floor. ¡°It¡¯s funny how you


    call me shameless when you¡¯ve been clinging to him for so many years and testing my patience time


    after time with your petty little tricks. See this bed right here? It¡¯s where we spent countless nights. It¡¯s


    where I¡¯ve experienced his gentle and passionate side up close and personal. I still remember him


    telling me how he wished he could die while lying on top of me!¡±


    That pushed her over the edge, and she raised her hand to hit me, but I caught it in time and pointed at


    the entrance to the wardrobe. ¡°You see the clothes and jewelry in the wardrobe? He handpicked them


    all for me. In fact, he even went as far as investing in hundreds of jewelry stores and bringing home


    collections worth millions for me. Has he ever done that for you? I don¡¯t think so!¡±


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Seeing as she was on the verge of breaking down, I sneered and shoved her onto the bed. ¡°Why don¡¯t


    you lie there and think about what Ashton has ever done for you, hmm? Think about how much love


    and affection he has shown you!¡±


    ¡°So what? My brother already handed me over to him, so there¡¯s no way he can ever get rid of me! I


    could haunt you like a phantom all your life if I wish to! If I can¡¯t live a happy life, then neither will you!¡±


    Hearing that from her came as no surprise at all. ¡°You know he doesn¡¯t love you, and yet you


    stubbornly cling to him? Listen to yourself, Reba, and tell me who the shameless one really is! Ten


    years have passed, and the only thing you¡¯ve managed to aplish is disgust him further! Nothing


    happened between you two even during my four years of absence. On the other hand, a single nce


    at me in R Province was all it took for him to miss me dearly!¡±


    I let out a chuckle at the sight of the increasingly cold look on her face as I continued, ¡°You had plenty


    of chances to win him over, and yet you¡¯ve failed to do it. Do you realize how much of a failure you are,


    Reba? You lost your dignity and pride as a woman, only to have him find you repulsive! Heck, you


    don¡¯t evene close to Nancy, who at least gets to attend events with him! To say he¡¯s practically


    forgotten all about you wouldn¡¯t be an overstatement.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡± Reba broke into tears. ¡°Nancy is just an escort, so why should I have topete with


    her?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as apliment. You know, I would give you a chance if you¡¯re actually confident in


    winning Ashton over, but that isn¡¯t the case. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t havee to me countless times


    just to insult me. Heck, Ashton wouldn¡¯t even have looked at you if it weren¡¯t for Parker¡¯s sake! You¡¯re


    onlying to me because it makes you feel better about your pathetic self.¡±


    That¡¯s right¡­ Had Ashton developed even the slightest bit of feelings for her, he would¡¯ve at least


    shown her some signs of affection. However, all Reba has achieved is wasting ten years of her life.


    She¡¯s obviously not too happy about it, but she won¡¯t go to Ashton for fear of the look of disgust he¡¯d


    give her.


    ¡°Okay¡­ Fine¡­¡± Reba stopped crying all of a sudden and broke into a bitter smile. ¡°Since it has


    come to this, I might as well get rid of you for good! Since Ashton loves you dearly, losing you would be


    hell on earth for him! If I can¡¯t have him, then neither can you!¡±


    She then pulled out a knife from her purse and held it up high as she charged at me.


    Wait¡­ I wasn¡¯t expecting this. Why does she have a knife on her?


    It all happened too quickly, so it was toote for me to move out of the way.


    I instinctively closed my eyes and braced myself for the worst, but nothing happened. When I slowly


    opened my eyes a few secondster, I saw Ashton standing before me.


    He was dressed fully in ck and looked as handsome as always, except his forehead was covered in


    sweat.


    He came running all the way here?


    He had grabbed Reba by the wrist and stopped her from plunging the knife into me. ¡°I told you, your


    fate would be a hundred times worse if you so much asy a hand on her!¡± he shouted coldly, his voice


    filled with rage.


    Ashton then shoved her away and shielded me from her as he gave Joseph a call. ¡°Call the police,


    Joseph!¡±


    It was obvious that he had already told Joseph to be on standby beforeing over.


    After hanging up the phone, he looked at me worriedly and asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I brought her over to make her give up on you,¡± I replied.

 Chapter 547

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 547


    He let out a sigh and turned toward Reba. ¡°You can choose to either leave K City forever or get


    arrested for breaking and entering.¡±


    Reba went pale and shook her head in disbelief. ¡°You can¡¯t do this to me, Ash! You promised my


    brother you¡¯d take good care of me!¡±


    Ashton shot her a fierce re and said coldly, ¡°You mentioning your brother now only disgusts me


    further. In fact, his biggest failure in life is having a sister like you.¡±


    Reba had barely steadied herself after getting up from the floor when his words hit her like a


    sledgehammer and sent her falling back down again.


    Ashton stared down at her as he continued, ¡°For Parker¡¯s sake, I¡¯m willing to pay you any sum of


    money aspensation, but you tried to hurt my wife today, and I will not let it slide. You¡¯re looking at


    three years in prison for first-degree burry. Of course, you do have the option to take the money and


    leave K City, under the condition that you disappear from our sight forever!¡±


    The murderous intent in his cold voice was palpable.


    Reba had broken downpletely and sat motionless on the floor while Joseph arrived with the


    police shortly after.


    There were no security cameras in the vi, but Reba still had the knife in her hand when the police


    came in. Given Ashton¡¯s power and influence, getting her jailed for burry was no problem at all.


    However, he didn¡¯t say a word, and the police simply took Reba in for interrogation as per the


    normal procedure.


    We were both quiet on the drive home. As I stared nkly out the window, I thought about what


    happened earlier. When did he get there? How much of our conversation did he overhear? Oh, this


    reminds me¡­ He once told Reba that she could only give but not ask for love. That makes sense¡­


    After all, love that you only receive by asking isn¡¯t worth anything.


    Right then, he stopped the car by the side of the road, snapping me out of my train of thoughts. I


    looked at him in confusion and asked, ¡°We¡¯re not home yet?¡±


    Ashton nodded, got out of the car, and disappeared behind a corner on the street.


    A whileter, he came back with a box of choctes in hand. ¡°Here, try it!¡± he offered while holding it


    out to me, but I just stared nkly at the box without responding.


    He then took my hand and whispered into my ear, ¡°You can scold me all you like. Don¡¯t keep quiet like


    this.¡±


    His hand feels so warm¡­ Maybe it¡¯s because mine is icy-cold¡­


    I looked up at him and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°She didn¡¯t break into the house. I was the one who


    brought her in.¡±


    He started the engine and nodded as he ced the box of choctes into my hand. ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯d you let the police take her away?¡± I had no appetite for anything at all.


    He let out a sigh and looked at me. ¡°She has to learn her lesson, Scarlett. I won¡¯t always be around to


    protect you, you know? What do you think would¡¯ve happened if I wasn¡¯t around earlier?¡±


    ¡°I would¡¯ve gotten stabbed,¡± I replied in a matter-of-fact tone.


    He raised an eyebrow at me. ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°And I might have died.¡±


    He let out another sigh. ¡°I¡¯ve waited four years for you, and this is what I get in return? Having to live a


    life where you only exist in my memories?¡±


    Upon hearing that, I kept quiet.


    ¡°I have to do something to prevent her from hurting you again, Scarlett. I can¡¯t guarantee that I¡¯ll always


    be able to save you in the nick of time if shees after you, nor can I predict when such an incident


    will ur again. The only thing I can do is get rid of herpletely.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    ¡°What do you n to do next?¡± I asked after a brief pause.


    He had a cold look in his eyes as he tightened his grip on the steering wheel. ¡°Either have her leave K


    City forever, or sue her and have her spend three years in prison.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°The hatred and resentment in her will only build up and give rise to new conflict. We can¡¯t


    punish her for something she hasn¡¯t done.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m nning on forcing her to leave instead,¡± he said with a stern look on his face.


    I¡­ Fine, I guess this is the best possible solution¡­


    It was quitete when we got back to the vi. I had eaten while I was in the mall earlier, so I wasn¡¯t


    really hungry.


    Summer was munching on a slice of cake that Flora had baked. ¡°I want some choctes too, Mommy!¡±


    she said while staring at the box in my hand with those innocent-looking eyes of hers.


    I let out a sigh and handed her the box. ¡°You mustn¡¯t eat too much of it or you¡¯ll get cavities, okay?¡±


    Summer nodded with a huge smile on her face.


    Ashton shot me a nce and said with a chuckle, ¡°Looks like I¡¯ve got somepetition for your


    affection.¡±


    Ignoring hisment, I sat down on the sofa as I asked, ¡°How much of my conversation with Reba


    did you overhear?¡±


    There is no such thing as a pure and beautiful soul, and anyone who appears that way is simply putting


    on a facade. When you get to know them, you¡¯ll eventually see their hideous side.


    He sat down on the sofa in front of me. ¡°Just a little.¡±


    ¡°You must think I¡¯m pretty evil, huh?¡±


    He shed me a grin and edged closer toward me. ¡°Do you want to let her bully and humiliate you,


    then?¡±

 Chapter 548

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 548


    I shook my head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°So why would you be bothered about that when you were simply defending yourself?


    ck and white are not the only colors in this world, you know? It is impossible to ssify someone as


    good or bad based on their actions alone.¡±


    Hmm¡­ That is indeed true. Fine, I¡¯ll admit that he¡¯s right.


    I stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already eaten with Aunt Sally in the mall earlier, so you can have dinner with


    Summer instead.¡±


    ¡°That was in the afternoon. You will join us for dinnerter,¡± he said in a firm andmanding tone.


    I red at him. ¡°Are you ordering me around?¡±


    He paused for a moment before reaching out and pulling me back toward the sofa. ¡°I mean¡­ Dinner


    just isn¡¯tplete without the whole family at the table, right?¡±


    What kind of logic is that?


    I pouted at him and repeated, ¡°Hmph! You were ordering me around!¡±


    ¡°How about you do the same to me, and we¡¯ll call it even?¡± he asked with a smile.


    I rolled my eyes at him. ¡°No, thank you!¡±


    ¡°What will you have me do, then?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to sleep in the bedroom tonight,¡± I said after giving it some thought.


    He leaned in closer and whispered in my ear, ¡°But that¡¯s a little too much for me to handle¡­ Can you


    come up with something else instead, hmm?¡±


    His deep voice sounded incredibly sexy, but I shook my head firmly and said, ¡°Nope!¡±


    At that moment, Summer had chocte all over her face as she climbed onto Ashton¡¯sp and said,


    ¡°You can¡¯t just hug Mommy, Mr. Fuller! You need to hug me too!¡±


    As I moved a little bit to the side to make space for Summer who had just interrupted us, I cleared my


    throat before changing the topic. ¡°Ahem¡­ So, New Year¡¯s Eve is just around the corner. When will you


    get off work?¡±


    Ashton grabbed a piece of tissue and wiped the chocte off Summer¡¯s face. ¡°After we conclude the


    end-of-year meeting, I guess.¡±


    I nodded and kept quiet after that.


    Summer seemed to have grown quite attached to Ashton after spending a lot of time with him.


    ¡°Dinner is ready, Mr. and Mrs. Fuller!¡± Flora called out to us while setting the table and serving up the


    food.


    Summer ran over the moment she heard that. Seeing the scrumptious dishes on the table, her mouth


    watered as she called out to Flora in a sweet voice.


    Flora picked her up and gave her a kiss on the cheek before assisting her with the dishes. ¡°Mr. Fuller, I


    noticed that the snow in the yard out back has begun to melt, and the flowers have all wilted. Shall we


    grow some vegetables there? You¡¯ll be able to enjoy the harveste spring.¡±


    Ashton nodded and replied, ¡°I¡¯ll leave that to you, so do as you see fit.¡±


    The yard in the main house was filled with all sorts of flowers and nts, which would be reced each


    season for the sake of aesthetics. On the other hand, the yard in the rear house was kept empty so


    they could nt anything they wanted whenever they pleased.


    Ashton topped up my te when he saw me staring into space. ¡°Don¡¯t space out while eating. You¡¯re


    not a kid anymore, you know?¡±


    ¡°Mommy is a big kid, and I¡¯m a little kid! Poor Mr. Fuller, you have to look after two kids!¡± Summer said


    with a giggle.


    I felt my face burn up a little but could only shoot Ashton a re with Summer around. Damn it, I know


    he said that on purpose!


    ¡°Yup! Your mommy will always be my kid!¡± Ashton told Summer with a smile.


    Summer looked at us both and asked, ¡°Is Mr. Fuller my daddy as well? My ssmates say their


    parents live together, and you two are staying in the same room too! Does that mean you¡¯re my


    parents?¡±


    Oh, the innocence of children sure is beautiful¡­


    I tensed up slightly and nced at Ashton.


    ¡°Do you want me to be your daddy, Summer?¡± he asked while topping up her dish.


    Summer was a little confused but nodded seriously anyway. ¡°I do!¡±


    After giving it some thought, she continued, ¡°Are you my biological father too?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always been your daddy, Summer. It¡¯s just that¡­ I did something wrong which made your mommy


    really angry, so she brought you with her all the way to R Province. That¡¯s why you¡¯ve been living there


    with her for so many years and only returned home now.¡±


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t youe to look for us, Mr. Fuller?¡± Summer asked.


    Children sure are capable ofing up with all sorts of weird questions¡­ I quickly replied while adding


    more food to her te, ¡°There is no why, Summer. Didn¡¯t I tell you not to talk when eating?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right!¡± Summer winked mischievously at Ashton and finished the rest of her meal in silence.


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    After tucking Summer in, I saw Ashtone out of the shower when I returned to our bedroom.


    ¡°We¡¯re good to go today,¡± he said in a deep voice.


    After staring nkly at him for a few seconds, I realized what he meant when I noticed the weird look in


    his eyes.

 Chapter 549

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 549


    ¡°T-The doctor said I shouldn¡¯t move about too much before I fully recover!¡± I stammered while blushing.


    With his hand on the wall behind me, he trapped me between him and the wall. ¡°But you¡¯ve been


    recovering for a really long time now.¡±


    He then leaned in and nibbled on my ear, giving me goosebumps all over.


    I instinctively grabbed onto his bathrobe and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to take a shower first¡­¡±


    ¡°You can do thatter!¡±


    Before I knew it, Ashton scooped me into his arms and ced me on the bed.


    I found myself spacing out a little when I felt his familiar scent and domineering aura.


    ¡°Still spacing out at a time like this? Looks like you really are dissatisfied with my performance, eh?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡­ Mmph¡­¡± He smothered me with a barrage of passionate kisses before I could finish.


    Had I not cried and begged him for mercy, I probably wouldn¡¯t have gotten any sleep that night.


    When I saw Ashton the next morning, I tried to run away, but he was faster and pinned me against the


    wall. ¡°Why are you running from me?¡±


    I swallowed nervously and hesitated for a bit before saying, ¡°Ashton¡­ I think we should sleep in


    separate bedrooms¡­¡±


    I won¡¯t survive sleeping with him every night¡­


    He arched an eyebrow at me. ¡°What kind of married couple would do such a thing?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    ¡°There are lots of them who do that, actually.¡±


    He pulled me into his arms and said with a smile, ¡°Well, not us.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s time for you to go to work,¡± I reminded him, closing my eyes.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve still got some time for a quick one¡­¡± He began running his hands over my body as he said


    that.


    I was dumbfounded.


    ¡°But I¡¯m a little tired, Ashton¡­¡± I said while brushing his hand off, but he simply ignored me and hit me


    with another wave of kisses.


    With our warm bodies firmly pressed against each other, the temperature in the room rose and formed


    a great contrast with the cold winter outside.


    I sometimes wondered if I would literally die in bed if he weren¡¯t able to control himself.


    Fortunately, this one didn¡¯tst very long as he had to leave for work in a bit.


    ¡°Will you be heading out in the afternoon?¡± he asked with a satisfied smile as he came out of the


    bathroom, wiping himself dry with a towel.


    ¡°Hannah is done with her postnatal care, so we¡¯re going shopping,¡± I replied while lying on the bed,


    feeling somewhat tired.


    He nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll have Joseph give you two a ride, then.¡±


    While he continued to dry his hair, I couldn¡¯t help but notice his chiseled abdominal muscles, which


    made him look incredibly sexy. Man, he probably would¡¯ve made a fortune being a model if he weren¡¯t


    the chairperson of Fuller Corporation!


    I was snapped out of my trance when he tossed his towel at me and asked, ¡°What, you haven¡¯t had


    enough?¡±


    Did he catch me staring?


    I climbed out of bed and shot him a re. ¡°That¡¯s it! We¡¯re sleeping in separate beds, Ashton!¡±


    I then stormed into the bathroom without waiting for his response, only to hear his devilishughter


    outside the door.


    By the time we came downstairs, Summer had already been sent to school. Flora noticed the cheeky


    smiles on our faces and said, ¡°I made you two some beef stew. It¡¯ll help to replenish your strength!¡±


    For some reason, I found myself blushing hard when I heard her say that.


    As I cleared my throat awkwardly, I shot Ashton a nce, and he simply shed me a gentle smile in


    response.


    After breakfast, he left for work immediately as things were pretty hectic in thepany. ¡°Make sure to


    come back early for dinner, okay?¡±


    I nodded in response and saw him off at the front door.


    Meanwhile, Joseph stayed behind and looked at me as he said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you a ride afterward, Mrs.


    Fuller.¡±


    I shook my head and declined his offer politely, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I can drive there myselfter. Don¡¯t worry


    about me. Just go on ahead!¡±


    ¡°But Mr. Fuller has specifically instructed me to take you there.¡±


    ¡°I know, but I think I can manage this one on my own. A talented personal assistant like yourself


    shouldn¡¯t be wasting your time on something like this. Now then, off you go!¡±


    Seeing as he was still hesitant to leave, I grabbed some broli from the refrigerator and handed it to


    him. ¡°Here, you can tell Mr. Fuller that I had you bring this to him.¡±


    Joseph stared at me in confusion. ¡°Broli?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yes, now get going!¡±


    There weren¡¯t any flowers at home right then, so that was the closest I could get my hands on. I


    mean¡­ It is technically a flower, after all!


    Joseph hesitated for a little while before leaving with the broli in hand.


    I then got myself a change of clothes and tidied up the bedroom before driving out of the garage.


    Hannah and I were supposed to meet up at noon. It was still a little early when I arrived, so I decided to


    kill some time in a nearby restaurant.


    As I had appeared on television several times before, the waiter who attended to me was able to


    recognize me.

 Chapter 550

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 550


    At first, he looked a little shocked but was quick to regain hisposure and smiled politely at me as


    he asked, ¡°Good day, Miss. What can I get you?¡±


    I shook my head and smiled back at him. ¡°I¡¯ll just have a ss of water for now. I¡¯ll order the food when


    my friend gets here.¡±


    The waiter returned momentster and handed me a ss of water. ¡°Here you go, Miss. Just let me


    know if you ever need anything.¡±


    With a nod, I thanked him in response.


    He began whispering with his colleagues upon returning to the till, and I noticed them asionally


    ncing in my direction. Huh¡­ So they¡¯re talking about me¡­


    I pursed my lips and sipped on the water while staring out the window. Ever since Ashton came down


    hard on White Corporation, everyone¡¯s focus had been on their stock prices which could fall at any


    time.


    I knew that very well, and yet I couldn¡¯t do much about it as Marcus was consumed by his hatred and


    resentment that had been amplified by the traumatic incident years ago. Although I hoped that he


    would learn to let go of the past, I had no right to say anything about it.


    There¡¯s no way of telling who¡¯s right or wrong in life. It doesn¡¯t matter if Reba¡¯s feelings toward


    Ashton are that of obsession or true love because there¡¯s no going back anymore. Devotion and


    undying loyalty won¡¯t work on everyone. With certain people, it¡¯s best to just let go instead¡­


    I was snapped out of my train of thoughts when I realized I had finished the ss of water. Then I


    nced at my phone and saw that it was already noon, but there was still no sign of Hannah.


    Right as I was about to put my phone away, Hannah¡¯s call came in all of a sudden.


    She apologized profusely the moment I answered the phone, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Scarlett! The baby¡¯s got a


    fever, and I¡¯m at the hospital right now. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to go shopping with you today. I¡¯ll treat


    you to something next time, okay?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    After hanging up the phone, I nced at the empty ss on the table and decided to order some food


    now that I was already there.


    My phone began ringing again halfway through the meal. It was an unknown number which was calling


    from K City.


    I answered it politely and asked, ¡°Hello, may I know who¡¯s calling?¡±


    ¡°Hey, Letty! It¡¯s me!¡± The loud and husky voice of a middle-aged man sounded from the other end of


    the line.


    I recognized it as Zachary¡¯s voice almost immediately.


    ¡°Oh, hello there!¡±


    Zachary seemed to be finding the right words to say as there was a moment of silence before he


    continued, ¡°Are you busy? It¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve tomorrow. Your mother and I are nning on visiting


    you and Summer so we could do the countdown together!¡±


    This middle-aged man used to be a ruthless business magnate, and yet here he was being extremely


    cautious when talking to his own daughter. Somehow, this made me feel kind of sad.


    I took another sip of my water and said, ¡°Sure, that¡¯d be great!¡±


    He breathed a sigh of relief, sounding like a happy child as he said, ¡°Okay! Your mom and I wille


    over a little earlier tomorrow. What do you like to eat? We¡¯ll shop for the ingredients and whip up your


    favorite dish! Oh, and what does Summer like? Should we get her a Barbie Doll? Or maybe¡­¡±


    He¡¯s being a little too enthusiastic about this¡­ This isn¡¯t like him at all¡­


    I cut him off, ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. We have everything we need at home, so you two can just


    come over.¡±


    ¡°No, that simply won¡¯t do! Go ask Summer what she likes to eat, and I¡¯ll make some for her tomorrow.¡±


    That was Cameron¡¯s voice, which meant they were right next to each other at the time.


    ¡°Like I said, that really isn¡¯t necessary. If we really need anything, Ashton can just get someone to buy it


    for us.¡±


    I then heard a beep from my phone and saw that it was the low battery reminder. ¡°Anyway, my phone is


    about to die, so I have to go now!¡±


    After hanging up, I let my mind wander for a bit as I sat there, staring into space.


    When we were younger, Macy and I used to swear that we would never get married and that we would


    both work hard to buy a house of our own where we could both live happily ever after. Well, I suppose


    we all change as we grow up¡­ When you reach a certain age, having a family is all that matters to


    you.


    For some reason, those thoughts reminded me of Sally, and I quickly texted Ashton to invite her over


    tomorrow as well.


    My phone died right after the text was sent, and the waiter came over with the food I ordered.


    When I heard amotion at the restaurant entrance, I looked up to see Marcusing in through the


    door with a group of men following behind him.


    He seemed a little pale and worn out, which was probably due to the crisis that White Corporation was


    facing.


    Marcus had always been an aloof person in general, and his slender figure made him stand out from


    the crowd even more.


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    Someone must have told him I was here, as he looked right at me shortly after entering the restaurant.


    Ugh¡­ It¡¯s probably the restaurant manager standing next to him. Oh, well¡­ We were both victims of


    scandals, so people tend to talk about us whenever they see us. I should¡¯ve left sooner¡­


    After meeting his gaze, I lowered mine and carried on eating my food.


    Thankfully, he just sat down with his group of people withouting over.

 Chapter 551

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 551


    I wasn¡¯t really hungry to begin with, and seeing him here made me lose my appetitepletely.


    The weather was already chilly during the winter, and the heavy rain outside just made it even colder.


    Damn it¡­ I just had to forget my umbre, huh? Well, my car isn¡¯t too far away, so maybe I could just


    run through the rain¡­


    But the moment I stood outside the entrance of the restaurant, the biting cold discouraged me.


    Suddenly, a man held an umbre over my head, and I didn¡¯t have to turn around to know it was


    Marcus.


    ¡°Did you drive here or take a cab?¡± His voice sounded as cold as the weather.


    I looked up at the heavy downpour and said, ¡°I drove here.¡±


    Marcus nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a lift.¡±


    ¡°No, thank you,¡± I declined his offer immediately.


    ¡°Haha¡­ I know you hate me and all, but you don¡¯t have to avoid me like that! I¡¯m not going to kidnap


    you or anything!¡± he said with a wry, self-mockingugh.


    I pursed my lips as I looked at my shoes that werepletely drenched by the rain. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to


    give you that money, you know? You and Ashton are both amazing men! You shouldn¡¯t be hurting each


    other over a nobody like me!¡±


    A mutually beneficial oue is always the best one when ites to business, after all.


    ¡°Who are you worried about? Me or Ashton?¡± he asked with a sneer.


    Marcus sure is a stubborn one¡­


    ¡°I just think it isn¡¯t worth it, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not for you to decide. We all have to fight for what we believe in. I chose to go all in, and I


    epted my defeat.¡± His tone sounded really harsh when he said that.


    I let out a helpless sigh and decided to keep quiet because there was nothing I could do about his


    stubbornness.


    Seeing as the rain had let up a little, I tried making a run for it. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll give you a lift!¡± he called


    out to me again.


    ¡°No, thanks!¡± I declined his offer in a much firmer tone, but he refused to take the hint.


    ¡°Even so, you could at least take the umbre with you, right?¡± He reached out and offered me the


    umbre.


    When I refused to take it, he grabbed me by the arm and shoved it into my hand.


    I paused and shot him a cold re. ¡°If the pictures get uploaded online, Ashton will onlye down


    harder on you. You might even end up in prison after the fall of White Corporation.¡±


    He sneered. ¡°So what? That¡¯s just how it is when ites to business. I¡¯ll admit that I can¡¯t beat him,


    but I won¡¯t give up on you, Scarlett!¡±


    I tensed up and got a little angry when I heard that. ¡°I know you have things that you want in life, but so


    do I. I too will fight hard for what I want. Although I¡¯m not sure what it is that you want, I know exactly


    what I want.¡±


    ¡°And what is it that you want?¡± he asked while staring right into my eyes.


    ¡°A family with Ashton!¡± I replied without any hesitation.


    At that moment, we were hit by a strong gust of wind, and the umbre was blown away.


    He let out a wry chuckle, seemingly in pain from the biting cold of the wind. ¡°Scarlett¡­ Do you know


    what heartache feels like?¡±


    I kept quiet and began walking toward my car.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Our fates have all been decided from the moment of our birth. I¡¯m not a greedy person. All I want is to


    be with Ashton for the rest of my life.


    When I saw Ashton¡¯s ck Maybach at the intersection in the city center, I pulled over by the side of


    the road. It felt like he had intentionallye looking for me.


    Ashton got slightly wet from the rain as he came out of his car and got into mine.


    I handed him a tissue and asked, ¡°You came all the way here just to pick me up?¡±


    The bodyguards that Ashton had assigned to me did what they could to avoid making it too obvious,


    but I knew they were following me around the whole time. Although bumping into Marcus was purely


    coincidental, I figured the bodyguards had already reported it to Ashton. Well, not that it made any


    difference since I wasn¡¯t trying to keep it a secret from him to begin with. Besides, knowing how nosy


    the media can be, pictures of our encounter were bound to reach Ashton anyway.


    ¡°Would you believe me if I told you I just happened to be passing by?¡± he asked while wiping himself


    dry.


    I shook my head. ¡°Nope!¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°Where are you headed next?¡±


    ¡°Hannah¡¯s child had a fever, and since I wouldn¡¯t be of much help even if I visited her, I was nning


    on heading back to the vi at first. But then I remembered that it¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve tomorrow, so I


    figured I¡¯d do a little grocery shopping on my way home. What about you? Are you done with work?¡±


    He reached out and pulled me into his arms. ¡°We can do the grocery shoppingter in the evening. It¡¯s


    freezing cold and raining right now, so how about you go to the office with me instead?¡±


    I figured it was pointless to refuse, so I nodded and drove straight to the basement parking lot at Fuller


    Corporation.


    Had Ashton not been with me, I would never have parked my car here, especially after what happened


    before.


    Fuller Corporation was a really hugepany with lots of employees, but we were able to avoid the


    crowd by taking Ashton¡¯s private elevator to his office.


    As he had a meeting to attend, I could only wait for him inside his office.

 Chapter 552

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 552


    After a bit of browsing, I managed to find myself a magazine to help pass the time. I was just about to


    sit down for a read when I heard a knock on the door. ¡°Come in!¡±


    A young woman came in through the door shortly after. She seemed to be in her early twenties and


    had an amazing figure to go with her beautiful face.


    When she saw me, she paused for a few seconds before saying in a gentle voice, ¡°Hi, I¡¯m looking for


    Mr. Fuller.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s in a meeting at the moment. Should be out in a bit, though,¡± I replied with a smile.


    She nodded and eyed me from head to toe. ¡°Got it, thanks!¡±


    Then she walked out of the room, and I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle as I went back to my magazine.


    Ashton¡¯s charm sure is something!


    Joseph came in momentster to deliver some documents. ¡°Let me get you a ss of fruit juice, Mrs.


    Fuller!¡± he said when he saw me.


    ¡°Thanks! By the way, is Fuller Corporation nning on developing AI technology as well?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is a global trend these days. Fuller Corporation is growing stronger by the day with the help of


    both engineering and technology. However, there¡¯s no way to guarantee that these things wouldn¡¯t


    suddenly be reced by something new someday in the future. That¡¯s why Fuller Corporation has


    invested a part of its funds in all types of AI technology just in case.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Who¡¯s in charge of the AI project here? I used to work in White Corporation for a bit, and I


    know Richard from OrbitTech, so I have developed some understanding on this subject.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a talented individual who just came back from Ustrana. She has conducted intensive research in


    the field of AI and is considered to be a professional,¡± Joseph said while cing the ss down in front


    of me.


    I took a sip of it and said, ¡°I assume this individual is a fairly young one, then? Must have a bright future


    ahead.¡±


    Joseph nodded. ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s twenty-five, performs well, and has a decent attitude at work. Mr. Fuller


    had personally made a trip to Ustrana just to invite her over. I¡¯ve met her a couple of times, and she


    seems to be a great talent, given how decisive and capable she is.¡±


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    I suppose she must be really amazing if Joseph is praising her this much.


    ¡°What¡¯s her name?¡±


    ¡°Rachel Zimmer. She¡¯s a Chanaean residing in Anndur.¡±


    I figured it would make me look nosy if I were to continue asking about her, so I decided to end the


    conversation there and said, ¡°I see¡­ Okay, you can carry on with your work now. I¡¯ll just go back to


    reading my magazine until Ashtones back.¡±


    Rachel Zimmer, huh?


    An hour had passed by the time Ashton returned from his meeting.


    I was starting to doze off when I felt something on my shoulder and opened my eyes, only to meet


    Ashton¡¯s that were only inches away.


    ¡°Will you be able to fall asleepter at night if you take a nap at this hour?¡± he asked with a grin.


    I sat up straight and closed my eyes as I leaned against his shoulder. ¡°Yup!¡±


    ¡°Sleeping too much is bad for you,¡± he said with a chuckle.


    I hummed in response and continued leaning against him without saying another word.


    He then adjusted his posture to make it morefortable for me.


    Knock! Knock!


    ¡°Come in,¡± he said in a soft voice.


    I heard the sounds of high heels approaching, followed by the sweet voice of a young woman. ¡°I¡¯ve


    completed the initial draft for the new product, Mr. Fuller. Please have a look and let me know if any


    changes are required.¡±


    Ashton was so gentle and graceful in his movements that I could barely feel anything as he flipped


    through the document.


    ¡°It looks fine to me. You can have the engineers take a look and discuss the details with them before


    proceeding.¡±


    Ashton kept his voice low so as to not wake me up.


    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll get to it right away,¡± the woman said, and the sounds of her heels faded as she walked out


    the door.


    I was still leaning against Ashton¡¯s shoulder and pretending to be asleep until his deep voice rang in my


    ear.


    ¡°She¡¯s gone. You can wake up now.¡±


    Realizing it was pointless to keep up with the act, I rubbed my eyes and looked up at him awkwardly as


    I said, ¡°Are you nning on continuing the research and development of AI technology after acquiring


    White Corporation?¡±


    He raised an eyebrow and said with a nod, ¡°That¡¯s part of the reason I acquired it.¡±


    Then he paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°How did you know it was AI technology?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°I saw the documents she was holding when she dropped by earlier.¡±


    He smirked and leaned in closer as he asked, ¡°And you asked Joseph what her name was, right?¡±


    I figured there was nothing wrong with what I did, so I nodded and gave him an honest answer. ¡°I¡¯m


    sure any woman would have a reason for concern when faced with such a beautiful and talented young


    lady.¡±


    He wrapped his arm around my waist and chuckled. ¡°Why don¡¯t you put in a little more effort if you¡¯re


    that insecure about me?¡±


    I raised an eyebrow at him. ¡°A little more effort?¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­ Broli? Seriously?¡± he asked while shifting his gaze toward the broli on the desk.


    ¡°Would you believe me if I told you that I just grabbed whatever I had lying around at the time?¡± I


    thought Joseph would¡¯ve brought them home and eaten them himself! I can¡¯t believe he actually gave


    them to Ashton! What a blockhead¡­


    Ashton¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°Oh? Whatever you had lying around, you say?¡±


    Right, it¡¯s time to change the subject!


    ¡°Look, I¡¯ll get you a bouquet of flowers next time, okay? By the way, are you finished with work yet? It¡¯s


    gettingte, and we should hurry on to the supermarket. You know how upset Summer gets if wee


    homete, right?¡±

 Chapter 553

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 553


    He reached out and gave me a light pinch on the nose while letting out a helpless sigh. ¡°There you go


    changing the topic again.¡±


    We bumped into Joseph and Rachel on our way out of the office.


    Joseph was quick to greet us politely upon seeing us, while Rachel frowned slightly as she nced at


    Ashton before shing a smile at me.


    After I returned the smile, I entered the elevator with Ashton.


    The two of us decided to take my car to the supermarket instead of his Maybach, which would draw too


    much attention.


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    I noticed how in my wrists looked as I fumbled for the car keys. Should I get myself some


    essories like Rachel as well?


    Noticing that I was spacing out, Ashton took the keys from me and started the car. ¡°What¡¯s on your


    mind?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I was just thinking that I should send this car for maintenance soon,¡± I lied after a brief pause.


    ¡°We¡¯ll sell this car off. There are a few brand new ones in the garage, so you could give them a test


    drive and see if you like them,¡± he said with a nod while driving out of the parking lot.


    After a few rounds at the supermarket, we ended up buying a whole lot of stuff as Zachary said they


    would being over tomorrow, and I wasn¡¯t sure what we would need.


    By the time we got home, Summer had already gone to bed. Flora took the day off after preparing


    dinner as something urgent hade up in her family.


    It was already midnight when I finally finished unpacking the groceries. I saw Ashton marking down


    some dates on the calendar when I came out of the shower.


    I wonder what he¡¯s nning¡­


    ¡°When will yourpany go on holiday?¡± I asked whilebing my hair at the dressing table.


    ¡°Soon. We¡¯ll be on break for over ten days or so after we conclude the year-end meeting.¡± He ced


    the calendar down and came over to help blow-dry my hair as he continued, ¡°Jared called earlier. He


    was asking if he could bring Summer over to W City for a few days during her winter break.¡±


    Furrowing my brows, I was about to object when I remembered my promise to let Jared spend time


    with Summer.


    ¡°How many days exactly is a few days?¡± I asked.


    ¡°About two weeks or so.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t too happy when I heard that. Her winter break doesn¡¯t evenst a month, and Jared¡¯s going to


    take her away for about half of it?


    Ashton put the hairdryer aside and beganbing through my hair when he heard no response from


    me. ¡° Remember how I kept telling you I¡¯d take you to Remdik but was always too busy to do so? Well,


    I¡¯ll have more free time during this holiday, so we could make that trip happen.¡±


    I turned around to look at him. ¡°So you¡¯ve already agreed to Jared¡¯s request?¡±


    He shook his head and smiled. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t say anything.¡±


    After giving it some thought, I nodded and agreed to his suggestion anyway. ¡°All right¡­ Remdik is


    probably too cold for Summer anyway.¡±


    I looked down when I felt something being slipped onto my wrist and saw a beautiful bracelet around it.


    ¡°Why are you giving me this all of a sudden?¡± I asked in confusion.


    We actually had a ton of jewelry at home, but I usually looked shabby as I rarely wore them when I


    went out.


    ¡°Why not?¡± he said with a smile.


    ¡°Uncle Louis gave me a ton of bracelets, but I¡¯ve only worn them once because they look too


    expensive. Where did you get this one from?¡± I asked while taking a closer look at the bracelet.


    ¡°Joseph bought it from a roadside stall during his business trip in Venria. Don¡¯t worry. It isn¡¯t


    expensive,¡± Ashton replied while continuing tob my hair.


    I might not know much about jewelry, but I knew there was definitely more to this bracelet than he was


    letting on. It looked too beautiful to be sold at a roadside stall!


    ¡­


    I was woken up by the faint ringing of the doorbell the next morning.


    It took me a while before I recalled that it was New Year¡¯s Eve and that Aunt Sally would being


    over with the Moores.


    Seeing as Ashton had already left the bedroom, I bolted out of bed and hurriedly went through my


    morning routine in the shower.


    I saw Ashton and Zachary sipping on tea out in the yard when I got downstairs.


    Meanwhile, Summer was sitting next to Zachary with Snowfluff in one hand and a bunch of new toys in


    the other.


    In the kitchen, Cameron and Sally were chatting away happily while cooking.


    It was a truly heartwarming sight to behold.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally awake?¡± Ashton asked when he saw me.


    I nodded shyly as I walked up to him.


    Sally came out of the kitchen with a bowl of soup and said, ¡°We¡¯ve already had our breakfast earlier.


    Here, have some of this. We¡¯re going to have our lunch a littleter in the afternoon.¡±


    I nodded as I took the bowl from her, and she went back into the kitchen again.


    ¡°Come here!¡± Ashton waved at me when he saw me spacing out.


    I sat down beside him and turned toward Zachary. ¡°Has it been long since you guys got here?¡±


    Zachary smiled and shook his head. ¡°No, we¡¯ve only just arrived a while ago.¡±


    He then eyed me from head to toe and continued, ¡°My goodness, you¡¯ve gotten skinnier! You should


    eat more!¡±


    I forced a smile at him in response as I didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Right then, Sally came out of the kitchen and motioned at Ashton as she said, ¡°Ashton,e help me


    with the tacos!¡±

 Chapter 554

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 554


    Ashton nodded and went into the kitchen, leaving me alone with Zachary.


    Despite us being father and daughter, we didn¡¯t really have much to talk about.


    ¡°This bracelet looks great on you,¡± he said after a brief pause when he noticed the bracelet on my


    hand.


    ¡°Thanks. Ashton¡¯s assistant bought it during his business trip in Venria,¡± I replied.


    He simply nodded and kept quiet after that.


    Summer looked up at us and asked, ¡°What day is today?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve, thest day of the year,¡± Zachary replied with a gentle look in his eyes.


    ¡°Does that mean we have to celebrate it with the whole family?¡±


    Zachary nodded.


    Turning toward me, Summer asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t Grandpa and Uncle John here, Mommy?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re a little busy. Aunt Hannah just had a baby recently and has to stay home for quite a while, so


    they¡¯ll celebrate it at home instead,¡± I said with a faint smile after a short pause.


    ¡°When will we be able to go see the baby?¡±


    Summer was a curious child and asked a lot of questions, but Zachary answered them all patiently


    anyway. I decided to go help out with the tacos and joined the others in the kitchen.


    ¡°Do you know how to make tacos?¡± Ashton asked when he saw mee in.


    I nodded at him and washed my hands before helping him out. ¡°My grandma taught me how to do it


    when I was little.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you grow up in the South? Not many people from the South know how to make tacos, even in


    the older generations. My mom didn¡¯t know how to make them either,¡± Sally said when she heard that.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because my grandma has been to a lot of ces. She¡¯d make tons of them every year


    because she prefers Northern cuisine.¡±


    Sally chuckled. ¡°Haha, I get this feeling that she¡¯s a Northerner born in the body of a Southerner!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s ever told me about her past, though. So all my memories of her are from our life in R


    Province.¡±


    Cameron walked up to me and asked, ¡°Have you ever wondered how your grandma got to know Old


    Mr. Fuller and why she trusted him enough to entrust him with you? Has he ever told you how they got


    to know each other?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No.¡±


    I had never really thought about that before. Grandma didn¡¯t have any friends or family in R Province,


    and she rarely even talked to our neighbors there. Macy¡¯s mom once mentioned that Grandma was in


    her fifties when she moved to R Province.


    Then she bought herself a little house there and found me some time after that. Thereafter, she raised


    me all by herself, and no one really bothered to ask her where she came from as time went by.


    ¡°Do you know your grandma¡¯s name?¡± Sally asked curiously.


    ¡°Winona Stovall. I took on herst name.¡±This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    This reminds me¡­ Why did John¡¯s father entrust Grandma with him? There are plenty of other families


    in R Province that are much wealthier, so why choose Grandma?


    ¡°Your grandma left you a topaz gemstone in the sandalwood box she gave you. Have you ever taken a


    look inside?¡± Cameron asked.


    I shook my head in disbelief. ¡°No, I couldn¡¯t get it to open.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll open it tonight!¡± Ashton said.


    I nodded in response, feeling a little curious myself.


    After lunch, Cameron and Sally suggested that we have a barbecue in the yard as we had lots of


    ingredients lying around from our grocery shopping yesterday.


    I was helping with assembling the grill when Sally pulled me aside and said, ¡°We¡¯ve got two men here


    to do that, so just leave it and join me for a walk instead! We¡¯ve got some catching up to do!¡±


    After snapping out of my daze, I did as told and followed her to the rear house.


    Flora had recently loosened up the soil and nted some seeds there, so there wasn¡¯t much to see at


    the moment.


    ¡°Are you and Ashton nning on having another wedding?¡± Sally asked as she sat down on the swing


    in the yard.


    I shook my head. ¡°Nope!¡±


    She pursed her lips and paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°Then¡­ Have you two been


    practicing proper birth controltely?¡±


    I felt my face burning up a little. ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Summer is turning five soon, so it¡¯s about time you two have a second child. I can help


    look after your kids. That would help improve your rtionship with the Moore family too,¡± she said with


    a nod.


    I kept quiet upon hearing that.


    Sally continued, ¡°By the way, you should advise Ashton to go easy on Marcus. I was married to


    Benjamin for ten years, so you could say I¡¯m quite close to the White family. Ashton¡¯s actions are a little


    overboard, so I need you to try to talk some sense into him.¡±

 Chapter 555

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 555


    ¡°Aunt Sally, I¡¯m not exactly in a position to talk to Ashton about this. In fact, things could get a lot worse


    if I do¡­¡± I replied.


    ¡°Damn it¡­ It¡¯s all my fault!¡± she eximed with a sigh.


    I knew I should try and talk Ashton out of it, especially since I owed Marcus a favor, but things just


    wouldn¡¯t be the same anymore if I did. The two of them had been rivals for many years, but it was


    nothing like this. Besides, I didn¡¯t know what Marcus told him the other day that made him hell-bent on


    finishing him off.


    The barbecue had begun by the time we got back to the main house. ¡°Here, try some of this!¡± Ashton


    said as he handed me a te of grilled chicken and vegetables.


    ¡°You grilled these yourself?¡± I asked with a smile.


    He nodded. ¡°Go on. Try it!¡±


    I sat down by the side and gave it a try. It tasted really great and reminded me of the soup from earlier.


    ¡°I wonder if Hannah is with John right now¡­ Aunt Sally made quite a lot of food, so maybe we should


    bring them some¡­¡±


    Cameron was a great cook, and having Sally around to help out made the soup even better.


    Ashton nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll have Joseph deliver it tonight!¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t the only one who is celebrating New Year¡¯s Eve tonight, you know? Shouldn¡¯t you let


    Joseph spend time with his wife and kids instead?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Are you suggesting that I deliver it myself?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please!¡±


    He leaned closer toward me and whispered, ¡°Do I get a reward?¡±


    I gave him a kiss on the cheek. ¡°Will this do?¡±


    Ashton¡¯s face lit up with joy. ¡°Yes, it will! You know, I thought you¡¯d want me to bring it to Emery instead


    as you two seem really close.¡±


    ¡°Do you believe in there being another version of yourself in this world?¡± I asked.


    He raised an eyebrow at me and waited for me to continue.


    ¡°Emery and Macy are really alike. I can see traces of Macy¡¯s innocence, cheerfulness, passion, and


    honesty in Emery. In fact, when I look at her, I can almost feel like Macy¡¯s still here with me. Hannah,


    on the other hand, is humble and stubborn like me. We¡¯re practically like two peas in a pod, and I can


    understand exactly what she¡¯s going through right now. That¡¯s probably why I feel the urge to look after


    her.¡±


    To be precise, Hannah resembles my old self. I know how much it hurts to wait and to keep hanging in


    there despite being hurt badly by the ones we love so much¡­


    I looked up at Ashton when I heard no response from him and saw him staring at me.


    ¡°Ashton, I¡­¡±


    He reached out and pulled me into his arms before I could finish. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I won¡¯t let it happen again!¡±


    It took me quite a while to realize that he was ming himself for what happened to me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it, Ashton. I wasn¡¯t talking about you when I said all that.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± he mumbled softly.


    I guess memories of the past exist as a means of reminding us to appreciate the present¡­ I let out a


    sigh at the thought of that.


    Sally broke into a grin when she saw us hugging.


    She then motioned at Cameron and Zachary who were chatting nearby, and the three of them looked in


    our direction.


    Feeling embarrassed, I quickly pushed Ashton away and whispered into his ear, ¡°Hey, there are people


    watching!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re a married couple, so what¡¯s the problem?¡± he whispered back.


    I quickly made my way back into the house to avoid their gazes.


    After taking a look around the kitchen, I realized I didn¡¯t really know what Hannah liked to eat as we


    didn¡¯t hang out that often.


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    I then whipped out my phone and gave her a call.


    The call got through after a few seconds, and I heard her somewhat hoarse voice on the other line.


    ¡°Hey, Scarlett! Happy New Year!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve still got quite a few hours before midnight, Hannah. Anyway, what do you like to eat?¡±


    Hannah was both surprised and confused. ¡°Huh? Why¡¯re you asking me this all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°We bought a lot of stuff to celebrate New Year¡¯s Eve, so I was thinking of making you something


    nutritious since you¡¯re breastfeeding now. I¡¯ll have Ashton bring them over in a bit,¡± I said while ncing


    at the ingredients in the kitchen.


    Her line went mute for a brief moment before she continued, ¡°Thank you, Scarlett. You¡¯re the first


    person to call me out of concern so far!¡±


    ¡°Is John with you today? How¡¯s your baby¡¯s fever? Has it gone down?¡± I asked.

 Chapter 556

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 556


    She avoided the most important question. ¡°Yeah, it went down! Uncle Louis gave me a ton of


    supplements when he dropped by earlier. I¡¯ll have Ashton bring some home with himter.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. We¡¯ve got lots of supplements here too, so you can keep those for yourself!


    Oh, by the way, you haven¡¯t told me what you like to eat. I want to make you something!¡± I said with a


    chuckle.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a picky eater, so I¡¯m fine with anything you make. Don¡¯t make too much of it, though. I won¡¯t be


    able to finish it all if you do.¡±


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll keep that in mind!¡±


    After getting off the phone, I began looking for a lunch box to store the food for Hannah and called out


    to Ashton, ¡°Hey, Ashton! Could youe over here for a second?¡±


    I heard footsteps behind me momentster, but I was so focused on looking for a lunch box that I didn¡¯t


    bother turning around. ¡°Ashton, do we have any lunch boxes here? I need one to store the food that


    you¡¯ll be bringing over to Hannahter.¡±


    I frowned when I heard no response from him and turned around, only to see that it was actually


    Cameron standing behind me.


    She fumbled through the kitchen cab and let out a cry of surprise when she found one. ¡°Ah! There¡¯s


    one right here!¡±


    She let out an awkward chuckle when she saw the look of confusion on my face and said, ¡°Ashton has


    gone for a walk with your dad.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see¡­ Thanks.¡±


    I took the lunch box over and began putting a meal together.


    ¡°Is there anything I can help you with?¡± Cameron asked from the side.


    I shook my head and said coldly, ¡°Nope, I¡¯m good here. Thanks again.¡±


    She went quiet after noticing the coldness in my tone.


    After packing the food, I turned around and was surprised to see her still standing there.


    I decided to ignore her and walk straight out of the kitchen, but she grabbed me by the wrist as I


    passed her by.


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I asked with a frown.


    ¡°Scarlett¡­ Can we have a talk, please?¡± Cameron was starting to tear up. Even at her age, she still


    looked stunningly beautiful.


    For some weird reason, I felt my heart ache when I saw her like that.


    That¡¯s weird¡­ Why am I feeling this?


    ¡°I think it¡¯s best if we don¡¯t,¡± I muttered coldly when I finally found my voice.


    It felt terrible opening up old wounds and thinking about how you got them, and I didn¡¯t want to


    experience that pain ever again.


    ¡°I knew it¡­ You do hate me, don¡¯t you?¡± Cameron said while sobbing.


    I looked down at the scar on my hand that I got many years ago for being a mischievous child. It wasn¡¯t


    really noticeable unless one looked closely enough, but I knew it was there all the time.


    I then shifted my gaze toward the door and took a deep breath as I said, ¡°I have a very bad memory, so


    I don¡¯t really remember what happened when I was ten, but¡­ there are certain things that I do


    remember very clearly, like the school I attended when I was seven. There weren¡¯t any kindergartens in


    R Province at the time, and the teacher at the preschool said I was too old for it, so I went straight into


    first grade instead.


    ¡°Grandma told me I would be able to see my parents when I grow up if I studied hard and got into a


    decent university. As such, I told myself I had to work as hard as I could to make that happen. That


    way, the kids in R Province would stop calling me an orphan¡­¡±


    Those memories were incredibly painful ones, and it took me all the willpower I had in me to keep my


    tears from falling as I continued, ¡°It wasn¡¯t like Grandma didn¡¯t love me enough, though. I just didn¡¯t like


    being called an orphan, that¡¯s all. One night, Macy and I were discussing which university we should


    apply to in the yard when Grandma suggested that I apply to one in J City as I would be able to find my


    parents there.¡±


    Seeing her tears dropping to the ground like a broken string of pearls, I averted my gaze before


    continuing, ¡°Maybe going to J City was a mistake all along. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have gone there. That


    way, I wouldn¡¯t have met Ashton, let alone Reba and you guys.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett¡­¡± Cameron was sobbing uncontrobly at that point and had to steady herself by holding on


    to the kitchen cab.


    I let out a sigh and shot her a cold stare as I said, ¡°Maybe my life would¡¯ve been a lot easier if I didn¡¯t


    meet you guys and fall in love with Ashton. I don¡¯t know if it was the right thing to do, but my love for


    him was the reason I could tell myself to forgive everything and everyone. Discovering that you two are


    my biological parents made me realize how twisted a person¡¯s fate can be, but I can¡¯t bring myself to


    hate the two of you because you¡¯re my parents. They say love makes everything pardonable, but that


    isn¡¯t the case for me. I can¡¯t bring myself to do it.¡±

 Chapter 557

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 557


    While looking at her, Iughed bitterly. ¡°I¡¯ve told you that I hate you. However, when I found out the


    truth four years ago, I chose to distance myself from everyone. All of the clues point to the fact that I


    can never hate you because you are my mother, whose blood runs in mine.¡±


    Perhaps, my words were all too much for her to bear. She fell silent, and her face turned pale.


    Squatting down, her tears rolled off her cheeks and fell onto the ground. Although they made a faint


    dripping sound, it was thunderous to my ears.


    I could not bear to stay there any longer, so I turned to leave the kitchen. My heart ached, but it was still


    bearable.


    Life is a long journey. As we trudge on and get hurt along the way, our wounds will eventually heal, and


    we can start anew again.


    Coincidentally, Ashton and Zachary had just returned from their walk and were in the yard.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    As soon as Ashton noticed the strange expression on my face, he came over to me and ced his


    hands on my arms. He softly probed, ¡°What happened? Are you feeling unwell?¡±


    I shook my head and forced a smile. Yet, there were tears in my eyes. What is the point of feeling hurt


    after losing my baby? I can always have another one anyway.


    His face darkened when he spotted my tears. Wrapping his arms around me, he pulled me into a hug


    and whispered, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    I shook my head again. It was too painful for me to speak.


    Meanwhile, Zachary grew worried since Cameron was nowhere in sight, so he headed to the living


    room to look for her.


    After ten minutes, he helped Cameron out. Her face had been drained of color, and there were beads


    of perspiration on her forehead.


    Sally blurted, ¡°Are you okay? You look ghostly, and you are breaking out in a sweat. I think you should


    go to the hospital.¡±


    However, Cameron waved her hand and refused, ¡°I¡¯m fine. I have gastric pain, but it will be alright after


    a while.¡±


    ¡°I think we should still get it checked at the hospital,¡± Zachary worriedly remarked.


    ¡°I¡¯m alright!¡± Cameron hissed in pain. ¡°The pain will go away soon. Besides, we have to spend New


    Year¡¯s Eve together.¡±


    Frowning, Zachary looked at her with concern.


    I studied her condition, and after some time, I finally dered, ¡°Let¡¯s get you to the hospital. If it is


    appendicitis, things may escte if we drag it out.¡±


    Agreeing with what I had said, Zachary immediately scooped Cameron into his arms and left the vi.


    Sally followed behind them.


    Unconsciously, I clenched my fists as I watched them hurry out the door.


    At that moment, a pair of arms hugged me, and I looked up to see Ashton. His gaze deepened, and he


    whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The hospital isn¡¯t far from here.¡±


    Although I nodded in acknowledgment, there was still an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach.


    In the end, I tagged along with them.


    At the hospital, the doctor diagnosed Cameron with appendicitis and advised that she would need


    surgery. To allow everyone else to remain at the hospital, Sally decided to head back to the vi to look


    after Summer.


    While we waited in the corridors, I felt bad for the woman in the operating room.


    My eyes started to sting after staring into space for a long time. Therefore, I took a deep breath and


    looked away. It breaks my heart to look at the closed doors of the operating room.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be alright,¡± Ashton assured me in a gentle tone.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I uttered before leaning against his chest as he tried to rub my arms to warm my icy cold body.


    Thud!


    The doors flew open, and the head surgeon stepped out while removing his surgical gloves.


    Jumping to his feet, Zachary rushed forward and questioned, ¡°Doctor, how is my wife doing?¡±


    ¡°It was a sessful surgery, and she will make a full recovery after a few days of observation here. You


    don¡¯t have to worry,¡± he exined before heading to another surgery.


    Hearing the news, I heaved a sigh of relief and could finally rx.


    A few nurses wheeled Cameron out of the room and to her ward momentster.


    Zachary scurried after them, but I stood rooted to the ground. After some time, I announced, ¡°Let¡¯s


    leave.¡±


    Seeing that I was heading to the elevator, Ashton said puzzledly, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to see how she is?¡±


    ¡°No. Summer is still at home.¡±


    Taking the hint, Ashton did not continue.


    Silence ensued as we drove home. Watching the shing lights along the road, I realized that the sky


    had already turned dark.


    Initially, I nned to make dinner for Hannah. But looking at the time now, she probably would have


    already eaten by the time I got home.


    I fished out my phone from my pocket and did not expect to see that it was switched off. Nheless, I


    turned it on and dialled Hannah¡¯s number. It took only a few seconds for her to answer. She anxiously


    asked, ¡°Scarlett, how is Ms. Anderson doing? Is she alright?¡±


    I froze for a split second. ¡°How did you¡­¡±


    ¡°After we ended our call, I called you back, but the call could not go through. Since I was worried that


    something had happened to you, I called yourndline. Summer answered it and told me that an older


    lady had fallen ill. I¡¯m guessing it was Ms. Anderson, am I right?¡±


    I confirmed her suspicions and apologetically replied, ¡°My original n was to send something over for


    you to eat, but it slipped my mind. Have you eaten?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have. In any case, don¡¯t fret! I have a housekeeper at home with me anyway. I¡¯m doing okay.¡±


    That is true.


    Out of the blue, I thought of John. ¡°Is John around?¡±


    As though it was a sensitive question, Hannah paused momentarily before she muttered, ¡°No. He is


    probably busy with work.¡±

 Chapter 558

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 558


    Oh dear, I shouldn¡¯t have mentioned his name. It looks like John hasn¡¯t visited her in a while.


    Without asking any further, I reminded her to take care of herself before hanging up.


    Ashton held my hand and reassured me, ¡°Don¡¯t brood over it. Have a good rest when we get home,


    alright?¡±


    I nodded. Then, I looked at him andmented, ¡°In books, it often portrays that a man would do


    anything for the woman he loves. Why don¡¯t I see that happening in real life?¡±


    John liked Hannah. After so many years with her by his side, he was already used to herpany. Yet,


    why did he have to leave her to fend for herself when she was in her most vulnerable state?


    Did he not know that an emotional wound hurt more than a physical one?


    With one hand on the steering wheel, Ashton gave me a side nce. He challenged, ¡°Hmm, although


    there are ghosts and gods in books, do we see them in reality?¡±


    I shook my head.


    Chuckling softly, Ashton emphasized his point. ¡°Well, it shows that we can¡¯t trust everything in books.¡±


    Feeling resigned, I kept quiet.


    It waste in the night by the time we returned to the vi.


    The sky in K City started to turn darker. Earlier, Sally mentioned that it was likely to snow again. After


    all, the city would experience a few heavy snowfalls every year.


    Sure enough, it snowed heavily on New Year¡¯s day.


    The white snowkes reflected light, and it brightened the rooms.


    I woke up early the next morning, but to be precise, I could not get much sleep. ¡°Do you feel unwell?¡±


    Ashton sleepily mumbled.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m okay. Hey, it¡¯s snowing outside. Be careful when you go out, okay?¡± I reminded.


    Nodding, he looked at the time before getting out of bed and heading to the bathroom.


    In the meantime, I headed to the balcony. As it was snowing heavily, there was a thick nket of snow


    covering the nts in the yard.


    It did not seem like a good idea to go out today.


    At that moment, someone enveloped me in a warm hug. I took a whiff of the familiar scent and knew


    that it was Ashton. Turning to look at him, I asked, ¡°Ashton, is Jared going to pick up Summer in the


    next few days?¡±


    He nodded while gently rested his chin on my shoulder. ¡°Summer is having her school holidays. Since


    we are too busy to spend time with her while she¡¯s at home, we might as well let her have fun with


    Jared.¡±


    Although I knew that he was right, I still felt uneasy at the thought of being apart from a child who had


    been under my watch all this time.


    Abruptly, the thought of how Summer and I would be spending more time apart in the future popped


    into my mind. Feeling worse than before, I peaked at Ashton and muttered, ¡°Ashton, let¡¯s have another


    child. Can we do that?¡±


    He froze for a second before he looked me in the eye and smirked. ¡°Sure! We shall create one tonight.¡±


    Instantly, my face grew hot, and I tried to avoid his eyes in embarrassment. Nudging him, I tried to


    change the topic. ¡°You should get changed. Otherwise, you will bete.¡±


    ¡°Which boss out there is afraid of turning upte for work?¡± Hugging me tighter, he nted a kiss on my


    cheek and mocked.


    After squirming in his arms for a while, he finally got changed while I went to wash up. Even after I was


    done, he was still in the bedroom.


    ¡°Your annual break ising up soon. Shouldn¡¯t you try to finish your work as soon as possible? Didn¡¯t


    you say that you were going to bring me out? If you keep doing this, when will we be able to have a


    date?¡± I whined.


    Heughed, ¡°I can go out with you any time.¡±


    Ignoring him, I headed downstairs. Flora had already prepared breakfast, and Summer was already


    awake because of the body clock she had adopted in R Province.


    Noticing that Ashton and I were there, the child turned towards us and eximed, ¡°Mommy, my school


    holidays has started! When will we be going back to R Province? I really miss Michael.¡±


    I was taken aback by her request. In a half-squat position, I replied, ¡°Summer, I don¡¯t think I can bring


    you back to R Province this time. I already promised Mr. Crest for him to bring you to W City.¡±


    My reply clearly made Summer upset. In a dejected voice, she muttered, ¡°But before we came over, I


    promised Michael that I would return to visit him.¡±


    Speechless, I turned back to Ashton for help.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    He walked to Summer and suggested, ¡°Summer, how about this? Mr. Crest can follow you to R


    Province for a few days so you can meet with Michael. Afterward, you shall follow Mr. Crest to W City.


    This way, neither Mommy nor you will have to break your promises.¡±


    The little girl lowered her head as though she was in deep thought. Momentster, she reluctantly


    agreed, ¡°Alright, sure.¡±


    Staring at us, she then continued, ¡°Wait, why can¡¯t we go there together?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m busy with work, while Mommy isn¡¯t feeling well enough to travel so far. You are still young. As


    you grow up, books can¡¯t be your onlypanion, and you have to travel around the world to broaden


    your horizons. Simr to what you¡¯ve read, not only do you have to read and educate yourself, but you


    also have to experience the real world for yourself. This is why we gave Mr. Crest the responsibility of


    guiding you around,¡± Ashton exined.


    Though Summer could not fullyprehend what he was saying, she thought he sounded logical.


    Therefore, she nodded and acknowledged.


    Gaping at Ashton, I mused at how sly he was.


    After coaxing Summer and having breakfast, Ashton lounged on the sofa in the living room, seemingly


    in no hurry to leave.


    Meanwhile, I was preparing to leave the house, and I ordered Flora to look after Summer. Scowling at


    Ashton, I grilled him, ¡°Aren¡¯t you heading to the office?¡±

 Chapter 559

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 559


    ¡°I was waiting for you!¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m not going to Fuller Corporation,¡± I uttered in surprise.


    ¡°I know,¡± he knowingly replied. Walking towards me, he exined, ¡°But I can drop you off at the


    hospital before heading to my office since it¡¯s along the way.¡±


    ¡°I can drive myself there. It isn¡¯t that far away anyway!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s safe for you since it¡¯s snowing heavily outside,¡± he insisted.


    Determined to send me there, he left no room for argument.


    As such, I followed him out helplessly. Oh well, I¡¯m not up to anything shady either.


    After Ashton pulled up to the hospital¡¯s entrance, he retrieved a few boxes of tonic from the car boot.


    I raised my brows in astonishment. ¡°When did you prepare them?¡±


    He cheekily revealed, ¡°I requested for Joseph to do this for mest night.¡±


    From his actions, I could tell that he wanted to apany me to visit Cameron.


    I paused for a moment, then trailed behind him. A warm fuzzy sensation bubbled within me. His


    meticulous gesture touched my heart, but my response did not seem to portray so.


    Six hours had passed since Cameron was out of the surgery room, and her anaesthesia had already


    worn off.


    Nheless, as a patient who had been under the knife, she still required rest for the next few days.


    Zachary, who stayed by her side the whole time, was sleeping in the corner of the room.


    On the other hand, Cameron was lying in bed, staring nkly at the ceiling as there was nothing for her


    to do.


    When she heard footsteps, she turned to see Ashton and me together.


    Stunned, she eagerly tapped her bed frame repeatedly to wake Zachary up. With a bright smile, she


    eximed, ¡°Both of you came!¡±


    Themotion woke Zachary up. Sitting up, he stared at us in a daze. Then, he got to his feet and


    sleepilymented, ¡°It¡¯s freezing outside, and it¡¯s akin to a snowstorm out there. You didn¡¯t have to


    come.¡±


    Ashton smiled while cing the tonics he prepared on the bedside table. ¡°It¡¯s not that cold while it¡¯s still


    snowing,¡± he replied.


    Observing how exhausted Zachary seemed, he continued, ¡°Mr. Moore, have you eaten breakfast?¡±


    The older man shook his head in response. ¡°Nope.¡±


    Stretching his back, he grumbled, ¡°Ah, I¡¯m growing old. My back is starting to ache already.¡±


    That made Cameron felt bad. Looking at him with concern, she persuaded, ¡°I¡¯m fine now. Go home and


    get some rest in the meantime. Anyway, the caregiver will be here soon, and if I have any problems,


    she will take care of it.¡±


    Unconvinced, Zachary asserted, ¡°That won¡¯t do. I will feel more at ease by your side.¡±


    ¡°You are so old, yet you behave like a child,¡± Cameron could only helplessly mumble under her breath.


    At the same time, I caught sight of Ashton sending a message to Joseph. He must be busy with work.


    With that thought, I tugged on his clothes and whispered, ¡°You can get going to your office. I will be


    alright to stay here alone.¡±


    Immediately, he kept his phone and responded, ¡°There¡¯s nothing urgent for me to handle.¡±


    He then nced at Zachary and offered, ¡°Mr. Moore, why don¡¯t you head home to rest? Scarlett and I


    will be here, so you don¡¯t have to worry. Besides, there¡¯s no need for so many of us to be here.¡±


    Zachary took a moment to weigh his options. As though wanting to hear my thoughts, his gazended


    on me.


    ¡°Go home. Ashton and I will stay here,¡± I spoke out.


    ncing at Cameron, who seemed to be in a better state and a good mood, he nodded. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll


    leave ande back in a bit.¡±


    Cameron quickly gestured for him to leave.


    As soon as he was out the door, Ashton pulled me to sit by the bed. ¡°Both of you can chat. I¡¯ll head out


    to ask for a water refill since it looks like it¡¯s running out soon.¡±


    Without waiting for my response, he left.


    Silence enveloped us.


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Although it was quiet, it was not ufortable for me as I was ustomed to it.


    In contrast, Cameron awkwardly tried to open her mouth several times, unsure of what to say. After a


    long while, she finally uttered, ¡°He treats you well.¡±


    I knew she was talking about Ashton, so I nodded in agreement.


    The room plunged back into silence after that line.


    Still trying to kill the awkward atmosphere, Cameron cautiously voiced, ¡°I heard Jared would be


    bringing Summer to W City to visit the Crest Residence. Is that true?¡±


    There was nothing wrong with the question, but I felt slightly irritable. Looking down at my palms, I


    nodded.


    She paused and continued, ¡°Both you and Ashton are not getting any younger. Why don¡¯t you try for


    another child?¡±


    Like a reflex, I shot her a re. It rmed her, and she nervously stuttered, ¡°I¡­ was worried about


    you.¡±


    I could not help but sigh.


    How did things turn out like that? When we speak to each other, we always have to pick our words


    carefully.


    On the other hand, if that was not the case, how else can we get along with each other?


    Fortunately, Ashton entered the room with a nurse to change Cameron¡¯s IV drip at that time, thus


    breaking the tense atmosphere.


    At the same time, he also brought some porridge. ¡°Ms. Anderson, please have some porridge. Later in


    the afternoon, I¡¯ll order something more appetizing for you.¡±


    Cameron gratefully nodded and thanked him.


    Since they had not spent much time with each other, they fell silent as they had nomon topic to


    discuss on.


    At that moment, Hannah arrived with several bags in her hands. She was usually a quiet person, but


    today, she rambled on and filled the silence once she entered the room.


    Just like that, she chatted with Cameron for the next few hours.


    Considering that Cameron was still a patient, she got tired and fell asleep after conversing for such a


    long time.


    Following that, Hannah hurried home to look after her child.

 Chapter 560

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 560


    It did not take long for Zachary to return to the hospital too.


    Taking it as a cue for us to leave, Ashton and I left. Since I had nothing on my schedule, I could only


    follow Ashton to Fuller Corporation.


    In the car, Ashton peeked over at me several times. He finally spoke when we stopped at a traffic light.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    With a slight dy, I replied, ¡°I¡¯m not feeling ster for sure, but I don¡¯t know how to exin the


    rtionship between my mother and me. It¡¯s somewhat sad that we have to be wary of the way we


    behave around each other.¡±


    ¡°Have you decided to let it go?¡± He pursed his lips and asked.


    Matching his gaze, I sighed. ¡°What other choice do I have?¡±


    He agreed.


    ¡°This is why we should have another child together. After all, you can¡¯t simply disown your family.¡±


    Then, I paused and continued, ¡°Grandma would be happy to know that I found my biological parents.¡±


    Nodding, Ashton held my hand and smiled. ¡°Yes, she would be.¡±


    At Fuller Corporation, Ashton parked his car by the entrance and pulled me into the office.


    Since I¡¯ve returned to K City, I¡¯ve been involved in various rumors.


    That somewhat makes me a familiar face around here.


    As such, when we walked into the building together, everyone who saw us would greet, ¡°Hello, Mr.


    Fuller and Mrs. Fuller.¡±


    I had to keep the smile on my face until we reached the elevator, where I finally let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard work to be Mrs. Fuller,¡± Iined.


    Ashton mused, ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it.¡±


    I shrugged. What else can I do about it?


    As Ashton had to rush to a meeting, Joseph waited for him in front of the elevator with several


    documents in his hands. Not wanting to leave me hanging, Ashton said, ¡°Wait for me in my office. If you


    are tired, you can take a nap. I will find you as soon as my meeting is over, okay?¡±


    I nodded in response and watched him enter the conference room with Joseph. It was getting busy


    there since the big break wasing up.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall!¡± Someone behind me called out. I froze momentarily and turned to see a familiar face.


    However, I could not recall the person¡¯s name.


    ¡°Hello!¡± I greeted with a smile stered on my face.


    Seeing how polite and distant I seem, the woman chuckled. ¡°Ms. Stovall, I¡¯m Isabelle. I was working for


    Fuller Corporation in J City and was transferred here recently. I¡¯m in the Finance Department.¡±


    It rang a bell in my head. Previously, I met her when I was working on a project with Caleb.


    Naturally, I broke into a grin. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s almost five years since I¡¯ve seen you. I¡¯m sorry, I couldn¡¯t recall


    your name for a split second.¡±


    She waved her hand and warmly responded, ¡°It¡¯s alright! It¡¯s been a long time, so it¡¯s only normal for


    you to forget. Did youe here with Mr. Fuller?¡±


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Nodding, I pointed to the conference room. ¡°He¡¯s in a meeting, and I¡¯m just walking around.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see. I¡¯m working downstairs, and I came up to pass Mr. Fuller this year¡¯s report from the Finance


    Department. When the meeting is over, will you be avable to have a meal with me?¡± she probed.


    Then, she awkwardly added, ¡°I¡¯ve been here for a few months, but I haven¡¯t made many friends. Since


    we¡¯ve known each other for a while, I thought maybe we could have a meal and hang out together.¡±


    Amused, I readily epted her offer. ¡°Sure. You can pick any date. I can suit your timing as I¡¯m not


    working.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± She eximed with a grin on her face. ¡°Alright, we will fix a date another time. For now, I


    have to bring this document in.¡±


    I gestured for her to go ahead. Watching her rush to the conference room with the report in her hand, I


    could not help but smile.


    At the same time, the conference room door opened, and Rachel walked out. After exchanging


    greetings, I saw the two women going their own ways.


    I was nning to head to Ashton¡¯s office, but I heard someone call my name again.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall!¡±


    Frowning, I stopped in my tracks and turned back. I did not respond.


    It was Rachel. She was tall and slender, with a feminine aura and beautiful facial features. Like I said


    before, she was one of the prettiest women I had ever met.


    As she walked towards me, I realized she was almost a head taller than me in her high heels.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, do you have some time now? Would you like to have high tea with me?¡±


    I did not even bother to consider her offer. Looking at her, I rejected, ¡°I apologize. I don¡¯t have the habit


    of having high tea.¡±


    ¡°You can always cultivate the habit,¡± shemented with her eyebrows raised.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±


    With that, I turned and headed into Ashton¡¯s office.


    At least thedy knew when to back down because she did not follow me in.


    Ashton was a good man, and that was something I knew ever since we got married. He was always


    loyal to his wife, family, and country. This was something I had to thank George for.


    Although the older man never specifically taught Ashton how to love others, he showed the younger


    man what it meant to love.


    Anyhow, I was not blind enough to let the admiration Rachel had for Ashton go unnoticed. Everyone


    could tell that she was ambitious, and no ordinary man could control her.


    Only those who were more sessful than her could draw her attention, just like Ashton.

 Chapter 561

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 561


    While she admired him, it did not mean she could attain his heart.


    To keep myself entertained, I randomly picked up a book to read but unknowingly, I fell asleep after


    some time.


    When I woke up from my nap on the sofa, I found a nket over my body. The room was dim, as


    though someone had adjusted the lights.


    Scanning the room, I did not spot Ashton. He is probably still in the meeting. For some time, I continued


    to lie there before I willed myself to sit up. It was chilly, and I wrapped the nket around my body


    tightly for more warmth.


    While I was still in a daze, someone pushed the door open.


    It was Joseph. Seeing that I was awake, he quickly fussed, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, are you hungry? Do you crave


    anything? I will order it for you this instant!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the time now?¡± I curiously asked. Looking out of the windows, I noted that it was already dark


    outside.


    He promptly responded, ¡°It¡¯s eight.¡±


    ¡°Is Ashton still in the meeting?¡± I frowned.


    ¡°The international conference ended, but there is still more to discuss over the AI. Mr. Fuller wants you


    to have a bite first,¡± Joseph reported.


    ¡°Has he eaten?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Joseph shook his head.


    With some thought, I requested, ¡°Can you order two sets of steak and two sses of milk? I would like


    it to be hot. Additionally, please get one portion of dessert too.¡±


    Then, I paused to look at the man standing by the door. ¡°Mr. Campbell, have you eaten?¡±


    Although he was stunned that I was referring to him, he answered honestly, ¡°No.¡±


    Clicking my tongue, I changed my order. ¡°You poor thing. In that case, please order three sets of steak.


    If you want anything else, please feel free to order them for yourself. Mr. Fuller will be paying for it.¡±


    Laughing, he nodded and left.


    Following that, I went to the bathroom to wash my face and pick out one of Ashton¡¯s clothes from his


    closet in the lounge to wear.


    By the time I came out, Joseph was already there with the meal boxes.


    I nced at the clock again. It¡¯s gettingte, but Ashton is still in the meeting.


    Huffing, I decided to make a trip to the conference room.


    Joseph followed behind me without the intention of stopping me.


    At first, it felt normal, but halfway there, I realized that something was not right.


    Turning to look at the man trailing behind me, we exchanged looks, and he meekly chuckled.


    Something must be up. ¡°How many people are there in the meeting?¡± I probed.


    ¡°Two!¡± He chimed.


    ¡°Who are the two?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Fuller and Ms. Zimmer,¡± he revealed.


    ¡°Rachel?¡± I raised my brows.


    Joseph nodded, confirming my guess.


    Ashton¡¯s meeting dragged on for so long because he had to meet with Rachel.


    Standing before the conference room, Joseph opened the door even before I raised my hand to knock.


    It caught me off guard.


    Soon, I heard the heated discussion that was going on.


    ¡°I don¡¯t agree!¡± Ashton eximed.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, we are using AI to make life easier for humans and to push for the world¡¯s technological


    progress in this area. If we worry about how it will evolve and pull the plug on it, there is no point in


    adopting it in the first ce,¡± Rachel protested.


    Ashton looked like he had lost his patience. However, when he lifted his gaze and spotted me, his


    expression eased a little. Without bothering to rebut, he approached me.


    Rachel also turned to look in my direction, given the sudden change in his attitude. At the sight of me, a


    frown appeared on her face.


    She was clearly displeased.


    Meanwhile, Ashton could not be bothered about the others in the room. He looked at me tiredly and


    hugged me.


    Taking a deep breath, he moaned, ¡°You are finally here. My energy is about to be depleted.¡±


    Looking at Rachel, I hugged him and dered, ¡°Alright, I¡¯m here to help you recharge. Come, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Joseph was quick to pick up on the cue to leave.


    On the contrary, Rachel stayed in the conference room, with an unhappy expression stered on her


    face. She demanded, ¡°Mr. Fuller, we are not done with the meeting. How is it alright for Mrs. Fuller to


    barge in like that?¡±


    With his arms still around me, Ashton growled, ¡°It is way past the working hours, and it¡¯s time for you to


    go home. We can look through the things we have yet to settle tomorrow.¡±


    Evidently, she was frustrated and wanted to continue, but Ashton stopped her.


    ¡°Ms. Zimmer, I know that you don¡¯t have to worry about your parents or loved ones since you live


    alone. However, I¡¯m not like you. I have a wife and a child, and I want to spend time with them after


    work. Thank you for all the effort that you put in at work. Regarding your overtime hours, Joseph will


    settle all the overtime pay with the Finance Department. You really should head home since it¡¯s getting


    late.¡±


    He left no room for discussion.


    I could not care less about her either. My stomach grumbled, and I nudged Ashton. ¡°I asked Joseph to


    order some steak. Aren¡¯t you hungry? Let¡¯s go have dinner.¡±


    With a bright grin, he cooed, ¡°My wife knows me best!¡±


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    Afterward, we headed back to his office without looking back to watch Rachel¡¯s reaction.


    Joseph had already taken his portion to his own office, and I was left alone with Ashton.


    Cutting the steak, he looked at me and apologized, ¡°There will be no next time.¡±


    His abrupt statement made me confused. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I meant that I would make sure my meetings will not run sote in the future,¡± he rified while cing


    a piece of sliced steak on my te.


    I shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It was part of your duties at work.¡± Recalling what I heard in the conference


    room, I changed the topic, ¡°Do you not n to expand on the AI project?¡±

 Chapter 562

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 562


    Based on the current trends, if Fuller Corporation could improve the AI technology, it would put them on


    another level.


    Ashton put down his knife and exined, ¡°It¡¯s not the time yet. For the AI to develop sessfully, it will


    need another ten years. Everything we are doing now is to prepare for the future. If we impatiently push


    forward with the project, it may backfire in the end.¡±


    He had his own perspective on this matter. Since I was not a professional, I was in no ce to question


    him.


    By the time we finished dinner, it was already ten, and Summer was already sleeping when we were


    back in the vi.


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    Jared then called us to confirm the ns to take Summer to W City, which we had previously informed


    her about.


    Before washing up and heading to bed, I packed some of her essentials to bring tomorrow.


    The next day, Jared came by earlier, and Ashton did not head to work. When I woke up, I heard


    murmurings downstairs. After washing up, I went downstairs and overheard the two men discussing


    Marcus¡¯s business.


    From the big picture, there was no need for Ashton to force Marcus to a dead-end. However, Ashton


    seemed agitated whenever someone brought up the matter.


    Frustrated, he stopped Jared from trying to persuade him any further and snorted, ¡°You don¡¯t have to


    worry about this.¡±


    With his brows raised, Jared reminded him, ¡°In this country, you may be able to suppress White


    Corporation. However, did you forget how powerful the White Corporation is in M Country? Once


    Marcus returned to M Country, we may end up losing most of our businesses there, and it will threaten


    our survival.¡±


    ¡°Do you think that I¡¯m only capable of destroying him in this country?¡± Ashton¡¯s face hardened.


    His words took Jared by surprise. ¡°Are you going to do something about White Corporation in M


    Country too?¡±


    Taking a sip of water, Ashton calmly exined, ¡°If he returns to M Country and doesn¡¯t cross the line, I


    can consider allowing him to live in peace overseas. Otherwise, he will not be so lucky.¡±


    As a businessman, Jared could pick up on what Ashton meant. ¡°However, if Marcus can get his hands


    on the illegal loans in our country but somehow gets out of it and returns to M Country, you can easily


    expose this matter to otherrge corporations in there. It will be akin to wanting his life, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Ashton did not respond. Instead, he gulped down half a ss of water and looked at his watch for the


    time.


    After a moment of silence, Jared sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Why do you have to drive Marcus over


    the edge?¡±


    Ashton narrowed his eyes but continued to remain silent. Obviously, he did not intend to answer.


    At that moment, he turned back and saw me standing by the staircase. His lips instantly curled into a


    smile on his previously gloomy face. He gestured for me to join them.


    Obediently, I joined them, and Jared ended the conversation too once he saw me.


    At the same time, Flora walked out of the kitchen and chimed, ¡°Madam and Mr. Fuller, breakfast is


    ready.¡±


    Nodding, I scanned the room for Summer. Thinking that she was still asleep, I asked Flora, ¡°Flora, is


    Summer still in bed?¡±


    The olderdy pointed to the yard. ¡°No, she is up and ying with Snowfluff in the yard.¡±


    Sure enough, the little girl soon came running into the house from the same direction.


    Clinging onto me, she wistfully said, ¡°Mommy, Mr. Fuller said that we shouldn¡¯t sleep in, so I¡¯ve never


    done that.¡±


    I could not help but caress her face and awkwardly chuckle. ¡°Summer, you listen well.¡±


    As we brought Snowfluff to the groomer¡¯s yesterday, its fur coat was soft and silky. It felt pleasant when


    it rubbed itself against my leg.


    Looking at me with puppy eyes, Summer pleaded, ¡°Mommy, can I bring Snowfluff along with me?¡±


    I was dumbfounded and took some time to think before I exined, ¡°Summer, Snowfluff is a pet and


    can¡¯t take the flight with you. If you check in with it, it will be harmful to its health. Therefore, I strongly


    rmend that you don¡¯t bring it along with you.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Children have a pure heart. They tend to be attached to those they get along well with for a


    long time.


    Unable to stand how disappointed Summer was, Jared interrupted, ¡°There is a special cabin for us to


    bring pets onboard the ne. When we get to the airport, we can book a spot in the first-ss cabin.


    Then, we can head to the ne with Snowfluff after we settle the formalities.¡±


    At once, Summer¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Can we really do that?¡± She cheered.


    He nodded.


    The girl was overjoyed, and she threw herself at Jared.


    Sighing, I rubbed my temples in disapproval. He sure is a rich man. Those costs hundreds of


    thousands, yet he easily agreed to it.


    From the other end, Ashton spotted my actions and walked towards me to tease, ¡°It is a good thing for


    her to be supported by the rich!¡±


    I¡­


    Men really do go all the way for their daughters.


    I merely shrugged and did not continue. Turning my heels to the kitchen, I prepared to eat breakfast.


    Once we were done with the meal and Summer¡¯s belongings were almost fully packed, Jared assured


    me, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will take good care of Summer.¡±


    I nodded. I never doubted his care of Summer anyway. After all, she was his biological child, and he


    would probably pay utmost attention to her.


    After we sent Summer out, I could not help but groan, ¡°It¡¯s true that we can¡¯t keep our little girl with us


    forever.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s only going out for a y trip. Why are you taking it so seriously?¡± Ashton crackled.

 Chapter 563

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 563


    ring at him, I huffed, ¡°It hurts the ones who raise her.¡±


    The smile slid off his face when he realized that I was angry, and he pecked on my cheek to appease


    me. With his hands around my waist, he gently said, ¡°Thepany will be holding our annual meeting


    soon. Once it¡¯s over, why don¡¯t we go to Remdik together?¡±


    I nodded repeatedly. Of course, I would pounce on the chance to go out immediately.


    As the New Year was right around the corner, Ashton had a lot to do at thepany. Therefore, he


    headed to the office not long after.


    My initial n was to stay at home to read, but Emery called to say that she was back from her


    honeymoon and suggested meeting with everyone.


    ¡°Everyone?¡± I could not help but blurt.


    She helplessly whined, ¡°Hannah, me and you. Who else do you think I was referring to?¡±


    That¡¯s true. I only have that few friends around me.


    Naturally, I agreed to it.


    We nned to meet by the golf course in the suburbs. However, we were not going there to y golf,


    but as girls, we were merely there for the scenery and food.


    Besides, Emery bought a vi near the golf course recently, and she found many cafes nearby.


    Although she was interested in visiting those ces, she did not have the chance to thus far. Since


    they were meeting, she wanted to use the opportunity to try them.


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    At first, I wanted to drive, but Ashton had arranged for a bodyguard cum driver to send me there.


    There was no use in protesting. After all, with someone to send me there, it would save me a lot of


    effort.


    Upon reaching the cafe, I was about to call Emery when I heard her shout my name.


    We had not seen each other for a few days, and she did seem plumper than before. Perhaps it was


    because she was pregnant.


    In a carefree fashion, she walked to me and hooked her arm around mine. ¡°How rare it is to see you


    show up this early? We can head in first since Hannah is still on her way.¡±


    I obliged and entered the cafe with Emery.


    Although it wasbelled as a cafe, it seemed more like a high tea restaurant. Well-decorated and


    pleasant, it was a good ce for gatherings.


    Once we stepped in, a waiter weed us and politely greeted us, ¡°Hello. May I know if you have


    made a reservation?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we made a reservation for the pavilion,¡± Emery promptly replied and passed her reservation


    confirmation slip to the waiter.


    The waiter scanned it before bowing slightly, gesturing for the twodies to follow him. ¡°Please follow


    me this way.¡±


    He escorted us to the pavilion and passed us the menu in the form of bamboo slips. ¡°Here is the menu.


    You can take your time to decide on what to order while I prepare some sweet treats to start both of


    you off with your meal first.¡±


    Without any dy, Emery scanned through the menu and circled a few. Then, she looked up to ask,


    ¡°Do you have any cravings?¡±


    ¡°Haha, I¡¯m not picky. You can take your pick.¡±


    After selecting a few more dishes, the waiter came over and served us an exquisite-looking dessert


    each.


    It looked like juice, but it was not juice.


    Emery passed our orders to the waiter and instructed, ¡°Please serve our dishes a littleter as we are


    still waiting for another friend to arrive.¡±


    The waiter acknowledged before leaving us to enjoy our dessert.


    Curiously looking at the ss ced in front of me, I mumbled, ¡°This looks like jelly, but it isn¡¯t jelly.¡±


    Emeryughed in response. ¡°It is made from a fruit found in Southeast Asia. After squeezing the pulp,


    they freeze it. I only learned about it on my trip there. Have a taste. It is pretty good.¡±


    I took a sip of it. ¡°It tastes sweet. The texture is smooth, and there is no trace of ice.¡±


    Like an expert, Emery scooped a spoonful of ice water served by the waiter onto the dessert. White


    smoke appeared from the bowl, and there was a slightly sweet fragrance, which increased their


    appetite.


    My mouth widened as I gasped, ¡°You sure know how to eat.¡±


    ¡°Of course! When I went to college, I tried all the food around it, whether from street vendors or high-


    end restaurants. I haven¡¯t been to the restaurants around here much, not because it is expensive.


    Instead, it¡¯s because the wealthy housewives staying around here are their most frequent visitors.


    Thosediese here for high tea all the time, and it¡¯s annoying when they start gossiping and


    boasting. What a turnoff!¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°Well, it¡¯s true that the living expenses in this estate are high. Since the stay-home wives


    have nothing better to do at home, they want to seek outpanions to boast about their husbands


    and children, and even their branded buys.¡±


    We continued to chat for some time when we heard amotion outside. I heard a familiar voice, and I


    turned to Emery in shock. ¡°Why do I hear Hannah¡¯s voice?¡±


    She was taken aback too. Jumping to our feet, we hurried out.


    Our suspicions were confirmed. There was a heated argument among several women, and they were


    blocking Hannah¡¯s way.


    I examined the women arguing with Hannah and realized that one of them looked familiar. Isn¡¯t that


    Yvonne.


    Going nearer, I verified my guess.


    It was Yvonne. I had not seen her in a while, and she had changed a lot.


    Emery analysed, ¡°Her clothes are thetest designs from Versace, and they are specially customized


    for VIP customers. I think it costs around a hundred thousand. Besides, her Prada bag costs at least


    fifty thousand. Her shoes seem custom made, so we can¡¯t even put a price on them. Although her


    bracelet is quitemon in the market, it is still at least fifty thousand. I¡¯m guessing that she¡¯s rich.¡±

 Chapter 564

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 564


    ¡°Thisdy is quite something. She came in with the other rich wives from K City,¡± Emery whispered


    beside my ear.


    Annoyed that they were cornering Hannah, I rashly pushed several of them aside.


    With a scowl, I growled, ¡°Are all of you dogs? Regardless of what happened, you don¡¯t have to be so


    rude to her.¡±


    Hannah was stunned to see Emery and me. ¡°I was walking too quickly earlier and identally knocked


    Yvonne¡¯s watch onto the ground. It seems broken,¡± she softly exined.


    I looked down at Yvonne¡¯s watch. It looked like it was from Hermes and was probably quite expensive.


    Those costs at least a million. Wow, she can probably afford a house by selling the clothes and


    essories she wore today.


    ¡°How can you say that? It¡¯s her fault for knocking into us. Instead of apologizing, why are you scolding


    us? What¡¯s wrong? Do you think someone as poor as you would be more logical than us?¡±


    The one who spoke was a rich woman standing right beside Yvonne. At first sight, she seemed like a


    nouveau riche.


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    Unlike her, the rest kept quiet, and one even jabbed her to ask her to shut up.


    In the circle of rich housewives, at least a few would recognize her.


    Yvonne was younger than thirty, yet she was dressed in branded goods from head to toe, and it


    seemed mismatched on her.


    Sensing that I was staring at her, thedy quickly smiled and greeted me. ¡°Ms. Stovall, I did not expect


    to see you here.¡±


    Rather than answer her, I stretched my hand towards her. It took her a moment to process before she


    stuttered, ¡°Ms. Stovall, this is a watch that Mr. Stovall gave me a few days ago. It is precious to me, but


    she broke it. As such, I was upset, but I was not trying to make things difficult for her.¡±


    One could tell that she was sly with the way she changed her stance so quickly.


    I nodded emotionlessly. ¡°Can I take a look at your watch?¡±


    Although she was reluctant to, she still passed it to me. I took a closer look at it, although I was not


    familiar with branded goods.


    Beside me, Emery expressed, ¡°John is quite something. He actually gave her a watch that costs


    millions. It looks like it¡¯s a limited edition too!¡±


    Hurt, Hannah lowered her head and clenched her fist while trying to hide the pain in her eyes.


    Instead ofmenting, I pulled out my phone and called John.


    Within seconds, he answered. ¡°Hello, Letty. What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    I grinned when I saw how nervous Yvonne seemed. ¡°Previously, you told me that you wanted to give


    me a customized watch for my birthday. Is it still with you?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I left it at home, but I¡¯ll send it over to you another day,¡± he answered.


    ¡°Forget it. I don¡¯t want to use things others have touched. You really should take better care of the


    things you buy next time.¡±


    Confused, he questioned, ¡°The watch is at home, and no one has used it. What are you talking about,


    Letty?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°Do you remember taking a picture of it and showing it to me? Today, at the vi by the golf


    course, I saw Ms. Wilde wearing it. John, please don¡¯t give me second-hand goods next time. I don¡¯t


    like the idea of it.¡±


    There was silence on the other end of the line. In the meantime, Yvonne¡¯s face turned pale, and


    everyone understood the gist of the situation from the conversation between John and me.


    The richdies that were standing beside her suddenly changed the way they looked at her.


    At that time, John finally replied in an annoyed tone. ¡°Throw away that dirty thing. I promise that such


    things will never happen again in the future.¡±


    With that, we ended the call, and I looked at Yvonne with a triumphant smile. I passed the watch back


    to her and mocked, ¡°Ms. Wilde, first of all, he already has a wife. Even if he doesn¡¯t, you can never join


    the family with a character like yours. In the past, my brother and I only felt sorry for you. Also, although


    John may be easy-going, he hates it when women take his things without permission.¡±


    Leaving her at a loss, I dragged Hannah away from the crowd and smarmily announced, ¡°Please


    excuse us.¡±


    With Emery, we headed into the private room without sparing Yvonne a nce.


    Once we were alone, Emery gasped, ¡°You go, girl! I can¡¯t believe you stood up for yourself, and here I


    thought you were just a gentle housewife.¡±


    I pouted. ¡°Should I stand back and watch you get bullied in the future then?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. You are a massive force!¡± She urged.


    Next, she looked at Hannah and chided, ¡°Don¡¯t keep everything in all the time. In the future, you may


    meet more people like Yvonne, but you should not stand back and let them bully you. Do you


    understand?¡±


    However, Hannah reasoned, ¡°With John¡¯s backing, she was at ease. There wasn¡¯t much I could say to


    turn the situation around earlier.¡±


    ¡°John must be blind. How can he even care about a woman like that?¡± Emery frowned.


    ¡°John is obsessed with cleanliness and does not carelessly bring women to his vi. Yet, he allows


    Yvonne to visit him. That must count for something,¡± Hannah trailed on. Her gaze dimmed while she


    forced a smile on her face. It made my heart ache to see her like that.


    Although I wanted tofort her, I could not find the right words to say.

 Chapter 565

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 565


    The only thing I could do was to change the topic. I pushed the dessert we had towards her and


    offered, ¡°Here, have some of this. It¡¯s delicious.¡±


    Emery could only rub her temples in response to my attempt. I awkwardly touched my nose, unsure of


    how else tofort the otherdy at that time.


    Fortunately, Hannah did not dwell on the earlier event. She took a few bites andmented, ¡°It is


    good. I have been learning how to make desserts recently and have been eating a lot of them. Sadly, I


    think I¡¯m gaining weight because of that.¡±


    This topic piqued Emery¡¯s interest. Looking at us, she grumbled, ¡°Have you not seen how fat I am


    now? It must be nice that both of you have already given birth. Your children are already growing up


    too. Meanwhile, I am not even four months pregnant, and who knows how much bigger I¡¯m going to get


    in six months.¡±


    Tickled, Hannah assured her, ¡°Don¡¯t exaggerate it. Babies typically weigh around six kilograms anyway.


    You don¡¯t have to be concern about how much you¡¯re eating now. Instead, focus on nourishing


    yourself. After you give birth, you can slowly adjust your eating habits again, and surely you will lose


    weight.¡±


    With amon topic, the two chatted for some time. Meanwhile, I propped my chin on my hand and


    watched them, realizing how blissful I felt at that moment.


    ¡°Scarlett, are you preparing to have a second child with Ashton? Yesterday, I heard that Summer is


    going to W City with Jared. Aren¡¯t you worried?¡± Emery shifted the conversation to me.


    Shaken from my quiet moment, I replied, ¡°I¡¯m confident that Jared will take good care of her.¡±


    Then, Hannah turned serious, and she stared at me. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to have another child? Summer is


    already five this year. If you are worried about what she thinks, you can always ask her for her opinion


    on the topic. Who knows, maybe she wants a ymate too?¡±


    Grinning, I confessed, ¡°Ashton and I n to discuss it after the year ends. He is too busy now and is


    under too much pressure. It isn¡¯t the right time to consider it yet.¡±


    The two other women exchanged gleeful looks.


    As though she suddenly recalled Cameron, Emery brought her up. ¡°Oh, I almost forgot. When I came


    back, I realized that Cameron was admitted to the hospital for appendicitis. I should visit her soon.¡±


    ¡°I think she is almost fully recovered after staying in the ward for the past few days,¡± Hannah said


    before turning to me.


    ¡°After removing the stitches, she can probably discharge, right?¡±


    I responded with a smile. At that moment, my phone rang, and it was Summer who called from Jared¡¯s


    phone.


    She was about to board the ne and called to give me an update.


    Soon, the weekend came, and it was Fuller Corporation¡¯s annual meeting. Although Summer had


    already left K City for a few days, she would call me at night to chat with me.


    Despite so, I could not touch nor hug her. After raising her for the past four years, I could not help but


    miss her after she left.


    In the afternoon, Ashton noticed that I seemed absentminded. He reminded me, ¡°It¡¯s the annual


    meeting this evening. Will you go with me?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    I paused and was about to shake my head when he cut in, ¡°Come on. You will be bored staying at


    home.¡±


    ¡°You know that I don¡¯t like crowded ces,¡± I chuckled.


    ¡°Should I stay at home to apany you?¡±


    Ah, I should go to the meeting with him.


    The annual meeting was at a hotel¡¯s open-air swimming pool. With red wine, yummy food, a grand


    lobby, and a swimming pool, everyone looked like they were having the time of their lives.


    The venue screamed money and elegance.


    As I did not have many interests, I did not have much to do besides eating.


    Holding onto a te of pastries, I looked for a quiet ce to eat them.


    Momentster, Isabelle approached me, but I did not see hering. If she did not speak, I would not


    even realize that she was there.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, you sure enjoy having peace.¡±


    I adverted my gaze to her. Like me, she had a te of pastries in her hand, looking for a ce to eat


    them.


    ¡°Some say that aging is dyed for women who enjoy sweet treats,¡± I pointed out.


    Sheughed in response and shoved a tart into her mouth. Enjoying it, she mumbled, ¡°How should we


    define aging?¡±


    I was stumped by her question.


    Chuckling, she continued, ¡°To me, aging means to lose the meaning of living. If you have lost interest in


    the future at twenty, you have aged. Aging may not refer to the physical abilities of a person but the


    soul. Some people are past eighty, yet they still have a positive outlook on life. Do you think they


    should be considered old?¡±


    I could only smile as I found it hard to answer her question. ¡°Nope!¡± I finally uttered.


    Afterward, we spent our time chatting on other topics. Since Ashton had to present Fuller Corporation¡¯s


    performance for the past year,mend the ster employees and present some surprises, Isabelle


    had to go.


    In the meantime, I finished my food and strolled around the hotel.


    Unconsciously, I followed Ashton¡¯s voice and walked to the hotel¡¯s ballroom.


    Fuller Corporation had many employees, and the room was packed. They even invited some prominent


    business figures from K City to join their annual meeting.


    He announced that he would be giving some of Fuller Corporation¡¯s AI technology as a token of


    appreciation. In addition, he also gave Rachel some credit for her contribution.


    After all, one could not deny that she was an excellent researcher who deserved to be valued.

 Chapter 566

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 566


    After a series of talks and procedures, Ashton finally wrapped up things and approached me after he


    got off the stage.


    Without a care about the stares around him, he pulled me close and asked, ¡°How were the desserts?¡±


    ¡°It was delicious!¡±


    It was the highest praise I gave.


    ¡°If you want to eat them again, I¡¯ll invite the chef over to personally prepare it for you,¡± he offered,


    looking very pleased with himself.


    I mirrored his smile.


    We talked briefly, and it was inevitable to seem more intimate as a married couple.


    At first, Ashton and I wanted to look for a ce to sit. However, we unexpectedly heard a loud plop.


    Turning back, we saw a group of people gathered by the pool. One person yelled, ¡°Someone fell into


    the water! We need to rescue her!¡±


    Those who knew how to swim, jumped into the pool.


    As Fuller Corporation¡¯s chairperson, Ashton pulled me along to the scene.


    He made me stand a distance from the pool and asked one of his employees, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, Ms. Zimmer fell into the pool¡­I think someone pushed her.¡±


    When Ashton turned his attention to the pool, someone already rescued Rachel. In winter, the pool


    temperature was dangerously low. Lying on the ground in thin clothing, Rachel was shivering from the


    cold. She looked pitiful.


    Thankfully, a gentleman took off his outerwear and draped it over her legs while another gave her CPR.


    Momentster, she regained her consciousness but looked rather weak.


    Ashton squatted beside her and ordered for someone to get her a ss of water. There was another


    person who brought a nket for her too. He asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Still in shock, Rachel trembled and stared at Ashton for a while before she threw herself into his arms.


    She bawled.


    At that moment, a few people gasped while sneaking looks at me. They were even whispering among


    the crowd.


    ¡°Ms. Zimmer always seems like a powerhouse, like a female warrior. Now, she seems so vulnerable.¡±


    This was amon line among the crowd.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°How can she not be shaken? Given her weak demeanor, Mr. Fuller¡¯s heart will likely waver too,¡± One


    person imed.


    However, his friend scolded, ¡°Don¡¯t spout nonsense. Mr. Fuller is already married. Although he did not


    announce it, he already brought Mrs. Fuller to thepany a few times. That should count as an


    official statement.¡±


    ¡°What do you know? Men would never be satisfied with one woman. In particr, for a man like Mr.


    Fuller, who has the looks and brains, it is no surprise for him to fool around outside. Besides, Ms.


    Zimmer is a good catch. She is beautiful and talented. I think they are a match made in heaven.¡±


    The discussion continued. I looked at Rachel in Ashton¡¯s arms and thought they did lookpatible.


    Some say that a marriage between equal parties couldst longer. Thinking about it carefully, the gap


    between Ashton and me did seem quiterge.


    While I was observing the scene, I suddenly spotted Cameron going over to Ashton. She pulled him


    away from Rachel and jabbed, ¡°There are 120 people here and a paramedic from the hotel to send this


    lady to the hospital.¡±


    Cameron was not one to poke her nose into other¡¯s businesses. Her sudden actions were obviously to


    warn them of their behavior.


    Luckily, the hotel staff was quick to carry Rachel out.


    Soon, the annual meeting went on like nothing happened after they reassigned the staff¡¯s duties.


    In the meantime, Cameron swept Ashton away to talk to him.


    Left alone, I looked for a ce to sit and munch on more food, and I was slowly feeling quite sleepy.


    Right on time, Ashton returned.


    He spotted me yawning, and he chuckled. ¡°Are you sleepy?¡±


    I nodded. Looking around at how crowded the area still seemed, I asked, ¡°Do we have to stay here for


    long?¡±


    ¡°We can head home soon,¡± he chuckled while pulling me aside to get me a ss of milk.


    ¡°Come with me. I¡¯ll introduce you to a few people.¡±


    They turned out to be some of the partners of Fuller Corporation, who were also prominent figures in K


    City.


    Ashton was a man of few words, but he brought me to several people, repeatedly introducing me as his


    wife.


    After meeting a few of them, Ashton was prepared to head home with me when we met Isabelle among


    the crowd.


    Although there were countless Fuller Corporation¡¯s employees present, I felt like Isabelle was the only


    person I had spoken to throughout the evening.


    Other than talking to her, I was either drinking or eating.


    When she caught sight of me, she smiled.


    I took a few steps to the exit but stopped in my tracks and turned to her. ¡°Are you leaving soon?¡±


    ¡°Yes, soon,¡± she casually replied.


    ¡°Do you want to leave with us? Where do you stay? Let us send you back because it¡¯s hard to get a


    cab here.¡± It¡¯s close to impossible to get a cab here.


    She was surprised to hear my offer, and she hesitantly looked at Ashton.


    I nudged the man beside me who nodded and agreed, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    When we climbed into the car, Ashton and I sat at the back while Isabelle took the seat beside the


    chauffeur.


    We did not speak much. After she told us her address, the chauffeur drove to her house.


    Beaming, she thanked us when we reached her ce.

 Chapter 567

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 567


    I nodded and did not think much about it.


    After she left, Ashton turned to me and questioned, ¡°Since when were you so kind to her?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it on the way?¡±


    He saw through my lie immediately. ¡°Scarlett, is that your excuse?¡±


    I thought about it and finally gave a more conclusive answer. ¡°Hmm, she is someone who I feel bad


    for.¡±


    She was probably in her forties. Typically, a person in her thirties would be building up her finances. In


    her forties, she should have settled down. Given her age, if she had a family in J City, she would not


    have moved to K City regardless of how high the sry was. Thinking about it, her family was most


    likely in financial distress.


    Besides, I could tell that she seemed more withdrawn than before.


    Ashton acknowledged it but did not ask more. Then, he solemnly looked at me and asked, ¡°Were you


    jealous of what happened earlier?¡±


    At that instant, I did not understand what he was referring to. However, after staring back at his intense


    gaze, I realized what he was talking about.


    ¡°I can understand it. No matter how strong Rachel may seem, she is a woman after all. After such a


    horrifying ident, she must be frightened. Besides, you were the first person she saw when she


    regained her consciousness, and it¡¯s not surprising that she was more emotional than usual. She would


    likely have done the same to anyone else in your ce.¡±


    Oddly, Ashton did not seem convinced and had an unusual expression on his face. I probed, ¡°What¡¯s


    wrong?¡±


    Immediately, he waved his hand and curtly replied, ¡°Nothing!¡±


    I was startled by his response. Seconds ago, he was speaking to me in a gentle and warm tone. Why


    did he seem so cold all of a sudden?


    Unsure of why he was upset, I did not push him to exin.


    Soon, the chauffeur arrived at the vi and pulled up by the entrance. Ashton stormed out of the car


    without waiting for me.


    I tried to match his steps, but he headed straight for the bedroom once he entered the vi.


    It waste, and the vi seemed unusually quiet since Summer was away, and Flora did not stay here.


    Watching Ashton enter the bedroom, I hurried to follow him in.


    ¡°Ash¡­¡± Before I couldplete my sentence, he threw his jacket on the bed and went into the


    bathroom.


    Bang! He mmed the door shut.


    Speechless, I headed to the changing room for my pyjamas. Coincidentally, he emerged from the


    bathroom at the same time.


    There was only a bath towel around his waist. His gaze was fierce and stern.


    Before I knew it, he headed to the study with the towel.


    I¡­


    Regardless of how old they were, men were childish.


    After taking a shower, I noticed that he had not returned, so I got changed and headed to the study to


    find him.


    I did not bother knocking on the door when I entered, and he seemed startled to see me. Instead of


    reading a book or working on hispany¡¯s affairs, he was watching a Koandrian drama.


    I even heard a line from the drama before he mmed hisptop shut.


    Feigning ignorance, I spoke, ¡°Ashton, it¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s head to bed.¡±


    Silently, he stood up and climbed onto the bed in the study.


    Sigh. With no other choice, I took out my phone and spoke into it, ¡°Hannah, are you at home? Can I


    stay with you tonight?¡±


    I intentionally paused for a moment before I continued, ¡°The house is too big, and I¡¯m not used to it. Let


    me stay with you for a few days.¡±


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Then, I did not spare a nce at Ashton and left the room.


    As I entered the bedroom, Ashton hugged me from behind. ¡°Ashton, what are you doing?¡± I squealed in


    surprise.


    He pushed me onto the bed and snatched my phone from me. Looking at the screen, he snarled, ¡°You


    lied to me.¡±


    Pouting, I whined, ¡°You were angry with me, but you didn¡¯t want to talk about it.¡±


    He took a sharp breath and snapped, ¡°Angry? Scarlett, don¡¯t you know why I¡¯m angry?¡±


    I nodded while looking at him. ¡°I really don¡¯t know why you are so upset.¡±


    Somewhat speechless, he threw my phone aside and proceeded to tear my clothes apart.


    He kissed me passionately. Pressing his lips against mine, he bit on my lips.


    I yelped in pain, but he growled, ¡°Do you feel pain?¡±


    Unable to understand where he wasing from, I red at him then turned my head to look away.


    With his hand, he forced me to look at him again. This time, his eyes shimmered, and his voice


    sounded dangerously low. He groaned helplessly, ¡°Scarlett, you only care about those who don¡¯t


    matter. I am your husband, and a woman just hugged me. Yet, you seem unaffected. What is that


    supposed to mean? Do you not love me? Otherwise, do you not care about me?¡±


    Taken aback by his words, I stared at him nkly before I let out a peal ofughter. ¡°So, you were


    angry at me because of that?¡±


    He lowered his head and nibbled on my lips. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    I continued tough. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to seem like I did not care. As your wife, how can I be unbothered


    when a woman hugged you? However, in that situation, I can understand why she did that. Even if I do


    not, I trust you. You scouted her from Ustrana and told me that she was worth it. Ashton, you are the


    head of apany. Your employee happened to be in a dire situation and clung to you in panic. I think


    that¡¯s a normal human reaction, and it would be childish to argue with you over it. Given your calibre,


    there will be many more women hovering around you in the future anyway.¡±

 Chapter 568

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 568


    ¡°So, what are your ns?¡± he asked softly.


    ¡°I n to tell everyone that my hubby is an excellent man. He is an excellent man that makes every


    woman fall heads over heels for him,¡± I joked teasingly.


    In the blink of an eye, his lips met mine as he kissed me affectionately. ¡°Say it again,¡± he demanded as


    his eyes darkened.


    ¡°Hubby!¡± I beamed with a bright smile.


    That night, I became much bolder and eager to take the initiative. In thetter half of the night, Ashton¡¯s


    spirit seemed to double in vigor. Along with his heavy panting, his movements seemed to be more


    frenzied.


    In a delirious haze, my fingers twisted in the sheets. ¡°Ashton, will you give me a child? I want to have a


    child with you,¡± I said with heavy breaths.


    Amidst the heat of the moment, Ashton¡¯s movements came to a screeching halt. A flicker of coldness


    shed across his eyes.


    I froze at his icy expression. ¡°You can¡¯t do it?¡± I asked in confusion.


    Upon my question, the coldness in Ashton¡¯s eyes faded away. ¡°I can. I¡¯ll give you as many children as


    you desire,¡± he shook his head with a faint smile.


    I grinned in response. The faint recollection of the child echoed in my mind as I felt a slight stab of pain


    in my heart and body.


    Gently, Ashton pulled me into his embrace. ¡°Scarlett, we should take good care of each other,¡± he


    rasped.


    I nodded in agreement as fatigue overcame my body. Right before I drifted into a deep slumber, I could


    feel Ashton wiping my body tenderly.


    Yet, his actions felt like a dream. When I was roused from my sleep, it was already the next day.


    The bright sunlight shone through the bedroom windows and cast an array of shadows across the


    room.


    Ashton had vanished from the bedroom. As Iy on the bed for a brief moment, I felt a hint of


    moistness underneath my body.


    Immediately, I roused myself and yanked the covers aside. To my surprise, there was a puddle of blood


    that stained the bedsheets.


    The sight of my blood left me stunned as I quickly calcted my menstrual cycle. In the past four


    years, I¡¯ve experienced inconsistencies with my period schedule and volume. Yet, it had never arrived


    twice in a single month.


    I couldn¡¯t help but frown as I rose to my feet and changed into a fresh set of clothes. After changing, I


    gathered the bed sheet and tossed it into the washing machine.


    Although it was not a huge deal, the arrival of my period made me feel uneasy. Now that I wanted to


    have a child of my own, I would have to take good care of my health.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I emerged from the room after a shower to find Ashton in the living room. Flora had left after she


    prepared breakfast.


    Upon hearing my footsteps, Ashton turned around to greet me. ¡°You are awake?¡± he asked with a


    warm smile.


    I nodded in reply. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to visit the office today?¡± I asked gently as I sidled closer to rest my


    head against his shoulder.


    ¡°I will be taking a break these two days,¡± Ashton nodded, ¡°And I will be able to take my annual leave


    after making the final arrangements tomorrow.¡±


    Tenderly, Ashton pressed a delicate kiss on my cheek whilst he spoke.


    All of a sudden, I thought of the sandalwood box that we had brought home from Cameron. ¡°Ashton,


    should we open the sandalwood box?¡± I asked him.


    The box had been left unopened in the house for a long time.


    Ashton must have felt bored fromzing around the house. He nodded in agreement as he


    apanied me into the study.


    ¡°Have you opened it before?¡± I turned to ask him once I found the sandalwood box.


    Gingerly, Ashton took the box from my grasp. ¡°I never nned on opening it. It seems like Cameron


    recognized it because it used to belong to the Murphys,¡± he replied after a brief moment.


    Why does it involve the Murphys again?


    ¡°How can it belong to the Murphys? The box was always by Granny¡¯s side!¡± I eximed in confusion.


    Ashton shook his head as he continued to fiddle with the box¡¯stch in an attempt to open it. ¡°I figure


    that the box can only be opened if we hire a craft smith,¡± he said after a few unsessful attempts.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have the key to open it?¡± Didn¡¯t Grandpa say that Ashton had possession of the key? How


    could he lose it?


    Ashton sighed softly with a slight nod of his head. ¡°That year, Grandpa gave me advice instead of a


    key. He was worried sick for you and instructed me to take good care of you. This box was actually a


    disguise,¡± Ashton said.


    Ashton¡¯s words left me stunned as I looked at the box in disbelief. It was no longer important if the box


    remained closed. Yet, I had a realization that Granny was a lot different than I had expected.


    Originally, the swimming pool incident involving Rachel was no big deal. She would have recovered


    after a few days in the hospital.


    However, there was a sudden fight that broke out between the workers of Fuller Corporation. The fierce


    brawl graced the headlines of K City. It was a fight fuelled by hatred and jealousy.


    All because of jealousy, it nearly ended the life of countless victims. Additionally, most of these rumors


    seemed to be directed towards a specific person.


    When Ashton received a phone call regarding the unfortunate news, he was still in the midst of


    investigating the secrets behind the sandalwood box with me.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked worriedly when I saw that his expression had darkened.


    He set the box aside. ¡°Something happened in thepany,¡± Ashton replied tersely.


    Although I did not have a habit of prying into the details, the sight of his deep scowl prompted me to


    open my mouth again. ¡°What exactly happened?¡± I enquired.


    ¡°It seems that people have caught wind of the incident that urred in the annual meetingst night.


    They have sinister intentions to use it against thepany,¡± Ashton rose to his feet and prepared to


    change into a fresh set of clothes as he spoke.


    Immediately, I followed close at his heels. Although I did not usually participate in such matters, Fuller


    Corporation had beenshing out against White Corporation recently. I was sure that Marcus would not


    stand by idly. The banquetst night was not a private event. Rachel¡¯s incident was a chance for them


    to divert attention towards the issues of Fuller Corporation¡¯s management.


    If the employees of Fuller Corporation are pit against each other, they would fight and bicker amongst


    themselves. This meant that the me would fall on the higher-ups. If the problem continues to grow, it


    will tarnish Fuller Corporation¡¯s image and reputation. Naturally, thepany¡¯s stock will fall and cause


    its downfall.

 Chapter 569

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 569


    This was the so-called butterfly effect that would topple thepany.


    I trailed after Ashton into the bedroom. There, I quickly changed into proper attire.


    Ashton jolted in shock when he noticed that I was prepared to leave the house. ¡°I¡¯ll head to the office to


    understand the situation. You should just stay at home,¡± he said with a smile.


    I returned his smile with one of my own as I tilted my head back to meet his gaze. ¡°While you are going


    to the office, I¡¯m going to visit Rachel in the hospital. Although I don¡¯t understand how thepany


    works, I¡¯m still going to try my best to help,¡± I replied in earnest.


    Having heard my bold statement, Ashton¡¯s brow crept up his forehead. ¡°Since you don¡¯t like staying


    home. Should I consider hiring you as my secretary?¡± he joked and bent down to kiss my cheek.


    I scoffed in response. ¡°Am I only fit to be your secretary?¡±


    ¡°You can be whatever you want!¡± Ashton chuckled aloud.


    I picked up my purse and keys in preparation to leave the vi. After our conversation, we went our


    separate ways. Ashton left for thepany whilst I headed to the hospital.


    It took about half an hour to reach the hospital from the vi. When I arrived, I caught sight of Isabelle.


    She was just about to enter the hospital.


    ¡°Ms. Leek!¡± I called out loudly. Isabelle was much older than me. At the moment, I was unsure how to


    properly address her.


    She did not hear me the first time. It took several tries before she finally turned around to the sound of


    my voice. ¡°Ms. Stovall!¡± she said in slight shock when she caught sight of me.


    I hurried to her side. ¡°I¡¯ve left Fuller Corporation for a long time. You shouldn¡¯t address me as Ms.


    Stovall anymore! Why don¡¯t you call me by my name?¡± I greeted her with a beam.


    ¡°I can¡¯t seem to break my habit,¡± she replied good-naturedly.


    I reached forward to press the elevator button. ¡°Are you here to visit Rachel?¡± I asked her as I noticed


    that she looked rather downcast.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    When Rachel was admitted into the hospital, I should have been more observant. However, Isabelle¡¯s


    expression didn¡¯t look like she was here for a simple visit.


    ¡°You are here to visit her?¡± Isabelle rebuked me with a stoic expression as she looked at me.


    ¡°So, was it you?¡± I asked after a brief moment of hesitation.


    ¡°Would you trust me if I denied?¡± Isabelle replied with a bitter smile.


    Across the headlines, there was a clear picture of Isabelle pushing Rachel. Even their expressions


    were shown in in sight as Isabelle raised her hand to strike Rachel. However, the footage was


    disrupted and did not record the conversation between them before the incident urred.


    I hesitated for a brief moment before answering her question. ¡°I cannot judge your lies. Thus, I cannot


    find your reason for pushing her,¡± I told her in earnest.


    She gave me a faint smile and shrugged slightly. ¡°It is hard to exin such matters.¡±


    The elevators doors slid open to reveal a group of patients on wheelchairs as they were wheeled out by


    nurses. Hurriedly, Isabelle and I stepped aside to make way for them.


    After the crowd emptied from the lift, I entered and pressed the button. ¡°Are you here to apologize or


    clear up the mess?¡± I turned around to address her.


    Isabelle¡¯s grip on her purse tightened. ¡°It depends on the situation!¡± she said with a forced smile.


    I decided not toment any further.


    Isabelle and Rachel did not look like people who belonged in the same social circle, let alone interact


    with each other. Why would they sh in the meeting?


    As the elevator doors opened, Isabelle seemed to hesitate. ¡°Ms. Stovall¡­ why don¡¯t you go ahead? I


    will meet you soon,¡± she stammered.


    Despite being stunned by her words, I chose not to dally any longer and went ahead.


    In the ward, there was a nurse who was changing Rachel¡¯s bandages. Due to Rachel¡¯s beauty, the


    nurse constantly sneaked a few nces at her.


    Although men are often regarded to be lustful, most women would also be unable to resist if they


    caught sight of a beautiful woman.


    In most novels, it often depicts that the heroine¡¯s beauty would cause jealousy amongst the other


    characters. I couldn¡¯t help but scoff in scorn at this foolish idea!


    In reality, most women would admire another woman¡¯s beauty instead ofshing out with evil


    intentions!


    This proves that novels are not to be trusted!


    Hearing my arrival, the nurse looked up with a jolt. ¡°Hello, are you Mrs. Fuller?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here to visit Ms. Zimmer. I¡¯m sorry for bothering you,¡± I nodded politely.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright!¡± the nurse beamed warmly as she gathered the medicinal bottles before she left the room.


    Upon hearing the conversation, a look of distaste crossed Rachel¡¯s features. She didn¡¯t look very eager


    to wee me.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, has something happened?¡± she asked with a frigid expression.


    Her reluctance to greet me prompted me to cut straight to the point. ¡°Have you seen today¡¯s


    headlines?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± she turned to meet my gaze. The coldness in her eyes did not fade.


    I nodded as I took a seat and observed her mood. Although the pool water was ice cold when she fell,


    she had been rescued in time. Furthermore, Rachel had been nursed in the hospital for a day. Her


    condition was rtively stable.


    ¡°Although I am unclear about your motives, I can see the admiration you have for Ashton. Since you


    regard him highly, you must be aware of the impact your actions have had on the Fuller Corporation.¡± It


    was unlikely that she intended to target Fuller Corporation; her main goal must be Isabelle.

 Chapter 570

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 570


    The bad blood between her and Isabelle should be absolutely unnecessary.


    Her sharp gaze swept towards me. ¡°Why do you think that I was the one who harmed her?¡± Rachel


    asked coldly.


    I set my purse behind me as I mulled over my answer. ¡°I have known Isabelle for over seven years.


    Although we aren¡¯t close, she has worked in Fuller Corporation for a long time, and I fully understand


    her mannerisms. Additionally, the two of you have no bad blood. Thus, I cannot understand what


    motivated her to push you.¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡± she chuckled mockingly, ¡°It seems that most powerful men are blind when ites to picking


    their partners. Scarlett, I will notment on your intellect. However, you underestimate people easily.


    Besides, you have no idea about my rtionship with Isabelle. Why do you think that we don¡¯t have


    any grudges?¡±


    I reined my temper despite her mocking tone. ¡°So, she didn¡¯t actually push you? Did you orchestrate


    your own fall into the pool?¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t Mr. Fuller be the one who decides the truth?¡± Rachelughed coldly, ¡°The real reason for


    your visit is not to question me. Am I right?¡±


    Her urate assumptions stunned me for a brief moment. Truthfully, I was here tofort her.


    However, Rachel was a woman filled with thorns. Her cruel demeanor prevented me from being friendly


    to her.


    ¡°I cannot bring myself to care about the petty grudges you have with Isabelle,¡± I said after a brief


    moment. ¡°However, your actions have brought a negative impact to Fuller Corporation. If needed, I will


    advise Ashton to fire you from thepany. After all, Fuller Corporation is not a ce for your


    schemes or tricks.¡±


    ¡°What makes you think that you have the authority to fire me?¡± Rachel remained unruffled by my threat.


    Instead, she chuckled like an arrogant peacock.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see!¡± I replied with the raise of my brow.


    With that, I rose to my feet. I had no wish to continue this pointless conversation.


    ¡°Scarlett, you are unfit for him,¡± she called out as I was about to reach the exit.


    Her tone was full of disdain and hatred.


    ¡°And what makes you think that you arepatible with him?¡± I asked with a smile.


    ¡°I heard that you were an orphan. The reason for your marriage to Ashton was due to your Grandma¡¯s


    connections. A man of such calibre like Ashton should have a partner that is equally strong. Besides,


    youe from a lowly background. What is there that you can help him with? All you do is drag him


    down,¡± Rachel scoffed haughtily.


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    In the past, her words would have made me feel insecure and upset. Yet, I was unaffected by her harsh


    statement.


    ¡°Ms. Zimmer, what can you do for him?¡± I asked her calmly.


    ¡°My experience, capability, and looks will help him reach greater heights. By his side, we will be able to


    achieve so much more. Compared to you, you are nothing but a housewife. Youck the knowledge to


    help him!¡± Rachel replied proudly.


    Although her arrogance was admirable, she was nothing more than that. I merely nodded my head and


    smiled in the face of her insults.


    I did not attack nor argue with her. ¡°Ms. Zimmer, I look forward to the day when you can rece my


    position.¡±


    Without sparing her another nce, I turned around and exited the room. Outside the room, I bumped


    into Isabelle. A startled expression crossed her features when I opened the door.


    Her expression was rather troubling. She must have heard what I said.


    ¡°Go ahead!¡± I beckoned her over and stepped aside before she could say anything.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, can you spare me a few momentster?¡± she nodded and asked tentatively.


    ¡°Alright!¡± I nodded in response.


    With that, she entered the ward as I took the elevator down.


    The weather around K City was gloomy. Despite the bright sun in the morning, it had begun to cloud


    over in the afternoon. It seemed like a snowstorm was about to arrive.


    In the car, I quickly turned on the heaters and nearly nodded off until Ashton called.


    ¡°Are you still in the hospital?¡± Ashton¡¯s baritone voice was alluring and maic as it rang in my ears.


    ¡°How are things at the office?¡± I nodded and asked.


    We¡¯d just managed to n out a holiday! Yet, such an issue has caused us so much trouble again!


    ¡°The department of public rtions will handle it,¡± he replied, ¡°What do you want to eat? I¡¯lle to


    pick you up.¡± It seems like he¡¯d just finished his meeting.


    I mulled over his offer. Later on, I would have a chat with Isabelle. I don¡¯t think I will have time to eat


    with him.


    ¡°Mr. Ashton, I have nster. I don¡¯t think I will be able to meet youter,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Is it with someone I know?¡± Ashton asked.


    ¡°Yup!¡± I giggled in an attempt to tease him.


    ¡°Isabelle?¡±


    My jaw dropped in shock. ¡°Ashton, have you been spying on me?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get mad, I¡¯m doing this for your safety. There are many people looking to grasp Fuller


    Corporation for themselves. I can only let you out if you are safe and sound,¡± Ashton chuckled.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a child,¡± I argued stubbornly.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t argue back,¡± Ashton¡¯s maic voice resonated in my ears. His voice was filled with


    fondness.


    With a pout, I remained silent.


    Right at the moment, Isabelle emerged from the hospital and paused at the entrance as she looked


    around. Quickly, I pressed on the horn to alert her of my presence.

 Chapter 571

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 571


    ¡°Ashton, I have to go now. Goodbye,¡± I said hurriedly.


    Without waiting for his response, I hung up the call.


    Upon hearing the horn, Isabelle nced over in my direction. When she entered my car, I couldn¡¯t help


    but notice her swollen and reddened eyes. It looked like she had just finished crying.


    Although I was clueless about the issue between Rachel and Isabelle, it seemed like it was far more


    complicated than I initially anticipated.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go find something to eat,¡± I suggested, ¡°It¡¯s already close to dinner time anyway.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Isabelle eximed gratefully as she rubbed her hand over her face.


    I nodded and started the car.


    Even if I did not question her about the issues, she revealed them through her solemn gaze. Isabelle


    must have kept these troubling thoughts to herself for a very long time.


    Although I did not speak up, Isabelle revealed it to me in a self-deprecating manner.


    ¡°Back in the ¡¯80s, the country had a program to increase the poption¡¯s birth rates. My mother was


    raised in the countryside as a farmer and did not have the luxury of receiving an education. Due to her


    lack of knowledge, she assumed that her worth as a woman would be fulfilled if she gave birth to a son.


    After she had me, she continued to get pregnant in hopes of bearing a son.¡±


    Isabelle paused for a moment as she sighed hopelessly before continuing her story. ¡°She gave birth to


    almost eight children. Although there were boys amongst her children, they seemed to suffer from a


    horrible curse. None of them could survive beyond their teenage years. A decadeter, she gave birth


    to another girl- Rachel. Because of Rachel¡¯s gender, my mother decided to abandon her. Fortunately,


    Rachel was adopted by a kind couple who had suffered countless miscarriages. Their business grew to


    be very sessful too. As a result, they decided to send her overseas for better education and


    future.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that great?¡± I asked with a furrow of my brows. She was adopted into a wonderful family and


    raised in luxuries. Why would she harbor such a great hatred when she managed to escape her past


    misfortunes?


    ¡°Yes, she was very lucky. My mother continued to get pregnant as she still yearned for a son. After


    Rachel, she gave birth to another girl. Unfortunately, the girl wasn¡¯t as lucky as Rachel. The moment


    she was born, my mother left her in the mountains. That year, there was a bitter and harsh winter.


    Thus, the poor child froze to death after seven days,¡± Isabelle smiled bitterly.


    How cruel!


    Her words sent a flutter of shivers down my spine as I scowled deeply. Her ignorant mother was


    terrible!


    When she caught sight of my expression, Isabelle¡¯s tone wavered with guilt. ¡°I understand that her


    ignorance has brought harm to so many innocent children. After so many years of endurance, my


    mother finally gave birth to a son and raised him healthily. Her greatest wish was fulfilled after the


    sacrifice of other children.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity to those innocent children,¡± I sighed deeply in grief.


    ¡°My mother has ruined many lives to give birth to a son. It was inevitable that her past deeds would


    cause her downfall. After she had my brother, her body turned weak and frail. My mother was shocked


    to her core when she discovered my father¡¯s affairs. In order to separate their rtionship, she


    ingested toxic chemicals. Although she managed to survive the poison, it left her body broken beyond


    repair.¡±


    Having so many children in session must have left a severe impact on her body.


    ¡°Last year, my brother was diagnosed with leukaemia. We were never a rich family, to begin with, my


    mother burned through most of our wealth and possessions in order to afford his medical fees. Yet, the


    doctor imed that he would need the blood marrow of a rtive to cure my brother¡¯s sickness,¡±


    Isabelle continued.


    Hearing her words, I could guess what would happen. ¡°You must have guessed it as well,¡± Isabelle said


    with a faint smile, ¡°My mother was old and had a weak body; she was unable to donate her bone


    marrow. My father was out of the picture as well. He had turned a blind eye on us for a long time.¡±


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    ¡°You couldn¡¯t donate because you were pregnant?¡± I guessed hesitantly. She must have begged


    Rachel as thest resort.


    ¡°At that time, I was facing some struggles in my job. Alongside that issue, I was also pregnant at an old


    age. Giving birth to my child was already a challenge. How could I donate my bone marrow? Thus, my


    mother set out to find Rachel¡¯s adoptive parents. However, no one expected my mother to go to such


    extreme lengths. Rachel¡¯s adoptive parents could not bear to harm Rachel and turned down my


    mother¡¯s request. In the end, my mother barricaded them at theirpany and prepared to threaten


    them with her life. In an attempt to avoid my mother, Rachel¡¯s father swerved away and collided with


    another vehicle. The impact caused his instant death,¡± Isabelle said sorrowfully.


    I stopped the car as the traffic light turned red. ¡°I finally understand why Rachel hates you so much!¡± I


    turned to her and spoke after a long pause of shock.

 Chapter 572

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 572


    To me, giving birth to a child and not raising her properly was already a sin. Now that the child had


    grown up and started a new life with a partner and a new family, why would the biological mother still


    want to hurt her?


    Isabelle took a deep breath and smiled wryly, ¡°I know we did her wrong in so many ways, and I don¡¯t


    me her for hating us, but she¡¯s still her biological mother.¡±


    I could not believe what I heard. I used to think women like Cameron, Reba, and Kristina, were evil,


    but Isabelle¡¯s family sent chills down my spine.


    I looked at her and smiled, ¡°There are people whom I find pathetic and despicable. Do you know who


    they are?¡±


    She looked at me but kept mum.


    I started driving when the traffic light turned green. I looked at the road and said, ¡°Rachel has been very


    kind to your family. I would have adopted a far crueller approach if I were in her shoes.¡±


    Isabelle was taken aback as she did not expect I would say something like that.


    I continued, ¡°There are people who are born poor, but it has nothing to do with money. They¡¯re just poor


    in spirit and don¡¯t know what it means to be humans.


    ¡°Like you and your mom, who hadmitted the worst crime ever by ending her children¡¯s lives. Yet,


    she never thought what she did was wrong.


    ¡°Rachel should count herself lucky to have escaped from such a terrible family and found herself


    parents who cherished her and took good care of her.¡±


    ¡°And what did you all do? You came into her life and destroyed her happiness. Her father was the man


    who rescued her from hell, yet your mother killed him,¡± I said, ¡°And your mother seems to be very


    proud of what she has done. She thinks she¡¯s doing this out of love for his son.


    ¡°It was as if she had forgotten Rachel, too, was her child.¡±


    Isabelle lowered her head and cried. She said in between sobs, ¡°We had no choice. My brother would


    die if she refused to donate her bone marrow. We¡¯re a family. It¡¯s her duty to rescue her brother!¡±


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    Her remark bemused me, and I instantly let out a cold snort. ¡°Since when it was Rachel¡¯s duty to


    rescue your brother? Has your mother even done her part in raising her?


    ¡°Have you all tried finding her in the past? No. You only appeared and ckmailed her emotionally just


    because you needed her help. If this is not selfish, I don¡¯t know what else is.¡±


    I parked my car by the road and tried to contain my anger. ¡°You know what your mother did was wrong,


    yet you still side with her. How could you, Isabelle?¡±


    Isabelle nodded in silence. She responded after a short pause, ¡°But I didn¡¯t know what else to do


    anymore.¡±


    ¡°Talk to Rachel nicely, if possible. If not, stay away from her and stop making her life miserable,¡± I


    advised.


    ¡°But my brother¡­¡± Isabelle¡¯s eyes turned red, ¡°He¡¯ll die if he doesn¡¯t undergo the operation!¡±


    ¡°But why put the pressure on Rachel? Isn¡¯t there anyone else who¡¯s rted to your brother? Shouldn¡¯t


    you be looking for your father in the first ce?¡± I could not understand this family.


    She lowered her eyes and sighed. ¡°We¡¯ve lost touch for years, and my mother was afraid that he might


    not be able to take it as he¡¯s not young anymore.¡±


    I looked at her and soon realized this issue was much moreplicated than I thought.


    I thought what they did to Rachel was cruel and despicable, but I bet Isabelle would think otherwise. To


    her, it was Rachel¡¯s responsibility to save her brother since they were rted by blood.


    Rachel must be utterly disappointed with how foolish her biological parents were and how Isabelle


    condoned their actions.


    I was afraid I might explode with rage if I were to continue this topic with Isabelle.


    So, I decided not to talk about it anymore.


    Isabelle and I arrived at the restaurant. Instead of focusing on Rachel¡¯s hapless fate, we talked about


    other things and


    had a pleasant dinner.


    Isabelle left after dinner, and I decided to stay in the restaurant a little longer.


    Ashton called and said he wanted to pick me home, so I thought I might as well sit here and wait for


    him.


    All of a sudden, Cameron and Zachary came into the premises. There were only a few famous high-


    end restaurants in K City, so I was not surprised to see them here.

 Chapter 573

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 573


    Cameron held Zachary¡¯s hands and walked toward me. She grinned and asked, ¡°Had your dinner?¡±


    I nodded and hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°Should I ask the waiter to clear the table for you?¡±


    Cameron and Zachary were horrible people. Bute to think of it, they were not as bad as Isabelle¡¯s


    parents. At least they would treat their own family members with kindness.


    Cameron was surprised that I did not give her the cold shoulder. She pulled Zachary closer to her and


    babbled incoherently, ¡°Okay, anything is fine.¡±


    Zachary gently patted her hand to calm her down. He then called a waiter to clear the table.


    Cameron, who was probably in a good mood, looked at me and smiled. ¡°Scarlett, what do you like to


    eat? I remember I enjoyed dishes that are sweet and sour and also desserts when I was carrying you.


    Do you like them?¡±


    She got that right. To this day, I still enjoyed desserts and sweet and sour food. Oh, well. I was indeed


    her daughter, after all.


    She looked at me and waited eagerly for my answer. I nodded and replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Cameron¡¯s lips curled into a wider smile. She looked at me and said, ¡°I heard Summer has left for W


    City in thest couple of days, and Ashton has also been quite busytely. Why don¡¯t youe back to


    the Moore Residence and stay with us?


    ¡°Emery is back home now, and I¡¯ve tidied your room. Why don¡¯t youe over and keep herpany


    since you¡¯re quite close with her?¡±


    Once again, she looked at me and waited for a positive answer. But when I looked at her, I could only


    think of Rachel.


    I never liked Rachel because she was not afraid to show the world how ambitious she was, but after


    listening to her story from Isabelle, I felt bad for her. If Rachel were to tell me her story personally, I


    think I would feel sorrier for her.


    After Zachary had ordered some dishes, he also turned his attention to me and waited for my answer.


    I hesitated for a while and said, ¡°I¡¯ll just stay with Ashton. He has been busy in thest few days but


    should have more free time soon. We n to travel after this.¡±


    I did not turn down her offer, but I made it clear that I had no intention of staying with them.


    When Cameron was about to say something, she suddenly saw someoneing in her direction, and


    her expression turned grim.


    Out of curiosity, I turned around and saw Reba.


    People I hate to see would always appear before my eyes. Always. What an irony.


    A line formed between Zachary¡¯s brows when he saw Reba as he was not pleased to see her here.


    Disgust was written all over Cameron¡¯s face. She did not even bother to hide her feelings.


    Their reactions surprised me. I thought Cameron would treat Reba nicely since they used to be


    family members.


    When Reba approached the table, Cameron¡¯s expression changed.


    ¡°Mom¡­ I mean, Ms. Anderson!¡± Reba greeted her with a smile. ¡°Having dinner here?¡±


    Without hesitation, Cameron gave her a sullen re and said, ¡°Ms. Larson, could you please leave us


    alone? We¡¯re trying to have our family dinner here.¡±


    Wow. That¡¯s harsh.


    Reba froze for a moment. ¡°I just stopped by to say hello, Ms. Anderson. I don¡¯t have any other


    intention.¡±


    Cameron kept mum and ignored her. Zachary stepped in and looked up at Reba with a scowl.


    ¡°Please leave!¡±


    Upon seeing their reactions, Reba instantly became disheartened. It seemed that the couple had


    been treating her quite coldly for some time.


    Since the Moore family had severed ties with her, and Ashton had no longer paid for her expenses,


    how did she manage to sustain her luxurious lifestyle? I could not quite put my finger on it.


    Despite knowing she was not weed; Reba still stered a smile on her face and bade them


    goodbye. She behaved as if she was still their daughter.


    After she had left, Cameron heaved a sigh of relief and said in a cold voice, ¡°She must have


    approached us with an ulterior motive.¡±


    Zachary knitted his brows but kept mum.


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    I looked at them and sneer, ¡°She didn¡¯t ask to be adopted, did she? You were the one who adopted her


    and gave her everything. But after you realized it was a mistake, you took everything away from her.


    Has she done you any wrong, though?¡±

 Chapter 574

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 574


    What I said had rendered Cameron speechless. Zachary frowned and looked at me, displeased, ¡°What


    nonsense are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°I admire your rtionship and am impressed by how to protect your family members, but I hope you


    can put yourself in people¡¯s shoes and think of others,¡± I said, ¡°Had you been more magnanimous and


    gracious to others, you wouldn¡¯t have pushed your own daughter away and suffocated your


    grandchild.¡±


    I was afraid I might flip out if I continued to dig up the past. Instead of paying attention to their pallid


    faces, I grabbed my bag and walked away.


    No one human was perfect, but that was what made us so unique. Likewise, we were all neither saints


    nor sinners.


    Whenever we viewed the world from our own perspective, we would also think what we did was right.


    Yet, it might be the opposite had we adopted a different point of view.


    If we had the absolute freedom to destroy someone we hated, then the world would be in a state of


    anarchy.


    Meanwhile, Ashton had arrived and parked his car by the entrance. He stood beside his car and waved


    at me the moment he saw me.


    I walked to him, wrapped my hands around him, and leaned against his chest.


    He embraced me and asked in his usual deep and soothing voice. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    I ced my head to his chest and refused to move. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a good person, but I don¡¯t want


    to hurt people too.¡±


    He grinned and wondered why I said that. ¡°Did something happen?¡±


    I released him and looked at him. ¡°Ashton, if you fall in love with someone else in the future, you have


    to tell me. I¡¯ll leave honorably.¡±


    He knitted his brows and cupped my face with his hand. ¡°You¡¯re the only woman I¡¯d ever love.¡±


    My lips curled into a smile, and once again, I leaned against his chest. Though I findfort in his


    words, I also know it¡¯s impossible to stop a person from changing his or her heart.


    I¡¯m grateful that he hase into my life and loved me unconditionally, but if he finds someone else in


    the future and decides to move, I¡¯d still be happy for him.


    He realized I was a little emotional. Instead of talking, he stood there and hugged me for a while before


    leading me to my seat in the car.


    Joseph drove my car while I got into Ashton¡¯s. I stared at the road and went deep in thought.


    After keeping quiet for some time, I looked at Ashton and asked, ¡°What makes a good person?¡±


    He took a nce at me while he continued driving. ¡°That¡¯s a meaningless question, Scarlett. You


    should live your life and let your conscience be your guide.¡±


    I gave him a faint smile before looking out of the window. I supposed he¡¯s right.


    It had been an emotional day for me. When we got back to the vi, I fell asleep right away.


    Ashton came out of the bathroom and stood beside me for quite some time. He theny beside me and


    embraced me.


    His tall and muscr physique made me feel even more petite than I already was.


    Upon noticing how close he was, I said in a daze, ¡°I¡¯m on my period. Tired.¡±


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He let out a low grunt. ¡°Got it. Sleep well.¡± He then gently patted my back.


    The Fuller Corporation had made headlines recently, so he had to get back to work early. By the time I


    woke up, Ashton had already left the vi.


    Flora, who was preparing breakfast in the kitchen, looked at me and smiled. ¡°Good morning. Mr.


    Ashton left early today, but he wants me to remind you to enjoy your breakfast.¡±


    I pressed my lips and smiled. I turned around and saw a bouquet of roses on the table in the living hall.


    Seeing the fresh flowers on the table made my day. ¡°Did you bring the roses?¡±


    Initially, Flora did not know what I was talking about, but when she took a nce at the table, she


    smiled and exined that it was Ashton who bought the bouquet to cheer me up.


    I could not help but grin upon knowing his ridiculous logic.


    While I was sitting by the dining table and having a bowl of mushroom soup, I swiped my phone and


    came across Fuller Corporation¡¯s action on Rachel¡¯s incident.


    Since the video clearly showed what Isabelle had done to Rachel, the board of directors had decided to


    transfer her back to J City but retained her Finance Department director position.


    I supposed this was a win-win situation for everyone.


    After spending two days in the hospital, Rachel finally got discharged from the hospital. The drama had


    finallye to an end.


    Time passed by very quickly, and New Year¡¯s eve was around the corner.


    Isabelle called, but I did not answer her. Instead, I texted: Good luck!


    Once we got to know some people well enough, we would see not only their angelic side but also the


    devil in them. Hence, it was best for me to keep a distance from her.

 Chapter 575

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 575


    At noon, Ashton called, ¡°Have you taken your lunch?¡±


    It seemed he had ced a lot of attention on the mundane details of my life now. It was quite unusual


    of him to behave like this.


    Iy on the couch and nodded, ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m a little bored because I¡¯m alone at home.¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°Do you want toe and pick me up from work then?¡±


    I froze for a moment and instantly took up his offer, ¡°Okay!¡±


    I could imagine the smile on his face upon knowing how spirited I was.


    After a short pause, he said in a serious voice, ¡°Are you not going to ask me if I¡¯ve taken my lunch?¡±


    I was a little tongue-tied at first. ¡°So¡­ have you eaten?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Grilled eggnt. I¡¯ll make this for you tonight.¡±


    Grandma once said, teenagers are often abashed when they¡¯re in love, while those in their mid-


    twenties would be more romantic and crazier in love. As for people aged thirty and above, love is


    basically dead.


    But I beg to differ. Love after the age of thirty might not be intense or passionate but will subtly reside in


    our hearts.


    The older we get, the more we appreciate such subtlety. And the love we have for our partners would


    evolve to be an integral part of our lives.


    At this point in life, what matters most is that we enjoy each other¡¯spanionship, and, God willing,


    we get to spend the rest of our lives together.


    I ended the call after having a chat with Ashton. Since I had nothing to do at the Fuller Corporation, I


    thought I might take my own sweet time going to his officeter in the afternoon.


    Afterzing around the vi and taking a nap in the afternoon, I noticed the sky had turned dark.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I took a nce at the watch and realized it was already 8 p.m. I immediately bounced out of bed,


    checked my phone, and saw a few missed calls Ashton made around 5 p.m.


    When I was about to leave the vi, I saw a note on the table and froze for a bit.


    Apparently, Ashton had alreadye home on his own. Something urgent cropped up, so he went out


    again to meet Joe.


    In the note, he reminded me to eat my dinner. Upon seeing the nket on the couch, I could not help


    but p my forehead with my palm. What is wrong with me? Why did I sleep so much?


    I walked back to the couch and gave him a call.


    ¡°Taken your dinner?¡± the man asked in a deep voice.


    I paused for a bit, took a nce at the dishes on the table, and replied frankly, ¡°I¡¯m still not hungry.


    Where are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m at the Imperial Hotel. You want toe?¡± I could feel the vibration from the phone. It must be him


    sending me the address.


    I thought about it and answered, ¡°Wait for me.¡±


    Since Summer was not home, I thought I might as well take this opportunity to go out.


    After changing into new clothes, I drove straight to the Imperial Hotel.


    The hotel was supposed to be thirty minutes from the vi, but it took me twice as long to reach the


    destination during rush hour.


    Since Emery and I had been there several times, the hotel manager knew who I was. He then brought


    me to Ashton¡¯s suite.


    There were two men in the suite. One was Ashton, and the other one was Joe, who waspletely


    drunk.


    I had not seen Joe for a very long time. He now had an overgrown beard and looked utterly frazzled.


    I was d that Ashton did not drink. He sat still on the couch and listened to Joeining.


    Upon seeing me standing by the door, Ashton waved at me and asked me toe over. Though the


    background music was loud, I could hear him clearly, ¡°Come over!¡±


    I walked to his side and took another closer look at Joe. It was hard for me to believe that a harsh and


    vicious man like him could look so dishevelled. ¡°Do you know how much I¡¯ve done for her in thest ten


    years? How could she ignore me just like that?¡±


    I see. It¡¯s all because of love.


    After ordering a fruit juice for me, Ashton looked at me and asked, ¡°Do you want to pick a song?¡±


    I shook my head and whispered in his ear, ¡°He got dumped?¡±


    He looked at the television screen in the suite and replied, ¡°Someone rejected his love!¡±


    Wow. What a surprise.


    Joe soon calmed down and slouched on the couch. I initially thought he got so drunk that he passed


    out, but when I leaned forward to check on him, I noticed his eyes were still wide open.


    I almost got the shock of my life after seeing how he stared motionlessly at the ceiling.


    ¡°Who¡¯s the woman?¡± I could not help but ask upon seeing how dejected he had be.


    Ashton raised his brows and kept mum. Obviously, he did not want to answer my question.


    I thought about it and asked, ¡°Reba?¡± I could not think of anyone else other than that woman.


    Joe must have heard me mentioning that name. He instantly straightened his back, shot daggers at


    me, and exploded with rage. ¡°Who do you think you are, Reba? Why do you even like Ashton?


    Yeah, he¡¯s rich and handsome. So what? I can give you money too if you want!¡±

 Chapter 576

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 576


    I lifted my head and looked at Ashton. He did not seem to be bothered by Joe¡¯s reaction.


    I thought of consoling the drunk man but was afraid that I might burst intoughter.


    Ashton grabbed my wrist and pulled me back. ¡°Let him be. He¡¯ll be fine when he¡¯s sobered up.¡±


    I whispered, ¡°Does he always get drunk?¡±


    Ashton tapped his slender fingers on a ss of water and ced the ss by his sensuous lips.


    ¡°Sometimes,¡± he said. He then looked at me and realized I was staring at his lips. He put down the


    ss, smirked, and let out a deep grunt.


    That had instantly snapped me out of my daze. I cleared my throat and tried to hide my awkwardness.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    My heart was still racing like mad even though I had looked away. What is he? God of lust and


    seduction? Argh!


    Joe had soon quietened down. He copsed on the couch and fell asleep.


    Ashton looked at him for a while before saying, ¡°Come. Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    I nodded. But before leaving, I asked, ¡°Should we send him home?¡±


    Ashton shook his head. ¡°Let¡¯s just bring him down to his chauffeur.¡±


    He stood up, ced his arm around Joe¡¯s neck, and held that drunk man¡¯s wrist. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    At the entrance of the Imperial Hotel, his chauffeur came up and carried Joe by his arm. He then left


    after thanking Ashton for his help.


    Ashton left his car in the car park, so he looked at me and said, ¡°Wait for me. I¡¯ll go and get the car.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± The car park in the hotel wasrge, and it would take him some time to get to his car. I


    just wanted to apany him.


    But he stopped me. ¡°It¡¯s cold outside. You wait for me in the lobby. I¡¯ll be here soon.¡±


    He then called one of the front desk staff members to bring me in.


    At his insistence, I returned to the lobby and waited.


    Suddenly, Jackson appeared with a woman in his arm, and I was surprised.


    A line formed between my brows. I had never seen him with a girl before. After seeing how close he


    was with Nick, I assumed he had no interest in women. I was utterly dumbfounded by what I saw right


    now.


    The hotel might be enormous, but it was not difficult for me to spot a familiar face from afar.


    He was stunned for a moment after seeing me in the lobby. He let go of the woman, walked in my


    direction, and smirked. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you came here alone.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here with Ashton.¡± I could not help but turn my attention to the woman beside her. ¡°She is¡­¡±


    He grinned, ¡°A friend who helps me release my tension. I heard you let Summer and Jared go to W


    City. I told you Macy doesn¡¯t want Summer to be a part of the Crest family. Do you still remember?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I know, but some things are beyond our control. Besides, Jared only brought her to W City to


    have some fun. That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°And you think the Crests would not take this opportunity to approach Summer?¡± Jackson sneered,


    ¡°Jared might be a gentleman, but you can¡¯t assume people around him are just as nice.¡±


    Somehow, I felt he knew something that I was not aware of. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


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    A corner of his lips quirked up. He once again wrapped his arm around the woman¡¯s neck. ¡°Well¡­ I


    don¡¯t know. My instinct tells me something¡¯s going to happen. You know what, Scarlett? I feel we¡¯re


    slowly drifting apart.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re trying to say, Jackson.¡± Why do I feel like I don¡¯t know this man


    anymore?


    He grinned but kept mum. He raised his hand and pointed, ¡°You better go and check on your man. A


    bitch is trying to tackle him right there.¡±


    I knitted my brows and turned around. Ashton had arrived, and he parked his car right at the entrance


    of the hotel.


    A woman approached him as if she was trying to flirt with him.


    I paused for a moment before turning my attention to Jackson. ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner when you¡¯re free.¡±


    He raised his brows, grabbed the cigarette from the woman¡¯s hand, and puffed at it. ¡°Sure. You make


    the arrangement then.¡±


    His unruly behavior rendered me speechless.


    I turned around, walked out of the building, and overheard Ashton¡¯s conversation with that woman.


    The woman clung tightly onto him and said in a shivering voice, ¡°I¡¯ve been with you for two years,


    Ashton. You should know I¡¯m so much better than Scarlett!¡±


    It was Rachel¡¯s voice. I could recognize it from afar. She seemed to be drunk as she kept leaning


    against Ashton.


    Ashton had always been a gentleman. Otherwise, he would have flung her away without hesitation.


    Ashton controlled his anger and raised his voice. ¡°Get off!¡±

 Chapter 577

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 577


    Rachel refused to give in. She continued to inch closer. ¡°Look at me, Ashton. I¡¯m so capable in so many


    different aspects, and I can definitely bring your career to greater heights.


    ¡°I¡¯m the one for you, and we¡¯d be a power couple!¡±


    The constant pulling and dragging had caused the strap of her skimpy dress to fall off her shoulder,


    exposing her back in public.


    It was not difficult to imagine what Ashton could see from the front.


    Most of the guests came here for entertainment, and they for sure were drawn to the drama. While


    some praised Rachel¡¯s beauty and body, some were obviously having dirty thoughts on their mind.


    Ashton gave her a disdainful look and gritted his teeth. ¡°Please watch your behavior!¡±


    He had enough of her drama and just wished to get out of here. He looked around and tried to see


    where I was.


    As soon as he saw me standing in the lobby, he heaved a sigh of relief and shoved Rachael aside.


    He walked toward me and said in a deep voice, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wait for me at the entrance?¡±


    ¡°I met an old friend and had a chat with him earlier.¡± I did not tell him it was Jackson.


    Ashton raised his brows. He grabbed my hand and walked me out of the hotel.


    Of course, Rachel would not let us off so easily. She gave us a sullen re and sneered, ¡°Ashton, take


    a good look at me? Am I not as pretty as her? How about my body? I have everything she has, and I


    can do everything that she can¡¯t!¡±


    She became so agitated that she instantly pulled her dress down, baring it all for Ashton. She pulled his


    hand and it on her breast. ¡°Touch me, Ashton. I can do a better job than her on bed!¡±


    Her move had instantly caught everyone¡¯s attention.


    Ashton¡¯s expression turned even more grim. He swung his hand so hard that Rachel fell onto the


    ground.


    Rachel staggered and knocked her head against the corner of a table.


    Perhaps that was a wake-up call for her. She raised her head and looked at Ashton before taking a


    nce at the people around her.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The moment she realized she was half-naked, she instantly pulled up her dress and covered herself.


    Despite regaining her consciousness for just a short while, she was still quite drunk. All of a sudden,


    she startedughing.


    Tears welled up in her eyes, but she continuedughing while gazing into Ashton¡¯s eyes.


    She pointed her finger at me and used, ¡°What have you done to seduce this man, Scarlett Stovall?¡±


    Rachel then stared at Ashton. ¡°And you. Why are you so obsessed with her? Don¡¯t you know there¡¯s


    something between her and Marcus?¡± she scoffed, ¡°We might note across her scandals in the


    news, but you should know what kind of woman she is! You¡¯re okay with that? Don¡¯t you care how filthy


    she is?¡±


    Before I could react, Ashton was already standing in front of Rachel and strangling her.


    Rachel¡¯s face instantly turned red as she could hardly breathe.


    Ashton¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°It looks like you¡¯re tired of living.¡±


    Ashton exerted more pressure on her neck.


    The crowd was struck dumb by what they saw. Some of them gasped, and some mumbled behind their


    back.


    Rachel had definitely stroke Ashton the wrong way, and he was ready to get rid of her.


    Upon seeing people taking pictures with their phones, I ran toward him and brushed his hand off


    Rachel. ¡°Calm down, Ashton. Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    It would be disastrous for him if this incident made headlines.


    No matter how capable a man was, his reputation would shatter in no time if the world knew he acted


    violently toward a woman.


    For years, Ashton had survived all sorts of conspiracies in the corporate world. It was not worth


    tarnishing his reputation just because of a woman.


    He retracted his hand, took out a few banknotes, and stuffed them into her busty chest. He smirked


    and said, ¡°Here are some tips for you. Thanks for your offer, but I don¡¯t simplyy my hands on women


    like you. The tips I gave should be enough for you to call yourself a cab.¡±


    The way Ashton humiliated her must have hurt her more deeply than the physical pain he caused


    earlier.


    The color drained out of Rachel¡¯s face instantly.


    By openly equating her to prostitutes, Ashton hadpletely trampled her ego and pride.

 Chapter 578

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 578


    She looked fixedly at Ashton and let her tears rolled down her cheeks.


    Indifferent to her tears, he put his wallet in his pocket, held my hand, and walked away.


    As I trailed after him, a heart-wrenching wail came from behind. I nced back and saw several people


    gathered around Rachel.


    Even in an upscale nightclub, there would be all sorts of people hanging around, including shady


    characters.


    With Rachel¡¯s good looks and her revealing clothes, I was afraid that she might be in danger.


    When we reached the exit, I stopped in my tracks.


    Puzzled, Ashton turned around and looked at me. He did not look angry anymore. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    he asked.


    I pondered for a while before voicing out my concern. ¡°Ashton, she needs someone to send her home.¡±


    He frowned at my words. ¡°Scarlett, she doesn¡¯t deserve your sympathy.¡±


    I could understand why he was angry with Rachel. It was because her harsh words had crossed the


    line and struck his nerve.


    And I was where his thresholdy; he was enraged with her because of her disrespect for me.


    Seeing that he was about to leave, I stopped him and said, ¡°I don¡¯t sympathize with her predicament,


    but Ashton, she¡¯s a staff of the Fuller Corporation whom you hadplimented during the annual


    general meeting. If anything happens to her, it might affect thepany as well. We can find someone


    to bring her back just to make sure she is safe.¡±


    Do I pity her? Maybe.


    I did not know much about Rachel at first. If I had not heard what Isabelle had told me before, I


    probably would not care about her safety tonight.


    But now that I had known what happened to her, I could not help but pity her. Besides, it was normal for


    her to be attracted to Ashton since he was such an outstanding person.


    Life is still long; there would be more women who are going to be attracted to him. Besides, I¡¯m sure


    that Ashton knows better than me in handling the women who fancy him.


    After a long moment of silence, he let out a sigh and eventuallyplied. He called a bell boy over and


    gave out some instructions. Then, he turned to me and asked, ¡°Are you happy now?¡±


    I nodded with a smile and held his hand. ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    When we were both seated in the car, Ashton did not start the car first. Instead, he turned towards me


    and locked his eyes on mine. ¡°Scarlett, it seems as if you bear no animosity towards her.¡±


    ¡°Huh, who?¡± I asked, perplexed.


    ¡°Rachel.¡±


    I paused for a while and replied, ¡°Hmm, actually, there is animosity between Rachel and me. It¡¯s just


    that I know that you love me, and you care about me. So, I don¡¯t really mind other women admiring you


    because I know that you wille back to me eventually.¡±


    He looked at me meaningfully. ¡°You really trust me so much?¡±


    I nodded, holding his gaze. ¡°Ashton, we are in our thirties now. That¡¯s about one-third of our lives.


    We¡¯ve gone through many things, and we have certainly learned our life lessons. For me, I have


    learned to take notice of what¡¯s more important in life.¡±


    He went silent for a long time before starting the car and drove home. We did not speak for the rest of


    the ride.


    There was nothing wrong with what I said in the car, but he seemed to be too quiet after that.


    It was always winter whenever I was in K City. Maybe because I did not get to spend much time here.


    The first time I was here, I lost my child and almost drove myself crazy.


    Four yearster, I came back to this city again. No one had changed, except me; my state of mind was


    no longer the same.


    It was alreadyte at night by the time we were back at the vi. After I switched off my phone and left


    it charging, I went straight to the shower and went to bed after that.


    Meanwhile, Ashton was buried in work. It seemed as if he did not want to go easy on the White


    Corporation as he was still pressing ahead with his n to sabotage it. Since thepany had lost


    plenty of its properties by now, Marcus was probably even busier than Ashton.


    By the time I woke up the next day, Ashton had already left. I reckoned it was almost the end of the


    year.


    Ashton had been busy all year round. I initially thought that Ashton might have less work to do after his


    company¡¯s annual general meeting.


    But it seemed like it would be hard for him to have a good rest now.


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    It had been sunny in K City for a few days recently, but it started to snow heavily today. After Flora had


    finished cooking the breakfast, she did not proceed to do other household chores as usual.


    Instead, she stayed in the kitchen, wiping the countertop that had been wiped countless times.


    I was not in the mood for food, so I turned to her and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Taken aback by my sudden question, she paused for a moment before replying, ¡°Madam, it¡¯s almost


    the festive season. Do you have any n yet?¡±


    Oh, she wants to ask about her schedule during the festive season. Normally, it would be Ashton who


    arranged her schedule, but recently, he was so busy that he forgot to do so.


    I thought for a second and asked, ¡°Flora, do you normally go back to your hometown during the


    holidays?¡±


    She nodded and smiled. ¡°Yeah, I would normally go back to my hometown for a few days.¡±


    ¡°Have you bought the ticket?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°I haven¡¯t got my schedule yet, so my son and my daughter-inw are still waiting


    for it before buying the ticket for me.¡±

 Chapter 579

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 579


    After a moment of consideration, I replied, ¡°Flora, you can go back anytime you want. It¡¯s only me and


    Ashton in the house, so it shouldn¡¯t be too much of a problem.¡±


    With a smile on her face, she nodded. ¡°Okay. Thank you, Mrs. Fuller.¡±


    As I nced around the kitchen, I realized that I had forgotten to take my phone from the bedroom, so I


    looked towards Flora and said, ¡°Please help me to get my phone upstairs.¡±


    I had left it charging for the whole night. It should be fully charged by now.


    After she brought it down to me, I switched it on and browsed through the trending topics on social


    media. As expected, it was mostly about the holidays and many people were looking forward to it.


    Besides, there were many sales happenings on online shopping tforms. Looking outside the


    window, it was still snowing currently. I figured it would be inconvenient to go out today.


    Hence, I decided to stay at home and do some reading instead.


    I was about to fall asleep when I received a call from Jackson at noon.


    I answered the call, and before I could say anything, he had cut me off. ¡°Scarlett, where are you?¡± He


    sounded anxious.


    ¡°In the vi,¡± I replied. But, again, before I could continue, his voice hade from the other side.


    ¡°Summer has gone missing in W City. Has Ashton told you about it?¡±


    Immediately, my mind went nk, and my ears started to ring.


    Jackson called my name several times on the other side of the line, but I did not hear him.


    Flora came to check on me when she heard the sound of my cup smashing to the floor.


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller? Mrs. Fuller?¡± Flora called me a few more times before I finally snapped out of my trance.


    Looking around aimlessly, I still could not digest what he had said.


    She looked at me worriedly. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, are you okay?¡±


    I shook my head, unable to respond. Jackson¡¯s words earlier echoed in my ears. He said that Summer


    is missing.


    I wanted to get up, but before I could get to my feet, my knees buckled, and I fell back into my chair.


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, are you okay?¡± Flora asked.


    I shook my head again. I remembered that I had not hung up the call, so I reached for my phone.


    Putting it to my ear, I parted my lips, trying to speak, but my mouth went dry, and my words died my


    lips.


    ¡°Scarlett, are you alright?¡± Jackson¡¯s worried voice rang from the other side.


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    I tried to speak again, but I was so choked up that I could not do it at the moment. Seeing my condition,


    Flora was so worried that her hands started to shake.


    She then went to bring me a ss of water. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, have a sip of water first. Don¡¯t panic.¡±


    I nodded and drank the water. Even the water was difficult to be swallowed.


    After a long while, I finally found my voice back. I picked up the phone and asked, ¡°Jackson, what did


    you say just now?¡±


    My voice was still a bit hoarse.


    Jackson said, ¡°Scarlett, don¡¯t panic. I¡¯m not sure what happened exactly there. But perhaps you can


    travel to W City to investigate.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The first person I wanted to call was Jared.


    After I hung up the call, I immediately dialled his number. But no one picked up the call.


    I continued to call several times but to no avail. So, I called Emery.


    Fortunately, she answered the call quickly. ¡°Hi, Scarlett. What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Do you know anyone from W City? Can you help me to check on the Crest family there?¡±


    She was taken aback by the agitation in my voice for a moment. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll do it immediately.¡±


    After a pause, she asked tentatively, ¡°Scarlett, anything happened?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea as well. Jackson told me that Summer is lost,¡± I confessed.


    She gasped. ¡°What? When did it happen? I did not hear anything from my side. Doesn¡¯t Summer have


    a video call with you every night?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But for thest two nights, I did not call her because Ashton and I came homete. So, I figured I


    should call her today instead. But when I called Jared just now, no one picked up the phone,¡± I replied,


    eyes brimming with tears.


    As I spoke, I began to choke up once again.


    Emery sighed on the other side of the line. ¡°Scarlett, don¡¯t panic. We haven¡¯t known anything yet at the


    moment. Let me call and ask first. I have friends in W City. I¡¯ll find someone to get more information for


    you.¡±


    I nodded and hung up the call. I could not wait for a minute longer to book the flight ticket to W City. It


    had been more than ten days since Jared brought Summer to W City.


    It¡¯s about time for me to bring her back now.


    I drove out of the vi and headed straight to the airport. Ashton called me again and again. I saw his


    calls, but I had no intention of answering any of them.


    Arriving at the airport, I checked in and boarded the ne. Before departure, the air stewardess


    reminded us to switch off our electrical gadgets.


    I took a look at the message sent by Ashton: Scarlett, before you do anything else, answer my call first.


    I¡¯ve sent someone to find Summer.


    I shut down my phone regardless. As the ne took off, I felt my heart shattered into a million pieces.


    There were wounds that will never heal. And Summer was my lifeline. After years of being with her, I


    had treated her like my own child. I¡¯ve lost my child before; I can¡¯t bear to lose another one.

 Chapter 580

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 580


    Four hourster, the nended. This was my first time here in W City. As one of the most vibrant


    cities in the nation, W City was as bustling as the capital city, but they were distinctively different from


    one another.


    K City was notable and sophisticated while W City was glitz and mor.


    Besides, the weather in W City was different, too. Unlike K City, it would snow two times per year, at


    most three.


    After getting off the ne, I dared not waste a second longer and hailed a cab to the Crest Residence.


    It was not snowing in W City, but most of the trees at the side of the road had withered. The scenery


    outside was underwhelming.


    The Crest family had been one of the most prominent families in W City for a long time. Moreover,


    owning a huge mansion in an upscale location undoubtedly attracted the attention of the public.


    When I told the driver to drop me off at the Crest Residence, he could not believe his ears. Staring at


    me, he asked once again, ¡°Miss, are you sure your destination is the Crest Residence? Are you a


    friend of the Crest family?¡±


    I pursed my lips and looked outside the window. ¡°No.¡±


    Taken aback by my answer, he proceeded to remind me kindly. ¡°The upper ss like the Crest family


    normally has a high standard in choosing their daughters-inw. It¡¯s rather inappropriate for you to go


    to their house uninvited.¡±


    Hearing his words, I realized that he had regarded me as a frivolous woman who wanted to marry the


    rich.


    Pursing my lips, I refused to exin myself to him.


    When the car came to a stop in front of the Crest residence, the driver turned to me and apologized,


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss. I can only send you here. Outsiders are forbidden from going inside. If you wish to


    enter, the entrance is right over there, and you should inform the security guard before going in. The


    Crest Residence is really big, so you need someone to drive you inside.¡±


    I nodded and paid him before getting off the taxi.


    As mentioned by the taxi driver just now, this mansion was spacious. Visitors should get permission


    from the Crest family first before they sent a car to fetch the visitors in.


    After I told the security guard the reason I was visiting, he looked at me, unsure. ¡°Miss, I think you


    should give them a call first to pick you up.¡±


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    I fished out my phone and saw that I had more missed calls and messages from Ashton.


    But I did not call him back. Instead, I dialled Jared¡¯s number again. Luckily, he answered my call this


    time.


    ¡°Scarlett,¡± he greeted.


    Staring at the gate, I said, ¡°I¡¯m outside the Crest Residence now. Bring Summer to me. I¡¯m here to


    bring her back to K City.¡±


    A long silence followed. The quieter he was, the more fearful I became.


    I knew that I was still in denial. I came here, hoping that Jackson was wrong. Since K City was quite far


    away from W City, maybe Jackson did not know what exactly happened.


    Maybe Summer was just out to y. Maybe it was just Jackson who heard the information wrongly and


    misunderstood the situation.


    Jared¡¯s silence almost gave me a mental breakdown. I could no longer stand the long silence and


    yelled, ¡°Jared Crest! I said I wanted to meet Summer and bring her back. Do you hear me?¡±


    He responded with a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m right behind you.¡±


    I blinked, bewildered. As I turned around and looked at him, he was standing there with his phone


    clutched against his ear, looking haggard.


    Then, he put down his phone and nced at me guiltily.


    There was no sight of Summer beside him. I tried my best to suppress the panic rising in my heart.


    ¡°Jared, where is Summer?¡±


    He took a deep breath topose himself and walked towards me. ¡°Let¡¯s go in first.¡±


    A ck Bentley was parked near the gate. He looked at me with a calm expression and motioned for


    me to go into the car. ¡°Let¡¯s talk inside.¡±


    I pressed my lips together and went into the car with him.


    I knew that the Crest family was very rich, but I did not expect them to be this rich.


    It took a ten-minute ride from the gate outside to the house. Along the way, it was arge park with


    ponds, sculptures, fountains, and different kinds of flora. Since it was currently winter, the maple trees


    on the roadside were withered, scattering the ground with their leaves.


    As I continued to look at the bleak view outside the car, Jared¡¯s phone rang, and he answered the call.


    From his tone of voice, it was probably Ashton who called.


    After he talked with Ashton for a few minutes, he handed me his phone. ¡°It¡¯s Ashton.¡±


    I pursed my lips and nced at him. Instead of taking the phone over, I chose to ignore it.


    Seeing my reaction, he took back the phone and told Ashton, ¡°You should call backter.¡±


    Ashton then spoke something, and Jared hummed in response. After he ended the call, the silence in


    the car ensued.


    After some time, the car pulled to a stop in front of a bungalow and several housekeepers came out of


    the door.


    When we got down from the car, one of them stepped forward and greeted Jared.


    Jared nodded in response and looked towards me. ¡°Follow me. We¡¯ll talk inside.¡±


    Then, he turned to the leader of the housekeepers and ordered, ¡°Prepare a room for Ms. Stovall.¡±


    The man nodded and left.


    Entering the house with Jared, I saw more than ten people sitting in the living room, and they were


    predominantly middle-aged. There were also two elderly who sat in the middle of the room.


    When they saw using in, some of them turned to look at us.


    Then, a thin middle-aged woman stepped forward and asked, ¡°Jared, have you found the kid?¡±

 Chapter 581

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 581


    Hearing her words, I tensed up immediately.


    I stood still as my body trembled in agitation. So, Summer is really missing?


    The ringing in my ears started again. Holding back my emotions, I raised my eyes and stared at Jared


    as I waited for his answer.


    He noticed my reaction and frowned. ¡°I¡¯ve sent my subordinates to search for her and we¡¯ve also


    reported the case to the police. She will be fine.¡±


    p! I mustered up all my energy and strength to p him. It was loud and painful.


    In an instant, everyone in the living room turned their eyes on me. Some people were ring, some


    were frowning, and some were watching us with much excitement.


    The first one who came forward to me was a slightly chubby girl in her twenties. ¡°Who are you? How


    could you hit Jared?¡±


    I shot her a look, but I did not respond. Instead, I continued to stare furiously at Jared. ¡°Jared, you¡¯d


    better pray that Summeres back safe and sound, or else I would use the rest of my life to destroy


    the Crest family.¡±


    Thud! The sound of a mug being mmed down onto the coffee table resonated across the room.


    ¡°How dare you, youngdy!¡± The old man who sat in the middle spoke with a deep and powerful voice.


    He must have been an influential person during his younger days.


    Turning my gaze to the dignified old man, he looked about eighty years old but was still full of vigor and


    vitality.


    I put up a faint smile, making myself lookposed. ¡°We shall wait and see.¡±


    ¡°How insolent!¡± The old man knocked down the mug on the table.


    He was indeed angry.


    No one dared to speak a single word as he red at me. If looks could kill, I would have been dead


    now.


    After a while, he finally averted his gaze and said, ¡°Jared, why did you bring such a rude girl into the


    house? Get her out now. How dare a little girl talked back to me!¡±


    I scoffed disdainfully. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for my daughter, I would not have stepped into this lowly house¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± The old man was enraged.


    When he raised the walking stick in his hand to beat me, a man¡¯s voice came from the door. ¡°How are


    you doing, Mr. Crest?¡±


    Furrowing his brow, the elderly looked at me thoughtfully. Meanwhile, Jared turned to the voice and


    frowned.


    As expected, it was Ashton.


    Then, he came towards us and stood in front of me. Raising his hand to lower the walking stick in the


    elderly¡¯s hand, Ashton said, ¡°Mr. Crest, every visitor is a guest. Even if you don¡¯t wee my wife, you


    don¡¯t have to hit her.¡±


    The old man turned grim and scoffed. ¡°This ill-mannereddy is your wife?¡±


    Ashton nodded with a smile. ¡°My grandpa really liked her and chose her to be my wife. Do you like her,


    too?¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± He snorted in disdain. ¡°No wonder you have such a wife, your grandpa did not have a good


    eye for a good daughter-inw. There¡¯s nothing about her that is likable.¡±


    Ashton was not upset with his words at all. He then turned to Jared and gave him a sombre look.


    ¡°Where is my daughter?¡±


    Jared¡¯s face fell. ¡°Yesterday, Summer said she wanted to walk Snowfluff outside, so I asked Aunt Betty


    to go together with her. But it suddenly rained on their way back home. Summer went missing when


    they were finding a shelter during the rain.¡±


    Ashton remained calm andposed. ¡°How¡¯s the condition now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve contacted the police in W City, and they are investigating the case. We¡¯ve also sent people out to


    look for Summer in various ces in the city.¡±


    I took a deep breath to control my anger before looking at Jared. ¡°Is Snowfluff missing?¡±


    He nodded.


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    Ashton frowned and thought for a while. ¡°A child with a dog supposedly would not get lost easily.


    Snowfluff is a trained dog, so even if they¡¯ve lost their way, it would guide Summer back home. It


    seems like this is not a simple missing case.¡±


    Then, he said to Jared, ¡°Get in contact with the police and check the ones who bear a grudge against


    the Crest family. And watch out for any suspicious people around the Crest Residence recently.¡±


    Jared also realized the severity now. He nodded, took out his phone, and went out.


    A hush fell over the room. Ashton nced at the people around us and smiled politely before turning to


    the old man and said, ¡°Mr. Crest, sorry for the things my wife had said. She is worried sick about our


    daughter, so please forgive her. We¡¯ll drop by and visit another time. See you next time.¡±

 Chapter 582

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 582


    With that, he held my hand and brought me out of the house. The old man parted his mouth, seemingly


    wanted to say something, but no words came out.


    After we were out of the Crest Residence, silence ensued all the way to the hotel.


    When he turned off the engine, Ashton looked towards me and said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Rest well tonight.


    The Crest family is finding her. I¡¯m sure Summer will be alright.¡±


    I looked at him and felt angry suddenly. I got out of the car and went straight into the hotel.


    The receptionist smiled and greeted, ¡°Hi. How may I help you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like a room, please.¡± I put my credit card and my ID card on the counter.


    However, she did not take my cards. Instead, she looked at Ashton who was standing behind me.


    He came to my side and looked at the receptionist. ¡°There¡¯s no need for another room. I¡¯ve booked a


    room for us.¡±


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    Apparently, his words were directed at me.


    The receptionist smiled awkwardly and handed my cards back to me. ¡°Miss, here are your cards.¡±


    I frowned at her. ¡°Why does a five-star hotel let customers check-in without their ID cards?¡±


    Having heard what I said, she raised her eyebrows and looked towards Ashton, seeking help.


    I gave her my cards and insisted, ¡°Please give me a room as soon as possible.¡±


    She hesitated for a moment before she finally yielded and proceeded with the registration process.


    Ashton let me be and stayed silent at the side.


    After taking the room key, I entered the elevator with him, and the silence went on.


    Both of us knew that we held some resentment toward one another and that we should talk it out


    instead of shutting each other down. But still, neither of us was willing to speak now. Humans are


    bizarre sometimes.


    When we reached my room, I entered first and stood at the door, stopping him froming into my


    room.


    Stuck in between the door, he scowled and looked at me with displeasure. ¡°Scarlett, do you have to be


    like this?¡±


    I stared back and said stubbornly, ¡°Yes!¡±


    With that, I pushed him out, mmed the door shut, and locked it immediately.


    A suite that cost a hundred thousand per night was cosy. It had a living room, a bedroom, and a


    kitchen. Even though it was not as spacious as the vi in K City, each room was fully equipped.


    But I did not have the mood to admire them because all I could think of now was Summer. I called John


    and it got through quickly.


    ¡°Hi, Letty. What¡¯s the matter?¡± John sounded as if he had just woken up from sleep.


    I looked at the clock and it was only then did I realize that it was past midnight already.


    I did not mean to disturb his sleep, but now that he had picked up the call, I might as well tell him the


    reason I called.


    I went straight to the point. ¡°Can you ask Uncle Louis to help me to contact the local authorities at W


    City? Summer has been missing for more than seventy-two hours and the Crest family are searching


    for her, but they haven¡¯t found anything yet. I didn¡¯t know what to do, so I called you.¡±


    Speaking about Summer brought a lump to my throat again.


    He fell silent for a moment before answering, ¡°I¡¯ll go to W City with Uncle Louis right away and I¡¯m sure


    we will find Summer. Don¡¯t worry.¡± He sounded fully alert now.


    A wave of warmth washed over me as tears started to well up in my eyes.


    ¡°Thank you so much, John,¡± I replied with a hoarse voice.


    When he heard me weeping, he said concernedly, ¡°Scarlett, we are family. You don¡¯t need to say thank


    you.¡±


    Feeling touched by his words, tears fell down from my eyes as I bid him goodbye.


    I hung up the call and felt better somehow.


    Now that my anxiety had reduced, I realized that I was covered in cold sweats.


    Therefore, I put down my phone, filled the bathtub with hot water, and took a bath.


    After I was done freshening up, I suddenly saw Ashton standing in my bedroom. I was so shocked that


    I almost yelled out in surprise.


    Since I hade here in a rush, I did not bring a change of clothes with me. So, I had put my clothes


    just now into the washing machine and came out of the bathroom in a towel.


    Even though we were husband and wife, I still felt shy in front of him.


    ¡°How did you get in?¡± I asked, puzzled. I had locked the door already, so how could he enter again?


    He turned towards me with his eyebrows knitted. ¡°Scarlett, we need to talk.¡±


    ¡°We have nothing to talk about. It¡¯s alreadyte. You should go to bed.¡± Ignoring him, I sat down on the


    bed and towel dry my hair.


    He then took the towel from my hand and began patting my hair dry impassively.

 Chapter 583

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 583


    ¡°I can do it myself,¡± I eximed and took the towel from him.


    But he refused and held the towel away from me.


    The anger that I had been suppressing rose again. Pursing my lips, I red at him. ¡°Ashton¡­¡±


    But before I could finish my sentence, he cupped my face and abruptly pressed his lips against mine.


    I wanted to push him away, but it was futile. He locked me within his arms and kissed me hard as if it


    was a punishment from him. It made me breathless.


    If he had not heard me gasping for air, he would have continued kissing.


    As he released his grip on me, our eyes met for a moment, but I averted my gaze and ignored him.


    He narrowed his eyes and pinched my chin forcefully. ¡°Am I not the one who should be angry?¡±


    He gazed at me gloomily as though he had been wronged.


    I pushed his hand away and shot daggers at him. ¡°Then you should go away and sulk. Leave me


    alone. I want to sleep.¡±


    Ashton could not help butugh at my words. ¡°Scarlett, can you please be reasonable?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I said defiantly. I know I¡¯m throwing a fit, but I don¡¯t care.


    Seeing my attitude, he said no more and threw his coat aside before unbuttoning his shirt with his


    slender fingers.


    As he stood there, removing his clothes gracefully in front of me, he smirked and gazed suggestively at


    me.


    ¡°W-why are you taking your clothes off?¡± I stuttered.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep, duh.¡± As he spoke, the shirt on him was casually thrown on the ground, exposing


    his bare chest in front of my eyes.


    I quickly looked away with my face flushing with embarrassment. It¡¯s rude to stare.


    Then, I heard him chuckled.


    ¡°Ashton, you¡­¡±


    By the time I turned to him, he had also removed his pants and he was nowing towards me.


    I was taken aback for a second before scrambling away from him.


    But before I could reach the other side of the super king-sized bed, he had grabbed my ankle and


    dragged me towards him.


    Being trapped in his arms, I became infuriated instantly and gave him a cold-eyed stare. ¡°What are you


    doing, Ashton? I want to sleep!¡± I yelled.


    ¡°Alright. We shall sleep,¡± he said gently, coaxing me into sleeping with him. ¡°It¡¯s already past midnight.


    We should rest now.¡±


    His words sounded naughty as wey naked on the bed.


    However, he just continued to hug me. Sensing that he was not going to do anything further, I


    eventually let my guard down after a few minutes.


    Having known him for several years, I knew that if he wanted to stay here, no one could not stop him


    from doing so, including me.


    So, I opted to close my eyes and sleep.


    That night, I barely slept. I kept jolting awake from horrible nightmares about Summer. Fortunately,


    Ashton was by my side. He patted my back andforted me whenever I needed sce.


    I woke up at six o¡¯clock in the morning. Looking at the dim sky outside the hotel, I could not go back to


    sleep.


    Even now, Ashton still had his arms around me. After a moment of hesitation, I shifted a bit, trying to


    get out of his embrace.


    Even though I had moved as quietly as possible, I still woke him up. He opened his eyes and looked at


    me groggily.


    Locking his eyes on me, he asked in a raspy voice, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    I proceeded to sit up, but he held me down.


    He probably realized that it was still early, so he brought me back to his embrace. ¡°It¡¯s still early.¡±


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    Restricted in his arms again, I reached for my phone on the bedside table.


    But he caught my hand and said, ¡°Sleep, Scarlett.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    Hearing my words, he stared at me with his dark brown eyes and suggested huskily, ¡°Shall we do


    something else?¡±


    I kept my mouth shut instantly and shifted away from him.


    But he inched closer deliberately and pressed his body against me.


    In the darkness of the night, we faced each other in a state of nature. Even though we could not see


    each other clearly, the night brought us closer together more than anything else.


    By the time we were done, the sun had risen, illuminating the grey winter sky.


    I was tired and sleepy, but I just could not fall asleep with a troubled mind.


    ¡°Do you want to take a shower?¡± he asked huskily as hey beside me.


    I pursed my lips in annoyance and rolled over, facing away from him.


    He said nothing and got out of the bed alone. Later, the sound of the running water came from the


    bathroom.


    As he showered, I tossed and turned on the bed, feeling ufortable with the sweat clinging onto my


    body. Hmm, I always feel like thistely.


    Afterward, I felt something wet underneath as well. At first, I thought it was some residue left by Ashton,


    so I turned on the bedsidemp and took a piece of tissue to wipe it.


    But when I saw it was, in fact, a bloodstain on the bedsheet, my heart sank.


    Just then, the bathroom door was opened, and I immediately covered it with the nket.


    But it was toote. He had seen the blood, too.

 Chapter 584

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 584


    Ashton¡¯s eyes darkened slightly as he walked over. His gaze fell on the bloodstain that I was trying to


    cover.


    I had originally thought that he would move my hands away to take a look, but he did not. He simply


    stroked my hair and looked at me tenderly. ¡°Go take a bath.¡±


    I nodded and wrapped myself in a towel before getting out of bed. After a quick shower, I was still


    worried about Summer, so I put on the clothes that I had washed and driedst night.


    Ashton was in a fresh set of clothes when I exited the bathroom. It was not what he wore yesterday,


    meaning that someone had brought him some new clothes.


    Noticing my presence, he handed me the brown bag that was beside him. ¡°There¡¯re new clothes in


    here!¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve already changed.¡± I did not want to bother changing into another set of


    clothes.


    Picking up my phone, I then gave Jared a call. It did not take long before he picked up.


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± He sounded like he had not sleptst night as well.


    Iposed myself before I said, ¡°Let¡¯s meet at Victoria Hotel¡¯s lobby in half an hour.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Ashton was studying me with a meaningful look in his eyes when I hung up. Since he remained silent, I


    asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospitalter,¡± said Ashton as he tucked my hair behind my ear.


    I was taken aback but replied almost automatically, ¡°No. We have to find Summer first.¡±


    He frowned. ¡°Scarlett¡­¡±


    ¡°I said, we have to find Summer first.¡± As I turned to exit the room, he grabbed my wrist and stopped


    me.


    He frowned, mostly in helplessness. ¡°I¡¯ll go find Summer. You¡¯ll go to the hospital, okay?¡±


    Looking at him, I was suddenly angered. I broke free of his grasp and before I even knew what I was


    doing. ¡°You¡¯ll find her? You weren¡¯t the one who raised her, nor have you invested any effort and love


    into her. Do you think you can pacify me just by saying that you¡¯d find her? Ashton, does it look like I


    can go to the hospital with peace of mind right now? Or maybe since Summer¡¯s not your daughter


    anyway, so it doesn¡¯t matter if she¡¯s lost?¡±


    Those words were said in anger and on impulse.


    I regretted them the moment they came out of my mouth.


    Ashton¡¯s gaze darkened and his expression grew cold. He looked me in the eye and said coldly, ¡°Do


    you really see me as such a cold-blooded person?¡±


    I kept silent, knowing that my words had hurt him. However, I was stubborn. Although I knew I was in


    the wrong, I did not want to apologize.


    I simply lowered my eyes and bit my lip. After a while, I said, ¡°I should go now.¡±


    Such an avoidant answer would inevitably irritate him.


    Indeed, before I could take a step, he grabbed my hand and spoke in a cold, low voice. ¡°Scarlett, am I


    still notparable to everyone else around you?¡±


    He is angry.


    I could havemunicated properly with him in a proper way. However, it was as if a demon had


    possessed me at that moment. ¡°Yeah. Everyone else is more important than you. I can¡¯t give up on any


    of them, Summer, my family, and even the Moore family. But you, I can give you up anytime. Mr. Fuller,


    please let me go. I need to go search for my loved one.¡±


    Looking at his eyes dimming with sorrow, I was dumbfounded for a moment before I eventually broke


    free of his grip.


    Without looking back, I turned and went straight out of the hotel room.


    It was not until I entered the elevator that I let go of the tension in my body, wanting to p myself for


    speaking without thinking.


    How could I have said that without thinking? He must have been very hurt! But what¡¯s done is done. I


    can¡¯t take it back.


    Trying my best to take my mind off this matter, I headed to the caf¨¦ next door and sat by the window.


    Jared would definitely be able to spot me here.


    Jared came in apanied by Ashton. The two had clearly spoken on the phone before this.


    Looking at the two outstanding men, I smiled lightly but tried my best to keep on a neutral expression.


    ¡°Mr. Crest, can I talk to you privately?¡±


    Jared nced at Ashton almost subconsciously, then his gaze fell on me. Ashton then pressed his lips


    together, walked over to another table, and took a seat.


    Jared then sat across from me as the waiter came forward to take his order. He looked at the


    Americano in front of me and paused for a while before ordering his own coffee as well as some


    dessert.


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    After a moment of silence, Jared looked at me and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry about what happened to Summer.¡±


    I stared at my dark-colored coffee and stirred it lightly for a while. After a long time, I looked at him with


    resolution. ¡°I don¡¯t ept it.¡±


    I did not ept his apology.


    He nodded, opening his mouth slightly, but did not speak.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you do or whatever connection you make use of. You have to find my daughter.


    Otherwise, if anything happens to Summer, I won¡¯t let you and the Crest family off for the rest of your


    lives.¡±


    He looked at me and frowned. ¡°Scarlett, I¡¯m just as anxious about this as you are.¡±


    I sneered. ¡°So what? She¡¯s been with me for four years. I¡¯ve been with her and caring for her all the


    time since I was always worried that something bad might happen to her. She¡¯s only been with you for


    less than half a month, but you dare to tell me that she got lost? Jared, do you think you¡¯ve qualified?


    Are you even qualified to be her father?¡±

 Chapter 585

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 585


    Jared¡¯s face paled. Just then, the waiter brought over his order.


    He took in a breath before pushing the dessert toward me. Then, he said in a low voice, ¡°Scarlett, I


    must admit that this is my fault. However, the most important thing now is to find Summer.¡±


    I simply pressed my lips together and stared at him, waiting for him to continue.


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    ¡°I¡¯ve checked the surveince footage and all the cameras on the roads around Crest Residence.


    There¡¯s still no trace of her.¡±


    He then looked me in the eye and asked solemnly, ¡°Scarlett, do you have any enemies?¡±


    I frowned, looking at him in shock. ¡°Are you suspecting that someone took Summer because of their


    hatred for me?¡±


    He replied, ¡°Not many people in the Crest family know of Summer¡¯s identity, so our long-time enemies


    couldn¡¯t possibly have found out about her so quickly.¡±


    I sneered. Looking at him, I could not help butugh. ¡°Jared, I¡¯d always thought you were pretty smart,


    but I¡¯m doubtful now. If someone really wanted to capture Summer because of me, why didn¡¯t they do


    anything while I was in R Province for four years? Why did they choose to do it only when Summer was


    in a heavily guarded ce like the Crest Residence?¡±


    I paused, then continued, ¡°Also, you said that not many people know of Summer¡¯s identity. But the


    Crest family has over twenty people. Do they know of Summer¡¯s identity?¡±


    He frowned, then nodded after a while.


    ¡°So, do you seriously think that out of the twenty-odd people in your family, all of them only have good


    intentions toward Summer? I was born in a small family, so I don¡¯t know about whatever scheming that


    goes on in a big family like yours. But for so many years, you¡¯ve just been hanging around Ashton and


    not interfering in your family business. I¡¯m sure you know why you did that.¡±


    Summer¡¯s disappearance had happened so quickly that we had neither evidence nor witnesses. There


    was no way to confirm the details of what happened.


    However, although I only said those words because Jared angered me, there was a possibility that this


    was part of the Crest family¡¯s n.


    Judging by Jared¡¯s darkening expression, it seemed as though he was starting to have his own


    guesses.


    After a pause, he looked at me. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely find Summer.¡±


    It was both a guarantee for me and a promise to himself.


    I simply sat there in silence.


    Then, John called to ask where I was. I gave him the hotel address before hanging up, then nced at


    Jared before leaving the caf¨¦ without saying another word.


    Ashton followed after me, but I simply ignored him and waited in the hotel lobby for John.


    Ashton was always a prominent figure no matter where he went. Thus, many guests constantly looked


    over at him while we sat in the hotel¡¯s lobby.


    Both of us kept silent while waiting. He was sending messages on his phone the whole time, likely to


    settle his work matters.


    About half an hourter, John arrived with Louis.


    The two men had rushed over through the night and thus looked terrible. John stepped forward and


    said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Uncle Louis has already spoken to the police in W City. We¡¯ll definitely be able to


    find Summer.¡±


    Upon seeing him, my eyes started to well up with tears. The emotions that I had been repressing the


    past few days were finally released. Looking at him with reddened eyes, I nodded.


    As Louis and Ashton conversed, a hotel room had been prepared for them.


    John frowned when he noticed the weird atmosphere between Ashton and me. Before we stepped into


    the elevator, he asked, ¡°Did you guys just argue?¡±


    I pressed my lips together and shook my head, then looked up at him and smiled. ¡°No. I¡¯m just really


    worried about Summer.¡±


    He stroked my hair helplessly and tried to soothe me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll surely find her.¡±


    Just as they entered their room, Louis got a call. The police had found a white teddy bear dog and were


    asking if we wanted to go over for a look.


    Since we did not know the exact situation, we rushed over immediately. Our destination was an


    abandoned factory in the suburb of W City.


    Although W City rarely snowed, it was constantly drizzling. As a result, the roads in the suburbs were


    muddy and difficult to drive through.


    The area had been blocked off by the police. When we reached the entrance of the factory, a middle-


    aged man in police uniform came out to greet us.


    He looked at Louis and said, ¡°Mr. Stovall, you¡¯re finally here. We¡¯ve been looking through all the traffic


    surveince footage throughout W City for the past few days. Yesterday, we started a thorough search


    of all factories in W City. However, we didn¡¯t find any children, but a white dog. You guys can go see if


    the dog was with the child when she got lost.¡±


    Louis nodded as he kept silent and walked overposedly. My legs felt weak, and my heart was


    beating very quickly with anxiety.


    The things in the factory were old and tattered. They looked to have been abandoned for a very long


    time.


    We hurried in after the policeman, seeing many old items along the way. Although reinforcements and


    protective measures had been taken, many ces in the factory still seemed to be falling apart.


    ¡°How did you find the dog?¡± asked Ashton as his eyes swept across the old factory.


    The policeman who was leading the group could tell that Ashton was no ordinary person. ¡°While we


    were carrying out our search and rescue, we noticed a lot of footprints around this area, so we followed


    them here.¡±

 Chapter 586

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 586


    Ashton nodded. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been raining for very long. You can try to continue tracking the footprints.¡±


    The policeman shook his head and sighed. ¡°That¡¯s what we thought at first. However, after we found


    the footprints, we noticed a lot of stray dogs around the area, and it also started to rain. The tracks


    have basically been washed off. There are mostly farms around here, so it¡¯s not that easy to check


    thoroughly.¡±


    When we entered the factory, the policeman turned to Louis and said, ¡°Look, it¡¯s here. Take a look and


    see if it¡¯s something that was with the child when she got lost.¡±


    Naturally, Louis did not recognize Snowfluff. He looked at me and said, ¡°Letty,e over and see.¡±


    I was feeling a little weak in the legs and had been trembling ever since I entered.


    Looking at Snowfluff lying lifelessly on the ground, I instantly lost strength in my legs and started to fall


    to the ground.


    Luckily, Ashton acted fast enough and caught me in time, hugging me tightly to himself. He stared at


    Snowfluff and frowned. ¡°It¡¯s Summer¡¯s dog.¡±


    When he was done speaking, he ced me on a chair and patted me on the arm. He saidfortingly,


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. No news is good news. They have found Snowfluff, so they¡¯ll be able to find Summer


    soon.¡±


    I pressed my lips together as tears constantly flowed down my face. With a choked voice, I asked, ¡°Will


    they harm Summer?¡±


    He shook his head and looked at me with determination in his eyes. ¡°Trust me, I won¡¯t let anyone hurt


    Summer.¡±


    He then walked over to look at Snowfluff¡¯s corpse.


    The forensic pathologist beside him said, ¡°The dog was poisoned. The time of death was less than


    twelve hours.¡±


    John nced at the surroundings, then turned to the policeman who led us in. ¡°Is there any


    surveince footage around here?¡±


    ¡°This ce has been abandoned for a very long time. It¡¯s impossible that there¡¯s any.¡±


    I looked at Snowfluff and could not help but shut my eyes. Then, I turned to look at Jared.


    There was a strange, cold feeling in my heart.


    After listening to them discuss the situation for a while, I got up, nced at Ashton who had been silent


    the whole time, and left the building.


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    I sat in the car for a while before John and Louis returned to find me in a daze.


    John thought that I was worried about Summer and tried tofort me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. If the


    police can find Snowfluff, they¡¯ll find Summer soon enough.¡±


    I pressed my lips together and lifted my head to look at him, then asked, ¡°What if we¡¯re looking in the


    wrong direction?¡±


    He froze for a while before looking me in the eye. His voice was full of suspicion as he asked, ¡°What do


    you mean?¡±


    ¡°Snowfluff¡¯s been through training. Although it wasn¡¯t aggressive, it¡¯s very vignt. When I found out


    that Summer had gotten lost while in Crest Residence, I initially thought that Snowfluff could have been


    poisoned while in their house. But now it looks like someone had brought them both out of Crest


    Residence. There¡¯re so many cameras around the house. How is it possible that nothing was captured


    at all?¡±


    John raised his eyebrows as if he had realized something. He hesitated for a moment before he asked,


    ¡°Are you saying that someone from the Crest family, did it?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Also, that person should have quite a good rtionship with Summer. Otherwise, she would


    never have followed them out of Crest Residence so easily.¡±


    He paused for a while, then frowned. ¡°Do you suspect Jared?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s possible?¡± I turned to him and continued, ¡°Back then, Macy didn¡¯t want Summer


    to stay with the Crest family and didn¡¯t want Jared to know of Summer¡¯s existence. At first, I thought


    that since he had blood rtions with Summer, it was a good thing for her to have one more person


    who loves her. But now, it seems like Jared just wants to keep Summer in the Crest family. He doesn¡¯t


    want her to stay with me!¡±


    John looked at me with a hint of disagreement, ¡°Jared¡¯s been doing business for many years. He won¡¯t


    do such a thing. He might be able to keep Summer for himself temporarily, but she¡¯s bound to grow up.


    As a granddaughter of the Crest family, she would have to attend many banquets in the future. There¡¯re


    only so many people in this circle. Sooner orter, Ashton and you are going to find out about this.¡±


    I lowered my eyes and picked at my fingers. Slightly annoyed, I replied, ¡°What if he and Ashton are in


    on it together?¡±


    Louis looked at me with a slight frown on his face. ¡°Scarlett, let¡¯s go back first.¡±


    They clearly disagreed with my statement. I was getting even more irritated.


    I did not speak throughout the ride back.


    Back at the hotel, John and Louis were busy with something else, leaving me to stay in the room alone


    feeling uneasy and irritated.


    Ever since we found Snowfluff, I was even more certain that Summer had been taken away by the


    Crest family.


    Once the signs pointed me in a certain direction, it was hard to stop thinking that way.


    In the end, I had made up my mind that Jared was the one who was hiding Summer.


    I then immediately left the hotel and took a taxi to where Jared was staying.


    He did not stay at Crest Residence. Instead, he stayed in amercial-residential building in the city


    centre.


    The people there said that I required an appointment to enter the building. Thus, I gave Jared a call at


    the door.


    Although he was surprised, he soon got the security guards to let me in.


    His door was left unlocked, so I pushed it open to reveal his very tidy house. Jared had heard me enter.

 Chapter 587

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 587


    He stood up from the sofa and poured me a ss of water, then said, ¡°Have a seat.¡±


    I looked at him, then nced around the house. Surprisingly, this ce was turned into a three-story


    high unit and was very luxurious.


    After admiring his house for some time, I immediately started to search his rooms.


    Jared frowned at my behavior. ¡°Scarlett, what are you trying to do?¡±


    There was no trace of Summer in any of his rooms. Unable to hold back my anger, I took the ss in


    his hand.


    Then, without hesitation, I sshed the water on him. I could not contain my emotions any longer, and


    said, ¡°Jared, you¡¯d better return Summer to me. Don¡¯t have any weird ideas. I won¡¯t let her live with


    you.¡±


    He frowned as the water dripped off his face and onto his shirt. Narrowing his eyes, he replied, ¡°What


    are you trying to say?¡±


    I had no intention to drag this on any further, so I replied straightforwardly, ¡°You took so much effort to


    do all this just to keep Summer with you, didn¡¯t you? Let me just tell you. It¡¯s impossible for I¡¯ll never let


    you have my daughter.¡±


    Jared was bing furious. ¡°Scarlett, what¡¯s your problem? Do you think that I¡¯d really do such a thing


    to my own child?¡±


    I sneered, not in the mood to show him any mercy. ¡°Why not? There¡¯s nothing that you wouldn¡¯t do.


    You¡¯re just an unscrupulous businessman. Do you actually think you¡¯re that noble?¡±


    He was dumbfounded and spoke in a cold, low voice. ¡°Scarlett, Ashton may ept you like this, but I


    won¡¯t. I¡¯m more anxious than you are over Summer missing. But this is no excuse for your


    unreasonable actions.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m being unreasonable?¡± I looked around his house and noticed one of Summer¡¯s favorite toys on his


    sofa. My blood started to boil. I did not think before I said with a sneer, ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll show you what it


    means to be unreasonable.¡±


    Before he could react, I had pushed his expensive red wine bottles to the ground.


    After that, there were only sounds of ss breaking as red wine spilled on the ground.


    ¡°Are you crazy?¡± he roared.


    I don¡¯t give a shit. Whatever I could get my hands on, I just smashed onto the ground. All the while, I


    shouted, ¡°Give my daughter back to me¡­¡±


    Sometimes, it was difficult to control one¡¯s emotions. When a person became overly agitated, they


    were no different from a madman.


    By the time I realized that I had almostpletely wrecked Jared¡¯s home, Ashton had arrived.


    Jared had on a dark expression as he said in anger, ¡°You should send her to the hospital. It¡¯s more


    serious than you thought.¡±


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    Ashton then pulled me into his arms. He frowned and replied in a cold voice, ¡°Just go figure out how to


    find Summer as soon as possible.¡±


    Then, he basically carried me out of Jared¡¯s ce.


    I had calmed down by the time we got in the car. I was covered in red wine and my hair was a mess.


    I knew I looked terrible. I did not even know what I was thinking when I wrecked Jared¡¯s house.


    Both Ashton and I kept quiet throughout the ride back. When we were back in our room, I showered


    andy on the bed, staring at the ceiling for a long time.


    Ashton stood by the bedside, looking at me with a troubled gaze. ¡°Scarlett, let¡¯s go to the hospital,


    okay?¡±


    I turned to look at him. At this moment, I was not overwhelmed by thoughts and didn¡¯t feel panic now. In


    fact, I felt rather rxed.


    Iughed. ¡°What for?¡±


    He looked at me with a pained expression. It hurt me to see the look on his face, so I looked away from


    his eyes.


    I sat up and faced him, my mood unstable. ¡°Ashton, do you not want me to raise Summer too? Are you


    helping him lie to me? Are you helping him to hide Summer from me?¡±


    He frowned as he studied my face. The light was reflecting off of his eyes. With a saddened


    expression, he said hesitantly, ¡°Scarlett, I¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the two of you, right?¡± I interrupted, then continued with more force, ¡°You don¡¯t want Summer, nor


    do you want me. The truth is none of you wants me. Everyone just wants me to go away.¡±


    I lowered my head and started to cry. The sadness in my heart had been held in for a long time. He


    opened his mouth to speak but was heartbroken and could not make a sound.


    Things were getting out of hand.


    Noticing the pain in Ashton¡¯s eyes, I was suddenly stunned. Why are my thoughts all bing so


    extreme and negative? Is something wrong with me?


    However, I could not suppress my extreme thoughts. I was sure that Summer was being hidden away


    by the two of them.


    That night, I fell asleep in Ashton¡¯s arms unknowingly.


    The next day, Ashton was gone. I stared at the drizzle through the window and remained in a daze.


    My memories from yesterday were clear, so I knew that I had made a mistake.


    My head then started to hurt, so I hid under the covers. However, the more I tried not to think about


    yesterday, the more I thought about it.


    I stared at the ceiling for a long time before eventuallying back to my senses.

 Chapter 588

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 588


    Maybe I had truly gone crazy. Or maybe, just maybe, that extremely selfish person was exactly who I


    used to be.


    Ashton was no longer at the hotel. After I had washed up and was getting ready to leave, John knocked


    on my door.


    Furrowing his eyebrows as he looked over my pale, sallowplexion, he asked, ¡°You didn¡¯t sleep


    wellst night?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I massaged my temples, shaking my head. ¡°Is there any news about Summer?¡±


    He made an affirmative sound, gesturing towards the room in a silent request to continue this


    conversation inside.


    Stepping aside, I let him in and closed the door behind him, walking over to sit on the sofa.


    He poured out a ss of water for himself, ncing at me. ¡°Are you happy with Ashton?¡±


    ¡°John, I thought you were here to talk about Summer.¡± I narrowed my eyes, a little upset at the new


    topic.


    Coughing awkwardly, he reached up to rub his nose. ¡°It¡¯s true that I came here to talk about Summer.


    But you are the most important thing to me right now. Summer has Ashton, the Crest family, and the


    Stovall family. So, let¡¯s talk about you first, okay?¡±


    I squirmed uneasily under his intense stare, licking my dry lips. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Just answer me.¡±


    ¡°Ashton and I have always been fine.¡±


    ¡°I was asking if you were happy, not if your rtionship with him is fine or not.¡±


    Now he was just being nit-picky. Irritated, I rolled my eyes. ¡°Tell me, John: what is happiness?¡±


    Life was all a huge, long-winded story. Every story had to have its ups and downs.


    What was the meaning of happiness? If happiness could only be defined by how cheerful you felt in


    your daily life, wasn¡¯t that definition too narrow-minded?


    John sat up straight, sighing. ¡°Letty, I¡¯m not sure that you understand happiness more than I do. You


    don¡¯t want to answer my question because your rtionship with Ashton is starting to make you feel


    burdened and depressed. Deep in your heart, you still hold a grudge against him and resent him, don¡¯t


    you?¡±


    I stared nkly at the ss of water in front of me. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    ¡°Either you cut off all contact with him, or you go to the hospital and receive psychotherapy before


    restarting your rtionship with him. This ambiguous situation between you two is not healthy.¡±


    Ambiguous?


    I didn¡¯t even know what was wrong with myself anymore. All I knew was there was something wrong


    with me.


    I was often unable to control my temper and apathy.


    Years¡¯ worth of hurt and pain had never been once been healed properly. I¡¯d only ever hidden my scars


    away and threw my nightmares to the back of my mind, leaving them for the future me to deal with. On


    the surface, I appeared fine, but one small poke at my wounds and you¡¯d be able to see how rotten


    they¡¯d be.


    After a long pause, I spoke up, ¡°I¡¯ll go to the hospital. Just¡­ Not now.¡±


    John nodded, not pressing the topic any further.


    I looked up at him. ¡°By the way, John, this isn¡¯t the time to be having a heart-to-heart right now.¡±


    ¡°I know. You¡¯re worried about Summer, and we should go look for her.¡±


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    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°Hear me out first, Letty. Alright?¡± He ced the ss down, taking a deep breath before turning to me.


    ¡°Can you promise me to stay calm?¡±


    That sounds so weird¡­


    Testing the waters, I asked, ¡°So did you guys find Summer? Did you?¡±


    He nodded, but his expression was grim.


    The idea that something might have happened to my daughter abruptly dawned upon me.


    Forcing my tone to remain t, I asked again, ¡°Did something happen to her?¡±


    ¡°Letty, I told you to stay calm.¡± He kept his gaze fixed on me, concerned.


    ¡°Stay calm?¡± I snapped. ¡°She¡¯s my daughter! How could you tell me to ¡®stay calm¡¯? Just tell me what


    happened to her! Do you think you¡¯re being funny by leaving me on a cliff-hanger?¡±


    He inhaled deeply through his nose, rposing himself. ¡°You¡¯ll scare Summer if you go to see her


    like this.¡±


    ¡°Then why won¡¯t you tell me what happened to her?¡±


    I jumped to my feet, pacing restlessly around the room.


    Pursing his lips, he was quiet for a while before finally saying, ¡°Summer was taken by Kristina. Right


    now, the Crest family are all looking for Kristina, as are we.¡±


    I looked at him, my mouth falling open. ¡°So, technically, you haven¡¯t found Summer yet?¡±


    ¡°We have some leads. It¡¯s better than blindly looking for a needle in a haystack, right?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± I scoffed. I didn¡¯t want to talk with him anymore, fishing my phone out to call Emery.


    She picked up after a few rings. ¡°What¡¯s up, Scarlett?¡±


    ¡°We still haven¡¯t found Summer. Can you help me investigate Kristina¡¯s recent movements in W City?¡±


    There was a surprised pause on the other end. ¡°She kidnapped Summer?¡±

 Chapter 589

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 589


    ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll do it immediately, so don¡¯t panic.¡±


    After hanging up the phone, I picked up my bag. ¡°You¡¯re heading out?¡± asked John.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡±


    ¡°No, I mean¡ª it would be better to wait for updates from them instead of going about and looking


    aimlessly for new leads.¡±


    ¡°Aimlessly?¡± I shot back.


    Probably thinking that I was acting too hostile to provoke any further, he shut up and threw his hands


    up in surrender.


    I left the hotel without another word, and Emery texted me several addresses in W City where she


    thought Kristina might be.


    I wasn¡¯t familiar with the city at all, so I had no choice but to hail a taxi and go to each address one by


    one.


    After visiting each location, Jared called, telling me to visit the suburbs we¡¯d went to yesterday.


    It started raining again while on the drive there, the taxi slowing to a stop by the roadside with


    seemingly no one around for miles.


    ¡°Miss, are you sure that this is where your friend told you to go? It¡¯s way too deste out here! Maybe


    you should give them a call and double-check the address,¡± the driver suggested kindly.


    My attention turned to what seemed like an abandoned factory a short distance away from where the


    car had stopped. Hesitating, I told the driver, ¡°Could you wait for a moment while I make a phone call?¡±


    I pulled out my phone and dialled Jared¡¯s number.


    ¡°Where are you, Scarlett?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve arrived. Why did you ask me toe here?¡±


    ¡°Come on in. I¡¯ve found Summer¡­¡±


    ¡°If you did find her, then why didn¡¯t you bring her home?¡±


    Silence.


    And then, ¡°You could also choose to note over, Scarlett.¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to do, Jared?¡± My eyebrows knitted together. ¡°Summer is your biological


    daughter.¡±


    A coldugh rang out through the phone, and he reiterated, ¡°If you choose to note over, I can¡¯t


    guarantee if you¡¯ll ever get to see her again.¡±


    A threat.


    What kind of person is Jared, exactly? Even after so many years, I can¡¯t tell if he¡¯s a good or bad


    person.


    Never mind, that¡¯s stupid. People¡¯s moralities weren¡¯t ck and white.


    Whatever.


    I paid the fare and got out of the car, but the driver was still worried for my safety. ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem


    safe, miss!¡±


    Nodding in acknowledgment, I opened up my umbre. ¡°Help me lodge a police report on your way


    back.¡± In response, the driver gave me a perplexed look before driving away.


    I had no idea what Jared might have in store for me.


    The muddy path that I followed to the factory was littered with footsteps of varying sizes and depths.


    The building itself was quiterge, but I didn¡¯t feel scared because I¡¯d been here once before.


    As soon as I stepped foot within the factory, I spotted Jared standing alone.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you had the balls toe,¡± he mocked.


    What goes on inside his head? What does he think of Ashton?


    ¡°Are you going to kill me?¡± I stared at him, less fearful than I thought I¡¯d be. If anything, I was curious


    and morbidly confused.


    He sat down in a rotting old chair, leaning back and crossing one leg over another in a casual manner.


    ¡°You¡¯re not scared?¡±


    ¡°Am I supposed to be?¡±


    Jared raised an eyebrow. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to ask about Summer?¡±


    ¡°Okay. Where¡¯s Summer?¡±


    Perhaps bored by my simple question, he rolled his eyes. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to ask me ¡®why¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°God. What does Ashton see in you?¡± He clicked his tongue in annoyance.


    I pursed my lips and didn¡¯t answer.


    If I die today, what are the chances that someone will stumble across my corpse here?


    How long would it take for someone to find out that I had died in the first ce?


    He ignored me and yed with his phone as I looked around the ce. ¡°Summer is safe; Kristina


    merely brought her to another location. Don¡¯t worry,¡± he drawled.


    ¡°You¡¯re good at acting,¡± Imented.


    I¡¯d been genuinely convinced that Summer had gone missing when I met him.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Jared raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. ¡°Thanks. If I wasn¡¯t, then you


    wouldn¡¯t have believed me, no?¡±


    Summer was his biological child. There was no way he would let her be in mortal danger.


    I decided that I might as well wait to see what he nned on doing.


    After a long pause, he brought up, ¡°Remember when she jumped from a tall building and scarred her


    face? Want to try and imitate that?¡±


    Who is this ¡°she¡± that he speaks of?


    Seeing that I wasn¡¯t budging an inch, he pointed to what looked like an infusion bottle on top of a


    broken table. ¡°Go on.¡±


    I looked at the bottle, and then back at him. ¡°Is that sulfuric acid?¡±


    He nodded calmly. ¡°It might hurt a little, but you¡¯ll get over it.¡±

 Chapter 590

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 590


    I just stared at him, unmoving.


    He was quiet for a brief moment. ¡°When I first met her, she was only seventeen years old. Then, she


    passed away at the age when her vanity was at its peak. I don¡¯t want to force your hand, so please do


    it yourself.¡±


    ¡°At least let me know who she is, and why you picked me,¡± I inquired.


    When he lifted his head to gaze at me, his eyes looked calm. If anything, they looked too calm, nearly


    to the point that they were devoid of emotion. ¡°¡¯She¡¯ was Ashton¡¯s cousin, Naomi Fuller. I never


    intended on hurting you specifically, Scarlett, but there is a hole where my heart used to be. The devil


    lives in there now, and I can¡¯t get him out.¡±


    ¡°So, I¡¯ve now be your sacrificialmb?¡± I couldn¡¯t understand a word he was saying, gazing at him


    in disbelief.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Not really. It¡¯s just that Ashton happens to be in love with you.¡± He shrugged. ¡°He and I are best


    friends. If I lose something, it¡¯s only fair for him to lose something as well. We need to share that sense


    of empathy; otherwise, he¡¯ll never know what it feels like to lose the love of his life.¡±


    Stacey had mentioned that Charlie used to have a daughter when he was younger. Unfortunately, she


    passed away due to an ident, and he never wanted any more children after that.


    I was also aware that Ashton had a cousin that Jared used to date.


    But I wasn¡¯t present during any of that, and I had no idea as to what had happened in the past.


    I didn¡¯t know what he felt towards Ashton, but he must have gotten rid of his humanity a long time ago if


    he hade all this way and taken this many extreme measures.


    His stare towards me was pitiful andpassionate, mixed with several otherplicated emotions


    that I couldn¡¯t ce. Hemented, ¡°You really remind me of her sometimes. When you handed me


    those clothes at the vi at Oceanid Bay, I nearly mistook you for her. You¡¯re both just so, so kind. And


    afterward, I wanted to help you leave Ashton so that you would be free of him. Why didn¡¯t you leave


    him?¡±


    I chewed on my lower lip, unsure how to respond.


    Jared let out an emotionless bark ofughter. ¡°Maybe if you¡¯d left him back then, your life would be


    drastically different from what it is now. I would never have hurt you, I wouldn¡¯t have met Macy, and you


    wouldn¡¯t be feuding with your parents¡­¡±


    He abruptly stopped himself, a cruel smile on his lips as his stare turned sharp. ¡°Do you see now? Do


    you see why Ashton deserves to die? He hurts everyone he loves, everyone who¡¯s close to him. He


    bounds people to him and loudly proims that he¡¯s doing it out of ¡®love¡¯. No matter how broken you


    feel, he will alwaysfort you with sweet nothings about how he¡¯ll always protect you, how he¡¯ll


    always treat you right. And then, it reaches a point where you can never bear to hurt him, even if you


    hate him to death.


    ¡°We¡¯re actually the same, you and me. You¡¯re his lover, and I¡¯m his best friend. He hurt you, but he also


    loves you. Because of that, you¡¯re not willing to hurt him, and you even force yourself to suppress all


    your feelings of upset and frustration in order to stay with him. I do that too; he indirectly caused me to


    lose the woman I loved most and caused me pain like nothing I¡¯d ever felt before. But then, he


    proceeded to save me from the depths of hell. I absolutely loathe him, and yet I don¡¯t want to hurt a


    single hair on his head. Such a conundrum, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Humans are defined by our wide array of emotions. These emotions are never separate, but always


    intertwined and tangled and connected with each other.


    I felt my heart clench inside my chest, but I had no clue if it was out of sympathy or pity. ¡°You want to


    kill me so that he would be able to feel your pain?¡±


    He nodded, smiling. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°If I die, you and he will be mortal enemies.¡±


    ¡°I know. That is the best possible oue. If we be enemies, then neither of us needs to hold


    back the pain we feel anymore. We will no longer need to hide away our wounds and scars.¡±


    It sounded easy when spoken out loud, but surely it was much moreplicated than just a simple


    deration of love and hate.


    ¡°Do you promise that Summer will continue to grow up safely and healthily?¡± I asked.


    Nodding, his expression softened somewhat. ¡°Of course. She¡¯s my daughter. I will take good care of


    her and give her all my love.¡±


    I believed him.


    So, I nodded.


    I wonder if that taxi driver has called the police by now. Probably not. I was too reckless toe here


    without informing John. If I died right now, no one would ever be able to find out what happened to me.


    I don¡¯t want to be discovered as a rotting corpse!


    Jared seemed amused as he watched me stare intently at the bottle of sulfuric acid. ¡°I did give you the


    choice to die the same way Naomi did. You should be grateful.¡±


    ¡°You think giving me options on how to kill myself is a privilege?¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Yeah, it gives the whole thing a sense of ritualism. Now do it.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t afraid of dying. However, I loathed having to die this way, and my movements were slow and


    hesitant.


    Unfortunately, Jared¡¯s patience was already at its limit, the man exasperatedly getting to his feet and


    walking over to the table.

 Chapter 591

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 591


    He picked up the bottle of sulfuric acid, slowly swivelling his head to face me. An eyebrow raised, he


    asked in an annoyed tone, ¡°Want me to do it for you?¡±


    My face scrunched up out of fear, instinctively taking a step back and increasing the distance between


    us. ¡°Jared, listen. There¡¯s still a way out for you if you stop now.¡±


    His lips pulled back in an ugly sneer. ¡°Scared, Scarlett?¡±


    No sh*t, Sherlock. Anyone would be.


    He took slow,zy steps towards me, and I unconsciously kept backing away from him. ¡°Jared, you


    can¡¯t bring back people from the dead, but you can still treasure the living while they¡¯re still alive,¡± I tried


    to convince him.


    He merely jeered at me, refusing to listen to anything I said as he twisted open the bottle cap.


    Waving the bottle in the air menacingly, he went on to say, ¡°You look so much like Naomi right now. She


    was this scared and vulnerable when she died, too. I remember thinking: she must have wanted to


    continue living, but she couldn¡¯t find a good reason to do so anymore. Why couldn¡¯t I have been her


    reason? Why couldn¡¯t she have continued living for me?¡±


    I felt my back hit a wall. I¡¯m cornered.


    Delighted by my new predicament, a wide grin spread across his face as he sshed the contents of


    the bottle in my direction.


    I reflexively reached up and tried to cover my face with my hands, but only managed to block some of


    the liquid.


    In the blink of an eye, I was aggressively pulled into someone¡¯s embrace at the exact moment that I


    heard the blood-curdling sound of something dissolving, as well as caught a whiff of the rancid odor of


    rotting flesh.


    A man¡¯s voice hissed into my ear in pain as a group of people suddenly barged into the building.


    When I¡¯d finally snapped awake from my daze, I realized that it was Ashton. He¡¯d used his own body to


    shield me from the sulfuric acid.


    Out of the corner of my eye, I could somewhat see that all the blood was drained from Jared¡¯s face as


    he stared at Ashton, dumbfounded while Ashton¡¯s men wrestled him to the ground.


    I tried to open my mouth to speak, but no words came out.


    Ashton instantly fell to his knees in front of me. There was a constant ringing in my brain as I stood


    there nkly, watching someone else carry Ashton away.


    At the hospital, I silently watched the doctors and nurses as they moved around me. It was only then


    that my brain finally registered that my face hurt slightly, and I realized that the sulfuric acid must have


    burnt some parts of my skin off.


    ¡°The burn area isn¡¯trge. Your right eye is hurt, but the cornea isn¡¯t damaged, so you don¡¯t have to


    worry about blindness,¡± a doctor told me as he bandaged up my wounds.


    I contemted his words for a while. I now knew that my face and right eye hadn¡¯t managed to escape


    Jared¡¯s fury unscathed.


    But why didn¡¯t I feel any pain at all in the beginning? Maybe it all happened too fast that my brain


    wasn¡¯t able to register it.


    The doctor left as a nurse came in to help with my IV injection. After pressing lightly all over my hand


    and not finding any prominent veins, she nced up at me. ¡°Please hold your hand in a fist.¡±


    I did as I was told. She carefully inspected the back of my hand and then picked up the needle, setting


    it upon a certain spot on my skin.


    I turned away, refusing to watch her actually push the needle into my flesh. My pain tolerance had


    always been horrible.


    ¡°All done,¡± the nurse helpfully supplied after she was done.


    Only then did I sigh in relief, all the muscles in my body rxing. The spot on the back of my left hand


    where the IV needle had pierced hurt slightly, and it looked swollen.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Did you identally pick the wrong vein? It looks like the wound is starting to


    bleed.¡±


    The tube that connected the IV needle to the drip bag was indeed starting to turn from clear to blood-


    red.


    The nurse looked over her shoulder at me and did a double take. When she tried to pull out the IV


    needle, tiny drops of blood spurted out.


    Using a cotton swab and iodophor to clean the wound, she instructed, ¡°Hold this for a minute.¡±


    I held the cotton swab in ce, internallymenting about howplicated humans¡¯ blood circtory


    systems were. All veins had the same purpose of sending blood to different parts of the body but


    getting them mixed up might potentially cause a health hazard.


    The spot on the back of my left hand was no longer bleeding, but a bruise was starting to form, much to


    my dismay.


    As I chucked the cotton swab into the nearby trash can, the nurse also noticed the growing bruise on


    my left hand. She furrowed her eyebrows slightly and looked apologetic but didn¡¯t say anything.


    She took my hand in hers and inspected it closely, searching for another more suitable spot to insert


    the IV needle.


    I couldn¡¯t help but pity myself whenever I looked at the tiny lump on my left hand. ¡°Maybe we could try


    my right hand?¡±


    I would¡¯ve hated it if the nurse somehow identally inserted the IV needle into the wrong vein on my


    left hand again, creating yet another bruise there.


    Nodding, she lowered her head and gestured for me to clench my right hand into a fist.


    Fortunately, the process was much smoother this time, and nothing happened after the IV needle went


    in.


    The nurse packed her medical tools, staring woefully at the bruise on my left hand. ¡°I¡¯ll go get a pack of


    ice for you.¡±


    I nodded. My vision of her was slightly blurry due to one of my eyes being covered by bandages.

 Chapter 592

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 592


    Things always looked a little blurrier when you were staring at them using one eye instead of two.


    John stepped into the room and brushed past the nurse, who couldn¡¯t help but gaze admiringly at him.


    A man with his handsome looks was bound to attract female attention wherever he went.


    He was probably used to it as well. He walked into the room and gazed down at me, his eyes full of


    worry. After ncing up and down my body, his eyes settled on the pinpricks of blood on the back of


    my hand.


    ¡°How did you manage to do that to yourself?¡±


    I replied blithely, ¡°My skin is too fair, I suppose. It was very difficult to find the veins.¡±


    John frowned a little but didn¡¯t say anything more. As he continued to gaze at me, he asked, ¡°Well, how


    do you feel?¡±


    I evaded his question expertly. ¡°Have you found Summer?¡±


    John nodded and replied, ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve already found him. Ashton suspected Kristina all along, but it


    wasn¡¯t until he found Summer that he realized something was terribly off. That was when he went to


    look for you in the factory.¡±


    I pursed my lips. Ashton was a very clever man indeed. Also, that taxi driver had disappointed me


    greatly! I thought he would at least be kind enough to help me call the police.


    I couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Strangers weren¡¯t to be trusted, after all.


    John looked at me with a strange expression on his face. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you asking me how Ashton is?¡±


    That was a difficult question. How was I supposed to answer that?


    Ashton had shielded me from most of the sulfuric acid, so his injuries were probably far worse than


    mine. However, I was still a little hesitant about asking John about his condition.


    I looked up at John and asked morosely, ¡°John, don¡¯t you think I¡¯m pretty selfish?¡±


    He knitted his brows together. In a low voice, he replied, ¡°Jared has been nning this for a long time.


    You¡¯re not to me for this incident, because you couldn¡¯t have predicted his actions. It¡¯s well within


    your rights to be mad at Ashton, but Scarlett, you must know that he has put in his best effort for you.¡±


    Yes, Ashton had put in his very best effort. He was a human being and not a god, after all. He couldn¡¯t


    have known that Jared was hiding a deep grudge and that after so many years, Jared had finallyid a


    trap for the both of us.


    However, Ashton was the root cause of that grudge in the first ce! That was an undeniable fact.


    Seeing theplicated emotions swirling in my eyes, John sighed a little, looking very helpless.


    ¡°Scarlett, if you don¡¯t let go of your grudge now, you¡¯ll have an even harder time in the future.¡±


    I looked up at him and retorted, ¡°What about you, then? Can you disregard Hannah¡¯s family


    background and live happily with her for the rest of your life?¡±


    John fell silent at my question. Looking rather perturbed, he muttered, ¡°We¡¯re talking about your


    situation right now.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yes, we are talking about me right now. I¡¯m just making you see things from my perspective.


    Sometimes, it¡¯s hard to understand the viewpoint of the other party when you aren¡¯t in their shoes. You


    might even think I¡¯m making a big fuss over nothing. However, if the same thing happens to you, you


    might be singing a different tune.¡±


    John pursed his lips, probably thinking that I was a lost cause. The room descended into an awkward


    silence.


    As the anaesthesia began to wear off, a burning feeling gripped my face. Iy in bed, thinking


    miserably about how my face would look after the injury started scarring.


    Because of my incident, Zachary and Cameron rushed over to the hospital immediately. The moment


    she saw me, tears fell from Cameron¡¯s eyes like a string of broken pearls.


    I wasn¡¯t in a talking mood, so both of them chose to remain silent as well. Knowing that Ashton had


    caused my injury indirectly, their faces were clouded over with rage.


    However, after they found out that Ashton had taken the ssh of sulfuric acid for me, their


    expressions lightened up a little.


    That, however, didn¡¯t change the fact that I had been injured anyway. They wanted an exnation for


    this.


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    Louis was a very powerful man. If he employed his usual methods of chasing down people, the Crest


    family would be defenceless regardless of how much influence theymanded in society. After all,


    they had injured someone.


    Hence, Jared had been apprehended for charges of causing intentional hurt before long. Everyone had


    expected this oue. The man was now a criminal.


    Ashton had been very badly injured by the sulfuric acid, and arge part of his skin had been corroded


    by the chemical. He had to be kept under strict observation by the hospital at all times.


    After spending a few days in the intensive care unit, his condition finally seemed to improve.


    When they finally transferred him to a normal ward, he was still confined to his bed. The doctors had


    already removed the bandages from my face, and my eyes had made a full recovery. However, my


    face was scarred for life.


    The scar was on the left side of my face, right next to my eye. It was a rather small wound that was no


    larger than the size of my thumb, but it seemed so much more obvious because it was on my face.


    Because the scar was so obvious, I had put some silicone tape on it. The nurses had rmended it


    to me, telling me that it could help improve the appearance of the scar over time.


    Since I was still alive, I couldn¡¯t let this scar cause too much disruption in my life.


    Ashton was still in aa. The doctors said he needed to rest¡ªhe had been very badly injured, so


    much so that he had damaged some nerves in his brain.


    I grabbed a stool and sat down next to him, gazing at his face. Because he had been burnt on his back,


    he was lying down on his stomach.


    Seeing his face, which was still as handsome as ever, I mused that we both made up for the defects in


    each other¡¯s appearance.


    After so many years, we could no longer tell whether we were together because of love, or because we


    owed too much to each other.


    Because we owed each other too much, we were bound to each other for life.


    Ashton finally woke up at night. The doctor changed his bandages and warned, ¡°You¡¯ll be in a great


    deal of pain when the anaesthesia wears off.¡± He turned to me and continued, ¡°The patient will be


    bedridden for now. Make sure to change his urine catheter and wipe him down every couple of hours


    so he doesn¡¯t feel too ufortable.¡±


    I nodded¡ª I already knew what I had to do. This was probably the first time I had been entrusted with


    taking care of Ashton.


    He had always been very healthy in the past. I couldn¡¯t recall a time when he was gravely ill.


    What a sad life he led. He had lived peacefully for the first half of his life, and now he was in for the trial


    of his life.

 Chapter 593

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 593


    The doctor left, and the nurse finished changing the bandages on his back. A tube had been inserted


    into the back of his hand, and the nurse took great care to adjust it. She looked at me and said, ¡°His


    bandages have to be changed every three hours. Make sure to give us a shout when the timees.¡±


    I nodded and thanked her in a low voice.


    A short while after the nurse left, Ashton woke up from hisa. As hey on his bed, his lips moved a


    little, his voice sounding too hoarse to be heard.


    I got up and poured some water, dunking a straw into the beverage so he could suck the drink up.


    However, Ashton shook his head, telling me to forget about the straw.


    I obeyed. He took a sip from the cup and looked a little better. His lips white as snow, he muttered,


    ¡°Thank goodness you¡¯re fine.¡±


    How strange. His first words after he woke up made me shed tears again.


    I fought back my tears as I looked at him and said, ¡°You¡¯re a jerk, Ashton Fuller.¡±


    He grinned back at me. Although he looked very gaunt, his face was still very handsome. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,


    it¡¯s just a small injury. I¡¯ll get better with some rest.¡±


    I red at him, the lump in my throat growing more painful. ¡°A small injury?¡± He had nearly lost his life,


    and still had the audacity to say something so ridiculous! Was he tired of living?


    Ashton¡¯s lips curved slightly. ¡°I¡¯m thirsty.¡± I wanted to be a cruel wife and make him die of thirst, but one


    look from him and my heart softened.


    As I fed him sips of water, my heart hurt uncontrobly. Unable to hold back my tears anymore, I could


    only watch as theynded on my hands.


    When he saw this, Ashton sighed and said with a smile, ¡°Why are you always crying? Girls shouldn¡¯t


    cry so much, you know. It makes you look even uglier.¡±


    I red at him. Sounding even hoarser now, I snapped, ¡°I¡¯m disfigured, anyway. How much uglier could


    I get? Ashton, I don¡¯t need you to sacrifice yourself for me. I don¡¯t feel thankful for what you did at all.¡±


    He continued to grin at me. ¡°I don¡¯t want your thanks, you foolish girl. Jared¡¯s target was me, and you


    were innocent. Come to think of it, I was the one who implicated you. I¡¯m to me for my own injuries


    ¡ªyou don¡¯t have to feel bad at all.¡±


    I bowed my head and said in a low voice, ¡°That¡¯s what I think, too.¡±


    Heughed darkly and took my hand. I wanted to pull away from him, but the moment I exerted some


    force, he let out a growl of pain. Evidently, I had identally touched his injury.


    Oh, whatever¡ªhe could hold my hand if he wanted.


    Perhaps it was because of the anaesthesia, but I could feel how cold his hands were. This was the first


    time I knew his hands could be this cold.


    He said, ¡°Scarlett, I¡¯m sorry for letting you down. I never did be that hero in your heart. Somehow,


    I was never able to protect you every time something happened to you, and I failed again this time. I


    thought I blocked every drop of that sulfuric acid, but you got injured anyway.¡±


    He lifted his hand, as though to touch the scar on my face. However, he grimaced in pain again as his


    wound stung, and he quickly wrenched his hand away.


    I felt a lump in my throat again as my heart throbbed with pain. I shook my head, looking at him with


    tears in my eyes. ¡°Ashton, I never wanted a hero to begin with.¡±


    He grinned and pressed my hand against his lips. His lips were icy cold, and I knew the effects of the


    anaesthesia were beginning to wear off. He was in for a great deal of suffering.


    Ashton spoke again. ¡°Four years ago, I identally harmed you and the child. Four yearster, I


    identally harmed you again. I¡¯m very sorry, and I know you probably hold a grudge against me for


    that. Actually, I¡¯d prefer that. When you found out that something had happened to Summer, you left


    without telling me and went to beg Emery and the Stovall family for help. You didn¡¯t consider turning to


    me during your hour of need, but I can hardly me you for that. It¡¯s my fault for letting you down again


    and again and making you lose your trust in me. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    I opened my mouth to protest his ims, but I realized that what he said was true.


    I didn¡¯t know what else to say. After a short pause, I said shortly, ¡°Ashton, stop talking!¡±


    He smiled weakly. ¡°But who cares? I¡¯m willing to wait for you toe to me one day. Until that day, I¡¯ll


    put in my best effort to ensure that I¡¯ll be a priority to you.¡±


    I used to think I had spent most of my life catering to Ashton¡¯s whims. Now that I thought more deeply


    about it, however, that waspletely untrue.


    Truthfully, I had been catering to my own whims all along. I refused to open up my heart to him and


    forget ourplicated history¡ªinstead, I got used to burying bitter grudges deep within me and


    plodding right on.


    I was unwilling to open myself up to new people or let go of the lovers I once had in my life.


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    Hence, our rtionship had been a very difficult one indeed.


    The anaesthesia seemed to have worn offpletely. Ashton was in so much pain that his forehead


    was practically dripping with sweat. However, there was nothing I could do to alleviate his pain. I wiped


    his sweat off using a towel, and he smiled bravely up at me, as though I was the one hurting instead of


    him.


    When he saw me squat down next to his bed, he asked, ¡°Scarlett, what are you doing?¡±


    I knew he was trying to talk to me so he could take my attention away from the perturbing task at hand.


    I unhooked the urine catheter. After a short pause, I replied, ¡°Changing your urine catheter!¡±


    There was silence on his end, as though my deration had embarrassed him into submission.


    Ashton was a well-respected man, and he probably didn¡¯t want anybody to see him at his weakest. I


    understood how he felt.


    I changed his urine catheter without a word. He shut his eyes and leaned back into his bed as though


    he had fallen asleep.


    However, the sweat beading his brows told me that he was still awake. Gingerly, I dabbed away the


    moisture on his forehead with a towel again.


    He grabbed hold of my hand immediately. As we gazed into each other¡¯s eyes, I notice the despairing


    look that haunted his face.


    It was best to remain silent at this point in time.


    Neither of us said anything. After wiping his sweat away, I leaned closer to him and nted a light kiss


    on his lips.

 Chapter 594

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 594


    ¡°Ashton, I¡¯m your wife. Don¡¯t go thinking that you¡¯re making life hard for me, because you¡¯re not. We¡¯ll


    both grow sick and die when we¡¯re older¡ªthat¡¯s just life, and I¡¯m just doing what I promised when I


    married you.¡±


    He gazed at me, his eyes swirling with emotion. After a long while, he finally let go of me.


    The doctors said that Ashton could have some liquid food if he wanted. Cameron brought some soup


    over, and I fed it to him slowly, carefully blowing on every spoonful to make sure it wasn¡¯t scalding hot.


    He didn¡¯t seem very hungry, but every time I brought the spoon to his mouth, he shot me a look and


    opened his mouth anyway.


    Eventually, I managed to get him to finish half the bowl. Cameron sat quietly in a corner, watching us.


    After I finished feeding the soup to Ashton, Cameron passed me another bowl of soup, her eyes


    swimming with bright tears.


    She said, ¡°You should have some yourself, too. Don¡¯t go starving yourself just because you have to


    take care of Ashton.¡±


    I looked up at her, seeing the look of sadness and heartache in her eyes. Almost subconsciously, I


    stretched out my hand for the bowl, before realizing that I still had Ashton¡¯s unfinished bowl in the other


    hand.


    The effects of the medication began to sink in just after the meal. Ashton finally gave in and fell asleep.


    Cameron continued to gaze at me as I forced down a few spoons of the soup. When I put down the


    bowl, unwilling to eat anymore, she looked sorrowfully at me. ¡°You need to eat more than that if you


    want to have enough energy to take care of Ashton.¡±


    She was right, I supposed. I forced down another few spoons of the soup until I was sure I couldn¡¯t eat


    anymore.


    Cameron took the bowls and stood up to leave. She turned to me, still looking rather worried. ¡°Take


    good care of yourself, alright?¡±


    I looked sharply at her, feeling a little choked up. Before I could stop myself, I blurted out, ¡°What was


    going through your mind back when you abandoned me all those years ago?¡±


    I asked this question very abruptly. All these years, I had put up a brave front in front of others,


    asserting that not knowing my birth parents didn¡¯t make me worse off than other people. I had no need


    for them, anyway.


    However, whenever I saw other people clinging on to their parents and acting cute, envy coursed


    through my veins. Afraid that they might notice, I never dared to let my gaze linger for more than a few


    seconds.


    Cameron burst into tears immediately, her body shaking with sobs. Evidently, my question saddened


    her horribly.


    Before she could reply, I continued, ¡°When I was in the third grade, I wrote aposition that won a


    prize. The title of theposition was ¡®My Mother¡¯. Grandma was very pleased and asked me to show


    her my writing, but I refused to do so. I even refused to show it to Macy, who went to school with me


    back then. I intended to burn that piece of writing as soon as I could, but I couldn¡¯t bear to do it in the


    end.¡±


    As Cameron wiped the tears off her face quietly, I sighed. ¡°Actually, you turned out to bepletely


    different from the mother I imagined you to be. When I was a child, I kept wondering how my mother


    looked like, because I had never seen her before. I thought she would be like Macy¡¯s mother. Macy¡¯s


    mother liked nagging at her¡ªshe used to stand by Macy¡¯s bed and yell at her to wake up, sometimes


    until Macy got so annoyed that she yelled right back. I also thought my mother would be like my


    neighbor Wendy¡¯s mother¡ªshe liked buying Wendy pretty dresses and essories. I thought long and


    hard about how you would be like, but when you finally turned up, you were nothing like what I


    expected. You never gave me the warmth andfort I craved¡ªinstead, you only brought me


    suffering and pain.¡±


    Cameron cried even harder. She was so upset that she could hardly draw breath.


    She sobbed, ¡°Scarlett, I¡¯m sorry. I was wrong, alright? Give me another chance. This time, I¡¯ll do my


    best to be the mother you have always wanted.¡±


    I felt my heart clench painfully. I had longed for my mother day and night as a child. When I finally grew


    up, however, I realized that some people were better kept in distant, perfect memories.


    I passed her a wad of tissues so she could wipe her tears. ¡°I will never forget the sadness I felt when


    you abandoned me, but I can understand the love you feel towards your own child. Grandma always


    said that we must have a bit of sunshine in our hearts no matter how dark the road ahead is. However,


    I couldn¡¯t keep up that optimism all the time. Honestly, neither of you is to me¡ªthe only thing you


    ever did wrong was to give birth to me. I used to hate the both of you, but I don¡¯t anymore.¡±


    The world was full of imperfections. Cameron and Zachary weren¡¯t wicked people, but neither were


    they good ones either. As parents, they had done me a great deal of wrong, but they had also done


    some right by me, too.


    I was a pretty lucky person, I supposed. Ashton had finally opened up his heart to me, and my parents


    weren¡¯t the heartless monsters I had made them out to be. I was very fortunate indeed.


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    Isabelle¡¯s mother, however, probably struck hatred and dislike into the hearts of everyone unfortunate


    enough to meet her.


    As for Rachel, her life wasn¡¯t a bed of roses either. Like me, she had been abandoned at birth, and now


    that she was finally striking it out on her own, her parents had returned to pester her.


    Life was never perfect. At some point in their lives, everyone would find themselves at their lowest


    point, and it was up to them whether or not to put their best foot forward and continue plodding on.


    Cameron continued, ¡°Scarlett, I know how much you¡¯ve suffered all these years. From now on, we¡¯ll be


    right beside you. As long as you¡¯re willing to ept us into your life again, we¡¯ll always be there for


    you.¡±


    I pressed my lips into a thin smile. ¡°Your soup tasted wonderful. Thank you.¡±


    She froze for a second before the tears rolled down her cheeks even more fiercely than before.


    I sighed silently to myself. This conversation had been a long timeing. I didn¡¯t want to be a


    bitter man like Jared.


    Opening up to others didn¡¯t mean showing only the best parts of yourself to them. It meant believing in


    a shared future despite all the hurt you had caused each other.


    When Cameron left, it was already past midnight. I didn¡¯t feel very sleepy. Since I had to take care of


    Ashton through the night, I decided that I might as well remain in the same room.

 Chapter 595

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 595


    I dozed off anyway. Suddenly, I felt Ashton stir next to me. When I opened my eyes, I saw him


    struggling to make his way off the bed.


    I sprung out of my bed immediately and ran over to help him, as though in a trance.


    He was sweating profusely again, probably because of the injury on his back. Seeing that I was up, he


    looked at me apologetically and said, ¡°Did I wake you?¡±


    I shook my head, feeling a little sorry for him. As I grabbed hold of his arm, I asked in concern, ¡°Are you


    alright? The doctor said you aren¡¯t allowed to get off the bed yet.¡±


    He pursed his lips, his fingers tightening around the handrails of his bed. ¡°I¡¯m going to the toilet.¡±


    I froze for a moment before replying, ¡°There¡¯s a bedpan!¡±


    ¡°Help me to the bathroom!¡± he ordered as though he hadn¡¯t heard me. His voice was low and full of


    authority, and for a moment I thought he was back to the cold, distant Ashton again.


    He had his pride, I supposed. Knowing that I wouldn¡¯t win in an argument, I gave in and helped him off


    the bed.


    He was 180cm tall and looked almost absurd next to me. For some reason, I had a distinct feeling that


    he was consciously not putting any of his weight on me.


    We entered the toilet. Since his arm was still attached to the IV drip, I bent down without a second


    thought to help him unbuckle his belt.


    However, he grabbed hold of my hand almost immediately. Looking a little helpless, he said, ¡°Alright, I


    can do this myself. Go outside and wait for me.¡±


    I felt rather anxious. ¡°How are you going to sit down on the toilet bowl?¡± The injury was on his back and


    didn¡¯t affect his walking but sitting down would cause his wound to start bleeding again.


    He smiled weakly at me and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Be a good girl and wait for me outside.¡±


    I looked at him, feeling more worried than ever. Pushing his IV drip aside, I said, ¡°I¡¯ll just help you


    unbuckle your belt. I won¡¯t look at you, I promise! I¡¯ll help you sit down on the toilet bowl.¡±


    ¡°Just listen to me and wait for me outside!¡± he said, still smiling. A hint of desperation had crept into his


    voice. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me. I¡¯m not a child, you know. I know what I¡¯m capable of. I¡¯ll call


    you if anything happens.¡±


    He gazed into my eyes, trying to reassure me with an earnest look on his face. I couldn¡¯t help but


    wonder how there could be such a stubborn person on this!


    Sighing slightly, I went out of the toilet. I heard the door slide shut behind me.


    I pursed my lips in annoyance. Ashton was always so set in his ways.


    Because I was so worried about him, I sat outside and waited for a while more. After a long time, I


    started panicking a little. Turning towards the toilet door, I called loudly, ¡°Ashton, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± he replied, sounding cool and unbothered.


    Around ten minutester, I heard the toilet flush. I got up and was about to go in to help him.


    Nheless, once I pushed the door open, he was already standing at the door.


    Seeing that he was fine, I let out a sigh of relief and helped him back to the bed.


    His bandages had to be changed every three hours. The nurse came in shortly afterward with fresh


    bandages in her hands. This time, she didn¡¯t try and hide the wound¡ªinstead, she peeled off the


    bandages and exposed his wound to the cold air.


    Seeing the blistering skin on his back, my heart skipped a beat. An involuntary chill ran down my spine.


    ¡°We¡¯ve gotten rid of most of the rotting flesh, and his skin will repair itself eventually. He will need to


    remain in the hospital for a while more so we can observe his condition. As far as possible, make sure


    he doesn¡¯t make any big movements that might aggravate his condition. That could slow down the rate


    of his recovery.¡± After exining this to us, the doctor removed thest bits of rotting flesh from


    Ashton¡¯s back. He then packed his surgical knife away and let the nurse bandage up the wound.


    Seeing the horrible wound on Ashton¡¯s back, I shuddered in horror, hardly daring to breathe at all.


    The nurse reattached the IV drip to his arm after bandaging his wound. Because of the medication, he


    fell asleep almost immediately again.


    I sat by his bed, unable to fall asleep. His back was going to be scarred for the rest of his life.


    After he found Summer, Ashton didn¡¯t let her apany him to the hospital. Instead, he told her to


    return to K City with John.


    Initially, the n was to take Ashton to a hospital in K City, too. However, after considering the rough


    journey and the state of his injuries, he decided to stay here and recuperate before returning home.


    Zachary and Cameron dropped by practically every day to visit us. Although our interactions were


    rather awkward, they could be considered cordial.


    Cameron set down a bowl of porridge on the table. Seeing how exhausted I looked, she asked


    hesitantly, ¡°Why don¡¯t you return to the hotel and have a good rest? Come back when you get your


    energy back. Your father and I c-can watch over him tonight.¡±


    She sounded very cautious when she said this. I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s alright. There¡¯s a bed for me


    here, anyway. I can sleep here if I need to. The both of you still have other business to attend to in K


    City, so you should probably leave earlier and settle them.¡±


    Cameron shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m getting on in age, so I¡¯ve already assigned most of my work


    to Nick. No hurry.¡±


    I didn¡¯t try to argue with her again. After all, it was true that I hadn¡¯t slept wellst night. In fact, I was


    practically sleep-walking now.


    Besides, I was in a fooda after lunch. Ashton nodded off slowly, while Zachary and Cameron sat


    quietly in a corner and watched over us.


    It was way too quiet in the room. Slowly but surely, I drifted off to sleep.


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    Because I hadn¡¯t gotten much sleep the night before, I slept very soundly now. Halfway through my


    nap, I sensed a nurse walking into the room to change Ashton¡¯s bandages. I tried to open my eyes, but


    my eyelids were simply too heavy¡ªI promptly fell asleep again.


    I slept all the way till noon. When I woke up, Ashton was reading a book. Zachary had disappeared


    from the room, while Cameron was slumped over a table, sound asleep.


    Seeing that I was awake, Ashton set down his book and stuffed some tissue into my hands.


    I gaped at him, unable to understand what his gesture meant. He finally smiled and said warmly, ¡°Wipe


    your saliva off your face!¡±


    My face flushed with embarrassment.


    I wrenched the tissues from him and hastily wiped my chin. Pursing my lips, I sat up straight and asked,


    ¡°Is it noon already?¡±

 Chapter 596

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 596


    Ashton nodded. ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    I suddenly felt as though he was the one taking care of me instead of the other way round.


    I parroted his question back to him. ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    Cameron stirred in her sleep and woke up. She stared at Ashton and I for a few seconds before looking


    at the time on her phone.


    Seeing that it was already past noon, she got up and poured me a ss of water. ¡°Here, drink


    something. Your father went home to make lunch. He should be back any minute.¡±


    I froze for a moment before taking the ss of water from her. I turned to Ashton and asked, ¡°How are


    you feeling? Do you feel any better?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt as much anymore.¡±


    Cameron got up and headed to the toilet. When she came back out, she wiped her hands on a paper


    towel and asked, ¡°What do the both of you fancy for lunch?¡±


    Ashton shook his head, expressing his indifference. He turned to me and asked, ¡°Do you have anything


    you want to eat?¡±


    I thought for a while before shrugging. ¡°Anything¡¯s fine!¡±


    Off the top of my head, I couldn¡¯t think of anything I really wanted to eat.


    Cameron picked up her bag and left the room. My phone, which I had neglected sinceing into the


    hospital, rang loudly all of a sudden. Emery was calling me.


    She sounded rather sharp over the phone. ¡°How are you doing? Are you feeling alright? Which hospital


    did they send you to?¡±


    Faced with her barrage of questions, I felt rather confused. After a short pause, I replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m


    at a hospital in W City right now. I¡¯ll only make my way back to K City in a few days.¡±


    Emery snorted loudly before saying, ¡°I know you¡¯re in W City. I was asking which hospital you¡¯re in.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in Medwin Hospital. Is there something wrong?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll being to look for you in a short while. Have you eaten yet?¡±


    I felt rather stunned. Shooting a nce out of the window, I stammered, ¡°When did you arrive in W


    City?¡±


    ¡°I just got off the ne, as a matter of fact. Let¡¯s talk moreter. Send me the hospital address via text,


    won¡¯t you? I¡¯ll be there very soon.¡± She hung up the phone immediately.


    Ashton looked at me and smiled. ¡°Was that Emery?¡±


    I nodded and put my phone away. ¡°She¡¯s heavily pregnant now. I don¡¯t think we should let her run


    around the city in her condition¡ªit won¡¯t be safe for her.¡±


    Agreeing with me, he nodded. ¡°Go and pick her up, then. Be careful.¡±


    I nodded and called the nurse over to change his bandages. With that, I turned and left the hospital.


    Emery insisted that she would be taking a cab to the hospital and told me not to go and pick her up.


    However, I still felt a little worried for her. I called a cab for her and personally told the driver where to


    drop her off, before making arrangements for a room at our hotel.


    Thankfully, the hospital wasn¡¯t far from the airport. Emery arrived half an hourter and stowed her


    luggage away at the hotel first.


    Although she was wearing maternity clothes that were loose and drab, it was quite obvious that her


    stomach had swollen rmingly.


    As she put her clothes away in the drawers, she turned to me and asked, ¡°It¡¯s going to be new year¡¯s


    eve soon, and it has started to snow heavily in K City. Are the both of you going to celebrate the new


    year in W City?¡±


    I sighed gently. ¡°We haven¡¯t actually decided yet. Ashton is heavily injured, so he might have to stay


    here and recuperate for some time.¡±


    Emery finished putting her clothes away and shot me a side nce, looking rather solemn. ¡°The Crest


    family has been throwing their weight around for years. It¡¯s time somebody put them in their ce.¡±


    ¡°The Crest family didn¡¯t hire a man to do it¡ªit was Jared Crest himself. He never really got over the


    incident with the Fullers¡¯ youngest daughter, and Macy leaving him proved to be thest straw for him.


    He was very mentally unstable.¡±


    Emery sat down on the sofa and sighed heavily. ¡°Gosh, that guy is a mess. What else does he have to


    live for? Most grudges are best left in the past or resolved¡ªotherwise, you start going crazy and


    harming everyone around you.¡±


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    I bowed my head and mulled over her words. Life was full of twists and turns. How could Emery be so


    sure in her judgment that Jared¡¯s actions were wrong?


    Seeing me remain silent, she asked, ¡°What did the Crest family say about this matter?¡±


    I shook my head despondently. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, actually. Ashton seems to have no intention of


    investigating the situation further. Instead, he passed on the case to the police¡ªJared will probably be


    rotting in prison for the next few years.¡±


    Emery frowned and said rather sadly, ¡°If I remember correctly, he should be about thirty-five or six now.


    He¡¯ll be in his forties by the time he¡¯s released from prison. Since he¡¯s a member of the Crest family,


    there will be a great deal of talk about him.¡±


    I pressed my lips together tightly, unsure of how to reply.


    We chatted for a while longer. Since it was ratherte at night, I thought Emery might want to rest in her


    hotel room first. However, she insisted on following me back to the hospital to take a look at Ashton.


    Truthfully, I wasn¡¯t so sure about leaving her alone in the hotel. I agreed to her request immediately.


    We arrived in the hospital, where Zachary and Cameron had alreadyid out dinner for us. It was still


    the same old soup, but they had made other dishes as well.


    Seeing Emery and me, Zachary turned to Emery and scolded, ¡°Why are you running around the city


    when you¡¯re so heavily pregnant? Are you trying to make all of us worried about you?¡±


    In a rather mischievous tone, Emery replied, ¡°I¡¯m only a few months into my pregnancy! I can still walk


    around outside if I feel like it, you know. When my stomach gets too big, I¡¯ll make sure to sit quietly at


    home and mind my own business.¡±


    Zachary shot her a look and didn¡¯t say anything else.


    Cameronid out the tes and looked at me. ¡°Come and sit down. Let¡¯s have dinner first¡ªwe can talk


    about other matterster.¡±


    Zachary pursed his lips. He turned to Emery again¡ªinstead of yelling at her, he told her to finish her


    food and return to the hotel immediately.


    A few momentster, Hunter arrived, iming that he was too worried to let her run wild around the city


    by herself.


    The two of them seemed to be fighting. Like a couple who was having a lover¡¯s quarrel, they made


    snide remarks to each other throughout dinner and left quickly.


    Cameron and Zachary refused to let me watch over Ashton by myself anymore and insisted on staying


    behind with me.


    Left with no other choice, I agreed reluctantly. They could do whatever they pleased.


    Thankfully, the hospital room wasrge enough, and there were even a few sofas in addition to the


    bed. However, with so many people around, I didn¡¯t feel asfortable as I would be at home.

 Chapter 597

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 597


    Since Zachary and Cameron were around, flipping Ashton around and bringing him to the toilet in the


    middle of the night proved much easier. If I happened to be asleep, one of them would rouse


    themselves and help him to the toilet silently.


    I only found out about this when I woke up. I slept through the night, and when I woke up the next


    morning, Zachary and Cameron had already returned to the hotel.


    I had slept very well that night, and it showed on my face. After the doctor cleaned off the rotting flesh,


    the skin on Ashton¡¯s back had nearly healedpletely.


    Emery dropped by early in the morning again, but Hunter felt too worried to let here by herself.


    Besides, it was nearly new year¡¯s eve, and he didn¡¯t want to deal with the airport crowd that always


    swelled during this time of the year.


    After cajoling her for a while, we all managed to get Emery to return to K City with Hunter.


    For the next few days, Zachary and Cameron remained in W City. With them around, I was relieved of


    much of my caregiving duties and felt much more rxed.


    It was only a few dayster that we heard about Old Mr. Crest¡¯s death. Apparently, an investigation into


    the Crest family¡¯s business activities in W City revealed all sorts of business malpractices they had


    been involved in. As a result, their factories had been forced to halt production.


    The Crest family¡¯s business dealt with the production and distribution of daily items. Although it wasn¡¯t


    a high-end sort of enterprise, their products faced huge demand because everyone needed those


    products. The Crest family had established a monopoly in the industry in the past ten years, and almost


    all the daily items lining the shelves of supermarkets were produced in their factories.


    Hence, the Crest family enjoyed a never-ending stream of demand for their goods. This was where


    most of their immense wealth came from.


    However, because daily items proved so vital in people¡¯s lives, every small problem in the products


    attracted the attention of the Bureau of Industry and Commerce immediately. Once that happened, the


    entire supply chain copsed in a domino effect, causing a barrage of problems to descend upon the


    company.


    In addition, the Quest family from W City had been looking to break into supply production for the


    military. The moment the Crest family¡¯s business ran into problems, the Quest family swooped in like


    vultures and finished up what was left of the Crest family.


    Because of this, Old Mr. Crest had died of rage.


    Their son had just been sentenced to prison, and now their patriarch was dead. In a span of a few


    days, the Crest family was thrown into utter chaos.


    ¡°The Crest family has maintained its hold over W City for too long. It¡¯s time to change masters,¡±


    Cameron mused. She walked over to me and handed me a ss of water.


    I kept my phone away and sighed. I had to admit that Cameron had a pretty good eye for these things.


    She walked over to me and asked with trepidation, ¡°What ns do you and Ashton have for the


    future?¡±


    I felt a little startled. Honestly, I was rather confused as well¡ªweren¡¯t Ashton and I doing very well right


    now?


    Seeing the look of confusion in my eyes, she continued, ¡°Both of you are in your thirties, and you are


    no longer young. As much as you love Summer, she isn¡¯t your biological daughter. Haven¡¯t you


    considered having one of your own?¡±


    I was zoning out a little. She had said something to this effect to me before.


    She ignored my silence and plodded on. ¡°I know you younger people have your own ideas, but


    everyone wants to live out their golden years in peace no matter how much they¡¯ve struggled in the first


    part of their life. The older you get, the more you enjoy thepany of others, and the more you want


    to be surrounded by children and grandchildren. Scarlett, Summer was raised by you, and there¡¯s


    nothing wrong withvishing your love on her. However, a woman needs to have a child of her own.


    This isn¡¯t some silly old-fashioned idea I¡¯m spouting¡ªit¡¯s just a life experience you should have.¡±


    I mulled over her words and felt that she was right. ¡°We can talk about this again when Ashton recovers


    from his injury.¡±


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    Cameron smiled, looking more cheerful. ¡°Good! In the future, your father and I can look after the child


    for the both of you.¡±


    My fingers tightened around the ss as I felt a rush of warmth in my heart. Honestly, this felt rather


    nice.


    In the future, Ashton and I would raise Summer and our child together and lead out the rest of our lives


    peacefully. Lady Luck was finally starting to shine on me.


    A cold gust of air blew down the corridor and into the room. Cameron got up and said, ¡°You can return


    to the hospital room first. I¡¯m going to ask the doctor if they can discharge Ashton earlier or transfer him


    to a hospital in K City. Since it¡¯s the festive season soon, let¡¯s try and get the whole family back in K


    City so we can celebrate it together.¡±


    I nodded and watched as she left for the doctor¡¯s office. I returned to the room, only to find Zachary and


    Ashton locked in a heated argument.


    I wasn¡¯t nning to eavesdrop, but the door was ajar, and I could hear Ashton¡¯s voice clearly from


    outside the door. He sounded very serious. ¡°There¡¯s no real need for you to kill off the entire Crest


    family, you know.¡±


    Evidently, this was directed at Zachary.


    Zachary¡¯s voice was thick but indifferent. ¡°You might have ties to the Crest family, but what¡¯s that to


    me? All I know is that they¡¯ve caused much suffering to my daughter.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s unlikely that the Crest family will return to their previous glory after this.¡± Ashton was probably


    speaking up on Jared¡¯s behalf.


    Zacharyughed coldly. ¡°I don¡¯t care about what happened between you and the Crest family. Back


    when you joined forces with Jared to take down the Moore family, the war had already begun.¡±


    I felt a little stunned. Had Ashton really tried to do something to the Moore family?


    Ashton spoke again. ¡°That¡¯s all in the past. If you¡¯re going to bring that up again, I have nothing more to


    say to you.¡±


    Zachary sounded cold and cruel in his reply. ¡°When you swapped Scarlett¡¯s DNA back then, you were


    already nning on taking down the Moore family, weren¡¯t you? You got Jared to strike up a fake


    alliance with my wife, pretending that they would work together to defeat you. However, Jared betrayed


    my wife and stole the Moore family¡¯s information from her. You were so against Scarlett bing a


    member of the Moore family then because you didn¡¯t want to implicate her when you took down our


    family, right? If that happened, the two of you could never be together.¡±

 Chapter 598

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 598


    I froze on the spot and the memory of the messages Stacey showed me surface in my mind. Jared and


    Cameron had indeed been up to something privately for quite a long time previously.


    However, during that time, the messages Stacey showed me were about Jared and Cameron teaming


    up to vent their anger for what happened to Naomi.


    I couldn¡¯t help but take a step back as I stared at the men in the ward. They were both people from the


    business circle. There was no way I could guess any of their schemes.


    Ashton could finally sit up by now and he said indifferently, ¡°The Moore family might be formidable in K


    City but it¡¯s not enough to have the same influence in J City. Saying that I have no moves at all is just


    ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Zachary scoffed. ¡°Even though the Moore family have been in the mafia for so many years,


    we¡¯ve always been just and righteous. The reason we want to get a hold of J City is just to find my


    daughter. We don¡¯t mean to cause any trouble to you.¡±


    ¡°But Naomi¡¯s dead and that¡¯s the truth!¡± the former said, a hint of anger in his voice.


    Zachary furrowed his brows. ¡°That was an ident.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯re only settling the score for this ident today,¡± Ashton replied coldly.


    ¡°The matters between you young people are now hurting other insignificant people for no reason. Yet


    you still think you¡¯re right. Ashton, if you want to continue living a great life with Scarlett, we better call it


    even and stop talking about things that happened in the past. Otherwise, both of us will be having a


    hard time.¡±


    I pursed my lips and decided not to continue listening to their conversation. I went back into the hallway


    and sat down with a cup of water in my hands.


    It seemed like Ashton¡¯s purpose of switching the DNA reports four years ago wasn¡¯t as simple as I


    once thought.


    Jared was close to Cameron, but he left even though they hadn¡¯t done anything. I had never analysed


    the situation carefully previously.


    And there was Naomi¡¯s death. I never imagined that I would get involved in this matter.


    Cameron saw that I was still sitting in the hallway, daydreaming when she was back and she couldn¡¯t


    help but say, ¡°What are you still doing here? It¡¯s too chilly here. Get back into the ward.¡±


    With that, she grabbed my hand and pulled me into the ward.


    Meanwhile, Ashton and Zachary were already done with their conversation. At the sight of us, thetter


    instantly got up and pulled Cameron into his arms. ¡°Where did you go?¡±


    ¡°I went to ask the hospital staff if we could transfer Ashton to a hospital outside of K City. That way, we


    can celebrate the festive season as a family this year,¡± she replied joyfully.


    She then said to Ashton, ¡°You should be able to walk around now, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he nodded.


    Cameron smiled and added, ¡°The doctor said that if you can get off of the bed and move around


    without opening up the wound, you¡¯ll be allowed to transfer to another hospital. New year¡¯s eve is just


    around the corner. We¡¯re not even that familiar with W City or the people here so it isn¡¯t really


    convenient for us to celebrate here. How about I get you discharged from the hospital in a few days,


    and we¡¯ll return to K City?¡±


    She was obviously asking for Ashton¡¯s opinion.


    The man nodded and there weren¡¯t any changes in his expression when he said, ¡°Sure.¡±


    Cameron was extremely happy and told Zachary that she wanted to explore W City. After all, it was a


    bustling city with lots of foreign luxury goods avable.


    Thetter had no opposition to that, and they left together afterward.


    Ashton and I were the only ones left but I wasn¡¯t talking much since I had a lot on my mind.


    All I did was asked about his injury before spacing out on the couch.


    He stared at me for a moment before saying in a low voice, ¡°Come here, Scarlett.¡±


    I looked up at him and saw that he was patting the spot next to him as he said with a faint smile, ¡°Come


    sit.¡±


    I got up and sat beside him as I returned a smile. I wanted to lie in his embrace but was afraid that it


    would hurt him, so I decided to just lean my head on his shoulder. I didn¡¯t put any force on it as all I


    wanted was to just be near him.


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    He then raised his hand and pushed my head onto his shoulder before saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry and just


    lean on me. It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡±


    I gave him a slight smile and felt my eyes burn. Forget it. I won¡¯t ask him anything for now. We still have


    the rest of our lives ahead of us. There¡¯s no point in bringing up irrelevant and insignificant matters.


    The rain had be a normal thing in W City. It hadn¡¯t stopped since the moment we arrived.


    Since he was going to be discharged soon, Ashton decided that he would visit Jared at the prison.


    I didn¡¯t want to go at first. After all, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to react with virtue instead of retaliation. But I


    could only agree to it since he wanted to go.


    Jared¡¯s Judgement of Criminal Responsibility was personally handled by Louis. No matter how capable


    the Crest family was, there was nothing they could do about it.


    Sometimes, money was just too worthless whenpared to power.


    That was why Jared had been convicted of intentional assault and was sentenced to seven years in


    prison in the suburbs outside W City.


    Both Cameron and Zachary didn¡¯t want to see him, so they had chosen to ask a driver to bring us over


    instead.


    The car stopped in front of the prison entrance. I looked up at the iron gate before me and it was so tall


    that just the gate alone was enough to daunt people.

 Chapter 599

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 599


    ¡°Summer will be twelve in seven years. These seven years will pass in the blink of an eye!¡± I said. I


    couldn¡¯t help but feel mixed emotions about it.


    Ashton smiled and reached out to take my hand. He patted the back of my hand and replied, ¡°People


    have to pay for their mistakes.¡±


    The driver then parked the car beside the road. The ce was quite dested so there were hardly


    any cars that passed by the ce. We didn¡¯t have to worry that there would be ack of parking space


    too.


    Ashton could basically walk on his own now and as long as there weren¡¯t anyrge movements, there


    wouldn¡¯t be any issues.


    There was a rather small door at the side of the prison which was only allowed for the family members


    of the prisoners.


    Since we had informed the people working there before we arrived, an officer was waiting for us by the


    door. At the sight of us, he stepped aside and greeted, ¡°Mr. Fuller, Mrs. Fuller.¡±


    Ashton nodded at him and held my hand as we followed the officer.


    We immediately saw a rather miserable-looking path after we went through the door. A training field


    simr to a military training field was on both sides of the path, followed by a building where a police


    officer who guarded the prisoners was stationed there.


    Before we even got to the visiting hall, the officer leading us seemed to know about Ashton¡¯s injury as


    he started to slow down his pace.


    After half an hour, we finally got to see Jared. He sat at the opposite of the thick ss partition. Both of


    his hands were cuffed, and he had a haggard look on his face.


    However, his gaze was sharp and fierce as ever. He took his seat and stared at Ashton with pursed


    lips, but he didn¡¯t reach for the receiver.


    Jared leaned against the back of his chair leisurely as he continued staring disdainfully at thetter.


    Is he nning to cut ties with Ashton?


    I suddenly pitied him as I looked at him.


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    Both men were once best friends who had gone through bumps and twists in life together, but their


    friendship ended up like this.


    I couldn¡¯t help but sigh at that.


    After a long time, Jared took the receiver and said while ring at Ashton, ¡°She¡¯s really lucky.¡±


    He was obviously talking about me.


    I scowled at his words and couldn¡¯t stop myself from clenching my fists. Pain shot up my arm since I


    identally exerted force on them.


    I quickly took in a deep breath and continued listening to their conversation.


    Ashton raised his brows and replied coldly, ¡°You know that she¡¯s innocent. She should never have gone


    through such a thing.¡±


    Jared shifted his gaze to me and furrowed his brows slightly. ¡°The scar on her face will always be there,


    and it can never go away.¡±


    I subconsciously reached up to touch the scar on my face and felt an ache in my heart.


    I was a normal human being after all. How could I not care about the scar on my face?


    Ashton didn¡¯t even care about his words. Instead, he said, ¡°Have you ever considered that you¡¯re the


    one who¡¯s actually at fault, Jared?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not possible!¡± the man suddenly shouted. His voice was heart-wrenching as he continued, ¡°I


    can¡¯t be wrong. You¡¯re the ones who are wrong! Both of you!¡±


    Instead of answering immediately, Ashton stared at him. But it was exactly this burning gaze on him


    that made his hand start to shake uncontrobly.


    Jared started to be emotional, and he smashed the receiver in his hands. The former continued to


    keep silent as he stared at the prisoner.


    A police officer walked over and immediately stopped Jared. He then gave Ashton a look that seemed


    to be asking him if he wanted to continue talking.


    He shook his head and motioned for the officer to take Jared away. After that, he stared at them as


    they left with a grim look on his face.


    About ten minutester, the person in charge of the prison walked over to us and asked him, ¡°Mr.


    Fuller, the prisoner has settled down. Is there anything you want me to do?¡±


    Ashton handed him a letter he was holding and said, ¡°Hand this over to him. Tell him that I will take


    good care of Summer.¡±


    The person in charge nodded and took the letter anxiously.


    Once we left the prison and got into the car, I nced at him in confusion. ¡°Was that a letter from you?¡±


    He shook his head and took a cigarette out. He was about to light it up, but quickly kept it when he


    noticed that I was staring at him.


    ¡°It¡¯s from Naomi,¡± he said indifferently.


    I shouldn¡¯t have asked about anything rted to Naomi but I couldn¡¯t stop myself from doing so as I


    was curious.


    ¡°Can you tell me about Naomi, Ashton?¡±


    He frowned and told the driver to drive before staring out the window.


    A long whileter, he finally looked at me and said, ¡°Grandma always had a regret since she was


    young. She never got to return to her hometown and own a courtyard where she could nt all her


    favorite flowers and nts. She didn¡¯t get to live a happy life with Grandpa with a dog and a cat.


    My Grandpa was a northerner who had served in the army for three generations. He could have stayed


    in K City and continued to rely on his ancestors¡¯ business to raise his family and descendants. But


    when Grandma¡¯s wish hadn¡¯t been fulfilled when she passed suddenly. So he brought his young


    children to J City and started a business for the sake of their future. That¡¯s why Fuller Corporation


    exists now.¡±


    I listened quietly as I rested my head on his shoulder. He seemed to have never told me about the


    history of the Fullers.


    Ashton pulled me into his arms and continued, ¡°After that, the Fuller Corporation¡¯s business improved


    but Grandpa hoped that his children would have their own careers. So, he sent Aunt Sally back to K


    City. Then, he sent Naomi and me there as well. It¡¯s all because he wanted us to have the chance to


    make a choice for ourselves.

 Chapter 600

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 600


    ¡°And it was all because I came to K City that I got to know Jared and Joe. Naomi got to know them as


    well. She became interested in Jared and I didn¡¯t expect it at all. She always had a weird personality


    since she was young but she was never a scheming person. Besides, Jared was interested in


    someone else back then, he wasn¡¯t interested in her at all. Naomi shamelessly pursued him for two


    whole years, and for some reason, Jared finally agreed to date her. Nheless, she took the initiative


    and broke up with him not too long after that. She probably found out that Jared likes someone else,


    so¡­¡±


    ¡°Why did shemit suicide then?¡± Naomi was an optimistic person. Even if her heart was broken, it


    shouldn¡¯t have been the reason she chose to end her life.¡±


    Ashton kept silent but I noticed that there was something wrong with his hand. It was the first time I saw


    him so anxious and uneasy.


    He was trembling!


    I reached out to take his hand but he managed to hold mine first. He looked up at me and I noticed that


    his eyes were getting watery. His voice choked as if he couldn¡¯t get his words out all of a sudden.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say it, Ashton. It¡¯s okay,¡± I said and didn¡¯t try to pursue the matter anymore.


    A momentter, he sucked in a deep breath and he grew noticeably calmer. ¡°I was the one who lost her


    that night. She called me so many times but I didn¡¯t pick up. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I just thought that


    it was one of her usual tantrums but I didn¡¯t expect her to go to a nightclub herself. K City ten years ago


    is so different from the K City now. Naomi was destroyed that night.¡±


    My heart skipped a beat when I recalled his conversation with Zachary at the hospital.


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    I stared at him and asked uncertainly, ¡°Did Zachary¡¯s men do it?¡±


    Ashton nodded. ¡°By the time Jared and I found her, she had already been left in the alley beside the


    nightclub. Her body was covered in blood and was filthy all over.¡±


    He looked up and locked eyes with me. His eyes were icy cold as he said, ¡°Those ten men ruined her


    face after they did such a disgusting thing to her. Naomi stayed in the hospital for a month but her


    injuries were too serious. Her reproductive system had been destroyed.¡±


    I felt goosebumps all over my skin as my body trembled. The fear I was feeling made it hard to breathe.


    So the reason Naomimitted suicide was that she had been gang-raped and her face was ruined¡­


    No wonder Jared wanted to use sulfuric acid to hurt me. He wouldn¡¯t stoop so low as to use the same


    way to hurt me, he just wanted to kill me.


    ¡°But there is no bad blood between you and those people. Why were they so ruthless?¡± Even if they


    had done it for revenge, just what kind of grudge did they hold that they had to do something this bad?


    Ashton shook his head and sighed, ¡°K City was inplete chaos back then. Many other women were


    innocent just like Naomi was. Zachary was a powerful person and he kicked out most of the shady


    characters who were under him because he wanted to clear his guilty conscience as soon as possible.


    These people wanted to taint the Moore family. And when they found out that Zachary¡¯s daughter who


    had been missing for years was about twenty years old, they specifically sought out girls around that


    age and were extremely cruel with them.¡±


    It was ridiculously unreasonable and I spat in anger, ¡°How could they do that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all because of what happened back then that Zachary is so low-key when ites to searching for


    his daughter now. He would inquire about her privately and wouldn¡¯t do anything rting to finding her


    so openly anymore.¡±


    I could somewhat understand the situation now. So Jared mes Ashton for not answering Naomi¡¯s


    calls. Otherwise, both of them could¡¯ve managed to save her in time.


    Every woman who suffered through something like this, even if they were fortunate enough to survive,


    wouldn¡¯t have had the courage to continue living anymore. Not to mention, her face was even ruined.


    And it was because of this that she chose tomit suicide. To her, ending her life meant that she


    could be free.


    However, to Ashton and Jared, it became a suffering that couldn¡¯t be ovee in a lifetime.


    Both of us kept quiet the whole way back to the hospital. Once we arrived, the doctor gave him a


    check-up and told us that there was no problem at all.


    After that, Zachary booked air tickets to K City. Cameron was extremely happy and had made lots of


    delicious food for us, probably because we were about to head back to K City soon.


    Both of them ate with us in the next few days.


    In Cameron¡¯s words, ¡°Food tastes better when people eat together.¡±


    It was probably true because I had been eating more than usual. I even felt as though I had fattened up


    a little.


    While we were eating, Cameron said, ¡°It¡¯s new year¡¯s eve the day after tomorrow. I had Mrs. Jenkins


    prepare everything and even bought all the stuff needed. I heard that those in the R Province like to eat


    egg rolls stuffed with meat and braised pork to celebrate the festive season. They¡¯re both Mrs.


    Jenkins¡¯s specialty.¡±


    Here, she stopped and looked towards Ashton. A smile was still on her face as she asked, ¡°What do


    you people in J City normally eat, Ashton?¡±


    He froze for a second. Perhaps it was because he had met Jared earlier in the day but his emotions


    weren¡¯t as stable and he was silent the whole time.


    He seemed out of it and most likely hadn¡¯t listened to a single thing Cameron had said.


    I nudged him with my elbow and he finally snapped back to his senses to look at me. He then asked


    dumbfoundedly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

 Chapter 601

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 601


    ¡°So, Mr. Fuller, what¡¯s special about the festive season in J City?¡± Cameron inquired as she smiled


    awkwardly.


    ¡°Nothing much. Just the usual.¡± He replied casually.


    Cameron was dumbfounded.


    Zachary ced some vegetables onto Cameron¡¯s te, hinting for her to focus on her meal instead.


    The room went silent as Ashton seemed to be troubled by something.


    Ashton was able to move about independently already ¨C probably because he wanted to return to K


    City. Meanwhile, Cameron and Zachary left for their amodation.


    I stayed with Ashton while he called Joseph to hand over some work to him.


    I sat there waiting for half an hour before his call ended.


    He furrowed his brows as he hung up the call.


    He took over the book in my hand, nced at me, and said, ¡°Joseph got the best ointment. It should


    get better within a few days.¡±


    As I felt his gazended on my face, I realized he was referring to the scars on my face.


    I shook my head lightly and gave a slight smile. ¡°It¡¯s okay. No big deal.¡±


    He lifted his hands while his gaze softened.


    I held his hands and informed him, ¡°The doctor will be changing the prescription in a bit, and you can


    sleep after that.¡±


    He let out a light chuckle and pulled me into his embrace. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m almost fully recovered.¡±


    How could I not worry? Even though the scar was on his back, it was too huge for me to ignore.


    As I recalled what happened that afternoon, my gaze turned onto him, and I asked, ¡°Are you still


    worried about Jared?¡±


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    He fell into a daze for a moment and shook his head lightly. ¡°No. I¡¯ve talked to the prison side, and I¡¯m


    assured that there wouldn¡¯t be any problems.¡±


    I nodded in understanding and suggested, ¡°If you are still unable to ept Cameron and Zachary, I can


    keep my distance from them.¡±


    He furrowed his brows and seemed a little surprised. ¡°Why the sudden thought?¡±


    How should I put it?


    After giving it some thought, I borated, ¡°Even though the Moore family was not directly involved in


    Naomi¡¯s incident, it still happened because of them. I understand your bitterness towards them, and I


    don¡¯t wish to make our lives more difficult, hence the suggestion.¡±


    He let out a smile and exined, ¡°Scarlett, if we were to do that, it means that we are letting it fester.


    That¡¯s not a good idea as it is going to make our lives more difficult.¡±


    I was in a daze. Just as I was about to speak again, the doctor entered the ward.


    After checking his injuries, the doctor diagnosed, ¡°The scars are healing well with no big issues. They


    may start to itch, but please do not scratch them, or the scars will open up again, affecting the healing


    process.¡±


    I nodded in understanding. Meanwhile, the nurse handed me the prescription list to prepare for his


    discharge.


    The time taken to get from W City to K City was only a four-hour flight.


    Back at the vi, many people had been waiting at the gate. Sally, who was one of them, went up to


    Ashton and inquired about his condition.


    Zachary and Cameron both looked at me. Cameron hesitated for a moment before she asked,


    ¡°Scarlett, it¡¯s going to be new year¡¯s eve soon, and it¡¯s going to be boring with just the two of you. Do


    you want us to join you? If you are worried about the traveling distance, I can visit with your dad.¡±


    I was surprised by the offer. I thought about it for a moment and replied, ¡°You should check with


    Ashton.¡±


    Cameron nced over at Zachary, prompting for his input. Zachary looked at me and added in his low


    voice, ¡°Let¡¯s spend this festive season together. Emery and Hunter will be joining too ¨C the more, the


    merrier.¡±


    I pursed my lips while I thought about it while ncing over at Ashton, who was being swarmed by the


    many questions from Sally.


    On the other hand, a ck Land Rover slowed down at the porch of the vi. It was Joe.


    As the car stopped, Joe alighted and went up to Ashton. They looked at each other while Joe asked in


    a soft and concerned voice, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Ashton nodded.


    Joe must have heard about the incident at W City.


    A crowd of people entered the living room. It seemed like Sally had been around for some days as she


    had adapted well and was in control of the household.


    On new year¡¯s eve.


    Unexpectedly, it was snowing heavily at K City. Because Sally could not visit the Moore family, both the


    Moore family and Sally came to our vi.


    After a long day of work, it was finally dinner time. Emery¡¯s baby bump grew, along with her appetite.


    Emery was very chatty. Sally, who had been alone for some time, enjoyed listening to her chatter.


    Cameron was busy portioning food onto everyone¡¯s te.


    While Cameron did that, Zachary ced some food on her te.


    Summer kept eximing throughout dinner, ¡°Mommy! Please eat fast! I want to see the fireworks.¡±


    I nodded while Ashton ced a piece of meat on my te. I lifted my head and met his gentle gaze. He


    gave a light smile and said, ¡°Themb is very tender. You need to try it.¡±

 Chapter 602

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 602


    I could not help myself but smile at what he did. I agreed with Emery¡¯s advice that we should follow our


    hearts if it could make us happy.


    Failing to suppress my delight, I ced some roasted vegetables onto Ashton¡¯s te and instructed in


    a coy manner, ¡°You need to eat more too!¡±


    I distributed it to everyone else while Cameron and Zachary smiled at each other and looked at me with


    warm gazes.


    It was the perfect time with loved ones. It had been a long time since our hearts were that full.


    After dinner, Cameron and Sally pulled me out of the kitchen to watch the fireworks in the yard.


    It was the only festive season with fireworks disy in the bustling K City.


    That made new year¡¯s eve even more special. ¡°I¡¯m going to make a wish at the fireworkster,¡± Emery


    eximed while she lifted her head to gaze at the snow falling.


    Hunter pulled Emery into his embrace and inquired with a light chuckle, ¡°What are you going to wish


    for?¡±


    After giving it some thought, Emery replied, ¡°I wish for our baby to be born with great health.¡±


    Both of them exchanged sweet gazes and smiled.


    I turned to spot Ashton looking at me, so I asked him, ¡°Are you going to make a wish?¡±


    The corner of his lips curled up as he nodded. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll wish for us to be well.¡±


    I was not satisfied with his perfunctory reply, so I eximed, ¡°How is that a wish? Any other wish?¡±


    He gave me a sidelong nce and redirected the question at me. ¡°Do you have any wish to make?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I wish for us to have an adorable baby in the future.¡±


    Hended his gaze at me for a long time, gaze as deep as the sea.


    Pow! The fireworks exploded in the night sky, dazzling everyone with their beauty.


    My head lifted naturally to gaze at the work of art. In excitement, I grabbed onto Ashton¡¯s arm and


    eximed, ¡°Ashton, it¡¯s the fireworks! Quick! Look at the fireworks!¡±


    I sped both my hands together, faced the fireworks, and made a wish. ¡°I wish for us to have an


    adorable baby!¡±


    There was an old wife¡¯s tale about the lonely deities who loved to catch shooting stars for fun.


    Hidden within the stars were the human¡¯s wishes. The deities would fulfil their wishes if they took pity


    on them.


    Therefore, many people made wishes upon shooting stars, hoping the deities would fulfil their wishes.


    When I was younger, there were many shooting stars at R Province, so I made many wishes. I made


    so many of them that I could not remember any.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    As I grew up in the bustling J City, there were no shooting stars ¨C only fireworks. I stopped making


    wishes due to the pain I experienced as I grew up.


    However, I sincerely wished for a child with Ashton.


    I felt warmth as Ashton pulled me into his embrace. ¡°Scarlett, I still owe you a wedding,¡± he whispered


    to my ears.


    I smiled at his words and lifted my head to look at him. The glorious lights from the fireworksnded on


    his face at the right spots. It made him look exceptionally dashing.


    ¡°Ashton, I don¡¯t need a wedding. All I want is for us to stay together for the rest of our lives.¡±


    He pulled me close, nted a kiss on my forehead, and said softly, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s make a promise to


    never leave each other.¡±


    After many years, I realized that sometimes, ¡®forever¡¯ eventually turns into regrets.


    The fireworks painted the dark sky of K City for the whole night, along with the snow.


    Ashton could not stay out for long with his injuries, but he held in the pain for me to gaze at the


    fireworks for a little longer.


    I was worried, so I helped him to the bedroom. ¡°I can see it from the balcony too! Meanwhile, you can


    go and take a shower.¡±


    He smiled, poked the tip of my nose teasingly, and entered the bath.


    I have always loved the fireworks despite their short lifespan.


    My phone had vibrated for a long time with an unknown number on disy. I stared at it for a while and


    eventually decided to let the call through.


    There was no response from the other end of the call.


    As I was about to hang up the call, someone eximed, ¡°Happy new year!¡±


    That low and timid voice sounded familiar ¨C it was Marcus. Ashton wanted me to stop keeping in


    contact with him, so I had deleted his number.


    While gazing at the fireworks, I felt a sense of peace and replied in a rxed mood, ¡°Happy new year!¡±


    ¡°Great!¡± He replied.


    A long pause followed. I was probably too focused on the festive atmosphere to sympathize with his


    pain.


    I did not notice the loneliness in his voice as I continued staring at the shimmering view. ¡°Thank you,


    Marcus. Tonight¡¯s fireworks are really stunning. I wish for us all to be well.¡±


    If possible, I would love to wish for everyone¡¯s wellness.


    For Marcus to build his own family and have kids of his own; for Ashton and me to receive the same;


    for us to enjoy life¡¯s simple pleasures.

 Chapter 603

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 603


    Marcus did not respond and kept his silence. He probably could not find the right words to say. Hence, I


    kept silent while I continued to stare at the fireworks.


    Ashton got out of the bath and hugged me from the back.


    ¡°You really like fireworks huh,¡± he asked in a deep, sexy voice.


    I nodded as I took in the lingering smell of the body wash on him. ¡°This is going to be a long winter.


    Let¡¯s head to R Province when you are less busy. I miss the watermelon and rose nts at the yard.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± he nodded, hugged me at his chest level, and lowered his chin onto my shoulder.


    ¡°Who were you on the phone with?¡± he probed as he took a nce at my phone.


    I regained my senses, looked at my phone screen, and wanted to off the phone to end the call with


    Marcus.


    However, Marcus had already ended the call. It was just a lit screen on disy.


    I felt a tinge of guilt and replied, ¡°A friend called.¡±


    Luckily, I had deleted Marcus¡¯ number from my contacts. Even though my reply was vague, Ashton


    would never have guessed for it to be Marcus.


    He did not probe further. ¡°Go take a shower and sleep early tonight!¡± he nagged in a gentle tone.


    I nodded, ced my phone aside, and entered the bath.


    By the time I was out from the bath, Ashton was already lying on the bed. His scars had faded. I dried


    my hair, climbed onto the bed, and snatched the book away from him.


    ¡°No reading on the bed! The bed is a ce for sleep,¡± I nagged.


    He gave me a sidelong nce. From up close, his gaze seemed darker, nose bridge higher and lips


    thinner.


    I swallowed my saliva to moisten my dry throat, turned my gaze away, and coughed out, ¡°Good night!¡±


    I buried myself into the nket while he switched off the lights. I felt my body temperature rise.


    He held me closer to his body, and I took a sniff at the fragrance emitting from his body. There was not


    a single trace of smoke.


    ¡°Ashton,¡± my tensed body leaned into his embrace and continued, ¡°Are you trying to quit smoking?¡±


    He leaned in and lifted my chin. I could still see his charming features and dark gaze under the dim


    light from the window.


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    ¡°When was thest time we did the deed?¡± he asked seductively.


    I was in a daze while I nodded.


    My face turned hot after I regained my senses. I asked him in a soft voice, ¡°Can you?¡±


    That following day, the falling snow covered every part of K City with strong winds blowing as I woke up


    in Ashton¡¯s embrace.


    He was still soundly asleep. His sharp eyebrows resembled those of the characters in martial art


    novels.


    A momentter, he opened his eyes. I was startled for a few seconds before my lips curled into a smile.


    ¡°Good morning!¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± he responded with a raspy voice and continued to hug me. ¡°It¡¯s snowing. Let¡¯s sleep in a while


    more.¡±


    I nodded but could not fall back asleep. I stared at the ceiling and wondered how great it would be to


    wake up with him beside me every day.


    I got up to wake myself fully. Meanwhile, there was the sound of a kids¡¯ chuckle.


    It was Summer. I walked over to the balcony to observe Sally and her engaging in a snowball fight.


    Despite their age gap, they were equally agile. Both of them were dressed in thick feather coats,


    making snowballs and throwing them at each other.


    They burst intoughter whenever their opponent got hit. It was not an easy game. Most of the time,


    the snowballs would either be dodged or would hit the snow.


    Ashton got up and hugged me from the back. He leaned into my ear and whispered, ¡°Do you want to


    y?¡±


    I nodded while pushing him towards the bathroom. ¡°Go wash up! Let¡¯s head down to join the game.¡±


    He chuckled lightly and headed to the bathroom while I went to the wardrobe to get a change of


    clothes. On the way there, I flipped open the nket.


    It was like I had expected ¨C there was a big patch of blood. It was not period blood.


    That was not the first. I started to panic.


    A wave ofughter broke my chain of thought, so I covered it back with the nket and continued my


    way to the wardrobe.


    Ashton was done washing up when I was done changing. He looked at me and nagged, ¡°You need to


    put on moreyers!¡±


    I nodded, buried myself under moreyers of clothing, and I rushed downstairs.


    Before I could react, Summer threw a snowball at me immediately after she spotted me.


    To make it a fair game, Summer teamed up with Sally against me. However, I was unprepared for the


    sudden attack by both of them.


    Luckily, Ashton joined me shortly after. Summer started to whine after getting hit several times.

 Chapter 604

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 604


    ¡°That¡¯s unfair! You¡¯re a team of two adults while we¡¯re just a team of an old granny and a small kid,¡± she


    sat on the snowy ground and whined.


    ¡°Sheesh! Summer, since when did I be an old granny? I¡¯m still very strong, okay?¡± Sally


    eximed.


    Summer winked at Sally, hinting for her to back her up. Sally got the message and eximed,


    ¡°Summer¡¯s right! This is not a fairpetition.¡±


    ¡°Then shall we shuffle teams?¡± I suggested. Both of them looked at each other and let out a smile.


    Ashton pursed his lips and whined, ¡°I¡¯m injured, so the change does not make much of a difference!¡±


    It was obvious that he was using his injury as an excuse.


    Summer let out a deep sigh and called out, ¡°Mr. Fuller is lying!¡±


    Since Summer was unwilling topete within the existing grouping and Ashton was unwilling to swap


    teams, we could only build snowmen.


    The snow in K City had always been abundant, going up to ten centimetres deep. Building a snowman


    was the perfect activity.


    Many yearster, in J City, where there was no snowy winter, I miss the snowy K City filled with


    snowmen throughout.


    While Fuller Corporation had been stabilized, I felt as if Marcus was someone I never knew, as Ashton


    did not allow me to mention him at all.


    As spring approached, leaves started to sprout on the leafless trees in K City. Some trees were even


    flowering.


    Ashton recalled that he had forgotten to bring me for plum tree appreciation the previous year. In


    response, I reminded him that he had forgotten many other promises as well. For instance, we were


    supposed to head to the north the year before.


    Nevertheless, I nned for Summer to take a term break to bring her back to J City that year.


    Ashton was unable to join us as he was upied with work. He got Joseph to join us instead as he


    was worried about us.


    At the airport, while waiting for our flight, Joseph went to buy some stuff. At the same time, Emery


    called.


    ¡°When will you be back from J City?¡± she asked while sounding like she was chewing food at the same


    time.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a month¡¯s time!¡± I replied. After all, the purpose of that trip was simply to visit old friends.


    ¡°Make it quick! I¡¯m about to give birth soon, and you must not miss it!¡± Emery ranted over the call.


    I chuckled. ¡°Alright, noted! I¡¯ll definitely be back to witness your childbirth!¡± I promise. Meanwhile,


    Joseph was walking back.


    Joseph handed me a bottle of water and reminded me, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, it¡¯s time to board the flight.¡±


    ¡°I promise to be back by then! Bye, I¡¯m going to board the ne now.¡± I ended the call as a queue


    started to form at the boarding gate.


    I held Summer and boarded the ne as Joseph sent Ashton a text. When we got to our seats, Joseph


    requested nkets for us and said, ¡°It¡¯ll take four hours to arrive, so please take a nap.¡±


    I smiled at him and asked, ¡°Joseph, I knew you¡¯re married but do you have any kids?¡±


    He nodded and replied, ¡°Yes, Mrs. Fuller, I have kids.¡±


    His reply was very straightforward.


    The way Joseph covered Summer with the nket and adjusted her position revealed that he was a


    caring husband.


    ¡°Joseph, did your wife move to K City with you?¡± Thest time I remember, they resided in J City.


    However, with thepany¡¯s relocation, they might have relocated.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he nodded.


    Very well.


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    I wanted to have a chat with him but it seemed impossible.


    Time passed quickly as I managed to take a nap and had some food in between.


    Upon arrival, Joseph sent us back to the vi that we used to live in.


    I was stunned upon seeing Mrs. Eriksen as her hair had turned grey.


    She smiled at me and exined, ¡°Mr. Ashton got me toe over to take care of y¡¯all for a few days.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Letty. You¡¯ve slimmed down.¡± She held my hands as she spoke.


    My heart was filled with surprise and joy.


    I then introduced Summer to her. Due to her old age, she did not have the strength to carry Summer.


    She held her hand instead.


    Joseph left once we settled into the house. Mrs. Eriksen filled me in with what had happened during


    those years since I left. Ashton would return frequently and got himself drunk, only to return to work at


    K City the next day. Even though he seemed drained by it, he seemed to indulge in it.


    He also frequented the cemetery, even staying there for the whole night at times. Whenever there was


    heavy rain, he would fall sick upon returning. Even so, he would still willingly head there.


    It seemed like there were many stories as I listened on.


    After hours of chatting with Mrs. Eriksen, Stacey arrived. She returned after a year of no contact.


    She gave off the vibe of a professional. She smiled at me andmented, ¡°You¡¯ve slimmed down!¡±

 Chapter 605

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 605


    I chuckled lightly and brought her into the vi. Mrs. Eriksen brewed some tea. Stacey stared at me for


    a while before she said, ¡°I heard Nancy got into trouble.¡±


    I was taken aback as it had happened quite some time back. I lightly nodded and asked, ¡°How have


    you been doing in J City?¡±


    She smiled and replied, ¡°Thanks to Mr. Fuller, I¡¯ve been promoted to be the regional manager. I¡¯m


    doing pretty well.¡±


    Thinking about it, she was already in her thirties. She paused for a while and continued, ¡°However, I


    have nothing much going on in my love life.¡±


    If I had calcted correctly, Felix¡¯s death sentence was held in early autumn.


    She took a sip of the tea and said briefly, ¡°I went to visit him. He had slimmed down a lot. I thought I¡¯d


    be d to see him in a mess since I used to hate him so much, but I did not.¡±


    No matter how much she hated him, they used to share a loving memory after all. As time passed, she


    was left with a soft spot for him.


    She paused and diverted the topic. ¡°Oh! There¡¯s an auction tonight. Do you want to join me for it? I


    heard that the Murphys from K City organized it.¡±


    ¡°You know me. I don¡¯t like crowds.¡± I shook my head and replied with a smile.


    She pouted and continued persuading me. ¡°We¡¯re not going there for the crowd. I have a friend that¡¯s


    working for the Murphy Corporation. I¡¯ve seen the item that they¡¯ll be auctioning. It¡¯s a sandalwood box


    ¨C simr to the one that grandma left for you. I heard it¡¯s a puzzle box that could only be opened when


    put together with another box. Remember how you asked for my help to open your box? I think it¡¯s


    worth trying.¡±


    I took a while to react and repeated, ¡°A puzzle box?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Do you want to join me? Who knows, we might be able to open the box.¡±


    I got curious, so I nodded in response. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll attend the auction with you.¡±


    I wondered if the Murphys from K City referred to the family of the renowned expert in the oil industry.


    If they were, it would not be easy to gain ess to the auction. I could not help but ask, ¡°Do you have


    an invite? It would not be easy to get into an auction organized by the Murphys.¡±


    She smiled and nodded. ¡°I was prepared before I invited you. Thanks to the strong presence of Fuller


    Corporation in J City, whenever the Murphys organize something in J City, they would invite Mr. Fuller


    along. He had given me the authority to handle this invite.¡±


    I nodded lightly in understanding.


    She thought for a moment and continued, ¡°Since you¡¯ve been in K City for quite some time, have you


    heard of the Murphys? I¡¯ve asked around, but no one seemed to know. Observing how they¡¯re


    auctioning many treasured items; I¡¯m guessing that they must be very influential. However, I don¡¯t


    understand their purpose for organizing the auction here, instead of K City.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know much about them too. However, I¡¯ve seen one of them at Emery¡¯s wedding. He


    seemed reputable.¡± I processed my thoughts for a moment and continued, ¡°Maybe they¡¯re intentionally


    keeping a low profile. Even though J City is an ancient city and is less morous than K City, there are


    several antique treasures and antiquarians here. They may have chosen J City to gain some insights.¡±


    Other than the items from the Murphys, the auctionprised some valuable items from the city. Many


    antiquarians had been invited to the auction.


    Those people usually bring valuable antiques to create an eye-opening experience and topete


    with fellow antiquarians.


    Simply put, it was like a battle of ego.


    Unlike those who auction branded goods and luxurious residences to show off, the antiquarians show


    off their knowledge, what they had seen, and the historical value of the antiques that they hold.


    Civilians, those with no money and knowledge, were out of the game, along with those who were rich


    and had no knowledge.


    Only those who were both rich and knowledgeable could join the game.


    As Stacey had been with the Fuller Corporation for several years, she had gained the knowledge


    through attending such functions frequently.


    We chatted for a little longer before she passed me the invite and left.


    Summer followed Mrs. Eriksen out to prepare the items required for our visit to the cemetery. As I had


    no ns, I took a shower.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    As I came out of the bathroom, Ashton called. ¡°Have you eaten?¡±


    I looked up at the clock ¨C it was close to six o¡¯clock. I shook my head and replied, ¡°Not yet. I¡¯m heading


    out soon.¡±


    I could feel him frowning over the phone as he questioned, ¡°Where are you going? It¡¯s gettingte


    already.¡±


    ¡°Stacey told me about the auction organized by the Murphys in J City that had a sandalwood box


    simr to the one grandma gave me. It seemed like a puzzle box. I want to take a look at it.¡± Mrs.


    Eriksen entered and signalled that dinner was ready as she saw that I was on a call.

 Chapter 606

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 606


    I nodded, indicating that I was going to go downstairs soon.


    Ashton¡¯s voice travelled from the phone. ¡°Joseph will be there soon. You should go over together!¡±


    I knew he was worried about me, but I felt he was making a mountain out of a molehill. ¡°Stacey and I


    will be fine.¡±


    ¡°I told you to go with Joseph!¡± he barked.


    Helpless, I could only nod and agree.


    I noticed that it waste and said, ¡°I¡¯m leaving now. I¡¯ll call you when I reach home.¡±


    ¡°Go back after you¡¯ve had dinner and put on more clothes. Wear a thicker coat too,¡± he reminded me.


    I nodded. ¡°Got it. It¡¯s spring now. Besides, this is J City, not K City. It¡¯s hot here!¡±


    Many girls on the street had started to wear skirts.


    He ignored my words and said, ¡°Wear more clothes. Don¡¯t forget to call me when you reach home.¡±


    I knew that he was about to start nagging. I quickly curbed the onught by saying, ¡°Got it!¡± I hung up


    the call.


    So it was true. After being together for some time, our conversations were mostly filled with trivial


    chatter. This was probably how life was supposed to be.


    Downstairs, Mrs. Eriksen had hung up the call. When she saw mee down, she said, ¡°Letty, have


    dinner before you return home. Mr. Campbell is on his way here. He should be here by the time you¡¯re


    finished.¡±


    I looked at the phone she had just put down and asked, ¡°Did Ashton call you?¡±


    As I spoke, I walked to the dining table and took a seat. I started to eat and Summer watched me with


    twinkling eyes. ¡°Mommy, you¡¯re just like a child. Mr. Fuller has to remind you to eat,¡± she teased.


    I ced a piece of food I knew she did not fancy into her bowl and snapped, ¡°You¡¯re the child. Hurry up


    and eat.¡±


    Mrs. Eriksen set down a pot of soup in front of me and said, ¡°Mr. Ashton told me to make this soup for


    you this morning. He said you have to drink it because it¡¯ll nourish you.¡±


    My mouth fell agape as I stared at therge pot of soup. My head started to ache and I choked out,


    ¡°Mrs. Eriksen, there¡¯s no way I¡¯ll be able to finish all this.¡±


    She shook her head, her expression solemn. ¡°No. You have to finish the soup. Mr. Ashton said that you


    won¡¯t eat much at the auction. All you ate were desserts. Too much dessert is bad for you.¡±


    I had a sneaking suspicion that Ashton was not in K City at all, rather he was in J City. He tracked my


    every movement like a shadow.


    I sighed and silently gulped down the soup. Once I was done, I was too full for any more food.


    I looked at Mrs. Eriksen vexedly and asked, ¡°Are you satisfied?¡±


    She seriously inspected the pot before scooping out some of the ingredients and cing them in my


    bowl. ¡°You have to eat these. They¡¯re good for you,¡± she said.


    The rumble of an engine could be hearding from the yard. I stood up and said to Summer,


    ¡°Summer, finish these ingredients.¡±


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Mrs. Ericksen, Mr. Campbell is here. I¡¯ll be taking my leave. Please take care of Summer tonight.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you haven¡¯t finished the food!¡± yelled Mrs. Eriksen from behind me.


    I quickly climbed into the car and said to Joseph, ¡°Head towards the southern suburbs. I¡¯ll send you the


    address through WhatsApp.¡±


    Joseph nodded and started up the engine. He looked out at Mrs. Eriksen who hade out of the


    house and remarked, ¡°Mrs. Eriksen¡¯s legs are in great condition.¡±


    Are you kidding me?


    She followed me all the way out here. Her legs must be very strong. Thankfully, the car had started to


    drive away and Joseph did not seem to intend to stop.


    During the journey, Joseph stole nces at me. He seemed to be hesitating to speak.


    After a few nces, I could not help but blurt out, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you have something to say?¡±


    As he maneuvered the steering wheel, he said, ¡°The Murphys are the number one petroleum


    conglomerate. They might have a deeper reason for choosing J City to be the site of the auction.¡±


    I nodded and replied, ¡°I know. I heard that the eldest grandchild of the Murphys ising. He always


    fancied holding auctions in various locations. When he finds a treasure that he likes, he always snaps it


    up at high prices.¡±


    Joseph nced at me and paused before replying, ¡°It¡¯s best if you stay on your toes. Mr. Fuller wants


    you to be careful.¡±


    I nodded. Ashton seemed overly cautious. Although the Murphys were powerful, everyrge n had


    members with hobbies. In the past, kings had concubines, riches, and artifacts.


    It was normal for the Murphys to have a member that was obsessed with antiques.


    Fifteen minutester.


    The car stopped outside the museum where the auction was being held. I climbed out of the car. ¡°Mrs.


    Fuller, you go in first. I¡¯ll join you soon,¡± said Joseph.


    I nodded and fished the invite out of my bag. I tilted my head to admire the steps that seemed to extend


    forever. For some reason, architects liked to include long flights of stairs at the entrance when they


    were designing meaningful sites.


    Were they trying to enforce the message that one needed to work hard in order to enter houses of


    knowledge?


    Several people dressed in military uniform stood at the museum¡¯s entrance, their backs ramrod


    straight.


    A member of the staff dressed in a suit was checking out invitations.

 Chapter 607

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 607


    I handed my invitation to him. He smiled and gave me a paddle before gesturing me to walk forward.


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    I entered the auction hall with the paddle in hand. Many of the seats inside were already filled.


    I found my seat. Stacey had already arrived. When she saw me, she said, ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t


    coming.¡±


    I gently sat down and looked around at therge number of people in the auction hall. I could not help


    but exim in surprise, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this auction to be on arge scale. There are so many people


    here.¡±


    Usually, only influential individuals were invited. However, the guest list seemed to be moreplex


    this time.


    She leaned into my ear and whispered, ¡°All the VIPs are seated in front. The seats at the back are just


    glorified audience members.¡±


    A smile tugged at my lips. I felt she was exaggerating and checked the number on my paddle. The


    number one hundred was inscribed on it.


    Evidently, there were at least a hundred people present at the auction.


    I scanned the surroundings and noticed that ck was draped over items that were situated all around


    the area. I could not help but ask curiously, ¡°What¡¯s all those?¡±


    She lowered her voice and said, ¡°Those are the treasures collected by various specialty stores in J


    City. Once the auction starts, the ck cloth will be removed to reveal the treasures. It¡¯s so the


    participants can check them out.¡±


    I nodded. This was my first time at such an auction.


    My phone vibrated. The call wasing from Joseph. I picked up and he said, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, please


    come to the front.¡±


    I was stunned and looked over at Joseph, who was standing near the stage. ¡°I can sit at the back,¡± I


    replied.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller has made the arrangements. You¡¯ll have a better view from the front,¡± said Joseph.


    Stacey noticed Joseph and said excitedly, ¡°You¡¯ll be able to see the items clearly from the front. Most


    importantly, you¡¯ll be able to rub elbows with the wealthy people of J City.¡±


    She looked at me with puppy eyes and whimpered, ¡°Scarlett, I know Mr. Fuller has arranged everything


    nicely for you. Please bring me along.¡±


    With my phone in hand, I was at a loss for what to do. I thought it over before asking, ¡°Joseph, can I


    bring Stacey along?¡±


    Joseph paused for a moment before nodding. ¡°Sure!¡±


    I thanked him, hung up the phone, and looked at the eager Stacey. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    If not for the silence imposed by therge number of people present, she would definitely be screaming


    for joy.


    She could only cover her mouth and whisper, ¡°Great! You¡¯re the best, Scarlett.¡±


    I smiled and walked to the front row with her.


    Thew, schools, and teachers always extol those things should be done fairly. Every citizen should


    receive equal treatment and people should judge their fellow man fairly.


    But when I thought about it, I realized that equality was a mirage. From the moment that people were


    born, they were sorted into different sses. In school, the teachers favored the smart. In society, the


    disparity is all the more salient.


    This auction was a good example. The point of being in attendance was the same. Yet, the people at


    the front were rxed and served refreshments. The people at the back had naught.


    Society established a pecking order, and one¡¯s treatment was decided ordingly.


    At the front row, Joseph switched out Stacey and my paddles. He handed me a ck card.


    I was confused and asked, ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Fuller said that you can bid on whatever attracts your attention. This card should cover it all,¡±


    replied Joseph.


    ¡°Damn! Mr. Fuller is being so tant!¡± blurted Stacey.


    ¡°How do you stand this?¡± she asked Joseph.


    Joseph scratched his nose and coughed wryly before replying, ¡°I¡¯m used to it!¡±


    Stacey gave him a thumbs up. ¡°I salute you!¡±


    I could not help but say, ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. I won¡¯t be using this card because I have no intention of


    buying anything. I only came here to watch.¡±


    The minimum bids at this auction were one million. Besides, I had no interest in collecting artifacts.


    Even if I did, I would not splurge on an antique that I could only enjoy with my eyes.


    All I could do was return the back card to Joseph. He did not ept it and said, ¡°Hold onto it. Mr. Fuller


    told me to give it to you. Even if you don¡¯t use it today, you¡¯ll be able to in the future.¡±


    I knew he was not going to take it back and I did not insist. Almost all the people had arrived.


    After the host onstage unloaded a lengthy speech on us, the auction began.


    The first item up for bid was a gold hair ornament. It was supposedly the favorite essory of a queen.


    Stacey pursed her lips and muttered, ¡°Only the Murphys are capable of auctioning off such items.¡±


    I was slightly confused and asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    She pointed at the gold hair ornament. ¡°Items from that era are usually passed through the generations


    and most of them have been snatched up by museums. However, the Murphys are in possession of


    such a beautiful gold hair ornament and are even auctioning it off in a museum. Isn¡¯t it ironic? If the


    Murphys were a less influential family, they would have been sought out by some organization ages


    ago and given some pettypensation in return for this artifact. Look at how tant the Murphys are


    being. They kept this in their home for years and now they¡¯re auctioning it off just like that.¡±

 Chapter 608

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 608


    As the bids were continued to be yelled out, she whispered, ¡°Listen carefully. The bid is now at ten


    million. Normal people won¡¯t be able to offer more than five hundred.¡±


    I pursed my lips and sighed. There were some rules that we could never change.


    The higher one rose, the more unscrupulous affairs they would witness. One wrong slip and you would


    end up amongst the muck, an essory to the thugs.


    Finally, an elderly person won the gold hair ornament with a bid of ten million.


    Such events weremon.


    There was no point in being surprised.


    The second item up for bid was a blood jadeite. Apparently, Robert had brought it back for his wife


    when he went overseas for business in the nies.


    Although this was premium jadeite, itcked a bangle. Thus, the bid only went up to five million.


    Joseph frowned and he seemed to be trying to puzzle something out.


    The auction was starting to bore me, so I chatted with Stacey.


    Stacey¡¯s gaze had swept the entire auction area and took in all that there was to see.


    She introduced all the artifacts to me and sighed in awe. ¡°Wow, these are all worth tens of millions.


    These collectors are hoarding all these riches. Some of these items are priceless.¡±


    I looked around and agreed with her. ¡°If someone stole one of these, the money they would make off of


    it wouldst them for a lifetime.¡±


    Stacey¡¯s lips twitched and she deadpanned, ¡°See? The items are being protected by diamond


    containers, and there¡¯s two highly skilled personnel assigned to each item. There¡¯s no way a regr


    person could dream of getting close to any of the items. A professionales to do a check every five


    minutes as well.¡±


    It was tough.


    ¡°The sandalwood box is here. Look!¡± Stacey said as she pointed towards the stage and patted me.


    I turned to see. On the stage was the exact replica of the box that Grandma had given me.


    The host was enthusiastically introducing the sandalwood box. ¡°All of you must be curious to know why


    we¡¯re auctioning off this seemingly unassuming sandalwood box, right?¡±


    The audience members nodded.


    The host continued speaking, ¡°To tell you the truth, this box has unbelievable meaning. Although it


    looks in, if you take a closer look, you¡¯ll see that it was made from hundred-year-old sandalwood.


    You can¡¯t find such wood anymore. It¡¯spletely extinct. Moreover, I have to point out the box¡¯s


    workmanship. I know it looks ordinary from the outside!¡±


    The host turned the box for the audience to see.


    Amotion broke out amongst the audience. The host spoke again, ¡°From this noise, I can tell that


    you¡¯re having the same reaction as I did. This is actually a box. The special part of this box¡¯s design is


    that it looks like it can be opened. However, upon closer inspection, you¡¯ll realize that it can¡¯t be


    opened. Actually, this box has a pair thates with it. As of now, we have no idea where its partner


    is. You¡¯ll only be able to open this box if you find its pair.¡±


    ¡°See, I told you!¡± eximed Stacey excitedly.


    I nodded and looked at the sandalwood box on stage. As I peered closer at it, I could see no difference


    between it and the box Grandma had given me.


    However, there must be something special about them.


    The host continued to speak, ¡°The bid for this sandalwood box starts at two thousand. You may begin


    bidding.¡±


    With such a low price, there should be bidders. However, the bid only reached a hundred thousand and


    stopped there.


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    I was confused and asked Stacey, ¡°Why aren¡¯t they bidding for the box?¡±


    Stacey said to me in a hushed tone, ¡°It¡¯s simple. No one knows if there¡¯s anything inside the puzzle


    box. You have to find its pair in order to open it. If the pair can¡¯t be found, there¡¯s no point in owning the


    box.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s a precious collectible. Even if you can¡¯t find the other box, it has great workmanship. If they


    keep it as an artifact, the value is sure to increase after a hundred years.¡±


    Moreover,pared to the items that were worth tens of millions, a few hundred thousand were


    peanuts.


    Stacey chuckled. ¡°Many people know this box belongs to Robert Murphy and that he treasures it. The


    young master of the Murphy family must have slipped up by putting it up for auction. He wouldn¡¯t dare


    to sell it off.¡±

 Chapter 609

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 609


    I was curious about the son of the Murphy family. I looked around the auction area and asked, ¡°Where


    is Mr. Murphy? I don¡¯t see him.¡±


    She pointed at several ces around the area and replied, ¡°The ce is filled with surveince


    cameras. The young master of the Murphy family is watching everything from the shadows.¡±


    I pursed my lips. He sure liked to waste his time.


    I looked back at the box onstage and said after a moment¡¯s pondering, ¡°Are you sure the Murphys


    won¡¯t auction it off?¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure.¡±


    ¡°Okay. The current bid is four hundred and fifty thousand. Are there any more bids? Four hundred and


    fifty thousand going once, four hundred and fifty thousand going twice¡­¡± announced the host.


    ¡°One million!¡± someone yelled out, cracking the calm atmosphere.


    The bid hade from Joseph. I was appalled and asked in befuddlement, ¡°Mr. Campbell¡­¡±


    He looked at me solemnly and replied, ¡°Mr. Fuller has requested that I buy this box. It might be able to


    open your box.¡±


    I was stunned. ¡°The thing in the box belongs to Grandma. I just want to take a look inside. But, it


    doesn¡¯t matter whether I¡¯m able to open it or not. I¡¯ll always keep it.¡±


    He smiled a small smile. ¡°Mr. Fuller hopes that you¡¯ll be able to find out what¡¯s inside.¡±


    The host continued calling for one million¡­


    Stacey leaned towards me and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s not a huge loss to buy it for one million. You have both


    boxes now, which means double the value. They can be family heirlooms.¡±


    I thought her words over. It seemed like a good idea. I could not open the box on its own. It was a good


    idea to open it. They also had value as collectibles.


    The host called the bid thrice and was about to bang the gavel. I was sure the box was mine.


    Suddenly, a deep voice bellowed, ¡°Ten million!¡±


    A roar erupted amongst the crowd. The bid had far exceeded the box¡¯s value.


    Joseph frowned. He was about to bid a higher price, but I stopped him. ¡°Don¡¯t do it.¡±


    It was fine if the box was never opened. If we really wanted to open it, we could always try asking the


    eventual buyer of the box.


    It was not worth it to spend so much money on this box.


    I looked around curiously until I found the person who had called out the bid.


    From the front seat of the VIP section, Stacey sighed. ¡°This must be the assistant. The boss is still


    hiding!¡±


    I looked at the man who had raised the paddle. He was dressed in a ck suit and his hair was


    immacte, giving him a stern aura.


    I asked Stacey, ¡°How do you know he¡¯s not the boss?¡±


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Judging from his charisma, he had to be a sessful person. He seemed like a boss to me.


    Stacey nced at me and shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re not observant enough. Take a closer look at his


    clothing choices. His clothes are all branded and must cost at least a million. He¡¯s very well put


    together.¡±


    She looked at Joseph and said, ¡°Now take a look at Mr. Campbell. Do you think his clothes cost less


    than one million?¡±


    I furrowed my brow. ¡°So expensive clothes aren¡¯t a sign?¡±


    She pped her forehead and whispered into my ear, ¡°I mean that the man and Mr. Campbell are of


    the same level. They¡¯re above ordinary people but not elite enough to be bosses. Think carefully about


    what Ashton wears. What does he usually put on?¡±


    I had never paid attention to the brands of Ashton¡¯s clothes. ¡°Ashton¡¯s clothes are all custom made.


    Moreover, he only wears one color. There isn¡¯t anything particrly special.¡±


    It was true. He always wore ck. This was probably the reason why he needed to have his clothes


    custom-made.


    She scoffed and replied, ¡°Do you think custom-made clothes are worse than branded clothes? The


    clothes he wearse from designers that charge earth-shattering prices. They¡¯re also handmade and


    made from the best materials. Additionally, his clothes seem to be limited edition. The designers are


    prohibited from selling the rights to the design. As such, the clothes are one of a kind.¡±


    I knitted my brows and stopped talking. I was not knowledgeable about this field. My clothes were


    supplied by Ashton¡¯s instructions to Joseph. To me, they were just pieces of cloth used to cover and


    protect our bodies. Whether they cost tens, hundreds, or thousands made no difference to me. All that


    mattered was that they werefortable.


    The box that cost hundreds of thousands was bought by the man in the ck suit. The box was not


    precious to me. All I wanted was to open it.


    After a moment¡¯s consideration, I told Joseph to ask the man in the ck suit for his number. If the


    opportunity arose, I¡¯m sure he was also curious to know what was in the puzzle box.


    The rest of the auctioned items were essories and antiques. I was not interested and nned to


    leave soon.


    Stacey was a member of the staff and needed to stay to clean up afterward.

 Chapter 610

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 610


    Joseph and I came out of the museum. We had barely taken a few steps when someone called out to


    me.


    ¡°Miss, please stop!¡±


    I turned around, saw the man who had bought the box at the auction just now and I smiled. ¡°Hi!¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Miss, may I buy you a cuppa?¡±


    I nced at Joseph to indicate that I would like to go. He had just told this man that we have another


    box.


    Joseph nodded to indicate that I can ept the offer. I nodded and looked at the man. ¡°Mister, may I


    know your name?¡±


    ¡°My surname is Bates; you may call me Yuri.¡± He spoke with the smile of a trustworthy man.


    I nodded with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m Scarlett Stovall. Nice to meet you.¡±


    He smiled and gestured with his hand, ¡°This way, please, Ms. Stovall!¡±


    We followed him into a cafe bistro and seated ourselves. There was a live music performance going


    on.


    Yuri took his time. He enjoyed the performance, and said, ¡°The band is quite professional.¡±


    I did not say anything but Joseph looked at him and said in a dull tone, ¡°Mr. Bates, it¡¯s better to go


    straight to the point.¡±


    Yuri looked at him indifferently, smiled, and then looked at me saying, ¡°I heard that Ms. Stovall has a


    box that resembles mine. I¡¯m very curious so I want to give it a try to test it out. Is it true that the boxes


    can open each other as they say?¡±


    I pursed my lips. ¡°Mr. Bates, those are my thoughts exactly but my box is kept at home. We have left


    our address. When it is convenient, you can bring your box to our ce and we can try it out together


    to see if that could work.


    He raised his eyebrows and sipped his tea, smiling. ¡°Ms. Stovall, you have nned it well but I¡¯m


    curious where you got your box from?¡±


    I frowned and paused for a while. ¡°My box was not obtained from an auction, rather, it was inherited


    from my ancestors.¡±


    For a moment, Yuri was stunned but he quickly recovered hisposure and smiled, looking at me. ¡°If


    that is the case, Ms. Stovall, you havee from an outstanding lineage. A normal family would not be


    able to afford craftsmen who can make this.


    He thought about what he had just said and frowned slightly, ¡°Even though I am not a native of J City, I


    still know a little about the city. I recall that J City does not have a prominent family by the surname of


    Stovall!¡±


    I smiled and nced at Joseph. He understood and looked at Yuri. ¡°Mr. Bates, you are overthinking


    things. We are not from a prominent family but an ordinary one. Although this box is passed on by the


    ancestors, we don¡¯t know yet if the box you bought is a pair so we have topare them to confirm.¡±


    ¡°Oh, dear, we came outte. So much time has passed. We have to go home now.¡±


    Yuri frowned and he looked at me. ¡°Ms. Stovall, why¡­¡±


    I smiled. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I have a child at home. I must go home to check on her.¡±


    At that, I got up but Yuri seemed to have more to say. Nevertheless, when he saw that I was ready to


    leave, he held back whatever he had to say.


    After leaving the museum, we got in the car and Joseph started the engine. He nced at the rear-


    view mirror and saw a car following us. His lips leered in disdain.


    I took a look and saw that it was Yuri who was driving the car. I said quietly, ¡°Have you checked out


    who this Mr. Bates is?¡±


    Joseph shook his head. ¡°No, not yet. Tonight we¡¯ll know.¡±


    Looking at the Maybach, which was following us, I could not help but frown slightly. ¡°There must be


    someone behind him.¡±


    Joseph nodded in agreement.


    What puzzles me is why is Yuri attempting to trick information out of me?


    ¡°What are they nning to get from me?¡± I asked, somewhat puzzled.


    Joseph shook his head slightly. ¡°I would presume that they have designs on the box.¡± After a pause, he


    looked at me and said, ¡°Did you ask about the origins of the box before?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I have seen my grandma putting it in the cab since I was a child but I don¡¯t


    remember seeing it being opened before. I thought it was a jewelry box so I didn¡¯t care much and didn¡¯t


    pay much attention to it.¡±


    He grunted and then said inly, ¡°Yuri seems interested in finding out about the owners of the box.¡±


    I pursed my lips and made no furtherments. These are things we need to investigate. Guessing


    won¡¯t help.


    The car behind continued following us but it had put some distance in between for fear of being caught.


    Joseph was driving towards the vi. Seeing this, I could not help but caution him, ¡°It is too dangerous


    to let them see where we stay. Lose them first!¡±


    After all, we have yet to know who Yuri is. It would be to our disadvantage if they know where we live


    and put us in a vulnerable position.


    Joseph nodded and went into the nextne to speed up. Fortunately, he was very familiar with J City


    and it did not take long for him to drive around in a circle and shake off the car tailing us.


    When we reached the vi, it was already dark and Summer had fallen asleep. Mrs. Eriksen had gotten


    ready the things required for visiting the grave and ced them downstairs.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

 Chapter 611

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 611


    Seeing me, she came over and said, ¡°Mr. Ashton called a few times, enquiring if you are back. He¡¯s


    probably worried. Please call him back.¡±


    I nodded. Just now we had been busy all the way and so I had neglected my mobile phone. Taking it


    out, I found that it was off.


    I decided to charge it in my bedroom. After freshening up, I called Ashton. Immediately the call was


    picked up.


    He seemed to have been waiting for my call and his voice was a little low, ¡°Are you lying on bed?¡±


    That was funny. I turned on the speakerphone and ced it on my dressing table. ¡°I¡¯ve just taken a


    shower. How about you?¡±


    ¡°Thinking about you!¡± Sometimes, this man is really¡­


    I did not banter butughed instead. ¡°How was your day? Did it rain in K City?¡±


    It rained often during this time of the year. The rain was heavy in J City. It was sowing season and


    sufficient rain was a good thing.


    He hummed in reply and his voice was still low. ¡°How was the auction?¡±


    After some thought, I said, ¡°I saw the box. It¡¯s identical with the one at home.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you get it?¡± He asked softly.


    I was stunned and thought of asking how he knew I bid for the box but I realized that Joseph must have


    told him.


    After a pause, I said, ¡°The price was too high and I thought it was not worthwhile.¡±


    He said, ¡°As long as you like it, then it¡¯s worth the price. Besides, it¡¯s meaningful, too.¡±


    Knowing his arrogance, I did not argue but just replied, ¡°It was taken away by a man named Yuri Bates.


    Joseph left him a message. After All Souls¡¯ Day, I want to ask him to open the box.¡±


    He grunted and asked, ¡°Yeah, what time will you leave tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Possibly early. The cemetery is rather far away.¡±


    ¡°Great. I¡¯ll wait for you at home.¡±


    I smiled as I always felt that he was like a child. After hanging up, I slept early.


    The next day, we got up earlier than usual as we were going to the cemetery. Summer was still half


    asleep. In the car, she finally leaned on me and dozed off.


    Joseph would be driving us. Perhaps, it was too early and he had not slept enough. There were dark


    circles under his eyes.


    In the morning, Mrs. Eriksen had prepared breakfast. I looked at him and said, ¡°Later, I¡¯ll swap with you.


    Please take your breakfast first.¡±


    He cast me a sidelong nce and shook his head. Smiling, he said, ¡°There¡¯s no need. I¡¯ve already


    eaten.¡±


    Today is All Souls¡¯ Day so I said, ¡°I can go on my own. You need to visit the cemetery with your family


    too. You can go with them.¡±


    He smiled, shook his head, and said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter because my parents are around and they will go


    themselves. So long as the people we care about are all here. They go to the cemetery to see their


    ancestors. For us, younger folk, we only need to know the ce.¡±


    All those who are important are still around. These are probably the words that everyone wished to say


    on All Souls¡¯ Day. In our life, if those who mean everything to us are around, then we don¡¯t need to go


    through life and death and think about them on All Souls¡¯ Day. Neither did we need to suffer the pain of


    separation.


    This was the best blessing that anyone could ever ask for.


    After driving for a short while, he spoke, ¡°By the way,st night I checked out Mr. Bates. He¡¯s from K


    City and highly secretive. However, I managed to get some information. He seemed to have met old


    Mr. Murphy a few times.


    I could not help frowning, ¡°Then, he probably knows the Murphys.¡±


    After hesitating for a moment, I voiced my thoughts. ¡°Could this Yuri be a member of the Murphy


    family? Did they buy the sandalwood jade box at the auction just to find the other one?¡±


    Joseph was silent for a while as he kept his eye on the road. Then, he said inly, ¡°It¡¯s hard to tell.¡±


    It was noon when we arrived at the cemetery and the drizzle had stopped. The sun was out and a


    rainbow hung in the sky. The air was fresh.


    Summer had a good memory. She had only been here once but she could find the tombstone all by


    herself even though there were new tombstones added in the cemetery.


    In paying respects to the departed, we started with the most senior ancestors. It¡¯s been five years and


    Old Mr. Fuller¡¯s photo is slightly blurry and barely recognizable.


    Summer asked, ¡°Mommy, will all of us die?¡±


    I nodded. When I was a child, I didn¡¯t understand what death was. When I grew up, I found that the


    people around me were gone one by one.


    Sometimes people leave before we can say goodbye.


    I said, ¡°All will die but we don¡¯t really die per se.¡±


    Summer did not understand, neither did I. I gazed at old Mr. Fuller¡¯s photo, lost in thought. He must be


    rather disappointed because Ashton is not here.


    When he left, Ashton held a lot of grudges against him and so Ashton did note to send him off but


    now that the grievances had faded away, it seemed as if the thoughts he haboured toward the


    deceased was lesser too.


    I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a good or bad thing to have someone weeping in front of the new tombstone. It must


    be someone who has just passed on. The family had note to terms with the loss and they were still


    grieving.


    I don¡¯t like crying in front of a grave so I led Summer away to Grandma¡¯s tomb after saying goodbye to


    Old Mr. Fuller.


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Summer tugged at my hand and asked, ¡°Mom, why is that man in front of Grandma¡¯s tombstone?¡±


    I looked in that direction and saw a tall, slim man, dressed in ck, standing solemnly in front of


    Grandma¡¯s tombstone. His back was facing us so we could not see the expression on his face.

 Chapter 612

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 612


    I searched my memory but could not remember any such person. Who could he be? As far as I could


    remember, my Grandma did not have a friend like this.


    Out of curiosity, I could not help stepping forward. ¡°Hello!¡±


    The man paused for a moment and turned around to look at me sharply.


    His elegant handsome features seemed aloof as he cast me a nce. Without a word, he turned


    around, ready to leave.


    Noticing the white chrysanthemums and offerings in front of the tombstone, I couldn¡¯t help looking in


    the man¡¯s direction, asking, ¡°Mister, you are¡­?¡±


    The man turned around and cast me a nce, saying, ¡°Just a passer-by!¡±


    After this short phrase, he said no more.


    Watching him walk away, I could not help being curious. When did my Grandma make friends with


    someone like this?


    Leading Summer to pay respects and bid goodbyes, I set aside those thoughts. Macy¡¯s grave was the


    newest. After five years, there were no weeds or damages. It looked brand new.


    I could not understand Jared. Perhaps, he had never loved Naomi or Macy. To him, they were just


    passers-by and his feelings for them are just guilt.


    Neither of them was around anymore nor so all that was left was a heart filled with remorse.


    If both of them were still alive, I¡¯m afraid he would still be cold and indifferent to them as if they were


    just strangers.


    On the way back, we met the man with the aloof expression again. His car was parked in front of the


    cemetery, it was a ck off-road vehicle, cool and domineering.


    When I arrived with Summer, he cast us a nonchnt nce and put on his sunsses. Then he


    entered his car.


    In the car, Joseph told me, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, Mr. Fuller instructed me to book the air ticket for tonight. Is that


    alright for you?¡±


    I smiled. ¡°Alright!¡± It was already booked. There was no point in cancelling it.


    The car had barely started when there was suddenly a screeching sound of braking. It was so loud that


    my eardrums hurt.


    Our car stopped abruptly and Summer fell into my arms. Joseph calmed himself and looked with


    narrowed eyes at the ck car in front of us.


    I came back to my senses as two men alighted the ck car with wrenches in their hands, obviously


    coming at us.


    Crack! The windscreen was smashed.


    The windscreen on the driver¡¯s side crashed down even as Joseph cried, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, call the police!¡±


    His door was opened and two well-built men pulled him out, tying his hands and shoving him into their


    car.


    My mind went nk. When I got out my phone to make the call, it was snatched away.


    Before I could react, the back door was pulled open and two big and burly men stood there,


    expressionless, looking at me. ¡°Ms. Stovall, pleasee with us!¡±


    Holding Summer lest she be traumatized, I said calmly, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°We only need half an hour of your time!¡± The two men said coldly.


    I did not react for fear of putting Summer in harm¡¯s way, so holding her, I came down from the car and


    looked at the two men as calmly as I could. ¡°Show the way, then!¡±


    It was a good thing that they wasted no words but led the way, one in front of me, one behind.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± A cool and clear voice was heard. It was almost devoid of emotion but the tone


    was loud and clear so that the listener could understand each and every word well.


    The two men stopped in their tracks and I looked in the direction of the voice. It was the man we saw at


    the grave just now.


    ¡°Damn, who the hell are you? It¡¯s none of your business.¡± The two men burst out in anger and spoke


    roughly.


    The man smiled just as calmly and coldly as before. ¡°This is broad daylight. Please be cautious of what


    you do.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡± The two men were unreasonable.


    ¡°If you are inviting a guest, you should show the necessary courtesy. Here you are behaving like


    abductors. Can I understand it as you¡¯re up to no good?¡± The man pulled his coat leisurely and his


    expression was cold.


    When the two men saw that he wanted to get involved, they said no more and just moved forward to


    beat him up.


    Unexpectedly, this tall slim man was a skilfulbatant. With just a few moves, the two burly men


    were beaten to a pulp. Humiliated, they looked at him and threatened, ¡°It¡¯s better you mind your own


    business.¡±


    The man nodded, ¡°Well, I rarely bother others but when I see something unjust, I have to barge in


    because I have an obsessivepulsive disorder.¡±


    ¡°Damn!¡± They knew they were no match for him so they just threw the tied-up Joseph out of their car


    and drove away.


    I busied myself untying Joseph. After Joseph was freed, I turned to thank the man but he was gone.


    Without making a fuss, I looked at Joseph and said softly, ¡°Are you good?¡±


    He shook his head, got into the car, and drove straight to the airport.


    All the while in K City, Ashton had arranged for bodyguards to be with me but this time, in J City, we


    had only nned a short stay and so he thought Joseph would do.


    What happened today was unexpected but it had been a close shave. Joseph, being a vignt person


    made sure I did not stay in J City longer than necessary.


    Hence, the air tickets to K City were booked immediately.


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    By the time we reached K City, it was eleven at night. Summer had fallen asleep and Joseph carried


    her in his arms.

 Chapter 613

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 613


    As soon as I got out of the airport but before I realized what was going on, I was pulled close by a pair


    of strong arms and held in a tight embrace.


    After getting a whiff of his familiar scent, I realized that it was Ashton. Joseph must have told him about


    the incident at the cemetery.


    Without saying anything, we got in the car. He asked Joseph to go home and rest well. Then we went


    back to the vi in the eastern suburbs.


    Back at the vi, he put Summer in bed. In our bedroom, he hugged me tightly and gazed deep into my


    eyes.


    He said, ¡°I missed you so much.¡± Adults express their love in ways that are different from children.


    When little children say they miss someone, it is said directly. When adults say that they expressed it in


    a totally irrelevant way, such as, ¡®The moon is beautiful tonight.¡¯


    I looked up at him andughed. ¡°That¡¯s not romantic at all.¡±


    He smiled. ¡°What should I say?¡±


    I thought about it. ¡®The moon is beautiful tonight¡¯ would sound awkwarding out of his mouth.


    Maybe a straightforward sentence would be better.


    Finally, Iughed, tugged at his hand, and said, ¡°I miss you too.¡±


    In fact, I did not want romantic phrases. If we could look into each other¡¯s eyes and just said simply, ¡®I


    really miss you,¡¯ we could understand what we really felt.


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    After taking a shower and lying on the bed, I felt I had to talk about what happened in J City.


    Resting my head on his arm, I confessed, ¡°In front of my Grandma¡¯s grave, I met a man who was cold


    and distant. He saved us today, but I don¡¯t know his name.¡±


    I chose my words carefully to make light of the situation. Ashton turned his eyes on me. His worries


    were well-hidden. ¡°Joseph is investigating now. This won¡¯t happen again in the future.¡±


    What he meant was this narrow escape from abduction.


    I had learned to stay calm a long time ago after experiencing several disasters. Leaning on his arm, I


    smiled, ¡°Grandma said that in everyone¡¯s life, there will always be some disasters and she called these


    incidents challenges.¡±


    Heughed softly, ¡°You¡¯re great at consoling yourself.¡±


    I took that as apliment. I had thought it over but I really could not understand, so I said, ¡°Who


    would want to see me so badly?¡±


    He pursed his lips and his gaze darkened as he changed the topic. ¡°Aunt Sally wants us to go over and


    have dinner with her tomorrow. Shall we?¡±


    I nodded. When All Souls¡¯ Day came around, we were expected to pay visits.


    Perceiving his reaction, I felt a little tired. I looked at him with a pitiable expression on. ¡°I¡¯m so tired!¡±


    He nodded slightly, still holding me, and said in a low voice. ¡°Okay, go to sleep.¡±


    I felt scared because if it happened once, it was an isted incident but if it happened a few times, it


    was not normal.


    I don¡¯t want to see the blood on the bed every time I wake up. That means I may not be as healthy as I


    thought.


    Perhaps I was too tired, or perhaps it was his warm embrace; I slept peacefully.


    This time I fell into an unusually deep slumber.


    The next day, it was Ashton who woke me. I had no idea what time he had gotten up. He was holding a


    mobile phone in his hand and looking rejuvenated.


    Apparently he had just taken a shower. ¡°Someone¡¯s calling you.¡±


    I was still groggy as I took my phone, epted the call, and put it next to my ear.


    ¡°Are you back? Do you have time today? Let¡¯s go out for coffee.¡± It was Emery.


    I spoke but my voice was a little hoarse, ¡°Oh, I am sorry! I have an appointment today so I can¡¯t make


    it.¡±


    She cursed. ¡°The day after tomorrow, then. Don¡¯t make any other appointments.¡¯


    I agreed and hung up the phone. Then I noticed Ashton was staring at me and I blushed. Instinctively, I


    asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Are you hungry?¡± As he asked, he ced some clothing on the side of the bed. Apparently, he had


    selected them for me.


    I sat up and shook my head. Then, I got up and changed quickly as if I was in a hurry.


    He caught my wrist and stopped me. ¡°Slow down. We¡¯re not in a hurry. You¡¯ve missed a button.¡±


    Not waiting for me to check, his attractive fingers were buttoning for me anew.


    I bent my head to look at his actions which were neither hurried nor slow and my heart began to beat


    faster.


    I was blushing. It¡¯s been said that when two people have been together long enough, the thrill would be


    gone. But I¡¯ve been with Ashton for many years.


    I did not eat much for breakfast and he was not pleased so he gestured to me to eat more.


    Unfortunately, I would vomit if I forced myself to eat.


    I retorted, ¡°Force feeding is bad for the stomach.¡±


    He pursed his lips and stopped forcing me.


    On the way out, he looked at his phone and seemed to be looking for the address. We had been to


    Sally¡¯s ce a number of times and he had such a good memory, so, how could he forget?


    I was imagining things.


    We did not go to Sally¡¯s, instead, he took me to a KFC outlet. Looking at the crowd passing through the


    doors, I suspected that he had the wrong address.


    Tugging at his sleeve, I paused uncertainly and then asked, ¡°Have you driven to the wrong ce?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    I was dumbfounded and rather puzzled. ¡°Summer isn¡¯t here. Are we buying something for her?¡±


    He raised his eyebrows and led me in by the hand. ¡°We¡¯re getting something for you.¡±


    I whispered, ¡°I¡¯m not a kid.¡±


    He looked back at me with a smile in his eyes, ¡°Aren¡¯t you just like a kid?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t think of a reply, so I was silent and looked up at him, ¡°Takeaway, or dine in?¡±

 Chapter 614

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 614


    After ncing around the ce, Ashton apparently disliked it due to the bustle. Nheless, he said,


    ¡°Get a table.¡±


    I listened to him and got a table near the window to stay far from the crowd. After taking a few bites of


    the burger, I supported my chin with an arm while ncing at the shoppers in the shopping mall from


    the window.


    As I was at a loss, he fixed his gaze on me and asked, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    I nced at him and replied, ¡°Why did you bring me here all of a sudden to have burgers?¡±


    Raising his eyebrow, he said, ¡°Because you like it!¡±


    What? Is this a good reason?


    Since it wasn¡¯t the weekend, most of the people in the shopping mall were couples who spent their free


    time window shopping.


    Besides, the H&M store downstairs was lively as many young people came in and out of it. ¡°Macy


    always said she will bring her future boyfriend to visit the CK store. She will then ask him to buy a few


    handbags for her. After that, she will go to the H&M store to try on some clothes.¡±


    Ashton looked at the store downstairs for a moment and asked ndly, ¡°Are the items expensive?¡±


    I shook my head and replied, ¡°Not really. The items cost around several hundred. I could even buy


    some items below a hundred when there were discounts.¡±


    He was a little bewildered. ¡°Well¡­¡±


    Meanwhile, I felt that he couldn¡¯t really understand ordinary people¡¯s life.


    After a while, I exined, ¡°When we studied at the university, we only had eight hundred as our


    monthly living expenses. So, after deducting food expenses, we didn¡¯t have much savings left. As you


    know, most girls prefer looking beautiful, so we would always buy some nice clothes and cosmetics.


    Sometimes, we could even spend several months of our sries on a set of cosmetics.¡±


    He nodded in response upon hearing it from me. Then, he nced at the shop downstairs and said,


    ¡°Do you still like the items in it now?¡±


    Looking at him, I replied seriously, ¡°Do you still like the Ultraman cards that you yed when you were


    five years old?¡¯


    He pondered over it seriously for a while and answered, ¡°I had never yed with that kind of toys.¡±


    Okay! We probably had very different childhoods.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, you¡¯re here too!¡± A woman asked shockingly behind me.


    I turned around and saw Rachel with a cute seven or eight-year-old kid.


    Meanwhile, Ashton slightly nodded in response as a greeting gesture.


    The little boy nced around the restaurant and eventually fixated his gaze upon the family bucket on


    our table, which we hadn¡¯t even touched.


    I asked, ¡°Do you want to join us?¡±


    Rachel was startled and nced at Ashton as if she was waiting for his permission.


    He agreed to it silently.


    After Rachel sat down, she reminded the boy to behave and left to take their food.


    When I handed the family bucket over to the boy, he looked a little aloof but still thanked me gently.


    Rachel came back and saw her kid eating. She knitted her brows and said, ¡°Joshua, did you say thank


    you?¡±


    Looking at Ashton and me, he thanked us before he continued eating.


    On the other hand, Ashton, who was a man of few words, talked even less ever since they were here.


    We talked about some trivial matters before they came. Now, he basically didn¡¯t want to start a


    conversation at all.


    Since I stopped eating and began scrolling my phone, he asked, ¡°Have you finished eating?¡±


    I nodded and said, ¡°Yup!¡±


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± He stood up and grabbed my arm.


    Rachel suddenly said, ¡°Mr. Fuller, the AI program has some new updates. Can I discuss it with you for


    a while?¡±


    Ashton said ndly, ¡°We¡¯re not at work now.¡±


    In other words, he would only discuss with her when they were at work.


    Unexpectedly, Rachel insisted on it. ¡°Our intelligent housekeepers can be used in restaurants like this


    due to the suitable environment and other details. Since we are already here, I think this is a good


    opportunity for us to talk about it.¡±


    Displeased, Ashton furrowed his brows.


    ¡°I have something to buy. I¡¯ll walk around, and you guys can discuss it.¡±


    Rather than avoiding her purposely, I only felt that Ashton didn¡¯t have to insist on leaving.


    Ashton took a sideways nce at me and asked in a deep voice, ¡°Do you not want me to apany


    you?¡±


    I could feel some anger exuded from him. Nevertheless, I still nodded and asserted, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can go


    by myself.¡±


    What should I buy?


    After exiting the fast-food restaurant, I wandered around the shopping mall and realized that I really


    had nothing to buy.


    Normally, people who shop alone could have mood swings, and I was no exception. At this moment, I


    felt a little dejected. Why did I leave them and wander around here alone?


    Even though I was aware that Rachel had feelings for Ashton, I was like an idiot for giving them the


    space to be together.


    My mind went nk after wandering around for some time. Besides, I felt that something wasn¡¯t right


    about me when I looked at myself in the shop window.


    My heart was filled with mixed feelings.


    Yes, I felt inferior. The scar on my face wasn¡¯t deep and hardly visible if I didn¡¯t look at it closely.


    Nevertheless, a scar could never disappearpletely.


    Rachel was an outstanding, beautiful, graceful, intelligent, determined, and courageousdy. I was sure


    all men will be fond of women like her!


    I wasn¡¯t sure since when I felt inferior. Did it happen when my face was hurt? Or did it happen earlier?


    I believed it was earlier; nheless, the feeling wasn¡¯t that apparentpared to now.


    I should cut my hair! A thought suddenly shed through my mind.


    Perhaps, I could hide my scar using my hair.


    It wasn¡¯t difficult for me to find a barbershop in the city centre. Shortly afterward, I found a barbershop


    named Style on the ground floor in the shopping mall.


    When I arrived, two young men were distributing brochures at the entrance. After reading the brochure,


    I realized that the barbershop was giving discounts to new members.

 Chapter 615

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 615


    Rather than being attracted by the low prices, I entered the barbershop solely because the hairstylists¡¯


    hairstyle looked rather stylish.


    I took a seat in front of the mirror after the barber wet my hair.


    Shortly afterward, the hairstylist asked, ¡°May I ask what kind of hairstyle you want?¡±


    ¡°Well, I would like to have that hairstyle!¡± I pointed at the picture of a model on the wall. Deep down, I


    felt that her short hair with bangs that covered half of her face was what I wanted.


    After ncing at it, the hairstylist suggested seriously, ¡°If you only wish to hide the scar on your face,


    you can try to have bangs. Since your hair is beautiful, there¡¯s no need to cut your hair short.¡±


    I was taken aback by his suggestion and thought to myself. It seems that the scar is more obvious than


    I¡¯ve imagined.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do it!¡±


    He nodded in response and began to swing his scissors. While the background music was ying, he


    began cutting my hair and said, ¡°You¡¯re indeed a beauty. I would suggest that you can try a more stylish


    haircut. A permanent wave is thetest trend now. You don¡¯t have to have your hair dyed or permed.


    As such, it won¡¯t damage your hair. Also, the hairstyle canst for half a year.¡±


    I put on a faint smile and said perfunctorily, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Thanks anyway!¡±


    I was used to my current hairstyle because I hadn¡¯t changed it for a few years.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    On the other hand, the hairstylist didn¡¯t dwell on it as I was seemingly not interested in trying a different


    hairstyle.


    Half an hourter, I looked at myself in the mirror and was shocked to see that I looked a few years


    younger.


    ¡°We often look younger with blunt bangs. Since you have fair skin and gorgeous facial features, this


    hairstyle makes you look even younger.¡±


    I put on a slight smile and felt better after cutting my hair.


    After exiting the barbershop, I walked down the street and asionally looked at myself in the shop


    windows. Unknowingly, I felt that I would look better by wearing clothes that could make me look


    younger.


    As such, I entered the H&M store and selected a few sets of clothes, including overalls, white shirts,


    and canvas shoes. After all, these were all fashion symbols of youth.


    With these outfits and my blunt bangs, it appeared that I truly looked younger.


    I crossed a few streets to continue window shopping with my new outfit. When I eventually felt tired, I


    looked at myself again in one of the shop windows.


    Amused by my own look, I couldn¡¯t help but giggle.


    As I wasughing alone like an idiot before the shop window, the passers-by nced at me curiously.


    Perhaps they thought that I was crazy.


    ¡°Hi, would you like to visit our shop?¡±


    After recollecting myself, I realized that I was standing right in front of the entrance and staring at the


    clothes.


    Hence, the passers-by probably thought that I wasughing at the clothes.


    While looking at the male mannequin, I thought to myself and felt relieved that the people didn¡¯t think I


    was a psychopath.


    ¡°Alright!¡± I wasn¡¯t sure what I could buy in a men¡¯s clothing store. Nevertheless, I entered the shop after


    the shop assistant weed me.


    I initially thought that I would only window-shop here. A momentter, I was attracted and stopped


    before a set of casual wear.


    It was matched naturally and perfectly bybining a British-style sweater, a grey leather jacket, and a


    pair of white trousers.


    I couldn¡¯t help but touch it and thought about how Ashton would look in this set of clothes.


    Well, since he probably never tried other colors of clothes, it was perhaps the right time for him to try


    something new.


    ¡°Are you nning to buy some clothes for your boyfriend? This casual wear is designed based on the


    latest trend in this year¡¯s fashion week. Also, the whole set costs only five thousand and eight hundred


    because we are offering a ten percent discount. You can buy a set for your boyfriend.¡±


    Five thousand and eight hundred?


    It seemed considerably cheappared with Ashton¡¯s tailor-made clothes.


    ¡°Would you like to use your card for payment?¡± The shop assistant continued asking.


    I was startled for a few seconds. After recalling my ount bnce, I thought that a set of clothes


    wouldn¡¯t cost me too much.


    As such, I took out my debit card from my handbag and handed it over to the shop assistant.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It appears that you don¡¯t have enough bnce in your ount,¡± the shop assistant said


    smilingly.


    I was startled for a while but soon recalled that I hadn¡¯t worked for quite some time. When I was in R


    Province, I saved my money from my sries with this card. The remaining bnce was supposed to


    be enough since I wasn¡¯t a big spender.


    Hence, I was used to using this card whenever I bought something. It was only now that I realized the


    bnce wasn¡¯t as much as I thought.


    Also, I realized now that my savings would deplete sooner orter since I hadn¡¯t worked for about a


    year.


    ¡°Do you still want it?¡± the shop assistant asked gently as I was at a loss.


    I kept my debit card and nodded in response smilingly. ¡°Yes, I want it!¡±


    I rarely used the card that Ashton gave me. Apart from the fact that I wasn¡¯t a big spender, I still had


    John¡¯s card with me.


    Since I¡¯m buying it for him, I might as well use his card!


    I was dazed the moment I took out two simr two ck cards. I nced at them for a while but still


    couldn¡¯t differentiate which one was given by Ashton.


    Shortly afterward, I decided to randomly hand over one of the cards to the shop assistant. Shocked to


    see two ck cards, he swiped the card professionally to make the payment.


    Then, he handed the card back to me and asked politely, ¡°Would you like anything else?¡±


    I shook my head and replied, ¡°It¡¯s okay!¡±


    ¡°Please visit our shop again!¡±


    Even before I left the shop, the shop assistant said to his colleagues excitedly, ¡°Wow, she has two


    ck cards! I¡¯m sure she¡¯s a billionaire! I think there are only a few billionaires in K City. My goodness,


    she even has two cards!¡±

 Chapter 616

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 616


    ¡°I saw it too. My god, how can someone be so wealthy? When she wanted to swipe a debit card, I


    thought she is only an ordinary office worker. I never thought¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, the ck cards probably belong to other people because I think the signature on it is Fuller.


    She¡¯s probably rted to someone¡­¡±


    I couldn¡¯t hear the rest of their conversation after exiting the shop. As I was carrying the stuff, I couldn¡¯t


    help but heave a sigh.


    When I returned to the fast-food restaurant, Ashton and Rachel had left.


    I guessed they probably left due to work. Although I felt dejected, I stillforted myself silently that


    work was more important than apanying me.


    As I didn¡¯te here by car, I called a cab to return to the vi.


    The night had fallen when I finally arrived at home.


    Meanwhile, Flora happened to have just finished preparing dinner. Since she had to go home, she


    talked to me for a while and left.


    I decided to check up on Summer first. She already had dinner and was ying with Lego bricks


    attentively. Upon seeing me, she said, ¡°Mommy!¡±


    The next moment, she continued ying with it.


    I didn¡¯t want to disturb her and returned to my bedroom.


    Initially, I thought that Ashton wasn¡¯t at home. Once I opened the door, someone said coldly, ¡°Why


    didn¡¯t you answer my call?¡±


    He seemed to be holding in his anger.


    I was bewildered by what he said. The next moment, I checked my phone and realized that it was


    turned off. As such, I exined, ¡°My phone turned off because it ran out of battery.¡±


    He was standing in the balcony and looked rather cold.


    A momentter, he turned around slowly to nce at me and asked, ¡°What did you do today?¡±


    ¡°I bought something.¡± After giving it some thought, I lifted the box in my hand and looked at him


    smilingly. ¡°I bought some clothes that are different from your usual style for you.¡±


    He squinted and continued to re at me. I guessed he was probably pissed off because I window-


    shopped and forgot the time.


    I continued, ¡°Do you want to try it? I swiped your card to buy it!¡±


    His brows seemed to be a little rxed. Shortly afterward, he said tiredly, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Get some rest


    earlier.¡±


    At this time, I felt that I increasingly didn¡¯t understand him. Before he left, I couldn¡¯t help but ask,


    ¡°Ashton, can we talk?¡±


    He stood still and didn¡¯t turn around. Meanwhile, the bedroom was dimly lit with the bedsidemp.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    I pursed my lips while putting down the clothes in my hand. ¡°Are you angry because I¡¯m not good


    enough? Please tell me if it¡¯s true, and I promise to improve.¡±


    Ashton looked at me with slight anger and said, ¡°No, you did well and impably.¡±


    Despite his assurance, I knew that he was pissed off.


    I pursed my lips and added, ¡°Ashton, don¡¯t you think we are not like a husband and a wife at all?¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± He said with slight disdain, ¡°So, what do you think a husband and a wife should look like?


    Since we are married for many years, it¡¯s time to look for a conclusion.¡±


    Stunned by his response, I felt that the conversation was rendered futile. Since silence was perhaps


    better at this moment, I immediately changed my mind and stopped talking.


    He looked at me but didn¡¯t utter a word. Meanwhile, I felt that if we always chose silence over


    conversation whenever problems arose, we would push ourselves further away from each other.


    Hence, I gave it some thought and said, ¡°I cut my hair.¡±


    He murmured a response as if he was not as irritated as before. ¡°I¡¯m not blind!¡±


    ¡°I hide my wound. It¡¯ll be okay as long as others can see it.¡±


    Suddenly, he gave me a cold-eyed stare and asked, ¡°Will it be okay just because you hide it?¡±


    Holding in his anger, he added, ¡°Scarlett, do you think the problems won¡¯t exist as long as you don¡¯t


    mention it?¡±


    I was rendered speechless. ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Go to bed. Let¡¯s choose not to speak to each other,¡± He said rudely before leaving the bedroom.


    I pursed my lips and stared at the bag on the floor for quite some time before going to bed.


    Just as expected, I stared at the ceiling for a long time but couldn¡¯t fall asleep.


    Since Ashton didn¡¯t return to the bedroom, I supposed he slept in the study instead.


    The next morning, it began to drizzle.


    I had a sore throat as soon as I woke up. It somehow proved thatck of sleep could weaken the


    immune system because I had caught a cold.


    When I opened my eyes, Ashton, who wore a grim expression, put his hand on my forehead to check if


    I got a cold.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I think I probably caught a cold!¡± I said to him and got up.


    A momentter, he got a ss of water and a pill for me and reminded me, ¡°Get some rest after taking


    the pill. If you still feel unwell in the afternoon, I¡¯lle home and bring you to the hospital.¡±


    Lying on the bed, I nodded and watched him left the bedroom.


    Given that a cold wouldn¡¯t clear up easily, I got my identification card and called a cab to the hospital.


    Instead of visiting the respiratory unit, I saw a doctor who was an elder in the traditional and


    complementary medicine unit.


    Nevertheless, he instructed a young man next to him, ¡°Check up on her.¡±


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    Apparently, he was training his apprentice.


    The young man nced at me for a while before he sat on the table nervously and asked me to stretch


    my hand.


    After checking up on me, the man looked at the elder and me for a while, as though he was unsure


    about my condition.


    The elder nodded at him as a gesture for him to speak.


    Hesitated for a while, he finally said, ¡°You have spleen and kidney deficiency as well as mild iron


    deficiency.¡±

 Chapter 617

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 617


    The elder didn¡¯t respond to it but merely nodded. Then, he gestured at him to get up and checked up


    on me by himself. A momentter, he looked at me and said, ¡°May I know how old you are?¡±


    ¡°Thirty-one!¡±


    The elder nodded and continued, ¡°Do you have children?¡±


    I initially nodded but quickly shook my head in response. He knitted his brows and asked, ¡°Do you have


    children? Just nod your head if the answer is yes.¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    A little startled, he said, ¡°Based on your symptoms, you seemed to have carried a child before.


    Besides, your pregnancy should be full-term.¡±


    I pursed my lips for a while and decided to tell him the truth. ¡°I had a miscarriage, and my baby


    suffocated to death.¡±


    Still frowning, he paused for a while and exined, ¡°If you¡¯re not nning to have a baby, you can still


    maintain your health by having healthy food and lifestyle. However, it will be problematic if you n to


    have a baby because you might have uterine bleeding. Given that your body is weak, both you and


    your baby might be in danger if you insist on giving birth to the baby. After the previous surgery, the


    doctor should have informed you that your uterine wall is thin. In that case, you¡¯ll probably have


    recurring miscarriages.¡±


    I looked at the doctor in disbelief and asked bewilderedly, ¡°But I had my previous baby through an


    artificial way instead of¡­¡±


    He nodded and replied, ¡°I understand. Due to that reason and your age, it¡¯s not easy to be pregnant.


    Even if you¡¯re pregnant, chances are the same oue will ur again.¡±


    My brain was buzzing when I exited the hospital. After the surgery, I dedicated myself to taking care of


    Summer and never thought about pregnancy.


    Hence, I never thought that I couldn¡¯t carry a baby anymore due to the surgery. Back then, because the


    amniotic fluid leaked, my baby instinctively struggled by kicking my uterine wall.


    Moreover, I contracted some diseases due to my vagina tears. As a result, my immune system was


    disrupted and automatically rejected sperms from joining my egg. In other words, it was almost certain


    that I was infertile.


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    How ridiculous was my life! When I became hopeful to have a new life, reality plunged a knife into my


    body to stop me from moving forward.


    Later, I bumped into Marcus when I was in the hospital. I wasn¡¯t sure if he happened to be here or on


    purpose.


    After nearly half a year, he still looked handsome but was a littlenguish.


    He blocked my way and said in a deep voice, ¡°Scarlett, we need to talk.¡±


    I frowned and looked up at him. ¡°We have nothing to talk about.¡±


    Unexpectedly, he sneered in a self-ridicule way, ¡°Do you loathe me that much?¡±


    Pursing my lips, I refused to reply to him.


    ¡°Ashton has acquired most of the shares of the White Corporation, while the Chamber of Commerce


    and the court are investigating me and about to deliver their sentence. Are you satisfied with the


    oue?¡±


    He put on a faint smile and didn¡¯t look upset, as though he wasn¡¯t referring to himself.


    I said disgruntledly, ¡°Let¡¯s sit down and talk.¡±


    They went to the visitors¡¯ room in the hospital downstairs.


    The wind was blowing softly, while the weather was neither cold nor hot. In the visitors¡¯ room, I didn¡¯t


    utter a word and kept staring at him.


    When he nced at me, I couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Did you regret saving me in the past?¡±


    Startled for a while, he curled his lips into a smile and replied, ¡°Never!¡±


    I lowered my gaze and heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Initially, I didn¡¯t understand why Ashton would push


    White Corporation to the wall. He prohibited me from contacting you or receiving any news about you.


    Besides, he would be pissed off andsh out at me once I mentioned you.¡±


    I paused for a while and heaved a sigh. ¡°During Emery¡¯s wedding, you told him about the kid and what


    happened to me, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    He gazed at me and nodded his head coldly. Then, he exined as if he didn¡¯t want to hide the truth


    from me, ¡°Yes. When the baby came out from your stomach, he had encephalitis due to hypoxia.


    Besides, the baby could still breathe, but his days were numbered because of extrusion during


    childbirth.¡±


    Meanwhile, as my heart suddenly wrenched, I couldn¡¯t help but shiver and felt suffocated.


    He continued sadly, ¡°I asked the doctor if there was any chance to save the baby. The answer was that


    it was virtually impossible. When I put him in the incubator, he opened his eyes once. His eyes were


    big, sparkling, and looked just like yours. I guess he will look like you if he could grow up. However, I¡¯m


    sorry because the probability of his survival was too small. Hence, before you were sober, I chose to


    abandon him.¡±


    As he was exining, I nervously clenched my fists and pinched my fingernails into my flesh.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you try? There was a little chance, after all. At the very least, you had to let me see my


    baby. Why didn¡¯t you let me see him!¡±


    A momentter, he replied calmly, ¡°He was a deformed baby. Even if he stayed alive, he would be


    your liability in the future.¡±


    ¡°But he was my child! It was I who didn¡¯t protect him well and hurt him. How could you me him?¡± I


    covered my chest, feeling difficult to breathe.


    Nheless, he still looked at me nonchntly and replied, ¡°I told Ashton about it, hoping that he could


    let you go. Scarlett, I don¡¯t need children. If you really like children, I can give Camelia some money


    and instruct her to return to M Country. In return, I¡¯ll keep her child for you, just like how you take care


    of Summer now. Isn¡¯t it a great idea?¡±

 Chapter 618

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 618


    At this moment, I was a little terrified by his ferocious face. Since when did he be so extreme?


    Knowing that I couldn¡¯t bear a child anymore, he intended to drive Camelia away once she gave birth to


    a baby. After that, he could possess both his lover and the child by trapping me by his side.


    Therefore, I couldn¡¯t help but feel that he was unimaginably horrible. ¡°Marcus, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re too


    selfish to do that? Camelia loves you more than you think, yet you are willing to hurt her deeply. You


    will never meet someone who loves you as much as her.¡±


    Surprisingly, he snickered, ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡±


    Holding in my emotions, I stood up and rebutted, ¡°Well, we¡¯re even now. You obliterated my hope to


    have a baby in the past, and now Ashton destroyed your career. Anyway, I¡¯ll still repay you for saving


    my life.¡±


    As I was leaving, he suddenly grabbed my arm and requested, ¡°Don¡¯t rush. Please sit here and keep


    mepany for a little longer.¡±


    I was actually reluctant to do it.


    However, he forcefully pulled me back to my seat and continued, ¡°I understand that you loathe me and


    aren¡¯t willing to see me. However, I¡¯m too lonely. During every new year¡¯s eve, everyone in the


    company would go home to reunite with their family. However, I would be standing on the top floor and


    overlooking the glowing city alone. This was how I spent my new year every year. It wasn¡¯t my habit to


    reminisce, yet I always dreamed about my parents. They would prepare a lot of dishes during every


    new year¡¯s eve and asked me toe home.¡±


    He paused a moment and continued, ¡°But when I woke up, I was still all alone in my room. So, I


    thought I would feel better by visiting you. There was a time when I drove to your well-lit vi. I could


    hear you guys chatting andughing from outside. When I wished to bring you out, Ashton irritated me


    because he hugged you smilingly. I mean, the happiness in your house was something that I never had


    before.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure how to reply to him. After falling silent for a while, I finally replied, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte now. I


    should get going.¡±


    He didn¡¯t stop me but added before I left, ¡°Scarlett, have you thought about what would happen next? I


    mean, you can¡¯t be pregnant, and Summer isn¡¯t his biological daughter. No matter how much Ashton


    loves you, he still has to do as the Fullers wish when necessary. Besides, what did George, whom you


    respected, hope for before he passed away? Since you¡¯re still young, do you think Sally will let you two


    continue being a couple once she knows the truth? Scarlett, life is not a drama script, and the people


    won¡¯t be as open-minded as you imagine.¡±


    My lips quirked as I nced at him and replied, ¡°Marcus, you¡¯re really good at rubbing salt into my dear


    wound. You¡¯re aware of how words can bring about pain to others. Nevertheless, those are merely your


    words, which do not reflect the truth. For instance, if a man¡¯s girlfriend carries a child, he will marry her


    instead of driving her away. He wouldn¡¯t ask another woman, whom he doesn¡¯t love, to bear him a


    child. As you said, life is not a drama script. In that case, why are you not willing to go back to your life


    and live it to the fullest?¡±


    After all, some people never loved each other from the moment they met until they separated.


    Sometimes, they would possibly be grateful and guilty but never fell for one another.


    The night had closed in when I returned to the vi. Suddenly, Emery called me and said hastily,


    ¡°Scarlett, do you treat me as your friend? You didn¡¯t visit me after I delivered my baby nor when I was


    in confinement. Also, you didn¡¯t show up even after I invited you many times. What do you want?¡±


    Actually, I thought about visiting Emery after going to the hospital. Nheless, I forgot about it as


    soon as I left the house.


    Now that it was alreadyte and I had returned to the vi, I wasn¡¯t sure about how I had to reply to her.


    After pondering over it for a while, I said, ¡°Emery, I¡¯m so sorry. I went to the hospital this morning,


    but¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you say you went to the hospital? What happened? Why did you go to the hospital? What¡¯s


    wrong?¡±


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    Her series of questions stunned me. ¡°I caught a cold but am feeling better now.¡±


    I didn¡¯t tell her that I couldn¡¯t carry a child.


    Startled for a while, she said caringly, ¡°In that case, you should get enough rest at home. You can visit


    my baby and me any time after you¡¯ve recovered. However, you must be present when I¡¯m organizing a


    birthday party for my baby. You¡¯re her cousin, after all!¡±


    I was initially at a loss before realizing that her baby and I were actually cousins. I couldn¡¯t help but


    chuckle and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll definitely be there!¡±


    After talking to Emery, I felt a lot better. It was already night, and Flora was cleaning up the kitchen.


    Once I arrived, she weed me and said, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, why did youe homete? Where did you


    go? Mr. Fuller called a few times and was nervous. Please go upstairs to see him.¡±


    As she talked, she pointed at the first floor and gestured for me to go upstairs. Nevertheless, I was a


    little bewildered because I had supposedly turned on my phone.


    After checking my phone, I realized that I identally turned on the ¡°call forwarding¡± function for


    Ashton¡¯s number. I guessed I touched my screen unknowingly.


    I went upstairs and saw Ashton in the dimly lit study. He was standing in front of the French window


    and looked rather lonely.

 Chapter 619

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 619


    ¡°Ashton¡­¡± I called out in a slightly lower voice, guilt-ridden. He must have called me many times.


    Standing in front of the window, he seemed oblivious to my voice, but I¡¯m sure he heard it. After all,


    there were only two of us in this empty room. How could he not hear me?


    I walked nearer and stood behind him, taking the initiative to admit my mistake. ¡°I went to see a doctor


    at the hospital. My phone identally¡­¡±


    Suddenly, he turned around and stared at me. His icy gaze was as deep as a bottomless ocean.


    ¡°You¡¯ve never addressed me so intimately before.¡±


    I froze at his statement, and my mind went nk. Gazing at him, I was puzzled. ¡°I¡­¡±


    The tall and slender man came closer and stood in front of me. For some inexplicable reason, the


    atmosphere felt chilly. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for Summer, would you have left without hesitation?¡±


    My brows knitted together. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Have you met Marcus?¡± he asked. His calm voice was devoid of emotion.


    I was stunned. All of a sudden, I understood why he was so sullen. Pursing my lips, I answered, ¡°I


    bumped into him at the hospital¡¯s entrance.¡±


    ¡°Mmm.¡± He hummed in response, reaching out and tucking a few strands of hair away from my


    forehead. ¡°Don¡¯t meet him anymore, alright?¡±


    He¡¯s angry. Though he was good at concealing his emotion, I could still feel it.


    Feeling defeated, I nodded my head faintly. I remembered a book I¡¯d once read said that a man would


    only love a woman for a lifetime if she left him when he loved her the most.


    I was young back then, so I couldn¡¯t grasp what it meant. After giving it some thought, Ipletely


    agreed with it.


    Marcus was right. I was infertile, but the Fullers needed children to carry on their family¡¯s name. They


    might be fine in the first two to three years. But what was going to happen as time passed? No one


    could predict the future.


    He was surrounded by many outstanding women, yet Rachel was his perfect match.


    He reached out to hold my hand, but I avoided his touch. Looking up at him, I gave him a faint smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. We should go to bed.¡±


    Turning around and heading to the bedroom, I heard the sound of hasty footsteps behind me. He then


    grabbed my arm, dragged me into the bedroom, and locked the door.


    Pinning me on the wall, he appeared a little gloomy. ¡°Scarlett, tell me. What do you want from me?¡±


    I pressed my lips into a hard line, lifting my head to stare at him. ¡°Ashton, there¡¯s nothing I want from


    you. You¡¯re fine just the way you are. It¡¯ste. Let¡¯s sleep.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± He was provoked. ¡°Are you upset that Marcus is in dire straits and alone, so you want to be


    a saint and help him out?¡±


    My brows drew together. ¡°Ashton, what are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that so?¡± he sneered. ¡°You pushed me to Rachel and went to the hospital just to see Marcus, am I


    right?¡±


    Stupefied, I was tongue-tied for a moment. Afterward, I couldn¡¯t help but talk back to him. ¡°Rachel is an


    outstanding woman. She¡¯s gorgeous and talented¡­¡±


    ¡°Hah! Should I thank you for putting so much effort into this? You¡¯re really something. Other women


    rack their brains to stop their husbands from having an affair, but you¡¯re so keen to push me to another


    woman! Oh, I should be grateful to you!¡± he sniggered.


    I lost my words again. Looking up at him, I felt a lump in my throat.


    Tears escaped the corners of my eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to push you away. I thought you had something


    to discuss with her yesterday, so I left you both alone. When I went back to you, you were already


    gone, so I came home alone. And I didn¡¯t meet up with Marcus on purpose. We ran into each other at


    the hospital. Ashton, I¡¯m not trying to push you away. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t know what to do,¡± I replied in a


    croaky voice.


    His expression softened, and his gaze became gentle. Letting out a sigh, he pulled me into a hug. ¡°I¡¯m


    sorry I lost my cool.¡±


    I dropped my gaze, shaking my head lightly. Breaking free from his arms, I entered the bathroom.


    A rtionship would onlyst if both parties were evenly matched. He was definitely out of my league.


    In a daze, I stood under the shower and let the cool water sprinkle on my body.


    What should I do next? I¡¯m so lost.


    After a long while, I stepped out of the bathroom and saw him puffing away on the balcony. Usually, I


    would snuggle up against his chest and gently asked him not to smoke. But this time, I dried my hair


    and got into bed straight away.


    A whiff of tobo smell lingered in the bedroom. Suddenly, I started coughing uncontrobly, as I had


    yet to recover from my flu.


    Maybe my coughs were quite loud. He quickly stubbed out his cigarette, marched into the bathroom,


    and poured me a ss of water. Patting on my back, he asked, ¡°Have you taken your medicine?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°The doctor said it¡¯s no big deal. There¡¯s no need to have any medicine because they


    have side effects too.¡±


    He furrowed his brows slightly without uttering a word. When he saw me stop coughing, he stood up


    and made his way to the bathroom.


    After catching my breath, Iy on the bed again and closed my eyes, trying to sleep. However, I found


    myself wide awake.


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    If I wasn¡¯t asleep by the time he finished showering, I wouldn¡¯t know what to talk to him.


    I¡¯d better pretend to be asleep then.

 Chapter 620

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 620


    Half an hourter.


    The bathroom door opened, and he came out. After a series of soft noises, the spot beside me sank


    downward. The man justy beside me on the bed.


    Initially, I thought he would cuddle me to sleep like he always did, but he didn¡¯t. The bed felt unusually


    spacious and empty.


    That night, we slept on each side of the bed until the sun rose the next morning.


    When I woke up, Ashton was already not around.


    Still a little sleepy, I reached out to take my phone to check the time. It was only 6 a.m., so I could still


    sleep for a little longer.


    Just when I closed my eyes and drifted off, the bedroom door opened, and the sound of footsteps


    approached the bed.


    Immediately, I could feel someone¡¯s presence right beside me. ¡°Scarlett, it¡¯s time to wake up.¡± It was


    Ashton¡¯s voice.


    Opening my eyes, I saw him sit by the bed. Dressed in ck, he appeared forbidding and poised.


    I rolled over, resting my head on my arm while gazing at him through lidded eyes. ¡°Are you not going to


    the office?¡±


    He gave me a half-smile. ¡°I¡¯ll go in a while. Come on, let¡¯s have breakfast. Are you going to the Moore


    Residence to see Emery?¡±


    Heavy-eyed, I nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m going, but there¡¯s no need to rush.¡±


    He helped me sit up on the bed, looking at me. ¡°Let¡¯s go early then. Would you like to have lunch with


    me at noon?¡±


    Cupping my weary face, I nodded sluggishly. ¡°Okay.¡±


    With his eyes still on me, he smiled gently. Lifting his hand to hold my chin, he pecked me on the cheek


    impishly and chuckled. ¡°You look so confused.¡±


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    I opened my eyes and nced at him, letting out a sigh. ¡°You should get going.¡±


    Fortunately, Summer had her own driver, or else I would struggle so much to wake up early every day.


    Instead of heading to work, he came back into the bedroom a few minutester and carried me up in


    his arms.


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave the house together. I¡¯ll send you to the Moore Residence on my way to work.¡±


    In a daze, I said, ¡°Your office and the Moore Residence aren¡¯t in the same direction.¡±


    ¡°No worries, it¡¯s alright.¡± While speaking, he already filled a cup with warm water and gestured for me to


    gargle with it.


    The scene looked like a father taking care of his disabled daughter.


    After eating breakfast, we got into the car.


    Not having enough sleep, I leaned my face on the window and had some shuteye.


    The car stopped at a crossroads when the traffic lights turned red. Ashton reached out and pulled me


    back to my seat. ¡°It¡¯s cool.¡±


    With my head tilted, I still felt a little groggy as I looked at him. ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    The corner of his lips twitched up. ¡°Sleep for a while. We¡¯ll be there when you wake up.¡±


    Nodding my head, I closed my eyes and dozed off again.


    At Moore Residence, the car park was almost full.


    Right when Ashton was about to wake me up, I jolted awake, staring nkly out the window.


    Why were there so many visitors today? If I showed up now, would it be inconvenient for Emery?


    However, I was overthinking. Ashton had to leave for work, so I stood in front of the gate, hesitating.


    Before I went in, Cameron spotted me.


    She scampered over to me with a smile. ¡°Emery just told me yesterday that you might being over


    in the next few days, but I didn¡¯t expect to see you today. Come on in.¡±


    There were quite a number of people in the living room when Cameron brought me in. Some greeted


    me, while the others cast curious nces at me.


    Unexpectedly, Cameron introduced me to each one of them, but that wasn¡¯t what I came here for.


    Hence, I excused myself to see Emery.


    The Moore Residence was ptial, and the area where Emery stayed was quiet and peaceful. No one


    else was around other than the two caregivers, who were there to take care of the baby.


    Emery was lying on the bed. Perhaps she just finished breastfeeding. The baby was in a deep slumber,


    while she hummed a song in a daze.


    Hearing the sound when I came in, she looked up and saw me. Excited, the woman wanted to jump


    down from the bed, but the caregivers stopped her.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, please don¡¯t get out of bed and move around yet. You need to rest for a few more days.¡±


    Helplessly, she gazed at me with a pitiful look. ¡°Look, Scarlett, I¡¯m so miserable.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help smiling at her. Walking over to sit on the bed, I nced at the barely one-week-old baby,


    whose face was still rather wrinkly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look. It¡¯s all Hunter¡¯s fault. The baby is so ugly and hasn¡¯t inherited my beauty.¡±


    Though Emery was grumbling, her gaze on the baby was full of affection.


    I chuckled at her words. A pang of envy washed over me. ¡°New-borns usually look like this. Their


    appearances will change after just a few days.¡±


    She pursed her lips. A few secondster, she nced at me and teased, ¡°When are you and Ashton


    going to have a second baby? You¡¯re back in K City for a long while. Why is there no good news from


    you yet? Is Ashton too old for that already?¡±


    I went speechless, forcing augh. ¡°He¡¯s only thirty-five. How is he too old for that? Don¡¯t be silly.¡±


    Cupping her chin, she asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you try for another baby then?¡±


    ¡°Having Summer alone is enough,¡± I answered with a smile. I can¡¯t have another baby, even if I want to.


    Her forehead creased. ¡°Scarlett, after all, Ashton is a man. Though his parents haven¡¯t urged you both,


    I¡¯m sure deep down, they¡¯re eager and hope for another grandchild. I think you both should really go for


    it.¡±


    I balled up my fists at her advice. ncing at her, I asked, ¡°Why are there so many people today?¡±

 Chapter 621

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 621


    Seeing that I had changed the topic, she pouted her lips. ¡°Tsk. It¡¯s a tradition here in K City that


    rtives and friends wille over with gifts and supplements to visit the baby. It¡¯s a reunion with the


    rtives as well.¡±


    Nodding my head in acknowledgment, I heaved a sigh of relief inwardly for changing the subject


    sessfully.


    After chatting away for a moment, she couldn¡¯t stand the drowsiness and fell asleep, but her new-born


    woke up.


    Opening his eyes, the baby nced around inquisitively and kicked his legs.


    ¡°That¡¯s his favorite move. He¡¯s much smarter than many new-borns,¡± the caregiver said with a smile


    while walking in.


    I returned her smile. With my eyes fixed on the baby, a sense of tenderness grew within my heart. I


    stretched out my hand to touch his, and the baby gripped my finger.


    His palm felt velvety soft. The alone time I had with the baby was quiet, rxing, and heart-warming.


    I was still deep in contemtion when Cameron came in. Her voice snapped me out of my reverie.


    ¡°Letty, we¡¯ve prepared your favorite food, like sweet and sour pork ribs, grilled eggnt, and blueberry


    cheesecake. Let¡¯s eat lunch now. You cane back to Emery and the baby afterward.¡±


    Dumbfounded, I nced at my watch. It was already noon.


    Recalling that I was supposed to have lunch with Ashton, I declined her offer, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t stay for


    lunch, because I need to head to the Fuller Corporation soon.¡±


    Cameron shed me a sly smile. ¡°Are you going to have lunch with Ashton?¡±


    Her question stunned me, and I said nothing.


    She giggled at my reaction. ¡°Mr. Fuller is already here. He¡¯s in the living room now. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    I was a little surprised. When did hee?


    Stepping into the living room, I saw Ashton sitting at a huge dining table, which could seat up to sixteen


    people. Most of them at the table were strangers to me.


    I sat at the vacant spot beside Ashton, asking him in a soft voice, ¡°When did youe over?¡±


    ¡°I came a while ago,¡± he replied in a deep voice.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call me?¡± I questioned. Then, I saw someone I knew at the table. It was Robert.


    Ashton held my hand. ¡°I did, but you didn¡¯t pick up.¡±


    I was puzzled. Fishing out my phone, I saw a few missed calls. Only then I realized that my phone was


    in silent mode.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I switched my phone to silent mode.¡±


    Holding my hand, he didn¡¯t say a word.


    The people at the table made small talk with one another. Emery stayed in her bedroom, as she was on


    bed rest.


    After lunch, the visitors took their leave one by one, while Zachary walked them to the door. In the


    meantime, Cameron grabbed my hand and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you both stay the night and leave


    tomorrow? There¡¯re many rooms here.¡±


    I shook my head and replied impassively, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte.¡± I was rather taciturn.


    Ashton seemed to have noticed that I¡¯m in a grim mood. He made an excuse and took me out of the


    vi.


    Outside the living room, Robert said goodbye to Zachary before he got into his car with the help of a


    young man.


    As Ashton and I were walking out, I found the young man familiar, but I couldn¡¯t recall where I had seen


    him.


    After Zachary sat in the car, the young man turned around and bid farewell to Zachary.


    ncing at his aloof and stern face, I finally recollected that he was the man who saved me in J City.


    Why was he here?


    Was he one of the Murphys or just working for them?


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Ashton¡¯s voice sounded beside my ear and broke me out of my trance. As I sauntered


    toward the car, I locked eyes with the young man.


    Nevertheless, he only cast me an indifferent nce before he got into the car and drove away.


    It waste at night when we arrived home. Exhausted, I headed to the bedroom after saying a few


    words.


    Leaningnguidly against the couch, I was worn out. A few momentster, Ashton sat by my side. The


    man seemed to have something to say, but he couldn¡¯t find his words.


    Still, I chose to remain silent. Over the past few days, we appeared perfectly normal. He was still gentle


    and caring toward me, while I beamed with joy whenever I saw him.


    Yet, something just felt different now. It was even more unbearable than fighting like cats and dogs or


    shouting at each other at the top of our lungs.


    ¡°Scarlett, we¡­¡± His voice trailed off the moment his phone rang.


    His forehead puckered, but he picked up the phone anyway. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± the man asked in an


    icy tone.


    I couldn¡¯t hear what the person on the other side of the phone said. Unexpectedly, Ashton jumped to


    his feet with his brows snapped together. ¡°Don¡¯t panic. I¡¯ming over.¡±


    After ending the call, he gazed at me apologetically. ¡°Scarlett¡­¡±


    Before he finished speaking, I interrupted him with a gentle smile, ¡°Go ahead. Watch out on the road.


    Don¡¯t be anxious and settle everything calmly.¡±


    He was nonplussed by my response. In the next second, a smile spread across his face, and he


    nted a kiss on my cheek. ¡°Sure.¡±


    Immediately, the man left.


    After sitting on the couch for some time, I remembered that I had not spoken to Summer for a long


    while.


    Standing up, I headed to her room. The five-year-old girl was now more disciplined than before.


    Her room was very tidy, and she was studying at a table. The moment she saw me, a sweet smile


    appeared on her face, and she ran toward me. ¡°Mommy, did you go to see the baby this afternoon?¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content.

 Chapter 622

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 622


    I grinned. ¡°Yes. Who told you that?¡±


    ¡°Uncle John called and told me this morning.¡±


    Surprised, I smiled at her. John was quick at getting updates.


    I carried her up and sat on the bed. With a solemn face, I gazed at the little girl. ¡°Summer, I¡¯ll be away


    for several days. Do you want to stay with Mr. Fuller or Uncle John and Grandpa?¡±


    She tilted her head while staring at me in bewilderment. ¡°Mommy, aren¡¯t you going to bring me along?¡±


    ¡°Summer, you need to go to school, so you can¡¯t go around with me all the time. Just stay in K City.


    Uncle John, Grandpa, and Mr. Fuller will take good care of you.¡±


    ¡°But I want to go out and have fun with you, Mommy,¡± she protested with a frown.


    ¡°Summer!¡± I raised my voice. ¡°You cane with me during the school holidays. Do you remember


    that you¡¯ve taken a day off previously? Everyone has their own responsibilities, children and adults


    alike. Just like how Mr. Fuller goes to work every day, you need to go to school every day too.¡±


    As usual, knowing that I was angry, the little girl no longer argued with me. She kept quiet for a moment


    before saying, ¡°Okay, Mommy. I¡¯ll listen to you.¡±


    Opening my mouth, I wanted to say something tofort her, but in the end, the only words I could say


    were to ask her to take care of herself.


    At night.


    It was already 12 a.m. when Ashton came home. In my sleep, I vaguely felt that he got into bed, but I


    was too sleepy to ask him how things went.


    The next morning, he had left when I woke up.


    Flora knocked on the door. ¡°Good morning, Mrs. Fuller. Your breakfast is ready. Before Mr. Fuller left


    this morning, he asked me to send his clothes for cleaning.¡±


    I nodded and allowed her toe in and go into the bathroom.


    She was the one taking care of and in charge of theundry, so I let her do whatever she needed to.


    Tying my hair up, I went into the bathroom to freshen up.


    As the woman was taking out the clothes Ashton had worn yesterday, her body suddenly went stiff.


    Instinctively, I turned to look at her and saw her holding a white shirt. There was a ring, red lipstick


    stain on the cor.


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, maybe Mr. Fuller¡­¡± Flora was at a loss for words. The atmosphere was awkward at that


    moment.


    I shed her an assuring smile. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Perhaps it was rubbed on the shirt identally. Go ahead


    and send it for cleaning.¡±


    Lowering my head, I continued brushing my teeth and washing my face. To be honest, I was unfazed.


    After years of being together, I knew full well what kind of a man Ashton was.


    When it came to loyalty and rtionship, I had faith in him, and I wouldn¡¯t doubt him only because of a


    small matter like this.


    Breathing a sigh of relief, Flora left the room with theundry.


    After walking away for a short while, she retraced her steps and stood at the doorway. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, Mr.


    Fuller isn¡¯t that kind of man. Please don¡¯t think too much.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve known one another for eight years, so I know his character very well. I trust him,¡± I replied with


    a confident smile.


    Then, she seemed relieved and walked out of the bedroom.


    After having breakfast, I asked Flora to take care of Summer and headed to Hannah¡¯s ce.


    It¡¯s been almost half a year since Ist saw her. On my way, I went to a shopping mall and bought


    some baby clothes as a gift for her child.


    When I arrived, the baby, who was less than one year old, was crying unceasingly while Hannah held


    him in her arms tofort him.


    The woman saw me, and she couldn¡¯t help but freeze for a second. Handing the baby to the caregiver,


    she strode over to me. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you¡¯reing? I could¡¯ve picked you up. Have you


    eaten?¡±


    ¡°I ate before leaving my house,¡± I answered with a smile. My gazended on the baby. ¡°Is he hungry?¡±


    Hannah signed andined, ¡°He just can¡¯t stop crying, whining about every little thing. This boy is


    even more attention-seeking than a girl.¡±


    Staring at her blissful face, I was ovee with envy. ¡°He¡¯s still a baby. I believe he¡¯ll be fine once he


    grows older.¡±


    I held back my urge to carry him and gave Hannah the gifts instead.


    Holding my hand, the woman babbled on while taking me into the living room and updated me about


    her current life.


    After leaving Hannah¡¯s ce, I didn¡¯t know where to go, wandering on the street. Then, I saw an old


    man selling sausages in an alley. The scene made me hark back to my past.


    Walking over, I asked for a few sausages, and the old man said, ¡°Miss, we have tacos and potato


    wedges. Do you want to buy them too?¡±


    Looking at his tanned and kind face, I couldn¡¯t resist nodding my head. ¡°Okay.¡±


    As I was about to pay, I found that my bag had no purse, but only a phone and a few bank cards. It¡¯s


    been years since I stopped bringing cash with me when I go out. My face turned red with


    embarrassment.


    The old man seemed to have noticed my situation and said with a grin. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m here every day.


    You can pay me whenever you pass by again.¡±


    I looked down at the food in my hands, which cost about ten bucks. Afterward, I handed the food back


    to him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I have no cash with me now.¡±


    However, he refused to take it back. ¡°Miss, just take it, it¡¯s on me. If you like it, you cane often.¡±


    I¡¯m never the one who could bring myself to reject others¡¯ kindness, so I nodded my head and took the


    bag of food. My cheeks heated up again.


    After thanking him, I took a seat in the alley and started eating the sausages and taco leisurely.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

 Chapter 623

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 623


    Staring at the golden potato wedges, I was too full to eat anymore, but it brought back my childhood


    memories.


    Thend in R Province was cultivable. Every year during spring, Grandma nted two acres of maize.


    From soil preparation to sowing to manuring to irrigation, I had to be there to give her a hand. On our


    way back, we dug up some potatoes to make potato wedges.


    Sometimes, we roasted them over the fire. When they were cooked, the dark, burnt skin was peeled


    and the golden potatoes smelled appetizing. With Grandma¡¯s homemade sauce, they were the most


    delicious food I had ever eaten.


    At that time, she often wiped the ashes on the tip of my nose andughed. ¡°When Letty gets married,


    I¡¯ll help you take care of your baby and feed the little one roasted potato as well.¡±


    My eyes misted over in reminiscence. A passer-by saw tears trickle down my cheeks. He handed me a


    packet of tissue and consoled me out of sympathy.


    ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re going through. But you¡¯re still young and have plenty of time ahead of


    you. No matter what problem you¡¯re facing, hang on and don¡¯t give up. Eventually, it¡¯ll pass. Cry it out,


    then start again.¡±


    Taking the tissue from him, I nodded gratefully. With a faint smile, I gave him the potatoes wedges in


    return. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    After pulling myself together, I ambled along the street instead of hailing a cab.


    Suddenly, my phone rang with a call from Ashton. ¡°Shall we eat lunch together?¡±


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ncing up at the sky, I actually felt that the weather in K City was getting warmer. Lifting my hand to


    shield my eyes from the dazzling sunlight, I stared at the leaves on a tree nkly.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to visit Aunt Sally.¡±


    Pausing briefly, he said, ¡°Flora told me that you didn¡¯t drive when you left the house. Be careful as you


    move about.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I replied while nodding my head before hanging up.


    It was past noon. I hailed a cab and headed South.


    Sally¡¯s house wasn¡¯t too far away. When I walked into the yard, she was about to have her lunch.


    The woman was surprised when she saw me. ¡°Lucky you! You¡¯re here just in time for lunch.¡±


    With that said, she stood up and took another set of utensils for me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat together,¡± she looked at me and said.


    I grinned at her and sat at the table. ¡°Mmm¡­ It looks yummy.¡±


    After lunch, Sally wanted to take a walk, so she took me and strolled around the house.


    There were many people in her neighborhood. A youngdy was holding her baby under the sun. She


    was grinning from ear to ear while ying with the baby.


    A momentter, the youngdy went away. Holding my hand, Sally said expectantly, ¡°Ashton and you


    need to buck up and have another baby. I¡¯m not working now, so I can¡¯t wait to look after your baby.¡±


    She paused for a second and nced at me in contemtion. ¡°Both Ashton and you are good-looking.


    I¡¯m sure your baby will be beautiful and even more adorable than Ashton when he was young.¡±


    She chuckled while letting her imagination run wild.


    I stered on a smile, but my heart felt heavy.


    After we went back to her house, Sally took some clothes to the backyard, and I trailed behind her.


    When I saw her washing her clothes with her hands, I squatted and helped her out.


    The woman tried to stop me a few times, but she gave up as I went on washing the clothes. Letting out


    a sigh, she exined, ¡°These are branded clothes, so I¡¯ve to hand-wash or send them for dry cleaning.


    But theundry shop is too far from here, so I wash them myself since I¡¯m free now.¡±


    I smiled and nodded in acknowledgment. ¡°If it¡¯s inconvenient for you to stay alone, why don¡¯t you move


    in with us? Our ce has more than enough rooms. It¡¯ll be livelier if you¡¯re there.¡±


    She chuckled. ¡°Have another baby, and I¡¯lle over to take care of the baby.¡±


    I didn¡¯t utter a word, so Sally thought I was shy and stopped talking about it. Standing up, she went into


    the house, brought a stool, and put it behind me.


    ¡°Ashton said that you often have backaches after the miscarriage. I¡¯ve never given birth before, so I¡¯m


    robust enough to handle this. Take a seat. Stop washing them if you¡¯re feeling unwell.¡±


    Initially, I wanted to decline, but I gave in to her insistence.


    When we had finished washing the clothes, we sat in the yard with some fruits on the table. Pouring me


    a ss of water, she said solemnly, ¡°Don¡¯t be shy. You¡¯re a mother now. As for Ashton¡¯s and your baby,


    I¡¯ve even thought of a few boy¡¯s and girl¡¯s names. When the timees, I¡¯ll list them out for your


    reference.¡±


    The water in the ss tasted bitter all of a sudden. I swallowed it, and the bitterness lingered in my


    throat.


    After chatting for a while, I wanted to make a move. Before I leave, she reminded me with concern,


    ¡°Have a safe journey. Text me when you¡¯re home.¡±


    I turned my head around and nodded at her. Perhaps I should make time to see Cameron. No matter


    how much resentment I felt toward her, she was still my biological mother.


    Sally stood at the doorway and sent me off with a smile. For some inexplicable reason, a wave of


    sorrow welled up in my heart. Walking over, I wrapped my arms around her. ¡°Ashton and I are not by


    your side every day, so please take good care of yourself.¡±


    She let out a heartyugh. ¡°Honey, why are you so sentimental all of a sudden? You cane over


    whenever you want.¡±


    I put on a smile and said in a gentle voice, ¡°I know that in your eyes, Ashton shouldn¡¯t be with an


    ordinary woman like me. Though you¡¯re not happy with me, you still care about us a lot. You¡¯re not his


    biological mom, but you have him on your mind all the time. In fact, you¡¯re really amazing.¡±

 Chapter 624

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 624


    Stunned, Sally paused for a moment before replying to me, ¡°Honey, what are you saying? This is all so


    sudden.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± I cut her off and wrapped my arms around her. There was a bittersweet feeling in my


    chest.


    This world is never a ce dictated by absolute rights or wrongs. Aren¡¯t we all merely treading grey


    areas day by day?


    There was an anxious expression on her face as she asked, ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    I gave her a cheeky smile in return. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m hoping you can help me with something.¡±


    Surprised, she asked, ¡°What is it?¡± Her expression turned serious.


    ¡°Can I borrow some money?¡±


    Sheughed out loud at my request. ¡°Honey, you gave me a shock!¡± She pulled out some notes from


    her pocket and stuffed them in my hands.


    Then, she chided me, ¡°Honey, why did you make it so dramatic? I really thought something serious had


    happened.¡±


    I chuckled as I counted out the money I needed and returned the rest to her. ¡°A tenner is enough.¡±


    I left Sally¡¯s house and headed to the taco stand. After I paid the seller, I went back to the vi.


    Ashton wasn¡¯t home yet. I drifted off into a daydream as I stared at the magnolias in full bloom in the


    yard.


    I snapped out of my daydream and decided to do something useful around the house. I started tidying


    up the second floor, and I had just finished cleaning the bedroom when Ashton came back.


    He frowned when he saw me. ¡°Your back is hurt. Just let Flora deal with the cleaning.¡± As he gently told


    me off, he pulled me down to sit on the bed.


    He continued, ¡°I heard you paid a visit to Aunt Sally today.¡±


    I nodded and looked at him. Suddenly I didn¡¯t know what else to say, and I just stayed silent.


    I leaned on his chest and listened to the calming sound of his heartbeat.


    He spoke up first. ¡°You didn¡¯t have any cash on you?¡±


    Slightly surprised, I nodded. ¡°I bought some food from a taco stand in an alley. I didn¡¯t have any cash


    on me, so I borrowed some money from Aunt Sally.¡±


    This got a sigh out of him. ¡°You can draw money using the debit card I gave you. Just use it whenever


    you need to buy something.¡±


    I nodded before asking, ¡°Do we have any cash at home?¡±


    ¡°There are several thousand in the drawer in the study. You can take it whenever you need it.¡±


    I mumbled my understanding and continued hugging him, just taking in his scent in silence.


    It had been drizzling in K City. I stood before the Moore residence, hesitating. If I go in, they¡¯ll ask me to


    stay for dinner, and if I say no, I¡¯ll upset both Cameron and Zachary.


    In the end, I decided not to go in. I lingered for a moment longer before leaving.


    Rain showers during spring weren¡¯t chilly. Instead, they brought with them warmer weather.


    Enjoying the weather, I walked around aimlessly after leaving the Moore residence. Somehow I ended


    up outside the Fuller Corporation office.


    So much time has passed, but I can still remember when I first set foot in K City five years ago. My life


    has changed so much since then.


    I approached the reception counter, certain that I would be required to make an appointment. To my


    surprise, the receptionist seemed to recognize me. She greeted me, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, wee to the


    office.¡±


    Pleasantly surprised, I asked, ¡°How do you know me?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Fuller informed us that you might drop by. You can just head on up,¡± she said amicably.


    I¡¯d almost forgotten that my return to K City¡ªas well as my rtionship with the Fullers¡ªhad been


    sshed across the tabloids. There wasn¡¯t much that the public didn¡¯t know about me, let alone for


    someone who worked at the Fuller Corporation.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    I walked into Ashton¡¯s office on the top floor of the building. He was already waiting for me at the door.


    There was a ck fountain pen in his hand as if he¡¯d gotten up in the middle of working.


    He pulled me into his arms and smiled gently. I could feel him releasing a sigh of relief. ¡°Why¡¯d you


    suddenly drop by?¡±


    Realizing that my clothes and hair were wet, he pulled me into his private restroom. He rummaged


    around for one of his spare shirts as he said sheepishly, ¡°You should take a shower and change into


    dry clothes.¡±


    I looked at the shirt in his hands and chewed my lips hesitantly. ¡°We¡¯re at your office.¡± What I really


    wanted to say was that the office was a public area, unlike our house. It would probably be quite


    inappropriate for me to walk around in his shirt.


    He smirked and gave me a peck on my lips. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just wear this first. I¡¯ll ask Joseph to bring you a


    set of clothes in a bit.¡±


    I heard his office line ringing as I walked into the restroom. I could make out the baritone of his voice as


    he replied, ¡°Come in!¡±


    Someone¡¯s probably here to pass him some documents. I turned on the showerhead and started


    bathing.


    I felt much warmer after the shower. I put on the ck shirt he¡¯d given me, which was longer than I¡¯d


    expected. The shirt brushed my knees.


    I patted my hair dry instead of using a hairdryer. I walked out of the restroom and saw Rachel standing


    beside Ashton at his desk.


    They were so engrossed in their discussion on the marketing strategies for the AI project that I thought


    Ashton must¡¯ve missed my entrance.


    Not wanting to disturb them, I waited quietly at the door of the restroom.


    Their discussion ended abruptly. His gaze thennded on me as he chided, ¡°You should blow-dry your


    hair, or you¡¯ll fall sick.¡±


    His brief remarks caused both of them to lose track of their discussion, and Rachel¡¯s gaze swivelled in


    my direction.


    She was obviously surprised at my appearance. Her eyes travelled my entire length, stopping on the


    ck shirt I was wearing.

 Chapter 625

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 625


    I chewed my lips subconsciously, feeling awkward under her stare.


    I recollected myself and replied to Ashton, ¡°I¡¯ll blow-dry it in a bit.¡± I usually avoided the hairdryer except


    during winter, as it was bad for my hair quality.


    Ashton knitted his brows as he stared at me somewhat sternly. Then, he turned to Rachel and said,


    ¡°Put the Marketing Department in charge of promoting the AI. You can settle the rest with Joseph.¡±


    Rachel frowned as she took a covert nce at me. ¡°Mr. Fuller, we need you to review all these


    materials personally before we can¡ª¡±


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You may leave now,¡± Ashton cut her off before looking at me out of the corner of his eye. He waved


    me over. ¡°Come here!¡±


    I walked towards him. Rachel red at me darkly, probably angered by my distraction.


    She left in a fit of irritation.


    Ashton embraced me as he coaxed, ¡°If you don¡¯t blow-dry your hair, you¡¯ll catch a cold.¡±


    As he was talking, he took the towel in my hand and began patting my hair dry.


    I nodded in response and pretended to look at my nails. Hmm, they¡¯re getting a bit long. I should cut


    them soon.


    His gentle stare was starting to burn a hole in the side of my head. I turned to face him and his


    maic gaze.


    ¡°Is there something on my face?¡± Instinctively, I lifted my hand towards my face. Rubbing at the


    possibly non-existent stains, my uncertainty grew.


    He burst intoughter as a hint of humor shed across his eyes.


    ¡°No!¡± He seemed to be holding back hisughter as he answered me.


    Nodding, I asked, ¡°Are we having lunch togetherter?¡±


    ¡°Is there anything you¡¯d like to eat?¡±


    ¡°Anything¡¯s fine!¡±


    He nodded in agreement, though he didn¡¯t specify what we were going to eat.


    Despite Joseph¡¯s several reminders on the meeting with the people from Granatano, Ashton made sure


    to dry my hair thoroughly first.


    Ashton didn¡¯t share even a hint of Joseph¡¯s anxiety. Instead, he had Joseph bring over a set of clothes


    for me and only left for the meeting after I¡¯d changed.


    His actions induced both a sense of helplessness and poignancy in me.


    Rachel suddenly entered the office to my shock. I addressed her, ¡°He has gone for his meeting.¡±


    She nodded and appeared a bit put out before cing some documents on his desk.


    However, she didn¡¯t seem like she was in a rush to leave. Instead, she stopped in front of me as if she


    had something to say.


    I stared at her directly. ¡°Ms. Zimmer, do you have something to say?¡±


    She didn¡¯t say anything but merely sat down in front of me. She only spoke once we were eye-to-eye.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller¡¯s been getting homete recently, hasn¡¯t he?¡±


    I raised my brows at her but didn¡¯t respond.


    She smirked and tossed out her next question nonchntly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious?¡±


    ¡°You can just speak directly, you know.¡± I wasn¡¯t well-versed in the art of dallying with awkward


    acquaintances.


    Her lips curved as she spoke in a smug tone. ¡°Since the AI technology is going public, we¡¯ve been


    working together tillte every day. Sometimes we¡¯re so busy we even forget to take dinner. Luckily Mr.


    Campbell is always so attentive andes by to remind us not to skip our meals.¡±


    Then, she bared her ws. ¡°Scarlett, you¡¯re in a far too different world from him. He needs someone


    who can keep up with him and support his career.¡±


    I looked at her, the lipstick mark on the cor of Ashton¡¯s shirt suddenlying to mind.


    I wasn¡¯t angry and merely replied indifferently, ¡°I¡¯ve always believed that courtesy and elegance are


    values that every mother passes down to her daughter, but I guess not every woman is lucky enough to


    have a mother.¡±


    ¡°Y-You¡­¡± She red at me, infuriated by the blow I¡¯d taken at her.


    I scoffed, ¡°Ms. Zimmer, no one is doubting your professional skills and talents. But I¡¯m sure Ashton and


    I share the same thoughts when ites to the other aspects of your character. Honestly, though, I am


    rooting for you.¡±


    She scrunched her brows in confusion.


    At that point, I was the one smiling cryptically at her.


    The stare-off ended shortly after as she left the room, looking somewhat difited.


    Soon, it was time for lunch.


    Ashton chose a restaurant serving Chanaean cuisine. The dishes were lightly seasoned and generally


    on the sweeter side, which rather suited the female pte.


    ¡°Do you have any ns this afternoon?¡± Ashton asked as he busied himself refilling my te.


    I paused for a moment and shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything nned for now.¡±


    He didn¡¯t ask any more questions after that. After I finished eating, he ced his hand on mine and


    said apologetically, ¡°I¡¯ve been quite busy these days. I¡¯m sorry I haven¡¯t been able to spend much time


    with you.¡±


    I chuckled and shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to apologize for that.¡±


    I was stuffed from lunch thanks to the feast he¡¯d ordered. He pulled me up from my seat while saying,


    ¡°Let¡¯s go for a walk. We need to burn off some of that food.¡±


    Since there was still time to spare, I ended up ambling aimlessly around the city with him.


    The sidewalks were crowded. As we were crossing the road, he pulled me tightly against him. He


    turned his head and said, ¡°Stay close to me and don¡¯t wander off.¡±


    He¡¯s acting like some dad reminding his daughter to be careful. I couldn¡¯t help but smile at his words.


    As I tilted my head upwards to look at the bright sky, I caught sight of the envious stares from the


    pedestrians around us.


    Ah, I almost forgot about his ability to always stand out in the crowd.


    There were many youths out and about that day. Just across the road, I saw a couple caught in a tight


    embrace, looking as if they couldn¡¯t bear to be apart.


    We neared the couple after crossing the road. I tugged on Ashton¡¯s shirtsleeve, catching his attention.


    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s up?¡±

 Chapter 626

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 626


    I nodded and pointed towards the hugging couple. I teased, ¡°You¡¯ve never told me about your past


    rtionships.¡±


    I paused as Reba abruptly came to mind. He did say that he had never loved Reba.


    As we made our way through the crowds, he stuck closer to me and replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t date when I was


    younger.¡±


    Shocked by his reply, I stared at him in disbelief. ¡°No! You¡¯re pulling my leg, right?¡±


    ¡°Back then, I was swamped with sses and essays every day. Grandpa also arranged for me to take


    extraw sses, so I basically didn¡¯t have time for anything else.¡±


    His exnation seems pretty reasonable. Pouting, I continued to prod him for an answer. ¡°Didn¡¯t you


    have any crushes then?¡±


    His eyes bored into mine as he replied, ¡°I had a crush on you the moment I saw you at J University.¡±


    Stunned, I began to blush furiously.


    We continued walking at a leisurely pace. Suddenly he asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you have questions for me?¡±


    ¡°What questions?¡± Confused, I stared back at him.


    ¡°A few days ago, Flora told me that there was a lipstick mark on my shirt. Why aren¡¯t you asking me


    about it?¡±


    This caught me by surprise, though I quickly recovered myself and said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing to ask. I trust


    you!¡±


    I could see that my answer had stunned him into silence. He appeared to be deep in thought, though I


    didn¡¯t have the mental energy to try and guess what was on his mind. I just wanted to enjoy my walk


    with him before his imminent return to the office.


    At the doors to the office, I waved goodbye to him and didn¡¯t follow him in. I gestured for him to head on


    up without me.


    He didn¡¯t leave but stood there, staring at me. ¡°You go first. I¡¯ll go in after you leave.¡±


    I didn¡¯t argue with him but merely smiled at him. I felt a twinge of regret at our somewhat anti-climactic


    separation.


    I¡¯d only taken a few steps before I turned and ran towards him, giving him a tight hug. I said hoarsely,


    ¡°Take care.¡±


    He frowned, puzzled at my behavior. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t want to go home?¡±


    I shook my head with my arms wrapped firmly around him. ¡°I just want to hug you.¡±


    I heard his chuckle before he replied, ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay here with me then? We can head home


    togetherter tonight.¡±


    At this, I finally loosened my arms. I straightened out his tie with a small smile on my face. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m


    going back now.¡±


    Lingering is a luxury I can no longer afford. This is goodbye, forever.


    I initially thought of taking a ne, but eventually decided on a train ride.


    The journey¡¯s going to be tedious, but I¡¯ll get to enjoy some nice views.


    The train pulled away from the station. I took out my phone, knowing it would be a big mistake if I didn¡¯t


    at least say goodbye.


    I guess texts are handy now when I can¡¯t bring myself to utter these words.


    I began typing: Ashton, I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯m leaving without saying goodbye. I thought I¡¯d recovered after


    returning from R Province. I thought I could stay by your side and have a happy life with you. But I


    should¡¯ve known the world would be much moreplicated than I imagined. I paused in the middle of


    typing, struck by a painful reminder. Cuts and bruises may heal over time, but they leave behind scars


    that will never allow us to forget the pain.


    Steeling myself, I continued the message: I got myself checked at the hospital. The doctors confirmed


    that I can never be pregnant again. That stillborn baby cost me my dreams of bearing my own


    child. I can¡¯t me you, nor can I me Cameron. You are the people I love, and the people I call my


    family. I can only call this suffering my own.


    Marcus told me that the baby didn¡¯t die of suffocation; it was actually deformed. What kind of a mother


    am I to give my baby such a painful fate? Maybe he was too eager to be my child and forgot to bring


    along some things with him in his rush. He fought so hard to meet me, yet I couldn¡¯t save him in the


    end. Ashton, I hope you can forgive me for leaving like this yet again. And I hope that you can take


    care of Summer for me.


    This is me tapping out. I used to think that revenge could help us find peace, but I¡¯vee to realize


    that the only thing we gain in return is suffering. I don¡¯t want to take revenge or wish ill upon anyone, so


    I¡¯m turning in the towel on my happy ending.


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    The train moved at a fast speed. Pristine views of the countryside flew past in a blur; the beauty was


    almost suffocating.


    I spent a couple of slow days on the train. The journey brought me past the glittering lights of unfamiliar


    cities and the lush greenery of thick forests. Once in a while, we passed by a small town. Each sighting


    was, however, fleeting.


    I thought about how my life had panned out over the past few years. Upon closer scrutiny, everything


    felt more like a dream.


    I was but a bystander in this dream.


    I reached Q City at dawn, and I got a night¡¯s rest at a hotel near the train station.


    I fell into a deep sleep. It was already noon when I woke up. The first thing on my agenda was to


    change my phone number.


    I went to Speed Mobile and got a local number.


    I decided toe to Q City in the end because someone once told me that it was the best ce to get


    away from the hustle and bustle of the big city.


    This is a much better ce for me toy down my roots than R Province.


    I¡¯d never sold Macy¡¯s house in Q City. It was still registered under Summer¡¯s name.


    I changed the locks and tidied up the house before moving in. A wave of nostalgia came over me. It


    seemed like just yesterday when Macy and I came to Q City together.


    Marcus said he buried the baby at Q City Cemetery. I wondered if it was because I once said in my


    sleep that I¡¯d like to raise him in Q City.


    That had been a long time ago, and I could no longer remember the situation clearly.

 Chapter 627

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 627


    It was May and the temperature had begun to rise.


    On our way to the cemetery, we saw many people offering flowers to the deceased.


    Q City was rtively small, with a slow pace of life. Most citizens of the city were born and raised there.


    Many still hold their local traditions close to heart.


    Marcus named the child North and decided not to give the child a surname.


    The photo of North had already faded, and his grave was covered with weed.


    I kneeled to pluck the weeds and tidied the area around it.


    After that, I leaned toward his grave and said with a weak smile, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have onlye now, my


    dear child.¡±


    I had been avoiding him for so long in hopes of letting go, but it was impossible.


    Next to us was ady in her thirties sobbing quietly.


    I nced over at the tombstone and saw that it was a middle-ageddy. My first thought was that the


    grave probably belonged to thedy¡¯s mother.


    There was no point in consoling her, so I kept silent. I felt empty as I watched her crying her heart out in


    pain. I wonder why am I not tearing up like her?


    Sometimeter, thedy stopped crying. She was startled when she noticed me and spoke with her


    hoarse voice. ¡°You¡­¡±


    I gave a slight smile and replied, ¡°I¡¯m here to see my child.¡±


    She gave the blurry photo on the tombstone a side nce. Even though it was a blurred photo, anyone


    could tell it was a baby.


    She stared nkly for a moment and asked, ¡°How old is he?¡±


    ¡°A full gestation month old.¡± Maybe slightly longer.


    She looked at me with her eyes still red and swollen. ¡°Life is so short.¡±


    I remained silent and slowly lowered my gaze onto the ground.


    When I was about to leave the cemetery, thedy was still around, seemingly unwilling to leave.


    She told me a story about an eight-year-old girl. That girl was born into a blissful family with her mother,


    father, and younger brother.


    However, periods of joy tend to end with sorrow. A disaster urred and took her father away. Her


    mother was unable to withstand the pain, so she brought along her brother and remarried, leaving the


    girl in the care of her grandmother.


    Her grandmother was a fortune teller and depended on that job for a living. She did not earn much and


    the girl¡¯s presence was an added burden for her.


    So, her grandmother channelled all the pain and suffering she had gone through into verbal and


    physical abuse. Eventually, the young girl chose to end her life in front of her father¡¯s grave.


    I found it a little weird when she told me, a stranger, the story.


    Regardless, I did not wish to dwell on it.


    After all, I was not a resident of Q City, and my purpose there was to visit my child.


    Back at the apartment, I took a long nap and dreamt of North waving to me to bid farewell.


    I woke up in tears and could no longer fall asleep.


    My heart ached as the painful memories unfolded.


    The following morning on my way to buy breakfast, I overheard the conversation between the steamed


    buns¡¯ stall owner and her husband.


    ¡°I heard that a youngdy killed herself at the cemeteryst night. Such a pity,¡± the stall owner sighed.


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to those rumors blindly!¡± her husband eximed.


    She raised her voice and retaliated, ¡°I wasn¡¯t listening blindly! I saw it on my social media feed earlier.


    I¡¯m certain it¡¯ll be on the newster. You¡¯ll see.¡±


    Her husband let out a deep sigh, probably assuming that she was overthinking.


    They had great chemistry at work. While one packs the buns, another collects money from the


    customer, providing efficient service.


    I saw the news of the youngdy¡¯s suicide when I returned to the apartment.


    The location was eerily familiar. I gasped as they uncovered the face of the deceased.


    It reminded me of the story that I heard. But¡­ why did she choose tomit suicide?


    And which role did she undertake in that story?


    There was no way for me to find out. Regardless, I had no regrets. After all, I had achieved what I set


    out for.


    There was a cemetery called Sedan on the outskirts of Q City. The people there were devoted


    Buddhists. I went there before, and the road there was steep. It was a sacred ce, filled with


    countless souls that provided relief.


    Some people travel into the mountains to find their peace of mind, and also to find a sense of relief.


    That narrow path, with no vehicle traffic, had been ttened by countless believers. Regardless, people


    still went to get closer to their deities.


    Donned in a red scarf, I followed the pilgrimage group and kneeled with them without chanting prayers.


    Instead, I prayed for the misery and suffering to be gone through each step of the journey.


    Just then, an elderly beside me who seemed to notice my awkward movements advised, ¡°Youngdy,


    do wear some knee guards or you¡¯ll injure your knees.¡±

 Chapter 628

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 628


    I looked up at the elderly, who had a pair of bright eyes and a gentle smile.


    I grinned slightly in response. ¡°It¡¯s okay. The more pain I feel, the more burden I could lift from the


    deceased.¡±


    ording to Buddhism, for every kneel a mortal being makes with the deceased in mind, the greater


    the sense of relief.


    Like what the elderly warned, the long journey had caused my knees to feel weak.


    As I kneeled in front of the deities, I looked up and sped my hands together to pray. ¡°I pray to god for


    the living to live in health and for the deceased to rest in peace.¡±


    With the sounds of the chants, I kneeled in the temple while staring at the statue of the deity. The deity


    had a kind face, with a pair of long and slightly upward-tilted eyes that seemed to see through all the


    joys and miseries of life.


    Let it go!


    Life is short and everything will pass. We can only gain a sense of relief by letting go.


    There is nothing in this world that can¡¯t be resolved. All the pain and miseries are just a part of life.


    Legend said that the road to reincarnation was simr to the rotation of a rosary, going through each


    misery with the heart of tenacity and warmth, following the path of light, and leaving behind a beautiful


    future.


    That June in A City.


    It was evening when a middle-aged man from Animus Corporation brought a bunch of documents to


    me. ¡°These are the documents for the Marketing Department¡¯s use tomorrow. You might need to work


    overtime today.¡±


    I nodded, paused my work, and nced at him. ¡°Oh, then I¡¯m not going to the gathering tonight.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s apany gathering for all colleagues. It¡¯s not a good idea for you to drop out of it,¡± he nagged.


    Slightly annoyed, I let out a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m currently swamped by work.¡±


    ¡°Those documents are needed by tomorrow afternoon. You can arrange them tomorrow morning.


    Scarlett, you have to socialize more with people,¡± he borated impatiently.


    I chuckled. ¡°Savini, I am not anti-social, nor am I trying to avoid the gathering. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t like it.¡±


    He sighed and continued nagging, ¡°You¡¯ve been here for almost a month. Have you chatted with any of


    your colleagues yet? If you really want a fresh start, you should get out and mingle!¡±


    I paused whatever I was doing and looked at him. ¡°What is a fresh start?¡±


    ¡°To meet and interact with new people. To make new friends and experience new things.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I responded and nodded.


    He was surprised and assumed that I agreed with his advice. ¡°The gathering is at Oasis Hotel. Don¡¯t be


    late!¡±


    He proceeded to ce an invitation card on my desk and said, ¡°You¡¯ll need to bring along this card with


    you and retrieve your number card.¡±


    I nodded in understanding. ¡°There¡¯s even an invitation card?¡± I was surprised.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he replied and walked back to his desk. ¡°Thepany has already paid in full, so y¡¯all can


    directly head in for some fun! It¡¯s a hot spring hotel, where the services are all-inclusive. Just head into


    wherever you want!¡±


    My first thought was that the ce sounded luxurious.


    After giving me the card, Savini was prepared to leave.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    I suddenly recalled that I wanted to apply for leave for the next few days. I called out, ¡°Savini, I need to


    take leave for the next few days. Please help to approve them.¡±


    He turned his head and furrowed his brows. ¡°Are you heading to K City?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I need to settle some things.¡±


    ¡°Missing your kid?¡±


    ¡°Kind of.¡± I realized he was too chatty, so I did not borate on my replies.


    ¡°Oh, we can go together, then. I¡¯m heading there too in a few days.¡±


    Just when I was about to reject his offer, he interrupted, ¡°Alright, hurry now, you need to pack your stuff


    and head to the hotel!¡±


    I fell silent as he already turned to leave. I nced at the clock and saw that it was time to get off work.


    Then, I nced at the invitation card. Since I promised Savini, I had to go even if I did not want to. So, I


    packed my stuff and grabbed a cab there.


    I met two other female colleagues at the hotel entrance and chatted a little.


    We retrieved our number cards, and the front desk staff informed us politely, ¡°Kindly change into the


    clothes and shoes that are provided.¡±


    I was taken aback. Has the service in hotels always been so thoughtful?


    Seeing my reaction, thedies, who had been there before, exined, ¡°This is a hot spring hotel,


    where the guests are here for leisure instead of amodation.¡±


    I followed them into the changing room. After changing, I headed up to the game area. It was exactly


    like what thedies had described.


    The game area, entertainment za, and dining area were all at the third level.


    I originally thought that it was a normal gathering, where everyone would sit together over food and


    drinks.

 Chapter 629

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 629


    I didn¡¯t expect the gathering to be held in such a unique way. The hotel had many guests. When we


    asionally bump into some colleagues, we would greet each other and continue enjoying our


    separate activities.


    Felling slightlyzy, I found a seat in the main hall and sat down.


    ¡°Is there anyone sitting here?¡±


    I was startled by the voice. I turned to take a look and what greeted my sight was a familiar face, but I


    could not recall who exactly he was.


    He was one meter eighty-five in height with a slender figure and a cool exterior.


    Seeing that I was staring at him nkly, he raised his brows and asked, ¡°So is it upied?¡±


    My senses returned, and I shook my head. ¡°Nope!¡±


    He took a seat beside me while holding a cup of coke.


    I could not help myself but took a few nces. It felt weird yet normal at the same time.


    He saw me looking and asked, ¡°Do you want one?¡±


    I shook my head in embarrassment and replied, ¡°No, thank you.¡±


    Bright neon lights shone throughout the ce. Logically speaking, people would usually drink either a


    ss of hard liquor or a cocktail in such an environment. As such, I found it weird that the man was


    drinking coke.


    That being said, it was probably normal since the ce caters to people of all ages, from kids to adults.


    Even without such beverages, the ce had a lively atmosphere with its neon lighting and upbeat


    songs.


    Live music sounded through the main hall. The main singer stood on stage and was ready to sing a


    folksong that conveys the yearning of one¡¯s hometown.


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    The sad music was filled with so much emotion that I found myself engrossed in it.


    The man beside me stood up and left, only to return a few minutester.


    He ced a cup of juice beside me. I stared at him with a nk expression as I was slightly surprised


    by his thoughtful action.


    He chuckled lightly and said, ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±


    I started to recall his identity. He was the man that stood in front of Grandma¡¯s tombstone. Once again,


    I fell into a trance.


    After a short pause, I asked, ¡°Have we met before?¡±


    He raised his brows and questioned, ¡°Do you know me?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I shook my head.


    ¡°Well, then we don¡¯t know each other,¡± he chuckled lightly.


    I was taken aback by his casual response, so I thought for a moment and asked again, ¡°No, I meant if


    we have actually met before this.¡±


    Meeting and knowing someone were two different things.


    He chuckled lightly. ¡°Since we don¡¯t know each other, it could only mean we have never met before.¡±


    I was speechless. Snapping back to my senses, I uttered, ¡°Just because we don¡¯t know each other


    doesn¡¯t mean that we have not seen each other before.¡±


    The coldness exuding from him was imprable, even with my persistent questions.


    He then said, ¡°Since we¡¯ve met before, let¡¯s get to know each other then!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Scarlett Stovall!¡± I put my hand forward and introduced myself.


    He smiled slightly and shook my hand. ¡°I¡¯m Armond Murphy!¡±


    Armond Murphy?


    I did not put much thought into it.


    Seemingly gotten bored of the music, he asked, ¡°There¡¯s a swimming pool and a hot spring on the first


    level. Shall we go together?¡±


    I was a little taken aback and looked down at the hotel¡¯s set of clothes that I was wearing. ¡°I don¡¯t think


    I can.¡±


    Heughed at my response. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They have swimsuits at that level.¡±


    ¡°Since we¡¯re here, we should have as much fun as we can. Let¡¯s not waste the trip.¡±


    I let out a soft chuckle. I was filled with doubts but decided to y along. ¡°Let¡¯s go then!¡±


    As I stood up, two colleagues passed by, so I waved at them.


    I was not familiar with the hotel, so he led the way. Once we stepped out of the lift, we headed straight


    for the hot spring.


    It was an indoor hot spring. I scanned through the swimsuits at the entrance and subconsciously lifted


    my gaze at him.


    He chuckled and said, ¡°Wait for me!¡± He headed to the gents changing room after.


    About five minutester, he came out with a ck paper bag. He looked at me and said, ¡°Try it on.¡±


    I took over the bag and was shocked to see that it was a swimsuit. ¡°This¡­¡±


    ¡°Try it on and see if it fits!¡±


    I headed into the changing room to change into it.


    It was a three-piece swimsuit. If I don¡¯t wear the smock, it would be a little too revealing.


    On the other hand, if I wear it, I¡¯ll look demurer. That sounded good to me.


    I walked out of the changing room. Armond was waiting at the resting area and froze when he saw me.


    ¡°It suits you very well.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± That was the first time I wore a blue swimsuit and I thought it looked pretty decent.


    He smiled and inquired, ¡°Do you know how to swim?¡±


    I shook my head. Previously at K City, Ashton brought me to the pool at the vi to y a few times.


    However, I was basically holding onto the edge of the pool every time. It was still okay as the pool was


    around five feet deep.


    I would need some time to adjust for me to swim independently without any aid.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind being your coach for the day!¡± he offered while holding out his hands toward me.

 Chapter 630

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 630


    Slightly stunned, I looked out at the pool for a moment. It was a shallow pool filled with kids, and the


    adults were sitting around the sides to watch out for their children.


    ¡°It¡¯s all kids here. It doesn¡¯t seem appropriate for us to be here.¡±


    He chuckled and exined, ¡°That¡¯s precisely the reason you should practice here. So, you wouldn¡¯t be


    pressured and stressed about it.¡±


    He had a valid point. I could imagine feeling embarrassed learning in a pool full of others who could


    swim well.


    Most of the kids in the pool did not know how to swim and had floats with them.


    I thought for a moment and said, ¡°I¡¯ll enter the pool myself.¡±


    Since I was there, I decided to have fun.


    Heughed.


    I grabbed a donut float and entered the pool. It was a rtively shallow pool, only four feet deep. But it


    was deep enough to swim in.


    However, being the rookie swimmer that I was, I did not even know how to start in the shallow pool.


    One of the kids raised his head above the water and mocked me. ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t know how to swim?¡±


    I shook my head with a slight smile. ¡°I¡¯m still learning!¡±


    The kid looked at me and started advising me, ¡°You won¡¯t be learning much if you do it that way.¡±


    He sighed and eximed, ¡°Here, let me teach you!¡±


    I noticed that the kid seemed to be around the age of ten.


    It was easier said than done. No matter how much the kid asked me to be brave, I just couldn¡¯t let go of


    the sides of the pool.


    After some time, the kid got impatient and eximed, ¡°You can¡¯t be like this. It¡¯ll only make it harder for


    you to learn how to swim. I used to feel the same until my mother threw me into the pool. After a few


    experiences, I got it. You can¡¯t keep worrying about drowning.¡±


    I felt embarrassed that a kid was nagging at me to be brave, so I nodded and slowly let go of the


    edges.


    However, floating in the pool made me feel insecure and anxious.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Slowly use your arms and push the water toward the back and kick your feet.¡± The kid


    was skilled in coaching.


    With my progress, I felt less embarrassed. However, I still had some difficulty maintaining the motion.


    Just then, I felt someone¡¯s arm holding my waist. It was an adult¡¯s arms. I was taken aback, so I turned


    before losing control and choked on the water.


    I started coughing.


    Luckily, someone supported me.


    ¡°How did you choke?¡± A deep and cold male voice spoke. ¡°I saw you were getting pretty good at it.¡±


    I turned and saw that it was Armond. Dressed in his swimming trunks, his toned arms and abs were


    exposed for all to see.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    He was obviously attracting the attention of many. I realized that he was still holding on to my waist, so


    I twisted away.


    I looked at him before chuckling awkwardly and exined, ¡°I lost my footing.¡±


    I felt even more awkward the moment the words left my mouth. I wasn¡¯t even standing in the first ce.


    Why did I say that?


    Luckily for me, he did not seem to notice, or perhaps he just doesn¡¯t care.


    ¡°I¡¯ll learn with youter on!¡± He chuckled.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I-I¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so quick to reject me now. Try it. You might be able to learn faster that way,¡± he interrupted.


    I spaced out while staring at him and nodded slightly. ¡°Okay. Thank you in advance.¡±


    He raised his brows and smiled. ¡°You can thank meter when you know how to swim.¡±


    Learning how to swim was not an easy task. Even if I could touch the ground with my feet in a pool that


    was five feet deep, I would not be able to swim while feeling insecure.


    Luckily, I had Armond, who was a thoughtful guy, around. After a few more practices, I found that I


    could swim independently for some time.


    ¡°There¡¯s an indoor hot spring. We could head there to take a rest and soak in it,¡± Armond suggested


    while he held me to the edge of the pool.


    I nodded. ¡°Thank you for today.¡±


    His lips curled into a smile. ¡°I get thanked a lot every day.¡±


    Stepping into the hot spring, I looked at him and asked, ¡°How long do you n to stay in A City?


    ¡°Not sure. Why?¡±


    ¡°I want to treat you to a meal, of course!¡± I eximed. I shifted and sat on a ck stone. The warmth of


    the hot spring got my whole body to rx.


    He found a spot to sit at, nodded, and smiled. ¡°Sure, what about tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°For dinner?¡±


    ¡°Anytime!¡±


    ¡°For dinner then!¡± I had to work during the day and did not have much time at night either.


    Just then, someone came to whisper into Armond¡¯s ear. Armond looked at me. ¡°It¡¯s a date then! I¡¯ll take


    my leave first. I have something to attend to.¡±

 Chapter 631

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 631


    After Armond left, I sat in the hot spring and rested for a while.


    ¡°A few of the girls in thepany have checked into a room. You should join them and have some fun


    later.¡±


    A voice emerged from a distance. It was Savini¡¯s.


    I turned down his offer. ¡°No thanks. I should head home soon.¡±


    I need to turn in early tonight so that I can wake up early tomorrow.


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    He clicked his tongue. ¡°Can¡¯t you just be a team yer? We all came here to have some fun, and yet


    you kept pulling yourself away from the crowd.¡±


    I pursed my lips and looked at him. ¡°So, the reason I¡¯m here is to socialize with them?¡±


    He raised his brows. ¡°You should spend more time and talk to the girls. Why are you such a loner?


    Don¡¯t you feel lonely?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m used to it.¡±


    My remark got him tongue-tied. He sat beside me and asked, ¡°Do you know Mr. Murphy?¡±


    I knitted my brows. ¡°Mr. Murphy?¡±


    ¡°The man who taught you swimming just now.¡± He got into the hot spring, found himself afortable


    spot, and sat down.


    ¡°You mean Armond Murphy?¡±


    He nodded.


    I knew there was something unusual with that man. ¡°So, who exactly is he?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the chairperson of Animus,¡± he briefly introduced. ¡°I thought you knew who he was since you two


    were chatting quite happily just now.¡±


    ¡°I just got to know him a while ago.¡± What can I say? I wasn¡¯t always on my guard against strangers.


    Savini nodded. He paused for a bit before continuing, ¡°Armond is quite a mysterious figure. I heard of


    him when I was in K City and knew he was not a simple man, but somehow, I can¡¯t find any information


    about him.¡±


    After being in a hot spring for quite some time, I began to feel dizzy. I stood up and wrapped a towel


    around my body. ¡°This world is full of mysterious people. I¡¯m not surprised that Armond is one of them.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°As long as you know what you¡¯re doing.¡±


    After a short pause, he continued, ¡°Go and spend some time with the others. Since you¡¯ve decided to


    start afresh, you should interact more with your colleagues.¡±


    I cocked my head and looked at him. ¡°You¡¯re a very long-winded man, Savini. Do you know that?¡±


    After I had decided to leave Q City, I was determined to live alone in A City.


    Never in a million years did I think I would bump into Savini again after he had been sentenced to jail


    formitting a crime five years ago.


    I was surprised to see him when I was job hunting in A City. However, what surprised me the most was


    the fact that we actually became colleagues.


    Life is so unpredictable, isn¡¯t it?


    At Zone A on the second floor, a few female colleagues from thepany were singing in the karaoke


    room.


    At Savini¡¯s insistence, I decided to join them. Though I could not sing very well, I picked a song and


    hummed along to the music.


    ¡°Hey Scarlett, do you have a phone charger with you?¡± one of the colleagues asked.


    I nodded. ¡°I left it in the locker. Do you need it? I¡¯ll get it for you.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You can give me your card. I¡¯ll go and get it myself. ¡°


    Since there was nothing expensive in the locker, I gave her my card without hesitation.


    The rest of us continued singing. We were basically venting our frustration through songs that none of


    us could sing properly.


    It was gettingte, so I thought of taking a bath before going home.


    ¡°The hotel still has another program at eleven ¡®o clock. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to stay?¡± a


    colleague asked.


    I grinned and replied, ¡°No thanks. It¡¯s gettingte. I should head home now.¡±


    Most of the colleagues chose to stay back to enjoy all the programs nned for them. Since the


    company had paid about a thousand for each employee, they wanted to enjoy all the benefits to the


    fullest. Otherwise, a mid-range sry earner like us could never afford this kind of entertainment.


    After taking a bath, I walked to the dressing room. A few attendants came in and apologized to the


    guests in the room. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, but please put on your clothes as soon as possible. The cops are


    coming over to conduct an inspection. Once again, we¡¯re so sorry for the inconvenience caused.¡±


    All thedies started packing their belongings. Those who were still in the shower, too, came out and


    put on their clothes.


    Despite the early warning, there were still a fewdies who were not dressed properly when the cops


    arrived.

 Chapter 632

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 632


    About ten female cops came into the dressing room and instructed all the guests to stand aside.


    With the help of the attendants, the cops went through the locker and went through the items in front of


    all the guests.


    Even though it was not exactly an invasion of privacy, some began toin about the inspection.


    One of the guests said, ¡°What is with you cops? Shouldn¡¯t you all be telling us why you¡¯re doing this


    before going through our things? This is in rude.¡±


    The female cop, who led the operation, took a nce at her and said in a serious voice, ¡°Sorry about it,


    Miss. We¡¯re merely carrying out the order from the top, and we can¡¯t tell you why. Please bear with us


    for a moment.¡±


    The cop¡¯s remark rendered that woman speechless. She folded her arms and let out a cold snort.


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    It seemed the cop had gotten used to this kind of reaction. She took another nce at her before


    turning her attention to her team.


    Half an hourter, most of the cops reported that they did not find anything suspicious.


    Thedies heaved a sigh of relief. They were all terrified because they did not know what the cops


    were looking for.


    While a few more cops were still carrying out their duties, the chief stood patiently at one corner.


    About fifteen minutester, all the cops walked up to her and reported the oue.


    All of a sudden, one of the cops said, ¡°Madam, pleasee and have a look.¡±


    The chief walked toward the cop, and some of thedies began to panic.


    A line formed between my brows upon seeing the two of them standing in front of my locker.


    The cop took out my bag and poured everything out.


    ¡°Whose bag is this?¡± she asked.


    Everyone in the dressing room was petrified. Some of them even started whispering, ¡°What exactly are


    they looking for?¡±


    No one answered. The cop asked once more, ¡°Whose bag is this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s mine,¡± I replied and walked out from the crowd and gave the cop a puzzled look.


    I instantly became the centre of attention. Some gave me a confused look, while some looked at me


    with disgust. It was as if I was the one who had put them through this hassle.


    ¡°Pleasee with us, Miss,¡± the chief said to me while passing my bag to the cop.


    I looked at her and froze. ¡°What did I do?¡±


    She knitted her brows but did not say anything substantial. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t reveal too much to you for


    now since we¡¯re still investigating. Pleasee with us.¡±


    Instead of causing inconvenience to the cops and the people in the dressing room, I decided to


    cooperate.


    After changing into fresh clothes, I left with the cops.


    All the well-dressed hotel staff gathered around the lobby, and they looked terrified.


    I supposed they were afraid that this incident might tarnish the hotel¡¯s reputation. After all, they were


    one of the best in the hospitality sector.


    I followed the cops and got into their car. I should count myself lucky since I got to travel in a cop¡¯s car


    for the first time in my life.


    When I arrived at the police station, they brought me into an interrogation room.


    In the room, there was only one female cop sitting right opposite me.


    She opened her notebook and asked, ¡°You¡¯re Scarlett Stovall?¡±


    She must have gotten my name from the identity card they took away earlier.


    I nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    She continued, ¡°We found fifty-nine grams of cyanine and aplete set of injecting equipment in your


    bag, Ms. Stovall. We hope you can cooperate with us and answer all our questions.¡±


    Kyanine and injection equipment in my bag? How?


    I nodded while knitting my brows since I did not know what was going on.


    ¡°We suspect that you¡¯ve taken the drug,¡± the cop continued, ¡°So we¡¯ll need you to take a blood test.


    You¡¯ll have to stay here for the next twenty-four hours while we continue with our investigations.¡±


    Once again, I frowned. Did they just use me of taking drugs?


    I tried to stay calm. ¡°Officer, I promise you I¡¯ve never touched any drugs. I don¡¯t even know how did this


    kyanine appear in my bag. I still have to get back to work tomorrow. Could you please let me go?¡±

 Chapter 633

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 633


    The cop shook her head. ¡°We¡¯ll note down everything you said, but you¡¯ll have to stay here and wait for


    the results.¡±


    Before long, a few cops brought me to another room and locked me in.


    There was nothing in the room except for a simple bed and my belongings, which they had taken away


    earlier.


    They did not allow me to call anyone for help. At this point, I could only wait.


    I sat on the bed until the next morning. A cop came in and looked at me. ¡°Ms. Stovall, pleasee with


    us.¡±


    Once again, I was brought into the same interrogation room. The same female cop from yesterday


    looked at me with a frown. ¡°I¡¯m afraid to tell you that we found kyanine in your blood, Ms. Stovall.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± I refuted. ¡°I¡¯ve never touched that drug. I don¡¯t even know how to use it!¡±


    I immediately rolled up my sleeves and said, ¡°Look carefully! Do you see any track marks? There¡¯s


    none on my body!¡±


    The cop raised her hand and signalled for me to calm down. ¡°Sit down, please, Ms. Stovall. We¡¯ll need


    you to stay with us toplete the twenty-four-hour observation.¡±


    ¡°I want to get myself awyer!¡± Everything that had happened here was just too bizarre.


    While I was shocked to learn about the drugs they found in my bag, the results from the blood test left


    me even more speechless.


    There was something amiss, but I just couldn¡¯t quite put my finger on it.


    The cop looked up at me with a scowl. ¡°You don¡¯t need awyer now as you¡¯re still under the


    observation period.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why can¡¯t I call my family?¡± I asked seriously.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    She paused for a moment before exining, ¡°You can call your family, but we¡¯re only stopping you for


    your own good.¡±


    ¡°Well, thank you for your concern, but I wish to speak to my family. You have the power to perform your


    duties, and I have the power to exercise my right,¡± I said.


    I had only been living in A City for less than a month, and I had not told anyone about my past.


    In this foreign city, I only knew Savini. Who on earth set this trap for me?


    The cop had no choice but to agree to my request. However, she did not give me my phone


    immediately.


    She asked me to return to the room and wait for another cop to bring me a phone.


    About ten minutester, a female cop came in with a te and looked at me. ¡°This is your breakfast.¡±


    She then ced the oatmeal porridge and fried fritters on the table.


    She paused for a moment and took out a phone. ¡°Here you go. Please give me back your phone once


    you¡¯ve contacted your family.¡±


    I did not expect her to give me my phone so easily.


    Without thinking too much into it, I turned on my phone. Yet, there was no one else I could call except


    Savini. He was the only person I could rely on in A City now.


    After a few rings, A sleepy voice emerged from the other end of the phone. ¡°Scarlett?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Savini, I got taken away by some cops. Can you help me get awyer?¡±


    He was dumbstruck. ¡°What? What happened?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t exin it to you right now. Please, just get me awyer as soon as possible.¡±


    After he agreed to find me awyer, I ended the call.


    The cop pursed her lips and took back the phone. ¡°Eat something. We¡¯ll definitely let you go if we find


    out you¡¯re innocent.¡±


    I, too, pressed my lips but did not respond to her remark. Everything seemed to be going fine, but


    somehow, I could feel a storm was brewing.


    The cop left and locked the door.


    I sat on the bed and looked at the food on the table. After a short hesitation, I decided to eat what was


    given to me. At this point, I needed to make sure I had enough stamina to go through this process.


    After breakfast, I fell asleep almost instantly since I was really exhausted.


    While I was sleeping, I could feel someone inject something into my body.

 Chapter 634

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 634


    rm bells rang in my mind and I tried to open my eyes, but my struggle was futile.


    I felt a sharp, prickling sensation in my arm, but I could not bounce up from the bed at all.


    Once I regained my consciousness after some time, I looked at my arm and noticed an obvious track


    mark.


    Before I could figure out what happened, two female cops opened the door and walked toward me.


    ¡°Pleasee with us, Ms. Stovall.¡±


    A line formed between my brows. I looked at them and asked, ¡°What time is it now?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s five ¡®o clock in the evening,¡± one of the cops said. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    They were supposed to release me in another six hours.


    As usual, they brought me to the same interrogation room, but I was not alone this time.


    A doctor dressed in his white coat was in the room as well.


    I sat down, and the cop asked, ¡°Based on the test results, we believe you¡¯ve abused illegal substances.


    So now, we¡¯ll be carrying a more thorough body check-up, and we hope you can cooperate with us.¡±


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    I pressed my lips but did not respond to what she just told me. ¡°Is mywyering?¡±


    She hesitated for a moment. ¡°We¡¯ve yet to receive any updates about yourwyer. Let¡¯s begin the body


    check-up now.¡±


    I was pretty sure I would cause more trouble for myself had I refused to cooperate with them.


    So I nodded and followed the doctor, who seemed to be in his forties.


    He collected the samples for the blood and urine tests and wanted to continue with an inspection of my


    nether regions.


    I shot daggers at the doctor and outright rejected him. ¡°Why do you have to inspect my private part if


    you want to find out if I¡¯ve abused any substances?¡±


    The doctor called the cop over, and she said, ¡°Please stay calm and cooperate with us. The syringe we


    found in your bag contains HIV, so we need to find out and see if you¡¯re infected.¡±


    My expression turned grim. Do they expect me toply with their ridiculous demand? This is


    madness!


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not going to proceed with the inspection. There¡¯s something fishy going on here and


    I¡¯m feeling like this is all a trap.¡± I gave everyone in the room a disdainful look.


    ¡°You can detect HIV from the blood sample you¡¯ve collected earlier, so there¡¯s no need for you to


    inspect my private part,¡± I continued. ¡°I want to speak to mywyer.¡±


    The expression on the cop¡¯s face turned grim. ¡°You¡¯d better not challenge us, Ms. Stovall.¡±


    I let out a cold snort and stopped ying nice. ¡°What you¡¯re doing is clearly a vition of the standard


    operating procedures. I¡¯m just defending my right.¡±


    I was aware that another five or six hours had passed, and I could definitely smell a rat now.


    I believe Savini would have found me awyer or two by now even though he might not be as


    resourceful as before.


    Yet, several hours had passed, but I was still here all alone.


    Something¡¯s very wrong here. I guess I can¡¯t count on him anymore. But who else can I depend on


    since I don¡¯t know anyone in A City?


    I looked at the cop and demanded once again, ¡°Let me talk to my family right now.¡±


    She refused to budge. ¡°Now is not the time for that. Let¡¯splete the inspection first.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I roared. Upon noticing the phone in the doctor¡¯s coat, I instantly pushed him to the ground and


    grabbed the phone from his pocket.


    Yet, before I could open the phone, the cop instantly came up and snatched it away. Without any


    hesitation, she pinned me to the ground, pressed my face against the icy tiles on the floor, and cuffed


    my hands behind my back.


    My arms were in so much pain, but I could not even utter a word.


    The cop bellowed, ¡°Scarlett Stovall, I can detain you for a longer period since you refused to


    cooperate!¡±


    I could only press my lips since I could not talk. In the meantime, I was trying to think of ways to escape


    from this hellhole.


    More cops came over and brought me back to the room where I was detained.


    The chief came over, and a hard glint shed across her eyes. ¡°You¡¯d better do as we said. You don¡¯t


    want us to dump you in the woods and let you die and rot in the wild, do you?¡±

 Chapter 635

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 635


    ¡°Ho!¡± I snorted, gazing up at her. ¡°So, you admit that I¡¯m here because of a baseless allegation? What


    does it count as? Framing? Or murder?¡±


    She curled her lips and sneered. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You can think whatever you want. But since you¡¯re


    already in here, I advise you to be on your best behavior and don¡¯t even think about leaving.¡±


    ¡°Who are you people? Why are you doing this to me?¡± Even if I were to die, I figured I should have the


    right to know.


    The policewoman shrugged. Cocking an eyebrow, she smirked. ¡°Who we are is irrelevant. The


    important thing is that we need young and beautiful women like you.¡±


    Are these people human traffickers? Organ traders?


    My face must have gone pale. Those were the only two answers I coulde up with.


    Seeing the look on my face, the policewoman rose from her seat and approached me. Her fingers


    latched onto my jaw and proceeded to pinch it tight. I winced at the pain.


    I locked eyes with her. ¡°How much do you want? I can give you.¡±


    She sneered some more. Then, she bent over and inched closer to me. Her delicate face leaned


    forward and lingered in front of me as she examined my features. Her voice wasced with coldness


    when she spoke, ¡°Ms. Stovall, you should consider yourself lucky. Of all the women we have captured,


    you are by far the most fortunate. If we had followed our usual operation guidelines, you would have


    been shipped out of the country by now.¡±


    I stared at her, startled, as I trembled on the inside and out. My heart was thumping fiercely, consumed


    by fear and unease.


    She retreated to her seat, her eyes unfeeling. ¡°Just stay here for now. Don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t die. At


    least, for the time being. ¡°


    I watched her leave. My legs gave way and, before I knew it, I slumped onto the ground.


    It¡¯s the twenty-first century! Why is this still happening in a society ruled byw? How can they take me


    away like this?


    So, if I guessed correctly, the syringes and kyanine found in my bag had been a deliberate setup, with


    the purpose of providing them a legitimate reason to bring me here.


    They managed to do that in broad daylight. They were not officers of thew, but scums living in the


    dark.


    That was why, in the few hours I was taken here, they had no intention of dying time and was more


    than keen to produce evidence of my crime, which led to my detention.


    I had next to no friends or rtives in A City. So, if I were to suffer from any sort of ill fate, no one would


    ask about me. If I suddenly disappeared without a trace, no one would be the wiser.


    They probably targeted me because of that. Also, if I recalled correctly, they injected some kind of


    substance into my body when I was in a daze. I wondered what that was.


    All of my strength was drained away in a few short moments. I could not feel a single surge of energy.


    It was useless. That call had been my only way out, but I called Savini. All hope was lost.


    I stayed in the detention cell that night. As I thought, not a single person came, let alonewyers.


    They had the results of my blood test, and they injected me with something. Furthermore, they found


    the syringes and kyanine in my bag in front of so many witnesses at the hotel.


    All these had been taken as facts. To outsiders, I must have been detained because I had been taking


    drugs.


    Bang! The entrance to my cell flew open. The leading policewoman stepped in and nced sternly at


    me.


    Then she looked back at the police officer behind her and gave her instructions, ¡°Ms. Stovall¡¯s case has


    been filed. Brief her on it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, madam!¡±


    Then the leading policewoman stepped out of the cell, leaving the other officer to deal with me. She


    handed me the document she had been holding and said, ¡°Ms. Stovall, this is your judgment. You had


    better sign it quickly.¡±


    I backed away several steps, putting some distance between us. With a shaky voice, I asked, ¡°Where


    do you n to take me?¡±


    She did not answer me. Instead, she looked at me nkly and said again, ¡°Sign the document.¡±


    ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± I was on the verge of a meltdown. My voice rose several decibels as I


    screeched.


    She frowned, highlighting her forehead wrinkles, obviously displeased. ¡°Ms. Stovall, just signs this,¡± she


    repeated.


    I shook my head as I crouched in a corner. My voice softened as I pleaded, ¡°How much money do you


    want? Whatever the sum, I can give you. Just let me out of here.¡±


    She gave me a faint smile, one with a hint of irony. There was a pause, and then she turned to me


    again. ¡°Ms. Stovall, I don¡¯t think you fully understand your current situation, so let me tell you. I¡¯m sure


    you¡¯ve heard many cases about rich girls suddenly disappearing one day, never to be seen again.


    Does that ring any bells?¡±


    I red at her, waiting for her to continue, and she did. ¡°People work for money in order to live, but


    that¡¯s just too superficial. So, we¡¯ve never been driven by money. We don¡¯t stoop to such a low level.¡±


    She approached me and handed me the document, her face void of emotions as she ordered, ¡°Sign it!


    Stop wasting time! Let me remind you, if you¡¯re smart enough, you should know that obedience would


    allow you to live longer than if you resisted. Look, we¡¯re only human, you and me. As long as you live,


    there¡¯s still hope, isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    She said that very calmly, as though she was just talking to a friend.


    I could not understand. Exactly what kind of person could say such a thing in such a calm manner?


    Taking a short breath, I steadied myself and nced her way, ¡°So, what do you guys intend to do with


    me?¡±Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

 Chapter 636

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 636


    Apparently, that struck a nerve. The officer grew impatient. She thrust the documents in front of me


    again and said, this time with much more fury, ¡°I tried to be polite, but you¡¯re really getting in my hair!


    Don¡¯t y tricks on me, you smartass! If you want to die, just tell me. I don¡¯t mind sending you to hell!¡±


    With that said, she grabbed my hair and mmed me heavily against the wall.


    I could not fight back in time because of the immense pain. I could only curl up into a ball and protect


    my head with my hands.


    But she had clearly been trained to deal with prisoners like me. She managed to throw me onto the


    ground in a matter of seconds and proceeded to kick me directly in the ribs without sparing any mercy.


    Her patience was probably running thin. Ignoring me, she wrestled my fingers apart, stuck a pen in


    between them, and forced me to sign my name on the document as she held my arm. When that was


    done, she grabbed my thumb and pressed it on the wound on my forehead.


    A momentter, she lifted my blood-stained thumb and stamped it on the dotted line of the document


    where the signature was supposed to go. That womanpleted this series of actions in one shot. It


    was clear that she did this all the time.


    Bang! The door mmed shut on her way out.


    Iy on the ground, still shaking. I only felt the pain after the ordeal, as it came gradually and spread to


    different parts of my body.


    I could not imagine how miserable I must have looked.


    Iy on the ground, havingpletely lost the ability to move.


    Three dayster, I was forcefully dragged into a car by two women. I was blindfolded throughout the


    journey and could only feel that I was in the car for a long time.


    When the blindfold was finally removed, I found myself locked away in an unfamiliar and filthy


    environment.


    Above me was the roof of what seemed to be a really old house, supported by empty wooden shelves.


    The roof was covered with triangr asbestos tiles, some of which had already darkened in color,


    probably a result of stagnant water over the years.


    Sounds of women crying travelled to my ear. I withdrew my thoughts and saw my surrounding for what


    it was.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    At that moment, I was lying on a messy pile of straw. My hands and feet had been tied up. The clothes


    on my back were the worse for wear. After everything that had happened these past few days, they no


    longer looked the same.


    Next to me were several pitiful-looking women, most of whom were weeping and quivering in fright.


    ¡°Hey, stop crying. Let¡¯s find a way out of here!¡± said someone. I looked towards the source. The voice


    belonged to a young woman, supposedly in her twenties. Even though her clothes were soiled, her


    facial features remained bright and cheerful. I could tell she came from a wealthy family.


    The other women heard her too. They stopped crying and turned to face her.


    ¡°Do you think there¡¯s one?¡± they uttered nervously.


    ¡°It¡¯s obvious we¡¯re at the countryside. We need to figure out where exactly this ce is, and then think


    about how to escape!¡± said the young woman. Her pair of bright eyes darted around, taking in our


    enclosure.


    One woman said, ¡°This is the countryside, but which part? We don¡¯t even know our exact location; how


    can we possibly escape? If we¡¯re in the mountains, we will be hunted and eaten by feral beasts if we go


    out there.¡±


    ¡°I think we¡¯re somewhere in the southwest. They must be nning to take us across the borders,¡± I


    said.


    The other girls stared at me, apparently stunned. ¡°The southwestern border?¡± they blurted.


    The young woman added, ¡°Why would they take us here?¡±


    I pursed my lips. This, I did not have an answer to. I initially thought these people were going to sell me


    off, but the conversation that other day still puzzled me.


    If they aren¡¯t doing this kind of heinous crime for money, then what are they after?


    Upon seeing my silence, the young woman took over the conversation. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that. Can


    you guys scoot closer to me? We need to find a way to untie these ropes on our hands.¡±


    And so, the women moved their bodies and got together, one back against the other, as they tried to


    untie their partners¡¯ ropes.


    ¡°It¡¯s no use. It¡¯s a dead knot!¡± Some women began to grumble, while others have started to fret


    because their attempts had been futile.


    It had be apparent that some of these women came from well-to-do families. So how did they get


    here?


    At that thought, I raised a question, ¡°How did you all end up here?¡±


    ¡°How else? My parents don¡¯t care about me at all. They¡¯d rather I be dead!¡± someone in the group


    spoke up.


    Her answer stumped me. ¡°Your parents sent you here?¡±


    The young woman was next to speak, her expression an icy one. ¡°How should I put it? There¡¯s a


    special brand of parents in the world who believes that everything they do is right. They don¡¯t allow


    their children to argue with them. Once their children are found to be disobedient, they will push them


    into the abyss in the name of love.¡±


    I was stunned and, for a while, I was not sure how to react. I turned to the young woman and voiced my


    doubts. ¡°So, all of you are sent here by your parents?¡±


    The woman shrugged. ¡°You can say that! My parents got wind that the Legion Institute in K City is the


    perfect ce for educating children with behavioral problems, so they decided to send me there. But


    the people at the school¡­ all they do is scold me and beat me, and when I couldn¡¯t take it anymore, I


    ran away. But I got captured and they took me back. That was when they broke my legs. Long story


    short, they did not dare to report my condition to my parents, so they chose to put on a show. They


    started a fire, and I was rumored to have died there. But, as you can see, I woke up here. Alive and


    breathing.¡±


    I suddenly understood why, despite being the furthest away, she called everyone to gather around her.


    My eyes fell on her legs. There was nothing quite unusual about it, but at closer inspection, it was


    obvious that both of her legs were somewhat different from ours.

 Chapter 637

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 637


    She noticed me looking at her but made no move to respond. Instead, she just sat there impassively.


    I paused beforementing on her appearance, ¡°You don¡¯t look like a schoolgirl.¡±


    She chuckled at my statement. Gazing at me, she said, ¡°Why makes you say that? Because I don¡¯t


    dress my age?¡±


    Realizing that I had made an unnecessary remark, I held my tongue. Next, I scanned the other girls


    and asked each of them how they got here.


    Generally, each of them was taken here under different circumstances.


    Some of those who came from poor families had gone looking for work. They were tricked intoing


    here under the guise of high-paying jobs.


    Some of the women had been living alone in the city. One night, after getting off work, they were


    kidnapped on their way home and brought to this ce.


    In conclusion, we were all brought here using different methods. But one thing was certain. None of us


    had any clue what our captors wanted to do with us.


    The women tried tugging at the ropes a couple more times but to no avail. It was then that we heard


    talking and footstepsing from the outside. The voices belonged to several men.


    The women exchanged nces.


    ¡°Quick, back to your positions!¡± I yelled, but it was toote.


    The men pushed open the door and stepped in. When they entered our space, they saw us huddled


    together.


    Anyone with a brain could tell what we had been doing. Initially, I thought the men would fly into a rage,


    but they did not.


    They just nced at us; a bunch of women gathered in a group. Then they exchanged nces and


    barked out fits ofughter.


    One of them said wryly, ¡°Well, we haven¡¯t had fun in a while anyway. Our stocks this time are quite


    good-looking, if I may say so. Why don¡¯t we try them out?¡±


    Another man spoke up, ¡°But the higher-ups say we can¡¯t touch these women. Shouldn¡¯t we follow


    orders?¡±


    ¡°Oh, forget about that. We¡¯re miles and miles away. If we don¡¯t say anything, do you think they¡¯ll find


    out? Besides, they¡¯ll only being at night, won¡¯t they? We have a couple of hours until then. That¡¯s


    more than enough time to have our way with these girls,¡± said the first man. With that, he made an


    advance towards us.


    Fortunately, the women here had experience with the dark side of the real world. They knew what he


    meant but they still managed to remain calm in spite of it.


    The young woman nced at us. A short whileter, she turned to look at the man approaching us. Her


    voice was soft as she made an offer, ¡°Oh, hey, handsome. Since you brought us all the way here, I


    don¡¯t think forcing it on us will amount to anything. Why don¡¯t you ask for volunteers?¡±


    Taken aback, the man put forward his suspicions. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®volunteers¡¯?¡± he asked.


    The young girl replied, ¡°Well, you see, I know what you guys really want. But among the girls here, I¡¯m


    sure there are some who don¡¯t like the idea. Since they don¡¯t want to do it, please don¡¯t force them.


    Why don¡¯t you pick those of us who will volunteer?¡±


    Shocked by her proposal, the man looked back at his entourage, before turning to face us again.


    Then he spoke, ¡°Any of you want to volunteer?¡±


    The young woman replied with a faint smirk, ¡°Well, I do!¡±


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    The man was pleased to hear that, but a momentter he knitted his brows and eyed her dubiously,


    ¡°You¡¯d better not try anything funny!¡±


    The woman clicked her tongue. When she spoke again, she sounded even more affectionate. ¡°Oh,


    come on. With my hands and legs tied behind my back, what can I do? It¡¯s been like this for days. I


    can¡¯t eat, I can¡¯t sleep, I don¡¯t even know if I¡¯ll die soon. In the face of life and death, what do purity and


    innocence even matter? Staying alive is much more important.¡±


    At this point, the more she talked, the more sincere she became. ¡°I know, you¡¯re just doing your job. It¡¯s


    impossible to ask you to let me go. Since that¡¯s not going to work, I¡¯m not going to waste my breath. I


    was just thinking, it would be great to have a nice shower and a nice meal before my death. That way, I


    have no regrets if the inevitable happens. Compared to all that, staying with you and satisfying your


    needs might be quite rewarding for me too. Don¡¯t you think so, handsome?¡±


    With that said, she gave the man a look that was filled to the brim with sincerity.


    The man seemed to find the woman¡¯s case convincing, and eventually agreed. He scanned our lot and


    barked out augh. ¡°How many of you are willing toe with us? We can consider getting you some


    food in exchange forpany for the next few hours.¡±


    Normally, women would not easily consent to such dirty deeds, but the young woman shot us an


    inscrutable look. She must be plotting something.


    I hesitated but eventually spoke up, ¡°Count me in!¡±


    ¡°Good!¡± he eximed. ¡°This one¡¯s a beauty! I like it!¡±


    One after another, several other girls expressed their willingness to participate.


    Of course, there were those who stayed silent.


    It seemed that these men still had some ounce of humanity in them. They led us out of the hut.


    Outside, we opened our eyes to a world covered in clouds of dust.


    We had been brought to a dirty little hut with a messy yard. A few banana trees lined the nearby roads.


    Layers of dust had settled on the leaves of the nts.


    Standing there, looking out at the distance, we could barely see anything but rows and rows of hills.


    It was apparent that we had been brought to a small vige deep in the forests, surrounded by


    mountains.


    I had made a good guess. We really were at the border. We had been moved far, far away to a ce


    where civilization was out of reach. It was often in ces like this where darkness and nightmares


    tended to rear their ugly heads.

 Chapter 638

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 638


    The men took us to a wooden house. Next to the house was a stream, surrounded by woonds. The


    water in the stream was crystal clear and exceptionally clean.


    ¡°Go in pairs, take your showers, and get out. Don¡¯t even think about ying games with us!¡± The man


    said, his dark eyes narrowed with a hint of danger.


    The young woman immediately cast a nce my way. She grinned and invited me to go with her. ¡°We¡¯ll


    go first!¡±


    I hesitated for a bit and nodded. The two of us entered the wooden house.


    The bathroom was rather cramped, barely enough for two women to squeeze in. No matter which way


    we turned, there did not seem to be extra space.


    When the young woman entered the bathroom after me, the first thing she did was turn towards the


    door and shout at the top of her lungs. ¡°Hey, mister! Can you by any chance get us a change of


    clothes? Anything will do. We have been wearing these for a long time now. They¡¯re starting to stink.¡±


    ¡°What the hell!¡± the man outside called out. He was clearly displeased when he yelled a reply, ¡°We let


    you take a shower and you dare to make more demands!¡±


    The woman chuckled and spoke in a sweet voice, ¡°Oh,e on. I was just thinking, we¡¯re going to


    have some funter, right? I can¡¯t possibly do that in these dirty clothes. Think about it. You¡¯ll lose


    interest once you get a whiff of them, won¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Bro, just give them what they want!¡± One of the men said.


    The leader pursed his lips, paused for thought, and eventually agreed.


    We turned on the showerhead. The flow of the water was exceptionally low. Luckily for us, it was


    summer in June, a time of bright sun and cool weather.


    Furthermore, we were somewhere near the southern border, basically in a tropical region.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± the woman with me suddenly asked. As she spoke, she was already taking off


    her clothes, revealing a slender figure.


    I stared at her with a look of confusion and lowered my voice. ¡°Do you intend to go through with this?¡±


    She arched a brow. ¡°What? Is there a problem?¡±


    I originally had a speech ready to deliver, but then I noticed the expression on her face, and, for a brief


    moment, I froze. From her response, I highly suspected that the men had nted a bug in this tiny


    bathroom.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been married, see¡­ Well, I guess it¡¯s not a big deal to do it with someone else, but¡­¡± I said, and


    while I was speaking, the woman was carefully examining the bathroom.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± She repeated the question, her eyes fixed on the showerhead on the top of the


    bathroom.


    I was taken aback for a moment and quickly noticed the recorder on the showerhead as well. I yed


    along. ¡°I¡¯m Scarlett. Scarlett Stovall. What about you? What¡¯s your name?¡±


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    ¡°Nora. Nora Oberick.¡± She introduced herself and then gave her body and hair a quick wash.


    After that Nora wrapped herself in a bath towel hanging on the bathroom wall and turned to me. ¡°Go


    on, hurry up. The other girls will want to shower too!¡±


    I nodded and quickly washed away the dirt on my body, and then swept my hair up. The clothes I had


    on were already quite filthy. There was no need to continue wearing them. So, I simply wrapped myself


    in a bath towel and stepped out of the bathroom.


    Outside, the men had already found some clothes for us to change into, but all of them came in men¡¯s


    sizes. Nora put on therge T-shirt and instantly looked extra sexy and attractive.


    The men leered at her with lust painted on their faces. Nora, in that baggy shirt, stared straight at the


    man in front of her, curled her lips, and said, ¡°Mister, you¡¯re really good at picking out clothes for me.


    Look, it fits perfectly!¡±


    The man gazed at her with raw desire reflected in his eyes.


    Heughed. ¡°Of course!¡±


    Nora¡¯s body went limp against the man, her voice became sickeningly sweet. ¡°Well then, I expect to


    see what you¡¯ve got under there, mister.¡±


    When the man heard that, he grinned even more lecherously.


    He was ready to get down to business with Nora, yet the woman got hold of his arm and caressed him


    intimately, all the while ncing at him through amorous eyes. ¡°Not so fast, mister. The girls and I have


    been starving for several days with no water and not a single bite to eat. That won¡¯t do, will it?¡±


    The leader did not hesitate at all as he belted out an order, ¡°Go on! Get them some food!¡±


    Having achieved her goal, Norapletely slumped into the man¡¯s arms.


    We got a change of clothes, and then we got to fill our stomachs. Nora stayed in the man¡¯s arms


    throughout the meal. She had practically ced him under her spell.


    No matter what she did, she had got him dazzled.


    The man looked like he could not wait to gobble her up and have his way with her.


    We got our showers, our food, and our rest. We had done everything to stall time. I was curious as to


    what Nora had up her sleeves.


    But from the look on her face, she did not seem to be hiding anything. I was starting to have doubts.


    The rest of the men were losing patience too. When they saw that we had finished the food, they kept


    throwing hints at their leader, willing him to initiate the main event.


    The man put his arms around Nora as he gazed at her with lust-filled eyes. ¡°Hey, gorgeous, don¡¯t you


    think we should get a move on?¡±


    Nora wrapped her arms around the man in return. Grinning, she said, ¡°Of course!¡±


    With that, she shot a look at us, her eyebrows slightly arched. After a few exchanges, I got the gist of


    her message.


    She was telling us to stay calm.


    The leader carried Nora out of the room to fulfill what had been promised.


    That way, everyone else would follow suit.


    The other men each grabbed a woman and took them to their rest area.

 Chapter 639

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 639


    The women began to panic and resisted their advances.


    But the strength between the two sexes differs greatly. Struggling was futile!


    In the men¡¯s eyes, our weak struggle was nothing more than a tickling match, paving the way for the


    prelude.


    I was taken by one of the men into a wooden house and, not surprisingly, thrown onto the bed.


    Because my conversations with Nora had not been sessful, I had no idea what n Nora had in


    mind.


    The only thing I could do was bide some time. At that thought, I lifted my hands and began to stroke the


    man who was advancing towards me.


    I tried to imitate Nora¡¯s actions to my best ability. Eyes fixed on the man, I whispered softly to him, ¡°Oh,


    let¡¯s not rush this.¡±


    The man chuckled as he got closer, but he did slow down. He lifted one of my hands and kissed it on


    the back, then he looked at me and said, ¡°You¡¯re so fair.¡±


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    I smiled faintly; my eyes narrowed. In slow movements, I ced my arms around his neck and gently


    swayed here and there. I whispered to him, ¡°Do you like it?¡±


    Most of the south were hignds or tropical regions, so most of the girls living here had darker and


    rougher skin.


    Unlike the north, the girls in Jadeborough were tender and petite inparison, making them adorable


    in a different way.


    The man nodded.


    I strongly resist the urge to vomit from disgust and forced a smile onto my face. ¡°Mister, can I ask you


    something?¡±


    As I spoke, I pressed my body onto his.


    ¡°What do you want to ask, gorgeous?¡±


    ¡°Where is this ce? Where are you taking us?¡±


    The man narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°Don¡¯t think about going back. Hundreds, if not thousands, of


    women have been brought here. I¡¯ve never seen one who could run away.¡±


    My heart skipped a beat. I gazed at him and softened my voice. ¡°Now that we¡¯vee this far, it¡¯s


    absolutely impossible to turn back now. I just want to know where we are and where we¡¯ll be going


    next.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re at a vige called Mangan, a small town near the border. There are only a handful of


    households around these parts, and they don¡¯t even have proper roads. You girls will be taken across


    the border. What happens next depends on what the sellers n to do with you. I¡¯m not too sure


    myself.¡±


    His words came out vague because he was mumbling, and then he got on top of me.


    I had run out of excuses to stall some more. I tried my best toe up with some ideas but my mind


    went nk.


    I panicked, but I tried to contain myself. Forcing a half-hearted chuckle, I said, ¡°Mister, it¡¯s no fun if we


    just go straight to the main event, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°F*ck!¡± he cursed. ¡°City girls are such a bother!¡±


    I wanted to grab something for cover, but I could not find anything useful around me.


    I struggled a few more times and eventually got my hands on what felt like a brick. I narrowed my eyes,


    determined to use it as a weapon.


    But before I could lift my hand and strike him with the blunt object, the man on top of me suddenly


    stopped moving.


    I called out tentatively, ¡°Mister?¡±


    He did not budge.


    A momentter, I pushed him off me, still unsure how he turned out like that.


    I reached out my hand to test if he was still breathing. I was relieved to find that he was still alive. He


    must have been temporarily knocked out.


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± Nora¡¯s voice rang from outside.


    I ran out to meet her. The other women had escaped too. Nora had a knife in one hand.


    She turned to me and gave hermand, ¡°Go!¡±


    There was no time to think as I joined them on the run, following the mountain trail.


    About an hourter, several women could not go on anymore. One by one, they began to stagger and


    drop to the ground. ¡°Hey, let¡¯s take a rest!¡±


    Nora, who seemed none the better, turned to the women behind her and nodded. She called to


    everybody, ¡°Alright, girls. Take five.¡±


    There were no roads in the mountains. We had been relying on what little mountain trails we could find.


    I had been tensed just now, because of the situation we were in, back at the wooden house. But I was


    free now, my mind no longer upied by danger. I turned to ask Nora, ¡°Back there, why have they


    suddenly fainted?¡±


    Nora wiped away the mud and weeds on her shoes. Then, she gave a surprising answer. ¡°Oh, I


    poisoned them.¡±


    I could not help but frown. ¡°When did you do that?¡± I did not remember seeing her dealing with any


    poison, and I had been constantly by her side.


    ¡°During our shower!¡± She eximed. Then, she looked up at the sky, her brows furrowed. ¡°It¡¯s getting


    dark. We have to get out of here as soon as possible.¡±


    I nodded, got up, and stuck close to her. Still confused about the whole thing, I wanted details. ¡°How


    did you apply the poison when we were in the shower?¡±


    ¡°I dropped it in the shower gel!¡± she said, as a matter of fact. ¡°Knockout drops. Pretty rare. We apply


    the shower gel on our bodies, and when those mene into contact with us, they¡¯ll faint.¡±


    Her answer left me puzzled for quite some time. It was certainly shocking, and after that, I had nothing


    but mad respect for this young woman.


    There were no proper roads here. The five of us kept walking for what felt like hours.


    Eventually, we reached the top of the hill. What came into view was a mountainousndscape. I almost


    yelled game over.


    In other words, we were basically surrounded by hills and mountains, with no end in sight.

 Chapter 640

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 640


    ¡°Damn! How are we going to get out of here? It¡¯s a sea of mountains!¡± One woman eximed in shock.


    Nora looked at the hill range that seemed to go on forever. Holding onto her forehead, she was


    probably starting to feel restless, just like I was.


    Nevertheless, she sighed, ¡°Let¡¯s move on. There¡¯s no way we can¡¯t find our way out.¡±


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    Easier said than done. We went around in circles for who knew how long, moving from one hill to


    another.


    The sky got darker and darker while the women got worried. ¡°I think we should find a ce to rest. If


    we continue walking like this, I¡¯m afraid we may bump into some wild animals that live here. That would


    be bad.¡±


    That was not an unreasonable request. At first, everything seemed fine, as we were able to identify


    traces of human passage. But after walking for several hours, as we ventured deeper and deeper into


    the forest, I realized there were almost no traces of human beings left.


    Nora turned to face us. She went silent for a while and eventually agreed. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s find a ce to


    rest for the night.¡±


    We had no means of making fire. We had made our impromptu escape without bringing along extra


    clothes or food.


    Fortunately, after walking for a little while longer, we found arge and sturdy tree with a giant hole


    underneath its roots. Someone must have dug it out some time ago. The size of the entrance, however,


    was barely amodating.


    As women, we were rtively petite in size, so we had little issue crawling into the hole.


    The sky had gonepletely dark by the time we entered the hole. Night had fallen. Each of us


    reluctantly found a safe spot and sat down.


    There were five of us in total. Besides Nora and I, the names of the three other women with us


    remained unknown.


    As we huddled in the hole, we began to make introductions. The other three women came from


    different ces.


    One of the thin, dark-skinned women was Tabitha. She came from Xenhall. The other one was called


    Laurel, who lived along the coast. She looked to be in her mid-thirties and was on the chubby side,


    which might be due to hormonal imbnce. Her cheeks had been visibly covered in e for quite


    some time, especially along the jawlines. Some of them had formed pus and turned white, while a few


    had reddened and looked about to pop.


    Another woman hailed from a farming vige in the southwest. Her name was Tessa Dixon. She was a


    bit plump with medium-length hair. Her eyebrows highlighted her forehead wrinkles, which made her


    seem at least ten years older than she actually was.


    As we talked, I got to learn about their situations.


    In the beginning, I thought the crooks were targeting young and beautiful women only, but it turned out


    not to be the case. Perhaps they just wanted women. Any woman would do. As for what they wanted


    us for, we would never know.


    After a short chat, weid down in the hole to get some rest. I heard Tessa reciting some prayers close


    to me, but I could not make out what she was saying.


    The forest wasrgely empty. Her chanting was not exactly loud, but in the quiet forest it sounded eerie


    and frightening.


    Tabitha and Laurel were understandably scared, but they stayed curled up in the hole, hugging


    themselves tightly and not saying a word.


    But Nora did not hold back. Her brows arched, she told Tessa what we were all thinking about. ¡°Hey,


    we all know that you believe in God, but can you please recite your prayers in your mind, and not say it


    out loud? You¡¯re going to attract wildlife if you go on like this.¡±


    Tessa, annoyed by the interruption, produced a furious retort. ¡°God will only protect us. He will not bring


    us harm.¡±


    Nora did not argue with her. Instead, she rolled her eyes and, when the chanting resumed, said, ¡°Look,


    if it means so much to you, please do it outside.¡±


    Tessa went quiet after that. The mumbling stopped.


    Tabitha and Laurel exchanged nces. Neither had anything to say. Shrouded in darkness, all of us


    remained silent.


    Luckily for us, nothing happened during the night. We lived to see another day.


    The next day.


    Birdsong in the forest was music to the ears. By the time I woke up, Tessa had already left the hole.


    Nora had been resting on her knees when the noise roused her from her sleep. She looked around


    nkly.


    Her delicate face, reddened from being held down for too long, only served to highlight her fairness.


    She looked much prettier.


    ¡°Wake up!¡± I called her, as I got ready to head out.


    Nora nodded, rubbed her face, exhaled deeply, and asked, ¡°Has someone gone out?¡±


    I nodded and was about to head out when she made to follow me. However, probably because she had


    kept her legs pressed for too long a time, she stumbled before she could even stand up properly.


    I lowered my gaze at her. Helplessly, she said, ¡°I must have stayed hunched over for too long. My legs


    are numb.¡±


    Smirking, I lent a hand to get her up and out of the hole.


    We found Tessa sitting on a tree trunk outside the hole, chanting prayers to her heart¡¯s content. She


    was not exactly loud, but her recital sounded like buzzing noises, and it was bing irritable.


    Nora smacked her lips in response as irritation crossed her face. ¡°Geez, do you have to make so much


    noise so early in the morning? Give it a rest.¡±


    Tessa whipped around to re at her, said nothing, and got back to reciting her prayers.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we look around and see if we can find any fruits? After that, we can look for some real


    food.¡± I suggested. I looked up to find that the trees had managed to block most of the sun, its rays


    sparsely spilling on the ground.


    We had woken up to greet a new dawn, apanied by birdsong and the cool morning breeze. I


    breathed in the air provided by the forest and felt instantly refreshed.

 Chapter 641

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 641


    ¡°Let¡¯s go that way!¡± Nora called to us. She spotted Tabitha and Laurel just climbing out of the hole.


    ¡°What¡¯s up, you two? If you¡¯ve had a good rest, let¡¯s move on!¡±


    The two women nodded as they dusted the dirt and grime off their wrinkly clothes. They nced at


    Tessa, who was still immersed in her prayers. Tabitha mumbled, ¡°She¡¯s so pious. Do you think God


    with really bless her?¡±


    Nora shrugged. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    The forest was rather humid in the morning. The soil had be loose. One could hear the soft


    crunching of the earth just by stepping on it.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Laurel screamed. Then, she squatted on the spot she had previously stepped on and began to


    scrape at the ground.


    Very soon, we saw what had been hiding underneath the earth. It was a cluster of yellowish-white


    fungi. Some of them had been crushed under her feet.


    Only a few short and stout ones were spared.


    ¡°Mushrooms!¡± Tessa, who had been reciting her prayers the whole time, promptly came forward and


    started digging up the nts from under the fertile soil. She wiped the dirt off and began to swallow


    them a few pieces at a time.


    Laurel, looking equal parts terrified and worried, wondered, ¡°Do we¡­ eat them raw? Just like that?¡±


    Tabitha turned around and, indeed, managed to find other mushrooms of the same variety under some


    rotten leaves.


    She passed some of them to us. ¡°Yes, this kind of mushrooms can be eaten raw. There used to be


    plenty at my ce and we did this all the time. Sure, they won¡¯t satisfy our hunger, but it¡¯ll have to do


    for now. Let¡¯s eat!¡±


    They dug in. The rest of us, having barely eaten anything for a day, followed suit.


    Nora helped herself to some mushrooms. A whileter, she looked at Tabitha, a question on her mind.


    ¡°Are you sure we won¡¯t have any hallucinations after eating these? Once, I watched the news about


    poison testers in the south. They usually do thate May and June. Those who really did get


    poisoned are said to be able to ¡®transcend reality¡¯.¡±


    Tabitha chuckled. ¡°Well, if you know which ones to eat and which ones to avoid, basically you won¡¯t


    have any hallucinations.¡±


    Laurel found many other kinds of mushrooms in the soil. She turned around to ask the expert, ¡°What


    about these?¡±


    Tabitha nodded. ¡°Sure, but we¡¯ll need to cook them. If not, we¡¯ll see things that aren¡¯t there.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a pity. None of us have a lighter, otherwise, we could have made ourselves a feast supplied by


    Mother Nature herself,¡± Nora sighed as she stuffed more mushrooms into her mouth.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Tessa shouted all of a sudden, prompting everyone else to look towards her, surprise hanging on


    our faces.


    ¡°What? Has your God decided to show Himself?¡± Nora spoke in annoyance.


    Tessa¡¯s face turned pale, her body stiffened, as she muttered, ¡°B-B-Bamboo snake¡­¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    All of us followed her gaze simultaneously. There was a tiny green snake, about fifty centimetres in


    length, hanging around the leaves of the tree next to her.


    We would not have noticed it if we had not been paying attention. The snake spat out its forked tongue.


    It looked like it was preparing an attack.


    ¡°This snake is venomous. We have to be careful!¡± Tabitha yelled, her face pale and haggard.


    I scanned the surroundings from the corner of my eyes. There was a branch that must have been


    snapped in half by the wind. One of its ends seemed rather sharp.


    ¡°What now! What now! I¡¯m going crazy just looking at that ugly thing! Ah, it¡¯s giving me goosebumps!¡±


    Nora stood close to me. Driven by anxiety and fright, she clung tightly onto me as if her life depended


    on it.


    I wanted tofort her, but I was scared too. The creature was inches away from us, equipped with


    venom!


    ¡°Is it not toote if we run now?¡± Nora muttered, already backing away.


    ¡°It¡¯s toote!¡± Tessa said, her voice trembling. ¡°This is a bamboo snake. It¡¯lle after us.¡±


    ¡°Damn it! But we can¡¯t just stay here like this!¡±


    Laurel was so scared that she was shaking uncontrobly, her facepletely drained of color.


    ¡°Kill it!¡± Tabitha proposed. Despite being scrawny, she dared to re at the reptile hiding among the


    leaves with a wicked glint in her dark eyes.


    Tessa was closest to the snake. Any careless movements and the snake couldtch onto her and sink


    its fangs on her neck.


    But she was too frightened at the moment to do anything. Her body kept shaking. ¡°Don¡¯t provoke it, you


    guys. I¡¯m scared.¡±


    ¡°What are you scared of? You recite your prayers all the time, right? Your God will protect you. Go on,¡±


    Nora said, with great irony.


    In a situation like this, no one could afford to be distracted.


    Tabitha turned to instruct Tessa. ¡°Okay, here¡¯s what we¡¯re going to do. I¡¯ll count to three. You get ready


    to dodge. I will throw a rock and see if I can hit it.¡±


    What?


    Tessa was on the verge of tears. ¡°You can¡¯t possibly hit it! The chances are slim. What if you hit me


    instead? I¡¯ll die!¡±


    ¡°Do you have other ideas?¡± Tabitha asked a rhetorical question. Tessa shook her head in despair.


    ¡°It¡¯s a gamble then!¡± With that said, Tabitha slowly bent down and picked up a stone.


    Tessa was really having a breakdown, but time was running out and we had no other choice. We had to


    take our chances.


    ¡°One, two, three¡­ Duck!¡± As if on cue, Tessa promptly moved away.


    Tabitha flung the stone towards the bamboo snake hiding among the leaves.


    Wild animals often had faster reflexes than humans.


    The bamboo snake evaded Tabitha¡¯s attack. Angered, it made its advance on Tessa, who had just


    barely got out of its way.

 Chapter 642

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 642


    A reactionary creature like this was even more fearful when it sprang into action.


    It¡¯s going to get Tessa! I hastily picked up the branch I¡¯d spotted earlier on the ground and jabbed its


    sharp side at the snake.


    Thankfully, that single thrust pierced through the snake¡¯s mid-section and sessfully pinned it down.


    Its head and tail, however, remained wriggling furiously.


    Tessa was still recovering from her fright. Anger and shock coursed through her, forming a vtile mix


    of emotions.


    She picked up the stone that Tabitha had flung away earlier, then brought it crashing firmly down on the


    snake¡¯s head.


    Its head thus maimed; the snake seemed to be caught in a daze. Without hesitation, Tessa vehemently


    crushed it with a few sessive blows.


    Blood sttered everywhere. Tessa only stopped, satisfied, when the snake had been utterly reduced


    to bits of mangled flesh.


    The other girls looking on turned a sickly pale. Nora gulped, then quickly said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s gettingte,


    and we should get moving.¡±


    As we slowly forged our way forward, we managed to pick quite a lot of mushrooms. The forested


    mountain was ancient and teeming with rich, bountiful wildlife.


    Whenever we stumbled upon the asional spring, we¡¯d settle down to eat and drink. No matter what


    else happened to us, at least we knew we wouldn¡¯t go hungry.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    After half a day¡¯s journey, we spotted a red fruit, resembling an apple, growing on a tree a few steps


    ahead.


    ¡°Are those apples?¡± Nora panted. The near-constant rate of trekking had left her face flushed and


    dripping with perspiration.


    Tabitha quickly scaled the tree and tossed a few down. ¡°It¡¯s grown in the wild. It¡¯s not very sweet, but


    it¡¯s edible. We can pick them all and bring them along for something to eat.¡±


    It sounded like a good n. We quickly ascended the tree after Tabitha. Tessa, however, sat a little way


    off fiddling with her own belongings. She¡¯d eaten quite a lot of mushrooms along the way and was no


    longer as concerned about getting food as the rest of us were.


    Laurel gave it her best shot. Being rather plump and short, however, climbing naturally posed a rather


    insurmountable challenge for her.


    She clumsily made a few attempts but gave up after a while. Laurel was resigned to waiting on the


    ground below, picking up the fruits we lobbed her way.


    Nora perched leisurely on the branches. She greedily ate any fruits she¡¯d managed to pluck, blissfully


    indulging in the fruits of herbor.


    Tabitha, however, maintained a clear head. She¡¯d sensibly warned, ¡°Look out for snakes!¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± Nora shrieked, terrified at the thought of having to face another snake. She wildly surveyed her


    surroundings, then took another huge bite of the apple in her hand. ¡°That made me nervous! Let me


    eat another apple to calm my nerves,¡± Nora eximed.


    Tabitha shook her head helplessly, then continued throwing fruits down. Laurel continued picking them


    up in her ungainly manner.


    Tessa remained aloof at the side. Looking down, Nora observed, ¡°What is that woman doing? She¡¯s


    been fumbling with her things ever since we got here! Did killing that snake mess with her mind?¡±


    Tabitha merely shrugged in reply.


    ¡°What are the two of you talking about? Let¡¯s be quick! Once we¡¯re done picking the fruits, we should


    hurry along,¡± I broke in.


    Why are they wasting time discussing trivial matters? These girls can be so flippant about things


    sometimes! I fumed to myself.


    To ensure that we had enough and a little more besides, we¡¯d wiped out the entire tree. We even took


    the few that weren¡¯t yet ripe to be consumedter on our way.


    Fortunately, that snake that we¡¯d killed was the only aggressive one we encountered. The rest of the


    way, though bumpy, contained nothing as treacherous as that snake.


    With our ample supply of water, fruits, and a side of mushrooms, we considered ourselves rather


    fortunate travelers.


    After we¡¯d crossed few peaks, daylight slowly began to fade. We still hadn¡¯t found ourselves a suitable


    resting spot for the night, however. Nora grew visibly anxious, insisting, ¡°Let¡¯s keep going forward. I


    saw a couple of manmade paths along the trail, which means there must be a vige or two nearby. If


    we walk on, we¡¯ll surely meet someone! We¡¯ll be able to call for help then.¡±


    That seemed to be the only viable solution for now. The other girls found Nora¡¯s proposal agreeable


    and continued their walk with renewed vigor.


    ¡°Come on, everyone! Let¡¯s get to the vige quickly. We¡¯ll be home soon,¡± we urged each other. Our


    spirits lifted at the thought.


    Quickening our steps, we crossed another peak and indeed saw res of light ahead of us in the


    distance.


    We rejoiced. As Tabitha strode forward, she fantasized out loud, ¡°When I get home, I¡¯ll surely take


    myself out for a good foie gras and a seafood buffet. Besides, I¡¯ll treat myself to some cosmetic


    products that I¡¯ve been eyeing for the longest time.¡±


    Laurel, too, joined in. ¡°I¡¯ll take everyone out to high tea, then. My treat!¡±


    ¡°I have to eat some steak. I feel as if I could eat a whole cow,¡± Nora dered exaggeratedly, popping


    the rest of the stash she¡¯d picked into her mouth. Nora was a rather lovely girl, particrly when she


    smiled.


    Tessa, however, remarked rather evenly, ¡°We¡¯re lucky to make it out of here alive. Let¡¯s focus on getting


    out first.¡±


    Her cool statement rather dampened our cheeriness. Exchanging nces, the rest of us decided to


    pay no heed to Tessa¡¯sment.

 Chapter 643

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 643


    Nora turned to me and queried, ¡°Scarlett, if we indeed get to go home this time around, what would you


    want to do most of all?¡±


    What did I want? That question lingered in my mind as I continued trudging forward, deep in thought.


    There wasn¡¯t any food I was especially craving. After a moment¡¯s pause, I concluded, ¡°I want to see the


    person I miss most, give him a hug, and apologize to him face-to-face.¡±


    Nora seemed taken by surprise. Then she curiously pressed, ¡°Is it somebody you¡¯re in love with?¡±


    I gave her a faint smile but declined to reply.


    Night had fallen when we finally reached saw signs of human life. The vige we¡¯d arrived at was


    located in quite a rural area of the mountains, and perhaps due to its inessibility, there didn¡¯t seem


    to be many inhabitants around.


    From the number ofmps we¡¯d counted shining in the dark, there were probably thirty to forty


    households scattered throughout the vige.


    ¡°Let¡¯s find a ce to hunker down for the night,¡± Nora suggested, already making her way towards the


    door of the nearest cottage.


    ¡°Woof! Woof!¡± A dog suddenly rushed out into the yard and began sounding the alert at our sudden


    intrusion.


    We clung to each other, terrified. Fortunately, the dog was leashed to a rope. It strained against its


    tether, barking continuously.


    The owner of the cottage had evidently heard the ruckus. Out stepped a middle-aged man with tan,


    weathered skin.


    He spoke, but none of us understood what he was trying to say. After a while, Tabitha gasped. ¡°We


    might have unknowingly crossed the border into Venria!¡±


    We all froze. The arduous journey we¡¯d made, crossing peak after peak, hadn¡¯t brought us any closer


    to home. We¡¯d even gone so far that we were in another country altogether.


    The man¡¯s foreign tongue threw us all into disarray. Upon seeing our confused faces, the owner of the


    cottage seemed to further mistake our intentions. He waved his axe at us threateningly in a bid to


    chase us off his property.


    Fortunately, a young woman, approximately sixteen years of age, ran out of the cottage just then. She


    tugged at the man¡¯s sleeve.


    The young woman urgently conferred with the man for a while. He then grew noticeably calmer and


    lowered the axe in his hand.


    The man then turned toward us and gestured. Uprehendingly, Tabitha made a few hesitant


    motions with her hands in return, trying to convey our goodwill.


    We couldn¡¯t tell if he understood. He did, however, let us into his home eventually.


    The cottage we entered was a dismal sight and stripped down within. Its y walls were caked with


    soot, doubtless from the fire that was burning in its hearth.


    A fmentmp hung from the ceiling, the sort that farming viges would have used decades ago. The


    lamp burned dimly at a bare fifty watts, probably to save on electricity costs. Shadows filled the entire


    cottage.


    There were some bowls and utensils in a neat stack in a corner. The roof of the cottage was, in fact, a


    tent stitched together out of gunny sacks. There was dust everywhere. It turned to grime at damp spots


    where rainwater had seeped in.


    The small heaps of ckened dirt that covered the tent looked sure to be full of pests.


    The man took out two bowls from a cab and ced them before us.


    Due to thenguage barrier, the man continued to gesture furiously. He seemed to be inviting us to eat.


    We peered at the bowls in front of us. The food was steeped in chili. Nora recoiled ever so slightly,


    asking, ¡°What dish is this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s pickled onions. I think it¡¯s supposed to be a starting dish. Shall we try it?¡± Tabitha eximed rather


    adventurously. She had more of an appetite than the rest of us for more exotic and unusual delicacies.


    Having endured hunger for a whole day, we dug in rather gratefully. The vor of the pickled onions,


    spicy with a hint of sourness, was quite refreshing.


    It had been a few days since we¡¯d really tasted anything. The pickled onions thus thoroughly satisfied


    our tastebuds.


    As we ate, the man and his daughter squatted in a corner. They gazed at us with curiosity and awe,


    mixed with a tinge of fear.


    Sensing their uneasiness, Nora persisted in her attempts tomunicate with them. Along with her


    hand signals, she deliberately spoke a few basic words, emphasizing each syble slowly.


    It worked. Somehow, both father and daughter came to understand that we were here to borrow a


    device to contact home.


    They were stumped, however, by what exactly a phone was.


    We¡¯d run into another roadblock. We could only wait until the next day for the man to seek help from


    his fellow vigers. Until then, we¡¯d have to take shelter in this battered cottage. Compared to spending


    a night out in the open mountains, however, this was considered a win.


    When we blearily woke the next morning, the man was already up in the tree in his yard plucking fruits.


    His daughter stood beneath the tree with a basket, picking up the soft fruits he¡¯d identally let tumble


    onto the ground.


    Every time she bent over to pick up some fruit, she¡¯d beam a smile in our direction. It was as if she was


    eagerly trying to transmit her simple joy to us.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Really makes you rethink the link between happiness and wealth, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Tabitha mused, looking


    rather wistful. She looked almost like a child with her slender frame.


    Nora crossed her arms, leaning against the door frame. ¡°Why? Are you thinking of something sad?¡±


    she quizzed, raising an eyebrow.


    Tabitha shrugged. ¡°Not really. I was reflecting on this whole turn of events, and I feel as if I¡¯ve been


    enlightened. How we live our lives should be entirely up to us. It doesn¡¯t matter what other people


    think.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all been destined!¡± Tessa quipped. This discussion aligned with the philosophical tendencies she¡¯d


    been harboring all this way. We¡¯d finally managed to pique her interest.


    Nora massaged her temple, groaning, ¡°Can we take a break from philosophy for once?¡±


    Tessa ignored Nora. She marched straight out into the yard and began picking up fruits with the young


    girl.


    They still couldn¡¯tmunicate with words but smiles and gestures seemed to suffice for now.

 Chapter 644

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 644


    In our desperation to head home, Nora hauled me along into the vige in our hunt for a phone.


    It¡¯s the twenty-first century! Surely someone must have a phone around here! we thought. When we


    knocked on the door of the next cottage, however, Nora¡¯s hand signals asking for a phone only met


    with baffled looks.


    Our best efforts at miming remained futile. We departed after a good while, empty-handed.


    Tabitha and Laurel hadn¡¯t fared much better. We returned to find them sitting side by side, disconste.


    Laurel was the first to speak. ¡°If we can¡¯t get any results here, we should try moving further in. Perhaps


    we¡¯ll get to the city. We may even meet some fellow countrymen!¡±


    ¡°The probability of that will be really low though. We don¡¯t know how much longer the road up ahead is.


    If we aren¡¯t careful, we may be mistaken for thieves and locked up,¡± Nora countered. She plopped


    down onto the floor with a sigh, looking defeated.


    ¡°What¡¯s so bad about getting locked up?¡± Tessa asked thoughtfully. ¡°Surely, the local policeman knows


    a little more than the average viger. If we manage to exin our situation to them, it might be our


    ticket home.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Laurel leaped to her feet in excitement. ¡°If we get in touch with the local police, they may


    be able to send us home. We won¡¯t have to wander around so aimlessly either.¡±


    We all agreed that this was the most promising idea we¡¯d had. We cheered up instantly at the thought


    andunching into a feverish discussion of what we should do to capture the attention of the local


    police.


    We were in a vige on the mountain. Who knows if there¡¯s even a functional police station around


    here? I wondered to myself.


    Tessa remained steadfast in her conviction that she shouldn¡¯t participate in any criminal act, regardless


    of its motive. She slipped off before our discussion even began.


    Nora and Tabitha, however, were enthusiastic. ¡°Leave it to us!¡± they cried delightedly.


    That evening, Nora and Tabitha walked boldly up to one of the viger¡¯s yards under the pretense of


    borrowing something. They then grabbed a bundle of items and sprinted off.


    Both of them returned with their armsden with fruit, fully expecting the police to be hot on their heels.


    However, neither Nora nor Tabitha had counted on the kindness of the viger. The owner of the house


    had been enraged at the two girls¡¯ theft. However, on ount of Nora and Tabitha being foreigners, the


    viger had assumed that both girls were foraging for food and ultimately sympathized.


    He thus hadn¡¯t reported the incident to anyone, least of all the police. Nora and Tabitha were rather


    taken aback by this oue and returned the stolen goods rather sheepishly.


    A short whileter, the viger returned bearing the same fruits that Nora and Tabitha had returned.


    Embarrassed and slightly frustrated, Nora and Tabitha decided to turn to other means of crime.


    However, they repeated this at several other homes only to be met with the same result. Some vigers


    even gave us additional food items from their own hoard out of pity.


    Rice was a staple in the diets of these vigers. All they knew of the world was confined to the


    boundaries of their farm. They remainedrgely oblivious to the wider modern society beyond their


    fences.


    The vigers thus viewed Nora and Tabitha¡¯s acts with almost naive simplicity, assuming that the two


    girls had been starving or poor. They¡¯d done what they did selflessly, out of pity.


    When we realized this, we were resolved not to pursue our thoughtless ways any further. However,


    news of our presence here in the vige had already spread amongst its people.


    Over the next couple of days, practically the whole vige came to visit us bearing gifts of food.


    Through the most rudimentary of phrases and lots of guessing, we discovered that our host was named


    Troy Laander. His daughter was Yvette.


    Among all of us, Tabitha was the quickest to pick up the vigers¡¯nguage, having been exposed to


    other simr foreign tongues before.


    Gradually, she was able to converse with the Laanders.


    When Troy finallyprehended the rationale behind our rather peculiar acts of theft, he said ruefully,


    ¡°There was no need for you to behave this way! We could have found someone for you to borrow a


    phone from.¡±


    Tabitha cradled her head in both hands. She¡¯d long ago realized the foolishness of our n. It was our


    utter hopelessness that hadpelled and continued it.


    Trying tofort her, Troy promised to seek out a phone for us the following morning.


    It waste, and it was apparently a taboo to present oneself uninvited at another person¡¯s house at that


    timing.


    We saw no reason not to but acquiesced as the dutiful guests that we were.


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    The thought that home was very possibly within reach made us almost delirious with joy. We thus


    yed delightedly with Yvette the whole night.


    Tabitha was now ourmunications expert. She spent the entire night tranting for us. Among the


    many promises we made Yvette; one was that we¡¯d definitely return to the vige to visit her. We also


    assured her that we¡¯d bring dolls and lots of good food back with us.


    We chatted until the first rays of dawn streaked across the sky. Troy, true to his word, had already set


    off in search of a phone for us.


    He returned empty-handed in the afternoon appearing rather dejected. He did, however, bring this


    offering, ¡°I think I saw some policemen in the vige. Do you want to head over and take a look?¡±


    We were ted at this news. Nora, however, looked rather suspicious. She asked cynically, ¡°Why did


    those policemene here all of a sudden, though?¡±


    Troy halted. ¡°They¡¯re looking for someone. I don¡¯t know the specifics, but you can go and take a look.¡±


    Looking for someone?


    We exchanged nces amongst each other. We were equally bewildered. There was no discernible


    reason for policemen to be looking for someone in such a remote location.

 Chapter 645

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 645


    It had taken the four of us days to get here across the rugged terrain, scaling numerous peaks. It was a


    tremendous distance. Why would these policemen have made the same, if not more, perilous journey?


    Besides, weren¡¯t they worried about appearing conspicuous?


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Troy asked doubtfully, noting our troubled faces with concern.


    Out of consideration for Troy, we chorused in tandem, a little too brightly, ¡°Nothing! It¡¯s fine!¡±


    Nora was the most street smart among us. She was closely guarded, refusing to trust others unless


    they¡¯ve proven themselves. She now paused, then remarked wisely, ¡°No matter what, let¡¯s be careful. If


    it¡¯s really impossible, we can continue to the city. We¡¯ll definitely meet fellow countrymen there. If we¡¯re


    indeed that close to the border, there¡¯ll definitely be an embassy we can seek refuge at.¡±


    Upon hearing Nora¡¯s tempered reasoning, we nodded in agreement. Besides, it didn¡¯t seem like there


    were any other alternatives.


    Having made up our minds, we regretfully bade farewell to Troy and Yvette and hurriedly set off.


    Before we could even step out of the door, however, we heard the sound of rapid footstepsing


    from outside, beyond it.


    ¡°What shall we do?¡± Laurel shrieked. She clung tightly to the hem of my shirt, petrified.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see,¡± I dered firmly, trying to keep my voice from quaking. Together, Nora and I


    watched the door in trepidation.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Troy¡¯s house was rather cramped. There was absolutely nowhere to hide.


    Besides, even if we managed to, we¡¯d be leaving Troy and Yvette to fend for themselves. If these were


    indeed assantsing for us, they might even torment Troy and Yvette for helping us.


    We decided that we had to confront them head-on. As we peered out of the crack of the door, what


    greeted us was the sight of a few dark-skinned men attired in police uniforms. They stood haughtily in


    the yard with their chests puffed out.


    ¡°Venrian policemen!¡± Nora muttered; her brow furrowed. She squared her shoulders and walked out


    into the yard somewhat defiantly.


    When the policemen saw us, looks of astonishment flitted briefly across their faces. Troy, who¡¯d


    followed us out, began rattling off a string of exnations. Unable to follow the conversations, we fixed


    our gazes on Troy inplete trust.


    After a brief exchange, the apparent leader of the policemen turned towards us and uttered a


    command. Naturally, we made no response and merely looked at him, mystified.


    The policeman looked equally confused. His arrogance seemed to have taken a blow. He turned


    towards a sallow-looking man standing just behind him and gave another order.


    His chosen interpreter stared at us with piercing eyes and asked, ¡°Are you illegal Chanaean


    immigrants?¡±


    Nora pursed her lips. ¡°Good sirs, can we discuss this civilly? We weren¡¯t trespassing. We were running


    for our lives!¡±


    The interpreter frowned slightly, then reported back to his leader. The policeman looked at us for a


    moment, then directed his reply to us through his interpreter again.


    In this way, we achieved a semnce of understanding. The Venrian policemen were here on border


    patrol, having heard rumors of missing people.


    From what information we¡¯d managed to piece together, they didn¡¯t sound like terrible people. In fact,


    we managed to glean the fact that some of our family members were searching for us.


    Nora¡¯s eyes roved across each of our faces. Atst, she said lightly, ¡°Which of you has such influential


    family members? How did they manage to mobilize even the Venrian policemen?¡±


    We had all been equally confounded by the revtion. Tabitha volunteered rather uncertainly, ¡°I¡¯m not


    too sure either, but my Dad¡¯s job involves border surveince. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s important enough a


    figure to get me out here, though, much less know where I am!¡±


    Laurel shrugged as well. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me! My parents are ordinary people. They live along the coast.


    If I was ever kidnapped, all they would do would be to call the police. It isn¡¯t likely that Chanaean


    policemen would cast their this far.¡±


    We all looked simultaneously in Tessa¡¯s direction. She had been standing aside calmly and was


    startled to see us gazing questioningly at her. ¡°It must be fate!¡± she blurted out.


    Speechless, we turned back. It was evident that we couldn¡¯t count on Tessa for answers now, either.


    Nora squinted at me. ¡°Scarlett, now that I think about it, you¡¯ve never told us about your past or your


    family, have you?¡±


    I bit my lip, then replied ruefully, ¡°I grew up an orphan in R Province. My Grandma was the one who


    took care of me as a child growing up, but she passed away. I¡¯ve been working at A City alone ever


    since. I¡¯m not close to my colleagues and I don¡¯t think any of them would notice if I went missing.¡±


    My reply was evidently not what Nora was expecting to hear. She awkwardly patted my arm and said,


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to bring that up.¡±


    I smiled faintly at her. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m used to it.¡±


    Tabitha seemed the most likely cause now. Her parents must have gotten hold of some thread of


    connection that had led them all the way here to Venria.


    We thus said our goodbyes for real to the Laanders. Together with the policemen, we traipsed out of


    the vige towards what we hoped was home.


    The long ride eventually sobered us up from the initial rush of joy. A sudden hush descended on our


    group. Then Nora spoke, ¡°I hope we can truly return home this time around. If we all survive this, let¡¯s


    be sure to keep in touch.¡±


    Laurel forced a chuckle. ¡°Of course we¡¯ll survive!¡±


    It was a five or six-hour drive to the city. We were supposed to be headed towards Marsingfill, but the


    route took us instead to Ocean City. It was located, as its name suggested, close to the sea.


    An uneasy feeling stirred among us. Nora turned towards the sallow-skinned man and demanded,


    ¡°Why did you take a detour around Norham to bring us here to Ocean City?¡±


    The man smirked aggravatingly. ¡°Well, well, it seems like someone knows her way around Venria pretty


    well!¡± he said.

 Chapter 646

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 646


    Nora frowned slightly and asked the man, ¡°Are you not a police officer?¡±


    All of us tensed up at the question and the man scoffed. ¡°We are indeed the police, but we are not the


    police who will send all of you home. Don¡¯t you know that there are different types of police in Venria?¡±


    Upon hearing his confession, Tabitha shrieked in fear, ¡°Let us go!¡±


    Meanwhile, Laurel was so terrified that she started to shake uncontrobly, and Tessa began mumbling


    philosophical quotes.


    Nora turned pale as her hope of returning home vanished in an instant.


    She was so upset that she could not even speak. ring at him with her zing eyes, she looked as if


    she was going to murder the man.


    I sped my hands tightly and took a deep breath topose myself. Then, I looked at the man with a


    steady gaze. ¡°So, where are you guys bringing us?¡±


    He turned towards me and smiled. ¡°Oh, you must be Scarlett Stovall.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°Do you know me?¡±


    He gave me a nonchnt shrug and replied, ¡°Nope, I don¡¯t know who you are, but I¡¯ve heard of you.


    The police in Marsingfill are looking for you now. You seem to be worth a lot of money.¡±


    The police wouldn¡¯t be finding me without a reason. Perhaps Ashton has known that I¡¯m in Venria, so


    he contacted the police there.


    When he saw the baffled look on me, he continued, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ms. Stovall. I can¡¯t guarantee the


    safety of thedies here, but I can definitely guarantee yours. As long as you cooperate with us, you


    can go back to your country safe and sound after we receive the ransom.¡±


    ¡°You think you all can get the money?¡± I scoffed. ¡°If the police are really searching for me, it¡¯d be better


    if you send me to the police in Marsingfill and tell them that you¡¯re the ones who rescue me. They might


    give you arge sum of money as a token of appreciation.¡±


    His brows furrowed as he pondered the option. After a while, he narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°I can


    consider bringing you there, but not them.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I raised my voice. ¡°As long as you send us back, I can give you the money, as much as you


    want.¡±


    He let out a scoff. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re indeed different, no wonder Mr. Murphy is interested in you. But he is


    only looking for you, Ms. Stovall. Him spending money on you doesn¡¯t mean that he would fork out for


    the others. These women are too mediocre. I don¡¯t think he would like any of them, so there¡¯s no use in


    sending them to him.¡±


    Offended by his words, the girls gritted their teeth and red at him.


    Nora, who had a prettyplexion with porcin skin, got especially mad at him.


    She shot him a disdainful look. ¡°Did you not see yourself? You¡¯re the ugliest one here. With your pig


    nose and small eyes, even stic surgery can¡¯t fix your looks.¡±


    Iughed inwardly. This might be the best retaliation I¡¯ve ever heard.


    On the other hand, the man was so angry that he almost burst a blood vessel. He was about to p


    Nora when the driver turned around and said something to him.


    Then, the man dropped his hand.


    Seeing his reaction, Nora rolled her eyes and continued to rebuke, ¡°Stop acting like you¡¯re some kind of


    big shot. You¡¯re just a traitor who betrayed the country for money.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± The man had nothing to say to her usation.


    ring at Nora, he looked like he was going to tear her apart. But he eventually calmed down and


    sneered all of a sudden. ¡°Look at you, you can be smug all you want. Don¡¯t you know that all of you are


    going to meet your end soon? Once we reach Eastsummer, you would know what a living hell is.¡±


    Nora wanted to talk back, but I stopped her and looked at the man. ¡°Since you know who Mr. Murphy


    is, you should know that the Murphys had plenty of money to spare. Besides, if you send all of us back,


    not only the Murphys will give you money, even the Fullers, the Moores, and the Stovalls will give you a


    fortune. You just need to bring us back safely to the police, and you can live an easy life in K City. It¡¯s


    very simple.¡±


    He gaped and asked disbelievingly, ¡°What did you say? Even the Fullers, the Moores, and the Stovalls


    will give me money, too?¡±


    I nodded. Realizing that the girls were staring at me as well, I hesitated for a while before saying, ¡°Yes.


    If you don¡¯t believe me, give me your phone and let me call Ashton Fuller. I¡¯ll turn on the speaker.¡±


    He looked at me doubtfully. ¡°How did you know him?¡±


    I pursed my lips and told him the truth. ¡°Not only do I know Ashton Fuller, but also John Stovall and


    Zachary Moore. I believe you know who they are.¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    He paled instantly. After a long while, he finally responded, ¡°Who are you? Why are you human


    trafficked to Venria to be a mule?¡±


    I was stunned. I did not expect that they abducted us for smuggling purposes.

 Chapter 647

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 647


    The others froze as well. After wandering around without a roof over our heads, we had known that we


    were human trafficked, but we never had the slightest idea on why we were brought here.


    Now that we finally got the answer from him, we were shocked beyond words.


    If we did not run away at that time, we would be mules by now. I could not help but feel relieved at the


    thought. I said to the man, ¡°I can only tell you that I came here by ident. So, can you please let us


    go? I can give you whatever you want.¡±


    It was an earnest request from me.


    He hesitated for a while and went to discuss with the driver.


    The driver nced at me with a flicker of doubt in his eyes. He then said something to the man and


    went back to driving.


    After they finished discussing, the man looked over to me and said, ¡°We will consider sending you to


    Marsingfill but not the others.¡±


    As soon as he spoke, the car came to a stop. Before we could say anything, several people tape our


    mouths shut and dragged us out of the car.


    We were then brought into a beachfront vi. It was heavily guarded.


    Initially, I thought that the five of us would be locked up together, but we were immediately separated


    after entering the vi.


    I was brought into a clean room on the second floor.


    Closing the door, the man motioned the driver just now to untie the rope on me. Then, he looked at me


    and said, ¡°Ms. Stovall, rest for a few days here and we will ask people toe and send you to


    Marsingfill.¡±


    It took me a second to understand what had said. ¡°How about my friends?¡±


    He gave me a shrug and frowned. ¡°Ms. Stovall, you should stop thinking about them. Save yourself


    first. Their fate is not in your hand.¡±


    At that, he turned and left.


    For the next few days, I was locked in my room, and a middle-aged woman woulde and bring me


    food every day. To my dismay, I did not get any information from her due to thenguage barrier.


    My room had a balcony. Standing on the balcony, I could see the vast ocean nearby and the scenery


    outside the vi.


    However, every night in the wee hours, I could hear ear-splitting screams rang out in the vi as the


    waves rolled and crashed against the rocks. I was not sure if it was just my illusion.


    And whenever I woke up to check on those voices, they would vanish again.


    One night, I was once again awakened by the screams, so I went to the balcony to find the source of


    those screams. Suddenly, I saw a few ck luxury cars parked in front of the vi.


    In the front yard stood a row of men in ck. They seemed to be bodyguards. The man and the driver


    who brought us to the vi that day were now standing by the cars. The woman who brought me food


    daily said that the name of the driver was Danny while the man who spoke to us was Dante.


    The people in Venria normally did not havest names. Besides, I was not fluent in theirnguage, so I


    was not sure if those were their real names.


    Then, a man with ab-over hairstyle came out from one of the cars. He looked grim in his white suit.


    Danny stepped forward and said something to the man in white. Then, the man in white looked at


    Dante.


    Dante reported something to him and pointed towards the vi.


    Only then did I realize that Dante was pointing at my room.


    Before I could react, the man had turned his head over and looked towards me.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    Although we were far apart, I could see that he had striking facial features. Currently, he was ncing


    at me coldly with his thin lips pressed together.


    Our eyes met. I tensed up and stared at him, wide-eyed.


    After a few seconds, he finally retracted his gaze and entered the vi. It was only then I could move


    my legs and went into my room.


    Slumped onto the bed, I raised my hand and ced it against my beating heart. My heart almost


    stopped just now. What a scary man.


    Just then, someone knocked on the door and a female voice came from the door. ¡°Ms. Stovall, I¡¯m


    coming in.¡± It was the woman who delivered my meal every day.


    From my observation these past few days, it seemed like she only knew how to speak this sentence.


    The woman opened the door and bowed respectfully at me. ¡°Ms. Stovall, please freshen up and go


    downstairs.¡±


    Finally, she said something different.


    I pursed my lips and looked at her. ¡°You want me to go downstairs?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Mr. Abe is waiting for you. Please be quick.¡±


    I frowned. Abe? Is he the man in white suit?


    The woman walked over and put a set of clothes and jewelry on the table at the side. Then, she went to


    the bathroom and filled the bathtub with hot water. It was obvious that she wanted me to prepare


    myself quickly.


    When she saw that I was still dawdling, she turned sullen, clearly unhappy with my attitude.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, can you please hurry up?¡± She walked to my side and looked desperately at me. I had a


    feeling that If I did not do what she said now, she would drag me into the bathroom and bathe me.


    Sighing, I went into the bathroom reluctantly and took my own sweet time bathing.

 Chapter 648

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 648


    Why does Abe want to meet me? Judging from the attitude of Danny and Dante, he seems to be their


    boss.


    Suddenly, the woman¡¯s voice sounded outside the bathroom. ¡°Ms. Stovall, are you done?¡±


    Pursing my lips, I turned off the shower, put on the clothes, and opened the door.


    The woman was getting agitated, but she quicklyposed herself and said, ¡°Ms. Stovall, Mr. Abe is


    waiting for you downstairs. Please go down now.¡±


    I smiled faintly. ¡°The etiquette in your country is rather strange. Why do I have to bathe and change


    clothes before meeting other people?¡±


    However, she kept quiet and ushered me politely to go out.


    Since the day I entered this vi, this is my first time stepping out of the room. The interior of the vi


    was decoratedvishly.


    Stepping down the opulent spiral staircase, I gradually saw the man sitting in the living room.


    Currently, he was making tea leisurely. The tea leaves rose and swirled inside the cup as he slowly


    poured a pot of hot water into it.


    Meanwhile, Danny and Dante sat down gingerly in front of him.


    When Abe passed them a cup of tea respectively, both of them immediately stood up and received the


    tea with two hands.


    The woman went to Abe¡¯s side and lowered her head subserviently. ¡°Mr. Abe, Ms. Stovall is here.¡±


    Abe did not respond. He continued to make tea and enjoy his tea as if he did not hear the woman.


    Then, he nced at Dante, ¡°Is there any new gemstone in Wildefield?¡±


    Dante promptly replied, ¡°Not yet, but soon there will be many businessmening to gamble on


    stones. It won¡¯t be long before the new productes out.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Abe took a sip of his tea and swept a nce at the woman from the corner of his eyes.


    He spoke in a calm manner, ¡°How long did you take?¡±


    The woman stuttered, ¡°H-half an hour, sir.¡±


    Abe nodded. ¡°We need people to deliver some goods now. You should go.¡±


    Hearing hismand, she paled instantly and copsed on her knees. ¡°Mr. Abe, please don¡¯t send


    me. I won¡¯t repeat my mistake next time. ¡°


    Danny and Dante looked at the woman with sympathy and wanted to say something for her.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    But when they saw Abe furrowing his eyebrows, they quickly lowered their head and remained silent.


    ¡°Go! Don¡¯t waste any more time.¡± Abe said, putting down his cup on the table.


    With that, she shot me a resentful look and left.


    I stood there and kept quiet while Abe ignored me and continued to have his discussion with Dante and


    Danny.


    It was obvious he did not want to talk with me at all.


    After standing for about an hour, my legs started to be numb.


    Frowning in displeasure, I interrupted them, ¡°You invited me just to stand here, Mr. Abe?¡±


    The room went quiet all of a sudden as Danny and Dante stopped talking simultaneously and looked at


    me.


    However, Abe did not even give me a nce and tapped on the table rhythmically with his slender


    fingers.


    He seemed rxed and at ease.


    As no one replied to me, I continued, ¡°Mr. Abe, I don¡¯t know who you are and what you do. But since


    you and your subordinates have promised to send me back, you must be somewhat wary of the people


    who are searching for me. If that¡¯s the case, please send me to Marsingfill as soon as possible.¡±


    Still, they did not say anything. Dante looked at me and frowned slightly. He seemed to feel sorry for


    me as if I had said something wrong just now.


    This time, Abe finally responded, ¡°Take Ms. Stovall for a stroll.¡±


    It sounded very simple, but I could not understand what he was trying to say.


    Danny stood up first and said something to Dante.


    Then, Dante stood up as well and pursed his lips. ¡°Follow me, Ms. Stovall.¡±


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± I asked, taking a nce at Abe.


    I could not read any expression from his cold, impassive face.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, talking too much is not a good thing.¡± Dante shot Danny a look.


    In an instant, I was pushed by Danny towards the long corridor on the first floor of the vi.


    When we first came into the vi, I remembered that Nora and the others went in this direction as well.


    I frowned and followed them obediently.


    When we reached the end of the long corridor, Danny used his irises to unlock the biometric door lock.


    I was caught off guard for a second and realized that what these people had the most was probably


    money. Thus, they could afford such an expensive lock. After all, it¡¯s easy to earn dirty money.

 Chapter 649

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 649


    Once the door was opened, Dante walked in first and I followed him inside.


    This ce seemed like a setting in a horror movie. Mirrors were installed everywhere. People who


    were unfamiliar with this ce would definitely get lost in here.


    After walking for a distance, we entered a big room. It seemed to be an operating suite, but this was


    bigger than any I had ever seen.


    The only difference was that there were innumerable individual operation rooms. At a rough guess, it


    seemed to have at least a hundred of them.


    ncing into each of the rooms, I found that almost all the surgical beds were upied, and all of


    them seemed to be female.


    I instinctively turned to Dante and looked at him quizzically.


    However, he did not say anything and kept walking forward. The further we went, the darker it got.


    I initially thought that operating rooms were for people who needed treatment, but never had I expected


    these were for every female who entered this secret ce.


    There were doctors who were doing operations inside these rooms. They would perform abdominal


    incisions just like what they would do for cesarean section, put the prepacked kyanine into the women¡¯s


    wombs, and sutured the incisions.


    The surgery seemed simple but looking at it made me break out in a cold sweat.


    Suddenly, sounds of footsteps came from behind us, and I was rudely pulled aside by Danny.


    Then, a few doctors pushed a woman lying on the stretcher down the corridor. When they passed by


    us, I nced at them out of curiosity. The moment I saw the woman¡¯s face, I was dumbstruck. It¡¯s her!


    The woman lying on the stretcher was thedy who took care of me for the past few days. Why?


    After watching her being pushed by, Dante turned to me and said in a cold tone, ¡°Mr. Abe is a very


    punctual person. She waste for thirty minutes when she sent you down to the living room just now.


    That was the reason why Mr. Abe asked her to be a mule as a punishment.¡±


    A wave of guilt washed over me. I could not understand him for a moment. So, she was punished


    because she waste. Is that why she kept urging me to hurry up in the bedroom? Is that why her eyes


    were filled with resentment before she left?


    I was the one who broke their rules, but she was the one who got the punishment.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    I opened my mouth, but no words out of me.


    ¡°Will she die?¡± I asked after a moment of hesitation.


    Dante shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say if she¡¯s going to survive. Normally, they can survive if the kyanine is


    removed in time at the destination. But there are also women who passed away during the


    transportation due to toxicity or bodily reactions to the foreign materials inside the womb.¡±


    My ears started to ring, and I suddenly thought of Nora and the other girls.


    ¡°Will my friends go through the same thing, too?¡± My voice quivered.


    He raised his eyebrow and said nothing.


    I did not have the courage to continue asking.


    I could not imagine that wombs that were originally used to conceive life, would be used by them as


    tools to transport kyanine. Giving birth itself is already a dangerous process that women have to go


    through. Besides, this is not childbirth at all. No one on earth is strong enough to go through two


    surgeries in such a short time.


    I finally understood why Abe wanted me to witness this. No sane person could stomach the scene


    unfolding in front of my eyes.


    Moreover, there were my friends among these women here. I knew what they would encounter, but I


    could not do anything to help them.


    ¡°My friends¡­¡± I wanted to ask something, but I choked up. Taking a deep breath, I willed myself to


    calm down. ¡°Are my friends alright?¡±


    I did not dare to ask directly if they had been put on the operating table, so I only asked if they were


    fine.


    Dante disregarded my emotions. With his brow raised, he said, ¡°You can check on them yourself.¡±


    This was definitely not special treatment. No one liked to see their friends suffering.


    I shook my head and wanted to verbally refuse his offer, but he spoke first, ¡°You don¡¯t need to shake


    your head in a hurry. Maybe this might be thest time you get to meet them. Needless to say, if the


    operation goes well, you can chat with them while you¡¯re on your way back home. Well, that would be


    the case if their operations go smoothly.¡±


    Looking at him, I asked uncertainly, ¡°Do you mean that they are not operated yet?¡±


    He arched an eyebrow. ¡°Women from your country need to undergo a series of examinations and wait


    for the results before they are sent to the operating rooms. But I reckon it¡¯s about time for your friends


    to undergo the surgery.¡±


    ¡°I want to see them,¡± I eximed.


    Dante shot a look at Danny, signaling him to bring me to them.


    Passing through the operating rooms, I felt as if I was looking at the blood and the horror of this world.


    The feeling of powerlessness overwhelmed me; it made me almost breathless.


    After what seemed like an eternity, the agonizing moment finally came to end. Danny nced at me


    impassively and led me to the right.

 Chapter 650

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 650


    As we went inside, I saw a hot spring pool. Beside the pool, there were many transparent ss-made


    cubicles with nude women being locked inside.


    ¡°What are they doing?¡± I felt uneasy at the sight.


    ¡°Getting cleaned,¡± Danny replied two words and spoke no more.


    The women were fully conscious, so when they saw peopleing, most of them would crouch in the


    corner.


    Nheless, there were also some women who were bold enough to show their curvy figures to us


    and winked at Danny.


    Their action was understandable. If they could get into his favor, at least they might have a chance to


    escape from here.


    However, Danny waspletely uninterested in them. He did not even give them a look and headed


    straight to the next hot spring pool at the other side.


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± Before I found any of my friends, I heard someone calling my name.


    Turning towards the voice, it was them. I was shocked to see that their long hair had been cut off and


    they were now locked inside one of the cubicles.


    The clothes were gone as well. They turned towards me in unison with their eyes brimming with tears.


    ¡°Scarlett, please help us to get out of here.¡±


    Looking at them, I wanted to go near them to check if they were alright, but I was stopped by Danny.


    So, I could only talk to them across the hot spring. ¡°I¡¯ll find a way. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Nora stood behind the ss wall and looked at me with her red-rimmed eyes. ¡°Scarlett, if I die, can you


    go to my hometown and find my mom there? Please don¡¯t tell her that I¡¯m dead. If she asks, just tell her


    that I¡¯ve gone somewhere far away, so I won¡¯t be back in a while.¡±


    Tears pricked my eyes and streamed down my cheeks.


    Later, Tabitha and Laurel conveyed simr messages as well. On the other hand, Tessa seemed to be


    reciting philosophical quotes under her breath again.


    I wanted to reassure them that they would be alright, but I could not bring myself to make false


    promises.


    Hence, I said, ¡° Take care of yourselves. I-I¡¯ll figure out a way to save all of you.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re overconfident.¡± All of a sudden, Dante¡¯s voice came from behind.


    He was gone a while ago and now he reappeared with a few brawny men. Looking at me, he said, ¡°You


    should take care of yourself first, Ms. Stovall. Even though Mr. Abe is wary of the Murphys, it doesn¡¯t


    mean that he is afraid of them. Therefore, if you don¡¯t behave yourself, Mr. Abe might send you into the


    cubicle as well.¡±


    Then, he turned to the men behind him and said something to them, pointing at Nora and the others.


    My eyes widened in shock and I shouted at him, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    He nced at me and scoffed. ¡°Did you think Mr. Abe send you here for sightseeing?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, scowling at him.


    He snickered. ¡°Although I can¡¯t hurt you now, I guess I can still make you suffer by letting you watch


    your friends get hurt. After all, you care a lot about your friends here. Am I right?¡±


    My face turned pale instantly when I saw those men walking towards the cubicle.


    Holding onto Dante¡¯s sleeve, I pleaded, ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt them, I beg you. They didn¡¯t do anything


    wrong. They¡­¡±


    He sneered, ¡°Donna took care of you for several days, but she still got punished because you were the


    one who waste. Don¡¯t you think that she is innocent, too?¡±


    Just then, I realized the woman who was on the stretcher just now was Donna.


    I was rendered speechless, but I began to panic when I saw the men getting nearer to my friends. ¡°Mr.


    Dante, I¡¯m sorry. It was my fault. Please don¡¯t hurt them. I¡­¡±


    ¡°You want to take their ce?¡± he cut me off and smiled sinisterly.


    I shook my head instinctively.


    He cackled. ¡°Ms. Stovall, you can only be a saint when you¡¯re unharmed. But when it¡¯s you who are


    targeted, you hesitate right away. This, Ms. Stovall, is human nature.¡±


    Blood drained from my face, and I had no idea what to say because what he said was true.


    But I did not want them to suffer.


    I racked my brain for words to protect them. ¡°Mr. Dante, only one of your friends was hurt. But you¡¯re


    going to hurt four of my friends now. Isn¡¯t that unfair?¡±


    He thought for a while and arched his eyebrow. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that you want to choose one of them


    to receive the punishment?¡±


    I could not reply to his suggestion and I certainly did not dare to look at Nora and the others.


    When he saw my reaction, heughed hysterically. ¡°You know what, Ms. Stovall? That works, too. You


    are going to choose one of your friends, so it¡¯s going to be fair.¡±


    I remained silent.


    Seeing that I refused to answer, he spoke, ¡°It seems like you want all of your friends to be punished.¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°No!¡± I eximed. My heart raced.


    ¡°Then, choose one!¡±


    Nora and the others went quiet and looked at me incredulously. Their gaze tore my heart out.


    I did not dare to look at them or face them.

 Chapter 651

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 651


    After a long silence, I spoke in resignation, ¡°You don¡¯t have to hurt them. It was my fault, so I should be


    the one to bear the consequences.¡±


    Dante simply scoffed and looked at me indifferently. ¡°It¡¯s not your time yet.¡±


    Then, he raised his hand and pointed at the girls. ¡°They are going to die anyway. So why not let one of


    them help you to bear it first? Since you¡¯re not willing to choose any of them, let me help you to select


    the most obnoxious one, so we can end this discussion as soon as possible.¡±


    My eyes widened as I stared at him in disbelief. He is obviously sowing discord. No matter who it will


    be, I¡¯ll suffer from guilt for the rest of my life. He is doing this on purpose!


    He fixed his eyes on Tessa and shed an evil smile. ¡°A woman who likes philosophy. Very interesting.


    I¡¯ve heard that a woman like her normally practices abstinence. I wonder if that¡¯s true.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No, you can¡¯t do this.¡±


    Tessa was dumbstruck, her eyes full of horror and helplessness.


    I rushed forward to stop the men, but I was pushed to the ground.


    Then, I heard her resisting and screaming for help.


    Dante¡¯s voice came from the side. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen this scene for many years. How spectacr!¡±


    I could not look back. Her ear-splitting shrills echoed in my ears.


    It is all because of me.


    For a long time, I stood frozen amidst her screams of agony and wails of despair.


    In the end, all I could hear was a sentence from Tessa: ¡°Scarlett, I hate you.¡±


    People like Dante and Abe know better than anyone else that mental torture is more excruciating than


    physical pain.


    By the time I was back to the vi, the huge dining table had been set.


    I initially thought that Abe would have left, but he was still seated on the couch, reading a book


    leisurely.


    Danny and Dante probably had left, so there were only Abe and me in this spacious room.


    No one instructed me to go back to my room nor stay here. So, it meant that I should stand in the living


    room obediently.


    Half an hourter, a chef came out from the kitchen and bowed to Abe. ¡°Mr. Abe, dinner is ready.¡±


    Putting down the book in his hand, he replied, ¡°Okay.¡±


    He was a man of few words.


    Thud! It was so quiet that I could hear the sound of his book being ced down on the coffee table.


    Then, he stood up and put his hand in his pocket. His towering 1.86m frame gave off a domineering


    vibe.


    When he saw me standing at the side, he bent down slightly and nced sideways at me. ¡°Let¡¯s eat


    dinner.¡±


    Is he talking to me?


    I pursed my lips and saw a housekeeper putting another set of cutlery and bowls on the dining table.


    I understood now. He was indeed talking to me.


    So, I followed him to the dining table and sat down. This sixteen-seater dining table was way too big for


    the two of us.


    He seemed to have nothing to say to me as he focused on his food and ate gracefully.


    ng! A noise came from the kitchen.


    Just then, Danny and Dante came inside.


    One of them went to the kitchen to check on the noise while another one came to Abe¡¯s side and


    greeted him, ¡°Mr. Abe.¡±


    People who worked in the kitchen came out and reported, ¡°Someone identally knocked over


    something.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Abe put down his cutlery even though he had not eaten much.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Danny frowned and nced at the chef. The chef immediately looked down in fear.


    ¡°Mr. Abe, he¡­¡± Dante suddenly stopped mid-sentence when he saw Abe looking at me.


    ¡°Is the food not to your liking?¡± Abe asked. The question was directed to me.


    I shook my head. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Not in the mood to eat?¡±


    I shook my head again. How could I eat after what happened to Tessa?


    ¡°Useless! Send them out to deliver the goods!¡± Abe shouted to his subordinates.


    My heart sank. Does this man have a problem?


    The housekeepers involved were then taken away, and the others remained expressionless as if they


    had be ustomed to it.


    I was devastated. Although I wanted to say something for them, I realized that I could only protect


    myself.


    ¡°They¡­¡±


    As soon as I mustered up the courage to speak, he had cut me off. ¡°I heard that it¡¯s not only the


    Murphys who wanted you safe.¡±


    Taken aback, I raised my gaze and looked at him, but the coldness in his eyes was so overwhelming


    that I had to look away. ¡°What do you mean, Mr. Abe?¡±


    He smiled mirthlessly. ¡°Never mind. I¡¯ll treat this as a favor for the Murphys.¡±


    After that, he nced at Dante and said, ¡°Let Ms. Stovall move around freely in the house and treat her


    well.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Dante replied.


    With that, he left.


    I was momentarily stunned, baffled by his behavior.


    Night fell.


    The bright moonlight shone down on the front yard. Thebination of the sound of waves and insects


    was exceptionally pleasant to hear at night.

 Chapter 652

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 652


    I sat up in a daze for a moment before I got out of bed.


    With Abe¡¯s permission, I hadplete freedom around the vi.


    There was andline in the vi, but I was not allowed to use it.


    Nobody was able to guarantee if thendline even worked; it was not worth the trouble to try.


    To speak to Nora and the rest, I had to find a way to enter the operating theatre. The only catch was


    that it required Danny¡¯s retina scan to unlock.


    With nothing to be done, I wandered around the pitch-ck vi and returned to my bedroom


    dejectedly.


    Everything was normal over the next few days. I¡¯ve probed Dante a couple of times hoping to learn


    something about Nora¡¯s situation, but all I¡¯ve been told was that she was away doing what needs to be


    done.


    The monsoon was in full force during lunchtime.


    It left as quickly as it came; the air was dank with moisture when the rain cleared.


    Thepound of the vi was littered with rain moths. I nced over at the boulder-like figure next to


    me. ¡°Grilled moths are delicious,¡± I said casually. ¡°Have you had any before?¡±


    Danny was taken aback. ¡°Had before,¡± he repeated, in broken English.


    He looked like he understood. ¡°Did you have them in a restaurant?¡± I asked with a grin. ¡°I used to have


    them when I was little. Each time when it rained in my home, I would go out to the yard and pick them


    up. I¡¯d give them a rinse and then throw them into a pan. When the wings are crispy, that¡¯s when I¡¯d


    add some oil and spices. It was delicious.¡±


    Danny remained lost in thought as though he recalled something within his memories and did not


    answer me. ¡°It had just rained outside,¡± I pressed on. ¡°If you¡¯re worried about me running, why don¡¯t


    youe along with me and we¡¯ll go pick some moths?¡±


    Danny hesitated. ¡°Stop overthinking,¡± I said impatiently. ¡°I¡¯m just feeling nostalgic over the taste of fried


    moth. It was my childhood favorite, you know. I just want a taste, no ulterior motives.¡±


    He agreed in an instant. ¡°Alright!¡±


    I smiled at him. ¡°Thank you, Danny!¡± I said as I got on my feet.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    I procured a basket from the kitchen and proceeded to fill it up with moths from the yard outside the


    vi.


    I became startled at the appearance of a dark hand over my basket only to realize that Danny had lent


    a hand too.


    ¡°Do you like fried moth too?¡± Iughed.


    Danny grunted but did not borate.


    I gathered an entire basketful and headed back into the kitchen.


    To be honest, I was not familiar with the art of moth eating. But ording to Tabitha, moths are a staple


    for people from Xenhall. Many of them had fond childhood memories of having moths as meals.


    As I observed Danny¡¯s expression change, I think there was truth to Tabitha¡¯s words.


    Due to geographical differences, one¡¯s experiences would differ from another¡¯s.


    Tabitha had taught me to saut¨¦ them for a while before adding some oil and seasoning to taste. The


    moths would soon turn from sticky to crispy, bloated with oil and all the good stuff. A bite into it would


    be an explosion of vor in one¡¯s mouth.


    At the hint of a promising scent, Danny could not help himself but watch me in the kitchen.


    ¡°You know how to cook?¡± he asked, stunned.


    I nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve learned how to when I was young. But it¡¯s been years since I¡¯ve cooked this. I¡¯m


    just figuring things out as I go along.¡±


    ¡°Have a taste?¡± I offered Danny the te when I was done.


    His face broke into a very rare smile as he epted.


    Danny chewed the plump moth very slowly. ¡°Not bad!¡± he said as he turned to look at me.


    The people around Xenhall had to eat things that other cultures would consider repulsive like


    silkworms, maggots, and locusts due to their living conditions.


    Back in the forest when Tabitha and I got to talking about this, I felt pretty disgusted too.


    Her gastronomical memories sent chills down my spine.


    But now that I have a chance to experience that, it didn¡¯t seem so bad.


    Danny caught me in a daze. ¡°Not eating?¡± he frowned at me.


    I picked up a moth and ate it. It wasn¡¯t bad if I didn¡¯t keep reminding myself that it was a bug and just


    thought of it as a dish. Actually, it was pretty delicious, with that faint taste that protein-rich foods have.


    It was a unique experience, to say the least.


    However, it got boring pretty quickly just binging on moths. ¡°It would be perfect if we had some beer,¡± I


    lamented.


    Danny grinned and got up to fetch some. Beer was not enough to incapacitate arge man like him. It


    was a good thing that I still had the drugs from Nora I could use.


    Danny was a rough and tumble sort of guy. After a meal of moths and beer, his wariness toward me


    had lowered.


    The drugs soon took hold and before long he was sprawled on the table, ready to take a nap.


    I got up and stood next to him. ¡°Let me help you upstairs, you should get some rest.¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± he muttered and was unconscious before he managed toplete his sentence.


    It was a monumental effort on my part to move this man, with a stature as frail as mine. It was a good


    thing that Dante wasn¡¯t here. The other servants busied themselves with water stains left behind by the


    downpour.


    We lumbered over to the operating theatre. ¡°Mr. Danny, open your eyes and have a look. Is this your


    room?¡±

 Chapter 653

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 653


    At the sound of my voice, he grunted but did not do much else.


    Worried that the servants would walk in on us, I reiterated my request. ¡°Mr. Danny, would you¡­¡±


    Suddenly, he flung his head up violently and stared at me.


    My heart skipped a beat. ¡°Mr. Danny¡­¡± I stammered.


    ¡°Don¡¯t provoke Mr. Abe. He¡¯s more frightening than you could imagine.¡± With that said, he turned and


    walked unsteadily away.


    I stood rooted in surprise.


    ¡°I just wanted to visit them, are they alright?¡± I called to his departing back.


    ¡°They¡¯re still alive.¡±


    I sat down hopelessly on the floor. Is this how it will be?


    What if I begged Abe to?


    At this thought, I stood up and obtained a knife from the kitchen to slit my wrists.


    I was very familiar with the process having done it countless times when I was mourning my dear child.


    I passed out in the living room. Myst memory was of the panicked servants rushing over to my limp


    body. With that in mind, I sighed in relief before losing consciousness.


    I awoke in the hospital; being hardly surprised. As expected, Abe was by my bed.


    ¡°You¡¯re up?¡± he asked without much emotion.


    ¡°Why did you want to kill yourself?¡± Dante asked with a frown.


    I stole a nce at Danny in the corner; his expression was cold. I looked back at Abe and Dante,


    putting two and two together.


    Danny did not inform Abe that I had set him up.


    With a meaningful look at Abe, I said in a hoarse voice. ¡°Mr. Abe, I am willing to exchange with my life!¡±


    ¡°Exchange for what?¡± Abe frowned.


    ¡°For their lives!¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Abeughed coldly. ¡°One life for four. You¡¯re confident, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious about my rtionship with the Murphys?¡± I asked. My throat still hurt.


    ¡°Does this have anything to do with me?¡± he asked sharply.


    I¡­


    I was dumbstruck for several moments. Hastilyposing myself, I continued. ¡°The Murphys will be


    able to locate me, no matter where I am. Since you already have ns to send me back, why don¡¯t you


    release my friends anyway? I¡¯ll even owe you one.¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°Pah!¡± Dante spat. ¡°Does this woman have rust in her brain or something? Talking about favors with Mr.


    Abe?¡±


    I ignored him and looked straight at Abe.


    He spoke again. ¡°What is your rtionship with the Murphys?¡±


    ¡°All you have to know is that my rtionship with them goes deeper than you can imagine,¡± I said


    deliberately. I knew that they feared the Murphys. The closer they think I am to the Murphys, the more


    leverage I have on my side for negotiation.


    He smiled. ¡°The favor goes both ways,¡± he said after a moment¡¯s pause.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± I asked sternly.


    Before he could reply, the doctor entered to replenish my medication. Abe¡¯s gaze followed the doctor


    andnded on my bandaged arm.


    ¡°How long more for her wound to heal?¡± he asked casually.


    The doctor eyed him with suspicion. Dante conversed with him in their native Venrian.


    The doctor spoke a few sentences and promptly left.


    ¡°See you in three days. Get well soon!¡± Abe said.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if he would hurt Nora and the rest within this timeframe. ¡°What about my friends?¡± I asked.


    ¡°They will be unharmed.¡± With that said, Abe left.


    Three dayster.


    The music was raucous and deafening in the Red-Light District. Spectators were screaming


    themselves mad at the strippers on stage.


    I wasn¡¯t used to this kind of a ce and was visibly uneasy. Next to me, Abe was drinking without much


    regard for myfort.


    ¡°Mr. Abe, what do you need to do?¡± I asked. He gave me three days toply with his terms. I thought


    about it a lot but did not expect to be brought here upon my discharge.


    Therge private room was only upied by me and Abe. The girls all around us kept casting nces


    as they passed.


    It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out that they saw him as prey. After all, he looked wealthy and was


    handsome.


    ¡°Please remain silent!¡± Abe said, with a look at me.


    I resumed my seat with some frustration.


    It was difficult to remain silent in a ce like this.


    I noticed that Dante and Danny were gone.


    Suddenly, Abe ced a device into his ear.


    Turns out we¡¯re not just here for drinks.


    Suddenly, he stiffened and was staring at something across the room. I followed his gaze.


    My heart stopped beating momentarily as I froze with an inexpressible surge of emotions.


    I haven¡¯t seen him for months and all of a sudden there he was in front of me before I knew how to


    react.


    I watched as he entered the building and sat down amidst the noise and shing lights. He was


    apanied by Joseph who looked grave and stern, as though he was here on business and not for a


    good time.


    Something stirred out of the corner of my eye. My heart skipped to my throat as I saw him reach out


    toward his waist.

 Chapter 654

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 654


    I am highly acquainted with this gesture from having witnessed it many times. Abe was reaching for his


    gun.


    I nced toward Ashton in desperation. He seemed to be looking for someone. His haughty expression


    kept people from approaching him.


    ¡°Mr. Abe, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± He red at me.


    I was frightened into silence. Why is Ashton here? I thought. What is he doing here?


    Was he looking for me?


    No one would know about my disappearance from the country if Savini did not speak. Even if he did


    know and was out to look for me, how did he end up here?


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    Query after query raced through my mind, but the most pressing one was Abe¡¯s intentions towards


    Ashton.


    Abe grabbed my wrist and brought my attention back to the present. I was here as bait.


    ¡°Don¡¯t startle him,¡± Abe muttered into his earpiece. ¡°Let¡¯s see how many men he has with him.¡±


    After giving the order, he was dragging me along toward Ashton¡¯s table.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, what a coincidence!¡± he said with feigned surprise.


    We locked eyes. I was at a loss for words with the sudden twist of events.


    Joseph looked as stunned as I felt. For as long as I¡¯ve known him, I have never seen him like this


    before. His eyes widened in shock at the sight of me.


    ¡°How are you?¡± I blurted, as I leaned forward to shake his hand.


    Joseph shot a nce at Ashton andposed himself in an instant. ¡°I¡¯m well, how do you do.¡± He took


    my hand.


    ¡°Long time no see, Mr. Abe!¡± Ashton said, with an inscrutably calm gaze at Abe.


    The two men were of simr height. One had a calm and stable aura that hid an unpredictable nature,


    while the other looked calm and mild-mannered, but had ferocious rage just bubbling beneath the


    surface.


    They sat down; I meekly next to Abe. I began to grasp faintly at Abe¡¯s master n for the night.


    It¡¯s obvious that he intended to leave no survivors.


    I had thought that his purpose in bringing me along was to use me as a human shield if things got ugly.


    But it didn¡¯t seem as simple as that.


    What grudge does Abe have with Ashton?


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, did you bring it?¡± Abe asked briskly. He detested small talk.


    Ashton frowned. His weariness was well hidden within his rugged brows. Traveling to this part of the


    world had taken its toll on him.


    ¡°Mr. Abe, why don¡¯t you introduce thedy?¡± Ashton said with a casually unrecognizing nce at me.


    ¡°Mypanion.¡± Abe leered at Ashton.


    Ashton nodded but didn¡¯t seem interested in an boration regarding me.


    I shot a nce at Joseph, who ced the ck briefcase on the table.


    ¡°Mr. Abe, do you want to inspect the goods here?¡±


    Abe grinned. ¡°Mr. Fuller and I are old friends. I trust that the goods are in order.¡±


    Abe turned to me and gave me a meaningful look. I understood immediately.


    Before we came, Dante had told me to seize the briefcase at the first avable opportunity.


    I hesitated for a fraction of a second and reached out to grab it.


    As soon as I touched it, a hand mmed down on top of mine. The familiar touch and warmth of it


    shook me.


    ¡°What¡¯s the rush? Mr. Abe should allow us to inspect the goods in return, shouldn¡¯t he?¡± Ashton said as


    he loosened his grasp on my hand but did not let go, as if he stole the opportunity to hold my hand.


    I was on the verge of panicking and tried to withdraw my hand but Ashton kept the pressure down.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, you¡¯re always cautious.¡± Abe smiled.


    As he spoke, he threw me back into my seat, pressed himself against me, and pressed his lips onto


    mine.


    It was so sudden; I did not manage to react.


    It must have been several secondster when I felt a warm stiffness against my body, and he released


    his hold on me.


    I had the ne in my grasp. As I came to my senses, I nced at Ashton instinctively.


    His face was frozen in a look of cold fury. Hatred and rage emanated from his entire body.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, why are you looking so grim?¡± Abe teased. ¡°The ne is lovely. I just wanted to see how


    it would look on mypanion; I meant no harm. If it belongs to you, I will dly oblige you.¡±


    He handed the ne over to Ashton.


    I frowned in puzzlement. That ne was originally given to me by Dante for safekeeping.


    Was Ashton here just for the ne?


    Ashton said nothing but shot an indifferent nce at Joseph.


    Joseph received the ne, examined it closely, and nodded at Ashton.


    ¡°So, Mr. Fuller. This is an even trade, is it not?¡± Abe chuckled.


    ¡°Leave her here!¡± Ashton said coldly as he pointed a long finger at me.


    ¡°Why, Mr. Fuller, do you like the girl?¡± Abe raised his eyebrows. ¡°Are you socking in thepany of


    women?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not,¡± Ashton said with a scowl.

 Chapter 655

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 655


    ¡°This is love at first sight, you know,¡± Abe said with a mocking smile. ¡°You¡¯re putting me in a difficult


    position here. She is¡­ upied for the night. Would you like me to show you our selection of girls?¡±


    Ashton looked mutinous.


    Abe had touched a nerve.


    Abe was openly taunting Ashton now with hisugh. I was desperately looking for something that I


    could use as a weapon.


    Suddenly, I recalled the gun on Abe¡¯s hip and gasped involuntarily.


    Before I could lift a finger, I was pinned down on my waist by something solid.


    ¡°Take the briefcase and run,¡± breathed Abe¡¯s voice in my ear. ¡°Don¡¯t try anything funny with me, or I


    would be more than happy to leave another corpse behind.¡±


    The room fell silent, as though the upants were aware of the tension brewing. The dancers and


    patrons had their guns aimed at Abe.


    Abe narrowed his eyes as he let out a coldugh. ¡°Mr. Fuller, you¡¯vee prepared!¡±


    Ashton kept his gaze on me. ¡°Let her go, I will let you walk out of here alive.¡±


    ¡°Her? Looks like my source was right.¡±


    ¡°Darling, you¡¯re my ticket out of here. Thank you in advance,¡± Abe crooned in my ear.


    I squirmed and wriggled as he held my body close to his. My n to steal his gun slipped away as he


    grabbed it and held it at my head.


    I would be lying if I said that I wasn¡¯t afraid. I had no idea how I was going to get out of it.


    With me as coteral, Abe was unfazed. ¡°Mr. Fuller, do you have all of your men here? You didn¡¯t


    abandon your old headquarters, have you?¡±


    ¡°Let go of her,¡± Ashton said quietly.


    He too drew out his gun and pointed it at us.


    I knew nothing regarding this whole affair, but things were beginning to make sense as they unraveled.


    Abe must have known my identity in advance to bring me here for this particr purpose.


    He held on to me and inched towards the door. Joseph was perspiring with anxiety.


    Ashton hadid this trap for Abe, but he did not expect me to get caught up in it.


    Abe suddenly squeezed my throat. Through my pain, I heard Dante through his earpiece.


    ¡°Mr. Abe, the explosives are in ce. Awaiting your order.¡±


    Abe did not respond but continued to drag me backward. ¡°Ashton, you will lose to me again,¡± he jeered


    at Ashton¡¯s helpless rage.


    As I was hauled violently out the door, I threw caution to the wind and screamed. ¡°Ashton, they¡¯re going


    to blow up this ce! Don¡¯t worry about me and get out of there!¡±


    Abe tossed me into the car. The next second, a flurry of gunshots filled the air. I did not know where


    they came from or who they were for. It was chaotic, to say the least.


    Crash! Before we moved, we were hit by two cars, one from either side. We were locked in.


    More gunshot sounds echoed into the night. Abe kept his vies grip on me and pushed me forward.


    Ashton hesitated with his gun at the sight of me.


    ¡°Hoho!¡± Abe chuckled in disdain. ¡°You¡¯re worth more than you look, aren¡¯t you?¡± he said to me.


    I was disoriented and deafened by the gunfight all around us. ¡°You overestimate me!¡± I screamed in


    despair.


    He dragged me by the neck away from the window. ¡°Stay where you are or she dies!¡± Abe shouted at


    Ashton who was in pursuit.


    My arm felt as though a massive steel pipe was being forced through it. I cried out in agony.


    ¡°Everyone, hold your weapons!¡± Ashton shouted with pain in his voice.


    Suddenly, the scene became deathly quiet.


    The only sounds in the still night were the steady drip of my blood. My arm was numb, and pain


    threatened to swallow me whole.


    I looked down, sweating in dread of what I may find. My arm was soaked crimson in my own blood.


    The possibility of this was where I would meet my end was both terrifying and torturous.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    I nced up at Ashton. Looking back at me behind his fury and rage were tenderness and fear of


    losing me, both of which were beyond words to describe.


    I saw for the first time what his helplessness really looked like.


    ¡°Ashton, let me leave here. Or she¡¯ll die with me.¡± I felt the cold tip of Abe¡¯s gun pressing lightly against


    my temple. He was no longer jeering at Ashton; his voice was cold and deadly serious.


    Ashton hardened his gaze again. ¡°Let go of her, and I may spare your life,¡± he said quietly.


    ¡°Hoho! Do you think I¡¯m a fool?¡±


    Ashton was shaking in an effort to suppress his temper. If he had the chance to kill Abe, he wouldn¡¯t


    just do it. He would tear Abe up with his bare hands.


    However, he fought that impulse and spoke to Abe in a level voice. ¡°Let me take her ce at being


    your hostage.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± My throat was dry.


    Abe¡¯s maniacalughter rang in my ears. ¡°Ashton, I¡¯ve expected a lot more from you. So, this is the


    famous white knight rescuing the damsel in distress situation that your people talk so much about.¡±

 Chapter 656

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 656


    Ashton approached us with narrowed eyes.


    A bullet whistled narrowly passed his head.


    ¡°Ashton, stay where you are if you want her to live,¡± Abe shouted. ¡°Her life is far more valuable than


    yours. I¡¯m not going to exchange you for her. It would be in your best interests if you allow us to leave,


    or I would not be able to promise that she won¡¯t bleed to death.¡±


    Ashton froze, his eyes locked on my arm and the ghastly pool of blood that had gathered on the


    ground.


    ¡°Let them pass!¡± hemanded his men as though it was an easy decision for him.


    Joseph stared at him in surprise; he was prepared to capture Abe once and for all. ¡°Mr. Fuller, this is


    our only chance to¡­¡±


    ¡°Let them pass!¡± Ashton repeated with his pained gaze on me.


    Abe kept his grip tightly on me and walked towards a junction that led towards another path.


    At the sight of Ashton lowering his gun, Abe cackled with delight.


    He tossed me in the car with Danny at the wheel. He sped off as soon as the doors mmed shut.


    Abe grinned down at me. His eyes were reduced to slits in his malice. ¡°Ms. Stovall, much obliged to


    you for getting me out of that.¡±


    I red at him as fiercely as I could. The blood that I had lost was making me dizzy.


    Abeughed at my fury. ¡°To Marshville!¡± he ordered Danny.


    Danny opened his mouth to speak but caught sight of the bloodstains upon my arm. He frowned and


    nodded without a word.


    ¡°We are still being followed!¡± Danny said, with a nce at the rear-view mirror.


    ¡°Lose them!¡± Abe barked. He then nced at me and his lip curled into a cruel sneer. ¡°If Ashton enjoys


    mypany so much, I¡¯d say let hime. We can show him around the city if he likes. He should


    know that a life is at stake here.¡±


    It was obvious that he was referring to me as my arm was still bleeding steadily.


    I felt dizzy due to the excess loss of blood. I leaned against the door and panted heavily.


    Danny went several more rounds. He nced back at me and said, ¡°Sir, she might not make it.¡±


    Abe had beenying back with his eyes shut. At Danny¡¯s remark, he cast azy nce toward me.


    ¡°Are they still on our tail?¡±


    ¡°No, sir. I think they¡¯re gone.¡± Danny shook his head.


    ¡°Hmm! Bummer,¡± Abe said with amusement. ¡°No matter, to Marshville.¡±


    Danny switched routes. Instead of heading back to the vi, we headed toward a well-hidden building.


    I had passed out before making sense of our destination.


    When I next awoke, the white sheets that Iy on were unfamiliar.


    The first thing that I had noticed was the pain in my arm which seemed to have spread. Even the


    slightest movement was too much for me.


    After several painful attempts, I slumped back into bed, drenched in a cold sweat from exertion.


    My throat felt dry as if I hadn¡¯t had anything to drink for ages.


    My eye fell onto several sses of water on the table next to me but I was unable to muster the


    strength to grab one.


    Out of nowhere, a slender hand reached out and grabbed a ss. I nced up at its owner


    instinctively.


    A familiar face swam into view. ¡°Armond!¡± I cried, stunned. My throat seared with pain from the mere


    utterance of his name.


    Armond nodded, a thin smile across his lips. ¡°Would you like a sip?¡±


    ¡°My throat¡¯s parched,¡± I croaked.


    He shifted his position and sat on my bed next to me. With his hands around my waist, he held me up


    and leaned me on his body against my will.


    Armond must have sensed my reluctance. ¡°You¡¯re not well. Don¡¯t even think about it,¡± he chastised.


    Stunned, I had no choice but to go along with him. He held the ss of water near my lips.


    Ipped several mouthfuls. ¡°Thank you, I felt much better.¡± I sighed in relief.


    Armond set down the ss and gentlyy me back down.


    ¡°Would you like something to eat?¡± He stood gazing down at me.


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± I shook my head.


    Armond frowned and slumped into a corner in silence.


    I could no longer bear my curiosity. ¡°Mr. Murphy, why are you here?¡± I blurted. ¡°Do you know Abe?¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°This is a private hospital belonging to the Murphys,¡± he said calmly.


    ¡°The Murphys?¡± I repeated, feeling bewildered. ¡°The Murphys of K City?¡±


    ¡°The Murphys who saved your life,¡± he said with a frown.


    ¡°Why did you save me?¡± I asked suspiciously.


    ¡°No particr reason,¡± he replied with a cold re. ¡°I did not intend to save you. You just happened to


    come across one of my establishments.¡±


    ¡°You came to Marsingfill for me. That counts as a rescue mission.¡±


    Armondughed. He was a handsome man and looked much more attractive when he smiled. ¡°Did you


    forget what you had promised me when we were in A City?¡±


    I really forgot.

 Chapter 657

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 657


    ¡°I don¡¯t have many hobbies of my own,¡± Armond said when I did not answer. ¡°I just enjoy watching


    people fulfill their promises to me. Since you had already promised me, it was only natural for me to


    come and im it.¡±


    That seemed like a far-fetched reason to me.


    ¡°What about my arm?¡± I asked, determined to change the subject.


    A bullet went through it. You¡¯re d*mned lucky to be alive after all of it.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Armond said. ¡°Just rest up well. You¡¯ll be fine, just not able to lift heavy objects is all.¡±


    I pursed my lips at that but nodded.


    A scuffle of footsteps outside made me panic, thinking it was Abe, but it was only the nurse here to


    change my medication.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    I had a lot more questions for Armond, but he seemed to be reluctant to discuss them with me. With


    several more reticent answers, he took his leave.


    Armond¡¯s rtionship with Abe is moreplex than I had first imagined.


    After some hot soup, I fell back asleep.


    It was rainy in the tropics. Thunderstorms had a tendency to start at night and keep me awake with


    their fearsome and savage roars.


    The hospital was sparsely popted, which made it even spookier during thete-night storms.


    I had no way of falling asleep, so I thought to sit up for a bit. I attempted to pull myself into an upright


    position.


    I must have swung overly hard and had knocked the bottle of saline solution to the floor with a loud


    crash.


    The doors swung open at the sound of the disturbance, and Danny entered the ward.


    He frowned at the mess on the floor and turned to leave.


    Soon after, he returned with a nurse who promptly cleaned it up. She ryed some instructions in


    broken English and departed.


    Danny nced at me and turned to leave.


    ¡°Mr. Danny!¡± I called out suddenly.


    ¡°Yes, Ms. Stovall?¡± he spun around and answered politely.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to know what is going on between Ashton and Abe.¡±


    Danny frowned with reluctance. ¡°Ms. Stovall, you need to rest,¡± he said after a moment¡¯s pause.


    He turned again to leave. In a moment of panic, I flung the ss of water onto the floor to get his


    attention. ¡°If you are going to threaten Ashton with my life, you should at least do me the courtesy of


    telling me why. I just want to understand what my death is for.¡±


    Danny was unhappy. ¡°Ms. Stovall, you should treasure life!¡± he said, with his eye on the broken shards


    of ss on the floor.


    ¡°Mr. Danny, I know you are not a native Venrian,¡± I said after a deep breath. ¡°For whatever reason that


    landed you to be Abe¡¯s associate, you must understand that after all the illegal things that you¡¯ve done,


    you have your punishment awaiting you.¡±


    He looked at me with amusement like I was a simpleton. Meanwhile, the nurse returned and cleaned


    up the shards.


    Danny took a seat under themp. His dark skin glinted maliciously under the bright fluorescent as he


    looked at me. I suppressed my shudder at the sight of him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a religious man,¡± he said after a pause. ¡°I don¡¯t believe in retribution or punishment; you can


    take your piousness somece else away from us. Mr. Abe and Mr. Fuller share a grudge that is


    personal in nature. Your appearance was part of the n. When you were in the car with Dante, the


    n was already formalized by Mr. Abe.¡±


    ¡°We thought you were a Murphy, when the Murphys came looking for you. But when you said that the


    Fullers, the Stovalls, and the Moores from K City will protect you, it was a clue that sparked our interest


    for further investigation. There wasn¡¯t much news of you back in Chanaea, but the fact that we were all


    able to pull this off with no casualties demonstrated that luck was on our side.¡±


    ¡°What conflict did Abe and Ashton have in the past?¡± I asked, trembling. I did not expect to be used as


    a pawn that early on.


    Danny leaned back on his chair. ¡°¡¯Conflict¡¯ is an understatement,¡± he drawled. ¡°Old Mr. Fuller and Mr.


    Abe¡¯s father wererades during the war. One of whom returned to Chanaea to retire, the other


    remained in Venria to defend its borders. The Fullers capitalized on their wartime glory to flourish and


    prosper, but Mr. Abe¡¯s father didn¡¯t fare too well out at the border. For the sake of his wife, he was


    forced to make an honest but meager living. He did not expect that George Fuller and his grandson


    would one daye back and visit him, much less bring up his old indiscretions.¡±


    I frowned. I did hear of Grandpa Fuller visiting his oldrade along with Ashton at the border. On the


    way back they were assaulted and have met the Larsons.


    Parker Larson had entrusted his sister to Ashton¡¯s care before he died. They remained married for


    many years. It was because of Reba that things happened between Ashton and me.


    Little did I realize that I was dragged into the middle of this again.


    ¡°Did something happen to Mr. Abe¡¯s father?¡± I asked.


    Danny nodded. ¡°He was a hero on the battlefield. Forced to live a life of increasingly conflicting


    choices, his punishment was more severe than other men. To spare his wife and child the burden


    which he bore, he killed himself.¡±


    I was shocked with pity. My mind turned to the night I saw Ashton. He had spent a lot of money on that


    ne. ¡°What is up with that ne?¡±

 Chapter 658

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 658


    ¡°By the time old Mr. Fuller and Ashton returned to their country, they¡¯d offended many illegal


    businessmen in the region, and the plot to assassinate the Fullers came into being. While they were


    being hunted, they were forced to pawn everything they owned just to make it back. That ne


    belonged to Ashton¡¯s grandmother. George Fuller kept it with him all these years. Mr. Abe learned of


    this and used the high sentimental value of the ne to lure Ashton to Venria.¡±


    I was able to venture a pretty good guess as to how the rest of the story went.


    Abe used the ne as bait to get Ashton to his territory.


    The appearance of me and my value to Ashton was a stroke of dumb luck.


    Ashton would never have guessed that I was here, and Abe would never have guessed the rtionship


    between Ashton and me.


    Danny rose to his feet when I did not speak. ¡°What else would you like to know?¡± he asked lightly.


    ¡°What is the rtionship between Armond and Mr. Abe?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re business partners.¡±


    ¡°Kyanine?¡± I asked, suddenly frightened.


    ¡°Our product is mostly exported to Western Europe,¡± Danny smiled coldly. ¡°Not much to Chanaea.¡±


    ¡°What are they partners on, then?¡±


    ¡°Jades.¡±


    I nearly forgot. Venria exported an astounding variety of gemstones.


    We rpsed back into silence. At his readiness to leave, I didn¡¯t feel like asking any more questions.


    As he was about to exit the room, I said, ¡°I would like to see Mr. Abe.¡±


    Danny nodded and left the room.


    True to his word, Abe appeared the following morning.


    His tall frame cast a long shadow over my bed. ¡°You wanted to see me?¡± he asked, looking at me in an


    odd manner. It was calcting but cold at the same time.


    I nodded and sat up. ¡°You promised me once, that if I did as you said, you would let my friends go.¡±


    Abe raised his eyebrows in derision. ¡°Your friends?¡± he repeated with augh. ¡°You still think your life is


    worth four of theirs?¡±


    ¡°Yes, because Ashton cares about me!¡± I answered, my eyes fixed upon his.


    Abe grunted and absentmindedly tore up a leaf from the potted nt. ¡°Are you his wife?¡± Abe asked,


    squinting at me. ¡°Under these circumstances, shouldn¡¯t you be more concerned for his life over the


    lives of others?¡±


    He paused. ¡°Unless you¡¯re so confident in his abilities that you think he will get out of this alive.¡±


    ¡°No matter which it is, you can¡¯t go back on your word,¡± I said fiercely.


    Abeughed madly for an instant. ¡°You have yourself a deal.¡±


    ¡°Take care of thedies,¡± Abe instructed Dante. ¡°When she¡¯s healed, send them back unharmed.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± Dante answered.


    I was away from K City for several months without being in touch with Ashton. I had wanted to leave,


    but I knew deep down that I was unable to bear a child with him.


    I chose to leave and held on to the hope that with time, he would meet a girl worthy of him to bear his


    children.


    But I have never expected to have run into him amidst my soul-searching trips.


    It was an ident, but a coincidental one.


    I sighed in despair. How am I supposed to keep traveling down this path without making mistakes?


    Thankfully, my bones and arteries were unharmed and I began to feel like myself again only after a few


    days, though it hurt when I asionally touched it. It was a gunshot wound, after all. It will leave a


    mark.


    But it wasn¡¯t unbearable.


    Abe kept his word as well. On the day of my discharge, Danny was there to pick me up to return to the


    vi.


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    Before I could say anything, Dante initiated. ¡°Ms. Stovall, aren¡¯t you nning on visiting your friends?¡±


    I did, of course. ¡°It¡¯s time that they went home,¡± I said with a nod.


    As we made our way through the long operating theatre, I saw Nora through the ss room. After days


    of being locked away from sunlight, she looked haggardly and frail. Her mass of hair was shockingly


    white as well.


    Nora and the rest seemed indifferent to see me. Being used to the life in the theatre, they barely


    nced up at me before closing their eyes again, as if they¡¯d never known me.


    My heart ached when I saw that. ¡°What happened to them?¡± I asked Dante.


    Dante cast an eye over them. ¡°All the women whoe here will be this way; this isn¡¯t unusual.¡±


    I was unable to breathe. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you would take good care of them?¡± I asked in a low


    voice.


    ¡°Hah!¡± Danteughed coldly. ¡°We are taking care of them by letting them live. If you hadn¡¯t bargained


    for their lives, you would be looking at a pile of corpses now.¡±


    I was at a loss for words, despite the rage in my heart.


    ¡°Release them!¡± I ordered.


    Dante didn¡¯t speak but raised his hand in a gesture toward the man guarding their door.


    He opened the door and helped the lifeless women to their feet.

 Chapter 659

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 659


    I rushed forwards to grab Nora as she copsed against me. ¡°Leave us behind, Scarlett,¡± she said


    hoarsely. ¡°It¡¯s no use. This is our fate!¡±


    I shook my head and held back tears. The strain of her weight against my delicate arm was immense.


    Dante had arranged for four bedrooms to be prepared in the vi. As the women upied the


    bedrooms, he ordered for them to be cared for.


    That¡¯s them settling in.


    When they were finally asleep, I went down to the living room where Dante and Danny were having


    some tea.


    They looked up when I emerged. ¡°Is there anything wrong?¡± Dante frowned.


    ¡°I will keep my promise. I¡¯m going in!¡±


    They stared at me for a moment before Danteughed. ¡°Ms. Stovall,¡± he said, leaning back in his chair.


    ¡°Do you know what will happen to you when you enter the operating theatre?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never met anyone who¡¯s as desperate for death as you,¡± he chuckled.


    I said nothing and waited for him to borate.


    After a slight pause, he said, ¡°You needn¡¯t go in anymore. It¡¯s a waste of your talents for you to be


    delivering goods. Mr. Abe has ns for you. Have a good rest!¡±


    I was stunned to hear that. The men had returned their attention to their tea, and I didn¡¯t bother asking


    them further.


    Now that Abe knew about me and Ashton, it wouldn¡¯t pay off to use me to transport their product.


    Business is all about profit maximization, after all. I was destined for more lucrative operations.


    I went back to my bedroom and stood on the balcony. The vi was heavily guarded; escape is nigh


    impossible.


    Besides, it was located in the middle of a dense banana ntation. Without an experienced guide, this


    vi was as unlocatable as it was imprable.


    On second thought, Ashton would be searching for me around the city for a couple of days. He


    wouldn¡¯t be departing Venria just yet.


    I saw Armond again the following morning. He came with Abe.


    Nora and the rest were very frail and spent most of their time in bed. I went to them a couple of times,


    but they did not want to see me.


    Soon, I gave up the endeavor.


    Armond was in the living room having tea with Abe when I emerged from my bedroom.


    ¡°How¡¯s your arm?¡± Armond asked when he saw me.


    ¡°Much better,¡± I replied after a brief pause.


    Armondughed humorlessly. ¡°Can I have a few words with her in private?¡± he asked Abe.


    Abe scowled but nodded.


    Everybody left, leaving me and Armond at the table.


    He appeared calm and cold, but he poured me a ss of tea politely.


    ¡°Would you like to go home?¡± Armond asked.


    I was caught off guard and spilled some tea on myself as my hands trembled.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said after a pause and a sip.


    Armond nodded andughed in his easy-going manner. He refilled my ss and said. ¡°I¡¯m flying to


    Epea tomorrow. You cane with me if you like.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not so easy to leave now,¡± I said without thinking.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Armond said. ¡°Abe owes me a favor. He won¡¯t do you any harm.¡±


    Things weren¡¯t that simple. My value to Abe in his grudge against Ashton wasrge. Abe won¡¯t


    relinquish me that easily.


    Armond would have to ask for a whole lot more topensate for the loss that he had caused Abe.


    ¡°Scarlett, you just need to tell me if you¡¯re willing to get away from here. If you are, I will think of


    something with Abe.¡±


    ¡°I want freedom for my friends as well,¡± I said with some hesitation.


    Armond looked conflicted at that.


    I was aware that he had a way of taking me away, but to take five women with him was another story


    altogether. It wasn¡¯t just an inconvenience for him, it was dangerous too.


    I did not wish to make things difficult for him. ¡°Mr. Murphy, thank you very much for your kind gesture.¡±


    ¡°Alright, you¡¯re alling with me!¡± Armond suddenly said, his eyes gleaming determinedly.


    I froze in confusion.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked.


    Armond set his ss down noisily. ¡°I¡¯ll bring your friends along. Tomorrow, some of my men will be here


    to pick you up.¡±


    I was taken aback. It seemed like an overly breezy promise to make. I stared at him disbelievingly.


    Armondughed at my suspicion. ¡°Us Murphys are known for aplishing something when we set


    our minds to it. When I¡¯ve made up my mind to take you away, I mean it. So please, humor me and


    ept my gesture.¡±


    I became even more confused. Though I did not know the extent of his rtionship with Abe, I was


    sure that it was a lot to ask from Abe. If he was determined to get his way, surely it would only end in a


    conflict between the two of them.


    In the worst-case scenario, if they were just casual acquaintances, Abe might even hold a grudge


    against Armond.


    No matter which way I looked at it, it was disadvantageous to Armond from every possible angle.


    ¡°I would like to know why,¡± I blurted after a moment¡¯s hesitation. I could not quell the suspicious feeling


    within me.


    Armond raised his brows. ¡°Would you believe me if I told you that I feel a certain way about you?¡±


    ¡°No, I wouldn¡¯t.¡± We were all adults here, there was no ce for fanciful feelings anymore. Besides,


    we¡¯ve only met a handful of times, and I wasn¡¯t particrly beautiful that every man I met would just fall


    head over heels for me.

 Chapter 660

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 660


    There was no such thing as first love in the world of grownups. He smiled coldly. ¡°Being too smart isn¡¯t


    good for a woman. It¡¯s better if you y dumb once in a while. You know how it feels to be loved. I¡¯m


    sure you don¡¯t want to lose it.¡±


    I pursed my lips. Contrary to what he believed, all I felt was disgust. I kept quiet for a while before


    answering, ¡°I want you to tell me the truth, Mr. Murphy.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Remember where we first met?¡±


    ¡°J City¡¯s cemetery.¡±


    He nodded; his gaze still fixated on me. ¡°To be precise, right in front of Mrs. Stovall¡¯s tombstone.¡±


    I knew my grandmother was a Stovall, so that wasn¡¯t a shock. ¡°So?¡± I looked at him. I saw Armond


    when I went to the cemetery on All Souls¡¯ Day, but I didn¡¯t think that much. I only thought he was being


    kind when he helped me out of the kidnapping, but after mulling it over, I thought things weren¡¯t as


    simple as they seemed.


    There are no coincidences in this world.


    ¡°I want the sandalwood box Mrs. Stovall left you.¡± His gaze was still cold as ever.


    I stiffened up and frowned at him. ¡°That¡¯s a puzzle box. How do you know I have it?¡±


    He smiled. ¡°I found out about it.¡± And he said nothing more.


    I shouldn¡¯t give him the box, since my grandma left it for me. However, if it could exchange five


    people¡¯s lives and Ashton¡¯s constion, that would be worth it. I nodded. ¡°No problem.¡±


    He smiled, looking satisfied, and he stood up. ¡°Sleep tight and wake up early next morning.¡±


    I nodded. I had something else to say, but Abe hade down. ¡°What were you guys talking about,


    Mr. Murphy?¡± Abe squinted at me, then his eyes were locked on my face, and he criticized, ¡°She has


    the curves, and her features are nice, but she has a scar. She¡¯s not the best woman you can get, so


    what did you see in her?¡±


    He was talking to Armond.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    Armond smiled at me. ¡°Never judge a book by its cover. Beauty is nothing without a gorgeous soul.¡±


    Abe snorted and plopped down on the chair, staring at me quietly. ¡°I can never get your aesthetics.¡±


    I went upstairs, refusing to stay any longer, and I mulled over what Armond told me. It would be for the


    best if he could take us away.


    Nora and the girls were looking better when I went to see them again. Nora, especially, had regained


    consciousness. She tugged at my arm, her eyes teary. ¡°I want to go home.¡±


    That broke my heart, and I nodded. Everyone else was starting to regain some color, though they were


    still rtively pale. Well, anyone would be driven insane staying in that wretched ce for such a long


    time.


    Abe rarely stayed in the vi, probably fearing for his life. He was always cautious and appeared out of


    nowhere every time.


    Same went for Danny and Dante. They¡¯d appear whenever I thought they weren¡¯t around, but I could


    never find them whenever I tried.


    It was a sleepless night that night, for Armond¡¯s promise lit up my desire to get my life back, and the


    prospect of bringing Nora and the girls back excited me.


    I stayed up untilte in the night, then I heard the roar of the engineing from below. I froze in fear,


    thinking that Abe hade again. Then I went to the balcony to take a look, but someone knocked on


    the door before I could and startled me.


    I went to take the door after a few more knocks, though surprisingly, it was Armond standing there. He


    was still cold as usual, though his ck suit made him all the more distant. He frowned at me. ¡°Let¡¯s


    go.¡±


    I was surprised. ¡°Now?¡±


    ¡°Abe¡¯s at the vineyard having fun. It¡¯s your best chance to make a break for it. I¡¯ve handled everything


    else. Now go.¡±


    I was bbergasted, but I had to take the chance, or it might prove difficult to leave. I went with him and


    noticed Danny in the living room downstairs, only illuminated by the dimmp. He was staring straight


    at us.


    I stopped in my tracks. ¡°Danny.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Armond threw him a look and dragged me away.


    I thought Danny would stop us, but all he did was see us off. I hesitated for a moment, and I said,


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer me. Instead, he looked at Armond.


    Three ck cars were waiting for us when we came out, and the moment we got in, I heard gunshots


    coming from the rubber ntation. He shoved me into the car and told the chauffeur, ¡°Take them and


    go!¡±


    Abe¡¯s probably back. I stared at Armond, panicked. There was nothing I could say but, ¡°Be careful.¡±

 Chapter 661

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 661


    He looked at me with surprise, and he nodded.


    Instead of the rubber ntation, the driver went to the forest behind the vi. I could hear the fighting


    and the sounds of thundering from the vi. It¡¯s about to rain.


    The path was winding, and my head started spinning along the way. My stomach churned, and I


    retched a couple of times. The sounds of fighting still roared on behind us. Abe and his men were


    showing no signs of stopping. We were taken into the forest and eventually arriving at a clearing.


    It was a heliport, and a helicopter was waiting for us there, much to my surprise. The car stopped, and


    the driver said, ¡°Get out.¡± Then he leaped out of the car and dragged me out roughly before I realized


    what had happened.


    Nora and the girls were in the cars before mine, and they were taken out too. ¡°Get in here ASAP!¡± the


    man at the cockpit roared at us, and I looked in the vi¡¯s direction by reflex, but all I could see was


    smoke billowing in the air.


    Nora and the girls were taken to the helicopter. I thought something was off, but I couldn¡¯t put a finger


    on it. I went in with them and noticed Nora was still deathly pale. Then I went up to her. ¡°How do you


    feel, Nora?¡±


    She opened her eyes weakly and looked at me. Nora opened her mouth and attempted to speak, but


    because of her throat, speaking was impossible for a while.


    The man beside us said, ¡°Take your seats and don¡¯t move. We¡¯re taking off now.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Armond?¡± I looked back at him curiously.


    The man paused. ¡°He¡¯ll be rendezvousing with us in Epea. We have to go right now, or nobody¡¯s


    leaving.¡±


    I nodded and went to my seat. Nora was still a concern, but the most important thing was to leave right


    away, and the helicopter took off.


    Halfway through, Nora clutched her stomach, and her face contorted in pain, and she kept sweating. I


    was getting worried for her, and I was going to help her, but someone stopped me. ¡°We¡¯ll handle this,


    Ms. Stovall. Please sit down and don¡¯t hinder them.¡±


    The staff took Nora into the cockpit, and I couldn¡¯t do anything but watch. Wended on an airport after


    a few hours. I had no idea where we were because of the long hours of flight.


    ¡°Change of chopper. Chop, chop, people. Tempus fugit.¡± We went to board one of the nes without


    even going through a security check.


    Alright, that was weird. Did Armond n all this? I reflexively looked back at Tabitha and the girls, who


    were taken into the ne. They hadn¡¯t been talking over the past few days, and the escape had


    exhausted them.


    They were deathly pale, and I knew they would have fallen if it weren¡¯t for the people around them. I


    noticed that they were clutching their stomachs, and I frowned. Something¡¯s off. But I didn¡¯t take the


    chance to ask, since we were urged to board the flight.


    Nora felt better once we boarded, so she was let back into the passenger cabin, and there were other


    strangers with us too. I scanned the ce and thought something was definitely wrong, but I couldn¡¯t


    put a finger on it. No point thinking about it then. I buckled myself and waited for the flight to take off.


    It took more than half a day to fly from Aploth to Western Europe, and I was still confused even after we


    landed. We settled some paperwork in the airport, and then we were taken to a vi.


    Everyone was exhausted from the long journey, and Nora and the girls had fallen asleep. I tried to stay


    awake on pure will alone, and I tried to call Ashton, but someone stopped me.


    The man who took us to the vi was a burly one, and he never seemed to smile. He had this


    perpetually cold look on him. When he stopped me, he said, ¡°You need to rest, miss.¡±


    I tried to negotiate, ¡°I want to call my family, sir.¡±


    He threw me a cold look and answered stiffly, ¡°You are forbidden from contacting anyone without Mr.


    Murphy¡¯s permission.¡± He gazed at me, trying to force me back into the room.


    It¡¯d be bad to face it head on if Armond was making the orders, so I nodded and went into the room. I


    was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to sleep after the long journey, but the jeg was


    stopping me from getting any rest.


    I had the feeling something was off the moment Armond said he wanted to bring me to Western


    Europe, but I couldn¡¯t figure it out.


    I finally drifted to sleep at midnight, but then someone knocked on the door early next morning, waking


    me up.


    I opened the door only to see Tessa before me, looking deathly pale. Since they spent all their time in


    the ss room, it took a great toll on their bodies. I never talked to them either, since they never said


    anything.


    I was surprised to see her, and she came into my room and locked the door. Tessa was glowering at


    me. She said nothing, but I could feel her enmity toward me.

 Chapter 662

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 662


    Confused, I asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Tessa?¡±


    She sneered at me for a while and pulled her clothes up, revealing her bandaged torso, much to my


    shock. ¡°When did this happen? Who hurt you?¡± Who was I kidding? Of course I knew who hurt them.


    Her wound was on the belly, after all, but still, the fact made me shudder.


    I saw the rows of operating theatres in Abe¡¯s vi, and I saw how they stuffed women¡¯s stomachs with


    kyanine. The scar on Tessa¡¯s torso told me that Abe¡¯s men had stuffed kyanine in them.


    And then I was reminded of how deathly pale they were over the past few days. And they¡¯d clutch their


    stomach, holding in their pain. This isn¡¯t the ss room¡¯s side effect. Their body¡¯s rejecting the kyanine.


    It¡¯s an alien object. No wonder they¡¯re looking like this.


    I asked, ¡°Are the other girls like this too?¡± I felt a lump in my throat.


    Tessa looked at me, her lips pursed, her eyes filled with hatred. She didn¡¯t answer my question, and I


    thought she hated me. I couldn¡¯t say anything else, so I stared back into her eyes. Anything I had to


    say would sound like hindsight, and that would make her hate me more.


    All I could do was meet up with Armond as soon as possible so I could ask him to get someone to


    extract the kyanine from their bodies.


    I said hoarsely, ¡°Listen to me, Tessa. I¡¯ll meet up with Armond. I know he can get someone to take that


    thing out of you guys.¡± Then I went out. The lobby was guarded by the man who brought us in the day


    before.


    He noticed me and said, ¡°Please go back to your room, Ms. Stovall.¡±


    ¡°I want to see Armond.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Murphy will be here shortly. Please go back to your room.¡±


    ¡°Can I call him then?¡± I knew he¡¯de sooner orter, but I needed someone to take the kyanine out


    of the girls immediately.


    The man looked at me coolly and frowned. ¡°It can wait until Mr. Murphy is here. Please do not get in the


    way of my work, Ms. Stovall.¡±


    Dammit. Now I have to wait for him. Armond only arrived that afternoon, and I quickly stopped him. ¡°Mr.


    Murphy, my friends got kyanine stuffed in them. They need a doctor to take it out. That, or they have to


    go to the hospital.¡±


    Getting a hospital overseas was hard, and anyone would get suspicious if they found kyanine in the


    girls¡¯ bodies. It¡¯d be bad if they looked into it.


    Armond nodded and called a doctor, then he looked at me. ¡°We don¡¯t have an operating theatre here,


    and I can¡¯t take them to a proper hospital, so I¡¯m getting a private doctor for this.


    I knew that much, and I nodded. ¡°I know.¡±


    Nora and the girls went into the cars with Armond¡¯s men¡¯s help, and I followed them, but Armond


    stopped me. ¡°Stay here. It won¡¯t be easy to get away from Abe and his men. Better safe than sorry.¡±


    I nodded, then I realized he smelled of blood. Armond went to talk to his men who were going to send


    the girls to the hospital, then he came back to me. ¡°Rest up. We¡¯ll go back once I settle things here.¡±


    I nodded and saw him off, then I realized his suit was darker around his waist. That¡¯s probably blood.


    ¡°Armond,¡± I called him.


    He stopped in his tracks and looked at me, his face pale. ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°Did you call a doctor? For yourself, I mean.¡± He didn¡¯t show his wound after he came back, but I knew


    he was hurt.


    He froze up. ¡°This is nothing.¡± He smiled at me and went to his bedroom upstairs, leaving me alone.


    I stood there for a few moments, then I went up to his bedroom and knocked on his door. He opened


    the door a few minutester, though he had changed into a white shirt.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    I would have thought he was perfectly fine, but he was too pale to be okay. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked


    coolly.


    I hesitated for a moment before going into his bedroom and noticed the bandage and the haemostatic


    drug on his table. I turned back, and he coughed. ¡°Just a small injury. Just need to be cleaned up.¡±


    I pursed my lips. ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± I dragged him to the sofa before he could refuse, and then I tried to take


    his shirt off, but he held my hand down.


    I frowned at him. ¡°I need to tend to your wound.¡±


    He froze for a moment, then he smiled and let my hand go. I took his clothes off, revealing the ugly


    gash on his waist, and blood was still oozing out. My frown turned deeper. This guy has a high level of


    tolerance toward pain. Looks like something shed him. Wait, no.

 Chapter 663

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 663


    When I looked closer, I realized he was stabbed by a stake, and I frowned again. ¡°How did this


    happen?¡±


    ¡°I crashed into something during the fight,¡± he said nonchntly. ¡°Nothing to be worried about. It


    missed the vital organs.¡±


    Barely. God, it¡¯s just a few millimetres from his kidney. He had a lot of wounds, but they were minor, just


    like what he said, but the one on his waist ran deep.


    I cleaned his wound for him. Since there was no anaesthetic for him, he felt all the pain from the


    cleaning up. Lodophor wasn¡¯t as painful as alcohol, but the cotton swab was still going to irritate the


    wound.


    Even so, all he did was frown. He didn¡¯t even flinch, so I asked, ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    He smiled at me. ¡°No.¡±


    As if. His wound was finger deep. I knew he must be in pain, since he was just human after all. I


    sighed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to lie. The wound¡¯s too big not to hurt. You aren¡¯t Superman, you know.¡±


    The blood was still flowing out, and I crushed some haemostatic drugs before spreading it on his


    wound. Even so, the wound wouldn¡¯t stop bleeding. I had to do it a few times before the drugs took


    effect.


    I heaved a sigh of relief. That was an intense session, and I was even starting to sweat. Luckily, the


    wound didn¡¯t seem to cause any moreplications. After I bandaged it, I felt something warm on my


    forehead, much to my surprise. I looked up and stared into Armond¡¯s eyes. Awkward.


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be infected as long as you stay clear of water.¡± I looked away.


    He smiled and pulled his hand back from my forehead. ¡°Do you cook?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± I was stupefied, then I nodded when I noticed him smiling at me. ¡°I do. Are you hungry?¡±


    He nodded and arched his eyebrow. ¡°I was in a hurry, so I didn¡¯t have anything to eat. I am starting to


    feel hungry now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make something light for you. Lie down, please.¡± I helped him to the bed, and I was confused about


    why he kept staring at me. ¡°Are you allergic to anything? Is there anything you can¡¯t eat?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± He was still staring at me, which made it awkward. I tucked him in and went downstairs. There


    was a lot of food in the kitchen, but they were mostly bread, jam, and some beef. Western Europe


    alright.


    I was going to make chicken soup for him, but there wasn¡¯t anything in the fridge for that. There was


    only flour there. In the end, I decided to get some wild vegetable outside, but there were a lot of guards


    there.


    It felt like a prison, but I knew Armond did that for safety reasons. Since it was a remote area, there


    was a two kilometre distance between each house, so there was ample space. Wild nts grew


    abundant in those ces, so there were some good wild veggies.


    Grandma used to make chowder for me when I was a kid. She¡¯d boil the water and toss the vegetables


    in, then she¡¯d stir it for about ten minutes, and a serving of chowder was done. It was thick and melted


    easily. Not great, but a good substitute for chicken soup.


    Armond seemed to have fallen asleep when I went back to his room, since his eyes were tightly shut. I


    whispered, ¡°Are you asleep, Mr. Murphy?¡±


    He didn¡¯t stir, so I hesitated for a while before setting the chowder down beside him and covered him


    with the nket. Out of a sudden, he held my hand down, much to my surprise, and I noticed him


    staring at me.


    ¡°Did I wake you?¡±


    He smiled and shook his head. ¡°I wasn¡¯t asleep in the first ce.¡± Then he looked at the bowl. ¡°What


    did you make?¡±


    I pulled my hand away and sat beside him with the bowl in hand. ¡°You don¡¯t have much here. All I can


    make is some vegetables chowder. See if you can take this.¡±


    He tried to get up, but that jolted his wound, and he gasped. I held him by reflex, but I moved too fast


    and fell down on him. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. I¡­ I¡­¡± Well, that was awkward, but at least I didn¡¯t spill the chowder.


    I put the bowl down and helped him up again, but he was staring at me silently. I thought he was angry


    about earlier, so I mumbled, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean it. I was going to help you up, but I lost my


    footing.¡±


    Heughed. ¡°I know.¡±


    Then why are you looking at me like that? I helped him up and handed the chowder to him. ¡°Try it.¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    He didn¡¯t take it. Instead, he looked at me. ¡°Aren¡¯t I a patient now?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± The wound was big enough to warrant him a ward in a hospital.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I think you should feed me, right?¡±


    I was surprised he would say that, and I looked at him sternly. ¡°I thought you¡¯re too uptight to crack


    jokes like that.¡±

 Chapter 664

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 664


    He smiled and took the bowl of chowder from me, then he sipped from it. He nodded, probably thinking


    it was fine. ¡°Do you cook a lot in the past?¡±


    I could never understand how he managed to shift the topics that fast. I shook my head. ¡°No. I often


    saw my grandma making this when I was little.¡±


    He nodded and sipped the chowder in silence, as if reminiscing the past. I didn¡¯t want to break the


    silence, so I observed him. A short whileter, he looked up at me. ¡°Was it hard living in R Province?¡±


    I stared at him, stupefied. ¡°How did you know that¡¯s where I lived?¡±


    He found that question amusing. ¡°That¡¯s not too hard to figure out. I told you I helped you out so I can


    get my hands on that sandalwood box. Is it that surprising that I¡¯d look into your past then?¡±


    Well, that argument was sound, so I nodded. ¡°I see.¡± He waited for me to continue, so I said, ¡°Not


    really. I didn¡¯t starve or die out in the cold. At least it was better than how I live now.¡±


    He smiled at me again and put the bowl away. ¡°Have you ever regretted at choosing Ashton?¡±


    That question took me by surprise, and I couldn¡¯t answer him. ¡°There¡¯s still some in the kitchen. Do you


    want more?¡±


    He squinted at me and shook his head, then he stopped asking any more questions.


    I went back to my bedroom, spaced out. Have I ever regretted marrying Ashton? Nope. Never.


    Midnight came, and thunder rolled in the skies as rain poured. I thought of Armond and his wound, and


    I wondered if the curtains in his room were closed.


    I went to his room and knocked on the door, but nobody came to open it, though I heard something


    crashing inside. Surprised, I went inside, but Armond was nowhere to be found, though the night light


    was on. Then I heard sounds from the bathroom.


    The lights inside were on, so I heaved a sigh and went to knock on it. ¡°Are you alright, Mr. Murphy?¡± He


    didn¡¯t answer, and I started to worry. ¡°Mr. Murphy, are you¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he interrupted, but he sounded weak.


    Worried, I pushed against the door, but it wouldn¡¯t budge. Looks like I¡¯ll have to wait. He came out a


    long whileter and was covering himself with a towel. Did he take a bath?


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    I frowned, upset. ¡°I told you to stay clear of water. Your wound¡¯s going to get infected, and more so


    when the weather¡¯s hot.¡± I dragged him to the chair, fuming. Then I pulled his towel away to check his


    wound again, but I overlooked one thing. He just came out of the bathroom, and he only had a pair of


    boxers underneath the towel.


    It was awkward between us, but it onlysted for a second. I calmed down, since I was just going to


    check his wound. Nothing else. I noticed that he was getting tense, so I said, ¡°Rx. I¡¯m just going to


    take a look at your wound. It might have to get bandaged again to prevent any infection from


    happening.¡±


    I took the medical kit and hunkered down beside him. Armond had a smoking hot body. He looked thin


    when he was clothed, but he was really lean. ¡°Dammit. Water got into it, and a pus is forming,¡± I cursed


    and looked at him. ¡°Just wipe yourself off with a towel if you want to take a bath. Going under the


    shower is going to infect your wound.¡±


    He smiled at me again. ¡°I¡¯m used to it, so it¡¯s fine.¡±


    I thought he was being a bit too nonchnt, as if his life didn¡¯t matter, so I red at him. ¡°I don¡¯t care


    how much you hate yourself, but at least don¡¯t try to harm your body. Can¡¯t you just live your life to its


    best? Take the blessing of life and live on, will you?¡±


    He was still smiling politely. ¡°Do you talk to Ashton like that as well?¡±


    I froze, almost losing myposure, and I frowned at him. ¡°When are you taking me back?¡± I paused


    for a moment. ¡°Ashton¡¯s my husband so of course I care for him. As for you, well, I¡¯m just helping out


    because I owe you one.¡±


    He smiled, dismissing the snarky remark. ¡°I have something to settle here, but we can go back right


    after that. And your friends might have to rest up for a bit before they can go home, or their wounds


    might spell the end of them.¡±


    I knew about that, and I nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    He smiled silently.


    The pus in his wound was caused by an infection, and his injury ran deep, so I moved gently in case he


    was hurt.


    ¡°Does your family¡¯s business cover the whole globe?¡± They opened up shop in Venria and Western


    Europe, so I thought it must be a big conglomerate.

 Chapter 665

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 665


    He nodded, and I continued, ¡°I¡¯ve known you for a while now, but I know nothing about the business


    you run.¡±


    He stopped for a moment. ¡°Petroleum. And we¡¯re dabbling in tech now.¡±


    ¡°Petroleum?¡± I was reminded of Mr. Murphy, whom I met during Emery¡¯s wedding, then I looked at him.


    ¡°You¡¯re a Murphy?¡±


    He arched his eyebrow silently, then I was reminded of the auction in J City. ¡°Have you held an auction


    in J City before?¡± If the answer was yes, then that¡¯d exin his appearance in the cemetery and his


    ¡®coincidental¡¯ help.


    I gazed at him sternly, then he said, ¡°You¡¯re going to kill me at this rate.¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    I looked down and was shocked to see the cotton swab poking his wound and drawing blood. I pulled


    my hand back and apologized, ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t mean it.¡±


    I rubbed the salve on his wound and bandaged it. Then I realized he wasn¡¯t wearing anything else but


    his boxers. Awkward, I covered his body with the towel. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Sleep tight.¡±


    He grunted. I kept the first aid kit and left the room without saying anything.


    Nora and the girls had the kyanine extracted from them, but they were justdies after all, so needed


    the rest to recuperate. Armond had a lot to deal with, so he had no time for me. In that case, I took up


    the job of caring for Nora and the girls.


    I was going to call Ashton and tell him about my situation, but it couldn¡¯t get through. He must have set


    up call forwarding. I gave up after a few tries, then I tried to call Emery, but my phone was taken by the


    female officer when I was in Venria. I lost all my contact, and I forgot their numbers, so it was


    impossible for me to call them.


    Nora and the girls were almost all healed up after a week. Armond was done with his affairs too, and


    the girls moved into the vi the night before our return.


    The brush with death seemed to have taken Nora¡¯s lively attitude away. Tabitha and Laurel refused to


    speak, while Tessa kept reciting mantras as usual. Noticing the awkward silence around the table,


    Laurel said, ¡°We can go back home tomorrow, guys. Let¡¯s drink to it.¡± She raised her ss and smiled


    at us.


    Nora looked surprised, but she raised her ss and looked at me. ¡°We owe our lives to Scarlett this


    time. She saved us all. If it weren¡¯t for her asking for Mr. Murphy¡¯s help, we would have been shark


    food by now.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Tessa stopped reciting her mantra and smiled at me. ¡°All thanks to Scarlett. A toast for her.


    Bottoms up, girls.¡±


    Everyone raised their sses and finally started to chat. Good. At least the ice is broken.


    Everyone started chatting, and Nora huddled closer to me. ¡°Are you friends with Armond?¡± she


    whispered. ¡°Are you rted to the Stovalls, Fullers, and the Moores?¡±


    Her barrage of questions stunned me, and I paused for a moment. ¡°Not an easy question to answer, so


    I refuse to say anything, Nora.¡±


    ¡°Why? Worried we might be a hassle?¡± Tessa grinned.


    I answered a momentter, ¡°No. I just think it¡¯s hard to exin. We¡¯ve been through life and death. I


    won¡¯t think of you guys as a hassle.¡±


    ¡°Oh, stop right there. The girls were the ones who have been through life and death with me, not you.


    You relied on men and your connections along the way, and you were never hurt, so give me a break,¡±


    Tessa mocked, but she was telling the truth, so I took no offense.


    I smiled awkwardly, trying to continue the conversation, but I was at a loss.


    ¡°Tessa, that¡¯s rude. We wouldn¡¯t have survived if not for Scarlett¡¯s connection with Mr. Murphy. Don¡¯t


    look the gift horse in the mouth.¡± Nora red at Tessa angrily.


    Tessa sneered. ¡°You think I¡¯m the one who¡¯s looking the gift horse in the mouth? The horse was never


    there to begin with. Do you really think she¡¯s the one who saved us? She could have stopped the


    surgery in Venria if she wanted to, but no. This hypocrite only ¡®helped¡¯ us after Abe stuck that thing in


    us. That caused unnecessary pain, and I bet she¡¯s just trying to win our favor.¡±


    Tabitha frowned, upset. ¡°You could have gone off on your own when wended if you didn¡¯t want her


    help. But I believe you went to Scarlett¡¯s room one night and showed her the scar, obviously begging


    her to help. Do you really think she owed you?¡±

 Chapter 666

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 666


    Tessa had no good retort for that. Her face turned red with anger, and she frowned, ready to rebuke,


    but Laurel quickly stopped her, ¡°Calm down, guys. Let¡¯s talk this through. We don¡¯t have to fight. It¡¯s


    pointless. And we¡¯re all safe and sound, and that¡¯s a cause for celebration.¡±


    Everyone fell silent, and Tessa stood up. ¡°I¡¯m full. You guys go ahead.¡± Then she went upstairs.


    Tabitha and Nora said nothing, while Laurel looked at me and shifted the topic, ¡°Are you going straight


    to A City after you go back, Scarlett?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yeah. I want to see my daughter.¡±


    ¡°You have a daughter?¡± She was surprised. ¡°But you look so young. How old is your daughter now?¡±


    ¡°Five. Almost six, actually.¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    They looked at one another, and Nora threw me a look of curiosity. ¡°So you¡¯re married? Does Armond


    know about it?¡±


    That question was weird, but I nodded. ¡°He does.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± The girls were stunned. ¡°He knows you¡¯re a married woman, but he¡¯s still that nice to you? Is he


    sick in the head?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t know hotties like him love young MILFs.¡±


    The conversation went in a weird direction, and Iughed. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it. He¡¯s helping


    me out for something in return. I have something he needs, so this is nothing but a transaction.¡±


    ¡°Transaction?¡± Nora was surprised, and also flummoxed. ¡°Is the thing he¡¯s looking for worth the lives of


    five?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a box my grandma gave me before she passed on. It¡¯s a puzzle box. I have one, but the other one


    was auctioned off. He¡¯s looking for this box, but I don¡¯t know why.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure who Armond was. His


    last name was Murphy, so I thought he was probably a part of the Murphys.


    But if that was the case, why did he take the trouble to hold that auction in J City and sold off the box


    he had? If he wasn¡¯t a part of the Murphys though, then why was he aiming for that box?


    Nora rubbed her chin and nodded. ¡°Rich guys like him like to waste their time on stuff we think are


    unnecessary.¡± She then looked at me. ¡°Thank you, though. I¡¯ll treat you to something good when we


    get back. You¡¯re my friend now.¡±


    I smiled, and Tabitha looked at me. ¡°My wedding¡¯s in October, but I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s going to change


    after what happened. You have toe if it¡¯s proceeding as usual though.¡±


    Laurel smiled. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re besties now. Hey, I have an idea. Do you guys want to open apany?¡±


    We were taken aback by that proposal, and Tabitha looked at her. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you want us to be your


    partners.¡±


    Laurel nodded incessantly. ¡°I have been giving it some thought back in the ss room. I thought I¡¯d


    open apany with you guys if I managed to get out alive, and I did get out in one piece. We¡¯re going


    to work together for our whole life.¡±


    Tabitha frowned. ¡°You are so greedy! You just got saved from one hell, and now you want to bind all of


    us together?¡±


    Laurel smiled. ¡°I mean, we can do anything together after the hell we went through. We met by chance,


    and I want this friendship to go on. Wee from different ces, so we¡¯re going to drift away if we


    have nothing to connect us. I don¡¯t want that to happen.¡±


    Nora found it amusing. ¡°That so cheesy. That won¡¯t happen. We can always chat online.¡±


    ¡°What kind ofpany do you have in mind?¡± I asked. ¡°Any idea about where you¡¯re going to establish


    it? What¡¯s thepany going to sell?¡±


    Laurel gave it some thought. ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about that in detail. All I have is a rough idea, but I know


    where thepany should be established¡ª A City. Sure, it¡¯s not the best city, but the infrastructure¡¯s


    well established, and it¡¯s developing well. It¡¯s in a strategic location, and the weather¡¯s perfect too.¡±


    ¡°I have an idea,¡± Nora said. ¡°Why don¡¯t you open up an inn or tea shop? We can gather round at any


    time for a little vacation.¡±


    Tabitha nodded. ¡°Good idea.¡± The girls kept on talking, while I looked at the second floor, and I went


    upstairs after some contemtion.


    I knocked on Tessa¡¯s door, but it took a while for her to open it. She was surprised to see me, then she


    asked, ¡°Anything?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk.¡±


    She frowned and took a step back to let me in.

 Chapter 667

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 667


    She was obsessed with Buddhism. The moment she was saved, she erected a Buddha statue in her


    room and started worshipping it. Tessa sat cross legged before the statue and put her hands together


    as she muttered the mantras under her breath.


    ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡± she said.


    I looked at her and answered, ¡°Do you really believe he¡¯ll bless you?¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    She looked at me from the corner of her eye and replied sternly, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be talking to you now if he


    doesn¡¯t.¡±


    Well, that was one woman far gone in religion. I paused for a moment. ¡°They said you live in A City.


    Laurel¡¯s going to open up a shop there once we get back. Want to join us?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she refused firmly.


    I nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it, you know. I didn¡¯t want to hurt you guys. I really didn¡¯t. I never expected


    Dante to hurt you like that. I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± she interrupted me and threw me a dirty look. ¡°Do you really think you¡¯re that noble, Stovall?


    You keep looking down at us from a pedestal. Has anyone ever told you you¡¯re one heck of a


    hypocrite?¡±


    I looked at her, stunned.


    She sneered. ¡°I don¡¯t think you even realized this yourself, but you¡¯re a cold, selfish woman. And yet


    you keep trying to make yourself out to be some saint. Youe from a privileged background, men


    fawn over you, and people would help you out no matter what. All you did was sit on your *ss and


    reaped the rewards. Ask yourself: have you ever gotten something through your own two hands? I


    knew it.¡±


    I gaped at her, having no retort for that.


    She was spurred on by my silence. ¡°You¡¯re just pretending to be a good guy, but you hate me more


    than they do, don¡¯t you? That¡¯s why you kept quiet when Dante chose me. Because you¡¯d feel less


    guilty if I was the one who¡¯s hurt. Because you never liked me. Am I right?¡±


    I kept quiet, for I thought she had a point. Humans would tend to be sentimental, and even though I


    knew some part of her answer was fueled by her own rage, I couldn¡¯t help but feel that I had the same


    thought at some point too.


    I wanted to save them, yes, but I didn¡¯t do my best either. I just went with the flow and didn¡¯t do


    everything I could. even though I knew Ashton might be looking for me in Venria, I was still staying in


    Western Europe without a care.


    ¡°What? Got nothing to say to that?¡± She sneered with disdain.


    I got up and left without saying anything. Not many people could face their own darkness head on. Me


    included.


    ¡­


    The morning sun shone through the ss and covered the bed with golden dust. It was already August


    before I knew it. Fall¡¯s around the corner.


    Everyone gathered in the lobby early in the morning to prepare for the return. We managed to get to


    Western Europe from Venria without any passport or ID since the security wasx thanks to Armond,


    but it wouldn¡¯t be so easy the other way around. Fortunately, Nora and the girls called their families and


    asked them to send the necessary documents over.


    Not mine though. I couldn¡¯t call anyone else, since the only number I memorized was Ashton¡¯s. That


    proved to be a headache for Armond, and he had to talk to a lot of people in power to get the


    authorization for me.


    We came to the airport, and Armond sent his men to take our flight tickets. At the same time, he went


    to settle his matters, leaving us alone.


    Nora and the girls were exhrated. Nora held my hands. ¡°You can¡¯t imagine how happy I am right


    now.¡±


    ¡°We can go home! Yay!¡±


    ¡°Yay for me too!¡±


    The girls held each other¡¯s hands, looking excited. Tabitha suggested, ¡°Our flight¡¯s one hour away. Why


    don¡¯t we buy something to bring home?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡±


    And then everyone was silent. Laurel said carefully, ¡°But we don¡¯t have money.¡± Well, that killed the


    mood.


    ¡°Get Scarlett to lend you some then. She¡¯s friends with Mr. Murphy, and the Murphys are rich. I don¡¯t


    think she¡¯d refuse, would she?¡± Tessa blurted.


    Everyone looked at me. Well, this is awkward. Nora gave me the puppy-eye look and said nothing.


    Tabitha hesitated before speaking up, ¡°Scarlett. I know it¡¯s a bit much to ask, but can you lend us some


    money? I really want to bring something home with me. It¡¯s been a while since I left, and my parents


    must be worried sick. I want to get something for them.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Laurel said carefully. ¡°Same here. They must be worried sick. I know they must have searched


    high and low for us.¡±

 Chapter 668

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 668


    I couldn¡¯t help but sigh. After looking at Armond, who was on the phone, I handed the bag to Nora and


    said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go get it. Wait here for me.¡±


    ¡°Wow! Thank you, Scarlett.¡± A joyful smile spread across her face.


    Armond spoke into the phone with a low grunt. ¡°I¡¯ve taken the goods and handed them over. Recently


    you¡­¡±


    When he nced back, he saw me and was taken aback. Then he quickly said into the phone, ¡°I¡¯ll talk


    to youter. I¡¯m hanging up now.¡±


    After that, he turned to me and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    I was a little embarrassed. All this while I was staying at his ce and being a burden to him. Right


    now, I was really pushing my luck by asking him to lend me some money.


    But I¡¯ve already made a promise. I couldn¡¯t return empty-handed now.


    After some thought, I said, ¡°Mr. Murphy, can I borrow some money from you, please? My friends would


    like to buy some stuff to bring home to their family members.¡±


    He was stunned for a moment, but he smiled and replied, ¡°Sure.¡±


    From his pocket, he whipped out a ck card and said, ¡°Here you go. There¡¯s no credit limit.¡±


    I looked at the card in his hand and felt a little confused. ¡°That¡¯s too much. All I need is just a few


    thousand. I¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much of it. I only have this card on me,¡± he said as he looked at me indifferently.


    I was surprised, but I reached out and took the ck card from him. Sighing inwardly, I said, ¡°I can


    never understand the rich.¡±


    Some of the women lost themselves with the card. They bought a lot of products after going around a


    dozen of the branded stores in the airport.


    Fortunately, they managed to control their shopping impulse. That was only because they were in a


    hurry to make it through security checks to board the ne.


    At the security checkpoint, I rummaged through my bag for a long time and realized that my air ticket


    and entry letter were lost.


    The paperwork that Armond had spent an effort to get for me waspletely lost.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it in your bag just now? I watched you put it in the bag. It¡¯s impossible for you to lose it.¡± Nora


    took the bag from me and searched the bag again. She couldn¡¯t find the air ticket and letter in the bag


    either.


    Nora pondered for a moment and said, ¡°I was holding the bag just now, and I didn¡¯t overturn it. Could it


    be that it was lost at one of the shops we visited just now?¡±


    Tabitha grew anxious. Looking at the time, she said, ¡°We only have half an hour left. This is a big


    airport, and it¡¯ll take us a while to get to the boarding gate. If we dy anymore, we might miss the


    ne.¡±


    Laurel nodded and began to panic.


    Tessa looked at me and said, ¡°Scarlett, why don¡¯t you continue to find the documents here by yourself,


    and we will wait for you at the boarding gate?¡±


    ¡°No way! What if she can¡¯t find it? Do you want to leave her here all by herself?¡± Nora said angrily.


    I looked at the time. There was not enough time, and that¡¯s considering that we would need some time


    to get to the boarding gate after passing through the security check.


    After thinking about it for a while, I looked at them and said, ¡°You guys go ahead, go find the boarding


    gate first. I¡¯ll go back and look for the documents. It won¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Nora looked worried. ¡°But what if you can¡¯t find it? We won¡¯t be able toe out once we go


    in.¡± After a pause, she said, ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll go with you to find it. Anyhow, I¡¯m not in a hurry to go


    back. I¡¯ll stay here to apany you if we can¡¯t find it. There¡¯s nothing much to do back home anyway,


    so it¡¯ll be just like a few days of holiday over here.¡±


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    Tessaughed. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you have bonded so well with Scarlett. Are you using her to climb the


    ladder because of her connections and family background?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Nora fumed at Tessa¡¯s ridiculous remark.


    I stopped her and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯ll be fine by myself.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Nora said stubbornly. She was a strong-willed person and would never allow anyone


    to tell her what to do. After saying that, she took my hand and pulled me out.


    I was helpless and I said nothing more.


    I felt someone was following us, so I turned around to take a look. To my surprise, it was Armond tailing


    after us. I said to him, ¡°Go ahead to the boarding gate.¡±


    He replied ndly, ¡°No. The ne might be dyed. No worries.¡±


    ¡°How would you know that the ne will be dyed?¡± Nora asked. ¡°You don¡¯t own the airport.¡±


    Armond smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s going to pour soon. They will definitely dy the flight for safety reasons.¡±


    Nora was stunned. She leaned closer to me and said softly in my ear, ¡°I find Armond unfathomable. Are


    all young rich men like that?¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± I said with augh.


    After searching through a few shops, we still couldn¡¯t find it. Nora started to panic and said, ¡°I carried


    your bag properly just now. There¡¯s no way I could have dropped it.¡±


    She paused and was deep in thought. Then she said, ¡°Let¡¯s search again.¡±


    I stopped her and said, ¡°Forget it. I probably left it in the vi or dropped it somewhere. Why don¡¯t you


    join back the girls? I¡¯ll go and prepare for the paperwork again.¡±

 Chapter 669

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 669


    ¡°It¡¯s not that easy. You just applied for it, and now you want to go through it again. To start the process


    again, they will ask for your identification to verify. The entire process itself will take another half a


    month.¡±


    She had a point.


    Nora grew anxious, then she looked at me and said, ¡°Scarlett, listen to me. Let¡¯s go and search every


    store¡¯s trashcan. We might be able to find it.¡±


    ¡°Why the trashcans?¡± I asked, in puzzlement.


    She thought for a while and said, ¡°I can¡¯t tell you now. Let¡¯s go and search first.¡±


    Having said that, she pulled me towards the store and began to look into the trashcans of every store.


    She even asked the storekeepers if they had changed the trash bag.


    Although I did not understand what Nora meant, I went along with her.


    ¡°Found it!¡± After searching in a few stores, she finally found the documents in a trashcan. She


    eximed in delight, ¡°I found it!¡±


    I was stunned when I saw her retrieved the documents from the bottom of the trashcan.


    Armond was just as surprised. Just like me, he never thought that the documents would be in the


    trashcan.


    Nora handed the documents to me and said, ¡°Look through it and see if there¡¯s anything missing.¡±


    Then she walked towards the storekeeper and raised her voice. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you people? Why


    didn¡¯t you keep the documents until the owneres back for them? Why did you throw such


    important documents into the trashcan?¡±


    The storekeeper was puzzled. She had seen us return to her store twice to look for it, and she was


    even more surprised that it was found in the trashcan.


    She shook her head and said, ¡°It wasn¡¯t us who threw it in the trashcan. Besides, we¡¯ve never seen


    these documents before. We have a surveince camera, and if you¡¯d like, you can view the footage


    yourself. We definitely won¡¯t throw such important documents away.¡±


    ¡°I want to see the surveince footage,¡± Nora said angrily. ¡°Other than you guys, who else could have


    done such a thing?¡±


    ¡°Forget it, Nora. We have a ne to catch. Let¡¯s go now.¡± All it mattered was that we found what we


    were looking for.


    Stubborn as she always was, Nora insisted, ¡°No. We must watch the surveince footage.¡±


    The poor, helpless storekeeper turned on the surveince footage for us to watch. It was the only way


    for her to prove her innocence.


    I nced at Armond and said softly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but this may take a while.¡±


    Armond smiled faintly and said, ¡°That¡¯s alright.¡±


    Nora and a few of the storekeepers watched the surveince footage together. After a brief moment,


    the storekeeper said, ¡°See that? We didn¡¯t throw the documents into the trashcan. You threw it


    yourselves.¡±


    I froze and asked in confusion, ¡°What?¡±


    Nora looked at me and said, ¡°Come and have a look.¡±


    I was a little surprised, so I walked over to them to watch the surveince footage. In the video, the five


    of us could be seen shopping around the store.


    Because Nora wanted to try on some new handbags, so she handed my bag that was in her hand to


    Tessa.


    The rest of us were so focused on shopping that we were not aware of what was happening around us.


    Tessa took the bag, and with her back turned, she retrieved the documents from my bag and threw it


    into the trashcan.


    And then she followed us out of the store as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Nora blew her top. ¡°What was she trying to do? Did she do that so that you won¡¯t be able to


    return with theck of those documents?¡±


    I pursed my lips and was lost in thought. After snapping out of my thought, I turned to the storekeepers


    and apologized to them. After thanking them again, I slipped the documents into my bag and left the


    store.


    Seeing that I was silent, the troubled Nora tugged at me and said, ¡°You can¡¯t keep quiet. You have to


    say something.¡±


    I looked at her with a faint smile. ¡°Even though the flight¡¯s dyed, we should hurry. In a few minutes,


    it¡¯ll be boarding time soon.¡±


    She was speechless. ¡°Not that. I mean about Tessa. She obviously has bad intentions. Are you going


    to keep quiet about this?¡±


    After passing through the security check, we found the boarding gate soon enough. Fortunately, the


    passengers were still queuing at the passenger boarding bridge.


    At the sight of us, Tabitha and Laurel ran over and asked, ¡°Did you manage to find it?¡±


    ¡°How can she pass through the security checkpoint without the documents? She wouldn¡¯t be standing


    here if we haven¡¯t found it,¡± Nora snapped as she red at Tessa.


    I nced at her and then turned to Tabitha and Laurel. ¡°Yes, we found it. How long has the flight been


    dyed?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    ¡°About half an hour. But there was an announcement not long ago saying that the ne will be ready


    for take-off soon. That¡¯s why we¡¯re boarding the ne now.¡±


    I nodded with a smile, not saying a word.


    Nora, who couldn¡¯t keep anything to herself, walked up to Tessa and said sarcastically, ¡°Are you


    disappointed to see us here?¡±


    Tessa turned pale and stuttered, ¡°What¡­ What nonsense are you saying?¡±


    Nora looked at her and sneered, ¡°You are a wicked, selfish, and narrow-minded person.¡±


    ¡°Nora, just say whatever you have to say. Don¡¯t look at me if you don¡¯t want to. And don¡¯te looking


    for trouble.¡± Tessa raised her voice, causing other passengers to turn and look at us.


    ¡°Do you think I like to look at you? In fact, I feel disgusted when I look at you. I¡¯m not looking for trouble


    at all. Why did you insist on Scarlett searching for the documents by herself? You¡¯re the one who


    caused this trouble. You did that because you didn¡¯t want her to return, am I right? You are an


    ungrateful woman. You make me sick.¡±

 Chapter 670

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 670


    Nora¡¯s sharp remark caused Tessa to flush red in embarrassment. Before Tessa could retort, Tabitha


    asked, ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. Let¡¯s get on the ne,¡± I interrupted them.


    Everyone kept silent as we boarded the ne. Nora, who was still tensed, was supposed to sit at the


    same row as Tessa. But since she was still boiling in anger, she called for the flight attendant to change


    her seat. She even told the flight attendant that she¡¯d rather die than sit next to Tessa.


    The angry Tessa pointed her finger at Nora and cursed, ¡°Don¡¯t push it, Nora. Have you no shame?¡±


    ¡°Shame?¡± Nora retorted. ¡°You should be the one in shame. If I were you, I¡¯d be embarrassed to sit here


    after what you¡¯ve done. Aren¡¯t you shameless?¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t cause a scene. Both of you, please lower down your voices,¡± the flight attendant


    asserted.


    Both women finally became quiet, and Nora was granted her request to change to another seat. She


    was still fuming as she took her seat.


    Tabitha asked curiously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Why are you so angry?¡±


    ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t be angry at such a shameless person?¡± Nora barked.


    ¡°What happened? What did Tessa do?¡±


    ¡°Ask her yourself,¡± Nora snapped. Then she closed her eyes in anger and fumed quietly.


    After a ten hours flight, the nended in A City. When we got off the ne, Nora, who couldn¡¯t bear


    to be parted from me, tugged at me and said, ¡°When are you nning to go back to K City? Let¡¯s have


    a get-together in the next few days?¡±


    Back to K City?


    I was a little stunned for a while. I was still undecided on whether to return to K City. All I cared about


    was Ashton¡¯s safe return. To be honest, I never thought about going back to K City. Even if I were to be


    back in K City, it would be a short trip beforeing back to A City.


    I thought about it and said to Nora, ¡°I¡¯ll be here in the next few days. I¡¯m up for a gathering whenever


    we are free.¡±


    Her mood improved significantly and she said, ¡°About Tessa, are you going to just let it go?¡±


    I was a little stunned before I smiled at her and said, ¡°I owe it to her. I won¡¯t be in touch with her in the


    future anyway. So I¡¯ll just let it go.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean you owe it to her?¡± Nora asked, agitation on her face. ¡°You brought her back from


    Venria and found someone to perform surgery on her. You even provided food for her and paid for her


    expensive air ticket. How could you owe her? She¡¯s alive because of you.¡±


    I smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating. It¡¯s all thanks to Armond.¡±


    After a moment of silence, she lifted her head and looked at me with a frown. ¡°Are you shouldering the


    burden for her?¡±


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    I was startled. ¡°This happened because of me, and it¡¯s my responsibility.¡±


    ¡°Damn!¡± Nora said in despair. ¡°This is not your fault at all.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m finally back in my home country.¡± Tabitha and Laurel came up to us and gave us both a hug. ¡°My


    parents will be here soon to pick me up. I¡¯ll be going back home to have a good rest and sleep. Once


    I¡¯ve bounced back from this holiday fatigue, I¡¯lle and look for you guys, okay?¡±


    Laurel took a nce at her and said with a smile, ¡°Go on. I¡¯m going back to recuperate.¡±


    We all said our goodbyes.


    Everyone left, and I was alone with Tessa. She looked at me with squinted eyes. ¡°What now? Are you


    nning for revenge?¡±


    I raised my brow. ¡°Revenge?¡±


    ¡°You know what I¡¯m talking about.¡±


    I smiled faintly and asked, ¡°Revenge for throwing away my documents? Or take my revenge because


    of your ingratitude?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, I interrupted her. ¡°We¡¯ve watched the surveince footage in the


    store and saw what you did. I kept quiet about it to save you from embarrassment. So, drop the holier-


    than-thou act. Quit it with the dirty tricks. It¡¯s despicable.¡±


    That¡¯s the difference between us.


    After we exited the airport, we each parted way. Armond looked at me with a raised brow and asked,


    ¡°Where are you nning to stay?¡±


    I looked at him with a flush of embarrassment. Before we left for Venria, I lost all of my belongings,


    including my wallet, ID, and mobile phone. I had nothing left.


    When I came to A City, I lost everything that I brought with me. So it was going to be tough for me to


    live in this city with nothing on me.


    ¡°Mr. Murphy, is yourpany hiring?¡± I¡¯d better find a job, as it¡¯s the only way for me to survive.


    He looked at me with a smile and said, ¡°Yes. I¡¯m looking for an assistant. Meals and lodging will be


    provided. But you¡¯ll have to be on call for twenty hours.¡±


    That caught me off guard. ¡°How much is the sry?¡±


    ¡°Five thousand.¡±


    I thought about it for a while.


    Meals and lodging provided. Five thousand a month. That¡¯s the standard range of sry in a city like A


    City.


    After thinking for a while, I nodded. ¡°Mr. Murphy, can I report to work starting from today?¡±


    I had nowhere to go in this unfamiliar ce.


    He nodded and led me to a ck Maybach. We sat in the car and headed straight to a seaside vi in


    A City.


    Finally, a ce to stay. After returning to this familiarnd, it felt like my heart was home.

 Chapter 671

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 671


    As the old adage says, always return to your own root.


    Although A City was not my homnd, it was much betterpared to Western Europe and Venria.


    That night, I slept better than ever. It was a dreamless sleep.


    The next day.


    I was awakened by the sound of knocking on my door. When I opened the door, I was struck dumb by


    the sight of a man in grey pyjamas standing outside my door. ¡°Morning, Mr. Murphy.¡±


    He raised his brow and looked at the watch on his wrist. ¡°You¡¯ll start work from today. From now on,


    you¡¯ll stay here. For the time being, there¡¯s no helper at home, so you¡¯ll need to prepare breakfast. We


    start work at nine, and it¡¯s seven now. In order not to bete for work, you¡¯ll have to go downstairs to


    make breakfast now.¡±


    Having said that, the man sauntered off. I was a little confused at first but recovered after a while. I


    quickly went back to my room and changed my clothes. After a quick wash-up, I went downstairs to the


    kitchen.


    Fortunately, there was some food in the refrigerator. So I made a quick breakfast.


    After breakfast, I was caught in a difficult situation. When I saw him holding the car keys in his hand as


    he was about to leave the house, I mustered up my courage and asked, ¡°Mr. Murphy, can I trouble you


    to give me a ride?¡±


    He nodded wordlessly.


    After getting into the car, I put on a thick skin and asked, ¡°Mr. Murphy, can I request one month¡¯s sry


    in advance?¡±


    I had no choice because I lost all of my belongings. My bank card had to be reissued. Even my mobile


    phone was lost. The most important thing right now was to get myself a phone.


    When I saw him looking at me, I quickly exined, ¡°All of my belongings were taken by the


    policewoman. I¡¯ve nothing left with me. That¡¯s why I want to get myself a phone first.¡±


    He nodded in silence. Then, he took out a white box from a bag and handed it to me. ¡°Consider this as


    your sry for this month. It¡¯s new, take it. I don¡¯t like this design very much.¡±


    I took it and was a little surprised when I opened the box.


    It was a new mobile phone, and it seemed to be worth more than five thousand.


    After being without a phone for two months, I felt so out of touch. I unboxed the mobile phone excitedly


    and found that I just needed to get a SIM card.


    The Murphys business in A City was still oil and jade. It was undoubtedly their business as the import


    and export centre in Southeast Asia.


    Hence, the Murphys¡¯pany was situated in twin towers right in the heart of a busy city centre in A


    City.


    In the twin towers, there were two otherpanies other than the Murphys¡¯pany. One was an IT


    company, and the other was an energy resourcespany.


    The luxurious office building consisted of hundreds of floors, and it was owned exclusively by these


    threepanies.


    I spent the entire morning being briefed about my new job as Armond¡¯s secretary. And by noon, I took


    the advantage of break time to get myself a SIM card.


    With a phone in hand, the first thing I did was to call the police.


    Although I did not know if the so-called policewomen were real or fake, they convicted others in private


    and expelled others from the country, and the act itself was already an illegal act.


    After obtaining the SIM card, I managed to log in to my google ount. Fortunately, the ount was


    linked to my google pay, thus it made things a lot easier for me.


    Ever since I left K City, I had not responded to anyone¡¯s message from K City, nor had I posted


    anything on Instagram.


    Countless messages kept popping up on my phone, and they were all messages from K City over the


    past two months.


    Most of the messages were from Ashton. I clicked into it and quickly read the messages. There were


    mostly photos of him and Summer, and the rest were daily greetings and checking in on me.


    I read the messages carefully, and by the time I read thest message, it seemed that the message


    was sent recently and he seemed to be doing fine.


    I pondered for a moment before replying to his message.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Other than that, I didn¡¯t know what else to say.


    After that, I sent messages to both Emery and Hannah to tell them that I was safe and sound.


    The police arrived not long after I made the call. They were here to take statements from me.


    Savini at Animus was surprised to see that I was back. He was even more surprised that I had led the


    police to him.


    The moment he saw me, he was so shocked that he dropped the papers that were in his hands. He


    looked at me with utter astonishment and stuttered, ¡°Scarlett, you¡­you¡­¡±


    I smiled faintly and said, ¡°Thanks to you, I¡¯m still alive.¡±


    The police stepped forward and arrested him after they read him his rights. As for the group of


    policewomen, they were gone by the time the police arrived.


    It appeared that they had left earlier.


    Just as I was leaving the police station, Ashton called.


    I memorized his phone number by heart and knew that it was him by just a nce at the numbers.


    I was in a dilemma, to answer or not to answer the call.


    After a moment, I answered the call.


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    Without many words, he asked in a low voice, and it sounded as familiar as ever.


    ¡°Where are you?¡±


    I was distracted for a moment as I looked up at the August sky in A City. Suddenly I realized that time


    seemed to have passed for a long time.


    ¡°I¡¯m back in the country.¡± When we met in Venria, there were no words spoken. He must have been


    worried.


    There was a moment of silence on the other side of the phone before he asked, ¡°Shall Ie and find


    you?¡±

 Chapter 672

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 672


    I pursed my lips and replied, ¡°No. I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t worry about me.¡±


    ¡°I want to see you.¡± He sounded like he was trying to stifle his emotions.


    I want to see you.


    It¡¯s been a long time since I heard such sentimental words. I smiled as my heart filled with warmth.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Ashton. Really.¡± I had wanted to tell him to live our own lives separately, but I knew that it


    would inevitably anger him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not fine.¡± He sounded grouchy and emotional at the end of his tether. ¡°Scarlett, everyone has their


    limits. I let you go when you wanted to leave. I was even willing to wait for you here. But you can¡¯t


    continue to be away like this. The night-time loneliness is killing me and I don¡¯t want to count on my


    memories to get past the nights. I want to see you, and I mean now.¡±


    I was dumbfounded for a moment. This was the first time for me to hear Ashton pouring out his feelings


    with no reservations, and his voice had an edge to it.


    If he was in front of me at this moment, I would have pulled him into a tight embrace and tell him that I


    miss him too.


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    ¡°Thank you for taking good care of Summer, Ashton.¡± I changed the subject. I was afraid that I would


    not be able to control myself and tell him that I missed him. I was also afraid that if I were to appear in


    his life again, his world would be turned upside down.


    He should be living a happy, married life, surrounded by children. But I was unable to give him a happy


    marriage, and I couldn¡¯t even bear him any children. Leaving him was the best choice.


    I could hear him asking in a rough voice, ¡°Are you punishing me, Scarlett? If so, then tell me what I


    need to do so that you¡¯lle back to me?¡±


    I was stunned and didn¡¯t know what else to say. After a moment of silence, I decided to end the call as I


    was afraid to continue having this conversation with him. ¡°I have to go, Ashton. I¡¯m hanging up now.¡±


    And with that, I hung up the phone and felt the sudden urge to cry. When did I be such a coward?


    How pathetic!


    Back at thepany, Armond looked at me and asked irritably, ¡°Scarlett, care to exin yourself?¡±


    It was supposed to be a one-hour lunch break, but I ended up spending two hours making a police


    report. I was terriblyte by the time I made it back to the office.


    There was a deep frown on his face, he was clearly upset.


    I told him everything, sparing no details, but he was still angry. ¡°Whatever it is, it¡¯s irresponsible of you


    to leave your post during working hours.¡±


    I apologized profusely for my behavior. Knowing that he was angry, I chose to stay silent.


    When he saw that I remained silent after being chastised, he stopped himself and said, ¡°Go to Linda for


    handover. You¡¯re considered skipping work for today.¡±


    I was dumbfounded. I was away from work for an hour, and that¡¯s considered skipping work? These


    capitalists are vicious!


    After all, he¡¯s the boss, and I made a mistake. No excuses there.


    After handing over the work to Linda, Nora called.


    ¡°Do you have any n tonight, Scarlett? Let¡¯s have dinner.¡±


    I thought for a while and said dejectedly, ¡°Actually, I really want to go to dinner with you. But I might


    have something on tonight.¡±


    Armond had said that I would need to be on call twenty-four hours a day, and there¡¯s no telling when


    exactly he was going to call me.


    ¡°Oh!¡± She sounded disappointed. ¡°What¡¯s upying your time? I¡¯ve made ns to meet up with


    Tabitha and Laurel, and we¡¯re going to Zero Degrees tonight. After our near-death experience, what


    can be more important than being alive and happy? You¡¯d better not turn me down.¡±


    I chuckled and said, ¡°I¡¯m not turning you down, Nora. I¡¯m serious. I¡¯m working in Armond¡¯spany as


    his secretary. And I must be on call twenty-four hours a day. I can¡¯t just leave.¡±


    She sighed and asked, ¡°You¡¯re a secretary? Being on call for twenty-four hours a day, does that mean


    you¡¯re involved in every aspect of his life?¡±


    ¡°Thinking about it, that sounds like it.¡± After all, I had to cook breakfast and dinner. That¡¯s pretty much


    everything.


    ¡°Holy cr*p!¡± She eximed excitedly. ¡°Why does it sound like you¡¯re in an idol drama? Could it be that


    Armond is attracted to you?¡±


    I nearly choked on my own saliva after hearing that. I coughed and said, ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much. I¡¯m


    working for him because I¡¯m short of money.¡±


    ¡°Tsk!¡± She started to be nosy. ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m thinking too much. It¡¯s just that I can¡¯t help but think that


    your scenario is simr to those in idol dramas.¡±


    She paused and then continued, ¡°By the way, when are you going back to K City? You said you¡¯re short


    of money, why don¡¯t I give you some¡­¡±


    Stopping mid-sentence, there was a slight pause before she continued, ¡°That¡¯s not right. Didn¡¯t you say


    that you¡¯re married? Shouldn¡¯t you be going back to your husband instead? Why are you in Mr.


    Murphy¡¯spany?¡±


    Just then, I didn¡¯t know what to say. So I avoided her questions by saying, ¡°I have to go. I¡¯m going to


    hang up now. Let¡¯s meet up next time.¡±

 Chapter 673

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 673


    It was aplicated rtionship, and I didn¡¯t think that I could exin it clearly within that half an hour.


    In the end, I could only run from it.


    There wasn¡¯t much to do when I first joined Murphy Corporation. Furthermore, Armond already had


    Linda as his efficient secretary. And that¡¯s why my job was rtively easy.


    ¡°Scarlett, you need to go through these documents and read the content of the contract. Then you¡¯ll


    need to arrange for Mr. Murphy¡¯s schedule for tomorrow.¡± Linda gave me a brief instruction while


    looking at her mobile phone.


    I couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Is something wrong, Linda?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°I¡¯m going to pick up my daughter in a short while. I have to leave ten minutes in advance


    to beat the traffic.¡±


    I studied her appearance and felt that she didn¡¯t look a day over forty. ¡°You have a daughter, but you


    still look so young. I wouldn¡¯t have thought that you have a daughter if you didn¡¯t tell me.¡±


    She looked at me and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m ttered, Scarlett. Thank you. I have to go now.¡±


    With her bag in hand, she left in a hurry.


    Before I could pack my things, I saw a man in a ck suiting out of his office.


    ¡°Is there anything else, Mr. Murphy?¡± I instinctively looked at the time and noticed that it¡¯s after work


    hours. This can¡¯t be work-rted.


    He raised his brow and said, ¡°Nora asked us for dinner. Let¡¯s go together.¡±


    I was stunned for a moment. ¡°She invited you?¡± That¡¯s really bold of Nora.


    He nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


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    He was a man of little words.


    After getting into the car, I started to wonder how Nora managed to get his number. I couldn¡¯t help but


    ask, ¡°When did Nora have your number?¡±


    He raised his eyebrows and started the car. ¡°We exchanged numbers at the airport.¡±


    I was speechless.


    She¡¯s good. I¡¯ll give her that.


    When we stopped at the traffic light, I couldn¡¯t help but think of Linda. So, I asked him, ¡°Mr. Murphy, has


    Linda been your secretary for many years?¡±


    He looked at me from the corner of his eye and answered indifferently, ¡°She used to work with my


    grandfather. She¡¯s a great employee, and that¡¯s why my grandfather arranged for her to work with me.¡±


    I nodded. That¡¯s obvious.


    He raised an eyebrow. ¡°Why did you ask?¡±


    ¡°Oh, nothing. I was just curious. Most secretaries are young and beautiful, but Linda is middle-aged


    and has a family of her own. That¡¯s why I asked.¡±


    He frowned before he sneered at me, ¡°You¡¯ve been reading too many romance novels. Being a


    secretary doesn¡¯te with that kind of scandalous plot. To be a secretary is all about capability, not


    looks. Does that mean you see me as a pervert?¡±


    I was stumped.


    ¡°Of course not.¡± I shook my head.


    He grunted and told me off. ¡°Read more of non-fiction books.¡±


    Me? What the?


    Was I being insulted?


    At Zero Degrees¡¯ entrance.


    Nora was dressed in a sexy short ck dress and was wearing makeup. Because of her good figure,


    she was catching a lot of attention by standing at the door.


    After getting out of the car, Armond threw his keys to the valet.


    Nora greeted him with a smile. ¡°Mr. Murphy, I¡¯m surprised that you came. Thank you for showing up.¡±


    Then she turned to me with a charming smile on her face and said, ¡°I thought Ms. Stovall said you


    couldn¡¯te. So, why are you here? Unless this is part of being on-call?¡±


    I rolled my eyes at her and ignored her teasing. Then I leaned closer to her and asked, ¡°Why are you


    dressed to the nines? Are you nning to hook up with someone?¡±


    ¡°You read my mind.¡± She smiled brightly, then she leaned closer to me and said, ¡°I¡¯m going for Mr.


    Murphy tonight. You can¡¯t have him, Babe. You¡¯re a married woman.¡±


    What more could I say? I looked at her and nodded. ¡°Best of luck to you.¡±


    In fact, Armond was one of the most eligible bachelors around. Handsome and rich, he came from a


    prominent family. Ordinary girls would not have the chance to be up close and personal with him. This


    was definitely an opportunity not to be missed.


    Nora booked a private room and proceeded to the second floor for entertainment. It seemed that


    tonight was going to be a full-blown party.


    I was surprised to see Tessa in the private room. Instead of letting it get to me, I sat down and greeted


    her.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me who invited Tessa. It was Tabitha who did.¡± Nora leaned closer to me and said into my


    ear. ¡°I should have told Tabitha earlier not to invite her. This is so annoying.¡±


    I responded with a smile.


    I thought a man like Armond wouldn¡¯t like to past his time in this manner.


    But he didn¡¯t seem to be ufortable in such a scene. On the contrary, he was having a good time


    drinking and chatting with everyone. I, on the other hand, was a little confused.


    Feeling a little hot from drinking, I got up and excused myself to the washroom.


    At the sound of footsteps behind me, I turned around and saw Tessa following behind my back. I froze


    for a moment before asking, ¡°Are you going to the washroom?¡±


    She nodded and answered coldly, ¡°Yes.¡±

 Chapter 674

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 674


    Saying no more, I went into the washroom to wash my face. She was already gone when I came out.


    Stepping onto the soft carpeted floor in the corridor made me have a newfound appreciation for all the


    familiar things in my life.


    ¡°Ah!¡± a voice rang from a few yards away. It was Tessa.


    I took a few steps forward and saw Tessa leaning against a ck-suited man. She appeared to have


    sprained her ankle.


    The man was someone all too familiar, someone I had been missing for such a long time. Bumping into


    him under such circumstances rendered me a little speechless as my steps hesitated.


    ¡°Sir, can you hold me, please? I think I have sprained my ankle,¡± Tessa said while wrapping her arms


    around Ashton¡¯s.


    The man raised his eyebrow and there was a perceptible distaste in his eyes. But the bearing of a


    gentleman in him would not allow him to push away a damsel in distress, hence he shot a side nce


    at Joseph, indicating him to take over.


    Ashton then distanced himself from Tessa and was about to leave when his eyes met with mine. Not


    knowing what to say to him, I subconsciously wanted to avoid a direct encounter with him.


    I turned around and started running away from his direction.


    His steps, however, caught up with mine in no time and before I knew it, his familiar scent filled my


    nostrils as he held onto me from behind.


    Before I had any time to respond, Ashton pulled me into an empty private room.


    Inside the dark room, the man¡¯s lipsnded on mine in a desperate and domineering kiss.


    Our pounding heartbeats were audible in the still air inside the room.


    My back was pressed against the wall by him and I was out of breath as his passionate and fervent


    kiss had almost sucked out all the oxygen from my lungs.


    After a while, he finally moved his lips away from mine.


    His strong arms had stopped my attempt to break away from his embrace as he spoke in his low and


    coarse voice, ¡°How much further do you n to push me away?¡±


    My heart ached immensely upon hearing that, but instead of replying to his rhetorical question, I didn¡¯t


    stop him from nting more punishing kisses on my body.


    ¡°People used to tell me that poppies are very beautiful flowers. But I¡¯ve never seen it in my life until I


    came across a field of fully bloomed poppies in Venria. I still remember vividly what they smelled like.


    It¡¯s true when people say that once you are addicted to it, you are addicted for life. Ashton, you¡¯re like


    my poppy,¡± I uttered in the dark, feeling a little self-conflicted.


    Ashton¡¯s breaths were heavy. I couldn¡¯t make out his features clearly in the dark, but I could almost


    imagine his expression.


    ¡°What were you doing in Venria?¡± His hands were still holding tight onto my back as he asked, as


    though the moment he let go, I¡¯ll make a dash for the door.


    After failing toe to a reasonable response to the question, I opted for an ambiguous one. ¡°I just


    did.¡±


    He might have frowned and asked tentatively, ¡°To get away from me?¡±


    I pursed my lips and offered no exnation. It¡¯s not the worst idea for him to misunderstand. Haven¡¯t I


    already vowed to stay away from him since I won¡¯t be able to promise him a future? It¡¯s better to suffer


    now than to live a long life of regrets.


    The hand holding onto my back loosened a little as he asked, ¡°Who did you go with?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t think of a better way to reply to him than to turn his question around, ¡°The question you


    should be asking is, who did I came back with?¡±


    The air became frosty in the room as he now seemed to be a little stirred up.


    ¡°Scarlett, this is not how things should be between us. You know in your heart that we belong together.


    There¡¯s nothing that can separate us.¡±


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    Pursing my lips, I pried open his hand on my back and said coldly, ¡°Ashton, I don¡¯t love you anymore. I


    cannot imagine spending the rest of my life with you because every time I look at you, I¡¯ll be reminded


    of my baby who had died horribly. There¡¯s no way I can forgive you for taking away my only chance to


    be a mother. You¡¯re a constant living reminder of a past that¡¯s like a dagger in my heart. So, I beg of


    you, Ashton, please let me go.¡±


    Hisnky figure staggered in the dark. I couldn¡¯t see his expression clearly, but his choked-up voice


    was enough to indicate his despair and sorrow.


    Maybe that will finally make him let go.


    ¡°Is there really no other way?¡± his voice catching in his throat.


    I sniffled, trying to hold back the tear that¡¯s welling up in my eyes. ¡°No. There isn¡¯t. Ashton, let this go.


    Let us both search for where we really belong and find peace for our minds.¡±


    For the first time, my body literally hurt with each breath I took. It was as though all the nerves in my


    body were pinched at the same time.


    Ashton smiled wistfully as he spoke, ¡°Scarlett, what do you mean we both search for where we really


    belong? You think just because you can walk away like that, so can everyone else?¡±


    Biting my lips, I refused to let him talk me out of it. I was fighting a strong urge to leap into his arms and


    tell him that I didn¡¯t want to leave him, not even one bit.


    I finally left the private room and met with Nora and the gang.

 Chapter 675

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 675


    A few of them looked at me in confusion. ¡°Are you constipated?¡±


    No one but Nora was capable of making such a crassment.


    Rolling my eyes, I resumed my seat and replied, ¡°I bumped into a friend that¡¯s all.¡±


    My reply seemed to have piqued her interests even more. ¡°What friend? Is it a he or she?¡± Is he


    handsome?¡±


    Oh dear¡­


    Tessa¡¯s gaze fell on me; her lips pursed with traces of disdain.


    I lost my appetite after taking a few bites when Nora suggested a karaoke session on the second floor.


    Everyone agreed to her suggestion. After all, they did promise themselves to y hard after returning


    home from Western Europe.


    The second floor was full of private rooms for karaoke with a big pool hall in the middle. Customers


    who did not fancy singing karaoke could spend time ying pool out here. I regarded this to be a very


    thoughtful design.


    I was terribly tone-deaf and could neither sing nor dance. Tessa seemed to view karaoke singing in the


    same light. But it could just be that she didn¡¯t like it at all. For all that I knew, we both disliked the rowdy


    environment.


    After spending some time in our private room, I excused myself to get some air.


    But mostly because Nora kept shooting me looks to get out of her way so she could spend some


    private time with Armond.


    Armond was usually distant and reserved. I couldn¡¯t help but suspect something was wired wrongly for


    him tonight to subject himself to such discordant singings by a few girls.


    Outside the karaoke rooms, the pool hall was now filled with a few men in groups and maybe two or


    three women in between. Pool was not a very popr sport in this area.


    After searching for a while, I found a bench on the side and sat down with my chin rested on my hands,


    spacing out.


    Before long, a figure took a seat next to me. It took me a few seconds to turn around and realized it


    was Tessa.


    We had had very few exchanges throughout the night; thus I was a little taken by surprise when she sat


    down next to me.


    ¡°Did you know the man from just now?¡± she asked coldly.


    I tilted my head in her direction and realized she wasn¡¯t even looking at me. Her gaze was falling right


    ahead at those ying pool in front of us.


    The man?


    When it finally dawned on me which man she was referring to, I pursed my lips and hesitated for a brief


    moment before I answered her question, ¡°What about it?¡±


    Tessa was fiddling with her hands as she spoke, ¡°I believe in letting go of grievances among people. I


    can get over whatever had happened between us in Venria. But you have to remember that you owe


    me one.¡±


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    I was a little bewildered by her statement but chose to remain silent.


    ¡°Now that we¡¯re all back to our home country and are going to remain friends, it¡¯s not in anyone¡¯s


    benefit if our rtionship remains as strained as it is. Since we hang out with the same group of people


    and are bound to gather every so often, we might as well set aside our differences and spend time as


    real friends.¡±


    I looked at her with my eyebrow raised, still puzzled by her sudden change of mind.


    She misinterpreted my silence as disagreement and retorted, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be arrogant, it¡¯s fine


    by me if you wish to carry on like this.¡±


    I thought for another moment and sighed. ¡°Tessa, I think sometimes you¡¯re trapped in your own pre-


    conceptions. I don¡¯t see you as an enemy and I never have.¡±


    ¡°Great! That means we¡¯re friends!¡± she eximed while holding out her hand. ¡°Give me your phone.¡±


    She took over my phone and did a few maneuvers before handing it back to me. ¡°I¡¯ve saved my phone


    number and added my WhatsApp to your phone. Let¡¯s stay in touch.¡±


    Honestly, I was still a little befuddled. But since she was the one to extend an olive branch, there was


    no reason to shoot her down.


    I nodded and kept my phone.


    At that moment, I felt a warm re in my direction. I lifted my head and met with Ashton¡¯s clear, dark


    eyes.


    Was that a coincidence? Probably not so much, given we were dining in the same building.


    Ashton seemed like he was here for business purposes. He was standing mere meters away, talking to


    a few middle-aged men.


    The men followed the direction of his gaze and turned to me all at once when Ashton stopped short in


    their conversation.


    They all appeared to be people of prominent status. Their stares started to make me feel


    ufortable and so I shifted my gaze from Ashton and looked elsewhere, pretending that we didn¡¯t


    know each other.


    Tessa, on the other hand, was visibly more excited than just moments earlier. ¡°You guys really know


    each other?¡±


    ¡°Just barely,¡± I uttered, thinking we should probably head back.


    ¡°Regardless, we should just go say hi!¡± Tessa was almost pulling on me.


    I wanted to gently push her away, but she was stockier and stronger than I was, making it difficult for


    me to pry open her firm grip around my arm.

 Chapter 676

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 676


    As Tessa almost lifted me off the seat, I pushed her away with all my might in desperation. She then


    stumbled and fell onto the ground, causing the air to fill with momentary awkwardness.


    She looked at me in resentment. ¡°What are you doing, Scarlett?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Tessa. I didn¡¯t mean to,¡± I said apologetically, equally taken aback.


    Just then, Ashton and his group of friends were already making their way toward us.


    Probably because Tessa was in his way, Ashton shot a quick nce at Joseph, who helped Tessa up


    from the ground.


    Out of politeness, Ashton asked, ¡°Miss, are you alright?¡±


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    Looks of grimace instantly disappeared from Tessa¡¯s face as she stood up and replied softly, ¡°Thank


    you. Scarlett and I were just talking about you. She said you guys are pretty close.¡±


    I frowned. When have I said that?


    There were glistens in Ashton¡¯s eyes as they fell on me. His voice was low and reserved as he spoke,


    ¡°Have you eaten?¡±


    I nodded at themon pleasantry. The way the group of men who continued to fix their gazes at me,


    however, was making me uneasy again.


    A middle-aged, plump man who stood behind Ashton seemed to have picked up some cues as he


    spoke eagerly, ¡°Well, looks like you¡¯re a good friend of Mr. Fuller¡¯s. What¡¯s your name, Miss? You


    should join us for karaoke.¡±


    It seemed like he had mistaken me for someone who might have a thing for Ashton.


    I smiled faintly while shaking my head. ¡°That¡¯s okay. I actually got to go. You guys should go ahead


    without me.¡±


    As I was about to leave, Tessa grabbed onto me, scanned the few people, and said, ¡°It¡¯s not every day


    that we bumped into someone we know. Since Mr. Watson has extended his invitation to us, it¡¯ll be


    rude for us to say no.¡±


    This is Derek Watson?


    My brows furrowed a little as I studied the portly man.


    It would seem that Ashton hade to A City for business indeed.


    A self-satisfied grin appeared on the man¡¯s face upon hearing Tessa¡¯s ttery. It was one to indicate


    words well said.


    Ashton looked at me with his brows slightly raised to indicate his disapproval of Derek¡¯sment


    earlier.


    After spending so many years together, I knew him too well. Before he could respond, I chimed in with


    Tessa, ¡°Ah, it¡¯s Mr. Watson. Please forgive me. It¡¯s an honor to meet you.¡±


    Derek let out a loud chuckle. He was so pleased with himself as though nothing else matters.


    He then extended his hand to pull me inside their private room. My instinct was to avoid his hand, but


    Tessa had walled up my only escape route.


    My senses were ovee with disgusts; my whole being was against the idea of being led into a room


    by a gross, fleshy man.


    As my fight or flight response was about to lean toward thetter, I was pulled into a familiar, strong


    arm.


    Standing firmly next to me, Ashton said in hismanding voice, ¡°Let¡¯s move.¡±


    Everyone was startled and Derek¡¯s hand was frozen awkwardly in the air before he quickly withdrew it


    and let out an ufortable smile. ¡°Haha, Mr. Fuller is efficient as always. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    As we walked away, I could not help but notice half of my body was enclosed by Ashton, the sight was


    more than suggestive to any outsider.


    I tried to rub my arm from Tessa¡¯s excessive force just now when Ashton¡¯s deep voice rang softly,


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Shaking my head, I simply said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Tessa was walking next to Joseph. Her chilly visionnded on me and Ashton.


    If I didn¡¯t know why Tessa changed her mind and decided to befriend me earlier. Now it was clear as


    day to me.


    With someone like Ashton, even the most esteemed socialite will surrender herself in his charms, let


    alone amoner like Tessa. Besides, in her mind, despite her mediocre look and stubby build, she


    possesses the highest of self-esteem, not unlike those characterized by ssic narcissistic personality.


    In her feel-good world, it¡¯d probably take someone like Ashton to qualify for her matching prerequisites.


    Inside the private room, a few of them ordered some alcoholic drinks and started to loosen up.


    Before long, a few escorts arrived to keep the menpany.


    Joseph was a married man and had always steered clear of such regards. Ashton, on the other hand,


    pulled me over to sit next to him.


    There were now about four to five men, each having a good time singing and dancing with the young


    and beautifuldies.


    While Tessa tried to keep her cool in a corner, Joseph excused himself to get some fresh air outside.


    As for Derek, as much as he seemed like one who was inclined to self-indulge, he was here for


    business. Therefore, after a while, he got some of the girls to keep topping Ashton¡¯s wine ss and


    whispered something into Tessa¡¯s ear.

 Chapter 677

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 677


    Tessa then walked up to me and asked me to sing with her.


    I was no idiot; it was clearly a business maneuver on Derek¡¯s part to use alcohol and prettydies as a


    social lubricant to loosen Ashton up in order to help their subsequent business discussion.


    I did not like singing, and Tessa¡¯s incessant pestering was starting to get under my skin.


    I finally stood up and said, ¡°It¡¯ste, we should head back to Nora and Armond.¡±


    Tessa was momentarily taken aback, but quickly reced her expression with a smiling face. ¡°There¡¯s


    no rush. Let¡¯s have more fun here before we go!¡±


    She then poured me a ss of wine before she continued to persuade me to stay, ¡°Scarlett, since we


    are now officially friends, we should drink for it!¡±


    This woman is just too calctive to be a good candidate for either a friend or a colleague.


    But since the wine ss was already pushed into my hand, it would be rather rude for me to decline.


    Before the ss touched my lips, a hand shed before my eyes and took over the ss.


    When I turned around, Ashton had already downed the ss of wine for me.


    Before I snapped out of my bewilderment, Tessa said alluringly, ¡°Mr. Fuller, are you trying to be a hero


    to the damsel in distress?¡±


    The woman then looked like she tried but failed to mimic a seductiveugh. The result of which was


    somewhat disturbing, because, rather than a Cindere, she now resembled a smiling Crue.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, I have known Scarlett a long time, but I have no idea she knows someone as charming as


    you. It¡¯s such a pleasure meeting you today. Let¡¯s keep in touch and maybe we can hang out


    sometime. Cheers to a new friendship!¡± It was the ssic ybook for ¡°How to get that guy¡±.


    Ashton looked at me with his eyes darkened a little. I wasn¡¯t sure what was in his mind when he took


    over a drink from Tessa and clinked ss with her. ¡°Since you¡¯re Scarlett¡¯s friend, it¡¯s a pleasure to


    make your acquaintance. Thank you for looking after Scarlett.¡±


    Tessa was suddenly star-struck, for this seemed to be the first time Ashton had addressed her directly.


    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t mention it. Scarlett and I had been through life and death together, we¡¯re friends for life now.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Ashton was a little startled when he shifted his gaze at me quizzically. ¡°Life and


    death?¡±


    Biting my lips, I wished Tessa would just shut her big mouth.


    Tessa, on the other hand, felt encouraged that Ashton seemed to be interested in what she said and


    happily continued, ¡°That¡¯s right! We were brought to Venria not long ago and had been through hell,


    almost losing our lives. We barely managed to escape unscathed from Venria and came back to the


    country in one piece. So, that¡¯s how Scarlett and I have be friends.¡±


    Ashton¡¯s eyes grew increasingly inexplicable by the second. He darted a nce at Joseph who had


    just walked into the room.


    While I still wondered what that was about, Joseph sat down next to Tessa and they started chatting


    away. Before long, they had exchanged phone numbers and added each other on WhatsApp.


    That¡¯s weird, I thought Joseph hates to social?


    Ashton wrapped his arm around me, without caring so much about those around us. ¡°Did you hide that


    from me because you didn¡¯t want me to worry?¡± he asked in a lowered voice.


    Pursing my lips, I replied tly, ¡°No.¡±


    His voice had assumed a resolute tone when he spoke smilingly in my ear next moment, ¡°I don¡¯t know


    the meaning of freedom, so I will not let you go. Since you refuse to walk toward me, I¡¯ll walk toward


    you.¡±


    The man¡¯s profession had caused a sudden warm stream to sh across my heart. To conceal my


    emotions, I lowered my gaze and gulped down another drink.


    ¡°If you wish to torture me, you may continue so,¡± I said while attempting to sound calm and collected.


    His arm tightened around me. ¡°Do you have to be like this?¡± his voice was croaky.


    I pursed my lips and downed a few more drinks.


    In the meantime, Tessa had attempted a few times to strike up a conversation with Ashton, but each


    time, her attempt was blocked by Joseph.


    Finally, feeling fed up, she stood up and looked at me. ¡°Scarlett, I think it¡¯s time to go back. Nora might


    be looking for us now.¡±


    I nodded, wishing she had said that a long while ago.


    Before I could stand up though, Ashton¡¯s arm pressed against my shoulder as he turned to Joseph and


    ordered, ¡°Send Ms. Dixon back.¡±


    An annoyance crept up Tessa¡¯s face as she spoke, ¡°Mr. Fuller, Scarlett, and I came together. I think it


    only makes sense that she leaves with me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. I¡¯ll send her backter.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s very appropriate, Mr. Fuller. Scarlett is a married woman, I¡¯m sure her husband will


    be worried if she¡¯s backte. Please don¡¯t make this difficult for me.¡±


    Tessa¡¯s rapid revtion of my private life had sessfully attracted the gazes of a few people who had


    paid no attention to me. Everyone was now holding their breaths to see how things were going to pan


    out.


    Ashton smiled yfully as his vision fell on me. ¡°That¡¯s good. Keep it up¡±


    What the¡­


    Seeing that Ashton was unfazed by her presumably new information, Tessa turned to me and smiled


    knowingly. ¡°So, Mr. Fuller. Does this mean you¡¯re already aware that Scarlett is married?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± The man nodded. ¡°Ms. Dixon, please get going.¡±


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    Upon hearing the ambiguous reply from Ashton, a menacing smile spread across Tessa¡¯s face.

 Chapter 678

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 678


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, I didn¡¯t know you were into young marrieddies!¡± she joked.


    Then she turned to look at me. ¡°Scarlett, we should get going. If Nora and the others know about you


    and Mr. Fuller, Mr. Murphy is bound to find out. We wouldn¡¯t want that to happen, would we!¡±


    I felt ufortable at her words, and I stared at her with a frown. ¡°Do you always speak so


    recklessly?¡±


    ¡°Y-You¡­¡± This seemed to piss her off, though she appeared to hold back her temper to save face.


    I was nning to leave anyway, and I tried to pry Ashton¡¯s arm from my waist. ¡°It¡¯ste. I should get


    going!¡±


    Instead of loosening his arms, he tightened his hold on me with a scowl on his face. ¡°Mr. Murphy?¡±


    We were in a nightclub after all. Tessa¡¯s words also did nothing to help my predicament. I could feel


    everyone¡¯s stares boring into me.


    I felt uneasy about the whole situation. I don¡¯t want people to think of me as some married whore who


    goes around seducing other men! That¡¯s just sick!


    Suddenly I blurted in a fit of anger, ¡°Ashton, what the heck do you want?¡±


    I guess my voice had been louder than I¡¯d expected. Even those who¡¯d just been ncing at us from


    time to time were full-on staring at our exchange now.


    Using all my strength, I tried to get up despite his unyielding hold. At most, I¡¯ll just fall while trying.


    He seemed to anticipate my movement and stood up with me.


    He looked at the others and announced, ¡°Thank you for hosting me today. It¡¯ste, and I should get


    going.¡±


    Derek appeared anxious since they hadn¡¯t reached an agreement on the issues they had meant to


    discuss. He rushed forward to stop Ashton from leaving. With a brown-nosing smile on his face, he


    said, ¡°Mr. Fuller, you¡¯ve only been here for a while. You haven¡¯t even enjoyed any of the drinks yet!


    Why don¡¯t you stay and have a bit of fun before you leave?¡±


    Ashton had an annoying habit. Even if he knew from the start that he didn¡¯t want to work with someone,


    he would bring the person on a merry goose chase before telling them his decision.


    At that moment, he looked at Derek with a warm smile on his face. ¡°We can always get drinks again


    some other day. It¡¯s ratherte today and seeing as we¡¯re not young men anymore, we should catch up


    on some rest and take better care of our health.¡±


    Derek¡¯s gazended on me at his words, and he shot a loaded smile at Ashton. ¡°Of course, Mr. Fuller.


    We do need to get some more rest and take better care of ourselves.¡±


    He continued, ¡°Mr. Fuller, where are you staying? I can arrange a driver for you.¡±


    Ashton raised his brows and replied, ¡°No need. Please enjoy your drinks!¡±


    He dragged me out of the room with him, calls of polite farewells following in our wake. Tessa left the


    room with us, and she urged me several times to leave with her.


    I wanted to go back with her, but I couldn¡¯t escape from Ashton¡¯s grip of steel.


    I pinched his waist hard in a fit of anger. He seemed utterly unaffected by my actions and merely


    lowered his head to give me a patronizing smile.


    When we reached the pool hall, Ashton turned around to address Joseph, ¡°Please send Ms. Dixon


    home.¡±


    Joseph nodded wordlessly.


    Tessa started fretting when she saw Ashton dragging me with him. She blocked his path and


    confronted him. ¡°Mr. Fuller, Scarlett came here with me. I don¡¯t think it would be appropriate for her to


    follow you home.¡±


    Ashton arched a brow and replied sardonically, ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything wrong if my wife goes


    home with me, is there?¡±


    Stunned, she paused for a moment before asking, ¡°Your wife?¡±


    Ashton just stared at her silently.


    Just then, Joseph interrupted the conversation. ¡°Ms. Dixon, where do you stay? I¡¯ll send you back.¡±


    Ashton had never been a patient man, and he began pulling me away with him.


    If I go with him now, our lives will be irrevocably tangled once more.


    As these thoughts crossed my mind, I couldn¡¯t help but look back toward Tessa. I called out, ¡°We¡¯re just


    acquaintances; I¡¯m not really his wife.¡±


    This caused Ashton to furrow his brows. His grip on my waist tightened further as he turned his


    searching gaze on me. ¡°Just acquaintances?¡±


    I nodded. I felt a bit disconcerted, and I chalked it up to the alcohol I had drunk earlier.


    Tessa seemed to let out a breath of relief when she heard me. She said to Ashton, ¡°Mr. Fuller, you


    won¡¯t enjoy yourself with an unwilling woman. Plus, you don¡¯t know Scarlett that well, and it¡¯s kind of


    inappropriate to be together at such ate hour. You can always get to know her better first before


    deciding if you want to hook up with her.¡±


    An unpleasant feeling rose in my chest when I heard her little speech. Is she really helping me, or is


    she just picking on my faults in front of Ashton?


    I couldn¡¯t discern her true purpose, but I knew that I couldn¡¯t let myself go back with Ashton.


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    I used all my might to pry Ashton¡¯s arm away.


    Utterly exasperated, I red at him. ¡°Ashton, y-you¡­¡±


    ¡°You really think I¡¯ll let you go?¡±


    I replied fiercely, ¡°I¡¯ll sue you for kidnapping!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I wasn¡¯t aware that bringing one¡¯s missing wife home is counted as kidnapping.¡±


    Dumbfounded, I stared mutely at him. My head continued to spin. It must be the drinks; after all, I


    haven¡¯t had alcohol in a long time. That must be why I¡¯m feeling so woozy now.

 Chapter 679

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 679


    Ashton continued dragging me with him. Tessa tried to chase after us, but Joseph blocked her.


    I was kind of azy person by nature. As he half-carried me to his car, the thought of just giving in and


    following him began to take hold of my mind.


    My thoughts petered out for a while as he settled me in his car. Soon, I started feeling ufortable.


    I leaned heavily into the car seat and shut my eyes, falling into a hazy sleep.


    The sound of my phone ringing reached my ears, and I frowned involuntarily. As I patted around weakly


    for my phone, I heard Ashton speaking to someone. ¡°She¡¯s drunk, and she is asleep.¡±


    Groggily, I opened my eyes. I saw him talking to someone on my phone as he drove with one hand on


    the steering wheel, his eyes focusing on the road before him.


    I made a face at him. How can you just answer someone¡¯s phone without asking for their permission?


    He mumbled an acknowledgment and hung up a momentter.


    He ced my phone beside me and seemed to realize that I was awake. Surprised, he asked gently,


    ¡°Are you feeling very ufortable?¡±


    I shook my head. I was a bit groggy, and my limbs felt like they were made of jelly, but I was still


    conscious.


    ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± Looking out the window, I could tell that we were still in A City. He doesn¡¯t


    have a house in A City, so he¡¯s probably going to a hotel.


    He raised his brows and said, ¡°If you¡¯re ufortable, just close your eyes and rest for a bit.¡±


    I pouted, just as thoughts of the early days of our marriage flooded my brain. I couldn¡¯t help butugh


    when I recalled how stubborn and dumb I¡¯d been back then. It had gotten me into a lot of funny


    situations.


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    He frowned slightly and looked at me. ¡°What are youughing about?¡±


    ¡°When I first graduated from university, I¡¯d nned to bring my Grandma with me to R province. I didn¡¯t


    have any grand ns about what to do. I thought that maybe I¡¯d just return to R Province. Spend some


    time with Grandma in the yard gardening, and get a stable nine-to-five job in town. I¡¯d be happy enough


    with that.¡±


    I paused and looked at him out of the corner of my eye. I burst into a fit of self-deprecatingughter as I


    continued, ¡°I never thought that my Grandma would beg your Grandpa to take me in as your wife. Now


    it seems like our lives are destined to be entangled together. At first, I thought I¡¯d hit the jackpot, though


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel that I would never match up to you. That¡¯s why I asked Grandpa to let me work


    at Fuller Corporation. Even a position as lowly as a shop assistant was good enough for me. I believed


    that as long as I worked hard enough, I¡¯d be a fitting partner for you one day. When I first joined the


    company, I got dragged by my supervisor to entertain some guests. He said it was my contribution to


    thepany on ount of my low rank. I didn¡¯t want to go at first, but then I thought I would have


    taken forever to reach a position close enough to you if I rejected him. My tolerance was horrible back


    then, but I kept forcing myself to drink with those old hats that I barely knew. I was basically chugging


    drink after drink mindlessly.¡±


    He reached over to hold my hand, though I pulled it out of his grasp and let out a resignedugh.


    ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t feel like I was suffering back then. Not even now when I think back to the incident. I


    thought that the experience was good in the sense that I could work hard and prove myself in my


    youth, so I don¡¯t regret it one bit. If I¡¯d stayed at home like a trophy wife, I don¡¯t think I would ever know


    how it felt like to slowly get to the Director position or the sense of aplishment that came with it.¡±


    In contrast, I seemed to be deteriorating over the past few years. I¡¯ve never felt more like myself than


    during those years of building my career.


    I turned my head and looked out the car windows. I felt overwhelmed with a sense of failure. I don¡¯t


    know why I insisted on leaving when I knew that Ashton wouldn¡¯t let me go.


    It seemed that I¡¯d been struck with an epiphany. When I first met Rachel, I was impressed with her


    credentials. It¡¯s because she¡¯s a spitting image of the old me who fought hard for her career and


    romance.


    But living a sheltered life under Ashton had gradually turned me into someone like Reba. Ashton


    had taken such good care of her that her world only revolved around Ashton and no one else.


    I upped and left K City because I was worried that I would end up like her. I came to A City in search of


    the old me. Even if I couldn¡¯t find her anymore, I could at least live life on my own terms and be


    the person I wanted to be.


    But s, life is unpredictable. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d end up in Venria and almost lose my life. Despite so, I


    don¡¯t have to live in a gilded cage under Ashton¡¯s care or rely on him to chase my dreams. I can still get


    there myself. I can still live the life that I¡¯ve always dreamed of.


    The car came to a stop before a hotel. Ashton got out and came to the front passenger side. He lifted


    me straight out of his car.


    Everything happened so quickly that I could barely react. I found myself being carried into the hotel.


    ¡°Ashton, what are you doing?¡± I asked indignantly, trying to push away from him. Unfortunately, the


    alcohol had made my limbs weak and my head dizzy, and my weak shove did little to deter him.


    He carried me into the elevator and had me up against the walls before the doors had closed


    completely. He caged me in with his arms and cupped my face, desire burning in his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t hide


    from me, and don¡¯t say no to me!¡±

 Chapter 680

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 680


    I froze in shock, taken aback by his behavior. Just as I thought of lifting my arms to push him away,


    he¡¯d caged me in against the walls of the elevator.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Luckily there¡¯s no one else in the elevator, or we¡¯ll all be in an awkward situation.


    His closeness suffocated me, and I felt myself rxing into his arms.


    He swept me off my feet as the elevator doors opened, and he carried me straight to his room.


    He switched on the lights in the hallway as he sat me down on the floor, pressing his body into mine.


    His gaze bored into mine as he said, ¡°I¡¯m not letting you go again.¡±


    His words seemed to be directed at both himself and me.


    I opened my mouth and replied breathily, ¡°Ashton, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shush, I don¡¯t want to hear a single word!¡± He ced a finger on my lips.


    I scrunched my lips and frowned at him. ¡°Ashton, you jerk!¡±


    Silently, he lifted me and strode towards the huge bed in the room.


    He loomed over me on the bed. I turned my head away to avoid his gaze.


    He turned my head back to face him. Staring intently at me, he sneered, ¡°Trying to hide somewhere?¡±


    I glowered at him since I couldn¡¯t turn my head away. ¡°What exactly is happening right now? Are you


    nning to sleep with me before we go our separate ways? Or what else do you have nned?¡±


    His voice hardened as he replied, ¡°Go our separate ways?¡±


    I raised my brows at him and said defiantly, ¡°Or what? I told you before that I didn¡¯t love you, yet here


    you are forcing me to stay, so isn¡¯t that exactly what you want? I mean, that¡¯s usually what happens


    anyway when people pick up chicks at clubs, right?¡±


    He scoffed and tightened his grip on me. ¡°You seem to know a lot about these things, don¡¯t you?¡±


    I pursed my lips and refused to meet his stare. ¡°I can¡¯t help if I hear about it from the others.¡±


    I seemed to have pushed him too far as he suddenly got up, taking a deep breath to calm himself


    down. He headed straight for the bathroom without a single word.


    I could only stare after him, perplexed at his behavior. I didn¡¯t know what to do next.


    I sat on the bed absent-mindedly. I felt overwhelmed with exhaustion, though it was of an emotional


    nature. It always seems like I¡¯m trying to run away, like some headless chicken running around in


    circles because I don¡¯t even know what I really want.


    Just then, I received a phone call from Nora. Her booming voice came through the receiver. ¡°Scarlett,


    did you fall into the toilet bowl or something? How could you just disappear after a brief trip to the


    restroom?¡±


    Her loud voice made my headache worse, and I moved the phone further away from my ear. I replied a


    whileter, ¡°I¡¯m already home. Something cropped up so I decided to leave earlier. Sorry, I forgot to let


    you all know.¡±


    Nora was incredulous as she asked, ¡°You went home? With whom? Aren¡¯t you living with Mr. Murphy?


    If you left without him, who are you with now?¡±


    I¡­ Ugh! What a mess!


    I paused for a moment toe up with a suitable excuse. ¡°I bumped into a friend of mine from K City.


    Oh right, are you all still in the private room?¡±


    ¡°Girl, look at the time. Why would we still be there? Plus, it¡¯s hard tost the night at my age. Oh right, I


    just wanted to let you know that Mr. Murphy¡¯s pretty drunk tonight. Take care of yourself, and make


    sure you lock your doors and windows.¡±


    Stunned, I asked, ¡°Did you ply him with drinks?¡± She must be trying to make a move on him.


    She cackled wickedly. ¡°I wasn¡¯t nning to get him drunk at first. But then, how often does a rich,


    handsome man drop in one¡¯sp, am I right? If I missed this chance, I wouldn¡¯t have anything to boast


    about to my kid when I¡¯m married to some mediocre man in the future. If I could bag myself a


    rtionship with someone like that, that¡¯d make for some great storytelling!¡±


    The gears in my brain appeared to be jammed when faced with her unusual thought process. How


    does your braine up with these things?


    I couldn¡¯t help butment, ¡°If you need my help, just let me know. Who knows, maybe I can be your


    wing-woman. You can always drop by and pretend you¡¯re visiting me or something.¡±


    I heard her boomingughter. She sounded ecstatic like she was already imagining her glorious future.


    She asked abruptly, ¡°How about I drop by for a visit tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I blurted out before continuing awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯m busy tomorrow, so I can¡¯t entertain you.¡±


    She clicked her tongue at me. ¡°What, you need to entertain that friend of yours from K City?¡±


    Erm.


    ¡°Yep! I guess you could put it that way.¡±


    ¡°Hmph! Ditching your friends for a man!¡±


    I heard some movement behind me and hurried to end the call. ¡°Nora, let¡¯s talk tomorrow. It¡¯ste, and


    we should get some sleep.¡±


    ¡°Hey, why are you in a rush to end the call? I still¡ª¡±


    I hung up before she could finish her sentence.


    The doors to the bathroom opened, and I turned around. Sitting cross-legged on the bed, I stared at the


    man who walked out with a towel slung on his waist.


    We seemed to stare at each other for a beat before he arched his brows and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you


    leaving?¡±


    Me? He wants me to leave?


    He smiled devilishly at my silence. ¡°Do you have something to say to me?¡± he asked.


    I pursed my lips and hopped off the bed. ¡°Nope, it¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯m heading off now.¡±

 Chapter 681

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 681


    I¡¯d barely reached the hallway when Ashton lifted me from behind and dumped me onto the bed.


    Inded in a clumsy heap on the bed. ring at him, I shouted, ¡°Ashton! Are you sick or something?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he replied seriously as he tossed his towel aside. He rasped seductively, ¡°I¡¯m lovesick.¡±


    I¡­


    I tried to be modest and look away from his body. ¡°Ashton, there are dressing gowns in the hotel. You


    should put one on!¡±


    He seemed to ignore my words as he crawled onto the bed toward me. He asked huskily, ¡°What are


    you hiding from? Are you scared of something?¡±


    I was tongue-tied as the scent of his shower gel hit me. I started inching backward slowly. ¡°Ashton,


    what are you trying to do?¡±


    He began closing in on me, and I felt unsettled by his stare. ¡°You should know what I¡¯m nning to do.¡±


    He¡¯d said this lightly, though I couldn¡¯t miss the emphasis he¡¯d ced on thest word in his answer.


    I¡¯d run out of space to back into. I looked at him and swallowed my saliva involuntarily. ¡°Don¡¯te so


    near to me. It¡¯ste, and I should really get going.¡±


    This position was far too sensual for my liking. I was finding it hard to breathe.


    He seemed to enjoy the atmosphere immensely. He didn¡¯t make a move and gave me a piercing stare.


    ¡°Going back? Where to?¡±


    He moved his lips closer to me as he spoke.


    I was so taut that I almost forgot to breathe. Acting on instinct, I closed my eyes.


    I tried to wiggle around and escape as I sensed his movements. He ordered in a deep tone, ¡°Don¡¯t


    refuse me!¡±


    I was taken aback and didn¡¯t know what to do. So I froze and let him have his way.


    He deliberately took his time, cing featherlight kisses along my cheek.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I can¡¯t focus when he¡¯s doing stuff like this.


    ¡°Scarlett,¡± he rasped, and I luxuriated in his rich baritone.


    I mumbled incoherently, beginning to fall under his spell. He suddenly stopped just as I was anticipating


    his next move.


    I opened my eyes and was met by his knowing smirk. He teased, ¡°Do you want it?¡±


    I knew my face was as red as a tomato at that point. I used weakly, ¡°Ashton, you jerk!¡±


    Hisughter rang out through the room.


    I¡¯d be lying if I said I didn¡¯t expect what happenedter that night.


    I woke up to the piercing rays of the August sunshine through the window. I was shocked when I saw


    the man lying next to me.


    ¡°Why are you still here?¡±


    Ashton was lying on the bed. When he saw that I was awake, he pulled me into his arms.


    He chuckled, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be here?¡±


    I was still getting over my surprise and stuttered at him. ¡°I-I¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    I chewed my lips and pulled away from him. ¡°I should leave!¡± I still need to go to work this morning.


    He pressed me down on the bed. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    I kept mum for a bit before saying, ¡°Ashton, let¡¯s just treatst night as a drunken one-night stand. Next


    time¡­¡±


    ¡°We go our separate ways?¡± His warm tone had disappeared as he interrupted my words. ¡°Scarlett, did


    you really think I was going to let you get away?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No!¡± I paused again, thinking of what to say. ¡°I¡¯m not running away. I just want to


    make a life of my own. Ashton, you¡¯re really good to me, but I will always be living in your shadow.¡±


    He retorted, ¡°That¡¯s rubbish! What do you mean that? Is my existence somehow disturbing your life?¡±


    I nodded woodenly. ¡°Yes, it is disturbing my life. I want to live alone and not be entangled with you


    like this. Why can¡¯t you understand?¡±


    He stared at me coldly, not gratifying me with a reply.


    He¡¯s angry all right.


    I got up and picked up my clothes. I got dressed quickly and looked at him coolly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for


    bothering youst night.¡±


    Then I rushed out of the hotel without waiting for his reply.


    I hailed a cab to Murphy Corporation. The alcohol fromst night was still messing with my system, and


    I felt light-headed.


    I was greeted by the sight of Armond in a sharp ck suit as I walked into the office. His stare was


    burning a hole through my head.


    I was surprised when I saw him. I remembered Nora telling me how much he¡¯d drunkst night and


    wondered if he was okay.


    I put on a small smile and greeted him, ¡°Good morning, Mr. Murphy!¡±


    Linda ambled over with a pile of documents which she then dropped on my desk. ¡°Ms. Stovall, there¡¯s


    quite a bit of work for you today. Good luck.¡±


    I nodded and greeted her as well. I noticed that Armond was still staring at me after Linda had left.


    Flustered by his staring, I said, ¡°Mr. Murphy, you¡­¡±


    He interrupted, ¡°Where did you gost night? You didn¡¯te home.¡±


    Slightly stunned by his question, I tried to hide my embarrassment with augh. ¡°I bumped into an old


    friend. We had a few drinks together and ended up pulling an all-nighter.¡±


    I knew my excuse was a bit far-fetched, but this was the only thing I coulde up with.


    He looked at me wordlessly. His incessant staring unnerved me.

 Chapter 682

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 682


    I tried to clear up the awkward tension in the air by making some small talk. ¡°Mr. Murphy, have you had


    your breakfast yet?¡±


    I almost forgot that my current job entailed looking after his meals.


    He left my question hanging as he turned and headed into his office.


    I wondered what I should do. In the end, I went downstairs to get some pastries for him. When I


    returned to the office, Armond was gone.


    I didn¡¯t see Linda either. That was when I realized that there was a meeting this morning. I hurried to


    the conference room.


    The person who was presenting his slides stopped talking when I entered the room. My


    embarrassment grew when I noticed that everyone in the room had turned to look at me.


    Erm, awkward much!


    I addressed my apology to everyone in the conference room. ¡°Sorry for the interruption! And sorry I¡¯m


    late for the meeting.¡±


    Armond was seated at the front of the conference room. He shot me an intense gaze before motioning


    for the presenter to continue.


    The meeting seemed tost for ages, and my hangover didn¡¯t make things any better. When the


    meeting finally ended, I got up to leave and was stopped by Armond.


    ¡°Scarlett!¡±


    I slowed down and turned my head. I smiled awkwardly and addressed him. ¡°Mr. Murphy!¡±


    ¡°Did you forget about the meeting today?¡± he asked sternly.


    I nodded sheepishly before shaking my head in an attempt to clear myself of the funk I¡¯d been in since


    this morning. ¡°Mr. Murphy, I¡¯m really sorry. That was an oversight on my part, and I promise it won¡¯t


    happen again.¡±


    He pursed his lips before continuing, ¡°I don¡¯t doubt your capabilities since you¡¯ve been employed at


    both Fuller Corporation and White Corporation before. That¡¯s why I hired you without going through an


    interview with HR. But this doesn¡¯t mean that you can gloss over the regtions in Murphy


    Corporation. Scarlett, you have to treat every job you take on seriously since it¡¯s now your


    responsibility.¡±


    I nodded several times and answered sincerely, ¡°Yes, I know!¡±


    He frowned, apparently in a bad mood. He walked around me and left the conference room.


    I sighed, still feeling uneasy about the whole situation.


    Linda was waiting for me at the door. Sensing my dejected mood, she tried tofort me, ¡°Mr. Murphy


    is always this serious when ites to working. You¡¯ll get used to it after a few more days.¡±


    I tilted my head to look at her, surprised and touched by her kind words. ¡°Thank you!¡±


    She smiled at me. ¡°Everyone went through this phase as well. For us women, if we refuse to be


    housewives that are crippled without their husbands, we can only fight harder to establish our careers.¡±


    I was stunned at her words. She started to walk away but stopped after a few steps. She turned back to


    me and said, ¡°Oh right, I have a tip for you. Mr. Murphy likes sweets, though he doesn¡¯t eat them very


    often. You can carry some sweets with you. Who knows, it might cut down the number of times he tells


    you off!¡±


    That was unexpected. Armond has a sweet tooth?


    ¡°By the way, Mr. Murphy has gastric problems, so he can¡¯t skip his breakfast in the morning. It would be


    good if you have some gastric medication with you at all times.¡±


    Linda left after bestowing me with her advice. It took me a moment to get over my surprise at the new


    things I¡¯d learned about Armond today. I then headed back to the office and collected a stack of


    documents meant for Armond.


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    He looked pale, and I thought he was still angry at me. Cautiously, I said, ¡°Mr. Murphy, I¡¯ve already


    reviewed these documents. They¡¯re all good to go; they just need your signature.¡±


    He mumbled his acknowledgment without looking at me. He continued reading the documents in his


    hand as I ced my stack on his desk. That was when I noticed that one of his hands was clutching his


    stomach.


    Linda¡¯s words came to mind as I realized he might be in pain from his gastric problems instead of being


    angry.


    Seeing his intense concentration on the documents in front of him, I pulled out a few sweets from my


    pocket and ced them on the desk. I said apologetically, ¡°Mr. Murphy, I¡¯m really sorry about what


    happened this morning. Please have a few sweets first to stave off the pain, and I¡¯ll head out to get you


    some medicine and food in a bit.¡±


    He stopped whatever he was doing and met my gaze. His brows were raised as he asked with some


    humor, ¡°Did Linda tell you about this?¡±


    I looked at the sweets on the table and nodded. ¡°Linda told me that you like to eat sweets. She also


    mentioned that you have gastric problems, so you can¡¯t skip breakfast. I¡¯ll remember these details in


    the future. I slipped up today, but I won¡¯t repeat my mistakes.¡±


    I grew nervous as I stared at him, and I took in a small breath to calm myself down. I tried to give him


    my most serious expression as I waited for his orders.


    Suddenly, he smiled at me. He replied, ¡°Just don¡¯t repeat it again. I¡¯m fine, and you should get back to


    work. Let¡¯s have lunch togetherter.¡±


    I nodded eagerly.


    I was still worried at his pallor and asked, ¡°Are you able to bear the pain?¡±


    He smiled cidly. ¡°I¡¯ve lived with this for a while now, so I¡¯m used to it. Plus, it¡¯s almost noon, so I


    don¡¯t want to trouble you to go out now.¡±


    I nodded and said, ¡°Then please have some sweets first and drink some water.¡±


    I left his office. Unable to shake off my concern, I went to the pantry and prepared a ss of warm milk.


    My phone began ringing with a call from Nora. I picked up the phone. ¡°Morning, have you eaten?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. Babe, I need your help!¡± Pots and pans nged in the background, and I guessed that she


    was in the kitchen.

 Chapter 683

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 683


    ¡°Sure. What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Can you send me the address of thepany? I¡¯m bringing lunch for Armond today. By the way, I


    can¡¯t enter the office without an appointment, right? So you¡¯ll need toe downstairs and get the food


    from me when I arrive!¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± I was just thinking about what to get for lunch. ¡°Armond has gastric problems, and they¡¯re ring


    up now. If you could bring along some gastric medication, that¡¯d be great!¡±


    I heard her cacklingughter through the receiver. ¡°Leave it to me. I¡¯ll be there in half an hour.¡±


    I hung up and finished preparing the milk. Linda showed up at the pantry to get some coffee, looking


    exhausted.


    I couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Linda, did you have a rough night?¡±


    She took a deep breath and nodded. ¡°School¡¯s starting in a couple of days. My daughter hasn¡¯t


    completed any of her assigned work, so I¡¯ve been up the past few nights making sure she finished


    them properly! Really, women shouldn¡¯t have kids at all. They¡¯re adorable when they¡¯re still young but


    be absolute nightmares when they¡¯re older! Here, look at my wrinkles. There are so many extra


    ones now!¡±


    She moved her eyes closer to me and pulled on them dramatically.


    I burst intoughter. ¡°How old is your daughter?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s entering third grade soon. I¡¯m telling you, you can never run out of things to worry about them!¡±


    ¡°My daughter¡¯s entering first grade soon!¡± I replied on instinct as I thought of Summer. Though judging


    by Summer¡¯s nature, I probably won¡¯t be the only one worrying about her.


    My reply startled her. ¡°You have a daughter? Wait, are you married?¡±


    I nodded as her astonishment grew. ¡°I¡¯ve been married for almost ten years.¡±


    She clicked her tongue and immediatelyunched into gossip mode. ¡°Then what¡¯s going on between


    you and Mr. Murphy?¡±


    I was bbergasted at her question. She must be mistaken. Iughed as I exined, ¡°He¡¯s just my


    boss. We seem familiar with each other because we¡¯ve met on a few asions before this. It¡¯s not


    what you think it is!¡±


    She rubbed her temples and sighed, ¡°I should¡¯ve known. Men like him are hardly approachable by


    women. He¡¯s almost forty and still single; old Mr. Murphy must be going bald with anxiety.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t think of a suitable response and left with the ss of milk.


    I knocked on the door to Armond¡¯s office before entering. He was still reviewing documents as I walked


    in. I called out to him, ¡°Mr. Murphy, I brought a ss of milk for you.¡±


    The sweets on the table were gone, and I saw sweet wrappers in the trash can. So he ate the sweets


    after all. Who knew a frosty, reserved president like him would be a fan of sweet things?


    He lifted his head when he heard me. His gaze fell on the ss of milk on the desk. Frowning, he said


    dismissively, ¡°I don¡¯t drink milk.¡±


    ¡°Well, you should at least drink a little bit of milk. It¡¯ll help to soothe some of the pain.¡±


    He shook his head adamantly. ¡°I¡¯m not drinking this!¡±


    He paused for a moment and stared at me. ¡°Linda didn¡¯t tell you that I don¡¯t drink milk?¡±


    I shook my head.


    He smirked and gestured for me to bring the milk away. I pursed my lips and retorted, ¡°Even if you don¡¯t


    normally drink milk, a little bit right now will definitely help with your gastric pain. Plus, milk doesn¡¯t taste


    that bad.¡±


    I didn¡¯t wait for his reply and left his office. Nora had arrived.


    She sounded excited through the phone. ¡°I¡¯m downstairs. You shoulde here ASAP. I spy a hottie


    here. He looks like an absolute bad boy. He¡¯s even more enigmatic than Armond.¡±


    Speechless, I hung up and hurried downstairs. She ran towards me when she saw me and pushed the


    lunchboxes into my hands.


    She said in a rush, ¡°Scarlett, I prepared lunch for both you and Armond. Don¡¯t tell him I made it, or he


    might not eat it. I¡¯m off to ogle the hottie now, bye!¡±


    I¡­ Didn¡¯t she say she wanted to drop off lunch for Armond? She¡¯s literally just dropping it off?


    I watched her running towards another floor and couldn¡¯t help butugh at her antics. A woman¡¯s


    infatuation with handsome men is probably simr to how men are obsessed with the idea of college


    girls; they all boil down to human nature.


    I got back to the office just in time for lunch. She didn¡¯t forget about the gastric medication, and she¡¯d


    prepared dishes that were gentle on the stomach.


    ¡°Hmm? Did your friend bring this over?¡± Linda poked her head into the office as she walked past.


    I smiled happily and replied, ¡°Yup, she is free today, so she prepared some lunch for me. Would you


    like to have some too?¡±


    She shook her head as she raised her own lunchbox. ¡°I packed lunch here too.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    I guess she is on the way to the pantry to reheat her food.


    I walked into Armond¡¯s office. He was still knee-deep in work, though he seemed to sense my


    presence. Thinking I was here to drop off some documents, he didn¡¯t lift his head as he said, ¡°Just


    leave it over there.¡±


    The ss of milk I¡¯d brought over was now empty. I stared agape at the ss and eximed, ¡°I thought


    you wouldn¡¯t drink it!¡±


    He finally tore himself away from his work and stared at me. He said jokingly, ¡°It¡¯s not bad!¡±


    Noticing the lunch bag in my hand, he raised his brows and asked, ¡°What did you bring?¡±


    ¡°Lunch!¡± I sat down next to his desk and continued, ¡°My friend made this herself, so it¡¯s going to taste


    great. She also made some for you. Want to try it?¡±

 Chapter 684

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 684


    He got up from his seat and walked closer to me. ¡°Did Nora make this?¡±


    I was surprised at his guess. ¡°How did you guess?¡±


    Heughed. ¡°You don¡¯t have many friends here, let alone friends free enough to bring lunch for you. So


    naturally, I guess it¡¯s Nora.¡±


    That makes a lot of sense.


    I beganying out the utensils and passed him the gastric medication. ¡°Here you go. Remember to take


    this if you have gastric pain.¡±


    He looked at the medicine before turning his gaze toward me. ¡°Did you ask Nora to pick this up?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Something like that.¡±


    He took the lunchbox from me and paused for a moment before asking, ¡°Did you see Ashtonst


    night?¡±


    I was taken aback by his question. I¡¯m going to get whish from the way his mind works.


    Seeing as I¡¯d suddenly be mute, he took a few bites of his food beforeunching into a


    monologue. ¡°Fuller Corporation is nning a project in A City. Technically speaking, Ashton doesn¡¯t


    need to be in A City for it, but he¡¯s here and it seems like he¡¯s nning to stay for quite some time.¡±


    I nodded, not intending to reply.


    He frowned at my continued silence. ¡°Since Fuller Corporation isn¡¯t a local business, they¡¯re nning to


    hold a public tender for the project tonight at Oasis Hotel. Murphy Corporation is nning to bid on this


    project as well.¡±


    I stared at him in surprise before finally speaking, ¡°You can just let me know directly what you need me


    to do.¡±


    He chuckled at my words as a bright smile began to form on his face. ¡°I¡¯m putting you in charge of this


    project!¡±


    I frowned at him in confusion. ¡°I¡¯ve just joined thepany not long ago, as your secretary. My job is to


    take care of your odd jobs and organize your documents. Following up with Fuller Corporation is a job


    more suited to a project director. Even if you insist on putting me in charge, you need to consider my


    capabilities. Do you have that much faith in me?¡±


    He raised his brows and put down the fork in his hands. With a serious expression, he said, ¡°You¡¯ve


    worked at Fuller Corporation for years, making your way up to the Director position from the lowest


    rung of the corporatedder. Isn¡¯t that proof enough of your capabilities? A position is an abstract thing,


    and it doesn¡¯t dictate whether a secretary can handle the tasks of a project director. You can ask Linda


    yourself. She¡¯s always been an executive assistant since she first joined thepany, but she has a


    hand in most Murphy Corporation projects.¡±


    I knitted my brows. Is he trying to hard-sell me or something?


    He continued, ¡°Besides if we send you to bid for the project, our chances of sess are a lot higher.


    I¡¯m not above ying some dirty tricks.¡±


    As if I didn¡¯t know what he had in mind. He¡¯s definitely trying to gain some leverage by using my


    rtionship with Ashton.


    I didn¡¯t really want to go, though I didn¡¯t say a word.


    He looked at me, and his gaze softened. ¡°I¡¯m not going to force you if you don¡¯t want to. You¡¯ll just lose


    your twenty percentmission on the project, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Stunned, I blurted, ¡°Twenty percent?¡±


    He arched his brows and said, ¡°Supervisors in charge are entitled to a twenty percentmission for


    all sessful bids. This policy has been around since Murphy Corporation was first established.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t unaware ofmission distributions for sessful bids, but supervisors typically got a five


    percent cut. Even ten percent was pushing it.


    A twenty percent cut was a mouth-watering prospect. A project from apany as big as Fuller


    Corporation would at leaste with a six-figuremission. If it was a project on arger scale, it


    could go into the millions.


    Amission like that could set me upfortably for years.


    Armond noticed that I was in a daze. He continued eating for a while before walking toward the other


    end of his desk. He passed some documents to me. ¡°These are all the details regarding the project by


    Fuller Corporation. The local council is nning to work with Ashton as well. Right now, we only have


    one advantage going into the bidding, and that¡¯s you.¡±


    I replied helplessly, ¡°Ashton¡¯s not going to favor me in the tender just because of our personal


    rtionship. You said it yourself; profit is the only thing that matters in business.¡±


    He smiled cryptically at me. ¡°How would you know if you never try? The tender begins tonight, so you


    need to get the bid proposal out this afternoon.¡±


    Pursing my lips, I replied in a somewhat harsh tone, ¡°Mr. Murphy, aren¡¯t you just making my life difficult


    now?¡±


    He smirked. ¡°So you can¡¯t do it? Or you won¡¯t do it?¡±


    The words froze in my throat. Neither scenario was urate, though my heart still hesitated.


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    He broke the silence first. ¡°Scarlett, you should start thinking about what you¡¯ll gain from this. Just ask


    Linda if you¡¯re unsure about anything.¡±


    He turned his attention back to his documents after leaving me with that piece of advice.

 Chapter 685

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 685


    My head was muddled as I stared at my lunch on the table.


    I shook myself out of my stupor a momentter and cleaned up before leaving his office.


    It had been ages since I¡¯dst written a bid proposal, and I didn¡¯t know where to begin.


    When Linda came to my desk, I was staring nkly at myputer screen, my chin propped up in my


    hands. Sheughed before imparting her wisdom to me. ¡°Fuller Corporation is calling for bids in A City


    because they want to expand their market share. Since they¡¯re a listedpany, you can more or less


    view Ashton as an investor. Since an investor¡¯s fundamental goal is to multiply their profits from an


    initial investment, any form of profit will be important to them.¡±


    She continued, ¡°Public enterprises in A City are moring to work with Fuller Corporation because, like


    us, they believe that this project shows a lot of promise. No one wants to miss out on a cut of its


    potentially lucrative profits. Their advantage lies in their stability, though their bid may be lower owing to


    their limited funds. This also implies that they may end up cutting corners during thete stages of the


    project to save costs. So when you¡¯re drawing up the proposal, there¡¯s no point in bidding extreme


    prices. Price wars are meaningless, and you only need toe up with a price that guarantees quality


    and profitability. Then, you should consider and address any concerns that the Fuller Corporation may


    have when ites to developing a project in A City. If there¡¯s a need for it, you can arrange for Mr.


    Murphy and Mr. Fuller to meet for a private discussion. It may be much more fruitfulpared to


    whatever us employees can aplish.¡±


    She leaned closer to me and smiled. ¡°This is my advice to you regarding the proposal. You can gather


    more opinions from the others in the office. Everyone has different thoughts and strengths.¡±


    I nodded and got up to thank her.


    Nora called as I was contemting Linda¡¯s advice in silence.


    She started chatting excitedly, ¡°Scarlett, are you busy? I¡¯m downstairs; let¡¯s go for tea.¡±


    Rolling my eyes, I replied, ¡°Nora, I¡¯m working now. Mr. Murphy just dumped a tricky project on me, and


    I¡¯m panicking like mad. I¡¯m definitely not in the mood for some posh afternoon tea!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re joking, right? Aren¡¯t you just his secretary? How can he dump a project on you like that?¡±


    I sighed, ¡°It¡¯s hard to exin. Oh right, where did you go? You left in such a hurry.¡±


    ¡°I was tailing that hottie until I lost him, but now I¡¯m back! By the way, did you enjoy the lunch I made?¡±


    ¡°It tastes great!¡± I paused for a bit before saying, ¡°Do you know about Tessa¡¯s work?¡±


    She appeared befuddled by my question. There was a slight pause before she answered, ¡°No, I don¡¯t.


    Why are you suddenly asking about her? Do you need her to help you with something?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I replied hurriedly. ¡°Armond assigned a somewhatplicated project to me. I was thinking that


    Tessa might know some people involved in it; that¡¯s why I asked about her.¡±


    She tut-tutted before replying, ¡°She used to be in the tea business. I believe she was selling premium


    tea. Some years back, it was quite trendy to gift overpriced teas, so she must have rubbed elbows with


    many rich people back then. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s at least acquainted with some of them, though I¡¯m not sure


    she¡¯s the most reliable person for you to approach.¡±


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°We¡¯re going up against public enterprises in this project. I need to ask around since I¡¯m not familiar


    with the socialndscape of A City. After all, it can¡¯t hurt to know more about thepetition!¡± The


    previous night, Tessa recognized Derek at first nce when he arrived with Ashton. She must know


    quite a lot of people in those circles.


    Plus, going by the situation, it seemed pretty obvious that Derek was present to discuss coboration


    opportunities with Ashton.


    Nora spoke after a moment¡¯s pause. ¡°You might as well ask me or Tabitha instead of Tessa. My


    grandpa may be retired, but he¡¯s still got some useful connections. He might be able to get some useful


    information for you. Tabitha¡¯s husband is also in the premium tea business, and he might be able to find


    out some intel in his circle for you. He¡¯s probably more reliable than Tessa too.¡±


    I pondered her suggestion for a while before asking, ¡°Are you still downstairs?¡±


    ¡°Yup. Come on, let¡¯s go for high tea. I know I look like someone who¡¯s got nothing better to do, but that


    doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m totally useless!¡±


    ¡°Alright, give me a sec!¡± I packed my things and hurried downstairs.


    She was ying a game on her phone when I reached the lobby. There were a bunch of shopping


    bags slung on her arm.


    She shot me a radiant smile as I approached. ¡°Yay, time for tea!¡±


    The assortment of shopping bags on her arm seemed to be a myriad of luxury goods. I couldn¡¯t help


    but exim, ¡°Does your family own gold mines or something?¡±


    She spends so much, but she doesn¡¯t even work.


    Laughing, she replied cryptically, ¡°No gold mines here, but my grandpa has owned a legal coal mine


    since a couple of years ago. It¡¯s not going to make me a fortune, but I won¡¯t go starving.¡±


    Some people are destined to struggle since birth, while others carry their silver spoon with them their


    whole lives.


    I didn¡¯t probe into her words and just followed her to the cafe for high tea.


    As I buckled myself into her white Cadic, Imented, ¡°You have no idea how many women would


    kill for what you have right now.¡±

 Chapter 686

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 686


    I caught her looking at me out of the corner of her eye. ¡°A car, a house, and some savings without a


    job, plus being able to go out whenever I want and do whatever I want?¡± She ticked these off her


    fingers as she continued, ¡°Maybe it is a perfect lifestyle?¡±


    I replied, ¡°Correction, it absolutely is the perfect lifestyle.¡±


    She let out a brittleugh. ¡°Scarlett, you know what I think? We¡¯re always going to envy someone else¡¯s


    life. Take me for instance. You have no idea how much I¡¯d love to be in your shoes. You haven¡¯t told us


    much about your old life, but I know it can¡¯t be as simple as we imagined. After all, you personally know


    Armond, who¡¯s a pretty big figure in K City. That alone already shows that you¡¯re far from just a in


    Jane. There¡¯s also this perpetual air of elegance around you, with a dash of mystery that¡¯s just


    absolutely alluring. Do you get what I¡¯m saying?¡±


    I chuckled at her words. She¡¯s always lived a pretty straightforward life, so she¡¯s naturally intrigued by


    mysterious things.


    The car came to a stop before a cafe famous for its high teas. She turned to address me, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    The cafe boasted an elegant ambiance, which was elevated by the soft, graceful music ying in the


    background.


    After ordering some pastries, she asked, ¡°Why did Armond give you a task meant for a project


    director?¡±


    I shook my head and said, ¡°I¡¯m not too sure either!¡± I kept the bit about my rtionship with Ashton to


    myself.


    Frowning, she asked seriously, ¡°Are you trying to find out more about the public enterprises because of


    this project?¡±


    I nodded and exined, ¡°I believe Armond wasn¡¯t nning to bid on this project in the first ce since


    Murphy Corporation has never been involved in technology-rted projects. So I was quite surprised


    when he suddenly mentioned his intent to take on this project and put me in charge. I can¡¯t say I agree


    with that decision. It¡¯s going to be pretty hard to snag a deal with Fuller Corporation.¡±


    She paused, and I could sense the gears turning in her brain. ¡°When is the tender?¡±


    ¡°Tonight!¡±


    ¡°What? He wants you toe up with a bid proposal in one afternoon?¡±


    I suddenly felt exhausted as I nodded. ¡°I can¡¯t think of how toe up with a good proposal at such


    short notice. My brain¡¯s fried.¡±


    She stared at me and asked, ¡°What can I help you with?¡±


    I then proceeded to exin the details of the project to her. After some brief contemtion, she asked,


    ¡°Where is the tender taking ce?¡±


    ¡°Oasis Hotel!¡±


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    She nodded and said, ¡°I know about that Derek you mentioned. I¡¯ll put out some feelers and see if we


    can find ourselves an advantage for the bid.¡±


    I agreed with her n. Just as I turned my gaze away, I saw two familiar faces entering the cafe. I


    couldn¡¯t help the frown that took over my face. Why are they here together?


    Nora followed my gaze when she saw my frown. Stunned, she eximed, ¡°Why is Tessa here? And


    why is she with that hottie? That¡¯s the guy I was tailing this morning!¡±


    I rubbed my temples. How does she make it sound so perverted?


    I tried really hard to hold in myughter. My eyes followed the two people as I said, ¡°Maybe they have


    some things to discuss.¡±


    My gazended on Joseph, who was walking behind the two. If he wanted to meet her alone, Ashton


    would definitely send Joseph away on other errands.


    Nora cried out in disbelief, ¡°How does Tessa pick up these guys? She¡¯s so fat and bby; how did she


    even get to know that hottie?¡±


    We were sitting in a rather secluded section of the cafe, so Ashton and Tessa wouldn¡¯t be able to notice


    us unless they were deliberately looking.


    Nora¡¯s penchant for gossip took over when she saw the two of them take their seats near a window.


    She waved a waiter over. ¡°Excuse me, we¡¯d like to change tables. Is that fine?¡±


    Naturally, he agreed.


    Nora pointed to the table next to where Ashton and Tessa were sitting.


    After the waiter agreed, I looked at Nora and said, ¡°It¡¯s probably not a good idea to eavesdrop on their


    conversation. Both of us know Tessa, and if we take a table so close to them, she¡¯ll definitely notice us.


    And that hottie you mentioned? I know him. He¡¯s Ashton Fuller, the president of Fuller Corporation.


    We¡¯re bidding on his project tonight.¡±


    This stunned her into silence. There was a pause before she asked, ¡°The president of Fuller


    Corporation?¡±


    She nced at them again before suddenly swiveling her gaze toward me as if remembering


    something. ¡°When we were in Venria, you said you had some deep ties with the Fullers. What¡¯s your


    actual rtionship with him?¡±


    Pausing for effect, I said, ¡°We¡¯re married.¡±


    Her jaw dropped to the floor. She asked with some iprehension, ¡°You¡¯re the wife of the president;


    why would you be a secretary at Murphy Corporation? I guess now I understand why Armond


    assigned this project to you; he¡¯s obviously trying to use your personal rtionship to gain the upper


    hand! Why are you so worried about the tender then?¡±


    She scoffed as she took another look at Ashton and Tessa. ¡°So, was he the friend you mentionedst


    night? Did Tessa also meet him yesterday? But why are they meeting privately today?¡±


    I shook my head, clueless about the meetup as well. I briefly exined my rtionship with Ashton,


    ¡°Nora, I¡¯m not deliberately hiding things from you. It¡¯s just kind of a tangled mess. Ashton and I have a


    complicated past, and our differences have only grown bigger because of it. That¡¯s why I came to A


    City. I want to live a life that belonged only to me.¡±

 Chapter 687

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 687


    Nora frowned and questioned, ¡°Did you guys have a fight? Oh! Could it be he cheated on you with


    some other woman and you left because of that?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Why is your mind full of these weird ideas?¡±


    She clicked her tongue and squinted her eyes at me. ¡°This is logical thinking. Aren¡¯t all rich people like


    this? Plus, he¡¯s handsome and rich. Any woman would want to get close to him.¡±


    I nodded in acknowledgment and exined, ¡°He¡¯s not that bad a person. We have our own reasons. I


    can¡¯t have babies, so I left him. I wish he can have his own kids, and lead a normal life.¡±


    ¡°The hell?¡± The woman looked at me in bewilderment, all the while furrowing her brows. ¡°What is this


    logic? Have you not heard of test-tube babies? You¡¯re telling me you¡¯re giving a wealthy bachelor to


    someone else because of this?¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what to say, so I pointed in the direction Ashton was in. If you want gossips, you can go


    there.


    Nora snorted, ¡°Stop changing the topic. Besides, Tessa knows us, and do you think she won¡¯t see me if


    I stand up?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s sitting with her back against us. If I stand up, Ashton will see me, but he doesn¡¯t know you, so


    you can go with no worries,¡± I reminded.


    She pursed her lips and thought for a while. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that I should go alone to enjoy the


    show?¡±


    I shrugged in response. I have too many concerns.


    She leaned against the seat and wore a bored expression. ¡°It¡¯s no fun if I am to go alone.¡±


    Seeing this, I thought she had given up on the dose of gossips in front of her. Later on, she looked at


    me with a serious expression and asked, ¡°How is Ashton¡¯s temper?¡±


    Feeling confused by her odd question, I froze for a while before replying, ¡°Why are you asking this?¡±


    ¡°Just answer me. How is his temper?¡± She nced at Ashton before turning to me.


    I replied, ¡°He always has a cold look, but he is a gentleman.¡±


    Suddenly, she stood up with a grin on her face and walked toward Ashton and Tessa.


    I was stunned when she walked away, as I didn¡¯t know what she was going to do. Then she called out


    to a waitress and whispered something to her.


    The waitress¡¯ expression toward Ashton took 360 degrees turn, from admiration and respect to anger


    and disgust.


    When Nora was finished talking to the waitress, she gestured toward me with a wide grin while the


    latter walked away.


    After two minutes, the waitress walked out with a ss of fruit juice in her hand. When she passed by


    Ashton¡¯s side, her hands slipped and the juice sshed onto the man¡¯s suit.


    The calm and poised man was surprised, and the waitress gasped in shock. It was until Ashton went to


    the washroom that Nora waved her hand at me, motioning me to sit beside her.


    I sat beside her with a curious look. ¡°Did you ask the waitress to do this? What did you tell her?¡±


    The woman smiled cunningly and announced, ¡°I told her Ashton is your husband, and he¡¯s cheating on


    you with a richdy.¡±


    I¡­


    The president of the Fuller Corporation actually became a man who lives off women just because of


    Nora¡¯s words.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    No wonder the waitress¡¯ expression was written with disgust all over when she looked at Ashton.


    ¡°And she believed you?¡± I was surprised because Ashton¡¯s ssy demeanor was on a significantly


    higher level than Tessa, and it was obvious that the man was richer than thetter.


    She shrugged. ¡°The waitress had just stepped foot into the society, so she doesn¡¯t have much


    experience. Although Tessa¡¯s bag is outdated, it is still one of the old collections of Burberry, which


    costs tens of thousands. To the waitress, it¡¯s a sizeable amount. Plus, Ashton¡¯s suit is tailor-made, and


    she doesn¡¯t know that.¡±


    I was totally speechless at how cunning Nora was. Soon, Tessa¡¯s voice sounded from behind. ¡°Mr.


    Fuller, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Ashton spoke in an indifferent tone.


    ¡°Holy sh*t!¡± Suddenly, Nora cursed out loud. I froze and lowered my voice. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I need to go to the toilet for a bit.¡± With that, she jogged to the washroom.


    When I was still lost in a daze, I heard Tessa¡¯s voice from behind. ¡°Mr. Fuller, is Scarlett really your


    wife?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The man¡¯s voice sounded cold and impatient.


    After taking a sip of her wine, the woman said, ¡°I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes when I bumped into you


    guys at Zero Degrees yesterday. If I am to tell others that you guys are married, they wouldn¡¯t believe it


    either.¡±


    Ashton immediately asked, ¡°Others?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Tessa immediately started bbering, ¡°We went to Venria recently and almost lost our lives


    there. We were trapped in the operating room and suffered, especially Scarlett. She was the most


    beautiful out of us.¡±

 Chapter 688

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 688


    Tessa paused for a moment and cried softly to add to the dismal topic. Her crying noises were low, but


    it was enough to make the atmosphere gloomy.


    Although I couldn¡¯t see Ashton¡¯s expression, he was silent all the time, so I bet he could be paying


    attention.


    Seeing how Tessa was just sobbing and didn¡¯t continue, he took the initiative and asked, ¡°Operating


    room?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Tessa sobbed softly, ¡°I didn¡¯t know how to tell you. Everything in the operating room was


    terrifying, and it¡¯s a total nightmare. They held us captive to make use of our bodies as transporting


    tools. It was agonizing when we were forced to queue up outside the operating room, waiting for our


    turn.¡±


    She wiped her tears before continuing, ¡°Scarlett stood up and begged them for mercy, so she got into


    trouble.¡±


    I listened for a moment before doubting her thought process. Wait¡­ So I got into trouble to save them?


    Ashtonmanded frostily, ¡°Continue!¡±


    The woman sniffled and said, ¡°Scarlett could leave unscathed initially since she knew the Murphys.


    When the bad guys found us, they had decided to send her to the Murphys in Marsingfill. However, she


    didn¡¯t leave, and when she knew they were going to carry out operations on us, she went to beg


    Abe¡­¡±


    I furrowed my brows because her version of the incident was quite different from what I knew.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    However, I did nothing and continued listening to their conversation. The woman added, ¡°Abe doesn¡¯t


    like women and forced Scarlett to apany three men. If she agrees, he will think of letting us go.¡±


    What she said was so outrageous that I broke out in a cold sweat. When did those events even take


    ce?


    The woman continued, ¡°I noticed Scarlett was unwilling to go with you yesterday. She might feel guilty


    for not being pure for you, so she left. I understand how she feels. It really isn¡¯t her fault.¡±


    The man didn¡¯t say anything in reply, while the woman had more to say. ¡°Plus, the days in Venria were


    nightmarish to us, while Armond¡¯s presence gave warmth and hope to Scarlett. He even got heavily


    injured when he saved her. Later on, he took us to Western Europe and recuperated there. From their


    interactions, they seemed to get along with each other and looked good together.¡±


    She added while nodding, ¡°If I didn¡¯t run into you guys yesterday, I would have thought Scarlett and


    Armond are a couple and they will be happy forever.¡±


    I was at a loss for words and felt amused.


    Nora returned to the table and saw me smiling coldly. She lowered her voice and asked, ¡°What did you


    hear? Why are you smiling like that?¡±


    Wearing a faint smile, I said, ¡°Nothing. I just heard a dramatic story, and it was quite interesting.¡±


    The woman in front of me narrowed her eyes slightly and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me she¡¯s trying to


    appease herself in front of Ashton.¡±


    I smiled and stayed silent. Getting up in my seat directly, I wasn¡¯t going to hide any longer.


    Tessa¡¯s repressed sobbing immediately halted when she saw me walking past their table. Widening her


    eyes in surprise, she opened her mouth, but words never found their way out of her mouth.


    When Ashton saw me, his eyes were full of worry.


    It seemed he more or less believed Tessa¡¯s words. From what I knew, Tessa added a lot of dramatic


    sauce into her version of the incident to make it seem like I had lost my purity. She was doing this to


    induce disgust in Ashton toward me.


    As to why she deliberately brought up Armond, I figured she wanted to tell Ashton that I was a


    flirtatious woman and could make anyone fall for me.


    However, I would¡¯ve to thank her for giving me this chance to push Ashton away.


    I looked at Tessa and smirked. ¡°Tessa, to be honest, no man would fall for a woman like you. For real.


    You have nothing attractive at all, be it your figure or capabilities. If the woman sitting here is Nora or


    Tabitha, I¡¯m willing to give my man to them, but you? You¡¯re unworthy.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± She was so enraged that she couldn¡¯t utter a word.


    I turned to look at Ashton while wearing a faint smile. ¡°Ashton, she was trying to tell you I¡¯m unworthy of


    you now that I have lost my purity. I bet you know the underlying message of this. An ugly woman with


    a disgusting heart is trying to get close to you, can¡¯t you see that?¡±


    He reached out to me and pulled me into his arms without sparing a nce at Tessa. Gazing at me


    with concern and affection, he dered, ¡°She¡¯s unworthy of me.¡±


    With that, he dragged me out of the restaurant. Joseph, who was behind him, didn¡¯t follow us.


    When we exited the restaurant, I flung Ashton¡¯s hand away and looked at him indifferently. ¡°That¡¯s


    enough. Let go!¡±

 Chapter 689

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 689


    Ashton frowned and stared at me. ¡°Are you pushing me away because of what happened in Venria?¡±


    I nodded and said, ¡°I was lucky. I didn¡¯t suffer from the surgery, but I went through everything else.


    Ashton, I have my choices.¡±


    ¡°What did you choose?¡± He wore a grim expression. ¡°Scarlett, you never told me anything and pushed


    me away. Do I seem so unworthy of your trust? You went to ask for help from a man you¡¯ve just met for


    a few times, and not me. What exactly am I to you?¡±


    I pursed my lips as I didn¡¯t know what to say. It¡¯s just as he said. I was indeed looking for reasons to


    push him away.


    ¡°No?¡± Nora came out of the restaurant and waspletely baffled. ¡°What are you guys quarreling


    about? You¡¯re Ashton, right?¡±


    She was only 1.6m in height, while the man who was 1.88m was rather tall for her, so she could only


    raise her head to look at him. ¡°Mr. Fuller, you can manage your billions of assets, but you can¡¯t even be


    rational in rtionships? You actually believed everything that busybody told you and started


    questioning Scarlett even before asking if it¡¯s true. Hey man, think about it. Does this make sense?¡±


    Her showing up got both of us stunned. Ashton frowned slightly at her and asked, ¡°What do you


    mean?¡±


    ¡°I meant what I said!¡± Nora was rather furious and dragged me away. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Don¡¯t waste your time


    on a no-brainer like him.¡±


    I was dragged away by Nora while Ashton quickly caught up to us. He held onto my arm and asked,


    ¡°Scarlett, can we make things clear before you leave? Is that okay?¡±


    In the bustling city, his tall figure and good looks made us stand out among the crowd.


    Nora was a hot-tempered woman, so she couldn¡¯t back down. ¡°What is there to talk about? You yelled


    at her before knowing everything. That alone is enough to prove that there¡¯s nothing to talk about.¡±


    After pausing for a while, she continued, ¡°Besides, Mr. Fuller, don¡¯t think that you can do whatever you


    want because you¡¯re good-looking.¡±


    I¡­


    I¡¯ve got a feeling that Nora hasn¡¯t figured out the situation yet.


    I couldn¡¯t help but utter, ¡°Nora, can you wait for me in the car. I have something to discuss with him.¡±


    The woman nodded and turned to Ashton. ¡°Mr. Fuller, no matter what Tessa told you, you mustn¡¯t


    believe a word she said. She¡¯s always feigning kindness, but she is ugly inside.¡±


    ¡°Nora, what nonsense are you spouting?¡± Tessa exited the restaurant and charged at Nora with no


    hesitation.


    The two women didn¡¯t care about their image and started throwing punches at each other.


    Nora was wearing heels, and she took it as a weapon. Hurling the tip of her high heels at Tessa, she


    roared, ¡°Tessa! If you dare to badmouth Scarlett, I won¡¯t let you go. I¡¯ve seen many pretentious b*tch,


    but this is my first time seeing an ugly one. Let me remind you. Be thankful that Scarlett saved you. Or


    else god knows what will happen to you.¡±


    The fight between the two women went on and attracted a crowd.


    Tessa was no pushover either. She pulled Nora¡¯s hair and snarled, ¡°She saved you guys too! Nora, do


    you think she will treat you well if you be her dog? What wishful thinking! She¡¯s just using you.¡±


    The two of them kept on hurling insults and punches at each other. As no one interfered and asked


    them to stop, the crowd grew and everyone was watching the show.


    I turned to look at Ashton. He was staring at me indifferently, totally ignoring the ruckus.


    ¡°Can you ask Joseph to stop them?¡± I asked as I was concerned about Nora. Although she was bold,


    her stamina couldn¡¯t catch up. If this goes on, she¡¯ll be at a disadvantage.


    Ashton nced at Joseph and dragged me into the car.


    His movements were too fast, and before I could struggle, I was pinned to the seat.


    ¡°Ashton, you¡­¡± I gritted my teeth.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± He spoke with a low voice while focusing on driving.


    He drove the car toward the city and kept on speeding. I was scared to death, so I held onto the seat


    for dear life.


    It was quite a while before he stopped the car by the roadside. He parked and exited the vehicle before


    dragging me out.


    ¡°Ashton, why are you bringing me here?¡± Unwilling to be dragged away, I tried to break free from his


    clutches.


    He was walking rather quickly. I wasn¡¯t able to catch up with him, so I stumbled along the road and


    almost fell down a few times.


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    I was unfamiliar with my surroundings, so I panicked.


    Thankfully, after dragging me for some time, he brought me to a rest area by the roadside. There was a


    river beside the area.


    When we headed toward the riverside, he pinned me to the handrail while his dark eyes gleamed. ¡°Tell


    me everything. Give me an exnation.¡±

 Chapter 690

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 690


    I was stunned by Ashton¡¯smand. Anger was written all over his good-looking face. Failed to


    phrase any sentences in my mind, I stared nkly at him and started to zone out.


    It was as if he realized he was being too angry at me, so he took a deep breath and suppressed his


    fury. Gazing at me with his dark eyes, he asked, ¡°When and why did you go to Venria? What happened


    there? How did you return? Tell me.¡±


    With him standing in front of me, his tall and sleek figure blocked most of the light.


    I froze a while before saying, ¡°It¡¯s all in the past. There¡¯s nothing to tell.¡±


    He argued, ¡°What do you mean by that? Scarlett, do you think I¡¯m a fool? Even I¡¯m not good enough for


    you, I¡¯m still your husband. I have the right to know where my wife went, don¡¯t I?¡±


    I had never seen him so agitated before. He waspletely helpless and at wit¡¯s end.


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    ¡°You have.¡± Staring at the glistening surface of the river, I took a deep breath and started telling him


    everything. ¡°After leaving K City, I went to Q City to visit the child. Later on, I met Savini in A City.


    Perhaps he couldn¡¯t let go of the past and asked someone to¡­¡±


    When I recalled everything about the past, those painful memories I suffered, I felt lucky to be able to


    ovee them all.


    The man stayed silent and listened to me. I told him everything, including meeting Armond in Venria


    and causing Tessa to be injured.


    Digesting my words, Ashton turned to look at me. ¡°I¡¯m not against you doing the things you like.


    However, Scarlett, you have a husband, so you shouldn¡¯t stay with Armond. The consequences will be


    dire if people catch wind of this.¡±


    I understand it well, but I don¡¯t have any other choice.


    However, this wasn¡¯t the topic I wanted to talk about. Looking at him, I wore a serious expression.


    ¡°Ashton, I wanted to leave without a word, but it seems impossible. In order to correct what Tessa said,


    I told you everything. Since things have gotten this far, let¡¯s talk about us.¡±


    Our eyes met. His gaze was deep with a tinge of warmth and determination. ¡°Alright.¡±


    I sat on the bench as the breeze blew by, leaving ripples on the river while the willow trees swayed


    along.


    Sighing faintly, I said, ¡°Ashton, I¡¯ve decided not to return to you after leaving K City. To me, we were


    divorced five years ago. After all, we had marital separation for three years, so under thews, we were


    already divorced.¡±


    The man grimaced and stared at me with his dark eyes. ¡°Are saying those cruel words an effortless


    task for you? It seems you¡¯ve never thought of my feelings. Or could it be that you¡¯ve never loved me?¡±


    Pursing my lips, I felt suffocated. My heart started aching, but I didn¡¯t want to show it. ¡°Just take it as


    I¡¯ve never loved you.¡±


    He was obviously mad as he tightened his grip on my wrist. Although it started hurting, I didn¡¯t struggle


    to break free.


    I continued, ¡°Ashton, everything has a shelf life. I admit, I¡¯m rather odd. When I couldn¡¯t get my hands


    on something, I tried my best to pursue it. However, after attaining it, I lose interest. Setting aside how


    you humiliated me those years, you set my mother up and killed my child. Do you think I will forgive you


    after all those things you did? I hate you! So there¡¯s no way I can bring myself to live with you. Let


    alone loving you.¡±


    I wouldn¡¯t know how hurt he would be by my words, but all I wanted was to make him leave my side.


    Looking at his grim and cold expression, I remained expressionless. ¡°I thought I could let go of the past


    and live with you just because of your wealth and good looks. Even if I don¡¯t love you, I can act like I


    do. Acting¡¯s just a piece of cake for women, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Lowering my gaze, I was determined in drawing a line between us. ¡°However, I felt tormented when I


    face you every day, so I left. I wish you¡¯ll never show up in front of me again. Ashton, I feel happy to be


    by Armond¡¯s side. So, please let me go. Give me the freedom to pursue my happiness.¡±


    Suddenly, the man chuckled. His voice was low, while he wore a bitter expression. His usual good-


    looking face looked terrifying as he gave one of his coldest smiles.


    ¡°Your happiness?¡± He scoffed, ¡°You¡¯re so impatient, be it living with him or working at the Murphy


    Corporation. Are you so eager to find a lover?¡±

 Chapter 691

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 691


    I nodded and spoke with no hesitation. ¡°Everyone lives for themselves. Not only is Armond rich and


    good-looking, but he also willingly epts my past. He¡¯s a really nice guy.¡±


    Ashton stared at me for a long while with some hope left in him. However, I kept my face devoid of


    emotions, forcing him to believe that I felt nothing toward him. Soon after, he gave up and scoffed,


    ¡°Good! Very good!¡±


    The three words were spoken with his teeth gritted.


    With that, he turned around and headed toward his car. After taking a few steps, he halted and nced


    back. ¡°Scarlett, I¡¯ll ask you once again. Do you mean everything you said?¡±


    ¡°Yes. From the bottom of my heart.¡± Reluctant to be entangled, I cut off every tie I had with him. It was


    best to end it this way.


    ¡°Haha!¡± Heughed, but it sounded rather forced. ¡°Good, very good! If that¡¯s how it is, it seems


    everything was all my wishful thinking.¡±


    With that, he walked away. Hearing his footsteps getting further and further away from me and finally


    the sound of the engine ring, I stayed rooted on my spot. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to look at him and


    my heart felt hollow.


    Grandma was correct. I was hesitant about everything. If I couldn¡¯t let it go and make a clean cut, I


    would suffer in the end.


    I had repeated the same question in my mind for several nights. Why do I have to leave Ashton?


    I really couldn¡¯t think of an answer. Maybe it was just like what Nora said. I was a psycho, so I chased


    away the people that loved me.


    To be honest, I wasn¡¯t confident if I could let the past go. Even if Ashton and I lived together for the rest


    of our lives, I was afraid that I would bring up the past and use them as reasons to hurt him when we


    fight.


    When I returned to the Murphy Corporation, it was almost time to get off work. Armond wore a white


    dress shirt while his ck coat was hanging on his right arm.


    Looking at me coldly, he asked, ¡°Is the bid proposal done?¡±


    I nodded and handed the documents to him. ¡°Others used half a month to prepare a proposal, while I


    used only one day, so I bet Ashton wouldn¡¯t pick ours.¡±


    Flipping through the proposal, disdain was written all over his face. ¡°This is the worst bid proposal I¡¯ve


    ever seen. Congrattions on breaking the record.¡±


    I pursed my lips. No matter how reluctant I was to admit it, he said the truth. Other than the suggestions


    Linda and Nora gave, nothing else could pass as authentic.


    It was done in a few hours, so there was no way it would be good. After pausing for a while, I said, ¡°The


    Murphy Corporation wasn¡¯t an expert in this field, so Ashton will not choose us.¡±


    Knitting his brows, he threw the bid proposal aside and turned to look at me. ¡°Let¡¯s go for dinner.¡±


    Frankly, I felt that he had no intention to win the bidding. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t ask me to prepare the


    proposal at the eleventh hour.


    I checked the time. Seeing that it was already 6 p.m., I suggested, ¡°The bidding begins at 8 p.m. I¡¯ll


    head to the Oasis Hotel first. Can you have your dinner outsideter?¡±


    To my surprise, the man took his car keys and said indifferently, ¡°Take your things. We¡¯ll head straight


    to the Oasis Hotel for dinner.¡±


    I was stunned and asked subconsciously, ¡°Are you going too?¡±


    He raised a brow. ¡°If I don¡¯t go, do you think you can win the bid with your scrappy proposal? Or are


    you relying on your beautiful face?¡±


    I¡­


    He¡¯s so harsh and vicious with his words.


    Stealing a nce at him, I chose to keep quiet and packed my stuff before following him out of the


    company.


    In the car, he drove the car and asked casually, ¡°Do you know whichpanies are taking part in the


    bidding?¡±


    I froze instantly and shook my head. ¡°No. I asked my friend and only know that several state-owned


    enterprises are taking part.¡±


    Armond took a side nce at me with disdain and anger. ¡°Ms. Stovall, how do you even be the


    director at Fuller Corporation?¡±


    I frowned, and the man nced at me coldly. Then he was merciless with his insults. ¡°Poor bid


    proposal and knowledge about opponents. Do you really think we, the Murphy Corporation¡¯s joining for


    fun?¡±


    I tried to reason with him. ¡°Mr. Murphy, you only gave me six hours to do all of this. In six hours, I¡¯ll


    have to understand thepany¡¯s structure and advantages. Then I¡¯ll have to prepare a bid proposal


    and understand our opponents while taking the demands of the biddingpany into consideration. I


    ept whatever reprimands you gave. However, I wish you could understand that I¡¯ve tried my best


    and my intelligence is much lower than yours.¡±


    Although I was rather angry, I calmed myself down. To rush a proposal in six hours that took others half


    a month, it was impossible to make it good, as I wasn¡¯t a genius and my capabilities had a limit.


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    He nced at me sideways and narrowed his eyes. ¡°Are you saying that you felt wronged?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± I shook and focused on the scenery outside the car window to distract myself from the


    unpleasant feelings. Well, who hasn¡¯t met psychopathic bosses in life?


    The man set his eyes on the road before saying, ¡°I can¡¯t deny that six hours is truly too little. You could


    prepare a three thousand words proposal in a few hours with the analysis of our budget as well as pros


    and cons. Not bad, I¡¯ll give you that. However, Scarlett, that doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t do it better.¡±

 Chapter 692

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 692


    I stayed silent, as I felt there was no need to argue with a psychopath.


    Suddenly, I received a phone call from Nora. ¡°Where did you go, woman? Are you not worried about


    me? I even fought for you!¡±


    ¡°How are you?¡± I asked, but I wasn¡¯t worried because Ashton had signaled Joseph to take care of it, so


    she wouldn¡¯t be mistreated.


    The woman clicked her tongue. ¡°I¡¯m at the hospital, but it¡¯s no biggie. That b*tch scratched my face,


    and I¡¯m not done with her.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°Nora, thank you. I¡¯ll visit you tomorrow and treat you to something delicious.¡±


    Nora sighed and asked, ¡°That¡¯s not it! Why are you treating Ashton like a stranger? He¡¯s your husband!


    Did he do anything you can¡¯t ept? Or is it you guys never loved each other? Other married couples


    wouldn¡¯t be like you guys even though they aren¡¯t affectionate towards each other.¡±


    I pursed my lips. ¡°Nothing. There¡¯s nothing left between us. We were divorced.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett, why are you pushing him away?¡± She was getting a little agitated while my patience was


    running thin. ¡°I don¡¯t love him anymore.¡±


    Before she could say anything, I quickly end the conversation. ¡°Nora, I have some matters to attend to


    now. Rest well, and I¡¯ll visit you tomorrow.¡±


    With that, I hung up. Sensing a gaze on me, I raised my head and saw that Armond was staring at me.


    I knitted my brows in response. ¡°Mr. Murphy, you¡¯re still driving.¡± Eyes on the road, Mister.


    He withdrew his gaze and said indifferently, ¡°I¡¯m curious too. Why are you hiding from Ashton?¡±


    I pursed my lips. ¡°When did Mr. Murphy be someone who enjoys digging into other people¡¯s


    private business?¡±


    He shrugged and smiled faintly. ¡°I¡¯m just curious. Right! We have to go to K City after this project. Don¡¯t


    you forget about our promise in Venria.¡±


    Listening to him mentioning the promise, I was stunned for a moment. ¡°Got it!¡± He wanted the


    sandalwood box that Grandma has.


    When we arrived at the Oasis Hotel, Armond parked the car at the entrance and took me to a


    restaurant nearby for dinner.


    Then we went to the bidding hall. The wide hall was crowded with people, and some business partners


    came to greet Armond.


    Armond asked me to find a quiet ce and make some changes to the proposal, at least to the point of


    not bringing shame to the Murphy Corporation.


    There was a lounge in the hotel. Sitting on the couch, I went through the proposal and my head started


    hurting. Apart from not understanding the overall situation, the proposal was way too rushed.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ Ms. Stovall?¡± A voice called out to me and I was stunned.


    Raising my head, I saw a chubby middle-aged man standing in front of me with a file.


    I was slow to react and blurted out, ¡°Hello. You are?¡±


    The man burst intoughter. ¡°Ms. Stovall, you¡¯re so forgetful. We just metst night.¡±


    Last night? Hmm¡­


    After pondering for a moment, I looked at him and finally realized who he was. ¡°You¡¯re Mr. Watson?¡±


    He wore a wide grin and said, ¡°Ms. Stovall, please remember me this time. It¡¯s rather embarrassing.¡±


    Feeling awkward, I forced a smile and immediately stood up to shake hands with him as an apology,


    but he stopped me midway.


    Sitting at the side, he looked at my proposal and smiled. ¡°Ms. Stovall, are you taking part in the


    bidding?¡±


    I nodded and smiled. ¡°Are you too?¡±


    Seeing how he had a stack of documents in his hand, I guessed he wasn¡¯t here just to watch the show.


    Plus, he didn¡¯t get to a conclusion with Ashtonst night.


    So he must be here for the bidding.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, may I know where you are working at?¡± Wearing a smile, he saw me shutting myptop.


    I replied, ¡°Murphy Corporation. Mr. Watson, I¡¯ve heard that you and other members are not allowed to


    take part in third-party business cooperation. So, are you here for¡­¡±


    He was stunned for a moment, but his smile never left. ¡°That¡¯s right. We can¡¯t take part. I gave my wife


    a job in thepany as she was bored at home. And today, I¡¯m just here to look around and


    apany her.¡±


    It seemed he was a husband who loved his wife truly.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    I smiled. Noticing that it was almost time, I got up and excused myself. ¡°Mr. Watson, the bidding¡¯s about


    to begin, so I have to go make some preparations. I shall not disturb you any longer.¡±


    He smiled and got up to block my path. ¡°Ms. Stovall, how about we talk for a bit? It won¡¯t take long. Just


    a few minutes.¡±


    I froze, as I knew what he was getting at. So that¡¯s what he had in mind after beating around the bush


    for so long.

 Chapter 693

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 693


    ¡°That¡¯s too kind of you, Mr. Watson. I¡¯m just amon staff member here. What would you like to


    know?¡±


    He sat back on the chair and smiled at me, indicating for me to do the same.


    Then, I sat down in front of him and made sure to keep my manners in check.


    ¡°How much will you profit from this project?¡± He asked without beating around the bush.


    I smiled and ced my drink down. ¡°Are you perhaps concerned about my wellbeing, Mr. Watson?¡±


    He chuckled casually and replied, ¡°You¡¯re quite the jokester, Ms. Stovall.¡±


    I maintained my smile, staying silent.


    After a while, he stopped chuckling and said, ¡°If things go well, what do you think about bing


    business partners for life?¡±


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you let me know why you¡¯re concerned about my share of the earnings first, Mr. Watson?


    That would make our discussion go much more smoothly.¡±


    He pressed his lips together tightly. His smile was starting to be so deep it was almost fake. ¡°I like


    your style, Ms. Stovall.¡±


    As he spoke, he pushed a bank card toward me with a smile glinting in his eyes. ¡°There¡¯s two hundred


    thousand in here. Of course, this must seem like a small sum to you. This two hundred thousand is just


    to treat you to tea, but if you¡¯re willing to sweet talk Mr. Fuller into working together with me, I¡¯ll top up


    another five hundred thousand. Of course, you¡¯re wee to name your own price.¡±


    I was taken aback as my gaze fell upon the card on the table. With narrowed eyes, I leaned my elbow


    on the tabletop and cupped my chin in one hand. ¡°So, Mr. Watson, you want me to give up on this bid


    and also put in a good word for you with Mr. Fuller?¡± Was I hearing things correctly?


    ¡°That¡¯s right. How I enjoy working with smart people such as yourself. Mr. Fuller has good taste.¡±


    Derek¡¯s grin widened in pride.


    His chubby face stretched wide with his sleazy smile as he continued pushing the card toward me,


    clearly wanting me to keep it.


    But of course, I wasn¡¯t blinded by the money. On the contrary, I simply nced at the card and said


    lightly, ¡°Two hundred thousand. That¡¯s quite a sum. I could put a down payment on a ce in A City if I


    include the other five hundred thousand.¡±


    For some reason, it felt like I had to return his smile, so I did. ¡°That¡¯s not exactly how things work


    around here, though. You probably don¡¯t understand how the Murphy Corporation settles profits. I¡¯d say


    they¡¯re especially generous as the project manager will always receive twenty percent of all earnings


    made. Ashton invested about ten million into this project, and twenty percent of that will already be far


    more than just a down payment. Dare I say ¨C it would be enough for me to buy a whole house.¡±


    His sleazy grin froze on his face, and he narrowed his eyes. ¡°Asking for two million right off the bat? Do


    you know what happens to greedy women, Mr. Stovall?¡± he asked in a cold voice.


    I chuckled lightly. ¡°How could you say that Mr. Watson? I wouldn¡¯t call myself greedy at all. Based on


    my rtionship with Ashton, I would say that I¡¯ll do well with any projects given. Not only will I do well at


    the Murphy Corporation, but I will also get to earn more money. If I do take your two hundred thousand,


    I would be giving myself the short end of the stick. If word gets out that I betrayed my ownpany for


    a couple hundred thousand, how am I going to continue working in this field?¡±


    With that, I pushed the card back with the same smile on my face. ¡°Next time you try and bribe


    someone, please do your research. This is rather embarrassing on your part.¡±


    It was gettingte, so I stood up and walked into the bidding room without another nce at Derek.


    Armond¡¯s lean figure stood out among the other people in the room. I walked toward him and asked


    mildly, ¡°How confident are you in this project?¡±


    He raised an eyebrow and looked at me. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be asking you that?¡±


    I pressed my lips together before replying, ¡°You¡¯ve probably been preparing this project for about two


    weeks or so. Before this, Linda was put in charge. You¡¯re just trying to use me, aren¡¯t you? Why else


    would you only tell me today?¡±


    He nced at me and indicated for me to sit down next to him. After a short silence, he said, ¡°That¡¯s


    going to be difficult to say.¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡± After all, I had just chased Ashton away with venomous words that afternoon. I couldn¡¯t start


    chasing after him again after that.


    The room started filling up. Five minutes before the auction began, the room was alreadypletely


    full, and everyone settled into silence as they waited for the announcer to show up.


    I looked around but failed to see Linda. Curiously, I approached Armond and asked quietly, ¡°Are you


    really nning on using my proposal?¡±


    He raised an eyebrow. ¡°Can¡¯t I?¡±


    I nodded and kept quiet.


    Five minutester, Joseph got on stage and started briefly exining the Fuller Corporation¡¯s public


    tender. After going through their goals and the general n, he started calling each bidder up to


    present their proposals.

 Chapter 694

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 694


    There were neenpanies in total. There were even somepanies that had gotten eliminated


    near the beginning. All the remainingpanies were quite prevalent in A City.


    Upon closer inspection, I realized that most of the proposals were rather simr to one another.


    I was nodding off when Armond suddenly said, ¡°Take a look at this. When you go onter, do what you


    usually do.¡±


    I looked down to see another proposal in my hands. Taken aback, I noticed that it was a bidding


    document. I nced sideways at Armond and asked in surprise, ¡°Did you do this beforehand?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Take a closer look. Don¡¯t embarrass me.¡±


    I felt a little lost for words. ¡°That was dangerous, Mr. Murphy. If you already had a proposal ready, then


    why did you ask me to make my own? I¡¯m about to go on stage, but now I have to memorize a different


    proposal. You must have more confidence in my skills than I do because I don¡¯t think I can memorize


    everything in just a few minutes.¡±


    ¡°If you never try, you¡¯ll never know,¡± he said lightly.


    What the hell?


    I red at him and decided that I didn¡¯t want to speak to him anymore. After that, I continued reading


    the proposal and was rather surprised.


    Looking at him in shock, I asked, ¡°Did you make this, or did Linda write it?¡±


    He nced at me and evaded my question. ¡°You¡¯re next.¡±


    I pressed my lips together in a tight line before continuing to read the proposal closely. Ultimately, I had


    to grab the chance to memorize as much as I could.


    ¡°Next, we have the Murphy Corporation. Please get ready,¡± the announcer called out.


    I started to panic. Despite the shiny new proposal, I was still nervous since I was preparing everything


    sost-minute.


    Cold sweat started running down my back, and my hands started to shake.


    Suddenly, arge hand wrapped around my own, and I looked up only to see Armond¡¯s dark gaze


    staring at me.


    His brow was rxed, and his tone was light and breezy as he assured me, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even if this


    bidding doesn¡¯t work out, you can still stay in Murphy Corporation.¡±


    I red at him and removed my hand from his. ¡°Don¡¯t act all kind and smiley with me. Next time, can


    you please at least let me know in advance?¡±


    ¡°Of course I will.¡± His smile became more of a slight smirk.


    If it wasn¡¯t for our situation, I would have loved to punch that smug look off his face.


    All of a sudden, I felt a cold gaze on me, so I turned my head in that direction.


    A man dressed in all ck, who I had failed to notice, was standing not too far away. His cold gaze was


    practically piercing through Armond and me.


    He had clearly mistaken Armond¡¯s previous action as a sign of our flirting.


    ¡°Looks like he¡¯s seen everything,¡± Armond said in a particrly smug voice. ¡°Do you think he would


    kick the Murphy Corporation out just for that?¡±


    I sighed and tried to control my anger. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Ashton isn¡¯t as petty as you.¡±


    It seemed like Armond had purposely held my hand just now so that Ashton would see us.


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    After the person onstage finished presenting, a round of apuse sounded up as usual.


    It¡¯s my turn now.


    I got up and walked onstage. Meanwhile, Ashton was standing right next to the table set up beside the


    stage, staring at me with his coal-ck eyes.


    He must be incredibly furious right now. I sighed and passed the presentation that Armond made to the


    workers.


    Next, I started presenting. ¡°Greetings. I¡¯m the project manager for Murphy Corporation, Scarlett Stovall.


    I would like to thank Mr. Fuller for giving us this opportunity to present the Murphy Corporation¡¯s ideals


    as well as our proposal.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to drag on my introduction for too long. After a brief introduction, I went through the


    proposal that Armond had given me. Thankfully, I managed to remember most of it.


    After the proposal, I let out a sigh of relief. I was prepared to end it when Ashton suddenly cut me off.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, was it? That was quite the interesting proposal you just presented. It¡¯s quite unique, so I


    would like to ask you about some details if that¡¯s alright.¡±


    Just looking at his handsome face wasn¡¯t enough for me to guess what he was about to say next. I just


    nodded and smiled lightly. ¡°Please, be my guest.¡±


    He narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, ¡°As everyone knows, the Murphy Corporation has been


    leading in the petrol and jade business. This public tender is based on AI technology. Your proposal is


    very well-nned, but that doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s useable. Do you think we could work together well despite


    yourpany¡¯sck of experience in the AI field?¡±


    Thankfully, I had already thought about that question beforehand. After a pause, I answered, ¡°We¡¯ve


    already thought about that question just like you have, Mr. Fuller. We already have a proposal ready to


    answer that question. Please take a look.¡±


    He didn¡¯t reach out to take it. Instead, he nced at Joseph, who reached out for it instead. After that,


    he looked at me as if he wanted to say something.

 Chapter 695

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 695


    I thought he would have been done after that question, but he piped up again soon after. ¡°Ms. Stovall, if


    I remember correctly, you used to be the project director for the Fuller Corporation. Do you remember


    why you left?¡±


    I was surprised as I hadn¡¯t guessed that he would suddenly ask about that. Without waiting for my


    answer, he looked at Armond and smiled. ¡°Mr. Murphy, do you know about Ms. Stovall¡¯s past?¡±


    How could he?


    Back then, I left Fuller Corporation because I had gotten framed. Despite that, Ashton had destroyed all


    the evidence and did not let even the slightest bit of news get leaked about it. There were barely any


    people who actually knew about the incident.


    He was clearly asking Armond so he could use this chance to humiliate me.


    Armond looked and me and said calmly, ¡°Everyone has their own past. I don¡¯t know what she used to


    be like, but now I know that she¡¯s a very talented person. After all, don¡¯t you have your own history too,


    Mr. Fuller?¡±


    Armond was clearly avoiding the question.


    Ashton smiled. ¡°How open-minded of you, Mr. Murphy. Still, we can¡¯t deny the fact that someone¡¯s past


    will certainly affect their future. While the Fuller Corporation does in fact consider our partner¡¯s


    capabilities, we also take into ount their values.¡±


    His words clearly had a double meaning to them. The audience had probably already started doubting


    the reason behind Fuller Corporation¡¯s decision to fire me all those years ago.


    I heard some members of the audience start to mumble amongst themselves. Some of them had even


    started whispering about Ashton¡¯s attitude. I could hear them specting that Ashton, Armond, and I


    had a rtionship beyond just former and current colleagues.


    No one enjoyed the feeling of being gossiped about by their audience, much less in a situation like this.


    I nced at Ashton and said, ¡°If you so heavily doubt my loyalty and values, then I¡¯m more than happy


    to pass on my role as director to another staff member from the Murphy Corporation for this project.¡±


    He frowned, clearly ruffled. His cold gazended on me once again. ¡°That¡¯s alright. I think you¡¯d be a


    good fit for this project after all.¡±


    After that, he simply nced at Joseph before leaving.


    I returned to my seat and Armond spoke, ¡°Lover¡¯s spat?¡±


    I pressed my lips together and threw the documents back to him. ¡°You should really think before you


    speak.¡±


    He raised an eyebrow. ¡°Why are you so angry? You¡¯re the one who keeps running away, and you¡¯re the


    one who keeps pushing him away too. He¡¯s already given up his dignity as a man for you. What do you


    have to be angry about?¡±


    I stood up, reluctant to speak to him for any longer. ¡°Since the proposal is done, I¡¯ll get going. I¡¯m still


    busy.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    I knew it was my fault, but it wasn¡¯t like that would stop me from continuing. After all, Ashton was much


    better off without me.


    However, I still felt suffocated despite having left the hall and decided to find a ce to sit down and


    take a breather.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall!¡± Someone called out; it was Joseph.


    I looked at him and nodded with a smile. ¡°Mr. Campbell.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, Summer is back at the vi with Mr. Fuller. She¡¯s fine, but she keeps asking where you


    are,¡± he told me. His tone was light as if we were simply conversing about the weather.


    I thought he would bring Ashton up, but he started talking about Summer instead.


    I was taken aback for a while before sighing. With that, I couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Is she doing alright?¡±


    He nodded and basically repeated himself. ¡°She just keeps asking Mr. Fuller where you went.¡±


    I pressed my lips together, feeling a little bitter. After a pause, I said, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Campbell.¡±


    He then shook his head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t understand. You and Mr. Fuller clearly still love each other. If


    that¡¯s the case, why do you keep pushing him away?¡±


    ¡°He deserves someone better,¡± I retorted.


    ¡°Who would that be? When ites to love, feelings are the most important. Since when this became


    some matching game?¡± The man frowned at me.


    I looked at Joseph and sighed. ¡°Mr. Campbell, plenty of people think that a couple should end up


    together as long as they love each other. No one ever thinks about how they should deal with their own


    individual problems.


    ¡°After I heard that he was the one who pitted my parents against each other and caused my mother


    and me to be enemies, I brought Summer away. I knew that if I stayed by his side, I¡¯d be


    swallowed up by both love and hate. Hence, I used four years of my time to try and get over it, but that


    turned out to be useless.


    ¡°I thought I could get over it once I came to K City so I could have a good life with Ashton from then


    onward. I wanted to have a normal mother-daughter rtionship with Cameron, but she was always so


    careful around me, and Ashton always seemed to be letting me do whatever I wanted. It hurt even


    more because I¡¯d already seen how much they loved Reba. With her, it was unconditional, but when


    it came to me, all they did was tiptoe around me. I don¡¯t me them. I me life.¡±


    I looked at Joseph and smiled bitterly. ¡°If I stayed with Ashton, that just means I¡¯ll be stuck in a hellhole


    of my own stubborn making. I¡¯m a coward after all. I¡¯d rather be afraid than breaking the peace.¡±

 Chapter 696

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 696


    He seemed slightly disappointed and sighed, ¡°Mr. Fuller is doing his best.¡±


    ¡°I know. He¡¯s always been doing his best, which is why I feel safe handing Summer over to him.¡± I


    nodded with a smile.


    ¡°Are you nning to let Summer stay with Mr. Fuller permanently, Ms. Stovall?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯lle and get her as soon as possible. I don¡¯t want to trouble him for too long.


    Besides, he isn¡¯t obligated to take care of Summer.¡±


    ¡°Then who is?¡± A sudden voice piped up and surprised me.


    I turned back and saw Ashton standing behind me. His expression was dark and his gaze cold.


    ¡°Armond? Or perhaps you¡¯ve found another guy who¡¯s obligated to take care of her?¡±


    His sudden appearance took me by surprise. Joseph had silently walked away after Ashton showed up.


    At that moment, only Ashton and I were left at the scene, and I didn¡¯t know what to say.


    After a pause, I finally piped up. ¡°Thanks for taking care of Summer, Ashton.¡±


    He chuckled coldly. ¡°No need to thank me. Don¡¯t forget that she¡¯s legally my daughter after all. The


    moment we actually get a divorce, I ampletely fine with paying my alimony, but don¡¯t even think


    about getting Summer back.¡±


    ¡°Is that a threat?¡±


    ¡°You could say so.¡±


    I smiled, not too ruffled by his words. ¡°That might be better for all of us. After all, she¡¯ll be much better


    off with you than she can ever be with me. You have money and power. Besides that, you can give her


    a much better environment than I can. Maybe I¡¯ll be better on my own, or maybe remarrying will be a


    good option as well.¡±


    With an unblinking stare, he looked at me. His gaze was full of dark contempt, and he wasn¡¯t trying to


    disguise the rage on his face. ¡°What an outstanding n,¡± he chuckled coldly.


    I chuckled as well. ¡°Thanks for thepliment, Mr. Fuller.¡±


    Then I noticed his tightly clenched fists. If I were a man, he¡¯d probably be beating me up right now.


    Thank God I¡¯m a woman.


    ¡°I¡¯d love to see whether Armond will actually allow you to marry into the Murphy family,¡± he hissed. He


    was probably holding back his anger. If not, he might have started getting violent by now.


    When he walked away and left, I let out a huge sigh of relief. I really hoped we wouldn¡¯t see each other


    anymore after this. Our rtionship was already messier than tangled yarn.


    The bidding carried on until midnight. Armond wasn¡¯t used to burning the midnight oil, so the moment


    we got into the car, he told me, ¡°You take the wheel. I need to take a nap.¡±


    I nodded, thinking that he probably didn¡¯t sleep well since he was hungover yesterday.


    Once we reached the vi, I woke Armond up and went into my room. Once I turned my phone on, I


    saw the pictures that Emery had sent me of her kid.


    Her kid was already four months old and was adorably pink-cheeked and plump. I wanted to respond,


    but since it was sote, I figured it might wake her up.


    Thus, I decided to turn off my phone and head to bed.


    To my surprise, the results of the Fuller Corporation¡¯s public tender were released the very next day.


    After all, I assumed they would need at least five or six days at most.


    What really took me aback was that the Murphy Corporation got chosen. Armond handed everything


    over to me and said, ¡°You¡¯ll be in charge of this project for now, and Linda will help. You can either go


    to her or me if you have any problems.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t gotten the chance to be that involved in this particr project. After all, only two days had


    passed from the moment I learned about it until now.


    At that time, I didn¡¯t reach out for the files, but instead, I stared at him and said, ¡°You know I barely


    know anything about this project. I didn¡¯t even write the proposal myself. It¡¯s not fair to the actual writer


    of the proposal, and I¡¯m also not confident that I can do a good job.¡±


    Seeing that I remained unmoved, he then ced the files on the desk instead and replied, ¡°I wrote the


    proposal. Besides, there¡¯s still some time before the start-up date of this project. You can familiarize


    yourself with the project in the meantime, and Fuller Corporation will be sending someone over to keep


    up with you on this. You can discuss things with them before starting the work and talk to Linda about


    any resources you need from the Murphy Corporation.¡±


    At that moment, it seemed like he was dead set on me taking charge of this project. I knew that turning


    him down wouldn¡¯t take me anywhere. After some thought, I asked, ¡°When is this going to start?¡±


    ¡°The Fuller Corporation will let you know,¡± he said. ¡°Apart from us, they also chose the Cruise


    Corporation. So try your best tomunicate with them as much as you can so this can be a win-win


    situation.¡±


    I nodded and sighed before gathering the documents. I had to meet Nora in the afternoon.


    Before he left, I said, ¡°I¡¯m going to meet Nora around noon. It might take a while.¡±


    He raised an eyebrow. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°She got into a fight with someone. I think she got hurt,¡± I exined briefly.


    He smirked and looked a bit happy. ¡°A fight? Did her true colors finally show?¡±


    I pressed my lips together and looked at him. ¡°Do you want to visit her with me?¡±


    ¡°Why should I?¡±


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Because of a man.¡± Since Ashton was involved, that wasn¡¯t too far off.


    He raised an eyebrow again. ¡°Bring some chrysanthemums to her for me. Hope she gets well soon.¡±


    Chrysanthemums?


    I chuckled.


    That man really was full of ideas.


    I ignored him and started organizing my files. After that, I hailed a cab to the address that Nora had


    given me.

 Chapter 697

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 697


    It was quite far away, in a neighborhood near the north. Once I got off the car, I called Nora.


    The phone rang for quite a while before she picked up. ¡°Babe! Are you here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m right downstairs.¡±


    ¡°Okay, give me a second.¡±


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    Five minutester, I saw her limping down the stairs. She seemed rather unkempt in just her pyjamas


    with her hair simply tied in a messy bun.


    She opened the door, and her face broke into a wide grin at the sight of the chrysanthemums in my


    hands. As she reached out to take them, she asked, ¡°How did you know I liked chrysanthemums?¡±


    What?


    I had no idea. If it wasn¡¯t for Armond, I wouldn¡¯t even have thought of it.


    At the sight of her happy smile, I couldn¡¯t help but admit, ¡°Armond asked me to buy them. I thought they


    would be a bit of a bad omen at first, but I saw these pretty pink ones at a flower shop on my way here


    and bought them.¡±


    She chuckled. ¡°I guess Mr. Murphy is still on his toes when ites to this stuff. I only mentioned it


    once, and yet, he remembered. Looks like I might be likely to be marrying Mr. Bachelor in the future,


    huh?¡±


    After that, she invited me in, and I followed her upstairs. Her house was incredibly messy, which left me


    a bit speechless. ¡°Quick question ¨C how do you live in a mess like this?¡±


    She stuck the flowers into a random vase and gatheredrge bunches of messy clothes off the sofa


    and onto the bed. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep if it¡¯s too tidy.¡±


    I was struck speechless once more.


    I looked around the house. It wasn¡¯t very big ¨C it was maybe eight hundred square feet with two


    bedrooms, a living room, and a kitchte.


    ¡°Are you living alone?¡± I asked.


    She nodded as she poured me a ss of water. ¡°I used to live with another girl, but she moved in with


    her boyfriend. Now it¡¯s just me.¡±


    As she spoke, she scrutinized me with narrowed eyes. ¡°Why don¡¯t you move in with me so we can split


    the rent?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± I said with a nod. ¡°But you need to keep the ce much tidier. I might go insane if it¡¯s this


    messy all the time.¡±


    She giggled. ¡°If you move here, it won¡¯t be this messy all the time. I don¡¯t feel like tidying things up


    when it¡¯s just me here. After all, if everything¡¯s too perfect, it doesn¡¯t feel like home.¡±


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you just go home?¡± It wasn¡¯t as if she wasn¡¯t doing well financially. She had no reason


    to live in such conditions.


    She chuckled and said, ¡°I need my freedom as an adult, okay? We all need a little privacy.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t wrap my mind around her logic at all. With a shrug, I asked, ¡°How¡¯s your injury?¡± I couldn¡¯t


    help but look at her leg after noticing her limping all over the ce.


    She sat next to me and replied, ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. I was wearing heels when I fought with Tessa, so I


    sprained my ankle. Anyway, what would you like to eat?¡±


    The moment she asked that, the doorbell rang, and she went to open the door.


    ¡°Hurry up, think of something so we can grab lunch together,¡± she pestered as she opened the door.


    A middle-aged woman stood in the doorway. She seemedpletely used to the state of the ce and


    said, ¡°Ms. Oberick, I¡¯m here to help you clean the house.¡±


    She nodded and gestured for the woman to do what she had to do. ¡°So, what do you want to eat?¡± she


    asked me.


    I couldn¡¯t think of anything in particr, so I went with something random. ¡°What about fish? I¡¯ve been


    craving some fish for a while.¡±


    ¡°Sounds great!¡± She went into her bedroom and bustled around a bit. Luckily, she didn¡¯t waste too


    much time, or we would probably have left the house a lotter.


    There was a mall near her ce, so we found a restaurant that served fish and chips and ordered what


    we wanted before sitting down by a window.


    She immediately started nosing around the moment we sat down. ¡°Babe, tell me everything about you


    and Ashton.¡±


    I nearly choked on my own spit and looked at her as I coughed. ¡°We were just another arranged


    marriage. Mr. Bauman was the one behind our rtionship, so there¡¯s not much to tell.¡±


    She held her chin in her hand and looked as if she were actually thinking about it. ¡°Are you two


    nning to go back to K City soon?¡±


    I was a bit taken aback by her question and couldn¡¯t help but reply, ¡°If you want to know about Armond,


    you can just say so. I¡¯ll tell you everything I know.¡±


    Nora chuckled awkwardly after being called out by me. ¡°When¡¯s he going to K City?¡±


    ¡°Probably after this project is over. I¡¯ll probably go back then as well. Why don¡¯t you follow along so we


    can have some fun in K City?¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± she asked excitedly.


    I nodded. ¡°Of course. You¡¯re paying for your own ticket, though.¡±


    ¡°Obviously!¡± she replied with a mischievous smile on her face.


    The waiter arrived to pour us some drinks, and I couldn¡¯t help but ask Nora, ¡°What are you thinking


    about?¡±


    ¡°Clearly, I¡¯m thinking about how to get Mr. Fuller to fall for me once and for all.¡±


    Her innocent girly side was showing. ¡°Have youe up with a n yet?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re quite close to him, yeah? Have you ever seen any potential love rivals?¡± she asked as she


    looked at me with her face still in her hands, looking as innocent as a sixteen-year-old.


    I nodded. ¡°Yeah. Yours truly.¡±


    She scoffed. ¡°Apart from you, obviously!¡±


    ¡°You, then.¡±


    She burst outughing, which I already expected. Just then, she was starting to look extra cunning and


    told me, ¡°What are his hobbies? Help me find out what he likes and let me know!¡±

 Chapter 698

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 698


    After some thought, I told her, ¡°I think you can get to know Linda. She definitely knows more than I do.¡±


    ¡°Linda?¡± she asked in confusion. ¡°Is she a love rival too?¡±


    As expected, intelligence really did go down the drain once someone was in love. After a pause, I said,


    ¡°Linda has a child who¡¯s already in middle school. Don¡¯t overthink things. Before transferring under


    Armond, she was Robert Murphy¡¯s assistant, so she should know him quite well.¡±


    ¡°Alright! Help me ask her out so we can meet over dinner!¡± she said before continuing, ¡°Actually, how


    does tonight sound? Maybe you can ask her after work.¡±


    ¡°Sure. You have to pick me up, though. Actually, you might as welle with dinner.¡±


    ¡°Why should I make dinner? Aren¡¯t we going out to a restaurant?¡±


    ¡°Armond had gastric problems. I¡¯m telling you ¨C he¡¯s crazy. He doesn¡¯t eat anything that¡¯s not to his


    standard. And I have to help him manage all three meals, or I might lose my job!¡±


    She looked envious. ¡°What about you let me do that instead? I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll take great care of him.¡±


    ¡°Okay! You¡¯re in charge of his meals from now on.¡± I was more than excited to hand that over to her.


    After all, I would be incredibly busy once the Fuller Corporation¡¯s project started.


    After chatting for a while longer, the waiter served our food. At that moment, Nora was staring out the


    window in a daze.


    ¡°Quit daydreaming and eat up. I have to go back to the office soon,¡± I piped up.


    She turned back and sighed, ¡°You know, life really isn¡¯t fair. How can there be so many good-looking


    people like you whereas I look like this? Would the world fall off its axis if I was pretty too? Was God


    particrly annoyed when he was making me?¡±


    I smiled lightly. ¡°You can ask him yourself. Besides, you¡¯re not ugly. You just need a bit of dressing up,


    that¡¯s all, so don¡¯t be so harsh on yourself.¡±


    She looked at me and replied, ¡°Just look over there. Thatdy could probably rival Aphrodite. She even


    has a red Cayenne. With looks like that and a car that grand, she probably doesn¡¯t need to worry about


    anything. I¡¯m assuming she has tons of rich men lined up around the block.¡±


    I looked toward where she was pointing and couldn¡¯t help but be taken aback. Isn¡¯t Rachel in K City?


    What¡¯s she doing here?


    ¡°This is A City¡¯s most prestigious neighborhood. Most of the residents are lowkey people from rich


    families, and they¡¯re mostly local,¡± Nora exined as she looked at Rachel. ¡°Someone as beautiful as


    that clearly isn¡¯t from around here. She doesn¡¯t seem like a sugar baby either, so she probably bought


    the house with her own money.¡±


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Nora was so engrossed in her analysis that I couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°She¡¯s in charge of the Fuller


    Corporation¡¯s AI projects. Ashton hired her from overseas. She really is both pretty and rich, which is


    what most women want for themselves.¡±


    ¡°Damn! Aren¡¯t you afraid that Ashton will get snatched up by someone like that hanging around him?¡±


    She wasn¡¯t even eating at that point but was simply staring at Rachel with eyes as round as dinner


    tes.


    Meanwhile, Rachel looked like she was waiting for someone.


    ¡°If he actually ends up with her, I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be that mad about it. After all, I don¡¯t think someone like


    Rachel will fall for anyone less.¡±


    Nora looked at me a little wordlessly. ¡°Wait, why do I feel like you¡¯re willingly giving your man up?


    What¡¯s with that?¡±


    ¡°Hey, your fish is getting soggy. Eat up before it gets too cold,¡± I said in an attempt to change the topic.


    She pouted, clearly not finished speaking. Suddenly, she looked at me a little sheepishly and said, ¡°I


    think I jinxed it.¡±


    I stilled in shock before looking out the window again. A man had juste out of the mansion that


    Rachel was waiting next to, and that was no one else but Ashton himself.


    He was dressed in dark grey casual wear as if he was going out for dinner.


    That¡¯s good. Ashton and Rachel are practically a match made in heaven.


    I turned away and continued eating my fish.


    Nora seemed restless as she looked at me. ¡°What are you doing? Your man is with some gorgeous


    supermodel, and you¡¯re fine with it? That¡¯s your husband, for goodness¡¯ sake!¡±


    I just sighed and smiled at her. ¡°Nora¡­ Your fish is about toe back to life if you don¡¯t eat it soon.¡±


    She frowned, almost leaping off her seat as she got up and looked at me. ¡°Scarlett, it doesn¡¯t matter if


    your man is involved with an ugly hag or a prettydy. You can¡¯t ept anyone else butting into your


    rtionship!¡±


    With that, she jogged out before I coulde to my senses. After a while, I heard her voice from


    outside the window call out, ¡°Fancy meeting you here, Mr. Fuller!¡±


    Since Nora had already run outside, I stayed in the restaurant and tried to ignore them.


    Nora suddenly called out especially loudly, ¡°Scarlett, it¡¯s your hubby!¡±


    Hubby?


    I couldn¡¯t believe my ears.


    Since she had already exposed me, I couldn¡¯t just ignore them. I raised my hand by way of greeting.


    I thought she was just going to go out to say hi, but she ended up dragging them into the restaurant.

 Chapter 699

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 699


    She even waved to a waiter and said, ¡°Hi, can I have two more sets of cutleries, please? Thank you!¡±


    Then, she led Rachel and Ashton to our table and invited them to take a seat.


    The restaurant we were at had small stools instead of regr chairs, which made it a little awkward for


    anyone in a skirt.


    Nora noticed this as well and said enthusiastically, ¡°Oh no, I forgot that you¡¯re in a dress. I¡¯ll ask


    someone for a regr chair.¡±


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    She hadn¡¯t even finished speaking before running off to get someone. When she returned, she was


    carrying a regr chair in one hand. The tables weren¡¯t very tall either to match the stools, and Rachel


    seemed rather out of ce.


    She was also dressed pretty stylishly in a dress that showed off both her smooth shoulders and fair


    back. By sitting in a taller chair, she almost seemed more like an art exhibit than a customer.


    Apart from that, this restaurant wasn¡¯t particrly high-ss. The people in here weren¡¯t used to seeing


    such beautiful, fashionable women that often.


    It was inevitable that someone like Rachel would attract more stares. They didn¡¯t seem sleazy or


    uncouth, but simply curious and apprising.


    Of course, the awkwardness was also inevitable in such a situation.


    Nora seemedpletely unfazed by this and asked Ashton, ¡°Mr. Fuller, is Ms. Zimmer your secretary?


    She¡¯s so elegant! I haven¡¯t seen a woman this pretty since Scarlett!¡±


    Is she trying topliment me or dig me an even deeper hole? I thought to myself.


    Ashton nced at me nonchntly before saying, ¡°She¡¯s the representative of Fuller Corporation¡¯s AI


    projects.¡± It was a simple introduction, free of any useless facts.


    Nora nodded a little too enthusiastically. ¡°That¡¯s so admirable! You¡¯re both pretty and smart? I bet you


    have a boyfriend, right?¡±


    Rachel was clearly starting to get bothered by the stares and forced a smile. ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°What? But you¡¯re so pretty! Do you have someone you like, then? Ah, wait, I should be asking what


    your ideal type is!¡± Nora couldn¡¯t stop babbling.


    Rachel nced at Ashton almost instinctively before lowering her head and saying, ¡°I haven¡¯t really


    thought about that.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Nora said dramatically. ¡°My mom always told me that girls needed to have certain


    standards for their future boyfriends. Someone as pretty and skilled as you should find someone like


    Mr. Fuller. That would be a good match. Just look at Scarlett and Mr. Fuller! They¡¯re a match made in


    heaven.¡±


    Yet for some reason, I felt like she meant something else.


    Rachel nodded, looking extra ufortable.


    After that, Nora decided to speak to Ashton instead since Rachel seemed a little awkward. ¡°Mr. Fuller, I


    should introduce myself. I¡¯m Scarlett¡¯s friend, Nora! We met before, but since we were in a rush, I didn¡¯t


    get to introduce myself.¡±


    She reached out and shook Ashton¡¯s hand.


    Nora was always the talkative one, so she was chatting throughout the whole meal.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, since Scarlett is here, and you¡¯re in K City, are you guys living apart for now?¡± Nora


    suddenly brought up.


    Ashton¡¯s dark gaze fell on me, and he said, ¡°No. I¡¯ll go wherever she goes.¡±


    ¡°Aw! Now you¡¯re just flexing your rtionship to the rest of us,¡± Nora said with a shy squeal.


    She turned to look at Rachel, who was starting to turn pale. ¡°Ms. Zimmer, as Mr. Fuller¡¯s colleague,


    don¡¯t you get tired of seeing them act all lovey-dovey every day?¡±


    Rachel smiled and replied, ¡°I¡¯m usually in K City and rarely get to see Ms. Stovall, so I wouldn¡¯t get the


    chance to.¡±


    Hearing that, Nora frowned slightly. ¡°Oh, you guys don¡¯t call her Mrs. Fuller at thepany? ¡®Ms.


    Stovall¡¯ seems a bit too standoffish.¡±


    ¡°I rarely meet her after all, so it¡¯s a bit hard to suddenly get used to that,¡± Rachel continued answering


    politely.


    Nora pouted and nced at me. I didn¡¯t understand what she meant and just stared back at her in


    confusion.


    At the sight of my indifference, Nora suddenly leaned slightly toward Rachel. Her motion caused a


    ss of water in front of her to topple over, spilling the contents all over Rachel. There wasn¡¯t a lot of


    water left in the ss, but Rachel¡¯s dress was expensive, and it was obvious that Nora wanted to get a


    reaction.


    As she wiped the water off Rachel¡¯s dress, Nora apologized, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Ms. Zimmer. Maybe you


    should go to the bathroom to clean that.¡±


    Rachel was frowning at that point. She was obviously ruffled, but she was good at controlling her


    emotions and remained calm.


    Once Rachel left, Nora ignored Ashton¡¯s presence and said, ¡°Ms. Stovall, can¡¯t you tell that that fine


    lady has her eyes on your man?¡±


    I felt ufortable at her calling Ashton ¡°my man¡± and looked at him instinctively. Despite that, he


    lookedpletely unfazed.

 Chapter 700

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 700


    I pressed my lips together and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be crazy. Ms. Zimmer is a very talented woman.¡±


    ¡°What the h*ll?¡± Nora burst out. ¡°Scarlett, what¡¯s gotten into you? What do you mean by that? Are you


    going to give your man up to her just because she¡¯s a ¡®very talented woman¡¯?¡±


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Ashton was still there, so I knew she was doing this on purpose. Thus, I decided to ignore her question.


    She clucked her tongue at my silence and said, ¡°Did you two have an argument or something?¡±


    After a pause, she looked at Ashton and said without even blinking, ¡°Did you cheat on Scarlett?¡±


    Ashton¡¯s gaze darkened, and he looked at me. I thought he would get angry, but he seemed to calm


    down instead and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t sh*t where I eat.¡±


    Simply put, he wouldn¡¯ty an eye on another woman.


    Nora chuckled and nudged me with her elbow. ¡°You better hang on tight to this guy. There aren¡¯t many


    like him in this day and age.¡±


    I was starting to feel awkward when the waiter jogged toward us and said, ¡°Is thedy in the bathroom


    a friend of yours? She tripped and fell. It¡¯s rather serious, so you should take a look.¡±


    ¡°She tripped?¡± Nora immediately went to the bathroom.


    I fell silent since it was now just me and Ashton at the table. After a while, I looked at him and said,


    ¡°You should go check on her.¡±


    He frowned and looked at me. ¡°Are you sure about that?¡±


    I was taken aback by the sudden question before nodding. ¡°Yeah. She might be in trouble.¡±


    He scoffed coldly before suddenly getting up and walking toward the bathroom.


    I followed him and spotted Nora helping Rachel out of the bathroom. It really did look rather serious.


    Nora saw us and said, ¡°I think she may have twisted or fractured something. She¡¯ll probably need to go


    to the hospital.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s eyes looked red as if she were trying not to cry. I was surprised, but calmed down and said to


    Ashton, ¡°You should send her to the hospital. Nora and I are busy, so we won¡¯t be able to make it.¡±


    Nora looked at me, obviously getting annoyed by my attitude. She then frowned and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll


    send her to the hospital.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s not that bad. I can go on my own,¡± Rachel piped up. Her voice was quivering, and it


    sounded as if she were minutes away from sobbing.


    Ashton looked at me, and I reached out to tug Nora¡¯s sleeve. ¡°You have to go to the office with meter,


    remember? Let Mr. Fuller send her instead.¡±


    Nora¡¯s frown was slowly deepening. ¡°Mr. Fuller?¡± she asked as she nced at Ashton.


    Ashton looked away from me and carried Rachel before walking away wordlessly.


    ¡°Sh*t!¡± Nora cursed. She looked at me as if she were about to cry for my sake. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with


    you? That¡¯s your husband! Why are you pushing him away?¡±


    I didn¡¯t know how to reply and simply said, ¡°We have nothing to do with each other anymore. Come on.


    Let¡¯s go to Murphy Corporation.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Are you blind? Didn¡¯t you see how he looked at you? Why are you just pushing


    him away like that? If he did something wrong, just tell him! Stop doing this psychological cold-shoulder


    stuff. Scarlett, I¡¯m disappointed in you.¡±


    After her angry rant, she walked off without even waiting for me.


    I was surprised and finally realized that she was genuinely mad at me. Quickly, I caught up to her and


    tugged at her arm. ¡°Nora, this is my own problem. You don¡¯t have to worry so much about it.¡±


    She stopped and turned to look at me. Her shiny eyes betrayed her disappointment. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s your


    problem. But do you know why I¡¯m so mad? Since the first time we met in Venria and ran away


    together, I could tell you were incredibly smart.


    ¡°After that, while we lived in the forest together and you saved me from Abe, I realized you were kind


    and chivalrous too. I felt like we had simr values and was determined to be good friends with


    you once we returned to the country. I¡¯m angry now because you¡¯re so different from who I thought you


    were. I¡¯m not even angry at you; I¡¯m angry at myself. Have you ever treated me as a friend all this


    while?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°That¡¯s not the case!¡±


    She scoffed. ¡°Not the case? Scarlett, you¡¯ve never genuinely reached out to anyone. You¡¯ve never


    loved Ashton, and you¡¯ve never treated any of us as friends. To put it simply, you just treated us like


    minor characters in your journey of life.¡±


    I was stunned by her rant, and she continued, ¡°You don¡¯t know what friendship means at all. To you, as


    long as you can hold a conversation with them, then they¡¯re your friend. You even put Tessa at the


    same level as me, even though she¡¯s despicable. As for Ashton, if you truly love him, there¡¯s no way


    you could miss the way he¡¯s always looking at you. It¡¯s like he¡¯s constantly tuned into you. Just now, he


    was silently declining to take responsibility for Rachel, but you forced him too anyway. He keeps


    stepping back to let you do whatever you want, yet you take it all for granted. Do you actually think


    what you¡¯re doing is right?¡±

 Chapter 701

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 701


    ¡°Scarlett, are you aware that other people can get hurt too? You¡¯re not the only person who bleeds or


    cries, you know.¡±


    I stayed silent in shock as I processed what she said. It was the first time anyone had ever said


    anything like that to me.


    ¡°I-¡± I tried to exin but scoffed at myself. I nodded and said, ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t realize how


    much I hurt other people.¡±


    Since I couldn¡¯t exin myself, I just hailed a taxi and went back to Murphy Corporation.


    I felt like screaming. All this while, I had always been more of a cold person, and I didn¡¯t know what to


    do now that someone had brought it up.


    My bad mood continued even after I was back at the office. I looked through some of the documents


    that Armond wanted to be signed and felt even worse.


    Linda saw that I was still in the office and knocked toe in. She frowned as she asked, ¡°Are you


    okay?¡±


    I noticed that everyone had left and replied mildly, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Might be PMS or something.¡±


    She said a bit pitifully, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s too bad. The Magpie Festival is in two days. What a downer!¡±


    The Magpie Festival?


    I had almost forgotten about the Magpie Festival and sighed. ¡°I¡¯m too old to even celebrate the Magpie


    Festival anymore. There¡¯s no meaning to it now.¡±


    She rolled her eyes at me. ¡°What do you mean you¡¯re ¡®too old¡¯? Do you think people just start to wither


    and dry up after a certain age? That¡¯s so boring of you.¡±


    I chuckled and suddenly remembered Nora¡¯s request to ask Linda out for dinner that night.


    I was about to ask when I suddenly remembered what happened. After today¡¯s incident, I didn¡¯t know if


    Nora would still want to have dinner.


    ¡°Linda, do you have any good friends? Maybe someone you really love?¡±


    Linda nodded. Her heels seemed to be hurting her, so she sat down next to me. ¡°Of course I do. I have


    a close friend who I¡¯ve known for about fifteen years. As for someone I really love, I have my kid and


    my parents.¡±


    I hesitated before asking, ¡°What about your husband?¡±


    She paused in slight surprise before replying, ¡°We got a divorce.¡±


    I was taken aback for a second and apologized hastily. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s normal after all. At my age, everyone¡¯s bound toe across an obstacle or two.


    Scarlett, you don¡¯t have to follow any particr recipe for life. Just do what you like,¡± she said mildly as


    if she was simply asking about the weather. I nodded with a smile.


    She smiled back. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen?¡±


    Since we had already started talking about this, I didn¡¯t feel the need to hide anything. With a nod, I


    said, ¡°I don¡¯t really know how to treat those people who care about me. It seems like I¡¯m always


    unknowingly pushing them away.¡±


    She looked at me with her hands folded under her chin. ¡°Your friends and loved one, perhaps?¡±


    I nodded again. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s not like we learn how to love other people in school. I think I might have


    missed a lesson or two.¡±


    She looked at me in surprise. ¡°You have a child, don¡¯t you? Don¡¯t you love her? I don¡¯t know how other


    people would exin it, but to me, love simply means wishing the best for the other person from the


    very bottom of your heart. Just think about how you treat your daughter. You know what¡¯s best for her,


    so you always try to provide her with the best.¡±


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    ¡°What about friends?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the same idea but in moderation. After all, if you go overboard, you might achieve the opposite


    result.¡±


    I felt like giving up. ¡°That¡¯s soplicated. I still don¡¯t think I understand how to solve my problems.¡±


    She raised an eyebrow. ¡°What happened? Just tell me. I¡¯m older than you after all, so hopefully, I can


    be of some help.¡±


    ¡°What should I do if I argued with a friend?¡±


    She looked surprised. ¡°Have you never argued with a friend before?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Not exactly.¡± Before this, when Macy and I argued, I usually stayed silent and didn¡¯t


    retaliate. She always came back to find me after she got over it anyway.


    This time, my attitude toward both Nora and Ashton seemed to make this a much harder situation than


    before.


    After some thought, I decided to juste out and ask, ¡°Are you busy tonight? Let¡¯s have dinner.¡±


    She smiled in surprise. ¡°What a coincidence. My parents offered to watch my kid for me today, and I


    was nning on having a nice night off. I¡¯m d to have a partner now.¡±


    After tidying up our things, we headed out of the office.


    Linda and I walked around the mall for a while and had a light meal. Since she rarely got the chance to


    have a night out, we decided to go to a bar.


    ¡°You know, I haven¡¯t stepped foot in a bar since giving birth. I was starting to feel much older than I


    actually am! Looks like everyone really does need a night out once in a while to keep spry and


    energized,¡± Linda quipped. She was in a pretty good mood and ordered another round of drinks,


    sipping from her ss as she chatted with me.


    She drank rather quickly and suddenly approached me with slightly narrowed eyes. ¡°Being young sure


    is nice. Just sitting down here already got you some stares.¡±

 Chapter 702

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 702


    I nced around us and realized we were getting stares from other people. I did my best to ignore


    them as I turned to Linda, who was drinking like a fish. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t drink so much. It¡¯s bad for your


    health.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I can hold my liquor well!¡± she said with a faint smile.


    I sipped from my ss of juice and found myself gradually zoning out. Even in my daze, I was still


    checking my phone periodically.


    My actions bothered Linda so much that she decided to set me straight. ¡°Scarlett, do you know what¡¯s


    the scariest thing in the world?¡±


    I shook my head. Linda clinked sses with me before replying, ¡°It¡¯s indecisiveness. The longer you


    procrastinate, the easier it is to lose the most important things in your life.¡±


    The next thing I knew, she had taken my phone to make the call I had been so reluctant to make.


    I was about to grab my phone back when a voice rang out from behind us. ¡°Ms. Stovall?¡±


    I was taken aback by the sudden intrusion and couldn¡¯t help but frown when I turned to look. A familiar


    face came into sight, and only then did my frown turn into a smile. ¡°Hi, Mr. Watson!¡±


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, this is the third time we¡¯ve run into each other this month. I guess this is what they call


    fate, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±


    I smiled back politely as I got up from my seat. ¡°I¡¯m sure you have work to attend to, Mr. Watson. I shall


    leave you to it.¡±


    Just as I was leaving with Linda in tow, Derek and his subordinates circled us and stopped us dead in


    our tracks.


    I furrowed my brows as I turned to Derek. ¡°Mr. Watson, what¡¯s the meaning of this?¡±


    Derek was still smiling, though he now had a lecherous look to him. ¡°How are you still so full of


    yourself, Ms. Stovall? Do you not know the situation you¡¯re in?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that, Mr. Watson? I¡¯m sure I haven¡¯t offended you in any way, so there¡¯s no


    reason for you to threaten us like this,¡± I replied as calmly I could.


    He chuckled before shifting his gaze to Linda. ¡°You look like you¡¯ve been doing well. You¡¯re still as


    beautiful as ever.¡±


    I was stunned, but before I could react, Linda had jumped in. ¡°If you¡¯re here for me, leave Scarlett out


    of it.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯d be d to hear that I¡¯m here for the both of you!¡± Derek eximed.


    He then looked back at me, lips curled in a sinister smile. ¡°Scarlett, even after everything you¡¯ve done


    for Ashton, he still dumped you? I can see why, though. I saw thedy he was with today, and she was


    stunning! If I had to choose between you and her, I¡¯d pick her too. That said, I¡¯m still rather fond of you,


    so what do you think about getting together with me?


    ¡°Derek, you disgusting pig!¡± Linda yelled, shielding me from him. ¡°You know why you had to escape to


    A City, or do you want to be back in Dellmoor?¡±


    Linda must have pushed all the right buttons because that immediately riled Derek up. ¡°Is that a f*cking


    threat?¡±


    Linda remainedposed as she continued, ¡°You know very well if it¡¯s a threat. Don¡¯t forget how you


    ended up in A City. If I can destroy you once, I can do it again.¡±


    A p came down fast and hard on Linda. It was so sudden that no one saw iting.


    Linda held her face in shock as blood trickled down the side. ¡°I have been f*cking nice to you, haven¡¯t


    I?¡± Derek growled. ¡°You have done me dirty once, but I won¡¯t let it happen again. Don¡¯t assume I can¡¯t


    do anything to you just because you have the Murphys to protect you.¡±


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    Derek looked around him and gestured to his subordinates. ¡°Take these two women to the room


    upstairs.¡±


    ¡°Go to h*ll!¡±


    Linda had only just gotten her words out when she got another tight p.


    ¡°Shut the f*ck up! If the Murphys are really that capable, I invite them to bring it on!¡±


    A group of onlookers had gathered round to see what themotion was all about. However, Derek


    remained unfazed by the attention he was attracting and merely got his subordinates to send them


    away.


    We were just two women up against a group of burly men. Unable to fight against them, we were soon


    brought upstairs and thrown into a hotel room with Derek.


    He leered at us as he paraded around with a devilish grin, his beer belly now even more protruding.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve had so much fun. I¡¯m going to enjoy myself to the fullest today.¡±


    Linda got flustered and started flinging items at him, all of which he sessfully ducked.


    Not wanting to take the risk of either of us acting up again, Derek called for his subordinates to tie us to


    our chairs.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, look what you¡¯ve done to yourself. If you had cooperated with me right from the start, I¡¯d


    have dly taken you in after Ashton dumped you. You could have avoided all this.¡±


    The smug look on Derek¡¯s face as he spoke to me made me feel sick to my core, so much so that I


    didn¡¯t even feel like replying.


    He dragged a chair in front of me and sat on it, locking eyes with me. ¡°It¡¯s still not toote now. If you


    get together with me, I can provide you with afortable life. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Will you stop being so gross?¡± I shouted. If my hands weren¡¯t tied up, I¡¯d have pped this pathetic


    excuse of a man.


    Instead of being offended, Derek howled withughter. ¡°What a character! No wonder Ashton fell for


    you.¡±

 Chapter 703

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 703


    ¡°Hey Derek, have you looked into a mirror recently?¡± Linda mocked. ¡°You may not see it yourself, but


    trust us when we say you¡¯re disgusting. You better let us go soon, or you¡¯ll regret it.¡±


    Derek fixed a steely gaze on Linda as he chuckled. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m still the same person from five


    years ago? The one you so easily manipted? And do you really think the Murphys have any power


    over me here in A City?¡±


    ¡°The Murphys may not be able to do anything to you, but I can!¡± We were all taken by surprise when


    Nora¡¯s voice rang out of the blue, only to see her emerge from the bathroom.


    She leaned casually against the door frame, her lips in a pout. ¡°Mr. Watson, what do you think will


    happen if I pressed this?¡± she asked as she slowly held her phone up.


    When Derek didn¡¯t reply, the doe-eyed Nora continued, ¡°Why don¡¯t we try it? I¡¯m so curious to know


    what might happen!¡±


    ¡°Nora,¡± Derek grunted. Even though he was still smiling, one couldn¡¯t miss the hint of annoyance in his


    voice. ¡°How did you get in here?¡±


    Nora pinched her cheeks as she muttered, ¡°Having to fake a smile is so tiring. My face has gotten all


    stiff from it.¡±


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    She ignored Derek¡¯s question and looked around the room for a spot to getfortable in, her phone


    still tightly clutched in her hand.


    ¡°Mr. Watson must have been so busy with work that you forgot this bar was given to me by my


    grandfather. I was bored and came here today for a drink. But I got a little tipsy and entered this room


    for a shower and nap. Unfortunately, I got more than what I had bargained for when I ran into this


    scene.¡±


    Nora¡¯s devil-may-care attitude was starting to get on Derek¡¯s nerves. She continued her innocent act as


    she propped her chin up with her hand. ¡°I¡¯ve seen and heard everything, and I can¡¯t possibly pretend


    otherwise. My grandfather had always taught me to stand up bravely for what¡¯s right. If I were to do the


    right thing and call the police now, what do you think will happen to you, Mr. Watson?¡±


    Thatst sentence wiped the smile away from Derek¡¯s face. ¡°Tell me, what do you want?¡± he asked


    with a re.


    Nora sighed as she thought about it. ¡°To be honest, I have everything but a man. But that¡¯s not


    something you can give me. You¡¯re too old and fat, and you have bad teeth and body odor.¡± She


    shuddered. ¡°Ugh¡­ I wouldn¡¯t want you even if you offered.¡±


    Derek shook with anger, but Nora ignored him as she continued to be deep in thought. ¡°How about


    this? I saw you p them earlier, so why don¡¯t you let them return the favor?¡±


    Derek¡¯s expression darkened as he clenched his fists tightly. There was no doubt he was fuming, and I


    thought he was about to blow his top. To my surprise, he eded to Nora¡¯s request and even


    personally untied Linda and me from the chairs.


    We stared in bewilderment, neither of us knowing how to react to this sudden turn of events.


    Nora said nothing as she started ying with her phone. Derek stole a nce at her before turning to


    face Linda. ¡°Hit me!¡± he said through gritted teeth.


    Everything was happening so fast that Linda hadn¡¯t gotten a chance to recover from her shock. She


    turned around instinctively to look at Nora, only to find her still ying with her phone nonchntly.


    ¡°Just leave,¡± Linda finally said.


    Her response stunned both Derek and Nora, though neither said anything.


    Nora shrugged innocently when she caught Derek staring helplessly at her. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me. You¡¯re


    the one who hit her. You should be thanking her for being so kind, not me.¡±


    At that, Derek immediately thanked Linda before looking back at Nora. ¡°Please send my regards to


    your grandfather.¡±


    Nora hummed in response and went back to ying on her phone. Not wanting to stay and be


    snubbed any further, Derek angrily left with his subordinates.


    Now that the worst was finally over, Linda and I could finally calm our racing hearts.


    After exchanging nces with each other, we looked at Nora, half expecting her to say something.


    Instead, Nora remained silent as she stood up and prepared to leave.


    ¡°Ms. Oberick, thank you for your help,¡± Linda called out.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok. I just happened to be here,¡± she replied coolly as she continued to head toward the door.


    After everything that had happened, the awkwardness I felt with Nora earlier had long been dispelled.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to drink with Linda? It¡¯d be insincere for you to leave now, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    Nora stopped in her tracks and turned to look at me with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Did I say I was leaving? I


    just wanted to use the bathroom.¡±


    As soon as she said it, she walked into the bathroom and closed the door.


    Linda was left even more confused by this interaction and gaped at me. ¡°You two know each other?¡±


    I nodded.


    After a while, Nora walked out of the bathroom and looked at us. ¡°I¡¯ve ordered some drinks. Shall we


    have them together?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Linda replied excitedly. ¡°If we¡¯re having drinks, should we get some food too?¡±


    ¡°Done! Delivery shouldn¡¯t take long,¡± Nora said with a grin as she scrutinized Linda. ¡°I heard you¡¯re


    Armond¡¯s personal assistant?¡±


    Linda cleared her throat nervously. ¡°Well, there¡¯s nothing personal about it. It¡¯s just a job.¡±

 Chapter 704

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 704


    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Linda beckoned me to sit with her.


    I sat next to Linda but realized Nora refused to look in my direction. Judging by that reaction, I figured


    she was still mad at me from earlier.


    A sharp-eyed Linda also noticed the tension between us and tried to change the subject. ¡°We¡¯re so


    thankful for your help today. Otherwise, who knows what that scumbag Derek would have done to us.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± Nora casually replied.


    Piqued by curiosity, Linda couldn¡¯t help but continue, ¡°Ms. Oberick, the grandfather you mentioned


    earlier, is he the Mr. Oberick that I¡¯m thinking of?¡±


    Nora pursed her lips as she pondered about the question. ¡°Don¡¯t think so much. Meeting you was fate,


    so let¡¯s drink to that!¡±


    It was at that moment when I realized how little I knew about Nora. We had initially met in Venria, and


    even though everyone shared their stories, we all kept them brief. Even I didn¡¯t divulge much about


    myself, so it wouldn¡¯t be a surprise if she had held back information about herself too.


    Linda noticed Nora¡¯s reluctance to borate and thus didn¡¯t ask any further. It was also then when the


    food and drinks got delivered.


    Linda poured us our wine and raised a toast to us. ¡°Once again, I have to thank the two of you for


    today. Here¡¯s to our friendship!¡±


    Nora raised her ss of wine in return and drank it in one gulp.


    ¡°I¡¯m still curious though, how did you get in here? We didn¡¯t even see you around before this. It seems


    too much of a coincidence, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Linda quizzed.


    Nora raised her head and nced at me. ¡°I had long noticed themotion when you were still in the


    lobby. Then I heard the staff mention the old lecher wanting to get a room, so I told them to let me in


    first.¡±


    Linda nodded, her eyes filled with gratitude. ¡°Thank goodness for you. I still shudder to think what


    Derek might have done to us otherwise.¡±


    Just then, I mustered up my courage and turned to Nora. ¡°I was rash earlier today, and I apologize for


    that. Thank you for still helping us get rid of Derek.¡±


    Nora seemed to be in self-reflection as she held my gaze. ¡°It¡¯s not entirely your fault. I¡¯m sure you have


    your reasons, so I shouldn¡¯t have forced you for an answer. Besides, when ites to affairs of the


    heart, everyone handles them differently. I shouldn¡¯t have meddled in yours. I am to me for being so


    pushy,¡± she said apologetically.


    ¡°No, you aren¡¯t!¡± I eximed. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to handle these problems, and I always seem to


    oveplicate them. As an outsider, you have a clearer view of things. And as my friend, it¡¯s only


    natural that you want to help. At the end of the day, it¡¯s my fault for pushing you away.¡±


    Linda looked at us and burst outughing. ¡°You guys are adorable! Come on, let¡¯s drink. Real friends


    don¡¯t keep grudges. After today, we¡¯ll still be friends!¡±


    With the tension between Nora and I all gone, the three of us continued drinking to our hearts¡¯ content.


    Nora was terrible when she got under the influence of alcohol. All it took was a few sses of wine


    before shetched on to Linda and bombarded her with every question about Armond, from details


    about his lifestyle to his past rtionships.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Linda could still hold back initially, but the more she said, the more enthusiastic she got. Before long,


    she had managed to spill just about everything she knew about Armond.


    I had stopped drinking for fear of getting too drunk and having no one to take care of me. As I


    continued to be entertained by my friends¡¯ incessant need for gossip, Armond called.


    ¡°Where are you?¡± he asked, slightly fuming.


    It suddenly dawned on me that because I had gone out with Linda right after work, I hadn¡¯t been home


    to make Armond dinner. Is that why he¡¯s angry?


    My anxiety drowned out my surroundings as I tried to pull myself together. ¡°Mr. Murphy, I¡¯m so sorry.


    I¡¯m out with friends tonight, so I- ¡°


    ¡°Where are you?¡± he interrupted.


    I was speechless, but Nora replied on my behalf, ¡°Baroness Bar.¡±


    ¡°Who are you with?¡± Armond snapped. He wasn¡¯t hiding his anger anymore.


    ¡°Linda and Nora,¡± I answered honestly.


    After a slight pause, I added, ¡°Mr. Murphy, have you eaten?¡±


    However, all I got was a dial tone in response as Armond had already hung up on me.


    Nora, who was now very drunk, tried to snatch my phone away. ¡°Who was that on the phone? Was it


    Ashton?¡±


    As she fiddled around with my phone, she continued, ¡°You should call him and snatch him back from


    Ms. Zimmer, or whatever she¡¯s called. He¡¯s your man! How can you let him take care of another


    woman?¡±


    I pped my forehead in exasperation. Nora was a little dizzy from all the wine she had had, so I led


    her over to the sofa to rest.


    Linda, on the other hand, was already lying quietly on the sofa. If she had been anything like Nora, I


    wouldn¡¯t have been able to handle them both.


    I got up to get Nora some water, only to realize I felt a little light-headed myself. So much for saying I¡¯d


    drink less.


    ¡°Ashton, your woman is drunk. Are youing to take care of her?¡± Nora suddenly piped up.


    When I turned to look at her, I found her pressing away on my phone haphazardly. I couldn¡¯t help but


    frown. ¡°Nora! Stop ying!¡±


    She ignored me as she brought the phone to her ear and shouted, ¡°Baroness Bar!¡±

 Chapter 705

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 705


    After that, she continued, ¡°No, I¡¯m drunk now. I shouldn¡¯t be calling Ashton. I should call Armond, and


    let hime¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, Nora dozed off.


    I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at how ridiculous she was. Since she had fallen asleep, I brought her to the


    bed and tucked her in.


    After covering Linda with a nket, I decided to lie on the sofa to get some shut eye.


    Ding dong! I was so close to dozing off when the doorbell to our room suddenly rang. I was stunned


    and sat up straight from the sofa.


    Alcohol had clouded my mind, and I began to fear the worst. What if that there was an intruder at our


    door?


    A short whileter, the door opened, and Armond stepped into the room. One of the staff from Nora¡¯s


    bar followed behind, still holding on to the room key.


    When he realized the room reeked of booze and was inplete disarray, Armond¡¯s face zed with


    anger. ¡°How much did you drink?¡±


    Seeing how angry and fierce he already was, I decided not to lie. ¡°A lot. But Nora and Linda drank the


    most.¡±


    ¡°Do you expect me to praise you for having control?¡± he said coldly, even though the anger in his voice


    was obvious.


    I was still feeling light-headed, but I forced myself to stay sober. ¡°Armond, I¡­ ¡°


    ¡°Armond?¡± Nora suddenly sat up from the bed when he heard his name. In her drunken stupor, she


    scanned the room until she met his gaze and broke into an enormous grin.


    ¡°Armond, you¡¯re here? Are you going to take me home?¡±


    She then got up from bed and staggered over, throwing herself into Armond¡¯s arms. ¡°I knew it. I knew


    you¡¯d appear in my dreams. Linda told me you hadn¡¯t been a virgin since you were seventeen. I¡¯m sure


    you must be amazing¡­ ¡°


    Nora¡¯s words left me dumbstruck.


    I didn¡¯t pay a lot of attention to what Nora and Linda were discussing earlier. But judging by what we


    just heard, Linda had been very generous with the details.


    The entire situation was so embarrassing that even the staff who had apanied Armond had left


    quietly.


    Armond was already angry when he first stepped into the room. But, now with Nora all over him, the


    fury in his eyes intensified even more.


    He stared daggers at me like he was about to shred me to pieces. In an instant, I tried to pull Nora


    away from him but to no avail.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I trembled as I spoke, ¡°Mr. Murphy, Nora¡¯spletely drunk now and thinks she¡¯s dreaming.¡±


    ¡°How dare you, Scarlett!¡± He gritted his teeth in anger.


    I forced a smile, despite feeling like I might keel over anytime from embarrassment.


    Themotion had caused Linda to stir from her sleep as she groggily sat up from the sofa. She had a


    moment of rity and shock when she saw Armond. ¡°Hello, Mr. Murphy. Please excuse me. I¡¯ve still


    got work to do.¡±


    Linda then stood up and strode toward the door like she was going back to work. Damn, she is


    ckout drunk.


    I was getting worried about Linda when she didn¡¯t show any signs of stopping. She can¡¯t possibly


    believe she¡¯s at work, can she? If she walks out in this state, she¡¯s going to get into trouble.


    Without further ado, I hurriedly apologized to Armond, ¡°Mr. Murphy, I¡¯m so sorry! Linda has had too


    much to drink. I¡¯ll go after her!¡±


    In my hurry to keep up with Linda, I identally bumped into someone on my way out. Before I could


    make out who the person was, I was already once again apologizing profusely.


    I had barely stepped out of the room when that same person grabbed me by my arm and pulled me


    back.


    It was only then that I got a good look at him. My eyes widened in surprise when I met the gaze of


    Ashton. Why is he here? Oh no, that means Nora must have made a real call earlier.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Ashton asked before I could say anything.


    My mind was aplete mess from the alcohol and all the surprises that had been thrown at me.


    ¡°Linda¡¯s drunk, and I can¡¯t leave her on her own,¡± I sputtered.


    Ashton hesitated as he looked around the room. He appeared somewhat relieved when he saw


    Armond getting pestered by Nora, then proceeded to pull me out of the room and toward the bar.


    Even in her drunken state, Linda had managed to make her way to the entrance of the bar. That was


    as far as she went because she made herselffortable and fell asleep against one of the flowerpots.


    Despite many attempts to wake her up, Linda still didn¡¯t stir. Ashton had no choice but to call for


    Joseph, who got to the bar in just ten minutes.


    Joseph pinched his brows and sighed in resignation when he saw Linda sprawled on the floor. It was


    clear what Ashton had called him over for, and he felt a headacheing on.


    ¡°Get Linda checked into a hotel room, or try to send her back home,¡± Ashton instructed. With that, he


    forcefully pulled me up to leave with him.


    I was still perplexed as I followed behind him. ¡°Ashton, what are you doing?¡±


    He didn¡¯t say a word, not even when he pushed me into the car and sped off.


    As the car windows were down, I was constantly sted by gusts of cold air, making me feel


    increasingly sick and nauseous.


    Eventually, I couldn¡¯t take it any longer and tugged at Ashton¡¯s sleeves to let him stop the car. When he


    finally pulled up at the side of the road, I stumbled out and started retching.


    I took the bottle of water he handed over and rinsed my mouth with it. ¡°Do you still feel sick?¡± he asked


    sympathetically.


    I shook my head slowly, even though I still felt dizzy and awful. When I tried to stand up, Ashton


    immediately came forward and caught me in his arms.


    At that moment, my subconscious wanted to push him away. But after a long, arduous day, coupled


    with the effects of wine, I had no strength left to fight him. I was so tired I just closed my eyes and


    stayed in his arms.

 Chapter 706

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 706


    Ashton brought me back into the car and rolled the windows back up. I had no energy left to move or


    talk, so I just leaned against the car and slowly drifted off to sleep.


    When I woke up to the sound of water running in the bathroom, I found myself lying on a hotel room


    bed.


    I knew I was brought to the hotel by Ashton, so waking up on a foreign bed didn¡¯t worry me as much.


    Even after the rest I had, my head was still spinning, and my body felt limp. No matter how hard I tried,


    I just couldn¡¯t get myself out of bed.


    So that¡¯s how it is after I drink. I may be sober, but my body just refuses to cooperate with me.


    The bathroom door opened, and Ashton stepped out with a towel wrapped around his waist. ¡°Are you


    awake?¡± he asked as he nced at me.


    I nodded and instinctively pulled at the covers. It was only then that I realized I had been stripped


    naked.


    My eyes widened in horror as I red at Ashton. ¡°Ashton, you¡¯re despicable! You knew I was drunk,


    and yet, you¡­ ¡°


    He turned toward me with a raised eyebrow. ¡°And yet I what?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of his reaction, so I mumbled, ¡°Did you do that to me?¡±


    He casually yanked his towel off to dry his hair before asking, ¡°Do that?¡±


    He knows what I mean, yet he still acts all innocent about it.


    Since he seemed reluctant to give me a direct answer, I changed the subject. ¡°Where are my clothes?¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    He stopped drying his hair to look at me, still with the same indifference he had before. ¡°You should be


    asking me where my clothes are,¡± he replied coolly.


    ¡°Fine. Where are your clothes then?¡± My anxiety increased when I realized the room stank of booze,


    and both his and my clothes were missing. What have I done? Wait¡­ What have we done?


    He threw his towel aside and leaned closer to me. ¡°My custom-made suit cost one hundred and eighty


    thousand. Include my emotional damages, and that would be two hundred thousand in total. How do


    you n to settle that?¡±


    His words left me speechless. When did I owe him two hundred thousand?


    ¡°You puked all over me, don¡¯t you remember? The hotel has security cameras. Do you need to see


    some footage as proof?¡±


    As I took in that familiar scent of his, my instinct was to avoid him altogether. But he had me backed


    into a corner, and there was nowhere I could hide.


    ¡°I threw up again?¡± I asked apologetically. I had no memory of what happened after I had fallen asleep


    in the car.


    He said nothing as he looked at me, a hint of arrogance in his eyes.


    Perhaps I had been so ckout drunk that I couldn¡¯t remember throwing up on Ashton. And seeing as


    how both our clothes weren¡¯t in the room, I was starting to believe him.


    After some hesitation, I began to worry about the mary amount he mentioned earlier. ¡°Do you really


    need that much for emotional damages?¡±


    I knew that all his clothes were custom-made by famous, big brands, which justified their insane price


    tags. But twenty thousand for emotional damages was just too far-fetched for me.


    ¡°Every meeting I conduct is valued in the tens of millions. Asking for twenty thousand isn¡¯t too much of


    a stretch, is it?¡± he replied calmly.


    ¡°But, I didn¡¯t know you had a meeting to attend. I didn¡¯t even know you wereing. And besides, I


    wasn¡¯t the one who called you¡­¡± I protested, my voice trailing off weakly.


    With a monthly sry of a mere few thousand, where was I going to find two hundred thousand to pay


    him back?


    ¡°Does that mean I should delete your number from my phone? And that I should never answer your


    calls again?¡¯


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to pick up the call,¡± I mumbled in frustration, as the image of him hugging Rachel


    earlier that day once again filled my mind. Hit with a pang of jealousy, I added, ¡°I guess I really am to


    me. I have probably ruined your date with a gorgeous woman.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett, what nonsense do you have in your head?¡±


    I stared at him with furrowed brows, anger slowly simmering away. Perhaps all that alcohol had


    lowered my inhibitions because I decided to speak my mind. ¡°Yes, there¡¯s nonsense in my head, unlike


    Rachel. She has the looks and the brains. She¡¯s good at everything while I¡¯m not. She¡¯s the only good


    match for you, so why don¡¯t you go back to her. I didn¡¯t want you here anyway.¡±


    I lowered my head as I tried to hold my tears back. Everyone was always ming me for not knowing


    my ce and for pushing Ashton away.


    But little did they know that I was the one who had to endure the most hurt. I was the one who had lost


    the baby. And I was the one who had to put up with all the resentment and grievances.


    When I didn¡¯t hear a response from Ashton, I looked up and saw him looking straight at me.


    I was taken aback by how intense his stare was and tried to avert my eyes. However, he cupped my


    chin and turned me around to meet his gaze. ¡°Are you bringing up Rachel to agitate me? You keep


    trying to push me toward her even though I don¡¯t feel for her that way. I went along with it to keep you


    happy, but now you¡¯re ming me? If you can¡¯t ovee the hurdles in your heart, I¡¯m willing to wait


    and give you all the time you need. Even if it takes the rest of my life, I¡¯ll continue to wait.¡±

 Chapter 707

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 707


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to wait!¡± I cried out, tears welling up in my eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve told you before that I don¡¯t


    need you to wait for me. So what if I¡¯m not happy about this arrangement? Time is the best medicine,


    isn¡¯t it? I pushed you to Rachel because I don¡¯t want you pestering and upsetting me when I¡¯m with


    someone else in the future. Is that so wrong?¡±


    I paused to wipe my tears away as Ashton remained silent. ¡°Once we each have found a better partner


    for ourselves, it¡¯d be best to stay out of each other¡¯s lives. You know it wasn¡¯t me who made the call,


    and I never wanted you there either. I¡¯m willing topensate for having puked on you, but do you


    have to p me with a whopping two hundred thousand fee? You said I¡¯d get half of your assets if we


    got a divorce. I¡¯m letting you know now that I want nothing from the Fullers. I¡¯ve also gotten mywyer


    to transfer HiTech¡¯s ownership to you. From here on, we¡¯ll have nothing to do with each other. I¡¯ll pay


    for your suit, but not for the emotional damages you im to have.¡±


    With that said, I angrily pushed Ashton away. I wrapped myself with the towel he had tossed aside and


    made a beeline for the door. I don¡¯t care if anyone sees me like this. The body is just a shell. To hell


    with anyone who dares criticize me.


    I had only taken a few steps toward the door when Ashton grabbed me and pushed me onto the bed. I


    could see the fury in his eyes as his pent-up anger and frustration burst forth.


    The more I struggled, the more Ashton held me down. ¡°You¡¯re wrong if you think I¡¯m someone who will


    come and go as you wish. Stop messing around and tell me exactly what you want me to do. Or do you


    think you¡¯re the only one for me?¡±


    I bit my lips in fear, cold beads of sweat rolling down my face. ¡°Ashton, you b*stard!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a b*stard?¡± he growled. ¡°Tell me what it means to be husband and wife. You left me without a word


    and kept pushing me to other women. Every time we speak, you say you want to sever all ties with me.


    Scarlett, do our marriage certificates mean nothing to you?¡±


    That was thest straw for me. ¡°Ashton Fuller, I¡¯m going to sue you.¡±


    I was in so much pain from being pinned down by Ashton, and my head was still hurting from the


    alcohol. All the emotions that had been bubbling inside of me had finally surfaced. I couldn¡¯t help but


    burst into tears.


    My voice was hoarse and quivering as I continued, ¡°Just tell me if you want to destroy me. You are


    Ashton Fuller, and you can easily get any woman you want. You¡¯re only mad at me because I was the


    one who pushed you away. If I became obsessed with you as Reba did, you¡¯d have tossed me


    aside like an old rag. You just refuse to ept the fact that I¡¯ve rejected you.¡±


    Every word I said was like a stab to my heart, and I sobbed even harder.


    Ashton suddenly let go of me. He looked me in my eyes as he asked softly, ¡°So, in your opinion,


    everything that I¡¯ve done to get close to you is because I¡¯m unable to ept your rejection?¡±


    I could see the hurt in his eyes as he said that. Unwilling to look at him again, I lowered my head.


    Ashton brought my chin up to meet his steely gaze. ¡°Why are you hiding? There¡¯s no need to be afraid.


    Just be honest with me.¡±


    When I didn¡¯t reply, he chuckled. ¡°What? Feeling guilty already?¡±


    I was so close to aplete breakdown. ¡°Ashton, what on earth do you want with me? Don¡¯t you know


    the reason I¡¯m pushing you away? It¡¯s your fault that I¡¯m unable to bear any children now. Like any


    other girl, I just want to feel my parents¡¯ love. I¡¯ve always envied other girls for being able to ride on


    their fathers¡¯ shoulders, but you¡¯ve ruined all the expectations I have of my parents. Are these reasons


    not good enough for you?¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Seeing how stunned he was, I added, ¡°Yes, I love you, but so what? I could have given us children, but


    because of your selfishness, I went to hell and back. Not only did I lose a child, but I also can never be


    a mother again. And to make things worse, I can¡¯t ever look my biological parents in their eyes because


    you¡¯ve turned us into enemies. Are these not reasons for me to push you away?¡±


    Ashton merely continued to look at me, his eyes so cold and hard.


    Iughed bitterly. ¡°You think that as long as we have mutual love and understanding, we can go back to


    what it was like and once again be the couple that everyone envies. But Ashton, ask yourself truthfully,


    can we really move on from the past? Because I know I can¡¯t.¡±


    In my defence, I had tried my best to forget everything that had happened to me. I once thought that


    maybe if I had a child again, I¡¯d be able to bury the past.


    s, destiny yed a cruel joke on me. I could no longer bear any children, and I also had to be


    constantly reminded of the child I lost. My past would haunt me forever.


    After all, I¡¯m a mere human, not an animal. Sighing to myself at the thought, I knew I would always


    have memories that continue to torment me. Each time I saw a mother with her child, the memory


    woulde back and rip me apart. I could no longer love Ashton the way I did because the more he


    stayed in my life, the more I hated him.

 Chapter 708

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 708


    Therefore, I chose to leave him.


    After a long while, he stood up and walked to the side silently. He lifted the phone and made a call.


    ¡°Joseph, send over two sets of clothing.¡± He hung up and went into the bathroom.


    After a while, he came out, and there was a knock at the door. He wrapped a towel around his waist


    and answered it.


    When he came back, he held two bags in his hands. He did not shy away from me at all. He simply


    changed into his clothes and blow-dried his hair in front of the bed.


    Iy in bed while he stood at the window. With a low and reserved voice that held a hint of


    helplessness, he said, ¡°Here are some clothes. From now onward, I will not bother you anymore. You


    are free.¡±


    He put the bags on the bedside table. Then, he took his phone and car keys and turned to leave.


    ¡°Ashton!¡± I called out to him.


    He stopped in his tracks. His slender back stiffened. He did not turn to look at me but replied faintly.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    I let out the breath of air that I was holding in. Biting on my lips slightly, I said, ¡°If it is possible, I would


    like for the both of us to go to the Civil Affairs Bureau to get divorced.¡±


    The air froze instantly. His hands balled up into fists. Veins popped up on the back of his hands.


    ¡°Sure!¡± He uttered that clear solitary word after a long while.


    Watching him leave, I could only lie on bed and let my tears flow freely.


    Life is a long journey. Now everything was back to square one. In the next life, I wished that instead of


    having the kind of love that was breath-taking and fiery, just an ordinary encounter and subsequently


    growing old together with the love of my life would suffice.


    That night was destined to be another sleepless night.


    After sleeping for a few hours, I was groggily awakened by my ringing phone.


    It was a call from Nora. ¡°Scarlett, I did it. F*ck! I did itst night.¡±


    My head was throbbing. I did not understand what Nora meant. ¡°What do you mean by you did it?¡±


    ¡°Err¡­¡± she paused for a bit and said, ¡°I slept with Armondst night. And I think it was quite wild.¡±


    I was stunned. Going along with what she said, I questioned, ¡°Wild?¡±


    Nora replied, ¡°Yes. My clothes werepletely ripped! You won¡¯t believe this. He even destroyed my


    newly-bought lingerie!¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    ¡°Is this your first time?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± she eximed. Then, she suddenly realized something. ¡°F*ck! I didn¡¯t see him around this


    morning. I couldn¡¯t have broken him, could I?¡±


    I¡­ I was at a loss.


    To be honest, this was the first time I encountered a situation like this.


    ¡°Err¡­ Shouldn¡¯t you just call him?¡± Armond looked like he was over thirty. He couldn¡¯t be so


    inexperienced that he would get hurt from having intercourse.


    ¡°Yeah, I should. I¡¯ll hang up now!¡± Nora did not behave bashfully and nervously at all for a girl who just


    had sex.


    I was just about to hang up when she was reminded of something and suddenly asked, ¡°Oh yeah,


    where did you gost night? Linda called me just now and told me she was absolutely wasted. She


    couldn¡¯t remember who you left with.¡±


    I pursed my lips and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Hold up. Didn¡¯t you drink until you cked outst night?


    How did you know you were with Armond?¡±


    She snorted inughter. ¡°Are you kidding? I may be drunk, but my brain is still fully conscious. Besides,


    how could I miss the chance to sleep with the man I liked? That would be unlike me. Now spit it out.


    Who were you withst night?¡±


    ¡°Ashton!¡± There was no point in concealing.


    Nora exploded with excitement on the other side. ¡°Damn! You were with himst night? How was it?


    Did you make up?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I sighed, ¡°if everything goes ording to n, I will probably get the divorce papers these few


    days. Then, we will go back to J City to finalize the divorce.¡±


    She went silent for a bit. Then she asked, ¡°Scarlett, I need to ask you seriously ¨C Why?¡±


    I smiled faintly. I could feel that I was over it. ¡°Many things happened in the past. There is just too much


    that can¡¯t be rified between the two of us. So, I can¡¯t stay with him. I guess this is fate.¡±


    She sighed and advised, ¡°Perhaps you have already made up your mind and you have your own ns


    in mind. If so, I support your decision. But Scarlett, I really do think that you will only meet and love a


    man like Ashton once in a lifetime. In the future, you might regret letting go of him.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Maybe it will be as you said. However, bear in mind, Nora. Life is full of choices. No matter


    what we decide, we will always regret the path we did not take. So, we should just roll with it!¡±


    She mumbled in response. There was a hint of pity in her tone, but she did not say anything else.


    After hanging up, I looked at the time and noticed that it was almost eight-thirty.


    I had to go to work! Hastily, I got up, washed up, and put on fresh clothes. Soon, I was out of the door


    and on a taxi to thepany.


    When I reached the entrance, I realized that I may have forgotten Armond¡¯s breakfast.


    ¡°Good morning, Scarlett!¡± I could hear Nora greet me from behind.


    I was quite surprised. ¡°Why are you here?¡±

 Chapter 709

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 709


    Nora held up the food container in her hand and said, ¡°I know you have no time to take care of my


    man. So I brought him breakfast. And¡­¡±


    She lowered her voice and whispered, ¡°¡­ And I came to see if he is alright.¡±


    I winced at this disy of affection and nodded gingerly. ¡°Great, you go and check on your man. I need


    to go clock in. I¡¯ll contact you in the afternoon.¡±


    I scurried past the office entrance and felt relieved to get in finally. After settling down at my work desk,


    I caught my breath.


    Linda saw me. She handed the bread in her hand over to me. ¡°It looks like you have not had your


    breakfast. You¡¯ll just have to make do with this. ording to scientific findings, not eating breakfast is


    as bad as eating poop. In conclusion, eating bread is still better than eating poop. So eat up!¡±


    I looked at her with befuddlement.


    ¡°But why do I feel like you don¡¯t really want me to eat it?¡±


    She smirked, ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it. How wasst night? Did you sleep well?¡±


    Linda was asking in a very suggestive tone.


    Nora must have told her about my night. I shrugged and replied nonchntly, ¡°Oh, it was just normal.¡±


    It was working hours, so it was not prudent to keep prattling. She asked me out for lunchter.


    And I said okay.


    I had to let Armond sign some documents from yesterday. After arranging them, I headed straight to


    Armond¡¯s office.


    Before entering, I knocked at the door. The deep and serious voice of a man answered, ¡°Pleasee


    in!¡±


    Pushing the door open, I found him seated in front of hisputer. He was diligently working as usual.


    Remembering what Nora told me piqued my curiosity. I wonder where did he sustain the injury?


    ¡°Mr. Murphy, these documents need your signature,¡± I said, cing the documents right before him.


    ncing at his table, I noticed the container that Nora was holding earlier. Ah, so she was here.


    He murmured in response and looked up at me. Then he asked weirdly, ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    I froze and realized that I was staring at him quite rudely. Awkwardly, I answered, ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. I just


    wanted to ask if you have had breakfast. Last night, you¡­¡±


    He stared at me so intently until I felt a little intimidated. He said, ¡°Trying to set up your boss, Ms.


    Stovall? You¡¯re getting bold, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    I shook my head and said in utmost sincerity, ¡°Mr. Murphy, you have to believe me. I didn¡¯t do anything.


    I did not know anything aboutst night¡¯s events. Also, you saw me going after Linda toward the end.


    She had drunk too much. If I had let her leave on her own, it would have been dangerous.¡±


    As I reached that part, testing the water, I asked, ¡°Do you feel fine fromst night?¡±


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    His brows lifted and settled into a frown. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°Your body!¡± I blurted out hastily. I was very close to asking if he had gone to the doctor to check if


    there were any problems.


    He gave me an indifferent nce and asked coldly, ¡°Why would my body be not fine?¡±


    Um¡­


    There was no point in asking further. I smiled pleasantly to conceal my embarrassment. ¡°No, no. Your


    body¡¯s great! Always in a good condition.¡±


    I definitely could not continue with my queries. I took it as my cue to leave when he said, ¡°Some people


    from Fuller Corporation areing over for a meetingter. You are the person in charge of the


    project. The meeting is at nine. Don¡¯t bete.¡±


    While nodding and indicating that I got the message, I saw him reaching out to take a file. His


    outstretched hand was bandaged. I was surprised, and before I could stop myself, I blurted out, ¡°Mr.


    Murphy, your hand?¡±


    He looked at his bandaged hand impassively and replied faintly, ¡°I identally hurt myselfst night.¡±


    So¡­


    The blood was not what I thought?


    The air was heavy with awkwardness. I quickly exited Armond¡¯s office and phoned Nora.


    ¡°What did you dost night? Why is Armond¡¯s hand hurt?¡± I asked.


    She seemed to be a bit taken aback and said, ¡°I am not sure. I can¡¯t really remember. When I saw his


    bandaged hand earlier, I was surprised too. I racked my brain but I just can¡¯t recall how I hurt him.


    That¡¯s it! I¡¯m exhausted. I need my beauty sleep now since I didn¡¯t sleep wellst night. Talk to you


    later, bye!¡±


    With that, she hung up right away.


    Back at my desk, Linda sent over some files that were needed for the meeting. She went out of her


    way to remind me. ¡°Today is our first meeting with the Fuller Corporation. You have to be alert and


    make sure everything goes smoothly.¡±


    I nodded. Since I have taken over this project, I cannot just do the job perfunctorily.


    After scanning through the meeting agenda and important points, it was almost time for the meeting.


    I was making my way to the conference room when I met Armond and Linda. They both looked at me


    and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go! We need to go downstairs to wee the guests from the Fuller Corporation.¡±


    This weing requires the president of the Murphy Corporation himself? Something is up.


    Trailing behind them, I was a little puzzled and had questions. But they were both walking too fast, so I


    did not get a chance to ask.


    At the first-floor lobby, Armond marched ahead with a standard socializing smile on his face. ¡°Mr. Fuller,


    wee!¡±


    I looked over to the entrance. Coincidentally, Ashton was walking in with his entourage. They were all


    dressed in formal suits and looked especially sharp.


    It¡¯s no wonder. I was right. Armond would not have needed toe out personally for an ordinary


    meeting.


    I lowered my head and followed behind Armond. I asionally looked up to smile and lead the visitors


    around.

 Chapter 710

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 710


    Ashton and Armond chatted amicably. These two men who had never met before seemed to be rather


    chummy with each other. One could tell at a nce that they were wolves in sheep¡¯s clothing in the


    corporate world.


    Linda was walking beside me. She noticed that something was off and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be distracted. We


    are at work now. Everything else should be set aside.¡±


    I nodded, took a deep breath, and entered the conference room along with everyone else. Linda


    arranged for a secretary to serve tea.


    Out of nowhere, Ashton, who had been talking to Armond all the while, suddenly spoke. ¡°Mr. Murphy, I


    had a look at your list of employees just now. Ms. Stovall over here is your secretary?¡±


    Armond nodded, and his gazended on me. With a vague smile, he answered, ¡°Yes, she has just


    joined ourpany. She is quite capable.¡±


    Ashton nodded and remarked thoughtfully, ¡°No wonder you let her take over the Fuller Corporation


    project.¡±


    I frowned. Why did he suddenly change the topic?


    Sss! Maybe because the atmosphere was a little tense, the secretary who was serving tea identally


    scalded her hand. Due to the pin-drop silence, this little hiss sounded especially loud.


    Armond¡¯s brows furrowed for a brief moment. He went on and said, ¡°Mr. Fuller, let us continue with our


    discussions regarding the Lavelian Vige project.¡±


    Ashton grunted in reply but did not speak. He looked at the secretary who got scalded, and said, ¡°Just


    go get some rest if you are hurt.¡±


    Hisment was baffling, but that was not all. After a slight pause, he said, ¡°Ms. Stovall, you wouldn¡¯t


    mind pouring us some tea, would you?¡±


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I did not manage to say anything before Linda spoke up. ¡°Mr. Fuller, we are sorry. We hope you


    understand that even though Scarlett is Mr. Murphy¡¯s secretary, she is in charge of this project right


    now. She needs to present and exin the proposal in a while more.¡±


    Ashton raised an eyebrow. ¡°It¡¯s merely pouring some tea. It wouldn¡¯t affect anyone¡¯s job. If you think


    that my request is unreasonable, then it is fine.¡±


    He looked toward Rachel, who was seated beside him, and said, ¡°Ms. Zimmer, I will have to burden


    you with this task.¡±


    Rachel nodded. She epted the request with a warm smile, entuating a ssy demeanor.


    As this series of events unfolded, it made Murphy Corporation look petty and calctive. Linda¡¯s


    expression turned sour.


    Armond spoke up, his distant gaze directed at me. ¡°You should do it, Ms. Stovall. It would be rude for


    us to let our guests do the serving instead.¡±


    I nodded, stood up, and took the teapot from the secretary.


    Rachel had already got up from her seat. Seeing this, she smiled faintly and said, ¡°It¡¯s just a small


    matter, Mr. Murphy. Now that we are all seated in this conference room, we will definitely be working


    together in the future. There¡¯s no need for us to be so particr about minor details since we¡¯re a team


    now.¡±


    Armond smiled in return and replied, ¡°That is true. But if it¡¯s something that we should do, we must do it


    properly.¡±


    Ashton looked at Rachel. With a caring look on his face, he said to her, ¡°Alright, that would do. Since


    Ms. Stovall will be servicing us, don¡¯t tire yourself. Your ankle is still sprained. Sit down and rest.¡±


    If these words were said in a daily context, or said personally when there was no one else around, or


    even said by somebody else ¨C it would not be weird. This time, however, the words came from the


    mouth of a walking cier also known as Ashton Fuller.


    The intimacy demonstrated instantly permeated the room. Everyone looked at each other. The


    implication behind those words was loud and clear. More so for the staff at Fuller Corporation who had


    never seen me before.


    Naturally, everyone thought that Ashton and Rachel were an item.


    Rachel was stunned too. A blush appeared on her porcin and wless face. She looked demure and


    bashful.


    Armond only looked at me briefly. In the next moment, he resumed his discussion with Ashton.


    Lavelian Vige was a recreational project by Murphy Corporation. They nned to attract tourists from


    local and afar by promoting the various expensive jade items found there. They needed Fuller


    Corporation¡¯s AI technology because they intended to use AI to develop a hundred-acre paradise that


    would attract even more visitors.


    At the same time, Fuller Corporation¡¯s AI technology would also get mass publicity. On top of that,


    Fuller Corporation would build an AI technology museum in Lavelian Vige to further advertise this


    project.


    As the two bosses were discussing the project, the rest of us listened quietly.


    Fuller Corporation did not arrange for many people to attend this meeting. Besides Rachel, Joseph,


    and Ashton, there was two other staff. They were most probably in charge of operations in A City.


    It was not the first time I had served tea. Never in a million years did I foresee that I would trip when I


    passed by Rachel. I fell face-first on the floor with great embarrassment.


    Sss! The water in the teapot was hot, and it inadvertently got thrown onto me. Linda quickly helped me


    up. She said worriedly, ¡°Come on. I¡¯ll take you to the washroom to clean off.¡±


    We were about to exit the room when Rachel called out to us. ¡°We are going to start the meeting for


    the project any time now. Aren¡¯t you presenting, Ms. Stovall? How long would this take? Mr. Fuller is


    busy with other things in the afternoon.¡±


    Linda frowned and countered, ¡°She has been scalded. This won¡¯t take long.¡±


    Rachel nodded with empathy and exined herself with concern. ¡°I know. I do not mean anything else.


    I just wanted to remind you that there is not much time left. Please go ahead. I hope Ms. Stovall isn¡¯t


    seriously hurt.¡±

 Chapter 711

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 711


    Ashton and Armond¡¯s attentions were both naturally drawn to the suddenmotion. Armond snuck a


    nce at Ashton before asking me, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    I nodded in response. ¡°The water wasn¡¯t that hot. I¡¯ll go change my clothes ande back.¡±


    ¡°The private restroom in my office has a spare change of clothes,¡± he helpfully offered. ¡°Feel free to use


    those.¡±


    I nodded in a daze and gestured for Linda to remain where she was. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    I exited the conference room and made a beeline for Armond¡¯s office. I had no other choice; I wouldn¡¯t


    be able to buy a new change of clothes in the shop now.


    His private restroom was equipped with a bathroom, a bed, and other amenities. The minimalistic


    interior perfectly reflected his cold personality.


    Inside the closet, there were several suits and ties as well as neatly folded-up shirts. Just as he had


    told me, there was one set of women¡¯s clothing ced in the corner of the closet. The clothes looked


    familiar to me, yet I couldn¡¯t recall exactly where I¡¯d seen them before.


    I decided to take a cold shower before changing into the clothes. The clothes fitted perfectly. However,


    the scalded skin stuck out like a sore thumb.


    I paid no heed to it and rushed back to the conference room to resume the meeting.


    When I got there, Linda was in the middle of presenting the project details and our concerns. After that,


    a representative of the Fuller Corporation described the level of cooperation needed from us during the


    implementation process.


    As the person in charge, I was responsible for taking every detail and possible setback into


    consideration. That included smoothing over any troubles that might arise during our coboration.


    Having bothpanies¡¯ objectives aligned, we proceeded to finalize the coboration. The person in


    charge from bothpanies would have to be on-site to supervise the progress once the project


    commenced.


    After signing the contracts and exchanging handshakes and greetings with each other, Linda came to


    me to ask, ¡°You didn¡¯t treat your burns?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯ll do itter. There¡¯s no ointment in here.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a woman, Scarlett. You have to treat your skin better. It¡¯ll be hard to remove any scars the


    wounds might leave in the future.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± Iughed lightly, hugging the contract documents to my chest. ¡°Does this skirt


    I¡¯m wearing belong to you? It looked familiar to me.¡±


    She scanned my appearance from head to toe. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the outfit you wore when you came back from


    Venria?¡±


    I blinked owlishly, realizing that Ashton and Armond were both staring at me from afar. Furrowing my


    eyebrows, I nced down at my clothes again.


    Something was amiss. Armond had never bought clothes for a girl before. Hence, when he had to buy


    clothes for us in Western Europe, he chose four simr designs. Although they were simr, they were


    each different and individual pieces.


    I distinctly remembered what he¡¯d bought for me; these were not those clothes. Amongst the four of us,


    only Nora shared the same body shape and height as me.


    Thus, these clothes had to be Nora¡¯s. I couldn¡¯t help but look over at Armond curiously. Why does he


    have Nora¡¯s clothes?


    Feeling my gaze on him, he cleared his throat and dered loudly, ¡°It¡¯s noontime. Let¡¯s have lunch


    together.¡±


    It seemed that things between him and Nora were progressing much more rapidly than we¡¯d thought.


    ¡°Mr. Murphy has some interesting kinks,¡± Rachel giggled.


    She¡¯d said that on purpose for Ashton to hear.


    Ashton¡¯s face instantly darkened, turning his attention to me. I knew all too well just by his expression


    that he was suppressing his anger.


    As we exited the conference room, Linda leaned in and whispered confusedly, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°These are Nora¡¯s clothes,¡± I sighed, exasperated.


    She chuckled. ¡°Those two are getting on a lot better than we¡¯d expected. But I was actually asking


    about you and Ashton. What happened? Nora told me that you and he are married to each other. Who


    is that pretty youngdy by his side?¡±


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story, but we won¡¯t be married anymore soon.¡± I shrugged. ¡°After this project is over and


    done with, I¡¯ll go to J City with him to sign the divorce papers.¡±


    Linda was rendered speechless by my sudden confession.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Rachel¡¯s voice cried out from in front of us.


    It seemed that she had tripped over something and was limping.


    Several people turned around at the sound of her cries. ¡°What happened?¡±


    Rachel leaned against a wall, eyes watering pitifully as she said, ¡°Sorry. I twisted my ankle yesterday,


    so I can¡¯t really walk well. Now it just hurt even more¡­¡±


    Rolled her eyes at the sight, Linda muttered under her breath, ¡°Does she expect someone to carry her


    like a princess?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t she say that she¡¯d twisted her ankle?¡± I nced at Linda, perplexed.


    ¡°She¡¯s trying to take advantage of the fact that she can¡¯t walk. Watch.¡±


    Ashton¡¯s eyebrows knitted together slightly, ordering Joseph, ¡°Go help Ms. Zimmer up.¡±


    Joseph nodded, holding Rachel up by one arm and assisting her in getting to the elevator, which was


    already full.


    ¡°Mr. Campbell, you and Ms. Zimmer should use the VIP elevator instead,¡± Armond suggested.


    Taken aback, Joseph nced over at Ashton, who offered no response. So, Joseph rejected Armond¡¯s


    suggestion with a polite smile.

 Chapter 712

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 712


    ¡°Ms. Zimmer injured herself in mypany building, so I have to take some responsibility.


    asionally letting other people benefit from the privileges offered to me wouldn¡¯t hurt, either¡± Armond


    stated.


    Ashton¡¯s voice was low as he cut in, ¡°It¡¯ll make things easier for Ms. Zimmer. Go.¡±


    Joseph nodded, helping Rachel enter the VIP elevator. However, Ashton showed no signs of getting in


    with them.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller?¡± Armond spoke up, puzzled.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take this one,¡± Ashton replied simply, following Linda and me into the employees¡¯ elevator.


    It was lunchtime, and there were more people than usual in the elevator. His tall height and handsome


    looks made him stand out from the crowd, drawing many curious looks from the rest of the employees


    in the elevator.


    ¡°What is Mr. Fuller doing?¡± Linda was stunned.


    He could have definitely fitted in thatrge VIP elevator with much more room to spare.


    I had no idea why he was acting that way either and decided to keep my mouth shut.


    The elevator stopped many times on the way down, and people kept getting off or getting on their


    respective floors. Somehow, in the midst of all the chaos, Ashton ended up standing in front of me, and


    I was being squished into a corner.


    He was facing me, shielding me from the push and pull of the rest of the passengers in the elevator.


    I felt awkward after having said so many cruel things to him yesterday. Fixing my gaze on the floor, I


    ced a hand on his chest in an attempt to widen the distance between us. He didn¡¯t budge an inch,


    seemingly unbothered by my actions.


    His eyes fell to my burnt wrist and furrowed his eyebrows.


    The elevator stopped at yet another floor, opening up to let more passengers in.


    Suddenly pushed by someone else, Ashton¡¯s body jerked forward, and he took a step closer to me as


    he readjusted his bnce. There was barely a hair¡¯s breadth of space between us.


    I pursed my lips and stayed silent, but the sound of my racing heartbeat was thumping in my ears. He


    nced down at me, quietly murmuring, ¡°We should be reaching soon.¡±


    The simple sentence instantly calmed me down, and we eventually arrived at our floor, just like he said.


    Armond, Rachel, and Joseph were already waiting for us outside the elevator when we exited.


    Ashton walked out in front of me, and Linda hung back to nudge me with her elbow. ¡°The two of you


    were getting pretty intimate there, huh?¡±


    My cheeks flushed red. ¡°Nonsense!¡± I sputtered out, speeding up my pace to get away from her.


    She followed behind me closely, giggling all the way.


    Our group headed towards the restaurant. At the main entrance of the restaurant, Ashton said


    something to Joseph, and his assistant quickly left.


    The two staffers apanying Rachel noticed that her ankle didn¡¯t seem to have improved much. ¡°Ms.


    Zimmer, should we get some ointment for you to relieve the pain?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll go away soon.¡± She gave them a gentle smile, which only motivated the two


    employees to help her even more.


    They jumped to their feet, valiantly announcing, ¡°Mr. Fuller, we¡¯ll be going out for a minute¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± Ashton interrupted. ¡°Joseph has already gone to buy ointment for her ankle.¡±


    The two men shrank back awkwardly, giving each other a knowing stare. They were both adults; they


    knew what was going on.


    Armond nced at me. ¡°Mr. Fuller is very protective towards Ms. Zimmer, I see. I should have thought


    of that beforehand and let Linda go to buy pain relievers for Ms. Zimmer as well as burn ointment,


    instead of having Mr. Campbell go out. It¡¯s unsightly for a girl to have any scars.¡±


    Linda jumped to her feet. ¡°Right, I almost forgot about that! I¡¯ll go buy some straightaway!¡±


    And with that, she took off.


    I gave Armond a smile. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    Joseph soon returned, handing the stic bag in his hands to Rachel. ¡°Ms. Zimmer, should I help you


    to the infirmary to treat your injury?¡±


    ¡°No thank you, Mr. Campbell,¡± she answered, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯ll handle it myself after I finish my


    meal.¡±


    Linda also came back, nearly on Joseph¡¯s heels as she rushed into the restaurant. ¡°I¡¯ll go wash my


    hands and then help you put this on!¡± she told me, giving me a box of burn ointment before leaving.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Almost immediately, Armond took the burn ointment from me and pulled a chair to sit down beside me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    What?


    Without waiting for a response, he took out the ointment and the cotton swab that hade with it. He


    carefully tugged on my hand and ced it on his thigh, squeezing out a bit of the cream and spreading


    it all over my burn wound.


    Linda came back from the washroom, her mouth falling open when she saw us. ¡°Mr. Murphy, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Armond nced up at her.


    ¡°Nope! Not at all!¡± She quickly turned away, wiping her hands dry with a napkin.


    The atmosphere around the dining table was strange and ufortable. The food had been ordered,


    but nothing had been served yet. Armond kept himself upied by focusing on treating my burn


    wounds, while Ashton had on a stony expression. Everyone else instinctively turned a blind eye.


    I felt as if I was sitting on needles, being watched so intently by several people at once. Armond looked


    unperturbed by the whole situation as if he had nothing to do with it.

 Chapter 713

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 713


    After putting on the ointment, he took my hand in his and raised it to his lips, blowing on it softly. ¡°I don¡¯t


    think it¡¯ll scar,¡± he reassured in a gentle tone. ¡°I¡¯ll put some more after we get back tonight. It should


    heal properly after a few days, but to be on the safe side, don¡¯t touch any water tonight and ask me if


    you need help with anything, okay?¡±


    His words made it sound like we were much closer than we actually were. I felt Ashton¡¯s sharp gaze


    focus on us from afar.


    ¡°Mr. Murphy, are you living together with Ms. Stovall?¡± Rachel asked suggestively.


    Armond simply murmured in acknowledgement.


    For some reason, the two employees from the Fuller Corporation decided to add fuel to the fire, perking


    up and added, ¡°You treat Ms. Stovall with such kindness, Mr. Murphy. Anyone would be able to tell that


    the two of you are very close. It¡¯s so admirable that you can work together and take care of each other.¡±


    I was at a loss for words for a good moment. I opened my mouth, wanting to defend myself, but was


    worried that it would seem as if I was taking the chance to exin and show off my rtionship with


    Armond on purpose.


    So, I kept silent. At that moment, a waiter arrived with our food and that was the end of the topic.


    While eating, the two Fuller Corporation employees had somehow jumped to the conclusion that


    Ashton and Rachel were a couple.


    After the meal was finally over, Ashton instructed Joseph to send Rachel home, but the man in


    question had some other things to tend to.


    Without a beat of hesitation, Linda offered to let me take Rachel home.


    I didn¡¯t even have a chance to retort with anything before Linda shoved me into the driver¡¯s seat of my


    car.


    Rachel didn¡¯t speak for a long time during the drive. Naturally, I didn¡¯t attempt to make conversation


    with her either.


    Suddenly, she spoke up. ¡°Did you leave Mr. Fuller because of me?¡±


    I paused, then shook my head. ¡°No. It has nothing to do with anyone else.¡±


    She rubbed at her knee, possibly due to the low temperature of the car¡¯s air-conditioning. I reached


    down and turned the air-conditioner to a warmer setting.


    ¡°So you do have some self-awareness and left him because you know that you don¡¯t deserve him. In


    that case, you¡¯re not as despicable as I thought you were.¡± She watched as I turned up the heating in


    the car. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    I let out a light, casualugh, deciding not to argue with her on the subject. ¡°I¡¯ll send you to the hospital


    to get your injury checked out. You¡¯ve hurt your leg two times already, and it might be much more


    severe than expected.¡±


    She nodded but didn¡¯t sound grateful at all as she said, ¡°Sure. You have nothing else to do, anyway.¡±


    At the hospital, the doctor asserted that she¡¯d pulled a ligament in her leg and needed to rest at home


    for a few days. He prescribed her some pills and an ointment for her injury.


    ¡°Send me home, too. It¡¯s hard to hail a taxi out here,¡± she insisted as we exited the hospital.


    It was true that taxis rarely came by the hospital area. Internally sighing, I nodded silently in agreement.


    While on the way to Rachel¡¯s ce, Linda called my phone. ¡°Why are you still out? What happened?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, I just brought Rachel to the hospital. Tell Armond that I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    ¡°Holy crap! Are you out of your mind, Scarlett? That woman is trying to steal your man! Why are you


    going to such lengths for her!¡±


    The speaker on my phone wasn¡¯t particrly loud, but anyone sitting near me could still be able to hear


    Linda¡¯s raised voice.


    I gave Rachel an anxious sidelong nce. She was staring at the passing scenery outside, seemingly


    letting her mind wander.


    ¡°Whatever. I¡¯m driving right now, so I¡¯ll call you backter!¡± I hung up the phone and went back to


    keeping my eyes on the road.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Ashton, maybe we could have be good friends.¡±


    The words that came out of Rachel¡¯s mouth surprised me, and I nced over at her in bewilderment.


    ¡°Two people fighting over someone else¡¯s affections can never be friends, anyway.¡± The corners


    of her lips quirked up slightly.


    There was a pause before she went on, ¡°I¡¯m curious as to why you left Ashton. From my point of view,


    he was really serious about you.¡±


    ¡°Everyone has their own troubles to deal with. You need a certain amount of fate and luck in a


    rtionship, and when those run out, the rtionship naturally falls apart.¡± I slowed the car to a stop at


    a red traffic light.


    She pursed her lips, silent for a moment. ¡°That is why I will be happier with him than you were, Scarlett.


    I will never leave him, no matter what.¡±


    I merely smiled and didn¡¯t reply.


    I headed straight for the office after sending Rachel home. Linda gave me a ss of cold water as


    soon as she saw me, saying, ¡°So? Did anything transpire from two love rivals sitting in a car together?¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡± I gulped down the water, immediately feeling cooling relief spread throughout my body. It


    was already August, and yet the weather was still so hot and humid.


    She clicked her tongue, sitting down opposite me. ¡°Seriously, what happened?¡± She sounded


    uncharacteristically solemn as she stressed, ¡°Are you really ending things with Ashton like this?¡±


    I was already fed up with the topic and was in no mood to discuss it further. ¡°Isn¡¯t Magpie Festival two


    days from now?¡± I hummed. ¡°Want to call up Nora and grab lunch together with her?¡±


    She nodded, suddenly widening her eyes as if recalling something. ¡°Sure. By the way, the burn


    ointment I gave you earlier was from Mr. Campbell!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Campbell?¡±


    ¡°I bumped into him on my way out. Apparently, Ashton had instructed him to buy it for you and also buy


    medicine for Rachel while he was at it. When he saw me, he figured I was going out to purchase


    ointment for you, so he just gave this one to me.¡±


    The little knot bothering me in my chest tightened even further. I inhaled sharply but kept my mouth


    shut.


    Seeing that I wasn¡¯t offering any sort of response, Linda sighed. ¡°Scarlett, you and Ashton still care for


    each other, don¡¯t you? If so, then why put yourselves through so much torture? Did you see the look on


    Ashton¡¯s face when you and Armond were acting all intimate with each other today?¡±

 Chapter 714

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 714


    I stared off into space and didn¡¯t answer her. As a result, she decided to end the conversation there


    and walk away to continue working.


    The project at Lavelian Vige was going to kickstart as soon as it was approved, so I had made ns


    to stay there for a while.


    Nora called me right after I¡¯d finished packing up my belongings in the office, inviting me to eat dinner


    with her tonight.


    I had yet to answer her when I realized that Armond was standing at my door, gazing at me. Thinking


    that he was here for business matters, I quickly told Nora, ¡°Give me a minute!¡± before turning around


    and asking him, ¡°Have you gotten off work already, Mr. Murphy?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°What are we eating tonight?¡±


    Right. I¡¯d nearly forgotten that I was responsible for managing his daily meals. I hesitated, pondering


    over Nora¡¯s dinner invitation.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t decided yet. What would you like to eat?¡± I replied instinctively.


    ¡°Anything. Work hours are over. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°You can head on down first. I¡¯lle as soon as I get my things sorted out.¡±


    I waited for him to walk a good distance away before whispering into my phone. ¡°Nora?¡±


    ¡°Are you going to reject my invitation?¡±


    I massaged one of my temples, pitying her quick wits a little. ¡°No, you idiot. Are you going to pass up


    such an amazing chance to hook up with this highly eligible bachelor?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send you Mr. Murphy¡¯s address so you cane over and cook dinner for him tonight. I¡¯ll act as


    your assistant, and we can eat together at his ce. How does that sound?¡±


    She gasped in excitement. ¡°Really? You are my superhero, Scarlett! I¡¯m going over there right this


    second!¡±


    Hanging up the call, I dashed out of the office and searched for Armond¡¯s car in the building parking lot.


    He seemed to have smoked a cigarette while waiting for me, the heavy smell causing me to cough a


    few times. ¡°Is there something on your mind?¡±


    He started up the car, replying calmly, ¡°No.¡±


    After that, he didn¡¯t speak a word to me at all. I could tell that he was in a bad mood, although I wasn¡¯t


    sure why.


    Half an hourter, we reached his vi. Armond made a beeline for his study upstairs while I paced


    around aimlessly in his kitchen, waiting for Nora.


    She eventually showed up at the house with several bags full of groceries. ¡°I already told you not to buy


    anything. This is so much!¡±


    ¡°I needed specific ingredients for my recipe, and I wasn¡¯t sure if you had them!¡± She winked at me. ¡°Oh,


    and besides that, I spotted someone next door who looked familiar.¡±


    ¡°Who is it?¡± I took the groceries from her and set them down on the kitchen counter.


    ¡°I think it was the assistant who¡¯s always beside Ashton. He looked like he was moving in.¡± The kitchen


    was entirely made up of smart appliances, but she looked at ease and in her own element as she


    instructed me to wash the vegetables.


    ¡°Joseph is moving here?¡± I wondered out loud to myself, dumbfounded.


    She nodded, busying herself with creating a homemade sauce.


    The housing prices in A City weren¡¯t as expensive as in K City, but they usually went for around several


    hundred thousand per unit. Joseph was already married with children, so why was he purchasing a vi


    worth hundreds of thousands here of all ces?


    It wasn¡¯t as if he regrly came to A City either, because he worked in K City. Was it possible that he


    was feeling pressured or stressed so he bought a house here as an investment?


    I couldn¡¯t figure it out even after wracking my brain, so I decided to throw the idea to the back of my


    mind and distracted myself by following Nora¡¯s instructions in the kitchen.


    ¡°How are you nning to spend Magpie Festival?¡± I questioned.


    Her movements froze for a brief second as she nced at me out of the corner of her eye. ¡°What about


    you?¡±


    ¡°Linda and I made ns to meet up and have a meal together.¡±


    ¡°I can guarantee that she¡¯s going to stand you up,¡± she chuckled.


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s at the time of life where she¡¯s trying to start another rtionship after the failure that was her


    first marriage. You should be spending such a lovely holiday with someone you¡¯re interested in, not


    eating out with your besties! There¡¯s always another time for that.¡±


    I observed as she skillfully sliced up the fish into thin pieces, admiring her professionalism. ¡°Basically,


    what you¡¯re saying is that you don¡¯t want to spend Magpie Festival with me.¡±


    ¡°Obviously.¡± She rolled her eyes at me humorously. ¡°I can go out and eat with you anytime, just not on


    Magpie Festival of all days! I want to spend the day doing romantic things and such, you know?¡±


    She has a point.


    Come to think of it, there was no other choice for me but to spend the holiday alone. I pondered over


    whether I should make a trip back to K City.


    After thepletion of this project and the divorce was finalized, I had to consider my ns to settle


    down in A City.


    As preparations were nearly done, Nora told me, ¡°Go wash your hands and call the neighbor toe


    over as well. We¡¯re all acquaintances and I¡¯ve cooked so much today, so this could be like a weing


    party for him.¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    The thought of Joseph hadpletely escaped my mind. Getting ready to go out, I washed my hands


    and called out over my shoulder, ¡°Armond¡¯s in the room to your left on the second floor. Go up and tell


    him that dinner is ready.¡±


    She giggled, breaking out into a wide grin. ¡°Can I take this as you create a chance for me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s up to your own interpretation.¡± I waved her off.


    Armond¡¯s vi wasn¡¯t thatrge. Every building was close to one another, and it had a front yard as well


    as a water feature in the backyard.

 Chapter 715

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 715


    A single wall separated the two rooms. Sound traveled easily across the balconies.


    I rang the bell of the neighboring vi. Joseph answered the door. When he saw me, he started ever so


    slightly, then asked, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, is something wrong?¡±


    I paused, then smiled at him winningly. ¡°Were you aware that we were neighbors?¡± It was peculiar that


    Joseph hadn¡¯t asked me what I was doing here. Instead, he had immediately seized on something


    going awry.


    Joseph¡¯s eyes darted uneasily. He avoided the question altogether and eximed brightly, ¡°Please


    come in!¡±


    ¡°No need for that,¡± I assured him. ¡°It¡¯s time for dinner, and you just moved in today. I suppose you


    haven¡¯t had the time to cook. Would you like to join me?¡±


    Joseph smiled but insisted on showing me in.


    I felt it rather peculiar of him to do so. It all made sense to me, however, after I¡¯d stepped and caught


    sight of the man himself seated on the grey couch and reading a book.


    The one who had pushed for this move must have been Ashton rather than Joseph.


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, let me get you a ss of water!¡± Joseph chirped, already darting out of the room in haste.


    I remained standing where I was in the living room, tension creeping up my spine. I searched my mind


    frantically for something to say. Linda¡¯s words shed across my mind and I blurted, ¡°Thank you for the


    ointment you sent me today afternoon!¡±


    Ashton¡¯s eyes never left his book. He casually turned a page, then replied coolly, ¡°OK.¡±


    Silence returned to the room.


    I gulped, then continued, ¡°Are you nning to stay here?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ashton intoned. He clearly didn¡¯t seem interested in having a conversation with me at the


    moment.


    I bit my lip and pressed on. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that you haven¡¯t had anything to eat. I¡¯ve already made


    dinner. Do you want to join me?¡±


    Ashton suddenly mmed his book shut. He got his feet and replied evenly, ¡°All right.¡±


    Without another word, he set his book down and left the room.


    At that moment, Joseph re-entered the living room bearing a ss of water. He froze when he saw


    Ashton stalking out. Joseph hurriedly shoved the ss of water towards me, saying, ¡°Mrs. Fuller,


    please have a drink!¡±


    I shook my head and replied, ¡°No need. Come over and have dinner with us!¡±


    Joseph nodded, smiling sheepishly. ¡°Thank you for having us!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to stand on courtesy,¡± I replied cheerily.


    By the time we¡¯d traipsed back to my ce, Nora had already arrayed the dishes on the table. When


    she saw us enter, Nora beamed, remarking, ¡°What a crowd we have today! It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve


    had such an eventful dinner.¡±


    As Nora set the table, I noticed that Armond wasn¡¯t present. Turning towards Nora, I asked, ¡°Did you


    call Mr. Murphy toe as well?¡±


    Nora nodded, her face coloring slightly. ¡°He¡¯ll be down in a while.¡±Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Noting her rather unusual reaction, I probed, ¡°Is something the matter?¡±


    Nora smiled faintly. She said in a low voice, ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner first.¡±


    Armond arrived minutester after getting changed. He didn¡¯t seem surprised to see Ashton and


    merely greeted him rather matter-of-factly. We all sat down to dinner.


    I suddenly had the peculiar feeling that everyone was privy to some information I was clueless about.


    ¡°Scarlett, how do you n on spending Magpie Festival?¡± Nora abruptly asked. I raised my head and


    met her level gaze, nonplussed.


    Nora continued smiling at me encouragingly. ¡°Are you spending it with anyone? Why don¡¯t you ask Mr.


    Fuller out?¡±


    I was bbergasted. What is this woman trying to do?


    Armond likewise had looked up from his te. It was Joseph, however, who spoke. ¡°I think tomorrow¡¯s


    the actual date of the Festival, actually.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s the weekend besides,¡± Nora eximed. She enthusiastically shifted her attention to


    Armond, pressing, ¡°Mr. Murphy, will you be going out with anyone?¡±


    Armond maintained his usual collected self. He eyed Nora, then answered brusquely, ¡°Nope.¡±


    Without thinking, Nora fired back, ¡°I¡¯m reserving you for tomorrow night, then.¡±


    ¡°Ahem!¡± Armond suddenly erupted into a fit of violent coughing. Flustered, he reached out for the


    napkins on the table.


    Nora helpfully handed them to him. Rather helplessly, she chided, ¡°How are you still choking on water?


    You¡¯re not a child anymore!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but stifle a giggle. It was the first time we¡¯d seen Armond flustered. It was quite a sight.


    Feeling someone¡¯s eyes on me, I looked around and saw Ashton¡¯s prating gaze fixed squarely on


    me. Momentarily taken aback, I, too, nearly knocked over the ss of water near me.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on with all of you? Why¡¯s everyone so on edge?¡± Nora demanded.


    No one responded. I cleared my throat and straightened my back a little nervously.


    After a moment¡¯s hush, Nora sighed. ¡°Scarlett, when are you going to move in with me? I¡¯m all alone


    and bored out of my mind! Why don¡¯t you move in quickly?¡±


    After a moment¡¯s dy, I answered hesitantly, ¡°All right, perhaps in a few days¡¯ time. I¡¯m scheduled to


    take over some projects these few days and I¡¯ll be a little busy with work.¡±


    Armond stared at me. ¡°You¡¯re nning to move out?¡±


    I nodded. Toote, I remembered that Linda had once told me Armond didn¡¯t like having caregivers at


    home. He¡¯d thus always had personal assistants or secretaries handle his personal affairs instead.


    I froze for a moment, uncertain of how to reply.


    Just then, my stomach lurched, and I frowned subconsciously. Nora was already getting up and striding


    towards the fridge. She brought out a pitcher of watermelon juice with her, announcing, ¡°Have some of


    this, everyone. It¡¯s freshly-squeezed watermelon juice.¡±


    The cold watermelon juice perfectlyplimented the cool August evening. I took a swig and felt


    instantly rejuvenated.


    The watermelon juice brought an air of refreshment to the table, and we broke off into idle chatter.


    Looking thoughtful, Armond asked Nora out to the rear house for a private conversation.


    Joseph had simrly scurried off into a corner to deal with matters of his own. Ashton and I were left to


    ourselves.

 Chapter 716

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 716


    I wasn¡¯t nning to subject myself to further awkwardness that night. I stood up and prepared to clear


    the table. Ashton, however, was looking at me strangely. Bemused, I asked, ¡°Do you want to head over


    to the living room and rest?¡±


    Ashton didn¡¯t speak. He wordlessly got up and brought the dishes into the kitchen.


    I took a step forward to stop him. He was a guest, after all. However, Ashton¡¯s dark gaze halted me in


    my tracks. I gaped at him, unable to muster a single coherent thought.


    I lowered my head and turned to the sink. Before I could turn on the tap, however, Ashton had hauled


    me aside. ¡°Get over there. I¡¯ll do it,¡± he said roughly.


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


    I made another move to assist him but was arrested by his menacing gaze. All I could manage was to


    stand by, hovering over his shoulder and fretting inwardly.


    After a moment¡¯s thought, I asked tentatively, ¡°Why did you suddenly move all the way here? Aren¡¯t you


    returning to K City already?¡±


    Ashton tilted his head and looked at me icily. ¡°Are you saying that you don¡¯t want me here?¡±


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


    To Ashton, however, I shook my head vigorously. ¡°There¡¯s so much for you to do in K City. Haven¡¯t you


    more or less settled your matters here?¡±


    ¡°What about that?¡± Ashton replied curtly. He turned back to the dishes in hand, scrubbing and rinsing


    them off expertly.


    He seemed reluctant to talk. I made up my mind not to put myself out on Ashton¡¯s ount.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    I thus kept to myself as I waited in the corner, ready with a hand towel for him to dry off when he was


    done. Ashton took it, then turned his attention to the fridge.


    Baffled, I broke my silence. ¡°What are you looking for?¡±


    ¡°Eggs,¡± Ashton replied, pushing aside cartons and several food items.


    ¡°What do you want eggs for?¡± I asked incredulously.


    Ashton took out a jar of brown sugar. He turned to me serenely and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you feel a slight


    difort in your stomach?¡±


    Stunned, I nodded uprehendingly. ¡°A little. What does that have anything to do with eggs?¡±


    Ashton bit his lip, considering. Then he ordered, ¡°Go to the room and get changed. Do you have any


    spare¡­?¡±


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


    immediately turned crimson with embarrassment.


    Aghast, I quickly turned. There was arge stain on my pants that I had, up until that moment, been


    blissfully unaware of.


    I¡¯d dismissed the brief twinge of pain in my stomach earlier, never expecting my period to have arrived


    so suddenly without warning. It had been two months since Ist had it and had long since lost track of


    my cycle.


    Observing my flushed face and my hapless state, Ashton sighed. ¡°Go and change. I¡¯ll buy some


    tamponster.¡±


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


    Before I could exit the kitchen, however, Armond and Nora¡¯s voices drifted in, getting louder as their


    owners approached the living room. Armond and Nora had evidently concluded their talk.


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


    Unfazed, Ashton immediately took off his jacket. Raising his voice, hemented, ¡°It¡¯s cold. Put this


    on.¡±


    Nora and Armond appeared in front of us. At the sight of Ashton draping his jacket around my


    shoulders, Armond winked knowingly, teasing, ¡°Did wee back at a bad time?¡±


    I shed him a smile, then quickly replied, ¡°I¡¯m going to the bedroom to change into something


    warmer.¡±


    Fortunately, Ashton¡¯s long frame meant that his jacket hung rather loosely on me. It provided a rather


    opportune cover.


    I got changed as quickly as I could. In my hurry to escape from Armond and Nora, however, I realized


    that I¡¯d forgotten to bring my phone with me.


    I could only hover, frustrated, in the bathroom.


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


    way in.


    She stuffed the tampon that she had been discreetly hiding into my hands. Nora batted her eyshes


    at me slyly, saying, ¡°You¡¯ve got rather good chemistry with your husband, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    I bit my lip, then retreated into the bathroom to change. When I emerged, Nora was sitting on the bed in


    deep thought. I took a seat beside her. ¡°What were you discussing in the rear house with Armond?¡±


    ¡°We were talking about life. Can you believe it?¡± Nora scoffed. She sounded disappointed.


    Seeing her upset face, I decided not to pursue the matter and merelymented, ¡°I had ns to move


    in with you, but that¡¯s turned out to be rather unfeasible. I promised Armond that I¡¯d be here for all three


    meals in the day.¡±


    Nora nodded. ¡°Got it.¡±


    After a moment¡¯s pause, she turned to me and said triumphantly, ¡°I think Ashton moved here on


    purpose to further his chances with you! I really appreciate his persistence and approach to courtship.¡±


    Speechless, I made no reply.


    We sat at length inpanionable silence. Atst, when night had decisively descended on us, Nora


    got ready to leave. I followed her downstairs. Ashton and Armond were engaged in a vigorous


    discussion that broke off when Nora and I appeared.


    Armond stood courteously. ¡°Let me send you home, Nora,¡± he urged.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I drove,¡± Nora replied briskly. Traces of unhappiness were still apparent on her face.


    What on earth did they talk about?


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


    I prepared to follow. Ashton, however, clutched me and smoothly stepped in my way. ¡°What are you


    doing?¡±


    Startled, I retorted, ¡°I¡¯m going to send Nora off, of course!¡±


    ¡°Armond¡¯s already doing that,¡± Ashton said. He towered above me, barricading my way out.


    Suddenly, a thought seemed to spring to Ashton¡¯s mind. ¡°Does your stomach still hurt?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I feel a lot better now, all thanks to you,¡± I replied meekly.


    I opened my mouth, about to ask Ashton to take his leave. However, he interrupted, ¡°It¡¯s almost


    autumn. Dress warmer when you go out.¡±


    I nodded obediently. ¡°OK.¡±


    Ashton maintained his tight grip on my arm. I tried to subtly wriggle out of it, but he held fast. ¡°Where¡¯s


    the ointment?¡±

 Chapter 717

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 717


    Ashton was looking rather intently at the scalded area. I mumbled in reply, ¡°It¡¯s much better! I¡¯m fine!¡±


    Ashton furrowed his brow. Without even asking, he took my bag and fumbled through it for the


    ointment. He then proceeded to apply it.


    Ashton looked at me throughout the entire process. His gaze was unfathomable. ¡°Is Armond better at


    this than I am?¡± he questioned.


    Ufortable, I shifted my weight from foot to foot, then stammered, ¡°It¡¯ste, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you chasing me away?¡± Ashton demanded, his face growing murderous.


    I took a deep breath, then nodded defiantly. ¡°Yep. Or would you rather stay here?¡± I asked sarcastically.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Can¡¯t I?¡± Ashton challenged. His dark eyes bore into my soul.


    Dumbfounded, I shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s up to you.¡±


    Ashton thus remained in the vi. I did my best to ignore him and headed up to my own bedroom.


    When Armond was back from sending Nora home, he¡¯d naturally deal with Ashton.


    After my shower, I¡¯dpletely put aside all thoughts of Ashton. It was almost ten at night, so I blow-


    dried my hair, read a little, and eventually drifted off to sleep.


    The rain came without warning. It was a chilly autumn night, and droplets pattered rhythmically onto the


    ground. A frosty wind blew into the bedroom, and I woke up with a shiver.


    I made my way over to the window to shut it.


    Suddenly, a burst of lightning, followed by the deafening p of thunder, filled the room. Petrified, I


    bolted towards the window.


    In my rm, however, I ran right into the arms of the chaise lounge beside the bed.


    A sharp pain shot through my knee and I crumpled to the floor.


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


    waiting, and I tried to get up to no avail. I finally sat on the floor, defeated.


    The only thing within reach was the smallmp beside my bed. I turned it on, but the dim light only


    seeded in casting ghoulish shadows against the wall. The wind continued howling through the open


    window. A chill ran down my spine.


    The curtains were flying, spraying droplets of water across the room. At that moment, in the middle of


    the storm, the vi seemed to be a most forlorn, deste ce.


    Ever since that traumatic incident with my baby, I¡¯d always felt a sense of dread in the presence of rain


    and thunder. I was utterly vulnerable at the moment, incapacitated as I was with the elements blowing


    right at me.


    I started to panic. My imagination was running wild and I began to tremble from terror. Valiantly, I tried


    multiple times to stand up with the support of surrounding furniture but only seeded in knocking into


    others.


    With a loud crash, themp fell to the floor and shattered. Its wan light instantly went out, leaving the


    room smothered in darkness.


    I felt a wave of horror wash over me. Shrinking into a corner, I thought I could hear the sound of an


    infant wailing above the noise of the storm.


    I recoiled in fear. Amidst the mounting dread, the sadness I¡¯d suppressed for so long noticed that I let


    my guard down and saw its chance. Physically and emotionally debilitated, I nearly went mad with


    despair.


    As I looked once more, dazed, at the window, the faint light streaming into the room took on the


    appearance of blood seeping steadily across the floor.


    I screamed with everyst bit of strength left within me.


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± someone cried from beyond the window.


    ¡°Go away! All of you, go away!¡± I shrieked in fright.


    Stupefied with fear, I¡¯d curled up into a ball, my head stuck resolutely between my knees. I was shaking


    uncontrobly.


    ¡°Scarlett, it¡¯s me, Ashton,¡± a voice said gently beside me. It pierced through the tumult of the nightmare.


    My heart clung wildly to that voice. At that moment, the rest of the world seemed to quieten down and


    fade away.


    I lifted my head slowly. The light in the room had been switched on and the curtains neatly fastened.


    The window was now tightly shut.


    ¡°It¡¯s me. Don¡¯t be afraid,¡± Ashton said again, softly.


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


    Without thinking, I copsed into his arms, sobbing. ¡°It was my baby! He¡¯s here! He¡­ he hates me! He


    hates me because I didn¡¯t protect him!¡±


    Ashton wrapped his arms around me tightly. He inhaled, then said hoarsely, ¡°He doesn¡¯t. He knows that


    you love him. How can he bear to hurt you, knowing that you loved him so much? Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯ll be


    fine.¡±


    He gently patted me on the back, soothing me. My tears flowed freely as Iy in his arms, my heart


    heavy. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I really did my best, but that rope was just too thick. I couldn¡¯t get free!¡±


    Ashton nodded. He gave me another squeeze and said tenderly, ¡°He knows, he knows. He doesn¡¯t


    me you for it.¡±


    Wey on the ground for a while as I recovered my wits. With Ashton¡¯s help, I tried to stand, but the


    pain was still unbearable.


    With a single swift motion, Ashton picked me up and carried me back to my bed. He then tucked me in


    and sat beside me.


    I realized then that the pool of blood I¡¯d seen spreading across the floor had been umted


    rainwater that had poured in from the window that I hadn¡¯t managed to close.


    As I gazed absently at the puddle on the floor, Ashton looked at me worriedly. ¡°Are you sleepy?¡±


    Another thought urred to me. ¡°How did you get in?¡± I asked curiously, ignoring his question.


    Ashton looked rather shamefaced. He then admitted, ¡°The two balconies are connected. If you want,


    you can cross over easily from one to the next.¡±


    I gave him a hard look. ¡°Ashton, you trespassed on private property!¡± I used.


    His gaze traveled up and down my body, then fixed on my arm. ¡°How did you get hurt?¡± he demanded.


    I then realized that there was a giant bruise on my arm that I¡¯d overlooked in my distress.

 Chapter 718

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 718


    Ashton had already flung the nket aside, a rapid motion that lifted up my skirt along with it. Horrified,


    I snatched it back and cringed beneath it. ¡°Ashton, you brute¡­¡±


    He turned to me with a smouldering look. Without another word, he got up and strode out of the room.


    I gaped at him. Did he just walk out on me? I thought in disbelief.


    Ashton returned a few minutester with a first aid kit in his hand. He once again took up his seat


    beside my bed and deftly began to apply ointment to my arm.


    Ashton¡¯s regr, handsome features, framed by the soft glow of the light in the room, made a familiar


    but irresistible picture. I realized with a start that I¡¯d known him for close to ten years now. He remained,


    however, just as gorgeous as when I¡¯d first met him.


    When he had finished, Ashton suddenly raised his head. Deep in thought, I hadn¡¯t time to react and


    was confronted with his intense stare.


    Our eyes met. For a moment, I felt as if I¡¯d plunged deep into his obsidian eyes. My face burned and I


    could feel my heart racing in my chest.


    ¡°Ahem,¡± I coughed. My throat suddenly felt incredibly parched. ¡°I¡¯m very grateful to you for what


    happened tonight. I¡¯m willing to overlook your trespassing incident and so won¡¯t be calling the police.


    Goodbye!¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Ashton gave a high, dryugh. He narrowed his eyes at me, then remarked, ¡°Scarlett, I never


    realized how cunning you are with your words!¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    He reached out and grabbed my chin. Ashton was just inches away from me, and we were close


    enough to feel each other¡¯s breaths on our faces. I flinched. ¡°I wasn¡¯t quibbling,¡± I argued breathlessly,


    my heart pounding. ¡°I was speaking the truth. Ashton, I told you that there was nothing between us


    anymore. Once I¡¯ve finished this project, we¡¯ll go back to J City and get our divorce papers. Things will


    be officially over between us then.¡±


    I refused to look at Ashton andy back down on the bed, facing away from him.


    Ashton remained sitting as still as a statue. After a while, when he hadn¡¯t moved, I began to feel


    uneasy.


    I thus turned back to look at him. To my shock, Ashton was staring straight at me. ¡°Is it because of the


    baby? Or is it because of your parents?¡± he asked thickly.


    The mncholic look in his eyes gripped me. I bit my lip, then said slowly, ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? You didn¡¯t


    experience first-hand any of the events that I went through. They¡¯re all a list of incidents in your mind.


    We lost a baby, and I still bear grudge against my parents. You don¡¯t know how it feels! You think that


    these things can be ovee easily. You think I should move on and continue being with you as if


    nothing happened. That¡¯s selfish, Ashton!¡±


    Ashton continued gazing at me. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally spoke. ¡°They¡¯re not just a


    list of incidents to me. If you want freedom or a new start, I¡¯m willing to give everything up. Until then,


    Scarlett, you need someone by your side to take care of you. When you¡¯ve found that person, I¡¯ll agree


    to the divorce readily and leave. I¡¯ll let you live the life you want then.¡±


    I was taken aback by his matter-of-fact tone. I hadn¡¯t foreseen that Ashton, who was usually so


    domineering, would suddenly soften once pressed. It difited me.


    ¡°All right, you¡¯d better keep your word then!¡± I replied hotly. As those words left my lips, however, there


    was a vague aching in my heart.


    ¡­


    After the dark, stormy night, the next morning arrived bathed in a soft, sunny radiance. The air was


    filled with the scent of freshly turned soil.


    When I woke up, Ashton was no longer in the bedroom. He¡¯d evidently snuck away sometime in the


    night, probably after I had fallen asleep.


    Without giving it much thought, I headed to the bathroom to wash up, then went to downstairs to


    prepare breakfast. There was no sign of Armond for a long while, however.


    Puzzled, I knocked on the door of his room, then opened it. The bed was still neatly made. It had


    clearly remained undisturbed the whole night.


    I then remembered that aside from the ruckus I¡¯d raised in my bedroom, the rest of the house had


    remained singrly hushed. Armond must not havee homest night then.


    Had he been with Nora? I pondered.


    The rtionship between Nora and Armond seems to have made rather rapid progress! I was delighted


    for them but was rather anguished over the amount of food I¡¯d made. It was all about to go to waste


    now.


    I decided to pack it all up and bring it along with me. As I exited, I noticed a ck Maybach parked right


    outside the neighboring unit. It was probably Ashton¡¯s.


    I got into the passenger¡¯s seat, then looked at Joseph. ¡°Morning, Mr. Campbell. Have you eaten


    breakfast yet?¡±


    Joseph looked at me in bewilderment. Then he quickly stammered, ¡°Morning, Mrs. Fuller!¡±


    I grinned at him. Ashton was nowhere to be seen. Handing the breakfast over to Joseph, I said, ¡°You


    haven¡¯t had breakfast yet, have you? Eat this while it¡¯s hot.¡±


    Joseph was about to reply when Ashton slid into the backseat. Tersely, hemanded, ¡°Let¡¯s go to


    Gold Scale Estate first.¡±


    ¡°All right!¡± Joseph said, transferring the breakfast in hand to Ashton. ¡°Mr. Fuller, you haven¡¯t eaten


    breakfast yet, have you? Mrs. Fuller made this for you. Eat it while it¡¯s hot!¡±


    I shot a nce towards Joseph. My words sounded strange in his mouth when spoken in his usual


    formal manner.


    Ashton then looked up and noticed me sitting in the passenger seat. He acknowledged me with a nod,


    then began eating.


    I had originally intended to hitch a ride. From the curt exchange between Ashton and Joseph, however,


    it didn¡¯t sound as if the car would be heading in the direction of Lavelian vige. I announced hastily,


    ¡°You won¡¯t be passing by Lavelian Vige, will you? I¡¯ll be off then. See you some other time!¡±

 Chapter 719

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 719


    I had opened the door and was ready to alight when Ashton cleared his throat rather aggressively.


    Joseph immediately jumped in. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, we¡¯ll definitely be going to Lavelian Vige. We¡¯re only


    nning to make a short detour to Gold Scale Estate. Why don¡¯t youe along with us? There aren¡¯t


    many cars headed in that direction, and with the one-hour-long drive, it¡¯ll be inconvenient for you to get


    a taxi.¡±


    I looked at him uncertainly. ¡°Really?¡±


    Joseph nodded, then said earnestly, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t lie to you, Mrs. Fuller. The Lavelian project just started,


    so we definitely n on heading over there to take a look. Isn¡¯t that right, Mr. Fuller?¡±


    Ashton made a brief grunt of acknowledgment. I turned to look at him to size up the situation, but he


    seemed thoroughly focused on tucking in the breakfast delicately. I guessed that Ashton hadn¡¯t heard a


    word we¡¯d said.


    Seeing Ashton¡¯s unconcerned demeanor, I decided not to put myself out unnecessarily. I slumped back


    into the seat and beamed at Joseph. ¡°Thanks for the ride, then!¡±


    Joseph smiled politely, then drove off.


    The Gold Scale Estate was rather close by, and we arrived within ten minutes. We were greeted by the


    sight of Rachel in a white linen dress, her permed hair rippling over her shoulders. On one hand, she


    toted the most fashionable luxury handbag that was avable this season. She looked every bit a


    wealthy heiress.


    The car rolled to a stop just beside Rachel. She leaned over to open the door of the passenger seat.


    After a couple of tugs, however, the door remained stuck fast. I looked over at Joseph with concern.


    ¡°Mr. Campbell, I think you didn¡¯t unlock the door,¡± I reminded him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Fuller. It must have slipped my mind.¡± Joseph returned. He sprang into action, suddenly


    getting out of the car. Before I could react, Ashton had reced Joseph in the driver¡¯s seat and was


    already calmly fastening his seatbelt.


    Joseph, meanwhile, had settled into the passenger¡¯s seat.


    Rachel¡¯s rosy smile faltered, her face darkening. She said rather haughtily, ¡°Is Ms. Stovall here too?


    Didn¡¯t Mr. Murphy arrange a car for her?¡±


    ¡°The rain was rather heavyst night. I¡¯m not a very skilled driver, and the roads leading to Lavelian


    Vige aren¡¯t smooth. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t drive today,¡± I informed Rachel, darting a look at Ashton.


    Joseph fidgeted in the backseat in trepidation. He looked visibly distressed at being chauffeured by his


    employer.


    Ignoring him, Rachel eximed sappily, ¡°Mr. Fuller, have you had breakfast yet? I made pancakes this


    morning. Why don¡¯t you let Mr. Campbell drive while you try them?¡±


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already eaten,¡± Ashton replied dryly.


    ¡°Scarlett also made breakfast this morning! Mr. Fuller just finished it,¡± Joseph added helpfully.


    The corners of my mouth twitched. I turned to look at Rachel and said goodhumoredly, ¡°Ms. Zimmer, I


    think Mr. Campbell hasn¡¯t eaten breakfast yet.¡±


    Rachel reluctantly shoved the lunchbox in her hand to Joseph. ¡°Try it, Mr. Campbell,¡± she muttered.


    Joseph would have refused if the lunchbox hadn¡¯t already been unceremoniously dumped into hisp.


    He gave a faint smile and began digging in.


    The car was silent save for the sound of Joseph chewing. Determinedly, Rachel turned once more to


    Ashton. ¡°Mr. Fuller, the Magpie Festival¡¯s today. Do you have any ns for tonight?¡±


    Is this woman nning on asking Ashton out? I thought in amusement.


    I nced at Ashton. He kept his eyes fixed firmly on the road like a model driver. ¡°I¡¯m busy with work


    tonight,¡± he answered shortly.


    Does he mean that he has no time to waste? I wondered.


    Rachel tittered daintily. Undeterred, she continued, ¡°You should be done with work rather quickly


    tonight. Why don¡¯t we get dinner together afterward?¡±


    ncing sideways, I noticed Ashton observing me from the corner of his eyes. Then he inquired with


    sudden interest, ¡°What are you doing tonight?¡±


    I stoned for a moment before blurting out, ¡°I¡¯ll just be at home.¡±


    Ashton snorted. He then addressed Rachel, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll be going home for dinner.¡±


    It was too frank a rejection. Rachel¡¯s eyes widened but she remained silent. She looked tremendously


    displeased.


    The car sped towards Lavelian Vige. Murphy Corporation had erected a temporary office here for the


    ease of project supervision.


    I proceeded to the office to put my things down. After a short catch-up with my colleagues, I headed to


    the Fuller Corporation¡¯s site to check things out.


    Lavelian Vige upied a sizeable area. Besides the areas required for tourist boarding and eating


    facilities, the rest of thend was covered in fields of flowers and fruit trees.


    It was the time of the year when the fruits had all mostly ripened. The journey to Fuller Corporation¡¯s AI


    base was a rather long one. It was, on the other hand, too bumpy to be driven on. I grabbed a nearby


    bicycle and happily cycled over.


    Fruit trees and flowers lined the road. With the cool autumn breeze blowing in my face as I pedaled, I


    felt as if I was in some kind of paradise.


    When I reached the AI base, however, I groaned inwardly to see Rachel. Donning a hat and a long


    dress, she looked entirely out of ce on a worksite. It was as if she had been sightseeing around the


    area and identally stumbled upon the base instead.


    Rachel was clutching a set of documents and looked annoyed to see me. She immediately turned


    away from the direction from which I was approaching.


    I refused to take offense and marched in straight away to look for the site supervisor, Leedon.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, we begin work today at the base. We¡¯ve already informed Mr. Murphy. Will you be here for


    the next few days?¡± Leedon asked. He handed me a deck of documents containing the necessary


    information and data for their project.


    I flipped through it, then nodded. ¡°Yes, this project has always been under my charge. When you start


    work, be sure to observe safety. The holidays are approaching, and the number of tourists in this area


    will definitely increase. You must keep an eye out for both their safety and your crew¡¯s!¡±

 Chapter 720

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 720


    We were doing construction work, after all. Safety was paramount for the project to proceed


    unhindered.


    Leedon nodded in understanding. Then he asked, ¡°Do you need to take a look at Emerald Base as


    well?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Not for now. Fuller Corporation will hand it over when it¡¯s ready.¡±


    The Emerald Base was more or lessplete. All Fuller Corporation needed was to do was to input


    their AI technology into the system.


    The afternoon passed in a flurry at the base. upied with work, I neglected Nora¡¯s call until


    lunchtime.


    I quickly dialed her number back. She answered within a few rings.


    ¡°Scarlett, are you busy with work? Why didn¡¯t you pick up my call?¡± Nora¡¯s voice rang concernedly over


    the phone.


    ¡°The Fuller Corporation¡¯s project starts today. I¡¯m at Lavelian Vige, busy settling several things.


    What¡¯s up?¡± I asked, watching Leedon walk over with two lunch boxes. He wordlessly handed me one


    of the boxes when he saw that I was upied.


    I nodded my thanks to him. In the meantime, Nora continued, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Tabitha called to ask if we


    were avable anytime these few days, hoping to organize a reunion of sorts. Didn¡¯t we say that we


    would set up a business together or something? I think everyone¡¯s been rather freetely, so we¡¯re


    looking for something to do.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Why don¡¯t you ask her to pick a date and ce? You can let me know afterward. I¡¯ll head over


    there straight,¡± I said, stuffing food into my mouth by the spoonful. In my haste, I choked, spluttering.


    Leedon handed me a ss of water. I mouthed a ¡°thank you¡± to him as I drank it gratefully.


    On the other end of the line, Nora said, ¡°That works too. I¡¯ll let them decide then.¡±


    Just then, I recalled the events ofst night and probed, ¡°Did you spendst night with Armond?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Nora stammered, then said meekly, ¡°Um, I¡¯m busy with something else right now, so I¡¯ll be


    hanging up! I¡¯ll text you once we¡¯ve agreed on a date.¡±


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Nora then immediately ended the call. She was clearly set on avoiding the question altogether.


    I looked down at my phone chuckled to myself. I then turned to Leedon and properly thanked him once


    more. ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Leedon waved away my thanks. ¡°All of Lavelian Vige¡¯s projects used to be managed by men. I don¡¯t


    recall ever having seen a female manager here before. Prepare yourself, Ms. Stovall. You have a long


    ride ahead of you.¡±


    I took another few bites of rice and grinned at him. ¡°No problem. What¡¯s life without a purpose to strive


    for?¡±


    Leedon agreed, then exhaled. ¡°You look so young! You¡¯re probably as old as my daughter.¡±


    Iughed. ¡°I¡¯m already over thirty years old! You aren¡¯t too old yourself either, from the looks of it.¡±


    Leedon hesitated. He looked me up and down, thenmented ruefully, ¡°Here I was thinking that you


    were still in your twenties! You have a youthful air about you.¡±


    We broke out into guffaws. At that moment, Ashton appeared, apanied by Joseph and Rachel.


    Leedon reached forward and covered his half-eaten lunchbox. He then stepped forward and extended


    his hand in greeting, ¡°You¡¯re here, Mr. Fuller!¡±


    I, too, got to my feet and called out likewise, ¡°Mr. Fuller.¡±


    Ashton had his jacket draped over an arm, perhapspelled to remove it by the heat. He was


    wearing a wine-red shirt and looked more peaceable than he usually did.


    His attention seemed to be on the lunch box in my hand. Ashton wrinkled his brow, then ordered, ¡°We¡¯ll


    head out for lunch in a while. It¡¯ll be good for us to report on the respective developments in our work


    then. We¡¯re expecting some people in the afternoon, so everyone can take the chance to get to know


    each other.¡±


    Leedon agreed vigorously.


    I reserved myments. I¡¯d eaten my fill, and was resolved to remain professional.


    As I emptied the leftovers into the bin, Ashton drew near. I assumed that he had further matters to


    discuss with Leedon.


    I turned and entered the base. Its area spanned approximately five thousand and three hundred square


    feet, and theying of its foundation required humanbor. We nned to continue the rest of its


    construction using solely AI technology.


    No matter what other opinions I held of Rachel, I had to confess that her intellect was truly astounding.


    An immense frame had already been erected inside the base and was already iid with reinforced


    concrete. It was break time, and most of the machines had temporarily wound down to rest.


    I wasn¡¯t familiar with construction work. Over the course of handling a few other projects, however, I¡¯d


    gained a superficial understanding of how things worked.


    ¡°I heard you managed projects such as these at Fuller Corporation previously. Now that a few years


    have passed, how does it feel to be back in the shoes of the Director once again?¡± A voice rang out


    from behind me. I turned my head only to see Rachel sauntering over.


    Her flowing dress made an exceptionally bizarre contrast against the dustyndscape.


    I poked at a steel bar beneath my feet, and it rolled off, harmless, to the side. I then turned to her with


    mock apuse, saying, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of losing your bnce? Your high heels must have cost a


    fortune!¡±


    Scornfully, Rachel replied, ¡°A fortune? It just cost me a few thousand. As for you¡­¡±


    She looked at me disdainfully, her gaze sweeping over me from head to toe. ¡°I guess Ashton doesn¡¯t


    really care about you much. You¡¯re the dowdiest president¡¯s wife that I¡¯ve ever met. I suppose the total


    cost of everything that¡¯s on you, including your phone, isn¡¯t worth more than five thousand?¡±


    I answered cheerfully, ¡°Yes. They¡¯re just things.¡±


    Rachel sniffed contemptuously. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to carry on like this. Let me give you a piece


    of advice. Divorce Ashton, and I¡¯ll give you a hefty sum of money. You can¡¯tpete with me anyway!


    By dragging things on, you¡¯re just making yourself look more pitiful.¡±

 Chapter 721

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 721


    ¡°A sum of money?¡± I let out a faint smile as I asked with curiosity, ¡°How much exactly?¡±


    She showed me contempt before querying, ¡°How much do you want?¡±


    ¡°The thing is, I don¡¯t know how much you are willing to give!¡± I stated the truth. Based on her current


    ie, she should be able to offer quite the sum.


    ¡°Five hundred thousand! That¡¯s enough for you to afford a house with two bedrooms here, in A City,¡±


    she replied in an ostentatious manner.


    I smiled and uttered, ¡°Five hundred thousand is arge sum. I might need to work extremely hard for a


    long period of time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you know!¡± With her arms folded, she gazed at me haughtily like a boastful sparrow.


    I lowered my head to look at my outfit. No wonder she¡¯s so arrogant. I guess she has the right to be.


    After all, my outfit is only worth about five hundred. It definitely pales inparison to her luxurious and


    extravagant get-up.


    ¡°So? What do you say?¡± She inched closer. ¡°Since you don¡¯t love Ashton anymore, why don¡¯t you just


    quit? I¡¯ll even pay you for it. That way, you¡¯ll have enough money to live however you like.¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°That does sound like a good idea.¡± ncing at her, I frowned and added on, ¡°However,


    how can you be sure that he would choose to be with you after separating with me?¡±


    She answered confidently, ¡°I¡¯m the best candidate avable; there is no one better. Once we have our


    own children, he will shift his focus to our family. For a man, romance doesn¡¯t matter anymore after a


    certain age. Am I right, Scarlett?¡±Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    ¡°Yes, I see that you have a n in mind already.¡± I pursed my lips and smiled. ¡°You must feel like you¡¯re


    in control of the situation now. But Ms. Zimmer, there is a plethora of beautiful and gracefuldies in K


    City. Considering Ashton¡¯s outstanding qualities, I believe they would not mind it¡¯s Ashton¡¯s second


    marriage. Do you think your talent and beauty are unrivaled? Just wait till you see the beauty of the


    prestigious bachelorettes around here.¡±


    ring at the despondent expression on her face, I continued, ¡°In addition to your talent that you are


    so proud of, thedies here in K City are also well-versed in arts. Their talent far surpasses yours. Not


    to mention, a man as wealthy as Ashton would want to marry ady based on her ability to educate


    children, not her ability to work. He would also want his wife¡¯s family to be influential and strong. With


    that said, it looks like you have neither of the qualifications. Am I right?¡±


    ¡°Y-You¡­¡± Her expression changed drastically. Livid, she stared at me and extorted, ¡°Who cares if that¡¯s


    the case. If he was willing to marry an orphan like you, then why can¡¯t he marry me?¡±


    I let out a smile. ¡°You forgot about the most important thing¡ªlove. As you said, love bes irrelevant


    after years of marriage. Honestly, that is only the case for the average family. Privation and endless


    hard work to sustain a family are what strip marriage of love. Do you think Ashton fits into that profile?


    No. What a man like him craves after a certain age is mental nourishment. That¡¯s why for him, love is


    crucial.¡±


    She darkened her face and sneered, ¡°Scarlett, since you no longer want to be with him, why do you


    bother arguing with me? You could¡¯ve just quit. Aren¡¯t you just ying hard to get?¡±


    I smiled nonchntly. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking this. If you like him, I honestly won¡¯t mind you chasing after


    him. I¡¯m only mad because you¡¯re ming me for your failure to do so. By the way, regarding the five


    hundred thousand that you mentioned just now, I¡¯ll consider it. I¡¯m kind of short on money recently.¡±


    Having said that, I turned around and was getting ready to leave the base. To my surprise, I stumbled


    upon Ashton at the entrance.


    He nced at me with his gloomy face and asked in a deep tone, ¡°I¡¯m only worth five hundred


    thousand?¡±


    Stupefied, my heart skipped a beat. Did he overhear our conversation just now?


    I feigned a smile. ¡°The thing is that was the highest she could go.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett, what the f*ck are you going on about?¡± asked Rachel, who was catching up to us. She put on


    a pitiful look and uttered, ¡°You said so yourself that you didn¡¯t love Mr. Fuller. You even told me that you


    despise him for being a nudnik to you.¡±


    She paused for a while before gazing at Ashton. ¡°Mr. Fuller, can you even trust her words? If she


    intended to get money, she would¡¯ve just asked you for it. The pittance that I offered wouldn¡¯t have


    mattered.¡±


    Her statement was actually quite reasonable. Ashton stared at me with a sombre expression on his


    face.


    I was speechless as part of me knew what she said was true. I shrugged and uttered, ¡°That¡¯s enough, I


    still have work to do. You two can continue acting in your depressing love story by yourselves!¡±


    Ashton scowled and grabbed my hand before gazing at Rachel. ¡°Leave now!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Fuller¡­¡± Rachel wanted to say something but was scared off by Ashton¡¯s minatory expression.

 Chapter 722

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 722


    Only Ashton and I were left in the base; our eyes aligned. He frowned and queried, ¡°Was that


    necessary?¡±


    I was rather perplexed. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    He pursed his lips. ¡°Do you think that you can simply just get someone to push me away?¡±


    I pondered for a while before asking, ¡°Then I¡¯ll be more cautious in selecting a suitable candidate for


    you.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± He was infuriated. ¡°What do you take me for?¡±


    Peeved, I tore his hand apart from mine. ¡°Ashton, it¡¯s been so long. I¡¯ve said all that is needed to be


    said. What¡¯s missing now is just the divorce certificate. Honestly, I really don¡¯t care who you end up


    with; it¡¯s none of my business. Thus, there¡¯s no reason for me to set you up with any woman!¡±


    ring at his angry face, I finished what I wanted to say all in one breath. ¡°Whatever happens between


    you and Rachel or any woman is none of my business. We could get the divorce certificate now if you


    so wish. You told me yourself that you¡¯re willing to let me go if I really couldn¡¯t ept it. Since that¡¯s the


    case, then there¡¯s really nothing between you and me anymore. With that said, I hope you will know


    your boundaries.¡±


    After that, I immediately left the base. Leedon, who was getting ready to head to the scenic spot, saw


    meing out of the base. ¡°Ms. Stovall, do you want to go to the scenic spot? Let¡¯s go together,¡± he


    suggested.


    I walked up to him and replied, ¡°Okay, thank you.¡±


    And so, I got up with him on his truck and headed toward the scenic spot.


    Sometimes, it actually feels good to live freely, without any worries. In the truck, Leedon and I were


    talking about the intricacies involving the Murphy Corporation project. He uttered, ¡°We¡¯ll be rather busy


    these few days. You might take a while to get used to it. I¡¯m just giving you a head up so that you can


    be mentally prepared. Sometimes, we won¡¯t be able to finish our work even if we worked until midnight.


    We¡¯ll have to wake up early the next day and pick it up from there.¡±


    I was stunned for a while. ¡°It takes at least an hour to get back to the urban areas from here. Going


    back and forth would be time-consuming.¡±


    He nodded and smiled. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why some of us decided to live here for the time being. However,


    we won¡¯t be so busy tonight. After we are done eating and socializing with Mr. Fuller¡¯s customers, we


    can go straight back home.¡±


    The truck stopped at the scenic spot. Leedon then directly took me to the hotels and restaurants there.


    On the way, he gave me a terse exnation about the ce.


    As I didn¡¯t get much sleep yesterday, I fell into slumber while waiting in the hotel lobby.


    Fortunately, Leedon was there to wake me up just in time. ¡°That¡¯s enough snoozing. We need to go


    and escort Mr. Fuller¡¯s customers once they arrived.¡±


    I nodded and followed him outside the hotel. While we were waiting at the entrance, Ashton and Rachel


    were slowly striding toward us.


    It seemed like what I¡¯ve said just now had offended Ashton. He didn¡¯t even bother to look my way as he


    approached us.


    A whileter, a ck Bentley stopped in front of the hotel. An old man in his seventies alighted from the


    car, looking amiable.


    ¡°Ashton, how long has it been? I can barely recognize you now!¡± The old man¡¯s voice was pleasing to


    the ear.


    Ashton smiled and made a hand gesture to invite him inside the hotel. ¡°A lot of things have happened


    in the past few years. I apologize for not being able toe and visit you during that time.¡±


    Clueless about who that old man was, I asked Leedon, ¡°Do you know him?¡±


    Leedon nodded and answered, ¡°His name is Channing Oberick. He¡¯s a powerful man here in A City.


    That being said, he¡¯s very humble. He bought a piece ofnd in Lavelian Vige and he oftenes


    here to take in the greeneries. Every other famous person in A City holds him in high regard.¡±


    Oberick?


    Curious, I queried, ¡°Are there other people in A City who shares the same family name, Oberick?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°No, there¡¯s only one family with the name Oberick here. What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    I shook my head. The incident between Nora and Derek at the bar came to my mind.


    Come to think of it, the Grandpa mentioned by Nora must be referring to Channing Oberick.


    After we entered the hotel lobby, Ashton and Channing walked into a private room in the restaurant.


    After they sat down, the waiter served them a bowl of soup.


    Channing was delighted to see a table full of people. He gazed at Rachel, who was sitting beside


    Ashton. ¡°Ashton, you should introduce her to me!¡±


    Ashton smiled and responded, ¡°Yes, I do intend to do so. But since we¡¯ve just sat down, we should take


    it easy first.¡±


    After that, Ashton kept on rambling. Upon hearing the name Rachel Zimmer being mentioned,


    Channing uttered, ¡°I heard from your Grandpa on the phone before that your wife¡¯s family name was


    Stovall. Why has her family name changed to Zimmer?¡±


    Rachel stood up and smiled. ¡°Mr. Oberick, my family name is Zimmer. You can call me Rachel!¡±


    That still didn¡¯t answer Channing¡¯s question. Ashton didn¡¯t bother exining to Channing either. He


    only nced at me before moving on to introduce the others.


    Since Channing was quite old, he didn¡¯t notice that I was skipped over during the introductions. After


    the dishes were served, Ashton and Channing continued with their chit-chat.

 Chapter 723

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 723


    On the other hand, I was lost in my thoughts. Channing mentioned Grandma just now. Maybe he


    knows her?


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Although I had a lot of questions, I squelched the urge to ask them in the end. When will Nora take me


    to visit Channing privately?


    My intention was not to get on his good side. Rather, I was curious about my Grandma¡¯s past as I


    thought she had always lived in R Province.


    However, it was strange that she knew George. Not to mention, she always carried a mysterious and


    exquisite box with her. Seeing as even the Oberick family in A City knew her, it was highly likely that


    Grandma was not from R Province.


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± Leedon had been calling out to me quite a few times now. He pulled on my arm and said,


    ¡°Channing is talking to you!¡±


    I paused for a while before gazing at Ashton. His dark eyes were directed at me with his lips pursed.


    Channing was holding back hisughter as he nced at me with his gentle eyes. ¡°Thisdy here


    nked out!¡±


    I immediately got up to bow and apologize. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to, Mr. Oberick. I¡¯m so sorry!¡±


    Channing burst outughing. ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. You young ins prefer a more cheerful atmosphere. I get


    it! Eating with an old man like me is indeed quite boring.¡±


    My face turned red as the awkwardness consumed me. Before I could exin to Channing, Ashton


    interrupted and uttered, ¡°She has always been like this. Pay no mind to her, Mr. Oberick.¡±


    Channing red at me with a smile on his face and replied, ¡°Thisdy here seems rather familiar to


    me. I¡¯m not sure where I¡¯ve seen her before.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Oberick, I heard that you are quite fond of tea bowls. I¡¯ve brought a set of tea bowls from K City as


    a gift to you. Please have a look if you like them or not.¡±


    At that moment, all eyes in the room were drawn to the tea bowls.


    Rachel¡¯s tea bowls looked delicate and refined. Any old man with a love for antique tea sets would be


    very happy to receive them.


    Everyone started gathering around the antique tea set and was chatting fervently with each other.


    Leedon moved his chair closer to mine and queried, ¡°Are you close to Mr. Fuller?¡±


    I paused for a second before shaking my head. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just that he seems to be staring at you most of the time!¡± He grinned. ¡°Mr. Fuller tends to


    be cold toward others. It¡¯s rare to see him direct his attention all on one person. Besides, he already


    has such a beauty beside him!¡±


    I smiled in response.


    While Rachel talked to Channing, she inevitably moved closer to Ashton, who stood in between them. It


    looked like she was clinging on to thetter.


    I took a sip of water and smiled as Rachel and Channing were still having their conversation. Rachel,


    who was also getting thirsty, drank from the ss of water that was in front of Ashton. A lipstick mark


    was left on the side of the ss.


    Unperturbed by it, Ashton continued talking to Channing.


    While the waiter was serving the dishes, everyone was talking to each other happily. Rachel helped


    Channing to get some food on his te before uttering, ¡°Mr. Oberick, you must visit K City when you¡¯re


    free. The food made by Aunt Sally is very delicious. You must try it for yourself.¡±


    Channing nodded and replied, ¡°Sally refused to even step foot in the kitchen when she was young. It


    must¡¯ve been quite hard for her.¡±


    My mind nked out for a second. When did Rachel and Sally get this close?


    After leaving K City for so long, it would make sense for me to miss out on minuscule things like this.


    Leedon toned down his voice and said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard before that Mr. Fuller was married, but I never found


    out who his wife is. Could his wife be Ms. Zimmer here?¡±


    I lowered my head and continued eating my food. ¡°I¡¯m not sure!¡±


    Leedon murmured, ¡°Ms. Zimmer here always acts coldly toward other people except for Mr. Fuller. That


    being said, she can be quite caring when ites to the elderly. I think she¡¯ll be a great fit for Mr.


    Fuller.¡±


    I remained taciturn and continued munching my food.


    Channing probably misunderstood the rtionship between Rachel and Ashton as he was exhorting


    them to live the rest of their lives happily with each other.


    Ashton pursed his lips and gazed at me with his cold eyes. Seeing as I was rather calm, he was getting


    even more irritated. He did nothing to clear Channing¡¯s misunderstanding.


    Unsurprisingly, Rachel was very happy about the situation. She listened attentively to Channing and


    agreed to everything he said.


    As Channing was busy eating, I got up and went to the bathroom. On my way out of the bathroom, the


    outdoor swimming pool caught my eye.


    I couldn¡¯t help walking through the corridor that led to the swimming pool. Since it was an afternoon in


    August, there were copious amounts of people there. The children were hanging on to their floaties as


    they were ying in the pool.


    There weren¡¯t many people in the deep section of the pool except for a few men who looked like they


    came here as a pastime.


    I sat down in the lounge area. I¡¯ll wager that the old man hasn¡¯t finished his meal yet. Since he has both


    Rachel and Ashton to apany him, I think I can just chill out here for a while.


    In the meantime, there was a couple, who were both in swimsuits, sitting by the pool. They were


    probably teenagers who had just started dating each other. Both of them were blushing to see each


    other in a swimsuit.

 Chapter 724

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 724


    Having wrapped themselves together in a towel, they sat by the pool and didn¡¯t go down into the water.


    The shy girl whispered into the boy¡¯s ear, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to swim.¡±


    The boy chuckled and responded, ¡°Let me teach you!¡±


    After that, he tossed the towel aside and went into the pool first. The pool was 1.5 meters deep. Since


    the boy was rather tall, the water only reached his chest.


    On the other hand, the girl was still scared of going into the pool and red at the boy. She then


    uttered timidly, ¡°Why don¡¯t you just swim by yourself for a while? Once I¡¯m ready to get in the water, I¡¯ll


    tell you!¡±


    The boy nodded. Being in front of his precious girlfriend, the boy¡¯s swimming ability seemed to have


    improved exponentially. He swam in circles around the pool effortlessly.


    Gazing at this scene in front of me, I couldn¡¯t help but smile. Ah, youthful love is such bliss. Two pure-


    hearted people getting together and building their rtionship on trust.


    Admiring and adoring each other is what the first form of love is.


    ¡°What? You snuck out here to feel sorry for yourself?¡± asked Rachel. With beauty like her around, the


    men¡¯s gaze was all directed toward us.


    I smiled and replied, ¡°Why should I feel sorry for myself?¡±


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    She sat down beside me and crossed her slim, long legs, which were drawing a lot of attention. ¡°Mr.


    Oberick took me and Ashton as a couple. Don¡¯t you feel sad and left out?¡±


    I raised my eyebrows and smiled. ¡°Nope. No matter what kind of rtionship I have with Ashton, it¡¯s


    none of your business. Honestly, I couldn¡¯t care less who he ends up with. So, you really don¡¯t need to


    waste your time here trying to spite me.¡±


    Having failed to enrage me, she was miffed. ¡°Don¡¯t act so high and mighty. Your little tactic to y hard


    to get, won¡¯t get you far. Men will start to be disgusted by you. Do you think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re


    scheming about? By pretending to push Ashton away, you are making his desire for you grow. And just


    like that, you have him wrapped around your little finger. I must say, your underhanded methods are


    brilliant!¡±


    Amused, Iughed and nced at her with my head tilted to one side. ¡°Ms. Zimmer, you really are a


    genius. Even I, myself had no idea that I was such a cunning and maniptive person. Haha! I might


    just end up believing your made-up story.¡±


    She jeered, ¡°But it¡¯s true. If you didn¡¯t plot and scheme like a cunning little fox, Ashton wouldn¡¯t have


    taken a liking to you. Your looks and family background are way beneath his standards. To put it bluntly,


    you¡¯re just lucky to have met him a few years before I did. If we have met him at the same time, he


    unequivocally would¡¯ve chosen me over you.¡±


    She felt gratified as she said that. The more she insulted me, the more pleased she was. ¡°Scarlett,


    everything about you is in and dull. You¡¯re more suitable to just be with an average joe. Ashton is


    way out of your league. The fact that you¡¯re an orphan alone is enough to justify that.¡±


    To be honest, I was enraged after hearing those words. Her intelligence and looks were what I admired


    her for.


    Having suppressed my anger, I feigned a smile. ¡°Ms. Zimmer, truth be told, I actually had some respect


    for you before. Who doesn¡¯t like a girl who is intelligent, good-looking, and candid like you? But, after


    hearing what you said just now, I learned that it takes time to get to really know a person.¡±


    ¡°Being intelligent and attractive doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re a kind person. I¡¯ve learned that after spending


    more time with you. Honestly, I feel bad for anyone who will have to see your true colors.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Furious, her face turned purple. If it weren¡¯t for the men watching her, she would¡¯ve pushed me


    into the water.


    After getting it all out of my chest, I felt way better.


    As I was getting ready to leave, she blocked my path and red at me ferociously. ¡°Scarlett, who are


    you to judge my character? Do you think that you¡¯re much better than me? You can¡¯t even bear a child


    now. Who¡¯s moreughable now, huh?¡±


    I stopped and gazed at her. ¡°It seems like you know a lot about me. So nice of you to put in the effort


    just to learn more about me!¡±


    ¡°Humph! Do you really think that Ashton will be forever fixated on you? Mark my words; I will snatch


    him from you soon,¡± she responded.


    I nodded in agreement and replied, ¡°Yes, I hope you seed!¡±


    Her facial expression still looked terrible. She was probably vexed at not being able to unleash the


    anger fraught within her.

 Chapter 725

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 725


    Uninterested in wasting my time on her, I prepared to get up and leave.


    However, Rachel suddenly grabbed me. I frowned and looked at her in irritation. ¡°Do you have


    something to say, Ms. Zimmer?¡±


    She smiled sinisterly and replied, ¡°Yes, of course. Since you¡¯re always so calm about everything, I think


    it¡¯d be the same when you¡¯re facing death too!¡±


    When she was done speaking, she grabbed my hand, and wanted to push me into the pool.


    I did not know how to swim. Thus, out of instinct, I staggered away and pinched her in the arm as hard


    as I could.


    She let go of me out of pain. Resultantly, her original n of pushing me into the pool instead caused


    her to fall in due to inertia.


    Ssh! The sounded of her falling into the pool was especially pleasant.


    Prettydies who fell into the water were bound to attract the attention of men. However, it would also


    attract those who wanted to take advantage them.


    Thus, Rachel only struggled for a short while before someone swam over to hold her, helping her to


    stabilize herself. The pool was not deep, so as soon as she regained her bnce and noticed the man


    pressed against her chest, Rachel yelled in anger, ¡°Go away!¡±


    The man, who did not have good intentions to begin with, then got angry and pressed her back into the


    water.


    As she struggled, the onlookers merely stood, watching a good show. No one came forward to stop the


    man.


    Shocked, I quickly opened my mouth to speak. Before I could get any sound out, a low voice said, ¡°Let


    her go!¡±


    The voice was low and strong. Thus, when the man heard it, he was taken aback and abruptly let go of


    Rachel.


    When the man subconsciously moved away, Ashton got in the water and pulled Rachel back up.


    She had been wearing a long dress that was made out of thin, translucent material. It was fine when


    the dress was dry, but now that it was wet, the dress clung to her body and showcased all her curves.


    Inevitably, she attracted some vulgar looks from those around her. Once again, she had lost both her


    dignity and face in front of Ashton, so she started to cry.


    Ashton frowned, then took off his clothes and ced them over her shoulders. ¡°Go back to the room


    and change first.¡±


    Rachel grabbed onto his clothes tightly before abruptly turning to me. Disregarding her image, she


    yelled, ¡°Are you satisfied now, Scarlett? Happy to see me so embarrassed?¡±


    Confused, I frowned.


    She cried as sheined, ¡°You¡¯re the one who said that Mr. Fuller was someone you¡¯re done using


    and no longer need, and said that it¡¯s not worth staying with him. You don¡¯t want to treat him well, but I


    do. So, why are you so overbearing and not even letting others have him despite that? All I did was


    speak up for him and tell you how much of a good person he was so that you know what a good man


    you missed out on. Why did you have to push me and humiliate me like this?¡±


    I was shocked speechless for a moment. When did I ever say those things?


    What do you mean by I¡¯ve used Ashton? I think he¡¯s not worth it?


    I was amazed by this woman¡¯s ability to create something out of nothing.


    Ashton originally had on a calm expression, but it soon darkened. He stared at me coldly and said with


    a sneer, ¡°A man you¡¯ve once used and no longer need? Is that all I am to you?¡±


    I¡­


    Rachel cut me off as I was about to exin myself. ¡°I must admit that Mr. Fuller loves you and only has


    eyes for you, but you shouldn¡¯t crush his heart like that. His sincere feelings for you aren¡¯t something


    that you can just trample on and insult!¡±


    I could not refute so many usations all at once. Since when did I ever say such a thing? When have


    I ever trampled on his feelings?


    As I tried to hold back my temper, Ashton continued to stare at me angrily. I calmed myself down before


    I said, ¡°Bring her back to change her clothes.¡±


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    He did not make any moves and simply continued staring. ¡°So, are you admitting that you said those


    words?¡±


    I frowned, almost ready to start swearing. ¡°Ashton, is there something wrong with your brain? You


    seriously believe her just like that!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking whether you said it.¡± He kept on a serious expression as he continued, ¡°As long


    as you tell me that you didn¡¯t, I¡¯ll believe you!¡±


    Rachel probably did not expect Ashton to be so rational, for her face instantly paled.


    I froze for a moment as well. I had initially wanted to talk it out with him but became conflicted at that


    moment. I was trying to push him away at first but realized that if I rified myself then, I was no


    different from Rachel¡¯s usations of my defensiveness.


    ¡°Just send her back!¡± Since we were going to part ways, there was no point trying to exin anything to


    him.


    As I turned to leave, Ashton grabbed my wrist. He watched me with dark, cold eyes for a while,


    motionless, before he suddenlyughed. ¡°Good job, Scarlett!¡±


    His voice was exceptionally cold as he spoke through gritted teeth.

 Chapter 726

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 726


    My heart skipped a beat in shock, but I immediately shook off his hand and returned to the dining room.


    Channing was done with his meal and was having a chat with Leedon when he saw me enter. He


    smiled and said, ¡°Where did you go? You didn¡¯t really eat, so Ashton ordered you some m chowder.¡±


    I was stunned for a while, then saw that there really was a bowl of m chowder on the table.


    I gave him a faint smile and replied, ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Then, I sat down to drink the soup. Around ten minutester, Ashton arrived with Rachel by his side.


    ¡°Wow, you have only left for a while, but the two of you are already holding hands and have even


    changed your clothes. Where did you go?¡± said Channing as heughed. Since he always loved to joke


    around, the rest of the table was unbothered by hisments.


    I was drinking my soup with my head down but subconsciously looked to the two as Channing spoke.


    Indeed, just like he said, they were holding hands and had both changed their clothes.


    They looked a lot more intimate now.


    Although I knew that they had changed because they fell into the water, the others did not.


    Thus, I had expected Ashton to exin himself to the others. However, he simply smiled and kept


    quiet.


    Rachel stood beside him shyly, without a word as well.


    At first, the others had misunderstood them. However, looking at them now, everyone felt that they


    were indeed a couple.


    I lowered my head and continued eating without paying too much attention to them. After all, when I


    was done eating, I still had work to do in the afternoon.


    Leedon had previously given me a heads up, saying that I would be busier in the afternoon as many


    jobs in the base required manpower, but we were short-handed. Thus, it would be especially tough to


    do those jobs.


    To me, that was quite a good thing since physical exertion could help take my mind off of my troubles.


    At the base that afternoon, I squatted as I helped to select the equipment and organize the materials.


    Just then, Leedon carried arge box into the base. When he walked past me, he jokingly said, ¡°Ms.


    Stovall, it¡¯s the first time a woman has ever entered the base. Everyone intended not to let you do any


    work, but you¡¯ve been helping us for most of today. Thanks for your hard work!¡±


    I smiled slightly then looked up at him. My legs were numb from squatting and my shoulders hurt. ¡°This


    is my job. Didn¡¯t I say that there¡¯s no distinction between men and women in the workce?¡±


    Everyoneughed. That afternoon, Ashton would take Channing to see the construction of the base.


    Basically, it seemed as though he wanted the Oberick family to participate in the project as well.


    Rachel tagged along, exining some professional concepts from time to time. The two of them indeed


    looked quitepatible working together.


    When they headed toward my direction, I lowered my head and focused on my work.


    I had initially thought that they would leave as soon as they were done looking at the area. However,


    Rachel suddenly spoke. ¡°Mr. Oberick, you must be tired after walking for so long. There¡¯s somewhere


    nearby where you can take a rest. Why don¡¯t we go there first, and you can have a taste of the pears


    hereter!¡±


    The old man seemed to like fruits, especially those that were freshly picked from the trees.


    Thus, as soon as Rachel had spoken, Channing dly agreed to stay on and rest.


    As she helped him into the lounge, Ashton then turned to look at me.


    I had thought that he would only take a nce at me before leaving. However, he suddenly said, ¡°Ms.


    Stovall, please help to pick some fruits from behind the base.¡±


    I froze, then instinctively said, ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with the roads here!¡±


    He raised his eyebrow as if to say that that was not his problem. ¡°I think Mr. Murphy had said that you


    needed to cooperate with our work to the best you could.¡±


    On the surface, his words seemed irrelevant. However, they basically implied that if I did not go, I would


    be seen as uncooperative.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Thus, I nodded and put aside whatever I was doing then. ¡°Okay, please wait for a while!¡±


    After searching for a few stic bags, I left the base. As most of Lavelian Vige¡¯snds were


    orchards, it was not difficult to find fruits to pick.


    However, heavy rain from the night before had caused the orchards to be muddy. They were also


    fenced up to keep out livestock and to delineate each family¡¯snd.


    The fences were lined with thorny rattan, so people could easily get injured if they tried to climb over


    without using the proper entrance.


    I was walking around the orchard in search of its entrance when Leedon followed after me and smiled.


    ¡°The entrance is on the other side, so you¡¯ll have to go around the fence. It rainedst night and there


    are many construction sites here, so it won¡¯t be an easy walk. Be careful!¡±


    I nodded and headed in the direction he pointed out. After a while, I finally found the entrance.


    Since it was August, most pears in the orchard were ripe and suitable for eating. However, some


    ripened a little slower and therefore tasted a little sourer. Hence, since I was picking pears for the


    elderly, I had to find those that were riper and sweeter.


    Luckily, it was already afternoon, so there were no longer any water droplets left from the rainst


    night. Thus, when I heard others chatting nearby, I stopped in my tracks and eavesdropped on their


    conversation.

 Chapter 727

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 727


    It seemed to be Ashton and Rachel.


    Rachel spoke in a delicate voice. ¡°Mr. Fuller, you didn¡¯t have toe with me. This orchard is not that


    far away, so I¡¯m fine being alone. It¡¯s better if you stay with Mr. Oberick and keep himpany.¡±


    Ashton replied softly, ¡°It¡¯s fine. The paths are slippery so it¡¯s not that safe for you toe alone.¡±


    Rachel then broke out into a light smile as her eyes shone brightly, probably because Ashton¡¯s words


    had been very warming to hear.


    Feeling as though I was a third wheel, I prepared to leave.


    However, Ashton suddenly called on me. ¡°Ms. Stovall, have you finished picking the fruits?¡±


    Stunned, I looked into my empty stic bag andughed. ¡°Not yet. Aren¡¯t you picking some with Ms.


    Zimmer? I don¡¯t think Mr. Oberick needs that many, so I¡¯ll just leave first!¡±


    ¡°Since you¡¯re already here and the weather is so hot, why don¡¯t you pick a few more back and share


    them with the rest?¡± said Rachel, as she deliberately moved closer to Ashton, as if she were afraid that


    I would not be able to see how close they were.


    I nodded and replied indifferently, ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll pick some then!¡±


    As I walked around the orchard, I managed to find a pear tree that looked rather healthy and was at the


    right height for me to reach.


    Rachel had been following me around as if she were a ghost haunting me. When I plucked a pear and


    ced it in my bag, she picked one too. She then wiped it clean for a long time before taking a bite.


    She scrunched up her face as she said, ¡°It¡¯s really sour. Who¡¯s going to eat them if you bring it back?


    What a waste of these fruits!¡±


    I just stood there as I was lost for words. Then, I looked at her and said, ¡°Someone else will eat them. If


    it¡¯s too sour for you, go pick your own!¡±


    Ignoring her, I then found another tree. However, Rachel continued to shout, ¡°These fruits seem good,


    Ms. Stovall. Why don¡¯t you climb up to pick them!¡±


    I looked to where she pointed and pressed my lips together, speechless. The tree was a few meters


    tall, so naturally, it got a lot of sunlight. However, it was not that simple to pluck fruits from a tree that


    tall.


    ¡°I can¡¯t climb trees!¡± I replied, not nning to carry on the conversation any further.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± She looked at me with a shocked expression and continued, ¡°Mr. Fuller told me that you


    grew up in the countryside. Don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t even climb such a small tree?¡±


    However, the man in question was nowhere in sight. Frowning, I looked at her and said, ¡°Did Ashton


    tell you that?¡±


    Rachel nodded as if it was something to be expected. ¡°Yeah, he told me so much about his past!¡±


    I then gave her a nod and hummed in reply before ignoring her.


    Seeing that I was about to leave, Rachel moved to block my way. ¡°The fruits on this tree are definitely


    sweet. Why can¡¯t you just climb up to pluck a few? You¡¯re so selfish. Who¡¯s going to eat all those sour


    fruits that you picked?¡±


    I huffed, feeling slightly irritated, then looked at her and said, ¡°You have hands and feet too. Why don¡¯t


    you climb up and pick them? Since you think it¡¯s so easy, go ahead! I¡¯m not stopping you!¡±


    What a crazy woman!


    ¡°Scarlett, you¡¯re¡­ really selfish!¡± Rachel was so furious that she could not find words to refute me and


    could only curse at me in anger.


    However, I was not in the mood to continue talking to her. I just wanted to pick some fruits and go back.


    Just then, Ashton came back with a bag of fruits. He looked at us and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re back, Mr. Fuller!¡± said Rachel, as she strutted to Ashton and continued, ¡°Look at the pears on


    this tree! They look so big and juicy even from afar. I bet they¡¯re delicious.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a little tall though, so it won¡¯t be easy to climb.¡±


    Rachel nodded and acted pitiful as she replied, ¡°I¡¯d previously heard that Ms. Stovall liked to climb


    trees, so I wanted her to give it a try.¡±


    I was lost for words as I always got the feeling that the two of them seemed a little crazy.


    Paying no attention to them, I was preparing to leave before Ashton looked at me and raised his


    eyebrow, then said, ¡°The pear tree in the yard at R Province is taller than this. Summer always said that


    you climbed it to pick the pears every year. Why don¡¯t you try it!¡±


    Damn it!


    I frowned and replied, ¡°Climb it yourself. It¡¯s gettingte so I should go back. I still have a lot of work to


    finish.¡±


    He replied with an air of leisure, ¡°Looks like you don¡¯t really care much about Mr. Murphy¡¯s instructions


    to cooperate with us.¡±


    Holding my breath, I red at both of them, unable to get a word out.


    I then ced the bag down then looked up at the tree, which was about three or four meters tall. I could


    not help but exhale in annoyance.


    It was not actually that difficult. In the past in R Province, John had said that since I was so small and


    thin, I would not crush the tree when I climbed it to pick its fruits.


    From then on, he liked to trick me into picking the fruits that he could not reach, while he just stood on


    the ground and waited with a basket in his hands. ording to him, even if I did not pick the fruit and


    had fallen, he would still be there to catch me.


    Since I was lucky, I had never actually fallen from a tree since I was a kid. Then, as I grew up, it


    became rarer for me to climb trees.


    During the period when I had brought Summer back to R Province, I nted a pear tree in the yard. It


    grew very tall and whenever she wanted to eat one, I would climb up and pick one for her.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 728

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 728


    When did Summer tell Ashton all this?


    As I stared at the tree in a daze, Rachel said, ¡°If you can¡¯t climb it, then forget it!¡±


    Meanwhile, Ashton kept quiet and simply looked at me.


    They seriously have nothing better to do. Grabbing on the trunk, I stepped on its branches and began


    to climb up the tree.


    Back when I was in the mountains in Venria, I had to do a lot of physical exercises to survive.


    Resultantly, my arms were much stronger than before.


    When I was up on the tree, I looked down and said, ¡°Pass the bag up!¡±


    Ashton handed me an empty bag as he warned, ¡°Be careful, don¡¯t fall!¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡± I took the bag from his hands and shifted my position to pick the fruits.


    It was not a difficult task, and indeed, the fruits on such trees were big and juicy and would surely taste


    delicious.


    When I had already picked quite a few, the heavy bag became difficult to move around with. I lowered


    my body and passed the bag over to Ashton.


    Then, I prepared myself to climb down.


    ¡°Ah! Snake!¡± A sudden voice rang out, shocking me. I slipped, falling off the tree.


    I could not help but pray for the best for myself. Please, let there be nothing sharp below. Otherwise,


    this won¡¯t be pretty.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    I was prepared to take a fall. However, I suddenly noticed a strong force around my waist. Shocked, I


    turned to search for the source.


    Ashton¡¯s handsome face was what stared back at me. Although I was a little surprised, I let out a sigh


    of relief.


    Recalling that Rachel had shouted about a snake, I released myself from Ashton¡¯s arms and moved


    away, keeping my distance. I asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the snake?¡±


    Ever since I saw a snake in Venria¡¯s forest back then, my fear of snakes had only continued to grow


    day by day.


    My question drew Ashton¡¯s attention, so he looked at her as well and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the snake?¡±


    Rachel seemed to be stunned. When she regained her senses, she pointed at her feet in a panic.


    Since she had pointed at somewhere so close to me, I subconsciously took a few steps back. Yet,


    when I looked closely, there was nothing.


    Full of doubt, I looked at her in puzzlement. ¡°Are you joking with me, Ms. Zimmer?¡±


    She shook her head somewhat innocently and replied, ¡°No, I really saw it. It was really here. Come see


    for yourself if you don¡¯t believe me!¡±


    Feeling frightened, I looked at Ashton. He stepped forward to take a look, but a frown soon appeared


    on his handsome face. He looked at Rachel with a dark expression. ¡°You don¡¯t know what a snake


    looks like?¡±


    Rachel did not look too well. She replied loudly, ¡°It¡¯s my first time. I¡¯d only seen it in books or on


    television previously. I¡¯ve never seen one in real life!¡±


    Feeling suspicious, I nced over, then breathed a sigh of relief. Great, I think she¡¯s the only one that


    would mistake an earthworm for a snake!


    When Ashton had instinctively reached out to grab me as I fell, he had dropped the bag of fruits.


    Thus, I grabbed a bag and bent down to start picking up the fruits. Ashton also bent down to help me


    as he said softly, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    I raised my eyebrows and replied, ¡°In perfect condition!¡± I could not help but look over at Rachel. It was


    impossible that she could not even tell apart earthworms from snakes. She was definitely trying to


    frighten me on purpose.


    Fortunately, Ashton had been quick enough to catch me when I fell. Otherwise, I would have had to


    stay in the hospital for a few days at least.


    Rachel looked a little ufortable. She walked over to Ashton and lowered her voice as she said,


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, I really didn¡¯t do it on purpose. It¡¯s because I hadn¡¯t seen it before. That thing was small and


    soft and looked almost like a snake. That¡¯s why I¡­¡±


    ¡°Pick these up and let¡¯s go back,¡± replied Ashton, cutting her off. His voice was light and it did not


    sound like he was ming her.


    Rachel froze for a moment before helping to pick up the pears as well. Most of them had been stained


    with mud and had to be washed when we get back.


    In total, there were two big bags of fruits. Rachel carried one bag and Ashton carried the other. It did


    not feel right to have my hands so empty.


    I looked at Rachel and said, ¡°Ms. Zimmer, why don¡¯t I carry it!¡±


    She had subconsciously wanted to hand over the bag but hesitated for a while as she looked over at


    Ashton. Then, she said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s fine. You just fell off a tree and should still be quite shocked.


    Just take a break!¡±


    I shook my head and replied in a carefree manner, ¡°It¡¯s fine! I didn¡¯t get hurt, so it doesn¡¯t matter!¡±


    When I took the bag from her hands, Ashton frowned at me. ¡°Give it to me!¡±


    I was taken aback for a moment before I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can carry it!¡±


    He had a displeased look on his face, looking at me with a hint of fierceness.


    Although I was a little scared, I did not say anything. After a while, he handed me the bag in his hands


    and said in anger, ¡°Since you like to carry it so much, carry both then!¡±


    His actions came very abruptly, so I simply froze for a while, dazed. When I eventuallyposed


    myself, both Rachel and Ashton had walked far away.


    I was taken aback and stood there for a long time, unable to recover my thoughts. Did I anger him


    again?


    Feeling helpless, I could not help but sigh before I followed them in the end.

 Chapter 729

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 729


    The two bags of fruit were heavy but still manageable. I wasgging behind the rest of the group as I


    was walking slowly with the heavy load.


    It had rained, so the road was muddy and wet. My shoes were caked with mud, making the walk a


    slippery affair, full of near misses. I nned to take a rest after crossing this muddy stretch, as my arms


    were almost breaking under the weight of these heavy bags of fruit.


    Unfortunately, all of a sudden, I slipped and sat right into a pool of mud.


    Slosh! The mud sshed onto the fruit I was carrying as well.


    Oh my god! Where am I going to find clothes to change into?


    I was tired and frustrated, so I just sat in the mud pool, stoned.


    ¡°Throwing in the towel?¡± I heard a voice mocking me.


    I looked up to see Ashton. He was standing a distance away, looking amused. I instinctively wanted to


    get up from the ground.


    On second thought, I gave up and just sat there. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business,¡± I retorted. He had already


    seen my embarrassing fall, so who cares?


    ¡°It is not about you. I am worried about the fruit. It was hard work harvesting them. You are not going to


    waste them like that, are you?¡± he mocked as he walked towards me.


    I held out the muddied fruit to him and pouted, ¡°There you go. Are you happy now?¡±


    He looked at me with a tickled expression, seemingly trying to suppress a goodugh.


    He did not take the muddied fruit from me. ¡°Get up. Mr. Oberick is still waiting for the fruit.¡±


    With that, he turned to walk away, not showing any intention to help me up. Apparently, he came by to


    ridicule me. How maddening!


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    I was aplete mess when I reach the base. Leedon was resting on the steps when I approached.


    When he saw me, he gaped. ¡°Ms. Stovall, did you fall into a trench?¡±


    ¡°Sort of.¡± I could not bother to go into details.


    He suppressed hisugh and took the muddied fruit from me to wash. ¡°There are shower facilities at


    the base. You don¡¯t have any extra items of clothing with you, do you? If you don¡¯t mind, you can use


    mine.¡± It was kind of him.


    ¡°Sorry to trouble you. Thank you very much.¡± I did not have other options and was thankful for his offer.


    ¡°No trouble at all. Hurry on,¡± he urged.


    Everywhere I went, people turned to gawk at me. I don¡¯t me them. I looked like I rolled in the mud.


    Finally, I made my way to the bathroom. Joseph was there waiting for me, with a set of clothing in


    hand. ¡°Mr. Fuller gave instructions to bring this to you, Ms. Stovall.¡±


    I saw him trying to hide his amusement.


    ¡°You tell Ashton Fuller that I would not thank him for sending me clothing. It was his fault that I got into


    this state.¡± I vented my frustration on him.


    ¡°Yes, Ms. Stovall. You go clean up. I will guard the entrance for you,¡± he said. Joseph was trying his


    best to hold in hisughter.


    I was thankful for Joseph¡¯s offer to stand guard. This base had no bathroom fordies as all the staff


    was men. Luckily they had standalone shower rooms that I could use.


    Leedon came by with some clean clothes for me. ¡°Thank you Leedon, but I already have a set here


    with me.¡±


    ¡°That is great! I will get back to my work then.¡± He left and I went in for a shower.


    After washing up, I rinsed my dirty clothes and packed them into the bag. When I came out of the


    shower, Joseph hadposed himself. I thanked him for his help.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, I¡¯ll get going then.¡± Seeing I was done with cleaning up, he excused himself and left.


    It had been a long day. I was on my way home when I met Leedon. ¡°Mr. Campbell came by and invite


    us for lunch, so please stay a little longer, Ms. Stovall.¡±


    ¡°We just had breakfast together this morning, isn¡¯t it?¡± I was puzzled.


    Leedonughed, ¡°Mr. Oberick is an old man who lives alone. Only his granddaughter would visit him


    asionally. I guess Mr. Fuller wanted to invite more people to keep himpany. It is livelier with


    everyone gathered.¡±


    I could not disagree with that. ¡°Sure! Lunch is at the visitor centre?¡± I asked.


    Leedon nodded, ¡°I will be transporting some goods there, so my vehicle will be full. Mr. Fuller will be


    driving there. You can join them.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Mr. Oberick heard you are the one who harvested the fruits. He asked for you to join them. You¡¯d


    better move along,¡± Leedon urged.


    ¡°I harvested much fruit. Did you keep some for the staff?¡± I asked.

 Chapter 730

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 730


    Leedon nodded and shared, ¡°We ate them. Mr. Campbell gave us a big bag. Don¡¯t worry about us. We


    work in the orchard and get to eat the fruits regrly.¡±


    I headed straight to Channing¡¯s office. I was at the door and could hearughter drifting out from the


    room.


    ¡°Rachel, you have a glib tongue. I have notughed so much in a long time.¡± It was Channing¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Mr. Oberick, you have ttered me. It is an honor for me to get to chat with you. I am thankful you


    enjoyed mypany.¡± Her words brought moreughter. Without a doubt, Rachel was much better


    than me when it came to socializing.


    I was about to knock on the door when I heard Channing said, ¡°Ashton, I was too sick to travel to your


    wedding when you and Rachel got married.¡±


    He fished out a pretty box from his pocket and handed it to Rachel. ¡°Rachel, this is a small gift from me.


    Before I went to fight in the war in Venria, my wife gave this to me and I had kept them since. It is a


    bracelet. I gift it to you now. Please take it.¡±


    Rachel was surprised and delighted. She looked to Ashton, seeking his consent to ept the gift.


    Ashton was also caught off-guard by this gesture of Channing. He came around and held the box. ¡°Mr.


    Oberick, we appreciate your generosity. This bracelet was from yourte wife. It is too precious. I


    cannot ept this gift.¡±


    Mr. Oberick was a little displeased he rejected the gift. ¡°Who said it is for you? I am giving this to


    George¡¯s granddaughter-inw. Take your hands off. Let Rachel take it.¡±


    He took the bracelet from the box and put it on Rachel¡¯s wrist. ¡°Rachel, from now on, have a blessed


    life with this rascal.¡±


    Rachel was not expecting this gift. She looked to Ashton, confused.


    Ashton was frowning slightly. However, when he saw Channing was happy, he kept quiet, so as not to


    dampen the joyful moment.


    I did not want to interrupt the conversation, so I turned around to leave.


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, you are here.¡± Joseph was standing behind me, a tray of fruit in hand.


    I was taken by surprise. I took a moment to recover from the shock before mumbling, ¡°Oh, you went to


    cut the fruit?¡± He nodded.


    We attracted the attention of those in the room, and they turned to look at us.


    ¡°Hello, Scarlett! I heard you went to harvest the fruit and had a fall. Are you alright?¡± Since Channing


    already saw me, I could not turn around to leave anymore.


    I put on a smile and entered the room. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Oberick. I just slipped. It was no big deal,¡± I


    assured him.


    Heughed and recalled, ¡°When George and I were fighting the war in Venria, there were days when


    thebat zone would be slippery and muddy because of a storm the night before. Sometimes,


    we would slip and roll down the mountain. Those were the difficult days. You kids have an easy life


    now.¡±


    We were nodding to Channing¡¯s story when I turned in Rachel¡¯s direction and caught sight of the


    bracelet. It was unintentional. The bracelet was very exquisite, so I took a second look at it.


    Rachel must have thought I was after the bracelet, so she put her other hand over it to hide it from my


    sight.


    I was amused and looked away.


    We had a good time chatting and enjoying the fruit Joseph served.


    After a while, we could see Mr. Oberick was getting tired and nodding off.


    We ended our conversation and Ashton helped Mr. Oberick into the car to head for lunch at the visitor


    centre. The n was to send him home after lunch so he could rest. Mr. Oberick must be tired after a


    long morning, given his age.


    Joseph got into the driver¡¯s seat while Ashton helped Mr. Oberick settle into the backseat. Rachel


    joined them in the backseat.


    Joseph was stunned. He looked at me, then turned toward Ashton with a questioning look in his eye,


    but Ashton kept quiet.


    Joseph observed I did not get into the car, so he asked, ¡°Are you not joining us?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I will head there with Leedon and his team.¡±


    ¡°Leedon is transporting a load of stuff in his vehicle. It will be packed.¡± Joseph was concerned.


    ¡°Not a problem,¡± I assured him.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Joseph, get going,¡± Ashtonmanded coldly. He was obviously not happy.


    Joseph was bewildered but drove offpliantly. I let out a small sigh and consoled myself. It¡¯s okay.


    Back at the base, Leedon was surprised to see me. ¡°Ms. Stovall, did you not meet Mr. Fuller?¡±


    ¡°There were a few people with him. It would not be convenient for me to join them in their car. The


    visitor centre is not far from here. I can cycle there,¡± I replied.

 Chapter 731

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 731


    Leedon nodded and reminded me, ¡°The path is muddy. Ride carefully. You wouldn¡¯t want to get all dirty


    again.¡±


    ¡°Noted.¡±


    The path leading from the base was indeed muddy, as Leedon had forewarned. Luckily, the weather


    was good in the morning and dried out the road a little, so I did not fall. I only got some mud stains on


    me.


    The lunch was at the hotel at the visitor centre. I returned the bicycle and cleaned off the mud stain on


    my shoes and pants before heading to the hotel.


    Just then, Nora called. ¡°My dear, what are your ns for tonight?¡±


    ¡°I had a long day. I want to get a good night¡¯s sleepter,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Tsk. What a waste of time!¡±


    ¡°What do you have in mind then?¡± I questioned her instead.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you working on a project at Lavelian Vige? We decided to pop over and spend Valentine¡¯s


    Day with you. There is a big field just behind Lavelian Vige. We can camp there tonight, watch the


    sunrise in the morning, then spend the whole of tomorrow there. We already bought stuff for a


    barbeque tomorrow.¡± She sounded pleased with her n.


    ¡°We?¡± I was curious.


    ¡°Armond, Linda, Tabitha, Laurel, Tessa, and you. We know you are busy at work, that¡¯s why we chose


    Lavelian Vige for our outing. We can have a get-together without affecting your work schedule. Oh,


    by the way, Tabitha¡¯s fianc¨¦ is joining us too. This going to be fun!¡± she chirped.


    After a pause, she whispered, ¡°Do you want to invite Ashton to join us?¡±


    ¡°It is not necessary,¡± I declined. ¡°What time will you be here?¡±


    ¡°Soon. In about an hour. Shall we have lunch together?¡±


    I would actually prefer to meet them for lunch. However, since Ashton had arranged for a lunch meeting


    with Mr. Oberick, I could notmit. ¡°We shall see. You go ahead with your ns. I will join you once I


    am done on my side.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I dirtied my clothes, so please bring an extra set of clothing for me,¡± I requested.


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    After ending the call with Nora, I went into the hotel and was ushered to the private dining room Ashton


    reserved.


    Almost everyone has arrived, and Channing was delighted to have such a lively group join him for


    lunch. He was chatting with Ashton and Rachel.


    Their conversation soon turned to children. ¡°Come to think of it, you were married for many years. Do


    you have kids?¡± Channing asked.


    Rachel blushed, but Ashton was tongue-tied, and he turned to look at me.


    I casually turned away to avoid his gaze. I could hear him diverting the subject. ¡°Mr. Oberick, you


    should take some tomato basil soupter. It is appetizing.¡±


    Channing may be old, but he is not senile and can see through Ashton¡¯s little trick.


    However, that was a subject close to the old man¡¯s heart, so he refused to let go of it. ¡°My boy, you are


    not young anymore. You have to start nning for your future. Both of you are over thirty and you had


    been married for so many years. It¡¯s about time you consider having kids.¡±


    Rachel tried to save Ashton from the grilling, so she smiled and chipped in, ¡°Mr. Oberick, don¡¯t be upset


    with Ashton. I was the one to me. We definitely n to have kids, just not now. We are in no hurry


    and can wait for a couple more years.¡±


    ¡°No hurry? How old are you now?¡± He then turned to others seated at the table and asked, ¡°What do


    you think? Don¡¯t you think it is about time?¡±


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    He locked in on Leedon and questioned him. ¡°Leedon, tell me, when you were their age, how old was


    your child?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Oberick, you can¡¯tpare me to them. I am not educated and left school early, so I got married


    early too. My focus was on our kids. Mr. and Mrs. Fuller are young and educated. I am sure they have


    their reasons for dying having kids. Every generation has their different priorities, don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    Leedon was a little awkward being dragged into this conversation.


    Channing could not find fault with his reasoning. ¡°Young people like youck the wisdom we have.


    There is always an appropriate time for everything. At each stage of our life, we should do the things


    that are important at that stage. You will understand what I mean when you are older and wiser,¡± he


    sighed.


    He seemed to be getting mncholic as he spoke, so Ashton told him, ¡°Mr. Oberick, I have a daughter.


    She is five this year.¡±


    The old man was confused. ¡°You have a child? But your confessions are inconsistent with one


    another.¡±


    Rachel was embarrassed and tried to exin, ¡°Mr. Oberick, that child is not¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat! It has been a tiring morning. Let¡¯s get started so everyone can go back and get some rest


    after lunch.¡± Joseph was quick to propose. He obviously was trying to stop Rachel from yakking.


    Rachel was slightly taken aback and displeased with Joseph¡¯s interruption. Ashton jumped in to change


    the topic to prevent Channing from probing on.

 Chapter 732

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 732


    Joseph¡¯s quick thinking saved the day. The lunch session went by smoothly without more awkward


    episodes. Everyone ate their fill and dispersed to continue with their respective chores.


    Nora arrived as we were about to send Channing home.


    ¡°Grandpa!¡± We could hear her shouting as she ran in from a distance away.


    Channing looked up and was ted to see his granddaughter. ¡°What is my little girl doing here?¡±


    ¡°I am here to meet my friends.¡± Nora held on to Channing¡¯s arms and teased, ¡°Are you here to meet


    your old friends?¡±


    Channing looked at Ashton and smiled, ¡°My old friend is no longer around. This is the grandson of the


    old Mr. Fuller. Let me introduce them to you. This is Ashton, and next to him is his wife, Rachel.¡±


    Nora was baffled. She looked at me and mouthed, ¡°Wife?¡±


    I just smiled and did not borate.


    She scowled at Ashton and spoke sarcastically. ¡°Hi Ashton, when did you get a new wife?¡±


    ¡°You little imp! Mind your manners and stop spouting nonsense.¡± Channing knocked her on her head


    and chided.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Nora flinched but did not pursue the matter as she wasn¡¯t sure what transpired. She chatted with Mr.


    Oberick for a while then arranged for a driver to send him home.


    After Mr. Oberick left, she turned back to Ashton and Rachel. ¡°I did not know it is okay for a married


    boss to have an affair with his subordinate, let alone doing it openly right in the face of the wife! Well


    done, you two!¡±


    She then turned to chastise me. ¡°Knowing my grandpa is not aware of the situation, why did you not


    exin to him?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Let it go.¡± I gave her a reassuring smile as I reminded her of the group of friends


    waiting in the car. ¡°Have all of you eaten?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°We just arrived and are about to have ourte lunch here.¡±


    I nodded and urged them to go for their meal. In the meantime, I headed back to finish off my work. We


    were all happily looking forward to camping.


    It was almost eight at night when we finally set off to the field where we nned to camp. We were a


    little worried as it was gettingte and it would be difficult to set up the tents in darkness. Luckily, the


    field was not far away.


    When we reached the field, someone had already set up a tentage. Nora nced at me and queried,


    ¡°Did you invite any guests?¡±


    ¡°Nope. Why did you ask?¡± I was puzzled.


    She pointed at the grey tent. There was a light inside the tent and, in the flickering light, we could see a


    lanky figure standing outside.


    Nora observed I did not figure out who that was, so she forewarned, ¡°That¡¯s Ashton!¡±


    I finally had a better look when we drove nearby. Indeed, it was Ashton. It looked like there was


    someone else in the tent. Nora let out a curse, ¡°Disgusting! Why can¡¯t they be more discreet?¡±


    She frowned at me and used, ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything to say? Why are you so emotionless?¡±


    ¡°What should I be saying?¡± I shook my head and declined to engage her further in her quibble.


    I was the one who pushed Ashton away. If he found a better half, I should give him my blessings. I


    have no right to be jealous nor angry.


    Nora was probably exasperated and gave up on me. She jumped off the car and went up to Ashton.


    ¡°What a coincidence, Mr. Fuller.¡±


    Ashton was poised andposed as usual. ¡°I had heard about this beautiful ce. Took the


    opportunity to visit since we are around the area,¡± he nonchntly replied.


    ¡°Ohhhh¡­, looks like we are meant to meet again,¡± Nora sneered.


    Rachel came out from the tent. We could see she was startled and had not expected to see us. She hid


    her surprise and greeted us with a smile.


    The rest got off the car. Tabitha and her fianc¨¦ were attracted by the beauty of the ce. They


    immediately went for a nice, romantic tour around the field.


    The stars were shining brightly and the field glowed warmly under the moonlight. Laurel and Tessa


    were also captivated by the beautiful sight. The gentle cool breeze weed us to a perfect star-


    gazing night.


    Tessa¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she saw Ashton there, but when she noticed Rachel was next to


    him, her face fell.


    After the earlier incident, Tessa and I kept our distance. We would merely greet each other politely


    when we meet.


    Armond was a quiet and reserved guy, quite the opposite of mischievous Nora. He unloaded the tents


    from the car and started working on them.


    Laurel and Tessa also started putting up their tent. No one knew if they deliberately chose the site next


    to Ashton¡¯s tent.


    Nora was loafing about. She ran to me to gossip. ¡°Do you think Tessa still has an eye for Ashton? And


    that Ashton, is he really going to share a tent with Rachel tonight?¡±


    I shrugged, ignored her, and continued fixing my tent. I could hear her mumbling, ¡°What the hell is


    going on!.¡±


    I turned around and teased her, ¡°So, are you going to slip into Armond¡¯s tent tonight?¡±

 Chapter 733

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 733


    To my surprise, she blushed. ¡°Don¡¯t phrase it that way. I was only going to spend the night chatting with


    him.¡±


    She felt a little embarrassed and tried to exin further. ¡°I actually wanted to keep youpany


    tonight. s, I am caught between love and friendship! What a difficult decision that is!¡± she eximed.


    ¡°I am used to sleeping alone, so you don¡¯t have to bother about me,¡± I stated as I crawled into the tent


    and startedying out my sleeping bag.


    ¡°Really? You can¡¯t get mad at me if you get spooked in the middle of the night, and I don¡¯te


    running back to you, okay?¡± she muttered shyly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my dear Nora. I won¡¯t¡±


    She grinned sheepishly, every inch a besotted young girl. ¡°Youngdy, get a hold on that dirty little mind


    of yours and stop drooling. Have some dignity.¡± I cupped my forehead and jested at her.


    She gave me a sly smile and whispered, ¡°I can¡¯t help it. That man is too seductive. I can¡¯t control


    myself anymore!¡±


    I was left speechless.


    Rachel came by with some snacks and invited, ¡°We brought some snacks. Would you like to join us?¡±


    Nora folded her arms defensively and rebuffed her. ¡°No thanks. We brought snacks as well. We don¡¯t


    need yours.¡±


    Oh, my! How childish can she get?


    Ashton walked over and took a nce around. When he saw all the tents were up, he proposed, ¡°Let¡¯s


    have supper together. If we are lucky, we may get to see shooting stars tonight.¡±


    ¡°Oh yes! We have a good view of the starry sky here,¡± Laurel concurred. ¡°We can stargaze while we


    eat. We brought our grills, so let¡¯s enjoy a barbeque under the stars! That would be so wonderful!¡±


    ¡°Set! Let¡¯s get moving.¡± Nora was all for it.


    In the end, the barbeque nned for the next day was brought forward and everyone started chipping


    in with the preparation. The guys began to set up the grills while thedies started preparing the food.


    Nora brought over a bag of vegetables and potatoes. We started cutting and skewering them.


    Suddenly, Nora leaned closed and asked, ¡°Scarlett, what do you think is the difference between a vixen


    and a siren?¡± She had a shifty look in her eyes.


    I shook my head, clueless. ¡°I am not sure. Seems to be the same to me.¡±


    She sniggered and exined, ¡°Not the same. They are all bitches in disguise, but a vixen is seductive,


    feisty, and out to get you.¡±


    ¡°What would a siren be then?¡±


    She deliberated for a moment, then dered, ¡°A siren is alluring. Before you can suspect anything, you


    have already fallen into her trap.¡±


    ¡°So, is there a difference between the two? Sound like they are both flirts, right?¡± Her attempt to exin


    confused me further.


    She paused to reorganize her thoughts and then pointed in Rachel¡¯s direction. ¡°Try analyzing based on


    my earlier definition. What do you think Rachel is, a vixen or a siren?¡±


    I was lost. All I saw was Rachel squatting next to Ashton, and they were helping to start the fire.


    Nothing seemed to be out of ce.


    ¡°If I really have to match her to one, then vixen?¡± I hesitantly made a wild guess.


    ¡°Tsk. Now look over to Tessa and observe. What is she?¡±


    Tessa was sorting out the ingredients, a short distance from Ashton. Her sight was fixed on Ashton and


    Rachel.


    Watching Tessa made me realized she seemed to have been staying away from me the whole evening.


    Usually, she would be hovering around me, directing sarcastic remarks at me. This evening, she was


    hanging around Ashton and Rachel. If Tessa¡¯s looks could kill, Rachel would have been dead many


    times over by now.


    I reckoned she has redirected her anger to Rachel.


    ¡°Honestly, I can¡¯t differentiate. Based on your exnation, a siren and a vixen are the same.¡± I gave up


    trying to figure out her little puzzle.


    Nora wagged her finger and shook her head at the same time to emphasize her point. ¡°You have to be


    more observant and discerning. Look at Rachel. She has not left Ashton¡¯s side since we arrived. No


    matter what Ashton does, she will be near him and pretending to help those around them. Next, watch


    her interaction with Tabitha and Laurel. They barely know one another, but Rachel is already acting


    pally with them, even feeding them fruit.¡±


    ¡°Now look, she is walking over to Tabitha¡¯s fianc¨¦ with a te of fruit,¡± Nora proudly pointed out.


    ¡°Are you reading too much into it? Everyone¡¯s busy, so she brought them the fruit out of goodwill.


    Looks normal to me.¡± I honestly could not figure out what Rachel had done wrong.


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Are you dumb? There is nothing wrong with offering fruit. The problem lies with the timing! Why did


    she choose to bring the fruit to Tabitha¡¯s fianc¨¦ at this exact moment? She could have brought it to


    them earlier,¡± she scoffed.

 Chapter 734

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 734


    I was dumbstruck. ¡°Are there such unspoken rules?¡±


    She pouted before going on, ¡°Tabitha and her fianc¨¦ were chatting and having a sweet couple time


    moments earlier. Tell me, what is her fianc¨¦ doing now?¡±


    I turned to look. ¡°He is cleaning the fishes.¡± I could not figure out what she was getting at.


    She squinted her eyes and asked, ¡°Would that be dirty and smelly?¡±


    I nodded, and she gave me a despised look before borating, ¡°She did not bring the fruit when he


    and Tabitha were free. She chose to go over at this particr moment when Tabitha had gone away to


    wash the vegetables and when his hands are dirty and smelly. Don¡¯t you think it is intentional?¡±


    ¡°It could be just a coincidence.¡± My eyes could not help following Rachel¡¯s move, waiting to see what


    unfolds next.


    Rachel walked over with a te of cut fruit and smilingly ced it in front of Tabitha¡¯s fianc¨¦. ¡°You have


    worked hard. Why don¡¯t you take some fruit first?¡±


    No one can be mean to a prettydy smiling sweetly at you. He may not be interested in her, but it


    would have been rude for him to reject her offer outright. Thus, he politely declined by saying, ¡°Thank


    you, but I am afraid it is not a convenient time for me to eat now.¡±


    ¡°No problem. Here you go.¡± Rachel casually picked up a piece of fruit with the toothpick and ced it


    next to his mouth. He had no choice but to open his mouth and ate the fruit. He was blushing when he


    mumbled a thank you with his mouth full.


    Rachel smiled sweetly and cooed, ¡°Loosen up. Tabitha and I are friends, so we are friends as well. This


    is just a small gesture, so you don¡¯t have to thank me.¡±


    She turned around and fed Tabitha a piece of fruit as well, then head back to Ashton.


    Nora nudged me with her elbow and said, ¡°Did you see that? She teased the man right in front of his


    girlfriend, and she made it look so innocent. That is a siren. Whatever she does, no one will associate it


    with bad intentions. Now, watch Tabitha¡¯s fianc¨¦.¡±


    I followed her gaze. He was blushing and started stealing nces at Rachel.


    I pursed my lips and frowned, ¡°Why did she do that?¡±


    ¡°For fun. She is trying to project an image of being kind and innocent. The people around her would


    feel she deserves to be pampered and will subconsciously indulge her. Look at how she is always


    sticking to Ashton. People who don¡¯t know any better would think they are a couple and sing praises


    about them.¡±


    Nora gave a wry look and continued her analysis. ¡°When you were at the hotel earlier today, I am sure


    grandpa thought Ashton and she are husband and wife. She is an expert in using small gestures to


    mislead people. The undiscerning would easily fall for her tricks.¡±


    I had to agree with Nora¡¯s analysis. Indeed, I had thought Ashton was to be med for Mr. Oberick


    mistaking Rachel as his wife. In actual fact, Rachel was the one who projected that image by fussing


    over the old man as if she was Ashton¡¯s better half. Since Ashton kept mum about it, everyone just


    assumed she is Mrs. Fulller.


    ¡°So she is the siren?¡± Suddenly, I saw Nora¡¯s point.


    Nora snapped her fingers and praised, ¡°Bingo, smartss. It is very easy to identify a siren. All you


    need to do is watch more soap operas and you¡¯ll be an expert in no time.¡±


    I was not interested in soap operas so I was clueless. I paused, then questioned, ¡°What about the


    vixen?¡±


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    She raised an eyebrow andmented, ¡°Look at Tessa. Since we got acquainted with her, what left


    the deepest impression on you about her?¡±


    ¡°The tales she told Ashton!¡± I blurted out without hesitation. I couldn¡¯t forget how she cooked up a


    totally alien version of what happened to us in Venria!


    If we did not overhear their conversation, Ashton would have likely been misled by her.


    Nora signaled in Ashton¡¯s direction and exhorted, ¡°Look, she is throwing herself at your man. Aren¡¯t you


    going to check it out?¡±


    I shook my head and said, ¡°I had made my stand clear with Ashton. What goes on between the two of


    them has nothing to do with me. How can I, as the one who pushed him away, stop him from seeing


    other women. If I do that, I am no better than a siren or a vixen.¡±


    Nora rolled her eyes at me and condemned, ¡°Now I realize Rachel is the siren, Tessa is the vixen and


    you are the moron. Make that a hopeless moron.¡±


    I knew she was anxious for me, so I kept my peace. Noticing she was keeping her eyes on Rachel, I


    reminded her, ¡°Focus on cutting the vegetable, lest you cut your fingers.¡±

 Chapter 735

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 735


    She squinted and then frowned, ¡°Wait! The bracelet on Rachel¡¯s wrist looks familiar. I must have seen it


    somewhere before.¡±


    I turned to look. The bracelet on her slim wrist was the gift from Mr. Oberick.


    Before I could say anything, Nora dropped her chores on hand and started walking towards Rachel.


    Unexpectedly, she turned back and picked up the knife. ¡°I can overlook anything else, but how could


    she shamelessly con him of my grandma¡¯s bracelet?¡± she muttered under her breath.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    I was shocked when I saw her with the knife. I quickly went up and pulled her aside. ¡°Calm down! Your


    grandpa gifted this to Ashton¡¯s wife. Since Ashton gave it to her, you should not fault her for it,¡± I


    exined.


    She pushed me aside and fumed, ¡°My grandpa may be senile, but I am not. First of all, Ashton will


    never be her man. It is okay for that bracelet to go to Ashton¡¯s wife but not her. That would be an insult


    to my grandma. Secondly, my grandpa meant that as a gift for Ashton¡¯s wife, meaning you. She is a


    fake and that means she misled my grandpa. I cannot forgive her for that.¡±


    She angrily stormed up to Ashton and Rachel and taunted her. ¡°Ms. Zimmer, that bracelet looks good,


    right?¡±


    Rachel was rmed when she saw the knife in Nora¡¯s hand. She stumbled backward and nearly


    dropped the te of fruit in her hand.


    ¡°Ms. Oberick, what are you doing?¡± Her face regained some color as she stood close to Ashton, feeling


    more secured.


    ¡°Give it back to me!¡± she demanded, barely hiding her anger.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Rachel was puzzled. She had no idea what Nora was referring to.


    ¡°The bracelet!¡± Nora hollered. ¡°Do you think any Tom, Dick and Harry can take my grandma¡¯s bracelet?


    How shameless can you be? The old man was confused and you took the opportunity to con him of


    that bracelet? Ms. Zimmer, show some grace.¡±


    Themotion attracted the rest, and Tabitha came running over. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she probed.


    ¡°Why are you holding a knife? That is dangerous. Chill and talk calmly!¡± Laurel tried to remove the knife


    from Nora, but she managed to jerk away.


    Nora red around and snapped, ¡°Go back to what you were doing. This is between her and me. Stay


    out of it.¡±


    No one knew what was happening. They could only look on, worried.


    Rachel regained herposure. She knew that with so many people around, Nora would not be able


    to hurt her.


    ¡°Ms. Nora Oberick, is there a reason for you to kick up such a big fuss? Indeed, this bracelet is a gift


    from your grandpa. Mr. Fuller and Ms. Stovall were both present and they witnessed your grandpa


    gave it to me. How did you get the idea I conned him? Does the Oberick family always give something


    then turn around, and demand it back? What would happen to the reputation of A City¡¯s famous


    Oberick family if words got out about what happened today?¡± Rachel challenged, emboldened by the


    crowd that gathered.


    ¡°How disgusting! My grandpa gave this to Mrs. Fuller. Who are you to take my grandma¡¯s bracelet?¡±


    Nora had always been straightforward and will shoot off her mouth when she is mad.


    ¡°It¡¯s you, Scarlett Stovall, isn¡¯t it?¡± Rachel turned her attention on me and jeered, ¡°You are really beyond


    myprehension. On one hand, you chased him away. On the other hand, you are still out to milk


    him. Are you jealous I got the bracelet and wanted it for yourself, so you instigate someone else to get


    it for you? Scarlett Stovall, if you want it,e get it yourself, and quit hiding cowardly behind others.


    One word from Ashton, and I will hand it to you. You don¡¯t have to resort to such underhanded means.¡±


    That was ludicrous. When I saw Rachel trying to remove her bracelet, I stopped her. I darted a quick


    look at Ashton. He stood there like a bystander, so I turned back to Rachel to rify. ¡°You are mistaken.


    I did not instigate Nora to get the bracelet from you. First and foremost, it is because Ashton and I are


    not rted anymore, so what he does with the bracelet is none of my business. Secondly, the reason


    Nora objects to you having the bracelet is that you are a disgrace.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± She was aghast at what I said. ¡°Mr. Fuller, I¡¯ll give this bracelet back to you. I will never ept


    this ever again,¡± She woefully looked at Ashton and quavered, as she removed the bracelet and shove


    it into Ashton¡¯s hand.


    Ashton had not uttered a word. He just stared at me coldly. When Rachel turned to walk away, he


    grabbed her arm, surprising her.


    His action stunned Nora too. She actually did not care who had the bracelet. She was just annoyed


    with Rachel¡¯s attitude, which was why she frowned when Ashton held Rachel back.

 Chapter 736

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 736


    The crowd which gathered around was perplexed, but I could anticipate Ashton¡¯s next move.


    He held on to Rachel, but his gaze was on me, cold and with disappointment.


    ¡°Ms. Fuller¡­¡± Rachel looked at him in bewilderment. The woeful look in her eyes could melt most


    hearts.


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    ¡°This is yours, so wear it,¡± Ashton indulgently insisted in his deep, mellow voice. He put the bracelet on


    Rachel¡¯s wrist, held on to her hand, and spoke tenderly, ¡°This is a gift for you, so it¡¯s yours. You don¡¯t


    have to remove it if you don¡¯t wish to.¡±


    Rachel was caught off-guard by Ashton¡¯s loving behavior. Her anger dissipated immediately, and she


    blushed girlishly. She was overjoyed.


    ¡°Ashton Fuller, you¡­¡± Nora was speechless with anger.


    Armond, who had been quietly setting up the grill, walked over and pulled her away. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to


    watch the stars tonight? If you dy any further and it starts to rain, then all you get to watch will be


    cloud and lightning.¡± He took the knife from her and handed it to me. ¡°Solve your own problem,¡± he


    solemnly uttered.


    Me? What?


    I looked around and felt everyone seemed to think I instigated Nora to create this scene. I wanted to


    defend myself, but on second thought, I kept my peace. I will onlye across as being guilty if I try to


    defend myself.


    I looked at Ashton nkly. Rachel arrogantly gave me the eye, showing off her bracelet triumphantly.


    I pursed my lips, kept quiet, and went back to cut the remaining vegetables.


    Everyone also resumed what they were doing. with the earlier incident weighing on their mind.


    Laurel finished washing her vegetables and brought them to me. ¡°Scarlett, did you not told us you are


    married? How did you get into this entanglement with Mr. Fuller?¡± she whispered.


    She stole a nce at Armond and Nora. ¡°Also, I always thought Armond was interested in you. When


    did he be so close to Nora? What has happened?¡± she probed.


    Her curiosity amused me. ¡°You bombarded me with so many questions. Which am I supposed to


    answer first?¡± I jested.


    She thought about it and decided, ¡°First, tell me, what is your rtionship with Ashton Fuller?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Yes! I noticed the way he gazed at you was different. Don¡¯t tell me you were once lovers!¡± Tabitha


    poked her head over for gossips.


    Indeed, women can never resist juicy gossips.


    ¡°Lover, my foot. She is his legitimate wife. That man has been bewitched!¡± Nora joined us, still fuming


    with anger.


    ¡°What? You are Ashton Fuller¡¯s wife?¡± the two girls eximed, wide-eyed.


    ¡°Ex-wife. We are divorced.¡± I stopped whatever I was doing and corrected them. I was worried more


    misunderstandings will arise if I don¡¯t.


    ¡°B*llsh*t. You initiated the divorce, but Ashton has not agreed to it yet,¡± Nora countered.


    ¡°So, how are you rted now? And what is with Ms. Zimmer?¡± Tabitha grimaced.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, the three of you have suchplex rtionships. How awkward for an ex-wife to meet up


    with the current girlfriend. At first, I thought they were a couple, so sharing a tent seems normal.


    Scarlett, you must be so ill at ease with them spending the night together,¡± Laurel added.


    ¡°Not to worry, I am not bothered. It is actually quite nice to see them together,¡± I replied, unconcerned.


    ¡°My gosh! You drove away such a catch! Are you out of your mind, Scarlett?¡±


    ¡°I agree!¡±


    Tabitha and Laurel chipped in animatedly, and they seemed astounded.


    ¡°You would be the ones out of your mind if you decide to continue with this gossip. It may start to rain


    and this beautiful starry night will turn into a cold rainy night instead,¡± I interrupted them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I checked the weather forecast. No rain expected,¡± Nora dered confidently.


    ¡°Well, you never know. These are ready. Start grilling them.¡± I thrust the cut potatoes and vegetables


    into her hands and hurried her on.


    Tabitha was called away by her fianc¨¦. Laurel stooped next to me and continued her tattle. ¡°I heard


    Ashton¡¯spany is based in K City, so you came from K City too, right?. You have always said you


    lived in A City, so I thought you were from there. I¡¯m curious, did you two break up because of Rachel?¡±


    ¡°Very often, a couple breaks up due to personal differences, not because of a third party.¡± I shook my


    head and continued skewering the cut potatoes.

 Chapter 737

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 737


    She nodded in agreement. Her face appeared a little forlorn. ¡°You¡¯re right. The future is unpredictable.


    Back then, I married him with so much joy and anticipation. Never had I expected that every single day


    of my married life would be like hell to me. I can¡¯t even run away.¡±


    Turning to look at her, I smiled faintly and asked, ¡°Let¡¯s stop talking about me. Why don¡¯t you tell me


    about yourself?¡±


    The woman shrugged. A helpless look crossed her round face. ¡°A book I¡¯ve read says that all the


    happy families are simr, but the unhappy ones are all different from one another. I totally agree with


    it.¡±


    I nodded my head. Afterward, Nora scampered over to me with a te in her hand. ¡°Hey, try this. I


    grilled some meat for you two.¡±


    Staring at the few slices of grilled meat on the te, Laurel asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t we bring enough meat this


    time?¡±


    Nora shook her head. ¡°No, we brought quite a lot of them. We segregated the jobs and asked Rachel


    to marinate the meat, but she didn¡¯t even touch it, so Tabitha only started to marinate them just now.


    These are all we have for now. Come on, try it.¡±


    Laurel pursed her lips with displeasure. ¡°I knew it. It takes time to find out someone¡¯s true colors. At


    first, I felt that she¡¯s quite outgoing and generous, but now I¡¯m starting to hate her.¡±


    Nora nodded in agreement. Looking at us, she asked, ¡°What did both of you talk about? It seems


    you¡¯re having a good time.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re only talking about our family affairs.¡± Putting some food on another te, I handed it to her.


    ¡°These are ready to be grilled now. Pass it to them.¡±


    Taking the te, Nora asked with an inquisitive expression. ¡°What family affairs did you guys talk


    about? Share with me, please.¡±


    With that said, her eager gaze was riveted on Laurel, as if she wasn¡¯t going to leave if thetter didn¡¯t


    tell her something.


    Having no other choice, Laurel finally told her, ¡°It¡¯s about the frustrations that the married women like us


    have. You¡¯ve never been in a rtionship, so you can¡¯t understand our feelings.¡±


    Nora clicked her tongue and said exasperatedly, ¡°What do you mean by I can¡¯t understand your


    feelings? I¡¯ve heard people talking about it before. By the way, I heard that you¡¯re going to get a


    divorce. What happened?¡±


    At Nora¡¯s words, I turned to look at Laurel, as I didn¡¯t know much about her marriage.


    Laurel heaved a sigh. ¡°We¡¯ve been arguing for months. In our six years of marriage, all our child¡¯s


    expenses are on me. I know I¡¯ve no right toin. After all, the child is mine. But I live like a widow


    now. I almost lost my life in Venria and lost contact with him for a long time. Yet, he didn¡¯t even call or


    text me. What¡¯s the point of being with someone like him? When I came back from Venria, he left our


    child with my mother-inw and went outstation. In the name of starting a business, he took all our


    savings with him. I can hardly see him now. I¡¯ve lost faith in him, so I¡¯m thinking of getting a divorce.¡±


    Nora nodded and let out a sigh. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s pointless to stay in this kind of marriage. You¡¯re better off


    single.¡±


    She then turned to look at me. ¡°Scarlett, your case is different from hers. Ashton is a rare gem. He¡¯s


    rich and loves you deeply. No matter how severe the conflict is between you and him, you both should


    talk it out and solve it calmly. Afterward, you can be happy ever after. Why don¡¯t you give him another


    chance?¡±


    As the conversation was directed back to my rtionship with Ashton, I stood up, took the te of food


    from her, and suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s go and grill some meat.¡±


    Trailing behind me, she rattled on, ¡°Scarlett, what¡¯s the use of running away from it?¡±


    I ignored her and ambled over to the barbecue stand. The others were grilling their food while chatting


    away.


    ncing at the woman behind me, Tabitha passed me some grilled sausages. ¡°Why are you


    babbling?¡±


    Nora pressed her lips together. ¡°I¡¯m teaching her about politics.¡±


    All of a sudden, she turned to look at Rachel and said, ¡°You know nothing but how to flirt with men.


    Instead of joining us, you should just check into a hotel with your man.¡±


    For a moment, the atmosphere became awkward. Rachel¡¯s face turned pale. She even stopped


    chewing the meat in her mouth.


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    ¡°Okay, okay, let¡¯s bring the cushions out. The moon and the stars look so beautiful tonight. This is


    perfect for stargazing. Don¡¯t be a party pooper.¡±


    Laurel pulled Nora along to take the cushions. Armond and Tabitha¡¯s fianc¨¦ followed them. With the


    help of the two men, they could carry the cushions without difficulty.


    Leaning closer to me, Tabitha asked suspiciously, ¡°Don¡¯t you feel awkward?¡±


    Puzzled, I asked her back, ¡°Why should I feel awkward?¡±


    ¡°Your ex-husband and his new girlfriend are around. Don¡¯t tell me that you don¡¯t care at all. That¡¯s


    bulls**t.¡±


    With a faint smile, I gazed up at the starry night sky. ¡°I think the moon and the stars are more worthy of


    our attention now.¡±


    I changed the topic, and she pursed her lips. Right then, they brought the cushions to us. Everyoney


    on a cushion while stargazing.


    Tabitha was with her fianc¨¦, while Armond was by Nora¡¯s side, and Ashton was next to Rachel. All the


    couples looked so sweet together.


    Thank God that Laurel and Tessa kept mepany, so I felt at ease. Only when Iy down did I realize


    Ashton was lying right next to me, with Rachel by his other side.

 Chapter 738

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 738


    For a moment, I actually felt slightly uneasy. Fortunately, Laurel was here to chat with me.


    ¡°I remember we loved camping and hiking when I was still in university. Looking back, I really miss


    those good old days.¡± She sighed. ¡°In just the blink of an eye, ten years have whizzed past.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m going to be thirty soon!¡± Nora sighed. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m still young and free.


    How did I grow old so fast?¡±


    Gazing at the night sky full of shimmering stars, I took a deep breath. ¡°There¡¯s no need to dwell on the


    past. People just have to do what they¡¯re supposed to do in due courses like studying, getting married,


    and giving birth. Our ancestors had lived for thousands of years, yet they followed the same routine. It¡¯s


    not that they hadn¡¯t thought of living their ideal lives. Perhaps they had experienced the freedom which


    we all long for, but in the end, they found it even more unbearable than being married and having kids.¡±


    Nodding her head, Nora turned to nce at Tessa. ¡°Tessa, aren¡¯t you into philosophy? What do you


    think about life?¡±


    Pressing her lips together, the woman looked intently at the night sky for a few seconds before saying


    indifferently, ¡°Life and death have been fated from the start. It¡¯s an endless cycle of torment.¡±


    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Nora mumbled and pouted her lips. She then turned to


    Armond and asked with a sweet smile, ¡°Mr. Murphy, do you have anything to say?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Armond replied. His icy gaze was fixed on the night sky.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± All of a sudden, Rachel jumped to her feet with her hands over her stomach, and her face


    contorted with agony. ¡°My stomach hurts.¡±


    Ashton furrowed his brows. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m having a stomach-ache. Maybe I ate something bad. Excuse me, I need to relieve


    myself.¡± Immediately, she scurried away while holding her tummy.


    Watching the woman sprinting toward the end of the enormous field, everyone tried to stifle augh.


    There was no undergrowth or trees that could act as a cover across the field, so she had to run further


    away.


    None of them had thought of this issue before camping.


    Nora let out a half-suppressed giggle, moving closer to me. ¡°I bet she¡¯ll not be able to enjoy the


    stargazing tonight.¡±


    ¡°Why did you say so?¡± Staring at her enigmatic face, I couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    The woman shed me a sly smile and said impishly, ¡°That¡¯s the consequence of acting all high and


    mighty when she knows nothing at all. I had no other way to vent my frustrations.¡±


    ncing at her sneaky expression, I made a wild guess. ¡°Did you put something in her food?¡±


    She shrugged nomittally. ¡°I only added a little chocte in the ss of milk she drank just now.¡±


    Bewildered, I asked, ¡°Can milk and chocte cause diarrhoea?¡±


    She nodded her head. ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t worry, she won¡¯t die. She¡¯ll only have the runs.¡±


    I see.


    ¡°Look! A shooting star!¡± someone screamed in delight. In an instant, everyone looked up at the sky.


    Sure enough, a few dazzling shooting stars glided through the night sky.


    ¡°Hurry and make a wish!¡± Nora closed her eyes and sped her hands together at once, wishing


    solemnly upon the star.


    A smile spread across my face. Instinctively, I turned to the other side. I was stunned when I locked


    eyes with Ashton unexpectedly.


    Never had I thought that he was looking at me at the same time. His dark, gleaming eyes appeared


    slightly distant and aloof.


    In a split second, I swiftly averted my gaze. Like Nora, I closed my eyes and acted as though I was


    making a wish as well. Under his steady gaze, the rhythm of my heartbeat became frantic.


    ¡°What did you wish for?¡± After the shooting stars vanished, Nora asked enthusiastically, staring at me.


    ¡°I wish for peace, joy, and health,¡± I answered impassively.


    She gave me a sniff of disapproval. ¡°How boring. Why did you wish for those things? You might as well


    just wish that you¡¯lle to your senses.¡±


    Afterward, she looked at Armond and asked curiously, ¡°Mr. Murphy, what did you wish for?¡±


    ncing at her coldly, the man answered indifferently, ¡°I don¡¯t believe in this.¡±


    Then, he closed his eyes to take a rest.


    Finding the two of usme and unexciting, she mbered over to Laurel and Tessa to ask them the


    same question.


    Staring at the breath-taking starry night sky, I spaced out. I truly loved such an environment. It was so


    rxing and soothing. My mind was clear of unwanted thoughts.


    With my eyes closed, I drifted off and felt like I was no longer on earth but in heaven.


    After a while, someone suddenly spoke. ¡°Ms. Zimmer has been away for quite some time. Why isn¡¯t


    she back yet?¡±


    Opening my eyes, I nced around the campsite. Rachel was nowhere to be seen.


    In the meantime, Nora was chatting with Laurel. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s so good at ying innocent and


    pitiful. She¡¯ll be alright even if she runs into any wild animal.¡±


    It was already 11 p.m., and Rachel had been gone for an hour.


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    Turning to nce at Ashton, I couldn¡¯t help but urge him. ¡°Mr. Fuller, you should check on her. After all,


    she¡¯s a woman. It¡¯ll be dangerous if she runs into any problem.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Mr. Fuller. Hurry and look for her.¡± Everyone followed suit. It was about time to sleep, since we


    had finished eating and been stargazing for a while.

 Chapter 739

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 739


    After all, Ashton was the one who brought Rachel here. Without a word, he stood up and headed in the


    direction which Rachel had left.


    Standing behind me, Nora poked fun at me. ¡°To be honest, you¡¯re the most magnanimous woman I¡¯ve


    ever met, pushing your husband to another woman. You¡¯re really a genius!¡±


    Meanwhile, Armond had sauntered toward the tent. I tilted my head and stared at her. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you


    go to bed now?¡±


    Her brows drew together as she nced at Armond. At the same time, the man was looking right back


    at us with a solemn gaze.


    Nora¡¯s face flushed scarlet immediately. ¡°How about sleeping in the same tent? I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t be


    able to fall asleep alone. Let me keep youpany, okay?¡±


    I broke into a fit of giggles. Giving her a sideways nce, I said nothing.


    Her cheeks turned beet red as I eyed her suspiciously. ¡°Stop overthinking. We¡¯ve never done it before.


    Our rtionship is as pure as it can be,¡± she exined hurriedly.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything. Why are you in such a hurry to exin yourself? Besides, didn¡¯t Armond end up


    bleeding thest time?¡± I shrugged and said with a grin.


    Pausing briefly, I raised my voice. ¡°Could it be that Armond couldn¡¯t get it up?¡±


    ¡°Cut the nonsense and go to sleep.¡± With that, she ran into a tent.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    I chuckled at her reaction. Looking in the direction which Ashton left, I became a little worried.


    If anything happened to Rachel out in the wild, Ashton had to be responsible for it.


    After standing there in silence for a moment, I heaved a sigh and went back to my tent. Nora had


    already arranged the sleeping bags and hid herself under a nket. ¡°Hey pretty, spend the night with


    me.¡±


    Amused, I went speechless for a second. ¡°In this state, you need Armond more than ever. It¡¯ll be


    romantic and thrilling under such a beautiful night sky.¡±


    The woman tried to hold back augh while looking at me. ¡°Scarlett, you¡¯re so dirty-minded.¡±


    With an innocent look, I asked, ¡°How am I dirty-minded? I did nothing at all.¡±


    The woman under the nket stopped bantering with me and asked, ¡°Honestly, aren¡¯t you worried


    about Ashton now?¡±


    I froze for a second before asking, ¡°Why should I be worried?¡±


    Blinking her eyes a few times, she added, ¡°Right now, Rachel and Ashton are alone in the wild. The


    man is dashing, while the woman looks charming. Aren¡¯t you worried that they might give in to the


    temptation?¡±


    Iughed. ¡°I think I should worry about their safety instead.¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± She nestled in the sleeping bag to find afortable spot to sleep.


    Just then, Armond¡¯s voice sounded outside the tent. ¡°Scarlett! Nora!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Hearing his voice, Nora sat up and unzipped the tent instantly.


    Armond nced at me and said with a stern face. ¡°Ashton and Rachel have left for a very long time.


    They might be in trouble.¡±


    ¡°How is that possible?¡± Nora¡¯s brows knitted together. ¡°We¡¯re surrounded by grasnds. How


    dangerous could it be? There are no wild animals around.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not because of the wild animals. Beyond this field, there¡¯s a tea farm. Landslides could happen


    during rainy season,¡± Tabitha said.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If they¡¯re unlucky and get caught in andslide, they might lose their lives,¡± Laurel added.


    Appalled, I put on my jacket and scrambled out of the tent. ¡°Let¡¯s go and look for them.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Nora came out of the tent as well. ¡°The two are quite troublesome.¡±


    All of us headed out to look for Ashton and Rachel. Just as Tabitha said, a tea farm came into view as


    we strode toward the end of the field.


    Luckily, the moonlight was bright enough for us to see the way. After walking for some time, there were


    no signs of the two or andslide.


    ¡°Could it be that they¡¯ve left?¡± Nora asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Laurel said.


    I checked out the area once more, but I didn¡¯t see Rachel and Ashton. ¡°Shall we split up?¡±


    ¡°What? I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea.¡± Nora¡¯s forehead creased. ¡°There¡¯re only a few of us. What


    should we do if anyone of us lost the way? I¡¯ve suffered once on a mountain in Venria. I don¡¯t want to


    go through the same thing again.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We won¡¯t go too far. This hill isn¡¯t that big. We have our phones with us, so call someone


    right away if you ever get lost. Is that okay?¡± Only then I thought of calling Ashton. However, the call


    didn¡¯t get through even after a long while.


    Staring at me, Armond said, ¡°He left his phone in the tent.¡±


    I froze at his words. ¡°How do you know that?¡±


    ¡°I went to his tent just now.¡±


    Fine.


    Later, we split up and continued searching for them. Laurel and Tessa were with me, while the others


    went away together.


    The search wasn¡¯t as frightening as expected. It wasn¡¯t difficult to move about when the moonlight was


    shining brightly on our path.


    ¡°Do you think that Ms. Zimmer did this on purpose? Why did she run so far away? It¡¯s just a diarrhoea.


    Is she trying to get Mr. Fuller to spend time with her in the wild and seduce him?¡±

 Chapter 740

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 740


    Laurel made jokes while shing the torch onto the ground. I chuckled withoutmenting on it.


    Judging from thendscape around us, Rachel couldn¡¯t have found a secluded spot here, but I¡¯m


    certain she wouldn¡¯t go too far away. Did something happen to her?


    Meanwhile, Tessa seemed to be in a foul mood tonight. ¡°She has always been a loose woman. Why


    does she have to have a diarrhoea now? I¡¯m sure she has an ulterior motive,¡± she said in a frigid tone.


    Clueless about what Nora had done earlier, Laurel asked, ¡°Tessa, I can tell that you dislike Ms. Zimmer


    too.¡±


    Tessa snorted coldly. ¡°Only men love a woman like her. I bet any other woman will hate her too.¡±


    I stopped listening to their gossips. Afterward, I spotted a darker zone in the middle of the tea farm. Out


    of curiosity, I marched toward it.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Taking a few steps forward, I fell downward.


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± Laurel shouted in a panic.


    I fell into a pit. Unable to judge my current situation, I said, ¡°Laurel, call Nora now. This pit is quite


    deep.¡±


    ¡°Okay, don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m calling them now!¡± she consoled me.


    Reaching into my pockets, I couldn¡¯t find my phone. Perhaps it dropped out of my pocket when I fell.


    I squatted down and explored around, trying to look for my phone, but all I could touch was the soil. It


    was pitch-ck all around me, so I could see nothing at all.


    Fear grew in my heart. Afraid that I might identally touch a snake or an insect, I squatted on the


    ground and dared not do anything.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fret, Scarlett. Nora and the others areing over. Hold on, I¡¯ll look for them. I¡¯ll be right back!¡±


    Laurel said from above. She then added, ¡°Tessa, talk to Scarlett and keep herpany. I¡¯ll get the


    others here.¡±


    Tessa remained silent for a while. ¡°Let me look for them. My stamina is better than yours, so I can walk


    faster.¡±


    Nodding her head, Laurel stayed here after the woman left. Sprawling beside the pit, she turned on the


    shlight of her phone and shone it downward. ¡°Scarlett, can you hear me?¡±


    I saw a glimpse of light over my head. ¡°Yes, I can hear you. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s too


    dark down here.¡±


    The woman attempted to drop her phone to me, but I stopped her promptly. ¡°Don¡¯t throw it down. What


    if I lose it too? I can¡¯t see anything here. Just chat with me.¡±


    Laurel nodded in agreement. Her voice sounded worried as she said, ¡°My phone is running out of


    battery. Hopefully Tessa will be back soon. We¡¯re not familiar with this hill, so I¡¯m afraid she might lose


    her way. That¡¯ll make things worse.¡±


    That was totally possible. Though I felt troubled, I reassured her. ¡°We¡¯ll be fine. Don¡¯t think too much.


    This ce is near to the city. If worsees to worst, we¡¯ll have to wait till the next morning for


    someone toe to our rescue. Nothing bad is going to happen.¡±


    Despite my assurance, the woman was still anxious. ¡°But didn¡¯t Tabitha say thatndslide will probably


    happen? What if it rains?¡±


    Exasperated, I have no choice but tofort her. ¡°No, no, that won¡¯t happen. Nora checked the


    weather forecast, and it¡¯s not going to rain today.¡±


    She hummed in response for several times. Overwhelmed with anxiety, she chatted with me


    unceasingly. ¡°Scarlett, won¡¯t you regret giving up on an outstanding man like Ashton?¡±


    Giving it some thoughts, I answered solemnly, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll regret it. But isn¡¯t it inevitable to have regrets in


    life?¡±


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± The woman nodded her head in agreement, letting out a sigh. ¡°Rachel is¡­¡±


    Rumble, rumble. Unexpectedly, a low rumbling of a thunder sounded.


    Laurel¡¯s voice trailed off in mid-sentence. She sounded deste when she asked in a quivering voice,


    ¡°Is it going to rain?¡±


    Trepidation shot through me at her words. Due to the darkness in the pit, I couldn¡¯t see the situation


    outside. In case of raining, the water would flow into the pit. Once the rainwater umted to


    be deep enough, I would get drowned.


    Lifting my head, I asked, ¡°Laurel, take a look at the sky. Maybe it¡¯s only a dry thunderstorm. It won¡¯t rain


    as long as there¡¯s no dark cloud.¡±


    The woman was on the verge of crying. I could tell that she was trying to choke back her tears as she


    whimpered, ¡°Yes, there are dark clouds in the sky now. They appear out of nowhere. It¡¯s drizzling now.


    Why is Tessa taking so long? Where¡¯s she now?¡±


    Pressing my lips together tightly, I couldn¡¯t deny that I was freaking out. Nevertheless, there was no


    way out other than trying to save myself now.


    Otherwise, not only would I be drowned, but I might also be buried alive if the rain grew heavier and


    caused andslide.


    ncing up, I asked, ¡°Laurel, calm down. Try to look around for a thick and long vine or branches and


    throw them down.¡±


    The woman nodded and hummed in response before she went away.

 Chapter 741

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 741


    Now that no one was around to talk to me, the pin-drop silence in the pit intensified the crippling terror


    within me.


    The boggy soil reminded me of the night I had the miscarriage. My body couldn¡¯t help trembling like a


    leaf.


    I couldn¡¯t afford to let fear overtake me, or else I would probably kick the bucket here. There were so


    many things left undone. I had yet to raise Summer up and achieve my dreams.


    ¡°Scarlett, can you hear me? I found some branches. Be careful, I¡¯m dropping them now.¡± Laurel¡¯s voice


    came from the opening of the pit.


    ¡°Okay, do it,¡± I replied.


    In the next second, some branches fell from above, and she asked, ¡°Scarlett, why did you ask for the


    branches?¡±


    I felt for the branches on the ground. Holding it in my hand, I knocked against the ground and found


    that soil around me was pretty solid.


    I took a few steps forward hesitantly. ¡°I¡¯m using them to check my surrounding, because I¡¯m afraid that I


    might fall into another deeper pit.¡±


    ¡°I see, you¡¯re really smart. Hold on, I¡¯m going to find a vine now.¡±


    Then, I could no longer hear her voice. I continued to scan my surrounding with the branch in my hand.


    After a few steps, I noticed that something was wrong. The soil beneath my feet was too marshy. To my


    dismay, I found myself sinking gradually.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    My heart grew heavy, and I broke out in a cold sweat. At once, I knew that I had stepped into a swamp


    in the pit.


    I raised my head and shouted, ¡°Laurel, are you there?¡±


    Fortunately, she was nearby and rushed over when she heard me. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in trouble.¡± Deep down, I felt a little despondent. ¡°I think I identally stepped into a swamp.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± she shrieked all of a sudden. ¡°What should we do now?¡±


    Feeling hopeless, my body sank gradually into the bottomless swamp.


    ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it, Laurel. Quickly look for a vine or seek help. I can still hang on for a little longer. Don¡¯t


    panic!¡± Trying my very best to keep calm, I racked my brain for a solution, recalling that before the


    ground I was standing at earlier was solid.


    Grateful that I¡¯m still holding the branch, I poked the ground around the swamp. Sure enough, the soil


    was much harder. Breathing a sigh of relief, I got on my hands and knees to reduce the weight on my


    feet.


    As a result, I would sink at a slower speed.


    Boom! Boom! A p of deafening thunder roared, following by the sound of raindrops pitter-pattered on


    the ground.


    I felt disheartened. Even if I got out of the swamp, I would never be able to climb out of here. Once the


    rain became heavier, water would umte in the pit, and I would get injured or even killed. To make


    the matter worse, andslide might happen, and Laurel would be in trouble too.


    ¡°Scarlett, are you okay? It¡¯s raining already. What should we do now? Why is Tessa taking so long?¡±


    Outside the pit, Laurel paced up and down in distress. Yet, she had no idea what to do.


    The rainwater fell and slowly flowed into the swamp, making it even soggier.


    My heart sank. I could only take a gamble now. It would be just my luck if the ground in front of me was


    still swampy. If it wasn¡¯t, I might pull through this.


    Taking a deep breath, I clenched my fists. With all my might, I leaped out of the swamp.


    Before I knew it, my feetnded on the area ahead of the swamp. Still, I felt like a cat on a hot tin roof.


    The moment I noticed I was no longer sinking, but standing on solid ground, my anxiety ceased.


    The thunder was ear-splitting that I could barely hear Laurel¡¯s voice. Listening to the sound of rainwater


    gushing in, I guess that the swamp formed over time due to the stagnant water in the pit.


    The marshy ground was originally a nd. The huge pit came about because the ground was hollow.


    A City was in the southwest, where it was mainly covered by forests. After tens of thousands of years


    of te motion, there were many coal mines in this area.


    Over the past few years, there was no regtion, so the locals were free to do coal mining, leaving


    behind quite a number of underground mines. Even though the professionals came over for


    maintenance, the existence of these mines made the ground boggy and unstable.


    The prevalence ofndslides was caused by the cave-ins of the mines. Rainfall sped up the soil


    erosion. Hence, with this ten-meter-deep underground pit, the surroundingnd could copse anytime.


    I would¡¯ve seen it if I hade during the day, but that wasn¡¯t the case at night when I was as blind as


    a bat. Once I fell inside, I could only ask for help to get out of it.


    ¡°Scarlett, can you hear me? Are you still alright? Don¡¯t be afraid, someone¡¯sing down to get you.¡±


    Laurel¡¯s voice sounded from above.


    I lifted my head and answered, ¡°Okay, be careful!¡±


    I was worried about that the person who wasing down might fall into the swamp, so I warned,


    ¡°Bring a torch when youe down. There¡¯s a swamp down here. Be careful!¡±

 Chapter 742

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 742


    ¡°Got it!¡± came the voice from above.


    Soon, the dark pit was lit up by a beam of light. I remained still, not daring to move a muscle. I squinted


    against the brightness to see a figure looking down from above, seemingly belonging to a man.


    Assuming that it was Armond, I called out in warning, ¡°Armond, be careful. There¡¯s a swamp here and


    the ground is soft. I¡¯m worried that this area might sink at any moment. Please be careful!¡±


    He didn¡¯t respond, but tied a rope around his waist instead. With the shlight in one hand, he used the


    light to find his footing while the other hand groped the soft walls of the pit as he walked in my direction.


    The shlight¡¯s beam was aimed directly at me, so I couldn¡¯t make out Armond¡¯s features. Casting my


    gaze around, I spotted two slightly deeper pits a short distance away, probably left by my feet earlier.


    There was also some muddied undergrowth all around the area, all of which were tea trees, which


    proved that my guess was right¡ªthe ground here had given way not too long ago.


    The rain was getting heavier and my clothes werepletely soaked by then. I wasn¡¯t sure if the


    ground beneath my feet could hold my weight, but I had to try making my way forward. When Armond


    closed in on me, I called out again, ¡°Be careful. Some of the areas are sinkholes!¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± he responded just when he reached my side and I was taken aback to hear the familiar voice.


    My head whipped up in surprise. ¡°Ashton? What are you doing here?¡± For some reason, my nerves


    instantly loosened the moment I saw him and I breathed out an inaudible sigh of relief.


    With his lips pressed into a straight line, he raised his brows in provocation. ¡°What? Are you


    disappointed that it¡¯s me?¡±Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    I froze for a split second, but ignored his sarcastic remark and urged, ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here now. This


    ce could sink at any time!¡±


    Needing no further exnation, he grabbed my hand and looked up at the entrance of the pit. ¡°I¡¯ve


    found her. Tie the rope to a tree and make a dead knot.¡±


    Laurel answered from above, ¡°Okay, got it. Be careful, guys!¡±


    Then, Ashton tied the other end of the rope on his body around mine and instructed, ¡°Follow me


    closely.¡±


    I nodded and he reached out to hold my hand, but I instinctively drew away from him and protested,


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll follow behind you.¡±


    He nced back at me with unreadable eyes, then withdrew his gaze and reminded, ¡°Be careful.¡±


    I nodded and walked carefully behind him. The pit¡¯s entrance was seven to eight meters above us and


    with the heavy downpour, climbing up would be challenging.


    To prevent the entrance from copsing, the people above had to stand a distance away from it and


    could only assist by holding the rope steady.


    I wanted to pull myself up the rope, but my arms weren¡¯t strong enough. When I slipped down after a


    few tries, getting out of here started to feel impossible.


    With my whole body covered with mud, I felt miserable. Ashton had a good physique, so he could have


    easily climbed up on his own, but it was much more difficult with my added weight, not to mention, I


    could very well drag him down with me.


    His clothes werepletely drenched with rainwater and ayer of mud coated his skin. Even his


    usually neat and proper hair was stained with mud and rain.


    Feeling slightly discouraged, I slumped onto the muddy ground and said, ¡°You go up first. If this goes


    on, neither of us is getting out of here. The rain¡¯s too heavy. This ce may copse at any second. It¡¯s


    just too dangerous!¡±


    He frowned and pinned me a hard stare. ¡°Would you give up so easily if it was Armond?¡±


    I was stunned by his question. Realizing that he had misunderstood, I sighed softly. ¡°It¡¯s not what you


    think it is. Our priority right now is to minimize the loss. We¡¯re both going to end up getting injured if we


    stay down here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine by me!¡± he retorted. Disregarding my struggles, he pulled me up and continued climbing the


    rope.


    As expected, it was no easy feat and I fell down once again.


    ¡°How are you guys doing? Can you climb up?¡± A voice came from the pit¡¯s entrance.


    ¡°The earth is too soft here. Throw down some tree branches!¡± Ashton ordered before shifting his gaze


    to me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t leave you here.¡±


    While I was momentarily dazed by him, he had already broken all of the branches Laurel dropped down


    just now into shorter pieces.


    I watched dumbly as he stuck the broken branches into the pit¡¯s wall. Soon, more branches were


    dropped into the pit.


    Rock climbing!


    Right then, I understood what Ashton was trying to do, so I began snapping the branches with him. He


    found a rock on the ground and used it to knock the short branches into the wall, making sure they held


    firm.


    This was a difficult and tiring job, but Ashton did not oncein as he scaled the wall and knocked


    in more stake-like branches as he went.


    The distance between us increased to the point where I could no longer pass more stakes to him.


    Hence, I could only hand him whole branches and let him break them off piece by piece before


    knocking them into the wall.


    The people at the pit¡¯s entrance also caught onto Ashton¡¯s idea. Hence, instead of throwing whole


    branches down, they broke them off and put them in a bag before lowering it down to Ashton on a rope.


    With everyone working together, arge section of the pit¡¯s wall was impaled with stakes. Ashton


    looked down at me and called out, ¡°Try to climb up now!¡±


    I nodded, naturally feeling more secure with the stakes to support my weight. Even though I had never


    learned rock climbing, my survival instincts had kicked in and I wasted no time in scaling the wall.

 Chapter 743

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 743


    The rain pelted down harshly on our bodies. Laurel, who waspletely soaked through like everyone


    else, peered at me with worry lining her features. ¡°We have to go now!¡±


    ¡°This ce is prone to sinkholes, especially on rainy days. C¡¯mon, let¡¯s leave first!¡± Tabitha urged.


    As though on cue, lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a deafening p of thunder. Everyone


    couldn¡¯t care less about anything else and immediately scurried toward the tents.


    ¡°I think that area just copsed!¡± Tabitha¡¯s boyfriend suddenly eximed.


    Everyone nced back as one and sure enough, arge area of the ground had sunken in.


    ¡°This ce used to be a mine. Some spots were dug to a depth of approximately ten meters and no


    one has been managing this area in years. On rainy days, idents are prone to happen,¡± Tabitha¡¯s


    boyfriend exined.


    Tabitha gasped in terror. ¡°I saw many tea trees on the mountain. Isn¡¯t it dangerous for the tea farmers


    there? They could lose their lives!¡±


    Laurel spoke up right then, aiming her words at Ashton. ¡°Mr. Fuller, where did you guys go off to? If we


    weren¡¯t looking for you guys, Scarlett would never have been in danger and we wouldn¡¯t have gotten


    caught in the downpour either.¡±


    At that, everyone turned their attention to Ashton. He cast a fleeting gaze at them, but remained


    otherwise calm. In a polite and sophisticated manner, he expressed his regret. ¡°What happened today


    was an oversight on my part. To show my sincere apology, I¡¯ll treat everyone to a meal tomorrow.¡±


    Laurel pursed her lips. ¡°We¡¯re not ming you. It¡¯s not exactly your fault, anyway.¡±


    While I was trapped in the pit, my entire body was pumping with adrenaline, but now that I escaped


    from that precarious situation, exhaustion hit me like a ton of bricks.


    As I listened to their conversation, my knees suddenly gave out beneath me.


    Ashton¡¯s quick reflexes kicked in and he caught me before I hit the ground, smoothly pulling me into his


    arms.


    ¡°Scarlett, what¡¯s wrong? Are you hurt? Let me take a look at you.¡± Anxiously, Nora squatted beside me


    to inspect my body for injuries.


    However, Ashton blocked her and contradicted in an authoritative voice, ¡°She¡¯s not injured. She¡¯s just


    tired after the stress her body was put through. All she needs is a good rest.¡±


    I held Nora¡¯s hand and nodded reassuringly at her. Then, I tried to get to my feet, but Ashton hugged


    me close to his body and scooped me up. Both our clothes were wet, but thankfully, the weather wasn¡¯t


    too cold.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    At such close proximity, I could feel his body temperature radiating and also the rhythm of his


    heartbeat.


    Embarrassed, my face flushed a crimson red.


    Finally, I was back in the tent after being subjected to the harrowing ordeal in the pit. Worried that I


    would catch a cold, Nora gave me the clothes she had brought that day and told me get changed inside


    the tent.


    She squeezed into the tiny space because she was worried I wouldn¡¯t be able to change my clothes


    due to some unseen injuries.


    Noticing how she was tantly staring at me, I cleared my throat awkwardly. ¡°You really don¡¯t need to


    watch me like that. I¡¯m fine. Really. Perfectly intact!¡±


    She nodded, but her eyes remained trained on me as she sighed. ¡°Thank God Laurel¡¯s call for help


    was loud enough to travel through the forest. Otherwise, only God knows what would¡¯ve happened to


    you if you were still trapped down there in this rain.¡±


    My hands paused their actions and I looked at her in perplexity. ¡°Didn¡¯t you guys search for me


    because Tessa came looking for help?¡±


    She shook her head with a frown. ¡°Not long after we got separated, we trekked around the forest, but


    then returned to camp when we didn¡¯t find Ashton. He came back with Rachelter on. It turns out that


    she sprained her ankle and couldn¡¯t walk back. Ashton was supporting her when they returned.


    Seriously, that woman is nothing but trouble.¡±


    bbergasted, I blurted out, ¡°Then, has Tessae back?¡±


    A small crease formed between her brows. ¡°I would¡¯ve forgotten all about her if you didn¡¯t mention her.


    We haven¡¯t seen her since you fell into the pit!¡±


    ¡°After Ashton and Rachel came back, we waited a long time for you guys. When it started to rain, we


    got worried, so we hiked toward the mountain. That¡¯s when we heard Laurel calling for help and found


    out that you fell into a pit.¡±


    I pursed my lips and fell silent.


    After a brief moment, Nora¡¯s gasp broke the silence. ¡°Did you guys tell Tessa toe back for help?¡±


    I nodded solemnly. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Her lips pressed tightly together as her brows drew together. ¡°Damn! That woman is seriously vile. She


    talks about virtue and kindness every chance she gets, but she¡¯s actually a cold-hearted b*tch!¡±


    I kept mum and resumed changing my clothes. Suddenly, I felt all the energy drain from my body and


    only fatigue remained.


    To y safe, we decided to rest in our tents for the night.


    After experiencing a life-and-death situation, everyone was bone tired. Initially, Nora wanted to


    apany me in my tent, but she was taken away by Armond after a while.


    Too tired to inquire about the rest of them, Iy in my tent and fell asleep in a daze.

 Chapter 744

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 744


    The rain got heavier in the middle of the night, and I jolted awake when thunder cracked across the sky


    like a whip.


    When I turned on my side, I realized with a start that there was someone lying down beside me.


    Before I could release a scream, a hand shot out to grab mine and then came a man¡¯s soothing voice.


    ¡°Calm down. It¡¯s me.¡±


    My chest heaved as I tried to recover from my shock. ¡°Ashton, what are you¡­¡± I trailed off.


    His unexpected presence had brought scared the daylights out of me, but gradually, I regained my


    bearings and furrowed my brows. Shouldn¡¯t he be with Rachel now? Why is he here?


    I pursed my lips and uttered icily, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    His lips remained sealed, seemingly having no intention to answer me. Right then, another p of


    thunder boomed overhead, and I flinched closer to him. However, he didn¡¯t seem to notice the subtle


    movement as he stuffed a pair of earplugs into my ears.


    My surroundings instantly became quiet and for a while, I merely stared nkly at him in the dark.


    Throughout it all, he didn¡¯t utter a single word. Instead, he hugged me and coaxed me to sleep by


    gently patting my back.


    I was really sleepy, to begin with, I gradually dozed off in his arms and slept through the entire night.


    The sky was already bright when I woke up the next day, and the morning air was slightly humid due to


    the heavy rain from the previous night.


    Subconsciously looking to my side, I felt slightly incredulous when I found the space empty.


    That man reallyes and goes like the wind. I would¡¯ve thought I hallucinated everything if not for the


    earplugs still stuck in my ears!


    Putting aside those thoughts, I registered the headache pulsing behind my temples. Hence, even after


    waking up for a while, I remained in the same position. When Nora came into my tent and saw me lying


    down with my eyes open, she paused briefly and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?¡±


    I shook my head and parted my lips to answer. ¡°My head¡­ hurts.¡± My throat was so dry I could barely


    say more than two words.


    Crap. I think I may be down with a fever.


    Nora¡¯s brows knitted together upon hearing my scratchy voice. Upon touching my forehead with the


    back of her hand, she eximed, ¡°You¡¯re burning up!¡±


    Then, she rushed out in a haste and spoke to someone. ¡°We should pack our things right now and go


    back to A City. Scarlett is down with a high fever!¡±


    I wanted to say something, but my throat hurt too badly.


    Ashton walked into the tent and scanned my face with his ominous eyes. Then, a frown appeared


    between his brows when he touched my forehead. ¡°Jesus, you¡¯re burning!¡±


    Nora trailed in after him and suggested, ¡°Mr. Fuller, you should take her to the base to see a doctor


    first. There¡¯s a clinic over there.¡±


    Ashton nodded and picked me up. By then, my head was buzzing with a pounding headache. I knew


    that nothing I said would make a difference, so I simply went along with their decision.


    Subsequently, Ashton brought me straight to the base while the others followed behind.


    Due to my headache, I fell asleep again after getting into the car. My body felt light, as though I was


    floating in the air.


    My body temperature fluctuated as I drifted in and out of consciousness, and I was gued by an


    unending stream of nightmares, unable to break out of them.


    In my semi-conscious state, I vaguely saw someone standing beside me. When Ashton¡¯s face came


    into view, I reached out to grab him, but my fingers just couldn¡¯t seem to touch him.


    I was on the verge of breaking down after several failed attempts. As my emotions spiraled out of


    control, I began to cry.


    Suddenly, I felt him hugging me. Then, the muffled sound of his voice reached my ears, but I couldn¡¯t


    figure out what he was saying.


    The feeling of not being able tomunicate with the outside world was horrible. After a few tries, I


    realized that I couldn¡¯t open my mouth, let alone speak. Hence, I chose to give up altogether.


    Thereafter, I plunged deeper into my dreams. Some were horrifying, while others were beautiful, but


    most were indistinct. One thing they had in amon was that they felt like things I had personally


    experienced.


    In fact, many of those scenarios and emotions felt so tangible that I couldn¡¯t differentiate between


    dream and reality anymore.


    This tormentsted a long time. When I finally opened my eyes, it was to see everything white. I¡¯m in a


    hospital ward.


    My mind gradually registered the pain and dryness in my throat. I shifted slightly, trying to get up to


    drink some water.


    But my whole body was extremely sore.


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    ¡°She¡¯s awake. Scarlett¡¯s awake!¡± Nora¡¯s familiar voice rang from nearby.


    She ran over to the bed and grabbed my hand emotionally. ¡°Oh God, you¡¯re finally awake. You almost


    scared me to death these few days!¡±


    I opened my mouth to speak, but try as I might, I couldn¡¯t make a single sound. Left without a choice, I


    pointed at the cup.


    She immediately got the hint and queried, ¡°You want some water?¡±


    When I nodded, she reached out for the cup, but someone beat her to it. Both of us nced over in


    unison to see that it was Ashton.


    Nora gave me a knowing smile before getting up to step aside.


    Ashton sat next to me and supported me up from the bed to lean against his shoulder before bringing


    the cup to my lips.


    My thirst was unbearable, so although I could feel the buried emotions within me threatening to


    surface, I ignored it and drank a few sips of water from the cup.


    Even after my throat felt better, Ashton still kept his arms around me as he asked, ¡°Do you want more?¡±


    I shook my head and replied with much difficulty, ¡°Thank¡­ you.¡±


    His mouth tightened visibly, but he didn¡¯tment. Then, he ced the cup on the bedside table and


    nced at Nora. ¡°We need to call the doctor over to check on her.¡±

 Chapter 745

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 745


    Nora nodded and subsequently broke into a small jog out of the ward.


    I tried wriggling out of Ashton¡¯s embrace, but he held me in ce andmanded in a rich voice,


    ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±


    My brows drew together and I pushed through the soreness of my throat. ¡°Ashton, this position is


    ufortable for me.¡±


    His forehead creased, but fortunately, he didn¡¯t refute. Instead, he raised the bed and guided me to


    lean back against it.


    Nora called over the doctor to examine me. After taking my temperature, the middle-aged doctor who


    was d in a white coat reported, ¡°Your fever has gone down, but you might feel lethargic for now.


    Drink more water and take your medicine on time. If nothing goes wrong, you can be discharged in a


    few days.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great. Thank you, doctor!¡± Nora expressed her gratitude. After sending the doctor away, she


    arched her brow at me. ¡°Scarlett, you really survived a disaster. You were burning at forty degrees. I¡¯m


    surprised you didn¡¯t fry a circuit up there. It truly is a miracle!¡±


    I smiled feebly in response, too weak to speak to her.


    Ashton, being the perceptive person that he was, noticed this and bossily announced, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of


    her. You can go about your day now.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t tell if Nora was doing it on purpose, but she met Ashton¡¯s gaze with a serious expression and


    countered, ¡°I¡¯m not busy at all. In fact, I have nothing to do at all!¡±


    Then, a mischievous smile yed on her lips before she continued, ¡°I can¡¯t say the same for you


    though, Mr. Fuller. If I¡¯m not mistaken, you should be quite busy recently, right?¡±


    Ashton¡¯s face darkened. He had always been a man of few words, but right then, he looked like he was


    completely disinclined to speak.


    Perhaps it was due to the medicine I just consumed, I started to feel tired again. Hence, I shut my eyes


    and gradually drifted back to sleep.


    For the next two days, Ashton stayed at the hospital and took care of all my meals. He even


    apanied me to the washroom each time.


    Slightly exasperated, I peeked at him and argued, ¡°Ashton, I¡¯m all recovered now, so just go ahead with


    your work.¡±


    As though he couldn¡¯t hear me, he handed me a cup of water and ordered, ¡°Drink some water.¡±


    I was rendered speechless and hesitated for a moment before speaking, ¡°I¡¯m getting discharged today.


    Thank you for taking care of me the past few days!¡±


    He grunted in response, but disregarded the hint in my words and changed the subject. ¡°Summer didn¡¯t


    go out at all during the summer break. She wants toe over and visit you.¡±


    I was taken aback because I never expected him to mention Summer. It was already August, which


    meant summer break was over. I previously promised to bring her to R Province, but then forgot about


    it because I was too busy.


    ¡°How has she beentely?¡± I asked in a small voice as guilt rose in me.


    He pursed his lips and answered in a soft yet gripping voice, ¡°She keeps insisting on visiting you. She¡¯s


    a child, after all. It¡¯spletely normal that she misses her mother after being apart for so long.¡±


    I bowed my head in remorse and absent-mindedly twisted my fingers together. After a short pause, I


    asked, ¡°When is sheing over?¡±


    After doing some mental calction, I realized that it was almost September, so school was about to


    reopen. Even if she visited, she could only stay for a few days before having to return to school.


    With a sharp glint in his eyes, Ashton shot me a sidelong nce. ¡°Aren¡¯t you nning to return to K


    City to see her?¡±


    My stomach lurched slightly before I timidly exined, ¡°The Murphy Corporation project might take


    about a month toplete. I already caused a dy by being sick for a few days. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯d be


    quite some time before I can go back to K City.¡±


    His gaze dimmed and he didn¡¯t say anything.


    Hence, this topic came to an abrupt halt and the atmosphere became slightly awkward.


    Fortunately, my fever didn¡¯t cause any abnormal symptoms. After it went downpletely, I rested at


    the hospital for a few more days before getting discharged.


    I had initially nned to travel to Lavelian Vige to resume work, but Armond told me to stay at the


    vi for a few days, exining that he would get Linda to temporarily fill in for me.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    But of course, that didn¡¯t mean I could ck off on my work.


    Armond moved almost all of the documents to the vi for me to sort out.


    The day Nora visited, I was huddled in the study with my head still buried in a pile of documents.


    ¡°Scarlett, open the door! Can you hear me?¡± she shouted from the yard.


    Her voice resembled a loudspeaker. Those who didn¡¯t know might think that she was here to pick a


    fight with me instead.


    I sprinted to the balcony and spotted her standing next to her ck Cayenne with her hands resting on


    her hips. ¡°Come down and open the door for me, woman!¡±


    Amused, I rested my elbows on the balcony railing. ¡°Are you here for a fight or something?¡±


    She snorted and took out a suitcase from the trunk, then sent me a sharine smile. ¡°I¡¯m here to


    shower you with love, honey!¡±


    I was dumbfounded for a while before snapping back to my senses. ¡°You¡¯re going to stay here?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Yeah. Both my man and my woman need my care right now. I can¡¯t just sit back and


    watch.¡±


    This woman is really blunt with her words, isn¡¯t she?


    Leaning against the balcony, I said, ¡°There¡¯s no key to the gates. It¡¯s password and fingerprint based.


    Just enter the password one-two-three-four-five.¡±


    The corners of her mouth twitched slightly. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s one-two-three-four-five?¡±


    I nodded and rubbed my nose. ¡°It was something moreplicated before, but I changed it because I


    can¡¯t remember overlyplicated numbers.¡±


    She opened the door with ease, but paused at the threshold and nodded. ¡°True. Based on that brain of


    yours, remembering a password is already worth apuding. Having aplicated one would just be


    making things difficult for you.¡±

 Chapter 746

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 746


    Excuse me¡­


    That sounds like the exact opposite of apliment!


    Huffing slightly, I went downstairs to open the main door for her. She dragged her suitcase in like she


    owned the ce. ¡°You¡¯ll give me a room, won¡¯t you?¡±


    There were five rooms in the vi. On the first floor was a guest room and the housekeeper¡¯s room. I


    was using one of the rooms on the second floor, while another one was upied by Armond. Hence,


    there was one more empty room.


    I led her to the second floor and arranged for her to stay in that vacant room.


    ¡°The natural lighting isn¡¯t too bad. It¡¯s just a shame there¡¯s no balcony!¡± she remarked and was about to


    unpack her suitcase.


    ¡°There is arge balcony in my room. Want to switch?¡± I proposed.


    She shook her head with a small smirk on her lips. ¡°No. This room is closer to Armond¡¯s¡ªmuch more


    convenient for me to take action, if you ask me!¡±


    What?


    I released a helpless chuckle and teased, ¡°So, are you both together now?¡±


    She paused her actions to look at me and spoke in a rather grave manner. ¡°I have a very serious


    question to ask you.¡±


    Although I was puzzled, I nodded and turned serious as well. ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    She pondered for a while before continuing, ¡°When you and Ashton lived as husband and wife in the


    past, were there times when you guys wanted to do it but couldn¡¯t?¡±


    I blinked in astonishment because this seemed to be a sex-rted question. Then, I felt my cheeks


    heat up from embarrassment.


    But faced with her earnest expression, I had no choice but to answer her seriously as well. Fidgeting


    slightly, I said, ¡°Care to borate?¡±


    She pursed her lips andplied, ¡°Well, both people are obviously very turned on, but things always


    stop right at the most crucial moment.¡±


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    I raised my hand to rub my nose and contemted for a while. ¡°Is it you or Armond?¡±


    ¡°Both of us!¡± Her expression was grave. ¡°He bled that one time and I don¡¯t really know what happened.


    Later on, we tried doing it several times, but it was always so awkward. Whatever the case, we have


    not seeded!¡±


    This was the first time I was hearing of such a situation. Honestly speaking, I wasn¡¯t too sure myself.


    Seeing me deep in thought, she inquired, ¡°Did you and Ashton seed the first time itself?¡±


    The corners of my mouth twitched slightly as I looked at her. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s Armond¡¯s first time?¡±


    She was taken aback by my question. ¡°I¡¯m not too sure. Well, it¡¯s my first time, that¡¯s for sure, but if it¡¯s


    not his first time; then why does this keep happening? And the thing is, he doesn¡¯t seem to have any


    problems!¡±


    I mped my lips shut, not knowing how to respond all of a sudden.


    After some deliberation, I advised, ¡°Why don¡¯t the two of you visit the hospital together? Such things


    involve both sides, after all. If you¡¯re considering marriage in the future, this would pose as a problem.


    So I think it¡¯s better you get yourselves checked. Usually, it¡¯s either a psychological or physical issue,


    but once it¡¯s resolved, everything will be back to normal.¡±


    She sighed and pouted slightly. ¡°Scarlett, do you think he¡¯s only like this with me? Maybe he doesn¡¯t


    really like me and just feelsfortable with me. We happen to be almost the same age and he


    happened to meet me, not to mention we share quite a lot ofmon interests, so he decided to get


    together with me. Do you think that¡¯s it?¡±


    I stared at her in surprise before chiding, ¡°You are never like this before. Look at you, oveplicating


    things! You¡¯ve seriously fallen in too deep. Yes, it¡¯s an undeniable fact that a man¡¯s love for a woman


    can be reflected in bed, but many times, it¡¯s the little things that he does day by day that matters.


    Lately, I noticed how attentive he¡¯s been toward you.¡±


    Recalling the incident with the clothes, I piped up, ¡°He even kept your clothes from before. I mean, he¡¯s


    the president of apany. Why would he keep a woman¡¯s clothes if that woman didn¡¯t matter to him,


    right?¡±


    She looked at me in stupefaction. ¡°What clothes?¡±


    ¡°The set of clothes he bought for you when we were in Archulea. It¡¯s quite simr to mine in terms of


    design, but the essories and embroidery are slightly different. Yours was kept in Armond¡¯s private


    restroom at thepany. I identally spilled water on my clothes previously, so he lent yours to me. I


    returned it to him after washing it and he probably kept it there again.¡±


    When I was done speaking, I noticed the frown on her face and her increasingly unsightlyplexion.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    She nced at me and her originally puzzled expression morphed into one of sadness. ¡°That set of


    clothes isn¡¯t mine. Ever since we returned from Epea, I kept mine in the closet and haven¡¯t touched it


    since then. Armond hasn¡¯t been to my house before, so he¡¯s never touched that it either. How could he


    have kept mine in his private restroom? It¡¯s definitely not mine!¡±


    I was stunned for a moment and said, ¡°Maybe he identally bought an extra set and decided to bring


    it back with him?¡±


    She shook her head miserably. ¡°Do you think a man like him would give a damn about a set of clothes?


    Even bringing it back all the way from abroad?¡±


    I turned her words over in my head and tried to reassure her. ¡°Nora, don¡¯t take this matter to heart for


    now. Let¡¯s talk about it again after we get to the bottom of this. You both owe it to each other. The worst


    thing that could happen between a couple is a misunderstanding caused by jumping to conclusions.


    We¡¯re all adults. When ites to rtionships, we need to be clear-headed and rational. Don¡¯t


    overthink it, okay?¡±


    Having been together with Ashton for so many years, I realized that many times, the pain and suffering


    I endured was caused by my own reluctance to open my mouth and exin.

 Chapter 747

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 747


    For so many years, I had suffered too much in that rtionship and I didn¡¯t wish for Nora to go through


    the same pain. If a rtionship started off as a sweet one, I believed that it could continue being that


    way.


    She nodded and gradually calmed down. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll listen to you and decide after I get to the bottom of


    this.¡±


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    With that, I helped her to unpack. Armond was at the office, so it was only the two of us. She went to


    the kitchen and barred me from entering, saying that it wasn¡¯t good for a sick person to be in such an


    oily environment.


    Hence, I was left with nothing to do. Because of the rain, there were many puddles of water in the yard.


    No one came to clean the vi in the past few days, so I grabbed some equipment and began cleaning


    the ce.


    Armond¡¯s abrupt return surprised me and my eyes traveled down to see the bags of groceries in his


    hands. Slightly confused, I asked, ¡°What are these?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys cooking?¡± he said as an answer. Then, he handed me a bag of fruits and continued,


    ¡°The vi doesn¡¯t have a housekeeper, so the two of you will have to settle it yourselves.¡±


    I nodded in response. He already told me about this, but shouldn¡¯t he be at the office now?


    With the bag of fruits in my hand, I watched in perplexity as he strode into the vi in a haste.


    Sensing someone¡¯s gaze on me, I looked toward the yard next door and was met with the sight of


    Ashton¡¯s slender and towering figure.


    I shed a faint smile at him and nodded slightly as a form of greeting.


    With that, I went back into the vi with the fruits. Seeing Nora and Armond working together in the


    kitchen, I decided that it was best not to interrupt.


    Thus, I busied myself with washing the fruits and sat at the dining table while waiting for the food to be


    served.


    When the doorbell rang, Nora nced at me and jerked her chin. ¡°Go get the door, missy.¡±


    I got to my feet, walked out to the yard and saw Ashton standing beyond the gate.


    Stepping forward and I asked, ¡°Mr. Fuller, do you need something?¡±


    He grunted in response. ¡°I need to discuss something with Mr. Murphy.¡±


    I opened the gate and invited him in even though I was sceptical. Why is he looking for Armond at this


    hour? Is it about something work-rted?


    Nora and Armond, who were still busy in the kitchen, didn¡¯t seem surprised to see Ashton at all.


    Armond nodded politely and said, ¡°Wee, Mr. Fuller. Have some fruits first. I¡¯ll be done soon.¡±


    Ashton returned his nod and sat at the dining table. Then, he reached out to grab my half-eaten pear


    and casually bit into it.


    ¡°Wait¡­¡± I wanted to stop him, but he had already taken a bite out of the pear and I couldn¡¯t very well


    tell him to spit it out, could I?


    The point was, I had already eaten half of that pear, so it was mortifying to see him eat it just like that.


    After taking a few bites, he raised his eyes to look at me with a hint of confusion. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    I shook my head and withdrew my gaze, then grabbed another fruit to eat because I couldn¡¯t just


    snatch the pear out of his hand.


    He watched me take the seat across from his with raised brows. As if realization suddenly dawned on


    him, he widened his eyes and asked, ¡°Oh, were you eating this pear?¡±


    Appalled, I started coughing violently and almost choked. What the hell is wrong with him?


    I chugged down the ss of water on the table and gradually rxed.


    He was still staring at me with a profound gaze. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Peeved, I didn¡¯t even try to hold back my temper as I snapped, ¡°Nothing!¡±


    I seriously suspected that this man was doing it on purpose.


    To my chagrin, he nodded and brushed off the matter altogether.


    I drew in a calming breath before shifting my attention to the man and woman in the kitchen.


    Nora may look like a rash and impatient person, but she was, in fact, a modest woman down to the


    core. Although she hailed from a wealthy family, she wasn¡¯t anything like those spoiled, rich brats.


    What was more, she had excellent cooking skills. Many girls would be repulsed by the hassles that


    came with cooking, but she seemed to enjoy being in the kitchen.


    Armond was naturally a cold person. That was why he craved loving tender warmth.


    As I watched them flit about the kitchen, I found that they looked good together in every way possible.


    ¡°Armond isn¡¯t the right one for you, so you should wipe off that wistful look from your face because it¡¯s


    useless!¡± Ashton voice broke my train of thought just then.


    I looked at him with a frown and couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly annoyed by him. ¡°What wistful look are


    you talking about exactly?¡±


    He raised his brows tauntingly. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t feel wistful watching the person you like having


    such well-honed chemistry with another woman and listening to them bicker like long-lost lovers?¡±


    Stunned, I nced back at him. It seemed like he had been observing me all this time. As I met his


    gaze, I felt myself getting lost in those obsidian orbs. Flustered, I quickly averted my eyes and


    remarked, ¡°Mr. Fuller, you seriously have a knack for misinterpreting things. I just find their interaction


    really sweet.¡±


    The corners of his mouth lifted imperceptibly. ¡°Is that so?¡±


    I pressed my lips together, giving up trying to exin as it would only make me more frustrated.


    Hence, I rested my chin on my palm and continued watching the two people in the kitchen. Meanwhile,


    I felt Ashton¡¯s eyes boring into me, causing me to feel slightly edgy, so I got up and walked toward the


    kitchen instead.

 Chapter 748

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 748


    Looking at the two people in the kitchen, I chirped, ¡°Hey guys, can I help with anything?¡±


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°No, no, no,¡± Nora replied with a grin. ¡°As I said, you¡¯re a patient today. Just have a good rest and don¡¯t


    come in here. The kitchen is greasy as hell. Shoo, shoo!¡±


    Faced with her rejection, I looked to Armond instead. ¡°Mr. Murphy, why don¡¯t you go ahead with your


    work? I can help Nora in the kitchen.¡±


    At that, Nora turned to Armond in question. ¡°Are you going to discuss workter?¡±


    Armond¡¯s eyes darted to Ashton who was seated at the dining table and he shook his head. ¡°No.


    Why?¡±


    I was startled to hear his answer. Then, why did Ashtone here? For the free food?


    Nora waggled her brows at me and grinned. ¡°Go ahead and rest. Everything in the kitchen is under


    control and lunch will be ready in a bit.¡±


    I flicked my eyes to Ashton, but still decided to go into the kitchen after some consideration. Padding


    over to the spot next to Nora, I put on a pitiful expression and whined, ¡°I know you care about me and


    I¡¯m really grateful for that. So don¡¯t chase me away, okay? I want to stay here to help you!¡±


    Of course, a sharp-witted person like Nora could tell my true intentions. She nced sideways at the


    person at the dining table, then looked back at me and smirked. ¡°Good excuse you got there. But why


    are you avoiding him? At least be friends with him. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to pretend to be strangers


    forever?¡±


    I spaced out slightly after hearing her words, realizing that my thought process often varied from those


    of others. I thought that Ashton and I could only be strangers, but I never thought that we could get


    along like friends.


    Seeing me lost in a daze, Nora added, ¡°Scarlett, have you ever thought that perhaps you¡¯re the one


    who¡¯s oveplicating the problem? Ordinary people like us only wish to live a normal and peaceful


    life with our partners. Regardless of what happened, life is too long to spend it alone. If humans


    insisted on separating over minor conflicts, then what would be of everyone in this world?


    ¡°Truth be told, many married couples would more or less have some strife between them, but as time


    goes by, they¡¯d gradually get past their differences. My grandfather always said that if electrical


    appliances at home broke down, they should be reced because those are non-living objects. No


    matter how hard you try to repair it, it¡¯d be useless. But it¡¯s different for people. Think about it, if two


    people insisted on recing each other because of some minor dispute, then how many partners


    would we have to change throughout this long life of ours before we finally grow old? Besides, can we


    guarantee that the new one we choose will really be better than the first one we were with? I doubt


    that!¡±


    I pursed my lips, finding some logic in Nora¡¯s words. After a brief pause, I drew in a breath and said,


    ¡°You¡¯re right and wrong at the same time. It¡¯s not a matter of who¡¯s wrong or recing each other


    between Ashton and me, but you¡¯ve helped me realize something. Regardless of what our future holds,


    I¡¯ll stop avoiding him or pretending to be strangers. From now on, I¡¯ll treat him like a friend.¡±


    Hearing my decision, she smiled in encouragement. ¡°Now that¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about. Never run from


    problems. Facing them is the best way to solve them.¡±


    With that, she handed me a te of food and ordered, ¡°Now go help me serve the food.¡±


    I took the te from her and brought it out of the kitchen. Ashton also entered the kitchen and helped


    set the table.


    What surprised me was that he really seemed to be here for the free food and only used looking for


    Armond as an excuse.


    Nora¡¯s cooking was exceptional and Armond seemed to enjoy her food a lot. Both of them didn¡¯t look


    like a couple who had just started dating. Instead, they looked like close friends who had known each


    other for a long time.


    At least that was how Armond seemed like around Nora.


    After eating, Ashton and I were on dish duty.


    In the kitchen, I realized I really didn¡¯t know how to act around Ashton anymore.


    Nora said that we should get along as friends, but those years we were together, we either quarreled or


    gave each other the cold shoulder. Of course, there were the asional sweet and romantic moments


    as well.


    Come to think of it, I knew nothing about this man and I couldn¡¯t seem to get past my first impression of


    him.


    ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± His voice reached my ears and I recollected my thoughts to shake my head.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± I replied tersely.


    He took the te from my hand and gazed at me solemnly. ¡°Do you like Armond that much?¡±


    I was stumped by his question, but when I saw Armond and Nora bantering in the living room and


    recalled the way I had spaced out earlier, realization dawned on me.


    Ashton must have misunderstood and thought that I zoned out because of the heart-warming scene in


    the living room.


    I shot him a sideways nce and noticed his dark eyes fixated on me. Mischief filled me and I nodded.


    ¡°Yeah. What would it take for a woman to be able to meet such a handsome man like Armond? I think


    I¡¯m pretty lucky to have met him.¡±


    The temperature around me seemed to plummet a few degrees, so I stopped talking and bowed my


    head to wash the dishes as though my life depended on it.


    At first, I thought he would make a dig at me, but unexpectedly, he chose to stay silent.

 Chapter 749

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 749


    When he didn¡¯t speak, I peeked at him in surprise, but his eyes were hooded and I couldn¡¯t discern any


    emotion in them.


    Unable to help myself, I blurted, ¡°Didn¡¯t youe here to look for Armond? Aren¡¯t you going to talk to


    him?¡±


    Without sparing a nce at me, his slender fingers moved across the porcin bowls as he expertly


    washed the dishes.


    ¡°There¡¯s no rush.¡± He only gave me three simple words in return.


    The atmosphere became quiet all of a sudden and I felt slightly at a loss.


    Suddenly, a ringtone broke through the ufortable silence. It wasing from his phone.


    He didn¡¯t answer it, but turned his emotionless eyes to me for some reason.


    I stiffened and asked confusedly, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°My hands are wet. I¡¯ll have to trouble you,¡± he replied.


    At first, I couldn¡¯t grasp his meaning. Later on, I realized that his phone was in his trouser pocket and


    both his hands were covered with soap.


    Coincidently, I had just wiped my hands dry, so technically, it was convenient for me to take his phone.


    But¡­


    The corners of my eyes twitched as I fell into a dilemma. ¡°Mr. Fuller, I think that¡¯s rather inappropriate.¡±


    He cocked a brow at me. ¡°And why exactly would that be inappropriate?¡±


    A woman such as myself reaching into his trouser pocket to grab his phone? How isn¡¯t that


    inappropriate?


    He looked at me with a serious yet clear eyes. If I made a big deal out of it, it would seem like I was the


    one having dirty thoughts instead.


    The beautiful piano melody kept ying, as though the caller was anxious.


    Ashton was still frozen in the same posture as he waited for me to answer his phone for him.


    I exhaled sharply and shoved my hand into his trouser pocket. After taking his phone out, I handed it to


    him with slightly flushed cheeks. ¡°Here!¡±


    He raised his brows at me and motioned at his soap-covered hands with his eyes. His meaning


    couldn¡¯t be any clearer¡ªhe couldn¡¯t pick up the call in his state and I had to do it for him.


    Clenching my jaw, I turned the phone screen to face me and swiped to answer the call, catching sight


    of the caller ID in the process¡ªit was Rachel.


    ¡°Put it on speaker,¡± Ashton instructed while staring at me with a particrly intense gaze.


    I did as I was told, tapping on the speaker icon before bringing the phone to his ear. Due to the height


    difference, I had to stand on my tippy toes and get closer.


    He lowered his eyes to look at me, but didn¡¯tment. Soon, Rachel¡¯s gentle voice drifted over the


    other end of the line. ¡°Mr. Fuller, are you home?¡±


    ¡°Yes. What is it?¡± This man was stingy with his words as always.


    Rachel seemed to have grown ustomed to this habit of his because she didn¡¯t seem to mind as she


    chirped gleefully, ¡°I brought all the previous project files over today for you to take a look. By the way,


    you haven¡¯t eaten yet, have you? I made you lunch. Give it a tryter.¡±


    I twitched my lips. How lucky of him to have a beautiful woman at his beck and call!


    When his reply didn¡¯te after a long time, I vaguely sensed his gaze on me. Puzzled, I returned his


    gaze, wondering what was running through his mind.


    Just when I thought he wasn¡¯t going to answer, he responded curtly, ¡°Mm.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s unconcealed joy was palpable even over the phone when she quipped, ¡°Then, can youe


    out and open the gate for me, Mr. Fuller? I¡¯m already outside your vi.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Ashton replied. Then, he shot me a nce, signaling for me to hang up the call.


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    After ending the call, I hesitated for a second before suggesting, ¡°You should go now. I¡¯ll handle it from


    here.¡±


    With that, I reached out to take the bowl in his hand, but he held it in a vice-like grip. Bewildered, I


    widened my eyes at him, trying to figure out what he was ying at.


    However, he behaved as though nothing was wrong and dered, ¡°We¡¯ll go together once we¡¯re done


    here. Rachel is here because of the Lavelian Vige project. Since you¡¯re the person-in-charge, you¡¯re


    required to participate.¡±


    I pressed my lips together tightly in response to his tyrannical behavior. Rachel¡¯s obviously not here to


    discuss the project with him. Is he stupid or what?


    With that, he took his time with the dishes, seemingly unbothered about the fact that Rachel was


    currently waiting outside. After he was done, he scanned me from head to toe at a disturbinglynguid


    pace before asking, ¡°Do you need to have a change of clothes before heading over?¡±


    Caught off guard, I nced down at my clothes, realizing that they were rather casual. I had randomly


    thrown on some clothes after waking up in the morning, not to mention my hair was pulled into a messy


    ponytail and my face waspletely bare.


    But I was only going next door and not some faraway ce, so I gave him an adamant shake of my


    head. ¡°No.¡±


    It¡¯s clear that I¡¯m going there to be a third wheel, so why should I dress up?


    His brows scrunched together, but he didn¡¯t insist. ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡±


    Nora and Armond were talking in the yard. People who were in love seemed to like spending every


    second of their day together.


    After informing them where we were going, Ashton and I left the yard. The moment we stepped past


    the gate, we saw Rachel standing outside the vi next door.


    There was a red Cadic was parked beside her. Dressed in a white dress with exquisite makeup on


    her face, her long hair cascaded down her back in an alluring manner, making her look every bit the


    muse that incited a man¡¯s wildest desires.


    Rachel spotted us the same time we did her. Surprise shed across her face, but it vanished as soon


    as it came and she regained herposure.


    Directing her gaze at Ashton, she stered a tender smile on her face and greeted, ¡°Mr. Fuller!¡±


    Ashton nodded, then looked at me and jerked his chin. ¡°Open the gate.¡±


    Mystified, my brows knitted into a deep frown. ¡°But I don¡¯t know your password.¡± How the hell would I


    know the password to his house?


    ¡°It¡¯s your birthday,¡± he replied calmly.


    Sensing the withering stare Rachel was aiming at me, I couldn¡¯t help but feel that Ashton was


    purposely making my life difficult.


    Exasperated, I raised my hand to enter my birth date. When the gate beeped open, Ashton shot Rachel


    a fleeting nce and said tly, ¡°Go on in.¡±

 Chapter 750

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 750


    The yard in the vi was equipped with a pavilion. It was a perfect ce for having a conversation


    when the weather was nice.


    Ashton was leading us to the pavilion. Then, he ordered me, ¡°There are some fruits in the fridge.


    Prepare some fruits and brew us tea.¡±


    With my brows knitted, I pointed at myself while asking in disbelief, ¡°Me?¡±


    The man raised his brow. ¡°Do you have a problem with that?¡±


    Of course, I have a problem with that! Aren¡¯t I here to discuss the project? What, now I¡¯m your errand


    girl?


    Just then, Rachel put the lunch box down and said smilingly, ¡°Mr. Fuller, let me do it so Ms. Stovall can


    get some rest. You should eat first; see if the food I brought you suits your liking.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let her do it. She knows the ce better.¡± Ashton cast his gaze at me as he spoke.


    Hearing that, my eyes widened. What is he talking about? I know the ce better? I have nevere


    to his house since he moved here!


    Meanwhile, Rachel¡¯s smile stiffened.


    I thought Ashton must have said that on purpose so that he could order me around. Reluctant to waste


    my breath on him, I made my way to the house.


    Standing in front of the door, I turned to look at the man sitting in the pavilion and waited for him to tell


    me the password.


    Having developed a good rapport over the years, Ashton raised his brow and answered my unasked


    question, ¡°Our daughter¡¯s birthday.¡±


    Hearing that, my heart was overwhelmed with mixed feelings.


    The door unlocked as I keyed in Summer¡¯s birthday.


    The vi was rtively moderate in size, which was about 3200 square feet. Yet, it was definitely a


    large house in the eyes of themon folks.


    Still, the vi was way smaller than all those previous properties that Ashton bought.


    Nevertheless, this was the vi that had the homiest and cosiest atmosphere amongst the rest. Instead


    of having a ck-and-white interior decoration style, the vi was painted in light yellow.


    The usual leather furniture was reced by warm-color fabric furniture. Summer and my pictures were


    everywhere in the living room, many of which I had no idea when Ashton took them.


    Some were pictures of Summer and her father, which were probably taken after I left K City. Apart from


    that, there were also pictures featuring the three of us.


    Many of them were pictures of Ashton and me sending Summer to school, taken by someone else.


    The sight of those pictures brought a bittersweet feeling to my heart.


    My eyes prickled with tears as I retrieved my gaze. Soon, I wiped off the tears that escaped my eyes


    without me realizing it.


    In the kitchen, I boiled water and found the tea leaves. Then, I took the fruits out of the fridge and


    prepared a fruit tter in no time.


    Many of the ornaments and furnishing in the vi were simr to those in the house in K City.


    When I was back at the pavilion with freshly brewed tea, Ashton was reading the document. As for


    Rachel, she was sitting next to the man, wanting to get his attention.


    The lunch box on the table was being opened, yet the food was untouched.


    At that point, I noticed that Rachel seemed unhappy.


    ¡°Tea is ready! I¡¯m not sure of your preferences, so I only prepared Earl Grey.¡± With that, I ced the


    two cups of tea before them.


    cing his document aside, Ashton looked up at me and uttered, ¡°There¡¯s juice and milk in the fridge. I


    have them prepared for you.¡±


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    I was slightly bewildered to hear that. Nevertheless, with a faint smile, I nodded. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    The man then turned to face Rachel. ¡°The project¡¯s design is nice, but there are some problems with


    the details that you need to fix. I need to discuss the project with the shareholders, and I need you to


    contact Armond concerning the project in Lavelian Vige. After all, this project is rted to the Murphy


    Corporation.¡±


    Rachel nodded and replied, ¡°Alright, I got it.¡± Then, she advised, ¡°You¡¯ve been working since morning,


    and it¡¯s already one o¡¯clock now. You should eat something, or it will take a toll on your stomach.¡±


    Ashton nodded perfunctorily. Yet, instead of eating the food, he ced the lunch box before me and


    said, ¡°Have a taste.¡±


    Instantly, my eyes were fixated on the brown and crispy crh¨¨. They look good!


    I tried my best to tear my eyes away from the delicious food. After all, it was prepared by Rachel for


    Ashton. It would be awkward if I ate it.


    Gazing at Ashton, I rejected, ¡°I¡¯ve eaten something, and I¡¯m not hungry. You eat it.¡±


    With a deadpan expression, the man uttered, ¡°Me too. I¡¯m not hungry.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s face fell as she watched our exchange.


    Thinking that it was inappropriate of us to trample on her effort of preparing the food, I asked politely,


    ¡°Ms. Zimmer, could I have a taste? The crh¨¨ looks delicious!¡±


    Rachel nodded. ¡°Of course!¡±


    I eagerly took a bite of the crh¨¨. As expected, it was crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside.


    One must admit that Rachel was a good cook.


    As I had eaten her food, I felt like helping the poordy out. Rachel had prepared the lunch box for


    Ashton, yet that man didn¡¯t even bother to touch the food.


    As I turned to look at Ashton, our eyes met. I persuaded, ¡°Mr. Fuller, have a taste! The crh¨¨ tastes


    delicious!¡±


    Ashton raised his brow. I thought he would either turn me down or have a taste of the food, yet never


    had I expected the man to say, ¡°Feed me!¡±

 Chapter 751

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 751


    Hearing that, I almost choked on my food. That man was deliberately hurting Rachel¡¯s feelings!


    Eventually, I managed to swallow the lump of food and suppress the urge to cough. Forcing a smile, I


    asked through gritted teeth, ¡°Mr. Fuller, don¡¯t you have hands?¡±


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Ashton curled his lips into a smirk, leaving no trace of his usual sobriety. ¡°Well, my hand is upied.¡±


    As he spoke, he even unabashedly picked up the document that he just put aside, raising his brow at


    me.


    I pursed my lips, rendered speechless. Meanwhile, Rachel could take it no more. She rose to her feet


    and took leave of Ashton, ¡°Mr. Fuller, I¡¯ll leave the document to you. There¡¯s something I need to take


    care of, and I¡¯ll be going now.¡±


    Although disappointed, the youngdy managed to put up a good front as she left the yard.


    Gazing at Ashton, I was utterly speechless. This man must have done it on purpose!


    Sometimes, I couldn¡¯t help feeling impressed by Rachel¡¯s high tolerance. Since she stepped foot in the


    vi, the youngdy had been stering a smile despite receiving such humiliation from Ashton.


    I didn¡¯t know a woman could put up with such humiliation just because she loved a man.


    Having lost my appetite, I put down my fork. Gazing at Ashton, I spoke up, ¡°Mr. Fuller, if you don¡¯t like


    her, you should tell her frankly instead of humiliating her. Can¡¯t you show some gentlemanly behavior?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not a gentleman anyway.¡± Fixing his eyes at me, he uttered, ¡°Besides, I¡¯m married. As a


    woman, she should stay away from a married man. I don¡¯t need to teach her that, do I?¡±


    I pursed my lips, feeling unsettled under his stare. Still, I reminded him, ¡°We¡¯re divorced, and you¡¯re


    single now. It¡¯s normal for Rachel to like an eligible bachelor like you. You can¡¯t me her for that.¡±


    The man sneered, ¡°If I¡¯m eligible, then why did you divorce me?¡±


    Knowing that I couldn¡¯t argue with him, I stood up and then gave him a put-off, ¡°Well, you¡¯re eligible, but


    that doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯re suitable together.¡±


    The man, too, rose to his feet. ¡°What do you mean by that? Then who¡¯s suitable for you?¡± he asked,


    looking at me indifferently.


    I thought he was only trying to mess with me, so I decided to end the conversation. ¡°Since Ms. Zimmer


    has left, I suppose there¡¯s nothing much to discuss today. I¡¯m leaving now.¡±


    Just then, he grabbed hold of my wrist and stopped me from leaving. I pursed my lips, feeling on edge.


    Still, I put on a brave front, asking calmly, ¡°Mr. Fuller, what are you trying to do?¡±


    Ashton raised his brow. ¡°I¡¯m the one who took care of you in the hospital after you fell into the pit in


    Lavelian Vige.¡±


    As he spoke, he leaned closer to me. ¡°Even if I¡¯m a stranger, don¡¯t you think you owe me a thank you


    for saving you and taking care of you?¡±


    I tensed up at his overbearing aura and said meekly, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The man let out a chuckle. ¡°I saved your life! And you¡¯re going to repay my kindness with just a simple


    thank you?¡±


    ¡°Then how do you want me to thank you?¡± I knew he was up to no good, yet I couldn¡¯t possibly be an


    ungrateful person. After all, I really owed him big time.


    The next moment, I had my back against the wall as the man loomed over me. ¡°If you really want to


    thank me, move here and take care of my daily meals starting from tomorrow onwards,¡± he said in a


    deep voice.


    With my brows knotted, I rejected without a second thought, ¡°Ashton Fuller, I take care of Armond¡¯s


    daily meal because that¡¯s my job. He pays me a sry for that.¡±


    Hearing that, he raised his brow. ¡°I can pay you as well.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t do!¡± Every part of the vi would remind me of the past with him. I was afraid that I might


    lose my heart to him again.


    The man sneered, ¡°I¡¯ve saved you! Aren¡¯t you grateful at all? You said you wanted to thank me, but you


    can¡¯t even agree to my small request?¡±


    Pursing my lips, I avoided his eyes. Soon, I came up with an excuse, ¡°Well, I¡¯ve already agreed to


    Armond¡¯s request. Besides, I¡¯m now the Murphy Corporation¡¯s employee¡­¡±


    Just then, Ashton interrupted me. ¡°You should go now.¡±


    He then let go of my hand, his eyes dimmed with disappointment. ¡°Go. I can¡¯t force you if you don¡¯t


    want to. I won¡¯t degrade myself to that extent.¡±


    Upon noticing the disappointment in his eyes, my heart dropped. At that moment, I was stumped.


    After some time, I relented, ¡°I¡¯m not free in the afternoon and night, but I¡¯lle in the morning.¡±


    With that, I left the yard and then headed back to Armond¡¯s vi.


    Since there was no one in the yard, I supposed the two were back in the house.


    As soon as I entered the living room, I called out, ¡°Nora, you¡­¡±


    I trailed off upon seeing Nora and Armond kissing passionately on the couch.


    If I didn¡¯t barge in, the two would¡¯ve already hit the second base.


    Hearing my voice, Nora instantly pushed Armond off her, her face turned as red as an apple. As for


    Armond, the man stroked the bridge of his nose while excusing himself, ¡°I¡¯ll head to the office now. I¡¯ll


    leave you guys alone.¡±


    I could sense awkwardness in the air. Soon, Armond left the vi. Feeling embarrassed, Nora dared not


    to look at me as she cleared her throat and exined, ¡°Sorry about that. We should find another ce.¡±

 Chapter 752

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 752


    I took a seat next to her and teased, ¡°Well, I understand. When the two of you are madly in love, it¡¯s


    hard to suppress the impulse.¡±


    With her face flushed, she gauchely changed the topic, ¡°Where were you and Ashton just now?¡±


    ¡°Next door.¡±


    Nora nodded. As the conversation went along, the awkwardness slowly dispersed. ¡°I heard you calling


    me just now. Is there anything else?¡± she asked.


    I shook my head. ¡°No.¡±


    Nora muttered a response. Once again, an awkward silence ensued.


    I supposed the shy Nora needed some time alone, so I stood up and excused myself, ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯ll go


    upstairs and go through the documents.¡±


    In the room, I read the documents for a while, absent-minded. I couldn¡¯t seem to focus with my mind


    constantly wandering off.


    Frustrated, I tossed the documents aside and walked to the balcony to take a break.


    The balcony next door was only a wall¡¯s distance away. Ashton was reading on the balcony while


    enjoying his leisure time.


    Upon seeing him, in an instinct, I wanted to get back into my room. Yet, before I could do anything, the


    man suddenly looked up at me. He then put his book aside while casually gazing at me.


    Having no choice, I forced a smile and greeted, ¡°Hi, Mr. Fuller. What a coincidence!¡±


    The man¡¯s gaze darkened. ¡°We live next door. It¡¯s not a coincidence.¡±


    Ugh! This man is really a conversation killer!


    With a perfunctory smile, I said, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll leave you then. I¡¯m going back to my room.¡±


    ¡°Do you think you can hide from me forever?¡± he asked in a deep voice.


    I pursed my lips, feeling a little awkward. I then turned around to face him and denied, ¡°You¡¯re thinking


    too much. I¡¯m not hiding from you, and I really have something to do.¡±


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°We need someone to be in charge of most of the projects of Lavelian Vige. Also, the Fuller


    Corporation¡¯s project will kick off tomorrow. I¡¯m afraid it will be a mess since Linda doesn¡¯t know much


    about the details of the project.¡±


    I was confused at his words. ¡°But Linda has always been in charge of the projects. I think she does


    better than me when ites to paying attention to the details. Mr. Fuller, there is no need to worry.¡±


    With a faint smile, Ashton cast his eyes over at the pots of nts on the balcony. ¡°Well, she might know


    a lot of the ws of the Murphy Corporation. Yet, she¡¯s too familiar with thepany, and that¡¯s the


    very reason that she might unconsciously overlook them.¡±


    I mulled over his words. After a while, I reassured him, ¡°I¡¯ll go to the Lavelian Vige tomorrow. Mr.


    Fuller, don¡¯t you worry. Since we have taken over this project, we¡¯ll do our best to make sure everything


    is perfect.¡±


    The man¡¯s gaze was deep with unfathomable emotion.


    I once again reminded myself to stay away from him, or I would lose myself to him again.


    The next day, I received a call from Linda. She was gabbling in a panic over the phone, ¡°Scarlett, are


    you feeling better today? Could you pleasee to the Lavelian Vige?¡±


    I was slightly bewildered, and I had a bad feeling about it. ¡°Sure. But what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°As you know, we are going to build an AI technology museum in the base. Since the museum is still


    under construction, we temporarily stored those AI devices and instruments that we got from Fuller


    Corporation in the Science and Technology Research Base. Mr. Murphy has even instructed the


    security guards to guard them. Unfortunately, we found out that someone sneaked into the basest


    night. Some of the AI instruments were stolen. The policemen are still investigating it. Anyway, I¡¯ve


    contacted Mr. Fuller, and he will send someone to help verify the stolen instruments.¡±


    Linda was on the verge of crying. ¡°I have checked on those AI instruments before I left yesterday, and I


    even reminded the security guards to keep an eye on them. I never thought something like this could


    happen.¡±


    There was no use crying over spilled milk. Thus, I instructed, ¡°Don¡¯t panic, Linda. The base is equipped


    with surveince cameras. I need you to get the policemen to check the surveince cameras.


    Everything will be fine. We will find those instruments back.¡±


    After a short pause, I added, ¡°I¡¯ll be there soon. Stay calm and assist the policemen with their


    investigation. We need to minimize the loss of thepany.¡±


    As soon as I hung up the phone, I grabbed my purse and rushed out of the vi.


    Meanwhile, Joseph came out of the vi next door, carrying some documents, with panic written all


    over his face. When the young man saw me, he was slightly relieved. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, are you going to the


    Lavelian Vige? Why don¡¯t we give you a ride? It¡¯s hard to hail a cab here.¡±


    Just then, Ashton walked out of the vi in his ck suit. He cast me an indifferent nce before


    getting into the car.


    Joseph was right; It would be difficult to hail a cab around the vi neighborhood, let alone a cab that


    could take me to Lavelian Vige. Thus, I¡¯d better go with them. ¡°Alright then. Thank you.¡±


    I opened the door of the passenger seat to find that it was upied with boxes of documents. Joseph


    said awkwardly, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, you¡¯ll need to sit in the back seat. There are too many documentsing


    in over the past few days, and the boot is packed.¡±


    I nodded. Although it would be awkward, I had no choice but to sit in the back seat with Ashton.


    Soon the car drove off. Joseph struck up a conversation with me, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, have you heard about


    what happened in Lavelian Vige?¡±


    I nodded and replied, ¡°Yes. Linda called just now. It¡¯s Murphy Corporation¡¯s mistake and negligence.


    We¡¯re very sorry for what happened.¡±


    Since the stolen instruments concerned the Fuller Corporation¡¯s artificial intelligence high-tech


    research, I asked, ¡°Is Ms. Zimmer going to Lavelian Vige as well?¡±

 Chapter 753

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 753


    Joseph answered in the affirmative, ¡°Yes. Since she is the director of the development team, she will


    need to verify the lost instruments. Rachel and the team have spent two years doing the research, and


    those instruments for the exhibition are their sessful inventions. It is a pity that some of them are


    stolen.¡±


    I fell into silence. We could only have a clearer picture of the losses suffered when we arrive at the


    base.


    Rachel was already there by the time we arrived. An air of despondency surrounded her as she looked


    at the damaged instruments.


    Meanwhile, Armond was speaking with a policeman. Upon Ashton¡¯s arrival, he went over to him and


    apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the losses suffered by Fuller Corporation. We will get to the bottom of this


    incident and give you an exnation for this.¡±


    Hearing that, Ashton nodded. He cast his eyes over the crime scene before asking, ¡°Have you verified


    the lost items?¡±


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Mm-hmm,¡± Armond uttered a response. ¡°Ms. Zimmer is currently verifying them.¡±


    Just then, Linda trotted toward us. Steeped in guilt, she apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. This is all my fault.


    Actually, there are twelve security guards responsible for looking after the AI instruments. I came here


    last night and decided to stay a little longer since I found the AI instruments interesting, so I asked them


    to leave for their dinner. The head of the security guards has reminded me to lock the door when I


    leave, but I forgot about it.¡±


    There was a total of four lines of defence to ess the technology museum. Apart from the main door,


    the remaining three doors were all equipped with password locks and infrared sensors. Linda turned off


    the infrared sensors yesterday before she entered the museum. Since prolonged infrared exposure


    was harmful to the human body, they would usually turn the sensors off when there were visitors. Even


    without the infrared sensors, the security was tight as there would always be security guards on guard.


    Unfortunately, the instruments were stolen at night, so the thief had more than enough time to bring


    those instruments out of the museum.


    Just then, Rachel stomped out of the base, her face purple with rage. ¡°Do you know how much money


    and effort it costs us to invent the instruments? I have worked days and nights for this project. Your


    apology means nothing!¡±


    Seething in anger, she turned to face Armond. ¡°Mr. Murphy, you must give us an exnation for this


    and hold the negligent employees ountable. I hope you won¡¯t cover up for any of your employees.


    Please do not disappoint us.¡±


    Armond nodded firmly. ¡°Ms. Zimmer, I will investigate this incident thoroughly and give the Fuller


    Corporation an exnation.¡±


    Then, Rachel shifted her fiery gaze to me. ¡°Ms. Stovall, you are the person in charge of this project.


    Such a disaster has happened. Aren¡¯t you going to say or do anything about it?¡±


    Hearing that, I couldn¡¯t help furrowing my brows. I knew Rachel had always disliked me. Yet, it was


    understandable that she was now in a bad mood after losing those inventions.


    Thus, I softened my voice while reassuring her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ms. Zimmer. I will take responsibility, and


    I¡¯m willing to receive any penalties from thepany, but that¡¯s not the important thing now. What we


    need to do is to try to minimize the losses.¡±


    ¡°Minimize the losses?¡± Rachel snorted, ¡°Almost all instruments are damaged, and they are unusable.


    The project is officiallyunched, and the inauguration is scheduled a month from now. What are we


    going to show in the museum? How are the visitors going to think of the Fuller Corporation?¡±


    Just then, Linda spoke up, ¡°We all know about the consequences. Ms. Zimmer, you¡¯re too caught up


    with your emotions. Losing your temper won¡¯t help solve the problem; it will only make the matter


    worse. Fuller Corporation is not the only one that suffered losses, but Murphy Corporation as well. We


    are in the same boat, and you¡¯re not the only one who is worried about the project.¡±


    Rachel let out a snicker. ¡°The twopanies are now paying the prices for your negligence. How could


    you still behave in such a brazen manner? I am truly impressed by your brazenness. The Murphy


    Corporation is indeed full of talented people.¡±


    Linda was already eaten up by guilt for what happened. Hearing Rachel¡¯s sarcastic and spiteful


    remarks, her face turned as pale as a ghost.


    ¡°Ms. Zimmer, there is no need for you to keep rubbing salt in her wound. No one wanted this to


    happen. Linda has admitted her mistake, so why do you keep picking on her? Should she kill herself to


    show how remorseful she is? Is that what you wanted?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Rachel was at a loss for words, glowering at me.


    Ashton called out, ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Facing Rachel, he asked, ¡°Have you calcted the losses?¡±


    Rachel nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I need a detailed list of the losses. Also, get K City¡¯s AI Department to produce the next batch of


    temtes. Get someone tomunicate with the press not to publish anything about yesterday¡¯s


    incident. Make sure to keep everything that happened in the base confidential. We¡¯ll stick to our original


    n.¡± Then, he turned to face Joseph and instructed, ¡°You¡¯ll need tomunicate with the Murphy


    Corporation¡¯s Finance Department with regards to the exact number of losses.¡±


    Josephplied as he took the documents from Rachel and entered the base.


    Just then, Armond said to me, ¡°You will have to stay here and liaise with Mr. Fuller.¡±


    Then, he shifted his gaze to Linda. ¡°Be more careful when you¡¯re handling the project. I don¡¯t want this


    to happen again.¡±

 Chapter 754

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 754


    Both Linda and I noddedpliantly. As Armond and Ashton were busy discussing the


    countermeasures, we decided to go and have a look at the base.


    ¡°Thepany has suffered up to hundreds of millions of losses. I can¡¯t imagine how much I am going


    to pay forpensation,¡± Linda spoke as we made our way to the base.


    A negligent employee would have to bear a part of the losses caused by his or her negligence.


    ording to thew, Linda would be assuming thirty percent of the losses while I, the project manager,


    would bear twenty percent. As for the remaining fifty percent of losses, that would be thepany¡¯s


    responsibility.


    Regardless, anyone whocked a strong heart would¡¯ve broken down in the face of such great losses.


    I let out a sigh. ¡°Let¡¯s check the base out. Perhaps the policemen can find the culprit soon and trace all


    those stolen AI instruments.¡±


    ¡°I hope so,¡± she muttered and then heaved a sigh of despondency.


    Everyone busied themselves in the base untilte at night. None of us had the time to take a break.


    When the losses assessment waspleted, all of us gathered in the hotel¡¯s conference room to have


    a meeting.


    Joseph handed each of us a document before he spoke, ¡°This is the total amount of losses. Please


    have a look at it.¡±


    Linda quickly flipped open the document. She drew a sharp breath the moment her eyes met the figure.


    ¡°Three hundred million?!¡± she cried out.


    Joseph cast a nce at her and nodded. ¡°Most of the stolen instruments are rted to thepany¡¯s


    core technologies. We can¡¯t rule out the possibility that our rivalpany is the one behind this


    incident. Hence, we need to include the possible risks as part of the losses. If any partyys their


    hands on Fuller Corporation¡¯s core technology, they might patent our invention.¡±


    Rachel added, ¡°That means to say that all of our efforts over the past two years will go to waste. Ms.


    Linda, as a mere employee, it¡¯s normal that you have no idea how important our core technology is.


    Well, I guess now you¡¯ll know since you need to pay millions ofpensations.¡± Her words oozed with


    sarcasm.


    Hearing that, Linda¡¯s face turned ashen. After finished reading the document, Armond uttered, ¡°Since


    the losses have been ascertained, I¡¯ll inform mywyer as soon as possible so that we can get this


    over with.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Murphy, you¡¯re very decisive, unlike your employees.¡± Rachel cast her eyes at me as she spoke.


    It was not the time to bother about Rachel¡¯s sarcastic remark. After the meeting, I went after Ashton as


    he left the room.


    Yet, when I walked past Rachel, I almost tripped over her foot and fell.


    Fortunately, as I lurched at Ashton, I grabbed hold of his shirt and steadied myself.


    After I regained bnce, I hurriedly apologized to him.


    The man¡¯s eyes darkened as he nced coldly at Rachel. Being caught in the act, thetter lowered


    her head and soon left.


    Soon after, Ashton asked, ¡°Is there anything else?¡±


    ¡°Do you have time? We need to talk,¡± I said while still catching my breath.


    ¡°Sure.¡± With that, Ashton turned and left the conference room.


    I followed suit. When there was no one around, I spoke up, ¡°The incident is still under investigation, and


    the policemen are still trying to trace the lost AI instruments. Could we only talk about the


    compensation after the investigationes to an end?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t see Ashton¡¯s expression. The man continued walking forward while not giving me any


    response.


    Abruptly, he came to a halt, causing me to bump into his back and hurting my nose.


    He turned around, his brows knotted. ¡°Are you trying to seduce me?¡±


    What¡¯s wrong with him? I couldn¡¯t understand how this man¡¯s mind worked.


    I backed off to maintain a safe distance between us. Disregarding his bizarre remark, I said seriously,


    ¡°Ashton, give my words some thought. We can deal with this matter fairly.¡±


    He didn¡¯t say anything but took out his room card from his pocket. That was when I realized that I had


    followed him to his room.


    He opened the door and entered the room while not bothering to answer me.


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    Without a second thought, I followed suit and closed the door behind me.


    Gazing at him, I continued by saying, ¡°I know our negligence has caused Fuller Corporation to suffer


    great losses¡­ Arghh-¡±


    I never thought he would take off his shirt after removing his suit. The man was now half-naked,


    showing his rock-hard abs.


    My face flushed a scarlet, and my heart fluttered. I turned my back at him and grumbled, ¡°Ashton Fuller,


    why did you take off your shirt?¡±


    ¡°To take my shower and then go to bed,¡± was his reply.


    I pursed my lips. The next moment, the sound of the man unbuckling and removing his belt rang out.


    Uncontrobly, my mind ran wild, and I could feel my cheeks burning. ¡°Ashton Fuller, are you a sher?


    How could you take off your clothes whenever you want, especially in front of ady? You¡­¡±


    ¡°This is my room. Why can¡¯t I take off my clothes?¡± he retorted, his voice deep and low. ¡°Do you have


    anything else to say? If not, you should leave because I¡¯d like to rest now.¡±


    Still having my back at him, I continued to persuade him, ¡°Ashton, about what I said just now, please


    give it some consideration. The police are still investigating the incident. It is unfair for the Murphy


    Corporation to pay thepensation if, in the end, the police manage to find the lost instruments.¡±


    I waited for a while, yet I heard nothing but silence.

 Chapter 755

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 755


    As I turned around, my eyes widened the moment they met Ashton¡¯s naked body. The man was now


    wearing nothing but a ck boxer.


    Once again, I turned my back at him, saying helplessly, ¡°Mr. Fuller, could you wear your clothes and put


    your shower off forter?¡±


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It seems like you¡¯re unhappy with the oue of our meeting just now. Well, if you¡¯re here talking to


    me as the secretary of the Murphy Corporation¡¯s president, I can tell you that your words carry no


    weight. I will only talk directly with Armond. So, Scarlett, are you here talking to me as my wife or


    Armond¡¯s secretary?¡±


    I was at a loss for words. After hesitating for a while, I answered, ¡°As your wife.¡±


    Hearing that, the man smiled, his expression softened. ¡°There are clothes for you in the wardrobe. It¡¯s


    late now. Take your shower and have an early night.¡±


    Before I could say anything, the man had made his way toward the washroom.


    We were all adults; I knew what my answer meant and what would happen that night.


    Back in the conference room just now, I saw Linda¡¯s terrible expression when Joseph told her of the


    amount ofpensation. Although she earned good money in Murphy Corporation over the past few


    years, still, she would have to drain her savings and even be indebted to pay thepensation.


    As for me, I couldn¡¯t even pay a million, let alone a few million. Besides, I had transferred ownership of


    the bank card with HiTech¡¯s annual revenues to Ashton after he found out that I had lent money to


    Marcus without his knowledge.


    Apart from the properties in J City and R Province, I had no other assets.


    Thus, my only way out was to persuade Ashton to change his mind. Since the incident was still under


    investigation, perhaps things might take a different turn. Besides, my gut feeling told me that this was


    not an ordinary burry.


    I sat quietly on the couch, zoning out. After some time, I walked toward the wardrobe and opened it to


    see some branded nightwear inside. Ashton has them prepared beforehand. It is as if he knew I would


    eventually give in.


    Just then, the washroom door opened, and out came Ashton with a towel wrapped around his waist.


    The man looked singrly sexy under the dim light as water droplets trickled down his torso.


    I reacted swiftly in looking away. ¡°I¡¯ll go take my shower.¡±


    Wiping his hair dry, the man replied nonchntly, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Since we¡¯re married for years, we had had intimacy countless times. Yet, this time, it felt different.


    Actually, I didn¡¯t really feel lowly or pathetic staying for the night. I knew if I wanted to leave, Ashton


    wouldn¡¯t force me to stay.


    It was just that this time, it felt like we were not doing it out of love.


    When I finished my shower, Ashton had dried his hair and was now leaning against the headboard. He


    had the silk nket covering his lower abdomen while exposing his chest.


    He cast his indifferent gaze at me. Then, he straightened up and patted the bedside. ¡°Come here.¡±


    Pursing my lips, I went to sit on the bed, my heart filled with conflicted emotions. The next moment, the


    man took the towel from me and helped me wipe my hair dry. ¡°Scarlet, we have a long future ahead of


    us. Let¡¯s take things slowly.¡±


    I feltplicated hearing that.


    After that, none of us said a word as he wiped my hair.


    It was afortable silence instead of an awkward one.


    Soon, Ashton tossed the towel aside and said, ¡°Let¡¯s sleep now.¡±


    Instantly, I tensed up, knowing very well what was going to happen next.


    I turned my head to find that the man hadin down on the bed.


    After some hesitation, I decided to go all out and climbed onto him. For the first time, although a little


    clumsy, I took the initiative to kiss him.


    Startled, he opened his eyes, looking at me in shock.


    Although I was married for many years, I still hadn¡¯t learned how to tease a man.


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± the man called out in a hoarse voice.


    ¡°Mm,¡± I murmured as my lips lingered on his cheeks. The man had just shaved his beard. His stubbles


    sent a tingling sensation, yet it was tolerable.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± His voice was hoarse and trembling as he tried to suppress his desire. Even


    though I was not a good kisser, still, I could easily turn him on.


    I didn¡¯t bother to answer him. Slowly, I traced my lips down his torso all the way to his groin.


    The man groaned.


    He furrowed his brows, and the emotions in his dark gaze were inscrutable.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you like it?¡± I asked.


    Instead of answering me, he asked, ¡°What are we after tonight?¡±


    I was at a loss, unconsciously loosening my grip on his manhood.


    Ashton sneered at my abrupt movement. He shoved me aside and then pulled the nket over his


    lower abdomen.


    ¡°If you¡¯re doing this because of thepensation, you don¡¯t need to do so,¡± he said with suppressed


    emotions.

 Chapter 756

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 756


    I knew he got mad.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Lying beside him, I was at a loss looking at his back. ¡°Ashton, then what do you want?¡± I asked.


    He uttered coldly, ¡°Scarlett, you know clearly what I wanted, but you¡¯ve always acted like a fool with


    me. You don¡¯t need to please me to make me agree to your request. Just tell me what you want, and I¡¯ll


    do whatever you say. You know I can¡¯t say no to you.¡±


    At that instant, my heart was overwhelmed with mixed emotions.


    I moved closer to him and rested my head on his back, wrapping my arms around him.


    Upon that, the man¡¯s cold aura subsided. Yet, he still had his back at me.


    After a while, I spoke up, ¡°I¡¯m not doing it because of what happened today.¡±


    The man remained silent. I let out a sigh and coaxed, ¡°Ashton, don¡¯t turn your back to me. You know I


    can¡¯t sleep like this.¡±


    The man¡¯s body stiffened. ¡°Then what do you want me to do?¡± he asked.


    It seemed like his anger had dissipated, so I pushed my luck. ¡°I want you to cuddle me.¡±


    Slowly, Ashton turned around to face me. He was indeed good-looking. Whenever I saw his handsome


    face, I felt lucky to be his wife.


    As our eyes met, I found no trace of anger in his. Feeling encouraged, I buried my face in his chest.


    ¡°Hug me tight, or I can¡¯t sleep,¡± I cooed in a muffled voice.


    In fact, after all these years, it was the first time I acted so lovey-dovey with him.


    Yet, it seemed like Ashton was pleased. He hugged me tight and let my head rest on his arm. His eyes


    lit up while looking at me affectionately.


    With my cheeks flushed, I shifted in his arms and protested, ¡°I can¡¯t sleep when you keep looking at


    me.¡±


    He lifted my chin and suddenly asked, ¡°Have you ever imagined our wedding?¡±


    I was slightly bewildered. Why is he suddenly talking about a wedding? His question threw me off


    bnce.


    Nevertheless, I answered, ¡°Um¡­ Maybe like Emery¡¯s Chinese-style wedding? At a ce where the


    flowers blossom. I prefer holding a wedding on a sunny day instead of a winter day. If possible, I wish


    to wear a red wedding dress with silver and gold embroidery. Ah, and also, a red veil and a phoenix


    cor. It will be wonderful!¡±


    Since it wouldn¡¯t cost to imagine a wedding, I let my imagination run wild. Besides, it seemed like


    Ashton was interested to know.


    He looked happy after listening to my answer. With mirth in his eyes, he whispered in my ears, ¡°I will


    give you everything you want. The wedding will be held following strictly to the traditions.¡±


    After a short pause, he said in a hoarse voice, ¡°But now, let¡¯s have our wedding night first!¡±


    Before I had even realized it, the man mashed his lips against mine.


    ¡°Ash¡­ Mmph¡­¡±


    My mind was jumbled up, but I know I should say something to stop him. ¡°Ashton, I¡­ I don¡¯t want to do


    it.¡±


    The man muttered a response. Fixing his eyes on me, he asked, ¡°Are you afraid that you might lose


    your heart to me?¡±


    Ashton indeed knew me well.


    For a brief moment, I was at a loss when that man spoke my mind. Thinking I had nothing to lose, I


    narrowed my eyes and shed him a smile. ¡°Ashton, you know what you¡¯re going to lose if we


    continue, and we¡¯re talking about billions here.¡±


    He curled his lips into an alluring smile. ¡°Is that important?¡±


    Well, perhaps not. To you, a few billion are just the tip of the iceberg. With that in mind, I wrapped my


    arms around his neck and pressed my lips against his.


    Whatever! Why should I stress myself over this? Instead, I should enjoy this moment.


    The next moment, Ashton hugged me tighter in his arms.


    Once we were in bed, be it men or women, we would abandon all our pretense of being calm and


    gentlemanlike while revealing our deepest desire.


    Ashton and I were now stark naked. Before he entered me, I requested, ¡°Ashton, can we turn off the


    lights?¡±


    The man narrowed his eyes, and his mind was all muddy. ¡°What, are you feeling shy?¡±


    Nevertheless, he did as I said. In the darkness, the two of us were drowned by passion and ecstasy. In


    fact, we had never felt so sexuallypatible before.


    In the end, the two of us were being drained of all energy.


    The morning in Lavelian Vige was full of life. The air was fresh, and the sun was shining bright. It was


    already September, yet the trees and flowers still looked lively as they were in summer.


    In the morning, I woke up with Ashton nibbling on my lips.


    I grumbled, ¡°Ashton, can you be gentler?¡± Then, I pushed him away from me. If we continued, I was


    afraid I might have to spend the rest of the day lying in bed, exhausted.


    I tilted my head, whining in a pitiful voice, ¡°Ashton, I¡¯m tired.¡±


    The man let out a chuckle; the hoarseness in his voice sounded singrly sexy in the morning.

 Chapter 757

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 757


    ¡°Mm, I know.¡± Then, he praised, ¡°Scarlett, you are beautiful.¡±


    I believed no woman could resist a man giving her suchpliments, especially after spending a lovely


    night together.


    I took a deep breath topose myself. In my coarse voice, Iined, ¡°Ashton, you¡¯re a b*stard! I


    said I don¡¯t want it anymore, but you still¡­¡±


    I thought it was the end, yet it was only the beginning. My soul rose and fell as the intense pressure


    pushed me beyond all previously known limits. Throughout our lovemaking, I was at the man¡¯s mercy,


    like a cloud having lost all its direction.


    When the wave of ecstasy subsided, I was lying on top of him with my eyes closed, panting.


    The man¡¯s seductive voice was heard, ¡°Want to take a bath together?¡±


    Feeling exhausted, I shook my head, unwilling to move my body. The man chuckled.


    Disregarding my reluctance, he carried me in bridal style all the way to the washroom.


    Coincidentally, the bathtub in the hotel room was huge enough to fit a lovely pair.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to take a bath,¡± I said in my hoarse voice.


    The man smiled faintly. ¡°I¡¯ll keep youpany.¡±


    ¡°Ashton Fuller, get out!¡±


    Instead of leaving, Ashton lit up his cigarette and started smoking.


    I frowned at the smell of the cigarette. ¡°Are you still smoking?¡±


    I remembered that he had quitted smoking a while ago. Why is he smoking again?


    Seeing my furrowed brows, he stubbed out his cigarette before exining, ¡°Well, I don¡¯t usually


    smoke.¡±


    I leaned myself against the bathtub and rxed. After I regained some energy, my phone in the room


    rang.


    That was when I remembered I still needed to hurry to work. Yet, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to clean myself


    up when the man was around. ¡°Ashton, could you please leave?¡±


    Hearing my request, he raised his brow. ¡°We¡¯re married!¡±


    ¡°I know we¡¯re married, but even a husband and wife need some privacy.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯ve seen your naked body a hundred times over!¡±


    Ugh! It¡¯s hard tomunicate with him! I stood up and wrapped my body with a towel. ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave


    the washroom to you. I¡¯ll use itter.¡±


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    Seeing my resoluteness, the man eventually gave in. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll leave.¡±


    I heaved a sigh of relief. In no time, I managed to take my shower and apply makeup.


    Aftering out of the washroom, I got myself changed into the clothes in the wardrobe that Ashton


    prepared for me.


    As if something had hit me, I suddenly turned around to ask the man, who was looking at me with his


    arms crossed, ¡°You¡¯ve even prepared my clothes! How are you so sure that I wille to your room?¡±


    Without any hesitation, he answered confidently, ¡°Because I know you.¡±


    Well, that seemed to be the only exnation.


    Soon after, I grabbed my phone to find that there were a few missed calls from Linda.


    I returned the call, and it went through in no time. Linda asked over the phone, ¡°Scarlett, where were


    youst night? You didn¡¯t evene back to sleep.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m with Ashton now.¡± I sighed internally. It seems like it¡¯s impossible to stay away from that man.


    Linda was shocked as she cried out, ¡°Have you guys gotten back together? Or did youpromise


    because of what happened at the base?¡±


    I shrugged my shoulders and gave an ambiguous answer, ¡°Both, I guess. Anyway, you don¡¯t need to


    worry too much about thepensation. We¡¯ll find a way out.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ okay.¡± After a short pause, she said earnestly, ¡°Scarlett, thank you.¡±


    I smiled faintly. ¡°Well, you don¡¯t need to thank me for that. I can¡¯t pay the few millions ofpensations


    either. I guess there are times when we need topromise in life.¡±


    Just then, Ashton loomed over me. I ended the call and looked up to see him staring at me.


    ¡°Compromise in life, huh? Are you nning to sell yourself to me?¡±


    I admitted frankly, ¡°After bribing youst night, I can no longer act righteous if we argue in the future.


    Isn¡¯t it a huge sacrifice?¡±


    Hearing that, Ashton chuckled. He wanted to hug me, yet I shunned away. ¡°Mr. Fuller, you should take


    your shower. It¡¯s already noon, and I suppose as the president, you wouldn¡¯t want to bete.¡±


    Eventually, the man gave me a big smooch before he walked toward the washroom.


    I was amused by his childish act. It was indeed true that inside every man, there was a child.


    It waste when we finally left the room, so we decided to have a meal at the hotel¡¯s restaurant.


    Since there were only a few ces to eat in the hotel, it was normal to bump into someone we knew.


    Linda saw us the moment we entered the restaurant. She scrutinized me with her teasing gaze before


    coming up to me. ¡°You must be hungry. I see you have had a passionate night.¡±


    For a brief moment, I was slightly bewildered. When finally I understood what she meant, feeling


    embarrassed, I changed the topic, ¡°Did you go to the base just now?¡±


    Linda nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you guys then. See youter.¡±


    With that, she left and soon found herself a seat at another table.


    Annoyed, I shot daggers at Ashton. ¡°Look what you¡¯ve done!¡± I couldn¡¯t possibly cover up the hickeys


    on my neck as there were just too many of them.

 Chapter 758

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 758


    He touched his aquiline nose and smiled. ¡°It looks good!¡±


    Looks good?


    ¡°I¡¯ll get some to put on you, and you can tell me if you like it.¡±


    ¡°Not right now, I¡¯m in a rush. I¡¯ll dly be at your service tonight!¡±


    I¡­


    Got taken advantage of again.


    Without paying attention to him, I found a seat and ordered some food.


    Rachel suddenly appeared just as we ordered. I had a vague suspicion that this was not at all


    coincidental. She looked ravishing in her ck skirt with knee-high Dr. Martens.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, Ms. Stovall, fancy running into you here!¡±


    Ashton nodded at her curtly and grunted in acknowledgment. Turning to me, he said, ¡°It was


    exhaustingst night. Have some more and recover your energy.¡±


    I blushed hard enough at that, but when he heaped food onto my te, I positively burned crimson.


    Rachel was no fool. Her face grew sour when she caught sight of my hickeys, which I have tried to hide


    to no avail.


    I was impressed by how well she¡¯d managed to hide her displeasure. ¡°Mr. Fuller, Ms. Stovall, would you


    mind if I joined you? I¡¯m here alone,¡± she asked good-naturedly.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Ashton and I spoke at the same time but with differing answers.


    ¡°Then I won¡¯t bother you.¡± Rachel left to find herself another seat.


    ¡°Why are you being so mean to her? It¡¯s awkward for her to eat alone,¡± I said with a frown.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it when someone sits next to me. I¡¯m not used to it.¡±


    ¡°What nonsense!¡± I rolled my eyes.


    I pushed the te of okra in front of him. ¡°Have some more. These are good for your kidneys.¡±


    Ashton smiled, his beady eyes crinkling as he did so. ¡°Did I not please my wifest night?¡±


    I did not manage to swallow my fruit juice in time and sprayed it all over the table. It was a good thing


    that the tables surrounding us were empty.


    Ashton handed me a serviette which I grabbed immediately for fear of him wiping my mouth for me.


    ¡°Ashton, could you please not have dirty thoughts while we¡¯re eating?¡± I chastised after cleaning myself


    up.


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Hey, you were the one who pointed out that I had weak kidneys. I was just going along with what you


    said.¡± He shrugged.


    I covered my face with my palms in exasperation. ¡°I did not say that. I just meant that okras help with


    kidney health. It was not a hint that you¡¯re weak in anything. Do you get me?¡±


    ¡°So were you praising my abilities then?¡± he asked shamelessly.


    For the love of¡­ Ugh!


    It was times like these when I found myself constantly amazed at the capacity and creativity of the male


    brain.


    I wouldn¡¯t be able to finish my lunch if we kept this up.


    Thus, I did not speak for the rest of the meal. Surprisingly, Ashton finished all the okra with grace. I


    think he felt awkward about it.


    Nora called right then. ¡°Are you all in Lavelian Vige?¡± she demanded with her usual vigor. ¡°I¡¯m bored


    over here. Can Ie over to you?¡±


    I was speechless. ¡°Some items at the base have been stolen. Do you think we would have the time to


    entertain you if you came?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I was just thinking ofing over and bothering you for a bit. We¡¯re all friends, after all. I


    could visit my grandfather in the meantime; he asked me to invite you for dinner too. Are you free


    tonight?¡±


    Channing inviting me for dinner? I was nonplussed. ¡°Why would Mr. Oberick invite me for dinner?¡±


    ¡°Because I told him about you, of course. I¡¯ve never had any friends growing up, so he would be


    delighted if I brought a friend home for dinner.¡±


    I nodded as I recalled thest meal I had with Mr. Oberick at the hotel. He mentioned the thing about


    Grandma. Maybe this would be a good opportunity to ask him further about Grandma¡¯s past.


    I realized after several moments that Nora was not able to see my nod of agreement. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll see


    you in a bit!¡± I said.


    After I hung up, I found Ashton looking at me with a frown on his face. ¡°Was that Nora?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°She invited me to dinner tonight.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not nning on bringing me along?¡±


    I snorted.


    ¡°I think it would be pretty awkward if you tagged along. Besides, it¡¯ll be boring for you to listen to us girls


    gossiping.¡± Actually, I did not want him at Mr. Oberick¡¯s house with me.


    I had many questions about Grandma that I intend to discover on my own.


    Ashton leaned back in his chair but did not pursue the matter. ¡°Did you ever have a crush on Armond?¡±


    he asked suddenly.


    I almost bit my tongue off. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± I asked with a re.


    Although, I think it¡¯s fair that he would think that. Given the circumstances of what had happened


    before.


    Ashton looked around idly. ¡°Nora and you are pretty good friends, and she¡¯s a good match with


    Armond, wouldn¡¯t you say so? I suggest that you should stop thinking about Armond.¡±


    I was breathless with indignant anger. ¡°Ashton, you need to sort out the rubbish that¡¯s going through


    your head!¡± I said as I stood up violently.


    Without another word to him, I turned around and marched out of the hotel.


    Right at the hotel entrance, Linda saw that I was all worked up, so she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Have


    you guys been fighting again?¡±

 Chapter 759

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 759


    I tried my best to suppress my temper. ¡°Ashton is a jerk. A d*mn jerk!¡±


    Linda was about to ask me something but changed her mind. Instead, she stifled her giggle.


    I knew that she wasughing at the way I vented my frustration about Ashton. My resentment,


    however, did not dissipate this easily. ¡°How could I have a crush on Armond? His eyes are attractive,


    but that¡¯s about it. They¡¯re not good for much else.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett, you could tell this to Mr. Fuller straight to his face, you know,¡± Linda said as her lips twitched.


    ¡°Why would you get yourself so worked up?¡±


    ¡°Tell him what?¡± I retorted. ¡°He¡¯s a typical man without a freakin¡¯ brain! Ugh¡­ Rachel has been so nice


    to him, and he fails to see it. Not just that, he fails to see how Armond and Nora are meant for each


    other. I do not like Armond at all, but this was the conclusion that he jumped to despite contrary


    evidence!¡±


    ¡°There, there. It¡¯s just a small matter, so don¡¯t be mad at it anymore,¡± Linda said, still trying to conceal


    her amusement. ¡°Anyway, I have something to attend to, so see you!¡±


    ¡°Why are you in a rush?¡± I frowned. ¡°Aren¡¯t we supposed to go to the base together?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ Mr. Fuller is still staring at you, so I think he¡¯s expecting you to go with him. See you around!¡±


    Linda disappeared without waiting for my response.


    Her hasty departure startled me. As I turned back towards the hotel, I was greeted by the sight of


    Ashton at the door with his arms folded. He gazed at me with his bright dark eyes, with a smile on his


    lips.


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    I just spoke ill of him. I definitely can¡¯t make amends with him this easily.


    Besides, I wasn¡¯t nning on acknowledging him. I will go on my own.


    Before I¡¯d made a few steps, Ashton caught my arm. ¡°Are you still angry?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I pursed my lips haughtily.


    ¡°I know that there¡¯s nothing between you and Armond. I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have said those things. It


    was my fault.¡± His tone was equal amounts of amusement and exasperation.


    ¡°How could you be wrong? You¡¯re the president of a corporation! It was my mistake, not yours,¡± I


    answered sarcastically as I was taken aback by his confession.


    I threw off his grip and prepared to walk away from him.


    However, he yanked me towards him until I was pressed against his chest. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s call a truce,¡±


    Ashton said. ¡°I still have to get back to work. Let¡¯s head to the base!¡±


    It felt like he wasforting a surly child rather than a sincere apology. I knew I was wrong to have


    blown it out of proportion too; it wouldn¡¯t do to stay mad at him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s never speak of this again,¡± I said, looking up at him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not,¡± he agreed, smiling down at me as he did so.


    I¡¯ve always harbored the suspicion that Joseph was either listening or watching us as he always


    appeared exactly when he was wanted. In this case, he brought the car over when we were ready to


    leave.


    Ashton squeezed me close to him and covered my eyes. ¡°Get some sleep,¡± he said quietly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sleepy,¡± I said as I flung away his hand. ¡°What¡¯re you trying to do, Ashton?¡± I asked with a look


    of confusion.


    He stretched out to put up the partition before he said, ¡°Was it not enough for you to be looking at me?¡±


    I was stupefied for a moment but burst outughing when I realized that he was jealous when I was


    distracted watching Joseph.


    ¡°Ashton, what on earth is going on inside that head of yours?¡± I gasped for breath. ¡°I was just curious


    about Joseph.¡±


    ¡°Curious about what?¡± he frowned.


    ¡°At how he seemed to turn up exactly when he was needed all the time? Does he monitor or eavesdrop


    on us?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller. I am doing neither,¡± said Joseph frankly from the front. ¡°I am alerted by Mr. Fuller


    whenever I¡¯m needed. That is how I arrive quickly.¡±


    Ashton lifted my face with a finger under my chin. ¡°If you ever had any doubts, you could just ask me.


    Don¡¯t stare at people.¡±


    ¡°Ashton, are you actually jealous?¡± I was baffled.


    Ashton had my cheek in his hand. With a faint smile, he leaned in and kissed me.


    My eyes widened. We were in full view of Joseph, who was driving in front! How does this man not


    have any sense of boundaries?


    I raised my arms to push him away, but he pressed his entire weight against me, rendering me


    immobile.


    The journey wasn¡¯t long. Once we reached, Joseph tactfully parked the car outside of the entrance to


    the base and departed on his own.


    I have always suspected that Ashton was something of a kissing addict.


    If we had not already arrived at our destination, I was afraid that he would have sucked every bit of


    moisture out of me.


    Ashton let go of me slowly, looking as if he was immensely satisfied. He rubbed my lips gently and


    said, ¡°The okra worked!¡±


    I was bbergasted by this extraordinary statement. Why would he suddenly mention okras?


    It took a while for me to recollect our conversation from the restaurant earlier when I had urged him to


    eat some okras. I blushed furiously and pushed him aside.


    Meanwhile, Linda was already at the entrance to the base. She opened her mouth to say something


    but thought the better of it when she saw my odd expression.


    I greeted her as normally as I could. ¡°Is that why you left earlier? To wait for me here?¡± I smiled at her.

 Chapter 760

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 760


    She nodded and blocked my way with a smirk. After a brief deliberation, she said, ¡°I rmend that


    you make yourself decent before heading in.¡±


    I blushed automatically. ¡°Why? What is it?¡± I stammered.


    Linda coughed and spoke in as normal a voice as she could muster. ¡°Ashton has¡­ a way with women,


    based on how he looks. You don¡¯t have to make it so obvious, we¡¯re all adults after all.¡±


    Confused, I pulled out mypact mirror to take a look. Oh, God! My lips were swollen, hair in a


    tangled mess, and even the hickey, which was originally quite subtle, now pulsated an angry red.


    Without thinking further, I rushed off to a washroom in the base to clean myself up.


    Linda followed me close behind, her smile wide with glee. ¡°Don¡¯t be embarrassed. It¡¯s normal!¡±


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    ¡°Then why did you look at me in that manner earlier on?¡± I was speechless.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to remind you that there is arge group of older men inside the base,¡± Linda giggled. ¡°If you


    went in there looking like this, it would be even more awkward!¡±


    I blended the hickeys in with my skin tone as best as I could, but they still showed up like angry boils. I


    began to panic. ¡°Linda, help me out here. It¡¯s not going away.¡±


    She rummaged through her purse and handed me a bottle of liquid foundation. ¡°Try this. I get eyebags


    from staying upte at night, and this helps to hide them.¡±


    She was right; it made my hickeys almost invisible. However, my swollen lips still made me anxious.


    ¡°What about my lips? I can¡¯t hide them!¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you wear a mask?¡± Linda suggested.


    It was an excellent idea. ¡°Where would I find one here in the base, though?¡±


    Linda chuckled and procured one from her purse. ¡°It¡¯s yours for the day.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Linda! You¡¯re a lifesaver!¡± She had everything I needed!


    As we came out of the bathroom, we ran into Rachel again. She was d in ck from head to toe and


    looked very cool. Her makeup was heavier than it was in the restaurant.


    The cold look of disdain she had when she caught sight of me only intensified her haughtiness and


    made her look even more beautiful.


    As Rachel walked past, she passed a scathing remark. ¡°It¡¯s one thing to pretend to not want it but


    another to deliver yourself. You should be ashamed.¡±


    This hurt me deeply.


    Linda was well aware that Rachel was referring to me. ¡°There are different ways of throwing yourself


    into a man¡¯s arms,¡± she chimed in. ¡°Some of us can throw ourselves into Mr. Fuller¡¯s arms without


    clothes, and he still wouldn¡¯t be interested.¡±


    ¡°Who exactly are you referring to?¡± Rachel demanded. She withdrew all pretences at the sting of


    Linda¡¯sment.


    ¡°Ms. Linda, you¡¯d better rify what you mean. Feeling brave by the presence of your friend here, are


    you? Not the usual little b*tch that you are?¡± Rachel shouted at Linda shrilly.


    Linda wasn¡¯t a pushover and preferred to settle matters with fists rather than words. She swung an arm


    at Rachel. ¡°Who¡¯re you calling b*tch, b*tch?¡±


    Rachel returned the blow. ¡°You are, you b*tch!¡± she yelled.


    The two women exchanged progressively vicious threats as they yanked at one another¡¯s hair.


    I was too bbergasted to react. When their voices became too loud to ignore, I came to my senses


    and attempted to break up the fight.


    Linda was pinned to the floor by Rachel, who grabbed fistfuls of her hair and screamed at the top of her


    voice. Impulsively, I grabbed Rachel by the hair, pulled her off Linda, and began to w wildly at her


    body.


    She was a strong woman and did not take my assault lightly. She wriggled with all her might, all four


    limbs iling wildly in every direction as curses and insults spewed from her mouth.


    Rachel screamed curses at us and our families. Foul words which we did not know existed were used


    with great ardor in her rage.


    On the contrary, I was not as eloquent as her. ¡°Rachel, you gold-digging b*tch!¡±


    I recalled that Nora had once mentioned that Rachel could appear very demure and innocent but


    actually had a never-ending thirst for ambition and status.


    No matter what profanities she employed, I always called her the same thing, because I knew that she


    was exactly that.


    Atst, even Linda had had enough. ¡°Scarlett, you dimwit! Don¡¯t you know any other foul words?¡±


    I myself did not know how I held back myughter. She was right ¨C it was always the same insult.


    This battle between us had only ended when Linda came out from the bathroom and emptied a


    container of water over Rachel.


    She sat drenched in the pool of water, weeping and screaming curses at us. Her coolness and dignity


    disappearedpletely.


    Linda threw the container aside and stood over Rachel. ¡°Listen to me closely, Rachel. Don¡¯t think that


    men are interested in you just because you are good-looking. There are many beautiful women like you


    in the world whose lives are not going well, but they know their ce and keep to themselves. They


    don¡¯t get involved with other people¡¯s spouses because that will only degrade themselves.¡±

 Chapter 761

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 761


    Rachel wept as if her heart was going to break. ¡°I will always get what I want. Scarlett does not want


    him and pushes him away, so isn¡¯t he up for grabs? Who do you think you are to judge me? All


    because I am beautiful and talented?¡±


    Their argument amused me. Before I could stop myself, I joined in. ¡°Liking somebody is something you


    couldn¡¯t control. It is not wrong of you to like Ashton. You can continue to pursue him, but I will also


    keep being in the way. Let¡¯s call it a fair game between two rivals.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett, are you crazy?¡± Linda gawked at me. ¡°Another woman is after your man, and you¡¯re still this


    generous?¡±


    ¡°I trust Ashtonpletely.¡± I shrugged. ¡°If he does fall in love with Rachel, it¡¯s his choice. If he does not


    and turns her down without even giving her an opportunity, doesn¡¯t that show that it was worth all of the


    trouble I had gone through to make him my husband?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡± Linda nodded.


    Rachel continued to re at me fiercely. ¡°Scarlett, you¡¯re too confident with yourself. After the


    honeymoon phase, we¡¯ll see if you still feel the same.¡±


    She did have a point. ¡°Like I said, fair game amongst rivals.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s screams and sobs had attracted arge group from the base.


    When Armond and Ashton arrived, they saw Linda and I standing tall and proud over the wretched


    figure of Rachel on the floor.


    The oue of the confrontation was obvious at a nce.


    Rachel cleverly used this opportunity to weep harder and blubber about how Linda and I were the ones


    to assault her.


    Ashton looked at me sternly. My heart thumped nervously at his impending usation.


    It felt like I had done something grievously wrong just from the way he was looking at me.


    ¡°Linda!¡± Armond called with a frown. ¡°Ms. Zimmer is a director of Fuller Corporation. You two have


    crossed a line!¡±


    Linda readily admitted her mistake. ¡°Mr. Murphy,¡± she said as she hung her head. ¡°I am sorry. I acted


    rashly.¡±


    She sank into a magnificent bow to Rachel, who was still weeping on the floor. ¡°Ms. Zimmer,¡± she said


    sincerely. ¡°I would like to beg for your forgiveness for the incidents that had transpired today. I was too


    irrational. I hope that you could forgive me!¡±


    I was stunned. Linda¡¯s ability to adapt astounded me.


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    Armond appeared satisfied with her apology. ¡°Ms. Zimmer,¡± he said to Rachel. ¡°No matter whose fault it


    was today, Murphy Corporation will bear the responsibility ordingly. We will send you to the hospital


    to check if you had sustained any injuries. Meanwhile, we will carry out punishment to Linda and


    Scarlett here. Again, we sincerely apologize for your ordeal.¡±


    I was about to ask why but was promptly silenced by Ashton¡¯s furious re.


    After that, Armond turned to address me. ¡°Ms. Stovall, no matter whose fault it was, this ce belongs


    to Murphy Corporation, and everybody is a guest here. The altercation that you have had with Ms.


    Zimmer is uneptable behavior.¡±


    I turned to Linda, and she gave me a wink. Then, I regained my senses and apologized to Rachel as


    well with the same deep bow.


    Now it was Rachel¡¯s turn to be embarrassed. She had assumed the role of the victim to gain sympathy,


    but now it was backfiring on her.


    After we had apologized, Linda rolled up her sleeves to reveal the scratches Rachel had caused.


    ¡°Ms. Zimmmer,¡± she said to Rachel. ¡°You were not the only one hurt from this ordeal. Scarlett and I are


    hurt too. Your nails are awfully long, you know. Scarlett¡¯s neck and face had been ravaged by you.


    Besides, you are aware of how hard you¡¯ve pinched and choked us. You¡¯re not the victim just by sitting


    on the floor and crying about it.¡±


    ¡°As a partner of Fuller Corporation, you are a guest here at Murphy Corporation, which is why Scarlett


    and I had apologized to you. As for whose fault it was, we are all clear about it in our hearts.¡±


    Linda looked at Armond, all traces of her apologetic demeanor vanishing as she said, ¡°Mr. Murphy,


    we¡¯re leaving!¡±


    She tugged me by the arm, and we left.


    But before I could get far, Ashton grabbed hold of my wrist. He was silent the entire time, but now he


    had a dark and dangerous look in his eyes.


    I did not know what he intended to do with me. ¡°Linda, why don¡¯t you go ahead and treat your


    scratches. I¡¯ll be right behind you.¡±


    Linda was startled butplied with my request.


    Armond shifted his gaze from Ashton to Rachel on the floor but said nothing.


    ¡°Did you hit her?¡± Ashton asked in a low voice.


    ¡°Yes, I did.¡± I nodded with no intention of lying.


    He deliberated for a moment and said, ¡°As the wife of Fuller Corporation¡¯s chairperson, you were


    wrong to be intolerant and to raise a hand against an employee of mine. For that, you owe Ms. Zimmer


    an apology.¡±

 Chapter 762

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 762


    I felt as nonplussed as Armond looked. We both thought that Ashton was prepared to give me the


    scolding of a lifetime.


    Rachel¡¯s look of shock on her tear-streaked face told me that she did not expect Ashton to be this


    lenient with me as well.


    I hesitated for a fraction of a second but repeated my sincere apology toward Rachel.


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Ashton looked down at her. ¡°Ms. Zimmer, I, too, am sorry for whatever transpired today. I will be sure to


    make the arrangements to see that you arepensated for.¡±


    He was indifferent but cunning about how he had crafted that sentence.


    Rachel was deathly pale as she stood up. She gazed at Ashton with disappointment but was unable to


    say anything more.


    All of a sudden, Joseph appeared and took her away to the hospital.


    Armond had nothing more to say as well. He exchanged several words of courtesy with Ashton and


    promptly departed.


    After they left, Ashton and I remained where we were. I hung my head and prepared myself for the


    telling-off I was about to receive.


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have hit her,¡± I blurted out. ¡°I won¡¯t do it again.¡±


    ¡°If you didn¡¯t hit back, she¡¯d walk all over you,¡± he said with an unflinching gaze at me.


    I was shocked, to say the least. I looked up at him quizzically.


    Ashton gently lifted up my sleeves and frowned at my scratch scars. ¡°Did you return the favor?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I did, but I trimmed my nails a few days ago, so I think they didn¡¯t hurt her. I did pull out


    some of her hair, though.¡±


    Ashton gazed at me with a crestfallen expression written across his handsome features. ¡°You could


    have used your fists or, at least, kicked her.¡±


    I fought down a smile. ¡°I¡¯m not like men who fight with fists and feet. Actually, it was a good thing that


    Linda had drenched her before the fight got too out of hand.¡±


    Ashton eyed me with some yful disdain. ¡°Two of you ganging up on a woman, and you still managed


    to get yourself hurt. You weren¡¯t even the one who threw the water! If Linda weren¡¯t here, would Rachel


    have kicked your ass?¡±


    I was speechless and hung my head like a guilty child. ¡°If Linda weren¡¯t here, I wouldn¡¯t have dared to


    start a fight,¡± I said in a small voice. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have been able to beat her anyway. She¡¯s too vicious!¡±


    Ashton grunted and turned to leave at that.


    I followed closely behind him but squatted down after a couple of steps. My heart filled with joy at every


    step he took that led him further from me.


    Ashton turned to look behind him when he did not hear me anymore. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m hurt. I can¡¯t walk.¡± I remained squatted and pretended to be injured.


    He was near tears with exasperation. ¡°Just tell me. What should I do with you?¡±


    I racked my brain for a moment. ¡°Could you carry me out of here?¡±


    Ashtonughed helplessly. ¡°Is your leg injured?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I said, with a shake of my head.


    ¡°Then why would I carry you?¡±


    ¡°You would if you love me!¡± I said in a huff and got up to walk.


    I knew that he wanted me to say it out loud, but if it had to be forced, it¡¯d lose its meaning.


    Ashton looked at me with a twinkle in his eye. As I walked past him, he swept me up roughly in his


    arms.


    I was startled by the sudden movement. ¡°Ashton, you jerk!¡± I squealed.


    He grunted without saying much else.


    As we exited the corridor, the employees of the base caught sight of us and stared.


    They had an odd expression on their face. I wouldn¡¯t me them. After all, they were under the


    impression that Ashton and Rachel were something of a couple given their closeness.


    Especially since that day when we had dinner with Channing, Ashton did not bother to correct


    Channing¡¯s assumption that he and Rachel were an item, thus identally condoning the rumors.


    As time passed, that notion became the default in everybody¡¯s minds.


    Now that Ashton and I were this intimate under the public eye, it might attract some very unwee


    gossip and spection about us.


    Ashton acted as if he hadn¡¯t noticed anything. He carried me straight to the office and plopped me


    down onto an empty chair.


    ¡°Where¡¯re you going?¡± I blurted, seeing as he was about to leave.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting a first aid kit,¡± he answered, turning around to look at me. ¡°Do you intend for those to turn


    into scars?¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡± I shook my head.


    As his tall and thin frame departed, I pored over the documents that Joseph had neatly arranged in a


    pile.


    They were mostly the minutes of recent meetings that they¡¯ve had, nothing important. I got bored of


    them quickly.


    Ashton returned soon after with a first aid kit in hand.


    ¡°Where else are you injured besides your arm?¡± he asked as he rolled my sleeve up.


    I shook my head. It wasmon for girl-fights to just bear some scratches on non-vital areas. They


    would heal up soon enough.


    It wasn¡¯t even anything serious; Ashton was just overzealous.


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel a surge of emotions as I watched him tend to my wounds with such tenderness.

 Chapter 763

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 763


    Ashton looked up unexpectedly and caught me staring. Panicking, I averted my gaze immediately.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked when he stared at me intently.


    ¡°Pick up the phone!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, feeling even more confused.


    ¡°Your phone!¡± Ashton reiterated as he closed the first aid kit with a m.


    I wrenched myself out of my reverie only to notice dully that my phone had been ringing for the past


    few minutes. It was Nora on the line, and she did not sound happy at all.


    ¡°Babe, what¡¯s up with you? Why weren¡¯t you picking up?¡±


    I felt slightly embarrassed. ¡°Oh, I had something on. What¡¯s the matter? Are you here?¡±


    I recalled earlier in the day that she had called to state her desire ofing over to the base and then


    going over to her grandfathers for dinner.


    ¡°I¡¯ve reached a long time ago. I¡¯m at the hotel now, but I don¡¯t know the exact location of your base.


    Why don¡¯t you send someone over to pick me up?¡±


    I shot a nce at Ashton. Joseph had been dispatched to send Rachel to the hospital, and Linda was


    probably off with her own tasks. Armond, too, was busy with the incident of the theft.


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    It looks like I¡¯m the least upied one for the moment.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Ashton asked when he saw me staring at him.


    ¡°Nora wants a lift from the hotel, is that alright with you?¡± I did not know if he had anything going on


    currently, so I thought it¡¯d be better to ask first.


    Ashton grunted. ¡°She¡¯s at the hotel?¡±


    I nodded.


    Other than his grunt, he did not indicate that he had heard what I said after that. I was doubtful that he


    understood the situation but trusted him to handle it and allowed the matter to drop.


    It wasn¡¯t a big deal. We emerged from the office and headed for the museum.


    Joseph was already waiting there. At the sight of us, he hurried over. ¡°Mr. Fuller, there are some


    documents from Mr. Quinn for your kind attention.¡±


    Ashton nodded and took the stack of documents that Joseph was offering him. ¡°How are things being


    handled?¡± he asked with a nce toward the museum.


    ¡°There was a breakthrough,¡± Joseph answered. ¡°The perpetrator had contacted his partners on the


    outside. It doesn¡¯t appear to be a simple break-in now, but we¡¯re still not certain.¡±


    Ashton frowned but nodded. He took the documents and headed over to the visitors¡¯ room.


    I found Linda, who was back to her old self again. She stared in surprise at me. ¡°Did you not have a


    fight about what happened earlier?¡±


    She was, of course, referring to Ashton and me. At that, I nodded and told her, ¡°He told me to defend


    myself and not let myself get hurt the next time.¡±


    She gaped at me and burst intoughter. ¡°Hats off to Mr. Fuller for giving his wife an unlimited berth.¡±


    We suddenly caught sight of Rachel who had had a change of clothes. She red at us with hatred


    when she passed by. It was as though she would love nothing more than to rip us from limb to limb.


    However, Linda was not intimidated. She stared provocatively across and said in a loud voice, ¡°She


    thinks that she is so popr just because she¡¯s good-looking. But it all amounts to nothing if her


    manners and character are rotten.¡±


    I tugged at Linda¡¯s shirt. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough,¡± I said softly. ¡°Nora¡¯sing here; Ashton sent for


    someone to pick her up. Do you still have much to do? When we¡¯re done here, we¡¯re going over to Mr.


    Oberick¡¯s house for dinner.¡±


    Linda was taken aback. ¡°You¡¯re going to her grandfather¡¯s for dinner?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°She¡¯s been bored all day and is in desperate need ofpanionship.¡±


    Linda shrugged but ceased her attempts in taunting Rachel.


    After some time, Nora made her grand entrance by emerging from Armond¡¯s car. Linda cast a look of


    surprise at me.


    I was surprised as well. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that Ashton was still absorbed in his


    documents and paid no attention to Nora¡¯s appearance.


    Nora had on a demure skirt with in and natural-looking makeup. It made her appear unusually


    mature.


    Linda teased her. ¡°You¡¯re not nning on meeting the boyfriend¡¯s parents today, are you?¡±


    Nora giggled. ¡°Linda, I¡¯m still relying on you to make that happen for me.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, relying on me?¡± Linda answered. ¡°It all depends on your own efforts. Meeting the


    parents is the easy part ¨C just promise an heir for them! Old Mr. Murphy has always wanted a great-


    grandson. There¡¯s your ticket in.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a bad idea,¡± Nora pouted.


    ¡°Though the Murphys are rich and proud, they take etiquette very seriously,¡± I chimed in. ¡°If Nora gets


    to be part of the family with your scheme, she¡¯d be frowned upon.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you wanted my advice. Here it is.¡± Linda shrugged.


    Armond appeared. ¡°Tonight, you girls should take Rachel out for dinner as a truce,¡± he said to Linda


    and me. ¡°You¡¯d be seeing a lot more of each other, and you might even need each other¡¯s help.¡±


    Linda and I nodded solemnly. Armond could see that we weren¡¯t taking this seriously and sighed,


    ¡°Linda, you are a veteran in this organization. You shouldn¡¯t show your displeasure like that. Think of


    the bigger picture! What¡¯s more, the issue with Fuller Corporation is still not resolved. If things went


    sideways, the procurement of the equipment would depend on her.¡±


    Linda nodded. ¡°Yes, Mr. Murphy,¡± she replied with the utmost sincerity. ¡°I will be more mindful with what


    I say.¡±


    Armond nodded and hurried off to attend to his matters.


    As soon as he left, Nora stared at us both uprehendingly and asked, ¡°What happened?¡±

 Chapter 764

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 764


    ¡°Before you came, we had a fight with Rachel. We¡¯re all bruised and battered,¡± I exined, with an


    automatic nce toward Ashton.


    Nora¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°God! Why didn¡¯t you include me for this?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± Linda chastised. ¡°It¡¯s already happened, and Rachel must be holding a grudge.


    It¡¯s hard to tell how she would make things difficult for us in the future.¡±


    I pursed my lips, deep in thought. Armond had a point.


    Though I did not like Rachel, it was indisputable that she was a capable employee of the Corporation. If


    it weren¡¯t so, Ashton wouldn¡¯t have gone through the trouble himself of hiring her all the way from


    Ustrana.


    Aside from the fact that Ashton had no romantic interest in her whatsoever, her skillset and


    professionalism were second to none, and Ashton valued her for it.


    If Rachel left in a rage, the only one at a loss would be Fuller Corporation.


    ¡°Alright then. Do you still have work to do?¡± Nora asked. ¡°If you don¡¯t, we¡¯ll head over to Grandpa¡¯s for


    dinner. It¡¯s harvest season for the fruits he had grown in his yard.¡±


    ¡°What a glutton!¡± Linda teased. ¡°We still have a meeting to attend. There still isn¡¯t a concrete n to


    deal with the situation at the base, and we can¡¯t afford to dy this any longer.¡±


    I nodded in agreement. ¡°There are some pear trees outside the base,¡± I informed Nora. ¡°They¡¯re ripe


    enough to be eaten. Go and amuse yourself. We¡¯ll call you once the meeting ends.¡±


    She nodded glumly. ¡°What an awful life it is to have to amuse oneself.¡±


    Linda and Iughed for theck of anything else to say and headed to the meeting room.


    Leedon saw us and, for some reason, smiled awkwardly to himself and went on his way.


    Seeing that, Linda and I were startled. What was that about?


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    In the office, Linda heated up some water. While she searched for a paper cup, Leedon pushed some


    freshly harvested fruit to her. ¡°Ms. Linda, could you help me peel these?¡±


    She was busy, but I got up and volunteered on her behalf. ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡±


    Leedon was startled at my enthusiasm. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s no need. I¡¯ll do it myself!¡±


    I frowned as I tried to recollect our interactions over the past couple of days. I don¡¯t think I had offended


    him. Why was he behaving like this?


    Nheless, I did not spare much thought for the matter after he brought his fruits out of the


    conference room. Soon after, Ashton and Armond entered.


    Then, Rachel entered after them. When everybody was seated, Joseph began. ¡°I¡¯m sure everybody


    has their own suspicions regarding the situation of the base and are keeping a close eye on it. We¡¯re


    here today to discuss our progress.¡±


    ¡°This project wasunched half a month ago. Right now, all of our tasks are bottlenecked, due to the


    mistakes of some people. We have been unable to get started even until today. How are we supposed


    to discuss progress?¡± Rachel cut across with an ugly look on the face.


    Her words had truth to them, even if they were scathing. Linda did not retort, but she did not object


    either.


    Ashton and Armond remained silent as well. As leaders, they were just here to listen.


    After that, Joseph briefs a little regarding the status of the project and opened the floor for each of us to


    express our opinions.


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault that the project is currently stagnated,¡± Linda voiced out. ¡°I ept the me fully. But the


    most important thing right now is to think of a way to catch back up.¡±


    ¡°What a load of rubbish!¡± Rachel scoffed coldly.


    Linda frowned but did not say anything.


    Everybody present was well aware of the source of Rachel¡¯s discontent.


    After a brief pause, I said, ¡°The items stolen from the base are impossible to be recovered right now. I


    wonder if Fuller Corporation has anyparable technology that can substitute the stolen goods for


    the time being? For the project to continue, we need the equipment.¡±


    Joseph nodded. ¡°It has already been arranged. Don¡¯t worry, Mrs. F-, I mean, Ms. Stovall!¡±


    ¡°Nice save, Mr. Campbell.¡± Lindaughed.


    Joseph grinned apologetically.


    Rubbing my nose thoughtfully, I said, ¡°Besides, I¡¯ve been curious about what¡¯s been going on here at


    the base. It¡¯s very unlikely for Linda to forget the operational steps. How was it so coincidental that the


    thief would have been able to pick that up?¡±


    ¡°Coincidence? Sounds to me like we have a traitor in our midst. How easy it must have been to have


    something worth billions at one¡¯s disposal. They get the goods, and they get the man as well. Hah!


    What a breeze!¡± Rachel said bitterly, her tone dripping with sarcasm.


    ¡°Rachel, you should rify who it is that your filthy mouth was using.¡± Linda was losing her temper


    by the second.


    ¡°Well, well¡­ Who else could I be referring to? I mean, if the shoe fits.¡± Rachelughed coldly.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Linda spluttered, her anger rising steadily.


    I pulled her back into her seat. ¡°We¡¯ll deal with what we have to deal with,¡± I said hastily. ¡°Ms. Zimmer,


    there¡¯s no need to bring your personal issues to a professional setting, and there¡¯s even less need for


    you to use that tone with all of us. We will bear the price of our mistakes, but we are here to discuss


    what we can do better moving forward, and we will do exactly that!¡±

 Chapter 765

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 765


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about how we are going resolve this,¡± Ashton said sharply. He then threw his documents on


    the table.


    The table fell silent at once, and all eyes were on me.


    I was unnerved but spoke slowly and confidently, ¡°The project still has to continue no matter what. As


    for the theft, we will conduct an internal investigation. It is too big of a coincidence for both the


    surveince and equipment to malfunction at the same time.¡±


    Joseph frowned. ¡°We¡¯ve investigated everybody at the base. They¡¯re all clean.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the biggest suspicion?¡± I protested. ¡°How is it possible for everybody to im an alibi at the


    same time?¡±


    ¡°I willmunicate your concerns to the police,¡± Joseph said after a pause.


    ¡°So we¡¯re back to where we started. There¡¯s no way to proceed with our investigation.¡± Rachelughed


    derisively. ¡°We are always-¡±


    A knock on the door of the conference room interrupted Rachel.


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Joseph got up and opened the door. Leedon was on the other side.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall,¡± he said in a panic. ¡°Thedy with you earlier is a friend of yours, is she not? Something¡¯s


    happened to her. Could youe and have a look?¡±


    Nora?


    I rose hurriedly. ¡°Mr. Fuller, Mr. Murphy, please excuse me.¡±


    Armond got to his feet as well. After a mumbled exnation to the rest of them, he came out of the


    room with me.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked Leedon, who looked like he was in despair.


    ¡°Thend adjacent is undergoing some renovation, and thedy fell into one of the holes dug into the


    ground when she was on her way to pick some fruits,¡± Leedon exined as we hastily made our way


    out.


    ¡°The foundations that they¡¯d dug aren¡¯t that deep,¡± I asked with confusion. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you just bring


    her up?¡±


    Leedon shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s a little more serious than that. There is no parking lot over here; it would


    have been a waste to use a plot ofnd as parking spots. We¡¯ve decided to have an underground


    parkingpound instead.¡±


    I shivered. In that case, the foundation dug must be quite deep to amodate the dimensions of a


    parkingpound.


    ¡°Have you brought her up?¡± I couldn¡¯t help feeling anxious.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. When I first came, Ms. Oberick appeared unconscious. She might have been rescued,


    but she could be injured.¡±


    The route around the outside of the base was difficult to traverse on foot. I jogged along with Leedon


    leading the way to the site where Nora fell.


    A crowd gathered around the spot. With some trepidation in my heart, I joined them.


    The paramedics were already there and were preparing their equipment to treat Nora, who was being


    lifted out at that moment.


    She was indeed unconscious. ¡°What happened to her? Where is she hurt?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°It might be her brain, but we can¡¯t be sure without tests from the hospital,¡± one of the paramedics


    replied.


    A stretcher was brought over, and Nora was ced on it. They carried her swiftly to the ambnce.


    Leedon dispersed the crowd as I nced down to where Nora fell. It wasn¡¯t very deep.


    At the bottom were several pears that were squashed. Those would be the pears that Nora had


    plucked.


    But the question is ¨C what was she doing all the way over here by herself? An ordinary woman would


    cringe at the amount of mud around the site and would rather die than soil their footwear. Why did she


    come all the way over here for?


    Armond followed the party carrying Nora away. Soon after that, Ashton and the rest came toward me.


    ¡°What¡¯re you looking at?¡± Ashton asked me as I stood next to the base.


    ¡°Why do you think she ran all the way over here for?¡±


    ¡°You need to be asking her that,¡± Ashton answered, just as confused as I was.


    I shrugged without any further questions. We got into the car and followed the ambnce to the


    hospital.


    With the chain of idents that had urred, coupled with Nora¡¯s identity, the project was called to a


    halt.


    Back at A City, the doctors who had examined Nora had revealed that she had hit her head pretty hard


    during the fall and would be remainingatose for the foreseeable future.


    Armond visited her, while the project in Lavelian Vige was halted. The only thing left for me to do was


    to return to the vi for some rest.


    Back at the vi, I attempted to key in the same passcode as I always have but was denied ess.


    Nonplussed, I gave Armond a call. ¡°Did you change the passcode to the vi?¡±


    He paused for a moment before answering. ¡°Yes, Ashton does not wish for you to continue living with


    me. Your things have been relocated to the other vi.¡±


    I hung up and sighed deeply.


    It was futile to hide from it. I trudged next door, entered the passcode, which was my birthday, and the


    door swung open.


    There was a car already in the yard; it seemed as though Ashton had arrived before me. The door to


    the living room was wide open.


    Joseph was upied with watering the nts in the yard. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, you¡¯re back!¡± he greeted.


    I nodded, feeling somewhat ufortable.


    ¡°Is Ashton not back yet?¡± I asked after a pause. I cast a gaze around the perimeter of the living room


    just to be sure.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller is in the study upstairs,¡± Joseph replied. ¡°He is probably going over some documents. Why


    don¡¯t you go upstairs and have a look?¡±


    Upstairs in the study, Ashton was hard at work. His ck-rimmed spectacles rested on the bridge of his


    aquiline nose as he peered at the documents intently.

 Chapter 766

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 766


    When I shifted my gaze towards him, his handsome features exuded an elegant and alluring aura. He


    had also changed into a pair of grey sweats. It seemed like he had just emerged from a shower, as his


    ebony hair was in damp tendrils. Originally, Ashton had much shorter hair. He must have neglected it


    due to his increasing workload. His hair was now long enough to fall across his forehead. Overall, it


    gave him a very youthful appearance.


    He did not notice my presence when I entered the study. He must have been too immersed in his work.


    Seizing the chance, I tiptoed over to his figure.


    While he was distracted, I sneaked my way behind him and pointed my fingertip to the back of his


    head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move! This is a robbery!¡± I uttered in a low and raspy tone.


    Gently, he set down the documents along with the sses perched on his nose bridge. ¡°What do you


    n to steal?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take all your money!¡± I answered as I ruffled his hair with my fingers in a yful manner.


    In a swift move, he turned around and pulled me onto hisp. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, you can take anything you


    want,¡± he rumbled, ¡°But you should repay my generosity before you leave.¡±


    ¡°Your guest is downstairs,¡± I said with a mischievous grin as I wrapped my hands around his neck.


    ¡°Won¡¯t you be embarrassed if there¡¯s amotion?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry. He has left.¡± He reached out a hand to pinch me. His dark eyes were fixated


    intently on my face.


    As soon as he uttered those words, the loud noise of a car engine echoed downstairs.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, I have a serious question. Is Mr. Campbell¡¯s impable timing a talent or skill that he


    trained?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Both!¡± his lips curled into a smile.


    ¡°Why do you keep calling me Mr. Fuller? Scarlett, shouldn¡¯t you address me with more affection?¡± He


    caught my chin in his grip and bit my lip cheekily.


    ¡°We both have our own names,¡± I replied with a saddened pout. ¡°What do you want me to call you?


    Baby? Sweetheart? Darling? Or Hubby?¡±


    These loving titles seemed out of ce for such a stoic person like Ashton.


    Although we have been married for many years, I could not recall thest time I referred to him in such


    an intimate manner.


    Ashton remained silent; his dark gaze was unreadable and impossible to decipher. ¡°Hubby?¡± I asked


    tentatively.


    The usually solemn Ashton seemed to be stunned by my words.


    His flustered face nearly made meugh aloud. How adorable! ¡°Hubby!¡± I crooned gently and leaned


    on his chest.


    ording to Nora, there was a key technique when it came to flirting or being coy. A woman should


    sport a flirtatious gaze and a gentle voice; this would give the recipient an electrifying experience.


    I felt a hint of glee when his muscles stiffened under my touch. It seems like Nora¡¯s advice worked!


    After my brief moment of triumph, mortification swept over me. Something feels off¡­


    A crimson red blush painted my cheeks as I stared at Ashton. ¡°You¡­¡± I didn¡¯t expect to receive such a


    huge reaction!


    Besides, we just did itst night¡­


    ¡°You are the worst!¡± The words slipped out through clenched teeth.


    ¡°I can¡¯t hold back when you call me hubby!¡± Ashton rasped as his grip around my waist tightened.


    ¡°Say it again!¡± he demanded. He lowered his head until his nose bumped against mine. I could feel the


    warmth of his breath fanning my cheek.


    My face warmed upon his request. Of course, I wouldn¡¯t call him hubby again!


    Quickly, I slid off hisp in an attempt to flee. ¡°Go ahead with your work. I¡¯m a little hungry; I¡¯ll find


    something to eat.¡±


    Before I could take another step, Ashton enveloped me in a back hug. My back was pressed against


    his broad chest as his chin rested on my shoulder. ¡°How can you walk away after teasing me?¡±


    ¡°How is it my fault that you have no self-control?¡± I raised my hand to halt his advances. My face


    flushed in a mixture of frustration and embarrassment.


    Ashton lifted me in his arms with ease and carried me to the table. ¡°You can¡¯t leave things unfinished,¡±


    he rumbled in a deep voice.


    After so many years, Ashton knew my body like the back of his hand. A simple touch from his fingers


    was enough to strip my resistance away. It felt as if a cat had sunken its ws into my heart.


    ¡°Ashton, you were too roughst night! I can¡¯t do it now!¡± I cried and reached out my hand against his


    chest to stop his advances.


    He seemed to take my rejection as an invitation instead. Ashton didn¡¯t stop his movements as my pleas


    were in vain. On the other hand, he seemed to redouble his efforts.


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll get excited when I see you.¡± He mped a hand over my mouth. ¡°How can you be so


    cruel to neglect me?¡±


    I was utterly speechless.


    Yet, the arrow had been released from its bow. It was impossible to bring it back.


    In the autumn days of September, the nights had begun to turn longer as the days shortened. Although


    it was seven in the morning, the sky remained dim. There was only a sliver of light that illuminated the


    clouds.


    The sharp ringtone of my phone echoed noisily throughout the room. Before I could reach out to grab


    my phone, Ashton pinned me in ce. It took several tries before I could grasp it in my hand.

 Chapter 767

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 767


    ¡°Hello!¡± I answered the phone as I cleared my throat.


    ¡°Scarlett, Nora is awake. She wants to meet you,¡± Armond said over the phone. His voice sounded


    deep and exhausted.


    ¡°Alright, I will hurry over right now!¡± I eximed with a jolt of shock as all traces of my drowsiness


    vanished into thin air.


    After I ended the call, Ashton¡¯s hand was still draped across my waist. As the nkets slid off my


    naked body, I felt a hint of shyness due to the exposure.


    Quickly, I set my phone aside. ¡°Nora is awake! I have to go visit her,¡± I told him urgently.


    Ashton nodded sleepily. Although he had just woken up, his handsome feature gave him a very alluring


    look.


    Just as I was about to rise to my feet, Ashton captured me in his embrace. ¡°Stay a little longer¡­¡± he


    rasped lowly.


    ¡°Nora is awake! There must be a reason for Armond¡¯s early call! I must visit her,¡± I said and pushed his


    hand away.


    ¡°Okay,¡± he mumbled in response and did notment any further.


    I felt a tinge of childish frustration when he closed his eyes. Without hesitating, I bent down and blew a


    puff of air into his ear.


    Immediately, his body stiffened in surprise. ¡°Are you teasing me?¡± Ashton¡¯s gaze darkened as he gazed


    at me.


    ¡°I was just trying to wake you up,¡± I replied innocently.


    Without warning, Ashton flipped my body and caged me underneath him.


    The sudden movement left me stricken with shock as I stared at him with widened eyes. ¡°Ashton,


    you¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to rush. Instead of waiting for a woman¡¯s help, Armond should be able to handle it


    himself. Let¡¯s settle the more urgent matters first!¡± Ashton murmured before he kissed me


    affectionately.


    It took an hour before we stopped.


    Immediately, I scurried to the shower and changed my clothes in fear that he would continue.


    When I emerged from the bathroom, the lower half of Ashton¡¯s body was d in a towel as he scribbled


    in his notebook. Hearing my footsteps, he handed over a box clutched in his hand. ¡°Eat two of these!¡±


    ¡°Are these vitamins?¡± I asked as I took the box from his hand and peered inside before looking at the


    handbook. It was filled to the brim with supplements.


    ¡°Aunt Sally brought them from Archulea.¡± He nodded and flipped the notebook shut. ¡°It is good for your


    health.¡±


    Despite my reluctance, I did not want to waste my elder¡¯s gift. Thus, I forced myself to consume the


    supplements.


    ¡°Hurry up and shower,¡± I urged Ashton when I noticed hisnguid movements. ¡°Then you can


    apany me to visit Nora!¡±


    Along the journey to the hospital, Ashton gave me an apologetic gaze after he finished talking on the


    phone. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can visit Nora with you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Why don¡¯t you stop the car right ahead? I¡¯ll hail a cab to the hospital!¡±


    I did not receive a reply from Ashton. It looked like he had no intention to halt the car too. Upon seeing


    his actions, I decided to y along.


    In order to avoid any dy, I grabbed my purse and prepared to leave the car.


    However, Ashton did not unlock the door. Instead, his dark gaze remained fixated on me.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked in confusion.


    ¡°Are you nning to leave like this?¡±


    ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± I replied and nodded my head in confirmation.


    His mood seemed to sour when he heard my answer. As I observed his expression, Ashton seemed to


    have a helpless look on his face.


    In a rush to leave the car, I decided to discard that thought. With a quick wave, I began to stride


    towards to hospital.


    As I approached the building, I caught sight of a young couple. The youngdy clung to the man and


    refused to let him out of her arms. ¡°When my mum¡¯s sickness is better, I¡¯lle and visit you. Don¡¯t get


    angry, please.¡±


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Her partner simply nodded his head inpliance. Despite that, he still looked dissatisfied.


    The woman raised herself on the tip of her toes and kissed his cheek. ¡°I promise to keep youpany


    for a long, long time. Are you happy now?¡± she asked.


    The woman¡¯s adorable antics and sweet kiss must have warmed his heart. Immediately, he nodded his


    head in approval, albeit he still seemed unhappy with her decision.


    I couldn¡¯t help the smile that spread across my face. Young love is so passionate!


    Right at that moment, I couldn¡¯t help but recall Ashton¡¯s parting words. Are you nning to leave like


    this?


    Realization dawned upon me as I hurriedly made my way back to where he had dropped me off.


    Ashton was still in the midst of reversing his car at the hospital entrance. A wide smile graced his face


    when he caught sight of me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you tonight!¡± I ran towards the car and told him softly. Following that, I nted a delicate kiss on


    the side of his cheek.


    The sight of his baffled expression was amusing to me as I bid him farewell and headed to the hospital.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you tonight!¡± His deep voice resonated behind him.


    With a bright grin, I bid him farewell and made my way into the hospital.


    In the ward, Nora looked pale as shey in bed with her head heavily bandaged. Armond sat by her


    bed while peeling fruits. ¡°Was there heavy traffic?¡± he asked when I entered the room.


    ¡°No.¡± I shook my head in slight bashfulness. ¡°I left my house a littlete.¡±


    ¡°Is she feeling better?¡± I shifted the topic back to Nora.


    ¡°She just ate and is fast asleep right now. You should stay here and keep herpany. I have some


    matters to attend to,¡± Armond said with a nod of his head.

 Chapter 768

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 768


    With that, he grabbed his jacket and left the room.


    Armond¡¯s absence from Murphy Corporation whilst he was in the hospital must have caused many


    issues.


    I did notment any further and merely wished him a safe trip. After he left, I took a seat beside the


    bed and waited for Nora to arouse from her sleep.


    Half an hourter, Nora finally awoke from her slumber. ¡°Scarlett, you are here!¡± She still seemed a little


    muddled, and her voice sounded raspy.


    ¡°How could you venture to the base all alone? It is a ce covered in dirt and mud! I thought that you


    disliked getting dirty!¡± I asked and helped her into a sitting position.


    ¡°Would you trust me if I said that I did not head there alone?¡± she said and pinched her brows together.


    ¡°So, you met someone elsest night? Was it someone you recognize?¡± I nodded and asked in shock.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t exactly close with that person,¡± Nora replied, ¡°I have a feeling that I¡¯ve met the person before.¡±


    ¡°What is the situation?¡±


    ¡°Originally, I was picking some fruits at the yard. However, someone else was also present. I thought


    that he was someone working at the base. After a brief chat, he told me that he was more familiar with


    the other area and said that he could bring me to a ce with sweeter fruits. Thus, I decided to trust


    him,¡± Nora said after a brief pause.


    ¡°So you followed him and ended up like this?¡± I facepalmed in frustration.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°I had no idea as well! Why would he want to harm me when I¡¯ve never provoked him! It was the first


    time that I visited the base!¡± Nora replied innocently.


    I couldn¡¯t help but think of the past events. Maybe it wasn¡¯t really a coincidence!


    ¡°Have you told Armond about this matter?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°I did.¡± Nora nodded. ¡°He said that there were numerous workers at the base. It was normal for women


    to be preyed upon by those men.¡±


    Although her words were true, the incident at the base had only urred recently. Was that incident


    really a simple ident?


    Seeing that further discussion of this topic would lead to no results, we decided to halt our talk.


    When Tabitha and the others caught wind of Nora¡¯s situation, they all dropped by to visit in the early


    afternoon.


    ¡°Tessa, we haven¡¯t met since thest incident. I have some questions for you,¡± Nora called out when


    she saw that Tessa was present.


    ¡°What do you want to ask? Well, you could¡¯ve called or talked about it in the group. Is everyone so


    busy?¡± Tabitha replied in confusion.


    ¡°Yeah, things have been hectictely,¡± Nora replied with a nod of her head.


    ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡± Tabitha bore a serious expression when she noticed Nora¡¯s solemn


    gaze.


    ¡°We are all friends who have experienced life-threatening situations together. Our encounters include


    the incident in Venria and Lavelian Vige. If we were to break our ties, then something serious must


    have happened. Otherwise, we¡¯d always offer a helping hand to each other, right?¡± Nora said as she


    locked gazes with Tessa.


    Herst sentence was aimed specifically towards Tessa. Both Laurel and Tabitha nodded in agreement


    to Nora¡¯s statement. ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Nora, get straight to the point,¡± Tessa said with a nod of her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m puzzled. Didn¡¯t you say that you were going to get the help that night? Where did the help go?¡±


    Nora replied.


    I thought that Nora had forgotten about this incident. Who would have expected her to remember it?


    In that split moment, her bold question left everyone stunned as they traded nces with each other.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! I nearly forgot about this matter!¡± Laurel added as she turned to address Tessa, ¡°When


    Scarlett fell into the hole with the three of us, you told me to stay behind with Scarlett and volunteered


    to get help. Yet, you disappeared and never returned. Where on earth did you go?¡±


    Under the heavy scrutiny of everyone¡¯s gazes, Tessa¡¯s face turned ghastly pale. ¡°I-I was too anxious


    and got lost!¡± she stammered nervously.


    ¡°You, of all people, should know better than to lie. When Scarlett was rescued, you were already in the


    tents. Are you sure that you got lost? You never called for help in the first ce, did you?¡± Nora


    sneered.


    ¡°Tessa, is this true? Do you know how disappointed we were?¡± Laurel questioned her in disbelief.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you unscathed? Aren¡¯t you safe? Why won¡¯t you drop it?¡± Tessa snarled all of a sudden. Her


    ferocious gaze turned to me as sheshed out like a cornered beast.


    ¡°Is this how you see it?¡± Tabitha eximed agitatedly. ¡°Tessa, are you joking right now? We see you as


    our close friend. Yet, you treat us like a bunch of fools. I can¡¯t believe that you have the audacity to


    continue preaching about your so-called morals and values! You turned a blind eye when you could


    have called for help!¡±

 Chapter 769

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 769


    ¡°Your actions are no different from a murderer!¡± Laurel added, ¡°I genuinely thought that you got lost


    along the way! If Scarlett wasn¡¯t rescued from the hole and got into harm¡¯s way, would you have


    rejoiced over her injury?¡±


    Tessa seemed to flinch in fear as everyone berated her endlessly. ¡°How can you use me when you


    have no evidence? Are you pointing your fingers at me because of Nora¡¯s ims? Can¡¯t you think for


    yourself?¡± she rebuked fiercely.


    ¡°Alright, why don¡¯t you exin yourself?¡± Nora challenged her.


    ¡°That night, I suggested seeking help after Scarlett fell into the pit. The ntation is huge! Besides, I


    was never good at directions. After I got lost in the wilderness, a heavy downpour began. When I


    returned to camp, I saw that you have returned. Due to my exhaustion, I decided to retire to my tent!¡±


    Tessa defended herself confidently.


    Yet, Nora burst out inughter upon hearing Tessa¡¯s excuse. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me who brought


    Scarlett back?¡± she asked in a voice dripping with sarcasm.


    ¡°Who else could it be?¡± Tessa jolted in shock before she replied, ¡°I heard your voice when I was in my


    tent. I missed the specifics of your return!¡±


    Noraughed humorlessly. ¡°Earlier, you imed that you saw us when you returned. Now, you are


    saying that you were in your tent when we arrived at camp and missed our arrival. Tessa, you are a


    hypocrite!¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop it!¡± I interjected, ¡°It¡¯s no longer important!¡±


    ¡°However, what do you think would have happened if Nora did not find Laurel and me? The mountain is


    prone tondslides. If something happens, we would have been in grave danger. Have you ever


    thought about the consequences of your actions?¡± I asked Tessa solemnly.


    Tessa hung her head in shame as she remained silent.


    ¡°Tessa,¡± Tabitha called out, ¡°I think it¡¯s best if we stopped contacting each other. Although I do not


    understand your actions, I cannot befriend a person with such malicious intentions. Let¡¯s pretend that


    we¡¯ve never met! You should take good care of yourself!¡±


    ¡°Amongst friends, I understand that we should be forgiving. Yet, you¡¯ve crossed the line this time. I¡¯ve


    always regarded you highly! Today, I¡¯ve finally realized your true colors!¡± Laurel added.


    ¡°Scarlett, you are using other people for your own sake again!¡± The mortification on Tessa¡¯s face shifted


    into fury. ¡°How disgusting!¡± Tessa said as she swept a resentful gaze over everyone.


    ¡°You must be proud of yourselves! However, I¡¯m not the viin here! Instead, Scarlett is the one that


    you should be using! Look at her! She has remained silent the entire time whilst everyone speaks


    on behalf of her!¡± Tessa cackled.


    I scowled at her remark. How annoying! She is distorting the truth to her advantage!


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Leave!¡± Nora ordered coldly, ¡°This is yourst warning! You should stick to your ownne and stop


    your antics! If you don¡¯t, there¡¯s no guarantee that I won¡¯tsh out.¡±


    ¡°Do you think that I¡¯m afraid of you? You are nothing without your family¡¯s help! How pathetic!¡± Tessa


    scoffed haughtily.


    After herst statement, she left the ward without another word.


    Nora would have leaped to her feet in anger if it weren¡¯t for Tabitha¡¯s restraint.


    After Tessa¡¯s departure, the mood around the room seemed to drop. After all, we had all experienced


    the same hardships. Tessa¡¯s betrayal left everyone emotional.


    As Tabitha and Laurel had matters to attend to, they decided to leave the hospital. On the other hand, I


    chose to remain and keep Norapany.


    ¡°Where did Armond go?¡± Nora asked when she realized his absence.


    ¡°After you got into the ident, all projects in Lavelian Vige have been put to halt. He must have a


    lot to deal with because of these continuous incidents. I don¡¯t think he can visit you so often,¡± I told her.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. He hasn¡¯t slept a winkst night! In addition to his workload, he must be under tremendous


    pressure!¡± She nodded in agreement.


    ¡°You should nurse yourself to health before taking care of him,¡± I advised her with a gentle smile.


    All of a sudden, Nora turned to me with a sly gleam in her eyes. ¡°Armond told me that you moved in


    with Ashton? What happenedst night? Did the two of you sleep together?¡± she teased cheekily.


    This woman had such a dirty mind! ¡°How can you think of such stuff all the time! Are things between


    you and Armond smooth sailing?¡± I replied.


    The topic of their rtionship seemed to put a damper on her bright mood. ¡°Would you believe me if I


    said that we are tonic lovers?¡±

 Chapter 770

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 770


    A little astonished, I said, ¡°You¡¯ve never gone to the hospital?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve suggested it many times, but he always refuses.¡± She shook her head. ¡°He was alright in the


    beginning, but his condition gradually got worse. I thought it could be a psychological issue. However,


    I¡¯m not familiar with his past, so I couldn¡¯t ask him.¡±


    ¡°Well, you could try asking Linda. She¡¯s been working under Mr. Murphy for a long time. She should


    know something useful about Armond.¡±


    She hummed, deep in thought. ¡°Do you think he might have been in love with a girl whoter left him,


    traumatizing him and causing him to be unable to love? Why else would such a rich, handsome


    bachelor of his age still be unmarried and have no woman by his side?¡±


    ¡°Do you not count as a woman?¡± I raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Um¡­ I meant prior to me!¡±


    ¡°You should really consult Linda directly about this.¡± When trying to solve a problem, you had to start at


    the possible source of it.


    Changing the topic to focus on me, she leaned in conspiratorially. ¡°I take it things are going well with


    Ashton?¡±


    I sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not too sure what I should do from now on, actually. So many unexpected things have


    happened. I continuously rejected Ashton and pushed him away because I think I¡¯m not good enough


    for him. But I can¡¯t deny the fact that I love him, and I miss him, and he will always be the first person I


    instinctively go to when I¡¯m in trouble. I also know that no one on this earth will ever love me as much


    as he does.¡±


    ¡°You know what, Scarlett?¡± She rested her chin in one hand. ¡°I¡¯m envious of how persistent Ashton is


    towards you. I used to imagine what kind of man I would meet in the future. He doesn¡¯t have to be


    wealthy or especially outstanding, as long as he¡¯s truly, madly, and deeply in love with me. Too bad it


    didn¡¯t turn out that way in the end. Although, to be honest, I know all too clearly that Armond may not


    love me a lot, and neither do I love him a lot. I¡¯m sure the both of us understand that we¡¯re expendable


    to each other.¡±


    That was the first time that I had an insight into Nora¡¯s perspectives on love. Her opinions somewhat


    surprised me but hadn¡¯t beenpletely unexpected.


    After a moment of silence, I spoke up, ¡°I was lucky to have met Ashton. Even though I have been


    through a lot in the past several years, I¡¯ve never since experienced the hesitation and aimlessness


    that I felt after first leaving Ashton. I think I can now confidently say from the bottom of my heart that no


    matter what, he and I are destined to be together.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I envy you. I¡¯ve never been in love. When my ssmates started dating in middle


    school, I thought they were too immature and that I was too good to get myself involved with them.


    Everyone seemed to be falling in love with other people left and right at university, too. I guess it was


    fate that I never found anyonepatible even after graduating from university. I was so wrapped up in


    my own loneliness until I met Armond. He was the very definition of the Prince Charming that I¡¯ve been


    dreaming about all my life¡ªwealth, power, and good looks! But now, I¡¯m learning that maybe, just


    maybe, he isn¡¯t all that I made him out to be.¡±


    ¡°You only think that because your rtionship with Armond is progressing too smoothly,¡± I reassured


    her. ¡°You had a subconscious belief that dating such a great guy would bring about suffering and pain


    and hurt, but none of that happened. You just naturally and peacefully got together, and that makes it


    seem all the more unrealistic to you.¡±


    ¡°That sounds about right.¡± She nodded. ¡°He¡¯s way out of my league. In the beginning, I¡¯ve thought up


    countless methods to try and make him fall for me because I thought it would be a painstakingly long


    process, but I never expect things to happen so easily.


    ¡°Maybe it was because we got together so easily that I ended up thinking, if I met another handsome,


    fine man one day, I would eventually fall in love with him, and if he met another proactive girl who took


    the initiative to pursue him, he would eventually fall for her too. These thoughts just kept bothering me


    so much that my mundane daily life with Armond started feeling more and more like it was just a


    dream, with no sense of security nor belonging.¡±


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Have you ever thought about whether he would stay with you if you weren¡¯t Channing Oberick¡¯s


    granddaughter?¡± I smiled softly.


    ¡°Of course he wouldn¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°So, you both understand deep down that you are actually the mostpatible partners. The Oberick


    family has clout, and the Murphys have wealth. He knows that you¡¯re not like other girls. Other women


    may only like him for his fortune, but you didn¡¯t. You genuinely fell in love with him and think he¡¯s a


    good person, and you want to be with him. That kind of marriage is the most blissful, simply because


    you both like each other.¡±


    Tilting her head to one side, she was rendered speechless. After a long pause, she sighed, ¡°Whatever.


    I can¡¯t wrap my head around this anyway, so I¡¯m just going to stop thinking about it!¡±

 Chapter 771

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 771


    ncing up at the clock, she asked me, ¡°Don¡¯t you n on heading back soon?¡±


    It was indeed getting quitete, but I didn¡¯t want to leave her alone in the hospital ward. ¡°I¡¯ll stay with


    you tonight. What do you want for dinner?¡±


    ¡°What if Ashton gets mad at you for not going home?¡± She fretted instead, making meugh.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. He knows where I am.¡±


    I stood up and was getting ready to go downstairs to the hospital¡¯s convenience store when the door


    suddenly opened.


    It was Armond, clearly tired and carrying arge stic bag of food and various snacks in his arms.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten yet, have you?¡± he said to me. ¡°I¡¯ve brought a lot to spare, so have some before you


    leave.¡±


    I was stunned at the sight of him. Did he rush all the way back here just so he could make sure that


    Nora is well-fed?


    Nora¡¯s face immediately broke out into a bright smile when she saw him, tugging on my arm. ¡°Don¡¯t go


    just yet, Scarlett! At least eat with us first!¡±


    Armond nodded in agreement, taking out the items from the bag one by one. ¡°Linda rmended me


    Northern City District¡¯s seafood, so I specially made a detour to buy some. I also got some soup for


    you.¡±


    He directed thest part of his sentence at Nora, cing the bowl on her bedside table before turning


    to me. ¡°The seafood I bought is all fresh. Try some, Scarlett!¡±


    I giggled, giving into their persistency and sitting down to have dinner with them.


    The seafood lived up to my expectations. Nora stared at Armond¡¯s sallow face, inquiring worriedly,


    ¡°Were you so busy today that you didn¡¯t get any sleep at all?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°The incident at Lavelian Vige is getting out of hand, and the Fuller Corporation ns on


    holding a press conference for promotional purposes next month.¡±


    Clearly pitying him, Nora turned to me with puppy-dog eyes. ¡°I think it¡¯s best if you stay with me tonight,


    Scarlett. That way, Armond can go home and rest.¡±


    That had been my n in the first ce, so I agreed easily. ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that,¡± Armond quickly cut in. I¡¯ll ask someone to set up an extra bed in here for me


    to sleep on tonight. I¡¯d be so worried that I wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep if I went home, anyway.¡±


    After saying that, he nced at me. ¡°Besides, if you don¡¯t go back home tonight, Mr. Fuller might


    be even more stressed regarding the Lavelian Vige project. If that happens, he¡¯ll make me work


    my fingers to the bone, and that just won¡¯t do!¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure how to respond.


    ¡°He¡¯s right.¡± Nora nodded in agreement. ¡°If you try to make Ashton happy, the situation might improve.¡±


    Then, turning to Armond, she clung onto his arm and fluttered her eyshes up at him pitifully.


    ¡°Though, I feel bad for making you apany me¡­ I shouldn¡¯t be putting you through such torture!¡±


    I massaged one of my temples. Are these two being lovey-dovey on purpose?


    Slowly munching on my food, I spoke up, ¡°That works too, I guess. I¡¯m almost done eating, so I¡¯ll leave


    you two to catch up with each other, okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send you downstairs.¡± Armond got to his feet.


    Slightly taken aback, I nced at Nora, who told me, ¡°Go on, Scarlett! You don¡¯t have your car with


    you, right? He can help hail a taxi for you!¡±


    I shrugged in response.


    At the hospital entrance, I gave Armond a sidelong nce. ¡°Do you have something to ask me, Mr.


    Murphy?¡±


    He slipped his hands into his trouser pockets, his expression turning solemn. ¡°I take it you¡¯ve made up


    with Ashton?¡±


    Why is he asking the exact same question as Nora did?


    ¡°I guess so.¡± I smiled awkwardly. ¡°Did you offer to walk me downstairs because you wanted to talk


    about that?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± he huffed. ¡°Has Ashton discussed with you about his stance on the project?¡±


    I blinked owlishly at him. After working together for so long, I knew what he was implying.


    The Lavelian Vige project was one that the Murphy Corporation had fought against countless other


    equally well-qualified rivals for. We could not afford to make a mistake, but there had already been


    several idents since the project first started.


    The project hadn¡¯t fully kicked into gear yet, either. Thus, Fuller Corporation had every reason to start


    from scratch and look for a new coborator to cut their losses.


    Armond was trying to find out Ashton¡¯s current attitude towards the whole issue through me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll find a way to pry some information out of Ashton,¡± I promised him.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    After that, I hailed a taxi and headed straight home.


    The sky was already dark when I reached the vi.


    I thought Ashton would have returned home by now, but the entire ce was dark, and none of the


    lights were on. It seemed that he hadn¡¯te back yet.


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    Figuring that he must be busy at work, I went upstairs and entered the bathroom to wash myself up.


    Left alone in the silence with only my thoughts apanying me, my mind wandered to the project


    once more. I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something wasn¡¯t right, but I just couldn¡¯t ce a finger on


    what it was exactly.

 Chapter 772

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 772


    I couldn¡¯t figure out a solution to my problems, even after wracking my brain.


    After my shower, I sat at my dressing table to do my skincare routine. I was so lost in thought that I


    didn¡¯t even hear Ashton¡¯s footsteps when he entered the bedroom.


    It was only when he suddenly picked me up in his arms that I was jerked back to reality, letting out a


    squeal of surprise. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I gasped. ¡°When did you get back? You didn¡¯t make a


    sound at all!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been here for a while already. Didn¡¯t you see me in the reflection of the mirror you were staring


    at?¡± He sat down in my seat, cing me across his thighs as he tucked a stray lock of hair behind my


    ear. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡±


    I sighed, resting my head against his shoulder. ¡°The Lavelian Vige project keeps running into


    problems. I¡¯m in charge of everything, so can you me me for overthinking it?¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°Everything that happened was out of your control. It won¡¯t do you any good to keep


    stressing out over it. Besides, you now have your hubby¡¯s money to use whenever you like. Who cares


    if you quit your job or end up having to pay damages?¡±


    The stubble on his chin pricked my hand when I reached up to touch his face. ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to


    say. Onepensation im is worth ten million. How many times will I be able to fork that amount of


    money out, hm?¡±


    ¡°As many times as you like.¡± He grinned at me.


    ¡°You should really shave soon.¡± Running my fingers along his stubble made the skin on my finger pads


    feel raw.


    He hummed, onerge hand sliding down to pinch my hips. ¡°Will you do it for me?¡±


    I nodded and got up, tugging him into the bathroom. ¡°Armond wants to know what you think about the


    Lavelian Vige project,¡± I told him as I picked up his razor from the sink.


    ¡°That man is more meticulous than I give him credit for,¡± hemented, wrapping his arms around me as


    he pressed my back up against the sink. ¡°He employed my very own wife in his ownpany so that


    he could send you to sniff our information for him.¡±


    Ithered some shaving cream on his jawline. My feet were getting tired of standing on their tiptoes to


    reach his tall height, so I made him sit down on a chair. Without thinking too much about it, I climbed up


    and sat in hisp, focusing intently on shaving his stubble.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that. No one expected that Fuller Corporation would award its¡¯ project to Murphy


    Corporation. Besides, he¡¯s just asking about your opinion, not sniffing out information.¡±


    He made a brief sound of affirmation, unable to open his mouth and reply because of the razor near his


    skin. I could tell from his fond gaze that he was in a good mood today.


    It was my first time ever shaving someone else, so my movements were somewhat clumsy. Thankfully,


    I hadn¡¯t cut his skin, and I quickly handed him a warm towel to wipe off the cream after I was done.


    He looked much younger and clean with a shaved jaw. I held his chin in one hand and turned his head


    from side to side, admiring my handiwork. ¡°It looks good to me. I think I did well!¡±


    The corners of his lips quirked up. I felt hisrge hand squeeze my hips as he spoke in a low, gravelly


    voice, ¡°Are you trying to seduce me right now?¡±


    My mind nked. Upon realizing that I had put on nothing but a sleeveless negligee after my shower,


    my cheeks flushed red.


    I¡¯d been so concentrated on shaving his stubble that I¡¯d failed to notice thepromising position I¡¯d


    put us in when I climbed into hisp. His hand on my waist only served to make the situation appear


    even more suggestive than it really was.


    ¡°Get your head out of the gutter. I just genuinely wanted to help you shave.¡± I tried to get off of his legs,


    but he held me in ce.


    ¡°Yes, and I just genuinely want to hold you in my arms,¡± he dered unabashedly.


    Setting the razor aside, I circled my arms around his neck and looked him in the eye. ¡°I think you


    should go take a shower and get ready for bed. I¡¯m a little tired, and I haven¡¯t slept well for the past two


    nights.¡±


    He smiled humorously, caressing my cheek with one hand. Leaning in, he left feather-light hints of


    kisses on the corner of my mouth that felt ticklish.


    ¡°Ashton!¡±


    Ashton let out augh and pressed his forehead against mine as he massaged one of my ears. ¡°Fuller


    Corporation is nning to pull out of the project to minimize our losses as much as possible, and then


    let anotherpany take over it. When that¡¯s all settled, go back to K City with me, Scarlett. Okay?¡±


    ¡°But I want to see this until the very end.¡± I preened in his embrace, my eyes fluttering close at the


    rxing motion. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back to K City and be a spoilt wife who just waits for you to


    return home every day.¡±


    ¡°I never said that¡± he sighed. ¡°You¡¯re free to do whatever you want in K City. Didn¡¯t you mention that


    you wanted to pursue a postgraduate education? You can try that, and if all else fails, you cane


    back to Fuller Corporation and take up your previous job. How does that sound?¡±


    I pursed my lips. ¡°But I can¡¯t just give up on the project halfway through.¡±


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Sometimes, I really wonder if you¡¯re a spy that Armond sent to bewitch me on purpose.¡± He shook his


    head, a little exasperated.


    I raised an eyebrow, quickly taking the chance to climb off of hisp. ¡°Go take a shower and sleep early


    tonight,¡± I huffed before exiting the bathroom.


    There were too many suspicious things about the Lavelian Vige project as if someone was causing


    trouble on purpose. Thus, I didn¡¯t want to return to K City without getting to the bottom of things.


    I heard the sound of running water from the bathroom as I sat back down in front of the dressing table,


    resuming my skincare routine.


    Soon after, Ashton came out, a towel wrapped around his waist. He furrowed his eyebrows slightly at


    the sight of me. ¡°What¡¯s the use of all these bottles and creams?¡±

 Chapter 773

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 773


    I shrugged, my gaze sweeping over the many skincare products lined up on the dressing table. ¡°I¡¯m


    getting old. If it weren¡¯t for these, I¡¯d have turned into a hag a long time ago. You wouldn¡¯t want to bang


    a wrinklydy, right?¡±


    He squinted at the products, raising a curious eyebrow. A charming smirk grew on his face as he slowly


    approached me.


    Sensing his strange actions, I stared at him suspiciously out of the corner of my eye. ¡°What are you


    doing?¡±


    He picked up one of the bottles of lotion, skimmed over the instructions, and then nced at me. ¡°I¡¯ll


    help you put this on.¡±


    I¡­


    That was the lotion that Nora had gifted me. Her old folks imed that our rtionship would improve


    with this. Despite the expensive price tag, she thought we had to catch up with the trend and try it.


    He squeezed some lotion out onto his palm, pulling me into his arms once more. ¡°You can leave these


    sorts of things up to me in the future, Mrs. Fuller.¡±


    Panicking, I grabbed onto his wrist. ¡°What are you doing, Ashton?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m helping you put lotion on.¡± His smile was disarmingly handsome, and one of his hands was already


    starting to slip under my negligee.


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush your decision to withdraw from the Lavelian Vige project, alright?¡± I frantically changed


    the topic. ¡°Hopefully, this will all pass and everything will get better soon. Besides, hasn¡¯t Fuller


    Corporation lost some of its AI technology recently? Even if you try to withdraw now and find another


    My little rant didn¡¯t distract him at all. I bit on my lower lip, suppressing the heat building within me as I


    asked, ¡°Did something happen today?¡±


    Ashton seemed stubborn in not talking about the subject anymore, but he finally replied, ¡°Just the


    project.¡±


    I knew it. The project¡¯s condition was still unstable, after all. Pushing him away, I crawled back into bed


    and hid under the covers. ¡°I¡¯m sleeping!¡±


    ¡°You little vixen,¡± heughed wryly. ¡°It¡¯s as if Mr. Murphy is your husband instead of me. You¡¯re just


    trying to twist my arm at this point.¡±


    ¡°I get arge portion of the profits if I stay with Murphy Corporation,¡± I argued from under the covers. ¡°I


    wouldn¡¯t get anything if I worked at Fuller Corporation.¡±


    He sighed, getting under the covers and wrapping me in his arms. ¡°Can¡¯t I just give you however much


    money you want?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s different! I want to earn my own ie.¡± I squirmed in his embrace.


    ¡°I see that someone needs to be taught a lesson tonight,¡± he joked. After saying that, his hands started


    wandering all over my body.


    More than an hourter, my body had reached its limit after several rounds of lovemaking, and I


    begged him, ¡°Ashton, I can¡¯t¡­ Ah! If you keep this up¡­ I won¡¯t go back to K City with you¡­¡±


    Ashton¡¯s hips finally halted their movements as he buried his face into the crook of my neck, chuckling


    in satisfaction. The grass is always greener on the other side. People often fail to realize the bliss and


    happiness they own when faced with challenges.


    Just like how someone might be admiring the scenery, but someone else might be admiring the sight of


    them from afar.


    I grew sleepy as the night dragged on, my eyes closing on their own will. I distantly registered the


    sensation of something being put onto my finger, whimpering quietly as I pulled my hand back.


    ¡°What¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your wedding ring,¡± I heard Ashton say before he ced a gentle kiss on my lips.


    A little astonished, the fog cleared from my brain as my eyes flew open. Burrowing into his arms, I


    reached up and kissed him again, saying drowsily, ¡°We¡¯re already an old, married couple, though.¡±


    When I ran away from K City, I¡¯d left my wedding ring and all my credit cards at the vi. I¡¯d never


    thought that he would be wearing it all this time.


    The dim lighting of the bedsidemp cast a warm glow onto Ashton¡¯s gentle smile. His voice was husky


    as he replied, ¡°Thirty isn¡¯t old at all. In fact, I think it¡¯s the best time of our lives.¡±


    He pushed himself up to hover over me, swiftly stealing my breath away with countless deep kisses.


    The following days were inevitably boring due to the project Lavelian Vige being put on hold.


    As a result, I grew antsier and antsier with each passing day.


    Nora eventually recovered and was discharged from the hospital. She wasted no time in going to the


    Murphy Corporation and inviting Linda and me for lunch.


    ¡°There¡¯s no use in drowning in work to distract yourself. Even if the project gets back on track, we still


    need to take the higher-ups¡¯ opinions into ount. You might as well enjoy some delicious food andContent rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    take your minds off of the whole situation for a while,¡± she chided us while in the car.


    Linda¡¯s fatigue and worry were clearly written all over her face. Even her makeup looked cakey in


    contrast to the perfect image that she usually upheld.


    I was faring slightly better than her. Although Ashton was still busy at the office, he made sure toe


    home every night and keep mepany, preventing me from burning the midnight oil and ensuring


    that I would actually get a good night¡¯s sleep.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I want to be this stressed either,¡± Linda groaned. ¡°But the longer this project stays on hold,


    the more ourpany will suffer losses that just keep piling on top of each other!¡±


    She had a point. There were more than a hundred employees currently on-site at Lavelian Vige


    whose sries were at least five thousand per month. If the project was dyed for one month longer,


    we would be wasting a month¡¯s worth of sries. Murphy Corporation was argepany, but that


    didn¡¯t mean that we could afford to burn through our financial assets recklessly.

 Chapter 774

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 774


    ¡°Mr. Murphy¡¯s the one who should be worrying about this, not you. Let¡¯s just forget this nonsense and


    go grab some food,¡± Nora said.


    Upon our arrival at Gastronomia, Linda eximed when she got off the car, ¡°Ms. Oberick, is there really


    a need for us to eat here? One meal cost at least a month¡¯s worth of my sry. We know you¡¯re rich,


    but the both of us treasure our money.¡±


    Nora handed her keys over to the valet. ¡°Stop exaggerating. I know you¡¯ve eaten at fancier restaurants


    back in the past. C¡¯mon, it¡¯s not like you¡¯re treating. Let¡¯s just enjoy our meal.¡±


    Linda coughed awkwardly. ¡°Can¡¯t help it. I¡¯m tight on cash recently.¡±


    Although A City was only a second-tier city in the Xenhall region, it did not lose out to the other first-tier


    cities in terms ofvishness.


    True to its name, Gastronomia was a fine-dining restaurant that served exquisite food. Instead of the


    private dining room, we opted to eat at the main hall. Nora headed over to the bar to greet a few


    familiar faces.


    One of them led us to our seats. Right after, she took the liberty to order for us. ¡°They sell mainly


    seafood here. So don¡¯t worry about getting fat and eat your fill.¡±


    Linda was in disbelief. ¡°Is this really our main concern now?¡±


    Despite theints from earlier, the rxing ambiance and mouth-watering dishes had evidently


    improved all our moods. At the moment, Nora ordered some red wine. She managed to persuade


    Linda to drink with her.


    After a few drinks, both of them started talking about Armond. Nora seemed a bit down. ¡°Dating is such


    a dread. Which reminds me, Linda, have I ever mentioned how much I envy you? You have a family ofProperty ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    your own. Being a single parent is tough, but it saves you from all those rtionship issues.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Oberick, this is where you¡¯re wrong. You¡¯re the lucky one! Since you¡¯re single, you can do


    whatever you want and not have to be ountable to anyone. How great is that!¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s that great? Linda, let me ask you. Why do we date guys? Isn¡¯t it so that they can protect us and


    fulfill our bodily desires?¡±


    Linda nodded,pletely oblivious to her hidden intention.


    Nora continued, ¡°See, you agree with me too! As a couple, we have to satisfy each other¡¯s needs. But,


    what the hell. How did I find someone like Mr. Murphy? He doesn¡¯t evene close to touching me.¡±


    Feeling helpless, she pulled on Linda¡¯s sleeves. ¡°Do you think he has lost interest in me? Or, does he


    hate me so much that he doesn¡¯t want to touch me?¡±


    Regardless of whether this was an act, I got to hand it to Nora for her ways.


    Linda replied honestly, ¡°It¡¯s not that Mr. Murphy doesn¡¯t want to touch you. He probably hasn¡¯t let go of


    his past. He hasn¡¯t allowed any women to get close to him in all these years. I thought things were fine


    between the both of you. Maybe you should give him some time.¡±


    Nora felt herself getting close to the truth. ¡°What past?¡±


    At that perfect moment, Linda cked out. The conversation came to an abrupt halt. Nora turned


    towards me, looking unsatisfied.


    I took this as our cue to leave. ¡°All right, it¡¯s gettingte now! I¡¯ll send the both of you home.¡± I went over


    to help Linda up.


    My ns were interrupted when Armond came to pick Nora up. He turned towards me. ¡°I¡¯ll give both of


    you a lift.¡±


    Since our houses were on their way back, I epted his offer. I settled Linda in the backseat. Before I


    could make my way around to the opposite door, a ck Bentley parked right in front of me.


    There was no way I would not recognize this car. To confirm my suspicions, I peered through the tinted


    windows. The person inside winded down the side window.


    Marcus!


    Why¡¯s he here? Isn¡¯t he supposed to be in K City? Not knowing his purpose here, I nodded at him


    before attempting to flee. Marcus was one step ahead. He got off the car and approached me.


    Seeing his face, nostalgia hit me. It felt like an eternity since Ist saw him.


    I stood rooted, recalibrating his features again. Perhaps due to a period of not seeing each other, he


    stood further than usual.

 Chapter 775

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 775


    His handsome features seemed even more pronounced under the streetlights. But underneath it, I


    could see traces of fatigue.


    ¡°Mr. White, what a coincidence!¡± I greeted him.


    With both his hands in his pocket, he looked right at me. ¡°Not a coincidence. I was looking for you.¡±


    I felt neither surprised nor threatened. Instead, there was something amusing about this situation.


    ¡°What an honor.¡±


    ¡°Seems like you don¡¯t miss me as much?¡±


    I kept silent, hoping he would get the hint.


    After a long, awkward pause, he continued, ¡°I don¡¯t have any motives. I just came here to check if


    you¡¯re doing ok.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for your concern. I¡¯m doing fine.¡±


    My curt response seemed to have affected Marcus. He wore a forlorn smile. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you, even if it


    means waiting for the rest of my life. If not this life, then the next. But next time around, let me be the


    one to meet you first.¡±


    Right then, a ck Maybach parked beside his car. The rear window came down, revealing a person


    who was looking cidly in our direction.


    I forced my attention back to the conversation. ¡°Mr. White, the same old words. Don¡¯t waste your life


    waiting for me. I have a great career and family; I¡¯m happy with what I have. Your advances would only


    trouble me, including those things you do for me without my knowledge. Besides Ashton, I really don¡¯t


    want any other man to be thinking of me in this manner.¡±


    Marcus let out a bitterugh. ¡°You didn¡¯t even hesitate the slightest bit, huh? If you¡¯re so loyal to him,


    why did you leave K City toe here? Scarlett, what exactly are you thinking?¡±


    How do I exin this?


    ¡°Leaving K City was simply because that chapter of our lives was over. It wasn¡¯t that I stopped loving


    him, or that I found someone else. In fact, it¡¯s the opposite. I love him so much. But I need time to


    convince myself that I am worthy to stand beside such an outstanding man like him. Each time, I can¡¯t


    help thinking that he deserves so much more than a person like me, so I¡¯m trying to find the confidence


    to go back to him.¡±


    Hearing my words, Marcus looked down. It did nothing to mask the hurt in his eyes. ¡°No matter what


    you say, my words still hold true; I¡¯ll wait for you. I pray that in our next life, I¡¯ll be the one to meet you


    first. Whatever he can give you, I can too.¡±


    I sighed in resignation. I should have known he was not one to give up this easily.


    ¡°Marcus, sometimes people focus so much on their desires that they overlook what they already have. I


    hope you give others and yourself a chance. I don¡¯t want you to miss out on your happiness.


    ¡°Now that you know I¡¯m doing fine here, I think it¡¯s time for you to return to K City. I¡¯ve made it very


    clear that it¡¯s just a matter of time before I reconcile with Ashton. This time around, we¡¯ll bounce back


    stronger. So stop wasting your time on me. It¡¯s not possible between us.¡±


    I lifted my ring finger, revealing the ring Ashton had put on me the previous night. Although the diamond


    lacked in size, its shine was very conspicuous.


    Looking at the ring reminded me of the treacherous path it took for us to get here. Throughout our


    many years of marriage, Ashton and I had our fair share of trials, warmth, and love.


    I smiled at the recollection. ¡°I¡¯ve worn this ring for over a decade. After going through so much, it¡¯s still


    back on my finger. You know, I could¡¯ve gotten rid of it, but the truth is, I couldn¡¯t bear to. This is our


    wedding ring. Ashton loves me and treats me well. If possible, I will marry him again in my next life.¡±


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    That dealt the final blow. Marcus looked defeated. ¡°G-Great. All that matters is he treats you well, and


    you¡¯re happy.¡±


    He retreated a few steps before turning to see Ashton sitting in the car beside his. Recovering his


    senses, Marcus said solemnly before heading swiftly back to his car. ¡°I hope you¡¯ll always be happy


    from now.¡±


    With that, he drove off.


    His words left no room to read between the lines; I decided to take it literally.


    I let out a breath. Finally, it was over. Deep down, I was afraid Marcus would continue to haunt me. If


    that happened, it would have caused a bigger issue.

 Chapter 776

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 776


    Back in the Maybach, Armond noticed Ashton¡¯s presence and took it as his cue to leave. He drove off


    with Nora and Linda.


    Then, Ashton got off his car and walked towards me. Against the headlights, it made his tall and lean


    built more prominent. This gave me butterflies in my stomach.


    While wearing his signature smile, he pulled me into a deep embrace. ¡°Scarlett, that was amazing.


    Your words just now must¡¯ve really got through him.¡±


    I chuckled lightly while teasing, ¡°It¡¯s not right to eavesdrop on conversations.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Was that eavesdropping? Surely you must have noticed me.¡±


    I pouted childishly. ¡°That¡¯s still eavesdropping!¡± While saying that, Ashton had draped his coat over my


    shoulders to shield me from the chilly September weather. Then, he led me to his car.


    Seeing his familiar back lifted my spirits; I felt whole again.


    Apparently in a good mood, he reminded chirpily, ¡°Next time, inform me before you go anywhere. It¡¯s


    dangerous to be out alone.¡±


    I sat down in the passenger seat before replying, ¡°I need my own space as well!¡±


    ¡°I only need you to inform me. I will not restrict your movement or anything.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the same either way!¡± I shut my eyes without giving him a chance to reply.


    Helpless, he nketed his coat on me and pulled me into a tight embrace. He had clearly ignored


    Joseph¡¯s presence.


    While pretending to be mad, I pushed him away. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡±


    ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t I have some privacy?¡±


    Ashton remained patient. ¡°Scarlett, I¡¯m not trying to restrict you or anything. I¡¯m just concern for your


    safety.¡±


    ¡°But it sounds like I have to report my every movement to you.¡±


    Feeling powerless against my tantrum, he gave in. ¡°All right. It won¡¯t happen again. I¡¯ll work on my


    tone.¡±


    ¡°Again?¡±


    ¡°My bad. No more next time. Whatever my dear wife says, goes. Just don¡¯t ever leave me. Is this


    better?¡±


    I decided to push his buttons further. ¡°Is this better? Why are you making it seem like I¡¯m forcing you?¡±


    Ashton still remained his cool. ¡°How would you like me to speak?¡± Meanwhile, Joseph had started the


    vehicle.


    ¡°Will you do anything I say?¡±


    Ashton raised his brows. His hands ying with the back of my palms. ¡°No. Not anything.¡±


    ¡°So those were just words to pacify me?¡±


    He broke into augh. ¡°As long as my dear wife¡¯s happy, I don¡¯t mind pacifying you all the way.¡±


    I red at him. ¡°I don¡¯t need your pacifying. I¡¯m not a child.¡± Our bickering continued throughout the


    rest of the car ride.


    By the time we arrived back at the vi, it was dark outside. I headed straight to the bath while Ashton


    sat on his chaise lounge reading his book.


    Around half an hourter, I came out of the bath and found him still sitting in the same position. Finding


    his focused expression endearing, I found myself walking towards him. I took the seat beside him.


    ¡°How many times have you read this book?¡±


    He raised his head, smelling the scent of wine on me. ¡°Next time, don¡¯t drink so much.¡±


    I leaned against him before retorting, ¡°I didn¡¯t! I was just apanying Linda and Nora. They were the


    ones who got drunk. I¡¯m sober as a judge.¡±


    ¡°Drinking is prohibited unless you¡¯re with me.¡± He raised a brow.


    ¡°You¡¯re being a tyranny!¡±


    He smiled while cing his book aside. Then, he took the towel from me to dry my hair. ¡°Since you


    have admitted to being my wife, it¡¯s only right I take good care of you.¡±


    His drying technique was so soothing that it left me feeling drowsy. I closed my eyes while enjoying his


    treatment.


    After some moments, I was reminded of work. ¡°Are you really giving up on the Lavelian Vige


    project?¡±


    All this while, Ashton had not updated me on any progress. I knew that dragging this on would do


    nothing good for Murphy Corporation.


    He replied calmly, ¡°No hurry.¡±


    ¡°How long more will thisst?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to ask Armond about this.¡±


    Oh right. In order for this project to start, Armond has to get the relevant connections.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    He held on to my shoulders from the reminder. ¡°Have you decided when you¡¯re returning to K City with


    me?¡±


    I pursed my lips, half-drowsy. ¡°Haven¡¯t I already said? We have toplete this project first. We can¡¯t


    just give up halfway.¡±


    ¡°Is being stubborn your way of getting me to stay on this project?¡±


    Still in his embrace, Iughed hysterically. ¡°Mr. Fuller, it¡¯s not wrong to interpret it this way. Lavelian


    Vige project was once under my lead, so I really wish to see this through the end.¡±

 Chapter 777

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 777


    He lowered his head and looked at me. I blinked a couple of times. I could clearly see his sexy Adam¡¯s


    apple bobbing up and down.


    He cupped my face in his hands and closed in for a kiss.


    After these few days, I got used to his tendency of kissing me from time to time. I snaked my arms


    around the back of his neck. Involuntarily, I responded to his kiss.


    I guess I somehow learned what I did next from him. I encircled his neck with one hand, and my other


    hand reached for his earlobe and pinched it lightly. This part of him seemed to be quite sensitive. After


    a few light rubs, it was all red.


    I let go and teased him. ¡°Ashton, your ears are so sensitive.¡±


    He didn¡¯t reply. Instead, he suddenly lowered his head and bit my lips as I spoke.


    It hurt a little, but it was nothing too bad. I frowned at him andined pitifully, ¡°Ashton, are you a


    dog?¡±


    He chuckled and spoke in a low voice. ¡°Your lips were too tempting. I couldn¡¯t help myself.¡±


    I red at him. ¡°You¡­¡±


    He lifted me bridal style and turned around. The next moment, I was pressed against him on the huge


    bed.


    ¡°Ashton, switch off the lights!¡± I ordered in a panic.


    ¡°Mm¡­¡± he moaned and reached for the remote control on the bedside table. With a light click, the


    whole room was shrouded in darkness.


    In the dark, only the sounds of our amorous breathing remained.


    After our intimate session, Iy in his arms. One of his slender legs pressed on me, and he made no


    move to shift it.


    I rested my head on his arm and faced him as wey in bed. Our bodies were intertwined so closely


    that it felt a little awkward.


    Hisrge hand repeatedly caressed my back as if he was putting me to sleep. Since it waste and this


    posture was veryfortable, my eyelids started to feel heavy.


    I gave up trying to keep them open and let my weariness wash over me. Soon, I drifted into my deep


    sleep.


    I slept really well that night. When I awoke the next morning, it was already eight o¡¯clock. Ashton was


    lying right next to me.


    Out of habit, I stretched out my arm to hug him and snuggled into him. He pulled me closer and asked,


    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± His voice was raspy.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded.


    He chuckled, and then¡­


    Noticing that there was something not quite right, I woke with a start. I lifted my eyes to look at him.


    He smiled seductively. ¡°There, there. I¡¯ll take care of it myself.¡±


    I wanted to say something, but he was like this all of a sudden. I was not prepared at all.


    One hourter.


    Seated at the dining table, I was in good spirits after a fresh shower. Ashton was frying some bacon in


    the kitchen.


    I didn¡¯t feel like moving. Hence, I rested my chin on my palms and waited to eat.


    He came out of the kitchen with our breakfast on two tes. Noticing that I was ogling him, he raised a


    brow. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    I quickly answered, ¡°I was just thinking. How am I so lucky to have met a perfect man like you?¡±


    He sat down at the dining table. His obsidian eyes locked with mine, and he remarked with a smile.


    ¡°You seem to be very satisfied today!¡±


    He seemed to be hinting at something else.


    I pursed my lips, and proceeded to eat my breakfast.


    Ashton was poised as always. He lifted a piece of bacon into his mouth, chewed slowly, and swallowed


    it. ¡°What are your ns for today?¡±


    ¡°Work,¡± I responded automatically.


    After a while, I remembered that it was Saturday. Thus, there was no need to head to the office.


    I paused for a bit, then said, ¡°I guess I will just stay home and sleep.¡±


    He grinned ambiguously. ¡°I see. That¡¯s quite suitable. The weather doesn¡¯t look too good for an outing.


    It¡¯s a good day for sleeping in.¡±


    I stared at him inly. Once again, his words seemed to be insinuating something.


    Not knowing how to continue, I switched the topic. ¡°How about you? What do you n to do today?¡±


    ¡°Sleep with you!¡± He was looking straight at me, his voice low and sultry.


    I coughed and sputtered at his answer. This man, he is getting more and more¡­


    Seeing my violent response, he asked innocently, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    My face reddened. I put down my cutlery and stood up. ¡°Nothing! Enjoy your breakfast!¡±


    He frowned and ordered, ¡°Finish yours!¡±


    I froze for a moment. He then said, ¡°You only took two bites out of your breakfast. What are you? A


    sparrow?¡±


    I pouted at him and replied, ¡°If you keep quiet, then I will finish the rest of it.¡±


    Now it was his turn to freeze. His brows furrowed, and he asked, ¡°You want me to stop talking?¡±


    I nodded, looking at him seriously.


    He conceded and nodded, then motioned for me to finish my food.


    After sitting down, I continued eating. However, after a few minutes, I wanted to get out of my chair.


    It was because he kept staring at me. His intense gaze made me feel ufortable.


    With much difficulty, I finished thest bite and looked up at him. ¡°I am done!¡±


    He put down his fork and knife. ¡°Is my presence that distracting?¡± He asked in all seriousness.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Ashton, stop teasing me!¡± I retorted with difit.


    He burst outughing and walked over to me. His gaze was full of adoration. ¡°Was I teasing you?¡±


    This man!


    I refused to answer him. Conveniently, his phone started ringing.


    ¡°You should take the call,¡± I said and went upstairs.


    Recently, Ashton had be unruly. He didn¡¯t bother to control himself anymore.


    I had intended to spend the weekend rxing at home. This n was axed due to Nora¡¯s call.


    Her usual energetic voice was heard over the phone. ¡°Scarlett, let¡¯s go visit my grandpa in Lavelian


    Vige. We said we would gost time, but we didn¡¯t manage to.¡±

 Chapter 778

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 778


    Ipletely forgot about that. ¡°Yeah, sure. Do we go now? Or do we goter?¡± I nodded while


    answering.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go in the evening. Then we can stay there for the night. I am not really up yet. I will need some


    time to get prepared. I¡¯lle to get you when I¡¯m done.¡±


    I nodded and said, ¡°Okay, just call me by that time.¡±


    Last night¡¯s events suddenly reyed in my mind. I asked, ¡°Were you okayst night? Why are you up


    so early today?¡± She did drink quite a lotst night.


    She sighed, ¡°Don¡¯t talk about it. I was almost beaten up. If it weren¡¯t because I wanted to pry Linda for


    information, I wouldn¡¯t drink that much alcohol. Seriously, my head is still hurting!¡±


    ¡°Armond is not around?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he seems to have something on. He went out early in the morning. My grandpa¡¯s call woke me


    up, and I called you right away since I¡¯m awake. I n to sleep for a while more. Let¡¯s go overter.¡±


    Her words were slurring. She must be getting sleepy.


    ¡°Alright, you get some sleep. I¡¯ll read at home in the meantime. Do you want toe over for lunch


    since Armond is not around?¡±


    ¡°No thank you,¡± she rejected. ¡°I don¡¯t think I will be awake by that time. Besides, isn¡¯t that


    expressionless guy at home right now? I am kind of intimidated by him, so I¡¯ll pass.¡±


    I smiled and didn¡¯t insist.


    After I hung up, I went straight into the study. Perhaps because this house was recently set up, there


    weren¡¯t many books in the study. There were mostly some documents and magazines.


    While scanning the bookshelf, a book title caught my eye. Three Makes a Family. I reached for it and


    started flipping through the pages.


    I didn¡¯t expect that Ashton would have such a wholesome book on his bookshelf. Since the book was to


    my liking, I sat down and started reading.


    Ashton noticed me reading and smiling to myself when he came in. He sat down beside me and asked,


    ¡°What are you reading? You are smiling so blissfully.¡±


    I instinctively raised a hand to touch my face. ¡°Do I look blissful?¡±


    It was a rhetorical question, but he seemed to have understood it differently. He grinned from ear to ear


    and announced, ¡°You are blissful when you are with me!¡±


    I was stunned. Maybe it was because of the book that I felt immense sweetness at what he said. ¡°A


    good love story makes the readers feel blissful as well. The characters have such a lovely little family,¡± I


    said.


    He smiled and asked, ¡°So when are youing back to K City with me? We have a family of three


    too.¡±


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    He was coaxing me to go back to K City again. I lowered my head a bit and thought about it. ¡°We¡¯ll


    think about it afterpleting the Lavelian Vige project.¡±


    As we spoke about it, I became lost in my own thoughts. People change like the seasons. A few days


    ago, I was nning to get divorced from him. A few dayster, we were joined at the hip. Nobody saw


    thising at all.


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± He pulled me into his arms and sniffed my hair. ¡°You smell so nice!¡±


    I leaned into him and replied cheekily, ¡°I am thinking of what to eat for lunch!¡±


    He chuckled right next to my ear. ¡°Glutton!¡± hemented. ¡°I may need to go out for a while. I will ask


    Joseph to send over some food to youter.¡±


    I processed what he said and nodded. My mind shed back to the number that I saw on his phone


    screen just now. Thatbination of numbers was familiar to me. Even after so many years, Reba


    did not intend to change her number.


    Does this mean Reba is in A City now?


    I did not ask Ashton about it. A few calls came in, and it seemed to be very urgent. I looked on


    nonchntly and did notment.


    He grabbed his phone and said to me, ¡°Remember to eat your lunch. Wait for me toe back in the


    evening. We will have dinner together.¡±


    I nodded and waved my hand, indicating for him to go ahead.


    I certainly wasn¡¯t expecting to get a call from Rachel. She cut straight to the chase and asked, ¡°Can we


    meet?¡±


    I hesitated, and then asked, ¡°You need to see me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    After looking at the time, I replied, ¡°You only have two hours.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± she responded without missing a beat, ¡°I will see you at Nenya.¡±


    A caf¨¦?


    The only reason she would want to see me would be to talk about Ashton.


    I set out after tidying up a little. Nora was still hungover, she would need to sleep for some time. The


    time would be just right when Ie back after this meet-up.


    At Nenya Caf¨¦.


    Rachel was seated beside a window, and the view outside was quite picturesque.


    Even when she noticed my arrival, she kept her head turned to the side. She knew I was there but did


    not bother to turn to look at me. She lifted her teacup, with her other hand holding on to the saucer


    below it. Her posture was faultlessly elegant.


    ¡°Ms. Zimmer, you didn¡¯t just call me over to admire your elegance, did you?¡± I mocked while sitting


    down opposite her.


    She only turned to face me when she heard me speak. Her eyes skimmed over my outfit judgmentally.


    I frowned a little and exined with a smile, ¡°I came out in a hurry, so I just wore what I was


    comfortable in. You¡¯re really an exquisite woman, Ms. Zimmer. Every time I see you, you look different.¡±


    She turned her gaze away and put down her cup. ¡°Men always seem to hold on to their first love,¡± she


    said slowly.

 Chapter 779

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 779


    I was stunned for a moment. ¡°There is some resemnce between you and her. No wonder he¡¯s still


    holding onto you. Well, I guess he can¡¯t be bothered to pay attention to me because I¡¯m the total


    opposite of you two,¡± Rachel continued.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Does she mean Reba?


    I was not usually a fan of bitter vor, including coffee. I wrapped my hand around the coffee mug that


    was served in front of me, stirred it slightly, and listened intently without lifting my head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you ever wonder why I asked you out all of a sudden?¡± she asked eagerly after she saw no


    response from me.


    ¡°Why?¡± I muttered and raised my head.


    She let out a chuckle. ¡°You seem pretty calm, huh?¡±


    I remained silent and continued to stir my coffee.


    ¡°You know, I¡¯ve always wondered about your marriage,¡± she remarked after a moment of silence. ¡°I


    mean, who could have guessed that a nobody like you can stay beside Ashton for so many years? But


    after I saw the lost daughter of the Moore family, I totally get it. You are just a mere substitute! Reba


    Larson must be his first love, but it seems like things did not turn out as he wished.¡±


    She continued after a pause, ¡°In fact, I have noints if she were his wife. In terms of looks and


    figure, I definitely beat her. Yet, her parents were the best in the world, hands down. The fact that she


    came from a very prestigious family makes her the perfect match for Ashton. You, however, are


    questionable. I¡¯m obviously better than you in every aspect. And worse, you have zero family


    background.¡±


    I pursed my lips silently and started to mull over a matter of fact that I had simply overlooked. After all


    these years, the Moores knew the truth behind Reba¡¯s birth, but they never made that story public


    as there were too many risks to bear.


    Perhaps they wanted to make it up to her even after she left the family.


    I guessed Rachel must have dug up some information regarding the woman.


    ¡°Ms. Zimmer, you¡¯re making something out of nothing,¡± I said calmly with no intention of defending


    myself. ¡°Our marriage is blessed with love and joy, so you don¡¯t have to worry about us. Most


    importantly, outsiders have no right to meddle with our family affairs.¡±


    She sneered, ¡°Oh, really?¡± Then she took the spoon out of her coffee,id it aside, and leaned back in


    the chair with disdain on her face. ¡°So you¡¯re implying that you and Ashton share mutual love? Are you


    sure?¡±


    I furrowed my brows unwittingly and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think I need to argue with you about this.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. There¡¯s no need for argument. But tell me. Deep down inside, you are actually


    unsure of his feelings for you, aren¡¯t you? My, fake love is cruel.¡± There was a hint of sarcasm in her


    voice.


    I propped my chin up with my hand and looked at her. I¡¯ve had enough of her childish behavior. ¡°Ms.


    Zimmer, are you applying your AI research skills into reality? I believe it¡¯s none of your business if


    Ashton loves me. Why do you care?¡±


    Her face turned grim. ¡°Nothing, I just¡­ pity you!¡±


    I nodded, looked down at my phone, and prepared to leave before Nora got up from her sleep.


    ¡°Well, thank you for your concern, Ms. Zimmer.¡± I stood up and said, ¡°You don¡¯t really have toe all


    the way here to pick on me because the reality will only strike you back. You know very well that


    Ashton never pays attention to you, that¡¯s why you asked me out to vent your anger and pass all the


    negative energy to me. I¡¯m sorry to say, but you look pathetic.


    ¡°Here¡¯s a friendly reminder. I know Ashton and Reba more than you. You can¡¯t provoke me with


    their rtionship. He married me because I am worthy of him. And stop being so full of yourself. Yeah,


    you may be beautiful on the outside, but not on the inside.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Before she could utter any more words, I continued, ¡°Bear in mind. There are far many more beautiful


    and amazing women in the world out there. You are not that outstanding. Why don¡¯t you work on


    yourself more, huh? Conceited and proud people like you are not liked by any. Please focus on that,


    Ms. Zimmer.¡±


    Just when I was about to leave, Rachel stopped me and sshed her coffee all over my dress without


    any hesitation. I was defenceless and momentarily stupefied.


    ¡°Scarlett! Who do you think you are? You are just a leech! How dare you show off in front of me! Listen.


    Sooner orter, your life will be miserable! Because the girl who he really cares for has returned. He


    doesn¡¯t need you anymore!¡±

 Chapter 780

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 780


    Rachel¡¯s face was distorted with rage. My mind was torn in two at that moment. Half of me wanted to


    leave, but the other half couldn¡¯t just let her have her way.


    I grabbed the coffee on the table and poured it on top of her head. I stared at her long and hard while


    the coffee dripped from her long hair, all over to her white dress. She looked terrible. ¡°Ms. Zimmer, stop


    doing something like this. You are embarrassing yourself.¡±


    She red at me in a fit of vicious anger. ¡°Scarlett! Do you have a death wish?¡± she roared and tried to


    push my body away with both hands. Before I could react, someone pushed her down to her chair.


    The chaos attracted the attention of customers in that caf¨¦. Marcus¡¯ unannounced presence clearly


    surprised me.


    He gazed down into Rachel¡¯s eyes and said icily, ¡°I advise you to look in the mirror before you boast


    about your looks.¡± He couldn¡¯t care less about Rachel, who was trembling with anger. Instead, he took


    off his jacket and put it over my shoulders to cover my stained dress. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    We walked out of the caf¨¦, and I thanked him when we reached the parking lot. I tried to return his


    jacket, but he refused to take it. ¡°You don¡¯t have to return it now. You need it more than I do,¡± he said.


    Confused, I shrugged and forced the jacket onto him. ¡°I¡¯m fine. The vi is just a couple of blocks


    away,¡± I said. Rather than insisting, he merely stared at me helplessly. He was clearly disappointed.


    At the vi, Nora was still asleep. So I sat in a daze in the living room.


    I wonder why Rachel is here. Did shee all the way to A City just to find Ashton?


    I knew her very well. She would never swallow her pride to do something like that, especially after how


    Ashton had turned her down.


    What exactly brought her here?


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    My head was pounding from those mere thoughts. Just when I was about to getfortable on the


    couch, the phone rang. That must be Nora.


    ¡°Have you eaten?¡± It was Ashton. I froze for a moment.


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a no, then.¡± His stern voice surprised me. Before I could respond, he continued, ¡°I


    asked Joseph to bring you some food. He will be there in a minute. Be sure to eat them, or you¡¯ll have


    to deal with me.¡±


    My expression was one of annoyed disbelief. What am I? Five? I pursed my lips and muttered, ¡°I will.


    You don¡¯t have to be so rude.¡±


    Right then, the doorbell rang. ¡°There he is. Open the door and eat up.¡±


    ¡°Fine!¡± I pouted, got up, and answered the door. Joseph stood there with his hands full of boxes of


    food, fruits, and greens. ¡°Ashton, I¡¯m hanging up now. Bye.¡± I quickly reached out to help him carry all


    the stuff.


    Joseph passed me the lunch boxes and said, ¡°Mr. Fuller picked these up for you when he was having


    lunch at Sea View. He thought you might like them.¡± Then he went straight to the kitchen and stacked


    the fruits in the fridge.


    I opened up the lunch box and found arge serving of meticulously crafted seafood meal. I couldn¡¯t


    help but said, ¡°They look delicious, but I don¡¯t think I can finish them.¡±


    Joseph smiled. ¡°Mr. Fuller wants you to enjoy it with Ms. Oberick.¡± I nodded. Initially, I wanted to call


    Nora, but I figured she might still be asleep. So I decided to wait until she woke up.


    I looked at him while he unpacked the grocery bags and put more fruits and vegetables into the fridge.


    ¡°Why did you buy so many vegetables? We don¡¯t usually cook dinner.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Fuller said you should fill up your kitchen because you will need themter,¡± he replied.


    I nodded, then I instinctively asked, ¡°Did you guys have a business meeting at Sea View?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it¡­¡± I could feel a hesitancy in his voice. ¡°Ms. Larson and Mr. Quinn were there, too. They


    were having lunch together,¡± he exined while continued to store the vegetables.


    I was a little surprised. ¡°Reba was there too?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°The Lavelian Vige project was stalled, and the headquarters is waiting to receive a


    confirmation from Mr. Fuller. To speed things up, Mr. Quinn had no choice but to hand the documents to


    him personally.¡±


    I mumbled a response and didn¡¯t pursue further.


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, don¡¯t get the wrong idea. Mr. Quinn brought Ms. Larson along for his trip to A City because


    he was worried about her. He just wanted to keep her by his side. This has nothing to do with Mr.


    Fuller.¡±

 Chapter 781

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 781


    Joseph panicked when he noticed I remained silent. He quickly exined to make sure I didn¡¯t get the


    wrong idea about Ashton and Reba. ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin. I¡¯m totally fine with that. After all,


    they are friends. It¡¯s normal to eat together.¡±


    Suddenly, my phone rang. It was from Nora who just woke up. ¡°What are you doing?¡± she asked in a


    hoarse voice.


    ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m just chilling at home. Are you awake?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± she replied shortly as she stretchedzily on her bed. ¡°I just woke up, but toozy to get out of


    bed.¡±


    ¡°Alright, now. Get yourself ready. Joseph brought us a seafood buffet from Sea View. You shoulde


    and try it.¡±


    She giggled. ¡°Oh, my! Food is exactly what I need right now. My growling stomach woke me! Give me a


    minute, I¡¯ll be right there.¡± She hung up the phone.


    Joseph set the table up for us. Then, he walked to the sink with some oranges in his hands. ¡°It¡¯s okay.


    Let me wash them.¡± I quickly reached out for the oranges.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You should go and eat. Mr. Fuller wants me to make sure you finish your meal, and he even ordered


    me to prepare a ss of orange juice for you.¡±


    I was at a loss for words.


    This is ridiculous.


    He didn¡¯t even let me step into the kitchen, and I was totally constrained in that situation. So I walked to


    the dinner table and ted the food.


    Not long after, Nora arrived wearing her oversized shirt and a messy bun. I could tell she ran straight


    here after she got off her bed.


    ¡°Wow, what a feast! Ashton is such a caring and sweet partner! You¡¯re so lucky.¡± With that, she


    whipped out her phone to take a picture.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to post this on Instagram and tag Armond. That should teach him how to be a good


    boyfriend.¡±


    I smiled in amusement. I liked the way she teased him. Suddenly, Nora picked up my phone on the


    table and pressed random keys. ¡°Nora, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°You should upload it too and show it off to your friends.¡± Her fingers were moving at lightning speed.


    She looked at my feed quizzically. ¡°Scarlett, why is your feed empty? You don¡¯t post on your


    Instagram?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I just decided not to because there¡¯s nothing particrly special to post.¡±


    She frowned in disbelief. ¡°Are you kidding me? I can¡¯t believe you have no posts. You¡¯re such a


    weirdo!¡±


    As she nagged at me, she stalked Ashton¡¯s ount. ¡°Oh, my god! You two are as alike as two peas in


    a pod. Ashton didn¡¯t post anything on his wall either.¡± She was utterly dumbfounded.


    Meanwhile, Joseph came out from the kitchen with some side dishes. His gaze settled on us. ¡°You two


    should eat while it¡¯s still warm,¡± he said.


    Nora was absolutely famished and gobbled down her food.


    I already had my breakfast, so I had little appetite. Beside me, Joseph had his gaze firmly fixed on my


    te to make sure I finished my meal. I had no choice but to eat as much as I could. And I certainly


    would get into less trouble that way, especially with Ashton.


    When I was almost finished with my lunch, Joseph asked, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, what time will you be home


    tonight?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not going back!¡± Nora eximed. ¡°Scarlett and I are nning to stay at my grandpa¡¯s. Oh, yeah.


    Please ry this message to Ashton and tell him not to wait.¡±


    Confused, Joseph turned to me. I nodded in silent admission.


    Instead of saying more, he simply replied, ¡°I still have something on. Please excuse me,¡± he said and


    left.


    After he left, Nora gazed at me and said, ¡°Geez, Ashton is going a little overboard. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re a


    kid or something.¡±


    I responded with a smile. Right then, my phone rang. Before I could reach out for it, Nora swiftly moved


    her gaze to the screen. It showed an iing call from Ashton. ¡°My, my. Your hubby is showing off his


    affection again.¡±


    I picked up the call. ¡°Ashton, I¡¯ve finished my meal!¡±


    There was silence on the other end. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m d you like it,¡± he said in an attractive, deep voice a


    few secondster.


    ¡°Why are you calling?¡± I asked, confused. Joseph must have told him I had eaten, so I doubted he


    called to confirm it. Besides, he was a busy man.


    ¡°Nora and I will stay at Lavelian Vige, so I¡¯m not going home tonight.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± He was not at all surprised.


    Oh! He¡¯s not calling for this?


    I waited patiently for him to say something. After a brief pause, he finally spoke. ¡°I like the photo.¡±


    ¡°Photo?¡± I was utterly baffled.


    ¡°Your post. I like it.¡± His voice was filled with ttery.


    Huh? What post? ¡°Alright, be careful on your way.¡± He ended the call as he was still in a meeting.


    I frowned in confusion. Then, I checked my phone and press on the push notifications.


    One of thements was from John. Letty, next time I will buy anything you want to eat.

 Chapter 782

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 782


    Emerymented on the post: Damn, you¡¯ve not been posting anything, but once you finally do it, it¡¯s


    to show off your rtionship? Are you trying to make a dig at the rest of us?


    Hunter replied: Dear, don¡¯t be jealous. I¡¯ll cook it for you tonight if you like.


    Hannah thenmented: This is great. The two of you have to remain this sweet when you guys are in


    A City.


    Curious, I could not help but click the post that they were replying to. It was my post, and it had a side-


    view photograph of me eating seafood with my head down. I looked very happy eating in the photo and


    seemed to be in a good mood.


    The apanying caption was: Forever seems to be a long time, but I wouldn¡¯t mind spending the


    rest of my life with you. Thank you for the thoughtful lunch, Mr. Fuller. It was delicious.


    The captions ended with a string of happy emojis.


    I could not help but look at Nora. Puzzled as to why I was staring at her, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Did you use my phone to post something just now?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Yeah! You¡¯ve not had a single post after using Instagram for so long. Have you never


    shared anything about your life? That¡¯s so old-fashioned!¡±


    I frowned and read through the dozens ofments. They were all from my friends and there were


    even some likes on my post.


    Among them, Ashton¡¯s was especially conspicuous.


    Noticing my frown, Nora walked over to look at my phone, then nagged, ¡°Instagram is for you to keep a


    record of whatever happens in your life. If you don¡¯t use it, are you saying that your life¡¯s not worth


    remembering?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    After a short pause, she said, ¡°See, your post has been liked by almost all your friends, and everyone


    has wished you well in your rtionship. That¡¯s so nice!¡±


    When she noticed Ashton¡¯sment, she could not help but read it out aloud. ¡°We have a long way to


    go, and I¡¯ll give you as much love and affection as you want until then. I¡¯m not a very gentle person, but


    I¡¯ll definitely do my best for you!¡±


    Then, she tutted and said, ¡°It¡¯s indeed very different when sweet nothingse out of such a cold


    man¡¯s mouth. Your husband¡¯sment is really so sweet. He¡¯s just tantly showing off his affection


    to everyone!¡±


    With a hand on my forehead, I scrolled through thements. However, since I rarely used the app, I


    did not know how to reply to them.


    Nora noticed that I had not replied to anyone and said, ¡°Your friends have all given you their blessings


    so enthusiastically, so why aren¡¯t you replying to them? It¡¯s only polite to do that. It¡¯s basically the same


    thing as a friend meets you outside and greets you, but you just ignore them. Hurry, reply to them!¡±


    Stunned, I simply nodded and slowly replied to thements one by one. However, Nora was left


    speechless as she watched me. ¡°You¡¯re just replying ¡®Thank you¡¯ to all of them? That¡¯s really boring!¡±


    She paused, then sighed. ¡°Forget it. You can¡¯t really be med. At least you made some progress by


    learning to reply to them!¡±


    When I had replied to all thements, I clicked on the home tab and refreshed the page. Ashton


    seemed to have posted something as well, so I clicked on it, only to find that he had posted the same


    picture that I just did.


    His caption was: Mrs. Fuller, you are the brightest star in my dark sky!


    ¡°Damn!¡± eximed Nora, ¡°Your posts are really the best. I can¡¯t believe that Mr. Fuller doesn¡¯t even


    flinch while showing off his affection like that. This man is more than what meets the eyes!¡±


    I¡¯m the brightest star in his sky? Since when did Ashton be so poetic?


    Seeing my smile, Nora looked at me and narrowed her eyes. ¡°Your expression¡­ are you missing him?¡±


    I hurriedly controlled my expression, though my cheeks were still burning. Then, I cleared my throat


    and said, ¡°It¡¯s almost noon. You should go back and pack up. Aren¡¯t we going to Lavelian Vige


    soon?¡±


    She nodded and said goodbye before she continued hastily, ¡°I¡¯d almost forgotten all about it. I¡¯ll go


    back and put on some makeup. You should do the same too. I¡¯ll wait for you at the door!¡±


    I nodded in reply, signaling for her to go.


    After she left, I looked at my phone and could not help but click on Ashton¡¯s post once more. It seemed


    to be his first time posting something too, so everyone would definitely be shocked by it.


    Many people in Fuller Corporation would probably be shocked and discussing it right now!


    Raising my hands to my face, I rubbed on my heated cheeks. Then, I went up to the second floor to get


    changed. After all, Channing was my elder, so my etiquette and appearance had to be appropriate.


    I could not just turn up in casual attire. Besides, he seemed to know Grandma. I had been thinking


    about it for a long time and always wanted to ask him about it when the opportunity arose.


    When I was ready to leave, I took a look at all the antique tea sets that Ashton bought, and picked out a


    set to bring over. I selected one that was from Xenhall and packed up some premium tea as well.


    From outside came the honk of a car, signaling that Nora was ready to go. Taking everything that I


    needed, I then stepped out to meet her. She had changed into a long, delicate dress and had pulled


    her hair into a bun. She even had a pair of pearl-framed sunsses perched on her tall nose. Nora


    looked both yful and cool.

 Chapter 783

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 783


    When I stepped out of the house, Nora lowered her sunsses and said, ¡°Your dressing today makes


    you look like a virtuous woman. It¡¯s basically the ideal outfit to wear to meet your partner¡¯s family for the


    first time. When I have to meet Mr. Murphy in the future, I¡¯ll use your dress as a reference.¡±


    When I got into the car, I could not help butugh. ¡°I just tied up my hair, put on a dress, and did some


    light makeup. How does it make me look virtuous?¡±


    She started the car as she said, ¡°You don¡¯t understand. Many elderly folks like girls like you, who look


    neat, gentle, and quiet because they look like good wives.¡±


    Noticing the antique tea set and premium tea in the back, she said, ¡°You already know what Grandpa


    likes after only meeting him once. No wonder the old Mr. Fuller picked you to marry his grandson!¡±


    I smiled. ¡°If I told you that I was just lucky, would you believe me?¡±


    She nodded, then bobbed her head to the rhythm of the music that was ying. She replied loudly, ¡°Of


    course, I believe you!¡±


    All along the way, the music was upbeat. I had already been in a good mood, and listening to rock


    music only made me feel even better.


    It was evening by the time we reached Lavelian Vige. Nora drove the car into the vige and parked


    outside an antique-looking vi.


    Channing stood with his walking stick at the gates of the vi, seemingly having waited for a long time.


    When he saw Nora¡¯s car approach, he could not hide his happiness as he walked down the stairs to


    wee her.


    As soon as she parked the car, Nora got off and ran toward Channing to hug him. She said yfully,


    ¡°Grandpa, didn¡¯t I say that you should just wait at home? I know how to drive in. It¡¯s cold at night. What


    if you catch a cold?¡±


    Channing grinned from ear to ear as he replied, ¡°This girl. Didn¡¯t you say you would arrive in the


    morning? Look what time it is.¡±


    Nora pouted. ¡°I was asleep in the morning! By the way, I brought a friend with me.¡±


    As she spoke, Nora pulled me forward. ¡°Grandpa, this is my friend, Scarlett.¡±


    Channing smiled as he looked at me. ¡°I know her. We met in the vige¡¯s hotel. You¡¯re working at


    Murphy Corporation, right?¡±


    I nodded and smiled lightly. ¡°Hello, Mr. Oberick!¡±


    He nodded in reply. ¡°Hello!¡±


    When we were done with our introductions, Channing instructed his workers to prepare the food, then


    brought us into his house. There were only a few people in the vi, with only two caregivers and one


    housekeeper.


    The kitchen seemed to have prepared the food a long time ago and had already set them on the table.


    As we entered, the caregiver smiled and said, ¡°They¡¯ve all been heated up!¡±


    Channing nodded and said, ¡°Get a ss of beet juice for Nora.¡±


    Then, he turned to me and asked, ¡°What would you like to drink, Ms. Stovall?¡±


    I smiled politely and replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine with anything, Mr. Oberick. I¡¯m not picky.¡±


    Heughed. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try Nora¡¯s favourite beet juice as well then?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Sure, thank you!¡±


    Just then, the sound of an engine came from outside. It sounded like a car had just parked by the door.


    Nora had only just picked up her chopsticks and had not even taken a bite. She turned to Channing


    and asked, ¡°Grandpa, did you invite someone else?¡±


    He was taken aback for a moment, then he shook his head and replied, ¡°No. Who woulde and visit


    an old man like me in the middle of the night?¡±


    The housekeeper then entered the room and said, ¡°Mr. Oberick, a Mr. Fuller wish to see you.¡±


    Nora tutted and looked at me. ¡°Ashton?¡±


    Confused, I shook my head and replied, ¡°He should be busy now. I don¡¯t think he¡¯lle here.¡±


    However, I was not very certain of my words. Since Joe and Reba are in A City, he should be taking


    them around to view the city. I don¡¯t think he¡¯de here to apany me for dinner, right?


    Channing smiled and turned to the housekeeper. ¡°What a good timing. We¡¯ve only just sat down. Invite


    him in quickly!¡±


    The housekeeper nodded and left, then soon came back.


    Behind the housekeeper followed a slender, handsome man with an outstanding appearance. It was


    Ashton.


    Nora could not help butugh. ¡°Mr. Fuller, are you afraid that I¡¯d abduct your wife? I don¡¯t think you¡¯d be


    so petty as to not even let me take her out to y for a while, right?¡±


    After Ashton greeted Channing, he turned to Nora and replied, ¡°Scarlett doesn¡¯t sleep very well and


    gets insomnia easily. You two can go ahead and chat. I won¡¯t interfere!¡±


    ¡°Please take a seat!¡± said Channing as he pulled out the chair beside him. He then turned to Nora and


    scolded, ¡°Nora, where are your manners?¡±


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Ashtonughed. ¡°I was the one who came here uninvited. Sorry to disturb you.¡±


    Recalling what Nora had just said, Channing then looked at Ashton and asked, ¡°Nora said that you


    were here to see your wife. Isn¡¯t your wife Ms. Zimmer? Why¡­¡±


    ¡°Grandpa, you¡¯re confused!¡± said Nora, ¡°What do you mean by Ms. Zimmer? She¡¯s just a fake. The


    granddaughter-inw who was chosen by the old Mr. Fuller is here!¡±


    She pointed at me and smiled. ¡°You gave Grandma¡¯s bracelet to the wrong person. She¡¯s going to be


    angry!¡±

 Chapter 784

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 784


    Taken aback, Channing looked at Ashton, puzzled.


    Ashton was not the least bit upset. He quickly got up and bowed in apology. ¡°Sorry, Mr. Oberick. I¡¯d


    always wanted to exin what happened at the hotel then, but I didn¡¯t get the chance to. I¡¯ll officially


    make amends to you today.¡±


    Then, he took out the bracelet that Channing had given Rachel and returned it to him. ¡°Actually,


    Scarlett is my wife. We just had some conflicts on the day that we ate in the hotel. We can¡¯t ept this


    bracelet.¡±


    Since it hade to this, I stood up and bowed in apology as well.


    Channing seemed to still be a little stunned. He looked at me in a daze and said, ¡°You guys¡­¡±


    Just then, Nora spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t you understand yet, Grandpa? They had some conflicts before, which


    resulted in that big mess. But Mr. Fuller¡¯s right. Grandma left that bracelet behind, so you can¡¯t just give


    it away so casually. If you want to give them a gift, you can get them something else. The bracelet


    contains your memories with Grandma, so you shouldn¡¯t just give it away.¡±


    Channing smiled as he opened the box to look at the bracelet. He then looked at Ashton and me, who


    were still standing, and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine, you two can sit down. At least we resolved this


    misunderstanding.¡±


    When we had taken our seats, he continued, ¡°It¡¯s normal for married couples to fight once in a while.¡±


    Ashton and I quickly nodded in response. Nora then looked at me and whispered, ¡°I didn¡¯t think that


    your handsome icy husband would be so humble in front of the elderly!¡±


    I smiled faintly. Ashton¡¯s charms were not only because of his appearance and howmanding he


    was. His granitelike sternness with his subordinates and his disinterest in outsiders were all just habits


    of his.


    Deep down, he was actually a gentle and loyal person. He was patient with children and respectful and


    filial to his elders. Those were the qualities that made him charming.


    As Channing looked at the bracelet in his hands, he sighed a little. ¡°Just as you guys said, I shouldn¡¯t


    give this bracelet away. However, it¡¯s actually something that your Grandma told me to do. We¡¯ve been


    friends with the Fullers for decades, and this bracelet was originally given to our family by the old Mrs.


    Fuller. Sixty years ago, when everything was in a mess and we were busy trying to escape war to stay


    alive, we met the Fullers, who were poor just like us. Unlike now, we had to worry about everything


    back then. We had no food, so it was normal for us to eat tree bark. We were lucky if we even got to


    eat some bran.¡±


    Channing could not help but sigh, then continued, ¡°This silver bracelet may not look much now, but


    back then, it meant a lot to our friendship when we were gifted this. The old Mrs. Fuller had initially


    given this to us so that we could sell it for money to buy some food.¡±


    He then looked at Nora and continued, ¡°But your grandmother refused to do that. No matter how


    hungry we were or how tough our lives were, she treasured this bracelet. When we went to Venria to


    aid the war, she still did not sell it no matter how tough she had it and even when she had to take care


    of your father. When everything ended, we could have lived a good life from then on. But she¡¯d been


    malnourished for too long, so her body had given up on her slowly. She¡¯d always wished to take this


    bracelet to the daughter-inw of the Fullers, but she¡¯d passed away before her wish was fulfilled.¡±


    Channing was choking up by the time he was done speaking. He lowered his head and wiped away the


    tears in the corner of his eyes. ¡°I know this bracelet is not as valuable as those gold or jade ones, but it


    holds the memories of people of my generation. So we want to give it to you, in hopes that it will serve


    as a reminder to the two of you that no matter how tough life may be or whatever difficult problems you


    might face, the two of you will still have mutual understanding and continue to live well together. Once


    you have lived through certain phases in life, wealth no longer has much value. What¡¯s really valuable


    is the rtionship that you have with each other.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    Ashton took my hand in his and interlocked our fingers, then said, ¡°We will!¡±


    The things that he wanted to pass on to us were simple and heart-warming. There were many wealthy


    people in the world, but not many could find peace in their hearts.


    He hoped that even after facing the mess and filth in the world, we would still be able to face our lives


    with ease. Having such a mentality would be more important than anything else.


    Channing¡¯s eyes held a hint of longing and reluctance as he stroked the bracelet. After a while, he


    handed it to me. ¡°I¡¯m old. I¡¯ve been through the hardship that I had to and enjoyed the blessings of


    living a good life too. So many things happened in my lifetime, and everyone I miss is already gone, so


    I¡¯ve nothing left to worry over. All I want is to grant my wife¡¯s wish. Keep this bracelet and let it pass on


    from generation to generation.¡±


    My heart was warm, and my nose started burning. As I took the box into my hands, I nodded at


    Channing and replied, ¡°Mr. Oberick, we¡¯ll definitely pass it down to the younger generations.¡±


    He nodded and broke into a smile. ¡°Good. The future lies in the hands of young people like you.¡±

 Chapter 785

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 785


    I nodded while opening the box. In it,id a pair of bracelets. I took one out and said to Nora, ¡°Grandma


    would be happy if we bring one back. As for the other, Nora, would you be willing to realize Grandpa¡¯s


    wish with me? If we pass the bracelets down as a family heirloom, we would be one big family.¡±


    Nora was taken aback at my suggestion. She then turned to Channing.


    Channing was bewildered too, thenughed heartily. ¡°Nora, it seems you got a good friend!¡±


    Noraughed at his remark and epted the bracelet. ¡°It would be my honor. From now on, we are


    one big family.¡±


    The mood lightened at dinner.


    The day had turned dark when dinner was over.


    Everyone sat chatting while sipping tea in the living room when Nora asked, ¡°Scarlett, you told me that


    you have something to ask Grandpa. What is it?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    I almost forgot about it if she didn¡¯t remind me about it. ¡°Mr. Oberick, I have something to ask you.¡±


    Channing was happy that he had more of an appetite than usual. He sat casually on the couch and


    grinned, ¡°There is no need for you to be that courteous. Ask away.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to ask you about Winona Stovall. You mentioned her the other day when we had a meal


    together.¡±


    Channing sat up straight after hearing Winona¡¯s name. ¡°How are you rted to her?¡±


    I replied, ¡°She adopted me.¡±


    He nodded with understanding. His gaze flickered between Ashton and me in silence. ¡°It¡¯s not


    surprising George would allow you to marry Ashton.¡±


    ¡°Grandpa, can you tell us already? The suspense is killing me!¡± urged Nora.


    After a pause, Channing answered, ¡°I don¡¯t know Winona well. The only reason I know her was


    because of George. She was originally from K City but moved to R Province due to some reason. That


    was all I know about her.¡±


    ¡°Does my grandma have any rtives?¡± It had been so many years, but she had never told me


    anything about it.


    ¡°Surely she has them. She came from K City, so her rtives would be there. However, I fear that her


    rtives may have passed away since many years have passed.¡±


    After that, I stopped asking as Channing didn¡¯t seem to know much.


    Moreover, all these were in the past. Grandma never told me anything about her. Maybe she really


    didn¡¯t want anyone to know about it.


    Lavelian Vige was quiet at night. The autumn in September wasn¡¯t cold but chilly.


    Since Channing¡¯s health wasn¡¯t in the best condition, he needed to retire to bed early. The caregiver


    supported him as he made his way towards his bedroom.


    Right then, Nora clung onto my arm and said to Ashton, ¡°Mr. Fuller, we have decided that Scarlett


    would be sleeping with me tonight. You can¡¯t stop us!¡±


    Ashton narrowed his eyes at me. Despite not saying anything, his meaning was obvious.


    I facepalmed. ¡°Alright, it¡¯ste. Let¡¯s all sleep early!¡±


    The housekeeper led us to the second floor towards our respective rooms.


    Nora pouted, ¡°Scarlett, how could you forget about me when you have a man now? You can be with


    him anytime you want, so why can¡¯t you keep mepany just for one night?¡±


    I turned to nce at Ashton once again to ask for permission. After all, she had a point there, and I was


    highly persuaded.


    ¡°Ashton¡­¡±


    ¡°You know I can¡¯t sleep alone when I¡¯m outside,¡± Ashton said without waiting for me to finish my


    sentence.


    ¡°It¡¯s not toote for you to call Armond.¡±


    Nora red at him. ¡°Hey, Fuller! How could you be so mean? It is only for one night. I¡¯m not going to


    eat her up or anything.¡±


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t leave her!¡± Ashton said unabashedly.


    Nora was dumbstruck at his shamelessness. Refusing to speak to him any further, she retreated to her


    room. ¡°Ashton, maybe she just needs someone to talk to?¡± I turned around and said.


    Nora seemed like a carefree and mischievous girl on the outside, but she could be lonely on the inside.


    Hearing that, Ashton nodded with understanding. He cupped my face and gave me a gentle kiss. ¡°Go


    on then. Don¡¯t stay up toote.¡±


    I nodded with a grin. ¡°Ashton, you¡¯re the best!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re even better, Mrs. Fuller!¡± He smiled gently then motioned me towards Nora¡¯s room.


    As Nora¡¯s door wasn¡¯t locked, a slight push had it opened right away.


    Her entire room was in princess pink, and it looked cute. Meanwhile, Nora was sleeping face down on


    her princess bed.


    Hearing some slight movement, she assumed it was the caregiver. ¡°Could you check if the guests next


    door needs anything?¡±

 Chapter 786

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 786


    I smiled faintly as I stood by her bed. ¡°Are you intending to chase me out then?¡±


    Hearing my voice, Nora instantly sat up straight, then turned to me. ¡°Ashton is finally willing to release


    you?¡±


    I grinned and sat beside her. ¡°Just like what you said ¨C we¡¯ll have a lifetime together, so I thought I¡¯d


    come here and stay the night with you!¡±


    Nora squealed and jumped with joy. ¡°Scarlet, you¡¯re the best! I knew it! You¡¯re the best in this whole


    wide world!¡±


    I flicked her head gently, trying to calm her down. ¡°How could you determine that in such a short time?


    Go take a shower so we could sleep early.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s shower together!¡± She narrowed her eyes at me.


    Iughed as I pushed her towards the bathroom.


    Once she finished shower, she hugged me andy on the bed, staring nkly at the ceiling.


    I knew she was troubled by something. ¡°Are you thinking about Armond?¡±


    She focused her gaze on me and said, ¡°Of course not. There are other things on my mind too, you


    know.¡±


    ¡°What is it, then?¡±


    She hesitated and sighed, ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious why I was brought to Venria?¡±


    Now that I thought about it, I was. Even though the Oberick family weren¡¯t extremely rich or prestigious


    back in A City, Channing was still a well-known person. Naturally, he would protect his granddaughter


    well. So how was Nora brought into Venria, and what¡¯s worse, almost losing her life in the process?


    ¡°As a matter of fact, I didn¡¯t know how my parents passed away. Grandpa said they were caught up in a


    car ident. I was only two months old at that time. If it weren¡¯t for me, Grandpa would¡¯ve left with my


    parents too,¡± Nora said emotionlessly.


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    I wasn¡¯t good atforting others, so I listened intently.


    She leaned against me and continued, ¡°It has always been Grandpa and me for as long as I can


    remember. There was some money left from my father¡¯s mine. Grandpa used it for investment, so I


    was never without money. Even though Grandpa loves me a lot, I still want aplete family like the


    rest.¡±


    Then she looked at me and continued, ¡°Scarlett, I know you understand how I feel.¡±


    I nodded in agreement. Back in R Province, I was envious of Macy. Her parents treated her well, and I


    had always thought about how my future would be if I found my biological parents one day. Then I


    realized the reality wasn¡¯t as perfect as I imagined it to be.


    After a brief pause, she carried on, ¡°I told you before that I didn¡¯t have many friends. Since young, I was


    acquainted with a lot of people, and they either hoped that I would buy things for them, or they¡¯re using


    me for something else. Even if I knew their intentions, I still treated them as my friends because I was


    scared of being alone.¡±


    She seemed to have a deep fear of being lonely.


    Looking at her, I didn¡¯t know what to say, so I just hugged her. ¡°All will be well.¡±


    ¡°Before leaving for Venria, I was acquainted with a girl. When we met for the first time, we hit it off like


    old friends. She treated me well, and so I treated her like my best friend at that time. But I didn¡¯t expect


    her to trick me into the mountains. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise since I get to meet you.¡±


    After a while, she said to me, ¡°Scarlett, did you know that I was really touched when you gave me the


    bracelet? That was the first time I¡¯ve received any gift ¨C a gift that sincere.


    ¡°I was wondering if that moment was an umtion of good luck from the past twenty years of my


    life.¡±


    I smiled faintly as I held her. ¡°You will have more good luck in the future.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°When are you and Ashton leaving for K City?¡±


    I gasped, ¡°Why did you ask so suddenly?¡±


    ¡°I have thought things through. I¡¯m going to K City with you to make a living. I have decided that I will


    be wherever you are. My Grandpa is old now, so he wanted me to have someone I could rely on.


    Ashton is like a brother to me, and naturally, you¡¯re my sister-inw. Don¡¯t you dare think that you can


    cut ties with me.¡±


    Iughed, ¡°Alright. No cutting ties. But Nora, who¡¯s going to take care of your Grandpa in A City if


    you¡¯re leaving for K City?¡±


    She replied, ¡°There are housekeepers and caregivers in the Oberick family. My uncles and aunts could


    also take care of him. Besides, I will visit him often as well!¡±


    She added after a slight pause, ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to go to K City for the longest time, but I couldn¡¯t


    because I was always alone. Therefore this time, I will definitely go with you!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to K City for Armond¡¯s sake?¡± After all, the Murphys headquarters were in K


    City.


    She said with a blush, ¡°That was part of the reason but not entirely so.¡±


    The night deepened, and after some more random girl talk, she fell asleep.


    The next day, the sky was cloudy as if rain could fall at any moment.


    Nora was sleeping soundly. I didn¡¯t want to wake her up, so I cautiously got out of bed and headed for


    the balcony. I took in the view outside and confirmed that it was raining.


    I couldn¡¯t help but nce at Nora. The weather was indeed suitable for sleeping in.

 Chapter 787

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 787


    I discreetly exited the bedroom and headed towards Ashton¡¯s room. The door to his room was left wide


    open, and his bed was neatly arranged. There were no signs of the man in that room.


    I went downstairs and saw the caregiver preparing breakfast in the kitchen. She turned around when


    she heard some movement. ¡°Ms. Stovall, you¡¯re awake. Breakfast is ready, and they¡¯re on the table.


    Feel free to dig in.¡±


    I nodded and didn¡¯t see anyone else around. ¡°Did you see Mr. Fuller?¡±


    She grinned, ¡°Mr. Fuller had left in the early morning, saying he had something urgent to attend to in


    the city. He didn¡¯t want to wake you up early, so he asked me to inform you that he will be having


    dinner with you tonight, so don¡¯t be back toote.¡±


    I nodded in silence. I presumed that he would be nervous about his project.


    After breakfast, I strolled around the yard and saw Channing digging a patch there.


    I greeted him as I approached, ¡°Good morning, Mr. Oberick!¡±


    He stopped digging when he saw me. ¡°You¡¯re awake. Have you had breakfast?¡±


    I nodded and looked at what he was doing. ¡°Mr. Oberick, are you nning to nt some flowers here?¡±


    Heughed, ¡°Fall is almost here. I want to nt some leek, so I could harvest them in the winter.¡±


    Seeing that I was all alone, he asked, ¡°Is Nora still asleep?¡±


    I smiled and answered, ¡°Let her sleep in a while longer. She slepttest night.¡±


    He sighed, ¡°She doesn¡¯t sleep at night and doesn¡¯t wake up in the morning.¡±


    His affection could be heard in his tone, despite his grumbling.


    It was alreadyte evening when they arrived at the city from Lavelian Vige. Armond, who was


    waiting by the vi¡¯s entrance, red at Nora. He was waiting to have dinner with her.


    I returned to the vi as well. Ashton had mentioned in the morning that we would have dinner together.


    Hence, I figured it would be best if I prepared it myself.


    There were many fresh ingredients in the fridge.


    After half a day of preparation, three dishes and a soup were done. I nced at my phone and called


    Ashton.


    He didn¡¯t pick up his phone despite me calling him multiple times, so I decided to text him instead.


    I looked at the time, and it was almost eight, but I didn¡¯t hear any caring back. Thus, I called him


    again, but still, no one picked up.


    With that, I decided to call Joseph. He picked up the call after the phone rang for a few seconds. ¡°Mrs.


    Fuller!¡±


    ¡°Joseph, is Ashton with you?¡±


    Joseph seemed to know my reason for calling. ¡°Mr. Fuller is still in the conference room. I¡¯ll ask him to


    return your call once he¡¯s finished.¡±


    I muttered an agreement and hung up. Staring at the dishes on the table, I sighed.


    After waiting for him for another hour, I couldn¡¯t stand it, so I picked up my phone to call him again.


    At that moment, I heard a car engine sounded from the yard. I jumped up immediately and looked at


    the cold dishes on the table in despair.


    However, I was d that he was back. Immediately, I went to the door to wee him with a smile.


    Yet, it was only Joseph at the entrance.


    I looked behind him, and there was no sign of Ashton. ¡°Joseph, where¡¯s Ashton?¡±


    Joseph passed a box to me and answered, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, Mr. Fuller had a business dinner to attend to,


    so he couldn¡¯t make it. But he asked me to bring you this. He said it was from a restaurant famous for


    seafood, and it tastes fresh and tender. Please try it.¡±


    I was dumbstruck as I stared at the hairy crabs on the box¡¯s packaging. ¡°What time will he be back


    then?¡±


    Joseph shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that. You should eat something first.¡±


    I might as well. After I epted the box of hairy crabs, I went to look for a pair of scissors and a te.


    Then, I dug in once I ted the crabs.


    Joseph needed to return urgently, and so he left. I went to clean up the study when I was done with


    dinner.


    Not long after Joseph left, a car engine sounded from the yard again. However, this time I wasn¡¯t


    expecting Ashton.


    I got up and headed for the balcony for a glimpse. It turned out to be Nora and Armond. They were


    back from dinner.


    Nora nced in my direction and saw me on the balcony. ¡°Have you had dinner?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I did. What about you?¡±


    ¡°We just finished, and we also brought you some desserts. I will bring it over to youter.¡± Armond


    passed an exquisite box to her after parking the car.


    She headed to my house with the desserts in tow. At the same time, I headed downstairs to open the


    door for her.


    She was dressed in a tan overcoat. ¡°It¡¯s so cold, and you¡¯re only dressed so little?¡± she asked while


    studying me.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s not that cold.¡±


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    I epted the dessert and nced at her. ¡°Matcha cheese. You went to Whitelightne?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Try it. Armond said K City has a lot of matcha cheese desserts. Maybe the residents of A


    City had different tastes, so not a lot of people buy them. I figured you would like them, so I brought


    some back for you.¡±

 Chapter 788

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 788


    The taste of the cheese filled my mouth from the very first bite. ¡°It¡¯s delicious. Won¡¯t you have a bite?¡±


    She shook her head and rubbed her stomach. ¡°I can¡¯t eat anymore. I just had steak with Armond


    earlier. Besides, cheese is super high in calories. I don¡¯t want to get fat!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not fat for your height,¡± I teased.


    Nora pursed her lips. ¡°Of course, you would say that since you¡¯re lighter than me.¡±


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    Iughed but did not antagonize her further.


    She cast a nce around and realized that Ashton was not present. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t Ashton be back by


    now?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°He has a dinner appointment. He will be backte.¡±


    She grunted. ¡°Looks like the wife of the president has to learn to deal with solitude once in a while.¡±


    I felt satiated after consuming a block of cheese. Then, I stood up and poured her some water.


    ¡°You had steak today, didn¡¯t you?¡± I asked, recalling her earlier remark.


    Nora nodded as she squinted at me. ¡°What¡¯s up with your arm?¡±


    I followed her gaze and realized to my horror that my arm was covered in dense red rashes.


    She pulled my arm, suddenly frightened. ¡°It¡¯s all over your face too!¡±


    I was terrified to discover that they were not just on my face, but also on my legs and everywhere else.


    My eyes met Nora¡¯s. ¡°Is this an allergic reaction?¡± we said in unison.


    ¡°Are you allergic to cheese or matcha?¡± Nora studied me intently.


    I shook my head. I¡¯d always indulged in those but I never had a reaction like this.


    ¡°What else have you had?¡± Nora persisted.


    ¡°Hairy crabs!¡± I cried in realization.


    ¡°You¡¯re allergic to seafood?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No, it was impossible. I had them just yesterday.¡±


    I didn¡¯t have the time to overthink. Nora dashed out to the yard and shouted, ¡°Armond, Scarlett looks


    like she¡¯s having an allergic reaction. Hurry over and we¡¯ll take her to the hospital.¡±


    I studied the rashes with fear and could not figure out what I had eaten to cause such a reaction for the


    life of me.


    Nora returned soon after and pulled me out of the vi where Armond was waiting in his car.


    As soon as we entered, Armond headed straight for the hospital. Nora appeared frantic. ¡°Should we


    give Ashton a call?¡±


    I shook my head as he would be upied by now. ¡°It¡¯s fine. This is just a mild allergy. Let¡¯s get to the


    hospital and see what it actually is before contacting Ashton.¡±


    I began to worry about the rashes on my face when I felt the rashes itching fiercely.


    Though I wasn¡¯t beautiful by modern standards, I was at least proud of my face and did my best to


    present it well. It would be an awful shame indeed if it were to be scarred and pockmarked for life.


    We arrived at the hospital in record time. Armond stopped the car in front of the lobby and Nora


    dragged me out.


    ¡°Doctor! Doctor! This is an emergency!¡± she yelled.


    The staff came rushing over at the sound of her voice. Several nurses enquired about my condition and


    had Nora register on my behalf.


    A nurse led me to an office to wait for a doctor.


    The doctor on duty examined me and gave the diagnosis that it was indeed an allergic reaction but not


    a very serious one at that. A jab or two of a general antihistamine ought to do the trick. It was such a


    relief for me.


    I was still unsure about what it was that I was allergic to. ¡°Doctor, is it possible to find out what triggered


    it?¡±


    Whether or not it was the hairy crabs or the cheese, I had them often and never had a reaction like this


    before. Why today then?


    The doctor finished writing a prescription. ¡°It could be the fact that the crabs and cheese were


    consumed together, or that one of thepounds had triggered this reaction. If you¡¯d like, I could run


    some tests and give you a definite answer.¡±


    ¡°Yes, please.¡± I nodded. It wouldn¡¯t do to have to be cautious about what I eat all the time. If I¡¯m not


    careful, I might end up here again in a few weeks.


    This was a hospital in the city, and as a result, the wards were all upied. Even my jabs had to be


    done out in the corridor. To investigate the source of the allergy, the nurse drew some blood and


    hooked me up to a drip apparatus.


    There were more wards along the corridor. As it grewte, many patients fell asleep.


    There was no way I could fall asleep, though I tried to close my eyes to rest them. Meanwhile, Nora


    took care of my bill while Armond looked for a parking spot.


    This may not be a first-tier city, but parking was still a hassle.


    I heard footsteps along the corridor. A male doctor in a white gown appeared in front of my eyes.


    ¡°Did I wake you?¡± he asked.


    I shook my head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, I wasn¡¯t asleep.¡± The doctor procured a syringe when he saw


    that my drip was almost empty.


    ¡°Is it time to change the saline?¡± I enquired nervously.

 Chapter 789

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 789


    He shook his head and pinched the tube. ¡°This is a temporary measure,¡± he said as he emptied the


    contents of the syringe into my drip.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this administered as a jab?¡± I inquired suspiciously. Isn¡¯t it normal to inject a patient with


    antihistamine instead of administering it through the drip?


    The doctor adjusted the speed. ¡°It¡¯s saline. The previous batch was too concentrated; this is just to


    water it down slightly. Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t affect anything.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t familiar with medical procedures, but even in my ignorance, this exnation felt too far-fetched


    to me. But my nagging suspicion was unable to identify what was wrong.


    Without a concrete reason to raise any objections, I settled down and epted it withoutint.


    The doctor eventually moved to other patients to carry out the same procedure. My suspicions


    evaporated when I observed his deftness in carrying out his duty. Soon after, I closed my eyes again.


    A whileter, I could no longer deny feeling that something was wrong. My eyelids felt too heavy to


    open.


    Suspicion and fear clouded my mind. I groped for my hand and pinched it hard. After ascertaining that I


    was not dreaming, I mustered all my strength to wrench my eyes open.


    The sight of the doctor standing menacingly before I had confirmed my fears.


    I reached out to push him away, but he suddenly lifted me up and out of the corridor.


    As the sedative began to take effect, I reminded myself over and over again to stay awake.


    I bit down hard again on my tongue and the pain of it was immense. By this time, I found myself being


    carried over to the lift.


    I recognized the possibility of him taking me away. My first instinct was to struggle to free myself, but I


    feltpletely limp. I wanted to scream for help, but I was too weak to even form any words.


    The lift doors opened and he walked in with me. He pressed for a certain floor but I couldn¡¯t see what it


    was.


    The only thing that I felt sure of was that he had selected the lowest of the blurry red dots on the lift


    panel. It was most likely the underground garage.


    I dug my nails deep into my palms to maintain my consciousness.


    Before long, the lift doors opened once again and we exited. I had thought that he was going to throw


    me into a car and drive off to a secret location somewhere to be interrogated.


    However, the cold that I was thrust into had seeded in bringing me to full awareness of my


    surroundings.


    The chill of the September air was cold but not to this extent. This was something else; it was sub-zero


    temperatures that could freeze hell over.


    The realization of where I was shed dully but clearly in my mind. The morgue!


    It wasn¡¯t just the underground garage that was at the bottom of the hospital. I forgot about the morgue.


    Besides, there was no reason for a garage to be at a sub-zero temperature.


    I had recovered some of my wits under the extreme cold. The sight that greeted me upon opening my


    eyes was one of pure terror. It was white everywhere I looked. The corpses that were not yet stored


    were covered in white sheets.


    The man dropped me from his shoulders and went out of my field of vision. I heard the sound of ice


    blocks being shifted.


    Several secondster, I felt myself being ced into a container that was even colder than my


    surroundings.


    A series of creakster, I was pushed into an enclosed space.


    The remainder of my wits allowed me to conclude that I was ced into one of the drawers.


    My innate survival instincts kicked in. As I fought to get myself out of my predicament, the only act I


    was capable of was to reach out and touch the sides of my prison. The possibility of exerting force or


    crying out was beyond reach.


    The fear of facing death seeped through my entire being. I knew that I would be doomed if nobody


    were toe to my rescue. And I would have been dead for a long time before anyone could find me.


    But who was it that hated me to resort to such a vengeance in this measure?


    I considered everybody around me but could draw no reasonable conclusion.


    My body was beginning to shiver violently in a valiant attempt at survival, but due to the sedative nature


    of the drug that was administered to me, it did not produce much of an effect.


    The only thing that I felt was everything was slowing down.


    This is such a joke.


    Out of all the ways I¡¯ve considered of me meeting my end, this was definitely not one of them.


    I had survived the threats that Reba had made, Cameron¡¯s vicious schemes, and the near-death


    experiences in Venria.


    But at the very end, I would sumb to such a simple and subtle, even elegant way of murder.


    I would not have been able to think of this even in my wildest dreams.


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    I wanted to see Summer. I did not manage to exin to her why I had to leave without saying goodbye.


    I had not managed to give her onest hug and tell her that she had to grow up and live her life even if


    I was no longer around.


    I had not managed to meet Emery¡¯s children and greet Zachary and Cameron as Dad and Mom. I did


    not get the chance to cook a meal for them, or the opportunity to tell them that I bear them no


    resentment.


    I did not get the chance to tell Ashton that I actually loved him deeply and that I wanted to bear him a


    child. I did not get to tell him that I was looking forward to a massive wedding celebration with him.

 Chapter 790

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 790


    There were too many things that I had not yet achieved. I did not want to die or to freeze to death.


    Under the deep biting cold, I became aware of my ownbored breathing and the low electrical hum of


    the freezer.


    I tried once more to call for help, but I was not able to utter a sound. The cold near the top of my head


    started to seep in slowly but surely. First, it prated my scalp, then through my skull, then it started


    to affect my nerves. They seared with pain and went numb.


    It felt like an eternity, or maybe it was only a few minutes, but the act of waiting for death to im me in


    the suffocating silence was awful.


    I became aware of feeling sleepy and groggy. I suddenly recalled something being said a long time ago


    by someone. They said that true death came in three forms.


    The first was the cessation of breathing. Your soul and body would separate and somehow feel your


    limbs stiffen up. This was the death of the body.


    The second type was being dered dead. When you stopped breathing andy in bed, someone


    would be there to dere you dead and state your time of death.


    Thest type was death in the memories of your loved ones. When your body and mind disintegrate,


    along with your existence in the world, and all the traces of you being on earth would go with it. Slowly,


    you would even fade away from the memories of your loved ones, until one day, you cease to even


    exist in the first ce.


    At the moment, I felt like I was experiencing the first type of death. The sound of my breath, no, the


    sound of my heartbeat was steadily weakening. It grew so faint that I could not feel my breath anymore.


    Perhaps my time really hade. It was destined to be this very moment.


    Just as I felt my eyes closing, perhaps for the final time, I heard and felt a massive collision. It must


    have hit the container that I was in.


    The noise grew more frantic and urgent; the blows became harder and more vicious. When the brilliant


    white light flooded my eyes, I saw what seemed to be the shape of a tall and slim figure drawing me out


    of the icy grip of death and holding me in the warm embrace of life.


    It was too much to describe; everything flooded my senses and overwhelmed me.


    The door flung open and though it was still sub-zero out there, it felt warm to me.


    I could now feel my body, close to the point of being frozen solid, being lifted up in a pair of strong


    arms. The figure that had carried me was radiating heat like an oven.


    Warmth had never felt more wee in my entire life. I huddled closer. A familiar scent flooded my


    nostrils, allowing me to identify my savior. I tried calling out but to no avail.


    What I wanted to say was ¡°Thank you, Ashton.¡± But I did not manage to.


    Because of him, all the terror and tension that had gripped me for thest few hours had dissipated. I


    shut my eyes tight and drifted off to unconsciousness.


    I had a very strange dream. A beautiful woman had an infant in her arms. She walked in the snow for a


    long time until she was unable to continue. Then, she ced the child down and knelt down in the


    snow to kiss the baby. She wept as if her heart was breaking.


    After a long time, she left the child where ity and departed on her own. The child, sensing the


    absence of its mother, cried out pitifully into the night.


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    I watched the entire scene from afar. Fearful for the child¡¯s safety, I had wanted to take a closer look.


    However, everything vanished as I approached.


    Then, the dream shifted. I was back in my childhood with the old locust tree and the swing that hung


    from one of its branches. Grandma pushed me as she sang my favorite songs.


    Suddenly, Grandma vanished as well. I was plunged in a midst of a crowd and caught sight of a


    slender figure approaching me whilst he waved.


    I walked towards it. Before I could get a closer look, the crowd lurched and I was shoved to the side.


    The same dream repeated itself several times. I knew that the figure in the dream was Ashton, but


    whenever I reached out to try to grab hold of him, he would disappear.


    It happened a few times, and I grew more and more desperate with each failure trying to hold on to


    him. Finally, I reached out into the dark and wed wildly at the air until I felt a pair of hands holding


    mine tightly.


    ¡°Scarlett.¡± A voice beside me called out.


    I heard it and wanted to answer, but I was unable to speak.


    ¡°Scarlett,¡± they called again. I desperately tried to detect the source of the voice and panted heavily


    from the effort.


    I opened my eyes groggily. The figure next to me was familiar.


    I reached out to grab hold of him. Even his warmth was familiar. Once again, my strength failed me,


    and I felt my hand flopping back down onto the bed.


    A secondter, my hand was being clutched tightly. ¡°Scarlett, I am here.¡±


    It was Ashton.


    His voice soothed me greatly. Soon, I felt the fear begin to vanish and felt much calmer after that.


    I didn¡¯t even have the energy to nod. Then, my eyelids drooped again.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening? Why isn¡¯t she awake yet?¡± Ashton¡¯s voice rang up and I could see in my mind how


    he frowned at the doctor.


    ¡°She¡¯s out of the critical phase,¡± the doctor answered. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with her, she¡¯s just


    drained of energy over the whole ordeal. Just let her rest and she will wake up when she¡¯s ready.¡±


    I was actually wide awake and aware of most things going on around me but I had no way of opening


    my eyes, and I still felt weak all over.


    I heard some footsteps and figured that someone was departing. After a while, I felt my hand being


    intertwined in another¡¯s.

 Chapter 791

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 791


    ¡°Scarlett, you¡¯ve been asleep for two days,¡± the soft voice said. ¡°Please wake up!¡±


    I wanted to say something and to open my eyes, but I did not seed.


    I felt something moist inside my bone-dry mouth. After some time, my face and limbs were being


    cleaned gently by a damp towel.


    I couldn¡¯t help but fall back asleep again due to my extreme fatigue.


    My dreams were iprehensible and confusing. The next time I opened my eyes, my surroundings


    were clearer to me than they were though I was still feeling groggy.


    Ashton slumped over my bed as he was asleep. His hair looked rather greasy as though he hadn¡¯t


    showered in days.


    ¡°Ashton!¡± I croaked. My voice was hoarse but I was surprised that I managed to say that.


    I smiled at the realization that I was still alive. It feels so good to be alive!


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    At the sound of his name, Ashton straightened himself up. He looked haggard and unkempt. I reached


    out to caress his face and felt a cluster of tiny beards poking out of his chin.


    I chuckled. ¡°Haven¡¯t I just shaved for you? They¡¯ve grown back.¡±


    Ashton clutched my hand tightly and gaze at me with his deep dark eyes. He did not speak for a long


    time; his eyes welled up with tears of relief.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡± he said with a choking voice after a long while.


    I nodded with a smile as I had escaped death yet again.


    ¡°It¡¯s so good to see you!¡± I tugged his hand and held it tight.


    Ashton got up and hugged me tightly. He poured me a ss and made sure I finished it. ¡°You¡¯ll get to


    see me every day from now on,¡± he said, unable to conceal the joy in his voice.


    I felt much better after hydrating myself. I could think clearer and move my body freely now. Not to


    mention my throat felt a lot morefortable and moister. ¡°If I could fit you in my pocket, I¡¯ll get to see


    you every day,¡± I said, wasting no time in teasing him as soon as I got my voice back.


    Ashton brushed my nose gently in response to my mischief. ¡°You¡¯re in a yful mood. It¡¯s good to see


    you back to your old self.¡±


    He hugged me again and it was tighter than before. I felt squished into his chest.


    I let him hold me and savored it. The entire spectrum of emotions surged through me and I felt lucky to


    be alive just to experience them again.


    No matter what happens in this life, I will never leave him again. He was all I could think about during


    the few minutes in the freezer. As I approached death, even the rhythm of my pulse had chided me for


    taking his love for me for granted, and that I should not push him away and pick fights with him.


    It was my good fortune to have met him in my life.


    ¡°Ashton!¡± I whispered as I held his neck and looked at him.


    He grunted and hugged me again. There was an unspeakable joy behind his wearied eyes.


    ¡°I love you so very much,¡± I said. Since the day we met, over our marriage spanning a decade, I have


    never told him this. If I didn¡¯t say it now, I didn¡¯t know when I would be able to do that.


    I was not going to have any regrets on my deathbed again.


    Ashton gazed deep into my eyes. He nodded and nted a kiss on my forehead. ¡°I won¡¯t disappoint


    you.¡±


    I smiled again, just feeling grateful for being alive.


    As I ced my head on his chest to savor the peace that came with it, the incidents of that night


    suddenly returned to haunt me. ¡°What happened that day I went to the hospital?¡± I asked.


    Who the hell wants me dead? The temperature in the freezer would have sealed my fate within two


    hours.


    If Ashton had not appeared in time, I would not have made it out alive.


    ¡°I was having dinner with Joe and the rest when Nora called me,¡± he exined. ¡°They¡¯d found out that


    you were missing when they arrived at the hospital. We looked through the surveince and found out


    that you were taken to the morgue. As there were no cameras down there, locating you took quite a bit


    of time.¡±


    Ashton¡¯s voice was low and hoarse as if he dreaded reliving the memory of that night. I was unable to


    imagine how he must have felt when he found me, frozen half to death like fresh seafood.


    Or possibly something worse!


    ¡°Did you find out who was behind it?¡± I asked, looking up at him.


    Ashton frowned as his gaze grew cold. ¡°The hairy crabs and matcha that you had consumed were


    laced with sesame. We¡¯re not sure if this was nned by someone intentionally.¡±


    I frowned. I was aware that I was allergic to sesame, but I had never told anyone that, including Ashton.


    In fact, the only person who knew that I was allergic to sesame was Grandma.


    When I grew older, I basically did not touch sesame at all. asionally I would have had mild reactions


    if the food was seasoned with a trace amount of sesame. It wouldn¡¯t be too serious if I have had a tiny


    bit.


    Be that as it may, it was impossible that anyone could have predicted my allergic reactions. The thing


    that bothered me more was what happened in the hospital.


    It was obvious that that man had meant to kill me. Was the whole rigmarole of drugging me and


    shutting me in a morgue improvised? Or was it nned in advance?

 Chapter 792

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 792


    At that thought, I could not suppress a bitterugh. ¡°They¡¯ve thought things through, haven¡¯t they? They


    even had the courtesy to keep my body in one piece.¡±


    Ashton grimaced in anger. ¡°Something like this will never happen again.¡±


    I snuggled against him, confident that he would be investigating this thoroughly. ¡°If you managed to find


    out who it was, I¡¯d like to meet the person!¡±


    Ashton grunted. His cold gaze resumed. ¡°Take care of yourself and just leave the rest to me.¡±


    I did not feel like going back to sleep now that I was up, maybe it was due to the fact that I had been


    sleeping so much I felt sick of it. ¡°Not many people would hate me to the point of plotting my murder.


    The people who would actually dare to carry it out are even scarce.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t figure out who would be that bold to do such a thing.


    Nora entered the ward. Her eyes looked swollen like she had been crying for a long time.


    At the sight of me sitting up in bed, she paid no heed to Ashton and ran over to my other side and


    threw herself onto me. ¡°You¡¯re finally awake,¡± she sobbed. ¡°You¡¯ve been asleep for three whole days!


    I¡¯d thought that you have left me behind and don¡¯t want to take me to K City anymore.¡±


    It hurt my still frail body to be embraced by two people at the same time.


    It was a good thing that Armond arrived in time to pull Nora off of me. ¡°She just woke up. Are you


    nning on knocking her out again?¡± he chided Nora.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be preposterous!¡± Nora shoved Armond indignantly. ¡°Scarlett is fine. She¡¯ll always be.¡±


    She wiped her tears at that. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I did not know that you are allergic to sesame,¡± she said guiltily.


    ¡°If I knew that the matcha cheese had that amount of sesame in it, I would rather die than to have


    caused you to have that reaction!¡±


    I chuckled and patted her hand. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Nora. It was mine for not noticing in the first ce.


    Anyway, it was an ident!¡±


    Nora still felt to me. ¡°If you did not have that allergic reaction, we wouldn¡¯t havee to the hospital,


    and you wouldn¡¯t be abducted. It¡¯s all my fault. If we ever caught the man who did this to you, I¡¯ll kill him


    myself!¡±


    ¡°Have you caught him?¡± Armond turned to Ashton and asked.


    Ashton pursed his lips and cast a meaningful look at Armond.


    Nora did not understand. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you see what he looked like from the surveince? Even if he had a


    mask on, you would have found him by now! It¡¯s been three days!¡±


    ¡°There was a switch,¡± Ashton exined. ¡°The man who took Scarlett into the morgue wasn¡¯t the same


    man who had administered the sedative.¡± He frowned, deep in thought. ¡°The man who made it into the


    morgue made every effort to avoid the cameras.¡±


    Armond was silent for a while. ¡°Does the trail of evidence end here, then?¡±


    Ashton said nothing but patted my back gently.


    ¡°Forget it,¡± Nora said, in an attempt to keep the conversation positive. ¡°Let¡¯s eat before we do anything


    else. There¡¯s still plenty to do in Lavelian Vige. We would have to go back there after eating.¡±


    I perked up. ¡°Has the project in Lavelian Vigemenced?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it has.¡± Armond nodded.


    I was still doubtful but did not pursue the matter.


    Nora brought some food for me, then she and Armond departed in a rush.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    I did not have much of an appetite as I had just woken up. Nora¡¯s cooking was delicious, but I could not


    force myself to eat much.


    ¡°Finish up!¡± Ashton chastised as he saw me giving up after several mouthfuls.


    ¡°I¡¯m really not hungry, I don¡¯t feel like eating,¡± I pleaded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll feed you.¡±


    I red at him. ¡°Did the doctor say when I could be discharged?¡± I asked, in an attempt to divert the


    subject.


    ¡°A few more days, as you¡¯ve just regained consciousness.¡±


    I could tell from his expression that he was determined to let me stay and rest for a couple more days.


    At the thought of Lavelian Vige, I grew serious. ¡°Ashton, any leads on the case on Lavelian Vige?¡±


    I recalled him mentioning that he considered withdrawing his involvement.


    ¡°Another obstacle. Don¡¯t you think that I am fulfilling somebody else¡¯s wish by giving up and walking


    away?¡±


    His meaning slowly dawned on me. ¡°Do you think it was done by the same person?¡± I asked, my eyes


    wide as saucers.


    The robbery at the base, Nora¡¯s fall, and the numerous attempts on my life. These events appeared


    unrted at first nce, but upon closer inspection, they seemed to be interconnected to serve arger


    purpose.


    The robbery at the base would dy the press conference. Nora¡¯s ident would halt the project at


    Lavelian Vige.


    If I did not make it out of the morgue alive, Ashton would bring my body back to K City and never step


    foot in A City ever again. eptance of the Lavelian Vige project would definitely be out of the


    question.


    Upon arrival at this conclusion, there was still something that I did not understand. ¡°Was everything


    intended to harm the Murphys or the Fullers?¡±


    Ashton was in no hurry to answer. His gaze fell onto the bowl of soup before me. ¡°Shall I feed you?¡± he


    asked quietly.


    I ate a few more spoonful. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve eaten. Tell me more.¡±

 Chapter 793

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 793


    Ashton rose to his feet without speaking. The doctor came in for a quick check-up. ¡°Mrs. Fuller is


    completely fine. A few more days of rest and she¡¯ll be cleared for discharge.¡±


    Ashton nodded. Capitalizing on his attention being elsewhere, I pushed the half-eaten bowl of soup


    away from me.


    After the doctor left, I rose to go to the bathroom. However, my legs were not in use for too long and I


    toppled over the moment I put some weight on them.


    Ashton¡¯s reflexes were lightning quick. He reached out and caught hold of me. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    he asked sternly.


    ¡°I want to go to the washroom,¡± I answered, trying not tough. That was embarrassing.


    Ashton lifted me up in his arms and carried me into the bathroom. He then threw me over his shoulder


    and undid my pants for me.


    ¡°Ashton, I can do this on my own,¡± I said hurriedly, pushing him away. ¡°Please wait for me outside.¡± I


    was hoping he would leave before he saw how red I was.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? I¡¯ve seen every part of you before, haven¡¯t I?¡± he said with a frown.


    How is that the same?


    I pushed him again. ¡°It¡¯s not the same. Please let me do this on my own. I think I can manage!¡±


    Ashton threw my hands off bossily. ¡°I have been changing your urine bags for the past two days,¡± he


    said. ¡°You are my wife, I should be taking care of you. I¡¯m sure you would do the same when I¡¯m old


    and grey. Stop overthinking.¡±


    I was speechless. He was right. After being married for so long, there wasn¡¯t anything left to hide from


    one another.


    It was one thing when I wasatose, but a whole other thing when I¡¯mpletely conscious. I


    pushed him gently. ¡°That was different but I¡¯m awake now. I can do this on my own. I promise to call


    you when I¡¯m done, okay?¡±


    Ashton pouted at me. ¡°Be careful then,¡± he said.


    I nodded.


    I sighed with relief at the sight of his departing back. If not for his timeless good looks and graceful


    slender build, I would have assumed he was an old grumpy man.


    When did he be so meticulous and fussy?


    After two days of rest in the hospital, the doctor examined me one more time before dering that I


    was fit to go home.


    Ashton spent practically all of his time here at the hospital. He had even brought over all of my


    toiletries. Joseph was tasked with investigating my abduction, so the job of caring for my needs fell to


    Ashton.


    I sat on the edge of the bed and watched him pack my clothes. ¡°Ashton, when you¡¯re old and broke,


    you could apply for a housekeeping job.¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯ll go broke?¡± Ashton ced my folded clothes into the suitcase and asked.


    ¡°No,¡± I answered after a moment¡¯s pause. With his abilities, he would never be as poor as that.


    Ashton ced the toiletries into the basin we paid for during my stay at the hospital. It was used to hold


    the water to clean my face when I was rendered immobile in bed.


    ¡°Do we need to bring that home?¡± I asked. We didn¡¯t need that at the vi.


    Ashton did not reply. It was practically brand new, it would have gone to waste if it was left here at the


    hospital, but also stored away without use for it if we brought it back.


    Besides, Ashton was the type of man who did not concern himself with the nitty gritty aspects of


    whether or not a basin woulde in handy someday.


    The janitor smiled at me as she entered to perform her daily cleaning duties.


    I¡¯vee to befriend her during the past couple of days. She appeared to be a mute, as she had


    always greeted me with a smile and nothing else.


    Ashton walked up to her and ced the basin on her tray of tools. In a few gestures, he had expressed


    his intentions.


    Thedy nodded vigorously in gratitude. I did not understand much and interrupt them.


    We made our way downstairs to the parking lot. As I entered the car, I teased him. ¡°Mr. Fuller, it


    appears that you are bing increasingly humble.¡±


    Ashton chuckled lightly as he fastened my seatbelt for me. ¡°If I remained distant and aloof, I would be


    missing out on the joys of life being around my wife and my children. I want to be a part of that.¡±


    He started the car but kept his grasp on me. ¡°That¡¯s dangerous, Ashton,¡± I protested.


    ¡°Do you not trust my driving skills?¡± Ashton teased.


    Iughed but did not refute him.


    As soon as I got better, I began to keep myself upied again. Ashton took it upon himself to


    investigate my abduction quietly. As I did not have connections and resources, it was difficult for me to


    take up that task.


    Since I was in charge of the project in Lavelian Vige, I had to be there naturally.


    After a day¡¯s rest at the vi, I packed my belongings and headed for Lavelian Vige.


    Nora had nothing much to do too. She spent her time either tailing behind Armond or enjoying my


    company.


    There was much to do when the project started. Even Nora lent a helping hand.


    After we returned to the hotel at night, Nora climbed into bed andined, ¡°After working hard for


    the entire day, I don¡¯t even get a room, not to mention not getting paid¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

 Chapter 794

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 794


    ¡°Would you like me to bring it up with Mr. Murphy tomorrow?¡± I teased. ¡°You would enjoy some benefits


    if you were a member of Murphy Corporation.¡±


    Nora rolled her eyes at me. ¡°What would I do with those benefits?¡± she retorted. ¡°I would prefer to have


    the title of Mrs. Murphy. Plus, I don¡¯t need to be paid as I have plenty of money.¡±


    I shrugged without saying anything. ¡°Armond would be done with work by this time, wouldn¡¯t he?¡± Nora


    asked after some thought.


    ¡°I suppose so,¡± I replied.


    She brought her clothes in with her to the bathroom. ¡°Don¡¯t wait up for me,¡± she said with a wink. ¡°I


    won¡¯t be home tonight!¡±


    We were all adults after all.


    Ashton called me a littleter. I realized with some horror that I had forgotten to inform him that morning


    that I would be heading out to Lavelian Vige.


    ¡°Honey, are you home?¡± I crooned sweetly when I picked up.


    Ashton¡¯s mesmerizingughter was rather pleasing to my ears. ¡°I am almost home. Have you had your


    dinner?¡±


    I told him that I did. ¡°How about you?¡± I asked while thinking hard of a way to tell him that I was at


    Lavelian Vige.


    ¡°Yes, I have!¡± he replied.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to know that you are taking care of yourself,¡± I said. ¡°Oh, by the way, I came to Lavelian


    Vige this morning. It¡¯s been really busy, and I¡¯m afraid that I would have to spend the night here.¡±


    He grunted, the joy in his voice diminishing considerably. ¡°I have to spend the night alone, don¡¯t I?¡± he


    asked sorrowfully.


    This man¡­


    ¡°I had to spend the day alone, too.¡± Iughed. ¡°Where did you go, by the way? Who were you with?¡±


    I have to admit that this was not the most subtle way of changing the topic of a conversation.


    ¡°I was with Joe,¡± he replied frankly. ¡°Can youe back by tomorrow? We can have dinner together.¡±


    I gave it a thought but decided against it. There was simply too much to do.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can,¡± I said apologetically. ¡°Why? Do you have anything going on?¡±


    ¡°I have to return to K City,¡± he said. ¡°There is something that I have to deal with in thepany.¡±


    Ashton was at A City for almost two months. I dreaded to think about what his desk in K City would look


    like by now. The losses would undoubtedly be heavy.


    ¡°When you would be departing?¡± I asked. It¡¯s a hectic period for both of us; we would have to fend for


    ourselves for the time being.


    ¡°Tomorrow!¡± he said glumly. ¡°Joseph will remain here. You can ask him for help whenever you need to.¡±


    I nodded.


    We spent a little more time flirting over the phone. At this moment, Nora emerged from the bathroom


    d in a bathrobe. ¡°Babe,¡± she said to me. ¡°Have you taken my feelings into consideration before dirty


    talking your man while I¡¯m still in the room?¡±


    Iughed and ended the call with Ashton. ¡°Do you n on going out dressed like that?¡±


    It was September and Nora wore a ck dress that went halfway up her thighs. She looked sexy and


    gorgeous, but it was probably too cold to be out in that.


    She smiled broadly and did a twirl so I could admire her dress. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about how cold I¡¯ll be. Tell


    me how hot I look!¡±


    I nodded as she blew dry her hair into curls, applied a little light makeup, and procured a fur coat from


    her closet. It looked stylish and ravishing, with a hint of goth.


    Nora carefully picked out a matching pair of heels to go with the rest of her outfit. ¡°How do I look?¡± she


    asked as she watched my expression carefully.


    I knew why she took the time into looking all dolled up. ¡°Take care and y safe!¡± I said.


    She giggled. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about me,¡± she said. ¡°At his age, Armond would want a child. If I get


    knocked up, I will have a legitimate reason to marry him!¡±


    I rolled my eyes at her. ¡°Love should be the primary reason for everything, especially for girls. You


    should be moving from dating to marriage to having a child one step at a time. You shouldn¡¯t rush into


    having a child under such uncertain circumstances. Actually, we don¡¯t even know much about the


    Murphys, don¡¯t we?¡±


    She was taken aback by my seriousness. ¡°I know now, Scarlett.¡± she nodded slowly. ¡°No matter what it


    is, I will always prioritize my own safety.¡±


    With Nora prepared to have a fun night out, I was prepared to put away my things and tuck in for the


    night.


    The following day, Ashton was in a rush back to K City. He only managed to send me a message


    before boarding.


    Nora returned earlier than expected. I opened the door to the sight of her standing unsteadily in front of


    me. ¡°What¡¯s up? You¡¯re back early?¡±


    She leaned against me and mumbled, ¡°Armond went to the base, and I can¡¯t sleep alone. So I¡¯m back


    here to sleep with you.¡±


    I buried my forehead in my hands exasperatedly. ¡°I¡¯m leaving soon. You should take the day off and


    rest here if you¡¯re tired. Just stay in the whole day, will you?¡±


    I helped her over to the bed, grabbed my purse, and left.


    At the AI base, the cops searched the premises for a couple of days and found nothing useful. Armond


    sent them away in disappointment.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Ashton had ns in ce for the continuation of the Lavelian Vige project. The avable AI


    technology in K City that we required was transported over for our perusal.

 Chapter 795

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 795


    The employees were busy setting everything up. Rachel was at the base directing and making


    arrangements. At the sight of me, she merely red distastefully but did not say anything disparaging.


    I was not very familiar with the technology, so the best I could do was to handle the misceneous


    items on the side. The damage done to the base was repaired with such skill that I could not tell the


    difference.


    With Armond and Rachel delegating, I watched in amazement as the employees ferried over and set


    up all sorts of sophisticated machinery.


    Two of them brought a sort of excavation machine in. It wasn¡¯trge, but it was fully automated. They


    left the machine and departed.


    I was curious and couldn¡¯t help myself from getting a closer look. It wasn¡¯t turned on, so it just looked


    like a pile of scrap metal.


    I couldn¡¯t understand why children were so fascinated with these things.


    ¡°These are used to assist in the development phase,¡± came Joseph¡¯s voice from behind.


    I was nonplussed. ¡°Assist the development?¡±


    Joseph nodded. ¡°There aren¡¯t manyborers here in Lavelian Vige. The robots basically handle all of


    the follow-up work.¡±


    ¡°Were the stolen goods simr to this?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they were,¡± said Joseph. ¡°That was why the projects had to be postponed. However, it was a


    good thing that we have backups on hand. Themencement of the project wasn¡¯t a problem. Our


    worry is that if the technology is leaked, it would be a hassle to haggle and fight for copyright.¡±


    ¡°Coming through!¡± a voice came suddenly from behind. Instinctively, I stepped back to make way.


    I tried to avoid touching the machine behind me, but I lost my footing and gave it a shove instead.


    In an instant, the machine came to life and raced backward, smashing into everything in its path. It had


    happened so suddenly that everybody was caught off guard.


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    The six-foot-tall machine fell over. Thankfully its progress was halted by the wall and the damage was


    not as bad as it could have been.


    Joseph held me steadily. ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked.


    I shook my head and looked behind me at the damaged machine.


    ¡°It¡­¡±


    ¡°Scarlett, it¡¯s you again. You¡¯re a troublemaker, aren¡¯t you? Things will always go wrong whenever you


    show up.¡± Rachel strode over and signaled for men to clean up the wreckage.


    ¡°Do you know how expensive these things are?¡± she chastised. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to fix them, you know.


    Don¡¯t you feel bad for the people who have to suffer because of you?¡±


    I did not do it on purpose. ¡°I am sorry,¡± I hung my head and apologized. ¡°It was not done on purpose. I


    would be happy to bear the cost of the damages.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you would bear the costs, it¡¯s not even your money, to begin with,¡± she said scathingly.


    ¡°How nice it must be to spend your man¡¯s money like that.¡± Rachel was clearly savoring the moment of


    my mistake.


    Joseph felt the need to interject. ¡°Ms. Zimmer, I think you should concern yourself with the repair works.


    Let me handle everything else.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Rachel¡¯s temper red but decided not to pursue it as she caught sight of the look in Joseph¡¯s


    eyes.


    She spun around and started describing the extent of the damage in great volume and detail.


    I was aware that she directed the sarcasticments to me on purpose.


    The mark on the wall left by the machine caught my interest. It had scraped off some of the white paint


    and revealed bare rock underneath.


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller,¡± Joseph said when he caught me examining the wall. ¡°It¡¯s crowded and chaotic here. Let¡¯s


    head into the office.¡±


    ¡°Who was it that built this base? Murphy Corporation or Fuller Corporation?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°Why, Murphy Corporation, of course,¡± Joseph said, puzzled. ¡°Murphy Corporation built this entire


    enterprise. Why do you ask?¡±


    I shook my head in confusion. Turning back to the wall, I knocked on it for no particr reason only to


    discover to my surprise that some spots were hollow.


    But it did not look any different from the solid parts.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, could you verify these data?¡± Leedon came over with his hands full with arge stack of


    documents.


    I nodded and tore my eyes away from the wall. ¡°Are these not dealt with?¡± I asked, taking over the


    documents from him.


    Leedon nodded. ¡°It¡¯s nearing the end of the month. These things have to be sorted out earlier and sent


    as reports to the headquarters. I¡¯m old and illiterate, so I¡¯m afraid I would have to depend on you.¡±


    I nodded after studying the information. ¡°Leedon, were the walls constructed ording to temporary


    structural specifications?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he said with a shake of his head. ¡°They were built ording to strict residential specifications. To


    keep this project quiet, the foundation is exactly double its original width. The walls are thick too!¡±


    I was startled and shot another nce toward the damaged wall. Leedon appeared to be panicking


    over the deadline of the reports, so I grabbed the stack of documents and brought it into the office.


    It was another long and hectic day. After I got off work, Ashton sent me another text to inform me that


    he had arrived at K City.


    I was incredibly tired, so I headed back to the hotel even before I had dinner. The phone rang just as I


    came out of the shower.


    It was Ashton. I picked up the phone and sprawled on the bed. ¡°Good evening, Mr. Fuller!¡± I greeted as


    I rested my eyes.


    ¡°Have you had your dinner?¡± I could picture his smile just from the way he spoke. ¡°What¡¯re you doing?¡±

 Chapter 796

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 796


    If I said that I did not want to eat, he would just continue to nag. Thus, I could only reply, ¡°I¡¯ve already


    eaten. Have you?¡±


    ¡°Yep, I¡¯m eating now!¡± The sound of sses clinking together could be heard from his end.


    ¡°Are you eating outside?¡±


    ¡°Yep!¡± he replied.


    My hair was still wet, and when I leaned back against it, my back was drenched. I turned and asked,


    ¡°Who are you with?¡±


    He chuckled lightly and said, ¡°A¡­ girl!¡±


    I pursed my lips. ¡°Is she younger or older?¡±


    ¡°Younger!¡±


    My eyes narrowed as I asked, ¡°Is she pretty?¡±


    ¡°Yep!¡± he quipped.


    My lips twitched. ¡°Is she prettier than me?¡±


    He grinned and said, ¡°Both of you are pretty!¡±


    I inhaled deeply and snapped, ¡°Ashton, be serious. Otherwise, I¡¯m going to hang up on you.¡±


    Heughed loudly and clearly had no qualms about hiding his exuberant mood.


    Theughter was pleasing to the ears. I had initially assumed that he was eating with some woman.


    But from the way heughed, I could tell that I knew the person he was with!


    A childish voice sounded out from the phone, ¡°Mr. Fuller, are you talking to Mommy?¡±


    My heart skipped a beat. It had been so long since Ist heard Summer¡¯s voice and held her in my


    arms.


    Tears welled up in my eyes that instant.


    Ashton handed the phone to Summer. ¡°Mommy? Is that you? I¡¯m Summer.¡±


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    My heart ached, and the lump in my throat prevented me from speaking for some time. A weight


    pressed down on my chest as I struggled to draw breath.


    Due to my silence, Summer became anxious and said, ¡°Can you hear me, Mommy?¡±


    Tears started to flow down my face. Each beaded droplet of water seemed to sting me on its way down.


    I took in a shaky breath and replied, ¡°I¡¯m here, Summer. I¡­ can hear you!¡±


    Speaking to her brought on another tide of tears.


    Summer was ted to hear my voice. She could not contain her excitement as she proceeded to fire


    off words, ¡°Have you eaten, Mommy? When are youing home? Mr. Fuller and I have been waiting


    for forever. Let me tell you a secret ¨C I¡¯ve nted many sweet potatoes in the yard. Grandma says that


    when they sprout, you¡¯ll be back. They¡¯ve already started growing. Are you going to be home soon,


    Mommy?¡±


    I choked, and for a moment, I could not breathe. Tears cascaded down my cheeks endlessly as I


    nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to be home soon. Once I¡¯m done working, I¡¯ll go home to you. Eat well, do


    your best in school, and listen to what Mr. Fuller says, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± I could almost see Summer nodding earnestly. ¡°I¡¯m a very good girl, Mommy. I can recite many


    poems now, and I even know how to write and count. Mr. Fuller let me take piano lessons, and I¡¯ve


    learned how to y ¡®Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.¡¯ I¡¯ll y it for you when you¡¯re back. I know how to draw


    too. I drew a beautiful picture for you, so pleasee home soon, Mommy. My birthday is almost here.


    Mr. Jackson says he¡¯ll invite Michael and Mr. Johnson to my birthday. It¡¯s going to be fun. So, you have


    toe home quickly!¡±


    I nodded and tried to fight back the tears. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll definitely be back before your birthday. I promise to


    spend your birthday with you.¡±


    Ashton seemed to be talking to Summer at that moment. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough for now, Summer. Let


    me talk to Mommy, okay?¡±


    Summer was reluctant, so she said, ¡°Can I ask you for a favor, Mommy?¡±


    I nodded as my whole body trembled with the force of my suppressed sobs. ¡°What birthday present do


    you want?¡±


    ¡°No. I want to ask if I can talk to you every day until youe home. I want to hear your voice.


    Grandma and Grandpa do too. Grandma cried a while ago because she misses you as much as I do!¡±


    Her voice was full of innocence ¨C pure and naive. I made a sound of agreement to hide the guilt that


    was gnawing away at me.


    I left because I knew that I would not be able to provide Summer with the best quality of life. She would


    have a much better life with Ashton. However, I forgot that she was just a child. To her, I was the only


    family she had, and she was frightened that I would leave her.


    After a while, Ashton took over the call. He must have known that I was crying. Thus, he lowered his


    voice and said, ¡°She¡¯s doing well here and is very obedient. Jackson and the rest wille to see her.¡±


    I nodded and choked out, ¡°Thank you, Ashton.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re my wife, and Summer is my daughter. There¡¯s no need to thank me!¡±


    I could not help butugh and let out a breath of relief. ¡°When the Lavelian Vige project is done, I¡¯ll


    return and spend Summer¡¯s birthday with the two of you!¡±

 Chapter 797

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 797


    He hummed a response, and his maic voice drawled, ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting!¡±


    I grinned. The memory of what happened at the base today surfaced, and I paused before saying,


    ¡°Ashton, have you heard anything from your investigation into the stolen machines?¡±


    He was stunned by my sudden change in topic and replied, ¡°There hasn¡¯t been much news for now.


    What¡¯s wrong? Did you find anything?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°It¡¯s one of the walls at the base. A normal cement wall won¡¯t produce an echo when knocked


    ¨C only fake walls will. However, the back wall of the base has an echo. I studied it today and noticed


    that the outer part was about three feet wide. Normal walls aren¡¯t that wide.¡±


    He was silent for a moment before replying, ¡°You stay out of this matter from now on. Let Joseph


    handle it. You should just focus on the project in Lavelian Vige since the Fuller Corporation will finish


    it soon and arrange for a conference as soon as possible.¡±


    I knew he was worried about my safety, so I did not say anything else. At this moment, someone


    knocked on my door; it was probably Nora.


    I hung up the call and went to open the door. Nora was carrying several bags in her hand. When she


    saw me, she said, ¡®I knew you would be at the hotel. I just came from exploring the food street and


    bought a bunch of tasty snacks. You¡¯ll be sure to love them!¡±


    I lowered my head and nced at the bags. I reached out to receive them and said with a smile, ¡°You


    went all on your own?¡±


    She nodded and ced the items down. She noticed that something was off about me and asked with


    a frown, ¡°Have you been crying?¡±


    I was stunned. I shed her and smile and said, ¡°I called home and realized how much I miss my


    daughter.¡±


    She hesitated for a moment before eximing dramatically, ¡°You and Ashton have a daughter?¡±


    I grinned and replied, ¡°She¡¯s five years old!¡±


    Hearing that, she spluttered and cursed, ¡°Holy s**t, you even have a daughter. Why did you argue with


    Ashton? Is something wrong with you?¡±


    I smiled in response. It was a long story, and it was better for me to change the topic. ¡°I didn¡¯t think


    Lavelian Vige would have this type of seafood mix. I¡¯ve been craving it for some time.¡±


    She had bought about ten different variations of it. Looking at me, she said, ¡°My grandfather always


    forbade me from eating it, so I became obsessed. Now that I¡¯m out alone, I want to try everything. I¡¯ll


    call Armond over to join us. The two of us probably can¡¯t finish all of it, and I don¡¯t like wasting food.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow. ¡°Does Armond eat these?¡±


    ¡°Even if he doesn¡¯t want to, he¡¯ll have to. I carried these a long way. It¡¯ll be a waste of my effort if he


    doesn¡¯t eat them.¡±


    I pursed my lips and kept silent. Sometimes, the dynamic between a couple could not be exined


    through logic and science.


    After that, she turned and walked out of the room. I took the food out of the bags. There were about ten


    items, and they all came from the same food street.


    Everything smelled so good, and steam could be seen rising from them. Soon, she came back with a


    sullen look on her face.


    I noticed that Armond was not with her and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Where¡¯s Armond?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. He¡¯s not in the room. I called for him multiple times, but he was engaged on another line.


    He¡¯s probably busy working!¡± She plopped down on the seat and was visibly dispirited.


    I smiled and looked at the warm food on the table. ¡°Then, should we wait for him?¡±


    She shook her head. It did not make sense for us to let the food go cold anyway.


    Following that, she gestured for me to start eating. She ate a few mouthfuls of grilled scallops from one


    of the takeaway boxes and said contentedly, ¡°I finally know what this tastes like. It¡¯s so delicious. I bet


    that Grandpa has never tried something this yummy. What a shame!¡±


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    I smiled and ate a few pieces of roasted meat. It was extremely fresh and vorful. Immediately, I could


    not help but exim, ¡°This roasted meat is great. Here, have a taste!¡±


    She nodded and ced a pan-seared chili scallop in front of me. ¡°Try this. I¡¯m sure it tastes better than


    those you had in the restaurant.¡±


    I nodded and tried one. The spiciness and salty freshness were delectable.


    After feasting on all ten dishes, our stomachs were bulging.


    Nora copsed on the bed and massaged her round tummy. ¡°I¡¯m so happy. It was so delicious, and I¡¯ve


    never had so much food in my life. All my efforts to lose weight have gone down the drain.¡±


    After resting for a bit, I cleaned up the remnants of our meal. My stomach was ufortably full too. I


    saw it was only 9 p.m. and realized there was still time for a light evening stroll.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a walk around the area. I haven¡¯t had the chance to admire the night scenery. A walk will


    definitely help with the digestion,¡± I suggested to Nora.


    She quickly nodded and said, ¡°Sounds good. We can take pictures of the night scenery too. I have a


    neon skirt that I haven¡¯t worn out yet. This would be a great opportunity to take some insta-worthy


    pictures!¡±

 Chapter 798

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 798


    Usually, girls would like to chat with their girlfriends, give in to their cravings, dress up, visit beautiful


    ces, and take nice pictures together.


    However, I seemed to have wasted my decade of youth consumed by work and hate. I did not even


    spare one moment to rx and enjoy myself.


    ¡°Sure. But I don¡¯t think I bought anything nice,¡± I said to Nora.


    She gave me a thumbs up and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ve got plenty of pretty skirts and dresses.


    You can wear one of mine!¡±


    She then dragged me to her wardrobe and showed me around. I was absolutely stunned. She had


    filled the hotel wardrobe with a variety of outfits. They were all various shades of pink and looked


    extremely fanciful.


    I could not help but blurt out, ¡°We¡¯ve only been here for two days. When did you have the time to


    amass all these outfits?¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°I got all of them on the first day. There are many boutiques in Lavelian Vige, and they


    aren¡¯t expensive. Since they¡¯re all so pretty, I bought them. Besides, they only cost about a hundred


    each, and everything was less than five thousand in total. What a steal!¡±


    My lips twitched upon that. ¡°Youngdy, these clothes cost as much as my one month¡¯s sry!¡±


    She rolled her eyes at me and sneered, ¡°Boo-hoo. Don¡¯t try to y the pity card. You¡¯ll definitely earn a


    commission of one million after the Lavelian Vige project. Besides, may I remind you that your


    husband is the chairman of Fuller Corporation!¡±


    cing a palm on my forehead and sighing, I did not rebuke her any further. Then, I turned towards the


    clothes in the wardrobe and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever worn anything of this style.¡±


    She giggled and replied, ¡°Me too. Let¡¯s try it out together these two days.¡±


    Soon after that, she picked a beautiful white dress and handed it to me. ¡°Yourplexion is paler, so


    you¡¯ll look ssier in this.¡±


    I nodded and put on the dress before sitting at the vanity mirror to apply some makeup.


    After putting on a long neon pink skirt, she lookedpletely different. She was like Cindere, who


    had just been transformed by her fairy godmother. Now, she looked absolutely radiant and gorgeous.


    When she saw me putting on my makeup, she scoffed, ¡°It¡¯s so dark at night. With that kind of makeup,


    you won¡¯t be able to see it at all. Here, let me do it for you!¡±


    She snatched away the powderpact in my hand and started to dab away.


    After a flurry of movement, I looked in the mirror and was floored by the person I saw. ¡°Isn¡¯t this¡­ too


    much?¡±


    She shook her head and insisted, ¡°No, it looks just right. Don¡¯t you think you look beautiful now?¡±


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    It was beautiful but out of myfort zone. I had never applied eyeshadow or drew in my eyebrows.


    My usual makeup routine consisted of a light powder base and lipstick.


    The makeup she applied on me was too bold, and I was not used to it.


    Despite that, she ignored me and started to work on herself. When she was done, she picked up her


    phone and started to walk out of the hotel with me in tow.


    Behind the hotel was a bustling night flea market. There were plenty of white-walled and ck-roofed


    structures in the surroundings. However, it was not amon sight as there were not many such


    structures in Xenhall.


    Because of this, the ce was flooded with people. Moreover, the design of the ce was elegant.


    Thus, there were many tourists who liked taking pictures in front of the ce.


    Nora liked taking such pictures too, so she dragged me around the ce, and we took turns taking


    pictures of each other. We then went around exploring the different shops.


    ¡°My grandfather told me that this ce was once used as a meeting ce for ministers. However, its


    unique design attracted tourists. Otherwise, it would still be used as a meeting ce!¡± exined Nora


    as she struck different poses.


    I held the phone and crouched down to find the perfect angle for her photo. Unfortunately, I was not


    artistically inclined and could only take snapshots. As she spoke, I snapped away.


    Right then, I nced at Prism building behind her and caught sight of a familiar figure walking out of


    the building.


    I was momentarily shocked at the familiar figure. Isn¡¯t that Armond? The person holding his hand was


    extremely familiar as well, but I could not put a name to the face.


    ¡°Hello? Earth to Scarlett¡­ What are you looking at?¡± Nora¡¯s voice shook me out of my trance. She had


    held her pose for a long time and was getting tired. Thus, she crouched down and looked at me


    curiously.


    I pointed behind her and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t that Armond?¡±


    The street was extremely crowded at that moment. She quickly looked in the direction that I was


    pointing at.


    I saw that Armond was about to leave and paused, preparing to chase after him. However, the sea of


    people soon swept him away.


    She looked at me with bafflement. ¡°Did we make a mistake?¡±


    I shook my head. It was definitely Armond. But what is he doing here? Is he discussing business?

 Chapter 799

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 799


    I looked at Prism building and asked, ¡°What kind of people usuallye here?¡±


    Nora thought about it and replied, ¡°They¡¯re all ministers. Sometimes, it can be used to receive guests.


    However, this is far from the city and not many peoplee here. Usually, it¡¯s just a few ministers from


    Lavelian Vige.¡±


    Armond¡¯s appearance was only for a second, so we quickly shook it off. We came to have fun, and so I


    continued to take pictures of Nora.


    We ended up taking photos and exploring all the ces that we could. After that, we returned to the


    hotelte at night and fell asleep after quickly washing up.


    The next day, Noray on the bed and told me, ¡°I¡¯m not nning on going out today. I want to sleep all


    I want to pay back my sleep debt.¡±


    I nodded. She came from a rich family and was uninterested in working a normal job. Her father had


    invested in multiplepanies, and she would be able to livefortably for the rest of her life, even if


    she never had to work for a single day.


    The moment I left the hotel, I received a call from Ashton. His voice was gentle and sweet as he asked,


    ¡°Are you awake?¡±


    I smiled and answered, ¡°Yes. I¡¯m going to the base now!¡±


    ¡°Have you had breakfast?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to grab something to eat on the way!¡± I replied. The hotel did provide breakfast, but I had


    woken up too early.


    He murmured a response and said, ¡°Remember to eat a proper meal!¡±


    I could not help butugh at his remark. ¡°You¡¯re being too much of a nag, Ashton.¡±


    He was quiet for a few seconds before answering in a deep voice, ¡°I miss you so much, Scarlett.¡±


    Upon that, I was startled for a while and could not help but smile brightly. ¡°I miss you a lot too, Ashton.¡±


    His deepughter made the rising sun appear even more beautiful.


    At that moment, Joseph was already waiting for me at the entrance. I bid goodbye to Ashton on the


    phone and went in the car.


    Joseph gave me a beautiful box and said, ¡°Have some breakfast, Mrs. Fuller!¡±


    I was astonished and asked, ¡°How did you know I haven¡¯t had breakfast?¡±


    He started up the engine and chuckled. ¡°Mr. Fuller gave me a head¡¯s up. I¡¯m here to take care of your


    meals, after all.¡±


    Okay!


    As time went on, I realized that true happiness came from the thoughtfulness of others. Being


    remembered was the highest form of honor and joy.


    When we arrived at the base, Armond was also getting out of his car. I casually greeted him and was


    reminded of when I saw him at Prism building the night before.


    Hence, I casually asked, ¡°Mr. Murphy, were you at the night flea market yesterday?¡±


    His obsidian eyes shed at me, cold and baleful.


    His gaze frightened me, but I spoke confidently, ¡°Nora bought a lot of delicious food yesterday. She


    couldn¡¯t find you in your room, and we thought you went to the night flea market. When she called you,


    the tone indicated that you were engaged in another call.¡±


    Hearing that, he frowned slightly, and his gaze softened. He then smiled and replied, ¡°I was busyst


    night, that¡¯s why I wasn¡¯t at the hotel.¡±


    I nodded and joked, ¡°What a shame. You missed out on all the good food!¡±


    He smiled back at me. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely have to seize the chance next time.¡±


    With that, he entered the base without another word. At that moment, Linda had also alighted from the


    car, and her dark eyebags were extremely evident. She feebly greeted me, ¡°Good morning!¡±


    I could not help but ask, ¡°Oh God, look at you! What happened to you?¡±


    She sighed andmented, ¡°It¡¯s all because of the project, of course. I didn¡¯t sleep the entire night and


    am exhausted now.¡±


    I knitted my brow. ¡°You mean the one for Lavelian Vige?¡±


    She yawned and nodded before suddenly catching herself. Then, she shook her head abruptly and


    said, ¡°No, it¡¯s the projects that I was handling previously. They¡¯re all in the midst ofpletion. I have


    so much on my te now that I had to workte!¡±


    I nodded my head. Her reaction was somehow strange, and I could not help but suspect that she was


    hiding something from me.


    Later on, we walked into the base, and I said to Joseph, ¡°Did Ashton talk to you?¡±


    Joseph nodded. ¡°He did. Mrs. Fuller, you don¡¯t have to interfere. Let me handle everything.¡±


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    I nodded and entered.


    The first floor of the base had beenpletely constructed. Rachel wore a hard hat and was directing


    the workers at one side.


    After Joseph and I entered the base, we did not go to the second floor directly. Instead, we walked


    around the site of the ident on the first floor. The broken machinery had apparently been fixed.


    Since the broken machinery were fixed, Joseph and I went to the second floor.


    The second floor was still under construction. Hence, Joseph and I put on hard hats for safety


    purposes.


    When Rachel saw us, she nced at Joseph before saying, ¡°Mr. Campbell, it looks like you have many


    responsibilities recently. Mr. Fuller had decided to let me lead this project, so I¡¯d suggest you take a


    break and mind your own business!¡±

 Chapter 800

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 800


    At that was direct enough, Joseph simply nodded without saying anything.


    Then, Rachel looked at me and said, ¡°If I remember correctly, Ms. Stovall is the one in charge of this


    project. However, it seems like Mr. Murphy is the one working the hardest. He¡¯s even doing the


    handover. Is Ms. Stovall only in charge of supervising?¡±


    As she was in high heels and standing on a tform, the woman was towering over me. With her arms


    crossed in front of her chest, I couldn¡¯t help but feel the pressure.


    I squeezed out a faint smile and replied, ¡°Thanks for the reminder, Ms. Zimmer. By right, you and I


    should be the ones liaising on the Lavelian Vige project. I hope to see you at all our future


    discussions.¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Rachel replied with a dry smile.


    After all, both of us had fallen out with each other previously and it was obvious that there was still a


    barrier between us. Besides, she was most likely still of the view that she was the most suitable woman


    for Ashton. As such, I couldn¡¯t really be bothered with her.


    As Joseph had other matters to attend to while Armond was responsible for the operation of the entire


    Murphy Corporation, the two men did not stay long.


    After they left, Rachel and I were the only ones left in the discussion. I had to admit that she was


    extremely capable when it came to work.


    She hade out with a very good n for the second floor while I had my own ideas too. She was


    very professional and did not reject my suggestions straight away because of what happened with


    Ashton. It was after careful deliberation and analysis that we decided on the elements to include, with


    feasibility being the main consideration.


    Rachel had a very clear thought process and was a very goodmunicator. As such, it was easy to


    feel motivated to do better when working with her.


    The day went past very quickly. When it was time to knock off, Rachel packed her bag immediately and


    the enthusiasm she disyed at work was gone in an instant.


    I shrugged and understood that everyone had their quirks after all.


    When I went downstairs, I realized that almost everyone had already left the base. Seeing that there


    was no one else on the first floor, I instinctively looked towards the area where the machinery was.


    It was difficult to let it go once one¡¯s curiosity was piqued. I just could not understand the reason why


    the walls at the base were so wide.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall!¡± Suddenly, someone called me from behind. I got a shock and turned around, realizing it


    was Leedon.


    I smiled and asked, ¡°Leedon, you¡¯re still around?¡±


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    The man nodded and replied cheerfully, ¡°I¡¯m just checking the area before going off. Do you need help


    with anything?¡±


    ¡°Nope, I¡¯m leaving soon too,¡± I shook my head and replied.


    He smiled and went to the office to retrieve some items before getting ready to leave.


    Then, we left the base together. Joseph was busy and unable to pick me up, so I got a ride from


    Leedon.


    As there was nothing much that we could talk about, I couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Leedon, there are more


    than ten bases in Lavelian Vige. From my observation, the structure where we ce our machines


    are much thicker than that at the other bases. Did we intentionally build it that way?¡±


    Keeping his eyes on the road, Leedon replied, ¡°Actually, all bases are the same. It¡¯s just that for the


    bases that require underground garages to be built, the structures are made thicker for safety reasons!¡±


    I nodded and asked further, ¡°Is there also a garage at the base where we ce our machinery?¡±


    The man smiled and shook his head. ¡°Nope. We have a lot of open-air parking lots around the area so


    there¡¯s no need for that. Besides, we expect most of the people visiting the base in the future to be


    tourists, so having open-air parking lots will be more convenient too!¡±


    Well, he had a point there.


    It was already dark when we reached the hotel. As Leedon stayed at Lavelian Vige, he left after


    dropping me off.


    When I got back to the hotel room, Nora was already in her pyjamas and looking at her phone.


    She asked when she saw me, ¡°Have you had dinner?¡±


    I shook my head and replied, ¡°Not yet. I just got back. How about you?¡±


    ¡°Same. I just ordered two sets of steak and sd,¡± she said, before turning back to her phone.


    After a hectic day at work, I was exhausted and sprawled on the bed. I did not feel like moving at all.


    When I was about to fall asleep, Nora suddenly came near me and said, ¡°Give me your phone!¡±


    I passed my phone to her and asked, ¡°What do you want it for?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sending you the photos I tookst night. I spent the whole day editing them. Get ready to be


    impressed!¡± She replied and started meddling with my phone.


    I could not be bothered with what she was doing as I was simply too tired.


    A whileter, someone knocked on our door. Nora gave me a nudge and said, ¡°Our dinner is here. Go


    and open the door!¡±


    I got up and answered the door. It was indeed the hotel waiter with our dinner.


    Seeing that the woman was still ying with the phone after the food wasid out, I said, ¡°Nora, stop


    using the phone, let¡¯s have dinner first!¡±


    ¡°Just a while more!¡±


    The grilled steak which Nora had ordered looked delicious. Besides, I was already feeling hungry, so I


    sat down and started eating first.


    After she was done, she ran towards me and said, ¡°OK, I¡¯ve already sent you the pictures. Take a look!


    I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be happy with them. I¡¯ve already shared it on your social media too!¡±


    I took over my phone and while eating the steak, I asked, ¡°What did you share?¡±


    After I opened my social media, I saw that she had shared nine pictures of me which she had takenst


    night. That dress was already gorgeous enough. With her editing, it looked even more stunning.

 Chapter 801

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 801


    She had captioned the photos: Treasure the blissful moments in life. Love me truly, madly, deeply!


    I frowned and looked at her. ¡°Don¡¯t you think this is too much?¡±


    Nora simply shrugged and replied, ¡°Not at all! I think it perfectly described the essence of these


    pictures!¡±


    I held my forehand and was speechless. However, I had to admit that it was actually quite appropriate.


    My phone vibrated when I was about to put it down and continue enjoying my meal.


    I could easily guess who it was without looking at the screen. Nora pouted and said, ¡°Are you going to


    that shit in front of me again?¡±


    I smiled as I picked up, ¡°Ashton, have you had dinner?¡±


    Ashton¡¯s gentle voice sounded over the phone as he replied, ¡°I¡¯ve already eaten. Are you back at the


    hotel?¡±


    ¡°Yup,¡± I answered before taking a bite of sd and continued, ¡°I got back not long ago and was just


    about to have dinner!¡±


    He was probably still at the office as I could hear him typing. ¡°Seems like you were pretty busy today!¡±


    he said.


    I nodded and replied, ¡°I learned a lot from Ms. Zimmer today. Level one of the bases is already settled


    so we spent the whole of today discussing the n for the second floor. If everything goes well, we


    should be done by tomorrow.¡±


    He might have heard me munching on my food and said, ¡°Let¡¯s talkter. You should finish your meal


    properly first!¡±


    After taking a pause, he added, ¡°Finish all your food!¡±


    I pursed my lips upon hearing that. Well, I was still hungry anyway. I hung up after saying just a few


    more words and continued eating my steak.


    Nora looked at me begrudgingly andmented, ¡°How can the both of you be so clingy all the time?


    Don¡¯t you get sick of it?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Is that considered clingy?¡±


    She nodded and replied, ¡°Very. I haven¡¯t seen Armond for a few days already even though he just stays


    next door. He¡¯s always not around whenever I go over to look for him. He doesn¡¯t pick up my calls as


    well. He didn¡¯t even call to ask me how I am! I¡¯m starting to feel like I¡¯m in a one-sided rtionship.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know how to respond to that¡­


    Forget it. I decided to ignore her and continue eating my steak.


    After eating a few more mouthfuls, I suddenly realized that something was amiss. Looking up at her, I


    asked, ¡°Did you just say you haven¡¯t seen Armond these few days and haven¡¯t been able to get


    through his phone?¡±


    She nodded and rested her chin on her hand. Feeling frustrated, she replied, ¡°I¡¯m even suspecting that


    he has forgotten my existence!¡±


    Hmm, what¡¯s Armond busy with these days? Linda and I had been the ones overseeing the Lavelian


    Vige project. By right, he shouldn¡¯t be that upied. It was indeed baffling that he had not been back


    to the hotel to rest.


    Besides, when I saw Linda in the morning, she looked like she had not slept at all. Could she be busy


    with other project matters in Lavelian Vige?


    ¡°Hey, what are you thinking about? It¡¯s not your man who¡¯s missing. Shouldn¡¯t I be the one lost in


    thought instead?¡± I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard Nora¡¯s voice. I stopped eating after taking


    a few more bites of my steak as my appetite were gone for some reason.


    Perhaps, I wasn¡¯t too hungry in the first ce. I paused for a second before looking at her and replied,


    ¡°Oh, nothing much!¡±


    Nora also stopped eating andy on her bed as she continued ying with her phone. As such, I called


    for the waiter to clear up our mess.


    A momentter, the woman suddenly eximed, ¡°Ahhh! You guys are too much!¡±


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    I was startled for a moment before turning towards her, baffled.


    She pouted and said, ¡°Look at your Instagram!¡±


    I opened Instagram on my phone and saw that many of my friends had liked the photo Nora just posted


    on my behalf and some even leftments.


    Among them were people from K City. Even Cameron had responded to that photo with a smiley face.


    John posted ament, expressing his disgust, ¡°It¡¯s your first post after what seems like forever. Are


    you intending to post one picture each day from now on? I can¡¯t believe you two can even show off


    your love even though you are physically so far apart!¡± He ended that post with an eye roll emoji.


    I rubbed my nose and did not reply to thosements.


    Ashton¡¯s reply was simply too attention-seeking. I will always love you truly, madly and deeply! That


    was his response,pleted with a heart-eyes emoji.


    I didn¡¯t think much of thements and looked at Nora, feeling confused. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Sprawling on the bed, she replied dejectedly, ¡°What else? I¡¯m just full of envy! It¡¯s so boring to date


    Armond. He doesn¡¯t sweet talk, isn¡¯t romantic at all, and has never bought me any gifts. Other men will


    buy their girlfriends flowers or jewelry. Guess what? The only thing he has given me was sweet


    nothing! He¡¯s so rich yet he¡¯s so stingy. Why is he like that?¡±


    I smiled faintly and replied, ¡°Maybe he isn¡¯t stingy but it¡¯s just that he doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s expected of


    him in a rtionship. Why don¡¯t you tell him directly what you want?¡±


    Nora pouted and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you know? It¡¯s no longer meaningful if a girl has to ask for it.¡±


    I shrugged, not knowing how to answer. Ashton and I had not exactly dated and neither had we bought


    any gifts for each other. Our rtionship just seemed so ordinary and in. I did not expect to be the


    target of envy just because he left ament on my post.


    After giving it some thought, I said, ¡°Nora, I think every rtionship is different as the people involved


    are different. Everyone expresses love differently, so we shouldn¡¯tpare ourselves to others. I didn¡¯t


    expect that you would envy something that seems so ordinary to me. Simrly, even though you feel


    like dating Armond is boring, I might envy the dynamics between you two as well. Actually, I feel that


    it¡¯s more important to cherish what we have presently. Don¡¯t you agree?¡±

 Chapter 802

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 802


    Still sprawling on the bed, Nora sighed. After some thinking, she replied, ¡°You¡¯ve a point. Fine then, I¡¯ll


    call him again to ask if he¡¯s around!¡±


    After she said that, she tried to call Armond once more. The man picked up only after a few rings.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Even though he was not speaking very loudly, I could still make out what he was saying as the


    surroundings were rather quiet.


    Armond spoke in a low voice, ¡°Have you eaten?¡±


    ¡°Yup,¡± Nora answered simply before asking, ¡°Where have you been these few days? I couldn¡¯t find you


    and couldn¡¯t reach you over the phone as well. Are you trying to worry me to death?¡± Seeing that the


    man had finally picked up the phone, she did not waste one moment to throw him all the questions she


    had.


    After Nora finished speaking, Armond let out an affectionate chuckle and replied, ¡°I was busy, so I


    didn¡¯t go back to the hotel. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m alright!¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m not. We¡¯ve already not seen each other for three days and I really miss you. Let me tell you, if


    you don¡¯te back to the hotel right now, you can continue enjoy being single!¡±


    Obviously, the woman was throwing a tantrum. It was amazing how people could say all sorts of


    ridiculous things in a rtionship.


    Armond nodded at the other end of the phone before saying, ¡°OK, OK, I¡¯ll be right back!¡±


    Then, Nora sat up on the bed and looked at the time on her phone. ¡°How long would you take?¡±


    ¡°Ten minutes!¡± The man answered immediately.


    ¡°OK,¡± Nora answered simply before ending the call. Immediately after, she bolted up and dashed into


    the bathroom.


    Knowing that she was probably in a rush to wash up before meeting him, I couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    Shortly after, Nora was done. She had already put on makeup and was dressed seductively when she


    emerged from the bathroom.


    After making a 360-degree turn in front of me, she asked, ¡°How do I look? Okay?¡±


    I nodded before crossing my arms in front of my chest. Sizing her up, I asked, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m quite


    curious. Have you guys¡­ done it?¡±


    Nora lowered her head pretentiously and covered her mouth with her hands. Acting embarrassed, she


    replied, ¡°I¡¯m such a pure and innocent girl! How could you think of me that way?¡±


    I touched my forehead and was speechless at once. ¡°Please say something I can understand!¡±


    With a sudden change in her mood, she pouted and said, ¡°Not yet. He doesn¡¯t seem to be able to get it


    up whenever we try. There¡¯s nothing I can do about it either!¡±


    My lips twitched and looked at her. ¡°How many times have that happened?¡±


    Nora sighed and looked almost depressed while she answered, ¡°I didn¡¯t keep track of it, but ever since


    we started dating, we have never seeded. Recently, all we have been doing was to cuddle each


    other to sleep. Apart from that, we haven¡¯t done anything yet.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what to reply to that. Feeling worried, I suggested, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you persuade him to see a


    doctor?¡±


    That wasn¡¯t a joking matter. After all, they would have to think of having children if they got married. It


    would not be fair for a Nora, a woman in her prime years, to be sexually deprived.


    However, she merely shrugged and replied, ¡°Let us try again tonight. Maybe we¡¯ll seed this time


    round?¡±


    I was stunned for a moment by her reply and asked, ¡°Have you guys considered using some


    medication?¡±


    ¡°Yup,¡± she replied absentmindedly before realizing what I meant. Staring at me wide-eyed, she asked,


    ¡°What do you mean by using medication?¡±


    Um¡­


    Before I could answer, Nora replied to her own question, ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. Maybe we should try?¡±


    It seemed like she was starting to panic and was going to try any workable methods. I stopped her and


    said, ¡°Calm down first. I think you should consult a doctor before trying anything. Didn¡¯t Linda said


    previously that it might be due to a psychological issue? What if he took the medicine and it still doesn¡¯t


    work? Besides, it might damage his health instead. That would be a disaster, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    That probably made sense to her as she nodded and said, ¡°You¡¯re right. When we go back to A City,


    apany me to look for a doctor.¡±


    After she finished speaking, she took a nce at her phone before saying, ¡°OK, I¡¯m going next door


    now! Talk again tomorrow!¡±


    After she left in a hurry, I couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Her situation reminded me of my own previously. It


    seemed to be a psychological issue as well. Since the doctor did not have any solution, we had to


    figure out ways to solve the issues ourselves.


    That was a problem only Armond himself could solve. If he was not able to cross his psychological


    barrier, seeing a doctor wouldn¡¯t help either.


    Just then, Ashton called again. I answered the phone and heard Summer¡¯s sweet voice. ¡°Mommy, are


    you sleeping already?¡± she asked.


    I couldn¡¯t help but smile, feeling happy. ¡°Not yet, but soon. You? You can¡¯t stay up toote yeah? If not,


    you won¡¯t be able to wake up early tomorrow. Understand?¡±


    ¡°Yup!¡± she replied. Then, the girl continued in her sugary voice, ¡°Can I just talk to Mommy for a while


    before going to bed?¡±


    I nodded andy down on the bed. After standing for almost the entire day, my legs were aching so


    badly. ¡°What does Summer want to tell Mommy?¡±


    ¡°I saw Mommy¡¯s photos. You look so pretty! Mr. Fuller said that when you¡¯re back, the three of us can


    go and take more pretty photos together!¡± The little girl was being very chatty.


    I just listened to her quietly and responded intermittently. She shared with me every detail of her life,


    including misceneous events at home and punishments her ssmates received from their teacher


    for fighting with each other.

 Chapter 803

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 803


    I nodded and smiled bleakly. After another thirty minutes of conversation, the voice on the other end of


    the line got softer and softer. She was probably getting sleepier by the minute.


    A whileter, I heard Ashton¡¯s deep, low voice over the phone. ¡°She has fallen asleep. I¡¯ll send her


    back to her room first¡ªwait for me toe back!¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Alright.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but yawn too¡ªit had been a very long day. Five minutester, I heard Ashton¡¯s voice


    again. ¡°Are you very tired today?¡±


    I nodded and replied miserably, ¡°Just a little!¡± I had been working from morning till night, and my entire


    body was wracked with fatigue.


    ¡°Have you washed up yet?¡±


    I shut my eyes and nodded my head hastily. ¡°Of course, I have.¡±


    An odd thought floated into my head that very moment, and I found myself thinking about Armond and


    Nora. Rather hesitatingly, I ventured, ¡°Ashton, what happens when you men can¡¯t¡­you know¡­¡±


    I heard him suck in a deep breath on the other end of the line. After a short pause, he asked, ¡°Can¡¯t


    what?¡±


    Hearing his suggestive tone, I knew he was thinking all sorts of rubbish again. I opened my mouth and


    said, ¡°It¡¯s like this. Armond and Nora are in a rtionship now, aren¡¯t they? But Armond seems to have


    some sort of trauma regarding intimacy. I think it stems from something that happened to him in the


    past. What do you think he should do?¡±


    After all, who could understand a man better than another man?


    Ashtonughed lightly. ¡°That¡¯s their own business, I suppose. Why are you poking your nose into it?


    Stop thinking so much and go to sleep!¡±


    I pouted and replied in a dissatisfied voice, ¡°Gosh, you¡¯re no fun!¡±


    Ashtonughed again. ¡°I¡¯ll being over to A City tomorrow. What do you want to eat?¡±


    Almost immediately, I replied, ¡°Korean barbeque and Japanese cuisine! I¡¯m absolutely craving them


    right now,¡±


    I only had Nora to thank for that¡ªshe kept talking about themst night, and now I wanted to eat them


    too.


    Ashton chuckled softly and said, ¡°Alright then, sleep earlier. Make sure to shut the door and windows


    properly¡ªdouble-check the locks, do you hear me?¡±


    Getting tired of his nagging, I said consolingly, ¡°Alright, alright, I got it! You should get some sleep too.


    See you tomorrow!¡±


    After hanging up the call, I flipped myself out of bed and went to lock the door, after which I headed into


    the bathroom to wash up. Perhaps it was because work had tired me out too much, but I fell asleep


    almost as soon as my head touched the pillow.


    I woke up early the next morning. September in A City meant lots and lots of sunlight¡ªthe dews on


    green leaves on the trees glistened in the morning sun like precious gems on a string of pearls.


    I had slept very well indeed, so I felt very rxed when I woke up.


    We finalized matters regarding the details on the second floor of the base that morning. Since there


    was nothing going on that afternoon, everyone returned to the hotel for a short debrief.


    The coboration between the Fuller and Murphy Corporations wasing to an end in the next few


    days, and we would be turning our attentions to other projects. Thepletion of the base construction


    marked the end of the project.


    As we left the hotel, Rachel let me on the details about the next project. Although both of us were like


    fire and ice in some aspects, she was wless when it came to her job, and I thoroughly enjoyed


    working with her.


    Suddenly, she stopped speaking, and a smile broke out on her face. It wasn¡¯t a polite smile¡ªrather,


    she looked as though she had just seen something she liked. It was a genuine smile, and one that


    came straight from the heart.


    I felt a little surprised. Following her gaze, I saw a man emerge from a ck Bentley at the door of the


    hotel. He was in pressed western suit, and every inch of him screamed nobility and finesse.


    I got it at once!


    As the man walked towards me, I couldn¡¯t help butugh. I ran over to him at once and jumped into his


    arms. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were only going to arrive tonight? When did you get here?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    He nudged my nose with his knuckle and said, smiling, ¡°Are you really going to have both Korean


    barbeque and Japanese food for dinner? We might as well split it into two meals.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Of course not.¡±


    A coquettish voice sounded from within the Bentley. ¡°Ash, can you help carry this for me?¡±


    I turned to look curiously at the car and saw a familiar face. It was Reba. Judging by the trench coat


    that was wrapped tightly around her, she had probably just gotten off the ne. Because it was too hot


    under the sun, she removed her trench coat the moment she stepped out of the car, revealing her


    alluring figure.


    Ashton shot a nce at her. He turned back to me and said, ¡°Wait for me. We¡¯ll be going to the Korean


    barbeque ce in a minute!¡±


    I pursed my lips and tried to hide the growing annoyance in me. ¡°Alright, then.¡±


    Although I had no idea what Reba was doing here, I couldn¡¯t help but raise my eyebrows at the two


    suitcases she was holding. Is she moving house, by any chance?


    Ashton called the bellboys over, and they helped Reba move her suitcases into the hotel. Afterward,


    he helped her book a room, and after passing her the card and giving her a few instructions, he left her


    to her own devices.


    Presently, Ashton returned to my side. Taking me by the hand, he asked, ¡°What do you want to eat


    first?¡±


    ¡°Why did you have to bring her here, too?¡± I asked, my eyes furrowing in displeasure.


    Ashton smiled gently. ¡°Joe was the one who brought her along. He had something on, so he told me to


    bring her over first.¡±


    I nodded, feeling my appetite vanish suddenly. ¡°Since you just got off a long-haul flight, you must be


    pretty tired now. Why don¡¯t we rest in our room for a while before having a mealter?¡±


    He raised his brows. ¡°Alright, then. We can eat in the afternoon. Where¡¯s the room card?¡±


    We were still standing at the entrance of the hotel. If I refused to give it to him, he would probably kick


    up a huge, embarrassing fuss. I had no choice but to hand it over to him. Gritting my teeth slightly, I


    said, ¡°Go and have some rest first. I¡¯lle back and wake you up once I¡¯m done with my work!¡±

 Chapter 804

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 804


    He nodded, blinking his eyes, which were ringed with dark circles. He probably hadn¡¯t been sleeping


    welltely.


    As I watched him leave, Rachel, who had been standing silently next to me the whole time, snorted


    loudly. ¡°Scarlett, my dear, you sure are a generous one. He had the audacity to bring the other woman


    here, and your expression hasn¡¯t changed a bit. It looks like you are used to it.¡±


    I frowned, too tired to listen to her scathing words. ndly, I said, ¡°They¡¯re just friends. If I can¡¯t even


    ept his female friends, do you think that I am fit to be his wife?¡±


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Rachel spluttered withughter. ¡°Gosh, you have really surprised me. Every day, the tabloids in K City


    are full of rumors about Mr. Fuller and Ms. Larson. One of them is the chairperson of Fuller


    Corporation, while the other one is a youngdy of the Moore family. The two of them were practically


    born to be together. Scarlett, my dear, don¡¯t you feel ashamed abouting between them?¡±


    I looked at her and tried to hold back my temper. ¡°Ms. Zimmer, if you want to gossip about them with


    me, why don¡¯t we go to a coffeeshop and do it over a cup of coffee?¡±


    She looked rather exasperated that her words didn¡¯t manage to irk me. Mockingly, she replied, ¡°You


    sound so satisfied with yourself. Honestly speaking, you can¡¯t hold a candle to Reba. Who do you


    think you are?¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡± I retorted. ¡°What do you think you are? A blood-sucking mosquito or a grain of rice


    that keeps sticking?¡±


    Rachel¡¯s face turned red as she struggled to make aeback. ¡°Ms. Zimmer,¡± I continued, ¡°everyone


    needs a little bit of self-awareness. There¡¯s nothing wrong with having a crush on someone, but when


    that person already has a wife and kids, you should keep your hands off him no matter how wonderful


    he is.¡±


    There was no way we could continue talking about work in this awkward atmosphere. Rachel was so


    angry that her neck waspletely red. I wondered if she was going to strangle me to death on the


    spot.


    I shrugged and headed back into the lobby. I got the spare room card from the front desk and went


    upstairs.


    Ashton had already showered, and he was preparing to go to sleep. When he saw me, he raised his


    eyebrows and asked, ¡°Are you done with your work?¡±


    I rolled my eyes at him and said crossly, ¡°Thanks to you, she stomped off before we had a chance to


    talk about work!¡±


    He looked rather stunned. Shoving a towel into my hands, he asked, ¡°Can you help me to dry my hair?¡±


    I refused to take it from him. Still ring at him, I snapped, ¡°Do it yourself. Don¡¯t you have hands for a


    reason?¡±


    Ashtonughed, looking rather amused. ¡°You¡¯re mad, aren¡¯t you? Are you angry that Reba came


    along with me this time?¡±


    I shook my head vehemently. ¡°No!¡±


    He snorted loudly. ¡°Well, then, what is it?¡±


    Pouting, I replied, ¡°The stupid minxes you¡¯ve been flirting with.¡±


    Immediately, I heard a loud, exaggerated bark ofughter next to my ear. It sounded carefree and


    extremely happy.


    He pulled me against his chest and grinned widely. ¡°Joe told me to bring her over first while he settled


    some matters. There¡¯s nothing going on between the two of us, so don¡¯t take it to heart, alright?¡±


    I rolled my eyes at him again and grumbled, ¡°Who said I was angry because of her?¡± Although that was


    what I said, I grabbed the towel from his hands and forced him into a chair, whereupon I began to dry


    his hair with the towel.


    I could still hear his amusedughter ringing in my ears.


    He had spent a long time on the road today and had just gotten off the ne a few hours before. After I


    finished drying his hair, he let go of me and copsed onto the bed. Because I wasn¡¯t particrly tired, I


    leaned against his chest for a while, willing myself to nod off.


    That didn¡¯t work. Instead, I stared up at the ceiling and zoned out. Eventually, I noticed that something


    wasn¡¯t quite right. I turned my head around and looked at Ashton¡ªhis eyes were shut, and he seemed


    to be sleeping very soundly.


    However, I knew that something was up. I opened my mouth and asked in a low voice, ¡°Ashton, are


    you really asleep?¡±


    He didn¡¯t reply to me, but his fluttering eyshes told me all I needed to know. He wasn¡¯t fast asleep


    yet¡ªin fact, he probably wasn¡¯t asleep at all.


    Seeing this, I narrowed my eyes and kicked him lightly in the shin. He opened his eyes and looked at


    me, the ck orbs shing dangerously in the dark.


    He took a deep, shuddering breath. Parting his lips slightly, he asked, ¡°You don¡¯t want to sleep?¡±


    I was a grown-up woman, so I understood the scious intentions behind those words. Pursing my


    lips, I hissed, ¡°Stop fooling around and go to sleep!¡±


    Heughed hoarsely. A naughty hand found its way to myher regions as he raised his eyebrow and


    said, ¡°It¡¯s been three days since Ist touched myself.¡±


    My face turned red almost immediately. ring at him in embarrassment, I hissed, ¡°Ashton, you¡¯re


    completely shameless.¡±


    He pulled me into his arms as he wriggled his eyebrows again. ¡°If I wasn¡¯t, how would I be able to get


    my fill?¡±


    With that, he rolled on top of me and pressed a kiss to my lips. Instantly, my senses were gripped by


    the strong smell of tobo smoke and shower gel.


    After a long, passionate session of lovemaking, I finally ran out of energy and fell asleep in his arms.


    Falling asleep in the middle of the day always messed with my sense of time. I didn¡¯t know how long I


    slept for, but when I finally opened my eyes, the sky was already dark outside.


    Ashton was already awake, and he was making a call on the balcony. From the sound of it, he was in


    the middle of a work discussion. I turned around in bed and stared at him on the balcony. His tall,


    slender silhouette was a feast for the eyes.


    He probably felt my eyes on him. Turning around abruptly, he caught me staring at him from the bed


    and smiled. He spoke into the phone, ¡°Alright, then. If anything happens, just contact Joseph directly!¡±


    He hung up the phone immediately and walked towards me. There was only a towel wrapped around


    his hips, and he was naked from the waist up. This made him look even more alluring than if he was


    completely naked.


    Watching meugh foolishly, he narrowed his eyes at me in suspicion. Raising his eyebrows, he asked,


    ¡°What sort of nonsense are you thinking about now?¡±

 Chapter 805

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 805


    As he spoke, he pulled me against his chest and pressed another kiss to my lips.


    I pushed him away and said, giggling, ¡°You know, if you ever have to stop working, you could always


    be a model to support Summer and me. After all, you certainly have the looks for it!¡±


    His lips curled into a smile that looked a little sinister. ¡°Was that supposed to be apliment?¡±


    I shrugged, nonplussed. ¡°You can think of it as one?¡±


    He wriggled closer to me, his voice sounding even deeper now. ¡°Well, since you think that way, I think


    you can find out how this male model performs for yourself. What do you think, hmm?¡±


    I froze for a second. Before I could react, he had already pinned me under him again¡­


    ¡­


    I finally woke up at seven in the evening. Dusk had already fallen outside. I took a shower and came


    back outside, and Ashton helped me to dry my hair. After that, he handed me a particrly thick piece


    of clothing and told me to put it on.


    Seeing the reluctance on my face, he said, ¡°It¡¯s autumn. It gets very cold at night around here, and you


    might catch a cold if you don¡¯t dress warmly. Put this on!¡±


    I grunted in reply, toozy to continue arguing with him.


    The moment we stepped out of the room, I found Reba standing at the door in a thin, figure-hugging


    dress. She looked at Ashton with a rather pitiful expression and said, smiling awkwardly, ¡°Ash, you¡¯re


    finally done resting!¡±


    Ashton nodded and looked at her. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    Reba bowed her head and said in a pretentious voice, ¡°I didn¡¯t eat anything before I arrived this


    morning, so I¡¯m feeling a little peckish. I didn¡¯t want to bother you, but it¡¯s my first time here, and I¡¯m not


    familiar with the area. Joe told me not to run around by myself, so I thought maybe we could go for


    dinner together?¡±


    Her voice was soft and gentle, and she sounded as though she genuinely didn¡¯t want to create trouble


    for him.


    Still, she said it in a way that made Ashton feel very guilty for not taking good care of her. As she had


    hoped, Ashton frowned slightly and replied, ¡°Next time, just give me a call immediately. That will be


    alright with me. Also, you¡¯re wearing too few clothes for an autumn evening¡ªgo back and put on a


    coat. It¡¯s very cold outside!¡±


    Reba smiled slightly and said, still in that aggravatingly gentle tone, ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m not that cold!¡±


    Even as she said that she wrapped an arm around herself, making herself look small and vulnerable.


    One of Ashton¡¯s weaknesses was that he was toopassionate. Seeing this, he knitted his brows


    together and said again, ¡°It¡¯s even colder outside than in here! You¡¯re going to get sick if you don¡¯t put


    on a coat. Go and put it on right now!¡±


    He said this very kindly, and I could even detect a hint of adoration in his tone. It wasn¡¯t something he


    could help¡ªhe tried to sound stern and firm in his words, but his heart was still weak for this girl.


    Reba gazed up at him with her puppy-dog eyes, looking a little pathetic. After a short pause, she


    replied, ¡°I only brought along a windbreaker when I came. Joe said the climate here is very nice, and


    that I wouldn¡¯t have to bring any thick clothing. I identally dirtied that windbreaker just now, so I


    washed it and put it out to dry. It¡¯s still a little wet, and I don¡¯t think I can put it on now.¡±


    Ashton frowned again. This time, he turned to me and signaled with his eyes that I should go fetch her


    a coat. I sighed and returned to a room, emerging with a random coat in my hand. Shoving it into


    Ashton¡¯s hands, I said coldly, ¡°Here, take it!¡±


    I wasn¡¯t exactly angry, but I couldn¡¯t help but be a little exasperated at Reba. She was milking this


    for all it was worth, and worse still, Ashton was falling for her pretentious trickspletely.


    I knew I should be more generous to her, but my heart burned with a fit of secret jealousy as I looked at


    both of them.


    Reba turned to me and put on an obsequious expression. ¡°Thank you, Ms. Stovall!¡±


    I pursed my lips. That was definitely a calcted move on her part. She kept calling Ashton by that


    infuriating nickname, ¡®Ash¡¯, but when it was my turn to be addressed, she insisted on calling me by my


    maiden¡¯s name!


    Trying to dispel the unhappiness in me, I snapped, ¡°It¡¯s alright. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    With that, I ignored them and walked straight into the lift.


    When we got to the lobby, Nora and Armond were already there. When she spotted us, Nora flew over


    and took my hand immediately. ¡°I knew all of you were still in the hotel, so I suggested to Armond that


    wee here and wait for you guys.¡±


    I felt a little perplexed. ¡°Is something the matter? You could have just given me a call, you know.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Nora snorted loudly. ¡°It¡¯s nothing important, to be honest. Besides, didn¡¯t Mr. Fuller just get off a long-


    haul flight just a few hours ago? We had to let him rest first before bothering him again.¡±


    ¡°Well, is there something going on?¡±


    Nora nodded and replied, ¡°Yes, there is something going on, in fact. However, it isn¡¯t a private matter¡ª


    it has to do withpany affairs. I¡¯ll be tagging along for dinner tonight!¡±


    At that moment, Linda walked in carrying a huge bag of items. Seeing that everyone was here, she


    smiled and said, ¡°Since everyone has arrived, let¡¯s make our way to the restaurant now!¡±


    Armond turned to Ashton and said, ¡°Mr. Fuller, we¡¯re done with the preliminary ns for the base


    project. It¡¯s a little sudden, but why don¡¯t we all go out for a meal today? It¡¯s my treat. It¡¯ll be a good


    opportunity to rx¡ªcare to join us?¡±


    Ashton smiled. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you might have to ask my wife first. I¡¯ve already agreed to bring her for


    Korean barbeque tonight.¡±


    Nora and Linda ¡®oohed¡¯ and ¡®aahed¡¯, cooing over how sweet this was.


    Armond turned and looked at me. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, Korean barbeque will be served at tonight¡¯s gathering


    too. Why don¡¯t you join us?¡±


    Nora clung onto me and tried to act cute. ¡°Babe,e on! It¡¯ll be more fun with more people around.¡±


    I nodded and replied, ¡°Alright, then. The more the merrier!¡±

 Chapter 806

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 806


    If Ashton and I went out to eat by ourselves, Reba would find a way for him to bring her along


    somehow. Inevitably, it would be a three-person dinner, and I would be left awkward and


    embarrassed at the end of it all.


    I might as well go along with Nora and join in the fun.


    Because there were so many of us, Linda decided to book a private room. She ced the bag she had


    been holding onto the table and started handing out the items inside with Nora.


    ¡°I had this when I was shopping the other day. It tasted pretty good, so I brought a few cups for you


    guys too!¡± As she spoke, Nora handed each of us a cup of milk tea.


    When she got to thest cup, she realized that she was just short of one. Linda looked a little awkward.


    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t know Mr. Fuller¡¯s friend wasing along with us, so I didn¡¯t get one for her.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, it¡¯s alright! I don¡¯t particrly like drinking milk tea either. Don¡¯t bother your head about me,¡±


    Reba said, her face flushed with embarrassment.


    Before anyone could say anything, Ashton pushed his cup of milk tea towards her. ¡°Here, have a try.¡±


    His actions had been too abrupt, and evidently a little too intimate. Nora and Linda looked rather


    stunned, and they stole quick nces at me as if to enquire silently what was the rtionship between


    Ashton and Reba was.


    I smiled ndly and didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, I bent my head and took a sip of the milk tea¡ªfor


    some reason, it tasted sickeningly sweet.


    Reba took a sip as well and turned to look at Ashton in surprise. ¡°My gosh, it¡¯s so sweet! Ash, do


    you want a sip too? It¡¯s really good!¡± She even pushed her cup of milk tea towards him.


    Nora shot a look at Linda before replying, ¡°Oh, my bad. I should¡¯ve bought green tea instead. Milk tea


    is always too sweet. Green tea is just right!¡± Her expression didn¡¯t look very friendly.


    Linda pursed her lips and snickered slightly. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s so sweet that my teeth are practically aching!¡±


    The two of them spoke in very soft voices, so Reba could only smile cidly in response.


    I bowed my head and tried to make sense of my jumbled emotions. I knew about Ashton and


    Reba¡¯s past rtionship, and I knew that Ashton cared for Reba like a brother did. There was


    nothing suspicious about their rtionship.


    However, there was nothing I could do about the fact that I felt annoyed by their closeness anyway.


    Suddenly, I heard a deep voice in my ear. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± It was Ashton. As he spoke,


    he took the cup of milk tea from me and took a sip from the same straw I just drank from.


    Truthfully, this was normal behavior between a couple, and it was nothing worth making a fuss about.


    However, we were in public right now, and Reba was sitting right next to Ashton. To everyone else,


    his actions probably seemed rather calcted.


    ¡°Gosh, the two of you need to stop it with the public disys of affection. It¡¯s making me sick! Can you


    be more considerate of everyone else¡¯s feelings?¡± Nora joked, her eyes disappearing fromughter.


    Linda nced at her wryly and asked, ¡°Is this the first time you¡¯ve seen them behaving like this?¡±


    The two of them exchanged another nce and burst intoughter.


    However, the smile on Reba¡¯s face faded away quickly. As her fingers tightened around the cup of


    milk tea, I held back myughter and tore my gaze away from her.


    The one who got away would always be a source of regret for one. For Reba, perhaps, Ashton was


    destined to be the biggest regret in her life.


    Ashton put down in the cup of milk tea in his hand. Turning to me, hemented, ¡°This tastes pretty


    good, but it¡¯s too sweet for my liking. It¡¯s bad for your teeth. Don¡¯t drink it too often!¡±


    I pouted. ¡°I don¡¯t drink it that often! I just happened to have it once today, and you managed to steal half


    of it from me anyway!¡±


    Ashton burst intoughter. ¡°Are you mad at me over one sip of milk tea? Is our rtionship so weak


    that it can¡¯t withstand that?¡±


    His voice was very low, for he had said it with his lips practically pressed to my ear. To everyone else, it


    looked as though we were having a private quarrel.


    For the sake of having a good dinner, I changed seats with Armond and sat down next to Nora.


    Nora shot a puzzled nce at me and frowned. ¡°Why did you change your seat? That¡¯s your man, you


    know. Are you trying to avoid him?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to avoid him. Armond asked us out for dinner because he had something to talk about


    with Ashton. I might as well take the initiative and move out of their way. Do you want your boyfriend¡¯s


    efforts in initiating this dinner to go to waste?¡±


    Nora froze for a second before chuckling. She looked at me and said, ¡°Babe, you really think of


    everything, don¡¯t you? Thanks for the heads up!¡±


    I was pretty hungry, to begin with. For the rest of dinner, I kept my head down and stuffed myself to the


    brim.


    After a while, I finally felt somewhat full. Armond and Ashton were chatting with each other, and I was


    left to my own devices. Feeling rather bored, I swiveled around in my seat to observe both of them.


    More urately, however, I had my eyes fixed on Ashton. It had been a few days since west saw


    each other, but he hadn¡¯t changed at all. Perhaps it was because he was too busy with work, but he


    looked a little tired. Still, anyone could tell that he was a very handsome man.


    He must¡¯ve felt my stare burning through the back of his head. Ashton looked up and nced in my


    direction, his ck eyes shing dangerously.


    I could sense that he wasn¡¯t very happy, and I felt a little confused. Have I done something wrong? I


    looked down at myself and realized the problem immediately. Because it was rather hot in the


    restaurant, I had removed my coat when I stepped into the room. I was wearing a dress inside, and its


    neckline hung dangerously low on my chest. I hugged myself andy my head on the desk, praying


    that my cleavage couldn¡¯t be seen anymore.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 807

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 807


    Ashton drummed his fingers on the table, and he gave a slight cough, warning me to sit up properly.


    I blinked rather foolishly and sat up, rearranging my clothes hastily so they looked appropriate for the


    asion.


    Nora ced a slice of meat onto my te. Leaning closer to me, she grinned and whispered, ¡°The two


    of you sure understand each other very well!¡±


    I snorted a little and took a bite of the meat. If we understood each other as perfectly as she thought,


    Ashton would never have brought Reba along in the first ce.


    My silence made Nora feel rather perturbed. Feeling rather chatty, she turned to Reba and said,


    ¡°Ms. Larson, you¡¯re really quiet! You¡¯re so pretty, so I¡¯m sure lots of men are queuing up to marry you.


    Do you have a boyfriend yet?¡±


    Reba looked rather stunned by the suddenpliment. She replied haltingly, ¡°Ms. Oberick, you¡¯re


    too kind. I¡¯m no beauty at all. You¡¯re kind and generous, and an excellent match for Mr. Murphy. In fact,


    the both of you look like a match made in heaven.¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡± Linda snorted suddenly.


    Nora touched her nose and smiled ndly. Since Reba had offered her apliment, she couldn¡¯t


    exactly scowl back at her. Instead, she stered a grin on her face and continued to press, ¡°So, Ms.


    Larson, do you have a boyfriend?¡±


    Reba looked a little embarrassed. Shaking her head, she replied very honestly, ¡°No, not yet!¡±


    Nora looked very startled. ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful, and you don¡¯t have a boyfriend? What¡¯s wrong with men


    these days¡ªare they all blind or something?¡±


    I bit into another slice of meat and muttered quietly, ¡°She has a huge crush on Ashton. He¡¯s the one


    who¡¯s blind, I suppose!¡±


    Nora started coughing immediately. She looked up and smiled awkwardly, her cheeks bright red in


    color.


    Gesturing at the tes of meat on the table, she spluttered, ¡°Come on, eat up!¡±


    ¡­


    After dinner, everyone mulled silently over their own private thoughts.


    It was ratherte at night by the time the meal ended. Nora and Armond were probably going to spend


    some quality time by themselves¡ªthey bid us farewell and left.


    Linda hadn¡¯t had enough rest for the past few days. She decided to retire early to her room, too.


    That left the three of us. Ashton turned to me and asked, ¡°What else do you want to do now?¡± We had


    slept through the afternoon, and if we returned to the hotel room now, we wouldn¡¯t be able to fall asleep


    anyway.


    I shook my head and shrugged. Truth be told, I was a rather boring person who didn¡¯t have many


    hobbies¡ªan extraordinarily boring person.


    On the contrary, Reba¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Ash, didn¡¯t you tell me that Lavelian Vige has a beautiful


    night view? Can Ie along with both of you?¡±


    Ashton didn¡¯t think much of it. He nodded and asked me, ¡°What about you? Do you want toe


    along?¡±


    Frankly speaking, I had seen all the night views in this city along with Nora, and I wasn¡¯t in the mood to


    go sight-seeing either. Besides, with Reba around, some unnecessary tensions were bound to


    arise.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    But I couldn¡¯t let her go by herself, could I? The idea of her walking around the streets with Ashton


    made me even more displeased.


    I nodded nonchntly and said, ¡°Alright, then. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    It took slightly more than ten minutes to get to the night market from the restaurant¡ªit wasn¡¯t very far


    away. I was never particrly chatty at night, and with Reba around, I felt even less inclined to


    strike up conversation.


    Reba seemed much more talkative than she had been at dinner. She seemed to have an endless


    supply of conversation topics with Ashton around.


    We started out walking side-by-side, but the road was bound by a green belt on one side and the traffic


    on the other. It became more difficult to continue walking like this.


    Eventually, I decided to trail behind them, my head bowed in annoyance as I listened to Reba¡¯s


    conversation with Ashton. They were chatting about interesting things that had happened in K City


    recently. Since I hadn¡¯t been around in K City, I had no idea what they were talking about.


    Without anything to add to the conversation, I kept silent throughout the entire journey.


    When we finally arrived at the night market, it was noisy with the sound of cheerful crowds. It seemed


    that most girls enjoyed this sort of environment, too¡ªReba looked excitedly at the various items on


    sale, looking as though she wanted to buy everything in sight.


    Every time she saw something she liked; she would look pitifully towards Ashton. He would freeze for a


    moment before silently and naturally footing the bill for her.


    At that moment, she saw something she wanted again. Shoving the bags of items into Ashton¡¯s hands,


    she eximed excitedly, ¡°Ashton, wait for me! I¡¯ll be back in a minute!¡±


    She then took off blithely like a girl in a romantic novel. I rarely saw such a bright, cheerful side of her,


    but I knew enough about Ashton¡¯s generosity. It didn¡¯t seem very surprising to me at all.


    Here, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little upset.


    Ashton turned to look at me. Frowning, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    I shook my head crossly. Gazing at the bags of items in his arms, I asked sharply, ¡°Aren¡¯t those very


    heavy?¡±


    He merely grinned at me and shot a nce at someone behind me. In a sh, a man in a ck suit


    had appeared out of nowhere and taken the bags from him.


    I froze for a second before realizing that the man was his bodyguard. After the previous incident, he


    had gotten bodyguards to follow me around everywhere. I was always conscious of their existence but


    had never taken the time to confirm it. This was the first time I had seen one of them in flesh.


    After taking the bags from Ashton, the bodyguard disappeared into the crowd again.


    Reba wasn¡¯t back yet. I turned to him and said ndly, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go and look for Ms. Larson?¡±

 Chapter 808

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 808


    He smiled again, gazing at me with his dark eyes. ¡°I got someone to follow her¡ªdon¡¯t worry about it.


    Originally, I nned to go out for a walk with you alone, but Joe isn¡¯t around, and Reba might be


    bored if I left her alone in the hotel. Next time, let¡¯s go out by ourselves, alright?¡±


    I pursed my lips and grunted in response, sounding rather deted. When had he be so close to


    Reba, anyway?


    Over the past few weeks, he had started treating her like a younger sister who had been entrusted to


    his care!


    He suddenly leaned closer and pinched my cheeks. It hurt a little. I looked up and met his gaze


    defiantly. In a low voice, he said, ¡°Scarlett, as long as she doesn¡¯t do anything inappropriate, can¡¯t you


    just treat her as your younger sister? Do you need to make things so difficult for the both of us? Just let


    go of your grudge, won¡¯t you?¡±


    I frowned even more fiercely. His words had touched a raw nerve in me. Staring at him in the eye, I


    asked, ¡°Is that all I am to you? A wretched woman who has been wasting away in hatred and regret?¡±


    Was he castigating me for acting like a woman who had been deserted by her husband?


    Hearing my sudden question, the smile disappeared from his face. ¡°Scarlett, you know that isn¡¯t what I


    meant!¡±


    The streets were swimming with people and having an argument here would only reflect badly on us. I


    pursed my lips and kept quiet.


    Ashton seemed to have realized the mistake in his words, too. He tried to take my hand, but I swatted


    his arm away irritably.


    Here, Reba appeared with a couple of yo-yos in her hand and a fabulous smile on her face. ¡°Ash,


    take a look at these! My brother and I used to y with them all the time, and I didn¡¯t know they sold


    them here! In fact, I thought I would never see them again!¡±


    Ashton assented and handed me one of the yo-yos. ¡°Do you want to give it a go?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No thanks!¡± I was in no mood to y.


    He didn¡¯t force the matter. Instead, he looked at Reba and nagged, ¡°Don¡¯t injure yourself!¡± With that,


    he continued walking further down the street.


    Lavelian Vige had lovely architecture. Usually, it would be a dream to sniff the air of Jadeborough


    and have a stroll along the streets after dinner. The hawker stalls along the road were a feast for the


    eyes.


    However, sight-seeing was best done in the right mood. I had been very happy when I came to visit


    with Nora the other day, but all I felt in my heart now were bitter traces of annoyance and


    disappointment.


    After walking for a while more, Reba seemed to get a little tired. She ran over to a bench by the side


    of the street and sat down. Smiling sweetly at Ashton, she eximed, ¡°Ash, why don¡¯t we rest our feet


    for now?¡±


    Throughout the whole thing, neither Ashton nor I said a word. After sitting on the bench for a few


    minutes, Reba seemed to think of something. Pulling Ashton up, she turned to me and said, ¡°Ms.


    Stovall, wait for us for a bit, won¡¯t you? We¡¯ll be back in a jiffy!¡±


    With that, she disappeared into the crowd along with Ashton.


    I leaned back in the bench and watched the swarm of people pass me by. The scenery would have


    made me very happy on normal days, but I couldn¡¯t find it in me to smile today.


    At that moment, the phone in my pocket started to ring. It was a K City number. Who was calling me


    from K City? I thought for a few moments, but not a single name came to mind. I picked up the phone


    anyway.


    Immediately, I heard the sweet voice of a little girl on the other end of the line. ¡°Mommy, are you still at


    work? Why is it so noisy in the background?¡±


    I froze for a second. I had nearly forgotten that Summer promised to call me every night. Snapping out


    of my daze, I said, ¡°Oh, I just had dinner, and I¡¯m out for a walk now. Work is over for today.¡±


    Summer¡¯s voice was soft and almost ticklish in my ear. ¡°Mommy, you have to rest well! Don¡¯t be too


    tired! Mr. Fuller went to look for you today¡ªhave you met him yet?¡±


    I nodded and smiled. ¡°Yes, I have. Summer, who are you with right now?¡± With Ashton gone from the


    vi, she had probably been left in the care of Mrs. Dune.


    ¡°I¡¯m in Granny¡¯s house! Since Mr. Fuller isn¡¯t at home, I went to stay with Granny and Grandpa for a


    while. Mommy, do you want to talk to Granny? She misses you as much as I do.¡±


    I froze again. I wanted to turn down her offer, but Cameron was already on the phone. ¡°Scarlett, how


    are you? It¡¯s getting coldtely, so make sure to put on warmer clothes. Come back when you¡¯re done


    with your work, alright? It¡¯s nearly the Harvest Festival¡ªare you and Ashton going to be back in time


    for it?¡±


    Perhaps it was because we were speaking over the phone, but she sounded even older over the line.


    In fact, she sounded almost elderly.


    I nodded and said, ¡°We¡¯re not sure yet, actually. I¡¯ll get back to you closer to the Harvest Festival.¡± After


    a short pause, I said, ¡°Thanks for taking care of Summer for me.¡±


    I heard Cameron¡¯s helplessughter on the other end of the line. ¡°Oh, you silly child. What¡¯s there to


    thank me for when I¡¯m taking care of my own granddaughter? Scarlett, I¡¯m getting on in age, and I¡¯ll be


    gone in a couple of years. I know you still hate me deep inside, but we must look forward in life.¡±


    I pursed my lips and didn¡¯t say anything else.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Summer started fussing to speak to me again. She took the phone from Cameron and started telling


    me about the interesting things that had happened in school. I listened half-heartedly to her,ughing


    slightly when appropriate.

 Chapter 809

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 809


    After chatting for a bit, the child started getting sleepy since she would always go to bed on time. When


    I heard her yawning, I urged, ¡°Summer, it¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s talk tomorrow, alright?¡±


    She nodded in agreement and spoke softly, ¡°Mommy, I¡¯ll sleep now and call you tomorrow. You should


    go home earlier, and don¡¯t stay up toote. It¡¯s not good for your health.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Goodnight!¡± Hearing that, I felt warm in my heart as I nodded and smiled.


    After hanging up, I stared nkly at my phone. When one reached a certain age, they would have to


    make some decisions. Most people would find a ce for themselves, be it having a home, rtives, or


    friends.


    Ashton and Reba came back just then, and they seemed to be in a good mood. The two of them


    had some stuff in their hands. Noticing I was lost in a daze, the man handed me the candy floss he was


    holding and said, ¡°Try them.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t interested in sweet food, so I took a small bite and said indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s too sweet. It¡¯s getting


    late, so we should head back now.¡±


    With that, I headed directly toward the hotel while they followed me. On the way back, none of us said


    a thing.


    By the time we reached the hotel, it was almost past midnight. Getting our key cards from the counter, I


    handed Ashton his key card before announcing, ¡°Nora is staying in the same room with me, so here¡¯s


    yours.¡± I didn¡¯t want to talk much, as I was overwhelmed by fatigue.


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    After shoving the room card into his hand, I entered the lift and went to my room.


    Right when I had just opened the door, a figure entered my room before me. It was Ashton. He


    switched on the lights and scanned the surroundings. Raising a brow, he looked at me and asked, ¡°Are


    you tired? Is that why you don¡¯t want to stay in the same room with me?¡±


    I knitted my brows, fighting the urge to fall asleep that second. ¡°You think too much. I¡¯ve literally been


    staying with Nora for this whole time. It¡¯s just that she didn¡¯te back tonight.¡±


    Reluctant to drag on the conversation, I quickly changed intofortable sleepwear and got ready to


    wash up. The man closed the door and hugged me from behind while cing his chin on my shoulder.


    ¡°Are you mad?¡±


    I shook my head and denied, ¡°No. I¡¯m just too tired.¡± I was so exhausted that I didn¡¯t even feel like


    getting mad.


    Slowly, he pulled me close and sat on the bed. Wrapping his hands around my waist, he ced me on


    his thighs. ¡°Do you feel better this way?¡±


    I leaned on his shoulder and finally let out my frustration. ¡°Ashton, you failed as a husband today.¡±


    I didn¡¯t wish to fight with him. However, bottling up my frustrations and feelings made me feel


    suffocated, so I decided to just let it out.


    The man hugged me tightly and lowered his voice. ¡°Why?¡±


    Leaning on his shoulder, I was getting sleepy. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t leave me alone at the square and went


    with her for so long.¡±


    I could understand he cared for Reba. After all, they had known each other for a long time.


    However, seeing how they were so close to each other, I felt ufortable.


    The man furrowed his brows slightly and wore a gentle smile. ¡°Weren¡¯t you tired? I asked you to rest at


    the square and even sent some bodyguards to protect you.¡±


    I didn¡¯t feel like continuing the conversation, so I got up from hisp. ¡°It¡¯ste. Quickly wash up and go


    rest.¡±


    I knew I had to stop the conversation. Or else it would only seem like I was overreacting.


    However, before I could walk away, he gripped my wrist and turned me around. Our eyes met, and he


    asked me, ¡°Are you jealous?¡±


    Upon hearing his words, I shrugged and made it seem like I was unbothered by it. ¡°What am I to be


    mad about? You only see her as your sister.¡±


    He smiled faintly and pulled me into his arms. ¡°I¡¯ll be more careful next time. I¡¯ll always put you before


    anything else in the future and do my best to be a good husband. Is that okay?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your problem, and it has nothing to do with me. I¡¯m just giving you a reminder.¡± I pursed my lips


    while Ashton smiled and leaned in, his warm lips getting closer and closer to mine.


    Looking at his dark eyes, my intuition told me to run, and so I hurriedly stopped him. ¡°Ashton, it¡¯ste.


    Time to hit the sack.¡±


    He raised a brow at me and smirked. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Just leave it to me.¡±


    Realization soon dawned on me, and I finally knew what he was getting at.


    The Lavelian Vige project went on smoothly during theter stages, and the cooperation between


    Fuller Corporation and Murphy Corporation was almostplete.


    The next step only required eachpany to work on its own projects. Most of it was just supervising


    the progress, so it wasn¡¯t as tiring as it was during the early stages, and I alone could handle the


    workload.


    Now that Linda had free time in her hands, it was time for her to leave. After sorting out the work


    progress, she handed the files to me. ¡°You¡¯ll have to handle the rest yourself. I¡¯ll return to the city and


    attend to my work.¡±


    I nodded and took over the documents. The woman was the director of the parentpany, so she


    had many tasks to work on. The project this time, she was sent to assist me, as Armond knew I wasn¡¯t


    able toplete it myself.


    Now that most of the project was done, she would go back and attend to her work.


    After seeing her off, I sorted out the files. Just as it was time for lunch, Nora called, but to my surprise,


    it wasn¡¯t to invite me out for a meal.

 Chapter 810

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 810


    After answering the call, I heard Nora¡¯s voice from the other end. ¡°Babe, I¡¯ll have to return to the city.


    See you there.¡±


    I froze for a while when I heard her sudden deration. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you going back


    suddenly?¡± From how I know her, she will follow Armond around. Armond¡¯s still here, so why is she


    leaving?


    She exined, ¡°I¡¯m here for quite long. There¡¯s nothing left for me to enjoy. I¡¯ll go back to the city and


    hang out with Tabitha and Laurel for a few days. I¡¯ll wait for you, and once you¡¯re back, let¡¯s go out and


    have fun.¡±


    I nodded. She must be bored with Lavelian Vige. After all, we were all busy with work and didn¡¯t have


    the time to hang out with her. Days went by, and I could see that her interest was running thin.


    ¡°Okay, have a safe trip then. I¡¯ll call you when I get back.¡± I still had some work on my hands, so I


    couldn¡¯t see her off.


    She hummed a reply and said, ¡°Oh, by the way, what¡¯s with Ashton and Reba yesterday? Don¡¯t tell


    me she¡¯s one of his admirers. She seems gentle, but I can tell that she¡¯s way difficult than that Rachel.


    Can you handle it?¡±


    I smiled gently at her concern. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Ashton only sees her as his sister. It¡¯s no biggie, so don¡¯t


    worry.¡±


    After gossiping for a while, we said our goodbyes and hung up.


    Leedon looked at me and asked, ¡°Ms. Stovall, have you had lunch yet? Let¡¯s eat together.¡±


    I nodded and got up from my seat. As we were leaving the office, he said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the


    representatives of the third party for this project reached Lavelian Vige today. We¡¯ll have to meet up


    with them for the next few days.¡±


    I gave a brief reply since I was rather unbothered by it. These types of extensive projects would


    naturally involve third parties as the construction and funds were enormous.


    This was one of the unwritten rules in construction projects. Truth be told, those people were only here


    to supervise the twopanies.


    The construction progressed rather smoothly, so it was inevitable for a third party to show up. I nodded


    after digesting his words, as we would have to meet up with them.


    Before we reached the restaurant at the base, we met Ashton and Reba. It seemed like they came


    here on purpose.


    When the woman saw me, she greeted me naturally, ¡°Ms. Stovall, where are you going? Ash and I are


    here to fetch you for lunch.¡±


    Upon hearing her words, Leedon immediately left after bidding goodbye to us.


    I looked at the two of them and frowned. ¡°Where is Mr. Quinn?¡±


    It seems this woman had gotten used to following Ashton around.


    Ashton walked toward me and held my hand. ¡°Joe has some matters to attend to. It¡¯s gettingte, so


    let¡¯s go.¡±


    Since they were here, I had to go with them. Lavelian Vige was a small area, so the restaurants were


    rather limited, and there weren¡¯t many types of food to choose from.


    Hence, we just went to one of the restaurants. I didn¡¯t know if Reba was just pretending to be


    adorable or if that really was how she would normally behave. For the entire time, she had on an


    innocent expression and would even act coquettishly now and then.


    I stayed silent as I couldn¡¯t bear with her behavior.


    After ordering the food, she tugged at Ashton¡¯s sleeve, asking him to go get some ice cream with her.


    However, the man didn¡¯t feel like going, so she went alone.


    After she left, I rested my chin on my hand and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried about her now that you¡¯re


    not with her?¡±


    He looked at me and smiled. ¡°Are you jealous, Mrs. Fuller?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°Not really. There¡¯s nothing to be jealous about.¡±


    He held my arm and shoved something into my hand. I was stunned for a while before lowering my


    head to look at it. It turned out to be an exquisite box.


    I raised my head to look at him and knitted my brows. ¡°What is it?¡±


    The man only smiled and urged, ¡°Open it.¡±


    I did as told and found a ne with intricate designs lying inside the box. I turned to look at him


    while he smiled. ¡°Put it on?¡±


    ¡°When did you buy this?¡± I studied the ne and knew that it wasn¡¯t your usual ne that one


    could just buy from the stores.


    ¡°Once, when I was attending an opening ceremony at K City, the organizer gave it to me. I heard that


    there are only three of these nes in the world. It looks beautiful, and I figure you¡¯ll like it, so I


    brought it here for you.¡± He reached out and helped me put on the ne while exining.


    ¡°It looks good on you!¡± He sized me up and gave an apt answer.


    Feeling his gaze on me, I felt ufortable, so I quickly changed the topic.


    ¡°Oh, by the way! How¡¯s the investigation going?¡± We didn¡¯t talk about the matters at the base yet. Now


    that I thought of it, I blurted out.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that urgent. Just finish your work on hand.¡± He didn¡¯t intend to tell me about it.


    The dishes were served, but Reba had not returned to us. I couldn¡¯t help but look at Ashton and


    said, ¡°Reba has been out for so long. Will she be fine?¡±


    He froze for a while before dialing a number. ¡°Where is she?¡±


    He must be asking the bodyguard who had been following Reba.


    Suddenly, Ashton furrowed his brows, and his expression turned grim. ¡°Go search for her.¡±

 Chapter 811

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 811


    Then, Ashton hung up.


    Judging from his expression, I figured the bodyguard had lost Reba, so I suggested, ¡°Calm down.


    Lavelian Vige isn¡¯t that big. She must¡¯ve gone to buy something.¡±


    Ashton nodded and looked at me. ¡°Wait here for me. Just dig in if you¡¯re hungry. I¡¯ll go look for her, and


    I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    I grabbed his arm and stopped him in his tracks. He looked at me,pletely astounded. Seeing his


    reaction, I smiled faintly and offered, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you. Nora dragged me around these days, and I know


    all these ces quite well.¡±


    He pursed his lips and rejected, ¡°Eat up while the food is still warm.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no rush. I¡¯ll just get them to warm up the foodter. Let¡¯s look for her first.¡± With that, I talked to


    the owner and exited the restaurant.


    Lavelian Vige was a small area, and only a few shops sold ice creams. After going through every ice


    cream shop, Reba was nowhere to be found.


    We even asked the passers-by to get some information. Soon, the bodyguard came to us and lowered


    his head. ¡°Mr. Fuller, I lost Ms. Larson on the way back to the restaurant.¡±


    ¡°Did you see anyone suspicious?¡± Ashton spoke calmly.


    The bodyguard shook his head and replied, ¡°I was following behind Ms. Larson and didn¡¯t see anyone


    suspicious. However, it seemed like she was trying to shake me off.¡±


    Ashton frowned and nced at him beforemanding, ¡°Continue to look for her.¡±


    After hearing what the bodyguard said, I knew what Reba was trying to do. Narrowing my eyes


    slightly, I smirked. ¡°No need. Let¡¯s go back to the restaurant. The dishes must have gotten cold.¡±


    With that, I didn¡¯t wait for him to reply and headed back to the restaurant. As expected, Reba had


    already returned to the restaurant and was sitting at our table.


    When Reba saw me and Ashton entering the restaurant, a look of surprise was written all over her


    face. She looked at Ashton and asked, ¡°Ash, where did you guys go? I didn¡¯t see you guys when I


    came back. I thought you guys went back.¡±


    Curling my lips, I gave a wintry smile before sitting back in my seat and asked the owner to serve the


    dishes.


    ¡°Why did you turn off your phone?¡± Displeased was shown on Ashton¡¯s face when he frowned and


    questioned the woman.


    Once again, she had the same naive look on her face and took her phone out of her bag. Blinking her


    eyes in confusion, she looked at Ashton and said, ¡°My phone¡¯s turned off? I didn¡¯t know. What¡¯s


    wrong?¡±


    Ashton pursed his lips and replied indifferently, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Meanwhile, I started eating the food when the dishes were served and lost the desire to talk.


    Reba noticed we were in a foul mood and looked at Ashton in bewilderment. ¡°Ash, why do you guys


    look unhappy? Did I do something wrong and make you guys mad?¡±


    Clunk! I ced my spoon on the table. The metal spoon hit the marble table and gave off an audible


    noise, enough to attract their attention.


    Looking at her terrified expression, I smirked and wiped my lips slowly with a napkin before asking,


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired?¡±


    With her wide doe-like eyes, she looked at me and asked, ¡°Ms. Stovall, what do you mean? I don¡¯t get


    you.¡±


    I smiled faintly at her. ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired of pretending? Reba, you¡¯re in your thirties. If you¡¯re acting


    this way in front of your husband, I¡¯ve got to hand it to you. But, oh no¡­ This is my man and not


    someone you should mess with. So please, for the love of God, can you stop acting like a horny b*tch


    in front of him?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Upon hearing my words, she turned to Ashton with a pain-etched face while tears welled up in


    her eyes. ¡°Ash, I didn¡¯t. You know me. I was like this ever since I was young.¡±


    Ashton rxed his knitted brows slightly and urged, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. After lunch, we shall return to the


    hotel to rest. Joe will be here at night.¡± He didn¡¯t intend to bring up what I said just now.


    With that, he ced a few pieces of fish on my te and asked, ¡°Why did you stop eating after taking a


    few bites?¡±


    ¡°I lost my appetite.¡± I uttered and got ready to leave.


    However, Ashton stopped me from getting up and asked, ¡°What would you like to eat? Let¡¯s go get it


    together.¡±


    I squinted my eyes and raised my brow at them. ¡°Together?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Yeah, together. You and me, together.¡±


    Reba¡¯s expression immediately took a 360-degree turn as she got up suddenly. ¡°Ash, I¡¯m full, so I¡¯ll


    head back to the hotel first.¡±


    The man nced at her with a calm expression and nodded. ¡°Okay. Be careful on your way back, and


    don¡¯t wander around.¡±


    Reba initially thought Ashton would stop her from leaving, but to her disappointment, he didn¡¯t.


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    Suppressing her anger, she took her bag and exited the restaurant, leaving Ashton and me at the table.


    The man looked at me and smiled before cing the dishes I liked on my te. ¡°Come on. Finish up!¡±

 Chapter 812

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 812


    I only decided to leave because of Reba¡¯s annoying presence at the table, and I was quite hungry.


    However, now that she left, I would most definitely finish the food.


    Sitting back in my seat, I started digging in.


    Ashton didn¡¯t seem to be hungry as he kept putting food onto my te. It was as if he derived pleasure


    from looking at me enjoying the meal.


    Halfway through the meal, I was full, but he didn¡¯t stop giving me food. On the verge of breaking down,


    I looked at him and asked, ¡°Are you feeding a pig?¡±


    ¡°Pfft!¡± Upon hearing my question, he spat out the water he had yet to swallow in his mouth and


    coughed.


    I handed him a piece of tissue and poured him a ss of water before cing down my spoon. This


    time, I was truly full.


    Soon, he stopped coughing and looked at me. His good-looking face was rather flushed as his gaze


    darkened. ¡°Are you full?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Then I got up and left the restaurant. He followed behind me after paying for the meal and tugged on


    my hand. ¡°Still jealous after the meal?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get jealous.¡± I tried to fling his hand away while the man chuckled softly. ¡°Yeah, I know.¡±


    As he spoke, he startedughing in a low voice. I looked at him in bewilderment. ¡°What are you


    laughing at?¡±


    The corners of his lips curled upwards, and he seemed to be in a good mood. ¡°You look cute when


    you¡¯re jealous.¡±


    ¡°I told you ¨C I don¡¯t get jealous!¡± I shouted and tried to exin but gave up after looking at the smile on


    his face.


    However, I was reluctant to forgive him this easily. ¡°Ashton, we¡¯ll sleep in different rooms from now on.¡±


    ¡°That serious?¡± The man froze for a while before knitting his brows in concern, while I snorted in reply,


    ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t we just stay in different houses.¡±


    He brought his hand to his face helplessly before pulling me into an embrace. Lowering his gaze


    lovingly at me, he apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Sorry for not handling it better. I, Ashton Fuller, am willing to


    ept any punishment from you, but under one condition ¨C we must sleep in the same room. Is that


    okay?¡±


    I shrugged and spoke boldly, ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll stay in A City from now on.¡±


    When I saw Leedon¡¯s truck, I pushed Ashton away and waved. Leedon drove toward us and stopped


    his truck by the roadside and asked, ¡°Ms. Stovall, were you both having your meals here?¡±


    I nodded and smiled at the man. ¡°Leedon, can you fetch me back to the base?¡±


    Leedon smiled faintly and nodded. ¡°Sure. Get in. I¡¯m on my way to the base too.¡±


    After getting in the truck, I didn¡¯t spare Ashton any nce.


    As the project was ongoing, I was busy the entire evening. Besides, Linda and Armond were away, so I


    had a lot of matters to handle.


    When it was finally time to rest, Armond called me. ¡°Scarlett, the representative of the third party is


    here. Come to the hotel tonight for dinner and to meet up with them.¡±


    I was nning to rest at the hotel. However, since I was the person in charge of the project this time, I


    had to make an appearance.


    With that in mind, I replied, ¡°Alright. Tell me the room number, and I¡¯ll head there once I finish up the


    work at the base.¡±


    The man hummed a reply and hung up.


    Handling the work alone was a taxing task, and I was exhausted when it was time to get off work. Right


    at that moment, my phone was buzzing in my bag incessantly.


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    I left the base and checked my phone. To my surprise, I actually received over ten notifications.


    They weren¡¯t messages, but in fact, bank transfer notifications from Ashton. Numbers were all over the


    conversation page without a single text message.


    I pursed my lips and chose not to bother. The money would be returned after twenty-four hours if I


    didn¡¯t ept the transaction, so I would let the system do its work.


    After that, I decided to ride Leedon¡¯s car back to the hotel. Yet, my ns got interrupted when Ashton


    showed up at the entrance of the base in a ck suit with a bouquet in his hand.


    How romantic! Bringing flowers to ask for forgiveness.


    I ignored him and turned to Leedon when he was exiting the base. ¡°Leedon, can you take me to the


    hotel?¡±


    Thetter saw Ashton and chuckled. ¡°Are you guys fighting?¡±


    ¡°Is it okay?¡± I felt awkward and forced a grin while the man smiled faintly. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Soon after, I followed him to his car. Ashton immediately blocked my path and handed the flowers to


    me. ¡°I¡¯m here to fetch you off work.¡±


    I didn¡¯t take it over and said indifferently, ¡°Thanks, but no thanks. I¡¯ll hitch a ride with Leedon. There¡¯s


    no need to trouble you, Mr. Fuller.¡±


    With that, I stepped aside and walked past him while he followed behind me, sounding helpless. ¡°I¡¯m


    sorry for what happened today. Let¡¯s go back to the hotel and settle this. I¡¯m willing to ept any sort


    of punishment.¡±


    I halted in my tracks and nced at him. ¡°Okay.¡± Then, I took the flowers and looked at him. ¡°That¡¯s


    enough. Go back.¡±


    The man was at a loss for words, as he didn¡¯t expect me to receive the flowers. Seeing how he was


    rooted to his spot, I got into Leedon¡¯s car with no hesitation.

 Chapter 813

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 813


    Leedon started the car engine and looked at Ashton before turning to me. ¡°My wife always throws a fit


    at me, but after giving her gifts and flowers as an apology, she would forgive me and prepare food that I


    like to eat.¡±


    He was grinning widely when he spoke of his wife. Thus, I couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Your wife must¡¯ve


    been living a blissful life.¡±


    Looking at me, he replied, ¡°Aren¡¯t you too? Mr. Fuller is willing to humble himself ande fetch you


    off work. He didn¡¯t get mad even when you left him there.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°He did something wrong.¡±


    The man replied, ¡°That¡¯s how couples interact when living together. My wife always got mad at me back


    then. She even got jealous when I didn¡¯t greet her the first thing I went home. I didn¡¯t know what to do


    when she threw tantrums. However, now that we¡¯re getting older, her temper has improved. If I¡¯m away


    from her for long, she will be so anxious that she is on the verge of crying.¡±


    At that, I unlocked my phone and received the money Ashton transferred before sending him an


    emoticon.


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    Instantly, thetter texted: What would you like to eat tonight? I¡¯ll make the orders first.


    I replied to his message: I¡¯ll have to meet up with the third party tonight. Let¡¯s eat another day.


    The man replied: I¡¯ll wait for you at the hotel. Reading his reply, I knitted my brows and didn¡¯t give a


    response.


    When we reached the hotel, Ashton looked charming yet poised as he stood in the hotel lobby in his


    ck suit.


    Ashton came towards me and looked at me with a smile on his face. ¡°What would you like to eat?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but frown at his question. ¡°I have an appointment.¡±


    Nheless, he smiled and exined, ¡°It¡¯s for dinner. After all, I¡¯m one of the coborators, so we¡¯ll be


    having our meals together as well.¡±


    Oh, that¡¯s right!


    I almost forgot that the project at Lavelian Vige belonged to the Fuller Corporation. To cover up my


    embarrassment, I shrugged and went into the hotel without saying anything back to him.


    Checking the room number Armond sent me, I searched for the private room while Ashton followed


    behind me quietly.


    When we entered the private room, Armond, Joseph, Rachel, and a few other people involved were


    seated at the table.


    When Armond saw me, he gestured at me to sit down. But as soon as they saw Ashton trailing in


    behind me, they were stunned. Meanwhile, Joseph and Rachel immediately got up and greeted, ¡°Mr.


    Fuller.¡±


    Ashton waved his hand at them, motioning them to sit down before smiling. ¡°Don¡¯t mind me. I¡¯m only


    here to apany my family.¡±


    Joseph sat down in his seat and scratched his nose mindlessly. It was obvious that he was feeling


    awkward.


    However, the one involved waspletely unbothered and sat down beside me. ¡°What would you like


    to eat?¡±


    I nced sideways at him while furrowing my brows. ¡°Ashton, aren¡¯t you busy?¡±


    For someone his status, he didn¡¯t have to meet up with the third party. Setting that aside, he should


    behave more like the president of thepany now that he had attended.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± He nodded and added, ¡°My mission today is to make you happy.¡±


    Upon hearing his reply, I heaved a helpless sigh and was reluctant to talk to him.


    Seeing this, Armond started a conversation with Ashton. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the representative of the third


    party is their president. Mr. Fuller¡¯s so well-informed.¡±


    Unexpectedly, Ashton poured a ss of water for me and chuckled. ¡°Not really. I¡¯m really here to


    apany my wife.¡±


    I¡­


    A beautiful piano melody filled the silent room, and it turned out to be Ashton¡¯s ringing tone. He


    answered the call and said, ¡°I¡¯m eating at the hotel. Are youing?¡±


    Listening to the voice from the other end of the phone, I figured it was Joe. This reminded me of what


    Ashton said before ¨C Joe would reach Lavelian Vige tonight. So that¡¯s why Reba wasn¡¯t with


    Ashton.


    Ashton said, ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll send you the address.¡±


    Then, he hung up and sent him the location of the private room.


    Armond froze for a while and asked in confusion. ¡°Mr. Fuller, is your friending?


    Ashton nodded. ¡°Yeah. Joe ising here from K City. Mr. Murphy, you don¡¯t mind it, do you?¡±


    Armond smiled and replied, ¡°Of course not. We wee Mr. Quinn here.¡±


    A few minutester, three rhythmic knocks on the door could be heard.


    Joseph stood up and opened the door. As expected, it was Joe and Reba. After exchanging


    pleasantries with Armond, they sat down at the table.


    Almost everyone was here, but the representative of the third party wasn¡¯t here yet, and Ashton didn¡¯t


    intend to wait any longer. He then called out to the waiter and ordered the dishes.


    After the order waspleted, the door was opened, and in came a middle-aged man wearing a suit


    and leather shoes. He wore an apologetic smile as he stepped into the room.


    After that, he made a gesture, and someone familiar walked into the room.


    The man was wearing a royal blue suit, his hair neatlybed. When he saw everyone in the room, he


    didn¡¯t seem to mind that he waste.


    Wearing a smile on his face, he said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to keep you all waiting.¡±

 Chapter 814

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 814


    Armond stood up and greeted him with a smile. ¡°Thank you foring, Mr. White. We¡¯ve ordered the


    dishes, and they will be served soon.¡±


    After that, Marcus was invited to sit opposite me. I could not help but frown. How is he the


    representative of the third-partypany?


    As I nced to the side, I saw Ashton peeling the lobster that had been served just now. When he saw


    me looking at him, he shed me a smile. ¡°Hungry?¡±


    I shook my head and opened my mouth to verbally decline him. But before I could say no to him, he


    had put a piece of shelled lobster into my mouth.


    I was stunned for a second before starting to chew on it. The lobster was surprisingly delicious.


    He looked at me and grinned. ¡°How¡¯s the taste?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good,¡± I replied, nodding my head.


    Smiling, he continued to shell the lobster gracefully and said with a gentle tone of voice, ¡°Slow down. I¡¯ll


    peel more for you.¡±


    He was acting as if no other people were eating together with us.


    As I continued to enjoy the lobster, I gradually understood the situation. Judging from Ashton¡¯s


    behavior, it seemed that he had known that Marcus woulde today, and that was why he followed


    me to this dinner.


    All of a sudden, I noticed a sharp re from the side. I looked up and saw Reba shooting daggers


    at me. She looked as if she wanted to swallow me alive.


    Grinning at her childish behavior, I arched my brow at her. Looks like someone hasn¡¯t given up yet. Is


    this already too much for her to tolerate? Then, I cocked my head to the side and looked at Ashton,


    saying, ¡°I want more, Ashton.¡±


    He ced the lobster that he had peeled into my mouth and gazed at me adoringly. ¡°Slow down. You


    might choke.¡±


    I nodded and threw Reba a nce, smiling smugly at her.


    As soon as she caught the look on my face, her face turned bright red with anger.


    ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Fuller is such a lovey-dovey couple. I don¡¯t know about others, but I¡¯m jealous. Haha.¡±


    Armond tried to ease the awkwardness with a joke.


    Marcus narrowed his eyes and replied with a smile, ¡°There are too many two-faced partners nowadays.


    I hope Mr. Fuller would be sincere to Letty.¡±


    Hearing the affectionate nickname from Marcus, Armond jolted in surprise. ¡°Both of you know each


    other?¡±


    ¡°In fact, we¡¯ve known each other for a long time.¡± Marcusnded his gaze on me and looked at me


    lovingly. ¡°This girl is so cold-hearted. She¡¯s been ignoring me ever since thest quarrel we had, and


    yet I¡¯m still missing her every day.¡±


    My eyes opened wide, utterly speechless at his speech. When on earth did that happen?


    Upon hearing the confession from Marcus, Armond could not help but ask, ¡°So, the two of you are


    really close to each other?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We are even closer than friends. Am I right, Letty?¡± Marcus replied while eyeing me.


    I frowned at his bold words.


    Before I could rify my rtionship with Marcus, Ashton had beaten me to it. ¡°Since Uncle Benjamin ¨C


    Marcus¡¯s father ¨C is the husband of my aunt, it¡¯s true that Mr. White and my wife are more than friends


    because they are also rtives. But now that Aunt Sally has left the White Corporation, the rtion


    between the two families is not as close as before. Therefore, Mr. White, I hope that you could think


    twice before you speak next time. After all, it affects my wife¡¯s reputation as well.¡±


    After speaking, he put the lobster in his hand into my mouth.


    The atmosphere became more awkward. Fortunately, the waiters had begun to serve more dishes,


    distracting our attention.


    Armond probably sensed theplexity of our rtionships, so he invited everyone to dig in and


    cracked a few more jokes, trying to ease the tension.


    As a sign of respect to Armond ¨C the host of the dinner, everyone dropped the topic as well. Ultimately,


    we were gathered here tonight for the Lavelian Vige project, not for petty squabbles.


    Throughout the meal, I was the one who felt the most ufortable. Marcus would put food on my


    te every now and then, and Ashton was stuffing so much food into my mouth, hoping that I would


    not take any food given by the others.


    Moreover, I had to endure Reba¡¯s icy re and Rachel¡¯s contemptuous gaze at the same time.


    When the meal finally came to an end, Marcus looked towards me and asked, ¡°Letty, where are you


    staying? I see that you¡¯ve eaten a lot just now. Why don¡¯t we go out for a walkter? It¡¯d help with


    digestion.¡±


    Pursing my lips, I shook my head and rejected him. ¡°No, thanks. I¡­¡±


    ¡°My wife and I still have something else to do after this, but thank you for your kind offer, Mr. White.¡±


    With that, he brought me out of the room straight away.


    Although Marcus was unhappy with it, he took the hint and said no more.


    As we walked out of the private room, I felt bloated indeed, so I started to think about where Ashton


    and I should go for a walk.


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    However, I needed to go to the restroom first.


    After I asked Ashton to wait for me in the lobby, I headed straight to the restroom to relieve myself.


    When I got out of the restroom cubicle, I saw Rachel by the sink. Pulling out a piece of tissue, she eyed


    me disdainfully. ¡°Scarlett, I don¡¯t care how messy your personal life is, but the Lavelian Vige project is


    the product of my hard work. So, you¡¯d better not mess it up, or else I will not let you off the hook


    easily.¡±

 Chapter 815

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 815


    I replied impassively, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re not the only one who cared about the project. I care about it,


    too.¡±


    She scoffed. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Scarlett, I¡¯ve really underestimated you. I initially thought that you¡¯ve


    gotten Ashton to fall for you by sheer luck. But I guess I was wrong. Even though you look average,


    you seem to be good at seducing men. It¡¯s no wonder Ms. Larson loses to you.¡±


    I dried my hands and nced at her. ¡°Ms. Zimmer, I like how you¡¯re always dedicated, professional,


    and cool-headed when you¡¯re at work. But I would like you to be rational thinking in your interpersonal


    rtionships as well. I¡¯m indeed not as good as you, but that doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯m a good-for-nothing.


    Perhaps it was sheer luck that Ashton had married me. However, do you think that one can rely on


    pure luck to get through all the challenges in a ten-year marriage? Don¡¯t be so narrow-minded, Rachel.


    You don¡¯t get to judge if one is worthy of something.¡±


    Then, I continued, ¡°Besides, as a well-educated person, I hope you can utilize your thinking skills when


    you are trying to make sense of a situation. Yes, Marcus and I know each other. Him liking me doesn¡¯t


    necessarily mean that I must have seduced him or tricked him to get on his good side. Have you ever


    thought about the reason why two of these outstanding men fall for me? And why do other people


    admire your capability at work, yet they are not interested in getting to know you more? Life is not all


    about work, Rachel. When a man loves a woman, he is not just attracted to her appearance and her


    ability. It was the warmth that they give one another that keeps them together.¡±


    I said that not because I hated Rachel. On the contrary, I had always thought that she was admirable


    and deserved to be loved. I did not hate her, at least for now.


    By the time I came out from the restroom, I saw Ashton, Joe, and Reba in the lobby.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Ashton was sitting on the couch, smoking. The billowing clouds of smoke shrouded his face.


    Meanwhile, Reba put on her innocent facade and tugged at Joe¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Joe, Ms. Stovall and Mr.


    White seem to be quite close to each other. He treated her like she is someone special to him.¡±


    Joe took a nce at Ashton and rebuked her, ¡°Stop talking nonsense!¡±


    Oblivious to the change in Ashton¡¯s demeanor, she continued to say, ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I saw Mr. White kept


    looking at Ms. Stovall, and she was also sneaking nces at him. I¡¯m just saying that they look quite


    close.¡±


    Me, sneaking nces at Marcus?


    Hah! That¡¯s got to be the biggest joke of the century.


    I almost burst outughing at her words. Then, I walked over to them and said sarcastically, ¡°Ms.


    Larson was quite observant during the dinner, huh? Did you notice how many shrimps Joe peeled for


    you?¡±


    When Ashton nced up at me, I took away the cigarette in his hand, stubbed it out, and threw it in the


    trashcan. ¡°You should quit smoking.¡±


    He curled his lips and ced his arm around my waist. ¡°Okay. Whatever you say.¡±


    Shocked at my presence, Reba froze for a moment before turning to Joe and pouted. ¡°Joe, I didn¡¯t


    mean what I said. I was just¡­¡±


    Joe immediatelyforted her, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I know you didn¡¯t mean it. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    I tried my best to hold myughter. I think I know why Rachel hates it whenever I acted that way.


    Because it looks downright disgusting.


    It was gettingte, so Ashton and I went for a quick stroll outside the hotel and returned to the hotel


    after that.


    It had been a busy day. I was tired and sleepy by the time we got back to our room. After taking a bath,


    I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.


    Before I drifted off to sleep, I vaguely remembered that Ashton saying something to me. But I was too


    tired to listen to him, so I simply nodded and slumbered the night away.


    The following day, I looked at the calendar and realized that it was almost Independence Day.


    However, I knew that it was impossible to finish the tasks at hand before that.


    But if I nned my work well, maybe I could finish some of them within these few days.


    Looking around the suite, I realized that Ashton was no longer around, and he left me a note with a


    short line written on it: I¡¯m going downtown. Some matters came up. Remember to have your meal on


    time.


    I guess he has urgent matters to deal with.


    After I got out of bed and freshened up, I headed to the base. The construction of the work was slightly


    dyed after the involvement of the third party as the third party focused mainly on the quality of work


    instead of the progress. Therefore, all of us who were involved had to work as best as possible to


    provide the details to Marcus.


    And that also meant that our workload was increased.


    When Marcus arrived at work today, he took a quick look around the site with his hard hat on. After


    that, he came to the office to see me.


    Skipping the pleasantries, he got straight to the point. ¡°You¡¯re the project manager of this project?¡±


    Seeing the serious look on his face, I nodded promptly. ¡°Yes.¡±


    His brows furrowed slightly. After a pause, he said, ¡°We may need to talk over some of the details.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

 Chapter 816

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 816


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big problem, but if it¡¯s not dealt with soon, we¡¯ll face technical problems in theter phase.


    Besides, something is off with the structure of the base. What do you guys have in the underground? Is


    it a garage or a warehouse?¡± Marcus asked.


    I was a little bewildered by his question. ¡°There¡¯s nothing underneath. Why?¡±


    He frowned. ¡°Normally, there will have something built underneath with this kind of structure.¡±


    He seemed to have realized something as he kept quiet and pondered for a moment. However, he did


    not ask further as he looked at me and asked, ¡°Do you want to grab lunch together?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No, thanks. I¡­¡±


    He arched his eyebrow and cut me off, ¡°So, you n to avoid me forever? We are business partners


    after all. It¡¯s totally fine to have a meal with business partners, right?¡±


    With his personality, I knew that if I continued to find excuses, he would also continue trying to talk me


    out of it. Therefore, Iplied. ¡°Okay. I know we can grab something to eat behind here. It¡¯s nothing


    much, but it can fill our stomachs. I still have a lot to do in the afternoon, so I don¡¯t want to waste time


    going to restaurants that are far away from here.¡±


    He nodded with a smile. ¡°Sure.¡±


    The on-site canteen was one of the temporary facilities built for the convenience of the employees


    here. It was not big, but it was sufficient for us. The hotel was too far away from the base as it took


    about an hour for a round trip. It would be better to let everyone rest during the break time instead of


    traveling on the road.


    Thus, Armond decided to build this facility and hired a chef to prepare meals for all of us. It was quite


    convenient.


    The canteen was almost full when we reached there. I found us a ce to sit and saw Marcus bringing


    me a ss of juice. ¡°It¡¯s freshly squeezed.¡±


    I nodded and thanked him.


    After we got our meals, we ate quietly and did not chat much.


    We still had some time left after finishing our lunch, and I initially thought about resting in my office until


    the break time ended. However, he suggested, ¡°You should be familiar with this ce by now. Why


    don¡¯t you take me around the site as a walk after our meals?¡±


    I pursed my lips. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go ahead by yourself? We only have fruit ntations nearby.¡± With


    that, I turned around and headed to my office.


    But he grabbed my arm and stopped me. I frowned and raised my voice. ¡°Let go of me!¡±


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He paid no heed and said, ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to see me or spend time with me. However, as your


    business partner, Ms. Stovall, can I request you to take me for a tour here as a survey?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just using work as an excuse!¡± I flung his arm away in irritation. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    What we had nearby the base was just pear trees. Most of the pears had ripened, and the fruit farmers


    were harvesting them to sell them in the market.


    After walking for a while, Marcus said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to treat me like this, Scarlett. I never have the


    intention of destroying your life. Is it possible for us to be friends again?¡±


    I stopped and turned to look at him. ¡°Do you think that we can get along now?¡±


    He gazed at me with a sincere look. ¡°I know that you don¡¯t want me to bother you because you¡¯re


    worried that I might affect your rtionship with Ashton. And I also understood that you don¡¯t love me.


    You don¡¯t need to repeat yourself; I get it.¡±


    I pressed my lips together and did not say anything because what he said was right.


    Then, he continued, ¡°Actually, I really want you to be happy. I initially thought that with Ashton¡¯s cold


    attitude, it was impossible for him to make you happy. That was why I wanted to be one who gives you


    happiness instead. But from what I can see now, he is not as bad as I thought he would be. If so, why


    can¡¯t I give both of you, my blessings? So, I¡¯ve thought it through and decided to stay by your side as a


    friend. As long as you¡¯re happy with your life, I won¡¯t pester you anymore.¡±


    Taken aback by his words, I looked at him and faltered. ¡°You¡­¡±


    He gave me a sad smile. ¡°So, can you promise me not to keep your distance? Scarlett, I¡¯ve lost so


    many of my loved ones. I don¡¯t want to lose you too. No matter how terrible I am, my care for you is


    sincere. Since I can¡¯t be your life partner to protect you, can you at least treat me like a brother? Please


    don¡¯t treat me like a stranger and ignore my existence.¡±


    My heart ached as I listened to his confession. Looking at him, I nodded and replied, ¡°I¡¯m sorry,


    Marcus. I owe you my life. Whatever you want me to do, I can do it for you. The only thing I can¡¯t do is


    to be with you. Even after all the things we had gone through, he still loves me and protects me. It¡¯s


    such a blessing to have Ashton as my husband. Thank you for loving me, Marcus. But I¡¯m not worthy of


    your love. There are people who need you more than me. Camelia should have given birth, and she is


    a good girl. Since you¡¯ve married her, you need to be responsible to her and the baby.¡±


    He nodded and smiled bitterly, seemingly ready to let go of the past. ¡°I know. Since I can¡¯t give


    happiness to the one whom I love the most, it¡¯s better to give it to the ones who need it. This is for the


    best.¡±

 Chapter 817

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 817


    We should not be too adamant in life. Otherwise, we will be the ones who suffer in the end.


    We chatted for a long time during the stroll. When we were back at the base, he turned towards me


    and said, ¡°Since we¡¯ve reconciled, can I invite you for dinner tonight? Don¡¯t overthink about it. It¡¯s just


    that I¡¯m not familiar with this ce yet, and since I¡¯m just going to be here for a day or two, I want to


    take this chance to spend time with my close friend. It would be better to eat with a friend than eating


    alone.¡±


    Looking at his innocent and expecting gaze, I could not bring myself to reject him. I nodded and replied,


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    As Marcus went back to the base with a smile, I suddenly realized that Ashton might be back at the


    Lavelian Vige tonight.


    But I can¡¯t take back my words. I sighed at the thought.


    The work I had in the afternoon was a breeze.


    When I was ready to leave the office in the evening, Marcus came and leaned against the door, smiling


    at me. ¡°Seems like you¡¯re busy with work every day.¡±


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    I nodded in reply and packed up. Looking at my phone, I realized I had not received any message from


    Ashton since morning. Is he buried in work?


    Marcus brought his car today and parked it at the gate of the base, so we walked out from the base


    together and got into his car. Whistling to himself, he seemed to be in a good mood. He looked at me


    and asked, ¡°Do you know any good restaurants here? You¡¯ve been here longer than I do.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Nothing special. I seldom go out after work.¡±


    It was getting dark, and Ashton still had not contacted me. Hence, I sent him a WhatsApp message:


    Have you taken your meal? ?After the message was sent, I looked out the window and spaced out.


    Since I did not have any rmendations, Marcus decided to have our dinner at the hotel. As soon as


    I sat down in the restaurant, my phone vibrated.


    It was a WhatsApp call. Looking at the caller ID, I could not help but frown. It was Joe. Nevertheless, I


    answered it. ¡°Hi, Mr. Quinn.¡±


    ¡°Where are you?¡± He sounded a bit anxious.


    I replied, ¡°I¡¯m at the restaurant in Lavelian Vige Hotel. Why?¡±


    ¡°Come to the entrance and bring Ashton back to your room. His arm is hurt. Thank you.¡±


    I was caught off guard for a moment. Ashton is hurt?


    Before I could ask him more, he had hung up the call and left me speechless. How straightforward!


    By the time I put down my phone, Marcus had ordered food for us. Looking at him apologetically, I


    stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Marcus. Something urgent came up. I need to leave now.¡±


    With that, I took my bag and left. Even when he was calling for me toe back, I still continued to


    rush to the exit and apologized to him again. I was worried sick about Ashton.


    At the entrance on the ground floor, Joseph helped Ashton out of the car. I went towards them and saw


    the bandage on Ashton¡¯s arm. ¡°What happened? Why is he hurt?¡±


    Joseph paused for a second before answering me, ¡°We had a car ident just now. Don¡¯t worry, the


    doctor had applied some medication on theceration wound on his arm.¡±


    I frowned, thinking if I should help him. After all, it was his arm that was injured, so he should be fine


    walking without support. But in the end, I went forward and helped him.


    As soon as we walked into the hotel, we saw Marcus striding towards us. Upon seeing the bandage on


    Ashton¡¯s arm, he knitted his eyebrow and looked towards me. ¡°We will have our meal next time.¡±


    With that, he turned and left.


    Ashton took a side nce at me and questioned, ¡°You were having dinner with him just now?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°We had just ordered our food when Joe called me and said that you¡¯re injured.¡±


    His gaze darkened immediately as he looked at me coldly. ¡°So, I disturbed both of you?¡±


    I sensed the rising anger in his tone. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking. We were just having a meal.¡±


    ¡°How am I overthinking?¡± he snapped, looking a little angry.


    Sighing, I pressed the elevator button and nced up the ceiling. If we continued this conversation, it


    would just end up bing a heated argument. Hence, I changed the topic. ¡°You must be hungry.


    Let¡¯s order room service and eat together in our room. What would you like to have for dinner?¡±


    Just then, the elevator doors opened, and I helped him into the elevator. ¡°Anything will do,¡± he


    responded nonchntly and kept quiet after that.


    Hmm, he seems to be in a bad mood. I guess it¡¯s because of Marcus. I had bodyguards following me


    today, so I supposed they had reported my whereabouts to him. Ashton had always been possessive,


    so he must be irked by the fact that I had spent most of my time today with Marcus.


    Even so, I was not angry with him. His moodiness was understandable, especially now that he was in


    pain. Bringing him back to our room, I asked in a warm tone of voice, ¡°Did the doctor ask you to change


    the dressing? Did he prescribe any medicine?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°Nope.¡±


    Seeing that he did not have any medicine with him, I figured his injury was not too serious, but I still


    opted to order room service and let them send our dinner to our room.


    When I saw him walking towards the bathroom, I asked, ¡°You want to take a bath?¡± I don¡¯t think he can


    bathe with his injured arm.


    He turned around and furrowed his brow. ¡°I need to pee.¡±


    Taken aback, I nced away awkwardly and kept quiet. But as I thought that he might need some help,


    I asked out of concern, ¡°Can you manage it yourself?¡±

 Chapter 818

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 818


    He lifted a brow at my question and fixed his eyes on me. ¡°You can help me if you want.¡±


    His answer caught mepletely off guard ¨C I blushed and hesitated, not knowing what to say. I


    expected him to say he can manage by himself!


    ¡°So, do you want to help?¡± he asked in a low voice, waiting for my answer.


    He is my husband, after all. We¡¯ve been living together for a number of years, and we still have more


    years toe. One day, he would fall sick, and I might be ill as well. No matter how embarrassing


    it is, we have to take care of each other because we are a couple, not to mention he is wounded now.


    After rationalizing my decision, I heaved out a sigh and apanied him to the bathroom.


    As he stood in front of the toilet, I bent down, biting my lip, and unfastened his belt buckle. Then, I


    unbuttoned his pants and proceeded to the zip.


    When I was about to pull it down, he grabbed my hand and spoke with a raspy voice, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can


    do it myself.¡±


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    I breathed a sigh of relief and rushed out of the bathroom.


    Suddenly, his phone rang on the bed. I took a look at the screen and saw that it was Reba calling ¨C


    she probably wanted to ask about his injury. Thus, I did not pick up the phone.


    However, it kept ringing, and Ashton was still in the bathroom. He heard the ringtone as well and


    shouted, ¡°You can answer it.¡±


    I pursed my lips and hesitated for a moment before picking up the phone. As soon as I put the phone


    against my ear, I heard Reba crying, and her anxious voice came from the other side of the line.


    ¡°Ash, are you feeling better now? I¡¯m so sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to throw a tantrum and caused you to get


    hurt. How I wish I was the one who got hurt instead. I promise you ¨C I will always listen to you and


    won¡¯t do anything rash.¡±


    Oh, so he got hurt because of her?


    I continued to hold the phone at my ear and remained silent. She continued to sob over the phone.


    ¡°Ash, are you still angry with me? I¡¯m sorry. I will¡­¡±


    ¡°The only thing you need to do is to stay away from him,¡± I cut her off, a hint of anger in my voice.


    She went quiet for a while and gradually stopped her crying. ¡°Scarlett, why did you answer Ash¡¯s


    phone? How could you simply pick up someone else¡¯s phone? You¡¯re so rude.¡±


    I scoffed and said sarcastically, ¡°Oh? Why aren¡¯t you crying anymore? Where did your sharine voice


    go? Was it because Ashton is not on the line? Your acting skills don¡¯t seem to have improved over the


    years. Oh, and I¡¯m sorry to tell you that it was Ashton who asked me to answer his phone. He¡¯s


    currently in the bathroom, unavable to pick up your call.¡±


    She snorted contemptuously; her voiceced with jealousy. ¡°Scarlett, stop your smugness. Even


    though I¡¯m not married to Ashton, I¡¯m still someone he cares dearly. You can see it for yourself. Today


    he could have protected himself, but he still chose to protect me and got himself injured. Yes, maybe


    he truly loves you and cares about you, too. But he has grown ustomed to having me by his side.


    Therefore, in the years toe, I¡¯ll continue to be the barrier between you and him.¡±


    I was not angry with her words, but I found them utterly ridiculous. So, I asked cheerfully, ¡°Reba,


    aren¡¯t you tired of this?¡±


    She was speechless for a second before answering, ¡°As long as it makes your life harder, I¡¯ll never


    ever be tired.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± I nodded. ¡°I wish you luck.¡±


    With that, I ended the call and put the phone aside.


    I was about to turn around when someone hugged me from behind, startling me. As I caught a whiff of


    a familiar scent, I knew that it was Ashton. ¡°Do you always walk without a sound?¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°Yeah. Don¡¯t you know that?¡±


    Well, he¡¯s right.


    I turned around and looked at the bandage on his arm. ¡°Don¡¯t bathe tonight, Ashton. I¡¯ll get some hot


    water and wipe down your body instead. Taking a bath might make the bandage wet and dy the


    healing of the wound.¡±


    He curled his lips into a smile. ¡°Alright.¡±


    As I entered the bathroom to get a basin of water, he sat on a chair and looked at me silently,


    seemingly lost in his thought.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? What¡¯s on your mind?¡± I asked.


    He gave me a faint smile. ¡°I thought you¡¯d be angry after talking with Reba just now, but you seem


    so calm now. I¡¯m surprised.¡±


    After wiping his hand, I put the towel down into the basin and nced up at him. ¡°Let¡¯s say you have


    several investment projects on your hand now. Which kind of investment project would you be most


    worried about?¡±


    He fell silent for a while and answered, ¡°The ones that I don¡¯t fully understand andck confidence in.¡±


    I nodded in response. ¡°It¡¯s true that I used to be wary about your rtionship with Reba, but that¡¯s


    because I was not sure if you cared about her out of responsibility or out of romantic interest. However,


    now, I¡¯m sure that you won¡¯t have any romantic feelings for her. It¡¯s not only because of me but also


    because of Joe. You know that Joe loves Reba, and she knows it, too. Even if you don¡¯t consider


    my feelings, I¡¯m sure you would consider about Joe¡¯s.¡±

 Chapter 819

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 819


    His expression turned sombre. ¡°Are you not confident in my love for you? Why do you think that I would


    not consider your feelings?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the worst-case scenario,¡± I replied truthfully.


    ¡°What¡¯s the most favorable one?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d care about me and reject all the other women for me.¡±


    Heughed and leaned towards me. ¡°Scarlett, I love you more than you¡¯ll ever know.¡±


    However, I pushed him away, stood up, and nced at his injured arm. ¡°Ashton, this is the second time


    you get hurt because of another woman. To be honest, I¡¯m not happy about it.¡±


    As soon as I finished speaking, I took the basin to the bathroom and took a shower.


    When I got out of the shower, I noticed a bouquet of roses in the room. It was rather beautiful. Ashton


    sat on the bed and grinned at me. ¡°I know saying sorry is not enough to cheer you up, so I got you


    flowers. At least it¡¯s pleasing to the eye.¡±


    I gave him a nonchnt shrug. Indeed, flowers always make women happy.


    ¡°I pity your personal assistant, Joseph.¡± It must have been difficult for him to get flowers at this hour


    and send them to our room in such a short time.


    Chuckling, he scooted over and patted the spot next to him. ¡°Come here.¡±


    Looking at the clock, I realized that it was gettingte. It¡¯s time to turn in.


    After I applied my skincare products, I went toy down beside him and saw that he had not slept yet.


    He seemed to have something to say, so I asked, ¡°Is there anything troubling you?¡±


    He nodded and said in a serious manner, ¡°I¡¯m not sure about your attitude towards Marcus. It worries


    me.¡±


    I was stunned for a second before it dawned on me the meaning behind his words. ¡°Marcus and I are


    only friends and business partners. Apart from that, we won¡¯t have any other rtionship.¡±


    Satisfied with my answer, he smiled and pecked me on the lips. Due to his injury, he did nothing more


    and went to sleep.


    I waspletely exhausted after such a long day. As soon as I closed my eyes, I drifted off to sleep.


    Since Ashton had injured his arm, he would definitely need help in his daily routine activities. Therefore,


    I nned to wake up earlier than usual to attend to his needs. However, when I woke up the next day,


    the spot beside me was empty, and the sound of running water came from the bathroom.


    I quickly got out of bed and saw him struggling to twist a towel. He cursed under his breath and


    furrowed his eyebrows in frustration.


    I held back myughter and walked to his side. Taking away the towel in his hands, I said, ¡°I¡¯ve told you


    to call me whenever you need help. It¡¯s hard to do this alone.¡±


    When he saw meing in, his frown disappeared instantly. ¡°Did I wake you up?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡± I wring the towel dry and raised my hand to wipe his face. ¡°I usually wake up at this hour.


    Besides, it¡¯s my husband who got hurt. How could I not get up early to take care of him?¡±


    With his hands on the sink, he leaned back and lowered his head slightly so that I could reach him


    easily. Enjoying my ¡°service,¡± he suggested, ¡°You should be my private caregiver today. What do you


    think?¡±


    Although it sounded as if it was a request, I knew that it was amand. Hence, I nodded. ¡°No


    problem. Hmm, but you have to go to the city to work. I can¡¯t leave Lavelian Vige at the moment.¡±


    He nodded in response. After thinking for a while, he said, ¡°I won¡¯t go to the city today. I¡¯ll stay here.¡±


    I gave him an ¡°OK¡± hand gesture. After both of us were done freshening up, I went back to the room to


    change my clothes. Since the weather was good and there would be less work today, I figured wearing


    a dress would not be a nuisance. Therefore, I took out a dress that I had not worn for a long time from


    the wardrobe.


    It was a nice knee-length dress that enhanced the slenderness of my legs. Besides, since I seldom


    wore bottoms that exposed my legs, the skin tone of my lower limbs was quite fair. My legs looked long


    and fair in this dress.


    Then, I went to the dressing table and applied some light makeup. Otherwise, I would look nd in this


    outfit. A momentter, Ashton came out from the bathroom andnded his gaze on my legs, frowning.


    I paid no heed to his frown and continued my makeup. When I was ready, he had also changed into a


    well-pressed suit, looking smart and dashing. I took my bag and said, ¡°Let¡¯s have breakfast at the


    restaurant downstairs.¡±


    He nodded in response. Bending down to put on my shoes, I suddenly noticed that he was still


    frowning at me. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± I asked, puzzled.


    He pursed his lips. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    There were not many people by the time we arrived at the restaurant. cing my hand at the crook of


    his arm, I brought him to a table by the window and sat down.


    On a fine morning like this, the vige against a backdrop of rolling hills and lush green forests was a


    pretty sight to behold.


    With such a spectacr view of the natural scenery, my mood improved significantly. After ordering


    some food, I put my chin on my hand and continued to admire the beautiful scenery outside the


    window.


    A few minutester, I noticed that Ashton was looking at me. I thought that he needed my help, so I


    turned to him and asked, ¡°Do you need anything else? I can take it for you.¡±Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

 Chapter 820

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 820


    He shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to wear skirts anymore!¡±


    Before I could react, he had draped his coat over my thighs to my chagrin.


    I was also distinctly aware that everyone around us who was having breakfast nced toward us more


    often than was necessary. Do I look indecent?


    I examined my dressing again, but I didn¡¯t find anything overtly inappropriate. ¡°Do I look strange at all?¡±


    I pleaded with Ashton.


    He nodded solemnly. ¡°Yes. You¡¯re too beautiful, that¡¯s the problem.¡±


    I was bbergasted for a moment and burst intoughter the next. ¡°Where did you learn to say things


    like that?¡±


    He took a sip of water at length. ¡°Just don¡¯t wear skirts this short again.¡±


    ¡°It looks good on me,¡± I pouted. ¡°Why can¡¯t I wear it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too short!¡± Ashton said brusquely.


    Nora said that Ashton¡¯s reaction like this was amon ailment amongst men. They would try to


    restrict their wives¡¯ freedom to dress provocatively to the best of their ability but would enjoy looking at


    skimpily dressed women out in public.


    ¡°Reba and Rachel wear short skirts often and I think they look nice,¡± I said deliberately. ¡°Why can¡¯t I


    do the same? You can ogle at others but why can¡¯t I let others ogle at me? Ashton, you¡¯re being


    unreasonable.¡±


    ¡°Do they have anything to do with one another?¡± Ashton fixed his beady eyes on me.


    ¡°Yes, they do,¡± I said after some thought.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that you¡¯ve gotten fat recently?¡± he said critically. ¡°Your fat thighs will be more obvious


    in a short skirt.¡±


    ¡°I actually thought that I¡¯ve gotten skinnier!¡± I protested after a shocked silence.


    However, I wasn¡¯t actually sure if that was the case. ¡°Have I really gotten fat?¡± I asked Ashton


    suspiciously.


    ¡°A little!¡± he replied seriously.


    Sometimes, we girls can feel very insecure about our looks. It felt even more so for me because Ashton


    had never called me fat before until now. If it had merited a mention from him, perhaps there was some


    truth in it.


    ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t wear short skirts ever again,¡± I promised. I¡¯d look awful in them being as fat as he said I


    was.


    Ashton gave a satisfied smile.


    The waiter brought over the breakfast we ordered. It was mostly what I enjoyed eating, but now that my


    plumpness had been pointed out, I felt self-conscious and didn¡¯t have much of an appetite. ¡°Here you


    go,¡± I said as I pushed the tes toward Asthon.


    After that, I helped myself to a ss of milk. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you eating?¡± Ashton asked with a frown.


    ¡°I need to start losing weight,¡± I said. ¡°With a controlled diet, I should be able to slim down with time.¡±


    We girls prioritize our figures and petite sizes anyway. It was well worth it to be able to fit into our


    favorite clothes.


    Ashton wasn¡¯t pleased. ¡°You should be full in the morning,¡± he chastised. ¡°How are you going to lose


    weight if you don¡¯t eat regrly? We can go for a walk tonight to burn off those extra calories if you


    like.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    He pushed the pastries back in front of me. ¡°Finish all of it.¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t want to!¡± I protested. My appetite was virtually non-existent.


    ¡°You must!¡± he said sternly. ¡°Caloric restriction is the worst way to lose weight. We can go to the gym


    tonight if you¡¯re serious about it.¡±


    I pouted in defiance, but ultimately relented.


    Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a figure approaching us. It was Marcus.


    Ashton saw him too. ¡°Good morning, Mr. White!¡± he said pleasantly.


    ¡°Good morning, Mr. Fuller!¡± Marcus replied with a polite smile.


    Marcus¡¯s gaze fell on me, and his smile was radiant. ¡°Good morning, Letty! You¡¯re looking more


    beautiful today than you ever have!¡±


    I was stunned with ttery. It¡¯s in our nature to enjoypliments.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, would you mind if I joined you?¡± It sounded like a request, but Marcus sat himself down and


    summoned the waiter before waiting for Ashton¡¯s approval.


    Ashton pursed his lips but did not say anything.


    I noticed that Ashton had a stain on the corner of his mouth, so I leaned over and wiped it off for him. It


    wasn¡¯t deliberate but I thought that it was inconvenient for his arm, so I took it upon myself.


    He was taken aback by my gesture. ¡°You¡¯re too old to be having food all over your face,¡± I teased.


    Perhaps my sudden action had startled him, but he seemed to enjoy it. His eyes twinkled with mischief,


    and he looked to be in a great mood.


    However, I was suddenly aware that Marcus frowned at both of us and averted his eyes to our


    interaction, as though he was offended that we were acting like lovers in front of him.


    It would be awkward for him to voice his displeasure, so he decided against it and had his breakfast in


    silence.


    After breakfast, Ashton came back to the base with me under the pretense of requiring my care. The


    majority of his documents and meetings were converted to a video format for his convenience,


    rendering him to be able to work from the office entirely.


    I had my own tasks to do but was asionally called by him to pour him a ss of water or to send


    documents as his arm was causing him issues.

 Chapter 821

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 821


    In between running around after Ashton¡¯s needs and my own duties, I felt worn out pretty quickly.


    As I emerged from his office after helping him dispatch documents, Leedon approached me with a


    bottle of water. ¡°Looks like Mr. Fuller is here to keep an eye on his wife!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood, Leedon,¡± I said hurriedly as I blushed. ¡°He hurt his hand yesterday and it¡¯s


    inconvenient for him to do many things, that is why he¡¯s here today.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± he said with a wink. ¡°Or he wouldn¡¯t call you away when Mr. White started a


    conversation with you!¡±


    I was taken aback for a moment and joined in theughter as well.


    Leedon was right, though. Whenever Marcus started speaking to me, Ashton would interrupt with a call


    and I would have to attend to him, leaving Marcus in mid-sentence.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be a long day of work for you,¡± Leedon teased.


    Well, I¡¯d say!


    As we conversed, Marcus distributed a bag of fruits amongst the employees. ¡°Scarlett,¡± he said as he


    approached me. ¡°My assistant had brought over some fruits. Take a break and have some!¡±


    Before I could reply, my phone rang shrilly.


    Leedon failed to stifle hisughter. ¡°Ms. Stovall, looks like you¡¯re wanted.¡± He helped himself to an


    apple.


    I sighed. True enough, it was Ashton who called.


    ¡°I want some water,¡± came Ashton¡¯s low voice on the other end.


    I smacked my forehead in exasperation. ¡°Didn¡¯t I leave a ss on your table?¡±


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯ve finished it!¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ming.¡±


    I hung up and looked at Marcus. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I have something to attend to.¡±


    Without waiting for his reply, I turned to head to the office.


    Ashton leaned backzily in his chair with his earpiece; his meeting was still ongoing. I glimpsed at the


    untouched ss of water on his desk.


    I was speechless with indignation. ¡°You haven¡¯t touched it! Why did you summon me for?¡±


    He¡¯s like a child.


    Ashton nced up at me. ¡°Joseph poured me a ss after I called you,¡± he lied shamelessly. ¡°He¡¯d


    brought some cakes too. Why don¡¯t you cut me a slice?¡±


    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t he prepare everything for you before leaving?¡± I grimaced.


    ¡°He¡¯s busy!¡± Ashton said and resumed his meeting.


    I was speechless butplied with his request.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± I said, pushing a slice before him.


    ¡°You¡¯re not having any?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on a diet, aren¡¯t I?¡± He said that I was fat earlier today, but he still allowed me to have sweet things


    like cakes?


    ¡°Alright, meeting adjourned,¡± Ashton said to the screen.


    He removed his earpiece and nced up at me. ¡°What would you like to eat?¡±


    Me? What?


    ¡°Ashton, I¡¯m still at work!¡± I said, outraged.


    ¡°No problem, I¡¯ll have Joseph deliver something.¡± He nodded, unfazed.


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry!¡± He¡¯s such a troublemaker.


    Ashton said nothing of my obstinance. He left the cake before me and typed away slowly on his


    computer. He wasn¡¯t as fast as he usually was with an injured arm.


    I opened my mouth but had nothing of use to say that would be helpful to him.


    A knock sounded on his door. ¡°Come in!¡± Ashton called.


    It was Reba who had a lunchbox in her hand. At the sight of me, she stopped in surprise.


    Recovering herself within seconds, she gazed at Ashton¡¯s arm in concern and said, ¡°Oh, Ash, what


    happened to your arm? I¡¯ve made some broth for you.¡±


    As she spoke, she strode to the side of his desk and opened the lunchbox for him in a gentle and


    loving manner.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, thank you for your concern,¡± Ashton replied politely but firmly.


    Reba tried a different tactic. She conjured an expression of guilt and said, ¡°It was all my fault. I


    shouldn¡¯t have thrown a tantrum when you were driving. I promise you I won¡¯t do it again.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Ashton repeated coldly.


    Reba stood with her arms folded and watched him type an email slowly. ¡°Ash, are you sending an


    email?¡± she said quickly. ¡°Why don¡¯t you have some broth and I¡¯ll finish typing that for you.¡±


    She approached Ashton with the intention of pulling his keyboard toward her, but he snatched it away.


    ¡°This is a work matter,¡± he said sternly. ¡°It is inappropriate for outsiders to handle them. These are


    confidential!¡±


    Reba¡¯s outstretched arm froze. She withdrew it slowly and smiled stiffly. ¡°You¡¯re right. I shouldn¡¯t


    have tried to interfere. I¡¯m sorry, Ash. I acted rashly.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Ashton¡¯s voice was cold.


    I took the opportunity to slip away back to my own work now that Reba was here. Before I could do


    so, Ashton looked up and caught me. ¡°Scarlett,e over here and help me type out this email!¡±

 Chapter 822

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 822


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not a fast typist,¡± I replied, startled.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll dictate, and you type,¡± Ashton said impatiently as he stood up for me to take his seat.


    He pulled me to his chair before I could protest. ¡°Fuller Corporation and its subsidiaries¡­¡± Ashton


    began his narration.


    After a few paragraphs, I couldn¡¯t take it any longer. ¡°These are your work documents, so it¡¯s not


    appropriate for me to be looking at inside information of thepany.¡±


    ¡°My arm is injured,¡± he said stubbornly.


    I didn¡¯t know what to say to that, so the only thing I could do was what he wanted.


    Reba stood at the corner of the room, her exquisite face looking pale.


    After a continuous couple of days of frantic activity for the Lavelian Vige project, we finally had the


    chance to take a break.


    To our surprise, Harvest Festival was almost upon us. Back in the city, I racked my brain for a way to


    apply for a leave from Armond for a trip back to K City.


    I had been on the phone with Summer every night for the past couple of days. She told me that she


    missed me, and my eyes welled up with tears every time I heard that.


    On a Saturday afternoon, Ashton had invited Armond for a discussion regarding the next phase of the


    Lavelian Vige project. Since I had nothing to do, I nned to return to the vi to pack and head


    back.


    However, Reba¡¯s phone call was unexpected. ¡°Scarlett, do you have a moment?¡±


    I had a bad feeling about it and rejected her outright. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Larson. Now is not a good time.


    You can say what it is you need over the phone.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing important,¡± sheughed lightly. ¡°It¡¯s just that I have heard you had a near-death experience


    in a freezer, and I would just like to offer my sympathy.¡±


    I froze. How did she know about that?


    ¡°Thank you for your concern, Ms. Larson.¡±


    ¡°Such a pity that you¡¯re busy at the moment, Ms. Stovall,¡± said Reba. ¡°I was thinking of talking to


    you about that incident. Perhaps another time, then.¡±


    Ashton was supposed to investigate the matter. It had been such a hectic few days that I had


    completely forgotten to follow up with him. And now Reba called me out of the blue to discuss this.


    Does this have anything to do with her? Or could it be¡­?


    ¡°Reba, what exactly do you mean?¡± I asked impatiently.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. I didn¡¯t want Ash to tire himself out over you, so I hired someone to do a little digging


    on my own and I¡¯ve found something interesting. If you¡¯re busy today, forget about it.¡±


    ¡°Text me the venue,¡± I said and headed straight to the bedroom and grabbed a coat.


    She agreed to and hung up.


    The venue was a caf¨¦ which wasn¡¯t hard to locate. Reba was already seated when I arrived and


    was admiring the scene outside the window with an elegant air.


    She knew that I was here but did not deign to look at me at first. She narrowed her eyes and took


    another sip of her coffee. ¡°It tasted its best when it was bitter. It¡¯s not the same after adding sugar.¡±


    I did not respond to that. I did not enjoy anything bitter whether it was food or life.


    I ordered a ss of juice for myself. Reba remained silent the entire time. ¡°Ms. Larson, are we here


    for the pleasure of mypany?¡± I asked with impatience.


    ¡°Of course not!¡± sheughed.


    Reba took a few more sips before looking at me again. Her gaze fell onto my neck and a smirk


    yed on her lips. ¡°Ash paid for two nes the other day. I was wondering who the other one was


    for. Apparently, it was for you!¡±


    I touched the ne absentmindedly. It was gifted to me by Ashton the other day over a meal.


    I did not egg her on. I knew exactly what she wanted to say and was determined not to give myself a


    reason to be unhappy.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask me how I knew about that?¡± she said with a wicked smile.


    ¡°I have no interest in knowing,¡± I snapped as I took a sip of juice. It tasted too sweet to be freshly


    squeezed.


    Reba shrugged as if she was unperturbed by my rudeness. ¡°I had nned on inviting you out for


    crabs, but I¡¯ve had so many of them over thest few days. How were the crabs that he¡¯d brought back


    for you? Did they taste good?¡±


    The ss in my hand shook at the mention of that. I looked up and found her leering at me.


    So that was why he did note home the past couple of days. He has been having dinner with her.


    I did my best to control myself. ¡°So, are you here to gloat at me or what?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. But I really do like crabs since I was a little girl. Ash remembered all this time. When I


    arrived at A City the other night, he took me straight for crabs. I do apologize for the ordeal you went


    through that night though. It waspletely unexpected. Thank goodness you are fine.¡±


    It sounded insincere and hollow. ¡°It has nothing to do with you,¡± I said with an indifferentugh. ¡°I am


    thankful for the incident because it showed me just how much Ashton loves me.¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content.

 Chapter 823

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 823


    Her smile froze on her face and slid off a momentter. ¡°I am curious,¡± she continued as if I had said


    nothing. ¡°With what kind of a person you¡¯ve managed to offend to make them want to kill you. And in


    such a manner too! Straight to the morgue. That¡¯s pretty cold if you know what I mean.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°Yes, I stay up all night thinking about it too,¡± I replied nonchntly. ¡°What did you manage


    to uncover, Ms. Larson?¡±


    Reba was visibly irritated at not being able to upset me thus far, but she obliged me nheless. ¡°I


    did not discover much, or it could be that Ash had been looking in the wrong direction. After you were


    brought out of the lift, the person who brought you into the morgue was not the same person who


    drugged you. That person may not even be a man.¡±


    I frowned at her words. ¡°I¡¯m curious, Ms. Larson. Where did you get this piece of information from?¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter,¡± she said coldly. ¡°What matters is that you shouldn¡¯t let Ash get into trouble again


    for you.¡±


    ¡°What do you know?¡± I asked sternly.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Reba seemed to have lost her cool demeanor from earlier. I leaned closer. ¡°Reba, if you meant


    what you said about doing all of this for Ashton, you owe it to him to tell me everything you know.¡±


    Her n of making things difficult for me had gone awry and she looked sour about it.


    ¡°Scarlett, you¡¯re pretty selfish, you know,¡± she reprimanded. ¡°You¡¯re constantly letting Ash ce himself


    in danger for you. Don¡¯t you love him? You¡¯ve left him twice, and both times did you fail to find a man


    who¡¯s more willing to spend his money on you than he is. At the end of the day, you go back to him.


    Don¡¯t you feel ashamed?¡±


    I was deeply offended. What the hell did she mean by not being able to find a man who wants to spend


    on me?


    ¡°Putting himself in danger for me?¡± I said, losing all pretense. ¡°Reba, do you know why he chose me


    despite the greaterpatibility he shares with you?¡±


    I took a deep breath. ¡°Because you are a despicable creature. How many times have you ced his


    life in danger? And always in a car too! Do you want to harm him because you can¡¯t get him? And


    speaking of him spending his money on me: I¡¯ve always thought that you would at least have some


    semnce of decency, but it appears that you are severelycking in that department. You¡¯re always


    somebody who buys what you want without ever working for it. Who is the one to pay for your branded


    goods? Your house and car? Isn¡¯t it all from Ashton? You¡¯ve used your brother¡¯s death to guilt him into


    paying for all your expenses, not to mention instigating Cameron to harm her own child and nearly


    destroying his marriage. Don¡¯t you think that you are taking his kindness for granted? Do you think that


    your brother would be ashamed of how his sister is behaving? Reba, if you had some dignity, you


    wouldn¡¯t harass him shamelessly like you¡¯re doing now. I feel pity for you, hence my tolerance for his


    generosity towards you. Don¡¯t think that you are entitled to inherit everything with the Fuller name on it.


    Even if your name is Ms. Fuller, it¡¯s high time that you start earning your own living instead of being the


    parasite that you are.¡±


    At the mention of ¡°parasite¡±, Reba mmed her fist down on the table. ¡°Scarlett!¡±


    She was livid. Her pretty eyes shed viciously as if she would like to devour me. ¡°You think I have no


    shame, don¡¯t you?¡± she asked through gritted teeth.


    I looked her in the eyes and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    I¡¯ve never enjoyed quarreling with others, and I certainly did not feelfortable putting them in their


    ce. But Reba had gone too far today.


    In retrospect, she probably regretted telling me what she knew about that night. But that didn¡¯t matter to


    me even if she didn¡¯t. She was a woman who wouldn¡¯t concern herself with these things. The things


    that she did know probably came from Joe anyway.


    I figured that I¡¯d better corroborate what she¡¯d said with Ashton. I grabbed my purse and prepared to


    leave.


    My tirade did not sit well with Reba. The shame and anger she must have felt was released at the


    sight of my departing back. ¡°Scarlett, as high as you think of yourself, just know that Ashton is merely


    infatuated with you temporarily. Don¡¯t forget that the Moore family is aware of your dirty past and will


    expose you at any given time.¡±


    Iughed derisively and did not bother to wait for her to finish.


    When I stepped out of the caf¨¦, I breathed a long sigh of relief from having finally left the toxicity


    behind. Suddenly, my eye fell on a signboard not far away. It was a restaurant for hairy crabs. At the


    sight of that unpleasant trigger, my heart began to thump wildly again.


    Ashton called me but I did not feel particrly eager to pick up. After a slight hesitation, I hung up on


    him. To return now would only make me feel worse.


    It was at that notion that I¡¯d decided to wander aimlessly on the crowded streets.


    I had lost track of time. It was a foggy night, with thunder rumbling ominously overhead. Before I


    registered the fact that it had begun to rain, my clothes were already soaked.

 Chapter 824

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 824


    I did not even know where I was; it appeared to be a small alley.


    I made up my mind to return only to realize that I couldn¡¯t locate the route from which I came. I


    descended into a mild panic.


    I paced for a little while and was about to use the GPS on my phone when I became aware that


    somebody was standing behind me.


    I whipped around and was frozen with shock for several moments. I recognized him; my mind whirred


    for a name. A foreign-sounding name. Danny!


    What is he doing here?


    I clutched my shirt to force myself to remain calm. ¡°Long time no see, Danny!¡± I said with as natural a


    smile as I could muster.


    Danny stared at me with his bottomless dark eyes. After a long pause, he returned the greeting.


    It was a deserted part of town. I¡¯d be lying if I said that I wasn¡¯t frightened.


    Besides, I did not know his intentions of approaching me. As hard as I tried to calm myself, my hands


    betrayed me by trembling visibly.


    ¡°When did you return to the country? Have you had your dinner?¡± I probed, in response to his silent


    stare.


    Lightning shed across the sky as rain sprayed over us like a fine mist.


    ¡°Stay indoors, will you? Abe is in the country. The houses in Venria were burned down and our goods


    were exposed. He had sustained heavy losses. If he finds you, you will be in deep trouble,¡± Danny said,


    ignoring my question.


    When he finished, he turned and walked away. The thin clothes on his broad shoulders were already


    opaque from the rain. He looked a pitiful sight.


    ¡°Danny!¡± I called without realizing it.


    He stopped but did not turn around, as if he was waiting for me to say something.


    ¡°How have you been?¡± I did not know what they were doing in the country. His dark skin was at odds


    with the rest of the poption in this city and it made him stand out but not in a good way. He looked


    very different from when Ist saw him. He was currently disheveled.


    ¡°Good!¡± he answered shortly. At that, he turned and left, with no intention of staying.


    I stood in the alley for a little longer while the rain worsened. Before long, the bodyguard who was


    tasked to tail me had appeared. He held an umbre over my head.


    ¡°Has he been following me for a long time?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, quite some time,¡± he answered.


    ¡°Does Ashton know?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Fuller only knows that you are being followed, but he does not know who the person is.¡±


    I nodded without enquiring further.


    The bodyguard held out a phone to me. ¡°Mr. Fuller wants to speak to you.¡±


    ¡°Please take me back,¡± I ordered, ignoring the phone.


    He was startled but obeyed me. I was led out of the alley and into the car.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    It was dark when we arrived back at the vi. It appeared deserted but I recognized Ashton¡¯s Bentley in


    the yard.


    He was home.


    I took a deep breath before going in. I changed into my slippers in the hallway and turned on the lights.


    Ashton sat grimly in the living room. It was hard to tell but he looked angry.


    I nced at him and caught his eye. Looking away casually, I went upstairs without a word.


    Before I entered the bedroom, Ashton came after me and grabbed my wrist. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you pick up


    the phone? Who did you meet with today?¡± he asked quietly.


    I was tired and drenched from the rain. ¡°I met an old friend, and my phone was off,¡± I said ndly,


    without the intention of pursuing the conversation.


    I shook off his grasp and headed into the bedroom to gather up my bathrobe. However, Ashton blocked


    me with his slender frame. ¡°Scarlett, we¡¯ve talked about this. We can¡¯t have arguments when you give


    me the silent treatment.¡±


    ¡°I got caught in the rain earlier. Can we talk about this after I have a shower?¡±


    ¡°Go on, then,¡± Ashton said after a pause.


    Without another word, I entered and shut the door. The September rain was chilly, plus the night was


    colder than usual. I felt a headacheing after my shower. I was probably already falling sick.


    As I exited the bathroom, Ashton stared at me like he expected us to talk about the day. I blew dry my


    hair and wiped my face but was feeling worse by the minute. When Ashton went in to brush his teeth, I


    promptly fell asleep without waiting for him.


    In my drowsiness, I vaguely heard someone calling me, but I was too tired to respond.


    When I awoke the following day, my cold intensified to the point where even my throat hurt. Ashton was


    nowhere to be seen.


    I had nned to return to K City. After I got up and tidied up for a bit, I went to Murphy Corporation to


    meet Armond.


    Nora called before I arrived there. ¡°Scarlett, are you free? Let¡¯s have lunch!¡± she chattered.


    ¡°Sure, what¡¯s up? Why the sudden invitation?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Laurel. She wants to have lunch with us before everybody goes home for Harvest Festival.¡±

 Chapter 825

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 825


    She was right, Harvest Festival is just around the corner.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. I will be going back to K City for Harvest Festival anyway; thus, I won¡¯t have the


    time to meet you girls. Now is a perfect time.¡± I suddenly recalled the encounter with Danny.


    ¡°Nora,¡± I said after some hesitation. ¡°Please be careful when you leave the house. I ran into Danny


    yesterday. He told me that Abe is in the country. We may not be safe!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± she eximed in shock. ¡°How did Abe get in here? Grandpa said that the cops from A City


    and Venria had joined forces to apprehend him, but he was hidden in the mountains at the border. I


    can¡¯t believe that he¡¯s here at A City!¡±


    I was startled at this piece of news. ¡°Are you saying that Abe can¡¯t survive in Venria anymore?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I didn¡¯t manage to tell you this before. When we returned from Epea, I told Grandpa about this.


    He then contacted the cops from A City and Venria to arrest him for all the crimes that he had


    committed over the years. I think his good fortune ising to an end.¡±


    Nora¡¯s news exined Danny¡¯s disheveled appearance. It was tough being on the run from thew.


    I ended the call with Nora and entered the building of Murphy Corporation.


    I knocked on Armond¡¯s door.


    ¡°Come in!¡± came his voice.


    I pushed open the door and found him buried in some documents, his brow furrowed in concentration.


    At the sound of my footsteps, he looked up. ¡°Weren¡¯t you going to rest for a couple of days? What are


    you doing back here?¡±


    I helped myself to the seat in front of him. ¡°The Lavelian Vige project is almostpleted so far,¡± I


    reported. ¡°We¡¯re good to go with somest-minute inspections. As Harvest Festival is almost upon us, I


    would like to take off for a couple of days to return to K City.¡±


    Armond nodded. ¡°I was thinking of heading back there too. As for the inspection, you need to be there


    ahead of time with the third party. Bring someone from Fuller Corporation if need be, to go over all the


    safety measures again. I¡¯m worried that it¡¯ll be toote to make any changes if the authorities suddenly


    show up and find something not in order. It will look better on us if we ascertain that everything is in


    order and report it as such.¡±


    I nodded. The project¡¯s most vulnerable points are its hidden dangers. If something were to happen


    over the holidays, the project would be dyed yet again. It would be wise to inspect it beforehand.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll notify Fuller Corporation and the third party tomorrow to visit Lavelian Vige and go over


    everything one more time,¡± I dered. ¡°Oh, by the way. You¡¯re heading back to K City for Harvest


    Festival?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m going back,¡± he said, turning around to nce at me. Speaking of which, you need to


    fulfill your promise and give me that sandalwood box when we get back to K City.¡±


    I nodded. I had promised him back in Venria that I would give him the sandalwood box as a token of my


    gratitude if he was able to bring us back to the country. Due to work and other personal matters, I had


    put this off for quite some time now.


    I recalled my encounter with Danny and was hesitant on telling Armond about it. In the end, I decided


    against it. ¡°You should be careful when you leave the house. There¡¯s a possibility that Abe is in A City


    being on the run from thew. I¡¯m worried that he may exact vengeance on all of us.¡±


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Armond, who was toying with his pen absentmindedly, froze at my words. ¡°How did you know that he¡¯s


    here in A City?¡± he demanded.


    ¡°You knew about it?¡± I said, startled.


    He sat up straight to face me. ¡°I used to be in a simr business,¡± he said with augh. ¡°Of course, I


    would know.¡±


    I nodded and said no more. He was a man surrounded by bodyguards. Abe wouldn¡¯t risk it.


    After saying what I came for, I had no reason to extend my stay. I returned to my office and tidied up. It


    was supposed to be a day of rest for me today. I came to the office just to inform Armond that I


    intended to return to K City.


    Having done that, I packed my things and prepared to return to the vi.


    I had nned to spend my day out and about today, but I couldn¡¯t help feeling anxious with Abe lurking


    somewhere in the corners since running into Danny that day. Who knows what might happen at any


    given time?


    I did not drive, and the lobby of the building was not ideal to hail a cab. Therefore, I had to walk a little


    further out to be able to get a cab.


    A City was a city of extreme wealth inequality, probably caused by the high prices of property and low


    wages of workers. An apartment costs thirty thousand on average, and a worker brings home about


    three to five thousand. With the high prices of consumables, many living in the city were not able to


    afford an apartment, much less have any savings. They just lived one day at a time.


    Despite all that, people were willing to fight for a spot here because of the four seasons and rtively


    fresh air.

 Chapter 826

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 826


    Being a scatterbrain, I had walked further than I had originally nned. Soon, the roads began to look


    foreign to me, so I headed back.


    ¡°You ugly devil! You look like an illegal immigrant. You stink like the trash you belong in!¡± A chorus of


    jeering voices came from an alley nearby. Curious, I inched forward for a closer look.


    I caught sight of a gang of delinquents surrounding a man on the floor. They looked to be dropouts,


    around fifteen or sixteen years of age.


    One of them held up a bucket of unknown contents. ¡°Make way, make way. The main course is here!¡±


    he yelled excitedly.


    The boys scattered as the bucket-toting boy emptied its contents onto the man on the floor. In an


    instant, he was drenched from head to toe.


    The boys shouted withughter.


    I frowned with disapproval. The man on the ground had his head between his knees. He looked to be


    of a strong build, but his clothes were torn and ripped. His most striking feature was the darkness of his


    skin.


    He looked like a harmless, homeless man to me. The kids appeared to have more ns to drench him,


    so I yelled out ¡°The cops areing!¡±


    They were children, after all. At the sound of my voice, they bolted.


    When it was silent all around again, the man on the ground slowly looked up. His gaze was cold, but he


    gave no indication that he had been bullied.


    I froze in shock when I recognized him. Danny again! How did he end up like this?


    After a brief deliberation, I walked in to the alley.


    At the sound of my footsteps, he turned to look and froze in surprise at the sight of me.


    ¡°Are¡­ are you alright?¡± I asked as I don¡¯t know what else to say.


    Danny looked away and squeezed the extra water out of his shirt. ¡°I am fine!¡± he answered brusquely.


    I took a deep breath as I felt some sorrow in my heart.


    I fingered my purse and took out all of the money that I had. It wasn¡¯t much, but I gave it all to Danny.


    I¡¯d even included my phone number. ¡°This is for you. My number¡¯s here, if you need my help, feel free


    to call me.¡±


    He did not reach out to take it, but kept his eyes fixed on me. I ced the money and my number on


    the ground next to him and left promptly.


    It wasn¡¯t that I was beingpassionate or anything, but during my time in Venria, Danny had aided


    me and allowed concessions despite not doing them so openly. Without him and his kindness, I may


    not even have made it back here alive.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    A cab took me back to the vi, where I found Ashton reading in the yard. He ignored me and remained


    absorbed in his book.


    It was noon. I wandered to the kitchen and found lots of food in the kitchen.


    I took some out and whipped up a quick meal for myself. After that, I went upstairs to the bedroom. I


    originally nned to do some light reading but I fell asleep due to exhaustion.


    Several hourster, I woke up and realized groggily that it was alreadyte afternoon. The remnants of


    my lunch had been cleared away.


    There was nobody in the vi. I sat for a while in the living room and returned upstairs soon after. I¡¯d


    been sleeping the entire day and I had no desire to continue.


    The sky grew dark, thunder growled threateningly. Before long it had begun raining again. The gale


    swept the fine mist indoors and plummeted the temperature inside the vi.


    Summer called to tell me what had happened in her day at school; it was the little things that bothered


    children. I let her speak until she tired herself out.


    I hung up soon after. After a day and a half spent sleeping, I wasn¡¯t able to fall asleep in a hurry. My


    mind on inspecting the Lavelian Vige project the following day, I texted Rachel and Marcus to inform


    them of the inspection tomorrow.


    It was midnight when the sound of an engine came from below. I knew it was Ashton without looking.


    Since we have not been on the best of terms these few days, it would be better for us both if I dropped


    off to sleep quickly to avoid a confrontation.


    The door opened and shut, followed by the flick of the switch of the bedsidemp. The tap in the


    bathroom came on and then off. Finally, the bed on his side sank as it bore his weight.


    Suddenly, I felt my waist being hugged with Ashton¡¯s breathing in my ear. I didn¡¯t expect him to. Maybe


    he felt something different about me today.


    ¡°You¡¯re not asleep?¡± he said quietly.


    I sighed as the pretense fell apart. ¡°No,¡± I whispered.


    The bedsidemp was still on. Ashton flipped me around to face him. It¡¯s a good sign that we haven¡¯t


    fought yet. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about things?¡± he asked.

 Chapter 827

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 827


    We were supposed to discuss what happened the night before!


    ¡°What would you like to talk about?¡± I probed carefully.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you pick up my callst night? Who was the man you met in the alley?¡± he asked calmly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you, my phone was off, and the man was an old friend!¡± It made not much of a difference


    whether he knew about Danny or not. I¡¯ve decided that he would be better off not knowing.


    Ashton narrowed his eyes in displeasure. ¡°Scarlett, I¡¯ve told you before. I don¡¯t like it when you lie to


    me.¡±


    I gazed at him and chuckled coldly. ¡°Lie to you? Who¡¯s lying to whom now? Ashton, let me ask you this.


    Where were you that night when I was at at the morgue? Who were you with?¡±


    He pursed his lips, clearly unhappy. ¡°Why are you bringing this up now?¡±


    ¡°Why not? You¡¯re bringing up things from yesterday! I can do it just like you.¡± I did not know why I was


    this upset. Maybe the thought of him being with Reba as Iy there dying made me feel awful. I had


    thought that he had brought back those hairy crabs for me from his business engagement. It made me


    feel like a fool that he was out there giggling with Reba while I waited for him at home.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    He exhaled with dissatisfaction. ¡°Scarlett, do we have to interact with this much hostility every time?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to interact at all!¡± I was much happier if none of us spoke, to be honest. The silence


    wasn¡¯t a big deal anyway.


    I rolled over and faced my back towards him. I had so much unhappiness that I wasn¡¯t able to express


    and it hurt to hold it in. To make things worse, I couldn¡¯t drift off to sleep.


    I became angrier when I felt his hand moving on my body. I flung off the quilt and sat up straight in bed.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, if you desire a woman¡¯spany, feel free to contact Ms. Larson, who I¡¯m sure would be


    delighted to oblige. If you¡¯re not willing to ask her, I don¡¯t mind doing it for you!¡±


    I snatched up my phone to dial Reba¡¯s number. Ashton red at me with anger. ¡°Scarlett, what are


    you saying?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for someone who can satisfy you!¡± I retorted. ¡°What is it?¡± came Reba¡¯s voice from the


    other end.


    ¡°As you wish, Ms. Larson, Ash needs you very much right now. Please could youe over to our


    vi? If you need to be paid for your services, I will transfer you the money.¡± I was reckless and


    abandoned all restraint.


    There was a moment of silence on her end as she was shocked. ¡°Scarlett, what the hell are you


    doing?¡± she raged. ¡°There¡¯s a limit to throwing insults, you know!¡±


    ¡°Is the money insufficient?¡± I asked mockingly. ¡°Aren¡¯t the expenses that he¡¯s paid for you over the


    years enough for you to spend one night with him? Haven¡¯t you always told him that you love him?


    Why wouldn¡¯t youe to him now when he needs you?¡±


    ¡°Scarlett, you¡­¡± I did not hear what came next, because at that moment Ashton had snatched my


    phone from me and hurled it across the room, where it was smashed to pieces upon impact with the


    floor.


    We stared at each other, both of us in such a rage. Even Ashton was not as adept as concealing his


    emotions as he usually was, and looked murderous.


    ¡°Why did you humiliate her for?¡± he said coldly. ¡°You could have directed your anger towards me and


    told me straight to my face if you didn¡¯t want me to touch you. What did she do to you to deserve this?¡±


    ¡°Why? Does your heart break for her?¡± I asked sarcastically without any fear towards him. ¡°Isn¡¯t what


    you need the most right now is for someonedylike and gentle? What¡¯s wrong, are you resentful to me


    for exposing your harbored love for her over all these years? What am I to you? A recement of her


    for you to lie to and do whatever that you please?¡±


    ¡°Recement? Lies?¡± Ashton¡¯s handsome features were contorted with hurt. ¡°After all these years, is


    that what you see it as?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡± Iughed derisively, feeling my vicious surge of anger wearing him down. ¡°Do you think that


    I¡¯m unaware of why you refused to let me go all those times? It¡¯s because I¡¯m a Moore, and the


    goddaughter of Louis. It¡¯s because of my identity that allows you to have unobstructed ess and


    connections all over K City and even all over the world. Ashton, you don¡¯t have to hang on to me for


    these benefits under the pretense of loving me. Even if we were separated, the Stovalls and the


    Moores won¡¯t deny you ess to your privileges. If you want Reba, you can have her and keep


    your connections. You don¡¯t have to sneak around anymore. I don¡¯t mind it at all.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t mind?¡± Ashton gave a sarcasticugh.


    He red at me with his bloodshot eyes which radiated the power of unspeakable anger. His hands


    were balled into fists in an effort to contain it within his body. In the dead quiet of the night in our


    bedroom, the atmosphere was chilling.

 Chapter 828

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 828


    Noticing his balled-up fist, I braced myself for it tond on me. But it didn¡¯t.


    After a long moment, he turned his gaze on me. In his eyes, I could see a mixture of sorrow,


    disappointment, and despondent.


    ¡°Very well!¡± he finally uttered the only words he could muster and mmed the door shut as he left the


    room, resulting in a loud bang that reverberated throughout the house.


    This is going to be another sleepless night¡­


    The next morning, despite having very little sleep, I had to be at Lavelian Vige for a site inspection.


    When I arrived at the meeting point, Rachel and Marcus were already there, which caught me by


    surprise. The reason being I did not expect Marcus to make an appearance in a task that was usually


    carried out by the site supervisor.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, I hope you don¡¯t think the world revolves around you just because you¡¯re the president¡¯s


    wife. If you can¡¯t even arrive at a meeting on time, I suggest you just assume the role of a housewife,


    since Mr. Fuller already has more than enough to support you.¡±


    Rachel made a snarkyment on ount of my tardiness. But I did arrivete, so there was no point


    in me getting back at her.


    Pursing my lips, I ignored her remark and took over a project checklist from Leedon before turning to


    Marcus. ¡°Mr. White, shall we do a walk-around to familiarize ourselves with the site perimeters?¡±


    Marcus nodded. He nced at Rachel indifferently but didn¡¯t say anything. After a moment of silence,


    his gaze fell on me and he asked, ¡°Are you very busytely? You look overworked.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m alright. Just didn¡¯t sleep well that¡¯s all,¡± I replied while shaking my head.


    This turned out to be a major undertaking as it not only involved a thorough inspection of the


    construction security, but we also needed to coordinate with departments from differentpanies. We


    had spent the whole morning covering the inspections for a few bases.


    To avoid future misunderstandings, the three of us carried out the assessment together and had to


    achieve consensus on every single inspection detail. As such, we were all tuckered out by noon and


    were resting in a visitors¡¯ room outside the base.


    It was about noontime and everyone decided to break for lunch. I was feeling all drained out from sleep


    deprivation and walking all morning.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a break and have something to eat,¡± Marcus¡¯ voice rang from in front of me. I lifted my head


    to see him dressed in a ck suit while holding a white takeout container.


    ¡°It¡¯s your favorite chicken casserole,¡± he said while holding out the container.


    I let out a slight smile. ¡°Thank you, Mr. White. You¡¯re right on time.¡± I took over the food and started


    devouring my lunch.


    Marcus found a seat next to me and sat down quietly while I munched on my lunch. He waited till I was


    almost done with my food before he spoke slowly. ¡°We¡¯ve covered pretty much all of the important


    aspects this morning. Why don¡¯t you take time off this afternoon to get some rest? Sleep deprivation


    takes a heavy toll on your health.¡±


    I sighed a little. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    He tilted his head in my direction. ¡°Did you have a row with Ashtonst night?¡±


    I was hesitant for a brief moment before I swallowed my food and replied with a smile, ¡°Just normal


    fighting like every other couple. We¡¯ll be okay eventually.¡±


    He pursed his lips. ¡°What did you guys argue about?¡±


    Finally finished my food, I looked at him with amusement. ¡°What, are you a marriage counsellor now?¡±


    He smiled softly while passing me a ss of water. ¡°You should consider yourself lucky that I¡¯m about


    to give out free advice today.¡±


    I took a sip of water and replied, ¡°We¡¯re really okay. It¡¯s just one of those trivial things all couples


    encounter. Oh yeah, the Harvest Festival is approaching. Are you going back to K City?¡±


    He thought about it for a moment before replying, ¡°Yeah, I will.¡±


    I nodded and fell silent.


    Even though the sun was zing hot today after the downpour fromst night, I still politely declined


    Marcus¡¯ suggestion for me to take a nap at the hotel after lunch.


    Nheless, I started to feel a dull pain in my abdomen and winced a little. Marcus noticed my


    difort and walked up to me. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Shaking my head, I put my hand over my lower belly. ¡°Just a little twinge in the tummy. Might have


    been the food this morning.¡±


    Marcus frowned as he stood up. ¡°Come, I¡¯ll bring you to the hospital for a quick check-up,¡± the man


    said while holding onto my arm.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    I shook my head again, thinking that it might also be my menstruation since it was about that time of


    the month. Before I could reject, I noticed from the corner of my eyes that the frame of the sunshade


    awning above us wasing off.


    After a few seconds, I finally realized what a perilous situation we were in. Before I could utter another


    word, Marcus was already one step ahead and was about to pull me away from where we stood.


    However, before I managed to take another step, my stomach had a sudden cramp and I froze on the


    ground. Seeing that the awning was about to fall, I pushed Marcus away and yelled, ¡°Go! Go without


    me!¡±

 Chapter 829

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 829


    In the next split second, as though on reflex, Marcus took one big step toward me and used his body to


    shield me from behind. What happened next was me hearing a loud thump as the awning fell on top of


    us, followed by Marcus¡¯ low grunt behind me.


    Everything went dark at that moment. When I snapped back to reality after a few seconds, I realized we


    were both trapped under the big sunshade awning, hence the darkness.


    Marcus was still holding onto me. I asked worriedly, ¡°Marcus, are you okay?¡±


    He replied weakly from behind me, ¡°I¡¯m okay. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m sure someone wille to our rescue


    soon. Are you hurt anywhere?¡±


    I shook my head, but my body was trembling from the shock. Luckily, before long, I finally heard a


    commotion just outside where we were trapped.


    Suddenly, I felt a warm stream of liquid slowly trickling down my back. Sensing that something was off,


    I asked in a shaky voice, ¡°Marcus, are you okay? Where are you hurt?¡±


    His voice was weak and shaky, and I could tell he was just trying to reassure me when he said he was


    okay.


    I panicked and started yelling, ¡°Help! We¡¯re here!¡±


    When I tried to check on Marcus again, he didn¡¯t answer me. I grew more distressed as I could feel


    more warm liquid flowing down from his direction. ¡°M-Marcus, are you okay? Don¡¯t fall asleep, talk to


    me. Please, wake up! Help! Please hurry up!¡± I was already sobbing uncontrobly.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, we¡¯re doing all we can right now. Don¡¯t you worry,¡± a voice rang outside.


    After a while, the workers finally managed to retrieve us from under the fallen overhang. As Leedon


    was about to help Marcus up, he was stunned for a few seconds when he saw the state Marcus was in


    before he fired away, ¡°Quick, get our medical officers and call an ambnce!¡±


    Upon hearing that, my eyes widened and I dared not move any muscle.


    When the ambnce finally arrived, the medical staff carefully removed Marcus from above me and


    ced him on a stretcher. I waster helped up by Leedon, panting so heavily that I couldn¡¯t utter a


    single word.


    All I could do was stared at the pool of blood from where we were trapped earlier. My brain seemed to


    have stopped processing everything else that was happening around me.


    I didn¡¯t know how I had arrived at the hospital. The world seemed to pass me by in a blur as I stood


    outside the ER while doctors and nurses flitted in and out through the door. I had wanted to stop them


    to ask about Marcus, but my body wasn¡¯t listening to mymand.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    In my stupefied state, I remembered someone trying to pull me aside, but to no avail as I simply stood


    frozen on the ground with my eyes fixated on the light above the ER door. I finally managed to breathe


    a sigh of relief when the light turned red.


    A few minutester, the ER door swung open and a doctor walked out. I approached her, wanting to


    ask for Marcus¡¯ status. However, when I opened my mouth, I realized I couldn¡¯t make any sound from


    my sore throat.


    The doctor¡¯s gaze shifted from my face to my body and she furrowed her brows. ¡°Miss, are you


    injured?¡±


    I shook my head and tried to muster all my energy to reply to her. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ fine.¡± My words came out all


    muffled.


    She looked behind me as she spoke, ¡°I think you guys should get her checked out to make sure she¡¯s


    okay.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until then that I realized most of my light-colored top was covered in blood. No wonder the


    doctor asks me to get checked out.


    I followed the doctor¡¯s gaze and was surprised to see that it was Joseph she was speaking to. I had no


    idea when or for how long he had been here. He nodded at the doctor and turned to me. ¡°Mrs. Fuller,


    Mr. White¡¯s condition has stabilized. We should get you checked out by a medical staff now.¡±


    I nodded. The moment I rxed, my vision went dark before I lost all consciousness.


    When I came to, I was already lying on a hospital bed. A nurse was inserting an IV drip attached to my


    arm as she exined, ¡°She passed out due to suddenly rxing after a prolonged fight or flight


    response, causing the adrenaline rush to stop abruptly. To top things off, she is experiencing her


    menses at the moment, so her hormones are all over the ce. She¡¯ll be okay after some proper rest.¡±


    I realized the nurse was not talking to me. I tilted my head and saw both Ashton and Joseph in ck


    suits. Thetter nodded after the nurse¡¯s reminder and sent her off.


    Ashton¡¯s dark eyes fell on me for a brief moment and then slowly shifted away.


    As I regained my full consciousness, my mind was once again flooded by images of Marcus in a pool of


    blood. Without thinking much about my row with Ashton from earlier, I asked, ¡°How¡¯s Marcus? Is he


    okay?¡±


    Upon hearing my question, Ashton¡¯s expression immediately turned sulky. His dark eyes fixed steadily


    on me as he spoke coldly. ¡°So that¡¯s all you care about.¡±

 Chapter 830

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 830


    I frowned at his snarky remark, but still wanted my question answered. ¡°Has hee out from the ER


    yet? Is someone looking after him?¡±


    Instead of replying to my burning questions, Ashton continued to stare coldly at me. His gaze was filled


    with despair and a hint of sad irony. After which, he left the room without uttering another word.


    Despite knowing he was upset, I had no choice but to check on Marcus myself. As I sat up from my


    bed and attempted to remove the IV drip from my arm, the door swung open.


    Joseph walked in and saw what I was doing. He darted to my bedside and stopped me. ¡°Mrs. Fuller,


    the doctor just said that you have to rest. You can¡¯t remove the drip.¡±


    I furrowed my brows and asked, ¡°Joseph, can you help me check on Marcus? I¡¯m really worried about


    him. Is someone taking care of him?¡±


    Joseph sighed helplessly and said, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, sometimes it baffles me how you manage to overlook


    all that Mr. Fuller has done for you. Knowing that Mr. White has injured himself trying to protect you, do


    you not think Mr. Fuller will take good care of him? After being told of your ident on site, he dropped


    everything and rushed to the hospital in the first instance. But he was met with his stunned wife being


    worried sick for another man, not responding to his calls when he tried to speak to you. When you


    passed out all of a sudden, Mr. Fuller even fell into a full-blown panic mode that I¡¯ve never witnessed


    before. Knowing you¡¯ll be worried for Mr. White¡¯s wellbeing, he has made sure that Mr. White receives


    the best care he can get in this hospital. Mr. Fuller has even hired a personal nurse to look after Mr.


    White. And after all that he¡¯s done for you, your first words aftering to were all about Mr. White.


    Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a bit too cruel to him? After all, he is your husband, and despite the very little


    emotion he lets on, he does feel jealous and sad just like every other guy.¡±


    I was overwhelmed and at a loss for words. Biting my lips, I tried to digest the information that had


    been dumped on me.


    Looking at my bewilderment, Joseph sighed again. ¡°Mr. White¡¯s condition has been stabilized. But he


    hasn¡¯te to as the anesthetic hasn¡¯t worn off. He is being looked after by doctors and nurses so you


    don¡¯t have to worry about him. More importantly, you really need to get some rest yourself.¡±


    As Joseph helped me back onto my bed, my mind kept shing back to all the things that he had just


    said to me. A pang of guilt rushed into my chest. In retrospect, I did hurt Ashton¡¯s feelings for being


    insensitive.


    Since I couldn¡¯t fall asleep right away, I waited till the nurse came to remove the IV drip before I


    decided to take a walk.


    Ashton was nowhere to be seen, hence I decided to check up on Marcus. After checking for his room


    number and arriving at his ward, I was relieved to see that a nurse was looking after him. The nurse


    greeted me with a smile.


    Marcus was still unconscious from the effect of the anesthetic. His forehead was injured and his body


    was covered in a nket, hence I turned to the nurse and asked, ¡°How is his wound?¡±


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°The doctor just came by to check on him. She said that he has sustained an injury to his head, but


    she¡¯s not sure at this stage if he suffers from a concussion. A metal rod pierced through his right


    ribcage, but luckily, it missed his vital organs. There are a few other scratches but they are just


    superficial wounds. Judging from his current condition, he¡¯s going to be hospitalized for a considerable


    amount of time.¡±


    My body shuddered at the mention of his ribcage being pierced by a metal rod. That must have been


    where most of the blood came from. My hands started trembling and my legs turned wobbly as I relived


    the incident in my head.


    I forced my weakened legs to move to his bedside and sat down, losing my bearings. If it wasn¡¯t for


    him, the metal rod would have run through my body instead. Human lives are indeed very fragile and


    short. And yet, in the span of my very short life, he has saved me twice; this time he even risked his


    own life for me. It¡¯s not easy to just stop worrying about him like everybody else has been saying.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, why don¡¯t you get some rest yourself? I¡¯ll be here to take care of Mr. White,¡± the nurse


    said.


    I shook my head a little. ¡°I¡¯m okay. Besides, I¡¯ve already rested more than enough. I might as well stay


    here. Please let me be.¡±


    Sensing I was not going anywhere, she decided to stop persuading me.


    ¡°In that case, Ms. Stovall, I¡¯ll take a walk outside. Please call for me should you need anything,¡± she


    said while heading out.


    I nodded before I suddenly thought of something and called after her, ¡°May I know how I should


    address you?¡±


    ¡°My name is La Lane,¡± La replied with a smile.


    I nodded. ¡°Is it okay if I call you La?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± she said before leaving the ward.


    After La left the room, I turned to Marcus. It was impossible to not be moved by what he had done


    for me.


    I felt suspended in time, trying to decipher what I was feeling in my gut. Slowly, I came to the realization


    that I had been avoiding people who had disyed the slightest amount of kindness or affection toward


    me; people such as Ashton, Marcus, and John. It was as though I was incapable of epting any kind


    ofpassion.


    For some reason, I kept looking for every little detail in my life to push Ashton away; subconsciously


    trying to sabotage every meaningful rtionship I have had. A disembodied voice at the back of my


    mind kept telling me that there had to be a reason why they approached me, be it I could be useful to


    them, or that I could help advance their own motive. Whatever the reason, I was convinced that I was


    undeserving of true love.

 Chapter 831

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 831


    Even though they always used their actions, and this time, their life, to prove that they loved me, I still


    felt profoundly insecure deep down. I wasn¡¯t sure if this was due to my deep-seated low self-esteem, or


    that this happened to every other woman.


    I ended up spending the whole night watching over Marcus. La hade in intermittently and asked


    that I get some sleep myself, but after I repeatedly rejected her suggestion, she decided to just leave


    me alone.


    The next day, the morning sunlight shone through the window and lit up the room as though bestowing


    upon it a new life. Marcus finally woke up and when he saw that I was unharmed, he smiled in relief.


    ¡°Thank goodness that you¡¯re okay.¡±


    At that point, all my suppressed emotions had escaped into the form of unstoppable tears and I started


    to sob uncontrobly. I held onto his hand and tried to speak in between my sobs. ¡°Please¡­ never do


    this again! I-If something happens to you, how am I going to exin this to Camelia? You have a wife


    and a kid! You can¡¯t do something so silly again!¡±


    He smiled weakly and stroked my hair gently as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, I can¡¯t have stopped my


    instinctive reflex even if I tried to. Besides, I actually feel honored being able to keep someone I wanted


    to protect safe.¡±


    It took me a while to collect myself. After which, a doctor came by to check on Marcus. I was d when


    the doctor informed me that he would recover fully with enough rest.


    As soon as my heightened sense of wariness subsided, I was ovee with a new wave of tiredness.


    After all, I did stay up all night and had had very little rest.


    Looking at my bloodshot eyes, La said, ¡°Ms. Stovall, now that Mr. White has awakened, you should


    really get some rest yourself. I¡¯ll continue to monitor his health. Please stop worrying.¡±


    I nodded, finally feeling a heavy weight lifted off my shoulder. After leaving the ward, I headed to the


    hospital lobby, ready to take a cab home.


    When I got to the hospital lobby, a familiar ck Bentley was parked just outside the curb. Joseph


    rolled down the driver seat window and said, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, I¡¯ll give you a ride home.¡±


    I was puzzled. Did he just happen to be here or¡­


    I wasn¡¯t sure if Ashton was in the car and appeared hesitant. As though reading my mind, Joseph


    added, ¡°Mr. Fuller has left for some work stuff.¡±


    I rubbed my nose awkwardly and got into the car.


    As Joseph started the car, I hesitated for a brief moment before asking, ¡°Have you been in the hospital


    this whole time?¡±


    He tilted his head in my direction. ¡°Not just me. Mr. Fuller has been here as well. He had been scrolling


    through his phone all night standing by.¡±


    I paused before biting my lips. ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°He understands your concern for Mr. White. But the fact that you didn¡¯t return to your ward or the vi


    all night did sting him. If I were you, I¡¯d probably give him a call to check in with him even for just a


    minute. At least it shows that you care.¡±


    Joseph¡¯s words had once again stabbed right onto my sore spot like a dagger.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Saying no more, I stared out the window and was lost in my thoughts.


    Joseph dropped me back at the vi before heading out again.


    After the whole site incident and me staying up all night, the pain in my lower belly hadn¡¯t subsided.


    Back in my bedroom, I tried to take a nap, but the cramp took a turn for the worse, forbidding me to


    sleep well.


    I finally got up and searched around the room for some painkillers. Failing to find any, I resorted to


    ordering some from an online delivery service.


    After finally taking some medicine to control the cramps, I already lost all desire to sleep. I checked my


    watch and realized it was already six o¡¯clock in the evening. Ashton should be back soon.


    Giving up trying to sleep, I went into the kitchen and found some ingredients in the fridge for me to cook


    a meal for Ashton as my way of saying sorry.


    Now that it was September, the weather had started to cool down. It was almost seven o¡¯clock when I


    finished scuttling about in the kitchen. However, there was still no sight of Ashton.


    Looking over at Armond¡¯s well-lit house, I decided to give Nora a call. She was quick to answer her


    phone. ¡°Hey babe, have you eaten?¡±


    I took another look at my neighbor¡¯s house. ¡°Not yet. Are you at Armond¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°I am. Are you next door?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    Just then, Nora called for me from her backyard. I put down my phone and walked toward my own


    backyard to meet with Nora who was dressed in thick pajamas. ¡°How are you doing?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s just say that I¡¯m happy to be alive.¡± I didn¡¯t think she knew about what happened at


    Lavelian Vige.


    Nora rested her upper body on the railing before she said weakly, ¡°It¡¯s been a few days since Ist saw


    you. I¡¯ve been so tired for the past few days. And I¡¯ve basically been lying down all day today.¡±


    I paused for a brief moment. ¡°Is it that time of the month for you?¡±


    It was her turn to pause. ¡°How did you know?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°Because it¡¯s my time of the month as well.¡±


    Nora let out a long sigh before she said, ¡°This is so unfair! Armond has been out all day and right now,


    all I want to do is to take my frustrations out at him!¡±

 Chapter 832

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 832


    I smiled, amused at how predictable women can be.


    ¡°Is Ashton not back yet?¡± Nora asked after noticing how quiet and empty the vi was.


    ¡°Yeah, I think he¡¯s been pretty busy these days.¡±


    I had tried calling Ashton earlier, but there was no answer. After a few attempts, I gave up on it.


    Just then, the yard was illuminated by a car¡¯s headlights. Nora turned to smile at me. ¡°Could that be Mr.


    Fuller?¡±


    I shrugged, secretly hoping for her to be right. s, my hopes were dashed when the car parked at


    Armond¡¯s house.


    Nora¡¯s eyes lit up when she realized it was Armond who had juste home. ¡°Our poor punching bag


    is back! That¡¯s my cue to leave. Bye!¡±


    With Nora gone, I headed back into the vi. The food I prepared had gone cold by now, so I decided to


    call Ashton again.


    This time, the call finally went through. ¡°Ashton, where are you? Are you on your way home? I¡¯ve made


    dinner for us. Will you be home to eat?¡±


    This was my first-time cooking at home, and I had nned it so we could have a heart-to-heart talk


    over dinner. I had gotten sick of arguing with Ashton, so I knewpromisations had to be made for


    our rtionship to be more sustainable. It was all about knowing when to give and take.


    The silence on the other end of the call gave me butterflies in my stomach. I was worried about him


    being upset about Marcus and not giving me a chance to exin.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, it¡¯s Reba. Ash is currently in the shower. I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll be home tonight, so you


    don¡¯t have to keep dinner for him.¡±


    My heart sank when I heard Reba¡¯s voice. She had answered Ashton¡¯s phone before, but that was


    in the past when I had braced myself for the possibility of Ashton leaving me for her. This time,


    however, my heart was not ready for it.


    Over the years, I had grown certain that what Ashton felt toward Reba was nothing more than a


    sense of responsibility. But now that I knew he was at her ce, it instantly destroyed the trust I had in


    him and shattered the self-confidence I had painstakingly built.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    When I did not reply, Reba¡¯s tone got even more condescending. ¡°Ms. Stovall, I¡¯ll let Ashton know


    that you want him home. But please have your dinner first. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯d bete by the time he makes it


    back, and you know food doesn¡¯t taste as good when it¡¯s cold.¡±


    Not wanting to be snubbed by her anymore, I promptly ended the call. I stared at the dinner I had


    prepared, feeling like an absolute fool.


    Love and trust? That¡¯s all bullsh*t now.


    Even as I tried to keep my anger at bay, I couldn¡¯t get the dripping sarcasm from Reba¡¯s voice out


    of my head. I had so much faith in myself that I wouldn¡¯t be bothered by their rtionship, yet here I


    was, steeped in pain and unable to sleep.


    Iy in bed and tried to calm myself down, but all it did was make me even more frustrated as


    unpleasant memories came flooding back. At that moment, none of the good times I had with Ashton in


    the past could make up for the pain he caused in the present.


    It looked to be yet another sleepless night as I tossed and turned in bed, fraught with worry and pain.


    Then, to make matters worse, my stomach started to hurt. I was suffering from emotional and physical


    pain at the same time. Life can be so cruel at times.


    Perhaps it was too early for bed, or the emotional rollercoaster I was on kept me awake. Either way,


    falling asleep no longer seemed possible.


    I decided reading might help calm me down, so I headed to the study to finish reading ¡°Three Makes A


    Family.¡±


    I was making good progress on the book when there was the sound of a car engine, followed by the


    yard being illuminated by headlights. Ashton¡¯s back already?


    The thought of him being home distracted me so much that I couldn¡¯t carry on reading any more. With


    a sigh, I put the book away and headed downstairs.


    Ashton sat at the dining table in the kitchen, still dressed smartly in his all-ck suit.


    I had left the dishes on the table without having eaten a single morsel. The food would undoubtedly be


    cold by now, but Ashton seemed unbothered by it as he started eating.


    I watched on in silence as the anger and hurt from earlier slowly came back. It had been two hours


    since my call with Reba, which meant that whatever shenanigans they were up to would have been


    done and dusted.


    ¡°The food has turned cold, don¡¯t eat it anymore. I wouldn¡¯t want you to fall sick from it, Mr. Fuller,¡± I said


    coldly.


    Ashton was a little surprised when he saw me standing outside the kitchen. ¡°Did I wake you up?¡±


    His tone was full of warmth and concern, but I felt like he was only putting on a pretense.


    I forced a smile as I walked toward the table. ¡°You didn¡¯t. But the food¡¯s cold, so don¡¯t eat it.¡± With that, I


    cleared all the dishes away without even waiting for his reply.

 Chapter 833

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 833


    Theck of hesitation on my part took Ashton by surprise. ¡°Scarlett!¡± he eximed while looking at me.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you have eaten your fill outside. There¡¯s no need to force yourself to finish these cold dishes.¡±


    I tried to be as calm as possible, but I couldn¡¯t hide the hint of annoyance in my voice.


    Ashton frowned at my reply, his anger simmering away. ¡°Must you be so sarcastic?¡±


    Even though his calm demeanor terrified me, I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve always been


    sarcastic. Is this your first time noticing it?¡±


    No rtionship was perfect, and no couples have ever not exchanged hurtful words with each other. At


    one point or another, many people would have thought about hurting their partner because they were


    just so frustrated with them. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Ashton had such urges racing through his mind


    now.


    Ashton was trying to suppress his anger and not argue with me. His tone was a lot gentler when he


    said, ¡°Are you angry because I wasn¡¯t home to have dinner with you?¡±


    I smiled faintly back at him. ¡°Not at all. It was just a meal. I was bored and thought I¡¯d try out some


    recipes. Marcus hasn¡¯t been feeling well these days, so I¡¯d like to make him something nutritious.¡±


    Even though that was true, it wasn¡¯t theplete truth. But my anger got the better of me, and I


    wanted to use Marcus to rile him up.


    Ashton¡¯s face immediately darkened with rage as he stared at me. ¡°Sorry for being so delusional. How


    could I have forgotten that there¡¯s someone you care dearly for still lying in the hospital? Speaking of


    which, why are you back home and not with him tonight?¡±


    His derisive attitude infuriated me even more. ¡°Thank you for reminding me. I should head over to the


    hospital now,¡± I replied coolly. I would rather be with Marcus in the hospital than stay home and argue


    with Ashton. Besides, after this less than friendly interaction with him, a good night¡¯s sleep would be


    even more impossible.


    Before I could walk away, Ashton angrily grabbed my wrist. ¡°Scarlett, are you forgetting that you¡¯re


    someone¡¯s wife and mother? Running off in the middle of the night to see another man is not what a


    virtuous woman ought to do.¡±


    I tried to shake him off but to no avail. And in my moment of anger, I went on the offensive. ¡°Which era


    are you from, Ashton? It¡¯s the twenty-first century, and you¡¯re still talking about the virtues of a mother


    and wife? You¡¯re the one having affairs, yet you expect me to uphold these virtues?¡±


    Ashton scowled at me when I mentioned the affairs, clearly unhappy about it. ¡°Scarlett, what on earth


    has Reba done to make you hate her so much?¡±


    ¡°Oh? Do you expect me to live in peace with her?¡± Iughed at the incredulity of his words. ¡°Well, that¡¯s


    to be expected, I guess. Any man would want his wife and mistress to live happily together. Very well, I


    shall bring Ms. Larson here tomorrow. I¡¯ll even let her have the master bedroom so you can dote on her


    all you want.¡±


    After having said my piece, I pulled away from him and started to make my way upstairs. However,


    Ashton slid his arms around my waist and trapped me within his embrace.


    His gaze was cold and menacing, and it sent shivers down my spine. ¡°Have I be so worthless in


    your eyes? So worthless that you can push me to another woman without any care? Should I be


    grateful to you for wanting to give up your bedroom? Or should I praise you for being thoughtful?¡±


    My stomach had been hurting from earlier, but now with him hugging me so tightly, the pain became


    even more unbearable. ¡°Isn¡¯t that everything you wanted, Ashton? Or do you not want me to stay here


    and be in your way? If that¡¯s the case, I can move out.¡±


    Ashton suddenly burst outughing. Hisughter was no different than usual, but the words that


    followed were harsh and ridiculous.


    ¡°Is that why you¡¯ve been so rude toward me since I got home? You¡¯re just looking for a reason to leave


    me so you can be with Marcus, aren¡¯t you? Scarlett, please tell me what I have done to make you think


    so lowly of me, to think I can be at your beck and call. Does our marriage not mean anything to you?¡±


    I had been trying to remain level-headed the entire time, but the fact that he kept harping on about


    Marcus pushed me over the edge. ¡°Why are you so fixated on Marcus? Are you still not sure about my


    rtionship with him? Do you not know why he got injured?¡± I retorted.


    ¡°Whatever rtionship I have with Marcus can never be as intimate as what you have with Reba.


    Marriage is a sacred bond to me, Ashton, but you have single-handedly ruined everything good about


    it. You destroyed the sanctity of our marriage over and over again because of Reba.


    I¡¯ve foolishly waited for you for three years, and I will not continue to waste my time with you. Whether


    you feel responsible for Reba or you truly long for her, it¡¯s none of my business. If she wants to be


    Mrs. Fuller, I¡¯d be more than willing to let her have that title. But please do not tarnish my reputation by


    making me out to be a slut, pairing me with Marcus or Armond. Marcus has his family, and I¡¯m not a


    home-wrecker. So don¡¯t try to make everyone sound as despicable as you.¡±Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 834

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 834


    Ashton¡¯s lips were quivering as he turned livid with rage. ¡°What have you heard? What makes you think


    my feelings for you are worth nothing?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask your precious Reba?¡± After a brief pause, I chuckled. ¡°You¡¯ve never suspected


    her of anything because she¡¯s always acted so innocent in front of you. Did she tell you that she


    answered your phone and told me you were in the shower? That she was showing off to me how in


    love the two of you were? Of course she wouldn¡¯t have told you anything. After all, she needed to


    maintain the perfect image you have of her.¡±


    Ashton remained silent with his lips pursed, still staring intensely at me.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I sighed and calmed myself down. ¡°In the future, Mr. Fuller, please reflect on your actions before you


    lecture others. Also, pick your subjects well if you want to talk about sincerity and love. To me, that is all


    tooughable. But I¡¯m sure Ms. Larson wouldn¡¯t mind.¡±


    With that said, I broke away from Ashton and decided on a whim to leave the vi for the hospital.


    La was caught by surprise when I walked into the ward just as Marcus had fallen asleep. ¡°Ms.


    Stovall, what are you doing here sote at night? You should be at home resting!¡± she whispered.


    Despite being exhausted, I still managed to smile back in response. ¡°It¡¯s no problem at all. How is he


    today?¡± I asked as my gaze fell on Marcus.


    ¡°Much better, even though he still can¡¯t get out of bed. By the way, Mr. White¡¯s phone has been ringing


    the entire day, but he wouldn¡¯t let me answer it. I¡¯m not sure if it was his family calling to check on him,¡±


    La said concernedly. Since I insisted on staying, she promptly left after packing up her things.


    I sat beside Marcus before ncing at my phone. There weren¡¯t any messages which only added to my


    disappointment as I sighed in resignation.


    The next day, La came back early in the morning only to find Marcus still sleeping. Since there


    wasn¡¯t anything she could do, she decided to head back out to buy breakfast.


    I, on the other hand, had had a pretty awful night. The extra bed in the ward wasn¡¯t the most


    comfortable, and it also happened to be my time of the month. All that meant that I have barely gotten


    any decent sleep, and I woke up even more exhausted than I had been the night before.


    Marcus had just woken up when he spotted my less than ttering dark eye circles. ¡°Have you been


    staying upte again?¡±


    I shook my head and smiled. ¡°No, I¡¯ve just been worried about you. Get well soon, and I¡¯ll be fine


    again.¡±


    He winced a little as he tried to sit up in bed. ¡°You can¡¯t be moving about now. Your wounds have only


    just been stitched up. If you moved around too much, you might risk reopening them and getting them


    infected,¡± I chastised as I held him down by the shoulders.


    Thankfully he heeded my advice andy back in bed to rest until La came back. She had bought


    soup for him since that was all he could eat after his surgery. He only managed a few spoonfuls before


    the pain set in again. Setting the soup aside, he turned to me. ¡°There¡¯s hospital staff and La here to


    take care of me. You don¡¯t have to worry. Why don¡¯t you go home and have a good rest? The weather¡¯s


    getting colder. You¡¯ll fall sick easily if you don¡¯t rest enough.¡±


    I nodded with a smile, knowing that he was just being concerned for my well-being.


    After chatting for a while more, Marcus dozed off again.


    Since he had fallen asleep, I decided to make a quick trip to the vi to pack more things for theing


    days. With me staying at the hospital for a few more days and with the Harvest Festivaling up, I


    definitely needed to be more prepared.


    Ashton was nowhere in sight when I got home. Even his clothes in the closet were gone, and there was


    no message to say where he would be staying.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how I felt about it, but I couldn¡¯t brush away the bad, nagging feeling in the back of my


    head.


    After having packed a few sets of warmer clothes and daily necessities, I returned to the hospital.


    Harvest Festival was only three or four days away, but I doubted Marcus could recover in that short


    period of time. Unfortunately, that meant I wouldn¡¯t be able to make it back to K City for the


    celebrations.


    I had taken time off work, so for the next few days, I dedicated all my time to Marcus. I would either be


    chatting with him or apanying him to his physical therapy sessions. All in all, it was a far easier job


    than having to work on the Lavelian Vige project, which was now in Linda¡¯s good hands.


    On the fourth day, Marcus¡¯s condition had improved enough to walk a bit more. He was in such a good


    mood that he even wanted to attempt peeling an apple on his own.


    I knew he hadn¡¯t been able to move his arm in the past few days due to broken ribs. Now that he had


    regained control of it, he was understandably on cloud nine at being able to tackle an easy, menial


    task.


    Just then, his phone started ringing again. Marcus hardly nced at it before moving it out of sight.


    He had been getting countless calls from the same number and had been ignoring them all. I felt nosey


    and decided to peek at it, only to see it was Camelia¡¯s number.


    I looked at him quizzically. ¡°She must be so worried about you. You should at least tell her you¡¯re fine


    and recovering well.¡±

 Chapter 835

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 835


    He stopped peeling the apple and looked up at me with pursed lips. ¡°Is it because of her?¡±


    His words baffled me for a moment, but I soon got back to my senses. ¡°Marcus, are you mad? It¡¯s not


    because of anyone. It¡¯s just not going to work between us. Camelia is a good girl. Please don¡¯t let her


    down.¡±


    Marcus ignored my words as he looked down and continued peeling his apple. I knew it would be


    useless to go on. It was impossible to talk sense into someone who refused to be receptive to it.


    That night, Summer called and sounded very excited over the phone. ¡°Mommy! Granny said the


    Harvest Festival is almost here and that it¡¯s a day for the family to reunite! Are you done with work? Will


    you be home soon?¡±


    I had initially wanted to tell Summer that I couldn¡¯t go back because of Marcus. But after hearing how


    excited she was about the festival, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to disappoint her. Now that I had promised


    her to be home soon, I couldn¡¯t go back on my word.


    Marcus knew I felt bad about it and smiled at me. ¡°Go be with Summer, and don¡¯t worry about me. I will


    be fine with La here.¡±


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    I knew he would be in good hands with La, but leaving him alone during Harvest Festival didn¡¯t sit


    right with me.


    Besides, when Harvest Festival came around, La would be home for her family reunion too. It would


    be so lonely for him to stay in the hospital.


    Maybe I could let Cameliae to A City?


    Once that thought shed through my mind, I decided to put it into action. One way or another, I was


    going to get Camelia toe.


    I decided to call Camelia while I was out buying things. It took a few tries before she finally answered.


    ¡°Scarlett, what do you want?¡± she snapped. ¡°Are you calling to show off how much you¡¯re enjoying your


    time with Marcus?¡±


    ¡°No, Camelia. I called to let you know that Marcus got injured in Lavelian Vige and is currently


    recovering in the hospital. He wouldn¡¯t be able to make it back to K City to celebrate the Harvest


    Festival with you. If it¡¯s possible, could youe to A City to keep himpany? He doesn¡¯t show it,


    but I know he¡¯s afraid of being alone. It¡¯d be nice to have you here and help him feel closer to home.


    There was a moment of silence on the other end of the call. ¡°Scarlett, why are you helping me?¡±


    Camelia finally asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. I¡¯m only doing this because I owe him too much. I genuinely want the best for him. I


    want him to find someone who loves him and who can give him a sense of belonging. I can¡¯t do any of


    that for him, but you can.¡±


    Camelia was silent again as she thought about it. ¡°I hope the words you uttered are truly what you felt.¡±


    I hung up the call without saying much more, and my thoughts started to wander.


    The call to Camelia made me realize that it had been three days since mystmunication with


    Ashton. He had never been one to take the initiative to call or text, so his radio silence wasn¡¯t much of


    a surprise either.


    Marcus wasn¡¯t happy when Camelia showed up unannounced the next day. She had clearly not wasted


    any time in getting to A City after my call with her. However, I could barely recognize her when I saw


    her, a petite girl wheeling around an enormous suitcase while carrying a baby in her arms.


    The Camelia standing in front of me was a stark contrast to the Camelia I used to know. In the past,


    she was the most beautiful and best-dressed girl in any room. But now, she had switched out her high


    heels for ts and tied her once luscious curls up in a messy bun. She had even ditched her dresses


    for oversized clothes to make breastfeeding easier.


    How did a girl who had everything going for her end up looking like this?


    I was inplete disbelief as I stared on.


    ¡°Marcus, how are you now? Why didn¡¯t you answer my calls and let us know how you were doing?¡±


    Camelia asked frantically as she hurriedly set her luggage aside. She looked relieved when she could


    finally take a seat and stretch her arms and shoulder.


    Marcus ignored Camelia and cast a steely gaze at me. ¡°You told her toe?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Harvest Festival is almost here. Don¡¯t you want to spend it with them?¡±


    He remained silent as he looked at the baby in Camelia¡¯s arms. ¡°Why don¡¯t you head over to the hotel


    to rest? It¡¯s too noisy in the hospital. Toby wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep well here,¡± he said bluntly.


    Camelia shook her head resolutely. ¡°It¡¯s no problem. Toby¡¯s very well-behaved. He¡¯s even more well-


    behaved when he¡¯s around you!¡±


    Marcus held his tongue as his brows furrowed even more.

 Chapter 836

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 836


    I silently observed Camelia and couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge of sadness. The girl who used to be so


    beguiling had now be just like any other ordinary girl.


    Who do I me for herplete transformation? Time is ruthless, but so is Marcus.


    Just then, Camelia¡¯s baby was awakened by the noise in the hospital and started bawling his head off.


    When Marcus red at her, she hurriedly apologized and left the room with the baby to coax him back


    to sleep.


    Marcus¡¯s actions left me befuddled. I knew he could be cold and distant, but that was reserved only for


    strangers and acquaintances. I never expected him to treat his family the same way.


    I always thought there was a gentler side to him once one got to know him, but after what I witnessed, I


    started to doubt his character.


    Is it Camelia? Has she done something wrong? Camelia used to lead a blessed, carefree life until


    Marcus bewitched her with his lies. She fell in love with him, married him, and even had a baby with


    him. But all she got in exchange for her love was Marcus¡¯s contempt.


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± Marcus shouted to get my attention when he saw me spacing out. As his gazended on


    me, I felt a shiver down my spine.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s on your mind?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m going to check on Camelia!¡± I quickly replied and made my way out of the room.


    Camelia couldn¡¯t find an empty chair in the crowded hospital hallway and sat on the floor instead. As


    her baby continued to cry, she had no choice but to breastfeed him right there and then, much to the


    chagrin of the onlookers.


    The once beautiful girl who was admired by all had now be a mother despised by passers-by.


    It pained me to see her in that plight, so I lent her my coat to give her some privacy. She looked at me


    with mixed emotions before finally saying, ¡°Thank you.¡± Such simple words, but they conveyed so


    much sincerity and gratitude.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t mention it. I¡¯ve experienced this before with Summer. Every time she cried, I could only coax


    her by breastfeeding her. As a first-time mother, I can sympathize with you.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t expecting me to respond as such and was a little taken aback by it. She sat there deep in


    contemtion and finally gave a bitter smile. ¡°I used to think that my situation would get better once I


    had my baby. Now that he¡¯s here, it feels like I¡¯ve simultaneously lost and gained everything.¡±


    She¡¯s right. Bing a mother is full of sacrifice, but we eventually realize that all the sacrifice is


    worthwhile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll see that this is all worth it.¡± I reassured.


    She looked at me in confusion, not knowing what I meant by my words.


    Not wanting to borate further, I changed the subject. ¡°You came in such a hurry I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve


    packed enough for yourself. I¡¯ll head home and pack some warm clothes for you.¡±


    She hummed in response and stared at me for a long while before mustering up the courage to ask,


    ¡°You and him, are you¡­¡±


    ¡°Friends. We¡¯re just friends,¡± I replied without any hesitation. ¡°I have my own family, so please don¡¯t see


    me as your rival. All I want is the best for the both of you.¡±


    Camelia tried to hold back tears as she bit her lips. ¡°Thank you, Scarlett!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me. I owe him.¡±


    On my way home, I couldn¡¯t help but think about how obsessed men could be when it came to love.


    Just because they¡¯ve had a change of heart, they could throw their wives aside without any care of the


    consequences. Men can be so heartless.


    After packing more warm clothes and daily necessities from the vi, I ordered some nutritious food


    from a restaurant to bring back to the hospital. Camelia could definitely use some sustenance,


    especially since she was still breastfeeding.


    Back at the hospital, I made my way back to the ward with my hands full of bags. When I got there, I


    was stunned to hear the heart-wrenching cries of Camelia and her baby while Marcus admonished


    them.


    Thankfully, Marcus was staying in a private ward so their quarrel wouldn¡¯t have disturbed other


    patients. From the sounds of it, it didn¡¯t seem like La was inside with them.


    ¡°Fine! I will neither get in your way nor bother you again. I want nothing from you! I¡¯m leaving!¡± Camelia


    cried out in pain. Upon seeing me at the door, her face contorted with rage. ¡°Look at how things turned


    out! Are you happy now?¡± she yelled.


    With that, she walked out of the room with tears still streaming down her face. The situation in the room


    wasn¡¯t any better. Marcus was fuming while their baby continued to cry in his stroller.


    Soothing the baby was my top priority as I dropped all my things and made my way to the stroller.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    After picking the baby up, I tried to coax him the way I used to do with Summer.

 Chapter 837

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 837


    After what seemed like forever, the little boy finally stopped crying. He looked at me with big teary eyes,


    clueless about his surroundings.


    La finally came back to the ward after having excused herself when Marcus and Camelia started


    arguing.


    ¡°Mrs. White is probably downstairs. Could you bring her baby and these things down to her? I don¡¯t


    think she¡¯s had anything to eat. Please tell her that no matter what, she has to care for herself. If not for


    her, then do it for her baby,¡± I said to La as I handed the baby over to her.


    La was stunned momentarily but eventually did as instructed.


    I was left alone with Marcus in the ward. I was never good at preaching to others, but at that moment, I


    knew I had to get some things off my chest. If I didn¡¯t, both Marcus and I would regret it in the future.


    ¡°I met Camelia on the ne six years ago. Six years is a long time, but I still remember our first


    interaction very vividly. I had identally bumped into her, and when I apologized to her, I was blown


    away by how beautiful she looked. She was initially very angry but forgave me after my apology.¡± After


    a pause, I continued, ¡°As fate would have it, we sat right next to each other on the ne. The flight was


    over ten hours, and we chatted up a storm during that time. It was my first time in M Country, and she


    was worried I might get lost, so she left me her number as an emergency contact.¡±


    Marcus looked at me quizzically, wondering what my point was in bringing up the past.


    ¡°That day, I was on my way to meet Ashton. Bumping into Camelia was an ident, but her beauty


    and grace wowed me so much I still can¡¯t forget it after so long.¡±


    I stared at Marcus and sighed. ¡°Do you know how I felt when I met Camelia again today? In just a span


    of six years, she had gone from being a dazzling beauty to an unconfident, disheveled woman. I can¡¯t


    imagine the amount of pain her parents would be in if they saw her today. Why have you reduced their


    precious daughter to this state?¡±


    He frowned and replied curtly, ¡°I can only give her what I can, and I have.¡±


    ¡°And by that, do you mean your wealth? You think giving her money would suffice?¡±


    His naivety was so appalling it made meugh. ¡°Marcus, can you tell how different I¡¯ve be in six


    years?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve be moreposed.¡±


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    I nodded. ¡°The five years I spent in R Province away from Ashton was the best time of my life. I had


    Summer, and I had hope. Even though I didn¡¯t have a lot of money, life was stillfortable. After


    Ashton brought me back to K City, everything was good. Unlike you, he tried his best to give me


    everything he can, and even what he can¡¯t.¡± I looked up at Marcus to make sure I still had his attention.


    ¡°I left K City not because I didn¡¯t love him or that he didn¡¯t give enough, but because I couldn¡¯t get over


    the past. That doesn¡¯t mean we still can¡¯t have a future. I thought life had yed a cruel joke on me,


    but after meeting Camelia, I realized how fortunate I had been. Ashton and I have had many


    misunderstandings, but you and Camelia are different. You intentionally put her through all this pain


    and suffering and turn a blind eye to it.¡± I stared him down as I continued, ¡°Marcus, you¡¯ve married her


    and even had a kid with her. No matter how selfish you are, you still have to find some space in your


    heart for your wife and child. You know it better than anyone else that we are only friends, and that will


    never change. But Camelia is your wife and the mother of your child. If you don¡¯t love and treasure her,


    this would alle and bite you back in the future.¡±


    He pursed his lips, not saying a word, though I could tell he was in deep contemtion. I had said all


    that I wanted to say, and I only hoped it would help knock some sense into him.


    I made my way downstairs and finally found La and Camelia in the waiting area. Camelia still looked


    as unkempt and haggard as before as she wolfed down the food I had bought for her.


    She felt someone staring at her and looked up in surprise, only to lock eyes with me. After wiping her


    mouth with her sleeve, she greeted me with an embarrassed smile.


    I smiled back at her with a nod, trying to fight the overwhelming array of emotions I felt toward her.


    I stood beside her and waited for her to finish eating her food. The baby in La¡¯s arms was still


    blissfully unaware of the storm that had just passed as he looked at us with his big doe eyes.

 Chapter 838

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 838


    La was a chatterbox to begin with. Seeing as no one was willing to speak, she took the liberty of


    starting a conversation. ¡°Women nowadays are so skinny that they don¡¯t produce enough milk unlike


    women from back then. In fact, we women from the previous generation produce so much that I often


    woke up to drenched clothes and a damp bed. It really couldn¡¯t be helped. I had to milk myself at night


    just to get some relief. Unfortunately, we didn¡¯t have refrigerators at that time so I had nowhere to store


    them. They would go bad after a few days and I always thought to myself, all of my hard-earned milk,


    gone just like that. What a waste!¡±


    Camelia ate thest bite of her food and smiled bitterly as she nced at her baby. ¡°Yeah. Hard-earned


    milk, it is.¡±


    After eating, she cleaned up the table and took out the trash before taking over her son from La¡¯s


    arms to breastfeed him. Perhaps the baby boy was really starving because he immediatelytched


    onto her breast and kept sucking.


    Camelia had only just finished her meal. Hence, she didn¡¯t have much breast milk to offer him. When


    her son didn¡¯t get his fill, he bit down harder, causing Camelia¡¯s features to contort with pain. Still, she


    endured it.


    La went upstairs to check on Marcus while I sat across from Camelia. I knew she had something to


    say to me and vice versa.


    But it seemed like no one wanted to go first.


    Suddenly, her lips curved into a wry smile and she muttered, ¡°You must be surprised to see me like


    this, huh?¡±


    I pursed my lips and fumbled for words. In the end, I decided to avoid answering her question. ¡°The


    White family is quite well-off. You don¡¯t have to force yourself to be like this. You could consider hiring a


    caregiver to take care of the baby. That way, you can still live your own life.¡±


    Indeed, Marcus had the funds to support a woman and a child.


    In fact, their lives would be at least a hundred times more dignified than ordinary families. The lowborn


    led miserable lives mostly because they barely scraped by, let alone had the luxury to care about their


    dignities. However, Camelia was different. Marcus¡¯ assets allowed her to lead a more dignified and


    morous life than ordinary women.


    She met my gaze with a calm expression. ¡°I understand what you¡¯re getting at, but if I do that, he might


    never fall in love with me and instead, pursue you with a clear conscience for the rest of his life.¡±


    Huffing out a bitterugh, she continued, ¡°I haven¡¯t touched a single cent of the money he gave me


    over the years. I didn¡¯t even ask my parents for money. I¡¯m just like a daughter from an ordinary family,


    working my a*s off for myself and my child. I keep thinking that the longer I keep this up, the more likely


    I¡¯ll be able to earn his love.¡±


    I knew where she wasing from. A man with a sessful career and good looks had no shortage of


    women flocking to him, regardless of whether they were after his money or his love.


    Camelia understood this better than I. She was fully aware that Marcus¡¯ heart did not belong to her. But


    unlike other women, she didn¡¯t reap the benefits of his wealth. Instead, she took a gamble; except for


    his love, she didn¡¯t want anything else from him.


    This way, even if Marcus wanted to use money topensate her, the fact that he couldn¡¯t bring


    himself to love her would render that effort invalid. As the defaulter in their marriage, he wouldn¡¯t be


    able to use money to make up for theck of love toward her as well as the child.


    I nodded in understanding, but my heart clenched in my chest when I witnessed the tough life she


    chose.


    After a momentary silence, I steered the topic away. ¡°I booked a flight back to K City tonight. I might


    have to stay there for some time. If you need anything, you can look for my friend. I¡¯ve sent her contact


    information to your phone. And if you find it inconvenient staying at the hospital with your son, you can


    go live in my house. Rest assured, no one will disturb you there.¡±


    She studied me for a while before expressing her gratitude. ¡°Thank you.¡± After a brief hesitation, she


    said, ¡°We could¡¯ve been really good friends.¡±


    Her statement was like a heavy blow to my chest and I didn¡¯t know how to react for a while. Atst, I


    shed her a small smile and said, ¡°This isn¡¯t too bad either.¡±


    Life was full of ups and downs. No one could determine or predict what would happen next.


    We chatted for a bit and when I returned to the ward, Marcus was already asleep with La watching


    over him. She greeted me curtly upon seeing me. Apart from giving her some instructions, we didn¡¯t


    talk about anything else.


    After packing my stuff, I told La to pass the things I brought over to Camelia. With that done, I


    dragged my suitcase and hailed a taxi by the hospital entrance, leaving straight for the airport.


    I was already in the taxi when Nora called, and she sounded peeved. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that everyone is


    to gather for a meal on the eve of Harvest Festival? How could you leave without even saying


    goodbye?¡±


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    Feeling apologetic, I replied, ¡°I booked the flightst minute and didn¡¯t have time to tell you. We¡¯ll do it


    next time, okay? It¡¯s not like I won¡¯t being to A City anymore. Let¡¯s get together again during


    Independence Day!¡±


    From the silence over the phone, I surmised that she must have been rendered speechless by me.


    After a while, she sighed in defeat and eximed, ¡°You guys are really something, you know? It¡¯s just a


    simple meal. It¡¯s not like it¡¯d take ages to end! What¡¯s the frickin rush?¡±


    I froze as my mind registered her words. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®you guys¡¯?¡±


    I could already imagine her rolling her eyes before rifying, ¡°I¡¯m talking about you and Tessa, of


    course. You guys said you¡¯d be there, but then ended up leaving so abruptly.¡±

 Chapter 839

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 839


    I hummed a response but didn¡¯t probe further. Instead, my mind drifted to Danny and I said, ¡°Nora,


    since I won¡¯t be in A City for several days, I trust you to take care of that matter I mentioned to you


    before. By the way, there¡¯s also Danny. I met him in an alley a while ago. He looked like a pitiful mess,


    so I told him toe to me if he needs anything. I may need your help on that since I won¡¯t be around


    for the time being.¡±


    Even through the phone, I could feel her pouting as she answered, ¡°Alright, alright. I got it. Honestly,


    you¡¯re too kind for your own good. People like Danny are already beyond saving. Why are you getting


    yourself involved with him? You¡¯ll only bring unnecessary trouble to yourself.¡±


    I chuckled softly and merely said, ¡°Thanks for your help, anyway. I¡¯ll make it up to you!¡±


    She sighed again. ¡°I know.¡±


    After we ended the call, the taxi coincidently arrived at the airport. I got off and took my suitcase before


    heading toward the boarding gates. When I was collecting my ticket, I inadvertently spotted a friend.


    Well, maybe not a friend¡­ she¡¯s more like an acquaintance.


    After collecting her ticket, Tessa scanned her surroundings, as if hiding from someone. Then, she


    walked toward the international boarding gate.


    She¡¯s going abroad? Where?


    I wasn¡¯t close with her to begin with, so I didn¡¯t intend to approach her and pry for information. As the


    distance between us increased, I headed to the terminal to wait for my flight.


    At some point in time, I had unwittingly developed a habit of reading a book before boarding a ne


    and all the way to my destination. But I was happy about it since it was a good habit.


    The flightsted for four hours. By the time I arrived in K City, it was already quitete. I fished out my


    phone and checked my WhatsApp. Even though I didn¡¯t receive any messages from Ashton, I didn¡¯t


    feel that sad about it.


    It was eight o¡¯clock in the evening and I wondered if Summer was still awake. After giving it some


    thought, I dismissed the idea of calling her and took a cab to a hotel, nning to see Summer the next


    morning instead.


    When I reached the hotel, I approached the front desk to settle the check-in procedures. To my dismay,


    thedy working the desk was quite slow at her job. She spoke on the phone while handling my check-


    in information, and would asionally throw apologetic nces at me.


    I wasn¡¯t exactly in a hurry, so I would smile in response without rushing her.


    After she put down the phone, she sent me another apologetic look and stated, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss. Our


    hotel is fully booked. We can¡¯t check you in anymore.¡±


    I was dumbfounded. ¡°But it¡¯s only eight.¡±


    She smiled and patiently exined, ¡°Well, Independence Day ising soon, so our hotel is mostly


    receiving tourists groupstely. Individual guests usually have to arrive earlier to book a room, so I¡¯m


    really sorry!¡±


    It hit me just then. There would be an Independence Day Parade. Not to mention, K City had arge


    poption. Adding on the momentous asion that was just around the corner, most hotels would


    basically be overcrowded.


    Thinking that most of the hotels were in the same situation, I hesitated for a while before calling Emery.


    Fortunately, she answered after the first ring. ¡°You finally called me! For a moment there, I thought


    you¡¯d disappeared!¡±


    I chuckled and went straight to the point. ¡°I have a situation right now and might need your help.¡±


    ¡°Tell me. What is it? I¡¯ll do everything in my power to help you!¡± she responded earnestly.


    Augh escaped my lips at her ir for drama and I borated, ¡°I¡¯m in K City now. All the hotels are


    fully booked, so I might have to stay at your house for a few days.¡±


    ¡°What the f*ck?¡± she cursed without restraint. ¡°Scarlett, I treat you as one of my own, but here you are,


    treating me like a d*mn outsider! You really are something, huh? Anyway, where are you now? I¡¯lle


    and pick you up. We have so many rooms at the Moore Residence, you could¡¯vee straight here


    and picked one. But you just had to go to a hotel. Seriously?¡±


    I cut to the chase and simply sent her my location.


    Luckily, traffic wasn¡¯t heavy and she reached not long after.


    Her red Lexus sportscar pulled to a stop in front of the hotel entrance, garnering a lot of attention. She


    rolled down her window and peered at me. ¡°Get in, hot stuff!¡±


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    Tickled pink by her rowdy behavior, I giggled before motioning at my suitcase. ¡°Will it fit into your car?¡±


    She pursed her lips and swore loudly, ¡°Well, f*ck! Why is your suitcase so big? Are you moving a


    corpse?¡±


    After a short pause, she suggested, ¡°I¡¯ll get Hunter toe over to pick it upter. Let¡¯s go home first.¡±


    Then, she politely gave the hotel doorman some instructions and even thanked him with arge tip.


    In the car, she scrutinized me with a frown on her face. ¡°Where have you been? Why did you leave


    without saying a word? Do you and Ashton both have the habit of doing this?¡±


    I rolled my eyes at her and changed the subject. ¡°Everyone¡¯s been doing fine, I presume?¡±


    ¡°My brother and sister-inw seemed to have aged a whole decade. If it wasn¡¯t for Summer, I think they


    would¡¯ve agreed to die together to atone for their sins. Cut them some ck, hmm? Life is like that, so


    let bygones be bygones. How long are you going to keep this up? Are you really going to push


    everyone away and live in solitude for the rest of your life?¡±


    I pressed my lips together and kept silent.


    When the car rolled to a stop at the entrance of the Moore Residence, I was stunned for a split second


    but got down from the car without thinking too much. Before I could get my bearings, Summer threw


    herself into my arms.

 Chapter 840

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 840


    She hugged me and peppered me with kisses, all the while telling me how much she missed me.


    Hugging her small frame, all of the day¡¯s fatigue seemed to have melted away. Cameron and Zachary


    walked over right then, along with another man who looked to be over fifty. After not seeing each other


    for a few months, they seemed to have aged significantly beyond their years.


    I looked at them but didn¡¯t know what to say, so I settled for a smile.


    Cameron smiled with motherly affection and piped up, ¡°It¡¯s so good to finally see you. Come, let¡¯s go


    home!¡±


    Having said that, she tugged me toward the vi. Emery had probably notified them in advance, so they


    ordered the housemaids to prepare a new table of food.


    Summer was brimming with excitement. It was well past her bedtime, but she remained in my arms


    without any trace of sleepiness. Cameron had to gently remind her several times before she finally


    dragged her feet back to her room.


    After a short while, however, she padded out of her room again to climb on myp, asking softly,


    ¡°Mommy, can I sleep with you tonight? I wanna hug you to sleep. It¡¯s been so long since we slept


    together, Mommy. I miss you!¡±


    Any mother who had been away from her child for too long wouldn¡¯t be able to refuse her child¡¯s


    requests, and I was no exception.


    Hence, I nodded with a helpless smile.


    After having something to eat, Hunter came home with my suitcase and brought it upstairs before


    carrying his baby boy over. Because he was in a hurry earlier, he didn¡¯t get to see his son before


    leaving.


    Before I knew it, I was reaching out to take the four-month-old baby from Emery¡¯s arms. He was so tiny


    and chubby that merely looking at him seemed to fill my heart with joy. All women probably had a soft


    spot for children and would inevitably develop a sense of adoration for them.


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    Summer leaned against me to peer at the baby and said innocently, ¡°Mommy, you should give me a


    little brother like Xavier too. Granny said that when I get older, I can help you take care of him. That


    way, you won¡¯t be too tired.¡±


    Surprised by her words, I nced at her with a smile. ¡°Summer, I¡¯m happy with just you.¡±


    Emery eyed me and queried, ¡°Are you and Ashton really not going to have a child?¡±


    I nodded wordlessly, signifying the end of this topic.


    We sat together as the night deepened. Summer had fallen asleep against me. Emery and Hunter


    carried their child upstairs to sleep, while Zachary went to his study, saying he had some matters to


    handle.


    Cameron noticed the exhaustion lining my features and advised, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Staying upte isn¡¯t


    good for women, especially at your age. Go back to your room and have a good rest. Summer misses


    you a lot after not seeing you for so long. You should take her with you and sleep with her tonight.¡±


    I nodded and carried Summer upstairs. The Moore Residence was an enormous three-story vi with


    an extravagant interior design. Not just any wealthy family had the luxury of living in this five-hundred-


    square-meter residence located in the city center.


    ¡°This room was prepared by your father ever since he found out about your existence. Reba stayed


    here before. He was worried you would mind, so he got people to change everything, but he was afraid


    his tastes wouldn¡¯t suit yours, so he insisted on asking Ashton about your preferences. Some time ago,


    he brought Summer to R Province and looked for John. Then, he visited the ce you lived in when


    you were young to see what kind of design you liked.¡±


    Cameron led me into arge bedroom that had at least a hundred square meters and wasparable


    to an ordinary family¡¯s entire house. The interior design was mainly elegant and simple. Indeed, it was


    my favorite style.


    After I ced Summer on the bed, Cameron exined, ¡°Some of the clothes in the wardrobe were


    chosen by your father, and some by me. I noticed that you usually dress inly, so I picked the clothes


    based on your style. I¡¯m not sure whether you¡¯ll like them, but that¡¯s okay. If you don¡¯t, we can switch


    them out for something you prefer. The bags and jewelry were brought back by your father in recent


    years. They¡¯re all boutique items from famous fashion shows. I know Ashton treats you very well and


    you¡¯ve seen your fair share of luxury items, so you may not be impressed by these things, but as your


    parents, it¡¯s the least we can do. We just want to give you the best. We¡¯ve made many unforgivable


    mistakes these past few years and we wish to make it up to you. I know you resent us for what


    happened to your child, so we won¡¯t force you to ept us. We¡¯d be happy as long as you¡¯re willing to


    come home and visit us.¡±


    As Cameron spoke, tears rolled down her cheeks. Hearing her voice that was thick with emotion, I


    ced my hands on her shoulders and reassured her. ¡°Everything will be better in the future.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what the future held, but the hardest thing to understand in the world was kinship.


    Concurrently, kinship was what helped us find our way home when we were lost. Although I didn¡¯t


    share a familial bond with them, we were still rted by blood. In the decades toe, perhaps I


    would learn to understand the concept of family.


    She gazed at me and smiled in relief. Certain things didn¡¯t need to be said out loud to be understood.


    Sometimes, a look or a gesture could convey what a thousand words couldn¡¯t.


    In fact, I had already thought things through when I was in the morgue. Nothing came for free in this


    world. We had to work hard for whatever we wanted, otherwise, regret would be the only thing


    remaining at our moment of death.

 Chapter 841

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 841


    Since I was still alive and kicking, I had to cherish everything I had.


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. You should rest early. What do you want to eat tomorrow? I¡¯ll make it for you. Since


    Summer doesn¡¯t have school tomorrow, we can all get together.¡± Cameron couldn¡¯t conceal the delight


    on her face.


    I smiled faintly and replied, ¡°I¡¯m not a picky eater. Anything¡¯s fine for me.¡± I was being honest. Although


    I wasn¡¯t a big eater, I was never picky with my food. I basically ate everything that could be eaten.


    She nodded. ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯ll make all my signature dishes!¡± After making sure I had everything I


    needed, she left so that I could rest earlier.


    Feeling a little sleepy, I nodded in response.


    She walked to the door, but before she could leave, she abruptly looked back at me with a serious


    expression as though a thought struck her. ¡°Did you and Ashton quarrel?¡±


    Her question was like a bolt from the blue and I froze for a second before smiling. ¡°No. I just missed


    Summer too much, so I called Emery as soon as I got off the ne and haven¡¯t had the chance to tell


    Ashton about my return.¡±


    At a time like this, Ashton would usually apany me, but since I came here alone, it would


    inevitably evoke their suspicion.


    She nodded subtly in response to my exnation but didn¡¯t ask anything else.


    After a busy day, I was tired down to the bones. Once Cameron left the vi, I washed up and climbed


    into bed. Sensing my presence, Summer groggily nestled herself into my arms, offering me the warmth


    I didn¡¯t realize I had been craving for.


    Children possessed healing powers that specifically worked on their mothers. This statement held true.


    As long as Summer was beside me, all of the despair from before, no matter how overwhelming, would


    dissolve into nothing.


    I seemed to be able to understand the meticulous care and tentative love Cameron had for me. If it


    wasn¡¯t for ourplicated history, would we have turned out as a loving family instead?


    The next day, the gloomy weather in K City was no more.


    The sun¡¯s rays finally broke through the clouds and filtered into the bedroom, making the morning


    especially warm.


    Having some difficulty breathing, I woke up to the sight of Summer sprawled on my chest like a baby. I


    watched as her mouth opened and closed in tandem with her breathing, finding it incredibly cute.


    Thanks to her, there was a damp patch of drool on my shirt.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    From her rosy and chubby cheeks, I realized that she seemed to have put on some weight recently. As


    I observed her features, I found that she bore a strong resemnce to Jared.


    Knock, knock! Someone was knocking on the door, so I shifted Summer onto the bed.


    Then, I rolled out of bed and opened the door to see that it was Emery. She was sporting dark circles


    beneath her eyes as she bemoaned, ¡°Can I crash in your room? Xavier will be the death of me. Why do


    creatures like children exist in the world, huh? I¡¯m going crazy! I couldn¡¯t get a wink of sleep because of


    him and I¡¯m so tired!¡±


    She ranted pitifully while making her way to the bed before flopping down like a puppet whose strings


    had been cut. Then, she hugged Summer and started snoring loudly, seemingly really exhausted.


    The bed was huge and could easily amodate three people, but I checked the time and found that


    it was already eight. I felt well-rested, so I doubted that I could fall asleep again. After washing up in the


    bathroom, I went to the wardrobe and searched for some clothes to wear.


    Just like what Cameron said, the clothes she selected were simple yet elegant. But things that were


    simple and elegant often came with a hefty price tag because in didn¡¯t necessarily equate to cheap.


    As I walked toward the stairs, I heard voices andughtering from the living room. It seemed like


    there were guests present, which came as a surprise to me because it was still very early in the


    morning.


    Upon reaching the top of the spiral staircase, I peered down at the people seated in the living room.


    Without needing to take a closer look, I could immediately recognize the person who had his back to


    me. After a mental calction, I realized that we hadn¡¯t seen each other for quite some time.


    After the argument we had, I thought that perhaps it would be a long time before we meet again. After


    all, with the number of hurtful things I said, his anger probably wouldn¡¯t subside so soon.


    Suddenly, a voice sounded in my mind. Scarlett, you clearly knew that he¡¯de back to get you no


    matter what you did, that¡¯s why you brazenly said all those hurtful words to him. You tantly hurt his


    feelings because you knew that he would never leave you, isn¡¯t that right? Have you ever thought that


    you could be the one at fault?


    While I was lost in my thoughts, these words pierced through my consciousness. Stunned by that


    revtion, I suddenly realized that whenever Ashton and I argued, I never seemed to have reflected on


    myself. In fact, I would hurt him even deeper the next time.


    The chatter stopped abruptly, snapping me back to my senses. Everyone in the living room had turned


    their attention to me. Right then, Cameron brought out some fruits from the kitchen and saw me.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake. Mr. Fuller has been here for quite some time already. Come down quick and have your


    breakfast. I heard that the aquarium in the North District has opened for business. Summer has been


    wanting to go there for a long time. Both of you should take her thereter. That little girl has been


    going on and on about it.¡±


    I descended the stairs but didn¡¯t look at Ashton once. After giving an indifferent response, I went to the


    kitchen. A scrumptious breakfast prepared by the housekeeper was spread out on the table. Because


    everyone had varying daily routines, whoever woke up first would get to eat. Emery mentioned this to


    me once, but besides Cameron and Zachary, the rest of us couldn¡¯t seem to wake up early. Hence, it


    didn¡¯t really matter.

 Chapter 842

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 842


    Cameron brought some breakfast to the living room, then came back to the dining table and nced at


    me. ¡°The Stovalls called this morning and invited us for dinner. Everyone knows that you¡¯re back and


    they¡¯re all asking for a gathering.¡±


    I stuffed a pastry into my mouth and spoke in a garbled voice, ¡°Mm, I need to pay Uncle Louis a visit


    anyway.¡±


    When she saw the way I was wolfing down the food, she ced a ss of milk in front of me and said


    in fond exasperation, ¡°Slow down. What¡¯s the rush? No one¡¯s going to take your food. Now, be honest


    with me. What¡¯s going on between you and Ashton?¡±


    I took a sip of milk and feigned cluelessness. ¡°What do you mean what¡¯s going on?¡±


    She clucked her tongue and chided, ¡°Do you take us for blind fools? If there¡¯s nothing wrong, why did


    you ignore himpletely ande in here on your own? You two weren¡¯t like this before!¡±


    I pursed my lips and countered, ¡°Oh? How were we before?¡±


    She sighed. ¡°It¡¯s normal for couples to quarrel, but Mr. Fuller treats you well in every way possible and


    we can all see that. Don¡¯t do anything foolish. Live a peaceful life with him and stop kicking up a fuss!¡±


    I put my ss down and nodded. After wiping my mouth, I dered, ¡°I¡¯m done eating.¡±


    She released another soft sigh, wanting to persuade me but had no idea how to even begin.


    I went to the living room and saw Ashton ying a game of chess with Zachary. Hence, I decided to go


    upstairs to wake Summer. Before I could, however, I was unexpectedly stopped by Zachary. ¡°Letty, I


    heard Mr. Fuller said that you¡¯re quite skilled at chess. Come here and help me out. I¡¯ve already lost


    several games.¡±


    I stood next to them and studied the chessboard. Zachary was White, while Ashton was ck.


    Zachary¡¯s queen had already been taken and he only had one miserable knight left. Even his two


    bishops were captured. Right then, Ashton¡¯s chess pieces were positioned so that Zachary was caught


    at a crossroads.


    It was clear who the winner was, but Zachary¡¯s ego wouldn¡¯t allow him to admit defeat. Hence, he


    called me over to diffuse the awkward situation. Seeing as there was no way to turn things around, I


    shifted my gaze to Ashton but didn¡¯t speak.


    After a few days of not seeing him, his face was slightly haggard, but he still looked as handsome as


    ever.


    Sensing my gaze on him, he raised his brows at me but didn¡¯t speak either. Instead, he looked at


    Zachary and stated, ¡°It¡¯s your turn, Mr. Moore.¡±


    Zachary was at a dead-end. Regardless of what move he makes, he was doomed to lose. Thus, he


    simply stood up and nced at me. ¡°Letty, help me continue the game. I¡¯m going to go see what your


    mother¡¯s prepared for breakfast.¡±


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    With that, he turned and left, rendering me speechless. It was obvious that he was asking me to clean


    up his mess.


    I sat down, but instead of moving a chess piece, I propped my chin on a hand and asked, ¡°Why did you


    come here?¡±


    A small frown appeared between his brows as he answered my question with a question. ¡°Why didn¡¯t


    you tell me that you wereing back to K City?¡±


    I looked down at the chessboard and moved one of his chess pieces away before ncing at him with


    a helpless expression. ¡°You¡¯re an extremely busy man. I didn¡¯t want to disturb you.¡±


    He pursed his lips, his gazending on the chess piece I just moved away. Sighing softly, he


    compromised and removed another chess piece, clearly retreating voluntarily.


    ¡°What happened that night was a misunderstanding. Joe was there too. You can ask him if you don¡¯t


    believe me.¡±


    Is this his idea of an exnation?


    I pressed my lips together and moved myst pawn across the chessboard, saying ndly, ¡°That won¡¯t


    be necessary. You¡¯re a prominent and powerful man. Having several women at the same time is


    completely understandable.¡±


    His frown deepened and he took my pawn in one move.


    I got up, unwilling to continue. ¡°Enjoy your game, Mr. Fuller. I¡¯ll be excusing myself now.¡±


    His hand shot out to pull me back down. Massaging his nose bridge, he put the white pawn he had


    captured on the chessboard again and ced his ck rook diagonal to it. Then, he trained his eyes


    on me and asked, ¡°Shall we?¡±


    I cocked a brow at him, but nodded and captured his rook with my pawn. He touched his forehead,


    slightly exasperated, but there was nothing he could do.


    Zachary walked over just then. ncing at the chessboard, he clucked his tongue and remarked, ¡°It


    was clearly a dead-end just now. How did it be a draw? My dear, you have some amazing chess


    skills, huh!¡±


    My mouth tightened because I was well aware that Ashton had deliberately allowed this to happen.


    Ashton arched his eyebrows at me in a teasing manner. ¡°Shall we continue?¡±


    I looked at his remaining chess pieces, then at mine. Although I was at a disadvantage, I nodded curtly


    and agreed, ¡°Sure.¡±


    With that, he made his move and lifted a brow at me. ¡°Your turn.¡±


    Cameron came over and ced a te of fruits on the table. Emery, who was sleeping in my room,


    made her way downstairs right then. When she saw us ying chess, she scuttled over to join in the


    hype. I greeted her briefly before making my move, seizing the opening he had deliberately given me.


    Catching the intentional slip on Ashton¡¯s part, Zachary shook his head in exasperation before walking


    away while grumbling, ¡°What kind of chess game is this? If everyone were to y like this, the chess


    world would be a disaster.¡±


    Emery shoved a piece of fruit into her mouth and curled her lip at him. ¡°What do you know, Zach? Can¡¯t


    you see that this isn¡¯t chess, but a married couple settling their differences? And you call yourself a


    love expert? Hah, I think you¡¯re just a-¡±


    Zachary red daggers at his sister, effectively shutting her up before she could say thest word.

 Chapter 843

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 843


    On the chessboard, Ashton was down to hisst few pieces. Gazing at me, he asked in a gentle tone,


    ¡°What are your ns for this afternoon?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any ns,¡± I replied. Then, I attacked his knight.


    He didn¡¯t seem to mind and openly surrendered to me.


    Emery walked away, probably tired of witnessing Ashton¡¯s obvious submission. Meanwhile, Cameron


    stood by the side and rebuked, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you both to visit the aquarium in the North District today?


    Summer has been going on about it for a long time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. The weather today is suitable for an outing,¡± Ashton answered with a nod.


    I refused tly, ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯m busy.¡±


    Both Cameron and Ashton looked at me, and the former asked quizzically, ¡°Busy with what?¡±


    My eyes stayed focused on the board and I only lifted my gaze after taking Ashton¡¯s king. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell


    you I¡¯ll be visiting Uncle Louis today? I haven¡¯t seen Hannah for a long time too. I wanna see her baby.¡±


    Cameron was momentarily taken aback, but she managed to squeeze out a smile. ¡°But Mr. Fuller is


    here. It¡¯s a good time to take Summer out to y.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± I paused, then countered, ¡°But I¡¯ve already called my brother and made dinner ns with him


    tonight.¡±


    Trying hard to patch things up between Ashton and me, Cameron proposed, ¡°Well, that¡¯s great too. You


    can all go together. Summer has never seen Hannah¡¯s baby. Since Summer likes babies, I think it¡¯s a


    good idea to-¡±


    ¡°Let Summer stay at home and y with Xavier. He¡¯s a baby too and she likes him. It might be


    troublesome to bring her along. It¡¯s better if I go alone.¡± I stood up and was about to go upstairs.


    Right then, Summer bounded down the stairs barefooted and ran toward me. ¡°Mommy, Uncle John is


    calling!¡±


    Speak of the devil¡­


    As soon as I answered the call, his voice drifted across the phone. ¡°You¡¯re back in K City?¡±


    ¡°I see you¡¯re well-informed,¡± I replied.


    He clucked his tongue in a yful manner. ¡°Of course. Let¡¯s have dinner together tonight. I haven¡¯t


    seen you in such a long time. I miss you.¡±


    I hummed in response. ¡°Sure. I was coincidently nning to see Hannah and the baby, then visit Uncle


    Louis.¡±


    John fell silent for a while before rifying, ¡°I meant just us.¡±


    I pursed my lips, slightly stunned. ¡°Why?¡±


    When he didn¡¯t respond, I spected, ¡°Did you and Hannah fight?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t dinner just be the two of us?¡± From his grumpy tone, my guess was probably right.


    I sighed softly and concurred, ¡°Fine. You pick the ce and time, then.¡±


    He agreed and hung up after that.


    Summer wrapped her short arms around me and I noticed that she was still in her pajamas. Hence, I


    told her to go upstairs and change, but she wanted me to help her. Seeing as she wasn¡¯t a baby


    anymore, I turned her down. To my chagrin, she ran to Ashton, hugged him, and started acting all cute.


    Mentally throwing my hands up in defeat, I went back to my room and prepared to unpack my things


    since I probably had to stay here for the next few days.


    After Independence Day, I would need to go back to A City and continue working on the Lavelian


    Vige project. I didn¡¯t bring much of my own belongings back with me and therge suitcase was


    actually for all the cute toys I bought for Summer.


    Summer was probably awakened by my ringtone and immediately went to look for me because I


    noticed that the bed was still unmade. After tidying up the bed slightly, I arranged my skincare products


    on the dressing table.


    Hearing some movement near the bedroom door, I assumed that it was Summer and lectured,


    ¡°Summer, you need to make it a habit to make the bed and change your clothes after waking up,


    okay?¡±


    Even though there were maids at home, she needed to learn how to do these things on her own


    because not being able to do something and not wanting to do it were two different things.


    When I didn¡¯t hear her response, I frowned and nced behind me to see Ashton¡¯s towering figure.


    His obsidian eyes were steady as he stared at me in silence. I stiffened and avoided his gaze, not


    intending to speak.


    ¡°How¡¯s Mr. White¡¯s injury?¡± he asked as his gaze darkened.


    ¡°He¡¯s fine,¡± I replied sinctly.


    He sat on my bed and kept the conversation going. ¡°When are you nning to go back to A City?¡±


    ¡°After Independence Day.¡±


    This one-sided conversation was awkward, but Ashton seemed unfazed as he continued speaking.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Already in a sullen mood, I stood up and made my way to the door, but he snagged my arm. ¡°Must we


    continue fighting like this?¡±


    I looked at him with a frown. ¡°When did I fight with you, Mr. Fuller?¡±


    His expression turned slightly cial at that. ¡°Scarlett, I want us to be able to sit down and talk things


    out, not give each other the cold shoulder and behave unreasonably.¡±


    I met his gaze and huffed out a mirthlessugh. ¡°You¡¯re right, Mr. Fuller. I¡¯ve always been an


    unreasonable person. If you can¡¯t stand it, don¡¯te here. No one asked you to anyway.¡±


    Humans were funny beings. Obviously, I could have had a civil conversation with him, but I just had to


    hurt him.


    Ashton¡¯s face clouded over and he nodded with a cold smile. ¡°Fine. Have it your way, then. I¡¯ll stop


    bothering you.¡±

 Chapter 844

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 844


    He was clearly speaking out of anger, but before I could react, he spun on his heels and went


    downstairs.


    Drawing in a deep breath, I suppressed the inexplicable emotions in my heart and suddenly felt that I


    was indeed behaving unreasonably.


    I sat in front of the dressing table and took a moment to calm myself. Just then, Emery came upstairs


    with Xavier in her arms and looked at me with a baffled expression. ¡°What did you guys argue about


    this time? Do the two of you get off on fighting and hurting each other?¡±


    I shrugged and looked back at her. ¡°If I told you no, would you believe me? I just lost control of my


    emotions.¡±


    Sighing helplessly, she said, ¡°Ashton is actually a good man. In fact, it¡¯s close to impossible to find a


    man like him nowadays. Hispany is facing such a huge crisis now and he¡¯s already overworking


    himself, but when he found out about your return, he still came here to admit his mistake and yield to


    you. Scarlett, I have noints about you in other aspects, but you¡¯ve always been irrational when


    ites to love. I think arge part of the reason is because you know that whatever you do, Ashton


    will always find his way back to you. This has be some sort of vicious cycle, one that you take


    pleasure in and even constantly induce. Have you ever considered the possibility that one day,


    Ashton¡¯s patience might run out and it¡¯d really be the end for the two of you?¡±


    I was stunned and my mind buzzed as though her words had hit a nerve in me.


    When I didn¡¯t reply, she continued, ¡°My rtionship with Hunter isn¡¯t as passionate or wild as yours


    with Ashton, neither is it asplicated. Marriage to me is pretty simple. When we¡¯re in our own little


    home, we¡¯d get mad and argue about unwashed socks, or if one of us isn¡¯t spending enough time with


    our children, or if one of us brought home our emotions. Perhaps these trivial matters will keep


    happening, but at the end of the day, we know that these are just small, insignificant squabbles in life,


    and after the fight is over, we¡¯ll leave it in the past. What¡¯s important is to give each other a kiss when


    we wake up in the morning, give each other a hug before leaving, and let go of all the stress and


    unhappiness uponing home to say ¡®I missed you¡¯. Yes, these are all little gestures that may seem


    troublesome to do in our everyday life. In fact, it¡¯s notpulsory, but everyone lives differently. Hunter


    and I want a warm and cozy life for ourselves as well as for our child so that we can vividly feel each


    other¡¯s love.¡±


    Here, she paused briefly. ¡°I know the love you and Ashton share is more passionate and intense than


    many of the couples out there, but there¡¯s just something wrong with the way the two of you do it.


    You¡¯re both oveplicating love. Just think about it, is Reba really a substantial obstacle between


    the two of you? The same goes for Marcus. Is he really? No, both of them have their own lives, but


    asionally appear in yours. Whether or not there¡¯s anything going on between Ashton and her, or you


    and Marcus, neither of you have ever witnessed anything truly notable. Scarlett, love is about


    compromise and eptance; about putting yourselves in each other¡¯s shoes. You should be worrying


    about him and trying to understand him, not just taking what he gives you and asking for more. Ashton


    is changing bit by bit. He¡¯s understanding and tolerant toward you. He even stands by your decision not


    to start a family. He¡¯s already trying his best not to put pressure on you and let you do the things you


    love, but my dear, have you ever stopped to think what you¡¯ve done for him over the years?¡±


    What Emery said was like a hard p to my face. During these ten years of marriage, I kept telling


    myself that my love for Ashton was real and that everything I did for him came from a genuine heart,


    but all these years, I never really tried to understand him. Since the death of our child to the day I found


    out that he was the reason my birth parents and I grew apart, I¡¯ve been going in circles with only one


    goal in mind¡ªto make his life a living hell.


    Come to think of it, it seemed like I was exacting revenge on him in the name of love.


    Emery sighed softly when I remained silent. ¡°Scarlett, falling in love is easy. It¡¯s staying in love that¡¯s the


    hard part. Ashton grew up in a military family. His greatest strength is his responsibility and loyalty. He


    made a vow to Reba¡¯s brother, so she has be his responsibility. And I¡¯m sure you know better


    than me how fiercely loyal he is. Stop hurting each other in the heat of a moment, okay?¡±


    I nodded, realizing that I may have been too impulsive and willful. I never seemed to consider things


    from Ashton¡¯s perspective or try to truly understand him.


    ¡°What happened to Fuller Corporation?¡± I had been in A City and didn¡¯t know much about the


    happenings in K City, so I had no idea how Ashton was doing these days.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Another soft sigh left her lips before she exined, ¡°It¡¯s an old incident from before. Remember when a


    few children¡¯s bodies appeared on Fuller Corporation¡¯s construction site a few years ago? This incident


    was already taken care of several years ago, but somehow, it was brought to light again and the public


    is pointing fingers at Ashton, using him of using Louis¡¯ influence to illegally develop in K City. At


    present, the real estate that Fuller Corporation initially nned to develop has been put on hold. This


    current situation is quite serious.¡±


    My brows knitted together. ¡°Why would someone dig up the past? Aren¡¯t all the real estate


    development documents reviewed before being approved? Why is Uncle Louis involved?¡±

 Chapter 845

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 845


    Emery shook her head slightly. ¡°There¡¯s no substantive evidence, but all signs point to Fuller


    Corporation. Also, all thepanies abroad are now unable to continue operating.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Joe in charge of everything overseas?¡±


    She looked at me in surprise before frowning. ¡°Have you been living under a rock for too long? An


    infectious virus broke out in Western Europe a month ago and it¡¯s total chaos over there. Shopping


    malls were robbed and used for riots. It¡¯s already a blessing to be able to survive there, so making


    money is definitely out of the question.¡±


    I really had no idea about all this. I had been too busy with the Lavelian Vige project recently and


    barely read any international news.


    There was a knock on the door before Hunter poked his head in. He was carrying a briefcase and


    dressed in a grey suit with his hairbed neatly. After briefly greeting me, he nced at Emery and


    said, ¡°Honey, I have another ss in the evening, so I¡¯ll be back slightlyter. I¡¯ve booked the flight to J


    City and packed your suitcase. Go have a lookter and see if I missed anything out.¡±


    Smiling sweetly, Emery got up with Xavier in her arms. ¡°I¡¯m sure there won¡¯t be a problem. I¡¯ve always


    taken pride in my hubby¡¯s capabilities. C¡¯mon, I¡¯ll send you off.¡±


    The two of them acted lovey-dovey and went downstairs. When my bedroom was quiet once again, I


    sat in front of the vanity mirror and reyed Emery¡¯s words in my mind.


    When I came downstairs, Ashton was already gone.


    Catching me ncing around, Cameron smiled helplessly. ¡°He¡¯s gone. He waited such a long time for


    you. He¡¯s busy too, you know?¡±


    I bowed my head, unsure of what to say. After some thought, I looked at Cameron and asked, ¡°Mom,


    where¡¯s Dad?¡± I had unconsciously blurted out those words.


    All I could think of was what Emery said earlier, so I didn¡¯t realize that I had just officially acknowledged


    them as my parents.


    Suddenly, I noticed the surprise and joy on Cameron¡¯s face as she gazed at me with red-rimmed eyes.


    Because she was struggling to keep her tears at bay, a few prominent wrinkles had formed on the


    corners of her eyes. She parted her lips a few times to speak, but perhaps she was too emotional, she


    only ended up saying, ¡°My dear, did you just¡­¡±


    She trailed off, as if afraid to ask, and there was also a trace of disbelief sprawled on her face. In the


    end, she could no longer hold back her tears. She raised her hand and frantically wiped them away, but


    more tears poured down.


    Tears welled in my eyes all of a sudden, and I couldn¡¯t help but recall Emery¡¯s advice. Indeed, I wasn¡¯t


    the only one suffering in silence.


    Even though I was the victim, when a mother hurt her own child, yes, the child felt pain, but the


    mother¡¯s pain was one that ran deep into the soul.


    I looked at her and repeated my question with a smile. ¡°Mom, where¡¯s Dad?¡±


    Cameron replicated my smile with a tear-streaked face and pointed somewhere behind me. ¡°He¡¯s


    there.¡± Then, she raised her voice slightly. ¡°Zachary, did you hear what our daughter said just now?


    She¡¯s looking for you!¡±


    With that, she bowed her head and wiped her tears, but she couldn¡¯t seem to keep the smile from her


    face.


    I looked over my shoulder and was stunned to see Zachary holding the newspaper while looking at me


    with a small smile and reddened eyes. When he saw me looking at him, he asked in a slightly shaky


    voice, ¡°What is it?¡±


    I could somewhat rte to how they were feeling at the moment. The first time Summer called me


    mommy, I held her in my arms for a very long time, overwhelmed with indescribable happiness.


    I replied, ¡°I want to know about the situation at Ashton¡¯spany.¡±


    Zachary smiled and motioned for me to take a seat.


    He took a moment to rein in his emotions while Cameron cheerfully poured us a ss of lemonade and


    nced at me. ¡°Letty, what would you like to eatter? I¡¯ll cook for you.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with anything.¡± I smiled.


    She was in good spirits as she walked into the kitchen with a subtle bounce to her steps.


    Zachary watched her retreating figure and had a helpless look on his face. ¡°She¡¯s probably jumping


    with joy on the inside after hearing you call her mom.¡±


    I chuckled softly and waited for him to continue.


    ¡°The situation at Fuller Corporation is slightlyplicated. The public and the government are putting


    pressure on thepany at the same time. For now, we have no way to intervene, especially Louis


    because if he does, the situation may only worsen. But luckily, Ashton is a capable person and I believe


    that he can handle it well. Don¡¯t worry too much about it. For a listedpany like Fuller Corporation,


    it¡¯s basically impossible for itspetitors to overthrow it. Besides, the Murphys are the only ones in K


    City who can go up against Fuller Corporation. They¡¯re not like the others who dabble in market


    competition, so what¡¯s happening now is only a small matter and won¡¯t cause too big of an effect.¡±


    After he broke down the situation for me, I instinctively breathed a sigh of relief. Fuller Corporation had


    grown stronger over the years, not to mention it had hit many snags along the way too. Based on


    Ashton¡¯s capabilities, he should be able to resolve it.


    Seeing my expression, Zachary smiled faintly. ¡°You¡¯re obviously worried about him, yet you pretended


    not to care. Why didn¡¯t you ask him yourself when he was here earlier? But it¡¯s Fuller Corporation after


    all. It¡¯s no surprise that it¡¯s constantly targeted. Even the strongest trees can fall. Although it doesn¡¯t


    seem to be a huge problem, one mistake on Ashton¡¯s part and all his efforts would go down the drain.


    He¡¯s been having a lot on his te recently. As his wife, you should check in on him more at a time like


    this and be a pir of support for him.¡±


    I nodded, bearing in mind the advice Emery gave me. I was no longer able to deny that I was indeed


    being a tad too stubborn all this while.

 Chapter 846

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 846


    Cameron had just finished preparing meals in the kitchen. I thought for a while and looked at her.


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m going to Fuller Corporationter. I was thinking of bringing lunch over for Ashton as well. Do


    we have any containers at home?¡±


    She nodded with a delightful smile. ¡°Yes! Of course we do. We have plenty of it. I think we even have


    some insted lunchboxes at home. Let me get them for you!¡±


    Not long after, she brought out an exquisite and ssy-looking lunchbox. It came with three separate


    compartments with a superior heat retention function.


    Probably in a good mood, Cameron made a lot of dishes. After packing lunch for Ashton, Emery came


    downstairs with Xavier in her arms and asked, ¡°Who is that for?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Letty. She¡¯s bringing lunch for Ashton.¡±


    Emery took a look at me and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you prepare one more set? There¡¯s a lot of lunchboxes


    at home. Wouldn¡¯t it be better for you to head over and have lunch together with him? Otherwise, he


    would be starving if he were to wait for you to finish your lunch at home first.¡±


    Worried that I would be hungry, Cameron disagreed with what Emery said. ¡°It won¡¯t take too much time


    for her to have her lunch first anyway.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    Thinking that Emery actually got a point there, I nodded and said, ¡°Mom, please prepare one more set


    for me!¡±


    I parked my car outside of Fuller Corporation and gave Joseph a call. In no time, he picked up my call.


    ¡°Hello, Mrs. Fuller.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Campbell, is Ashton busy? I¡¯m in front of thepany. I was wondering if he already had lunch? I


    actually brought him some food.¡± I was a little nervous.


    Joseph was silent for a while before he answered, ¡°Mr. Fuller is in a meeting. I¡¯lle down and get


    you in. Mrs. Fuller, please wait for a moment.¡±


    A few minutester, Joseph came downstairs. He trotted toward me and took the lunchboxes from me.


    He smiled, ¡°Mr. Fuller will definitely be happy to see you here!¡±


    I put on a guilty smile because I felt like I should be apologizing for causing trouble.


    In Ashton¡¯s office, Joseph told me to wait for a while as Ashton was still in a meeting. Sitting alone in


    the big office, I couldn¡¯t help but look around at my surroundings. It seemed that the office had been


    refurbished and upgraded in a brand new style. The interior was designed and decorated in a ck


    and white theme. It was minimalistic yet elegant.


    There was a bookshelf in the visitors¡¯ room, with some collectible books on it. Some of the books were


    probably being held quite often as they were worn and torn. Despite having some ws, it didn¡¯t


    negatively affect its value.


    Noticing how there weren¡¯t any nts in his office, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little confused. Hence, I


    asked the secretary when she brought me tea, ¡°Why aren¡¯t there any nts in Mr. Fuller¡¯s office?¡±


    The secretary froze for a moment. Then, she lowered her head and answered, ¡°Mr. Campbell said it


    was an order from Mr. Fuller. He said no nts are allowed in his office because you don¡¯t like them. I


    heard that Ms. Ludwick, his former secretary had really pissed you off before. Therefore, Mr. Fuller has


    never put any nts in his office since then.¡±


    After finishing her words, the secretary stuck her tongue out mischievously and smiled as she left.


    Kristina was Ashton¡¯s secretary back in J City. During that time, she decorated Ashton¡¯s office with a lot


    of nts. Having known her evil intentions, I lost my temper and threw a tantrum at Ashton. Huh¡­ I


    didn¡¯t expect him to remember that. He even prohibited them from cing any nts up till now.


    Several minutester, when I was about to doze off, Ashton opened the door and walked in.


    He was smiling and looking at me with fondness in his eyes. I started a conversation with a sense of


    guilt, ¡°My mom said she didn¡¯t manage to ask you to stay for lunch since you left in a rush just now. So,


    she wanted me to bring you lunch.¡±


    He nodded and simply looked at me without saying another word. Then, he cast his gaze on the two


    lunchboxes.


    I hesitated for a moment, ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ So, why are there two lunchboxes, then?¡± He raised his brows slightly as he looked at me.


    ¡°Could it be that you¡¯re going to have lunch with me?¡±


    We just had an argument earlier. Even though I knew that it was actually my fault, I was still too


    embarrassed to apologize and make up with him. ¡°Nope. It¡¯s all for you!¡± I said since I wasn¡¯t hungry


    anyway.


    He simply hummed in acknowledgment. After that, he sat next to me and started opening the


    lunchboxes. It was two portions of the same dishes. He took everything out and put the cutlery in front


    of me. ¡°Let¡¯s eat!¡±


    I pursed my lips. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry. You can have it!¡±


    He gave me a sideways nce. ¡°Are you trying to raise a pig or something?¡±


    Dumbstruck for a moment, I stared at him nkly before I came to a sudden realization that he was


    saying that he couldn¡¯t finish the food on his own and that I was treating him like a pig for giving him


    two helpings of food.


    I blushed immediately. In the end, I lowered my head before picking up the fork and started eating.


    After a moment of silence, I took the initiative to break it. In all seriousness, I said, ¡°Ashton, I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    Ashton simply nced briefly at me for my inexplicable sudden apology. Then, he nodded, ¡°Alright, I


    got it.¡±


    What? That¡¯s all?


    My lips twitched. How can he act in such a perfunctory manner? I struggled for a while and finally


    decided to apologize, but he¡¯s brushing me off like that? Is there nothing else he can say?


    I couldn¡¯t help but sigh at the thought. I wasn¡¯t sure if I should be happy or upset.


    After having a taste of every dish on the table, he stared at me with his dark eyes. ¡°Are youing


    home with me tonight?¡±


    Even though it was a question, it somehow felt like an order to me. I was shocked for a moment but I


    did not reject him instantly. ¡°I just got back to the Moore Residence and I want to try and get along with


    them. I¡¯ve been thinking about this when I was in the morgue. That if I had the chance, I would love to


    be with them. I wanted to tell them that I actually love them very much and I really wanted to spend


    more time with them. Ashton, I know that I¡¯m not the perfect daughter. However, I¡¯m still an ordinary


    human after all. I need love and affection from parents as well, just like every other person.¡±

 Chapter 847

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 847


    He fixed me with an intense gaze. He remained silent for quite a long while before he nodded. ¡°Alright.


    But don¡¯t leave me suffering alone for too long.¡±


    Suffering? He just said it was suffering instead of waiting. I guess it must be tormenting to him to keep


    waiting for me.


    I simply stared at him nkly. In the few days that I had not seen him, I could see his eyes were now


    filled with sorrow and loneliness. Moreover, he was acting like a misanthrope, looking haggard and


    lonesome.


    My heart ached to see him like that. Instinctively, I reached out my hands and stroke the spot between


    his brows. I muttered, ¡°Are you feeling tired recently?¡±


    He held my hands, his gaze softening. ¡°It¡¯s normal.¡±


    Just then, I realized that I had never truly cared for him before. I leaned into his arms and hugged him. I


    asked, ¡°Ashton, do you think I¡¯m failing as a wife?¡±


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He brushed the hair off my forehead gently. Feeling a little surprised to hear my question, he said,


    ¡°Why do you keep denying and doubting yourself? Scarlett, this is all just part of our growth. We¡¯re


    slowly helping each other grow.¡±


    I nodded and leaned against his chest. Listening to the sound of his heartbeat, I asked, ¡°Do you want to


    stay in Moore Residence for the time being? The Lavelian Vige project is notpleted yet. So, I will


    still have to go back there after Independence Day. I knew there¡¯s a lot of things you need to deal with


    in Fuller Corporation. I can¡¯t help you much, but at least I can give you a massage when you get home


    at night. Besides, my mom can also cook delicious food for you. What do you think?¡±


    He held me up from his arms. He then cupped my face and smiled gently. ¡°So, does that mean I am


    marrying into the Moore family?¡±


    I smiled faintly and said, ¡°Well, ording to R Province culture, there is no such thing as a man


    marrying into the wife¡¯s family. As long as the couple gets married, they be a family.¡±


    He simply grinned in response. Perhaps he hadn¡¯t been sleeping welltely, but the moment we were


    done with lunch, he dragged me into the private restroom for a rest. Soon, he fell asleep. My heart


    couldn¡¯t help but hurt a little to see him sleeping soundly.


    Suddenly, Joseph¡¯s voice came from the door. I stood up and walked out of the private restroom.


    Joseph was putting some documents on Ashton¡¯s desk. Upon seeing me, he said, ¡°This is the quarterly


    report from HiTech. Please tell Mr. Fuller to take a look at the report after he wakes up.¡±


    I nodded and stared at him. ¡°Joseph, can I ask you something?¡±


    He gave me a nod. ¡°Of course, Mrs. Fuller. Feel free to ask me anything you want to know.¡±


    ¡°In regard to the base in Lavelian Vige, have you looked into what Ashton told you to? Did you find


    out anything?¡± Although I was quite busy recently, I still kept that in mind.


    Joseph was shocked, but he managed to rpose himself in a moment. He answered, ¡°I¡¯ve


    investigated on that matter. However, it is just an ordinary soundproofing system. Mrs. Fuller, please


    don¡¯t worry about it.¡± He left after giving me the brief exnation.


    If I was being honest, I didn¡¯t buy into his exnation. It was obvious that the base wasn¡¯t as ordinary


    as we saw. But seeing Joseph¡¯s reaction, I decided not to ask any further.


    Not long after, Ashton came out from the private restroom. I raised my head to take a look at the time,


    and I realized he only slept for a few minutes. I couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why don¡¯t you rest a while more?


    It¡¯s only been few minutes.¡±


    He hugged me tightly in his arms before answering me with his raspy voice, ¡°I can¡¯t sleep well without


    you beside me.¡±


    I noticed that Ashton was getting better at sweet-talking. I had never thought that I would be this happy


    to hear those wordsing out of his mouth.


    I let him hug me. He whispered in my ear, ¡°Won¡¯t you have dinner with me tonight?¡±


    Initially, I wanted to say yes. However, I recalled that I had already promised John in the morning. I


    couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry. ¡°I¡¯m meeting John tonight for dinner. He seemed to be in a bad mood. I


    think he got into a fight with Hannah.¡±


    Ashton immediately said, ¡°So? What¡¯s that got to do with you? Are you a trash can? Is he looking for


    you just because he wants to dump his negativity on you?¡±


    I froze and put my hands on his waist. I replied in a sulky manner, ¡°What are you saying? Everyone has


    bad moments in life. Besides, it¡¯s been a while since I saw my brother. Shouldn¡¯t I be meeting him at


    least once since I just came back here?¡±


    He rested his chin on my shoulder. His tall and slender body was hunched over, making him look like a


    mischievous kid who was throwing a tantrum. ¡°You can have dinner with him, but only if you bring me


    along. I don¡¯t want to eat alone!¡±


    I nodded and chuckled lightly. ¡°Alright then.¡±


    Staying by Ashton¡¯s side and watching him work was a pleasure that I had never discovered before. As


    I observed him silently, I noticed how elegant the man looked with his every movement.


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel blessed to be able to witness such a charming sight.


    He put down the fountain pen in his hand and raised his eyes. Looking at me with his dark eyes, he


    parted his thin lips and uttered, ¡°Come here.¡±


    As if hypnotized, I got up and walked toward him instantly. Ashton curled his lips and pulled me onto his


    lap. Then, he wrapped his arms around me and raised his brows. ¡°Are you enjoying the view?¡±


    I blushed and nodded my head. ¡°Yes.¡±


    He seemed delighted by my answer. He broke into a gleeful grin. ¡°Well, feel free to gaze at me all you


    want when we get hometer at night. For now, you have to restrain yourself a little. I still need to work,


    and with you staring at me like that, I won¡¯t be able to focus on my work at all.¡±

 Chapter 848

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 848


    I didn¡¯t understand what he meant until I felt something hard in between his legs. My face flushed


    crimson and I struggled to get up but he stopped me. He took a long deep breath and asked in a


    hoarse voice, ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    I lowered my head and bit my lips. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to get distracted by me.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    He cocked his eyebrows. ¡°You already did.¡±


    I froze on the spot, feeling as if I was sitting on pins and needles. He put his arms around me and did


    nothing but let me lean against him. With that, he went back to his work. At that moment, I felt like a


    child who was sitting on her father¡¯sp.


    I dared not move at all in the beginning. But after a while, I gradually loosened up. I ced my head on


    his shoulder and focused on watching him while he focused on his work.


    I had no idea when I fall asleep. When I came to, I was already on the bed in the private restroom. I


    could hear Ashton and Joseph having a conversation.


    Joseph said, ¡°The situation this time is different from before. It seems like someone is intentionally


    adding fuel to the fire. They are trying to defame Fuller Corporation. Thanks to those media tforms


    as well as social media public ounts, rumors about Fuller Corporation have been spreading like


    wildfire on the inte recently. They¡¯re even publicizing rumors about you and Mrs. Fuller.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Ashton was surprised.


    Joseph replied, ¡°Rumor has it that you and Mrs. Fuller were in a marriage of convenience. That both of


    you married for material advantages, and not for love. Moreover, they even said both of you are


    cheating on each other. They¡¯re saying that you have your lover and your own family and that Mrs.


    Fuller is having an affair with a married man and is living a messy love life.¡±


    My brows knitted upon hearing that. In no time, I took out my phone to look at the local news which I


    had not been reading for ages. Indeed, as Joseph mentioned, the media had been ndering Ashton¡¯s


    and my reputation. It was such a mess.


    Meanwhile, outside of the private restroom, Ashton fell silent for a few seconds before he responded. ¡°I


    got it. Don¡¯t bother with this. For now, just continue to keep a close eye on Murphy Corporation. They


    have been turning round and round, trying to divert attention. They must be up to something.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Joseph answered.


    After that, all was quiet outside. I supposed Joseph had left. Hence, I got out of bed and walked out of


    the private restroom. Ashton was still flipping through his documents. He raised his eyes to look at me


    when he heard the sound of meing into his office. ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    I shook my head and walked over to him. ¡°Is everything okay? Is it very difficult to deal with?¡±


    He put down his pen and stood up. After taking his car keys and jacket, he grabbed my hand. ¡°It¡¯s fine.


    Let¡¯s go eat.¡±


    I was stunned for a moment. However, seeing how calm he was, I had no choice but to stop saying


    anything further.


    We got into the car. I almost forgot my dinner appointment with John. Hence, I said, ¡°Ashton, let¡¯s head


    to La Morera.¡±


    He hummed in response. I was a little confused to see him being so calm and rxed. ¡°Aren¡¯t you


    feeling anxious about what happened to thepany? Not even a little?¡±


    He nced at me out of the corner of his eyes and held my hand in the palm of his. He smiled softly,


    ¡°Why? Are you worried that Fuller Corporation would get shut down and you wouldn¡¯t be able to rely on


    me anymore?¡±


    I pouted. ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I meant.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This is all a set-up. I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± His tone was indifferent, seemingly pretty


    confident.


    There were always endless changes in the business world. It was unpredictable and one would never


    know what wasing next.


    Hence, I decided to keep my mouth shut.


    Before long, the car rolled to a stop in front of La Morera. After that, we got out of the car. The


    restaurant that John chose looked elegant. Initially, I thought he wanted to let off steam


    somewhere with the ambient glow of colorful neon lights and alcohol. That way, he could drink and vent


    his emotions at the same time. However, I did not expect the ce turned out to be such a ssic and


    vintage style restaurant.


    After entering La Morera, the waitresses who were all dressed in ssy silk dresses bowed politely in


    unison. ¡°Wee!¡±


    I followed behind Ashton and grumbled, ¡°What is John up to? It¡¯s just dinner! Why is he making such a


    big deal out of it?¡±


    After saying John¡¯s name, a charmingdy ushered us to a private dining room on the second floor. It


    was a window seat by theke. We could enjoy the magnificent view of theke¡¯s night scenery by


    looking out the window. The lights that glittered off theke at night were scenic and picturesque and


    the reflection of the night sky and lights seemed to be engraved onto the crystal clearke. Even


    though I simply nced at it, I could tell that the sight was breathtaking.


    John was slouching backzily in the chair, munching on some food. He looked like a cynical and


    sloppy person. When he saw me and Ashton, he swept his gaze over Ashton from head to toe and


    clicked his tongue. ¡°Wow, since when has Mr. Fuller be such a needy kid? Are you following your


    wife anywhere she goes?¡±


    Ashton simply gave him an indifferent look andpletely ignored him. Then, he sat gracefully by the


    window. I took a seat as well and looked at John. I couldn¡¯t stand seeing him behave so frivolously.


    Thus, I asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Why are you acting like this?¡±


    He narrowed his eyes. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve been doing welltely, Letty. Your face is getting rounder. it¡¯s


    time for you to shed some weight.¡±


    I was extremely annoyed with John. After not seeing him for so long, he just decided to take a dig at me


    the moment we meet? Hmph, I guess that must mean he¡¯s not living that well, huh. I pursed my lips as


    I stared at him. ¡°What¡¯s with the mean words? Are you having a hard time recently? You just can¡¯t be


    kind to others, can you?¡±


    He rolled his eyes at me and said coldly, ¡°What do you want to eat? The food here tastes really good.


    You should give it a try.¡±

 Chapter 849

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 849


    As John spoke, he passed me the tablet menu for me to order.


    I ordered some dishes and handed the tablet over to Ashton. After that, I looked at John. ¡°How¡¯s your


    kid doing these days? And how¡¯s Hannah?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bring her up. How annoying!¡± he huffed. It was obvious that he was extremely upset. He looked


    at Ashton and asked, ¡°Mr. Fuller, do you want a drink? They serve good Scotch Whiskey here.¡±


    Before I could stop them, Ashton nodded and answered calmly, ¡°Sure, let¡¯s try it!¡±


    John snapped his fingers. Before long, an adorable and gorgeousdy walked in, looking aesthetically


    pleasing to the eyes. John said, ¡°I want to order some Scotch Whiskey. Wait, you know what, just bring


    me the whole bottle. I¡¯m getting drunk tonight!¡±


    Thedy nodded in acknowledgement and left.


    I had no idea what happened to John. I wanted tofort him but I didn¡¯t even know where to start.


    Therefore, I had no choice but to wait in silence.


    Not long after, dinner was served along with a few bottles of Scotch Whiskey.


    John immediately opened the bottle of whiskey. He didn¡¯t even bother to pour it into a ss. Instead,


    he put the whole bottle of whiskey in front of Ashton and said in a rough manner, ¡°Mr. Fuller, let¡¯s leave


    those drinking etiquettes aside this time. Come on! Bottoms up!¡±


    My eyes widened in shock. ¡°John, are you out of your mind? This is hard liquor, it¡¯s not a beer. Are you


    trying to kill him or something?¡±


    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be such a killjoy. It¡¯s just a few sips. You¡¯re just worried about your man, aren¡¯t you?


    Fine! I¡¯ll drink it myself, then.¡± John then pursed his lips and cursed at Ashton, ¡°Such a sissy!¡±


    I was at a loss for words. What¡¯s gotten into John recently? Did something happen? What¡¯s with the


    radical change?


    Without any hesitation, Ashton immediately clinked his ss and started drinking. I was about to stop


    him but he interrupted, ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. It¡¯s just an asional drink.¡±


    With that, the two men started downing bottles of whiskey together. As for me, I waspletely


    bewildered by them.


    I could tell that something had been bothering John. After all, men tended to drink alcohol or smoke


    cigarettes during their stressful times. On the other hand, women usually reduced stress by crying or


    expressing their feelings verbally. Either way was fine as they wouldn¡¯t affect physical and mental


    health.


    At that moment, I thought I finally figured out why men often died earlier than women. It was because


    they were more likely to drink alcohol in excess and smoke more than women.


    They drank quite a lot. John was getting himself drunk on purpose. Therefore, he kept gulping down


    the whiskey until he almost lost his consciousness. Not long after, he staggered to his feet and started


    swaying.


    I was shocked when I saw how Ashton¡¯s face was flushed red after drinking. Reckoned that he was


    tipsy, I raised my hand to stop him from grabbing his ss again. ¡°Ashton, listen to me. You don¡¯t have


    to keep on drinking. It¡¯s not good for your health.¡±


    He raised his eyes and looked up at me. With a gleeful grin, he said, ¡°It¡¯s no big deal!¡±


    I furrowed my brows as I couldn¡¯t seem to persuade him. Anger began to surge within me. ¡°Ashton!


    You¡­¡±


    Seeing that, he hurriedly put down the ss in his hand. A faint smile appeared on his handsome face


    and he said, ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll stop now.¡±


    Meanwhile, John was buzzed. He rested his head and arms on the table, staring at us and mumbling


    with a nasal sound. ¡°Are you guys done? I¡¯m drinking my sorrows away here and I could use a little


    sympathy. Why can¡¯t you guys give me somefort?¡±


    Ashton raised his brows and did not bother to respond. He rested his head on one side of his hand and


    looked at me as if he was enjoying the view.


    I averted his gaze and looked toward John. I asked, ¡°Did you and Hannah get into a fight? Or did you


    do something horrible?¡±


    He clicked his tongue. Apparently, he was displeased. ¡°What do you mean I did something horrible?


    What can I do?¡±


    I raised my brows silently and nced at him with an impassive expression.


    He fell silent for a while. After that, he sighed slightly and took a sip of whiskey. He lowered his head for


    a long while and said, ¡°Hannah wants to leave and I have no idea what I should do with the kid¡­¡±


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    I was stunned for a moment. After a few seconds, I said seriously, ¡°John, are you concerned about


    Hannah leaving? Or are you worried that the kid would grow up without a mother?¡±


    John didn¡¯t utter a word but gulp down a few more sips of whiskey. He sighed weakly, ¡°Thetter. The


    child is too young.¡±


    I frowned. I was slightly irritated. ¡°John, Hannah spent most of her life with you. She even gave you all


    her love over the years. In the end, what does she get in return? You only wanted her to stay because


    your child needs a mother. Then what about you? What is she to you? Is she only a tool to carry and


    give birth to your child? Don¡¯t you think she had done everything a wife should?¡±


    He looked at me with a helpless expression. He was confused and at a loss. ¡°I¡¯ve given her what I can,


    and what I should. I will not get married. Despite not being legally married to me, I have given her all I


    have, especially money. So why isn¡¯t she satisfied yet? She is never going to get what she owns now


    from another person in her life.¡±


    I stared at John. All of a sudden, I was speechless. Perhaps, from his point of view, he thought that


    what women really wanted in a rtionship were material things. Men should fulfill women¡¯s wants and


    needs. However, every individual was different from the others. Maybe, what Hannah really wanted


    wasn¡¯t just his money.


    But, I didn¡¯t know how to exin it to John. His way of thinking was totally different from mine. There


    was no right or wrong. We just didn¡¯t share the same values.

 Chapter 850

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 850


    I couldn¡¯t help but look over at the silent Ashton. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Shall we head home?¡± I asked.


    Ashton gave a curt nod as he stood up to drag me away by arm.


    ¡°I go out of my way to invite you here, and you¡¯re leaving before you¡¯ve even finished your meal?¡± John


    said with obvious displeasure.


    ¡°We¡¯re going back to take care of our kid. I¡¯m sure she must be starting to get lonely by now!¡± Ashton


    said with a smile on his face.


    John nced between Ashton and me but decided to hold his tongue. ¡°Fine, fine. You two can stop


    making a show of it and go back,¡± he finally uttered exasperatedly.


    We didn¡¯t wait for him to change his mind and left immediately. I helped Ashton to the passenger seat


    as he was in no condition to drive after the drinks that he had. After that, I sat in the driver¡¯s seat.


    Ashton must have had a little too much to drink as he closed his eyes to rest right after settling down.


    I started the car and couldn¡¯t help but think of looking for Hannah one of these days to check up on her.


    I¡¯d wager that she finally left John after all these years due to the disappointment building up over that


    period of time.


    Ashton suddenly opened his eyes when we were at the traffic light. ¡°You¡¯re going the wrong way!¡± he


    eximed.


    ¡°What do you mean? We¡¯re on the way home!¡± I replied with some confusion.


    ¡°Or are you heading to Moore Residence?¡± he said as he turned towards me.


    I was stunned by the question for a moment beforeing to my senses and remembering that I had


    promised to go back to his ce earlier this afternoon. ¡°We¡¯re going to pick Summer up. Isn¡¯t she still


    with my parents?¡± I answered.


    He raised his eyebrows in response. ¡°Let Summer stay at the Moore Residence then. With everything


    going on recently, I could use some time alone with you. Or would you not like that?¡±


    He was obviously fishing for an answer with thatst remark.


    I could only nod in agreement as I didn¡¯t really have a choice in the matter. The traffic light turned


    green, and I went against where I had initially wanted to go and headed back to Ashton¡¯s vi.


    It really had been a long time since I¡¯d been to this vi, but it was still all too familiar. Ashton was


    obviously drunk and needed help to get on his feet, so I had to carry him all the way to the fingerprint


    lock to open the door. With Ashton slumped on my shoulder, it took quite some time and effort to make


    it to his bedroom, where Iid him on his bed before starting to leave. Suddenly, Ashton rolled over,


    pinning me under him. ¡°Where are you going?¡± he asked drunkenly.


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    ¡°We¡¯re already home. You justy down and rest while I go get some honeyed water,¡± I said with


    pursed lips.


    The moment I tried to get up, Ashton shifted all his weight on me to stop me from leaving. ¡°I don¡¯t need


    any all that crap. I just need you here!¡± he said with a sly look on his face.


    A sudden sh of anger rose through me. John could have gottenpletely wasted for all I care, but


    he just had to drag Ashton into this. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be with you in a moment. Just drink some honeyed


    water, or you¡¯ll just feel worseter, OK?¡± I sighed.


    ¡°OK!¡± he said while struggling to keep his eyes open.


    Even though he had agreed to let me go, he was still holding onto me with the same amount of


    strength as before. I tried pushing him off but to no avail. ¡°So, are we just going to stay like this all


    night?¡±


    He got the hint after that and immediately let me up.


    After pouring the agreed-upon beverage for him and feeding him it, Ashton closed his eyes andy


    down. I wasn¡¯t sure if he actually fell asleep by the time I got up, but seeing as it was gettingte, I


    made a call to the Moore Residence.


    The phone rang for a little bit before Cameron answered. ¡°Scarlett! Are youing back soon?


    Summer has a fever, and I was just about to call to tell you!¡± she said anxiously.


    ¡°Mom, we¡¯re not heading back there tonight. Ashton and I are already at the vi, so we¡¯ll have to leave


    Summer to you. She¡¯s probably feeling ill from the changing of the seasons. She always gets a fever


    around this time due to the temperature difference throughout the day,¡± I reassured.


    Summer is probably so frail due to being a premature infant. At least it¡¯s fortunate that she always


    recovers after a few days into the new season.


    Cameron could only give a little nod on the other end of the phone. ¡°Yeah, I was thinking if it was


    because of the seasonal change as well. However, she has been getting recurrent fevers for a while,


    and the fever medicine only seems to help for a little. Even our family doctor has been here to


    prescribe some medicine for her, but she never fully recovers. Letty, are you two busy tomorrow? Why


    don¡¯t you bring Summer over to the hospital for a check-up? Honestly, I¡¯m a little worried,¡± she muttered


    quickly.


    ¡°Sure, Mom. I¡¯ll go over first thing in the morning to take her to the hospital,¡± I said as I gave a nod. A


    little fever for children is no big deal usually. But I guess a recurrent fever that doesn¡¯t go away is a little


    worrying.


    I continued with some small talk before hanging up the phone.


    Ashton seemed to have fallen asleep, so I went to wash up in the bathroom before getting a wet towel


    to wipe him down before going to bed. However, just as I was getting ready to do so, Ashton suddenly


    woke up and tugged on my hand with a serious expression on his face. ¡°Scarlett, how about a kid?¡± he


    said.


    I was stunned by the sudden question and couldn¡¯t find the words to answer him. A twang of pain rose


    in my heart, and I could only furrow my brow and look on in silence. He must be thoroughly drunk if


    he¡¯s asking me this.


    Finishing his question, Ashton just closed his eyes and drifted to sleep.


    I sat quietly by the bedside, unable to process what he just asked. Emery had asked me a simr


    question before, that if I wanted another child besides Summer. But all I wanted to say at that moment


    was that I wanted a child that was both mine and Ashton¡¯s. But of course, it just wasn¡¯t possible for my


    wish toe true, so I just stayed silent.

 Chapter 851

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 851


    I had thought that Ashton had already forgotten about the matter of having our own kid. But little did I


    expect, he would bring this up again when he was drunk. Obviously, a kid was something, or someone


    rather, that would be with you your entire life. Who wouldn¡¯t want their own flesh and blood?


    After a long silence in my own thoughts, I went andy down beside Ashton. ¡°Ashton, do we really


    need our own child?¡± I asked with a hoarse voice.


    I couldn¡¯t be sure whether he had heard me or not since all he gave in response was a subtle wiggling


    of his eyebrows amidst his slumber.


    He really did have a lot to drink.


    The next day, the morning light had already shined through the yellowing leaves onto the ground when


    Ashton woke me up.


    I slowly opened my eyes and saw himying next to me, with a smile on his face.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡± I hoarsely eximed after rubbing the sleep from my eyes.


    ¡°Yup!¡± he answered with a nod and a smile.


    ¡°Does your head still hurt?¡± I asked as I couldn¡¯t get what happenedst night out of my mind.


    He reassured me with a slight shake of his head and scooted closer to me. ¡°Did you help me undress?¡±


    he whispered.


    ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s wrong?¡± I queried with some confusion.


    I couldn¡¯t help but follow his gaze onto his well-sculpted body. To my surprise, he was only dressed in


    his boxers and nothing else.


    On top of the silence, my flushed cheeks didn¡¯t do me any favors in hiding the awkwardness radiating


    from me. Trying to break the awkward atmosphere, I muttered, ¡°Don¡¯t get your hopes up. Nothing


    happened between usst night, and I didn¡¯t do anything to you. You¡­¡±


    ¡°What about now?¡± he interrupted with a mischievous look on his face. Time felt like it stood still while


    he stared deeply at me with his jet-ck eyes.


    My heart skipped a beat, and without waiting for a response, he put his giant palm on my waist and got


    on top of me. I knew he would do this!


    As for what happened next, let¡¯s just say that Ashton¡¯s vigor in the morning really was outside the realm


    of my expectations.


    After I had woken up for the second time that day, I caught Ashtoning out of the bathroom in a


    superbly jovial mood. ¡°So, will youe with me to the officeter?¡± he said.


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    ¡°I can¡¯t. I promised my Mom that I would bring Summer to the hospital for a checkup as she has been


    getting recurrent fevers that won¡¯t go away!¡± I said begrudgingly while still on the bed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you!¡± he responded with furrowed brows.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s just a checkup at the hospital. Just head on over to the office yourself. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a


    lot on your te over there, and you don¡¯t need to be distracted right now,¡± I persuaded. Even though I


    only said it so that we could finally get a move on with our day, I knew that all I said was true. Things at


    the Fuller Corporation hadn¡¯t settled down, and I had a nagging feeling that bigger and worse things


    might be waiting for him.


    Ashton was deep in thought contemting what I had just said, and after a brief pause, he nodded his


    head in agreement.


    ¡°OK. But what about¡­¡± he tried to ask before being interrupted by his phone ringing.


    I motioned for him to answer his phone, and with a curt nod, he gave my forehead a quick peck before


    answering his phone on the balcony. Seeing as he was upied, I took this chance to head on over to


    the bathroom.


    After I finished my morning routine, I noticed that Ashton had left the clothes from the night before in


    the bathroom, so I picked them up and took them to theundry room. However, upon cing his


    clothes into the washer, I heard a nking sounding from his pile of clothes. After a brief


    investigation, I found the sourceing from his trouser pocket and found what appeared to be some


    vitamins.


    Upon closer inspection, I saw that they were vitamin A tablets. Why is he taking vitamins? Has he been


    feeling unwelltely?


    Thinking it was nothing of big importance, I returned to the bedroom only to find Ashton hurriedly


    putting on his clothes halfway out the door. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen?¡± I asked


    instinctively.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just something at the office. Nothing to worry about!¡± he reassured with a smile.


    After finishing his piece, he resumed his exit through the door, but not before doing a double-take. ¡°I¡¯ll


    come back for dinner! Wait for me!¡± he said cheekily.


    Seeing him leave in such a hurry only worried me further, so I decided to call Joseph to ask what


    actually had happened. However, try as I might, his phone was constantly engaged.


    After contemting my options, I decided to give Rachel a call. However, my phone rang before I had


    even dialed the first number. It was Emery.


    ¡°Are you OK? Where are you?¡± she asked immediately after I picked up.


    ¡°I¡¯m at home right now. Why? What happened?¡± I answered with confusion.


    ¡°Heavens! Do you never check your phone? The entire web is abuzz with the news about Fuller


    Corporation, and you¡¯re still in the dark?¡± she practically screamed.


    Checking my phone was not a habit that I had, so I really was in the dark about anything and


    everything that morning.


    However, her hysterics made it clear that I should check my phone now, so I did.


    The headline on the news website could not be any clearer: Listedpany caught infringing! Will the


    law treat the powerful Fuller Corporation the same as everyone else?


    The headline got me in a daze, and I subconsciously clicked on it. What I found inside was that during


    the Lavelian Vige project, the trending AI technology that was exhibited by Fuller Corporation had


    actually debuted in Western Europe a month before the exhibition by Fuller Corporation. Their unveiling


    was not well-received by the mainstream audience only because they were a smallpany.

 Chapter 852

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 852


    However, Fuller Corporation¡¯s AI technology had been hyped up in its initial stages, and everyone had


    thought that it would send Fuller Corporation which was already at its peak to an even greater stride.


    Now it seemed like everything was not as simple as we had thought.


    Their press conference was over a month ago. This meant that Fuller Corporation would allegedly be


    sued for giarism. Normally, a hefty fine would be imposed under these circumstances, but that would


    only be a minor problem. The major problem would be whether Fuller Corporation¡¯s reputation could


    survive this crisis.


    Ashton had ventured into AI to diversify the projects that they could take on in the future since the


    market was an ever-changing tapestry. The real estate market that George built his empire upon was


    already a red ocean. The best that they could do was only to sustain the business and, at best, earn


    meager money from it. Ashton foresaw that it would be near impossible to achieve greater strides in the


    same sector. Hence, Fuller Corporation¡¯s investment in AI technology aimed to better serve the ever-


    developing market.


    There was no time to exin everything to Emery. I hung up the phone and went over to Fuller


    Corporation immediately.


    Once there, I noticed that reporters from various different media outlets were already crowding the


    Fuller Corporation building. It was impossible for me to drive past the crowd. Hence, I got off the car


    and nned to sneak inside the building.


    However, to my dismay, someone in the crowd suddenly eximed, ¡°It¡¯s Mrs. Fuller! She¡¯s here!¡±


    The exmation sent the crowd into a frenzy. Before I could react, blinding shlights hit my face as


    the reporters began to throw questions at me.


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, are you aware that Mr. Fuller had giarized the product of CBU?¡±


    ¡°Is this Mr. Fuller¡¯s doing, or is the whole Fuller Corporation also involved? How much do you know


    about this?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, it¡¯s rumored that you¡¯re not working in Fuller Corporation, but yourpany is


    coborating with your husband¡¯spany for this project. Did the two of you conspired to anticipate


    huge earnings in the local market after the AI technology has beenunched?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, rumor has it that you¡¯re managing all assets registered under Mr. Fuller¡¯s name. I¡¯d like to


    know, given that you¡¯re the wife of the man who tops the billionaire rankings every year, does he extort


    it all from the public?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    The questions got increasingly crude and demeaning. Swarmed by the reporters, it was impossible for


    me to make my way through the crowd. Exasperated at the shing cameras that were hurting my


    eyes, I could no longer hold myself in. ¡°Please do not use my husband and me of anything without


    any concrete evidence. Otherwise, I will give everything in my power to sue every single one of you for


    defamation!¡±


    Seeing that my path was blocked and that there was no ce else to go, I could only use my hands to


    shield myself from the ring shlights. Unfazed by my threat, a reporter provoked, ¡°Is that your guilt


    talking, Mrs. Fuller? Even though we do not have any concrete evidence in hand, there is no smoke


    without fire. If Mr. Fuller is truly innocent, then he¡¯d have no fear of us using him of such, unless


    he¡¯s truly done something that he shouldn¡¯t have. Are you putting up a farce because you know you¡¯re


    in the wrong?¡±


    Someone in the crowd pushed me, and I was knocked to the ground. Before I could react to the


    sudden turn of events, my hand was stepped on by someone, and I gasped from the pain.


    There were just too many people around. I tried to get up as I feared being trampled over. However, no


    matter how hard I tried to stand back up, it was as if the swarm of people was united in their attempt to


    keep pushing me back down each and every time.


    After a few tries, I was trampled over and suffered a few kicks here and there. All of a sudden, the


    reporters swarming me fanned out, and the air grew still.


    I lifted my head in response and fixed my gaze on the entrance of Fuller Corporation. Ashton walked


    out of the entrance with a cold, hard look on his face, nked by the top management of Fuller


    Corporation.


    As the reporters had fanned out all at once, I was left sprawled on the ground in everyone¡¯s in sight.


    It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine how disheveled and shabby I looked to him and everyone else.


    The surrounding temperature dropped several degrees with the frigid look on Ashton¡¯s face. The man


    was burning with fury as he approached me. He shot his icy gaze at the reporters surrounding us,


    eliciting gasps from the crowd.


    He pulled me up from the ground and held me in his arms. His usual gentle voice rang in my ears, ¡°Are


    you alright?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡±


    He nodded as well before he scanned the surroundings with his dark eyes. It was apparent that he was


    demanding retribution from the demeaning crowd.


    ¡°I am very honored that you guys had taken the time and effort to crowd the building of mypany.


    However, there is no good reason for all of you to inflict injury on my wife, and I expect an exnation


    from all of you for that. Please go back. You guys are only qualified to interview me when you have a


    job.¡± Ashton did not raise an octave, nor were his words crude, but it was obvious that his words were a


    warning to them. Even though I did not quite understand what he meant, I could tell that the lot of


    reporters had picked up on what he was trying to say judging by the looks on their faces.


    With that, Ashton took my hand and headed for his office. he then ordered Joseph to fetch him a first


    aid kit. He got me to sit on the sofa and tended to my wound in silence.

 Chapter 853

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 853


    My knees and arms were bloody from being knocked to the ground, and my body was covered in dust.


    I was lucky that these were only superficial wounds. Ashton lowered his head and tended to my


    wounds. There was a hint of anger on his perfectly sculpted face. His anger became even more


    obvious when I flinched as he was sanitizing my wounds with iodine solution.


    He lifted his head and looked at me as he asked in a low voice, ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    I shook my head and managed a slight smile. ¡°Not really!¡± I wasn¡¯t lying. After all, they were just


    external wounds, so it was nothing unbearable.


    He pursed his lips and continued to work on my wounds. I knew he was mad at me for not staying at


    home.


    Ashton had not said a single word even after he was done with my wounds. Just then, Joseph sent


    over some clothes for me to change into. He tried to say something but he bit his tongue at the sight of


    his boss.


    Ashton turned to look at me. ¡°Can you change on your own?¡±


    I nodded. Of course I can.


    He hummed in acknowledgement and said nothing else.


    I turned around and headed for the private restroom. Soon after, Joseph¡¯s voice rang. I could still hear


    him as the private restroom was quite near.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, I¡¯ve done the investigation. The things that CBU hadunchedst month came directly


    from Fuller Corporation. They made no changes to the machinery after taking it from us. So far, they


    have notunched any other new machinery.¡±


    I paused after listening to him and recalled that a lot of things had been stolen from the base of the


    Lavelian Vige project not long after it had beenunched. However, no further follow-ups ensued.


    Ashton and Armond did not seem like they were interested to get to the bottom of things either.


    On the contrary, Fuller Corporation simply decided to rebuild another machinery. I had thought that that


    would be the end of the problem, but now it was clear as day that someone was looking to set Ashton


    up.


    Otherwise, how would CBU be able tounch such a big-scale AI exhibition, showcasing its


    sophisticated technology without stirring up any response both locally and internationally? Everything


    about it did not make any sense to me.


    Ashton replied, ¡°Hmm. Get someone to make a statement to conclude that it would be difficult for us to


    assemble the AI without the core technology. Then, spread the word that Fuller Corporation had been


    ransacked in A City, and list out everything that we were about to exhibit back then.¡±


    Joseph nodded and fell silent for some time before saying, ¡°By the way, about Mrs. Fuller¡¯s injury today,


    I¡¯ve contacted the person in charge of those media outlets. We have identified all reporters who had


    gotten too close, or hurt Mrs. Fuller in any way through the security footage at our entrance. They have


    all promised that the identified personnel will never be employed in any media outlets and TV stations


    in all of K City.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Then, the room fell silent. It seemed like Joseph had left.


    I changed my clothes, and since my wounds were already taken care of, I was fine.


    After heading out of the private restroom, I was greeted by the sight of Ashton working. ncing at me,


    he asked, ¡°Does it still hurt?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No. It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Hesitating for a moment, I parted my lips and asked, ¡°What will happen to the reporters?¡±


    He stopped writing and looked at me seriously. ¡°All media outlets and TV stations in K City will never


    employ them.¡± There was not a trace of emotion in his voice.


    I nodded and said nothing else. I knew that it wasn¡¯t easy for reporters to climb the ranks in K City¡¯s


    media industry, especially to the ranks of being able to get firsthand news and to get the chance to


    mingle among the rich and powerful, much less to be able to interview these people. It must have taken


    those people decades of work just to get to where they were.


    However, one order from Ashton was all it took to put an end to their careers. The reporters must have


    been indignant at the implications, to say the least.


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    Judging by his calm andposed manner, I could tell that Ashton must havee up with a way to


    deal with the current situation. I initially came here to help, but it did not seem like he needed any.


    ¡°Ashton, is someone deliberately trying to stir up trouble this time?¡±


    He raised his brow and poured me a ss of water. ¡°Are you so worried about me that you¡¯vee all


    the way here?¡± He was not answering my question.


    Stumped, I nodded solemnly. ¡°Yes.¡±


    His lips curled into a smile, and he seemed pleased. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m doing fine.¡±


    I heaved a sigh of relief at his response. ¡°That¡¯s good, then. The Murphys pitched in for the Lavelian


    Vige project as well, but they¡¯ve been awfully quiet.¡±


    I initially thought that the investigation would not have been so thorough. However, the reporter


    downstairs had implied that they knew the connection between the Murphys and the Lavelian Vige


    project. But if that¡¯s the case, why are the Murphys being so quiet about it?


    He put down the pen in his hand in silence and said, ¡°No rush. We have all the time in the world.¡±


    I could sense that there was another meaning to his words. I was about to inquire further but thought


    better of it. Recalling that I still had to take Summer to the hospital, I turned to him and said, ¡°It seems


    like I¡¯m not much of a help to your problems. I¡¯m going to take Summer to the hospitalter. Mom said


    that she¡¯s been having fever a lottely, and asked me to fetch her for a check-up.¡±

 Chapter 854

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 854


    Ashton nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll go home togetherter. Are you craving any particr food?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I shook my head.


    He merely stared at me, as if protesting my answer. I pursed my lips and relented as I blurted, ¡°Alright, I


    want to eat lobster, steamed fish, and pork ribs¡­¡± He smiled as I prattled on a long list of food,


    seemingly not paying any attention to my nonchnt request. Seeing that, I shrugged and stopped


    talking.


    Because I was in a rush to take Summer to the hospital, I left right after I had taken my bag.


    After heading out of the office, I bumped into Ashton¡¯s secretary near the elevator. She was holding on


    to a lot of files and seemed like she was in a daze. She did not even realize when something fell off her


    hands.


    ¡°Hello!¡± I said.


    It wasn¡¯t until I repeated myself that she turned around to look at me. I waved the file that she had


    dropped at her and said, ¡°You dropped something.¡±


    Stumped, the woman bowed and thanked me for my help before retrieving the file.


    ¡°Sasha, what¡¯s the matter with you?¡± A man who came out of the elevator asked her, ¡°Is something


    wrong? Not only did you send the wrong documents, but you¡¯re also losing things. And now, you¡¯re


    even bumping into people. Are you alright?¡±


    Sasha shook her head, her eyes were red-rimmed. Joseph headed out of the elevator and noticed that


    I was staring at the secretary. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    I said nothing as I shook my head. A feeling of uneasiness washed over me as I looked at her.


    However, everyone was in a rush, so nobody cared to pay attention to someone who was unrted to


    them.


    Some of the reporters were still waiting for Ashton downstairs. They were waiting for him to head out of


    the building and hoped that they would be able to get him to answer some questions.


    Thinking that I might bump into the reporters again if I exited the building via the main entrance, I


    decided to take the other exit at the back. Right then, I got a call from Cameron.


    I searched for my keys as I picked up her call.


    ¡°Letty, are you at Fuller Corporation?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± After locating my keys, I said, ¡°But I¡¯m leaving now and will reach home soon. How¡¯s Summer?


    Is she still having a fever?¡±


    ¡°No, her fever¡¯s subsided, but it¡¯s been on and off for her.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m heading there right now. You¡­¡±


    Bang! A loud noise cut me off and I subconsciously turned around to trace the origin. In the next


    moment, my eyes widened in horror.


    Before me was a mangled woman whose face was indiscernible to me because of the blood that was


    pouring out of her head. I was only able to identify her as a woman through her long, bloodstained hair.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    My legs turned to jelly as my mind went nk. My instincts were telling me that she had jumped off a


    building.


    ¡°Letty, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Cameron¡¯s voice came through from the other end. Stunned, I tried to speak


    but no words came out of my mouth.


    I was so shocked to the extent of losing my voice.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s jumped off the building. Hurry! Call the police!¡± someone nearby shouted, fear and shock


    apparent in their voice.


    Time went by and people started to crowd the scene. By now, I was standing in an ever-increasing pool


    of blood.


    One nce was all it would take for some things to be forever etched in one¡¯s mind. What was worse


    was that the ghost of the image will continue to haunt one¡¯s dreams.


    From what level did she jump off? What kind of impact could make her head and body split into a


    bloody mess of flesh like that?


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, are you alright?¡± A voice rang in my ears. I was still too stunned to speak. I stared nkly


    at Joseph who had appeared by my side and shuddered uncontrobly.


    He looked worried and said, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, let me send you back to Mr. Fuller¡¯s office.¡±


    He supported me and led me all the way back into Ashton¡¯s office. At the sight of Ashton, I felt all


    energy drained from my body as I slumped to the floor.


    Ashton was quick to respond and managed to catch me in his embrace. Furrowing his brows, he turned


    to Joseph and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Joseph sighed before saying, ¡°Mrs. Fuller exited the building via the back exit and witnessed Sasha


    Brooksmitting suicide by jumping off the building. I reckoned Mrs. Fuller just got the shock of her


    life.¡±


    Sasha Brooks?


    Was she the woman whom I bumped into just now?


    But why did she jump off the building?


    My brain was rife with questions.


    Ashton¡¯s brows creased as he said, ¡°Alright. Inform the PR department to deal with this matter


    immediately. Then, investigate everything about Sasha, her family, and her rtionships. I want to


    know why she¡¯smitted suicide. Do not let the media go wild with spection.¡±


    Joseph nodded solemnly and left.


    The door was closed and Ashton circled me in his embrace as my mind went numb. No words came


    out of my mouth as I looked at him. He sat me on the sofa and poured a ss of water for me. Then,


    he looked into my eyes and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. I¡¯m here.¡±

 Chapter 855

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 855


    I gulped down arge mouthful of water before taking several deep breaths to calm myself down. After


    my heartbeat had slowed down somewhat, I turned stiffly to look at Ashton and asked in a small voice,


    ¡°Is she dead?¡±


    His arms tightened around me as he nodded. ¡°Yes. You¡¯re fine. I¡¯m here with you, you¡¯re okay now.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t stop my hands and body from shaking, and it took me a long while before I felt normal again.


    I stared nkly at my surroundings, my body slowly releasing its tension when I realized that I was in a


    familiar ce with familiar people. Ashton was still holding me in his embrace, repeating words of


    reassurance over and over again in a gentle tone.


    I cleared my throat and licked at my dry lips before ncing up at him. ¡°I saw her at the elevator when I


    was heading out earlier. How did she¡­¡±


    He shook his head. Just then, Joseph walked into the room again, his expression solemn as he told


    Ashton, ¡°Mr. Fuller, the body has just been taken away. The police have also asked to look at the


    scene to figure out the cause of her death, and the exit downstairs has already been sealed off.¡±


    It made sense that the police would want to carry out an investigation of someone falling to their death


    from such a tall building. Ashton nodded before he turned to me and said, ¡°Be a good girl and stay


    here. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    As the chairperson of thepany, he was obliged to handle the situation personally.


    I nodded, and he and Joseph left the office. Finding myself unable to sit still in there alone, I got up and


    headed toward the employee section of the office. Everyone was understandably shaken up by


    Sasha¡¯s suicide and was unable to go about their daily tasks like usual.


    Some police officers were looking for where Sasha might have jumped off the building from, and others


    were busy interviewing employees in the office. As a result, everyone¡¯s hearts were in their throats.


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    It was a long time before Ashton finally sent the police away. Spotting me in the area, he waved me


    over, and we retreated to his office together.


    Joseph furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Mr. Fuller, this couldn¡¯t have been a coincidence.¡±


    Ashton¡¯s expression was nk. He was deep in thought for a moment before replying, ¡°Contact the


    victim¡¯s family and try to cate them as soon as possible.¡±


    Joseph nodded and immediately left.


    ¡°Is everything going to be okay?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but fret.


    Ashton gave me a faint smile, but the darkening circles under his eyes were dead giveaways of


    exhaustion. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    I knew that he usually wouldn¡¯t share too much information with me because he didn¡¯t want me to get


    worked up over nothing. He had a habit of wanting to shoulder everything by himself, and refused to let


    me share any of his burdens.


    The realization dawned upon me abruptly, that he and I were very simr. We both cared for each other


    deeply, and we both needed each other. Perhaps it was exactly because we cared for each other too


    much that we wanted to protect the other in our own ways so that the worry we had for each other


    would be alleviated.


    That would exin why we were always unwilling to verbalize our true feelings when facing a dilemma,


    even if we were frantically panicking on the inside. We didn¡¯t want to add on to the other person¡¯s


    stress.


    Unfortunately, this would only serve to make the other person feel even more worried and helpless.


    I stared at him in silence for a minute, then got up and poured him a ss of water. Taking a deep


    breath, I fixed him with a stern look. ¡°Ashton. You might think that I won¡¯t be of any help in solving your


    problems, so you keep your worries to yourself in an attempt to protect me from your suffering. But


    have you ever considered what thergest difference is between your spouse and a normal friend?


    ¡°People get married because they need each other. Spouses need to share the burden of their pain


    and concerns. Even just giving each other a hug is an act of helping to shoulder the burden. So, I¡¯m


    asking you to please stop keeping everything to yourself and covering up all your negative emotions. I


    want to be able to share your stress and feelings, and I want to be the person in this world most


    needed by you. Understand?¡±


    I could see him visibly start to rx, and I knew that my words had gotten to him.


    He seemedpletely caught off guard by me suddenly bringing this topic up. The moody aura that


    had been emanating off of him dissipated, and the corners of his lips quirked up into a smile as he


    pulled me into his arms once more. ¡°You silly woman. You¡¯ve always been the person I need most in


    this world, and you always will be.¡±


    I let him hold me as he continued murmuring in his low, gravelly voice. ¡°I just never tell you the truth


    about my feelings because I know that you will always be my source of strength as long as you¡¯re with


    me. As long as you¡¯re by my side, I know that I can ovee anything.¡±


    I stared at him fondly. ¡°Digging out the past, giarism, and now, death¡­ Just who is this enemy of


    yours, Ashton? Is it Abe? I heard that he¡¯s back in the country and staying in A City.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be the one to find out who this person is,¡± he promised. ¡°All you have to do is take care of your own


    health.¡±

 Chapter 856

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 856


    Ashton still seemed reluctant to let me interfere with the situation at hand. After a pause, I nodded and


    kept quiet, letting him hug me for a while longer.


    Sadly, he couldn¡¯t stay for very long, and he soon left to call a meeting of directors while I searched for


    Joseph. I was able to find him quickly. Cutting to the chase, I asked, ¡°Can I take a look at the spot


    where Sasha jumped off the building?¡±


    Slightly stunned, he nodded in agreement after a while.


    Thepany building had more than a hundred floors. Sasha had chosen the fortieth floor,


    approximately twenty meters above the ground. There was no way she could have survived a fall from


    that height.


    I swept my gaze over the scene of the crime before I gave Joseph a sidelong nce. ¡°What did the


    police say?¡±


    ¡°They found broken pieces of metal railing as well as shards of ss where she fell. Preliminary


    findings point to an idental fall, but they¡¯re still in the midst of conducting an autopsy. We¡¯ll need to


    wait for the full autopsy report before we can make the final conclusion.¡± Even in the face of such a


    horrible incident, he still managed to remain calm and collected.


    I nodded, not saying anything further. I didn¡¯t want to jump to conclusions before the results of the


    autopsy came out.


    After leaving thepany, I called Cameron to tell her that I wouldn¡¯t be able to take Summer to the


    hospital. Too many things were happening at once at Fuller Corporation, and I didn¡¯t have the time to


    include Summer in my daily schedule for now. Cameron reassured me that Summer¡¯s fever had gone


    down and that she was doing alright.


    Back at the vi, I phoned Nora and asked her about Abe.


    She proceeded to rant on and on for what felt like hours, but my ears pricked up at a certain piece of


    information. ¡°Wait, Danny was the one who contacted you first?¡± I interrupted her. ¡°Did you meet him?¡±


    ¡°Nope!¡± she replied. ¡°He just called me up, telling me to remind you to be more careful, and said that


    Abe is targeting you and Ashton specifically.¡±


    After a brief moment of hesitation, I decided to tell her about everything that had been happening


    recently.


    ¡°Has Abe¡¯s reach really expanded that far?¡± she gasped in shock. ¡°Oh! By the way, Armond recently


    returned to K City. If you find yourself in trouble, you can contact him at any time. He might be able to


    help.¡±


    I assumed that she was only offering so in order to be polite. As such, I made some nomittal


    sound of affirmation and hung up on her, remembering what I had promised Armondst time. I had yet


    to return the item to him and had been thinking about taking some time out of my schedule specifically


    to do so.


    The eventful day caused me to toss and turn in bed, failing to get a single wink of sleep. Ashton didn¡¯t


    come home for the entire night either, most likely because he was swamped with work.


    The next morning, I woke up, made some breakfast, and packed it up before heading straight to the


    company.


    I had barely reached the main lobby when I caught sight of a group of people screaming and crying for


    Fuller Corporation to return to them their daughter. It was currently the beginning of work hours, so


    there were also many employees crowding around the entrance.


    A middle-aged couple dressed in all ck were sobbing the loudest, calling out Sasha¡¯s name over and


    over. I¡¯m guessing they¡¯re her parents. There was also a young child around five years old with them,


    standing stiffly as she looked around in a daze.


    Just then, Joseph came downstairs with horrible dark circles under his eyes. After sending away the


    employees that should be clocking in for work, he did a double-take when he saw me. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, are


    you looking for Mr. Fuller? We had a meeting that went on throughout the night, and he just ended it.¡±


    I kept an eye on the old couple in the lobby as I inched closer toward him. ¡°How long have they been


    here for?¡±


    ¡°Sincest night. They keep demandingpensation, but the official police report hasn¡¯te out, so


    we can¡¯t promise them anything yet.¡± Joseph¡¯s eyebrows knitted together.


    Humming in acknowledgment, my attention was drawn toward one of the staff members at the front


    counterining loudly, ¡°God, I¡¯ve had enough of them. Mr. Fuller has already issued a statement


    asking them to wait for the official police reports, and that thepany will take responsibility


    regardless of whatever the results are! They¡¯re obviously just trying to ruin thepany¡¯s reputation by


    causing amotion on purpose!¡±


    The words took me aback. ¡°Mr. Campbell, is the amount ofpensation for an idental death and a


    suicide the same?¡± I inquired.


    He shook his head. ¡°No. If it was an idental death, we would need to pay much more, and the entire


    company¡¯s security system would need to undergo restructuring. If it was a suicide, thepany only


    needs to pay a small part in reparation fees as more of a moral obligation than anything else.¡±


    I could understand why the old couple was making such a fuss now. With the Fuller Corporation having


    to deal with this sudden ident, the victim¡¯s parents were likely trying to cause an uproar in the hopes


    that Ashton would give them the money to go away.


    But they had been going at it for such a long time, and yet, Ashton showed no signs ofing


    downstairs. He had probably also decided to wait for the police report toe out before taking any


    actions.


    I nced at the old couple again, whose eyes were red and swollen from crying. They appeared


    especially frail and weak after having stayed up through the night.


    The young child beside them also looked worryingly pale. Turning to Joseph, I told him, ¡°Mr. Campbell,


    please get someone to buy some breakfast and snacks for them.¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content.

 Chapter 857

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 857


    Joseph frowned. ¡°Why? They¡¯re clearly here to cause trouble.¡±


    ¡°They look hungry and pitiful¡­ especially the child. Please do as I said.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± He didn¡¯t sound convinced, but nodded and went off anyway.


    Entering Ashton¡¯s office, I spotted him reading a document. I ced the lunchbox that I brought right in


    front of him on his desk. Snatching the pen and document in his hands away, I chided, ¡°I know you¡¯re a


    workaholic, but you¡¯ve just burnt the midnight oil. At least eat some breakfast and then take a nap on


    the bed.¡± I was acting angrier than I truly felt.


    The faint hints of a smile grew on his face as he pulled me to sit in hisp. ¡°Why are you here so early


    in the morning?¡± He sighed deeply and buried his face in my hair. ¡°Did you not sleepst night?¡±


    The sight of his stubble starting to poke out of his chin pulled at my heartstrings. ¡°Enough about me;


    have you seen what you look like? That¡¯s it, no more chit-chat. Eat your breakfast and then take a nap!¡±


    I climbed off of his legs and opened up the lunchbox for him.


    Surprisingly, he obediently ate the food in silence, and then insisted on having me sleep beside him. I


    was unwilling at first, but he looked so serious when he said, ¡°I can¡¯t sleep without you.¡±


    Thus, I had no choice but toy down in his embrace and closed my eyes.


    Soon after, I heard the sounds of his even breathing. He must be exhausted after pulling an all-nighter.


    The echoes of footsteps rang out from the office. Taking advantage of Ashton¡¯s deep sleep state, I


    slowly tiptoed out of bed and left the private restroom. The first thing I saw once I was back in the office


    was Joseph pacing back and forth looking worried.


    Upon seeing me, he quickly asked, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, is Mr. Fuller currently taking a break?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Did something happen?¡±


    Joseph sounded slightly apprehensive as he exined, ¡°The situation with Sasha¡¯s family is getting


    worse. They¡¯ve rounded up arge number of distant rtives and are continuing to be a disturbance.


    The lobby is aplete mess, and it¡¯s starting to affect the employees¡¯ work.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Ashton asked you to investigate Sasha¡¯s rtionship with her family yesterday? Did you find out


    who the kid is?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the child is her four-year-old daughter. Sasha was a single mother who had gotten pregnant when


    she was a university student. No one knows who the child¡¯s father is. Both of Sasha¡¯s parents were


    localborers and had now retired. They¡¯re not very poor, but Sasha has an older brother with a


    gambling addiction who stole their parents¡¯ retirement savings and rent savings. Now, all her parents


    have left is a rented house that¡¯s fifty square feetrge. They¡¯re going through a rtively hard time.¡±


    That was the reason why Sasha¡¯s parents were so desperate for money after her death. After all, her


    entire family had been dependent on her ie solely and had already been living a frugal life before


    this. Now that she had suddenly passed away in a freak ident, it was near impossible for two senior


    citizens and a young toddler to survive on their own.


    After pondering for a long while, I told Joseph, ¡°You haven¡¯t slept at all, have you? Go and take a rest in


    the office. I¡¯ll handle the situation in the lobby.¡±


    ¡°N-No, I¡¯m fine¡­¡± he stuttered.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    ¡°Joseph, I know I haven¡¯t been a consistent employee of Fuller Corporation, but that doesn¡¯t mean that


    I don¡¯t know anything,¡± I insisted. ¡°Besides, the issue downstairs is just a civil dispute and not


    something that requires special knowledge. I can handle it myself. So rx and go take a rest, alright?¡±


    He opened his mouth as if to argue further, but his phone suddenly rang out from his pocket.


    Awkwardly excusing himself to answer the call, I heard what sounded like his wife on the other side of


    the phone. ¡°Hubby, the baby has a fever, pleasee home quick!¡±


    His expression swiftly changed upon hearing that. Turning to me, he stressed, ¡°I¡¯ll leave things in your


    hands, Mrs. Fuller. I have an emergency at home, but I¡¯lle back as soon as possible.¡±


    I nodded, reminding him to take care of himself once more.


    I went downstairs to the lobby at the same time that Joseph left the building. It was still working hours,


    so there was only a group of about ten or more people of all ages standing around in the lobby. They


    had somehow gotten hold of a huge banner and had written the words ¡°A life for a life! Repay your


    debts!¡± across it. They seemed quite serious about the message, too.


    The receptionists were all cowering in fear behind the counter, deathly afraid that one wrong word


    would unleash the family¡¯s wrath upon them.


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel thankful that Sasha¡¯s body had been taken away prior to this by workers from


    the funeral parlor. If they hadn¡¯t, her rtives might have carried her coffin case all the way here as a


    part of their demonstration.


    There were security guards stationed at the elevators to prevent them from barging into the upstairs


    offices and disrupting the employees¡¯ work.


    I immediately caught sight of the group that seemed to have run out of energy as I exited the elevator.


    Heading for the front counter, I asked one of the receptionists, ¡°Have the reporters been here today?¡±


    Logically speaking, there should have been more reporters today than yesterday, but there was not a


    single one to be seen.


    The receptionist did a double-take after seeing me, but she quickly regained herposure. ¡°They


    usuallye by during noon or at night. That¡¯s when the lobby is filled with people, and that¡¯s the only


    time that Mr. Fuller will pass through the lobby.¡±

 Chapter 858

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 858


    I finally understood that the reporters¡¯ main objective was Ashton, and Ashton only. As for the victim¡¯s


    rtives, the reporters would likely just snap a few pictures and then try topete with each other for


    who could write the most heart-wrenching news article.


    I took several thousand out of my purse, telling the female receptionist, ¡°I need you to get someone to


    buy some fruits and snacks, the more expensive and higher quality, the better. After that, arrange for it


    to be delivered to them. Buy some toys and give them out to the kids here, too. It would be best if you


    could start up a conversation with them and find out why they¡¯re going to such lengths, and perhaps


    ask if they¡¯re acting on someone else¡¯s orders. Also, call up some more reliable reporters and tell them


    toe over to take pictures.¡±


    She looked shocked as she received the money, nodding numbly. To my surprise, the young woman


    worked efficiently, swiftly giving out water bottles and snacks to everyone in the lobby. She also


    instructed some of the other security guards to help with her errands, and they naturally mixed in with


    the crowd and started talking.


    It just so happened to be lunchtime. Reporters filtered in slowly but surely. However, they seemed to


    have learned from their previous lesson and were acting a lot more reserved thanst time.


    After a while, the female receptionist ran over to me excitedly. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, those people aren¡¯t Sasha¡¯s


    family! Someone is paying them a hundred per day toe here just to make a fuss! All of them are


    simply retirees who jumped at the chance of earning money, and some even dragged along their


    grandchildren to make it look more realistic.¡±


    My mouth fell open. I had thought that these people would at least have some rtion to Sasha, but it


    turned out that all they wanted was to cause chaos and confusion.


    Falling deep in thought for a minute or so, I then instructed her, ¡°Think of a way to get an audio


    recording of that confession, then pay them twice the amount of money to send them away. Apart from


    that, instruct them to tell outsiders that Sashamitted suicide. As for everything else¡­ Let them add


    as many ¡®saucy¡¯ details as they wish, as long as it doesn¡¯t affect Fuller Corporation negatively.¡±


    She nodded and walked away, leaving me to wonder, who would go to such lengths to ruin Fuller


    Corporation¡¯s reputation? What do they want from us?


    The lobby was slowly clearing out, and the receptionist approached me to show me that she had


    recorded a video. ¡°I¡¯ve asked them all to leave, Mrs. Fuller. The only ones left are Sasha¡¯s actual


    parents.¡± She shook her head in awe, eximing, ¡°You made everyone calm down and caused the


    reporters toe all the way here for nothing. You even helped promote ourpany along the way!


    You¡¯re amazing!¡±


    Iughed lightly, my gaze settling on Sasha¡¯s daughter out of the corner of my eye. The little girl


    appeared a little worse for wear, and for some reason, I had a feeling that she wasn¡¯t just an ordinary


    child.


    I turned back to the receptionist. ¡°Thank you for everything you¡¯ve done today. Give me your number so


    that you can send the video file to me. By the way, what¡¯s your name?¡±


    Her cheeks flushed at my request before shyly exchanging numbers with me. ¡°My name is Ste


    Collins, Mrs. Fuller. You can just call me Ste! I¡¯m d to have been of assistance.¡±


    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    I smiled politely back at her. Minutester, she sent me the video file through WhatsApp.


    ¡°Help! Someone, help!¡± Suddenly, the peace and quiet of the lobby was broken by someone¡¯s screams.


    ncing up, I saw Sasha¡¯s parents sobbing and shouting desperately for help. ¡°Go over and see what


    they need,¡± I ordered Ste.


    She rushed over, pushing through the small crowd that had formed around Sasha¡¯s parents as I


    followed closely behind her.


    The young girl that had just been ying on one of the sofas in the lobby had passed out, her face was


    as pale as a ghost with blood streaming down from her nose. It didn¡¯t seem like she was suffering from


    an external injury.


    Her grandparents were panicking, cradling the child in their arms as they cried.


    At a loss for what to do, Ste turned to stare at me in confusion.


    No one had any understanding of the child¡¯s condition. She had stayed here for the entire day, and I


    had only just instructed people to give her and her family snacks. If anything happened to her, people


    would find a way to somehow me it on Fuller Corporation.


    Clearly, the other staff was also thinking the same thing I was. Ste became even more frantic, as she


    had been the one to personally buy the snacks and hand them out.


    The young woman in question was nearly in tears as she stared at me. ¡°What should we do, Mrs.


    Fuller?¡±


    Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to calm down and think rationally. ¡°Hello, Mr. Brooks, Mrs.


    Brooks,¡± I greeted them. ¡°I¡¯m Ashton Fuller¡¯s wife. If you¡¯re willing to trust me, will you hear me out?¡±


    The old couple was already frozen in shock because of their grandchild. When they looked up at me, it


    was as if their eyes suddenly lit up with hope. Clutching onto my arm, Sasha¡¯s mother pleaded,


    ¡°Madam, please help her! I¡¯m begging you, please help!¡±


    I nodded, trying my best to soften my tone in order to reassure her. ¡°Please listen carefully. The most


    important thing now is saving this child¡¯s life. We will call an ambnce to send her to the hospital, but


    you have to agree to settle everything else only after we¡¯ve confirmed that the child is no longer in


    danger.¡±

 Chapter 859

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 859


    The middle-aged couple froze for a second and exchanged nces with each other. After a moment of


    hesitation, they stared at me and said, ¡°Okay, we believe you, but don¡¯t you try to fool us. No matter


    what, Fuller Corporation has topensate for my daughter¡¯s death.¡±


    I nodded, having no time to think things over. Then, I gave Ste a meaningful look, and she called for


    an ambnce right away. However, seeing that it would take a while for the ambnce toe over, I


    had no choice but to drive them to the hospital.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    After sending the child to the ER, a nurse approached us and asked, ¡°Who is the child¡¯s family?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re the child¡¯s grandparents. How is she now?¡± the middle-aged couple answered in unison.


    The nurse nodded politely at them. ¡°We¡¯re unsure of the child¡¯s condition yet. Please go to the first floor


    for registration and payment. Once the result is out, we¡¯ll inform you immediately.¡±


    The couple was stunned by her words. Seeing the look of embarrassment on their face, I said, ¡°Give


    me the child¡¯s identification card. I¡¯ll settle the registration and payment.¡±


    The two were dumbfounded. In the next second, their eyes turned red-rimmed as they gazed at me.


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, we can¡¯t thank you enough.¡±


    I didn¡¯t say much. Taking the necessary documents, I headed to the first floor to register and pay the


    admission fee.


    When I came back, I returned the medical records and identification card to them. Staring at me with


    reddened eyes, the woman thanked me again.


    I simply nodded in acknowledgment. My phone had rung several times just now, but I was too busy to


    pick it up. Now that I was free, I fished out my phone and unlocked it. It was Ashton who called me


    earlier.


    He sent me a few texts as well: Where are you? Why didn¡¯t you answer my calls?


    I replied: You should rest more. I¡¯m at the hospital. Sasha¡¯s daughter passed out all of a sudden, so I


    gave them a ride. Sleep for a little longer. Your health is more important. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll manage this


    issue properly.


    Afterward, I kept my phone in my bag. The woman nced at me while asking, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, do you


    think that we¡¯re too unscrupulous for doing this?¡±


    Stupefied, I gave noment.


    She chuckled dryly. ¡°We¡¯ve never been in such dire straits before. Some children are here to bring joy,


    while others bring despair. My husband and I have two children. The one who¡¯s here to bring joy has


    kicked the bucket, while the other is racking up so much debt that it¡¯s forcing us to a corner. Isn¡¯t it


    funny? Still, no matter how deste we are, we have to survive. Only then we can hope for better lives


    and see our granddaughter grow up.¡±


    As I listened to her in silence, a sense of sorrow welled up in my heart. In life, there were many twists


    and turns. People had only a few reasons to be happy, but there were thousands of instances that


    could make people miserable. As for the couple who were over their fifties, their granddaughter was


    their only reason to live.


    A few momentster, the ER door opened, and a doctor came out. The couple hurriedly approached


    him and asked, ¡°Doctor, how¡¯s the child now? Is she alright?¡±


    ncing at the couple with his brows drew together, the doctor contemted for a few seconds before


    saying, ¡°Pleasee to my office for a discussion.¡±


    I grasped the meaning of his words at once. It seemed that the child had a critical medical condition.


    Later, in the doctor¡¯s office.


    The couple squirmed nervously in their seat while staring at the doctor. Having experienced simr


    situations countless times before, thetter sighed and handed a medical report to them.


    In a daze, Sasha¡¯s mother took it, but she couldn¡¯t understand the content, so she passed it to her


    husband.


    After a while, the middle-aged man gaped at the doctor in disbelief. His voice quivered as he


    questioned, ¡°Leukemia? Doctor, did you make a mistake? How can she have leukemia? She¡¯s such an


    obedient and sweet child. I can¡¯t believe it¡­¡±


    While speaking, he broke down, and tears started trickling down his face unceasingly.


    The woman¡¯s body went stiff at the news. Staring at the doctor with widened eyes, she tried hard to


    choke back her tears. ¡°Doctor, did you get it wrong? Maybe she hasn¡¯t rested well these days, but


    there¡¯s no way our granddaughter has leukemia. She¡¯s only four years old. This is impossible!¡±


    Looking at the couple who seemed to have grown much older within seconds, the doctor sighed


    helplessly. ¡°I wish the child was well as much as you do. We¡¯ve performed a full-body medical checkup


    for her. Now that the results are out, I hope you can stay rational and positive. You need to be prepared


    because her uing treatment and chemotherapy aren¡¯t going to be easy. Apart from that, a bone


    marrow transnt is the only way to cure leukemia. I¡¯m guessing that you¡¯re the child¡¯s grandparents?


    You must talk to her parents and get them ready for the operation.¡±


    All of a sudden, Sasha¡¯s mother burst out crying, wailing so hard that she could barely speak. Her


    husband quickly consoled her. However, words meant nothing to the couple who were utterly


    devastated by the news.

 Chapter 860

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 860


    I turned to look at the doctor and let out a sigh. ¡°Doctor, other than bone marrow transnt, is there any


    other method?¡±


    The man shook his head. ¡°Our technology isn¡¯t that advanced now, so there¡¯s no alternative. Besides,


    the sess rate of a bone marrow transnt is only around eighty percent, not one hundred percent.


    The child¡¯s leukemia is likely an inherited disease, which means either her father or mother carries the


    gene of leukemia.¡±


    ¡°No! That¡¯s impossible!¡± Sasha¡¯s mother shouted in a croaky voice. ¡°Both my husband and I have no


    blood disease, and the same goes for my daughter. How can Renee get it?¡±


    The doctor¡¯s forehead puckered. ¡°It could be her father who has the gene. Nevertheless, the incidence


    rate of this disease is low. Even if one carries the gene, the disease won¡¯t manifest unless there¡¯re


    external triggers.¡±


    Immediately, the woman fell silent. I continued talking to the doctor to get a better understanding of the


    child¡¯s condition.


    Stepping out of the doctor¡¯s office, Sasha¡¯s mother suddenly knelt before me, sobbing while pleading,


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, I beg you. Please help my granddaughter. Now that Sasha has passed away, Renee is our


    only hope now. She¡¯s only four and has never seen the outside world before. Life has been cruel to her.


    Since birth, Renne has had no father, and her mother was always busy working. Despite her age, we


    have not sent her to a kindergarten, because we couldn¡¯t afford it. Why does she have to face such a


    hardship when she¡¯s still an innocent little girl? Mrs. Fuller, please have mercy on her. I¡¯m willing to do


    anything to repay you. Please!¡±


    Her sudden action befuddled me. I reached out to hold her up, but she refused to stand up. The


    corridor was packed with passers-by. Having no other choice, I squatted on the floor and looked at the


    woman. ¡°Mrs. Brooks, I truly sympathize with you. I¡¯ll definitely help you if I can. So please, don¡¯t do


    this.¡±


    The woman¡¯s face was already drenched in tears as she stared at me and said, ¡°Please, Mrs. Fuller.


    We don¡¯t have a job. After Sasha¡¯s gone, our financial support was cut off. That¡¯s why we had no


    choice but to stay put at Fuller Corporation day in and night out to ask forpensation. We need


    money to survive.¡±


    I nodded at her. My heart was filled withpassion for the family. Bad luck often haunts the


    unfortunates. Now that their granddaughter was diagnosed with a critical disease, their lives would only


    get even harder.


    After paying Renee¡¯s operation and medical fees, Ashton called and asked what time I would be home.


    After the chaotic day, I was worn out. The only thing I wanted to do was to see him and nestle myself in


    his warm embrace.


    After hanging up, I drove away from the hospital and headed home straight away since Ashton was


    already home.


    Back at the vi.


    There was an unobtrusive ck Maybach parked in the yard when I arrived home. I pulled over next to


    it and when I walked into the living room, I saw Ashton reading on the couch.


    Hearing the sound of meing in, he nced up at me. The corner of his lips quirked up. ¡°You¡¯re


    home.¡±


    I nodded in response. Sauntering over to the couch, I sat by his side and wrapped my arms around


    him. ¡°Have you solved the issue in the office? Why aren¡¯t you resting in the bedroom?¡±


    He held me in his arms with a smile on his face. ¡°You¡¯ve helped me settle the issue so well. It¡¯s only fair


    that Ie home and spend some time with you.¡±


    Tilting my body to lean against his shoulder, I sighed lightly. ¡°Ashton, has the police done investigating


    Sasha¡¯s case?¡±


    He pursed his lips slightly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    I thought about it for a while before I decided to tell him anyway. ¡°Sasha¡¯s daughter has been


    diagnosed with leukemia today. I know I have to deal with it rationally. After all, no one can escape


    sickness and death. However, I¡¯ve met them when they¡¯re in need of help. I¡¯ll feel so bad if I choose to


    turn a blind eye to them.¡±


    ¡°Mmm.¡± The man gazed at me calmly. ¡°So what are you nning to do?¡±


    I shook my head, feeling lost while staring at him. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do. That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking for


    your opinions. What do you think I should do?¡±


    He gave it some thought before replying solemnly, ¡°I think you should help them, but treating leukemia


    is like throwing money down a bottomless pit. There¡¯s no guarantee that it could be cured.¡±


    I nodded in agreement. I know that money didn¡¯t grow on trees. Moreover, Fuller Corporation was


    dealing with a series of scandals, which caused thepany to suffer heavy losses. Sasha¡¯s death


    was a crushing blow to thepany, whether it was a suicide or an ident. ording to thew,


    once Fuller Corporationpensated them, the family would have nothing to do with thepany


    anymore.


    Breathing out a sigh, I stood up and looked at him. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s drop the subject. What do you want to


    eat? I¡¯ll cook you a delicious meal tonight.¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    He shed me a smile. ¡°Anything¡¯s fine!¡±


    He paused for a moment and asked, ¡°Can youe with me to Moranta in mid-October?¡±


    Moranta?


    I was puzzled. ¡°Why? Did something happened?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Yeah. One of my Grandpa¡¯srades-in-arms is at death¡¯s door. We have to make a trip


    there on behalf of my Grandpa.¡±

 Chapter 861

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 861


    ¡°Okay, remind me again before we go.¡± After a short pause, I nced at him. ¡°Ashton, can I ask you a


    question?¡±


    He raised a brow. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always thought that you¡¯re angry with your grandpa because he broke you and Reba up, but I


    realized that wasn¡¯t true. Can you tell me why you were so mad at your grandpa?¡± Some incidents of


    the past were etched in my memory. I remembered he hadn¡¯t shown up during his grandfather¡¯s


    funeral.


    His gaze darkened a little at my question. After staring at me in silence for a while, he said, ¡°It¡¯s been


    so long. I don¡¯t really remember why I was so mad at that time.¡±


    Baffled by his answer, I was tongue-tied, so I stopped questioning him.


    The following day.


    Ashton and I went to Fuller Corporation together. The number of reporters waiting downstairs had


    reduced significantly. They must have left because of theck of newsworthy information over the past


    few days.


    Sasha¡¯s parents were not around as well. I reckoned that they were taking care of their granddaughter


    at the hospital.


    The lobby that used to be morous was now back to normal.


    The moment I stepped through the entrance, Ste skipped to my side and spoke while looking at me.


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, you¡¯re here. Isn¡¯t it great that Sasha¡¯s grandparents stoppeding over? You¡¯re


    amazing!¡±


    Ovee with excitement and joy, shepletely overlooked the man beside me. For a moment, I


    thought she was about to twirl around me in delight while holding my arm.


    After a while, Ste finally spotted Ashton. She hurriedly let go of me and greeted him respectfully, ¡°I¡¯m


    sorry, Mr. Fuller. So sorry.¡±


    ncing at her indifferently, Ashton reached out to hold my hand. Without a word, he brought me into


    an elevator.


    In the elevator, Ashton gave me a sideways nce. ¡°Now I know you have a way with both men and


    women.¡±


    Hisment befuddled me. My cheeks flushed red when I finally wrapped my head around his words.


    ¡°Cut the nonsense. I worked with her yesterday while dealing with Sasha¡¯s parents. What are you


    thinking?¡±


    He chuckled and pulled me into a hug. ¡°That my wife is very sociable.¡±


    I rolled my eyes at him. ¡°Stop teasing me!¡±


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Later in the evening, I thought of Summer after preparing dinner, so I called Cameron. The phone rang


    for quite a while before it was picked up. ¡°Hello, this is the Moore Residence.¡± Zachary¡¯s voice sounded


    on the other side of the phone.


    Thendline phone didn¡¯t disy the caller ID, so he spoke rather formally. I froze for a second. ¡°Dad,


    it¡¯s me, Scarlett.¡±


    The man remained silent for a short while before asking gently, ¡°Letty, have you eaten? Are youing


    home tonight?¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ve just finished cooking. I¡¯m staying at Ashton¡¯s tonight. Have you guys had your dinner?


    How¡¯s Summer today?¡±


    ¡°Mmm. She¡¯s fine, and her fever¡¯s gone. I guess she¡¯ll recover soon. Your mom and aunt are cooking


    dinner in the kitchen now. We¡¯re going to eat soon. Is Fuller Corporation alright?¡±


    I nodded and chatted a little longer with him before ending the call.


    Just as I was about to have my dinner, my phone rang with a call from Armond. Picking it up, I greeted


    him. ¡°Hello, Mr. Murphy.¡± I habitually addressed him the way I did at work.


    I heard a sigh from the other side. ¡°You can call me by my name when we¡¯re not at work. I heard from


    Nora that you¡¯re in K City. Are you free to have lunch with me tomorrow?¡±


    His words reminded me of the promise I made to him in Epea, which I put off up till now. Without a


    second thought, I agreed, ¡°Sure. Let me know the time and the venue. I¡¯m free tomorrow.¡±


    He hummed without saying a word.


    After hanging up the phone, Ashton¡¯s dark eyes were fixed on me. ¡°Was that Armond?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°When I was in Epea, I promised that I would give him the sandalwood box my grandma


    gave me once we returned to our country safely. Perhaps he¡¯s interested in that box.¡±


    Ashton¡¯s forehead creased slightly. He kept quiet for a second before asking, ¡°Haven¡¯t you thought


    about why your grandma has the sandalwood box?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it, but I can¡¯t figure it out.¡±


    With his intense gaze still fixed on me, he said, ¡°The way you met Armond seems deliberate to me.


    Scarlett, it does no harm to stay alert, no matter what you do.¡±


    I was perplexed, yet his words made sense to me, so I nodded my head in agreement and hummed


    several times.


    He dropped the subject afterward.


    Alba Street.


    Heirloom Cafe.


    Following the address Armond gave me, I arrived at the restaurant, and a waiter guided me to the table


    where Armond was. It was alreadyte autumn in K City. He was dressed in a casual Korean-style


    outfit. His hair was neat and chic. A beige trench coat was draped over the back of the chair next to


    him. His look made him look as dashing as a Korean idol.


    The restaurant was equipped with air heaters, so I removed my jacket and put it aside. ¡°Have you been


    in K City for a few days already?¡± I asked, looking at him.


    He nodded with a half-smile. ¡°I wanted to ask you out a few days ago, but there¡¯s a lot going on in


    Fuller Corporation, I thought you might be busy, so I postponed it.¡±

 Chapter 862

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 862


    I smiled at him. The scandal about Fuller Corporation had spread like wildfire in K City. Many people in


    the industry heard about it, so I¡¯m not surprised that he knew it too.


    He waved at the waiters and asked them to serve the dishes. As we chatted away, all the dishes were


    served. The man looked at me and said, ¡°It seems like the Lavelian Vige project can¡¯t bepleted


    anytime soon. Are you going to stay here or return to A City after this?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it. I¡¯ll see how things go after I go back during the holiday.¡±


    Thinking of Nora, I nced at him while asking, ¡°I thought you would bring Nora along this time. ¡°


    He smiled without answering me. ¡°Did you bring the box here?¡±


    ¡°Of course I did, but there¡¯s something I need to ask you first.¡± I had been pondering it for so long, yet I


    just couldn¡¯t get to the bottom of it.


    ¡°Go ahead.¡± He nodded.


    ¡°The box that you put up for auction back in J City¡­ was that your grandpa¡¯s?¡±


    The man nodded his head in response.


    Pausing briefly, I questioned, ¡°Did someone give him the box? Can you help me ask him whether he


    knows someone named Winona?¡±


    My questions wiped the smile off his face. In a split second, his expression fell, giving off a hint of


    indescribable coldness. The temperature around me seemed to have dropped. I couldn¡¯t help rubbing


    my arms.


    With my eyes on him, I asked cautiously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    A few secondster, his expression turned solemn as he looked at me and said, ¡°Is Winona your


    grandma?¡±


    I nodded. The scene of him standing in front of my Grandma¡¯s tombstone in the cemetery in J City


    crossed my mind. ¡°Armond, I¡¯ve always felt that you¡¯re getting close to me on purpose.¡±


    Unexpectedly, instead of making up excuses, he stared at me and nodded. ¡°Yeah, before we met in the


    cemetery, I saw you in K City before, but you didn¡¯t notice me.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    I was dumbstruck. Not wanting to talk further about the past, I steered the conversation back to my


    grandma. ¡°So Mr. Murphy and you know my grandma. Am I right?¡±


    Nodding his head, he gave me a faint smile. ¡°Yes. On top of that, they¡¯re quite close to one another.¡±


    I furrowed my brows slightly, waiting for him to go on, but the man seemed to have no intention of


    telling me more about it. ¡°Give me the box,¡± he said.


    I took the box out and handed it to him. Despite my desire to ask him more about my grandma, I bit my


    tongue since he remained tight-lipped.


    I was bewildered by his reaction. It seemed I didn¡¯t know Armond as much as I thought I did. Most of


    the time, he was an approachable and amicable man. Even though he was from a wealthy family, he


    was nothing like the other rich kids. He had pitched in to help us with many things as if he was part of


    our family.


    However, there were times when I felt he was distant and out of our reach. The man had too many


    secrets which we could never understand.


    Staring down at the box in his hands, he examined it once and found that it was fine. With a brow


    raised, he nced at me. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about your Grandma. I only want this box out of curiosity.


    Does Ashton know that you¡¯ve given me the box?¡±


    Nodding my head, I replied, ¡°He knows.¡±


    His brows knitted together. The man seemed puzzled as he said, ¡°Didn¡¯t he say anything?¡±


    I shook my head while staring at him. ¡°Why? Is there anything wrong?¡±


    He simply shrugged and said nothing.


    After lunch, I had nothing else to do, so I drove home straight away. As soon as I reached home,


    Ashton called me. His voice was deep and restrained. ¡°Are you home?¡±


    I nodded while ncing at my watch. It was already in the afternoon, so he was about to get off from


    work.


    ¡°Are youing home?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be home in a while. Why? Do you miss me?¡± As usual, his voice was music to my ears. My


    cheeks heated instinctively.


    ¡°What do you want to eat tonight? I¡¯ll cook for you,¡± I said.


    After giving it some thought, he answered, ¡°How about eating you tonight?¡±


    Oh God, this man¡­


    Later, I received another call. The person on the other end of the phoneshed out at me the moment I


    picked up the phone. Utterly baffled, I hesitated for a moment before asking tentatively, ¡°Are you


    Sasha¡¯s mother?¡±


    The woman hummed in response a few times. Her voice sounded like she was on the verge of crying.


    I paused for a few seconds. ¡°Mrs. Brooks, like I¡¯ve told you before, I¡¯ll help you as much as I can. The


    police have yet to release the report. Let¡¯s wait for it before we do anything else, alright?¡±


    ¡°What on earth are you talking about? The police have already given me the autopsy report much


    earlier. Just say it if you¡¯re reluctant to help. Are you dying it on purpose? Once Sasha¡¯s cremated,


    we¡¯ll have no evidence, and you¡¯ll insist that she hadmitted suicide, won¡¯t you?¡± The woman was a


    little agitated. Her tone was full of bitterness and distrust.


    My brows snapped together at her usation. I had yet to receive any update about Sasha¡¯s autopsy


    report. Pulling myself together, I said, ¡°Mrs. Brooks, I really haven¡¯t seen the report. Let me find out


    about it before we discuss anything further. Is that okay?¡±

 Chapter 863

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 863


    Sasha¡¯s mother fell silent for a while. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Ending the call. I felt strained. Sometimes, it wasn¡¯t necessarily a good thing to be soft-hearted. Letting


    out a sigh, I dialed Joseph¡¯s number. The call got through in no time.


    ¡°Hello, Mrs. Fuller,¡± Joseph greeted me politely as always.


    I went straight to the point. ¡°Mr. Campbell, has Sasha¡¯s autopsy report been released?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the report is ready. The police concluded it as a suicide case.¡±


    I hummed in response. ¡°Is there any solid evidence?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the metal railing at the spot where she fell was broken by Sasha herself. She visited a psychiatrist


    and had been diagnosed as mentally ill. Perhaps the woman had been contemting suicide for a long


    time, but she did nothing because she couldn¡¯t let go of her daughter and parents.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°Why did she decide tomit suicide all of a sudden then?¡±


    Joseph heaved a sigh. ¡°She bought an idental death insurance, which took effectst month. If she


    was determined to have died by ident, her parents and daughter would have been the beneficiaries.


    With the amount ofpensation from ourpany, her family will live afortable life. At least,


    they won¡¯t need to work hard to make ends meet.¡±


    So in short, Sasha nned everything before she jumped off the building.


    However, she never thought that the police would carry out such a thorough investigation of the


    incident.


    No wonder her mother called me out of the blue to ask for my help. I bet she already knew about it


    before calling me.


    I nodded and hung up the phone. Right away, I called Sasha¡¯s mother back. I could tell from her tone


    that she was anxious. Unable to discuss the matter over the phone, I told her that I would talk to her at


    the hospital tomorrow.


    At night, Ashton came home.


    At the dining table, I served him keenly and put a little of every dish onto his te.


    Putting down his fork and spoon, the man scrutinized me with narrowed eyes. ¡°Tell me. Is there


    something you want to talk about?¡±


    Feeling a twinge of guilt, I stered on a smile while gazing at him. ¡°No, nothing. Do eat more. You¡¯re


    quite busy with work recently¡­¡±


    Under his steady gaze, my voice trailed off. Breathing a sigh, I said, ¡°Fine, I want to talk to you about


    Sasha¡¯s case.¡±


    He raised a brow at me. ¡°Sure, go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Sasha¡¯s daughter has been diagnosed with leukemia and I want to help her,¡± I said while gazing at him


    with guilt.


    He nodded in acknowledgment. ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    I hesitated briefly before answering him. ¡°Sasha¡¯s autopsy report is out. It¡¯s concluded that she


    committed suicide. ording to thepany policy, how muchpensation is her family going to


    get?¡±


    His brows furrowed slightly. ¡°Thepany willpensate her out of humanitarian considerations. In


    fact, thepany doesn¡¯t need to take any responsibility for her case. As a result, thepensation


    won¡¯t be much.¡±


    His answer was within my expectation. After all, Sashamitted suicide. Her death was not an


    ident, so thepany had every right to notpensate her, but¡­


    Seeing right through my thoughts, Ashton remained silent for a short while. ¡°Fuller Corporation has a


    foundation where you can apply for a sum of money for the child. But Scarlett, you¡¯d better think it


    through. Make sure that the one you¡¯re trying to help won¡¯t get you into trouble.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t quite get what he was trying to say, but the moment I heard about the foundation, I breathed


    a sigh of relief. ¡°I got it. I¡¯ll handle it carefully.¡±


    It felt like a weight off my chest to hear that there was a solution for Sasha¡¯s daughter.


    On the next day, I headed to the hospital.


    Perhaps it was because of the chemotherapy, the already haggard-looking child looked even frailer


    now. Most of her hair had dropped, and she appeared ashen-faced and sickly.


    The second Sasha¡¯s mother saw me, she held my hand eagerly. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, you¡¯re finally here. The


    doctor said that we need another five hundred thousand for Renee¡¯s chemotherapy, but Sasha¡¯s


    compensation is only two hundred thousand, and we¡¯re unable to scrape up the remaining three


    hundred thousand. Mrs. Fuller, I beg of you, please help us!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t bear to see her plead this way, yet I couldn¡¯t let the matter go. ¡°Mrs. Brooks, please don¡¯t do


    this. I¡¯m trying to find ways to pay for the medical fees. Don¡¯t worry,¡± I consoled her.


    She nodded repeatedly at my words as tears kept rolling down her cheeks.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    Just then, the child on the bed woke up and saw us. In a week voice, she asked, ¡°Grandma, I want


    some water¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± Sasha¡¯s mother answered. She then walked over to the water dispenser only to find that


    there was no water in it. Taking the empty blue container, the woman headed to the bathroom. The


    sound of water flowing could be heard shortly after.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, did youe to visit me?¡± The child¡¯s voice echoed in the ward and broke me out of my


    reverie. Turning to look at the child, I was nonplussed for a second before nodding my head with a


    warm smile.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The little girl grinned, revealing her two cute snaggleteeth. ¡°Will you visit me again?¡±


    I nodded in response. ¡°Yes, I will. Take good care of yourself. I¡¯lle over when I¡¯m free.¡±


    Beaming with joy, she asked, ¡°Can you bring me sweets the next time you visit me? Grandma says that


    I can only eat sweets when I¡¯m sick, but she hasn¡¯t given me any even though I¡¯ve been sick for a long


    time. I¡¯m really craving some sweets now.¡±

 Chapter 864

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 864


    While she was talking, Sasha¡¯s mother moved the bucket out with some difficulty. I walked over to help


    her and asked in an uncertain tone, ¡°Do you drink this water?¡±


    She nodded and replied, ¡°It¡¯s actually not that different from tap water. Once you boil it, it is safe to


    drink. A bucket of water outside costs me eight, so I can buy more meat for Renee with that money.¡±


    The words came out of her mouth very naturally, as if that was how things were supposed to be. I was


    taken aback for a moment, feeling a little sorry for them. Not knowing what else to say, I helped her


    carry the bucket onto the water dispenser and briefly exined what she needed to give us to apply for


    the fund. Subsequently, I left the hospital.


    However, instead of going home, I went to the mall to get some clothes and supplies for children¡¯s use,


    then headed back to the hospital. However, I did not see Sasha¡¯s mother. As soon as I entered


    Renee¡¯s room, I could see she was up. She looked at me happily and said, ¡°Ms. Stovall, you¡¯re here.¡±


    I nodded, then helped her put on the thick socks that I had just bought. ¡°Where¡¯s your grandma? Where


    did she go?¡±


    The child thought for a while before she replied, ¡°Uncle Shane came over just now and wanted to take


    Grandma¡¯s money, so she ran to the police station, probably to let them arrest him.¡±


    I frowned upon hearing her words. Previously, Joseph had said that Sasha had a brother who was


    addicted to gambling. He had probablye to ask for some of Sasha¡¯spensation money. Clearly,


    the only thing that mattered was gambling in his eyes. The family was already in such a terrible


    situation, yet he still came to demand money.


    Noticing a phone number on the water dispenser, I made a call to thepany. Soon, someone


    delivered some water over. Since Renee probably had to stay in the hospital for quite a long time, I


    bought a few more coupons of mineral water for the water dispenser and handed them to her. ¡°When


    there¡¯s no more water in the dispenser, get Grandma to call thepany to deliver more. You¡¯ll only


    need to give them this coupon, okay?¡±


    She nodded. Although she was young, she understood my words.


    I chatted with her a little longer until she fell asleep. Then, I headed for Moore Residence since


    Summer was on vacation recently, so she was probably hanging around with Emery. As Ashton


    constantly pampered her with many new clothes and toys, there were many items that Summer


    typically got bored of after only a short period of time.


    Previously, I had always gotten someone to pack them up and send them over to the orphanage.


    However, I nned to go back and pack some up to give to Renee today.


    When I arrived at Moore Residence, Cameron and Summer were swimming in the hot spring pool in


    the yard. Summer yed with a duck toy while dressed in a pink swimsuit. On the other hand,


    Cameron was making a call, seemingly to get someone over to give her a spa treatment.


    Noticing that Emery was nowhere in sight, I turned to the maid beside me and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s


    Emery?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Moore and Mr. Zane took Xavier to J City because his grandmother wanted to see her grandson.


    Since it¡¯s the holidays, they¡¯re staying for a few more days!¡±


    I had almost forgotten that on the second day after I returned from A City, Hunter told Emery that he


    had already booked tickets to J City. I had not thought much of it then and only recalled it now.


    ¡°Help me go pack up some of Summer¡¯s clothes, shoes, and toys that she doesn¡¯t normally wear or


    use. I¡¯ll take them with meter!¡±


    The maid was puzzled. ¡°Are you sending it to the orphanage?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No. My friend¡¯s daughter is around the same age as Summer, so I thought that since


    Summer doesn¡¯t really wear many of her clothes, it¡¯d be a waste to leave them around. I¡¯ll be going


    over to visit herter, so I¡¯ll bring some with me then.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    The maid nodded in reply.


    Just then, Summer noticed my presence and came out of the pool, wrapping herself in a bath towel.


    She said, ¡°Mommy, have you been busytely? You¡¯ve not beening to see me. Granny says that


    you have a lot of work. Is that true?¡±


    I nodded and smiled. ¡°Yeah, Mommy¡¯s been busytely, but I¡¯ve been missing you. Look, I took time off


    to see you, didn¡¯t I?¡± As I spoke, I dried her wet hair with a towel.


    Just then, Cameron came over with a towel wrapped around her as well. ¡°How has Fuller Corporation


    been? Did anything happen?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine!¡±


    She nodded and replied, ¡°Since you rarelye here and there are swimsuits in the house, why don¡¯t


    you go take a dip in the pool? The hot water helps to improve blood cirction and is good for the


    body. Ashton said that your body is always cold regardless of the season, so I think you should soak in


    the hot springs more often. Also, I¡¯ve called someone to give me a spa treatmentter. I think you


    should join me.¡±


    I shook my head and replied, ¡°I¡¯ve something onter, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t reject me. Your body is what¡¯s most important. I heard that Ashton recently purchased a house in


    the northern part of the city. That area¡¯s full of natural hot springs, so he probably did that to let you


    take more baths in the spring water there. I asked a doctor some time ago, and he said that as long as


    you take good care of your body, you can still get pregnant. I know this has always been a hurdle for


    you, but we have to look forward, my dear. We have to face our lives with hope, don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    Unable to refute any of her words, I could only nod in reply. By then, the maid had already brought over


    a swimsuit for me.

 Chapter 865

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 865


    I then changed into the swimsuit and got into the hot spring. The forty-plus-degree temperature was


    perfect for me and I felt so much for rxed after soaking for a while.


    Perhaps Summer had been swimming a lot recently, for she easily jumped into the pool and swam over


    to me frog-style. As the pool was shallow, she leaned on me and hung around me as we chatted.


    Cameron had gotten someone to bring over some pastries. Soon, the spa therapists had also arrived.


    Since Moore Residence was huge and Cameron loved beauty, she had designed a room specifically


    for beauty and spa rted activities. I entered andy on the bed, enjoying the rxing feelinging


    from every part of my body. Soon, I fell asleep.


    When I next woke up, the spa therapist had already left. Cameron then came in with a ss of carrot


    juice. ¡°Are you awake?¡±


    I nodded and got up to change my clothes. After the treatment, my body was feeling very rxed and


    comfortable.


    Sheughed lightly and said, ¡°Drink something first. We¡¯re going to have dinner soon. We are lucky


    Summer is here to apany us for a few days while you guys are busy. Otherwise, we would¡¯ve


    been really bored.¡±


    When I went to the living room, Ashton was already there. Since he was ying chess with Zachary, I


    left them alone and headed for the kitchen instead. When Cameron saw me, she said, ¡°Go rest in the


    living room for a while. Dinner will be ready soon!¡±


    I nodded and yawned. ¡°When did Ashton arrive?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s been here for almost an hour,¡± she replied. Then, she suddenly remembered something and


    asked, ¡°By the way, are you guys nning to go to Moranta?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°One of Old Mr. Fuller¡¯srades seemed to be there, so we¡¯re going over to visit him!¡±


    Cameron hummed in reply and said, ¡°You guys hadn¡¯t been able to rest properly even aftering


    home from work these few days. It¡¯s about time you guys took a good rest. Your body can¡¯t handle it if


    you just run around all the time!¡±


    I nodded and smiled as I understood where she wasing from. Then, I took the te of freshly


    steamed crabs from her and headed to the dining room.


    Ashton and Zachary were having a chat when I entered.


    Zachary said, ¡°Archie is almost ny. I¡¯m afraid this trip may be thest time you¡¯ll ever get to see


    him.¡±


    Ashton nodded slightly and replied, ¡°Life and death are determined by fate. Mr. Taylor would die as a


    good man.¡±


    I took a seat beside Ashton, then looked at Zachary and asked, ¡°Dad, you know Old Mr. Fuller¡¯s


    comrade too?¡±


    He smiled faintly. ¡°It¡¯s already been so many years, and they are all heroes, so of course I know them.¡±


    That¡¯s true. I nodded in reply.


    Zachary looked at me and paused before he said, ¡°Mr. Fuller said that you gave the sandalwood box


    your Grandma left you to that Murphy kid?¡±


    I nodded but could not help but look at Ashton. Why did he tell Dad about it?


    Ashton shrugged and said with a slight smile, ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. The Murphys had been searching for


    the box for a long time. If they managed to find it, people were bound to find out about the newsN?velDrama.Org content.


    anyway.¡±


    Stunned, I stared at Zachary and asked, ¡°Dad, is that box important to the Murphys?¡±


    He nodded in reply and looked at me as he sighed slightly. ¡°The box isn¡¯t only important to the


    Murphys. It¡¯s important to everyone. When your Grandma gave you that box, she probably didn¡¯t


    expect them to be able to find it. Never mind, it¡¯s fate after all.¡±


    Looking at how serious he was being, I was confused and turned to Ashton. However, it seemed as


    though he had no intention to say anything. Before I could continue my question, Cameron¡¯s voice rang


    out.


    ¡°Dinner¡¯s ready, let¡¯s eat!¡±


    The conversation then stopped there.


    After the meal, I had originally nned to stay over in Moore Residence. However, as Ashton and I


    were going to Moranta the next day, we had to return to the vi to pack our belongings.


    Thus, we did not stay over.


    As Zachary and Cameron walked us to the car when it was time to leave, Zachary looked at Ashton


    and suddenly said something baffling. ¡°Moranta¡¯s different from our country. You have to pay attention


    to safety! Contact me immediately If there¡¯s a need!¡±


    Ashton nodded and replied, ¡°I¡¯ll protect Scarlett well.¡±


    Zachary simply nodded and kept silent after that.


    I could not help but look at Ashton as we drove off. I asked, ¡°Why does it feel like our trip to Moranta


    this time will be dangerous? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    He smiled as his gaze fell on me. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that Abe came to our country? Do you really think that


    he won¡¯t do anything at all even when he¡¯s given such a good opportunity?¡±


    I was taken aback. As I had been in K City recently, I had almost forgotten about that dangerous man. I


    replied, ¡°He doesn¡¯t have a radar, so how would he know where we are?¡±


    Heughed and changed the topic. ¡°How are things going with Sasha¡¯s family?¡±


    When he said that, I suddenly remembered that I had packed quite a bit of Summer¡¯s things for Renee.


    Thus, I gave Cameron a call, asking her to get someone to send it over the next day.


    Ashton let out a small sigh as he looked at me. ¡°My wife¡¯s so kind. I don¡¯t actually know if that¡¯s a good


    or bad thing!¡±


    I pursed my lips, not wanting to y along with him.


    After flying for several hours, Ashton and I finally reached the airport in Moranta. We were both


    exhausted.

 Chapter 866

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 866


    As soon as we reached the hotel, I washed up and just fell asleep on the huge bed.


    When I woke up, it was already night. Realizing that Ashton was not with me, I gave him a call whilst


    lying in bed. As soon as he picked up, he asked, ¡°Are you awake?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°In a casino!¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯ll go pick youter and bring you over to take a look!¡±


    I was dazed for a few moments before it registered in my mind that he had said ¡°casino.¡± Taken aback,


    I asked, ¡°Why did you suddenly go to a casino?¡±


    ¡°I was just taking a walk. Go get ready, I¡¯ll head back now!¡±


    After he hung up, I sat up for a while and gathered myself together before I went to wash up. He came


    back just as I finished changing my clothes. He wore a casual ck suit. and it showcased the


    coolness and vigor of a young manpared to his usual mature style. Even though Ashton never


    look old, wearing this new style made him look haughtier and domineering instead.


    I could not help butpliment him. ¡°I won¡¯t be surprised if your picture makes tomorrow¡¯s fashion


    headlines.¡±


    He smirked, which only served to make him look more charming. ¡°I¡¯ll take it as praise from my wife.¡±


    Since he was dressed so nicely, I could not wear anything too in. I changed into a ck spaghetti


    strap dress and put on a pair of heels, giving off a gothic vibe. When he noticed my exposed back and


    shoulders, Ashton became a little unhappy and forcibly added a coat to my outfit.


    I did not resist, since the overall look was not bad anyway.N?velDrama.Org content.


    As it was my first time going to a casino, my entire body was tense. The image that I had in my mind


    was a casino from the eighties, filled with smoke and thugs fighting. It just felt as if it was a ce where


    groups of ouws fought over money and desire.


    When he noticed my nervousness, Ashton hugged me and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be so anxious. People are


    constantly going in and out so not many of them will pay attention to you. Just take it like you¡¯re going


    to a bar.¡±


    I nodded but was still a little nervous. As soon as we entered the casino, I realized that it was totally


    different from what I imagined. The decorations were posh and elegant, and although there was still


    some smoke in the air, it did not affect the elegance of the ce.


    There were many long gambling tables in therge open space, each holding some chips that I could


    not urately name. A sexydy stood beside every table, acting as the dealer. There were also


    several poker tables. However, as I was clueless about gambling, I merely nced at everything before


    I followed Ashton to the second floor.


    The second floor was all private rooms, and attendants dressed in white and ck soon escorted us


    into one. A poker table stood in the middle, surrounded by leather sofas all around the room. There


    were two people gambling at the table.


    When Ashton entered the room, the young man sitting on the sofa stood up and walked over. Smiling,


    he said, ¡°Mr. Fuller, I finally get to meet you.¡±


    After a round of simple introductions, I learned that the man¡¯s name was Holden, he was Archie¡¯s


    grandson, and he was the owner of the casino. Due to his unique style and behavior, the public had


    varied opinions about him.


    Holden leaned on the sofa as he conversed with Ashton for a while. Then, he looked at me and said


    with a hint of cynicism, ¡°Mrs. Fuller is really a true beauty She¡¯s more beautiful than most women. Do


    you bring her with you everywhere, Mr. Fuller?¡±


    Ashton smiled slightly as he kept his expression gentle. He said, ¡°I¡¯m getting old. If she stays with me,


    I¡¯m more at ease.¡±


    Why does that sound like he¡¯s flirting with me?


    Holdenughed. ¡°Such tant flirting lines. Since you¡¯re already here, Mrs. Fuller, why don¡¯t you try out


    my table worth two hundred million for yourself!¡±


    I looked at Ashton pleadingly, asking for his help. I did not know how to y poker or any other card


    game as I had never touched any of them since young.


    Ashton pursed his lips as he pulled me over to the expensive table and pressed on something. Then, a


    few more cards appeared on the table, and six captivating women walked in, each carrying a pile of red


    chips on a tray.


    Holden looked at me and raised an eyebrow. ¡°What should we y, Mrs. Fuller?¡±


    I turned to Ashton helplessly, but before he could speak, Holden said, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, if you just keep


    sticking to your husband like that, he won¡¯t be able to do anything else. You won¡¯t be able to maintain


    your rich wife status for long then.¡±


    From his words, I could guess that Ashton hade to the casino for a purpose. I could also tell that


    because of my presence, Ashton could not do what he had to.


    I pressed my lips together and looked at Ashton, then said, ¡°If you¡¯re busy, go ahead. I¡¯ll stay here for a


    while!¡±


    He gave me a small smile then looked at Holden. ¡°Let her y the simplest game.¡± Then, he turned to


    me and said, ¡°Just y however you want. I don¡¯t have much, except for money.¡±

 Chapter 867

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 867


    ¡°Damn!¡± Holden almost swore. ¡°Are you showing off your wealth?¡±


    He then raised his hand and ced three cards face down on the table, then looked at Ashton. ¡°Go. I¡¯ll


    take care of your wife. I promise to protect her well!¡±


    Ashton smiled slightly and kissed me on the cheek before he said, ¡°Go ahead and y. I¡¯ll be back


    soon.¡±


    I nodded. Although I was tempted to ask him what he was busy with, I stopped myself. When Ashton


    left, Holden looked at me and smiled. ¡°You¡¯d better not cry. I don¡¯t know how to coax women. He said


    he¡¯d be back, so he definitely will. You can stay here and y with peace of mind.¡±


    I raised my eyebrows slightly and said in a solemn tone, ¡°Betting money is a little too boring. Let¡¯s bet


    on something bigger!¡±


    He was stunned for about two seconds before he suddenlyughed. ¡°Damn, are you two-faced? You


    seem to know how to y around. Hmm, this is interesting. Tell me, what do you want to y?¡±


    ¡°How about roulette?¡± I said, raising my eyebrows and narrowing my eyes at him.


    The men in the room started to yell excitedly. Holden snapped, ¡°You even know this? I¡¯ve really


    underestimated you.¡±


    He then turned to thedies who were standing to one side. ¡°Did you guys hear that? Do as Mrs. Fuller


    says. Let¡¯s y something exciting.¡±


    Two of thedies nodded and left the room. Soon, they returned with arge roulette and ced it on


    the table. Holden grabbed the dice that were on the roulette and raised his eyebrows. ¡°How do you


    want to y?¡±


    Looking at the vulgar numbers on the roulette, I said lightly, ¡°We¡¯ll spin to number seven. If I lose,


    Ashton will give you Fuller Corporation¡¯s investment rights in Moranta. How about that?¡±


    He narrowed his eyes as his originally cynical expression changed to something a little more solemn.


    He replied seriously, ¡°What if I lose?¡±


    I looked at him and said, ¡°Stop working with Abe. Let him go back to Venria the same way he came


    here. What do you think?¡±


    He looked at me as his pupils constricted. ¡°I have indeed underestimated you!¡±


    I kept silent, looking at him expressionlessly as I waited for his decision. His dark eyes swept across


    the roulette as his lips started to curl up. ¡°I have to say that your condition is very interesting indeed.


    How fascinating!¡±


    Then, he raised his hand and snapped his fingers as he kept his eyes on me. ¡°Let¡¯s y. But since


    you¡¯re a woman, I can let you win one round.¡±


    I gave him a faint smile as I calmly replied, ¡°It¡¯s alright. Let¡¯s just y a fair game.¡±


    As he walked over to one side of the table, he raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°Let¡¯s start!¡±


    When I made my way to the opposite side, he gestured politely for me to begin as he said, ¡°Ladies


    first!¡±


    Making myselffortable, I pressed the button in my hand slightly, and the roulette began to spin.


    The pointer spun around the ten numbers endlessly, and as I predicted, it soonnded on the number


    seven.


    I smiled and looked at him. ¡°I guess I must be lucky.¡±


    He shrugged and replied calmly, ¡°Does it look like I¡¯m about to lose? I could say the same for myself!¡±


    As he spoke, he threw the ying cards in his hands at the roulette¡¯s pointer. It spun rapidly again and


    soon began to slow down to stop on the number eight.


    At that moment, the onlookers all let out a sigh as if they were regretting the oue. However,


    Holden was not the slightest bit anxious. He simply looked at the roulette casually as if he did not care


    about the result. Then, two secondster, the pointer stopped swinging andnded on the number


    seven. It was an unimaginable feat.


    He looked at me, pretending to be full of pity. ¡°It fell on seven. What a shame, you almost won!¡±


    I pressed my lips together as I studied the roulette. Then, I suddenly realized that no matter what we


    bet on, the game would alwayse to a tie in the end. After all, he was the owner of the casino, so it


    was a lot easier if he wanted to manipte something.


    Looks like he¡¯s definitely not willing to have a chat with me!


    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    I put down the cards in my hand before I sat back down. Looking at him as I raised my eyebrows. ¡°Mr.


    Taylor, do you not intend to have a chat with me?¡±


    He leaped onto the table and looked at me carelessly. ¡°Chat about what? About love?¡±


    He narrowed his eyes at me and tutted, then continued, ¡°I have to say, you¡¯re getting old, but you still


    look really charming. I heard that Ashton suffered a lot and had to run around everywhere just for you.


    Let me ask, is true love supposed to be like what the two of you are doing? You run while he chases


    you?¡±


    I pressed my lips together in silence, ignoring the disdain and ridicule in his words.


    Then, I said, ¡°Looks like you¡¯re not that willing to talk to me.¡±


    He raised his eyebrows but did not deny it. He was basically silently acknowledging my words.


    Since that was the case, I did not try to strike up a conversation anymore and simply sat there quietly


    while waiting for Ashton to return.

 Chapter 868

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 868


    Just a few secondster, I realized with a start that something was amiss. I leaped to my feet and


    dashed out of the private room. Meanwhile, Holden raced after me, but my rapid eleration had


    already ced me beyond his reach.


    The lobby looked just as it had when we¡¯d first entered. Even the people lounging aroundzily were


    the same. Out of the corner of my eye, however, I felt thebined gazes of those who had been


    ying poker at the side suddenly turning towards me.


    Coincidence? Most probably not, I mused.


    I surveyed the lobby. Turning around, I raised my voice and called towards Holden, who was just


    catching up, ¡°Ashton had a great deal of faith in you. I was the one who had a bad feeling about you, so


    I kept an eye out. I didn¡¯t know whether the Moore family would be able to bankrupt you, but I¡¯m pretty


    sure they can manage to humiliate you, at the very least.¡±


    Holden wrinkled his brow. With a glint in his eyes, he asked, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    I scoffed, ¡°Holden, you were the mastermind, so you should have thoroughly investigated everyone


    involved before proceeding with your n. It was pure negligence on your part to underestimate me.¡±


    Holden bit his lip, his face growing darker. He then took a step forward, towered over me, and


    demanded, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    I shrugged, smiling faintly. ¡°How shall I say this? Perhaps I should start from the beginning. My name is


    Scarlett. I was born in R Province, and my Grandma was the one who raised me. My parents searched


    for me for many years, and I only reunited with them recently. I only just found out that I¡¯m Zachary and


    Cameron¡¯s daughter. They¡¯re giants in themercial world, and I¡¯m lucky to be their daughter. I have


    to admit that it¡¯s rather convenient for me to ride on their reputation sometimes.¡±


    Hearing that, Hunter¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°Wasn¡¯t Larson thest name of the daughter that Zachary


    brought home? You¡­¡±


    He trailed off uncertainly. I bestowed a kindly smile on him, then replied, ¡°Sorry to disappoint you.


    There was a bit of a mix-up. Afterward, we decided not to make a fuss of things in the interest of my


    safety.¡±


    Holden narrowed his eyes, a hint of suspicion still lurking in his gaze. I met his eyes without flinching,


    then said evenly, ¡°Holden, you seem rather doubtful still. Why don¡¯t you bet on it then? Let¡¯s find out


    whether I¡¯m speaking the truth.¡±


    Having thus issued the challenge, I immediately picked up my phone and dialed Zachary. The phone


    rang a few times before he picked up. ¡°Hey, Letty, how¡¯re things?¡± Zachary inquired.


    Holden¡¯s pupils constricted; there was still a glimmer of skepticism in his manner.


    After a while, I continued in an innocent tone, ¡°Dad, I¡¯m still at the casino. Ashton isn¡¯t with me at the


    moment, but I¡¯m with Holden.¡±


    Zachary answered pleasantly, ¡°All right. Send my greetings to Holden.¡±


    I nodded, steadfastly gazing at Holden. ¡°Sure!¡±


    The phone had been on speaker mode, and Holden was naturally privy to the entire conversation.


    When he heard our conversation, he nced at me, staggering slightly.


    Ending the call, I then punched in another number. This time, the recipient answered the call almost


    instantly. ¡°Miss, we¡¯re all prepared! We can make a move anytime.¡±


    I looked at Holden. At that moment, his face had grown thunderous. Through gritted teeth, he said,


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and meet Ashton then.¡±


    At that, I smiled winningly at him, then instructed over the phone, ¡°All right, wait out for a moment. If


    Ashton and I haven¡¯t left this ce within half an hour, don¡¯t wait for me to call. Proceed immediately as


    we originally nned.¡±


    My orders were readily received. ¡°All right!¡±


    After I¡¯d hung up, Holden looked at me and begrudgingly admitted, ¡°You¡¯ve really nned everything


    out, I suppose.¡±


    I shed him a sunny smile. ¡°I don¡¯t have a choice. Besides, isn¡¯t it better to nip things in the bud? We


    can¡¯t go about cing our lives in the hands of strangers, can we?¡±


    Holden snorted at my remark. He then brought me to another spot on the second floor, past multiple


    private rooms. At thest room in the back, Holden keyed in the password to unlock the door.


    When the door slid open, I carefully assessed my surroundings. Nothing seemed particrly surprising


    as I had been in far more pressing situations than this.


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    This room was very much the same as any of the others. The typical furniture was present in its usual


    arrangement, with a poker table and surrounding sofas. The setting was made noteworthy by the fact


    that most of its upants were people I knew.


    I was mildly surprised to see Abe again. Oddly enough, he didn¡¯t appear out of ce here at all.


    Around the table, Ashton and Abe both held cards in their hand, seemingly in the midst of negotiating.


    When I suddenly appeared, all eyes were riveted on me.


    Obviously, Ashton was taken aback. He put his cards face down on the table, then walked towards me.


    ¡°Why did youe over?¡±


    As he spoke, he shot a nce at Holden, who merely shrugged in return. ¡°I had no say in this.¡±


    At the same time, Abe squinted at me, evidently bewildered. He didn¡¯t seem able to recall who I was.


    That wasn¡¯t shocking. However, considering the multiple women he¡¯d encountered over the years, the


    women Abe had met probably numbered in their hundreds, even thousands. I was merely one among


    his many faceless victims. The only conceivable difference that set me apart from the rest was


    probably the fact that I¡¯d managed to escape. I was lucky that he¡¯d never gotten to torture me.


    Abe¡¯s eyes flickered with recognition. However, as he saw Ashton and me standing side by side, Abe


    gazed at me, then intoned in a low voice, ¡°Is it you?¡±


    I smiled at him brightly. ¡°Long time no see, Mr. Abe.¡±

 Chapter 869

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 869


    Abe nced at Ashton, then sniggered.


    ¡°What were you nning to do, Holden? Why did you bring her in?¡± Abe asked menacingly.


    Holden, however, turned to Ashton. ¡°Mr. Fuller, it¡¯s gettingte. Mrs. Fuller looks a little tired. Perhaps


    you should be heading home to rest,¡± he suggested matter-of-factly.


    ¡°Holden Taylor, what exactly do you take me for?¡± Abe roared. With one swift motion, he furiously


    swept the cards off the table.


    Holden, however, remained looking steadily in Ashton¡¯s direction. ¡°You¡¯ll have to meet Dad tomorrow.


    You should get some rest tonight,¡± the man urged, a note of warning in his voice.


    Indignant at having been ignored multiple times, Abe flew into a rage. He suddenly drew out a pistol


    and pointed it straight at Holden. ¡°Taylor, let me ask you again, what do you take me for?¡± Abe


    bellowed.


    The solid presence of the pistol immediately draped a dense cloak of tension over the room. Ashton


    silently shielded me with his body as he watched the situation unfold.


    Holden, however, seemed ustomed to Abe¡¯s behavior. He red defiantly at Abe, then said coolly,


    ¡°Mr. Abe, if you fire that pistol, I¡¯m afraid neither of us will be walking out of Gold Star Casino tonight.¡±


    Abe¡¯s face had turned purple. He had evidently dedicated his full strength towards restraining his


    anger.


    After what seemed like an eternity, Abe slowly lowered the pistol. He looked at Ashton and suddenly


    laughed harshly. ¡°Mr. Fuller, perhaps some other day then. Don¡¯t worry. There¡¯ll be plenty of


    opportunities for us to meet again. Off with you!¡±


    Nheless, Ashton¡¯s gaze never wavered. He remained expressionless even as he nodded politely.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be happy to meet for drinks. As for other activities, I still abide by the same principle that I won¡¯t do


    anything to hurt anyone else.¡±


    With that deration, Ashton grabbed my hand and practically hauled me out of the private room. I was


    utterly bewildered by the entire event and had so many questions to ask. My curiosity died on my lips,


    however, as I saw the urgency with which Ashton dragged me through the corridors of the casino.


    The first floor was bustling with its usual activity. Ashton weaved through the raucous crowd with me in


    tow until we finally arrived at the exit. Zachary¡¯s appointed personnel were already waiting for us there.


    With that, we hurriedly linked up with them and got into the car.


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    Ashton had just started the car when a crowd of people swarmed out, forming a barricade on the road


    before us.


    They weren¡¯t there for us. A few burly men had thrown a man out of the casino and were now


    determinedlyying their fists and kicks into him.


    Their chosen target was screaming for mercy, but his cries fell on deaf ears. Only when they¡¯d


    observed that the man was half dead did his assants consider their missionplete. They headed


    back inside, none the worse for the wear.


    Ashton coldly watched as the man convulsed a few times as hey on the ground. He struggled to get


    up but crumpled to the floor each time. Atst, hey iling on the floor like a trampled earthworm.


    I felt a sudden surge of sympathy for the man. ¡°Ashton, can we help him?¡± I asked impulsively.


    Ashton clenched his jaw and said nothing. I didn¡¯t press the matter either. It was a casino, after all. It


    was not the ce for kindness or pity.


    The man, however,y squarely in our path. Unable to drive away, we could only sit in the car watching


    him.


    After a while, the man seemed to have exhausted all of his strength. Hey unmoving on the ground


    like a corpse. Ashton¡¯s eyes narrowed. He then stepped onto the elerator as hard as he could. The


    sound of the engine revving was apanied by the sudden lurching forward of the car. I was


    convinced that Ashton had made up his mind to run the man over where hey.


    The man, however, reacted to the firing of the car¡¯s engines as if he had been shot. He vehemently


    wed his way up and sprawled onto the hood of our car. Blood still shone freshly on his face and from


    the corner of his mouth. The man then cracked a smile at Ashton and asked weakly, ¡°Are you really


    going to stand by and let me die?¡±


    Baffled, I turned to Ashton. Do they know each other? I wondered.


    Despite that, Ashton continued looking straight ahead evenly.


    The manughed, but it came out as barely a wheeze. ¡°You¡¯re both witnesses to the whole incident.


    Pity me and give me a ride to the hospital, won¡¯t you? My leg¡¯s broken, and I can¡¯t walk.¡±


    I found the man¡¯s utter nonchnce towards the danger he was in rather astounding.


    Ashton, however, pressed his lips into a thin line. He barely spat out themand, ¡°Get lost!¡±


    Even so, the man shamelessly clung on. In fact, he¡¯d almost mbered up onto the front of our car


    entirely. Lazily, he drawled, ¡°If you aren¡¯t willing to let me into your car, I¡¯ll continue lying here then. I


    wouldn¡¯t want to frighten that beautifuldy next to you, either.¡±


    Ashton was already seething at that moment. Without hesitation, he stepped on the elerator once


    again. The car surged forward, and the man lost his bnce, rolling off the hood thennded with a


    heavy thud on the floor. Ashton, however, made no move to stop the car. He looked as if he fully


    intended to run the man over.


    Fortunately, the man reacted with what would be lightning speed in his condition, narrowly avoiding


    being crushed by our car.


    The man¡¯s violent curses followed us as we drove off. ¡°You¡¯re insane! If you really ran me over, you¡¯d


    have killed me!¡±


    Yet Ashton paid no heed to him. After a while, his cries of abuse faded in the distance.


    I was quivering from the aftermath of that encounter. My entire back was drenched in cold sweat. I


    looked out the car window, focusing on the light of the streetmps shing past. After I¡¯d calmed down


    considerably, I turned back to look at Ashton. His face remained as grim as it had been the entire night.


    I waspelled to ask, ¡°Just what was going on tonight?¡±

 Chapter 870

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 870


    Ashton and Abe had clearly nned for their meeting in advance. I didn¡¯t know the contents of their


    discussion, but by entrusting me to Holden, Ashton must have been confident that Holden would


    ultimately fail Abe.


    Ashton gave me a sideways nce. ¡°Are you afraid?¡±


    I shook my head, then nodded, conflicted. Upon seeing my confused expression, Ashton broke out into


    a delightedugh, shattering the tension that had hung delicately over the car.


    ¡°Are you afraid or not?¡± he repeated, teasing.


    I thought for a while before answering him solemnly, ¡°A little of both, I guess. I¡¯m afraid because I don¡¯t


    know anything. If anything happens to you, I don¡¯t know what to do. I¡¯m not that afraid yet because I


    know that you always have a firm grasp of the situation. Besides, you¡¯re responsible. You will never put


    me in danger.¡±


    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    Ashton drove on, looking straight ahead. His gaze was unfathomable. ¡°What if I tell you that


    everything¡¯s out of my hands now?¡±


    I stiffened, but Ashton continued while ncing at me, ¡°Scarlett, no matter what happens, you must


    ensure your own safety first. Forget about me. No matter the situation¡­ just look out for yourself.¡±


    Ashton¡¯s sudden announcement startled me. What exactly does he mean by that? I wondered,


    disconcerted as I watched him intently. ¡°Ashton, is there something that you¡¯re not telling me?¡±


    Yet the man merely drove the rest of the way to the hotel in silence.


    I had intended to continue questioning Ashton, but weary from the entire day¡¯s proceedings, I fell


    asleep the moment my head hit the pillow.


    When I next opened my eyes, it was already morning. Ashton was already up and on the phone out on


    the balcony.


    When he noticed that I was awake, Ashton hung up the phone, then called out to me, ¡°We¡¯re heading


    over to the Taylor residence in a while. We¡¯ll leave once you¡¯re done washing up.¡±


    I nodded. After all, I had been expecting this ever since we¡¯d arrived at Moranta.


    On our way to the Taylor residence, Ashton filled me in on them. The Taylors were a distinguished


    family dating back generations. They¡¯d made a fortune producing arms during the war, and Ashton¡¯s


    grandfather had remained in the country, enjoying rtive peace. On the other hand, Archie, Holden¡¯s


    father, had instead been conscripted. Both George and Archie met through a group of mutual wartime


    comrades, one that also included Channing. Having stood shoulder-to-shoulder in the face of death,


    the bond between this group of men remained unbroken even with the passage of time.


    After the war, Archie had returned to Moranta to inherit his family business. The other Taylors had


    passed away due to illness or ident, leaving Archie the sole survivor.


    Naturally, any contention that ensued in the Taylor household was inrge part due to the struggle for a


    portion of the family¡¯s wealth.


    As Ashton and I entered the sprawling vi that was the Taylor residence, the sight of elegant, antique


    structures greeted us. Resplendent with fastidiously pruned greenery, piping brooks, and flower-filled


    meadows, the Taylor residence was no mere mansion. It seemed more like a pce to my


    wonderstruck eyes.


    We followed the maid into the living room, where quite a crowd was already gathered. I guessed that


    they must be members of the Taylor family. Archie was nowhere to be seen. From the ghastly looks on


    the faces of everyone present, Archie¡¯s condition did not seem optimistic.


    ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Fuller, Mr. Taylor¡¯s upstairs. May I invite you to follow me?¡± A voice courteously spoke


    from beside us. We turned to see the Taylor residence¡¯s housekeeper. He looked to be around fifty or


    sixty years of age and exuded a reassuring air of dependability.


    Ashton and I followed him up to the second floor of the house. He led us outside a room thick with the


    smell of disinfectant and medicine. A doctor was hurrying around, scribbling notes in his pad while


    giving orders to the maid, probably instructions on how to care for the patient.


    ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Fuller, please,¡± the housekeeper said again, gesturing towards the open doorway of the


    bedroom.


    The smell in the room was almost pungent. An old many on the bed connected to an IV drip that


    hung from a stand beside him. When Ashton and I entered, the housekeeper announced, ¡°Mr. Taylor,


    Mr. Fuller is here.¡±


    Upon hearing those words, Archie struggled to sit up. The maid dashed over to assist him. When he


    wasfortably resting against the bed frame, Archie focused his attention on us.


    The extended period of sickness he¡¯d endured had reduced Archie to skin and bone. His face was


    sunken and sallow and looked almost like a death mask.


    Ashton and I drew closer to the side of his bed. Raising his voice slightly, Ashton said, enunciating,


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Taylor. I¡¯m Ashton. I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m only visiting you now as I¡¯ve had pressing matters to deal


    with.¡±


    Archie mustered a weak smile. He seemed breathless, and the maid carefully strapped an oxygen


    mask around him. After taking several slow breaths, she removed it. Archie then whispered, ¡°I¡¯m d


    enough that you¡¯re here now.¡±


    Later on, Ashton and Archie chatted, their conversation mainly revolving around the past. After a while,


    however, Archie shut his eyes, obviously fatigued.


    The housekeeper, who had retreated to the side, sidled up to Ashton. ¡°Mr. Fuller, I think Mr. Taylor


    needs some rest for now. May I invite you and Mrs. Fuller to head downstairs for a while? We¡¯ve


    prepared some light bites for your refreshment.¡±


    Ashton nodded. We then followed the housekeeper back downstairs.


    Not a single soul had left in the interval that Ashton and I had been upstairs. As we descended the


    stairs, a woman marched towards the housekeeper, demanding anxiously, ¡°Neil, how¡¯s Father? Is he


    better? Did he ask for us?¡±

 Chapter 871

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 871


    Neil shook his head, then said gravely, ¡°Mr. Taylor is doing fine. I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Kate. Mr. Taylor didn¡¯t


    ask for any of his family members.¡±


    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t Father want to meet us? Even now, why is he still refusing to meet us?¡± Kate cried


    hysterically and stomped off in frustration.


    I watched her departing figure rather curiously but said nothing.


    Right then, Neil brought Ashton and me to a separate room, apart from the rest of the house. He had a


    few cakes and drinks brought in, then left us to our own devices.


    I turned to face Ashton. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we get going? We¡¯ve already met Mr. Taylor, after all.¡±


    ¡°Why are you in such a hurry to leave? What about Mr. Fuller¡¯s matters?¡± A voice rang out just as the


    door burst open. rmed, I froze in my seat. When I looked over to the speaker, I found myself staring


    at Holden.


    Holden was leaning against the door frame, clutching a sheaf of documents in one hand. He wore the


    same careless attitude with an apanying smirk on his face, looking utterly irresponsible.


    Ashton had also turned to look at Holden. However, he pursed his lips and said nothing.


    Holden strode in casually, then ced the documents he¡¯d been holding onto the table before us.


    Fixing his gaze on Ashton, Holden said, ¡°Dad got me to hand this over to you. Everything¡¯s written


    clearly inside. If you¡¯re concerned about any missing details, you may invite awyer over right now to


    take a look at it. If not, then sign it.¡±


    A quick glimpse of the documents revealed it to be a contract by the Moranta Foreign Trade


    Association.


    Ashton merely cast an unworried nce at it, then signed it without a second thought.


    Holden raised an eyebrow. ¡°Impressive,¡± he remarked, examining the contract. ¡°All right then. If there¡¯s


    nothing else, I¡¯ll look forward to working with you, Mr. Fuller.¡±


    Ashton nodded and replied solemnly, ¡°Please thank Mr. Taylor on my behalf. I won¡¯t let him down.¡±


    At that, Holden nodded in response. ¡°Mr. Fuller, at the rate your business is expanding, are you


    nning on achieving aplete monopoly?¡±


    Ashton remained silent.


    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    Just as Holden was opening his mouth to speak, Neil charged into the room. ¡°Mr. Holden, Mr. Taylor


    has just passed away.¡±


    The newsnded like a bolt of lightning. Holden stood as if rooted to the spot, then roughly shoved the


    stack of documents towards Neil. ¡°Hold this!¡± he muttered brusquely, then sprinted out of the room.


    Neil shed us an apologetic smile. ¡°Mr. Fuller, I¡¯m terribly sorry. Mr. Taylor¡¯s sudden passing has


    thrown the Taylor family into a frenzy. I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to continue hosting both of you. I


    humbly seek your understanding.¡±


    Ashton waved away his apology, then said soberly, ¡°We¡¯ll head upstairs to say a final farewell to Mr.


    Taylor then.¡±


    Neil agreed.


    The entire crowd had since migrated to Archie¡¯s bedroom, spilling over into the hallway. Some family


    members were fussing by his bedside, while others were wailing with grief. A few stood stoically in the


    shadows, their faces ashen as tears streamed quietly down their faces.


    Upon seeing Neil approach, Kate once again stepped forward and tugged at his sleeve. ¡°Neil, has


    Father¡¯s will been written yet? Did he leave any instructions before he died?¡±


    Kate¡¯s voice prated through the fog of sorrow thaty over the room. Besides, the impending


    answer to her question was of great interest to everyone present.


    Neil¡¯s calm gaze swept over the room. Then he said mildly, ¡°Mr. Taylor did say that if anything


    happened to him, Mr. Holden would be left in charge of his affairs. Thewyers will be over to read out


    Mr. Taylor¡¯s will in a while.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Kate scorned, evidently displeased. ¡°Why did Father ask a fool like Holden to take charge of


    his affairs? The Taylor family isn¡¯t short of members. Why did Father choose that bastard? Isn¡¯t his


    existence enough of an embarrassment to the Taylors?¡±


    A murmur spread across the room. The other members of the Taylor family gradually rose up with one


    voice to oppose the appointment of Holden.


    Neil, however, looked unfazed. cidly, he announced, ¡°I know that there may be some disagreement


    to Mr. Holden being in charge of the Taylor family. However, this is Mr. Taylor¡¯sst wish. He has


    already transferred all of his belongings to Mr. Holden. If anyone opposes this arrangement, they¡¯re


    free to leave the Taylor family and thereby cut off all ties with the household. If you wish to stay, you¡¯ll


    remain under the head of the Taylor family. You¡¯ll have to obey Mr. Holden then.¡±


    Neil¡¯s promation immediately quelled the Taylor family¡¯s desire to revolt. Kate, however, remained


    looking rather vexed. She looked sourly at Holden.


    Not long after, thewyer arrived.


    At the sight of his dark suit, the room seemed to light up in anticipation. Each one seemed eager to find


    out what Archie had bestowed upon them with his passing.


    Thewyer seemed to be on familiar terms with the Taylors. After a respectful bow to Archie, he settled


    down, retrieving a set of documents from their briefcase. He then addressed the waiting room in a


    measured tone. ¡°My condolences to all. Archie lived to a ripe old age and was able to get all of his


    affairs in order before he passed. I have here in hand Archie¡¯sst will and testament. I will read it out


    to all of you shortly.¡±


    A hush fell over the bedroom. After ncing at his audience, thewyer continued, ¡°Dear members of


    the Taylor family, if these words are being read to you, I would have already departed. Having been the


    head of the Taylor family for decades, I¡¯m well aware that all my things must be in order before I leave. I


    won¡¯t have any of our family members behaving disorderly in my passing and bing a


    laughingstock to the media and other families.¡± The will opened briefly with these statements,


    emphasizing Archie¡¯s responsibility and the Taylor family¡¯s wellbeing without much emotion.

 Chapter 872

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 872


    Thewyer paused and took a sip of water from the ss that Neil had thoughtfully prepared for him


    before continuing. ¡°For the sake of the Taylor family¡¯s future development, I am leaving all of the


    decision-making rights concerning the Taylor family to my son, Holden Taylor. Holden will be the sole


    manager and distributor of the Taylor family¡¯s enterprises and assets. This may not be a popr


    decision, but it was carefully made with the growth of the Taylor family in mind and must be strictly


    obeyed¡­¡±


    Minute details regarding the distribution of property and details about the Taylor family¡¯s enterprises


    comprised the rest of the will. Various expressions clouded the faces of those gathered in the room.


    Kate glowered at Holden, a mixture of hatred and resentment on her face.


    The threat that Neil had issued on Archie¡¯s behalf, however, was still fresh on everyone¡¯s minds.


    Regardless of their dissatisfaction, none of the Taylor family members was willing to renounce the


    Taylor family name and the benefits that apanied it.


    I believed that Archie had wisely foreseen the numerous objections that Holden¡¯s appointment would


    meet with. He¡¯d thus instituted this use in anticipation. However, the fact remained that Archie was


    no longer present to dictate things. The Taylor family might formally recognize Holden¡¯s leadership, but


    there were sure to be ripples of displeasure beneath the surface. The path ahead of Holden looked set


    to be a bumpy ride.


    After Ashton and I had said our goodbyes, we got ready to leave.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, may I have a word?¡± Holden shouted, sprinting after us. He caught up, panting and


    obviously overwhelmed by the entire proceedings of the morning.


    Ashton waited patiently for Holden to catch his breath before remarking icily, ¡°Holden, we can always


    talk another day. I believe that you have more urgent matters to deal with than ours.¡±


    As soon as Ashton said that, he grabbed my hand and stalked off, pulling me along. We left Holden


    standing there, looking after us rather dazedly.


    The moment we got into the car, I turned to Ashton with interest. ¡°Why did Archie select Holden to be


    his sessor out of his numerous other family members?¡±


    Ashton immediately retorted, ¡°Why did you pick me out of all the men in this world?¡±


    I was dumbfounded. What kind of question was this? What sort of answer was Ashton expecting me to


    give?


    Fine! I thought, slightly miffed. Then I slumped down in my seat. I¡¯ll stop asking questions.


    Back at the hotel, the phone was ringing incessantly. When I answered, sobs poured through the line.


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, I know you¡¯ve already helped me a tremendous amount. I shouldn¡¯t be asking you for


    more, but I¡¯m really at a loss now. You¡¯re the only one I can turn to! I¡¯m still short of forty thousand for


    Renee¡¯s operation. Can you lend me that amount? I¡¯m begging you, Mrs. Fuller. I know it¡¯s utterly


    shameless of me to keep asking for your help, but there¡¯s no one else I can turn to. Please help me.¡±


    It was Mrs. Brooks ¨C Sasha¡¯s mother.


    I frowned slightly. I wanted to refuse her, but my heart suddenly softened with a twinge of pity. ¡°Mrs.


    Brooks, haven¡¯t you raised enough funds for the operation? Why are you suddenly short of another


    forty thousand?¡±


    She choked, ¡°It¡¯s all my fault! I shouldn¡¯t have told my jerk of a son just before I was about to pay the


    remaining forty thousand! He stole the money and gambled it all away! Why wasn¡¯t I the one who fell


    sick instead? What should I do now? Good Heavens!¡±


    Sasha¡¯s mother incoherently rambled on, clearly on the verge of aplete breakdown. Parker was a


    notorious gambler, as Joseph had once uncovered. However, I didn¡¯t expect him to be quite so base as


    to steal money set aside for his sister¡¯s lifesaving operation. He clearly cared about nothing else other


    than himself and satisfying his own lusts.


    I replied slowly, ¡°Mrs. Brooks, I can lend you the money, but this will be thest time. The money


    doesn¡¯t concern me. I¡¯m willing to give the money as long as it will save her life. However, I sincerely


    hope you won¡¯t squander it, or always rely on others to bail you out.¡±


    She thanked me profusely, her voice hoarse. My heart ached for her, but we each had our own


    tribtions after all.


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    When Ashton finally emerged from the bathroom, I had just hung up and phone and was busy


    transferring the money to the ount that Mrs. Brooks had given me.


    Ashton nced at me, then asked in an unruffled manner, ¡°Shall we go out together tomorrow?¡±


    I considered, then shook my head. ¡°Aren¡¯t there a ton of things waiting for you back at Fuller


    Corporation? Now that we¡¯ve paid our obligatory visit to Mr. Taylor, when are you nning on heading


    back to the office?¡±


    Ashton tossed his towel aside, then replied gruffly, ¡°We won¡¯t be going back for a while. We have to


    attend Mr. Taylor¡¯s funeral first.¡±


    That had slipped my mind entirely. I lowered my eyes with a mix of resignation and frustration.


    Looking at me, Ashton gently encircled me with his arms. In a gentler tone, he said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell


    me what¡¯s bothering you?¡±


    I didn¡¯t n on concealing what had just transpired over the phone. With a few brief sentences, I


    outlined our conversation, then looked at him sheepishly. ¡°I just transferred forty thousand to them. You


    won¡¯t scold me for that, will you?¡±


    A smile hovered on Ashton¡¯s lips. ¡°Why would I scold you? I¡¯m pleased that my wife is a kind-hearted,


    charitable woman. If we can resolve an issue with money, it shouldn¡¯t be an issue at all. Forty thousand


    isn¡¯t too much to fork out for a good conscience!¡±


    I leaned against Ashton¡¯s warm body, stroking his toned arms. ¡°Thank you,¡± I whispered gratefully.


    Whenever I counted my blessings in life, I made sure to count Ashton twice.


    I didn¡¯t think of myself as an exceptional individual. As a matter of fact, Ashton¡¯s affection for me was a


    result of good fortune rather than any inherent merit of mine. Whether it was destiny or pure dumb luck,


    he was mine nheless, and I was thankful for that fact.


    My mind wandered back to the events at the casino, and I abruptly probed, ¡°Wasn¡¯t Abe in A City? Why


    did he suddenly turn up in Moranta? Were you on the verge of signing a contract with him in that


    private room?¡±


    Ashton looked at me, a smile ying on his lips. ¡°When did my wife get to be quite so clever?¡±

 Chapter 873

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 873


    I looked at him and waited for an answer.


    He smiled and said, ¡°Mr. Taylor has already passed both the Kingston area and foreign trade area of


    Moranta over to me. Abe has no way of staying in Venria anymore since the country has be too


    strict, so all he can do is escape into Moranta. Logically speaking, his father was friends with Mr. Taylor.


    Since he wanted to help his old friend, he sent me to deal with Abe but still ended up choosing me in


    the end.¡±


    That was why Holden had seemed so unsure in the private room just now. He wasn¡¯tpletely sure


    whether he was on Ashton¡¯s side yet. Instead, he was checking out Ashton¡¯s abilities. If he hadn¡¯t used


    my father as a trump card, Holden might not have ended up helping Ashton.


    Before the contract was signed, what Holden said to Archie had been the deciding factor. Archie


    choosing Ashton over Abe was probably because Holden knew that the person who could help him the


    most after Archie¡¯s death was his true ally.


    Ashton alone wouldn¡¯t have seemed so useful to Holden. However, if the Moore family was included, it


    was an automatic win. My father no longer joined in a lot of events, but he definitely still yed a


    prestigious role in our society.


    Ashton looked at me calmly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you mad that I used your father¡¯s name in my case?¡±


    I shook my head with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m happy as long as I can help. It¡¯s one of the ways I cane to terms


    with having someone as talented as you.¡±


    He smiled back and kissed me on the cheek. ¡°Silly girl. You¡¯re more talented than any woman could


    ever be. I¡¯d choose you over anything and anyone.¡±


    The man was simply flirting, but all of his words found their way into my heart.


    Everyone should avoid saving theirpliments toward the ones they love. After all, if it makes them


    happy, it will be worth it in the end.


    It wasn¡¯t exactly cold in Moranta, but due to the high poption, the sky was almost always grey and


    cloudy.


    Ashton had to leave the hotel rather early. After Holden took over the Taylor family, he was working


    together with Ashton since he needed his help quite often.


    I was rather bored since I was simply lying on the bed. After a while, I got up and left the hotel. Since I


    was in Moranta, I naturally had to visit the attractions.


    The streets were flooded with people hurrying here and there. On the contrary, mynguid, rxed


    stride seemed out of ce.


    Some people would asionally look my way, clearly confused.


    Nheless, I pressed my lips together and simply ignored their stares.


    Suddenly, a beggar on the roadside caught my attention. It wasn¡¯t as if I had never seen a beggar


    before, but that one beggar looked a bit familiar to me.


    The beggar returned my stare with a slightly furrowed brow. His stare was originally careless, but once


    he met my eyes, he jolted slightly in shock before smiling at me.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    That smile immediately reminded me of where I had seen him before. Ashton and I saw him at the


    casino that day, and he was surrounded by a bunch of burly-looking men.


    What happened to him? I wondered. Why did he end up as a beggar?


    I couldn¡¯t help but frown. Yet, I couldn¡¯t manage to feel any sympathy from those who dug themselves


    into such a hole. After simply ncing at him, I turned and started walking away.


    I continued my stroll but started to feel someone following me. With a frown, I looked back only to see


    the same beggar from before. My frown deepened, and I pulled out some cash I had on me and ced


    it on the ground. ¡°I don¡¯t have that much cash on me now. Just take this and leave me alone, please.¡±


    Despite that, he kept staring at me with the same foolish smile on his face.


    I didn¡¯t know what he wanted, so I asked, ¡°Is that not enough?¡±


    He shook his head and kept smiling at me until I started to grow visibly annoyed. Finally, he opened his


    mouth. ¡°Ms. Stovall, don¡¯t you know who I am?¡±


    Of course, I knew who he was. I looked at him with a frown still on my face. ¡°This money is enough for


    you to eat some proper meals. Stop gambling and get a proper job.¡±


    Despite knowing my words would simply bounce off of someone like him, I still felt like I had to say it.


    Nheless, He was still smiling like a fool. ¡°I don¡¯t want your money. My mom told me to thank you


    because you¡¯re a good person.¡±


    I frowned again. ¡°Your mom? Who is she?¡±


    He tilted his head in thought before answering, ¡°Well, she¡¯s my mom. Who else would my mom be?¡±


    I felt like he was just teasing me at this point and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°What I meant to ask is, how


    does your mom know me?¡±


    He chuckled, and for some reason, it started sounding creepy to me. ¡°My sister¡¯s name is Sasha


    Brooks.¡±


    That name had left a significant impression on my brain at this point. I instinctively froze in shock for


    quite a few seconds.


    Finally, I asked, ¡°You¡¯re Sasha¡¯s brother?¡± How can her brother be someone as reckless and addicted


    to gambling as this man?

 Chapter 874

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 874


    He looked at me, still chuckling slightly. ¡°Yes. I know my sister jumped from the roof of Fuller


    Corporation. You seemed to think her life was only worth two hundred thousand. She may have been


    young and easy to cheat, but I¡¯m not that innocent.¡±


    As I looked at him, I started to feel terrified. ¡°What exactly do you want from me?¡±


    He looked around before saying, ¡°Ashton seems to be very concerned about you. If I kidnapped you,


    he¡¯ll probably be willing to pay a huge ransom.¡±


    I was not the slightest bit curious at the words he said. On the contrary, I was rather surprised.


    After I calmed down, I looked at his dreadful appearance and said, ¡°Your sister killed herself. It had


    nothing to do with the Fuller Corporation. If it wasn¡¯t because of her kid getting in trouble, then she may


    not have even gotten the two hundred thousand. If you darey a finger on me, you¡¯ll only end up in


    jail.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    His chuckle was beginning to grate on my eardrums. ¡°Don¡¯t try to scare me. Do you think I have no


    idea about all those crimes you guys have done? You rich people think it¡¯s enough to chase us off with


    money, but all your money was taken from people like us. You¡¯re all just scammers.¡±


    His spiel was not in the least bit logical. I frowned, knowing that he was probably already too far gone.


    The logical part of me was warning me not to mess with a crazy person.


    Since I had been strolling without much thought, I hadn¡¯t realized that there weren¡¯t many people


    around me now. Outside of K City and A City, Ashton hadn¡¯t organized any bodyguards for me. All I


    could do was try to get away on my own.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you believe me or not. Your sistermitted suicide. I¡¯m sure you know much better


    than me because you and your parents had already ruined her life. She could no longer live her life like


    a regr youngdy anymore. The three of you are the real reason behind her suicide.¡±


    His once foolish chuckle descended rapidly into a dark frown. Then, he red at me and yelled, ¡°I¡¯ll kill


    you!¡±


    As he spoke, he suddenly pulled a knife out from between the thick folds of his coat and rushed toward


    me. With widened eyes, I could only stare helplessly as he approached me,pletely unprepared for


    what was about to happen.


    I felt like I had been plunged into the depths of despair and had no way of escaping.


    His knife was getting closer and closer to me. My limbs felt like they were made of paper; amidst my


    fear, I was simply a puppet without strings, unable to escape even as my mind screamed at me to run.


    ¡°Go to hell!¡± he yelled.


    ¡°How dare you, Shane?¡± A sudden shout shook me out of my stupor, and I remained stationary in my


    shock. After a few seconds, I suddenly heard a man¡¯s scream.


    After I finally calmed down enough to look in his direction again, I was in yet another state of shock.


    The man who had been waving a knife in my direction was currently pinned to the ground, being


    beaten up by two men.


    Holden stood next to me, looking at me like I was an idiot. His handsome features wereced with his


    usual reckless cynicism.


    ¡°Did this really scare you that much?¡± He chuckled coldly. ¡°And here I was thinking that Zachary¡¯s


    daughter would know better. I guess I was wrong.¡±


    His words were clearly meant to mock me, but I didn¡¯t take it to heart at all. Now that I was finally safe, I


    sighed in relief.


    I raised a hand to wipe away the sweat that had beaded out of my fear. Then I looked at him and said,


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    He seemed like he didn¡¯t even want to talk to me as he looked at me with disdain in his eyes.


    I knew he was looking down on me for my cowardice. Nheless, I didn¡¯t feel like getting on his good


    side either, so I chose to fall silent.


    Meanwhile, Shane was already practically beaten to a pulp on the ground. He was curled up in the fetal


    position and begging, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Holden! I¡¯ll never do it again! Please spare me!¡±


    Holden nced at the two men and indicated for them to stop punching Shane.


    They stopped and stood to one side.


    Holden narrowed his eyes and walked toward Shane. He then kneeled down and looked at him in


    disgust. ¡°This is my first andst time warning you ¨C leave her alone, or I¡¯ll chop off your hands. You


    like gambling, don¡¯t you? I wonder what you¡¯ll do without your hands. Will you be gambling with that


    rotten mouth of yours?¡±


    Shane was just as much of a coward. At Holden¡¯s threat, he nodded frantically and said in fear, ¡°I won¡¯t


    lay a finger on her again! I¡¯m so sorry for messing with you, Mr. Holden! Please let me go!¡±


    The disgust on Holden¡¯s face deepened, and he stood up while wiping his hands with his handkerchief.


    After that, he kicked Shane in disdain before saying, ¡°Get the hell out of here and never show your face


    in front of me ever again.¡±


    Shane scrambled up as soon as he heard that and ran off with his tail between his legs.


    I sighed in relief and looked around. It seemed like I had to hail a taxi back to the hotel. Walking was


    simply too dangerous.


    Holden cleaned off his slender fingers and turned to look at me. ¡°Do you need me to send you back?¡±


    He was clearly hinting at me to quickly get out of here.


    I shook my head. ¡°No, but thank you!¡±


    After that, I turned to walk away in the direction that I hade from. For some reason, Holden started


    to follow me. I turned back in surprise and asked, ¡°Mr. Holden, is something wrong?¡±

 Chapter 875

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 875


    He red at me and replied, ¡°What, do you own this road?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Of course not.¡±


    ¡°There you go,¡± he said with a shrug.


    I sighed. This man really is weird, I thought to myself. After walking for a bit, I heard my phone start to


    ring. Strangely, it wasn¡¯t with me.


    I looked around before realizing that my phone was with Holden¡¯s two men.


    Those two men read Holden¡¯s expression and caught on quickly, taking my phone out of my bag and


    passing it to Holden.


    I widened my eyes and looked at him. He answered the phone expressionlessly. ¡°Hello, Mr. Fuller. This


    is Holden.¡±


    Ashton!


    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°Holden, what are you doing?¡± I said in slight anger. What¡¯s with this guy? How can he just answer


    someone else¡¯s call like that?


    I reached out in an attempt to snatch my phone away, but Holden raised the phone out of my reach.


    Ashton said something, and Holden abruptly ended the call. He looked down at me. ¡°Can¡¯t reach it?¡±


    I tried to suppress my anger. ¡°Holden, that¡¯s my phone. Did your mom never teach you proper


    manners? Don¡¯t you know you shouldn¡¯t take things without the owner¡¯s permission?¡±


    His expression suddenly darkened. Suddenly a little frightened, I looked away.


    Smack! My phone got smashed on the ground mercilessly. He threw it so fiercely that my phone got


    shattered almost instantly. I started to feel kind of bad for all my phones. It seemed like none of them


    ever had a peaceful death.


    I was shocked silent by his sudden rage and looked at him in fear and confusion.


    He narrowed his eyes, clearly suppressing his own anger. ¡°Yeah, my mom never taught me manners.


    Are you going to try and teach me or something?¡±


    Upon that, he approached me dangerously. I stumbled back as he stared at me in disdain. ¡°Only


    someone as cheap as Ashton could ever fall for a woman like you. You just got lucky.¡±


    I was enraged by his sudden insult. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Why can¡¯t you just talk things out like a


    normal person?¡±


    Then, I knelt to pick my broken phone up. However, that man nudged me with his foot, and I lost my


    bnce. After that, he simply stalked away angrily with his two men.


    I was more confused than scared now. That guy is just in crazy, I thought to myself.


    Now that my phone was shattered, I clearly couldn¡¯t use it anymore. Besides, I had given all my cash to


    Shane, which meant that I could no longer hail a cab back.


    Since Holden hadn¡¯t walked too far off, I called out, ¡°Mr. Holden, please wait!¡±


    He stopped walking and turned to look at me with the same cold stare. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Since you broke my phone, I can¡¯t hail a cab anymore. Could you please get someone to send me


    back?¡± While Holden wasn¡¯t really the nicest person ever, I believed he was still a gentleman. Since I


    had the guts to ask, he shouldn¡¯t turn me down. Right?


    Wrong. He looked at me coldly and said, ¡°What the hell does that have to do with me?¡± Then he walked


    away with his henchmen, leaving me alone.


    I almost choked in frustration. How could someone be so heartless?


    I was forced to walk back to the hotel. Luckily, it wasn¡¯t too far away. In the meantime, Ashton was


    already sitting on the sofa when I got back with a rather displeased expression on his face.


    I nced at him and said, ¡°I just bumped into Holden. He snatched my phone away like some lunatic


    and even threw it on the ground. Now it¡¯s broken.¡±


    He was reading, and I couldn¡¯t really see his expression clearly enough to determine what mood he


    was in. I walked toward him since he hadn¡¯t replied me and sat down right next to him. ¡°What about


    you? Since you went out so early, you must have had a lot of work to do.¡±


    All of a sudden, he flung his book down and walked into the bathroom. I sat there in disbelief that he


    was ignoring me. Why is he so angry?


    As I remained on the sofa, he finally emerged from his shower. Patiently, I asked, ¡°Ashton, what¡¯s


    wrong? I met Shane just now. I nearly got stabbed, but Holden showed up in time. He may be an


    a**hole, but luckily he¡¯s notpletely ruthless.¡±


    Ashton continued to look at me with a deep frown on his face. He seemed to be holding his anger back.


    I was stillpletely confused as to why he wasn¡¯t answering. Is he angry or upset about something?


    After a while, he went back to reading his book, and I decided to just go to bed after taking a shower.


    After walking around all day, I had to admit I was pretty exhausted.


    The moment I stepped out of the shower, I spotted Ashton on a phone call. He passed the phone to me


    the second I walked out and picked up his book as if nothing happened.


    I took the phone and heard Cameron on the other side. She was saying frantically, ¡°Scarlett, Summer¡¯s


    having another fever. I don¡¯t know why, but she has been having fevers throughout this whole month.


    She¡¯s fine after taking some medicine, but then she starts burning up again after a few days. It¡¯s really


    starting to worry me.¡±

 Chapter 876

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 876


    I wasn¡¯t really sure what to do. Since I had to stay in Moranta for the next few days, I couldn¡¯t very well


    go all the way back and send her to the hospital. ¡°Mom, can you ask one of the maids to take Summer


    to the hospital? She may just be going through a bad case of seasonal flu. Maybe she¡¯ll get better after


    a while,¡± I told Cameron.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll arrange for someone to take her to the hospital tomorrow. Your dad and I have been so


    busy nowadays we can barely catch our breath. Come back after finishing your business at Moranta,


    okay? Don¡¯t go to A City anymore. Come back to K City and learn how to manage thepanies. Your


    dad and I are getting old, so you and Emery will be taking over soon. Since you¡¯re both so young, it¡¯ll


    be much easier for you two to take the reins. I¡¯m sure thepanies will do much better with you two


    in charge.¡±


    It surprised me to hear that they were nning to pass both the Moore Corporation and the Anderson


    Corporation over to me. Almost instinctively, I replied, ¡°Mom, you know I don¡¯t like all that business


    stuff. Nick and Emery are both skilled enough to take over. I still have stuff I want to do in the future.


    You can slowly give up thepany bit by bit, but there¡¯s no rush.¡±


    Luckily, Cameron seemed to respect my decision. She sighed and replied, ¡°You know, you will have to


    take over sooner orter. You¡¯re from the Moore family, after all. There are some things you can¡¯t just


    push to others.¡±


    I knew she was just reminding me out of kindness. Hence, I replied with a short hum, reluctant to say


    much more.


    However, my mood got much worse after the phone call. I had never even thought of those things. In


    the midst of all this new information, I couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly rattled. I turned around to see


    Ashton still reading.


    I felt like I had to coddle him a bit. After all, I had run out by myself and got my phone broken by


    Holden. I even got back prettyte, so it was inevitable that he would worry.


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    Because of what Cameron said, however, I was already in a rather unhappy mood. I decided to just


    crawl into bed. Maybe it was because I was worried, or maybe it was because I was already tired from


    walking around all day, but I fell asleep rather quickly.


    After some time, I woke up to some loud noises. I soon realized that Ashton was making those noises


    on purpose. He was practically mming his books down and even made a racket when he was filling


    a ss of water. His typing was usually pretty quiet, but today he was stabbing each key as if he had a


    personal vendetta against his keyboard.


    I wasn¡¯t nning on saying anything at first since I knew he was doing it on purpose. Sometimes, men


    could really be more immature than I could imagine. He was just trying his best to get my attention.


    How could I have not realized? At the sight of my indifference, he somehow dug out a calctor and


    started repeatedly pressing one of the buttons. The mechanical beeps kepting as he continued


    pressing.


    I finally sat up and looked at him. ¡°Ashton, can you stop being so childish?¡± He was almost forty, so I


    couldn¡¯t believe that he was still so immature.


    He red at me. ¡°How am I being childish?¡±


    I nearly choked on my spit. ¡°So you think you¡¯re being an adult right now?¡± In order to wake me up, he


    had already banged, beeped, and tapped everything that could make a noise in the hotel room.


    He looked at me and suddenly lowered his head, chuckling so hard his shoulders started to shake.


    Ever since I¡¯d met him, we never showed our weaker or childish side to each other. Despite having


    been married for many years, I sometimes felt as though we¡¯d just started dating. We had been all


    caught up in misunderstandings and jealousy until now when we could finally start interacting more


    comfortably.


    I watched him as he finally stoppedughing. ¡°What did you go out alone for?¡± he asked me.


    I thought about it for a while before answering, ¡°I¡¯ve never been to Moranta, so I thought it would be fun


    to take a quick walk. I was getting bored staying in the hotel room after all. I didn¡¯t know I would get into


    trouble, much less bump into Holden.¡±


    He leaned next to me and sighed, looking a little pitiful. ¡°Next time, please let me know your


    whereabouts no matter what. Worrying so much about someone hurts more than you¡¯d think.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little sorry for him and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll always let you know where I am from now


    on, okay?¡±


    A rtionship always ended up boiling down to two people missing each other all the time. The


    simplest definition of love was probably having someone apart from your parents love and care for you.


    I suddenly felt his hand on me and looked at him with wide eyes. ¡°Ashton, what are you doing?¡±


    He had already pushed my nightdress up to my thigh. With a gentle gaze, he asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going


    to pay me back for what I¡¯ve gone through?¡±

 Chapter 877

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 877


    I stared at him in surprise before shaking my head, feeling a blush creeping up on my cheeks. ¡°No, I¡­¡±


    Plenty of times, however, that sort of stuff always ended up happening in between all the pushing and


    pulling¡­


    Archie¡¯s funeral was on Saturday.


    I had roughly guessed Ashton¡¯s schedule for our short trip to Moranta. First, he had toe over and


    visit Archie. Apart from that, he also wanted to break into the Moranta market. There were many things


    that couldn¡¯t be done back home, but Moranta was considered a self-governed territory. Add that to the


    agreement he had with the Taylor family, and it was much easier to do things here than back in the


    country.


    Early on Saturday morning, Ashton and I dressed in formal ck outfits in order to attend Archie¡¯s


    funeral. By the time we reached the Taylor residence, the whole front yard was already full of people.


    There were plenty of people who hade to pay their respects. The atmosphere was heavy with


    pitiful sighs.


    After saying our prayers, Holden called for the attendees to line up in two lines in front of the casket.


    I didn¡¯t recognize most of the other Taylor family members, but Ashton had told me about their situation


    before. Archie had four wives. His first wife had passed away a decade or so ago due to an illness and


    was also from a well-off family. After that, Archie took over the Taylor family thanks to this first wife¡¯s


    help.


    That first wife gave birth to two daughters, much to Archie¡¯s chagrin. These daughters both turned out


    to be rather outstanding. One of them married into a rich family, and the other owned her own business


    overseas. With the Taylor family name behind her, she had made quite a name for herself.


    That meant that Archie¡¯s first two children were no longer part of the Taylor family.


    Archie¡¯s second wife was a famous celebrity from the nies. She had never been taken seriously by


    the other Taylor family members because of her background but managed to improve her reputation


    after giving birth to a son and a daughter. The Taylor family was one step closer to having an heir, but


    this heir got into a car ident a few years ago and became wheelchair-bound.


    Such was the fickle fate of rich families.


    As for Archie¡¯s third wife, apparently, she had been a reporter when she was younger and got married


    to Archie when he was already well into his fifties. Not many people were willing to believe that such a


    young woman married such an old man simply out of love. One wanted money, while the other wanted


    youth and beauty. Since they were both already adults, no one could really say anything despite the


    age gap.


    That reporter gave birth to two sons and one daughter. The sons were both Holden¡¯s age, but they


    were both quite the ck sheep of the family and didn¡¯t have a very good reputation among their


    community. That was why Archie sent both of them overseas. He put in quite a lot of effort to try and


    set them straight, but it seemed as if that didn¡¯t really happen in the end. Hence, Archie ended up


    making Holden, who was from his fourth marriage, the heir of the Taylor family.


    His daughter from the third marriage was Kate, who Ashton and I had seen before. She was almost


    forty and quite spoiled due to the Taylor family¡¯s upbringing. As a result, she was arrogant and had


    never fallen for any sons from other rich families. She had always stayed in the Taylor residence, and it


    was starting to seem like she always would be since she had no ns to get married.


    If that wasn¡¯t the case, she wouldn¡¯t have been so shaken up after hearing about Holden bing the


    Taylor family heir.


    Archie¡¯s fourth wife wasn¡¯t even his wife. After all, she never even married Archie. She was simply a


    woman whom Archie had had a one-night stand with. Not every woman who he slept with had a


    chance to actually marry into the Taylor family.


    Ashton didn¡¯t tell me too much about Holden¡¯s mother. All he told me was that she was a woman he


    had spotted apanying Archie at Gastronomia once. She was probably a prostitute who


    identally got pregnant.


    After Ashton and I finished paying our respects, Holden nced at me. It was a nce full of disdain,


    but since he had never exactly shown respect to me, I was already used to it.


    Holden then looked at Ashton and said, ¡°Mr. Fuller, could we have a word?¡±


    It seemed like they were about to discuss some business.


    Ashton nced at me and said, ¡°Wait for me in the yard, okay? I¡¯lle and find you in a bit.¡±


    I nodded.


    The Taylor residence was quite extravagantly furnished. There was an elegant pavilion as well as a


    large koi pond and even a fake mountain disy. The yard was practically designed to look like all


    nature had to offer was gathered in one ce.


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    I could, sort of, understand why all of Archie¡¯s wives could bear spending their time together so


    peacefully. As long as they didn¡¯t actually love him, they could have the time of their lives living in an


    extravagant mansion with the money to buy whatever they wanted. Ultimately, they had all the freedom


    they needed.


    There were so many shows that centered around a bunch of women fighting over some old guy. Now I


    kind of knew why. Rather than fight over his love, they were probably fighting for his money and power.


    To be honest, I simply couldn¡¯t wrap my head around any other possibility.

 Chapter 878

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 878


    ¡°Holden is a bastard child, to begin with. If my two younger brothers weren¡¯t situated overseas, he


    wouldn¡¯t have had the right to be a part of the Taylor family.¡± A voice rang all of a sudden. I froze for a


    split second before turning toward the source of the voice to see a mother-daughter pair sitting in the


    courtyard.


    It was Kate and her mother, Archie¡¯s third wife, who was approaching sixty years old, but she probably


    took great care of herself because she only looked to be slightly over forty.


    On the contrary, it was Kate who looked older than her years, probably because she was often gued


    with worries and problems which then reflected on her appearance.


    Her mother looked at her calmly and chided, ¡°You should be focusing on running thosepanies in


    your hands. It doesn¡¯t really matter who¡¯s managing the Taylor family. We¡¯ll still live our lives as they


    are. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re afraid that Holden will drive us out of the family?¡±


    Indignant, Kate scoffed coldly. ¡°You¡¯ve always been so passive. If only you fought harder, my brothers


    wouldn¡¯t have been stuck overseas when Father died. Holden is a nobody. His mother was just a filthy


    escort who used her body to conceive him. What¡¯s more, she¡¯s such a promiscuous woman. Who


    knows whether Holden really is Father¡¯s child? But Father handed the reins over to him just like that.


    Wasn¡¯t he afraid that he¡¯d destroy our family? We¡¯ll be aughing stock to everyone from now on.


    They¡¯re going to say that the Taylor family is being controlled by an outsider. Ugh¡­ I really can¡¯t


    stomach the thought of it, Mom!¡±


    Her mother sighed softly and looked at her with a small smile. ¡°My child, why are you so quick-


    tempered? It doesn¡¯t matter whether or not he¡¯s a Taylor anymore. He¡¯s only in his twenties. How long


    do you think he can keep his position? Be patient, alright? You¡¯re not the only one who can¡¯t ept him


    as the head of the Taylor family, and you¡¯re certainly not the only one who wants to see him go down.¡±


    Kate was taken aback and whipped her head to look at her mother. She was silent for a while before


    asking, ¡°Mom, do you mean there¡¯s someone else who¡¯d take action?¡±


    Her mother maintained her gentle and pleasant smile. ¡°The Taylors family business is far-reaching.


    Besides, we¡¯re not the only Taylors. There are still your uncles, all of whom are waiting for your father¡¯s


    funeral to create a scene, so be patient and just take care of thepanies in your hands. Your


    brothers will be back soon. Your father mentioned before to let them join Taylor Corporation to help


    Holden in running thepany. You¡¯re all young and have a whole future ahead. Don¡¯t wear down your


    own potential by being impulsive. Wait out the storm, and you¡¯ll be able to reap the most benefits


    because brute force is not always the way to go!¡±


    As though realization dawned on her, Kate nodded subtly and looked at her mother with awe. ¡°Mom, as


    always, you¡¯re the calm and rational one. Thank God you reminded me, or I would¡¯ve attracted


    unnecessary attention to myself by kicking up a fuss.¡±


    I watched the mother and daughter with mixed emotions whirring in me. This was probably the power


    struggle in wealthy families. It seemed like money and influence were all that mattered to them.


    Realizing that I shouldn¡¯t have eavesdropped, I turned around to leave. Upon seeing Holden standing


    behind me, I was so startled I instantly broke out in cold sweat.


    Then came Kate¡¯s voice from behind. ¡°Mom, I think there¡¯s someone there!¡±


    I froze in shock. Crap. Did they discover that I¡¯m here?


    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    Right then, Holden abruptly grabbed my arm and led me around the yard, taking me straight to the loft.


    After making sure that we weren¡¯t followed, he released my arm and said with an expressionless face,


    ¡°Ashton¡¯s waiting for you in the lounge room.¡±


    Seeing as that was all he said, I nodded and was about to leave.


    Right before I stepped out, his voice rang again. ¡°Regardless of what you heard, if you know what¡¯s


    good for you, you¡¯ll watch what you say.¡±


    This was a reminder as well as a warning.


    I nodded in understanding and replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I didn¡¯t hear a thing.¡±


    After all, I had no interest whatsoever to participate in the internal strife between the rich.


    He looked at me impassively and chuckled mirthlessly. ¡°I hope so.¡±


    Pursing my lips, I spun on my heels and left.


    The Taylor residence was enormous. Hence, it took me a long time before I found my way to the


    lounge room. Ashton was chatting with someone, so I approached him quietly. ncing at me


    fleetingly, he tugged me closer and introduced me before ending the conversation.


    He studied me and asked, ¡°Where did you go?¡±


    ¡°The backyard garden. I was just taking a stroll.¡± I paused and queried, ¡°Are we going home yet?¡±


    ¡°ording to the rules here, the guests who are here to mourn should stay back for lunch and send Mr.


    Taylor out together with his family.¡±


    I nodded and didn¡¯tment.


    After having lunch, Archie¡¯s coffin was finally brought out of the Taylor residence. It was a grand and


    large-scale funeral. Many guests made their way to the cemetery to pay their final respects. Only after


    the coffin was lowered into the ground did everyone go their separate ways.


    I was slightly taken aback to see Abe at the cemetery. Dressed in a ck suit, he was shrouded in his


    usual cold and sinister aura. The somber atmosphere and gloomy weather only seemed to amplify that


    bleakness in his eyes.

 Chapter 879

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 879


    When Holden saw him, other than exchanging customary pleasantries, he didn¡¯t have much of a


    reaction.


    Seeing him approach Ashton and me, I subconsciously hid behind Ashton as fear clutched at my chest.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, what a coincidence. We meet again!¡± he said with a minute smile on his face.


    Ashton kept a poker face as he met the other man¡¯s gaze. ¡°Mm, we meet again. I thought you already


    left Moranta.¡±


    Abe released an abruptugh. ¡°Of course not. Thisnd is where I was given a new life. If I left just like


    that, how would I be able to see the two of you again?¡±


    Ashton shot him a chilling nce but remained silent.


    The corner of Abe¡¯s mouth lifted into an arrogant smirk. ¡°It seems like you don¡¯t really like talking to me,


    Mr. Fuller. It¡¯s fine. Time is on our side. We have many more opportunities for a good chat!¡±


    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    Without waiting for a response, he walked away.


    I sighed in relief and quickly said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Ashton.¡±


    Ashton nodded, then cast a nce at Holden, signaling that we were leaving. With that, he looked at


    me and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    I followed after him and inadvertently peeked at Abe, who was supposed to leave. Instead, he stopped


    to stare unblinkingly at Ashton and me as though plotting some sort of conspiracy.


    Terror gripped my heart, and I subconsciously grabbed Ashton¡¯s arm tightly. Noticing my reaction, he


    put his arm around my waist and lowered his voice to say, ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. I¡¯m here.¡±


    I nodded meekly and continued walking alongside Ashton with my heart in my throat.


    After we got into the car, my nerves finally rxed. I watched as he started the car and asked, ¡°When


    will we return to K City?¡±


    He put the car in drive and calmly focused on the road ahead. ¡°Tomorrow,¡± he replied, then looked


    sideways at me. ¡°What did Abe do to you in Venria?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Nothing. After we were taken away, he didn¡¯t hurt me because of my rtionship


    with Armond, but he was very cruel to Nora and the other women. Abe treated their bodies as carriers


    for transporting kyanine to Western Europe.¡±


    He took my hand and gazed at me earnestly. ¡°Don¡¯t ever leave without a word again, okay? No matter


    what happens, we¡¯ll face it together. Don¡¯t decide things all by yourself, alright?¡±


    I nodded. Realizing that he was still driving, I eximed, ¡°Eyes on the road!¡±


    He smiled and shifted his gaze back to the road.


    After a moment of silence, he handed me a box. Slightly bewildered, I turned to him and queried,


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s from Holden. He wanted me to tell you that he¡¯s sorry,¡± he rified and ced the box on myp.


    I started opening the box, but when I thought about that insufferably arrogant man, I couldn¡¯t help but


    grumble, ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe that an egoistic man like him is actually capable of saying sorry. But what


    exactly can he offer me? It¡¯s not some kind of explosive, is it?¡±


    Ashton chuckled deeply and observed, ¡°You don¡¯t have a very good impression of Holden, do you?¡±


    I pursed my lips. ¡°Oh, please. That¡¯s putting it nicely. My impression of him is simply terrible. I¡­¡± I


    paused abruptly when my gazended on the phone inside the box. After hesitating momentarily, I


    remarked, ¡°I¡¯m surprised he had the courtesy to get me a phone. Scratch that, I¡¯m shell-shocked.¡±


    Rummaging through my bag, I found the memory card I retrieved from my old phone the previous day


    and inserted it into the new phone. Gripping the phone, I found that I quite liked how it felt in my hand.


    ¡°What brand is this? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen it before.¡±


    Ashton shot me a sideways nce and answered, ¡°It¡¯s a new brand called Rino. It seems to have just


    been released in Moranta and is probably considered high-end. It¡¯s also AI-based.¡±


    Nodding in realization, I began to study it but didn¡¯t find anything special. It just looked like it could be


    used as a projector to watch movies, which seemed rather cool to me.


    After logging into my WhatsApp, a session of messages flooded my phone within a short amount of


    time. They were all from Ashton when he was searching for me the previous day. Looking at the


    hundred or so unanswered messages, I was dumbfounded and suddenly understood why he was so


    angry the previous night. He must have been worried sick during the one hour of being unable to reach


    me.


    I turned to look at him andughed softly. ¡°Ashton, next time, just stop calling if you can¡¯t get through


    my phone. I could¡¯ve just left my phone on silent mode or simply didn¡¯t look at it. If I¡¯m ever in danger,


    I¡¯ll be sure to call you right away.¡±


    He gave me a sidelong nce and scoffed childishly. Then, he sighed and cast me a helpless look. ¡°No


    matter what happens, don¡¯t just turn off your phone or switch it to silent mode. I¡¯ll be very worried when


    I can¡¯t reach you.¡±


    I giggled while watching him. Honestly speaking, I really enjoyed his care and attention. Looking at the


    messages on my phone again, I noticed that some were from Nora, which were sent not too long ago.


    Nora: Scarlett, are you in Moranta? Armond went there too, yesterday. Help me keep an eye on him. If


    he has the guts to look for other women there, tell me immediately, and I¡¯ll fly right over to kill him


    myself!

 Chapter 880

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 880


    I burst outughing and typed back a reply: Ok. I¡¯ll definitely keep an eye on him for you.


    Ashton raised a brow at me when he heard meugh. ¡°What¡¯s gotten you in such a good mood?¡±


    After sending the message, I exined, ¡°It¡¯s Nora. She said Armond is in Moranta, and she wants me


    to keep an eye on him. She said that she¡¯d fly right over and kill him herself if he messes around with


    other women.¡±


    Ashton abruptly hit the brakes, causing the car to screech to a halt. Then, he snapped his head toward


    me. ¡°Armond is in Moranta? Since when?¡±


    Seeing the grave expression on his face, a sense of foreboding filled me. ¡°Nora messaged mest


    night, so he probably arrived yesterday.¡±


    Ashton¡¯s brows drew together. Then, he put the car in drive and was about to turn the car around.


    Having no idea about what was going on, I peered at him with concern lining my features. ¡°What¡¯s


    wrong? Did something happen?¡±


    Boom! Suddenly, there was a muffled noise. Before I could understand what was happening, Ashton¡¯s


    expression turned grim. He was initially going to make a U-turn, but the car lurched forward right then.


    ¡°Ashton¡­¡± I barely got one word out when the car swerved violently, making me feel like I was about to


    be thrown out at any second.


    Glimpsing the solemn and anxious look on Ashton¡¯s face, I suddenly realized that the situation might be


    more serious than I thought.


    Ashton kept ramming the brakes, but the car went out of control and abruptly veered off course.


    Realizing that the car was about to crash into an obstruction ahead, Ashton turned the steering wheel


    with all his might in an attempt to avoid it, but it turned out to be useless as the car still collided into the


    concrete wall.


    The impact was so strong that I nearly flew out of my seat. When the ringing in my ears finally stopped


    and I regained my bearings, I looked at Ashton and saw blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.


    Half of his body was hit by bs of concrete, and he was injured.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    ¡°Ashton! Ashton!¡± I twisted my body and leaned toward him, reaching out to touch him as I called out


    his name several times. Finally, he opened his eyes and looked at me. In a weak voice, he urged, ¡°Go,


    quick. Find Holden. He can save me.¡±


    Soon, I realized that there were several ck off-road vehicles approaching not far behind. Ashton¡¯s


    frantic voice sounded again. ¡°Go now. Otherwise, both of us won¡¯t be able to leave.¡±


    The cars behind were closing in. I knew that if I didn¡¯t run, not only would I fail to save Ashton, both of


    us would end up in trouble.


    Within a few seconds, I twisted the other way and crawled out of the car. Then, I stumbled toward a


    wall not far away and hid behind it.


    The ck vehicles pulled to a stop and a few hulking men in ck got down.


    I watched as they pulled Ashton out of the car. To shield me, Ashton¡¯s entire body was pinned down by


    the car and sustained heavy injuries. The menpletely disregarded that as they roughly dragged


    him into a ck car that was parked behind. Then, one of the men stepped forward. With a cial


    expression, he took out a cigarette and drew a few puffs before flicking the cigarette butt next to


    Ashton¡¯s G Wagon. I didn¡¯t realize it earlier, but the collision had damaged the car¡¯s fuel tank. Upon


    closer inspection, I also noticed that the car tires werepletely t. Thus, the reason Ashton


    suddenly lost control of the car was because someone had shot the tires.


    As soon as the cigarette butt came in contact with the gasoline on the ground, mes sparked to life


    and spread toward the car. As though carried by a strong wind, the mes quickly engulfed the whole


    car.


    It was going to explode soon. I nced at the car that cost millions with pursed lips. Drawing in a deep


    breath, I turned and left in the other direction.


    However, I didn¡¯t go very far, only putting distance between the explosion and myself. Once I confirmed


    my safety, I directly called the police. Originally, I wanted to call Holden, but I didn¡¯t have his number, so


    I could only try the numbers Zachary had given me. The call was picked up after only several rings.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall!¡±


    It was someone Zachary had arranged for me in Moranta. Breathing a sigh of relief, I exined,


    ¡°Ashton and I were hunted down. He¡¯s injured and was just taken away. The car has been burned


    down. Can you find Ashton as soon as possible?¡±


    There was silence on the other end for a few seconds. Then, he answered, ¡°Okay, but we¡¯ll probably


    come over to ensure your safety first.¡±


    I nodded and agreed.


    Because I didn¡¯t have Holden¡¯s contact, I could only wait until the person arranged by my father to


    come over. A middle-aged man arrived after a while and made sure I wasn¡¯t injured before informing


    me, ¡°The police will be here soon, and they might bring you to the station to take your statement. I¡¯ve


    sent someone to search for Mr. Fuller, but it seems like the other party made careful ns in advance.


    I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to regroup and strategize our next move.¡±


    I nodded and tried my best to stay calm. ¡°Okay. Ashton told me to look for Holden at the Taylor


    residence. Maybe he knows how to save Ashton.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    The person my father sent to protect was called Boris Irwin, the subordinate he entrusted in managing


    the assets in Moranta. Over the years, everything here was basically handled by him.

 Chapter 881

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 881


    Vivian had not seen a dead person when she was only five years old.


    ¡°Be good, little pumpkin. Don¡¯t cry.¡± Looking at the state Larry was in, Vivian was broken-hearted.


    Only Vivian knew how much she had endured during this period of time. Although she was not the


    person who was directly affected, they were all her loved ones.


    She had seen how much pain they were in and did not have it easy either.


    Often, a person would be more distressed by watching others in pain.


    As sheforted Larry, Vivian stroked his back in hopes that her son would be able to forget this


    terrible memory. If Larry could not forget that scene, it would be his childhood trauma.


    Vivian did not want Larry to have to deal with a childhood that he would always be afraid to remember.


    She wanted him to grow up well and in peace.


    As she consoled Larry, Vivian slowly fell asleep beside her son.


    Whatever happened that day was too much for her to handle.


    She had been cooking for Finnick when she received the phone call in the middle of it and had to rush


    over. Like Larry, she had seen the corpses littering the floor.


    She had also seen Samuel lying on the ground. Although she was devastated, she could not cry then.


    Only when Larry finally fell asleep did she let her tears fall.


    As she stroked Larry¡¯s back, Vivian cried andforted herself at the same time.


    As they fell asleep, Finnick was still up on the hill, kneeling in front of Samuel¡¯s grave.


    He simply kneeled there motionless.


    The next morning, Vivian made Larry some breakfast and noticed that Finnick was not yet home. After


    waiting a while longer, she went back up the hill with Larry to see Finnick.


    As it was still early in the morning, the paths on the hill were tough to walk on. Some nts along the


    way still had morning dew on them.


    The scenery atop the hill was beautiful, but Vivian was in no mood to appreciate it. She was very


    worried about Finnick.


    As they walked up the hill, Vivian was getting nervous the closer they got to the peak.


    However, she did not know what she was nervous about either.


    All she wanted then was to reach the peak as soon as possible so that she could find out what


    happened to Finnick and see if he was okay.


    Yet, since Larry was still young, they could not walk too fast.


    Larry still exerted as much effort as he could, eventually allowing them to ascend the hill in only a short


    amount of time.


    Vivian was suddenly panicked the minute they reached the peak.


    She did not see Finnick. The area no longer had any traces of his visit.


    She searched around the area, but to no avail. It was as if he had just disappeared from the face of the


    earth.


    He was nowhere to be found.


    He must have gone home, probably using another route.


    Vivian then decided to head home for a look and hurried down the hill.


    She rushed home with Larry, but Finnick was still nowhere to be seen.


    She searched around the house thoroughly, leaving no stone unturned. She searched the kitchen,


    bedroom, study, and even the bathroom.


    But there was nothing.


    Realizing that Finnick had left, Vivian walked off in silence, heading to a ce where no one would find


    her.


    She was upset but did not know how tofort herself.


    During this period of time, she had spent all her effort trying tofort Finnick. Yet, he had


    disappeared.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    Vivian knew that in this lifetime, she was the only person who couldfort Finnick.


    She also knew that Finnick did not simply disappear. He had chosen to leave her.


    Although she wanted to be sad, Vivian realized that there was nothing for her to be upset about. After


    all, Finnick had left to protect them.


    She was clear of this in her heart but simply did not want to admit it.


    Vivian slumped onto the ground spiritlessly, staring nkly into space.


    She seemed to notice a silhouette of Finnick walking past, but when she moved to take a closer look, it


    was gone.


    Looking at Vivian acting this way, Larry knew what had happened.


    His Mommy could not find Daddy, but she did not know the reason for his disappearance.

 Chapter 882

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 882


    Although Larry wanted to ask, he could tell that it was not the right time.


    Vivian was upset. If Larry asked her about it now, he was undoubtedly adding fuel to the fire.


    Vivian was saddened as she looked at Larry standing quietly at one side. She pulled him into her arms


    and cried.


    ¡°Little pumpkin, you¡¯re all Mommy has now.¡± As she hugged Larry, Vivian was thinking over possible


    ces where Finnick could have gone to. She was not about to give up searching for him.


    ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t cry. I¡¯m always here with you.¡± Just like how Vivian hadforted him previously, Larry


    stroked her back, hoping that she would not cry any longer.


    Looking at how helpless his mother was, Larry felt helpless, for he could not protect his own mother


    well.


    ¡°Your daddy¡¯s gone, little pumpkin. He left in order to protect us.¡±


    Vivian was worried; Finnick had not been in a good statest night. Furthermore, he had left just like


    that in the morning, without taking anything with him.


    Where would he stay at night? What would he eat? How would he support himself?


    Vivian had many questions in her head, but she did not dare to think too much about them. She knew


    that the more she thought about it, the more worried she would feel.


    She understood that Finnick was currently in a difficult situation. He had left out of fear that the enemy


    woulde for them.


    However, did he ever stop to think about what would happen to them if the enemy just showed up one


    day after he left?


    Vivian thought of whatever Finnick had failed to consider.


    When Finnick left, he had thought that Vivian would only be able to live a safe life after he left.


    He loved her, so he did not want anything to happen to her. It was the type of love where he could


    disregard his own life for his loved one.


    The more Vivian pondered over this matter, the more upset she got.


    They had only just reconciled but were now separated once again. Is our life doomed to have so many


    ups and downs?


    When Larry saw his mother cry even harder, he walked over to the sofa to get some tissues, then


    stuffed them in Vivian¡¯s hands for her to wipe her tears with.


    However, she was crying so badly that her tears could not simply be dried using tissues.


    Vivian did not move to wipe her tears. She let them run down her face as she felt the pain in her heart.


    Both of them had been overwhelmed by the various events in life that happened recently and had no


    time to catch their breaths.


    Since Finnick had chosen to leave, she would let herself cry for a while. After that, Vivian would have to


    carry on with her life.


    She would not waste his efforts and disappoint him. Instead, she would raise Larry well while waiting


    for his return.


    When the time came, they would be able to live the best quality of life together.


    As she thought about it, Vivian stopped crying. She looked at Larry¡¯s face, which resembled that of


    Finnick¡¯s, and made up her mind.


    She then brought Larry back to their home, the one that she had lived with Finnick in for seven years.


    It felt empty. No one had lived there the past three days, so itcked warmth.


    Fortunately, the two housemaids had helped to keep the house clean. Resultantly, the house did not


    look too dirty.


    ¡°Mrs. Norton, did Mr. Norton note back with you?¡± asked the housemaid when she saw that Vivian


    came back alone.


    The moment she heard that question, Vivian, who had been unbuttoning Larry¡¯s coat, froze.


    ¡°He won¡¯t be back these few years. You should just focus on doing your job well.¡± Vivian only provided


    a brief exnation before reminding her to focus on her job.


    ¡°Sorry, I spoke too much.¡± Judging by Vivian¡¯s expression, Molly knew that she had said too much.


    She immediately hit herself lightly on the mouth and looked at Vivian apologetically.


    ¡°Would you like to have some breakfast?¡± It was eight in the morning, which happened to be Vivian¡¯s


    usual breakfast time.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Both Vivian had Larry had not eaten much when they woke that morning. Now that Molly


    mentioned it, they were both indeed a little hungry.


    As soon as she heard Vivian answer, Molly hurried into the kitchen and started to make breakfast.


    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    Since it was breakfast, Molly kept it simple and made them English breakfast with some sandwiches.

 Chapter 883

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 883


    Vivian and Larry took their seat at the dining table. Looking at the dishes before her, Vivian found


    herself having no appetite at all.


    Seeing his mother¡¯s impassive expression, Larry, too, had lost his appetite.


    Vivian forced down some food and shed Larry a reassuring smile. Then, she filled the boy¡¯s bowl


    with some food before she continued eating.


    Soon, Larry started to dig in.


    Since the two had not had a proper meal for the past three days, they greatly enjoyed their meals.


    Everything would be perfect if they weren¡¯t eating the food in a bad mood.


    After breakfast, Vivian had Larry stay at home with the housemaid while she headed out to search for


    Finnick.


    Although she had resigned herself to live without that man in the future, still, she couldn¡¯t help but


    continue searching for him.


    It would be best if she managed to find Finnick. If not, perhaps this was the only way to make herself


    give up after countless futile searches.


    With that in mind, she drove off and soon started her search.


    Vivian drove at a snail¡¯s pace along the road, afraid that the movie scene where a couple missed each


    other by a hair¡¯s breadth would happen to her and Finnick.


    She was constantly looking outside the window while driving. One could imagine how slow she was


    going.


    Growing impatient, those driving behind her started honking, signaling her to speed up.


    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    Yet, Vivian ignored the honks. At this moment, all she had in mind was to search for Finnick. She


    wouldn¡¯t let anyone get in the way, and she couldn¡¯t care less about what other people might think of


    her.


    Feeling frustrated, the other drivers cut her off. They cursed loudly as their cars overtook hers.


    Regardless, Vivian continued with her pace while keeping her eyes on the roadside.


    To her disappointment, her search was futile. She then drove onto the highway and gradually sped up.


    Vivian¡¯s first stop was the garden where Finnick and her usually visited ¨C the very ce where Finnick


    proposed to her.


    She got out of the car and entered the garden. Everything in it looked the same, with the peonies in full


    blossom and the willow trees rustling near theke.


    She walked along the cobblestone path that led her to a green space. There, visitors were afforded a


    better view of the man-madeke.


    Vivian remembered Finnick loved hanging around there, especially during spring. The two of them


    would sit on the bench with their eyes closed. As the gentle wind blew, it brought along the fragrance of


    flowers. That was a real serene and leisure moment.


    Unfortunately, it was summer now. The zing sun was at its highest point, shining onto the earth.


    Unwilling to linger outdoor in the hot weather, the passersby were seen hurrying their way out of the


    park and would soon head home.


    Vivian was the only one making her way into the depth of the garden.


    Soon, she reached a pavilion. It was rtively cooler inside since the roof provided a shield against


    direct exposure to the sun¡¯s rays. On a sultry hot summer day, the pavilion was still stuffy like an oven


    as the hot summer wind blew.


    Vivian suddenly recalled when she and Finnick saw a couple quarreling at this ce. Although it was


    the youngdy¡¯s fault, in the end, the young man was the first to apologize.


    Seeing that, she told Finnick that she favored men who voluntarily admitted their mistakes. Thetter


    started questioning her childishly if she liked him or that young man.


    Inexplicably, she felt a tinge of happiness in her heart seeing Finnick being jealous. ¡°I like you,¡± was her


    reply.


    Vivian continued to walk around the garden. Every part of it seemed to be full of memories.


    Yet, now she was the only one reminiscing about their lovely and sweet moments in the garden.


    Finnick, the man who created those memories with her, was missing in the picture.


    She felt lonely and depressed. Just as she was overwhelmed by mixed emotions in her heart, the


    elderly on the other side of theke caught her attention. They were doing breathing exercises, yelling


    at theke to increase lung capacity.


    Since it seemed to be an enjoyable thing to do, Vivian was tempted to do the same. She crouched


    down, rolled her sleeves, and then cupped her hands around her mouth. After taking a deep breath,


    she screamed at the top of her lungs at theke.


    Instantly, she felt like a huge weight was being lifted off her chest.


    Thinking that this might be a good way of venting out her negative emotions, she continued screaming


    her head off.


    It was already noon when she finally felt better. The sun was scorching hot, yet she didn¡¯t seem to be


    leaving anytime soon.

 Chapter 884

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 884


    Beads of sweat were seen covering her face. Still, Vivian was determined to travel across every part of


    the garden.


    It was already three when she finally walked out of the garden.


    She had told the housemaid not to prepare her lunch when she left home. Thus, she went to a


    restaurant frequented by her and Finnick to have her lunch.


    It was a high-end restaurant; its dishes cost at least a thousand each. Yet, it was a price that she was


    willing to pay as that ce reignited memories of Finnick and her dining together.


    After lunch, Vivian decided to head to thepany. Although Chase Neville had taken over the


    company, she believed they would still let her enter thepany building and look around.


    There, Vivian spotted someone familiar to her. It was not her acquaintance but Larry¡¯s friend, Joey


    Neville.


    Joey Neville¡­ Chase Neville¡­ Both of them happen to share the same surname¡­ So, Joey is actually


    Chase¡¯s daughter!


    Vivian was surprised upon the realization, yet she couldn¡¯t care less about it now.


    The identity of Joey¡¯s parents had nothing to do with her. However, now that it turned out Joey was the


    daughter of the man who acquired Finnor Group, Vivian would no longer let her son make friends with


    that little girl.


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    At that instant, Vivian made up her mind to transfer Larry to another kindergarten.


    While she was deep in her thought, Joey came up to her and greeted, ¡°Hi, Ms. Morrison. It¡¯s a surprise


    to see you here.¡±


    Vivian was not in the mood to talk to the little girl, so she nodded in response and decided to leave.


    As soon as she turned around, Chase¡¯s voice rang out, ¡°Mrs. Norton, you just arrived. Why are you


    leaving in such a hurry?¡±


    The man¡¯s voice was so loud, making it impossible for her to pretend that she didn¡¯t hear it.


    She uttered coldly, ¡°Hi, Mr. Neville. I¡¯m simply looking around, and I¡¯m leaving now.¡±


    Actually, Vivian was a cold person. She would only let her guard down when she was around her close


    friends and families.


    To outsiders, Vivian was aloof and unapproachable.


    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you going toe in? Perhaps have a cup of tea?¡± Chase was discreetly eyeing Vivian up


    and down as he invited her in.


    He couldn¡¯t seem to figure out why Finnick would have his eyes on such an average-looking woman.


    What¡¯s so special about this woman?


    Every man would be interested in finding out about the secret of a mysterious woman, let alone Chase,


    adies man.


    Chase had a daughter with his wife, yet this man also had numerous illegitimate children.


    In fact, he had so many lovers that he couldn¡¯t possibly count them on the fingers of both hands.


    Back then, he only married his wife for money and power. His wife was not the kind of woman he


    imagined he would marry anyway.


    Now that he had all he wanted, he no longer bothered to hide his affairs from his wife.


    Since then, his wife devoted herself to religion and spent all her time diving deep into Bible to seek


    refuge from heartbreak. Chase loathed her even more because of that.


    ¡°No thanks. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll be leaving now.¡± Vivian cast a nce at Chase and gave him a


    polite nod. With that, she turned and left before he could say anything.


    Vivian didn¡¯t mean to be impolite. It was just that she didn¡¯t feel like dealing with Chase.


    So, she had no choice but to brush him off. She believed that Chase, the president of a hugepany,


    wouldn¡¯t degrade himself in forcing her to stay.


    In fact, what surprised her most was to see Chase at thepany. I thought eagles don¡¯t catch flies.


    It¡¯s just the second day of him taking over the Finnor Group¡­ Why is he so eager toe to the


    company? Is there something hidden in thepany that I don¡¯t know about and that Chase thought is


    important to him?


    Knowing she was overthinking again, Vivian shook the thoughts off her mind.


    The sky was turning dark as the sun went below the horizon. She decided to end her search for the day


    and headed home.


    It waste when Vivian finally arrived home. Larry had already fallen asleep.


    Vivian went to her son¡¯s bedroom to check on him. Looking affectionately at the sleeping Larry, she


    bent over to press a kiss on his cheek before leaving.


    Sitting alone at the dining table, she had some food for dinner.


    The house felt cold and empty without Finnick¡¯s presence. Since he went missing, Vivian had lost her


    spirit to do anything.

 Chapter 885

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 885


    Vivian looked around the house as she walked up the stairs and along the corridor.


    She knew Finnick couldn¡¯te back to her for some reason. Even if he was to came back, that was


    unlikely to happen in the near future.


    Vivian pushed open the door of the bedroom she shared with Finnick. It was the one ce in the house


    where they had created many unforgettable memories together.


    She was reluctant to indulge in reminiscence. Now, she needed to get used to life without Finnick.


    Only then could she stay strong and move on with life while waiting for his return.


    Meanwhile, a figure in his agitated state was seen walking on the road in the pitch-dark night. No one


    knew of his identity and where he was heading.


    The next morning, Vivian and Larry visited a kindergarten located somewhere near the magazine


    company.


    For various reasons, she didn¡¯t agree with her son attending the same kindergarten as Joey.


    ¡°Mommy, why am I transferring school?¡±


    Larry hadn¡¯t been to kindergarten for a while now. His mother had applied for a leave of absence from


    school for him. The little boy couldn¡¯t help feeling confused after learning that Vivian was transferring


    him to another kindergarten.


    ¡°Well, the new kindergarten is nearer to my workce. Don¡¯t you want to stay closer to me?¡±


    Although Vivian¡¯s heart was suffering from unbearable pain after having lost Finnick in her life, she had


    always tried to put up a good front and hide her sadness from her son.


    Yet, her forced smile carried with it a tinge of bitterness in Larry¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Of course I do!¡± Larry was aware that Finnick was gone, and his mother was left alone at home.


    He was willing to do anything to make her happy. Not only that, he would try his best to protect his


    mother when Finnick was not around.


    Looking at the considerate Larry, Vivian suddenly recalled how Finnick used to piss her off in the past.


    The father and son had totally different characters, yet they were both equally important to her.


    Vivian was d when she saw Larry started getting used to the new environment.


    Just as she was about to leave the kindergarten, she received a call from Benedict.


    She heard Benedict¡¯s voice over the phone, ¡°Come home if you have the time. There¡¯s something I


    need to tell you.¡±


    Benedict ended the call after receiving a reply from her.


    Initially, Vivian nned to go to work today, yet Benedict¡¯s phone call had thrown her n astray.


    Having no choice, she called the magazinepany and told her colleague that she was noting to


    the office for the day.


    Vivian couldn¡¯t help but let out a wry smile. She then hailed a cab, heading to the Morrison residence.


    She knew Benedict was going to talk to her about Finnick.


    Even though she was not in the mood to talk about it, she couldn¡¯t possibly reject Benedict.


    That man was her brother, and he cared a lot about her.


    Listening to the music from the radio, she reclined in the backseat and closed her eyes to get some


    rest.


    Benedict¡¯s house was located quite far away from the city center. He said that the ce was quiet and


    secluded.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Soon the car came to a halt. ¡°Miss, you¡¯ve arrived at your destination,¡± the driver reminded.


    Vivian opened her eyes to find that they were in front of the Morrison residence. She nodded


    apologetically at the driver. Then, she paid the cab fare before getting out of the cab.


    The Morrison residence had always looked the same since herst visit.


    Vivian took a deep breath in an attempt to brace herself before walking into the house.


    ¡°Ben,¡± she greeted smilingly at the man sitting on the couch in the living room, waiting for her arrival.


    ¡°Oh, Vivian, I prefer you crying than forcing a sad smile.¡± Benedict approached her, giving her a warm


    hug. ¡°How are you doing? Have you not found him yet?¡±


    He knew everything that had happened to Vivian. Initially, he nned to ask her over when he first


    learned about it. Yet, he waited until now, thinking she might need some time alone.


    Gazing at Benedict, Vivian uttered a response, ¡°Mm.¡± Then, she tossed her purse aside and threw


    herself onto the couch.


    She could feel her whole body aching after a tiring day. If Finnick were here, he would let hery on his


    lap and give her a massage.


    Benedict couldn¡¯t care less about her being udylike. He handed her a ss of water and asked,


    ¡°Why don¡¯t youe back and live here?¡±


    He wished Vivian could live with him since it was unsafe for a youngdy to live outside.

 Chapter 886

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 886


    However, Vivian had been through a lot in life, and she had long learned to stand on her feet.


    shing Benedict a smile, she rejected, ¡°There is no need. little pumpkin and I are fine staying at


    home.¡±


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Alright then. I¡¯ll respect your decision.¡±


    Benedict didn¡¯t insist since he knew his sister was a strong-willed youngdy. She would hardly change


    her mind after making a decision.


    ¡°Tell me if you need anything. Do you have enough money? I can¡­¡±


    Soon, Benedict started to encourage her to stay strong and take good care of herself and Larry. He


    even taught her a hundred and one ways to protect herself against perverts and bad guys.


    An hour had passed when Vivian finally had enough of Benedict¡¯s incessant talking.


    ¡°Ben, I suddenly recalled there¡¯s something I need to take care of. I gotta go now.¡±


    With that, she grabbed her purse and scurried her way out of the house.


    Benedict had had that heart-to-heart chat with Vivian to give her some emotional support besides


    cheering her up.


    It seems like my effort didn¡¯t go to waste. Vivian has indeed be livelier, judging from the way she


    fled the house. Benedict let out a chuckle.


    Looking in the direction where Vivian left, he soon fell into deep thought.


    Phew! Finally, Vivian managed to escape from Benedict¡¯s house.


    She took a deep breath and instantly felt refreshed.


    After checking the time, she immediately hailed a cab, heading to the magazinepany.


    The senior editor had only granted her a half-day leave, yet it was already half-past twelve now.


    She needed to hurry, or she would bete at the office and get an earful from the senior editor.


    The hectic life had allowed Vivian to temporarily forget about the pain of losing Finnick. Nevertheless,


    once in a while, she would still think of Finnick in the middle of the night.


    In spite of working, she would spend the rest of her time with Larry.


    Gradually, her life got back on track. It had been a long time since shest cried because of Finnick.


    In fact, she had tried to search for Finnick through the magazinepany¡¯s connections, yet her efforts


    were fruitless.


    Nevertheless, she was still clinging to the hope that she would one day find that man.


    Without giving up, she resorted to putting up an advertisement, which upied a tiny corner of the


    magazine to search for the missing Finnick.


    Even though the missing person¡¯s notice was barely noticeable in the magazine, the news of Finnick¡¯s


    missing spread like wildfire since he was a big name in the city.


    Now, everyone in the city knew Finnick was missing, abandoning his wife and child.


    Although the public had misunderstood Finnick, Vivian didn¡¯t bother to exin to them, for she knew


    Finnick cared little about what other people think of him.


    The magazine had a wide reach as well as readership. She would try every possible method to find


    Finnick.


    To Vivian¡¯s disappointment, she didn¡¯t receive any news though a month had passed.


    She knew if Finnick wanted to hide from her, he would never let anyone find him.


    In fact, Vivian had also hired a private investigator to look for Finnick¡¯s whereabouts. However, in the


    end, she received the same disappointing results.


    It was as if that man had vanished into thin air.


    Vivian¡¯s life went on. Every day passed with her waiting for Finnick¡¯s return while taking care of Larry.


    One day, seeing her reflection in the mirror, she suddenly noticed crow¡¯s feet forming at the corner of


    her eyes. That was when it hit her that as Larry grew up, she was also aging.


    Finnick is gone for a year now. Why is he still noting back?


    Larry had asked her the same questions as well. Although she had no answer to them, she would


    reassure the boy that his father had gone to a ce far away from them and that he woulde back


    soon.


    Soon Larry stopped asking her as he knew he would always get the same answer.


    The two of them continued with their life with the incessant waiting.


    ¡­ ¡°Vivian, are you going to participate in thepany¡¯s tenth-anniversary celebration tonight?¡± the


    female colleague sitting next to her asked.


    Hearing that, Vivian put down her pen. After thinking for a while, she nodded.


    It had been a long time since shest attended a banquet two years ago with Finnick.


    Vivian thought she could take this opportunity to have fun and rx.

 Chapter 887

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 887


    Besides, all employees were required to attend the celebration.


    After seeing Vivian¡¯s response, another female colleague chimed in, ¡°We¡¯ll go together!¡±


    The two female colleagues had never hung out with Vivian before. Now that they finally got the


    opportunity, they couldn¡¯t help feeling excited.


    They only joined thepany a few years after Vivian. Thus, Vivian was considered their senior.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I need to fetch my child, so I can¡¯t go with you guys,¡± Vivian said apologetically.


    She needed to make sure that her son arrived home safe and sound before she could attend the


    banquet at night.


    It wouldn¡¯t be much of a problem leaving Larry at home since the housemaid was there to take care of


    him. Besides, Larry was a good boy. She had confidence in him that he would behave well at home.


    ¡°Alright then.¡± The two colleagues were a little disappointed.


    They were actually a little envious of Vivian when they heard from other seniors that her husband was


    the famous Finnick Norton ¨C the president of Finnor Group before it changed hands.


    Nevertheless, it was not the time to be jealous as they were not yet done with their job.


    Soon they returned to their work at hand.


    After leaving the office, Vivian picked Larry up at the kindergarten and brought him back home.


    Since there was ample time before the banquet began, she ate some noodles with Larry and had a


    little chat with him. Then, she left the little boy in the hands of the housemaid before leaving.


    On her way to the banquet, she felt something was off as restlessness crept onto her heart.


    In the end, she thought it was her feeling nervous about attending a banquet for the first time after two


    years.


    Vivian wore a ck dress and exquisite makeup. She looked like a goddess, aloof and distant.


    A lot of the new employees were stunned by her appearance. It was the first time they saw her


    dressing up.


    Being in the center of attention, Vivian didn¡¯t feel shy or out of ce. Instead, she graciously smiled at


    the crowd.


    Some male employees even invited her for a dance though she rejected them.


    She should discipline herself in case Finnick would be jealous when he came back and learned about


    her dancing with another man.


    At the long table, Vivian grabbed herself a ss of orange juice. Just then, someone greeted her, ¡°Hi,


    Vivian.¡±


    She turned around to find that it was one of her colleagues though they barely knew each other.


    Vivian returned her greeting, ¡°Hi.¡± She was usually courteous toward those who took the initiative to


    talk to her.


    The youngdy introduced herself, ¡°Vivian, I¡¯m Paris.¡± While doing so, she couldn¡¯t help casting her


    eyes at Vivian¡¯s beautiful dress.


    Vivian simply nodded and waited for her to continue.


    ¡°Vivian, I¡¯ve heard that there will be a lucky draw tonight. The winner gets to make a wish. With its


    power and connections, thepany will definitely make the winner¡¯s wishe true. Do you want to


    try your luck?¡±


    The participation was entirely voluntary. Those who wished to participate needed only to inform their


    employee ID.


    Paris already took part in the lucky draw, and she was here to ask if Vivian would like to take part as


    well.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Although she was new to thepany, she got a good impression of Vivian ¨C the cold yet experienced


    journalist.


    Seeing Vivian standing alone, she decided toe and talk to her.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Vivian never thought of winning the lucky draw. She participated in it, hoping to get some good


    luck from the festive event.


    Since she was now at the banquet, she should rx and have fun.


    After Paris led Vivian to put her employee ID into the lucky draw box, the two took a walk in the garden


    at the back of the hall.


    They headed back to the hall when there were only five minutes left before the event began.


    The host started the event by weing the guests with warm greetings. Vivian was sick of the same


    old customary opening remarks, yet the employees were not allowed to leave the hall.


    Having no choice, she could only chat with Paris to pass the time.


    Fortunately, the host was considerate enough to end the boring opening remarks real quick. Following


    up was the lucky draw session.

 Chapter 888

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 888


    All the employers held their breath as the host reached his hand into the lucky draw box.


    Everyone was excited, except Vivian and Paris.


    The former was unperturbed as she didn¡¯t believe she would be the winner; thetter was simply


    unconcerned about the prize.


    The host drew a number tag from the box and announced the employer ID, ¡°1220.¡±


    The sound of people sighing ensued.


    Seeing that no one came forward, the host asked, ¡°Who has the employer ID 1220?¡±


    Hearing that, Vivian curled her lips into a smile. Lucky me.


    She made her way onto the stage under the crowd¡¯s envious stare.


    Although she didn¡¯t believe that thepany was capable of granting her wish, she cated a


    pleasant smile nevertheless.


    The way she behaved on the stage in front of her colleagues and superiors represented her attitude


    toward thepany.


    ¡°Please be quiet, everyone.¡± The host raised his hand to get the hall to quiet down. ¡°Now, it¡¯s time for


    Vivian, our lucky winner, to make a wish.¡±


    The next moment, the crowds cheered Vivian on.


    Vivian had indeed stood out that night by making a grand appearance in that beautiful dress and


    bing the winner of the lucky draw.


    As the crowd went wild, the host once again called out, ¡°Silence, everyone.¡±


    The banquet just got started, and there were still a lot of activities toe. If the guests got too excited


    right now, they might be too tired to join the uing events.


    Anyway, the host was just worrying over nothing.


    The host gave Vivian a signal and said, ¡°Come, make your wish.¡±


    Vivian nodded. Standing before the lit-up candles, she murmured a few words under her breath with


    her eyes closed and her hands sped.


    After that, she left the stage.


    Regardless of whether the wish woulde true, Vivian would always be hopeful.


    Soon it was the cake-cutting session.


    The crowd fell into silence as Lesley walked onto the stage. They knew the senior editor was not


    someone they should mess with.


    It was a good thing to have a senior editor who had a deterrent effect on the employees.


    While exuding an overbearing aura, Lesley grabbed the serrated knife and cut the cake smoothly.


    This time, the crowd dared not to cheer. Lesley cast her eyes impassively over the whole lot before she


    walked down the stage.


    She was not a supercilious person, nor was she belittling the employees. It was just that she had a cold


    personality.


    Thus, the employees nicknamed her ¡°Maleficent¡± though they dared only call that behind her back.


    Soon, the atmosphere turned upbeat when the host said cheerfully, ¡°Now, it¡¯s time for us to have fun!


    Let the party begin!¡±


    All of the employees, including the host himself, got excited when they could finally have fun after a


    tiring day at work.


    They gathered around and engaged themselves in party games.


    Later, they headed to the karaoke for an after party.


    Vivian sat on the couch while she quietly watched the other colleagues singing.


    She would asionally respond to Paris when thetter talked to her.


    After a while, Vivian¡¯s phone vibrated. She exited the karaoke booth to answer the call.


    ¡°Little pumpkin?¡± She was curious about the reason for Larry calling.


    ¡°Mommy, it¡¯ste now. Why are you not home yet? You still need to work tomorrow!¡± Larry spoke


    disapprovingly like a little adult over the phone.


    Vivian was at a loss for words. Eventually, she promised her son that she would go home right away.


    Back in the karaoke booth, she took leave from Paris before excusing herself to the senior director,


    ¡°Ms. Jenson, I need to go home now. My son is still waiting for me.¡±


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    Hearing that, Lesley nodded her approval.


    After leaving the karaoke, Vivian hurriedly got into her car and drove home.


    She needed to arrive home as soon as possible, or her son would definitely nag at her.


    It wasn¡¯t long after the first call when she received a second call from Larry.

 Chapter 889

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 889


    ¡°Mommy, where are you now?¡± Larry had waited for fifteen minutes, yet his mother was still not home


    yet.


    Vivian knew she was near the neighborhood when the familiar row of shops came into sight. ¡°I¡¯m


    almost home now.¡±


    She soon arrived home and was changing into slippers in the doorway. It startled her when she


    suddenly heard Larry¡¯s voice from behind, ¡°Mommy.¡±


    She spun around to see Larry looking at her, his gaze shining with awe.


    The next moment, the little boy furrowed his brows and said, ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t forget about Daddy.¡±


    With that, he turned and left for his bedroom.


    The little boy waited up for his mother so that she woulde home early. Now that his mission was


    aplished, he could finally cast his worries away and go to bed.


    Meanwhile, Vivian was amused by her son¡¯s remark. Is he worried that I might find him a stepfather?


    As she entered the washroom, she noticed Larry had helped squeeze toothpaste on her toothbrush


    and had the towel prepared for her. At that instant, she felt warmth in her heart.


    With a heartfelt smile, she murmured, ¡°Little pumpkin, you¡¯re starting to look like your father.¡±


    In no time, she brushed her teeth and removed her makeup.


    In her bedroom, she saw a note with neat handwriting on the nightstand, which wrote: Goodnight,


    Mommy.


    The heartwarming words brought a smile onto her face. Soon she fell into a deep slumber.


    Life went on as usual. Every day, Vivian would recharge herself by spending some family time with


    Larry after a tiring day at work. The little boy had always shown his care and concern for her.


    She realized that Larry started to look increasingly like his father.


    Sometimes, she would find some of his facial expressions and behavior simr to Finnick¡¯s. He was


    just like a miniature version of that man.


    Yet, the two had different characters and personalities. Finnick was a warm person, while Larry was a


    bit overbearing and dominant.


    As his mother, Vivian would ept Larry for who he was. What was more, Larry was the crystallization


    of the love between Finnick and her.


    She couldn¡¯t ask for more as long as the boy was always there with her.


    One morning, when Vivian arrived at the office, she noticed the others were all talking about her. Some


    even regarded her with an envious gaze.


    After settling down at her desk, she asked her colleague sitting next to her, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Her colleague seemed hesitant as she spoke, ¡°You haven¡¯t heard about it? You¡¯re going to interview


    the president of argepany.¡±


    Vivian couldn¡¯t help feeling confused.


    Soon, Lesley was there to clear her doubts. ¡°Vivian,e with me.¡±


    Lesley had received the news when she arrived at the office. Seeing Vivian at her cubicle, she called


    her into her office to talk to her about it.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Okay.¡± Vivian¡¯s had a bad feeling about it, yet she had no choice but toply with the senior


    editor¡¯s order.


    In her office, Lesley asked Vivian to take a seat and then handed a document to her.


    Vivian¡¯s eyes widened as she skimmed through it. I¡¯m going to interview Finnor Group¡¯s president?


    She was shocked to learn that she was being entrusted with the duty to interview Chase Neville, the


    man who took over Finnick¡¯spany.


    Although she was reluctant to interview that man, she mustply with her superior¡¯s order. Yet, it was


    a bitter pill for her to swallow.


    She tried to negotiate with the senior editor, ¡°Um¡­ Ms. Jenson, could I not do this interview?¡±


    ¡°Either you do the interview or quit your job,¡± was the ruthless Lesley¡¯s reply.


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    What a fool I am to pin my hope on the Lesley to show mercy. In the end, Vivian gave in. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    She listened to Lesley when thetter told her about the things she needed to be mindful of during the


    interview.


    Downhearted, she came out of the senior editor¡¯s office with her feet shuffling and her shoulders


    slouching. I¡¯ve been trying hard to stay away from everything that reminds me of the past. Why must


    they ask me to interview that man?


    Vivian knew she couldn¡¯t run away this time.


    For the past few years, she had always refused to buy any of the Finnor Group¡¯s products as they


    would remind her that thepany had changed ownership.


    She had even transferred her son to a new kindergarten to prevent him from going to the same school


    as Joey.

 Chapter 890

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 890


    Yet, it seemed like there was no escaping from the inevitable.


    Vivian couldn¡¯t possibly make the senior editor change her mind, so she braced herself for the


    interview. It¡¯s no big deal at all! I¡¯ll treat the interview as having a casual conversation with him. Chase


    won¡¯t bite; there¡¯s no need to fret.


    Since the interview was a great opportunity to gain experience, Vivian was required to bring a junior


    journalist with her. Lesley told her that the junior journalist would turn up at her desk, yet she didn¡¯t


    mention the specific time.


    After waiting for a long time, the junior journalist was still nowhere to be seen. Vivian then went to the


    pantry to pour herself a cup of water.


    A familiar voice rang out, ¡°Vivian.¡± She turned around to find that it was Paris.


    Vivian nodded smilingly at the youngdy and then continued drinking her water.


    She thought Paris was just passing by the pantry.


    To her surprise, it turned out that Paris was the junior journalist who would be joining her to interview


    Chase. It¡¯s Paris! What a coincidence!


    She told Paris, ¡°Come to the meeting room after you finish your coffee. We need to discuss the


    interview.¡±


    Since tomorrow was the interview, they needed toe up with the questions and discuss the details.


    After all, the subject of their interview was Chase, the president of a conglomerate. They couldn¡¯t afford


    to let anything go wrong during the interview.


    That day, Vivian and the team worked two hours overtime and only got off work at seven in the


    evening.


    Since they missed lunch, Vivian decided to treat the team to dinner.


    The team members included a photographer, an assistant, and Paris.


    All of them were delighted when Vivian told them she was treating them to dinner. They quickly


    grabbed their coat and soon arrived at a restaurant.


    ¡°Vivian, I heard you¡¯ve interviewed Finnor Group¡¯s president before. Is that true?¡±


    After working together for an entire day, the team members realized that Vivian was not as


    unapproachable as rumor had it. Thus, they felt free to ask her questions.


    Vivian answered frankly, ¡°I did interview Finnor Group¡¯s president before, but not the current president.¡±


    She still remembered her interviewing Finnick on the day they got married.


    Although it happened seven years ago, that day¡¯s memory remained vivid in her mind.


    ¡°Huh?¡± The team members were clueless. Before they could ask for further rification, the server had


    brought them their food.


    As their curiosity sumbed to the temptation of the delicious food, they ended the conversation and


    started digging in.


    They greatly enjoyed themselves. Yet, if they hadn¡¯t asked Vivian that question, perhaps she would find


    the meal more enjoyable.


    After making payment, Vivian bade them goodbye and drove home.


    Larry was already asleep by the time she arrived home. Lying on the bed, she started recalling her past


    with Finnick.


    Soon, she fell asleep with bittersweet feelings in her heart.


    The next morning, the team members were already waiting at the office when she arrived.


    ¡°Morning, Vivian,¡± they greeted her.


    After returning their greetings, she asked them to prepare to leave for Finnor Group.


    The interview was scheduled at nine-thirty, and they still had an hour¡¯s time to travel there.


    Although the journey would only take about fifteen minutes, Vivian thought it would be better for them


    to arrive ahead of time.


    Before leaving, Lesley called her to her office and handed her a document. ¡°I¡¯ve prepared some


    questions for the interview. You can pick a few of them and ask during the interview.¡±


    The only way a magazinepany could gain a strong foothold in the industry was by digging into


    scandals and publishing first-hand news.


    Vivian was rendered speechless as she flipped through the document. There were three pages of


    them! Since it was near the departing time, she decided to bring the document with her and yed it by


    ear during the interview.


    After all, as a senior journalist, she had acquired the ability to think on her feet over the years.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Vivian took the lead getting into the car that thepany assigned to them.


    Amongst the team members, the photographer was more experienced and knowledgeable with the


    interviewing procedure. As for the assistant, she needed only to wait for them and provide assistance


    when asked to.


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    Thus, Paris was the most nervous one amongst them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. During the interview, you can imagine him as a¡­¡± Vivian was trying toe up with


    something.


    The witty assistant suggested, ¡°A cabbage!¡±


    ¡°Yes! We¡¯ll treat him as a cabbage.¡± Vivian shot the assistant an approving look. Feeling amused, Paris


    broke intoughter.

 Chapter 891

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 891


    I had no idea how long Ashton had been in the chamber. His entire body was stiff, while his forehead


    was icy cold to the touch. The man had lost consciousness.


    ¡°Ashton, I¡¯m here! Wake up! Please wake up.¡± I removed my coat before wrapping it around his body.


    Then, I cuddled up with him, trying to warm his body.


    The man didn¡¯t give any response. Not wasting any time, I helped him up and carried him on my back


    before we moved toward the exit.


    Meanwhile, I inform Boris, ¡°Boris, I found Ashton in the refrigerating chamber, but he is unconscious.


    Come fast!¡±


    Bang! Just then, the door of the refrigerating chamber was being mmed shut. The next moment, I


    noticed the temperature in the chamber dropped drastically.


    At that instant, we were surrounded by biting cold air that blew directly onto us.


    While carrying Ashton, I tried in vain to get into contact with Boris. It turned out that the signal of the


    earbud was cut off.


    Ashton¡¯s body temperature was bing lower by the minute while his body grew unpliable. Hugging


    him tighter in my arms, I called out, ¡°Ashton, I¡¯m Scarlett! I¡¯m here! Don¡¯t sleep, or I will get mad. Wake


    up, Ashton! Wake up!¡±


    Being eaten up by fear, there was little rationality left in me. All I could do was to keep talking to Ashton


    though he could give me no response. Soon, I was overwhelmed by panic as the chillness prated


    my body.


    I snuggled close to Ashton. The damp areas in the chamber and even the water vapor started to


    freeze.


    I could feel my body grew stiff, let alone Ashton¡¯s. I kept rubbing his hands, trying to warm them. As I


    continued talking to him, my tears started rolling down my cheeks and froze in no time, which caused


    numbness and a tingling sensation.


    There was nothing but silence outside the chamber. I was on the verge of a breakdown as Ashton


    started to lose vital signs. Feeling helpless, I clung to the Ashton, shivering and crying.


    Since I had been through the trauma of being locked inside a freezer, I started suffering an acute stress


    reaction. Being overwhelmed by fear of the cold, my body convulsed. Just then, I vaguely heard


    Ashton¡¯s voice saying, ¡°Let her go. I¡¯ll sign it.¡±


    It was the first time he ever spoke since I entered the chamber. I opened my eyes and tried to turn to


    look at him, yet it was hard to move my body.


    Right then, the door of the refrigerating chamber was being flung open. The person who appeared was


    none other than Armond. In his burgundy red suit, the man stered a faint smile.


    It was within my expectation that Armond was the one behind Ashton¡¯s kidnapping. Still, I couldn¡¯t bring


    myself to believe that he would be so cruel to us.


    ¡°Hand me the contract,¡± he ordered his subordinate. Then, he turned to face Ashton. ¡°Please sign it,


    Mr. Fuller.¡±


    I regarded him in disbelief. ¡°How could you do this to us?¡±


    Gazing at me, Armond curled his lips into his usual gentle smile. ¡°Actually, Scarlett, it¡¯s all thanks to


    you. If you hadn¡¯te here, Mr. Fuller would rather die instead of signing this contract.¡±


    He then ced the contract in front of Ashton and said smilingly, ¡°Mr. Fuller, you indeed love Ms.


    Stovall a lot. You could stand the blistering cold for more than ten hours, but you gave in when Ms.


    Stovall was locked in the chamber with you. Oh, what a grand love you have for her!¡±


    ¡°You b*stard!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but curse. In my arms, Ashton¡¯s body was stiff, and he could hardly open


    his eyes. If I weren¡¯t here, he wouldn¡¯t remain conscious until now.


    Disregarding my hostility, Armond put the pen in Ashton¡¯s hand and then forced thetter to sign the


    contract. I cast my eyes at Ashton and then at Armond. The next moment, I pulled out the knife that


    Boris gave me for self-defense purposes and grabbed Armond¡¯s cor, pressing it hard against his


    throat. ¡°Let us go, or we¡¯ll die together!¡±


    Narrowing his eyes, Armond nced at the seemingly lifeless Ashton as he spoke, ¡°Do you really think


    the two of you could get out of this ce?¡±


    I suppressed my fear while pressing the knife harder. ¡°Let your men take Ashton out of the chamber!


    Now!¡±


    Seeing me holding Armond on knifepoint, his subordinates dared not to move. Just then, the sound of


    footsteps rang out, and in came a group of men. I was relieved to see that it was Boris and the others.


    Armond¡¯s subordinates tried to stop Boris. However, thetter fired his gun into the air and warned,


    ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± His resounding voice and the sound of the gunshot deterred Armond¡¯s subordinates.


    Boris then asked his men to bring Ashton out. After that, pointing his gun at Armond, he called out, ¡°Mr.


    Murphy, I¡¯m sorry about this. Ms. Stovall,e over!¡±


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    Upon that, I let go of Armond before making my way out. Being held at gunpoint, Armond and his men


    dared not to move. When I finally got out of the chamber, Boris asked one of his subordinates to take


    off his suit for me.

 Chapter 892

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 892


    ¡°Miss, you should leave this instant! Let me handle this!¡± He urged as he turned to me.


    ¡°How could you use such lowly methods to obtain your goals? It seems that I am too young to


    understand your cruelty,¡± I replied as I gazed at the bodies in the freezer room.


    ¡°Win or lose; we are all driven by our greed for wealth. Scarlett, it¡¯s only just a matter of our views!¡±


    Armondughed coldly.


    ¡°Can we leave safely?¡± I asked Boris and closed the freezer door shut.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Armond does not have most of his henchman with him right now! Let¡¯s go!¡± Boris


    gave me a curt nod.


    ¡°Boris, have you called the police?¡± I paused as we approached the factory¡¯s exit.


    He shook his head as he asked, ¡°Do you want to lodge a report?¡±


    ¡°He continued his operations despite being banned. It is a clear vition of thew. It would be more


    beneficial to get the police¡¯s intervention. Additionally, we should contact Moranta¡¯s reporters and show


    them the evidence of Armond¡¯s wrongdoings. This will cause a great stir within the Murphys,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Alright!¡± Boris nodded in agreement.


    Although I was clueless about Ashton¡¯s duration in the freezer room, he began to sweat profusely after


    entering the car. At the sight of him sweating, Boris urged the driver to speed up the vehicle.


    Along the car ride, I pulled Ashton into my embrace. His muscles and body felt as stiff as a board. ¡°He


    must have been in the freezer for a long time. His muscles and nerves might be damaged,¡± Boris said


    as he looked at me with a worried gaze.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait for the doctor¡¯s diagnosis before jumping to conclusions!¡± I interjected before he could


    continue any further.


    After Ashton was sent to the hospital, Boris and I waited outside the ER. As the minutes crawled by, I


    had a sudden realization about Holden¡¯s absence. ¡°Boris, where is Mr. Holden?¡± I enquired worriedly.


    ¡°Right now, he is not in a good position to leave the house. After all, he had just taken over the Taylor


    family. If he makes an appearance, there would be countless enemies waiting to pounce on this


    opportunity. He must avoid a confrontation with his enemies,¡± Boris exined with a frown.


    I nodded as a sign of acknowledgement.


    Holden¡¯s absence was understandable. After all, he had to protect and defend his domain. During my


    toughest moments, he was willing to take me in. This generous act was already a sign of kindness from


    him.


    Meanwhile, Ashton was forced to remain in the ER for a long time. The duration of his absence left me


    stricken with anxiety as I waited impatiently.


    The next day, I could feel my worry grow as the ER doors remained shut. Repeatedly, I peered inside in


    hopes of catching a glimpse and paced agitatedly along the corridors.


    Boris nced at me with a worried look. It seemed like he yearned tofort me. However, he


    remained silent.


    At the same time, Holden had arrived at the hospital. ¡°Do you n to scare Ashton with your horrible


    features when hees out?¡± Holden remarked when he caught sight of our disheveled features.


    I chose not to reply to his cruelment. After all, I was used to his constant insults.


    ¡°Mr. Holden, Mr. Fuller is still undergoing recovery. You should refrain from making such inappropriate


    jokes,¡± Boris warned him.


    ¡°Let me handle the situation here. You should head back and take a rest!¡± Holden advised, ¡°If you


    continue to wear yourself out, I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯ll turn even uglier! With such horrendous looks, no one


    would want to marry you even if you wished to remarry!¡±


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    Despite his words, I remained in a crouching position outside the doors. I¡¯m not in the mood to listen to


    him!


    Bang! The ER doors burst open as a doctor emerged from the room.


    Immediately, I rose to my feet. Due to my low blood pressure, I stumbled and nearly fell to the ground.


    Fortunately, Holden managed to stop my fall as he helped me regain my bnce. ¡°Are you trying to


    injure yourself?¡± He asked sarcastically.


    ¡°Doctor, how is my husband?¡± I brushed Holden away with an irritated scowl and shifted my attention to


    the doctor.


    ¡°The patient is no longer in a critical condition. However, his muscles and nerves suffered from varying


    degrees of frostbite. In the future, these injuries may cause severe side effects. In the worst-case


    scenario, your family members and the patient should be prepared as the patient may be partially


    paralyzed,¡± the doctor exined.


    The tragic news hit me like a lightning strike. It wasn¡¯t until Ashton was wheeled out of the ER when I


    snapped out of my daze.


    In the ward, Ashton remained unconscious. ¡°Boris, you should head back and get some rest. I can


    remain here to keep himpany. Besides, there are still many issues left unsolved, so you should


    take care of yourself,¡± I addressed Boris.


    ¡°Mr. Moore and Mr. Lowe should be already on their way here. Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Fuller will be fine!¡± Boris


    replied in an attempt to reassure me.


    I nodded tiredly in response. My exhaustion kept me from mustering a proper reply.


    After Boris¡¯s departure, Holden entered the ward and leaned against the door frame. He had a foolish


    expression painted across his face. ¡°Why don¡¯t you spit it out? It¡¯d be a waste if you remained silent


    aftering all the way here!¡± I said coldly.


    Holden raised his eyebrows in response. ¡°I swear you¡¯re the weirdest person I know¡­ One moment


    ago, you¡¯d say something dumb, and the next thing you know, you blew people away. How can you tell


    that I have something to say right now?¡± he asked sarcastically.


    ¡°Well, you can choose to keep it to yourself!¡± I said with a frown.


    ¡°How boring! Anyway, you¡¯re as cruel as always. Armond is currently under investigation. The factory


    that Ashton was held hostage had been shut down before. Now that it¡¯s being explored again, they


    discovered traces of carcinogen produced from the factory. The Moranta police force hasunched an


    investigation into all of the industries under the Murphys. Murphy Corporation has lost millions after a


    single day of dy in its operations. Additionally, he is also med for the designated kidnappings and


    illegal smuggling. Such problems would be enough to keep him busy for a few days. Scarlett, I must


    say that I am impressed. Your single move was enough to cripple him entirely. You were the one that


    contacted the reporters, right?¡± Holden questioned.

 Chapter 893

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 893


    I did not deny his words.


    He left after talking about the topic for a little longer.


    After he left, I remained by Ashton¡¯s side. It was a relief to see that his paleplexion had regained


    some color.


    As Ashton had not regained consciousness, I could only keep himpany. All of a sudden, the loud


    ringtone of my phone echoed insistently from my purse. I nced down at my screen to notice that


    Sasha¡¯s mother had called.


    ¡°Mrs. Brooks, what happened?¡± I asked her patiently after picking up the call.


    Immediately, I was greeted by the anguished wails of Sasha¡¯s mother echoing across the phone. ¡°Mrs.


    Fuller, I know that it¡¯s wrong for me to beg for your help in such a shameless manner. I should not have


    contacted you in the first ce! However, I¡¯m utterly cornered. I have no idea what to do anymore.


    Renee¡¯s chemotherapy has just begun, and the cost of the procedure has taken away all of our


    savings. The poor child has been tormented in such horrible ways, and the doctor allowed us to change


    hospitals. Will you help us? We must havemitted terrible sins in our past lives. As a result, our


    punishment has been delivered to this poor child. Renee is only four years old! I¡­¡± her ramblings was


    cut off into loud sobs of despair.


    What should I do?


    Although most of us would get to grow old, some were destined to face tragedy the moment they were


    born. It seems like a person¡¯s life really is dependent on their fate!


    I mulled over my thoughts as the sounds of her sobs filled my ears. When I did not offer a response,


    she must have confused my silence as a form of rejection. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, you must think of us as greedy


    beasts. In the past, you¡¯ve helped us countless times. I should not being to beg for your help.


    Thank you!¡± she sniffled in despair.


    ¡°Continue the treatment!¡± I replied dully, ¡°I¡¯ll transfer the money into your ount. Make sure to be with


    the child along the journey. I believe everything will get better soon!¡±


    That¡¯s right; things will get better in the future!


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, thank you so much. Thank you! I will try my best to repay your gratitude!¡± Mrs. Brookes


    eximed. She was overwhelmed with joy at that moment.


    Without another word, I hung up the call and transferred the money. Maybe the issue with Sasha would


    remain unsolved forever. Yet, I could not turn a blind eye to the fate of an innocent child. Although I was


    uncertain about the future, I would not stand by idly whilst I had the power to help others.


    The sight of Ashton on the bed made me sigh. Let¡¯s just hope that good karma wille back to me.


    Three days had passed when Ashton finally regained consciousness. When he awoke, he seemed


    muddled and confused. ¡°Are you alright? Are you hurt?¡± Ashton asked blearily as he clutched my hand


    tightly.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I was totally unharmed!¡± I smiled and enveloped him in a warm hug


    After he ran a careful gaze over my body and determined that I was unscathed, Ashton let out a huge


    sigh of relief. ¡°Don¡¯t put yourself in danger for my sake next time. I want you to live a long and happy


    life!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that¡­¡± I sniffled. Tears threatened to spill from my eyes when I heard what he said.


    For the first time, Ashton revealed his vulnerability to my gaze. Gently, he clutched me in his arms as I


    hugged him. I hoped that my touch would be able to convey my feelings and bring himfort.


    Over the years, we had learned how to rely on each other. Although our future may be filled with


    countless obstacles and difficulties, I was determined that we will no longer separate.


    Naturally, we would not be present during the investigation of Murphy Corporation. The partnership


    between Fuller Corporation and the Taylors had officiallymenced. Once again, I met Holden at the


    joint signing event. He had even booked a luxurious cruise ship to celebrate the event¡¯s sess. At the


    same time, it disyed the Taylor family¡¯s immense wealth and power.


    Although the October weather in Moranta was not particrly chilly, Ashton insisted on draping his


    zer over my off-shoulder dress. Coincidentally, I spotted Holden on the deck. He had a wine ss in


    his grasp as he stared out into the vast sea. At that moment, he seemed to be deep in thought.


    I remained behind Holden as I observed him quietly. Likewise, I turned my gaze to the sea and the


    night sky. The sky was illuminated with dozens of twinkling stars. Holden turned around, and a sh of


    surprise crossed his features when he caught sight of my figure. He must have felt my presence.


    He lifted his wine ss in my direction with a cocky raise of his brow. ¡°I¡¯m surprised that you have the


    time to be outside here. Why isn¡¯t Mr. Fuller with you?¡±


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    ¡°He has his own matters to attend to,¡± I replied with a faint smile and made my way to his side.


    He nodded and turned his gaze back to the ocean. Against the beautiful scenery, Holden did not seem


    as obnoxious as I remembered. ¡°Have you ever looked up at a luxury cruise ship from a raft?¡± he


    asked.


    ¡°Nope,¡± I denied with a shake of my head, ¡°A raft is incapable of moving in the ocean. An enormous


    cruise ship is unable to esskes or rivers too. Thus, it is impossible for them to meet, let alone


    gaze at a cruise ship from a tiny raft.¡±


    ¡°There is always a probability that it might happen.¡± Holden gave me a side look as a faint smile tugged


    on the corners of his lips.


    ¡°Maybe¡­¡± I shrugged my shoulders.


    ¡°In the past, I¡¯ve seen it before. At that moment, I decided that I would flip my fate and stand on a


    cruise ship in the future! Right now, I¡¯ve managed to achieve my dream,¡± Holden said with a beam as


    he gazed at the ocean.


    ¡°However, it wasn¡¯t as enjoyable as you imagined, right?¡± I finished the remnants of wine in my ss


    and spoke.

 Chapter 894

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 894


    Upon hearing myment, he burst into heartyughter. ¡°Are you kidding me? Why wouldn¡¯t I be


    happy when I¡¯ve reached the pinnacle of my life and achieved everything I used to dream of? The so-


    called superstitions about the rich being envious of the poor because of their love and friendships are


    false! Instead, the rtionships amongst the rich should be envied. We can entice any women that we


    want! Isn¡¯t that amazing?¡±


    I merely shrugged and chose not to refute his statement. ¡°So what were you sighing about?¡± I asked as


    the city line began to shrink from view.


    ¡°Of course I was only trying to find a conversational topic to talk about. I¡¯ve heard that we are very


    simr. Thus, I couldn¡¯t help but think of the shared topics of interest that we may have,¡± he smirked


    and turned to me.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± We don¡¯t have any simrities at all!


    ¡°Ever since I was young, I¡¯ve grown up alongside my mother. She struggled with her work, and I was


    constantly berated by others. People like to criticize the weak by thinking highly of themselves. Ever


    since that moment, I promised that I would repay their cruelty by a thousandfold and give them a taste


    of their own medicine if I ever managed to climb to a higher status. Right now, I¡¯ve managed to achieve


    my dream!¡± Holden said as he leanednguidly against the railing.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t group us together,¡± I replied with a frown, ¡°My childhood was not as terrible as you¡¯ve


    imagined. Thus, you don¡¯t have to find amon ground between the two of us. After all, I have no


    wish to share any traits with you nor tofort your so-called embarrassing or tragic childhood.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I do not want your sympathy. I merely wanted to find someone reasonable to express my


    emotions. Ah¡­ I¡¯m feeling much better now,¡± he said dismissively.


    Ugh¡­ how contradictory of him to say so! I shrugged and prepared to excuse myself. All of a sudden,


    a stunning woman made her way towards Holden. She had a wine ss in her hand as she gave him a


    sultry smile. Ah¡­ Of course, a reception wouldn¡¯t beplete without a beautiful escort.


    Holden seemed pleased to receive the woman¡¯s attention. Instead of rejecting her advances, he


    wrapped a hand around her waist and pulled her closer. ¡°Darling, I won¡¯t be rejecting anyone who


    approached me.¡± He whispered in her ear and chuckled, his warm breath caressing her earlobes.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. We¡¯ll get what we want anyway!¡± She smiled enchantingly in response.


    I watched them leave with a slight frown across my face. In the world of adults, money and


    rtionships seemed to be heavily intertwined. At the same time, it felt like the two topics were worlds


    apart too.


    When I re-entered the banquet hall, Ashton had just finished his discussion. ¡°It¡¯s quite windy outside.


    Why did you head out?¡± he asked with a grin as he made his way towards me.


    ¡°I just wanted to enjoy the scenery!¡± I gave him a warm smile.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ve prepared an interesting show.¡± Ashton flicked my nose mischievously.


    ¡°Is it going to be a surprise?¡± I raised my brows.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you see for yourself?¡± He gave no further exnation as he tugged me towards the VIP


    cabin located on the top floor.


    He then led me into one of the cabins. As soon as I entered, I could hear the high-pitched gasps of a


    woman apanied by the heavy pants of another man.


    The corners of my mouth twitched as I looked at Ashton. ¡°My, my, Mr. Taylor, you have very refined


    interests!¡± he said aloud.


    The voices belonged to Holden and the woman he¡¯d hugged earlier.


    Nheless, Holden¡¯s deep voice continued to echo through the room without a care about our


    presence. ¡°Mr. Fuller, just a moment, please,¡± he said good-naturedly.


    Just as Ashton was prepared to pull me away. Our path was blocked by pair of men dressed in ck


    suits. Harshly, they hauled a man with an unkempt appearance into the room.


    The man had bruises scattered across his swollen face as he was shoved to the floor. It looked as if he


    had just suffered a horrible beating. Upon closer look, I couldn¡¯t help but scowl in recognition. It¡¯s


    Shane!


    There was still a cacophony of lewd noises echoing behind the screen as Shane looked around his


    surroundings with a wide gaze. Catching sight of Ashton, he scrambled forward and clung to Ashton


    desperately regardless of the noises. ¡°Ashton, please! I admit that I made a mistake! Please don¡¯t kill


    me! I¡¯ll do anything as long as you spare my life!¡± Shane bbered in panic.


    ¡°F*ck, I can¡¯t even do anything here! Why is it so noisy?¡± Holden¡¯s voice drifted through the screen


    before he emerged. He was dressed in his boxers and had just put on a shirt which he buttoned up as


    he spoke. A cynical look painted his face when he caught sight of Shane. Without hesitation, his foot


    connected harshly against Shane¡¯s body, shoving him away. ¡°I¡¯m starting to get annoyed with the


    irritating noise.¡±


    Although Shane was in clear pain, he bit his tongue and remained silent out of fear. Quickly, he got into


    a kneeling position to confess his mistakes. There was a terrified look across his features.


    The sight of Holden, who was barely dressed, made me scoff aloud. All of a sudden, my vision turned


    pitch ck. Ashton had covered my eyes with his palm. ¡°Don¡¯t look!¡± he said in a deep voice.


    ¡°Put on some clothes beforeing out!¡± he ordered Holden in an authoritative tone.


    ¡°Why are you so concerned with myck of clothing?¡± Holden replied with a click of his tongue, ¡°What


    are you afraid of? It¡¯s not as if she hasn¡¯t seen my body before.¡±


    ¡°Just go get changed!¡± Ashton insisted firmly.


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    ¡°Or do you want me to get someone to assist you?¡± Ashton said curtly when Holden continued to


    refuse.

 Chapter 895

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 895


    With a raise of his hand, two men entered the room and stalked towards Holden. ¡°Mr. Taylor, please


    excuse us,¡± they said as they escorted him behind the screen. Following that, a string of foul curses


    and screams could be heard.


    ¡°Ashton, what is wrong with you? Am I a nuisance to you when I¡¯m undressed? Why do you have to


    force me to get dressed? Are you afraid that your woman might fall for me when she sees my body?


    Just admit it if you are jealous and insecure of my physique!¡±


    I nced worriedly at Ashton and noticed his troubled expression. His moody expression was


    impossible to read. Behind the screen, Holden continued to curse and grumble. I couldn¡¯t help but


    admire his bravery as he spluttered in protest.


    After a brief moment, Holden was finally fully dressed. As he emerged, his dark eyes were fixated


    furiously on Ashton. Holden¡¯s spiteful gaze made it seem as if Ashton himself had changed his clothes


    with force.


    However, Ashton did not spare him another nce. Instead, he turned to address Shane. ¡°Why don¡¯t


    you exin yourself!¡±


    Right at that moment, the woman stepped out from behind the screen. She was already fully dressed


    and exuded an enchanting aura. Languidly, she leaned against the screen and looked at Holden. ¡°Mr.


    Taylor, did you forget about me the moment you got dressed? Don¡¯t forget about our agreement!¡± she


    said.


    Her sharp gaze swept towards Shane as she spoke. Immediately, Shane¡¯s hands balled into furious


    fists as he seethed in anger.


    It was tantly obvious that the woman was involved with Shane.


    ¡°Although I¡¯ve agreed with your deal, your boyfriend has invoked the wrath of someone he shouldn¡¯t


    provoke! Additionally, he nearly caused the death of Mr. Fuller! You should ask Mr. Fuller if he¡¯s willing


    to overlook the grave sinsmitted by your boyfriend!¡± Holden spoke airily as he took a seat.


    Having heard his words, I frowned. The woman who hooked up with Holden was Shane¡¯s


    girlfriend? Earlier, the woman was flirting shamelessly with Holden¡­


    That alone was uneptable, at least to me. Furthermore, Shane was still present the entire time. This


    was a great insult to him!


    The woman¡¯s face turned beet red upon Holden¡¯s statement. However, she remained extraordinarily


    calm. She must have gotten used to dealing with such shady situations.


    ¡°Mr. Taylor, it seems like you are acting recklessly on purpose!¡± she turned towards Holden and


    remarked with a smile.


    Holden merely shrugged nonchntly. ¡°I¡¯m not going against my word. After all, I promised to leave


    your man alone. However, Mr. Fuller made no such promise. Now that you¡¯ve kept mepany, why


    don¡¯t you offer your services to Mr. Fuller?¡±


    Although she was ridiculed by hisment, she did notsh out. Instead, she turned to Ashton with a


    charming look that gleamed in her eyes. ¡°Mr. Fuller, I¡­¡± the woman began sweetly.


    ¡°I have no wish to mingle with trash like you! You¡¯d better keep your distance!¡± Ashton warned darkly


    before she could say more.


    ¡°Your lust is insatiable!¡± Ashton then turned to Holden and condemned him with a solemn expression.


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    ¡°Well, let¡¯s just say that I don¡¯t like turning people down,¡± Holden replied as he scratched his nose in an


    unbothered manner.


    Ashton scoffed at Holden¡¯s unbothered attitude. ¡°Take this opportunity and leave while I¡¯m still in a


    good mood! If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll feed you to the sharks!¡± he ordered her mercilessly.


    The woman flinched in shock and terror. After a lingering nce at Shane, she fled from the room with


    her tail tucked between her legs.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, you should change your horrible attitude towards women. In the future, your wife might run


    away with someone else if you keep it up,¡± Holden teased after the woman¡¯s departure.


    Ashton shot him a stern look before he opened his mouth. ¡°Go ahead and ask!¡±


    Following that, Ashton pulled me aside and waited for Holden to interrogate Shane.


    Holden pursed his lips; there was a glint of annoyance that flickered in his eyes when he looked at


    Shane. ¡°Go to the kitchen and bring it back! It will serve as a wonderful surprise,¡± he instructed the


    henchmen.


    I was clueless about his intentions. ¡°Why don¡¯t you admit your mistakes?¡± Holden asked in a tone that


    was deceptively kind, ¡°Don¡¯t force me to y the role of a viin.¡±


    Shane lifted his head as he looked around the room. ¡°Mr. Taylor, what do you want me to say? What do


    you want me to confess? I swear that I¡¯ll blurt it out immediately. I¡¯ll say anything that you want to


    know!¡± he asked Holden quizzically.


    ¡°Haha!¡± Holden burst outughing. A trace of mockery crossed his handsome face. ¡°You want to act


    clueless? Fine by me. This means that I get to have my fun.¡±


    The henchmen that Holden had ordered earlier returned with an object in their hands. ¡°Let¡¯s give Mr.


    Shane a little punishment!¡± Holden said and leaned against the chair.


    I couldn¡¯t help but stare at him in utter disbelief.


    Quickly, Ashton pulled me into his embrace. ¡°Don¡¯t look!¡± he repeated. Once again, my vision was


    obstructed as Shane¡¯s crazed screaming pierced the air.


    ¡°If you like, you can continue to act like a fool. I¡¯m fine with that! After all, I have all the time and energy


    to y along with your antics! Take your time!¡± Holden called out over his screams.

 Chapter 896

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 896


    I pushed Ashton¡¯s hand away and was greeted with the sight of Shane sprawled across the floor. It was


    clear that he was in significant pain as he convulsed on the ground. ¡°I¡¯ll speak, I¡¯ll speak! Take those


    things out!¡± he shrieked in pain.


    Holden looked towards the two henchmen, and they quickly stripped Shane¡¯s pants. The sudden


    removal of his clothes left him trembling as he was partially naked.


    ¡°Speak!¡± Holden ordered with a stoic expression.


    ¡°It was Abe; he ordered me to trail after Mr. Fuller. The goal was to transfer Moranta¡¯s foreign trading


    rights under Mr. Fuller to Abe. On the day of the ident, I was the one who sabotaged Mr. Fuller¡¯s


    car. It was a mistake on my behalf! I should not have acted that way! Yet, I had no choice! Abe would


    have killed me if I did not obey hismands!¡± Shane cried out; his body trembled as he spoke. He


    must not have expected Holden to act in such a perverse manner.


    ¡°So, the few hundred thousand that you¡¯ve lost in the casino belonged to Abe?¡± Holden asked as his


    eyes narrowed.


    Shane nodded fearfully; he was shaking like a leaf.


    ¡°When the incident urred, did the police find out who the corpse belonged to?¡± I asked after a brief


    moment of hesitation.


    Holden frowned; he must have thought that my question was out of the topic. However, Shane jolted in


    shock as he looked at me with a widened gaze. ¡°It was Abe. He was murdered by Armond¡¯s


    henchmen. After his death, he was even covered in sulfuric acid,¡± Shane murmured tentatively.


    With a scowl, I turned towards Ashton. Shane¡¯s words were full of contradictions and uncertainties. He


    shouldn¡¯t be trusted so easily!


    Ashton pondered for a brief moment as he clutched a ss of water in his hand. ¡°Have you located


    Abe¡¯s coordinates?¡± Ashton asked Holden.


    ¡°He vanished after the ident,¡± Holden shook his head.


    How is this possible? Why would Armond murder Abe? The possibility of Abe¡¯s murder seemed


    impossible. Aren¡¯t they in an alliance? Why would they turn on each other?


    Once again, I asked Shane to rerify the truth. ¡°Are you sure that the corpse belongs to Abe?¡±


    Shane nodded his head in earnest. ¡°That night, Abe was the one who blocked your path. After he


    dragged Mr. Fuller out of the car, the killer in the other car killed Abe without any remorse. If you don¡¯t


    believe me, you can inspect his corpse. They shot Abe in the chest and even stabbed him to ensure a


    proper death. After they had confirmed his death, they poured sulfuric acid across his corpse. I


    witnessed all of these myself! I swear that I¡¯m not lying!¡±


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    The room fell silent upon his promation. ¡°You¡¯ve performed well today. I¡¯ll be generous enough to


    spare your life. However, you¡¯d better maintain your loyalty. If you try to pull a trick to deceive me, I¡¯ll


    end your life!¡± Holden ordered coldly.


    With a single nce at his henchmen, they quickly escorted Shane out of the room. This left the three


    of us alone in the room.


    I couldn¡¯t help but question curiously as they remained silent. ¡°Why did Armond kill Abe? I know that


    they have had aplicated rtionship ever since what happened in Venria. But even if Abe had


    acted out of line, Armond could not have killed him in such an indifferent manner. Furthermore, we are


    living in a society ruled by strictws. Even if Armond had countless men working under hismand,


    it is impossible for him to get away with this murder due to the scrutiny of the police force. How could


    he tantly kill Abe?¡±


    ¡°You should handle the matters at the police station. I will send someone to settle thepany¡¯s affairs


    in Moranta,¡± Ashton addressed Holden.


    ¡°Hold on a second, Mr. Fuller. It looks like you¡¯re going to leave the mess for me to clean up whilst you


    return to your country?¡± Holden frowned.


    ¡°If you want the Taylor family to be destroyed, I am more than willing to stay!¡± Ashton said coldly,


    ¡°Armond is already plotting his next move. He wants more than just the control over Moranta¡¯s foreign


    trading rights!¡±


    ¡°What are you implying?¡± Holden turned and asked him with a solemn gaze.


    Ashton shot him a knowing look before clutching my arm as he pulled me along. ¡°Let¡¯s go; we should


    hurry back.¡±


    Although I still felt confused at their exchange, I trailed after Ashton obediently.


    As we walked out of the room and past the cruise cabin, I caught sight of a fight that had broken out


    between a couple. Upon closer look, I realized that the couple was none other than Shane and the


    woman.


    ¡°I must have been blind to fall for such a disgusting woman like you! Do you think that Holden is better


    than me? He¡¯s nothing but a brat!¡± Shane cursed at her. In just a split second, his palmnded on the


    woman¡¯s cheeks a few times heavily.


    She must have endured countless ps under his wrath as her face had been beaten to the point that


    it looked swollen. Her elegance and alluring aura had been reduced to a disheveled appearance.


    Despite so, the woman seemed to be no stranger to his violence. After hended a few more blows,


    she remained as motionless as a puppet and bore the brunt of his relentless abuse.


    I couldn¡¯t help but frown when I saw his disy of cruelty. Hurriedly, I stepped forward to put a halt to


    Shane¡¯s actions. ¡°If I were you, I would have left this ce in embarrassment. Did you really think that


    your useless information was enough to save your measly life after you nearly caused Ashton¡¯s death?


    If it weren¡¯t for her help, you would have ended up as a corpse in the ocean. Why don¡¯t you utilize your


    own skills and capabilities instead of relying on a woman like a leech?¡±

 Chapter 897

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 897


    My unannounced appearance stunned Shane. Just when he was on the verge of losing his cool, he


    saw Ashton behind me and he got on his knees immediately. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, you¡¯re right. I¡¯m at fault. I will


    never do it again!¡±


    I doubted him. After all, a leopard would never change its spots. I watched his girlfriend¡¯s face closely.


    Somehow, I pitied her. I couldn¡¯t believe she would fall for a guy like him.


    ¡°Break up with him. He does not deserve you,¡± I said to her.


    I knew that no matter what I said, it would be useless. Despite that, I had to say something. That


    woman looked at me, puzzled. There was no longer any trace of the alluring expression that she wore


    earlier. Rather, she looked miserable and pale. ¡°Thanks,¡± she muttered after a while.


    I shook my head nonchntly. ¡°No, I just can¡¯t bear to see this jerk raised his hand on you.¡±


    Ashton pursed his lips. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± I stood up and followed him. After a distance away, I took another


    nce at her. Then, with a heavy sigh, I made my way down the stairs.


    ¡°Not everyone walks the same path. Everyone is different. You can¡¯t control it,¡± he said with a warm


    smile as he held my hand.


    I turned to him. ¡°Are you trying to say that I shouldn¡¯t be a busybody?¡± I said, with a little pout.


    He responded with a gentle grin before he rubbed his nose and said, ¡°You are overthinking it.¡±


    I huffed, and we stayed silent until the cruise ship docked. I was surprised to see a familiar face when


    we disembarked. ¡°Joseph, when did you arrive?¡±


    ¡°Today.¡±


    I considered him a friend. Naturally, I missed him after such a long time. As soon as we got into the car,


    we had a good catch-up.


    On our way to the hotel, Ashton had a horrible cough. I asked worriedly, ¡°Are you feeling unwell?¡± He


    was finally discharged from the hospital, but the doctor advised that he needed to rest. However, he


    just couldn¡¯t turn down Holden¡¯s invitation because it was an important event.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡± I watched him silently as he leaned back in his seat and shut his eyes to rest.


    Upon our arrival at the hotel, I was suddenly feeling so exhausted that I crashed on the bed while the


    two men chatted in the living room. What was supposed to be a nap became a deep slumber.


    Ashton came and woke me up after he showered. As he stood by the bed, I could smell the scent of


    soap on him. ¡°Go wash up. You can go back to sleep after that,¡± he said tenderly.


    I stood up and rested my head in the hollow of his shoulder. ¡°Sorry, I was too sleepy. These past few


    days are just mentally exhausting. I definitely need a good rest when we get home.¡±


    He stroked my hair idly. ¡°Shall I help you wash up? You can continue your sleep, then.¡±


    A sly grin crept onto his face. I knew he was up to no good, so I immediately made my way to the


    bathroom.


    The moment I stepped in, I furrowed my brows at a bottle of Vitamin A next to the sink. It was odd to


    see supplements around himtely, yet I tried to think positive. This is perfectly normal. Everyone takes


    care of themselves more as they get older.


    After I got out of the shower, I showed him the bottle and asked, ¡°Have you been taking thistely?¡±


    He reached out and took a nce at it before nodding.


    ¡°Why Vitamin A? Are you feeling any difort in your body as you get older? Why are you taking all


    these supplements?¡± I asked inquisitively.


    He closed the book in his hands,id it carefully on the side table, and fixed his zing gaze on me.


    ¡°My dear wife, are you despising me now?¡±


    I was bbergasted for a moment. Then I shook my head and chuckled. ¡°Of course not. You are Prince


    Charming. You look ssy and young as ever.¡±


    He raised a brow, then pulled me down onto the bed. He took the towel that I wrapped around the top


    of my head and wiped my hair gently from behind. ¡°Stay away from Holden.¡± His voice was soft.


    ¡°Why?¡± I was surprised by his sudden change of topic.


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    He pursed his lips. ¡°Is he hot?¡± Although he was being nonchnt, I could sense a hint of jealousy.


    With a small smile, I turned my head to him. ¡°I¡¯ve watched a variety show a few days ago. One of the


    female singers said that she was not interested in the twenty-five-year-old guys because they are


    boring. I guess Holden is around that age, no?¡±


    His expression darkened. ¡°Don¡¯t watch that kind of show anymore.¡±


    I pouted. ¡°I kind of agree with her though.¡± I tried to reassure and win over my jealous hubby.


    It had been three days since we returned to K City, and Ashton was busy day and night. Going back


    and forth between the office and home became a routine for him. I visited him at work because I was


    concerned about his health since he had just recovered.


    When I went down to the lobby, I saw Ste, who I hadn¡¯t seen for almost six months. She looked like


    an entirely different person under such sophisticated makeup and stylish attire. I wouldn¡¯t recognize her


    if she hadn¡¯t approached me first.

 Chapter 898

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 898


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, you¡¯re back from the trip,¡± Ste greeted me.


    I was so mesmerized by her drastic change that I fell silent for a moment. After a while, I threw a smile


    at her and nodded. ¡°Yeah. By the way, are you going out with someone? You look gorgeous.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re ttering me, Mrs. Fuller.¡± She blushed. We bothughed.


    Suddenly, my phone rang. It was Sasha¡¯s mother. I answered the call as I knew it was around the time


    that she would ask me for money for Renee¡¯s chemotherapy.


    Instead of the usual sobbing I was expecting, the woman sounded calm on the other end. Instead, she


    forced calmness into her voice and said, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, are you free toe over? Renee wants to see


    you and thank you personally.¡±


    She sounded rather unusual to me, so I asked in confusion, ¡°Mrs. Brooks, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just that Renee wants to express her gratitude for your generous support with her medical


    fees.¡±


    I promised her I would stop by. I ended the call, bade Ste farewell, then headed to the hospital.


    I hated the iodoform smell in the hospital, so I quickened my pace to Renee¡¯s room. Both her


    grandparents were in the ward with her. They had aged considerably when Ist saw them two weeks


    ago. Now, their wrinkles were more prominent, and they looked haggard.


    Mrs. Brooks stood up from her seat when she saw me entered the room. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, thank you for


    coming.¡±


    I shook my head slightly. They informed me they hadn¡¯t eaten, so I agreed to stay and looked after


    Renee. Then, they excused themselves and went to the cafeteria. The emotion I felt when I looked at


    the child was unexinable.


    Shey asleep on the bed with a pale and gaunt face. It was heart-breaking to see such a lovely girl


    terribly emaciated because of cycles of chemotherapy treatments.


    I took a seat beside her bed as I seriously pondered whether I should ask Ashton¡¯s help for her


    treatments. Renee deserved the best specialist out there who could cure her illness. It was just


    unbearable to see her suffer.


    When I was about to message him, Renee woke up and was surprised to see me. ¡°Ms. Stovall¡­¡± she


    called out my name with a quavering voice.


    ¡°Did I wake you up?¡±


    She shook her head and looked at me. ¡°Where are Grandma and Grandpa?¡± she asked.


    ¡°They went out for lunch. Renee, are you thirsty? I¡¯ll pour you a ss of water.¡±


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    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Thanks, Ms. Stovall.¡±


    I smiled faintly and held her bony hand. My heart ached for her. ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    She just shook her head, perhaps still a little groggy from her sleep. I usually felt awkward around little


    kids, so we fell into silence. I noticed her gaze drifting from me to the ceiling several times.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, am I dying?¡± She finally broke the silence.


    Her question gripped my heart. The air surrounded us seemed too hard for me to breathe. I tried to


    suppress my tears and force a smile. ¡°No. The doctor will cure you, and you will get well very soon.


    After that, you can run outside, y under the blue sky, or even go to the zoo with your grandparents.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Her eyes sparkled with excitement.


    I tugged on her hand and nodded affirmatively. ¡°Yeah. After you recover, I will bring you anywhere you


    want. How does that sound to you?¡±


    Suddenly, she looked attentive, even hopeful. ¡°I have not eaten cake and ice cream in a long time.


    Grandma said I can only eat after I get better.¡±


    Her earnest response somehow touched me. ¡°Okay. It¡¯s a promise then!¡±


    ¡°Hooray!¡± she eximed. Then she took out a pocket-size notebook from behind her pillow. ¡°Ms.


    Stovall, my grandma wants you to take this.¡± She passed it to me. ¡°It¡¯s my mom¡¯s diary. And Grandma


    said I should thank you for your kind help.¡±


    Confused, I reached out for the diary. ¡°Your mom¡¯s diary?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know what she wrote because I can¡¯t read. Grandma said it can help you.


    Now, keep it in your bag before some bad guys see it. Read it only when you reached home.¡± Thus, I


    shoved the notebook into my handbag.


    We were having a nice talk when her grandparent returned from their lunch. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, thank you so


    much,¡± Mrs. Brooks said gratefully.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Don¡¯t worry about her hospital bills. I¡¯ll find another way.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, my husband and I have tried our best. We have decided to give up on the treatment.


    Renee has gone through so much. We want her to enjoy her childhood to the fullest.¡± Despite the


    smile, she sounded despair.

 Chapter 899

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 899


    Her words stunned me. I was at a loss for words. ¡°Why, Mrs. Brooks? I¡¯ve sought advice from the


    doctor. He said there¡¯s still hope. If you¡¯re worried about the cost, please don¡¯t be. Just leave it to me.


    Renee is still young. There are endless possibilities ahead of her¡­¡±


    Before I could finish, she broke down in tears and shook his head helplessly. ¡°Still, she can never break


    free from misery. My husband and I are old now. We will only be a burden for her in the future.


    Not to mention, she has a wicked uncle. We caused Sasha¡¯s death. So we can¡¯t let Renee go through


    the same faith as her mother. She should live the rest of her life with no regret. She deserves


    happiness in this life and the next life.¡±


    I could feel Mrs. Brooks¡¯ pain. Somehow, I agreed with her, because even if Renee pulled through this


    difficult period, there was no one she could turn to. Shane, that jerk alone, would definitely make her


    life a living hell. Also, she had to take care of her grandparents alone in the future.


    No, I must not give up hope. Before I could muster enough reasons to persuade her, Mrs. Brooks


    looked at me and said, ¡°Mrs. Fuller. I know you are being kind, and we really appreciate it. It¡¯s getting


    late now. You should head home.¡±


    I held my tongue and left the ward, utterly frustrated. I knew I have no right to decide on their family


    matters. Most of all, I couldn¡¯t meddle in that little girl¡¯s future.


    Suddenly, I felt a vibration in my handbag and reached for my phone. It was a call from Nora. ¡°Scarlett!¡±


    She was as loud as always. ¡°Are you at K City? Have you seen Armond? He hasn¡¯t called me for days!


    Why exactly did the police seize the Lavelian Vige project? And you, when will youe and visit


    me?¡±


    I sat on the chair as I watched people walked in and out of the entrance. I saw people with different


    emotions¡ªanxiety, despair, joy, and sorrow. There was also a couple who were holding their newborn


    baby tenderly. I watched them closely and was fascinated to see the realities of life.


    Nora waited for my response on another line, but I could not utter a word. The frustration still lingered in


    me. ¡°I will not visit you for the time being,¡± I said after a moment of silence. ¡°Just take care of yourself


    and don¡¯t worry too much. Something must have happened to the Murphys, but I¡¯m sure Armond will


    contact you once things have settled down.¡±


    She sighed and pouted. ¡°I am hoping for you toe because I am so bored here. You know


    what? Grandpa is arranging blind dates for me every day! I don¡¯t know what has gotten into him. He¡¯s


    suddenly opposing my rtionship. He said Armond is not a good match for me. Geez, the old man


    is so fickle!¡±


    I didn¡¯t know how to respond to that, so I just said, ¡°Stopining. Maybe Mr. Oberick thinks that¡¯s


    what¡¯s best for you.¡±


    The sun had already set when we ended the call. I was not surprised because the days were always


    shorter in that area, especially during autumn, where the weather was unpredictable.


    At the vi, I parked my car in the garage. The smell of food lured me to the kitchen. I leaned against


    the door frame and watched Ashton, who was busy with the dinner preparation. I couldn¡¯t help but


    break into a big smile at the sight of him in an apron.


    He noticed my presence and paused. With a startled gasp, he asked, ¡°How long have you been


    standing there? You should tell me you¡¯re home.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m home.¡± I smiled.


    He broke into a helpless grin. ¡°Wash your hands. Dinner¡¯s ready.¡±


    That night was the first time I saw him in a grey sweater. ¡°You look much younger wearing other colors


    than ck,¡± Iplimented him.


    He arched an eyebrow and gave me a solemn look. ¡°So you mean I look old all this while?¡±


    I found his expression funny. ¡°A little, like an old nerd. You looked intimidating and unapproachable. I


    prefer you like this. You look more amicable.¡±


    ¡°Fine, I will start wearing more colors.¡±


    I was surprised that he would take my advice seriously. He had made changes to his bad habits,


    control his temper, and even took time to reflect on his life.


    I could say it was a hundred and eighty-degree change in his image. The Ashton I knew was rather


    cold and hardly ever smiled. It was not a sudden change. The transition took ten years long. I didn¡¯t


    notice it until I saw him jealous, longed for attention, and broke the habits. Sometimes, he would even


    throw tantrums. Tonight, I saw the gentler side of him.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    He might not express his love verbally, but he made a habit of caring.

 Chapter 900

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 900


    Noticing that I was staring nkly into space, he waved in front of me. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    I recollected my thoughts and nted a kiss on his chin. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of how lucky I am to be able to


    meet someone like you.¡±


    He replied, ¡°I¡¯m lucky to meet you too, Ms. Stovall.¡±


    After spending some time alone with him, my troubles dissipated, and I felt better. I went back to my


    bedroom and received a call from Cameron. She asked me how I was doing and urged me to visit


    them.


    I exined to her my current situation and promised to visit them the next day. Suddenly, Summer


    called out to me from the other end of the phone and chatted with me for a while before hanging up.


    Initially, I wanted to take a good sleep, but right after Ashton and Iy on the bed, his phone rang. Upon


    answering the call, his expression turned stern as he got up and changed his clothes.


    Seeing his reaction, I couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What happened?¡±


    ¡°There are some problems with the investigation at Lavelian Vige. I have to be there.¡± Upon that, he


    packed his stuff, while I changed into some casual clothing and followed him.


    He wanted me to stay, but knowing my temperament, he let me do as I pleased.


    Then, we rushed to the airport and boarded thest flight. On the ne, we took a brief nap, and when


    we reached A City, the sky was still dark. Hence, we went back to the vi and slept for two hours


    before going to Lavelian Vige.


    It had been almost a month since I went to Lavelian Vige. Scanning the surroundings, a lot of things


    had changed. The construction waspleted, as a two-story building was erected from the ground.


    Not only that but the roads were also paved with cement to make walking easier and safer since it was


    almost winter.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    The project was a coboration between the Fuller Corporation and the Murphy Corporation. However,


    now that problems had surfaced one after another within the twopanies, everything was put to a


    halt.


    Ashton parked the car at the entrance of the base, and we scanned the scene. The police officers had


    the area barricaded to preserve the scene for further investigation. At the same time, Rachel was


    communicating with the police officers, while Armond was nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, you¡¯re here.¡± Upon detecting Ashton¡¯s presence, Rachel came towards us and was in a


    good mood.


    Ashton looked at her and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the current situation?¡±


    ¡°The ce that Armond transferred the technology equipment was discovered, and the police officers


    had it sealed off. They are contacting the Murphys right now.¡± Rachel nced at me as she reported to


    the man.


    Soon after, Linda came to the scene and was rather agitated when she saw me. ¡°Where did you go?


    Why is Mr. Murphy locked up in Moranta? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Things were quiteplicated, so I didn¡¯t know how to tell her. After pondering for a while, I said, ¡°It¡¯s


    complicated. I¡¯ll tell you everything in detail next time. Anyway, what¡¯s going on here?¡±


    The woman pursed her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Do you remember the time when Fuller Corporation¡¯s


    technology got stolen? They were all stored in the underground warehouse. To be honest, I never knew


    there was an underground warehouse here after working at the Murphy Corporation for ten years.


    Goodness gracious!¡±


    Hearing her words, I nced at Ashton. Back then, I noticed something was off with the structure of the


    base, so I asked Ashton to look into it.


    After a while, Ashton said, ¡°Let¡¯s go in and have a look.¡±


    We headed toward the base, and police officers were guarding the entrance. Rachel took the initiative


    to talk to them. ¡°This is Mr. Fuller, the president of the Fuller Corporation. We¡¯re here to check on the


    technology equipment stolen from us.¡±


    The police officers took a nce at us and said, ¡°To go in, the person in charge for bothpanies


    must be present.¡±


    I exchanged nces with Linda. ¡°We are the Murphy Corporation¡¯s person in charge of this project.


    Sorry to trouble you.¡± With that, Linda showed them her work pass.


    After ncing at the work pass, the police officers let us in. The equipment on the first floor was the


    same as before. With Rachel guiding us, we went in and headed towards another door.


    When I saw the door, I was shocked. It looked exactly the same as the wall. No one would notice it as it


    blended in with the wall perfectly.


    ¡°Why is there a door here? When was this designed?¡± Linda blurted out in shock as she furrowed her


    brows.


    I was shocked as well. However, there was more toe. Following that, a long pathway could be


    seen. As we walked down the pathway, we reached the warehouse and saw the stolen technology


    equipment.


    Rachel said, ¡°It seems like I was right. The equipment couldn¡¯t be transported in such a short time


    since they were big and would attract unwanted attention. Even if they were meticulous about the


    operation, people would still notice it. So their only way of doing it was to move them here.¡±


    Then she turned to Linda and pped her hands sarcastically. ¡°My, my, what a brilliant n by the


    Murphy Corporation. Who would¡¯ve known that the equipment would be in a hidden warehouse within


    the building itself?¡±

 Chapter 901

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 901


    Linda frowned at Rachel¡¯s words. She didn¡¯t know anything about the underground warehouse.


    Wanting to defend the Murphy Corporation, Linda opened her mouth, but she couldn¡¯t think of anything


    to say because she witnessed all these before her eyes.


    On the other hand, I remained silent before saying, ¡°These are allrger-sized equipment. Are those


    thatunched overseas smaller ones?¡±


    Rachel rolled her eyes and pursed her lips while speaking in a disdainful manner. ¡°Well, duh!¡±


    Even so, I thought little about it and turned to Ashton. ¡°What should we do now?¡±


    The man scanned the items in the underground warehouse and made a decision. ¡°Contact the


    reporters andwyers. We¡¯ll have to file awsuit against the Murphy Corporation.¡± Giving a cold look,


    he was emotionless when he said that.


    Upon hearing his words, Linda started panicking. She stopped Ashton and tried to reason with him.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, aren¡¯t you burning the bridge? Mr. Murphy is still locked up in Moranta. Shouldn¡¯t you at


    least give him a chance to exin? This is way too sudden, and I believe Mr. Murphy doesn¡¯t know


    about this. The architects and engineers were in charge of the construction, while he never took part.


    Maybe he was in the dark all along.¡±


    I pursed my lips. If I didn¡¯t go through the life-and-death situation in Moranta, I wouldn¡¯t even know that


    Armond was a two-faced person or suspect that he was behind this. However, now that I knew what


    kind of person he was, I believed he had nned this for a long time.


    At that moment, I was wondering if he was also behind my participation in the Fuller Corporation¡¯s


    bidding. It would make sense if he had probably nned everything from the start. After all, the Murphy


    Corporation had been dominating the AI technology field, and it wasn¡¯t a desirable oue for them if


    Fuller Corporation¡¯s AI technology rose to fame.


    The man wanted to use this chance to gain benefit from the Fuller Corporation¡¯s downfall. He was


    ying the long game.


    Recalling the time I almost got into trouble in A City, my trust toward Armond was broken. To dy


    time, he evenid his hands on me and set Nora up. This man was way more scheming than we


    thought.


    I said, ¡°Linda, let¡¯s leave that to the police, okay?¡± Everything that happened after I met Armond


    surfaced in my mind, and instantly, I felt the temperature dropped a few degrees.


    The woman looked at me and stayed silent for a while. ¡°Let me call old Mr. Murphy. This matter


    involves the entire Murphy family, so I have to inform him about this. I¡¯m sorry, Scarlett, but the


    Murphys mean a lot to me.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Alright. Go ahead.¡±


    At the same time, the Murphys were in a frenzy at the moment. Hence, when Robert picked up the call,


    he directly asked Linda to handle the situation on-site. ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you. Just try to minimize Murphy


    Corporation¡¯s loss.¡±


    Upon hearing hismands, Linda was stunned. Then, she nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    After hanging up, Linda looked miserable. She then nced at me with a troubled expression.


    ¡°Scarlett, tell me. What happened to the Murphys?¡±


    I figured she didn¡¯t know about the incident in Moranta. It was a lot, so I collected my thoughts before


    telling her. ¡°The gas released from the chemical factory under the Murphy family in Moranta was


    carcinogenic, and Armond was involved in a murder case. That was why he couldn¡¯t return to A City to


    take care of these matters. Furthermore, the police officers were now investigating the Murphys¡¯


    property, so old Mr. Murphy had his hands full with that, and he could only leave this to you.¡±


    Linda was rather intelligent, so she knew someone was behind this. ¡°Is the Fuller Corporation involved


    with the incident in Moranta?¡±


    I didn¡¯t intend to hide it. ¡°The Murphy family wanted the import and export trading rights, but the Taylor


    family had passed the rights to Ashton. Armond then kidnapped Ashton and forced him to give it up.


    However, he failed, and the police officers are running an investigation on him.¡±


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Upon hearing my words, Linda¡¯s face was as pale as a sheet. Knitting her brows, she was at a loss for


    words.


    Rachel nced at Ashton with concern and turned to Linda. ¡°It seems the Murphy Corporation doesn¡¯t


    have boundaries as long as it makes them money.¡±


    Hearing that, Linda stayed silent. After a long while, she looked at Ashton and said, ¡°Mr. Fuller, I know I


    can¡¯t hinder your decision, but I¡¯ll do my best to protect Murphy Corporation¡¯s project in A City.¡±


    Ashton nced at her before turning to Rachel. ¡°Contact the reporters andwyers.¡±


    With that, he led me out of the base, and we walked all the way to his car.


    In the car, I kept quiet for a long time. However, I failed to suppress my curiosity and blurted out,


    ¡°Ashton, did you know there was an underground warehouse before?¡±


    Although Rachel said that the back wall was damaged by ident because of the malfunction of the


    machines. However, Armond had made the area behind the base off-limits to anyone else. No one


    would drive the excavator to the back unless someone actually nned to enter from the back.


    The man continued driving and kept his eyes on the road as he smiled. ¡°I knew it ever since you told


    me there was something wrong with the structure.¡±


    I pursed my lips. ¡°Then why did you only expose it now?¡±


    Upon that, he nced sideways at me and exined, ¡°If I expose him back then, he¡¯ll only change his


    ns to oppose me. I needed time to find his ws, so I went along with it. With this, I¡¯ll know what he


    was going for.¡±

 Chapter 902

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 902


    Seeing how he was looking at me while driving, I yelled, ¡°Eyes on the road!¡±


    After pausing for a bit, I continued, ¡°You knew that Armond was going to set you up in Moranta. That


    was why you wanted toe back as soon as possible when you heard that he was heading there.¡±


    The man nodded. ¡°But I never expect him to take action so quickly.¡±


    No wonder Armond waspletely unbothered when he was making a bet with Abe in the casino. He


    knew thetter wasn¡¯t his opponent. Thinking about Abe, I couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Do you think that


    Abe¡¯s really dead?¡±


    The man pursed his lips. ¡°ording to the police report in Moranta, the corpse¡¯s DNA matches with


    Abe¡¯s.¡±


    I was stunned by his words. ¡°Armond actually killed Abe?¡±


    It was way too sudden. I initially thought that Armond faked Abe¡¯s death with a corpse to confuse us.


    However, I was too na?ve. He actually killed his partner.


    Ashton parked the car as soon as we reached the vi. Since we hadn¡¯t been there for some time,


    Ashton hired a helper to clean the house. Right when we got off the car, the helper was done with the


    chores and was about to leave.


    When she saw us, she looked at Ashton and reported, ¡°Mr. Fuller, a tall and muscr man came and


    looked for a woman called Scarlett. He asked me to ry this message to you guys: Be careful.¡±


    He¡¯s looking for me?


    I stopped the helper from leaving and asked her about the man¡¯s features. After a series of questioning,


    I couldn¡¯t think of a person I knew who matched her description, so I let her leave.


    Then, I went to the living room and sat on the couch, thinking of the man the helper described earlier.


    Ashton looked at me and said, ¡°Now that Abe¡¯s subordinates know that he¡¯s dead, they might be


    misguided by Armond ande looking for trouble. So from now on, you¡¯ll have to report to me


    whenever you leave the house.¡±


    I nodded, as I knew how dangerous it would be.


    Suddenly, a man¡¯s name came to my mind after I heard him mentioning Abe¡¯s subordinates. My body


    trembled in shock as I sat upright and looked at Ashton. ¡°I know who that man is now. He¡¯s Danny, one


    of Abe¡¯s subordinates. I helped him in Venria before. When he followed Abe back to the country, I gave


    him my contact number and address in case he needed my help. However, I forgot about this after I


    returned to K City.¡±


    With these thoughts in my mind, I immediately called Nora. She answered after a while, and her voice


    was hoarse. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Scarlett?¡±


    Hearing her voice, I was concerned. ¡°Where are you? Why is your voice so hoarse?¡±


    She answered weakly, ¡°I¡¯m in Moranta at the moment. For some reason, I couldn¡¯t get hold of Armond,


    and you guys were already back in K City. I miss him so much, so I came to see him. I¡¯d just arrived


    and didn¡¯t have any sleepst night, so I¡¯m at the hotel trying to catch some sleep. What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    I froze for a while as I was shocked at what the woman told me. ¡°You¡¯re saying that you go there by


    yourself without knowing where he is staying? Do you know how dangerous it is?¡±


    Realization dawned on her, and she was stunned for a while. ¡°Oh yeah, I was just about to ask you.


    You guys stayed in Moranta for such a long time, so you know where he¡¯s staying, right? Can you send


    me the addresster?¡±


    I pursed my lips as I didn¡¯t know how to tell her about the incident in Moranta. ¡°Do you believe me if I


    tell you we don¡¯t?¡±


    She replied, ¡°Hmm¡­ Yeah, but it¡¯s so frustrating, knowing that I have to look for a needle in a


    haystack.¡±


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    After pondering for a while, I said, ¡°Nora, just think of it as going on a vacation in Moranta. Maybe


    Armond didn¡¯t contact you because he was busy. There are a lot of things going on with Murphy


    Corporation recently, so I think he doesn¡¯t have time to meet you. Anyway, you should return as soon


    as possible. It¡¯s dangerous to be alone over there.¡±


    However, the woman was stubborn. ¡°I know he¡¯s busy, so I¡¯m here to see him. Just for a bit, and I¡¯ll go


    back. Oh, right! Why did you call?¡±


    I replied, ¡°Oh, I wanted to ask if a tall and muscr mane to find you these days.¡± Before I left A


    City, I reminded her to help Danny if he came to look for her.


    She said, ¡°Nope. No one came to see me recently.¡±


    I figured Danny had followed Abe to Moranta, so I nodded and reminded her, ¡°Don¡¯t stay in Moranta for


    too long. I¡¯ll give you a number, and just in case you need help, you can call this number. Don¡¯t wander


    around there and always be careful.¡±


    Nora hummed in reply and hung up after that. After a while, I sent her Holden¡¯s number and texted


    Holden, asking him to take care of her.


    Moranta¡¯s security wasn¡¯t that good, so at least Holden could help her if she got into trouble.


    After that, Ashton went to the study on the second floor, while I went to my bedroom. It was at this


    moment when I realized that Renee had given me Sasha¡¯s journal when I was at the hospital.

 Chapter 903

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 903


    I wanted to read the journal, but I couldn¡¯t find it anywhere. Right when I was scratching my head in


    frustration, I realized I had left the journal in another bag as I was in a rush when packing my stuff.


    Well, I guess there¡¯s nothing I can do with that.


    Without Armond¡¯s participation, thewsuit went on smoothly, while the cooperation between the Fuller


    Corporation and the Murphy Corporation could only be called off. Besides, the productunch was


    dyed, and it had affected the Fuller Corporation¡¯s profits.


    Rachel had paid a lot of effort on the project, so she was reluctant for it to end that way. After


    discussing with Ashton, he agreed to hold a public tender in A City to look for a new business partner.


    On the other hand, I had nothing to work on at the Murphy Corporation anymore. But because of the


    public tender, Ashton and I continued to stay in A City for the time being. Meanwhile, Holden called me


    once and told me that Nora almost got into trouble at the hotel, but he took her to his vi.


    When I heard that, I was relieved as that was something to be happy about.


    For the following days, Ashton and Rachel were busy with meetings for the new public tender. On the


    other hand, I was looking for Danny in A City, and it was rather difficult to do so, as he didn¡¯t give me


    his contact number.


    What surprised me the most was Tessa contacting me personally. She asked to meet as she had some


    matters to discuss, but I was reluctant to see her because I had nothing to discuss with her.


    However, she was determined to meet me. Bringing up the incident in Venria, she insisted on inviting


    me out for a talk, so I had to agree.


    We agreed to meet at a caf¨¦. It was November, so the weather in A City was chilly. Tessa wore a


    stylish orange coat with a green turtleneck. As she was rather chubby, the turtleneck covered her neck


    and made it seem shorter.


    I sat at the seat in front of her. She looked frazzled as if she had been staying upte for a long time.


    The heavy makeup didn¡¯t do her face justice, either. It seemed dirty and made me feel ufortable


    just looking at her face.


    ¡°What would you like to drink?¡± She asked and sized me up.


    I answered, ¡°Anything would do.¡±


    The woman nodded and fell silent for a while before saying, ¡°Long time no see. You¡¯ve be


    prettier.¡±


    I was stunned, as I didn¡¯t expect to hearplimentsing from her. I looked at her for a while and


    went straight to the topic. ¡°What do you need from me?¡±


    She shrugged and refused to answer my question. ¡°Why don¡¯t we have something to drink first, and


    we¡¯ll talkter? After all, we¡¯re friends, so don¡¯t treat me like an enemy. Ashton is irresistible, but since I


    can¡¯t make him fall for me, I might as well give up. Besides, it¡¯s not worth offending you because of


    him.¡±


    Listening to her words, I knew she was up to something.


    After staying silent for a while, I urged, ¡°What do you want me to do? I¡¯ll help if I can.¡±


    She looked at me and still didn¡¯t tell me her intentions. cing a ss of fruit juice in front of me, she


    smiled faintly and said, ¡°Here, have a drink. Like I said, we¡¯re not enemies, so there¡¯s no need to rush.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what she was trying to do, so I could only take a sip of the fruit juice. Maybe it was


    because she had touched the ss that there was an unfamiliar scenting from the fruit juice. I had


    heard from Laurel that Tessa had a praying hall in her house, and she would always light sandalwood


    incense inside it.


    The smell of sandalwood always lingered on her body, and that made me feel ufortable.


    ¡°I heard that Nora went to Moranta. Why is she there?¡± She brought up Nora suddenly.


    I replied indifferently, ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Since she didn¡¯t want to tell me her intentions, then there was no


    point in asking. Thus, I put up with her and waited.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    As expected, she finally got to the point after talking about a lot of unrted stuff. ¡°I heard that Mr.


    Fuller is going to hold a public tender to look for a sponsor for the AI project. Has he found a potential


    partner already?¡±


    I furrowed my brows slightly. ¡°I know little about this. Plus, he¡¯s preparing to hold a public tender, and


    this will have to be a fairpetition. I can¡¯t help you with anything rted to this.¡±


    Hearing that, she chuckled. ¡°There¡¯s no need for your help. I¡¯m just introducing someone to you.¡±


    Listening to her words, I got sleepy suddenly.


    My eyelids got heavy and were trying to shut themselves uncontrobly. However, I tried to pinch my


    arm to wake up. The pain inflicted upon my arm made me snap out of my stupor. I looked at the ss


    of fruit juice and noticed something was off. ¡°What did you make me drink?¡±


    She smiled faintly and said, ¡°Nothing much. It¡¯s just something that will make you¡­ sleepy.¡±


    As soon as I heard that, I immediately got up, trying to leave. However, my body felt weak, and before I


    could regain my consciousness, I had fallen asleep.

 Chapter 904

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 904


    When I woke up, I initially thought I would be in an abandoned factory, but to my surprise, I was in a


    room that was tidy and looked as if someone stayed in here before.


    I got up from the bed and went to the living room. No one was there, but I heard a woman reciting her


    prayers in another room.


    Heading toward the room, I halted when I was at the entrance. A few statues and books in Sanskrit


    characters were ced in the smoke-filled room, whereas Tessa was kneeling and putting her hands


    together as she recited her prayers.


    When I saw her, I knew running away was impossible, so I went to the living room and sat on the


    ground. The apartment wasprised of three rooms and a living room. She stayed in a room, and the


    other room was used for her prayers and worship, while the third room was for storage.


    There was nothing in the living room except for a coffee table, and it didn¡¯t even feel like home. Laurel


    once told me Tessa was in her forties, but she wasn¡¯t married and lived alone.


    Seeing that the apartment was rather empty, I figured she didn¡¯t have a boyfriend and was staying by


    herself.


    After a while, she came out from the worshipping room with prayer beads in her hand and looked at


    me. ¡°Would you like some tea?¡± As she spoke, she sat at the coffee table and started boiling a pot of


    water.


    I pursed my lips and asked, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Call Ashton and tell him to withdraw hiswsuit against Armond. Then, let Armond return from


    Moranta.¡± She cut to the chase and took out some tea leaves to brew me some tea.


    I pursed my lips and looked at her. ¡°You¡¯re doing this for Armond? How surprising! When did you guys


    get so close?¡±


    She shrugged and wore an indifferent expression. ¡°As the saying goes, money makes the world go


    round. Mrs. Fuller, you¡¯re used to livingfortably, so you won¡¯t understand our lives.¡±


    I asked, ¡°So, how much did Armond give you?¡±


    The woman looked at me andughed out suddenly. ¡°Why? Are you going to say that you¡¯ll give me


    double the amount he gave? How great it is to be rich! You guys take care of everything using money.¡±


    I pursed my lips and waited to see what she wanted to say next.


    After a while, the woman continued, ¡°Forget it. Now that I¡¯ve done all of this, I have no intention of


    backing out now. If you don¡¯t wish to trouble Ashton, you don¡¯t need to call him. However, you¡¯ll have to


    stay here for a few days. Let¡¯s see what Ashton will do to find his missing wife.¡±


    I was puzzled at how calm and poised she was. Something was odd about how she brought me here


    directly without leaving any traces.


    Hence, I was reluctant to do as she said and was just waiting for the time to pass. The sky was getting


    dark, and throughout this period of time, she drank some tea and recited her prayers. Meanwhile, I got


    more and more suspicious of how she remained that calm all the time.


    If she just wanted me to call Ashton, she could¡¯ve resorted to violence or used some extreme


    measures to force me into doing it. However, she did nothing to me and was just waiting calmly.


    ¡°Eat some noodles. Who knows what Ashton would do to me if he heard that you were starved.¡± The


    woman cooked some instant noodles and added some vegetables. I didn¡¯t have an appetite, so I


    looked at her indifferently. ¡°When will you let me go?¡±


    She raised a brow at me and asked, ¡°Are you going to call him now?¡±


    I frowned. ¡°I won¡¯t do that since Armond deserves to be punished. Ashton can give you the money you


    want, so there¡¯s no need to waste my time like this.¡±


    Despite my offer, she continued eating her noodles calmly and smiled faintly before looking at me in the


    eyes. ¡°As expected of Mrs. Fuller. You¡¯re so generous. I¡¯m sorry, but have you heard of being in the


    same boat? I believe in karma, so even though I dislike Armond for being two-faced, I¡¯ll have to help


    since I have promised him. So, Mrs. Fuller, you only have one choice here.¡±


    I pursed my lips as she continued eating her noodles slowly. Annoyance settled itself in my heart as I


    figured I couldn¡¯t negotiate with her.


    After hesitating for a moment, I asked, ¡°I¡¯m curious. When did you guys get so close?¡±


    The woman raised her brow and told the truth. ¡°We got to an agreement after returning from Epea.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I pressed on the matter while Tessa grew impatient. ¡°I said it before. Money makes the world go


    round.¡±


    I asked, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why won¡¯t you take Ashton¡¯s money? Is there any difference between


    getting money from Ashton or Armond?¡±


    The woman raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°There is!¡±


    The sky was getting dark, so I decided to call Ashton. Taking out my phone, I dialed his number, but the


    call was left unanswered.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    I looked at Tessa, but she was just minding her own business. Left without a choice, I continued calling


    Ashton, yet no one answered.

 Chapter 905

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 905


    Suddenly, I looked at her, puzzled. ¡°We can¡¯t make calls from here, can we? You didn¡¯t mean for me to


    call Ashton at all. You were just trying to stall for some time, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    Slowly, she lifted her eyes to look at me while raising her eyebrows. She had nearly finished eating her


    noodles, and the foundation on her face was king off. Right then, she looked absolutely hideous.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Based on my calction, it will be over soon. Even as we speak, Ashton should be on the


    way to pick you up.¡±


    I was upset at her betrayal, but I took a deep breath, knowing that it was useless to rant. Gazing at her,


    I said, ¡°You have nned it well. It looks like I¡¯ve underestimated you.¡±


    She shrugged andughed softly. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. In the future, we¡¯ll have lots of opportunities to


    compete against each other!¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Yes, but I¡¯d like to remind you to try and get better makeup. After all, you are making money


    from this. Also, as a woman, I would remind you that it¡¯s okay to take care of yourself. You are not even


    forty yet, but you look sixty. Do you know why Ashton doesn¡¯t even want to look at you? It¡¯s because


    your face looks disgusting. It is torturous for any man to spend one day with you, not to mention a


    whole lifetime. Even for me, just today alone is torturous enough.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Her face became more and more hideous by the minute, and she looked at me chillingly,


    ¡°Scarlett, I should have killed you earlier so that I don¡¯t need to be disgusted by you now.


    All women were concerned about their looks no matter what age they were. Hence, naturally, if anyone


    were to insult them, they would have a meltdown. Tessa was the same.


    Watching her hideous face, I said calmly, ¡°Please don¡¯t be angry because I¡¯m just being truthful. Don¡¯t


    you ever look at yourself in the mirror? You actually have the money to buy all those branded clothes.


    So why don¡¯t you spend some on skincare products? Oh, besides, you should probably lose some


    weight, because you really are¡­ hmm, how should I put it¡­ fat and ugly. Most men won¡¯t look twice at


    women like you.¡±


    She was so angry that, after finishing her noodles, she tried to throw the bowl at me, which I had


    fortunately avoided. Infuriated, she then picked up the fruit knife on the table and headed towards me.


    She seemed to bepletely infuriated by my remarks.


    Bang! The door was suddenly kicked open. Ashton came in just on time to see Tessa holding up a knife


    in front of me. He quickly picked up the vase behind the door and aimed right at her head. Upon the


    impact, Tessa dropped down with the vase onto the floor.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Almost immediately afterward, Ashton embraced me and asked, ¡°Are you okay? Did she injured you?¡±


    I shook my head and noticed that several policemen had followed him in. Some policemen helped


    Tessa up from the ground and handcuffed her immediately.


    Tessa, who was still conscious, red at the police in disbelief, yelling, ¡°What are you doing? Why are


    you handcuffing me?¡±


    One of the police officers said, ¡°My apologies, but you are involved in kidnapping with the intention of


    hurting others. We have the right to detain you!¡±


    ¡°Hah! I didn¡¯t hurt her at all, and she is still unharmed. On what basis did youe to such a


    conclusion?¡± Tessa roared while struggling. Obviously, she was very reluctant to leave.


    The police spoke with a cold re, ¡°Just so you know, Miss, attempted murder is a crime. Come with


    us!¡±


    Before they left, Tessa red at me and said in disbelief, ¡°Did you n this? You did this all on


    purpose, didn¡¯t you? Scarlett, I really underestimated you.¡±


    I looked at her, sank my body into Ashton¡¯s arms, and said, ¡°Tessa, Tessa¡­ I treated you as a friend,


    so I didn¡¯t expect you to drug me, kidnap me, and then hurt me. This time, I won¡¯t be so merciful to you,


    and hopefully, you will be punished by thew.¡±


    ¡°You b*tch!¡± She yelled angrily and was taken away forcibly by the police.


    After they left, Ashton and I returned to his car. That man had been cold and sullen the entire time,


    looking like a kid showing his temper. I knew that he was angry with me foring out to meet Tessa


    by myself and almost getting hurt.


    We drove for a while as I thought about how to coax him out of his mood. Holding my stomach, I


    started muttering, ¡°Oh, my stomach hurts so much. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because I haven¡¯t eaten for a


    whole day. Ugh¡­¡±


    I pretended to be miserable while holding my stomach. Meanwhile, Ashton pursed his lips, and after


    looking at me, he said, ¡°What would you like to eat?¡±


    ¡°Koandria cuisine!¡± I said, looking at him with a smile.


    He looked at me without saying anything but just drove the car to the city center and got off. I watched


    him stood beside the car coldly, and with a pitiful voice, I said, ¡°Ashton, I¡¯m hungry. It¡¯s been a day, and


    I was almost scared to death by Tessa just now. I can¡¯t walk anymore. Can you give me a hand?¡±


    He frowned and continued to watch my ¡°act.¡± Seeing that I had refused to get down, hepromised a


    little and came to help.


    I pursed my lips slightly and leaned my entire weight on him while looking at him shamelessly. ¡°Can


    you hold me? I really can¡¯t walk!¡±

 Chapter 906

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 906


    He pursed his lips, ¡°Don¡¯t eat, then. We¡¯ll go back and get some rest!¡±


    Hearing that, I immediately stood up straight and pouted. ¡°C¡¯mon. Let¡¯s go get some food.¡± In just a few


    steps, I was inside the restaurant and had found us a seat.


    He followed suit and looked at me coldly. Ignoring him, I ordered my food and rested my chin on my


    hand while looking at him. ¡°Are you still angry?¡±


    However, he ignored me.


    I instantly understood how he felt, so I stopped talking. After a while, the waiter served our food.


    Feeling extremely hungry, I was really eager to dig in, but he stopped me. ¡°Drink your soup first!¡±


    At that, he ced a bowl of chicken mushroom soup in front of me. I knew he was afraid that I had


    been hungry for too long, and if I ate solid food right after that, my stomach would not be able to hold it.


    Obediently, I drank the soup before starting to eat. He did not seem to be hungry or picking up his fork.


    Instead, he just looked at me gently, so I could not help but ask, ¡°Ashton, has Armond been released?¡±


    He pursed his lips and looked at me, ¡°Eat your food and don¡¯t talk with your mouth full!¡±


    As soon as he said that, I kept quiet. After I had finished my meal, I looked at him and spoke, ¡°Today¡¯s


    incident happened because I was careless. I promise it wouldn¡¯t happen again.¡±


    He looked at me with a helpless gaze. ¡°When have you ever kept such promises?¡±


    Being a little speechless, I pouted and then quibbled, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect her to drug me at the caf¨¦ so


    tantly and take me back to her ce. I will not be fooled by her again next time.¡±


    ¡°Is there a next time?¡± He red at me with a solemn expression.


    I shook my head, dering fearfully, ¡°No, I hope this will never happen again.¡±


    His facial expression improved slightly, and then he looked at me. ¡°Do you understand what you did


    was wrong?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yes, I do!¡±


    ¡°What did you do wrong?¡±


    I spoke like a child owning up, ¡°I was wrong in being too trusting. I was wrong in being so silly. I was


    wrong for not obeying you!¡±


    He grunted, looked at me and asked, ¡°What else?¡±


    His question had me stunned as I pondered over it and not knowing what else to say. Watching him


    cautiously, I asked, ¡°What else did I do wrong?¡±


    Unexpectedly, he got up abruptly from his seat and went straight out of the restaurant. I was a little


    dazed as I followed him, asking, ¡°Ashton, can you quit losing your temper so easily? I really don¡¯t know


    what¡¯s wrong. Please tell me, so I won¡¯t repeat it next time. Ashton! Why are you doing this?¡±


    Nheless, he did not listen to me at all but continued his way out. I followed him for a few steps but


    realized that I could not catch up with him, so I simply gave up and sat on the steps outside the


    restaurant, watching him walk away.


    After a while, he had probably realized that I was not following him. Thus, he looked back at me and


    narrowed his eyes slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to go back?¡±


    I pursed my lips, sitting on the steps destely while looking at him. ¡°What have I done wrong?¡±


    He frowned. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about this at home!¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Without moving, I sat on the ground and continued staring at him. ¡°Tell me now, or we¡¯re not going


    back.¡±


    His expression seemed down as he looked at me and said, ¡°Are you sure you want to talk here?¡±


    I nodded.


    I had thought that he would at least turn back and tug me by the hand. Unexpectedly, he got into the


    car, started it, and left without hesitation.


    As I watched him driving further and further into the distance, I was stunned. I sat there for a long time,


    lost in thought. Did he really just left?


    The apologies that I had prepared mentally in my mind turned into curses. The scene of him dumping


    me reyed in my mind over and over again.


    Standing at the entrance of the restaurant for a long time, I decided to give Nora a call. The call went


    through, but it was Holden who answered it, ¡°She¡¯s taking a shower. What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    That came as a big shock, so I couldn¡¯t help but roar at him, ¡°Holden, are you kidding me? I asked you


    to help me take care of her, not in this way! You¡¯re really¡­ Ugh! I have nothing to say to you! There are


    lines that you cannot cross, Holden, and Armond¡¯s girlfriend is one of them! Is it that hard to


    understand?¡±


    I admit that I was taking it all out on him. After all, I was furious with Ashton for dumping me, and I had


    nowhere to vent my anger. This man happened to pick up the phone, and so I acted ordingly.


    On the other end, Holden was a little taken aback by my sudden outburst. ¡°Excuse me, but you should


    calm down! I didn¡¯t touch her at all. You asked me to take her to my house. While she is taking a bath,


    the phone kept ringing, and it was bothering me, so I answered it. I didn¡¯t touch her at all, Scarlett. Can


    you get your head out of the gutter?¡±


    Oh¡­ Uh¡­


    I was a little embarrassed, but at this point, I did not want to apologize. Hence, I said, ¡°You think I don¡¯t


    know you? Don¡¯t you dare pretend to be such an upright person. I¡¯m warning you; you¡¯d better not do


    anything to her. If you do, don¡¯t me me for taking action against you¡­ Anyway, could you ask her


    the password for her ce? I have to go to her house tonight.¡±


    ¡°I knew it! This was all because of what happened between you and Ashton, yes? That¡¯s why you were


    so angry; even to the point that you wanted to leave home. But can¡¯t you at least leave me out of this? I


    didn¡¯t do anything wrong, so I clearly don¡¯t deserve this.¡± Holden was scolded for no reason, so he


    started toin.


    After a while, his unhappy voice could be heard over the phone. ¡°You¡¯ve got a call. I swear, you women


    always take forever to shower.¡±

 Chapter 907

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 907


    Obviously, these words were not meant for me.


    Soon after that, Nora¡¯s voice came over on the line. ¡°What did you say to him just now? Why is he so


    angry?¡±


    I curled my lips and said, ¡°I thought he was messing with you, so I gave him a piece of my mind.


    Anyway, enough about that guy. I was just calling you to tell you that I wanted to stay at your house


    tonight. Tell me the password so that I can at least have a ce to sleep.¡±


    She sighed, ¡°What happened? Did you quarrel with Ashton? Weren¡¯t you guys at A City for work


    purposes?¡±


    In one breath, she asked so many questions that I felt dizzy.


    Drawing in a deep breath, I replied, ¡°We¡¯re here on a business trip. Just give me the password already.


    I¡¯m outdoors, and it¡¯s freezing.¡±


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    ¡°The password¡¯s my birthday. But what happened between you both? Why did you quarrel?¡±


    I was not in the mood to talk much, so I hung up the phone hastily after thanking her. After that, I called


    a cab and went to her ce, which I had visited before. That was why I knew the address.


    As soon as I reached her ce, a stale odor came wafting to my nostrils. I guessed it was probably


    because she had not been home for quite a while.


    While I was tidying up, my phone kept ringing. I took a look at the screen and saw that it was Ashton,


    so I did not answer. Instead, I turned my phone off instantly. One could say that this is unnecessary, but


    that is just how I am.


    After all that, Iy on the bed with my restless thoughts, unable to fall asleep. After a while, the doorbell


    rang. I was taken aback at first, but then I guessed that Ashton had probably found me.


    Thus, I got up to check, and it was indeed him. However, I just ignored him and pretended not to hear


    anything. Then, I went back to the bedroom to rest, but I underestimated how determined and stubborn


    this man could be.


    Bang! With just a few kicks, he had broken down Nora¡¯s door. When I saw him in the bedroom, I was


    so angry that I threw the pillow at him and shouted, ¡°Get lost, Ashton! Get out right now!¡±


    He caught the pillow and looked at me. ¡°I¡¯m not the one at fault today!¡±


    Upon his remark, I almost choked. ¡°Excuse me? You¡¯re the one who abandoned your wife and left! If


    it¡¯s not your fault, then whose is it? Ashton, I initially thought that even though you¡¯re an insensitive


    prick, you¡¯re at least a gentleman. But, no¡­ I guess I had really overestimated you. You¡¯re even worse


    than that! In fact, you¡¯re despicable.¡±


    Clearly stunned, he looked at me and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t leave you behind. Joe told me that when a woman


    is angry, just get some cakes for her. She¡¯ll feel better after having dessert.¡±


    As he spoke, he solemnly handed me the box in his hand. ¡°It¡¯s from the shop you like. It¡¯s matcha


    vored!¡±


    After hearing his exnation, I was exasperated. To be honest, I just wanted to ignore him. Then, I took


    in a deep breath and shouted at him, ¡°I don¡¯t want this! I don¡¯t want to eat anything! As a matter of fact,


    please get away from me!¡±


    Yet, he continued to stand there, unmoving. ¡°It¡¯s not safe being alone out here. Cut this nonsense, and


    let¡¯s go home.¡±


    Throwing the pillow in my hand at him, I trembled with anger, ¡°Ashton, don¡¯t you know me well enough?


    Am I a child? Don¡¯t you know why I am angry? I had already apologized to you, so why are you still


    holding it against me? Are you deliberately looking for problems? Getting cakes for me¡­ hah! I think


    you were driving to leave, and then you were afraid that I would hold a grudge against you, so you went


    to get cakes!¡±


    With a darkened expression, he frowned at me. I thought he was going to be like before ¨C knowing that


    I would win the argument, he would m the door and leave, but he did not. Instead, he put the box in


    his hand next to me and picked up the pillow on the floor. Then, he looked at me and said, ¡°I am cross


    with you because you know that angering Tessa is dangerous, but you still did it. I am upset that you


    don¡¯t put your safety first or take care of yourself. And no, I didn¡¯t n to leave; I just went to buy you


    cakes.¡±


    Although he exined everything very clearly, I was still angry. Hence, I did not want anything to do


    with him, so I pulled the quilt over my head and said to him, ¡°Okay. You can go now!¡±


    Even if he had given a clear exnation, the anger in my heart still remained, so I could not think


    straight. I still wanted to fight with him because that was just how I was. I knew that, so I controlled


    myself and asked him to leave quickly.


    However, he couldn¡¯t get it, and that, I could only say, was the difference between a man and a woman.


    Not only did he refuse to leave, but hey down beside me and said, ¡°Then we will stay here tonight.


    Since the door is broken, I will get someone to fix it.¡±


    I took a deep breath and held it. When I saw him crawling in next to me, I kicked him without even


    thinking. It took him by surprise, so he rolled off the bed andnded on the ground, his head hitting the


    corner of the bedside table.


    Wham! A muffled knock apanied his soft grunt. I was taken aback for a moment and


    subconsciously wanted to go down to help him, but I did not know what was going on as I watched him


    holding his head.


    I refrained myself, sat up, and asked tentatively, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    His pained voice could be heard, ¡°It hurts!¡±


    Since I was not sure if he was telling the truth, I replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t do it intentionally. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d


    fall. C¡¯mon, get up, and let me take a look at you.¡±

 Chapter 908

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 908


    ¡°It hurts!¡± He was still lying on the ground without moving and justining about the pain.


    At that, I could not help being a little worried, so I got down from the bed and went towards him. I saw


    that his forehead was badly bruised, and I felt a little sorry for him. ¡°Sh*t, what the hell happened? I¡¯m


    so sorry. Let me take care of it right away!¡±


    I helped him onto the bed, and then I went to get some ointment. Maybe because of the bump, he was


    sitting very quietly on the bed, without moving an inch. I got the ointment and sat at the bedside to put


    some on his head. In a short while, someone came to repair the door.


    After I applied some ointment for Ashton, I greeted the locksmith and sent them away after everything


    was done. They had installed a new digital lock, and the password was set to Nora¡¯s birthday.


    When I returned to the bedroom, Ashton was lying in bed, apparently, asleep.


    Seeing that the bruise on his forehead was less swollen now, I was relieved. After that, I turned off the


    lights andy down right next to him. As soon as I closed my eyes, Ashton¡¯s arm was around me. ¡°Go


    to sleep!¡± I frowned and said.


    ¡°I sleep better with you in my arms,¡± he uttered childishly. This was obviously nonsense.


    Due to what happened today at Tessa¡¯s and the incident at Lavelian Vige, I couldn¡¯t help thinking of


    my previous ident in the hospital. I moved my body and leaned in to Ashton. ¡°Ashton, did you


    investigate the ident that happened when I was in the hospital?¡±


    He had not talked to me about this all this while. Moreover, due to the series of unfortunate events, I


    had also nearly forgotten about this.


    The man put his arm around me and his chin on my shoulders. He was touching my ear all the time


    while speaking, and it was a little itchy. ¡°This matter is rted to Armond. Tessa and Abe both


    participated in it, and the hospital surveince system was damaged. There was no way to get


    evidence.¡±


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡°Tessa?¡± I was surprised. ¡°How did she get involved?¡±


    ¡°The anesthesia in the hospital was given to you by Abe¡¯s men. It was Abe who took you away. Their


    initial purpose was to make you disappear for a few hours, but after they handed you to Tessa, they


    didn¡¯t expect her to take you to the morgue and put you in the freezer.¡± He put his arms around me and


    sighed, ¡°Your friend is viler than you realize. Do avoid her as far as possible next time. In fact, it¡¯s better


    if you don¡¯t meet up with her at all.¡±


    When he finished that, I was stunned for a moment. I still couldn¡¯t fully get what he was saying, so I


    asked, ¡°Did you mean to say that Abe and Tessa joined forces to harm me?¡±


    He nodded, ¡°After you were given anesthetics, Abe took you into the elevator. But when you got out of


    the elevator, Tessa took over. Their n was to let Tessa take you to a hidden ce and let you sleep


    for a few days so that I would not have the peace of mind to take care of the things in Lavelian Vige.


    However, they didn¡¯t expect Tessa to send you there, let alone that I would save you.¡±


    I froze for a few seconds before digesting what he meant. Then I frowned and looked at him. ¡°Tessa


    took me away today to threaten you, so you would not prosecute Armond. Yet you have already


    contacted the police andwyers. Is it possible for you to change anything now?¡±


    He nodded, ¡°Before the case is filed, everything can be changed. Today is thest day to do so.¡±


    I pursed my lips silently for a while and said, ¡°But isn¡¯t Abe already dead? Tessa has been with me all


    day, and she couldn¡¯t have threatened you. Who else is involved in this?¡±


    He raised his hand to my zipper while his voice was low and resonant. ¡°I haven¡¯t figured this out yet!¡±


    Realizing that he was going to kiss me, I avoided him and said, ¡°How is Armond today? Did you let him


    go?¡±


    He stretched out his hand to pull me close into his arms, his voice husky, ¡°Mm-hmm!¡±


    I frowned at his response. ¡°He almost killed you, Ashton. How could he let him go so easily? You¡¯re


    going too easy on him.¡±


    Nheless, he was distracted. The man merely hummed a response and trapped me between his


    legs. I opened my eyes wide and raised my hand to push him away. ¡°Ashton, stop it!¡±


    ¡°Oh, for goodness¡¯ sake, Scarlett! We¡¯re married!¡± His voice was a little hoarse. I pursed my lips,


    pushed him away slightly, and distanced myself from him. ¡°Not today¡­ I¡¯m too sleepy.¡±


    It was true as I slept quite a lottely.


    However, he didn¡¯t let me go, so I pursed my lips and said, ¡°Ashton, I¡¯m really sleepy. I don¡¯t want to!¡±


    This went on for a while.


    That night, I was reluctant. Ashton stopped after trying to persuade me a few times. After that, he held


    me and muttered, ¡°When we have time, we need to make a visit to the hospital!¡±


    At that moment, I was too sleepy to reply sensibly.


    The weather was quite rough the next day.


    It had been half a month since we came to A City. Cameron called and said that Summer had been


    prone to catching a cold recently. She didn¡¯t know that until she took Summer out.


    It didn¡¯te much of a surprise to me since K City was cold, and Summer was born prematurely. For


    all these years, I had lived with her in R Province, and the weather there was just right, so she rarely


    got sick. Two years ago, we moved to K City suddenly. Hence, with the change in environment, the girl


    would easily catch a cold now and then. However, this was all considered normal since she needed


    time to get used to the new environment.

 Chapter 909

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 909


    I was on a call with Cameron when Ashton came to me and said, ¡°We have the bidding at Oasis Hotel


    this afternoon. You shoulde with me.¡±


    Seeing the serious look on him, I hung up the call and frowned. ¡°Do I have to go? I¡¯m not involved in


    the tender anyway. Besides, I only know that it¡¯s to find a supplier for the project. If not, Rachel¡¯s two


    years of hard work would go to waste.¡±


    He handed me a ck tie to let me help him with it. ¡°I really think you should go with me. I can¡¯t be at


    ease if you¡¯re here alone. Tessa has been released from the police station, so I¡¯m worried you might be


    in danger.¡±


    As soon as he said that, I creased my brow, puzzled. ¡°What? She almost killed me! How can they let


    her go just after a night? Isw made for nothing?¡±


    He pursed his lips and responded, ¡°Since she did not inflict direct physical harm, the police can¡¯ty


    any charges on her, so she can¡¯t be detained for more than twelve hours.¡±


    No direct physical harm? Upon hearing that, I almost fainted right there and then. ¡°That was attempted


    murder! The police were even at the scene when it happened. How could there be no evidence? So


    they can only charge a murderer after the victim has died? How ridiculous!¡±


    I could not help but fume as I thought about the times she had harmed me. First, she almost froze me


    to death in the hospital. And this time, I was almost killed by her again. How could they say there¡¯s no


    evidence of her crime when all this while she¡¯s been plotting my death?


    Seeing that I was shaking with anger, Ashton ced his warm hands on me and calmed me down.


    ¡°She found someone to bail her out. By the time my subordinates arrived at the police station, she was


    already gone.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Who bailed her out?¡± Isn¡¯t she from a small county? And Tabitha told me that she did not have


    any close friends there. How could she have someone to bail her out?


    ¡°It was Derek Watson.¡± Ashton grabbed my hand and brought me down to the entrance. Then, he


    asked me to wait for him while he went to get his car.


    Mr. Watson? Linda¡¯s ex-husband?


    A whileter, Ashton drove over and picked me up. I looked at him and asked, ¡°Why is he involved in


    this matter? I only know that there are some business rtions between them. But why would he bail


    her out? That was her private matter.¡±


    He turned to me and sighed, ¡°Have you ever look into Tessa¡¯s background?¡±


    His question made me even more confused. When he saw me staring at him, he smiled and said,


    ¡°They had aplicated rtionship when they were young. And do you know that she had a tea


    business?¡±


    His words reminded me that when we were in Venria, Tessa said that she used to have two houses and


    a Mercedes-Benz when she was in her twenties, and she even had two shops that sold tea leaves. Her


    assets were probably worth a few million. If she were from a wealthy family, I could understand why a


    young girl from a rural area could own so much, but she was not. Come to think of it, I realized there


    was more to her story than what she had told us.


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    I looked at Ashton, waiting for him to borate, but he hesitated and said, ¡°I still need to investigate


    more before I could exin it to you.¡±


    Although Ashton did not tell me more, I somehow understood the situation. If one looked at Tessa


    closely, one could see that she had a slight saddle nose deformity and an asymmetrical jaw. She


    probably had stic surgery ten years ago and failed to follow up for maintenance, so her facial


    features had turned crooked over the years.


    ¡°How about the things that happened yesterday?¡± The only one I could think of was him.


    As Ashton drove down the road, he deliberated for a while and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s him. He


    wouldn¡¯t involve himself in thisplicated matter.¡±


    When we arrived at the entrance of the Oasis Hotel, there were many people gathered at the door.


    They seemed as if they were there to wee Ashton. I turned to him and asked, ¡°Were you the one


    who arranged this?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not me.¡±


    Later, a middle-aged man with a potbelly came towards us as we walked into the hotel. I did not


    recognize him at first, but as he came closer, I realized that he was Derek. When he saw Ashton, he


    rushed over and greeted Ashton enthusiastically. ¡°When I heard that you¡¯re invitingpanies to rebid,


    I can¡¯t wait toe and join it. Mr. Fuller, I hope you won¡¯t ignore us this time.¡±


    Geez, this man is really awful!


    I pursed my lips and held Ashton¡¯s arm. Derek then turned to me and smiled awkwardly. ¡°Ms. Stovall,


    long time no see. You¡¯re still as beautiful as ever.¡±


    What I admired about Derek was that he never failed to put up a smile and ingratiate himself with the


    person he disliked even when both of them knew that they hate each other.


    I pursed my lips and frowned, refusing to talk to him. I¡¯ve not forgotten what he did at the bar, and I


    certainly won¡¯t let it slide. Seeing my attitude, he was not upset at all. He then humbly introduced his


    company to Ashton and curried favor with him.


    On the other hand, Ashton remained silent the whole time, looking impassive as always. I wondered if


    he paid attention to Derek¡¯s words as I definitely did not listen to any of them.


    However, there was one thing I wanted toment on. I narrowed my eyes at Derek and said, ¡°I see


    Mr. Watson is a man with multiple careers.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Ms. Stovall, you¡¯ve misunderstood! How could a person like me own apany? It¡¯s my


    ambitious wife who established thepany. She¡¯s been aspiring to be a sessful


    businesswoman for a long time. So, I took a day off to be here today to help her bid for this project.¡±

 Chapter 910

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 910


    I gave him a faint smile. ¡°Oh, so it belongs to your wife? Seems like I¡¯m the one who had overthought.


    But I do hope to meet your wife one day.¡±


    Just then, the elevator arrived, and Derek changed the topic, ushering Ashton into the elevator. When


    we reached the destination, he excused himself and went away.


    Ashton nced at me and said, ¡°You¡¯re normally a quiet person, but you¡¯re surprisingly chatty with


    Derek just now. Did he offend you before?¡±


    I shrugged nonchntly and found myself a seat to sit. ¡°Not really, but he did infuriate me before. I


    really dislike him. He abandoned his wife and his child, and yet he still had the nerve to say that the


    company belongs to his wife. What a jerk!¡±


    He looked at me curiously and asked, ¡°How did you know about his background?¡±


    I pursed my lips. ¡°His ex-wife is Linda, and she is a single parent. He does not have a wife at all, so it


    was all lies. He was the one who owns thepany. Hmph, I swear I¡¯ve never seen such a corrupt


    person.¡±


    As I continued to badmouth Derek, Ashton gazed at me amusedly.


    Suddenly, Rachel came over and passed a document to Ashton. When she saw me sitting beside him,


    she furrowed her brows, displeased with my presence. She probably thought that it was inappropriate


    for me to observe the tendering process.


    I did not take it to heart and ignored her. After he looked through the document, he looked at her and


    asked, ¡°Is Motha Group a financial investment firm?¡±


    Rachel nodded in response. ¡°It used to be an investmentpany, but it has changed into a small


    company recently, managed by a young girl. They are not doing so well, so you don¡¯t have to put this


    ¡°Okay. Who would be their representative today?¡±


    Rachel was surprised that Ashton would ask more about thepany. ¡°It¡¯s the daughter of the former


    chairperson, Scott Webster. Her name is Hailey Webster. She is still quite young. Rumor has it that she


    took over the deterioratingpany not long after her father passed away. Currently, their business is


    just barely managing to get by.¡±


    He frowned, seemingly deep in his thought.


    Half an hourter, the event started. Rachel had always beenpetent at work, so it was not a


    surprise that she could manage the entire tendering process without Ashton¡¯s guidance. Hence, he did


    not participate in the facilitation process but only observed the tendering among the members of the


    audience with me.


    A few hours passed, and the bigpanies were finally done with their proposal presentations. I was


    about to fall asleep when a youngdy with a cold, impassive face went up the stage, instantly catching


    my attention.


    There was nothing special about her, but it was hard not to notice an adolescent who looked about


    seventeen years old presenting on the stage as all the other presenters were adults.


    The girl was wearing a ck dress, looking a little gloomy. She stood on the stage, swept a nce over


    the audience, and started to present her proposal calmly.


    However, her proposal did not attract any attention from the audience. An expert in construction


    tendering would probablyment that her proposal did not have any points that stood out, so it was


    rather boring and general. Therefore, my attention was not on her presentation but on her face.


    At first nce, this little girl looked rather low-spirited and had an air of mncholy around her, like a


    dead soul in a living body. I did not know why I would describe her in this way, but this was the feeling I


    got when I firstnded my gaze on her.


    Since the Motha Group was a smallpany, no questions were asked from the host, and she came


    down from the stage as soon as she ended her presentation. Nheless, I could not help but stare at


    her as she walked past me. Noticing that someone was looking at her, she nced in my direction.


    Our eyes met, and I felt inexplicably cold; there was not even a hint of warmth in this girl.


    I averted my gaze and focused on Rachel, who was announcing the tender results on the stage. The


    Fuller Corporation was a bigpany, after all. Hence, many corporations were eager to win the bid as


    a deal signed with the Fuller Corporation would guarantee a huge profit to theirpanies.


    After a detailed analysis of the tender documents submitted by the participating bigpanies, she


    decided to choose Derek¡¯s tradingpany in the end. The decision was fully entrusted to her as


    Ashton trusted her excellent capability at work.


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    Therefore, he made no furtherments.


    When the event came to an end, Rachel and Ashton still had some discussion to make, so I wandered


    around the room and saw the girl in a ck dress standing at the entrance. As I got closer to her, I


    realized that she was staring nkly at a piece of art in front of her.


    I believed humans had an instinct to seek only benefits and avoid danger. Standing in front of the girl,


    my gut told me to stay away from her and not to get involved with her. There were so many things


    about her that I was familiar with but unwilling to face.


    When I was about to turn and leave, she suddenly called out to me. ¡°I thought you wanted to chat with


    me.¡±


    I hesitated for a moment and turned around eventually. Looking at her dark brown eyes, I said,


    ¡°Business is not suitable for you.¡±


    Unperturbed, she nodded. ¡°I know.¡±


    I pursed my lips and cast my gaze on the poignant image in front of her. It seemed to be unrted to


    the bidding. Perhaps it was left to be disyed here merely for aesthetic purposes.

 Chapter 911

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 911


    ¡°You seem to like the color ck,¡± Imented. To be honest, I did not want to encounter these


    negative things again.


    She nodded frankly in response. After observing the image for a while, she turned to me again and


    raised her brow. ¡°Are you a staff of the Fuller Corporation?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded.


    ¡°I see.¡± Then, she continued, ¡°The man who was sitting beside you just now is your husband, isn¡¯t he? I


    can see that he treats you well.¡±


    I did not deny her words and pursed my lips.


    After a short pause, she lowered her head, looking pensive. ¡°It¡¯s good that he can heal you.¡±


    I kept quiet for a while before saying, ¡°You also know that business is not suitable for you. So, why


    don¡¯t you do the things that you want to do? The only way to heal us is to seek for the things that make


    us happy.¡±


    She merely smiled and did not reply.


    Just then, Ashton finished his discussion with Rachel and walked over to us. He knitted his eyebrows in


    confusion when he saw that I was talking with Hailey. Seeing Ashton, she left without saying anything.


    I stood there and waited for Ashton toe closer. He asked, ¡°Someone you know?¡±


    I shook my head in reply and changed the topic. ¡°Are you done with your discussion?¡±


    He nodded and asked, ¡°There¡¯s a celebratory banquet tonight. Do you want to go with me?¡±


    Ever since the incidents I had with Tessa, Ashton had been insisting that I stay with him 24/7. I nodded


    in response and looked in the direction Hailey had left. An indescribable feeling swept through me at


    that moment.


    When a person who had undergone rhinosty saw a retracted colume scar on the other person¡¯s


    nose, he would know that the other person also had a rhinosty like himself. The same principle


    applied to Hailey and me as well. The moment we first met each other, we instinctively knew that both


    of us were depressed.


    Depression could never be cured; the symptoms could only be alleviated or suppressed as time went


    by. What we could do was to search for the light at the end of the tunnel and fill the emptiness in our


    hearts with warmth and happiness. Hailey was right; I was lucky to have Ashton in my life. He was the


    one who healed me and brought me warmth.


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    However, this did not mean it applied to everyone else. I had no idea what she had gone through in her


    life, but the emptiness in her eyes told me that she was still struggling in the dark.


    At night, we went to the dinner as nned.


    I often attended banquets simr to this, so I was quite familiar with the process. Normally, the people


    involved from the twopanies would gather for a dinner together, exchange pleasantries, and get


    acquainted with each other.


    I was rather reluctant to join this banquet as it was hosted by Derek. However, what surprised me was


    that Dante and Danny were at the banquet as well.


    It had been a while since Ist saw them. Dante did not change much, except that his skin had turned


    fairer, probably because the UV rays were weaker in our country.


    He was dressed formally with ck-framed sses, and currently, he was raising a toast to Derek


    obsequiously. On the other hand, Danny was still the same. He was now standing in the corner,


    enjoying the food on his te heartily. I guess he is still a foodie.


    Seeing that I was observing them, Ashton asked curiously, ¡°You know them?¡±


    I nodded in response. When I was about to go to Danny, Derek came over to curry favor with Ashton.


    Hence, Dante, who was tagging along with Derek, saw me as well.


    He squinted slightly and raised his ss towards me with a smile. ¡°Ms. Stovall, long time no see. I


    didn¡¯t expect to see you here. Fate has kindly brought us together again.¡±


    Derek was going to toast Ashton, but when he heard Dante¡¯s words, he smiled and asked, ¡°Both of you


    know each other?¡±


    ¡°Of course. We are good friends indeed. I initially thought that we would never meet again, but look at


    us now! It must be fate!¡± He sounded so sarcastic when he said that we were ¡°good friends.¡±


    I pursed my lips and shifted a bit towards Ashton. I really can¡¯t bring myself to smile at a devil.


    Just then, Ashton caught my movement and looked at Dante. ¡°May I know who you are?¡±


    Dante was indifferent to my attitude. ¡°You must be Mr. Fuller. My name is Dante. Ms. Stovall and I met


    each other when we were in Venria, but now she seems to have forgotten about me. My heart is


    broken.¡±


    At that, Ashton furrowed his brows slightly and exchanged a few more words with them before sending


    them away. Then, he turned to me and asked quizzically, ¡°He said both of you met in Venria. Is that


    true?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°He is Abe¡¯s subordinate.¡± As I replied to Ashton, I looked over to Danny, but he was gone. I


    nced around, looking for him, but to no avail.


    Ashton seemed to want to ask more questions, but I said, ¡°We¡¯ll talkter. I need to go out for a while.¡±


    Without listening to his reply, I immediately went to the corner where Danny was standing just now and


    walked along the corridor to find him.


    I searched around again, but he was still out of sight. However, when I passed by the restroom, I saw


    Tessa standing at the door. She seemed unsurprised to see me here. She smiled mirthlessly and said,


    ¡°What a coincidence. We¡¯ve met again.¡±

 Chapter 912

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 912


    At that time, I had no intention to chat with her, so I told her calmly, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a coincidence.¡±


    ncing around, I did not see Danny, so I turned around to leave. But Tessa stopped me and said,


    ¡°Oh, why? You seem to be looking for someone.¡±


    ¡°Get out of my way!¡± I had no time or patience for people like her.


    However, she continued to use her chubby body to block my way and taunted, ¡°Why are you so


    aggressive? Are we not good friends? Don¡¯t you remember all the dangerous situations that we had


    been through in Venria? Do you treat Nora and the others like this, too?¡±


    I red at her and scoffed. ¡°Friends, huh? What kind of friend would put me into a mortuary cab?


    And what kind of friend would plot my death every day? Tessa, you¡¯ve insulted the term ¡®friends.¡¯ Don¡¯t


    compare yourself with Nora and the others. You¡¯re downright disgusting!¡±


    Suddenly, she burst intoughter. ¡°I¡¯m disgusting? Scarlett, did you forget that you were the one who


    caused me to be sexually assaulted in Venria? Did you seriously think that I could act like nothing had


    happened after we left there? Do you know the feeling of being gang-raped in front of everyone else?


    No, you don¡¯t. You were the one who saw me being vited by those men. You knew that they raped


    me because of you, and yet, you did not do anything to help me. And now you even have the audacity


    to think that it¡¯s not your fault. Maybe everyone else had forgotten about it, but I can¡¯t. It will forever be


    engraved in my memory. From the moment I left Venria, I vowed to make all of you suffer as much as I


    did!¡±


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    She looked at me sinisterly as her eyes zed with hate and wrath. I was rendered speechless as I


    thought that she had let go of the past. After all, I knew that there was nothing I could do to undo the


    hurt that I had inflicted on her. That was why I did everything I could to make a deal with Armond to let


    him send us back to our country and even begged him to find the best doctors to remove the kyanine in


    their wombs. I naively thought that she would forgive us and move on.


    But she¡¯s right. Why does she have to forgive us, especially me? She would not have been hurt if it


    weren¡¯t for my little mistake. Hence, it was understandable why she hated me and wanted to seek


    revenge against me.


    Completely absorbed in my thought, I did not know when she had left. When Ashton found me looking


    devastated at the corridor, he frowned. ¡°Anything happened?¡±


    I shook my head,y my head against his chest, and took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It was my fault. I


    know that it happened because of me, but I don¡¯t know what I can do about it now!¡±


    ¡°What happened, Scarlett?¡± Ashton hugged me as he patted my back.


    I did not know how to tell him about the incident in Venria, so I just shook my head and remained silent.


    After that, Ashton brought me back to the vi. Iy on the bed and felt dejected, but I did not want to


    continue to wallow in misery. Whenever people were used, they would always defend themselves


    and find numerous reasons to convince themselves that it was not their fault. But, wrong is wrong.


    I also kept trying tofort myself, reminding myself of what I had done for her ¨C I was the one who


    helped her escape from Venria, I harbored no grudge against her after she purposely threw away my


    documents at the airport, and I could even forgive her for harming me several times. However, all of


    these could not deny the fact that she was hurt because of me.


    Afterying on the bed for a long time, I realized that Ashton had note back from the study. So, I


    went there and saw him staring at the monitor. When he heard me enter, he looked up and asked, ¡°Are


    you feeling better?¡±


    I nodded in reply and went over to sit beside him. As Inded my gaze on theputer screen, I was


    shocked to see that he was looking at some surveince footage. ¡°I thought the footage from the


    hospital was destroyed. How did you get this?¡±


    He looked at me and replied, ¡°I hired someone to fix it, so the footage at the elevator and the morgue


    had been recovered. Even though Abe and Tessa were wearing masks, we could still identify them


    from this footage.¡±


    I hesitated for a moment and looked at him. ¡°What are you going to do next?¡± The reason why he put


    so much effort into recovering the footage was to put Tessa into prison. This footage would be enough


    to charge her for cooperating with Abe in attempted murder. Although she could not be sentenced to


    life imprisonment, she would definitely be imprisoned for several years.¡±


    Ashton watched the footage with a solemn look. After a while, he said, ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous to let her


    stay in the society. She should be thrown into prison for a few years.¡±


    I fell silent. After a long pause, I asked, ¡°Can you not pass this to the police?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± He frowned, baffled.


    ¡°I owe her for that. When we were in Venria, she was hurt because of me. And that was the reason why


    she has been targeting me.¡± I was not sure if it was right to do so, but if I sent her into prison now, I


    would feel guilty for the rest of my life. After all, it was my fault that she was vited, even though I was


    not the one who harmed her.

 Chapter 913

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 913


    Ashton looked at me for a long time before saying, ¡°Okay. Since you want to stop here, I won¡¯t do


    anything for now. I¡¯ll let you keep this footage, in case one day you would need it.¡±


    Then, he copied the file into a USB drive and handed it to me.


    I took it and leaned on his shoulder, feeling touched. ¡°Ashton, I feel like I always cause you trouble.¡±


    He smiled and lifted my chin with his finger. With a solemn look on him, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t always deny


    yourself, Scarlett. You¡¯re very outstanding. No one on earth would risk their lives to go into such a cold


    ce for my stomach. And no one would reject those exceptional men to be with me. In fact, I should


    be the one to say thank you. You¡¯re the one who makes my life whole.¡±


    I blushed at his words. Is this his love deration for me?


    A sense of warmth swept through me that instant.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    We would probably still argue with one another, get angry at each other, or quarrel because of some


    trivial matters, but we knew in the depths of our hearts that we belonged only to each other, and no one


    could separate us.


    In a nutshell, the tender in A City was won by Derek, and Rachel would be fully in charge of the project.


    Winter came, and Ashton and I went back to K City.


    Nora called me one day, saying that she and Armond hade back from overseas. Even though


    Armond was left unhurt, the Murphy Corporation had suffered a great loss from the previous incident.


    Thus, he did not have the ability to retaliate against the Fuller Corporation for the time being.


    Time flew by, and it was now the end of November.


    Two days after arriving in K City, I settled down and phoned Sasha¡¯s mother. Previously, I had


    transferred about a million into her bank card, so she told me not to give them any more money. She


    also said that they had given up on the medical treatment, so they had left the hospital and brought


    Renee to see the outside world.


    After a few rings, the call went through. I could hear the sound of wind blowing from the other side of


    the line, and Sasha¡¯s mother greeted, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, it¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve contacted each


    other. How are you?¡±


    I greeted back and asked, ¡°Mrs. Brooks, where are you guys now? Is Renee feeling better? I really


    think that you shoulde back and bring her to the hospital again. I believe it can still be cured.¡±


    Upon that, she sighed, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, thank you for all that you¡¯ve done for Sasha and us. Actually, my


    husband and I have brought Renee to Turlen. We¡¯ve never traveled overseas, so this time we brought


    Renee here to fulfill Sasha¡¯s wish. As for Renee, we won¡¯t continue the treatment anymore. Thank God


    she has been well these few days. Maybe when we¡¯re done traveling around here, her health condition


    would have improved by then.¡±


    I was taken aback for a second, but when I was about to reply to her, the call was disconnected. It was


    probably because of a bad signal.


    Everyone perceived the meaning of life differently. Thus, I respected their decision to bring Renee to


    Turlen. Maybe she could be cured by the vast blue sky and the towering mountain peaks there. After


    all, who would know?


    After putting down the phone, I headed straight to the Moore Residence. Cameron said that Summer


    was having a fever again. When I reached there, she was sleeping soundly on her bed.


    ¡°She took her breakfast today, and she¡¯s been sleeping since then,¡± Cameron said as she looked at


    Summer worriedly.


    I ced my hand on her warm forehead and sighed, ¡°Summer was born prematurely and did not get


    much breast milk when she was a toddler, so I guess that¡¯s why she is a sickly child. That time when


    she was at R Province, her health was not as bad as now. Perhaps the poor air quality in K City causes


    her immune system to be weaker.¡±


    When I said that, Cameron sighed as well, ¡°These few days I¡¯ve been preparing a lot of nutritious food


    for her, but she doesn¡¯t seem to eat much and gets thinner and thinner. Indeed, R province is a ce of


    nature, so it would be a better ce for her. Perhaps both of you should bring her there and let her


    convalesce at R province. The most important thing for a child like her is to have a healthy body.¡±


    I nodded in agreement. Recently, I had been thinking about this matter. Now that I did not need to work


    at the Murphy Corporation anymore, I was actually quite free. But if I brought Summer to R Province


    alone, Ashton might want to follow along, and that would interfere with his job. Besides, Armond was


    still a threat to the Fuller Corporation. If Ashton were to make a slip or two, I¡¯m sure Armond would


    pounce on the Fuller Corporation immediately.


    ¡°After Ashton takes care of everything here, we will move to R Province for some time,¡± I replied,


    looking at Summer¡¯s sunken cheeks. Sasha¡¯s daughter is about her age, too.


    Cameron nodded and said, ¡°You should advise Ashton not to spend too much time on work. The two of


    you are not young anymore. I had consulted a doctor about your condition, Scarlett. You¡¯re not infertile.


    It¡¯s just that you needed time to recover from your previous injury. After so many years have passed, I


    believe your body can conceive again. Therefore, I do hope that both of you would go to the hospital


    someday. After all, you two need to have a baby of your own. By the way, a few days ago, I bumped


    into Sally at the hospital. She was with a man about her age, and I saw them going to the obstetrics


    and gynaecology department. I was curious, so I asked around and was told that she was nning to


    conceive.¡±

 Chapter 914

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 914


    That was unexpected. After everything that had happened to Sally, she moved to the suburbs of K City


    for a change of environment. I assumed she would be living out the rest of her life peacefully herself.


    Never did I expect her to find a new partner, much less a kid.


    I replied, ¡°That¡¯s good to know. After all, she spent half her life embroiled with the White family. Now


    that she¡¯s found someone she wants to start a family with, she won¡¯t be lonely anymore.¡±


    Cameron nodded. ¡°Indeed. As we age, we fear loneliness. That¡¯s why you and Ashton should hurry up


    and have kids to liven up the house. Look at Emery, her child¡¯s almost six months old now. Don¡¯t worry,


    I¡¯ll pass my work responsibilities to Nick and help you with child-rearing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll just let nature take its course. Besides, Summer is practically under your care now. You¡¯ll have a


    hard time handling two kids.¡±


    ¡°No biggie. I mean, isn¡¯t your dad very free nowadays? Get him a child to curb that bad temper of his.¡±


    Sheughed at her own words.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Afraid that Summer might wake up, we tiptoed our way out of her room.


    After my chat with Cameron, I drove over to Fuller Corporation to meet Ashton for dinner. In the lobby, I


    saw Steing out of the lift, holding a pink lunchbox. Her rosy cheeks radiating with happiness. Is


    she dating?


    ¡°Ms. Collins!¡± My sudden greeting almost caused her to drop her lunchbox.


    ¡°M-Mrs¡­¡± Her face turned pale from shock. I felt a pang of guilt for frightening her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I didn¡¯t mean to scare you. I thought you¡¯d seen me.¡± She was probably too immersed in her


    own happiness to notice her surroundings.


    Ste took a few deep breaths to calm her palpitating heart. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Mrs. Fuller! I wasn¡¯t paying


    attention.¡±


    ¡°No need to apologize. It¡¯s my fault for calling you out suddenly. Are you¡­ dating someone?¡±


    She instantly hid the lunchbox behind her. ¡°No! I was just delivering for a f-friend.¡±


    Judging from her coy response, she either just started dating or had a crush on someone. ¡°Go for it!


    Women look the most charming when they¡¯re taking the lead.¡±


    Ste paused for a few moments before looking up at me. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, it really isn¡¯t like that.¡±


    ¡°I know. I know. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± I patted her shoulder before entering the lift. It sure is good to be


    young.


    Just as I arrived on the floor of Ashton¡¯s office, I saw one of his secretaries printing some documents.


    She was flustered by my presence. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, you¡¯re here!¡±


    Although her expression seemed a bit off, I paid no heed. ¡°Is Ashton inside?¡±


    ¡°He is.¡±


    As usual, I entered his office without knocking and saw him in front of his desk, buttoning up his shirt.


    Hearing footsteps, he shouted, ¡°Get lost!¡±


    That startled me for a moment. The atmosphere in his office was dreary. ¡°Who made you this angry?¡±


    He paused his hands and looked up at my voice and his expression softened upon seeing my face.


    ¡°What brings you here? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be visiting Summer?¡±


    I walked over to his side, intending to help him button the rest. Then I noticed the red patches on his


    neck. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Joseph¡¯s not here. The other secretary was careless and spilled some hot water on me.¡±


    Hearing that, I hurriedly went to the cupboard to get an ointment for his scald. I made Ashton sit on his


    chair as I unbuttoned the rest of his shirt. There wererge red patches on his chest. ¡°If there¡¯s really


    no one reliable, get Joseph toe back and leave the issues in Moranta to someone else.¡±


    ¡°There are too many things to handle there. I won¡¯t feel safe unless it¡¯s Joseph. Although, I¡¯ll be happy


    if youe to visit me more. Will you?¡±


    Looking at his reddened chest made my heart ache. I nodded. ¡°All right. Summer¡¯s with Mom, and I


    have nothing going on anyway. I¡¯ll see what I can help around the office.¡±

 Chapter 915

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 915


    Ashton leaned back against the backrest. His smile widened. ¡°My wife¡¯s the best!¡±


    While attending to his wound, it dawned on me to ask, ¡°Ashton, tell me the truth. You must have said or


    done something for the secretary to pour hot water on your chest. What did you do?¡±


    His eyes dimmed. ¡°Do I seem like such a person to you?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s hard to tell.¡± Unknowingly, I increased my pressure on his wound. As an act of petty


    revenge, he bit my lips lightly.


    ¡°Heartless creature.¡±


    After attending to his wound, I helped him with his shirt. ¡°Summer¡¯s down with flu. Ever since she


    arrived in K City, her immune system has deteriorated. After discussing with Mom, we are thinking of


    bringing her back to R Province to recuperate.¡±


    For a few moments, Ashton lowered his head, deep in thought. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll tie up all the loose ends.


    When Josephes back from Moranta, we¡¯ll bring Summer to R Province.¡±


    That went so smoothly, it was almost unbelievable. ¡°If you leave, can Joseph manage?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s still Joe. Nothing to worry about.¡± Still seated, he hugged my waist yfully. I noticed the cute


    lunchbox on his desk. ¡°Did you eat out? Or did someone send you food?¡±


    ¡°I ordered takeaway. There wasn¡¯t time to eat out.¡±


    I nodded, not intending to ask any further.


    Over the next couple of days, Ashton and I stuck to each other like glue; we ate, lived, and went to


    work together. One fine day, while we werezing around in his office, I received a call from Hannah.


    ¡°Scarlett, are you at K City?¡± Her voice sounded hoarse.


    ¡°I am. How¡¯s Quilo?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s fine. Actually, I have a favor to ask.¡±


    This was out of the norm. ¡°Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°It concerns your family. Actually, John didn¡¯t want to trouble you about this, but Scarlett, you¡¯re the only


    one I know who can help us! Can you get Uncle Zachery to use his connections and find out how Uncle


    Louis is doing?¡±


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°What happened? Tell me everything.¡±


    ¡°Someone reported Uncle Louis for jobbery. They used him of using his power to open apany


    for John, which is a vition of thew. It has been two days since he was taken in for investigation!


    John¡¯s frantically searching, but no one has any news concerning him. Uncle Zachery¡¯s been here for


    many years. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll know who to look.¡±


    ¡°Hannah, calm down. I¡¯ll definitely ask Dad for help. Are you alone at home? Can you contact John?¡±


    ¡°Quilo¡¯s with me, and John¡¯s phone keeps going to voicemail.¡± I could tell she was about to cry.


    I got up from Ashton. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll call Dad now.¡± Then I hung up the phone.


    Just as I was about to dial for Zachary, Ashton took away my phone. ¡°Based on Uncle Louis¡¯ standing,


    I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t do anything to him. He¡¯s probably at somece nice, answering a few questions.


    Give it a few more days. If your dad gets involved, how would the top brass think? A high-ranking


    official being friends with a dubious businessman. It would just make things worse for him.¡±


    After considering his words, I realized how rash I was acting. If they found concrete evidence against


    Louis, he would have already been convicted. This silence could only mean that they had nothing


    against him. In this case, no news was good news. It wouldn¡¯t help the situation one bit if I meddled


    blindly.


    ¡°Then what should we do now? John and Hannah must be panicking. We can¡¯t just sit still and do


    nothing.¡±


    Ashton frowned. ¡°How would you know about John¡¯s condition? If he¡¯s able to lead Stovall Corporation


    well, I¡¯m sure he must have thought about this, too. Don¡¯t worry about Hannah. I¡¯ll get someone to


    watch over her.¡±


    His words were implying something. I asked, ¡°If John knows he can¡¯t get involved with Uncle Louis¡¯


    matter, why didn¡¯t he tell Hannah about it? Why¡¯s he making her worry?¡±

 Chapter 916

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 916


    Ashton grazed me gently on my nose. ¡°Remember thest time he came to find you?¡±


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    I was reminded of the dinner I had with John at La Morera some time back. Not only did he get drunk,


    but he got Ashton drunk as well. I had assumed his moodiness was due to a couple¡¯s fight with


    Hannah, so I did not probe any further.


    Now that I thought about it, it was probably more than that. ¡°Wait. Are you saying, John is noting


    home not because he¡¯s looking for help but he¡¯s avoiding Hannah?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re heading in the right direction. Continue.¡±


    ¡°And since John and Hannah are not on the best of terms now, he probably wouldn¡¯t have mentioned


    Uncle Louis¡¯ news to her. This means that someone must have told Hannah about it. That person must


    have known she would call me for help. Naturally, I would¡­¡±


    Ashton looked at me with admiration. ¡°Looks like your brain does have some merit.¡±


    I pursed my lips in annoyance. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like apliment. Anyway, who exactly is going in


    such a roundabout manner to get us?¡±


    He looked at me with his obsidian eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Murphys, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Smart girl!¡±


    Knowing all this, I decided to give John a call. After that conversation with Hannah, I did not expect my


    call to go through. To my surprise, he answered.


    ¡°How rare is this? I thought you were having so much fun, you¡¯ve forgotten about me.¡±


    I chuckled at his childish remark. ¡°I was busy with a few things. Hannah called. She told me about


    Uncle Louis. Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯d she call you? There¡¯s no need to meddle in Uncle Louis¡¯ affair.¡± His voice was evidently


    annoyed.


    ¡°I understand. But did something happen between you and Hannah?¡± I could tell it was beyond a


    regr lovers¡¯ quarrel.


    ¡°What else? It¡¯s just the usual problem. Are you free tonight? Let¡¯s go grab dinner together. I¡¯ve been


    so bored by myself recently, I need someone to talk to.¡±


    Beneath his yfulness, I could detect some weariness in his voice. ¡°All right. Let¡¯s have dinner


    together.¡±


    ¡°Great! I¡¯ll text you the address.¡± With that, he hung up the call.


    I turned to Ashton, smiling. ¡°Shall we eat out tonight?¡±


    ¡°You promised him?¡±


    I nodded.


    He remained silent, which I presumed was a yes.


    Right then, someone knocked on the office door. Ashton responded, ¡°Come in!¡± Meanwhile, I went to


    his private restroom to pick a jacket forter.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, we¡¯ve just received some documents from Mr. Campbell. There are a few that require your


    endorsement. I¡¯ll mail it back to him first thing tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    After some moments of silence, I thought the secretary had left the room. To my surprise, she spoke


    again, ¡°Mr. Fuller, here is an employee promotion name listpiled by the HR department. They need


    your approval for this. If there are any issues, you can leave a note on it.¡±


    ¡°Ok.¡± Like before, Ashton was curt with his reply.


    I waited for her to leave before exiting the private restroom. While holding on to my jacket, I looked at


    Ashton working fast on his documents. ¡°Do you have to finish all these by today?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not a lot. We¡¯ll meet John for dinner once I¡¯m done.¡±


    Noticing how thick the folders were, I almost suggested going by myself, but I swallowed my words


    back. Then I went over to his side and picked up the name list on his desk. Seeing the few thousand


    over names left me speechless.


    ¡°So much for being the chairperson. How are you going to look through so many names?¡±


    He took a nce at the list before saying, ¡°Help me look through and circle those who have worked


    with us for less than three years. As for the rest, check and see whether they¡¯ve met the promotion


    criteria.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a bit too careless? Although some of them haven¡¯t worked long in Fuller Corporation, they¡¯ve


    disyed exemry performance. Shouldn¡¯t we give those people special consideration?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you!¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°After settling these, do you think I¡¯ll still have energy left to go through every single name on the list?¡±


    It was obvious he was counting on me for this.


    I pursed my lips, unable to deny his words. In the first ce, I did agree to help him out. Now that he


    needed my assistance, there was no reason for me to reject.

 Chapter 917

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 917


    A request for promotiony among the stack of promotion documents. I opened it and read Ste¡¯s


    name written boldly on it. Ste wrote in a sincere, flowing manner, carefully detailing her experience at


    the Fuller Corporation as well as the expectations that had been ced on her. I noticed that Ste had


    upied her position for barely more than a year. However, in all her time at Fuller Corporation, she


    had not produced any particrly outstanding work. After careful consideration, I set Ste¡¯s request


    aside.


    After a while, Ashton turned to me once he¡¯dpleted all his tasks on hand. He nced at the pile of


    promotion letters with interest, then picked up Ste¡¯s cast aside one and gave it a casual once-over.


    Ashton thenmented, ¡°There¡¯s no need to take this so seriously. We¡¯ve had nock of remarkable


    employees. It¡¯s not even in the criteria for promotion anymore.¡¯


    I nodded, then looked at him curiously. ¡°Have you been very busytely?¡±


    Ashton arched an eyebrow and dered, ¡°Yes!¡±


    I sighed, ¡°These matters used to be managed by the respective heads of department. Everything¡¯s on


    you now, so it¡¯ll be a miracle if you weren¡¯t busy. You should be supervising the work and contributions


    of a few directors at most, not the entirepany.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a name list that¡¯s already been vetted. You can take a look,¡± Ashton advised. I flipped through


    the stack ordingly and located the document. Scanning through the list, nearly all of its names had


    been nominated by the respective directors and senior management.


    Was my meticulous analysis of each individualpletely unnecessary then? I felt slightly ridiculous


    andughed sheepishly. ¡°If I told you that I didn¡¯t see it, would you believe me?¡±


    Ashton gave me a hand, then pulled me up. ¡°Sure. Leave it. I¡¯lle back to sign these afterward.¡±


    I had a sneaking suspicion that Ashton had been dying me on purpose.


    When we entered the elevator, Ashton pressed me against the wall. In a low, hoarse whisper, he


    demanded, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to reward me a little?¡±


    I blinked at him, baffled. ¡°What kind of reward do you want?¡± I queried.


    Looking at my bewildered expression, Ashton frowned. His handsome face looked almost petnt at


    the moment. He flung my hand aside and retreated to another corner of the elevator to sulk.


    I was used to his pettiness, however, and leaned towards him flirtatiously. Tiptoeing, I nted a kiss on


    his lips, then teased, ¡°If we don¡¯t manage to do it here, I¡¯llpensate you tonight, OK?¡±


    Childish as he was, Ashton was easily won over. The man warmed to my proposal instantly and


    grinned. ¡°Now that¡¯s an idea.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t resist smiling back at him. Just then, I recalled the matter with Sally and inquired curiously,


    ¡°Ashton, Mom said that she ran into Aunt Sally at the hospital. She sounds like she¡¯s seeing someone


    now. Have you been in touch with her recently?¡±


    Ashton shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve been busytely and haven¡¯t been to see her. She¡¯s getting on in years,


    and it must be lonely for her, living on her own. It would be good for her to have someone keep her


    company.¡±


    I nodded, approving. Sally had lived in the White residence for years. She¡¯d spent her days fighting with


    Sharon when she wasn¡¯t caring for Benjamin, then had been greatly troubled by Marcus. All these


    years, Sally had never had the chance to do anything for herself. If Sally had indeed managed to find


    someone to enjoy the rest of her days with, that would be ideal.


    When the elevator doors opened, Ashton hauled me out of it. Streams of employees getting off work


    flowed ceaselessly through the lobby. Many lingered leisurely around the front counter, chatting idly.


    I nced at their faces inquisitively. In the middle of the crowd, a man in his twenties was clutching a


    bouquet to his chest. With one knee on the ground, both his posture and face were brimming with


    ardor.


    Curious, I pulled Ashton over to take a closer look. The man was in the middle of a proposal, and


    further examination revealed the object of his affections to be Ste. I was a firm believer in the magic


    of youth, and it was no wonder that Ste had the man before her looking so absolutely smitten.


    Bashful, Ste¡¯s entire face was suffused with red. She looked rather awkward, perhaps due to the


    large crowd that had gathered around them in eager anticipation of her reply. She gazed helplessly at


    the man who was still kneeling hopefully before her, then said in a low voice, ¡°Justin, can we discuss


    this back at home? Let¡¯s go back first.¡±


    Sally reached out and tugged at him, but Justin seemed resolute on seeing his proposal through. He


    gazed at her adoringly and dered, ¡°Ste, I really do love you! Say yes, and I promise I¡¯ll take care of


    you for the rest of your life.¡±


    The crowd was hollering and cheering. In just a split second, a chant picked up, ¡°Say yes, say yes¡­¡±


    The smile that had frozen on Ste¡¯s face faltered. It was evident now that she hadn¡¯t been shy. She


    was merely embarrassed at having been ced in this difficult spot. While surveying her surroundings,


    Ste¡¯s eyes fell upon me. She gulped, then turned back to Justin, stating, ¡°Justin, I don¡¯t understand


    why you would propose to me. You know that I don¡¯t love you and naturally won¡¯t agree. Why are you


    fooling yourself? I¡¯ve told you this more than once already. Please leave, and don¡¯t ever use this sort of


    romantic proposal to harass me ever again, OK?¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Nobody present had imagined that that heartfelt and moving proposal would end so tragically. A hush


    fell over the crowd, and quite a number crept off tactfully.


    Still kneeling, Justin¡¯s face had turned crimson with shame.

 Chapter 918

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 918


    ¡°You didn¡¯t say that thest time,¡± Justin finally managed uncertainly. He looked immensely vulnerable,


    his heart having been promptly ripped to shreds before an entire crowd.


    Ste looked at him coldly. ¡°What else did you want me to say, then? I thought I¡¯d refused you


    obviously enough. Couldn¡¯t you tell?¡±


    At that, Justin hung his head, deted. Even the vibrant bouquet he¡¯d brandished confidently before


    now hung crumpled before him. Justin had bitterly wrung it in his despair. ¡°Why? Is it because I¡¯m not


    rich enough? Or that I¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s none of those reasons! I don¡¯t love you. It has nothing to do with your money or your abilities at all.


    I don¡¯t love you, pure and simple. You can go now. I¡¯m begging you, please don¡¯t embarrass me like


    that ever again, OK?¡± I¡¯d only ever been exposed to the sunny, endearing side of Ste. Thus, I was


    rather startled to see that she was capable of such harshness as well.


    I dragged Ashton with me out of the lobby, then sighed longingly. ¡°After so many years at university, no


    one has ever confessed their love to me so grandly before. It only works if the person you¡¯re proposing


    to love you back, of course. But I rather like this heady rush of emotions and romance.¡±


    Ashton¡¯s grip on my arm tightened slightly. ¡°What do you like?¡±


    ncing at his sober expression, Iughed. ¡°I like the impulsive, romantic ways of these youths. Since


    we¡¯ve gotten older, I haven¡¯t been feeling many strong bursts of emotions. Life doesn¡¯t seem as


    exciting anymore.¡±


    Upon that, Ashton pulled me to face him. Gravely, he asked, ¡°Are you tired of me because I¡¯m old?¡±


    Is Ashton approaching menopause? I wondered wryly.


    I smacked my forehead in exaggerated frustration. ¡°I didn¡¯t say you were old. I meant that I admired


    youths for their wholehearted and energetic approach to life. I¡¯ve been motivated to live my days in the


    same way, rather than always dragging my feet around. Ugh¡­ Stop twisting my words!¡±


    Ashton waggled an eyebrow at me. ¡°What wholehearted and energetic things do you n on doing?¡±


    Instantly, I became speechless at his words. I should have known better than to talk about things like


    romance with an old pedant like him.


    After a while, Iughed a little too brightly. ¡°Let¡¯s not dwell on such things! It¡¯s gettingte, and John


    should have already arrived. We shouldn¡¯t make him wait.¡±


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    I then wrenched my hand away from Ashton¡¯s steel grip and forcefully terminated the conversation.


    A question lingered in my mind, however. Ste¡¯s blushing, rosy face resurfaced in my mind, and I


    couldn¡¯t help but ponder. Does Ste already have someone she loves? Is that why she rejected


    Justin?


    At that time, John had indeed already reached the restaurant and was midway through his meal.


    Looking at the half-eaten dishes spread out over the table, as well as the nearly empty bottle of wine, I


    cried ruefully, ¡°Mr. Stovall, you¡¯re really getting more and more impolite.¡±


    John looked at me in amusement and sniggered. Then he called for a waiter to bring another round of


    dishes. ¡°I had to fill my stomach first before the sight of you two behaving all lovey-dovey made me


    nauseous.¡±


    I shook my head wordlessly at John, then sidled into the seat opposite him. ¡°How¡¯s Uncle Louis?¡± I


    asked.


    John shrugged. He filled Ashton¡¯s ss with wine, then answered, ¡°There¡¯s no concrete evidence. His


    superiors are biased against him. Uncle Louis has always lived an open, honest life. All the ammunition


    that those green-eyed monsters have against him are their own baseless rumors. There¡¯s nothing for


    them to uncover. Uncle Louis should be able to return within a few days.¡±


    I nodded. The waiterid out another round of dishes, and we tucked in eagerly. Ashton and John


    fervently discussed the state of the market between sses of wine. I had nned on asking John


    about his rtionship with Hannah but refrained as Ashton disapproved of gossip.


    Midway through the meal, I rose to go to the bathroom. When I emerged from the stall, I heard a


    woman¡¯s voice saying, ¡°Don¡¯t you pity Reba? Her ex-boyfriend got stolen from her, and now her


    current partner¡¯s cheating on her. She¡¯s really unlucky!¡±


    Another voice answered, ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, but I heard Mr. Quinn¡¯s woman used to be with Mr.


    Crest. Clearly, Mr. Quinn isn¡¯t too picky. After all, he¡¯s even willing to ept his friend¡¯s hand-me-


    downs! It¡¯s strange, but there you have it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Don¡¯t forget, Reba was tossed aside after Mr. Fuller got tired of her too. These rich


    people have no morals at all. They treat women and clothing alike, to be used and then cast away.¡±


    I furrowed my brow, looking over at those two women airily gossiping away. Judging by their borate


    outfits and appearance, they were probably socialites. I wasn¡¯t part of that circle and naturally didn¡¯t like


    to concern myself with their affairs.


    Yet, I was bothered by what those two women had just said.


    Mr. Crest? Jared?


    Had he ever taken a woman for a ride? Who was it?


    No one came to mind. However, Joe was practically groveling at Reba¡¯s feet, so deep was his


    affection for her. Having gotten this opportunity to prove himself to her, why had Joe ended up


    offending her instead?


    Bang! My deep reverie was abruptly interrupted by the sound of a door being flung open. A woman


    dressed entirely in ck strode out from a stall.


    I automatically looked up, then started in surprise.


    Kristina? Isn¡¯t she in W City? Why did shee back?


    Our eyes met. A glimmer of hesitation appeared in Kristina¡¯s gaze before she looked away. Sauntering


    towards the sink, she asked icily, ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a joke?¡±

 Chapter 919

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 919


    I was momentarily taken aback by Kristina¡¯s sudden confrontation and grasped for a reply. Finally, I


    said, ¡°I¡¯m not a fan of getting involved in other people¡¯s drama.¡±


    Kristina sniggered. She dried her hands and leaned against the sink, her arms akimbo. Gazing intently


    at me, she scoffed, ¡°Don¡¯t act so high and mighty. You were clearly eavesdropping. If you want to


    laugh, go ahead. I don¡¯t care.¡±


    Nheless, I merely clenched my jaw and turned away. I had nothing to say to Kristina.


    Seeing that I was nning on ignoring her, Kristina raised her voice and challenged, ¡°Haven¡¯t we been


    friends for a long time, Scarlett? Why are you in such a hurry to leave? Since we¡¯ve bumped into each


    other, let¡¯s spend some time catching up. How can you walk off like that? By the way, how¡¯s Jared¡¯s


    daughter doing? He¡¯s been in prison for a while now. His daughter should be missing him quite a bit.¡±


    I frowned, then turned and stared Kristina down. ¡°Kristina, I don¡¯t know what your outlook on life is like.


    I know, however, that we¡¯re not the same. Since you¡¯ve already found someone, please live out the rest


    of your life peacefully. Stop interfering in others¡¯ business! Besides, Summer is my daughter. Jared isn¡¯t


    good enough for her, and neither are you. If you do anything to her, I guarantee that you¡¯ll spend the


    rest of your life miserable.¡±


    Kristina threw her head back and guffawed. ¡°Are you threatening me now? I¡¯m not interested in


    Summer. I was merely trying to be kind and remind you that things aren¡¯t that simple. I thought Jared


    would confess everything to you at least, but it seems now that he fully intended on keeping you in the


    dark. If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll keep my mouth shut as well. It seems that no one appreciates it.¡±


    At that moment, I could hear the edge in Kristina¡¯s voice. Bemused, I asked, ¡°What do you mean by


    that?¡±


    However, Kristina waved my concern off dismissively. ¡°Nothing! I¡¯ll be off then. See you around, Mrs.


    Fuller!¡±


    She then sauntered off with a ck of her high heels. I remained rooted to the spot, gazing after her


    absently. Though unwilling, I had to admit that what Kristina had said threw me off slightly. I was still


    taking our conversation apart and puzzling it over in my head as I slowly exited the bathroom.


    In fact, I was so utterly upied with my thoughts that I didn¡¯t notice Ashton waiting out in the hallway.


    Walking straight into his arms, I gave a loud yelp, but it was already muffled by his broad arms and


    chest encircling me. I then looked up at him in a slight daze. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Ashton reached out and brushed my hair aside tenderly. ¡°I was worried that something had happened


    to you, so I came over. What¡¯s wrong? You look shellshocked.¡±


    I shook my head vigorously, partially to clear the thoughts that were moring in my brain. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.


    I ran into someone I know. Let¡¯s go back and continue with dinner!¡±


    After that, I yanked Ashton back in the direction of our table. As we walked past a private room, there


    suddenly came the sound of ss violently shattering. Ashton and I both froze and peered in. Seated


    around a table was a group of middle-aged young people, as well as one familiar face.


    I gaped at Ashton, then whispered tentatively, ¡°Is that Joe?¡±


    Ashton pressed his lips into a thin line but said nothing.


    We were just in time. As we watched, a woman with her back towards us vehemently pped Kristina,


    who was sitting beside Joe. It sounded like the cracking of a whip. At the same time, Ashton and I


    instinctively winced from the sound of it.


    Kristina, however, showed no discernible sign of weakness. She merely gave a dryugh and gazed


    back at her assant defiantly. Her hands moved to clutch Joe¡¯s arm as if holding onto a trophy.


    This move clearly enraged the other woman even further. She raised her hand in the air, prepared to


    deal a second blow.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this exciting? Mr. Quinn, how¡¯s your food?¡± Unable to witness this any further, I charged into the


    room with Ashton in tow.


    At the sound of my voice, the entire room turned towards me. The face of Kristina¡¯s attacker was now


    visible. I realized, perturbed, that it was Reba.


    Reba¡¯s eyes widened slightly when she saw Ashton beside me, then hurriedlyposed herself.


    She now rearranged her features in a pitiful expression, looking every bit like a defenseless victim.


    ¡°Ash, why are you here?¡± Reba whined.


    Ashton nced at her, then announced curtly, ¡°To eat.¡± With his brows furrowed, he looked at Joe, then


    at Kristina, who was still holding onto Joe¡¯s arm tightly.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Ashton demanded.


    Joe said easily, ¡°We¡¯re having a meal together. It¡¯s nothing much.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, nothing much? Joe, just be honest with me about what you¡¯re nning to do.


    Don¡¯t make me sick by flirting with all these other whores,¡± Reba retorted, her voice trembled with


    barely suppressed anger.


    Kristina was not one to be beaten. She bellowed at Reba, ¡°You¡¯d better watch your mouth! What


    whores? And how much better do you think you are?¡±


    The two women looked strained, and they were ready to fly at each other. At that, I bit my lip and said


    calmly, ¡°That¡¯s one hell of a meal. You¡¯ll have the entire restaurant in here at the rate you¡¯re shouting at


    each other. Mr. Quinn, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re airing your dirtyundry a little too publicly? Aren¡¯t you


    ashamed of yourself?¡±R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

 Chapter 920

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 920


    Reba red menacingly at me. ¡°Ms. Stovall, since when did you be such a busybody?¡±


    ¡°Go home and argue!¡± Ashton broke in icily. The steely look that he fixed on Joe was frightening. ¡°You


    may think nothing of these women, but spare a thought for the Fuller and Quinn Corporations.¡±


    Joe gritted his teeth, palpably displeased. ¡°Enough. Can¡¯t I even eat in peace now? Damn it!¡± He shook


    off Kristina¡¯s hands violently, then immediately got up and stalked out of the room.


    The others around the table had been shrinking down in their seats ever since the conflict began.


    Subdued, they now quietly filed out and dispersed. Reba had dashed out in chase of Joe, whereas


    Kristina alone remained in the private room.


    I tugged at Ashton¡¯s sleeve and fretted for a moment, then turned to Kristina. ¡°Don¡¯t get Joe riled up.


    You know better than anyone why he allows you to get close to him.¡±


    Having dispensed that word of warning, I then made to leave with Ashton. Kristina¡¯s next question,


    however, halted me in my tracks. ¡°Why are you helping me?¡±


    I nced over my shoulder at Kristina, then replied, ¡°I¡¯m not helping you. It was meant to be a


    reminder.¡± Joe¡¯s feelings for Reba weren¡¯t to be sniffed at. No matter what had happened, Joe had


    remained steadfast by Reba¡¯s side without considering anyone else. It was obvious that Joe was


    making ruthless use of Kristina to make Reba jealous.


    At that moment, Kristina¡¯s smile looked more like a grimace. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± she said bitterly.


    ¡°Money is all that matters to me. Whatever happens between Joe and Reba is none of my


    business.¡±


    I shrugged, then replied shortly, ¡°Good luck, then.¡±


    It was none of my business either. As a matter of fact, I had done more than my part in even


    mentioning the facts of the matter. Whether Kristina was receptive towards what I¡¯d said was no longer


    my concern.


    After all that drama, Ashton and I walked out of the private room and back to our table. John must be


    wondering what on earth we¡¯ve been up to! I mused inwardly.


    ¡°Jared sent Summer to a factory in the suburbs. You can check, but I don¡¯t suppose Jared was


    nning on that child surviving. I don¡¯t know what he did to her there. Who knows what kind of scars


    that experience left behind?¡± Kristina¡¯s voice rang out from behind us.


    A shiver ran down my spine. I whipped around immediately, but Kristina was already strolling off into


    the distance, bag in hand.


    Then I turned to Ashton, distressed. ¡°When you found Summer back then, did you notice anything


    strange?¡±


    Ashton shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to investigate. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    I nodded, but there was already a tumult of uneasiness stirring up within me.


    Meanwhile, John saw that Ashton and I had slowly approached the table and slide back into our seats.


    Pursing his lips, heined, ¡°What on earth were the two of you up to? Didn¡¯t youe here to eat


    with me? Was theck of intimacy really that unbearable?¡±


    Ashton ignored him. Taking stock of the empty tes on the table, he asked me apprehensively, ¡°Is


    there anything else you¡¯d like to eat?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry. We should leave soon.¡±


    John, on the other hand, was outraged at having been ignored. ¡°Can the two of you stop tormenting me


    like this? Is there a need to hurt my feelings in this manner? Didn¡¯t youe out to chat with me? Or


    am I here to serve as an audience for your rtionship?¡±


    Frustrated, I turned to John and shot back, ¡°What¡¯s going on between you and Hannah?¡±


    John lowered his gaze, then muttered thickly, ¡°Nothing much.¡± He clearly wished to evade both my


    question and the topic.


    After that, I instantly turned back to Ashton and said briskly, ¡°Let¡¯s go home then.¡±


    Just as the two of us had gotten to our feet, John mored noisily for us to sit down. ¡°Hey, are the two


    of you even sincere about meeting me? Shouldn¡¯t you behave as if you¡¯re interested in me, at least?


    How can you just get up and walk off like that? Both of you look like you just came here to do your


    business and left!¡±


    I was a little offended by John¡¯s choice of expression. Somberly, I told him, ¡°Mr. Stovall, can you be a


    little less crude?¡±


    John chuckled. With a resigned air, he said, ¡°Fine, I¡¯m tired of watching the two of you act all lovey-


    dovey anyway. I¡¯m going back home to sleep off my meal.¡±


    With that, Ashton and I hurried off in haste. Kristina¡¯s announcement had unsettled me, and I was


    terrified of something happening to Summer. Ever since she had returned to K City, Summer seemed


    to be in a state of near-constant illness.


    ¡°Do you think Jared would really hurt Summer?¡± I asked Ashton. I didn¡¯t think anyone could bear to hurt


    their own child, but Kristina¡¯s usations had taken root in my heart.


    At that time, Ashton was paying the bill for our meal. When he was done paying, he replied slowly,


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait for the results of the investigation. We can bring Summer to the hospital for a thorough


    examination in the meantime.¡±


    I nodded feebly. Then, a thought struck me like a bolt of lightning. ¡°Should we visit the prison and ask


    Jared himself?¡±


    Ashton didn¡¯t speak. Instead, he fixed me with an unfathomable gaze, his dark eyes seeming to pierce


    through me almost.


    Upon his burning gaze, I looked away. However, I chanced upon John drawing himself up in the


    distance. He¡¯d clenched the two hands that had been hanging by his side into fists. The man looked


    absolutely incensed.


    ¡°John¡­¡± I was about to call out, but Ashton silenced me with a sharp yank. He motioned for me to keep


    silent and follow after him as he stepped forward.


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    I only noticed the pair facing John when we arrived next to him. I recognized the woman even though a


    considerable amount of time had psed since I¡¯dst met her. She wore a pink jacket with leopard


    prints that contrasted nicely with her creamy skin.

 Chapter 921

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 921


    ¡°Hannah!¡± I shrieked. I fastened my gaze on the man she was clinging to. He was tall and attired in a


    ck down jacket. That man wasn¡¯t exactly handsome, but his height and confidence imbued him with


    a maic aura.


    The five of us engaged in this stand-off without anyone speaking for a while. I sneaked a peek at John


    and noticed that his face had grown thunderous and his eyes wild. After a long while, John spluttered,


    ¡°How long has it been?¡±


    Hannah looked unaffected as she casually replied, ¡°A few months.¡± Those words, and all the enormity


    of their meaning, hung in the air between us.


    John suddenly gave a loud snort. shing her a scornful look, he asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason why, John. All rtionships muste to an end somehow,¡± Hannah said breezily.


    Her manner seemed entirely frivolous.


    Hearing her response, John hung his head. He seemed to beughing at the sheer absurdity of the


    situation as his shoulders shook uncontrobly. Undoubtedly, he was unable to restrain himself any


    further as his emotions swelled within him and burst out in a torrent.


    Without hesitation, John lunged forward and punched the other man hard in the face. Due to the pure


    impulse of his move, however, John¡¯s blow did notnd as well as he had probably hoped it would.


    I expected Hannah to cry out in indignation or beg for mercy, but she remained unppable. She


    merely crossed her arms and retreated. It was as if she was a mere spectator of the fight rather than its


    motive.


    Meanwhile, Ashton drew me behind him protectively. We, too, watched on without intervening.


    It was only when it seemed that John was on the verge of beating the other man to death that Hannah


    finally spoke.


    ¡°Let him go, John. If you¡¯re still mad, take it out on me. He doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s going on at all,¡± she


    said with an aggravating coolness.


    John paused and looked at her savagely. His eyes were bloodshot. However, he simmered down and


    slowly walked over to Hannah. ¡°What do you want?¡± he asked with difficulty.


    I had always known that John was in love with Hannah. He had his demons, and to him, Hannah had


    always been a ce of refuge from the rest of the world. I suppose John had always firmly believed


    that Hannah would never leave nor betray him. In his mind, Hannah was the lighthouse that would


    always be waiting patiently back at the shore for him to sail home.


    Yet John had forgotten that people were terribly fickle beings. He had made Hannah wait for him for too


    long a time. She was a woman, after all, and needed a man to love and care for her. After some time,


    Hannah had finally grown weary of being left out in the cold.


    Hannah looked at John. She either did not notice the mncholy in his eyes or merely refused to see


    it. Exhaling deeply, Hannah said, ¡°Kiki belongs to the Stovall family, so I won¡¯t take him with me. The


    vi and the car are both under your name, so I¡¯ll return them to you. As for everything else, let me


    keep them. I¡¯ll take them as a reward for staying by your side all these years.¡±


    Hannah let out a deep breath, thenughed mournfully. ¡°There isn¡¯t much else. Other than Kiki, we


    don¡¯t have any othermon possessions. At least the legal side of things won¡¯t be tooplicated. If


    you don¡¯t have time or energy to care for Kiki, I will. However, you¡¯ll need to pay child support. I won¡¯t


    ask for anything else from you.¡±


    It was heartrending to see a rtionship reduced thus to the stark, bare-bones of assets and


    payments. There was nothing left to say between John and Hannah. Even goodbye felt redundant.


    John¡¯s emotions had gradually subsided. He then merely replied, ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it when we get


    back.¡±


    Without waiting for Hannah¡¯s response, John walked heavily towards his car. He started it and drove off


    without a second nce at anyone else.


    Ashton and I remained where we were. As for Hannah, she watched as John¡¯s car gradually vanished


    in the distance, then turned towards the man sitting on the ground. ¡°Are you all right?¡± she asked


    nonchntly.


    The man softened and patted Hannah¡¯s arm reassuringly. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


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    I stared at them, lost for words. After a while, we simply turned and walked away.


    Feeling heavyhearted, I remained silent even after we¡¯d gotten back to the car and driven off.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve sent someone to follow John. He¡¯ll be fine!¡± Ashton said reassuringly beside me.


    I looked at him, then replied shortly, ¡°I¡¯m not worried about John. It¡¯s Hannah I¡¯m concerned about. She


    was clearly in love with John. Why did she suddenly decide to give up their rtionship?¡±


    Ashton rested one hand on the steering wheel, his elbow on the door of the car, a picture of cid


    serenity. With an air of wisdom, he philosophized, ¡°Autumn doesn¡¯t arrive in the middle of spring. And


    when it does, the leaves on the trees don¡¯t fall all at once. Perhaps Hannah was made to wait for too


    long and lost hope in the rtionship.¡±


    I bit my lip and turned away. Unbeknownst to Ashton, I was no stranger to that feeling.


    I¡¯d drifted off to sleep on the drive back, and Ashton had picked me up and carried me straight into the


    bedroom. I opened my eyes blearily to look at Ashton, who was getting undressed and ready to shower


    at the side of the room. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening to metely,¡± I moaned. ¡°I get drowsy very


    quickly and feel rather weak.¡±


    Ashton froze at my offhand remark, his hands arrested in the middle of taking his shirt off. He lowered


    them slowly and turned to me with a peculiar beam on his face. Delighted, he proimed, ¡°We¡¯ll make


    a trip to the hospital tomorrow!¡±

 Chapter 922

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 922


    I found Ashton¡¯s reaction rather bizarre and asked, ¡°Why go to the hospital? It¡¯s not that big of a deal.¡±


    Ashton sauntered over to my side and looked fondly down at me. ¡°Everyone should go for an annual


    medical checkup. I think it¡¯s been about a year since youst went for one.¡±


    I nodded absently, theny back down on the bed. Since Ashton had left the bed to me, I sprawled


    happily across its entire width while sighing in satisfaction andfort.


    It was the beginning of winter, and the temperature in K City had plummeted sharply. Ashton was


    insistent on sending me to the hospital and was up and about early in the morning. I¡¯d been disturbed


    from my sleep by his bustling about and sat in the living room still yawning, half-awake.


    That morning, Ashton had poured out some cereal for both of us. ¡°Would you like some chopped nuts?¡±


    he asked, popping his head out of the kitchen.


    I nodded, my eyes teary from the multiple yawns I¡¯d just unleashed. ¡°Sure.¡±


    It was a cold, misty morning. I couldn¡¯t help but shudder at the thought of stepping out into the frigid air


    and made a mental note to myself to don a few moreyers before leaving.


    Ashton emerged from the kitchen with the two bowls of cereal in hand. He ced them on the table,


    then added, ¡°Would you like some pancakes as well?¡±


    I sneezed, then sniffed at Ashton, ¡°No need. I¡¯ll just have the cereal. Since we¡¯re going to the hospital,


    why don¡¯t we drop by my Mom¡¯s ce and bring Summer along? We can get her checked out at the


    same time.¡±


    Ashton agreed. ¡°Let¡¯s eat, then!¡±


    Without another word, I slurped the cereal noisily. Ashton gave me a look, then chided, ¡°Can¡¯t you eat a


    little more gracefully?¡±


    I felt thoroughly humbled, like a child who had just received a smack on the wrist.


    Just then, I recalled that Nora was back in K City, so I reminded Ashton. ¡°Nora¡¯s back in K City. We


    should bring her out for a meal to catch up and y the host. Besides, I don¡¯t feel too safe leaving her


    to Armond.¡±


    Ashton nodded, then replied, ¡°All right. Ask her over to stay, then, or arrange for her to stay in a hotel. It


    isn¡¯t safe anyway for a woman to be wandering around K City alone.¡±


    ¡°Armond won¡¯t hurt her, will he?¡± I asked anxiously. Ever since the incident at the warehouse, my


    opinion of Armond had been totally turned on its head. I was thus a little wary of whether Nora could be


    entrusted to him.


    Noting that I had finished my cereal, Ashton nudged his bowl of cereal over to me. ¡°You¡¯re hungry,


    aren¡¯t you? Eat up!¡± he encouraged.


    I felt a sense of warmth within me. Actually, I wasn¡¯t that hungry, but I ate the rest of the cereal with


    pleasure anyway.


    I¡¯d actually wanted to probe more into the matter, but Ashton forbade me. ¡°We can talkter. Finish


    your breakfast first.¡±


    Ashton had always been rather traditional this way. He firmly believed we should be focused on gaining


    nutrients rather than information during meals between the two of us.


    With that, I nodded docilely, then finished the rest of the cereal before me.


    After breakfast, I dawdled a little all the way to the door, putting on my shoes slowly in the hallway.


    Ashton had gone ahead to start the car. Just then, my phone rang shrilly in my bag. I fished it out only


    to see Mrs. Brooks¡¯ name shing across the screen. I answered, ¡°Mrs. Brooks!¡±


    Before she could even speak, I felt a rush of woe over the phone. Mrs. Brooks gave a long sigh, then


    said, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, Renee passed awayst night. She said she wanted to be buried with her mother. I


    brought her back to K City with me today. I don¡¯t have any close friends or family, and you were


    probably the one who showed her the most affection in this life. If you have time to spare, Renee¡¯s


    grandfather and I would like to invite you to her funeral.¡±


    My mind went nk. Ashton had already driven the car out to the front. However, I remained in my


    seat, staring ahead nkly as my head throbbed.


    Ashton leaped out of the car and ran up to me, puzzled. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    I hadn¡¯t hung up the phone, so Mrs. Brooks¡¯ voice drifted over the line, fearfully asking, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, are


    you there?¡±


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    ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± I snapped. I was choking up and struggled to get the words out of my throat. With a frown,


    Ashton eyed me as he ced an arm around my shoulders.


    ¡°Renee will be buried at Woodhills. She said she wanted to lie next to her mother,¡± Mrs. Brooks


    dered through her tears, her voice hoarse. She¡¯d evidently spent the past few days mourning.


    I made a small sound of acknowledgment. Heartbroken, I drew in a deep breath and said, ¡°All right.


    We¡¯lle over in a while, Mrs. Brooks.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Fuller,¡± Mrs. Brooks sniffled in a low voice. We then ended the call somberly.


    When I ced my phone back in my bag, Ashton squinted at me with obvious disquiet in his eyes.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    I paused, then said brokenly, ¡°It¡¯s Sasha¡¯s daughter, Renee. Her grandparents did not continue her


    treatment and brought her to Turlen instead. Renee passed away mid-journey, and her body will arrive


    in K City today to be buried.¡±


    Ashton frowned. After a moment of silence, he suggested, ¡°Can we go over after we¡¯ve visited the


    hospital?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the airport. We¡¯ll apany them all the way to the cemetery.¡±


    Ashton agreed after some deliberation. ¡°OK, I¡¯lle with you.¡±


    The news of Renee¡¯s sudden departure had stupefied me. I¡¯d always held out the hope that as long as


    she endured this present suffering, she¡¯d eventually recover.

 Chapter 923

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 923


    Never would I have expected that that would be thest time I saw her.


    When we got in the car, Ashton took my hand in his, his warm hand soothed me. I nced sideways at


    him and said weakly, ¡°That kid, I¡­¡±


    ¡°You did your best!¡± He patted me and saidfortingly, ¡°Don¡¯t me yourself. You did what you could,


    so just leave the rest in the hand of fate. The child came and left this world as a pure person, and this is


    probably the best way out for her. that she left. It¡¯s the people who are left behind that suffer the most.¡±


    Yeah, those left behind without seeing any hope in life are the people who suffer the most.


    Sasha¡¯s parents were already waiting when we arrived at the airport. Their hair had turned white, and


    their faces were now covered with wrinkles and vicissitudes of life since Ist saw them. Looking at the


    two of them made me heartbroken. They had gone through so much suffering and even had to deal


    with the passing of their own child and even their grandchild. Most people could never imagine the


    number of distressing events they had gone through in their lives.


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    When they saw us, Sasha¡¯s mother, who probably had cried her tears dry, looked at me with a dry


    smile. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, we¡¯ve troubled you too much. We can never repay your kindness in this lifetime.¡±


    I shook my head slightly and looked at her. ¡°Mrs. Brooks, don¡¯t overthink this. Come, get in the car!¡±


    Sasha¡¯s father was not a man of many words. Thus, he remained silent throughout the ride as he


    hugged Renee¡¯s urn tightly. The sight caused tears to well up in my eyes.


    As we headed toward Woodhills Cemetery, I noticed that the couple¡¯s faces were both filled with


    exhaustion, most likely because they had not rested well in a long time.


    I had originally wanted to take them to eat something first, but judging by their expressions, they


    probably could not stomach anything. I sighed softly and gave up that thought.


    Woodhills Cemetery was thergest cemetery in K City, in which a small area ofnd already cost tens


    of thousands. When we arrived, the elderly couple got off the car and walked over to a burial plot that


    they had bought.


    Ashton and I merely followed behind them as they walked. Shane¡¯s gambling addiction had caused the


    family to lose most of their rtives, and since Renee was also ill, the two elderlies were the only


    people present to send Renee off.


    The lonely, empty funeral neither had a stream of peopleing to see Renee off nor any flowers.


    Only the two empty-handed elderly were there.


    Unable to stand it any longer, I looked at Ashton and said, ¡°Can you get the funeral home to send over


    some funeral items for children? It¡¯s Renee¡¯sst journey, so we should let her go happily.¡±


    Although I did not know if ghosts or gods truly existed in the world, I knew that Sasha¡¯s parents had


    spent all their money just to treat the child¡¯s illness. They wanted to give her the best, but reality forced


    them to bid their farewells in such a miserable way.


    Ashton nodded in reply and walked off to make a call.


    The staff at the cemetery registered Renee¡¯s burial site, he noticed that there were only two elderly


    people and got slightly shocked but did not probe any further. Perhaps he had gotten used to such a


    sight since he was working in a ce full of sorrowful parting. He had seen too many families having to


    part and was used to the ways of the world.


    Soon, the staff at the funeral home had arrived and proceeded with the burial processes and customs.


    Reluctant to let Renee go, Sasha¡¯s mother looked at me with her eyes full of hesitation instead.


    I gave her a slight smile as Iforted her, saying that everything would be fine as long as the child left


    peacefully andfortably.


    Even though the burial was only for a child, the sky had already darkened by the time the funeral


    ended. Sasha¡¯s father squatted in front of the small grave, his face full of pain and destion.


    Sasha¡¯s mother then raised her hand to wipe away the tears in her eyes and said, ¡°My dear, let¡¯s go


    home. Renee will keep Sashapany now. They won¡¯t be lonely!¡±


    Not good with words, the old man simply wiped away his own tears before he replied, ¡°That¡¯s good. At


    least the mother and the daughter can be together without us being a burden to them. They¡¯ll be able to


    live well.¡±


    When we left, the elderlies were too embarrassed to take our car back and insisted that they would wait


    for a taxi. However, as the cemetery was far from the city and the sky was already dark, Ashton and I


    did not want to let them wait alone.


    Seeing that we were still keeping thempany while they waited, the elderly couple sheepishly got


    into the car, thanking us the whole way back.


    When we arrived at the urban vige, Sasha¡¯s mother said, ¡°Thank you for sending us back. The


    vige roads are narrow, so it¡¯s not easy to drive in. Thanks so much for today. You can drop us off


    here, and we¡¯ll walk in ourselves.¡±


    Ashton had originally wanted to drive in, but the car could not squeeze through the road indeed. Thus,


    we could only stop the car and let the couple walk in by themselves.


    As he watched the two white-haired elderly walk down the narrow dirt road, Ashton asked, ¡°Have they


    always lived here?¡±


    I paused for a moment, then shook my head slightly. ¡°I¡¯m not very sure. I think Joseph mentioned to me


    that Shane had gambled away their house. After that, Sasha rented another house somewhere. I think


    it is probably the one here.¡±

 Chapter 924

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 924


    The houses in the urban vige were old, and the structures and facilities were all inconvenient and


    there were a lot of safety hazards. However, they could survive here at the very least as it was cheap.


    As Ashton continued to watch the elderly couple walking further away, he hesitated, then said, ¡°How


    long has it been since Sasha left?¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Almost three or four months.¡±


    He frowned slightly. ¡°Most of the houses here have their leases renewed every three months!¡±


    At first, I did not understand what he meant. Then, as soon as I got it, I hurriedly got out of the car and


    chased after the couple. Houses in the urban vige had a short rental period. Previously, when Renee


    was still hospitalized, Sasha¡¯s parents had basically lived there with her. Afterward, they had brought


    her out for such a long period of time, so it was likely that their house lease was already up.


    The dirty path was filled with muddy puddles, so it was not easy to walk in. Ashton grabbed me and


    nced at the path in front of us, then frowned. ¡°This ce is very uncared for.¡±


    I looked around the area and could not help but feel a little cold and lost. The roads and streetlights


    were mostly faulty, so some parts of the road had no light. As a result, we had to use the shlights on


    our phones to light the way. Indeed, this ce truly reflected the stark contrast between the poor and


    depressing living conditions of the bottom rank of the social sses to the luxury lifestyle of the rich


    people in this city.


    After Ashton and I walked for a while, we realized that the couple seemed to have already walked far


    off. I was about to give Sasha¡¯s mother a call before we heard some noises.


    The sound came from behind an old building. Using his phone¡¯s light, Ashton managed to find a small


    trail. However, it was very narrow, and only one person could cross at a time. He turned to me and


    said, ¡°Follow me. Be careful!¡±


    I nodded and followed after him. A whileter, a small yard of about ten square meters appeared. It


    was littered with a mess of items.


    Although it was dark, one could clearly see that the items included some daily necessities, old pots and


    pans, clothes, and many other random items.


    ¡°You stupid old fools. These things have been stored in my house for free for a few months. You should


    be d that I didn¡¯t collect any storage fees from you. Instead, you dare toe to take them from


    me? Don¡¯t you feel embarrassed? Why would I want all these things? They¡¯re such a mess. Just take


    them away and don¡¯t get in my way!¡± The one speaking was a middle-aged woman who looked a little


    rough. I could vaguely make out her features in the dim light. She was wearing a poor-quality mink coat


    and a pair of overly dramatic gold earrings. Her lipstick shade looked strikingly scary. As she scolded


    them, she continued to throw the items outside.


    With reddened eyes, Sasha¡¯s mother said, ¡°Mary, I didn¡¯t mean it like that. We¡¯re just here to take some


    clothes since winter is almost here. As for the rent we owe you, it¡¯s eptable that you take all this as


    payment. But our clothes aren¡¯t worth any money and you have no use for them anyway. If you just let


    us take them, we¡¯ll be able to survive this winter.¡±


    The woman snorted coldly. ¡°Take them then. Don¡¯t cry to me about how miserable you are. I¡¯ve seen


    too many of such people in my lifetime. Who isn¡¯t struggling to survive? If you want your clothes, just


    take them. But if you can¡¯t afford to pay the rent, don¡¯t even think about living here anymore. There are


    many other people who want to rent this ce!¡±


    Sasha¡¯s mother nodded as she searched for their clothes in the small yard. On the other hand, Sasha¡¯s


    father squatted, staring at something. Although the light was dim, it seemed like he was looking at a


    photograph.


    ¡°Mrs. Brooks!¡± I said as I walked into the yard.


    When she heard the sound, Sasha¡¯s mother looked toward us and froze for a moment before she


    asked, ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Fuller, why are you here?¡±


    As she spoke, she intertwined her fingers in embarrassment. I smiled and replied, ¡°Ashton and I were


    worried, so we came to check on you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you have to see this,¡± replied Sasha¡¯s mother, embarrassed.


    I understood how she was feeling as this was a showcase of their poverty and embarrassment. Sadly,


    there was nothing she could do to hide them.


    Without dragging it on any longer, I looked at thendlord and said, ¡°They are old. Do you still have any


    houses on the first floor?¡±


    When the woman recovered from her dazed state, she looked at me and replied, ¡°Of course. Do you


    want to rent it?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Help them bring all these back in first. I¡¯ll pay you ordingly!¡±


    She looked at me, then at Ashton, and soon put on a smile as she nodded. Then, she started to move


    things back.


    Sasha¡¯s mother looked at me nkly. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, you¡¯ve helped us enough. This¡­¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Brooks, live here with peace of mind and don¡¯t worry about anything else. Just take some time to


    recover. Everything will get better in the future.¡± I did not know how else tofort her.


    When the woman was done moving the things back in, she looked at us with a bright smile and asked,


    ¡°I¡¯ve taken care of whatever¡¯s here. Is there anything else I can do for you?¡±

 Chapter 925

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 925


    I smiled slightly before taking out some money from my wallet and stuffing it into her hands. ¡°This is


    enough for them to stay here for some time. The extra cash is for you to help me take good care of


    them. You¡¯ll get more next time.¡±


    As soon as the woman received the money, her smiled was so wide that her entire face scrunched up,


    as she continuously nodded and said some nice, reassuring words.


    Since I had taken out all the cash I had on me, I looked at Ashton. He smiled back at me helplessly as


    he retrieved his wallet from his zer and passed it to me.


    I smiled at him before opening his wallet to take out all his cash, then handed it to Sasha¡¯s mother.


    ¡°Mrs. Brooks, take this money first. We¡¯ll be back to visit you sometimeter. Just give me a call if you


    need anything else.¡±


    She repeatedly declined, ¡°I can¡¯t take this money. You¡¯ve already been kind by paying the rent for us,


    so we can¡¯t take any more money from you. Please take it back, Mrs. Fuller.¡±


    I shook my head and replied, ¡°Just take it. The two of you can use it to live well here. I¡¯ll only feel better


    if you ept the money. Otherwise, I won¡¯t feel at ease. Just take it and live a better life with Mr.


    Brooks. Don¡¯t worry; things will definitely get better in the future.¡±


    Looking at the tears on her face constantly flowing down, I did not know what else to say. I merely said


    some kind words to her before I left with Ashton.


    When we were back in the car, I could not help but let out a sigh.


    Ashton looked at his watch, then to me. ¡°What do you want to eat?¡±


    If he had not reminded me, I had almost forgotten that we had not eaten anything since morning.


    Thinking about it, I could not help but look back into the dark path.


    Ashton seemed to know what I was thinking, for he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already gotten someone to


    send over some food. Just put everything aside for now and think about what you want to eat.¡±


    After some time, I replied, ¡°Let¡¯s go get and have stew. It¡¯s already quitete, so let¡¯s eat somewhere


    nearby.¡±


    His smile carried a hint of helplessness as he squeezed my cheeks. ¡°After busying around the whole


    day, do you even remember what you originally intended to do today?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital when we have time. There¡¯s no need to rush these few days.¡±


    He gave me a light kiss on the cheek and replied in a helpless, pampering tone, ¡°Let¡¯s grab a bite


    then!¡±


    Ashton was busy for most of the following days. As it was November, Fuller Corporation had to prepare


    a quarterly business report and n for next year¡¯s developments. Resultantly, he left early for work


    and returned homete almost every day.


    Although I no longer worked at Murphy Corporation, the resignation procedure still had to be handled


    ordingly. I had originally wanted to have dinner with Nora, but when I was finally done with my work


    and gave her a call, she said that she had already gone to A City.


    I could tell that Nora had something she wanted to say, but she did not want to talk about it over the


    phone. As for Louis, since nothing was found, they had let him go.


    As Louis was getting old, he liked to be in lively atmospheres. Thus, after he came out, he kept calling


    us over for a meal.


    Soon, it was Friday afternoon.


    John and I had agreed to go to Stovall Residence for a meal. I had originally wanted to ask him about


    the situation with Hannah, but since he seemed reluctant to talk about it, I did not probe any further.


    I got myself ready and changed into some warm clothes at home. I then headed over to Fuller


    Corporation, nning to go to Stovall Residence with Ashton.


    After I parked in the underground parking lot, I gave Ashton a call. However, even after a few calls, he


    still did not answer any of them. Since he was probably busy, I stopped calling after that and flipped


    through my phone while waiting in the car.


    Just then, my phone vibrated and a notification popped up about a new message on WhatsApp. I was


    stunned as I looked at the message. It was from Hailey.


    For a moment, I could not remember who she was. Then, when I eventually remembered her, I clicked


    open the message. It read: Hi Scar, I¡¯m Hailey.


    Scar? I was taken aback. No one had ever called me that before, so I was not used to it.


    I texted back: Hello, nice to meet you.


    She seemed to be just as bad at socializing as I was because she immediately got to the point and


    replied: When will youe over to A City? I want to have a chat with you.


    I hesitated for a while as I pondered. I had no time to go to A City recently. I replied: I don¡¯t know yet.


    What¡¯s up? Did something happen?


    She only gave a one-word reply before she stopped responding to me. She texted: No!


    Although Hailey and I had only met once, fate was a difficult thing to predict. The impression she had


    given me back then was that of a gloomy, cold person. However, it was weird because I was neither


    scared of her nor did I dislike her. To some extent, at least she was quite a truthful person.


    Bam! As soon as I heard the sound of a car door closing, I put away my phone and looked out the car.


    Ashton was helping a young girl out of his car.


    They both looked injured. The girl seemed to have passed out, and her condition looked quite serious.


    Meanwhile, Ashton was covered with dust, and there was a scratch on one side of his face.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.

 Chapter 926

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 926


    I hurriedly alighted and ran over to his car. ¡°What happened?¡± I asked.


    Ashton turned around upon hearing my voice. ¡°I have encountered a trouble maker. Why are you


    here?¡± He was surprised to see me.


    ¡°Uncle Louis is back, so John invited us over for dinner.¡± I had a better look at the girl he was


    supporting. She was Ste, the reception at Fuller Corporation. Ashton helped her into the car and


    remarked, ¡°Okay, but we have to send her to the hospital first.¡±


    I nodded in agreement. From a distance, a man came running. It was the guy who proposed to Ste in


    the lobby.


    ¡°Let me go with you, Mr. Fuller,¡± he requested. His worried gaze never left Ste, who was lying


    unconscious in the backseat.


    Ashton nodded and signaled him to get into the car.


    I noticed Ashton was injured, so I stopped him from getting into the driver¡¯s seat. He looked at me,


    baffled.


    ¡°You are injured. Let me drive.¡± I got into the driver¡¯s seat and started the car, not giving him any


    chance to object.


    Ashton sat in the passenger seat and kept silent throughout the journey. I had many questions in mind


    but keep quiet as well since he was not ready to talk about it. Much to the distress of her friend, Ste


    remained unconscious.


    At the hospital, Ste¡¯s friend went off to make payment after checking her in. Ashton and I were


    standing in the corridor, watching the sky as it darkened. He was engrossed in thought.


    I approached a nurse and arranged for him to get his wounds cleaned up. Next, I went to a nearby mall


    to get him a new jacket. Ashton was only wearing a ck sweater as he had removed his jacket to


    keep Ste warm.


    On my way back, Ste¡¯s friend called out to me in the lobby of the hospital. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, thank you for


    sending Ste here.¡±


    He must have been extremely anxious over Ste¡¯s injury, as he looked disheveled and his face


    beaded with sweat. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. It was no big deal,¡± I assured him


    I paused, then queried, ¡°Can you tell me what happened earlier today?¡±


    He was momentarily taken aback by my question. ¡°It was Sasha¡¯s brother. He wanted to attack Mr.


    Fuller, but Ste blocked him. He behaved like a crazy man. Mr. Fuller was worried Sasha¡¯s brother


    would get more agitated upon seeing him, so he left the building via the underground garage. The


    lobby at Fuller Corporation must still be in chaos now,¡± he reported.


    He did not go into many details, but I could imagine the scene. What puzzled me was that Shane had


    always been based in Moranta. Why did hee back?


    ¡°We should thank you and Ste instead,¡± I nodded and thanked him.


    After we ended our conversation, I went up to the ward, shopping bag in hand. Ashton¡¯s wounds were


    dressed. The doctor had attended to Ste and found she had suffered head trauma. There were


    various abrasion wounds on her body too. ¡°Why is she still unconscious, doctor?¡± I queried.


    ¡°She was injured on the head, and was also traumatized, so it may take a few hours before she regains


    consciousness.¡± The doctor advised as he gave instructions for her to be warded.


    ¡°Will she suffer from any long-term side effects?¡± Her friend was concerned.


    ¡°We can¡¯t tell for now. With head injuries, we cannot rule out a concussion. We will find out when she


    wakes up.¡±


    I handed the newly bought jacket to Ashton. He looked sullen. ¡°Can we still make it to meet Uncle Louis


    tonight? If not, I will give him a call so they won¡¯t expect us.¡± I asked.


    Ashton¡¯s expression softened as he turned his gaze on me. He took the jacket from me and put it on.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. We can head over in a while,¡± he responded.


    Thereafter, he turned to Ste¡¯s friend and asked, ¡°You are Justin, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am, Mr. Fuller,¡± Justin replied.


    ¡°You stay and take care of Ste. Should anything happen, call the number on this name card. You can


    contact me anytime if you need anything, be it money or other things.¡± Ashton handed a name card to


    Justin.


    I grimaced. Ashton had an unusual way of dealing with people and situations.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Justin¡¯s expression changed, but he still took the name card.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Ashton was about to lead me away when I stopped and took a bank card from my bag. I handed over


    the card to Justin and said, ¡°Please help us take good care of Ste. Use this card to pay for her


    medical fees and any other expenses. Feel free to contact us if you need other assistance. When Ste


    wakes up, kindly let her know that she should rest well and not worry about anything else. We will


    handle the other matters.¡±


    Justin hesitated for a moment before epting the bank card and nodded in appreciation.


    After that, Ashton and I left the hospital.


    He made a few calls while I was driving to Stovall residence. He called to remind Joseph, who was in


    Moranta, to be careful. A few calls were made to give instructions to look into the incident that


    happened earlier in the day. He heard that Shane was taken away by the police.


    I drove in silence while he was busy, not wanting to interrupt him.


    After a while, I broke the silence. ¡°Why did Shane try to attack you? You did not harass his woman, and


    you have no mary conflict with him either. Why is a gambler after you?¡±

 Chapter 927

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 927


    Ashton looked out of the car window, deep in thoughts. It took him a while to answer, ¡°He is after


    money, but not from me.¡±


    I looked at him, puzzled.


    He raised his eyebrow and warned, ¡°Look out! Red light!¡±


    I turned back to look ahead and jammed the brakes, startled.


    He pped his hand on his forehead and mocked, ¡°I managed to escape unharmed from Shane, but in


    the end, I die from my wife¡¯s carelessness. That is a little outrageous, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    I frowned and chided, ¡°Stop spouting nonsense.¡±


    He chuckled and the atmosphere lightened.


    The traffic light turned green and I drove on.


    Along the way, he filled me in on the details. ¡°It is Armond. He must have faced a lot of pressure from


    his family when he lost big due to the incident in Moranta. He hired Shane to make a scene, officially


    dering war on me. I suspect he nned to pursue a long-neglected matter.¡±


    ¡°What long-neglected matter?¡± I was clueless.


    He started telling me a story.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Thirty years ago, the Murphys were not involved in the oil industry. They had some factories and a


    pharmaceuticalpany. Their business then was not as diversified nor huge aspared to now.


    The main yer in the oil sector was the Sanders, one of the most prominent families in K City during


    those days. The oil sector wasn¡¯t a major industry at that time, so the Sanders assigned the concession


    of that business to their adopted daughter, Winona Stovall. When Winona married into the Murphy


    family, she brought the oil business into that family as well.


    I was shell-shocked. ¡°The Winona Stovall you mentioned is my grandma?¡± I had to clear my doubts.


    Ashton nodded.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t she adopted by the Sanders? Why is her family name Stovall?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Sanders had difficulty conceiving, so they adopted a daughter, naming her Winona Sanders.


    However, Mrs. Sanders got pregnant not long after and had her own baby. Due to some personal


    reasons not privy to us, the Sanders changed your grandma¡¯sst name to Stovall, which was Mrs.


    Sanders¡¯ family name.¡±


    I nodded and probed, ¡°What happened next?¡±


    He gently swept back some messy strands of hair from my forehead and continued, ¡°After Winona


    married into the Murphy family, the industrial revolution and development of the electronics sector


    caused the oil industry to grow by leaps and bounds. As the exploration rights in the country were in


    your grandma¡¯s hands, the Murphys jumped in and did big-scale exploration and extraction. Instantly,


    they rose to be one of the richest families in K City. Some of the old-money families tried to cozy


    up to the Murphys. Others felt threatened by their rise, so they plotted against the Murphys. As your


    grandma held the key to the rise of the Murphys, she was targeted and suffered much. Your grandma


    knew the importance of oil to the family and the country, so she nned to control the development to


    make it sustainable in the long run. The Murphys were blinded by greed and did not heed her advice.


    Out of desperation, your grandma hid the oil concession document in a secretpartment of a box


    and left with it.¡±


    ¡°The box with the secretpartment is the sandalwood box grandma left for me, isn¡¯t it?¡± I made an


    intelligent guess.


    He nodded. ¡°Yes, that is the one. Armond tried to get close to you because he was eyeing that box.¡±


    I recalled when I first met Armond, it was at my grandma¡¯s burial ground. He stood in front of my


    grandma¡¯s tombstone for quite a while. I did not really pay attention at that time as I thought he was just


    a casual passerby. Looking back, I should have suspected otherwise as he had an unusual expression.


    ¡°I had already given Armond the box!¡± To me, that was just an ordinary box. That was why I gave it to


    Armond without any hesitation when he asked me for it when we were in Venria.


    Ashton looked at me and nodded, ¡°I know.¡±


    My eyes popped out of my head. ¡°How can you be so calm when you knew?¡± I could not imagine the


    consequence, now that the oil concession agreement fell into Armond¡¯s hand. Although the oil


    concession had reverted back to the state, it was previously a private asset. There was no official


    handover, so the Murphys could bring up the issue and seek legal redress.


    He grinned and confessed, ¡°I had the foresight to switch the box.¡±


    I was stunned. ¡°If Armond knew about that, he would kill us. The document in that box is worth an


    obscene amount of money. If the Murphys get hold of that money, they will have some breathing space


    and can continue their fight with the Fullers.¡±


    ¡°From the look of it, he had not opened that box.¡± Ashton confidently smiled. I was intrigued by his


    nonchnt manner. ¡°How can you be so sure he had not opened that box?¡±


    ¡°If they had opened the box, knowing how the Murphys are, they would have publicized it to bring


    attention to themselves. They would also have contacted the Finance Ministry to taken legal recourse


    to relook into the matter. This would bring in loads of money for the Murphys. It would be difficult not to


    hear about that,¡± he quipped.

 Chapter 928

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 928


    ¡°What will happen if the Murphys opened the box and realized they had been fooled?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°They had the fake box, which had no openings. Unfortunately, that also means they will continue to


    hound us, so we are in for more trouble,¡± Ashton smiled and predicted.


    ¡°At the end of the day, the Murphys are after money. They are already very wealthy. Why the obsession


    with money?¡± I sighed.


    Before we knew it, we had arrived at the Stovall residence. Thepound was brightly lit. The


    housekeeper and a few staff were waiting for us. The housekeeper greeted us, handed our car key to


    the valet, and led us into the house.


    The table was already set, but only Louis was in.


    ¡°Letty, you have arrived! Come, dinner is ready. Let¡¯s eat.¡± Louis came up to warmly wee us.


    After greeting Louis, I looked around and realized John was not around. ¡°John is not back yet?¡±


    ¡°He is on his way. We shan¡¯t wait for him. Let¡¯s get started.¡± Louis showed us to our seats and


    instructed the maids to serve dinner.


    Just as we got seated, we heard a car driving in. ¡°This rascal sure has a good sense of timing. He will


    appear right on the dot when dinner is served,¡± Louis derided.


    ¡°Oh my, you are early. I did not expect you toe this early. I thought the two of you will only stroll in


    around 8 p.m.,¡± John said as he walked in.


    I turned to look and scowled when I caught sight of hispanion.


    ¡°Rascal, get out!¡± Louis hollered.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Uncle Louis, don¡¯t be so mean. I was busy, yet still took time off toe back when you asked me to.


    How can you chase me out before I could even warm the seat?¡± He then turned to Yvonne, who was


    standing next to him and urged, ¡°Yvonne, present the gift you bought specially for Uncle Louis. That


    should please him.¡±


    Yvonne duly walked over to Louis with a big smile and a gift box in hand. ¡°Uncle Louis, Johnny said you


    enjoy tea. I hope you will like this premium. Do try it when you are free.¡±


    She presented the tea with both hands and had a perfect smile on her face. She looked every inch a


    well-mannered, elegant scion.


    All the time she spent hanging around the socialites was not wasted after all. She had learned a lot


    from thosedies. If I had not seen the ugly side of her when we met in the bar years ago, I would have


    thought she was an heiress of a wealthy family.


    Time had worked miracles, transforming her into ady.


    Louis did not take the gift from her hands. His dark gaze was on John. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± he


    bellowed.


    John shrugged and nonchntly said, ¡°Yvonne is presenting you with a gift. Out of courtesy, you


    should at least take it from her hand. If you want to nag at me, do wait till everyone leaves after dinner.


    If you re now, you will spoil the day for all of us.¡±


    He then took the gift from Yvonne, ced it next to Louis, and led her to sit at the table. ¡°What is


    everyone waiting for? Let¡¯s eat!¡± He acted as if nothing had happened.


    I nced at the indifferent John, stood up, and poured Louis a ss of water. ¡°Uncle Louis, have some


    water.¡±


    Louis took the water from my hand. He was visibly furious, staring sternly at John. He looked like he


    was ready to thrash John anytime. John couldn¡¯t care less and was eating his dinner, unconcerned.


    Louis was angry as it was supposed to be a family dinner, so Yvonne¡¯s presence was not weed.


    John clearly understood that, but he still brought her along.


    It was not a good time to find out why he did that, so I kept quiet.


    Another car drove in shortly. I was surprised as I did not expect more guests.


    Hannah walked in with her nanny and her son. Louis¡¯ face broke into a smile when he heard Quilo¡¯s


    voice. He hurried out to carry him.


    ¡°In the future, let me send the driver to pick you. It is a struggle for you, with baby in tow.¡± Louis started


    chatting with Hannah.


    Hannah¡¯s gentle voice could be heard saying, ¡°It is just a short distance from here. I called to inform


    you I¡¯ll bete, and not to wait for us, yet you¡­¡±


    She abruptly stopped in the middle of her sentence. The sight of Yvonne and John caught her by


    surprise.


    She recovered quickly and turned to us, her smile still intact on her face. ¡°My apologies for beingte,


    Scarlett and Mr. Fuller. We left homete and got caught in a traffic jam.¡±


    I smilingly shook my head to assure her it was okay. We chatted briefly before sitting down to dinner.


    Quilo was left in the nanny¡¯s care in the next room.


    What was supposed to be a cozy family dinner turned into an awkward one. Only John continued


    eating, unaffected.

 Chapter 929

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 929


    Yvonne was fawning over John, serving him food, feeding him, and catering to his every need.


    Hannah was impassive. She asionally updated Louis on Quilo¡¯s development and shared she was


    thinking of enrolling him into a sensory ss for babies. Louis was all for it and encouraged her to do


    so.


    He handed Hannah a ck credit card and gave her full authority to spend as she deemed fit. He also


    told her to look for a house nearer the town center if she was not satisfied with the vi she was staying


    in.


    Yvonne stole a few nces at Hannah, but she did not betray any emotions in her expressions. Ever


    since she cozied up to John, she should have received big allowances. John had bad spending habits


    and would have splurged on her.


    Regardless, she must be envious when she saw the ck card Louis gave Hannah.


    Everyone was preupied with their own thoughts during dinner. As soon as it was over, Hannah went


    to feed Quilo. I got the maid to distract Yvonne and dragged John into the garden.


    ¡°Are you out of your mind, John Stovall? Why did you bring along Yvonne?¡± I chastised.


    He shrugged, leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, and dismissed, ¡°Why can¡¯t I bring my


    girlfriend? Since it is a family dinner, and she will be family, then what¡¯s the harm?¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± I looked at him, dumbstruck.


    He nodded. ¡°At the end of the day, I will have to get married. There is nothing wrong with Yvonne. She


    is pretty and has an ordinary family background. At least she would not have the guts to betray me and


    mess around behind my back.¡±Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    ¡°John, you would never look within and see if you had done anything wrong, would you? Put your hand


    on your heart. How long have you kept Hannah waiting for you? You took her love for granted. Do you


    really think it is fair for you to neglect her?¡± I rebuked him.


    ¡°And what justified her to have an affair with another man?¡± John hollered. ¡°She could have told me


    directly if her needs were not met. Why betray me in that disgusting manner?¡±


    I nearlyughed out loud. ¡°What about you? She had an affair with one man. Have you counted the


    number of women you have fooled around with all these years? Have you ever rejected any woman


    who throws herself at you? No! You happily embrace one after another. Have you ever considered how


    much it pains a woman to have to bear with all these? She gave birth to your child, gave up her life to


    cater to your every need, and learned to cook all the dishes you like. What have you done for her?


    John, her frustrations and disappointment were built up over time. It took her many years to finally


    muster the courage to live her own life. Of all the people, you have the least right to criticize and me


    her.¡±


    John was shell-shocked and stared nkly at me, lost for words. I gave him a piece of my mind,


    although I was not sure if he took in what I said.


    I let out a sigh as I turned to walk back to the hall. Aren¡¯t we all the same? We do not treasure what we


    have nor work on the rtionship with those we love. In the end, we either lose them, or things turn


    ugly between us.


    If we don¡¯t invest time to nurture those rtionships, we have no right toin when things fall


    apart.


    There was a huge swimming pool in the garden at the Stovall residence. It was left unused in the winter


    as none of us had the habit of swimming in the winter. On top of that, we installed a spa in the house,


    so the pool became a white elephant.


    ¡°You have no right to take anything from the Stovall family since you are going your separate ways.


    Hannah, you knew John will not be marrying you, so nothing in this house belongs to you.¡± I heard a


    commotion, stopped, and turned to investigate.


    It was Yvonne. She and Hannah were seated by the pool. They were not on friendly terms, so the only


    common subject they could talk about was John.


    Hannah had her gaze fixed on the pool as she refuted Yvonne. ¡°Why are you harping on this? Are you


    trying to tell me that I should not take anything from the Stovalls or that I should hand them to you


    instead? I know what is on your mind. I know you do not want me to reap any financial gains from


    John. Unfortunately, you are not part of the Stovall family yet. Under thew, you are not a Stovall, and


    most importantly, no one here recognizes you as family. Ms. Wilde, I like to keep things simple. I won¡¯t


    bother anyone, and I don¡¯t like others to bother me, so please leave me alone. You can make your


    demands known to John. If he obliges, you get it. If he doesn¡¯t, then too bad.¡±

 Chapter 930

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 930


    Hannah was veryposed and not ruffled by Yvonne¡¯s attitude. She either did not care about


    Yvonne, or John no longer has a ce in her heart.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Yvonne was upset she did not sessfully agitate Hannah. She red at Hannah. ¡°I know, but it is


    only a matter of time before I get married to him. He will definitely dote on me morepared to you,


    and you will disappear from our sights in the future. As for now, I would not allow you to take advantage


    of him. You are not worthy of him, and you should not reap any gains from the Stovall family.¡±


    Hannah looked at her and all of a sudden, sheughed out loud. ¡°I was wondering why your eyes were


    on me the whole evening. So this is what you are after!¡± She took the ck card from her purse and


    ced it in front of Yvonne. ¡°Are you jealous because of this card? If you want it, take it. Stop irritating


    me.¡±


    Yvonne was infuriated, but she still reached out to take the card. ¡°At least you have some decency.


    Don¡¯t you dare eye on anything of the Stovall family! Move out of the vi and transfer the deed back to


    them. You can stop dreaming about driving John¡¯s cars as well. I will not let you have any of them. As


    for the clothes and jewelry John bought for you previously, you can keep them, as rewards for your


    time spent on him,¡± she fumed.


    ¡°Haha, Ms. Wilde, you are making decisions on the distribution of the Stovall family¡¯s wealth? Do you


    think you are Mrs. Stovall?¡± Hannah mocked her.


    ¡°John and I will certainly get married, so I have the right to do this.¡± Yvonne boasted as she fiddled with


    the ck card.


    Hannah could not care less. As she was standing up to leave, she jibed, ¡°Congrattions then. I hope


    you marry into money soon.¡± It was obviously a sarcastic remark.


    After going through all the trouble, Yvonne managed to get the ck card that she was eyeing, but she


    was also deeply annoyed by Hannah¡¯s attitude. She aggressively stomped over to block Hannah¡¯s exit


    and scoffed, ¡°I don¡¯t need you to give me your good wishes. Since you are aware of my rtionship


    with John, if I were you, I would get out of here immediately with the b**tard child and stop tarnishing


    the Stovall family.¡±


    I frowned at the harsh words Yvonne used.


    Hannah¡¯s expression turned dark, and she barked, ¡°Yvonne Wilde, mind yournguage. I can¡¯t be


    bothered to get into a dispute with you, but that does not mean you can step all over me.¡±


    I could not understand what John saw in Yvonne. She was average-looking, materialistic, and uncouth.


    He could have married any of the heiress or socialites in K City, yet he chose such a woman. How


    unfortunate.


    Before I could step in, Yvonne grabbed Hannah¡¯s arm and roared, ¡°Who are you to tell me off? Don¡¯t


    you know you are a sl*t? Stop this high and mighty act. You are way more disgusting than I am. I hate


    show-offs like you!¡± Then, she gave Hannah a heavy push towards the pool.


    I quickly ran towards them, shocked. Surprisingly, Hannah sessfully fended her off. She grabbed


    Yvonne¡¯s hand, ducked, and managed to keep her bnce. Yvonne fell into the pool instead.


    I almost forgot. Hannah grew up in the countryside and spent her childhood exploring the wilds. She


    was nimble and agile. The ability to fend off danger was deeply ingrained in her.


    Yvonne struggled to stay afloat in the pool and was screaming for help. I reached the poolside and


    checked on Hannah. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I am fine,¡± Hannah nodded.


    Those in the hall came running when they heard Yvonne¡¯s scream. John saw her, frowned, and jumped


    into the pool to scoop her up. He ced her on the ground and started giving her first aid. She had


    merely swallowed some water, so was in no danger.


    By then, Louis and Ashton also reached the scene, and they asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Yvonne recovered from her shock, flung herself into John¡¯s arms, and wailed. John held on to her


    tightly and roared at the maid who was there. ¡°Get moving! It is freezing cold. Can¡¯t you see we need a


    towel here?¡±


    The maid stumbled into the house and brought a nket to keep Yvonne warm. John immediately


    carried her into his room. He turned to instruct the maid to summon the doctor and prepare some


    chicken soup for Yvonne.


    Louis was displeased, but he was too gracious to make his guests feel ufortable.

 Chapter 931

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 931


    After being fussed over by John and the maid, Yvonne was feeling better. She cuddled up to John like


    a pitiful little kitten, snuffling a little.


    I was by Hannah¡¯s side and saw her watching emotionlessly as John waited on Yvonne hand and foot.


    She was calm, detached, and unfeeling.


    Nothing is sadder than losing heart over someone. I suddenly realized why Hannah could take all these


    in her stride, unperturbed. She had given up all hopes and was prepared to leave.


    Yvonne was lying in bed, giving John her woeful look. She whined to him, ¡°Did I spoil everyone¡¯s day?


    I¡¯m so sorry. I only wanted to have a chat with Ms. Anne. I did not mean to enrage her. I was shocked


    she hated me so much, that she would push me into the pool. The water was so cold and I couldn¡¯t


    swim. I was terrified!¡±


    I was appalled. I used to think Reba was irritating, but her act was nothingpared to Yvonne¡¯s.


    Yvonne was revolting. It was an eye-opening lesson for me.


    Everyone in the room heard Yvonne¡¯s usation and turned to look at Hannah, who had paled and


    was biting her lips. She looked at Yvonne and muttered, ¡°I am sorry, Ms. Wilde.¡± She had no intention


    of defending herself.


    Yvonne was stunned by Hannah¡¯s apology, but she shamelessly continued, ¡°Ms. Anne, all I wanted


    was to have a chat with you. John and I are serious about one another. I also know you have a lover


    and would like to start a new chapter of your life. I only wanted to thank you for taking good care of


    John all these years.¡±


    Hannah stared nkly at Yvonne as she continued her bber.


    Louis was stunned and puzzled. ¡°Hannah, you¡­¡±


    Hannah calmly looked Louis in the eye and said, ¡°Uncle Louis, I had nned to confide in you this


    evening. John and I will be going our separate ways from now on and I would like to keep Kiki by my


    side. I am not trying to make use of him to milk the Stovall family, so you don¡¯t have to worry. I just do


    not want him to part from his mother at such a young age. He doesn¡¯t get any love from his father, so I


    would like to make up for that by loving him more. He is part of the Stovall family, so rest assured I will


    bring him to visit you often.¡±


    ¡°Look what you have done!¡± Louis red at John. His tone was filled with regrets as he asked Hannah,


    ¡°What are your ns for the future?¡±


    Hannah gave him a reassuring smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Uncle Louis. I met a nice man. After I settle matters


    with the Stovall family, I will get married and start a new life with him. You have toe and visit us


    too, Uncle Louis.¡±


    Louis put on a forced smile and nodded with a sigh; then, he kept quiet.


    John¡¯s face was ashen, and he seemed to be angry yet hurt. Yvonne could see his mixed emotions, so


    she spoke instead. ¡°Since Ms. Anne found a good man, John and I will give you our blessings.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Hannah answered,posed as ever.


    I could not take it anymore. Yvonne took advantage of Hannah and made her take all the me.


    I stared at Yvonne and asked coldly, ¡°Ms. Wilde, did you say Hannah pushed you into the water?¡±


    Yvonne was taken aback by my question. She resumed her pitiful act and nodded, ¡°Yes. I know Ms.


    Anne did not do it on purpose, and I am fine now, so let¡¯s not bring it up again.¡±


    I nodded and turned to ask Hannah. ¡°Did you really push her?¡±


    Hannah did not answer my question. She just kept quiet.


    I could not help but let out a sigh. ¡°Now I understand why the bad guys be more atrocious and


    disgusting. Yvonne, it is not wrong to pursue finer things in life. Your mistake is you sacrifice others in


    your pursuit of a better life. Do you think you can continue with this pitiable act forever and not get


    exposed?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, what do you mean by that?¡± she asked woefully.


    I did not bother to reply to her. I gave her a hard stare and warned, ¡°I am not a goody-two-shoes, so I


    am capable of being nasty. You¡¯d better make your confession now, or I will throw you out of our house.


    If I object to your marriage, even if John obliges you, you will not get anything from the family. You can


    verify with John if you don¡¯t believe me.¡±


    John saw her frightened look and groused at me. ¡°What is that for?¡±


    ¡°You confess.¡± I raised my eyebrow and challenged Yvonne.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    She started sobbing and fell into John¡¯s arms. ¡°John, it is my fault. I am sorry. I should not have


    offended Ms. Stovall by bbering anding to the dinner with you. I should not have barged in on


    your family gathering. It is all my fault!¡±

 Chapter 932

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 932


    B*tch!


    I was so furious I could beat her to a pulp. I roared at John. ¡°What the h*ll is wrong with your eyes,


    John Stovall? There are so many women in K City and you had to settle for this b*tch?¡±


    John was offended and he grunted, ¡°Mind yournguage, Scarlett Stovall.¡±


    I almost fainted from anger. Louis was clueless. He looked at me and pacified, ¡°Calm down, Scarlett.


    What is with those badnguages? Talk nicely.¡±


    I took a deep breath and fixed my gaze at the woman still sobbing in John¡¯s arms. ¡°Return the ck


    card. You are not worthy to use the Stovall family¡¯s ck card.¡±


    John and Louis were both stunned. Louis frowned at John and growled, ¡°You gave her that?¡±


    John shook his head and turned to Yvonne. ¡°Where did you get the ck card from?¡±


    Yvonne recovered from her shock and started wailing, ¡°What ck card? I don¡¯t even know what a


    ck card is. Why are you asking me for it? How could I possibly get hold of such a card? How could


    you not trust me, John?¡±


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    John looked at me searchingly, confused.


    I did not expect her to be so unrepentant. ¡°Yvonne, do you think I am blind? Earlier at the poolside, you


    took the ck card that Uncle Louis gave Hannah. Give it back!¡±


    Everyone turned their attention to Yvonne. She was dazed for a brief moment, then recovered and


    whimpered, ¡°Ms. Stovall, I have never done you any wrong, so why are you framing me? Ms. Anne lost


    the card and could not find it. Are you worried Mr. Stovall would get mad, so you falsely use me of


    stealing it? Do you think you can tantly bully me just because I have no one to back me up?¡±


    If I had not witnessed what happened by the pool, I would definitely buy her story. I was appalled by her


    shameless act.


    ¡°I am giving you another chance. You¡¯d better give a full ount of how you fell into the water, how you


    pressured Hannah into giving you the ck card, and the words you used on the baby. Every single


    detail, truthfully. Otherwise, I swear you will not get to step into the Stovall residence ever again,¡± I


    warned.


    John was flustered by her crying. ¡°That is enough. Let¡¯s call it a day. We will search for the lost card.


    She is fine now, so let¡¯s forget this ruckus. It is gettingte. Go home and get some rest.¡±


    Crash! I swept themp off John¡¯s bedside table and howled, ¡°Yvonne Wilde! Onest chance! Are you


    confessing or not?¡±


    Ashton could see I was really incensed. He came close, tugged at me, and tenderlyforted, ¡°Don¡¯t


    get mad. It¡¯s bad for health.¡±


    John was also startled at my rage. He turned to question Yvonne. ¡°Do you have anything to say?¡±


    Yvonne looked aggrieved. She looked pitifully at him with her red, swollen eyes and shook her head. ¡°I


    really have no idea what she is saying. I know she dislikes me and wanted to break us up. She set this


    up to force me to leave.¡±


    She tearily cried, ¡°Scarlett, I have never offended you. If you want to side with Hannah and make


    yourself look righteous, I will fulfill your wish. I will not dispute any usations you make against me. If


    you think I am after the Stovall¡¯s wealth, then I will leave John and will never see him again. You will get


    your way. Since you are bent on vilifying me, I stand no chance fighting back against a rich and mighty


    heiress like you.¡±


    I swore I have never met someone as shameless as her.


    Hannah had kept quiet all this while. She finally broke her silence and spoke, ¡°Yvonne, stop your act.


    You did that to get John¡¯s sympathy, as you know he is soft-hearted and will give in to you whenever


    you cry. There is something you are not aware of. Do you know why your crying works magic on him?


    You should thank Scarlett for that. When Scarlett was young, she was a crybaby, and John would give


    in to her every time she cried. After she grew up, she rarely cries anymore. But in John¡¯s mind, he will


    always be Scarlett¡¯s protector. The love he has for his sister never changed. He gave in to your crying


    because it reminded him of the Scarlett that put faith in him. You are just a recement. You would be


    so wrong to think that John will still be in love with you if you offend Scarlett. Once you earn Scarlett¡¯s


    wrath, you¡¯ll lose everything. You will regret kicking up this fuss and trying to stir up trouble between


    them.

 Chapter 933

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 933


    Blood drained from Yvonne¡¯s face. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I literally meant what I said,¡± Hannah continued inly. ¡°At first I thought there was nothing worth


    exining since I didn¡¯t intend topete with you anyway. But if you think I stayed silent because I


    was afraid, then you¡¯re wrong.¡±


    ncing around at everyone, she added calmly, ¡°Regarding what all of you saw just now, I wasn¡¯t


    going to bother defending myself. But now that even Scarlett is speaking up on my behalf, I won¡¯t keep


    quiet anymore. Besides, the more I remain silent, the more somebody here tries to take advantage.


    That¡¯s utterly shameless.¡±


    ¡°Hannah Anne!¡± Yvonne screamed suddenly, her voice somewhat shaky as she red at Hannah with


    a trace of horror on her face. ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡±


    Hannah wasn¡¯t in the least bit intimidated. She turned towards Louis with an apologetic look. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,


    Uncle Louis. I failed to take good care of the ck card you gave me earlier. Ms. Wilde demanded that


    I hand it over to her since she¡¯s now a part of the Stovall family, and so I did. As long as it¡¯s a woman


    whom John loves, I have no qualms. However, at this point, it seems that Ms. Wilde isn¡¯t suited for the


    title of ¡®Mrs. Stovall¡¯ after all.¡±


    At that, Louis pursed his lips and shifted his gaze onto Yvonne.


    ¡°If Ms. Wilde still insists that I¡¯m responsible for causing her to fall into the pool¡­¡± Hannah nced at


    Yvonne coldly. ¡°Then, all I can say is, perhaps I shouldn¡¯t have evaded her when she tried to attack me


    just now.¡±


    Just then, a child¡¯s cry rang from outside. Hannah looked at John and continued, ¡°I have no objections


    to you being together with someone else, John. But as someone who understands you to some extent,


    heed my advice¡ªbe careful with who you choose to bring into the Stovall family.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye, everyone,¡± Hannah said as she bowed, then turned and left towards the door.


    John was silent, though his face paled with a painful expression.


    Yvonne began sobbing as she tugged on his arm. ¡°It wasn¡¯t like that, Johnny!¡± she pleaded with


    innocent eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t do any of those things. They¡¯re lying!¡±


    Despair clouded John¡¯s face as he stared at Hannah¡¯s disappearing back,pletely ignoring Yvonne


    who clung desperately onto him. I suddenly realized¡ªperhaps from the very beginning, John had


    never cared about what happened to Yvonne and whether Hannah really did anything. His only


    concern was Hannah¡¯s attitude towards himself. He¡¯d been putting up a facade all along in hopes of


    gaining her attention and seeing if she¡¯d show any signs of jealousy at how he treated Yvonne.


    Unfortunately for him, Hannah waspletely indifferent. She no longer cared.


    Yvonne was still persistently keeping up with her acting. I couldn¡¯t help but feel nauseated at that


    woman¡¯s despicable pretense, thus I held out the recording in front of her. ¡°Just give up already.


    Whatever happened just now were all recorded here, and I¡¯ve already sent it to everyone. I¡¯m afraid


    you won¡¯t be able to set foot in the Stovall residence from now on. Good luck!¡±


    Thest trace of color disappeared from her cheeks. No longer sobbing nor pleading, she stared at the


    screen in silence as her face twisted into a conflicted grimace.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Was she thinking about how to make a quiet escape from all of this? I had no idea. With how she¡¯s


    cornered at this moment, there was no way she could pull another dirty trick.


    That being said, there was no telling how shameless a person could be.


    Yvonne looked up at me with teary, pitiful eyes. ¡°Why are you doing this to me, Scarlett? Everything I


    did was out of love for John. What¡¯s wrong with that? I don¡¯t get it¡­¡± She then eyed John sideways for


    a second, as if making sure he¡¯s watching her. ¡°You guys went on and on about doing things for his


    sake, but where was everyone when he needed somebody by his side? And on top of deserting him,


    now you¡¯re trying to get rid of me. Don¡¯t you think you people have gone overboard?¡±


    Gosh, what¡¯s with that incessant damsel-in-distress act? I frowned, not knowing what else to say. It¡¯d


    only be a waste of time to continue arguing. This woman would surely keep up her act and try to prove


    herself meless for as long as she could, even if her true colors were already bing evident.


    I snatched my phone back and threw her a sarcastic smile. ¡°Well then, feel free to carry on with your


    disgusting acts. I wish you all the best in defending your noble love!¡±


    After bidding Uncle Louis a quick farewell, I dragged Ashton out of the house.


    I was no longer in the mood to talk as we headed home, though I could tell Ashton was ncing at me


    asionally as he drove.


    ¡°Well, Hannah¡¯s gotten over it. You¡¯ve said and done everything you could, too,¡± he spoke after a long


    silence. ¡°Let¡¯s just leave it to John now. However things may turn out, he¡¯s the only one responsible for


    his own decisions.¡±


    I sighed and nodded. Of course I knew that. ¡°I know, it¡¯s just¡­ It still pisses me off. I¡¯ve always thought


    that someone like Reba Larson was atrocious enough, but it turns out Yvonne¡¯s on a whole different


    level. It¡¯s almost unbelievable.¡±

 Chapter 934

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 934


    Ashton didn¡¯t respond. I pursed my lips and shot him a sidelong re. ¡°What? Are you upset about that


    sweetheart of yours?¡±


    He raised a brow and chuckled. ¡°No. I was just thinking you seem a little more naggy these days.¡±


    What a bummer. I rolled my eyes and gave up talking, leaning aside and looking out the window


    instead.


    The scenery outside flew by in a haze. My eyelids felt heavier as time passed. Why was I getting tired


    so easily these days?


    As soon as we got home, Ashton proceeded to settle some of his pending work. It was alreadyte, so


    I went back into the bedroom and headed straight to the shower. Just as I was about to call it a night,


    Hailey¡¯s message came in.


    I didn¡¯t expect her to keep in touch with me so regrly, since we¡¯d only met once.


    The message was brief. Hello, Ms. Stovall. Have you slept already?


    I texted back: Not yet. What¡¯s the matter?


    Not really¡­ Just wondering when you areing over to A City again.


    It had indeed been a while since Ist went there. Is there something you want to talk about?


    Her reply came in almost instantly: Nothing much, just wanted to ask since it¡¯s been a while.


    It wouldn¡¯t have bothered me so much if such an answer came from somebody else, but Hailey¡¯s


    different. For someone who was dealing with depression, there could be a hidden message behind her


    seemingly casual response.


    I¡¯ve been a little tied up these days, but I¡¯ll definitely pay a visit when I¡¯m free! If you aren¡¯t too busy,


    why don¡¯t youe over to K City?


    Okay. Silence then followed.


    Something felt odd, though I was too exhausted to think about it. My consciousness drifted off as soon


    as Iy in bed that I didn¡¯t even realize when Ashton came in that night.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    The next morning.


    I was woken up when my phone rang. But while I was still tossing in bed, Ashton had already reached


    for it and answered the call for me.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± I croaked groggily.


    Instead of replying me, he sat up in a sudden jolt.


    I rubbed my eyes and gazed at his rmed face. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Summer had a severe nosebleed and started coughing up blood,¡± he exined as he hung up the call


    and scrambled out of bed. ¡°They¡¯ve sent her to the hospital.¡±


    At that, Ashton put on his clothes hastily and rushed into the bathroom.


    I sat up in a daze for a good few minutes before it finally dawned on me. Summer is hospitalized! I thus


    jumped out of bed and immediately dialed Cameron¡¯s number, but it went unanswered.


    So I called Emery instead. When she answered, her voice sounded somewhat fuzzy against the noise


    in the background. ¡°Scarlett! Summer¡¯s ill. Come to the hospital quickly!¡±


    Before I could answer, Emery hung up abruptly. Perhaps she was in too much of a panic to exin


    everything over the phone. There wasn¡¯t much time to waste, so I quickly grabbed a change of clothes.


    Ashton came out just as I was done.


    Hence, we left to the hospital right away.


    Ashton¡¯s phone rang constantly as we drove. Having both hands upied on the steering, he nced


    at me quickly. ¡°Can you help me answer that?¡±


    I took his phone in my hands and looked at the shing ID. ¡°It¡¯s a number from W City!¡±


    He signaled with a nod.


    As I turned on the speaker, an unfamiliar voice echoed, ¡°Mr. Fuller, we¡¯ve got some news. The factory


    where the child was sent to back then turns out to be a chemical nt. It seems quite a number of its


    workers were diagnosed with cancer due to radioactive pollution. The factory belongs to the Crest


    family, and it¡¯s currently shut down.¡±


    None of us said a word, and the voice continued, ¡°That pollution was caused by an explosion which


    happened shortly before that incident with Mr. Crest. All workers who got involved had since undergone


    a health examination, though not everyone was affected by the chemical hazards.¡±


    My mind went nk. The air around me felt heavy as I mulled over those words. I hung up the phone


    and looked at Ashton. ¡°Jared did send Summer to the factory and let her stay there for some time.


    Could it be that she¡­¡±


    My shaky voice trailed off. Ashton pondered in silence for a moment before he began, ¡°Summer was


    with Kristina when we found her, so I¡¯ve always thought that my initial hunches about her staying at the


    nt was wrong. Now it seems like she was indeed at the factory from the beginning, and Jared


    probably sent her to Kristina after the explosion.¡±


    ¡°But why would he do that? Summer is his child!¡± I could hear my own voice heightening as I fought


    against the tears that started to well up in my eyes. ¡°Why did he send her there in the first ce if he


    knew that it¡¯s so dangerous?¡±


    Ashton bit his lip for a second. ¡°Who knows? Maybe he really wasn¡¯t aware about it at first, which was


    why he handed her over to Kristinater on.¡±


    ¡°Even if that¡¯s true, shouldn¡¯t he have informed us? We could¡¯ve brought Summer for a check up if we


    knew what happened! That way we could¡¯ve at least made sure if she¡¯s alright after that incident¡­¡±


    At this point, I didn¡¯t know what else to think about or say anymore. A storm had begun raging within


    myself, and I saw the hardened expression on Ashton¡¯s face too. ¡°Let¡¯s not jump into conclusions for


    now. We¡¯ll wait and see what the doctor sayster. It could be that she just happened to be under the


    weather these days.¡±


    He was right. There was nothing we could do except hoping that Summer would be just fine.

 Chapter 935

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 935


    At the hospital, Xavier was wailing as Emery struggled to hold him still in her arms. ¡°Sorry, Scarlett.


    He¡¯s been making a fuss the whole time.¡± She looked at me somewhat apologetically and continued, ¡°I


    think I should bring him home first. Hunter¡¯s off at school, but both Zachary and Cameron are here. The


    doctor¡¯s still checking on Summer, but don¡¯t worry too much, I believe everything will be fine!¡±


    I nodded and urged her to go. It¡¯s only understandable that a child would feel ufortable under the


    cold weather and amidst the tense atmosphere.


    The nurses wheeled Summer into the examination room while Cameron and Zachary followed closely


    behind them.


    As we waited outside the room, Cameron began tearing up. ¡°This is my fault, I should¡¯ve brought her


    here for a check-up way earlier¡­¡± She sobbed. ¡°The poor child¡¯s had a few rounds of fever, but I¡¯ve


    always thought they were just bouts of cold due to the changing weather. I just gave her the usual


    medsst night, thinking that she would get better after that. She suddenly started coughing out blood


    so much this morning!¡±


    I held my mother¡¯s hands in mine. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom. Summer has always been a little weak, it¡¯s likely


    that her body just isn¡¯t faring so well under the weather. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    How was I supposed to tell her about the incident at W City? After taking care of Summer all this while,


    they had gotten so attached to her as if she was their own grandchild.


    Zachary sat on the chair, panting slightly in exhaustion as worry clouded his weary face. Clearly,


    hurrying after the doctor and nurses back and forth throughout the hospital had taken a toll on his aging


    body.


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    Before long, the doctor came out from the room with a report in his hand. He nced around at all of


    us before asking, ¡°Is anyone here a family member of the patient?¡±


    ¡°We all are!¡± I answered, my eyes fixated on the sheets of paper in his grip.


    He then gestured for us to follow him. ¡°In that case, shall we all have a discussion in my office?¡±


    In the doctor¡¯s office.


    He handed the report to Ashton while exining, ¡°These are the test results. The ALP levels in the


    child¡¯s lymph nodes and liver are high, and her white blood cell count is severely beyond normal. Her


    bones and joints are damaged as well. I¡¯m afraid things aren¡¯t looking positive for the patient.¡±


    In that instant, I felt as if my surroundings began to spin. Just as I lost bnce, Ashton got hold of me


    and carefully sat me down on the nearest chair. As calm and collected as he would usually be, he was


    definitely shaken this time around. I could feel a slight tremor in his hands as he held onto my


    shoulders. ¡°Doctor, is there anything we can do?¡± he asked.


    The doctor replied, ¡°Acute leukemia isn¡¯t the easiest to control, though there¡¯s definitely a chance of


    recovery. Having said that, we¡¯ll need your utmost cooperation as we do what we can for the patient.


    The treatment will also involve a handful of equipment and specific drugs from overseas, and frankly


    speaking, not everyone is able to bear the costs.¡±


    ¡°Money isn¡¯t a problem,¡± Zachary responded, his face looking somewhat pale. ¡°We¡¯ll bear all the


    expenses as long as the child can be treated.¡±


    Cameron nodded and chimed in, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right! We¡¯ll do everything that we can on our part. Please


    help us save the child!¡±


    She then paused for a short while before adding, ¡°Is there a reason behind Summer¡¯s condition,


    doctor? She was born slightly premature, but there hasn¡¯t been any other problem with her physical


    health thus far¡­ Could it be hereditary?¡±


    The doctor pondered for second before he answered, ¡°Leukemia isn¡¯t usually inherited, but it¡¯s not


    entirely impossible. In most cases, it¡¯s due to lifestyle and environmental factors, such as exposure to


    chemical hazards.¡±


    He then looked up at us with a curious frown. ¡°On that note, the report indicates that the patient¡¯s


    condition was likely induced by external substances. Would you mind if I ask, has the child been


    exposed to any sources of such substances over a period of time? Like aboratory or a chemical


    nt¡­¡±


    I couldn¡¯t take this any longer. Suppressing my raging emotions, I interrupted, ¡°We¡¯ll leave the child in


    your hands, doctor.¡±


    As we exited the office, Cameron tugged on my arm. ¡°Did you know something behind this, Scarlett?¡±


    I dragged my feet in silence as we walked along the corridor.


    They had the right to know after all, but where should I even begin? ¡°Sometimest year, Jared took


    Summer to W City¡­¡± I started hesitantly. ¡°He ced her in the Crest family¡¯s factory for some time


    while using her as a hostage to threaten Ashton. And at some point, there was an explosion which led


    to chemical leaks. We had no idea about this either until recently.¡±


    Zachary¡¯s face burned with anger. ¡°How rotten! Are the Crests even humans at all?¡±


    Cameron¡¯s eyebrows knitted together as she gasped in horror. ¡°Isn¡¯t Jared her father regardless? How


    could he do such a thing to his own child?¡±


    I sighed helplessly. Regret filled me as I reflected on my decisions back then. This wouldn¡¯t have


    happened if I hadn¡¯t let him take Summer with him to W City!


    A dreadful silence filled the air as a gloomy cloud casted upon everyone¡¯s face. The next moment,


    Zachary pulled out his phone and began making a few calls.

 Chapter 936

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 936


    Cameron and Ashton too, began dialing away on their phones as they tried to contact all the health


    experts they knew of.


    A throbbing pain stung my abdomen yet again. I had felt it from the moment I knew about Summer¡¯s


    illness earlier that day, and I figured it must have been a symptom of stress and anxiety.


    But as time went by, I realized something was wrong. While Ashton was still on the phone, the pain


    suddenly intensified and I felt a warm trickle down my thighs. Fear poured into my mind in an instant.


    ¡°Ashton, I have a bad feeling¡­¡±


    He quickly hung up and rushed over to my side. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you not feeling well?¡±


    I grabbed onto him and shivered in pain. ¡°My stomach hurts!¡±


    His pupils constricted the moment he noticed the blood in between my legs. ¡°Get the obstetrician!¡± he


    eximed loudly.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine¡­¡± I resisted, although my legs were giving away under the intense pain.


    As Zachary hurried off to get the doctor, Cameron came over and helped support me. ¡°My dear, when


    was thest time you had your period?¡±


    Cold droplets of sweat had already emerged on my forehead by then. ¡°I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s never been


    regr¡­¡±


    Come to think of it, it had supposedly been over a month since Ist menstruated. Ever since I lost my


    baby, my period cycle had never been normal.


    Seeing the mixed emotions on their faces, I knew what it meant. I am probably pregnant.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    That exined my unusual exhaustion these days! How ignorant I¡¯d been¡­ I¡¯ve always thought that


    my extra sleepiness was because of the weather.


    Everything happened in a flurry as I was wheeled into the emergency ward. The pain in my abdomen


    became more and more unbearable. The voices around me soon became muffled and distant as my


    view blurred¡­


    When I jolted awake, I broke out in cold sweat. Cameron and Zachary were by my bedside, but there


    was no sight of Ashton.


    Although my mother sighed in relief as I regained consciousness, I was unable toprehend the


    teary look on her face. ¡°Why are you crying, Mom? What happened to me?¡±


    She smiled while wiping her tears away with the back of her hands. ¡°You¡¯re pregnant, my dear! It¡¯s


    almost two months already.¡±


    Before I could react, Zachary¡¯s face too, lit up with an endearing smile. ¡°The doctor said that the fetus


    isn¡¯t very stable at the moment, so you have to take care of yourself and be careful!¡±


    I am¡­ pregnant? An indescribable feeling surged up within me. It felt like a mix of delight and loss at


    the same time, amongst a variety of other emotions.


    I suddenly remembered about Summer. ¡°Mom, Dad, what about Summer? How is she now?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s awake now, and we¡¯ve gotten in touch with the best medical team we knew,¡± Cameron


    consoled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll make sure we get the best possible treatment for her!¡±


    I nodded in slight relief. ¡°Where¡¯s Ashton?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s making arrangements for you and Summer! You both have to stay in the hospital for a few days.


    We¡¯ve gotten the maids to bring over everything you need, so just rest up as much as you can. Your


    Dad and I will keep you bothpany as well over the next couple of days,¡± Cameron exined, joy


    and concern intertwined on her face.


    I understood what she felt. She was happy about my pregnancy and worried about Summer at the


    same time.


    A whileter, my parents left and went over to Summer¡¯s ward. Iy in bed in a daze until Ashton came


    back. He gazed at my nk expression with a gentle smile. It was a rare sight.


    He chuckled softly. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    I wriggled upright and leaned on his chest, wrapping my arms around him. ¡°This child is a surprise¡­ I


    didn¡¯t even expect myself to be able to conceive! But whatever it is, promise me, Ashton. Summer is


    and will always be our child too, okay?¡±


    Ashton dazed for a moment and smiled at me. ¡°Since when have I started losing your trust? Don¡¯t think


    too much. We have two kids now, and I¡¯ll do everything to make sure Summer gets well!¡±


    At his reassurance, I buried my head deeper in his embrace. Back then, I once thought that I¡¯d let


    Summer make her own decision about living with her biological father when she¡¯d grow up one day. But


    I¡¯ve made up my mind this time¡ªfor someone like Jared who would go so far as to put his own child in


    danger, he no longer had the right to be her father.


    ¡°My dear Mrs. Fuller, please take good care of yourself from now on. You can¡¯t be so reckless anymore


    now that you¡¯re bearing a child,¡± Ashton teased jokingly with a hint of helplessness in his voice. ¡°I know


    you¡¯re worried about Summer and about how I might favor this uing child over her. But Scarlett,


    please trust me, okay?¡±


    I nodded, albeit unable to shake off my fearspletely. ¡°Do you think Summer¡¯s condition can be fully


    treated?¡± I blurted as memories of Renee resurfaced in my mind again. That poor child! She looked so


    miserably different after a month of chemotherapy. I couldn¡¯t bear the thought of seeing Summer


    bing like that too.


    Ashton nodded. ¡°We¡¯ve found the best doctors, and all we need to do now is to find her a suitable


    candidate for her bone marrow transnt. Once she¡¯s recovered, we¡¯ll be able to spend the rest of our


    days together as a family.¡±

 Chapter 937

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 937


    Bone marrow transnt!


    I was taken aback. ¡°Let¡¯s get Jared. Since he¡¯s Summer¡¯s biological father, his bone marrow should be


    a match, right?¡±


    Ashton nodded slightly and spoke, ¡°I have something to tell you. Jared had been heavily injured in


    prison earlier today.¡±


    ¡°Did he get into a fight?¡± I was shocked. Since Jared entered prison, he had been living fine with the


    Crest family¡¯s support. How did he get beaten up?


    ¡°It must¡¯ve been Uncle Zachery. He must¡¯ve gotten someone to beat Jared up as he was upset by what


    had happened to Summer,¡± Ashton replied.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    I was in a daze¡ªI could not believe it. ¡°Why would Dad think of getting someone in the prison to¡­¡±


    However, when I thought deeper, I remembered how he became very protective of Reba when he


    found out that she was part of the Moore family.


    I knew that Zachary was an impulsive person. When he heard that Jared had caused Summer¡¯s illness,


    it was in his character to beat Jared up.


    Soon, I knocked out in Ashton¡¯s arms, likely due to the meds.


    I was woken up shortly by a dream of the scene where Renee passed away on the hospital bed.


    Ashton was not around, and I was worried about Summer, so I went to her ward.


    Cameron was there with her. ¡°Why are you here? Go back to your ward and rest. You need the rest


    now,¡± she advised me.


    I nodded in response while turning my gaze to look at Summer, who was sound asleep. She resembled


    her mother more as she grew up, though she was pale due to her sickness.


    Cameron gestured for me to head back. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m fine. I couldn¡¯t sleep anyway. Let me take a look at


    her a while more,¡± I pleaded.


    She had no choice but to cave in. Then, she passed me a hand pack and nagged, ¡°Here, hold it. Your


    body is so cold. You should learn to take better care of yourself.¡±


    I smiled at Cameron in response and turned to look at Summer. I studied her face and couldn¡¯t believe


    that she was already six years old. Since we returned from R Province, I had ced her under


    Ashton¡¯s care as I did not have sufficient time and energy for her. For that, I had missed many precious


    moments with her.


    Time flew, and six years had passed¡ªit was near the new year now. At times, I would find myself


    imagining that everyone was still around like they used to.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Zachary had gotten the best doctor and thetest technologies for her. Summer is our


    lucky star, so she¡¯ll definitely recover,¡± Cameronforted. ¡°You¡¯re already a mother, so you should


    take good care of yourself too. Let¡¯s go out for a family outing when you¡¯re feeling better.¡±


    I looked at her and nodded while leaning on her shoulder. That was the closest I had ever been with


    her. ¡°Mom, thank you for taking care of Summer these few days. She might¡¯ve been in a better


    condition if only I had brought her to the doctors earlier.¡±


    She let out a sigh. ¡°This is not your fault. None of us expected this. Luckily, your father and I had


    sufficient savings for the uing treatment. As long as there¡¯s hope, we¡¯re willing to spend


    everything on Summer to help her recover.¡±


    I started tearing up as I felt blessed. With the financial support of the Moores and the Fullers, Summer


    had an increased probability of recovering.


    It was the reality. In the face of death, those with money could extend their life, even if it¡¯s only for a


    day. On the other hand, those without money were only left with one choice¡ªsurrender their life to fate.


    ¡°Mom, did you hand over all the projects of J City to Nick?¡± I asked as Nick came to my mind.


    She nodded. ¡°Most of the projects of J City are from the Harrisons. His father passed not long after I


    got married to him. Nick was still too young at that time, so I had to take over the management of


    Cruise Corporation. Since Nick has grown up, it¡¯s only right for me to hand the business over to him.


    Why did you ask suddenly?¡±


    I stared into a nk space, thought for a moment, and told her, ¡°When Summer¡¯s situation starts to


    stabilize, I n to bring her to J City to help with her recovery. The weather there is more suitable for


    recoverypared to K City, so she might recover faster there.¡±


    She processed that thought and nodded. ¡°Okay. Zachary and I will let the doctor know. We¡¯ll transfer


    her to J City and arrange for her surgery to be performed there once we¡¯ve found a suitable donor.


    Zachary and I could retire in J City too. However, Fuller Corporation is doing very well now, I think you


    should talk about this with Ashton too.¡±

 Chapter 938

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 938


    I let out a sigh. ¡°I just thought of it and have yet to tell him anything.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to rush. You should bring it up when everything else has stabilized.¡±


    It was November in K City, and the temperature had dropped lower than usual. It felt like it was about to


    start snowing.


    I was discharged after a few days of rest in the hospital. Meanwhile, Summer had to undergo


    chemotherapy. After her first session, she had lost quite a bit of weight. Her organs were affected by


    her illness to the extent that she had lost her appetitepletely and didn¡¯t feel like eating anything.


    Zachary got some experts from overseas to discuss with the top specialist toe up with the best


    treatment n for Summer. Ashton was listening intently. He had been busy at work, probably dealing


    with Murphy Corporation¡¯s move on Fuller Corporation.


    ¡°The most prominent damage is on the patient¡¯s kidney. Even if we manage to get a suitable bone


    marrow donor, she would not be able to fully recover, as she needs a kidney transnt as well,¡± the


    doctor exined with a dull expression.


    Another doctor added, ¡°Unfortunately, these two organs are difficult to find. Every year, many patients


    do not make it till they get a donor. Hence, I suggest that Summer continues with the existing


    treatment.¡±


    My heart broke upon hearing that news. Cameron pulled me out and consoled, ¡°My dear, you¡¯re


    currently pregnant. It¡¯s not good for you to get too emotional. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve got an idea to resolve


    Summer¡¯s issue.¡±


    I knew she was trying tofort me. I recalled that Renee also had leukemia. Since she could not find


    a suitable donor, Sasha¡¯s mother decided to stop the treatment and brought Renee toplete her


    bucket list.


    I did not wish to do the same for Summer. That was just too cruel.


    However, I had no clue what to do. It seemed like we were stuck in a corner.


    After the discussion ended, Cameron and Zachary stayed to take care of Summer while Ashton


    brought me to the office. He was worried that I might overthink if I stayed at the hospital.


    I had been zoning out frequently, thinking about Summer¡¯s condition. Ashton was worried, so he had


    been bringing me around with him everywhere.


    At the lobby, ady weed us with a bright smile. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Fuller, these dried mangoes are


    pretty sweet. Please try some.¡±


    I could not remember her identity while Ashton looked at me and asked, ¡°Do you like these?¡±


    I shook my head.


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, you¡¯ve got to try it first!¡± Thedy passed a piece to me. I stared at her nkly and


    eventually tasted it.


    As she looked at me expectantly, I recalled that she was Ste. I had forgotten as I had too much on


    my mind.


    ¡°How is it? Is it good?¡± Ste asked while smiling in excitement.


    I nodded and replied, ¡°It¡¯s quite sweet!¡±


    ¡°See, I told you! I like it very much. I thought of you and wanted to pass them to you, but you had not


    been aroundtely. I bought these to express my appreciation, so please ept them.¡±


    I was taken aback by her chattiness. I recalled that incident and asked, ¡°How are your injuries? Are you


    feeling better?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve already recovered. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m quite tough.¡±


    I let out a sigh of relief and took the dried mangoes. ¡°Thank you. Please don¡¯t buy me anything.


    Instead, I should be thanking you for taking that blow for Ashton.¡±


    Her face flushed. ¡°You¡¯re too kind. It was actually Mr. Fuller who had saved me. I ended up being a


    burden instead.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. You shouldn¡¯t be standing for too long!¡± Ashton said while he hugged me. I nodded in


    agreement as I felt ufortable after standing for some time.


    Ste waved while smiling very brightly.


    Ashton took over the bag of dried mangoes and advised, ¡°Next time, don¡¯t force yourself to ept what


    you don¡¯t like.¡±


    ¡°She has good intentions. Also, these are sweet. You should try some.¡± I handed him a piece. ¡°Ste


    seemed to be livelier than she used to be,¡± I said to Ashton with a skeptical look.


    Ashton took a bite and continued, ¡°There were some after-effects from her head injury.¡±


    I recall that the doctor mentioned the possibility of a concussion. I looked up at Ashton and asked,


    ¡°Could being livelier be a sign of a concussion?¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.

 Chapter 939

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 939


    ¡°She had forgotten many things. She had even forgotten Justin. Sometimes, her memories are jumbled


    up.¡±


    I raised my brows, ¡°Justin?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°That guy who went along to the hospital.¡±


    The lift arrived at the office. There were snacks on the coffee table¡ªall my favorite snacks.


    In no time, I focused on the snacks and stopped asking him questions.


    Ashton started to contact people to help speed up finding a suitable donor. It was a difficult task. Even if


    a donor was found, that person had to be a match. We had to find a kidney donor as well. Furthermore,


    it had to be a child¡¯s kidney.


    I lost my appetite after those thoughts urred to me, so I looked at Ashton, who was staring into


    nk space.


    There was a knock on the door. ¡°Come in.¡±


    It was Ste. She brought some drinks for us. She ced a cup of green tea in front of Ashton and a


    cup of hot milk tea for me. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, please try this. I made this using my special recipe.¡±


    I smiled and thanked her. I took a sip, and it was not bad.


    m. Ashton stood up while his face darkened. The green tea that Ste prepared dropped on the


    floor and shattered. He was holding his phone and eximed, ¡°Bring him to the hospital immediately!


    I¡¯ll be there.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± I shot up and asked, thinking that something bad happened to Summer.


    He grabbed his jacket and told me, ¡°Jared was almost killed in prison. I have to go now.¡± He nced at


    Ste and ordered, ¡°Ste, please sent Mrs. Fuller backter.¡±


    He rushed off right after.


    I was lost in thought. He had been fine in there all this while. What exactly happened? Could it be that


    Zachary got someone to beat Jared up again for what happened to Summer?


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    However, ording to his personality, he would have beaten him up brutally the first time. Why did he


    do it again?


    Furthermore, that person tried to kill him.


    Ste was taken aback and looked at me. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, I¡¯ll send you back in a bit, but I don¡¯t know your


    address. I need you to tell me.¡±


    I gave a small smile and replied, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    She shook her head while smiling. ¡°No worries, it¡¯s my job.¡±


    Ashton took his car, so we walked to Ste¡¯s car. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even though I had just gotten my driving


    license, I am a good driver.¡±


    I smiled and got on to the front seat. I wondered how she got promoted to a secretary. ¡°It must¡¯ve been


    tough for you. Ashton is very picky. Your job as a secretary must¡¯ve been busier than the time you were


    working at the front desk.¡±


    She started the car and exined, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Mr. Fuller had been kind to me. He would get others to


    teach me the things that I don¡¯t know.¡±


    I nodded and kept silent.


    She stopped along the side of the road and took a grey bag out of the trunk.


    She ced the bag on the back seat and exined, ¡°I have to pass this to someer. I brought it


    out in case I forget.¡±


    I nodded in response.


    She was indeed a steady driver. As she drove to the vi, she looked around andmented, ¡°Mrs.


    Fuller, your house is so big. I¡¯m so envious of you!¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°If you have time, would you like toe in with me?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can. I have ns already. Maybe next time. I believe that I¡¯ll have


    many chances to do so in the future.¡±


    I thanked her and got off the car. I stood there and watched as her car left.


    It seemed that all the innocent things in this world either did not exist or were killed. The journey of


    growing up was indeed a long one.


    Ashton was only back at night. He was worried that if anything bad happens to Jared, it might be


    difficult for him to donate his bone marrow to Summer.


    I was waiting for Ashton in the living room. When he returned and was changing his shoes in the


    hallway, I asked, ¡°How¡¯s he? Is he badly injured?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s still in critical condition. Joe is there. Why are you still up?¡±


    I walked over and replied, ¡°I was waiting for you because I¡¯m worried.¡± While I spoke, he ced a grey


    bag at the side.


    I furrowed my brows. That bag looked simr to the one Ste had in her car. Why did he have it?

 Chapter 940

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 940


    Ashton was tired. He rubbed his temples and rested on the sofa. I pursed my lips and stared at the


    grey bag. I walked over to him and massaged his shoulders. ¡°I see that you¡¯ve brought a grey bag.


    What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°That was a jacket that I lent Ste. She sent it for wash and returned it. Could you help me to get the


    helper to have it when she¡¯s here tomorrow?¡±


    I recalled as I continued staring at the bag. That day, Ashton had indeed passed a jacket to Ste. I


    remember buying him a new set of clothes.


    ¡°You¡¯re so wasteful! These clothes were expensive.¡±


    He opened his eyes slightly and smiled. ¡°Since when were you so materialistic? Are you feeling the


    pinch over a set of clothes?¡±


    I leaned on his shoulder and replied, ¡°Well, we¡¯re going to spend a lot on Summer¡¯s surgery.


    Furthermore, all that money is from your hard work. I don¡¯t wish to waste it like that.¡±


    He lifted his head and kissed my cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even if your husband is dead, he would make


    sure you live a good life.¡±


    I used my head to bump into his. ¡°Don¡¯t curse yourself. Do you really wish for me to remarry with two


    kids?¡±


    He pulled me onto hisp. ¡°I¡¯m still alive, and yet you¡¯re thinking of remarrying already? You¡¯d better


    erase that thought, or I¡¯ll punish you tonight.¡±


    I rolled my eyes at him as I leaned against his shoulder, and said, ¡°Both of us have to take care of


    ourselves and stay well. Let¡¯s head back to J City when our kids are grown up. I¡¯d love to open a small


    flower shop, and you¡¯ll be my employee. We¡¯d get to celebrate all the festive seasons with our parents.¡±


    I smiled and looked at him. ¡°I realize I have no ambitions. I¡¯m already thinking of retirement. Do you


    disdain me for it?¡±


    He smiled and pecked on my cheek while holding my tummy. ¡°Your dream is my dream. We¡¯ll do what


    you want when we get old.¡±


    It seemed like after we reach a certain age, humans tend to crave peace and stability.


    As I thought of Jared, I asked, ¡°How did Jared get injured in prison? Was it my Dad?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°No. If Uncle Zachery wanted to make a move, he would do it only once. He would


    not have done it twice. It was caused by a drug addict that had a dispute with others, went mad and


    attacked Jared.¡±


    I nodded my head. ¡°Is the Crest family still trying to bail him out of jail?¡± Since the first day of Jared¡¯s


    admission to the prison, the Crest family had been channeling money there in hopes of getting him out


    early.


    He did not answer my question and asked me one instead. ¡°What if he makes it out?¡±


    I raised my brows to his reaction. ¡°Are you trying to get him out too?¡± I used to be afraid of Jared, and I


    understood his hatred for Ashton too. However, I started to hate him after what he did to Summer.


    He had used his own child. No matter if it was intentional or idental, I could never erase that cruel


    image of him from my mind.


    Ashton avoided the question and said, ¡°We need him to do a test to see if he¡¯s a matching donor for


    Summer.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°I agree for him to do the test, but I do not agree for him to be released from prison.¡±Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    The conversation ended, and he carried me up to the bedroom. I had been feeling sleepy very often,


    probably due to the pregnancy.


    I fell asleep almost immediately after I went to bed.


    The next day before sunrise, Cameron called. She informed me that Summer had been coughing blood


    after her therapy session.


    Ashton and I rushed to the hospital while Summer was transferred to the ER. ¡°The cancer cells are


    spreading fast. Despite using the best treatment, the effect was too small. We¡¯d have to hurry and find


    suitable bone marrow and kidney, or it might spread to the other organs soon,¡± the doctor exined.


    Ashton nodded. Cameron was unsure of what to do, so she called Zachary.


    In the hallway, everyone was silent but feeling anxious inside. We have all the resources, but the most


    critical was still the bone marrow and kidney. We could get the bone marrow from Jared, but what


    about the kidney? It was near impossible to find a child¡¯s kidney in such a short time.


    Ashton thought for a moment and said, ¡°Y¡¯all should stay here. I¡¯ll go and get Jared.¡± He was worried


    about me, so he repeated, ¡°Don¡¯t go anywhere. If you¡¯re feeling unwell, please let me know. If you¡¯d like


    to eat something, let me know too. Also, don¡¯t stand for too long.¡±

 Chapter 941

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 941


    I forced a smile. ¡°I get it. I¡¯ll take care of myself, just go.¡±


    He was still worried despite that and told Cameron some dos and don¡¯ts before he left. Then, Cameron


    looked at me. ¡°He¡¯s really nice to you.¡±


    I smiled. Then my phone rang. It was from Armond, who hadn¡¯t called me in a long time. I frowned in


    annoyance when I saw his number. Ever since what happened in Moranta, I lost any good impression I


    had for him. But I took his call anyway. ¡°What is it?¡±


    His voice was deep, but also depressing. ¡°It¡¯s been a while. We might not be friends anymore, but we


    don¡¯t have to be enemies; so, you don¡¯t have to be so hostile. ¡°


    I sneered. ¡°You tried to harm my husband. If that¡¯s not enough to antagonize me, I don¡¯t know what


    will.¡±


    Heughed mirthlessly. ¡°Are you free? Why don¡¯t we meet up? You might gain something, you know.¡±


    ¡°Thanks but no thanks,¡± I refused.


    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t say no so fast.¡± He chuckled. ¡°I heard you¡¯re trying to find a matching kidney for the


    Crests¡¯ kid. I¡¯m your friend, Scarlett, and I¡¯m a kind man. I don¡¯t mind getting a suitable kidney for the


    child. All you have to do is ask,¡± he said casually, much to my surprise.


    I frowned. ¡°What are you trying to do now, Armond?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s meet up and talk. You raised the child, didn¡¯t you? You can take this risk. You risked your life in


    Moranta for Ashton, so why not for the child? Is she worth less than your husband? All I want to do is to


    chat with you.¡±


    I was surprised that he could sound so nonchnt since he was usually a stern man. What is he really


    like deep down?


    My prolonged silence prompted him to speak. ¡°So it¡¯s a no, huh? I feel bad for the poor child.¡±


    ¡°Give me the location.¡± I took a deep breath. I didn¡¯t know how he would find the kidney, but it was a


    pressing matter, so I had to give it a try.


    Heughed as if his n had worked. ¡°You are always so loyal, Scarlett. I¡¯m looking forward to our


    meeting, but don¡¯t tell anyone about this, and don¡¯t try to pull any tricks behind my back. Or I¡¯ll make


    sure your daughter is bedridden for life even if she gets the bone marrow she desperately needs. You


    know I can do that.¡±


    He said goodbye with augh before hanging up. Then, he sent me the location.


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    I pursed my lips. The city center, huh? And the most bustling ce too. I heaved a sigh of relief. If


    that¡¯s the case, he can¡¯t do anything to me even if he wants to.


    Cameron came back with the vitamins after I kept my phone. ¡°Take these vitamins once in the morning


    and once at night. It¡¯ll help the baby.¡±


    I nodded and put the pills in my bag. At the same time, I was thinking about what to tell her since I want


    to go out.


    The ER¡¯s door swung open, and out came Summer on a gurney surrounded by doctors. Cameron and I


    followed them into the ward, but Summer was still in aa even after the doctors had left.


    I looked at Cameron. ¡°I¡¯m going out to get some stuff, Mom. Look after Summer for me. I¡¯ll be back in a


    minute.¡±


    She looked at the time and nodded. ¡°Go on. I¡¯ll look after her.¡±


    I went straight to the location Armond sent me aftering out from the hospital. It was a caf¨¦ near the


    hospital. When I arrived at the ce, Armond was already waiting for me. He gave me a warm smile


    when we met. ¡°I thought you won¡¯te.¡± Then, he called the waiter to take his order.


    I looked at him. ¡°Please make this quick.¡±


    He pursed his lips calmly. ¡°So I¡¯m not even your friend now.¡±


    ¡°Do you think we can still be friends after what you did?¡± I held my anger back. He was no longer my


    friend from the moment he tried to kill Ashton in Moranta. In fact, he was my enemy since then.


    He smiled despondently. ¡°You know I would never harm you.¡±


    ¡°Depends on how you define ¡®harm.¡¯¡± I sneered. ¡°That¡¯s enough of pleasantries. You have plotted ever


    since we met, but I don¡¯t really care about your reason. Just cut to the chase.¡±


    He pursed his lips and squinted at me. ¡°Very well then. Remember the sandalwood box you promised


    to give me back in Venria? I took your girls back safe and sound, but what did you do? You gave me a


    fake box. Do you think I¡¯m an idiot, Scarlett?¡±


    I froze for a moment. Oh, so he found out about that. I pursed my lips. ¡°I know nothing about that box.


    You wanted it, so I gave it to you. I can tell you that my grandma gave it to me, so it¡¯s just something


    my grandma left me. I have no idea what the content means to you, and I don¡¯t know what you want


    from it.¡±

 Chapter 942

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 942


    He sneered. ¡°Shifting the me, are we? Fine. If you don¡¯t want to give me the box, then there¡¯s no


    meaning to this meeting. Your daughter is on her own now.¡±


    A frown creased my forehead. ¡°I have no idea where the box is right now. It¡¯s always been in the vi


    and guarded by Ashton.¡±


    He gave me a nod and squinted. ¡°So that means you can retrieve it.¡±


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    I frowned again. ¡°I cannot,¡± I denied.


    He chuckled. ¡°Well, the box isn¡¯t the only chip you have, but I wonder if you¡¯ll ept the deal.¡±


    I hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°What¡¯s your price?¡±


    He pointed at me. ¡°You.¡±


    I frowned at him, bbergasted and waited for a further exnation.


    He smiled. ¡°Haven¡¯t you realized? I¡¯ve been interested in you for a while now.¡±


    I almost spewed the water out, then I stared at him in shock.


    He ignored my surprise and continued, ¡°The first time I met you was at J City¡¯s auction. You weren¡¯t


    exactly beautiful, but you were attractive. Maybe it¡¯s because Ashton was beside you, so I only had


    eyes for you then. And then the meeting at the cemetery. You probably didn¡¯t know this, but I was the


    one who sent the guy who attacked you. Anyway, I wasn¡¯t nning to hurt you, and I just wanted to


    have a reason to talk with you. Fortunately, we got to know each other after that. Then, I wanted to get


    closer to you, and you gave me a chance. You were in A City then, and coincidentally, you were in my


    company. Also, you know Savini and that¡¯s one great coincidence. Whatever it is, we got to know each


    other after that.¡±


    I stared at him in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re the president of Animus?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Murphy Corporation has a lot of subsidiaries in A City. Some are just newly acquired, so


    they aren¡¯t named after the corporation yet.¡±


    I felt a chill running down my spine as I recalled everything that had happened. Then, I grabbed his


    hand. ¡°So you were the one behind the night I was arrested because of kyanine possession? Those


    cops are your henchmen?¡±


    He paused for a moment, surprised. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re getting smarter.¡±


    No, I was not. I just remembered seeing him that night at the hotel, and I was falsely used not long


    after that. I couldn¡¯t understand why I was the one who was targeted out of everyone there. I thought


    Savini was behind it, but he didn¡¯t seem surprised when I met him aftering back from Venria alive.


    And he was all ready for my questioning.


    When I thought back to those hellish days, I realized there were a lot of loopholes that couldn¡¯t be


    exined. Tabitha and Laurel came from normal families, but Nora wasn¡¯t. But even so, Channing


    didn¡¯t say a word about her kidnap.


    I must have looked concerned, but all Armond did was throw me a dark smile. ¡°Are you thinking about


    the happy days we had in Venria and Western Europe?¡±


    My face fell, and I got ready to leave before the waiter came back with our coffee, but he stopped me.


    ¡°Your daughter can¡¯t wait around any longer, Ms. Stovall. Stop throwing a tantrum and take my offer.¡±


    He was smiling when he said that, as if Summer¡¯s life was just a chip for him to y with. Disgusting. I


    glowered. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    He gave me an eerie look. ¡°Why don¡¯t you start dating me?¡±


    ¡°Are you mad, Murphy? I¡¯m married! And I won¡¯t date you even if I¡¯m not! If you don¡¯t love Nora, then


    tell her! Don¡¯t make her wait!¡± The man was not just a hypocrite. He could act like a gentleman, a


    scheming b*stard, a cold warlord, and a shameless per*ert. Suddenly, I realized I never knew this


    creature¡ªhe¡¯s a demon in human skin.


    ¡°I won¡¯t make it hard for you.¡± Then, he pinned me down on the seat. ¡°Why not give me a chance? If


    you date me, I¡¯ll get your daughter the kidney that she needs so desperately.¡±


    I red at him incredulously. He was making the source of kidneys sound like something within his


    reach. Then, he sat back before me. ¡°All you have to do is nod. I¡¯ll make sure your daughter gets


    treated immediately.¡±


    I looked at him. He¡¯s already beyond disgusting. Any description is going to be an understatement. I


    took the coffee the waiter served and sshed it on his face. ¡°Get professional help if you have a


    mental illness. You¡¯re going to hurt someone sooner orter.¡±

 Chapter 943

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 943


    Then, I left without saying a word. Armond shocked me to my core once again. I had the feeling he


    could take any human organ he wanted at any time. All he had to do was say the word. That fact alone


    made him terrifying.


    At that moment, Cameron gave me a call to ask me why I was out for so long. I lied by saying that I had


    gone quite a distance, so I couldn¡¯t get back that soon. In the end, I bought some stuff at a


    convenience store nearby before going back.


    Summer was lying in the bed. She was looking skeletal after the chemotherapy sessions, and looking


    at her broke my heart. Even so, I couldn¡¯t cry before her, so I forced a smile. ¡°Are you angry with


    Mommy, Summer? It¡¯s been a while since Ist saw you.¡±


    Summer shook her head and held my hand weakly. ¡°No. Grandma said you have a baby in your belly,


    so you can¡¯t stay here for too long, or the baby¡¯s going to get sick.¡±


    I took a deep breath before holding her hand back firmly. I couldn¡¯t face her because of my guilt. I felt


    that everything was my fault. If I hadn¡¯t let her go with Jared to W City, she wouldn¡¯t have to suffer that


    much.


    If I hadn¡¯t left for A City, if I hadn¡¯t left her behind with Cameron, I would probably notice something


    wrong with her. Cameron even called me to talk about Summer¡¯s symptoms, but I dyed her


    treatment because of my carelessness. I shouldn¡¯t have gotten pregnant either. I always thought I


    cared and loved Summer with all my heart, but I realized I was only acting out of my selfish desires. I


    brought her to R Province because I thought it was best for her, then I brought her back to K City and


    left her alone for the same reason. I brought this suffering unto her.


    I felt guilty, and I couldn¡¯t face her because of that.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡°What are you thinking about, Mommy?¡± Summer waved her hand before me, snapping me out of my


    trance. ¡°I¡¯m not scared, Mommy. Granny told me lots of people fall sick, but everyone gets better if they


    follow the doctor¡¯s orders.¡±


    I nodded, but I felt sad. I knew I would break down the moment I started talking, so I felt relieved when


    Cameron came in. ¡°Talk to granny for a bit, Summer. I¡¯ll be back in a second.¡±


    Cameron wanted to ask me something, but since I was in a hurry, she stopped herself.


    My tears finally fell when I got to the staircase. Ashton called me, but I waited for a bit before answering


    the call. He was silent for a while before asking, ¡°Have you taken dinner. Is Summer fine?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded. ¡°What about Jared? Did he agree to it?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll take him to the hospital tomorrow. What happened? Your voice sounds hoarse. Are you


    crying?¡±


    I wanted to say no, but I knew I couldn¡¯t hide it from him. ¡°Summer¡¯s just skin and bones now. It¡¯s


    heartbreaking whenever I see her.¡± I didn¡¯t know how to break the meeting with Armond to him. First, I


    didn¡¯t know what Armond was trying to do; secondly, I couldn¡¯t understand why Armond said it was


    easy for him to get a suitable kidney for Summer.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let anything happen to Summer. Mrs. Dune told me you look tired. Don¡¯t forget to


    rest up when you get home. I don¡¯t want you to exhaust yourself,¡± he said gently. Well, he did mellow


    out over the years.


    I stayed at the staircase for a bit after hanging up, then Nora called me. I thought it¡¯d be awkward, but I


    took the call anyhow. Nora was as vivacious as usual though. ¡°Can you pick us up at the airport,


    Scarlett? We just got here, so everything¡¯s really unfamiliar.¡±


    I froze up. ¡°You¡¯re in K City?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Armond said you¡¯re really worried about your daughter when I called him. I can¡¯t really help you,


    but I can take care of her for you. I won¡¯t trouble you, I promise,¡± she said a lot, and I was surprised, but


    I felt touched.


    I could feel tearsing up again, but I answered, ¡°Thank you. I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, stop yammering ande pick us up quickly. K City¡¯s freezing. I should have worn more clothes.


    It feels so chilly right after wended, you know,¡± she grumbled.


    I smiled. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ming over. Wait, ¡®we¡¯? Who did youe with?¡±


    ¡°A new friend I got to know. She¡¯s here on a business trip, so we came together. I¡¯ll introduce her to you


    later.¡± Her teeth were chattering from the cold.

 Chapter 944

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 944


    ¡°Okay.¡± I hung up and told Cameron a few things before leaving.


    She wasn¡¯t wearing anything thick, and it was already winter in K City. It was impossible for me to take


    some clothes from the house, so I had to pick her up first.


    It was hard to get a ride at the hospital, so I was left waiting, much to my chagrin.


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± someone called out to me, much to my surprise. I looked around to see who was calling me


    and saw Hannah, which was quite a shock.


    She was wearing a tan-colored jacket, and her hair was tied up in a bun, making her look younger. She


    was also wearing an elegant pair of pearl earrings. Hannah didn¡¯t have the cute look of a youngdy,


    for she was already in her thirties, but she was mature, attractive, and elegant.


    ¡°Why did youe to the hospital? Are you sick?¡± I smiled at her.


    She returned the smile and came up to me. ¡°Not me. My boyfriend¡¯s mother. We came to visit her. I


    was just going to call you to see which room Summer is in so we can see her too.¡±


    At the same time, Hannah¡¯s boyfriend parked his car at the roadside and greeted us.


    Hannah asked, ¡°Are you going somewhere? We can give you a lift. It¡¯s hard to get a ride right now, and


    you guys can get to know each other. Don¡¯t want you guys to feel awkward if you bump into each other


    next time, you know.¡±


    I paused for a moment, then I smiled at her boyfriend. ¡°I need to go to the airport. It¡¯s quite a distance


    away, but let¡¯s catch up some other time.¡±


    ¡°Eh, it¡¯s fine. We don¡¯t have anything to do today, so I¡¯ll go with you. I have something to discuss


    anyway. You¡¯re really busytely, aren¡¯t you? If I let this chance slip, god knows when the catching upCopyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    will happen.¡± Hannah took me to the car and went into the backseat.


    She told her boyfriend, ¡°To the airport, Chandler.¡±


    The man nodded and revved up the car.


    Hannah held my hand. ¡°He¡¯s Chandler, my boyfriend. He works as a programmer.¡±


    The man gave me an honest smile, and I smiled back. Hannah continued, ¡°And this is my friend,


    Scarlett. I told you about her.¡±


    We got to know each other after that. Chandler looked like an honest man, and he seemed to be


    younger than Hannah. I met him before at the restaurant. He was about six feet four in height. A


    towering giant, really. He wasn¡¯t conventionally handsome, but he sent out a good vibe.


    Then, I looked at Hannah. I never bumped into her again after leaving the Stovall residence. Well, it


    was just a few days though. I was about to ask her about John, but it looked like she had probably


    decided to dump him.


    I kept my mouth shut since her life was peaceful at the moment. Dating John was not a golden


    experience for her. To say it was torture might even be an understatement. In any case, nobody could


    fault her for leaving.


    ¡°Oh, are you picking someone up at the airport?¡± Hannah asked.


    I nodded. ¡°Yeah. My friend from A City came. It¡¯s chilly right now, and it¡¯s hard to get a ride there.


    Moreover, she isn¡¯t wearing a lot of clothes right now either.¡±


    Hannah nodded. ¡°I think we have some clothes here.¡± Then, she asked Chandler, ¡°Chandler, did you


    take the clothes in the trunk home? You know, the ones I put a few days ago.¡±


    Chandler shook his head. ¡°No. Work has been hectic these couple of days. I¡¯ve forgotten about it.¡±


    She pouted. ¡°You always forget what I told you. Man, you and that bad memory of yours, but this is


    actually good.¡± She smiled at me. ¡°Your friend¡¯s a girl, right? If it¡¯s fine for her, I can lend her my clothes.


    Winter in K City can be a nightmare Don¡¯t let her fall ill.¡±


    I nodded. Hannah seemed different somehow. She used to be elegant and hard to approach, but she


    was warmer and more approachable now.


    She was surprised to see me smile though. ¡°Are you going to ask about John and I?¡±


    I froze up for a moment, but she exined, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Chandler knows about it, so you don¡¯t have to


    hold back. Ask away. Oh, I almost forgot about this, but Chandler and I are getting married. I was going


    to ask you toe with me to the bridal house for the gown fitting. You know I don¡¯t have many friends,


    so you¡¯re the first person I thought of. But with Summer being hospitalized, I know you must be busy as


    well.¡±


    I stopped for a moment to process what she said. Then I smiled. ¡°My mother¡¯s looking after Summer.


    Tell me in advance if you¡¯re going to try out the gowns. But you sure you talked it out with my brother?


    Kiki¡¯s still young, so I support you, but¡­¡±


    She nodded at me. ¡°I know what you¡¯re trying to say, but I¡¯m going to be thirty-three soon. My best


    years areing to an end. I¡¯ve let go of everything and did everything I had to. I thank god for having


    met Chandler when life seems to be at a dead end. He spoils me a lot, and thanks to him, I found out


    that love cane in such an adorable way. We may fall in love with a lot of people throughout our


    lives, but there can only be one person who walks with us until the end. I want to live my life with


    Chandler, and I know the kind of life I want to lead. I know you¡¯re worried about your brother and Kiki,


    but I think of you as my friend, Scarlett. I hope you can think about this from my perspective, alright?¡±

 Chapter 945

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 945


    Yeah. Hannah had kept herself exclusively for John for too long. She epted every sh*tty thing he did


    for the sake of a twisted love. Because of that, she had forgotten that she too, was in need of love.


    She resolved to leave because she wanted to live her own life. I guess John would never know who he


    had lost. I guess he would nevere across someone who¡¯d wait for him for years anymore. He lost


    someone who¡¯d give everything up just to give him a home.


    I held her hand. ¡°Uncle Louis and I will support you no matter what, Hannah. Uncle Louis sees you as


    his own daughter, and I know he¡¯ll give his blessing. We¡¯re grateful for you because you gave us Kiki.


    We¡¯re your family, so tell us if you ever need anything.¡±


    She chuckled. ¡°I know you¡¯d support me.¡± She poked Chandler. ¡°Don¡¯t ever try to bully me, you hear? I


    have a family behind me now.¡±


    Chandler grinned. ¡°You always had a family behind you.¡±


    I smiled. Then, I realized that we couldn¡¯t get what we wanted a lot of times because we were


    obsessed with the illusion of a grandiose love, but happiness had always been about the little things.


    Hannah had dated John for many years. All she wanted was a peaceful life for her family, but John


    didn¡¯t catch up on it even though he had the same wish. Eventually, she slipped away from him.


    The moment I got out of the car, I saw Nora before the airport¡¯s entrance. She was wearing an autumn


    trench coat and a dress, and she was shivering.


    Nora trotted up to me with her luggage in tow. ¡°Oh my god, you¡¯re finally here,¡± she gushed. ¡°I was


    freezing, gosh. The winter in K City can kill, literally speaking. I mean, why is everyone flocking to this


    ce anyway?¡±


    She kept grumbling as I helped her with the luggage. Before I could put it in the trunk, Chandler had


    already taken it from me. He grinned. ¡°Leave this to me.¡±


    Hannah took out a thick down jacket from the trunk. ¡°Is this fine?¡± she asked me.


    I nodded and covered Nora with it. ¡°You should have called me. I could have gotten you some clothes.


    Oh, you came with a friend, didn¡¯t you? Where is she?¡±


    The down coat warmed her up a little, and she looked around. ¡°She said she was going to warm her


    hands up. Oh, there she is.¡± She pointed at the exit, so I looked in that direction. Much to my surprise, I


    saw a familiar face. It was none other than Hailey, who texted me a lot just a few days ago.


    She was in even thinner clothing than Nora was, and she was pushing her luggage whileing up to


    us. Hailey¡¯s constitution wasn¡¯t that good, to begin with, so she was starting to turn blue from the cold.


    Of course, she looked surprised to see me too.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t get any hot water, huh? Told you this airport¡¯s too big.¡± Nora noticed she wasn¡¯t holding


    anything.


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    I looked at Hannah awkwardly, but she only smiled and took out a grey coat. ¡°Good thing Chandler


    didn¡¯t take them out.


    I thanked her before going up to Hailey with the coat. She smiled at me. ¡°We meet again, Scar.¡±


    I handed her to coat. ¡°Looks like it.¡± She was the only one who¡¯d call me that.


    Nora looked at us in surprise. ¡°You guys know each other?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°We met before.¡±


    She pouted. ¡°What are the odds of that!¡±


    After the simple introduction, Chandler put their luggage in the trunk beforeing back into the car.


    ¡°Where will you go now, Ms. Stovall?¡±


    I told him the vi¡¯s address, then he revved the car up again. But then Nora quipped, ¡°Oh, I rented a


    ce in the city center, so it¡¯s fine. Hailey and I will be staying there.¡±


    I pouted. ¡°But the servants have already cleaned the house, and staying by yourself is going to be a


    hassle.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t. I have a ton of stuff to deal with, so staying at your ce is going to be a hassle


    for you instead. And the ce is really more convenient for us too.¡± Nora was still as talkative as a


    child.


    I wanted to convince her, but Hailey said, ¡°We¡¯ll stay at the ce Nora rented for now. She told me you


    have a lot on your te now, so let¡¯s not add more to that, okay?¡±


    I stopped persuading them after that. Chandler sent them to the ce they rented in the city center. It


    was an apartment with two bedrooms. It wasn¡¯t big, but the decor was nice.


    Since she had nothing to do, Hannah and I helped the girls tidy up the ce before going to the mall to


    purchase a lot of winter apparel.

 Chapter 946

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 946


    Nora wanted us to stay over for a barbecue that night, to which Hannah agreed readily. ¡°No prob.


    Chandler can cook. He¡¯s a good chef.¡±


    Chandler blushed from the praise. Since everyone agreed to it, we went to get a mountain of


    ingredients and prepared for the barbecue, and it didn¡¯t take too long to get the food ready. Nora said,


    ¡°Call Ashton over, Scarlett. It¡¯s quitete, so he¡¯s probably done with work.¡±


    Well, it was getting dark, and everyone was here, so I thought I¡¯d invite him. It was a good chance for


    them to get to know each other. Then, I called him. It went through a momentter, and I asked, ¡°Are


    you done, Ashton?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s still in a meeting, Mrs. Fuller. It might take a while,¡± a woman answered instead of him. It sounded


    familiar, but it took me a while to realize that it was Ste.


    ¡°I see. Tell him to call me back once he¡¯s done.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mrs. Fuller.¡± She hung up after that.


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    I frowned. Nora, who was washing the veggies, noticed it. ¡°Oh, is he still working?¡±


    I nodded. But he usually brings his phone with him. So why was Ste the one who took the call?


    ¡°Aw, and I thought we could have held a gathering. I just called Armond, and he said he¡¯de over


    since he has time,¡± Nora mumbled.


    I gasped reflexively. ¡°You guys came back from Moranta together?¡±


    Nora didn¡¯t seem to know what happened between Ashton and Armond in Moranta. She nodded and


    puckered her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it. I was going to stay here for a bit after Moranta, but he


    got on my nerves so much that I decided to go back.¡±


    I stared at her. ¡°Did you guys get into a fight?¡±


    She shook her head angrily. ¡°It¡¯s worse than that. I thought he¡¯s a gentle man, but he¡¯s just a hypocrite.¡±


    I froze, thinking that she might have seen his darker side, but then she said, ¡°When we were still in A


    City, he promised me he¡¯d take me to his parents when we came to K City. I got really nervous over it,


    but he fooled me and told me to go back after I have enough fun here. What a rascal!¡±


    I frowned. So he¡¯s still pretending to be a mild-mannered man in front of her, huh?


    ¡°I¡¯m going to whoop his arse when he shows up. He sucks as a boyfriend. You know him well, so


    please lecture him for me, will you? He¡¯s really too much!¡± Nora was a straightforwarddy. Once she


    was doneining, she went to chat with Hannah and Chandler.


    I looked at her quietly and sighed. So Armond didn¡¯t tell her about the incident in Moranta. But she


    should have met Holden, shouldn¡¯t she? Didn¡¯t Holden tell her anything? I texted Holden, asking him if


    he had told her anything about the fight between Armond and Ashton in Moranta.


    The doorbell rang after I texted him, and Nora went to take it happily, despite the fact that she had just


    comined about Armond earlier. Even so, when she saw Armond standing outside, she snorted.


    ¡°Well, look who has decided to show up?¡±


    He looked at us before smiling at her. ¡°I see you have a whole group here. Getting ready to beat me up,


    I assume?¡±


    Amused, Nora pouted. ¡°As if. Get in. Annoy me again and you¡¯ll never hear the end of it.¡±


    I was standing at the kitchen¡¯s doorstep as he came in with her. He squinted at me coolly before putting


    on his warm, fake smile. ¡°Rowdy night, I see.¡±


    Nora snorted. ¡°Of course, it is.¡± The, she introduced everyone to him.


    I was still looking at him, but all I could see was that dark, eerie man in the caf¨¦. That thought alone


    chilled me to the bone.


    ¡°He¡¯s evil,¡± Hailey whispered, much to my surprise. When I snapped out of it, she had paled a bit,


    perhaps from shock.


    I gave her a concerned look. ¡°What is it? Are you feeling unwell?¡±


    She shook her head and took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Nora came with Armond to say hi. ¡°Why don¡¯t you girls take a break and let him do it? He¡¯s being


    punished foringte, so I thought this is a good ce to start.¡±


    Armond was beaming brightly. He looked at me, then at Hailey. ¡°You got a new friend, Nora?¡±


    Nora nodded and held Hailey¡¯s hand with a smile. ¡°I almost forgot. He¡¯s the boyfriend I¡¯ve been talking


    about. His name¡¯s Armond.¡±

 Chapter 947

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 947


    Hailey still looked pale, and she nodded at Armond stiffly. She seems scared. Is it because of him?


    Nora was a bit of an airhead, so she didn¡¯t notice Hailey¡¯s expression. She turned to Armond. ¡°This is


    Hailey, my friend. She lives in A City, just like me.¡±


    Armond smiled gently at her. ¡°Hello. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡±


    Hailey was trembling slightly as she shook his hand. ¡°Hello,¡± she whispered almost inaudibly.


    Thinking that Hailey was just being shy around strangers, Nora smiled. ¡°She¡¯s a shy one, so


    socializing¡¯s not her forte. Alright, let¡¯s start the barbecue. We¡¯re starving here.¡±


    Armond smiled and went into the kitchen, followed by Nora.


    I grabbed Hailey, then she dragged me out of the kitchen. Her hands were as cold as ice, obviously


    shocked from the meeting. She then downed a ss of water to calm herself.


    Instead of asking her straight off, I waited for her to get a hold of herself. A short whileter, she looked


    at me. ¡°He¡¯s evil.¡±


    I paused for a moment. I knew she was talking about Armond, so I asked, ¡°Do you know him.¡±


    She nodded, then sat on the sofa and looked at the kitchen. ¡°I¡¯ve seen him before, but it has been quite


    a while since then,¡± she whispered.


    I was going to ask more, but Nora and Armond were already back with the kebabs, while Hannah and


    Chandler made sure the mes were still roaring. Since everyone was going to dig in, I held my


    question.


    I observed Armond while we were barbecuing, but he didn¡¯t seem to know Hailey. How does Hailey


    know him and she¡¯s even terrified.


    ¡°You¡¯re spacing out again. What¡¯s up with you?¡± Hannah handed me some food. ¡°You have lost some


    weight. Here, have some kebab.¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    I snapped out of it and nodded at her.


    Armond squinted. ¡°Indeed. I heard about your daughter. Tell us if you need any help.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you don¡¯t have to do everything alone, Scarlett.¡± Nora nodded


    I forced a smile. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Armond had some of his juice and looked at me. ¡°Your daughter needs a bone marrow and kidney


    transnt, doesn¡¯t she? It won¡¯t be easy to get the ones she needs. How¡¯s it going right now?¡±


    The moment he said that Hailey identally smashed the sauce bowl before her. She apologized and


    quickly cleaned it up, and Nora helped. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can do this myself.¡± Hailey wiped the sauce off her


    clothes.


    All the color had drained from her face, as if she was horrified about something. I had a strong feeling


    she knew something about Armond, much to my surprise.


    Everyone sat back down once the mess was cleared up. Nora looked at me. ¡°It won¡¯t be easy to get a


    kidney transnt for a child, especially a matching one.¡± She turned to Armond. ¡°Can you help her?¡±


    Armond gave me a cryptic look. ¡°I am sure there is a way.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Nora stared at him with excitement as she waited for his answer, but Armond only arched his


    eyebrow at me. ¡°Let¡¯s focus on the barbecue for now. We can talk about it after we¡¯re done eating.¡±


    Nora pondered on it. ¡°Yeah, sure.¡±


    I held Hailey¡¯s hand again. Much to my surprise, it was still ice-cold despite the heater in the house.


    That told me the extent of her fear for Armond.


    Hailey threw a look of terror at me, while I nodded at her and patted her hand to give her some


    courage.


    Hannah gave me some greens, but I didn¡¯t dig in. ¡°Snap out of it, Scarlett. You haven¡¯t touched your


    food. Can¡¯t work up an appetite?¡±


    I looked at the little mountain of food on my te. ¡°No. I¡¯m digging in right now, okay?¡±


    She beamed. ¡°I¡¯ve never had a barbecue before I met Chandler. It¡¯s really awesome, you know. I can


    get addicted to it.¡±


    Chandler blushed, then he gave her a piece of meat. ¡°Dig in then. I can barbecue for you anytime you


    want.¡±


    ¡°You guys are totally gloating. That¡¯s gross,¡± Nora threw shades at them, but she did the same thing


    with Armond with a smile on her face.


    Nothing bad happened during the barbecue though. Once we cleared the table up, Hannah and


    Chandler went back to their ce. Nora held my hand and told Armond, ¡°Take her home, Armond. I


    can¡¯t let her hitch a ride alone.¡±


    ¡°She cane with us then.¡± Hannah turned to Nora. ¡°And her ce is on our way home too.¡±


    Before Nora could say anything, Armond interrupted, ¡°Same here. It won¡¯t be too much of a problem for


    us.¡±

 Chapter 948

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 948


    Nora grinned. ¡°I don¡¯t think a happy couple like you should bring a third wheel along. Let Armond take


    care of this.¡±


    Hannah wanted to retort, but Chandler whispered something and stopped her.


    Then, Ashton called me. I took the call, and he said, ¡°I just finished my meeting. Are you hungry?¡±


    I felt more at ease after hearing his voice, then I went to the balcony. ¡°No. Just had barbecue with my


    friends. Nora came today, and Hannah¡¯s around too, so I was going to call you over, but you were


    working, so that¡¯s that. Have you eaten though?¡± He just got out of the meeting, so I thought he must


    be hungry.


    He chuckled. ¡°Sounds like I missed out on a feast. Where are you? I¡¯ll pick you up. Can you make


    some pasta for me?¡±


    I smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not really good, you know. I¡¯m at Nora¡¯s ce. It¡¯s in the city center. Armond¡¯s here too, so


    can youe over?¡±


    He was quiet for a moment. ¡°Sure.¡± Armond and us weren¡¯t friends anymore, so that was the only way I


    could deal with Armond for the time being.


    I made small talk before sending him my location, then I noticed Holden¡¯s message. ¡®Why didn¡¯t you


    call me for so long, woman? Nora¡¯s an idiot. Telling her is just going to be a waste of my time.¡¯


    Oh, it was probably about the thing I asked him earlier. I texted back before keeping my phone. I see.


    Hailey sat quietly in a corner, trying toy low. Armond and Nora were doing the dishes in the kitchen,


    so I sat down beside her and handed her a ss of water. ¡°Did youe here for work?¡±


    She took the ss of water and looked up at me. ¡°Thepany needs clients.¡± She nodded. ¡°I have to


    make the sales to keep it running.¡±


    I looked at her silently. ¡°Running apany doesn¡¯t suit you. You should pursue your hobbies instead.¡±


    ¡°My father founded thepany. It doesn¡¯t matter if I like it or not, I have to hold the fort until he¡¯s free.


    I¡¯ll keep it running for as long as I can hold it.¡±


    She¡¯s stubborn. I guess there¡¯s no point in persuading her. I nodded and shrugged. ¡°Good luck.¡±


    She nced at me for a moment. ¡°What¡¯s your daughter down with?¡±


    ¡°Leukemia.¡±


    She stared down. ¡°She needs a kidney transnt on top of a bone marrow, right?¡±


    I nodded.


    She pondered about something silently, gripping the ss of water. ¡°I had a heart transnt before.¡±


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    I was surprised she¡¯d tell me about that. I stared at her, and she smiled at me, but she still looked pale.


    ¡°It was five years ago. I think my father was looking desperately for a heart just like what you¡¯re doing


    now. I can¡¯t imagine how tortured he must have felt then.¡±


    I didn¡¯t reply to that. For some reason, I thought there was something more to her case. A short pause


    later, she continued, ¡°You¡¯re right. Running apany isn¡¯t what I like. I love to paint. My dream was to


    open my own art exhibition all over the world, but I don¡¯t think that can be done now.¡±


    I thought Hailey had depression to begin with, but I realized she had something worse. She looked like


    a normal girl from the outside, but her attitude told me she disliked human interactions.


    She was more like an autistic person than a depressed one. Hailey tried her best to look normal, but


    she disliked talking to anyone from the bottom of her heart.


    ¡°Did you have something to tell me? Was that why you wanted to see me?¡±


    She stared at me, her gaze clean and innocent. She had something to say, but she hesitated, so I


    advised, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to tell me about it right now, but you can talk to me whenever you


    want to. I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re trying to talk to me even though you dislike me, but I know you have


    your reasons for that.¡±


    I knew she had something to tell me, but she had no idea how to say it. All she did was stare for a while


    and looked down in silence. It was hard to get any information from someone with a mental illness, so I


    didn¡¯t force her to talk. Then I looked outside into the night. Everyone has a battle we can¡¯t see, huh?


    ¡°Armond is evil. Even Satan¡¯s a nice guypared to him,¡± she muttered, her voice trembling.


    I looked at her again. She was pale, and her fists were red from being clenched too tightly. Obviously,


    she had a great struggle with herself before telling me that short message.

 Chapter 949

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 949


    I wanted to help her rx, but she backed off by reflex and looked at me in confusion. ¡°Sorry, I¡­¡±


    I nodded before giving her some space. ¡°Calm down. I won¡¯t force you to talk. You can tell me about it


    when you¡¯re ready. Don¡¯t be scared.¡±


    She bit her lips, her eyes tearing up. When Armond and Nora came over after they were done doing


    the dishes, Hailey darted into the bedroom, much to Nora¡¯s confusion. ¡°What¡¯s with her?¡± she asked


    me.


    I was looking at Armond, but he was still putting on his polite front. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. She¡¯s unwell, so she¡¯s


    retiring for the night.¡±


    Nora nodded dumbly. ¡°No wonder she looks out of ce. Is the weather affecting her?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Probably. Please take care of her.¡±


    She nodded before going to Hailey¡¯s bedroom, concerned.


    Armond was giving me a warm smile. ¡°You seem to be unhappy. Is it because I¡¯m here?¡±


    I pursed my lips. ¡°You should end this with her if you don¡¯t love her. Stop hurting Nora.¡± Armond was a


    mysterious man. I could never understand which part of him was real, and which was not.


    He sat on the balcony¡¯s sofanguidly. ¡°I thought you should be more concerned about your daughter,


    but it seems you care about Nora more. Well, she is adopted after all, so I can see why you don¡¯t really


    care about her.¡±


    I held my anger down. ¡°I¡¯d shut up now if I were you.¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    He smiled nicely. ¡°I¡¯m a talkative guy. Won¡¯t you give me a chance, Scarlett? I don¡¯t mind having an


    affair with you. I¡¯ll tell Nora off if you¡¯d say yes, and I¡¯d keep it a secret from Ashton. Sounds exciting,


    doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    Armond was disgusting as usual. I looked at him coldly while holding my urge to hurl. ¡°You¡¯re


    disgusting, you know that?¡±


    He dismissed my hostility. ¡°But I like it and I¡¯m having fun.¡±


    I went to talk with Hannah and Chandler or I¡¯d puke if I had to say another word to Armond. Honestly, I


    didn¡¯t care about that psycho, but Nora was a newbie in rtionships, so I didn¡¯t want Armond to hurt


    her.


    Hannah handed me some cut-orange. ¡°Someone seems angry. Have an orange. It¡¯s super sweet.¡±


    I popped a slice of it into my mouth. ¡°Mmm, it¡¯s really sweet. Is Kiki with Uncle Louis today?¡± Kiki was


    still young, so Hannah usually wouldn¡¯t be staying out sote.


    The mention of Kiki saddened her, but she nodded. ¡°John got him a nanny and had him stay with Uncle


    Louis. I could only visit him from time to time.¡±


    I was surprised to hear that, since I thought John would at least let Hannah take care of the child. ¡°He¡¯s


    still young. Can Uncle Louis really handle him?¡±


    Hannah nodded. ¡°He has weaned, so it¡¯s fine.¡±


    Chandler looked at the time, but he didn¡¯t urge Hannah to leave, though I knew he must have some


    work to settle. Luckily, Ashton called me. ¡°I¡¯m here. Come down.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Then, I hung up. ¡°I¡¯ll say goodbye to Nora. It¡¯s gettingte, so let¡¯s go home.¡±


    Hannah nodded and came with me to say goodbye to the girls. Hailey was looking better, so she


    wanted to send us off, but I held her down. ¡°Just lie down, Hailey.¡±


    We went down together, and I noticed that Ashton¡¯s car was right outside. Hannah bade us a simple


    goodbye before leaving with Chandler, while Armond stood beside me with his hands in his pockets.


    ¡°You risked yourself to save Ashton. I¡¯m looking forward to see the day when the roles are reversed.¡±


    I shot a re at him before trotting up to Ashton in silence. He was leaning against the car when I


    came up to him, then he hugged me. ¡°He¡¯s here too?¡±


    He was referring to Armond. I leaned against his chest and listened to his heartbeats. That always


    gave me a sense of safety. ¡°Nora called him over. She didn¡¯t know about the incident in Moranta.¡±


    Ashton looked at Armond sternly. Meanwhile, Armond was grinning eerily at us. That man was


    terrifying. For some reason, I had a feeling he could destroy us when we least expected it.


    I held Ashton¡¯s hand the moment we got into the car, refusing to let go. Ashton seemed slightly


    annoyed, but he let me do what I wanted and drove with one hand. Then, I noticed the watch on his


    wrist and froze. ¡°Is this new? I¡¯ve never seen this watch before.¡±

 Chapter 950

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 950


    It wasn¡¯t an expensive one. On the contrary, it was quite economical, and I didn¡¯t remember seeing him


    owning a watch that cheap.


    He looked at me in surprise and arched his eyebrow. ¡°You gave me this watch, remember?¡±


    Well, that was confusing, then I noticed the bouquet of flowers in the backseat, much to my surprise.


    ¡°Why¡¯d you put that in the car?¡±


    He smiled at me. ¡°This is for you. You¡¯d say it¡¯s too conspicuous, so I didn¡¯t take it out. Honestly, aren¡¯t


    you the one who bought this watch?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I didn¡¯t buy anything for youtely, and this is a cheap watch too. It doesn¡¯t suit you.¡±


    He took off the watch and tried to throw it away, but I stopped him. Then, I took it to have a closer look.


    It was a niche European luxury watch, though a casual one. It didn¡¯t fit Ashton¡¯s air at all.


    I tilted my head and arched my eyebrow. ¡°Seems like another vixen is closing in, Mr. Fuller.¡±


    He smiled. ¡°Sounds like someone¡¯s jealous.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re ady ma, so no surprise there, but this one¡¯s interesting. She gave you a


    watch using my name, though it¡¯s a cheap one. Seems like this girl¡¯s a smart one.¡±


    He arched his eyebrow too. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean, you look like you eat caviar for breakfast, so everyone¡¯s just going to give whatever¡¯s


    expensive to you, but she didn¡¯t. My guess? She makes four to five grand a month, so she¡¯s probably


    working for you.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Please continue.¡±


    The watch looked like it was around three grand though. So thedy spent most of her pay on this,


    huh? ¡°Mind if I ask you something? Why would you think I was the one who gave you this? Who told


    you anything of that sort?¡± I could just give him a present anytime I want. There was no need for the


    middle person, and we weren¡¯t really that romantic, so such gesture seldom happened.


    ¡°It was already on my desk when I was done with my meeting. The writing looked like yours, so I


    thought you were the one who gave me the watch.¡± He frowned pensively.


    I arched my eyebrow again. ¡°So it¡¯s your employee alright. How bold is that.¡± She pulled that stunt


    despite knowing that he was a married man. If that wasn¡¯t bold, I didn¡¯t know what was.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    I wore the watch around his wrist again, but he dodged me. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    I smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t let thedy down. She must have mustered a lot of courage to give you this.¡±


    He pursed his lips. ¡°Are you jealous?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Not exactly. You didn¡¯t even fall for Rachel, let alone any other woman. I have faith in


    you. And we have a lot to deal with, so I won¡¯t really care about something like this.¡±


    He took the watch and tossed it into the trash can without even looking at it. To top it off, he didn¡¯t even


    miss a beat in his driving. ¡°Nice skills, Mr. Fuller.¡±


    He smiled. ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Fuller.¡±


    That was the end of it then. It wasn¡¯t like I didn¡¯t care, but I had more pressing matters at hand, so


    arguing over something like that wasn¡¯t worth our time.


    The moment we came back to the vi and washed ourselves up, I went straight to bed. I got tired very


    easily with this pregnancy.


    I would have overslept the next day if Ashton didn¡¯t wake me up. I stared into space for quite a while.


    Then, Ashton came out from the changing room. ¡°Earth to Scarlett. Get changed. The officers are


    going to take Jared to the hospital for the test. We¡¯ll have to be there too.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± I nodded, but Iy in the bed, exhausted. ¡°I wasn¡¯t this sleepy in my previous pregnancy


    though. And I didn¡¯t retch this time? Why is that, it feels odd?¡±


    He sat down beside me and handed a bottle of pill to me. ¡°Maybe the baby doesn¡¯t want to tire you out


    this time, so it¡¯s sitting quietly in there. Maybe it¡¯s a girl.¡±


    I leaned my head on his shoulder and frowned at the bottle of pills he was holding. ¡°Why are you taking


    these pills so frequently anyway? What¡¯s so good about them?¡±


    I shook the bottle. ¡°It improves the quality of my sperm.¡±


    Goddammit, this pervert! I rolled my eyes before going off to bathe. Then, I had breakfast and changed.


    He was on the phone in the living room when I was done. I went up to him and patted his shoulder.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m done.¡±


    He looked at me, but instead of taking me with him, he brought me back to the changing room and


    handed a thick grey coat to me. ¡°Wear this.¡±


    I shook my head, frowning. ¡°This one¡¯s too thick. It¡¯s not evente into the winter yet. If I wear this now,


    I can¡¯t go out for the rest of the winter.¡±


    To my dismay, he hung up and wore it over me without giving me a chance to protest. ¡°Lots of people


    are down with a cold in winter, and more so for you, because you¡¯re not in the best of health. You have


    to take care of yourself.¡±

 Chapter 951

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 951


    Knowing that I couldn¡¯t argue against it, I let him have his way. As we made our way down the stairs, I


    said, ¡°Oh, right. I forgot to tell you that Hannah found her Mr. Right and is going to get married soon.¡±


    He hummed in response. After walking into the garage, he opened the car door for me. ¡°Does John


    know about it?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I support Hannah¡¯s decision. A woman¡¯s youth doesn¡¯tst for many


    years. She gave it all to John, but in the end, her sacrifice was in vain. It¡¯s time for her to move on.¡±


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    He cast me a sideways nce, fastening my seatbelt for me. I didn¡¯t quite like the scent in the car, but


    it was too chilly to roll down the window, so I bowed my head and looked for perfume in his car.


    ¡°I thought you would defend your brother,¡± hemented indifferently.


    I let out a snort. ¡°I told him to cherish her, or else he might lose her. He brought this upon himself, so he


    can¡¯t me anyone else but himself. It¡¯s pointless to advise someone like him.¡±


    Unable to find any perfume in the car, I let out an exasperated sigh, nning to buy a bottle of perfume


    and put it in the car.


    As he started the car, he saw my forehead crease and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s an odd smell in your car and I don¡¯t like it.¡± While speaking, I noticed the bouquet of roses on


    the backseat. My brows drew together. Was it the smell of the roses? But it wasn¡¯t purely floral scent.


    There was a whiff of female fragrance.


    He seemed to have caught it too. With his brows furrowed, he asked, ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to get flowers


    myself next time.¡±


    I tilted my head and nced at him. ¡°Who did you buy this bunch of flowers for?¡±


    The man raised a brow at me. ¡°I bought it for you.¡±


    Pressing my lips together, I said nothing. The car headed toward the hospital. Summer had received a


    few treatments. Due to the pain, she started resisting it.


    Therefore, when the doctor asked her to go into the operation theatre, she couldn¡¯t stop sobbing.


    Later, Jared came with two men trailing behind him. It had been nearly a year since Ist saw him. The


    man was dressed in a pale blue shirt. His usual neatly styled hair was reced by a buzz cut. His skin


    became tanned, but his dark eyes appeared more resolute now. The moment he met us, his gaze fell


    on Summer. His eye turned red-rimmed at the sight of the girl who was now as thin as a rake.


    Summer was crying her eyes out, protesting against the pain she knew she was about to go through. In


    the meantime, Jared seemed to have something to say as he stared at her. In the end, he said nothing,


    but turned to look at the doctor instead. ¡°Whatever the checkup, hurry up and finish it.¡±


    A few doctors followed him and carried out various medical check-ups for Summer. Afterward, Joe


    came over together with Reba. However, judging from their awkward interactions, they probably


    had a fight.


    Jared was still doing the checkup, while Ashton and Joe went away for a discussion.


    The feelings Cameron and Zachary felt toward Reba were rather strange. Their resentment was


    complicated, yet excusable. In the beginning, the couple gave her all their love and care just to make


    amends to her. Nheless, they caused me some irreversible hurt and agony.


    Though they did that willingly, Reba was the one who sowed discord between me and my parents


    first. Thus, there was no way to judge the situation urately.


    As a result, Cameron and Zachary hadn¡¯t disowned her publicly. That¡¯s why they felt awkward


    whenever they met her.


    Perhaps Reba felt the same way as well. The mixed feelings that welled up in her heart were


    indescribable.


    Unable to stand the awkwardness, she walked out of the ward and sat in the lounge in the corridor. I


    stood up, followed the woman, and sat by her side.


    Giving me a side-eye, she said impassively, ¡°Ash gets into trouble whenever he¡¯s with you. You¡¯re such


    a jinx.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t care less about her ridicule. ¡°I thought you¡¯ve figured out that you¡¯ll never be able to drive a


    wedge between me and Ashton. You¡¯re still living in your own bubble,¡± I replied in a t tone.


    ¡°You!¡± She shot daggers at me with much displeasure. ¡°Why are you so proud of yourself? Do you think


    that you¡¯re that great? Ash is definitely going to dump you one day.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pregnant.¡± Looking at her ferocious face, I announced calmly with a half-smile. ¡°Ashton and I are


    getting closer to each other. We¡¯re fated to stay together for the rest of our lives.¡±


    Her expression fell at my words. Suddenly, I felt a twinge of sympathy for her. The woman had been


    living like a photocopy of someone else, not knowing what she herself actually wanted.


    ¡°So what if you¡¯re pregnant? Once I show up, your rtionship with him will crumble. Ash won¡¯t


    abandon or stop loving me. Scarlett, don¡¯t you ever think that you¡¯ll be able to live a peaceful life.¡±


    Staring at her, I was neither furious nor scornful, saying calmly, ¡°Reba, have your ever pondered


    what you really want in life?¡±


    The woman was stunned for a second. Then, she glowered at me and shouted, ¡°That¡¯s none of your


    business!¡±

 Chapter 952

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 952


    I shrugged my shoulders and said coldly, ¡°Since the day you¡¯re born, you¡¯ve been living under the


    protection of your parents and your brother, Parker. When they¡¯re gone, Ashton and Joe were there to


    take care of you. I never understood how a woman can be as ignorant as you. The passing of your


    parents and brother didn¡¯t knock some sense into you and make you realize that you can¡¯t depend on


    others forever. What are you going to do if Ashton and Joe are no longer with you one day? Have you


    ever thought about how you¡¯re going to live? All these years of enjoying what you¡¯ve not worked for


    causes you to forget how you should live!¡±


    ¡°So what? Even if I know nothing, someone will support and take care of me. This is something that


    you¡¯ll never have.¡± She was all puffed up.


    I couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. You indeed have the ability to have someone to


    support and take care of you. In this world, there¡¯re many ipetent people who can still live very


    well, just like you. Now I understand why Ashton chose to love and marry me, even though he met you


    first. Joe used to be so smitten by you, but now he admires the ambitious Kristina even more. Reba,


    you never understood that a man will take care of you solely because of a belief. As time passes, he¡¯ll


    eventually give up on a worthless woman like you. You¡¯re like a stic bag which someone threw away.


    Not only are you useless, but you pollute the environment and are an eyesore as well. People are


    eventually going to resent you and send you for destruction. I don¡¯t know how you can be so proud of


    your inability, but let me warn you. Trash is bound to be destroyed one day.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Provoked by my harsh words, she jumped to her feet, trembling with rage. Even her finger


    which was pointing at me quivered. ¡°How dare you humiliate me this way? Who the hell do you think


    you are? Scarlett, what¡¯s the difference between you and me? You think you¡¯re amazing just because


    you¡¯re pregnant. Don¡¯t be such a fool. You can still have a miscarriage anytime!¡±


    Watching her lunge at me with a malicious look, I immediately perceived that she was about to do


    something to me. I became cautious and was ready to defend myself. However, before Reba


    touched me, someone shielded me in his arms and shoved Reba onto the floor.


    Ashton¡¯s frigid voice sounded beside my ear. ¡°This is thest time I¡¯m going to warn you. If you ever


    hurt her again, I¡¯ll not let you off the hook.¡±


    Sitting on the floor, Reba was dumbstruck. Her reddened eyes were fixed on us. Wait, no. She was


    looking at Joe, who just came over and stood next to me, staring at her coldly. Usually, in


    circumstances like this, he would hold her up with much care and concern.


    But this time, he kept his hands in the pockets. The way he eyed her was as though he was only


    looking at a stranger.


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Her eyes misted over, and tears escaped the corners of her eyes. ¡°Why does everybody bully me? I¡¯m


    the one who got hurt. Why do you still bully me? Is it only because I don¡¯t have a family?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Joe suddenly yelled with an icy stare. ¡°Are you done? You¡¯re so disgusting. It¡¯s been


    over ten years, but you¡¯re still putting on the same show. Haven¡¯t you gotten enough of it?¡±


    Joe¡¯s sudden outburst of anger was out of my expectation, probably Reba¡¯s too. The woman


    gawked nkly at him in utter disbelief. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Hah!¡± Joe scoffed. ¡°You heard me, Reba. Haven¡¯t you ever feel grossed out by yourself? How long


    are you going to act pitiful? Do you think that all of us are brainless fools after all these years? I didn¡¯t


    expose you only for the sake of your brother. Yet, you do it again and again, refusing to change


    yourself. If that¡¯s the case, go back to J City and never show up in front of me again. Both Ashton and I


    have done everything we should for you over the years. Just leave and don¡¯te back to us again.¡±


    Baffled, Reba was at a loss for words as she gaped at him. The woman couldn¡¯t believe her ears,


    so she asked again, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Joe frowned, replying in a stern voice, ¡°I¡¯m asking you to stop sticking around in K City so shamelessly.


    Pack your things and go back to J City.¡±


    In an instant, Reba turned ashen-faced, as if she was traumatized. She turned to look at Ashton,


    trying to choke back her tears. ¡°Ash, are you going to ignore me too?¡±


    The man was still holding me. His gaze was dark and gloomy. ¡°Fifteen years ago, I promised your


    brother to take care of you, because you were still a minor then. Now that you¡¯re an adult, you¡¯ve


    nothing to do with me anymore.¡±


    I was mildly surprised that Ashton was willing to let go of her. Nonplussed, I stared at him. He noticed it


    and ced his hand on my tummy. A warm, fuzzy feeling shot through me.


    Suddenly, a rueful smile spread across Reba¡¯s face. ¡°Now I know that everything is fake. Your


    promises, affection, love are all fake. You liars and hypocrites!¡±

 Chapter 953

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 953


    My brows snapped together at her words. I just couldn¡¯t fathom her mentality. No matter how Parker


    entrusted her to Ashton and the others, more than ten years had passed, and they all had their own


    families now. Besides, they had provided and taken good care of her as much as they could. In my


    opinion, Ashton and Joe had done more than enough.


    How could Reba take it as a matter of course? The woman was so self-centered to the extent that


    she thought their lives revolved around her. Even biological siblings had no obligation to take care of


    one another for life, not to mention that Ashton and Joe were not rted to her by blood.


    That was how selfish Reba was.


    Holding Ashton¡¯s hand, I went into the ward. There was no sign of Jared, so I became worried. ¡°How¡¯s


    the checkup? Where¡¯s Jared?¡±


    Helping me to take a seat, he brushed my question aside. ¡°You¡¯re pregnant now, so regardless of


    what¡¯s happening around you, you¡¯ve to take the baby and me into consideration. Can you do that?¡±


    I froze at his words. Only then I noticed that his face was a little pale. Perhaps Reba¡¯s attack scared


    the daylights out of him. I couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Actually, I had seen iting and was ready to


    defend myself, so Reba wouldn¡¯t have been able to hurt me or the baby. I didn¡¯t put myself and the


    baby in a dangerous situation.¡±


    Exasperated, he sighed softly. ¡°Even so, we can¡¯t afford to let such things happen again. Most of the


    time, a lot of things are not within our controls.¡±


    Nodding my head, I asked him about Jared again. ¡°How are things going at Jared¡¯s end?¡±


    He heaved another sigh. ¡°Be patient. He just finished the checkup. The results will be released only


    after one or two days.¡±


    I was a little anxious. ¡°But Summer¡¯s illness can¡¯t wait any longer. By the way, has the hospital found a


    suitable kidney for her?¡±


    For a split second, the man appeared slightly dejected at the mention of this issue, but he quickly


    regained hisposure and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Trust me, I¡¯ll definitely find a suitable one.¡±


    I knew he had been asking around, but I was ovee with anxiety about Summer¡¯s


    condition. Though she had gone through a few rounds of chemotherapy, the result was not ideal. Each


    therapy was a torment for her. Feeling that I was undeniably responsible for her illness, I didn¡¯t even


    have the courage to see her now.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Even if I threw a fit in front of Ashton, it wouldn¡¯t help a thing. Pulling myself together, I looked at him.


    ¡°What happened just now? Hasn¡¯t Joe been very caring towards Reba? What¡¯s with the sudden


    change of attitude? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    He pulled me into a hug. ¡°I guess he ran out of patience. Reba is unwilling to marry him, yet she


    depends on and clings to him. Both men and women naturally be worried when they reach a


    certain age. Joe¡¯s parents have been urging him to get married, and he himself bes anxious as


    well since he has waited for years.


    ¡°In fact, Joe¡¯s a conservative man on the inside, so he¡¯s of the same mind as his parents. He feels


    everyone should do what they¡¯re supposed to at the right time. He isn¡¯t young anymore, but Reba


    keeps wasting his time and refuses to tie the knot with him. That makes him feel even more restless


    than he already is. Besides, I just told him that you¡¯re pregnant, which means everyone around him is


    settling down and starting a family.¡±


    As I listened to his words, a sudden realization hit me. Ashton seemed to have be a different man.


    Previously, he was driven by dreams and ambitions, aspired to scale new heights. He was like an


    emperor who was eager to expand his territory. But now he put all his heart and love into this little


    family of ours.


    Seeing me staring nkly at him, he rubbed the tip of his nose bashfully. ¡°Why are you looking at me


    like that?¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m just thinking that I have to be a good mom, and I can¡¯t be as wayward and reckless as I


    used to be.¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°Hmm? Are you going to be a good mom only?¡±


    ¡°Of course, an amazing wife too!¡± I snuggled up to him. ¡°Just wait till Summer recovers, and the baby is


    born. I am sure everything will be fine¡±


    We had been waiting for things to fall into ce. Other than waiting, there was nothing else we could


    do.


    Thinking of Joe again, I asked, ¡°After chasing Reba away, is Joe going to look for a socialite in K


    City and get married?¡±


    Ashton kept quiet for a moment. Suddenly, his expression grew solemn as he gazed at me and said,


    ¡°Sometimes, love and marriage are entirely two different things to men.¡±


    Stupefied for a few seconds, I grasped the meaning of his words. He was right. No matter how much


    Joe loved Reba, there was no way she could be one of the Quinns because of her background. We


    could never deny that in marriage, both parties had to be a good match.


    Other than love, there was nothing useful that Reba could offer. His family wouldn¡¯t be able to


    ept her, let alone the ambitious man himself. She was like a toy which a child had. Once he grew


    up, the toy would be put away, regardless of how good it was.

 Chapter 954

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 954


    Without a word, I lifted my head and gazed intently at Ashton.


    As my eyes were glued to him for quite some time, the man became uneasy and asked, ¡°What¡¯s


    wrong?¡±


    Pressing my lips together, I asked in a serious tone, ¡°How about your love for me? What is it based


    on?¡± I believe in utilitarianism. There was no way for two people to get together solely out of love.


    There must be other determining factors as well.


    With his dark gaze riveted on me, the man didn¡¯t utter a word, deep in contemtion. After what felt like


    an eternity, he finally spoke. ¡°I feel lucky to have you. When I was in my twenties, I thought that love


    couldst forever. Whether you¡¯re an orphan or a daughter of the Moore family, I¡¯m fine with it as long


    as it¡¯s you. But now I think differently. I love you, because you¡¯re the one I fell for since I was young,


    and you¡¯re my wife. I¡¯m grateful for your birth and your identity. If it weren¡¯t for these, we would¡¯ve to


    face countless hurdles and troubles. Because of whom you are, we¡¯re able to spend the rest of our


    lives loving and taking care of each other in peace. Other than that, others will look up to and find us an


    enviable couple. You¡¯re exceptional, and I¡¯m pretty good too. That¡¯s enough for us to live this life


    together.¡±


    If love was getting together against all odds when we were young, then marriage was deciding to go


    through every trivial and mundane matter in life together. However, some had a chaotic married


    life, while the others treat one another with respect.


    Ashton and I were thetter. Treating one another with respect was the best way to show that we


    cherished our marriage.


    Leaning against his chest, I smiled faintly. ¡°Ashton, moving forward, I need your guidance.¡±


    He gave me a warm, gentle smile. ¡°Please bear with me too, Mrs. Fuller.¡±


    After leaving the hospital, Ashton and I went to the office. Every day, the man ran around between the


    office and the hospital. He barely had time to rest because of work and Summer¡¯s condition.


    Arriving in front of the office, I got out of the car and waited for him in the lobby while he parked the car.


    It was lunchtime, so the lobby was crowded. At the entrance, a striking red sports car pulled over,


    drawing the attention of countless women nearby.


    I couldn¡¯t resist ncing at it too. The woman who got out of the sports car was none other than


    Rachel, whom I had not seen in a while. Thinking that she was still in A City, I didn¡¯t expect that she


    was back.


    The gorgeous woman and the sports car were an extremely eye-catchingbination. The man in the


    car was dressed casually, looking like someone from a wealthy family in K City.


    Rachel¡¯s outfit was unusually seductive today. A ck midi dress with a pair of boots made her legs


    appear long and slender. She also wore a luxurious and stylish white coat, looking alluring yet elegant.


    She seemed to have gone out for lunch with that man. Getting out of the car, she brazenly strode over


    to the driver¡¯s seat and kissed the man on the lips. After that, she gracefully sauntered into the office.


    I was surprised that Rachel found a new boyfriend.


    Though we were not enemies, I didn¡¯t really want to see her. Holding a leather bag in her hand, she


    raised her brows and said, ¡°Are you here to see Mr. Fuller? I think he¡¯s not in the office.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°We just came back.¡±


    ¡°I heard about your daughter. I guess you got a lot on your te recently,¡± she said with a shrug.


    Instead of denying it, I hummed in response, not wanting to tell her more about it.


    With her brows raised, the woman seemed carefree as she exined, ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so


    defensive in front of me. Like I said, if we¡¯re no longer love rivals, I¡¯ll admire you a lot. The man in the


    car is my boyfriend. Let me introduce him to you one day. Don¡¯t be so antagonistic toward me.


    Although your husband is outstanding, he has no feelings for me, so I better keep my options open.¡±


    Her words surprised me, but I remained silent. Nheless, she seemed unfazed by my aloofness. ¡°I


    guess you need more time, but please don¡¯t stay at odds with me. We woman shouldn¡¯t be against


    each other, am I right?¡±


    I pouted my lips, thinking about it briefly before replying, ¡°You know I couldn¡¯t care less whether you


    love Ashton. I¡¯m absolutely confident that he will love me forever. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m surprised to see you


    getting a new boyfriend so soon.¡±


    She shrugged nonchntly. ¡°What¡¯s so surprising about that? Every woman has a dream of marrying


    into a wealthy family, and the same goes for me. Other than the Fullers, there¡¯re many wealthy families


    in K City, so I changed my target. He¡¯s the third son of the Quinn family. Though the Quinn Corporation


    is no match for Ashton, it isn¡¯t too bad. He¡¯s the one who gave me all my branded clothes, house, and


    car. After experiencing avish lifestyle, I¡¯vee to the conclusion that one must make as much


    money as possible, especially a beautiful woman, who can make a fast buck with her beauty.¡±


    My brows knitted together. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to agree with her principles, so I kept quiet.


    With her eyes fixed on me, she asked nonchntly, ¡°Do you look down on women like me?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Everyone has their own ambitions and pursuits, so I have no right toment on


    yours.¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Pursing her lips, she shrugged. ¡°Alright, you¡¯re not as annoying as I thought. I¡¯m not going to snatch


    your man away from you, so you don¡¯t have to put your guard up against me.¡±

 Chapter 955

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 955


    I just shrugged in reply, not wanting to say more.


    As I watched her walk gracefully into the elevator, I couldn¡¯t help but muse over the life she had made


    for herself. For someone as ambitious as Rachel, even if she weren¡¯t born with a silver spoon, she¡¯d


    have done everything in her power to get ahead in life.


    Even though one might find some of her methods morally ambiguous, the fact remained that she had


    both beauty and brains to help in the pursuit of her ambitions.


    She was very simr to Cameron in that respect. Everyone had their reasons for chasing money. Some


    did it purely for the thrill, while others did it so their descendants could live better lives. As long as you


    were capable and weren¡¯t using illegal or ruthless means to obtain your wealth, there was no reason


    not to be a little more ambitious than your peers.


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, you¡¯re here!¡± A chirpy voice behind me pulled my wandering mind back. I smiled when I


    saw Ste walking toward me. ¡°Yes, I came with Ashton. Have you just had lunch?¡±


    Ste nodded eagerly. ¡°Have you and Mr. Fuller eaten too?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. We came straight from the hospital.¡±


    Just then, Ashton came back from parking his car and ushered me to follow him.


    Ste quickly stepped in and said, ¡°Mr. Fuller, since you haven¡¯t had lunch, shall I buy some back? Mrs.


    Fuller, what would you like to eat? Let me know, and I¡¯ll get it for you!¡±


    I shook my head meekly as her enthusiasm and offer took me back by surprise.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be a stranger, Mrs. Fuller! As Mr. Fuller¡¯s secretary, this is all part of my job scope. Isn¡¯t that


    right, Mr. Fuller?¡± she said as she smiled at Ashton.


    As someone who never talked much to acquaintances, Ashton just hummed in response and looked at


    me. ¡°Let Ste get it. What would you like to eat?¡±


    Even though my mind was aplete nk, I didn¡¯t want to disappoint Ste. ¡°Anything¡¯s fine. Thank


    you, Ste!¡±


    ¡°Okay, Mrs. Fuller. I¡¯ll be right back!¡± she replied cheerily and bounded off.


    I couldn¡¯t help but smile at Ste being so joyful and lively. It was nice to be around people who gave


    off such positive energy.


    ¡°Do you feel like having sushi?¡± Ashton asked once we got into the elevator.


    I hadn¡¯t even thought about sushi until he mentioned it, and now I felt myself craving it. But I didn¡¯t want


    to bother Ste by telling her I had changed my mind, so I quickly brushed the thought aside.


    When Ashton took his phone out, I panicked a little, thinking he was about to order Ste to buy me


    sushi. ¡°No, don¡¯t trouble her. We can get it tonight after work,¡± I pleaded.


    Ashton raised his eyebrow and smirked. ¡°I just want to ask Joseph about the situation in Moranta.¡±


    Oh my goodness, it was all just my wishful thinking.


    As I turned red and lowered my head in embarrassment, I caught Ashton chuckling at me from the


    corner of my eye. Well, at least one of us finds this funny.


    Once we got to his office, Ashton started on his never-ending pile of work while I sat on the sofa


    ying with my phone.


    I was casually scrolling through videos and enjoying myself when Armond suddenly texted: I miss


    you. Reading that made me almost fling my phone out from a mix of shock and disgust.


    I calmed myself down and replied with a single question mark. Armond immediately texted back: What


    do you think Ashton would do if he knew I like you?


    His words irked me, but I forced myself to reply: He¡¯ll go after you. No questions, no hesitation.


    Again, he replied within seconds: Hahaha! This game is getting more and more exciting. I wasn¡¯t lying


    when I said I could help your daughter. One word from you, and she¡¯ll be able to have the kidney


    transnt immediately.


    I was so appalled and infuriated by his arrogance that I had to steady my hands to fire back the next


    text: Don¡¯t be disgusting!


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    Whether he had a suitable kidney for Summer or not, I was still determined to keep my distance from


    hypocrites like Armond.


    I was still mulling over Armond when the office door opened. Ste walked in with boxes of food, still


    smiling as radiantly as ever. ¡°Mr. Fuller, Mrs. Fuller, lunch is here! You must be starving!¡±


    Grateful for the distraction, I kept my phone and thanked her. My gaze unintentionally fell on the watch


    she was wearing when she handed me the food, and I was a little startled by what I saw.


    ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Mrs. Fuller! I¡¯m only doing my job,¡± she replied politely before making her way out.


    I hesitated for a bit but eventually gave in to my curiosity. ¡°Your watch is gorgeous. It suits you really


    well.¡±


    She was taken aback by the suddenpliment but quickly recovered. ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s not too


    expensive, so it¡¯s suitable for us office workers.¡±


    ¡°It looks very good on you,¡± I said with a nod.


    She smiled without saying much more and left the room.


    My mind was starting to wander again when Ashton reeled me back in. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    he asked.


    He pulled me toward the sofa and sat us both down. When he started taking the food out, I was filled


    with a pleasant surprise when I realized there was sushi. ¡°You told Ste?¡±


    He beamed at me as he replied, ¡°You had a craving for it, so I wanted to satisfy you.¡±

 Chapter 956

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 956


    I pursed my lips and looked at him. ¡°Ashton, I remember you¡¯ve told me before that Ste hasn¡¯t met


    the requirements for a promotion. So why did you suddenly promote her to be your secretary?¡±


    He chuckled as he fed me a piece of sushi. ¡°It¡¯s because of Justin. He pleaded with me to promote


    Ste to a secretarial role, but her pay remains unchanged. After being hospitalized, she suffered from


    some side effects and insisted that she was a secretary, not a receptionist. They argued about it so


    much that Justin eventually came to me for help.¡±


    I furrowed my brows as I thought about it. So that¡¯s how it is. Ste did y a part in rescuing Ashton,


    so such a request isn¡¯t unreasonable. Besides, how can Ashton turn her down when she¡¯s even


    brought up the side effects she suffered?


    ¡°Is the sushi not tasty?¡± Ashton asked when he saw me frowning.


    ¡°No. It¡¯s pretty good! I just feel like I¡¯ve put on weight recently.¡±


    Ashton burst outughing at that. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be thinking about losing weight when you¡¯re pregnant.


    And besides, you aren¡¯t fat!¡±


    Jared¡¯s test results had yet to be out, so we had no choice but to continue waiting. However, as time


    went on, my curiosity about Hailey grew even more. She was like a mystery that I wanted to solve.


    After lunch, Ashton continued with his work while I texted Hailey for a little catch-up. To my surprise,


    Hannah called at that exact moment.


    ¡°Scarlett, are you busy?¡± she said even before I could get a word in.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m at Ashton¡¯s office, and we just had lunch. Have you eaten?¡±


    She hummed in response before adding, ¡°Remember I said I wanted you to apany me to go


    wedding dress shopping? Will you be free this afternoon?¡±


    Ashton wouldn¡¯t have time for me since he was busy with work, so it wasn¡¯t a difficult decision to make.


    ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t have anything going on anyway. Text me the address, and I¡¯ll meet you there.¡±


    ¡°No need! We can pick you up along the way since we¡¯re nearby. Just wait for us at Fuller Corporation.¡±


    After the call ended, I walked over to Ashton, only to see him on the phone with Joseph. From the


    sound of it, he seemed to be asking Joseph to help look for a healthy kidney donor. ¡°Ashton, I¡¯ll be


    going out with Hannah in a bit.¡±


    ¡°Going shopping?¡± he asked as he looked up at me.


    ¡°She¡¯s getting married, remember? She doesn¡¯t have many friends in K City, so she asked if I could go


    with her to shop for dresses.¡±


    He nodded and ced his palms on my belly. ¡°Stay safe. Make sure to call me if anything happens.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I think I¡¯ll be safe with your bodyguards following me around,¡± I replied with a smile and kiss.


    ¡°You know about that?¡±


    Seeing him so startled tickled me, and Iughed. ¡°It¡¯s hard not to know when they show up every time


    I¡¯m in trouble!¡±


    ¡°I feel more at ease when I know they¡¯re looking out for you.¡±


    I knew he just had my interests at heart, and I appreciated that very much. After reassuring him that I¡¯d


    take extra caution and bidding him farewell, I headed to the lobby to wait for Hannah.


    When they saw me, the receptionists quietened down and greeted me politely. It was then when I


    noticed the bag of green mangoes by the reception desk. ¡°Where did you buy those mangoes? I


    haven¡¯t seen them in a while,¡± I asked, genuinely surprised.


    We were way past mango season, so the fact that they could still get any mangoes was quite the feat.


    One of the receptionists smiled shyly at me. ¡°We didn¡¯t buy them. Ms. Collins gave them to us. There


    were still mangoes avable in her hometown, so she got her family to mail some over. Would you like


    one, Mrs. Fuller?¡±


    There weren¡¯t many mangoes left in the bag, so I smiled and shook my head. ¡°No need, thank you. I


    was just surprised how you could still get them when the season¡¯s already over. Keep them for


    yourselves.¡±


    Having satisfied my curiosity, I headed out the lobby and saw Hannah and Chandler waving at me from


    their car. Perfect timing!


    Hannah handed me a hot water bottle as soon as I got in, only tough when I gave her a look of utter


    confusion. ¡°The weather¡¯s too cold, so Chandler brought these for us to keep warm!¡±


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    I was a little surprised at that and thanked Chandler for being so considerate. He simply replied with a


    smile, like he always did, before driving off to our destination.


    Hannah and I started chatting when I noticed a big bag beside her. ¡°What have you brought?¡± I asked


    out of curiosity.


    ¡°Something tasty! Chandler said I¡¯d get hungry from trying on the dresses, so it¡¯d be better to bring


    some food along.¡±


    I was blown away by how much Chandler doted on Hannah. She seemed so carefree and happy, and it


    warmed my heart to know she was with such a good man.


    When I merely lowered my head and smiled, Hannah tugged at me to get my attention. ¡°Are you and


    Ashton nning on having another wedding?¡±


    ¡°No, we aren¡¯t. We don¡¯t want to go through all theplicated wedding formalities again. Besides, we


    don¡¯t have the time to n for one when Summer¡¯s situation has yet to improve.¡±

 Chapter 957

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 957


    ¡°Scarlett, can I ask you for a favor?¡± Hannah suddenly asked.


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± She beamed as she continued, ¡°You know how I don¡¯t have many friends, so I was hoping


    you could be my bridesmaid.¡±


    Her request caught me by surprise, though I was also rather ttered. ¡°Are you sure that¡¯d be


    appropriate? I thought only unmarried women could be bridesmaids?¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t it be appropriate? There¡¯s no rule for that. It¡¯d be so much more fun to have you as my


    bridesmaid.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t say no to my friend, especially when she was so excited about it. ¡°All right then, I¡¯ll do it. But


    when¡¯s your wedding?¡±


    ¡°Dear, is our wedding on the fifteenth of next month?¡± Hannah asked as she tugged at Chandler¡¯s


    sleeve.


    Chandler sighed as he hit his forehead. ¡°It¡¯s on the fifth!¡±


    ¡°Oh, right! Sorry, it¡¯s on the fifth of next month!¡± Hannah looked back at me with a toothy grin.


    I was about to note the date down when I remembered something. ¡°Sorry Hannah, I don¡¯t think I can be


    your bridesmaid after all. I haven¡¯t told many people about it but, I¡¯m pregnant!¡±


    Hannah stared at me as her eyes widened almostically. ¡°You¡¯re pregnant? Are you serious?¡±


    What made her reaction even funnier was that she was a mother herself, yet she was over the moon at


    my pregnancy news. I couldn¡¯t help butugh out. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true. I¡¯m two months along now, so you


    can¡¯t really tell.¡±


    Hannah was bursting with excitement as she grabbed my hands. ¡°This is great news! Kiki¡¯s going to


    have a sister to y with! Does Uncle Louis know?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. It¡¯s still too early. My mother said to wait till the pregnancy¡¯s stable before telling everyone. It¡¯d


    be a good excuse to ask everyone out for a meal too.¡±


    Hannah nodded eagerly, her goofy grin even wider now. All of a sudden, her face changed. ¡°You¡¯re


    pregnant, and you¡¯re still out helping me with the dress shopping? Let¡¯s send you home first! I don¡¯t


    want to tire you out.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, please don¡¯t make a fuss out of it! Besides, I¡¯m only apanying you. It¡¯s no problem at all.¡±


    Hannah looked a lot more relieved with my reassurance and broke into a grin again.


    Hannah was such a stark contrast from her past self that I wondered if it was because of Chandler. The


    old Hannah didn¡¯t like to smile. She was beautiful like a doll, but also very cold and distant. Hannah


    now seemed more like a bright-eyed child who had a lot of enthusiasm and hope for life. More


    importantly, she always wore a smile now.


    It¡¯s true what people said about love. There¡¯s hope and joy when one falls in love with the right person.


    But love the wrong one, and life would be hellish and fraught with pain.


    I don¡¯t know if John was ever the right one for Hannah. But from what I can see now, Chandler is


    everything that Hannah needs and deserves to have.


    When we finally arrived at the bridal shop, the staff immediately weed Hannah and me in.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    The manager stayed close to Hannah as she rmended her the various styles and designs.


    However, Hannah already knew what she wanted as she dragged me along to pick out a few dresses.


    Every woman dreamed about finding their perfect wedding dress, and Hannah was no exception. They


    were all looking for the moment where they don the dress and go, ¡°Yes! That¡¯s the one!¡±


    When Hannah went off to try the dresses, I wandered around the shop admiring the vast selection.


    The best item in any shop would always be in the most conspicuous ce, and everything else would


    pale inparison. That was exactly what happened when a solitary wedding dress in a window


    disy caught my attention.


    The eagle-eyed manager saw how I couldn¡¯t peel my eyes off of it and approached me. ¡°That¡¯s the


    latest design for this year¡¯s fall and winter collection,¡± she said enthusiastically. ¡°It¡¯s inspired by


    champagne and snowkes to symbolize romance and happiness.¡±


    ¡°This dress is gorgeous,¡± I eximed. ¡°Did someone get it custom-made?¡± A dress like that would have


    been made and reserved a while ago. Disying it in the shop was just a means to attract more


    customers.


    Sure enough, the manager nodded. ¡°It has been made to order for quite some time now. We have it on


    disy because the customer hasn¡¯te to collect it.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but probe further. I¡¯d be first in line to collect the dress if I were the customer. So


    why the dy? What happened to the wedding?


    ¡°We¡¯ve asked the customer before. But we were only told the dress wouldn¡¯te in handy for the time


    being. We just assumed the wedding got postponed,¡± the manager exined with a shrug.


    Hannah came out of the dressing room at that moment, dragging her dress along. ¡°This hem¡¯s too long


    and too heavy!¡± she whined.


    Even though she wasining about it, seeing Hannah in her wedding dress took our breath away.


    She was a ssic beauty, blessed with an almond-shaped face, slender neck, and fairplexion. The


    wedding dress entuated her figure, and there was no denying how attractive she looked.


    ¡°Ms. Anne, this dress looks perfect on you! It makes your fairplexion stand out even more,¡± the


    manager remarked.


    ¡°December is the next month, and it¡¯s going to be cold in K City. Don¡¯t you think this dress is too


    revealing? I¡¯m going to freeze in this. Scarlett, what do you think?¡± Hannah asked while checking


    herself out in the full-length mirror.

 Chapter 958

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 958


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, but I agree with you about feeling cold in it.¡± My gaze once again wandered over to the


    dress in the disy window, and an idea struck me. ¡°Excuse me, could you let her try on that dress?¡± I


    asked the manager.


    Hannah followed my gaze and gasped when she saw the dress. ¡°Oh, that looks amazing. But I¡¯m sure


    someone has reserved it. It wouldn¡¯t be right to try it on.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine! The owner of the dress has given their permission to let anyone interested try it on,¡± the


    manager said reassuringly.


    Hannah¡¯s face lit up immediately, and she agreed to give the dress a try.


    After hearing what the manager said about the customer, I became even more perplexed. The dress


    was one-of-a-kind, and if I were the customer, I wouldn¡¯t want to let anyone else go near it. Why would


    the customer not collect the dress and still allow others to try it on?


    Chandler had just entered the shop after having parked his car. When he didn¡¯t see Hannah anywhere,


    he turned to me. ¡°Is she trying on the dresses?¡±


    I nodded at him and tried to hold in myughter when I saw how red his nose had gotten from the cold.


    ¡°Do you want to try on the formal wear for yourself? See what suits you?¡±


    ¡°Not now. I¡¯m going to wait till Hannah has picked her dress before I find something to match hers.¡±


    I was impressed at how Chandler had considered every detail and merely smiled back at him.


    The manager had run off to entertain other customers, so Chandler and I continued chatting with each


    other. I finally understood why Hannah had chosen him in the end.


    Even though Chandler looked young and naive, he was nothing like that. He was sensitive and


    thoughtful. And he catered to all of Hannah¡¯s likes and dislikes.


    I never understood why so many women would go for men younger than them, but now that I had seen


    Chandler, I was starting to see the appeal.


    Their youth brought about a kind of vibrance and energy that could change lives for the better. After


    being with John for so long, Hannah¡¯s vibrance had been dulled and chipped away. Chandler could


    give her what John had failed to do so.


    ¡°Scarlett, what are you doing here?¡± I was lost in my thoughts when a voice suddenly brought me back.


    Upon turning around, I came face to face with John and Yvonne.


    ¡°I¡¯m here with¡­ a friend to try on wedding dresses. What about you?¡± I asked, my brows furrowed.


    ¡°We¡¯re here to try on dresses too! Ms. Stovall, which one of your friends is getting married? I hope our


    dates don¡¯t sh. Otherwise, it¡¯d be hard on you,¡± Yvonne said as she held onto John¡¯s wrist.


    Even though she had a full face of make-up on, it still couldn¡¯t hide the fatigue on it. From the looks of


    it, John had not been treating her well.


    I pursed my lips and looked at John. ¡°Have you decided to marry her?¡±


    John¡¯s gazended on Chandler, and there was a sh of recognition in his eyes.


    He looked back at me and nodded. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m not young anymore, and Uncle Louis has been nagging at


    me to settle down.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Remember to let me know the date in advance,¡± I replied inly.


    The manager hurriedly made her way toward John and apologized profusely. ¡°Mr. Stovall, I¡¯m sorry! I


    didn¡¯t know you¡¯d being, so I¡¯ve let Ms. Anne try on the dress you ordered. Please wait while I get


    everything sorted!¡±


    That dress was custom ordered by John? Is it for Yvonne?


    Before I could ask John, Hannah came out in the wedding dress. The dress was beautiful on its own,


    but when donned on someone like Hannah, it became even more breathtaking.


    Hannah was tugging at the dress and mumbling away, ¡°Scarlett, is Chandler here? Can you help me


    see why this dress¡­¡± Her voice trailed off when she finally looked up.


    Seeing John and Hannah instantly wiped the smile off of her face. But once she noticed Chandler in


    the room, a faint smile reappeared as she asked, ¡°How does it look?¡±


    Chandler couldn¡¯t hide his excitement and admiration for his fianc¨¦e as he nodded in earnest approval.


    ¡°You look so, so beautiful. Just like a goddess.¡±


    He looked so silly that Hannah grinned back at him. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you tried on your clothes?¡±


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    ¡°I was waiting for you to find your dress so I could get something to match with you,¡± Chandler


    muttered, still smitten by Hannah¡¯s beauty.


    John had been scowling at Hannah the whole time when he finally asked, ¡°Are you really going to


    marry him?¡±


    Hannah nodded without any hesitation and looked at him in all seriousness. ¡°I had nned on finding


    the right time to tell you, but since you¡¯re here, we¡¯ll give you your invitation first.¡±


    ¡°Dear, can you see if the wedding invitation card for Mr. Stovall is in my bag? We might as well give it to


    him now,¡± Hannah said to Chandler.

 Chapter 959

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 959


    Chandler got the invitation card out and handed it to John politely. ¡°Mr. Stovall, I hope you can attend


    our wedding and give us your blessings.¡±


    John merely red at Chandler, and Yvonne epted the card on his behalf. ¡°Who knew Ms. Anne¡¯s


    wedding would be so soon. John and I are also getting married next month. I wonder if the dates will


    sh!¡±


    She opened the wedding invitation and smiled when she saw the date. ¡°Thankfully, our wedding is on


    the tenth, so we¡¯ll be able to make it to your wedding. Don¡¯t worry, Ms. Anne. John and I will be there.¡±


    Hannah didn¡¯t entertain her any further as she continued to check herself out in the mirror. John¡¯s eyes


    lingered on her, and I could see the hurt in them. It was then I knew that John had really fallen for her.


    Then, why is he still marrying Yvonne? He knew very well the kind of woman Yvonne was. Why would


    he still make such an irrational decision?


    Yvonne was mad after getting snubbed by Hannah, so she decided to throw a fit at the manager. ¡°Why


    did you let someone else try on my custom-made wedding dress? What kind of customer service does


    your shop provide? I want to make aint!¡±


    The poor manager got all flustered as she started apologizing. ¡°Ms. Wilde, I¡¯m very sorry! But when Mr.


    Stovall had the dress made, he did say it would be fine to let others try it on¡­ ¡°


    Yvonne drew a sharp breath when she heard that. ¡°John, how could you? You had the dress custom-


    made for me. How can you let others try it on?¡±


    After realizing what she had done, Hannah immediately spoke up, ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t know this was for you!


    I¡¯ll go take it off right now.¡± As she hurriedly dragged herself back to the dressing room, Chandler


    followed closely behind to make sure she didn¡¯t trip.


    John stared longingly at her as his face drained of color. ¡°No need. This dress looks good on you. Take


    it as a gift from me.¡±


    ¡°No, thank you!¡± Hannah shouted as she got into the changing room with Chandler.


    Yvonne could see that John was in a foul mood and decided not to upset him any further. ¡°Forget it.


    That wedding dress doesn¡¯t fit me anyway. Why don¡¯t you show me around and find me a suitable


    one?¡±


    The manager looked relieved as she eagerly nodded and showed Yvonne around.


    I saw the disappointment on John¡¯s face and tried to find the words tofort him. ¡°You made that


    dress for her, didn¡¯t you?¡± It was clear to see how every detail of the dress seemed toplement


    Hannah so well. I wouldn¡¯t believe him even if he tried to deny it.


    ¡°I had this dress made for her right after she gave birth to Kiki. I wanted to wait till she had recuperated


    before nning for our wedding. But it¡¯s toote for that now,¡± he said with a tone of resignation.


    I didn¡¯t want to ask how he and Hannah got to be in their current state, so I changed the subject. ¡°Why


    Yvonne then?¡±


    John looked a little annoyed when my question came out so bluntly. ¡°I¡¯m getting on with age, and it¡¯s


    time to get married. Since it doesn¡¯t matter who I marry, I might as well choose someone whom I can


    easily control.¡±


    ¡°John, have you gone mad? Don¡¯t you know what kind of woman Yvonne is? Do you want to bring


    chaos to the Stovall family by marrying her? I don¡¯t know why you had to let the perfect wife go and


    settle for someone like her. I can tell you now that Uncle Louis and I won¡¯t agree to this marriage. Even


    if you must marry, there are many other socialites you can pick from in K City. Any one of them would


    be better than Yvonne.¡±


    His expression darkened as he looked at me. ¡°When have you be this snobbish? Why do you


    care about one¡¯s social status now?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re my brother, and I only want the best for you. You know very well the kind of woman Yvonne is.


    Other people can¡¯t wait to get away from her, yet you¡¯re marrying her? I don¡¯t care about social status,


    but I do care about character and morals. If you were marrying a kind-hearted woman who knew when


    to give and take, I wouldn¡¯t oppose. But Yvonne is nothing like that.¡±


    ¡°So what? You said I¡¯m a terrible person, and even if I found a good woman, I¡¯d only be holding her


    back. If that¡¯s the case, why not just find myself another terrible person to be with?¡± he retorted, his


    voice full of self-hatred and despair.


    Seeing him so disheartened made me wonder if I shouldfort or scold him. After much hesitation, I


    let out a big sigh. ¡°What are you doing? Where were you at the start? Hannah waited for you for so


    many years, yet you constantly let her down. Why did you have to wait till she found someone she


    deserves before you start to cherish her? Why do you have to degrade yourself like this?¡±


    Heughed bitterly and gave a nonchnt shrug. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m degrading myself. So what? I


    deserve it!¡±


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    I had given up on him at this point. I knew nothing I said would knock any sense back into him, so I


    remained silent. Just then, Hannah came out of the changing room in a Chinese-style wedding dress,


    complete with a phoenix cor. I was stunned at how drastic the change was that I couldn¡¯t help but


    ask, ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to stick to a Western-style wedding? Why the sudden change?¡±

 Chapter 960

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 960


    Hannah smiled. ¡°That was my n. But Chandler¡¯s mother suggested jazzing it up a bit by adding


    some Chinese elements. I thought it sounded like a good idea.¡±


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    If that was her decision, who was I to say no to my friend? And besides, Hannah looked good in


    anything. ¡°This looks amazing on you, especially with the phoenix cor,¡± Imented. After a brief


    pause, I leaned into her and whispered, ¡°Actually, I think I prefer this look to the previous one.¡±


    Hannahughed out loud before turning to Chandler. ¡°Let¡¯s mix the theme of our wedding then! We¡¯ve


    still got time to make changes, so let¡¯s make it fun!¡±


    ¡°If we¡¯re going to mix it up, can you go home with me tomorrow?¡± Chandler asked a little awkwardly.


    ¡°Are we going back to let your parents know of the changes?¡±


    Chandler nodded shyly before continuing, ¡°Actually, my mother had already made a Chinese-style


    wedding dress for you, but she doesn¡¯t have your measurements. If we go back tomorrow, she can


    note down your measurements and make the necessary adjustments!¡±


    Seeing Chandler so shy and innocent instantly melted Hannah¡¯s heart. She couldn¡¯t help but hug him


    tight. ¡°Silly you! If I had known about this, I wouldn¡¯t havee here to shop for wedding dresses. We


    can¡¯t let your mother¡¯s efforts go to waste!¡±


    ¡°My mother said to go with what you like. The dress can be her wedding gift to us.¡±


    Hannah¡¯s eyes were welling up with tears as she lightly hit Chandler¡¯s chest. ¡°If I had found out about


    thister, I¡¯d have been so upset! I can¡¯t let your mother down, especially when she¡¯s put in so much


    effort to make a beautiful dress just for me.¡±


    Looking at the happy couple, I knew they no longer needed my help. When I turned around and saw


    John staring in our direction, I let out a sigh again. I could only imagine how he felt at that moment,


    knowing that he was to me for throwing away the best thing he ever had.


    ¡°Okay, you two lovebirds, carry on with what you¡¯re doing. I¡¯m going to wait outside,¡± I said to Hannah


    and Chandler, who merely exchanged nces with a smile.


    Yvonne had juste out in a wedding dress and was firing questions at John. John looked bored with


    his hands in his pockets, replying with hardly any enthusiasm.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, can you see if this dress suits me?¡± Yvonne asked when she saw me walking toward


    them. ¡°I¡¯ve tried two dresses, and John didn¡¯t like them both. I don¡¯t even know what I should wear


    now.¡±


    ¡°That looks pretty good!¡± I said, after having looked her up and down.


    She thanked me even though she was a little stunned at how patronizing I sounded.


    John seemed to have lost his patience when he frowned at her. ¡°You can continue trying the dresses,


    but I¡¯m leaving first. I¡¯ve still got work to do.¡± After that, he turned to me and asked, ¡°Want me to send


    you back?¡±


    I shook my head, feeling appalled at how dumb he acted. He had only just told Yvonne he was busy,


    yet he still asked if I wanted a lift home. Could he have made it any more obvious about how impatient


    he was with her?


    John swiftly fished his car keys out and made a beeline for the exit. Yvonne tried to stop him, but the


    dress was so long and heavy that she couldn¡¯t keep up.


    I decided there and then that it would be better to make things clear with Yvonne. ¡°You don¡¯t have to


    subject yourself to such embarrassment. I know you like money, so why don¡¯t you name your price? As


    long as it¡¯s reasonable, my family will give it to you. Please just stay away from John.¡±


    I was in the same situation with Cameron many years back. She had wanted to pay me to leave Ashton


    so Rachel could be with him. It was ironic how I had be the person I hated the most.


    Yvonne¡¯s lips curled into a smirk, tears welling up in her eyes. ¡°Is that what people like you think of me?


    That I¡¯m only with John because of money?¡±


    If she was trying to look for sympathy, I had none for her. After having seen Hannah at her lowest point


    and knowing that John had no love for Yvonne, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to sympathize with her at all. ¡°It


    doesn¡¯t matter whether you¡¯re with John for money or not. What matters is that you leave him. You


    know very well that he doesn¡¯t love you and that he¡¯s only using you. Marrying you was never his


    intention. As his sister, I shouldn¡¯t be interfering in his affairs. But, I¡¯m a Stovall after all, and I know that


    my family would never ept someone like you. We¡¯re offering you money so you can leave with your


    dignity intact. You wouldn¡¯t want this to turn ugly when the media gets wind of it.¡±

 Chapter 961

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 961


    She suddenlyughed. However, the next moment, tears started streaming down her face as she said,


    ¡°So what? It has been so many years. I¡¯ve already let go of my dignity in order to be with him. It doesn¡¯t


    matter whether he has any feelings for me, as long as I love him. Since he had already promised to


    marry me, he will not go back on his words. How can you me me for what went wrong between John


    and Hannah? Sometimes, fate just works in funny ways. Regardless of whether they still love each


    other, the time has alreadye for them to part ways. Some people are just meant to be passerby in


    our lives. I¡¯ll be the one who will be walking this journey with John from now onward.¡±


    I merely looked at her and didn¡¯t know what to make of that. As such, I shrugged and replied, ¡°I¡¯ve


    already said my piece. It¡¯s up to you whatever you want to do!¡±


    Just as I was about to go outside and wait for Hannah, Yvonne stopped me and said, ¡°I just don¡¯t


    understand. Why is it that you can ept Hannah but not me? We¡¯re both tainted, but why is it that I¡¯m


    the one despised by everyone instead?¡±


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    I wasn¡¯t going to say anything, but since she had asked, I had no choice but to tell her. After a moment


    of silence, I spoke, ¡°Please don¡¯tpare yourself to Hannah. Honestly, you are not even on the same


    level. We don¡¯t just assess someone based on looks or status, character alsoes into y. You


    should know very well that Hannah is way prettier than you but talking about looks is too superficial. So


    let¡¯s examine your characters instead. Hannah knows her boundaries. She would never get involved


    with a married man with kids. She¡¯s also not a hypocritical woman who would shamelessly covet


    something that belongs to someone else and achieve her aims through despicable means. Yvonne, if


    you are an honorable person, you would not have schemed to sleep with John. You would also not


    have threatened Hannah multiple times. That is the difference between the both of you.¡±


    Yvonne¡¯s face turned purple as I spoke. She must be trying really hard to suppress her rage. After a


    while, she looked at me and asked, ¡°Did you hear all of those from Hannah?¡±


    I let out a faint smile and shook my head, before replying, ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much. I¡¯m just too


    familiar with such unscrupulous methods as they have been used countless times by women who tried


    to seduce Ashton.¡±


    Just then, Hannah and Chandler came out. Hannah had changed back into her own clothes. When she


    saw the pale look on Yvonne¡¯s face, she was stunned for a moment before looking at me and said, ¡°It¡¯s


    quitete already. Are you hungry? Let¡¯s go get something to eat!¡±


    I nodded and left the bridal shop with Hannah and Chandler. After Chandler went to get the car,


    Hannah tugged at my arm and asked, ¡°Did you agitate her just now?¡±


    I shrugged and replied, ¡°Not really. I merely stated facts. Anyway, I¡¯m not against John getting married.


    I¡¯m just thinking that if he wants to settle down seriously, he should find someone who is decent and


    would make a good partner to him. He can be really irritating sometimes, but he¡¯s still my brother after


    all. I know that he¡¯s insecure and fears loneliness. Perhaps he desires to have a stable family of his


    own more than anyone else. I had thought that you would be the one for him but he did not cherish


    you. Yvonne is definitely not the woman for him, neither will she make a good addition to the Stovall


    family. As such, I yed the role of a bad guy.¡±


    Hannah tilted her head up slightly and took a deep breath. With a smile, she replied, ¡°Maybe


    compatibility is never the most important factor when ites to rtionships. If John truly loves


    Yvonne, even if everyone else is against her, he will still feel blissful to be with her. Scarlett, I know you


    want the best for your brother, but sometimes, only the two people involved in a rtionship know it


    best.¡±


    I was stunned by her reply as I had expected her to agree with me. I looked at her with a slightly


    shocked expression on my face and paused for a moment before asking, ¡°So, Hannah, are you really


    over John?¡±


    Letting out a bitter smile, she looked at me and replied, ¡°It¡¯s not that easy to get over a man I loved for


    so many years. Rather than that, maybe I¡¯ve just be more rational. After meeting Chandler, I


    finally know what I want. I¡¯ve been too stubborn all along. Even though all the signs were there, I was


    still not willing to let go. John and I have argued and fought multiple times. We¡¯ve also driven each


    other to the brink of insanity, but after much thinking, I feel like I can finally let go now. There¡¯s still a


    long journey ahead of me and I wouldn¡¯t be fair to myself if I continue to trap myself in darkness. Life¡¯s


    too short to ill-treat ourselves. We should live every moment to the fullest.¡±


    She paused and looked at me before continuing with a faint smile, ¡°Actually, I really envy you and


    Ashton. After going through trials and tribtions, the two of you still ended up together. Moving


    forward, the both of you will have each other to depend on and will be building a future together. That¡¯s


    so wonderful. Everyone¡¯s experiences are not the same and some have better luck than the rest. You


    and Ashton are really fortunate to have each other and it¡¯s something you should cherish.¡±


    Just then, Chandler drove over and Hannah and I got into the car. However, I was still thinking about


    what she just said. Many of us could spend our whole lives figuring out what we really wanted and what


    was most important to us, but still unable to get an answer.

 Chapter 962

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 962


    Suddenly, my palms felt warm. To my surprise, Hannah had shoved a hand warmer into my hand


    without me realizing it. She chuckled and said, ¡°Chandler was worried that we would be cold, so he got


    these for us. It¡¯s cold outside so it¡¯s better to keep warm!¡±


    I nodded and looked at Chandler, who was at the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Thank you!¡± I said to him.


    Chandler smiled candidly and replied, ¡°You¡¯re wee. Hannah has cold hands and feet all the time.


    You girls seem to have colder body temperatures than men, so it¡¯s better to pay more attention to


    keeping warm.¡±


    Feeling amused, Hannah said, ¡°Chandler, how many girlfriends have you had in order for you toe


    to such a conclusion? Am I supposed to be thankful to all your ex-girlfriends?¡±


    Upon hearing that, Chandler immediately parked his car at the roadside and turned around to look at


    Hannah. With a serious expression on his face, he said, ¡°Hannah, I swear that you¡¯re my first girlfriend.


    I know that you¡¯re afraid of the cold because it was April when we met. Even though the weather was


    already getting warmer, you always carried a hand warmer with you. You would also keep a nket


    and mittens in your car. I know that you are capable of taking care of yourself, but I still hope that I can


    take care of you in my own ways. I want you to know that you can always rely on me. I pay attention to


    every detail of your life because I¡¯m constantly learning to be a better partner to you. I didn¡¯t acquire all


    these knowledges because of other women!¡±


    What a way to confess. Hannah was momentarily stunned by the man¡¯s speech. A momentter, she


    burst outughing while hugging her hand warmer. Fixing her gaze on Chandler, she replied,


    ¡°Chandler, what was that all about? Can¡¯t you see that my friend is here too? You should have


    controlled yourself and told me in private.¡±


    Feeling embarrassed, Chandler scratched his head. With his face flushed red, he said, ¡°I just didn¡¯t


    want you to misunderstand so I was in a rush to rify!¡±


    Controlling her urge tough, Hannah looked at him and replied, ¡°Just drive. We¡¯re so hungry!¡±


    Observing the lovey-dovey interaction between those two, I suddenly realized that it was true that to


    care about someone meant giving her enough affection and reassurance such that she would have a


    sense of security, just like how Chandler treated Hannah. If a man loved a woman, he would do


    anything for her and protect her from any harm. No excuses.


    After we arrived at a restaurant in town, Hannah looked at me and said, ¡°It¡¯s almost time for Ashton to


    knock off. Do you want to give him a call to ask if he wants to join us for dinner?¡±


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    I had almost forgotten that my phone was kept in my bag and in silent mode all these whiles. When I


    took it out, I saw a few messages from Hailey. But first, I rang Ashton.


    The call went through after a few rings, but it was Ste who picked up. In a polite tone, she said, ¡°Mrs.


    Fuller, Mr. Fuller is in a meeting right now. It will be ending soon. I¡¯ll let him know that you called. Or


    would you prefer me to pass on a message for you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s OK. Just ask him to call me back!¡± I said simply and hung up.


    Hannah looked at me with a quizzical look and asked, ¡°Is he still upied with work?¡±


    With a faint smile, I nodded and replied, ¡°He¡¯s still in a meeting.¡±


    I only opened the messages from Hailey after we found a seat and sat down in the restaurant.


    I¡¯m busy handling thepany¡¯s matters!


    After this busy period, let¡¯s find a time to catch up.


    A while after she sent those two messages, she texted me again.


    Is your daughter still looking for a suitable kidney?


    How old is your daughter?


    Are you guys intending to seek Armond¡¯s help?


    After I finished reading all her messages, I replied: Do you know something about Armond?


    Hannah passed me the menu and said cheerfully, ¡°Just order anything you like! It¡¯s Chandler¡¯s treat.


    You don¡¯t have to feel bad for him!¡±


    I smiled and put down my phone. I wasn¡¯t very familiar with Koandria cuisine. As such, I just chose a


    random dish. When I was passing the menu back to Hannah, I noticed that she was staring at the


    direction of the entrance. ¡°Scarlett, isn¡¯t that Ashton¡¯s aunt, Sally?¡± She asked.


    I followed the direction of her gaze and froze for a moment. It was Sally indeed. Perhaps it had been


    such a long time since Ist saw her that she seemed to have changed so much. She was dressed in a


    pink coat and had tied her hair into a ponytail, looking extremely youthful.


    Hannah looked at me and asked curiously, ¡°Do you know the man she¡¯s with?¡±


    I shook my head. That man looked around fifty years old and was donned in branded clothing. He was


    tall and skinny. That, together with the ck-framed sses he was wearing, he looked like someone


    who dabbled in the arts.


    ¡°I think I know who he is!¡± Chandler, who was looking at the menu a moment ago, suddenly spoke.


    ¡°He¡¯s Jim, a professor from K University. He¡¯s also an author and had written several books. He was


    even nominated for the No*el Prize when I was in school. However, he was also known for being a


    nerd and not interested in romance. He was never married and the word was it that he¡¯s quite rich. If


    I¡¯m not wrong, gardening is his only hobby.¡±


    I was actually quite surprised. I remembered Cameron telling me that she had previously bumped into


    Sally at the hospital and saw her with a man. I thought she had seen wrongly at that time. But judging


    by the way the both of them were behaving, they did seem quite intimate.


    When they entered the restaurant, Hannah asked, ¡°Did they just get into a rtionship at this age?¡±

 Chapter 963

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 963


    I smiled and shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure but let¡¯s stop gossiping about them. At her age, if Aunt Sally


    manages to find someone suitable for her and have a partner for her remaining years, that¡¯s a good


    thing.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Hannah nodded and continued seriously, ¡°I suddenly believe that destiny really exists.


    We all have our own predetermined paths to walk. Some people get to enjoy a smooth life with fame


    and riches but die young. There are others who have it rougher but remain in good health until they die


    of old age. There are also some who have a difficult start in life but work hard and ultimately get to


    enjoy the fruits of theirbor. It¡¯s the same when ites to rtionships. True love might onlye to


    some at ater stage after experiencing trials and tribtions.¡±


    I nodded, agreeing with her views. Chandler ordered a few of Hannah¡¯s favorite dishes and said, ¡°What


    about us? It was also not easy for us to be together, right?¡±


    Hannah looked at the man and replied, ¡°We just met each other at the right time.¡±


    Seeing that they are showing off their love again, I looked down at my phone. Hailey texted again. It¡¯s


    difficult to exin over the phone. Let¡¯s find some time to meet up!


    She was right. That issue was tooplicated to be properlymunicated over the phone.


    Just then, I saw an iing call from Ashton and answered it at once. ¡°Has your meeting ended?¡±


    He replied in a hoarse voice, ¡°Yup, just ended. Where are you now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in town having dinner with Hannah and Chandler right now. Do you want to join us?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡±


    After I hung up, Hannah looked at me and asked, ¡°Is that Ashton?¡±


    I nodded and she asked worriedly, ¡°Have you been resting well these days? I already noticed that you


    looked quite pale when I saw you this morning. Are you losing sleep feeling troubled over Summer?¡±


    I froze for a moment and let out a bitter smile before replying, ¡°She¡¯s Macy¡¯s only child. I¡­ ¡°


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    I sighed and did not finish my sentence. Not wanting to discuss that topic, I looked at Hannah and said,


    ¡°Ashton will beingter. I should go say hi to Aunt Sally first.¡±


    Talking about Summer¡¯s situation was pointless. I could only hope that a suitable kidney for her would


    be avable soon.


    Hannah understood that I did not want to continue talking about it and nodded. ¡°Sure, go ahead. There


    should be still a while before our food is served,¡± she said.


    Sally and Jim were sitting by the window. The middle-aged couple was behaving just like teenagers in


    love. One of them was talking animatedly while the other listened quietly and responded with smiles


    intermittently. One could tell from the look in their eyes how much they adored each other.


    I must have arrived at an inopportune moment. When Sally saw me, she was obviously startled and


    had an awkward expression on her face. ¡°Scarlett, why¡­ why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I just happened to be having dinner with my friends at this restaurant and I saw you. I thought I should


    come over and say hi. Aunt Sally, who¡¯s this gentleman?¡± I asked, beaming.


    A blush of embarrassment spread across Sally¡¯s cheeks. Jim, who had seen much in life, remained


    composed and answered instead. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Jim. Sally and I are dating. I guess you must be her niece?


    Please have a seat.¡±


    His candidness surprised me. I joined them at their table and introduced myself to Jim. I could not help


    but smile when I saw the blush on Sally¡¯s face. ¡°Aunt Sally, Ashton and I are quite busytely. Are you


    angry that we haven¡¯t had time to visit you?¡±


    Still feeling a little awkward, Sally smiled at me and replied, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about Fuller Corporation¡¯s


    situation and understand that Ashton is upied with work. Anyway, you youngsters have your own


    matters to attend to. I¡¯m already feeling bad that I can¡¯t be of any help to you. The only thing I can do is


    not to be a burden and worry you guys.¡±


    I nodded and thought about Summer. I realized Aunt Sally was still unaware of that. With a smile, I


    replied, ¡°Aunt Sally, we should have a gathering after this busy period. You have to bring Uncle Jim


    along, yeah?


    Sally nodded. I could see that her cheeks were still in a shade of pink. Since I had already greeted her,


    I should get going in order not to disrupt their date.


    Just when I stood up and was about to leave, I saw Ashton walking towards us. I was rather stunned at


    how speedily he arrived.


    ¡°Oh, Ashton is here too,¡± Sally said as she noticed Ashton as well.


    I walked towards him and asked, ¡°How did you reach so quickly?¡±


    He pulled me closer towards him and frowned. ¡°Why is your hand so cold?¡± He asked, while at the


    same time holding my hand in his, warming it. ¡°The office is quite nearby and the traffic was smooth.


    That¡¯s how I¡¯m here so fast!¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± I simply replied before whispering into his ear, ¡°I forgot to tell you just now. Aunt Sally is here too.¡±


    While we were talking, Jim had already stood up and approached Ashton. After the two men


    exchanged greetings, Ashton asked me, ¡°Aren¡¯t you with Hannah?¡±


    I nodded and we said goodbye to Sally before joining Hannah and Chandler again. The dishes were


    served the same time we arrived back at the table.


    When Hannah saw Ashton and I, she smiled and said, ¡°I was just about to go over and get you.¡± Then,


    she introduced Chandler to Ashton and all of us sat down.

 Chapter 964

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 964


    I looked at Ashton and Chandler; one is reserved and arrogant, thetter kind and down-to-earth. It


    was not surprising that the two of them had very little inmon to talk about. Hannah and I, on the


    other hand, were busy chattering away.


    Hannah looked at the shrimps Ashton peeled for me and said, ¡°You know what, I¡¯m actually quite


    jealous of the way you two interact with each other. It¡¯s not sickeningly sweet, but one that seems very


    natural.¡±


    I smiled in return and watched quietly as Chandler carefully fed a shrimp to Hannah. ¡°I¡¯m the one who¡¯s


    envious of you. Look at how thoughtful and gentle Mr. Coleman is to you. You must cherish him.¡±


    She nodded in assent. ¡°That¡¯s for sure. I wish the best for you and Ashton too.¡±


    It was already quitete by the time we finished dinner and returned to the vi.


    Back to our bedroom, Ashton seemed already tuckered out, so I decided to keep the questions I had to


    myself. After taking a shower and finally lying in bed together, Ashton¡¯s voice was a little croaky when


    he asked, ¡°Is John going to do anything now that Hannah is getting married?¡±


    I was mildly surprised by his sudden interest in this matter and shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. All I know


    is that he also ns to marry Yvonne. God knows what¡¯s going on in his head.¡±


    Now that he brought up this matter, I asked curiously, ¡°Ashton, what would you do if I married another


    person?¡±


    The man opened his eyes and fixed steadily at mine. His voice was low and solemn when he replied,


    ¡°Will you?¡±


    I rolled my eyes at him and said, ¡°Why not? Life is so unpredictable, anything is possible. Case in point,


    years ago, John wouldn¡¯t have thought that Hannah was going to bear his child. And now, when JohnThis text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    finally falls in love with Hannah, she has decided to be someone else¡¯s bride. We can¡¯t bet on


    things to remain the same forever.¡±


    Instead of answering my hypothetical question, his dark eyes continued to re at me intently. I grew


    impatient and started to pester him, ¡°Why are you looking at me like this? Just answer my question!¡±


    ¡°I will never let you go, or allow you to fall in love with another person, much less letting you marrying


    someone else other than me. So, your question is invalid.¡± His demeanor was so overbearing I had to


    forego all other follow-up questions at the back of my mind.


    I sighed. ¡°It¡¯s just an innocent question. I don¡¯t understand why you are taking it so seriously.¡± Feeling a


    little stirred up, I turned my back against him.


    Ashton then moved closer to me, his chest was so close against my back I could feel his strong


    heartbeats. His big hand rested on my belly as he assumed a dulcet tone, ¡°Scarlett, I believe that many


    things in life are achievable when you put your minds to it. I can¡¯t predict my future, but one thing I


    know for sure is that, as long as I live, I will not let you go. I never buy the saying that if you love


    someone you should set her free. I¡¯m just an ordinary guy who wants to be with my wife and can¡¯t bear


    to see you live with anyone else. So, don¡¯t you ever think of such a thing again, okay?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure if it was his bold profession of love or his steady heartbeat against my body, the fog in my


    mind suddenly lifted and I could see things clearly as they were. I finally conceded, ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t ask


    such a stupid question again.¡± My head rested on his shoulder and my fingers intertwined with his.


    ¡°Ashton, when Summer gets better, we will start afresh as a family.¡± The man then held me tightly in his


    arms.


    All my life, I was never able to fully grasp the concept of happiness. But at that moment, I finally


    understood that happiness could just be as simple as spending the night holding onto someone you


    love who also loved you back.


    ¡°Ashton, you¡­¡± Realizing what he was about to do, my eyes widened in the next instant. ¡°What are you


    doing? I¡¯m pregnant, we can¡¯t do that!¡±


    He turned me around so that I was now facing him. Our eyes locked and he said in a coarse voice,


    ¡°Scarlett, it¡¯s been a while since we¡­¡±


    I hesitated for a brief moment before I replied in a soft voice, ¡°But, but it¡¯s inconvenient now that I¡¯m


    pregnant.¡±


    Ashton leaned his head against mine and I could feel his humid and heavy breaths inches away. I held


    my breath and dared not utter another word.


    After a few seconds, the man took a deep breath and finally said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go to sleep.¡±


    Ashton still held onto me, but his hands finally stopped moving around. I stole a sigh of relief and


    recalled what happened during the day. ¡°By the way, are you not allowed to bring a phone during


    meetingstely?¡±


    ¡°No, why is that?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. Just that I¡¯ve tried calling you a few times and they all went to voicemail. So, I was


    wondering if there was a no-phone rule instated in your office.¡±


    ¡°My office is very close to the conference room. So, sometimes I¡¯ll leave my phone in my office during


    meetings. It won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    I let out a faint smile. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Maybe it was just a coincident that Ste picked up his phone today.


    The next day, I rushed to the hospital after being informed that Summer and Jared¡¯s bone marrows


    were notpatible. I arrived at the hospital and met with Cameron and Zachary, who looked like they


    hadn¡¯t slept all night.


    There was discernible sorrow in Cameron¡¯s voice as she spoke, ¡°My dear, the doctor has confirmed


    that their bone marrows do not match. We¡¯re going to have to search for one that¡¯spatible with


    Summer¡¯s.¡±

 Chapter 965

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 965


    I was puzzled. ¡°Why not? Summer is his biological daughter. How is that possible?¡±


    ¡°It turns out they have different blood types, so it doesn¡¯t matter that Jared is Summer¡¯s biological


    father. If we perform the surgery anyway, it¡¯ll be like a bad organ transnt, which will make Summer¡¯s


    condition worse,¡± Cameron tried to exin the situation to me in her limited medical terms.


    My mind went momentarily nk. I had hoped that in the scenario where their bone marrows didn¡¯t


    match, he could at least donate his kidney to Summer. But now, it seemed that myst hope was also


    squashed.


    As though being sucked out of all energy, I slumped into a chair and was lost in thoughts.


    It wasn¡¯t until the doctor came out from Summer¡¯s ward that I snapped out from my daze when he said,


    ¡°Can we all please proceed to my office?¡±


    As Cameron helped me up, I noticed that Zachary¡¯s expression was rather grim and appeared deep in


    thought.


    As we all took a seat in the doctor¡¯s office, Cameron asked anxiously, ¡°Doctor, what are we going to do


    now that we can¡¯t find suitable bone marrow for Summer?¡±


    He looked at us and slowly exined, ¡°Bone marrow transnt is a major operation, therefore it¡¯s


    imperative that we find apatible donor, or we will risk dangerous level of organ rejection post-


    operation. There are increasing numbers of acute leukemia patients for the past two years, but suitable


    bone marrow donors are still very rare. I can understand your concerns, however, the only thing we can


    do for Summer right now is to continue her chemotherapy. In the meantime, we will keep searching for


    matching bone marrow.¡±


    Zachary asked, ¡°Let¡¯s say we have no luck in finding her a suitable donor, how long does she have?¡±


    The doctor was a little rattled by the stone-faced Zachary and had chosen his words carefully when he


    replied, ¡°If we stick to our current treatment n, her prognosis is actually quite positive. She will have


    at least three more years.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I understand.¡± Zachary nodded before he stood up abruptly and left the room without uttering


    another word.


    Cameron was panic-stricken and she quickly turned to me. ¡°Letty, quick! You have to stop your father.


    We haven¡¯t gotten to that stage yet!¡±


    Despite being puzzled by what she said, considering the urgency in her tone, I stood up and hurried


    after him. Zachary was dialling on his phone as he waited in front of an elevator.


    I called after him, ¡°Dad, what¡¯s going on? Where are you going?¡±


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    He turned to me with a self-reproach look on his face. ¡°Scarlett, I know you can¡¯t forgive us for what we


    did to your baby years ago. But don¡¯t you worry now. I won¡¯t let anything happen to another child of


    yours. I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to save Summer.¡±


    I was still as a loss of what he was nning to do as he was about to take off in a grave manner.


    I grabbed onto his arm before he could leave. ¡°Dad, hold on for a second. Ashton is already working on


    ways to save Summer too. Don¡¯t you worry, she¡¯ll be okay.¡±


    Nheless, my words seemed to have fallen on deaf ears. Just then, the elevator door


    opened. Zachary stepped into the elevator and stopped me from following suit. ¡°Stay here and look


    after your mother. I¡¯m just going to look for a better doctor and I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    Right after the elevator door was shut before me, Cameron hurried over and her expression grew more


    desperate when she didn¡¯t see Zachary. ¡°Scarlett, where¡¯s your father? You should have stopped him.


    He¡¯s onto something dangerous!¡±


    ¡°He said he was going to look for another doctor and asked me to stay back.¡±


    Cameron was frantically pressing at the elevator button and her voice was choking up as she said, ¡°If


    he really was looking for another doctor, couldn¡¯t he just do it through the phone? I can¡¯t let him do this,


    not after he¡¯s finally decided to settle down and live a normal life with us. If we let him do this, there¡¯ll be


    no turning back for all of us.¡±


    Sensing that something was off, I looked at her and my jaw was tightening. ¡°Mom, there¡¯s no way I can


    catch up to him now. But I¡¯ll get Ashton to stop him. While I¡¯m on the phone, you¡¯re gonna have to get


    yourself together, and then tell me what really is going on, okay?¡±


    With tears rolling down her cheeks, she finally nodded. After I contacted Ashton and told him to get in


    touch with Zachary, I helped Cameron sit down on a bench in the corridor.


    After the woman finally collected herself, she slowly spoke, ¡°My dear, have you heard of organ trading?


    I was stunned by her revtion as cold sweats started to form on my forehead. Shaking my head, I


    continued to ask, ¡°Mom, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Wiping the tears away from her eyes, the woman slowly exined, ¡°Scarlett, there¡¯s nothing in this


    world you can¡¯t buy with enough money and power, including human organs. Your father started


    thinking about it when Summer started falling sick. He used to work with mafia, so he knows his way


    around this ck market. I tried to talk him out of this, but he wouldn¡¯t listen to me. Now that our lives


    are finally back to normal, and you are expecting another child, it¡¯s just too much risk to involve both


    our families in this business.¡±


    I took a few moments to calm my racing heart. ¡°Mom, has Dad found one?¡±

 Chapter 966

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 966


    Cameron looked at me with her eyes widened in intense fear. ¡°My dear, you can¡¯t be seriously


    considering it! These organs, they are all harvested with illegal means!¡±


    ¡°Mom, that¡¯s not what I meant. I¡¯m just trying to figure out where Dad could be heading that¡¯s all.


    Whatever leads he has right now, we have to discuss this matter together before deciding what to do.¡±


    She nodded, but her body did not stop trembling.


    When Cameron was calmer and more collected, she started to analyze the situation, ¡°Your father had


    washed his hands off this business many years ago. But starting a few days ago, he¡¯s been secretly


    contacting a few of his old buddies regarding this matter. I overheard from his conversations that the


    ck market, as well as the operations, are only carried out in A City. So, your dad must be on his way


    to the airport to fly over there and meet with the dealer.¡±


    Upon hearing which, I made another phone call to Ashton for him to intercept Zachary at the airport. I


    turned to Cameron and asked, ¡°Who else knows about this?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    She shook her head. ¡°Just the two of us. I didn¡¯t want him to take the risk. If found out, our whole family


    will be done for.¡±


    Sensing that my silence might mean otherwise, Cameron tried to probe, ¡°Scarlett, tell me, if your father


    found bothpatible bone marrow and kidney for Summer, would you have agreed to it?¡±


    Her question was loaded with massive moral conundrums; my head was filled with many questions to


    which I didn¡¯t have immediate answers. I lowered my head to look at my phone, at a loss for words.


    Cameron grew more anxious as she grabbed onto my arm and said grievously, ¡°My dear, listen to me,


    you can¡¯t do this. Summer is such an adorable kid and we all love her dearly. But you can¡¯t gamble


    your future with this matter. It would have been okay if this only involves me and your father, since


    we¡¯ve had our share of lives at this age. But things are different for you and Ashton. You¡¯re finally


    expecting another child and you still have a long way to go. As for Summer, we may just have to ept


    that this is her destiny. Please promise me you won¡¯t make a rash decision on this.¡±


    Cameron¡¯s concerns were valid, and anyone with a sound logic should arrive at the same conclusion.


    However, I had long regarded Summer as my own daughter, so the only logical sense as a mother was


    to save my daughter by whatever means necessary.


    I looked at her and sighed. ¡°Mom, Summer is my daughter. There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll give up on her. If the


    dealer manages to find a donor from a clean source, why can¡¯t we give Summer a chance to live?¡±


    Cameron¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°Are you out of your mind? There¡¯s no way that kind of things will


    be clean!¡±


    I knew there was no way that I could sway her mind right now, but I couldn¡¯t help but imagine a


    scenario where someone passed on from an ident and we could offer a sum of money to her family.


    It would not have brought her life back, but in a way, parts of her spirit got to live on. The concept of


    organ donation at death might sound cruel to some people, but if the alternative for the body was to be


    cremated, leaving nothing but ashes behind, why not let them save another life?


    ¡°Mom, let¡¯s not talk about this right now. Can you please keep Summerpany while I try to locate


    Dad and talk to him?¡± It¡¯s too early to dismiss any remote chance Summer may have.


    Cameron did not sound fully convinced. ¡°My dear, whatever you do, please be mindful of the potential


    consequences they may have on both our families. Do you understand what I mean?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    I left the hospital and tried to reach Ashton by phone, but it was engaged. I then attempted to call


    Zachary¡¯s number, also to no avail. I was feeling rather helpless when my phone rang.


    Seeing Armond¡¯s name on my caller ID only made me feel more frustrated. My tone was more than


    agitated when I answered his call, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Instead of being offended, an audibleugh rang from the other end of the line as the man spoke,


    ¡°Sensing from your impatient tone, I suppose you ran into some trouble. Why don¡¯t youe and have


    a chat with me? I may be able to cheer you up.¡±


    ¡°If you have nothing more to say, I¡¯ll hang up now.¡± My patience was running thin for this pervert.


    He sighed and said, ¡°Hold on a second, I was told that Zachary is on his way to A City. I¡¯m wondering


    whether that¡¯s because Jared¡¯s bone marrow is notpatible with Summer¡¯s. If that¡¯s the case, then I


    suppose he¡¯s heading toward A City to search for¡­¡±


    The man had now sessfully riled me up. ¡°Armond Murphy, what kind of a sicko are you? And what


    do you want from me?¡±


    ¡°I just told you, I may have some information that¡¯s useful to you so that your daughter will stop


    suffering from chemotherapy.¡± His tone suddenly took on a serious note, ¡°There¡¯s no need to dismiss


    me just yet. I know exactly what you¡¯re looking for and I may even have means to secure some for you.


    So, what do you say about meeting up?¡±


    I paused for a brief moment to ponder on his words. Maybe what he said wasn¡¯t all bullsh*t.


    ¡°Fine. I can meet you up.¡±

 Chapter 967

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 967


    He seemed to be smiling approvingly when he replied, ¡°I thought you were going to reject me again.


    Great, I¡¯ll send you the address after this. Don¡¯t bete, or I¡¯ll be sad.¡±


    After hanging up the call, I tried Ashton¡¯s number again. Finally, he answered the phone and there were


    some traffic noises from his end.


    ¡°Ashton, is everything okay over there?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m stuck in traffic.¡± Ashton sounded a little flustered. ¡°But don¡¯t you worry; I¡¯ve managed to make


    contact with Mr. Moore. He promised that he won¡¯t be making the trip to A City for now.¡±


    I heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s great. Can you please take him to the hospitalter? I¡¯ll call Mom right


    now to let her know.¡±


    I gave Cameron a quick update on the phone before receiving a text message with the address where I


    was supposed to meet Armond.


    The address was not far from where I was so I decided to take a cab there.


    I arrived at the address to find a cafe bistro that actually resembled more of a private residence. I


    almost missed the entrance until a waiter greeted me and led me inside.


    Armond was already waiting for me in a private room. Dressed in a casual blue sweater, his jacket was


    draped over a chair next to him as the heater was turned on in the room. Upon my arrival, his lips


    curled up in a faint smile as he spoke, ¡°Have a seat. Try some of the Earl Grey tea here.¡±


    Biting my lips, I took a seat across from him as he slowly poured hot water into his tea pot. After which,


    he slid a tea cup in front of me and said gracefully, ¡°Smell the aroma from the tea leaves.¡±


    I took the cup and ced it under my nose to take a whiff. It did smell fresh and earthy. I put down the


    cup and said, ¡°It¡¯s aromatic.¡±


    He kept smiling. ¡°Very tasteful.¡±


    His rxed manner in tea making was in direct contrast to the anxiousness I was feeling all day.


    Sensing he was in no hurry at all to disclose his real intention, I finally broke the silence, ¡°Armond, I


    don¡¯t have all the time in the world to enjoy tea with you.¡±


    His brows frowned slightly, as though I was the biggest buzzkill to his mood. He scorned me and said,


    ¡°I live life in pursuit of enjoying the quality of the finer things. If you think that I¡¯m wasting your time, the


    exit is that way,¡± the man said while pointing his slender finger at the door.


    He knew clearly that I would not leave just yet, not before I got what I came for.


    Pursing my lips, I once again picked up the tea cup and downed the drink in one big gulp. His


    condescending voice rang in front of me as I did so, ¡°You ought to savour good tea in small sips, not


    downing it like some cheap wine!¡±


    I put down the cup and stared at him. ¡°It still ends up in the same ce. I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s all


    the fuss about.¡±


    Furrowing his brows, the man poured another cup of tea from his pot and grunted, ¡°Drink and taste it


    slowly!¡±


    I was increasingly irritated. I wasn¡¯t even a tea person to begin with; not to mention differentiating the


    taste of the tea between big gulps and small sips. However, to get him off my back, I had no choice but


    to taste the tea his way.


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Armond was finally satisfied with the show I put on. ¡°Not bad.¡±


    I heaved a sigh of relief and fixed my gaze at him.


    Unfazed by my re, the man drank thest of his tea elegantly before hemented, ¡°This is indeed


    exceptional tea.¡±


    Finally, his vision fell on me while his lips curled up in a smirk. ¡°Am I to understand that you¡¯re willing to


    be with me?¡±


    My brows furrowed into a knot as I tried to contain the mounting rage in my chest. ¡°You already know


    that I¡¯m a married woman. I can offer you money if that¡¯s what you¡¯re after. In addition, if you manage to


    save Summer, I¡¯ll make sure you get to keep my grandma¡¯s sandalwood box.¡±


    The man let out an unsettling chortle as he replied, ¡°This bargaining chip is quite attractive indeed.


    However, that box is not the most urgent matter to my family. Right now, you¡¯re what I want the most.¡±


    I stood up, thinking that I hade all the way here for nothing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be in such a hurry. I¡¯m not done exining myself. How are we going to be together when you¡¯re


    so impatient?¡± The content of his words could pass for something a boyfriend would say to his


    girlfriend. But the fact that they came from Armond just made me feel chilly all over.


    I pursed my lips and remained silent.


    This time he finally got straight to the point. ¡°Okay, fine. There¡¯s no point going down that road again.


    Now, why don¡¯t you do me a favor, and I¡¯ll let you know how to rece your daughter¡¯s faulty organ


    with one that¡¯s functioning?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your condition?¡±


    If one decides to broker a deal with the devil, one has to be prepared to go to hell.


    For a few moments, he just stared at me until I was losing patience before he suddenly blurted, ¡°Stay


    here to have dinner with us and be on your best behavior.¡±


    ¡°You havepany?¡± I asked while lifting my eyebrow.


    At that moment, I heard a quick knock on our door and turned around to find a middle-aged woman


    walking toward us. Her otherwise elegant and beautiful features were shrouded by an overall shadow


    of long-term sickness, not unlike the pasty look on Hailey¡¯s face.


    ¡°Armond, I was told by the counter staff that you brought a friend here. Is this she?¡± the woman asked


    merrily.


    The usual gloom and sinister looks on the man¡¯s face instantly reced with that of warmth and


    tenderness. He stood up and spoke in the most respectful manner I had ever heard, ¡°News travels fast,


    Mom. She just got here minutes ago.¡±

 Chapter 968

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 968


    The woman let out a friendly chuckle and turned to Armond. ¡°You should have informed me earlier that


    we¡¯re expecting a guest so I can be more prepared. After all, this is the first time you brought a female


    friend over here.¡±


    The woman then walked toward me and asked kindly, ¡°You must be hungry now. What would you like


    for dinner?¡±


    I hesitated for a brief moment and shot Armond a quick nce. He was now looking at me with his


    darkened expression, causing me to respond ordingly, ¡°Thanks, Mrs. Murphy. I¡¯m easy.¡±


    The woman continued to exchange more pleasantries with me before she headed out to get dinner


    ready.


    The second the woman left our sights, a glint of malevolent reappeared in Armond¡¯s eyes. ¡°Cooperate


    with me, and I¡¯ll tell you what you need to know.¡±


    I pursed my lips and asked, ¡°She¡¯s your mother?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± He nodded. ¡°For years, she has been hoping that I¡¯ll get married and settle down with a family.


    When shees back, just go with whatever she says and don¡¯t you try to get at her.¡±


    I replied tly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s you that I despise. Unlike you, I won¡¯ty a finger on a sick person. I¡¯m


    not a monster.¡±


    ¡°How did you know she¡¯s not well?¡± he asked with his brow lifted.


    ¡°I¡¯m not blind. Herplexion is too pale for a normal, healthy person.¡±


    ¡°Well then, make sure you¡¯re on your best behavior,¡± he snarked.


    I looked at the certifiably treacherous man before me and lost in thoughts for a brief moment. I


    remember having read somewhere that stiptes that the more wickedly evil the person is, the easier it


    is to search for his soft spot. No one can be categorically judged as good or bad, as they are merely


    driven by their respective motives. People can be motivated by money, their loved ones, or even the


    people of their country. Whatever actions that follow are only means to an end.


    ¡°So how am I supposed to address her?¡±


    The man raised an eyebrow and curled his lips while watching me. ¡°Well, you can call her¡­Mom, just


    like I do.¡±


    Furrowing my brows, I decided to ignore him.


    Not long after, Armond¡¯s mother came knocking on our door again. With an apron still wrapped around


    her waist, she happily announced, ¡°Dinner is ready!¡±


    Armond smiled and nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll be there in just a second.¡±


    After his mother left, he once again turned to me and narrowed his eyes slightly as he reminded,


    ¡°Again, know your ce, and keep your lips tight on things that shouldn¡¯t be said.¡±


    Rolling my eyes, I stood up and left the room.


    Walking into the main dining area of the bistro, I was amazed by the sophisticated and tasteful internal


    design. Even though this was not the most spacious cafe bistro in town, every little corner of this ce


    gave off the sense of more money being spent on the furnishings here than in a bigger restaurant.


    I saw a bouquet of sunflowers on our table from afar and thought it to be a stic flower bouquet. But


    as I came closer to it I was surprised to see that they were real flowers. Sunflowers are definitely not in


    season right now. How on earth is he able to secure some fresh sunflowers around this time of the


    year?


    Armond¡¯s mother continued beaming at me while she sat down beside me. ¡°Armond should have told


    me earlier that you¡¯re visiting today. Please forgive me for the simple dishes tonight. I¡¯ll prepare


    something more to your liking next time youe over.¡±


    I shook my head and smiled in return. ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Mrs. Murphy. The dishes all look delicious.¡±


    The man was rather quiet throughout dinner, save for when his mother asked him some questions, to


    which he provided very short answers. As such, his mother had kept busy by talking to me.


    I wanted to stop her from stacking more food on my te, but refrained from doing so, thinking that she


    only meant well. Since I was pregnant, I figured I should probably increase my intake of food anyway.


    Nevertheless, my stomach seemed to disagree with me when it started to churn ufortably just


    after a few bites. I darted into the washroom feeling extremely nauseated but didn¡¯t retch up anything.


    Armond¡¯s mother came into the washroom to check up on me. ¡°Is everything okay? Are you feeling


    sick? Should I get Armond to send you to the hospital?¡±


    Realizing this was my first morning sickness since the pregnancy, I shook my head and smiled faintly,


    ¡°I¡¯m alright, just feeling a little nauseated that¡¯s all. I¡¯ll be okay.¡±


    Being a mother herself, the woman was suddenly delighted as a broad grin shed across her face.


    ¡°Are you expecting? How far are you along? Have you done a check-up at the hospital?¡±


    I was momentarily stunned by the questions she just rattled off and finally decided to tell her the truth,


    ¡°It¡¯s been two months now. I haven¡¯t experienced much morning sickness, but otherwise I¡¯m doing


    okay.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great!¡± Her eyes almost narrowed into two thin lines from smiling. She led me out of the


    washroom and helped me to the table while rambling, ¡°These dishes are not suitable for someone


    who¡¯s pregnant. You wait here and I¡¯ll whip up something else for you.¡±


    The woman was about to head back to the kitchen when I tried to grab firmly onto her arm. ¡°Mrs.


    Murphy, there really is no need to trouble you. I¡¯mpletely fine with these dishes.¡±


    She gently pried open my hand while still smiling merrily. ¡°It¡¯s ok, darling. I¡¯m just so happy I want to


    cook something else for you and baby. You just wait here.¡±

 Chapter 969

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 969


    Armond wasn¡¯t dumb. He heard his mother¡¯s grumbling, so he waited till she went into the kitchen then


    turned to stare at me.


    I lowered my head to look at my phone, ignoring his cold stare. Ashton was asking about my


    whereabouts. Worried that he would overanalyze, I merely replied that I was outside.


    Armond snatched my phone right after I replied, then stared at me with a scowl. ¡°y your role well


    while you¡¯re here. Are you pregnant?¡±


    My mouth was set in a hard line, and I red at him as if he was a maniac. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a


    girlfriend? Why didn¡¯t you bring Nora? Right! I almost forgot people like you don¡¯t deserve her. Good


    thing you didn¡¯t bring her here and give her some useless hope.¡±


    He was unperturbed by my sarcasm. ¡°Does Ashton know you¡¯re pregnant?¡±


    I truly thought this man was mad. If it weren¡¯t for his mother, I would¡¯ve torn him up into pieces. ¡°Of


    course, the baby is his. If he doesn¡¯t, who else should?


    He smiled creepily and was giving me a spine-chilling stare. I couldn¡¯t sit there any further, just as I was


    about to stand up and leave.


    His mother came in with a lovely smile carrying a bowl of soup. ¡°Scarlett, please have more of this


    soup. It¡¯s good for you. I loved it so much when I was pregnant with Armond. Try it!¡±


    I stared at the bowl of soup ced in front of me. The fight I had with Armond had made me lost my


    appetite, but I could feel her attentive gaze boring into me. I couldn¡¯t think of an excuse to reject her, so


    I took a small sip.


    After a few more sips, I thanked her, ¡°Thank you so much, Mrs. Murphy! It¡¯s delicious.¡±


    She smiled. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. I can make it for you every day and ask Armond to send it to you. Please


    come and visit me often. Armond was busy all year round, so I didn¡¯t have anyone to talk to. When you


    have your baby, my ce would be all the merrier.


    ¡°Oh! Have you started nning for your wedding? Don¡¯t forget about it.¡±


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    She then said to Armond solemnly, ¡°You need to pay more attention to the wedding. Every parent


    raises their girls preciously, so you have to treat them right. Ask her directly if you¡¯re unsure about any


    of the details. We have to treat her as best as we could.¡±


    Armond nodded with a smile. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m not a child anymore. You don¡¯t have to exhort me on every


    little thing. I¡¯m an adult and I know these things.¡±


    ¡°Armond!¡±


    Their exchange was heartwarming. Armond¡¯s usual dark character was nowhere to be seen. It could be


    their chat was taking too long, so Mrs. Murphy started to feel tired. Noticing her fatigue, Armond


    dragged me and said a few words to her before we left.


    Not long after we got in the car, I said, ¡°Stop here. I can get my own taxi back.¡±


    The car showed no intention to stop. His dark eyes were focused on the road ahead, and so I repeated,


    ¡°Mr. Murphy, please stop the car. I can get back myself!¡±


    He narrowed his cold eyes at me. ¡°It looked like you forgot the reason you¡¯re here today.¡±


    Anger poured through me. ¡°Armond, do you know how disgusting you¡¯re acting right now? You called


    me here and threatened me to follow your instruction if I wanted to know the way to save my daughter.


    I did exactly as you asked, and now you¡¯re not stopping the car when I¡¯m asking you nicely. You don¡¯t


    know how every moment I spent with you was torture to me. If you didn¡¯t intend to tell me about the


    information from the start, just say so! You don¡¯t have to act in such a roundabout way.¡±


    He just stared at me. I knew my words were cruel and hurtful, but I really couldn¡¯t deal with him for a


    day longer.


    Silence lingered in the air. The cool air had turned chilly. I thought he would get angry and chased me


    out of his car or punch me in the face.


    However, I didn¡¯t think that he would just look at me calmly and said, ¡°The person who could save your


    daughter is in A City. Take this and go find the person ording to the address on it.¡±


    On his outstretched palmid a business card. I took the card without much thought. ¡°Stop the car. I


    want to get off here!¡±


    He stopped the car by the roadside. I tried to open the door but realized he didn¡¯t unlock it. He said


    when I red at him, ¡°Initially, I wanted you to have a miscarriage because the baby came at such a


    bad time, but it seemed that my mother really loves the baby. She had started knitting clothes for the


    baby, so now you can have the baby. My mother would take good care of it.¡±

 Chapter 970

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 970


    ¡°You are crazy!¡± I shouted. I didn¡¯t want to listen to anything he said because he was too loathsome.


    Every word out of his mouth was like a thorn pricking me. ¡°I want to get off right now, and this baby has


    nothing to do with you!¡±


    He smiled faintly with warmth in his gaze. ¡°Tell Ashton that I will take care of both you and the baby for


    him.¡±


    ¡°You are a psycho!¡± This man was really out of his mind.


    He finally unlocked the door. I swiftly got off the car, not wanting to stay there for even a second longer.


    I walked in the opposite direction and called Ashton. Ashton had picked up the call immediately after it


    was connected. ¡°Ashton!¡±


    He said, ¡°I¡¯m behind you.¡±


    I reflexively turned my head and saw a ck Bentley following me. I then realized that it was Ashton¡¯s


    car.


    He continued coldly, ¡°It¡¯s cold outside. Let¡¯s talk after you get in.¡±


    Based on my years of experience with Ashton, I knew he was in a bad mood. I hung up the phone and


    got in the car. The interior of the car was warm, but the atmosphere was chilly.


    After I buckled in, I let out a breath and said to Ashton, ¡°When did you get here?¡±


    He nced at me with rage burning in his eyes. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    I was taken aback by his question. ¡°What?¡± I didn¡¯t understand what he meant. As soon as the word


    was out of my mouth, his anger spiked.


    He interrogated with a dark look, ¡°Are you going to keep pretending? Don¡¯t you know the kind of person


    Armond is? How could you not know the reason he¡¯s looking for you? Scarlett, I thought we are


    completely honest with each other. Why didn¡¯t you tell me about Armond?¡±


    It seemed that he saw me got off Armond¡¯s car, but wasn¡¯t it too coincidental for him to appear right as I


    was getting off Armond¡¯s car in a city so big? Unless¡­


    I frowned. ¡°When did you get here?¡±


    His eyes glinted with disappointment as he stared at me. ¡°And all you¡¯re concerned about is when I got


    here?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No. Ashton, I know we¡¯re husband and wife, and there shouldn¡¯t be any secrets


    between us, but we¡¯re also individuals. In short, I have my ns and thought that may be different from


    yours. Even though I know Armond is not a good person and is unreliable, this doesn¡¯t mean anything


    now. I have my reason for meeting him, so please believe me.¡±


    His brows knitted into a frown at my exnation.


    Shortly after, he kept his frustration in check and replied, ¡°Alright, I respect you. Tell me when you¡¯re


    ready.¡±


    He started the car and focused on driving. He didn¡¯t nce at me even once. He was acting like a


    child.


    His expression remained dark even after we arrived at thepany. He entered thepany in


    silence and didn¡¯t spare a nce in my direction.


    I followed him, slightly embarrassed. There were many people around, and they looked surprised when


    they saw me walking behind Ashton.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Arriving at the VIP elevator, the door closed right after he went in. It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t want to enter,


    but I couldn¡¯t catch up to him.


    I was bewildered as the elevator doors closed right in front of me. I was thoroughly embarrassed as I


    felt the stares and heard the whispers from those around me.


    ¡°Did Mr. Fuller fought with Mrs. Fuller? He just left her there. I have second-hand embarrassment from


    watching her.¡±


    ¡°I thought Mr. Fuller was only cold towards the employees, but he was even cold towards his wife. It


    looks like it wasn¡¯t easy being a rich man¡¯s wife.¡±


    ¡°What did you expect then? Those rich men could pick any girls they want. If they wanted to marry,


    wouldn¡¯t they want to marry a beautiful maid willing to coax, tter, and take care of them? There¡¯s no


    love among the rich. All they want is afortable life and someone to please them.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. It was just like those series that urred in the Georgian era in which the queen didn¡¯t


    have any say in front of the king. We have finally reached an era of gender equality, but it doesn¡¯t mean


    anything in the eyes of the rich.¡±


    I stood there waiting for them to finish. We shouldn¡¯t underestimate gossip between women. They


    could even refer to soap operas that took ce in the Georgian era. Even I felt miserable for myself,


    listening to theirparison. It looked like I was merely Ashton¡¯s trophy wife in their eyes.


    The VIP elevator was operated by facial recognition technology, without Ashton, I could only take the


    normal elevator. As the women reached my side, they finally stopped gossiping.

 Chapter 971

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 971


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller!¡± Suddenly someone stood beside me, giving me a scare. I smiled as I noticed it was


    Ste.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    I managed to squeeze myself in when the elevator doors opened. Maybe everyone knew my identity,


    so no one mentioned the rumors between Ashton and me. They were chatting to Ste instead.


    From their conversation, I could deduce that Ste was well-liked by the other employees. Well, pretty


    and bubbly girls were always well-liked by others.


    I got out when the elevator reached Ashton¡¯s office. However, I was thunderstruck because I would


    need Ashton¡¯s fingerprint to enter his office.


    I decided to call him. Just as I whipped out my phone, the door opened, and out came Ste again.


    Her gaze flickered between me and the door. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, were you busy recently? I don¡¯t see you visit


    Mr. Fuller much these days.¡±


    I gave her a once-over and saw she was holding documents that require Ashton¡¯s approval. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve


    been busy with something.¡±


    She smiled faintly in response then entered Ashton¡¯s office. As I followed her, I stared at her back. It


    gave me a sense that it was all thanks to her that I was able to enter.


    In the office, Ashton was sitting behind his desk reviewing documents while Ste stood silently by his


    side waiting for his signature. As Ashton lifted his arm, Ste passed him a pen. Their whole interaction


    disyed their excellent teamwork from working closely.


    I stood rooted at the entrance, staring sightlessly at the scene, thinking they were a perfect team.


    A few minutester, Ashton lifted his gaze from his work, focusing his attention on me. ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired


    standing there?¡±


    I smiled. ¡°Isn¡¯t Ms. Collins standing as well? It¡¯s not appropriate if I sit while she stands.¡±


    His brows drew together as he understood my insinuation. He ordered Ste, ¡°You may leave first. I will


    send these documents to youter once I¡¯m done.¡±


    Ste nodded, ¡°Sure!¡±


    She smiled as she said goodbye to me.


    The room fell into a dead silence after Ste left.


    Finally, Ashton said, ¡°Standing too long is not good for you now.¡±


    I arched my brow and leaned against the door. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Mr. Fuller, please finish your work first. My feet


    can stand for a few more minutes. I shouldn¡¯t bother you, seeing as you¡¯re busier than a bee.¡±


    He raised a brow and stood. ¡°Scarlett, do you have to talk to me like that?¡±


    Iughed, ¡°Like how? It looked like Mr. Fuller didn¡¯t even want to speak to me anymore. That¡¯s fine. Mr.


    Fuller, please continue with your work. I won¡¯t disturb you further.¡±


    I turned and left.


    However, Ashton wasn¡¯t the kind of person who let problems fester into the night. He blocked my exit.


    ¡°You know that is not what I mean.¡±


    I chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Finish your work first.¡±


    He grabbed my wrist. ¡°Let¡¯s settle this. The person who should be mad is me. You know the kind of


    person Armond is, yet you still meet him privately. I¡¯m angry because I¡¯m worried about you. Why can¡¯t


    you understand that?¡±


    I raised my head and stared at him. He looked more mature as if he had experienced the vicissitudes


    of life. It made me panic for a second. I kept my panic in check and smiled. ¡°So in your opinion, I¡¯m a


    useless person who didn¡¯t know how to take care of myself? I¡¯m just a clueless idiot, is that it?¡±


    His forehead creased. ¡°You know that is not what I mean.¡±


    I chucked, ¡°But that¡¯s what your words are implying.


    ¡°Whatever. You don¡¯t have to exin anymore. Go and finish your work. Don¡¯t bring emotion into your


    work. It¡¯s not professional.¡±


    I left his office and entered the elevator.


    I left with a smile as I looked at Ashton¡¯s frowning face. I knew that it was my fault regarding Armond


    because I didn¡¯t exin it clearly to him, but there were times when things were moreplicated than


    it seems. An exnation could¡¯ve saved all this trouble, yet we persisted with the solution that made us


    all unhappy.


    I saw Ste again after I exited the elevator. She seemed to be waiting for me. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, are you


    heading back now?¡±


    I nodded with a smile, ¡°Yes.¡±


    She looked at me hesitantly, so I stopped and asked, ¡°You seemed to be focused on your work


    recently. Are you dating now? Your parents must be urging you to get married at your age.¡±


    She was surprised by my remark. ¡°Not really. My parents were quite open-minded. I haven¡¯t met


    anyonepatible, and they respected my decision.¡±

 Chapter 972

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 972


    I chuckled, ¡°I see Justin treating you well. Are you guys together?¡±


    Her face turned dark at the mention of Justin. She was keeping her anger in check, but I was still able


    to discern it. She answered after a short pause, ¡°We¡¯re just friends. He has someone he likes, and it¡¯s


    not me. So please don¡¯t misunderstand. I am dating anyone at the moment as I want to focus on my


    career.¡±


    I nodded with understanding. ¡°Both career and rtionship are equally important. A woman will only


    get married once in their lifetime, so you have to take your rtionship seriously. When Ashton and I


    were younger, we didn¡¯t get to experience the whole dating scene. We just got married. Now that I think


    about it, it is quite regretful. I think it is best if people could date more before getting married.¡±


    Her eyes sparkled at myment. ¡°Did you and Mr. Fuller got married without dating first?¡±


    I nodded and replied, ¡°Ashton and I were an example of love after marriage. Our grandparents were


    the ones who arranged our marriage. His grandfather and my grandmother were good friends.¡±


    Surprise crossed Ste¡¯s face. ¡°So you and Mr. Fuller didn¡¯t have the freedom to date.¡±


    I nodded in agreement. She couldn¡¯t hide the look of surprise. ¡°I thought that both of you had dated


    freely, and it turned out that it was actually because of your grandparents¡¯ friendship. But I heard from


    my colleagues that the Fullers prioritize status above everything else.¡±


    Iughed at her remark because it couldn¡¯t be further from the truth. Not many of the employees knew


    my background. Rachel had always thought that Ashton was way out of my league all these years. She


    considered herself to be on par with me and that she could marry Ashton as well.


    Iughed at my thought. ¡°Ms. Collins, are you close to Ms. Zimmer from the Technology department?¡±


    She was puzzled at my remark but shook her head in reply. ¡°We¡¯re not close. Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± I shook my head and prepared to leave. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, and I have a date with


    someone, so I¡¯ll be taking my leave.¡±


    She opened her mouth to say something but snapped her mouth close when she saw that I was


    leaving. She finally uttered, ¡°Bye!¡±


    After leaving thepany, my phone received an apology text from Ashton. I gave it a glimpse, then


    stuffed the phone in my purse.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    It wasn¡¯t that I was mad at him. Sometimes, some things didn¡¯t need to be rified too clearly.


    Shortly after, I received a call from Nora. ¡°Scarlett, what are you doing right now? Are you busy? I¡¯m so


    bored that I could watch the paint dry.¡±


    I nced at the time, and it was two in the afternoon. I just realized that it was possible that Ashton


    hadn¡¯t had lunch yet. He went to search for Zachary in the morning, then was busy searching for me.


    So all his work from the morning must have hadpiled to be cleared in the afternoon.


    ¡°Scarlet, are you there? Why are you not talking? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Nora¡¯s questions from the phone


    dragged me back from my thoughts. ¡°I¡¯m here. What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Do you know the location of thepany Armond is working at? I couldn¡¯t reach him since I¡¯ve arrived


    at K City. He didn¡¯t pick up his phone, and I didn¡¯t get any replies from him on WhatsApp. Do you know


    if something had happened to him?¡± Worry wasced in Nora¡¯s tone.


    Thinking back to the morning when I just met Armond, I frowned and said, ¡°K City has many ces of


    interest. Take some time out to visit them. It could be that Armond is quite busy with work these days,


    so he didn¡¯t have time to take care of you.¡±


    She breathed out a long sigh. ¡°I know he¡¯s busy with work, but he couldn¡¯t have been busy the entire


    day, right? Even if he is busy, don¡¯t tell me he didn¡¯t even have time to nce at his phone. I have


    never asked him to pick up all my calls, but it has been a few days, so I am sure he must¡¯ve seen the


    texts on his phone. I mean¡­ he could¡¯ve at least replied to one of my messages!¡±


    My head was starting to ache. ¡°I¡¯m not sure where the headquarters of the Murphy Corporation is in K


    City, but even if I do know, Armond may not be there.¡±


    She sighed, ¡°I understand. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with him these days. It felt like he was avoiding


    me, and I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ve done wrong. Scarlett, could it be that he had met someone he likes?¡±


    ¡°Nora, how much do you like him?¡± I didn¡¯t know how to advise her because Armond wasn¡¯t sincere in


    dating her. I had kept quiet initially because I didn¡¯t see his true color. However, I knew it now, and she


    would fell deeper into the rabbit hole if I continued to remain silent. I was worried that she would hate


    me for not telling her.


    She was silent for a while. ¡°I couldn¡¯t say how much, but I was nning to spend the rest of my life with


    him. Scarlett, I know it isn¡¯t wise to tie my emotions and everything on a man, but I can¡¯t control it. He


    was the first person I loved in my entire life. When I couldn¡¯t find him these few days, I wanted to head


    to the Murphy Residence to look for him. I know I¡¯m not inferior to him, but I just couldn¡¯t control


    myself.¡±

 Chapter 973

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 973


    I pursed my lips as my head spun from it all. ¡°Nora, maybe Armond is not the man for you. I think you


    deserve someone better.¡±


    A long silence ensued. Nora calmed down on the other end and finally spoke, ¡°Scarlett, do you know


    something about Armond? Has he found another woman, and fallen in love with her? Is that why you¡¯re


    saying this?¡±


    Her question made me realize that my remarks were out of line. Stumped, I spoke, ¡°No, I just didn¡¯t


    want you to head into a blind alley. I¡¯m just trying to remind you that there¡¯s more to life other than


    being in a rtionship. Don¡¯t overthink it. I¡¯m really swamped these days. I¡¯ll ask you and Hailey out for


    lunch after this. Speaking of which, how is Hailey doing?¡±


    Nora did not dwell on my words, and snapped out of her emotions and said, ¡°She¡¯s doing okay, but I


    really find her so odd sometimes. She just stands by the window and lets the cold wind brush past her


    face, and she rarely talks. Even if she does, she¡¯s making all these weird remarks like there¡¯s


    something wrong with her. Hailey¡¯s really not good business material. I mean, people are put off by her


    somber outlook, and really reluctant to talk business with her.¡±


    She paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°Right, I identally saw her taking a shower in the


    bathroom yesterday, and noticed a really long scar on her left breast. Has she gotten injured in the


    past? I didn¡¯t dare to ask her since we¡¯re really not that close, and I haven¡¯t known her for long. Are you


    close to her, Scarlett? To be frank, I¡¯m a little scared of her.¡±


    I creased my brows slightly and said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with her. It¡¯s just that she has depression


    because of what happened to her father. Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s still in control of her emotions. Just chat her


    up more often if you have the time.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Nora seemed surprised at my statement. ¡°She has depression? I didn¡¯t know that! How did you


    know that? How long have you known her anyway? Why do you seem to know a lot about her?¡±


    I was rendered speechless. Nora was just pining over Armond moments ago, but now the woman was


    inquiring about Hailey with such gusto.


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    I found it hard to exin everything to her and merely said, ¡°I met her when I was back in A City. She¡¯s


    really not business material, but I think her father is the reason why she¡¯s so hung up about doing


    business. Don¡¯t overthink it. Just talk to her when you¡¯ve got the time. The same goes for Armond.


    Don¡¯t waste your time overthinking things. He will call you if he really wants to see you. I think you


    should know that if the man doesn¡¯t want to see you, there¡¯s no way you could reach him anyway.¡±


    I initially nned to go the hospital after I hung up the phone. However, at the thought that Ashton


    might not have had his lunch yet, I bought some of his favorite foods at the city center before dropping


    by.


    Since Jared¡¯s bone marrow did not match Summer¡¯s, the only way right now was to get to A City as


    soon as possible. I was not sure if the name card Armond gave me was of any use, but I got to give it a


    try no matter what.


    I called Cameron and asked him about Zachary. I didn¡¯t know what Ashton said to him, but ording to


    Cameron, he had calmed down and was no longer rushing to A City.


    Organ trade is never an option. These words were only fit for people whose children were perfectly


    healthy.


    The truth was, they might have a paradigm shift once their children could benefit from it. Outsiders


    would not have a clue as to what the parents were put through when their children were diagnosed with


    a terminal illness.


    I went back to the Fuller Corporation and took an elevator with some of the employees. I noticed that


    the girls were stealing nces at me. Frowning, I could not help but wonder if there was anything odd


    with my appearance.


    Nobody liked to be stared at, and I was starting to get annoyed. ¡°Which department are you guys


    from?¡± I asked with a stern face.


    Stumped at my sudden question, the group looked at me and replied, ¡°We¡¯re from the Publicity


    Department.¡±


    I merely nodded and said nothing. The group went silent as well.


    After some time, the group was at a loss and asked, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, are you going to see Mr. Fuller?¡±


    I nodded and gave them a slight smile. ¡°I¡¯m going to send him lunch.¡±


    The others nodded and smiled. ¡°Mr. Fuller is so lucky, but normally Ms. Collins will prepare snacks for


    him¡­¡±


    Another woman nudged at the person who was clearly talking too much. She managed an awkward


    smile and stopped talking.


    The smile on my face remained unchanged as Imented, ¡°That¡¯s very thoughtful of her.¡±


    The others smiled and said nothing further.


    The elevator door finally sprung open and I stepped out of it. The smile on my face disappeared. It¡¯s


    never easy to try to ignore the elephant in the room, is it?

 Chapter 974

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 974


    A rhythmic cking of heels rang in the hallway. I lifted my head and noticed that it was Rachel. She


    was carrying some documents. After noticing the food in my hands, she asked, ¡°Are you sending lunch


    to Mr. Fuller?¡±


    I nodded. There was nomon topic for us to talk about, and I did not try to stretch our conversation.


    After a brief pause, the woman looked at me and said, ¡°I guess you should be quite busytely.¡±


    Oh, so she has something to say to me.


    As expected, she continued, ¡°I know you¡¯re busy, but don¡¯t neglect your family. Some things can really


    sneak their way in when you¡¯re not paying attention.


    Surprisingly, I was not as vexed as I thought I would be at her remarks. I merely replied, ¡°I think you


    can be more outright with what you¡¯re trying to say. There¡¯s no need to beat around the bush.¡±


    She shrugged and said nonchntly, ¡°I¡¯m not trying to beat around the bush, actually. It¡¯s just some


    words going around, maybe I¡¯m overthinking this.


    ¡°Hmm, I really have a lot of work to do. I¡¯d better get going then, talkter,¡± she said as she trotted


    away with documents in her hands.


    I pursed my lips as I watched her silhouette walking away. Damn it, this is really starting to get on my


    nerve.


    I reached the entrance of Ashton¡¯s office, and his door was ajar. I stood at the door with the food


    clutched in my hand and hesitated for a moment before deciding to just go inside.


    However, a voice rang just when I was about to push the door in. ¡°Mr. Fuller, since you¡¯re already done


    with these documents, I¡¯ll send them downstairs.¡± It was Ste Collins.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Ashton¡¯s voice sounded impassive.


    Seeing that he was still busy with work, I did not rush to head in. Instead, I yed with my phone in the


    visitors¡¯ room.


    Exchanges from inside the office could be heard. Everything seemed normal. After half an hour, his


    office door sprung open, and Ste headed out with a pile of documents in her hands. She was


    stumped at the sight of me before she snapped out of it and smiled. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, when did you get


    here?¡±


    I gave her a thin smile. ¡°It¡¯s been some time. I didn¡¯t want to interrupt you guys working.¡±


    She smiled in response. ¡°Mr. Fuller is reviewing some documents. He¡¯s been swamped with worktely


    since a lot is going on in thepany, and he might not have time to apany you recently. I think


    he¡¯ll be able to spend more time with you after this.¡±


    With a thin smile, I mumbled a response and said nothing further.


    Ashton heard my voice and came out of his office. His furrowed brows eased a little, and his impassive


    face lit up with a warm smile at the sight of me. ¡°What did you bring me?¡±


    I looked at him and gestured at the food I brought. Looking directly at Ste, I said, ¡°I heard the girls


    over at the Publicity Department saying that you would bring Mr. Fuller dessert every day. I have a


    sweet tooth too. Am I in luck for any today?¡±


    Her smile stiffened for a brief moment before she said, ¡°I brought Mr. Fuller some because he did not


    have lunch just now. He¡¯s always had some trouble with his stomach, and I was worried about him


    getting gastric. What do you think if I bring you some when youe over next time, Mrs. Fuller?¡±


    I smiled at the woman and nodded. ¡°Thanks for the trouble then, Ste.¡±


    Ashton had shown no interest in our exchange and had already removed the packaging of the food that


    I brought over. Noticing that Ste kept talking to me, he furrowed his brows and ordered her, ¡°Go get


    busy.¡±


    The woman nodded and took the documents away.


    As I watched her leave, I could not help but think that the girl really was something else.


    Ashton noticed that I was eyeing her. Frowning, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    I turned around to look at him, my annoyance with what happened back in the elevator just now


    dissipated into thin air. ¡°Is Joseph going to stay for long at Moranta?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°The project is quite demanding. He wouldn¡¯t be able toe back for some time.¡±


    I noticed that he was wolfing down on the food that I brought over and asked, ¡°Does it taste good?¡±


    Maybe I had changed the topic too abruptly, as the man paused and looked at me. ¡°Why do you care


    about when Joseph ising back suddenly?¡±


    I pursed my lips in frustration. ¡°So you like having Ste around?¡±


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Bemused, the man furrowed his brows. ¡°Something is off with the way you talk. Aren¡¯t you quite close


    to her? What¡¯s the matter with youtely?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean I¡¯m close to her?¡± I was surprised at his remark. What have I done that made him


    think I was close with that woman?


    He raised a brow in response. ¡°It seems like I¡¯ve misunderstood. No big whoop. I¡¯ll just swap her out


    after a few days.¡±


    I frowned at his nonchnt reply. ¡°What will other people think when you promote her and dismiss her


    for no apparent reason? Since you like having her around, just put her to good use, as long as it


    doesn¡¯t interfere with your work.¡±


    Maybe I was being too sensitive about the matter.


    His phone rang after a few bites. He picked up the call, and dived right back into work. Noticing that it


    was almost time for him to get off work, I decided to just wait for him for a visit to Summerter.


    A document appeared right in front of me when I was preupied with my thoughts. Ashton handed


    over the document to me and said, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, would you be a dear and send this over to the Finance


    Department?¡±

 Chapter 975

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 975


    Despite furrowing my brows, my face split into a grin. ¡°You¡¯re good at ordering people huh!¡±


    He gave me a slight smile and put the document in front of me. ¡°You¡¯re going to get so bored just sitting


    around. Why don¡¯t you take a walk instead?¡±


    I walked out of his office after taking over the document. I had been feeling quite bloated recently,


    perhaps because the baby was developing in my belly.


    Meanwhile, at the Finance Department.


    Perhaps my visit to Fuller Corporation was too frequent, the staff over at the department was not at all


    surprised by my unannounced appearance. However, it was surprising to bump into Stacey there. It


    suddenly hit me that I had not seen her for some time.


    She had lost some weight, and her figure was lean. Her long hair was now short, and there was a


    certain dignified aura to her. Her clothes entuated that aura, but not because she was piling on


    designer pieces. Rather, it was her keen sense of style that brought out her noble vibe. Overall, she


    looked like a shrewd irondy.


    We locked gaze, and I smiled. ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t at K City!¡±


    She replied with a smile too. ¡°This is my battlefield. I can¡¯t get used to the environment out there


    anyway. This feels right to me.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°Yes, obviously. K City really agrees with you.¡±


    One thing that bugged me was that we were in the same building, and it was not like I was a rare visitor


    here, but we had never bumped into each other. Fate has a funny way to bring people together.


    She kept the document I brought over and looked at her watch. ¡°I¡¯m getting off work soon. Want to


    have dinner together?¡±


    ¡°Not today,¡± I said, smiling. ¡°I have a lot going on at home recently, and there¡¯s not much time for me to


    have a night out. Let¡¯s take a raincheck, and maybe we can go shopping next time?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°I notice that you¡¯ve gained some weight. Are you pregnant?¡±


    I was taken aback at how spot-on she was. However, I did not want to deny nor confirm her guess and


    merely replied, ¡°It¡¯s only normal because I have a little bit too much to eat these days. Anyways, go get


    busy first. Let¡¯s meet up next time.¡±


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    She hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°Are you and Mr. Fuller doing okay recently?¡±


    I chuckled in response. ¡°Are you saying that Mr. Fuller has done something over the line to make you


    guys misunderstand him?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. I¡¯ve just heard some rumors going around, and it¡¯s just me being nosy. You know how


    women are, we gossip.¡±


    My lips curled into a smile once again and said nothing. ¡°I think it¡¯s because there are too many women


    in Fuller Corporation.¡±


    Stacey smiled, and changed the topic. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to get busy first. We¡¯ll meet up some other


    day!¡±


    I nodded and headed out of the Finance Department, lost in my thoughts.


    I took the elevator to the floor where Ashton¡¯s office was, and headed toward the bathroom. I¡¯ve heard


    other people saying that pregnant women were more likely to be constipated. I did not whether it was


    true, or I was merely conditioning myself to conform to the stereotype.


    After heading into the bathroom, I stayed in my stall, taking my time. Suddenly, I heard sobbing outside.


    And then, someone spoke up tofort the sobbing woman.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry. Just stay away from her radar. You already know what kind of person she is. Why get on her


    nerves then? See, now you¡¯re going to have pull an all-nighter.¡±


    The sobbing woman spoke, ¡°I did not do anything wrong. She¡¯s just coveting something that doesn¡¯t


    belong to her, and yet doesn¡¯t want others to talk about it. It¡¯s so obvious that Mr. Fuller has no feelings


    for her at all. Is she oblivious to how pretty Mrs. Fuller is? Does she think she stands a chance just


    because she¡¯s working closely with him? She really needs to take a piss and take a good look at


    herself in her own reflection.¡±


    ¡°Forget it, there¡¯s no use grumbling about it. You¡¯re the only one who¡¯s going to suffer while she¡¯s still


    out there living the best life. She¡¯s been taking care of all Mr. Fuller¡¯s meals. You know for a fact that


    Mr. Fuller has rewarded that woman with what she deserves.¡±


    The woman continued to sob, ¡°What do you think Mr. Fuller has in mind, exactly? It¡¯s not like Mrs.


    Fuller is only here once in a blue moon. How does he think he can get away with this? Is Mrs. Fuller


    really not aware of it all?¡±


    The other woman replied, ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s totally oblivious to it. But maybe Mrs. Fuller doesn¡¯t think


    that Ste is a threat at all. Anyway, that woman is not going to be able to stir anything up unless Mr.


    Fuller gives her a chance to do so. Otherwise, she¡¯s just going to be a clown entertaining herself. Well,


    it¡¯s not going tost.¡±


    There was a hint of anger in her voice as the sobbing woman continued, ¡°She is a clown! Mr. Fuller


    doesn¡¯t even care about her. She knew that Mr. Kroner had a crush on her, and she wouldn¡¯t have


    gotten this chance if she hadn¡¯t begged the man to rmend her to Mr. Fuller for a promotion.


    Otherwise, Mr. Fuller might even not be aware that she exists. That woman really has no shame.¡±


    The other woman sighed. ¡°What can we do, though? She¡¯s on the crest of a wave right now, and you¡¯d


    better not offend her. She will be punished once she steps over the line. We have no backer to do


    anything like that. Don¡¯t forget that Justin is going all out for that woman. The only thing we can do right


    now is to just wait.¡±

 Chapter 976

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 976


    ¡°I have something that might work!¡± The sobbing woman muttered excitedly before she paused and


    whispered, ¡°I am not going to take this silently any longer. Why do I have to put up with her? I¡¯m going


    to make her burn her finger, and yet there¡¯s nothing that she can do about it.¡±


    ¡°What do you n to do about it?¡±


    I could only hear hushed whispers, but not what they were saying clearly. However, I felt oddly amused


    by their demeanor. No wonder people were looking at me all weird whenever I came into the office


    recently. It looked like this was the reason.


    After hearing nothing for some time, I thought the two women had left. My stomach was still wringing in


    pain, and there was no rush to leave the bathroom. However, I could hear heels ckinging from


    the outside all of a sudden.


    Then, someone chimed, ¡°Hi, Ms. Collins!¡±


    Ste? I was stumped.


    Suddenly, the air grew still in the bathroom. A text came in on my phone. It was from Hailey. She asked


    when I would be able to meet her as she was nning to go back to K City.


    I replied to her and kept my phone. Then, I heard a scream from my neighboring bathroom stall. ¡°Ahh!


    Who is that?¡±


    Sounds of water sshing could be heard, and I was stumped for a brief moment. I headed out of my


    stall, and bumped into two women holding two big buckets.


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    Are these two women trying to teach Ste a lesson?


    ¡°Who is that? Have you lost your mind?¡± A voice berated from inside the stall. I turned around to the


    bathroom stall, and noticed that someone had locked it from the outside. The person inside had no


    means of getting out of there unless someone unlocked the door for her.


    The three of us exchanged nces in astonishment. We were still reeling in from the shock. I could


    have pretended that I didn¡¯t know if I hadn¡¯t seen the culprits, and just treated it as a prank. But now


    that I¡¯d seen them¡­


    I had no interest in meddling in their business as well. I gestured for them to shush while they were still


    eyeing me in trepidation. Then, I signaled using my hands that we could all get out of here, quietly.


    The two women were dumbfounded at my response. Then, all of three of us tiptoed out of the


    bathroom in silence.


    After we got out of the bathroom, the two women high-fived each other triumphantly and broke into a


    cackle. Then, they snapped back into their senses and realized that I was actually there too. The two of


    them ceased smiling in an awkward manner and looked at me. ¡°Mrs. Fuller!¡±


    I smiled back at them and asked, ¡°Who is inside that bathroom stall?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Ms. Collins!¡± The two women were obviously embarrassed and cast apprehensive looks at me.


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, will you¡­¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I gave them a grin. ¡°I won¡¯t rat you girls out. But don¡¯t do this again, it¡¯s not um¡­ safe.¡±


    The women grinned from ear to ear and nodded.


    It had been some time since I left, and I turned on my heel to head back to Ashton¡¯s office. However,


    the two women stopped me in my tracks and asked, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, aren¡¯t you going to ask why we¡¯re


    doing this to Ms. Collins?¡±


    I thought for a brief moment and replied, ¡°It¡¯s none of my business. Alright, get back to work, you two.¡±


    The two of them exchanged nces at my reply and nodded before they left.


    Not long after, I noticed that the cleaningdy was heading to the bathroom. I said nothing and made


    way to Ashton¡¯s office.


    Before I could head inside his office, I heard hasty footsteps behind me. Turning around, I noticed that


    it was Ste. Her clothes were soaking wet, and she looked disheveled with her damp hair and her


    faded makeup.


    I stopped and put on a surprised face. ¡°Ms. Collins, what happened to you?¡±


    The woman seemed taken aback at the sight of me. She forced a smile and replied, ¡°I was attacked by


    a few crazy people in the bathroom.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°You¡¯d better sort yourself out. Luckily, you¡¯re about to get off work. Take care, or you¡¯re going


    to get sick from the cold weather.¡±


    She lowered her head and mumbled a response before leaving.


    To be frank, I was actually surprised at the way she dealt with her coworkers. She had always given me


    the impression of a tactful person, and I was confounded by the way other people talked about her.


    Back in Ashton¡¯s office, he was still on a conference call. I did not disturb him and waited for him to


    finish the meeting as I sat on the sofa. He was finally done after half an hour.


    He kept his document when it was time to get off work and looked at me. ¡°What would you like to eat?


    Let¡¯s go have dinner together.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to the hospital tonight. Mom and Dad are worried about Summer. Let¡¯s go to the hospital


    and visit herter, and just think of a way for her to undergo the bone marrow transnt surgery as


    soon as possible. She doesn¡¯t have all the time in the world to wait.¡±


    He nodded, took his keys, and held my hands as we exited the office.


    In the elevator, he bit on my lip and looked at me, ¡°Don¡¯t meet Armond without me next time. I don¡¯t


    know what I¡¯m going to do if that happens again.¡±


    I was rendered speechless. He¡¯s still pining over it. Move on¡­ mister.

 Chapter 977

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 977


    It was already night-time when we reached the hospital. Fortunately, we made a call beforehand and


    asked Cameron to get Mrs. Dune to prepare some food and send it to the hospital so that we could


    have a simple dinner.


    My father pushed Summer over for a checkup. Cameron looked at me and said, ¡°Your dad said that


    you might be able to find bone marrow that matches Summer. Is that true? Don¡¯t do silly things, my


    dear. You¡¯re pregnant now, and you need to make yourself a priority.¡±


    Judging by how worried she was, I knew she was thinking that I was going to do a bone marrow match


    myself to see if my bone marrow would fit Summer. ¡°Mom, you¡¯re overthinking this. Ashton and my


    blood types don¡¯t even match Summer¡¯s. We wouldn¡¯t have to be so worried if my bone marrow could


    match hers.¡±


    Stumped, she paused for a moment before she replied, ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. What do you n to do


    then?¡±


    Armond gave me the card, but I did not haveplete faith in that man. The only way I could find out if


    this was legit was if I made a trip to A City. If this indeed produced a viable lead, my n was to make


    Ashton fetch Summer over there.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Summer is going to undergo chemotherapy soon. You need to take good care of


    her. Ashton and I are really busy, and we really need your help in this matter.¡±


    Cameron sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I know that you guys are busy. I¡¯ve handed over all the


    projects under Anderson Corporation to Nick. I¡¯m going to take care of Summer full-time now. And you,


    you need to take good care of yourself now that you¡¯re pregnant. Don¡¯t tire yourself out.¡±


    I was nning to ask more about Nick but decided against it. I¡¯d better deal with things on my te first


    before thinking about poking my nose in other matters.


    After half an hour, Zachary pushed Summer back into the ward. The girl had fallen asleep, and he


    looked tired. He leaned back against the chair in a daze while Cameron asked the nurse on the things


    that she should look out for these few days.


    I took the time to chat Zachary up and handed him a ss of warm water. ¡°Dad, how did you know


    about the organ trade thing?¡±


    Ashton was not in the ward, and as a matter of fact, we were alone. Hence, I could be as outright as I


    wanted. Zachary was almost dozing off but set his back straight at my question. ¡°Your mom told you


    that?¡±


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    I nodded. ¡°I got the gist of it. Dad, could you tell me more about it? Summer is my daughter, and as


    long as they¡¯re legally sourced, it doesn¡¯t matter how much it¡¯s going to cost. But I¡¯m not going to risk


    breaking thew.¡±


    He pursed his lips, lowered his head, and sighed. ¡°I heard this from someone too, and I¡¯m still asking


    for more information on it. Previously when I contacted them, they had mentioned that with the right


    price, the organs would be donated by children who died of unnatural causes. Your mother is really


    worried about me after knowing this. But don¡¯t worry, I know what to do.¡±


    After contemting for a moment, I said, ¡°Dad, I think it¡¯s better that you stay out of this. I will find out


    more when I go to A City. It¡¯s not appropriate for you to get involved with this. The Moore family is going


    to be in so much trouble if you¡¯ve been exposed. I¡¯ll take this over from here.¡±


    He went silent. After some time, he said, ¡°Hmm, it will be better if you¡¯re the one to deal with this. I¡¯ll


    ask Boris toe back from Moranta and apany you to A City. I¡¯ll be more at ease if he¡¯s with


    you.¡±


    I got curious at the mention of Boris. ¡°Dad, how are you rted to him? Judging by his status at


    Moranta, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s just a normal bodyguard.¡±


    Zachary smiled and said, ¡°He¡¯s not a bodyguard, my dear. You have enough bodyguards following you


    around. Boris is not my subordinate, nor I his. He doesn¡¯t have a family, and he just decided to settle


    down in Moranta.¡±


    I was actually surprised. Given Boris¡¯ age, I thought the man would have had a family already but the


    man was not even married yet.


    Cameron came back after consulting the nurse. She had been so busy these days her face looked so


    pale. I felt a lump in my throat and led her to a seat. After debating with myself, I looked at her and my


    father. ¡°Mom, Dad, I need you guys to help take care of Summer these few days. I need to head to A


    City to deal with something.


    Zachary was slightly stumped before he asked, ¡°Have you decided to head there?¡±


    I nodded and replied with a smile, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m hoping to get back as soon as possible.¡±


    Cameron looked at me, then turned to Zachary. Shrewd as she was, my mother quickly caught up to


    us. She frowned and asked, ¡°Are you going to A City because of Summer?¡± She had always been


    against us doing anything that might have harmed our future even it was for Summer. As expected, she


    spoke up to oppose our ideas. ¡°I don¡¯t agree with this, Scarlett. I understand how exasperated you feel


    about saving your child, but you need to stay clear-headed and think straight. Think about your family,


    think about your father and me. Please don¡¯t act rashly. What should I do if anything should happen to


    you both?¡±

 Chapter 978

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 978


    I could not divulge further and only said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom. I¡¯m just going over to take a look. I¡¯ll


    discuss it over with you guys before making any decisions. I know this is something big, so I won¡¯t


    make rash decisions.¡±


    Her lips pursed into a thin, hard line before she said, ¡°Okay. But you have to tell us everything that


    happens at A City. Don¡¯t be rash and rush into decisions. Please discuss it with us first.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know what to do.¡±


    Ashton was back from taking a call. He noticed that my parents were eyeing me with a worried look on


    their faces, and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Cameron spoke first, ¡°Mr. Fuller, are you going to A City with Scarlett too? I¡¯m really worried that she¡¯s


    going on a trip alone, especially now that she¡¯s pregnant. I know that you¡¯re a busy man, and you have


    a lot on your te. But she¡¯s pregnant with your baby. I¡¯d appreciate it if you could make her and the


    baby your priority.¡±


    Ashton actually had no idea that I was heading to A City. After listening to my mother, he cast a nce


    in my direction, and his brows creased slightly. Luckily, he did not inquire further and merely replied to


    Cameron as he nodded, ¡°Yes, I will.¡±


    Noticing the time, Cameron was worried that I might have to stay upte if I stayed any longer and


    egged us on, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. You guys should head back soon. Please inform us when you¡¯re heading


    to A City. Your father will send someone to look after you.¡±


    I nodded. Actually, I was nning to head to A City alone, but I knew they would not be able to stop


    nagging me if I had told them my n. In the end, I relented and headed out of the hospital with


    Ashton.


    After getting into the car, I did not actually talk to Ashton. Instead, I was on the phone with Hailey.


    I had not noticed Ashton¡¯s odd demeanor, even after we had reached the vi. When I was about to


    head upstairs for a shower, the man who was sitting on the sofa finally spoke up, ¡°You¡¯ve never


    nned to tell me that, nor have you ever considered how I¡¯d feel about the matter, right?¡±


    I was stumped and turned around to gauge him. His deep-set obsidian gaze was frigid. Feeling a chill


    down my spine, I exined, ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. I was actually nning to tell you after we got home, I


    mean after I¡¯ve told Mom.¡±


    He continued to stare at me. ¡°Then, why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡±


    I was rendered speechless. This man was really starting to act like a child. Helpless, I exined


    myself. ¡°I actually gave what Dad said in the morning some thought, and thought it was worth a try. I¡¯m


    really worried about Summer¡¯s prolonged stay at the hospital. So, I was thinking to make a trip to A City


    myself to find out if there¡¯s any bone marrow match for her. That way we wouldn¡¯t have to worry all the


    time.¡±


    His lips turned into a disapproving hard line. ¡°Do you n to head there alone?¡±


    I nodded and noticed his gaze darkened. I could not help but ask, ¡°Can you really let things go


    unattended at Fuller Corporation? Don¡¯t you have a lot of things to deal with?¡±


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    The man frowned. ¡°I¡¯m going with you.¡±


    I was going to reject his offer, but thought better of it since he wouldn¡¯t listen anyway. Nodding my


    head, I said, ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll go together then.¡±


    I was getting sleepy and said nothing else. He had a calling in, and I headed for a shower upstairs.


    Initially, I nned to head to K City after meeting up with Hailey, but I did not expect Ashton to buy the


    tickets as soon as the next day. What was more, he woke me up really early as well.


    Warm cozy beds were especially inviting during winter, and I had not been able to snap out of it despite


    having sat on the bed for quite some time. I only heard Ashton nagging about the things to bring over to


    K City. In a daze, I merely listened as he prattled on. After he was done packing, Ashton noticed that I


    was still sleepy. Helplessly, he edged closer and whispered into my ear, ¡°Do you need me to carry you


    into the bathroom?¡±


    I opened my eyes and looked at him, still drowsy from being sleepy. ¡°Why the bathroom?¡±


    He could not help but chuckle. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to wash up before heading out? Or are you nning to


    head outside looking all disheveled?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Yeah, I need to wash up,¡± I mumbled as I dragged myself out of bed. He could not stand


    seeing me struggling and proceeded to carry me into the bathroom. I yawned as I leaned in his


    embrace.


    In his embrace, I protested, ¡°Why are we rushing over to A City anyway? I was nning to have a date


    with Hailey before leaving. I didn¡¯t even have the chance to let her know yet.¡±


    Noticing that I was still sluggish, Ashton decided to just help me wash my face. I closed my eyes, and


    enjoyed the warmth of the water that sobered me up a little. As he squeezed toothpaste out of the tube,


    he said, ¡°You could ask her out anytime, but isn¡¯t it better if you could really find the bone marrow


    match at A City and just get this surgery over and done with?¡±


    Nodding my head, I took over the toothbrush with the toothpaste on it, and said, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± I started


    to brush my teeth as I leaned against the sink. Being a head taller than me, there was no problem for


    Ashton to brush through my unruly hair with a wooden brush. I shifted ufortably as hebed


    through the tangles, and mumbled, ¡°I¡¯ll do it myselfter.¡±

 Chapter 979

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 979


    Ashton pursed his lips into a hard line, and brushed the strand of hair that was blocking my vision to the


    back, and said, ¡°The flight is really early, we have to speed up.¡±


    After I was done with my teeth, he had already done my hair. I cocked my head to one side and peered


    into the mirror. He had actually done a decent job. Raising a brow, I said to him, ¡°How many times have


    you attempted to style this for it to turn out this perfect?¡±


    He raised a brow as well and drew out a tissue to wipe the foam off the corners of my mouth. ¡°This is


    my first time, and I¡¯m still fumbling, but practice makes perfect. However, seeing that you, my client, are


    quite satisfied. Maybe I¡¯m just a gifted stylist.¡±


    I chuckled dryly and headed out of the bathroom. While I was applying my skincare, he had already


    done packing. All luggage had been loaded into the boot of the car as well. Ashton noticed that I was


    putting on makeup and asked curiously, ¡°Why are you in the mood to put on makeup all of a sudden?¡±


    I actually just did my brows and put on lipstick. The man crossed his arms before his chest and nced


    at me, he was expecting an exnation. ¡°I just want to look decent standing next to Mr. Fuller.¡±


    His lips curled into a smile as he held my hands. ¡°You¡¯re already a natural beauty, and you don¡¯t need


    makeup to be pretty. Besides, it¡¯s not good for you to put on makeup now that you¡¯re pregnant. You


    should swap these out.¡±


    I eyed the makeup on my dressing table. They were all actually high-end cosmetics infused with nt


    extracts. ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. Pregnant women can use these too. Mister, you¡¯re forbidden from


    swapping out my stuff, period.¡±


    He would always swap out my clothes and skincare when I was not paying attention, and not because


    they were not fit for wear, nor was it because I ran out of them. Ashton just had the notion that if I did


    not finish using the skincare within three months, it simply meant that I did not enjoy using them, which


    was not at all the case. His little gesture left me confused, andck of a set of skincare that I truly


    enjoyed using. I really enjoyed the set I was just using and had to remind him not to swap it out, lest the


    man acted on his own ord again. I really had no idea how a big boss like him had the time and effort


    to pay attention to trivial matters like these.


    He nodded when I reminded him, and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯m not going to change that one. Let¡¯s go, we have


    a ne to catch!¡±


    After getting on the car, I leaned against the seat, and felt lethargic all over. My eyes were half-closed


    when I said, ¡°Call me when we reach the airport, I want to rest for a bit.¡±


    I was actually not tired. It was the morning sickness. Maybe I had it too easy thest time I was


    pregnant. This time, the symptoms were much stronger.


    Ashton had wanted to say something but bit his tongue the moment he noticed the weary look on my


    face. He cradled my hands in his, and said, ¡°Take a good rest. You¡¯ll feel better.¡±


    I did not feel like talking and merely nodded. It did not take us long to reach the airport.


    However, almost half a day went by before we could board the ne. I started to retch as soon as the


    ne took off, and Ashton asked for some motion sickness medication from the air stewardess.


    Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t take them because I was pregnant. There was nothing he could do except


    looking at me with a concerned look.


    It seemed like forever before we finally reached A City. I was utterly spent from the flight. Ashton


    brought me to the vi and started to work after making sure that I had settled down.


    After a long nap, I felt much better. I headed downstairs and noticed that Ashton was taking a nap in


    the living room. I took a duvet and draped it over him. Right then, my phone pinged with a text from


    Armond.


    I caressed my belly. It¡¯s been two months, but my belly is not showing yet.


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    ¡°You¡¯re at A City already? It looks like you do really care about your daughter! Such a pity that my


    mother¡¯s soup is going to waste.¡±


    Before he mentioned it, I¡¯d almost forgotten about how Armond¡¯s mother had misunderstood about the


    baby in my belly. She did mention that she wanted to brew some tonic for me.


    I did not reply his text. My phone pinged with another text from Hailey. ¡°Are you still at K City?¡±


    I replied to Hailey¡¯s text, asking her to tell Nora to head back to A City if she had nothing else to do at K


    City. After all, it would be even more difficult for her to cut off all ties with Armond if she hung out for


    much longer with the man. There¡¯s nothing time couldn¡¯t fix.


    Hailey was surprised at the message that I asked her to pass on and asked, ¡°I¡¯m going back to A City


    at night. How¡¯s your daughter doing? Are you going to the A City because of her?¡±


    Bemused, I frowned. I had never mentioned to anyone that I wasing to A City, let alone disclosing


    that I was here because of Summer. How did she know about that?


    It felt awkward to ask her point nk. I replied with a smiley emoji and said, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s meet up when


    you¡¯re back in A City then.¡±


    Unknowingly, Ashton had woken up while I was engrossed in texting with Hailey. After I sent out the


    text to Hailey, I could feel someone eyeballing me by my side. I turned around slightly, and there he


    was, gawking at me. Stumped, I managed an awkward smile. ¡°Did I wake you?¡±


    He shook his head slightly. ¡°No. Who are you talking to? Are you still feeling better?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    He set himself straight and circled me in his embrace. He put his head on my shoulders and asked,


    ¡°What would you like to eat? Let¡¯s eat out.¡±


    I did not actually have much appetite and leaned against his chest, shaking my head. ¡°I don¡¯t have


    anything specific in mind. What about you?¡±

 Chapter 980

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 980


    ¡°Are we going to cook at home?¡±


    He did not seem like he had a lot of work to do, and so I nodded my head. It¡¯s not like we had the


    chance to cook homecooked meals together every day.


    Five o¡¯clock in the afternoon, it was drizzling in A City, and the weather was gloomy. Ashton was


    staying in, and I thought I might as well take the chance to contact the person on the card that Armond


    handed over to me.


    I went back to the bedroom, and called the man. It took him a few rings to pick up. A voice rang,


    ¡°Hello!¡±


    Stumped by the enthusiasm in his voice, I replied, ¡°Hi, is this Mr. Brandon Dumphy?¡±


    The person mumbled a response and replied in a weird ent, ¡°Yes, speaking. Is there anything I can


    help you with?¡±


    Puzzled by his weird ent, I was starting to doubt the man. How did Armond get to know people like


    him? However, I decided to just ask, ¡°Mr. Murphy gave me your contact.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. Ah, are you Ms. Stovall?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am. I¡¯d like to ask if your hospital really could find a bone marrow match and kidney?¡± I had a


    notion that it was all too good to be true.


    ¡°Yes, we can. What about if you send over your daughter¡¯s most recent medical records to me so that I


    can have a look first? I¡¯d appreciate it if you could take some time tomorrow for me to bring you for a


    tour. We do have the supply for what you¡¯re looking for. The only question is if it¡¯s going to match your


    daughter.¡±


    To be frank, I was a little stumped by the sheer amount of information. However, it seemed like the man


    really knew what he was talking about. So, I agreed to meet him the next day.


    After hanging up the call, Zachary called to inform me that Boris had reached A City as well. My father


    told me to bring along the man wherever I went, and that he would be of great help in the city.


    I agreed. After debating with myself, I sent over Summer¡¯s medical records to Brandon. The man


    replied after some time: We¡¯ll go visit the ce where our stock ising from. After you have a look


    at the condition, we could discuss the price.¡±


    Stumped, I replied: Stock? Did the man just refer to organs in people¡¯s bodies as stock?


    It seemed like the man did not even bother to exin things to me as he merely replied: Yes. There


    were no more texts from him since.


    After contemting for a moment, I contacted Boris and requested him to tag along for the trip


    tomorrow. I initially wanted to let Ashton know, but he had been held up in the study all day for work. I


    did not wish to disturb him.


    The next day, Ashton seemed like he had something urgent to attend to, and headed for the door right


    after he bade goodbye to me. I sorted out things around the house, and it did not take long for Boris to


    arrive at my ce.


    Brandon sent me an address and a message that read: Let¡¯s meet at the Second Highway exit. It¡¯s


    going to be a long journey for you. Don¡¯t bete.


    After replying to him, I headed out with Boris. There was a lot of traffic for mornings in A City. We had


    only managed to meet up with Brandon past the agreed time. The man seemed a tad furious since he


    had been waiting for quite some time.


    He was driving a ck Mercedes and did not get off the car even after we had arrived. Even though I


    could not see his figure, but judging from his face alone, it was not difficult to guess that he was a little


    plump. The dark-skinned man looked like he would own a sessful coal mining business in the


    nies.


    He pursed his lips into a hard line at the sight of me. ¡°Our stock is in the mountains. I will bring you


    thereter. Did you bring along everything you need? There is nothing to buy there. It¡¯s going to be


    troublesome if you need anything else.¡±


    He must have had his fair share of dealing with fussy people for him to make an upfront statement like


    that. However, I was puzzled by his question. ¡°Aren¡¯t we heading to the hospital? Why are we going


    into the mountains?¡±


    He pursed his lips again, this time with disapproval. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to take a look at the donor¡¯s


    parents since their daughter is giving you what you need? You can choose not to ept it though.


    Since you¡¯re Mr. Murphy¡¯s friend, I won¡¯t sign any contracts with you. Consider it a deal done if you¡¯re


    satisfied with what we offer.¡±


    Bewildered, I cast a nce in Boris¡¯s direction.


    The man was calm andposed as he nodded his head at me. He was telling me that it was fine for


    us to go take a look.


    Brandon did not beat around the bush either. He told me to trail behind his car, and got into his car right


    after.


    As he mentioned, it was a long journey. We drove for easily seven to eight hours straight. Brandon¡¯s


    car had onlye to a stop after night fell.


    I fell asleep along the way. After noticing that the car had stopped, I looked outside and was surprised


    at the surroundings. It was a vige on the hillside, popted by around twenty families.


    Brandon stopped his car by a well in the center of the vige. He got off the car and sshed his face


    with the cold water. After gulping down a few mouthfuls, he looked at us and said, ¡°We¡¯ve arrived. Get


    off the car and drink some water. Follow me!¡±


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    Boris got off the car, and he seemed slightly stunned by the surroundings. He fished out a bottle from


    the car boot and handed it over to me. Then, he gave me some bread that he had brought along and


    said, ¡°Eat some.¡±

 Chapter 981

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 981


    Naturally, this eighteen-hour car ride was exhausting.


    Boris prepared water and bread for Brandon. I started to eat next to the car, and Brandon followed suit.


    ¡°There are about twenty-seven families in this vige. However, the poption is considerably higher.


    Every family has seven or eight children. I¡¯ll bring you aroundter. If there aren¡¯t any problems, I¡¯ll


    contact a doctor as soon as possible to start the surgery,¡± he said.


    I was slightly confused and frowned. ¡°The surgery can take ce so soon? It isn¡¯t easy to find a


    suitable bone marrow and kidney donor,¡± I said in surprise.


    He ignored me and gobbled up the rest of the bread and gulped down a few mouthfuls of water before


    proiming, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    The vigers stayed on the hillside. Perhaps it was because of the recent rain, but the roads were


    flooded with mud and water. One step in and our shoe would sink in, making it really difficult to walk.


    Soon, our pants were also covered with dirt.


    Brandon was used to it. When he saw Boris and me struggling, he frowned and said, ¡°Don¡¯t walk


    clumsily. Find ces where there are rocks or where people walked before you and step there.¡±


    I nodded and raised my head. There were still a few hundred meters to walk. We were not driving


    because it was impossible for the car to move in the mud. On such rainy days, only bullock carts were


    used.


    Boris and I followed him for a while. We noticed that the sky was darkening. Luckily, our phones still


    had battery and we used the shlights to light our way.


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    We arrived after much difficulty. Both Boris and I were covered in mud to our knees and our shoes were


    full of water and dirt. It was extremely ufortable. Brandon stood outside a house and shouted, ¡°Is


    there anyone home?¡±


    A ck stray dog was leashed to the door. When it heard someoneing, it started to bark fiercely. A


    rope was tied around its neck but I was still frightened as I stood next to Boris.


    The house they were standing in front of was built with red bricks and some parts were covered in


    ck tiles. It was built in a slipshod manner and from afar, it looked like it was going to copse at any


    moment. There was a patch of concrete floor in front of the house with a ck coal stove on top. There


    was also a thin weather-worn film on top. When the wind blew, one corner of the film that had been


    stained ck would p and produce noise.


    A hunchbacked man walked out of the house. He had probably heard someone shouting outside. He


    pushed the old wooden door open and stuck his head out to see. When he saw who hade, he


    smiled to reveal a row of yellowed teeth and said, ¡°It¡¯s you, Mr. Dumphy.¡±


    He rushed to greet us. He was wearing ck clothes that gleamed with an oily sheen. I peered closer


    at it and noticed that the clothes were originally grey and had fur. They were dirty from constant


    wearing and all the fur had be matted and coated byyers of dirt which was the source of the oily


    sheen.


    ¡°I brought friends with me to visit your house. Are you done working?¡± Brandon spoke to the man in the


    local dialect. The man nodded hastily.


    He replied gruffly in the local dialect, ¡°Yes, we¡¯re done. Come in and sit. It¡¯s freezing outside.¡±


    Brandon led us into the house. When we went in, I was immediately stunned. The house was only


    about twenty square meters, but there were seven or eight children and a frail woman huddled around


    a coal stove. They were cooking something on the stove.


    The fifteen-watt lightbulb provided a dim glow. I could barely make out the contents in the steaming pot.


    It was some vegetables and a few slices of meat.


    A few children noticed that there were guests. They quickly stood up. When they realized that they


    were lining up against the wall, they scattered.


    Brandon was ustomed to this. He spoke to the children in the local dialect. I could not understand


    what he was saying and took a seat next to the stove. I ced my hands near the stove to warm them


    up. His stocky legs stood in front of the fire and took up most of the space.


    The man shot the woman a look and she stood up. She looked at me and spoke stiffly in the local


    dialect, ¡°Sit next to the fire here and warm yourself.¡±


    I hastily tried to reject her but she had already stood up and spoken to the children. They gathered at a


    small wooden table nearby. The woman scooped out some vegetables from the pot into chipped bowls


    and ced them in the middle of the table. The youngest child looked to be about three or four years


    old while the oldest seemed to be about ten years old. They held up their bowls and scooped rice in


    before digging in.


    The man told Brandon that we should sit and eat alongside the children. Brandon turned him down and


    said, ¡°We¡¯vee for a reason. When the children received their check-ups, the doctor realized that


    one of your children has apatible blood type with my friend¡¯s daughter. She¡¯s sick and needs a


    bone marrow and kidney transnt. We discussed it with you previously and if you¡¯re okay with the


    price we¡¯re offering, let¡¯s make the arrangements. The little girl is waiting for the surgery!¡±

 Chapter 982

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 982


    I was taken aback by how direct Brandon was. However, I did not expect the man to reply without much


    hesitation, ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll ept whatever price you¡¯re offering. Although this child is young, she will finally


    be of some use. She wasn¡¯t born for nothing after all. My wife is pregnant again and we need money


    badly. Please help us to spread the word. My house is also old and needs to be fixed. It¡¯s been leaking


    recently and it¡¯s extremely ufortable to live here. If anyone else has simr needs and has money


    to pay us, please bring them here.¡±


    I instinctively clenched my hands together. I looked at him and choked out, ¡°Hello mister, we are talking


    about getting your daughter to provide bone marrow and a kidney for my daughter¡¯s transnt.¡±


    The man nodded and smiled without surprise. ¡°I¡¯m aware. There have been people like you who¡¯ve


    come before. Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s my daughter¡¯s honor to be of service to you. There¡¯s nothing to be afraid


    of.¡±


    I found it difficult to breathe, and I thought that it was due to the small size and intense fumes of the


    coal stove. For a moment, I could not say anything.


    They did not care about the child¡¯s body or health at all.


    Brandon seemed used to this situation. ¡°Fine. Ms. Stovall will get to know your daughter. Once they¡¯re


    comfortable, you¡¯ll pay you tomorrow. In order for your daughter to undergo the surgery, we¡¯ll have to


    take her to the city for a few days. Are you okay with this?¡±


    The man shook his head and said with a smile, ¡°No problem. You can take her anywhere.¡±


    The woman looked at us silently. It was clear who wore the pants in this family.


    Boris had been quiet the entire time. After hearing what they said, he said to the man, ¡°Can I trouble


    you for a clean set of female clothes?¡±


    The man was slightly stunned. He quickly nodded his head and quipped, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll go right now!¡± He


    turned to the woman and barked, ¡°Go find some clothes for them.¡±


    The woman stood up and went through a door. Brandon chatted with the man. I scanned the group of


    children eating around the table.


    They were wearing ill-fitting clothes. Some were wearingyers of dirty t-shirts while others wore thin


    fur clothes. They were trying to dress warmly as best as they could. It seemed that they had put on all


    the clothes they could find, but it was evident that it was not enough for them to stay warm.


    My eyesnded on a small girl who was squeezed in the corner. She looked to be about three years


    old and her face was flushed due to the cold. She was busy chewing on food. Due to the cold weather,


    her nose was running and she wiped her mucus away with her sleeve. However, she did not wipe it all


    away, and it was spread all over the sides of her mouth and the utensils in front of her.


    I could not help but frown. The woman walked out holding a set of clothes and said to me, ¡°Try it on.¡±


    I nodded and thanked her before asking, ¡°Can I borrow a dry pair of shoes from you?¡± My shoes and


    pants had beenpletely ruined on my way here. Moreover, it was extremely ufortable to wear


    drenched shoes in such freezing weather.


    The woman nodded and rummaged through a cab. She took out a pair of new cloth shoes. From its


    design, l guessed that she had made it herself.


    Boris frowned at how thin the shoes were and asked, ¡°Do you have anything thicker?¡±


    The woman paused before shaking her head. ¡°They¡¯re all like this!¡±


    I smiled and received the shoes with thanks. I put them on and sat down next to the fire. Ashton had


    called me, but the poor signal had prevented me from picking up. I could only text him to say that I wasN?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    not returning home tonight.


    The seven-hour journey was too long.


    Brandon spoke to the man for a while. He turned to me and said, ¡°Take a look at the child, Ms. Stovall.


    If all is well, we¡¯ll return to A City. Your daughter can be transferred over too. This child doesn¡¯t have


    any identification documents at the moment. Thus, we can only hold the surgery in A City.¡±


    I was slightly shocked. I looked at the man walking over to the smallest girl and wiped her mucus away


    with his sleeve. He grinned at me and said, ¡°Take a look, Ms. Stovall. She might be young but she¡¯s


    obedient. She¡¯s not afraid of pain either. I think she meets the requirement?¡±


    The child had no clue why the adults were talking in such a manner. She stared dazedly at me in


    befuddlement. She probably had not had enough food as she stole a look at her father, then stuffed


    some vegetables into her mouth. The sauce on the vegetables dribbled all over her.

 Chapter 983

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 983


    I nodded. My mind was still a wreck.


    By the time the children finished eating, the sun had long disappeared below the horizon. The


    matriarchy down some mats in the small house. Brandon exined that this situation could not be


    helped and urge us to make do. We were going to return the next day.


    Boris was afraid that I could catch a cold at night. He forced the woman to bring out all the nkets in


    the house. s, it was still not warm enough and I snuggled next to the children.


    In the middle of the night, my freezing feet kept sleep at bay. I curled into a ball. At this moment, a


    young girl¡¯s voice called out. ¡°Ma¡¯am!¡±


    I wondered if my mind was ying tricks on me and did not react immediately. But I soon heard the


    little girl¡¯s voice again. ¡°Are you asleep, Ma¡¯am?¡±


    This time, I was sure that the child was addressing me. I got over my astonishment and replied, ¡°No.


    What¡¯s up?¡±


    I sat up and noticed that the little girl was squatted next to me. ¡°Mommy told me that I have to go with


    you tomorrow. She said we¡¯ll have delicious food in the city. Can you bring my sister too? She also


    wants to go to the city,¡± she said.


    Her words took me off guard. I pulled her closer to me and wrapped her cold body with a nket. ¡°Why


    do you want your sister toe with us?¡±


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    The child did not move. Although she felt frightened, she responded, ¡°Ma¡¯am, you smell so good. You


    smell much better than Mommy.¡±


    I could not help but smile as I waited for her reply.


    However, she seemed wholly distracted by my scent. I asked again, ¡°Little girl, why does your sister


    want to go to the city? How old is she?¡±


    She focused on my question this time. ¡°She¡¯s seventeen years old. Mommy says that she¡¯s old enough


    to get married. She buried herself in her education, but Daddy won¡¯t let her study anymore. He wants


    her to get married but she doesn¡¯t want to. Mommy locked her up in the barn because of this. I feel so


    sad for my sister. She hasn¡¯t eaten in days. But, Mommy will starve her to death if she continues to


    reject the marriage proposal.¡±


    The child¡¯s words stunned me and I did not know how to respond. Soon, I collected myself and asked,


    ¡°Can you take me to see your sister?¡±


    She nodded and stood up. Despite being barefooted, she seemed ready to walk out. I pulled her back


    and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s cold outside. You should put on more clothes and wear shoes.¡±


    She seemed s¨¦ as she replied, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not cold. My siblings and I have gone barefoot in colder


    winters than this. Mommy says that we won¡¯t be cold once we get used to it.¡±


    I pursed my lips but did notment further. I followed her out and she pulled me towards a door. She


    removed the lock and whispered, ¡°Are you asleep?¡±


    Sounds of rustling could be heard from within, followed by the voice of a young girl. ¡°Not yet.¡±


    The little girl pushed open the door. It was pitch dark inside but she stepped in without hesitation. I was


    slightly hesitant, and she turned to say to me in hushed tones, ¡°Don¡¯te in. It¡¯s very dirty in here and


    is full of poop.¡±


    She turned back and said into the darkness, ¡°I brought thedy as you wanted. Beg her to take you to


    the city too. Then, you won¡¯t have to get married.¡±


    I fished out my phone and turned on its shlight. I swept the room with the light and was stupefied. It


    was just as the little girl had said. The small hut was full of poop and hay. Puddles of rainwater could


    not be discerned from puddles of urine.


    The girl that was locked inside was dressed in thin clothes. All she had on was a short-sleeved shirt


    and ck track pants. She must have worn it for years because the knee area had been patched up


    multiple times. The pants were too short as they rose above her angles. The girl was leaning against a


    cow but when she saw us, she retreated even further. She shielded her eyes against the light and


    whimpered, ¡°Don¡¯t force me anymore, Mom. I¡¯ll die!¡±


    The little girl next to me hastily said, ¡°She¡¯s not Mommy. She¡¯s thedy that came to our house and


    said that she¡¯s going to take me to the city. She¡¯s really pretty!¡±


    The captive girl narrowed her eyes. Her youthful face was pale and her lips were chapped from


    dehydration. She gaped at me and said with unexpectedposure, ¡°Are you the one who wants to


    take my sister to the city so she can sacrifice her organs for your daughter?¡±


    The way she put it was distasteful. However, upon further pondering, she was right. I pursed my lips


    and nodded. ¡°Yes. Please don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take good care of her.¡±


    She sneered at me. ¡°Of course, you should. They might not be aware, but I am. Amy is only five years


    old, but you¡¯re making her give up her organs. She might even die under the knife. Since you¡¯re


    spending tens of thousands to trade her life for your daughter¡¯s, taking care of her is the least you


    should do.¡±

 Chapter 984

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 984


    The girl¡¯s words cut deep. I pressed my lips together silently. I did not see a point in rebuking her.


    Initially, I was confused as to why Brandon would bring us here. But now, I was starting to see the light.


    After a while, the girl looked at me and continued, ¡°I know my sister can save your daughter. So, let¡¯s


    make a deal. I want you to promise me something.¡±


    I knitted my brow and replied, ¡°I¡¯ll consider it if it¡¯s reasonable. Otherwise, I¡¯ll have to refuse.¡±


    ¡°Take me along with my sister. I can¡¯t wait for my death here. My mother wants to marry me off to a


    moron and I don¡¯t want to live a life like that. I don¡¯t need you to do anything for me. As long as you


    take me to the city, I¡¯ll leave you alone and you won¡¯t have to see me ever again. I just want to get out


    of here. I don¡¯t want to spend my life here.¡±


    There was ambition and earnestness in the girl¡¯s eyes. I could tell that she was truly desperate. My


    younger self would have pitied her and immediately agreed.


    But, I hesitated. After all, this ce was utterly alien to me, and so was this girl. I had no idea what


    went on between she and her parents. Before I could figure out why they were keeping her prisoner, I


    could not interfere recklessly as an outsider. The consequences could be dire.


    I looked at her and said calmly, ¡°I can take you. But, I have to know why do you want to leave this ce


    and why are you being locked inside here? One more thing, will your parent allow you to go off like this.


    Without your parents¡¯ permission, I could be causing trouble for myself by taking you with me. If you


    really care for your sister, you shouldn¡¯t use her as a bargaining chip. You know that we¡¯ll pay for your


    sister¡¯s sacrifice. This is a fair transaction. However, you have requested my help and my moral side


    would likely oblige. If everything is in check, I¡¯ll agree to that!¡±


    She hugged her bony body and smiled coldly as she scoffed. ¡°You city folk sure know how to extol


    morals. You disregarded a life once you ascertained that it¡¯ll be able to save your daughter. How cruel


    is that! Fine, drawing the lines clearly shows that you¡¯re a rational person. I¡¯ll tell you everything.¡±


    I was not an unreasonable person. However, once I finished hearing what the girl had to say, I was


    rather shocked. Her name was Ann and she was the eldest daughter in her family.


    In this remote mountain vige, there were not many other ways to earn money other than tending to


    the fields. However, four or five years ago, the country¡¯s n to increase led the vigers toe up


    with a new way to earn money. They would pad their pockets by having more children.


    At some point in time, a few outsiders came to take some children away. In return, they paid the


    parents tens of thousands in living expenses. Since they were all vige children, many did not have


    identification documents. However, some children were sent back, while others were not.


    Those that came back were considered lucky. Even though their health had deteriorated, at least they


    were back. The families of those that did not return would receive a few hundred thousand. It was as


    though they were paying for the life of that child, but the fate of that child remained a mystery.


    Every family had about seven or eight children. Hence, the loss of one or two did not make much of an


    impact because they could always give birth to more. As such, no one cared about the children if they


    returned and fell sick or found out from them about what they had been through.


    Several families moved away from the vige after they made more money from this trade. The families


    that stayed either had not met a generous buyer or the wives could no longer give birth anymore and


    they did not have the heart to trade in their healthy children for money. Thus, it was easier to spend


    their days tending the field.


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    As I listened to her exnation, my heart went out to her. She sneered at me and derided, ¡°Don¡¯t you


    think those people are ridiculous? You saw for yourself. My mother had nine children and I¡¯m the oldest


    of the lot. The older ones like me are of no use for the trade, which is why she wants to marry me off


    and gain a small sum of dowry. She served me up to a moron for a measly amount of money. If I hadn¡¯t


    gone to school and seen how children from other ces lived, I might have resigned myself to my fate.


    But, I have seen how the other children of my age live, and the kind of families they have. I can¡¯t stand


    it. It¡¯s not fair that she gets to decide how the rest of my life goes and seal my fate by sending me to my


    doom. I want to leave this ce and nevere back.¡±

 Chapter 985

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 985


    I pursed my lips. Seeing her resentful expression, I feltplicated, not knowing how to console her.


    Yet, it didn¡¯t seem like she needed my constion either.


    After a while, I spoke up, ¡°I totally understand how you feel, and I empathize with you, but this is just


    your side of the story. Besides, I shouldn¡¯t stir up trouble in this ce.¡±


    Hearing that, she sneered, ¡°Whatever! I know it¡¯s just your excuse. It¡¯s fine if you¡¯re unwilling to help me


    out, but I will never marry him. I am the master of my fate; no one gets to decide my future for me.¡±


    It waste already, and my phone almost ran out of battery. I left the cowshed, with Amy following suit


    as she locked it.


    After hesitating for a while, I asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t there anything to eat at home? Why didn¡¯t you prepare some


    food for your sister?¡±


    The little girl replied, ¡°Nope, there¡¯s nothing to eat. We don¡¯t even have leftovers if my mom doesn¡¯t


    prepare food for Ann, so she could only starve.¡±


    Back in the room, I couldn¡¯t seem to sleep.


    Ann¡¯s words kept ying in my mind. No wonder Brandon was so familiar with this vige. It turned out


    that it was not his first time visiting this ce. I wondered how many children had died at this man¡¯s


    hand.


    That night, I didn¡¯t manage to sleep well. At dawn, when I almost drifted off to sleep, I was awakened


    by the sound of people quarreling noisily from outside.


    Ronald and the children were not in the house. After getting out of bed, I smoothed out my clothes and


    saw that wet shoes were dried by the firece. Just then, Amy came rushing in with her tear-stricken


    face. She dragged me out of the house though I was still putting on my shoes. ¡°Ms. Stovall, please


    save my sister. She¡¯s almost beaten to death by my mom.¡±


    In my daze, I followed Amy out to find Ann sprawling on the ground outside the cowshed. The cow


    dung soiled her shabby clothes. The poor youngdy was rolling over the ground as her mother hit her


    with an iron rod. Since it rained yesterday, there were ckish water puddles of rainwater mixed with


    coal all over the ground. It seemed like Ann was injured; her already scruffy clothes were smeared with


    blood.


    ¡°You¡¯re a burden to the family! It¡¯s a waste of food to feed you. You should be grateful when we let you


    live until now. How dare you injure your brother! I¡¯ll beat you to death! That will teach you a lesson!¡±


    The woman, who behaved meek and submissive yesterday, unhesitatingly struck her daughter with the


    iron rod.


    Amy was pleading with me earnestly, and it was heartbreaking to see Ann whimpering in pain. I wanted


    to stop that woman, yet Boris halted me. He slightly shook his head at me, signaling me not to stir up


    trouble for myself.


    Ann was in a terrible condition, yet Ronald, the man who was supposed to be here to stop his wife, was


    nowhere to be seen. I crouched down before Amy and asked, ¡°Amy, tell me what happened? Where is


    your father?¡±


    Thetter was crying her heart out seeing her sister being beaten up. ¡°Ann injured my brother. My dad


    just sent him to the hospital. My mom said she is going to kill Ann if anything happens to my brother.


    Ms. Stovall, please save her!¡± she choked out.


    At that moment, I was stumped, for it was not my ce to meddle in the siblings¡¯ conflict. Fortunately,


    that woman grew tired of beating Ann. Pointing at the youngdy, she scolded, ¡°If you weren¡¯t worth


    some money. I would¡¯ve beaten you to death. Don¡¯t you ever try to run away from the vige! If anyone


    dares help you escape, I will chop them with a cleaver. I have epted the dowry from the Leeroy


    family, so you have no choice but to marry their son!¡±


    Ann red at her mother, her eyes full of hatred and hostility. ¡°I won¡¯t let you ruin my life! I¡¯d rather die


    than marry that retard! And also, I never regret injuring your son because he deserves it! He has


    always bullied me. I won¡¯t let you use the dowry for his university fees. He is nothing but a useless


    prick, and he will never seed in life! I¡¯ll wait and see you guys rot in this slum!¡±


    ¡°You little b*tch!¡± the woman cursed. ¡°How dare you curse my son! Do you really think you could


    change your fate just because you¡¯ve received an education? Dream on! You only deserve to be


    someone else¡¯s maid. I know you¡¯re very ambitious, but don¡¯t you ever dream of abandoning us for the


    city! And you even dare to curse my son! Hmph! I will make sure you live a miserable life!¡±


    I was at a loss seeing how the mother was swearing like a trooper at her daughter. Despite having


    blood ties, the two were at daggers drawn. That woman was treating her daughter like her enemy.


    I thought every parent would love their children and wish for the best for them. Yet, this woman in front


    of me didn¡¯t even deserve to be a mother.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.

 Chapter 986

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 986


    Ann was badly beaten and left to die in the cowshed. After that, that woman pretended as if nothing


    untoward had happened as she bragged with the onlookers about how good she was in disciplining her


    daughter.


    Her other children kept their heads down, their bodies shivering in fear. They were badly frightened to


    see their mother hitting their eldest sister with that iron rod. As for Amy, the little girl was sobbing, yet


    she dared not utter a single word.


    After dismissing the crowd, that woman invited us, ¡°My husband asked me to prepare food for you. You


    should join us for lunch. Today is that little bi*ch¡¯s big day, and we will be inviting the vige folks to the


    house. Why don¡¯t you guys stay for dinner before leaving?¡±


    I was still in a state of shock while Boris uttered a response, epting the invitation. Seeing Amy


    holding my hand, the woman smiled broadly. ¡°Ms. Stovall, it looks like Amy gets along pretty well with


    you. That¡¯s great!¡±


    I forced a smile in response. At the same time, my heart was overwhelmed with mixed emotions.


    I had no idea if that woman knew Amy was going to be my daughter¡¯s organ donor. Does she


    know how painful it is to donate bone barrow? Has she ever thought of how helpless her daughter will


    feel on the operating table? Does she even care about what her daughter will be facing?


    Or, perhaps she doesn¡¯t care at all. All she cares about is the money she can get from ¡°selling¡± her


    daughter.


    The vige had a poor signal. Thus, I didn¡¯t receive a reply message from Ashton sincest night. That


    afternoon, Brandon had a walk around the vige while that woman was busy preparing lunch.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    It was no longer raining. The woman asked her children to sweep the water off the small patch of the


    cement floor and carried the small table and chairs out of the house. Since the table couldn¡¯t fit all of


    them, she asked the children to borrow a table from the neighbor. When everything was set, she


    started serving lunch.


    Meanwhile, Amy was holding my hand, whispering in my ears, ¡°Ms. Stovall, Ann asked if you could


    bring her along with you?¡±


    I was at a loss for words. After all, I was not a local. I couldn¡¯t possibly take Ann away with me. Even if


    she sneaked out with me, I was afraid the vigers might find out about it before we even get to leave


    the vige.


    Amy was upset when she saw me furrowing my brows. Nevertheless, she sneaked out to find Ann.


    Although I knew the sisters would be disappointed, I still didn¡¯t agree to their request.


    After all, I was pregnant with a baby. I couldn¡¯t afford to put myself and the baby in danger. If I stirred up


    any trouble, Boris alone might not be able to protect me.


    Soon, Ronald was back in his motorbike. Riding the pillion was a tall teenager with tanned skin. His


    gaze was cold and¡­ lecherous?


    How could a teenager have such a nasty gaze? I must have seen it wrongly, or I¡¯m just overthinking. I


    furrowed my brows and shook the thought off my mind.


    Meanwhile, Ronald helped the teenager get off the motorbike. His wife rushed up to the teenager and


    carried him on her back as if she had done it a million times. ¡°Oh, my baby boy, what did the doctor say


    about your injury? Are you alright?¡±


    With his brows knotted, Ronald said unhappily, ¡°Ann wanted to end our family line when she kicked our


    son hard in the nuts. Fortunately, the doctor said he will recover. Carry him into the house and take


    good care of him. I¡¯ll go find Ann and teach that little b*ith a lesson!¡±


    I was shocked to hear such nasty and humiliating words from a father.


    That woman couldn¡¯t agree more with her husband. ¡°The Leeroy family will be here soon. If today was


    not her big day, you would¡¯ve beaten that b*tch to death for what she did!¡± she said viciously.


    Ronald opened the gate of the cowshed. He didn¡¯t enter but berated his daughter at the entrance, ¡°Ann


    Weeder, you almost ended our family line! He is your brother! How could you do that to him?¡±


    Ann¡¯sughter, which carried with it a tinge of bitterness, was heard from inside the cowshed. ¡°Why


    didn¡¯t you ask me the reason for me doing that to him? He is your son, but am I not your daughter? Do


    I deserve to be treated like dirt? Ronald Weeder, you treat your son as if he¡¯s the king, and we are his


    maids. You wouldn¡¯t hesitate to exploit and sell your daughters for him. Karma will get you!¡±


    Ronald paid no heed to his daughter¡¯s words. He uttered harshly, ¡°Don¡¯t cause any more trouble! It¡¯s


    your fate to marry that intellectually disabled son of the Leeroy family. Your life will only be meaningful


    after you get pregnant and give birth to a boy. You have no choice but to marry that man, or you can


    choose to die out there. There is no ce for you anymore in this family.¡±


    Is that what a father is supposed to say to his daughter? In the cowshed, Ann let out a bitterugh that


    sounded sorrowful to me.


    After scolding his daughter, Ronald went back into the house. He even smiled at us when he walked


    past us. At that moment, I felt awful.

 Chapter 987

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 987


    Being frightened, the rest of the girls stood meekly by the side as Ronald entered the house. Then,


    they continued helping their mother in the kitchen. I could already tell their fate; these poor little girls


    would eventually end up like Ann.


    I¡¯m not a saint. Even if I could save Ann, I couldn¡¯t possibly save the rest of the girls.


    The few families in the vige had alle to the house. There were two dishes¡ªShepherd¡¯s pie and


    Caesar sd. Since there were not enough seats, the guests took turns eating at the table. After that,


    the women gather around and shot the breeze while taking care of their children.


    Brandon was back soon. One of the vigers came up to him and asked, ¡°Mr. Dumphy, do you still


    have other clients? I have five children, and all of them are very healthy.¡±


    Brandon frowned slightly while he replied, ¡°Not for now. Don¡¯t worry. I will inform you guys when there


    is a need.¡±


    These people have no scruples about selling their children for money! I could barely contain myself


    when Boris whispered to me, ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. Everyone has their own way of living. They might


    be forced, or they do it as a matter of course. This is none of our business. Remember, you need to


    take care of your safety.¡±


    Hearing that, I pursed my lips and lowered my head.


    After the meal, the bridal car¡ªa dusty white van arrived to fetch the bride. In fact, if it wasn¡¯t for the


    flower gand that was dangling from the rear-view mirror, no one would know it was a wedding car.


    Soon after, Ronald dragged Ann out of the cowshed. Everyone was shocked by the bride¡¯s slovenly


    and disheveled appearance.


    Ann looked at me when she was being dragged into the house. She didn¡¯t call for help nor make any


    resentful remarks. Yet, I felt unsettled under the youngdy¡¯s innocent gaze. At that instant, I was eaten


    up by guilt.


    Gazing at me, Boris advised, ¡°Ms. Stovall, we¡¯re only here for Amy. That¡¯s none of our business. We


    shouldn¡¯t interfere at all.¡±


    Hearing that, I pursed my lips. If Ashton was here, perhaps I could do as I wished. Yet, even if I could


    save Ann, I couldn¡¯t possibly save the other girls that might end up just like her. They could rely on no


    one but themselves to change their fate.


    Soon, Ann came out of the house in a threadbare red suit and ck pants. Her messy hair was now


    neatlybed, styled with a bunch of flowers.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Ronald and his wife helped her out of the house and handed her to the two men waiting to fetch the


    bride. Grabbing her arms, the two men brought her into the van.


    The crowd all had bright smiles on their faces to express the joy of witnessing the wedding. No one


    seemed to have noticed Ann¡¯s sorrow. Or rather, no one cared about it.


    After the van drove off, only then did the woman let her other daughters have their food and instructed


    them to clean the house after the guests left. Then, she and Ronald started exchanging inexhaustible


    pleasantries with Brandon and me.


    Before we left, Brandon handed Ronald an envelope with about twenty thousand cash inside. ¡°Take


    this money first. If the operation is sessful, Ms. Stovall will thank you again.¡±


    Holding the envelope, the two of them were ted as they thanked me profusely.


    I was at a loss when suddenly, I felt warmth in my hand. I lowered my head to see Amy stuck her hand


    in mine. The little girl asked, ¡°Ms. Stovall, are we leaving now?¡±


    My heart ached to hear that. How horrible this family must be when even a five-year-old kid would want


    to leave without any hesitation.


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving immediately.¡± With that, I led Amy to where our car was being parked, leaving Brandon


    tomunicate with Ronald and his wife.


    The road was in poor condition, with the muddy and uneven road surface. When we reached the car,


    Boris opened the boot and took out the presents we bought on our way here. He handed one of them


    to Amy and the rest to the girls who followed us to the car.


    Being a man of few words, he got into the car after distributing the gifts. Through the girls¡¯ eyes, I could


    see their reluctance to part with Amy and their envy for her, for thetter could finally leave the family.


    When Ronald saw the gifts in the girls¡¯ hands, he cast his eyes at me and made a meaningful remark,


    ¡°There is no use in giving those gifts. They can only count on themselves to change their own fate.


    Let¡¯s go. We need to head back to A City.¡±


    In the car, I sat with Amy in the rear seat. The little girl was excited as she kept casting her eyes


    outside the car window. It seemed to be her first time riding a car. From the smile on her face, I could


    tell that she was happy.

 Chapter 988

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 988


    When the vige vanished from sight, I heard Amy heaving a sigh of relief.


    Instead of feeling sad, the little girl was relieved to leave her parents. I felt my heart being tied into a


    knot upon that realization.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    There was a better signal as the car drove onto the highway. Instantly, Ashton¡¯s messages popped up


    on the screen, asking me where I was and what I was doing.


    I gave him a call, and it went through in no time. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t I reach you the entire night? Who are


    you with and where are you?¡± he asked with his voice full of concern.


    After answering all of his questions, I shifted my eyes to Amy, who had fallen asleep next to me, and


    fell silent. After some hesitation, I spoke up, ¡°Ashton, I found a kid whose blood and tissue type is


    compatible with Summer¡¯s, but¡­ but she¡¯s only five years old.¡±


    The other end of the line was silent. Feeling agitated, I quickly exined, ¡°It¡¯s not what you think! I


    didn¡¯t do anything illegal. I¡¯ll bring her back to A City, and then only we decide what to do. Wait till I


    come home and talk to you about it, okay?¡±


    Ashton was a highly moral and ethical man. I knew he wouldn¡¯t agree to let a five-year-old kid donate


    her organ to Summer. After all, Amy was too young, and her body was still developing. The risk of


    being a living donor was high. Even if she was a matching donor, she might have to face the possible


    seque and negative effects of organ donation.


    Nevertheless, I had decided to take Amy with me after seeing the harsh treatment the girls received in


    her family. It would be better if she could stay with Ashton and me. Even if we couldn¡¯t adopt her, she


    could still live a better life in an orphanage than in that vige.


    I didn¡¯t know if it was the right thing to do. I couldn¡¯t save Ann, yet I had the chance to help Amy escape


    that vige.


    After a long silence, Ashton said in a solemn voice, ¡°Scarlett, I know you¡¯re worried about Summer. But,


    promise me you won¡¯t harm anyone, alright?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Alright. I promise you. Trust me!¡±


    ¡°Of course, I trust you,¡± Ashton said in a loving tone.


    I knew Ashton was worried that I might lose rationality and throw propriety to the wind. I was now stuck


    in an insoluble dilemma. On the one hand, I would do whatever it took to save Summer. On the other


    hand, if Amy happened to be the perfect donor, I might not have the heart to sacrifice that little girl to


    save my own daughter. Both of them were innocent kids. I knew that once Amy underwent the


    transnt surgery, the damage done to her body was irreversible.


    I chatted with Ashton for a while before ending the call. That was when I noticed Amy was looking at


    me with her bright eyes. Thinking the little girl was hungry, I said softly, ¡°We¡¯ll arrive home soon. Are


    you hungry?¡±


    She shook her head while holding the bread and the bottle of water. Gazing at me, she asked, ¡°Ms.


    Stovall, we¡¯vee a long way. Why haven¡¯t I seen the van that took Ann away? There are a lot of


    cars on the road, but none of them is that van. Where did she go? Can I still see her again?¡±


    Hearing that, I was at a loss. Initially, I thought Amy was curious about the outside world, looking at the


    passing scenery outside the window. It turned out the little girl was looking for the van that took her


    sister away.


    At that instant, I couldn¡¯t help but feel upset. ¡°Amy, your sister is going to be someone else¡¯s wife,¡±


    I said as I suppressed my emotion, ¡°she has married into another family, but I don¡¯t know where they


    live.¡±


    Hearing my reply, Amy lowered her head, fixing her eyes on the bread. I fell into silence, not knowing


    how to console the disappointed little girl.


    Just then, Boris, who was behind the wheel, said, ¡°Ms. Stovall, you should get some rest. There are still


    a few hours of journey. I will wake you up when we arrive.¡±


    Feeling perturbed, I couldn¡¯t sleep. ¡°Boris, does this happen in all the viges here? How could they


    treat their children so differently?¡± I asked.


    That woman¡¯s eyes were full of love for her son when she carried him on her back. In contrast, her


    daughters lived no better than a rat in that house.


    Keeping his eyes on the road, Boris let out a sigh. ¡°There are a lot of people suffering in this world.


    Everyone has their own hardships and perils in life.¡±


    Everyone was born with different destinies. Those who were born with a silver spoon in their mouth


    could live a good life. Whereas those who were born in a family living in uncivilized and remote viges


    should be grateful when they could even survive.


    It was alreadyte at night by the time we arrived at the vi. Ashton was sitting near a space heater in


    the living room with a book in his hands, waiting for my return.

 Chapter 989

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 989


    Boris left after he sent us back home. Holding Amy¡¯s hand, I led her into the vi. Ashton stood up the


    moment he saw us. Seeing the man with a strong aura, Amy took a step backward and hid behind me.


    With a gentle smile, Iforted the little girl that she need not be afraid of Ashton.


    Gazing at me, Ashton asked, ¡°Have you had dinner?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I didn¡¯t eat anything during the eight hours journey. Have you eaten yet?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m waiting for you,¡± was his reply. Then, he shifted his gaze to Amy.


    Seeing that, I introduced Amy to him, ¡°This is the kid I told you. Her name is Amy. We¡¯ll let her stay in


    the house for a couple of days.¡±


    Ashton nodded and sighed. ¡°Since you¡¯ve brought her here, have you thought of what you are going to


    do with her in the future?¡±


    I shook my head. To be honest, I had no idea what to do with Amy. I was not against bringing her with


    me after seeing her parents¡¯ harsh attitude toward their daughters. I couldn¡¯t save all of them, but


    taking Amy with me was the least I could do.


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Seeing my response, Ashton didn¡¯t say anything. He made his way to the kitchen and called out,


    ¡°Wash your hands, and we¡¯ll have dinner. I¡¯ve made your favorite dishes, see if they suit your liking.¡±


    Seeing my response, Ashton didn¡¯t say anything. He made his way to the kitchen and called out,


    ¡°Wash your hands, and we¡¯ll have dinner. I¡¯ve made your favorite dishes; see if they suit your liking.¡±


    Feeling surprised, I led Amy as we followed him into the kitchen. The man was serving the food from


    the food thermos. Those were all my favorite dishes! I took Amy to the sink and washed our hands


    before we settled down at the dining table.


    Just then, I received a call from Zachary. Boris must have told Dad about Amy.


    I answered the call and asked, ¡°Dad, have you had dinner?¡±


    Zachary hummed a response over the phone. Then, he spoke up, ¡°Boris has told me about the five-


    year-old kid. I know you¡¯re a soft-hearted person, but Summer¡¯s condition is getting worse. The cancer


    cells have spread to other parts of her body. She needs a transnt as soon as possible, or her other


    organs will be affected too. By that time, it will be impossible to save her life. I have discussed it with


    your mother. We will give the girl¡¯s parents a sum of money and let her stay in K City. Your mother and I


    will take care of her. Don¡¯t worry. The Moore family can definitely afford to raise a child. If she suffers


    any sequ from the surgery, we will find the best doctor to treat her. Scarlett, Summer can¡¯t wait any


    longer. You need to make that decision.¡±


    I knew Zachary was right. Yet, I wouldn¡¯t forgive myself if I harm an innocent child. I would live the rest


    of my life with guilt.


    Noticing I was staring nkly into space, Ashton waved his hand before me. ¡°What are you thinking


    about? Let¡¯s eat now.¡±


    I nodded. As the call was still going on, I heard Zachary¡¯s voice saying, ¡°Tomorrow, your mother and I


    will discharge Summer from the hospital. We will then bring her to A City. Before that, take good care of


    the kid. I¡¯ll meet you there.¡± With that, Zachary ended the call.


    I was a little distracted as I watched Amy savoring the food before her. Ashton ced the cutleries in


    front of me and reminded me, ¡°You should eat more. Boris said you barely ate anything yesterday.


    You¡¯re a mother now, and you should take good care of yourself.¡±


    I nodded. Hearing Ashton¡¯s words, Amy turned to look at me. ¡°Ms. Stovall, my mom is also pregnant. Is


    there a baby in your tummy too?¡±


    With a faint smile, I helped fill her te with food. ¡°Yes. There¡¯s a baby in my tummy.¡±


    Hearing that, Amy curled her lips into a bright smile. The kids were indeed pure and innocent. They


    would just smile when they were happy and cry when they felt sad. After tucking the little girl in bed, I


    returned to the bedroom. While hugging me, Ashton asked, ¡°How did you find that vige?¡±


    His question threw me off bnce. I never told him about Armond giving me the name card. Thus, it


    wouldn¡¯t make sense that I managed to get into contact with Brandon.


    After thinking for a while, I lied, ¡°My dad told me about the vige. He asked Boris to go there with me.¡±


    Ashton fixed his eyes at me, his eyes darkened. ¡°Scarlett, there should be trust between a husband


    and wife. You told me this, do you remember?¡±


    Ashton¡¯s serious attitude made me feel even more guilty. I kept my head down to avoid his eyes while


    my hands wrung. I didn¡¯t mean to hide it from him. It was just that he was too wary of Armond. He


    would definitely get mad if I told him the truth.


    With that in mind, I was all the more determined not to tell him about the name card. I looked up at him


    and uttered, ¡°Ashton, it¡¯s true. This is why I called you to stop my Dad froming to A City. As you


    know, he is old now, and I don¡¯t want him to be in trouble because of me. You heard it when I got the


    information from him. You even got mad at me for not telling you when I decided toe to A City.


    Have you forgotten about that?¡±


    Ashton¡¯s gaze turned cold. He sneered, ¡°You came up with all these to lie to me. I guess it will be a


    disappointment to you if I don¡¯t buy your story.¡±


    With that, he turned and entered the washroom. The sound of running water ensued. The man was


    angry, or rather, he was infuriated.

 Chapter 990

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 990


    I felt on edge as I wasn¡¯t sure if Ashton knew about me finding Armond. Initially, I nned to tell him the


    truth when he came out of the washroom. However, I was too tired that I soon fell asleep.


    The next morning, Ashton was gone when I woke up. Later, I received a message from Zachary, telling


    me that they had boarded the ne, heading to A City. After freshening up, I went to Amy¡¯s room to


    find that the little girl had long woken up. She was sitting primly on the bed, waiting for me.


    In fact, the more considerate she was, the guiltier I felt. The little girl was still wearing rags and tatters. I


    helped her wash up and we went to a mall. Since it would take at least four hours to fly from K City to A


    City, there was ample time for me to buy her some new clothes.


    Amy was excited since it was her first time shopping in a mall. At the same time, being diffident, she


    wouldn¡¯t let go of my hand. In no time, I bought her a few sets of clothes. Wearing the new clothes, she


    asked meekly, ¡°Ms. Stovall, are we using the money that you are going to give my parents to buy me


    new clothes? Actually, I don¡¯t need that many clothes. I wish to save the money for my parents.¡±


    My heart ached at her words. She was still thinking about her parents despite them exploiting her for


    money. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. These clothes are a gift from me. You don¡¯t need to pay for them,¡± I reassured her.


    The little girl was relieved. Holding my hand, she asked, ¡°Then, when am I going to save your


    daughter?¡±


    I was slightly bewildered at her question. That was when I remembered that Amy, a five-year-old kid,


    was old enough to understand what was going on. Besides, her parents never avoided her when they


    talk. She must have known the reason for hering to A City.


    I shook my head and replied, ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. Before that, we can spend some time and have fun in


    the city.¡±


    Amy nodded firmly, her eyes brightened up.


    Gazing at her happy face, I asked, ¡°Amy, are you willing to leave your parents and live with me?¡±


    Amy was slightly confused. Nevertheless, she gave my words some thought. ¡°Ms. Stovall, if I stay with


    you, will you give my parents a lot of money?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Amy lowered her head and fell deep into thought. Finally, she made her decision. ¡°Fine. As long as my


    mom and dad can get a lot of money, I will stay with you,¡± she said seriously.


    To the kids, no matter how terrible their parents were, they would always regard them as their dearest


    family. After all, blood was thicker than water.


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    Soon, we left the mall. Just as we were about to get into the car, I heard someone calling me.


    I turned around to find it was Hailey. That was when I recalled she was back in A City as well. The


    youngdy trotted toward me and asked, ¡°Are you here shopping?¡±


    I nodded. Noticing the shopping bags in her hand, I knew she was out shopping as well.


    Hailey was dazed when she noticed Amy standing beside me. With a doubtful look on her face, she


    asked with a hint of certainty, ¡°Did you contact Armond? He gave you the information?¡±


    I was surprised by her shrewdness. ¡°How did you¡­¡±


    Hailey¡¯s face turned pale. She cast her eyes at Amy and then at me. Then, she gasped out, ¡°I did a


    heart transnt before. My heart belonged to an innocent kid. I suffered from depression after the heart


    transnt.¡±


    The youngdy was sping her chest. Her forehead was covered with sweat, while her face contorted


    in pain. I immediately held her arms and supported her. Thetter grabbed my hand while she said


    through gritted teeth, ¡°Don¡¯t make the same mistake as I did. That will only make more people suffer!¡±


    Not losing any time, I called the ambnce. Afraid that she might not stand until the ambnce


    arrived, I asked a random guy on the street to help carry her into my car. After that, I drove her to the


    nearest hospital.


    As soon as the doctor at ER took over Hailey, I received a call from Zachary. ¡°Scarlett, where are you?


    Summer¡¯s condition suddenly deteriorated, and we¡¯re sending her to the hospital. I need you to bring


    that kid to the hospital now. I have contacted the hospital to give her a preoperation check-up.¡±


    Suddenly, Hailey¡¯s words rang out in my mind. Casting my eyes at the helpless Amy, I felt torn by


    conflicting emotions. I was on the verge of losing my mind.


    I was stumped when Zachary kept urging me over the phone. Eventually, I only told him of my location.


    After hanging up, Amy and I looked at each other.


    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to tell her what she would be facingter. ¡°Ms. Stovall, is thatdy sick?¡± the


    latter asked.


    I nodded. Then, I made her sit on the chair and asked, ¡°Amy,ter, the nurse will need to draw your


    blood. Will you feel scared?¡±


    Amy took a nce at the ER. ¡°Will I feel pain like thatdy just now?¡± she asked hesitantly.


    I shook my head. ¡°No.¡±


    Hearing that, the little girl heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Then, it¡¯s fine. Last time, a man came to draw my


    blood in my house. It¡¯s not painful at all, so I was not scared.¡±

 Chapter 991

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 991


    I nodded. Amy must be talking about the time when Ronald had some doctors do a check-up and blood


    test for her and her siblings.


    Feeling sorry for the little girl, I wrapped my arms around her. Summer¡¯s condition had be worse.


    If I still couldn¡¯t make up my mind, I was afraid it might be toote to save her life. Yet, if Amy was to go


    under the knife, she needed to donate both her bone marrow and her kidney. I had no idea of the risk


    of the operation Amy might be facing. I would be the one who caused her death if anything happened


    to her during the operation.


    Half an hourter, Zachary and Cameron arrived at the hospital. Meanwhile, Summer, whose vein was


    cannted with an IV tube, was wheeled into the ER. The little girl¡¯s arm was full of hematomas from


    chemotherapy.


    Anger boiled within me whenever I saw my daughter suffering from the side effects of chemotherapy.


    Each time, the urge to kill Jared grew more intense. All humans had dark sides, yet we had the ability


    to eschew evil, which exined why Jared still survived until now.


    Soon after, Zachary ordered the doctor to do a checkup for Amy. My mind was a mess as I held the


    little girl in my arms. ¡°Dad, why don¡¯t we wait until we ask Summer¡¯s doctor about her condition?¡±


    Knowing I would go soft, Zachary persuaded, ¡°We are just going to do a full-body check-up for this kid.


    They said her bone marrow is a match for Summer, but we are not sure about it. We¡¯ll discuss it after


    the doctors perform the check-up. Alright?¡±


    Zachary was right. As reluctant as I was, I had no choice but to nod my agreement.


    When the doctor took Amy away, the little girl kept turning his head to look at me. I knew it was her


    instinct to feel scared. ¡°Amy, don¡¯t be scared. It¡¯s just like taking an injection. It won¡¯t hurt, and you¡¯ll be


    fine.¡±


    She nodded and followed the doctor quietly.


    I waited agonizingly for Amy¡¯s return.


    An hour had passed, the little girl still hadn¡¯te back. Feeling panicked, I decided to look for her, yet


    Cameron halted me. ¡°The doctor is with that kid. Summer is still in the ER, and you should stay here.¡±


    I nodded. Still, I paced back and forth as I couldn¡¯t cast my worries away. Meanwhile, a nurse showed


    up. ¡°Miss, the patient, Hailey Webster, has regained consciousness. We¡¯re transferring her to the ward


    now, and a family member is required to take care of her.¡±


    I told Cameron about Hailey before I went to check on her.


    In the ward, the doctor informed me of the things I needed to pay particr attention to during the


    patient¡¯s preoperative care and aftercare.


    Since I had no idea of Hailey¡¯s health condition, I went after the doctor and asked, ¡°Doctor, what


    happened to her? Why did she suddenly copse?¡±


    The doctor looked at me doubtfully while he asked, ¡°So, you¡¯re not the patient¡¯s family member?¡±


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    I nodded. ¡°I¡¯m her friend. I only found out about her health issue today.¡±


    The doctor nodded before he stated, ¡°The patient underwent a heart transnt surgery a year ago.


    Transnt rejection ismon during this period, and it can ur anytime. If the patient gets


    emotional, that might trigger episodes of acute rejection. Thus, you need to pay attention to the


    patient¡¯s emotional changes.¡±


    I remembered Hailey telling me about her having a heart transnt before she copsed. Shouldn¡¯t


    she be grateful that she is still alive? Why does it seem like she is aversive to the donor¡¯s heart?


    Back in the ward, Hailey still couldn¡¯t move her body under the effect of anesthesia. Nevertheless, she


    was conscious. She wore an oxygen mask and looked at me as if she had something to say.


    Sitting next to her, I spoke up, ¡°I know you have something you wanted to tell me. Perhaps we¡¯ll talk


    when you feel better.¡±


    Hailey shook her head. The next moment, she said under her breath, ¡°Don¡¯t sacrifice someone to save


    another¡¯s life. They are innocent, and they will die. Those who survive won¡¯t be happy either.¡±


    I was dazed. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    In a barely audible voice, she exined, ¡°I have congenital heart disease. Over the years, my heart


    deteriorated. My father told me I could live for a long time if I get a heart transnt, but it was just too


    difficult to find a matching heart. After many years of searching, my father finally found one. They told


    him the girl was sick and that she couldn¡¯t live long. After she died, she could donate her heart to me.


    So, my father adopted her. For many years, she was the one who kept mepany when I felt lonely


    or sad. Unfortunately, my condition was getting worse. Yet, surprisingly, she became fit and healthy as


    time passed.¡±


    Hailey let out a bitter smile. ¡°My father soon found out they had lied to him. In fact, she was not sick.


    Her parents had abandoned her, so they made my father adopt her. At that time, I was in a critical


    condition and I was dying. Unfortunately, she was the only one who could save me. Having no choice,


    my father trampled with the vehicle that she would be using that day.¡±

 Chapter 992

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 992


    After a short pause, she continued by saying, ¡°When she died, her face was disfigured, her body was


    covered with blood. My father told me it was an ident, and I have always persuaded myself to


    believe in his words. However, that girl is deeply rooted in my memory. I lived every passing day,


    tortured by the feeling of guilt and agony.¡±


    Tears rolled down from the corner of her eyes as she pleaded, ¡°Don¡¯t make the same mistake again.


    Don¡¯t sacrifice that kid.¡±


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    I fell into silence. No wonder she became emotional when she saw Amy.


    Just then, Cameron called. ¡°My dear, where are you? The kid has done with the check-up. She is now


    crying and asking for you.¡± For some reason, she sounded cheerful over the phone.


    I uttered a response and ended the call. Gazing at Hailey, I uttered, ¡°This is not a major surgery, and it


    won¡¯t risk the kid¡¯s life. I only wanted to save my daughter. If I had a choice, I wouldn¡¯t let the kid go


    through this.¡±


    Hailey was choking up while crying helplessly. I pressed the call button and let the nurses take care of


    her before leaving the ward.


    Outside the ER, Amy was done with her check-up. With her eyes reddened, she pointed at her pelvic


    area. ¡°Ms. Stovall, it hurts!¡±


    The doctor didn¡¯t perform a bone marrow biopsy. Instead, he only collected blood samples to test the


    compatibility of Amy¡¯s bone marrow with Summer¡¯s. Hugging the little girl, Iforted her, ¡°That must


    hurt a lot. I¡¯ll buy you snackster.¡±


    Cameron shifted her gaze back and forth between us. ¡°Summer has been transferred to the ward. You


    should go and check on her now.¡±


    I nodded and then followed her to the ward. The doctor wasmunicating with Zachary while


    Summer was lying on the bed, still under the effect of anesthesia.


    As the doctor left the ward, I quickly went after him. ¡°Doctor, I want to know more information about the


    bone marrow and kidney transnt surgery. Will that have any negative effects on the donor?¡±


    The doctor nodded. ¡°Well, the extraction of bone marrow and hematopoietic stem cells won¡¯t cause


    major harm to the human body though it could be painful. As for kidney donation, that will definitely


    cause some side effects to the donor. It is just like our fingers. If you lose one of them, it won¡¯t lead to


    death, but it will definitely cause a loss of functional hand movements.¡±


    My face turned pale at his words. ¡°If a kid donates her kidney, will that have any impact on her health?¡±


    The doctor nodded. ¡°Of course. Well, it won¡¯t cause death, but debility is inevitable.¡±


    I didn¡¯t ask further questions since the doctor had cleared my doubts.


    In the ward, Amy was sitting by the bed, looking curiously at Summer. Upon seeing me, Cameron


    asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Zachary knew about my worries. He took a nce at Amy as he said to me, ¡°I have considered all the


    possible risks of the surgery. The possibility of death is little to none. Scarlett, you know how hard it is


    to find a matching donor. We will take good care of that kid after the surgery.¡±


    I knew Zachary was right.


    I was d that we wouldn¡¯t have to risk Amy¡¯s life. Still, I couldn¡¯t help feeling guilty for harming an


    innocent kid to save my own daughter.


    Since Summer had just finished her chemotherapy while Amy¡¯s test result was not out yet, we could


    only wait in the hospital. Meanwhile, I had Boris bring Amy with him so that thetter need not stay in


    the hospital.


    When I went to check on Hailey, the effect of anesthesia had worn off. Her face still looked pale, yet


    she was visibly relieved after I told her of both Summer and Amy¡¯s conditions. ¡°It¡¯s great that you don¡¯t


    need to risk the kid¡¯s life. However, even if the transnt is sessful, cancer recurrence might ur


    during the five-year postoperative observation period. If that happens, your daughter will need to


    receive a second transnt surgery. So, what are you going to do with that kid?¡±


    I mulled over her words for some time. Soon after, I spoke up, ¡°Her parents are treating her like their


    money tree. If I send her back to her parents, I¡¯m afraid they will force her to marry a random guy for a


    dowry when she grows up. Actually, my parents wished to adopt her. She can go to school with


    Summer and live at the Moore Residence. She can decide her own future and live the life she wants.¡±


    My words brought a smile onto Hailey¡¯s face. ¡°If she gets adopted by the Moore family, she will


    definitely have a brighter future than growing up in that vige. That way, you can repay her by


    providing her a better life. Well, I bet she couldn¡¯t ask for more.¡±


    Well, that is the best way we could think of. I sighed. Yet, we still needed to wait until Amy¡¯s test results


    came out. After the surgery, I would bring Amy back to the vige and let her cut ties with her terrible


    parents. After that, she could start her new life in the Moore family.


    Hailey brought her hand to her chest. In a sorrowful tone, she murmured, ¡°If only I could also choose at


    that time.¡±

 Chapter 993

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 993


    I felt sorry for the youngdy. She must have suffered a lot after knowing that her survival cost the life


    of another girl.


    After a while, I asked, ¡°Do you know anything about Armond?¡± That day in the cowshed, Ann told me


    that some of the children never returned to the vige after they were taken away.


    I was not sure if it was what I think it was.


    Upon the mention of Armond, Hailey¡¯s clenched the nket, her face darkened. After a long silence,


    she finally said, ¡°That man is Satan! He has blood on his hands just for money. I suppose many people


    have died at his hands.¡±


    I furrowed my brows. ¡°You have never met him before. How are you so sure that he has something to


    do with the organ trade?¡±


    She looked up at me and uttered, ¡°I have never met him, but I knew that guy. My father was imprisoned


    because of him. Initially, my father only wanted to find me a matching heart. That man brought the girl


    of my age to my father. He told my father that her illness was incurable and that I could get a heart


    transnt after she died. As time passed, my health deteriorated, only then did he tell my father the


    truth. He asked for three million for bringing the girl to my father. After the girl died, he ckmailed my


    father and demanded a tenfold increase in the price as hush money. Having no choice, my father


    embezzled thepany¡¯s money. In the end, he was charged and imprisoned. It¡¯s all because of him!


    That man is evil! You need to be wary of him.¡±


    I was stunned by her revtion. ¡°Did that girl really died?¡±


    Hailey clenched her fists, her eyes reddened. ¡°Yes. My dad told me he had buried her, but¡­¡±


    The youngdy burst into tears.


    Seeing that, I stopped asking further questions and decided to leave her alone. Those children that


    never return to the vige¡­ Did they die just like that girl?


    Hailey¡¯s words made me realize that Armond must be hiding something. As soon as I left the ward, I


    made a call to Brandon.


    His gruff voice was heard over the phone, ¡°Hello, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°The kid¡¯s test result is out. If the kid is to donate her organ, I need her identity card and her parents to


    sign the consent form. How are you going to solve this?¡± Hailey told me that the hospital wouldn¡¯t


    perform surgery without the necessary documentation. I wondered how Brandon was going to deal with


    this.


    After a while, the man said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that. As long as you agree with the surgery


    and pay us the money, we will take care of it.¡±


    Since we hadn¡¯t discussed the price yet, I asked, ¡°How are you going to charge me?¡±


    ¡°Well, you will have to bear the costs of the operating room, the doctors, the medication, and also the


    money for the kid¡¯s parents. Why don¡¯t we meet up and discuss this? This is a serious matter, and I bet


    you wouldn¡¯t want to discuss it over the phone.¡±


    ¡°Alright. You decide the time and the ce.¡± I shuddered at the thought that the organ trade was rather


    systematic and well-coordinated. It seemed like the kids in that vige were not the only victims.


    When I was back in the ward, Summer had woken up. She hadn¡¯t met a girl of her age for a long time,


    so she was chatty with Amy.


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Meanwhile, Cameron was reading a project proposal. Although she had handed over most of her work


    in thepany to Nick, thetter, being inexperienced, still needed her guidance.


    Since Zachary was nowhere to be seen, I asked, ¡°Mom, where is Dad?¡±


    Keeping her eyes on the proposal, she answered, ¡°He¡¯s gone to meet his friend. Oh, he asked me to


    ask you from where did you find the kid? She¡¯s healthy and fit. It doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯s from the


    orphanage.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°Orphanage?¡±


    Cameron nodded. ¡°Your father has contacted an orphanage before. Now, he wanted to donate to the


    orphanage where the kid lived as a token of gratitude. But, it seems like that little girl came from a


    vige and not an orphanage. Boris told me it took you guys more than seven hours to travel to that


    vige where you found her. Who gave you the address of the vige?¡±


    I suddenly understood the reason Ashton became mad at me yesterday. The man knew from Zachary


    that thetter had contacted an orphanage. Hence, he knew I was lying to him, for Amy was obviously


    not from an orphanage.


    I started to feel the throbbing in my temples. If Ashton knew I was the one who turned to Armond for


    help, it would be a disaster.


    I gave Cameron a seemingly convincing answer. ¡°I got it from a friend of mine.¡± I was relieved that


    Cameron was absorbed reading the proposal that she didn¡¯t ask further.

 Chapter 994

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 994


    I didn¡¯t return to the vi that night after my fight with Ashton. That wasn¡¯t the main reason for my


    absence, though. Summer and Hailey were both in the hospital, and Hailey didn¡¯t have any family. I


    couldn¡¯t ask my Mom to stay with her at the hospital, so I went there instead.


    The hospital was shrouded in a gloomy aura; I ended up sleeping fitfully that night. Cameron and


    Zachary dropped by early the next morning with some breakfast.


    Hailey was recovering well, as was Summer. After greeting Cameron, I left for my appointment with


    Brandon.


    We met at a heritage eatery that was neither big nor grand. When I arrived, I spied Brandon sitting in


    the corner of the eatery. Seated, his posture made him seem shorter and fatter.


    He looks just like a wobbly man toy.


    He waved and hollered when he saw me. Then, he caught the attention of the eatery owner and


    ordered a few oily dishes. I sat down in front of him, not in a rush to speak.


    He didn¡¯t appear to be in a rush either. He¡¯d ordered more than ten dishes for the two of us, and he ate


    most of the food. He didn¡¯t question myck of appetite. I guess he¡¯s probably used to it. He devoured


    his food so quickly I half-suspected that he barely chewed at all. He only spoke to me after we finished


    the meal.


    Now that the food was gone, he wiped his oil-stained mouth and said, ¡°Take a look at the contract. If


    there aren¡¯t any issues, you can sign it now.¡±


    He passed a thick stack of papers to me. I was blinded by the rows ofplex legalese on the sheets.


    I frowned, unable to understand much of the contents of the contract.


    At least I could understand the sums in the contract. I counted the number of zeroes and knitted my


    brows. ¡°Why is the cost of the surgery suddenly increased to a million?¡±


    He pursed his lips before cleaning his teeth with a toothpick. ¡°Ms. Stovall, I heard from Mr. Murphy that


    money isn¡¯t a concern to you. Plus, this is a private operation. The operating theatre, doctors, the


    equipment; everything has a price. I¡¯m sure you know how expensive these things are. And hey, what


    aboutpensation for my efforts? I also need money to settle with that kid¡¯s parents. Please, that one


    million I quoted you is a discount already.¡±


    I held in myughter. He¡¯d managed to make a life-or-death operation sound like a business deal. Still,


    I wasn¡¯t in a hurry to sign. I looked at him directly and said, ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s actually not a big sum. I do


    have one request, though. Since this isn¡¯t a legal procedure, I want to see the operating theatre, the


    equipment, and meet the doctor beforehand. There are two children¡¯s lives at stake here, one of which


    is my daughter. I¡¯m sure you understand my concern.¡±


    He frowned slightly. After some thought, he replied, ¡°I need to think about this.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Sure.¡±


    Our discussion ended here. I supposed he had to discuss my request with his boss before he could


    give me a firm reply. If Hailey was right, then Brandon was probably acting under Armond¡¯s orders.


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    After saying goodbye to Brandon, I walked into an alley. After waiting for a short while, I came out of


    the alley and followed him. Sometimeter, I saw him get into a ck ord. The driver wore a pair of


    shades, and he looked vaguely familiar. After a brief greeting, the car moved.


    I couldn¡¯t walk closer to the car, but luckily the driver rolled down his windows as the car drove off. I


    was stunned when I realized who he was.


    Dante! Why is he hanging around Brandon? Did he end up working for Armond after Abe¡¯s death?


    I only managed to collect myself after the car was out of sight. From what I know about Dante¡¯s


    character, he wouldn¡¯t hang around Armond since he had a hand in Abe¡¯s death. All these men are


    sticklers for loyalty. Abe treated Dante like his own brother when he was still alive. So why would Dante


    be chummy with one of Armond¡¯sckeys? Unless Dante himself is involved in the ck market?


    Suddenly, I sensed someone behind me. Nerves taut, I broke out in a cold sweat when I realized that I


    had nothing to defend myself with.


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± The gruff, familiar voice turned my surprise into joy. I turned and saw Danny behind me.


    I smiled happily at him and asked, ¡°Why are you here? Are you ok? How have you been?¡± I¡¯d tried to


    track him down when I was in A City, but he¡¯d hidden his tracks well as if he was trying to avoid me. I


    learned nothing about him and had never expected to bump into him here.


    He appeared to have lost some weight, looking much thinner than his usual muscr self. The angles


    on his face were sharper as well. With a fairerplexion and a buzzcut, he blended right in with the


    residents of this city.

 Chapter 995

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 995


    Faced with my slew of questions, he replied, ¡°I¡¯ve been well. But how do you know Brandon?¡±


    ¡°Do you know him too?¡± I asked, surprised.


    He nodded. ¡°Yeah, Dante works with him. I¡¯ve met him a couple of times. They operate in the ck


    market, so why are you meeting him? Are you sick?¡±


    I shook my head urgently. ¡°No, I¡¯m not sick. But my daughter is.¡±


    Shocked, he said, ¡°I see. It¡¯s better to steer clear of them if you can, though. If you get involved in the


    ck market, it¡¯s hard to get them off your record.¡±


    I didn¡¯t quite understand his warning but nodded. ¡°Ok, I know.¡±


    Since he didn¡¯t have more to say, I spoke up again. ¡°Since you¡¯re here, shall we grab a bite together?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°No, I have other things to do. I¡¯ll be off then.¡±


    Seeing that he was ready to leave, I called out to stop him. ¡°Danny, how should I keep in touch with you


    next time?¡±


    He turned his head back to look at me. ¡°I¡¯m very grateful for how you¡¯ve helped me in the past. If you


    have any questions for me, you should ask them now. I¡¯ll tell you everything I know, and then we¡¯re


    even.¡±


    This statement confused me. His brows were furrowed in impatience as he watched me. I couldn¡¯t help


    but wonder if I¡¯d underestimated theplexity of our history.


    After a pause, I asked, ¡°What are you doing in A City? Do you know about Abe¡¯s death?¡±


    He pursed his lips before replying, ¡°I know what happened to Mr. Langston. As for my job in A City, it¡¯s


    exactly what Dante is doing.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°But it¡¯s illegal!¡±


    He mumbled an agreement but continued matter-of-factly, ¡°I know, but I gotta do what I gotta do to


    survive. A City isn¡¯t a good ce to make a living for us foreigners. At the end of the day, we need


    money to live.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know how to respond to that. I couldn¡¯t deny the truth in his words. We are but ves to the


    money that governs our lives in this world.


    ¡°Is it true then, that as long as there¡¯s money, you can carry out a perfect crime?¡± I blurted.


    He knitted his brows uprehendingly at my question. A momentter, he said, ¡°You should go


    home. It¡¯s not safe out here.¡±


    I had more questions to ask but he¡¯d already walked away.


    If Hailey is telling the truth, then Armond is really engaged in shady dealings. I couldn¡¯t imagine the


    number of innocent lives they had harmed each year.


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    I was caught in a dilemma. If I pursued this to the end, I was worried I wouldn¡¯t be able to ept the


    consequence. After all, I was a willing participant in an illegal deal, and losses and gains always came


    hand-in-hand. My decision to seek out Amy in the countryside was entirely due to my wish to save my


    daughter.


    Hailey¡¯s father could bring himself to harm a perfectly healthy child to keep his daughter alive. It¡¯s hard


    to pin the me on anyone, but someone was undeniably killed in the exchange.


    I knew I couldn¡¯t sort out these dilemmas alone. I called Ashton when I was in the car. The phone rang


    for a while before he answered. I could hear his clear voice through the receiver. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    Ashton was still angry at me over the name card incident. I sighed before asking, ¡°Where are you? I


    miss you.¡±


    My words seemed to surprise him, and there was a pause before he replied, ¡°See you at home.¡±


    He hung up on me. Perplexed, I stared at my phone. Why did he just hang up on me like that?


    I put down my phone and headed straight for the vi. Ashton was sitting in the living room when I


    arrived, looking like he¡¯d just reached home not too long ago. His dark eyes showed a hint of surprise


    as theynded on me.


    He pursed his lips and put on a somewhat petty air. ¡°Why did you call me?¡±


    So he¡¯s still angry at me then. I walked toward him and said gently, ¡°I did meet Armond when I was in K


    City; you knew about that already. When I came to A City to find Amy, it was based on information that


    Armond had given to me. Ashton, I wasn¡¯t lying to you. I just didn¡¯t want you to overthink things. That¡¯s


    all.¡±


    Sensing the cloud of anger around him, I let out a frustrated sigh. ¡°I know this is my fault. I shouldn¡¯t


    have lied to you. Will you please stop being angry at me? Ashton, we shouldn¡¯t be upset at each other


    over such small things. I suspect that Armond has dealings in the ck market and probably the


    deaths of countless people on his hands. I don¡¯t know anymore if I can proceed with Summer¡¯s surgery.


    Can we stop arguing and start discussing more important things?¡±


    He frowned slightly as he stared at me. ¡°ck market?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I found out from my contact that they have their own operating theatre and equipment. On


    that note, do you remember how we met a girl named Hailey at the public tender in the Oasis Hotel?


    She has heart disease. Her father colluded with Armond to kill someone so that she could get a heart


    transnt, though he ended up in jailter on after he misappropriated some funds for hispany.¡±

 Chapter 996

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 996


    After some thought, he asked, ¡°I have some recollection of her. How did you get in touch with her?¡±


    ¡°Actually, she looked for me. We already knew each other after meeting on a few asions. Now, I¡¯m


    worried about Summer. What if Armond betrays me after Summer gets the kidney from Amy? We¡¯re


    not the only ones who need to bear the consequences. My parents will be dragged into this mess as


    well. I can¡¯t let Summer¡¯s affairs disrupt their newfound peace.¡±


    Though Summer¡¯s situation wouldn¡¯t involve something as heinous as murder, as in Hailey¡¯s case, it


    would be hard to predict Armond¡¯s actions after the operation. He forced me down this path, iming


    we wouldn¡¯t be able to proceed with a normal, legal operation. But he could always turn around and


    threaten us with Amy¡¯s existence. If he fabricates a story to the press, it¡¯ll be a huge blow to the


    reputation of the Fullers and the Moores.


    I looked at Ashton, who¡¯d pursed his lips as if in deep thought. He looked at me and said, ¡°I think we


    should postpone Summer¡¯s operation and follow the legal procedure. We shouldn¡¯t touch Amy if we


    can. You should also look out for your parents. I¡¯ll do my best to find a suitable donor ASAP. I¡¯m sorry,


    but I think Summer will have to wait a while longer.¡±


    I frowned slightly. Though this went against every instinct I had as a parent, I nodded and agreed with


    Ashton. I couldn¡¯t drag two whole families into the mud to satisfy my own wishes.


    ¡°We¡¯ll stick with our original n then. Try not to give away too much information to anyone else.¡± He


    then pulled out his phone and called Joseph.


    He seemed to be discussing some matters about Moranta with Joseph. I wasn¡¯t in the mood to worry


    about such things. My mind was fixated on my proposed visit to the hospital with Brandon tomorrow.


    The next day, Ashton rushed to Moranta onpany business. He had left in a hurry, saying that there


    were problems at a few ports in Moranta that were recently acquired by the Fuller Corporation.


    I stayed in A City to continue working on Summer¡¯s affairs.


    Brandon sent me a text containing the address of the hospital as well as our meeting time. Before I left,


    I gave Cameron a call. She sounded like she¡¯d barely slept the night before. She answered in a hoarse


    tone, ¡°Scarlett, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Mom, do we have the results of Amy¡¯s health checkup? Did the doctor mention when they can arrange


    for the operation?¡±


    ¡°Not yet, I think the results will only be out at noon. Yesterday, the doctor told us that they couldn¡¯t find


    her personal information. They need to log her identification details in the hospital¡¯s system before they


    can carry out the operation. Could you contact her parents and get them to send her information over?


    If it¡¯s possible, we can send someone to bring them here so they can sign off on the operation,¡±


    Cameron said, sounding exhausted.


    I paused for a moment before answering her. ¡°Mom, Amy doesn¡¯t have any form of identification. Her


    parents had eight children and she was the only one who wasn¡¯t registered. If they need that


    information, it¡¯s going to take a long time to iron out all the paperwork, and Summer¡¯s operation is going


    to be dyed. This was something I overlooked at the beginning. I was hoping you could help me find


    a solution.¡±


    My answer stunned her. ¡°She doesn¡¯t have any form of identification? They have eight kids; how could


    they just forget about one of them? What about her future? Oh dear, we need to think of something


    quickly. How about you ask Boris to bring her home? We can give them some money and get her


    registered.¡±


    I mumbled an agreement and hung up.


    Amy¡¯sck of an official identity wasn¡¯t the only problem at hand. I couldn¡¯t borate on my ns to


    investigate Armond, so I could only dy the operation with this excuse.


    Even if Summer needed that operation, we had to follow the legal procedure. If wemitted to an


    illegal operation, we¡¯d be inviting trouble for ourselves in the future.


    After I hung up, I took a car ride to the address that Brandon had given me. The car came to a stop at a


    large factory located just outside the suburbs.


    I was surprised when I saw the deserted building. This isn¡¯t a hospital. It¡¯s more like some abandoned


    factory!


    There was an elderly man in the security booth near the gates of the factory. As I walked toward him to


    ask about my location, my phone rang with a call from Brandon.


    As soon as I picked up, he said, ¡°Juste in. You don¡¯t need to ask him anything. He has Alzheimer¡¯s


    and can¡¯t remember a thing.¡±


    Taken aback, I turned and saw the elderly man smiling at me. I returned his smile and walked into the


    factory grounds. Just like Brandon had mentioned over the phone, there was a two-story house behind


    the factory. He asked me to wait for him outside.


    He came down five minutester. He opened the metal doors to the house. He wore a leather jacket


    over his floral print shirt, though his protruding belly made for a rather unttering disy. He looked


    around behind me and confirmed that I was alone. He arched a brow in mild surprise. ¡°Ms. Stovall, I


    thought you¡¯d at least have somepany. I didn¡¯t expect you to reallye here alone.¡±N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.

 Chapter 997

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 997


    I chuckled, ¡°We¡¯re only here to take a look at the hospital and the medical equipment. We¡¯re not here to


    tear down this ce. Why did you bring so many people?¡±


    He chuckled and replied, ¡°Let¡¯s go. The doctors and equipment are up there. You should take a look at


    them so you¡¯d feel more assured. Rich people like you tend to be more cautious.¡±


    I followed behind him and let out a soft chuckle. ¡°I have no choice, she¡¯s my precious daughter, and I


    want to give her the best.¡±


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Hisughter echoed in the lift. Upon arriving at the second floor, I followed him past a metal gate that


    led to a fifty square meters big office. There were five doctors donned in their white gowns.


    After an exchange of greetings, Brandon announced, ¡°Alright. Since everyone knows each other, let¡¯s


    jump straight to the equipment. Please exin to Ms. Stovall their functions and attend to her queries


    as soon as possible.¡±


    They all nodded.


    I was not in a rush to look at the equipment, so I asked, ¡°Mr. Dumphy, I¡¯m not an expert in this field, so


    there¡¯s no point in me trying to know more about the equipment. However, I have a request. I hope you


    wouldn¡¯t mind.¡±


    He smiled at me and replied, ¡°Of course I wouldn¡¯t mind. I have no reason to reject your request as


    long as it¡¯s logical and legal.¡±


    Logical and legal?


    I let out an awkward chuckle. Would my request be logical and legal?


    I looked at him and continued, ¡°I¡¯d like to look through the doctors¡¯ credentials. To be qualified as either


    a clinical or surgical doctor, one needs to attain certain qualifications. I hope you all don¡¯t mind letting


    me take a look at them.¡±


    A few of the doctors¡¯ faces froze while Brandon was puzzled. ¡°Ms. Stovall, I believe you know that such


    information is confidential. Rest assured that our doctors are all experienced and capable, and they all


    graduated from top universities. We¡¯ll definitely do our best for your daughter.¡±


    I furrowed my brows and was hesitant. ¡°Mr. Dumphy, there are two major factors that can determine the


    sess rate of surgery ¨C a safe operating environment and the doctor¡¯s capabilities. Since I¡¯m not an


    expert in the medical field, it doesn¡¯t make sense for me to measure the safety level of the equipment.


    However, I would be able to verify the doctor¡¯s qualifications. Since they¡¯re from top universities, can I


    take a look at their certifications?¡±


    It seemed like my request was ridiculous to them, as none of them intended to show me their


    qualifications.


    I looked at the doctors, then at Brandon, and smiled slightly. ¡°Mr. Dumphy, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m making a


    difficult request. I believe this would form the basis of the trust I have with you all. If I¡¯m unable to trust


    your doctors, I would rather engage the surgery somewhere else. I don¡¯t wish to bet on my daughter¡¯s


    life.¡±


    Brandon frowned and replied, ¡°Ms. Stovall, you know the significance of this surgery very well. We


    share the same purpose of saving your daughter¡¯s life. It¡¯s not that we don¡¯t want you to look at their


    qualifications, but if you were to leak such information, it would ruin their career. After all, they do not


    have a perfect record on their portfolio.¡±


    I nodded slightly and did not refute his words any further. ¡°Indeed. Since you want to protect your


    doctors while I want to save my daughter, let¡¯se to apromise.¡±


    ¡°What are your thoughts?¡± he asked me impatiently.


    ¡°You could rent the operating theatre to me. Since you won¡¯t be able to show me their qualifications, I


    won¡¯t be able to trust them with my daughter¡¯s surgery. Hence, I would get other doctors to perform the


    surgery. Despite that, I¡¯d still pay the same amount.¡±


    It was a logical offer, so he had no reasons to reject it. He thought about it for a moment and replied,


    ¡°Your request is not impossible. However, we need to bring it up to the senior management for


    approval.¡±


    I nodded with a smile. ¡°Please bring it up to them as soon as possible. As you know, time is running out


    as my daughter is in critical condition.¡±


    He nodded profusely.


    It was not easy to flight a taxi in the suburbs. I was calling someone while pacing around the factory. I


    wonder if Hailey did her surgery here as well.

 Chapter 998

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 998


    Upon a thorough look at the factory, it had nothing special about it. There was not much human traffic


    around. If someone were to walk past, they might think that it was an abandoned building. No one


    would have guessed that there would be an operating theatre there.


    On a closer look, several rooms on the second floor showed signs of being cleaned. Those might be


    the wards where the patients stayed in. Most patients here were likely from wealthy families.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, you¡¯re¡­¡± Brandon came down to check on me, squinted his eyes, and asked, ¡°Are you


    taking a stroll?¡±


    I chuckled lightly and replied, ¡°I was just walking around while waiting for a taxi.¡±


    He chuckled and said, ¡°This ce is in the suburbs, so there won¡¯t be many taxis around. Since I¡¯m


    also heading back, I can give you a lift.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Dumphy.¡±


    He chuckled and replied, ¡°You¡¯re wee. Please wait at the entrance. I¡¯ll go get the car.¡±


    I smiled and nodded in response.


    It was noon as I walked past the doorman having his lunch. ¡°Hi Miss, you¡¯re heading back now?¡± he


    greeted.


    I nodded in reply. I walked over to him and asked, ¡°How long have you been working here? It¡¯s so


    isted here. Did your family send you lunch?¡±


    Heughed. ¡°I¡¯ve been working here for several years. My wife has difficulties walking, so she¡¯s


    currently staying at home. These were made by herst night. I heated it and brought it here for lunch.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°That makes sense. Do you live far away from here? Is it convenient for you?¡± I asked while I


    nced at his legs.


    He took a mouthful of food and replied, ¡°Not far. I live in the vige across. I may appear old, but my


    legs are still strong!¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°Since there are not many people thate here, and your house is nearby, why don¡¯t you


    head home for lunch and return after?¡±


    He looked at me and smiled. ¡°It may appear to be quiet, but there are many vehicles that drop by daily.


    Since the boss ordered for me to deny entry to unauthorized vehicles, I¡¯d have to obey the order.¡±


    I got curious and asked, ¡°This building looks very old. Why are they so strict on entry? Are there other


    offices located within this building as well?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It has always been the same few cars. I find it weird that people are


    going in and out of this ce too. I¡¯ve walked around but did not spot anything unusual. I heard that the


    boss had set up a live stream studio, and there have been young girls and kidsing here to work.


    However, due to my poor eyesight, I couldn¡¯t catch a proper glimpse of them.¡±


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    I nodded slightly. It seemed like they were tight on security. Though they hired an elderly to guard the


    entrance, they enforced strict rules.


    Since I knew the location of the operating theatre, I could easily gauge the location of other hidden


    ces too.


    Brandon drove over and waved at me. I got in the car and had a light chat with him.


    It was afternoon when we arrived in the city. My stomach grumbled loudly as I had not eaten anything


    that day. I entered a restaurant, ordered my meal, and took out my phone. As I was about to call


    Ashton, I noticed I had several missed calls.


    Out of habit, I had ced my phone in silent mode. The calls were from Ashton and Hailey.


    Ashton probably called to check if I had eaten lunch, so I decided to call Hailey first.


    Ashton called before I could dial Hailey¡¯s number. I picked up the call and chuckled. ¡°Mr. Fuller, I feel


    very honored to receive your call despite your busy schedule.¡±


    He scoffed at my mocking. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you missed your lunch. Why didn¡¯t you pick up my calls


    earlier? What were you busy with?¡±


    This man seemed to grow more protective as the days pass. It seemed like I might need to start


    reporting to him every hour.


    ¡°I told you that I had an appointment with Brandon to view the operating theatre. That appointment


    ended, and I was about to feed your baby and myself.¡±

 Chapter 999

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 999


    He sighed with worry. ¡°What about the breakfast that I¡¯ve prepared for you this morning? Did you skip


    it?¡±


    I scratched the tip of my nose and replied, ¡°I ate, and I got hungry again soon after. I n to eat more


    later.¡± The truth was, I did not eat breakfast as I was in a hurry.


    He sighed once more helplessly. ¡°You¡¯re already a mother, yet you¡¯re not taking good care of yourself.


    Should I get a nanny for you?¡±


    I immediately rejected his offer. ¡°We don¡¯t need a nanny for now. I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m only two months


    pregnant. It would be better to wait till Summer¡¯s recovery and at ater stage of my pregnancy. What


    do you say?¡±


    He agreed as he knew that it would not be easy to convince me otherwise. ¡°Sure. On the condition that


    you would start taking good care of yourself and our baby.¡±


    I smiled, knowing that it was out of his concern for me. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take note. Let¡¯s put this aside for


    now.¡±


    While the waiter brought out the dishes, I took a bite and continued, ¡°Do you know where the hospital is


    located? It¡¯s within a factory in the suburbs. That building looked abandoned, but they built an operating


    theatre on the second floor of it. They had five doctors and a few wards as well. It¡¯s inconspicuous ¨C no


    passerby would¡¯ve guessed it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. An operating theatre in a factory ¨C inconspicuous and could be shifted easily. It was indeed the


    perfect ce. However, our focus now is to be careful. There had been several issues that urred at


    the ports of Moranta. It seemed like the Murphys had intentionally caused the dy. Please be careful.


    Joseph will arrive within these few days. Keep in mind, safety first.¡±


    I nodded in agreement. I had guessed that Armond had been keeping his eyes on the Fullers. He did


    not seem like the type to give up after one failure.


    We chatted a while more before Ashton hung up, and I gobbled the food down. I nned to look for


    Hailey after.


    If Armond chose to act up in Moranta while I create some trouble for Ashton in A City, he might not


    have sufficient energy left to deal with the issues at Moranta. Furthermore, Ashton had taken over the


    ports not long ago and need some time for things to settle down. Our n had a high risk of falling


    through if Armond were to sabotage.


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    All of them were looking out for their own benefit. The illegal operating theatre was not a piece of


    substantial evidence to bring Armond down. We need to find a witness and the family members of


    those who supplied medical equipment to them as soon as possible.


    At the hospital.


    Upon arrival at the hospital, I saw Hailey packing while wearing a fur coat. I frowned and asked, ¡°Why


    are you in such a hurry to leave? What did the doctor say?¡±


    She turned and was stunned to see me. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ve had this illness for quite some time already. I


    prefer to rest at home. I don¡¯t like to be in the hospital.¡±


    I sighed as I failed to convince her. ¡°You need to take good care of yourself, especially now that you¡¯re


    all alone. We have to ept that some things cannot be changed and carry on with our lives. You have


    to hang in there.¡±


    She stopped her movement, turned to look at me, and replied, ¡°Her name is Carmen.¡±


    I was taken aback for a moment before I regained my senses and asked, ¡°Did you manage to contact


    her parents? Topensate for the guilt you hold, why don¡¯t you help to take care of her parents?¡±


    She shook her head while her eyes started to turn red. ¡°No. She¡¯s an orphan. Dad brought her back


    from the orphanage. Her parents abandoned her at a young age, so Dad decided to let her stay with


    us.¡±


    Orphanage?


    Could it be that the child that Armond had been searching for came from the orphanage instead?


    ¡°Do you know which orphanage she came from?¡± That could be a clue as there would be records of the


    adoption at the orphanage.


    She went through it in her head thoroughly and nodded. ¡°Carmen never told me about it. She only


    briefly mentioned that she was from an orphanage.¡±


    ¡°Does your Dad know?¡± Hailey¡¯s father might have gotten in touch with Armond. It could save a lot of


    trouble if he could stand in as a witness.

 Chapter 1000

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1000


    Hailey shook her head. ¡°That, I don¡¯t know.¡±


    I stared at her in silence and asked, ¡°Hailey, do you hate Armond?¡±


    She was startled by my question. She looked at me with utter confusion.


    ¡°We must get the criminals arrested. If we do not report him, there might be countless victims in the


    future. You want the same too, right?¡±


    She thought about it for a moment. ¡°What are you nning?¡±


    I knew that we had to keep certain things to ourselves. However, it¡¯s only right for people to pay for


    their crimes. ¡°Could you bring me to your father? He could be a critical witness.¡±


    Her face turned pale. ¡°No way. If he confesses everything, he might never be able to get out of jail for


    the rest of his life. I don¡¯t wish to ruin his life. Neither should you.¡±


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    As she narrowed her eyes, I pursed my lips and said, ¡°I totally understand how you feel. However, deep


    down, you know that your father is in the wrong, and he has to take responsibility for it somehow. If he


    keeps silent, Armond will continue to harm more kids. Do you want another incident like Carmen¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°Please leave. I don¡¯t wish to hear more of what you have to say. Scar, you¡¯re too selfish; you only think


    for yourself. He¡¯s still my father, and I can¡¯t bear to let him stay in jail for the rest of his life. Leave! I


    would never agree to it.¡±


    She was getting emotional and shoved me out of the ward. I had no chance to speak.


    I understood that it was hard for her to face something like that. She was right. Icked consideration


    for her feelings. Furthermore, the only family member she had left was her father.


    I returned to Summer¡¯s ward. I was startled as she was not there. I tugged at Cameron¡¯s sleeve and


    asked anxiously, ¡°Mom, where¡¯s Summer? Did her condition worsen again?¡±


    Cameron patted my shoulder, hinting for me to calm down. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She¡¯s fine. The doctor


    suggested for her to be quarantined in the disinfected chamber. We can visit her once in the morning


    and once at night.¡±


    I let out a sigh of relief. My heart ached as I saw Amy asleep at the bedside. She must have been


    anxious since the day she had first been there. I felt apologetic towards her as I had no energy and


    time to be there for her.


    ¡°Have you contacted the child¡¯s legitimate guardian? The hospital would require their signature before


    proceeding with the surgery. It had not been easy to find a suitable donor. Let¡¯s hope to resolve this


    quickly.¡± Cameron whispered, ¡°This child is too skinny. I¡¯m worried that she might not be able to recover


    from the surgery. We need to nourish her to prevent any side effects post-surgery.¡±


    I pursed my lips, nodded, and looked at Cameron. ¡°Mom, we might need to postpone the surgery.


    Firstly, Amy¡¯s body is too frail. No matter how much we love Summer, it¡¯s not fair for us to make use of


    another child like that. I bought a house in A City and hired a nanny who is a great cook. Let¡¯s wait for


    her health to improve before we even consider the surgery. Secondly, I need to find a way to register


    her birth. For that, I need to head to the vige. It¡¯ll take some time, so we need to postpone the


    surgery.¡±


    ¡°But will this affect Summer¡¯s illness?¡± Cameron asked in a worried tone.


    I was worried too, but we should not look back since we already reached this stage. ¡°Mom, We need to


    have faith in Summer. She¡¯ll recover for sure!¡±


    We had no other option.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave it to you. Regardless, what¡¯s important is for Summer to be healthy again.¡±


    I nodded in agreement. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let anything bad happen to Summer.¡±


    As she nodded, her gazended on my tummy. ¡°Your tummy is growing by the day. Have you ever


    seen any pregnantdies as haggard as you? You need to take better care of yourself.¡±


    I consoled her worries for some time and took Amy out for food after.


    I nned to buy some daily necessities along the way too.


    After a whole day of tormenting, Amy fell asleep. When she woke up, she followed me around, so I


    asked, ¡°Amy, do you have something you want to tell me?¡±


    She looked at me with her bright and adorable eyes. ¡°Ms. Stovall, could you help to find my sister? I¡¯ve


    been waiting for her for a long time. She told me she woulde and get me, but I had not seen her


    for several days already.¡±

 Chapter 1001

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1001


    I had almost forgotten about Ann. For a fleeting moment, I looked at Amy, didn¡¯t know how to answer


    her. After a moment¡¯s silence, I said, ¡°Amy, maybe Ann didn¡¯te to the city. She¡¯s married.¡±


    ¡°No. Ann said she wouldn¡¯t marry that idiot. So, she will definitely make an effort to escape. Ms. Stovall,


    will you help me to find Ann?¡±


    Amy sounded very insistent on finding Ann. It seemed like she was sure that thetter would escape


    from her husband.


    Unwilling to strike Amy with the truths, I nodded in response and replied, ¡°Of course. I will get someone


    to look for her. And, I will bring her here if I find her.¡±


    Amy nodded when she heard my words. ¡°Yay! I don¡¯t need to worry that Ann will get lost when she


    comes to the city anymore,¡± said Amy as though she had gotten a load off her mind.


    She was so sensible that it made me feel sorry for her. Holding her in my arms, I said, ¡°Amy, we have


    to go to your hometown to visit your parents. Can you go with me?¡±


    At that, she looked at me with her eyes wide opened and queried, ¡°Ms. Stovall, are you trying to send


    me back? Am I not good enough?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No. You are not registered as a citizen yet. So, I want to bring you back and ask your


    parents to help in this matter. After you¡¯ve registered as a citizen, you can have the surgery legally.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Amy nodded with a clueless face. The way she looked at me told me that she


    couldn¡¯t understand much of what I had said. At that, I smiled at her while thinking about Hailey.


    The next day.


    I had told Cameron that I wanted to drive myself to Amy¡¯s house, which was located in the countryside,


    beforehand, and she was worried after knowing that. In the morning, just as I stepped out of my house,


    I saw Boris standing beside the car in the yard.


    He was an old man, but his appearance was well-maintained, so he looked middle-aged. When he saw


    me, he shed me a faint smile and said, ¡°Mr. Moore was worried about you. He wanted me to bring


    you there.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°I should have known this.¡±


    Without giving more thought to it, I got into his car with Amy. When he realized I brought many clothes


    and shoes, he frowned and queried, ¡°Will we be gone long?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No. These are the clothes that Ashton bought for me every season. I rarely wear


    them. When the season changes, he will ask his men to send them to the recycling centres. So, I am


    thinking of giving them to Amy¡¯s mother so that the clothes won¡¯t go to waste.¡±


    Then, he started up the car and said, ¡°You¡¯re so attentive, but that woman doesn¡¯t deserve it.¡±


    Upon hearing that, I frowned slightly and asked with a tone of disapproval, ¡°Do you think that she is by


    no means a good person because she is cruel to her daughter?¡±


    He nodded as he took a peek at Amy and replied, ¡°She treats her children so badly. She is not fit to be


    a mother.¡±


    Sighing slightly, I said, ¡°When I was a kid, I lived in an alley in R Province with my Grandma. In the


    alley, there was a family of four. The man of the house was very hardworking. At that time, people in R


    Province relied on farming to make a living. Every day, the man left early for work and returned home


    late. Maybe because he had overstrained himself and his body became weak, one day, he fainted at


    theke that supplied water for farming. Thatke was not very deep, but he drowned. After his death,


    his wife left with their son, leaving their daughter at R Province. Back then, I didn¡¯t understand why that


    woman did this. The little girl was more thoughtful than the little boy, but why didn¡¯t that woman bring


    the former along? After that, the little girl lived with her grandmother. Her grandmother was a harsh


    person. She always beat and scolded the girl and starve her. I had seen her crying under the bridge a


    few times. My Grandma always asked me to bring her some food. But, that was not a good idea


    because sometimes, she would still have nothing to eat.


    ¡°One day, she borrowed some money from me. I gave her all the money that I had, just the two coins. I


    thought she wanted to buy something that she really wanted. But, never would I have expected that


    she had bought pesticide with it. She brought the pesticide to her father¡¯s grave, drank it, andy in


    front of the grave. I remember that she said this to me back then, ¡®Some people are born without a


    choice. Everyone wants to show their best side to others, but to some people, life itself is a struggle.


    They can¡¯t even make the effort to put on a show.¡¯¡°


    Hearing that, Boris remained silent. However, after we got on the highway, he suddenly spoke up, ¡°Your


    parents didn¡¯t stay by your side these years. Did you hate or me them before?¡±


    I was shocked when I heard his question because I was under the impression that he wasn¡¯t a person


    who liked to ask about people¡¯s internal affairs.


    Then, I smiled faintly and replied, ¡°It¡¯s impossible that I don¡¯t hate them at all. But more than the hatred


    is gratitude. I¡¯m grateful that I was raised by Grandma, and I¡¯m d that I can marry Ashton. Although


    our lives are not the best, I am willing to strive hard to live. For these reasons, I should thank them for


    giving birth to me. Humans are no saints. I think they abandoned me for a reason. Maybe they faced


    some difficulties back then. So, I don¡¯t me them anymore.¡±Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

 Chapter 1002

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1002


    Staring at me, he said with remorse, ¡°I am responsible for the incident that happened back then. I


    shouldn¡¯t keep it from Mr. Moore. If he learned of your existence, maybe he would bring you back to the


    Moore family.¡±


    To me, that was all in the past now. Hence, I let out a faint smile and replied, ¡°Boris, there is no such


    thing as ¡®if¡¯ in this world.¡±


    Smiling, he took a quick nce at Amy, who was sleeping on my legs, and said, ¡°This child will have a


    different life after encountering you.¡±


    I shrugged in response and remained silent. It was too early to jump to conclusions now. No one could


    tell if this was a good or bad thing.


    After about eight hours, we arrived at the vige. At that time, all of us were exhausted. Although we


    departed early in the morning, it waste when we reached the destination.


    The cold spell hit the vige in December, causing a drastic dip in the temperature. Just as I got out of


    the car, I shivered because the cold wind blew toward me. After a while, Amy woke up and opened her


    eyes slowly. Looking at the environment that she was familiar with, she said, ¡°Ms. Stovall, we¡¯ve


    arrived.¡±


    I gave her a nod and grabbed hold of her as we walked toward her house with the bags. Her house


    was not too far from our car, but the road was not easy to walk. Luckily, there was no rain recently. The


    soil was dry and hard, so it wasn¡¯t that bad.


    By the time we reached Ronald¡¯s house, the sky was already dark. Hence, I couldn¡¯t find the entrance.


    Looking at the dark house, I was a little worried. It¡¯s already nine! Why there¡¯s no one here? Where did


    they go?


    Luckily, Amy was familiar with this ce. She stood outside the door and called out to her parents. Not


    long after, someone opened the door slightly. A meek voice was hearding from the inside, ¡°Amy, is


    that you?¡±


    After a short pause, Amy replied happily, ¡°Ava, it¡¯s me! Ms. Stovall brings me back.¡± At that, she rushed


    into the house happily.


    There was no light in the house. Hence, Boris turned on the torchlight. When he saw a seven-year-old


    child, he furrowed his brows unwittingly and queried, ¡°Where are your parents?¡±


    Ava held onto Amy¡¯s hand and replied, ¡°They work at the farm and haven¡¯te back yet.¡±


    At that time, the light from the torch lit up in the house, and I could see a pot of vegetable stew on the


    cement floor. The dish looked like it had turned cold. Besides, the fire in the coal stove that provided


    heat to the house was almost extinguished.


    I turned to look at Ava, who was trembling from the coldness, and asked, ¡°It¡¯s so cold, and you¡¯re only


    wearing so little? Why don¡¯t you burn more coal?¡±


    She tugged on Amy¡¯s arms and touched thetter¡¯s clothes in envy as she replied, ¡°Mom told me not to


    waste the coal when they are not home. I just need to cover myself with the nket to keep warm. I will


    start the fire after theye home.¡±


    Hearing that, I was overwhelmed by an inexplicable feeling. I think that doesn¡¯t seem appropriate, but I


    did not say anything else. Then, I asked Boris to take all the food from the car and bring her a heavy


    jacket. After putting on the jacket for a while, she took off the jacket and kept it.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    I was confounded. ¡°Why don¡¯t you wear it? The weather is cold. You¡¯ll catch a cold if you don¡¯t wear a


    few moreyers.¡±


    She shook her head and answered, ¡°I want to save it for Christmas. If I have new clothes for


    Christmas, no one will make fun of me anymore this year.¡±


    At that, Boris stood up and passed her the jacket again, and said in a serious manner, ¡°Just keep it on.


    Ms. Stovall will give you some new clothes too for Christmas.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Ava was excited and put on the jacket as instructed.


    About half an hourter, a sound came from outside. Ronald and his wife came back from work. Seeing


    that, Ava started the fire to heat the dishes up while Amy helped the former to add the firewood.


    On the other hand, Boris and I walked out of the house. At the sight of us, Ronald was stunned before


    he could react. After that, he wore a wide grin and nervous expression on his face and queried, ¡°Ms.


    Stovall, what makes youe here? Did Amy cause trouble to you? Don¡¯t worry. Everything can still


    be discussed!¡±


    I frowned at what he said. It seemed that to them, the children were always wrong. Looking at him, I


    said, ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. Amy didn¡¯t cause any trouble to me. We are here to discuss something


    with you.¡±


    Ronald¡¯s wife listened to our conversation as she unloaded the dried grass and radish from the car.


    The children were helping her too.


    Upon hearing my words, she heaved a sigh of relief.


    As night had fallen, I didn¡¯t tell him the purpose of my visit until the next morning.


    The next day, Ronald¡¯s wife got up very early.


    She brought a huge basket and left the house with her children, saying that she wanted to collect


    radish at the nearby field.


    Ronald knew I had something to discuss with him. So he woke up early too. I said bluntly to him, ¡°It¡¯s


    like this. I knew you haven¡¯t register Amy as a citizen. So, I want you to get citizenship for her, and we


    will pay for the fee. This will definitely bring benefits to you and Amy in the future.¡±

 Chapter 1003

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1003


    He was stunned. ¡°Why did you insist on registering Amy as a citizen? Are you nning to use this to


    threaten me in the future? All the while, the kids who leave our vige had bever been registered, but


    their families got paid. I heard if I were to register my child and got forced to sign some agreement, I


    won¡¯t get a cent even if you harm my child! I¡¯m not a fool!¡± he dered.


    I was speechless at how ridiculous his conclusion was. Frowning, I told him in all seriousness, ¡°Don¡¯t


    you worry. I will pay you what you deserve. I want you to register Amy as a citizen for her own future.


    She¡¯s your daughter. You won¡¯t want her to stay in the mountains forever, right? Without a proper


    status, she wouldn¡¯t be able to survive out there.¡±


    Ronald remained unfazed. ¡°No worries. She will marry someone from the neighboring vige. Why


    would she need to go out there? This is her life, her fate. I won¡¯t register her as a citizen. If you


    disagree, just send her back to us.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t understand what was going on in his mind. After a brief hesitation, I offered, ¡°If you agree to


    register Amy¡¯s birth, I¡¯ll pay you an extra fifty thousand. Your son is in high school, right? I believe you


    want him to seed in the future. If he is capable enough, I can offer him a job so he can make your


    family proud. How does that sound?¡±


    Clearly, my offer caught his attention. He paused before answering. ¡°No. The girls are going to earn


    money for me. Well¡­¡±


    ¡°Damn it! I¡¯ll teach her a lesson the minute I find her!¡± someone was cursing outside. Soon, Ronald¡¯s


    wife hurried in frantically. ¡°Frit¡¯s family are saying that Ann killed him after a few days! She¡¯s missing


    now. The Wolfsens areing to our family to demand an exnation!¡±


    Ronald stood up in shock. ¡°Killed him? Who¡¯s dead?¡±


    ¡°Who else? Her mentally retarded husband! Hurry, shut the door. They areing to kick a fuss up!¡±


    Ronald¡¯s wife locked the door to their house hastily.


    Worry spread across Ronald¡¯s face. As he sweated profusely, he muttered, ¡°What should we do? She


    killed him, so they won¡¯t forgive us. We¡¯ve already spent the money. What should we do?¡±


    Seeing how anxious her husband was, tears rolled down the woman¡¯s cheeks. ¡°Damn you, Ann


    Weeder! You¡¯re nothing but trouble!¡±


    That piece of news took me by surprise. I thought Ann would give in instead of killing her husband and


    escaping from that household. Looks like I¡¯ve underestimated her determination.


    As amotion sounded outside, the vigers gathered around Ronald¡¯s house brandishing weapons


    such as sticks and knives. They yelled, ¡°Ronald Weeder, your daughter killed my son! Come out now! I


    want my son back! If you don¡¯te out, I¡¯ll burn your house down!¡±


    The deceased¡¯s parents and the rest started hurling curses at Ronald. As they criticized Ronald¡¯s


    doings, I pieced together bits and pieces of usations I had overheard.


    The deceased¡¯s name was Fritz Wolfsen. He was born with an intellectual disability, so he had a low IQ


    as an adult. As he was in his thirties without a wife, his parents collected and borrowed around one


    hundred thousand to buy him a wife from the neighboring vige¡ªAnn Weeder. The reason they were


    willing to spend that much on her was so she could give birth to Fritz¡¯s offspring, but to their dismay,


    she kicked up a fuss and even identally killed Fritz. Immediately, they hurried to Ann¡¯s family to


    demand an exnation.


    Ronald was scared out of his wits. He sat in the chair and bit his filthy fingernails nervously.


    Meanwhile, his wife urged, ¡°What should we do? Huh? We¡¯ve spent all the money they gave us, so


    there¡¯s no way we can pay them back now. That b*tch just spells trouble!¡±


    Ronald had spent a few hundred thousand so his son could go to school in the city.


    No wonder he rejected my fifty thousand earlier as it was too little for him. Initially, I wondered why he


    was so frugal after selling his daughter. It was because he had spent all the money on his son.


    I didn¡¯t see his son even though I had been here twice. Clearly, he had sent his son away before I even


    got here. I could understand why, though. Every parent wished only the best for their children. They


    hoped their children would lead a different life from theirs.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.

 Chapter 1004

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1004


    As the yells grew increasingly impatient outside, Ronald trembled in fear while holding his hands


    together.


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    ¡°What should we do? Are they really going to burn our house down?¡± his wife inquired uneasily.


    Ronald was at a loss now. His gazended on me as he implored, ¡°Ms. Stovall, please help us!¡±


    I pursed my lips instead of replying at once. Seeing how jumpy he was, I parted my lips and spoke. ¡°I


    can help you with one condition. Register your kids as citizens of the country. If you agree, I can pay


    the money at once.¡±


    Upon hearing my words, he hesitated. His terrified wife took my arm anxiously, but Boris pried her hand


    off and furrowed his brows. She staggered back in fear before pleading, ¡°Please, Ms. Stovall. You¡¯re


    our only hope. We have no other choices. Please help us!¡±


    Boris¡¯s lips thinned as he shot them a warning re. ¡°I believe Ms. Stovall has made herself clear.


    Nothing is free in this world.¡±


    Ronald pondered for a while before saying, ¡°Ms. Stovall, we¡¯re from different worlds. You might think


    I¡¯m exploiting my children and destroying their future, but this is their fate for they are born here. No


    one can change that fact. I can register Amy as a citizen, no problem. But I won¡¯t agree to register my


    other kids¡¯ birth. You need to give me your word that you¡¯ll pay me in full for Amy after I registered her


    birth. After that, you can do anything you want. I won¡¯t ask questions.¡±


    I frowned upon hearing Ronald¡¯s answer. Suddenly, it urred to me that he wasn¡¯t as stupid as I


    thought he was. He seemed like a foolish but greedy man, but actually, he had his own ns. He was


    ying the innocent card. If it got leaked out, he would be portrayed as a farmer who got tricked by a


    businessperson. Everyone would pity him.


    Ah, I shouldn¡¯t have underestimated him. I shed a slight smile. ¡°Why are you so confident that I


    would agree to your condition?¡±


    After calming down, he exined, ¡°Rich people like you don¡¯t like trouble, so you will agree. A few


    hundred thousand is nothing for you. People like you are willing to spend money to solve the matter.


    Even if you refuse to pay, never mind. Mr. Dumphy doesn¡¯t know about youing here to ask me to


    register Amy¡¯s birth, right? If I inform him about your arrival, your daughter¡¯s operation might be


    dyed further. I believe you know it better than I do.¡±


    Ha!


    I chuckled. He¡¯s right. I shouldn¡¯t have thought he was a fool. Shrugging, I replied, ¡°Well, looks like you


    have the perfect n.¡±


    He stared at me. ¡°Ms. Stovall, that¡¯s all I have to say. We know what we both want, so we should be


    honest with each other.¡±


    Ronald was right. s, he didn¡¯t know I hated being strung along. Immediately, I responded, ¡°You¡¯re


    wrong. Yes, Amy¡¯s bone marrow is a match for my daughter, but she¡¯s not the only choice I have. I can


    afford to wait for another suitable donor toe along. Your situation is different, though. Trouble is


    already knocking at your door. If you said nothing and epted my offer, I wouldn¡¯t have said anything.


    But since you mentioned it, I don¡¯t feel like going along with your n. I¡¯m not the one in hot water,


    anyway.¡±


    The people outside were trying to break in by now. The wooden door, which was originally flimsy, fell to


    the ground after a few burly men threw themselves against it. The vigers outside promptly rushed in


    with their weapons.


    Ronald¡¯s wife almost fell to her knees as she pleaded, ¡°Ms. Stovall, please save us. We have no other


    choice. If you agree to help us, we will agree to your condition. Please!¡±


    I pursed my lips as I couldn¡¯t help but sympathize with her. Boris stopped me and stood in front of me in


    a protective stance. ¡°She can¡¯t help you. Yes, we can afford the money, but your daughter had


    murdered someone. It¡¯s useless to ask for her help.¡±


    Realization dawned on me when I heard what Boris said. Ann had killed someone, indeed. If it was


    something else, I could help them with thepensation. However, someone had died here.


    Earlier, Ronald¡¯s words caused me to focus on the money instead of the matter itself. Fritz¡¯s death


    couldn¡¯t be settled by offeringpensation.


    The Wolfsens wouldn¡¯t give up easily as their son was dead.


    I heaved a sigh of relief. If Boris hadn¡¯t mentioned it, I would¡¯ve forgotten about Fritz¡¯s death.

 Chapter 1005

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1005


    Ronald¡¯s expression was grim. ¡°Ms. Stovall, I agree to register my children¡¯s birth. I will agree to any


    condition you state.¡±


    With a frown, Boris replied before I could. ¡°No need!¡±


    As we were talking, the crowd scurried into the house. Boris pulled me aside and stood in front of me


    protectively. As the house was tiny, only a few men stormed in.


    ¡°Ronald Weeder, why are you hiding? Your daughter killed someone. Hand her to us before we take


    action!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not waste time. Find that b*tch now so she¡¯ll pay for killing Fritz!¡± With that, the men started


    ransacking the house.


    Soon, the house was in shambles. The farmers couldn¡¯t find Ann, so they changed their target to


    Ronald instead. As Ronald¡¯s house was too small, they brought him out.


    Immediately, the crowd surrounded Ronald¡¯s family and began abusing them verbally. Fritz¡¯s mother


    would¡¯ve given Ronald a beating if someone hadn¡¯t stopped her.


    The loudmotion caused the crowd to grow bigger and bigger. Some tried to persuade the


    Wolfsens to discuss instead of resorting to violence; some supported their decision to avenge their


    son¡¯s death. It was utter chaos. Ronald and his family were slumped on the ground in dejection.


    Life was never perfect, but this hurricane rendered me helpless. Ronald knew there was nothing else


    he could do to turn the situation around, so he said nothing and allowed the crowd to curse and hit him.


    Suddenly, someone grabbed my arm. I looked down and realized it was Amy staring at me pitifully.


    ¡°Please, Ms. Stovall. Save my parents,¡± she begged.


    I knitted my brows. ¡°Amy, I can¡¯t.¡±


    Kindness was rare nowadays as most people had ulterior motives for doing something. I wasn¡¯t far off.


    Hearing my answer, Boris sighed in relief and said, ¡°You can¡¯t interfere. Remember, you¡¯re still


    pregnant. Don¡¯t get yourself into trouble.¡±


    I knew that well, hence I rejected her without hesitation.


    After venting out their anger, the Wolfsens stopped beating the Weeders up. They sat down and


    demanded arrogantly, ¡°A life for a life. Ronald Weeder, your daughter isn¡¯t here, so you should pay us


    back. We don¡¯t need the money back. In return, give me your second daughter.¡±


    Ronald¡¯s eyes widened as he roared, ¡°Kurt Wolfsen, how dare you?¡±


    Kurt scoffed. ¡°Your daughter killed my son and escaped. I¡¯m being nice cos I didn¡¯t kill your entire family


    to avenge my son. Why would you think I don¡¯t have the guts to do so?¡±


    Ronald¡¯s wife hurriedly implored, ¡°Kurt, please spare us. You can have my daughters if you want. My


    husband will find Ann for you so you can avenge your son. Don¡¯t hurt him, please.¡±


    My brows furrowed up as I could neither understand nor ept the woman¡¯s peace offering.


    Kurt seemed pleased at her words. ¡°Your second daughter is fourteen, right? My son¡¯s dead, so she


    shall give birth to my children. Find that b*tch for me. Otherwise, I swear I¡¯ll kill you, Ronald Weeder.¡±


    With that, he stood up and gazed at the girl protecting her siblings. ¡°You¡¯re Alma, right? Your parents


    gave you to me. Come, follow me home and bear me a son.¡±


    The girl, who was still a teenager, nched as she shook her head profusely. She didn¡¯t have a clue


    what was going on, but her instincts told her a more horrible fate would await her at the Wolfsen


    household.


    s, Kurt ignored her wishes and dragged her away by the hair. Immediately, she bawled and cried for


    her parents to save her.


    At the sight, my frown deepened. Clearly, they couldn¡¯t be bothered about their children.


    ¡°Wait a minute!¡± It was Boris. He looked straight at Kurt and inquired, ¡°How much did you pay them?¡±


    Kurt Wolfsen was a plump and lecherous man in his forties. He eyed Boris suspiciously before


    answering, ¡°One hundred thousand. What¡¯s wrong? Did you take a liking to this girl, too?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    Boris¡¯ lips pressed together in disgust. ¡°I¡¯ll pay the money. Release her!¡±


    Suddenly, Kurt guffawed before his face contorted. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re trying to be the hero here. Mister, my


    son died. I want this girl so she can pass on my family name. Are you trying to take her away from me?


    If you took a liking to her, you can have her. But Ronald has other daughters. Do you think you can


    save them all?¡±

 Chapter 1006

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1006


    This was a tricky matter. Kurt was right. If Boris insisted on saving Alma, Kurt could get another


    daughter from Ronald. After all, it was Ann who got his son killed.


    Boris¡¯ frown deepened. He was smarter than me, so he knew he should stay out of this.


    I grew frustrated. ¡°You can take her away, no problem. I¡¯ll call the cops right now. Ann Weeder killed


    your son, so the cops will arrest her. But if you take any of the girls away or kill someone here, the cops


    will arrest you, too. We¡¯re not here to interfere in your business, but we can still call the cops.¡±


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    At once, a murmur erupted in the crowd. Many of the vigers didn¡¯t register themselves at birth and


    were without birth certificates. If the cops were toe, many of them would be forced to register


    themselves and pay a fine.


    Kurt sneered. ¡°Sure, go ahead. I¡¯m not scared of you. I¡¯m the one on the suffering end, anyway.¡±


    My threat failed to scare the shameless man. Perhaps he thought I wouldn¡¯t dare to call the cops.


    I stared at Ronald, who huffed, ¡°You¡¯re a bully! Ms. Stovall, call the cops. I¡¯ll admit to everything.¡±


    His reaction took me by surprise. I didn¡¯t know he woulde to his senses that quickly. Whipping out


    my phone, I announced, ¡°Indeed. We shall leave this to the cops.¡±


    If the cops were to deal with this, neither side would have the upper hand. Both Kurt and Ronald knew


    that well. They were considering their own benefits.


    Indeed, before the call got through, Kurt spoke. ¡°Well, what do you want? This has nothing to do with


    you, so I want you to stay out of this.¡±


    I smiled and nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I too want to stay out of this. However, just like you, I wish to settle


    this matter ASAP.¡±


    Kurt pursed his lips silently and waited to see what I would say next.


    After a brief silence, I continued, ¡°It¡¯s illegal to take any of the girls with you as they are underaged and


    protected by thew.¡±


    Kurt narrowed his eyes. ¡°My son¡¯s dead, and I spent the money without getting anything in return. Are


    you asking me to do nothing? Do you think I¡¯m a fool? Or are you too innocent?¡±


    Instead of refuting his words, I offered, ¡°Of course not. If you trust me, why don¡¯t you listen to my


    suggestion?¡±


    ¡°Sure, go ahead.¡± He nodded.


    ¡°Death cannot be reversed. Your son¡¯s dead, and we cannot bring him back to life. The culprit who


    killed your son should be punished, but as you said, Ann had escaped. Now, we should sit down and


    come out with a solution in peace. I think the Weeders should give you back the one hundred thousand


    you paid them. That¡¯s the least they should do.¡±


    Kurt scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m not in need of money.¡±


    I shed a grin and added, ¡°That has nothing to do with whether or not you need money. About your


    son¡¯s death, I am in the opinion that you should hand all evidence to the cops so they can arrest the


    culprit. The Weeders can only offer marypensation.¡±


    With an ugly scowl, he retorted, ¡°Money? How much can Ronaldpensate me? My heir is dead!


    How should hepensate me? By giving me his son?¡±


    Ronald hung his head low and dared not utter a word. Instead, it was his wife who offered, ¡°If you wish,


    you can have my daughter. She can bear your son. You¡¯re only in your forties, Kurt. My daughter might


    be able to give birth to your son soon. What do you think?¡±


    I got the shock of my life. After what I said, the woman still hadn¡¯t changed her mind about giving her


    daughter away. It didn¡¯t cross my mind that she would willingly let her daughter bear a middle-aged


    man¡¯s child.


    Ronald said nothing and appeared to agree silently.


    Meanwhile, Kurt nced at the woman, who had remained silent the whole time by his side. She was


    glowering at Ronald¡¯s wife viciously.

 Chapter 1007

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1007


    Suddenly, I realized why Kurt hesitated to take the girl away earlier though he clearly wanted her. He


    calmed down and listened to me because he was afraid of his wife.


    Silence ensued. I thought the woman would disagree, but she uttered, ¡°Sure. My son¡¯s dead, so your


    daughter shall bear Kurt¡¯s child. If she gives birth to a son, she shall be free. Otherwise, she needs to


    stay in our house until she gives birth to a son.¡±


    Ronald¡¯s wife nodded profusely and offered a smile. ¡°No problem. She can bear children and satisfy


    your needs.¡±


    Her words nearly drove me crazy. I was about to speak when Boris took my hand and stopped me in


    time. He whispered in my ear, ¡°You can¡¯t do anything. The ending will still be the same. The Weeders


    won¡¯t return the money.¡±


    Stunned, I nced at Alma¡¯s pale expression as a sense of hopelessness washed over me. No matter


    what I do, nothing would change their fates.


    Seeing my reaction, Ronald¡¯s wife offered me a polite smile. ¡°Ms. Stovall, thank you for your concern.


    This is our family¡¯s business, so we won¡¯t trouble you.¡±


    Huh, how rude.


    Indeed, I should stay out of their affairs.


    In the end, Kurt led a devastated Alma away. Peace was restored in Ronald¡¯s household.


    I didn¡¯t know what to say by then.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, thank you for your help. We can register Amy¡¯s birthter, but you need to pay me a


    hundred thousand first for that. It isn¡¯t easy to bring her up. Also, since she¡¯s going to extract her bone


    marrow, her health would be affected, especially her kidney. There are many things she can¡¯t touch.


    She will have difficulties getting around, too. In fact, she¡¯ll be useless. For this, I want an extra five


    hundred thousand. This isn¡¯t expensive, and I believe you can afford it,¡± Ronald dered. ¡°Hopefully


    you can give me the money after I register Amy as a citizen today. Everything you do after this has


    nothing to do with me.¡±


    I fell silent at his selfish statement. I knew he was right in doing so, but that only heightened my distaste


    for his selfishness.


    After a long pause, I replied, ¡°I¡¯ll pay you one million to adopt Amy. We shall deal with the adoption


    process, and Amy will be my daughter. She has nothing to do with you from now on. No matter what


    she bes in the future, you aren¡¯t allowed to bother her, get it?¡±


    Ronald was taken aback by my request. He let out a suddenugh. ¡°Sure, no problem. I didn¡¯t expect


    she would be worth this much.¡± He repeated, ¡°Sure, of course. Let¡¯s go now.¡±


    I thought he would at least hesitate, but contrary to my expectation, he seemed delighted. My gaze


    landed on Amy. She was still a kid, but she had seen the entire exchange with her sisters. The scar


    would remain in their hearts forever.


    Next, Ronald followed us to the town and dealt with the necessary procedures. ¡°Ms. Stovall, the


    money,¡± he reminded me once we were done.


    I pursed my lips and gestured for Boris to hand him the briefcase full of banknotes. Ronald was clearly


    excited to see the money and left without looking back.


    Amy was standing right beside me as she watched Ronald leaving with his wife on his motorcycle.


    They didn¡¯t even bother saying goodbye to their daughter.


    I took her hand and bent down to wipe her tears away. ¡°Amy, you shall stay with us from now on. Is that


    alright?¡±


    She gazed at me and nodded with a hint of maturity in her expression. ¡°Okay!¡±


    She fell silent after that.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    I brought her to my car, and Boris started the engine. Throughout the entire journey, Amy didn¡¯t crane


    her neck to stare at the scenery in wonderment like she used to do. Instead, she sat quietly without


    showing any emotion.


    I parted my lips tofort her, but the words died in my throat.


    Hence, I stayed silent.


    After some time, I noticed we hadn¡¯t entered the highway yet. Feeling doubtful, I queried, ¡°Boris, did


    you take the wrong route?¡±


    In response, he nced at the rearview mirror and exined, ¡°Ms. Stovall, someone seems to be


    tailing us.¡±


    With a frown, I turned at my shoulder and noticed a grey van behind our vehicle. Surprised, I asked,


    ¡°How long has the van been tailing us?¡±

 Chapter 1008

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1008


    ¡°Since we left the vige. I thought it was a coincidence, but they are still behind us even though I took


    a longer route,¡± revealed Boris.


    ¡°Could it be Ronald¡¯s family?¡± I asked though it wasn¡¯t likely. Ronald wasn¡¯t someone who¡¯d do this.


    Boris shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    After a pause, he sought my approval. ¡°Should I lose them?¡±


    Shaking my head, I replied, ¡°No need. Let¡¯s just take the normal route home and see how long they will


    follow us.¡±


    Amy remained silent on the way home. I texted Cameron to ask about Summer¡¯s condition. Her reply


    stated that Summer was fine after undergoing chemotherapy. As Summer was then sent to the


    disinfection chamber, Cameron could no longer take care of her.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    I wanted to call Ashton, but I was feeling nauseous from the long car ride. Hence, I gave up on the


    thought.


    Finally, we arrived in A City at midnight. Boris brought a sleeping Amy to her bed and left some


    instructions before leaving.


    I walked him to the door, where he nced around carefully and reminded me. ¡°If anything happens


    tonight, give me a call at once.¡±


    Clearly, he was referring to the van which tailed us back then. I nodded and watched as he left. After


    making sure all the doors were locked, I went to Amy¡¯s room and made sure she was still sound


    asleep.


    Back in my room, I was about to call Ashton when a call came in. It was from Ashton. When I answered


    the call, his voice rang out. ¡°What happened? Why were you unreachable the whole day?¡±


    ¡°Boris and I went to Amy¡¯s hometown. The line was bad there, and I¡¯ve just reached home. What about


    you?¡± I exined as I made my way to the balcony.


    ¡°Mm, it¡¯s a little tricky. Nothing serious, though. Joseph is in A City. You can contact him if any problem


    arises. I¡¯ll be back as soon as I¡¯m done.¡±


    I nced out of the window before closing it. ¡°I¡¯ve adopted Amy legally. Ashton, I still want Summer to


    get that surgery in the open.¡±


    Ashton fell silent at the other end of the line. I thought he was mad at me, but he spoke. ¡°Scarlett, have


    you ever thought about this? What is the difference between you, the child¡¯s parents, and Armond?¡±


    We were the same. Amy¡¯s parents and Armond were after money, while I had my own goals.


    I tried to convince him. ¡°I adopted Amy, so she¡¯ll be treated as my own. Her future will be different now.


    Just like Summer, she will have both the Moore family and Fuller family behind her. She will have a


    better future with us.¡±


    His reply took me by surprise. ¡°Mm, sounds great.¡±


    I was startled, but he immediately added, ¡°But did you ask the child what she wants?¡±


    Knitting my brows, I felt rage bubbling up inside me. ¡°Ashton, Summer isn¡¯t your flesh and blood, so it¡¯s


    normal for you to disregard her. I know you think I shouldn¡¯t hurt an innocent child, but sorry. I¡¯m a


    selfish person. I brought Summer up, so I can¡¯t bear to see her in pain. I need to do this.¡±


    After a long silence, he sighed and replied, ¡°Scarlett, Summer has always been my daughter. I too want


    to save her life, but we need to make sure how our decision will affect the future.¡±


    He might be right, but I could only ce my hope on Amy for now.


    Ashton was against the idea of Amy donating her bone marrow, so we were at odds.


    The next day, I woke up from a restful slumber.


    My pregnancy probably made me sleepy. When I opened my eyes, I could hear someone talking in the


    yard.


    After I pulled the blinds open, I spotted Amy in her pajamas, her hair ubed. She was talking to


    Nora, which was outside the door. I hadn¡¯t seen Nora for some time.


    I was confused to see her. Shouldn¡¯t she be in K City with Armond now? Why is she back here? I


    greeted her through the windows before changing my clothes to go downstairs.


    The door could only be unlocked using my fingerprint, so Nora couldn¡¯te in. She only walked in


    after I unlocked the door, her hands full of breakfast and fruits.

 Chapter 1009

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1009


    She was rowdy as usual. ¡°Why did you keep putting your phone in silent mode? I¡¯ve been calling you


    the whole morning. How are you recently? Do you feel exhausted? You only woke up after ten.¡±


    I nced at my phone in shock. Indeed, it was already half-past ten. ¡°Have you been here for a long


    time?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve waited for a long time. If I hadn¡¯t called Ashton who told me you are still living here, I


    would¡¯ve thought you moved away. By the way, who is this girl?¡±


    She walked toward the vi and asked about Amy. I helped her with her stuff and answered, ¡°She¡¯s


    Amy, my adopted daughter. I haven¡¯t given her a proper name as of now.¡± I asked her, ¡°I thought you


    went to K City? Why are you back here?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all Armond¡¯s fault!¡± sheined. ¡°It took me some time to find him in K City, but he told me to


    come to A City instead. He must be crazy! Is it fun to fool me?¡±


    She opened a box of durians. The smell was too much for her, so she immediatelyined, ¡°I can¡¯t


    believe you like durian. It¡¯s so smelly.¡±


    I was quite surprised. ¡°How did you know I like durian?¡±


    She pouted. ¡°Armond told me you are pregnant, and I was toe to spend time with you. I didn¡¯t


    know what you like, so I asked him. He said you might like durian, so I brought some along.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Armonde to A City, too?¡± I was taken aback.


    Nora¡¯s lips thinned. ¡°He¡¯s here. He said so himself, but the house next to yours is empty. I don¡¯t know


    where he is. Is he that busy? Did something happen to him?¡±


    It was clear that Nora had no clue what was going on. I didn¡¯t press on and brought Amy to the


    bathroom to teach her how to wash herself up. I washed up and sat down to enjoy my breakfast.


    Nora must¡¯ve been bored as she extended an invitation to me. ¡°Are you busyter? If you have time,


    wannae shopping with me?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I need to go to the hospital. My parents brought Summer here as she needed to be


    operated on. I¡¯m too busy to go shopping with you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see,¡± came her disappointed reply. ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll see. By the way, have you seen Hailey


    recently? She won¡¯t pick up my calls. What happened to her?¡±


    Shaking my head, I said nothing. Nora differed from me as she was used to leading afortable life.


    She had neither faced any difficulties nor wanted something really bad in life. Perhaps it would be a


    good idea to be as heartless as her.


    As Nora was free, she followed me to the hospital. I had decided to carry on with the surgery even


    though I would bear the guilt of hurting Amy for my entire life.


    Cameron and Zachary were ted to find out that Amy could donate her bone marrow legally. The


    surgery¡¯s date was set for a weekter. Amy was too weak, so the doctor wanted her to rest for a few


    days in advance. Afraid I would be too exhausted, Cameron hired a caregiver to take care of Amy.


    There was nothing for me to worry for they would take care of the children well.


    On a Sunday midnight, I received a call from Nora.


    The background music was deafening, so I guessed she was in a club or something. Her voice came


    over the line. ¡°Scarlett, can youe to pick me up? I can¡¯t drive. My whole body has gone limp.¡±


    I hurriedly agreed. ¡°Where are you? Send me your address. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡±


    She mumbled in response. I hastily got changed and drove out. It took her some time to send me the


    address¡ª the famous Imperial Hotel in A City.


    Nora liked to have fun, so it was normal for her to be in a nightclub. She was usually alert, so I


    wondered how someone managed to drug her tonight.


    When I arrived at Imperial Hotel, Nora was lying in the club¡¯s lobby. There were a few attendants by her


    side. It seemed that someone had ordered them to keep watch on her.


    One of the attendants recognized me and hurried over. ¡°Ms. Stovall, you¡¯re finally here. Ms. Oberick is


    about to tear the ce down.¡±


    After racking my brains, I still couldn¡¯t figure out who this woman was. I asked hesitantly, ¡°Do you know


    me?¡±


    The woman nodded with a polite smile. ¡°Mr. Murphy showed me your photo and told me to wait for you


    here.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    Huh? My confusion deepened. Armond¡¯s here? Then why didn¡¯t he send her back himself and asked


    me toe instead? What is he up to?

 Chapter 1010

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1010


    I nced at Nora, who had passed out in her booth. My head was throbbing as I came up with a n.


    ¡°There are hotel rooms above, right?¡±


    This was a high-end nightclub, so most of the patrons were rich and powerful. The rooms above were


    designated so they could continue having fun upstairs in the privacy of their own rooms.


    The attendant nodded, but she seemed stumped. ¡°Yes, we have rooms, but they have been reserved


    in advance. Some of the rooms are prepared for our VIP clients and aren¡¯t essible usually. I¡¯m afraid


    I can¡¯t get a room for you right now.¡±


    I pursed my lips. Looks like Armond earns a lot of money here. I pondered slightly before asking, ¡°Does


    Mr. Murphy have his own room, then?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but¡­¡±


    I dialed Armond¡¯s number, and he answered my call almost immediately. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± came his soft


    voice. ¡°Are you missing me at night? Do you need me to apany you?¡±


    Feeling disgusted, I retorted, ¡°I need a room in Imperial Hotel for Nora. It¡¯s toote for me to bring her


    home. I¡¯m still pregnant.¡±


    His light chuckled sounded over the line. ¡°Looks like I did the right thing by asking you to pick her up.


    Let me talk to my staff.¡±


    Looking up, I nced at the attendant before handing the phone to her. ¡°Armond wants to talk to you.¡±


    She epted my phone hastily with both hands. ¡°Hello, Mr. Murphy!¡±


    The attendant listened to what Armond had to say attentively. Shortly after, she returned my phone to


    me. ¡°Ms. Stovall, please follow me!¡±


    She proceeded to order the two other attendants. ¡°Bring Ms. Oberick to No. 2806, the presidential suite


    on the twenty-eighth floor. I¡¯ll help Ms. Stovall check in now.¡±


    The two attendants brought Nora into the elevator while I followed the other attendant to the front desk


    so she could process my check-in. After Armond talked to thedy, she seemed to be extra careful


    around me.


    I wasn¡¯t bothered at all. While we were waiting for the elevator toe, a few tipsy men joined us. This


    was, after all, a nightclub and a hotel in one building.


    The attendant seemed to recognize them and greeted them politely. One man took her arm. ¡°You¡¯re


    Rita, right? I heard you¡¯re a manager here. Didn¡¯t they say there¡¯s a virgin here tonight? I didn¡¯t see her


    anywhere. What¡¯s wrong? Are you looking down on us?¡±


    The other men chimed in drunkenly. Rita shed an awkward smile and replied, ¡°You¡¯ve gotten the


    wrong information. That girl is here as a waitress. She¡¯s just a peasant from the countryside. I¡¯m afraid


    that you¡¯ll despise her.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± The man chuckled. ¡°So what if she¡¯s from the countryside? Over ten years ago, we lived in the


    countryside, too. Peasant girls are strong. Don¡¯t forget to bring her to our roomter so we can have


    fun together.¡±


    Rita nodded hastily. As the doors opened, she bade goodbye to them and led me out.


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    After bringing me to my room, she shed a smile and bade farewell to me. I heard her talking to


    someone on her walkie-talkie. ¡°Logistics, send Ann Weeder to the sixteenth floor. A client just asked for


    her. Remember to tell her to be obedient.¡±


    I was about to close the door when I heard the familiar name. Stopping in my tracks, I looked out, but


    Rita had already left.


    Sixteenth floor?


    I entered the room to see Nora sleeping soundly on the bed. She had passed out, and I couldn¡¯t wake


    her up.


    As she seemed to be okay, I took the room card and headed to the sixteenth floor.


    After I found the room, I stood outside. The rooms on this floor were karaoke rooms. There were girls


    heading in and out of the rooms. The girls who came out were obviously wounded with stacks of


    money in their hands, while the girls who headed in were empty-handed.


    I couldn¡¯t see what was going on inside the room, so I came out with a n. After getting prepared, I


    pushed the door open and staggered in. ¡°Friends,e on. Let¡¯s drink!¡± I yelled, pretending to be


    drunk.


    The people in the room froze immediately when I barged in without warning. When they realized I was


    drunk, someone stood up to chase me out.

 Chapter 1011

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1011


    I narrowed my gaze and scanned the room carefully. There were around five to six men in their forties


    apanied by at least a dozen hostesses.


    Ann stood out among the girls. It wasn¡¯t because she was pretty. She had lived in the vige until a


    while ago, so her skin was slightly tanned. Her head was lowered as she studied her surroundings


    anxiously.


    Today, she was dressed in a sexy and revealing outfit that seemed toorge to be hers. She kept


    covering her chest and tugging at the short hem of the minidress.


    The contrast between Ann¡¯s snowy white chest and her tanned neck was too obvious. She was also


    quite busty. After putting makeup on, she was both innocent and attractive.


    ¡°Are you crazy? What are you doing here? Scram!¡± A man grabbed my arm to tug me out forcefully.


    I stood up and grumbled in response. Upon meeting my gaze, Ann¡¯s pupils constricted in disbelief. She


    hurriedly regained herposure and looked down.


    I allowed the man to drag me out of the room and slumped down on the ground. The men couldn¡¯t be


    bothered and left me alone. After they closed the door behind them, I took out my phone to call Joseph.


    I exined everything and sent him the address.


    The clients in the nightclub enjoyed thrilling stuff. I stood at the door and watched as a few men brought


    an enormous fish tank around a meter long into the room. Immediately, my heart sank.


    I leaned on the door, but I couldn¡¯t hear anything. As the attendants came out, I stopped them and


    grabbed one of the attendant¡¯s arm. ¡°Hello, may I know why you brought the fish tank into the room? It


    sounds fun. How exactly does that work? My husband enjoys thrilling stuff, too. We are here tonight to


    have some fun, but couldn¡¯t make up our minds. Why don¡¯t you give us some rmendations?¡±


    The attendant I stopped was stunned, while the othersughed out loud. ¡°Madam, you¡¯re here with


    your husband? How unusual.¡±


    I shed a shy smile. ¡°Ah, married life is too boring. We¡¯re here to spice things up.¡±


    The attendants thought I was a loose woman. ¡°The clients inside are wealthy men from A City. They


    like to y games to abuse people. Madam, this isn¡¯t for you. Mr. Hanks likes to see people on the


    verge of dying. He will ask someone to enter the fish tank. We don¡¯t rmend that as it¡¯s too


    dangerous.¡±


    Their exnation caught me off guard. Why would someone like to see someone struggling on the


    brink of death? What kind of fetish is that?


    I was still in a daze when the attendants walked away. At once, I pushed the door open and stalked in.


    The men were standing around the fish tank curiously, so no one noticed my arrival.


    A middle-aged man standing beside the fish tank ced a stack of bills on the table. ¡°This is fun.


    Ladies, will you y a game with me? As long as you please me, you can have one hundred grand.¡±


    The girls fell silent as they knew what Din was like. The man grew impatient and frowned. ¡°No one?


    Why are you standing here, then? Imbeciles!¡±


    I knitted my brows at how rude the man was.


    Everyone in the private room dared not say a word. Din scanned the crowd and noticed Ann, who


    was cowering behind a few girls. ¡°You! Come here!¡± he ordered.


    At once, everyone stared at Ann. She trembled in fear and went to Din meekly.


    ¡°Go in there for a while, and the money will be yours. Entertain us while we¡¯re in a jovial mood.¡± Din


    ced the money in front of her.


    Ann hung her head low. I was standing quite a distance away from her, so I couldn¡¯t see her expression


    though she was obviously shaking. I thought she would cry and asked the man to let her off.


    Suddenly, she spoke. ¡°Two hundred thousand!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± the man responded in shock. Everyone else was also baffled at her reaction.


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    Ann repeated. ¡°Two hundred thousand. I¡¯ll go in if you agree.¡±


    After a brief silence, Din broke out intoughter. ¡°Interesting. Sure, two hundred thousand. You shall


    spend five minutes in the tank. Don¡¯t worry. If you die, I will give you double the money to pay for your


    lowly life. That shall be enough.¡±

 Chapter 1012

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1012


    With that, he took out another stack of bills from his bag.


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Ann took onest nce at the money and climbed into the fish tank. The minute she entered the tank,


    the men shut the lid.


    Din flopped on the couch and lit a cigarette to enjoy Ann¡¯s performance.


    The fish tank was only one meter long, so it wasn¡¯t that big. Ann cowered and held her breath while


    someone else started the countdown.


    Someone started singing to liven things up. The otherdies came to Din and entertained him.


    Among them, I was especially conspicuous. Someone spotted me and asked, ¡°When did youe in


    again? Who are you? Why are you here?¡±


    I grinned and replied, ¡°I¡¯m enjoying myself. This is too exciting not to watch!¡±


    ¡°Please leave!¡± Din uttered icily.


    I scurried to him and said, ¡°You must be Din, right? I¡¯m so lucky to have run into you. Come, let¡¯s


    drink.¡±


    With that, I poured myself a ss and finished it in one gulp.


    Initially, the man was confused, but he gradually rxed. ¡°Oh? You know who I am?¡±


    I nodded profusely. ¡°Of course. You¡¯re famous in A City, Din. Everyone knows who you are!¡±


    As he was no longer suspicious, I nced at Ann who was holding her breath in the fish tank. ¡°Din,


    you¡¯re so adventurous, huh? I don¡¯t think that woman is good at holding her breath. It¡¯s too dangerous


    for her to hold her breath for five whole minutes.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± the man scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid. I¡¯ve already paid for her life.¡±


    Ann was at her limit. Bubbles appeared in the tank as she struggled before opening her lips to breathe


    in. s, she only gulped the water down.


    ¡°Pfft, less than two minutes. That¡¯s no fun at all,¡± the man uttered disinterestedly. He nced at Ann


    and forgot about me.


    Seeing how Ann was struggling, I panicked instantly. However, I couldn¡¯t find a way to save her. I was


    pregnant, and any mistake would cause our lives.


    If I insisted on saving her alone, I would be dragged into this mess as well.


    At that thought, I held my phone tightly and prayed that Joseph would arrive soon.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she knows how to swim,¡± a woman sitting beside Din spoke worriedly.


    Din gazed at a struggling Ann, his eyes shining with excitement. He ignored everyone else beside


    him.


    Ann was about to drown, so I couldn¡¯t wait any longer. ¡°Din, she¡¯s about to drown. Should we ask


    someone to release her?¡±


    Din merely glowered at me. ¡°Scram!¡±


    At once, two men grabbed my arms and led me toward the door. I immediately yelled, ¡°Get your hands


    off me? I called the cops before I came in. They will be here soon!¡±


    Din red at me menacingly. ¡°You called the cops?¡±


    I nodded as I watched Ann gradually going limp in the tank. ¡°You¡¯d better release her now. Otherwise,


    you¡¯ll go to jail!¡±


    The man found my words hrious and burst outughing. ¡°Did she say I¡¯ll go to jail? Ha! No one has


    ever warned me that I¡¯ll go to jail!¡±


    The restughed along as I pursed my lips in confusion.


    ¡°Drag the girl in the tank out, then throw thisdy into the tank. If the copse, tell them I¡¯m here. If


    they refuse toply, tell them to talk to Derek Watson in the police station.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    When Ann was brought out, she was already unconscious. I dashed over to see how she was doing,


    but the men took the opportunity to push me into the tank. I immediately choked, but before I could


    scream for help, they pushed my head into the water.


    After swallowing the icy water, my throat was hurting. I had to swallow the water if I wanted to breathe.


    ¡°H-Help¡­¡±


    I tried to scream for help, but the burly man holding me captive refused to budge. Soon, my body went


    limp as my stomach began throbbing dully. My eyes widened at the thought of my child.

 Chapter 1013

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1013


    ¡°There¡¯s blood! She¡¯s bleeding!¡± An ear-piercing scream sounded from a side while my head was


    pounding. My baby¡­


    A manughed. ¡°How thrilling! I never thought I¡¯ll get to toy with a pregnant woman. This is so exciting!¡±


    The excruciating pain inflicted upon my body made me feel suffocated and I passed out, feeling weak.


    Death would alwayse unannounced. In midst of mya, I dreamt of a lot of things and met many


    people. The darkness was endless and I couldn¡¯t find my path. All I could hear were people¡¯s voices


    around me, but I couldn¡¯t escape from the world I was trapped in.


    Finally, I regained my consciousness. Opening my eyes, my vision was blurry as my surroundings were


    bright. I blinked my eyes and figured out I was in the hospitalter on. I tried to nce around, but as


    soon as I moved, immense pain crept up my body and it felt like my body had fallen apart.


    Hiss. I couldn¡¯t hold back my squeals, as it was too painful.


    Immediately after, I heard rushed footsteps approaching, while someone was shouting, ¡°She¡¯s awake!


    Quick! Call the doctor.¡± The voice was from a stranger.


    After getting used to the surroundings, I snapped out of my daze and finally recognized the girl who


    walked into the room. She was Ann.


    When the girl saw me, her eyes were red. ¡°You¡¯re finally awake¡­ Finally.¡±


    I opened my mouth to express my thoughts, but I only felt pain in my throat. Soon after, a group of


    people came in. They were Cameron, Zachary, and Joseph. I heaved a sigh of relief when I noticed


    Ashton wasn¡¯t there. Hearing what Ann said, I initially thought I had been in aa for long.


    Cameron¡¯s eyes were swollen from crying, and she wore a pain-etched expression looking at me. I


    reached out to tug on the hem of her shirt and shook my head, assuring her.


    Realization dawned on me suddenly, and I thought of my baby. I touched my lower abdomen gently


    and felt pain spiraling from within. Unsure of what happened to my baby, I looked at the people


    standing beside me, and asked, ¡°Is my baby¡­ okay?¡±


    Everyone had different reactions, but none of them looked at me in the eyes. Cameron started crying


    with muffled sobs. Zachary sighed. Ann lowered her head and stayed silent while guilt and sorry were


    written all over Joseph¡¯s face. I was stunned for a moment, but I knew what they meant. My baby¡¯s


    gone.


    As the bitter truth sank in, pain washed over my heart like waves of a tsunami. My body started


    trembling as I felt suffocated. I pursed my lips and tried to hold back my screams, but it only made me


    look contorted.


    Tears rolled down Cameron¡¯s cheeks vigorously as she hurriedly took my hands in hers. ¡°She heaved a


    sigh and pleaded, ¡°My dear, don¡¯t be like this, please. Your body hasn¡¯t recovered yet, so don¡¯t do this


    to yourself. You¡¯ll get better. Please, I beg you. Don¡¯t hurt yourself.¡±


    My body reacted to the sorrow on its own, so I couldn¡¯t control it. I clenched my fists tightly, and my


    head was throbbing in pain as if it was about to explode.


    Overwhelmed by grief, I heard someone screaming, ¡°She¡¯s biting her tongue. Quick! Stop her!¡±


    I didn¡¯t even notice I was biting my tongue. I couldn¡¯t even feel my body. It was just pain all over.


    Joseph called the doctor immediately, and a few doctors rushed into the room. When they saw the


    situation, they panicked. ¡°Hurry! Give her some tranquilizer.¡±


    Right when the doctors were busy injecting the tranquilizer, a loud bang could be heard from the


    entrance and the door was swept open. A figure dashed to me, pushing Cameron and Zachary aside


    before taking me into his arms. His voice sounded hoarse and low. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m here. I¡¯m with


    you.¡±


    It was Ashton. The pain in my head started dissipating as I gazed at him in a daze. It seemed he had a


    lot of work in Moranta, given how he seemed to have lost weight.


    Perhaps it was because of the tranquilizer that I was getting tired. I wanted to look at the man I had


    longed for, so I tried to keep my eyes open, but I fell asleep.


    The days I was consumed by grief felt like forever to me, but I made peace with it and days went by


    quickly. It was during this period of recovering from sorrow that I realized nothingsted forever, and we


    would lose the things we held dear no matter what. There was an old saying that went, if we could bear


    losing everything, we wouldn¡¯t have any regrets in this life.


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    The saying was true. After being discharged from the hospital, I looked at the bright sun in A City and


    started epting everything calmly.


    Ashton parked the car and looked at me. ¡°What would you like to eat? Let¡¯s eat something before going


    back.¡±


    I nodded and thought for a while before answering, ¡°Seafood!¡±


    The man furrowed his brows slightly, but nodded soon after.


    In the seafood restaurant, I went pale as I stared at the water tanks. Ashton looked at me in concern


    and asked, ¡°Should we eat something else?¡±


    I shook my head and insisted, ¡°No need. It¡¯s great here.¡± Staring at the sea creatures swimming and


    crawling in the tanks, I turned to Ashton and asked, ¡°Do they serve live food?¡±

 Chapter 1014

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1014


    Ashton frowned at my question before giving in and nodded. He led me to a table and ordered some


    live food.


    When the food was served, I looked at the fish and crabs on the table and turned to the waiter. ¡°Can


    you get me a sharp knife and a spoon?¡±


    The waiter looked at me with an odd expression and nodded before giving me what I wanted. I made


    sure the crab stayed in ce before tearing off its legs and shell. Using the knife and spoon, I dug out


    the flesh bit by bit. The flesh of hairy crabs wasn¡¯t that delicious, but it tasted alright.


    To enjoy dissecting living creatures was rather extreme. However, Ashton didn¡¯t stop me from torturing


    the sea creatures. Instead, he just watched as I continued eating my meal.


    After a while, I grew tired and ced my cutlery down. I looked at Ashton and said, ¡°Back then, I¡¯ve


    always thought of sending the people I hate to prison to make them suffer for their sins. Now that I think


    about it, sending them to prison isn¡¯t enough.¡±


    Ashton looked at me and asked after a while. ¡°What do you want to do?¡±


    I pursed my lips. ¡°Do you still have him locked up?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The man nodded, and I was truly delighted when I heard his answer.


    Smiling faintly, I said, ¡°Ashton, you¡¯ll let me do as I please, right?¡±


    He pursed his lips and kept quiet while I smiled and didn¡¯t ask him again.


    Then, he got up and said, ¡°Come. Let¡¯s meet that person.¡±


    Ashton drove me back to the vi in the suburbs. After he stopped the car, Joseph came out from the


    vi and looked at me with guilt written over his face. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, how are you feeling?¡±


    I smiled faintly and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m feeling great. Is he inside?¡±


    Joseph hummed a reply before leading me and Ashton into the vi.


    Din wasn¡¯t a big shot. He only got rich because of his family assets as his family ran coal mines.


    Later on, his sister married a civil servant. That person was Derek. All these years, he used money to


    gain his status and power, and since things like this weren¡¯t umon, so everyone got used to it.


    Derek invested a sizable amount of money into building his status, so he got promoted and had a


    rather high ie. While Din, a good-for-nothing, could only rely on Derek to live a high life in A


    City. Just because the man had money, he could carry out his absurd hobby and humiliated many girls.


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    The man was tied to a chair with his head hung low and his face was beaten to a pulp as blood dripped


    onto the floor. I clicked my tongue and looked at him. ¡°Din, what a coincidence!¡±


    He lifted his head and looked at me. Squinting his eyes, he tried to focus his vision and saw that it was


    me. Immediately after, he widened his eyes in surprise and pleaded, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know you¡¯re Mr.


    Fuller¡¯s wife. I¡¯m really sorry. Please spare me, I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. If you let me go, I¡¯ll give you


    any amount you want. Please, I beg you.¡±


    I scoffed at his disgusting behavior. Looking at the grey sky outside, I smirked and looked at Joseph.


    ¡°Mr. Campbell, is there an open swimming pool here?¡±


    The man nodded and nced at Ashton¡¯s sullen face. ¡°There is. It¡¯s at the rear house.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± I spoke as I watched Din. ¡°Since we don¡¯t see each other that often, let¡¯s y


    together.¡±


    With that, I headed toward the rear house. Ashton nced at me as if he knew what I was going to do.


    ¡°Keep him alive.¡±


    I raised a brow at him and headed toward the swimming pool. I found myself afortable ce


    beside the pool to sit and watched as Din was dragged toward me. ¡°Din, you must like to y with


    water. How about having fun in the pool now?¡±


    Din looked at me in wariness. ¡°What are you nning to do?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°What can I do? I¡¯m just a woman.¡± With that, I nced at the two men behind him. They


    received the signal and dragged him toward the pool before pushing him into the water.


    Watching him letting out muffled screams in the water, I was emotionless. He was tied up, so he


    couldn¡¯t save himself from drowning. At some point of seeing him struggling in the water helplessly, I


    startedughing when I saw his pathetic face.


    After a while of struggling in the water, Din started sinking to the bottom. Upon seeing this, Joseph


    advised, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, he¡¯s going to die.¡±


    I smirked and folded my arms as I looked down at the man in the water. ¡°Yeah, take him out of the


    water and get a doctor here. After he¡¯s awake, throw him into the water again. Make sure he


    remembers the scent of fluorine and the feeling of being suffocated.¡±


    Joseph nodded and gestured for the men to pull him out of the water.


    After watching the show, I lost all interest to continue. When I got up, Ashton came to me and blocked


    my path. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    I was rather exhausted. ¡°I¡¯ll rest here for a bit. Din will be awake after a while, so I¡¯m nning to toy


    with himter.¡±

 Chapter 1015

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1015


    Ashton frowned slightly, but he didn¡¯t say anything.


    Ann showing up here was rather a surprise to me. I didn¡¯t n to meet her, but since she came to me, I


    had no choice but to let her in.


    I was slightly taken aback at meeting her this time. She had been visiting me at the hospital, but I didn¡¯t


    really pay attention to her. Now that she was here in front of me, I collected my thoughts and looked at


    her closely.


    How should I phrase this?


    She was rather different from the first time I saw her in the cattle sheds. At that time, her eyes were


    filled with timidness and she looked dazed. However, this time, it seemed her timidness was reced


    by determination.


    I looked at her and stayed silent for a while before asking, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    She lifted her gaze at Ashton, and her eyes flickered. I was all too familiar with her gaze. The girl must


    be stunned to see the handsome man. I knew how attractive Ashton was, so I didn¡¯t bother to stop her.


    Ann turned to me and pondered for a while. ¡°Ms. Stovall, thank you for saving my life. I¡¯ll remember


    what you did for me, and I¡¯ll repay your kindness.¡±


    I pursed my lips and waited for her to continue.


    As expected, she fell silent for a while before continuing, ¡°Ms. Stovall, I¡¯m grateful to you. I know your


    daughter is waiting for surgery, and I heard you adopted my sister. I hope you can treat her well and


    hopefully she can help your daughter.¡±


    I frowned as she was beating around the bush. Pursing my lips, I urged, ¡°Stop wasting time and get to


    the point.¡±


    She froze and took a deep breath before kneeling down on the floor. ¡°Ms. Stovall, I know I shouldn¡¯t


    look for you, but I don¡¯t have a choice. I don¡¯t know who I should find except you.¡±


    I furrowed my brows. ¡°Get up. I cannot ept your kneel.¡± To be honest, most people disliked people


    kneeling down in front of them and begged them for something. I was not one of those lunatics who


    enjoyed being worshiped by others.


    She got up from the floor and said, ¡°Ever since Mr. Fuller cleared the Imperial Hotel, my friend was


    taken away. I figured he might be sold off, so I went to the police, but they couldn¡¯t do anything about it.


    He had been in the Imperial Hotel for many years, so there¡¯s no way they can¡¯t find him.¡±


    Listening to her vague words, I furrowed my brows slightly in bewilderment. ¡°Aren¡¯t you always living in


    a vige? How do you get yourself a friend here so quickly? Didn¡¯t you kill Fritz? I think you


    misunderstood what I meant. Back then, I saved you because I have some questions to ask you. Fritz¡¯s


    body is still in the Wolfsen residence, so your sister could still be tortured. Ann, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll help a


    murderer like you for a second time.¡±


    The girl was stunned and was at a loss as she looked at me.


    Looking at her, I said, ¡°Tell me. How did you kill Fritz and escape? Plus, how did you go to work at the


    Imperial Hotel?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t that kind-hearted as she thought I was. Back then, I saved her because I had some questions


    to ask her. Seeing how she was humiliated by Din, I couldn¡¯t help but pity her. However, I paid the


    price of losing my baby. I could only me myself for being foolish.


    Ann pressed her lips and told me everything that happened these few days. She was taken away from


    Ronald¡¯s house to the Wolfsen residence and was forced to marry Fritz. She was reluctant, so she tried


    tomit suicide, but failed.


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    Then, she was sent to an old doctor¡¯s house in the vige for treatment. She thought of ways to run


    away during the treatment period. However, she bumped into Fritz when she was about to escape from


    the vige. He grabbed her while she struggled to break free. In midst of pushing and pulling, she


    identally pushed him down from the second floor. The man fell down in a head-to-ground position


    and died.


    Ann knew she had to run away. Or else she would be dead. Hiding in the mountains for a few days,


    she took the offerings from the graves to curb her hunger. Later on, Kurt couldn¡¯t find her, so he went to


    Ronald¡¯s house looking for trouble.


    Seizing the chance, she escaped from the vige. Hidden away in the shadows, she saw everything


    unfold in front of her eyes. Alma was taken away by Kurt.


    I pondered for a while before looking at her. ¡°So, you¡¯re in the white van that followed us that day?¡±


    She nodded and exined, ¡°I stole some money from the Wolfsen residence and hired someone to


    follow you guys. I just wanted to know where Amy was. If I be sessful in the future, I can


    reunite with her.¡±

 Chapter 1016

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1016


    I frowned slightly and asked, ¡°Why did you think of working in the Imperial Hotel?¡±


    She lowered her head and exined, ¡°I came here alone. All I can do was to fill up my stomach so I


    can live. I¡¯ve said it before. Some children who came to the city in the past returned, but some didn¡¯t.


    For those who didn¡¯t, they were either dead or became the toys of the customers in Imperial Hotel. I


    wanted to live, so I had no other choice.¡±


    I asked, ¡°What is the name of your friend? How old is he?¡± How depressing¡­ Could it be that Armond


    forces them to work in the Imperial Hotel?


    The girl said, ¡°He is Jody. Jody was brought to the city at fourteen, as a wealthy family wanted to adopt


    him. But after meeting him, they felt he was too old, so they refused to take him.¡±


    ¡°Does he not have rtives in the vige?¡± I furrowed my brows in confusion. Aren¡¯t boys precious in


    viges? Why is he sent here?


    Ann kept her head hung low. ¡°He was sent to the vige since he was young. After he grew up, Mr.


    Dumphy took him back to the city. Most of the girls working in the Imperial Hotel were from the


    orphanage, following Mr. Dumphy and his men.¡±


    I was puzzled. Why is the orphanage involved in this?


    I looked at the girl and asked, ¡°So you¡¯re asking me to help you look for Jody?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Jody said that there were many illegal activities in the nightclub, so he wanted to quit the


    job. I went to look for him, but I couldn¡¯t find him anywhere. He must be trapped because he knew


    many things about Mr. Dumphy and his men. They¡¯ll torture him. Please, Ms. Stovall. I beg you. Save


    him.¡±


    The girl was putting her hands together and begging me for help, but I didn¡¯t promise her. I nced at


    Joseph bringing Din, who was on the verge of death into the room, and smirked. ¡°It seems I have


    some work to do.¡±


    Seeing how I didn¡¯t give her a response, Ann tugged on the hem of my shirt and started sobbing. ¡°Ms.


    Stovall, please save him. If he¡¯s locked up by them, he¡¯ll die. Please, save him.¡±


    I furrowed my brows, as I was slowly getting impatient. Lifting my gaze at Ashton, I said, ¡°Ann, have


    you heard of thew of conservation of mass? Saving your friend doesn¡¯t benefit me at all, so stop


    wasting your time on me.¡±


    Her eyes were reddened as she opened her mouth, wanting to say something. However, I didn¡¯t spare


    her any nce and walked toward Din. Looking at the pathetic man in front of me, I smirked. ¡°I had


    always been nice to others, and I tried to help those in need. However, I figured that not only was my


    kindness useless, it got me into trouble as well. I was finally pregnant, but you took my baby away from


    me. All these days, I had been thinking of how to torture you to vent my anger.¡±


    Din looked at me with his fear-filled eyes. ¡°Ms. Stovall, I didn¡¯t know you¡¯re pregnant. I didn¡¯t know


    you¡¯re Mr. Fuller¡¯s wife. I¡¯m sorry. Please let me go.¡±


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    ¡°Haha!¡± Iughed out loud and raised a brow at him. ¡°Let you go?¡±


    People mustn¡¯t be too kind. I learned this after going through all sorts of ups and downs. I looked at him


    and grinned widely. ¡°Din, do you know how it feels to lose the most important thing in your life?¡±


    He shook his head and kept on begging me for mercy. I rolled my eyes as I was reluctant to hear the


    man¡¯s ongoing pleads.


    Suddenly, I received a message from Boris. After replying to the message, I turned to Din. He was


    nowhere pitiful in my eyes, as he had to pay for his sins.


    About five minutester, Boris brought a woman into the room. There was a slight bulge in the woman¡¯s


    belly, so I figured she was five or six months pregnant.


    When the man saw the woman, he struggled and yelled, ¡°Why are you here? Go back home!¡±


    The woman was startled by his loud yells. Scanning her surroundings, she looked at Din in fear and


    was at a loss. ¡°Dear, what¡¯s wrong? What happened? Why are you¡­¡±


    Suddenly, Din red at me with anger and wore a serious expression. ¡°What are you thinking of


    doing?¡±


    I felt exhausted to exin everything to him, so I sat on the chair and looked at him coldly. ¡°Your wife


    should experience what I went through. Besides, I¡¯ll give you the chance to experience the pain of


    losing your unborn child, which you waited expectantly. What do you think?¡±


    The man widened his eyes at me and growled, ¡°No! You guys can¡¯t do this. This is illegal. You can¡¯t do


    this.¡±

 Chapter 1017

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1017


    I felt likeughing. ¡°You did many illegal things too.¡± As I spoke my words, I nced at Boris. ¡°Boris,


    there¡¯s a pool at the rear house. Take this woman there and throw her into the pool.¡±


    Din started iling around madly, but he couldn¡¯t do anything as he was pinned onto the ground by


    Joesph and the others. With his face touching the ground, he could only let out muffled screams in


    protest.


    Boris took the woman to the rear house while thetter was crying and pleading for help from Din.


    Seeing how tears were flowing down Din¡¯s cheeks as he felt powerless, I didn¡¯t know why, but I felt


    amused as I smirked.


    ¡°Scarlett, do you really have to take it this far?¡± Ashton¡¯s voice sounded from behind. His voice was low


    as usual with a tinge of surprise.


    I didn¡¯t want to exin, so I gave a brief reply. ¡°He deserves this.¡±


    The sound of water sshing and ear-piercing screams of the woman came from the rear house. Upon


    hearing this, Din¡¯s eyes reddened with anger. ¡°What do you guys want? Come at me and leave her


    alone!¡±


    I felt amused as I looked at him. ¡°Then what¡¯s up with youying your hands on those defenseless


    girls? You were merciless to those girls you drowned in the water tank. Din, it¡¯s only been a few days,


    but it seems you¡¯ve forgotten. Let me remind you. Your aquarium was dyed red with my blood. It¡¯s only


    fair that your wife¡¯s going to do the same to my swimming pool.¡±


    The man stopped struggling as he copsed on the ground and broke down in tears. Everyone had a


    weakness. No one was strong enough to care for only themselves.


    He crawled in front of me and begged, ¡°I was wrong. Come at me with whatever you want to do. Please


    don¡¯t hurt my wife. She did nothing wrong. I beg of you, Ms. Stovall. Let my wife and the baby go. They


    knew nothing. I¡¯ll ept everything you do to me. Just spare them.¡±


    I pursed my lips and remained unbothered. Ashton nced at Joseph. It was obvious that he was


    trying to hint at thetter to save the woman. However, I insisted, ¡°Ashton, leave if you can¡¯t agree with


    my doings, but you can¡¯t stop me.¡±


    He looked at me with a cold, yet helpless expression. ¡°Scarlett, the pregnant woman is innocent and


    you know that well. I understand that your hatred and I won¡¯t hinder you from doing whatever you want


    to him. However, I can¡¯t sit by and just let you be someone evil like him. Stop now. The pregnant


    woman did nothing wrong.¡±


    I pursed my lips and took in a deep breath. Looking at Din with determination, I announced, ¡°Not only


    do I want your child¡¯s life, I¡¯m going to take your wife¡¯s too. Everything that I have suffered, I¡¯ll make


    sure you go through them too.¡±


    Din broke down, while Ashton¡¯s eyes narrowed and looked at me with a pain-etched face. ¡°Scarlett,


    you¡­¡±


    I interrupted him and continued, ¡°Tell me everything, and I¡¯ll think of sparing your wife. Don¡¯t think that


    the person behind you can protect you. You know it well, don¡¯t you? The fact that I can find your wife


    and take her here means that you¡¯re just a pawn waiting to be disposed of.¡±


    Din was stunned by my words. He stopped shouting and looked at me in shock.


    I didn¡¯t mind how he looked at me, as all I wanted was information. So, I waited for him to tell me.


    Ashton was taken aback. He turned to me soon after and asked, ¡°When did you know all this?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°Ever since I woke up in the hospital. Nora getting drunk, letting me hear about Ann and


    telling me the number of the private room; these consecutive events are too much of a coincidence.¡±


    After I was sent to the hospital, Nora didn¡¯te to visit me. This meant that she was indeed drunk that


    night. I didn¡¯t know if she knew Armond¡¯s intention ofying out this trap, but now it seemed she had a


    vague idea of it.


    Depressing screams came from the swimming pool and got more and more miserable as it went. Din


    started panicking as he looked at me with reddened eyes and shouted, ¡°Tell them to stop. I¡¯ll tell you


    everything I know.¡±


    I pursed my lips and looked at him coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She won¡¯t die that quickly. They¡¯ll stop after


    you¡¯re done talking.¡±


    Din hurriedly blurted out, ¡°Mr. Dumphy¡¯s behind all of this. He instructed me to throw you into the


    water tank. I didn¡¯t know you¡¯re pregnant and only thought of choking you for a bit. I never thought


    things would turn out like this.¡±


    I red at him as I was rather unsatisfied with his answer. Then, I sat on the chair and asked, ¡°Who¡¯s


    Mr. Dumphy? I don¡¯t know him.¡±


    Din exined, ¡°He¡¯s Brandon Dumphy. The general manager of the Imperial Hotel.¡±


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    I was rather surprised. It seems Brandon¡¯s quite capable. Otherwise, Armond won¡¯t leave so many


    matters to him.


    After keeping silent for a bit, I asked, ¡°Do you know who¡¯s the boss of the Imperial Hotel?¡±

 Chapter 1018

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1018


    He nodded. ¡°I know, it¡¯s Armond from the Murphys in K City. That being said, he seldom goes to the


    Imperial Hotel. All of the things in the Imperial Hotel are handled by Brandon.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°How much do you know about Brandon?¡±


    He nced at both Ashton and me before answering, ¡°I don¡¯t know much. The reason I helped him was


    because of the copious amounts of money he offered.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes. ¡°Are you still short on money?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°No, but I don¡¯t want to have to depend on my brother-inw anymore. I needed


    the money just so I could escape his grasp and finally be free again. My sister has suffered a lot being


    with him. I¡¯ve been wanting to take her away from him for a while now.¡±


    I pursed my lips and stopped myself from prying more into his current situation. I gazed at Boris, who


    was standing outside by the pool, before uttering, ¡°Boris, bring her in!¡±


    Din let out a sigh of relief as he saw that the woman who was brought in unharmed. Her clothes were


    not even wet. He paused for a bit and red at me with a surprised look. ¡°You¡­¡±


    I pursed my lips. ¡°You can take her and leave now. The people outside must be quite flurried after


    waiting for so long. However, since I treated your wife with care, I expect you to return the favor by


    helping me out with something.¡±


    He looked at me vacuously and queried, ¡°What do you need my help with?¡±


    ¡°Find a way to retrieve a kid named Jody from Brandon. It should be an easy task for you, right?¡±


    Ann, who looked despondent before, suddenly stared at me with her eyes lit up. I took a nce at her


    before directing my eyes back to Din as I waited for his response.


    Din nodded and replied, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll find a way to get that kid into your hands.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Okay, you may leave now!¡±


    Din, who was all beaten up, took his wife and strode carefully toward the exit. Ashton walked to my


    side and wrapped his arm around my waist. ¡°You should go back home and rest if you¡¯re tired.¡±


    I nodded and leaned on him as we walked out of the vi. After exiting the vi, Ashton stopped and


    turned around to gaze at Ann. ¡°What do you n to do with her?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Just let her be!¡± She can follow us if she wants to.


    On the car, Joseph was driving while I was resting on Ashton¡¯s shoulder. I uttered softly, ¡°Ashton, do


    you me me?¡±


    Our first child¡¯s death was an inevitable ident. However, our second child¡¯s death was caused by my


    negligence and ipetence. Even though I knew that it was perilous to go into the private room, I did


    it anyway. I was jejune enough to think that I could help Ann when I couldn¡¯t even protect myself.


    He embraced me and gave me a few pats on the back to ease my emotions. ¡°You don¡¯t need to me


    yourself too much. A lot of things are predetermined by fate. Not to mention, this was all because of my


    inability to protect you. How can I pin the me on you?¡±


    I sighed as I knew that he was only trying to console me. Having pondered for a while, I uttered, ¡°What


    is Armond nning to do exactly?¡±


    He went quiet for a while before responding, ¡°He wants the management right of the ports in Moranta.¡±


    I was confused. ¡°I can¡¯t believe he would deign to do such a thing just to earn more money. Why is he


    so obstinate about this?¡±


    He lowered his head to give me a kiss on the forehead before replying, ¡°The profitability of the ports


    isn¡¯t the tempting aspect to own the ports. It¡¯s the authority to manage the ports that makes it so


    tempting. With full authority over the ports, he¡¯ll have more freedom to do what he wants.¡±


    I drew my lips together. It¡¯s true that the ports are the gateways for exports and imports. If they are


    managed well, the profitable aspect wouldn¡¯t only limit to the ports themselves anymore. That¡¯s why


    Armond is targeting Ashton. If anything happens to Ashton, the Fuller Corporation will crumble. He


    would then achieve his goal.


    No wonder he would make such a bold move. He¡¯s waiting for us to take the bait.


    Out of the blue, the phone rang. Seeing that the caller was Cameron, I quickly picked up the phone.


    ¡°Scarlett, where are you guys? Summer¡¯s illness is exacerbating. The doctor said that the cancer cells


    are spreading rampantly and so she needs to undergo surgery immediately. You guys must get back


    here now.¡±


    I was stupefied for a while before directing my eyes at Ashton. Ashton immediately turned to Joseph


    and instructed, ¡°Go to the hospital now!¡±


    My hand was shaking as I responded, ¡°Mom, there¡¯s no need to be so agitated. We¡¯ll be there in a sec.


    In the meantime, you must keep Amy by your side. And also, help me ask the doctor about Amy¡¯s


    health report. Ask him what I need to do to make sure the two of them are safe.¡±


    Cameron nodded profusely on the other end of the call as she was still in a panic.


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    After hanging up the phone, I was in a bit of distress. Ashton grabbed my arm andforted, ¡°Don¡¯t


    worry, everything will be fine.¡±


    I red at him and murmured, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making the precipitous decision to adopt Amy all by


    myself. I know I should¡¯ve discuss with you first, but I didn¡¯t want to drag the Moore family into this.¡±

 Chapter 1019

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1019


    He nodded. Since things have already escted up to this point, we can¡¯t turn back anymore. I¡¯ll do my


    best to make it up to Amy once Summer¡¯s life has been spared.


    Having arrived at the hospital, Zachary rushed toward us and asked, ¡°Did you guys see Amy?¡±


    My heart skipped a beat. ¡°Amy? I thought I told Mom to make sure she stays beside her. What


    happened?¡±


    Zachary was getting flustered. ¡°Just now, the doctor asked your Mom to do the necessary paperwork in


    order for Amy to stay in the hospital. When she came back, the kid was missing. I arrived at the


    hospital not long ago to look for her, but to no avail.¡±


    I was stunned in ce. It must be Armond who took Amy away. He took advantage of the fact that we


    were too busy to look after her. Damn him!


    Ashton red at Joseph, who was catching up to us, and ordered with gravitas, ¡°Use whatever means


    necessary to seal off the highways in and out of A City. Also, hack the hospital¡¯s surveince cameras


    and see if you can locate the kid¡¯s whereabouts.¡±


    He then went silent for a while before aligning his eyes with Zachary¡¯s. ¡°Summer¡¯s surgery should


    proceed as nned,¡± he uttered.


    I was tensed up after hearing his statement. I stared at him uttered, ¡°Ashton, without the bone marrow


    and the kidney, Summer¡¯s surgery will have no probability of seeding. We must find Amy first, or


    else¡­¡±


    Zachary interrupted me, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Scarlett. We know what we¡¯re doing. It¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    How can I not be worried?


    I shook my head as my face turned pale, ¡°No, this is way too risky. I¡¯ve already lost my own kids. I can¡¯t


    afford to lose Summer too.¡±


    I tried to stop Joseph but Ashton was holding me back. He gazed at me consolingly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,


    Summer will be fine, and so will Amy. Trust me on this, okay?¡±


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    I stared at him doubtfully. ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°Just trust me, okay?¡± he insisted.


    I stayed quiet and nodded.


    Thus, Joseph hastily went to hack the surveince cameras. Meanwhile, Zachary seemed like he had


    made preparations of his own. He made a certain phone call and uttered, ¡°Do it!¡±


    After hanging up the phone, he nced at me and said, ¡°I¡¯m going upstairs to see your Mom!¡±


    When it was just me and Ashton left in the lobby, I blurted out asking, ¡°Did you know beforehand that


    Amy was going to be abducted?¡±


    He embraced me and helped me to a nearby bench to rest. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. All the pain that you¡¯ve


    suffered, I¡¯m going to pay them back twofold.¡±


    When Joseph came back, he took a few nces at me but was reticent to say anything. Perhaps it was


    something that he couldn¡¯t say in front of me.


    I gazed at Ashton and uttered, ¡°I¡¯m going for a walk outside!¡±


    I got up and headed toward the exit of the hospital. On my way out of the hospital, I saw an ambnce


    dropped off a patient who was severely wounded at the emergency area. The nurse beside the patient


    shouted, ¡°It was a car ident. He suffered a serious concussion. The nerves connecting his legs are


    damaged.¡±


    A group of nurses and doctors rushed to the patient and took him to the ER immediately. It seemed like


    his injury was rather serious.


    I then overheard two men talking about the incident. ¡°There was an ident on the Sunny Highway. A


    ck passenger car flew off the highway and crashed under the bridge. A family of three was on the


    car. Unfortunately, the mother didn¡¯t survive. The kid on the other hand, only suffered a minor injury


    thanks to his father protecting him.¡±


    ¡°God can be cruel and callous. Look at what happened to a nice family like them!¡±


    Out of curiosity, I opened my phone to look at the news. There was indeed news about a car ident. I


    roughly went through the news article and noticed that the ck car in the ident was a Mercedes-


    Benz.


    The number te of the car was way too familiar to me. No one else uses a pair of the same number


    ¡°eight¡± as their number te other than Brandon. Back then when I went to Amy¡¯s house, I


    inadvertently saw his number te. I only thought that he was an ostentatious person upon seeing it


    and didn¡¯t pay much attention to it then. That being said, I didn¡¯t expect to see it again in this manner.


    So were Brandon and his family the ones who got into a car ident?


    Thinking back, Joseph did try to hide something from me. Could it be? Without thinking too much, I


    dashed back inside the hospital. Ashton was still talking with Joseph in the lobby. Upon seeing me,


    Joseph immediately stopped talking.


    I red at Ashton and blurted out, ¡°Does the car ident that happened to Brandon has anything to do


    with you?¡±


    Unperturbed by my question, he gazed at Joseph and instructed, ¡°Go and deal with the aftermath.¡±


    After Joseph left, I stared at Ashton intently as I waited for his response. He dragged me over to him


    and sat me down by his side. ¡°You were just discharged from the hospital recently, so you must take it


    easy, okay? Originally, you weren¡¯t even supposed to get out of the house. But since you¡¯re already out


    here, promise me that you won¡¯t think too much, okay? You must take care of your body.¡±


    I scowled as I retorted, ¡°Ashton, you¡¯re changing the topic!¡±

 Chapter 1020

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1020


    He was feeling helpless. ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m just worried about you.¡±


    Peeved, I furrowed my eyebrows. ¡°Did you hurt Brandon and his family?¡± This couldn¡¯t have been a


    coincidence.


    He narrowed his eyes and remained taciturn.


    My heart was aching as I looked at him and uttered, ¡°Ashton, I know that Brandon is the one who hurt


    me. Honestly, I want him to suffer as much as you do. However, what you¡¯re doing is too dangerous. If


    you were to get caught, you¡¯d be put in prison.¡±


    He nced at me and replied, ¡°His wife¡¯s bone marrow ispatible with Summer¡¯s.¡±


    I was stunned in ce after hearing what he said. ¡°You¡­¡± The news said that his wife died on the


    scene. Does that mean¡­


    The atmosphere was engulfed in silence for a while until he uttered, ¡°Summer¡¯s illness will recover. The


    kid that you¡¯ve adopted will also be fine. Our whole family will be fine. Trust me.¡±


    My eyes turned red as I gazed at him. ¡°Ashton, do you even realize the consequences of doing such a


    thing?¡±


    If he gets caught, he¡¯ll be put behind bars. I¡¯m cognizant that he¡¯s being discreet about all of this.


    However, since he was brought up in an army, I know for a fact that he¡¯ll get the impulse to kill his


    enemies. Although Brandon is indeed an abhorrent man, killing him is still too much for Ashton to bear.


    He¡¯ll be haunted by this forever.


    Seeing as my face was pale, he let out a faint smile and embraced me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m acutely aware


    of what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    Zachary, who had just came down the stairs, informed us, ¡°Summer¡¯s bone marrow is confirmed to be


    compatible with a deceased woman¡¯s. With that, there¡¯s hope for Summer to recover now. You guys


    don¡¯t have to worry anymore.¡±


    Pursing my lips, I felt as though my heart was suffocating. After my incident, I was relieved to see that


    Ashton didn¡¯t do anything. He could¡¯ve just sumbed to his anger and torture those who have hurt


    me, but he refrained from doing so, which I¡¯m d about.


    That being said, I¡¯m different from him. I¡¯m inherently a bad person. Even if I¡¯ve killed a person, I won¡¯t


    feel bad about it. But that¡¯s not the case for Ashton. He has always lived his life by abiding to thew


    and his responsibilities. No matter what happens, he¡¯ll choose a gentler approach to the problem.


    That¡¯s his belief.


    But this time, he was willing to break his own code of living. Because of me, he set up an ident to


    hurt Brandon and even had the impulse to kill him. This is not the Ashton that I wanted to see. They


    say that lovers help each other to grow and improve, yet I¡¯m only impinging on him¡­


    Joseph came back again and he seemed rather impatient. Instead of avoiding me likest time, he


    directly reported, ¡°Mr. Fuller, there¡¯s an issue pertaining to the port in Moranta. Illegal drugs and military


    weapons were found among the imported items there. The local police are starting to take action.¡±


    Ashton frowned and replied, ¡°I understand!¡±


    Zachary paused for a bit before saying, ¡°Seems like the Murphys are making their move. I¡¯ll handle all


    the things here. You should head to Moranta as soon as possible. This war will be an onerous one to


    win.¡±


    Ashton turned toward me and embraced me before he murmured, ¡°No matter the circumstances, your


    own safetyes first. Understand?¡±


    I nodded and hugged him tighter for I didn¡¯t want to let him go.


    Seeing he was about to leave, I offered, ¡°Let me see you off!¡± Although we had parted ways before, but


    I really didn¡¯t want to see him go this time.


    Seeing as I followed him, he smiled and pulled me onto the car. ¡°Why are you behaving like a child?¡±


    he teased me.


    I paid no heed to his teasing and embraced him tightly and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you go. After the


    mess in Moranta is dealt with, promise me you¡¯ll spend more time with me, okay?¡±


    He smiled and caressed my hair. ¡°Okay, you have my word. In return, promise me you¡¯ll take good care


    of yourself.¡±


    I nodded while still clinging on to him.


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Time does tend to pass faster when we are saying goodbye to someone. In the blink of an eye, we


    were already at the airport. Joseph had sorted everything out in advance so that they were able to


    leave immediately. I couldn¡¯t help but hug Ashton again before he boarded the ne.


    He hugged me back and exhorted me to take good care of myself in a gentle voice. He told me to eat


    at regr intervals, to close the windows before I sleep, to not stay upte, to not eat or drink anything


    cold¡­


    As he was rambling on, I hugged him even tighter than before. As time was running out, Joseph called


    out to Ashton. Then, I let him go reluctantly.


    Watching him walking further and further away from me, tears started flowing out of my eyes. ¡°Ashton,


    you bettere back soon. I¡¯ll be waiting at home for you!¡± I eximed.


    He turned around and gave me a soothing smile.

 Chapter 1021

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1021


    It¡¯s written in a book that we must be serious when we part ways with someone. That¡¯s because we


    won¡¯t know if we¡¯ll ever get to reunite with that person again. So, does this mean that without


    separation, there¡¯ll be no purpose to wait anymore?


    Summer¡¯s surgery was very sessful. In merely six hours, his surgery was done. As for Amy, she


    was brought back to us together with her sister, Ann.


    Staring at the two sisters, I smiled, ¡°Since you¡¯ve already made your choice, I guess it¡¯s time for us to


    say our goodbyes!¡± It was totally understandable for Ann to take her away. Since Amy is still a child, it


    probably was best to not let her undergo surgery at such a young age. Anyhow, everything still turned


    out well in the end.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Ann grabbed Amy¡¯s hand and gave me a bow to express their gratitude before uttering, ¡°Ms. Stovall, I


    know that you¡¯ve helped us a lot, and we are very grateful for that. Although we can¡¯t ask for your


    forgiveness, maybe we can pay you back in different ways. If possible, you guys should go to the


    basement of the Imperial Hotel. There might be something of your interest there. Besides that, you


    need to know that Brandon¡¯s boss is the real mastermind behind all of this. That person must be


    eradicated before more kids be his victims and end up like us.¡±


    After finishing her sentence, she took Amy and left. I didn¡¯t bother asking where they were headed as I


    knew that a smart girl like Ann would be able to take care of both Amy and herself.


    After putting Summer in Cameron¡¯s care, I headed over to the Imperial Hotel together with


    Zachary. The nightclub here belongs to Armond. If anything goes awry here, I¡¯ll be in trouble.


    The Imperial Hotel looked like a dested building during the day. There were only a few employees,


    who were on the day shift, standing at the front desk. Upon seeing the two of us, two girls walked up to


    us and asked about our purpose here.


    At this moment, I signaled Zachary to make a distraction. He then proceeded to feign illness in front of


    the girls. Out of concern, two of them went up to help him.


    ¡°Miss, if I¡¯m not mistaken, there¡¯s a hotel upstairs right? My father and I are here on a business trip and


    we can¡¯t seem to find a suitable hotel for us to stay in. And because of the long trip, my father is


    exhausted. Can you get us two rooms to rest for the time being?¡±


    The two of them pondered for a while before answering, ¡°Okay. However, since we also have a


    nightclub here, it¡¯ll be quite noisy at night. Are you two okay with that?¡±


    I nodded and replied, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s no big deal. Now, can you help my father up to the toom first while I


    check in?¡±


    One of the girls helped Zachary up the stairs while the other one helped me with check in.


    Bang!


    Suddenly, there was a loud noise outside. I went with the girl to check out the noise. ncing out the


    window, our jaws dropped. The girl turned to me and apologized, ¡°Sorry, please wait here for a


    moment.¡±


    She then rushed outside to deal with the person who had just broken one of the ss windows. In the


    meantime, I scrutinized the lobby with my eyes, trying to find the entrance to the basement.


    If what Ann said was true, then where did she find the entrance?


    Having thought about it for a while, my guess was that it was hidden in Brandon¡¯s office. At this time of


    the day, there shouldn¡¯t be any people in the office area. Then, I went on to notify the receptionist just


    now that I was heading upstairs first.


    As she was still busy dealing with themotion outside, she only gave me a terse response. I took a


    nce at the person who broke the ss window before heading toward the elevator.


    ording to Ann, Brandon¡¯s office was situated on the top floor. I was rather perplexed when I first


    heard it from her. Under normal circumstances, shouldn¡¯t the big boss of the nightclub be the one who


    gets the office on the top floor? Why did a manager like him gets to have the office instead?


    Without thinking too much about it, I took the elevator to the top floor. To my surprise, there wasn¡¯t any


    office on the top floor. Instead, there was another floor above the supposedly top floor.


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller!¡±


    Joseph, who suddenly appeared out of nowhere, almost gave me a heart attack. Seeing him standing


    at the elevator entrance on the floor above, I was a bit baffled. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± I queried.


    He frowned and replied, ¡°This elevator here might be our way into the basement. However, this


    elevator needs a specific fingerprint in order to ess it. We can¡¯t seem to find a way to open it.¡±


    I paused for a second. ¡°Then, how did Ann find the way to get in?¡±


    After pondering for a while, I came to an answer. The kid named Jody who was always wandering


    around at the Imperial Hotel must¡¯ve told Ann about the secret entrance. Since Jody has been here for


    so many years, he would¡¯ve known about it unequivocally!

 Chapter 1022

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1022


    ¡°We should head outside first!¡±


    Joseph looked confused. ¡°We¡¯re leaving already?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Armond is currently in Moranta while Brandon is still upied with the death of his wife. At a


    time like this, our main priority should be to locate Jody as soon as possible. Contact Din. He should


    have some information for us by now.¡±


    Joseph nodded and left without any questions.


    I then met up with Zachary in his hotel room. Using the noisy environment as an excuse, we checked


    out of the hotel and quickly left.


    When we returned back to the hospital, Summer¡¯s surgery was done. Cameron was apanying her


    during her recovery in the hospital. Fortunately, everything went smoothly.


    Meanwhile, I went to find Ann and Amy. They settled down in an urban vige in A City. The


    environment they lived in seemed a bit vile and dirty. When Ann saw my face, she didn¡¯t look surprised


    at all. She then continued on nonchntly with her cooking using the induction cooker. Since there was


    no venttion, the whole room was engulfed in smoke.


    ¡°The environment here isn¡¯t that good. Apologies!¡± She coughed a few times as she was saying that.


    After helping to set up the food on the small table, Amy sat on the bench beside the table and waited.


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Although their living conditions wasn¡¯t that good, the two of them seemed happy together nheless.


    Cutting to the chase, I directly stated, ¡°I¡¯ve promised you that I¡¯ll help you find Jody. In return, I¡¯d like


    you to convince him to go with us to the Imperial Hotel.¡±


    She lowered her head and continued washing the pots. ¡°You guys want him to lead you to the


    basement right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I answered truthfully.


    She red at me and uttered, ¡°You do know that there¡¯s no need for you guys to confirm personally


    right? You can just call the police. Since they don¡¯t have time to move the goods now, they¡¯ll be forced


    to wait when the police do an investigation as the elevator is the only exit.¡±


    I smiled and responded, ¡°I¡¯ll consider it. That being said, I still need you to convince Jody.¡±


    She went silent for a bit before replying, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I could convince him. Have you guys found


    him?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Not yet!¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± She walked to the table and sat down. ¡°Do you want to have some?¡± she asked.


    I shook my head. I then waited quietly on the side for her to finish her food before I added, ¡°I used to


    think that what I did was right. But looking back at it now, I realized how daft and juvenile I really was.


    That¡¯s what I get for being so dumb.¡±


    Confused, she raised her eyebrows. ¡°Ms. Stovall, what are you¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just bbering. Okay then, I should probably go now. I¡¯ll contact you again once I¡¯ve


    located Jody.¡±


    After that, I got up and left their small and narrow house.


    As I got on to the car, Joseph reported, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, I¡¯ve received word from Din regarding Jody.¡±


    I nodded and instructed, ¡°Get some of your men to keep an eye on the Imperial Hotel. I want to know


    every vehicle that enters or leaves the ce.¡±


    He nodded in response.


    However, there was still this uneasiness in me that I couldn¡¯t seem to get rid of. Is Ann¡¯s existence part


    of Armond¡¯s n all along? The timing of her appearance seemed rather contrived.


    I decided to give Nora a call. Unlike her usual exuberant self, she seemed aloof when she answered


    the phone. ¡°You have finally decided to call.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s meet up at the caf¨¦!¡± I suggested.


    ¡°Okay!¡± she nodded.


    After that, Joseph and I headed over to the caf¨¦.


    When we arrived, Nora was already there. Something about her seemed different from when Ist saw


    her. She was acting furtively.


    Upon seeing me, she acted distant and let out a faint smile. ¡°You¡¯re here. Take a sit!¡±


    I sat down and stared at her quietly.


    After a while, she broke the silence between us and asked, ¡°When did you realize that he loves you?¡±


    She was referring to Armond.


    I pursed my lips and answered honestly, ¡°When he was in Moranta, he wanted to get his hands on the


    management right there. In order to achieve his goal, he locked Ashton up in a refrigerating chamber.


    We barely escaped death.¡±


    She pursed her lips. ¡°I won¡¯t pry too much into your personal matters. I¡¯m truly sorry about what you¡¯ve


    gone through. That being said, we can¡¯t be friends anymore.¡±


    I shrugged and replied apathetically, ¡°I know. I respect your choice. We can put this whole thing about


    the Imperial Hotel behind us now. With that said, I¡¯m not here for your apology. You know that, right?¡±


    She asked instead, ¡°What do you want then?¡±


    I stayed silent for a while before answering, ¡°Do not bring the Oberick family into this. Armond has done


    a lot of bad things. From trading human organs to smuggling kyanine, a lot of lives were lost because


    of him. He¡¯ll be thrown behind bars once he gets caught. Nora, Mr. Oberick¡¯s good name will be


    smeared by Armond when that happens. You can¡¯t put the Oberick family at stake because of a crude


    man like him.¡±

 Chapter 1023

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1023


    She looked at me with reddened eyes as she sped her hands tightly together. ¡°Scarlett, I can¡¯t turn


    back anymore. I won¡¯t involve Grandpa¡¯s men in this, but as long as he¡¯s connected to it, I¡¯ll do


    whatever I can to protect him.¡±


    I frowned but understood her obsession and calmly replied, ¡°Okay. As long as you think it¡¯s worth it.¡±


    This marked the end of our friendship.


    There was no use talking about it anymore.


    As soon as we left the caf¨¦ and got into the car, Joseph said, ¡°There¡¯re a few trucks below Imperial


    Hotel. Apparently, they¡¯re cleaning out the hotel¡¯s junk. They¡¯re moving stuff right now.¡±


    Taken aback, I hesitated for a while before I replied, ¡°Let¡¯s go there now!¡±


    He nodded and started up the car.


    When we reached Imperial Hotel, four or five trucks were parked by the entrance, and there were


    several men moving things into the trucks. Thus, Joseph parked the car outside.


    ¡°Why are they suddenly moving all these? Where are they bringing them to?¡±


    After watching them for a while, I noticed that they were bringing out tables, chairs, cardboard boxes,


    and white quilts. They seemed to be old items that the hotel did not want.


    As I stared at the white quilts that had been loaded into the truck, I pondered for a moment before I


    asked, ¡°Can you do something to make the truck with the quilts catch fire?¡±


    Joseph was stunned for a moment, probably because he was thinking the same thing as I was. Then,


    he nodded. ¡°I can!¡±


    Subsequently, he called made a call and arranged for someone to tamper with the car.


    Soon, a noise came from inside. We watched from our car as the truck started to catch fire, emitting


    smoke. ¡°Make use of this messy situation and get someone to see if there¡¯s anything wrapped in the


    quilts.¡±


    Joseph nodded and spoke into his headset. Shortly after, he looked at me and replied, ¡°There¡¯re


    weapons wrapped inside!¡±


    ¡°Call the police and the fire department. Also, get some men to surround the area. Don¡¯t let anyone get


    out.¡± As long as this seeded, Armond would be called toe back, therefore leaving him no time


    to deal with Ashton.


    Shortly after that, I heard police sirens and the fire engines then arrived. As I watched the horde of men


    rush into the hotel, I was able to breathe a sigh of relief.


    I turned to Joseph and said, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go and meet Din!¡±


    However, Joseph did not drive and simply looked toward the front of the car. Following his gaze, I was


    stunned when I saw that familiar face. ¡°Abe? Didn¡¯t he die in Moranta?¡±


    Joseph was also taken aback and frowned.


    Seeing that man hurriedly enter Imperial Hotel, I was about to get off and follow him in before Joseph


    stopped me. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, wait in the car while I go down to check on the situation. Don¡¯t get out of the


    car no matter what!¡±


    I furrowed my brows, but as soon as I thought of Ashton¡¯s words, I simply nodded and waited in the car.


    However, not long after Joseph went in, I heard gunshots from inside the building. I instantly tensed


    up. What¡¯s going on? They¡¯re actually acting so savagely in this country?


    I dialed Joseph¡¯s number, but it would not connect. Just as I wanted to get off the car, I hesitated. If I


    get down now, not only would I be unable to do anything, I¡¯d also be putting myself in danger. But if I


    don¡¯t get off now, I wouldn¡¯t know anything about Joseph¡¯s situation.


    In the end, I could only sit in the car and wait. Feeling helpless, I gave Boris a call for help.


    His background seemed to be very noisy. As soon as he picked up, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ms.


    Stovall?¡±


    Listening to the flustered voice on the other end of the line, I suddenly had a bad feeling. ¡°Boris, are


    you okay?¡±


    He coughed for a while before he replied, ¡°Mr. Moore and I were tricked by Din. We¡¯re trapped in his


    vi now, and the house is on fire. Mr. Moore has lung disease and the situation isn¡¯t looking too good


    right now!¡±


    Panicked, I hurriedly replied, ¡°I¡¯ll call for help right away. You should call the police!¡±


    After I hung up, I got out of the car and hid beside it. I wanted to enter the hotel to search for Joseph,


    but there were constant sounds of fightinging from inside. Since Abe was a fugitive, naturally,


    human life would not mean anything to him.


    Before I even entered the hotel, I noticed two dead bodies beside the truck that was on fire. They


    appeared to be the drivers of the truck, which was still burning and could identally explode.


    Luckily, not many people were around this area. When I still did not see Joseph, I started to get


    anxious. I wanted to give him a call, but again, the call did not get through. Soon, special forces


    soldiers had surrounded Imperial Hotel, which only made me more anxious. If they arrested Joseph,


    things would be troublesome.


    However, if I entered then, I would be shot right away. I tried to call him again, and it finally got through


    this time. Joseph said anxiously, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Hurry ande back out. There¡¯re special forces outside Imperial Hotel now. My dad and


    Boris were tricked by Din and are trapped there right now, so we have to hurry over.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but I can¡¯t get out right now. Imperial Hotel has a back door, so you should drive away first, and


    I¡¯lle out to meet you.¡± As soon as he was done, he hung up.


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    As I studied my surroundings, I noticed that the special forces were closing in on Imperial Hotel and


    quickly ran back to the car and started the engine. Suddenly, a man appeared and blocked the car. I


    barely stepped on the brakes in time before I hit him.

 Chapter 1024

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1024


    When I raised my head to look at the person, I was stunned for a moment. ¡°Danny, why are you¡­¡±


    He hurriedly got into the car while bleeding and said, ¡°Go now!¡±


    Without thinking too much, I quickly drove out of the area and left the scene. Then, I looked at him and


    asked, ¡°Why are you here? Are you still working with Abe?¡±


    Due to the injury on his arm, he frowned as he looked at me. I continued, ¡°I¡¯ll send you to the hospital!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t!¡± he shouted. He was already pale because of the pain.


    A whileter, I realized that if he went to the hospital then, the police would question him very soon.


    Since there was a shooting case in Imperial Hotel that day, even if Danny said he was not at the scene,


    his gunshot wound would still arouse suspicion.


    Thus, my only option was to take him to meet Joseph first.


    As soon as he saw Danny, Joseph¡¯s expression instantly darkened. The only thing he did not do was to


    take a knife straight to Danny¡¯s neck and ask him what exactly was going on.


    Without too much dy, I gave Joseph a brief exnation then drove straight to Din¡¯s vi. The


    firefighters were already there when we reached, and Zachary had just been carried into the


    ambnce.


    I looked at Boris and asked, ¡°What exactly happened? Din actually set fire to such a huge vi?¡±


    Despite it being in the suburbs, the vi was still worth tens of millions. What was he nning when he


    set it on fire?


    Boris sighed and replied, ¡°You head to the hospital to check on your father first. I¡¯ll take care of the


    rest.¡±


    We were indeed surrounded by many people, making it inconvenient for me to continue asking him


    questions. Thus, we headed to the hospital together as Boris suggested. The doctor concluded that


    Zachary had inhaled too much smoke but would be okay after resting for a while.


    Joseph had to settle the matter with Imperial Hotel, and Boris was handling the issue with Din.


    Meanwhile, Danny and I sat on the seats along the corridor for ages. After a long while, I said, ¡°I know


    you are with Abe, so I won¡¯t ask too many questions. But considering that I have helped you today, can


    you tell me why Abe isn¡¯t dead?¡±


    Danny¡¯s injury had already been treated by a doctor, and he was sitting beside me silently the whole


    time.


    After a long while, he replied, ¡°The man who died in Moranta wasn¡¯t Abe. Imperial Hotel is jointly


    operated by Abe and Armond, and the operating room in that factory you went to is also theirs.


    However, Armond had transferred everything over to Abe these past few days.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    He looked at me as he said, ¡°I know you¡¯ve been trying to find evidence of Armond¡¯s illegal activities.


    Armond knows it too, so when you went to the vige to find that family, he made a deal with Abe.


    They¡¯d been doing business for so long that many of their things were old and damaged. Armond was


    worried since there was no way to openly get rid of them, but you gave him an opportunity. The things


    you managed to find out are all true. Armond wanted you to make them public since Abe would be


    punished in the end, not him.¡±


    I was taken aback for a moment, then asked, ¡°Why does he think he can use Abe as he pleases?¡±


    They were both proud men, so things were definitely not as simple as just shifting me.


    ¡°You probably don¡¯t understand Abe as a person. It¡¯s true that he¡¯s cruel and only thinks about profiting,


    but he actually treats his men very sincerely. After the issue in Venria was revealed, we were at a dead-


    end. We came over because Abe wanted to work with Armond so that his men could settle down. He


    would then help Armond clean up his mess.¡±


    I froze. ¡°So right from the beginning, Armond purposely led me on to investigate this matter just so that


    when I finally exposed everything, it would put an end to all these dirty businesses.¡±


    He nodded in reply.


    There was an unexinable feeling of shock in me. From the beginning, everything that Armond did


    was to lead me to this point. He had taken the initiative to call me, revealed that there was an organ


    trade going on in A City, and even gave me his name card. His ultimate motive was to let me discover


    those dirty secrets and expose them.


    I hesitated for a long while before I replied, ¡°Was he also the one who nned everything that had


    happened to me at Imperial Hotel?¡±


    Danny nodded. ¡°He purposely used the child to provoke you so that you would be determined to


    take action on Imperial Hotel.¡±


    Does it mean he has nned the whole thing step by step, just waiting to lead me into his trap and


    eventually making me the person who would help him seed in his n?


    At that moment, I did not know if I shouldugh or cry. After all this time, I was just someone¡¯s puppet?


    Noticing my grim expression, Danny pursed his lips slightly as he apologized. ¡°Sorry!¡±


    I shook my head, feeling a little tired. After dealing with the matter for so long, everything just turned out


    to be a well-nned conspiracy.


    Just then, I thought of Ashton and widened my eyes as I said, ¡°Danny, have you left Abe?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    He frowned slightly but did not answer me.


    Without knowing his answer, I continued, ¡°Can you head to Moranta and help me protect Ashton in


    secret? Since Armond had nned such a huge trap, there must be something else waiting for Ashton.


    Can you do that for me?¡±

 Chapter 1025

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1025


    Danny looked at me with a slight frown on his face and replied helplessly, ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t leave A City


    right now. Now that Mr. Abe¡¯s been arrested, Dante and I will be too. The police should be looking for


    me everywhere, so I can only hide around the city now and can¡¯t head to Moranta.¡±


    Iughed bitterly.


    Everything was destined. I could not change anything as it was all already arranged for.


    Ten dayster, Abe had been sentenced to death as Imperial Hotel was found to have hidden weapons


    and had participated in the organ trade.


    Brandon was also charged for being Abe¡¯s aplice.


    Cameron and Zachary had brought Summer back to K City, and Din¡¯s family seemed to have


    disappeared without a trace. There was no way we could find them.


    Although things seemed to be over, I was not as happy as expected and was still angry. After toying


    with me, Armond had hastily ended everything just like that. I had lost my child due to my own stupidity,


    yet he was able to gain something and even managed to walk away unscathed.


    However, I was no angel and would not just leave it at that.


    On Thursday, I headed to the mall.


    As an apology for not attending Tabitha¡¯s wedding while I was busy in K City, I had asked her and


    Laurel out to go shopping together.


    Having not seen her in such a long time, Tabitha seemed to have put on some weight. After some


    careful questioning, I found out that she was pregnant.


    Laurel joked, ¡°It¡¯s indeed different when you be a mother. Your gaze has be so gentle. By


    the way, the customers have been asking when you¡¯ll be back for work ever since you stopped going to


    work. Isn¡¯t it a bit too early to be taking time off when you¡¯re only two months pregnant?¡±


    Tabitha smiled slightly. ¡°It¡¯s mainly my husband who¡¯s feeling uneasy about it. If I go to work, he¡¯ll be


    worried the whole day and will want to find me at work. In the end, he¡¯ll be distracted from his own job.


    Seeing that, I quit my job and stay at home, his parents will be there to take care of me, and that¡¯s a


    load off him.¡±


    Laurel¡¯s gaze was full of envy as she looked at Tabitha. ¡°You¡¯re so lucky. Your husband¡¯s gentle and


    caring, and your inws are willing to take care of you. Look at me. I¡¯ve been married for six years now,


    but it feels like I¡¯m a widow. I¡¯ve been raising my son alone too. Although my mother-inw helps to


    take care of him, she always picks a fight with me. You don¡¯t understand how annoying things are for


    me at home.¡±


    Tabitha repliedfortingly, ¡°As you said previously, you just have to ept life as it is! Your


    husband¡¯s starting his business now, so it¡¯ll definitely be tough on him. Aren¡¯t you also taking care of


    your son while you work for the sake of your family? If you persevere, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to enjoy


    lifeter on. My husband¡¯s the same. He has it tough, so we try to understand each other and


    compromise. You can¡¯t just focus on the unhappy parts of your marriage and ignore the good part.¡±


    Laurel sighed as she looked at me. ¡°How about you, Scarlett? How have you been these few months?


    Your husband¡¯s both rich and handsome, so you should be the happiest among us. Nora called me to


    comin some time ago, saying that Armond seemed to be ignoring her. You guys are already so rich,


    so why do you still work so hard to make money? You¡¯re not short on it anyway.¡±


    I smiled slightly and replied, ¡°A lot has happened recently but I asked you guys out as soon as I had


    some free time. By the way, have you guys seen Tessa recently? I haven¡¯t seen her in a long time. I


    wonder how she¡¯s doing.¡±


    Laurel replied, ¡°I met her some time ago. I heard she has adopted a five or six-year-old kid, so she¡¯s


    probably not intending to get married. Tessa¡¯s already thirty-six or seven, so it seems like she wants to


    live alone with the child in the future. But thest time I saw her, she was driving a Mercedes-Benz S-


    ss. Apparently, she also bought a house a few days ago. Didn¡¯t she say that she was poor? Why¡¯s


    she suddenly able to buy a car and a house. Do you guys know what kind of business she¡¯s doing


    recently?¡±


    Tabitha shook her head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t really contact her. I¡¯m not that interested in her affairs, so I don¡¯t


    really bother checking on whatever she bought or did.¡±


    Laurel paused for a moment, then said, ¡°Tabby, you don¡¯t seem to like Tessa very much?¡±


    Tabitha was a straightforward person who wore her heart on her sleeve. Thus, she shrugged and


    replied indifferently, ¡°I neither like nor dislike her since we¡¯re just acquaintances. Anyway, we don¡¯t


    belong in the same world as her. I¡¯m sure you know that she¡¯s overly ambitious. She probably sees us


    as mere passers-by who aren¡¯t significant enough.¡±


    Iughed lightly as I listened to their conversation. ¡°It¡¯s okay, we¡¯re just having a casual chat and


    sharing some gossip. If you guys don¡¯t like something, you don¡¯t need to talk about it. I was just a little


    curious about where Tessa¡¯s adopted child came from. Is it even legally possible for an unmarried


    woman to adopt a child now?¡±


    Laurel nodded. ¡°I think it¡¯s possible as long as you meet the requirements. Apparently, a woman


    between thirty and forty who¡¯s unmarried and is doing okay financially is qualified. I think Tessa also


    mentioned that the child isn¡¯t an orphan. The child¡¯s mother died in a car ident and his father was


    sentenced to death because of some severe offense. Therefore, the child was trusted upon her.¡±Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 1026

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1026


    Death sentence?


    I spent the rest of the afternoon chatting with Laurel and Tabitha, then returned to the vi.


    I arrived to see Nora in the midst of moving out of the vi next door, much to my astonishment. She¡¯d


    hired a bunch of professional movers who streamed in and out of the doorway toting boxes of various


    sizes.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Nora stood just outside the door supervising them, asionally reminding them to be careful with her


    things.


    I stood rooted to the spot in the yard, watching her. Nora saw me out of the corner of her eye and


    turned in my direction. Our eyes met, and I could see that hers were swollen and red with crying even


    at that distance.


    What on earth has happened?


    I hadn¡¯t much of a clue what had transpired and didn¡¯t suppose it was a suitable time to ask. I smiled at


    Nora embarrassedly, then stepped into the vi. Ashton was still stuck at Moranta fighting Armond.


    Cameron had originally extended an invitation to Summer and me to return to K City in the meantime.


    However, I was busy resenting Armond for having deceived me and in no mood for socializing.


    I was vexed but was determined to try and aplish something.


    Back at the vi, I copsed onto a chair in fatigue. At that moment, the doorbell rang.


    I strolled over and peered out of the window. Nora was standing outside, patiently waiting for me


    beyond the gate of my yard.


    I hastily walked out to the yard and beckoned her. ¡°Do you want toe in?¡±


    Nora shook her head. She replied glumly, ¡°It¡¯s all right. I came over to return this to you.¡± Having thus


    dered, Nora wriggled the bracelet that she was wearing off her arm, then handed it to me. Channing


    had originally given me a matching set of bracelets. I¡¯d given one to Nora and kept one for myself. They


    weren¡¯t worth much, but they were a significant token of my and Nora¡¯s friendship.


    I looked down at the bracelet lying in Nora¡¯s outstretched palm, then looked back at Nora. ¡°This


    bracelet belonged to your grandmother. If you¡¯re here to ask for it back, I¡¯ll return it to you. There¡¯s no


    need for you to return anything to me. I gave the bracelet to you in the first ce because of the


    rtionship between our families and because I believed that our friendship was genuine. I never


    thought that anything could evere between us. I see now that perhaps I was wrong. Even if that¡¯s


    the case, I don¡¯t want your bracelet. I gave it wholeheartedly to you back then, and I don¡¯t intend to ask


    for it back even though things have turned sour between us. You can do whatever you like with it.


    Throw it away if you wish.¡±


    I turned to shut the gate without waiting for her reply.


    Nora, however, stopped the gate with one swift motion. She paused, then said in a trembling voice,


    ¡°Thank you, Scarlett.¡±


    I smiled faintly but said nothing. I had a rather epting attitude towards friendships and whichever


    winding paths they ultimately took. I had never pursued anyone, epting the eventual end of any


    rtionship stoically. In the three years that I¡¯d spent waiting for Ashton, I knew that despite how much


    I loved him, I would never fight for our rtionship if he¡¯d decided to give it up.


    If I wasn¡¯t even ready to strive for the person I¡¯d loved wholeheartedly, I won¡¯t be willing to chase after a


    friendship. Nora was presently entangled in her own difficulties, and I thought the best course of action


    would be to retreat and respect whatever decision she made.


    Since Nora had evidently made her choice to part ways with me, there was no point dwelling any


    further. I thus chose to sh a bright smile at her and replied, ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me. I wish you


    all the best in your future endeavors.¡±


    It was an absolutely meaningless, patronizing phrase that I¡¯d always loathed. I now uttered it with


    absolute sincerity, however. I did hope that Nora and I would eache to find our own happiness


    eventually.


    It was truly goodbye. I would no longer continue journeying through life with Nora, but I hoped that my


    well-wishes would remain with her when I could not.


    The metal gate closed with a steely ng. I exhaled, then walked slowly back into my vi. Just as I


    was about to head into the room to sleep, the doorbell rang a second time. I opened it to see Nora still


    standing outside.


    Staring fixedly at me, she muttered, ¡°Whether you believe me or not, I have to tell you that I was drunk


    that night at the Imperial Hotel. If I had known that he would have turned out to be so violent, I would


    never have dreamt of calling you. I never wanted to cause you any harm, not even once.¡±


    I looked at her and smiled as it was a relief. ¡°I know. I never once thought of ming you. Don¡¯t worry.


    Go on back.¡±


    I had indeed never med Nora for anything that had happened. I was merely wary that Armond had


    been using Nora as a pawn all along.


    I was on the verge of swinging the gate back shut when Nora piped up. ¡°Brandon¡¯s woman was bought


    over by Tessa. You should be careful. It¡¯s not safe for you to stay here alone.¡±


    I looked at Nora, bewildered at her sudden revtion. ¡°Got it, thank you,¡± I hesitated then added, ¡°I¡¯ll be


    sure to take care of myself.¡±


    Nora hung her head, then turned and walked back to her vi.


    I looked at her departing figure with a twinge of regret. Nora was never malicious. She¡¯d simply made


    the mistake of falling in love with the wrong man.


    ¡­


    It had never urred to me to spy on Tessa. I¡¯d initially nned on meeting her in person but was


    worried about rming her. If I confronted Tessa directly, there was a possibility that she would reveal


    everything to Armond. He would then make a move against Brandon who was vulnerable and at his


    mercy now. The truth was Armond had no weaknesses so far. At the same time, he was cold-blooded


    and poisons filled his veins. Thus, he would want to ensureplete secrecy by sending Brandon to


    his maker to seal his mouth forever.

 Chapter 1027

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1027


    Hence, I was resolved not to tell Tessa anything for fear that the information would simply be passed on


    to Armond. I was afraid that before I could even get around to persuading Brandon, he would already


    have died under suspicious circumstances in prison.


    It wasn¡¯t difficult to uncover news about Tessa. We moved about in the same circles, after all. One


    could easily obtain any desired information with some effort. Nuthana Gardens was a newly-developed


    piece of property. Not long after it waspleted, its prices skyrocketed, and it was now sold for at


    least ten thousand per square foot. An apartment of a thousand and five hundred square feet was


    worth around fifteen million. Tessa had neither a stable job nor a steady source of ie and had no


    projects on hand. Her sudden wealth had naturally raised queries in both Tabitha and Laurel¡¯s minds.


    How could a vige girl have acquired enough to buy both a posh apartment and a luxury car in just a


    few months?


    Armond was clearly rewarding Tessa handsomely. What is Tessa doing for him that warrants such a


    hefty sum? I wondered. Armond wasn¡¯t a spendthrift character. I thought of what had happened in


    Moranta. A niggling thought arose within my mind. Has Tessa been part of Armond¡¯s numerous evil


    schemes?


    I had no ess to the residential area at Nuthana Gardens. It boasted tight security, and external


    visitors had no way of entering without permission from a resident. I could thus only observe discreetly


    from one of its exits.


    It was the only method avable but also the mostbor-intensive. I waited an entire afternoon before


    Tessa¡¯s car pulled up at the entrance around four in thete afternoon. She drove a ck Mercedes-


    Benz that was thetest model.


    I watched as the car entered the basement carpark, then fished out my phone to call Laurel. I had


    intended on inviting her out along with Tessa. Before I could dial her number, however, my phone rang


    with a call from Ashton.


    I picked up the phone. Ashton immediately demanded, ¡°Why were you sitting out there for the entire


    day? Did anything happen?¡±


    I was baffled for a moment. Then, I suddenly recalled that Ashton had arranged for a bodyguard to


    watch over me from afar. I giggled sheepishly. ¡°It¡¯s nothing! I wanted to snoop on Tessa a little, so I


    waited outside her residence to see when she came back. The security here at Nuthana Gardens is


    way too tight, and I have no way of entering. So sitting out here was the best I could do.¡±


    Ashton was silent on the other end of the line for a while. When he next spoke, there was a note of


    resignation in his tone. ¡°Scarlett, when will you finally remember that your husband isn¡¯t a poor man?¡±


    Sensing my confusion, Ashton continued, ¡°Nuthana Gardens¡¯ developer gave me a few units within the


    residence when it had beenpleted. I¡¯m sending the key over to you right now. What are you


    investigating Tessa for, though?¡±


    ¡°She has adopted Brandon¡¯s child. I wanted to see if there was anything there I could use to win


    Brandon over,¡± I replied. I¡¯d already reasoned that Brandon¡¯s testimony would be the most damning


    weapon against Armond.


    Ashton was silent for a while. Then, he said slowly, ¡°Scarlett, don¡¯t interfere anymore in this matter. I¡¯ve


    already made ns to handle this. Go back to K City and take care of yourself. If you¡¯re bored of that


    ce,e over to Moranta.¡±


    I could detect undercurrents of meaning rippling beneath Ashton¡¯s casual manner. He seemed unwilling


    to tell me just what he¡¯d nned. Exasperated, I fumed, ¡°I¡¯m going to stay in A City. Armond took all of


    us for a ride from the start. If I don¡¯t get to witness his conviction and imprisonment, I won¡¯t be able to


    rest.¡±


    Ashton sounded helpless. In a patient voice, he soothed, ¡°It¡¯s not time yet. Don¡¯t rush into things. Just


    leave everything to me.¡±


    I bit my lip in frustration. Ashton was once again treating me with the same patronizing manner as he


    would a child. It made my blood boil.


    I hung up the phone. Someone arrived shortly thereafter with the keys. I was still harboring resentment


    towards Ashton for his condescension earlier. I was in no mood to continue with the investigation any


    further that day.


    With that, I turned and headed back to the vi.


    I headed into the bedroom and flopped onto the bed, ruminating over the events that had urred. I


    felt as if everything I¡¯d done had been rendered worthless and grew even more infuriated.


    Just then, a phone call came from Hannah, reminding me that I had to go to K City to attend her


    wedding. Amidst my busyness, I¡¯d totally forgotten about it. I hurriedly replied to Hannah that I would


    definitely be there.


    The wedding had been scheduled for two dayster.


    After much deliberation, I decided to head back to K City first. After Hannah¡¯s wedding, I¡¯d immediately


    return to continue scrutinizing Tessa. I thus booked my tickets for the flight to K City.


    ¡­


    Hannah¡¯s wedding was to be held at Chandler¡¯s childhood home. The house was situated rather near K


    City¡¯s suburbs. It wasn¡¯t much of a drive away at all. Hannah had familiarized herself with the customs


    there. She had no intention of being caught by surprise by any rituals she hadn¡¯t prepared herself for in


    advance.


    As she sat in a cafe in the city center, Hannah¡¯s radiant smile nearly filled the room. When she caught


    sight of me entering, Hannah looked overwhelmed with tion. She greeted me enthusiastically, then


    fired, ¡°Why did you stay in A City for so long? Chandler has been clinging to me so muchtely. I


    haven¡¯t even been able to tear myself away to go shopping!¡±


    I listened to Hannah¡¯s rapid prattle in amusement. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you want him to stay by your side every


    day? What¡¯s so annoying about that?¡±


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Hannah pursed her lips. She grandly got to her feet and did a small pirouette. Noticing that all eyes in


    the cafe had immediately fastened themselves upon her, Hannah immediately sat down bashfully once


    again. ¡°Did you see how fat I am now? I think Chandler¡¯s been stuffing me too much food!¡±


    I guffawed, then stopped at the sight of Hannah¡¯s sober face. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you look beautiful now?


    Even as another woman, I can¡¯t take my eyes off you!¡±

 Chapter 1028

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1028


    Hannah rolled her eyes dramatically, then wailed, ¡°You¡¯re not serious, are you? My wedding¡¯s


    happening in a couple of days! What if I can¡¯t fit into my dress? I can¡¯t possibly ask his mother to alter it


    on the spot, can I? The dress was custom-made and embroidered by hand! It cost an absolute fortune!


    I¡¯m on the verge of moving out. I have to lose weight, or there¡¯ll definitely be a problem.¡±


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Hannah¡¯s noisyining could not hide the traces of a smile hovering over her lips. I grinned at


    that. If a little weight gain was all that Hannah had to worry about for the rest of her marriage, she¡¯d


    have many blissful years ahead of her.


    Hannah¡¯s endless rambling was finally put to a stop by an iing call from Chandler. She answered


    the phone only to redirect her flood of words into the mouthpiece. On the other end, Chandler just


    absorbed everything patiently.


    I suddenly found myself very much an outsider in this romantic disy of affection. I surveyed around


    the cafe casually. Abruptly, a familiar face popped up within the field of my vision. I froze.


    I was slightly myopic, so I couldn¡¯t be certain that the figure was indeed who I¡¯d taken it to be. I


    squinted as hard as I could in that direction, but to no avail. I thus reached out and tugged on Hannah¡¯s


    sleeve, gesturing subtly in that direction.


    Hannah paused and looked over. She was simrly taken aback. Hannah quickly mumbled into the


    phone, ¡°Chandler, I just saw someone I know. I¡¯m hanging up!¡±


    After she¡¯d ended the call, Hannah hauled me out of the cafe. When we¡¯d gotten outside, she


    immediately shrieked, ¡°That woman was Reba, wasn¡¯t she?¡±


    I wavered, unable to say for sure.


    We didn¡¯t approach her, however, but merely continued observing from a distance.


    K City was a bustling, modern city. Life here was fast-paced, and it wasmon to see people dashing


    from ce to ce. Nobody paid any heed to the sight of a woman pulling on a man and shamelessly


    begging him for money.


    Hannah nced at her watch, then looked at me with a horrified expression. ¡°It¡¯s only seven in the


    evening! It¡¯s not even midnight yet. Is she doing what I think she¡¯s doing?¡±


    I bit my lip and continued gazing in Reba¡¯s direction. She had on a thickyer of makeup and wore


    a revealing dress that exposed various areas of her body with utter disregard for the winter cold. She


    looked as indecent as she was legally permitted to be.


    Reba had a gorgeous face and a lovely figure. It was usually sufficient for attracting stares


    anywhere she went. If the scene unfolding before our eyes had yed out anywhere else, I would


    never have given it a second thought.


    Where we were presently standing was K City¡¯s most notorious red-light district. Vice oozed out of


    every pore of her. Reba¡¯s scantily-d self, ced against this surrounding, made our suspicions


    perfectly reasonable.


    Hannah dragged me closer to take a better look. We could hear the sound of Reba¡¯s cries now,


    clear as a bell. ¡°Mr. Tuffin, you promised that as long as I agreed, you¡¯d give me the money! Now that


    I¡¯ve done it, how can you go back on your word? You can¡¯t do that!¡±


    The man looked visibly irked by Reba¡¯s constant pleas. He fished out a couple of bills from his


    wallet and flung them roughly at Reba, vehemently cursing her all the while.


    I was dumbfounded. Did we just witness Reba selling herself? How can this be?


    Even if Ashton no longer cared for Reba, Joe clearly worshipped her. He would never have


    sanctioned this degradation of Reba¡¯s dignity.


    Reba stooped to pick up the bills, utterly focused on counting them while shivering helplessly from


    the bitter cold. Clutching herself to preserve what little bit of warmth she had, Reba scampered off


    and disappeared into the nightclub behind her.


    Hannah¡¯s stupefied expression mirrored mine exactly. We were stunned while we looked at each other


    as if to confirm what we¡¯d just beheld. Haltingly, Hannah asked, ¡°That was Ms. Larson, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    I craned my neck in the direction that Reba had slipped off to, then nodded reluctantly. ¡°I think so.¡±


    ¡°What happened to her? How did she end up that way? Wasn¡¯t she so morous previously? How did


    she suddenly end up like this? What in the world happened?¡± Hannah asked urgently. She was


    evidently still in shock. I could see the cogs in Hannah¡¯s mind turning as she struggled to process what


    she had just seen.


    I didn¡¯t have the answers to Hannah¡¯s questions and said so frankly. ¡°I don¡¯t know what just happened


    either. I think Ashton gave her an apartment and a car that we never asked her to return. Joe has also


    given her lots of money. There¡¯s really no logical reason as to why Reba would be so desperate for


    money that she¡¯d need to sell her body!¡±


    Hannah bit her lip. Soberly, she said, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go over and take a look!¡±


    The incident at the Imperial Hotel had left me with a lingering uneasiness. I hesitated, then shook my


    head. ¡°I don¡¯t really want to. It¡¯s too chaotic over there and isn¡¯t safe.¡±


    Hannah was insistent, however. She pouted, then wheedled, ¡°It¡¯s not. I¡¯m going in with you. Don¡¯t


    worry. As long as we don¡¯t cause any trouble, nothing will happen to us. Don¡¯t worry!¡±


    Without waiting for my consent, Hannah dragged me across. Upon entry, the dance floor rose to meet


    us, packed with teenagers wearing the barest slips of clothing. The DJ¡¯s hollers were deafening over


    the speakers, and the drunk partygoers gyrated to the pulsing music without a care in the world.


    Hannah burst out, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with all of these people? Have they gone insane?¡±


    She tightened her grip on my arm as we move through the crowd, searching for Reba. But, she


    seemed to have vanished off the face of the earth. Hannah puzzled, ¡°Why isn¡¯t Reba on the dance


    floor?¡±


    I pondered this, then realized, ¡°She¡¯s in terrible need of money, isn¡¯t she? She should be hard at work


    right now.¡±


    Hannah smacked her forehead exaggeratedly. ¡°That¡¯s right! Why didn¡¯t I think of it?¡±

 Chapter 1029

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1029


    We eventually located the front counter of the nightclub but were promptly ignored by the staff. While


    we were there, we heard a patron making enquiries if there were girls avable to spend the night with.


    The staff member merely handed him a card. It was all rather cloak-and-dagger.


    Rather naively, I whispered to Hannah, ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    Hannah exined, ¡°It¡¯s a card with a number on it. It¡¯s the same in other bars or clubs. Due to the wide


    variety of characters that flow through sordid ces like these, the nightclub caters to a simrly wide


    range of demands. That guy we just saw at the front counter should have been a new patron. He may


    havee from overseas, been here on business, or was simply here to try something new. There


    was a phone number on the card. I¡¯m guessing that there¡¯s a woman waiting upstairs for the customer


    to call the number on her card. I suppose it¡¯s pretty much self-service from then on.¡±


    I didn¡¯t understand. ¡°What do you mean? What will he do upstairs?¡±


    Hannah said patiently, ¡°The units above this nightclub are all apartments upied by women. The staff


    at the nightclub connect these women with their clientele. inly put, it¡¯s a brothel.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°Surely Reba can¡¯t be in such pressing need for money, can she?¡±


    Hannah shrugged listlessly. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have thought so, but after what we just witnessed outside, it¡¯s


    hard to say for sure. One thing we can be certain about is that she¡¯s no longer in contact with Mr.


    Quinn. He¡¯s getting married to a K City socialite named Jordyn Bloom. I heard that she¡¯s a


    sophisticated woman who just returned from studying in Granatano. She¡¯s only in her early twenties


    and is a young and prettydy. It¡¯s a pity that her parents pushed her to marry so quickly. Who knows


    how it¡¯ll turn out!¡±


    ¡°Joe?¡± I asked doubtfully. ¡°Is he really engaged to a socialite?¡±


    Perceiving my skepticism, Hannah replied, ¡°It happened a few months ago. You were upied with


    taking care of Summer, so I didn¡¯t want to bother you with this frivolous gossip. Apparently, after Jordyn


    found out about Joe¡¯s yboy ways, she made a fuss and wanted to terminate the engagement.


    Jordyn only went ahead with it begrudgingly because her parents pressured her into it.¡±


    All sorts of conflicting emotions stirred uneasily within me. I¡¯d been jealous of Reba ever since I


    came to know Ashton. I could not deny that I¡¯d been incredibly anxious about which one of us Ashton


    would choose, Reba or me. Even though I had defeated her, I could not find it in me to rejoice after


    seeing Reba¡¯s predicament. Perhaps I had also never really believed that Ashton would leave me


    for Reba. Besides, my identity as a member of the Moore family had already cemented my


    superiority to her.


    It was peculiar how one¡¯s family background could make such a vital difference to one¡¯s bearing and


    attitude towards life. Anyone who possessed any sort of self-confidence or boldness usually had the


    backing of a strong heritage and family status.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Hannah looked determined to continue hunting down Reba. Unwilling, I tugged at her, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s


    go back! There¡¯s nothing much for us to look at here. No matter what caused such desperate straits to


    befall her, it¡¯s none of our business either. Let¡¯s leave this ce quickly!¡±


    Hannah frowned, then egged me on, ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious at all to see how Reba¡¯s faring?¡±


    I shook my head firmly. ¡°Nope. There¡¯s no point in doing that anyway.¡±


    What was the point in witnessing Reba¡¯s debasement? What would I gain from gloating over it? No


    matter what Reba was doing now, wasn¡¯t my business with her already entirely relegated to the


    past?


    Seeing my obstinate expression, Hannah decided not to pursue the matter. ¡°Fine. It doesn¡¯t matter


    anyway. Let¡¯s go, then!¡±


    There was a small alley just behind the nightclub. Hannah seemed to be in a particrly daring mood


    today. She was usually rather meek and timid, but today she was exhibiting a wildly uncharacteristic


    side of her. She was spontaneous and seemed to be especially seeking out a challenge.


    I wondered if it had anything to do with Chandler. Now that Hannah knew there would always be


    someone supporting her unconditionally, she felt absolutely liberated to act without fear of the


    consequence.


    I, however, hung back slightly and trod rather fearfully behind her a little way, Noticing that thest


    dregs of daylight were fast fading, I shimmied closer to Hannah, urging, ¡°Hannah, shouldn¡¯t we be


    turning back already?¡±


    Hannah turned to me with a mischievous grin on her face. ¡°Chandler¡¯s still out of town, and Xavier¡¯s


    staying with Uncle Louis. I¡¯m so bored staying home all alone. Let¡¯s just take a stroll together! I¡¯m going


    to get married in a few days¡¯ time and will be under Chandler¡¯s thumb for the rest of my life. He won¡¯t


    let me out to y, I¡¯m sure! The thought of it is dull enough.¡±


    Hannah¡¯s pout belied the warmth in her tone. I smiled at her obvious happiness. Romance was a truly


    lovely thing. It could utterly rejuvenate and transform anyone.


    Unable to resist Hannah¡¯s cheerful enthusiasm, I thus continued down the gloomy alley with her.


    Nervously, I joked, ¡°Why are we taking a stroll here? Wouldn¡¯t a mall be more suitable?¡±


    Hannah turned to me and pressed a finger to her lips. As if she were sharing a delightful secret,


    Hannah whispered, ¡°I¡¯ve been hearing about this ce for the longest time. Apparently it¡¯s a gathering


    ce for all sorts of characters at night. I wanted to take a look to satisfy my curiosity.¡±


    I gaped at Hannah, aghast. ¡°What are you so curious about nothing for? All we¡¯ll meet are probably


    hardened criminals! Shouldn¡¯t we be fleeing instead of charging straight into their den?¡±


    Hannah sniggered. Gleefully, she dered, ¡°I wrote a book recently and was considering adding some


    scenes set in the city¡¯s underworld. All the true crimes I¡¯ve ever heard were paltry drug sellers earning


    a few quick bucks, though. I¡¯ve never seen the real deal, you know? K City is rife with all sorts of shady


    characters. I really wanted toe here after all I¡¯d heard about it and see for myself, hoping to gain


    some material for my writing.¡±

 Chapter 1030

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1030


    I groaned inwardly. This woman is crazy!


    I reluctantly trailed after Hannah. We hadn¡¯t proceeded much further, however, when we came to a halt.


    K City¡¯s underworld was equally as squalid as how vibrant the city was. Beneath streemps so dim,


    there was barely a glow in the oppressive dark sat a few men. Some were leaning against the wall


    while others perched on top of it. Some looked haggard, skeletal, and barely sustained by the


    asional meals from good Samaritans.


    Others were dressed in shy outfits, clutching thick wads of cash in their hands. Revolted by the


    grimy, seedy appearance of the ce, I grabbed Hannah and yanked at her frantically, indicating that


    we should leave right away.


    Hannah was evidently terrified as well. She took one nce and turned on her heels, ready to leave


    with me. Before we could escape, we ironically crashed headlong into the one person we¡¯de here


    to meet. It was Reba! In the flickering light cast by the streemps, Reba¡¯s face looked


    absolutely ghastly.


    Reba¡¯s eyes widened first in shock, then in recognition. She instinctively recoiled, her eyes darting


    nervously from side to side. Realizing that there was nowhere for her to hide or run, she faced me


    squarely, her eyes zing in fury and despair. ¡°Scarlett? Why are you here?¡± she asked.


    My gaze shifted to the object that Reba wielded in her hand, then jumped in fright. ¡°You¡­¡±


    Reba nced down at the sealed stic sachet in her hand. The corners of her mouth curved up


    into a sinister smile. ¡°What? Do you want to try some? It¡¯s good stuff. Once you¡¯ve had some, you¡¯ll find


    yourself craving for more the rest of your life.¡±


    I staggered slightly in horror and gawped at Reba. ¡°Did you use the money from all your dirty deeds


    to purchase this?¡±


    Reba narrowed her eyes, then abruptly burst into peals of high, piercingughter that sounded


    almost like a shriek. ¡°So it was indeed the two of you I saw just now! I¡¯d thought I was hallucinating,¡±


    Reba admitted dizzily. She stuck a fingertip into the powder in her hand, then waved it in front of us.


    ¡°Come on, I got lots of extras today. I can spare you a little. Why don¡¯t you try a bit to see what it feels


    like? How about that? Just a little.¡±


    ¡°Get away from us!¡± Hannah struck out, shoving Reba aside. She bellowed, ¡°Reba, no one


    cares if you be an addict. But you¡¯d better keep your distance from us! We don¡¯t want to end up


    like you.¡±


    Hannah¡¯s words seemed to trigger something in Reba. Scowling, Reba snarled, ¡°Mrs. Fuller,


    you¡¯re already married to Ashton, aren¡¯t you? What are you doing all the way out here, then? Why are


    you suddenly so interested in addicts like us? Aren¡¯t you afraid that someone will kidnap you and


    demand a ransom of millions from Mr. Fuller?¡±


    ¡°Enough of your nonsense!¡± Hannah snapped back in return. ¡°You¡¯ve already been reduced to such a


    state, yet you¡¯re criticizing others? Let me tell you honestly then, we came here to look at you!¡±


    Hannah pulled my arm again, but Reba stood adamantly in our way. Raising her voice, she


    addressed the group of men standing behind us. ¡°Everyone, listen up! She¡¯s the wife of the president of


    Fuller Corporation! If you manage to get her, you should be able to easily get a cool hundred thousand


    from Mr. Fuller at the very least.¡±


    Does Reba intend to incite my kidnapping and threaten Ashton? I pondered.


    Hannah was speechless. ¡°Reba, have you gone crazy? How can you bring yourself to stoop so


    low?¡±


    Busy reveling in her loathing of me, Reba seemed unfazed by either Hannah¡¯s derision or the cold


    wind. One could say that Reba was my nemesis, perhaps, but amongst all the possible endings to


    our rivalry, I¡¯d never imagined this one. There was no light at all in Reba¡¯s dull eyes. She looked as


    if she had utterly given up on herself and life.


    I had no intention of squabbling with Reba. This wasn¡¯t an ideal environment, and the sooner we


    got away from here, the better. Besides, I wasn¡¯t invested enough in her to care. We were merely two


    individuals whose paths had crossed at one point in time but had diverged thereafter. I thus saw no


    purpose in further engaging with her antics.


    I briskly pushed Reba aside, dragging Hannah close behind me. But, Reba stopped us with one


    hand. ¡°Scarlett, do you really think I¡¯m going to let you get away so easily?¡± Reba sneered.


    Having said that, she howled towards the men behind us with a vengeance. ¡°Inject her with the stuff! I¡¯ll


    give my entire stash to anyone who seeds. Quickly!¡±


    I froze. Hannah lunged forward to restrain Reba but was pushed aside. Reba¡¯s eyes were


    zing. ¡°Move aside if you don¡¯t want me to kill you as well!¡±


    I struggled, but Reba seemed possessed with an inhuman strength. I was totally incapacitated by


    her strong grip.


    The audience behind us in the alley sprang into action. I highly doubted that they cared about the


    legality of their actions. Reba¡¯s promation seemed to unleash the demons within them. They


    scrambled and sprinted over in their eagerness to inject me.


    At the sight of those needles pointing towards me, I stood rooted to the spot, petrified. My mind raced


    and I panicked. These needles are all probably infected with something or another! I¡¯m dead if they


    touch me!


    Rebaughed maniacally. ¡°Scarlett, I never thought I¡¯d live to see you like this!¡±


    Just then, a miraculous burst of energy surged through me. I wrenched my arm out of Reba¡¯s


    strong grip and hurled her towards the iing needles. Without a second thought, I grabbed Hannah.


    We sprinted for our lives towards the exit of the alley.


    Fortunately for us, it wasn¡¯t a long way off. The addicts, probably lethargic, didn¡¯t have enough of an


    interest to hunt us down.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.

 Chapter 1031

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1031


    Unfortunately, Reba had given chase. Bemused, Hannah eximed with a shortugh, ¡°This


    woman is really something!¡±


    I found Hannah¡¯s utterance rather abrupt. Before I could respond, I caught sight of Reba standing


    just behind us, staring at us somewhat unsteadily.


    Realization dawned upon me when I saw the car parked right outside the alley. Hannah¡¯s irrational


    calmness now madeplete sense.


    By the time Reba recovered her wits, it was far toote. The policemen were already converging on


    her and caught up within a few steps.


    ¡°What are you doing? What right do you have to arrest me?¡± Reba shrieked. Her cries fell on deaf


    ears as she was handcuffed and thrown into the car.


    Hannah pointed back to the alley in the direction from whence we came. ¡°Officers, there¡¯s still a whole


    crowd waiting inside! Get them quickly!¡± she cried.


    Seeing that her shouts of abuse had no effect on the imcable policemen, Reba turned the full


    brunt of her rage towards me. ¡°Scarlett, I won¡¯t forget this! Watch out! I won¡¯t let you get away with


    this!¡±


    Hannah and I merely turned onto another path and went on our way. Reba¡¯s yells of abuse faded


    gradually into the distance. I shook my head in amazement, then turned to Hannah and asked, ¡°Did


    you already have the police on standby since the beginning?¡±


    Hannah nodded with a look of satisfaction. ¡°Prevention is always better than cure when dealing with


    nasty matters like these. It was dangerous enough to drag you along with me. If I hadn¡¯t headed in with


    my guard up and anything had happened to you, I wouldn¡¯t be able to live with myself.¡±


    I marveled at the intricacies of Hannah¡¯s nning. I was about to continue, but Chandler¡¯s car pulled up


    beside us. I didn¡¯t think it would be right to retain Hannah with me when the lovebirds had clearly


    reunited, so I merely waved goodbye to her and headed back to the vi.


    Summer was just shakily getting back on her feet after the illness. Cameron fussed over Summer like a


    mother hen, so she was insistent on having her. She had intended to be Summer¡¯s sole


    caretaker. Ashton, meanwhile, was still in Moranta. I wanted to pop by the vi to grab a couple of


    things before making my way over to the Moore Residence. When I¡¯d gotten out of the car, I stopped


    short at the sight of Ashton driving out of the garage.


    After more than ten days of being apart, I took a double-take when I saw Ashton. He got out of the car


    and shed a disarming smile at me. ¡°Did you go shopping?¡± he asked casually, ncing at the snacks


    I held in my hand.


    I froze for a second, then ran into his waiting arms. I pressed my cheeks, raw from the cold, onto his


    warm chest, saying hoarsely, ¡°Why did youe back all of a sudden? When did you arrive in K City?


    Why didn¡¯t you tell me? I would havee to fetch you!¡±


    Ashton patted me tenderly. In a low voice, he murmured, ¡°It¡¯s too cold outside. I didn¡¯t want you to


    freeze to death.¡± He disentangled himself, then pulled me towards the car. ¡°Let¡¯s make a trip to the


    police department!¡±


    Ashton lightly nted a kiss on my forehead, then bundled me into the car. In the warmth that filled the


    car, I opened my bag of snacks and offered one to Ashton, asking, ¡°Have you eaten anything?¡±


    Before I¡¯d finished, I¡¯d borne the snack towards his mouth. Ashton nced at the snack hovering


    threateningly near his lips, then at my eager expression. Chuckling, he opened his mouth and ate the


    snack dutifully. As he ate, he replied, ¡°Hannah¡¯s wedding is in a few days. I was afraid that you¡¯ll be


    lonely going by yourself.¡±


    ¡°Did youe back to be my plus one, then?¡± I asked, feeding myself. I didn¡¯t usually have much of an


    appetite when I was around, but was strangely invigorated by Ashton¡¯s presence.


    Ashton smiled. ¡°Yep!¡± he said. Then he continued concernedly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you eat dinner?¡±


    Iughed genially. ¡°I did! I just wasn¡¯t hungry at the time, so I bought some snacks to eat on the way


    home. I only bought these snacks because they¡¯re so delicious.¡±


    Ashton looked helplessly at me. ¡°Snacks aren¡¯t good for your health. You should¡­ Oh!¡± As he was


    speaking, I stuffed another snack into his mouth to forbid him from continuing. ¡°I know snacks aren¡¯t


    healthy! I don¡¯t eat them usually. It¡¯s my first time in a long while, so don¡¯t worry, Mr. Fuller!¡±


    Ashton sighed dramatically. ¡°I¡¯ve only been gone a few days, and you¡¯ve stopped taking care of


    yourself! You¡¯ve lost weight.¡±


    I tilted my head and stared him down. ¡°Right, when are you nning on going to Moranta? How¡¯s it


    going over there? Are we going to leave that matter with Armond just like that?¡±


    Ashton gaze was focused intently on the road ahead. His brow wrinkled ever so slightly as he replied,


    ¡°I¡¯ll head back after Hannah¡¯s wedding is over. You stay in K City and take care of yourself.¡±


    I chewed on my lip. Ashton seemed to have cultivated a borderline obsession with my health. Every


    interaction we had was sure to consist of an order to take care of my health like how Ashton had just


    emphasized.


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    The car sped towards the police department. Looking out of the window, I felt tremendously unsettled.


    The babyy like a solid, invisible presence between Ashton and me. He¡¯d wanted a child with all his


    heart, desperately. But all the desire in the world could not and would not bring our baby back.


    We screeched to a halt at the entrance of the police department. Ashton looked at me, then ordered,


    ¡°Stay in the car where it¡¯s warm. I¡¯m going in to deal with a couple of things and will be out in a while.


    Stay right here, OK?¡±

 Chapter 1032

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1032


    Before I could ask Ashton what pressing affairs he was attending to, he¡¯d already gotten out of the car


    and shut the door behind him. I reclined in my seat, feeling the warmth of the radiator suffuse the car.


    Memories of the baby and what had happened then crowded my mind, and Ashton¡¯s business at the


    police department was set aside. After a while, I picked up my phone and dialed Cameron¡¯s number.


    She picked up almost immediately. ¡°Scarlett, didn¡¯t you say you wereing back soon? Why aren¡¯t


    you back yet? Where are you? I¡¯ll get your Dad to go over and pick you up,¡± she answered anxiously.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need! I¡¯m with Ashton. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be heading back tonight,¡± I replied.


    Cameron grunted in acknowledgment, then asked, ¡°Why did he suddenlye back? How are things


    going in Moranta? Zachary said that Boris was getting news about the Murphys and how difficult they


    were to handle. Why did Ashtone back at this crucial point in time?¡±


    I sucked in a breath of warm air and felt it settle in my lungs before exhaling gently. I then said uneasily,


    ¡°Hannah¡¯s getting married. Ashton was worried that I wouldn¡¯t befortable going alone and came


    along to apany me. He was needlessly worried.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good! I was thinking anyway that if you coulde over a littleter, I¡¯d whip up a light supper


    for you. I can¡¯t rest easy not knowing if you¡¯ve been taking good care of yourself nowadays,¡± Cameron


    fretted.


    There was no malice in Cameron¡¯s tone, merely an infinite supply of concern and tenderness.


    I knew what she was thinking and replied slowly, ¡°Mom, did the doctor say whether I would still be able


    to conceive?¡±


    Cameron was bbergasted. She hesitated for a long while before saying, ¡°My dear, Summer is doing


    fine now. She¡¯ll recover with enough care. Mr. Fuller treats you well. When he¡¯s back from Moranta, the


    three of you can be reunited as a family again and take care of each other¡­¡±


    ¡°Mom, did the doctor say I won¡¯t be able to conceive ever again?¡± I repeated doggedly. I already knew


    what the answer was but had to hear it spoken out loud. My hope for a miracle had gradually faded


    along with each day that passed.


    The other end of the line was dead silent for a long time. Atst, Cameron said kindly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry too


    much about being able to have babies. Your womb was the only thing that was affected. With


    technology being so advanced these days, you can still opt for in vitro fertilization. Don¡¯t let not being


    able to conceive get you down! Everything will be all right.¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    In vitro fertilization?


    A thought sprang to mind. I quickly said into the phone, ¡°Mom, there¡¯s something I have to do. I¡¯ll be


    hanging up first!¡±


    I ended the call, breathing rapidly. My mind raced feverishly. Gazing at the police department entrance


    where Ashton had vanished into and I wondered. Would Ashton be willing to try?


    I cracked open the car door slightly. The frosty wind immediately gnawed at my exposed face.


    Shivering slightly, I kept my arms tucked tightly against my chest as I hurried into the police


    department.


    Police officers were milling about the main lobby inside. I looked around cautiously but saw no sign of


    Ashton. I¡¯d approached the front desk and was about to ask for him when I heard a loud roar from


    behind the metal screen. ¡°I don¡¯t want to stay here, Ash! I didn¡¯t do it! Please don¡¯t leave me here! I


    didn¡¯t do it!¡±


    The high voice sounded oddly familiar. Reba?


    I walked closer to where the shouts were emitting from. The guard sitting in front of the door jumped up


    hastily, barricading my way. ¡°Miss, you are not authorized to enter.¡±


    I smiled at him politely, then informed him, ¡°My husband¡¯s in there. He came in without me just now.¡±


    Ashton must somehow have heard my voice from amidst the surrounding ruckus, and opened the door.


    He looked thunderous. When he caught sight of me, his tense features instantly softened. ¡°What¡¯s


    wrong? Isn¡¯t it cold outside?¡± he asked worriedly.


    Reba was sitting on a chair in the room just behind Ashton, looking utterly disgraced. I didn¡¯t think it


    was possible for her to be more humiliated than she had been, but I was clearly wrong. ¡°What¡¯s she


    doing here?¡± I inquired, gesturing towards Reba.


    It felt a little cruel of me to ask when I knew perfectly well what had happened to Reba.


    Reba indeed gave me a look of tremendous indignation. She practically spat, ¡°Scarlett, stop being


    so hypocritical! You know more clearly than anyone else what I¡¯m doing here. Younded me here! I


    didn¡¯t do anything at all. You¡¯re evil!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d better shut your mouth,¡± Ashton growled. Frightened by the harshness with which he¡¯d issued


    the threat, Reba¡¯s face turned ashen, and she fell silent.


    I, too, was not exempt from the solemn effect that warning had, even though it had not been directed to


    me. My heart pounded in my chest.


    A sudden hush descended upon the room. Ashton glowered at Reba, saying distinctly, ¡°Nobody


    forced you to make those choices you made. I¡¯ve given you what you were due, so don¡¯te to me


    using your brother¡¯s name anymore. I am not obliged to you. Since you¡¯vemitted a crime, then do


    your time. When you¡¯re released, don¡¯te and bother me any further. I don¡¯t have the time to spend


    on people like you who I have absolutely no business with.¡±


    Ashton spoke these utterly brutal words with a leer that revealed the extent to which he despised


    Reba.


    Reba¡¯s eyes had gone red. Stammering, she said, ¡°Am I a nobody to you then? Someone who¡¯s


    merely a waste of your time and who you have no business with?¡±

 Chapter 1033

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1033


    Ashton frowned with disgust. ¡°I appreciate people who have self-respect and who know right from


    wrong. You¡¯re none of these. I didn¡¯te here today to help or visit you, but to tell you not to ever call


    me again.


    I had never seen Ashton behave so brutally to anyone. Reba looked equally thunderstruck. She


    gazed at Ashton in dismay and disbelief.


    Reba remained that way for a long time. Unfortunately, Ashton was unmoved, he just grabbed hold


    of me and stormed out of the room.


    The officer in charge of the investigation followed us hurriedly. With a nervous smile on his face, he


    stuttered, ¡°Mr. Fuller, about Ms. Larson¡­¡±


    ¡°Do what you have to do. Don¡¯t contact me about anything regarding her ever again. I¡¯ll pay for her this


    once, but I¡¯m not interested in hearing about her, whether she is alive or dead,¡± Ashton replied coldly. I


    shuddered. It seemed like Reba was already dead to him at that moment.


    The policeman gaped at Ashton speechlessly. However, he maintained his professional veneer and


    ushered us out courteously.


    When we¡¯d gotten back into the car, Ashton reached out and took my hand in his. He gave a short sigh,


    then remarked, ¡°Your hand feels so cold. How could you have been so disobedient?¡±


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    Ashton¡¯s words stemmed more from concern than reproach. I raised my head and met his gaze. ¡°I


    didn¡¯t mean it. I just thought of something that I wanted to discuss with you right away, so I headed


    straight in. I didn¡¯t think that you¡¯d gone in to meet Reba!¡±


    I said this with a twinge of regret. If I¡¯d known Reba would be there, I wouldn¡¯t have gone in to


    subject myself to her verbal abuse.


    Ashton transferred my hands onto his stomach. Beneath his shirt, I could feel his firm, taut muscles. I


    reeled. What is Ashton doing? I wondered, startled.


    Ashtonughed gently at my baffled face. ¡°Do you feel warmer?¡±


    Of course! My heart raced. We¡¯d been married for years, but I suddenly felt shyness ovee me.


    Ashton continued gazing at me. In a mellow voice, he urged, ¡°What did you want to discuss with me


    just now? Was it about something interesting that happened?¡±


    He looked at me expectantly. I rehearsed my opening in my mind once, then thought better of it. ¡°After


    Hannah¡¯s wedding is over, can you apany me to the doctor¡¯s for a visit?¡±


    Ashton furrowed his brow. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen? Are you feeling unwell?¡± he


    demanded.


    I shook my head. ¡°No, it¡¯s¡­ I would like to do a checkup. Don¡¯t you always remind me to take care of


    my body?¡± I retorted.


    Ashton gazed at me intently, then agreed. ¡°OK!¡±


    After feeling that my hands were sufficiently warmed, I withdrew my hand. Flustered, Ashton asked, ¡°Is


    something wrong?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m warm enough. Let¡¯s go home now,¡± I replied. ¡°We can¡¯t sit here forever, can we?¡±


    Ashton smiled, then started the car.


    The car flew past multiple homes, their warm lights forming many beacons in the dark. I pressed my


    lips together in a thin line, resolving not to raise the matter regarding in vitro fertilization with Ashton just


    yet. We¡¯d been married for so many years now and had gone through so much together. I was lucky


    enough to be married to Ashton. Having a child was merely the icing on the top of the cake. After the


    multiple mishaps that had urred, I didn¡¯t think I had the courage to carry another child. More


    urately, I didn¡¯t believe either that I would be able to conceive ever again. Hence, in vitro fertilization


    would be the most feasible way for Ashton and me to have a baby of our own.


    A smile flitted across my face at the thought. It was a procedure I¡¯d never actually given much


    consideration to before.


    ¡­


    Hannah had no family but only a few friends in K City, so Chandler¡¯s house was more than enough to


    amodate her guests. Chandler¡¯s house was situated at the outskirts of K City in a vige that


    hadn¡¯t yet been touched by the rapid development the rest of the city had been subjected to.


    Hannah called me over to the hotel the very first night. She insisted on me doing her makeup the first


    thing the very next morning when we¡¯d have to wake up at the crack of dawn to start getting her ready


    to be a bride.


    Ashton, however, felt apprehensive about me leaving his side. Like a chaperone, he escorted me to the


    hotel. I¡¯d already set aside the dress I intended to wear for the wedding, having already agreed to be


    Hannah¡¯s bridesmaid.


    The next morning, Hannah donned a phoenix cor as her bridal headpiece, and I was tasked with


    matching her makeup to the grandeur of her outfit. Hannah, however, constantly distracted me with her


    constant protests about the tightness of her dress.


    Ashton appeared after a while when his video conference had ended. He stood in the doorway, gaping


    at us for a while, then eximed, ¡°You look fantastic!¡±


    Hannah tossed her head. ¡°Of course, she looks fantastic! Scarlett has such a perfect face, with those


    refined features of hers. She¡¯s the very picture of a ssical beauty! She looks like absolute royalty in


    that dress of hers. Anyone might have mistaken her for a princess all dressed up for her debutante ball.


    If I were a man, I¡¯d have fallen in love with her at the first sight,¡± Hannah dered, sighing enviously.


    I was embarrassed by Hannah¡¯s generouspliments. Smiling at Ashton, I said modestly, ¡°The dress


    is pretty cumbersome. It¡¯s a little difficult to walk around in.¡±

 Chapter 1034

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1034


    Ashton smiled as he took my hand in his and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m by your side and I¡¯ll carry you if you


    can¡¯t walk anymore.¡±


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Hannah shot him a look and said, ¡°Quit it with the public disy of affection.¡±


    Ashton and I exchanged nces with a smile.


    Hannah and Chandler¡¯s wedding were a little extraordinary as they wanted to jazz up their wedding.


    With everything prepared, Chandler and his entourage, entered the hotel and headed to Hannah¡¯s


    hotel room. The groom knocked politely on the door three times and announced, ¡°My dear wife, I¡¯m


    here.¡±


    His terms of endearment caused everyone to burst outughing. Hannah couldn¡¯t help but cover her


    mouth with her hand and chuckled too. The bridesmaids were standing by the door and proceeded to


    y some wedding door games with the groom to challenge his love for the bride.


    The merrimentsted a few minutes before the bridesmaids agreed to open the door. As soon as the


    door opened, the groom and groomsmen rushed into the room together. The groomsmen quickly


    whipped out red envelopes to divert the attention of the bridesmaids as the groom headed straight for


    the bride. Chandler, who was holding a bouquet of fresh red flowers, strode fast to Hannah¡¯s side. He


    was supposed to kneel on one knee to present the bouquet to the bride, but in his excitement, he knelt


    on both knees.


    His blunder caused another burst ofughter in the room.


    Hannah, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, wore a stunning wedding gown. At the sound of the


    crowd¡¯sughter, she curiously moved the veil to the side. She couldn¡¯t help but burst outughing at


    the sight of Chandler on both knees.


    One of the groomsmen hollered, ¡°Hurry! im your bride!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    After being prompted by his groomsmen, the nervous Chandler looked at Hannah. He blushed and


    stuttered, ¡°M-My dear wife, let¡¯s go home.¡±


    Having said that, he sheepishly handed the bouquet to Hannah with both hands. As Hannah took the


    bouquet from him, the bridesmaids teased, ¡°The bride is so quick to ept. But we¡¯re not done grilling


    with the groom yet.¡±


    Hannah smiled and looked at Chandler with gentleness in her eyes. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been easy for him ever


    since our paths crossed. So that¡¯s enough of tormenting him.¡±


    After hearing that, I instinctively turned and looked at Ashton. Subconsciously, I leaned into his chest


    and was lost in thought. It had not been easy for us too. For us to be together, life had thrown us curve


    balls and tough challenges.


    Chandler crouched by the bed, and then Hannah got up from the bed and leaned her upper body onto


    his back. Amid the blessings in the room, I overheard the inarticte Chandler saying as he carried her


    on his back, ¡°My dear wife, let¡¯s go home.¡±


    Oh, such sweet words!


    And then, we followed Chandler and Hannah and made our way out of the hotel. Right at the entrance


    of the hotel, a dozen red Audi cars parked behind the wedding car. The wedding car was red too, and


    there was a woven of fresh flowers in a big heart-shaped decorated on the car¡¯s bo.


    It was about forty minutes¡¯ drive from the hotel to Chandler¡¯s house. As arranged, Ashton and I sat in


    one of the convoy cars behind the wedding car. Just when we were about to reach Chandler¡¯s house,


    there were red balloons and ribbons decorated on both sides of the asphalt road that served as a guide


    to the house.


    When the car came to a stop, the groomsman in the driver¡¯s seat turned around and looked at us.


    ¡°We¡¯re not far from the groom¡¯s house. The groom¡¯s family has prepared a pnquin for the bride to


    enter the house in it, and she¡¯s going to ride in it from here.¡±


    I was taken aback for a moment and got out of the car as everyone else. There was an air of novelty in


    the decorations of red heart-shaped balloons and ribbons on both sides of the road. Further up along


    the road, there were decorations of bouquets of red flowers instead of red balloons. And since fresh


    flowers were expensive in the winter, they used hand-weaved flowers instead.


    I was right behind Hannah when she stared at the decoration of red flowers on both sides of the road.


    She was caught by surprise and turned towards Chandler. ¡°These flowers¡­¡±


    Chandler smiled and said, ¡°My parents handmade them. They began weaving two months before the


    wedding. Initially, they wanted to use these all the way, but they couldn¡¯t weave sufficient flowers on


    time. That¡¯s why we only use it for this section of the road.¡±


    Hannah was stunned, and then she blushed. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier? We could have helped out


    and eased the burden of Mr. and Mrs. Coleman. They¡¯re getting old, and this kind of work is very tiring


    for them.¡±


    Chandler ruffled his hair and said with a smile, ¡°Why are you still calling them Mr. and Mrs. Coleman?


    You¡¯ll have to address them as Mom and Dad from now on.¡±


    A blush spread across Hannah¡¯s cheeks when she heard that.


    I studied the beautiful hand-weaved flowers decorated on both sides of the road. Although these


    flowers were artificial, each of these flowers was hand-weaved with love and respect for Hannah. There


    was nothing more important than love and respect for one another between two people. These small


    details in the decorations were enough to touch our hearts.


    Hannah got into the pnquin and was carried into Chandler¡¯s house at a distance of nearly a


    kilometer.


    The pnquin-bearers lifted the pnquin carefully and slowly followed Chandler, who was riding on a


    horse in front of them. The handsome horse trotted to the sound of beating drums and gongs as they


    headed towards Chandler¡¯s house.


    The big group of bridesmaids and groomsmen followed behind the pnquin and cheered. The joyful


    commotion caused those in the neighborhood toe out of their houses and watched the wedding


    celebration.

 Chapter 1035

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1035


    A wedding ceremony is a symbol of two souls joining together as one. Themitted couple will live


    together under the same roof and share life fully. Marriage is more than a wedding ceremony and rings.


    Love, respect, and kindness are the ingredients to a happy marriage. It¡¯s aboutmitting to a life of


    loving faithfulness to one another.


    Life is a journey filled with lessons, hardships, heartaches, joys, celebrations, the people we meet, and


    special moments that will ultimately lead us to our destination¡ªour purpose in life.


    I used to think that Hannah would never be able to love someone else after being so deeply in love with


    John, but I was wrong. Even though she had left John for good, he had a special ce in her heart. But


    it didn¡¯t stop her from giving her heart wholly to Chandler.


    Her past rtionship with John was nothing more than just a memory. She had moved on and fell in


    love with Chandler, and that was all that mattered.


    Their wedding was an unforgettable one.


    One fine day she would look back at their wedding day with no regrets.


    The pnquin stopped in front of Chandler¡¯s house, which was situated in the suburbs. It was a


    detached house with a red main door, and there was ssic wedding decor on the exterior. Chandler¡¯s


    parents were already waiting by the gate to wee the bride.


    They came forward and greeted everyone with twinkles in their eyes and a joyous smile on their faces.


    The guests and the master of ceremonies spread out and stood on both sides of the gate. With a loud


    voice, the emcee announced the official start of the wedding ceremony.


    It was followed by the loud sound of gongs before the master of ceremonies went on to extend wedding


    wishes to the couple.


    Next, the matchmaker guided the groom to help the bride to get off the pnquin. As the bride and


    groom held hands, they both crossed over a fire te. As I took in the novelty of the wedding


    ceremony, I turned to Ashton and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that there are so many etiquettes at a wedding.¡±


    He chuckled and leaned closer to me to exin, ¡°Crossing over the fire te signifies getting rid of the


    unhappiness of the past, and it¡¯s supposed to bring good luck to the bride.¡±


    I smiled and teased him, ¡°How do you know that?¡±


    Instead of answering my question, he asked, ¡°Then what kind of wedding would you like?¡±


    I answered with a smile, ¡°When it¡¯s Summer¡¯s turn to get married, I¡¯ll have to think hard about the


    perfect kind of wedding to arrange for her.¡±


    As parents, it was what we hoped for.


    He lifted his hand to my forehead and asked, ¡°I was asking about you. What kind of wedding would you


    prefer?¡±


    Seeing that he was serious, I answered with an embarrassed smile, ¡°A grand wedding then, if I were to


    remarry.¡±


    I recalled that on our wedding day, Grandpa had actually ensured the wedding decorations were


    perfect. My emotions were running high that day, and I waspletely focused on being a happy bride.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    When I saw him brooding, I couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What are you thinking?¡±


    He raised his eyebrows and motioned me to look at Hannah.


    Hannah had crossed over the fire te and was about to hold some oranges in her hands, which


    symbolized good luck. I turned to look at him and asked, ¡°Is there any difference between the wedding


    customs in J City and K City?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded in reply.


    I had wanted to question further, but it was my turn as the bridesmaid to hold the bridal umbre for the


    bride. It was customary for the bridesmaid to open the umbre for the bride as it symbolized the bride


    bringing many descendants to the groom¡¯s family.


    After a series of rituals and customs, I helped Hannah through the front door. There was a courtyard in


    Chandler¡¯s house and was surrounded by beautifully decorated white walls. The wedding ceremony


    was to take ce in the living hall.


    To wee the bride, a red carpet was rolled out in the hall. When we entered the living hall, I handed


    Hannah¡¯s hand to Chandler.


    Hannah leaned closer to me and whispered in my ear, ¡°Scarlett, I think I left my phone in the bridal car.


    Can you help me to get it now before the bridal car leaves?¡±


    I nodded and went out to retrieve the phone from the bridal car. Just when I was about to head back


    into the house with the phone, I caught sight of a familiar ck Bentley.

 Chapter 1036

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1036


    It¡¯s John!


    I was not surprised to see him, but I was not expecting to see him either.


    His luxurious car was especially conspicuous. I walked to the car, raised my hand, and tapped on the


    window. Not long after, the window lowered.


    He seemed to have lost some weight since west met, and there were dark circles under his tired


    eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to go in?¡± I asked as I studied his pale face.


    He shook his head and pressed his lips together. Then he asked, ¡°Does he love her very much?¡±


    I shrugged and said, ¡°They¡¯re perfect for each other. By the way, Uncle Louis is here too. I saw him go


    in together with Kiki. Why don¡¯t you go in? You¡¯re practically part of her family now.¡±


    He looked ufortable as he stared at the door. ¡°I¡¯d better not go in. She looks beautiful. Please


    convey my message to her, and I wish her well. I blew my chance with her, and if we were to meet


    again¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she ever wants to see you again. You blew it, and there¡¯s no point crying over spilled milk


    now. You¡¯re my brother, and I do wish that you will live a happy life. If you really want to settle down


    and have a family, you¡¯ll have to find the right partner. Yvonne is not the right one for you. It has nothing


    to do with her family background. If you think that you can¡¯t heed my advice, then I¡¯ll suggest you


    consult Uncle Louis about her. The answer is deep in your heart.¡±


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Having said that, I walked off with the phone in my hand. I wasn¡¯t going to stick around and chat with


    him. I had to get back inside to resume my role as the bridesmaid and join in with the toast.


    Back in the living hall, I handed the phone to Hannah and went to stand next to Ashton. He looked at


    me and asked, ¡°Saw someone you know?¡±


    I was taken aback and nodded. ¡°John¡¯s outside.¡±


    Just then, the master of ceremonies announced themencement of the tea ceremony for the bride


    and groom to pay their respects and show their gratitude towards their parents.


    Chandler¡¯s parents went to sit on the chairs at the center of the living hall, and the bridesmaids and


    groomsmen stood on both sides of the chairs. It was a lively atmosphere as the house was full of


    guests.


    The master of ceremonies started off the tea ceremony with good wishes to the married couple.


    I had attended other weddings before, but none like that. So naturally, I was filled with curiosity about


    their customs and watched in awe as Hannah and Chandler paid their respects to their parents.


    Hannah was blessed to have met someone who truly loved her.


    I saw the twinkle in Hannah¡¯s eyes as she smiled up at Chandler and said to myself, ¡°John really blew


    his chance.¡±


    As they exchanged rings, I felt a little sorry for John. On the other hand, I was very happy for Hannah to


    have met the right one.


    After the tea ceremony ended, I apanied Hannah to the newlywed¡¯s room on the second floor.


    The room was huge and the interior was beautifully decorated, giving off a unique and intimate


    atmosphere. The couple¡¯s bed was set with fresh sheets. There were a few children who were curious


    about the bride.


    They gathered outside the door and were asking for sweets. Fortunately, Hannah came prepared and


    took out a bag of sweets. After she had distributed the sweets to those children, they went away


    merrily. Catching her breath, she took out a cocktail gown from the wardrobe and said with a grin, ¡°I


    didn¡¯t know it could be this tiring. Thank goodness I will only marry once. Otherwise¡­¡±


    I quickly interrupted her and said, ¡°Shush! It¡¯s your big day¡ªonly good vibes.¡±


    She looked at me and burst outughing. ¡°I did not expect that from you at all, Scarlett. By the way,


    where¡¯s Mr. Fuller? He must not like it to be in such a lively environment.¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°He¡¯s out there with Uncle Louis. Don¡¯t let his cool appearance fool you. I think he¡¯s


    probably enjoying the celebration.¡±


    Otherwise, why would he be so focused on observing Chandler and Hannah¡¯s tea ceremony?


    Suddenly, there was a sound of knocking on the door. I got up to open the door. It was Chandler¡¯s


    mother, and she was holding a tter of assorted food. She looked at me with a smile and said, ¡°Hi,


    you must be Ms. Stovall. I¡¯m Chandler¡¯s mom. Chandler is busy attending to the guests, and he¡¯s afraid


    that you girls might be hungry. So I¡¯ve brought you some food. Please have something to eat before the


    toasting session. It¡¯s not good to drink on an empty stomach.¡±

 Chapter 1037

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1037


    I quickly stepped aside and said with a smile, ¡°Come on in, Mrs. Coleman.¡±


    Chandler¡¯s mother was nearing fifty years old. I heard from Hannah that Mrs. Coleman was well-known


    for her profession of embroidery. She had a pleasing, submissive, gentle air about her.


    She ced the food on the table and reminded us to fill our tummies before she left the room.


    Hannah, who was starving, wolfed down a few bites of the food after changing into her cocktail gown.


    Before she could finish her food, a red-faced Chandler came to the room and tugged her away for the


    toasting session.


    When I got out of the room, I saw Ashton leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. He must have


    been waiting for me. When he saw that I had changed into a different set of clothes, he raised a brow


    and asked, ¡°Why have you changed your clothes?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not easy to walk in that dress.¡± I didn¡¯t want to get stepped on all night.


    I was confused as he stared at me. ¡°Were you expecting me to keep wearing that?¡±


    He chuckled softly and didn¡¯t say anything further. Chandler, who had gotten himself a little drunk after


    a few sses of wine, blurted out, ¡°Mr. Fuller wanted you to look beautiful¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. Let¡¯s go. You haven¡¯t eaten, so let¡¯s go get something to eat.¡± Ashton took my hand


    and made our way out. Chandler looked stunned at being cut off in mid-sentence.


    Chandler and Hannah proceeded to the first floor for toasting. Louis, together with Kiki, had their


    stomach filled, and he seemed to be in a good mood today. It was obvious he had a little to drink.


    He looked at me and asked, ¡°What was it like when you got married to Mr. Fuller?¡±


    I was taken aback for a moment before answering with a smile, ¡°It was Grandpa who arranged it, and it


    was a beautiful wedding.¡±


    Louis stared at Ashton and said, ¡°I¡¯ll say, Mr. Fuller, should you give her a wedding? Or maybe a


    wedding anniversary celebration? Isn¡¯t that what all girls want?¡±


    Ashton chuckled and answered, ¡°Do you have any suggestions, Uncle Louis?¡±


    I watched them banter back and forth like children before saying with augh, ¡°We¡¯ve been married for


    many years. There¡¯s no need for another wedding.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t say that.¡± Louis continued, ¡°As husband and wife, other than caring for and loving each


    other, you have to spice things up a little.¡±


    Ashton nodded with a smile and said, ¡°You¡¯re right, Uncle Louis.¡± Then, he looked at me with his dark


    eyes and said with a smirk, ¡°Let¡¯s get acquainted all over again, Ms. Stovall. I¡¯m Ashton Fuller.¡±


    I frowned and let out a smile involuntarily. ¡°What are you up to?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s proposing to you. Can¡¯t you tell?¡± Louis said loudly, waving his ss of wine about for emphasis.


    I was dumbfounded. Suddenly, I saw Ashton moved the chair away from him, and with a ring in his


    hand, he got down on one knee.


    This waspletely unexpected and a little too sudden. Initially, there was a picture of Hannah and


    Chandler on the stage¡¯s big screen. But it was reced with a photo of a young woman.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    Isn¡¯t that picture taken when I first entered J University? I was only eighteen years old at that time. That


    picture was taken at the entrance of J University¡¯s library, and I was holding a book that I just borrowed


    from the library.


    ¡°Some people are destined to be together at first sight.¡± Ashton¡¯s voice resonated. ¡°That year, you were


    eighteen years old, and I had just taken over Fuller Corporation at the age of twenty-three. You were a


    fresh-faced and gentle girl. You weren¡¯t my type at all, but that first sight of you was etched deep in my


    mind. Joe took that photo of you unintentionally, and I¡¯ve grown attached to it for many years.¡±


    I looked back at the man who was kneeling in front of me. At that moment, my heart began to flutter.


    The hall grew quiet as the guests listened to Ashton. ¡°When I saw you for the second time, it was in the


    Fullers¡¯ living room. You begged my grandfather to treat your grandmother¡¯s illness. He then asked you


    if you would marry me. At that time, you nodded and agreed. I knew you didn¡¯t want to marry someone


    you didn¡¯t know, but I felt relieved knowing that you were going to marry me. Marriage was useless to


    me, so it didn¡¯t matter who I was going to marry. But I was kind of excited when I got to know that I was


    going to marry you. It was not my original intention to force you to marry me. That was unfair to you. So


    after getting married, I was hardly home. It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t want to see you, but I was worried that you


    would be ufortable being around someone like me who doesn¡¯t show affection. I told you before


    that you can divorce me when you meet someone else that you love. The Fullers will not mistreat you.


    But I never thought that you would stay in the Fullers for three years. The funny thing was, the longer


    you stayed in the Fullers, the harder it became for me to keep my feelings to myself. You have no idea


    how happy I was the night when I found out that you were pregnant. I knew then, with a child, our bond


    would be unbreakable. That¡¯s why I thought of many ways to keep you by my side.¡±

 Chapter 1038

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1038


    Listening to him reminisce about the past, I was suddenly transported back to the day I received my


    ultrasound report and found out I was six weeks pregnant. It was years ago, but I felt like it only


    happened yesterday.


    He continued speaking, ¡°I almost lost it when I found out that you privately aborted the child, but thank


    God Dr. Ludwick said you were alright and that you actually lied to me.¡± He sighed in fond exasperation


    before moving on, ¡°You really are a naughty girl, you know that? I didn¡¯t call you out on your lie. I


    thought that as long as we had a child, you wouldn¡¯t leave and everything would turn out fine. I thought


    we could live happily as a family, and that¡¯s why I made a decision I¡¯ll never be able to forgive myself


    for. All these years, I¡¯ve unintentionally hurt you and failed to give you a sense of security. I didn¡¯t love


    you enough and hurt you more times than I can count. Scarlett, I¡­ Even though I¡¯m not exactly a


    thoughtful or gentle guy, are you still willing to spend the rest of your life with me?¡±


    Staring at the ring he was holding out in front of me, I pursed my lips. ¡°Ashton, you seriously suck at


    sweet-talking¡ªeven your proposal is so sad and pathetic. You¡¯re lucky I like you, or I wouldn¡¯t be


    bothered listening to your nonsense.¡±


    The crowd erupted withughter and Hannah¡¯s teasing voice sounded. ¡°Yeah. You know he¡¯s bad at


    everything. Yet, he¡¯s the only one you want. Ms. Stovall, just quit the act and say yes to your dear Mr.


    Fuller!¡±


    Following that, everyone else unanimously urged, ¡°Say yes!¡±


    I studied Ashton in front of me, my lips twitching slightly. ¡°You¡¯re proposing to me with only a ring?


    What¡¯s worse, this is Hannah and Chandler¡¯s wedding. Are you here to give them your blessing or


    crash their wedding?¡±


    The crowd burst intoughter again. One of the guests¡¯ children even brought over the flower basket


    Chandler¡¯s parents weaved, cing it beside Ashton. It was obvious that it was to rece a bouquet ofThis text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    flowers.


    Without missing a beat, Ashton took the flower basket. Perhaps he felt that it wasn¡¯t fitting that I carried


    a flower basket in my hands, he stood to his feet and left the venue. Everyone in the hall was


    momentarily stunned by his abrupt departure.


    Fortunately, he returned several minutester with arge bouquet of bright red roses in hand. As a


    handsome and captivating man, he painted an arresting sight while holding arge bouquet of flowers.


    He walked to my side, got down on one knee, and gazed at me with passion in his eyes. ¡°Scarlett, I¡¯m


    an idiot, but you¡¯re the only one that I want in life. I will love you in my own way and also in yours. We


    still have decades left to live. Are you still willing to continue this decades-long journey hand in hand


    with this idiot?¡±


    Stifling my smile, I watched this man, who had always been apathetic and stingy with his words,


    suddenly saying so much in one go. I bet it wouldn¡¯t be too far-fetched to im that this was probably


    the most he had said in one breath in his entire life.


    ¡°What are you waiting for, Scarlett? Put your hand out for him to slip the ring on!¡± Hannah impatiently


    urged beside me. Before I could react, she grabbed my hand and pushed it forward.


    The ring, warm from Ashton¡¯s grip, was smoothly slipped onto my finger. Our mini-interlude enlivened


    the already blissful asion and everyone apuded to offer us their blessings.


    The wedding was very lively and joyous.


    Only when the sky darkened did the guests disperse. Hannah tugged on my arm as she tried to


    persuade me to stay in the suburbs for the night. Although Ashton didn¡¯t say a word, from the way he


    kept a tight hold on my hand, I could tell that he wasn¡¯t ustomed to living in such conditions.


    After politely refusing, Hannah sent me to the door and we chatted briefly. Before leaving, I hesitated


    slightly and decided to say, ¡°Hannah, John came today. He wanted me to offer you his blessings. He


    said thank you for taking care of him for so many years and that he was lucky to have known you.¡±


    Hannah looked dazed for a moment and her eyes dimmed slightly. After some time, she replied, ¡°I do


    resent him, but I have to thank him too. If I didn¡¯t meet him, I wouldn¡¯t be who I am today. I¡¯m grateful to


    him for allowing me to be who I am now. If he hadn¡¯t brought me to K City, perhaps I would¡¯ve


    lived on the border all my life just like those war-torn women. I¡¯d either be a corpse left in the


    wilderness or made into an object for man to vite however they liked. Scarlett, thank him for me. I


    don¡¯t regret meeting him, and I certainly don¡¯t regret falling in love with him. I sincerely hope that in the


    future, someone can build a warm and beautiful home with him.¡±


    I took in a deep breath and nodded with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely pass on your blessing to him. You have


    to live happily too, alright?¡±


    After bidding her farewell, I got into the car and noticed that Joseph was at the wheel. ncing to my


    side to look at Ashton, I suddenly felt the palpable changes in our lives.


    Without realizing it, we no longer spoke of dreams or hobbies. Instead, it was home, stability, and an


    ordinary life that we sought.


    I wondered if this was what happened when people reached a certain stage in life.

 Chapter 1039

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1039


    ¡°Penny for your thoughts?¡± Ashton took my hand in his, breaking me out of my daze. His palm was


    pleasantly warm and I couldn¡¯t help but look up at him with a content smile. ¡°I was wondering whether


    my hubby is getting old.¡±


    In between words, I lifted my free hand to the corner of one of his eyes and gently touched the smile


    lines there.


    ¡°Call me that again, hmm?¡± He raised the front seat barrier before cupping my face with both hands.


    His obsidian eyes flickered alluringly as he spoke in a deep and sultry voice.


    I was stunned for a moment before asking in confusion, ¡°Call you what?¡±


    He pressed his lips against the corner of my mouth and said in a husky voice, ¡°Don¡¯t you know how you


    should call me, honey?¡±


    My cheeks flushed a crimson red due to the way he addressed me. It was clearly a verymon form


    of address between married couples, but somehow, it sounded so seductiveing from him. My


    thoughts were scrambled and I felt a tingle run down my spine, forming goosebumps all over my skin.


    Being pressed against his body, I could smell the faint fragrance of his shower gel. Realizing that he


    was about to smash his lips against mine, my eyes widened and I quickly evaded him.


    Laying in his arms, I chastised, ¡°Stop it, Ashton. Joseph is driving.¡±


    He hugged me close and rested his chin on my shoulder. ¡°Mm. Then, call me again,¡± he demanded in a


    deep voice.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    I blinked in bewilderment and called out, ¡°Hubby.¡±


    He didn¡¯t release me but tightened his arms around me instead. ¡°Mm, again.¡±


    I was speechless but gave in to his request anyway. To my chagrin, he kept this childish act up.


    After calling him over and over again throughout the ride, I leaned against his shoulder, slightly tired.


    ¡°Ashton, why did you propose to me all of a sudden? And why did you buy such a big ring? It¡¯s so


    shy.¡±


    He reached out to touch my ring and smiled. ¡°Joe said that girls like rings¡ªthe bigger the better. I


    asked him to get pink diamonds from Smend. I didn¡¯t know what you liked but wanted to give you a


    surprise, so I left it to the design team. Don¡¯t you like it?¡±


    I studied the diamond on my finger and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s very shy. I¡¯d look like the daughter-inw of a


    crazy rich woman whenever I wear it out.¡±


    The corners of his lips arched upward. ¡°As long as you like it, it doesn¡¯t matter what others think.¡±


    The car pulled to a stop in front of our vi. After a whole day of activity, I was quite exhausted.


    Sprawled in Ashton¡¯s embrace, I was reluctant to get up. Hence, he carried me down the car and into


    the vi after giving Joseph some instructions pertaining to Moranta.


    As soon as we entered the foyer, he pressed me against him and started kissing my neck. Caught off


    guard, I only started pushing him away after several seconds. ¡°Ashton, stop¡­¡±


    His breathing came in short and heavy pants. ¡°When was thest time we had sex, mm?¡± Why does he


    sound like he¡¯sining?


    For a moment, I couldn¡¯t find the words to refute him. He took advantage of my surprise to seal my lips


    with his, backing me from the foyer toward the living room. Suddenly, a faint scent of alcohol invaded


    my senses, which got me suspicious. ¡°Ashton, did you drink today?¡±


    Deeply absorbed in our kissing session, he uttered in a slurred voice, ¡°No. I was with you the whole


    time. You kept telling me not to drink, right? I¡¯m a good boy. If you don¡¯t allow me to drink, then I won¡¯t.¡±


    With that, he started to behave like a beast out of its cage, kissing me all over. Although I was


    shrouded in a haze of passion, my mind still registered the smell of alcohol in the room.


    Sensing something amiss, I spoke up once again. ¡°Ashton, do you smell alcohol? It¡¯s really strong. Is


    there something wrong with the wine cer at home?¡±


    It was obvious that Ashton was losing control of himself as he groped me and whispered hoarsely, ¡°Not


    likely.¡±


    I raised my hands to push him away and emphasized, ¡°I really do smell alcohol. Let¡¯s go check the


    wine cer¡ª¡±


    Before I could finish my sentence, a voice sounded in the dark living room. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.


    I¡¯m the one who¡¯s drinking. You both go ahead and don¡¯t mind me.¡±


    I shrieked in fright as my heart almost leaped out of my chest.


    Luckily, Ashton reacted quickly and switched on the lights. In the spacious living room, a red-faced


    John was holding a bottle of half-drank whiskey in his hand while sprawled on the edge of the sofa.


    From his unfocused eyes, it was apparent that he waspletely wasted.


    ¡°John!¡± I snapped back to my senses and felt my racing heartbeat gradually returning to normal.


    Restraining my anger, I said through gritted teeth, ¡°Why are you here? Are you crazy? What the hell


    are you doing here sote at night?¡±


    Ashton was also slightly baffled at the sight of this inebriated intruder. ncing at the man on the


    ground, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why did you drink so much?¡±


    I pursed my lips and grumbled, ¡°Why else? He feels miserable because Hannah got married today.¡±


    Peering at him, I didn¡¯t bother suppressing my temper as I yelled, ¡°But seriously, if you feel miserable


    and need to drown in your sorrows, couldn¡¯t you have done it somewhere else? Why the hell did you


    come here?¡±


    Perhaps he was triggered by my words, John raised his gaze to me and croaked out in an aggrieved


    tone, ¡°Letty, are you scolding me too? Do you think I deserve this too? I think I do, but the pain in my


    heart is so unbearable I can hardly breathe. I never want it to end this way. I just¡­ I just didn¡¯t know


    how to make her stay!¡±

 Chapter 1040

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1040


    This man, who was over thirty and stood at five-feet-nine, started crying as he spoke, looking so


    aggrieved and pitiful. ¡°You think I don¡¯t know I should¡¯ve cherished her well? But since I was a kid, no


    one taught me how to love. I thought that giving her the best living environment and materialistic life


    was enough. She knew that I didn¡¯t approach any of those women and they were the ones who threw


    themselves at me. I¡­¡±


    I watched as his tears and snot dirtied the sofa and the floor. Sighing helplessly, I softened my tone and


    said, ¡°Alright, I know how much you¡¯re hurting now and I also know that you never wanted things to turn


    out this way, but this is all in the past. She¡¯s found her home now and gets to live the life she¡¯s always


    wanted.


    No one is ming you, John. But since there¡¯s no way to change any of this, stop torturing yourself.


    When you meet another woman whom you love again, just make sure you tell her and give her a sense


    of security. Don¡¯t be caring one moment and distant the next.¡±


    ¡°There won¡¯t be another woman!¡± Hey limp on the floor and bawled like a child. In a choked voice, he


    said, ¡°There won¡¯t be another woman who¡¯d spend a decade with me for nothing just like she did! I


    brought this upon myself, Scarlett! I deserve this!¡±


    For a while, I couldn¡¯t think of the right words tofort him. He was crying so hard that his body


    shook from it. After some hesitation, I decided to ry Hannah¡¯s words to him. ¡°John, the stupidest


    thing a person can do is realizing someone¡¯s worth after they¡¯re gone because it ispletely


    meaningless. Regardless of how sad and regretful you are, you should know that you don¡¯t always get


    second chances. Hannah is now married to someone who loves her dearly. You should do the same;


    start your own life and live how you want to. You shouldn¡¯t destroy your future by dwelling on the past ¡°


    I had said everything that I could. Despite not knowing if these words could get through to him, but it


    was really time that he moved on.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    His unexpected appearance left Ashton and me in a bind. He was so drunk that he could barely walk,


    so allowing him to go back at this hour was out of the question. Hence, we could only let him rest here


    for the night.


    Ashton supported him to the guest room while I poured a ss of warm water for him. After making


    sure he drank a few sips, I finally breathed out a sigh of relief. Noticing that his phone kept ringing, I


    inadvertently nced at the caller ID¡ªit was Yvonne.


    This woman was really persistent. Pursing my lips, I picked up the phone and swiped to answer. A


    gentle and sharine voice immediately drifted over the phone. ¡°Mr. Stovall, where are you? Why


    didn¡¯t you answer my call earlier? I¡¯m really worried about you. I went to your house and rang the


    doorbell a few times, but you didn¡¯t answer. Is something wrong? Are you okay?¡±


    If it weren¡¯t for the unusual sound of breathing on the other end of the line, I would have actually


    believed that this woman genuinely cared about John. I spoke into the phone in a t voice, ¡°Yvonne,


    you¡¯ve leeched off quite a lot from my brother, but enough is enough. He¡¯ll never marry you. The Stovall


    family will also never ept you. Greed is the downfall of men.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Stovall?¡± On the other end of the line, there was shock in Yvonne¡¯s voice. ¡°Are you with Mr.


    Stovall? I don¡¯t understand what you just said. Is Mr. Stovall okay?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get on with it. How much money do you want?¡± I didn¡¯t have much patience for a woman like her


    and it was apparent from the bite in my voice.


    The line was silent for a while before Yvonne feigned confusion. ¡°Ms. Stovall, do all rich people like


    using money to insult a person¡¯s dignity?¡±


    I chuckled humorlessly. ¡°Of course I¡¯d never use money to insult a person with dignity. The question is,


    do you possess dignity, Yvonne? You¡¯ve been hounding my brother these days and I bet you¡¯ve spent


    quite a lot of his money. He doesn¡¯t really care much about money and has always been generous to


    women.


    I think you¡¯ve benefited quite a lot from him. Since that¡¯s the case, you should be smart enough to know


    that it¡¯s time to pack up and get lost. Stop hanging around him. You should know, I¡¯m not a very nice


    person. If you insist on waiting until I step in, then the consequences might be worse than you could


    imagine.¡±


    It was clear that Yvonne was displeased on the other end of the line. ¡°Ms. Stovall, what¡¯s the meaning


    of this? Mr. Stovall and I sincerely love each other. All of you look down on me, but none of you can


    interfere in Mr. Stovall¡¯s marriage. It¡¯s his own business and he¡¯s the one who gets to make the


    decision. To put it bluntly, you¡¯re just a b*stard child. Who are you to make decisions for Mr. Stovall?¡±


    ¡°What is the reaction of the man lying next to you after hearing you say all this?¡± I taunted. ncing at


    the passed-out John on the bed, I couldn¡¯t help but feel upset for him. ¡°Yvonne, I¡¯m a woman myself. I


    know exactly what you want. I could also tell at first nce what kind of person you are. As long as I


    want to, I can dig out every single detail of that messy private life of yours.


    The only reason I didn¡¯ty a finger on you is that you were there for John recently, but that¡¯s where my


    gratitude stops. It¡¯s important to know your limits. If you don¡¯t give up your greedy ambitions and force


    me to show my hand, then please prepare yourself for what¡¯s toe.


    I won¡¯t just force you to leave John without getting a single cent from him, I¡¯ll also make you return


    everything he¡¯s given you since day one. So Ms. Wilde, you better watch your back.¡±

 Chapter 1041

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1041


    ¡°Scarlett, how dare you threaten me? Who do you think you are? What right do you have to boss me


    around and meddle in my life¡­¡± Countless life experiences taught me not to waste my breath on


    quarreling with b*tches as I would only be degrading myself by doing that.


    After hanging up the call, I turned off John¡¯s phone and turned around to go back to the bedroom. That


    was when I saw Ashton leaning against the door frame, looking at me. His arms were folded across his


    chest and there was a smile ying on his lips. ¡°It seems like you really went easy on Reba back


    then.¡±


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    I rolled my eyes at him and said indignantly, ¡°Were you eavesdropping on me? Mr. Fuller, since when


    have you stooped so low?¡±


    He cracked a grin at me and walked to my side. Draping a muscled arm over my shoulders, he led me


    out of the guest room and into our bedroom. Then, he pressed me on the bed and stared at me


    fervently. ¡°Shall we continue where we left off?¡±


    I looked at the clock on the wall and reminded him, ¡°It¡¯s already well past midnight, Mr. Fuller. Don¡¯t


    forget how much work you have to do tomorrow!¡±


    He raised his brows and leaned forward. His warm breath tickled my ear as he continued seducing me.


    ¡°But if I don¡¯t settle things now, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to concentrate on anything tomorrow.¡±


    This man!


    I found myself unable to resist his temptation and relented, ¡°I need to shower first. I¡¯m all sticky with


    sweat after going out the whole day.¡±


    He didn¡¯t object, but after pulling me up from the bed, he looked at me with a devilish glint in his eyes.


    ¡°Let¡¯s shower together, hmm?¡±


    I was rendered speechless, but knowing his temperament, there was no way he would allow me to


    refuse.


    ¡­


    When I woke up the next day, Ashton wasn¡¯t in the vi anymore.


    There were too many matters he had to settle at Fuller Corporation, so it was expected that he would


    leave early.


    However, what I never expected was seeing John¡ªa wealthy and influential man¡ªmaking breakfast in


    the kitchen with an apron wrapped around his waist so early in the morning.


    It took me quite some time to snap out of my daze and formte a sentence. ¡°Mr. Stovall, it seems like


    you¡¯ve been dealt quite a heavy blow, huh?¡±


    Hearing my voice, he looked over his shoulder at me. Perhaps it was because he had slept his hair the


    previous night, a section of it was curled up at a funny angle on the back of his head. Compared to his


    usual cold temperament, he looked a lot softer around the edges right then.


    ¡°Go wash up first, thene and eat breakfast,¡± he instructed with a spat in one hand, seemingly in


    the middle of frying some eggs.


    I was initially going to say something, but seeing the look he was giving me, I nced down and


    realized that I was still in my nightdress. Hence, I quietly turned around to go upstairs and change my


    clothes.


    By the time I came downstairs again, he was already done making a breakfast consisting of toast,


    bacon, and eggs. I had to admit that he did quite a good job.


    ¡°Try some and see if it matches your taste,¡± he urged, adding another egg to my te.


    I bowed my head and took a bite, seriously savoring the taste. Then, I looked at him and sincerely


    expressed my appreciation. ¡°Wow. It¡¯s really delicious. Do you make eggs often?¡±


    He shook his head and I noticed the hint of sorrow in his eyes. ¡°I learned it just recently. When Hannah


    was pregnant, she always said that she wanted me to try my fried eggs, but I didn¡¯t know how to fry


    eggs. Later on, I managed to learn it, but I didn¡¯t get the chance to cook for her. So I thought I might as


    well cook for you today. Anyway, eat up.¡±


    I sighed and looked at him. ¡°She said she doesn¡¯t hate you but is very grateful to you. You were the


    one who gave her a different life and she doesn¡¯t regret meeting you.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°I know.¡±


    Seeing his lonely and sad figure, I pressed my lips together and added as an afterthought, ¡°Yvonne


    called youst night. I answered it for you. You¡¯re not actually nning to marry her, are you?¡±


    He nodded indifferently and responded, ¡°Mm.¡±


    Faced with his lukewarm response, I couldn¡¯t help from prodding further. ¡°You¡¯re not really going to


    marry her, right?¡±


    He grunted nonchntly again, as though he didn¡¯t care about this matter whatsoever.


    Bang! I mmed down my cutlery and pinned him a stern stare. ¡°John, I don¡¯t care why you want to


    marry Yvonne. I will never agree to it. You obviously know how scheming and maniptive she is. If


    you let her marry into the Stovall family, how are you going to face Kiki in the future? Marriage isn¡¯t


    something to take lightly. I¡¯m not against you marrying another woman. You should consider properly


    what kind of woman you want to build a family with. Not to mention, you have a son¡ªa son whom you


    share with Hannah. If you marry a woman just for the sake of marrying, have you ever thought about


    how it¡¯d impact Kiki¡¯s life?¡±


    Taken aback by my abrupt outburst, he met my gaze. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who I marry. It makes no


    difference!¡±


    ¡°Yes, it makes no difference, but if you bring back a conniving woman like her into the Stovall family,


    when Uncle Louis gets older in his years, can you really feel at ease cing Kiki in Yvonne¡¯s care? Can


    you guarantee that she won¡¯t find ways to get herself knocked up and do something malicious to Kiki?


    Even if you want to get married, at least think about what kind of woman you need in your life. Don¡¯t


    just settle with whatever is convenient. All I can say is that you cannot marry Yvonne. I won¡¯t allow it


    and if you insist, then this is the end of our sibling rtionship.¡±


    Seeing me getting all worked up, he released a chuckle and sighed helplessly. ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t marry her.


    Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s so rare to see you this concerned about my personal life. From now on, Kiki


    will be under your care and guidance. I¡¯ll just stay unmarried.¡±

 Chapter 1042

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1042


    Now he¡¯s just taking it too far. I was left speechless by his statement and wanted to advise him against


    that. However, after some deliberation, I decided to just let it be. Hence, silence stretched between us


    for a while. ¡°Don¡¯t contact Yvonne again from now on. We don¡¯t even know how many men she¡¯s slept


    with. It¡¯d be troublesome if you get down with something because of her.¡±


    When I picked up the call the previous night, I could clearly make out the sound of a man¡¯s breathing


    on the other end of the line. I wasn¡¯t an ignorant child or a brainless fool. Of course, I knew what was


    going on.


    I can¡¯t believe she had the audacity to call John when there was another man right beside her. Does


    she take John as a fool? Or does she think she¡¯s some kind of hot stuff everybody wants a piece of


    even after being used over and over again?


    Noticing the fury on my face, John sighed again and said, ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll listen to everything you


    say from now on, okay? You can stop worrying now. I¡¯ll make sure that woman stays far, far away from


    me.¡±


    Observing that he wasn¡¯t all that concerned about Yvonne, I released a sigh of relief and continued


    eating my food. He still had work to do at hispany, so he left soon after.


    I dropped by the hospital to visit Summer. Although the surgery was a sess, it was a major surgery


    after all. Hence, I had to go to the hospital every other day to observe her post-operation recovery.


    ¡°She¡¯s recovering well. Let¡¯s try our best to maintain the progress. If she doesn¡¯t have a rpse within


    the next five years, she can be considered in the clear. Just be mindful to maintain a healthy daily


    routine, and she¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    The doctor gave a few simple instructions after examining Summer and left soon after. Cameron and


    Zachary sighed in relief. These days, everyone had their hearts in their throats, afraid that something


    undesirable might happen.


    Seeing as Summer was out of danger, we gradually felt our nerves loosen.


    ¡°Scarlett, Nick is in K City. He wanted to meet up with you both if you have the time. Although the two


    of you aren¡¯t rted by blood, you¡¯re still siblings in name and friends as well. Since you haven¡¯t been


    in contact for such a long time, you should invite him to your ce for a meal and hang out with him


    more often.¡± Cameron tugged me toward the door to the ward and spoke in a hushed voice.


    I was surprised and asked, ¡°He¡¯s in K City? Is he here for work?¡± Indeed, we haven¡¯t seen each other in


    a very long time. So many things had happened in the past few years that we gradually lost contact.


    ¡°Okay, mom. I¡¯ll contact him.¡± There would be a lot of catching up to do. It also got me wondering if


    Jackson followed him here. After so many years, I had no idea how the two of them were faring.


    John called me to invite Ashton and me for lunchter, saying that he wanted to thank us for taking him


    in the previous night. I immediately refused him, but like a child, he pulled the family card on me.


    Helpless, I ended up epting his invitation. Done with her checkup, Summer went back with


    Cameron and the others. After seeing them off, I made my way back into the hospital and went to the


    washroom. When I came out, I identally bumped into someone and hurriedly bowed my head to


    apologize, ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t look where I was going. Are you¡ª¡±


    When I looked up to see Kristina, I was visibly stunned and blurted out, ¡°What are you¡­ Are you sick?¡±


    My eyes traveled to the medical report in her hand and I blinked in surprise.


    She pursed her lips and shot me an indifferent nce before entering the washroom with a frosty


    expression, seemingly disinclined to talk to me.


    Out of curiosity, I checked the department on this floor and furrowed my brows in perplexity. Internal


    medicine? What kind of illness does she have? After hesitating briefly, I didn¡¯t give the matter any


    further thought and prepared to leave.


    I was so done with John. He offered to buy us lunch but asked Ashton and me to wait for him at his


    company, saying that his car was hit by someone and he needed to hitch a ride with us.


    Well, I didn¡¯t believe him, not even for one second. God knows how many cars were in his vi¡¯s


    basement parking and could easily pick one. He¡¯s a nutjob.


    Fortunately, Fuller Corporation wasn¡¯t very far from hispany. Ashton and I drove there and waited


    for him in the driveway. After giving him a call, I recounted the encounter with Kristina at the hospital.


    Ashton wasn¡¯t interested in such things, but he still listened attentively and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t find it that


    odd. Maybe she was down with gastric or something.¡±


    I gnawed on my bottom lip and mused, ¡°She looked really pale and vomited pretty badly too. It seemed


    like she was pregnant, but not really either. If I¡¯m not mistaken, she¡¯s Dr. Ludwick¡¯s niece andes


    from quite an impressive background. Oddly, she looked like she was really short of money.¡±


    He frowned slightly and nced at me. ¡°That¡¯s her own business. You don¡¯t need to concern yourself


    over it.¡±


    I twisted my lips together and eyed him. ¡°Ashton, are you finding me a nuisance already? So much so


    you don¡¯t even wanna make casual talk with me?¡±


    He squinted at me with an amused smile ying on his lips. ¡°Am I not talking to you now?¡±


    That was how women were. We liked to make casual talk about other people¡¯s lives, just for the fun of


    it. I gave him a sidelong nce and retorted, ¡°Are you really? You¡¯re giving me half-assed replies andThis text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    you¡¯re not even trying to hide it.¡±


    He stifled his smile and was contemting what to say next, but my attention was drawn to the


    scantily-d woman at the entrance to John¡¯spany. Although she was wearing a fox fur sweater, it


    barely covered her body. She was so exposed that if one didn¡¯t know any better, one might think she


    was from a brothel.

 Chapter 1043

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1043


    ¡°Is she looking for John?¡± I pursed my lips in displeasure.


    Ashton ced his hand on the steering wheel and raised his brows. ¡°Seems like it.¡±


    Things were about to get interesting.


    ¡°C¡¯mon. Let¡¯s go watch the show!¡± I got out of the car and strode toward thepany¡¯s lobby, going


    after the skimpily dressed Yvonne. Even if she was here to see John, she should at least have the


    decency to dress properly. But the way she was dressed right then seemed out of character, even for


    her.


    ¡°Miss, do you have an appointment?¡± Yvonne was stopped by the front desk.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for John. Don¡¯t even try to stop me.¡± Yvonne seemed slightly off and everything the front


    desk personnel said to her fell on deaf ears as she rushed in.


    However, she seemed to have overlooked the fact that there were security guards here. She was


    hauled out of the lobby by them and politely warned against trespassing. Otherwise, they would have


    no choice but to get physical with her.


    However, Yvonne remained undeterred. Even the security guards¡¯ stern warning failed to get through to


    her and once again, she charged into the lobby like a madwoman. The guards were startled but quickly


    formed a barricade outside the entrance.


    Seeing that there was no way to enter, Yvonne panicked and started yelling hysterically, ¡°John! I want


    to see John! How dare you stop me? When I see him, I¡¯ll make sure he fires all of you!¡±


    The guards remained unmoved. Ashton and I watched for a while longer and grew bored. I simply took


    out my phone and dialed for John. The call was connected very soon.


    ¡°Hey, Letty. Are you guys here already? I just got out of a meeting. Give me a minute. I¡¯ll be down


    soon,¡± John said over the phone and I could vaguely hear another voice beside him, probably his


    secretary reporting to him about work.


    I hummed a response, not surprised that he assumed I was calling to rush him, when in fact, I wanted


    to ask him about Yvonne. Hence, I cut straight to the chase. ¡°Someone¡¯s looking for you downstairs.


    She seems very desperate.¡±


    He was quiet for a moment before querying, ¡°Yvonne¡¯s downstairs?¡±


    I didn¡¯t give him a direct answer. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte and I¡¯m starting to feel hungry. You shoulde down


    as soon as possible.¡±


    He didn¡¯t probe further, only giving me a perfunctory response before ending the call.


    Never one to be interested in such matters, Ashton was looking at his phone with an impassive


    expression.


    Meanwhile, Yvonne was still shouting at the entrance, but no one paid any attention to her. I surmised


    all the employees were given prior notice not to entertain her.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    John came down shortly after, looking very mboyant with a ck coat over his suit. As the president


    of thepany, he certainly looked his part with his cold and domineering presence.


    Spotting me, he immediately walked in my direction andpletely ignored Yvonne who was still


    shrieking at the top of her lungs by the entrance. He looked at me with a faint smile. ¡°Did you wait long?


    I hope you¡¯re not too hungry.¡±


    I shrugged my shoulders, then pointed at Yvonne instead of answering his question. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going


    to deal with that? You¡¯re not worried that it might damage your reputation?¡±


    He narrowed his eyes at Yvonne beyond the entrance with a look of disgust in his eyes. Turning back


    his gaze to me, he said ndly, ¡°This woman is stepping more and more out of line. It¡¯s quite annoying,


    to be honest.¡±


    With that, he walked toward the entrance, stopping in front of Yvonne to look at her with a stony


    expression.


    When Yvonne saw him, she immediately ran toward him but was stopped by the security guards.


    Vexed, she yelled at them angrily, ¡°Are all of you blind? I know Mr. Stovall! Why the hell are you


    stopping me? Get out of my way!¡±


    The guards were unfazed, looking at her dispassionately while maintaining their stance.


    Seeing this, she looked at John and said aggrievedly, ¡°John, look at them. How can they bully me like


    this? You have to fire themter and teach them a lesson.¡±


    John sneered at her, ¡°Teach them a lesson? Why should I?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re bullying me. Shouldn¡¯t you do something about it?¡± Yvonne replied matter-of-factly.


    John scoffed in response, ¡°So what if they¡¯re bullying you? What does it have to do with me?¡±


    Yvonne stiffened slightly from embarrassment. ¡°John, what are you talking about? We¡¯re going to get


    married soon. Why are you saying all this?¡±


    Impatience lined John¡¯s features and he said in a clipped tone, ¡°I thought I¡¯ve made things clear. It


    looks like I was not clear enough. Fine, I¡¯ll say it one more time. If you still don¡¯t understand, then I¡¯ll


    have to do something to make you do.¡±


    Without waiting for her reply, he raised his brows and continued, ¡°Don¡¯t show up in front of me ever


    again. This is myst warning to you. I¡¯ve already given you what there is to give. You can consider it a


    reward for the past few days¡ªI don¡¯t really care. Now take the money and get lost from my sight.


    Permanently.¡±


    Yvonne¡¯s eyes reddened all of a sudden. ¡°Why? I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. I listened to you and did


    everything you wanted. You said you¡¯d marry me. Do you think you can kick me to the curb with just a


    few words? How dare you?¡±

 Chapter 1044

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1044


    John¡¯s lips curled in distaste. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re not aware, but I, John Stovall, always do whatever I


    like. These are my final words to you. Don¡¯t ever appear before me. If I see youing to the Stovall


    residence or mypany again, don¡¯t expect to get away unscathed. I can get really creative when it


    comes to tormenting people, so you better do as I say.¡±


    Tears rolled down Yvonne¡¯s cheeks as she stared at John pitifully. ¡°John, I don¡¯t know what I did wrong,


    but don¡¯t force me to leave. Just tell me what I did wrong and I¡¯ll immediately change. As long as you


    don¡¯t make me leave, I¡¯ll do whatever you ask me to do!¡±


    Irritated by her persistence, John sneered, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ll do whatever I ask you to do?¡±


    Yvonne nodded profusely. ¡°Yes! As long as you don¡¯t force me to leave!¡±


    ¡°Then just die,¡± John ordered, behaving like a ruffian. He was never one to think before speaking.


    Hence, he had said that to her on a whim.


    Thinking he was being serious, Yvonne peered at him expectantly. ¡°Does this mean I can stay by your


    side as long I die?¡± She looked like she was actually taking his words seriously.


    John nodded and cocked a brow. ¡°Yes. Go on, then.¡±


    With that, he looked past her at Ashton and me. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m starving.¡±


    Before we could respond, a loud noise came from the pond outside Stovall Corporation, and following


    that, we saw the water inside ssh a few meters high.


    I realized with a start that it was Yvonne. Whipping my head toward John, I eximed, ¡°I think she


    jumped in!¡±


    John nced back fleetingly but remained aloof as he replied ndly, ¡°Mm, I guess so. C¡¯mon, let¡¯s go


    for lunch now.¡±


    Then, he walked out without a care in the world. Ashton didn¡¯t even bat an eysh. Meanwhile, I was


    bbergasted.


    Simr to me, the security guards outside and the front desk personnel were taken aback. Looking


    dumbly at the pond, one of them cautiously asked, ¡°Mr. Stovall, how should we deal with this?¡±


    John¡¯s brows knitted together in annoyance. ¡°Deal with it as you see fit, of course. Send her to the


    hospital if she doesn¡¯t die and if she does, call the funeral home to take her away. Make sure to make it


    a grand funeral. I think she¡¯d like that very much.¡±


    Without faltering in his steps, he directly got into my car.


    The security guards and I were wearing simrly stunned expressions.


    But none of us protested. Instead, we looked toward the pond to see Yvonne struggling pathetically in


    the water. The weather was so cold and I couldn¡¯t imagine how she brought herself to jump into the


    pond like that. In short, I just couldn¡¯t wrap my mind around the whole thing.


    It must be freezing in there!


    In the car, I couldn¡¯t stop myself from ncing at John. ¡°You¡ª¡±


    He suddenly looked at me and cut me off, ¡°Uncle Louis arranged a blind date for me. It¡¯s this afternoon.


    Help me assess herter. If she¡¯s suitable, I¡¯ll get someone to prepare for the wedding.¡±


    I was taken aback and stared at him nkly for a while. After recovering from my surprise, I asked,


    ¡°You¡¯re going on a blind dateter?¡±


    He nodded curtly. ¡°It¡¯s a friend of Uncle Louis¡¯. She¡¯s almost the same age as you. Married and


    divorced. No kids. Uncle Louis asked me to meet her.¡±


    I was utterly floored by this revtion and scowled at him. ¡°Why the hell are you bringing us along for


    your blind date?¡± I really thought that he genuinely wanted to buy us lunch, but it turned out that he was


    taking Ashton and me along to be his third wheel.


    He shrugged nonchntly. ¡°You know I¡¯m not into all these things. Besides, I¡¯m a bad judge of


    character, so I need your help. If you think she makes the cut, I¡¯ll prepare for the wedding. Anyway,


    we¡¯re of equal social standings, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    I felt like he hadpletely given up on satisfying his emotional needs. All he wanted right then was to


    find someone suitable to be his wife in name.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    After giving it some thought, I looked at him again and said, ¡°John, you can wait until you¡¯re more


    emotionally stable to think about what kind of wife you want, then only go on blind dates. By doing this,


    you¡¯re not only being irresponsible to yourself but that woman as well.¡±


    He frowned at that. ¡°You¡¯re so weird. You don¡¯t like Yvonne, but now you¡¯re saying I¡¯m being


    irresponsible to another woman by going on a blind date with her. What exactly do you want me to do?


    I¡¯ve already lost a good rtionship. Do you still think there¡¯s a chance for me to find love again?¡±


    I mirrored his frown and was slightly stunned because I detected a hint of usation in his tone. ¡°So


    are you saying I shouldn¡¯t interfere in your life?¡±


    He pressed his lips together as pain shed across his eyes. Gazing at me with an anguished look on


    his face, he apologized, ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean what I said, but I just really don¡¯t know what I should do.


    I¡¯mpletely lost now. I¡¯ve lost the most important thing to me and I¡¯m aplete mess now.¡±


    Sighing, I felt my heart clench painfully while seeing the agonized state he was in. I shot a helpless


    nce at Ashton and he coincidently looked at me reassuringly beforeforting me in a steady voice,


    ¡°Let¡¯s just go with the flow. Many times, people appear in our lives for a reason. It¡¯s all fate, so let¡¯s


    allow fate to take its course.¡±


    Since when did this guy be so religious?


    However, there was indeed some truth in his words. Hence, we could only think this way for the time


    being.


    After regaining control of my emotions, I nced back at John and advised, ¡°John, since Uncle Louis


    arranged this date for you, you should take it seriously. When we get thereter, treat her respectfully


    and politely, regardless of what you think about her. Don¡¯t be distant or cold. It doesn¡¯t matter whether


    you like her or not, make sure you behave yourself.¡±

 Chapter 1045

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1045


    He nodded and leaned back in his seat. Sighing, he closed his eyes with exhaustion. A rtionship can


    really take an emotional toll on a person.


    As the car came to a stop in front of our destination, we got out of the car, and John stood nonchntly


    at the side. Seeing the unconcerned look on his face, I nudged him with my elbow and said, ¡°No matter


    what, you need to treat this seriously, okay? You¡¯re not a child anymore. Since you¡¯ve promised Uncle


    Louis, you need to respect yourself and your dateter.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± He looked at me expectantly. ¡°Are youing with me?¡±


    I shook my head and held Ashton¡¯s hand. ¡°Nope. My husband and I will sit at the side while you talk


    with thedy. If I see you disrespect her, I will not bother to care about your matters anymore. You can


    do whatever you like.¡±


    He pouted and nodded obediently. ¡°Okay.¡±


    John was about to head to the table that Uncle Louis had booked when Ashton and I were stopped by


    the host of the restaurant. Apparently, in order to enter this high-end restaurant, Ashton and I would


    need to make a reservation in advance.


    John red at the host. ¡°What do you mean they can¡¯t enter? You know what? Fine. We¡¯ll leave.


    Tomorrow I¡¯ll shut down this lousy restaurant!¡±


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    He then grabbed my hand, ready to leave. I was rendered speechless by his childish behavior.


    Thankfully, Ashton stayed calm and stopped John. ¡°You should go in first. We will go inter.¡±


    John frowned. ¡°Why? Are you guys nning to leave me here alone?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll call the owner of this restaurant and let him arrange a table for us. If not, Scarlett and I can¡¯t go in,¡±


    Ashton replied.


    John pursed his lips. ¡°You know the owner?¡±


    I knew John was just stalling for time. Fed up with his behavior, I crossed my arms and said, ¡°John, go


    wait for us inside. Or else, we will leave immediately. This has nothing to do with us anyway. Now I¡¯ll


    give you three seconds to move. Three, two¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go in now!¡± he shouted and stomped angrily away. As he went inside, he kept turning around and


    looked at me with puppy-dog eyes. ¡°Scarlett, both of you muste inside, okay? Otherwise, I would


    be very sad.¡±


    If we weren¡¯t at a public ce, I would have punched him to death.


    Unable to continue looking at his immature behavior, I rolled my eyes. I then turned to Ashton and saw


    him on a call with the owner, saying, ¡°Is Tasty Elements your restaurant?¡±


    Seeing the curiosity in my eyes, he put his phone on speaker. A voice came from the other side of the


    line. ¡°Yeah. I invest it for fun. You want to go there?¡± Is he Joe?


    Ashton replied, ¡°Yup. I¡¯m in front of the restaurant now. Tell your staff to let me in.¡±


    With that, he passed his phone to the host. The host took it over tentatively. Before he could say


    anything, Joe shouted, ¡°Are you out of your mind? Why did you stop the customers from entering?¡±


    The host was still baffled. ¡°Um, hi. May I know who you are?¡±


    Silence came from the other side of the phone, and Joe eventually said, ¡°Give the phone back. You¡¯re


    fired.¡±


    Then, he hung up.


    Three minutester, a chubby man came out of the restaurant and smiled obsequiously at us. ¡°Hi, Mr.


    Fuller and Mrs. Fuller. I¡¯m so sorry for the inconvenience caused. Pleasee in. ording to Mr.


    Quinn, your meal is on the house today, so please enjoy yourselves and order whatever you want to


    try!¡±


    He then ushered us into the serene, ssy restaurant, and we selected a table right next to John¡¯s.


    As Ashton ordered food for both of us, I cast my gaze on thedy sitting opposite John. She seemed


    gentle and virtuous, albeit a little cold and distant.


    I continued to observe them. John seemed to have nothing to say, and thedy did not speak much as


    well. They continued to eat gracefully as if they were not at all affected by each other¡¯s presence.


    I then looked towards John and shot him a look, signaling him to find something to chat with his date.


    But he merely stared back and stuck out his tongue at me. Looking at his puerile behavior, I almost


    jumped out from my seat and beat him.


    ¡°Is she your sister?¡± thedy said. She was not loud, but the three of us heard her well. John and I


    froze immediately, and she continued, ¡°Let¡¯s eat together. The more the merrier.¡± As soon as she


    finished speaking, she stood up with her bag and walked to our table.


    Then, she raised her hand and summoned the waiter. ¡°Hi. Can you move us to this table? We¡¯d like to


    eat together. Thank you.¡±


    Seeing that she had sat down beside me, John rubbed his neck and joined us as well, embarrassed.


    ¡°Hi. My name is Emma Lyons. I¡¯m thirty-three years old, a divorcee without kids, and I can no longer


    conceive. Currently, I¡¯m working as a professor at K University. I guess you know about my family


    background, so I don¡¯t need to say more about it. As for my past rtionship experience, my ex-


    husband was the only romantic partner that I had. My current ie is thirty thousand per month. I


    have cars and some properties. Therefore, I¡¯m financially independent.¡± After Emma finished


    introducing herself, she met John¡¯s eyes calmly.

 Chapter 1046

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1046


    John hesitated for a moment before replying, ¡°I¡¯m John Stovall, thirty-five years old, not married, but I


    have a son. He is still an infant. My ie is not bad, and I owned severalpanies, cars, and other


    properties. Besides, there¡¯s someone I love.¡±


    I was bbergasted. What is he doing? Why did he say that?


    Emma nodded and turned to me. ¡°So John is also looking for a partner for marriage, just like me. As his


    sister, do you have anything to ask? You can ask me whatever you want to know about.¡±


    Me?


    Taken aback, I gave her an awkward smile and said, ¡°No, I think you¡¯ve misunderstood me. I¡¯m not


    here to judge if you¡¯re suited for John. This is a private matter between you and him, so it¡¯s not up to us


    to decide. If everything goes well, both of you are the ones who are getting married, not us. We are just


    bystanders.¡±


    Emma pursed her lips and did not respond.


    John also turned quiet all of a sudden.


    Seeing their behavior, I sighed inwardly. I could feel a headacheing.


    After a pause, I looked at them and asked, ¡°Would you like to go for a walk together? Maybe you guys


    can find a caf¨¦ and chat about each other¡¯s hobbies and lifestyle.¡±


    ¡°No, thanks. My hobby is reading, and I don¡¯t have any other hobbies,¡± Emma replied curtly.


    John also gave a terse answer. ¡°I like to sleep with young women and spend money on them. Other


    than smoking and drinking, I have no other hobbies.¡±


    I took a deep breath and shot daggers at him. Is he out of his mind!


    To my surprise, Emma replied, ¡°Great. We wouldn¡¯t interfere with each other¡¯s life then.¡±


    What!


    I stared wide-eyed at both of them, and it suddenly dawned on me that they¡¯re perfect for each other.


    Feeling like a third wheel, I started to rack my brain for an excuse to leave.


    However, Joe suddenly appeared in the restaurant with a prettydy beside him, who looked about


    twenty years old. Her clothing and bag were all high-end products, unlike the women whom he would


    casually date.


    As soon as they entered the restaurant, they found us and came towards our table. It seemed like Joe


    was here for Ashton. They pped each other on the back and greeted one another. Then, they sat


    down at our table, and now we were a group of six.


    When Joe saw me, he was stunned for a second before saying hi to me. I initially thought that I would


    need to introduce Emma to him, but he said, ¡°Hi, Ms. Lyons. What a coincidence. What brings you


    here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here for a blind date.¡± Emma was still as straightforward as ever.


    Joe rubbed his nose, looking a bit uneasy. Something is not right.


    I looked at Joe and smiled faintly. ¡°Mr. Quinn, are you not going to introduce the beautifuldy to us?¡±


    He smiled and gave a simple introduction. ¡°She is Zelene Harrett, my fianc¨¦e.¡±


    That took me by surprise. I did hear the rumor saying that he was engaged, but seeing his fianc¨¦e with


    my own eyes caught mepletely off guard.


    In just a few days, he had already gotten over Reba and found himself a socialite fianc¨¦e. Well, I


    did not expect him to be so level-headed.


    Zelene looked at us and smiled politely. ¡°Hello, everyone. Nice to meet you all.¡±


    ¡°Seems like you have high standards in choosing your partner. Not only do you want someone with


    good family background, but also a young, good-looking appearance. No wonder you told my father


    that we were not suitable for each other,¡± Emma said casually, making everyone¡¯s jaw dropped.


    Her words obviously meant that she had gone on a blind date with Joe before, but they did not get


    together in the end. And he probably chose Zelene because she was younger and more attractive than


    Emma.


    What a small world!


    Coming to think of it, the social circle of the elites in K City was indeed notrge. There were not many


    prominent families here, so it was quite normal to have a situation like this.


    I nced towards John subconsciously, but he lookedpletely unperturbed. I guess he doesn¡¯t care


    about Emma at all.


    Joe exined, ¡°Oh, Ms. Lyons. Don¡¯t tease me like that. I¡¯m not that superficial, and it¡¯s not because of


    the reason you¡¯ve mentioned. Although I don¡¯t have a lot of yearnings in life, I still hope to find love. But


    Ms. Lyons, you had told me that you didn¡¯t want to have any romantic rtionship. So, I don¡¯t think we


    are suitable for each other. And that¡¯s why I went to see Mr. Lyons and told him so.¡±


    Emma did not respond and looked at him impassively as if she was just blurting out her observation


    and could not care less about Joe not choosing her.


    The dinner had not started yet, and the atmosphere was already so awkward that I could cut the


    tension with a knife.


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    However, Zelene waspletely indifferent as if she was not involved in the situation. She ordered her


    food politely and turned to me. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, do you want to order anything? The steak here is really


    good. Do you want to try it?¡±

 Chapter 1047

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1047


    I smiled. ¡°Since you have rmended it, I will definitely try it. Ms. Harrett, you seem to be very


    familiar with this restaurant.¡±


    She replied with a smile, ¡°Not really, but I¡¯ve been here a few times. So, I remember the ones that I like


    and always rmend them to friends thate here.¡±


    Surprisingly, Zelene was nothing like Reba. With Joe¡¯s personality, I thought he would find someone


    simr to his ex-crush, but Zelene and Reba were like chalk and cheese.


    After chattering for a bit, I stood up from my seat and headed to the restroom. When Ashton saw me


    leaving, he quickly stopped his conversation with Joe and wanted to apany me, but I declined as I


    did not want to interrupt them.


    A few minutester, I stepped out of the restroom and bumped into Joe, who was leaning against the


    wall of the corridor. I thought he was waiting for someone, but I looked around and saw no one. Hmm,


    who is he waiting for?


    After hesitating for a moment, I walked towards him and asked out of politeness, ¡°Are you waiting for


    Ms. Harrett?¡±


    He lifted his gaze and looked at me coldly. ¡°I¡¯m waiting for you.¡±


    I furrowed my brows, puzzled. ¡°Why?¡± I don¡¯t think we have anything to talk about. Joe had never liked


    me. All these years we rarely interacted with one another even though he was my husband¡¯s close


    friend.


    ¡°Can I help you with anything?¡± I asked, stopping in my tracks.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    He arched an eyebrow and cut to the chase. ¡°Can we talk somewhere else?¡±


    I don¡¯t think I have a choice, do I? So, I nodded and gestured. ¡°Sure.¡±


    As we arrived at the stairwell, he put his hands in his pockets and leaned his tall figure against the wall,


    giving off an aura of grimness. I remained silent and stared at him, waiting for him to speak first.


    After a pause, he lit a cigarette and took a long drag on it. ¡°Were you the one who reported Reba to


    the police?¡±


    I frowned. Gosh, is he here for Reba? I thought he had moved on! Apparently, he still cares about


    her.


    ¡°I found her by ident, so I called the police,¡± I told him truthfully. That night, Hannah and I went to


    the alley out of curiosity. I never thought Reba would be like that.


    He exhaled slowly and cast an icy gaze at me. ¡°Ashton has given his heart to you. What else do you


    want from her? Why do you have to push her over the edge? You just want her to die, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Hearing his usation, I was stupefied. I could not help but ask, ¡°Mr. Quinn, don¡¯t you think there¡¯s


    something wrong with your logic? She was the one whomitted the crime. I did not force her to do


    it. And I have never harmed her. That night, I saw her purely by chance. I called the police because she


    was doing something terribly wrong. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything wrong with that. Are you expecting


    me to ignore what I saw and let her continue to ruin herself?¡±


    He scoffed, ¡°It¡¯s up to her to decide what to do with her life. Besides, you could have solved the


    problem in another way, but you chose the one that made her suffer the most. You caused Ashton to


    completely give up on her and took away the light in her life. Scarlett, you¡¯re even more wicked than I


    thought.¡±


    I blinked in bewilderment. What? Is there something wrong with him? What does he mean by ¡°you can


    solve it in another way?¡± Exasperated, I said, ¡°So, you think that it was my n to get her arrested so


    that Ashton would give up on her? Joe Quinn, you¡¯re freaking ridiculous! What makes you think that I


    would use my precious time to do something that would bring me no benefits but harm?¡±


    Then, I continued, ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t care about Reba at all; she isn¡¯t worth my attention. She¡¯s


    nothing but a woman who only knows how to cling onto men and leech off them. She could have


    improved herself over the years, but she didn¡¯t. Even if Ashton likes her, I don¡¯t think any man could put


    up with a woman like her for long. What kind of man could tolerate her and love her forever? Speaking


    of which, Joe, didn¡¯t you give up on her as well? What makes you think that you have the right to


    question me?¡±


    Taken aback, he stubbed out his cigarette and stared at me nkly. After a long while, he replied


    coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t change the topic. It¡¯s your fault. You didn¡¯t have to send her to the police, but you showed


    no mercy and did it anyway. Her reputation and her life are ruined because of you. Even if she could


    get out of jail one day, how can she survive in society? Scarlett, you¡¯re such a cruel woman.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but burst outughing at his preposterous reasoning. How ridiculous can he


    get?

 Chapter 1048

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1048


    He was stunned by my sudden outburst ofughter, furrowing his eyebrows at me. ¡°What are you


    laughing about? Do you find this funny? Did I say something wrong?¡±


    It took me a long while to calm down, wiping away tears from my eyes. ¡°There¡¯s no way you believe the


    words that areing out of your mouth, right?¡± I said sarcastically. ¡°How could you say such a thing


    so confidently? You say that she¡¯ll lose everything if she goes to jail, but I honestly want to ask you: are


    you absolutely sure that you have no way of getting her out of there? Is the Kane family so powerless


    that they can¡¯t rescue a single person from prison?


    Besides, did you think that she was really going to be famous, even if she hasn¡¯t been sent to jail?


    Of course not. Everyone in our circle is aware that she¡¯s your and Ashton¡¯s precious little doll. Did you


    think that she would find a partner among us when you let her fly out of the nest? You know more than


    anyone else that she¡¯s just going to end up relying on some old man¡¯s money to survive and be


    nothing more than a toy.


    ¡°Admit it. You¡¯ve fallen out of love with her a long time ago and started to resent her. Why else would


    you tell her such horrible things at the hospital? You wanted to force her to leave you, yet didn¡¯t want to


    be stuck with the reputation of an asshole, so you just let go of her reins and watched as she made


    mistake after mistake, until she¡¯d finally reached the point of no return. You are half the reason why


    she¡¯s turned out this way. You were satisfied with the oue, but you despised the thought of having


    to take responsibility for your actions! So, in an act of fake self-righteousness, you came to interrogate


    me and pushed all the me onto me, making me out to be the viin in the situation. Although, to be


    honest with you, you really shouldn¡¯t have wasted your efforts. Even if you force me to take the me


    for your actions, you¡¯d still be regarded as a scummy human being in other people¡¯s eyes. So please


    quit the whole good guy act, or I might just throw up.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t meant to verbally abuse him, but I couldn¡¯t stop myself.


    Joe was flushed all the way up to his neck in anger, and I let out an internal scoff at the sight. Nothing


    about this man was genuine. He¡¯d alreadymitted so many evil acts, yet still insisted that his hands


    were clean. How ridiculous!


    There was no point in continuing the conversation any longer. ¡°You better watch out!¡± I warned, turning


    on my heel and walking away.


    ¡°You have some nerve¡ªforcing other people to take the fall for you!¡± he roared out from behind me.


    ¡°No wonder Ashton is head over heels for you! You¡¯re a conniving, sneaky witch!¡±


    I nced back over my shoulder at him, shing a polite smile. ¡°You tter me, Mr. Quinn. Look, if you


    really can¡¯t let go of this, I have a suggestion for you: wait until she gets out of prison, then you can


    bring her back home to be your precious little doll once more. But by that time, she¡¯d be old and


    wrinkly, and you¡¯d probably refuse to take her in. There¡¯s no way you could appreciate a woman like


    that, right?¡±


    After saying so, I left him and headed for the restaurant. Ashton was already waiting outside for me,


    approaching me as soon as he spotted me. ¡°What took you so long?¡±


    Looping my arm through his, I said cheerily, ¡°Just met a familiar toilet and had a chat with him, so I


    figured I might as well take out the trash! My mood¡¯s greatly improved, and I feel so refreshed.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± His eyebrows knitted together.


    ¡°I meant to say that I had a nice trip to the loo!¡± I grinned.


    Sighing in exasperation, he flicked my forehead lightly. ¡°Watch your mouth.¡±


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    Joe, who was trailing behind me, brushed roughly past us as he stormed off towards the lobby, spitting


    out, ¡°Shameless woman!¡± as he did so.


    ¡°What did he say?¡± Ashton looked at me, perplexed.


    I shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s about Reba. He didn¡¯t want to abandon her in a distasteful manner and wanted to


    keep his image squeaky clean. When that n failed, he got frustrated and took out all his humiliation


    on me.¡±


    Ashton¡¯s lips pursed as he stared at the back of Joe¡¯s silhouette. ¡°He¡¯s getting married to that woman


    from the Harrett family soon, so it¡¯s about time he moves on from Reba. The Kanes and the


    Harretts¡¯ future business cooperations will benefit each other greatly.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t interested in any of Joe¡¯s business. ¡°Reba¡¯s life has all gone down the drain. She didn¡¯t


    have any good people around her, and she didn¡¯t have a career of her own,¡± Imented.


    The worst thing a woman could do was to entrust all of herself to a man and spend all of her time and


    energy on him only to get dust in return. Then, there was nothing she could do except to wait until she


    had be useless to him and get thrown away like an old rag.


    Perhaps Reba¡¯s misfortune had started from the moment Parker entrusted her to the group of


    friends.


    The poor woman had never gotten a chance to n her life out properly. She had not only lost her


    pride and independence because of love but had now also lost the motivation to continue living. There


    was nothing more she could do now except be another rich man¡¯s eye candy, but her beauty could only


    last for so long. She had already ruined her own life with her own two hands.


    ¡°I have to go to A City tomorrow to handle some things,¡± Ashton suddenly spoke up. ¡°It¡¯s time we start


    living for ourselves too, Scarlett.¡±

 Chapter 1049

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1049


    A little surprised by his words, I squinted my eyes at him. ¡°A City?¡±


    The corners of his lips quirked up into a smirk. I could see the bloodthirst and fury swimming deep in


    the depths of his eyes, even if he was doing his best to hide them.


    ¡°We can¡¯t let the child¡¯s pain be for nothing, can we?¡±


    Oh. He was finally going to make a move on Armond. After a slight pause of hesitation, I asked, ¡°Can I


    come with you?¡±


    ¡°Why? Will you miss me too much when I¡¯m gone?¡±


    I nodded, smiling up at him. ¡°I guess. So, how about it? Can I go with you?¡±


    As long as the issue with Armond was left unresolved, we would both have sleepless nights. Although


    we would have preferred to live a peaceful and mundane life, we knew that we might face even more


    pain and suffering in the future if we didn¡¯t handle the issue as soon as possible.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    So, Ashton agreed to let me apany him on his trip.


    Joe didn¡¯t even stay for the remainder of the meal, merely telling Ashton the date of his and Zelene¡¯s


    engagement before dragging her away with him. It seemed that their marriage had been confirmed.


    I hadn¡¯t expected two weirdos like John and Emma to get along, but to my surprise, they exchanged


    contact details before they left, and even made ns to eat dinner together tonight at the Stovall


    residence. Johnter approached Ashton and me to inform us that he wanted to host a small party to


    celebrate Kiki¡¯s birthday, thusing up with the idea of inviting everyone over to the Stovall residence


    for dinner.


    Hannah and Chandler were likely to be there because of Kiki. Hannah had also moved on from


    everything, so what was John¡¯s motive in bringing Emma along?


    After leaving the restaurant, Ashton handled some work issues before going to the shopping mall with


    me to make sure that we didn¡¯t show up to Kiki¡¯s birthday party empty-handed.


    We strolled around the mall for a bit, where Ashton ended up choosing a Transformers toy as well as a


    customizable ck race car. His reasoning was that all children enjoyed driving around tiny vehicles of


    their own, and the Stovall residence¡¯s yard wasrge enough for Kiki to do just that.


    We bumped into some familiar faces as soon as we left the mall. It was Sally, and with her was the


    professor that we¡¯d seen once before at the restaurant, Jim.


    Having met once prior to that, the atmosphere between us wasn¡¯t as awkward anymore. Sally waved at


    us, politely inquiring, ¡°It¡¯s rare to see Ashton in the malls. Did youe to buy something in particr?¡±


    Ashton nodded, but said nothing.


    His dark gaze fell upon Jim, an unrecognizable emotion in his eyes as he stared at the man. I didn¡¯t


    understand these sorts of non-verbal cues between men, so I chose to ignore them.


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel like Sally was ncing down at my tummy on and off as she spoke. ¡°I know


    we¡¯ve all been incredibly busy recently, but I¡¯ve been thinking if we should all return to J City and


    celebrate the new year as a family. Ashton, you know Uncle Charlie and Aunt Helen are getting older


    with no children to apany them. Besides, you¡¯re usually so upied with work that you rarely visit


    them. It¡¯d be nice to take a break for a family reunion. I doubt you¡¯ve even been to the old Fuller family


    home these past few years.¡±


    Ashton nodded, simply replying, ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±


    ¡°By the way, Jim and I are nning to hold a wedding soon,¡± Sally told him, sounding slightly


    apprehensive. ¡°Do you have any opinions about that? We¡¯re both in ourte forties already, and we


    want to start living a happy life¡­¡±


    ¡°Have the Murphys agreed to you two being together?¡± Ashton interrupted, turning his attention to Jim.


    ¡°That is solely between your aunt and me,¡± Jim answered, as elegant and selfposed as ever. ¡°The


    Murphy family has no business interfering with our rtionship.¡±


    The Murphys?


    There were very few ¡°Murphy¡± families in K City. Was the Murphy family he mentioned the same as the


    one on my mind?


    Ashton¡¯s mouth quirked slightly, but the rest of his expression revealed no emotion. ¡°Maybe you should


    wait until next year. It¡¯s still too early to make this decision.¡±


    Sally¡¯s face fell, presumably feeling as confused as I was. ¡°What are you talking about, Ashton?


    There¡¯s nothing problematic between Jim and me, so I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d oppose our rtionship.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett and I are busy. Let¡¯s talk about this another time. I suggest you ask him about his family and


    find out more about his background before deciding on anything.¡± Not wanting to continue the


    conversation any further, he tugged on my arm and we left the mall.


    While in the car, I spoke up, ¡°Let¡¯s make a stop at the local pet shop. I think Kiki would like to have a


    small puppy friend to y with.¡±


    He nodded in response, pressing the gas pedal and driving off.


    We sat in silence for a while before I stole an uncertain look at him. ¡°Are you sure Uncle Jim is one of


    the Murphys that we know of?¡±


    Ashton made a sound of admittance. I continued on, ¡°Did you find out after looking into him, or did you


    know since the beginning?¡±


    Even though the Murphys had a lot of children and Armond was likely one amongst many descendants,


    they had always been a very lowkey family that rarely made any public appearances.

 Chapter 1050

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1050


    ¡°The Murphys have many children, but there is only one who controls the family fortune and business,¡±


    Ashton exined while driving. ¡°Robert Murphy and Armond aren¡¯t immediate family members. Robert


    has three sons¡ªall three of whom are not employed at the Murphy Corporation. The rest of his


    grandchildren have all also started up their own businesses in fields of their own choosing. Jim is


    Robert¡¯s third son and loves literature, so he focused solely on learning literature and arts since young.¡±


    ¡°So, Armond is¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s Robert¡¯s eldest¡¯s son¡¯s grandson. He was chosen to inherit the family business because he has a


    strong interest in business and earning money. Unfortunately, Armond was so determined to make a


    profit that greed consumed his morals, bringing lots of trouble to the Murphy family. That¡¯s why the


    Murphys have fallen far from what they used to be in the past.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± It made sense that not every child in arge family would have the talent to go into business.


    Some would prefer arts, some would prefer research, and others would prefer to live on their parents¡¯


    money and not ever having to work for a living. If you wanted your family to continue expanding and


    growing, you had to pick and choose among those children the best candidate to manage the family


    business. Sadly for the Murphys, Armond has no virtues in his business dealings.


    There were always blurred lines between right or wrong. Once someone was cornered, they would


    resort to whatever methods possible to get out of that. Armond was way too ambitious and predatory,


    and as a result, the Murphy family hadn¡¯t expanded as well as his elders had expected.


    ¡°But even so, it shouldn¡¯t affect Aunt Sally and Uncle Jim¡¯s marriage much. After all, Jim didn¡¯t take part


    in his family¡¯s fight for power.¡±


    ¡°Idiot.¡± He chuckled, giving me a sidelong nce. ¡°It¡¯s impossible for a family to expand if it¡¯s solely


    reliant on one person. It relies on everyone in the family¡¯s hard work and effort. If nothing happens to


    the Murphys, they naturally stay out of each other¡¯s business, but once problems arise, the family


    name bes everyone¡¯s top priority. They will each utilize all their power and resources to defend


    their fellow rtives. It¡¯s just like a country; everyone usually minds their own business, but if ites


    down to a life-or-death situation, we¡¯ll band together and do our best to contribute even the slightest of


    efforts for our country.¡±


    He has a point.


    Once the Fuller family tries to take on Armond, it will be a full-on war.


    At the pet shop, I bought a month-old golden retriever puppy so small that it could fit in one of my


    palms. I was clueless about how I should take care of it properly. The staff kindly wrote down a list of


    possible situations and what to do when facing those situations on a piece of paper for me. He also


    advised me to visit the pet shop again any time if I was truly at a loss. They also gifted some dog food


    and toys along with my purchase.


    The sky outside was already dark as I left the pet shop, having given the Stovall residence¡¯s address to


    the staff and requesting for them to send the puppy to the house. Then, Ashton and I got in the car and


    headed for the hospital. Summer had gone through her check-upst night and wanted toe home


    tonight to sleep in her own bed. Cameron had been busy with her own work, so I had no choice but to


    hire a caregiver for Summer, who had insisted on returning back to the Moore Residence and on


    Ashton personally picking her up from the hospital.


    When we got there, I waited downstairs in the lobby, resting my sore legs while Ashton went upstairs to


    her ward.


    I didn¡¯t expect to see Kristina stumbling into the hospital lobby. She seemed to be in an incredibly bad


    shape, barely taking a few steps into the building before copsing onto the floor. Luckily, several


    observant nurses immediately noticed her and hauled her away to the ER.


    Out of curiosity, I followed them over.


    Standing at the entrance to the ER room, I waited for one of the nurses toe out before asking,


    ¡°Excuse me, is the woman inside alright? What happened to her? She looked to be in a horrible


    condition.¡±


    ¡°Of course she looks horrible, she has lung cancer,¡± the nurse sighed, shifting the weight of some


    medical instruments in her arms. ¡°It¡¯s already in itste stages. We kept asking her toe to the


    hospital for treatment, but her family didn¡¯t take any of our advice to heart. She¡¯s finallye back after


    her health has deteriorated this much, but I suspect she doesn¡¯t care much for her own life at all.¡±


    ¡°Lung cancer?¡± I did a double-take. ¡°How could she have gotten lung cancer? What happened?¡±


    Kristina had grown up in a healthy, clean environment. Usually, lung cancer patients were workers at


    chemical nts or had lived in an environment with a lot of dust and air pollution. But Kristina¡¯s life


    hadn¡¯t been like that at all!


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    ¡°It was caused by a respiratory tract infection. Probably because of long-term contact with some sort of


    chemical. Are you her friend? Advise her to receive treatment and don¡¯t let it drag on any longer. It


    won¡¯t do her any good at all if she continues like this.¡±


    I nodded, in a daze as I watched the nurse walk off. How could Kristina have gotten lung cancer, of all


    things? I couldn¡¯t believe it.


    It was only when Ashton called my phone to ask where I was that I realized what we¡¯de to the


    hospital for. I quickly rushed back down to the lobby and spotted him helping Summer into his car.


    ¡°What happened? I thought you told me that you¡¯d be waiting in the lobby,¡± he asked when he saw me.

 Chapter 1051

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1051


    ¡°I just met an old acquaintance, so we chatted a bit,¡± I answered. ¡°Come on. We have to go to Uncle


    Louis¡¯ter tonight, too!¡±


    Summer clung to me during the entire car ride. The poor thing had be so fragile that she was


    nearly just skin and bones, and it felt slightly unnerving when she hugged my arm. ¡°Mommy, are you


    guys going out on a business trip again? Can you take me with you this time? I don¡¯t wanna be alone


    again. You¡¯ve been so busy that you nevere to visit me. Do you not want me anymore, Mommy?¡±


    Her words reminded me that she was still an innocent and na?ve child. Running a hand over her


    smooth scalp, I smiled wryly as I responded, ¡°I will never abandon you, Summer. It¡¯s just that I still have


    a lot of tasks left unfinished. When everything is over and done with, we¡¯ll stay in K City with you every


    day, okay?¡±


    Puffing her cheeks out indignantly, she nodded in acknowledgment and tightened her grip on my arm.


    When we arrived at the Moore residence, her caregiver helped bring Summer into the house before


    Ashton and I left for the Stovall residence.


    ¡°Did Jared get out of jail early?¡± I asked while on the way there.


    ¡°Why do you bring him up so suddenly?¡± Ashton was stunned as he looked at me out of the corner of


    his eye. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. He just randomly came to mind.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Knowing the Crest family¡¯s influence, I


    thought that they¡¯d try to get him out as soon as possible. After all, he¡¯s one of them.¡±


    Ashton didn¡¯t seem as sensitive regarding the topic anymore. Perhaps he would feel relieved and even


    happy if Jared could get out of jail sooner rather thanter. After all, they used to be best friends. Even


    though there had been some arguments, he had likely chosen to forgive and forget and let time heal


    his wounds.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure the Crest family will take care of Jared¡¯s situation,¡± he said, keeping his eyes on the road.


    ¡°Besides, he might be going to W City in the future, so we¡¯ll probably fall out of contact with each other.¡±


    I pursed my lips. Ashton¡¯s resentment and hatred towards Jared had all disappeared by then.


    I turned and fixed him with a solemn stare. ¡°If I didn¡¯t want him toe out, and prefer him to stay in


    there forever until he dies alone, would you be against that?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t even sure what my own answer to that question was. ¡°Is it because of Summer¡¯s illness?¡± He


    nced at me in confusion. ¡°You resent him and don¡¯t want him toe out because you want him to


    suffer more?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but notpletely.¡± If I had only felt shocked by Jared initially, those feelings had all turned to


    detest by then. Everyone had a dark side to them, even the most angelic and righteous of people.


    Some were just better at hiding it from others.


    Jared was especially despicable because he appeared to be a good person, but there was not a single


    trace of kindness to be found in his heart at all. If Summer¡¯s illness was an ident, then Kristina¡¯s


    couldn¡¯t have been an ident too.


    He was clearly out tomit murder. I didn¡¯t know what he did to Kristina to cause her to be diagnosed


    with lung cancer, but I was absolutely sure that he had ced Summer in the chemical nt with the


    intention to make her sick.


    It couldn¡¯t be a coincidence that Kristina and Summer had both stayed in a chemical nt before, and


    both had gotten sick. That meant that the rest of the employees at that nt also had to be suffering


    some side effects from working there in order to earn money for their families. Unfortunately, those


    employees might now have to live with a crippling sickness for the rest of their lives.


    The tant disregard for other people¡¯s wellbeing was exactly why I resented Jared so much. After


    leaving the hospital, I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about how much I wanted him to remain in jail forever, and


    about how I would never let Summer near him ever again.


    Ashton¡¯s eyebrows knitted together as he stayed silent for a minute. ¡°What do you want to do?¡±


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    ¡°Have you ever thought about investigating the chemical nts in W City registered under the Crest


    family name?¡±


    He frowned. ¡°Exactly who did you bump into today?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Kristina. She is diagnosed with terminal stage lung cancer!¡± I was aware that my way of handling


    this problem might have been a little extreme, but I couldn¡¯t think of any other methods to go about it.


    Ashton wasn¡¯t dumb. He understood what I was implying, deep in contemtion before saying, ¡°I¡¯ll


    instruct someone to go and investigate for you. If Jared really has something to do with this, I¡¯ll contact


    the police and get them involved. You don¡¯t need to get your hands dirty or think about matters that


    have nothing to do with us anymore, Scarlett. We¡¯re just normal people now. All we can do now is


    protect those we hold dear to us, you understand?¡±


    His words took me aback, causing a wave of unrecognizable emotions to rise within me. It was as if I


    had suddenly realized the true nature of the person I was in love with. He had a point¡ªwe were all just


    a small part of this huge world, and being able to care for those around us was good enough. We didn¡¯t


    have an obligation to sacrifice our time and energy to interfere with other people¡¯s lives.

 Chapter 1052

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1052


    Hannah and Chandler were already at the Stovall residence when Ashton and I arrived. Clearly excited


    to be with Kiki after a long while, Hannah was holding her son in her arms as they yed together in


    the child¡¯s room while Chandler watching over them warmly. The whole image looked very


    heartwarming.


    I had a sneaking suspicion that John might actually be a masochist of some sort. He knew that he


    would be upset by the sight, yet insisted on making up random excuses to keep going to Kiki¡¯s room to


    take another look at them, and then returning to the living room and plopping down on the sofa in a


    daze. Even Louis couldn¡¯t stand it anymore after watching this process repeat itself over and over,


    scolding him outright, ¡°Get ahold of yourself! Didn¡¯t you invite Ms. Lyons over? Go out and wee her


    in; this house is toorge for her to find her way around.¡±


    ¡°There are servants at the door that will help lead the way, so why should I go?¡± John kicked back and


    leaned against the sofazily.


    ¡°Greeting people at the door is the very basic manners of the Stovall family!¡± Louis shouted at him.


    ¡°You know damn well why you should go greet her!¡±


    Silently admitting defeat, John slumped away to the main entrance to wait for Emma to arrive.


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    Ashton then started up a conversation with Louis while Kiki started sticking by Chandler¡¯s side, insisting


    on ying with him and him only.


    Realizing that she was being left out, Hannah left the bedroom and sat down beside me. ¡°I can¡¯t believe


    I spent ten months fretting and worrying over my pregnancy only to give birth to a traitor,¡± she joked. ¡°I


    couldn¡¯t even get a good night¡¯s sleep, but look at my son now.¡±


    ¡°Kiki kept looking for you these past few days, though,¡± I pointed out,ughing. ¡°And his Uncle Louis


    has already been tormented enough. Kids are born mischievous and yful, so don¡¯t me him for it.


    He¡¯lle back to you when he gets tired and sleepy.¡±


    She nodded and sighed. ¡°I think Kiki stopped drinking breastmilk way too early. I¡¯m a little worried


    whenever I see that his body is smallerpared to other kids his age. Did Summer not drink much


    breastmilk as well?¡±


    ¡°Macy left right after Summer was born,¡± I exined. ¡°At that time, there were too many things


    happening at once and I was unable to take care of Summer, so Jackson and Nick essentially raised


    her. I did considerter on feeding her breastmilk, but it loses nutritional value after it expires, so I


    never ended up doing it. She used to be smaller than what Kiki looks like now, actually. Afterward, I


    brought her to live in R Province for a few years, where the environment was great and clean. She was


    getting better and healthier, and then I brought her back to K City again. Looking back on it now, my


    neglect and failure to n ahead was arge reason why Summer fell sick.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way you could have nned for this, so don¡¯t me yourself,¡± she argued. ¡°Besides,


    Summer still has a chance at growing up healthily if she just focuses on recovering right now. By the


    way, I heard from Uncle Louis that there are more guestsing?¡±


    ¡°My brother invited his blind date, a woman from the Lyons family. I think you¡¯ve heard of her.¡±


    Hannah nodded. ¡°The Lyons family have a reputation in K City for being made up entirely of schrs,


    and their children have all studied literature. But, why would the Lyons want to arrange a marriage with


    the Stovalls?¡±


    ¡°The woman is around thirty years old, and this would be her second marriage. She doesn¡¯t have any


    children because she¡¯s physically unable to give birth to any. Maybe they agreed to let John marry her


    purely because they were afraid no one else would. On the other hand, John already has a child, so he


    doesn¡¯t need to produce any more heirs or anything; he just wants to get married solely because he


    wants someone to stay at home to take care of the children and Uncle Louis. When Uncle Louis


    eventually grows old and weak, there will be a lot of chores at home that need a woman¡¯s help.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Hannah nced at me. ¡°But John is such a prideful guy. Do you think he¡¯ll agree to the


    marriage?¡±


    ¡°Uncle Louis told him that it¡¯s all up to him. Besides, John was the one who invited Ms. Lyons over, so


    he clearly knows what he¡¯s doing. We don¡¯t have to worry about him.¡±


    John and Emma had entered the living room during our conversation. Emma had changed into an outfit


    with softer textures and warmer, lighter colors, and had also removed some of her makeup to appear


    kinder than usual.


    Hannah and I both stood up, smiling politely at her. ¡°Wee to the Stovall residence, Ms. Lyons!¡±


    I had already met Emma once before, so she greeted me casually. When she turned to Hannah,


    something shed through the depths of her eyes. ¡°Are you Hannah?¡±


    Wow. She came prepared.


    Hannah¡¯s mouth fell open at the sudden question but quickly regained herposure. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s nice to


    meet you.¡±


    John stayed silent in front of Hannah like he always did, gazing at her with a cold stare that had hints of


    regret and pain.


    It seemed like he was determined to marry Emma.


    Now that everyone was ounted for, Louis called for the maids to serve the food. Chandler carried


    Kiki in his arms as he came downstairs, giving Emma a polite smile as a greeting.

 Chapter 1053

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1053


    After everyone was seated, Louis invited everyone to begin eating. Emma sat right next to me and I


    spotted her gaze darting back and forth between Hannah and Kiki. ¡°What a beautiful pair,¡± she finally


    remarked, looking at John, ¡°You guys were a family, right?¡±


    John was stunned for a moment but quickly regained his calm. ¡°You can say so,¡± he admitted without


    shying away.


    I thought Emma would be affected by John¡¯s forthright answer, but instead, she shrugged indifferently.


    ¡°Serves you right. You should¡¯ve treated them nicely when you still had them by your side. You only


    have yourself to me since you¡¯re the one who had an affair.¡±


    Herment took me by utter surprise.


    John would haveshed out at her on usual days, at least that was what I expected, but I got it all


    wrong. John looked back at her nonchntly and emted her shrug. ¡°If you say so,¡± he replied


    shortly.


    I really could not get my head around those two. How they interacted with each other was just beyond


    me.


    Everyone stayed back for a little chat after the meal.


    Kiki was already fast asleep and everyone was getting ready to leave when a loud ruckus sounded


    from the outside, so Louis asked someone to go check it out.


    The housekeeper returned and walked right toward John. ¡°Mr. Stovall, someone¡¯s looking for you.¡±


    ¡°Me? Who is it?¡±


    The housekeeper looked stumped. ¡°It¡¯s thedy who came over with youst time, Ms. Wilde.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know her. Tell the guards to throw her out before she dirties this ce,¡± John replied coldly.


    The housekeeper stared at him uneasily for a second and went back outside to do as John said.


    Since it was gettingte, Hannah and Chandler decided to make a move first. Louis asked John to


    send Emma back since Ashton and I was also leaving.


    When all of us were at the front gate, we saw Yvonne outside, with a few security guards blocking her


    way. She looked frail and weak in her hospital gown.


    She was wailing and shrieking at the top of her voice, using John of being cruel toward her. If a


    random stranger were to pass by, they might well mistake John for being a heartless brat.


    As for Emma, I did not worry for her at all. I was sure she would not take Yvonne¡¯s behavior to heart.


    What I worried about was Louis¡¯ reputation if Yvonne kept shouting outside like this.


    ¡°You should at least do something. Uncle Louis won¡¯t be able to sleep in peace tonight,¡± I told John.


    John pursed his lips impatiently as he walked outside, ring at Yvonne, who was throwing a tantrum


    in front of the guards.


    When Yvonne finally saw John, the dissatisfaction on her face disappeared and she quickly put on a


    pitiful look. ¡°Please don¡¯t chase me away, John. I really can¡¯t live without you. I¡¯ll do anything you want


    me to, so just let me stay by your side. I know you¡¯ll marry a woman from a wealthy family, but I don¡¯t


    care. I don¡¯t expect anything from you. Just let me stay with you. I really love you, John, so please don¡¯t


    make me leave,¡± she implored with tears welling up in her eyes.


    I did not like Yvonne, but for what reasons, I was not sure myself. Maybe I started disliking her back


    when John and I helped her. She was materialistic and greedy. ¡°You have no loyalty.¡± I came forward


    and berated her, ¡°You¡¯re with so many men at the same time, and you still cling to John shamelessly


    when you know he¡¯s already engaged. You came all the way here to make a huge fuss just so people


    think he¡¯s a jerk who has wronged you. Now you¡¯re telling me you love him? You¡¯ve got to be kidding


    me, Yvonne Wilde.¡±


    I finally knew why I hated her. She did not deserve to be loved.


    A glint of anger shone in her eyes when she heard my voice. ¡°You again? What did I do to make you


    hate me so much? Why do you keeping in between us over and over again? What did I even do to


    you? Why can¡¯t you just leave me alone?¡± she shouted at me.


    ¡°Watch what you¡¯re saying. It¡¯s true that you¡¯ve done nothing to offend me, but neither have I done


    anything to break you and John up. You know full well that he doesn¡¯t love you at all, but you still can¡¯t


    get over him. It¡¯s your greed that¡¯s stopping you from letting him go. He¡¯s alreadypensated you


    enough, so you should just take the money and lead your own life. But of course, you can keep


    hounding us, but don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you. You¡¯ll regret it when I decide to get rid of you on my own.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± She red at me, holding her arms as she shivered in her thin clothing.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You know what I mean. The Stovalls are not people you want to mess with unless you don¡¯t want to


    live in K City or continue mingling in the rich circle anymore. By the way, didn¡¯t you run a background


    check on that little boyfriend of yours, Franklin, before you guys got together?¡±

 Chapter 1054

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1054


    Yvonne stared at me in fright and disbelief as her body shook more intensely.


    Looking at her disconcertment, a gush of thrill welled up in my heart. ¡°From what I gathered, he¡¯s a


    womanizer through and through. He hooked up with rich women and also those with questionable


    backgrounds. I heard he ended up having some kind of disease, so both of you have better have a


    heart-to-heart talk. You might want to do a thorough check at the hospital too. I think you¡¯ll need it.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett Stovall! Watch your tongue!¡± she bellowed, ¡°I don¡¯t even know who Franklin is!¡±


    I shrugged indifferently and let her have her say before turning toward the guards. ¡°Send her out. It¡¯s


    alreadyte and everyone needs to rest. Call the police if she refuses to leave.¡±


    With that said, I left with Ashton and Hannah.


    Hannah finally spoke when we reached the car park. ¡°You did a background check on Yvonne?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s too greedy for her own good. The Stovall family will never ept someone like her.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Scarlett,¡± Hannah said, her voice suddenly bing serious. ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to discuss Kiki¡¯s


    custody with Uncle Louis because I thought John would marry her. I¡¯d never let someone like here


    close to Kiki.¡±


    A smile spread across my lips as she thanked me. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. The Stovall family helped me


    before, and John had supported me through my hardest time. Although I¡¯m angry with what he¡¯s done, I


    still don¡¯t want his marriage to end on a bad note.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give John my blessing if he¡¯s able to meet someone suitable. Kiki is his child, and no one can ever


    change that. If he meets someone he likes and they have a family together, I¡¯ll still be happy for him,¡±


    Hannah replied with a hint of resignation in her voice.


    Ashton drove the car over and I bid Hannah goodbye before hopping on. I fell into slumber not long


    after the car drove off. It had been a long and tiring day.


    By the time I woke up, we were already back at the vi. It was not until I saw Ashton packing his stuff


    that I remembered we were going to A City tomorrow.


    ¡°They have clothes and toiletries over there, so just bring our travel documents and ID,¡± I said,


    squinting my eyes as I looked at him.


    He turned around at my voice with a gentle smile on his face. ¡°Did I wake you up?¡±


    I shook my head and looked at the clock. It was already past midnight. ¡°What time is our flight


    tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Nine. What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°We still have time. Could you help me bring my ID? I need to renew my passport soon. I¡¯ll stop by J


    City and get it reissued after our trip to A City.¡± After we got married, I changed my address to J City, so


    I would need to go back there to get my passport renewed. It would also be a good chance to go see


    Macy, grandpa, and grandma. It had been a long time since Ist saw them.


    ¡°Where did you put your ID?¡± Ashton asked after a slight pause.


    ¡°Hm, good question. I can¡¯t remember. It¡¯s either in the drawer or in my bag. Oh wait, it should be in


    that pastel color bag. I remember using it during the donation event for Sasha¡¯s mother. It should be


    there. That¡¯s thest time I used it.¡±


    He went over to the wardrobe and took out the bag, ruffling through the content. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you


    keep a journal.¡±


    ¡°Come on, azy bum like me will never keep a journal.¡±


    Ashton took out a small journal and looked at me. ¡°What is this then?¡±


    I stared at the book in confusion before I finally recalled something. ¡°That¡¯s Sasha¡¯s. Renee gave it to


    me when she was at the hospital. She said it belonged to her mother.¡±


    ¡°So this is Sasha¡¯s diary?¡±


    I nodded and Ashton flipped through it. I got out of bed and took a curious look. The journal seemed


    painfully ordinary, and I figured there would not be anything exciting. After all, it was written by


    someone who had already passed away.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯ll be anything interesting. I should probably return this to Sasha¡¯s mother. I think she


    will appreciate having something in remembrance of her daughter.¡±


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    But beside me, a frown settled on Ashton¡¯s brows as he closed the book. ¡°I finally know why Abe was


    suddenly in charge of Imperial Hotel after you saw him dead in Moranta. This is why Armond gave you


    all the evidence without holding back although he knew you were investigating him. The truth is, he


    already had everything nned.¡±

 Chapter 1055

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1055


    I could not get my head around what Ashton just said, so I took the journal and started looking at it


    myself.


    It took me a while for what came to my sight to register. I did not spend much time thinking about why


    Abe still appeared at Imperial Hotel after I saw him dead with my own eyes. It turned out that he had a


    twin.


    ¡°So is the person at A City¡¯s prison Abe or Sasha¡¯s husband?¡± I solicited Ashton¡¯s opinion.


    He lowered his gaze as he looked at the man in the photo. The man looked exactly like Abe, but he


    looked just like an ordinaryd without the uncanny gleam in his eyes. Hisplexion was fair and his


    gaze was tender as he held Sasha in his embrace.


    If Sasha had not mentioned the man¡¯s elder brother in her diary, I would have mistaken the man in the


    photo for Abe.


    ¡°We can only be sure after we meet the guy in A City,¡± Ashton said carefully as he closed the book.


    ¡°You should just stay at K City tomorrow. Go back to Moore Residence. Holden will go over to K City in


    two days¡¯ time. He¡¯ll bring you around the city then. If thepany needs my signature, you can just


    sign in my stead.¡±


    I blinked my eyes at him nkly. ¡°I thought we¡¯ve already decided to go to A City together? What¡¯s with


    the change of mind?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t be sure if the corpse you saw at Moranta is Abe¡¯s if the guy in prison is not him. He¡¯s a


    wanted criminal now, so none of us can say for sure that he¡¯s not concocting some evil n. You need


    to stay in K City. At least you¡¯ll be safe staying with the Moore family. They don¡¯t dare to do anything to


    you over there. Besides, judging from the situation now, Armond is already fixed on giving up all the


    assets in A City, so he won¡¯t be in A City. Chances are he¡¯s gonna stay with the Murphys in K City. I¡¯ll


    sort out everything in A City and get back real quick. You just wait for me in K City, alright?¡±


    I calmed down and thought about his suggestion before finally nodding. ¡°You stay safe, okay? Keep me


    updated.¡±


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    He nodded and pulled me into his arms with a sigh. ¡°Everything will be okay soon.¡±


    ¡°Promise me something?¡± I asked, looking up at him.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    I suddenly did not know how to bring this up to Ashton. It was really not the time to bring up in-vitro


    fertilization. I pulled back and looked at him in the eyes reluctantly. ¡°Ashton¡­ Let¡¯s talk about this after


    you get back. I¡¯ll go take a shower first.¡±


    I really did not have the courage to bring this up to Ashton. I was scared, and my desire to have a child


    had waned off. Taking care of Summer and seeing her grow up was already good enough for me. It


    was just that the Fullers was an influential and wealthy family. I felt like I needed to have a child to


    inherit the family business. That was the least I could do for George and Ashton. I had already lost two


    children because of my own carelessness.


    Over in the bathroom, I looked into the mirror and pondered about this for a long time. Ashton and I had


    a good life and we were blessed to have each other. Not everyone got to have the people they loved in


    their lives, like John and Reba. Life was full of challenges and difficulties, and no one could foresee


    the future.


    All we could do was to appreciate and love the people by our side, and hope that they could remain


    safe and sound for the rest of their lives.


    When I finally got out of the bathroom again, Ashton had already packed everything. When he saw my


    wet hair in a towel turban, he clicked his tongue impatiently. ¡°How many times have I told you to dry


    your hair immediately after taking a shower? You¡¯re gonna catch a cold like this. Come over here and


    dry your hair.¡±


    I nodded quietly and sat on hisp like I always did. ¡°Is Joseph going with you tomorrow?¡± I asked,


    cuddling in his embrace.


    ¡°Nope. His wife is pregnant with their second child and she might deliver anytime soon, so he has to


    stay with her,¡± he said, rubbing my hair dry with the towel.


    I was surprised to know that Joseph and his wife were already having their second child. That could be


    us. I could not help but shoot Ashton a guilty look. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ashton.¡±


    A sweet smile yed on his lips as he replied, ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be sorry about. I¡¯m responsible for


    what happened too. I should¡¯ve taken better care of you, so you don¡¯t have to feel bad. We have


    Summer now and that¡¯s enough for us. Don¡¯t you always want to apply for grad school? You should


    prepare for it and take the entrance exam next year.¡±


    I was d Ashton still remembered I wanted to further my studies. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll go ask Hunter for more


    information soon. Make sure youe home as soon as possible, okay? Should you just ask Boris to


    go to A City with you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can handle it myself. He should stay at K City and unwind a little. It¡¯s almost new year


    already, so I think he¡¯ll be preparing to go back to Moranta.¡±


    Boris¡¯ family was in Moranta. Since he had always been at K City, he must miss his family dearly.

 Chapter 1056

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1056


    ¡°By the way, my mom mentioned Nick is in K city. We should find some time and have a meal together.


    After all, we¡¯re a family and I¡¯m his sister. We should really have a meetup.¡±


    ¡°Sure. You can go ahead and make arrangements. We¡¯ll travel down south after I get back from A City.


    It¡¯s winter and it¡¯ll be nice to go to the beach. You¡¯ll love it.¡±


    I nodded slightly at his proposal. His movements were gentle and light as he blew dry my hair. I


    snuggled in his embrace and started to doze off.


    When he was finally done, he tucked me in and went to take a shower himself. I could sense him


    coming over to the bed and pulling me into his arms after he was done showering. I was so tired I just


    let him do whatever he wanted.


    ¡°Scarlett?¡± his breath tickled my ears as he mumbled my name. ¡°Uh-huh,¡± I replied without opening my


    eyes.


    His hands started fondling my body before he asked for permission. ¡°Can we?¡±


    I opened my eyes slightly when I understood what he was implying and met hispelling gaze. ¡°It¡¯s


    been a long time,¡± he added.


    A hot flush spread across my cheeks, looking at him. ¡°Well¡­¡±


    I could not bring myself to say anything. It was not like I needed to say anything explicitly. Our actions


    were already enough to show what we both wanted.


    Night passed and morning came.


    I was aware that Ashton woke up early, but after a passionate night, I really could not get out of bed to


    send him off. Iy in bed and watched him wash up and gather his luggage.


    Before he left, he stopped at the door and turned back with a smile on his face. ¡°I almost forgot!¡± he


    said, dashing back to the bed and nting a kiss on my lips. ¡°Rest well. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    Seeing me nodding shyly, the smile on his face widened.


    We had been married for years, but sometimes I still felt embarrassed in front of him. I continued


    sleeping after Ashton left. It was not until my phone rang that I woke up again.


    It was Cameron. ¡°Letty, you up? What time are youing over for lunch? I¡¯ve just sent the driver over


    to pick you up, so go get ready.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll just eat something at home, mom. You don¡¯t have to send the driver over. I¡¯ll go to your ceter


    in the afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Ashton already called me this morning. It¡¯s almost noon already. Get out of bed ande over. You


    can sleep all you want after you have lunch.¡±


    ¡°He called you in the morning?¡± I sprang up and looked at the clock. It was already twelve in the


    afternoon. I must have slept for a long time.


    After hanging up the call, I got out of bed and got ready to leave.


    Ashton¡¯s flight took off at nine in the morning and he had not reached yet. I quickly packed some stuff


    and went over to Moore Residence. Emery and Hunter were already there when I arrived.


    Xavier had grown a lot when I saw him sleeping in Hunter¡¯s arms. Emery was cooking in the kitchen.


    She shot me a smile and asked me to wait while she got lunch ready.


    I went over to Hunter and asked him about applying for graduate school. ¡°Hunter, sorry to bother you


    aboutw school again, but do you happen to have anything I can study to prepare for grad school?¡±


    Since I had some free time at home, I decided to do some revision and prepare for the entrance exam


    next year.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    He was surprised I brought up the matter. ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t keen on applying anymore since you


    didn¡¯t take the exam thest time. Anyway, sure, I can go get you something to study tomorrow.


    Hopefully, I¡¯ll be able to find you something helpful.¡±


    I thanked him with a forced smile on my face.


    Hunter realized the change in my expression andforted me. ¡°Summer seems to be doing well. We


    should really n an outing together and bring the kids along. You should discuss with Mr. Fuller and


    see if you guys can make time.¡±


    We actually did have time for vacation, but we would have to wait until Ashton was back from A City.


    ¡°What are you guys talking about? Mind if I join?¡± Emery asked, walking out of the kitchen with a te


    of fruits in her hands.


    ¡°We¡¯re talking about grad school. Hunter is getting me some stuff to read through before I take the


    exam.¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to ace it,¡± she remarked, taking over Xavier from Hunter. ¡°I¡¯ll take Xavier


    upstairs and tuck him in. Nick isingter, so you go get the doorter.¡±


    Before I could even process what Emery said, the sound of a car engine came from the outside.


    Mom came out from the kitchen and saw me in the living room. ¡°Go get Nick, Letty. I think he¡¯s here


    with his friend.¡±


    I nodded and went out to the yard. From the ck buster came a tall and slim man dressed in a grey


    suit. I could not recognize him at first sight, but after taking a closer look, I knew it was Nick.

 Chapter 1057

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1057


    After he got off the car, he went over to the passenger¡¯s seat and opened the door before he escorted a


    lady out. I was totally not expecting him to bring a woman¡ªan elegant woman, to be precise. I thought


    he woulde with Jackson.


    I lost myself for a second, looking at thedy.


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    But I quickly collected myself and went ahead to greet them. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Nick. You¡¯re still as


    dashing as ever.¡±


    Nick smiled back at me politely. The childishness in his manner was long gone already. ¡°It¡¯s been a


    long time. You¡¯ve gotten thinner.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to introduce your friend to us?¡± I asked, looking at thedy beside him.


    He nodded and held her hand. ¡°This is Rose, my girlfriend,¡± he said, before turning toward the woman.


    ¡°Rose, this is my sister, Scarlett.¡±


    Sister! The word really sounded stiff and distanting from Nick.


    Rose looked at me and put on a sweet smile. ¡°Nice to meet you, Scarlett. You¡¯re just as beautiful as


    Nick described.¡±


    ¡°He must have exaggerated. Come on in. Lunch is almost ready.¡±


    I ushered them into the house and asked them to take a seat. There were some burning questions I


    wanted to ask, but I did not. I wanted to know what happened to Jackson. I wanted to know if Nick


    intended on marrying this woman since he brought her home.


    I never asked Nick about Jackson since I figured their rtionship was not as simple. I thought both of


    them would continue seeing each other, but it turned out that was not the case.


    When mom was finally done cooking, dad had reached home after work. Everyone sat at the table and


    Nick introduced Rose to everyone. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m nning on marrying Rose. This is why I brought her


    with me today. Her family¡¯s from K City, so I guess it¡¯ll be easier if we let you take charge of our


    engagement since you know this ce best.¡±


    Cameron was taken aback by Nick¡¯s direct statement, but it was not like she did not see thising.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re finally settling down. I¡¯ll make sure the engagement ceremony turns out perfect. Let me


    know if both of you have any preferences.¡±


    Nick smiled warmly and shook his head. ¡°We don¡¯t have any preference, mom. Something simple will


    suffice. Maybe just get the two families together for a meal.¡±


    A satisfied smile broke out on Cameron¡¯s face as she listened to Nick. She was d to see her children


    finally settling down and getting married. This was what every parent hoped for their children.


    Everyone had a good talk over lunch. I could not help but realize there was something off between Nick


    and Rose. They looked so rigid and polite around each other. If someone had not told me they were a


    couple, I would not have thought so.


    After dinner, Cameron brought Rose upstairs. I figured she must have a gift for Rose.


    As for me, I went outside and saw Nick in the backyard with his face downcast. ¡°I heard mom said


    you¡¯re moving thepany to K City? Are you nning on staying in the city in the future?¡±


    He turned around and nodded. ¡°Mom asked me toe over and manage Anderson Corporation with


    you. I thought that¡¯s a good idea. After all, it¡¯s always better to be around your family.¡±


    I nodded and hesitated a little before I continued, ¡°Did Jacksone to K City with you? I still can¡¯t


    reach him after such a long time. Did he change his phone number?¡±


    Nick froze at the mention of Jackson, but he quickly recollected himself. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. We haven¡¯t been


    in touch for some time already. He probably went to M Country. He¡¯s spent some time there before.¡±


    ¡°What happened? Did you get into a fight with Jackson?¡± I felt something was obviously wrong.


    Nick stopped for a while before shaking his head. ¡°We¡¯re good. There¡¯s nothing to be worried about.


    How have you been? I haven¡¯t heard from you for such a long time. I heard from mom that Summer


    was sick some time ago. How is she now?¡±


    Jackson and Nick took care of Summer for quite some time. If Nick were asking about a random child, I


    would have understood his casual tone, but it was Summer we were talking about. He and Jackson


    took her as their own daughter. There was no way Nick would talk about her in such a detached


    manner.


    ¡°Nick, I know what happened between you and Jackson is your privacy. But I¡¯m your sister, and I¡¯m


    also Jackson¡¯s friend. You have to at least let me know what¡¯s happening. Do you have any idea how


    sick Summer was? She had acute leukemia, and she almost died because of it. I have no idea what


    happened between you and Jackson. I texted and I called, but none of you picked up. If both of you still


    take me as a friend, you will let me be in the know. I don¡¯t understand why you guys are suddenly so


    cold to Summer and me¡ªso much so that you would ignore us when we needed you all the most.¡±

 Chapter 1058

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1058


    Nick was genuinely shocked when he learned about Summer¡¯s illness. It was apparent that Cameron


    did not fill him in on the details.


    He fell into silence for a while before he looked at me again. ¡°How is Summer? Is she okay?¡±


    ¡°She did a bone marrow and kidney transnt. She¡¯s feeling better now but they¡¯re still putting her


    under a five-year observation. If there is no sign of rejection from her body, then she doesn¡¯t need to go


    through another transnt. But Nick, we¡¯re not talking about Summer now, I want to know what


    happened between you and Jackson.¡±


    Nick held his hands and tried to control his emotions. ¡°He got a girl pregnant and went back to M


    Country with the woman,¡± he said after some time.


    Nick sounded apathetic, but I was totally caught off guard by his statement. ¡°What happened? I thought


    you liked him?¡±


    Nick pursed his lips and looked at me in the eyes. ¡°Do you find me disgusting?¡±


    I shook my head in determination. ¡°I believe all rtionships are equal. The reason I asked is that I


    could see there was something between you and Jackson. I know both of you care for each other a lot.


    I had no idea what happened between the two of you, but now that I know, I just hope you guys find


    your happiness. Meeting and parting are part and parcel of life, but I really want to see each of you


    finding where you belong.¡±


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s best we both go our separate ways,¡± Nick said with his gaze fixed on the ground.


    I could hear the regret and sorrow in his voice. After some thought, I asked him another question. ¡°Do


    you like Rose?¡±


    No one was perfect. We could not do everyone justice by giving them the affection they were due, but


    we could at least try our best and be ountable to ourselves.


    ¡°Rose is gentle, kind, and beautiful. She reminds me of you when you were younger. She¡¯s a little


    stubborn and conflicting sometimes, but I think she¡¯s the right person to spend the rest of my life with. If


    she is the one to marry, I¡¯ll have no regrets for the rest of my life.¡±


    I was surprised Nick would say that. Since he had made up his mind, I decided to respect his decision.


    When Cameron and Rose came back down again, she was holding a set of jewelry in her hands. It was


    not something of an exorbitant price, but it was apparent that Rose liked her gift.


    The lot stayed back for some chit-chat after lunch until evening. Hunter had a gathering with his


    colleagues at night, so he, Emery, and Xavier went home before dinner time. Not long after they left,


    Nick and Rose took leave too.


    Just as I was thinking about spending some time with Summer, Camelia called. I almost forgot her as


    she had not contacted me in a long while.


    ¡°Hey, Camelia.¡± I hesitated and picked up the call.


    ¡°Hey, Scarlett. Are you busy? Down for a drink?¡± She sounded tired.


    ¡°Sure, where are you?¡± I replied without a second thought.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send you my address,¡± she replied before hanging up.


    I nted a kiss on Summer¡¯s head and said sorry before leaving for the bar.


    I wonder what happened to Camelia?


    I made my way into the bar and spotted her right away. She was dressed in a stylish punk fashion. No


    one would imagine she was already a mother.


    ¡°What¡¯s up, Camelia?¡± I asked. I was taken by surprise when I saw her heavy makeup.


    From her drowsy look, I could tell that she had drunk a lot before I arrived.


    ¡°Hey, Scarlett, take a seat!¡± she greeted and pulled me over to the seat beside her. ¡°Brandy, please.


    Thanks,¡± she told the waiter.


    ¡°Just a ss of juice would do,¡± I hastily told the waiter.


    ¡°You¡¯re not drinking? We¡¯re at a bar,¡± Camelia said.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not a must to order spaghetti if you¡¯re at an Italian restaurant.¡±


    ¡°True. And it doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ll find love if you¡¯re married,¡± she said dejectedly.


    I knew something must be bugging her. ¡°So, why did you call me over? Not just for a drink, I suppose?¡±


    Camelia gulped her drink and coughed furiously. She was breaking out in tears and started choking


    badly. ¡°I¡¯ve tried everything I could to be just like you, but he still doesn¡¯t love me. I¡¯ve changed


    how I talk, how I behave, and even what I like and dislike, but it just doesn¡¯t work. What should I do?¡±

 Chapter 1059

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1059


    A frown settled on my brows when I finally knew why she called. Marcus was really a difficult character.


    He must have put the woman through a lot of ordeals for her to be this haggard.


    ¡°Scarlett, can you tell me how you made him fall in love with you?¡± she asked again.


    I looked at the desperate woman before me and recalled how attractive she looked when I first saw her


    on the ne.


    She looked at me intently with an imploring gaze, and it broke my heart to see her in this state. ¡°Just


    leave him, Camelia. Do you still remember how you used to be? You were happy and confident.¡±


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Camelia looked at me, befuddled.


    She was making my heart break. ¡°Do you still remember how you were when we first met? Your blonde


    hair was shining and you were absolutely stunning. You¡¯re attractive just the way you are. You don¡¯t


    have to be anyone else. Don¡¯t throw away your unique self just to mimic other people. When you


    find someone worthy of your love, that person will bring out the best in you, so why give up on yourself


    for someone who doesn¡¯t even appreciate you?¡±


    Camelia looked lost and helpless. ¡°But I have no one else besides him. Where can I go without him?


    We already have a child together.¡±


    It was unimaginable how a fruitless rtionship could eat away the charm of a woman. ¡°Camelia, you


    are your own self. If you¡¯re willing to take charge of your own life, you can still find yourself again and


    be the spirited woman you used to be. Your child should not be your excuse. The White family can take


    good care of your kid. What you need to think of is how to regain the confidence you¡¯ve lost.¡±


    There were two things women should never stop doing throughout their life. The first was to stay


    beautiful. They should do everything they could to make themselves attractive. Not for anyone else, but


    for themselves. The second was to enrich themselves. Women should earn their own money and keep


    improving themselves. No matter how harsh life was, no one should stop feeding their soul so they


    could be stronger and more independent.


    I didn¡¯t mean to say that women should never believe in true love. The love we were after should be


    one that made us better, not worse.


    I was not sure if Camelia would take my advice seriously. She was wasted and keptining about


    how unfair Marcus was treating her. After all these years, Marcus had even given up on making up lies


    to her.


    When I came to think of it, men were really fascinating creatures. They would always dwell on things


    they couldn¡¯t get their hands on. However, when they got what they wanted, they would not appreciate


    and take care of it. They ended up being alone because they stubbornly clung to the love they could


    not have and pushing away the love they had always had.


    Marcus was not John. I could not tell if Marcus would fall for Camelia one day. All I could do was to


    encourage her to love herself. Regardless of whether she would earn his love one day, one should


    always care for her own wellbeing before anything else.


    Life wasn¡¯t perfect. There were bound to be many regrets in life. Not being with the person we loved as


    one of those regrets was not a big deal. After all, it was not like romantic love was the only thing in our


    life.


    All of us had to tread down the path of life whether or not we had someone by our side.


    I had to say Camelia could really drink. I even lost count of how many sses of brandy she took


    before shey on the table, still muttering for more drinks.


    Right after I got her out of the bar, we were met with unweed guests. K City was really not a safe


    ce.


    Two drunkards approached us when they saw two of us stumbling out of the bar. ¡°Hey there, sweeties.


    Craving somepany after a drink? How about some fun tonight? I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be begging for


    more.¡±


    As the spoke, two of them reached for us.


    ¡°Keep your filthy hands to yourself!¡± A woman¡¯s sharp voice pierced through the night.


    I was startled at the woman¡¯s voice. It took me a while to recognize the woman with her heavy makeup


    on. It was Kristina. Her wig sat awkwardly on her head, and she looked far from appealing.


    The two men smirked when they saw her. ¡°Mind your own business before I kill you, ugly hag!¡±


    Kristina red at them coldly. ¡°Kill me? I dare you to.¡±


    The two men exchanged uneasy looks and spat at her. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna get my hands dirty touching you.


    You¡¯re disgusting.¡±

 Chapter 1060

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1060


    With that said, the two men turned and left.


    I watched them leave before looking back at Kristina. It was then that I realized she had a name card in


    her hand.


    I wondered what that was, but the question was not pressing enough for me to ask her about it.


    Instead, I thanked her in all seriousness.


    She did not reciprocate my affection. ¡°This is not a safe ce, so just stay away.¡±


    I wanted to ask her why she was here.


    Yet before I could say a word, she held out her name card to a man who just came out of the bar with a


    lascivious smile on her face. I was stunned by her sudden change of expression. The man threw the


    name card on the floor and I caught a glimpse of it. There was a picture of an attractive woman printed


    on it. Beside the picture were her phone number, address, and a price tag.


    It did not take much effort to recognize the person in the photo. It was Kristina herself. I was at a loss


    for words. I wanted to say something, but I had to try so hard to swallow my emotions back in. ¡°Do you


    need money?¡± I asked without much discretion.


    My brutal question elicited a painful expression on her face as she pursed her lips. ¡°Of course I do.


    Who doesn¡¯t need money? No one can live without money.¡±


    ¡°You know I don¡¯t mean it that way.¡± I tried exining myself.


    She clenched her name cards tighter and shook her head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Just leave before you


    meet another drunkard.¡±


    I stood where I was, refusing to leave. ¡°Is it because you have to do chemo?¡± That was the only


    reasonable exnation I could think of. She had lost her hair and she looked battered. Even her face


    looked pale.


    She covered her face with thick makeup and even had a wig on. I knew she was a prideful person.


    There was no way she would stoop so low just to earn money. It must be because of the expenses for


    chemotherapy.


    ¡°You mind your own business. Stop getting in my way. I need to get customers,¡± she said coldly.


    What I heard about her illness must be true. She must have lung cancer.


    I knew she had her ego. There was no way she would ept my help. ¡°Since you want to do business,


    you¡¯ll have to do as your client wants you to. You¡¯reing with me tonight,¡± I said with amanding


    tone.


    She fixed her gaze on me. ¡°What do you want, Scarlett?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m your client now, so just do as I say,¡± I repeated.


    ¡°I only take male clients. I don¡¯t have time for you if you¡¯re just here to shame me. If you¡¯re getting


    revenge on me because of that kid, karma has already hit me hard enough, so just leave me alone,¡±


    she said with a hint of remorse in her voice.


    ¡°Just follow me, please. I know you feel guilty toward Summer, so you¡¯re obliged to listen to me. You


    must live nearby. Bring me over to your ce,¡± I said with a sigh.


    Kristina looked at me for a while before she finally relented. ¡°Follow me.¡±


    She led Camelia and me down an alley. Before long, I stopped and cried out, ¡°Kristina, don¡¯t you think


    you should help me out a little?¡± Camelia was already so wasted she could not even walk properly.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Kristina looked back at me. ¡°I can¡¯t carry her. Walking itself is already difficult enough for me. This is the


    truth, whether you believe me or not.¡±


    I smacked my lips and shrugged helplessly. ¡°Just lead the way then.¡±


    It was not like I could force her to carry Camelia.


    We finally reached after some time. ¡°You should just go back to J City. I¡¯m sure Dr. Ludwick will do


    everything he can to cure you. You can¡¯t just stay here all on your own. You¡¯re gonna get more sick.¡±


    ¡°We all die someday. I¡¯d rather die somewhere I want to. I¡¯ve been striving so hard my whole life just to


    go up the socialdder. If there was an afterlife, I hope I would be born in this city, so I can be nearer to


    the things I¡¯ve always wanted to achieve,¡± she said, pouring me a ss of water.


    Kristina was really a woman I could never understand. She came from a rtively good family, but it


    was her worldview that I could never understand. She had always wanted to pursue wealth and status.


    Ashton was her first target, but when she knew there was no hope with him, she turned to Jared


    instead. Her motivation was clear as day¡ªshe wanted to marry a rich man. But why, I could not tell.


    Was it because of money?


    Her familycked nothing.


    Power?


    Ashton and Jared had money but not power.


    Love?


    That was impossible. If it were love she wanted, she would not move on from one person to another so


    easily.


    ¡°Both of us need to stay overnight here,¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯ll pay you at your rate, but you¡¯ll have to stay here


    with us. Also, stop taking customers. You know what sort of mene in and out of the bar. Your body


    won¡¯t be able to take it. What if you get STD? Do you want to die earlier?¡±

 Chapter 1061

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1061


    She drilled her gaze through me. ¡°Are you showing concern for me now?¡±


    ¡°Not really. Who are you to me? I¡¯m just reminding you of the possibility of things getting worse if you


    carry on with this,¡± I turned aside and replied.


    She sat on her small bed and a pathetic smile yed on her lips. ¡°Isn¡¯t life just ironic? You, of all


    people, are the one who came to my help when I¡¯m in the deepest pit.¡±


    I did not know what to say, so I kept quiet.


    Kristina looked at the name card in her hand and said mockingly, ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve never thought about


    going back. I don¡¯t want to go back to J City like this. I told myself when I left that I¡¯d only go back when


    I¡¯m happy and aplished. But what am I now? I¡¯ve lost everything. How can I go back like this? I¡¯d


    rather just die here.¡±


    A pang of sadness ate away at me as she spoke. ¡°Why are you so hard on yourself? There are so


    many options avable, why do you have to choose the hardest one? Don¡¯t you know your family is still


    waiting for you?¡±


    ¡°No one is waiting for me. I¡¯m the only person who¡¯s waiting for myself,¡± she said with her head low as


    tears rolled down her eyes. ¡°My parents were gone when I was two, and my uncle sent me to the


    orphanage for ten years before he took me back again. He did that because his wife couldn¡¯t bear a


    child herself. But they had a boy after that, and I became a burden to the family. Come to think of it, life


    is really a joke. I thought I could have a perfect family if I found someone I could spend forever with. I


    thought I could give my children the best if I could just find that right person, but I went a long way and


    ended up being all alone.¡±


    I did not know how tofort her. Looking at her crying her heart out, I could only pass her a tissue


    and listen to her. ¡°Everyone has their own hopes and dreams.¡±


    ¡°I guess this is just my life. I should ept it,¡± she said derisively, pressing her hand against her chest.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± I asked, looking at her contorted face.


    ¡°Get me the painkillers in the drawer,¡± she said, sucking in a long breath.


    I drew the drawer open and started looking for painkillers among the many medications she had. I


    passed it to her and got her a ss of water.


    She looked much better after taking the pills. ¡°Thanks,¡± she said.


    I looked around the cramped room and then at her. ¡°Have you been staying here all this while?¡± I


    asked.


    Ashton and his group of friends might have very different personalities, but when it came to their


    women, they were never stingy. Take Reba for example, the three of them made sure shecked


    nothing.


    Since Kristina was with Jared, there was no way she would spiral down to this state if she spent her


    money wisely.


    ¡°Jared has a house for me, but I rented it to someone else because I needed money. It¡¯s cheaper to


    rent a small room here since it¡¯s further away from the city center.¡±


    I had a rough idea of how much chemotherapy would cost. Given the high cost, she must have spent


    most of her ie. That was probably why she was selling her own body.


    Neither Kristina nor I slept that night. Camelia was the only one who slept through the night. When


    morning came, Kristina could not take it anymore and finally fell asleep.


    I left my bank card in her room and left with Camelia to get breakfast.


    ¡°How did we end up there in the morning? What were we doing there?¡± Camelia bombarded me with


    questions after sobering up.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know where else to bring you, so I brought you there,¡± I replied.


    ¡°What about the bank card then? Is that for the night¡¯s stay?¡± she pursued.


    I nodded.


    She was clearly not satisfied with my answer, but before she could probe any further, I beat her to it.


    ¡°Do you have any nster?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Not really. What about you?¡± she said after a brief silence.


    ¡°Do you have your bank card with you?¡±


    She nodded.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go to the hairdresserter. We¡¯re stopping by the beauty salon and the mall after that.¡±


    ¡°But Tobias is still home,¡± she said.


    ¡°Is the nanny home?¡±


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°She is. I told her I¡¯d be out.¡±


    ¡°Then all¡¯s good. You have the whole day to yourself,¡± I said.


    After getting breakfast, we went to the hairdresser. The hair salons in K City were either low-end or


    super high-end. For thetter ones, they were not essible by just simply anyone. I contacted Emery


    and told her I suddenly felt like getting my hair done. ¡°What got into you? Why do you want to cut your


    hair all of a sudden?¡± she asked.


    Her words rendered me speechless. ¡°It¡¯s my friend, not me. Are you free today? Wanna hang out?¡± I


    offered.

 Chapter 1062

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1062


    ¡°Of course! Give me your address,¡± Emery agreed readily. ¡°My life only revolves around Xavier these


    days. I feel I¡¯m so detached from the world outside now. I really need to get out.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send you my address. You can ask the nanny to take care of Xavier, or you can just send her over


    to mom¡¯s ce.¡±


    ¡°Come to think of it, you¡¯re the one who has the easiest life, Scarlett. Your parents take care of your kid,


    and your husband takes care of thepany. You get to do whatever you want. How I envy you.¡±


    ¡°Then do you want to switch ces with me?¡± I joked.


    ¡°Hell no. My husband is the best man on earth. I¡¯m not trading him for anything else,¡± she said cheekily.


    ¡°So you know. Come on, I just sent you the address. Get over quick, we¡¯re waiting for you.¡±


    After I hung up, Camelia and I looked for a cafe and had a coffee while waiting for Emery.


    ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± I asked, seeing Camelia looking at her phone absentmindedly.


    ¡°I¡¯m just worried about Tobias. I haven¡¯t gotten any call since I came outst night. Marcus didn¡¯t call


    either. Does he not care at all?¡±


    ¡°You should call the nanny and make sure if everything is okay. As for Marcus, it doesn¡¯t matter if he


    cares for you or not. You¡¯ve already wasted so many years on him. What you need to do now is to find


    your own life and improve yourself.¡±


    Life was more than just pursuing love. Our lives were full of potential and possibilities. We should look


    for another open door instead of insisting on opening a closed door.


    Camelia called the nanny and learned that everything was fine with the child at home. She wanted to


    call Marcus, but I stopped her.


    ¡°He would¡¯ve called if he wanted to know where you are. You should just leave him be. Stop thinking


    about him for a bit and just focus on yourself.¡±


    It seemed like Marcus was not home at all yesterday. He did not even know she was not home. I had


    no clue what Marcus was thinking, so I could only ask Camelia to get a grip of herself.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Perhaps Marcus really did like Camelia at the beginning, else he would not even choose to get


    engaged with her. There were other families within M Country who were influential in the business


    world, so there must be a reason why Marcus chose her.


    When we saw Emery, she was dressed extravagantly in a leopard print outfit. The handbag in her hand


    was worth a fortune and she even had her jewelry on.


    ¡°Are you trying to show off?¡± I asked, startled. Her whole outfit would easily cost more than a million.


    She eximed happily, ¡°I haven¡¯t been out for so long. These items had been collecting dust in my


    wardrobe. It¡¯s okay, you wouldn¡¯t understand anyway.¡±


    I shrugged at her and picked up my ringing phone. ¡°Hey, Ashton, I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t callst night.


    Camelia was drunk. I had to take care of her, so I didn¡¯t check my phone. How is everything in A City?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to keep in touch no matter what?¡± He sounded a little pissed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ashton. I promise I won¡¯t do it again. How¡¯s everything over there? Is it cold?¡±


    I could hear him sigh on the other end. ¡°Just what can I do with you, hmm? Everything is fine over here.


    Tessa is not even taking care of the child. Brandon is emotionally unstable. I think I¡¯ll be able to


    persuade him. What about you? Did you go homest night? Where were you?¡±


    ¡°I brought Camelia to Kristina¡¯s ce yesterday. We stayed at her ce the whole night. You don¡¯t


    have to worry,¡± I said, smiling brightly.


    ¡°Kristina? What are you doing with her?¡±


    I kept quiet for a moment, trying to think of how I should break the news to him. ¡°She has lung cancer. I


    bet she got it when she was in W City. Remember I asked you to check the Crest family¡¯s chemical


    nt? Both Summer and Kristina got cancer, so chances are there¡¯s something wrong with that


    chemical nt. I¡¯m sure they do not meet the standards stipted. Their workers must have been


    affected as well.¡±

 Chapter 1063

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1063


    It was true that Ashton and I should not meddle in the affairs of the Crest family, but whenever I thought


    about the workers at the chemical nt, I could not just turn a blind eye. Most of the people working


    there did note from rich families. A lot of them hadbored and toiled their whole life just to make


    ends meet. If they fell sick, they would drag their families down.


    And it was not just one family that we were talking about. A lot of families were at stake here.


    It only took the breadwinner to fall sick for the entire family to lose everything.


    Sasha was a good example. Her old parents had worked hard their whole life just to bring her up. s!


    Sasha didn¡¯t live long and the seniors had to fend for themselves for the rest of their lives.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to look into the chemical nt. As for Kristina, I¡¯m sure her uncle will be able to be of


    help. He¡¯s a bone cancer specialist, so you don¡¯t have to worry about her.¡±


    ¡°But she refuses to go back. She already rented out the house Jared gave her in K City. She¡¯s now


    staying in a small room in the urban vige instead. I bumped into her at the bar yesterday, soliciting. I


    didn¡¯t know how to dissuade her from working there, so I just left my bank card with her.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t bother yourself with any of these. Everyone has their own way of living. You can¡¯t


    change everybody,¡± Ashton replied.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I replied curtly. ¡°Remember toe back earlier. By the way, Nick is getting married. My mom


    is preparing for his engagement, so you¡¯d bettere home earlier. I want us all to attend as a family.¡±


    Ashton chuckled at the good news. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll try to go back as soon as possible. You¡¯d better stay


    home tonight. It¡¯s not safe to hang out sote.¡±


    ¡°I know, please stop nagging me.¡±


    Beside me, Emery shot me an impatient look and whispered, ¡°Scarlett, can we go yet? We¡¯re not here


    to see you and Ashton being lovey-dovey.¡±


    ¡°I know right? Stop rubbing it in my face,¡± Camelia agreed.


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    I smiled and said goodbye to Ashton before ending the call. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hairdresser first,¡± I said to


    Emery.


    Spending money could also be a way of venting negative emotions.


    This was especially true for Camelia and Emery. Both of them picked the most handsome hairdressers


    at the best salon and started talking to them as they got their hair done. Each of them spent thousands


    buying products and getting a makeover.


    Emery spotted the despise in my eyes. ¡°I feel happy when I spend money. Besides, the two young men


    were really handsome and I had a great time talking to them. I think it¡¯s money well spent.¡±


    ¡°Yeap, I agree,¡± Camelia interjected, ¡°I haven¡¯t been this happy for a long time. This feels better than


    going for a drink at the bar. I came out looking prettier and in a better mood, so it¡¯s worth the money.¡±


    Now that they put it that way, I could only say that they had put their money to good use.


    Our next stop was the beauty salon. By the time we finished a spa, it was already afternoon.


    I just got out of the spa when Kristina called. ¡°I don¡¯t need your card. I¡¯ll take the cash as your


    amodation fee and for taking up my time yesterday. As for the card, you can take it back.¡±


    ¡°Sure, you can give it back to me, but I¡¯ll need to make this clear¡ªyou need to go back to J City if you


    refuse to take the card. Your uncle is a bone cancer specialist, he will figure out a way to cure you. If


    you keep up the stubborn act, you¡¯ll only end up putting your life on the line. If you refuse to go back,


    then I¡¯m not taking back the card. You can take it as a token of appreciation for what you did for


    Summer.¡±


    A long silence ensued. ¡°Why are you helping me?¡±


    I found myself asking the same question. Why am I helping her?


    It took me some time to think of a reason. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m helping you, but I don¡¯t have peace in


    my heart if I leave you just like that. Actually, I¡¯m just returning the favor. After all, you¡¯re the one who


    reminded me about Summer. So let¡¯s call it even between us.¡±


    ¡°So you ended up being my savior. How ironic,¡± she said, her voice soft and mellow. ¡°But still, thank


    you. I know it¡¯s no use saying this, but I still want to let you know I¡¯m grateful.¡±


    I did not say another word but hung up after that.


    I felt a burden lifted off my chest after the call. Actually, I was not even sure if Kristina would ept my


    offer. She might continue working at the bar, and this would make me feel bad for her. However, it also


    meant she would have to ept the bank card. Although there was not a lot of money in it, it was still


    enough tost her some time. I hope she would be able to think things through and return to J City and


    the Larson family. It would be better to be around people who could help her.

 Chapter 1064

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1064


    After Emery and Camelia were done with their facial treatments, they both decided to go to the mall for


    a shopping spree. I naturally had no objections, so I went along with them.


    Having bustled about the entire day, we went to a restaurant specializing in grilled fish. Just after we


    had taken our seats, Emery looked at me and clicked her tongue. ¡°What are young girls nowadays


    thinking? How does she stand being with such an old man?¡±


    Hearing that, I was stunned for a moment. Then, I nced over my shoulder, only to be greeted by the


    sight of a couple with a huge age gap. It wasn¡¯t a mere assumption, for the woman was kissing and


    being all lovey-dovey with the man in public without the slightest hint of embarrassment. From the look


    of things, they definitely weren¡¯t father and daughter, but lovers.


    However, I only took a gander. When I saw that the woman was all but lying on the man who seemed


    to be about sixty years old, I didn¡¯t continue watching them. After all, it required fortitude to gaze at


    such a scene for a long time.


    Camelia, on the other hand, frowned slightly. ¡°The age gap here must be at least thirty over years. Is


    such a romance truly love?¡±


    In reply, Emery shook her head. ¡°Nope. It¡¯s apparent at first nce that the old man isn¡¯t quite right in


    the mind. He seems a tad senile. As such, the woman is most likely eyeing his money.¡±


    Nevertheless, I remained quiet through it all since it was rather difficult to judge such a matter. We then


    ordered our food, and it was served very quickly. Ah, it¡¯s been a long time since Ist had grilled fish! I


    buried my head in the food and started eating with relish. Meanwhile, Camelia and Emery were still


    discussing skincare routines, including the fact that they should avoid eating spicy food, reduce their


    sugar intake, and have more cogen. After all, women would slowly lose cogen after twenty-five


    years old, so they could only rely on money to retain their beauty.


    In that, I had to concur. Toward the end of their conversation, they then decided to register for a body


    conditioning ss tomorrow to enhance their figure and deportment.


    Sure enough, women were forever pursuing beauty all their lives.


    ¡°Yvonne Wilde, I asked you to apany my father for a stroll! Why did you bring him here? Do you


    have any professional work ethics?¡± A voice abruptly rang out behind me.


    Upon hearing the familiar name, I couldn¡¯t resist looking over my shoulder. By then, the woman, who


    had been in the old man¡¯s embrace, had gotten to her feet. With an apologetic expression on her face,


    she exined to the fuming woman, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Langston. Mr. Langston said that he craved grilled


    fish, so I brought him here. I¡¯m sorry. I won¡¯t do it anymore.¡±


    That woman, however, seemed fit to be tied. Glowering at her, she snarled, ¡°Why are you doing


    everything he says? Don¡¯t you know that he has high blood pressure and has to be circumspect in his


    diet? Also, don¡¯t think that I¡¯m unaware of your ploy. ¡°My father is senile. Are you trying to coax him into


    marrying you so that you¡¯d have a share of the assets when he dies? Let me tell you, that¡¯s a pipe


    dream! It¡¯s impossible! Now, scram! Here¡¯s your pay for having taken care of him for the past few days.


    Don¡¯t you ever step foot into our house again in the future!¡±


    Throwing a stack of bills into Yvonne¡¯s face, the woman then left with the old man. As Yvonne stood by


    the table, the diners in the restaurant stared at her as though watching a show. From the few simple


    words, everyone could discern the meaning clear as day.


    Is she that strapped for cash? Didn¡¯t John give her quite a tidy sum after breaking up with her? So, why


    has she been taking care of an elderly senile man for the sake of money? Besides, their posture earlier


    was really intimate.


    Puzzlement swamped me.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Again ncing back, my brows furrowed when I saw her picking up the money from the floor in a mini


    skirt. I was at a loss for words. We choose our paths in life, and though we have no idea whether it¡¯ll be


    good or bad, we should make a conscientious choice from the very beginning itself.


    After she had picked up all the money, she stood up. The moment she caught sight of me, she froze for


    a moment before sneering, ¡°What a coincidence, Ms. Stovall! You¡¯ve again seen me at my lowest.¡±


    Pursing my lips, I lowered my head andmented, ¡°You have plenty of choices, so why must you


    relegate yourself to this?¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡± Yvonne gave a bark ofughter. As she brandished the money in her hand, she stared at me


    and retorted, ¡°You were born with a silver spoon in your mouth, Ms. Stovall, so you¡¯ve probably never


    suffered much in life, no? Thus, you likely have no idea how someone with no money survives. ¡°People


    are born in different sses, and someone like me is destined to be trampled upon and humiliated ever


    since birth.


    In that case, why should I make life unnecessarily difficult for myself? I¡¯d be better off resigning myself


    to fate and make money however I can do so. ¡°Isn¡¯t this pretty good? Look, I¡¯ve only taken care of that


    old man for a few days, and I¡¯ve gotten tens of thousands in addition to the money he gave me. That¡¯s


    a huge sum. You said I have plenty of choices.


    Indeed, I do. Considering my academic qualification and good looks, I can get an office job with five or


    six thousand a month. ¡°But then, I¡¯ll have to go to work early and get off workte, not to mention


    pandering to my superior. I¡¯ll have to lower myself all my life, and I might even have to pay the price


    with my health. Yet in the end, I might not even afford to buy a house when I¡¯m old. Say, what¡¯s the use


    of dignity and pride?


    ¡°From your standpoint, you can¡¯t understand me. Likewise, from my perspective, I can¡¯t understand


    you. I wanted to marry John because I¡¯ll never again have to worry about money besides getting to live


    out my life in bliss. So, why did you put a stop to that? Was it because of my filthy means of making


    money?


    ¡°But the truth is, I¡¯m amodity in his eyes¡ªone that requires some asional spending for


    maintenance. The only difference is that he¡¯ll ce me in Stovall residence for show at the end of the


    day. Ms. Stovall, a few words from you extinguished all light from my life in the blink of an eye.¡±

 Chapter 1065

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1065


    ¡°What kind of logic is that?¡± Emery countered with a hint of contempt. ¡°If you regard yourself as a


    commodity, then you should act like one. Amodity has value. Do you know your value? ¡°Why on


    earth did you attach such a high value to yourself when you¡¯re amodity that has changed hands


    every so often? Do you think you¡¯re worth that much? You¡¯re amodity that has zero aesthetic and


    practical value, yet you price yourself as a customizedmodity. Do you think you¡¯re worth that


    price? Well, the answer is no.¡±


    Oh my God, Emery is simply¡­ Amazing!


    All at once, Yvonne¡¯s face flushed bright red at her lecture. After a long while, she red at her and


    snapped, ¡°What has that got to do with you? How¡¯s that your business?¡±


    At that, Emery merely snickered, not in the mood to continue debating with her. ¡°It¡¯s indeed none of my


    business. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Naturally, there was no way we could continue with the meal after that debacle. As Emery strode out of


    the restaurant while dragging Camelia and me along, she muttered, ¡°People are really ridiculous


    nowadays. Her values are erroneous, yet she doesn¡¯t allow anyone else to point them out. Come on!¡±


    After saying that, she turned to me with a frown. ¡°Well, I¡¯m curious. How did you get acquainted with


    that freak? Damn it, she¡¯s just pissing me off so badly!¡±


    Startled for a moment, my gaze remained locked on hers. With the corners of my mouth twitching, I


    replied, ¡°You don¡¯t remember her? She was a hostess at your nightclub back then. She was forced to


    drink, so John and I intervened. Iter got her a job at Nick¡¯spany, but it wasn¡¯t long before she got


    her hooks into John.¡±


    Emery was stunned for some time before she blurted, ¡°Dang! Are you serious? It¡¯s been so long that I


    don¡¯t have any recollection of her. She¡¯s really crazy.¡±


    After exiting the restaurant, we went straight to the mall. Once those two women started shopping, they


    were in a world of their own. When the shopping spree drew to an end, the entire trunk was filled to the


    brim.


    Completely worn out, I sat at the lounge on the first floor and waited for them while they shopped.


    I had just sat down for a brief second when I spotted a man dragging Yvonne out of the mall by the hair.


    His movements were vicious and indifferent, turning her silky hair into a tangled mess.


    ¡°Please let go of me! I¡¯m sorry, I won¡¯t do it anymore. I beg you! I¡¯ll give you all the money, so please let


    go of my hair!¡± Yvonne wailed at the top of her lungs.


    However, the man showed no signs of taking mercy on her. Instead, his grip on her became


    increasingly brutal. ¡°You¡¯ll do anyone as long as they give you money, huh?¡±


    The man¡¯s vulgar words were indeed unpleasant, and he proimed that in a booming voice, so


    everyone around them heard that. As they unwittingly attracted people¡¯s attention, an elderlydy


    stepped forward and persuaded, ¡°Young man, just talk it out if there¡¯s a problem. This isn¡¯t an


    appropriate way to treat a woman.¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t mind doing it with any man and has now given me STD! This is all on her! Not only is she


    filthy as hell, but she also ruins others! It¡¯s already merciful of me when she¡¯s such a despicable


    woman!¡±


    Yvonne then fell to the ground while struggling with him. Looking all pathetic, she stared at the man as


    she rebutted in a tearful and aggrieved voice, ¡°I didn¡¯t! It wasn¡¯t me! You¡¯re the one who contracted it,


    for I¡¯ve got no STD at all! All those are wealthy men, so how could they possibly have STD? It¡¯s you


    who contracted it by sleeping around with random women, yet you¡¯re ming me?¡±


    p! The man didn¡¯t pull his punches, so it was a heavy blow. At that strike, Yvonne saw stars, and


    blood trickled out of the corner of her mouth.


    ¡°What a load of crap! Would you have gotten STD if you haven¡¯t gone to the nightclub to prowl for men


    even when you were together with Mr. Stovall? Did you think that wealthy men have no STD? Even if


    they do, would they tell you? You¡¯ll even do it with an old man in his sixties or seventies for a quick


    buck, so who would believe you when you say you have no STD?¡±


    Upon hearing this, a sense of unease flooded me. Could it be that I¡¯ve truly hit the nail on the head, and


    Yvonne Wilde truly has STD? At the thought of this, I hastily took out my phone and called John.


    Fortunately, it was rtively quiet on his side when the call was connected. When he heard the


    commotion on my end, he asked, ¡°Where are you? Why is it so noisy? And what happened?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m at the mall. Where are you?¡± I demanded. When I saw the man beating up Yvonne, my brows


    inevitably creased. Standing up, I headed toward the security booth.


    ¡°I¡¯m having tea with Emma. Would you like to join us? Uncle Louis has an exquisite tea that he has


    kept for a few years, and the taste is rather good. You cane over and try some.¡± From his voice, it


    seemed that he was getting along well with Emma today.


    Smacking my lips, I retorted, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you stole the tea? You¡¯ll be dead meat when Uncle Louis


    learns of it. Oh yes, when were youst intimate with Yvonne Wilder?¡±


    Pfft! The sound of water spraying out sounded, followed by his violent coughing on the other end.


    ¡°Letty, you did that on purpose, no? Even if you want to mess with me, you don¡¯t have to say such a


    thing at precisely this moment. That question of yours is too personal!¡±


    I propped my hand against my forehead in embarrassment. After deliberating for a moment, I urged,


    ¡°Well, just hurry up and tell me. I want to know! This concerns your entire life, so tell me quickly. Stop


    dawdling!¡±


    As mortification pervaded him, John cleared his throat and lowered his voice to a mere whisper as he


    spoke into the phone. ¡°Letty, can we speak about this at home? Emma is right in front of me now, so


    how am I supposed to answer that? Are you sure you¡¯re not doing this deliberately?¡±

 Chapter 1066

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1066


    Pouting, I insisted in exasperation, ¡°Just tell me. Yvonne Wilder seems to have contracted STD. The


    man who was with her learned about it today, and he is beating her up now as we speak. Anyway,


    hurry up and think about when you werest intimate with her as well as whether you have been with


    any other woman during this time. Tomorrow, take some time to go to the hospital and get tested.¡±


    When I received no reply from him for a long time, I thought he had truly contracted STD. Thus, I


    anxiously blurted, ¡°Don¡¯t panic, John. This can be treated. Just go to the hospital tomorrow and have


    the doctor look you over. Then, we¡¯ll discuss a treatment n with the doctor. However, make sure that


    you don¡¯t touch anyone else during this period.¡±


    John was silent for a while before retorting, ¡°Where did your mind go? I was just wondering who she


    got it from. Those men are pretty clean, so an ident isn¡¯t all that likely. How did she get the STD?¡±


    Hearing that, I propped a hand against my forehead. Isn¡¯t he focusing on the wrong thing


    here? Exasperation flooded me. ¡°Why are you still fixated on how she got STD at this time? Hurry up


    and contact a doctor now so that you can get treatment as soon as possible!¡±


    At that, a snort sounded at the other end, and John countered with a chuckle, ¡°Why do I need


    treatment? I¡¯ve never slept with her, so why do I even need to get tested?¡±


    My jaw dropped, and I eximed in astonishment, ¡°You¡¯ve never slept with her? But you¡­¡±


    ¡°She kept dangling herself before me, so I brought her to a few banquets as mypanion. We were


    indeed rather close, but we were never intimate. The debacle about getting married is all because I


    was angry with Hannah back then. That¡¯s why I contemted marrying her. So, don¡¯t worry. We never


    did anything, and I¡¯m totally fine!¡± John sounded exceedingly nonchnt.


    Upon that revtion, my eyes inexorably went wide. ¡°Were you insane, John Stovall? You actually


    didn¡¯t betray Hannah in any way? Then, why did you create so many illusions back then, making


    everyone think that you¡¯re a scumbag and forcing her to leave you? Weren¡¯t you just digging your own


    grave?¡±


    I initially thought that he had truly been intimate with Yvonne, so he nned to marry her. Furthermore,


    I had seen him with her several times in the past, and they appeared very intimate. It was so bad that


    even a bystander like me believed that their rtionship was carnal, let alone Hannah. She had a stake


    in it, so how would she know that all those were just for show?


    Noticing my agitation, John murmured, ¡°In the beginning, I never thought that it would drive her away.


    Nheless, it¡¯s all in the past, so exnations are superfluous now. Don¡¯t worry about me, for I¡¯m


    fine.¡±


    ¡°Hah! You¡¯re thest person I¡¯d be worried about!¡± My blood boiled after having heard all that. He could


    have lived happily with Hannah, and they could have all been a happy family with Kiki, yet he just had


    to create a scandal with Yvonne Wilde! Worse still, he didn¡¯t even do anything with her but lost the


    person he loves. Isn¡¯t that something that only an utter moron would do?


    After hanging up the phone, I was still very much incensed, and anger zed within me. As I stared at


    Yvonne who was being beaten to an inch of her life, I initially wanted to call security, but I then stopped


    short when I reached the door of the security booth. In the end, I returned to the lobby instead.


    People often chose their own paths, and they¡¯re merely reaping what they sow.


    There was quite a crowd milling around, but no one stepped out to help. First of all, they all disdained


    Yvonne after hearing the man say that she was willing to do anything for money, so they didn¡¯t want to


    lend her a hand. Besides, they were afraid that she was truly diseased, so they kept a distance from


    her to avoid being contaminated.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    When Yvonne was all bruised and battered from the man¡¯s blows, a man suddenly rushed out from the


    crowd and held the man back. ¡°Buddy, even if you¡¯re teaching her a lesson, this should stop now.


    You¡¯ve already beaten her up badly enough, so you can¡¯t be beating her to death despite your anger,


    no?¡± he persuaded.


    The man was blinded by rage for being held back at that moment, so he roared at the man who had


    just appeared, ¡°Mind your own business instead of poking your nose into my affairs here! Buzz off!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Justin. Don¡¯t be nosy!¡± I nced over when I heard a familiar voice, only to see that it was


    Ste. She was dressed rather adorably, and she was clutching Justin¡¯s arm while talking him around.


    Justin looked at her and said gently, ¡°Wait for me at the side. Don¡¯te over. I¡¯ll just be a minute.¡±


    Then, he turned his gaze to the man and cajoled, ¡°Buddy, having gone so far, it should be enough


    rpense no matter her transgressions, yes?¡±


    However, the man had no intention of resolving the matter peacefully. He had been incensed in the first


    ce, so he was now all the more ticked off at Justin¡¯s heroic interference.


    Lifting a fist, he swung it right at Justin. While everyone was struck with terror, Justin swiftly dodged the


    man¡¯s fist and grabbed it instead. ¡°That¡¯s enough, buddy,¡± he dered.


    With eyes zing scarlet from fury, the man wasn¡¯t in the mood to listen to him. Rather, he bellowed


    furiously, ¡°I told you not to poke your nose into my business!¡± As he said that, he swung his fist once


    more. At that time, Justin didn¡¯t dodge, so he took a fist to the face.


    But in the next instance, he went on the offensive. He swung a fist at the man and started raining blows


    on him without holding back his punches, making it evident that he had some martial arts training.

 Chapter 1067

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1067


    In a sh, people from the mall crowded over. Some whipped out their phones to snap pictures and


    lodge a police report. Upon seeing that, I hastily called out to Justin who was being surrounded, ¡°Stop!


    Stop hitting him!¡±


    Swinging my gaze to Ste, I then ordered, ¡°Go and get security! Don¡¯t allow them to continue fighting,


    for it¡¯ll only end up in trouble.¡±


    Frightened, Ste hurriedly sprinted off in search of security. Meanwhile, as I stared at Justin who had


    the man pinned on the ground, I urged, ¡°Don¡¯t hurt him, or it¡¯ll be difficult to exin when the police


    arriveter!¡±


    Breaking a fight and causing someone injury were two different things. Hence, he would be held


    criminally liable if he were to hurt the man.


    It seemed that my words registered to Justin, for he was more subdued when hitting him. It didn¡¯t look


    as though he was striking him all that hard, nor did he leave any grievous injury on him, yet the man on


    the ground howled in pain.


    In no time, Ste had gotten security over, and the two of them were pulled apart. Shortly after, the


    police showed up and escorted Justin to the police station to take his statement since he was involved


    in the fight.


    By then, Emery and Camelia were also done shopping, so I suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we tag along?¡±


    At that, Emery¡¯s brows knitted together. ¡°Why should we? That woman deserved it. Considering the


    kind of woman she is, it¡¯s fitting even if she were beaten to death. After all, she¡¯ll only be dragging


    others down with her if she lives.¡±


    Nevertheless, I shook my head. ¡°No, I¡¯m suggesting that we tag along because I¡¯m afraid that Yvonne


    Wilde will twist the truth and get that courageous man in trouble. Let¡¯s tag along and see how it goes.¡±


    Hearing that, bafflement suffused Camelia. ¡°Why would she twist the truth? The man has helped her,


    after all. Otherwise, she would have been beaten to death.¡±


    I shrugged in response. ¡°That remains to be seen. Come, let¡¯s go and have a look. Anyway, you two


    are almost done shopping this time.¡±


    Subsequently, they both exchanged a nce. It seemed that they were truly almost done shopping, for


    they nodded at each other and concurred, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡±


    When we arrived at the police station, Justin and the other man were detained for questioning. Yvonne,


    on the other hand, was taken to an interrogation room. A police officer doctored her injuries, while


    another questioned her about the incident.


    As for the rest of us, we sat in the lobby and waited.


    Ste looked at me, seemingly having something to say yet hesitant to utter it. As things were frantic


    earlier, I almost forgot about her. shing her a faint smile, I greeted, ¡°How are you recently, Ms.


    Collins? It¡¯s been a long time since Ist saw you.¡±


    Smiling at me, she replied, ¡°I¡¯m pretty good. I heard that Mr. Fuller and you went to Moranta some time


    ago, so I thought the two of you were still there since I haven¡¯t seen much of him¡­ and you recently.¡±


    At that, I chuckled. ¡°Well, there¡¯s a new project over at Moranta, so Ashton is a bit busy since he has to


    handle the business over there. That¡¯s why he hasn¡¯t been to the office much. I noticed that you¡¯re


    looking pretty good these days. Are you dating Justin now?¡±


    Upon hearing that, she hastily shook her head even as she blurted with a smile, ¡°No! Don¡¯t get it wrong,


    Mrs. Fuller. We¡¯re just friends, and we came out together to buy some things today. There¡¯s nothing


    more than that, so don¡¯t get it wrong.¡±


    Surprise inundated me when I saw her exining with such gusto. The look in Justin¡¯s eyes when he


    gazes at her makes it obvious that he adores her. But why does it seem as though she¡¯s neither


    epting nor rejecting him after all this time?


    Nheless, I merely smiled without inquiring further.


    After a while, the people inside came out, and Yvonne¡¯s injuries had been doctored. With tears


    streaming down her face, she tugged at the police officer and sobbed, ¡°My boyfriend and I were just


    messing around. He didn¡¯t hit me. He merely pushed me lightly, but that man abruptly came over and


    started pummeling my boyfriend.¡±


    When her words fell, I couldn¡¯t help frowning. Likewise taken aback, Ste gaped at her and eximed,


    ¡°What are you talking about? You were being assaulted by that man in the mall, so my friend


    intervened. Why would we pick trouble when we don¡¯t even know you?¡±


    ¡°Who knows what your intentions were? Anyway, your friend hit my boyfriend, so I demand


    compensation,¡± Yvonne proimed without the slightest bit of shame.


    Emery and Camelia were initially scrolling their phone with their heads lowered, but they instinctively


    shot their gazes over upon hearing her words. Looking at the police officer, Emery stated, ¡°Officer, this


    woman is lying. She¡¯s making up stories. The man lent her a hand out of a sense of righteousness, yet


    she isn¡¯t at all thankful. Instead, she¡¯s making a false countercharge. We took a video of the altercation,


    so you can have a look at it. Her boyfriend had been hitting her for a long while, so the man finally had


    enough and stepped out to teach him a lesson.¡±


    As she said that, she handed her phone to the police officer.


    After taking a look at it, the police officer then shifted his gaze to Yvonne. With his brows furrowed, he


    asserted, ¡°Ms. Wilde, are you aware that your behavior is no different from nder in the eyes of the


    law, and you could be held criminally liable? Putting aside the fact that he did that to help you, you


    shouldn¡¯t be so ungrateful and use someone even if it¡¯s an innocent bystander.¡±


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Emery eximed. Then, she continued muttering, ¡°In the future, no one should interfere


    when ites to a woman like you even if you¡¯re beaten to death. After all, that¡¯s what you deserve!¡±


    Subsequently, the police officer returned her the phone. Pivoting, he then went to the two interrogation


    rooms and escorted Justin out. ¡°Next time, if you encounter something like this again, just lodge a


    police report straight away or simply restrain the perpetrator. You don¡¯t need to interfere too much.¡± At


    that, he paused for a moment. With his gaze on Yvonne, he continued cidly, ¡°After all, there are


    quite a lot of ungrateful people in this world.¡±

 Chapter 1068

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1068


    Justin was a straightforward man, so he didn¡¯t quite understand the police officer¡¯s words. He was


    stunned for a while before he nodded nkly, appearing a tad silly.


    After the police officer had said a few more words, we then left the police station. Only then did Justin


    recognize me, and he murmured in embarrassment, ¡°Thank you so much for making this trip. I owe you


    one.¡±


    I merely smiled and told them to go home first since it was ratherte.


    cing her hand on my shoulder, Emery thenmented, ¡°That guy seems rather simple and honest,


    but the girl appears to be quite ambitious. Is she working at Ashton¡¯spany?¡±


    I nodded in affirmation. ¡°Yup. I¡¯ve run into her a few times, and it¡¯s indeed true. But then, it¡¯s normal for


    a girl, I guess. She¡¯s quite beautiful, so it¡¯s not surprising that she¡¯s ambitious.¡±


    At that, Emery snorted withoutmenting further. ¡°Dang, it¡¯s almost ten o¡¯clock now! I¡¯ve got to go


    home, or Hunter will probably chew me out. We¡¯ll hang out again and talk another time, okay?¡±


    As she said that, she drove off.


    Thus, it was only Camelia and I left. Looking at me, she hesitantly uttered, ¡°Scarlett, I haven¡¯t seen my


    child in a long time, so I miss him. I¡¯d like to go home and see him.¡±


    Hearing that, I chuckled softly. ¡°I¡¯ll drive you back now. Why are you so forlorn? I didn¡¯t say that you¡¯re


    not allowed to go home. I just wanted to bring you out for some fresh air and a change of pace. Your


    emotions are affected by every single action of his because you focus all your time and energy on the


    child and Marcus.


    ¡°Now that the baby has been weaned, you should really find a job or something else to upy your


    time instead of making Marcus the center of your life. I know it may be difficult for you to change in a


    short time, but go slowly and make gradual progress. You¡¯re still young, so you¡¯ve got a long way


    ahead of you.¡±


    She probably understood me, for she dazedly nodded while gazing at me. With her eyes fixed on me,


    she then dered solemnly, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll do as you say.¡±


    In the car, she leaned back against the passenger seat with her eyes closed after such an exhausting


    day. After driving for a while, White residence came into view. It was still the same, and only the


    surroundingndscape had been improved throughout the past few years.


    The pond in the yard had been filled and reced with fruit trees instead. It was winter then, so the


    leaves had all fallen, leaving the trees barren.


    I parked the car beside the yard and watched as Camelia walked in. But just after she had taken a few


    steps, she suddenly turned and stared at me. With a serious expression, she asked, ¡°Scarlet, if¡­ This


    is just a suppositional question, okay? If Mr. Fuller is no longer here, would you settle for the next best


    thing and choose Marcus?¡±


    I was startled for a moment before I stared right at her and locked gazes with her under the dim


    streetlights that were shining brightly. ¡°No,¡± I answered resolutely. ¡°As you said, it¡¯s a suppositional


    question. There are no ifs in my world, and I¡¯m an obstinate person. Since I¡¯ve decided on Ashton, it


    would only be him for the rest of my life. Other than him, all others are merely ships passing in the


    night.¡±


    As she looked at me, she heaved a sigh. A long whileter, she nodded and murmured, ¡°Okay, I got it.¡±


    Well, well¡­ that was quite a sudden question.


    Sending her off with my eyes, I spaced out for a bit while staring at the filled pond. It seems impossible


    to return to the past. It was here at White residence back when I first met Marcus. At that time, he was


    taciturn, and indifference was written inly on his face.


    Then, I recalled the day when he brought me back here. When we alighted from the car, he chased


    after me from behind, and I identally pushed him into the pond. The winter that year was extremely


    chilly, so he fell ill the very next day. Later, my phone malfunctioned. As I pondered back in time, a long


    time had passed, so much so that I¡¯ve almost forgotten all that.


    After an eternity, I spun around to head back.


    Unexpectedly, I caught sight of a ck Bentley beside my car and froze for a moment. Someone was


    standing beside the car, and it was none other than Marcus, whom I hadn¡¯t seen in a long time.


    He stared at me intently with jet-ck eyes without even blinking. In his ck suit, he appeared lonely


    and apathetic. The oppressive aura emanating from him grew increasingly distinct.


    ¡°When did you arrive?¡± I queried as I walked toward the car. I had no idea whether I was so lost in my


    thoughts that I actually failed to hear the engine of his car.


    Pursing his lips, he continued staring at me. His gaze was overly grim that a slither of fear inexplicably


    crept into me.


    ¡°You won¡¯t choose me even if he hadn¡¯t appeared?¡± he asked out of the blue, stunning me into utter


    stillness.


    So¡­ he heard my conversation with Camelia?


    ¡°Uh¡­ As I said, there are no ifs.¡± As I looked at him, a brief trace of guilt assailed me, but it was merely


    there for a moment and gone the next. ¡°Actually, we both know full well that there are no ifs. Ashton


    Fuller¡¯s existence to me, well¡­ Putting it simply, he¡¯s my husband and lover. We¡¯re like two pieces of


    driftwood, and it¡¯s destiny as well as a blessing that we could meet amidst the vast sea of people to end


    up walking together hand in hand.


    Putting it into perspective, he¡¯s actually my happiness. He¡¯s tantamount to the beacon in my life. His


    light enables me to persevere and continue forging on bravely. ¡°Marcus, I don¡¯t know your


    understanding of love, but to me, it¡¯s definitely not something in which one can settle for the next best


    thing.


    This has nothing to do with anyone because love is independent in itself. We can love a lot of people in


    our lifetime. Like you, you once loved me, and you¡¯ll also fall in love with someone else in the future.


    But this thing between Ashton and I is no longer mere love. We¡¯re more like a single entity, and we


    share the same body, so we need to face life together in the future.¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

 Chapter 1069

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1069


    I had no idea whether he could understand everything I said, but I stared at him and continued,


    ¡°Camelia is a really nice girl. If you look at her closely, you¡¯ll discover that you¡¯ve missed out on a lot in


    the past few years. When I was very young, I loved eating rock candy, but I could only have them once


    a month. Sometimes, my grandmother even forbade me from eating it. Since my craving went


    unsatisfied, I hankered after rock candy every single second of every day.


    ¡°Back then, the pumpkin pie my grandmother made was exceedingly delicious. But because I got to eat


    it every time I craved it, I didn¡¯t find it delicious anymore as time passed. ¡°After that, when I slowly grew


    up, I could buy rock candy myself when I had pocket money.


    At that time, I was very excited and bought several sticks at one go. However, I got sick of it just after


    eating two sticks. Actually, things we often yearn for are not necessarily what we truly want. Reflecting


    back on it now, the most delicious thing in my memories isn¡¯t the rock candy, but pumpkin pie. s, my


    grandmother is no longer here, so the taste could only remain in my memories.¡±


    Marcus¡¯ eyes were fixed intently on me. The bridge of his nose appeared high and his ck eyes


    increasingly profound¡ªperhaps because he had grown thinner. ¡°Scarlett, my feelings for you have


    never been as simple as mere yearning because I couldn¡¯t have you. ¡°Do you still remember how you


    were when you first came to White residence? Back then, you didn¡¯t talk much. You were very quiet¡ª


    always silent with a faint smile on your face.


    My mother privately told me that a girl like you is very gentle. At that time, I didn¡¯t find anything good


    about a gentle girl. Later, when we were by the pond, you pushed me in. Now that I think about it, I¡¯ve


    forgotten how cold the water was. The only thing I remember is your expression, and it remains vivid in


    my mind.


    Although you were angry, you were very beautiful. ¡°When I carried you out of the warehouse, you were


    covered in blood. You¡¯ve probably forgotten about it, but you clutched at me tightly, insisting persistently


    and stubbornly that I save the child. Your expression back then was truly distressing. At that time, I felt


    that Ashton Fuller wasn¡¯t worthy of you since he couldn¡¯t protect you.¡±


    At that, I pursed my lips and dipped my head slightly. The past was too overwhelming to me that they


    barely beckoned memories anymore.


    Nheless, he continued speaking. With a bitter smile tugging at his lips, he said, ¡°Thus, I vowed to


    always take good care of you in the future no matter what happens. I saw the child after it was born,


    and it already took form. Afraid that you¡¯d be anguished, I took the child away to spare you the grief of


    seeing it. ¡°Later, you were always in a trance when you learned that the child was gone.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    You kept waking up in the middle of the night and spacing out in the room alone. I didn¡¯t notice it in the


    beginning, but when Iter realized it, I kept youpany every single night. As time went by, you¡¯d sit


    beside me and take my hand, asking me to close my eyes and sleep as though you were coaxing me.


    ¡°You probably had no idea, but those days were the happiest I¡¯d ever been in my entire life. You always


    covered me with a nket when you woke up in the middle of the night. ¡°Sometimes, you¡¯d go into the


    kitchen when you woke up in the morning, saying that you want to make me breakfast.


    Your mind was fuzzy, so the breakfast you made was often burnt or inedible. You¡¯d put sugar into the


    noodles instead of salt. Actually, sweet noodles don¡¯t taste half bad. Thereafter, I tried making it myself,


    but I just couldn¡¯t get the same taste as the ones you made me. You said there are no ifs in your world,


    but Scarlett, you don¡¯t know how cruel it is to me.¡±


    Finally, I looked at him. The past then shed across my mind. All of a sudden, a wave of sorrow


    flooded me. I couldn¡¯t deny that I indeed owed him so much that I could never repay him.


    In the warehouse, he saved me like a hero, while in Lavelian Vige, he took a bullet for me without


    any regard for his own life. Time and again, he saved me from sure death although I ruthlessly pushed


    him away every single time. However, when some things had happened, they cannot be undone no


    matter what.


    When confronted with him, I couldn¡¯t even bring myself to say a simple utterance of thanks or apology.


    That was too trivial, and I knew what he wanted, but I just couldn¡¯t do it.


    I simply hadn¡¯t been able to bring myself to utter an apology to him. After a long moment of silence, I


    asserted, ¡°Camelia is a nice girl, so you should treat her well. Don¡¯t let her end up like¡­ you.¡±


    There were countless possibilities as well as twists and turns in life. Thus, I was well aware that regrets


    were unavoidable no matter what. It was no different from peoplementing about having failed to


    cherish their youth and neglected to live life in the moment. All those regrets would umte


    throughout the days to be the most precious and interesting aspect of our memories.


    That¡¯s right! Life would be dull without any regrets.


    Subsequently, I climbed into my car. Starting the car, I drove away from White residence without


    bidding him farewell. In truth, I wished him happiness and hoped that he would be able to fall in love


    with another woman, living a life of his own for the rest of his days.


    However, such hope was beyond my control. The only thing I could do was to wish that everything


    would go well.


    When I returned to the vi, I received a phone call from Ashton. He seemed to have been asleep, for


    his voice was a tad hoarse. ¡°Did you not go to Moore Residence and stay at home alone instead?¡±


    Nodding, I plopped onto the bed and replied, ¡°I was initially going over, but I forgot when I came back. I


    just felt as though you were waiting for me at home, so I came home.

 Chapter 1070

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1070


    At that, Ashton chuckled softly. ¡°It looks like Mrs. Fuller is missing me. What did you have for dinner?¡±


    Likewise, I giggled. Without answering him, I remarked, ¡°Ashton Fuller, it feels like you have life within


    you now.¡± In the past, he used to be cold and indifferent without much warmth. From afar, he always


    seemed rather chilly, but now that I had been with him for a long time, I found that he was oftentimes


    no different from the ordinary person¡ªhe experienced distress, concern, worry, and he would also nag,


    badger, and always treat me well.


    ¡°Why do you say that all of a sudden?¡± he queried. His voice was still slightly hoarse, and it sounded as


    though he had caught a cold.


    ¡°You¡¯ve caught a cold! Have you taken any medication?¡± I blurted even as I resolved to go to A City


    tomorrow barring any unforeseen circumstances.


    ¡°I just caught a cold when I disembarked from the airne, but it¡¯s no big deal. How¡¯s the weather over


    at K City?¡±


    I nodded before slowly telling him about everything that had happened today while he listened quietly.


    As I spoke, I inadvertently blurted, ¡°I miss you, Ashton Fuller.¡±


    The person on the other end was taken aback for a moment, and silence reigned for a long moment.


    Then, in a low voice, he murmured, ¡°I miss you, too.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have much to do in K City, so can I go over to A City to look for you? I want to see you.¡± I


    actually wanted to tell him about my encounter with Marcus, but on second thought, it would only add


    to his troubles, so I decided not to do so.


    At that, he paused for a moment before saying, ¡°Holden is probably arriving in K City tomorrow, so


    don¡¯t be in such a hurry toe to A City. Fuller Corporation needs you and Joseph there. If youe


    over, I¡¯ll worry about Fuller Corporation instead. Armond will most likely seek you out for the


    sandalwood box, so stay at Moore Residence as much as possible. You¡¯ll have a backup if anything


    happens.¡±


    Upon hearing that, I pursed my lips. ¡°Why is Armond still fixated on that sandalwood box? Even if the


    item in there could get him some money, it¡¯ll be a mere pittance. So, why on earth is he obsessed


    about it?¡±


    ¡°The oil fields in Eastern Epea have been affected by the epidemic this year, so a huge amount of


    petroleum there can¡¯t be exported. The Murphys run a petroleumpany, and this is the best time to


    buy petroleum there at a low price. However, they don¡¯t have a contract in hand. While that single piece


    of paper agreement doesn¡¯t seem to be of any importance, Eastern Epea only acknowledges that piece


    of paper.


    ¡°As the Murphys have been operating on a small scale throughout the past few years, that piece of


    paper didn¡¯t really matter. But now that they want to purchase in huge quantities, it¡¯ll be a drop in the


    bucket without that piece of paper. Furthermore, Armond didn¡¯t get anything useful in Moranta, and


    petroleum is the fastest way to generate profits for Murphy Corporation, so he¡¯ll definitely seek you out


    for that sandalwood box.¡±


    Bafflement gripped me after listening to him. Then, I hesitantly questioned, ¡°So, should I give him that


    sandalwood box?¡± After all, I might not necessarily be able to hold onto that sandalwood box if Armond


    demanded it.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    The truth of the matter was, I had indeed promised to give him the sandalwood box when I came back


    from Venria. But then, Ashton changed the sandalwood box when I gave it to him, and I didn¡¯t continue


    pursuing the matter henceforth.


    At that moment, Ashton went silent. After what seemed like an eternity, he admitted, ¡°From my


    perspective, I don¡¯t want you to give him the sandalwood box. He¡¯s not an honest person, so no one


    can guarantee that he won¡¯t continue targeting me when the Murphy family has stabilized. He has


    always wanted the business deal in Moranta, but he has no time to bother now that he¡¯s all caught up


    in the affairs of the Murphy family.¡±


    Indeed, that¡¯s true.


    He then paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°Nevertheless, the Murphys is a domesticpany,


    so the country will have sufficient petroleum reserves after they purchase the petroleum at a low price.


    It¡¯s beneficial to everyone in the country since a huge supply of petroleum means a possible lowering of


    its price. Therefore, it¡¯s a good thing to a certain extent.¡±


    At that, I grew increasingly conflicted. ¡°So, should I give it to him or otherwise?¡±


    However, he didn¡¯t answer me anymore. Instead, he abruptly hung up the phone. When I called him


    back, the line was busy. When the call was connected after a long time, we bypassed that topic.


    The next day, I went straight to Fuller Corporation.


    Holden waste, so Joseph briefly informed me about thepany¡¯s recent condition before leaving


    the office. When Ste saw me in Ashton¡¯s office, she was stunned for a moment. In the next second,


    she handed me some documents that were to be reviewed with a neutral expression. They were


    basically coboration proposals from some smallpanies and some internal start-up ns. Ashton


    had previously left me instructions for these, so I had no problems handling them.


    I was reviewing those documents in the office when Holden arrived. His method of making an entrance


    was truly different from others. A long-legged beauty with wavy curls sashayed beside him, and he


    wasn¡¯t at all bothered about running his hands all over the woman in public.


    As soon as he entered the office, he pulled the woman onto hisp and inserted his long and slender


    fingers between the woman¡¯s thighs. Despite it being in the middle of winter, the woman was wearing


    flesh-colored leggings. He caressed her for a while, but he probably didn¡¯t find it satisfying, for he


    asked the woman to remove it altogether. Hearing his request, the woman looked at him in mild


    embarrassment and murmured, ¡°This isn¡¯t quite appropriate, no, Mr. Taylor?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s inappropriate about it? As you said, you¡¯re here to keep mepany and make me happy.


    Why, are you going back on your word?¡± Holden¡¯s roguish appearance then truly seemed as though he


    was itching for a beating.


    The woman¡¯s face was a mask of mortification, but Holden merely looked at her apathetically as though


    everything had nothing to do with him. While he didn¡¯t show much of an expression, he vaguely


    emanated displeasure. Women working as escorts were naturally adept at reading someone¡¯s moods,


    so after a moment¡¯s hesitation, the woman bit her lip lightly.


    Lowering her head, she mustered her courage to remove her leggings right there in the office. As I sat


    there at the table, I couldn¡¯t help frowning. Staring at Holden, I suggested, ¡°Mr. Taylor, how about I


    reserve a hotel room for you, and we¡¯ll talk business when you¡¯re done enjoying yourself?¡±

 Chapter 1071

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1071


    Holden leaned back against the sofa with a devilish expression on his face. ¡°Don¡¯t bother, for I¡¯m


    pressed for time. But then, I also feel like enjoying myself, and I can¡¯t help desiring to grope a woman,


    so I¡¯ll just do it here.¡±


    Argh! What a shameless man!


    I pursed my lips and said nothing further.


    After turning up the thermostat in the office, I watched as the woman removed her leggings while


    seated on Holden¡¯sp. Subsequently, the two of them started getting it on right there without any


    qualms.


    Lifting a hand, I massaged my temples as I felt a headacheing on. Then, I made a video call to


    Ashton, and fortunately, he answered in mere seconds.


    I turned the camera to face Holden, whereupon Ashton¡¯s brows furrowed. In a terse voice, he drawled,


    ¡°You came to my office to have fun, Mr. Taylor?¡± The moment his voice fell, the two people who were


    initially a tangle of limbs sprang apart.


    Raising a hand, Holden wiped the lipstick off his lips before he swung his gaze at me with a frown.


    ¡°What are you doing, Scarlett?¡±


    I merely shrugged in response. ¡°I think it¡¯s more appropriate for my husband to discuss business with


    you.¡±


    At that, his brows creased slightly. He then pushed the woman off him and snapped coldly, ¡°Take the


    money and leave!¡± In the next moment, he took out a check from his wallet and threw it at her. After


    picking up the check, the woman quickly left.


    Thus, it was only Holden and me in the office then. Glimpsing that Ashton was in the car, I couldn¡¯t help


    asking, ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I went to prison to pay Brandon and Abe a visit.¡±


    Hearing that, I nodded in acknowledgment. Now that Holden was back to normal, I ended the call with


    Ashton. I then looked at Holden and said, ¡°Can we talk business now, Mr. Taylor?¡±


    It was clear as day that he was rather chagrined. Pursing his lips, he sprawled on the sofa as though


    he was boneless as he groused in a weak andnguid voice, ¡°I didn¡¯t eat breakfast when I came out in


    the morning, so I¡¯m starving and don¡¯t have any energy to talk.¡±


    Nodding with a faint smile, I dialed the secretary¡¯s external line. In no time, Ste picked up the call.


    ¡°Hello, Mrs. Fuller, this is Ste here. Is there anything I can assist you with?¡±


    ¡°Please order a bountiful breakfast spread. I¡¯d like an American breakfast and a set of continental


    breakfast. Thank you.¡± After I had finished speaking, Ste was noticeably taken aback, but she


    promptly concurred, ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll get right to it.¡±


    When I hung up the phone, Holden closed his eyes while reclining on the sofa. I wasn¡¯t in a hurry


    either, merely continuing to review the documents in hand with my head lowered, scanning through all


    those that needed to be approved, one by one.


    Ste¡¯s efficiency was exceedingly impressive, for she delivered the breakfast over not long after. It


    was a veryvish spread. After cing it on the table, she cast Holden a perplexed look before leaving.


    At the sight of the breakfast on the table, Holden didn¡¯t continue picking trouble with me. Instead, he


    stared at me and offered, ¡°Why don¡¯t we eat together?¡±


    shing him a faint smile, I declined, ¡°No, thanks. I¡¯ve already had breakfast, so please help yourself,


    Mr. Taylor.¡±


    The man¡¯s elegance seemed as though it was in his blood, for even his movements as he enjoyed


    breakfast were extremely elegant. After taking a few bites, he stopped eating and pinned his eyes on


    me while sitting on the sofa.


    Sensing his gaze, I lifted my eyes and looked at him with a faint smile. ¡°You¡¯re done eating, Mr. Taylor?¡±


    In turn, he arched an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re much more patient than Ashton Fuller, thus less irritating.¡±


    At that, I frowned slightly. ¡°Mr. Taylor, this isn¡¯t the first time Fuller Corporation is coborating with the


    Taylor family, so you actually didn¡¯t have to go to such lengths.¡±


    Nheless, he chuckled at my remark. ¡°You and your husband are truly interesting. Okay, let¡¯s go and


    take a look at the factory as well as the processing materials. If there¡¯s no problem, then this matter is


    settled.¡±


    Unbidden, I breathed a sigh of relief. Phew! Thank God this guy isn¡¯t making trouble anymore. If he


    were to continue with his ridiculous act, I might have truly gone crazy!


    After putting everything away, I left the office with him. Ste was right outside the door, so she greeted


    us when she saw us exiting the office. Thereafter, I ordered, ¡°Later, go in and clear the table. Then,


    reserve a hotel room for Mr. Taylor and arrange dinner for him. Mr. Taylor is from Moranta, so take note


    of that.¡±


    I uttered those words in a mere whisper, so Ste nodded imperceptibly. Cautiously stealing a peek at


    Holden, she then nodded and replied, ¡°Okay, will do.¡±Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    While we were waiting for the elevator, Holden looked at me with a frown. ¡°From what I remember,


    we¡¯re considered friends, so why are you so distant with me? Have I done something unreasonable?


    Or do you feel that you don¡¯t know me anymore after having not seen me in such a long time?¡±


    Huh? This man is really childish.


    Staring at him, I answered in exasperation, ¡°Of course we¡¯re friends, Mr. Taylor. However, I don¡¯t think


    you have considered me as a friend today. Otherwise, why would you have brought a beautiful woman


    to my office and started getting it on with her in front of me? If you¡¯d regarded me as a friend, shouldn¡¯t


    you have greeted me right away before discussing business as a matter of course?¡±


    Upon hearing that, he lifted a hand and rubbed his nose in slight embarrassment. Chortling, he then


    countered, ¡°I just wanted to meet you again in a unique way after so long. That was just a trifling


    intrusion earlier, so don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    I merely shrugged. ¡°Of course not. As you said, Mr. Taylor, we¡¯re friends. Since we¡¯re friends, I naturally


    won¡¯t take that to heart. But to be honest, Mr. Taylor, you don¡¯t have to go so far when you choose a


    woman next time. That woman is stunning, but I don¡¯t think she¡¯s your cup of tea.¡±

 Chapter 1072

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1072


    Giving a light cough, Holden stared at me and drawled, ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s rather inappropriate for you


    to discuss women with me so tantly? Do you talk to Mr. Fuller in such a manner as well?¡±


    I shook my head in response. ¡°Of course not. He doesn¡¯t parade women in front of me so tantly.


    Besides, I have some say in the kind of woman he likes. Furthermore, judging from his current


    demeanor, I think he probably won¡¯t be like you for the time being.¡±


    Upon hearing that, his brows furrowed slightly. ¡°For the time being? So, you don¡¯t trust Ashton Fuller all


    that much either!¡±


    ¡°Well, not exactly. It¡¯s just that no one can guarantee what happens in the future, so I only pay attention


    to the present. As long as he loves and cherishes me presently, that makes me the happiest. As for the


    future, we shall see what happens then. It¡¯s something that hasn¡¯t happened, after all, so no point


    fussing over it!¡±


    Just then, the elevator doors opened, and I stepped in with him. He agreed with my sentiments, but he


    looked at me and murmured, ¡°Scarlett, I think you¡¯re being too optimistic and rational. It¡¯s not really a


    good thing.¡±


    At that, my brows scrunched together. ¡°What kind of love is considered irrational?¡± Ashton gave me


    sufficient sense of security, hence the reason for my seemingly rational and calm demeanor.


    After pondering for a moment, he replied, ¡°That friend of yours. I think her love is truly irrational. She¡¯s


    so fanatical about her man that it¡¯s a bit maniacal. I really don¡¯t know how to describe her.¡±


    Which friend of mine?


    For a moment, my mind stalled. I couldn¡¯t figure out who he meant, so I stared at him nkly.


    Frowning, he exined, ¡°I meant that woman whom you had me pick up at Moranta back then. Well,


    the one who was particrly noisy and chattered endlessly. Isn¡¯t she the woman who loves Armond to


    the point of no return?¡±


    Nora?


    When I realized who he meant, I couldn¡¯t help sighing. ¡°That¡¯s different. She¡¯s inherently a zealous girl,


    and she¡¯s love-starved. When she first met Armond, she was initially trying it out with him, but sheter


    invested herself increasingly more into the rtionship, so she naturally lost herself.¡±


    Nora truly loved Armond, growing to care for and cherish him all the more. Back when they first got


    together, she didn¡¯t really care about him all that much, and it didn¡¯t matter even if she lost him. But as


    time went past, she seemed to have focused all her emotions and feelings on him. The more attention


    she gave him, the more she became devoted to him.


    This is indeed true.


    I pursed my lips and said nothing further.


    Holden, on the other hand, seemed deep in thought, but I didn¡¯t bother inquiring about it.


    When we stepped out of the elevator, I spotted Rachel in the lobby. She was a beautiful woman¡ªthe


    kind of devastating stunner who turned heads and stood out among beauties. Once, I felt that it was a


    shame that she didn¡¯t be an actress as such a bombshell would definitely be the center of


    attention in the entertainment industry.


    ¡°Oh wow, a goddess!¡± Holden couldn¡¯t help eximing as he noticed Rachel.


    Tugging at me, he asked, ¡°Is she an employee here?¡±


    ¡°Ashton recruited her from abroad. She¡¯s responsible for the technical research of AI development, so


    she¡¯s both a project manager and a researcher. She¡¯s a woman with both brains and beauty,¡± I replied


    with my eyes fixed on Rachel.


    While we were talking, Rachel looked in our direction. She was a beauty besides being a fashionable


    woman who was skilled in dolling up. Right then, she was wearing a white shirt and a ck leather skirt


    coupled with a camel coat. It was professional yet not drab, showcasing her perfect figure. Hence, her


    appearance always attracted much attention.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Ms. Stovall. You seem to have lost weight!¡± She gazed at me with a red box in


    her hand. In turn, I shed her a smile and replied, ¡°You¡¯ve gotten increasingly beautiful as well.¡±


    At mypliment, she giggled before shifting her gaze to Holden. Then, she turned back to me and


    inquired, ¡°Who is this gentleman here?¡±


    ¡°This is Mr. Taylor, the president cum chairperson of Moranta International Trading,¡± I introduced. As I


    did so, I noticed that the red box in her hand seemed to contain sweets.


    After listening to my introduction, her eyes lit up. In the next instance, she greeted, ¡°Nice to meet you,


    Mr. Taylor. Besides having achieved so much at a young age, you¡¯re also exceedingly handsome.


    You¡¯re truly an exemry model for youths today, Mr. Taylor!¡±


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Her remark had Holden guffawing in delight. Gazing at her, he blurted, ¡°You¡¯re really good with words.


    May I have the honor of knowing your name? And do you mind me asking you out to dinner


    sometime?¡±


    He smiled brightly at her. His smile was alluring, friendly, and gentle. In fact, it was so dazzling that I


    couldn¡¯t help wondering whether he was trying to enchant her with his charm.


    Looking at him, Rachel smiled faintly as she replied, ¡°You tter me, Mr. Taylor. I¡¯m Rachel Zimmer,


    and it¡¯s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. But don¡¯t worry about dinner since a meeting is


    destined in itself. I hope that you¡¯ll still be here in K City during my wedding. I¡¯m looking forward to


    seeing you there!¡±


    As she said that, she took a handful of sweets out of the red box in her hand and ced them into his


    hand. Then, she even took out a wedding invitation from her handbag and handed it to him. ¡°Do honor


    me with your presence then, Mr. Taylor!¡±


    Holden was stunned for a moment, and he clicked his tongue while holding the sweets in his hand.


    Subsequently, Rachel handed me a bag of sweets and a wedding invitation. Looking at me, she said,


    ¡°You¡¯ll wish me well, yes? I hope you and Mr. Fuller will attend my wedding then. I¡¯m looking forward to


    seeing you both!¡±

 Chapter 1073

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1073


    She¡¯s getting married?


    That was something that surprised me.


    Holding onto the wedding invitation, I froze before saying, ¡°Aren¡¯t you too quick? You¡¯re marrying so


    soon.¡±


    She gave me a faint smile. ¡°It¡¯s not really. I¡¯m almost thirty, and it¡¯s about time for me to get married.


    Moreover, I¡¯m lucky to meet someone who loves and adores me. So it¡¯s not too soon. The time is just


    right.¡±


    Looking at the blissful smile on her face, I could not help but smile at her too. ¡°Then, let me


    congratte you on your wedding. We¡¯ll be there on time.¡±


    The smile was still on her face when she handed the wedding invitations to the other coworkers. After


    Holden and I left, he muttered under his breath, ¡°F*ck, I can¡¯t believe a beautiful woman like her is


    getting married soon. This is ridiculous. Right as I found a woman whom I¡¯m interested too. What a


    pity.¡±


    After we got in the car, I rolled my eyes at him. ¡°Can¡¯t you have a semnce of normalcy? You¡¯re


    treating love as a game. Aren¡¯t you afraid of karma being right around the corner? One day, if you meet


    a woman you truly love, you might suffer if you keep this up.¡±


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    He leaned back on the chair before answering coldly, ¡°That kind of woman you speak of will be


    someone I¡¯ll never meet. I¡¯m born free, and I live freely. No woman will affect me in this life.¡±


    I kept quiet when I saw his confident look. No one in this world could predict the future, and all we could


    do was take one step at a time.


    I remained quiet as I drove. After all, there was nothing to talk about. When we reached the factory,


    Holden schooled his features and entered the building with me. Fuller Corporation did not have many


    factories, and most were focusing on technological devices. Most of the staff they hired were


    technicians. Furthermore, in the past two years, most of the work in the factory was done by machinery.


    Thus, there were few people in the factory.


    The one who was in charge of the factory was a middle-aged man in his forties. As we had told him


    about our visit beforehand, he came to greet us when we reached the doorway. After a brief exchange


    of greetings, he then brought us to the processing room.


    ¡°So far, the batch of products seems fine. I¡¯m here to take a look at them for myself, then I¡¯ll tell the rest


    back at the Taylors that everything¡¯s fine. We can sign the contract right away, but I have a request¡ªI


    want to bring some of the samples back. That way, I¡¯ll be able to convince at the board of directors


    meeting.¡±


    Looking at me, Holden then asked, ¡°Is that all right?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Sure.¡±


    Ashton had told me about this before that day, and it was a request that was fine with me. After


    showing him around the factory and answering his questions, the two of us then left the factory.


    By the time we left, it was already afternoon. Holden asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you nning to show me around in


    K City? Why don¡¯t you bring me to try some specialties in K City?¡±


    ncing at him, I replied, ¡°In a bit. I¡¯ve arranged a hotel room for you. If there¡¯s anything you need, feel


    free to call me. I¡¯ll send someone to resolve any issues you have as soon as possible.¡±


    He nodded but then queried, ¡°Can I not live in the hotel?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± As I gripped onto the steering wheel, I continued, ¡°Although the hotel room is reserved for


    you, you have the freedom to choose whether you live in it or not. There are many nightclubs around


    the city center. Pretty women, models, and unpopr celebrities often roam the area. Of course, it¡¯s


    fine if you¡¯re interested in popr celebrities instead. However, that might be a challenge, and it¡¯ll


    depend on how capable you are.¡±


    He pouted. ¡°Am I that terrible of a person to you? What do you mean by unpopr celebrities and


    models? Do I look like that kind of person to you? I don¡¯t want to live in the hotel because I want to live


    in your house. I¡¯ve asked others to send my luggage there. Honestly, is Ashton that stingy? Why isn¡¯t


    he hiring a housekeeper for such arge house? It¡¯s so big and empty!¡±


    Hearing him, I pursed my lips. ¡°If you¡¯re not used to living in hotels, you can live in our house. I¡¯ll hire a


    housekeeper.¡±


    Almost immediately, he grinned. ¡°That sounds about right.¡±


    When he saw me driving toward the metropolitan area, he wondered, ¡°Where are you heading to?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you want to try K City¡¯s specialties? I¡¯m bringing you there now. It¡¯s time for lunch.


    Aren¡¯t you hungry?¡± When I peeked at him from the corner of my eyes, I realized he was staring at me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s skip the specialties. Bring me back to the vi and just make me some simple food. I bear no


    high hopes for K City¡¯s specialties,¡± he responded nonchntly as he leaned back on the chair again.


    The corner of my lips twitched in annoyance. Unable to hold myself back, I huffed, ¡°You don¡¯t have


    some ulterior motives, do you? You¡¯re so eager to go to my house.¡±


    ncing at me, he chuckled. ¡°What ulterior motives can I possibly have? Even if you gifted me those


    things in your house, I won¡¯t even want it. What motives can I honestly have? I just want to eat the food


    you make. Is there something wrong with that? Since the contract is signed, and we¡¯ve done everything


    that¡¯s necessary, are you nning to let me go back now?¡±

 Chapter 1074

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1074


    My brows furrowed. ¡°No. I was just wondering why you suddenly have the craving for the food I make.


    By the way, how is your mother?¡± I casually asked.


    To my surprise, his expression darkened. ¡°Are we going back to your ce or not? If we¡¯re not, let me


    get down from the car. I¡¯m going back to the hotel.¡±


    What¡¯s wrong with him? He¡¯s just unreasonably angry right now.


    I fell silent and drove straight to the vi instead. Right as he got down from the car, he made a call.


    Soon, someone brought his luggage over. When he saw me looking at him, he lifted a brow and


    questioned, ¡°I¡¯m starving. Why aren¡¯t you making anything yet?¡±


    For a moment, I was speechless.


    I entered the vi and began preparing some food for him.


    Dragging the suitcase behind him, he nced around the house before asking, ¡°Where will I be staying


    in?¡±


    ¡°There are bedrooms on the first and second floor. Have a look at them yourself. You can live in


    whichever room you prefer.¡± Cleaners were often hired to clean the house, and I rarely stayed here


    whenever Ashton was not around. Therefore, the interior of the house seemed silent and dead. Now


    that I think about it, Holden¡¯s right. I should hire a housekeeper for this house. Summer is recovering


    well. If I bring her here, the house will be livelier.


    After Holden looked around the house, hemented, ¡°This house is worth tens of millions, but look at


    the state of it. How busy Mr. Fuller must be.¡±


    Then, he queried, ¡°Your bedroom is on the second floor?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    When I saw him carrying his suitcase upstairs, I voiced, ¡°Mr. Taylor, I¡¯ll be going back to the Moore


    Residence at night, and I won¡¯t being back here. Is there anything you need? If so, do tell me, and


    I¡¯ll get the things you needter.¡±


    Standing in the middle of the stairs, he turned around to stare at me with widened eyes. ¡°What do you


    mean by you¡¯re going to Moore Residence and noting back? Are you going to make me stay in


    this house all by myself while you enjoy a sweet home somewhere else? Scarlett, do you have a heart?


    How can you just leave me here by myself?¡±


    His words were giving me nothing but a headache. ¡°Mr. Taylor, I¡¯m supposed to go back to the Moore


    Residence anyway. Ashton isn¡¯t home, and I rarely sleep here. You¡¯ll be fine living here. There¡¯s a car


    in the garage, and you can drive yourself anywhere you wish to go. If you really don¡¯t want to go out of


    the house at night, I¡¯ll prepare something for you to eatter. In a while, I¡¯ll get a housekeeper toe


    here and prepare your meals. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    He scoffed. ¡°What do you mean by don¡¯t worry? I¡¯m very worried. What¡¯s the difference between living


    here and living in a hotel? No. You have to stay here tonight, or else I won¡¯t sign the contract. I won¡¯t


    listen to anything else from you.¡±


    At that point, I have no words for him. Why is he so childish?


    ¡°Mr. Taylor, let¡¯s put aside how inappropriate it is for us to live under the same roof and talk about how


    I¡¯m also a married woman. Do you really think it¡¯s appropriate for us to live together?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? I¡¯m not asking you to share a bed with me. I don¡¯t care. You have to stay here


    tonight, and it won¡¯t matter even if you call Ashton. Also, I don¡¯t want to eat anything else but the pasta


    you make. It¡¯ll be the same at night; you have to cook for me. Otherwise, I won¡¯t sign the contract. You


    can mull over this yourself.¡± With that said, he stormed off to the bedroom.


    Speechless at his words, I fell silent. It was not that it was inconvenient for him to live in the vi¡ªthe


    vi was big enough for another person to live in, not to mention the fact that I had once lived under the


    same roof as him¡ªbut that I was worried about Armond.


    Ashton had told me Armond woulde to me for that box. However, with the current situation, it


    would be impossible for Armond to ask for the box from me directly. Instead, he would be trying to get


    the box secretly.


    This vi was our primary residence. He would not be able to do anything if no one was around at


    night. However, if someone was, I was worried that he would use me to threaten Ashton to hand over


    the box to him.


    After cing his things in the bedroom, Holden went downstairs. When he noticed that the pasta was


    almost done, he took a bowl to put it beside me. Staring at the pasta, he asked, ¡°Do you know how to


    make anything else?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No. I only know how to make this.¡±


    He frowned. ¡°I knew it. How can a woman like you know how to make anything else but pasta? I¡¯ve


    really overestimated you.¡±


    He knows nothing else but how to infuriate others. Spinning around to shoot him a re, I then huffed,


    ¡°Any more rubbish from you, and I¡¯ll throw you out. I¡¯ll get Ashton to discuss the contract with you. I¡¯m


    not a shareholder of the Fuller Corporation. You can do whatever you like; it¡¯s none of my business.¡±


    He clicked his tongue. ¡°You ungrateful woman. How can you get angry just because I¡¯m speaking the


    truth? Look at the other women. They either do makeup or they make sure they present themselves


    well. Now, look at you. You¡¯re bare-faced all the time, and with the kind of lifestyle you lead, I¡¯d say


    you¡¯re going to have menopause earlier than the rest.¡±

 Chapter 1075

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1075


    ¡°Ah!¡± Unable to hold back, I stomped his foot, and he yelped. ¡°Scarlett, what in the world is wrong with


    you? Why did you step on my foot? It hurts like hell!¡±


    ¡°Keep running that mouth of yours, and I¡¯ll do it again. The pasta¡¯s done. Add anything you like, but


    don¡¯t put too much of it. Otherwise, it¡¯ll taste bad.¡± He¡¯s just like a kid sometimes. How childish.


    After a moment of hesitation, he raised his head to look at me again. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to add. Help


    me add something. I¡¯ve never done this before.¡±


    Shooting him a look of disdain, I groaned. ¡°Did you just crawl out from under a rock? This is the first


    time I¡¯ve seen a man who can¡¯t even do something as minor as this. Ashton¡¯s so much better than you.


    No wonder you haven¡¯t found a good girlfriend even though you¡¯re already at this age.¡±


    Apparently, my words stunned him, for he whined, ¡°What do mean by I haven¡¯t found a good girlfriend


    even though I¡¯m already at this age? It¡¯s because I¡¯m not looking for one, okay? If I wanted to, I¡¯d have


    found one already. I have a house, a car, and money. Moreover, I¡¯m handsome. I can have anyone I


    want. I¡¯ll look for a girlfriend tomorrow.¡± With that said, he brought the bowl to the dining table and


    whipped his head to the side. ¡°It¡¯s not like everyone¡¯s the same as your Ashton.¡±


    Despite finding the way he was mumbling under his breath hrious, I managed to stop myself from


    laughing. ¡°But truthfully, have you found no one you really like all these years?¡±


    Freezing, he then muttered, ¡°No. I did meet some, but they¡¯re not suitable for marriage. All they do is


    ask for money from me. So they¡¯re suitable for me to have fun with. I¡¯m looking for a woman who isn¡¯t


    greedy for my money.¡±


    That¡¯s not what he should be thinking. Thus, I said, ¡°That¡¯s the wrong idea you have. At a certain age,


    other than loving you, girls have to have mary desires. Do you really expect her to have no desire


    for anything?¡±


    He clicked his tongue in frustration. ¡°Can¡¯t she just want me?¡±


    ¡°Even if she only wants you, she still needs to live. Do you think by wanting you, she can pay her bills?


    Asking for money from you is a sign of her reliance on you. I¡¯m sure you¡¯vee across women who


    never asked any money from you, but I¡¯m also sure you never cherished them, did you?¡±


    The corner of his mouth twitched. ¡°How did you know about that?¡±


    I pressed my lips tightly together. ¡°Of course I¡¯ll know about it. That¡¯s how people like you are. You can¡¯t


    find a sense of aplishment from girls who want nothing from you, so you¡¯ll neglect and chase her


    away. In the end, you¡¯ll be left with those who¡¯ll ask for things from you. However, once you spend more


    time with those girls, you¡¯ll start assuming that they¡¯re only around for your money. Then, you¡¯ll break


    up with them. Hence, at the end of the day, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s trapping yourself in this cycle.¡±


    Many men were like that. They spent their money on women, not because they loved the woman, but


    because they could find a sense of aplishment from them. After all, at a certain point in life,


    people needed others relying on them to feel like they were seeding in life.


    Holden narrowed his eyes at me and questioned, ¡°What about you? Does Ashton give you money to


    spend?¡±


    I nodded honestly. ¡°Of course. I¡¯m not working right now, so what can I possibly do if I don¡¯t use his


    money? He¡¯s not like you. Our walk-in closet has thetest clothes of the season because he buys


    them all for me. He also buys me pieces of jewelry and bags. Although he did not love me as much at


    the start of our marriage, this has always been a habit of his. I only wore some of these clothes, but he


    still keeps the wardrobe updated every season. Furthermore, his card is with me until now.¡±


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    He scrunched up his face and muttered, ¡°No one can be as generous as Ashton. A whole wardrobe of


    a season¡¯s clothes is worth millions. I¡¯d rather give hundreds of thousands to those women and let


    them pick the clothes they like.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s why I said you¡¯re different from Ashton. His love has always been subtle. I¡¯m


    blessed to be his woman in this life of mine.¡±


    As he dug into his pasta, he mumbled, ¡°If you were my wife, I¡¯d do the same.¡±


    Instantly, my brows knitted, and I asked, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Slowly stuffing more pasta into his mouth, he uttered as he looked into my eyes, ¡°I said the pasta is


    great. I want more at night.¡±


    In response, I rolled my eyes at him. I did not have an appetite for food, so I only had a few mouthfuls


    before I went to the fridge, looking for milk. Right then, Ashton called, informing me that the


    housekeeper he had just hired had arrived.


    Thus, I stepped out of the vi to bring the housekeeper in while Holden continued with his food.


    The new housekeeper was a simple woman in her forties. She greeted me when she saw me and told


    me her name was Nelly. After I briefly exined to her the situation, she nodded and began her work in


    the vi.


    After Holden finished his serving, he even took mine, seemingly still hungry. When I noticed it, I


    stiffened, and hemented, ¡°You cooked too little. Make more tonight.¡±

 Chapter 1076

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1076


    What could I say to that? I only nodded in response.


    I had nothing to do in the afternoon, so naturally, I did not go to the office. However, what surprised me


    was Armond. He had called me and went straight to the point¡ªhe wanted to meet me.


    I pursed my lips before replying, ¡°There¡¯s no point for us to meet. Mr. Murphy, what you¡¯re looking for is


    not with me.¡±


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    His chuckles traveled out of the speakers. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking this. I just want to invite you to a meal.


    Nora is here in K City, and you were once close friends. Are you not going to have a meal with her now


    that she¡¯s here?¡±


    Sensing something else lying behind his friendly tone, I frowned before answering, ¡°I¡¯ll invite her


    another day. I won¡¯t interrupt your meal with her.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett, I heard you¡¯ve rented a small ce for Shane¡¯s parents. I¡¯ve met with the two today, and they


    told me they want to thank you personally by inviting you to a meal. Is that inconvenient for you? If you


    reject, the two might be upset.¡±


    His words made my heart skip a beat. Why did Armond go to see Sasha¡¯s parents? Did Shane cross


    Armond?


    ¡°Armond, they¡¯re old. What are you trying to do?¡± Until now, I still could not figure out to what extent of


    cruelty Armond could tolerate.


    ¡°Nothing, really. I¡¯m just free recently, and I was thinking of getting a meal with someone. Scarlett, will


    you join me? Should Ie and pick you up or are you going to drive?¡±


    Tamping down the fury in my heart, it took me a while of silence before I uttered, ¡°Send me the


    address.¡±


    Once again, I heard himughing. ¡°Hahaha! Scarlett, aren¡¯t you an exceptionally nice girl? I really like


    that about you.¡±


    My lips pursed as I ended the call. Then, I called Ashton.


    It took a few rings before the call went through. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Scarlett?¡±


    ¡°Armond called me. It seems like he has found Sasha¡¯s parents, and he has gotten Nora toe to K


    City. I don¡¯t know what his aims are, but I¡¯ve agreed to meet him. How are things on your side?¡±


    Ashton inhaled sharply. ¡°Brandon¡¯s been in a foul mood ever since he found out about how his


    daughter has been treated. He¡¯s hesitating. Something seems off about Abe. It¡¯s as if he¡¯s been


    drugged. When I saw him, he¡¯s only half-conscious, so I couldn¡¯t get anything from him.¡±


    I frowned. Thinking of Hailey, I said, ¡°Ashton, perhaps there¡¯s someone who can help. Look for Hailey.


    Her father should have seen Armond in the past. As long as Hailey¡¯s the one to talk to her father, things


    will be much easier.¡±


    After a moment of contemtion, I added, ¡°By the way, before meeting with Hailey, look for Fawn, Amy,


    and Jody Falker. They¡¯re all victims among the children. Hailey can¡¯te to a decision. If you ask


    them toe with you, she might be able to make up her mind. Also, will you be able toe up with


    a n to protect Hailey¡¯s father? At the end of the day, he¡¯s still involved with the organ trafficking


    incident. Once the investigation is done, I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll be able to say that he¡¯s innocent in it.¡±


    After a moment of silence, Ashton replied, ¡°I¡¯ll try my best. Armond should be looking for you for that


    box. Hold on to it. If you have to, then give him the box. The box is useless to us, so it¡¯s best if you


    don¡¯t get into a conflict with Armond.¡±


    I understood why he said those words, so I hummed in agreement. After ending the call, I was about to


    leave the house.


    When Holden saw me about to leave, he darted to my side. ¡°Where are you going? Why aren¡¯t you


    bringing me along? You can¡¯t be dating another man behind my back, right?¡±


    I nodded as I looked at him. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m going to have a secret date with another man. Do you


    want to join me? It¡¯ll be exciting.¡±


    For reasons beyond me, he blushed. ¡°No way, Scarlett. Are you really that shameless to do something


    like this behind Ashton¡¯s back?¡±


    Rendered speechless for a moment, I then asked, ¡°Are youing with me? If you¡¯re not, I¡¯m going to


    leave now.¡±


    Promptly, he nodded and entered the car before I did. When he turned back to look at me, there was a


    smug expression on his face. ¡°How can you possibly leave me out of such a thrilling matter? Just the


    mere thought of it makes my heart race.¡±


    Ignoring his excitement, I started the car. The address that Armond had sent to me was a vi in the


    suburbs.


    Bringing Holden with me was part of the n. If anything did happen, he would be useful.


    When he realized we were heading toward the suburbs, Holden muttered, ¡°Wait, why are you driving


    toward the suburbs? Shouldn¡¯t we be going to a hotel?¡±


    I pursed my lips for a moment before replying, ¡°We¡¯re going to a vi in the suburbs. Only fools go to


    the hotels.¡±


    ¡°Holy sh*t! Scarlett, you¡¯re one brave girl. Does Ashton know about this? When did you start doing this?


    Aren¡¯t you afraid of contracting some disease? How many men are there? Are their figures as good as


    mine? Why didn¡¯t you ask me toe along to such a fantastic gathering before today?¡±


    Irritated by his rambles, I shot him a re. ¡°Shut up or get down from the car. Also, things aren¡¯t what


    you think they are. Armond has invited me to a meeting in the suburbs. I¡¯m a little worried, so I brought


    you along. Don¡¯t be a cowardter.¡±

 Chapter 1077

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1077


    He was taken aback by my words for a while. After a beat, his eyes widenedically before he


    gasped in disbelief. ¡°Scarlett, you set me up?¡±


    I nodded honestly. ¡°You can think of it that way if you want to. If you¡¯re scared, you can leave the car


    right now. I won¡¯t stop you.¡±


    He gritted his teeth before hissing, ¡°This has nothing to do with whether I¡¯m scared or not. You clearly


    know I have no way to go back if I were to get down from the car now. Moreover, do I look scared?


    Armond¡¯s nothing but a dumbass. Why should I be scared of him? I just don¡¯t want to see him.¡±


    I nodded again. ¡°Well, then. Since you¡¯re not afraid of him, be quiet and follow me there. Take it as if


    you¡¯re protecting me, and I¡¯ll owe you a favor. How about that?¡±


    He scoffed, ¡°How are you going to return me the favor? Tell me more. If I like it, I¡¯ll even take Armond


    down, not to mention protecting you.¡±


    My mouth hung open for a while before I managed to voice, ¡°What do you want? I¡¯ll try my best to fulfill


    it.¡±


    He mulled over my words. ¡°Why don¡¯t you cook for me for a week? I don¡¯t want pasta every day. I¡¯ll


    definitely puke by the second day.¡±


    His request was reasonable and simple, but it still stumped me. With a frown, I muttered, ¡°Mr. Taylor,


    have I ever told you I can¡¯t cook? Other than making pasta, I don¡¯t know how to make anything else.


    Are you sure you want me to cook for you?¡±


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    He glowered at me. ¡°If you don¡¯t know how to cook, then learn. I don¡¯t care. That¡¯s my request, and


    nothing else will work.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then.¡± I had to agree first; whether or not my cooking would be edible was another matter.


    When we finally reached the vi, I was transfixed. This vi is humongous. The vi in K City¡¯s


    suburbs usually have specific limits for their size, but this house is evidently thrice the size of the


    normal vi. This isn¡¯t a vi; this is a manor!


    The Murphys are filthy rich. This vi is worth hundreds of millions. Are they nning to live in it? Do


    they n to use it for something else?


    After entering thepound, I had to drive a distance before I reached the vi itself. By then, there


    was someone waiting for us by the doorway. ¡°The size of this vi isparable to the Taylor


    residence. The Murphys are truly affluent if they can build such an enormous vi in a ce like K City,


    where the poption density is high.¡±


    When I took a good look at the vi, I realized I had to agree with him. The ce looked newly built,


    and it would be impossible for them to build a ce like this legally; they must have bribed the


    authorities and pulled some strings.


    After entering the living room, I noticed it was so empty I could even hear the echoes of our footsteps.


    We then followed the maid up into a room on the second floor. Right as we entered the room, we were


    greeted with the sight of a gigantic folding screen.


    Facing the folding screen, the maid respectfully announced, ¡°Sir, they¡¯ve arrived.¡±


    The person behind the screen hummed in response before muttering, ¡°You can leave now.¡± Then, he


    said, ¡°Ms. Stovall, you¡¯re quite punctual. It seems like I¡¯m still important to you.¡±


    I frowned but stayed silent. All I did was take in my surroundings. Sometimes, it was not a good thing


    when a house was too big, especially when the house was not lively. It would be like stepping into a


    haunted house.


    It was eerie.


    When Armond walked out from behind the folding screen, his gazended on Holden, and he frowned.


    ¡°Mr. Taylor, you¡¯re here too?¡±


    Sounding exactly like a ruffian, Holden drawled, ¡°Yes. I wanted to take a walk, and I ended up here. Mr.


    Murphy, your house is quite big. What¡¯s it for? Keeping babes?¡±


    It was easy for Holden to set someone aze with fury in seconds.


    However, Armond only smiled. As he stared at me, he asked, ¡°Ms. Stovall, why don¡¯t you take a seat


    while we chat? It¡¯s been a long while since we had a good chat.¡±


    Pressing my lips into a thin line, I then said, ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree to have a meal together? Where are the


    others? Were you just joking with me, or did you think that my time isn¡¯t worth anything?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± he responded before chuckling. ¡°They¡¯re all upstairs. I have some things I¡¯d like to


    discuss with Ms. Stovall, so I¡¯m meeting you here.¡±


    As he spoke, his gaze trailed toward Holden. ¡°Mr. Taylor, if you don¡¯t mind, could I have a word with Ms.


    Stovall alone? I¡¯ve prepared drinks and snacks upstairs. You can try out K City¡¯s specialties there.¡±


    Holden nced at me, his thoughts obvious; he was asking what he should do next.


    When I stared at Armond, I spected that he must want to ask for the sandalwood box from me, so I


    said, ¡°Mr. Taylor, please greet Nora and the others for me upstairs.¡±


    Holden tensed for a brief second before nodding. Then, he left the room and headed upstairs.


    At that moment, the two of us were the only ones left in the spacious room. After Armond sat down and


    crossed his legs, he lifted a brow at me. ¡°Are you not going to sit for the talk?¡±


    I was silent as I sat down on a chair and waited for him to speak.

 Chapter 1078

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1078


    As expected, he soon said in a low voice, ¡°Ashton must be progressing well in A City.¡±


    His abrupt topic made me sat transfixed for a moment. Then, I frowned. ¡°You can be straightforward


    with me, Mr. Murphy.¡±


    He snorted, ¡°You know what I want. Scarlett, honestly, I like you a lot. My mother asked me about you a


    while back, talking about how your stomach will be bigger soon. She even asked me when I¡¯ll be


    preparing for the wedding and when I¡¯ll marry you. To be frank with you, if you¡¯re meeker and more


    obedient, I¡¯ll be more than willing to let you keep the baby. However, you¡¯re too cheeky; you registered


    that girl, and you even adopted her. What you¡¯ve done upsets me. Once I¡¯m upset, I¡¯m prone to do bad


    things. So, I¡¯m sorry, I could not stop myself from getting rid of that baby in you. You won¡¯t hate me for


    this, will you?¡±


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    For a moment, his nonchnt tone made a murderous urge sprout in my mind. At that second, I


    wanted to strangle him to death; in seconds, I had already murdered him in a hundred ways in my


    mind.


    However, I did nothing but look at him, waiting for him to utter all those words I despised. However, he


    did not continue. ¡°You don¡¯t need to record what I¡¯ve said. These things are useless to you. Scarlett, for


    me to be in my position, I can¡¯t be a fool, so stop those pointless things you¡¯re doing, okay?¡±


    My heart skipped a beat as I tensed. In the next second, I schooled my features to look calm. ¡°What


    are you talking about? I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re trying to tell me. I¡¯m not doing anything pointless


    for those disgusting acts of yours. I know karma wille for you soon.¡±


    He raised a brow at my reply before rising to his feet. Walking to my side, he leaned his face closer to


    mine as he smiled menacingly.


    When I saw his bony fingers reaching toward me, I could not help but hold my breath. Swiftly, he


    removed my earpiece and mocked, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t do anything to you. There isn¡¯t any need for


    you to wear these unnecessary things. It¡¯ll only affect our conversation.¡±


    With that said, he threw it out of the window. My mouth was set in a hard line, feeling rage boiling in my


    gut, but still, I looked at him calmly.


    He soon returned to his chair. ¡°I know you hate me, but that¡¯s fine. If I can¡¯t get you to love me, it¡¯ll be


    equally thrilling to have you hate me. You shouldn¡¯t me me for what happened to the kid; you should


    be ming yourself. If you didn¡¯t appear, no one will do anything to you. But, Scarlett, you were too


    stupid to save someone who¡¯spletely unrted to you. That¡¯s why your kid¡¯s dead. This is the


    ending you¡¯ve brought upon yourself, and the only thing you can me this on is how you¡¯ve stuck your


    nose into someone else¡¯s business.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± I roared. ¡°Armond, have you never thought about how you¡¯ll end up? I used to think that


    you¡¯re a gentleman, but boy was I horribly wrong. You¡¯re a scum that has no morals nor principles. No


    one will ever love you. You want that box, don¡¯t you? I¡¯m going to tell you now that I¡¯ll never give it to


    you. I¡¯d rather burn the box myself than hand it to you, so stop thinking of getting it. I want to see you


    destroy the Murphy family and yourself.¡±


    Unfortunately, it seemed like he was not as angry with my words as I was with his. His gaze on me


    remained tranquil, but it took him a while before he said, ¡°Scarlett, you know I don¡¯t want to do anything


    bad to you. I hope you¡¯ll be good and give me the things I want. That way, I won¡¯t hurt you or those that


    you¡¯re concerned about. If not, I can¡¯t guarantee your and their safety. You must be curious about what


    this vi is for. Have you heard of a snake¡¯s nest? I¡¯ve loved them since young, but my grandfather did


    not like them. So, I could only secretly keep them. The third floor is where they reside. If I press on the


    switch, those upstairs will be together with my pets. As for whether they¡¯ll live or die, I won¡¯t know. After


    all, I¡¯m not quite sure whether those pets I have are venomous or not.¡±


    My eyes were wide as I stared at him in disbelief. ¡°Armond, you shameless man!¡±


    He nodded in agreement. ¡°I, too, think of myself as shameless. But Nora¡¯s with me. Say, why do you


    think she loves me that much? At the start of our rtionship, we didn¡¯t like each other that much, and I


    never have any romantic feelings toward her. Why is she enamoured with me?¡±


    My hands clenched into fists as I scavenged through my brain for what I should do. I knew nothing


    about how many snakes Armond had kept. Since young, I was deadly afraid of these soft creatures. I


    was not sure whether we could escape the ce in time if those creatures were released. If the worse


    did happen, he could easily dismiss his responsibility in the matter by iming that it had only been an


    ident. All he needed to do was pay for the medical fees and remove the snakes. He would lose


    nothing in this.

 Chapter 1079

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1079


    At that thought, anger curled in my chest.


    ¡°At the very least, Nora truly likes you. How can you possibly use her to threaten me? Armond, you¡¯re


    shameless beyond imagination,¡± I snarled as I tried to look for my phone in the pocket.


    He sneered, ¡°Truly likes me? What¡¯s the use of that? If she isn¡¯t the one I want, what¡¯s the point of her


    true feelings? She¡¯s still useless. Am I right?¡±


    I was sure that the man was insane. To him, everything he did not like, did not want, and did not care


    about, was nothing but a burden. He would never cherish those things.


    Has Holden realized that something is off? At that thought, I was about to call my father with the phone


    in my pocket.


    However, before I could, a hand stopped me. A wide, emotionless smile was on Armond¡¯s face as he


    leaned close to me. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that if I were you. Isn¡¯t the sandalwood box useless to you? Why are


    you stubbornly holding on to it instead of giving it to me?¡±


    Retracting my hand as I clenched my jaw, I then moved away from him and sneered, ¡°Will you let them


    go if I give you the sandalwood box?¡±


    He raised a brow. ¡°Of course. You know my aim is a simple one. Furthermore, I don¡¯t really want to hurt


    them. Scarlett, no one is born a viin.¡±


    As I stared at him, I knitted my brows. ¡°All you need is Nora if you want to threaten me. Why did you


    invite Sasha¡¯s parents here? They¡¯re old people who are useless to you. Why do you have to torment


    them?¡±


    He lowered his gaze. ¡°I¡¯m not using them to threaten you. It¡¯s a mere coincidence that they¡¯re here.


    Shane owes me too much, so I¡¯ll have to invite his parents over so that he¡¯ll pay up soon.¡±


    I pursed my lips. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just kill him?¡± He¡¯s destroying someone¡¯s family, but he won¡¯t even


    stop at that. Why can someone like him continue to live in this world?


    He shrugged and said instead, ¡°Give me the box. You know I really need the things in it. If you give it to


    me, you can take the people away.¡±


    I muttered, ¡°Let theme down here first. The box isn¡¯t with me right now. Also, you know that even if


    I want to take Nora away, she won¡¯te with me.¡±


    He narrowed his eyes. ¡°So what are you trying to tell me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you the box, but you have to let them go first. You know well that Sasha¡¯s parents are useless


    to you. That b*stard Shane has no morals to speak of, so he won¡¯t care about his parents. That¡¯s why


    you should just let the two go and let them enjoy theirst decades peacefully. Leave Shane to the


    police. Let them stop him from making society worse.¡±


    However, he sneered, ¡°These things are out of my control. Scarlett, honestly, I don¡¯t trust you much.


    You¡¯ve fooled me once, so no matter what happens this time, you have to give me the box. It¡¯s fine


    even if you don¡¯t have it with you now. I¡¯ll give you a chance to go back and get it. Once you get it, give


    it to me, and I¡¯ll let them go.¡±


    My brows furrowed. Ashton had swapped the box once, and I had no idea where it was now. Looking at


    him, I confessed, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to give you the box, but that I don¡¯t know where it is. When I


    gave you the box back then, I didn¡¯t even know it had been swapped.¡±


    He narrowed his eyes again, the upset evident on his face this time. ¡°You mean, you don¡¯t know where


    the box is?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Immediately, a scowl grew on his face. ¡°Then, I¡¯m sorry. Since you don¡¯t have the box, we¡¯ll have to talk


    again when you find it. You might as well stay here for the next few days. Don¡¯t worry; I will treat you


    well.¡±


    I froze before frowning. ¡°Armond, what do you mean? Are you trying to lock me up here?¡±


    He shook his head before smirking at me. ¡°No, of course not. How can this be considered as locking


    you up? I just want you to stay here for a few days. Ever since the vi was revamped, no one has


    come for a stay. It¡¯s quite dead in here. Since you¡¯re all here, it¡¯s a good opportunity to liven up the


    ce.


    As he spoke, he reached out to press the call bell. Soon, someone came upstairs¡ªa middle-aged


    man. When Armond saw him, he said, ¡°Spencer, I¡¯ll have to trouble you to take care of my friends for


    the next few days. Thank you.¡±


    With that said, he stood up and walked out of the room.


    I hastily stopped him. ¡°Armond, this is illegal. Let us go.¡±


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    ¡°We¡¯ll talk again when you find the box. I¡¯m tired now. Spencer will lead you to your room. You don¡¯t


    need to think much about anything; you just need to stay here. I¡¯m sure Ashton will help you with the


    box.¡±

 Chapter 1080

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1080


    In my fury, I red at him. However, he ignored me and left without sparing another nce at me.


    The only ones in the room were Spencer and me. When the man turned to look at me, he smiled. ¡°Ms.


    Stovall, your room¡¯s on the fourth floor. You¡­¡±


    ¡°Take me to the third floor,¡± I interrupted. Then, I walked out of the room. Armond¡¯s vi was massive to


    the point one would take minutes just to go from one end to the other end of a floor. Spencer frowned,


    seemingly hesitant about leading me there.


    Hence, I said, ¡°Take me there. Since he wants to keep me here, he can¡¯t possibly stop me from going


    anywhere.¡±


    Spencer was taken aback by my words for a moment. A beatter, he nodded.


    Theyout of the third floor differed from the second floor; the third was locked by a steel door. At the


    sight of that, I grimaced. ¡°Where are my friends? Have you locked them all in there?¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Spencer smiled before answering, ¡°Of course not. Your friends are all on the fourth floor, Ms. Stovall.


    This floor is where he keeps his pets. They used toe out from there and scare the rest, so he


    locked them all in here.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Are they all snakes? Does he keep anything else?¡±


    The smile remained on Spencer¡¯s face as he replied, ¡°Mr. Murphy likes to collect rare animals, so he


    almost has all kinds of creatures. He has had them for years now. Ms. Stovall, would you like to take a


    look?¡±


    As I could not see anything from behind the steel door, I dared not answer him immediately. It would be


    fine if the creatures were locked up as the animals in the zoo, but it would be dangerous for me to enter


    if they were free to roam anywhere they pleased.


    After brief contemtion, I replied, ¡°No need. Spencer, please take me to the fourth floor instead.¡±


    He nodded before leading me to the floor above ours. The vi was huge, and the structure of it was


    reminiscent of a noble castle of ancient times. It was grand but empty.


    The stairs lookedplicated. I did not know whether it was built that way to disy the designer¡¯s


    capability.


    The moment I entered, I saw avish living room decorated with statues of Venus and saints. I was


    startled when I realized there was even a statue where one of the saints was breastfeeding a baby.


    Perhaps it was because I knew not how to appreciate art, so I felt nothing when I looked at the statues.


    There was a couch and a table in the living room. Holden was by the window, staring outside. For a


    moment, I wondered what he was thinking about.


    However, I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw him. It seemed like Armond had not done anything to


    him. When he heard my footsteps, he turned to look at me. ¡°Armond¡¯s house is built weird.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± I froze in my spot for a moment. ¡°Like how?¡±


    ¡°Do you see that greenery there? Don¡¯t you find it odd?¡± He raised his arm to point at the green patch


    downstairs, but no matter how long I looked at it, I found nothing odd about it.


    Thus, I looked at him, perplexed, and asked, ¡°What¡¯s odd about it? It looks fine to me. Is it some kind of


    Fengshui setting? When have you learned that?¡±


    He gave me a look before replying, ¡°Nope. It¡¯s the growth of the nts. Can¡¯t you see any problems


    with them?¡±


    I looked back at the spot, but still, I could not see anything strange about it. It was winter then, and


    most of the nts had wilted. The only ones that did not wilt were the pines, which thrived in all


    seasons.


    He sighed. ¡°The growth of the pines is all different from each other. Don¡¯t you see it?¡±


    His words made me look closer again. He was right, there were dozens of pines in the courtyard, but


    the ones in the middle had wilted. Meanwhile, the ones nted by the sides were still fine.


    ¡°Is it because the soil isn¡¯t as healthy in the middle?¡± I asked.


    He shook his head. ¡°The soil here is all the same. The courtyard is enormous, and it¡¯s far from the vi.


    It¡¯s unlikely that the vi has blocked the sunlight from reaching the nt. In other words, either there


    isn¡¯t enough soil in the middle, or something is buried there.¡±


    ¡°A cer?¡± The vi had no underground parking lot, so the only thing I could think of was a cer.


    He turned to stare at me in silence for a moment. ¡°I don¡¯t think a vi like this needs a cer. It should


    be a warehouse, meant to store something.¡±


    When I thought about Abe and Armond¡¯s rtionship in Venria, I could not help but say, ¡°For example,


    kyanine? Armond was quite close to Abe back in Venria. However, K City has strict rules about


    kyanine. How is he nning to sell them?¡±


    Holden rubbed his nose, seemingly speechless for a moment. ¡°What in the world is in that skull of


    yours? A huge vi like this usually has basements built for refuge from disasters. Even normal vis


    have them; they¡¯re just converted into underground parking lots.¡±


    After Holden tapped my head, I frowned. ¡°You were so serious about your observation, so that¡¯s why I


    thought about kyanine instead. What else did you think I was going to think about when I saw that


    solemn look of yours?¡±

 Chapter 1081

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1081


    He sat back down and threw a casual nce my way. ¡°Judging from the way you look¡­ let me guess,


    we¡¯re being held captive by Armond?


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    My brows knitted into a frown after seeing him so unbothered. What the heck is he doing?¡°How are you


    taking this so calmly? We¡¯re literally trapped here, yet you seem rxed. Aren¡¯t you afraid of being


    killed by Armond?¡±


    He chuckled as he looked back up at me. ¡°So Armond is now a bloodthirsty murderer who kills anyone


    in his way? Well, you¡¯re probably refusing to give him something he wants then.¡±


    At this, my shoulders tensed. How does he know so much?


    No point lying then. I pursed my lips and replied, ¡°It¡¯s just a sandalwood box that my grandma gave me.


    He wanted it, but I said no, so he locked me here. The rest is history.¡±


    Deepughter rumbled from him while his gaze met mine again. ¡°Is it important?¡±


    I nodded and exined, ¡°A little. The sandalwood box holds a contract between my grandma and a


    major gasoline-producing country. That contract allows the Murphys to take advantage of the low oil


    prices and bulk purchase petroleum, which they¡¯ll make a profit out ofter on.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± His eyes narrowed at me before he advised, ¡°I think you should give it to him since there¡¯s no


    sentimental value behind it. Plus, it¡¯s not like the Murphys are the only ones benefitting from this. The


    whole country will benefit from the petroleum deal. So why the hesitance?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind giving the box to the Murphys, just not to Armond!¡± I stifled a growl at him. ¡°Ashton visited


    A City to dig up all of Armond¡¯s past dirty businesses, so Armond will get what¡¯sing to him. I know


    the Murphys are involved in thepetitive gasoline market, but Armond isn¡¯t the only Murphy capable


    of running the business. I¡¯ll eventually hand them the box once Armond is locked up behind bars.¡±


    He frowned, trying toprehend the reason behind my actions. ¡°So, you¡¯re not giving it to Armond


    because all of his bad deeds will be forgiven if he secures a gasoline deal with Meudari; Because then,


    Ashton¡¯s evidence will mean nothing as people will adore Armond for boosting the nation¡¯s fuel


    economy.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°That kind of sums it up.¡±


    An understanding look shed briefly on his face before he stared off into the space. ¡°You hate Armond


    that much?¡± I heard from Nora that he and you used to be close, so how¡¯d you two end up as


    enemies?¡±


    ¡°Life had different ns for us,¡± I shrugged.


    ¡°So you¡¯re gonna ruthlessly force him into a dead end?¡± a voice startled me from behind. My head


    whipped around to see who it was; it was Nora, whom I haven¡¯t seen in a while. She looked more


    elegant now in her fox-fur shawl as she red at me with disappointment. ¡°He already surrendered A


    City to you Fullers. Since then, he returned to his turf here in K City and hasn¡¯t done anything bad. Why


    won¡¯t you let him live?¡±


    When did she get here?


    I brushed my shock off and spoke casually, ¡°What are you doing in K City? You didn¡¯t even call to let


    me know you wereing.¡±


    That prompted a sharp retort from her. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to say between us. I just happened to bump


    into you. Speaking of, why are you here? Don¡¯t want to return what rightfully belongs to the Murphys?


    My lips twitched with disdain at her. Rightfully theirs? ¡°This doesn¡¯t belong to the Murphys,¡± I snarled. ¡°I


    don¡¯t know why you¡¯re here, Nora, but I¡¯m sure you know that Armond doesn¡¯t love you and that he¡¯s


    only using you to get what he wants. Must you continue to lie to yourself?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your concern. I don¡¯t need you to exin whether he truly cares for me,¡± her gaze


    flickered in another direction. ¡°You should give him that contract because he really needs it. I know that


    he wronged you guys in the past, but getting that contract is a matter of life and death for him. Can¡¯t


    you give it to him?¡±


    She wasn¡¯t making sense at all. I couldn¡¯t help but sigh at how blinded she was in helping Armond.


    ¡°You should get your facts checked before telling me what to do. And Nora, don¡¯t forget who you are


    and your values as an individual. It¡¯s not wise to lose yourself whilst chasing after some unrequited


    love.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what else to say after seeing the harsh determination in her eyes.


    Sure enough, she refused to give in. She looked at me and softened her voice, ¡°You Fullers have


    already gotten all the glory in the world. You don¡¯t need what¡¯s in that box, so there¡¯s no point holding


    onto it. Why won¡¯t you hand it over to Armond and help him out?


    ¡°Scarlett, we¡¯ll always be friends, so can¡¯t you do this favor for me? I know Armond hurt you guys in the


    past, but those times are over now. And you guys turned out fine anyway, so why not let bygones be


    bygones? Help him out just this once. I¡¯m sure that Armond will get along with Ashton once he gets


    past this hurdle. We¡¯ll do anything you ask after this, hmm? Please, Scarlett?¡±

 Chapter 1082

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1082


    Nora drooped her shoulders and stared ssy-eyed at me.


    My lips pressed into a thin line. I averted her stare by looking over to Holden, who was staring back at


    me with an uninterested expression. His eyes bore into mine, hinting that he wanted no part in any of


    this.


    Then Nora¡¯s hand mped around my wrist, and her nails tore my flesh apart like a bear trap while she


    wailed, ¡°I¡¯m begging you, Scarlett. I¡¯ll do anything you ask me to; I¡¯ll even convince my grandpa to hand


    over the Oberick family business to you and Ashton. Please, Scarlett, I¡¯ll do whatever it takes as long


    as you promise to help Armond. Just this time.¡±


    An oing headache pounded at my temples, drawing my brows into a deep frown. ¡°What are you


    thinking! Do you even know what you¡¯re saying? How could you sacrifice your pride and get on your


    knees for some heartless, uncaring man?¡±


    Nora¡¯s eyes swelled and darkened into a deep red. ¡°Scarlett, you¡¯ve misunderstood Armond. He¡¯s not


    the viin that you say he is. You¡¯ve got it all wrong. I¡¯ll call him over, and he¡¯ll exin how things


    actually went down.¡±


    At her bold correction, that annoying headache grew into an electric pain behind my eyes. I couldn¡¯t


    help but bark out, ¡°How dare you expect me to forgive him? You think you know everything, huh? Well,


    your loverboy orchestrated the car ident and abducted Ashton, then almost froze him to death in the


    refrigerating chamber. He did all that to obtain trading rights to the Taylor family¡¯s port. Do you know


    that? How would you feel if you were in my shoes? If you knew that Armond did all that to Ashton, what


    would you truly do? Here you are, preaching to me about how he¡¯s misunderstood and asking me to


    forgive him¡­ but have you ever considered my feelings?


    ¡°You say that we¡¯re best friends, yet you put me through the pain of losing my child. All because you


    called me, saying that you were drunk at Imperial Hotel. You knew that I would go to you. Then you


    used my kindness against me and caused my miscarriage¡­ Do you even know how much the baby


    that you murdered meant to me? The doctors say that I¡¯ll never be able to conceive again, and it¡¯s all


    because of your phone call, that one dreaded call that stole my child from me. Tell me, Nora, do you


    not care about the lives of others? Because as long as you¡¯re not the one suffering, then none of it


    matters? Because only your problems trump over anyone else¡¯s?¡±


    I never med her for my child¡¯s death as I was equally responsible. However, she shouldn¡¯t have


    pointed fingers at me and said that I misunderstood the whole situation and acted so condescendingly


    by telling me what to do. Her shamelessness ticked me off so much that it reddened my ears.


    Hence, I couldn¡¯t bite back my burning resentment any longer. The woman before me was no one


    worth saving, even if she was once my dearest friend.


    Nora¡¯s eyes swelled as if they were going to fall out at any moment. She gripped white-knuckled onto


    my clothes and begged, ¡°I know what I did was wrong, but it¡¯s toote to change anything now.


    Scarlett, please, I don¡¯t know what to do anymore¡­ Tell me, what do I do for you to give Armond the


    contract? All I want is to help the man I love to get through this hardship in his life. That¡¯s all I ask¡­¡±


    At that moment, I could no longer recognize my cheerful and carefree friend. Her tear-strewn face felt


    so foreign to me. It felt like I had never really known the real her, and now her facade was peeling away


    to reveal her green and hideous nature.


    This wasn¡¯t the Nora that I knew. Something lodged at the back of my throat as I saw her begging


    pathetically. Can a so-called love really change a person that drastically?


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Oddly enough, I found myself asking a question that even I couldn¡¯tprehend. ¡°Nora, do you love


    Armond that much?¡±


    She paused before admitting with a solemn weight, ¡°Yes. He¡¯s all I want, and I¡¯d rather die than live in a


    world without him.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re certain that he loves you? Because love isn¡¯t one-sided, nor is it unrequited. Are you absolutely


    sure that he loves you back?¡± I shot a sharp gaze at her.


    My question had taken her by surprise. Her vision blurred, possibly confused as to why I asked her this.


    It took her a moment before she eventually regained her focus. Despite this, there was a hint of insanity


    laced in her voice, ¡°He loves me. He told me that himself, and I trust him. Why do you ask this,


    Scarlett? He really does love me. He does.¡±


    I raised my chin and let out a dry, humorlessugh. ¡°Even friendships have their limits, and you¡¯ve


    crossed all of them, Nora. So you can quit your miserable begging because we¡¯re not friends anymore.


    However¡­ let¡¯s make a bet since you¡¯re so certain about his feelings for you. Come over tonight, and


    I¡¯ll show you his true colors.¡±


    Bitterughter throbbed from my chest as I held her gaze. ¡°Armond still hasn¡¯t touched you anywhere


    intimately, has he?¡±


    ¡°Y-you,¡± Nora stammered. She took a moment to calm her bright pink cheeks before she muttered,


    ¡°You know that his health doesn¡¯t allow for it. Plus, you have no right to use that against me. He treats


    me well enough, and not all couples need that kind of intimacy to be in love.¡±

 Chapter 1083

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1083


    ¡°How are you so certain that it¡¯s because of health reasons?¡± I paused intentionally, hoping to stir anger


    in her. ¡°Have you thought about why he refuses to seek medical attention, despite not being able to get


    it up every single time? Hmm? Have you considered that some people only react to those they have


    feelings for, so maybe he doesn¡¯t love you at all? Maybe that¡¯s why he doesn¡¯t react sexually to you.¡±


    At this, her eyes reddened hideously beyond recognition. She stared wide-eyed at me whilst speaking


    through jagged breaths, ¡°You have no right, Scarlett! I don¡¯t care for your lies because I know he loves


    me.¡±


    Seeing her deceive herself, I couldn¡¯t help but snicker. My shoulders raised uncontrobly as I held


    back a burst of roaringughter. At this rate, she might crack.


    Inhaling deeply, Iposed myself before continuing, ¡°Then there¡¯s nothing left to say between us


    since you¡¯re so sure. I¡¯ll see youter tonight; If it turns out that he doesn¡¯t love you, then I hope you


    reflect on him as a person, as well as on yourself. Don¡¯t be swayed into living a life that someone else


    dictates for you.¡±


    There was nothing more I could say, so I dropped the subject and turned the other way.


    Silence engulfed us for the longest second. Eventually, she got the hint that it was pointless to beg me


    and gave up altogether. Before she left, she looked me in the eyes and swore that Armond loved her,


    as if she were reminding not only me but herself.


    I said nothing up until the moment she left.


    Once she did, it was Holden¡¯s turn to nce at me with an unreadable expression. He questioned,


    ¡°Call me curious, but how does an outsider like you know whether Armond is intimate with Nora? And


    how would you know that he can¡¯t get it up for her? Unless¡­ you¡¯ve experienced it yourself?¡±


    My lips curled into my teeth as I rolled my eyes at him. ¡°Nonsense! Honestly, I¡¯m starting to wonder if


    your mind is filled with junk. These were things that Nora and I talked about back then between us girls.


    What else was I supposed to say to convince her?¡±


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    Then he threw his head back understandingly before mumbling to himself, ¡°Does that mean my ex-


    girlfriends talked about me behind my back? That¡¯s crazy! I wonder what they said about me¡­ Nah,


    I¡¯m pretty sure they talked about how good I am in bed.¡±


    This guy¡­


    Ugh¡­ How brazen of him!


    I didn¡¯t want to waste my breath on responding to that shameless man. Instead, I pulled out my phone


    to call Ashton but quickly realized that there was no signal. Frowning, my gaze snapped over to


    Holden.


    ¡°Why are you staring at me?¡± he raised a brow and challenged.


    I raised my phone. ¡°There¡¯s no signal here?¡±


    He scoffed, ¡°Yeah. Isn¡¯t that a given since he locked us up here? Did you really think he¡¯d still allow you


    to contact Ashton or others from the outside to rescue you?¡±


    ¡°If you knew, then why aren¡¯t you trying to escape?¡± My jaw dropped at how unbothered he


    seemed. He¡¯s not an idiot, is he?


    To my dismay, he shrugged in response. ¡°Escape? Mr. Murphy will have someone in send top-notch


    food soon. Literally, we¡¯re trapped in a luxurious vi with good food, something I can¡¯t get from a


    regr holiday hotel. So why would I escape when I can bask in thefort of all this?¡±


    How optimistic.


    Ugh, alright then. Any help is better than none.


    I put away my phone and sat down next to him. ¡°Holden, can you not be so gullible? We¡¯re literally


    trapped here, trapped! Come on, put your greed aside and help me think of a way out.¡±


    He tutted in response, ¡°What for? It¡¯s real nice in here.¡±


    It felt like myst brain cell had snapped after hearing that. Appalled, I shook my head at him. ¡°Forget I


    ever asked and just do as you please.¡±


    Surely enough, Armond had ordered Spencer to deliver our dinner not long after. As Spencer set up the


    dinner table, Holden casually conversed with him. What¡¯s even more shocking was that Spencer, our


    captor¡¯s butler, responded politely before leaving us to our meal.


    My lips thinned at the sight of Holden contently chowing down on his captor¡¯s food like a fool. There


    really was no point convincing him to escape, and that made me lose my appetite. Instead, I looked out


    the window, scanning the perimeters of Armond¡¯s ginormous vi. There was a stone wall around the


    vi that was way too high to climb, and the ce was crawling with security. It seemed nearly


    impossible to sneak out of here undetected.


    Unable to think of an alternative way out, I felt another headache pulsating at my temples. I whipped


    around to face Holden, who was chewing loudly with an oily sheen on his lips.


    I couldn¡¯t help but snap, ¡°Holden Taylor, for the love of God, please stop eating and help me think of an


    escape n! Do you want to be locked up here forever?¡±


    ¡°Forever?¡± His gaze shifted from my eyes and down to the plentiful food before him. Then he chuckled


    heartily, ¡°If being that means living here and eating all this food every single day, then count me in!¡±


    This man is hopeless.


    Arghhh! Forget him then! My head ached from thinking of escape ns all day, yet I still hadn¡¯te


    up with a way out. At this point, I gave up and sank into the living room¡¯s cushioned chairs.

 Chapter 1084

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1084


    I suddenly remembered that Sasha¡¯s parents were also locked up here. At the thought of this, I


    instinctively shot off the chair and paced out the door. Seeing me leave, Holden called out, ¡°Where are


    you going?¡±


    ¡°To find out where everyone else is!¡± Worry seeped into my mind. Sasha¡¯s parents couldn¡¯t handle


    being stressed, given their old age.


    He frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t, it¡¯s pointless, and not to mention, extremely dangerous because Armond keeps his


    poisonous pets downstairs. He¡¯ll strangle me with his bare hands if you somehow get yourself killed.


    So, it¡¯s best to stay here. I¡¯m sure someone will get us out.¡±


    I pursed my lips at thatst bit. ¡°Is that someone the person that you¡¯re working with?¡± Isn¡¯t that person


    in Moranta? So who is he referring to?


    But Holden disregarded my question. Instead, he resumed eating and evenplimented Armond¡¯s


    private chef, singing about how tasty the food was.


    Hesitantly standing by the door, I thought about the conversation earlier with Nora before announcing,


    ¡°Stay here while I head out for a bit. Don¡¯t worry, Armond won¡¯t hurt me since he still needs me to get


    that sandalwood box. And I¡¯m sure he¡¯s installed cameras all over this vi, so he¡¯ll be watching our


    every move.¡±


    Then I exited the living room and trailed down the hallway that Spencer took when he brought me up


    earlier. After walking for some time, I realized that I hadn¡¯t even left the fourth floor at all.


    My face scrunched worryingly at the realization that Armond¡¯s vi must be built like a maze.


    Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have made it so big.


    At this thought, I halted and scanned the never-ending walls around me. There were no stairways, and


    each door looked identical, down its gold knobs and intricate carvings. On top of that, there were many


    adjoined corridors. Shoot, which path did I take earlier?


    My heart thundered in my chest. It swung like a mallet against my ribcage.


    All the doors were shut, so I approached random ones and tried to open them. Yet, no matter how


    much I rattled or turned their knobs, none opened.


    The booming in my chest grew incessant as if my heart might burst at any moment.


    Then I heard them; despite my initial hesitance, I eventually gave in and trailed after the faint chatters


    of some men and women. I inhaled sharply as the voices had miraculously led me to a door whose


    knob could be turned.


    With extreme caution, I opened the door and entered before freezing at what was inside the room.


    The dimly lit room was spacious. Many stares snapped towards me, rmed by my sudden entrance.


    The one person who didn¡¯t seem shocked was Armond, who lounged leisurely on a sofa as his gaze


    trailed from the performance at the very front of the room over to me.


    He swirled a ss of blood-red wine and raised his eyebrows mockingly. ¡°I see you¡¯ve made it. Come


    in! Join the fun.¡±


    I was still too stunned by everything to respond. Eventually, my lips parted as I managed a simple


    squeak, ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Escort Ms. Stovall in.¡± Armond¡¯s eyes fixated on me like a predator¡¯s. He ced his ss down whilst


    a crooked smile smeared itself across his face.


    His stare sent a chill down my back, straightening every fine strand of hair on my body. I trembled


    helplessly as two men grabbed onto my arms and brought me closer to Armond. They then left after


    completing their task.


    Before me, Armond crossed his legs whilst grinning with a tainted delight. ¡°Have a seat,e watch


    the show since I doubt you¡¯ve ever witnessed such finesse.¡±


    My feet remained firmly rooted into the ground. I refused to go over, knowing that there were about four


    to five mastiffs and dingos eyeing me cautiously from every corner of the room.


    Thoughts raced in my mind as I tried to figure out Armond¡¯s next n of action. Seeing how


    unresponsive I was, Armond¡¯s eyes narrowed furiously.


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°So you prefer to stand and watch?¡± He spat.


    But neither of us, especially myself, was prepared for what happened next.


    I winced, feeling a dry and clenching ache in my stomach. Then my knees gave in, and I plopped onto


    all fours before a sour stream of vomit retched up my throat.


    Armond¡¯s face loosened into a dull expression, save for the slight twitching of his lips that showed how


    entertained he was by my suffering.


    A sharp stench filled the air around us. I emptied almost everything in me, yet I could still taste the


    sourness of rotten plums in my mouth. It took a moment before I regained my focus on him. I yelled in


    disbelief, ¡°Armond, you psychopath! You¡¯re insane!¡±


    That¡¯s right. Armond thought to himself.


    Armond¡¯s eyes bore indifferently into mine. ¡°Hmm? Have you finally decided to surrender the contract


    to me?¡±


    ¡°Do you even know what you¡¯re doing?¡± I felt my emotions churning as I stared down at the repulsive


    man before me, who sought after the contract by any means necessary.


    Armond rxed deeper into the sofa, sprawling his arms into afortable position. He shot a


    contemptuous stare at me and hissed, ¡°Do you think Ashton would hand over the contract if I made you


    join them?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re insane!¡± My face paled to a greyish disdain. Feeling my blood run cold, I stepped backward,


    wanting to put some distance between myself this monster of a man.


    He howled obnoxiously at the sight of me trembling. Hisughter wriggled into my ears like worms as


    he mocked, ¡°You¡¯re too meek to beat me in this game of chase, Scarlett. I assure you won¡¯t lose


    anything by giving me the contract, so why don¡¯t you hand it over, hmm?¡±


    Damn it. Regret seeped into me as if I had been drenched with a bucket of cold water. I shouldn¡¯t have


    entered the room and walked so willingly into the lion¡¯s den.


    Gathering whatever courage I had left, I forced myself to meet his gaze. ¡°I¡¯d hand over the contract to


    anyone without question, just not you, Armond. What you¡¯re after is the Murphy family¡¯s recognition,


    aren¡¯t you? Well, I won¡¯t give you that satisfaction. Look at how you destroyed the Murphy family


    business. That was why you sought after the trading rights to Moranta¡¯s ports; you wanted to undo the


    damages you¡¯ve done to the Murphys.


    ¡°You¡¯re probably nervous because Mr. Murphy¡¯s already nning to remove you from your current


    powerful position, am I right? Well, a vile man like you will never seed in life, no matter how capable


    you are or how many despicable tactics you resort to. I won¡¯t give the contract to you. I¡¯ll put you


    behind bars myself and allow the Murphys¡¯ next heir to restore their family¡¯s initial glory. As for you,


    you¡¯re better off rotting in a jail cell where you belong.¡±

 Chapter 1085

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1085


    Armond gazed coldly at me, his dark eyes gradually shrouded by devilish redness. Then, his lips


    curved into a vicious smile as he hissed at me, ¡°Rotting in a jail cell? Haha! Scarlett, no doubt Ashton


    has fallen head over heels in love with you! I¡¯m really impressed with your courage. So far, nobody


    dares to talk to me like that!¡±


    I moved backward as he approached me inch by inch, never shifting his zing eyes away from


    me. Bang! The sound was followed by a slight pain on my back, indicating that I had retreated to a


    corner of the cage. As a wave of fear surged within me, my legs started to tremble. I gulped and was


    about to force myself to utter some words. However, in just a split second, he ripped my clothes into


    pieces and bellowed, ¡°The rest of you, get out now!¡±


    Everyone in the room stumbled out in an instant. As he trapped me in between his arms, I stammered


    in panic, ¡°A-Armond, what do you intend to do to me? You can¡¯t touch me! A-Ashton won¡¯t let you off


    easily!¡±


    He snickered, ¡°Do you think that I¡¯m afraid of him? He¡¯s just a nobody to me! Scarlett, you must have


    forgotten that this is my turf. Do you think he has the right to stop me from doing anything? After all,


    he¡¯s still busy investigating me in A City at the moment. Do you think he can reach here at once to


    come to your rescue?¡±


    As he leaned closer to me, I was repulsed by his disgusting countenance. My entire body was shivering


    in utter anxiety, and I was seconds away from an emotional breakdown. I intended to raise my arms


    and push him away, yet he was far too strong.


    The insidious man looked at me from head to toe with his ferocious eyes. After a while, he slowly took


    off his ck suit and unbuttoned his shirt. My eyes widened as my voice quivered. ¡°What are you


    doing?¡±


    He twitched his lips and asked mockingly, ¡°You know what I want to do now, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Shaking my head frantically, I tried to talk him into changing his mind by yelling, ¡°Armond, you can¡¯t do


    this! Nora is still in this vi as well. You can¡¯t do that! You can¡¯t!¡±


    His lips lifted into a sly smile. ¡°Didn¡¯t you have a bet with her earlier? Well, this is a golden opportunity


    for you to test it out now. You can experience it for yourself, and you¡¯ll find out the truth. Besides,


    maybe you¡¯ll get to know whether Ashton or I have better skills too!¡±


    ¡°Back off!¡± I grimaced and growled at him. How I wish I could rip him into pieces at once, but there was


    nothing I could do!


    He stared at me and said sarcastically, ¡°Why¡¯re you looking at me like that? How do you know that I¡¯m


    not as well-built as Ashton? You can ce your hand on my body and feel it for yourself. Come on now,


    don¡¯t be shy¡­¡±


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    Crouching beside me, he grabbed my hands to press on his body forcefully. I tried hard to pull my


    hands away, yet to no avail.


    I was aghast at his forcefulness, but there was nothing I could do to stop him.


    My pupils constricted in profound anxiety right then. Following that, I shook my head apprehensively


    and yelled at him, ¡°Armond, stop it!¡±


    However, he smiled wryly and continued to mock me, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not keen onparing me


    with Ashton? Don¡¯t you, women, like topare?¡±


    Taking a deep breath, I rose abruptly and pushed him away, thinking of dashing out. However, he


    grabbed hold of my body effortlessly. No matter how hard I kicked and pped him, he never loosened


    his tight grip on me.


    Embracing my body from the back, he clung to me tightly. I shrieked hysterically, ¡°Armond Murphy, you


    pervert! Let go of me! Or I swear to God, you will meet your end soon!¡±


    ¡°Do you know since when I¡¯ve fallen for you? It¡¯s love at first sight! It¡¯s amazing, isn¡¯t it? The very


    moment I met you, I told myself that I must win your heart by all means. Initially, I thought of sending


    you all the way to Venria, and would only appear to be your knight in shining armor when you¡¯re in


    trouble. I¡¯m sure you would¡¯ve been touched by my gesture and fall for me easily then. Nheless,


    I¡¯ve underestimated your love for Ashton. I¡¯ve never expected that even after being apart for such a


    long time, you are still deeply in love with him!¡±


    Unable to move at all, I panted and responded in difficulty, ¡°Let me go! Don¡¯t you know how humiliating


    it is when you said that you¡¯ve fallen for me?¡±


    He sneered as he became more violent due to exasperation. ¡°Humiliating? In that case, I¡¯ll make sure


    that you¡¯ll be humiliated for the rest of your life!¡±


    The next moment, he tore my skirt apart with brutal force. I was stupefied and yelled helplessly,


    ¡°Armond, you¡¯d better think twice. I would never forgive you if you dare to touch me! I¡¯d rather die, and


    by then, Ashton would surely avenge me by ruining the Murphys!¡±


    Armond burst intoughter that instant. ¡°The Murphys? They are nothing to me, so don¡¯t waste your


    time threatening me with the Murphys. Besides, Ashton will never be able to trace your whereabouts.


    Did you see this cage here? I¡¯ve prepared it just for you, my sweet little canary! Give up now, Scarlett!


    There¡¯s no use struggling because you¡¯re mine!¡±


    ¡°Never!¡± I roared at him and bit hard on the back of his hand. He shouted in pain and loosened his tight


    grip. Gazing at me with a glint of ferocity in his eyes, he scoffed, ¡°I¡¯m sure Ashton is on the way to


    rescue you now, but he¡¯s too impetuous. Impulsiveness and anxiety would always lead to something


    disastrous. Who knows if he would be a victim of a car ident or a ne crash? Scarlett, if any


    misfortune urs to him on his way, won¡¯t you feel guilty? After all, he came here because of you¡­¡±


    ¡°Armond Murphy, you¡¯re a freakin¡¯ lunatic!¡± Instantaneously, I was panic-stricken at the sight of his


    nonchnce. On the brink of tears, I could feel the throbbing pain of my heart. No! I can¡¯t let anything


    happen to Ashton! I won¡¯t!

 Chapter 1086

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1086


    ¡°Don¡¯t hurt him! You just want the contract, don¡¯t you? I promise to give you that as long as you don¡¯t


    threaten him!¡± I mustered my courage to grip his hand and look at his grim face. ¡°Armond, I know you


    only wanted the contract, so I will give it to you. Just please don¡¯t hurt Ashton, okay?¡± I pleaded.


    Right that instant, there was a sudden change in his expression. Heughed scornfully at me, ¡°My, my,


    Scarlett, you can only me yourself for messing things up. Initially, it never crossed my mind to hurt


    you or even using you to threaten Ashton. However, you¡¯ve spoiled my mood, and now, I¡¯ve changed


    my mind.¡±


    After that, he rose and opened the door of the cage. He stepped out and then picked up the phone on


    the floor to hand it to me. Squinting his eyes, he said grimly, ¡°Call Ashton now and ask him to pass the


    contract to Linda. Do you get it?¡±


    I cooled myself down, took the phone from him, and called Ashton. He answered my call almost


    immediately.


    Upon hearing his voice, my heart flinched because of theplex emotions. Suppressing my


    uneasiness, I asked, ¡°Ashton, where are you now? How are you? Is everything going on well?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry, Don¡¯t be afraid!¡± His deep, calming voice seemed to soothe my anxiety.


    Nothing is more important than his safety! I would do anything, just so that he¡¯s safe and sound¡­


    Meanwhile, Armond was staring at me with a grim look on his face. He was waiting for me to bring up


    the topic on the contract. Pursing my lips, I asked Ashton tactfully, ¡°Ashton, do you still remember


    where I put the sandalwood box from Grandma?¡±


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    On the other end of the line, Ashton seemed to be stunned for a moment before replying, ¡°It¡¯s at home.


    Weren¡¯t you always aware of that?¡±


    I knitted my brows as I started to ponder. After that incident, he never talked about the contract. Hence,


    I didn¡¯t know where it was all this while! ¡°Alright, I¡¯m not at home right now, but I¡¯ll get someone to go


    and get itter. You take care over there! Come back only after getting your matters resolved, alright?¡±


    He replied gently, ¡°Alright. I¡¯m almost done with it anyway. Anyway, are you okay with being alone for


    now?¡±


    Ignoring how Armond was staring at me, I pursed my lips and replied, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. I just kind of miss


    you, but it¡¯s alright¡­ I¡¯ll wait for you at home. Doe back soon!¡±


    Before I could finish my words, Armond stretched out his arm to snatch the phone away from me.


    Fortunately, I managed to dodge, so Ashton did not sense anything awry. He paused momentarily


    before replying, ¡°Alright. I miss you too!¡±


    ncing at Armond, who was looking intently at me, like a beast ready to pounce on its prey, I told


    Ashton, ¡°Take care of yourself. I¡¯ll see you soon.¡±


    He replied gently, ¡°Alright, you too!¡±


    After hanging up the phone, Armond snatched it from me instantly and smashed it onto the floor. I was


    dumbfounded to see the phone shatter into pieces right in front of my eyes.


    Nevertheless, I remained silent and tried to keep a cool head. He turned and red at me with eyes


    that were zing with anger. The next moment, he dragged me from the floor and flung me onto the


    sofa.


    Before I could react, he had pinned me down and started to run his hands all over my body, despite my


    struggles.


    As he continued to run his disgusting hands all over my body, I almost broke down. I growled at him,


    ¡°Armond, I¡¯ve asked about the thing that you want. It¡¯s at the vi. You can ask your men to go and get


    it any time. So why are you still doing this to me, you b*stard?¡±


    I tried to push him away by force and threw punches at him, yet he was not affected at all. It was as if


    he was a robot without any sense of pain.


    Seeing that he had totally lost his mind, I was panicked that the worst would befall me at any time. I


    could not understand why he was treating me so roughly and domineeringly all of a sudden.


    At that thought, I burst into tears and wailed helplessly ¡°Armond, you b*stard! Let me go. I beg you!


    Please let me go!¡± Nevertheless, he was not moved at all.


    A surge of despair welled up from within me. At that very moment, I felt like ending my own life on the


    spot so everything woulde to an end.


    Bang! In an instant, it was as if the heaviness above my body was being lifted. To my astonishment,


    Armond¡¯s body nted to one side and fell onto the floor. Within such a short span of time, there was a


    twist in the current situation.


    He passed out and sprawled on the floor with his face down, like a lifeless body. Blood started to ooze


    from the back of his head. I held my breath as I raised my head instinctively. Nora¡¯s face turned pale as


    she was standing motionless with something in her hand. I only realized that she had bashed him hard


    on the head.


    Everything happened in a sh, and it was just like a dream for me.


    ng! The bottle slipped from Nora¡¯s hands and shattered into pieces on the floor. She looked at me in


    bewilderment, then turned to look at Armond. Blood drained from her face as she stuttered, ¡°I-I never


    thought of rescuing you, I¡­¡±


    I climbed up from the floor and grabbed hold of her, thinking of fleeing at once. Nevertheless, I froze in


    my tracks when we were about to reach the main door. Spencer was blocking our way with a few


    muscr bodyguards.

 Chapter 1087

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1087


    ¡°Where do you both intend to go?¡±


    Spencer asked courteously as he smiled at us. Looking at his unusual demeanor under such


    circumstances, my heart skipped a beat.


    Nora and I grabbed hold of each other and looked at Spencer persuasively. ¡°We have to leave this


    ce. Spencer, please let us go!¡± I pleaded with him.


    It was as if Spencer totally did not catch what I said. At the sight of Armond, who was lying on the floor


    in disheveled clothes, he shot me an indifferent nce and instructed the bodyguards, ¡°Go check on


    Mr. Murphy!¡±


    Two of the bodyguards moved toward Armond swiftly and took some time to check on him before they


    carried him away cautiously. Meanwhile, I was locked up in the room again with Nora.


    We cowered in one corner and were still traumatized by the terrifying events that happened a while


    ago. Nora stared into space for quite a while before she came to her senses. Gazing at me silently for


    some time, there seemed to be something that she wished to tell me.


    I looked at her and thanked her sincerely, ¡°I really appreciate youing to my rescue just now. Don¡¯t


    worry. Ashton will surely try his best to save us.¡±


    However, Nora continued to gaze at me in silence with a mixture of emotions in her eyes. After a while,


    she finally broke the silence. ¡°I¡¯ve known right from the beginning that Armond has never fallen for me,


    and I¡¯m just a nobody to him. Yet, I choose to lie to myself all this while. I thought that if I follow him


    wherever he went and clung to him with perseverance, he would be able to notice me one day. To be


    frank, he actually treats me quite well whenever you¡¯re around. He buys me things and is really


    considerate, although he would never touch me.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    ¡°For instance, when we were first together, he used to smoke in the car. I was sick of the smell and


    asked him about it. From that day onwards, he attempted to quit smoking. When we stay at the hotel


    and he feels like smoking, he would rather open the window and smoke with his head poked outside so


    I won¡¯t smell the smoke in the room. Don¡¯t you think that he really minds about what I said? If he didn¡¯t


    fall for me, he would not be so considerate of me. Scarlett, I¡¯m pretty sure that he was really in love with


    me at that time. I¡¯m not making up a story. I just don¡¯t understand why he has turned into such a


    ruthless person all of a sudden. However, I¡¯m sure he really did love me before! I¡¯m telling the truth, and


    I really felt it at that time!¡± she continued to mumble with a dreamy look on her face.


    At the sight of her bitter smile and teary eyes, I was at a loss for words to console her. Armond probably


    has really fallen in love with her before. Yet why did he say those meaningless words to me just now?


    If Nora was right about him having feelings for her, why can¡¯t he continue to cherish such a nice girl like


    her?


    Nora cowered in one corner, wrapping herself in her own arms. Feeling upset about her current


    mncholic state, I did not know how I could console her and cheer her up. Letting out a deep breath, I


    patted her gently and said softly, ¡°Nora, I might not have the right to give you advice, as I myself can¡¯t


    handle my rtionship well too. I¡¯m overconfident at times and tend to put myself in hot water, putting


    the person I love at risk as well. As for Armond, I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯m unable to put myself in his shoes, just


    like how you are doing. We¡¯re definitely in a different stance as he¡¯s my foe. You also witnessed how he


    was trying to assault me earlier, didn¡¯t you? I understand how you are deeply in love with him, and I¡¯ve


    no right to persuade you to fight against him with me. Yet he must pay the price for the hideous deed


    that he hasmitted!¡±


    I paused as my heart throbbed in pain when a girl¡¯s figure shed across my mind. ¡°You know about


    Hailey, don¡¯t you? The heart that keeps her alive now was actually sold to her father through a


    business trade between Armond and him. Do you know that an innocent girl was sacrificed just to keep


    her alive? Armond had indeed applied the most brutal way to fulfill the deal with her father.


    Consequently, poor Hailey ends up living in guilt. To me, he¡¯s really a cold-blooded murderer in a way.


    Furthermore, countless children in the viges have perished in his hands miserably. It¡¯s really unfair


    for them! Nora, I¡¯ve witnessed all these with my own eyes. You must really think properly and make the


    right decision. I¡¯m sure that you really love him, but he can¡¯t be easily forgiven for his misdeeds.¡±


    Nora looked at me with eyes welled up in tears, ¡°What do you want me to do? I mean, what else can I


    do now? I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t trust me anymore from now onwards. Thus, there¡¯s no chance for me to set


    him up again. Look at these beasts. They have just taken a meal and are sleeping soundly at the


    moment. However, when they are awake and hungryter, we might be their food to fill up their


    stomach at any time!¡±


    She was right, but I was reluctant to give up easily on any chances to survive. I tried to motivate her by


    saying, ¡°I know it¡¯s really challenging for us to survive. Even so, we must be united to look for ways to


    leave this ce. Since you¡¯re able toe all the way here, it proves that you know pretty well about


    this vi. Hence, you¡¯ll be able to find the way out, right?¡±


    She was dumbfounded for a while before she nodded slowly again. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡±


    ¡°Ashton will be here in a while. However, he would not be able to enter this vi as the wall is too high.


    Thus, the only way for us to get out of here is to look for Holden so he can team up with Ashton to


    rescue us!¡±


    Silence ensued for a moment before she replied hesitantly, ¡°I¡¯ve stayed here for quite some time. Even


    though I can¡¯t assure that I know every corner of this vi well, but I guess there¡¯s still no problem for


    me to give a try.¡±


    Then, she turned to look at me abruptly, ¡°But, Scarlett, you have to be prepared to have your life at risk


    if you intend to get out of here. Do you think you can ept it?¡±

 Chapter 1088

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1088


    I was stunned and baffled by what she meant. She gestured to me as she stole a nce at the mastiff


    sleeping soundly in the cage.


    It suddenly struck me that she was hinting that the mastiff could strike us at any time. The very thought


    of the mastiff pounding on me brought me out in a cold sweat. Restraining my fear, I calmed myself


    down and replied firmly, ¡°Yes, I can!¡±


    She nodded and handed me a knife. ¡°All the best to you! Take care of your own safety!¡± she warned me


    and approached the cage to unlock the main door.


    Once the main door was unlocked, the mastiffs were still motionless and sleeping soundly.


    Standing near the cage, Nora took a deep breath and incapacitated one of the mastiffs with an electric


    baton.


    In a split second, the mastiff howled in pain as the electric baton inflicted electric shock on it. She then


    moved aside swiftly.


    That one mastiff¡¯s deafening howl triggered the other mastiffs as well. They woke up one by one and


    red at both of us viciously.


    Raising the electric baton in her hand, Nora looked at me with chattering teeth. With a quivering voice,


    she reminded me, ¡°Grab hold of the knife tightly and protect yourself!¡±


    I nodded as my heart pounded tremendously with fear.


    All the mastiffs moved out slowly from the cage and fixed their ferocious gazes on us as they snarled at


    us.


    The mastiff which was incapacitated by Nora earlier approached her as if it knew that Nora was the one


    who had woken it up earlier.


    Looking at Nora, I was scared stiff as I asked, ¡°Nora, what are we supposed to do?¡±


    Still holding the electric baton, she gritted out, ¡°Scarlett, I mentioned earlier that your life would be at


    risk. So¡­ I don¡¯t know what we¡¯re supposed to do next!¡±


    At the same time, another mastiff was moving toward me, making my whole body tremble with fear. I


    stuck myself closer to the wall, with the knife tightly clenched in my hand as I stepped back.


    The enraged mastiff¡¯s intimidating stare sent chills down my spine. Even though Nora mentioned that


    the mastiffs had just taken their meals and would not eat us, it didn¡¯t mean that they wouldn¡¯t bite us!


    For some reason, I felt like we would be easily torn into pieces with just one deadly bite!


    The sight of me holding the knife must have provoked the mastiff in a way. That exined why its


    agitation was triggered at once, and it was ready to pounce on me. Standing rooted to the floor, I could


    only shut my eyes and screamed at the top of my lungs. At the same time, I could not help mourning


    for myself at the devastating fate which would befall me soon.


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    At the eleventh hour, I was taken aback by the ear-piercing sound of gunshots. Thud! The beast, which


    was still pouncing on me seconds ago, copsed onto the floor. It writhed in pain andy motionless on


    the floor within seconds.


    What a close shave! I was still petrified and remained frozen. By then, all the other mastiffs were also


    lying motionless on the floor, with a syringe poked onto each of their necks. They were apparently


    injected with some sort of anesthesia.


    ¡°Both of you shouldn¡¯t have infuriated them!¡± Spencer said in an icy-cold tone as he red at us. He


    was standing with the other bodyguards at the main entrance of the room.


    Nora and I nodded in embarrassment. Meanwhile, Nora looked at Spencer with her teary eyes and


    asked nervously, ¡°Spencer, how is Armond? Has he woken up? Can I go and see him?¡±


    Spencer frowned slightly as he replied, ¡°Mr. Murphy has just woken up. Ms. Oberick, don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s


    fine.¡±


    Heaving a sigh of relief, Nora asked Spencer pitifully, ¡°Spencer, can you bring us to see him? I¡¯m really


    sorry for what I¡¯ve done just now. But it was never my intention to hurt him. I just really love him, so I


    was blinded by my jealousy. I couldn¡¯t watch him do that to another woman¡­¡±


    Spencer let out a deep sigh and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Just don¡¯t be so impetuous next time!¡±


    After that, he led us out of the room without saying anything. Unexpectedly, the mastiffs were left


    unattended on the floor.


    Once we stepped out of the room, it was locked again. Trailing behind Spencer, Nora gazed at me


    meaningfully, hinting me to find ways to escape.


    I nodded silently at her.


    As Armond¡¯s vi was too spacious, I could not guarantee that I would not end up losing my way here.


    Nevertheless, I could only try my luck as that was the only chance for me to escape at the moment.


    Before I could think of a brilliant idea, the siren red abruptly with a high-pitched sound. I immediately


    covered my ears.


    Spencer furrowed his brows and turned to look at the bodyguards behind him. They left at once after


    he threw them a nce. I presumed that he had instructed the bodyguards to attend to some urgent


    matters in the vi.


    I exchanged a look with Nora right then. She asked Spencer inquisitively, ¡°Spencer, why is the siren


    ring suddenly? What happened?¡±


    There was a momentary weird look on Spencer¡¯s face before he squeezed a smile. ¡°Ms. Oberick, you


    don¡¯t have to worry so much. The bodyguards are checking on it now. It¡¯s probably caused by the


    system which malfunctions at times. Here, let me lead you to Mr. Murphy.¡±


    Nora nodded constantly and asked deliberately, ¡°Armond is currently in his bedroom, right? I¡¯ll go and


    see him now.¡± After that, she trotted eagerly toward his bedroom. Fearing that she would


    unintentionally stir up any troubles again, Spencer quickened his pace to catch her up. Meanwhile, I


    purposely slowed down behind them, trying to grab the golden opportunity to wander around by myself


    in order to find ways to flee the horrible ce.

 Chapter 1089

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1089


    Seeing that, I strode forward, following the route that Nora had told me in advance. Only the fourth floor


    of Armond¡¯s vi was upied at that moment. Nheless, it was exceptionally challenging to locate


    the stairway leading downstairs because the ce was humungous. He might have possibly built it that


    way on purpose to make it difficult for people to find the staircase.


    Remembering what Nora told me, I managed to locate the exit and quickly headed downstairs to the


    living room.


    I was stunned to see several hundred policemen besieging the vi. Right then, I also noticed Ashton in


    their midst.


    It had been a few days since Ist saw him. That man stuck out like a sore thumb in the crowd, wearing


    a dark-colored trench coat, looking as dapper as ever.


    I was taken aback for a moment until our gazes were fixated on each other. A fuzzy feeling arose in


    me, and I ran toward him without the slightest hesitation.


    Oh, how I¡¯ve missed him and longed for his embrace these days. My overwhelming emotions fueled


    me to dash toward him relentlessly like waves hitting the shore.


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    Simultaneously, he was darting across the room to me. Nothing else mattered at that moment besides


    falling into his arms and hugging him tightly with my head buried in his chest.


    The reunion made me tear up. ¡°I thought I¡¯ll never be able to see you again in this lifetime. I thought I¡¯ll


    have to face everything on my own this time. I thought you¡¯ll nevere. I¡­¡±


    ¡°Silly girl!¡± He assured me in a low voice while hugging me, ¡°How could I let you face this alone? Not


    now and never will.¡±


    Resting in his arms, my body started to warm up as I calmed down. I could feel my heart beating


    normally again with him beside me, and that felt good. I felt like I owned the whole world only when


    he¡¯s around.


    Momentster, he said gently, ¡°Let¡¯s get this mess sorted.¡±


    I nodded in agreement. After all, the main priority was to settle the matters at hand.


    At that moment, the policemen had the entire vi surrounded. The person-in-charged consulted


    Ashton, ¡°Mr. Fuller, should we barge in?¡±


    Ashton nodded and ordered, ¡°Locate Armond at once while controlling the rest. Try to keep the site as


    it is and reduce any possible damage to the least.¡±


    ¡°Noted!¡±


    Subsequently, the troop entered the vi. I reminded them, ¡°Armond¡¯s pets are on the third floor.


    Beware, they are mostly venomous snakes and scorpions.¡±


    The leader of the troop acknowledged, ¡°Thanks for the reminder, Mrs. Fuller.¡±


    Meanwhile, I remained outside of the vi with Ashton. Hisposure piqued my curiosity. ¡°When did


    you return? It takes at least four hours to get from A City to K City.¡±


    He stared at me and replied, ¡°Before Holden came here with you, he sent me a message. To be


    honest, Armond wouldn¡¯t call you here for nothing. If he failed to get the sandalwood box, it¡¯s expected


    of him to detain you. Moreover, the Murphys are anxious to obtain the contract. Hence, it¡¯s a necessary


    step for him to look for you.¡±


    ¡°So, you came back as soon as you got the message?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°When Holden has gotten full knowledge of the situation in the vi, I brought in the police.


    With Holden¡¯s help, Armond will definitely go to jail.¡±


    Nodding my head, I continued asking, ¡°How did the investigation go in A City? Did you manage to find


    some solid evidence? Did they confess?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they¡¯ve confessed. Joseph will follow up with the rest.¡±


    This chapter was finally closed.


    Earlier, Armond fell unconscious after getting hit by Nora. Hence, the raid was conducted sessfully,


    where items found included numerous ss 1 protected wildlife species and weapons.


    Charged with a crime, Armond was taken away directly. On the other hand, the others at the vi were


    required to record their affidavits before being released. As for the Murphys, they were all affected


    because of what Armond did.


    The less-than-ideal stock market plunged even further, resulting in a severe crash. In the end, Armond


    was held in police custody.


    After a tiring night, I woke up to a loving Ashton next to me.


    He looked me in the eyes and curled his lips. ¡°You¡¯re up?¡±


    I nodded as I let out a coquettish smile unknowingly. Snuggling in his embrace, I said with a hoarse


    voice, ¡°I dreamt of youst night and thought that you¡¯ve left for a business trip. I was thinking to myself


    how disappointed I¡¯d be if I couldn¡¯t see you when I woke up. Thankfully, you¡¯re here with me, and this


    makes me d.¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°You cane with me on all of my business trips in the future. It¡¯s always a real bummer


    when I don¡¯t see you the moment I open my eyes in the morning and when my arms hug nothing at


    night.¡±


    I buried my face against his chest. ¡°Now that Armond¡¯s case is settled, isn¡¯t Rachel taking care of


    everything in A City? You can now remain here instead of traveling to A City and Moranta. Oh, by the


    way, Nick is getting married soon.¡±

 Chapter 1090

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1090


    He nodded and then cast me an intense gaze. ¡°We¡¯ll organize our very own wedding as soon as Nick is


    done with his. How¡¯s that?¡±


    He had me bbergasted. ¡°Our wedding? Didn¡¯t we have one already? It¡¯s so troublesome to do it all


    over again. It¡¯s better the channel the energy to n for a trip when the weather gets better soon. It¡¯s


    been ages since I traveled.¡±


    Heughed. ¡°We¡¯ll surely go traveling, but only after our wedding.¡±


    Squinting my eyes, I hugged him. ¡°Let¡¯s think about that in the near future. Any ceremony that we hold


    right now is considered our anniversary celebration.¡±


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Chilling with him on the bed made me feel sleepy. At that thought, I checked the time and realized that


    it was already noon. Lifting my head, I asked, ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    Arching his brows, he responded with more questions, ¡°What about you? Are you hungry?¡±


    I admitted, ¡°Quite. But, we don¡¯t have that many groceries at home, and the helper isn¡¯t around. What


    shall we have for lunch?¡±


    After pondering for a while, I suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we eat at Aunt Sally¡¯s? Apparently, she¡¯s bought a


    new ce in the city, and it¡¯s quite near to K University. We can visit the university library thereafter and


    spend some time reading. How does that sound?¡±


    He brushed his finger lightly on my nose and replied affectionately, ¡°Sounds like a n.¡±


    I sat on the bed briefly to clear my mind. After showering and getting dressed, Ashton walked out from


    the walk-in closet.


    He saw me and asked, ¡°Are you still sleepy?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Not anymore. Any reason why you¡¯re not wearing your ck jacket anymore?¡± I was


    surprised to see him wearing something that was not ck. His first?


    He carried me up and lugged me around his waist, then ced me on the bathroom countertop. With a


    smile, he handed over the toothbrush to me, with the toothpaste squeezed in advance. ¡°Don¡¯t you like


    seeing me wearing other colors?¡±


    In a muffled voice, I exined, ¡°It¡¯s not that. It¡¯s refreshing to see you in other colors. You look so


    handsome that I¡¯m falling head over heels for you. I¡¯ll doll up just to match you when we go out.¡±


    Hugging me, he stared at my reflection in the mirror. ¡°You¡¯re dressing up because you¡¯re going to the


    university!¡±


    I giggled. ¡°That¡¯s one of the reasons. However, my first priority is to look good for you.¡± After gargling, I


    struggled to get off him. He obliged and sat me on the toilet seat.


    Frowning, I asked, ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not done.¡±


    His gaze fell on my feet, then he reminded, ¡°The floor is cold. Don¡¯t walk around barefooted. I¡¯ll bring


    you your slippers. Stay here.¡±


    After a while, he came back with a pair of slippers and put them on for me. Pecking my cheek, he said,


    ¡°I¡¯ll go make some breakfast. Come down when you¡¯re ready.¡±


    I nodded and continued washing up.


    After I had freshened up, I searched high and low in the walk-in closet and found a lovely pink dress for


    the asion. I wondered where Ashton got it from since it had just been newly released by a famous


    brand early this year. The style was quitedylike, different from my regr picks. Wearing it to see


    Sally would be like a breath of fresh air.


    After getting dressed, I put on some make-up and blow-dried my hair. It had been a long time since I


    mmed up, and my hair had grown to reach my waist. Sitting at my dressing table, I simpered as I


    was quite pleased with my hairdo.


    Frankly speaking, I didn¡¯t remember losing any hair. It was still as dark and thick as ever. My skin and


    smile looked brighter, and in fact, I appeared more rxed than before.


    I had heard from some elderly people that when a couple became more charming, it was a sign that


    they were getting morepatible, and things would only get better.


    Now that I thought about it, it did have some truth in it. Ashton and I had been together for years.


    Hence, we¡¯d seen it all and also endured multiple hardships. Yet, things seemed to have just begun


    falling into ce, and everything was just blissful.


    Not only that, but we were also seemingly bing better versions of ourselves. When I reminisced


    about the past, there were only sweet memories.


    By the time I got downstairs, Ashton had prepared some fist for breakfast. He waved at me excitedly


    while reaching out for the utensils. ¡°Come over and try this!¡± Everything seemed so natural.


    However, I felt a little surreal when our stories unfolded so well. Although Ashton and I had just started


    our rtionship not too long ago, I felt that we had been through multiple cycles of ups and downs.


    As I was staring into space nkly, he smiled at me and asked, ¡°What are you thinking about? Come


    over.¡±


    His words interrupted my thoughts. I took a seat at the dining table and then looked at him in disbelief.


    ¡°When did you learn how to make fish soup? It looks delicious.¡±

 Chapter 1091

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1091


    He scooped a bowl of soup for me. ¡°I tried it once by chance in A City and liked it. So, I wanted to make


    some and share it with you.¡±


    epting the bowl from him, I took a sip andplimented him, ¡°Congrattions, Mr. Fuller, your


    cooking skills have improved!¡±


    He served me some eggs. ¡°Bon app¨¦tit.¡± Is that a bashful smile?


    With a gleeful grin, I lowered my head. Everyone acts differently when they¡¯re in love. Take Ashton and


    me for example, we¡¯re a couple who enjoys simplicity. Yet, it¡¯s all these trivial things that help us build


    solid memories.


    After breakfast, Ashton drove us out of the vi. Sitting on the passenger seat, I looked out at the


    landscape through the car window. The gloomy horizon in K City had finally cleared up, revealing a


    bright sky that was scintitingly blue.


    ¡°It¡¯s so rare to see a sunny day when it¡¯s almost the end of the month. Oh yeah, Christmas is just


    around the corner. I wonder if it will snow by then.¡± It usually snowed in K City. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll make the


    joyous seasons even merrier.


    As I thought further, I started making ns for Christmas. We¡¯d never really celebrated Christmas over


    the years.


    Meanwhile, Ashton continued driving, his eyes fixed serenely on the road. ¡°Do you have any Christmas


    present in mind?¡±


    Pursing my lips, I looked at him sideways. ¡°Mr. Fuller, have you noticed what has be of us? Our


    lives are too mundane and dull, just like a couple who have lived together for decades. There¡¯s no


    longer any excitement.¡±


    Furrowing his brows, he pulled over. His deep eyes stared at me. ¡°So, you¡¯re trying to tell me that we


    should seek pleasure?¡±


    Seeing that he had pulled over suddenly, I could not help but ask, ¡°Why did you stop the car out of the


    blue? Aren¡¯t we heading to Aunt Sally¡¯s?¡±


    He leaned over and quipped, ¡°Let¡¯s delve deeper into this business.¡±


    ¡°What business?¡±


    ¡°Pleasure-seeking business!¡±


    I was stupefied and then broke out intoughter. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. I just wanted to tell you that


    we¡¯re doing good. You¡­¡±


    ¡°Which part is good?¡± He looked me in the eyes and teased openly. I was taken aback for a moment


    and red at him in the next minute. ¡°Can you stop, Ashton?¡±


    He was surprised at my sudden roar. ¡°I¡¯m just saying. Don¡¯t overthink things. Aren¡¯t we on our way to


    see Aunt Sally? What if there¡¯s bad traffic ahead? With you pulling over now, when will we be able to


    arrive at her house?¡±


    He was still in a daze. Thus, I pushed him back to his seat and continued, ¡°Focus on the road and stop


    dreaming!¡±


    Heeding my call, he ignited the engine again. As the car was revved to life, he turned to me with knitted


    brows. ¡°When did you learn the trick of changing a topic so fast?¡±


    Pretending to be ignorant, I tried to divert his attention, ¡°What about? Did I? I was just reminding you to


    stay focused on a task and not to run wild with your imagination, okay?¡±


    As I spoke, I gently moved his face to the front, gesturing him to concentrate on his driving. Then, I said


    sternly, ¡°Anyway, it was just a passingment. Don¡¯t take it to heart. If you continue behaving like


    this, it¡¯s hard for me to chat with you about anything under the sky.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± he replied attentively, like a fool.


    Sally had since moved back to K City. Thankfully, the journey was quite smooth as the distance was


    short.


    She bought a condominium in a residential area located in the city center. When we arrived, we were


    greeted by Sally and Jim. They had been waiting for us downstairs. With a faint smile, Sally asked,


    ¡°Were you stuck in traffic? We¡¯ve been waiting for you for such a long time. Come, let¡¯s go upstairs!¡±


    Holding my hand, Ashton and I greeted Jim with a nod and followed them to their house.


    It was a three-bedroom unit. Though not veryrge in size, it was very cozy. There was a vase of


    vibrant flowers on the television cab. I could not tell if they were real or fake, but the bright colors


    seemed too good to be true.


    ¡°Those are handmade flowers by your Aunt Sally. She gathered some twigs from the neighborhood and


    then made the flowers out of tissue paper, dyed them in colors, and vo, she turned them into a


    unique decoration piece,¡± Jim took the time to share with me.


    I was very impressed and approached it for a closer look. From afar, they looked just like real flowers.


    Ashton followed suit and smiled lightly. ¡°It¡¯s hard to tell that these are fake if you don¡¯t examine it


    carefully.¡±


    Sally joined us after serving the dishes. ¡°Jim blended the colors excellently. That¡¯s how they can look


    identical to the real ones. C¡¯mon, let¡¯s dig in. I have some more of those flowers in my bedroom. I¡¯ll let


    you bring some hometer.¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.

 Chapter 1092

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1092


    At the table, Sally gazed at us while serving us. ¡°I see that Fuller Corporation has expanded very well.


    It¡¯s operating at arge scale now and has a very solid foundation. You two should start focusing on


    building your own little family. I mean, you need to spice things up. Don¡¯t just leave Summer with the


    Moores. You need to keep her by your side more, educate, and develop her as she grows up. Don¡¯t be


    lazy.¡±


    Feeling ashamed of myself, I nodded profusely. ¡°Noted, Aunt Sally.¡±


    We should have kept Summer with us more. There¡¯re too many things going on earlier, but I guess it¡¯s


    time to bring her home now.


    While I was still thinking about this, Sally ran to the bathroom all of a sudden, leaving Ashton and me


    perplexed. Jim calmly followed her in, and they took a while before returning to the table.


    I blurted, ¡°Did you eat something bad and have a tummy upset, Aunt Sally?¡±


    Smiling, Sally exined, ¡°I¡¯m all right. This is just a temporary symptom. Things will get better after a


    month or two.¡± She took her seat.


    Jim served her some dishes and took care of all her needs.


    Ashton stayed silent at the side. Meanwhile, I frowned at him. He¡¯s such a log, not knowing how to care


    for his aunt.


    After lunch, Jim and Ashton enjoyed a good cuppa while Sally and I watched television after doing the


    dishes. Suddenly, Sally pulled me aside and asked, ¡°Letty, age is catching up with the both of you. Do


    you n to have children?¡±


    I was momentarily stunned by her abrupt question.


    Upon hesitating, I answered, ¡°Aunt Sally, I can¡¯t conceive.¡±


    Gasping, her smile stiffened as she said helplessly, ¡°What a pity! Life must be tough on you two.¡±


    I pressed my lips together tightly, unsure of how to reply. Let bygones be bygones.


    After some time, Sally appeared to be unwell again. I asked again, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Aunt Sally? How are


    you feeling?¡±


    She shook her head slightly. ¡°I¡¯m okay. I¡¯m too old for this, that¡¯s why¡­ Letty, have you thought about


    having a child through alternative means?¡±


    I waspletely baffled and tried to rify, ¡°Aunt Sally, we talked about this and¡­¡±


    She interrupted me, ¡°Test-tube baby, honey! Now that technology is so advanced, giving birth yourself


    isn¡¯t the only way to have a baby. You can consider getting pregnant via in vitro fertilization since the


    walls of your ovaries are thin.¡±


    I stared at her with a nk expression. ¡°Aunt Sally, Ashton may not agree to this. We¡¯re not young


    anymore. Moreover, we already have Summer.¡±


    She shook her head and continued to convince me, ¡°This isn¡¯t about age. Look at me. If it can happen


    to me, you can handle it too. The Fullers are a big family, running multiple corporations. It¡¯d be a plus


    point to have more children around to add cheers to your days, apany you when you travel, and


    also to help out in the family business.¡±


    I picked up the main point in her speech. ¡°Aunt Sally, are you pregnant?¡±


    She said admittedly, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m three months pregnant. It¡¯s not quite stable yet. Jim and I are nning


    for the wedding, but we dare not break the news to Ashton. Hence, the dy.¡±


    I recalled Ashton expressing his disapproval of the union between Sally and Jim. The main reason


    being Jim rted to the Murphy family, and Ashton is wary of them.


    I asked Sally earnestly, ¡°Aunt Sally, do you know that Uncle Jim is one of the Murphys?¡±


    Maintaining herposure, she answered, ¡°Yes, I know. I¡¯m also aware of the conflicts between


    Ashton and Armond. However, these are their battles in the corporate world. Your Uncle Jim hasn¡¯t


    been involved in the business for some time now. He¡¯s just an old professor, leading a simple life. He¡¯s


    been a lone wolf all these years. Having known me now, we just want to continue living our days


    happily. Letty, please find time to talk to Ashton and advise him to consider my situation. I¡¯m no longer


    young, so it¡¯s not easy to have finally met a man I can depend on for the rest of my life.¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Putting myself in Sally¡¯s shoes, I could empathize with her. I just didn¡¯t know how to bring this up to


    Ashton. With Armond being sentenced to jail, there was a need for a new sessor to manage the


    family matters. Thus, we couldn¡¯t guarantee that there would be no further conflict between the


    Murphys and the Fullers. At this point, the future remained uncertain.


    Two hours had passed when Ashton and Jim ended their coffee session. They seemed to have


    enjoyed themselves.


    Jim then suggested, ¡°We¡¯d love to dine out with you this evening if you don¡¯t already have a prior


    engagement.¡±


    After some small talks, we bid them goodbye.


    As we exited their condominium, I grabbed Ashton by the hand and asked inquisitively, ¡°What did you


    talk about with Uncle Jim just now?¡±


    He flipped my hand around and squeezed it into his. ¡°We chatted about the Murphys. I passed the


    contract to him to hand it over to Mr. Muphy. Then, we also concluded his marriage with Aunt Sally.¡±

 Chapter 1093

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1093


    The news was a bolt from the blue. Rejoicing, I held on to his arms tightly. ¡°Really? You¡¯re amazing,


    Ashton. In this case, Fuller Corporation won¡¯t be implicated in Armond¡¯s crime, and neither will this


    affect Aunt Sally and Uncle Jim.


    ¡°Oh, by the way, Aunt Sally is three months pregnant. Help them out wherever you can. She also


    suggested for all of us to return to J City along with Uncle Charlie and Aunt Helen during the new year.¡±


    He nodded and nted a kiss on my forehead. ¡°Why are you beaming with joy when Aunt Sally and


    Jim are the ones getting married? Silly girl!¡±


    I chuckled loudly. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, either. I just feel over the moon. Aunt Sally has been living all by


    herself over the years. Now that she¡¯s met her Mr. Right, it¡¯s something worth celebrating. In addition,


    she¡¯s got a baby. These are all wonderful news.¡±


    Ashton let out a thin smile and looked at me. ¡°Do you want another child?¡±


    His question startled me, then I parroted him, ¡°Can we have another child?¡±


    He smirked. ¡°As long as you want one, we¡¯ll have it at all cost, regardless of the method. Scarlett, it¡¯s


    been a roller coaster ride for us to be where we are now with each other. Have no regrets. Whatever


    you want to do, just tell me, and I¡¯ll do my very best to make it happen, okay?¡±


    A warm, fuzzy feeling evoked in me as soon as he said that.


    I thought about what Sally said and elicited his response, ¡°Ashton, Aunt Sally suggests for us to try in


    vitro fertilization. You¡­¡±


    He nodded and agreed immediately as if he was expecting this. ¡°I¡¯ll contact a well-known expert in the


    country and consult him about this. Just leave this to me.¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    I thought he would turn down the idea, but he agreed right away, which made me quite astounded.


    My phone rang that instant; it was Nora. Her voice was low, and she sounded dejected. After a long


    pause, she said, ¡°Scarlett, I¡¯m leaving for A City today. I wanted to leave quietly but decided to give you


    a call in the end. I¡¯m still wearing the bracelet. About the child, I regret it so much, but there¡¯s nothing I


    can do about it. I once felt that as long as I kept deceiving myself with positive thoughts, you wouldn¡¯t


    be mad at me. However, I realized that I was wrong. I¡¯m defeated by my guilty conscience. I don¡¯t have


    that peace within me. So, I called to apologize. I¡¯m sorry, and I know that my words mean nothing to


    you, but I must do it in order to get through this ordeal. I also want to plead on Armond¡¯s behalf, so


    please have mercy on him, if possible.¡±


    Clenching on my phone, I could not help but feel miserable for her. I was lost for words. Momentster,


    I asked, ¡°Where are you right now?¡±


    ¡°Airport.¡±


    I nced over at Ashton, who simultaneously switched directions and headed to the airport.


    Then, I said over the phone, ¡°Nora, it¡¯s all in the past. We¡¯ll all be fine. I know what to do about Armond.


    Please wait for us at the airport. We¡¯re on our way to send you off.¡±


    I hung up while Ashton sped off.


    When we arrived, I saw Nora with her suitcase. Only those who were very familiar with her could


    recognize her at one nce since she had a mask on.


    I approached her and gave her a bear hug. ¡°Do think of me when you¡¯re back in A City. Take care!¡±


    Burying her head in my neck, she nodded. ¡°You arrived in a sh! Initially, I just wanted to bid farewell


    over the phone. I didn¡¯t mean for you toe all the way to the airport.¡±


    ¡°I know, but we¡¯re just nearby. So, we came. Do you have any future ns in mind?¡±


    Her first experience in love cuts her the deepest. It will probably take a long time for her wounds to heal


    properly.


    She shrugged her shoulders and said casually, ¡°Not really, but I intend to go to Lightspring. My


    Grandpa has given me arge sum of money, so I want to open an inn over there. I¡¯ll bring my Grandpa


    along, make a big yard for him to cultivate nts and crops, and apany him every day.¡±


    I was a bit green with envy of the life she described. ¡°Hmm¡­ That sounds like an ideal life. Ashton and


    I will visit you when we¡¯re free.¡±


    We chatted for a while more before it was time for her to board the flight. Before she left, I took a deep


    breath when I hugged her for thest time.


    Life was, indeed, full of ups and downs.


    It was already quitete in the evening when we stepped foot into K University. Since Ashton and I did


    not have a specific itinerary, we headed straight to the library.


    Though it was not very crowded, our appearance seemed to have caught everyone¡¯s attention. Ashton


    was a man of few words, so he quickly found a ce and sat down quietly.


    Meanwhile, I was searching high and low for some books on the shelves but to no avail. It was my first


    time here, and I was not very familiar with how the resources were arranged.

 Chapter 1094

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1094


    Right then, a handsome young man who looked around twenty years old approached me.


    He smiled brightly at me, and I subconsciously responded with a gentle grin.


    ¡°Are you looking for something?¡± he asked.


    I nodded. ¡°I was looking for some materials for legal research, but my effort was in vain.¡± It¡¯s probably


    because I¡¯m not familiar with this library.


    He looked at me and exined gently, ¡°Most of the books here are scattered. There are more


    professional resources in the reading room next door. You don¡¯t seem to know this ce well. If you


    don¡¯t mind, may I show you around? Maybe I can help you find the books that you¡¯re looking for.¡±


    I thanked him with a nod and a smile, ¡°That would be wonderful!¡±


    Just as he had described, I found the books I wanted in the reading room next door. When we were


    exiting, he asked, ¡°You don¡¯t look like you¡¯re from this university. Are you here for an exam or a Ph.D.


    student?¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m just here to borrow some books. You look really young. A junior?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°I¡¯m going to be a senior soon. Can I have your phone number, please? You remind me of


    someone.¡±


    Amused, I asked, ¡°Is this a pick-up line used by young boys nowadays?¡±


    He denied, ¡°No, you really looked like the celebrity I had always liked a few years ago. You two are so


    alike. She¡¯s seemingly quitted the entertainment world. I liked her very much, so when I first saw you, I


    thought you were her.¡±


    As soon as he said that, I knew that he must have mistaken me for Nancy. Hence, I told him, ¡°I¡¯m sorry,


    but I don¡¯t think I can give you my contact number.¡±


    Confused, he asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    I pointed at Ashton, who was walking toward me, andughed. ¡°My husband doesn¡¯t allow me to chat


    with strangers, let alone exchanging contacts. Hence, I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t give you my number.¡±


    Looking at Ashton from afar, the young man looked somewhat disappointed. He then nodded


    reluctantly. ¡°It¡¯s okay then.¡±


    Without saying another word, he left.


    Looking at Ashton, I ran toward him and fell in his arms, smiling. ¡°Mr. Fuller, do you know what I was up


    to?¡±


    He arched his brow, ¡°What were you doing?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a junior asking me for my number!¡± I bragged, ¡°But I told him that I¡¯m married, and my hubby is


    irreceable.¡±


    He took a nce at the young man who had left. Then, he gazed at me. ¡°It seems like I shouldn¡¯t let


    you wander around in the future. You might get kidnapped when I¡¯m not being watchful.¡±


    Holding onto the handrail, I climbed upstairs. He hugged me all the way, and we found a seat together.


    It felt good to be in a vibrant ce as if we were young again.


    Nick¡¯s wedding was carried out smoothly, but I did not see Jackson there. I called him multiple times


    and even tried contacting him through other means but to no avail.


    At the wedding, Nick said to his bride, ¡°Meeting you has been the best thing that¡¯s ever happened to


    me. Thank you for giving me a home.¡± It was a simple yet powerful statement.


    I think that people have a bias toward simplicity as they grow older. When we¡¯re young, we often


    assume that the ending will be sweet, regardless of how the love story goes. Then, we became


    oblivious of the fact that not everyone who¡¯s in love is tolerant.


    Many yearster, I met Jackson in M Country during a business trip. With a faint smile, he said calmly,


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± That was the end of our conversation.


    As we grew older, our days became simpler. John married Emma. Although he did not do it out of love,


    he enjoyed leading a simple life and spending ordinary moments with her.


    Cherish the person you love in your memory. I believed Emma would understand this very well. John


    deliberately treated Emma better as if he waspensating for another person. However, Emma took


    it as a constion and considered herself blessed. In a way, she was lucky to have a man like John


    who made attempts to pamper her. The only less-than-ideal part was that she had never truly fallen in


    love with him. He was way better than he appeared to be.


    For me, that was the best ending. At least, John didn¡¯t need to face any challenges and bear the pain


    that life threw at him all by himself.


    During Christmas season, Ashton wanted to bring me along to Joe¡¯s wedding. I was surprised at the


    news, but I was happy for Joe, nheless. No matter who he chooses to spend the rest of his life


    with, I¡¯m certain that as a responsible adult, Joe is more than ready to lead a life of purpose.


    It was also during Christmas when I received news from the rehabilitation center that Reba was


    found dead from a suicidal drug overdose. Ashton was the first one who got the news. He fell silent for


    a long time before squeezing out a few words through his lips, ¡°Give her a beautiful funeral service.¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    And, that was it.


    After years of entanglement, thest thing he heard was her death. I was shocked to the core. Indeed, I


    was really shaken.


    Everyone had their own fate. Perhaps, Reba made the wrong decision since the very beginning.


    Ashton and Sally were nning to spend the new year in J City. Before the year ended, Ashton cleared


    his schedule and brought me to the Moore residence to pick Summer up. Having spent a few months


    recuperating there, Summer¡¯s health seemed to have improved a lot.


    Somehow, she became quiet after recovering from the illness. Upon knowing that we were going to J


    City, Summer asked in anticipation, ¡°Mommy, are we going to the cemetery to see Grandma and Aunt


    Macy?¡±


    I froze for a moment and instantly nodded. This is great! Summer remembers Macy.


    In the meantime, Hannah heard that we were leaving for J City, so she called to say goodbye. I was


    overjoyed when I discovered that she was pregnant and shared a lot with her.


    As soon as I hung up, Ashton held me in his arms. ¡°We¡¯ll pay a visit to the hospital right after the new


    year. We, too, will have our own child very soon.¡±


    I nodded, feeling really contented and peaceful. To me, it doesn¡¯t matter anymore whether I have a


    child or otherwise. The best is yet toe, and I look forward to it.


    Then, it was the new year.


    It did not snow in J City on new year¡¯s eve.


    But instead, what greeted us were bewitching lights, incredible decorations, lively streets filled with


    bustling crowds, and a thick festive atmosphere.


    Apparently, it was the first time that the Fullers had gathered as a big family. Charlie¡¯s head had turned


    white. He said to me, ¡°Scarlett, it¡¯s not easy for you two to get together. The luckiest thing in life is to


    reunite with the one that you love. It¡¯s a tremendous blessing to be able to watch the fireworks while


    hugging your one true love.¡±


    I nodded in agreement. Suddenly, I noticed the wrinkles creeping up at the corner of Ashton¡¯s eyes. It


    finally dawned on me that he had aged.


    It had been a long and winding road throughout this journey we called life. We had walked it slowly and


    arduously. Looking at him silently, I only hoped that we could carry on peacefully in our remaining days.


    Seeing the winter skies lit up by the colorful fireworks, Summer let out a gleeful, festive cry. Iy my


    head on Ashton¡¯s chest. ¡°Ashton, what¡¯s your new year wish?¡±


    Looking handsome as ever, he stared at me in the eyes and eximed, ¡°To have you with me, day


    after day, year after year.¡±


    I could not contain my joy. We locked eyes as I repeated after him, ¡°To have you with me, day after day,


    year after year.¡±


    What an ideal ending to a perfect night!

 Chapter 1095

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1095


    It was the first new year that I actually felt so blissful for the first time in my life. Ashton, Summer, and I


    spent another week in J City before returning to K City.


    When we were about to depart, Charlie walked out with Summer in his arms. They were still frolicking


    around.


    Summer had put on some weight during the festive seasons. Thus, it was quite a challenge for Charlie


    to carry her all the way. Although he was panting and looking slightly exhausted, he did not admit to it.


    He was ying a fool with Summer and making herugh boisterously.


    ¡°Let me carry her, Uncle Charlie.¡± Ashton stepped forward, wanting to take over and relieve his uncle.


    Thetter did not hand Summer over immediately. He fixed her scarf, gazed at Ashton and me, and


    sighed as he finally passed Summer over to Ashton.


    ¡°Summer, do call me more frequently once you¡¯re home. Will you remember this?¡± Charlie grinned from


    ear to ear.


    ¡°Yes, I will, Grandpa Charlie!¡± Summer was very well-behaved, adorable, and likeable by all. Saying


    goodbye to her made Helen and Sally teared up.


    Macy would be so relieved and delighted to know that Summer is loved by all her elders.


    Heaving a sigh, Charlie looked at both Ashton and me and reminded us, ¡°I won¡¯t nag you further, but do


    look after Summer and be careful on the road. Ashton, do remember to bring Scarlett and Summer to


    visit the Moores. Uphold the good virtues and proper mannerism as you should. Don¡¯t let others


    criticize the Fullers for disying bad etiquettes.¡±


    Iughed at hisments, knowing that Cameron and Zachary were not so petty about these things.


    Then I assured him, ¡°We don¡¯t live very far from them, so it¡¯s not a big deal to travel to and fro. They


    can see Summer whenever they like.¡±


    That was also the reason why Ashton and I wanted to spend new year¡¯s in J City.


    Compared to the other rtives, Charlie was quite lonely. Since we stayed quite a distance from them,


    I often felt bad for not being able to be around them. This new year, it was inevitable for us to bring on


    the merry and keep thempany during the festive seasons.


    Drooping his head, Charlie continued to lecture us, ¡°Visiting the elders during festivity has got nothing


    to do with how far or close you¡¯re from them. Don¡¯t mix the two up. Good manners begin at home.


    These are the unsaid rules that you should be mindful of, so don¡¯t take these things lightly. You two are


    still too young!¡±


    ¡°Rest assured that I¡¯ll bring them over and pay a visit soon,¡± Ashton eased the situation while I leaned


    on him and obliged like a good wife.


    Over thousands of years, families in Chanaea continued teaching the next generations how to preserve


    traditions of rich culture and practice customs of good social etiquettes. There were especially evident


    in the area of developing harmonious rtionships. Courtesy was deemed as a precious element in


    enhancing human bonds and bridging generational gaps. These concepts might not be easily


    understood by the younger generations, but they were definitely valued by heart amongst the seniors.


    With that, Uncle Charlie nodded satisfactorily while lowering his head. Time stood still as everyone


    remained in silence. A somber atmosphere enveloped the ce when it was time to bid each other


    goodbye.


    Just then, Helen broke the silence unexpectedly, ¡°All right, all right, it¡¯s time to go. Otherwise, you¡¯ll be


    late for your flight. Go now.¡±


    Everyone became alert once again and hurriedly ushered us into the car.


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    The chauffeur started the engine and drove us to the airport as we parted ways in a hurry.


    I stared at the rearview mirror and saw Charlie and the rest waving at us under a towering tree. Their


    actions gradually slowed down, and momentster, their silhouettes vanished from my sight. We left


    with an extremely heavy heart.


    I can¡¯t remember which poet has said this before, that life is a constant rey of farewells. It¡¯s made up


    of countless collections of moments when you send your beloved off so that the reunion bes


    invaluable. The only thing is that no one knows when the next reunion will be.


    Ashton noticed that I was feeling glum, so he passed Summer over to me.


    The intelligent Summer stretched out her arms to me and requested, ¡°Mommy, carry me!¡±

 Chapter 1096

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1096


    How could I still feel downcast when the little angel is around? I sat her on myp and gave her a hug.


    ¡°Summer, shall we spend each new year with Grandpa Charlie and his family?¡±


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll get lots and lots of presents!¡± Giggling, she pped her hands happily. Her crescent-shaped


    eyes looked very adorable.


    ¡°Little miss greedy!¡± I pinched her nose gently and then joked with Ashton, ¡°I wonder who she takes


    after.¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Macy was a strong irondy who owned a bar and bought her own house. She was also very


    outstanding in managing her finance, but she wasn¡¯t an avaricious woman. That woman knew how to


    control her ie and expenditures in order to have a morefortable life.


    As for Jared, he¡¯s highly unlikely to be a money-grubber. The Crest family once monopolized the entire


    daily essentials industry. It definitely wasn¡¯t exaggerating to say that they regarded money as manure.


    Besides her facial features, there wasn¡¯t an area that Summer takes after him.


    Ashton chuckled while turning to look at us.


    I observed how gentle and loving he was as he stroked Summer¡¯s head. An image shed up in my


    head while I visualized Ashton holding our baby affectionately. The more I thought about having a test-


    tube baby as Sally had mentioned, my desire for it grew even stronger.


    When we arrived in K City that evening, we had dinner with Cameron and Zachary to make up for the


    New Year¡¯s Eve celebration.


    Summer had already fallen asleep on Ashton¡¯s shoulders when we finally got home. After tucking her


    into bed, we went back to our room to wash up and retire for the night.


    It had been quite an exhausting day. Yet, I still spent some time researching on myputer about in


    vitro fertilization when Ashton was taking a shower.


    ¡°What are you reading?¡±


    I was so focused that I did not hear Ashton¡¯s footsteps approaching. His voice startled me.


    Immediately, I switched off theputer and pretended as if nothing happened. ¡°Nothing, really. Are


    you done?¡±


    I was not sure if he saw my screen. One of the research journals that I read says that the sess rate


    for women in an ideal health condition to be pregnant via in vitro fertilization is up to sixty percent.


    That¡¯s the average result achieved by a healthy adult woman. Unfortunately, I¡¯m not able to contribute


    to that statistics.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Ashton gave me a quick reply. Subsequently, he ced a ss of warm water on the table as


    well as some pills that he had put inside a bottle cap.


    Sally was very concerned about us. On the second day of the new year, she took me to see a doctor,


    who concluded that I was weak. I was told that it would take a while for me to be in the pink of health,


    and the only shortcut was to consume some prescribed pills daily. With that, the chances of me getting


    pregnant again before reaching thirty years old would be higher. Since then, I had been taking the


    medication, and it was about a week now.


    I swallowed the pills as usual and drank some water. Then, Ashton carried me to bed.


    The week after the new year was a public holiday. Since we had a day off, we nned some visitations


    for Summer.


    First, we went to the Stovall residence, where Summer received a big present from Louis. She was on


    cloud nine and brought so much joy to everyone at home.


    Emma looked rather matured as she donned a new look and had her hair tied up. I caught a few sweet


    interactions between her and John when she was standing next to him. I doubt they got married just


    because they found each otherpatible. John caught me observing him in secret like a paparazzi


    and rolled his eyes at me.


    At the same time, Summer was spoiled rotten by the Stovalls in J City. After opening her present, she


    made Louis y snowball fights with her. The strong and tough man obliged as she already had him


    wrapped around her little finger.

 Chapter 1097

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1097


    We sat around the sofa, in a circle. Looking out the French windows, we could see how gleeful Louis


    was, having some good fun with Summer. He was just like a yful big kid.


    Momentster, as everybody quietened down in the living room, John blurted, ¡°Have you heard?


    Armond¡¯s out.¡±


    Upon hearing the news, my heart sank. I was very surprised, and at the same time, confused because


    it was a different ending to what I had in mind.


    When Ashton¡¯swyer was analyzing the case, he stated very clearly that Armond was charged for


    multiple crimes, namely intentional assault, illegal possession of firearms, and inflicting cruelty against


    national ss 1 protected wildlife species. He should have been jailed for at least fifteen years. Why


    was he released?


    I huffed as I felt a cold chill running down my spine the moment I recalled the dreadful incidents at the


    vi.


    Just then, Ashton¡¯s big hand patted mine to console me. I lifted my head to look at him. I could read


    from the message through his gaze. Stay calm. I took a deep breath and tried to hold myself together.


    Then, I stered a smile on my face so that he would not get too worried about me.


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Seeing that we did not react to him, John continued to share his thoughts solemnly, ¡°He got away when


    he was on parole for medical treatment. I¡¯ve inquired about this and found out that it was the Venrians


    who did it. They don¡¯t care about their own safety and will only work for money. It¡¯s so bold of Mr.


    Murphy to use a million to sacrifice a few lives in exchange for Armond¡¯s freedom. No whistleblower


    and nothing leaked beforehand. Right after the prison break episode, the police ambushed at the


    Murphy Residence, only to find out that the Murphys have absconded with the money and went


    abroad.¡±


    ¡°Does it mean Armond will never ever return?¡±


    I was panic-stricken. As soon as I popped the question, I could feel Ashton tightened his grip on my


    hand. However, I hid my emotions and tried to maintain a calmposure. ¡°I was just curious. Can¡¯t


    thew punish him?¡± I attempted to cover up eloquently.


    ¡°You¡¯re too naive, Letty.¡± Raising one hand, John mocked, ¡°Thew is also a set of systems. Hence, in


    that system, the winner rules. Although it looks like we have the upper hand, the dirty games yed


    inside the prison are not as simple as we think. The prisoner can choose to write his own survival story


    in this system. As long as he can find a loophole within thew, he¡¯s able to start afresh, somewhere,


    somehow.¡±


    His analysis had helped me to understand some life concepts. There was nothing much that money


    could not do in this world. Armond had probably thought of his escape n the moment I exposed his


    involvement in organ trafficking. He must have foreseen his downfall one day and had a backup n


    prepared in advance.


    When someone turns evil, the extent of horror and ugliness the person can demonstrate through his


    thoughts, speech, and deeds is beyond our imagination. I learned this the hard way from Jared.


    Understanding the reality is one thing; being able to calm my anxious heart is another. Like a vine, fear


    creeps all over me and invades every cell in my body.


    Suddenly, Ashton ced my hands in his palm and started rubbing them to give me warmth. Frowning,


    I looked him in the eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m here with you,¡± Ashton asserted.


    His voice was low yet soothing. Those clear eyes of his were resolute, and theyforted my


    apprehensive heart.


    Ashton had saved me once from Armond. He could definitely save me again and protect me from


    harm.


    Although the devil is prowling, Ashton is the light unto my path. As long as I follow him, I shall not fear.


    That assuring thought made me feel better. A faint smile settled upon my face as I locked eyes with


    Ashton and was met with his unswerving gaze.

 Chapter 1098

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1098


    Seeing that, Emma teased us, ¡°You guys are so sweet together.¡±


    Ashton and Iughed at the same time as if we had nned it.


    ¡°Tsk¡­ tsk¡­ tsk¡­¡± John shook his head. ¡°Only the two of you would do something like that. Your public


    disy of affection is not weed here. But I won¡¯t stop you, so please go get a room!¡±


    ¡°Arghhh!¡±


    Emma gave him a tight p on the arm, upon hearing his passing remark. John groaned in pain. With


    a scowling face, hemented, ¡°Mind your manners, woman! Are you trying to kill your husband?¡±


    John had a reputation that preceded him. Anyone who saw his long face would tremble in fear or bow


    reverently to him, regardless of who it was. Yet Emma was different. She faced him head-on as if she


    had gotten permanent immunization against his vehemence. Impatiently, she rolled her eyes and


    confronted him boldly, ¡°Who allowed you say such derisive things?¡±


    John¡¯s expression became sullen after being refuted by Emma. Wanting to regain some dignity, he


    stood up abruptly and red at her, intending to intimidate her. ¡°Trust me. I¡¯ll kick you out of the house


    if you dare to point one more finger at me.¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Those two had an agreement when they got married. They vowed to give each other freedom and not


    to meddle in the spouse¡¯s private affairs. Thus, I always thought they were a match made in heaven.


    Faced with their sudden argument, I felt rather overwhelmed and did not know how to respond to it. I


    wondered if they were really upset with each other.


    Even so, Emma ignored himpletely. She scoffed at him and then pulled me upstairs, ¡°How


    ridiculous! Letty,e with me. I have a gift for Summer, but I forgot to bring it down.¡±


    My hands were tied, so I could only follow her upstairs. John roared a few times, asking for her to stay.


    However, she proceeded upstairs without even turning her head, as if his scolding were music to her


    ears. I was quite impressed.


    Emma then brought me to their room. I waited on the sofa while she went ahead into her bedroom.


    Momentster, she returned with a vintage sandalwood box in her hands.


    ¡°Open it and take a look.¡± She passed me the box.


    As I opened the box, I saw a shiny anklet lying on a sponge bed.


    ¡°Your brother told me that Summer has gone through a lot of hardships even at a young age. I felt so


    troubled and wanted to gift this to her. This anklet is said to protect a child from harm and shoo away


    bad luck. Legend has it that kids who wear one before the age of nine will be kept in safe hands for a


    lifetime.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so thoughtful, Emma.¡± Holding the anklet, I was deeply moved.


    My first impression of Emma was open-minded, sharp-tongued, and cid. She¡¯d often say things that


    cause everyone¡¯s jaw to drop. Thus, I expected her to stay the same and do things as she pleased


    after marrying John. Now, I felt like she fit the role of John¡¯s wife very well.


    When we were in the living room just now, I had noticed that Emma sincerely liked John a lot. It was


    practically written all over her face. I suspect John felt the same way about her too, just that he hadn¡¯t


    realized it yet.


    ¡°As long as you like it.¡± Feeling smug, Emma patted my shoulders.


    Summer fell asleep when we were heading home. Cradling her in my arms, I looked out of the window


    and sank into deep thoughts. My mind was inplete disarray. ¡°Distraught over the news about


    Armond?¡± Ashton leaned over, took his coat off, and draped it over my shoulders. He even fixed the


    corners.


    Tugging at his jacket, I lowered my head and hugged Summer tightly. Sighing, I replied, ¡°It¡¯s not entirely


    because of him. I feel that I didn¡¯t take good care of Summer, causing her to suffer so much.¡±

 Chapter 1099

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1099


    If Macy was still around, Summer would have lived as an ordinary girl, even though she would grow up


    in a single-parent family. Conversely, since the day she started living with me, she had gone through so


    much, including undergoing a bone marrow transnt and a kidney transnt at such a young age.


    She almost lost her life.


    I had done so little for Summer. Even the idea of wearing this anklet was Emma¡¯s idea. I had not even


    prayed for her in thest five years she was with me, and to call myself her ¡°mother¡± was just irony.


    Will Macy forgive me?


    After a moment of silence, Ashton looked me in the eyes and stated confidently, ¡°You¡¯ve given her a


    home.¡±


    I did not respond to that but merely stared at the anklet Summer was wearing.


    We would officially return to work in two days¡¯ time. Hence, Ashton and I decided to spend the next day


    resting at home.


    Yet, he still woke me up early in the morning.


    ¡°What is it? Didn¡¯t you say we aren¡¯t going anywhere today but to rest at home?¡± I propped myself up


    and rubbed my bleary eyes.


    ¡°Something urgent came up. Do get ready to leave in half an hour.¡± Ashton got off the bed to get


    changed.


    ¡°Huh? What happened?¡± Yawning, I was very reluctant to crawl out of thefortable sheets.


    The winter season was the best time for sleeping in. When we were in J City, I had to wake up super


    early to either apany Charlie for meditation or go for a morning jog with Sally. As a result, I worked


    out a lot and have been looking forward to slumbering when we got back to K City.


    I did not get any response from him, so I peeped through one eye.


    He was putting on a necktie in front of the full-length mirror, fitting it snuggly into the cor point. Each


    of his movements was very pleasing to the eye.


    What a treat! The eye candy woke me up instantly. However, his next line had me wishing I was still


    asleep.


    ¡°Professor Zidd came backst night, so he has some time for us today.¡±


    The name was no stranger to me.


    When I was surfing the for in vitro fertilization a few nights ago, I stumbled upon a


    headline: Professor Zidd, the father of IVF in Chanaea. It was a thousand-word article. Even without


    clicking on the link to open it, one could tell how much of an expert Professor Zidd is.


    So, Ashton did see what was on my screen, but he pretended otherwise and made these arrangements


    secretly.


    I was quite touched that he took notice of everything I said or did and paid attention to even the


    slightest detail. Then again, I had to admit that I was clueless about the next steps.


    I wouldn¡¯t reject the idea of in vitro fertilization, but I would feel helpless at the thought of trying when


    the result was already pretty clear. The world¡¯s average pregnancy rate for in vitro fertilization was less


    than sixty percent. My body had always been weak, and my uterus had been severely damaged. In


    addition, I had had two miscarriages. These factors further reduced my chance of getting pregnant by


    half. Thus, I was unsure if I should fight for the remaining thirty percent chance of sess.


    Even if the process was a sess, there would not be a guarantee that another miscarriage wouldn¡¯t


    happen, considering my current health condition.


    Once we walked into the first step of the process, there was no turning back. I had fallen into despair


    twice. Hence, I could not even bring myself to imagine having to go through the torment of losing my


    flesh and blood for the third time.


    My heart still throbbed in pain when I thought about how my firstborn struggled to survive inside my


    body and suffocated in hisst agony.


    That was why I hid it from Ashton when I was researching for the information.


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    I spaced out on the bed and seemingly returned to the dreadful moment when I had a miscarriage.


    Depressing air lingered around me as the heart-rending tragedy shed up in my mind again.

 Chapter 1100

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1100


    Suddenly, a familiar warmth on my wrist brought me back to reality. I regained my senses and was met


    with Ashton¡¯s tender and affectionate gaze.


    He was down on one knee by my bedside, with one hand holding my phone. His deep eyes stared at


    me intensely.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re worried about the sess rate and that all our effort might be in vain. I know you¡¯re also


    afraid that some bad people would appear again, wanting to harm you and our child. However, Letty,


    don¡¯t give in to fear. Think about how I rescued you in the nick of time and also think about Aunt Sally¡¯s


    advice. I¡¯m here with you; we¡¯re all here for you. God won¡¯t let you go through it again. We won¡¯t fail


    this time. Try it once more, for my sake, okay?¡±


    I studied his expression, but I could not tell if Ashton wanted a kid so badly. Anyhow, I was somewhat


    convinced by him.


    God won¡¯t do this to do for the third time. Everyone deserves a chance to be a mother. There should be


    a limit to the number of times fate can toy with me.


    After contemting, I changed my clothes and asked Mrs. Eriksen to take care of Summer while


    Ashton and I headed to Kingston Hospital in K City.


    Ashton drove, instead of the chauffeur. Sitting on the passenger seat, the thirty-minute journey felt like


    a century-long.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    At the hospital, I finally saw Professor Zidd, whose picture I had only seen in an article. He had a high


    hairline, a whiteb coat on, and reeked of disinfectant, but the man was very amiable.


    Professor Zidd casually asked us a few questions and then requested Ashton and me to go for a body


    check-up.


    Ashton had to get his sperms and semen tested, whereas I had to undergo all of the important


    gynecological tests. Besides the basics, I had to go for routine blood analysis, diagnostic curettage,


    basic endocrine hormone determination test, and an anti-sperm antibody test. Ashton spent arge


    sum of money and took me toplete all the required examinations at the nearby private hospitals


    within the shortest time. Then, we returned to Kingston Hospital with the medical reports.


    Professor Zidd studied my medical records for some time and then removed his sses. With a


    serious expression, he asked, ¡°Mrs. Fuller?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I sped Ashton¡¯s hand tightly. My palms started sweating while waiting for Professor Zidd to go


    through my records. I had to hold onto something for support and fight back the tears in my eyes.


    ¡°Your situation is ratherplicated because you¡¯ve had two miscarriages caused by idents during


    the fetal period. The fetus in your womb struggled for too long and consequently affected your uterus


    adversely. For now, let¡¯s not discuss whether we can sessfully stimte your ovtion. Currently,


    the reports show that your womb is temporarily unable to provide an ideal environment for the survival


    of an embryo.¡±


    Although I had expected it, I could not help but gulp to suppress my urge to bawl my eyes out. ¡°In that


    case, Professor Zidd, did you mean that I don¡¯t stand a chance to get pregnant even via in vitro


    fertilization?¡±


    I mumbled through the second half of the question and ended up sobbing. I had no idea how I


    managed to get them all off my chest.


    I could sense a desperate desire in me, longing to be a mother. Previously, I was told that my chance of


    getting pregnant was slim, but there was still a small probability it could happen, and it did! This time, I


    was being dered definitive infertile with a zero chance of having my own baby. I was beyond grief,


    and my heart died on the spot. Hope is a kind of faith, invisible and intangible, yet, it can motivate a


    person to continue living.


    Subconsciously, my fingers dug into Ashton¡¯s palm. It seemed that I could only use this way to draw


    some strength from him in order to maintain myposure.


    A deafening buzzing sound rang in my ears just then. Right before the moment I was going to copse,


    Professor Zidd¡¯s hoarse voice said gently, ¡°No, that¡¯s not true. There¡¯s no absolute answer to the


    question asked.¡±

 Chapter 1101

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1101


    He paused and then ced all the reports on the table. Patiently, he started exining in a friendly


    manner, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, I¡¯ve been doing research on in vitro fertilization for nearly thirty years, and I¡¯ve


    encountered many challenging situations. Yours isn¡¯t the worst that I¡¯ve seen, so don¡¯t you worry too


    much. As long as you heed medical advice, it¡¯s only a matter of time before you have your own child.


    It¡¯s extremely important for you to take it easy and maintain a positive mindset. Leave the rest to me,


    will you?¡±


    I was not able to identify if those were just words offort. Anyhow, I responded by nodding nkly in


    order to make Ashton less anxious.


    Professor Zidd then turned to Ashton. ¡°Mr. Fuller, what do you think? I think you¡¯re aware that I have an


    international projecting up in three months¡¯ time, so my time here in the country is very limited.


    Should you confirm my position as the consulting doctor for Mrs. Fuller¡¯s case, I shall immediately


    convene a meeting with my assistants to discuss the diagnosis and treatment n.¡±


    It was inevitable for the top fertility expert in the country to have a packed schedule. The few times we


    went in and out of his office, we noticed the increasing number of patients queuing up in the hallway,


    waiting to consult Professor Zidd. Hence, it was not hard to understand why he wanted us to confirm if


    he¡¯s taking over the case.


    At his level, he should be treated as a national treasure who was held in high esteem wherever he


    went. I believed that Ashton had engaged many of his personal contacts to get a connection with


    Professor Zidd. Thus, of course, it was unsaid for us to try our best and follow his schedule.


    As predicted, Ashton agreed right away, ¡°You¡¯re the expert in this aspect. We¡¯ll follow your lead.¡±


    He tightened his grip on my hand and then cast a nce at me. Once again, he opened his mouth and


    pleaded earnestly with Professor Zidd, ¡°Please help us.¡±


    My forehead creased as I lifted my head to look at Ashton. At that critical moment, he was like a devout


    believer praying to Professor Zidd, a deity.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    At the spur of the moment, a proud man like Ashton, who had been living a high and lofty life, was no


    different than any Tom, Dick, and Harry. He had stooped so low for the sake of scoring a chance to


    have our own child.


    Yet, I was relieved seeing him like this, a total burden off my shoulders. This side of him was way


    charming than the authoritative figure in any business meeting.


    ¡°I will,¡± Professor Zidd replied swiftly. Without further ado, he started listing a page of prescriptions.


    Then, he tore the page off and passed it to Ashton. Solemnly, he said, ¡°I¡¯ve learned about your


    backgrounds, Mr. Fuller. There¡¯s still a need for me to remind you that Mrs. Fuller is my patient. In the


    next two months, she must only consume the medicines that I¡¯ve prescribed. Please do not consult any


    other doctor rashly nor use other types of medication. I hope that you two can bear this in mind.¡±


    I nodded obediently, not only because Professor Zidd was an elder, but hispetency and


    professional work ethics were very convincing. As an expert, he could have just provided some


    treatment ns within the scope of his duties. Instead, he empathized with us and went beyond his


    remit to caution us of the risk of consuming conflicting medications.


    People who had gone through extreme pain and grief were always yearning for aplete recovery in


    the fastest possible time. So, they tend to seek multiple advice from various doctors simultaneously


    and consume different medications to increase the likelihood of their recovery. It was understandable


    why one would take that approach. However, in most cases, it might produce negative oues due to


    resistance caused by drug poisoning.


    Had it not been for Professor Zidd¡¯s reminder, I would continue taking the pills prescribed by the doctor


    Sally and I consulted earlier.

 Chapter 1102

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1102


    After pondering over this, I grew to trust Professor Zidd more.


    If Professor Zidd can¡¯t help me get pregnant again, there¡¯s no more hope for me in this lifetime.


    He gazed at us. Perhaps he found us not in the best state of mind, hemented further, ¡°Actually,


    you don¡¯t need to be overly anxious. Medical technology is very advanced these days. Having a


    damaged womb with an abnormally thin lining of the endometrium is no longer an incurable disease. In


    fact, it¡¯s got quite a high chance of recovery with proper medication.¡±


    I could finally let out a stiff smile. ¡°Thank you, Professor Zidd.¡±


    Thank you so much for giving me that glimpse of hope of bing a mother.


    ¡°Haha¡­¡± Professor Zidd ced his hands on the desk. His benign smile and mannerisms were just like


    a friendly senior that I¡¯d known for years. ¡°Don¡¯t thank me in advance. Getting prepared to conceive is


    never an easy task. We¡¯ll have to see each other on a daily basis and go through a series of


    exhausting treatments and tests. I¡¯m afraid you might me me for itter on.¡±


    Iughed. ¡°You must be joking, Professor Zidd, why would we?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t kidding.¡± Professor Zidd turned to Ashton and said, ¡°Mr. Fuller is a busy man, but it¡¯s critical


    that you adjust your work schedules for these two months and take good care of your wife. Having a


    baby involves two individuals. The following days are extremely important, so I hope that you can


    apany Mrs. Fuller to each of the uing appointments.¡±


    I gasped. Just as I was about to ask him to be more lenient on Ashton, he cut me off and replied,


    ¡°Absolutely!¡±


    For the second time within the same day, I gazed at Ashton in disbelief.


    He seemed to have turned over a new leaf after the new year. I could feel a sense of security just by


    knowing that he was present, even without him saying a word.


    I did not interrupt him. Subsequently, Professor Zidd gave Ashton some reminders about diet. It was


    nothing special, but we were supposed to avoid spicy food and consume more nutritious meals.


    Upon collecting the medicines, Ashton brought me home.


    During the journey, he received a call. I vaguely heard something like ¡°GW Group,¡± ¡°Hold him up,¡± and


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon¡± before he hung up.


    I had only been in Fuller Corporation for a short period of time and did not recall Ashton had worked


    with thatpany before. Casually, I asked him, ¡°Is GW Group a new partner of Fuller Corporation?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the development of Fuller Corporation in K City is looking good, but we still need some capital


    injection from foreign consortia to achieve an ideal state. Based on our partnership criteria, GW is one


    of the best investment banks on Wall Street. The other party has verbally agreed to this coboration,


    but I still need to iron out a few unreasonable requests that they¡¯ve made.¡±


    I did not expect Ashton to share that many details with me. Pursing my lips, I crafted a simple


    response, ¡°I see. Then, you should leave earlier tomorrow.¡±


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    With his hands on the steering wheel, Ashton burst intoughter and teased me, ¡°I see that you¡¯re


    talking through your pregnancy brain before the baby arrives. Their representative is already waiting for


    me at thepany. Once I send you home, I¡¯ll have to rush there right away.¡± Stunned, I asked again,


    ¡°So soon? Aren¡¯t you only going back to work tomorrow?¡±


    He threw a look at me and then continued to focus on the road. ¡°Letty, there are no fixed holidays for a


    businessman. After all, no one can ever resist a good opportunity. Although Fuller Corporation is going


    on steadily, it doesn¡¯t mean that we can rest and rx now. We need to n strategically to enter a


    bigger market withrger funds. It¡¯s a dog-eat-dog world out there, and we¡¯ll lose out eventually if we


    don¡¯t work hard enough.¡±

 Chapter 1103

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1103


    I understood his perspective. Fuller Corporation had developed so well in J City and had also finally


    stabilized its operations in K City. There was no turning back now, so he could only keep expanding his


    territories.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t had much resttely.¡± I felt sorry for Ashton.


    The festive season could be very tiring. When he finally had a day of rest, he had to apany me to


    travel back and fro between two hospitals in the morning and then rushed to the office to handle some


    business matters in the afternoon. That man was like a spinning top, constantly working.


    Feeling smug, he muttered, ¡°I see that someone is missing her man already. Ahem¡­ Should I cancel


    the appointmentter?¡±


    I rolled my eyes at him. ¡°Stop being so full of yourself. Who misses you? Don¡¯t use me as an excuse if


    you n to idle at home instead of working.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Ashton chuckled. I followed suit, but with my face turned the other side, looking out the


    window.


    The sky in K City was typically murky as if it was enveloped with a permanentyer of fog. It gave


    people an overwhelming dejected feeling.


    Professor Zidd said that it would take three months to confirm the possibility of my pregnancy. I couldn¡¯t


    tell if that¡¯s good or bad news. Anyhow, the treatment process had alreadymenced.


    People always say that the days are long but the years are short. Summer has grown up without us


    knowing. How long can three months be?


    Once these ny days pass me by and I could still get pregnant, what should my pursuits be?


    I was in a daze all the way home.


    Since Ashton insisted to walk me to the door, I dragged him inside of the house too.


    We could already hear Summer¡¯s voice before entering.


    ¡°Xavier, I¡¯ve got lots of allowance. Shall I buy you some candies?¡±


    ¡°Grand Aunt, can Xavier stay here and y with me?¡±


    Seems like Emery and Hunter are here.


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    Walking into the living room, I caught Emery teasing Summer, ¡°You love Xavier so much, don¡¯t you,


    Summer? Why don¡¯t you ask your Mommy to deliver you a baby brother?¡±


    Sigh¡­ I approached them while grumbling, ¡°You¡¯re really going all out to persuade me to have a child,


    aren¡¯t you? I think you should make Professor Zane work harder and give you a number two while you


    guys are still young.¡±


    As soon as she heard my voice, Summer dashed toward me with a lollipop in her hand. ¡°Mommy!¡±


    Seeing Ashton by my side, she greeted him courteously, ¡°Daddy!¡±


    I picked her up to sit down on the sofa with me. I also took a piece of tissue and wiped off the sugar


    stains around her lips. ¡°Did you forget that you¡¯ve promised me to only eat lollipops once every two


    days? Otherwise, too much sugar will lead to cavities.¡±


    Little children could never resist sweets. If I didn¡¯t control her, she wouldn¡¯t know when to stop.


    Feeling wronged, Summer pouted her lips. ¡°Grand Aunt gave it to me. She said that kids should enjoy


    more candies during the festive season.¡±


    Emery chimed in, ¡°It¡¯s no big deal, just one lollipop. Let her enjoy it. You¡¯re going to hinder her


    development if you continue being a helicopter parent.¡±


    I refuted, ¡°This has got nothing to do with her development. Too much candy is bad for your teeth and


    skin.¡±


    ¡°Once in a while is all right,¡± Emery defended herself while Hunter advised her, ¡°That¡¯s enough. Don¡¯t


    interfere when Scarlett is educating her child. You can do the same when you deal with Xavier in the


    future.¡±


    Emery shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Then, she pointed at Ashton who was still standing, and asked, ¡°Where did you two go? Mrs. Eriksen


    mentioned that you left super early in the morning.¡±

 Chapter 1104

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1104


    ¡°We had some matters to attend to.¡± I quickly urged Ashton, ¡°There¡¯s pending business yet to be


    resolved in thepany, right? You should get going.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded, exchanged greetings with the Zanes, then off he went.


    As soon as he exited the door, Emery asked, ¡°Why is he so busy? Isn¡¯t it still the holiday season?¡±


    ¡°He has to meet some investors from another country. Like what Ashton said, there are no fixed


    holidays for a businessman, so he has to go along with their schedule. Please excuse him as his hands


    are tied too,¡± I exined on his behalf.


    Ashton had broken an unsaidw by being absent when there are visiting guests at home.


    Hunter waved his hand and responded indifferently, ¡°Work is more important.¡±


    Emery, on the other hand, cast a nce at him and then changed the topic, ¡°So, what¡¯s your thought


    about what I¡¯ve just said?¡±


    ¡°About what?¡± I waspletely baffled.


    ¡°To grant Summer a brother,¡± Emery said excitedly while grinning from ear to ear. ¡°Frankly speaking,


    Summer is too lonely. With Ashton being a workaholic, Fuller Corporation will only grow to be


    bigger in the near future. I¡¯m sure he needs someone to take over his businesses. Are you seriously


    not going to consider having a baby?¡±


    I was almost rendered speechless. ¡°You can really go on and on about this.¡±


    ¡°Hey, hey, hey, what¡¯s with your expression? I¡¯m thinking for your sake. I don¡¯t usually care so much


    about others, and you know that, right?¡± Emerymunicated her intention confidently in a high-


    pitched voice.


    Summer, who never quite understood our conversations, seemed to get the main point this time.


    Wrapping her chubby hands around my neck, she requested coquettishly, ¡°I want a brother, Mommy!¡±


    As soon as Emery heard that, she became all energetic and excited. ¡°Oh, did you hear that? Summer


    has spoken. Now, it¡¯s not just me who¡¯s asking for it.¡±


    Hunter and I exchanged nces andughed. Emery had sure been brainwashing Summer about


    having a baby brother, that was why the cheeky girl had it etched in her heart.


    Right then, Mrs. Eriksen served us some hot tea. I then took the opportunity and called out to her, ¡°Mrs.


    Eriksen, please bring Summer for nap time.¡±


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°All right, Mrs. Fuller.¡± Mrs. Eriksen gestured to carry Summer. ¡°Come, Summer, it¡¯s time to take a nap.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to!¡± Burying her head in my arms, she tightened her grip on my neck, having no intention


    to let go at all. ¡°I still want to y with Xavier.¡±


    Ugh¡­ The older the child gets, the harder it is to discipline them, especially when there are others


    around.


    I suppressed my emotions and put on a stern look while pulling Summer aside. Staring into her eyes, I


    said sternly, ¡°Take a nap first. When you wake up, you can continue ying with Xavier, okay?¡±


    Since I was seldom strict with her, the trick worked. She noticed my upset expression and followed Mrs.


    Eriksen upstairs obediently.


    Right after Summer left, Emery had her own maid take Xavier to the guest room to rest.


    They were quite familiar with our house because it was not their first time here.


    Silence permeated the living room after the children left. After a while, I told them about Professor Zidd.


    Emery was so thrilled that she could not stop pping her hands. ¡°Really? That means you¡¯re likely


    going to have a child this year?¡± I pressed my lips into a thin line and nodded with a smile.


    I¡¯m truly d to be able to conceive again. I guess this is how I feel right now.


    ¡°That¡¯s awesome! You two are finally going to have your own baby. This family is nowplete, and I


    don¡¯t need to worry about you anymore.¡± Emery was utterly relieved. The next moment, she pped


    Hunter¡¯s thigh as an idea shed through her mind. ¡°Since Ashton is so busy with work, why don¡¯t we


    apany Scarlett to the hospital?¡±

 Chapter 1105

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1105


    Before I could reject the offer, Hunter said after faltering, ¡°Well, at first I could, but the economics


    schrs in K City are organizing an interactive seminar. Hence, I¡¯ll have to attend that every day


    starting tomorrow.¡±


    Upon that, Emery was rather displeased. She mocked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t I hear this from you before?¡±


    ¡°The memo was released yesterday,¡± Hunter answered. ¡°It¡¯s held in K City for a month, so I


    contemted. But seeing how hard Mr. Fuller works motivates me to follow in his footsteps. Thus, I¡¯ve


    just sent a message on my phone to notify them I¡¯ll be there.¡±


    ¡°You only have two months of holiday in a year. Now, you n to spend a month interacting with


    schrs? Have you forgotten about your wife and son?¡± Emery¡¯s expression turned sour.


    ¡°Haha¡­¡± Hunter leaned over and hugged her shoulders. He said carefully, ¡°I¡¯ve registered on your


    behalf too, so we can go together. My parents will take care of Xavier. In this case, I¡¯m still spending


    time with you.¡±


    ¡°Save it.¡± Emery avoided him and moved away to the opposite side. ¡°I¡¯m not up for any sophisticated


    interaction during the festive season. You have a good time while I apany Scarlett to the hospital.¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­¡± Hunter gazed at her lovingly. He¡¯s indeed a very patient man.


    Though they seem to always pick on each other, the fact was, none of them could live without the


    other. It did not take long for Emery toe up with an excuse to take an early leave and spend quality


    time with Hunter at home.


    I went straight to bed since I woke up early that day.


    When I got up, it was already seven in the evening.


    Summer was ying building blocks in the living room. As soon as she saw me, she darted toward me


    andmented, ¡°Mommy, you napped for so long. You¡¯re azy pig!¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­ If I¡¯m azy pig, then you¡¯re azy piglet.¡± I picked her up and yed with her as we headed


    to the dining area. ¡°Mrs. Eriksen, did Ashtone home?¡±


    Mrs. Eriksen walked out from the kitchen while wiping her hands on her apron. ¡°No. Madam, could you


    call Mr. Fuller and ask? Dinner is ready. I¡¯ll serve them once he¡¯s home.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    I put Summer down and called Ashton.


    He answered the phone immediately, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Will you be home soon?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m still here at the office. You don¡¯t need to wait for me. I probably won¡¯t be able to return in time to


    have dinner with you all,¡± he said over the phone.


    ¡°Are the matters with GW not settled yet?¡±


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°They gave in, but I have my own bottom line. I¡¯m not working on that right now. Since it will be my first


    day back to work tomorrow, I¡¯m trying toplete some of the pending projects. Or else, I won¡¯t have


    time to go to the hospital with you tomorrow.¡±


    I knew Ashton would be very busy when he got back to work. However, I did not expect him to be so


    overloaded with projects. Hence, I felt so sorry for him. ¡°Emery said she can apany me, so you


    don¡¯t need to show up every day. Thepany can¡¯t do without you during this critical period of


    growth, so don¡¯t push yourself too hard.¡±


    ¡°I know what to do. You just need to take care of your health and leave the rest to me. Oh, remember to


    consume the pills after a meal. Also, don¡¯t take those medications given by Aunt Sally.¡±


    He was quite long-winded. Sulking unknowingly, I nodded. ¡°Okay, I will. Anyway, you should get back to


    your work.¡±


    After hanging up, I faced the kitchen and announced, ¡°Mrs. Ericksen, Ashton won¡¯t be back for dinner,


    so we can go ahead without him.¡±


    Shortly after, Mrs. Eriksen ted all the dishes on the table.


    Surprisingly, Summer had a very good appetite that day and licked her te clean. She even insisted


    on shelling the shrimps and ended up with her hands full of roes.

 Chapter 1106

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1106


    After dinner, I yed with Summer for a while before tucking her into bed. She was quite tired, so she


    fell asleep very quickly.


    Seeing that it was still early and not many people were at work at Fuller Corporation today, I asked Mrs.


    Eriksen to reheat a few dishes. There wasn¡¯t much to eat around the area, so I drove to the office to


    bring food for Ashton.


    Even though it was winter, there was a huge difference between day and night temperatures in K City.


    Despite being wrapped up in a thick wool jacket, I was still trembling away. Hence, I dashed into the


    office the moment I got out of the car.


    There were not many people there at this hour.The only security guard downstairs remembered me, so


    he allowed me into the building after some small talk.


    Somehow, the office looked rather deste with just one row of lights switched on.


    I remembered where Ashton¡¯s office was, so I headed there with the lunchbox. However, I heard a


    woman¡¯s flirtatious voice when I reached the door.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, you haven¡¯t had dinner, right? There is a new restaurant opposite our office. Shall we go


    there to grab a bite beforeing back to continue our work?¡±


    It was a very familiar voice. I instinctively tilted my head and saw Ste¡¯s side profile. At the very same


    time, Ashton looked up and noticed that I was there.


    He was probably about to respond to Ste then. Immediately, he stood up and walked toward me.


    ¡°What are you doing here? It¡¯s really cold out there, and you should be wearing more.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m brought dinner for you, Mr. Fuller.¡± I showed him the grey lunchbox. As I spoke, there was still


    some water vapor lingering in the air near my lips.


    He took a look at the lunchbox and put it aside. Then, he picked up both of my hands and rubbed them


    in his palm while saying almost half-jokingly, ¡°Thank you so much, Mrs. Fuller.¡±


    I pouted and did not respond to that.


    It was only then that Ste managed to interrupt us. After greeting me respectfully, she said to Ashton,


    ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave now, Mr. Fuller.¡±


    With that, she squeezed past me to leave the room.


    I watched her as she walked away with an awkward expression.


    Ashton craned his neck to take a look as well, but he clearly did not get the point. ¡°What are you


    looking at?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. Let¡¯s eat.¡± I released his hand and brought the lunchbox to the coffee table.


    He was indeed hungry and was not picky about his food at all. Taking bites out of every dish that I had


    brought, he ate his meal slowly and elegantly.


    While he was eating, I walked around his office. When I saw a document about the GW Group, I picked


    it up and flipped through it casually.


    ¡°The GW investment bank from M Country was founded in 1920, and today, they are amongst the top


    one hundred investment banks in the world. While their assets are not fully audited yet, they have a


    conservative liquid worth of over a hundred billion¡­¡±


    I could not help but be taken aback as I read this quietly to myself. How did Ashton attract such a


    mega-corporation?


    ¡°Ashton,¡± I asked him while I held up the document, ¡°Are you sure this is not about GW wanting to


    acquire Fuller Corporation but rather whether you will allow them to invest in thepany?¡± He


    nced at me and continued eating slowly while exining, ¡°Fuller Corporation is already a household


    name within the country, and it is imperative that we begin our overseas expansion. Moreover, the


    Aploth construction market has always been a gaping hole in GW¡¯s portfolio. Therefore, the idea of


    acquisition has probably crossed their mind now that they¡¯ve approached us.¡±


    I brought it up casually but did not expect to hit the nail on the head. Not knowing what to say in


    response to his solemn look, I quietly put the document back.


    When apany was listed and had the intention to expand beyond the domestic market, it would


    definitely have to deal with the capitalists. Those with less than stable stances might just disappear with


    the cash after selling off theirpany. All of their technical resources would thennd in the hands of


    these capitalists. In fact, these resources could even be lost before they had a chance to venture out of


    the country!Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

 Chapter 1107

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1107


    Thus, many capitalists exploited this weakness to plunder technical resources in order to expand their


    own businesses. At the same time, they would limit thepany¡¯s domestic development while killing


    off every potentialpetitor. This was how they fortified their control over the economy.


    Clearly, Ashton would never betray Fuller Corporation. This was not only because it was his family


    business, but more importantly, he had his personal aspirations.


    Cameron and Emery had mentioned many times that Ashton was no ordinary talent. Under his


    management, Fuller Corporation would expand internationally sooner orter. Indeed, it took just five


    years for him to move thepany headquarters to K City. As expected, there was more development


    in the pipeline within their business development n.


    Just like any other man, there was no end to his career aspirations. The more capable he was, the


    farther his goal would be.


    Of course, like what Ashton had said, plenty of uninvited guests woulde knocking when a


    company reached a certain scale. GW was the best example here. In order to open up the Aploth


    market, they humbled themselves before Fuller Corporation and practically presented funds to them


    with their own bare hands. While GW would rely on Fuller Corporation in order to develop in the Aploth


    construction market, Fuller Corporation would still be their first acquisition target in the end.


    Dealing with capitalists was akin to getting blood from a stone. Therefore, Ashton was understandably


    grim when the topic of financing came up.


    I knew that he had been very worried about it, so I changed the topic after falling silent for a while.


    Looking at the door, I asked, ¡°Is the project at Morantapleted?¡±


    From where I was, I could see Ste¡¯s cubicle clearly. When I was talking, she was right there working


    away, and I could see her every movement; she would asionally switch her position between sitting


    and standing.


    Is this how Ashton and Ste work on a regr basis?


    After some time in the corporate world, I had gained some understanding of the things that happened


    between secretaries and their bosses. Those lecherous bosses usually deployed subtle tricks to take


    advantage of their female staff. Who then arranged this vantage point for Ste and Ashton?


    When I took a closer look, Ste was not the particrly attractive type. When she was looking down


    whilst working, she looked very obedient. Generally speaking, she just emanated a down-to-earth vibe.


    The boy I met in the mall, Justin, looked quitepatible with her. However, she seemed repulsed by


    the idea of being with him. Is it because of Ashton?


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    At this thought, I subconsciously shifted my probing gaze to Ashton.


    There was nothing different about him as he sat upright on the sofa. There was no expression on his


    face as well as he said nkly, ¡°Joseph reported some problems during our video conference this


    afternoon. They will only be able to resume work after the new year.¡±


    ¡°Oh..¡± I could not help but smile as I saw his almost robotic expression.


    After all these years together, I understood him well.


    With his good looks and business talent, there was always an unending trail of women throwing


    themselves at him. Some could only unt their looks, while those whocked in the looks department


    made up for it with their business acumen. Finally, there were also those beautiful girls with strong


    family backgrounds. However, Ashton probably did not even remember their faces. When it came to his


    staff, he treated them equally regardless of their genders, and Ste was no exception.


    However, this did not erase the possibility of Ste¡¯s continued interest in Ashton. Hence, I decided to


    have a private chat with Josephter and have hime back earlier.

 Chapter 1108

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1108


    While it was true that everyone had the right to pursue the things they wanted, if the direction was


    wrong, they should put a stop to it in order to cut the losses.


    I was quite worried that Reba¡¯s story would repeat itself. Apart from her personality, another reason


    she was reluctant to let Ashton go was that she had invested so much time, energy, and emotions in


    him. When things did not go her way, it was only natural for her to be disgruntled and sullen. In the end,


    her mind went awry.


    Ste was an intelligent person who could help Ashton at work. The only problem was that her heart


    was not in the right ce. I did not want to make a scene out of it, so I could only hope that she could


    see the reality when Joseph was back.


    Now that I was rid of my worries, I sat down next to Ashton and apanied him while he ate.


    He stopped eating and looked at me. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Go home.¡±


    With that, he picked up his jacket and dragged me outside.


    I thought it was strange and asked him as we walked, ¡°What about your work?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± He looked very anxious while he led me outside. When we walked past Ste, she stood


    up to greet us, but he picked up his pace as if he did not hear her at all.


    In the elevator, he looked rather agitated as his dark eyes were fixated on the information screen, but I


    couldn¡¯t read his mind at all.


    After buckling my seatbelt, I could not help but ask him, ¡°Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°Mmhmm,¡± he replied. He looked serious and earnest as he ced his hands on the steering wheel.


    ¡°Something trivial but very troublesome.¡±


    I frowned and looked at him quizzically. How could a trivial matter be troublesome?


    However, he did not say anything else, stepping onto the elerator, and in less than half an hour, we


    arrived home.


    Mrs. Eriksen weed us at the door. ¡°Wee home, Mr. and Mrs. Fuller.¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Ashton responded nonchntly before pulling me upstairs, making Mrs. Eriksen more confused


    than ever.


    The moment we got into the room, he pressed me against the wall. After he kicked the door shut, he


    bent down to kiss me. His kiss was domineering and possessive, and it didn¡¯t take long for my


    breathing to turn heavy.


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    His unpredictability caught me off guard. Before Ipletely lost all sense of rationality, I struggled to


    push him away. Then, I panted heavily while asking, ¡°What¡¯s going on with you? Didn¡¯t you say you had


    something to deal with?¡±


    His breathing was uneven, and his eyes looked like they were on fire. He seemed as though he wanted


    to eat me up with his Adam¡¯s apple bobbing up and down. ¡°I¡¯m dealing with it right now.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± I was confused.


    ¡°Do you remember this morning¡¯s checkup?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do¡­¡± I nodded. It was only then that I remembered that we did different checkups. My face


    immediately turned red as I bit my lips and teased him, ¡°So you have been holding it back for the entire


    day?¡±


    His eyes darkened as he picked me up in one fell swoop and walked into the bedroom. Then, he


    smothered me with kisses, and everything happened naturally.


    It took him almost two hours before he let me go contentedly.


    Iy down to rest while he took a shower. Propping up the pillow, I waited for him toe back to


    bed. He¡¯s going to be busier when work resumes tomorrow.


    However, he came out of the bathroom in a bathrobe and headed straight to the wardrobe. When he


    emerged again, he was dressed impably in a suit again.


    ¡°You are going back to the office?¡± His appointment with Professor Zidd was at 9 a.m., so going back to


    the office at this hour meant that he would not be back too early. At that thought, I started worrying that


    he wouldn¡¯t have time to sleep

 Chapter 1109

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1109


    He walked to the bedside and bent down to nt a feathery light kiss on my forehead. Softly, he said,


    ¡°I¡¯ve something to settle by tonight. You go ahead and sleep first.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± I sighed as I knew I should not get in the way of his career, but I could not help but remind


    him, ¡°Come back earlier and don¡¯t sleep in the office as you could catch a chill there.¡±


    He smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fully recharged now, so I can work through the night.¡±


    I blushed and pretended to nag him, ¡°Be quick then, ande back early.¡±


    He hummed in response and left with his phone.


    The moment he was gone, silence filled the house, and I was not sleepy anymore.


    When I took a look at the time, it was only 11 p.m. The most exciting part of the night had just begun.


    Recalling Professor Zidd¡¯s advice, I got dressed and got off the bed to take my medication. At the same


    time, I got rid of my previous supplements.


    Prescription medicine usually had a short shelf life. Regardless of whether Professor Zidd would


    continue to be my doctor, I had no more need for these supplements.


    Suddenly, I recalled that Summer was a light sleeper, so I put on a jacket and went into her room. It


    was not until I saw that she was in deep sleep under her covers that I felt relieved.


    I was still very awake when I was back in the bedroom, so I sat up against the bed to scroll on my


    phone idly.


    Within minutes, Emery sent a WhatsApp message: Are you waiting for someone to chat with you,


    lonely wildcat?


    Iughed out loud. How could she still say things like that as a mother? But I still replied: Name your


    price.


    I burst outughing after I sent the message.


    How is this appropriate conversation content for two mothers?


    Almost immediately, Emery called me up. ¡°What¡¯s up with you? Why are you all alone like me?¡±


    Iughed as she was incredibly spot-on at times. ¡°Isn¡¯t Professor Zane at home?¡±


    Sheined disgruntledly, ¡°Don¡¯t even get me started. He rushed to that seminar in the middle of


    the night. I don¡¯t get it. Why couldn¡¯t he just stay at home during this festive season? Do these


    academics have a different brain structure or something?¡±


    Emery had always been like that. Although she had a ruthless tongue, her heart was warm and caring.


    Knowing that she could not bear to be without Hunter, I teased her, ¡°Professor Zane is not just young


    and aplished but handsome as well. Why didn¡¯t you go with him? Aren¡¯t you worried about those


    devious girls?¡±


    Men in their thirties were generally more attractive than those in their twenties. At this stage, they would


    be more mature and sophisticated. On top of that, they would have attained a certain level in their


    careers. Hence, men like Hunter, who were more sensitive and caring, would appear incredibly


    attractive to young girls.


    I had always felt that Hunter probably attracted more women than Ashton did, given that he was


    working in a university.


    Emery snorted, ¡°Whatever, I don¡¯t care. He can be my guest if he wants to look for a pretty young thing


    since I¡¯m sick of being a professor¡¯s wife anyway. If that happens, I¡¯ll get myself a young guy. There is


    no way I will lose out to him here.¡±


    I was speechless as I knew that this was something she would definitely do. With her eloquence, many


    girls would have fallen for Emery¡¯s sweet talk if she had been born a man.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Seeing that I did not respond, Emery continued, ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t really care whether Hunter can be at


    home to keep mepany. To me, the main problem is with my inws. You know what I¡¯m talking


    about. Even though we have been married for so long, I still don¡¯t feelpletely at ease with them.


    The moment Hunter is away, his parents and I be so incredibly polite to each other, it feels like


    we¡¯re strangers rather than family. The atmosphere is so awkward that I can barely breathe!¡±

 Chapter 1110

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1110


    Emery had beenining about Hunter¡¯s parents since they were newlyweds. She thought it would


    get better after they had children, but the problem still remained. After giving it some thought, I


    comforted her, ¡°Fate has brought you together as a family. However, it is normal to have a gap between


    two generations. It would be best to have moremunication with them since they are your


    husband¡¯s parents. No one would love you two more than they do. Think about it, if your parents were


    still around, would you find it hard tomunicate with them?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Emery was still not very enthusiastic and replied listlessly. ¡°My dad was very old when I was


    born, and we barely enjoyed any quality time as a family when he passed on, so I can only imagine


    what it would have been like. But it is clearly not working, hence myints to you now.¡±


    Hearing her heartfelt words, I realized that she was quite right. Emery was about my age, and after her


    father passed away, the only family she had was Zachary¡¯s family. Even though they were supposed to


    be like family to her, there was still a gap between them. This was why she did not understand what it


    was like to have a good family time.


    Everyone was different, and some things simply could not be forced. But there was nothing much I


    could do except coax her. ¡°Just vent and rant as much as you want if you are unhappy, as long as you


    don¡¯t say all these in front of Hunter¡¯s parents.¡±


    Emery¡¯s voice suddenly hit a higher pitch. ¡°I¡¯m not dumb. I am hiding in my bedroom right now. Scarlett,


    you have underestimated me. Even though I am not very happy with this family, the person I want is


    Hunter. As long as we are fine, I will be able to keep it together. Do you understand?¡±


    Before I could respond, she answered the question herself, ¡°Whatever, you won¡¯t understand since you


    don¡¯t have inws to deal with. Anyway, I should head to bed. Oh wait, what time are you going to the


    hospital tomorrow morning?¡±


    I guess she only wanted to go to the hospital with me to avoid staying at home. ¡°Nine in the morning.¡±


    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll be there too. Just wait for me at home.¡±


    With that, she hung up.


    I stared helplessly as my phone screen went nk. For generations, there had been constant issues


    arising between inws. However, I was sure that Emery would be able to handle it well.


    After all, what are these little family tiffs to a woman who¡¯s sessful in K City?


    All these are just trivial matters, so I¡¯m sure Emery won¡¯t bear grudges.


    These thoughts put me at ease. After putting down my phone, I went to bed. The next day.


    I was just making my way downstairs when Emery arrived. The moment Summer saw Emery, she ran


    up to her and greeted, ¡°Grandaunt!¡±


    ¡°Good girl, Summer. Did you miss me?¡± Emery enveloped her in her arms beforeining, ¡°Hang


    on, we are about the same age, but why am I part of the older generation? Summer, you should just


    call me Aunt Emery from now on. Calling me Grandaunt makes me sound older than I am!¡±


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    As a precocious child, Summer immediately understood Emery and greeted her in a sweet voice,


    ¡°Auntie¡­¡±


    Instantly, this brought a smile to Emery¡¯s face as she responded to Summer, ¡°Oh, you are so smart,


    Summer. Come! I¡¯ll reward you with a lollipop!¡±


    With that, she fished out a lollipop from her Hermes bag and stuffed it into Summer¡¯s plump little hand.

 Chapter 1111

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1111


    ted, Summer pped her hands and snuggled up in Emery¡¯s arms. ¡±Thank you, Aunt Emery! I love


    lollipops!¡±


    Emery¡¯s smile deepened when she saw Summer so happy. Seeing that, I asked her sarcastically, ¡°I


    don¡¯t see you being that patient with Xavier. Is Summer your child instead?¡±


    ¡°How is that the same?¡± Emery walked over with Summer in her arms. ¡°Summer is a girl, and girls are


    meant to be pampered. Since Xavier is a boy, he needs to toughen up. Otherwise, he will grow up to be


    a Mommy¡¯s boy. If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll disown him.¡±


    I shook my head and sighed. There was no way to win a verbal argument with Emery.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    Emery then continued ying with Summer, and when she saw that I was ready, she prepared to bring


    Summer out with her. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get going. We can¡¯t afford to bete again. Lots of doctors these


    days are really arrogant, and it doesn¡¯t matter who our families are.¡±


    I thought of Professor Zidd¡¯s good temperament and could not help but retort, ¡°Not every doctor is like


    that. For example, Professor Zidd is a great man.¡±


    Then, I took Summer from her arms and called out to the kitchen, ¡°Mrs. Eriksen, pleasee out here


    for a while.¡±


    In no time, she came out.


    ¡°Mrs. Eriksen, we will follow the usual schedule this morning. You will watch Summer and let the other


    servants handle your chores.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mrs. Fuller.¡±


    Emery was confused, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you bringing Summer? I can watch her.¡±


    Summer stood between us as she spoke, looking up at us quietly with herrge, bright eyes.


    Sometimes, she was very much like me. The moment she understood what was going on, she would


    acquiesce to the circumstances.


    Last night as I tucked her into bed, I told her that Mommy would be busy in the following mornings, so


    she would have to stay at home with Mrs. Eriksen in the meantime.


    She did not understand why I had to leave her behind again, thinking that I was going to abandon her


    like the time I left her with Cameron and Zachary. After a crying fit, she calmed down when I read her a


    few fairytales. Finally, she agreed as I patiently exined everything again.


    Sighing, I asked Mrs. Eriksen to bring Summer to the backyard. After they left the room, I finally replied


    to Emery¡¯s question, ¡°Summer had justpleted the bone marrow operationst year, and she had a


    kidney transnt too. She is recovering well, so I don¡¯t want her to go to the hospital yet. I don¡¯t want


    anything bad to happen to her again.¡±


    Emery nodded in understanding and did not say anything else.


    We walked out of the house after picking up our bags. At this moment, Ashton walked in through the


    entrance. Looking worn out with visible stubble on his chin, he seemed as though he had just rushed


    here from the office.


    Emery teased him, ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t this Mr. Fu? Did you juste back from a mining trip or something?¡±


    I patted her shoulder to stop her from talking before telling Ashton, ¡°You¡¯ve worked for a whole night.


    Emery can go with me today. Just go upstairs and take a nap.¡±


    Ashton looked at me before turning his gaze to Emery, saying adamantly, ¡°Wait for me in the car for five


    minutes. I¡¯ll just do a quick shave.¡±


    Having said that, he headed to the bathroom immediately. I could faintly hear him telling the maid to get


    his electric shaver for him.


    He still preferred to use the shaver I chose for him.


    We waited around for a while before Emery dragged me into Ashton¡¯s car.


    After five minutes, Ashton sat in the driver¡¯s seat punctually and drove toward the hospital.

 Chapter 1112

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1112


    I observed Ashton quietly through the rearview mirror. After shaving, his charming, good looks were


    restored with no sign of having gone through an all-nighter at all.


    Being the extrovert she was, Emery started talking not long after the car sped off, ¡°I know it is not good


    topare, but look at you, Mr. Fuller. You are so busy, and yet, you still make time to bring Scar to the


    hospital, unlike Hunter. When we finally get a long-awaited holiday, he spends it on some random


    academic seminar. Tsk tsk¡­¡±


    I just sat there, feeling awkward. While it was perfectly eptable toin to girlfriends, it was


    quite embarrassing for a wife toin about her husband in front of another man. Emery seemed to


    be losing her filters after having her child. At that thought, I reminded myself to talk to her about itter


    on.


    Ashton focused on driving and did not respond right away. I thought he didn¡¯t hear it and was about to


    heave a sigh of relief when I heard his low voice pipe up.


    ¡°I did not manage to protect her properly thest two times. If I don¡¯t make up for it this time around, I


    will have noparative advantage over Professor Zane.¡±


    It was a perfect response. Ashton did not deny that he was a good husband, but he did not run down


    Hunter either. This was the best way to protect the dignity of both men. I let out augh upon hearing


    that. Meanwhile, Emery was dumbstruck as she had not expected that the joke would be on her.


    Since Ashton had raised Hunter to such a high pedestal, it would be too much of her to keep


    comining about him.


    With that, silence ensued in the car and soon, we reached the hospital.


    Professor Zidd did a routine examination on me and beckoned Ashton and Emery back into the room


    with a rather serious look, which worried me. I had the feeling that we would get some bad news today.


    After a long silence, Professor Zidd finally looked up and stared at Ashton solemnly. ¡°Mr. Fuller, don¡¯t


    you even know your responsibility as a husband?¡±


    All three of us were taken aback by this strange question.


    Then, his expression changed, and he sighed a little before saying, ¡°I thought that when you looked for


    me, you would have done your research. Didn¡¯t you know that both of you¡¯re not supposed to get


    intimate throughout this treatment?¡±


    His tone was grim with a hint of anger. Both Ashton and I were bbergasted at the same time before


    blushing rather bashfully.


    Always up for a good show, Emery attempted to stifle augh andmented, ¡°Cough, cough, Doctor,


    do try to empathize with them. It has been a difficult journey for them, and now that they have finally


    gotten together, it is difficult for them to hold back their passion.¡± My face blushed even more furiously


    after Emery said that. I then pursed my lips and turned to shoot a warning re at her.


    However, she was clearly not threatened by me at all. Emery was stillughing heartily and only


    stopped out of respect for Professor Zidd. ¡°Fine, fine, I¡¯ll stop talking now. You guys continue. Just


    pretend that I¡¯m invisible.¡±


    Professor Zidd¡¯s face remained grim for quite a long time before he looked at Ashton and me solemnly.


    ¡°I did not remind you yesterday, so I¡¯m at fault too. However, I really hope that you will remember this


    from now onwards. You are both still young and passionate, and yes, some things tend to happen


    naturally. But you need to make your objectives clear. The whole in vitro fertilization process takes


    about two to three months, and together with the pregnancy, it¡¯s only about a year. If you can¡¯t even


    keep your hands off each other throughout this one year, I think we can all stop wasting each other¡¯s


    time.¡±Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

 Chapter 1113

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1113


    At the end of the day, he may have sounded rather harsh, but it was all for our own good.


    Feeling guilty, I looked down and was about to apologize when I heard Ashton¡¯s almost hoarse voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault for not being able to suppress myself. Don¡¯t worry, Professor Zidd, I guarantee that this


    situation will not happen again.¡±


    Hearing that, Emery coughed out loud a few times which embarrassed me greatly. I did not even dare


    to look at her then.


    When Ashton saw that Professor Zidd¡¯s solemn expression remained, he fell silent and reached out to


    hold me by my shoulders as he looked at Professor Zidd sincerely. With a heartfelt voice, he said,


    ¡°Professor Zidd, we have already experienced the excruciating pain of losing a child twice.¡±


    Then, he choked on his voice slightly before looking at me with affection. ¡°My wife has suffered greatly


    because of these two miscarriages. Trust me. I really want this in-vitro fertilization process to go


    smoothly more than anyone else. As her husband, it was negligence on my part, and I will not seek


    excuses for myself, but I still hope that you will empathize with our desire to be parents and give us


    another chance. We will definitely not disappoint you again.¡±


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    I was actually quite moved by what Ashton said, and at that very moment, I wanted nothing more than


    to be by his side.


    I reached out to put my hand on his and smiled as I looked up at him. Then, I turned to look at


    Professor Zidd earnestly and said, ¡°Professor Zidd, I was the one who seduced himst night, so you


    can¡¯t me him!¡±


    I spoke loudly, thinking that I was being righteous.


    However, the moment I finished speaking, it was as if every single molecule in the air had frozen on the


    spot!


    In an instant, Emery burst outughing.


    I was stunned for a while before I saw the weird look on Professor Zidd¡¯s face. As if taken aback by


    what I had said, he stretched his neck. Averting his gaze, he pushed up his sses before he found his


    voice again. ¡°Women at this age do have a stronger desire. Please try to hold back for the sake of the


    treatment. If you really can¡¯t do so, just remember not to go too deep¡­¡±


    Despite his hesitation, I understood what he was trying to say. He was willing to forgive our mistake


    and continue with our treatment. I nodded away happily like a woodpecker and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry,


    Professor Zidd. I will remember that. Not too deep¡­¡±


    It was only then that I realized how crude I sounded!


    When I looked at Professor Zidd again, he was frowning while pretending to look through my file


    instead of continuing the conversation. I was so embarrassed that I was beet red as I looked at Ashton,


    who was holding back hisughter. When he realized that I was looking at him, he quickly stopped and


    reached out to pat my head.


    But what use could that be of?


    Meanwhile, Emery was the terrible friend whopletely reveled in this awkward situation I was


    caught in. Even when I was too embarrassed to turn around, I could imagine her reaction as I heard


    her trying to hold back herughter.


    She will have no more respect for me from now on.


    Professor Zidd then arranged for me to get my estrogen and progesterone injections at the nurse¡¯s


    station. I was told that I could leave once that was done.


    When I left the doctor¡¯s office, Professor Zidd pulled me aside to have a quick word. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, I know


    that it is difficult for you to practice abstinence with Mr. Fuller¡¯s good looks. If you have problems doing


    so, please have a discussion with Mr. Fuller to make temporary separate sleeping arrangements.¡±

 Chapter 1114

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1114


    Embarrassed, I was rendered speechless, and my face reddened instantly. After mumbling a response,


    I immediately ran out of the room.


    Ashton had been waiting by the door. When he saw me looking rather upset, he came up to me and


    asked in a low voice, ¡°Did Professor Zidd lecture you again?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No.¡±


    On the other hand, Emery teased me, ¡°He wants you to make sure that your wife gets plenty of rest, so


    don¡¯t make her too tired at night.¡±


    ¡°Tsk.¡± I rolled my eyes at her by way of a threat, but she continued to look at me with a devious smile


    while pretending to zip up her lips.


    Ashton did not say anything and merely patted my back as he led me to get my injections.


    This estrogen treatment was to solve the issue of my overly thin uterine lining so that the in-vitro


    fertilization process could begin after my uterine lining reached a certain level of thickness.


    Ashton had minor germaphobia. Therefore, he brought my prescription to a private hospital instead of


    allowing me to get the injections at the public hospital.


    The main advantage of a private hospital was that there were much fewer people in there.


    Ashton was rather well-known here. The moment we arrived, a nurse followed us all the way to cater to


    our needs. From checking our prescription to administering the injections, it was a very clear-cut


    process that took barely ten minutes. As a result, we saved a lot of time that would otherwise be spent


    waiting at a public hospital.


    Therefore, private healthcare had its advantages despite being expensive.


    Ashton supported me as we walked out of the clinic. In the corridor, we actually ran into Nick at the


    obstetrics and gynecology department.


    He was supporting Rose, and they looked very affectionate. It had only been a year, but he had


    changed his hairstyle, looking a lot more sophisticated. Indeed, he seemed more like the head of a


    family now.


    When they saw us, their smiles remained on their face. Rose greeted us politely, ¡°Scarlett, Ashton.¡±


    Nodding, Ashton did not say anything. After all, he never paid attention toworking.


    Right then, I noticed that Rose¡¯s hand was draped over her stomach. With a smile, I asked, ¡°So¡­ will


    we be hearing some good news?¡±


    Rose nced at Nick shyly before nodding and looking at her stomach fondly. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s just been two


    weeks, and it¡¯s still a tiny little thing.¡±


    The arrival of a new life could bring so much joy, and I think I was able to understand their bliss now.


    ¡°Congrattions!¡± I was truly happy for them.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    It seemed like the dust had settled since Nick was starting his own family.


    For some reason, I thought of Jackson. How is he doing in M Country?


    As Nick and Rose exchanged nces, one could tell that they were happy to hear such words.


    A momentter, Nick looked at me and said sincerely, ¡°I¡¯m sure both of you will get good news too in no


    time.¡±


    Taken aback, I then realized that he had easily figured out why we were here. ¡°I hope you are right.¡±


    Nick nodded before his eyes fell on Ashton. ¡°Mr. Fuller, your audit season should being soon.


    What do you think of passing some of the work to Harrison Credit?¡±


    With that, he began talking about work. As I observed him, I realized that he had really be his own


    man.


    However, Ashton did not look like he wanted to continue the conversation. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about work


    during our personal time. We can discuss it in my officeter on.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± Nick said without pursuing the matter further. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave first, as there are


    other checkups to be done.¡±


    With that, he led Rose away.

 Chapter 1115

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1115


    We watched them as they walked into the nearest elevator. It was only when Ashton pinched my


    shoulders that I came back to my senses. He then brought me out of the hospital.


    In the car, Emery tried to look for an opportunity to speak again.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that Cameron¡¯s son? The one who just took over their family business?¡±


    Even though Emery grew up in K City, she was not familiar with the people here. Moreover, Nick had


    just returned to K City. Hence, even though she was very well-informed, she had difficulty matching


    people¡¯s faces to their names.


    I nodded. ¡°Hmm, he could be considered my brother too.¡±


    ¡°You have quite a lot of family members, don¡¯t you?¡± Emery grumbled before she went on to change


    the topic. ¡°But this Nick looks rather decent, and his wife is ssy too. One of these days, he will


    definitely surpass his father¡¯s achievements.¡±


    ¡°That is definitely going to happen.¡± I had always felt that Nick was very capable as he took charge of


    thepany since he was quite young. After seeing his current state earlier on, that feeling became


    stronger than ever. ¡°Very few people can manage such arge family business at his age.¡±


    It had been some time since Nick took over the Harrisons. Thest time I saw Cameron and Zachary,


    they did notin about him, so he must have been doing well.


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    Emery snorted and pursed her lips. Then, she pointed her chin toward the driver¡¯s seat and said, ¡°Oh


    look, we have one right here.¡±


    Baffled, I looked in that direction. From my position, all I could see was Ashton¡¯s aloof back view.


    Indeed, Ashton was more outstanding than Nick. When he took over Fuller Corporation, he was a lot


    younger than Nick was. Through the decision of bringing Fuller Corporation to K City, he had proved


    himself to be a rare business talent.


    However, there were good and bad sides to everything. All people saw was that Ashton acquired such


    a high position and immense wealth at this age, but they did not see his hard work and how he


    practically lived in the office. There was nothing he could do about it, even when he was going through


    something as life-changing as procreation.


    I could not help but sigh as mncholy emerged on my face. Ashton is not a machine, so how much


    longer can hest like this?


    While I was staring into thin air, Emery suddenly spoke to Ashton, ¡°Ashton, based on your expression


    earlier, you¡¯re uninterested in coborating with Nick, am I right?¡±


    Is that so? Why did I not see that?


    But he invited Nick to his office. Wasn¡¯t that an opportunity?


    I regained myposure and looked at Ashton curiously. Together with Emery, I waited for his


    response.


    He focused on driving and gave a curt reply, ¡°I¡¯m considering it.¡±


    ¡°What is there to consider? You should save the benefits for your own family. Isn¡¯t Nick Scarlett¡¯s


    brother? Since that¡¯s the case, theirpany is definitely more trustworthy than otherpanies out


    there. Moreover, they have other businesses here in K City. If you give him some benefits now, you will


    have endless profits in the future. Work together as a family, and you¡¯ll be the most powerful team in K


    City.¡± Emery analyzed it very well, almost as if she were part of the industry too.


    However, Ashton merely replied coldly, ¡°Mmhmm.¡±


    His curt reply stopped Emery from continuing the conversation, and it infuriated her so much that she


    crossed her arms in front of her chest. If not for me signaling at her, she probably would have fought


    with Ashton there and then in the car.


    We fell into silence once again. After Ashton dropped us at the vi entrance, he went back to the


    office.


    We only entered the house when we saw his car vanish around the corner.


    As we walked on the cobblestone path leading to the vi, we continued with the previous topic. Of


    course, it was Emery who initiated it.


    ¡°Ashton¡¯s attitude is rather suspicious. He seems to be deliberately avoiding the topic of working with


    the Harrisons. Do you know what he has been working on recently?¡± Emery had some economic


    knowledge and was particrly interested in studying the psychology of key business leaders.

 Chapter 1116

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1116


    ¡°Some financing, I think. He is preparing to expand thepany.¡± I didn¡¯t know much as well, so I


    merely told her the key points.


    Fuller Corporation was already a listedpany, so all of their financing development was public


    knowledge. There was nothing secret about it at all.


    ¡°Financing now?¡± Emery seemed to be rather surprised as she remained rooted to the spot, eximing


    agitatedly, ¡°They have been in K City for barely a year, and there is no telling whether they can get


    used to the development here. Ashton is too impatient.¡±


    ¡°He should have his own ns, I think.¡± Ashton was not the type of person who did things on impulse.


    Otherwise, he would not have brought Fuller Corporation to its present height.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°What n? He is just too rash.¡± Emery waved her hand in disagreement and sighed annoyedly. ¡°What


    does Ashton take this market to be? Just because he managed to rustle up a few huge deals these few


    years, he thinks he can put down roots here on this premiumnd? Scarlett, you¡¯re his life partner, so


    you should remind him that the Moores are not the only family in K City. He has gained so much fame


    lately that there are countless jealous people out there waiting to stab him in the back!¡±


    I frowned. Indeed, she was more far-sighted than I could ever be.


    What Emery said was an undeniable fact.


    Due to his rtionship with the Moore family, the business tycoons in K City were all courteous to


    Ashton on the surface.


    However, Fuller Corporation¡¯s development had definitely taken up some of their market shares. No


    one couldugh at the face of a smaller piece of the pie.


    Ashton had been the center of attention the moment he arrived at K City. Hence, there was a possibility


    that the other businessmen who had suffered losses would collude against him.


    Emery grew more serious when she saw that I remained silent. ¡°At this moment, Ashton should not be


    focusing on financing and expansion. Instead, he should concentrate on stabilizing their foundation in


    the city. The moment they topple here in K City, they will never be able to make aeback!¡±


    I let out a deep sigh and nodded. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll have a chat with Ashton.¡±


    Emery¡¯s words were no exaggeration. Compared to J City, K City was developing at a much faster rate.


    Countless entrepreneurs had emerged here only to disappear soundlessly.


    K City was a carnivorous city! Emery¡¯s remindernded me in a bed of worries for the rest of the day.


    Even though I knew that Ashton would not make rash decisions, I was still feeling rather anxious.


    After dinner, I quickly tucked Summer into bed before I headed to Ashton¡¯s office.


    Of course, I did not forget my obligation as his wife. Like yesterday, I brought him his dinner. The only


    difference was that I was very edgy today.


    Even though I had been part of Fuller Corporation¡¯s management, I practically had no say in the


    company¡¯s development, so I did not know how he would react if Imented on his project based on


    Emery¡¯s views.


    The entire K City had already resumed work by now. Most of the people going in and out of the lobby


    were employees working in this building. After exchanging festive niceties, they immediately dove into


    formal business talk. Nevertheless, probably due to the festive season, everyone had smiles on their


    faces.


    All the lights were turned on at Fuller Corporation, and many employees were still working overtime.


    However, very few of them noticed me.


    Those who did were about to greet me when I lifted my index finger to my lips and signaled them to


    keep quiet. I then headed directly to Ashton¡¯s office.

 Chapter 1117

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1117


    Coincidentally, I overheard Ashton reprimanding his employee, ¡°We just resumed the project in less


    than twenty-four hours, and this happened? Exin yourself!¡±


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    No one had the guts to answer him.


    I tilted my head to see several employees who worked overtime observing the drama outside the office.


    With a smile, I entered the office.


    Upon turning around, I had a clearer picture of what was going on.


    Two young employees dressed in white shirts were standing quietly in front of the desk. They dared not


    even lift their heads to look at Ashton.


    With his back facing them, Ashton leaned against the desk and let out a heavy sigh.


    As I had closed the office door gently, he did not notice meing in. A few momentster, he


    exploded once again. ¡°Contact the family members, and make sure the media do not pick this up!¡±


    ¡°All right, sir!¡± the employees replied.


    Ashton picked up a pen holder and threw it in their direction. ¡°Go!¡±


    Obviously, he did not aim the pen holder directly at the two young men as it hit the water dispenser


    next to them.


    Even I got a shock as I had never seen Ashton throw a fit like this before. The poor young men were so


    terrified that they instantly turned around and left his office.


    Ashton finally noticed me when he looked at the door out of the corner of his eye and softened his


    voice. ¡°How long have you been here?¡±


    ¡°Just arrived.¡± My lips curled into a smile. I lifted the lunchbox to get his attention. ¡°Dinner for my


    beloved Mr. Fuller.¡±


    Having said that, I walked over and unpacked the lunchbox on the coffee table.


    Ashton took a deep breath and walked over to embrace me. ¡°Thanks, Honey.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± I gave his shoulder a pat. ¡°Come. Eat while it¡¯s hot.¡±


    Only then did Ashton release me and pick up the utensils.


    Mrs. Eriksen knew what he liked, so she prepared all his favorite dishes. Although Ashton gobbled the


    food in the lunchbox, it was clear that he was not enjoying his meal.


    Having lived with him for almost a decade, I knew Ashton like the back of my hand. From his knitted


    brows, I could tell that something was bothering him, even though he tried hard to hide away his


    emotions.


    ¡°Something happened?¡± I poured him a ss of water.


    Ashton froze for a bit before reaching for his food with a calm expression as though everything was


    fine. ¡°Just a minor problem. My men should be able to solve it soon.¡±


    Why then did he throw a fit if it was just a minor problem?


    I could tell the changes in his voice that he was not telling me the truth


    So Emery was right after all. Ashton must be in deep trouble.


    ¡°Ashton,¡± I gently tapped his thigh and asked tentatively, ¡°Can¡¯t you put the GW¡¯s financing project on


    hold?¡±


    Hearing that, Ashton gave me a surprised sidelong nce and inquired, ¡°Who told you this?¡±


    Although he did not seem mad about it, I couldn¡¯t help feeling awkward. I avoided his eye contact and


    said sheepishly, ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ asking¡­¡±


    Somehow, I managed to muster up the courage and looked at him in the eye. ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is,


    you¡¯re already a busy man, and we¡¯re preparing to conceive a child. If you have to focus on this


    financing project, do you think you¡¯ll have the time and energy for our family?¡±

 Chapter 1118

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1118


    After all, I could not sell Emery out by telling Ashton that she did not like how ambitious and reckless he


    was.


    But my worry was just as valid. He had to do everything by himself because there was no one he could


    trust, and because of that, he did not even have time to rest! I was afraid that he might copse due to


    exhaustion one day.


    Upon hearing that, Ashton responded with a casual voice, ¡°Don¡¯t you believe me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± I lowered my head and mumbled, ¡°I¡¯m just worried for you.¡±


    Putting down the cutlery, Ashton inched his face closer to mine and teased, ¡°You look like a little lost


    lamb that needs protection. I guess you want me to ¡®take care¡¯ of you like how I did yesterday, huh?¡±


    He even intentionally emphasized thest line and smirked!


    Why do men always think with their members! Argh!


    I turned around and stared at him. ¡°Stop it. I¡¯m serious.¡±


    Yet, Ashton did not take me seriously. Holding up his chin, he leaned against the couch and gave me a


    sensuous look. ¡°I¡¯m serious too. Look at me and tell me what you want, Mrs. Fuller.¡±


    As the heater was turned on, Ashton only wore a thin shirt. He left the top two buttons undone,


    revealing his tanned chest and abs when hezed on the couch.


    I swallowed the fluid lodged in my throat and looked away. ¡°Watch your behavior. You¡¯re still in the


    office.¡±


    ¡°What behavior?¡± Ashton continued teasing.From N?velDrama.Org.


    After regaining myposure, I put on a serious face to tell him that I meant business. ¡°You can¡¯t


    be¡­¡±


    The moment I turned around, I realized that Ashton was already standing right in front of me. Instantly, I


    got tongue-tied.


    A corner of his lips quirked up, and he squinted his eyes seductively. I could feel this warm breath on


    the back of my neck when he continued to inch closer. Immediately, my mind turned nkpletely,


    and I did not remember what I wanted to say anymore. He managed to change the topic sneakily,


    leaving me at a loss. As he approached me, I could catch a whiff of his scent, which had a hypnotizing


    effect on me.


    All of a sudden, someone knocked on the door before things spiraled out of control.


    Ashton¡¯s expression instantly changed. The moment he noticed Ste standing by the door, he


    returned to his seat and said calmly, ¡°Come in.¡±


    While I was tidying up my clothes, Ste had already entered the office.


    After greeting Ashton, she shifted her gaze to me with a hesitant look on her face as though she was


    not sure if she should speak in front of me.


    By right, that should be her least concern since I was a shareholder of the Fuller Corporation.


    ¡°Go on.¡± Ashton put on his usual professional look.


    Ste lowered her eyes and passed a document to him. As he was flipping through the pages, she


    exined, ¡°We have had verbal agreements with all the persons in charge of these projects early this


    year, but all of them called in the afternoon and expressed their intention to cancel the coboration


    with us. Many have confirmed that they¡¯re withdrawing from our partnership, whereas Mr. Rosenthaler


    is still trying his best to convince a few more to stay with us. But ording to his secretary, Mr.


    Rosenthaler is not confident that he could turn things around, and he hopes that ourpany could


    step in and manage the situation as soon as possible.¡±

 Chapter 1119

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1119


    Ashton knitted his brows, and his expression turned grim as he replied, ¡°Got it. Schedule a meeting for


    me tomorrow. Get all the department heads to attend it.¡±


    Once again, I recalled what Emery told me. I asked Ste, ¡°Are these the existing projects in J City or


    the new ones in K City?¡±


    The Fuller Corporation had a strong presence in J City, and the entire construction industry depended


    on them. Hence, it was unlikely for thesepanies to burn bridges with them so easily.


    ¡°The new projects, Mrs. Fuller,¡± Ste answered.


    A line formed between my brows. It looks like Emery was right. Those people in K City have started


    making their moves now because they are jealous of Ashton.


    Ashton took a nce at me and closed the file. He then turned to Ste and said, ¡°You can leave now.


    I¡¯ll call you when I need you.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Ste then walked out of his office.


    Ashton immediately turned his attention to me the moment Ste shut the door. ¡°Tell me what you


    know.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± I froze for a bit and gave him a confused look.


    Ashton sighed and said, ¡°You¡¯ve distanced yourself from the Fuller Corporation for quite some time,


    and you don¡¯t know much about the construction industry either. Therefore, you wouldn¡¯t have asked


    Ste that question all of a sudden unless you heard something from someone. We¡¯ve been married for


    ten years, Scarlett, so I can read your mind easily.¡±


    Hearing that, I let out augh. I was pretty sure he could still read my mind even if we were not married


    since he was good at doing that. ¡°All right, you got me. I came here to discuss this with you.¡±


    This sabotage was noughing matter. I ced my hand on his and looked at him seriously. ¡°I know


    you¡¯re a capable man, but can you not push yourself past your limits at this point? You¡¯ve just relocated


    thepany¡¯s headquarters to K City. Why don¡¯t you strengthen thepany¡¯s foundation first before


    considering the financing project? Since you agree that something¡¯s amiss with the GW Group too, why


    don¡¯t we take a step back and reevaluate our options?¡±


    Ashton¡¯s eyes darkened as he squinted them. Then, he went deep in thought before asking, ¡°What did


    Emery say to you?¡±


    Although he did not sound annoyed, his tone was intimidating nheless. I twitched my lips and


    answered matter-of-factly, ¡°She¡¯s only worried for us.¡±


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    Ashton kept mum for a moment and walked to his desk. ¡°I¡¯ve been managing this corporation for years.


    Do you really think I¡¯m unaware of the concern Emery told you?¡±


    After a brief pause, he started looking for some documents from a drawer under his desk. Then he


    walked up to me and tapped on the documents. ¡°Construction and trading are the two major sources of


    ie for the Fuller Corporation. Before shifting my focus to K City, I¡¯ve established my connections


    here, so by right, everything¡¯s good to go. Yet, take a look at all these documents. They all turned their


    backs on me. Even those who have yet to leave are merely staying temporarily because of the Moores.


    They might not end up signing the contract with us too.¡±


    After going through all four documents, I realized that the sum involved in these projects was at least


    ten million. That was a lot of money.


    Without connections and resources, apany could never run a business properly. This was exactly


    the problem Ashton experienced when he made a foray into K City.

 Chapter 1120

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1120


    At this point, I knew I should not dampen Ashton¡¯s spirit, but I could not keep quiet and watch the Fuller


    Corporation crumble.


    I hesitated for a moment but decided to voice out my opinion. ¡°Let¡¯s go slow, okay? Without a strong


    foundation, thepany will copse easily. We should spend time umting our resources and


    building our connections.¡±


    Ashton shook his head in disagreement. ¡°It¡¯s not as easy as it seems.¡±


    He gave me a sullen gaze and continued, ¡°The Moores has been trying to stop me since they heard


    that I was venturing into K City, so it¡¯s only normal that my other business rivals are now doing the


    same to sabotage me as well.¡±


    Of course, I was aware of the dilemma he was in. But I only wanted him to be safe in this trying time as


    that was my biggest concern.


    Noticing the changes in my expression, he grabbed my hands and leaned on the couch. ¡°But you see,


    I¡¯m still in one piece. Besides, there¡¯s no turning back now, Scarlett. Even if I don¡¯t expand my business


    empire, my rivals would still think of ways to take us down. Instead of waiting to be butchered, I might


    as well take them down first.¡±


    I was shocked to learn how ambitious he was, but at the same time, I totally understood his logic.


    Besides, no one could stop Ashton if he was determined to get something done.


    Instead of dampening his spirit, I should support his endeavors. But at this point, how could I not be


    worried?


    It¡¯s a dog-eat-dog world out there. Even if you have no intention of defeating your rivals, they will not


    hesitate to destroy you, and the winner will take it all.From N?velDrama.Org.


    Though I had the same concern as Emery, I decided to keep my opinion to myself and trust Ashton


    wholeheartedly.


    I never believed that women were more inferior to men, but I had to admit that Ashton was more


    visionary than I was. After Ashton had finished his dinner, I left his office and went home directly.


    While I was on my way back to the vi, I gave Emery a call and told her what Ashton said. She


    remained quiet for quite a long time, just like how I reacted in Ashton¡¯s office.


    She then made this remark, ¡°Your man is one of a kind, Scarlett.¡±


    A corner of my mouth quirked up. ¡°I think everyone knows that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to kiss his ass,¡± Emery said in a serious voice. ¡°But with his ambition and courage,


    nothing¡¯s going to hold him back from conquering the world.¡±


    I could not agree more as that was exactly what I had in mind when Ashton told me his thoughts.


    After another round of small talk, I ended the call and looked out the window to calm my mind, but I still


    could not shake off the uneasiness I felt.


    Those who wished to sabotage Ashton had already settled down in K City for decades. Hence, he


    would definitely have a hard time dealing with them if he wished to take them down.


    Something Ashton said earlier also reminded me howx I had be.


    Not only had I kept my hands off the Fuller Corporation during this period, but I had also turned into a


    housewife, not having any goals in life.


    I did not mind being a housewife if I had all the house chores to keep me upied, but since Mrs.


    Eriksen was in charge of all the tasks, I spent my days taking care of Summer and delivering dinner to


    Ashton.

 Chapter 1121

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1121


    If I was already living such a mundane life in myte twenties, what would happen to me in the next ten


    or twenty years?


    I had enrolled in a Master of Laws programst year, but due to unforeseen circumstances, I had to put


    my studies on hold. Since I could still remember what I had studied before, I was confident that I would


    be able to resume the course with ease.


    Besides, as Ashton continued to expand his business, he would have to confront a lot of legal issues. I


    would be able to assist him once I obtained the license to practicew.


    It¡¯s about time for me to further my studies. This time, I must follow through till the end, and the same


    goes for my pregnancy as well.


    Despite his hectic schedule, Ashton still took some time off to apany me to the hospital for my


    regr checkup.


    Professor Zidd was pleased to inform me that my uterus had recovered, and he said we could carry out


    the in-vitro fertilization while undergoing the treatment.


    Besides continuing with the estrogen and progesterone injections, I would have to undergo the


    ovtion induction treatment consecutively for a week too. This was to prepare my body for the in-vitro


    fertilization process.


    Since I had to get sufficient rest throughout the week, I had to stop delivering dinner to Ashton¡¯s office.


    Apart from taking care of Summer, I also bought thetest reading materials to prepare for my studies. I


    would study them after Summer had gone to bed.


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    While I was going through the reading materials today, I heard someoneing into the study. Upon


    lifting my head, my eyes met with Ashton¡¯s.


    ¡°You¡¯re home early.¡± With a childlike smile, I stood up and weed him.


    I began to understand how excited Summer was every time she saw me.


    This is how we react when the people we love the most appear before our eyes, isn¡¯t it?


    ¡°Professor Zidd said that we could proceed with the in-vitro fertilization tomorrow. You should go


    to sleep earlier so that you¡¯ll be in good shape tomorrow.¡±


    Although Ashton was dead serious about it, I couldn¡¯t help letting out augh. I gently tapped on his


    chest and teased, ¡°Do you really have the willpower to sleep early and not touch me tonight?¡±


    Instantly, Ashton grabbed my wrist and smirked. Staring at my hand, he said in a lustful voice, ¡°I don¡¯t.


    That¡¯s why I need this hand to work its magic on me.¡±


    ¡°Dream on!¡± I pulled my hand away from his. When I was about to leave the study and get back to the


    bedroom, I saw Mrs. Eriksen standing by the door with a tray in her hands.


    Mrs. Eriksen must have stood there for quite some time. She was surprised to see me walking out of


    the room at first but gave me a baffling smile and pretended as if she was oblivious to everything that


    had happened.


    Nevertheless, the look on her face made me blush, and I bit my lips in embarrassment.


    Right then, Ashton came up and grabbed my shoulders before he asked Mrs. Eriksen in a deep voice,


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Being the tactful person she was, Mrs. Eriksen turned around and answered with a lowered head, ¡°It¡¯s


    been some time since you¡¯re back this early. I¡¯ve made you soup. Here you go.¡±


    ¡°Let me.¡± I reached out for the tray but was too embarrassed to look at her. ¡°Thanks, Mrs. Eriksen.¡±


    Mrs. Eriksen ced her hands into the apron¡¯s pockets and grinned. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of Summer. You two


    have a good rest.¡±


    What she said rendered me speechless, and my cheeks became even more flushed.

 Chapter 1122

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1122


    Yet, Ashton said something that made me want to punch him. ¡°There¡¯s no use in drinking this soup


    anyway since we have to follow the doctor¡¯s instructions and not act as we please.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Mrs. Eriksen froze and gave him a puzzled look. ¡°Huh?¡±


    To stop Ashton from spouting more nonsense, I immediately diverted Mrs. Eriksen¡¯s attention. ¡°Hey, did


    you hear that? I think Summer¡¯s crying. Can you go and check on her?¡±


    ¡°Really? I didn¡¯t hear anything, though,¡± Mrs. Eriksen got even more confused.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure she¡¯s crying,¡± I said earnestly. ¡°Why don¡¯t you check on her and see if she needs


    anything?¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take good care of her.¡± Mrs. Eriksen then ran toward Summer¡¯s room.


    I felt sorry for making that up, but that was the only way I could think of to end the awkwardness.


    Without saying a word, I turned around and shot daggers at Ashton, but he shrugged his shoulders as


    if he was not bothered by it. He then stuck his hands into his pockets and walked toward the bedroom.


    I puffed out my cheeks and followed right behind him.


    Once we got into the room, I ced the soup on the bedside table and mmed the door. ¡°Can you


    mind your tongue in front of Mrs. Eriksen next time?¡±


    ¡°But I was only telling the truth,¡± Ashton said while removing his tie and threw it on the couch.


    When he was about to walk toward the home bar, I dashed to his front and extended my arms to block


    him.


    ¡°No drinking, mister.¡± I knitted my brows. ¡°We need to go through a medical procedure tomorrow.¡±


    Though technically, I was the one who would be going through the procedure, he would still need to


    contribute his sperm. Hence, I needed him to bepletely sober.


    What if his sperm got drunk because of the alcohol? Hmph!


    Professor Zidd was extremely mad at us thest time because the progress was disrupted when we


    got physically intimate. Hence, we must not make the same mistake again. At that moment, Ashton


    was still trying to reach for a bottle of wine. He tried to negotiate with me, ¡°Just one sip. Okay?¡±


    ¡°No way.¡± I was determined. No means no! I¡¯ve had enough with all the injections, and I sure as hell


    don¡¯t want to go through that again!


    A line formed between Ashton¡¯s brows, and he looked at me with a pair of puppy eyes. ¡°My life feels


    iplete right now.¡±


    That pitiful expression on his face softened my heart for a moment, but I was not ready to give in just


    yet. ¡°Drink this soup instead. It¡¯s good for you.¡±


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Ashton raised his brows and asked as if he was genuinely considering the option, ¡°What if I can¡¯t keep


    my hands off you after drinking the soup? What if I¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop it!¡± Oh, God! Why is this man so horny!


    But I guess he¡¯d have to make a choice between the soup and the wine.


    If Ashton decided to go for the wine, our efforts would be in vain, and I really wanted our kid to grow up


    healthy and strong.


    I gave it some thought before giving him my consent. ¡°Drink first, and we¡¯ll talk about itter!¡±


    My hands can still do the trick if he insists.


    To my surprise, he instantly gave up the idea of drinking wine and gobbled down the soup in one shot.


    After putting down the empty bowl, he turned around and gave me a cheeky smile. ¡°See? I told you. I


    can¡¯t seem to control my hands anymore!¡±

 Chapter 1123

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1123


    Me? But it hasn¡¯t even been ten seconds since he drank it!


    However, I couldn¡¯t take back my words because Ashton didn¡¯t give me the chance to respond.


    Instead, he strode toward me and carried me into the bedroom.


    Ashton only let go of me after we had done the deed for nearly an hour. When it was finally over, my


    hand was thoroughly sore.


    I lifted the nket and went to the bathroom to wash my hands. Nevertheless, Ashton came with me


    and hugged me from behind. He then grabbed my palms with his and washed them gently.


    ¡°Why have you been doing it for an increasingly longer time recently?¡± I pursed my lips and teased him.


    People say that sexual prowess decreases as a man ages. In that case, why is he different?


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Although Ashton spokeposedly, his voice was pleasing to the ears. ¡°Maybe


    because you seduced me?¡±


    ¡°When did I seduce you?¡± I wriggled free from his arms and turned around to stare at him disgruntledly.


    You call yourself a man? How could you me it on me!


    Ashton¡¯s lips curled into a sensuous smile as he chuckled, ¡°Hehe, when? Don¡¯t you know that your


    presence is already a seduction to me?¡±


    Upon hearing it, I blushed and felt a little guilty. What¡¯s wrong with Ashton? Where did he learn to


    whisper sweet nothings?


    This is¡­ too much!


    Since I didn¡¯t respond, he bent over and was about to kiss me. Jolted out of my thoughts, I escaped


    from his arms and ran out of the bathroom.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Ashton! You¡¯ve taken enough advantage of me. Get a shower now and go to bed!¡± I


    stood at the door and crossed my arms in a domineering manner.


    I¡¯ve got to teach him a lesson, or else he would go overboard.


    Ashton seemed to be a little disappointed, yet he still went to take a shower.


    Upon hearing the sound of the shower, I turned around and went to bed. Then, I covered myself with


    the nket and began scrolling on my phone.


    As soon as I swiped the screen, I saw a new friend request on Instagram.


    When I clicked on it and looked at the profile picture of the person, I realized that it was Rose.


    She had sent the friend request to me half an hour ago.


    Since she was Nick¡¯s wife, I didn¡¯t think much and epted her request.


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    After that, I opened the Facebook application.


    Perhaps Ashton was worried that I would be affected by bad news while I was preparing for pregnancy.


    That was why he kept his problems to himself, especially the ones involving thepany. Hence, I


    could only scroll through the Facebook newsfeed to get some clues.


    I wasn¡¯t interested in trivial matters because I knew that Ashton could definitely handle them. As for the


    major issues which were circted online, there was no way I would let Asthon face them alone.


    Fortunately, after scrolling through the newsfeed for quite some time, I didn¡¯t see any bad news about


    Fuller Corporation.


    Suddenly, my phone beeped.


    I felt a little curious. It¡¯s ratherte now. Could it be Emery?


    The next moment, I was surprised to find out that it was a text message from Rose.


    A pregnant woman would normally sleep earlier. Therefore, I initially thought that she had gone to bed


    right after sending me the friend request.


    Was she waiting for me?


    Her text was short and simple: Scarlett, are you still awake?


    I quickly replied to her message as I didn¡¯t want to disappoint her: Not yet. It¡¯s ratherte now. Why


    haven¡¯t you gone to bed?


    Rose replied almost instantly: I¡¯m not sleepy yet because I took a long nap during the day. Scarlett, do


    you have time tomorrow?


    I asked: Do you need anything?


    Rose answered: It¡¯s not a big deal, actually. Nick is always busy, so he doesn¡¯t have time to keep me


    company. Since you¡¯re preparing for pregnancy, I was wondering that perhaps we can go shopping


    together?

 Chapter 1124

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1124


    I pondered over it for a while. Since I only had to meet Professor Zidd in the morning and would be free


    afterward, I epted her invitation: Yes, but I¡¯m only free in the evening. Are you okay with it?


    Rose replied: Sure, evening it is! I¡¯lle to your house tomorrow. Well, I should stop bothering you


    since it¡¯s gettingte. Good night.


    Upon seeing the moon emoji at the end of the message, I couldn¡¯t help but smile. Despite their years of


    marriage, Nick seemed to have protected Rose well. It was apparent from her cheerful words that she


    was still young at heart.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Meanwhile, Ashton had finished taking his shower and came out of the bathroom. When he saw me


    smiling, he half-kneeled beside the bed and inched closer to me. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡±


    Ashton smelled good after stepping out of the shower. Putting my phone aside, I wrapped my arms


    around his neck to take a whiff of his scent. After a while, I replied delightedly, ¡°Rose added me as a


    friend on Instagram and asked me to go shopping tomorrow. I agreed to it.¡±


    ¡°Rose?¡± Ashton was startled for a moment before he continued, ¡°Is she Nick¡¯s wife?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± I nodded and continued, ¡°We met her in the hospital two days ago. Have you forgotten about it?¡±


    Since Ashton was upied recently, I wouldn¡¯t me him if he didn¡¯t have any impression of her.


    ¡°I remember.¡± Ashton grabbed my hand and sat on the bed. Then, he took me into his arms and asked


    with a pensive expression, ¡°Are you two close to each other?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡± I remembered that I met Rose less than five times, so we were only considered


    acquaintances. ¡°Anyway, she¡¯s Nick¡¯s wife. Besides, it¡¯s the festive season now, and I don¡¯t have the


    heart to reject her.¡±


    Ashton tilted his head and stroked my nose gently. ¡°You should stop saying yes to others all the time.


    Why must you force yourself to do something that you don¡¯t like to please them?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not forcing myself.¡± Although I was easygoing, I wouldn¡¯t make concessions to the extent that I had


    to abandon my principles. Hence, I rebutted defiantly, ¡°I only agreed to it because we¡¯re considered


    rtives. Don¡¯t worry. I definitely won¡¯t go out with strangers. After all, I have learned my lesson from


    Summer¡¯s incident.¡± However, Ashton merely nodded and put on a slightly disdainful smile. It was


    apparent that he didn¡¯t believe my words.


    Dissatisfied with his response, I decided to be more assertive. I squinted and said wryly, ¡°Hmph¡­ Mr.


    Fuller, are you trying to stop me from leaving the house like I¡¯m your pet canary?¡±


    I knew that I probably thought too highly of myself, for I was not as young or as gorgeous as the chicks


    out there. Nheless, I didn¡¯t think a woman who was pregnant or preparing for pregnancy had to


    stop socializing.


    Due to the misconception, manypanies nowadays still included unfair uses in their contracts,


    stating that a woman, who was pregnant within five years of working with them, had to resign


    automatically.


    Moreover, I had handed over my tasks to others at Fuller Corporation a year ago and became an idler


    since then. Hence, I might even be toozy to take care of Summer if I was barred from


    socializing. In that case, I would be no different from pigs in a pigpen.


    A glint shed across Ashton¡¯s eyes as I finished speaking. Suddenly, he tilted his head and scanned


    my face. A few secondster, he put on a wry smile and replied, ¡°It¡¯s a good idea¡­¡±


    Upon knowing that he really had such thoughts, I was rendered speechless.


    Feeling embarrassed and angry at the same time, I grabbed the pillow below my head and threw it at


    him. ¡°Don¡¯t ever think about it!¡±

 Chapter 1125

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1125


    I wasn¡¯t a housewife. Even if I was, I could still pick Summer up from school. However, I wouldn¡¯t even


    be able to leave the bedroom if I was his pet.


    More importantly, Ashton probably had a wilder idea, which was to restrain me to the bed. I can¡¯t let it


    happen!


    He grabbed the pillow effortlessly and took it into his arms. Then, he giggled as though he was rejoicing


    at the prospect.


    Men would still be childish regardless of their age, thinking that bullying the women they loved was a


    way of expressing their affection.


    Although such a thought was a little despicable, it somehow brought fun to a couple¡¯s life.


    I gave him a cold-eyed stare for a while. Knowing that there was nothing I could do to him, I grabbed


    the nket and turned around to sleep with my back facing him.


    You¡¯re not the only one with a trump card! ¡±Go to sleep alone tonight!¡±


    I snorted and tightened my grip on the nket. Deep down, I was hoping that he would coax me.


    On second thought, I had no right to say that Ashton was childish. Even with Summer around, I would


    sometimes behave like a little kid in front of him.


    Perhaps when we realized that our loved ones would never leave us, we would unknowingly reveal our


    hidden personalities, thereby wreaking havoc with our rtionships. Despite that, we wouldn¡¯t worry


    about losing them because we knew that they would always stay by our side.


    Even though I was a little upset at that thought, I still felt touched while my lips unwittingly curled into a


    smile.


    Initially, I thought that Ashton woulde to me and coax me with sweet nothings. When I felt some


    movements behind me, I took a sideways nce at him. It turned out that he hadin on the bed,


    hugging me from behind. Without uttering a word, he put his face close to my neck. Since he didn¡¯t


    move after taking a deep breath, I guessed he had fallen asleep.


    Shortly afterward, I could hear his snoring.


    Turning around, I saw that he had fallen asleep. At this moment, he was sleeping on his side with one


    hand curled up before his chest. Given that he was 1.9 meters tall, I thought he would feel


    ufortable sleeping in this posture.


    But he seemed to be sleeping soundly, his lips curled into a faint smile. Nheless, his brows knitted


    as though he was worried about thepany¡¯s problems that he hadn¡¯t solved yet.


    He¡¯s too tired.


    Feeling sorry for him, I lifted my hand to caress his brows. Then, I carefully moved his body so that he


    could lie on his backfortably.


    After that, I leaned on his chest andid the nket over us before drifting off to sleep.


    The results of Professor Zidd¡¯s treatment were promising. It was then the eighth day of my pre-


    treatment, and I was ready to undergo a hormone injection for superovtion.


    After exiting the hospital, I recalled that I rarely kept Summerpany recently. As such, I decided to


    bring her along to meet Roseter.


    Before today, I had always thought that I wouldn¡¯t meet Jackson again, at least for a long time.


    Nevertheless, when we visited a maternity store, I was shocked to bump into him. Moreover, there was


    ady standing next to him.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time,¡± I broke the silence first. In the past, Jackson would greet me excitedly whenever


    he saw me. But now, he merely stood still and looked at me ndly in a way that none could read his


    mind.


    Initially, Summer was ying with the toy Rose bought for her with her head lowered. She only looked


    up curiously after we stopped walking. As soon as she saw Jackson, she spread her arms and lunged


    toward him to hug his legs. ¡°Mr. Jackson! Mr. Jackson!¡±


    Apart from Ashton and me, Summer was closest to Jackson. Probably because she didn¡¯t know how to


    express her emotions, Summer pursed her lips and fell silent. She then rested her head on Jackson¡¯s


    shoulder and sobbed slightly.

 Chapter 1126

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1126


    As Summer was reluctant to leave Jackson, we had no choice but to leave the maternity shop and look


    for a ce to sit down.


    Jackson wasn¡¯t good at coaxing a child. However, thedy beside him tried her best to y with


    Summer, thus freeing him to turn around and look at us.


    Although Jackson behaved warmly like he used to, I somehow felt that he had changed a lot.


    A momentter, I took the initiative to say, ¡°How have you beentely?¡± My mind went nk once I


    started talking. As such, I paused for a while before I continued, ¡°I heard that you went overseas. Have


    you settled everything?¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡± Jackson nodded in response, indicating a silent admission. The next moment, he shifted his


    gaze toward Rose.


    I suddenly recalled that I hadn¡¯t introduced them to each other. ¡°This is Rose, Nick¡¯s wife.¡±


    With a warm smile, Rose reached out her hand and greeted, ¡°Nice to meet you.¡±


    Jackson was startled by Rose¡¯s enthusiasm. Shortly afterward, he shook her hands and replied


    meaningly, ¡°I know you.¡±


    Since Rose wasn¡¯t aware of the rtionship between Jackson and Nick, she asked in surprise, ¡°Oh,


    really? Did Scarlett mention about me?¡±


    I was taken aback by her words and dared not respond.


    Fortunately, Jackson defused the awkwardness, ¡°The news about your marriage with Mr. Harrison was


    all over Facebook. So how can I not know you?¡±


    He withdrew his hand and continued, ¡°You and Mr. Harrison are a perfect match. I give you two my


    best wishes.¡±


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    Since their marriage established a close rtionship between the Harrisons and the Walkers, the


    wedding was a grand event that received wide coverage. Therefore, it wasn¡¯t surprising at all that


    Jackson watched their wedding online.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Rose blushed as she replied.


    I heaved a sigh of relief. Then, I gazed at thedy next to Jackson and changed the subject of


    conversation, ¡°May I know who she is?¡±


    Judging from thedy¡¯s behavior, I felt that she wasn¡¯t a loose woman as Nick had described.


    Upon hearing it, Jackson wrapped his arm around her shoulder and introduced proudly, ¡°She¡¯s Lydia,


    my wife.¡±


    I was taken aback. He¡¯s married already? But he only left for merely a few months! Besides, this was


    the first time I met his so-called wife. Perhaps due to my self-esteem, I couldn¡¯t ept that Jackson,


    who grew up with me, married someone without informing me. Hence, my face darkened once he


    introduced her.


    ¡°Are you surprised?¡± He shed me a broad smile, but the dimness in his eyes remained. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t


    me you since you¡¯re not really aware of my personal life. I¡¯ve known Lydia for almost a year, and we


    registered our marriage two months ago. So it wasn¡¯t really a sh marriage.¡±


    My heart sank although he was speaking in a joking manner.


    Deep down, I knew that Jackson was ming me.


    After all, what he said just now was true. Back then, as I was in a romantic entanglement of sorts, I had


    basically neglected my childhood friend.


    ¡°Jackson, you¡­¡± My mind went nk once I started talking.


    Overwhelmed by guilt, I turned around and avoided his gaze. However, the next moment, I met Lydia¡¯s


    eyes which were brimming with kindness. After putting on a faint smile, I lowered my gaze without


    uttering a word.


    In Rose¡¯s eyes, it was only a reunion between two old friends. As she thought Jackson was joking, she


    chimed in, ¡°Well, it¡¯s not a problem even if you had a sh marriage. After all, falling in love at first sight


    does happen. My husband and I were already deeply in love shortly after we met, and we still have a


    blissful marriage. So, it¡¯s perfectly fine as long as you two are happy.¡±

 Chapter 1127

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1127


    Jackson was taken aback by her straightforwardness. A momentter, he recollected himself and


    replied, ¡°You¡¯re right. After all, it¡¯s just a matter of individual choice. No one is nobler than the other.¡±


    Feeling that he was insinuating something, I was rendered speechless. Besides, I found it difficult to


    inquire where he had been in front of Rose and Lydia. What happened?


    Feeling conflicted, I could only muster up a singlemonce out of the thousand in my head.


    ¡°Come and have dinner at my ce when you¡¯re free. After all, Summer has been missing you.¡±


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± Jackson rejected indirectly. ¡°Since I¡¯ve just opened my new clinic, many of my patients will


    being for follow-up examinations. So, I¡¯m quite busy and don¡¯t really have time.¡±


    It was obvious that he wanted to keep a distance from me.


    Besides resenting me for ignoring him in the past, Jackson probably thought I was also responsible for


    Macy¡¯s death.


    Now that Macy was not here anymore, Jackson was the only childhood friend I had. Hence, I was


    reluctant to let go of our friendship.


    I was about to persuade him when Lydia, who was listening to our conversation, interrupted with a


    gentle voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll remind him toe to your ce when he¡¯s free.¡±


    She was gentle and dazzlingly beautiful, and I had to admit that she and Jackson were indeed a perfect


    match. Meanwhile, Jackson didn¡¯t voice his objection after hearing that, which meant that he agreed to


    it.


    Suddenly, I felt that my fixation with mending our friendship seemed to have faded away.


    I felt that Jackson was right. After all, we should let bygones be bygones. At least, there was now a


    woman who could tame Jackson¡¯s temperament so that he didn¡¯t have a fallout with me.


    Feeling grateful for Lydia¡¯s help, I shed her a smile and replied, ¡°Thank you, Lydia.¡±


    I had always regarded Jackson as an older brother, for he was half a year older than me, and now, it


    was only right that I treated his wife, Lydia, with the respect she deserved.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± Lydia replied politely with a faint smile on her face.


    Shortly afterward, I thought about getting their address since they were still staying in the country. I


    asked, ¡°Is your clinic in J City as well?¡±


    But before I could finish my sentence, Jackson had turned around to y with Summer as if he


    deliberately wanted to avoid me. Fortunately, Lydia saved me from embarrassment as she exined


    patiently, ¡°It¡¯s in K City. Jackson moved his clinic there. He said that it¡¯s more convenient for us to take


    care of my parents.¡±


    I nodded in agreement, recalling that Jackson had always been conscientious since he was young.


    Therefore, it made sense that Jackson took care of his wife¡¯s family too.


    Jackson¡¯s phone rang as soon as Lydia finished. After picking up the call, he went outside to talk. A


    minuteter, he came back and excused themselves due to some urgent matters.


    It wasn¡¯t until they vanished from sight that I recalled that I hadn¡¯t asked for their address. Hence, I


    immediately took out my phone to send a message to Jackson via WhatsApp.


    When I couldn¡¯t see Jackson¡¯s profile photo anymore, a shiver ran down my spine.


    He had blocked me.


    Holding onto thest hope, I tried sending an emoji to him.


    However, after quite some time, it only showed one checkmark and not the second one.


    Staring at the chat room, I felt my warmth slowly fading away while my body shivered uncontrobly.


    How is it possible?


    To make matters worse, I didn¡¯t even know when it happened.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Letty?¡± I was jolted out of my thoughts when I heard Rose¡¯s voice. Then, I tried my best


    to stay calm and replied, ¡°Nothing.¡±

 Chapter 1128

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1128


    Rose believed me because she was a guileless person. Stirring her chocte milk, she seemed to be


    in a trance as she said to herself, ¡°Letty, your friend and his wife looked enviably sweet! If only Nick and


    I met each other earlier, then we might be as sweet as them.¡±


    Feeling a little unsettled, I put my phone back into my pocket and replied nonchntly, ¡°Well, you and


    Nick have a blissful marriage too. I envy you because you¡¯re already pregnant a few days after your


    wedding.¡±


    Rose was startled upon hearing that and immediately changed the topic.


    As my mind was upied with Jackson, I didn¡¯t dwell on the conversation. After sitting for a while, I


    excused myself to go home.


    Once I got home, I kept staring at the checkmark and didn¡¯t even realize it when Ashton returned.


    When I felt someone putting a nket over my shoulders, I turned around and saw that he was


    bending over behind me. It turned out that he had been observing me for quite some time.


    ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± I turned off my phone screen and put it back into my pocket carefully.


    However, it was toote because Ashton had seen what I was trying to hide. After sitting down, he


    fiddled with my hand and asked casually, ¡°Did you meet Jackson?¡±


    It appeared that he wasn¡¯t surprised to know that Jackson had returned.


    ¡°You knew that Jackson has returned?¡± I asked nervously, knitting my brows.


    Ashton looked up at me gently and heaved a long sigh. Then, he caressed my forehead and replied


    casually, ¡°I heard about it not long ago. However, you guys have met even before I could figure out the


    best way to tell you.¡±


    I was a little upset. ¡°You should¡¯ve told me earlier.¡±


    If I had known it beforehand, I wouldn¡¯t be that befuddled in front of Jackson.


    I was frustrated with myself, for I didn¡¯t have the courage to ask for his forgiveness. Simrly, I


    hesitated for several hours but still hadn¡¯t sent my friend request to him.


    Deep down, I knew that I couldn¡¯t me Ashton for my misery. Copsing onto the couch, I then slid to


    the floor and kneeled on the mat. The next moment, I sprang upon the table and rested my head on it,


    screaming, ¡°Ah! I¡¯m useless!¡±


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    Tears streamed down my face uncontrobly. How could Jackson be so heartless? We¡¯ve been friends


    for more than twenty years, yet he ditched me just like that.


    Ashton didn¡¯tfort me with words but merely caressed my back slowly, giving me enough time to


    vent my frustrations and calm myself down.


    Exhausted from all the crying, I sat on the floor and fell into a trance. After a while, Ashton stood up and


    carried me into the bedroom.


    After tucking me in, he turned around and was about to take a shower when I instinctively grabbed his


    wrist. I was reluctant to see him leave.


    ¡°Ashton, not only has Macy passed away, but Jackson has also ditched me. Did they leave me


    because I don¡¯t deserve them?¡±


    Ashton frowned after hearing that. He sat on the bed beside me andforted me in a deep voice,


    ¡°Macy¡¯s death was an ident. No one wanted it to happen. As for Jackson, he¡¯s bound to marry


    someone else and have kids sooner orter. Besides, you¡¯ve nothing to do with the change in his


    personality. So don¡¯t punish yourself for their misfortune.¡±


    After pausing for a while, he held my hand tightly and added with a smile, ¡°Besides, I¡¯ve always been


    here for you, right?¡±


    Unable to shake off the uneasiness I felt, I couldn¡¯t help but knit my brows.


    It wasn¡¯t easy for two people to stay together. However, even my friendship with Jackson, whichsted


    for decades, ended just like that. Hence, even though I had been with Ashton for a long time, I couldn¡¯t


    help but wonder if we could withstand the test of time.

 Chapter 1129

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1129


    I offered no retort. The intense crying I did leave my eyes tired and puffy. I watched Ashton for a while


    before I drifted off to sleep.


    I then had a lengthy dream.


    In it, Macy, Jackson and I were back in high school. We werezing around beneath the shade of a


    tree, watching other kids y with crickets. The fearless Macy pissed off their head honcho. Jackson


    then charged up and tangled with them. He was like a brave diator who did not cry out even as his


    head bled.


    When I awoke, there was only the sedate expression on Ashton¡¯s face as he slept next to me.


    I extended a hand to caress his face. There was simply no going back to where we came from.


    ¡­..


    After the ten-day long hormone therapy, I was finally able to have an ovum sessfully extracted from


    my body. The artificial insemination process also went well. In three days, the cultivated embryo would


    be ready to be inserted into my uterus.


    It was also today that Ashton did not have me sent home as usual. Instead, he ferried me to the Fuller


    Corporation personally.


    There was hardly time for me to warm my seat before Ashton produced a file from under the table,


    which he opened up before passing it along.


    I was not sure what to make of it. The heading read¡ªLetter of Authorization for the Shares of Fuller


    Corporation.


    Ashton meant for me to transfer all the shares I have on hand to his name and make him my legal


    executor.


    Confounded, I ced down the document. ¡°Has this something to do with the investment with GW?¡±


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    Even though he had exined to me the importance of the financing, I still had reservations about it as


    the risks involved were too great.


    Ashton nodded. ¡°I could not categorically deny that. Though I haven¡¯t green-lighted it, it¡¯s inevitable that


    I might have to make a decision on this on your behalf once you sign the letter. More importantly, the


    lab results would be confirmed in the next few days. It was difficult enough for us to be able to


    conceive, so whatever GW may be up to, I don¡¯t want you to be a target for them. Not only is this


    about the transference of shares, but you will also bepletely removed from all involvement in Fuller


    Corporation.¡±


    His reasoning was sound but his one-sided approach had me feeling that my opinion was made


    peripheral. ¡°Are we discussing this, or are you informing me?¡±


    ¡°I am fine with either one. Which do you prefer?¡± He shrugged, but appeared sincere.


    There was not much I could say in response as it did not seem that he had any ulterior motives.


    His concerns were notpletely unfounded. Everything that happened before this could have


    stemmed from our failure to maintain a low profile. Ashton might have thought that perhaps I should


    step away from the public eye before the pregnancy happened.


    In the end, I dered in indignation, ¡°You might as well publicly announce that you are divorcing me if


    you really want to ensure my safety.¡±


    Ashton took into serious consideration something I merely said in jest, and nodded solemnly. ¡°If it came


    down to that, sure.¡±


    I was bbergasted.


    Who wants him to go down that route?


    I rolled my eye disdainfully at him and dumped the file on the table. ¡°I¡¯m not going to sign on this.¡±


    A frown appeared between his eyebrows as he did not expect me to turn him down. His mouth was


    agape as though he wanted to say something before he was cut off by a knocking on the door.


    Knock! Knock!


    Both us turned in toward it in unison. It was Joseph, and with him was Ste.


    ¡°Come in,¡± Ashton said.


    I was delighted at Joseph¡¯s sudden appearance. Be it in thepany or elsewhere, I would greet him


    all the same. ¡°When did youe back?¡±


    Joseph tone was staid. ¡°I came in on the morning flight, and just got back to work today.¡±

 Chapter 1130

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1130


    With Joseph around, Ashton would not need to make as many trips between thepany and home


    every day. My smile widened at the thought of Ashton being able to squeeze in more low time. ¡°You


    should go home to check in on your family after being away in Moranta for so long.¡±


    His wife had just given birth not so long ago when he was deployed to Moranta. As Ashton did not


    know how to care for his subordinate, it was my duty as his spouse to say something nice in his stead.


    ¡°Yes.¡± The mention of his family put a smile on Joseph¡¯s face. ¡°Mr. Fuller has given me half the day off.


    I¡¯ve already dropped by earlier.¡±


    Ashton?


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    I turned to regard my husband with slight skepticism. Could this notorious workaholic possibly be so


    considerate?


    Ashton beamed proudly as though it was the natural thing to do. He then leaned back on his chair and


    got right back to business. ¡°From now on, Joseph would stick with me while Ste would be your


    personal assistant. Take her with you whenever you head out.¡±


    I was bewildered at this peculiar decision to ce his little fan-girl at my side. Was he trying to help, or


    to create problems for me?


    I did not have the opportunity to state my protestations before Ste and Joseph simultaneously voiced


    their acknowledgement and made their exit.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening here?¡± I narrowed my eyes at Ashton the second the door closed. ¡°Trying to get me


    to relinquish my shares and getting Ste to keep tabs on me. What are you really up to?¡±


    Ashton shrugged slyly. ¡°Whoever said I was getting Ste to do that?¡±


    ¡°Hehe¡­¡± I scoffed. ¡°Surely she¡¯s not here for my protection?¡±


    Even though a modern female professional, I knew Ste to be an extremely frail woman. Her memory


    could not had been jarred into amnesia otherwise.


    Ashton snorted. There was a sinister smirk on his face when he pushed the document in front of me


    once more. ¡°I took the initiative to convince her to be your personal assistant when I caught you


    staring at her more than once. You know, I am aware that you women like looking at pretty girls too. So


    never mind yourck of good taste, I¡¯m happy to oblige.¡±


    His attempts at being thoughtful had me nonplussed.


    What was he bbering about? Why that sleazy look in his eyes? Jerk!


    Does he think that I had taken a fancy to Ste? I wasmenting his overtly progressive thinking when


    he rapped his finger upon the table and pointed to the letter of authorization. ¡°One good turn deserves


    another. Come on and sign on it.¡±


    With victory seemingly at hand, the smug face he had suddenly left me feeling cheated. ¡°Are we talking


    business here, Mr. Fuller?¡±


    My signature in exchange for Ste Collins was not business. It was coercion!


    The corner of the man¡¯s lips raised as he regarded me like I was amb to the ughter. ¡°We are man


    and wife so surely there¡¯s no need to put it that way. Consider this our way of shouldering each other¡¯s


    burdens.¡±


    He was totally into it before he paused and exhaled, as though he was in a bind. ¡°As you know, I¡¯m


    quite bogged down with everything that¡¯s going on at thepany. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to handle it


    if you were to pile more on my te. Take it that you¡¯re doing me a favor. Just sign off on it, would you,


    Mrs. Fuller?¡±


    The man had already circled to my rear and had me wrapped inside of his embrace. He spoke with pen


    in hand, just awaiting my signature.


    I looked askance at the enthusiasm with which he regaled me. It seemed that he earnestly would like


    me to withdraw from the den of thieves that was the corporate world.

 Chapter 1131

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1131


    After giving it some thought, I thought I better have him back down a little. ¡°Sure, I could sign on it, but


    on the condition that you promise not to push through the ns with GW within the next two years.¡±


    The two-year period was a proposal after much consideration. I would be able to wrap up everything


    pertaining to my pregnancy during that stretch, and with Ashton¡¯s ability, it should give him sufficient


    time to gain a foothold in K City.


    I know that I would not be able to stop him from pursuing better avenues of development, but with an


    extended period for preparation, it might help mitigate any potential risks that may arise.


    Ashton¡¯s eyes widened momentarily as he considered his options. His lips then curled into a smile.


    ¡°Alright, I promise.¡±


    Ten years was enough time for me to learn how to discern when he was being sincere or deceitful. His


    eyes and his smile told me that I may dispense my suspicions.


    I took the pen from him and scribbled my John Hancock above the line. Ashton followed up by having


    the document sent out to the Notary Office for processing.


    The courier had just left when someone rapped at the door twice. ¡°Mr. Fuller, the representative from


    GW Group has arrived.¡±


    My gaze fell upon Ashton the second I heard that. I regarded him with ambiguity and shot him several


    looks. Would it not be a golden opportunity for him to prove that he had been straight with me?


    Ashton gave me a knowing smile before he turned to Joseph. ¡°Have them taken to the conference


    room.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Joseph replied with a nod before he exited.


    Ashton went around to other side of the table and retrieved his coat from the rack. He spoke as he put


    it on and checked his attire, ¡°Come, Mrs. Fuller. You should try to resolve the matter with GW today


    while you are still able to exercise your rights as shareholder.¡±


    He wanted to have me along for the meeting.


    And I do not see why not.


    I shrugged and put a hand around his arm as we made our way to the conference room.


    The representative from GW Group was a blue-eyed blond. He was already seated when we stepped


    in.


    Ashton had an arm around me when we approached. ¡°Good to see you again, Mr. Blondell. May I


    introduce you to my wife, Scarlett Stovall.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my pleasure to meet the very lovely Mrs. Fuller.¡± Sean took ahold of and charmingly kissed the


    back of my hand before he recovered himself.


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    He had brought along three foreign assistants, all of them corporate elites.


    All of us then took our seats.


    Sean seemed to havee to us on his own ord with tremendous sincerity and started as soon as


    he sat himself down. ¡°ording to the terms that were presented to us, Mr. Fuller, GW would only


    receive a fifteen-percent stake for our investment. After conferring internally, we¡¯re willing to settle for


    seventeen-percent. That would be our best offer. If you are amendable to that, then we would be able


    to finalize the contract today.¡±


    The assistant closest to Sean got up on cue to ce the contract in front of Ashton.


    The financing proposal was something that Ashton had put on the agenda about a year ago, and Sean


    and his assistants had remained in the country for almost half a year since. Thus, their eagerness to


    wrap things up so that they may all return home was understandable.


    I had gone through their proposal. GW¡¯s original demands were for a twenty-percent stake in Fuller


    Corporation¡¯s shares. After negotiation with Ashton, Sean was willing to concede three percent, which


    was considered very generous. No good business person would dabble in any losing propositions. As


    there was still some profit in it for GW, I need not be excessively obliged to them.


    Ashton and I exchanged looks before he reached out and calmly nudged the contract subtly in Sean¡¯s


    direction. ¡°Thank you for your offer, Mr. Blondell. I may have to ask for your understanding as the


    hostility directed toward Fuller Corporation locally leaves me with other considerations to make. So I¡¯m


    afraid that we may have to put this proposal on hold until ater time.¡±

 Chapter 1132

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1132


    There was a sudden shift in Sean¡¯s mood ,but he managed to force out a stiffened smile. ¡°I hope you¡¯re


    not being serious about this, Mr. Fuller?¡±


    Compared to the behemoth behind Sean, Fuller Corporation was but a palm-sizedpany. GW had


    come halfway across the world to initiate the negotiations. They had gone through so many rounds of


    negotiation and saw various concessions made on their part. For Fuller Corporation to back out now,


    anyone would feel that they had been taken for a ride.


    It would not be prudent to get on the wrong side of GW. Sean¡¯s face had me fretting quite a bit for


    Ashton as spurning GW like this would likely earn Fuller Corporation yet another enemy.


    At this moment, Ashton suddenly adjusted his seat to move closer to me. One long arm wrapped


    around and pulled me in while he had another hand gently ced upon my abdomen. His eyes were


    filled with hopeful anticipation. ¡°I am, Mr. Blondell. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve been thorough in doing your due


    diligence on me. My wife had already suffered through two miscarriages. It was hard enough for us to


    be able to conceive again so I do not wish for any more mishaps. Before my child is safely delivered


    and survives till one, I would not be looking to make any major moves in my business ventures.¡±


    I was astounded to hear that I was pregnant. How could it be that I was unaware of that?


    Ashton cast an affectionate nce my way before he turned to regard Sean solemnly. ¡°It¡¯s only human


    to aspire for parenthood so I believe this is something that Mr. Blondell and the directors at GW Group


    should be able to appreciate, would you not agree?¡±


    Every word of his was resolute but not aggressive, which left Sean with no avenue for dissent. The


    man could only frown distressedly as he sat slump in his seat.


    Sensing that Sean had been subdued, Ashton promptly withdrew his eyes and lowered them upon my


    belly. He nonchntly rubbed a supple palm upon it as he spoke softly. ¡°If you should find it difficult to


    answer to your superiors when you return, I could prepare a separate contract for you. In the event


    Fuller Corporation intends to reopen for fund raising internationally, GW Group would be first in line for


    consideration. What would you say to that?¡± That was how thorough Ashton always was, leaving his


    opponents with no chance to react.


    Sean got up and went outside to make a call. As expected, he epted Ashton¡¯s offer, and left quietly


    with his team once the paperwork waspleted.


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    Their departure from the conference room left just Ashton and myself alone in it.


    ¡°The audience is gone, so cut out the act.¡± I reached out and batted off the hand Ashton had on my


    abdomen. ¡°Don¡¯t think about taking advantage of me!¡±


    Ashton was sulky as he shrugged it off. Men were animals who wouldn¡¯t know when to stop.


    The discontent on Sean¡¯s face when he left the conference room was in stark contrast with his


    gentlemanly and amiable demeanor when he first entered. This had me worried. In my esteem, GW


    Group could not be that easy to pacify, so I was wary about coborating with them in future. ¡°Do you


    still intend to coborate with GW?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Ashton leaned back against the back rest, seemingly quite at ease with himself.


    Trying to work out what was on the other¡¯s mind had developed into a form of routine between us. Left


    with little choice, I exhaled as I yed along. ¡°With the contract inked, there doesn¡¯t seem to be any


    other option?¡±


    Ashtonughed, ¡°You¡¯ve said that you¡¯d never want to see me again before, but aren¡¯t you still messing


    around with me in bed every single day?¡±


    ¡°Ashton Fuller!¡± I grabbed the pen, the only object on the table, and hurled it toward him. Then, my


    eyes burned at him.

 Chapter 1133

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1133


    Ever since we had epted each other, Ashton had only be more thick-skinned.


    He deftly intercepted my missile and started twirling it between his fingers like a toy. The insouciant


    man did not appear to be threatened by me and continued in his roguish tone, ¡°The contract only stated


    that we need give them first consideration, and not necessarily to work with them. If a better offer


    comes along and GW¡¯s development ideals does not align with Fuller Corporation¡¯s, we could easily


    cook up an excuse and blow them off with it. What¡¯s there to be concerned about?¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re pulling a fast one on them?¡± I was quite astonished.


    As the reality in business was ever changing, it would be necessary to be adaptive should one wish to


    take it by the reins. I had seen Ashton being swift and decisive, and also seen himy low. Witnessing


    him throwing fits and ying punk with arge investment group was something new.


    ¡°Whoever said that the boss of a listedpany couldn¡¯t do that?¡± Ashton said as he carefully helped


    me up and led me outside, as though I had really conceived. ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled into thinking that GW are


    upstanding people just because they gave up three percent to us. The truth of the matter is, the shares


    of thepany is a battleground for control. I could still manage if I let out fifteen percent. But if I were


    to relinquish another five, I¡¯d be looking over my shoulder wondering when GW might knock me off my


    perch. I¡¯m extremely cautious when it came to the stock numbers. Hence, GW¡¯s the real hooligan here.


    By offering them my verbal assurances, I¡¯ve already shown them ample respect.¡±


    That got me thinking. Though I was not able to fully grasp the implications of this, I found myself


    somewhat in agreement with him. The expression that Sean ultimately showed us was indeed no


    different from that of a thug. Sooner orter, we might likely find ourselves on the losing end should we


    choose to deal with someone like that.


    I had reached the lobby without realizing it and had no idea when Ste had started following behind.


    She took the initiative to move ahead and hold the elevator for me.


    With little else to concern myself with since the issue with GW was now concluded, I heeded Ashton¡¯s


    words and made my way home first.


    Ste rode shotgun with the chauffeur in front while I upied the backseat on my own. Even though


    my rtionship with her had been decent before, neither of us tried to converse with the other en-route


    the whole way home.


    I was not sure whether it was owing to my awareness of her feelings for Ashton, or out of a sense of


    guilt for rejecting her application for promotion previously, I do not feel the need to go out of my way to


    act friendly with her.


    So it was said that a woman¡¯s intuition was kind of a scary thing. You would never know when it came


    and went, but once it showed up, it would lead you by the nose and would not let up.


    I could tell that Ste was not a happy camper through the rear-view mirror. She was a little down,


    probably because she just went from being a working professional to a nanny-like attendant. The


    abrupt change in mindset might take some time to adjust to.


    Soon, we were home.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    Before the chauffeur even stopped the car, I was able to see Emery¡¯s car parked by the side of the


    road from a distance.


    Our eyes met as we alighted about the same time as she did.


    ¡°Back in from the hospital?¡± Emery had an arm around me as we walked toward the inside. She noticed


    that Ste was following close behind. ¡°Who¡¯s this? Did Ashton find you a new nurse?¡±


    Even if it was unintended, that came across as quite vicious. Ste might had only been a receptionist


    before, but she was now Ashton¡¯s assistant. For the assistant to a general manager of a listed


    I felt bad and did not dare to look at Ste¡¯s expression. Then, I patiently exined to Emery, ¡°No,


    that¡¯s Ashton¡¯s assistant. He¡¯s concerned whether I might need help with certain things ahead of my


    pregnancy, so he assigned her to assist me temporarily. She would be returning to thepany


    eventually.¡±

 Chapter 1134

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1134


    ¡°I see.¡± Emery did not much care to know and quickly moved on. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinkingtely that perhaps


    I should purchase the vi next to my ce and gift it to Hunter¡¯s parents. What do you think?¡±


    I goaded her in good humor. ¡°Is the five-hundred square-foot home of yours not spacious enough for


    the five of you?¡±


    We arrived at the living room as we chatted. I saw that Ste was standing by the door, not quite sure


    what to do with herself. ¡°You don¡¯t have keep staying with me. Since we¡¯re at home, do make yourself


    comfortable. If you¡¯re bored, you could take a look around and familiarize yourself with the


    environment.¡±


    The corner of Ste¡¯s lips perked up gratefully before she went through the nearest side door and


    toward the garden.


    Emery paused and cast her eyes inquisitively in the direction of the woman¡¯s footsteps. ¡°Ashton¡¯s such


    a pervert. He couldn¡¯t resist the advances of his assistant, so he sends her here to let you clean up


    after him?¡±


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Iughed when I recalled how Ashton thought I might have fancied Ste, and collected myself before I


    waved her off. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s you who¡¯s not thinking hard enough about it.¡± Emery sounded somewhat perturbed. ¡°Ashton might


    be considered the reliable sort, but I bet that there are plenty of girls who would be drawn to that


    handsome face of his. You won¡¯t always be young, so it¡¯s imperative that you be more attentive.¡±


    Nheless, I took this in my stride. She looked sideways at me, quite exasperated before the


    admission material on the table caught her eye. She picked it up and casually flipped through it. ¡°Are


    you preparing for another admissions test? Why are you wasting your time on this?¡±


    ¡°How could this be considered a waste of time?¡± I replied with a smile. ¡°After all, I¡¯m a shareholder at


    Fuller Corporation. It seems a little embarrassing to show others my current academic credentials.


    Besides, I intend to try for the bar examination afterward. With Ashton forbidding me from any


    involvement with thepany, surely I have to find something else to do.¡±


    She ced down the book. ¡°Then, why don¡¯t you go straight for the bar examination?¡±


    ¡°Can I do that?¡± That was something that did not ur to me before. ¡°Why not?¡± Emery said candidly.


    ¡°Even if you managed to get yourself into graduate school, whatever you learn from books would have


    little practical use. I¡¯d say you might as well go straight for the bar examination. With a few years of


    experience under your belt and connections through the Moore family and Fuller Corporation, you¡¯d be


    starting your own practice in no time.¡±


    I was not that fixated on whether I would be able to start my own thing, but Emery¡¯s analysis did align


    with my own interests.


    Going for the admission test was something that I always wanted to do. Perhaps it had been an


    oversight on my part that I could pass it up and go straight for the bar examination.


    Whyplicate matters when it would all lead to the same oue?


    After careful deliberation, Emery and myself signed up for the closest avable date for the bar


    examination online right there and then.


    Once this was done, Emery stretched herself and started looking around for Summer. ¡°Where¡¯s


    Summer? I haven¡¯t seen her since I¡¯ve been here.¡±


    ¡°She might be ying in the rear house with Mrs. Eriksen.¡± Summer could withstand the cold fairly well


    for someone of her age, and would engage in snowball fights ever so often. With the snow in K City yet


    to start melting, she must have dragged Mrs. Eriksen off to build snowmen again.


    With that, Emery and myself linked arms and made our way to the rear house.


    We barely stepped onto the gravel path when Summer¡¯sughter filled the air. That did much to uplift


    my mood.


    When I got closer, I saw that her petite hands were reddened from the cold. There was still a half-


    formed snowball inside her grasp which she threw across the way.

 Chapter 1135

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1135


    I thought she was with Mrs. Eriksen, but when I turned around, it was Ste.


    The seemingly frail girl did not seem to mind the weather as she engaged Summer. Not a single hit


    registered on her, but it was obvious she was not going hard at her opponent at all.


    Mrs. Eriksen was smiling as she stood by the side with their coats.


    I had not noticed the change in Emery¡¯s expression. Relinquishing my hand, I went over and stooped


    down in front of Summer, then pretended to chide her angrily. ¡°Why have youe out to y when


    it¡¯s so cold?¡±


    Summer pouted, seemingly a little unhappy. However, she wisely loosened her grip on the snowball in


    her own hand, allowing it to fall upon the ground and shatter to dust.


    Mrs. Eriksen hurried over to help her into her coat. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault for failing to look after Ms. Summer.¡±


    At this moment, Ste suddenly decided to chime in. ¡°I guess this must be Summer. She¡¯s really


    adorable.¡±


    I lifted my head to see that the woman was all smiles and full of tenderness for Summer. The


    difort she had from before seemed to have vanishedpletely.


    I ought to be impressed by such adaptability, yet all I felt was displeasure and it showed on my face. A


    rather patronizing thank you was all that I could muster.


    Summer had a perceptiveness that belied her age. She raised her head in pride as she knew Ste


    was praising her. ¡°I like Ms. Collins, Mommy. Could she y with me next time?¡±


    Ste got in ahead of me. ¡°I could do that. As I¡¯m your mother¡¯s home care aide, we¡¯ll be able to see


    each other quite often.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah! There¡¯s someone who can y with me!¡± While the girl bounced up and down like a little


    monkey, my own sentiments could only be described as one of ambivalence.


    As I expected to be busy preparing for the bar examinations, I would not have as much time to spend


    with Summer. Despite that, I could not help but feel a little jealous allowing Ste to get close to my


    own daughter.


    Any mother would understand how possessive they could be of their own children. No one would want


    to share them with other women.


    Emery was not the type to hold back on anyone, so regardless of how Summer might have felt about it,


    she barked sternly at Ste. ¡°A home care aide, huh. Since Ashton¡¯s paying you so well, you ought to


    earn your paycheck. Now, go on and get Scarlett and myself two sses of warm milk, and head out to


    buy thetest materials for the bar examination. Make sure you¡¯re back within the hour as we¡¯ve other


    tasks for you.¡±


    Though the vi was in the suburbs and not that far from the city center, a round trip would take close


    to forty minutes. Taking into ount the time needed to make the purchases, an hour¡¯s time was


    considerably tight.


    Ste¡¯s expression stiffened, but she dared not protest in the face of Emery¡¯s overwhelming presence.


    The woman merely nodded timidly. ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll get right to it.¡±


    With that, Ste made her way out in double quick time.


    It was hard for me to see her in such harried form. ¡°Hire a ride, and remember to get the receipt so that


    you may im for your expenses when you get back.¡±


    Ste stopped and turned around. She nodded in gratitude. ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Fuller.¡±


    Then, she departed without looking back.


    Emery rolled her eyes and snorted at the choices of a person like me who was too nice for her taste.


    My eyes brows perked up and I pretended that I did not see that.


    Once I had Summer settled in, I went on to the study with Emery. I bought a bunch of study material for


    the admission. In spite of the change in direction, there was still some amongst them that could prove


    useful.


    Emery sat at the chair, drinking her milk. She observed as I categorized my books and started harping


    on it again.


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    ¡°I¡¯m curious as to how you manage to remain so calm when she¡¯s that close to shitting all over you,


    Scarlett?¡±

 Chapter 1136

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1136


    I did not like the way she put it. ¡°It isn¡¯t that serious. She just praised Summer a little. The kid probably


    won¡¯t remember it after she wakes up.¡±


    ¡°Seems to me that you¡¯re a real simpleton.¡± Emery sneered. ¡°What¡¯s her name, Ste? Have you seen


    how she looked at the two of you before? She wears a different face in front of Summer and yourself.


    This is the sort of people who are the worst. I would advise that you not let her into the main house and


    just leave her somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to treat her like this. No matter what, she¡¯s Ashton¡¯s.¡± There was not much I


    could do about Emery¡¯s temperament. She could be quite harsh when it came to people she did not


    like.


    Ashton was no fool. He would not have sent Ste to me if there was a possibility that she might do me


    harm.


    On top of that, there could be many more women like Ste who would be besotted with Ashton¡¯s


    charms. If I were to go pick on each and every one of them, I would only wind up with a reputation as a


    green-eyed monster and be worn out for my troubles.


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    Emery was sorely disappointed to hear that and red at me in disbelief. ¡°She¡¯s Ashton¡¯s? Who do you


    say is Ashton¡¯s? Only you, Scarlett Stovall, the proper wife of Ashton Fuller, is Ashton¡¯s. The reverse is


    true that Ashton is yours. Since you are the one he married, you have earned the right to fix this little


    vixen on his behalf. What¡¯s holding you back? Do you need me to remind you of what happened back


    then with Rachel Zimmer?¡±


    I paused with book in hand, positively dumbstruck.


    Ste was nothingpared to Rachel. If even someone as ravishing and capable as Rachel could not


    cause Ashton to waver, I was sure Ste would not be able to turn my world upside down.


    I was about to state my case when Mrs. Eriksen knocked upon the door.


    ¡°We¡¯ve a visitor for you, Mrs. Fuller.¡± ¡°Understood. Please attend to them first. We¡¯ll be right there


    shortly.¡±


    The arrival of this guest was timely, as Emery wisely refrained from pressing further. She gave me a


    hand inpleting my sorting before we made our way downstairs together.


    Even though it was past the festive season, we still had the asional rtive who we had not been in


    contact with in a while, a business associate, or friends both close or distant drop in on us. When I got


    to the stairs, I saw that the guest was in formal wear, seated with his back to me. The man with a head


    of fair hair was foreign, and he looked rather familiar from the rear. It was as though I had seen him


    somewhere before.


    I made my way around to the front of the couch upon reaching the living room to find that we were


    indeed acquainted. ¡°Mr. Blondell?¡±


    It was just this morning that Ashton turned down GW Group¡¯s offer at the office. There was obviously a


    motive behind his presence here.


    We exchanged pleasantries before all of us sat ourselves down. Sean appeared to be as chatty as he


    was before, but the subject never seemed to deviate far from myself, my rtionship with Ashton, and


    how I miscarried two of my children. To show up in such an untimely fashion and asking about such


    things had the observing Emery quietly seething by the sidelines.


    ¡°¡­ It was not easy toe by, the rtionship between Mr. Fuller and yourself. It makes me kind of


    envious, really. But since it¡¯s all in the past, Life still has to go on. Wouldn¡¯t you agree, Mrs. Fuller?¡±


    Sean¡¯s tone switched gears and suddenly appeared to be very motivational, almost like that of a


    preacher¡¯s.


    I nodded in acknowledgement. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Blondell, for your concern. We¡¯ve already moved past


    that, and are no longer mired in grief.¡±


    Sean nodded as though he absolutely concurred. He then seemed to remember something as he


    produced a name-card from the inside of his suit jacket and slid it across the coffee table and in front of


    me.

 Chapter 1137

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1137


    ¡°Almost forgot about this, Mrs. Fuller. The purpose of my visit this time is actually to make this


    rmendation. It¡¯s a pregnancy care center based in M Country, one of many businesses under GW


    Group. Its security and the quality of its medical staff are guaranteed to offer conceiving women the


    finest care avable.¡±


    I took a look at the name-card before passing it along to Emery. ¡°May I know what¡¯s this for, Mr.


    Blondell?¡±


    Nobody would give something for nothing. After getting blown off in the morning by Ashton, Sean was


    probably itching to reveal the true purpose of his visit this afternoon by now.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± The man shrugged before he crossed his right leg over his left and assumed a more


    comfortable seating posture on the couch. ¡°Since yourst two pregnancies did not go too well, I


    thought that entrusting your preparations for this uing one to one of our care centers might ensure


    that things would go smoothly this time.¡±


    I wanted to ask why he was being so kind to us when Emery next to me interjected with a straight face.


    She returned the name-card and stated tly. ¡°Get to the point, Mister¡­ Blondell?¡±


    Emery¡¯s spoken Ustranasion was certified, and she was confident with it even in the presence of


    professional trantors. It came in handy this time as she could very well hold herself against Sean, a


    man from the upper echelons of the corporate world.


    Perhaps Emery¡¯s assertiveness gave Sean cause for pause. It took some time before he reverted to


    his smiling demeanor. ¡°I¡¯ve learned just this morning that Ms. Moore of the famed Moore family in K


    City was articte and keen of wit. I must say that it¡¯s quite a privilege to be able to see you in action


    for myself.¡±


    ¡°You have ttered me.¡± Emery remained unperturbed. ¡°I¡¯ve nothing on GW Group in terms of


    reputation, so we could dispense with the pleasantries. Let me guess. You want Scarlett to advise


    Ashton to reconsider the financing project in exchange for a stay at yourpany¡¯s pregnancy care


    center. Isn¡¯t that right, Mr. Blondell?¡±


    The previouslyid back atmosphere suddenly took a frosty turn.


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    I pursed my lips and did not interject. Emery was like a heroine who dared to do as she willed.


    At this point, Sean stopped beating about the bush. He collected himself and regarded me intently.


    ¡°Take it that what Ms. Moore said is what I have in mind. I wonder what your thoughts about that are,


    Mrs. Fuller?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± I pointed to myself before Iughed heartily. ¡°What more could I say? Emery knows me best. I¡¯m


    a little fussy and am not fond of life abroad. As such, I¡¯m only likely to remain here. So there¡¯s no need


    for us to discuss this.¡±


    It would appear that Sean had no idea that I was the one who suggested for Ashton to cull the project.


    Regardless, I was no fool. When I am overseas and out of Ashton¡¯s line of sight, he would be


    surrounded by enemies from all sides. Under those circumstances, it might be possible that I might be


    turned into a bargaining chip for GW to hold hostage against him.


    Sean was a smart man and immediately caught on. The smile froze upon his face, and he did not look


    any more pleased than he did back at Fuller Corporation.


    There were no permanent allies or enemies in business. Who knew when Ashton and Sean¡¯s paths


    might cross again, so there was no need to go to the extremes. Thus, I epted the name-card on the


    table. ¡°It¡¯s our pleasure and good fortune to be able to befriend someone like you, Mr. Blondell.


    Chanaeans don¡¯t have the habit of checking into care centers as we are more used to preparing for


    birth at home, but we would surely pay a visit to your facility if need be. We appreciate your


    thoughtfulness and will remember it well.¡±

 Chapter 1138

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1138


    With that said, I looked up at Mrs. Eriksen who was serving us and said to her, ¡°Have the chef prepare


    a few western dishes. Mr. Blondell is about to return to his country soon so we should see him off


    properly.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± she replied with a smile and made her way into the kitchen.


    She had just reached the door when Sean¡¯s voice stopped her, ¡°Please don¡¯t trouble yourself.¡±


    He stood up abruptly and buttoned up thest button of his suit. Then, he said as he smoothened out


    his suit, ¡°Your kindness has been delivered. I won¡¯t be eating as I have no appetite. Besides, it¡¯s time


    for my flight soon. Goodbye.¡±


    ¡°Take care.¡± He was still the representative of arge consortium after all. Even though our


    conversation earlier wasn¡¯t quite pleasant, Emery and I still sent him off out of decorum.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    We watched as he got into his car and his driver drove away. Emery stared into the distance and it was


    obvious that she was worried when she said, ¡°You and your husband havepletely offended Sean


    and the people behind him.¡±


    I disagreed. ¡°Is that so? I wouldn¡¯t have known that I have such great capability if you hadn¡¯t pointed


    out.¡±


    ¡°Stop being so sarcastic. I gathered some information and found that GW has never failed to get their


    hands on a project they have their eyes on. This could be a bad thing so both of you have to be


    careful.¡±


    As she spoke, Emery took my arm and dragged me inside before changing the topic, ¡°How¡¯s the IVF


    going?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll happen soon,¡± I answered. ¡°I¡¯ll be able to get the transnt the day after tomorrow. Then, I need to


    rest at home for half a month. We¡¯ll be able to know if I can get pregnant after that.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope that there will be good news,¡± she said with a sigh. ¡°It was hard for you to get here. Let¡¯s


    hope there won¡¯t be any future trouble.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help butugh at her precocious manner. ¡°Do you know that you sound like a grandma when


    you nag me like that?¡±


    ¡°Tsk. How heartless of you.¡± She stopped walking and reached out to p my arm. ¡°If only I was a


    grandma. At least you¡¯d listen to what I say. Never mind not listening to what I said about Ste¡¯s


    matter but you must never underestimate GW. None of those bank investors would¡¯ve gotten to where


    they are now without being ruthless.¡± Perhaps it was because Emery¡¯s face was especially eerie, or


    because Sean was being so adamant earlier, but I had a nightmare while waiting for Ashton toe


    home.


    In the nightmare, I was crucified and the church was filled with men with blond hair and blue eyes. They


    pointed at me as they said that I was sinful and that they wanted to cut me up into a thousand pieces. I


    wanted to struggle and escape, but my limbs were nailed into the wood with nails as thick as a finger. It


    hurt so much even when I was just breathing in.


    Suddenly, the men rushed towards me like they had gone crazy. They started to drink my blood and eat


    my flesh. I was in so much pain but I couldn¡¯t scream.


    ¡°Letty? Letty¡­¡±


    A familiar, low voice sounded by my ear and I opened my eyes abruptly. I saw Ashton¡¯s worried face


    and I reached out to hug him instantly.


    The scenes in the nightmare were so realistic and I could still feel the pain as my flesh was torn off my


    bones. I was still breathing heavily even when I buried my face in his chest.


    ¡°Did you have a nightmare?¡± he asked softly as he patted my back to calm me down.


    After a long time, I finally rxed a little and I let go of Ashton to look at him.


    ¡°What was it about?¡± he asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± I let out a long breath and I could still feel my heart racing with fear. However, I didn¡¯t


    want to think of the dream again.


    I turned towards the window and saw that dawn hade. Ashton must¡¯ve just returned.

 Chapter 1139

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1139


    ¡°Come lie down and sleep for a while. There¡¯s still time before we need to get to the hospital,¡± I said as


    I tugged on his shirt. I was always worried that his body couldn¡¯t handle the work stress.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I slept for two hours in the office earlier. That¡¯s enough. I came home to take a shower.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead then. Heat the water a little. It can help you destress.¡±


    Ashton patted my head worriedly before getting up to go into the shower.


    I didn¡¯t feel sleepy anymore but I wasn¡¯t able to ease the anxiety as I leaned against the bedhead.


    What is the world really like? Seeking progress was clearly what mankind had always advocated but no


    one had ever told me that while going forward in life, it would be walking on thin ice every day.


    I suddenly remembered that when Ashton took over Fuller Corporation, he was almost always never


    home. Except for Reba¡¯s troubles, it seemed as though he couldn¡¯t rx for even a moment.


    Soon, he came out of the bathroom in a bathrobe. He took me in his arms and leaned against the bed


    as he rested his eyes for a moment.


    ¡°Did Seane in the afternoon?¡± he asked.


    I had never thought of hiding it from him, so I nodded and said, ¡°Yes. He wanted to bring me to M


    Country.¡±


    ¡°He can dream on then,¡± Ashton sneered sinisterly. ¡°GW is no longer the partner I¡¯m considering


    coborating with.¡±


    He was an outstanding man so he wasn¡¯t exaggerating at all. As long as he had enough time, the


    Fuller Corporation would definitely be at the same level as GW. However, I was worried that I wouldn¡¯t


    be able to support him without caring about everything else like how I had been in the past. I closed my


    eyes as I leaned against him and pretended to fall asleep.


    ¡­¡­


    The embryo transfer went sessfully and I had been resting at home for the next half a month.


    Emery and Rose woulde and visit me from time to time so it wasn¡¯t too boring since I had


    someone to talk to. Besides, I needed to concentrate because I had to prepare for my bar exam. I had


    nothing else to do so I sent Ste back to thepany.


    There was only over a month left to the first round of exams so there wasn¡¯t much time left for me to


    study.


    At five in the evening on the first Sunday we waited for our pregnancy results, which was also the


    twelfth of March in K City, Fuller Corporation announced that Ashton owned 30% shares of apany


    in Dartan. They also issued an acquisition notice in Dartan, hoping to acquire Eisen Corporation.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Fuller Corporation had proposed a contract of acquisition to Eisen Corporation and it wouldst for two


    months. Ashton was generous with the money and it was estimated that there would lead to an


    increase in the shares transferring not long after.


    We were having dinner together when Rachel barged into our house.


    We could hear the cking sound of her stilettos on the floor before we even saw her and it suited her


    haughty personality so much.


    She entered the living room and looked around. I noticed her first and I asked, ¡°Ms. Zimmer, have you


    had your dinner? Would you like to eat with us?¡±


    Upon hearing my voice, she turned towards me. Only then did I realize that besides her heavy


    breathing, she also had an expression on her face that told people not to mess with her.


    Rachel walked over and instantly threw the folder she was holding at Ashton. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you discuss


    this matter with everyone, Mr. Fuller? Our own AI research project is starting to show results. Why did


    you buy over the Eisen Corporation right now? Are you trying to get the whole team fired?¡±


    Even though this wasn¡¯t the first time I experienced her temper, I was still shocked. I could tell that she


    had no ulterior motives so I quickly told her, ¡°Please calm down. We can sit down and talk about it.¡±


    Rachel crossed her arms and was still furious. It didn¡¯t seem like she wanted to have a peaceful


    conversation at all.

 Chapter 1140

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1140


    She had never liked me and was quite agitated when she saw Ashton ignoring her while feeding me


    soup. She was so pissed that her face was red.


    He was actually just worried about me but he had identally made me a vixen in her eyes. I quickly


    nudged him and gave him a look to say that there was business to take care of.


    Only then did he put down the bowl of soup slowly. Ashton turned to look at Rachel with a cold


    expression and said, ¡°This is a decision made by the senior executives of thepany. You¡¯re only a


    technical staff, Rachel. Know your ce.¡±


    His words were a bit ruthless, but it wasn¡¯t unreasonable. The woman was knowledgeable and had the


    skills, but she was only a senior technical staff. The way thepany operated was indeed not within


    her scope of duties.


    Ashton was already being really patient with her as she was just a technical staff who barged into her


    boss¡¯s house and questioned him. If it was someone else, they would have fired her already.


    Still, Rachel was always eager to do well in everything. Instead of admitting to her mistakes, she said


    arrogantly, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true that I am only in charge of technical issues of thepany. But Mr. Fuller, the


    company had invested several billion in AI technologyst year, and multiple foreign enterprises earned


    a lot from it. It¡¯s because of this that Fuller Corporation was so anxious to set up our own AI


    department. Every worker under me has been working overtime every day and we finally got results.


    What position does that put us in now that you acquired Dartan¡¯s robots?¡±


    I could understand what Rachel was trying to say. Thepany had a limited budget and it cost a lot to


    acquire apany. This meant that the budget of thepany¡¯s AI project would be cut down, hence


    slowing down their progress and discouraging the researchers. If they were not careful enough, the


    money for the earlier research would be thrown down the drain too.


    Rachel was the one who built up AI in thepany so it was no wonder that she had such a big


    reaction. However, Ashton had no intention ofpromising.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    ¡°I can only tell you the same thing. This is thepany¡¯s decision. You have no right to intervene.¡±


    Rachel snorted in disbelief. ¡°No right to intervene? Is this the answer you¡¯re giving me, Mr. Fuller?


    You¡¯re telling me to appease my team with these four words?¡±


    She was a high-achieving expert who returned from overseas. She was also an authoritative figure in


    the country¡¯s AI field which was what caused her to think so highly of herself. However, Rachel failed to


    take note that the person before her was Ashton Fuller, a fighter who was about to enter the arena.


    His face turned icy cold when he felt her aggressiveness. Then, he got up and walked towards her,


    stopping when there was only about a fist¡¯s distance between them. He looked down at her with


    darkened eyes and his voice was cold as he said, ¡°If one more wordes from your mouth, I will do


    as you wish and just make the whole of the R&D Department disappear.¡±


    He could definitely do it.


    The woman knew very well how ruthless Ashton was. She swallowed her saliva anxiously and avoided


    eye contact with him. In the end, she retrieved her folder and left hurriedly.


    I couldn¡¯t help but sigh as I watched her leave in such an upset state. He was actually quite


    gentlemanly with her but she didn¡¯t know her ce. If she had spoken properly, Ashton wouldn¡¯t have


    been so ruthless.


    Both of them were just looking out for thepany so it was hard to say who was in the wrong. Rachel


    had innate intelligence and I was worried that Ashton would actually proceed with his ruthless acts so I


    couldn¡¯t stop myself from asking, ¡°Are you serious? Are you really going to disband the R&D


    Department?¡±


    His face softened upon hearing my voice and he sat back down beside me. After picking up his fork, he


    answered as he continued eating, ¡°How is that possible? We¡¯ve already invested several billion into


    that department. None of them can think about leaving if I don¡¯t see the results I want.¡±

 Chapter 1141

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1141


    I smiled at that. Ashton had sharp-tongued but a soft heart. ¡°Then, why didn¡¯t you tell Rachel the truth


    earlier?¡±


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    He paused for a moment before looking at me. ¡°I have made it clear to her, a technical staff like her has


    no right to information like this.¡±


    ¡°Then, what about me?¡± I put down my fork and crossed my arms on the table. I gave him a ttering


    smile and continued, ¡°As a shareholder of Fuller Corporation, may I ask why you¡¯re neglecting your


    own R&D Department and bought over a foreign roboticspany? Can you exin why you did that,


    Mr. Fuller?¡±


    I had gotten news of this on Facebook and was originally going to ask him about it. However, Rachel


    managed to disrupt the atmosphere with her unfriendliness.


    Ashton snorted and he didn¡¯t even look up as he said sarcastically, ¡°The R&D Department receives an


    investment every two months. And each time, the amount they get is nearly ten million. They are


    basically burning cash. When have I not invest such a huge sum of money in them? But what


    happened in the end? A year has already passed but they still haven¡¯t made any progress. The people


    in the R&D Department are toofortable with their situation now. Now that I¡¯ve cut down on their


    budget, it should give them a little pressure.¡±


    Pfft! I couldn¡¯t help butugh at that. ¡°Alright, I understand now. Mr. Fuller doesn¡¯t want to be taken


    advantage of anymore. But what does this have to do with acquiring Eisen Corporation?¡±


    When he heard my question, Ashton¡¯s face turned grim and he started to discuss the pros and cons of


    it.


    It turned out that those people who despised him in K City had never stopped what they were doing.


    Not only did they sabotage the Fuller Corporation¡¯s projects, but they also gradually attacked the


    Fuller Corporation had been in K City for a few months now but they still couldn¡¯t get a hold of their own


    large warehouse. Many of their products, including building materials could only be located in J City. It


    was extremely unfavorable for their international trade in thework of internationalmodity


    trading.


    Dartan¡¯s robots were always in the lead and Eisen Corporation was apany that specialized in the


    research on robots. However, they weren¡¯t good at management and it resulted in them operating at a


    loss. Ashton got involved with them because he wanted to use this to his advantage. He could possess


    the core technologies of Eisen Corporation and build a logisticwork of his own. Robots could be


    used to identify and deliver goods and they couldpletely get out of K City¡¯s restrictions.


    ¡°But it won¡¯t be easy to get there. Dartan¡¯s government is worried that once this is possible, there would


    be an irreversible outflow of technology. That¡¯s why they have been encouraging localpanies to try


    and acquire Eisen Corporation. Investors from other countries have already emptied their hedge funds.


    To both foreigners and the localpanies, this acquisition doesn¡¯t look too good. The worst case


    scenario will be that the Eisen Corporation¡¯s stocks that I hold will eventually be a pile of


    worthless rubbish.¡±


    This was all just a gamble. Even I couldn¡¯t help but frown upon hearing that so it wasn¡¯t surprising that


    Ashton didn¡¯t want to reveal this to Rachel.


    Once everything was sessful, Fuller Corporation would be able to gain a strong foothold in K City.


    She was only focused on the AI field, so even if she knew the truth, she would never have understood


    the big picture.


    However, appeasing the R&D department was still a big deal. After Ashton went back to thepany, I


    had personally called Rachel.


    She was probably still mad at Ashton as she only answered after hanging up on me twice.


    ¡°What do you want, Mrs. Fuller?¡± Rachel¡¯s tone was not pleasant.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so hostile towards me. I mean no harm.¡±


    ¡°Spit it out,¡± she said.


    Her hot temper made me feel rather ufortable but I took in a deep breath and tried to calm myself.


    ¡°Do you know that I¡¯ve been preparing for my bar exam recently, Ms. Zimmer?¡±

 Chapter 1142

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1142


    ¡°What?¡± Rachel was stunned. I bet she didn¡¯t expect me to tell her that. ¡°Why would I wanna know stuff


    about you?¡±


    ¡°True. But I have a feeling that fate brought us together, and that¡¯s why I wanna tell you.¡± I must¡¯ve


    hung around too much with Ashton and somehow became shameless. ¡°Last year, I was supposed to


    enroll in aw school. Unfortunately, too many things got in the way, and I missed the entrance exam.


    The Fuller Corporation will only grow bigger in K City, and dealings involvingws and contracts will


    increase. That¡¯s why I was thinking of obtaining a practicing certificate so that I could be Ashton¡¯s right


    hand.¡±


    On the other end of the line, there was a moment of silence. ¡°So, you called me just to tell me how


    lovey-dovey you two are? Scarlett, have you forgotten something? I¡¯m married and have absolutely no


    interest in Ashton. What are you trying to do here?¡± She sounded annoyed.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± I chuckled, trying to let her taste her own medicine. ¡°Ms. Zimmer, haven¡¯t you always


    thought that you and Ashton would make a better pair since I was nowhere as pretty and capable as


    you?¡±


    ¡°Can you stop beating around the bush? Are you trying to settle a score here?¡± Rachel probed.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t get me wrong. What I meant was, you¡¯re right,¡± Iposed myself and added with an


    earnest tone, ¡°and that was why I wanted to obtain awyer¡¯s practicing license so I could match up to


    Ashton and help him as much as possible. On the same note, I hope that Ms. Zimmer understands how


    much Ashton had invested in the R&D Department and what he expects from it. You get what I mean,


    don¡¯t you?


    Rachel was all about personal interests and gains. As the cream of the crop in AI technology, she¡¯d do


    anything to defend her dignity. It¡¯d been a while since someone talked to her about whether the quality


    of the products met the standard. I need to let her see that they hadn¡¯t been up to partely.


    She needed to be brought back down to earth. There was another pause. It showed that she pinned


    her ears back.


    As the saying goes, if you lie down with dogs, you¡¯ll end up with fleas. Thanks to Emery, I became


    more decisive. ¡°We believe in you and the R&D Department, but we¡¯re doing business here. If the


    profits didn¡¯t hit the mark, as the boss cum investor, we will have no choice but to put these losses to


    an end. Be on your toes, Ms. Zimmer.¡±


    I then hung up.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Honestly, it was unlucky for anyone to have Ashton as their boss. All he cared about was the final


    result. He¡¯d never look into the process and put effort into deciphering any issues that urred along


    the way. As long as the targets weren¡¯t met, the parties involved would be struck off from his list.


    Yes, Rachel was a valuable asset. But that didn¡¯t mean that she was the only AI technology genius in


    this whole wide world. On the contrary, it was the Fuller Corporation that¡¯d endowed her the respect


    and status she currently held. I trusted that she knew what was best for her.


    It had been a week since Ashton tried to acquire Eisen Corporation. Fuller Corporation had gained 5%


    shares through share transfer. But with the meddling of Dartan¡¯s government, Dartan¡¯s top air-


    conditioner manufacturingpany showed its interest in acquiring it too. With that, they became a


    competitor that had the edge over Fuller Corporation in the aspects of market positioning and policies.


    Ashton and Joseph decided to head over to Dartan, in the hope of winning the acquisition.

 Chapter 1143

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1143


    Three days after Ashton and Joseph had left, the Facebook ount of a news channel in Dartan


    announced that the country¡¯s homegrown air-conditioner manufacturingpany was in the final stage


    of acquiring Eisen Corporation. Ashton sounded enervated when he gave me a call in the evening.


    ¡°I supposed it wasn¡¯t smooth sailing?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± He let out a deep sigh. ¡°I¡¯m working things out on the other side. There might be a chance of


    turning the tables.¡±


    ¡°And what would that be?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll get the detailster on. It¡¯s not the right time to talk about it yet. How are you feeling these


    couple of days? Any pregnancy sickness?¡± He curtly changed the topic.


    Perhaps he needed some good news to counterbnce the bad ones that had been troubling the


    company recently. I was stunned momentarily before telling him that I had been fairly well and things


    were as usual. I felt sorry for him, though.


    ¡°Fine.¡± was how he responded to feign indifference. ¡°I thought your life would be upside down without


    me by your side. It seems like I¡¯m overthinking.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Fuller. You¡¯ve overestimated yourself.¡± I went with the flow and trifled with his ego.


    It seemed like my swagger had made him chuckle.


    It was odd, but at least he¡¯s chuckling, meaning things weren¡¯t that bad. The acquisition of Eisen


    Corporation would bring in almost ten billion. Without it, it¡¯d be an uphill climb for Fuller Corporation to


    launch other massive projects due to restricted cash flow.


    Ashton then went on with what he wanted to say. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a week the most. Before I get back,


    stay at home and the babyes first, understood?¡±


    Professor Zidd had been reminding me about the same thing again and again. Of course, I¡¯d never


    forget that. ¡°I know, I know. And how about you? Are you nning to bring back a few prettydies from


    Dartan?¡±


    ¡°Haha. I can smell jealousy, Scarlett. Hahaha¡­¡± he teased andughed hard.


    ¡°You¡¯re overthinking again. It¡¯s the prettydies that I care about, not you. Bye!¡±


    I guessed I was slightly vexed. After hanging up, I threw the phone aside. My peripheral vision caught


    sun rays peeking through the curtains. I got up and drew them open.


    I looked down and noticed that the number of bodyguards around the vi had doubled. The


    surveince was watertight to the extent where every possible point of entry was guarded.


    As I recalled what Ashton said on the phone, chills started to crawl down my spine. I could sense that a


    storm was brewing.


    This very night, I went to bed early. As I rocked in and out of sleep, I heard the sound of furniture


    knocked down onto the floor. I quickly put on my robe and went downstairs.


    When I got to the stairs, all the noise just now had turned into mors of men. There was a man


    caught in the middle of more than ten bodyguards.


    Creak¡­ Mrs. Eriksen came out from the room with sleepy-eyed Summer after hearing themotion.


    ¡°Mrs. Eriksen, there¡¯s nothing to see. Get Summer back in bed.¡± I stopped them just in time.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    It wasn¡¯t a scene suitable for an elderly and a child.


    After making sure that Summer had gone back in, I turned my head towards the floor below. The man


    who stood out from the bodyguards looked drained and was being sandbagged before five guards


    jumped on top of him and held him on the ground.


    Phew! I let out a sigh of relief. I remained where I was as things might take a turnst minute. ¡°What¡¯s


    going on?¡± I held on to the railing and gazed down.

 Chapter 1144

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1144


    In the absence of Ashton, I assumed all responsibilities for the household. I had to sound undeterred


    and stayposed to earn the bodyguards¡¯ respect,


    Their chief walked towards me and reported, ¡°Madam, this person intruded the vi a moment ago. We


    detected his intrusion and caught him in time. We¡¯ll lock him up in the basement after this.¡±


    ¡°Well done.¡± I nodded as a gesture of recognition. It¡¯d be better to leave the interrogation to Ashton¡¯s


    henchmen since they were better versed in this area.


    Once they¡¯d gotten the green light, they trudged him towards the basement. ¡°Scarlett!¡± That person


    shouted my name out loud.


    Wait a minute. Isn¡¯t that Marcus?


    ¡°Hold on!¡± I immediately stopped them. ¡°Bring that man over.¡±


    I¡¯d been watching the whole episode from upstairs, and all I could see was heads jostling among each


    other. After the man was under control, I never got to see his face since the guards pressed it down on


    the floor like a pancake. But this voice, Marcus¡¯ voice, was simply too familiar.


    In view of my safety, the bodyguards kept a distance between him and me. One of them tugged his


    chin upwards and turned his head towards me.


    No way! Marcus?


    I was affirmative that this man with a scruffy jawline and miserable eyes was Marcus. But was that


    really him?


    ¡°Release him.¡± Imanded. Marcus would hurt anyone but me.


    The bodyguards looked at each other and hesitated. None of them released their grasp as they weren¡¯t


    ready to face Ashton¡¯s wrath if anything were to happen to me.


    ¡°Let go of him! He is my friend! If anything happened, I¡¯ll answer for it.¡±


    They finally gave in and retreated to the door.


    I then went down the stairs to meet him. ¡°If you want to see me, you could¡¯ve just told me straight.


    There¡¯s no need to sneak in in the middle of the night.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you think that I didn¡¯t?¡± Marcus looked at me coldly. ¡°It is almost a mission impossible to be able to


    meet Mrs. Fuller nowadays.¡± My words got stuck in my throat. I then turned to one of the bodyguards


    and lifted my brow, signing for him to spill the truth, and his silence eventually gave it away. Well, why


    would Marcus lie?


    Ashton must¡¯ve been worried that someone out there may cause me harm and ordered to bar all male


    visitors from entering the vi.


    I didn¡¯t have a lot of male friends, and Emery could walk in anytime. I wouldn¡¯t have noticed this new


    protocol.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I apologized to Marcus and had him take a seat. ¡°Where have you been for the past two


    months? You just vanished.¡±


    ¡°M Country.¡± His eyes were solemn.


    ¡°Is the White Corporation nning to expand its business overseas?¡± With what Marcus was capable


    of, it wasn¡¯t surprising that he could augment the family business to greater heights.


    He only shook his head and stared nkly at the ground. His mind was wandering elsewhere.


    ¡°Camelia and the baby have gone missing.¡±


    ¡°What? How¡¯s that possible? I thought she was constantly by your side?¡± I shot out a string of


    questions to confirm that I didn¡¯t mishear anything.


    That silly girl would never ditch Marcus for anything.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Between Marcus¡¯ tightly knitted eyebrows, I saw the excruciating torment he was enduring.


    It was the first time he reacted in that manner. I was worried about Camelia, but seeing Marcus¡¯ heart


    wringing and was concerned about her wellbeing, I couldn¡¯t help but feel happy for her. If Camelia


    could see what was happening now, she¡¯d die with no regrets.


    After an extended discontinuance, Marcus spoke again. ¡°About a year ago, the GW Group sent


    someone to White Corporation, hoping to engage in equity financing. In return, they would help us


    prate the overseas market, and we could utilize their AI technology unconditionally. I wanted to win


    Ashton so badly back then and said yes to their proposal instantly. When I went deeper into the details,


    only did I be aware of GW Group¡¯s malign intentions. I had to give them 51% of White


    Corporation¡¯s shares in exchange for their AI technology. In other words, they would gain absolute


    control over thepany. That¡¯s basically selling thepany out, no? I had a change of heart there


    and then, and we parted on bad terms. Later on, Camelia and my boy were gone. The airline¡¯s record


    showed that they werest on a flight to M Country.¡±

 Chapter 1145

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1145


    ¡°It¡¯s the GW Group again.¡± The thought of them gave me goosebumps. If Ashton had been more


    adamant with Sean back then, I¡¯d be the one missing now.


    Marcus¡¯ head was still hanging low. ¡°I¡¯ve been searching for them in M Country for the past two weeks


    but to no avail. I wonder how they¡¯re doing now¡­¡±


    I was lost for words. The GW group must¡¯ve kidnapped Camelia and her child as leverage. It was just a


    matter of time till they get in touch with Marcus. And by then, Marcus could only yield to them.


    What Ashton said was true. The GW group was callous and brutal.


    Seeing how Marcus was mentally disheveled, I decided to let him mull over a bit. I got up and went to


    the kitchen.


    ¡°Have some water. You have to take good care of yourself in order to get them back.¡± I handed him the


    cup.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Instead of taking a sip, he plonked it on the table and grabbed my wrist in a sh. I quickly waved my


    other hand towards the bodyguards to show them that it was alright.


    ¡°Scarlett.¡± Marcus looked earnestly at me in despair. ¡°I¡¯ve never ever begged you for anything. Could


    you help me out this time?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marcus. I¡¯ll send someone to look for them. Camelia is just like a sister to me. If the situation


    permits, I¡¯ll look for them myself!¡± I¡¯d do anything for Camelia, my bestie.


    Marcus seemed disappointed with my offer and turned his head away. ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking


    about.¡±


    ¡°Then, what do you want?¡± Right, Marcus could obtain a bigger search team with a phone call and


    needn¡¯te here personally. It must¡¯ve been something else for him to risk his life. The bodyguards


    almost locked him up in the basement, assuming that he was a hitman.


    What exactly did he want?


    After some time, he gave out a pitiful gaze and uttered a few words with his chapped lips. ¡°From what I


    know, Ashton is trying to strike a deal with the GW group.¡±


    A weekter, the Fuller Corporation announced that its subsidiary in Dartan had gained 18% of Eisen


    Corporation¡¯s shares through a swap transaction via an intermediary. As a result, it had sessfully


    acquired Eisen Corporation by withholding more than 50% of its shares.


    Scores of investment organizations brought a suit against Fuller Corporation in Dartan, saying that


    Ashton intentionally manipted the stocks and wantedpensation for their financial damages from


    this hedge fund. While the government was dismissing the case, Ashton was already back in K City.


    He was back home an hourter.


    ¡°What a victorious return, Mr. Fuller.¡± I weed him with open arms.


    He reciprocated with a long hug in front of Summer.


    After he gave Summer her present, Mrs. Eriksen took her aside to unbox it.


    Ashton and I finally got to sit down and caught up a bit after two weeks.


    ¡°Hey, the international media put out news about you being thoroughly ravenous, and your actions had


    caused suicides of those who¡¯d lost their fortune in the share market. It seems like they¡¯re going to


    bring you to court on the issue of equity transactions too. They won¡¯t let you get away with what you¡¯ve


    done.¡± I teased him using the news I read on Facebook.


    He appeared unruffled and turned around to embrace me. While he habitually fiddled with my hand, he


    talked about this project that involved tens of billions. ¡°Just let them do as they please. It¡¯s not the first


    time something like this has happened, anyway. It¡¯s funny how those who¡¯ve pocketed so much profit


    from it are jealous. But what can they do? They can¡¯t sue me in Dartan, and their charges against me in


    M Country were dismissed. At the end of the day, they achieved nothing but embarrassed themselves.


    I¡¯m not interested in stopping them from their foolish acts.

 Chapter 1146

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1146


    I was not familiar with the workings of the stock market, but judging from Ashton¡¯s tone, he was on top


    of this matter and would have executed it perfectly.


    With Eisen Corporation¡¯s technical support in ce, Fuller Corporation only had to focus on developing


    its globalwork of warehouse and storage facilities. This would drastically reduce the time required


    for them to establish themselves in K City.


    I stayed quiet for quite a while, secretly observing Ashton. When I saw he was in a good mood, I


    abruptly asked, ¡°Did GW create any problem for you in your acquisition bid?¡±


    Ashton lifted his head and inspected me with his probing gaze. ¡°Why do you bring them up out of the


    blue?¡± I felt he could read what was on my mind.


    I turned my head slightly to avoid his gaze and stammered, ¡°Eh¡­ just a casual question. You said they


    were ambitious, so I was worried you¡¯d let your guard down, and they will take advantage¡­¡±


    I regained my courage as I spoke. I turned around, and strode over to him, causing him to back off a


    little in surprise. ¡°Yeah. As your capable wife, of course, I have to watch your back. Can¡¯t I?¡± Ashton


    eyed me suspiciously, then let out augh, amused. ¡°Of course you can. I am just not used to that.¡±


    He repositioned himselffortably to hold me in his arms and exined to me. ¡°GW is extremely


    influential in M Country and formidable in K City. However, Dartan is not their territory, so their clout


    cannot be felt there. That was one of the reasons why I chose Eisen Corporation in the first ce.¡±


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    I nodded. It was easy to see. Once out of M Country, Fuller Corporation could invest and grow without


    undue influence from GW.


    But his reply did not work to my favor, as I could not bring in the subject I had in mind. I bit my lips, lost


    in thoughts. I was oblivious to his mocking, and that raised his suspicion.


    He took me by my shoulders and sat me squarely in front of him. He squinted his deep dark eyes and


    commanded, ¡°Out with it. What are you hiding from me?¡±


    I overestimated my ability. It was pointless trying to conceal anything from this shrewd man.


    I pursed my lips, looked over Ashton¡¯s shoulder in the direction of the door behind him, and said, ¡°You


    cane out now.¡±


    Before Ashton could turn to look, Marcus had already walked into the hall. Their eyes met, and the air


    turned tense instantaneously. Their rtionship had always been fraught with hostility.


    I was worried the situation would get out of hand, so I grabbed Ashton¡¯s arm and started exining,


    ¡°Marcus is here to seek your help. GW kidnapped Camelia and Toby. He was hoping we can sound


    Sean out to see if he had any useful information.¡±


    Ashton turned around and gave me a terrifying dark look. I withdrew my hand in awe.


    He had always felt uneasy about my rtionship with Marcus. Hence, his reaction to seeing us


    together was understandable.


    However, what he did next was unexpected.


    ¡°Joseph!¡± he summoned Joseph.


    ¡°Yes sir. What can I do for you?¡± Joseph stood at the door respectfully and asked.


    ¡°Rece all the security standing guard outside. Every single one of them!¡± Ashton ground his teeth


    andmanded. Joseph could tell it was a non-negotiable demand, so he hurried off to execute it.


    I was stunned, but I understood his reasons for doing so.

 Chapter 1147

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1147


    Before he left the house, Ashton had given clear instructions not to let any man into the house. Not only


    was Marcus allowed into the house, to make matter worse, none of the security bothered to inform him


    about it. Ashton expected discipline from his men, so he would not tolerate such misconduct.


    I was to be med for their plight. However, Ashton was raging at that moment, so I would have to wait


    for another opportune time to plead for them. Marcus¡¯ problem was the top priority then.


    After giving out his orders to Joseph, Ashton sat up straight, and his expression was grave. He was in a


    cold, upromising mood.


    Marcus did not want to make things difficult for me. He took the initiative to move forward, sat on the


    sofa, and humbly spoke to Ashton.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t fault Scarlett. I begged her to help me. All these years, I had done too much wrong to


    Camelia and our child. I can¡¯t sit back and do nothing now that they are in danger. Ashton, I gave


    Scarlett up to you. Could you not return the favor and help find out about my wife and child?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    This was as humble as Marcus could get. Both Ashton and he were men of great ego. They would not


    be able to let go of their pridepletely, even when asking for help.


    He really gave his all for Camelia. They were both my friends, and also due to the indebtedness I felt


    towards Marcus, I had no excuse not to help.


    Seeing Ashton was unmoved, I got anxious. I kept my cool and nudged him gently. ¡°Could you do it for


    me? GW is eager to work with Fuller Corporation, so they would not reject your request. So long as¡­¡±


    Before I could finish my plead, Ashton rebuked me with a growl. ¡°So you want Summer and you to end


    up like Camelia?¡±


    My mind went nk as I looked at Ashton. He was furious, and the veins were bulging on his forehead.


    What is he saying? He is aware Camelia and Toby were missing? So he already made up his mind,


    and all he cares about is our own safety?


    This was not the Ashton I knew.


    Ashton could probably read my mind. He coldly turned around and told Marcus to leave. ¡°You¡¯d better


    leave. Scarlett is pregnant, so she shouldn¡¯t be moving around too much. I will never allow any danger


    near her.¡±


    ¡°Ash¡­¡±


    I wanted to plead for Marcus, but Ashton stood up and marched upstairs, leaving me no chance to do


    so.


    Only Marcus and I were left in the hall after Ashton marched out. The ce was eerily empty and quiet.


    Other than the echo of Ashton¡¯s footsteps, only our sighs were audible.


    Marcus did not voice any dissatisfaction. He stood there, numbed. After a while, he quietly walked out


    too. I could only helplessly watch his visibly gaunt back disappear through the door.


    I was of no help when the White Corporation got into trouble. When Benjamin and Sharon passed


    away, I was not by Marcus¡¯ side. Now, the only family he had left also went missing, and my dearest


    had refused to help him so as not to endanger me. I owed Marcus too much. On the other hand, I could


    not pin any fault on Ashton. He refused to get involved as he was protective of me. He was only doing


    his best to protect the ones he treasured.


    The bedroom door was left ajar. Obviously, Ashton was waiting for me. I could not face him, so I turned


    and went into the study instead.


    As I looked at the pile of notes for the bar examination, I had a wistful thought. Maybe if I were a top


    lawyer, I could unreservedly march into GW¡¯s headquarters and demand to know Camelia and Toby¡¯s


    whereabouts.

 Chapter 1148

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1148


    The more desperate I wanted to study, the less I could focus. My mind was wandering off to clound.


    I only snapped out of it when I felt a familiar warm hand on mine. I lifted my head, and my eyes met


    Ashton¡¯s.


    ¡°Still upset?¡± Ashton broke the silence.


    I lowered my eyes and shook my head. ¡°No.¡±


    If I had any anger, it was directed at me. For ten years, I lived under the protective wings of these two


    men. I allowed myself to stagnate and cease to flourish.


    ¡°Marcus had approached me for help,¡± Ashton started sharing. ¡°It was before I went overseas. I already


    promised him I would help him, on the condition he shall not tell you about it. Yet, he still came and


    stayed a long time with you. And those securities did not notify me. Imagine how disastrous that would


    be if anything untoward happened, and those irresponsible securities failed to inform me.¡±


    He began to sound resentful, but he suppressed his emotion in front of me. In the end, everything


    boiled down to him wanting to protect me.


    He had my welfare in mind when he made those decisions, and he kept things hushed to protect me.


    On the other hand, I wanted to help Marcus as I felt indebted to him. Both men did no wrong.


    ¡°I am sorry.¡± I tried giving him a smile, but could only manage a bitter smile. ¡°I used to feel indebted to


    Marcus only. Now, I can¡¯t face his family as well.¡±


    I always felt a sense of guilt and regret towards Camelia. Yes, we can put the me on Camelia for not


    upholding her own dignity and pride. Nheless, we cannot deny the fact that if Marcus had not met


    me, she would not have transformed from a gorgeous princess to a disheveled housewife.


    I gave it all to help a stranger like Yvonne, yet I was not as forting when Camelia needed help. I


    could not forgive myself for this. Even if Camelia and Toby were to return safely, I wonder if I could still


    be at ease when I meet them in the future.


    Suddenly, I felt nauseous. I instinctively covered my mouth, brushed Ashton aside, and ran to the


    nearest restroom. I bent down to the basin and started retching.


    I finally stopped retching after some time. I was slumped on the basin and had one hand clenching my


    tummy. I looked at myself in the mirror, panting.


    I went through pregnancy twice, so I was familiar with morning sickness. Deep in my heart, I knew the


    in-vitro fertilization procedure was a sess, but I could not feel the joy.


    When my first child passed away, the whole world was against me. Only Marcus was by my side, and


    he saved me. However, time and again, I stood by and did nothing when he needed support.


    I put my hand to my heart and asked myself. Could I really feign ignorance and innocently continue to


    nurture a business and family with Ashton while watching Marcus go down the hill?


    Ashton walked in, and I could see his cool and wless face in the mirror. I hurriedly lowered my head


    and released my hand from my tummy.


    ¡°Not feeling well?¡± he asked. He was waiting outside, so he did not see me retching earlier.


    ¡°No.¡± I shook my head and headed towards the bedroom. My mind was still in confusion and dilemma,


    but my body told me our baby needed rest.


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    I climbed into bed. ¡°Let¡¯s get the family doctor toe by for a check,¡± Ashton suggested as he sat by


    the bed, tenderly tucking me in


    ¡°You decide.¡± I leaned back on the pillow, closed my eyes, and hoped to get some sleep.


    A heavy silence fell upon the room. My mind was swirling in darkness. I could feel Ashton¡¯s movement.


    He seemed to want to speak to me but ended up keeping it in. He sat by me for a while before heading


    out.

 Chapter 1149

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1149


    I opened my eyes when I heard the door closed. The room was dimly lit, with only the bedside light on,


    and the ce felt lonely and depressing.


    I recalled on the day Sharon died, the atmosphere at the White residence was the same, empty and


    depressing. Marcus was staying in the house. His only wish was for me to stay the night with him, so


    the house would not feel so forsaken.


    Pregnant women were usually emotional, and the emotions they feel are amplified. I dreaded to


    continue with this wandering mind, as I could drown myself in emotions. So I shut my eyes tightly,


    forcing myself to sleep instead.


    I woke to the sound of knocking on the door. It was Mrs. Eriksen.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, time for breakfast. Mr. Fuller is already waiting downstairs.¡±


    Ashton has not gone to work?


    ¡°Ok, I aming,¡± I responded and got out of bed to wash up.


    Ashton was eating when I entered the dining hall. He had his tablet next to him and was monitoring the


    stock market. I walked up to the seat facing him and sat down, silent.


    Ashton did not look up at all. When I was about to start eating, he put down his utensils, dabbed his


    mouth, and said, ¡°I will help Marcus, on the condition that you will not meet him until you after have


    given birth.¡±


    I was pleasantly shocked. ¡°You will?¡± I did not expect Ashton to put aside their differences to help


    Marcus.


    Ashton ced his napkin on the table, looked up with a cold and solemn expression, and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t


    that what you wanted?¡±


    Deja vu. We had this kind of crabby rtionship when we first got married, and whenever we spoke,


    we were out to hurt the other party.


    I could empathize with him. If we reverse our roles, and I was asked to help Reba instead, I would


    not have kind words for him as well.


    I put down my fork, softened my expression, and exined, ¡°I wanted to help Marcus as it was within


    our capacity. I could not wash my hands of this matter as Marcus saved my life before. I will forever feel


    indebted to him if I don¡¯t repay his kindness. I will be able to let go of that burden when he moves on


    and lives happily. I am sure you would like to see him out of our lives, and ceases to be a contentious


    figure in our rtionship, right?¡±


    Just the mention of the name Marcus would bring out the irrational side of Ashton. He looked at me


    with a sarcastic smile. ¡°Do you mean if Marcus doesn¡¯t live happily ever after, both you and I will not be


    able to too?¡±


    Jealousy and suspicion can cloud our judgment, and a simple matter besplicated because of


    that irrational emotion.


    I had no wish to get into an argument with him when he was obviously still fuming. I cajoled him, ¡°That


    was not what I meant. We are married and will be having our own child soon. I wanted to help Marcus


    so I don¡¯t live with regret and guilt for the rest of my life. Honestly, you get agitated every time you hear


    his name as you are wary of our rtionship. You were annoyed that he, not you, was by my side


    during my darkest days. I¡­¡±


    ¡°That is enough!¡± Ashton boomed. He stood up and towered over me. ¡°I am aware, so you don¡¯t have


    to keep reminding me about it. I will resolve this. You keep out of it.¡±


    With that, he stormed out.


    I was dumbfounded. I had no idea how this issue can get so blown up.


    Mrs. Eriksen saw Ashton leaving when she came out of the kitchen. ¡°Mr. Fuller is off to work? He had


    not slept a winkst night.¡±

 Chapter 1150

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1150


    ¡°He was not at the officest night?¡±


    ¡°No. He was in the study the whole night. He only came down when breakfast was ready,¡± she added.


    I stared at the doorway, knitted my brows, and sighed. Men behave like children sometimes and will go


    out of their way to spite others.


    Who would believe Mr. Ashton Fuller has this childish side of him? Unfortunately, he simply could not


    stay rational if the matter was about Marcus.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    I left Mrs. Eriksen to her chores and fished out my phone to message Ashton. Get some sleep when


    you reach the office. No matter how busy you are, you need to get some rest.


    I paused, then added, Professor Zidd said so. I did not want to show I was concerned.


    I was amused by my own draft message.


    Ashton and I were two peas in a pod. Both of us were stubborn and prideful, unable to let go of our


    egos even in the face of love. Ashton may be petty about matters concerning Marcus, but I knew he


    was a man of his words. If he promised he would help Marcus, he would honor that promise.


    Even though we did not make any special efforts to reconcile after the quarrel, Ashton still picked me


    up for my pregnancy test appointment.


    I was sure I conceived, but it would be reassuring to have a proper confirmation from the doctor, hence


    the pregnancy test appointment.


    Ashton¡¯s phone rang a couple of times while we were waiting for the test results. He did not pick the


    calls out of respect for Professor Zidd. He excused himself to answer the call in a far corner only when


    Professor Zidd urged him to


    The nurse brought my test results. As expected, I had sessfully conceived, and our baby had


    developed in my womb.


    Professor Zidd was happy for us, but he also had to fill me in on the possibleplications in


    pregnancy. I was in the early stage of pregnancy, so I had to be more careful as there would be a


    higher risk of miscarriage during the first two months of pregnancy.


    I thanked Professor Zidd and left his office with the test results in hand. I could not help but smile while


    looking at the ultrasound image.


    That was probably the only good news we had in a while.


    ¡°My dear!¡±


    Rose surprised me. I had to take a deep breath to recover from the shock before I could speak. ¡°You


    are here for your prenatal tests again? Nick is not here with you?¡±


    ¡°He is too busy. I couldn¡¯t bear to stress him further, so I did not tell him about my appointment today.¡±


    Rose defended Nick, smiling contentedly as she caressed her belly. ¡°It is just one of those routine tests


    I had to do a few times every month. I am not that finicky to make hime with me every single time.¡±


    I looked in the direction of Ashton. Unless he was overseas, he had always made it a point to


    apany me on my medical appointments. Honestly, he¡¯s a gem.


    Rose had been through many prenatal tests, so she was familiar with those test slips. She yelped when


    she saw the ultrasound image in my hand. ¡°My dear, you are pregnant!¡±


    I was prettyposed until then, but her joy was contagious. I couldn¡¯t conceal my smile and nodded


    vigorously, ¡°Yes, I am.¡±


    ¡°Really? That is wonderful!¡± Rose came over and held my hands. She was visibly emotional. ¡°Who


    knows? Maybe our children will be born on the same day! They can grow up to be like sisters!¡±


    Rose was obsessed with having a daughter. She projected her ardent wish for a daughter to everyone


    else.


    I grinned and kept quiet. Rose did not know Ashton came with me, so she led me towards the elevator


    as she chattered. ¡°My dear, in the future, we cane for our prenatal tests together. If we keep each


    otherpany, Ashton gets to take a breather. I heard Fuller Corporation bought over an overseas


    automationpany. In addition, they are acquiring the White Corporation. He must be stretched, so


    we shall not add to the men¡¯s burden. We cane with a few bodyguards who can help us with the


    heavy bags.¡±

 Chapter 1151

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1151


    Acquire the White Corporation?


    I was stunned. I looked at her searchingly, ¡°Did you just say Fuller Corporation is acquiring White


    Corporation?¡±


    Rose nodded. ¡°Yes. That is why Nick is suddenly piled with work. They have to do valuation before the


    acquisition, right? Ashton appointed Nick to do the audit of White Corporation¡¯s ounts. That would


    take a while. I¡¯m d I meet you today, as I have wanted to thank you and Ashton. As you know,


    Scarlett, Nick just took over the Harrisons¡¯ business, so he had to show results to assure the


    shareholders. This audit job came in just in time!¡±


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    The smile I had on my face froze. I am lost for words.


    I heard footsteps behind me. Ashton walked over and hugged me from behind. Rose naturally let go of


    me and took a step back.


    ¡°Oh, Ashton, so you are here.¡±


    ¡°Uh huh,¡± Ashton nodded coolly.


    Rose could not sense the tension between Ashton and me and happily congratted us. ¡°I am so


    envious of the two of you. You sessfully conceived again. Things will only get better from now on!¡±


    ¡°Conceived?¡± Ashton took the ultrasound image from my hand and a grin appeared on his face. Even


    though he was smiling, it was difficult to read what was really on his mind.


    ¡°Are you happy?¡± I turned to ask him, frowning slightly.


    On the day we conceived our baby, Marcus lost everything, and he was the one preparing to acquire


    White Corporation.


    Ashton¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Of course! This is what we have been waiting for,¡± he proimed in his deep,


    mellow voice.


    He massaged my shoulders as if to assure me he was telling the truth. All I felt was a chill down my


    spine.


    I felt like a zombie. I had no idea how I made the journey back to the vi, turned on theputer and


    searched for news about the acquisition of White Corporation. I was shivering as I read.


    ¡­White Corporation¡¯s results dipped as their general manager went missing for two weeks, leaving its


    management in a shamble. A consortium from M Country expressed interest to acquire White


    Corporation with an offer of two and a half billion¡­


    Fuller Corporation joined in the acquisition bid with a package including one point eight billion in funds


    and restructuring ns in line with the government¡¯s affirmative policies. White Corporation is the


    biggest loser in this close fight¡­


    One point eight billion.


    The White family¡¯s had multiple properties in K City and those were already worth much more than this


    amount. On top of that, they had many other assets in other parts of the country. If GW was merciless


    in their business dealings, Ashton was way more ruthless. That was a ssic act of twisting the knife in


    the wound.


    A few days ago, Ashton promised me he would help Marcus. In less than a week, he joined in the


    acquisition bid for White Corporation, and made used of his home advantage to save a huge sum of


    money for himself.


    The media were singing praises about Ashton¡¯s investment foresights and his rise to dominate the local


    industries. He was in a ss of his own when it came to investing.


    The media did not know Marcus saved me. He saved the life of Mrs. Ashton Fuller. They were also not


    aware White Corporation was in a mess because Marcus was busy trying to locate his missing wife


    and kid. GW may be the mastermind, but Ashton was also at fault as he did not extend a helping hand


    as promised. Moreover, he rubbed salt in Marcus¡¯ wound by eyeing White Corporation.


    Ashton looked poised and confident in the photo on the article. Looking at his photo, I could only


    muster a miserable smile. I should have expected that move, as Ashton was a businessman. No


    businessman would take on a noble deed at the expense of a profitable deal. Business would always


    be his top priority.

 Chapter 1152

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1152


    Without any hesitation, I called Marcus.


    ¡°Scar?¡± Marcus sounded surprised.


    ¡°Why did you not tell me about White Corporation¡¯s trouble?¡± I demanded. I hated being kept in the


    dark.


    ¡°It has nothing to do with you,¡± he sighed and left it at that.


    I had no time for casual talk, so I went straight to the point. ¡°I don¡¯t know where you are now, but if you


    trust me, send a power of attorney to White Corporation and grant me agent powers to act as White


    Corporation¡¯s chairman in your absence. I will represent you in the acquisition bid negotiations.¡± Before


    long, news of me appointed as acting chairman of White Corporation spread like wildfire through the


    city.


    I was expecting GW toe knocking at the door first. Surprisingly, it was Ashton.


    It was ten in the morning. He should be at his office at this hour, but he suddenly came back and


    barged into the study.


    I was having a video conference with the shareholders of White Corporation. I turned to look at Ashton,


    then resumed the meeting, unconcerned.


    Obviously, Ashton would not take that disregard lying down. He marched over and pulled the plug on


    the monitor.


    I lowered my gaze and remained silent for a long while. ¡°What do you want?¡± When I finally looked up


    to speak, my expression was cold. ¡°


    ¡°I should be the one asking you this. Don¡¯t you remember you are pregnant now? Why did you agree to


    take up Marcus¡¯ case?¡± His attitude was just as hostile as mine.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    He appeared to be agitated. He paused, then added, ¡°Did Marcus look you up again? You met again,


    didn¡¯t you? What did he tell you? Speak up!¡± He had his hands on his hips, a confrontational pose.


    That was not the first time I had to face his rage. I clenched my teeth and tried to hide my vulnerability.


    ¡°It had nothing to do with Marcus. I approached him. I received his help, so I am returning a favor. That


    is how things work.¡±


    I dared not look him straight in the eye. He would have easily seen through me.


    ¡°What sh*tty theory is that?¡± Ashton swore and paced around the room. ¡°We had an agreement. You


    stay out of Marcus¡¯ affairs and the Fuller Corporation will help him. Why did you get involved? Are you


    trying to force my hand?¡±


    I snorted at the irony. What right does this man, who took advantage of his wife¡¯s savior, has to be


    jumping mad? His wife was only repaying kindness to her savior.


    I did not wish to get into an argument with him about business ethics, neither did I want to force him to


    ept my values. Nevertheless, I could not stand by and watch the White family fall.


    ¡°I promised not to meet Marcus before I give birth, and I will honor my words. As for being his


    representative, I discussed that with him over the phone, so technically, I did not break my promise.


    Also, you had no reason to worry since I am working from home. Why are you still dissatisfied?¡± I


    asked. He was the master of twisted reasoning, and I learned that from him, so he only had himself to


    me.


    ¡°Scarlett Stovall¡­¡±


    I could tell Ashton was clenching his teeth, and I knew how terrifying he can be when he gets infuriated.


    ¡°Unfortunately, we can¡¯t turn back time. The news about me representing Marcus is already out, so


    both of us are on opposing sides now. I think it¡¯s best we minimize contact during this awkward period,¡±


    I continued, all the while trying to maintain a false front of calm.


    ¡°I have asked Mrs. Eriksen to clear a room in the rear house to house my legal team. I will do my best


    to keep a distance from you until the acquisition deal is concluded,¡± I informed Ashton, looking at him


    coldly.

 Chapter 1153

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1153


    As soon as I spoke, Ashton¡¯s expression became frigid. He was silent for almost a minute before


    finding his voice again.


    ¡°Is that really what you want?¡± he asked coldly; it frightened me to think that he could sound this devoid


    of warmth.


    I averted my eyes from him and hung my head. ¡°When I was at White Corporation,¡± I said wearily. ¡°The


    work was easy. Though I¡¯d be very tired, you needn¡¯t worry. On the other hand, if I can help Marcus on


    my own, I would be very happy. Even if I were so tired that I¡¯d just fall over asleep, it would add value


    and meaning to my day-to-day life.¡±


    I meant every word of it.


    Ashton hadn¡¯t spent much time with me at home. He wasn¡¯t aware of the suffering that I endure every


    night before bed. Yesterday night, the bad dreams did not appear for the first time since I started the


    job at White Corporation.


    Ashton wasn¡¯t convinced. He took out his phone. ¡°I¡¯ll give Marcus a call now, and he¡¯ll tell you to stay


    out of it.¡±


    I interrupted his act of dialing. ¡°Don¡¯t bother. He¡¯s currently on the ne to M Country. He¡¯ll be


    unreachable at least until tonight.¡±


    I looked into Ashton¡¯s eyes. ¡°Even if you did manage to contact Marcus, it¡¯d be useless,¡± I said with


    steely determination. ¡°This is my decision. Everybody in White Corporation knows how Marcus treats


    me. As long as I have the intention to return, nobody will suspect anything. I will take over his duties in


    his absence to the best of my ability. Even if I fail at that, those parasites will have to crawl over my


    dead body to take advantage of White Corporation!¡±


    I¡¯d managed to get a grasp of the situation at White Corporation after an entire night of study. Though it


    had been a problematic month, it had been under control thus far. As long as we intercepted the


    problem at this early stage, we could subdue it before it got out of hand. We didn¡¯t have to rely on


    investments and acquisitions as long as we weren¡¯t broke.


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel emotional in my passion. It sounded like I was speaking for the sake of arguing


    with him but I meant every word.


    I loved him but I couldn¡¯t tolerate his business ethics. We were able to make up and embrace the


    opportunity for a fresh start all because Marcus did not leave me to die. Therefore, I could not stand


    idly by and watch Marcus suffer because of how Ashton felt about him.


    Ashton¡¯s stony expression did not change for some time. Slowly, he lowered the half-dialed phone in


    his hand.


    After ring at me for two whole seconds, he turned around left in utter disappointment.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    I only felt my anger ebbing away when Ashton¡¯s footsteps were nowhere to be heard. I slumped back


    into the chair as if I had lost the pir of support


    I have predicted this day a long time ago. A day when Ashton would not hold back against Marcus as I


    knew it was unavoidable.


    I wanted an opportunity to ensure that all of us were on the same page. I loved Ashton but I could not


    pretend that Marcus didn¡¯t exist. As long as I could make up for all of my past transgression, live and


    love without guilt, Ashton and I would leap at that opportunity.


    Ashton had not been gone for very long before I saw the representative of GW Group. It was Sean.


    Sean came during mealtime. Mrs. Eriksen cooked plenty of food, but since Ashton did not show any


    sign of returning any time soon, I invited Sean to eat with me.


    Ourst encounter wasn¡¯t pleasant, but Sean was courteous enough to pretend that that never


    happened. He behaved like a perfect gentleman. It felt like he endured another round of insults while


    trying to gain control of the White Corporation.


    These businessmen enjoyed talking business over a meal; Sean was no exception. He initiated his


    proposition halfway through the meal.

 Chapter 1154

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1154


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, I have heard that you are currently the acting chairman of White Corporation. What is your


    opinion regarding the acquisition bid raised by GW?¡±


    I was honest with Ashton, and I treated Sean exactly the same. I ced my cutlery down, wiped my


    lips, and looked him full in the face. ¡°Our prior encounters had not ended well,¡± I said slowly. ¡°Mr.


    Blondell, you may still harbor a grievance and possibly wariness toward me, but let me assure you that


    I personally have no malice toward GW group.¡±


    I spoke from the heart and believed that I portrayed a sincerity upon my face to match what I felt. Sean


    appeared satisfied and nodded eagerly for me to carry on.


    ¡°However, it pains me to have to apologize to you.¡± I watched as Sean¡¯s smile faded a little, but he did


    not interrupt. ¡°In my capacity to represent White Corporation, I officially decline GW¡¯s offer to acquire


    us.¡± He was the third person I¡¯ve rejected on the same day. It would seem to an observer that I was


    being particrly difficult and prickly.


    Sean¡¯s expression turned an even uglier shade of green than before. He flung down the cutlery in his


    hands onto the porcin te with a crash. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, from the way you chose to take over White


    Corporation at this particr time, I had thought that you are different from Mr. Fuller.¡±


    It was true to a certain extent. Ashton and I were preventing White Corporation from falling into the


    hands of foreign investors. As Marcus was traveling between M Country and K City, hispany was


    left without a leader. Despite the best efforts by the government, the shareholders ultimately chose to


    protect their own interests by voicing their desire to be acquired by GW Group. If I had been in favor of


    Ashton¡¯s move, all I had to do was to be a spokesperson for Fuller Corporation to cate the


    shareholders. Instead, I reced Marcus as chairman and unknowingly became the face of corporate


    greed at the prospect of GW¡¯s two billion.


    It was not in my nature to beat around the bush. ¡°Mr. Blondell, you know better than me as to why


    White Corporation had been subjected to so many changes within a short period of time. As Marcus


    had rejected your acquisition bid once before, I am merely doing him the courtesy of respecting his


    wishes. I don¡¯t think you would go out of your way to be difficult, would you?¡±


    Sean¡¯s expression shifted but turned back to normal abruptly. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, I¡¯m not quite sure what you


    mean,¡± he said as he leanednguidly back in his chair.


    He¡¯s still pretending? It was pretty convincing, too bad that the truth was more obvious than that. The


    disappearance of Camelia and Toby coupled with Marcus losing his bearing were no coincidences. GW


    Group was the most to gain from all those events.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    This was one of my reasons for distrusting foreign businessmen. Once they tasted the hint of victory,


    they would relentlessly buy time by avoiding the problem at hand. To people like Sean, time was their


    best asset. The longer it dragged on, the higher were their odds for winning.


    Too bad they miscalcted this time. White Corporation had diversified in AI technology while severing


    ties with industries destined to be extinct with technological advancement. With proper management,


    White Corporation would be right back on track in no time.


    ¡°Sean, listen to me.¡± I addressed him by his first name now; it was a gesture of respect from me. ¡°I¡¯m


    very clear on your motives. Mr. Fuller had rejected your acquisition bid so you felt like you had no


    choice but to involve Marcus in dirty dealings. Consider this my final warning¡ªyou are not in M Country


    anymore. You are not as influential here as you are over there. The positions of Fuller Corporation and


    White Corporation will only solidify within K City. If GW Group still intends on doing honest business in


    our country, you had best advise your superiors to abandon their intentions of ckmailing Marcus.¡±

 Chapter 1155

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1155


    I remembered Macy telling me once that I didn¡¯t have a pretty face, but if one had the patience to wait


    and watch, my beauty woulde through when I was in a cold fury.


    This was one of those moments when I stood and faced Sean, distinctly aware of the coldness I was


    emanating. He definitely would have felt it too.


    I narrowed my eyes to prevent Sean from reading them. Hopefully, they would release Camelia and


    Toby when they saw that I was dead serious.


    Sean put aside his pride that was characteristic of a typical subject of M Country. Though his gaze


    betrayed a hint of suspicion, he appeared to be taking my words into ount. After a long while, he


    spoke again in a carefully measured tone. ¡°Mrs. Full¡­ I mean, Ms. Stovall, now I see why Mr. Fuller is


    enamored with you. Trust me when I say that one day we will work together.¡±


    I did not refute him; the future was full of possibilities. ¡°We shall wait and see,¡± I said, extending my


    hand.


    We were both clear on the fact that these were all business talk.


    Sean and men in his field were opportunists after all. He knew that he would not derive any benefit


    from me by asking outright, seeing as I had rejected his acquisition proposal so tantly. He did not


    even bother to maintain feigned courtesy anymore, for he ignored my outstretched hand and departed.


    The strange thing was that I wasn¡¯t even angry. In fact, after he left Iughed a little. I guess this was a


    demonstration of the old adage ¡°know thy enemy¡±. Though Sean was just a representative of GW


    Group, his worth was way beyond mine. For someone of his stature to be denied by someone like


    me, I could not help but feel a little pleased with myself.


    However, the fear buried deep in my heart resurfaced again as soon as theughter faded.


    I hung my head and held my stomach as I became tormented by an incessant string of thoughts.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    When GW Group had failed their initial negotiations with Ashton, they came up with the idea to


    ckmail Marcus with dirty tactics. It was clear that they did not intend to return to M Country empty-


    handed. If they were set on acquiring White Corporation, I would undoubtedly be their next target.


    It didn¡¯t matter much to me if I became a target or not; it was the least I could do after what Marcus had


    sacrificed for me. I couldn¡¯t let anything happen to him. The best I could hope for was that the


    bodyguards dispatched by Ashton will do their jobs. I stayed indoors for the most part and tried to


    resolve the problems of White Corporation via video conference calls. It wasn¡¯t much, but at least I


    managed to avoid being harmed.


    White Corporation¡¯s attorney showed up at my study at nine in the morning as I had requested.


    ¡°Good day, Ms. Stovall.¡±


    I may be a student of thew, but I¡¯d have to admit that my knowledge barely came in handy here. My


    initial expectation was a smartly dressed professional. I looked up and discovered to my surprise that


    while the smartly dressed professional was urately predicted, the attorney turned out to be a


    woman.


    ¡°Come on in.¡± Though I had not passed my bar exams, I intended to in the near future. I could see


    myself as thedy before me. I took a liking to her immediately. ¡°Are you W. Tanner?¡± I asked.


    I had made assumptions, of course. Her name sounded very masculine on paper. But she seemed to fit


    the stereotype well with the suave way she wore her suit.


    ¡°Yes, Ms. Stovall. W for Wanda,¡± Wanda said with a respectful nod. She sounded very demure, which


    shed with her appearance.


    All this time spent around Ashton had ustomed me to being called Mrs. Fuller. It felt strange being


    addressed by my maiden name. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since somebody called me that,¡± I said.


    Wanda looked apologetic. ¡°Would you like me to call you Madam instead? It¡¯s just that there is a


    conflict of your rtionship with Mr. Fuller over this project¡­¡±

 Chapter 1156

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1156


    ¡°I understand,¡± I interrupted Wanda. ¡°Business is business. You can call me Ms. Stovall. You¡¯re here


    today as a witness to the fact that Ashton and I aren¡¯t colluding. Most of the time we are working


    separately on our own tasks. I will have Mrs. Eriksen clear a desk for you to work here.¡±


    Wanda was very amodating. She sat herself down on a chair in my study. ¡°There¡¯s no need for all


    of that trouble,¡± she said generously as she cracked her knuckles. ¡°I have aputer with me; I just


    need a chair and I¡¯ll get right to work.¡±


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    I smiled at how quickly she settled in and left her to it. Marcus had been managing hispany


    remotely for more than a month. Though the sales had declined, core businesses such as automobile


    and electrical appliances were still top in the industry, so they weren¡¯t affected much. I was unable to


    foresee when GW Group would back off, therefore we had to halt the expansion of electronic gadgets


    and put our resources into the industry mentioned earlier to buy him more time. Lose a limb to save a


    life, as the saying went.


    It was a good thing that Marcus had a good eye for talent. After I had finalized our business n, the


    respective departments had begun working intensively toward our objectives. All I had to do every night


    was to provide final authorization for the documents prepared by them. After a week of doing that,


    White Corporation was deemed stable enough. I rxed as well and nned to give Marcus a call that


    afternoon to brief him on thetest progress.


    My call went through quickly but hung up on its own after a long period of silence. Perhaps there was


    news on Camelia and the child, I thought. That was why Marcus was not picking up at the moment. I


    tried again a whileter and it went straight to voicemail.


    ¡°Is Mr. White unreachable?¡± Wanda asked. She remained close by this entire time and asionally


    chatted with me. There were some legal documents that I had no authority to sign for even as acting


    chairman. Wanda too was anxious for Marcus¡¯s return.


    I nodded and turned to head indoors. ¡°Yes, looks like he had turned off his phone.¡±


    On second thought, perhaps Marcus¡¯s personal secretary had an alternate way to contact him. I ced


    another call only to be informed by her that everybody in thepany, including herself, was


    unsessful in their attempts to contact Marcus for the whole month. That was another dead end we


    ran into.


    I stared gloomily at the text exchange between me and Marcus¡¯s assistant as I stewed in my own


    panic. GW Group would have backed off after my previous encounter with Sean. But at the news of


    Marcus¡¯s disappearance, all hell seemed to break loose at this point. We had no solid ground to work


    from.


    Wanda surveyed the scene in thoughtful silence. Then, she got up and retrieved a document tightly


    wrapped in an envelope. ¡°Have a look at this.¡±


    I felt a sense of foreboding at her secrecy as I carefully unwrapped the parcel.


    I had some experience in dealing with legal documents of various sorts; it didn¡¯t take much for me to


    understand them.


    Benjamin White and his wife passed away not long ago. Marcus inherited White Corporation only to


    realize that some shareholders had taken advantage of the power shift to embezzle public funds.


    Acting under this suspicion, Marcus was able to secure the evidence to prove that thepany¡¯s


    assets had been transferred outwards.


    As it turned out that the guilty shareholders were led by an old friend of Benjamin¡¯s. Marcus chose to


    resolve the matter quietly and reached out to him.


    Before he disappeared, Marcus had Wanda draft up some documents. They had been notarized by a


    law firm since then and only awaited his signature. Uponpletion, he would then have the power to


    expel the troublemakers.


    However, his absence had been an inconvenience. To make amendments to shareholder rights, his


    position as the rightful owner of the corporation deemed his consent mandatory. In other words, for


    every day that Marcus remained atrge, it was another day that the thief held on to his shareholding


    rights. The worst part was that he possibly already had an escape n in ce.

 Chapter 1157

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1157


    I had a vague impression of the man in question. I met him once when I entered White Corporation for


    the first time. He had an unctuous smile and an air of deception about him. I wouldn¡¯t even be surprised


    if he was the one who had orchestrated Marcus¡¯s absence.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we pursue this matter through legal means?¡± I asked with a frown.


    Wanda sighed helplessly. ¡°I¡¯ve told Mr. White this before, but he had insisted on settling the matter in


    private. He mentioned that Mr. Yondel had once helped the White family. Mr. White¡¯s father had given


    orders before when he was still alive: if the Whites and the Yondels were to ever have a disagreement,


    it must be settled diplomatically as opposed to an all-out war.¡±


    She paused with a look of disgust on her face. ¡°Actually, Leonard Yondel still cared about his friendship


    with Mr. White¡¯s father and was unwilling to embezzle from thepany. Mr. White had approached


    Mr. Yondel once regarding this matter. If he was smart he would have given up his rights voluntarily. But


    until today he still has not done that. The amount of scheming he had done makes one ponder as to


    what else he¡¯s up to¡­¡±


    Marcus did not expect to be backstabbed for hispassion. The opportunity for Leonard to steal was


    too good to pass, and it had gotten to the point where Marcus himself was needed to resolve this.


    ¡°It alles down to locating him and bringing him back,¡± I thought out loud.


    ¡°Since nobody is able to contact Mr. White, it will be easier to find a needle in a haystack,¡± Wanda said.


    Ipsed into silence for a while. ¡°Actually, no. There is someone.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Wanda asked at once.


    ¡°Me.¡± I gathered up the documents and looked at her. ¡°Even if the call goes through, he may ignore it if


    it¡¯s someone from thepany. But he wouldn¡¯t ignore a call from me.¡±


    He was once willing to get rid of his wife for me. I was confident that he would pick up if it was me who


    called.


    For that exact reason, the person most suited for this task was me.


    Suddenly, a palpable chill invaded the room. As if by instinct, I turned toward the door and saw Ashton


    standing there with an intense gaze in his dark eyes. It was frightening to behold.


    Did he hear everything we discussed?


    Wanda saw him too. ¡°Mr. Fuller,¡± she greeted him.


    Ashton ignored her and stared right at me. ¡°You will be going to M Country personally,¡± he said softly.


    He did not even bother to postte this as a query. His tone made it clear that he was in a towering


    temper, and was in no mood to be agreeable to my n.


    Keen to avoid a confrontation in front of strangers, I turned to Wanda. ¡°Ms. Tanner, could you please


    give us a moment? I have something to discuss with Mr. Fuller.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Wanda said tactfully and promptly exited the room.


    ¡°No need,¡± Ashton said as he blocked her path with hisrge frame; the gap was hardly enough for her


    to squeeze through. Frigid gaze stilltched on me, he said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing that can¡¯t be said in front


    of outsiders. Now, Scarlett, repeat what you said for me. Our two children are gone. Are you sure you


    want to go running around right now for someone irrelevant?¡±


    The room was suddenly tense with the air of three people each determined for things to go their way.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    I had not prepared myself for the task of convincing Ashton on the matter. ¡°Marcus had saved my life


    once before,¡± I blurted in a panic. ¡°He isn¡¯t irrelevant. ¡°Did you forget the extent you went to for Parker


    Larson?¡±


    It was not my intention to keep score on our history but to illustrate a point. If Ashton could look into his


    conscience and find it clear, so could I with my own.


    He did not expect me to bring up Reba. He scowled at me. ¡°So you¡¯ve made up your mind?¡±

 Chapter 1158

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1158


    That was myst desperate attempt. I was pregnant. Of course, I wasn¡¯t going to risk myself. ¡°No, it¡¯s


    just that if that step had to be taken, no one is more suitable to take it than me.¡±


    Ashton was silently processing my speech. He looked up at me and studied me up and down as


    though he was seriously considering the feasibility of my n. Atst, he suddenly rxed and turned


    around. As he walked out he called out to Wanda. ¡°You,e with me.¡±


    Wanda looked at me for my approval. When I nodded, she stood and followed him out. I did not know


    what Ashton said to Wanda, but she left without returning to the study. Even her documents andptop


    were left here.


    I had a vague idea that Ashton suspected that Wanda and I were scheming to travel to M Country to


    locate Marcus. He must have lost his temper at her and forbade her from interacting with me.


    I did not see Ashton again the entire night. I sent a text to Wanda only to realize that her phone was in


    her purse that she had left here. She left in such a hurry, as though Ashton had threatened her with


    everything he could.


    I sank into the couch after coaxing Summer to sleep to do a bit of revision while waiting for Ashton to


    return.


    Our conversation earlier that day was not pleasant. I¡¯d figured that after a couple of hours, we would


    both calm down enough to talk things through.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    I was the best person for the job of locating Marcus. Although, Professor Zidd had reminded us that my


    pregnancy was not stable yet and I shouldn¡¯t undertake long journeys. I held on to the hope that Ashton


    woulde up with a solution that was the best of both worlds.


    However, I had forgotten that pregnantdies fell asleep very easily. Not long after I sat down, I fell into


    a deep slumber.


    Suddenly, a movement in the corridor outside startled me awake. I got up to investigate and there was


    nothing in sight.


    After standing by the door for a little longer and seeing nothing, I put it down to my imagination returned


    to the couch for an even deeper sleep.


    I awoke the following day in the bedroom. Frowning at the quilt over my body, I got up and went


    downstairs to an empty living room. Breakfast was prepared on the table, with a note attached.


    Mrs. Fuller, it read. Breakfast has been prepared for you. Please heat it up if it turns cold. It was written


    in Mrs. Eriksen¡¯s hand. It seemed like she had to take an emergency leave.


    I wasn¡¯t raised with people to wait on me, so I didn¡¯t mind. I heated up the mushroom soup and had it


    with some bread.


    It didn¡¯t take long for me to realize that there was something wrong. Usually, Summer would be aware


    that I had woken up and would be chattering around me at this time. But she wasn¡¯t here. I searched


    the back of the house to no avail as well. It wasn¡¯t just her; all the servants were missing. I stood alone


    in apletely empty house.


    I couldn¡¯t care much for anyone else but I was most concerned with Summer¡¯s safety. After some time


    of nervously expecting to be contacted with news of her, I broke down and started searching for my


    phone. The strangest thing was that despite looking all over the study and my bedroom, there was not


    amunication device in sight, except for thendline in the office.


    I stood bbergasted for a good while before realizing that Ashton had me under house arrest.


    The movements I heardst night were not random. Ashton must have had people in here to pack up


    every item that could connect me to the outside world. He was thorough; even the inte was


    disconnected. Without it, the once omniscientputers were now nothing more than a scrap of vinyl.


    I was furious and anxious to the point of using thendline to dial Ashton¡¯s number from heart. It wasn¡¯t


    a demonstration of my memory, but a testament to the decade we spent together. If it were someone


    else¡¯s number, I wouldn¡¯t even have been able to recall the first three digits.

 Chapter 1159

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1159


    Ashton picked up almost instantly. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± he said casually as though nothing was out of the


    ordinary.


    ¡°Where did you take Summer to?¡± I asked with much restraint, for I was still fuming at how he acted as


    he pleased. ¡°I suppose you took my phone as well. Ashton, this is a new low for you.¡±


    I had expected Ashton to fly into a rage at my words, but he acted as if he did not hear me. ¡°A


    bodyguard will inspect the house every hour,¡± he said, in an attempt to divert the conversation. ¡°If


    there¡¯s anything you need, let them know. But do not for a moment imagine you can borrow their


    phones. If you do, I will make sure that they will not be able to speak again for as long as they live. I¡¯d


    advise you to consider their wellbeing before you make any rash decisions.¡±


    I knew from experience that he was in an aggressive mood, it was one that would not allow any room


    forpromise or reasoning. I gritted my teeth in resentment and tried again. ¡°How about Summer?


    You could at least let her stay with me. She wouldn¡¯t affect you in any way.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s at Emery¡¯s. Summer is fond of the boy and wouldn¡¯t miss you and I have fulfilled her wish too.


    This time you are not allowed to go anywhere.¡±


    With that, Ashton mmed the phone down before I could react. It was just me and the solitude of a


    large empty house.


    I was in a serious enough rage to fling the phone against the wall, but as it was my only mode of


    communication with the outside world. Having no choice, I was forced to rece the receiver with care.


    It was one thing to be on your own but another to be forced into it. I was thetter. I spent the entire


    morning reading, but with the high anxiety level over my situation, not a sentence entered my mind. As


    a result, my temper only worsened.


    As Ashton had mentioned, a bodyguard made his rounds every hour. They peered down at me through


    the length of the corridor and left promptly. It was at this moment that I felt rather sick of studying.


    When I heard his footstepsing upstairs, I gazed in its direction reproachfully.


    The men were dressed in simr suits. They were actually uncouth thugs d in refined clothing. In a


    fit of mischief, I wanted to scare whoever was on his rounds with a fierce expression.


    This man in particr did not stop at the stairs and turned around after his examination. He walked


    along the corridor and to the study.


    As if by instinct, I held my belly and leaned back in my chair as he approached. At this point, he had


    arrived at the door and faced me. I looked him in the face and frowned, as it was a very familiar face to


    me. But at that moment I can¡¯t quite put my finger on where I¡¯ve seen him before.


    He was in front of me within three broad strides and handed me a satellite phone with his long,


    outstretched arm.


    I snatched it from him in surprise and delight. I had only seen this in use once before by Abe. That thing


    could reach the outside world through the deepest of valleys and jungles. It was a treasure to ouws


    and convicts.


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, Mr. Fuller has installed a signal blocker around the vi. This satellite phone is able to


    make contact with the outside world. Someone will call you soon on this number. Be careful not to let


    anyone see that with you.¡±


    He had just finished speaking when the sound of footsteps came rattling up the stairs. The other


    bodyguards were suspicious at how long he was taking and came up to look for him. ¡°Shon, what are


    you doing? Shout out if everything¡¯s fine.¡±


    I hastily stowed away the phone at the nearest drawer. ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong,¡± I called out, covering up for


    Shon. ¡°I just couldn¡¯t reach a couple of books up the shelf so I asked this young man to help me out.¡±


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    The footsteps stopped abruptly at the sound of my voice. They were so afraid of being caught


    interacting with me and losing their tongues for it that they did not respond at all.


    Shon gave me a meaningful look and hurried back downstairs, his missionpleted.


    After ascertaining that both men¡¯s footsteps had receded, I retrieved the satellite phone and locked


    myself in the toilet of my bedroom.

 Chapter 1160

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1160


    Shon would have contacted the party who wished to make contact after he left; it would ring very soon.


    I was curious as to who had understood my situation so well that they would risk incurring Ashton¡¯s


    displeasure to help me.


    I didn¡¯t have long to wait. A light on the satellite phone shed fifteen minutester and I pounced on it


    in a haste to answer the call.


    ¡°Hello? Who is this?¡±


    ¡°Scarlett? It¡¯s that you? Phew, I thought Ashton would have found out.¡± The sound of Emery¡¯s voice


    flooded me with relief. I held up my forehead and looked into the mirror. All of a sudden, I was struck by


    the realization that Shon was Emery¡¯s driver.


    Ashton had purposefully engaged a new team of bodyguards to ensure that nobody had dared to


    create issues. Emery put two and two together when she realized that I was unreachable and when


    Summer was sent to her home. She pulled some strings and sent one of her own men to ce me in


    contact with her. Emery was a tech enthusiast and had no trouble procuring a satellite phone. She was


    the most fearless person I have ever met.


    ¡°Is Summer alright?¡± I asked, anxious at the idea that Summer thought I had abandoned her. Emery


    disproved my theory quickly. ¡°She loves it here. She has been having lollies and following Xavier


    around. There is hardly any adult supervision required.¡±


    I¡­


    The lollies will ruin her teeth! Ms. Moore is spoiling her to the tee!


    Unfortunately, this wasn¡¯t the time to discuss such trivial matters. I needed information on the outside.


    To save time, I briefly told Emery about Marcus and practically begged her for her help. ¡°Emery, I know


    that you dislike Cameron and Marcus, but you really need to help me¡­¡±


    Before I finished my plea, Emery cut across me. ¡°Say no more. I will ry your message to them and


    hopefully, they will use the influence of the Moore family to keep the shareholders in line when you and


    Marcus are absent.¡±


    Her brilliance had caught me off guard. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I said as I nodded vigorously.


    ¡°I can help you with that.¡±


    I was overjoyed. ¡°Really? Thank you so much, Emery. I will make sure that Marcus repays you too.¡±


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    ¡°Hold your horses,¡± Emery said impatiently. ¡°Marcus¡¯s gratitude means nothing to me. Let me ask you.


    Do you know what you¡¯re doing?¡±


    Something in her voice cleared my thoughts. She was right; I had forgotten. The year before, Emery


    had advised me to settle down with Ashton. But here I was trying to ask for her help to be at odds with


    Ashton. It wasn¡¯t something she was pleased to see.


    I was dumbfounded for the moment.


    ¡°Scarlett, though it was over the line for Ashton to ce you under house arrest, I think he is right this


    time. You¡¯re pregnant now, are you not?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡± I had only heard from the doctor after I began helping Marcus, that was why I had not


    informed her.


    ¡°As long as you are aware. I won¡¯t say much on the matter. I will help you keep an eye on White


    Corporation. Marcus is a flirt. Though I admire him, it¡¯s between me and him and it has nothing to do


    with you. And as for you, I want you to think long and hard about it. You have lost two children, is it


    really worth putting yourself through that kind of torment again? Have a good rest. I¡¯m hanging up now.¡±


    The beep sounded like the heart rate monitor of a dead man; shrill and unceasing. I sat frozen with the


    phone pressed on my ear for some moments in a daze.


    It wasn¡¯t Emery¡¯s words that had woke me up. I thought that the matter of feelings did not have the


    propensity to incur mutual pain. I did not believe that I was the only one in the world to treat someone


    who has done so much for me with the highest regard. But Ashton and Emery were there to constantly


    remind me that there was nothing wrong with cing one¡¯s wellbeing above everything else.

 Chapter 1161

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1161


    The phone call from Emery was supposed to be a sign of hope, but I felt like I had fallen so far down an


    abyss of self-doubt to the extent that I was unable to muster any energy for the rest of the day.


    I did not expect Ashton to show himself, but at eight in the evening, he and a bodyguard walked in with


    dinner. I sat sluggishly on the couch and stared whilst they made preparations.


    There was no expression on Ashton¡¯s face. He walked over to me and helped me to the dining table.


    Like every expecting father, he held his wife and took small and measured steps.


    We sat across from each other at the table. Ashton looked as if he was busier than before; he spent the


    entire meal replying to messages. I tried to engage him in conversation but did not manage to find an


    opening to.


    After a half hour, the messages finally stoppeding in.


    I set aside my cutlery and was about to speak when brash and insolent footsteps came from the door.


    ¡°Wow, Ashton. Are you sure that this dead slump is the home of the president of Fuller Corporation?¡±


    Holden did not seem very different from thest time we met. He was still the same delinquent d in


    an expensive suit. Somehow, he had managed to make the suit look cheap.


    Holden paused in the middle of the living room and took a look around. He caught my eye and went on


    spewing insults without a pause. ¡°For someone who doesn¡¯t know you, they¡¯d think that what you¡¯ve


    constructed here is some sort of a private prison. I already feel like I¡¯m in jail just by being here thirty


    seconds. Scarlett, this has got to be your idea, isn¡¯t it? You wanted to meet me, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Well, I stand corrected. I¡¯m not the only one unafraid of death. He was another one brazen enough to


    flirt with Ashton¡¯s wife in front of him. It was difficult to find another scoundrel as despicable as Holden.


    I felt angry at how he spoke to me but noticed out of the corner of my eye that Ashton seemed to have


    expected him. He chewed cidly as he watched the scene.


    Holden exhausted all of his theatrics. He pulled out the chair next to me and held his forehead in hand


    in a pretense of sorrow. ¡°To be honest, I can sense how much you are missing me. However, I¡¯ve been


    really busy recently toe to you. You wouldn¡¯t me me, would you?¡±


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    I was rather embarrassed. ¡°Can we help you, Mr. Taylor?¡± I asked pointedly.


    Holden had just taken over the Taylor family. He would have been busy culling out those who stood


    against him; thus, he must want something for him to be here instead of busy doing that.


    Holden wasn¡¯t happy when I refused to y along. He pulled a face and resumed his infuriating


    behavior. ¡°How dreadfully boring. If this is how you n on receiving your guests, don¡¯t bother inviting


    me over again.¡±


    I had no way of dealing with his tricks. I nced at Ashton for help.


    Ashton was calm the entire time. After hisst bite of dinner, he turned his dark eyes up at me and


    spoke calmly. ¡°You wanted to look for someone in M Country, didn¡¯t you? Holden¡¯s men have gone on


    your behalf. You can rx now.¡±


    ¡°You?¡± I said incredulously, skeptical of Holden¡¯s abilities to do what needed to be done.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You can¡¯t ept this arrangement?¡± Holden said smugly. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that the


    Taylors control the flow of information in K City? If my men couldn¡¯t locate your fellow, you can consider


    him dead.¡±


    ¡°How could you say something like that?¡± I demanded hotly, though I was delighted to hear that his


    family had ess to that much information. However, I still wasn¡¯t convinced. ¡°Besides me, Marcus


    had notmunicated with anyone else. How sure are you that he wouldn¡¯t avoid your men?¡±


    Marcus was at M Country, the home turf of GW Group. He was already at the edge of the lion¡¯s jaws. It


    was no doubt that he would be extremely careful if he wanted to stay alive to rescue Camelia and their


    child. This was possibly why he wouldn¡¯t even make any contact with his employees.

 Chapter 1162

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1162


    Holden smirked as he retrieved a dictaphone from his vest pocket. He pressed y and ced it on


    the table. ¡°Marcus, get in touch with me as soon as you can. We need to discuss something.¡± It was my


    own voice.


    Dear God, even I don¡¯t remember saying these words! ¡±The Taylor family has a lot of connections in the


    underworld,¡± Ashton exined with uncharacteristic patience. ¡°Once they got a hold of your phone and


    analyzed the data, it wasn¡¯t difficult to imitate your voice.¡±


    ¡°This was imitated by AI?¡± I asked in amazement, my eyes as wide as saucers. I had heard a lot


    regarding the advancement of AI within the industry recently, so it urred to me that this may be one


    of its applications.


    Holden smiled smugly as he ced the dictaphone back in his pocket. ¡°Those machines work, no


    doubt. But the end result is too stiff and inorganic. My new girlfriend is the queen of mimicry. She can


    literally imitate any style of anybody you can think of. Especially those in bed¡­ hehe. It¡¯s a new


    experience every night.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Taylor, your tastes are¡­ rather exotic,¡± I said ufortably. The extent of his lust has left me


    speechless.


    But if this was what it took to gain Marcus¡¯s trust, albeit falsely, it would still be a big help. At this


    comforting thought, I breathed a reluctant sigh of relief.


    Though Holden was Ashton¡¯s man, he wouldn¡¯t use the imitated voice to harm Marcus as the interests


    of the Taylor family were at stake. Like it or not, he was the best candidate for this mission.


    Ashton did not fail to notice the change in my expression. I looked up and met his weary eyes. ¡°Now


    would you believe me?¡± he asked before I could say anything.


    I turned towards Holden. He was a wily fox who only cared about the interests of his family. He must


    want something in return for his help.


    Ashton must have dealt with him beforehand. Probably even agreed to his unreasonable demands. I


    turned away and looked at Ashton in earnest. ¡°If you are willing to help Marcus, why did you mention


    having topete with GW Group and drive the share price down?¡±


    White Corporation was in shambles. Foreign investment took the opportunity to encourage the


    shareholders to sell their shares for scraps.


    When Fuller Corporation joined the fray, nobody felt secure.


    Otherwise, Emery wouldn¡¯t have promised me so heartily to look into it.


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    Ashton took a deep breath and sat up straight. His dark eyes suddenly shed with a glint of danger.


    ¡°So ording to you, the way for me to repay Marcus was to pay for hispany which is currently in


    a mess at a high price, at a loss to Fuller Corporation. Is that it?¡±


    His gaze was so fierce it looked as though it would pierce right through me.


    I frowned with difort at being stared at like that.


    Even apanyrger than White Corporation had things that they want hidden. The fact that Leonard


    Yondel had embezzled was not even considered out of the ordinary for someone like Ashton.


    It felt like he had already decided that I did not know my boundaries in handling Marcus¡¯s case. He had


    intentionally exposed these to see the limits of which I would disregard him, my husband, by helping


    Marcus.


    After Reba, I was more familiar than anybody with Ashton¡¯s possessive nature. I sighed heavily. ¡°I


    have never thought that there was anything wrong with the situation. Marcus had already thought of a


    solution. If he hadn¡¯t disappeared, it wouldn¡¯t have turned into the mess it is today.¡±


    After a brief pause, I reached out and touched Ashton¡¯s hand. ¡°Think of how you take pains to protect


    and advance the interests of Fuller Corporation. The only thing that Marcus¡¯s parents left for him is


    White Corporation. I hope that we can help him salvage his family business. It¡¯s not aboutpelling


    you to buy his entirepany to save it, or to have any foreignpany acquire it. Do you think we


    can do that?¡±

 Chapter 1163

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1163


    It was rare for us to be this open and honest with one another.


    When we are on the same page talking things through calmly, fate once again gave us the opportunity


    to deepen our love for one another. Even God had hinted at us to hold hands and walk through life.


    What else couldn¡¯t we aplish together?


    I clutched his hand tightly and rubbed it in anticipation of his response.


    We sat in silence like that for close to a minute. ¡°I¡¯ve told you the answer to this question before. Why


    else do you think he¡¯s here?¡±


    Ashton jerked his chin towards Holden.


    I breathed a sigh of relief at that. The old adage of taking a step back had never been more applicable


    than it did now.


    Men had to be coaxed. As long as a woman was willing to put aside her ego, everything would


    naturally fall into ce.


    ¡°But, business isn¡¯t for the fun of it,¡± Ashton suddenly interjected. ¡°Even if you had a letter of


    authorization from Marcus, it¡¯s not the same as recing him. Ultimately, this is the White family


    business. His prolonged disappearance had caused his staff to worry. If it gets to the point of his


    company being acquired, then it¡¯ll be the only way out for White Corporation. What I am doing now is


    just bringing that eventuality forward.¡±


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    Ashton spoke with the conviction that Marcus would not return.


    I felt ufortable. ¡°Do you mean to say that you would buy White Corporation and return it to Marcus


    when the timees?¡±


    As soon as I had said that, Ashton scowled. He withdrew his hand from my touch. ¡°Currently, White


    Corporation has somepetition amongst the industry. I couldpel the shareholders to begin the


    acquisition of the project. If I dyed any longer to ensure that allpetitors have given up, I may not


    be able to lobby for any more changes. Upon acquisition, the shares will be diluted. It is an unavoidable


    oue; the only constion of which would be that White Corporation would not fall into the hands of


    foreignpanies.¡±


    Aside from me and Ashton, the shareholders of Fuller Corporationprised Joe and several elderly


    executives who had reached the age of retirement. They only appeared during festivities or corporate


    events and they virtually did not care about how thepany was run. But when it came to money


    matters, the swiftness of their response was astonishing.


    Uponpletion of the international acquisition of Eisen Corporation which involved the transfer of


    tens of billions, the shareholders who nned on having an uneventful retirement may not approve of


    another massive risk of acquiring White Corporation within such a short time frame.


    What Ashton meant was that Marcus would forever be a shareholder in hispany, but thepany


    may not belong to his family forever. The decision to return thepany to Marcus was no longer


    within Ashton¡¯s control. It all depends on whether Marcus had the ability to match the price that was


    paid. I retracted my hand, not quite knowing what to say.


    Ashton did all he could, so I couldn¡¯t nitpick. The fate of Marcus and White Corporation could only be


    unveiled one step at a time. All we could do right now was to be optimistic about Holden¡¯s sess in


    tracking down Marcus.


    The atmosphere was dense with an impasse. Ashton¡¯s phone suddenly rang. We could see that it was


    a call from Joseph. Ashton nced at it and went out to the balcony to answer the call.


    I watched his back, suddenly filled with a sense of foreboding. Instinctively, I rubbed my belly and felt


    calmer.


    The men who had treated me the best in my life were Marcus and Ashton. For them to be experiencing


    difficulties at this critical time, I believe that God would not deny them the due sess, for all the


    kindness that they had done for me.


    I heaved a slow sigh of relief. Suddenly, I felt Holden nudging my arm with his elbow; I had forgotten


    that he was still here. ¡°Scarlett, would you like to go into a business with me?¡± he asked, with a brisk


    businesslike expression on his face.

 Chapter 1164

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1164


    Business with Holden?


    My first instinct was Holden bringing over some call girls into the office and basically destroying my


    innocence.


    Instantly, I was on high alert. ¡°What business could we even do together?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡± Holden tapped his chest lightly with a fist where he had just ced the dictaphone. ¡°I


    may be helping Ashton find someone as of right now, but if you have anything to tell Marcus in private, I


    can ask my subordinates to pass on the message. I can even ensure an instant reply. How does that


    sound?¡±


    While the person mimicking me was technically a real human being, there was no way they could copy


    all my mannerisms and my way of speaking. Marcus was smart enough that he would definitely realize


    after just a few sentences. If Holden really could get me to talk to Marcus directly, things would go


    much more smoothly.


    Still, I kept in mind that there was no such thing as a free lunch. ¡°What do you want in return?¡±


    Holden¡¯s d eyes suddenly creased into smiling crescent moons. ¡°I just want some of your help.


    You¡¯re the general manager of White Corporation after all. A nod from you is all I need.¡±


    I knew from experience that a smile like that from Holden simply meant there was much more to his


    words. My frown deepened and I asked in suspicion, ¡°Are you sure it is just some help?¡±


    Holden smiled and sat down next to me. He turned to face me with an almost sensual attitude. ¡°To be


    honest, it will sound a littleplicated. The White Corporation tried to take over the phone industry a


    few years ago and got approval from themunication base station. Since things are quite strictly


    guarded over there, I was hoping that the White Corporation¡¯s workers could take some of my own


    technicians over so they can learn a thing or two.¡±


    I looked at him in shock. That wasn¡¯t just ¡®some help¡¯. He was clearly trying to worm through a loophole


    in the system. I hadn¡¯t even taken my bar exam yet, but Holden was being so obvious that even a


    rookie inw could tell what he was nning.


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    After a moment of surprise, I shook my head. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. Don¡¯t even think about it. Ask for


    something else.¡±


    Holden¡¯s expression immediately darkened at my answer. His pale, slender fingers toyed with the ss


    on the table. Almost nonchntly, he said, ¡°I guess it¡¯s a no-go then. Business should always be a win-


    win situation, you see. If you can¡¯t give me what I need, then I suppose we should call it off. Just take it


    that I have never said anything.¡±


    I knew very well he was trying to trick me using reverse psychology. Despite that, I was still worried for


    Marcus while being annoyed that Holden practically had me exactly where he wanted. My brows were


    almost knotted together in my anger.


    Ashton came back from the balcony with his phone in hand. He frowned slightly at the sight of my


    angry expression but quickly rearranged his features into his usual calm mask. He said, ¡°That¡¯s


    business. There¡¯s no such thing as doing someone a favor. You worked hard to get where you are


    today too. We can¡¯t change anything between just the two of us. Something happened at thepany


    and I need to make a stop at the hospital. Don¡¯t wait up for me.¡±


    After that, he put his phone into his pocket and picked his jacket up from the living room before walking


    toward the door.


    He stopped right before walking out and looked back. ¡°If you want to actually get your benefits, then


    come with me.¡±


    That was directed at Holden. He scoffed before following Ashton out. Before he left, he even whispered


    a reminder to think about our possible exchange.

 Chapter 1165

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1165


    I red at him to reinstate my stand.


    The month passed by quickly. As I waited for news of Marcus, my bar exam was approaching as well. I


    also had to rush and get ast prenatal check-up before Professor Zidd left the country.


    Ashton was so busy, he only ever showed up every few days. Despite that, he still managed toe


    back on time on the day of my check-up so he could fetch me to my appointment on time.


    Professor Zidd looked through the report and smiled. ¡°Congrattions! Your pregnancy is in a stable


    condition. In fact, I have more good news. The ultrasound shows that you¡¯re pregnant with twins this


    time!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Both Ashton and I eximed. In my joy and surprise, I felt tears starting to well up in my eyes.


    Thest month or so of me being stuck at home and having to study for thew exam was wearing me


    down to the bone. The news of me being pregnant with twins was like a beam of light shining into my


    life. Could this be God¡¯s way of repaying me? Myst two children still managed to find their way back


    to me after all.


    ¡°Did you hear that, Ashton? We are going to have twins! Our babies came back to us!¡± I pressed


    Ashton¡¯s hand tightly. My nose felt prickly and it felt like a flood of emotions were crashing against the


    back of my eyelids. Finally, I ended up copsing against Ashton¡¯s chest with tears pouring out of my


    eyes.


    Things still hadn¡¯t hit me by the time Ashton brought me to the car. The whole time, I felt like I was in a


    dream. My legs were trembling and I felt like I was walking on air.


    I turned to look at Ashton in a bit of a daze. ¡°I¡¯m not dreaming, am I? Do we really have twins?¡±


    Ashton smiled and brushed my hair behind my ear. His slightly rough hands caressed my cheeks softly.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not dreaming. Professor Zidd just told us that we¡¯re having twins. Our kids aren¡¯t angry at


    us and they¡¯re even willing to be our kids again. I must say, they¡¯re a bit too yful foring back at


    the same time. They probably don¡¯t know your condition. I¡¯m actually a bit worried if you¡¯ll be alright.¡±


    I shook my head as Iughed. ¡°That¡¯s nothing. As long as I can give birth to both of them, I don¡¯t


    care¡­¡±


    I hadn¡¯t even finished speaking when Ashton suddenly pped a hand over my mouth. His expression


    became extremely serious. ¡°Don¡¯t jinx it. I won¡¯t let that happen.¡±


    We had been giving each other the cold shoulder for the past few days, but that was all gone the


    moment I saw the worry on his face. I smiled coquettishly and replied, ¡°I¡¯m just kidding. I won¡¯t say it


    again, alright?¡±


    I lowered my head to look at my belly, which was already starting to show signs of my pregnancy. The


    stress from all my studying had dissipated all of a sudden.


    I pressed my lips together and started thinking.


    Now that I thought about it, I didn¡¯t really care much about all the back pain or sleepless nights or even


    the morning sickness that pregnancy gave me.


    The most important thing was that I owed the two babies in my belly a lot. Inwardly, I swore that I would


    never make the same mistakes again.


    ¡°Ashton,¡± I called and turned to meet his gaze. ¡°Get rid of the bodyguards. I promise that I won¡¯t leave


    the country again, and I also won¡¯t do anything rash anymore. I¡¯ll stay right here and take care of our


    kids. Can you trust me?¡±


    I smiled brightly, disying my sincerity.


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    Ashton¡¯s tightly knotted brow finally rxed and he wrapped his arm around me, pulling me into his


    embrace. ¡°Of course, I trust you. Who else would I trust? You¡¯re the light of my life. Even if it¡¯s a wrong


    decision, I wouldn¡¯t change my mind for the world.¡± As usual, Ashton kept his promise. He got rid of all


    the bodyguards the very next day. Mrs. Eriksen and the other maids and housekeepers all went back to


    their regr jobs, giving the vi a breath of life once again.

 Chapter 1166

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1166


    I officially took my first bar exam at the end of April.


    By the second month, my belly was already starting to show rather obvious signs of my pregnancy. But


    because of the cold weather, I was bundled up in a jacket which hid my belly quite well. Ashton was so


    worried that someone at the exam hall would mess up that he insisted on fetching me to the door of the


    exam hall. He only left reluctantly when the invigtor stopped him from entering.


    It had been a while since I had taken an exam of any kind. I looked at my ID and the stationery I had


    prepared and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm my nerves.


    ¡°Hi,¡± someone suddenly said. I turned to see a smiley young man standing next to me. When our gazes


    met, he bent down a little lower and nodded at me in a friendly manner.


    ¡°Are you talking to me?¡± I pointed at myself.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the man replied politely. He was standing about an arm¡¯s length away from me, so I didn¡¯t feel


    threatened at all. ¡°It seems like you may have taken my spot.¡±


    My smile froze and I felt my cheeks begin to heat up. ¡°Is this not desk number 021?¡±


    We both looked down at the number stuck to the corner of the table. The font they had used for the


    numbers was rather thin and stretched out, so I identally mistook the ¡°7¡± for a ¡°1¡±.


    I quickly got up and let him have his seat back. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t check properly. Here you go.¡±


    The young man smiled, seeming rxed. He pointed to the seat right next to desk 027 and said, ¡°No


    worries. 021 is right here.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe that I had actually mistaken ¡°7¡± for ¡°1¡±.


    I gritted my teeth and tried to act like nothing happened. After walking toward my seat and sitting down,


    the man¡¯s voice rang out again.


    ¡°My name is Zander. Looks like we may be working together in the future. Nice to meet you.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t exactly looking to get a career in such a political field, but I was still rather proud of myself for


    representing my country in a course like this. In order to keep the peace, I smiled and turned to greet


    him as well. ¡°I¡¯m Scarlett. It¡¯s nice to meet you too.¡±


    The awkwardness couldn¡¯t really be helped. In fact, I was starting to worry about whether I could still


    remember all the things I had memorized for the exam, so I couldn¡¯t really think of anything else to say.


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Zander shook my hand politely before turning back and sitting up straight, waiting for the exam to


    begin.


    Soon enough, the examiners started checking each attendee for any possible cheating that would be


    against the rules. After a near-psychopathic level of thorough checking, they finally started handing out


    the papers.


    The moment the exam ended, Ashton walked in. He approached my desk and asked, ¡°How was it?¡±


    I lifted my chin in glee. ¡°I think I did pretty well.¡±


    Ashton smiled and was about to pat my head when a voice called out.


    ¡°Scarlett?¡± Zander called. He walked toward me and passed me a business card. ¡°Let¡¯s exchange our


    contact information. We¡¯ll be working together in the future, so it¡¯ll be good to have a friend.¡±


    He ced the business card on my desk without giving me a chance to turn him down. I looked at


    Ashton¡¯s rapidly souring expression and said awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t bring my business cards


    with me. Maybe next time?¡±


    Zander seemed to think that over for a while before nodding. ¡°Alright. See you at part 2.¡±


    The bar exam was split into two parts. Only those who passed the April exam would be qualified to take


    part 2 in September. His words were basically silently wishing me luck.

 Chapter 1167

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1167


    After that, he smiled at Ashton before leaving with his briefcase.


    The moment Zander disappeared from our sight, Ashton reached out to look at the business card.


    ¡°Zander Hoffman, legal apprentice from the Hawen K City division of the Tinsel Group Law Firm.¡±


    Wait. He¡¯s already a legal apprentice?


    I looked at the business card curiously but Ashton sensed my gaze and instantly threw the card,


    landing it perfectly in the rubbish bin all the way in the corner of the room.


    ¡°Hey!¡± I punched him on the chest lightly. Zander was basically my first acquaintance in the field ofw.


    Even if we never actually became friends, there was no reason to do that to his business card.


    ¡°Are you mad?¡± Ashton asked.


    ¡°Yep.¡± I nodded, staring at him with narrowed eyes.


    Did he really get possessive over that?


    Ashton suddenly turned the tables and leaned closer to me. He looked at my stomach and said, ¡°That¡¯s


    not good for the baby. You promised that you would take good care of the kids. Are you sure you¡¯re still


    mad at me?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± I fell silent. He had a point.


    After the bar exam, Professor Zidd flew out of the country to join an exchange program. He referred


    another doctor to me, someone named Dr. Alder. She was someone who had juste back after


    completing her studies in M Country and was apparently a top student in medical school. Professor


    Zidd was praising her so highly that he managed to raise both Ashton and my expectations.


    Knock! Knock! Ashton brought me to the office door and knocked twice before calling out politely, ¡°Dr.


    Alder?¡±


    The long-haired woman who had been facing away from the door immediately turned around at the


    sound of her name.


    The moment our eyes met, I was taken aback.


    The doctor Professor Zidd had praised so highly was nobody else but the woman I had only seen once


    ¡ªLydia, Jackson¡¯s wife.


    Lydia didn¡¯t seem surprised by the sight of me. She casually ced her files on her desk and beckoned


    for us to enter. ¡°Come in. Please sit down. Professor Zidd has already told me about your condition.¡±


    Ashton was about to help me into the office when his phone rang. He took it out and frowned. ¡°I¡¯m


    sorry, I have to take this.¡±


    He walked out, leaving just Lydia and me in the room.


    I thought about Jackson deleting my number and blocking me, which made me feel extra uneasy sitting


    in front of Lydia. Jackson and I had been friends for over ten years, but at the sight of his wife, I


    couldn¡¯t find it in me to ask about him.


    ¡°Rx. Anxiety isn¡¯t good for the baby.¡± Lydia seemed to sense my nervousness and started advising


    me in a low, gentle voice. With a sincere smile, she said, ¡°I hope you can trust my professionalism.


    Here, I¡¯m just your doctor and you¡¯re just my patient, okay?¡± I nodded in response. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you


    were a doctor.¡±


    Jackson studied psychology and Lydia was a gynecologist. I realized they were a great match for each


    other.


    Lydia pressed her lips together and forced a slight smile. ¡°From the report, it seems like your children


    are very healthy. As long as you keep them well-fed, things will be fine. Just make sure youe in for


    regr checkups.¡±


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    She was obviously trying to avoid any topic that could lead to Jackson. I didn¡¯t press further and


    nodded. ¡°Alright. Thank you, Dr. Alder.¡±

 Chapter 1168

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1168


    We both fell silent. Suddenly, a baby¡¯s wail broke the silence.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. My kid¡¯s still young and doesn¡¯t like being away from me, so I usually bring him to work.¡±


    As Lydia spoke, she walked into the adjoining room. When she emerged again, she was holding a


    baby who was swaddled in a nket. She coddled him for a while and he stopped crying. It was a


    rather warm sight to behold.


    That¡¯s Jackson¡¯s kid. I


    ¡°How many months is he?¡± For some reason, my nose suddenly felt sharp as if I were about to cry. I


    walked over to her and looked at the baby, who wasn¡¯t scared in the slightest. He looked quite a lot like


    Lydia and was very quiet.


    ¡°Just under six months.¡± Lydia¡¯s face lit up with a smile as she talked about her child.


    Kids were always particrly weing. I couldn¡¯t help but reach out toward his little chubby cheeks


    when footsteps suddenly sounded up right outside the door. I turned around before touching the baby.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    At the sight of Jackson standing in the doorway, I pulled my hand back awkwardly.


    Jackson didn¡¯t seem rattled. He looked at me for a couple of seconds before walking toward Lydia and


    taking the baby from her. His face finally softened slightly as he smiled at his baby.


    I lowered my head and sighed in relief, having basically readied myself to be ignored. After a few


    seconds, Jackson¡¯s voice suddenly rang out.


    ¡°Lydia told me you¡¯re having twins.¡±


    I thought I was hearing things and looked up rapidly to meet Jackson¡¯s gaze before nodding. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. At least now you won¡¯t have any regrets.¡± After that, Jackson turned his attention back to


    his kid and wife, clearly not nning to say anything else.


    The three of them seemed to bask in a warm familial glow that I was clearly not a part of. I was starting


    to feel a bit awkward when Ashton walked in. The two men nodded at each other as a way of greeting.


    After that, we went through the check-up.


    Once we left the hospital, I started thinking about Jackson¡¯s cold attitude. It felt like a heavy rock was


    crushing my chest, making it a bit hard for me to breathe.


    Ashton was smart enough to spot something wrong. He drove off for a bit and stopped the car once we


    were far enough away from the hospital.


    ¡°What did Jackson say to you?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°He didn¡¯t say anything.¡±


    That was exactly why it hurt me so much. Macy, Jackson and I had been childhood friends for a long


    time. We had fought before, but usually, we got over our differences quickly enough once we argued it


    out. No one ever held grudges. On the contrary, we both seemed fine on the surface but there was now


    an invisible thick brick wall between us that I couldn¡¯t break through.


    Ashton lowered his head in deep thought. ¡°You two should meet up and talk things out properly. Maybe


    you can ask Jackson toe over.¡±


    I smiled bitterly and looked at him. ¡°Jackson is a man too. Why aren¡¯t you jealous of him?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get jealous of everyone.¡± Ashton turned back to start the engine again. ¡°If Dr. Alder is his type,


    then you¡¯re far from it. He¡¯s not going to start anything.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What type is that?¡± I felt like he meant more than what he said.


    Ashton chuckled slyly and didn¡¯t answer my question. He just drove off.


    I thought he was kidding, but he really invited Jackson over that night.


    Things didn¡¯t seem real at the sight of both Ashton and Jackson in the living room. It felt like we had


    gone back to the time before Macy died, back when the two of them were the most important people in


    my life.


    Soon enough, the table was all set. Jackson and I sat opposite one another while Ashton sat in


    between both of me.


    I looked at Jackson. He was just as calm and unruffled as ever. It was as if nothing had changed. What


    exactly did Ashton do to get Jackson toe over? I was really curious.

 Chapter 1169

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1169


    Ashton suddenly kicked me under the table and raised his eyebrows at me, indicating for me to say


    something.


    I looked at him and then at Jackson. After a deep breath, I decided to blurt it out.


    ¡°Jackson.¡± I looked at him seriously. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me before leaving for M Country? Why didn¡¯t


    you invite me to your wedding? W-why did you block me on WhatsApp?¡±


    As I spoke, I heard my voice beginning to crack. Disappointment and confusion welled up in my heart


    and pushed my tears out of my eyes.


    Jackson was no different from Macy to me. Therefore, I felt like a child who had been abandoned by


    her parents¡ªlost, confused and just wanted to know what I had done wrong.


    As he heard that, Jackson¡¯s hand froze and he sat in silence for a few seconds before going back to


    picking up dishes nonchntly. ¡°There¡¯s no reason. It¡¯s useless.¡±


    That made me both angry and even more curious. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®useless¡¯? Are you just going


    to throw away our friendship like that? Even Macy would never¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk about Macy!¡± Jackson raised his voice. He tossed his chopsticks away and stared straight at


    me. ¡°Scarlett, I didn¡¯t want to say this, but you forced me to.¡±


    He turned away as if he didn¡¯t want to look at me anymore. ¡°Macy died because of you. I can¡¯t just


    forget that. If it wasn¡¯t for our past friendship and Macy¡¯s wishes, I would never have let Summer go


    with you. I already gave up so much, but it looks like you just couldn¡¯t wait to have a kid of your own


    instead, huh?¡±


    It seemed like even Ashton did not expect that from Jackson. His expression darkened and warned,


    ¡°You¡¯d better watch what you¡¯re saying.¡±Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    It felt like there was a lump stuck in my throat. I couldn¡¯t pinpoint anything wrong or right when it came


    to Macy. She might not have died so young if she never got to know me, so Jackson had the right to


    hate me while I couldn¡¯t say anything in my own favor.


    Jackson didn¡¯t seem to calm down at all. If anything, he got even angrier. He scoffed coldly at Ashton¡¯s


    warning and looked at me again with an almost empty expression. ¡°I only came for one reason, and


    that¡¯s to take Summer back. She¡¯s more important than life itself to Macy, and I won¡¯t just leave her with


    the two of you to act like a shadow for someone else¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Ashton mmed a fist on the table, which even shocked me. He rarely threw such a


    temper, and even the maids next to us held their breath in fear.


    Jackson showed no signs of feeling threatened and continued ring at me. ¡°Scarlett, I want you to


    give up the custody of Summer. You can¡¯t say no to me, not if you still love Macy.¡±


    Jackson looked at me with those eyes as cold as shards of ice. I had never seen this side of him


    before. Inwardly, I was panicking like a headless chicken.


    He knew me too well. He knew I wouldn¡¯t be able to say no because of Macy. Despite that, I found it


    hard to believe the words he had just said. Ashton and I had never treated Summer as anyone¡¯s


    shadow. Does Jackson really think that lowly of me?


    Jackson treated my silence as an agreement and stood up. ¡°I¡¯lle to get Summer the day after


    tomorrow. Please help her pack whatever she needs,¡± he said ndly.


    After that, he turned to leave, but not before I finally stood up. ¡°Jackson.¡±

 Chapter 1170

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1170


    I clenched my fists and pressed my lips together, determined to put my foot down. ¡°You¡¯re not taking


    Summer anywhere. She¡¯s my daughter.¡±


    Jackson stopped walking and turned back. ¡°Your daughter is the one who¡¯s inside your stomach right


    now. Do you know who crashed into Macy and caused her to lose so much blood? One of Cameron¡¯s


    drivers. It was her n all along. I saw Cameron and Zacharye find you once. If Ashton didn¡¯t try


    to exchange your life with Reba, then none of this would have happened. Macy would still be alive.¡±


    Even a grown man like Jackson couldn¡¯t help but start getting choked up while bringing up the tragedy.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you wanted to force me together with that Anderson woman, but I¡¯m sure about one


    thing. Just based on how differently Cameron treated you before and after finding out you were her


    biological daughter, I¡¯m sure Summer will feel the same after you give birth to your own children. Since


    you chose to forgive Cameron and to have your own children so quickly, you should let Summer go.


    Macy¡¯s life may have ended much too soon, but I will not let that happen to Summer.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Cameron was the one who killed Macy?


    I stood in shock at what I just heard. Terror and disbelief crashed into me like cold icy waves that


    wanted to drown me. My stomach suddenly started hurting a little and I instinctively ced my hand


    over it protectively. In slight disbelief, I asked, ¡°What are you talking about? You told me it was just an


    ident. Also, when did I ever force you to deal with Cameron?¡±


    Jackson turned around and red at Ashton before looking back at me. ¡°So you have no clue of what


    happened then? I didn¡¯t know anyone could be more selfish than you, but now I see why you two are a


    good match.¡±


    Right as I was contemting what he meant, Ashton suddenly got up and punched Jackson in the face


    out of nowhere. It took Jackson by surprise and he reeled back, falling down on the ground. His lip


    cracked and he wiped away the blood that was starting to leak out.


    Ashton red at him venomously. ¡°Get out.¡±


    Jackson didn¡¯t fight back. He got up and patted himself down before leaving. ¡°I¡¯lle again the day


    after tomorrow. By then, I promise I will be leaving with Summer.¡±


    Their actions hadpletely befuddled me and I was already getting fed up with his miraculous


    determination. I dug my nails into the soft flesh of my palms and yelled, ¡°You already have your own kid


    too, so why are you questioning my love for Summer?¡±


    Jackson was already at the door when he paused. Without even looking back, he said, ¡°I¡¯m not like


    you. To me, it doesn¡¯t matter whether it¡¯s Macy¡¯s child or Lydia¡¯s child. I¡¯ll treat them both the same


    way.¡±


    After that, he walked out with his head hanging low.


    Therge living room fell intoplete silence. I only turned my attention back to Ashton when


    Jackson waspletely out of sight. Jackson was about to say something, but Ashton had stopped


    him. What is he hiding from me?


    ¡°A-¡±


    ¡°Mommy!¡±


    Right as I was about to ask Ashton about it, I heard Summer¡¯s light voice from the doorway. I turned


    only to see that Emery had brought her back.


    I was really starting to miss Summer since it had been so long. I hugged her tight before taking her to


    the garden with Emery. It seemed like my conversation with Ashton would have to be put on hold.


    Summer was really starting to look and act more like Macy. They were both so full of energy, and


    Summer managed to run around and y for a whole hour or so before Emery and I had to sit down


    and take a break.


    ¡°She¡¯s so cute. I can¡¯t wait for Xavier to get to this age.¡± Emery sighed, looking as if she wasn¡¯t in the


    best mood.

 Chapter 1171

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1171


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Same old, same old.¡± Emery rolled her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s a pain in the butt having to live with your inws.


    Hunter¡¯s mom is getting especially troublesome. We have so many maids in the house but she still


    forces me to get up early and make breakfast for Hunter every day. I¡¯ve never had to do that before!


    Besides, if I have to do all that, then we might as well get rid of our maids.¡±


    Emery was a part of the Moore family after all. She never had to worry about a single thing her whole


    life. Apart from that, she had a good eye for investments and had more than enough money to spare.


    Hunter¡¯s parents probably didn¡¯t know that and just treated her like a housewife. Like most parents,


    they pitied their son for having to work so hard and transferred all the pressure on Emery¡¯s shoulders in


    an attempt to build a ¡®good wife¡¯ for Hunter.


    I didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry at her story and stood up for her. ¡°Didn¡¯t Hunter speak up for


    you?¡±


    ¡°Him?¡± Emery looked strange, as if she didn¡¯t want to talk about him. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know. We haven¡¯t been


    talking muchtely.¡±


    ¡°Why not? You two got together because you had simr interests in the first ce.¡±


    Emery shrugged. ¡°He¡¯s very much into a bunch of academic stuff now. Every day, he heads straight


    into the study aftering home from school and has meetings with the members of that discussion


    group. They talk about all this finance and stock market stuff that is honestly pretty boring.¡±


    Without waiting for me to answer, she ced her hands on the bench and sighed. ¡°Still, I know that all


    men want to be sessful. At least I find that drive and determination attractive.¡±


    Iughed, but covered it up with two awkward coughs. ¡°Watch it, you¡¯re about to drool.¡±


    Emery red at me before quickly changing the subject. ¡°Since I have toe back again tomorrow,


    I¡¯ll just stay the night.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow?¡± I didn¡¯t really get it, but I teased her anyway. ¡°So you sent Summer back just to take her


    again tomorrow? You really see her as your daughter now, huh?¡±


    ¡°Well, she¡¯s my goddaughter after all.¡± Emery crossed her legs and ced her hands on her knees


    casually. Suddenly, she looked at my stomach and became a little serious. ¡°Also, you¡¯re having twins.


    Everyone would want toe and take in some of your luck.¡±


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    I looked down at my stomach. While I felt a little weird under her stare, my whole head was filled with


    the thought of Jacksoning to take Summer away, so I didn¡¯t look further into it.


    Only until tomorrow night did I realize what Emery meant. Cameron and Zachary arrived in full fancy


    garb. The news of my pregnancy had already gotten spread far and wide. The celebration was


    supposed to be held earlier, but due to my bar exam and because they were afraid I¡¯d be tired from the


    pregnancy. That would exin why they only held it today.


    At first, I thought they would only invite some close friends and family, but the guests arriving at our


    door became more and more strange. Apart from Cameron and Zachary, Louis and John naturally had


    to attend as well. After that, some people of even higher status than Cameron and Zachary arrived. To


    my surprise, even Channing showed up.


    It seemed like everyone I knew who was of some high status showed their faces The celebration


    miraculously turned the news of my pregnancy into some big event. Only when Iid my eyes upon the


    crowds of people in my house here to congratte me on my pregnancy did I finally feel guilty at


    Jackson¡¯s words.


    Macy became nothing more than a ck and white photograph stuck on a tombstone forever while I


    continued to enjoy life and the admiration of many people. It was only reasonable for Jackson to feel


    angry by such arge difference.


    I did my best to greet everyone before starting to feel worn out. I decided to go upstairs to rest and let


    Ashton and Emery deal with the guests.

 Chapter 1172

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1172


    The moment I reached my bedroom, I heard a loud banging from the door. It sounded like


    someone falling. Without wasting any time, I rushed over curiously while holding my belly. I was startled


    by the person who was standing at the door. It was Ste, whom I had not met for a long time.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± I thought since Ashton and Joseph were already here, there should be no need


    for another assistant.


    Ste responded courteously while carefully sorting out her messy hair in front of her forehead. ¡°I am


    here to deliver these important documents for the manager. I need to hand them over to him


    personally.¡±


    Upon hearing this, I noticed she was holding a leather suitcase in her hand. It did look like something


    important, so I reached out my hand to take it. ¡°Alright, give it to me then.¡±


    To my surprise, Ste avoided my hand and backed up a few steps while saying hesitantly, ¡°I am sorry,


    Mrs. Fuller. But Mr. Fuller emphasized that these documents are ssified and should never be given


    to anyone without his permission. He specifically asked me to treat this upromisingly.¡±


    I had never felt so offended before. Thus I responded rudely, ¡°Do you really think that I will betray my


    own husband? Or are you saying that I, as a shareholder of thispany, is not as trustworthy as you,


    a mere assistant?¡±


    ¡°No, Mrs. Fuller¡­¡± Ste tried to exin; her face paled in nervousness while trembling incessantly.


    ¡°Please do not overthink. I have no intention at all to suspect you, but Mr. Fuller said¡­¡±


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Honestly, I used to show no interest whatsoever in these kinds of documents. However, Ste¡¯s


    reactionpletely triggered my curiosity. The more she showed resistance, the more eager I was to


    find out the content.


    I stepped forward abruptly to snatch the suitcase from her. Seeing that I was her superior and that I


    was pregnant, she did not dare to resist at all. With a reluctant look, she let go of it without any fight. ¡°I


    will send the documents to the study. No one will find out that you gave it to me, so your job here is


    completed. You can go back now.¡±


    Ste froze on the spot with a troubled expression, but she could onlyply in the end. ¡°Thank you,


    Mrs. Fuller. Please don¡¯t ever mention that it is from me.¡±


    Before she left, she took a final nce at the suitcase, while aplicated expression loomed over her


    face.


    I could not care less about her feeling, as all my attention was upon those documents. I shut the door


    gently, opened the suitcase, and took out the documents cautiously.


    Fuller Corporation and Winzone Trading Finance Project Agreement


    A finance project?


    Didn¡¯t Ashton promise me that he will stay low and not jump into any business expansions at the


    moment?


    I initially thought the documents were merely a proposal draft. But, I was astonished to see Ashton¡¯s


    signature clearly at the bottom of the contract, with the official stamp of ourpany, which meant this


    was actually a fully functional legal contract. My heart skipped a beat the moment Iid my eyes on its


    date¡­ It was on the day I discovered I was pregnant.


    Now I understood why Ste acted so strangely earlier. When I signed the share license agreement,


    one of the terms was that Fuller Corporation could notunch a finance project within two years. Yet


    Ashton broke it in less than a month. What is he up to?


    Besides this contract, how many more secrets is he hiding from me?


    Taking a deep breath to clear my head, I tried my best to remain calm. A momentter, I put those


    documents back in the suitcase and ced them in the study.


    When I walked past the corridor, I stepped towards the fence to check on the living room.


    Gazing from high above, I could identify Ashton right away without any difficulty. A group of men


    surrounding him was seemingly overwhelmed with excitement. I could not hear their conversation, but


    they were looking at him in a way like staunch believers were worshipping their own god.


    Just then, my phone vibrated in my pocket. I took out my phone, and it showed a WhatsApp notification


    from Holden.

 Chapter 1173

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1173


    There were two voice messages.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    I tapped on the first one, and my heart stirred at a familiar voice ¨C it was Marcus¡¯. ¡°Scar, is Ashton with


    you? If he¡­ ¡°


    The message was cut off abruptly as if someone had interrupted it.


    Without hesitating, I quickly tapped on the second one. I felt wrath boiling within me when I heard


    Holden¡¯s provocative tone. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t I a courteous businessman? I showed you the proof even


    before we discuss business. But it depends on your sincerity whether you can listen to the rest.


    However, there is no need for you to worry. Even if the Taylor family masters all themunication


    base station¡¯s locations, they will be smart enough not topete with you. You have my words that


    White Corporation won¡¯t be at any risk. So please make your decision well.¡±


    If he were in front of me at that moment, I would surely have punched him. This man has no bottom


    line. He even uses others¡¯ life as a bargaining chip.


    Nheless, I admitted that Holden had made a brilliant move. Since Marcus had vanished for such a


    long time, the first thing he said was to ask for Ashton. This made me uncontrobly curious about it.


    It took me a while to think, and I finally decided to respond with a voice message too. ¡°So does the


    Taylor family always deal in such petty manner? You want to talk business, yet you only provide an


    iplete voice message. Is this what you mean by courtesy?¡±


    Holden¡¯s reply came in no time. ¡°Wow, I must admit your negotiating skill has clearly improved. You


    must have learned a lot from Ashton, I guess. Alright then, let me throw you another bone.¡±


    Right after that came another message. This time it was theplete version of Marcus¡¯ previous


    message.


    ¡°Scar, is Ashton with you? If he wants White Corporation, just give it to him! Remember that your safety


    is the first priority! Do not take any risk! And do not try to find me!¡±


    Marcus spoke at such a hurried pace that I needed to listen to it twice. Only then was I sure he was


    actually asking me to be on guard against Ashton.


    Still holding the phone in my hands, I shifted my gaze down towards the direction of Ashton. Looking at


    him socializing professionally among those men, I could not shake off the insecure emotions within me.


    All the evidence told me that Ashton was building a huge web, while all of us were like fish trapped


    within it. I was no exception to this.


    I turned and entered the bedroom. Then, I sat on the couch and let myself sank into deep thoughts. I


    came back to my sense only after Ashton opened the door and came in. Apparently, all the guests had


    left.


    ¡°Why are you still up?¡± Ashton asked with a drunken tone while he threw his suits on the couch. He


    approached me and gave me a gentle kiss on my forehead. ¡°Sleep early.¡±


    I could see that he was in an extremely joyous mood. Upon speaking, he wandered towards the


    bathroom, getting ready to freshen up.


    But before he entered the washroom, I called out to him.


    ¡°Ashton, you invited all these people over. Was it to celebrate our soon-to-be-born baby? Or was it an


    opportunity to build your businesswork in advance?¡±


    Ashton halted his steps. There was a long silence inside the room as the atmosphere turned


    suffocatingly tense.


    Sometimes, one does not need words to say something; silence is enough to convey the message.


    However, I would rather prefer Ashton to cover it up with a joke or something. At this moment, his


    complete silence was killing me.


    It took a long moment before he turned towards me and held my shoulders with both his hands. He


    looked at me earnestly and said, ¡°Your only priority now is to give birth. Let me handle everything in the


    company. There won¡¯t be any problem. Trust me.¡±


    Ultimately, he admitted it.


    I furrowed my brows slightly as I recalled Marcus¡¯ intimidated tone talking about Marcus. I bit my lips as


    I asked, ¡°How about Marcus? Are you really trying to help him, or is he just a part of your n?¡±


    Ashton¡¯s expression darkened when he heard Marcus¡¯ name, and his arms defensively wrapped


    around his chest. ¡°As I have said, we should know when to draw a line between personal affairs and


    work. My acquisition of White Corporation is fully legal and logical, and I have given them the best


    terms possible. You took part in the attack against the Moore family, so you should know better that


    there is no partiality in the business world. If I have not acted on them, White Corporation would have


    been left on the chopping block of others.¡±

 Chapter 1174

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1174


    When I looked into his eyes at that moment, I felt as if we were from two differents. I have seen


    this ambitious desire in his eyes before. When we just got married, he dedicated all his attention to the


    company¡¯s business. Those eyes were always so calm and fearless as if nothing in the world could


    ever stop him from getting what he wanted. There was no denying I was deeply attracted to that side of


    him. But as for today, I am starting to find it troubling.


    Now I realized he had never let go of his ambition. He knew I would probably have opposed him, so he


    delicately nned this intrigue by using GW Group to trick me into signing the letter of


    authorization. His shadow gamepletely bluffed me. All this while, he has always wanted to


    coborate with Winzone Trading.


    As thoughts ran wild in my head, I grabbed his arm tightly as I could no longer suppress my worries.


    ¡°Ashton, could you please tell me what exactly you are doing?¡±


    Hearing this, Ashton wrapped his arms around my neck and smiled at me patiently. ¡°I know that you


    would get worried easily due to your previous depression and your current pregnancy. That¡¯s why I


    chose not to tell you. You should not endure too much stress for the sake of our baby.¡±


    I found his exnation hard to believe. ¡°It has nothing to do with my depression or pregnancy. Ashton,


    you know exactly what I am asking.¡±


    I tried to collect myself, but I could hardly bear his lies anymore. ¡°Why are you keeping so many secrets


    from me? You were the one who told me thatunching in M Country would be like suicide. You said


    that you didn¡¯t want me to take the risk. Yet you are risking it all now. Why can¡¯t you do it a safer way?¡±


    Right at this instant, I came toprehend what Jackson had told me. All this while, what I knew was


    merely a tip of an iceberg.


    Fuller Corporation had just moved its headquarters to K City for a year. Thus it would still be immature


    to enter the international market. Numerous parties had given the same advice to Ashton, yet all had


    fallen short on his deaf ears.


    Right then, the smile on Ashton¡¯s face suddenly vanished. ¡°Who told you about the finance project?¡±


    I was stunned by this unexpected question, and I thought hard to find the most appropriate response.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who told me. I am one of the shareholders, so it is just a matter of time before I


    discover it. Do you really think that you can keep me in the dark forever?¡±


    Ashton was out of words. With that, he headed into the bathroom, and what I heard next was the sound


    of the running shower. And thus, ourmunication failed.


    I still could not wrap my head around it, while I found myself sitting on the couch waiting anxiously for


    him toe out.


    His shower was short and sweet like usual. After a short while, he stepped out in his bathrobe, with his


    hair still dripping wet. Seeing that I was still up, he gave a long sigh and slowly sat down beside me.


    The next moment, I could feel his gentle hands pulling me into his warm embrace.


    It seemed like ages ago when we sat down and spoke our minds. I leaned quietly on his chest,


    listening to his familiar heartbeat. A whileter, Ashton¡¯s low voice echoed in the room. ¡°Don¡¯t you


    always want to know why I didn¡¯t attend Grandpa¡¯s funeral?¡±


    I got up and looked at him in confusion. ¡°Yeah. Why?¡±


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    George was one of the few elders who treated me well. I had always felt bad that Ashton did not attend


    his funeral.


    ¡°Do you know that Nora¡¯s and my parents all died in a car crash?¡± Ashton said.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded without much thought. ¡°Nora mentioned to me that it was an ident. Did it have


    anything to do with this?¡±

 Chapter 1175

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1175


    I could see Ashton¡¯s eyes darkened as he lifted his head and gazed out the window. ¡°You only knew


    both died in a car ident, but you did not know that both happened on the same day, separately in J


    City and A City. The day before that, they were meeting up for a business deal. What seemed to be two


    unrted idents was actually a long-nned scheme to eliminate the scapegoats.¡±


    I was stunned momentarily in puzzlement. ¡°But what did this have to do with Grandpa?¡±


    Ashton took a deep breath and said, ¡°Why do you think that my parents would be willing to be the


    scapegoats without any fight?¡±


    He looked at me sternly and revealed all the truths that happened years ago.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Ashton¡¯s parents had signed some important documents due to their close friendship with Nora¡¯s


    parents. But unbeknownst to them, those were some illegal documents regarding heavy crimes. On the


    day of the car ident, Ashton would have been in the car too, if not for George, who kept him behind.


    Three hours after that, Ashton¡¯s parents got killed in a crash from J City to K City. At that same time,


    George brought Ashton to meet an old friend, whom Ashtonter found out to be the mother of the


    murderer.


    Both idents were carried out so wlessly that the cops concluded them to be pure idents even


    after thorough investigation. With their deaths, the ones who should have paid for their crimes


    remained atrge. And the real culprit went unpunished up till this day.


    ¡°A week before the ident, Grandpa had been hanging out with that particr friend. Thus my


    parents failed to detect any suspicion. They thought it was a deal with a trustworthy friend, so they


    signed those documents without hesitation. Grandpa, who knew all along about the friend¡¯s criminal


    background, did not say a word to prevent this. Undeniably he was an aplice.¡±


    I could hear the malicious hatred in Ashton¡¯sst word of his sentence.


    Never would I have thought that George would conduct this kind of secret crime. My brows furrowed as


    I asked Ashton. ¡°So the reason you are so desperate to expand now is to revenge for your parents?¡±


    However, the more I thought, the more unconvinced I was at Ashton¡¯s n. ¡°If that¡¯s so, you should be


    more careful to maintain your power, shouldn¡¯t you? Based on your recent reckless move, anyone can


    see that you are aiming the skies. Ashton, both of us know perfectly that if you fail this time, you will


    lose everything. Since you have waited for so long, what do you have to lose to wait a little longer?


    Please at least wait till our baby is born.¡±


    ¡°I am running out of time.¡± Ashton shook his head unyieldingly. ¡°I spent five years moving Fuller


    Corporation to K City. I cannot afford another five, so I¡¯ve got to defeat him within these two years. If all


    those officials who were behind this got ranked up, then I¡¯ll lose this chance forever.¡±


    Ashton sounded calm but extraordinarily persuasive. I agreed that if he did not do this now, he might


    regret it for his whole life. Sometimes opportunity could not stand the test of time.


    That night, I hugged Ashton to sleep, but I could not close my eyes the entire night. I was fully aware of


    the danger my husband was in, yet I failed to find a good reason to stop him. I had never been in such


    a dilemma, between the fear of losing him and the love to support him. With those train of thoughts in


    my mind, I dozed off somewhere around dawn.


    The moment I woke up, Ashton was not by my side. Mrs. Eriksen said he had gone back to the office.


    It had been a long time since Ist apanied Summer to eat breakfast. Even though I hardly had


    any appetite, I drank a bowl of soup together with her.


    I did not expect Jackson woulde back again so soon, this time with awyer. The two tall men


    stood in front of me and looked at me with determined expressions. Jackson knew that I would never


    give up, so he might as well proceed with the judicial process without wasting time.

 Chapter 1176

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1176


    Summer ran over and hugged Jackson tightly. ¡°Mr. Jackson, it¡¯s good to see you again!¡±


    Jackson smiled as he stroke Summer¡¯s head gently while thewyer beside him started speaking


    professionally, ¡°Ms. Stovall, Ie to represent Mr. Jackson to discuss your child¡¯s custody.¡±


    I turned my back against Summer and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t say this in front of the kid.¡±


    Then, I gave a gesture to Mrs. Eriksen, signaling her to bring Summer upstairs. After that, the three of


    us sat down in the living room.


    Jackson sat right opposite of me, with his arms crossed. He had been avoiding my eyes since arrival,


    while hiswyer was the one who did all the talking. ¡°Ms. Stovall, you and Mr. Jackson are not blood-


    rted to Summer, and both of you were friends of the deceased Ms. Markle. Mr. Jackson thinks that


    since you are starting to focus on your own baby, it will affect Summer¡¯s childhood. He hopes that you


    will voluntarily give up your custody, then there will be no need to bring this to the court.¡±


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Thiswyer seemed to be an experienced one, as he knew they would not find any actual negligence in


    how I treated Summer in terms of thew. The only possible way they could win this was going after


    the emotional aspect. Normally for custody cases, the judge would also fully consider the emotional


    condition of the guardian.


    I cast Jackson a cold nce and responded to thewyer. ¡°I don¡¯t know if Jackson has told you that I,


    too, am aw major, and I just passed the judicial examination recently. So you can save all your


    professional moves on me. I have the ability to take care of Summer alone. As for my own baby,


    Summer has always wantedpany. Thus it would not affect her in any negative way. My love


    towards the two of them won¡¯t be biased.¡±


    As I noticed Jackson was still sitting there indifferently, as if all these had nothing to do with him, I


    started to get furious. I deliberately turned the topic against him. ¡°Jackson also has his own child. Can


    he guarantee he will treat Summer with a fair share?¡±


    Both of them were obviously well-prepared for my usation, as they did not show any reaction to my


    words.


    Thewyer nced at Jackson as if he was getting thetter¡¯s approval. Seeing that Jackson nodded


    his head, thewyer turned to me again and spoke firmly, ¡°The child of Ms. Alder that you mentioned is


    not actually the child of Mr. Jackson. And Mr. Jackson can guarantee that he will never have another


    child. So he will love the two kids with all his heart. Is there anything else?¡±


    I was befuddled at what I heard. ¡°How could this be?¡±


    Jackson did not lift his head but said with a low voice, ¡°It has nothing to do with you. All you need to


    know is that I will love Summer more than you do. I will not let her stay in the battlefield of the Fullers.¡±


    This upheaval had caught me off guard. Jackson¡¯swyer had clearly noticed my confusion and started


    firing a bunch of questions at me. ¡°When Summer grows up and finds out that she looks different from


    her sibling, how would you answer her? And most importantly, you went through miscarriage twice,


    didn¡¯t you? And you even got kidnapped! Mr. Jackson doubts that you and Mr. Fuller are fit to be


    parents.¡±


    My head was in agony until the moment they left. Jackson¡¯swyer was undoubtedly a good debater,


    while every one of his words pierced through my heart mercilessly. As awyer, he was doing a brilliant


    job. But as another human, he was way too mean. I understoodw too well to know that the kidnap


    alone could alter the judge and the jury¡¯s decision.


    Jackson had a wife, and even though they were not really wealthy, they still would be able to provide


    Summer a decent life. Hence, I knew I stood no chance, even if we were financially better off.


    Compared to a luxurious but risky lifestyle, the judge would probably prefer a normal yet stable life for


    the child.

 Chapter 1177

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1177


    For the entire day, I did not see Ashton. I then called Emery as my stressful emotion refused to


    subside. ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe that before I could be awyer, I had be a defendant. Such an


    irony.¡±


    The second Emery heard that Summer might be taken away, she assured confidently, ¡°Thatwyer has


    nothing but a foul mouth. Anyone can stoop low and y dirty. Fret not. I promise no one wouldy


    hands on Summer as long as I am here.¡±


    After hanging up, I stared emotionlessly at the phone with a nk mind. On my way to Summer¡¯s


    room, I suddenly had this strong feeling that I could lose her forever. At that moment, I felt as though a


    thousand needles were stabbing through my heart.


    It was already 9 p.m., so I supposed Summer should be asleep. I opened her door as quietly as I could,


    only to hear her sweet and carefree voice echoing in the room.


    ¡°And also candies, please. Ms. Collins, please bring me these if youe over. Mommy never lets me


    have them!¡±


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Ms. Collins? Which Ms. Collins is she talking to? Out of curiosity, I tiptoed my way towards Summer¡¯s


    desk and saw her video-calling someone.


    ¡°Okay, I promise. Remember, this is a secret between us. Don¡¯t tell anyone.¡±


    My back stiffened the moment I recognized Ste¡¯s voiceing from theputer. Since when is she


    so close with Summer that they are still chatting at this hour?


    Feeling utterly displeased, I asked suddenly, ¡°Summer, are you asleep?¡±


    Startled by my voice, Summer clumsily shut herputer and jumped swiftly into her bed, pretending


    to be sleeping.


    I was amused by her cuteness, but I tried to put on a stern face. ¡°Are you really sleeping? Why aren¡¯t


    you under your nket?¡±


    I could notice her tensed body and her nervous breath, yet her eyes were still tightly closed.


    It was difficult for me not tough at this scene. But instead, I gave a long sigh on purpose. ¡°Alright, if


    you really don¡¯t like me, then I won¡¯te and visit you anymore in the future.¡±


    ¡°Mommy! Wait!¡± Summer jumped out from her bed and grabbed my hands tightly. ¡°I love you, Mommy!


    Please don¡¯t send me to Xavier¡¯s house. I want to be with you. I promise I will be a good girl!¡±


    Upon that, I could see tears started to well up in her eyes. How could I bear to hold a grudge against


    such a sweet kid? I patiently tucked her in her bed while trying tomunicate in a mature tone.


    ¡°Summer, since when did you exchange contact with Ms. Collins?¡±


    Summer had her own WhatsApp ount, but her contact lists were none other than some close


    elders. Besides, she seldom used it except during special asions, for which I would usually be the


    one to set up the video call for her. I had never expected she would use it on her own and even added


    Ste.


    Following that, Summer covered her face with her nket, unwilling to answer my question. Judging


    from her stubborn behavior, I knew she liked Ste very much. Apparently, kids would do anything to


    protect the things they treasured.


    I bit my lips and reached my hand towards Summer. Gently patting her back, I tried tofort her.


    ¡°Summer, of course, I will want you to have more friends. But I am your closest friend, so we should not


    keep secrets from each other. I promise that I won¡¯t be mad at you. Okay?¡±


    Soon after that, Summer started revealing everything to me.


    Back when I was confined by Ashton, he had brought Summer to Fuller Corporation. During that time,


    thepany was under mass development, so everyone was fully upied. Whereas Ste, who was


    at the counter, was the only one avable to babysit Summer. Ste was an expert around kids, so they


    became good friends in just one morning. At that time, she even created another private chat ount


    for Summer. That was why I did not see her contact in Summer¡¯s original ount.

 Chapter 1178

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1178


    After a moment of consideration, I decided to take a look at Summer¡¯s WhatsApp chat messages. After


    putting her to sleep, I headed back to my room to read her conversation with Ste in private. Seeing


    as to how Summer was not the best at typing, the chat contained mostly voice messages. There wasn¡¯t


    anything special, but I noticed that Ste had never said no to Summer. She would always fulfill the


    latter¡¯s wishes, especially things I often didn¡¯t allow Summer to do. In particr, Ste had secretly


    bought Summer sweet, edible things more than five times in the past two weeks alone.


    I truly believed that every mother would understand why I was so agitated at that moment. Without a


    minute to waste, I immediately called Ste on WhatsApp, anger boiling within me as I did so.


    As expected, the woman picked up the phone quickly. Her tone of voice was soft and gentle, loaded


    with affection, ¡°Summer, you want to chat with me for a while more, right?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Collins,¡± I said coldly, not bothering to try hiding my displeasure.


    The woman on the other side of the line fell silent for a second. When she spoke, there was aplete


    about-turn on her tone. She said respectfully and submissively, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, why are you still awake?


    It¡¯s sote¡­¡±


    Previously, I had brushed aside things regarding Ste as Ashton was quite satisfied with her


    performance. However, now that she had crossed the line and targeted Summer, it was pointless for


    me to show her an ounce of respect. Despite my displeasure towards her, I had to still handle the


    situation in a formal way. My voice became harsher than earlier as I spat out, ¡°Please bear in mind that


    your job is to solely assist Ashton with thepany. I don¡¯t want anyone to disturb Summer in the


    future. Also, I don¡¯t need anyone to interfere with my way of parenting. Do you understand?¡±


    Ste sighed, feeling wronged. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, please believe me when I say I didn¡¯t. Please don¡¯t get me


    wrong; Summer is an adorable girl. I simply wanted to pamper her and treat her well. I am not¡­¡±


    ¡°Then raise your own child and go ahead to pamper her,¡± I interrupted her, ¡°Did I say something wrong?


    If I¡¯m not mistaken, Justin has been waiting for you. If you change your mind and decide to have your


    own family, Ashton and I will be happy to help you on this.¡±


    My harsh words stunned Ste speechless. The woman remained quiet for a while before she said


    honestly, ¡°I understand now, Mrs. Fuller. I won¡¯t do such a thing anymore.¡±


    ¡°Good. Please delete Summer¡¯s contact and block her on WhatsApp after our conversation ends.


    That¡¯s all for now.¡±


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    At that, I pressed the red button to end that call. A few minutester, I opened Ste¡¯s chatroom and


    sent a message to her. I was finally relieved when I saw a single tick and a nk profile picture appear.


    Summer must be feeling too lonely these days. That was why Ste could easily get close with her. At


    Summer¡¯s age, she should actually spend time with her peers. However, the Fullers¡¯ lived in a single-


    family vi. It was separated from the neighbors. Whenever Ashton and I were busy, there was no one


    there to apany Summer. It was high time for me to look for the best elementary school for her.


    I didn¡¯t know much about childhood educational institutions in K City. Thus, I sent Emery a message on


    WhatsApp for a piece of advice. Emery, what¡¯s the best school in K City? By the way, It¡¯s better to look


    for one with good security. Summer¡¯s safety is my top priority.


    Being the night owl she is, Emery usually stayed upte. I was hoping to decide on the school before


    going to bed, but I fell asleep at around ten o¡¯clock without getting any reply from Emery.


    The following morning, Emery called.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I had a social event to attendst night and drank a little too much. I fell asleep as soon


    as I got home. But anyway, I¡¯ve found a suitable elementary school for Summer. If you¡¯re not busy in


    the afternoon, I¡¯lle over to pick you up. Let¡¯s bring Summer along to have a look. Is that okay with


    you?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t ask for more. Without a second thought, I agreed.


    I had not gone out with Summer since the festive season, so she was extremely excited along the way.


    Emery rmended us an elite school. Undoubtedly, the environment was good. The security


    measures were also in ce. Besides, the children came from well-off families. After the visit, Summer


    and I both seemed satisfied with it. Hence, I firmed up Summer¡¯s enrollment with the principal. Next


    Monday, she would be able to go to school with the other kids.

 Chapter 1179

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1179


    Right after we left the school, Emery took me and Summer shopping. Hunter¡¯s performance appraisal


    for the professor was around the corner. Therefore, she was going to pick a tuxedo personally for him.


    It was quiet in the branded store we entered. While Emery was choosing the suit, Summer and I waited


    on the sofa patiently.


    Emery had always been a generous woman, usually buying whatever she had her eyes on when she


    was out shopping. However, she zoned out several times that day while staring nkly at the suit,


    seeming to be exceptionally careful in choosing the clothing. Upon seeing her like that, I couldn¡¯t help


    but tease, ¡°Professor Zane¡¯s position has improved a lot ever since he became your husband.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Emery tilted her head, looking at me in disdain with her pretty eyes. ¡°Was I treating


    him badly when he was my boyfriend?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡± I smiled and patted Summer¡¯s head gently. ¡°It¡¯s just rare to see you being so serious when


    buying things. Is the appraisal very important?¡±


    Emery put away the suit in her hand and took two steps forward towards me before she answered


    absent-mindedly, ¡°Not really. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem for him.¡±


    She had never been one to hide her emotions, so they were written all over her face. I noticed


    something off about her and asked, ¡°Are you and Professor Zane doing well?¡±


    Subconsciously, her strange behavior paired with my question reminded me of the fact that she hadn¡¯t


    replied to my message the previous night. Emery¡¯s alcohol tolerance was higher than most, and she


    always knew what she was doing. Besides, she was the one who always drank someone under the


    table. She seldom got drunk. In fact, it was actually a poor excuse of her being drunk and not replying


    to me, but only now did I realize that.


    The topic I brought up halted her in her tracks for a while. Soon, she turned her back to me and


    pretended as if she was picking a suit. ¡°What kind of question is that? There¡¯s simply nothing you can


    do with those girls around Ashton, but not me. Don¡¯t even think of getting off so easily if anyone is


    trying to mess with my man.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    I could feel her fierce and vicious aura even though she was facing away from me. Her words held a


    sharp tone to them. After all, Emery was a member of the Moore family, a family who was high and


    mighty to the core. She would never tolerate threats and provocations. I knew she would take action if


    something had indeed happened.


    However, something like that was probably never going to happen between her and Hunter.


    I stayed silent, lost in thought. After a while, Emery turned around, her expression looked normal. Then,


    she walked towards me and sat down by my side. ¡°I almost forgot to tell you this. I¡¯ve sent someone to


    look into the custody of Summer. The subordinates are preparing an editorial for the maniption of


    public opinion, and they sent me the draft article. Have a look at it. If everything¡¯s all right for you, we


    will get someone to publish it tomorrow.¡±


    As she spoke, she handed her phone to me. My heart immediately sank when I saw the title.


    ¡®Rainbow Couples¡¯ To Adopt A Child.


    There was a photograph of two men in suits, pushing a stroller under the title. The man on the right of


    the photo was pixted. It was Nick and Jackson.


    ¡°No way.¡± Without hesitation, I handed her back her phone. ¡°Emery, how many people have seen this


    article?¡±


    ¡°Only a few. I can count the number of people who have read it on one hand. That includes the


    publisher and people I sent to carry out the investigation.¡± Emery was lost in thought for a while as she


    looked at me cautiously. After a moment, she said, ¡°Oh dear, please don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re being soft-


    hearted at this point.¡±


    I went quiet. Indeed, I didn¡¯t want to lose Summer, but I didn¡¯t want to fight in that way. If that article


    was published, countless people would get hurt. I didn¡¯t even need to experience the outburst to realize


    how serious the issue was. The level of eptance of the LGBTmunity was already low in the


    country. It was almost impossible for them to receive supports from the public, especially when it


    involved the issue of child education. Putting that aside, Jackson¡¯s life would be destroyed if word got


    out. As for Nick, people who were acquainted with him would definitely recognize him at first sight¡­


    Irritation and disappointment washed over Emery¡¯s face when she saw me acting in that manner.


    ¡°Scarlett, it¡¯s not the time for you to show too much sympathy. Ourwyer has done an analysis of your


    case, and it¡¯s not likely for you to win this. We only have one way out. Else, you can only wait


    helplessly for the court decision to give him the custody.¡±

 Chapter 1180

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1180


    I shook my head and gave her a wry smile while looking at the obedient little Summer. ¡°I¡¯m not going to


    let that happen. There¡¯s got to be another way. Summer can¡¯t live without me, and I can¡¯t leave her


    behind as well. No one can break us apart.¡±


    We had been through so much for more than ten years. Even if Jackson and I were to go to court, I


    would never ever stab him in the back with that.


    I was worried that Emery might do things on the spur-of-the-moment decision. So, I emphasized once


    again, ¡°Emery, get them to delete it.¡±


    She rolled her eyes at me resignedly. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to exin what a good opportunity this is to


    you.¡±


    I pursed my lips a little at herment. Before I could retort, the store manager walked up to us in an


    attempt to strike up a conversation. ¡°Ms. Moore, have any of the suits taken your fancy? You guys


    seem a little tired. Why don¡¯t you pick your favorite one first? I will get someone to pack it up for you.¡±


    Emery, whose mind was muddled, simply pointed at the disy rack in front of us. Ady in sexy


    clothes was standing at the spot she gestured to. Emery then said generously, ¡°I want everything on


    the rack. Please pack everything up and deliver them to my houseter.¡±


    The manager was a man of the world. He bent over slightly and said, ¡°Alright. Please wait for a


    moment.¡±


    After saying that, he turned around to pack up the clothes. Suddenly, a high-pitched and piercing voice


    of a woman broke the peace. ¡°Wait!¡±


    We followed the direction of the voice and noticed a sexy and smoking hot woman aggressively


    approaching the manager. ¡°Are you the store manager? Didn¡¯t you see that I was the one who had an


    eye on the clothes first? And you let other women have it without even asking me! Exin this to me!¡±


    Although she was talking to the manager, she was shooting us a death stare. Obviously, she was not


    easy to deal with.


    If Emery was at her best, I knew she would have definitely stepped forward to confront the woman.


    However, she was probably feeling worried today, which exined why shepletely ignored that


    woman. Instead, she grabbed Summer¡¯s hand and headed out. ¡°Summer, let¡¯s go home.¡±


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Emery¡¯s carefree and fearless attitude was a trademark of all family members of the Moore family. She


    simply washed her hands of the situation and walked away, leaving the manager to pick up her ck.


    Her standards were many times higher than the woman who was yelling rudely. After all, the world is


    ruled by power, and power is obtained with money. With the Moore family¡¯s reputation, Emery didn¡¯t


    have to worry about anything. It was clear cut, whether the manager would stand on or her side or the


    side of justice.


    I raised my eyebrows and silently wished the furious woman farewell. All the best! After that, I turned


    around and followed behind Emery.


    .However, the woman was persistent. She hurried over and blocked our way. ¡°Stop right there! Are you


    going to leave like that without offering a single apology?¡±


    After saying that, she looked at someone who was behind us with puppy dog eyes and started talking


    in a whiny voice. ¡°Mr. Ziegler, Someone¡¯s bullying me! Are you just going to stand there and do


    nothing? Boo-hoo¡­¡±


    I was disgusted by her tone; it almost made me sick. Hence, I turned around, only to see Mr. Ziegler in


    a colorful suit. It seemed like he was texting on his phone. After a while, he finally lifted his head and


    walked towards us.


    Upon seeing that, the woman immediately moved closer to him and leaned on him, acting innocent


    whileining, ¡°Mr. Ziegler, I spent quite some time and finally found a suit which goes well with


    you and highlights your elegance. But this woman showed up and bought everything on the rack! Even


    the manager is not doing justice to me.¡±


    ¡°Is that true? Did such a thing really happened?¡± He gave the manager a cold-eyed stare. The manager


    lowered his head instantly. He seemed to be very afraid of that man.


    A whileter, the man¡¯s gaze fell upon us. He smirked once he saw Emery. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s my first love. What


    are the odds? I guess we were fated to see each other, weren¡¯t we? What do you think, Emery?¡±


    I stared at the man, eyes wide in confusion.


    This man with an unusual and unconventional taste is Emery¡¯s first love? Was Emery blind during a


    period of time?


    Compared to the man, Emery¡¯s facial expression was rtively menacing and full of hatred. ¡°You wish!


    Mitchell. That was your one-sided love. We were never together.¡± She let out a scoff before continuing,


    ¡° I see that your taste is getting more terrible over the years.¡±

 Chapter 1181

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1181


    Herst remark was obviously referring to the woman standing next to Mitchell.


    Emery had a sharp tongue, so her words always hit their mark. Upon hearing her snidement,


    Mitchell immediately felt embarrassed and humiliated. Hence, he pulled his hand back from the


    woman¡¯s grip and thrust his hands into his pockets. After which, he cleared his throat and bent over to


    look at Summer. ¡°Is she your daughter?¡±


    Mitchell didn¡¯t seem like a good person, so I subconsciously pulled Summer in front of me in a


    defensive manner. ¡° You¡¯ve misunderstood. She¡¯s my daughter.¡±


    He straightened up and raised one of his brows, looking at me. ¡°And you are?¡±


    Emery aggressively stood in front of me. ¡°Stop looking at her with those eyes. She¡¯s taken by someone


    you can¡¯t afford to offend. Don¡¯t get any ideas up in that horrid head of yours.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Mitchell smirked scornfully. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that there¡¯s someone the Ziegler family can¡¯t afford to


    offend in K City?¡±


    Emery sneered in mockery, ¡°It¡¯s a parent¡¯s duty and responsibility to educate their children. We have no


    obligation to eradicate illiteracy. Goodbye!¡±


    Mitchell turned blue in the face while Emery dragged Summer and I away from the store.


    As we left, we could hear the man shouting in dissatisfaction. ¡°Emery, don¡¯t be so cocky! Do you think I


    wouldn¡¯t be able to find out if you don¡¯t tell me anything? You better watch out!¡±


    A bad feeling washed over me, and I turned back to have a look at the man. Mitchell was already


    making a phone call, his eyes burning with fury. When he realized I was looking at him, his facial


    expression changed abruptly when our eyes met. He shot a sly grin at me, sending chills down my


    spine. My heart began pounding furiously, and I hastily sped up.


    Once I got into the elevator, unease filled my mind when I recalled Mitchell¡¯s look. I turned toward


    Emery and asked anxiously, ¡°Who the hell was that guy?¡±


    Though her eyes were like burning torches zing with anger, her expression looked disgusted and a


    little helpless. ¡°A yboy.¡±


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Huh?¡± I didn¡¯t catch what she meant. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°His head has been full of dirty and filthy thoughts since he was sixteen. He wouldn¡¯t refuse any women


    as long as they were pretty good-looking. Aren¡¯t all those qualities of a yboy?¡± All of a sudden,


    Emery gritted her teeth in anger. ¡°He used to like me in the past. It makes me so sick!¡±


    On our way back, Emery had told me a lot about Mitchell.


    She told me about how the Ziegler family cut their teeth in the real estate industry in K City, and how


    the Zieglers preferred sons over daughters. I heard details about Zayne Ziegler, who was in charge of


    thepany business even though he was capable of nothing, and Thora Ziegler, the second daughter


    in the family who was forced to make a living outside of the family. The woman went on to establish the


    Ziegler Investment, apany that mainly managed the real estate and facilities. Ziegler Corporation


    and Ziegler Investment almost carved up the whole real estate industry in K City.


    Even though Thora did not seem to associate herself with the Ziegler family, in reality, if something


    were to happen to the family, the Zieglers would definitely help each other. Hence, the rtionship


    among the Ziegler family in K City was deep-seated and intertwined in many ways. The family shouldn¡¯t


    be underestimated. Mitchell Ziegler was the youngest son in the family, a typically rich and good-for-


    nothing man from a wealthy family. He was a yboy who spent most of his time enjoying himself with


    many women, having a lot of casual sexual rtionships. He used his social status to take advantage


    of plenty of women, ruining their lives as he did so. Previously, he was even arrested for rape.


    However, he was released in the end due to the strong forces of the Ziegler family. He was known as


    the infamous ¡®Devil Incarnate¡¯ within his social circle. Fortunately, the Moore family had


    been bureaucrats for three generations. If it weren¡¯t for the Moores, Emery might have fallen into


    Mitchell¡¯s hands too.


    ¡°That man is such a jinx. Let¡¯s not go to that store anymore¡­ No¡­ We should cklist the whole mall,¡±


    Emery concluded.


    I nodded my head in agreement. ¡°Let¡¯s go somewhere a little farther. The city center isn¡¯t big. It¡¯ll be


    easy to run into an acquaintance of some kind.¡±


    As for an acquaintance like Mitchell Ziegler, it was better not to see him anymore for the rest of our


    lives.

 Chapter 1182

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1182


    Ever since I found out about the finance project, Ashton had openly be busy. Sometimes, he only


    went back home once every three days. I was hardly able to see him during the day.


    Even he had been working hard and putting much effort for days and nights, the development of the


    company in the construction industry was still at risk. A few idents had happened at the construction


    site, causing many workers to be disabled even they had been through secret treatment. Hence,


    they had filed a im of injury against Fuller Corporation for getting workers¡¯pensation. However,


    an attorney had confirmed that there had been no human operation error from Fuller Corporation,


    allowing the ims to be denied.


    In the end, the workers decided to file aint with the media, and things took another drastic turn


    due to how the media was framing things. Public opinion switched over to bias towards the weak. Fuller


    Corporation was forced to issue an official apology statement and makepensation.


    Such an issue had a huge impact on Fuller Corporation¡¯s corporate image. The mediapanies had


    been digging out news, regardless of the truth.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Besides sending Summer to school and picking her up after school, I still had to finish my daily revision


    for the bar exam. Although my daily life routine was simple, I still understood Ashton¡¯s situation.


    He had taken a big step from J City to K City, struggling hard to seed. Now, he was facing greater


    difficulties. Perhaps he would be defeated miserably in less than two years.


    I waited for Summer in front of the school as usual.


    As soon as I picked her up, I turned around and saw John standing by the street with his hands in his


    pocket. He was dressed in a pure white suit that did notpliment him well. I wondered why he had


    picked out such a horrible outfit.


    ¡°Uncle John!¡± Summer recognized him at first sight. She broke free from my hands and ran over to


    John. They were so close to each other, looking almost like father and daughter.


    ¡°Get in the car.¡± John stepped aside, revealing a silver-gray sportpact behind him. I looked at it,


    confused. The Fullers¡¯ car is supposed to be in the parking lot.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my chauffeur?¡± I asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s disappeared into thin air.¡± John put on a faint smile. As he spoke, he held Summer and got into


    the car.


    Despite being married, he was still full of nonsense. I couldn¡¯t help but roll my eyes at him before


    getting into the car as well.


    Though both in K City, the Stovall residence and where the Fullers stayed were located in different


    directions. I naturally thought John was going to pay a visit to the Fullers, but after getting into the car, I


    realized he was heading in the direction of the Stovall residence.


    ¡°Are we headed to the Stovall residence?¡± I asked.


    John was focusing his eyes on the road, so he only answered after stopping at a red light. ¡°Your name


    is on the Stovall family register. Have you forgotten to take care of the elders in the Stovall family?¡±


    I knew he was referring to Louis. During the festive season, my godfather patrolled a lot. We hadn¡¯t had


    the chance to see him when we paid a visit that time.


    I found John ridiculous for going through all that trouble. ¡°You don¡¯t have to make your trip all the way


    here personally. You could have just called. I would have brought Summer over.¡±


    John trailed his eyes to the front as he curled his lips slightly. ¡°I had toe personally to make sure


    nothing could go wrong.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I tilted my head curiously. He sounded strange, but I couldn¡¯t put my finger on why.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± John heaved a long sigh of relief. He raised his head, looked at the rearview mirror, and


    teased Summer, ¡°I missed Summer so much. I couldn¡¯t wait to see her. Of course, I had toe


    personally. Am I right, Summer?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Summer grinned from ear to ear. Undoubtedly, I didn¡¯t raise any objection and let John fetch us


    back to the Stovall residence.


    It was usually an hour¡¯s ride, but we only needed forty minutes to reach the destination, given John¡¯s


    driving speed.


    Louis adored Summer,ughing joyfully the whole time he was with the young girl.


    In the blink of an eye, it was half-past eight at night. If it were any other day, I would be tucked Summer


    into bed by now. The young girl was worn out after ying with Louis for such a long time. She leaned


    on me and rubbed her eyes with her hands, feeling sleepy.


    I adjusted my position a little to make Summer feel morefortable as I prepared to return home.


    ¡°John, get a chauffeur to send us home, please. It¡¯s gettingte.¡±

 Chapter 1183

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1183


    Just as John was about to get up from his seat, Louis stopped him and stated, ¡°It¡¯s not safe to make


    your way back in the middle of the night. Why don¡¯t you spend the night here? The weekend is just


    around the corner. Let the little girl keep mepany for the next two days. John, go get them to get


    the room ready.¡±


    John stood up from his seat and replied, ¡°Alright!¡±


    At this moment, Emma showed up at the stairs and craned over, announcing in a courteous manner,


    ¡°The room is ready! Scarlett, bring Summer up. Hurry.¡±


    I was utterly dumbfounded and felt slightly awkward because Emmas had gotten the room ready a


    minute after the instruction was delivered.


    Is she a seer or something? Why does it feels like they¡¯re trying to get me to stay for the weekend?


    Knowing Ashton wouldn¡¯t be home, I decided to go along with their suggestion and asked John to bring


    my suitcases upstairs while I carried Summer up with me.


    Once I tucked Summer in, I returned to the living room. I was about to drop Ashton a text message, but


    John stopped me. ¡°Are you trying to text Ashton? That won¡¯t be necessary. I already told him I would


    be bringing both of you over here with me.¡±


    Although he seemed to be telling the truth, I was doubtful. Thus, I asked, ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Of course! Why would I lie?¡± John scoffed with a straight face, convincing me it was the truth.


    Out of the blue, the notification of my phone running out of battery popped up. Consequently, John


    snatched my phone away from me and offered, ¡°I¡¯ll return it to you once it¡¯s fully charged in the


    morning.¡±


    He turned and left the room before I could respond to his offer. On his way out, he closed the door shut.


    When I was about to call it a day, someone knocked on the door. A voice sounded, ¡°Scarlett, have you


    fallen asleep?¡±


    It was Emma. Since I couldn¡¯t seem to lull myself to sleep, I asked her to join me in the room because I


    had always been fond of her presence.


    After we wrapped up our conversation, I knew Emma had something else in mind because she started


    stuttering.


    When I thought about the incident that had urred, I forced myself to calm down and asserted in a


    serious tone, ¡°Emma, feel free to tell me everything, okay? You can always count on this sister-inw


    of yours.¡±


    Seeing as to how John had brought me over and asked Louis, as well as the rest, to get Summer and I


    to spend our weekend here, I was pretty sure something was going on behind the scenes. ¡°If that¡¯s the


    case, I¡¯ll be frank then.¡± Emma held my hand and stared at me with a determined look. ¡°Please teach


    me the way to get John to open up to me!¡±


    The built-up tension dispersed into thin air because she had brought up something beyond my


    expectations. I asked with widened eyes, ¡°Is that necessary when both of you are married?¡±


    At my statement, Emma flushed and shrugged my hands off quickly. ¡°Of course! John merely considers


    me his wife, but he doesn¡¯t really care about me¡­ It feels as though something¡¯s missing between us!


    We might seem like a lovely pair, but we¡¯re not close in any way!¡±


    She began behaving differently from her usual calm and collected self. I teased her in return, ¡°I was


    there during your blind date with John. Isn¡¯t this kind of rtionship the kind you¡¯re looking for? What


    changed your mind over the past six months?¡±


    Emma stuttered, ¡°I-I think I have fallen in love with him! You can¡¯t really exin the reason behind


    having feelings for someone, can you?¡±


    She then turned around and red at me, asking earnestly, ¡°Are you going to help me or not?¡±


    Judging by her reddened cheeks, I knew she was no longer the indifferent woman I knew her to be. I


    held my chest high and announced, ¡°Sure! After all, we¡¯re a family! I can¡¯t possibly turn you down, can


    I? I¡¯ll do everything I can and get him to reciprocate the affection you have for him as soon as possible!¡±N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.

 Chapter 1184

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1184


    Just as I was about to share John¡¯s secret with the timid woman, a thought flooded my brain, prompting


    me to ask in a serious manner, ¡°Is this part of John and your n to keep me here?¡±


    ¡°What on earth are you talking about? I haven¡¯t had the chance to bring this up in front of him!¡± Arching


    her brows in confusion, she denoted, ¡°I thought of acquiring your aid when John told us you would be


    spending some time here with Summer. Are things fine on your end? Why are you running away from


    home?¡±


    Huh? Wait! That¡¯s not the case!


    ¡°Wait! Spending some time here? What do you mean? Aren¡¯t we merely here for the weekend?¡±


    ¡°Does the duration make any difference?¡± After Emma gave it a thought, she added, ¡°Since there are


    so many rooms, you can stay here for as long as you want! Isn¡¯t it great? You can teach me the way to


    tame the stubborn John!¡±


    As I lost myself in my train of thoughts, I couldn¡¯t pay attention to the things she had to say. A few


    doubts arose in my mind, but I dared not jump to conclusions. In the end, I asked, ¡°Do you have your


    phone with you? Can you let me use it for a moment?¡±


    After arching her brows in confusion once more, Emma reached for her phone from her pocket and


    handed it over to me.


    As soon as I logged into my Facebook ount, I began gathering news regarding Fuller Corporation.


    There wasn¡¯t anytest news regarding Ashton¡¯stest situation because the only news avable were


    the ones regarding the gravely injured staff some time ago.


    I grew increasingly curious; I couldn¡¯t figure out the reason Louis had insisted on keeping me there.


    As a precautionary step, I dropped Ashton a text message and informed him I would be spending the


    weekend at the Stovall residence. I returned to John¡¯s room with Emma in an attempt to confront him,


    but the man I was looking for was nowhere to be seen. When we approached the butler, he said John


    had departed while Louis had fallen asleep.


    Emma and I exchanged nces and heaved a long sigh; we both knew there wasn¡¯t anything else we


    could do about it.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    ¡­


    ¡°Scarlett, wake up! The maid has just informed me that John and Ashton are fighting at the entrance!¡±


    I was roused from my sleep when I heard Emma¡¯s anxious voice. Immediately after I put on my jacket, I


    rushed out of the house with her in tow.


    By the time I reached the entrance, Ashton¡¯s car had departed, leaving an injured John behind. Judging


    by his bruised cheeks and bleeding lips, I knew they had gotten into an intense fight.


    Emma rushed over and asked her husband concernedly, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Confused, I had my eyes glued to Ashton¡¯s departing car. I had a bad feeling about how he had


    departed before he saw Summer and I in person.


    I had rushed out of the house in time to catch a glimpse of Ashton¡¯s indifferent expression just now. I


    was taken aback by the sight and currently had a hard time shrugging it off my mind.


    Ashton should have long considered John and the rest of the Stovall family close acquaintances of his.


    Hence, his indifferent expression towards John had taken me by surprise.


    I tucked my arms closer to my body because I couldn¡¯t stand the gentle breeze in the morning. When I


    looked at John nkly, a sh of realization about how he couldn¡¯t keep me in the dark anymore


    appeared in his eyes.


    I headed into Louis¡¯ room with John and was immediately greeted by their serious expressions.


    A few minutes after I took my seat, Louis broke the silence and announced, ¡°Scarlett, you don¡¯t have to


    return to the Fullers anymore. The Stovall family will take care of you and Summer in the future.¡±


    It seemed like John had been keeping Emma in the dark as well. I couldn¡¯t figure out the reason they


    wanted me to stay there forever. Hence, I asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    My godfather furrowed his brows and looked elsewhere. He seemed to be stupefied because of my


    question.


    After waiting in silence for a hot minute, I confronted John and demanded, ¡°You tell me then.¡±

 Chapter 1185

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1185


    Louis might have his concerns because he was a senior of ours. However, John and I had been


    through all sorts of ups and downs in our lives; we had nothing to keep from one another.


    When John heard me, he snapped out of his process of thought and looked at me with his bloodshot


    pair of eyes.


    After a gruesome ten seconds of silence, he said, ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware of the things Fuller


    Corporation is going through. If Ashton insists, he¡¯s only going to drag you and Summer down with him.


    As your brother, I can¡¯t afford to expose you to such excessive risks.¡±


    As an expert in wreaking havoc himself, John could sense danger way ahead of others. Since it was


    pretty much the same as I had spected, I regained myposure and replied calmly, ¡°I¡¯m well


    aware of the things that are currently happening. As his wife, however, it¡¯s part of my duty to be by his


    side when he needs me most. Do you really think I¡¯ll leave him just because of the risk associated with


    his decision?¡±


    Although I knew they merely wanted to keep me safe, I found their decisions ironic. Staring at John, I


    brought something up and asked, ¡°Who¡¯s the high-ranking official that¡¯s behind the scenes?¡±


    If that mysterious figure is able to intimidate Louis of all people, I need to give Ashton a heads-up!


    When John heard me, he got worked up and jolted up from his seat in anger. Staring at me with his


    chest held high, he remarked sarcastically, ¡°Has he considered your safety? What makes you think you


    have to take the risk with him? Do you really think such a capable man isn¡¯t aware of the foe he¡¯s going


    up against?¡±


    His response took me by surprise, and I had a hard time figuring out the reason behind his wrath. John


    had never seemed afraid when he performed reckless things with Ashton before.


    Overwhelmed by wrath, John banged the door shut after making his way out of the room. Prior to his


    departure, he warned me, ¡°You have to stay here. I won¡¯t allow you to return to him anymore!¡±


    Bang! My heart skipped a beat as a result of the thunderous sound.


    Soon, Louis and I were the only ones left behind. He heaved a long sigh and exined, ¡°I¡¯m sure you


    know him better than me. Please don¡¯t me him for reacting in this manner. Your brother is merely


    afraid something bad will happen to you.¡±


    I nodded my head and forced a smile, assuring him it wasn¡¯t a big deal.


    It would take something much more serious than that to get me to sever ties with him.


    Louis nodded at my reaction and brought up another topic. ¡°Are you aware yourte grandmother is


    closely acquainted with Ashton¡¯s grandfather?¡±


    I nodded my head once more and replied, ¡°That¡¯s also the reason Ashton¡¯s grandfather has insisted on


    having us married to one another.¡±


    He responded with a nod, but a few secondster, he looked at me with a serious expression and


    asked, ¡°Has Ashton ever shared anything about his parents with you?¡±


    Conscious of the things he was about to bring up, my heart sank. Ashton had once told me that his


    parents had passed on because they had been deceived. I would have the shock of my life if Louis


    were to tell me Ashton¡¯s parents¡¯ death had anything to do with Grandma and Ashton¡¯s Grandpa.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Louis took a deep breath and orated, ¡°Back in the day, the Murphys were suspected of illegal mining of


    petroleum. As the person in charge of the investigation, I found out the Fullers from J City had


    something to do with him. Since there was solid evidence to get them convicted, I brought a team of


    elites and the required documents to take them into custody with me. When we were on our way to J


    City, we heard the bad news of the Fullers¡¯ members passing on because of an ident. Only a limited


    few had the rights to mine petroleum. As the person in charge, your grandmother must have been


    aware of the things the Murphys had been doing behind the scenes¡­¡±


    My heart sank to the bottom of my stomach when I heard him. Confused, I asked, ¡°Does that mean


    Grandma brought upon Ashton¡¯s parents¡¯ demise?¡±


    Louis instantly shook his head and asserted in a serious tone, ¡°I can¡¯t be certain, but judging by the


    gathered evidence, that seems to be the case.¡±


    ¡°Since that particr incident, the Murphys had been behaving themselves. I thought the incidents had


    come to an end, but when I saw the patriarch of the Oberick family during the banquet held for the


    twins, I sent John to investigate if there was anything going on behind the scenes. To my surprise,


    Ashton had been busy getting to the bottom of the truth over the years. He was determined to get his


    revenge against those at fault at all costs. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s going to be another futile effort to pick on those


    in power¡­¡±


    I couldn¡¯t recall the rest of our conversation from that point onwards. By the time I returned to my


    senses, I was on the couch in the living room. Overwhelmed by the truth, I had a hard time gathering


    my thoughts.

 Chapter 1186

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1186


    Ashton had never stopped expanding the corporation ever since he was appointed the person in


    charge of Starlight Group. He had acquired OrbitTech and merged it with Quinn Corporation after


    receiving funds from globally renowned angel capitalists. If he has been aware of the truth all this while,


    why did he get married to me? If it weren¡¯t because of his grandfather¡¯s offer to have him inherit the


    company, would he have chosen to marry me?


    After a long while, John showed up at the entrance. He stood there for some time in silence before


    making his way over. He took a seat by my side and asked gently, ¡°Are you feeling okay?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to form aplete sentence, too shocked by the new piece of news I had just


    received.


    Nheless, John was conscious of the things I had in mind. He caressed my hand and assured me


    gently, ¡°Please don¡¯t take the words I said just now seriously. I didn¡¯t mean it. As long as I¡¯m around,


    the Stovall family will always be your strongest backings. Just stay with us and allow us to keep you


    safe. No one will try to pick on us.¡±


    I took a deep breath, calming myself down before I looked at John and gasped out my reply, ¡°I wish to


    talk to Ashton in person.¡±


    ¡°That will not be possible.¡± John made himself clear he would not give in to my request. ¡°You¡¯re not


    supposed to return to him because he¡¯s not the only one I¡¯m wary of! He has offended the mafia, and I


    will never allow you and Summer to be exposed to such uncertainties!¡±


    John¡¯s right. They had the audacity toe after us in M Country when Ashton¡¯s n to acquire his


    revenge had yet to be revealed, let alone when the n blows up.


    But¡­ the thing I care about the most is Ashton¡¯s feelings. Since John said Ashton held a grudge


    against those who had brought upon his parents¡¯ demise, I wonder if he hates me as well¡­ My heart


    skipped a beat as all my concerns came flooding out at once. I felt lightheaded and thought I could


    hear the ambient noise in the living room. Clenching my fists with all my might, I suddenly felt a strong


    urge to get to the bottom of the incident.


    John noticed something was wrong and immediately tried to console me. He took my hands into his


    own and said, ¡°You need to calm down. Try and refrain from getting overly worked up for the children¡¯s


    sake.¡±


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    As I caressed my baby bump, I couldn¡¯t help but furrow my brows in confusion.


    In the end, I decided to stay with the Stovall family for the time being. When John realized I was


    serious, he finally returned my phone to me. To my disappointment, I hadn¡¯t received a single missed


    call from Ashton even after I checked my call log a few times.


    Perhaps Ashton was of the same idea with John and thought it would be better to have me stay with


    the Stovall family, or perhaps not.


    Ashton¡¯s decision to dominate the market after acquiring the capital he needed had slowly spiraled out


    of control. I began seeing pictures and videos of him on the headlines of different media pages.


    Judging by the man¡¯s pale and haggard look, I was sure he had been having it tough over the past few


    days.


    After I settled down at the Stovall residence, we entrusted a doctor from a private hospital to deal with


    my prenatal check-up. Therefore, when Lydia showed up at the doorstep, I was shocked.


    When the woman paid a visit, I was in the middle of a short break in the garden with Emma. Thus, I


    asked the maid to show her the way to us.


    ¡°It¡¯s never an easy task to reach you, huh?¡± Lydia had put on a white tulle dress that made her seemed


    like a youngdy from the neighborhood.


    Emma suggested, ¡°Please have a seat.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Thanks,¡± Lydia replied with a courteous smile before looking at me. ¡°Scarlett, I¡¯m sure you


    know the reason I¡¯m here, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s because of?¡± The only mutual connection we had was Jackson. Perhaps she was


    there to persuade me to give up the custody over Summer.


    Lydia responded with a self-deprecating smirk and asked, ¡°Since you¡¯re aware, I¡¯ll be frank then. Ms.


    Stovall, what will it take to get you to stay away from Jackson?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Confusion washed over my features; I couldn¡¯t figure out why Lydia had be


    worked up out of the blue.


    Meanwhile, Lydia, who hade prepared, reached for her phone and unlocked it before handing it


    over to me. The news Emery once showed me could be seen on the phone. It was the news that could


    turn Jackson into an outcast of society through his rtionship with Nick.


    What¡¯s going on? I asked Emery to stop! Why has the news made it to the public?


    I wasn¡¯t even given a chance to defend myself as Lydia added snarkily, ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m surprised you


    have resorted to such petty tricks to get the better of Jackson after being acquainted with him for


    years.¡± After pausing for a few seconds, she continued, ¡°Since things have turned out as such, we have


    no choice but to deal with it. I¡¯m here on Jackson¡¯s behalf because his life and career have been


    adversely impacted. Why don¡¯t you name your price to set him free? As long as it¡¯s not giving up the


    child custody, he¡¯s willing to give you everything else you want.¡±

 Chapter 1187

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1187


    Emma, who had been observing the two of us, noticed Lydia was about to lose her cool. Thus, she


    interrupted us in a hurry, ¡°Ms. Alder, you¡¯re intimidating a pregnant woman. Please calm down and talk


    about it in a rational manner.¡±


    Lydia tossed an annoyed nce at Emma before returning to her usual self.


    I had gone through thements of the news. Since Jackson wasn¡¯t a public figure, only those from


    the industry were taken aback by the news. A lot of theizens, including Jackson¡¯s patient, said they


    were utterly disgusted. As a result, others had stopped consulting the man for his advice.


    Perhaps God thought it was about time to put me through another trial¡ªall the irritating things He had


    nned out for me were scheduled to ur at the same time. After I returned Lydia her phone, I got in


    touch with Emery as she watched me with the eyes of a hawk.


    Emery picked up the phone almost immediately. ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Jackson¡¯s news has made it to the headline.¡± I had faith in Emery and thought she would never y


    pretend in front of me. Although she hadn¡¯t given her consent to remove the news, I was certain she


    wouldn¡¯t defy my opinions since I had made myself clear.


    Indeed, the woman on the line was equally surprised. ¡°What? How¡¯s that possible? I swear I delivered


    the instructions to omit the news! They would never defy my instructions. I¡¯ll deal with it at once, but I


    need some time to figure out the things going on behind the scenes.¡±


    ¡°Alright, sorry to trouble you.¡±


    ¡°You need to stop being so courteous, Scarlett. I know you called to reprimand me. I¡¯ll talk to you after I


    settle this.¡±


    Immediately after she finished her sentence, Emery hung up the call.


    I then showed Lydia my phone and said, ¡°See?¡±


    At my action, Lydia immediately knew something must have gone wrong in between the processes.


    She muttered with an embarrassed look, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, but I can¡¯t keep myself calm because of


    Jackson¡¯s current condition.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. How¡¯s he doing?¡± I asked nonchntly; I had no intention to me her for being overly


    worked-up either.


    Sighing, she answered, ¡°It¡¯s tough for him because of his odd rtionship with his father. Their


    rtionship has worsened because of the incident, but it¡¯s worse for his clinic. As some of the patients¡¯


    privacy has been infringed, Jackson had to deal with a fewwsuits.¡±


    In spite of the trouble on his end, Jackson¡¯s attorney had been following up with Summer¡¯s case as


    though there wasn¡¯t anything else bothering him.


    I grew upon hearing the kind of miseries the man had to go through. After I gulped a few breaths of air


    to calm myself down, I said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Since it¡¯s my fault, I¡¯ll get rid of it. Meanwhile, you¡­¡±


    I understood her frustration. No woman could stand their husband having a thing for another man.


    Lydia chuckled before she bemoaned, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Actually, Jackson¡¯s past doesn¡¯t really matter to me. He


    has been taking great care of me and the baby. I¡¯ll always be there for him.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    I responded with a nod and acknowledged her point of view. After all, it was their rtionship. As long


    as they had faith in one another, others¡¯ opinions didn¡¯t really matter.


    Soon, Emery reverted back to me with a call and told me the one behind the incident was an assistant


    of thepany.


    Once the assistant managed to figure out the person involved was someone affiliated with Fuller


    Corporation, he had stolen the news and sold it to another third party. As soon as Emery figured out the


    truth, thepany had terminated the said assistant.


    Emery had pulled her connections to get the person behind the published news to remove it. It wouldn¡¯t


    be much of an issue, but it would take some time to get rid of it.


    Once I put my phone aside, John, who had returned some time ago, showed up behind Lydia and


    announced in a petnt manner, ¡°Dr. Alder, thank you so much for your time, but you¡¯re dismissed.¡±


    Aspared to the times he tried to chase those who would harm me away, John had been pretty


    mindful of his choice of words.


    His sharp tone told Lydia it was about time for her to leave. After she bade me farewell, she walked in


    the direction of the entrance and departed.


    John approached me and remarked sarcastically, ¡°Go tell that psychopath to stay away from Summer


    because I will never allow him to bring her away when something¡¯s wrong with his brain! Consider this


    a warning. He should stop pushing his luck!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t stand him insulting Jackson, so I red at my brother, eyes filled with a silent warning to


    watch his mouth.

 Chapter 1188

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1188


    Suddenly, Lydia, who was about to reach the entrance, brought herself to an abrupt halt. She turned


    around in a huff, yelling with all her might, ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t you get your facts right? Research


    conducted over the past century has indicated homosexuality as a normal sexual preference! Jackson


    is a kind-hearted and hardworking man! His presence has contributed to society¡¯s wellbeing and public


    welfare! You¡¯re the one adversely impacting the advancement of mankind!¡±


    ¡°Come again?¡± John got up from his seat and was about to rush over in a rage, but I stopped him and


    yelled in the nick of time, ¡°John!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Dr. Alder.¡± Afraid Lydia would be beaten to a pulp, I hurriedly urged her to leave, ¡°He


    didn¡¯t mean it. You should hurry up and return to Jackson! Also, please express an apology on my


    behalf!¡±


    Gritting her teeth, Lydia¡¯s gorgeous face puckered in disgust because of John¡¯s words. After shooting a


    fierce re at him onest time, she marched out of the gate.


    John, who was usually the most superior one in the room, couldn¡¯t stand Lydia¡¯s response. After he


    took a seat, he grunted, ¡°How dare she get so full of herself?¡±


    Emma and I exchanged short nces, unanimously deciding to ignore the man¡¯s rhetorical question.


    After he unbuttoned his shirt, he asked, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you mentioned anything about thewsuit


    regarding custody over Summer?¡±


    Am I even supposed to tell you? If you were aware of thewsuit, you would have sent someone to lure


    Jackson over and force him into submission¡­


    I tried to shrug the idea off his mind and replied nonchntly, ¡°Everything is under my control. Do me a


    favor and stay out of this.¡±


    At that, John turned around and looked at Summer, who was in the middle of a game with the


    housekeeper. Grinning, he announced, ¡°Nope! I consider Summer my daughter! I will allow no one to


    take her away from me!¡±


    I nudged him and uttered, ¡°You better not try anything reckless because Jackson is a close friend of


    both Macy and me. If you do anything silly, Macy wille after you!¡±


    John looked elsewhere, going dead silent when I brought Macy up.


    Meanwhile, Emma, who had her curiosity piqued, asked, ¡°Who¡¯s Macy? Isn¡¯t Summer your daughter?


    Why has the woman¡¯s husband filed awsuit for custody over Summer?¡±


    John rolled his eyes and grunted, ¡°You need to stop poking your nose into our business and y the


    role of Mrs. Stovall!¡±


    Emma shot daggers at him in return. The duo began bickering in the garden, causing things to turn


    lively all of a sudden.


    Worried about Jackson, I had Emma tag along while I dropped by the clinic after we dropped Summer


    at her school.


    I had acquired his address from Lydia when I visited the hospital. Although it was quite a distance away


    from the city, it was located at a strategic location.


    We saw the signboard of Jackson¡¯s clinic the moment we alighted from the car. The ce, which was


    supposed to be an ordinary clinic, was ruined by the doodles left by the haters. The signboard had


    been shattered in half in front of the entrance.


    As the entrance was wide open, Emma helped me into the clinic, but no one seemed to be there. The


    moment we walked past the corridor and reached Jackson¡¯s office, I was overwhelmed by the awful


    stench of alcohol in the office.


    After regaining myposure, I noticed a bunch of emptied cans on his table and the ground.


    Documents were strewn all over the ce. Jackson, the drunkard with a disheveled appearance,


    slouched against the couch, sleeping soundly.


    Since Emma had been brought up in afortable environment, she rarely had the chance toe


    across such a scene. Thus, she had a hard time maneuvering her way around the messed-up room.


    Jackson was roused from his sleep as she identally stepped on a bottle.


    A pair of bloodshot eyes could be seen as he sat upright and opened his eyes. ¡°Why are you here?


    Have you dropped by to see how pathetic I am because of you? Are you happy now that you¡¯ve seen


    me in a slump?¡±


    His sarcastic remarks barely got to me. He had always been a gentleman, so his attempt at being


    harsh had no deterrent.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    I could vividly recall the day Jackson acquired the license of a practicing psychologist. He was a


    sprightly young man that was theplete opposite of the man with a disheveled look in front of me.

 Chapter 1189

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1189


    If I hadn¡¯tined about him with Emery, things would have never ended up as such. Jackson


    should resent me for his misery instead of taking things out on himself.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to take Summer away from me? Do you really think you currently possess the things


    it takes to bring her away from me?¡± Since there was nothing we could discuss, I decided to motivate


    him to talk through provocation.


    He looked me in the eyes, intimidating Emma, who was behind me, with his rage-filled re. After a


    few seconds, he responded with a sneer and looked elsewhere. ¡°I should have known you¡¯re a selfish


    woman ever since the moment you got into a rtionship with that selfish man! I can¡¯t believe Macy


    had sacrificed her life to save you! She¡¯s such a fool!¡±


    ¡°Indeed, I have always been a selfish woman! Have you just figured that out?¡± I took a deep breath and


    suppressed the emotions I felt building up within me. I carried on with a strong front and rebuked, ¡°Get


    a grip on yourself and prove me wrong!¡±


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± Jackson sprinted over to my side. He had his eyes glued to me, behaving as though he


    couldn¡¯t wait to knock me out.


    His current look was far more vicious than the time he dropped by to confront me. Although I had been


    trying my best to keep a straight face, I secretly gulped in fear.


    On the other hand, despite how Emma started stuttering in fear, she got in front of me, defending me


    as much as she could. ¡°D-Don¡¯t you dare try anything silly! O-Our bodyguards are right outside of the


    clinic!¡±


    Jackson¡¯s expression eased up as he looked at Emma in the eyes. After a few seconds of silence, he


    returned to the couch and said, ¡°Get out of my sight at once. Stay far away from me in the future!¡±


    Those words made it clear that was the end of our conversation. Thus, Emma and I had no choice but


    to leave for the time being.


    I was determined to think of something to get him back to his usual self and regain his confidence.


    After Emma brought me out of the clinic, we prepared to return home. John didn¡¯t want me to be away


    for a long time.


    We had dropped by Jackson¡¯s clinic after dropping off Summer at the school. Emma had to bear the


    risk of being reprimanded by John if he found out. Thus, I shouldn¡¯t cause her any more trouble.


    The moment we reached the entrance of the clinic, I heard a familiar voice sarcastically greeting me,


    ¡°Scarlett, I told you I would find you!¡±


    When I looked in the direction of the sound, Mitchell¡¯s bodyguards had rendered all John¡¯s men


    incapable of motion.


    I had merely encountered the man once. Therefore, we weren¡¯t on bad terms with one another. I put on


    a calm front and asked, ¡°What do you need from me, Mr. Ziegler?¡±


    A familiar figure stepped forward before Mitchell could answer my queries. A strong murderous intent


    could be seen in Armond¡¯s abysmal pair of eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while,¡± Armond greeted with a scowl, intimidating others with his vicious look.


    I held my breath and clenched my fists to suppress the fear I felt.


    Isn¡¯t Armond supposed to be abroad? What¡¯s he doing here? Why is he by Mitchell¡¯s side?


    ¡°Come along with us.¡±


    After Mitchell delivered his instructions, his bodyguard walked in our direction and snatched Emma¡¯s


    bag away from her. As soon as he found her phone, he mockingly thrust it into our faces before


    smashing it on the ground. Consequently, Emma¡¯s phone shattered into pieces.


    ¡°Go!¡± They then dragged Emma and I into the van and abducted us against our will.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± When Jackson heard themotion and rushed out, we were about to get


    stuffed into the van. Although the kind man knew he wasn¡¯t a match for them, he rushed over despite


    the differences in power. Sadly, he was no match for Armond, falling to the ground after getting kicked.


    ¡°No! Jackson, stay away from us! Go get the cops!¡± My mouth was covered, but I tried my best to yell


    as loud as possible. I knew Jackson could barely hear me, but I needed him to stay away from Armond.


    The risk associated with him rescuing us was too high.


    Unfortunately, Armond had no intention to let Jackson make a getaway. Right after we were brought


    into the van, one of Armond¡¯s taller bodyguards approached the defenseless man with a knife. A few


    secondster, I saw the knife prating Jackson¡¯s tummy.


    ¡°Jackson!¡± That was thest thing I saw because I passed out within the next few seconds.


    By the time I regained consciousness and opened my eyes, I saw Jackson drenched in blood.


    Immediately, I sat upright and started sweating bullets, fear pulsing through my veins.

 Chapter 1190

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1190


    ¡°Hey!¡± I only noticed someone else in the room when I heard another man¡¯s voice. I turned around and


    noticed Armond on the couch. He had his back facing me.


    I yelled hysterically, ¡°Where¡¯s Jackson? What did you do to Emma? They have nothing to do with this!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you should mind your own business?¡± Armond rebutted with an arrogant look. He


    approached me and narrowed his eyes, remarking sarcastically, ¡°I¡¯m suffering behind bars, yet you¡¯re


    having the best time of your life with Ashton. You¡¯re giving birth to twins soon, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    My heart skipped a beat when I heard his question. ¡°What the hell do you want?¡±


    The man took a deep breath and tucked his hands into his pockets. Holding his chest high, he


    announced, ¡°Haven¡¯t I said you belong to me? Do you really think I¡¯ll allow you to give birth to Ashton¡¯s


    children?¡±


    I held my belly with my hands in an attempt to protect my innocent children, yet I was overwhelmed by


    a sense of helplessness.


    I knew Armond meant every single word he had enunciated¡ªhe would never consider my innocent


    children. Since John was aware we had been abducted, it was only a matter of time before he could


    reach us. Thus, I needed stall for time until his arrival.


    I gulped and forced myself to stay calm. When I tried my best to recall the things I had gone through


    over the past few days, I thought of something.


    Looking at him dead in the eyes, I sneered and queried, ¡°Since we¡¯re both Ashton¡¯s foes, why won¡¯t


    you stop picking on me?¡±


    I¡¯m sure Armond has heard of Ashton¡¯s n to get his revenge. However, he must be clueless about


    the sort of feelings Ashton has for me. If I can convince him that Ashton holds a grudge against me, I


    may get to keep my children safe.


    That was the only viable countermeasure at my disposal at that point in time.


    Unfortunately, Armond responded with his brows arched in confusion because he seemed to be having


    a hard time telling the truth behind my double innuendos.


    I knew he was about to fall for my words. Thus, I went on and added, ¡°I have just gathered my thoughts


    over the past few weeks. Ashton had long figured out the Murphys were the ones behind his parents¡¯


    demise. As he held a grudge against my grandmother and me, he never once treated me as his wife


    over the two years we were married. When Cameron wanted to search for her daughter, he sent


    Reba, whom I hated the most, to take over my position when I was her daughter. Do you want to


    take a guess of the reason behind my miscarriage two years ago? It¡¯s him! Do you think I still have a


    thing for him just because you have been abroad for such a long time?¡±


    I was about to let loose of my emotions at the end of my speech, but I resisted the prickling sensation I


    felt behind my eyes and pulled through my act, hopefully with enough conviction.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Those were the things that wouldn¡¯t stop showing up in my brain over the days I was away from


    Ashton. It had morphed into nightmares that would keep me awake in the middle of the night. I was


    afraid the affection he had for me was nothing more than a part of his n. I was well aware that the


    vicious man in front of me would show me no mercy. Hence, I had to stop sulking and try everything I


    could to keep my unborn children safe.


    ¡°I might have conceived his children, but things were long over for us! In fact, I have conceived through


    in vitro fertilization. Since you can sneak your way back, why don¡¯t you send someone to the hospital


    and see if I¡¯m lying? Ashton hates me! He will never allow me to have his children! We fought over the


    same issue countless times, and I was grounded against my will because of it! It took me a lot of effort


    to get in touch with John to bring me away from the Fullers.¡± Sighing, I looked at him in the eyes and


    stated, ¡°Armond, I¡¯m no longer a young woman. Why can¡¯t I have my own children? Since we¡¯re both


    victims of Ashton¡¯s actions, can we stop picking on one another?¡±


    Silence fell upon the two of us for a few seconds after I finished my orated speech. It took Armond a


    few seconds to snap out of confusion. Staring at me with his abysmal pair of eyes, he said, ¡°You care a


    lot about your twins, don¡¯t you? I must admit, I was almost influenced by that emotional speech of


    yours.¡±


    Heaving a sigh of relief, I asked, ¡°Does this mean you¡¯re going to spare me?¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Armond scowled at me before turning around to leave.


    Has he given in to my request or not?


    After his departure, the room fell into silence once more. I finally regained myposure because the


    saga seemed to have ended.


    As an escaped prisoner, Armond would have definitely sent his men to take my twins away from me as


    soon as he could. Since he hasn¡¯t done anything, I guess he¡¯s been convinced by my words¡­

 Chapter 1191

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1191


    I thought luck was on my side, but I might have been wrong because Mitchell showed up in the


    confined space about half an hourter.


    The man showed up in a bathrobe with a ss of wine in his hand. The moment he entered, he


    muttered to himself, ¡°I have been wondering the reason behind Emery¡¯s arrogance. It turns out she¡¯s


    affiliated with Ashton¡¯s woman. I had all sorts of fun with different women back in the day, but I have


    never messed around with a pregnant woman. Since Ashton is such a proud and arrogant man, I can¡¯t


    wait to spend a night with his beloved woman!¡±


    Shoot! Emery¡¯s story about Mitchell popped into my mind upon hearing his sentence. Countless


    women have fallen victim to him before!


    I should have known the Ziegler family was one of Ashton¡¯s targets. After all, only a few renowned


    families were capable of bending thews in K City. Since Mitchell had gotten his hands on me, I might


    be doomed because of Emery¡¯s provocation and the grudges he held against the Fullers.


    After Mitchell¡¯sst sip, he strode over in my direction, a gleeful grin on his face.


    I failed to get away from him in time because I was heavily pregnant. Consequently, the powerful man


    got on top of me after rendering me incapable of motion.


    ¡°Armond, I know you¡¯re around somewhere! If you allow him to get things his way and hurt my children,


    I will not submit myself to you!¡± In the nick of time, I had no choice but to reach out to Armond for help. I


    praying his feelings for me would suffice for him to rescue me.


    p! A brutal p was delivered across my cheek, taking me by surprise. As a result, my head spun,


    and I felt lightheaded before I copsed on the bed.


    ¡°You better keep this in mind! I hate it whenever a woman calls another man¡¯s name when she¡¯s in bed


    with me!¡±


    Mitchell started unbuttoning my shirt after yelling.


    ¡°Please! Don¡¯t hurt my children!¡± I tried retaliating against him, struggling against his grip to bring


    myself away, but I was no match for him in terms of strength.


    Just as he was about to get his way, the image of my children suffocating crossed my mind.


    Immediately, I bit his hand with all my might.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Hiss!


    ¡°B*tch!¡±


    He pped my face again, and I lost the strength to retaliate.


    When I was on the verge of giving up, someone broke into the confined space and sprinted over to my


    side, dragging Mitchell away from my body.


    I could barely keep my eyes open. I felt someone ce a nket over me and looked up to see


    Ashton. He hade to my rescue.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked in a hoarse voice. Dark circles could be seen around his eyes¡ªperhaps he


    had been pulling countless all-nighters over the past few weeks. Since I wasn¡¯t around, I was certain he


    had neglected his wellbeing again.


    I shook my head in an attempt to assure him I was fine.


    He heaved a sigh of relief and helped me up on the bed before turning around to confront Mitchell with


    his chest held high.


    It was evident it wasn¡¯t Mitchell¡¯s first time trying something silly with another man¡¯s woman. He spat on


    the ground and warned arrogantly, ¡°Ashton, I¡¯ll kill you for hitting me!¡±


    His statement made Ashton¡¯s abysmal pair of eyes glint angrily. After a few seconds, he asked with a


    contemptuous look, ¡°Which hand of yours hit her?¡±


    Mitchell was startled by Ashton¡¯s response, but heposed himself and burst intoughter as he


    hauled himself from the ground. ¡°What? Are you going to break my arm? Do you really think you can


    afford to pick on a member of the Ziegler family? Stop getting full of yourself! You¡¯re only able to run


    your business in J City just because of the support of a few angel capitalists and the Moore family!¡±


    After another few seconds of silence, Ashton looked in the direction of the entrance and instructed,


    ¡°Enter!¡±


    At hismand, Joseph and a few bodyguards of his appeared.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, what do you need?¡± Joseph asked in a respectful manner.


    Staring at Mitchell in the eyes, Ashton enunciated his instruction, ¡°Break his arms.¡±


    ¡°D-Don¡¯t you dare! I¡¯m my father¡¯s favorite! Don¡¯t you try anything silly against me!¡± Mitchell stuttered


    when he realized Ashton was serious.


    If the vicious man could get away after getting his hands on several innocent women, I was afraid


    Ashton would offend the Ziegler family for real if he went through with his ns. So, I urged, ¡°Since I¡¯m


    fine, shall we forget about the matter?¡±


    Ashton looked at me in shock, his eyes searching mine for answers and reasoning. After giving it a


    thought, he instructed, ¡°Bring him out and break his arms outside. I don¡¯t want to intimidate Scarlett.¡±

 Chapter 1192

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1192


    Joseph stopped hesitating and brought Mitchell out along with the bodyguards because Ashton had


    repeated his instruction and made himself clear.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare try anything silly! Otherwise, get yourself ready to bear the consequences of your


    actions! Argh!¡±


    Mitchell¡¯s shriek could soon be heard reverberating around the confined space. I could vividly imagine


    his arm being twisted by brute force. Consequently, I started retching in disgust.


    Even after one of his arms was forcefully broken, Mitchell continued warning Ashton, ¡°Why don¡¯t you


    take me out? As long as I¡¯m alive, I¡¯lle after you! Argh¡ª¡±


    Suddenly, he stopped shrieking out of the blue. As silence fell, I knew Mitchell must have passed out


    due to the racking sensation he felt when they tried to break his other arm.


    Overwhelmed by a sense of insecurity, I grasped Ashton¡¯s arm and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Jackson? Have


    you found Emma?¡±


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Emma was the most innocent of them all. She was abducted when she had nothing to do with the


    vicious man, so she must be horrified.


    On the other hand, although Jackson wasn¡¯t stabbed at a fatal point, I was afraid he might be heavily


    injured. Despite the grudge he held against me, he had still rushed to my rescue in the nick of time.


    Once the emotions I had been suppressing came flooding out, torrents of grief streamed down my


    cheeks.


    ¡°You need to calm down.¡± Ashton wrapped his arm around me in support. He then said with a helpless


    expression, ¡°I¡¯m not aware Jackson has been hurt.¡±


    Startled, I questioned, ¡°What? Hasn¡¯t John sent you?¡±


    He shook his head and replied, ¡°Armond was the one who dropped me a text of the address and the


    photos of you being unconscious.¡±


    W-Why would Armond get in touch with Ashton when he was one of the masterminds behind the


    abduction?


    We were on Mitchell¡¯s territory, so Ashton knew the Ziegler family had been alerted about the situation.


    Thus, once he got me a bathrobe to cover myself, he brought me away without further ado.


    Fortunately, Emma, who had been imprisoned in another room, was fine. Ashton had reached there in


    time to save her. I was relieved to see that she had been brought into the car ahead of me.


    As soon we departed, I snatched Ashton¡¯s phone away from him and called John. I knew my brother


    would never stay out of it because his bodyguards had been there when we were abducted in front of


    the clinic.


    John picked up seconds after the call was made. ¡°I¡¯m in the middle of something. You better have good


    news for me.¡±


    Judging by the petnt manner, I knew he must have thought it was a call from Ashton. ¡°John! It¡¯s me!¡±


    ¡°Letty? Why are you using Ashton¡¯s phone? Has he abducted you?¡± John got worked up and probed


    further, ¡°Are you okay? What about Emma? Is she hurt? Are you two hurt?¡±


    He bombarded me with all sorts of questions. I hurriedly shared the summary with him and denoted, ¡°It


    was Armond. Emma and I are fine. How¡¯s Jackson?¡±


    At the mention of Jackson, John went dead silent. A few secondster, he said, ¡°He was rushed to the


    hospital, but the doctor said we need to get ourselves ready because he bled excessively.¡±


    The news hit me like a truck, and my mind wentpletely nk as I started panting heavily.


    Sitting outside of the operating theater, my heart wrenched. I sped my fingers and begged God to be


    merciful. Jackson¡¯s life shouldn¡¯t be taken away when he had done nothing wrong.


    When Ashton showed up and insisted on bringing me over for a round of check-ups, I dismissed him.


    Eventually, John showed up and brought up the same request. Although I knew it was for the sake of


    my children, I turned both of them down.


    Jackson was the one who had spent the most time by my side. When something happened to Macy, I


    couldn¡¯t keep herpany. I couldn¡¯t afford to leave Jackson when he needed me the most. No matter


    what, I wouldn¡¯t leave anymore.


    Three hours into the operation, after Lydia showed up, the doctor walked out and notified us to get


    ourselves ready for the worst. Ashamed, I avoided Lydia¡¯s gaze. She was about to say something, yet


    she changed her mind and took a seat opposite me in the end.


    Everyone was on pins and needles when the doctor walked out of the operating theater after some


    time. We immediately surrounded him, hoping for some piece of information. He asked, ¡°Who¡¯s the


    patient¡¯s family member?¡±

 Chapter 1193

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1193


    ¡°I am!¡± Lydia and I broke the silence at the same time. After we exchanged nces, I gestured for her


    to carry on with the conversation. ¡°I¡¯m the patient¡¯s wife.¡±


    The doctor nodded and carried on in a serious tone, ¡°The patient was stabbed, but he is no longer in


    danger. However, he needs to pull through the next forty-eight hours. Otherwise¡­¡±


    He paused, seemingly at a loss for better words to exin Jackson¡¯s situation in a less impactful


    manner.


    ¡°Doctor, be frank with me. As a fellow doctor, I¡¯m ready for what¡¯s awaiting me.¡±


    Sighing, the doctor stated, ¡°There¡¯s a huge probability he¡¯s going to turn into a vegetative patient


    because his carotid artery has been severely damaged.¡±


    Once the doctor delivered the news, he tapped Lydia¡¯s shoulder lightly and made his way past the


    crowd.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    I started shuddering in fear, my mind goingpletely nk once again. The image of Jackson leaving


    with Macy by his side crossed my mind. My eyes started brimming with tears, but no tears seemed to


    fall.


    ¡°Please leave us alone.¡± Lydia¡¯s seemingly harmless request took me by surprise.


    I knew she wanted me to get out of her sight after the misfortune I had brought upon Jackson. As there


    was nothing I could do, I begged her, ¡°Dr. Alder, please allow me to stay here and keep Jackson


    company. The doctor said the next two days are extremely crucial. He needs someone to be by his


    side. On top of that, you need to take care of your child. If I¡¯m around, I can¡ª¡±


    ¡°What can you do?¡± Lydia directed another rhetorical question at me before I could finish my sentence.


    ¡°If anything happens to you, should I take care of you or him? Haven¡¯t you achieved your goal to turn


    his life upside down? Do you wish to witness his demise? Ms. Stovall, please stop crossing the


    boundaries!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to rebuke her statement. In the end, she walked away and left me behind.


    Although I was reluctant to leave, she was right¡ªI couldn¡¯t even take good care of myself, let alone


    take care of others.


    Once we reached the entrance of the hospital, another intense fight between Ashton and John broke


    out.


    Subconsciously, John showed me the way to his car, but Ashton got in his way and stopped him.


    ¡°You might have saved her, but it takes more than that to prove yourself worthy! If it weren¡¯t because of


    you, the Ziegler family wouldn¡¯t pick on us either!¡± John red at Ashton, squaring himself up against


    the other man.


    ¡°If you could take care of her, how did Mitchell get his hands on her? Since nowhere is safe, I¡¯d rather


    have her by my side!¡± Ashton showed no signs of stepping back at all. He was ready to take John on.


    I stood in the middle of the duo, feeling like a statue when they would yell at one another and try to


    bring me away with them. They seemed to have forgotten I could feel the pain, and I had no intention to


    stop them because I thought it was a punishment I deserved.


    When I reached my limit, I let out a hiss and shuddered in pain. Subsequently, Ashton and John moved


    away from me at the same time.


    The former¡¯s hoarse voice could be heard when he repeated himself, ¡°Come with me.¡±


    However, John wasn¡¯t about to give up just yet. He said, ¡°Letty, don¡¯t let him deceive you! You know


    deep down that you¡¯re one of us!¡±


    ¡°Come again?¡± Ashton raised his volume, indicating he was infuriated for real.


    My brother pushed Ashton and demanded, ¡°Have I said anything wrong? You¡¯re a liar! All along, you


    have been making use of the affection she has for you to get your revenge!¡±


    ¡°Give me a break!¡± Not being able to take it anymore, I subconsciously walked in the direction of


    Ashton.


    Before I could move any further, John rushed over and stopped me. ¡°Letty, are you having doubts


    against my words?¡±


    I heaved a long sigh and announced, ¡°John, please allow me to return with him. I¡¯ll spend a night at his


    ce to sort out the things that are supposed to be sorted out since a long time ago. How about you


    pick me up tomorrow morning?¡±


    John still had his doubts, but after much consideration, he moved away and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll allow you


    to spend a night at his ce, but only under the condition of me tagging along.¡±

 Chapter 1194

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1194


    Halfway through his answer, he looked at Ashton when he felt the man¡¯s eyes boring into his back. He


    demanded, ¡°What? Can¡¯t you even amodate another person?¡±


    I had no intention to deal with the bickering duo any longer. Thus, I sneaked my way into the car and


    urged Ashton to get going. I needed to get myself checked and return to Jackson as soon as possible.


    By the time I was done with all the required check-ups, it was already eight o¡¯clock in the evening. The


    doctor said the children were fine, but I would have to take a break and refrain from moving around.


    After all the things those around me went through over the past few weeks, I knew I couldn¡¯t afford to


    mess around anymore.


    I made a decision to tell Ashton everything, but right when I was about to, someone uninvited showed


    up at the doorstep immediately after the doctor departed.


    Seeing as it had only been a few hours since Ashton broke Mitchell¡¯s arms. The Ziegler family had


    shown up to sort out the issue with him.


    Mitchell¡¯s elder brother, Zayne, had shown up. Perhaps he was confident of his identity as a member of


    the Ziegler family¡ªhe had merely brought his chauffeur with him.


    After he took a seat, the man announced, ¡°I¡¯m here on behalf of my father!¡±


    The patriarch of the Ziegler family, Jonelle, had built most of the skyscrapers in the central business


    district. He was renowned amongst corporate yers and politicians. Thus, those from the upper


    echelon and the underworld would show him some respect. Zayne, who was older than us, was there


    on Jonelle¡¯s behalf, so he was rtively arrogant and proud of himself.


    Ashton took a seat by my side on the couch while John was on the opposite couch of ours. They had


    braced themselves for the uing conversation with Zayne, who seemed to be up to no good.


    ¡°Have you dropped by to express your apology?¡± John broke the silence and asked sarcastically, ¡°Your


    brother instructed his men to stab a close friend of my sister. In fact, he tries to get his hands on my


    beloved sister. She¡¯s traumatized by the things he had in mind. Uncle Louis is infuriated as well.¡±


    Uncle Louis was a high-ranking official with great records; everyone in K City would be intimated


    should they have to face his wrath. Zayne, who had been emanating a menacing aura, was intimidated


    by John¡¯s words. After he adjusted his sses, he fell into a process of thoughts.


    After a short while, Zayne regained hisposure and red at my brother, asking in a callous tone,


    ¡°Let¡¯s forget about the outsider and talk about our families¡¯ affairs for the time being. Scarlett was


    perfectly fine when my brother asked her over for a conversation. However, Mr. Fuller broke my


    brother¡¯s arms when nothing was done! Do you think the Ziegler family is an easy target?¡±


    ¡°Oh? Have his arms been broken yet?¡± John continued sarcastically.


    Perhaps Zayne couldn¡¯t take it anymore when he yelled, ¡°He¡¯s been rushed to a hospital abroad! My


    father almost passed out due to a heart attack because of the incident! Who should I hold ountable


    for all these urrences?¡±


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Those from the upper echelon definitely knew the methods to find their way around their foes. Although


    many had always considered Zayne a wimp, that was not the case. Mitchell was the one at fault, yet


    Zayne avoided mentioning Jackson. He brought up Jonelle¡¯s condition instead, making it sound as


    though we were at fault.


    John had always been an expert in taming rebels, so he didn¡¯t bother concealing his sarcasm as he


    repeated, ¡°Are you telling me you¡¯re not aware of all the things Mitchell has done? My brother-inw


    has been pretty merciful, considering the situation. He only broke his arms! If I was there, I would have


    dug his eyes out of their sockets with my bare hands!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration because John had always been known as a cruel man. He had never shown


    mercy to those who tried to pick on him.


    Humiliated, Zayne turned around and confronted Ashton, ¡°Mr. Fuller, are you of the same opinion with


    Mr. Stovall? Are you not going topensate for my brother¡¯s loss?¡±


    Ashton deadpanned his reply, ¡°I was aware he was a member of the Ziegler family when I gave the


    order to have his arms broken.¡±


    It was evident that his statement was an attempt to provoke the Ziegler family.


    As Ashton made it sound like it wasn¡¯t a big deal, Zayne jolted up from his seat in anger. The man


    started panting heavily, to the extent his chest could be seen jerking involuntarily. He red at Ashton


    in the eyes, yet thetter didn¡¯t seem a bit intimidated. Subsequently, the color drained from Zayne¡¯s


    face.


    As John had always enjoyed gloating over others¡¯ misfortunes, he went on and suggested, ¡°Mr. Ziegler,


    you should get going and hire the best attorney in town to defend that brother of yours. My men can


    testify your brother is the mastermind behind the abduction and assault. I can¡¯t wait to see if you¡¯re able


    to save him from the Stovall family and get him out of the bars again.¡±

 Chapter 1195

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1195


    It must have been a long time since Zayne wasst provoked by someone as the frustration he felt was


    written all over his face. In the end, he gritted his teeth and red at John before marching out of the


    vi.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    When the man was about to reach the entrance, he paused and turned around, shooting a nce one


    last nce at me before departing.


    John scowled, ¡°Does he really think the Ziegler family can get whatever they want in K City? Since he


    has the guts to pick on us, I¡¯ll be sure to teach him a lesson!¡±


    ¡°John, cut it out.¡± I needed to keep the saga under control for the time being because the things they


    might be capable of had exceeded our expectations. As there were way too many variables, it would be


    better to lie low for the time being.


    My brother finally kept his mouth shut at my warning. After we exchanged nces, he red at Ashton


    before bouncing up the stairs, leaving Ashton and I alone in the living room.


    Mrs. Eriksen had not seen me for a long time. After she had everything sorted out in the kitchen, she


    approached me with a bowl of soup and offered, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, why don¡¯t you finish this?¡±


    To be honest, I was envious of Mrs. Eriksen and her bright personality. The woman became thrilled


    simply at another person¡¯s presence.


    I took the soup she offered me and said, ¡°Mrs. Eriksen, could you give us a moment? Ashton and I


    have something to talk about. Please tell the others to stay away from us for the time being as well.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Please, take your time. I¡¯ll go get you something else to eat. You have been away from home


    all this while. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re not getting the attention and care you need. Since you¡¯re back, make


    sure you¡¯re not leaving anymore, okay? Allow me to take good care of you and your beloved children!¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Eriksen, please leave us alone,¡± Ashton interrupted her, chasing her out of the room without a


    second thought.


    Immediately after her departure, Ashton took over the soup and started feeding me.


    The man¡¯s gorgeous face was merely a few inches away from mine. It felt so surreal. I secretly hoped


    everything that had urred was nothing more than a nightmare.


    After I finished half of the food, he broke the silence. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go ahead and ask me the things


    that are bothering you?¡±


    As I had returned to sort out the things between us, I stopped hesitating and asked, ¡°Have you long


    figured out that the Murphys were the ones behind your parents¡¯ demise?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Ashton responded quietly.


    ¡°Are you aware that my grandmother is a member of the Murphys?¡± Once I directed the question at


    him, I held my breath in anticipation of his reply.


    He continued feeding me, his eyes glued to my lips. ¡°Initially, I wasn¡¯t aware, but after I gained authority


    over different people and things, I started acquiring all sorts of information, including that.¡±


    My heart sank at his words; he had verified Louis¡¯ spection.


    I gulped down some air to calm myself before I asked, ¡°Was Grandma the mastermind behind


    everything? Do you hate me because she¡¯s my grandmother?¡±


    Taken aback by my words, he paused and ced the bowl of soup on the coffee table in front of us.


    Staring dead ahead of him, he opened his mouth to ask, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re ready for the whole,


    naked truth?¡±


    I had a bad feeling about it, yet I insisted, ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡±


    Although I might not be ready for the truth, I had enough of being deceived.


    ¡°I used to.¡±


    His simple answer took my breath away. I clenched my fists with all my might to pull myself together.


    A few secondster, he orated, ¡°Initially, everything indicated that your grandmother was the


    mastermind. After she reached J City ahead of others to distract the Fullers, the Murphys proceeded to


    lure my parents into a trap. Then, the moment they signed the contracts, they were involved in an


    ident. During their funeral, I overheard the conversation of my grandfather and your grandmother.


    They regretted not warning my parents when they were aware that the Murphys had been illegally


    mining petroleum. When my mother passed on, they found out she had conceived, but it was toote.¡±


    Although I was clueless about the things that had urred in the past, judging by Ashton¡¯s expression,


    I knew he was adversely impacted by the incident.


    ¡°Actually, your grandmother was against the idea of the Murphys being involved in illegal activities. She


    had brought the sandalwood box away with her to intimidate the Murphys and get them to turn


    themselves in. When Grandpa figured out the truth from your grandmother on the day the incident


    urred, it was toote because the Murphys had dispatched a team of hitmen to wipe my parents out


    before the task force could reach them. They had long passed on before they could be rushed into the


    operating theater.¡±

 Chapter 1196

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1196


    Ashton clenched his fists with all his might, and I could hear the sound of his fingers cracking. It was


    clear to me that he could barely suppress his emotions, judging by bulging veins that could be seen on


    his forehead.


    I caressed his hands in an attempt to console the pitiable man. It must be tough to deal with so many


    things over the past decade on his own.


    A voice cut in out of the blue. ¡°Can you guys get to the point already?¡± It turned out John had been


    eavesdropping on our conversation at the stairs. Suddenly, he craned over and walked down the stairs,


    ring at me in the eyes with his face full of despise. ¡°Is that the reason you insisted oning here?¡±


    Ever since Hannah had gotten married, John had grown increasingly aggressive.


    ¡°Did you swap the DNA report because you thought Reba would be a better pawn or were you


    afraid of Letty leaving you? Have you long figured out the rtionship between her grandmother and


    the Murphys! Have you kept Letty by your side to get your revenge?¡±


    ¡°John¡­¡± I tried to stop him from carrying on. I was afraid of the future that might be in store for me, but


    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to finish my sentence. I knew it was only a matter of time before the truth was


    revealed.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Ashton looked at me with his abysmal pair of eyes. After staring at me for a few seconds, he looked


    elsewhere and answered curtly, ¡°Yes.¡±


    That one-word reply was all it took to shatter my heart into pieces.


    John, who was overly worked-up, suppressed his wrath and asked, ¡°Kudos for being a man and


    bearing the consequences of your actions. Now tell me. Have you made use of Letty¡¯s identity as a


    member of the Moore family to get Zachary and Cameron¡¯s aid to go against Ezra?¡±


    I secretly hoped Ashton would prove John¡¯s hypothesis wrong, yet the man replied with a determined


    look, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful!¡± Gritting his teeth, my brother looked at me and growled, ¡°Did you hear him, Letty? He has


    been making use of you since the beginning! As long as you bring up the request to file for divorce with


    him, I¡¯ll get everything done on your behalf! I won¡¯t allow him to bring any of your children away from


    you!¡±


    I had no idea if that was the thing I wanted; my mind was all over the ce. I started panting heavily in


    an attempt to catch my breath.


    ¡°I won¡¯t deny the things I¡¯ve done, but it doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re in a position to determine our next best


    course of action on our behalf.¡± Ashton deadpanned his reply, emanating an intimidating presence as


    he did so.


    John was equally irked. He rushed over and grasped Ashton¡¯s cor, yelling hysterically, ¡°Stop getting


    full of yourself! Do you think you¡¯re better than a hooker when you deceived a woman to acquire your


    current achievements in life?¡±


    ¡°I have never deceived Scarlett.¡± Ashton kept his words short and simple, making himself clear.


    Seeing as to how things were about to spiral out of control, I quickly interjected, ¡°John, could you


    please leave us alone for a moment?¡± Things were tough on our end because we had countless people


    coming after us. I couldn¡¯t afford to have either of them pick on one another anymore.


    ¡°No way! I need to teach this jerk a lesson for putting you and the children¡¯s lives at stake to achieve


    his goal!¡± John¡¯s hand balled into a fist, about to throw a punch at Ashton.


    ¡°John!¡±


    My desperate plea must have reached my brother¡¯s ears because John turned around and looked at


    me, moving his fist away from Ashton reluctantly after a moment. He then walked away and took a seat


    on the nearby couch. The frustrated man proceeded to remove his tie and unbuttoned a few buttons,


    slouching against the couch.


    Silence fell in the living room, and I knew it was the peace before another storm. Perhaps I wasn¡¯t


    particrly surprised after going through the swap of life with Reba.


    Ashton and my rtionship had started due to all sorts of misunderstandings and coincidences. As the


    person he held dear, I could feel the emotions associated with his words.


    When I felt my dear children moving around in my belly, I caressed my baby bump gently. They


    seemed to be reminding me to live a life with no regrets and let bygones be bygones.


    It wasn¡¯t easy to forgive and forget the first time, but it wasn¡¯t much of a challenge for many to do it a


    second time. I foresaw a future with the man in front of me, so the thing that mattered the most was the


    affection he had for me and my children.


    ¡°Ashton, I want to know this¡­ Do you still love me? Does the affection you have for me have anything


    to do with the Stovall family and the Moore family?¡±

 Chapter 1197

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1197


    Standing in front of themp, Ashton¡¯s shadow enshrouded my view as though a giant was right in front


    of me. We used to be one, but our future would depend on his answer.


    After a long while, he looked at me with his brows arched in confusion. He ced his hands on my


    shoulders and announced, ¡°Scarlett, I love you to the extent I have been deceiving myself to forget


    your identity as the granddaughter of the person who brought upon my parents¡¯ demise. Vengeance


    used to be the only thing keeping me alive, but your presence has given me a brand new reason to


    live.¡±


    I returned the favor and ced my hands on his shoulders, replying in a hushed voice, ¡°Can you


    please put the grudge you held aside for the time being for our family¡¯s sake?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    The only thing keeping us apart was the secrets we had been keeping to ourselves. Since we had let


    the cat out of the bag, I wished not to allow anything to get in the way of our rtionship anymore-


    neither of us wished to be apart from one another.


    Nheless, moving on was easier said than done. Ashton, who had been pretty patient, went dead


    silent.


    I refused to give up just yet. I ced his hand on the baby bum[ and uttered softly, ¡°Ashton, Macy is


    dead, and Jackson is heavily injured. Armond has gotten you over because he wants to figure out if


    we¡¯re on good terms with one another. If you keep going after him, we¡¯ll all end up dead. Is that really


    what you want?¡±


    The man before me remained silent. It would be extremely difficult for him to get rid of the pent-up


    grudge that had built up within him over the past three decades.


    Although I was conscious of his feelings, leaving him to hold onto the anger was a risk we as a couple


    couldn¡¯t take.


    I took a deep breath and moved away from him to collect my thoughts. After regaining myposure, I


    looked at him in the eyes and said, ¡°I know I¡¯m supposed to support you as your wife, but as a mother, I


    don¡¯t think it¡¯s wise to stay by your side because our children¡¯s lives are at stake. If you insist on


    exposing us to unnecessary risks, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to leave.¡±


    When I was eighteen-year-old, I married someone who wouldn¡¯t take me seriously. When I was in my


    mid-twenties, I forsook everything and devoted myself to our rtionship. Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t bear


    to lose my children when I was in my mid-thirties.


    At that point, John couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He yelled, ¡°It¡¯s not up to him anymore! The ones behind the


    scenes must have been rmed after we waged war against the Ziegler family. We have reached the


    point of no return. In short, filing for divorce is the only option avable to keep you safe.¡±


    I was reluctant to give up on our marriage that hadsted for a decade, yet John¡¯s words worked like a


    charm and reminded me of our dire situation. If it was merely a showdown between Ashton and his


    foes, it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal. Unfortunately, it had morphed into a feud between two families, and that


    included my children and me.


    It was evident Armond, who had gone into hiding and showed up out of nowhere, came prepared. As


    Ashton had broken Mitchell¡¯s arms and waged war against the Ziegler family because of me, Armond


    could easily verify my rtionship with Ashton. Perhaps he wouldn¡¯t show me any mercy the next time


    he got his hands on me.


    When Cameron and Zachary walked into the foyer, they were startled by the silence in the spacious


    living room.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Cameron, who was quite a distance away, asked before making her way into the


    living room.


    When we heard her innocent question, we snapped out of confusion and snapped back to our senses.


    I returned to my seat and massaged my swollen temples, feeling exhausted. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Why are you


    guys here in the middle of the night?¡±


    Cameron and Zachary exchanged nces casually. ¡°We¡¯re merely here to visit you and Summer


    because it has been quite some time since ourst meeting.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t the best time to visit. It was evident those were merely excuses they had made up to disguise


    the actual goal of their visit. Perhaps they hade for Ashton.


    Should I consider myself lucky or not? They¡¯re trying to keep me in the dark with Ashton for my sake,


    yet it feels like I¡¯m the outsider when they¡¯re my biological parents.


    ¡°It¡¯s not necessary to keep it from her anymore.¡± Halfway through his sentence, Ashton turned around


    and looked at me. ¡°She has already figured out everything on her own.¡±


    Although I was startled by his statement, it was the right thing to do. It would be a waste of time and


    effort to keep me in the dark when I was already conscious of everything.

 Chapter 1198

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1198


    Stunned, Cameron knitted her brows and gave Ashton a reproachful look. ¡°How can you get Letty


    involved when she¡¯s now pregnant?¡±


    Zachary patted her on the hand and consoled her, ¡°Come on, forget it. Let¡¯s think about how to solve it


    first.¡±


    Then, he turned to look at us and said earnestly, ¡°The Ziegler family and Ezra want to have dinner with


    us tomorrow.¡±


    At this, Cameron was apprehensive and criticized Ashton, ¡°What you did today was too impulsive. How


    can you break the arms of the spoilt rich brat of the Ziegler family? He means everything to Mr. Ziegler.


    It¡¯s no wonder they want to have dinner with us to set us up!¡±


    ¡°Hah.¡± John mocked obstinately, ¡°That was just a light punishment. If I know that he¡¯s targeting Letty


    again, I¡¯ll snip his junk so that the Ziegler family won¡¯t have an heir!¡±


    ¡°What¡­¡± Cameron did not know about my abduction, so she asked Ashton, looking concerned, ¡°Did


    Mitchell bully Letty?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Ashton nodded. ¡°He abducted her and even wanted to do those things to her. I can¡¯t help it and


    maimed his arms.¡±


    ¡°Serves him right!¡± The look on Cameron¡¯s face instantly changed as shemented angrily, ¡°I thought


    that Ashton was blinded by his hatred and acted impulsively seeing how angry the Ziegler family was. It


    turns out that it was that b*stard who started it. Tsk. They can¡¯t beat us in business, but they¡¯re so good


    at hurling false usations!¡±


    Enraged, she got up to sit next to me and squeezed my hand, frowning. ¡°Letty, that b*stard didn¡¯t injure


    you, did he?


    ¡°No, he didn¡¯t.¡± Shaking my head, I forced a smile to tell her that she did not need to worry.


    Although Cameron was overprotective, it was not really a shoring too. If what happened previously


    had not happened, she would have always been a good mother.


    As men tend to be more rational than women were, Zachary was not too shocked and suggested,


    ¡°Ezra is very powerful. Even the businessmen in K City are at his mercy. We can¡¯t turn down their


    invitation to the dinner tomorrow, so let¡¯se up with a way to deal with it.¡±


    ¡°No way! We¡¯re not going!¡± John suddenly turned into an idealist that valued family ties as he added


    with a look of disdain, ¡°Uncle Louis and Ezra aren¡¯t the same kinds of people. Letty is a member of the


    Stovall family, so we don¡¯t need to butter up to him. I don¡¯t think he has the nerve to barge into the


    Stovall residence to grab her!¡±


    ¡°Young people like you are too impulsive.¡± Zachary sighed. ¡°When we help Ashton in his business in K


    City, we and the Ziegler family are merely business rivals, and there¡¯s no right or wrong in the world of


    businesspetition. But now, the outsiders only know that Ashton has injured the son of the Ziegler


    family, and no one knows what thetter did to Letty. If we don¡¯t attend the dinner, it¡¯ll prove that we¡¯re


    guilty and dare not to face the Ziegler family. Ezra will then praise the Ziegler family and criticize Fuller


    Corporation in front of the businessmunity, which will impose constraints on the future


    development of Fuller Corporation.¡±


    What he said was true, but John was still not convinced and replied agitatedly, ¡°What do you mean no


    one knows? Fine. I¡¯ll make sure every single soul knows what this a**hole has done!¡±


    After that, he rose to his feet and added while straightening his clothes, ¡°Wait for me here, Letty. I¡¯ll get


    justice for you.¡±


    Immediately afterward, he strode outside in a huff, without bothering if I was staying with the Fullers or


    returning to the Stovall residence.


    Worried, I hurriedly texted Emma on WhatsApp, telling her to inform Louis, trying to prevent any more


    problems.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    After John left, they did not manage toe to a conclusion whether to attend the dinner. As it was


    gettingte, Zachary went home with Cameron.


    Ashton helped me upstairs. When we were in the bedroom, he helped me wash up and get changed.


    He remained silent the entire time, but he did not show any sign of impatience. After he took off his suit


    jacket, he looked like he had lost some weight.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you eat well when I was not around?¡± My voice was breaking as it spoke of distress.

 Chapter 1199

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1199


    Ashton helped me to take off the slippers and sit down on the bed. ¡°The food is tasteless without you.¡±


    His words were void of emotion, but they brought a lump to my throat.


    I had the same feeling too when I was in Stovall residence. After all, the person who had been with me


    for ten years had already be a part of my life; thus, his absence would make my life meaningless.


    After tucking me in, Ashton got up and went to the wardrobe before walking back to me with two files in


    his hand.


    He opened one of them and handed it to me.


    Taking it over, I took the content out curiously and frowned when I read it. ¡°Didn¡¯t you give this to the


    Murphys already?¡±


    The petroleum subscription agreement was the chance for the Murphys to make aeback. Now I


    understood why Armond returned.


    Knitting his brows, Ashton cast his gaze down and said nothing.


    I knew that he was hiding something else from me again.


    Putting the file aside, I let out a long exhale. ¡°Tell me everything that you¡¯re hiding from me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all,¡± Ashton replied without hesitation.


    ¡°What¡¯s this, then?¡± I asked while pointing at the other file.


    At this, Ashton stared at the file in a daze for some time, seemingly thinking of something.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I gave him a nudge.


    Only then did hee back to his senses. He forced a smile. ¡°What would you do if I tell you that it¡¯s a


    divorce agreement?¡±


    My heart skipped a beat as I frowned with a reluctant look on my face.


    I could say those great lines for my children, but it did not mean that I could do it with ease. It was true


    that I could cut ties with him if we divorced now, but he would have to face the rivals that colluded with


    the backing of government officials all alone. Without the support of the Moore family and Stovall


    family, he would probably end up being on the losing side.


    ¡°Have you thought it through? If we divorce this time, you won¡¯t be able to find me again.¡±


    I pursed my lips while having an expectant look in my eyes, hoping that he would take a step back.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Looking down, Ashton said nothing for a while. Then, he took the file and opened it. Taking out the


    content, he passed it to me. I looked down at it and saw that, as he said, it was a divorce agreement.


    It turned out that he had decided to choose revenge over our family a long time ago. He had chosen to


    bear the responsibility as a son, while my understanding and love were nothing to him.


    ¡°Look at thest page.¡± Ashton¡¯s voice was attractive at night. It was uniquely charming and made me


    want to obey everything he said.


    I flipped through the agreement and saw my signature on it.


    That¡¯s weird. When did I sign this agreement? Could it be the previous agreement? But it can¡¯t be. The


    previous content is different from this, but this signature does belong to me¡­


    ¡°I got Joseph to find someone else sign this for us,¡± Ashton said in a low voice, ¡°Does it look like your


    handwriting?¡±


    Oh, so he got a professional to mimic my signature. No wonder I can¡¯t even tell that it¡¯s not mine. I


    nodded my head. ¡°Yes, it does. I can¡¯t even tell myself, but why do you prepare a fake divorce


    agreement?¡±


    Looking at the file, Ashton smiled and reached out to pinch the paper before he unveiled another piece


    of document behind the page that I thought was thest.


    Compared with the formality of the divorce agreement, the hidden document was somewhat informal.


    The word ¡°Agreement¡± could still be made out easily. After looking at it for a while, I only found out that


    it was an assets transfer agreement that Ashton drafted. It stipted that all assets of the Fullers would


    automatically be transferred to me if something happened to him within two years.


    In other words, as long as I signed it, I would be the sole heir to Ashton¡¯s wealth. Even our kids


    could not inherit anything.


    Although this proved just how important I was to Ashton, it was not something to be happy about. Such


    a preparation from him only indicated that even he himself was not sure if he could escape unscathed


    during the course of his revenge.

 Chapter 1200

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1200


    What Ashton said next confirmed my guesswork.


    ¡°I¡¯ve long considered John¡¯s opinion, but it¡¯ll only be myst resort.¡± He looked a little tired with his


    downcast eyes. ¡°What happened today reminds me that Armond is a viper that¡¯s waiting for the perfect


    timing to strike, but I don¡¯t know when that will be. Besides, there¡¯s still some uncertainty in the identity


    of the people who killed my parents back then. Since I can¡¯t stop now, I can only get bolder to catch


    them off guard so that they¡¯ll give themselves away. After the divorce agreement is announced, we


    should stop seeing each other for some time. This is the best protection for you and our kids.¡±


    Ashton paused and ced his palm over my belly. ¡°After they¡¯re born, let them bear yourst name.¡±


    I understood what he was nning. He wanted us to divorce and to let the kids bear myst name


    because he wanted everyone to think that our rtionship was over.


    The look in his downcast eyes was unfathomable while he exuded an air of mncholy. At this


    moment, he looked like the aloof man I knew when we first met.


    I knew that Ashton would be trapped in living hell for the rest of his life if he were to watch the enemy


    who killed his parents live a happy life.


    ¡°Go ahead and do it.¡± I gritted my teeth. I was not sure if I would regret it, but I knew that only in this


    way could Ashton have the chance to break free from a life of misery.


    As though not expecting me to agree to it so soon, Ashton looked up at me in surprise.


    Smiling at him, I reached out to touch his chiseled face. ¡°You¡¯ll protect yourself, right? I can trust you to


    do that, right?¡±


    He held my hand and assured me in a gentle voice, ¡°Of course. I haven¡¯t repaid you for all the things


    I¡¯ve owed you. I don¡¯t dare to die without your permission.¡±


    Not knowing what to say, I looked down at the agreement and tore it in half.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Why?¡± Ashton was taken aback.


    I pursed my lips and gave him a sidelong warning look. ¡°I don¡¯t want these things now. I want you to


    give them to me slowly over the remaining decades of your life!¡±


    I don¡¯t want a two-year guarantee. What I want is a lifetime one.


    While on the way to visit Jackson at the hospital, Emery called me on the phone. ¡°Check your


    Facebook. John has gone crazy!¡±


    Launching my Facebook, I found out that John meant what he said the day before and got people to


    gather the dirt on Mitchell after he left.


    Those scandals, which were initially suppressed by the Ziegler family, were exposed by a magazine


    called 24-7 Entertainment. Of the top ten trending topics, six were rted to the Ziegler family, putting


    them in the center of public attention.


    Ashton turned off my phone as he did not want me to keep looking at it. ¡°Zachary is right. John¡¯s still


    too thoughtless.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I did not understand. ¡°The fact that the topics about the Ziegler family be trending shows


    that they can¡¯t do whatever they want anymore, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    It had been more than twenty years since Ashton¡¯s parents passed away. Many things had changed,


    and statements made online could often easily make waves. So one needed to win the hearts of


    netizens to thrive. Admittedly, some people used public opinion for profit, but it was a very small


    number of people.


    It was precisely because of this that Ashton could be so active under the noses of Ezra and the others.


    ¡°Putting aside the fact that Mitchell has been sent abroad, witnesses will be needed if those cases are


    taken to trial. As a futurewyer, do you think there¡¯s a possibility of conviction in cases without witness


    and evidence?¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that the Ziegler family will buy off witnesses?¡± Although I had not passed the exam, my


    sense of justice as awyer-to-be screamed inside of me. ¡°There would be victims who would rather


    ask for justice than the money.¡±

 Chapter 1201

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1201


    Letting out a sigh, Ashton wrapped his arm around me. ¡°There¡¯s a long and painful process before


    justice is served. This is the same case for me, let alone themon folks. How many of them do you


    think can survive the ordeals? Compared to offending the Ziegler family and bringing troubles on


    themselves, they see hiding away and living a stable life as a blessing.¡±


    I said nothing as despondency crept in. In other words, John went to all the trouble to dig up dirt on the


    Ziegler family only to end up embarrassing them to a small degree.


    As the intensive care unit was not open to visitors all the time, we could only stand outside and see


    Jackson through the window.


    Lying on the bed, Jackson was covered in bandages. Only the venttor could prove that he was still


    alive.


    He could still scold me the day before, but he could not even open his eyes at this moment. The


    thought brought a lump to my throat and tears to my eyes. Not daring to cry, I covered my mouth and


    nose for fear of disturbing Jackson.


    Ashton patted me on the shoulder tofort me. ¡°I¡¯ve arranged for some people to renovate Jackson¡¯s


    clinic and to appease the patients who caused troubles. After he wakes up, he can start over. This is an


    unfortunate ident. Since you¡¯ve had depression before and are now pregnant, you can¡¯t get too sad,


    or you may easily lose control of your emotions. How can you take care of your kids then?¡±


    Hearing this, I could onlypose myself and try not to dwell in the frustration.


    However, there was still a pressing matter to be dealt with. While keeping my eyes on Jackson, I asked


    Ashton in a hushed voice, ¡°Are you going to attend the dinner tonight?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ashton replied as he put more weight on my shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ll use the identity as Mrs. Fuller for


    thest time to put on an act with me.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    If we wanted the divorce agreement to be convincingter on, we did need to show some signs of


    discord prior to our so-called divorce. Hence, I responded in silent agreement.


    After standing outside the ICU for one hour, Ashton got Ste toe over and asked her to give him a


    first-hand report on everything concerning Jackson. Then, he left with me as my legs were severely


    swollen due to the pregnancy.


    After walking out of the elevator, we bumped into Lydia, who came with her kid. She merely took a


    nce at us and entered the elevator without even sparing us another nce.


    The wait was torment. I had been waiting for the news of Jackson getting better the entire day, but I


    only received a text from Ste that read The doctor said that Mr. Kane still needs to be under


    observation.


    Worried, I was out of spirits when we left for the dinner. As Ashton helped me walk outside, my mind


    was preupied, so I was stunned for a second when I saw John.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Judging from his formal attire, he seemed to be going with us.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I be here?¡± John did an annoying shimmy and asserted proudly, ¡°After all, I¡¯m the only one


    who¡¯s embarrassed the Ziegler family big time in the past ten years. Besides, I¡¯m representing Uncle


    Louis and the Stovall family today. Alright. Let¡¯s get in the car.¡±


    Then, he went up to me and helped me to get in the car of the Stovall family, whereas Ashton got in the


    Fullers¡¯ car that was parked behind us.


    We soon departed.


    ncing at the car behind me from the rearview mirror, I tilted my head and asked John, ¡°What are the


    two of you up to?¡±


    I was there when Cameron and Zachary came the day before, but I did not hear them say that Ezra


    invited the Stovall family. Moreover, John had sent the inte into a frenzy with Mitchell¡¯s scandals in


    the morning and had be a thorn in the side of the Ziegler family. His presence at the dinner would


    only irk them.


    Looking at me, John shed me a fake grin. ¡°Nothing. I just want to meet the Ziegler family, so Ashton


    brings me along. That¡¯s it.¡±


    The expression on his face sent chills down my spine. Knowing that I could not find out the truth from


    him, I stopped pressing him for an answer.

 Chapter 1202

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1202


    The car drove for more than half an hour before it finally stopped.


    Being a property magnate, the Ziegler family owned a vi that was located in a winery with the best


    scenery in the suburbs. It looked like a castle when looking from afar. It was not even seven in the


    evening, but the decorative lights were already switched on. The fountain danced among the beams of


    lights like the elves of night, adding a mysterious and solemn air to the castle.


    The Fullers were the richest family in J City, and their vi was considered decent even when


    compared to those in K City. However, I only saw the gap between J City and K City after seeing how


    impressive the Ziegler family¡¯s vi was in person.


    Meanwhile, John was ustomed to it as he walked inside with me arm in arm, whereas Ashton


    walked behind us.


    When we entered the building, we saw Cameron and Zachary, who had long arrived, chatting.


    Seeing us, Cameron rose to her feet and came over to greet us. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡±


    Thinking that she could look after me, John let go of me and walked together with Ashton.


    Afterward, the others also stood up and exchanged greetings. After a brief introduction, I finally got to


    know Ezra, whom Zachary and Louis dreaded.


    Sitting across from me, he wore a in outfit and held a folding fan in his hand. His hair was gray, and


    he looked amiable and all smiles, which waspletely different from what I had imagined him to be.


    Yet, his disposition as a government official was discernible.


    After chatting for a short while, we went to sit at the dining table. I did not know what was wrong with


    John as he insisted to sit next to me, so Ashton could only sat between Zayne and Zachary.


    Where one sat at the table often determined one¡¯s status. The Ziegler family was obviously the host,


    but Ezra sat at the head of the table, which showed that the Ziegler family respected Ezra very much.


    After wine was poured into sses, Ezra clinked a spoon against the side of his wine ss, attracting


    everyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Let¡¯s toast for Mr. Fuller and Mr. Ziegler who have buried the hatchet.¡±


    It turned out that Ezra was ying the peacemaker, which surprised everyone.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    As the Ziegler family sided with Ezra, Zayne and his wife immediately raised their sses and looked


    at Ashton while saying humbly, ¡°Mr. Fuller, both of us were at fault yesterday. I propose that we drink


    this to put it behind us and be friends from now on. We shallpete fairly in business. How


    about it?¡±


    Before Ashton could speak, Ezra began to heap praises. ¡°Fuller Corporation and Ziegler Corporation


    are both high-performing enterprises in K City. As a government official, I really don¡¯t know how I


    should express my gratitude to both of you for setting aside your personal grudges and working


    together to contribute to the economic development of K City.¡±


    Looking touched, Ezra picked up his wine ss and walked up to Zayne, adding respectfully, ¡°Mr.


    Ziegler, here¡¯s to you. Thank you for your big heart!¡±


    As he was standing, Zayne did not dare to remain seated, so he immediately rose to his feet and


    clinked sses with Ezra at a lower angle than thetter. ¡°Mr. Grant, you have ttered me. We¡¯re just


    giving back to the people. It¡¯s our responsibility.¡±


    The two menplimented each other so much that it was as though only they were present at the


    dinner and got to call the tune.


    Just as they finished their wine to seal the deal, John said mockingly, ¡°The one being injured is a


    member of the Stovall family, but you, Mr. Ziegler and Mr. Grant, seek to make peace with the Fullers


    instead. Do you think there¡¯s no one left in the Stovall family?¡±


    Zayne and Ezra could initially take Ashton¡¯s silence as tacit agreement, and the issue would be put


    behind them. However, John¡¯s words instantly put them in an awkward position. Lowering his half-


    raised ss, Ashton sat back on his chair with a half-smile and rigidly ced his ss back on the


    table.


    After being embarrassed, Ezra had on a grim expression, but Zayne spoke first probably because he


    was more hostile toward John following the Facebook incident. While remained standing, he said


    condescendingly, ¡°Now that you mention it, Mr. Stovall, both Ziegler family and Stovall family are of


    respectable status, and yet you put our private grudges on the Inte and let everyoneugh at us.


    Although you were only brought back from the countryside when you were a teenager, you should


    know some manners and rules after so many years!¡±

 Chapter 1203

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1203


    After speaking, he tossed the wine ss on the table and sat back on the chair. The wine ss


    wobbled and was about to topple on the table when Zayne¡¯s wife reached out to catch it in time,


    preventing the situation from bing tenser.


    She noticed my gaze, and we nodded at each other in greeting.


    Unexpectedly, Zayne, who can¡¯t tell right from wrong, has such a mild-mannered wife.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    In the upper-ss society, having the past of being adopted in the countryside was not something to be


    proud of. He clearly intended to embarrass John by bringing it up in front of people of this ss.


    With his head down, John sneered and shot Zayne a vicious look. ¡°You¡¯re right, Mr. Ziegler. I dislike


    following the rules the most. I don¡¯t n on following the rules today as well. Mitchell abducted Letty


    and almost killed her babies. I won¡¯t let him off the hook. It¡¯s either he stays abroad for the rest of his


    life and neveres back, or I¡¯ll sue him until he goes to jail!¡±


    He was a little agitated, so things started to get out of hand. Having seen a great deal, Ezra no longer


    wore a displeased look on his face and cated, ¡°Alright. Why make a fuss at a dinner? Do me a favor.


    Let¡¯s finish this meal happily, shall we?¡±


    As his words were directed at John, the others did not dare to respond. John¡¯s attitude determined


    whether they could continue having the dinner in peace.


    As everyone waited for his answer, his attention was on Ashton. He squinted at thetter with pursed


    lips and raised eyebrows, he was clearly suppressing his anger.


    After all, Ashton was the protagonist of the dinner, but he had never spoken a single word after he sat


    down and simply let Ezra and Zayne take the lead, looking like he was on the same team as them.


    John had only one purpose, which was to seek justice for me and my babies. Seeing Ashton like this,


    he was displeased and began to mock, ¡°Someone was making some grandiose statements previously,


    and yet now he doesn¡¯t even have the guts to say anything to the enemy who has harmed his own wife


    and kids. This is something totally new to me¡­¡±


    John¡¯s remark made things even more awkward.


    However, Ashton casually took the wine ss in front of him and slowly took a sip from it before cing


    it back down in an elegant manner, as though he had not heard what John had said.


    Enraged, John abruptly got up and swept the tableware in front of him to the ground. ¡°I¡¯m talking about


    you, Ashton Fuller! You¡¯re not mute, are you? Didn¡¯t you say you want to seek revenge? What now?


    Did you get intimidated by them and decide to be a coward who doesn¡¯t even want to bring up the


    wrong your wife and kids have suffered?¡±


    The sound of the tableware falling to the ground was loud and harsh. I looked up at him in shock.


    Whereas Ashton remained calm with the same expression. Keeping his head down, he said through


    his gritted teeth after a long silence, ¡°This is my family affair.¡±


    Ashton had always been arrogant, but he looked even more so at this moment as he called John nosy.


    To be honest, the two of them are so annoying when they¡¯re mean.


    As though he had heard a joke, John put his hands on his hip and announced coldly, ¡°Are you saying


    that I¡¯m an outsider? Very well, Ashton Fuller, I¡¯ve underestimated you. It¡¯s settled, then. From now on,


    the Stovall family will cut ties with the Fullers. You don¡¯t need to see Letty anymore!¡±


    ¡°Letty!¡± He suddenly shouted my name furiously. I was taken aback, so I replied meekly, ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Staring at Ashton, John enunciated each word slowly, ¡°Someone is scared of offending


    others, but I¡¯m not. After we go back, I¡¯ll get thewyer to draft a divorce agreement so that the two of


    you can make a clean break. From now on, you¡¯re only a member of the Stovall family. As your brother,


    I won¡¯t stand idly by and do nothing whenever you¡¯ve been bullied!¡±

 Chapter 1204

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1204


    After speaking, John helped me up and prepared to leave.


    However, Ashton rose to his feet, looked straight ahead calmly, and said arrogantly, ¡°I¡¯m fine with


    divorce. I don¡¯t mind her leaving as well, but she¡¯s still carrying the descendants of the Fullers. I won¡¯t


    let the Stovall family take them away.¡±


    Why does this sound so weird? Didn¡¯t he want our kids to bear my namest night? Why is he trying to


    get their custody now?


    While Ashton spoke, John, who had been furious, stopped in his tracks with his arm linked with mine.


    After he was stunned for a few seconds, he suddenly let go of me and turned to walk up to Ashton.


    ¡°F*ck!¡± The unexpected punch made Ashton stagger backward, pushing the chair behind him away.


    Zachary hurriedly stopped John. ¡°What are you doing, John? We¡¯re all family!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not!¡± John broke free from him andshed out at him, ¡°You¡¯re just as horrible! You worked


    together to cause Letty to lose her first kid! You¡¯re the real family!¡±


    After he was seemingly done venting his anger, he nced at me and suppressed his rage before


    leaving with me.


    As we left halfway through the meal, we did not know what happenedter.


    But aftering out of the castle, John had been in a good mood. Sitting on the leather seat with his


    legs crossed, he sped his hands and tapped his fingers, looking particrly rxed.


    Seeing this, I understood everything, so I teased him with a smile, ¡°Your acting was too exaggerated


    just now.¡±


    John was surprised. ¡°You can tell?¡±


    I gave him a tight-lipped smile. ¡°Ashton won¡¯t say something like that. Besides, even if you¡¯re really not


    happy about him, you¡¯ll still put your prejudice aside and form a united front with him in front of


    outsiders. Judging from how strange the two of you were behaving, it only proves that you were just


    putting up an act for Zayne and Ezra.¡±


    I initially thought that Ashton would want me to y along when he asked me to attend the dinner.


    Unexpectedly, he thoughtfully made John speak up for me to keep me out of the dispute and make the


    outsiders think that we were only together because of our kids.


    What surprised me was that John was actually so good at acting. If Ashton had not hinted at me, I


    would have taken it seriously.


    ¡°Good job. You¡¯re very observant, as expected of my sister.¡± Feeling smug, John gave me a


    compliment that sounded like he was praising himself.


    But I still could not get my head around one thing. ¡°Didn¡¯t you and Ashton have a falling-out? When did


    you reconcile?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    John pursed his lips and replied, ¡°This is called the tacit understanding between men. Sometimes, we


    only need a look in the eyes to know what to do and what not to do.¡±


    It was unexpected to me that the tacit understanding between men could be more profound than that of


    a ten-year couple.


    However, I did not continue the conversation as I turned to nce at the castle in the rearview mirror.


    Under the illumination of the lights, the castle, which was increasingly farther away, appeared even


    more mysterious and remote as it gradually devoured the darkness of night.


    I hope that Ashton will be safe.


    It was still early by the time we reached Stovall residence. Hearing the noise, Summer ran downstairs


    in her pajamas and ran to me, so I spent some time ying with her.


    After about thirty minutes, John came downstairs with a document in his hand. As he walked over, he


    said mysteriously, ¡°Guess what this is.¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡± I held Summer in my arms and brushed her hair using my fingers absentmindedly. At this


    moment, all I cared about was whether Ashton was safe among the ravening wolves.


    ¡°You¡¯re no fun.¡± Sitting down across from me, John crossed his legs and put one arm on the armrest of


    the sofa, looking rxed in his gray pajamas. He added annoyingly, ¡°You don¡¯t even have a sense of


    humor. Sooner orter, you¡¯ll be loathed by other men.¡±


    Looking up, I rolled my eyes at him. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯ll support me for the rest of my life? Are you


    going back on your word in just less than an hour?¡±

 Chapter 1205

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1205


    Shrugging, John ced the document on the table and changed the subject. ¡°Look at this. Your man is


    so quick to take action that the divorce agreement has been faxed over.¡±


    I froze for a moment, but I did not feel like looking at it.


    John was surprised. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to take a look?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to look at?¡± I was busy ying with Summer. ¡°It¡¯s nothing but some scrap paper.¡±


    Seeing too much of something would no longer stir up any emotions.


    Moreover, Ashton and I had long reached an agreement, and I had even seen the agreement with my


    signature on it, so the copy of it could not shake me up.


    John took the agreement and flicked his fingers at it. ¡°Anyway, putting aside the children¡¯s custody,


    Ashton is quite a generous man.¡±


    Looking at him smiling and nodding approvingly, I teased him, ¡°You previously thought that Ashton was


    using me and despised him. So now your opinion of him changes just after putting on an act with him?¡±


    Still smiling, John looked at me in amusement. ¡°Do you think I did it for him? If he had not been willing


    to save you and your kids from possible danger, I would have ignored him.¡±


    Pausing for a moment, he threw away the document and went on with an even serious look on his


    face, ¡°Letty, you must know that only the Stovall family and I are truly good to you. I don¡¯t care what you


    think about Ashton and the Moores couple, but I advise you against trusting thempletely. They all


    have their own agenda, while I only have you as my sister. You¡¯re the one closest to me, so I won¡¯t


    harm you.¡±


    Feeling touched, I was at a loss for words. Thus, I hurriedly looked away and replied, ¡°Alright. Enough


    sappy talk.¡±


    Spreading his hands, John leaned back on the sofa. ¡°It¡¯s up to you whether you wanna believe me. I¡¯m


    honest with you and hide nothing from you anyway.¡±


    It was a simple statement, but it somehow weighed on me. Over the past decade or so, the rtionship


    between Ashton and I had been rocky because each of us had kept too many of our own secrets. I


    hope that we can be frank and open with each other from now on.


    After going through the agreement, John took it back to his study. As I expected, there was rumors of


    Ashton¡¯s divorce with me on Facebook. Later, the divorce agreement with our signatures was posted


    on the official Facebook ount of Fuller Corporation, confirming that the rumors were true.


    When I saw the Facebook post, Ashton sent a voice message to me on WhatsApp.


    ¡°You do know why I do this, right?¡±


    He sounded cautious, as though he was afraid that I would overthink it.


    Smiling, I replied in text: A diversion.


    Ashton texted back quickly with a one-word reply: Smart girl.


    Then, the typing status disappeared probably because he was needed elsewhere.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    I thought I could have some peaceful time afterward, but Emery came over as soon as I sat down for


    breakfast.


    She walked to the living room in a huff and looked around before she saw me at the dining table.


    Frowning, she strode over and threw her bag on the table. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is it because of Ste?


    Or is there another woman? Didn¡¯t I tell you to be more careful? Those women out there are crazy and


    immoral. They¡¯ll throw themselves at any men who are sessful and good-looking. Why didn¡¯t you


    work on your rtionship when the two of you are finally together¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop right there!¡± I gestured for her to stop as she seemed to be a little too emotional. Pulling a chair


    next to mine, I asked her to take a seat. ¡°You haven¡¯t taken your breakfast, have you? Have a seat.


    Let¡¯s chat while we eat.¡±


    Looking down at the table, Emery heaved a sigh and sat on the chair, but she still shot me a peevish


    look. ¡°I don¡¯t want your food! Tell me now!¡±

 Chapter 1206

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1206


    Left with no choice, I could only cook up an excuse and replied indifferently, ¡°Our personalities sh.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Being smart as she was, Emery was not convinced. ¡°Are you kidding me? What sh could


    there be? It¡¯s been ten years. Any sharp edges should¡¯ve been sanded off. Scarlett Stovall, you¡¯d better


    tell me the truth!¡±


    I knew that she would catch me if I put on an act, so I kept quiet for a while before I came up with an


    answer. ¡°As you¡¯ve already known, I was kidnapped a while ago. The kidnapper is Ashton¡¯s enemy. I


    asked him to stop his revenge, but he refuses, so I divorce him. We won¡¯t get back together again.¡± I


    tried to appear as indifferent as possible.


    Unsurprisingly, my reply was too much for her to take in, so she was obviously stupefied. Knitting her


    brows, she gave it some thought and said, ¡°I recently heard some rumors that the Ziegler family feuds


    with the Fullers in private. After John exposed the scandals of the Ziegler family on Facebook, I thought


    that you and the Fullers are on the same side¡­ However, why must you opt for divorce since there¡¯s


    no issue in your rtionship? Do you know that you¡¯re just making room for another woman by doing


    so?¡±


    I found it odd that she had been nervously emphasizing the women around Ashton after she came in.


    At first, I thought of telling her the truth, but the fewer people knew about it, the lower the risk, so I could


    only continue to y along.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter anymore.¡± Putting down my cutlery, I took a piece of tissue and wiped my mouth. ¡°You


    know, I was extremely terrified and helpless when I almost lost my babies. But he didn¡¯t give a damn.


    Not only did he not back down, but he also broke Mitchell¡¯s arms and angered the Ziegler family. He¡¯s


    out of his mind. I don¡¯t want to be with him anymore as I don¡¯t want to fail as a mother again.¡±


    Emery fell silent. After a long while, she let out a sigh and asked, ¡°Have you really thought it through?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve even signed the divorce agreement.¡± I spoke feebly, but it made me look indifferent as if I had


    really gotten over it and was unfazed by it.


    For some reason, Emery actually believed me as she cast her eyes down andmented, ¡°You were


    finally together after much difficulty, but why would things turn out like this?¡±


    She looked particrly sad as she murmured to herself. If I had not known that her rtionship with


    Hunter was stable, I would have thought that she had been wounded in her rtionship


    Knowing that she had only good intentions, I did not want her to worry, so I patted her on the back of


    her hand and assured her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯ll live the rest of my life well for the sake of my kids


    no matter what.¡±


    She looked up with a mysterious gaze. ¡°You¡¯re so different today.¡±


    Being born a clever hunter, she widened her beautiful eyes as she gazed at me, as though she could


    see right through me.


    Feeling guilty, I raised an eyebrow and turned my face away while exining, ¡°Maybe because I got


    scared and didn¡¯t get a good restst night.¡±


    It was not a very convincing exnation. I did not know if Emery was buying it as she simply stared at


    me for a while in silence.


    Meanwhile, a maid came in from the courtyard and reported, ¡°Ms. Stovall, an elderly man named Ezra


    Grant asks to see you.¡±


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    We¡¯ve only met once, but why does this cunning mane? He must be up to something.


    On second thought, I knew that I should not be rude to him. Moreover, Ashton and I had made known


    publicly that we had a massive falling-out, so I had no reason to avoid seeing his enemy. ¡°Bring him in.¡±


    Emery helped me up to walk over to sit in the living room as she asked, ¡°What a rare sight for Ezra to


    be visiting the Stovall residence.¡±


    ¡°You even know about this?¡± I smiled. Emery was so good at gathering information that even Holden


    would be put in the shade.

 Chapter 1207

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1207


    ¡°It¡¯s not a secret in K City that Louis and Ezra don¡¯t like each other. But the outsiders are sure that the


    two of them are cutting each other out till the end of days. Now I¡¯m so lucky that I can actually bear


    witness to such a historic moment when they meet.¡± Emery suddenly became energetic without any


    sign of disappointment from earlier.


    Women were always thrilled to learn about gossips.


    Feeling helpless, I ruined it for her by saying, ¡°You¡¯ve thought too much. Uncle Louis isn¡¯t home, so


    they won¡¯t meet.¡±


    As soon as I finished speaking, I heard footsteps as the maid led Ezra to the living room. With Emery¡¯s


    help, I rose to my feet carefully.


    Ezra hurried over and waved his hands, looking anxious. ¡°You should sit down now that you¡¯re


    pregnant.¡±


    Then, he also took his seat.


    Emery sneered at his action as she nudged me and secretly gave me a look that meant, Look at him.


    Not only does hee uninvited, but he also makes it look like he¡¯s the host here in an instant. What a


    tough nut to crack!


    I pursed my lips and shot her a look that told her not to act rashly.


    After all, what we were facing was a viper that could kill without having their blood on his hands.


    ¡°What brings you here, Mr. Grant?¡± I asked with a smile, looking like an innocent housewife who did not


    anything about the world outside.


    When the maid brought tea, Ezra epted the cup and took a sip from it. While checking out the


    surrounding, he said, ¡°After being in the officialdom for so many years with Louis, this is the first time I


    come to his house. It¡¯s not bad. Everything¡¯s his style¡­¡±


    Pursing my lips, I forced an awkward smile. They were obviously enemies, and yet he talked like they


    were friends of many years.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    ¡°Where¡¯s Louis?¡± Ezra suddenly asked.


    ¡°He travels on official duty. I heard that there are several inspection activities in another city, so he


    won¡¯t be back so soon.¡±


    At this, Ezra guffawed as he thought of something. ¡°Haha. That¡¯s right. How can I forget such an


    important thing? Being our role model, Louis puts his soul into his work. I¡¯m humbled by him!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be modest. It¡¯s because of you that Uncle Louis and the others can carry out their works


    confidently. Everyone ys a part in it.¡± I tried hard to keep smiling, but I still could not tell the reason


    for his visit.


    Hearing this, Ezra nodded approvingly. ¡°Well said. Everyone ys a part. As the world is a better ce


    now, everything will change for the better as long as everyone does what they should do. Take me and


    Louis for example. Although we have different roles and unresolved business in private, we¡¯re both


    working for the people. For so many years, there hasn¡¯t been a single problem, and we even rose


    through the ranks. Everyone just wants a peaceful life after all¡­¡±


    The implication in his words was so obvious that I could not ignore it.


    Everyone in K City knew that Louis and Ezra were at odds. Yet, the two of them did not interfere with


    each other and had been able to stand tall in their own field. When Ezra said that everyone yed a


    part, he was reminding us to do our own part and not to get into trouble.


    However, I was still unsure whether he wanted me to forgive Ashton or to help him persuade Ashton to


    let everything go.


    If it was thetter, it proved that he only had one purpose ining over today¡ªto probe if Ashton and


    I had truly broken up.


    Since he did not say it clearly, I would continue to y dumb. ¡°That¡¯s true. The rapid development of K


    City is due to people your generation like your good self and Uncle Louis. Young people like us will


    never be able to outshine all of you.¡±


    Raising an eyebrow, Ezra stared at me and replied, ¡°I¡¯m very optimistic about the prospects of Fuller


    Corporation. Mr. Fuller is also a rare talent and will be a leader in the brokerage industry in K City. So


    he should be open-minded, learn to let go of the minor grudges in the past, and move on. Only then


    can he grow. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±

 Chapter 1208

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1208


    To Ezra, the tragic deaths of Ashton¡¯s parents and the unborn child were actually nothing but some


    minor grudges.


    His matter-of-fact attitude instantly made me understand the reason for Ashton¡¯s stubbornness.


    No one could easily let go after their parents died while the murderer was living a good life.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about Ashton. Besides, we¡¯re already divorced, so I won¡¯tment on this.¡± As I


    spoke, I could no longer smile. Instead, I was expressionless while trying hard to appear humble.


    Ezra¡¯s goal was clear¡ªto probe my rtionship with Ashton and also to sound out the resolution of


    Ashton.


    They had obviously exchanged information with Armond and knew that Ashton had just been riled


    because of me and the kids, so they would not easily believe that we had really divorced. After all, they


    would lose the best bargaining chip to control Ashton if the divorce was true.


    Since Ezra hade personally, it proved that they were still afraid of the influence of the Stovall


    family. Thus, I did not need to demean myself.


    As soon as I finished speaking, Ezra¡¯s smile froze on his face as he squinted slightly, exuding an


    imposing air of authority.


    Sensing his powerful presence, I felt my body tense up.


    However, he did not n on letting the matter slide.


    The air in the living room was thick with silence and tension. After a long while, he let out augh.


    ¡°Haha. You¡¯re really the goddaughter of Louis, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re so much like him!¡±


    Breathing a sigh of relief, I unclenched my fists and let the air dry the cold sweat in my palms. I was not


    as calm as I appeared as a feeling of dread hung over me, tormenting me with each passing second.


    Ezra and Louis were different. Although they both stood out in the officialdom, Ezra was a real sinister


    and cunning man. Back then, in order to protect himself, he ndered Ashton¡¯s parents and also killed


    four members of the Oberick family. He did not regret nor fear even when he mentioned the incident


    with Ashton¡¯s family now. A cold-blooded man like this was mentally strong and could easily induce fear


    in others.


    This was probably the reason why George refused to tell Ashton the truth back then.


    Fighting against ordinary people was all about thepetition of treachery and mental agility; fighting


    against monsters was a life-and-death situation where a single error could cost one their life.


    ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, I won¡¯t pressure you. I still have a meeting to attend. I shall take my leave


    now¡­¡±


    As he spoke, he rose to his feet. Since I had to see him out, Emery helped me up to walk toward the


    door together.


    However, as soon as we turned around, we saw Louis, who was on official duty, at the door.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Louis walked in with a poker face as he directly ignored Ezra, who was simpering and walked over to


    sit down on the sofa. ¡°The luxury car outside got me thinking I have some important guests¡­ Ezra, let


    me remind you. You¡¯re about to be promoted, so you¡¯d better be careful not to let anyone dig up dirt on


    you¡­¡±


    His sarcastic remark made Ezra¡¯s face go red with rage as he replied through his gritted teeth, ¡°Hmph,


    thanks for your reminder, Louis. But you¡¯re thinking too much. The car is donated by Ziegler


    Corporation, and the higher-ups assign it to me. I¡¯ve done no evil, so I don¡¯t mind being investigated.


    You don¡¯t need to worry about it.¡±


    Without even looking up, Louis picked up a cup of undrunk tea from the table and blew on it before he


    took a sip and slowly said, ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Ezra lost his cool instantly as he left in a huff.

 Chapter 1209

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1209


    I realized that those from the Stovall family had a knack for pissing people off. Had Louis not gotten


    himself into politics twenty years ago, he probably would¡¯ve ruined the lives of countless young women


    like John.


    Louis waited until Ezra had left before asking worriedly, ¡°What did Ezra talk to you about?¡±


    ¡°He wanted me to talk Ashton out of his ns for revenge.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, I knew he was up to no good!¡± Louis snorted disdainfully before instructing the servants nearby,


    ¡°If Mr. Grantes by again, I want you all to send him away on the spot!¡±


    It was rare to see Louis lose his temper at anyone other than John, so I chuckled in amusement as I


    said, ¡°Looks like your grudge against Ezra is a lot stronger than that of Ashton¡¯s!¡±


    Louis let out a huge sigh in response. ¡°I was this close to nabbing Ezra and his men back then, but he


    managed to get away in the veryst moment and has been living the high life here in K City ever


    since. Most of the businesses that he owns are in legal gray areas, so there wasn¡¯t much I could do


    about them. Looks like bringing them to justice before my retirement is just wishful thinking now¡­¡±


    Emery and I didn¡¯t know much about the stuff that took ce in the older generations, so we kept quiet


    as we didn¡¯t know what to say.


    After a brief moment of silence, Louis shifted his gaze towards Emery and asked, ¡°You¡¯re that girl from


    the Moore family, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯ve just gotten married to Hunter a while back, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right,¡± Emery replied with a shy smile.


    I couldn¡¯t help but find it strange that an official of Louis¡¯ caliber would be so close to someone like


    Hunter.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Not bad, you two go well together!¡± Louis nodded with a look of approval on his face as he


    continued, ¡°Hunter is a great man and has huge potential, so make sure to offer him your full support


    as his wife!¡±


    Does that mean Hunter is nning on getting into politics? Why hasn¡¯t Emery ever told me about it?


    Emery nodded awkwardly with a stiff smile on her face and kept quiet.


    ¡°You have an urgent call, Mr. Stovall,¡± Louis¡¯ assistant said as he came running into the living room with


    a phone in his hand.


    Louis then took the phone over and went into the study upstairs with his assistant.


    By the time I turned around, Emery was already packing up her stuff.


    ¡°I just remembered I had something to take care of, so I have to get going now. Talk to youter!¡±


    ¡°Huh? Wait¡­¡±


    Ring! Ring! Ring!


    I was about to call out to her when my phone started ringing, but decided to let her go when I saw that


    it was Ashton calling.


    ¡°Have you had breakfast?¡± His voice was so hoarse that it sounded like he had been staying up all


    night.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Yeah, just a while ago. You stayed up all night again, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Has Ezra left?¡± Ashton avoided my question by changing the topic.


    I was about to pour myself a cup of tea, but set the teapot down when I heard that. ¡°You knew he¡¯d


    come?¡±


    ¡°It was a guess,¡± Ashton said with a chuckle. ¡°Looks like my guess was correct, after all. Things are


    different nowpared to how they were twenty years ago, and they¡¯re the ones that are afraid of me


    now!¡±


    Ezra¡¯s promotion depended heavily on his performance, and those around him had tried really hard to


    get him promoted. However, things have changed, and people of higher positions received more


    attention from the public. Thanks to the great emphasis ced on transparency, even the tiniest of


    mistakes were greatly magnified. As such, Ezra had tried to appease Ashton in hopes of staying out of


    trouble.


    More importantly, Ashton wasn¡¯t the only enemy Ezra had. Apart from lower-ranking officials like Louis,


    he had another rival who was also going after the promotion. Despite the rival seemingly have a higher


    chance at victory, they were both evenly matched and extremely cautious in their approach.


    ¡°Ezra is just trying to stall for time right now. Once he gets that promotion and eliminates his rival, I¡¯m


    the first person he¡¯ll being after. In fact, I think he¡¯s already making his ns on getting rid of me


    as we speak. You may be my wife, but you are still a member of the Stovall family. The reason Ezra


    came here in person was to test the water and see if there was a need to go after you as well.¡± Ashton


    sounded really calm as he exined it to me.

 Chapter 1210

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1210


    I had been really confident and even sneered at Ezra when he brought up Ashton in our conversation


    earlier, which showcased my position and status in the Stovall family. Ezra knew without a doubt that


    they would go after him should anything happen to me, and that would be disastrous for his future. On


    top of that, I had the Moore family on my side as well, so it was unlikely that Ezra would make a move


    on me any time soon.


    However, I couldn¡¯t help but worry for Ashton as the Stovall family and the Moore family wouldn¡¯t have


    a justifiable reason to back him up if anything happened to him.


    ¡°Ashton, are you sure about this?¡± I pursed my lips as I tried to suppress my feelings of unease.


    He¡¯s one man going against a pack of wolves! There¡¯s no way it isn¡¯t dangerous!


    Ashton let out a huge sigh and said after a brief pause, ¡°Trust me, okay? I¡¯lle to pick you and


    Summer up as soon as it¡¯s over.¡±


    He then hung up the phone, and I had John apany me to the hospital with his bodyguards.


    Despite knowing that Ezra wouldn¡¯t do anything rash at the moment, I didn¡¯t want to put Summer¡¯s


    safety at risk again.


    We¡¯ll find out if Jackson would be able to wake up today, so I have to be present at the hospital!


    I saw Nick¡¯s car when I arrived at the entrance of the hospital. He had just gotten out of his car and


    seemed to be lost in thought as he stared nkly at the building.


    ¡°Nick! You came!¡± I called out to him while making my way over with John¡¯s help.


    Nick shot me an indifferent look and said coldly, ¡°Yeah, after getting a call from Lydia. Why didn¡¯t you


    tell me sooner?¡±


    John nced at both of us before putting two and two together. ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re that other guy in the


    picture? Man, you sure have a messy rtionship!¡±


    I pinched John on the arm and motioned at him to shut up before turning towards Nick. ¡°You¡¯re the


    head of the Harrisons now. I figured you wouldn¡¯te for the sake of yourpany and family.¡±


    ¡°Jackson sure as hell didn¡¯t think about all that when he shielded you from that knife!¡± Nick snapped


    back at me sarcastically.


    John grabbed him by the cor before I could even respond and lifted him off the ground. ¡°Hey! You


    apologize to Scarlett right this instant!¡±


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Nick simply clenched his teeth in silence, and the two of them stared at each other, both refusing to


    back down.


    I tried tugging at his sleeve but to no avail. Having no other options, I took a step back and acted like I


    was in great pain by clutching my tummy while bending over. ¡°Ugh¡­ It hurts¡­ Help me, John¡­¡±


    John released his grip on Nick the moment he heard that and immediately ran over to hold me steady.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you all right? Try to rx, okay? We¡¯re at a hospital, so don¡¯t you worry! I¡¯ll get you


    a doctor right away!¡± he asked anxiously while shielding my tummy with his free hand.


    Nick had fixed his shirt and began walking up the stairs at the hospital¡¯s entrance, but John was


    panicking so much that he didn¡¯t even notice that. ¡°Hurry up, Nick! Get a doctor!¡±


    He turned around when he heard no response, only to see Nick disappearing into the distance without


    even looking back. ¡°Damn you, Nick! I can¡¯t believe you¡¯d be so heartless to Letty after all she did for


    you!¡± he shouted angrily in disbelief.


    Seeing as Nick had already went inside, I decided to drop the act and stood up straight while tugging


    on his arm. ¡°That¡¯s enough, John. I¡¯m fine now.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Realizing that he had been tricked, John grabbed me by the shoulder and asked, ¡°You know


    what? I just noticed something¡­ You¡¯re always taking the other person¡¯s side, no matter who I get into


    a fight with! Why would you betray me like that?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but let out a chuckle in response. I feel kind of bad for John at times, but it can¡¯t be


    helped¡­ He¡¯s too snarky and hot-tempered for his own good! Until he learns to control himself a little


    more, he¡¯ll just have to bear with it!


    ¡°I was just worried about your safety, John! I don¡¯t want you getting hurt, you know?¡± I said while


    wrapping an arm around his and dragging him towards the hospital.

 Chapter 1211

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1211


    John eventually gave in to my pleas and promised to stop getting into fights with Nick.


    Lydia was holding her child tightly as she stood by the window and stared worriedly into the ICU. She


    was so depressed that she didn¡¯t even notice using.


    Seeing how terrible she was feeling, I decided not to call out to her and simply stood quietly by her


    side.


    Nick was dressed in an istion gown as he sat beside Jackson¡¯s bed. I could tell that he was saying


    something to him as I saw his lips moving, but I couldn¡¯t quite make out what it was. Nick had a gloomy


    look on his face, but Jackson showed no response whatsoever.


    ¡°He¡¯ll wake up.¡± Lydia¡¯s voice came from beside me all of a sudden.


    I turned towards her and saw that her gaze was focused on Nick as she continued, ¡°Jackson never told


    you why he wanted to leave the country so suddenly, did he?¡±


    She didn¡¯t have to look at me for me to know that question was meant for me. ¡°No, he didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Jackson followed his mom when she remarried into their current family. He had an older brother, and


    although they were both boys, the treatment they received was very different. Jackson would be


    med for everything his brother did wrong. This child belongs to his brother as well, but that guy is


    about to get into a marriage of convenience soon, so Jackson was forced to raise the child instead.


    I know he likes someone else, but he never talks about it. Every evening, I¡¯d see him smoking a


    cigarette all by himself beneath the streetmp outside¡­ I suppose we all yearn for the love of our


    family¡­ He was nning on having the three of us visit you when we returned to the country, but


    something in him seemed to snap when he got to your doorstep and saw your guests¡­¡±


    She was interrupted by the sound of the door opening, followed by Nick screaming anxiously, ¡°Doctor!


    Doctor!¡±


    Standing outside the ICU and watching the doctors and nurses desperately try to rescue someone


    produced a feeling of helplessness that could only be understood by those experiencing it firsthand.


    Jackson didn¡¯t wake up, but his vital signs did return to normal. The doctors said his condition had


    stabilized, but there was no telling when he would wake up. It could take a few days or even a few


    months.


    The sky was dark by the time I picked Summer up on our way home, and the drive home was a smooth


    one with John escorting us.


    Back at the Stovall residence, I saw Hunter and Louis having a conversation in the living room.


    Summer had always liked Louis for how friendly and gentle he was and threw herself at him the


    moment she saw him. ¡°Grandpa!¡±


    ¡°If Summer calls the both of us ¡®grandpa¡¯, does that make us equals?¡± Louis said with a chuckle.


    Emery sure has insights¡­ Hunter is of a simr same age as us, so it would be more appropriate to


    have Summer call him ¡®uncle¡¯ instead.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Emery? Why isn¡¯t she here with you?¡± I tried to change the topic as I sat down.


    ¡°I think she was having a gathering with her besties or something, so she won¡¯t be leaving anytime


    soon. Besides, the stuff that Mr. Stovall and I talk about would probably bore her to death anyway,¡±


    Hunter replied casually.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    Louis seemed to admire him a lot as he chimed in, ¡°Hunter¡¯s a very capable guy. I had been carrying


    out patrols throughout the past few days, but thanks to his suggestions, I was able toe back


    sooner and take a few days off!¡±


    Hunter responded by nodding with a humble smile on his face.


    ¡°I know Emery doesn¡¯t mind, but what about you, Professor Zane? How are you able to cope with not


    seeing her for so long?¡± I tried teasing him yfully, but he just smiled shyly at me without saying a


    word.


    I felt like something wasn¡¯t right somewhere, but I couldn¡¯t quite put my finger on what it was. Seeing as


    Louis and Hunter still had work to discuss, I brought Summer upstairs to get some rest instead.


    As the conflict between Ashton and Ezra came to a temporary halt while they prepared for their next


    course of action, K City was able to regain a moment of peace.

 Chapter 1212

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1212


    Ipleted my second bar exam in early September, and John forbade me from leaving the house


    ever since for fear of any mishaps during the birth process. He even had a private doctor stay in the


    guest room and remain on standby.


    My babies were expected to be due around the end of December, so I still had two months to go. As I


    became increasingly lethargictely, my nightly phone calls with Ashton before bed gradually became


    weekly ones, and thest time I heard his voice was a month ago.


    The weather was still pretty hot in November. While Emma and I were cooling off in the garden out


    back, we got a surprise visit from Holden.


    He had a blonde foreign woman with him. Although she wasn¡¯t the same person he dated half a year


    ago, they both had equally amazing figures. I quickly had a servant bring Summer into the house when


    I saw him running his hands over the woman inappropriately.


    Despite them both looking extremely attractive, watching them make out in such a hot weather felt


    incredibly ufortable.


    I decided to mess with him and urged him impatiently, ¡°Why don¡¯t you get on with what you have to say,


    Mr. Taylor? Once that¡¯s done, we¡¯ll have the servants prepare the best guest room avable just for the


    two of you. Won¡¯t want you two getting a heatstroke doing it out here, you know?¡±


    Holden stopped what he was doing when he heard that and shot me an annoyed gaze. ¡°Are you calling


    me weak, Ms. Stovall?¡±


    Not knowing his personality that well, Emma thought he was actually angry and tried to calm him down.


    ¡°I think there might be a misunderstanding here. Letty didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡±


    Holden cut her off before she could finish, ¡°Well, you know what? I don¡¯t care what you think! There are


    tons of women waiting for me to ravage them until they beg for mercy!¡±


    Okay, I seem to have really pissed him off now¡­ Back then, I could just mention Ashton whenever I


    faced such situations. Now that everyone thinks we¡¯re divorced, going to him for help isn¡¯t an option¡­


    After giving it some thought, I decided to brush it off by saying, ¡°Now that you¡¯re here, this reminds


    me¡­ I¡¯ve been staying home for so long that I seem to have forgotten to sign the contracts for the


    communication base station¡­¡±


    Holden frowned and shoved his woman aside as he went livid with rage. ¡°Fine! You win this time,


    Scarlett!¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    He then pulled out his phone and held it in front of me as he continued, ¡°This is the purpose of my visit


    today. After all the special care I¡¯ve been providing you with, I think you should return the favor and


    lead my men before my rivals steal this business from me!¡±


    I chuckled as I felt he was ying the victim card. ¡°Is it really that bad? I didn¡¯t think ¡®spies¡¯ would have


    competition!¡±


    ¡°Hmph! Competition will exist so long as life goes on, so staying ahead of them all is crucial to securing


    my position on the top! Now, cut the crap and just tell me if my men can start work tomorrow!¡±


    I gave it some thought and looked at his phone on the table. ¡°Is this rted to Marcus?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Holden replied without any hesitation.


    It became obvious that he had me at his mercy, and I had no choice but toply to ensure Marcus¡¯


    safety.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll have someone bring the documents over in the afternoon,¡± I said with a nod.


    ¡°Wonderful!¡± Feeling satisfied with the oue, Holden turned around and kissed the blonde woman


    on the lips.


    Letting out a sigh of relief, I picked up his phone and saw a WhatsApp chat conversation between him


    and his assistant.


    In theirtest conversation, Holden asked him for an update on Marcus, and he sent a few voice


    messages over in response. Of course, Holden had already listened to them all.


    I held the phone to my ear and yed the first one. ¡°I know you¡¯re not her.¡±


    That was Marcus¡¯ voice, and I knew he was referring to me when he said ¡®her¡¯. Considering the fact


    that Marcus knew me as well as Ashton and John did, Holden did a considerably great job at keeping


    him fooled for so long.

 Chapter 1213

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1213


    I thought the second one was from Marcus too, but I heard another man¡¯s voice instead. ¡°Mr. Taylor, I


    think there is someone else investigating Marcus, and they appear to be foreign. Should we find out


    more about them?¡±


    Not wanting to stop halfway, I tapped on thest one as well and heard the same man¡¯s voice again.


    ¡°Marcus seems to be in contact with them, so it¡¯s possible that they have his wife and daughter. We¡¯ve


    been tailing him for half a year now, and Marcus is getting increasingly cautious as a result. Would you


    consider having a different group of men tail him instead, Mr. Taylor?¡±


    It was the man¡¯s voice again, and he sounded like he had lost all hope of finding Marcus.


    I had a bad feeling in my heart as I ced the phone back down on the table. This isn¡¯t good news at


    all¡­ M Country is an unfamiliar territory for them¡­ Even if Marcus is able to look after himself, what


    about Camelia and their daughter? Would they even be able to escape unharmed? If even Holden¡¯s


    hardened men find the situation hopeless, what are the odds of Marcus making it back alive?


    After giving it some thought, I turned towards Holden and asked in a questioning tone, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t go


    back on your word and just leave Marcus for dead in M Country once I sign this contract, would you?¡±


    Holden shot me a frivolous nce through the corner of his eyes. ¡°What are you saying? I am running


    the risk of getting on Mr. Fuller¡¯s bad side just bying over today, and this is what you think of me?


    How hurtful¡­¡± he said with a huge sigh and his head hung low like he was somewhat wronged.


    He¡¯s telling the truth, though. The closer my babies are to being due, the more Ashton didn¡¯t want me


    getting involved in these sorts of things for fear of any idents that may ur as a result. I know


    Holden must¡¯ve snuck his way here to see me, but he doesn¡¯t understand the reason behind Ashton¡¯s


    concern. While I am grateful for his efforts, I could tell that he only did it because of the profits he stood


    to gain from it. Had the conditions not been favorable enough, he would probably have left Marcus for


    dead.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    With that in mind, I handed him the phone as I said, ¡°I do trust you, Mr. Taylor. However, your inability to


    locate Marcus after so long has me starting to doubt the capability of your men. Perhaps I should take


    some time to reconsider our contract¡­¡±


    Holden narrowed his eyes. ¡°I thought we had a deal.¡±


    ¡°All is fair in war. It¡¯s better for the both of us to be a little more cautious with each other,¡± I said with a


    shrug.


    He sneered with an icy-cold look in his eyes. ¡°And here I thought Ashton was a sly one¡­ Turns out,


    you¡¯re a lot more cunning than he is! You haven¡¯t even fulfilled the promise you made me over half a


    year ago, and now you¡¯re demanding that I put more men on the search for Marcus?¡±


    He had hit the nail on the head, as that was exactly what I wanted from him.


    ¡°I would very much appreciate it if you are willing to do so, Mr. Taylor,¡± I said with the most innocent-


    looking smile I could muster.


    Holden leaned back against his chair and eyed me from head to toe as if he was considering my


    suggestion.


    After a brief moment of silence, he burst intoughter all of a sudden. ¡°Hahaha! Very well, I¡¯ll make one


    last exception for you, Ms. Stovall! However¡­¡±


    He then pointed at his phone on the table, and the look on his face turned vicious as he continued, ¡°If


    you do not fulfill your end of the bargain when I bring you a video of Marcus on my next visit¡­ I will


    resort to extreme measures, Ms. Stovall.¡±


    Considering the amount of violence and deaths he had witnessed in his life, I had no reason to doubt


    that he would carry out his threats.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said with a forced smile as I clenched my fist under the table in an attempt to appear


    unfazed.


    Holden red at me briefly before storming off irritably, havingpletely forgotten about the blonde


    woman he brought over earlier. I had to admit, she looked quite hrious running through the soft mud


    in heels as she chased after him.


    ¡°Who were they?¡± Emma muttered right after they left.

 Chapter 1214

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1214


    ¡°Just a couple of nobodies. By the way, I haven¡¯t seen John around during the daytely. What has he


    been up to?¡± I tried changing the topic as I didn¡¯t want to get into it.


    Emma frowned the moment I mentioned John. ¡°He¡¯s been giving me the cold shoulder ever since you


    were kidnapped by Mitchell¡¯s men thest time I went out with you, so I¡¯m guessing he hates me


    now¡­¡± she grumbled while tending to the potted nts on the table.


    I was surprised as I didn¡¯t realize my own actions had led to a conflict between them. ¡°Uh¡­ You¡¯re


    probably just overthinking things¡­ I bet he¡¯s just really busy with work!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother trying to console me. I can tell if he¡¯s busy, you know?¡± Emma let out a huge sigh as she


    continued, ¡°John left his phone at home when you two visited Jackson at the hospital the other day, so I


    had the chauffeur drive me there and delivered it to him. I saw him starting a fight with Mr. Harrison in


    public because of you, Letty. I think you¡¯re the only woman that he will ever care so deeply about in his


    life.¡±


    I pursed my lips in response and took a moment to think about what she said before replying, ¡°You¡¯re


    wrong, Emma. Have you forgotten what John said on your blind date with him? He personally admitted


    to liking other women before you, remember? He maye off as bold and fearless, but he¡¯s actually


    a coward who doesn¡¯t even have the guts to admit that he likes someone until it¡¯s toote! You have to


    give him some time and keep persevering until hees to his senses, okay?¡±


    Emma wasn¡¯t buying it at all and continued to take her anger out on the potted nts. ¡°That¡¯s what you


    said before, but so much time has passed with no progress between us! In fact, we don¡¯t even find our


    usual squabbles fun anymore! Maybe it really is a one-sided love on my end, after all. I should probably


    cast these meaningless feelings aside and just be content with my title as his wife. Nothing good ever


    comes out of overthinking anyway¡­¡±


    I could tell that she had been deeply hurt by John¡¯s words and actions. No woman could possibly put


    up with being treated so coldly on a daily basis, and Emma was no different.


    Like flowers, women require plenty of warmth and care in order to bloom brightly. Being kept in a cold,


    dark room would just result in them losing their colors over time.


    In the end, I decided to remain silent as I had no way of changing her mind.


    I was dozing off on the sofa at around eleven that night when I heard the faint sound of footsteps


    approaching, I opened my eyes, and saw John about to drape his coat over me.


    ¡°You should go sleep in your room now that you¡¯re awake,¡± he said while slinging the coat over his


    shoulder instead.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    It was indeed ufortable sitting for too long with two babies in my tummy, so I did as told and made


    my way towards the bedroom with his help.


    ¡°You¡¯ve beening homete recently, John. Is everything okay at work?¡±


    ¡°What could possibly go wrong with Uncle Louis around? Some of my men screwed up a project, so


    I¡¯ve been busy cleaning up the mess,¡± John said calmly.


    I stopped in my tracks and gave him a serious look as I asked, ¡°How is Hannah doing?¡±


    I knew that John had been secretly keeping an eye on her despite them being separated for so long.


    John let go of me and looked away when he realized I had seen through his secret. ¡°Why bring her up


    all of a sudden?¡±


    Feeling an ache in my waist, I held a hand against it to steady myself as I said earnestly, ¡°To remind


    you that you should leave the past behind. It wasn¡¯t your fault that you lost her, John. You both made


    that decision together, so you do have the right to move on and love someone else. Stop holding


    yourself back like this, okay?¡±


    John lowered his gaze and kept quiet, which confirmed my thoughts about him.


    He has been going after the Ziegler family ever since the kidnapping incident, and I know it isn¡¯t solely


    because of me. Emma too, was traumatized by the incident. It¡¯s obvious that he cares about her, but


    the blow from losing Hannah was far too severe for him. As a result, he refused to forgive himself and


    shut everyone out in the process, inadvertently distancing himself from those who loved him¡­

 Chapter 1215

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1215


    Seeing no response from him, I was about to say something when the sound of ss shattering came


    from outside the door.


    The noise was then followed by a servant¡¯s apology, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Stovall! Are you all right?¡±


    John ran out of the room immediately upon hearing themotion and was having a fight with Emma


    by the time I got to the door.


    ¡°You stupid woman! Can¡¯t you even watch where you¡¯re going?¡±


    Emma¡¯s arm had been scalded by the hot tea, and him scolding her like that pushed her to the verge of


    tears. ¡°What are you yelling at me for? It¡¯s not even my fault, to begin with!¡±


    Despite having a scary frown on his face, John didn¡¯t talk back to her at all. Instead, he simply red


    coldly at the terrified servant as he said, ¡°How could you mess up something this simple? You¡¯re fired!¡±


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    ¡°Stop it, John. I know you¡¯re mad at me, but you shouldn¡¯t take your anger out on the servants. I¡¯ll just


    apply some ointment on the burn.¡± Although furious at how she had been treated, Emma was too kind-


    hearted to just sit by and watch the poor servant get fired.


    The servant was so scared that he didn¡¯t even dare breathe out loud as he waited for John to say


    something. It hadn¡¯t been long since his return to the Stovall residence, but every servant in the


    household knew how bad his temper was.


    After a moment of silence, John¡¯s voice was heard once again. ¡°Well? What are you waiting for? Go


    get the doctor from the guest room!¡±


    Feeling relieved that he didn¡¯t lose his job, the servant let out a sigh of relief and ran downstairs as


    quickly as he could, leaving the three of us standing in the corridor.


    Still angry, Emma shot him a fierce re and stormed off towards her bedroom with John running after


    her momentster.


    Wow, hepletely forgot about me¡­ These two may quarrel a lot, but they sure as hell love each


    other! I chuckled to myself at the thought of that.


    I heard my phone ringing in the bedroom on my way back and figured it must be Ashton as he was the


    only one who would call me at this hour.


    After closing the door behind me, I checked my phone and saw an iing video call from Ashton.


    I then answered the call as I got into afortable position in bed, and saw him leaning against the


    headrest in his pajamas.


    It¡¯s been a month since Ist saw him, and he hasn¡¯t changed much at all¡­ So it is true that men age


    like wine¡­


    ¡°Why are you home so early today?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Honestly, I haven¡¯t been home in a week. Then I remembered your advice and decided to take a short


    break from work to recharge.¡± Ashton seemed to be really rxed, judging by howzy he sounded.


    I let out a chuckle at the irony in his statement. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t being home once a week if you


    really did remember my advice. You¡¯ll ruin your health if you go on like this, you know? Do you expect


    me to raise our kids all by myself?¡±


    Ashton closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he said, ¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯ve been working for way too


    many years now. Once this is settled, I¡¯ll retire and transfer thepany and all of my assets under


    your name so I can live off you instead!¡±


    ¡°Tsk tsk tsk¡­ Do you even listen to yourself? Looks like your rivals have crushed every bit of your


    fighting spirit, huh?¡± I teased him with a wink.


    He opened his eyes instantly upon hearing that and stared right at me. ¡°Wrong, you¡¯re the only one


    who can crush my spirits.¡±


    His mushy statement had me blushing a little, and I quickly tried to change the topic. ¡°All right, you


    should hurry up and get some rest. You haven¡¯t slept well in a long time.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Ashton called out to me and seemed to have something he wanted to say.


    ¡°Yes? Anything else?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I promised I wouldn¡¯t keep any more secrets from you, so there¡¯s something I need to tell you.¡± The


    look on his face grew increasingly serious as he continued, ¡°Holden¡¯s men have lost contact with


    Marcus. No one knows of his whereabouts right now.¡±


    I tensed up immediately from my guilty conscience as he waspletely honest with me regarding


    Marcus¡¯ situation even though I wasn¡¯t nning on telling him about Holden¡¯s visit.

 Chapter 1216

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1216


    I pursed my lips and let out a giggle out of nervousness, much to his confusion.


    ¡°What are youughing about?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing! Why are you suddenly okay with me helping Marcus out?¡± I said, trying my best to


    appear calm.


    Ashton took a deep breath. ¡°You¡¯re willing to trust me even after all that has happened, so what right do


    I have toin? Besides, you chose to be with me, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did.¡± I didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry in response to that. Had Ashton not been forced to tell


    the truth, we might never truly be able to trust each other our entire lives¡­


    ¡°How are the babies? Have they been behaving? Did they give you a hard time?¡± Ashton lowered his


    gaze as if he wanted to rest his head on my tummy through the screen.


    I tilted my phone slightly downwards so he could see it and gave it a little rub as I said, ¡°They¡¯ve been


    really good. I haven¡¯t felt them kicking at all.¡±


    When I didn¡¯t get a response from Ashton for quite a while, I tilted my phone back towards my face and


    saw his camera pointing at the ceiling.


    He was probably too tired and fell asleep while looking at my tummy.


    ¡°Good night,¡± I whispered softly into my phone so as to not wake him up before putting it on silent next


    to my pillow. I theny down on the bed and imagined him being next to me as I drifted off to sleep.


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    My babies didn¡¯t move much that night, so I was able to sleep very soundly.


    By the time I woke up, my phone had switched itself off automatically when its battery died. Looks like


    Ashton got a good night¡¯s sleep too, or he would¡¯ve hung up by the time he woke up.


    Tossing the covers aside, I made my way into the living room to charge my phone before taking a


    shower.


    Emma came running over excitedly with a stack of documents the moment I stepped out of the


    bathroom. ¡°You passed, Letty! You passed!¡±


    ¡°Calm down, Emma. What are you talking about?¡± I asked in confusion.


    ¡°The bar exam! Here, see? Your admission to the bar came in the mail this morning, and along with it


    an internship invitation from aw firm!¡± Emma said while handing me the files.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± I eximed, feeling overjoyed as I read through the documents.


    It¡¯s been so long that I had almost forgotten about the bar exam! This is a really pleasant surprise!


    Looks like my hard work throughout the past two years paid off after all!


    After taking a moment to calm down, I began reading through the internship invitation. ¡°Tinsel Group


    Law Firm¡­¡±


    Wait¡­ Why does this sound so familiar? I feel like I¡¯ve heard this name somewhere before¡­


    ¡°Oh? Tinsel Group?¡± Emma snatched the invitation letter over and skimmed through it. ¡°Thisw firm is


    situated in K City¡¯s most bustling street ever! It¡¯s a hugepany, Letty! You¡¯ve got a bright future


    ahead of you!¡±


    I took the letter back from her and took another look at it.


    Hmm, she¡¯s right¡­ But why would aw firm of this caliber take interest in an absolute newbie who has


    just passed her bar exam?


    Upon closer inspection, I saw that the invitation was only valid for a month. However, my babies


    weren¡¯t due until two monthster, and postpartum confinement would take another month. As such, I


    decided to ignore the invitation.


    Three weeks soon passed, and I had almost forgotten about itpletely until I got a call from


    someone iming to be the secretary of Tinsel Group Law Firm.


    ¡°Hello, is this Ms. Stovall? I¡¯m calling to check if you¡¯ve received our invitation for an internship here,¡±


    the woman said politely in a soft voice.


    ¡°Yes, I did,¡± I replied with a nod while sipping on some warm milk.


    ¡°I see¡­ Did you choose to go for a differentpany instead? Or is there something about Tinsel


    Group that concerns you?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s a personal reason. I¡¯m currently pregnant, and the baby is due pretty soon, so I¡¯m unable to


    take up your offer at the moment. Thank you for the opportunity, though!¡±


    I had conducted my own research on Tinsel Group, and it was said to be the bestw firm in the city.


    Practically everyone who has passed the bar exam dreamed of doing their internship there as it would


    look great on their resume.

 Chapter 1217

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1217


    It¡¯s a bit of a shame giving up on such a great opportunity, but nothing matters more than giving birth to


    my babies safely!


    ¡°Oh, about that¡­ Thepany has decided that you are an incredibly talented individual and would be


    happy to arrange for an online interview instead. What do you think?¡±


    Hmm? That¡¯s very tempting and all, but¡­ Why is apany like Tinsel Group going so far for a


    nobody like me?


    Although I found it a little odd, I figured it should be safe and agreed to their suggestion.


    The interview was scheduled to take ce at nine in the morning tomorrow. I wasn¡¯t expecting much


    from it, but I woke up really early anyway thanks to the kicking from my babies and was readily waiting


    in front of myputer thirty minutes prior to the interview.


    The secretary started the video call right on time, and I answered it after giving my appearance a quick


    fix. However, my jaw dropped in shock when I saw the face of my interviewer.


    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    Zander? Oh, my god¡­ I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d see him again, so I didn¡¯t even keep his business card! I can¡¯t


    believe he ended up bing my superior¡­


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s get this interview started.¡± Zander began the interview before I could even regain my


    composure.


    I calmed down a little when I saw how professional he was being, and we went through the interview


    process smoothly.


    I was able to answer all of his questions easily thanks to my two years of hard work, and the fact that


    he ended the session without any difficult questions helped a ton as well. ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll end the interview


    here. When will you be able to start work here, Ms. Stovall?¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ Does this mean I¡¯m hired?¡± I asked in surprise and disbelief.


    Zander leaned against his leather armchair and spread his arms as he said, ¡°Your qualifications suit the


    company¡¯s needs perfectly, so it would only make sense to hire you. Is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°No, not at all!¡± I felt a little excited at having my abilities acknowledged, but I also made sure to exin


    my situation to him, ¡°Did your secretary tell you that I¡¯m pregnant? I¡¯ll only be able to start work about


    three monthster.¡±


    Zander paused and frowned when he heard that.


    Having prepared myself mentally for this oue, I pursed my lips and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I understand


    that three months is too long for¡­¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Zander snapped his fingers at me all of a sudden. ¡°I¡¯ll just take it as a maternity leave taken


    in advance, then. You will not be allowed to take another maternity leave within the next five years. Is


    that okay with you?¡±


    That condition of his makes no difference to me! Given my physical condition, I won¡¯t be having any


    more children after giving birth to this pair of twins anyway!


    With that thought in mind, I put on my most solemn face possible and nodded at him. ¡°I ept your


    terms!¡±


    Zander smiled and leaned back against his chair as he waved at me. ¡°Congrattions, Scarlett! I look


    forward to working with you!¡±


    The weather got increasingly colder as winter came, and the temperature in K City often dropped below


    thirty-two degrees. The sky was rather gloomy as it was both raining and snowing at the same time.


    Thanks to my huge tummy and manyyers of clothing, I looked like a pr bear as I sat by the


    window with Emma.


    The nts in the garden had all withered, and the whole ce was covered with a thickyer of snow.


    The tranquil moment was interrupted when Louis¡¯ assistant came running into the room frantically. He


    was dressed in a in fleece jacket, his warm breath clearly visible as he asked, ¡°Is Mr. Stovall in?¡±


    He was looking for John.


    ¡°What happened, Mr. Cooper?¡± Emma asked.


    The assistant was about to say something when John appeared at the stairs and stopped him. ¡°Mr.


    Cooper, let¡¯s talk upstairs.¡±


    Seeing as John called the shots in the house and was the person he came looking for, to begin with,


    the assistant followed him upstairs without another word.


    Emma thought John was trying to spite her and grumbled angrily, ¡°Hmph! It¡¯s not like I wanted to hear it


    anyway!¡±

 Chapter 1218

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1218


    I shook my head helplessly. Oh, these two are going to be fighting with each other for life¡­


    We heard footstepsing from upstairs momentster, and saw John hurrying down with his


    assistant after getting changed. When the two of them got to the front door, John paused in his tracks


    and called out to us from afar, ¡°Remember, don¡¯t leave the house! Do not go anywhere until I get back!¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡± I nodded.


    He then turned towards Emma and waited for her to mumble a response before leaving the house.


    Looks like something has happened to Uncle Louis¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Uncle Louis is a good man and has dedicated his life to serving the people, so I¡¯m sure


    he¡¯ll be fine,¡± Emma said calmly and continued staring out the window.


    What she said made sense, but I still found myself worrying about Louis as there was simply no telling


    what would happen these days.


    Emma got up from her chair and walked towards the window. ¡°Rain and snow mix so well together, so


    why can¡¯t we just¡­¡± she mumbled to herself while cing her hand against the ss.


    Despite her ims about wanting to let go of John and move on, she obviously still cares about his


    words and actions. I bet she¡¯s feeling upset because of his cold behavior earlier¡­


    I was about to console her when I felt something warm gushing out from between my legs and short


    bursts of pain in my lower abdomen.


    I looked down and saw a huge puddle beneath my feet, a sight that I knew all too well.


    The pain was so intense that I couldn¡¯t even call out to Emma.


    Not hearing a response from me, Emma turned around and freaked out when she saw me sweating


    profusely. ¡°Oh, my god! What¡¯s going on, Letty?¡±


    Both my fists and teeth were tightly clenched, and I could barely say anything. ¡°G-Get¡­the doctor¡­ T-


    The¡­baby ising¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re what? B-But the baby isn¡¯t supposed to be due yet!¡± Emma was


    panicking a lot as it was her first time experiencing something like this.


    After taking a moment to calm down, Emma shouted in the direction of the living room at the top of her


    lungs, ¡°Someone gets the doctor! Letty is about to give birth!¡±


    Fortunately, John had arranged for the doctor to be on standby in the house, and the servants were


    well-trained to handle such a situation. Within minutes, I was put on a wheeled stretcher and brought to


    the delivery room that they had prepared beforehand.


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    As Iy on the stretcher, I grabbed Emma¡¯s hand tightly and forced the word out of my mouth, ¡°C-


    Call¡­¡±


    Emma understood what I meant right away and started calling Ashton on the way to the delivery room.


    It was a little far from the living room and took about two minutes for us to get there, but the call had yet


    to get through even when we arrived at the door.


    Emma decided to hang up and call him again. ¡°He probably just happened to be busy. I¡¯ll try calling


    again.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah¡­¡± I was practically sobbing at that point from the pain and bit down on my lip as I stared at


    her.


    ¡°Come on, pick up! Pick up, damn it!¡± Emma stomped her feet anxiously as she waited, but there was


    still no answer.


    She turned towards me with an apologetic look on her face when the call dropped on its own. ¡°I¡¯ll have


    hime over the moment I get through to him, okay? Just head on inside and try to rx.¡±


    Emma then gave me aforting pat on the arm before nodding at the doctor who wheeled me into


    the delivery room.


    Professor Zidd had mentioned that my body was fit enough to have a natural birth. Since babies born


    through natural births turned out healthier, I agreed to it without any hesitation when the doctor asked


    for my decision.

 Chapter 1219

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1219


    Having lost a child before, the excruciating pain felt a lot more tolerable, and I was able to hang in there


    for a few hours.


    However, with neither Ashton nor John around, I eventually found myself unable to muster any more


    strength.


    ¡°Hang in there, Ms. Stovall! Don¡¯t give up! Your first child is about toe out!¡± the doctor called out to


    me, his words hitting me like a dose of adrenaline.


    I bit down on my lip and tightened my grip on the bedsheets as I continued to push with all of my might.


    Pain tore through my body, and my pelvis felt like it was being shattered, but I kept on pushing anyway.


    After what seemed like an eternity, I was finally able to hear the sounds of a baby crying in the delivery


    room.


    ¡°It¡¯s a boy! He may be a little skinny, but he¡¯s definitely in good health! Here, have a look!¡± I was panting


    heavily when I heard the nurse¡¯s voice in my ear and turned towards her.


    They say premature babies tend to look skinny and ugly, but that isn¡¯t the case with mine! He even has


    Ashton¡¯s nose!


    Even the nurse couldn¡¯t help herself from giving apliment. ¡°It¡¯s been forever since I¡¯ve seen such


    an adorable baby boy!¡±


    I pursed my lips and smiled in response. The joy I felt was so overwhelming that it made the pain I


    suffered earlier seem trivial inparison.


    ¡°Get the baby to the incubator! We need her to stay focused! There¡¯s still another one!¡±


    The nurse carried the baby out of the room upon hearing the doctor¡¯s instructions, and I prepared


    myself for a second push.


    After about half an hour, the sounds of a baby¡¯s cries filled the room once again.


    ¡°Congrattions, Ms. Stovall! It¡¯s a girl! You¡¯ve got yourself a boy and a girl!¡±


    I was able to get a clear look at my newborn daughter¡¯s face right before passing out from


    exhaustion. She looks¡­a little chubbier than her brother¡­


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    It was already the next morning by the time I woke up.


    The window was open, and the room was a little chilly even with the warm rays of the morning sun


    pouring in.


    Upon fully regaining my consciousness, I saw Emma sitting right next to my bed while Emery stood in a


    corner of the room.


    ¡°Letty! You¡¯re finally awake!¡± the two of them called out to me simultaneously when they saw me open


    my eyes.


    I kept quiet and simply stared weakly at Emma in response.


    She lowered her gaze and said hesitantly, ¡°I¡­ I haven¡¯t been able to get a hold of Ashton¡­¡±


    For some reason, I felt empty inside when I heard that.


    ¡°Here, have some warm water, Ms. Stovall,¡± the nurse said as she brought me a ss of water.


    I had been asleep after giving birth yesterday, so I hadn¡¯t eaten anything at all.


    After gulping down half a ss of water, I scanned the room I was in and saw no sign of my babies.


    ¡°Where are my babies?¡±


    ¡°We had the servants bring them to the nursery as we didn¡¯t want them disturbing you,¡± Emma replied.


    ¡°Bring them to me, please¡­¡± I was missing them as I had only seen them once so far. I guess this is


    what they call a maternal bond¡­ You can¡¯t see it or touch it, but you can feel it right in your heart¡­


    ¡°Go on, bring them in here,¡± Emma instructed the nurse.


    The nurse left the room and returned shortly after with another nurse, each of them carrying a baby in


    their arms.


    Emery helped me into a sitting position before handing me one of the babies.


    They were still crying when they first came into the room but stopped the moment Emery and I were


    holding them and simply stared at us curiously with their arms outstretched. Wait¡­ I remembered his


    nose being a little taller than this¡­


    ¡°Hey, Letty! Seeing as Summer is older than Xavier, how about betrothing this daughter of yours to him


    instead?¡± Emery said jokingly while cradling the other baby in her arms.


    However, I wasn¡¯t in the mood for jokes at all. I ced the baby down on the bed and opened up the


    nket around him to get a closer look at his face. This is strange¡­ He doesn¡¯t resemble Ashton and


    me at all¡­


    An overwhelming feeling of shock filled my heart as I pulled my hands back and stared at Emery with a


    pale look on my face. ¡°This isn¡¯t my son!¡±

 Chapter 1220

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1220


    ¡°What are you saying? This is your child, Letty! The doctors and nurses have been watching over them


    the whole time!¡± Emma said as she came over and picked up the baby.


    Without giving it much thought, I climbed out of bed and snatched the baby over from Emery.


    Upon seeing her familiar chubby face, I nearly copsed when the sudden realization hit me like a


    truck.


    I remember my daughter being a little chubby, whereas my son looked skinny and had a tall nose¡­


    The one in Emma¡¯s arms is clearly someone else¡¯s baby!


    ¡°Hey! You can¡¯t get off the bed just yet, Letty! Get back in bed right now!¡± Emma shouted as she came


    running towards me. ¡°That¡¯s right, Scarlett! Maybe you just remembered it wrongly?¡± Emery too tried to


    talk me out of it.


    No, there¡¯s no way I¡¯d be mistaken! I remember how they look very clearly!


    At that moment, amotion was heard from the living room. ¡°I saw it! The person who took my baby


    came in here! Give me back my baby or I¡¯ll call the police! None of you are going to get away with this!¡±


    I didn¡¯t have time to think and simply ran downstairs in just my thin nightgown.


    I was able to get a clear idea as to what happened as I made my way down the stairs. A family had


    broken into the house after having their newborn son stolen from the hospitalst night, and the


    kidnapper wasst seen in the back garden of the Stovall residence.


    Emma and Emery came down with the babies as well, and the family got even more agitated when


    they saw them. ¡°Where¡¯s our baby? Give him back!¡±


    I turned around and took the baby over from Emma before asking the woman in front of the crowd,


    ¡°How can you prove that this child is yours?¡±


    Noticing something off about my behavior, Emery stepped forward and gave me a gentle nudge with


    her elbow. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    I frowned and shook my head at her, motioning for her to shut up.


    ¡°My son has a birthmark on his right ankle! There¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t recognize it!¡± The woman


    seemed soft and weak, but her tone was incredibly aggressive.


    I lifted the nket around the baby¡¯s leg and there really was a birthmark on his right ankle.


    ¡°What? How could this be?¡± ¡°This is impossible¡­¡± Emery and Emma both expressed their surprise at


    the same time when they leaned in and saw the birthmark.


    I took a deep breath and handed her the baby with trembling hands. ¡°Here, you can have your child


    back.¡±


    The bodyguards let her through upon hearing that, and she ran straight towards me with tears in her


    eyes. ¡°Yes! I knew it! There¡¯s no way I¡¯d ever forget about this birthmark!¡± she cried out while showing


    his ankle to everyone around her.


    I had nothing else to say, but I was certain I knew how my son looked like.


    As if afraid that we would gang up on them, the woman¡¯s family members quickly escorted her out of


    the house.


    ¡°Letty, is this some sort of misunderstanding? The babies have never left the house, so how could


    anyone have possibly swapped out the baby? W-What am I going to tell John when he gets back¡­¡±


    Emma could only stand by and watch as they brought the baby out of the house.


    I ignored her question and asked, ¡°John didn¡¯te home at all?¡±


    Emma was a little confused but nodded anyway. ¡°No, but he did call once and said he¡¯d be home


    tonight.¡±


    ¡°What about Ashton? Did you manage to reach him?¡±


    Emma shook her head hesitantly. ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t know why, but I haven¡¯t been able to contact him this


    whole time.¡±


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    With that, the entire living room fell into an eerie silence.


    After what seemed like forever, I broke that silence by bursting into a fit of manicughter. I was


    laughing so hard that my eyes teared up, and my body was trembling all over.


    Heh¡­ So much for Ashton saying everything would be fine¡­ I¡¯ve been so careful and stayed home


    this whole time, and he hasn¡¯t even shown up even though his son is missing¡­

 Chapter 1221

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1221


    Ezra and his men are the only ones who would steal my baby!


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Letty¡­¡± Emma tried tofort me, but I covered my ears and crouched down while


    screaming at the top of my lungs.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me! Liars! You¡¯re all liars!¡±


    My son has been stolen from me while under the care of my own people¡­ I don¡¯t even know who I can


    trust anymore¡­


    Emery ced a hand on my shoulder and said, ¡°Calm down, Scarlett.¡±


    Having been through her fair share of conflicts, she was extremely calm as she ordered the servants


    around us, ¡°Bring me everyone that has been into this house since yesterday¡­¡±


    There was a loud ringing noise in my ears, so I couldn¡¯t hear what else she said as I wrapped my arms


    around my trembling body. When I nced at her through the corner of my eye, I suddenly


    remembered something very important. Wait, I¡¯ve still got my daughter!


    I then quickly stood up, snatched my baby out of Emery¡¯s arms, and locked myself in the bedroom


    upstairs.


    ¡°Letty? What are you doing? Open the door!¡± they shouted worriedly while banging on the door.


    The world around me started spinning, and their voices sounded like demons from hell who wanted to


    take my daughter from me.


    I quickly hid in the closet and curled up in a corner, muttering softly under my breath, ¡°Stay away from


    my daughter¡­ I won¡¯t let you have my daughter¡­¡±


    The sounds of my baby crying was all that I could hear, and the closet door was opened from the


    outside.


    The bright light from outside hurt my eyes, causing me to tighten my grip on my baby.


    ¡°I¡¯m home, Letty.¡± Ashton¡¯s familiar voice snapped me back to reality, and I turned my head slowly to


    look at him.


    Our gazes met, and we both stared at each other in silence.


    Eventually, Ashton was the one to break that silence. ¡°The baby must be hungry by now, Letty. Come


    on out and we¡¯ll feed her some milk, okay?¡±


    He held out his hand with a gentle look on his face while slowly inching closer towards me and my


    baby.


    I found myself spacing out when I saw his face getting closer and closer.


    It wasn¡¯t until I felt his icy-cold touch on the back of my hand that I came back to my senses and


    screamed in his face, ¡°Get lost! Don¡¯t youy a hand on my baby!¡±


    Ashton paused and frowned slightly with his hand still outstretched. ¡°Look at me, Scarlett! It¡¯s me,


    Ashton!¡±


    ¡°I know who you are, Ashton! Don¡¯t even bother trying to trick me with your sweet nothings! It¡¯s all your


    fault! You did this to my son! Give him back to me!¡± I lost all control over my emotions and yelled at him


    like a madwoman.


    Ashton refused to back off and continued making his way towards me, which only agitated me even


    further. ¡°F*ck off, you liar! Don¡¯te closer! Ahhhh!¡±


    At that moment, a hand came into view and grabbed Ashton by the arm before dragging him out of the


    room which fell silent once again.


    Fearing that my baby would catch a cold, I held her tightly against my chest while staring nkly at the


    floor.


    I looked up when I heard the sound of footsteps approaching and saw John standing before me in a


    white turtleneck sweater. Summer stood in front of him and held out her hands as she looked at me


    with teary eyes. ¡°Mommy¡­ Don¡¯t you want me anymore?¡±


    Parents would always have a soft spot for their children, and I was no exception. The sound of


    Summer¡¯s voice made me lower whatever defenses I had, and I broke down in tears as I pulled her into


    my arms.


    The doctor then came in to administer a sedative, and I lost all consciousness shortly after.


    ¡°My baby! Don¡¯t you touch my baby!¡±


    I was sweating profusely when I sat bolt upright in bed after waking up from a nightmare. I then quickly


    got out of bed to look for my baby, and only let out a sigh of relief when I found her sleeping soundly in


    a cradle nearby.

 Chapter 1222

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1222


    John came into the room when he heard themotion. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake?¡±


    I nodded at him in response as I wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk.


    ¡°You must be hungry, huh? I¡¯ll have the servants bring you something to eat,¡± John said while staring at


    the balcony.


    That was when I realized Ashton standing there, looking really haggard with his chin covered in an


    uneven stubble. He turned towards me when he noticed my gaze, and our eyes met for a few seconds


    before I quickly looked away.


    The servants brought me some food, and John helped feed me while Ashton continued to stand


    motionless by the window.


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    Having regained some of my strength, I picked my baby up properly for the first time and stared deeply


    at her face as if to burn every detail of it into my brain.


    After about a minute of awkward silence, John¡¯s voice rang throughout the entire room.


    ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I was the one who hired the nurse that has gone missing. We¡¯ve managed to confirm


    that she was working with one of the bodyguards outside to swap your son out. They¡¯ve both escaped


    overseas.¡±


    The awkward silence returned to the room once again as I stared at my daughter without saying a


    word.


    There¡¯s nothing we could¡¯ve done to prevent something premeditated. Those b*stards have been


    nning this for a long time, so no amount of precaution would¡¯ve been sufficient anyway.


    I took a deep breath and nced at Ashton through the corner of my eye as I said coldly, ¡°Where were


    youst night?¡±


    ¡°The secretary that was working for Robert back then has kept a record of the documents that


    someone had saved which could prove the innocence of my parents. I heard the secretary wasst


    seen in Vantusia¡­ I had just boarded my flight when I got your call about something happening to Mr.


    Stovall,¡± Ashton replied calmly.


    I kept my tone cold as I asked, ¡°Did you manage to find him?¡±


    ¡°No. It was fake news, just like the one iming that he was in Minstad a month ago,¡± Ashton said


    honestly.


    ¡°Heh¡­¡± I sneered at the sheer irony of the situation.


    I know Ashton all too well¡­ He would go even if he knew it was most likely fake news. In fact, he


    wouldn¡¯t even hesitate to put his life on the line if it meant being able to avenge his parents and clear


    their names! So what if he came back as soon as he heard about Uncle Louis? My son was still taken


    from me all the same! To make matters worse, he¡¯s a premature baby! God knows if those men would


    even be able to take care of him¡­ This is a warning¡­ Ezra and his men took Ashton¡¯s only son to


    discourage him from getting his revenge on them. They might¡¯ve already set their sights on him ever


    since he showed his talent in business and had this trapid out for us!


    ¡°We¡¯ve been too naive, Ashton¡­ So what if you found the person you were looking for? They can


    afford to pay the price of defeat, but what about us?¡± I was on the verge of having a mental breakdown


    but forced myself to maintain a smile in front of my baby girl.


    Ashton simply kept quiet and stood there staring at me.


    ¡°You can leave now. I¡¯ll find my son and bring him back myself, so you just stay the hell away from us.¡±


    I love Ashton, but I¡¯ve lost the courage to keep on loving him after everything that has happened. Right


    now, I¡¯m more than just Scarlett Stovall or the wife of Ashton Fuller. I¡¯m the mother of my two children,


    and I¡¯m willing to put everything on the line as long as I can ensure their safety!


    Upon hearing that, Ashton walked right out of the room without saying anything, leaving me with John


    and my baby in the room.


    ¡°Have you sent people looking?¡± I asked.


    There was no way I could rest with my son still missing, so I had to do something.


    ¡°Huh?¡± It took John a moment to realize what I meant. ¡°Oh, yeah, I have. They shouldn¡¯t be able to get


    very far traveling with a baby.¡±

 Chapter 1223

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1223


    They had escaped? K City is an enormous ce with a poption of nearly millions of citizens. All they


    had to do was slip in and merge with the iing crowd to disappear without a trace. Searching for


    them was like trying to find a needle in a haystack.


    I did not respond to the call. Already, I began to formte a n to search for and talk to Ezra¡¯s


    subordinates.


    My past with Ashton deemed it impossible for me to steer clear from their grudges. Nheless, there


    was always a way out. If we yed along with their demands, we might be able to guarantee the child¡¯s


    safety.


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    ¡°Do you remember how much you used to hate me?¡± Upon my silence, John made his way towards my


    bed and took a seat.


    I tilted my head in confusion. Why would he bring that up all of a sudden?


    ¡°Haven¡¯t I told you about this before? My fathermitted suicide right before my eyes. Every night,


    I¡¯m reminded of his dying face. Additionally, witnessing the Stovall family¡¯s downfall impacted me even


    further. I even suffered from insomnia and became a monster driven solely by revenge. Although the


    enemy did not die in my hand, seeing them being punished allowed me to break free from the eternal


    nightmare that I had suffered from and live my life again!¡± John said.


    ¡°The Fullers have a strong and powerful bloodline. Besides, Ashton is no ordinary individual. He will


    stand out regardless of anything he does. Thus, Ezra will not let him off. Ashton is enacting his revenge


    to protect you and your kids,¡± he continued after a brief moment of pause.


    I could sense the truth in John¡¯s words. If Ashton was merely an ordinary man, I would not have fallen


    so deeply in love with him. I loved every part of him. Naturally, I couldn¡¯t avoid the dangers. Falling in


    love and staying together with Ashton were two things that would always be intertwined.


    For a moment, I pondered about John¡¯s statement. Although I had acted cruelly towards Ashton, it was


    the only way to ensure my daughter¡¯s safety and security.


    Knock, knock.


    Right at the moment, Emery strolled into the room.


    ¡°I¡¯ve checked; both the nurse and guard have fled from the city. However, the airport¡¯s security cameras


    did not show the image of a child in any of the footage. Baby must still be in the country. I¡¯ve contacted


    a few of my friends; they will capture the nurse and guard once theynd. We¡¯ll be able to find out the


    culprits behind the kidnapping,¡± Emery informed curtly.


    The Moore family had contacts spread all across K City. I was confident in her ability to handle such


    matters. However, I was worried about our enemy¡¯s ns. Even if we managed to capture them, there


    was no guarantee that we¡¯d be able to find any clues.


    Sensing the gloomy atmosphere, Emery discretely signaled for John to move away. ¡°Right now, you


    should focus on taking good care of your body. If you fall sick, who will be responsible for searching for


    Baby?¡± she reassured me kindly.


    After all, my body had aposition that was naturally weak. After I was provoked, there was a chance


    that I may sumb to depression again. Of course, they would be worried about my well-being.


    As I looked at my child, I did not have any fickle thoughts. Instead, I nodded calmly in response. ¡°Rx,


    I will take good care of myself and my children!¡±


    ¡°Mommy!¡± Summer burst into the room as she whined and demanded to y with her sister.


    Reluctantly, I forced my lips to curve upward and ced my child on the bed. The sight of Summer


    carefully ying with her made the tension in my heart melt away as my tensed nerves rxed.


    Despite thebined efforts of the Moore and Stovall family, I could not meet my son during my


    postpartum confinement period.


    The nurse and guard who escaped were tricky and managed to evade our grasps several times. After


    fourteen days of monumental effort, they were finally captured and brought to the Stovall residence¡¯s


    basement in K City. Their imprisonment managed to calm my frenzied thoughts as I regained


    composure.


    The man kneeling before me had a swollen face and countless bruises scattered across his skin. He


    was the perpetrator who kidnapped my child. Despite having suffered harsh interrogations by John¡¯s


    subordinates, he did not relent.


    Coldly, I gazed at the guard. He was barely clinging on to his own life. I remained unruffled by the


    pungent smell of blood that wafted over from his body.


    John strode forward to grasp the man¡¯s hair and yanked his face upwards to meet my gaze.


    Threateningly, John poised his fist in a motion to strike the guard¡¯s face. ¡°Tell us the location of the


    child, or you¡¯ll face death. Choose wisely,¡± John warned him darkly.

 Chapter 1224

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1224


    One of the guard¡¯s eyes was swollen to the point where he could not blink. The crimson blood that


    trickled down his face gave him a very horrifying appearance. After two deep breaths of air, he finally


    opened his eye and locked gazes with me.


    Although I¡¯ve met countless people who were on the brink of death, this man was different. The


    moment he caught sight of my figure, his lips curved into a smile.


    It was as if he knew something.


    The man¡¯s devious smile did not go unnoticed by John. Feeling provoked, he mmed his fist into the


    guard¡¯s stomach. At the sudden blow, the guard let out a pained grunt and copsed to the floor. The


    punch had drained all of his energy as he was now incapable of lifting his head.


    Momentster, a mixture of blood and saliva sttered across the floor as the disgusting odor in the


    basement became even stronger.


    Seeing that the guard remained motionless, John wiped away the bloodstains on his hand with a


    handkerchief from his suit pocket.


    One of John¡¯s subordinates reached out his hand under the guard¡¯s nose to test his breathing. With a


    single nce, John¡¯s subordinates emptied arge bucket of cold water over his head.


    ¡°Ah!¡± the piercing cold roused the guard from his unconscious state as he jerked his head upwards. In


    a state of fear, his mouth gasped open like a fish out of water.


    ¡°Continue the interrogation until he admits,¡± John ordered and tossed the used handkerchief away.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go; you are still under postpartum confinement. It would be bad to linger in such a cold ce,¡± he


    turned to address me.


    All of a sudden, the tragic scene of Mitchell¡¯s severed hand shed in my brain.


    Obediently, I rose to my feet and made my way towards the guard. Without hesitation, I snatched the


    dagger from one of John¡¯s subordinates and drove it ruthlessly into the guard¡¯s chest.


    Fresh blood began to stream out of his wound as the guard stared at me in disbelief. It seemed like my


    ruthless move was thest thing that he had anticipated. Finally, I glimpsed a sh of unadulterated


    terror that flickered in his widened gaze.


    ¡°Where is my child,¡± I tightened my grip on the dagger with a clench of my jaw and pushed the de


    deeper into his chest.


    Ashton had once taught me about the techniques of interrogation. If you didn¡¯t achieve whatever you


    wanted, you would have to inflict greater pain and drive them to the brink of death.


    Stubbornly, the guard frowned and remained silent. As I inched the de forward, blood gurgled from


    his throat and spilled out to stain his pale lips. Despite the growing fear in his eyes, I remained


    unmoved.


    John must have decided to let me vent my anger. For a brief moment, he ignored my actions. It wasn¡¯t


    until the guard¡¯s eyes began to roll when he snapped out of his daze. ¡°Are you crazy!¡± he yelled and


    lunged forward to yank me away.


    It felt as if my soul had left my body. Expressionlessly, I lifted my head and caught sight of John¡¯s


    furious expression. Yet, I remained silent in response to his outburst.


    John gritted his teeth in fury. A rare look of impatience crossed his features as the anger made his


    veins protrude. After ten seconds, he finally turned around. ¡°What are you guys standing around for? If


    he dies, there will be no clues leading to the child! You will pay for his death with your life!¡± Johnshed


    out at the nearby subordinates.


    ¡°Yes Sir!¡±


    In the blink of an eye, they ushered in the medical staff as the situation began to take a chaotic turn.


    Although John was still simmering in anger, he escorted me out of the basement.


    Once we returned to the room, John took a seat opposite me. His expression was impassive and


    unreadable. Combined with his stoic nature, John now radiated an imposing aura.


    Guiltily, I avoided his sharp gaze.


    Despite my attempt to evade, John¡¯s booming voice filled the room. ¡°Scarlett, what were you thinking?¡±


    In defiance, I pouted and picked at my nails as I tantly ignored his question.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    My ignorance must have infuriated him. ¡°Were you trying to kill him?¡± John snarled in a livid tone; his


    temper rose when I disregarded him.


    Now that he had exposed my intentions, I was forced to lift my head and meet his gaze. ¡°That¡¯s right. I


    wanted him dead!¡± I pointed a finger at my heart, ¡°I wanted him to experience the excruciating pain that


    I felt. Why can¡¯t I do that!¡±


    Although he was the only person who knew about my child¡¯s whereabouts, I could not stop my


    murderous intent when I buried the sword in his chest.


    Although I¡¯ve just met the guard today, I had never made a move against him. Yet, he went out of his


    way to harm my own flesh and blood. Despite it all, he had the audacity tough out loud. How could I


    hold in the hatred in my heart?

 Chapter 1225

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1225


    Hearing my statement, John inhaled deeply. ¡°It would be easy to end his life. But what about your


    child? Don¡¯t you want to reunite with your child?¡± he asked with a dark gaze.


    He paused and looked into the distance with a stoic glint in his eyes. ¡°Even when ites to killing


    him, you should not dirty your hands. Remember Scarlett, you shouldn¡¯t be the one doing those


    deeds.¡±


    The act of murder would haunt me for the rest of my life. Naturally, John would not allow me to bear


    this burden.


    Despite his kind words, I shook my head stubbornly and tried to erase the events that had taken ce


    earlier from my memory. ¡°Have you looked into the guard¡¯s background? Were they any clues?¡± I asked


    in order to change the subject.


    John shook his head and remained silent.


    After all, Emery and John had intelligent henchmen working under theirmand. If there was a solid


    lead, they would have leaped into action instead of panicking over the killer¡¯s life.


    Knock, knock.


    ¡°Mr. Stovall, Ms. Stovall, Mr. Grant has arrived,¡± the maid knocked on the door and called out politely.


    Just as I had regained myposure, her words sent me into a haze of frenzy as I leaped to my feet


    and prepared to run out.


    Before I could take my revenge, it seems like this sly fox hade to me myself!


    ¡°Calm down, think of your child,¡± John raised out his hand and stopped me in my tracks.


    Immediately I scowled. However, I nodded in agreement after I thought about his words.


    Once he confirmed that I had regained myposure, John brought me downstairs.


    In the living room, Ezra was in the midst of drinking his tea when he heard our footsteps. A frown


    graced his forehead as he turned around; he seemed to share our difort. ¡°You¡¯re here,¡± he said.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    With the way he acted, one would confuse him as the owner of the house.


    Yet, his sudden outburst of confidence did not seem out of ce. On the day that I gave birth, an


    overwhelming number of reports against Louis were submitted. They used him of abuse of power


    and bribery. In the blink of an eye, he was detained in J City. Now that we are all busy with the ongoing


    investigation, Ezra had turned arrogant due to the absence of Louis. John took a seat opposite Ezra


    and crossed his legs in a rxed manner. ¡°Mr. Grant, I can¡¯t believe that you have the audacity to show


    up here. Uncle Louis had just given the order to ban anyone from the Grant familying in. Yet, you


    have barged in now. I¡¯m impressed¡­¡±


    Hearing his mockery, a sh of annoyance flickered in Ezra¡¯s eyes. ¡°You and your uncle seem to enjoy


    making jokes,¡± he replied with augh.


    ¡°I¡¯m not joking,¡± John gave Ezra a faint smile. Despite the smile, his tone was unweing and as cold


    as ice.


    Without Louis¡¯s presence, Ezra seemed unaffected by John¡¯s threat.


    Quickly, he discarded the topic. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the Stovall family has experienced a lot of troubles


    recently. After working with Louis for so many years, I have always admired him greatly. I strongly


    believe that the investigators will prove him innocent. If you need any help, please do not hesitate to


    ask. I will do anything in my power to fulfill your request,¡± Ezra said in a gentle tone.


    Instinctively, John raised a single brow at the sudden change of Ezra¡¯s tone as we shared a knowing


    nce.


    He must be expecting payment for his help.


    In such a situation, we should be grateful that he hadn¡¯t seized the chance to trample us.


    Why would he offer his help? Ezra¡¯s generous acts seemed impossible unless he had something to


    gain in return.


    ¡°Uncle Louis will be back soon. Likewise, we do not need your help. Yet, I have a question for you.


    Seeing how you made your way here in such a hurry, one would think that you¡¯ve received certain


    news from the office. Did you assume that something has had happened to Uncle Louis?¡± John


    interjected.


    His malicious tone seemed to put a damper over Ezra¡¯s mood. Ezra¡¯s eyes narrowed as he locked


    gazes with John. Additionally, the cheerfulness painted across his features seemed to fade.


    Such revolting people like him would never be able to take advantage of the Stovall family. He was not


    capable of taking down Louis due to his respected status. At the same time, Ezra could not battle


    against John¡¯s sharp words and wit. No wonder he viewed the Stovall family as a thorn in the flesh.


    After a tense moment of silence, Ezra held in his anger and avoided John¡¯s sharp stare. ¡°I heard that


    you gave birth recently?¡± he turned to address me, ¡°Are the children okay?¡±

 Chapter 1226

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1226


    Why would he ask when he knew the truth?


    Instinctively, my hands clenched into fists. The sight of his hypocritical expression left me with a


    burning desire to slice him in half.


    Yet, I had to exercise restraint.


    There was a ny percent chance that my child was under Ezra¡¯s possession. If I angered him, my


    child would be the one who suffers in this exchange.


    Sensing my mood shift, John ced his hand over my fists in an attempt to deter any rash movement.


    Gritting my teeth, I took a deep breath and painted a forceful smile across my face. ¡°Thank you for your


    concern. My children are fine.¡±


    Ezra nodded good-naturedly. ¡°I heard that you gave birth to twins. Finally, the Fullers are blessed with a


    healthy son. Though, I¡¯m afraid that it may be hard to win custody of your child. If you¡¯d like, I can help


    you smoothen things over at the court by pulling a few strings.¡±


    The sight of his kind and gentle expression would have fooled me if I didn¡¯t know about his merciless


    involvement with Ashton¡¯s parents.


    I opened my mouth and prepared to reject his offer. Yet, John beat me to it. ¡°It seems that the office has


    nothing much going on. Seeing such a dignified person like you running around idly, it¡¯s no wonder that


    they have nothing better to do. They even dared tounch an investigation against Uncle Louis. They


    will be doomed once I take action,¡± John said as an ominous aura seemed to surge from his body.


    ¡°Mr. Grant, you should remind them of their limits. If they continue to meddle with Uncle Louis, you


    shouldn¡¯t me me for taking things too far!¡± heughed coldly. John¡¯s manner of speech had taken a


    dramatic turn.


    Louis was an upright and righteous official; he was very proud of his achievements and held no fear


    when the investigations began. He even forbade John from using the connections within the Stovall


    family to help him. Due to his stubbornness, we have not received news about him in over a month.


    Although it was a good trait to obey the rules, having such a stubborn mindset could invoke countless


    troubles. Such problems would even cause the loved ones to worry. Yet, these things paled in


    comparison to having to look Ezra in the face. He was a wicked man who held no shame for his


    actions!


    John was a man who grew up with strict principles and rules. It was no doubt that his impactful words


    were a form of warning to Ezra.


    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    Ezra seemed to jolt in shock before he rose to his feet. Nonchntly, he patted his jacket. ¡°Anyway,


    I¡¯ve tried to deliver my offer to help. Feel free to contact me if you have any problems. I¡¯ll take my leave


    first. You do not need to trouble yourself by escorting me,¡± Ezra said calmly.


    After he spoke, he strode out of the living room.


    As Ezra¡¯s figure vanished into the distance, I began to specte about the situation.


    I couldn¡¯t believe that he made an effort to prove his innocence by paying us a visit. He must have seen


    the power behind the Stovall and Moore family. If he wanted our support, he would not make a move


    against my child.


    Yet, who else would it be if it wasn¡¯t him?


    All of a sudden, my phone began to ring on the table. As I nced towards the screen, it indicated that


    an unregistered number was calling me.


    Even if the call could put me in grave danger, I would have picked it up anyway. Without hesitation, I


    picked my phone and answered the call before lifting it to my ear. ¡°Hello, who is this?¡±


    A familiar voice drifted through the call. ¡°Letty,¡± the voice called out.


    The voice belonged to Marcus!


    Unconsciously, I gripped the phone a little tighter. ¡°Marcus, where are you?¡± my voice wavered with a


    hint of worry.


    ¡°Let¡¯s save that forter. I saw them carrying a newborn child at the airport, is the baby yours¡­¡± he cut


    me off in a hurry.


    His words caused my body to seize up. Instinctively, I inhaled deeply as my grasp on the phone


    tightened.


    F*ck! How could I be so careless that I forgot about GW Group?


    For the sake of the children, Fuller Corporation had canceled the alliance with GW Group. Before he


    left, Sean brooded over the cancetion for a long time. If they were the ones who staged the


    kidnapping, it would make perfect sense!


    ¡°Marcus, where are you? Have you found Camelia and Toby? Where did the men bring them? Do you


    remember the location?¡± I rambled on in panic.


    ¡°No,¡± Marcus rasped, ¡°I¡¯ve been searching for a year but failed to discover any leads. This time,


    someone leaked the news on purpose. They revealed the locations where GW Group frequents.


    Coincidentally, I bumped into the child at one of those locations.¡±

 Chapter 1227

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1227


    I pursed my lips and swallowed. ¡°Is Baby alright?¡±


    ¡°They outnumbered me, so I dared not get close to them. I don¡¯t think they will harm your baby, so don¡¯t


    worry¡ª¡±


    I cut in. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be worried? Marcus, Baby was born prematurely. If he didn¡¯t get proper care


    and nutrients, he might sufferter. Tell me where you are,¡± I urged. ¡°I¡¯ll go to your now.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯te. It¡¯s too dangerous for you. I¡¯m going to find Camelia and the others, so just leave it to


    me. I will¡­¡±


    The line was cut all of a sudden.


    It took me a while to realize what was going on. ¡°Marcus?¡± I called. ¡°Marcus, are you still there?¡±


    I could only hear static.


    ncing at my phone¡¯s screen, I noticed the line was disconnected. It was already 4 p.m. by now.


    That means it was still dawn in M Country. Marcus called me at this hour and the line suddenly got


    disconnected, so I couldn¡¯t help but worry about his safety.


    Now, I had to leave the country.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did Marcus find your son?¡± asked John.


    Instead of replying to him, I dialed the number again indifferently.


    ¡°Sorry, the number you¡¯ve dialed is not avable. Please call againter.¡±


    I canceled and retried several times to the same effect.


    Flinging the phone aside, I slumped onto the sofa dejectedly. Staring at the ceiling, I fell into deep


    thought.


    Perhaps Marcus called me at this hour because this was the only time he had ess to his phone. We


    only spoke for a while before the line got cut abruptly, probably because someone barged in and cut


    the line.


    However, one thing was for sure. Marcus was still alive.


    I didn¡¯t know why those people led Marcus to M Country, but at least they didn¡¯t harm him until now.


    Why is he against me going to M Country?


    He told me where my child was but insists on handling everything alone. Does he have a split


    personality?


    Marcus knew where my child was, but he risked his life even though it was dangerous. I couldn¡¯t help


    but wondered what his n was.


    Perhaps something else besides my child caused him to stop me from going to M Country.


    I knew I must be right.


    The only reason Marcus stopped me from going to M Country was that those people were after me.


    I wondered if I could get any information from that bodyguard.


    Immediately, I clenched my hands into fists as I made my way to the basement. John had no clue what


    I was doing, but he came after me nheless.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    Someone had already cleaned the ce up, but the stench of blood was unmistakable. The bodyguard


    was lying on the wooden bed weakly, his upper torso bandaged. Most of John¡¯s subordinates were


    gone, and there was only one man guarding the bodyguard.


    ¡°Leave us alone,¡± Imanded.


    The man gazed at John and gained his employer¡¯s approval before he walked out.


    ¡°John, I want to talk to him alone,¡± I added.


    He said nothing, so I assured him, ¡°He¡¯s almost dead. There¡¯s nothing he can do to me.¡±


    After a brief pause, John caved in and walked out. He closed the door behind him.


    Only the both of us were left in the room by now. I stalked to the man and towered above him. ¡°Do you


    want to leave?¡± I inquired coolly.


    The man¡¯s eyes fluttered open as he struggled to sit up.


    As I expected, he was merely pretending to be weak. All the torture he had been through was nothing


    to him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s make a deal,¡± I offered calmly. ¡°I have one condition, though. How is my child doing?¡±

 Chapter 1228

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1228


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, we might be fearless, but we won¡¯t harm a baby less than a month old,¡± replied the


    bodyguard as a menacing smile flitted across his lips.


    I couldn¡¯t well believe someone as vicious as him, but with Marcus¡¯ earlier assurance, I heaved a sigh


    of relief.


    I had to trust that they wouldn¡¯t harm my son.


    Even so, Baby was too young to be traveling around the world with a bunch of strangers.


    At that thought, my heart clenched in agony.


    I took a deep breath to calm down before picking up the knife from the earlier fight. I handed it to the


    bodyguard and asked, ¡°You know what to do, right?¡±


    The bodyguard met my gaze with a frown as he considered the feasibility of this n.


    Soon, he made up his mind.


    He struggled to sit up and put on his bloody jacket before grabbing the knife from me. Pressing the


    edge of the knife against my neck, he led me out.


    John was still waiting outside the room. When he saw the bodyguard holding me hostage, his


    expression darkened.


    Meanwhile, his subordinates surrounded the only exit of the basement.


    Someone had informed Ashton, as he appeared by another door with Joseph behind him.


    I met Ashton¡¯s gaze, but he didn¡¯t seem surprised or anxious. Guiltily, I averted my gaze so he wouldn¡¯t


    see through me.


    Ashton was smart enough to realize the bodyguard couldn¡¯t have held me hostage without my help.


    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    ¡°Scarlett Stovall.¡± His voice was stern whenever he got mad.


    I hesitated for a moment before meeting his gaze again.


    We stared at each other for a long while.


    We were stuck in a deadlock for some time. Suddenly, the conflict in Ashton¡¯s gaze disappeared as he


    became calm again.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you nervous? You didn¡¯t yell for help though he held you at knifepoint,¡± he uttered icily.


    My heart sank as I clenched my fists tightly.


    Ashton had said that on purpose.


    He knew what was going on. Clearly, he was upset because I became the hostage willingly. Now, he


    was waiting for me to make a choice.


    The bodyguard was holding a knife at my neck, but Ashton could save me easily if he wanted to.


    By now, even John knew what was going on. He gritted his teeth and dered, ¡°Scarlett, I did just warn


    you not to do this!¡±


    The bodyguard nced at them before turning to me and scorned, ¡°Looks like you didn¡¯t discuss with


    your family beforehand, huh? They seemed terribly upset. Do you think we can make it out of here?¡±


    Boom!


    Realization dawned on me.


    Does Ashton think I agreed to be his hostage for my son?


    I gazed at Ashton, his sad lonesome figure, who remained rooted to the spot. His trench coat was


    ruffling in the breeze.


    I couldn¡¯t help but hesitate.


    Nevertheless, at the thought of my son, everything else paled inparison.


    John had used all means, but we still couldn¡¯t find out what our enemy wanted. Baby was in their


    hands. No matter what we did, we couldn¡¯t find anything about them.


    The fastest way to find out who took Baby away was through this bodyguard.


    I was the only one who heard what he said. He was bleeding and holding me roughly. If I moved


    slightly, the knife would cut into my skin. Hence, it seemed like I was indeed in danger.

 Chapter 1229

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1229


    Ashton gazed at me and scowled unhappily.


    I parted my lips, but I didn¡¯t know where to start.


    It would be a bad idea to talk right now.


    I wasn¡¯t about to change my mind. Seeing my reaction, Ashton gave a self-deprecatingugh. ¡°Ha!¡±


    Shortly after, he schooled his expression carefully andmanded, ¡°Move out of their way! Let her get


    what she wants!¡±


    ¡°Ashton, do you know what you¡¯re doing?¡± John refused to take the risk. Without his approval, his


    subordinates didn¡¯t budge at all.


    ¡°Joseph!¡± Ashton raised his hand. Upon receiving his order, Joseph left and soon returned with his


    men.


    The men came in and scattered around John¡¯s men. As Ashton¡¯s men outnumbered John¡¯s men, they


    soon parted to give us a way out.


    It was nighttime by now. The night breeze sent a chill down my spine. When I looked up and met


    Ashton¡¯s gaze, I promptly froze.


    The bodyguard was smart enough to lead me through the crowd. John wanted toe after us, but


    Ashton stopped him in time.


    After we walked out of the garden, I turned back to see Ashton struggling to stop John froming


    after us.


    The bodyguard soon brought me out of Stovall residence.


    Right then, a ck vehicle sped toward us and came to an abrupt stop in front of us.


    The bodyguard removed the knife and ordered, ¡°Get in the car, Ms. Stovall.¡±


    Without much thought, I stepped forward and pulled the door open.


    I thought we would be the only ones in the car, but there was someone else in there.


    The person was dressed in a leather jacket and leather boots. Her entire outfit was ck. If there


    wasn¡¯t a ponytail hanging behind her head, I would¡¯ve thought she was a man.


    Sensing my gaze, she turned and shed a strange smile. ¡°Ms. Stovall, finally we meet.¡±


    I was certain that I had never met her in the past thirty years. However, she seemed to know who I


    was.


    The bodyguard gave me a slight shove as he was afraid John¡¯s men woulde after us. After I


    entered the car, he climbed in behind me.


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    The driver stepped on the elerator and sped away.


    As we took off, an inexplicable feeling rose in my heart. I felt terribly insecure.


    Soon, the Stovall residence disappeared from sight. It took us some time before we boarded thest


    ne to M Country.


    The bodyguard and thedy were obviously working together, but strangely, they didn¡¯t even converse


    throughout our entire journey.


    I turned to the woman and inquired, ¡°Did GW send you here?¡±


    The woman wasn¡¯t as unpleasant as her looks suggested. She smiled at me. ¡°Ms. Stovall, you¡¯re a


    smart woman. You¡¯ll know when we arrive at our destination.¡±


    She didn¡¯t reveal anything to me, so I couldn¡¯t help but stare at her.


    Immediately, she realized what I was thinking about. ¡°There¡¯s nothing strange about this. My boss


    knows you more than you do. He knows you¡¯ll do anything for your child¡¯s sake.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t even force out a smile by now. ¡°Who is your boss?¡±


    Her words gave me goosebumps. Who in the world would know me better than I know myself?


    She merely grinned and turned over to rest, leaving me to ponder this matter the entire night.


    We finally arrived at M Country in the morning. The ck vehicle we were on weaved through the


    streets effortlessly.


    I looked out of the window at the changing sights which showed no hints of where we were.


    We were in the city center a minute ago, but now we were in the countryside.


    This went on for around one hour before I realized they were going in circles.


    Do they seriously think I had a photographic memory?

 Chapter 1230

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1230


    I asked the woman. ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    She smirked, but her reply remain vague. ¡°To see your son, of course.¡±


    ¡°But we¡¯ve been going around in circles.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Stovall. No, Mrs. Fuller. You know how difficult it is to shake off your husband. We need to be


    extra careful,¡± she revealed confidently.


    ¡°Your target isn¡¯t me?¡± I frowned as strong sense of foreboding rose in my heart.


    The woman shook her index finger. ¡°No, of course not. You¡¯re not worth our efforts.¡±


    She didn¡¯t finish her sentence, but I knew what she meant.


    Ashton had offended many people so Fuller Corporation could reach new heights, so this must be


    rted to him.


    The woman paused and proceeded to scrutinize my face.


    Does she think I¡¯ll be afraid?


    I had spent a lot of time with Ashton, so I learned how to read minds from him.


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    I met her gaze and sneered. ¡°Oh, so Ashton is a great threat to you. I didn¡¯t know that. What about


    Marcus, then? Why did you target him?¡±


    I wanted to know how Marcus got himself involved in this matter.


    The woman¡¯s boss must be up to something. I didn¡¯t know what it was, but it must be the reason


    Marcus was lured to M Country.


    If so, I dared not imagine how borated their n was.


    However, I needed to talk to Marcus to confirm my spections. I didn¡¯t want to believe that I had


    brought bad luck to him again.


    At the mention of Marcus¡¯ name, the woman arched a brow. ¡°Him? He¡¯s no one important. Why? Did


    you risk your life because of him?¡±


    They must¡¯ve investigated me and knew about Marcus and me. Clearly, she was trying to provoke me.


    ¡°I just want to know where he is now.¡±


    Suddenly, the woman¡¯s face darkened. ¡°You can¡¯t even save yourself now. I¡¯m not here to answer your


    questions.¡±


    With that, she looked away and ignored me.


    After we went past thest crossroad, the woman ordered, ¡°Enough. Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    The driver nodded and sped up. We soon left the city and went past a few farms before arriving at a


    deste area without streemps.


    It was pitch dark as the dark clouds had covered the moon. The night sky felt like it was about to


    swallow everything in its path.


    I grew increasingly uneasy. These people wouldn¡¯t reveal their reason for capturing me and my son


    easily.


    Finally, we left the deste area. The car slowed down.


    We were about to arrive at our destination.


    Shortly after, the car came to a stop in front of an ancient castle.


    After I got off the car, besides the car¡¯s headlights, the only light source was from the entrance of the


    castle. The surrounding darkness seemed to suck everything into its void. As the wind howled in my


    ears, I stared at the flickering candlelight lighting up the creaky castle.


    Through the crack of the door, I saw a familiar figure d in a ck cloak. He was staring at a religious


    painting on the wall, deep in thought.


    Upon hearing themotion, he turned to face us. I was bbergasted when our gazes met.


    ¡°Marcus?¡± Did he lure me here on purpose?


    One yearter, he seemed like an entirely different man with his unshaved jaw and masculine figure.


    ¡°Finally, we meet again,¡± he rasped out while gazing at me. It was as though he was seeing another


    person in me.

 Chapter 1231

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1231


    Bewildered, I asked, ¡°Are you being held captive here, too?¡±


    ¡°Ha! How naive,¡± the woman mocked before telling the bodyguard. ¡°Head in. The doctor is waiting for


    you.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll leave her with you.¡± With that, the woman followed the bodyguard upstairs.


    Once they left, we were left alone in the hall. The maid had already shut the door. It was much quiet


    without the howling wind.


    ¡°Come with me,¡± said Marcus. He walked up another flight of stairs.


    Curious, I went after him obediently.


    There were many rooms on the second floor. Marcus led me down the hallway and came to a stop


    when we reached the end. He opened the door on the right and stepped aside. ¡°This is your room.


    Have a good rest tonight.¡±


    I stepped in and studied the surroundings. There were candles lighting up the huge room. I immediately


    spotted aptop beside the bed which seemed out of ce in this castle.


    Hearing the footsteps behind me, I turned and called out, ¡°Wait a minute!¡±


    Marcus was taller and bigger than me. Even his shadow swallowed mine whole, so my action seemed


    ridiculous.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything to say?¡± I looked up and queried.


    He towered above me icily. ¡°What do you want me to say?¡±


    His cool reaction pissed me off. He knew what I meant, but pretended to be clueless. I didn¡¯t know why


    he was acting this way. Right now, I needed to find out where my son was.


    I sighed and tried to stay calm. ¡°Why are you so familiar with the others? Where is my son, Toby and


    Camelia? You don¡¯t seem anxious at all.¡±


    Marcus furrowed his brows and gestured at theptop in my room. ¡°You can see your son¡¯s current


    condition there. If you stay here obediently, you¡¯ll get to see him every day.¡±


    I looked at him before turning to nce at theptop. It was clear that Marcus knew everything about


    my son.


    A hint of frustration crept into my heart.


    Indeed, I risked my life for my son¡¯s sake, but I also did it because I was worried for Marcus.


    I bit my lip and muttered, ¡°Why did you do this?¡±


    A heavy silence hung in the air, safe for the crackling sounds of the candles.


    After a long while, Marcus spoke. ¡°You¡¯re exhausted. Go to bed.¡±


    ¡°Marcus!¡± I uttered frantically, but I couldn¡¯t make him stay.


    He stalked away and soon reached the other end of the hallway. Without looking back, he entered the


    first room on the left and shut the door.


    It was as though he was trying to draw a line between us. I felt annoyed at that thought.


    However, my son¡¯s safety was of utmost importance. I dashed back into my room and switched on the


    laptop.


    There was only one file on the desktop. I clicked on the icon, and a baby¡¯s face immediately appeared


    on the screen.


    Immediately, tears welled up in my eyes. I covered my lips as my heart leaped in joy.


    It was my son. The tiny brows, nose, and eyes belonged to my son.


    Feeling ted, I heaved a sigh of relief. They took good care of my baby. He was skinny, but his eyes


    were blinking energetically.


    At least Marcus wasn¡¯t lying when he said they didn¡¯t harm my son.


    Finally, I could rx after finding out my son was alright. I shut theptop and tried to figure out a


    solution.


    I couldn¡¯t escape as Baby was still with them. I would never leave him alone.


    There wasn¡¯t anyone guarding my room or any surveince cameras around. It was because they


    knew what my weak spot was.


    Still, I didn¡¯t know when I would get to see Baby.


    Feeling dejected, I fell into bed and sighed. Suddenly, I caught hold of something cool.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

 Chapter 1232

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1232


    It was an unlocked phone!


    Immediately, I dialled Ashton¡¯s number and waited anxiously.


    Soon, after a soft beep, Ashton¡¯s deep voice sounded over the line. ¡°Scarlett Stovall.¡±


    ¡°How did you know it was me?¡± This was a foreign number that wasn¡¯t saved on his phone, so I didn¡¯t


    think he would answer the call.


    ¡°Did you see Marcus?¡± asked Ashton.


    Huh? That sounds strange. My excitement faded away as I replied in a low voice, ¡°Yes, I did. I followed


    them here for Baby¡¯s sake.¡±


    ¡°Should I praise you for being a great mother?¡± Ashton mocked. ¡°I must¡¯ve been too lenient with you.


    Look, you¡¯re threatening me with what I loved most.¡±


    My heart skipped a beat at his words.


    Ashton had spent his life in hatred. He didn¡¯t expect to fall in love with me, so I was special to him.


    Even our son was second in importance after me. Yet, I risked myself just to save my son.


    If my bet paid off, it would be a happy ending. If it didn¡¯t, Ashton would hate me for the rest of his life.


    ¡°Ashton,¡± I uttered, not knowing what else to say.


    He fell silent for a long time before stating firmly, ¡°This is the first andst time. I will not forgive you if


    you do it again.¡±


    He had let me off the hook, so I hurriedly caved in. ¡°As long as our son is safe, I promise I won¡¯t do it


    again.¡±


    I heard him sighing through the phone. ¡°You should now know why I didn¡¯t want you to stay in touch


    with Marcus.¡±


    Ashton¡¯s change of topic caught me by surprise. ¡°You knew something was wrong with Marcus¡¯


    disappearance?¡±


    ¡°Remember when I told you a few culprits are still at loose?¡±


    ¡°You mean the White family are involved?¡± I was shell-shocked. ¡°Joseph found a document with


    Marcus¡¯ grandfather¡¯s signature on it, but we still can¡¯t be sure,¡± he replied.


    Ashton was a careful person, so he wouldn¡¯t have told me if he wasn¡¯t sure about it.


    No wonder Marcus kept reminding me to be careful of Ashton. He must¡¯ve found out about the truth


    and tried to confuse me before Ashton could discover the truth.


    I didn¡¯t like judging others negatively, especially Marcus. Unfortunately, contrary to my wishes, he


    became the biggest variable here.


    Right then, Joseph¡¯s voice rang out.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, we¡¯re ready.¡±


    Ashton grunted in response and told me, ¡°I¡¯ll call you tomorrow.¡± He then hung up.


    I nced at the phone¡¯s screen, which showed only one call in the call history. My feelings were in


    turmoil.


    Ashton wasn¡¯t worried about me at all.


    It wasn¡¯t actually his fault. After all, this was my choice.


    I couldn¡¯t fall asleep after that, so I switched on theptop and studied the video of Baby, trying to get a


    hint of his whereabouts.


    Gradually, I fell asleep.


    When I woke up again, it was already 10 a.m. Wintertime in M Country was a gloomy affair.


    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    I washed up and headed downstairs to look around.


    The ancient castle was as silent asst night, safe for a few foreign maids scurrying around.


    They did everything they could to bring me here but didn¡¯t try to stop me from escaping. I didn¡¯t know


    whether it was because they had my son captive or it was something else.


    ¡°Good morning, Letty.¡± Marcus was seated at the dining table in an elegant white suit. His lips were


    curved up slightly, reminding me of a gentleman.


    I knew I was at the losing end here, so there was no use being afraid. I went over and sat down across


    from him.

 Chapter 1233

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1233


    The maid brought me a te of breakfast with the same contents as Marcus¡¯.


    I kept my gaze on Marcus.


    After talking to Ashton on the phonest night, I kept wondering if Marcus had indeed changed.


    ¡°Letty, if you keep staring, I shall be under the impression that you¡¯re going to change your mind.¡±


    Marcus wasn¡¯t even looking at me when he made that startling announcement.


    I hurriedly calmed down and returned. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. What is it about?¡±


    Marcus stopped and met my gaze, seemingly amused. ¡°Choosing to be with me, of course.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    Just as I had expected, he was a changed man. Yet, his obsession with me remained unchanged.


    Now, he was no longer my protector. He was the culprit behind my son¡¯s kidnapping.


    I sneered. ¡°I never knew you are so full of yourself.¡±


    I wanted to provoke him as he might reveal something important, but Marcus remained unfazed. s,


    it felt like I was punching at cotton. Nothing I said or did manage to elicit a response out of him.


    He shed a grin and asked, ¡°Why are you so obsessed with Ashton?¡±


    What is Marcus up to?


    It¡¯s clear, isn¡¯t it? Why is he trying to stir up trouble?


    I returned the question to him. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Hearing my question, Marcus frowned as he fell into deep thought. After a while, he answered, ¡°I don¡¯t


    think he captivated you. You¡¯re a soft-hearted woman, so you must¡¯ve stayed with him as you


    sympathized with him. Also, you already have kids with him.¡±


    Clearly, Marcus was too stubborn to change his mind. He was twisting the facts to his own liking.


    I schooled my expression carefully before ring at him. ¡°You¡¯ve never loved anyone. How do you


    know we don¡¯t love each other?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps you should learn to care for yourself. It¡¯s time to stop, Letty. You and Ashton won¡¯t have a


    future together.¡±


    We locked gazes, staring each other down.


    As Marcus spoke, he leaned nearer to me, causing me to recoil in disgust.


    Last night, I arrived at the castle and saw him greeting the others calmly. I couldn¡¯t help but feel


    revolted every time I see him again.


    ¡°Marcus, do you really think you can control someone else¡¯s life? You said Ashton and I won¡¯t be


    together for long. Why would I trust you? We¡¯ve been in love for ten years, and will continue to love


    each other for years toe. Even if we are separated, divorced, or don¡¯t get to see each other


    forever, our hearts are still connected. You won¡¯t be able to get that.¡±


    My eyes were shing with obvious disdain.


    Marcus leaned back nonchntly. ¡°Letty, I¡¯m doing this for your sake.¡±


    I held my breath when he called my nickname endearingly.


    It was this man who had pulled me out of hell with his charming voice.


    s, he was no longer the same person he used to be.


    Seeing my reaction, Marcus raised his brows smugly as though he had sessfully pulled a prank on


    me. He then took his mug and sipped on his coffee calmly.


    He must be proud of himself for eliciting a response from me.


    ¡°Marcus, what do you want?¡± I frowned and demanded as my hands resting on my knees balled into


    fists.


    My instincts told me Marcus was no longer the young man who ced me above all others.


    Marcus averted his gaze and cut into his fried egg. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me that way. We did a good job


    together, right? I believe Ashton will be here soon.¡±

 Chapter 1234

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1234


    My heart sank at his words.


    The phone was a trap so I would lure Ashton to this castle!


    ¡°Marcus White!¡± I mmed the table in fury. Last night, he pretended to ignore me so I would end up


    calling Ashton.


    What a scheming man.


    I had a falling out with Ashton just because I was worried about him.


    Marcus ate his breakfast coolly. However, his words made my skin crawl. ¡°You and your son are here,


    while both his daughters are at home. Who will he pick?¡±


    My mind went nk at once.


    No matter who he picked, we would lose a loved one. Ashton coulde up with a perfect n, but we


    were in M Country, a foreign country out of his reach. If he were toe, he would fall right into their


    trap.


    ¡°Marcus, is it fun to destroy my family and torture me? Are you not going to stop until I be as


    unhappy as you?¡± I clenched my fists so firmly that the nails dug deep into my palm, but I couldn¡¯t feel


    any pain.


    If any of my family¡ªincluding my children and Ashton¡ªwas harmed, I would live the rest of my life in


    guilt.


    Immediately, Marcus¡¯ expression fell. He didn¡¯t refute my words and waited to see what I would say


    next.


    As it concerned my loved one, I didn¡¯t hold back. I stood up and uttered icily, ¡°You can kill me. I won¡¯t


    say anything as I owed you one!¡±


    ¡°When Camelia and Toby went missing, I defended you though Ashton remained cautious. You called


    me and said some vague stuff, but I risked my life to be a hostage toe to you. We have been


    through many obstacles together, so I¡¯ve never doubted you.¡±


    ¡°I refused to believe my son¡¯s kidnapping was rted to you until just now!¡±


    ¡°The woman who loved you dearly is missing, but what did you do? You¡¯re partnering up with a bunch


    of strangers instead! Why are you wasting time to take revenge on Ashton and pursuing me? I will


    never love you!¡±


    I pointed at him, my eyes shing with hatred. ¡°You¡¯re humiliating yourself! You¡¯ve misused my trust


    and those who love you! You don¡¯t deserve to be loved!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my son. How could you¡­¡± I trailed off and took a deep breath. ¡°I would rather die in that


    abandoned factory if I knew this was to happen! I¡¯ll never ept you!¡±


    No doubt, I had said everything out of anger.


    I didn¡¯t want to die, but Marcus¡¯ actions had disappointed me greatly.


    All of my kindness and goodwill had been trampled upon mercilessly.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Ashton wasn¡¯t a saint, but at least he was an honest man.


    After our misunderstanding was resolved, he showered me with his love and protected our little family


    with all his might.


    He might be evil, but at least he was loyal and responsible.


    Marcus could never rece him in my life.


    ¡°You want to know why am I so obsessed with Ashton, right? I¡¯ll tell you why,¡± I dered. ¡°I¡¯m not


    obsessed. I¡¯m in love with Ashton. He once suspected my grandma was the culprit who murdered his


    parents, but he had never tried to harm my loved ones!¡±


    I¡¯ve never exactly told Ashton that, but saying that out loud gave me peace of mind.


    My confidence must¡¯ve upset Marcus for his calm expression had now contorted into an ugly scowl.


    ¡°Really? He won¡¯t harm your loved ones? What about you and your son?¡± Fury and hatred shed


    across his eyes.

 Chapter 1235

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1235


    ¡°He knows your son is important to you and that you will risk your life for him. The bodyguard


    sessfully held you hostage and brought you here because it was all part of Ashton¡¯s n! He


    doesn¡¯t care about you as long as he gets to take revenge!¡±


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    ¡°Shut up!¡± I trembled in rage.


    ¡°The truth is cruel, huh?¡± He shed an evil grin. ¡°Ashton pretended to adore you, but he exposed you


    to risks again and again. His love is nothing but talk. He¡¯s selfish, just like me!¡±


    I furrowed my brows and retorted, ¡°You¡¯re wrong about Ashton!¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Women are great at deceiving themselves,¡± concluded Marcus.


    He red at me and left the dining room.


    I slumped into the chair and heaved a sigh. My energy was drained after that argument with Marcus.


    After his footsteps faded away, I whipped out the phone to give Ashton a call. It wasn¡¯t until then that I


    realized the phone had turned into a fake phone.


    Clearly, those people changed the phone to this fake one when I was asleep so I couldn¡¯t warn Ashton.


    I was a light sleeper, so someone must¡¯ve done it deftly when I was asleep. I wondered who that could


    be.


    Now that I think of it, perhaps Camelia¡¯s disappearance was part of Marcus¡¯ n.


    Suddenly, a shadow appeared next to my feet.


    I turned and spotted ady walking toward me.


    She was d in a turtleneck wool sweater, jeans, and boots. Her hair fell on her shoulders, creating a


    casual look.


    I couldn¡¯t remember seeing her in the castle.


    ¡°Looks like you had an unpleasant discussion.¡±


    Once she spoke, I immediately recognized who she was.


    It was the woman who came to pick the bodyguard up yesterday. She had a different outfit on, so I


    almost couldn¡¯t recognize her.


    She had stealthily made her way from the stairs to the dining room. I immediately deduced that it was


    her who changed my phonest night.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stare at me. I like to wear casual clothes when I¡¯m not out on a mission. My name¡¯s Helga,¡± she


    uttered. After asking the maid to bring her a ss of milk and cereal, she sat down opposite me.


    ¡°Boss kept telling me how special you are, Scarlett. But after spending some time with you, I still can¡¯t


    figure out how special you are. I hope Boss didn¡¯t make the wrong judgment this time.¡± The disdain in


    Helga¡¯s voice was evident.


    Ever since I entered the car, she kept talking about her so-called ¡°Boss.¡± I was curious who her boss


    was as he had Helga and the bodyguard working for him. He even managed to convince Marcus to


    partner up with him.


    ¡°Ms. Helga, what do you mean by special?¡± My expression grew stern. ¡°I fell for the trap and was


    forced to separate from my son only after seeing him once. Should I still remain grateful and happy? Is


    that what you mean?¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Helga snorted. ¡°You sure have a sharp tongue. I shall see how long you can hold on.¡±


    Shortly after, she left.


    The bodyguard didn¡¯te down for breakfast as he was injured. I was the only person downstairs the


    entire morning.


    At 2 p.m., both Marcus and Helga appeared on the stairs.


    Spotting Helga in her ck outfit, I stood up immediately.


    She had returned to her icy self and strode past me without batting an eyelid before walking out of the


    door.


    Marcus stopped to nce at me briefly before he left without looking back, too.

 Chapter 1236

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1236


    Helga told me she would only put on this outfit when she had a mission, so they must¡¯ve left on orders.


    Could their target be Ashton?


    They were gone for three days without any news whatsoever.


    For the past three days, I couldn¡¯t sleep well. I¡¯d only fall asleep watching Baby on theptop screen.


    It was midnight by the time I fell asleep. Suddenly, I heard the door downstairs creaking open in a daze.


    I promptly jolted awake and put on a cardigan before rushing downstairs.


    When I arrived at the hall, Helga had returned to her room through the other flight of stairs. The


    bodyguard was also nowhere to be seen. Marcus was the only one in the living room. d in a ck


    cloak, he looked worn out as he stared at the religious painting on the wall. I remembered he also did


    the same thing when I arrived the other day.


    Hearing my footsteps, he asked, ¡°It¡¯ste. You aren¡¯t asleep yet? Were you waiting for me?¡±


    There was a hint of delight in his voice.


    I refused to answer him and instead said, ¡°Looks like you weren¡¯t sessful.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you wish for, Letty?¡± Marcus returned as he made his way over to me. ¡°Luck won¡¯t always


    be on Ashton¡¯s side.¡±


    He came to a stop in front of me and leaned forward to scan my figure. There was a menacing air


    about him.


    ¡°It might not be on your side too, right?¡± I swallowed lightly and remained deadpanned.


    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    Marcus wanted to see me being scared, so I wouldn¡¯t allow him to see that side of me.


    In response, Marcus raised a brow and straightened his body. ¡°No one knows,¡± came his amused reply.


    He was very confident of himself, huh?


    I was about to pry more information from him when he turned, seemingly disinterested in me.


    ¡°You said you¡¯ve only seen your son once. You must miss him dearly, right?¡±


    The change in topic was too abrupt, but I went along with him. ¡°Yes. I can¡¯t stop thinking when I can


    see him again.¡±


    With his back to me, Marcus turned at his shoulder and told me, ¡°Soon.¡±


    I harrumphed as he couldn¡¯t be trusted. ¡°How long is considered soon? One day? One month? One


    year? Do you know how torturing this is? You said you love me and wanted me to choose you, but you


    separated me from my son. Is this love?¡±


    Sensing my bubbling anger, I took a deep breath to calm down before I continued, ¡°You¡¯re going to lock


    us up, anyway. Why don¡¯t you lock me up with my son? Please, I beg of you. I don¡¯t want to wait for a


    video that might be fake every day. I want to see my son.¡±


    Marcus stood there, unmoving, as though reminding me my efforts were futile.


    After a long silence, he finally uttered, ¡°Letty, you¡¯re too greedy. Don¡¯t push your luck.¡±


    Without waiting for my reply, he strode up the stairs.


    Marcus¡¯s mood swings were almost impossible to predict. I couldn¡¯t get through him.


    Feeling dejected, I remained rooted to the spot for some time before returning to my room.


    I flopped into bed as sleep deserted me.


    Marcus seemed rxed, so they must¡¯ve gained something from their trip. Ashton could be in danger


    right now.


    Nevertheless, I deduced they didn¡¯t gain the upper hands based on what Marcus said earlier. Ashton


    must¡¯ve retaliated, so there was no telling who would end up the winner.


    I was lost in thoughts when a sound jolted me out of my reverie. Thump! I immediately nced at the


    creaky window where the sound came from.


    The castle was well-preserved, but it was ancient. At night, when the wind started blowing, the windows


    would need to be closed manually. I¡¯ve only been here for four days but had already encountered this


    several times.

 Chapter 1237

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1237


    Sighing, I rose to my feet to close the windows.


    I had barely taken a few steps when a rustling sound was heard outside the window.


    Is it the wind? Or is someone out there?


    Curious, I carefully made my way toward the window. When I was half a step away from the window, I


    came to a stop and stood on tiptoes to peek outside.


    Right then, a hand appeared out of nowhere and grabbed the eaves. The person stretched out another


    hand and proceeded to climb in.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    As the person had his back to me, I could only figure out he was a man based on his muscr built. My


    sixth sense told me he meant no harm as he had risked his life to scale the walls. Hence, I watched as


    he made his way in, prepared to cover up for him if needed.


    Soon, the man jumped in and turned to face me. The moment I saw his face, my eyes lit up as I


    dashed forward to give him a tight hug.


    ¡°Ashton, I¡¯m d to know you¡¯re alright.¡±


    I was afraid to hear of his news through Marcus.


    The man rxed and exhaled sharply. He wrapped his arms around me. ¡°You¡¯ll be the death of me.¡±


    I teared up at his words and looked up. I parted my lips to say something when something urred to


    me. Struggling out of his arms, I told him, ¡°Wait for me,¡± before I ran to the living room.


    Ashton tiptoed to the door and made sure no one realized his arrival before returning to me.


    ¡°Come here, Ashton.¡± I held theptop and sat by the bed. He sat beside me obediently.


    I clicked on the video and ced theptop in hisp. ¡°This is our son. Look, he has your nose.¡±


    I¡¯ve been wanting this to happen for a while. Even though I originally wanted Ashton to see his son face


    to face, this would suffice.


    Ashton nced at the screen, his gaze darkening. A few secondster, he flung his arm around me


    and assured me, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Baby is a gift from God. I won¡¯t let him be out there, away from us for


    long.¡±


    I was relieved upon hearing his assurance. Yet, at the thought of Marcus¡¯ attitude, my heart clenched


    up again. ¡°Did anything happen to you recently? Is our family alright?¡±


    Ashton¡¯s expression fell without warning. He shoved me away and spoke icily. ¡°You¡¯re worried now?


    When you allowed yourself to be held hostage, didn¡¯t you know they will use you and ruin us?¡±


    He had never spoken this harshly to be before, even when he was jealous of Marcus. I immediately


    panicked and racked my brains to formte a response. In the end, I put my pride aside and backed


    down. ¡°I was too emotional back then. I wanted to help, but as a woman, the only way I could think of


    was¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Ashton interjected. ¡°I thought you think of yourself as a man.¡±


    I was reckless, impulsive, and couldn¡¯t be bothered about the consequences of my action. Ashton was


    right. I was disying all themon mistakes a man would make.


    Completely speechless, I lowered my gaze and fiddled with my fingers.


    Seeing my reaction, Ashton pressed on, ¡°Do you know what a good woman should learn?¡±


    I shook my head.


    It was difficult enough to be a good person, so I didn¡¯t have time to learn more beyond that.


    Feeling exasperated, Ashton let out a sigh and ced theptop aside. He held my shoulders as we


    sat across from each other. ¡°A good woman and a good wife should learn how to rely on her husband.¡±

 Chapter 1238

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1238


    His gaze was firm and adoring. I almost lost myself in his eyes.


    ¡°Initially, I held back my feelings because I had to take revenge. Gradually, when I got to know the truth,


    I panicked and dared not reveal the truth to you. We¡¯ve wasted many years before getting back


    together. Do you want history to repeat itself?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting until you wake up,¡± he revealed. ¡°But you keep insisting on living in the past. Do you


    want your irrational feelings to control you forever?¡±


    ¡°Letty, I am the one who¡¯s going to stay by your side forever. Whenever you are in trouble, you must


    think of me and discuss it with me. Is my request that hard?¡±


    Ashton was trying hard to tamp down his grievance, but in the end, he couldn¡¯t help but grow


    increasingly frustrated. I thought he was acting like a kid who could finally vent out after suffering in


    silence.


    No, that wasn¡¯t it.


    Ashton was a vengeful person and would take revenge on anyone who offended him, so he wasn¡¯t


    suffering in silence.


    Besides, Ashton was partially at fault for my presumptuous actions, too. If he had told me about his


    n, I wouldn¡¯t need to find a way out myself.


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    We were both wrong, so neither of us could me each other.


    Still, I had learned my lesson during the past three days. Instead of refuting his words, I nodded


    obediently. ¡°No more next time.¡±


    After spending some time alone, I came up with several possibilities.


    One, they would use me to threaten Ashton and take his life.


    Two, they would use me to get their hands on my newborn baby girl or Summer.


    Ashton would agree to either possibility if I wasn¡¯t there.


    After all, my safety is of utmost importance to him.


    The realization came toote to me, but luckily, Ashton was safe.


    Ashton was clearly surprised by how swiftly I caved in. He swallowed his words and frowned at me


    helplessly.


    I squirmed guiltily under his gaze before reaching out to smoothen his frown. ¡°Alright, your troublesome


    wife had brought trouble to you again. But you were the one who wanted to marry her, so just bear with


    her.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t remember thest time I acted coy in front of him. Have I ever done so?


    We would forget a lot of things as time went by. To me, if something was easily forgettable, it wasn¡¯t


    important enough. I was truly in love with Ashton as I could act coy in front of him under the


    circumstances.


    When I touched Ashton, he froze at once. Soon, his eyes crinkled up as heughed, but it immediately


    faded away. He held my hand in a serious manner. ¡°Can you promise me that this is thest time?¡±


    I wanted to give him my word, but anxiety took over me as I retorted, ¡°Don¡¯t you know a woman¡¯s


    promise is worthless?¡±


    ¡°Mm?¡± Ashton cocked his brow, seemingly pondering the credibility of my words. He nodded


    thoughtfully. ¡°Yes. The prettier a woman is, the craftier she is. That was what you told me.¡±


    As he had relented, I plucked up my courage and flung my arms around Ashton to show my sincerity.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will try my best not to act behind your back for our children¡¯s sake.¡±


    A person could act freely when he was independent, but as soon as he got attached, he could no


    longer act freely. By then, he had to protect his loved one so she wouldn¡¯t be in danger.


    When Ashton had to make a choice, I dreamt about making different choices at night, too. Every time,


    I¡¯d jolt awake, bathed with cold sweat.

 Chapter 1239

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1239


    Right now, I could only try my best to make sure my dreams wouldn¡¯te true.


    Ashton snorted. ¡°Try your best?¡±


    He was obviously angry. I met his gaze and realized he was about to take action. Instinctively, I tried to


    escape. Before I could leave, Ashton pulled me against him tightly.


    When I returned to my senses, I found myself drowning in Ashton¡¯s passionate kiss. Feeling


    breathless, I patted his hand a few times so he could release me, but the man ignored my silent pleas.


    Left with no choice, I made some protesting sounds before Ashton got enough of me and let me go.


    ¡°This is your punishment for not trying your best, get it?¡±


    My breathing was uneven as I red at him furiously.


    Ashton gazed at me in amusement. It didn¡¯t seem like he had just scaled the walls just to sneak in


    earlier.


    Suddenly, a shadow appeared in the crack underneath the door. Someone was here. I immediately


    ced a hand on Ashton¡¯s thigh, signaling him to be quiet.


    Yet, the shadow sensed something was wrong and came to a stop outside my door. As it remained


    unmoving, it might be eavesdropping on us.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    That wasn¡¯t a good sign.


    Besides the bed and a coffee table, there wasn¡¯t any other furniture in the room. There was nowhere


    for Ashton to hide in the toilet, too. If that person outside barged in, Ashton would be discovered at


    once.


    The only choice left was for Ashton to leave now.


    We exchanged looks. Ashton¡¯s expression darkened as he made his way to the window. I tiptoed to the


    door in case the person came in. That way, I would be able to stall him or her.


    The door was the only obstacle between us. My heart leaped to my throat as I nced at the shadow


    through the crack while keeping an eye on Ashton.


    When Ashton was about to climb out of the window, Marcus¡¯ hoarse voice rang out. ¡°Letty, let¡¯s talk. I


    know you¡¯re still awake.¡±


    Marcus?


    Didn¡¯t he refuse to talk to me earlier? Why did he suddenly change his mind?


    I stepped back and lowered my voice. ¡°I¡¯m asleep. Let¡¯s talk tomorrow.¡±


    After I answered him, he fell silent for a long while. If I wasn¡¯t staring at his shadow underneath the


    door, I would¡¯ve thought he had left by now.


    As we waited, Ashton changed his mind and walked toward me carefully. I only realized it when he


    came to a stop next to me. At once, I leaned into his embrace.


    We were only separated by a door, but it seemed like a bridge we could never cross.


    It took some time before Marcus replied, ¡°Have a good rest. Your wish wille true tomorrow.¡±


    With that, the shadow under the door moved toward the direction of Marcus¡¯ room and disappeared


    from sight.


    I waited until the sound of his footsteps faded away before I heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°My wish wille


    true tomorrow?¡± I muttered. ¡°Is Marcus bringing me to see Baby tomorrow?¡±


    Ashton¡¯s deep voice rang out above me. ¡°Do you still think he¡¯s your Santa us?¡±


    His voice seemed odd.


    ¡°Did you realize something was wrong with Marcus ages ago?¡± I inquired.


    Ashton didn¡¯t reply to my question. Instead, he stalked to the window and lit up a cigarette. He puffed


    away, seemingly reluctant to share it with me.


    ¡°I won¡¯t ask questions if you don¡¯t feel like saying it.¡± I went to him and closed the windows. Turning at


    my shoulder, I reminded him. ¡°Smoking is already bad for your health. Why are you taking in the


    second-hand smoke, too?¡±


    Ashton was taken aback by my outburst. He put out his cigarette and threw the almost intact cigarette


    out.


    ¡°You won¡¯t smoke anymore?¡± I was surprised. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about being caught. I¡¯ll open the


    window and ventte my room.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± came Ashton¡¯s reply. He changed the topic abruptly by asking, ¡°If you were to choose between


    me and our son, who will you pick?¡± He seemed intrigued.


    That was the worst-case scenario, so I didn¡¯t expect Ashton to ask me about it. Initially, I was stunned


    into silence. However, after seeing how serious he was, I burst intoughter. ¡°Ashton, do you know you


    look like a jealous man in a rtionship? You¡¯re worse because you¡¯re even jealous of your own son.¡±

 Chapter 1240

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1240


    After getting rebuffed, Ashton looked away and smiled wryly. ¡°I know the answer. It is no surprise to


    me.¡±


    I smirked. ¡°Who do you think I will pick?¡±


    ¡°I know you won¡¯t pick me.¡± Ashton shrugged as disappointment shed across his face. ¡°But Scarlett,


    you¡¯ll be my only choice no matter what.¡±


    It seemed like he was joking, so I didn¡¯t know how to react.


    Without waiting for my response, he climbed out of the window deftly. ¡°See you tomorrow.¡±


    He then jumped and disappeared into the night.


    I went to the window and looked around, but he was nowhere to be seen. I waited a while longer before


    closing the windows.


    The next morning, I woke up early.


    Eager to see my son, I dressed up for the asion.


    After breakfast, Marcus brought me out.


    I thought it was going to be a long ride, but ten minutes after we entered the city, our car came to a


    stop.


    Marcus opened the door and left, so I hurriedly followed him. We entered a shop selling watches and


    clocks.


    The shop had an old signboard hanging above the entrance. There were twelve clocks, each showing


    different time zones, on disy.


    We walked past the counter, where an elderly gentleman was examining an old watch using


    professional equipment carefully. He didn¡¯t seem surprised at our arrival.


    Marcus ignored the elderly man and went into the inner space. As he took long strides, I had to dash to


    catch up to him.


    After taking a few turns in the house full of clocks, we finally arrived in a vast room. Bottles of red wine


    were lined up on both sides of the walls, and there was a velvet couch in the middle of the room.


    Marcus went to the wine cab and took out one bottle of wine. After a momentary silence, the wall


    right in front of me move aside and revealed a door behind it.


    My lips parted in surprise when I realized the red wine wasn¡¯t a decoration but the key to the hidden


    door.


    There were two wine racks and hundreds of bottles of red wine. It would take hundreds of attempts for


    someone to get the right key. Besides, no one would pay attention to the red wine as there were too


    many bottles of them.


    ¡°Come with me.¡± I was still in a daze when Marcus stepped into the secret space. I scurried after him at


    once while peeking at the wine bottle he picked up earlier.


    I couldn¡¯t remember which bottle exactly that Marcus picked up as he was too fast, but I forced myself


    to remember the direction. If I were toe here again, at least I wouldn¡¯t be wandering around


    cluelessly.


    I thought I would see my son as soon as I entered, but an underground factory appeared in my sight


    instead.


    We were on the second floor, and below us was an assembly line. There were workers dressed in


    silver protective suits handling unknown bottles on the conveyor belt. I was too far to see what was


    inside the bottles.


    ¡°This way.¡±


    Marcus¡¯ voice snapped me out of my train of thoughts. I was still curious, but I followed behind him


    nheless.


    Finally, after making a few turns, I heard a child wailing in the distance.


    Just when I was about to get excited, something urred to me.


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    I could hear children, plural, wailing.


    The nearer we got, the more I was sure that there was more than one child here.


    Indeed, when Marcus pushed the door open, I was greeted by the sight of over a dozen incubators.


    Inside the incubators were newborn babies wailing at the top of their lungs as their mothers weren¡¯t


    with them. It was a chaotic but heart-wrenching sight.


    I immediately rushed in to find my son. s, after circling the room, I realized he wasn¡¯t there.


    Standing amidst the incubators, I demanded, ¡°What is this?¡±

 Chapter 1241

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1241


    ¡°You want to see a child, right? That¡¯s why I brought you here. Why are you displeased?¡± Marcus


    replied nonchntly.


    Feeling like a fool, I eximed through gritted teeth. ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I mean. I want to see my


    son. Tell me, is he even here?¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Marcus snickered before he stepped in and pretended to be kind enough to stop the kids from


    crying. ¡°Every child here has been separated from their parents. Letty, I¡¯ll give you a chance. Pick a


    child here, and I¡¯ll release you both. How does that sound?¡±


    ¡°Release us?¡± I refused to believe he would be that kind. ¡°On what condition?¡± Instead of answering my


    question, Marcus insisted. ¡°Think about it. The kids are all born on the same day as your son. You can


    take any of them away.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°You want a child, right? They are still young and won¡¯t remember their past. Or don¡¯t you trust


    yourself? Can¡¯t you treat someone else¡¯s child as your own?¡± asked Marcus.


    I was stunned. Marcus was asking me to find a substitute for me and Ashton¡¯s son here.


    He had no idea Ashton sneaked into my roomst night, so he shouldn¡¯t be trying to please me right


    now. Most importantly, his idea was utterly ridiculous.


    I shook my head and sneered. ¡°Until now, you still think there¡¯s a recement for everything, huh?¡±


    Our familial bond might be invincible, but it would never disappear. I believe Marcus wouldn¡¯t


    understand that, ever.


    ¡°I¡¯m curious as to what you will gain through this.¡±


    He schemed and did everything he could to lure me here, but now he was asking me to escape with


    someone else¡¯s child. Wasn¡¯t that contradictory?


    Marcus was stubborn, but he was no fool. He must have his own reasons for doing so.


    Narrowing his gaze, Marcus considered for a moment before saying, ¡°Why would you be with Ashton?


    He couldn¡¯t even protect you and your child. Letty, you are the most important person in my life. As


    long as you say yes, we can escape with a baby and leave everything behind. I promise I will keep you


    and the baby safe.¡±


    Promise?


    Right now, Marcus¡¯ promise was worth nothing.


    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    Still, luck was still on my side. Marcus was obsessed with me, but he showed no intention of harming


    me. I deduced that he wasn¡¯t the mastermind.


    ¡°Is Camelia and my son in their hands?¡± I asked.


    Perhaps Marcus had no choice but to work with them because of that.


    Upon hearing my question, Marcus¡¯ gaze turned menacing. He red at me and dered, ¡°If your son


    goes missing forever, and you have a chance to leave with me and a baby here, will you do so?¡±


    I gulped unwittingly at the uing danger.


    Yet, I refused to back down. I couldn¡¯t allow my son to fend for himself.


    Parting my lips, I clenched my fists and calmed down to reply to him. Before I could do so, a figure


    appeared in a sh and held a knife to Marcus¡¯ neck.


    After restraining Marcus, the figure slowly showed herself. It was Helga.


    I thought Marcus was one of them? Why are they attacking each other now?


    I was still in a daze when a sinister voice rang out. ¡°Well, well. I did warn you not to be a smart arse,


    didn¡¯t I?¡±


    Armond¡¯s figure stepped out from behind Helga.


    He shed an evil grin which made my skin creep as though he had just crawled out from the depths of


    hell. ¡°Scarlett, I said we will meet soon. I was right, huh?¡±

 Chapter 1242

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1242


    I inhaled sharply and fell silent.


    Something told me that Armond was somehow involved in this, but I was still shaken up upon seeing


    him here.


    An unknown enemy was terrifying, but it didn¡¯t apply to Armond.


    Even though I knew everything about him, I couldn¡¯t predict how evil he could be.


    ¡°Boss, how should we punish this fe?¡± Helga inquired as she pressed her knife further into Marcus¡¯


    neck. She seemed eager to spill some blood.


    I btedly realized Helga was working for Armond. Everything made sense now.


    Armond strode over to them and proceeded to give Marcus a flying kick, knocking him to the ground.


    It seemed that Armond¡¯s strength had improved when he was overseas. Marcus fell to the ground and


    lurched backward until he hit the wall.


    ¡°I gave you a chance, but you didn¡¯t appreciate it.¡± Armond ced his palms on his knees and gazed at


    Marcus like he was studying his prey. ¡°How dare you try to take what¡¯s mine? Hmm, how should I


    punish you?¡±


    Marcus leaned against the wall furiously, but he didn¡¯t utter a word as though he was afraid of Armond.


    ¡°Boss, don¡¯t dirty your hands. I¡¯ll handle him,¡± offered Helga.


    I could sense she wanted Marcus to die.


    Armond looked at Marcus before turning to look at me. He thought about it, but didn¡¯t agree with her


    suggestion. ¡°Forget it. Lock him up. He¡¯s still useful.¡±


    ¡°But Boss¡ª¡± Helga protested.


    Armond cut her off with an icy re. ¡°Are you questioning my decision?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not.¡± Helga lowered her gaze and apologized. ¡°I will carry out your order now.¡±


    She turned and left the room. When she returned, there were two armed foreigners behind her. They


    took Marcus and dragged him out.


    Marcus gave me a strange look before he was dragged away.


    By now, even the sleeping babies were awake and wailing due to the earliermotion. It was total


    chaos.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk somewhere else.¡±


    Armond¡¯s voice pulled me out of my reverie. He stepped out while Helga stood guard at the entrance


    and red at me. I immediately went after him.


    We went deeper into the factory instead of heading out.


    After making a few turns, we entered another room.


    There was only a stone bed in the middle of the room with a fmentmp hanging above it.


    Once Armond and I entered the room, Helga shut the door and waited outside.


    He had his back to me as he walked around the stone bed slowly with one hand on it. I didn¡¯t know


    what he was nning.


    He spoke after a long moment of silence.


    ¡°Scarlett, you¡¯ve disappointed many people in your life. Will you be able to pay them back in this


    lifetime?¡±


    Love couldn¡¯t be forced. That was a fact.


    However, to someone like Armond, it was my fault for disappointing him.


    It was impossible to convince either of us to change, so there was no need to argue with him over the


    matter.


    I pursed my lips silently and waited to see what would happen next.


    Right now, I wanted to know why Armond went through all the trouble to lure me here.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    If I couldn¡¯t figure it out, our little family would forever be in danger.


    ¡°Do you still remember what I¡¯ve said?¡±


    Armond tapped his fingers on the stone bed and gazed at me with his lips curved up in a smirk.


    Stupefied, I gave noment.


    After all, Armond had said many things. It was impossible for me to remember everything he said.


    Besides, I didn¡¯t even want to run into him again.

 Chapter 1243

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1243


    Even though I remained silent, Armond didn¡¯t get mad. He patiently continued, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I used to


    be obsessed with getting you, but I¡¯ve changed my mind.¡±


    Upon hearing his words, instead of joy, fear engulfed my heart.


    ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± I replied, pretending to be calm. ¡°I wish you happiness!¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Armond arched a brow before changing the subject suddenly. ¡°But if you want me to be


    happy, you¡¯ll have to help me.¡±


    Indeed, he was a scheming man.


    However, I wasn¡¯t about to suffer in silence.


    ¡°Sure. We can talk as long as you return my son to me.¡±


    Armond merely chuckled when he heard what I said. ¡°Do you seriously think I¡¯m discussing with you?¡±


    His smile disappeared without a trace.


    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    Bang! The metal door was pushed open without warning. A bunch of men in white coats and masks


    strode in. They seized me and tied me onto the stone bed.


    When I realized what was going on, my body was bound to the bed with tape. I could only move my


    ankles and wrists.


    Armond towered above me, blocking the light. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It will be over soon.¡±


    As soon as he said that, a syringe was stabbed into my thigh. The increasing pain caused me to sweat


    as I dug my nails into my palms.


    Armond¡¯s satisfied smirk was thest thing I remembered before I lost consciousness.


    When I opened my eyes again, the first thing I saw was the while ceiling. There was a strong


    disinfectant smell wafting through the air.


    ¡°Letty, you¡¯re awake.¡± It was John.


    I turned my head in the direction of the voice and spotted him.


    ¡°Where am I?¡± I struggled to sit up.


    ¡°The hospital. You were left on the streets. Someone called the cops and sent you to the hospital.¡±


    John poured me a ss of warm water before taking a seat.


    I must have been unconscious for a long time because my throat was parched. I immediately gulped


    down most of the water before stopping.


    Soon, I realized Ashton wasn¡¯t around. ¡°Where is Ashton?¡± I queried.


    Ashton¡¯s influence in M Country was more widespreadpared to John, so he should¡¯ve been


    notified earlier than John.


    ¡°Hey, you ingrate. I came all the way here, but all you ask for is that brat?¡± John couldn¡¯t stop


    comparing himself to Ashton again.


    I gave the ss back to him in exasperation. ¡°I was just asking about him. Both of you are equally


    important to me.¡±


    ¡°Really? I don¡¯t think so.¡± John ced the ss on the table and replied sarcastically, ¡°You willingly


    became a hostage for your son¡¯s sake. Did you even consider our feelings back then? Is your brother


    someone who will act as if nothing had happened after seeing someone holding you at knifepoint?¡±


    I knew John was upset, just like Ashton.


    Taking his hand, I offered an apology. ¡°John, I¡¯m sorry. Don¡¯t worry. I will never ever risk my life again.


    I¡¯m at fault, so how will you punish me?¡±


    My apology took John by surprise. He swallowed the mocking words that were about to leave his


    mouth and sighed. ¡°How will I punish you? What else? You¡¯ve already apologized. If I insist on teaching


    you a lesson, what am I?¡±


    I burst out chuckling. ¡°I¡¯m lucky to have a great brother like you.¡±


    ¡°Stop ttering me. If this happens again, I will surely teach you a lesson! I have plenty of ways to kick


    some sense into you.¡± John feigned fury as he rolled his eyes at me.


    I was used to getting what I want from him, so I wasn¡¯t afraid and merely raised my brows in response.


    We both stopped talking about that matter.

 Chapter 1244

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1244


    Suddenly, I remembered how Armond smirked before I fainted. As uneasiness rose in my heart, I


    asked, ¡°Did the doctor examine me? Is anything wrong with me?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re nervous now? Did you finally realize you¡¯re still in your confinement period?¡± John shot me


    a re before assuring me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The doctor said you¡¯re fine, but you need to rest in bed for


    now. Otherwise, your health might be affected.¡±


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    I rxed visibly at his answer but insisted, ¡°Why don¡¯t I get a thorough checkup, which includes blood


    and urine test? Let¡¯s run every test avable just to be safe.¡±


    Sensing my unusual reaction, John grabbed my hands and demanded sternly, ¡°What is going on?¡±


    ¡°Armond was the one who kidnapped my son. Before I fainted, they injected something into my thigh. I


    had no idea what it was,¡± I revealed.


    John froze for several moments before gasping in horror.


    It was more distressing to watch his reaction. I would rather be tortured instead.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It might be nothing.¡± I wanted tofort him, but my voice was tiny for I wasn¡¯t sure about


    it.


    John ignored me and walked out of the ward.


    He was truly mad.


    Soon, the best doctors in the hospital were summoned. They took turns to ask questions before


    arranging numerous tests for me.


    John stood beside me the entire time, but he didn¡¯t utter a word.


    It was a long wait before the results were released. The minor tests showed I was fine, but the results


    from the other tests would only be released two dayster. The doctors could only confirm if I was


    poisoned by then.


    I had slept too much during the day, so I couldn¡¯t fall asleep at night.


    As darkness fell on the city, I got up from my bed to take a stroll outside. At the door, John¡¯s


    bodyguards stopped me from leaving.


    I craned my neck and saw bodyguards stationed at every exit of this floor. There were three times more


    bodyguards guarding my doorpared to the other areas. It was impossible for me to escape or for


    someone else to barge into my ward.


    There was also a heavily guarded room a few doors away from me, but my bodyguards still


    outnumbered them. John must be in there.


    The incident in K City must¡¯ve traumatized him a lot, so he decided to keep watch on me himself.


    John was a proud man, but he put his pride aside and sacrificed his time just for me.


    Seeing John¡¯s reaction, I could imagine Ashton doing the same.


    Indeed, I should stop letting my emotions take control of me as it would end up affecting the people I


    loved.


    No, I must. I made up my mind and knocked on John¡¯s door.


    ¡°Scram!¡± Clearly, John was venting his anger as he thought one of his bodyguards was knocking on the


    door.


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± I cleared my throat and added, ¡°Can Ie in?¡±


    No sound was heard within the room. I was about to leave when John pulled the door open.


    ¡°Say it here,¡± he uttered in an indifferent voice. He was standing against the light, so I couldn¡¯t see his


    expression clearly.


    John had never been this indifferent to me. I knew he was mad, but still, I felt a pang of unhappiness.


    I stared at John for a few seconds before breaking the silence. ¡°If I do that again, you can take my kids


    away from me so I won¡¯t get to see them again.¡±


    I¡¯ve never been more aware than I was now.


    John gazed at me and blinked as he considered how sincere I was. His intimidating gaze caused me to


    look down guiltily.


    John¡¯s voice finally rang out above me. ¡°It was my fault that caused Hannah to leave me. I deserve it.¡±

 Chapter 1245

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1245


    I looked up when he paused and saw the grimness in his gaze. ¡°Scarlett, if you cause me to go through


    that pain of losing a loved one again, I will never forgive you. I will leave your kids to fend for


    themselves, get it?¡±


    It was not a notice; it was a warning.


    I pursed my lips and gave him a firm nod. ¡°Yes. If I die, you will leave your nephew and niece to die.¡±


    I was certain both Ashton and John would make the same choice.


    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    The hospital was chilly at night. I shuddered when the night breeze blew along the hallway.


    John calmed down. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to get mad at me and stood aside to let me in. ¡°Come on


    in. It¡¯s chilly out there. Are you putting on a show to gain my sympathy?¡±


    His voice was t, but at least he was no longer unapproachable.


    I found John¡¯s stubbornness adorable. shing a smile, I entered his room.


    We were short on time, so I sat down and immediately inquired, ¡°Will we get all the test results


    tomorrow?¡±


    John was sitting opposite me with his legs crossed. His rxed figure stiffened upon hearing my


    question. ¡°Tomorrow afternoon. Before the results are out and we can be sure you are fine, I won¡¯t


    forgive you.¡±


    ¡°No, John. You need to forgive me,¡± I interjected firmly. ¡°Once the results are out, make the


    arrangements for the best treatment avable and get the best medicine there is. Kick up a big fuss.


    The bigger the better.¡±


    John furrowed his brows as he inched nearer to me. ¡°Do you feel unwell?¡± he inquired as he scanned


    me carefully.


    Without waiting for my reply, he stood up and took my arm. ¡°Come with me.¡±


    I stood rooted to the spot and uttered helplessly. ¡°You¡¯ve got it wrong. That wasn¡¯t what I meant.¡±


    John kept his grip on my arm and glowered at me. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied with a nod. ¡°I want to beat them at their own game.¡±


    John was almost convinced, but he still stated his doubts. ¡°You¡¯ll regret it if this is a lie!¡±


    Amused, I pushed him into his chair. ¡°Got it. I dare not make a fool of myself in front of the great Mr.


    Stovall. Calm down and listen to my n.¡±


    Ten minutester, John held his chin thoughtfully after listening to my n.


    I grew impatient as he remained silent for a long time, so I gave him a push. ¡°What do you think? Will it


    work?¡±


    John gave me a strange look and was about to answer when his phone rang.


    He chuckled lightly and handed his phone to me. ¡°Tell your guardian about it.¡±


    My guardian? Who could it be? Cameron or Zachary?


    I nced at the screen and nearlyughed out loud when I saw the caller¡¯s ID¡ªOld Man Ash.


    ¡°John, why did you save Ashton¡¯s number to this name!¡±


    John merely shrugged and headed to the balcony to smoke.


    I shook my head wryly and answered the call. ¡°Hello, it¡¯s me.¡±


    There was no sound from the other end of the line, so I continued speaking, ¡°Ashton? Can you hear


    me?¡±


    Still, there was no response. Puzzled, I nced at the screen and confirmed the call was connected


    before bringing it back to my ear. Hmm, perhaps the line there is bad. I need to wait for a while for him


    to receive the signal.


    John came back to me with a cigarette between his fingers. As I wasn¡¯t talking, he asked, ¡°What is it?


    Why do you look so serious?¡±


    I pouted and gave him a shrug. ¡°There¡¯s no sound. Perhaps the line is bad.¡±


    John cocked an eyebrow to show his suspicion. He took the phone from me and held it by his ear.


    Shortly after, he snickered and gave the phone back to me. ¡°You should prepare your apology.¡±


    ¡°Mm?¡± I was taken aback. ¡°He spoke to you?¡±

 Chapter 1246

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1246


    John nodded. ¡°Uh-huh.¡¯¡°


    It took me a while to realize what was going on. Ashton would forgive me for risking my life provided I


    was safe, but now that something unknown had been injected into my body that might harm my life, he


    wouldn¡¯t let it slide.


    I stared at the phone helplessly.


    After consoling John, now I had to console Ashton. I must be the most miserable person in the world


    right now.


    I ced the phone next to my ear before speaking sincerely, ¡°Mr. Fuller, your wife has realized her


    mistake and promised never to repeat her mistake ever again. Will you be kind enough to forgive her?¡±


    Silence ensued. After all, Ashton could hold a grudge longer than John.


    ¡°What should I do to appease your anger? I can do anything you wish.¡± I went all out.


    John pretended to cough lightly beside me. ¡°Oh, this is X-rated!¡± he teased.


    I red at him to make him stop.


    Finally, Ashton spoke, his voice hoarse. ¡°Tomorrow, ask John to buy a cor and leash at the pet store


    tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Mm? You want a pet? Is it a dog or cat?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s you.¡±


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    I stiffened in shock. A flush crept up my cheeks when I saw John gazing at me curiously. I turned


    around slightly and covered the phone before agreeing to Ashton¡¯s request. ¡°I¡¯m not against spicing


    things up, but there are shops who sell those things specifically. Why should we involve a pet store?¡±


    I could understand that men were fascinated by new stuff, but this was an intimate affair, so we


    shouldn¡¯t be fooling around.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Ashton returned. ¡°You said anything, right? If it happens again, you shall


    wear the cor and stay by my side as an obedient pet. You won¡¯t be able to escape.¡±


    ¡°Ah? Oh, I see.¡± The flush deepened in my cheeks as I was utterly embarrassed.


    ¡°What else could it be?¡± Ashton responded in all seriousness.


    ¡°Nothing. That was what I meant, too. Anyway, sure. I¡¯ll ask John to do that tomorrow. Can we talk


    now?¡± I hurriedly changed the topic.


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± came Ashton¡¯s reply.


    Sighing in relief, I exined about my n which I had told John earlier.


    ¡°As long as we work together, there¡¯s a chance that we might find our son. What do you think?¡±


    Ashton fell silent and deliberated before replying, ¡°Let¡¯s wait for the results toe out tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°But we¡¯re in M Country. If we don¡¯t prepare ahead, we might lose the chance.¡±


    After seeing those children forced to separate from their parents at a young age, I grew increasingly


    determined to rescue my son from their clutches.


    Marcus was a changed man, and Armond was cruel. I couldn¡¯t keep praying for a miracle to happen.


    ¡°Did you just forget what you promised me earlier?¡± Ashton¡¯s voice was calm but assertive.


    I fell silent as helplessness washed over me.


    In the end, Ashton caved in. ¡°Fine. I agree to prepare in advance, but before we can do that, let¡¯s wait


    for the test results. We need to make sure you¡¯re fine or your illness can be treated before carrying out


    the n. Your health is of utmost importance.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    I had been reckless countless times, so perhaps it was time to calm down and wait for the good news.


    The next afternoon, the plump hospital director entered my ward with a specialist trailing after him.


    After flipping through my medical report, he sighed and told me apologetically, ¡°Ms. Stovall, I¡¯m sorry to


    inform you that there¡¯s no cure to the toxin in your body.¡±


    ¡°No cure?¡± John snorted and shot a disapproving look at the director. ¡°You¡¯re useless.¡±

 Chapter 1247

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1247


    He walked slowly towards the doctors, looking as ominous as a ghoul that had just crawled out from


    the depths of hell. ¡°What a bunch of chatans,¡± he sneered. ¡°How dare you call yourselves the best


    doctors that M Country has to offer?¡±


    Suddenly, John stretched out his hand and grabbed hold of the white-haired director. Lifting him up


    from the ground, John gritted his teeth and said in the most threatening voice he could manage, ¡°I don¡¯t


    want to hear any more of your rubbish. If you can¡¯t cure her illness, I¡¯ll make sure this hospital closes


    down!¡±


    I started coughing violently. ¡°John¡­¡± I called out weakly. I tried to sit up in bed, but lost bnce and


    copsed back onto it.


    ¡°Letty!¡± Seeing this, John flung the doctor aside and ran over to help me up. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    Turning to the doctors, he hollered, ¡°What are the lot of you waiting for? Give her some medication


    immediately! Can¡¯t you see how much pain she¡¯s in?¡±


    He roared so loudly with every bit of energy he could summon that beads of sweat had formed on his


    brow.


    I opened my mouth as if to say something. Before a word could bubble to the tip of my tongue, I


    suddenly tasted the potent stench of blood at the back of my throat. The next moment, blood had


    spewed out of my mouth and sttered all over the floor. In an instant, John¡¯s white shirt was covered


    in splotches of bright red as he held me.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be alright, Letty. I¡¯m here¡ªnothing will happen to you¡­¡± John tried frantically to wipe the blood


    from my face,forting me as he did so. He turned around and threatened the doctors again, ¡°I don¡¯t


    care what sort of method you use. If Letty doesn¡¯t survive this, I¡¯ll make sure to bury you lot alive with


    her. Men!¡±


    Hearing this, his subordinates rushed into the room at once. The sight of men in ck made the


    doctors gape in shock.


    As one of the bodyguards pressed a knife to the neck of the male doctor, he raised his hands in a


    gesture of surrender. The female doctor, on the other hand, looked rather helpless. She yelped for a


    few times before shutting up when the bodyguards threatened to kill her.


    Inparison, the director seemed rather unbothered. Stuttering slightly, he protested, ¡°Mr. John, you


    need to calm down, please. It¡¯s true that Ms. Stovall¡¯s illness is incurable. However, her immune system


    is very weak as well, and she stands no chance against the toxin. This is why she was so susceptible


    to it. It¡¯s very unreasonable of you to me the doctors like this.¡±


    Something flickered in John¡¯s eyes. He shot an ominous nce behind him before turning around and


    helping me toy back down on the bed. He then pulled the covers up to my chin before walking slowly


    towards the director again.


    John was half a head taller than the director. The two of them gazed into each other¡¯s eyes for half a


    second. Then, in the blink of an eye, John grabbed hold of his bodyguard¡¯s knife and stabbed it into the


    director¡¯s thigh.


    The smell of blood became even stronger in the room, but John didn¡¯t seem to realize. With a cold


    expression, he said, ¡°This is just the start. If you don¡¯t save my sister¡¯s life, I¡¯ll make sure to stab you in


    the chest next time.¡±


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    His fluent English, coupled with his handsome face, would have made any girl swoon. However, his


    words only came across as cruel and bloodthirsty being spoken in a room full of bloodshed and in his


    icy tone.


    Though my vision was rather blurry, I could see the doctors shooting dark nces at one another. In


    the end, they finally conceded. One of the younger doctors stepped forward and announced that they


    would do their best to save me and increase my lifespan. With that, they hurriedly carted the white-


    faced, bleeding director away.


    John shut the door and quickly returned to my bedside. Heforted me, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Letty. You¡¯ll be


    alright very soon.¡±


    I coughed twice, loudly. Frowning slightly, I summoned up all my courage and whispered reassuringly,


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who should stop worrying. I know my body the best. I have a weak constitution to begin


    with; on top of that, I didn¡¯t go through with my confinement period properly. I shouldn¡¯t havee out


    before it ended. I brought all this upon myself. Don¡¯t feel sad.¡±


    John bowed his head and knitted his brows together, trying his best to hold back his emotions.


    ¡°John, can you promise me one more thing?¡±


    There were only the two of us in the room, and it was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. My voice,


    though soft, was clearly audible.


    John¡¯s handy on top of my chest, crumpling my nkets into a twist. He still refused to look at me.


    ¡°You must be very tired now. Have a good rest first. When you get better, let¡¯s do it together. Go to


    sleep now.¡±


    I shook my head stubbornly and refused to listen. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I might run out of time before that. John,


    this is myst and only wish. Find the child and make sure that he¡­¡± here, I coughed again, ¡°¡­that he


    isn¡¯t abandoned on the streets. Promise me that, alright?¡±

 Chapter 1248

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1248


    ¡°Stop talking right now!¡± John turned away abruptly. ¡°I¡¯ll go talk to the doctors about the recovery


    process. You have a good rest!¡±


    ¡°John¡­¡±


    Even as I doubled over and coughed, John pretended as though he hadn¡¯t heard me. He quickened his


    footsteps and disappeared out of the door in a matter of seconds.


    I stared at the door, hoping that he might change his mind and return. However, he left and didn¡¯te


    back.


    I sighed deeply and stared gloomily at the ceiling. Myst bit of hope had disappeared.


    Eventually, I drifted off to sleep.


    A long whileter, I detected a bright light shining above me. I opened my eyes slightly to see what it


    was.


    What I saw was the snow-white fabric of a doctor¡¯s coat. Apparently, a doctor was changing my


    medication.


    rm bells sounded in my head, and I snapped awake immediately. The biggest hospital in M County


    would never trouble a doctor to change a patient¡¯s medication by themselves!


    ¡°Who the hell are you¡­!¡± I struggled to open my eyes and see who it was. However, my vision


    remained dismally blurry.


    When he heard me, the person who was changing my medication stumbled backward. When my vision


    finally cleared, I could only see the door swinging shut after him. There were way too many people here


    who were after my life. Even though I knew my days were numbered, I didn¡¯t want to go before my


    time. I hung on and shouted for help as loudly as I could.


    ¡°Is anyone there? Please help¡­¡±


    By the time John returned with the doctors and nurses, I had already wormed my way to the side of the


    bed, and was a few inches from falling right off.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Didn¡¯t I tell you not to move around? What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±


    Summoning up what was left of my energy, I grabbed hold of John¡¯s arm and shot a look at the infusion


    bottle. ¡°The medication¡­someone touched it¡­¡±


    Before I could finish my sentence, I copsed in John¡¯s arms and lost consciousness again.


    I finally woke up three hourster, feeling much more energetic than before.


    When he saw that I was awake, Ashton quickly ran to my bedside. It had only been a few days since


    west saw each other, but his cheeks were covered with ck stubble, and his eyes looked horribly


    sunken. He looked as though he had aged ten years overnight.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake! Are you hungry? Do you want to eat anything?¡± Ashton¡¯s voice sounded a little hoarse.


    Perhaps it was just my imagination, but he sounded as though he had been crying.


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry,¡± I replied, reaching out a hand to caress his cheeks. ¡°You haven¡¯t been taking good


    care of yourself, have you?¡±


    Ashton¡¯s eyes still looked rather wet, but he stered a smile onto his face and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Thank


    goodness you¡¯re awake. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ve nearly figured out where the child is. Throw your energy


    into recuperating. Do as John says and stay put for now.¡±


    ¡°I feel much better now.¡± Ashton gave me the courage to face every challenge in life. I sat up and


    leaned against the headboard, feeling my headache lessen by almost half. Even my vision was getting


    clearer by the second.


    I turned to John and asked, ¡°Have you discovered who it was that tried changing my medication?¡±


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    ¡°It was George from the Thoracic Surgery Department. Thank goodness you were vignt and


    managed to scare him off! Otherwise, who knows what might have happened to you. We¡¯re


    investigating the rest of the doctors in the hospital now. Whoever is behind this is a very frightening


    person! They even managed to bribe a doctor who has been working here for more than ten years!¡±


    John looked very agitated, as though he was gearing up to go into battle.


    I nodded my head and didn¡¯t stop him. I had fallen into the person¡¯s trap once when I was giving birth,


    and he had nearly tricked me again today. I couldn¡¯t allow this to happen a third time.


    I asked Ashton, ¡°You said you have new leads about the baby¡¯s whereabouts?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Ashton said, nodding. He cupped my face in his bony hands and tucked a stray strand of


    hair behind my ear. In a gentle voice, as though he didn¡¯t want to startle me, he said, ¡°We¡¯ll find him


    very soon. When the baby returns, you¡¯ll get better too.¡±


    I knew the matter couldn¡¯t be as simple as it seemed. Stubbornly, I pressed, ¡°What sort of conditions


    did Armondy out?¡±


    He had done this to me and made sure that Ashton got a good look at his handiwork. Armond was after


    something for sure. He was no longer the same person as before¡ªthese days, he spoke only to


    increase the difficulty of the terms he was negotiating.


    Ashton chuckled. Caressing my face, he saidfortingly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, I¡¯ll settle it by myself.


    Just return home with John quietly. I¡¯ll handle the rest.¡±

 Chapter 1249

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1249


    ¡°Go home?¡± I turned around, looking at Ashton with an expression of consternation.


    He nodded heavily in confirmation. ¡°M Country is not our turf. If the other party decides to y a heavy


    hand, we might not have the resources here to go up against him. It¡¯ll be safer if we go home first.¡±


    I bowed my head and didn¡¯t say anything.


    I hade here for my child, but I had to return home empty-handed. How could I leave with peace of


    mind?


    Ashton seemed to understand what I was thinking. He took hold of my head and turned it around to


    face him. As we leaned our foreheads against each other¡¯s, he pleaded, ¡°Believe me and let me settle


    this. Go home first and take care of our daughter. In three days¡ªjust three days¡ªI¡¯ll return with our


    son.¡±


    ¡°Letty, remember that you¡¯ve only seen your daughter a few times since she was born. She needs her


    mother,¡± John reminded at the side.


    They knew what my weak spot was. Left with no reason to refuse, I agreed to return home.


    Ashton remained in the hospital that night, he left only after I fell asleep.


    John had always been efficient at his work. After breakfast the next morning, we set out on the journey


    home. For safety reasons, he had booked the entire business ss of the flight. When we got to the


    airport, we walked over to the boarding gate surrounded by a thicket of bodyguards. This, of course,


    caused somemotion.


    There was still half an hour before we boarded the ne. John brought me into the VIP lounge, while


    the bodyguards and apanying medical staff stood guard outside. Perhaps it was my mind ying


    tricks on me, but I felt a lot better than before. When I entered the lounge, I found, to my astonishment,


    that I could even walk by myself.


    ¡°Here, have some water. It¡¯s time for you to take your medicine again.¡± John poured me a ss of


    water and passed me a medicine organizer.


    I took the ss of water and medicine organizer from him. When I saw the vast amount of medicine


    tablets in the capsule, I felt rather deted all of a sudden.


    John saw the expression on my face, of course. Then, he patted me on the back sympathetically, he


    smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯ll get better.¡±


    On the other hand, I wasn¡¯t holding out hope, but I didn¡¯t want to ruin his enthusiasm. Therefore, I


    changed the topic hastily. ¡°Tell me the truth, John. What does Armond want Ashton to do for him?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry your head about this.¡± John snatched the medicine organizer from me and shook a few


    tablets into my palm. ¡°Right now, you need to recover first. Just hand the rest to us boys, got it? Here,


    take your medicine.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t going to tell me anything either.


    I looked at the medicine, frowning with distaste when I thought about how horrid they were going to


    taste. After a pause, I finally pinched my nose and swallowed the tablets.


    Just as I finished gulping down water, I saw a familiar figure sh past the entrance of the VIP lounge.


    When I nced up in rm and took a careful look past the screen, the doorway was empty again.


    I patted my chest, feeling a little spooked out.


    Thank goodness that was just my imagination.


    Anyway, it was impossible for Armond toe here by himself, right?


    However, reality gave me another huge p in the face.


    ¡°Are you looking for me? I¡¯m here, Scarlett.¡± I could hear Armond¡¯s silky, cruel voice from behind the


    screen. Immediately, the tension in the VIP lounge heightened.


    John¡¯s expression was one of extreme alertness. He patted my arm, as though to tell me not to panic,


    before shooting a look at the bodyguard next to him.


    The bodyguard nodded and pulled the screen aside. We finally saw Armond¡ªhe was seated directly


    opposite us, and it looked as though he hade alone.


    John¡¯s subordinates were well-trained. Immediately, one of them left quietly to assess to situation.


    Armond nced at the bodyguard contemptuously as he left. He snorted, but didn¡¯t say anything¡ªthis


    was enough to let us know that he had noticed.


    However, he didn¡¯t seem particrly interested. Instead, he continued in the same horrible voice,


    ¡°Scarlett, we¡¯ve known each other for years. How long has it been since we had a heart-to-heart talk


    with each other out in the open like this?¡±


    I was about to reply, but John jumped in before I could say anything. ¡°Since you know you don¡¯t


    deserve to see the light of day, why don¡¯t you remain in your dark little swamp instead ofing out to


    disgust people? I¡¯m warning you now¡ªI remember everything you¡¯ve done to Scarlett, and I¡¯m going to


    spend the rest of my life keeping an eye on you! Until the day you die!¡±Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 1250

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1250


    ¡°Yeah, right¡­¡± Armond seemed unperturbed. He shook his finger at us in mockery. ¡°Look how


    confident you are in yourself. Aren¡¯t you afraid that you might have to bow down to me one day?¡±


    ¡°Go back to your swamp if you want to entertain those pipedreams. You¡¯re an eyesore to society,¡± John


    hissed, gearing up to attack.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go only if Scarlett tells me to. In my opinion, however, she won¡¯t want to see me go because of her


    two daughters.¡±


    Armond gazed at me with his dark eyes, which were so ck that they looked like an abyss. The


    hellish aura radiating from him grew even stronger.


    Had my worst nightmare happened after all?


    Clenching my fists, I gritted my teeth and forced myself to remain calm. Knowing that I was very


    agitated, John turned to me quickly and said reassuringly, ¡°Scarlett, don¡¯t trust him. He¡¯s lying to you.


    After thest time, I increased the level of security around the house, and even hired a number of


    mercenaries for protection. No one can get to Summer and the baby.¡±


    Tears were already swimming in my eyes. I fought them back and clung onto John¡¯s arm, nodding


    seriously.


    However, Armond plodded on. He snorted and continued, ¡°How ridiculous. Scarlett, are you really


    going to buy what he says? Think carefully about this. If he¡¯s right, how did my men manage to cart


    your son off before?¡±


    This jabbed at the weakest spot in my heart.


    I looked up at John, begging him silently for help.


    Seeing this, John shot Armond a scathing look. He looked as though he wanted to pummel him.


    However, he was more worried about my mental state, so he took out his phone instead and gave our


    house a call. ¡°You¡¯ll stop worrying once you hear Summer¡¯s voice. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    However, the phone rang on and on, with nobodying to answer it. John¡¯s grip tightened nervously


    around the phone, his face clouding over horribly.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    Armondughed ominously. ¡°Scarlett, I¡¯ll give you another two minutes to decide. If youe with me,


    I promise that you¡¯ll be reunited with your children, and you can carry on living with them. If you leave¡­


    humph! You know the consequences.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t remain seated anymore. I grabbed John¡¯s phone and pressed the receiver against my ear.


    Ten seconds of staticter, I stood rooted to my spot,pletely frozen.


    ¡°Well, have you thought about it?¡± Armond jumped out of his seat impatiently, dusting off his suit jacket.


    He seemed as though he couldn¡¯t wait anymore.


    ¡°I¡¯lle with you,¡± I promised.


    ¡°Then,e along with me. The car is already outside. Come out by yourself.¡± Armond let out an


    expression of self-satisfaction as he turned to leave.


    ¡°Stop right there!¡± John snapped. ¡°I¡¯m going with Scarlett too.¡±


    Armond shrugged and said with mock generosity, ¡°Do as you wish.¡±


    The prey was already in his hands. Why would he bother with another one delivering himself to his


    doorstep?


    ¡°No, John, you have to take care of the Stovall family. You can¡¯te with me,¡± I retorted.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t return home, the Stovall residence will be nothing more than an empty cage. I have


    watched you being brought away once, and I told myself then that I¡¯ll never let that happen again!¡±


    John looked very calm, but his voice was pressing.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°What a heartwarming scene between brother and sister!¡± Armond sneered. He stood at the doorway


    and pointed impatiently at his wristwatch. ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have so much time. If the two of you


    don¡¯te right now, you can bear the consequences yourself!¡±


    In the end, John and I couldn¡¯t argue over each other. We headed outside and into Armond¡¯s car.


    The moment the doors shut, Armond flung two blindfolds in our direction.


    John and I weren¡¯t stupid. Without a single word of instruction, we obeyed quietly and blindfolded


    ourselves.


    Compared to thest time, I felt more peaceful now with John by my side, despite the fact that I


    couldn¡¯t see anything. In fact, I was looking forward to meeting my son again.


    After an hour, the car rolled slowly to a halt.


    The bodyguards shuffled us off the car and into an elevator.


    When we finally took our blindfolds off, we were standing in an office with modern decoration. Its


    design was minimalist, but that gave it quite an ambience.


    Armond was seated in his swivel chair with a lit cigar between his fingers. I hadn¡¯t noticed when he lit it


    up.


    ¡°Where are the children?¡± I asked boldly. I had onlye with him for this reason, and thus jumped


    straight to the point.

 Chapter 1251

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1251


    ¡°Scarlett, you¡¯ve always been so impatient. Sit down first and we can have a chat.¡± Armond blew a


    smoke circle, looking infuriatingly unperturbed. Seeing his unchanging expression, I felt a wave of


    anger wash over me.


    I had run out of patience. Taking out a letter opener that I had hidden in my pocket just now, I pressed


    the de against my chest and said, ¡°I want to see my children now. Otherwise, you can take my


    corpse and threaten Ashton with it!¡±


    ¡°Letty, what are you doing? Put down that letter opener immediately!¡± John tried to grab the letter


    opener from me in shock, but I ducked away deliberately.


    ¡°Don¡¯te near me!¡± I hissed, backing into a corner. Even John looked rather apprehensive now.


    Unexpectedly, Armond¡¯s face changed a little when he saw this. The change was almost imperceptible,


    but I saw it anyway.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare, Scarlett. Are you willing to abandon your children like that?¡± Armond asked testily,


    his eyes narrowing.


    ¡°So what if I¡¯m unwilling?¡± I retorted, giggling coldly as I held the knife against my chest, looking as


    though I might plunge it into my flesh. ¡°Everything was my fault to begin with. As long as I die, my kids


    will be alright. I don¡¯t want them to live the rest of their lives in danger. I might as well die earlier to


    make up for all the harm I¡¯ve caused them!¡±


    ¡°John, I¡¯m sorry. Tell Ashton to find our children and take revenge for us!¡±


    As soon as I finished speaking, I raised the letter opener up in the air, preparing to bring it down into my


    chest.


    Armond and John yelled out at the same time. ¡°Stop right there!¡± ¡°Letty, no!¡±


    In the end, John was faster and managed to strike down the letter opener from my hand. As he


    grabbed hold of my hand, he kicked the letter opener a few meters away, where I was unable to reach


    it.


    ¡°John, let go of me! If I don¡¯t get to see my kids today, I¡¯ll bite my tongue andmit suicide!¡± I


    struggled futilely, my eyes trained on Armond.


    Seeing that John had managed to get me under control, Armond let out a visible sigh of relief.


    However, he only took another two drags of his cigar before putting it out irritably.


    ¡°Letty, can you please calm down?¡± John begged, panting slightly. I was still squirming frantically in his


    arms.


    Armond couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± he snapped. We nced over and saw the most


    disgusted expression on his face, as though someone was holding a pile of dung under his nose.


    ¡°Scarlett, what remained of my interest in you haspletely disappeared!¡±


    With that, he picked up the telephone on his desk. He pressed down on the speed-dial button and


    ordered almost immediately, ¡°Bring the children over.¡±


    Very quickly, a dark-skinned caregiver walked into the room, carrying an infant in her hands.


    Immediately, I rushed over and snatched the child from her, cradling it in my arms as though he was a


    precious jewel.


    The child was a little chubbier than before, but his nose and eyes looked exactly like Ashton¡¯s. This


    was my child alright.


    It had been one month since I lost a vital part of my life, and I had finally found him again.


    The baby didn¡¯t look afraid of me at all. He waved his arms affectionately, trying to get even closer to


    me. Blood rtions were rather amazing¡ªdespite having been apart for so long, we had not lost the


    bond between us.


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Scarlett, I¡¯vee to my senses now. After giving birth to your children, you¡¯re the same as those


    boring women I¡¯ve loathed my entire life¡ªnormal, low-ss, andpletely devoid of any taste and


    interest,¡± Armond said scathingly, as though the very sight of me was an affront to his eyes.


    I looked at him before turning to look at John. After exchanging nces, we both turned and started


    walking towards the exit.


    ¡°Stop right there¡­¡± Armond drawled, leaning back in his chair. ¡°Do you think you have it all just


    because I¡¯ve extended this little bit of kindness towards you? I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good habit to have.¡±


    Hearing this, John swiveled around to look at him. ¡°You¡¯re a scumbag who¡¯s worse than a sewer rat,


    and you want us to thank you?¡±


    ¡°Wow, listen to the shit that ising out of that mouth of yours! I can¡¯t stand it.¡±


    John¡¯s retort had angered Armond. He stood up and left his desk, choosing to sit down at the sofa. As


    he sat down leisurely, his eyes were shing with murderous rage. ¡°What do you think this ce is? A


    supermarket? Did you really think I would let you walk out of here so easily?¡±


    ¡°Dear me, no. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve condescended to go to a supermarket, so I¡¯m not as


    familiar with itsyout as you are,¡± John retaliated with a perfectly cool expression. His eyes danced


    with malice as he stared right back at Armond, waiting for him to snap.

 Chapter 1252

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1252


    Although Armond had a twisted personality, he wasn¡¯t very good at responding to verbal attacks.


    John¡¯s mocking statement made his veins bulge green with anger. He was so furious that he couldn¡¯t


    speak¡ªinstead, he snapped his fingers loudly and called his bodyguards into the room.


    In barely a few moments, John and I werepletely surrounded.


    ¡°Originally, I was going to let you off the hook on ount of my rtionship with Scarlett. Since you¡¯re


    so desperate to die, however, you can¡¯t me me for what I¡¯m about to do.¡± Armond stared coldly at


    John, his eyes shing with murderous rage. ¡°Take him away.¡±


    As soon as he spoke, two bodyguards made their way over to John.


    However, Armond had forgotten that John was a good fighter too. When hest saved me, he had


    managed to beat a fat, disgusting man with one flying kick. Before the bodyguards even touched him,


    John had already responded. He sent one of them sprawling onto the floor with a kick, before rounding


    behind the other one and throwing him onto the floor. The bodyguardsy on the floor, stunned.


    ¡°Humph¡­¡± Armond scowled at his groaning bodyguards. He still seemed rather unruffled. ¡°I¡¯ll admit


    that I have underestimated you. But do you really think you can get out of here by beating my


    bodyguards alone?¡±


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    With his skills, John could easily take down five people by himself. With the need to protect my baby


    and I, he might have a slightly harder time, but victory would still be his.


    Since Armond had allowed him toe along, he must have made preparations in advance. If we


    caused amotion here, the security guards in the rest of the building mighte running. Faced


    with such a huge number of them, we might not have a chance.


    At that moment, a voice that I had been anticipating rang out from the doorway.


    ¡°And what if there¡¯s me?¡± Ashton walked into the room, his ck coat sweeping against the floor even


    as it hung from his tall, broad frame.


    Armond gazed at him, his brows knitting into a frown. After thinking for a while, he turned to look at me.


    A look of realization appeared on his face. ¡°Were you lot tricking me?¡±


    ¡°That was pretty fast of you. As expected from you, Armond,¡± I said loudly, abandoning my pretense of


    weakness.


    John would never miss a chance to add insult to injury. He crowed, ¡°If you have the time, I advise you


    to train your subordinates better. They couldn¡¯t even do something as simple as spying


    inconspicuously. Did you really think they could pull the wool over my eyes?¡±


    Although he made the process sound rather simple, it had actually been far moreplicated than


    that.


    Armond had captured me before releasing me, because he wanted Ashton to see me being tormented


    before his very eyes. This was a leverage he could use against Ashton.


    In reality, the toxins had found their way into my body, and remained there even today. However,


    Ashton had found an antidote so I wouldn¡¯t die. All this while, I pretended to be on the brink of death.


    Risking exposure, Armond¡¯s man had changed my medication to reduce my suffering and improve my


    condition. This proved only one thing to me¡ªArmond would never let me die.


    If I died, Ashton would go berserk and go after Armond for revenge, and there was nothing in it for


    Armond. My life was the best ransom for the baby. Because of this, I had pretended tomit suicide


    in front of Armond, and as expected, he had fallen for itpletely.


    ¡°From today on, Armond, you will never be able to use me to threaten Ashton again.¡±


    Pretending weakness was the best way to make your opponent let his guard down.


    As long as I wasn¡¯t afraid of death, Ashton would never have an Achilles heel.


    Here, I had to thank Armond for this. The moment before my knife pierced my flesh, I had seen deep


    fear and despair on his face. That one moment had led me to this revtion.


    Armond¡¯s eyes darted frantically between the three of us, still looking rather suspicious.


    Very quickly, a cold, merciless smile returned to his face again. ¡°Haha, so what about it? You might not


    be afraid of death, but your two daughters are still in my hands. If you dare to step out of the room, I


    promise that neither of them will live to see tomorrow¡¯s sun.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that reminds me. The two girls should thank their grandpa.¡± John took out his phone from his


    pocket and waved it at Armond. ¡°The patriarch of the Moore family gave this to the baby¡ªit¡¯s a satellite


    phone. It looks like a normal smartphone from the outside, but it connects to other phones by radio


    through orbiting satellites instead of a terrestrialwork like normal phones do. All this time in M


    Country, we¡¯ve been using this to call home. Did you think you would be able to trick us by installing a


    signal blocker outside the Stovall residence?¡±

 Chapter 1253

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1253


    ¡°You can¡¯t me him for that. You can take the rat out of the sewer, but you can¡¯t take the sewer out of


    the rat. Why would he care about these sort of technological innovations?¡± Mocking others felt very


    good indeed. I let out a sigh of relief, feeling more rxed than I had ever been. The fearful feeling in


    my heart had disappearedpletely.


    Armond¡¯s expression changed again, this time to a very ugly one. His humiliation gave way to anger,


    and he stood up abruptly.


    At that moment, the other bodyguards were approaching the conference room. There were more than


    thirty of them, and they took out nearly a third of the room space, blocking the exit from view.


    ¡°I hate it when people trick me. You brought this upon yourselves.¡± As soon as he finished speaking,


    Armond nodded at the bodyguards, and they quickly got into formation, preparing to attack


    ¡°The Interpol and the special forces of Chanaea are already downstairs. I advise you to think carefully


    about what you¡¯re going to do next. Are you going to stay here and bicker, or are you going to take the


    opportunity to escape now? You love making people choose, but it¡¯s finally your turn to make a decision


    now.¡±


    Ashton¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t very loud, but it reverberated through the quiet room. The bodyguards looked


    rather stunned.


    Ashton would never forget his grudges. Armond had tried to trick us so many times, and it was time for


    him to get a taste of his own medicine.


    He could go with the Interpol, or be extradited back to his country. Either way, he would be rotting in jail


    for many years toe.


    Armond and the bodyguards exchanged a nce. After confirming that Ashton¡¯s words were true,


    Armond gritted his teeth and shot us a rancorous look, before leaving under the bodyguards¡¯


    protection.


    Therge crowd created quite themotion as they left the room. The room only returned to silence a


    full two minutester.


    ¡°They won¡¯t be able to get away this time,¡± I said, looking at the direction they were heading towards.


    The Interpol would be guarding every single building exit, and searching every floor for a sign of


    Armond. Unless he had invisibility powers, Armond¡¯s fate was sealed.


    ¡°If we were in K City, he would have left this building as a corpse!¡± John spat, his expression full of


    dislike.


    Ashton didn¡¯t reply. Putting his arms around me and the child, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here first.¡±


    On the ne home, I couldn¡¯t help but feel like everything had been settled once and for all.


    As I gazed as the child in my arms, I remembered the numerous babies in that house, and thought of


    Marcus immediately.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Marcus?¡± I asked Ashton.


    I didn¡¯t exactly want to be his reason for redemption, but we had known each other after all, and I didn¡¯t


    want his fate to be unknown to me.


    ¡°We¡¯ve struck a deal. He will never return to the country again,¡± Ashton replied ndly.


    ¡°Was he involved in the sessful execution of our n this time?¡±Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ashton said, cocking his head to the side as he looked at me. He eyes were dark as ink. ¡°He


    was the one who tricked Armond into thinking that I had been lured to the wrong side of M Country.


    That was how I managed to follow you guys to his hideout from the airport.¡±


    ¡°I never knew that. Then, why did he need to work with Armond back then, and lure me to M Country?¡±


    Ashton suppressed a smile and looked at me haplessly. ¡°Do you want me to say that it was because


    you were simply too attractive?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± I was rather confused.


    ¡°Marcus had no wish to see us together, but he didn¡¯t want you to die either. When he heard that you


    were deathly ill from Armond, he found me and offered his services. He had only had one condition,


    and that was for me to save you,¡± Ashton said.


    I suddenly felt a little unhappy.


    Marcus had gone too far. He had taken the wrong path in life and hurt the people who meant the most


    to me. The moment he joined hands with Armond, he had struck off the debt we owed each other.


    However, he never harmed me all this time. For that reason, I would never be able to forget him.


    Ashton sensed my unhappiness and enveloped me in a hug. Patting mefortingly, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t


    worry, you don¡¯t owe him anything. I¡¯ve already returned Marcus his wife and children.¡±


    I was just going to scold him for being inappropriate with what he did, but Ashton said quickly, ¡°It wasn¡¯t


    me. It was Joseph who saved them while searching for our son. Anyway, Marcus thinks he owes me


    now.¡±

 Chapter 1254

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1254


    I would never wish my past suffering upon others. Luckily, the man I loved followed my wishes and


    drew the line at revenge.


    A sense of uneasiness still permeated my relief. ¡°Marcus may not appreciate our actions.¡±


    In Marcus¡¯ eyes, Camelia and Toby were just burdens. I doubt he would see them as fit bargaining


    chips for my safe return.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s on him. We¡¯re basically even now, so you shouldn¡¯t feel bad for him in the future.¡±


    ¡°Quick,e over here. Let¡¯s get rid of any bad luck that¡¯s still on you.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know where Cameron had heard about this old wives¡¯ tale. She had arrived bright and early at


    the Stovall residence, insisting on burning sage to get rid of any ill omen.


    Amused, I gave in to her wishes.


    A group followed my children and me into the living room. It seemed as lively as Christmas.


    After I sat down, I spied an unusually lonely figure out of the corner of my eye.


    Emma was standing at the foot of the staircase, smiling awkwardly but not daring to approach the


    crowd. She yed with her hair from time to time to cover up her hesitation.


    ¡°Emma,¡± I called out to her. ¡°Are you not happy that I¡¯m home?¡±


    Emma seemed shocked at the mention of her name. She replied happily, ¡°Of course not! I¡¯ve been


    waiting for all of you every day!¡±


    Iughed. ¡°Well, don¡¯t you want toe here and see how the babies look like?¡±


    A radiant smile appeared on Emma¡¯s face. She came over excitedly and took the baby from my arms.


    She cooed to him, ¡°Hello sweetie, your Aunt Emma is always going to remember how you look like.


    What a cutie pie!¡±


    John must have given Emma a hard time over the kidnapping incident. She must have been suffering


    almost as much as we have. Now that it¡¯s all over, we should just try to get on with our lives and make


    some happy memories.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Hey, your kids are almost a month old, and you haven¡¯t even named them. Some parents you are!¡±


    Emery teased, her usual tactlessness on full disy.


    Ashton and I exchanged a nce. He hinted for me to take the lead.


    Actually, I had already thought of their names when we were in M Country.


    I announced confidently, ¡°Since they were born in winter, their nicknames will be Greg and Dee!¡±


    ¡°Greg? That¡¯s a great name. Sweetie, oh, I should be calling you Greg now. I hope you¡¯ll grow to


    be a strong man!¡± Emma cooed at my son happily. The baby boy wasn¡¯t scared of strangers, and


    he had taken to Emma immediately as if they were truly rted.


    ¡°Dee¡­¡± Emery said as she carried my daughter. ¡°What about her full name?¡±


    I pursed my lips before smiling at Ashton. Then, I turned to Emery. ¡°She¡¯ll share a surname with


    Summer, so her full name will be Audrey Stovall. As for our son, we¡¯ll name him Gregory, as in Gregory


    Fuller. Since they were born during winter, we chose the name Gregory, hoping he¡¯ll be a person


    capable of beating all odds in harsh situations, while Audrey represents the noble strength that will


    support both of them through the ups and downs of their lives.¡±


    ¡°Those are great names! Here, I bought matching anklets for them. Shall we put it on for them?¡±


    Cameron produced a jewelry box containing the two anklets before Emma and Emery ced them on


    the twins.


    Once the anklets were secured, the man who had followed Zachary here suddenly stepped toward the


    center of the living room. He opened his briefcase on the table and took out two folders.


    ¡°Hello everyone, please allow me to announce some news.¡± The man cleared his throat as he


    commanded our attention. ¡°As the legal counsel for the Moores, it is my pleasure to announce on


    behalf of Mr. Moore that Ms. Audrey Stovall and Mr. Gregory Fuller shall henceforth be assigned ten


    percent each of shares from the Moore Corporation. The worth of said shares is approximately


    three point five billion.¡±


    We all exchanged looks of delight after thewyer¡¯s announcement, ecstatic for the twins.


    Thewyer thenid out the documents before me. He addressed me courteously, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, the


    contract will go into effect once we get the thumbprints of the children on the documents.¡±

 Chapter 1255

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1255


    He presented an inkpad to me as he waited for my next move.


    I nodded my acknowledgement.


    ncing at the table, I couldn¡¯t help but zero in on the ten percent and three-point five billion listed on


    the documents. My eyes burned at the sum.


    After a moment of consideration, I lifted my hand and closed the contract before handing it back to the


    lawyer.


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, what are you doing?¡± Thewyer¡¯s smile was frozen in ce.


    As thewyer-in-charge, I knew he would earn a hefty sum once the contract was finalized. I felt sorry


    for depriving him of his windfall.


    I didn¡¯t answer him but instead looked at Zachary. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Moore. I¡¯m grateful for your gesture


    toward my children, but we can¡¯t ept this.¡±


    Zachary frowned in confusion. Cameron cut in before he could speak, ¡°Please don¡¯t feel pressured. It¡¯s


    just a small gift for the kids.¡±


    A small gift of three-point five billion? It seems that Cameron¡¯s sense of money is getting distorted by


    her wealth.


    ¡°No,¡± I insisted. ¡°They¡¯re still young, and I don¡¯t want them to feel weighed down by such arge


    inheritance.¡±


    If the twins grew up with such an exorbitant inheritance looming over their heads, I was sure that they


    would burn out under the pressure and the expectations.


    They may choose to go down this path in the future, but as their mother, I don¡¯t want to impose this


    without them having a say.


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    ¡°We¡¯ll just see how it goes,¡± replied Ashton lightly. His decision was, however, firm like mine.


    We were coaxing the babies to sleep that night when Ashton hugged me from behind. He muttered


    reluctantly, ¡°I¡¯ve forgotten how it feels like to wake up next to you.¡±


    I remembered what I had promised him earlier and blushed. ¡°Then you can stay here tonight. This bed


    is big enough for two.¡±


    Armond was on the radar of Interpol, so he would beying low for a while. As such, K City was a lot


    safer for us now. We no longer needed to pretend that we were separated.


    I looked at Gregory and Audrey, who were both sleeping beside me. And with Summer sleeping right


    next door, I wished that the moment couldst forever.


    Ashton suddenly loosened his hug and gently turned me around to face him. ¡°I can¡¯t. Now¡¯s not the


    time.¡±


    I knitted my brows, confused.


    Ashton continued, ¡°Don¡¯t forget, Armond isn¡¯t our only enemy. Do you know where Armond brought you


    to earlier?¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it his old residence overseas?¡± I asked.


    ¡°If only it were that simple.¡± Ashton shook his head. Just then, Audrey kicked off her nket in her


    sleep. Ashton turned to tuck her in before he spoke. ¡°Armond was already wanted by the Interpol for


    his involvement in the underground organ trade. He could never have founded apany that easily.


    The ce you were at was the headquarters of Illiad International in M Country.¡±


    ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t thatpany owned by Bill Young? Isn¡¯t he a phnthropist famous for donating billions


    every year?¡± To say I was shocked was an understatement. Why is a phnthropist working with


    someone like Armond?


    ¡°The donations are real, though I¡¯m not sure where the moneyes from.¡± Ashton stared at me


    intently. ¡°Dealing with Bill is going to be a lot harder than dealing with Armond. So I think it¡¯s better to


    keep up our facade.¡±


    He paused before dropping a kiss on my forehead. Backing out of the room slowly, he murmured,


    ¡°Take care of yourself. You¡¯re still sick, after all.¡±


    He left the room after giving me a smile.


    I reyed his words over and over in my head. When I finally collected myself, he was already gone.


    Ashton¡¯s right. I¡¯m not just dealing with poor health after my pregnancy; there¡¯s also the toxin Armond


    injected into my body.


    It was a slow-acting toxin targeting my internal organs, and there was no avable cure. I could only


    control its spread via medication. While it wasn¡¯t fatal or particrly dangerous at the moment, there


    might be severe effects as time passed. There was a distinct possibility of organ failure as well.

 Chapter 1256

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1256


    As these thoughts crossed my mind, I couldn¡¯t help but stare at my babies in the stroller. The pain in


    my heart intensified.


    I wasn¡¯t scared of death itself, but the thought of its imminent approach frightened me because it meant


    that I wouldn¡¯t be able to watch my children grow.


    If only God could hear my prayers and just give me a couple more years to live.


    Since the kidnapping of his child, John had upgraded the security system in his home. He ran


    extensive background checks on all of his staff, making sure that strangers could not infiltrate the


    Stovall residence again. This way, everyone in the house could finally let down their guard.


    A week after my return, I caught wind that Rose had given birth. Since Nick and Rose had always


    treated me like their older sister, I knew I had to visit her.


    Emma tagged along on my visit to the hospital.


    ¡°The baby¡¯s so pretty. He looks just like you.¡± Rose¡¯s son was born after a nine-month-long pregnancy,


    and he appeared much healthier than my twins. I was genuinely pleased for her.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Rose rasped weakly as she sat against the headboard. She was being tended by an older


    lady who appeared to be the Harrisons¡¯ maid.


    ¡°Is Nick still busy with work?¡± I asked.


    Rose lowered her head as she bit her lips in acquiescence.


    This seemed to invoke the anger of Rose¡¯s caretaker. She snapped, ¡°No matter how busy he was, he


    should at least be there when his wife is giving birth. Mr. Harrison¡¯s really too much.¡±


    ¡°Margaret¡­¡± Rose interrupted Margaret¡¯s rants to no avail.


    ¡°You know I¡¯m right. Mr. Harrison took one look at the baby and hasn¡¯te by again since. He didn¡¯t


    even arrange for someone to take care of you after the delivery and you had to beg me for help. Why


    must you speak up for Mr. Harrison when he¡¯s mistreating you like this? I watched you grow up, my


    dear¡­ I can¡¯t let them bully you like this!¡±


    It almost seemed as if she might add me to her rants as well.


    Nick had always been an organized person, so I couldn¡¯t believe how careless he was when it came to


    Rose¡¯s delivery. He really crossed the line this time.


    ¡°Rose, is she telling the truth? That Nick is neglecting you and your son for his work?¡± I¡¯ve always had


    a great impression of Rose, so I was on her side in this ordeal. At the same time, I wanted to rify


    some misconceptions in case I got the wrong idea about the situation.


    ¡°No, of course not.¡± Rose gave me a weak smile before continuing, ¡°Margaret just misunderstood the


    situation. She¡¯s been taking care of me since I was young, and I would feel ufortable if I had to


    deal with another stranger. That¡¯s why I brought her here from the Walker residence. It has nothing to


    do with Nick.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Harrison¡­¡± Margaret appeared to have more to say, but she zipped her lips under Rose¡¯s stern


    re.


    ¡°Scarlett, let¡¯s not talk about me. What about you? I heard you gave birth to a pair of twins! I¡¯m so


    jealous right now.¡±


    It was obvious that she was trying to change the topic. Since Rose didn¡¯t want to talk about Nick


    anymore, I followed her lead and progressed to safer topics.


    As I was waiting for the elevator after leaving Rose¡¯s ward, I heard a visible sigh from Emma.


    ¡°What are you sighing about?¡± I asked with augh.


    ¡°Can¡¯t I sigh? I just think that being a woman is a tough job,¡± Emma exined.


    ¡°Why do you say that, Mrs. Stovall?¡± I teased her as we entered the elevator.


    Emma and John¡¯s rtionship was still on tenterhooks. As such, she was always surprised whenever


    she was addressed as Mrs. Stovall.


    As I Mrs. Bauman expected, her easygoing demeanor disappeared into a frown at my words. ¡°Mrs.


    Fuller, can you drop that title?¡±


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    Iughed as I pressed the button on the elevator. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d be so easy to tease.¡±


    ¡°Fine, don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you, I won¡¯t hang out with you anymore.¡± Emma made a gesture of turning


    her head away.


    ¡°Ok, ok, I won¡¯t joke at your expense anymore. Come on, at least tell me why you don¡¯t want to be


    known as Mrs. Stovall?¡± I rearranged my face into a serious expression before asking my question.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I mind? Just look at Rose. Nick obviously dumped her but she¡¯s still defending him. It¡¯s


    almost as if our only job as women is to satisfy a man¡¯s wishes. What a tiring way to live.¡± Emma


    sighed.


    I didn¡¯t agree with her statement. ¡°To be fair, what if Nick¡¯s really stuck in an impossible situation at


    work? Rose¡¯s only making excuses for Nick because she loves him. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a matter of men or


    women at all. It¡¯s being in love that¡¯s exhausting.¡±

 Chapter 1257

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1257


    This seemed to strike a chord with Emma. She remained in silent contemtion for the entire duration


    of our elevator ride.


    ¡°Hey Emma, we¡¯re here.¡± She jolted from her thoughts at my gentle reminder, and she left the elevator


    in a jog.


    ¡°Thanks for the reminder. I almost got caught between the doors.¡± Emma patted her chest in relief


    before she suggested, ¡°Since we haven¡¯t been out in a while, shall we go shopping? We can visit the


    mall.¡±


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    I remembered Summer¡¯s pleas for some new stationery, and I agreed. Women were born shopaholics.


    The impulse to shop sustained itself on the never-ending introduction of newer products to the market.


    I had initially nned on visiting the kids¡¯ section, but Emma had different ideas. She dragged me into


    a luxury goods store once we reached the mall. She tried on no fewer than ten outfits but wasn¡¯t


    impressed by any of them.


    ¡°This set looks good. John would like it.¡± Bored, I decided to tease her a little.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say I was wearing this for him.¡± Her lips had hardened into a t line, but she was obviously


    checking herself out in the mirror. I could tell from her eyes that she was imagining John¡¯s amazement


    at her appearance.


    Women will always doll themselves up for men that they love. I guess this saying holds even now.


    I smiled to myself but didn¡¯t call her out on her behavior. I walked to the men¡¯s section.


    Ashton was now in the upper echelons of K City society, but his stylists couldn¡¯t keep up with his image


    requirements. They always dressed him in formal suits. While his build and features could easily carry


    off such a get-up, it made him seem stiff and unapproachable.


    I took a turn around the men¡¯s section but nothing caught my eye. Just as I was thinking about hiring a


    dedicated fashion designer for Ashton, I spied an impressive sample disy in the distance. I picked


    up my pace as I walked toward the disy in excitement.


    Just then, the phone in my purse began ringing. I stopped as I rummaged for my phone. The number


    seemed familiar, but I couldn¡¯t recall who the caller was at that very moment.


    When I lifted my head again, I saw an elegant-lookingdy summoning a salesperson to help her pack


    up the outfit I had had my eyes on.


    Oh well, I guess I was just a bit toote.


    I answered the call in a fit of impatience. ¡°Hello, who is this?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, it¡¯s me.¡± Zander¡¯s Koandrian ent gave his identity away.


    His call reminded me of the apprenticeship. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I haven¡¯t called you back. I¡¯ve been busytely,


    so I forgot all about the apprenticeship.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ok. I¡¯m calling you now to remind you about it. I hope you didn¡¯t forget how I made a grand


    promise to my superiors to keep a precious talent in our apprenticeship program. They even agreed to


    keep your slot even though you would be going on maternity leave. Please don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re backing


    out now?¡±


    I could tell that his goodwill was a front for his urgent hope of my confirmation.


    Since bing awyer was my lifelong dream, I chose not to call him out on his attitude. I confirmed


    my participation as well as the reporting time and date for my apprenticeship.


    After I hung up, I thought back to the outfit I had seen, feeling a tinge of regret at the missed


    opportunity.


    I walked toward the cashier in a poor mood, curious about the person who had snagged such a great


    outfit.


    When I saw the couple paying for the outfit, though, my heart sank.


    Emma had juste over as well, and her eyes followed my gaze. ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    When she saw them, her reaction was stronger than mine. She took in a few deep breaths to calm


    herself down.


    Our eyes followed Hunter in utter disbelief as he entered the elevator, holding hands with a mysterious


    lady as he held arge shopping bag in his other hand.


    Under our watchful gaze, it seemed that Hunter felt a twinge of guilt at his actions. By chance, he


    nced in our direction and met our stares. Awkwardness shed across his features before the


    elevator doors closed.


    ¡°Letty, please pinch me and wake me up from this nightmare. I must be seeing things, right?¡± Emma¡¯s


    jaw had dropped at the scene.


    I frowned, my emotions a chaotic mess.


    Emery and Hunter¡¯s rtionship had always been the envy of many. Emma herself was always going


    on and on about Hunter¡¯s penchant for romance and humor. What we had seen today was a huge blow


    to her fantasies.

 Chapter 1258

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1258


    Maybe I should be reflecting on my taste in clothes. If Ashton¡¯s wearing the same suit as Hunter, might


    we be in a simr situation ourselves?


    I had always thought that keeping secrets from someone was nowhere near as difficult as pretending


    nothing was wrong in front of them.


    Emery¡¯s attention had been consumed by Audrey and Gregory these few days. She brought Xavier


    along with her on her daily visits, and she typically spent an entire day at our house. Before Emma and


    I had even left the mall, we were bombarded by a slew of WhatsApp messages from her, urging us to


    go back.


    Emma and I were terrible liars. We exchanged looks and prepared to stay out until it waste.


    We had only just settled down in a cafe when Hunter showed up.


    He found us easily thanks to his towering height. He then started walking toward us.


    Emma gave up her seat and sat on a chair directly next to mine.


    The cheating men that I had encountered in the past typically behaved in a stiff, panicky, or furious


    manner. I had never seen one as calm as Hunter.


    He sat opposite us, exuding the confident and cultured charm of a university professor. His courteous


    exchange with the waiter almost made our meeting seem like a casual get-together rather than a


    damage control session for our awkward encounter.


    I guess we were all fooled by his polite manners.


    Once the coffee was served, Hunter looked at the cup for a moment before lifting his gaze to us. Upon


    seeing my impatient gaze, he spoke sheepishly. ¡°You saw everything just now.¡±


    We didn¡¯t ask any questions.


    Hunter sighed before taking a sip of his coffee. He stared directly at me and said, ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Emery


    about this, so I hope you won¡¯t intervene.¡±


    ¡°When are you going to tell her?¡± I asked calmly.


    He took a deep breath and adjusted his sses. He answered resignedly, ¡°Soon.¡±


    ¡°Good. I hope you keep your promise, Professor Zane, or you¡¯ll lose whatever little respect we have for


    you.¡±


    He had pushed his sses up his nose bridge countless times in the past, but the action merely


    disgusted me now. I ced a few bills on the table to cover the cost of our drinks and left with Emma.


    On the way home, my emotions were in turmoil.


    From what I could see, I couldn¡¯t understand how that woman was better than Emery. Yet this had


    happened.


    Maybe in the world of the literati, love is but a cheapmodity to be discarded once it has run its


    course.


    We reached home at about seven at night. We thought Emery had left, but there was a hubbub in the


    living room when we walked in. Louis was here.


    ¡°Mommy, let¡¯s eat dinner!¡± Summer ran toward me and dragged me toward the dining room.


    I exchanged a look with Emma before we sat down at the dining table.


    Emery happened to be seated on my other side. She nudged my elbow gently and asked, ¡°Where did


    you two go? You didn¡¯t reply to my WhatsApp messages either. Was there an emergency?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you about itter.¡± I glossed over her question, pretending I couldn¡¯t talk about it openly in front


    of the others.


    Emery had always been an easygoing person to begin with, so she dropped the topic good-naturedly.


    Clink!


    Louis suddenly tapped on his winess with a fork, catching our attention.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    ¡°The incident this time has taught me many valuable lessons!¡± Louis was the picture of a natural leader


    as he raised his voice before continuing, ¡°Most importantly, I¡¯ve learned that steering clear of others


    doesn¡¯t necessarily mean that you¡¯ll remain unscathed. I¡¯ve always been proud of my morals, yet I


    never expected to be a victim of sabotage, let alone dragging my own grandchildren into this mess. I¡¯ve


    disappointed my own family and the Stovall name.¡±


    He shot me a regretful look before he continued in better spirits, ¡°From this day on, I promise not to put


    my family in harm¡¯s way again. I vow to spend the rest of my days getting rid of Ezra¡¯s syndicate!¡±


    On the first day of my apprenticeship, John insisted on sending me to the office.

 Chapter 1259

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1259


    The car stopped in front of the office. I took off my seatbelt and was about to alight from the car when


    John shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡±


    He then exited the car and came around to my side. Opening the door in a valet-like fashion, he


    completed his act by offering his hand to assist me out of the car. He teased, ¡°Ms. Stovall, we¡¯ve


    arrived at the office. Please.¡±


    I burst intoughter as Iid my hand in his. ¡°Why are you joking around? I¡¯m just a legal apprentice,


    not a full-fledgedwyer.¡±


    Passing thewyer qualification exam was only the start. I also needed to undertake a year-long


    apprenticeship to obtain a license to practice. Within this year, I would need toplete ten cases


    independently as well. Only then I could officially practicew.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be one soon enough. I need to start practicing now,¡± John teased yfully.


    ¡°If you¡¯re that bored, you should spend more time with Emma. I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re ying games


    with her when you¡¯re obviously crazy about her,¡± I deadpanned.


    John arched a brow at me before stuttering, ¡°Y-You¡­ Hey, you¡¯re going to bete! You should go in


    now, go on then!¡±


    John didn¡¯t give me a chance to retort as he pushed me into the revolving doors of the building. He


    smiled mischievously at me after forcing me into the lobby. I couldn¡¯t tell if he had taken any of my


    advice to heart.


    After I registered at the reception, I was brought to Zander¡¯s office. ¡°Mr. Hoffman is in a meeting now.


    Please wait here, Ms. Stovall.¡±


    I smiled in acknowledgment. I looked around the office casually after the receptionist had left.


    I heard that Tinsel Group was the bestw firm in all of K City. Yet the office that had been assigned to


    Zander was barely a hundred square feet. There were two desks in his office. While the decor was


    decent, it was a far cry from what I had imagined.


    About fifteen minutester, the door opened from the outside. Zander entered the office with an older


    man in tow.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± I greeted with a smile.


    ¡°Mr. Baker, this is Scarlett, whom I¡¯ve mentioned on several asions. We went to school together.


    Scarlett, this is Mr. Eugene Baker. He¡¯s one of the most prominent propertywyers in the field.¡± Zander


    quickly introduced the two of us.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Mr. Baker.¡±


    ¡°The pleasure¡¯s all mine.¡± Eugene continued, ¡°Zander has very high praise for you; I hope you don¡¯t let


    him down.¡±


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    I smiled, not knowing how to go about replying to such civilities.


    As if he understood my thoughts, Eugene left to give us some space. ¡°I won¡¯t bother the two of you


    then. Zander, you should bring her around the office. The two of you will report to me from now on.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Baker. Thank you.¡±


    With that, Eugene left the room with a cigar in hand.


    Now, only Zander and I were alone in the office.


    ¡°This table is yours.¡± Zander pointed at an empty desk.


    I looked at the desk before turning my perplexed gaze back on him.


    We¡¯ll be facing each other?


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this kind of inappropriate, Mr. Hoffman?¡± I tried to assume a civil manner. ¡°I just came here, and I


    already have a private office? I¡¯m sure some colleagues will be displeased.¡±


    Zander stared at me for a moment as he pondered something. ¡°So you think you¡¯re like the other


    people sitting there? If that¡¯s the case, why would I try so hard to bring you to our firm?¡±


    I blushed in embarrassment, my words caught in my throat.


    Instead of addressing my difort, Zander picked up some documents from his desk and passed


    them to me. ¡°These are the case files for a divorce trial involving the renowned billionaire, Aaron


    Gomez. Please familiarize yourself with the details of the case. We need to apany Mr. Baker to


    court in two days.¡±


    ¡°Aaron Gomez? Aren¡¯t the news always reporting on his bachelorhood? When did he get married?¡± I


    opened the documents, and my jaw dropped as I read the contents. ¡°He has three kids? And it¡¯s a


    cheating scandal?¡±


    This obviously wasn¡¯t a great time for gossiping, and I could sense Zander¡¯s confused gaze on me at


    my outburst. I felt like crawling into a hole out of embarrassment, but s, I could only close the


    documents meekly and return to my seat to review the information.

 Chapter 1260

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1260


    It was finally time to get off work. I was dying to see my kids, but Zander entered the office with a stack


    of documents before I could leave. He stared at me in confusion.


    We stared at each other for a moment with me feeling awkward while Zander frowned.


    After a while, he said, ¡°You¡¯re getting ready to head off?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I pointed at the clock as I asked, ¡°It¡¯s six, right?¡±


    Zander nced at the clock before he said coolly, ¡°On the first day of my apprenticeship, I was in the


    office till six in the evening the next day. Ms. Stovall, I hope you understand that Tinsel Group is where


    it is today because of our hard work. Bing awyer isn¡¯t child¡¯s y.¡±


    As if agitated by his own statement, he carried the documents back to his own desk silently. The mood


    of the room cooled several degrees.


    Being thirty of age this year, I didn¡¯t think I would be told off this badly by a man a few years younger


    than me.


    Despite my embarrassment, I knew Zander was absolutely right. Being awyer was never going to be


    a piece of cake.


    As such, I tossed my purse back on the desk before walking out of the office in search of a paralegal. I


    had her produce all the case files rted to Eugene in the past year. I was determined to work my ass


    off and make up for my inexperience.


    When I re-entered the room with the paralegal and piles of papers in hand, Zander¡¯s expression told


    me he was viewing me in a different light.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    However, his impression of me was the least of my concerns. I wanted to do a good job for my sake, as


    well as Ashton¡¯s and my children¡¯s. No one else¡¯s opinions mattered.


    I soon realized that the situation was moreplicated than I had imagined. Zander was working like a


    machine. The clock struck eleven but he showed no signs of getting off work.


    While I didn¡¯t want to give up like this, I began to feel annoyed. Frankly, poring through the case files


    was a bore. I was no longer used to sitting in an office for long periods of time as well. Every second I


    stayed here felt like torture.


    Finally, at eleven thirty, a wee voice rang through the office. ¡°Scarlett? Where are you?¡±


    It¡¯s John!


    ¡°I¡¯m in here!¡±


    I felt immense relief at his arrival. I jerked up from my seat and looked out the office for him, holding


    back the urge to rush out straight away.


    John had nned to fetch me home that day but I sent him a WhatsApp message about my ns to


    stayte in the office that day and didn¡¯t check my phone afterward. Luckily, he was smart enough to


    come knocking on the office himself. Otherwise, I might really have to stay here till the next morning.


    John followed the sound of my voice till he located our office. Pushing open the door, he looked at the


    chaos within. Zander stopped whatever he was doing and met John¡¯s gaze. There was suddenly an


    awkward tension in the air.


    ¡°You¡¯re Letty¡¯s supervisor?¡± John raised a brow, putting on an intimidating stance.


    ¡°You¡¯re mistaken. I¡¯m just her colleague.¡± Zander ced his hands in his pocket, an indifferent


    expression on his face.


    ¡°Right, then we¡¯re leaving.¡± John turned his head away from Zander before tilting his jaw in my


    direction. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go home.¡±


    John exuded a naturalmanding aura. Though he didn¡¯t introduce himself, his arrogance hinted at


    his powerful position. A smart person would avoid offending him.


    However, there were smart people in this world who held different beliefs. While they were well aware


    of the social niceties associated with such figures, they chose to ignore them in favor of the rules and


    regtions.


    ¡°As Scarlett¡¯s family, you should be happy that she¡¯s working hard toward her goal. You shouldn¡¯t be


    blocking her path.¡± Zander spoke firmly, further souring the mood.


    I froze in the middle of slinging my bag on my shoulder.


    No one could deny Zander¡¯s diligence when it came to working, but I felt that he had crossed the line


    with his provocative statement. He seemed like a totally different personpared to our previous


    interactions, and I felt somewhat cheated by my earlier impression of him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Mr. Hoffman,¡± I interrupted before John could open his mouth. I nted myself next to John


    before dering to Zander, ¡°I hope you understand that John is the closest family I have. What he does


    or says isn¡¯t any of your business. I know that you¡¯re a senior here, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can


    criticize anyone as you please.¡±

 Chapter 1261

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1261


    Zander probably hadn¡¯t expected someone who looked as meek as I did to fire back at him. As such,


    he frowned in surprise but didn¡¯t say anything else.


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    I didn¡¯t have the time to unpackage his emotions, so I turned and dragged John out of the office with


    me. ¡°John, let¡¯s go home! Maybe I should quit after all. I¡¯m sure our family can support me, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Thisw firm isn¡¯t that great anyway. The office is even smaller than our bathroom. I¡¯ll set


    up a biggerw firm for you tomorrow, and you can be the boss!¡± John yed along with me, catching


    on to my flippancy.


    We sounded like a pair of petty upstarts.


    As I got into John¡¯s car, I reyed our conversation in my mind. I put a hand over my chest worriedly.


    Offending a senior on my first day as an apprentice was something I would never have done in the


    past.


    I noticed that after giving birth, I had be even more protective of my family.


    Just then, my stomach suddenly grumbled in protest, pulling me back to reality.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get supper. I¡¯m starving.¡± I perked up as I turned to look at John, only to realize he had been


    staring at me smugly. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? Is there dirt on my face or something?¡±


    John twisted his body so that he was leaning on the steering wheel. He said lightly, ¡°No, I was just


    thinking that you seem alive again.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± I muttered awkwardly; I couldn¡¯t stand sappy situations. I made


    a show of rubbing my stomach as I changed the topic. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get something to eat. I haven¡¯t


    eaten since this afternoon and I feel like I¡¯m about to faint from hunger.¡±


    ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± John asked as he started the ignition.


    ¡°Anything¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s just look for a shop that¡¯s still open. I can¡¯t wait that long,¡± I said.


    John thought for a while before picking up his phone to dial someone. ¡°Mrs. Dune? Can you whip up


    something simple for us to eat? I¡¯ll be home with Ms. Stovall in a bit.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to disturb anyone at home at this hour, but I didn¡¯t protest since John had already called


    them. My taste buds were also pampered by all the delicious food that Mrs. Dune frequently prepared,


    so I wasn¡¯t particrly upset that we weren¡¯t eating out.


    When we got home, Mrs. Dune had whipped up some pasta and a few snacks. As I was eating, I could


    hear the chicken soup bubbling away in the kitchen.


    ¡°Mrs. Dune, you don¡¯t need to rush around for me. I¡¯m stuffed with all the food you prepared. Besides,


    it¡¯ste, and you should get some rest too.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all, Ms. Stovall. I¡¯m at that age where I tend to sleep less anyway. Besides, Mr. Stovall


    and Mr. John are still awake in the study too. I believe they¡¯re not sleeping so early tonight as well. I¡¯ve


    prepared some chicken soup for them so they won¡¯t starveter.¡±


    I pondered her words and stayed silent. After I had filled my stomach, I went upstairs.


    As I walked past the study, I was surprised that it was quiet. I paused my track and decided to knock on


    the door.


    Knock! Knock!


    ¡°What are the two of you talking about?¡±


    The only thing that could give both Louis and John a headache was Ezra¡¯s syndicate. It was also a


    topic where I could contribute little to the discussion.


    At my entrance, John got up and gave me his seat. ¡°Uncle Louis is thinking of indicting some members


    of Ezra¡¯s syndicate who are in the department. To send a message of warning.¡±


    Louis nodded with a serious expression. ¡°Ezra¡¯s syndicate has remained powerful in K City over the


    years, thanks in part to the support from the Zieglers and the Trivetts. We need to think carefully before


    making our next move, or they might strike our weak point again.¡±


    When Louis was taken away for interrogation for over a month, his group of trusted officials had


    suffered greatly in his absence. As Ezra took the opportunity to restructure several departments, now,


    the departments that had actual acting power were almost wholly under Ezra¡¯s control. The officials


    who really wanted to help the citizens suddenly had no means to carry out their ns. Louis was


    furious at the change, which led to his impassioned speech when he finally returned home.


    Their concern was warranted. They had to be more cunning if they wanted to defeat an enemy like


    Ezra and force him into a dead end.


    ¡°Our biggest problem is the promotion next year that Ezra has in his sights. He¡¯s going to be desperate,


    and I¡¯m worried that the Fullers¡¯ tragedy might repeat itself if he takes extreme measures to secure his


    position,¡± Louis sighed deeply.

 Chapter 1262

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1262


    Years ago, Ashton¡¯s parents had been framed as the scapegoats for Ezra and a few prominent families


    in K City. It eventually led to their deaths. That tragedy meant that Louis was naturally cautious about


    his actions when dealing with Ezra.


    Like Ashton had said, though, excessive caution would only allow them to behave even more


    lawlessly. Facing them head-on is inevitable. The only thing we can do is to reduce the number of


    people caught in the crossfire. If we don¡¯t act now, our future generations will suffer under them as well.


    ¡°Uncle Louis, can I say something?¡± I finally blurted after some hesitation.


    ¡°Of course. What¡¯s on your mind?¡±


    ¡°Well, here¡¯s what I think. If I remember correctly, the promotion process and the candidate details are


    supposed to be announced to the public. In that case, can¡¯t we do the same for those corrupt members


    in the department? We can show the entire trial procedure online through the official channels. The


    public can be the judge.¡± Strength in numbers may even bend thew, and it might be a good strategy


    to catch them unawares.


    Ezra may be powerful, but even he is no match for public outcry.


    Louis¡¯s expression changed as he mulled over my suggestion.


    Meanwhile, John looked at me as the joy he had disyed in the car returned to his demeanor. ¡°I


    guess it¡¯s really different once you be awyer. Even the way you look at things is craftier.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°Are you trying to say that I was dumb before? That doesn¡¯t reallye across as


    praise, you know.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just imagining things.¡± John walked over and leaned on the desk. He teased, ¡°You¡¯re my sister.


    I¡¯m always proud of you, and I mean every word that I said.¡±


    ¡°Letty, have you started your legal apprenticeship?¡± Louis changed the topic abruptly. ¡°Whichw firm


    did you go to?¡±


    ¡°Tinsel Group,¡± I answered. After a moment¡¯s thought, I added, ¡°But my first day at work was rather


    unpleasant. I was wondering if I should transfer to anotherw firm. I haven¡¯t signed any contracts, so


    it¡¯s not toote for me to change my mind.¡±


    ¡°Why are you still thinking about that? Just buy yourself a brand neww firm and be the boss. Then


    you won¡¯t need to do overtime,¡± John voiced.


    John never blinked an eye at his spending, no matter how extravagant the sum. His nonchnce with


    his wealth was exceptionally obvious in this situation.


    ¡°Stop joking around. Legal apprentices can¡¯t go around opening their ownw firms. You think I can just


    hire some bigshotwyers and their apprentices or something?¡± I knew he had good intentions, but I


    needed to nip this impossibility in the bud.


    Louis hadn¡¯t uttered a single word until now. When I finally looked at him, I realized he had knitted his


    brows in contemtion.


    John followed my gaze. He didn¡¯t hesitate before he opened his mouth. ¡°Uncle Louis, what are you


    thinking about?¡±


    Louis came to with a jerk. Sighing, he said tiredly, ¡°Thatw firm has helped the Zieglers and the


    Trivetts with countless cases in the past. If we really go to court, I don¡¯t think anywyer we have could


    win someone from Tinsel Group.¡±


    ¡°No wonder Tinsel Group has been giving me so many special privileges to keep my apprenticeship.


    Turns out they had ulterior motives all this time.¡± I was stunned at the revtion.Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    I should¡¯ve thought of this sooner. Tinsel Group¡¯s the bestw firm in the country, and they must¡¯ve


    helped Ezra and his lobbyists to clean up a bunch of his dirty acts. They probably gave me such good


    benefits to entice me to stay, so that I would be entangled in their dirty acts. Then, they could use


    that to manipte the Stovall family.


    An image of Zander shed through my mind. He had always looked like a young man on track to


    fulfilling his dreams of exacting justice. He may have seemed wooden, but that wouldn¡¯t have stopped


    him from bing an impressivewyer. What a pity he¡¯s dirty like the rest of them. s, he can only


    be ackey to their wrongdoings.


    ¡°Then, you shouldn¡¯t report to work tomorrow, Letty. It may seem peaceful out there, but it¡¯s a bloody


    battlefield. It¡¯s much safer to stay at home,¡± John cut in.

 Chapter 1263

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1263


    ¡°John, don¡¯t be such a drama queen. I can count on one hand the number of times I¡¯ve gone out, yet I


    still got into trouble. If it¡¯s meant to be, it¡¯s meant to be. I can¡¯t keep hiding forever or be a burden to our


    family. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ve excluded kidnapping from their future agenda after myst incident. I need to


    do my part too. I can¡¯t just stay at home alone ande up with imaginary scenarios in my head.¡±


    I knew I came across as harsh, but I wasn¡¯t mad at them. I only wanted to motivate myself.


    ¡°I¡¯ve given it some thought. Since Tinsel Group is so chummy with the Zieglers and the Trivetts, I have


    to keep my job there.¡± I used my most serious tone as I conveyed my intentions.


    Dragging me into their dirty deals might not be as easy as Tinsel Group thought. I was determined to


    make them feel like they had lured a wolf into a rabbit¡¯s den at the end of it.


    ¡°I¡¯m d that you want to help us. At the same time, I don¡¯t want you to enter the lion¡¯s den,¡± John


    cautioned.


    ¡°John¡¯s right. Since they know who you are, they¡¯ll have their guards up. Besides, you¡¯re unhappy


    there, so why don¡¯t you transfer to anotherw firm? You can still be an impressivewyer then,¡±


    Louis added.


    I opened my mouth in retort, but before I could say anything, I let out a few deep, hacking coughs. My


    throat and eyes itched painfully.


    What started as a mild cough soon became uncontroble. When John realized that something was


    wrong, a salty, metallic taste had made its way up my throat. I spat out some blood on the ground


    before me and thest thing I heard was John calling out to me.


    ¡°Letty!¡±


    ¡°You b*stard! Didn¡¯t you say it wasn¡¯t fatal? Why did you lie to us? I¡¯m going to kill you!¡±Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    ¡°John, calm down! We¡¯re at the Stovall residence. If you really harm him, you¡¯re going to drag Uncle


    Louis with you into the mess.¡±


    As I came to, I heard John and Emma arguing loudly. I slowly opened my eyes to Ashton¡¯s face. He


    was peering at me, concern evident in his eyes.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I croaked.


    ¡°Letty?¡± John pushed aside the elderly doctor he had been threatening in his haste to reach my side. I


    was greeted by the sight of his bloodshot eyes. ¡°You¡¯re awake. Thank god, you¡¯re awake.¡±


    ¡°Why is it so noisy?¡± I began to regain some of my strength. Ashton helped me sit up against the bed.


    After I regained myposure, I took in the scene before me. The doctor who had treated me in M


    Country was here.


    He avoided my gaze. They seemed to agree on keeping me in the dark regarding the severity of my


    situation. I didn¡¯t have to be an idiot to tell that something was very wrong. After all, John¡¯s expression


    gave everything away. Thest time he looked like this was when he was breaking up with Hannah.


    ¡°Can you all leave the room first? I¡¯d like to spend some time with Ashton alone.¡±


    A patient¡¯s word was always the sacred decree. As such, John shooed everyone out of the room in a


    second. Now, Ashton and I were alone.


    Ashton poured a ss of warm water for me, gently coaxing me to take small sips. He sat downter


    and started peeling an apple wordlessly. I watched the long string of peel, mesmerized at its perfection.


    He always does things perfectly, even when ites to small things.


    ¡°Ashton,¡± I called out to him.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Ashton wasser-focused on the task at hand.


    ¡°We promised we wouldn¡¯t lie to each other. I need to know the truth. I don¡¯t want to find out from


    anyone else.¡±


    He paused in the middle of peeling. A momentter, he continued moving the knife as he removed the


    peelpletely. Only then did he lift his head to look at me. Passing the apple to me, he said, ¡°When


    we¡¯re in M Country, those men knew they couldn¡¯t afford to offend John, so they lied about the toxin¡¯s


    lethality. They pretended that it could be cured with medication so that it would give them time to


    escape. In truth, the medication can only temporarily inhibit the toxin¡¯s effects on your body. It can¡¯t get


    rid of it.¡±


    The apple in my hand suddenly weighed a ton. I felt at a loss of what to do.


    Though I was still in a haze before I opened my eyes earlier, I could clearly hear the word ¡°fatal¡± from


    John¡¯s mouth.

 Chapter 1264

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1264


    No one was ever really ready for death. The nearer the moment loomed, the more chilling it felt.


    When he noticed the fear on my face, Ashton took my hand and ced it over his heart.


    ¡°I will always be with you, for better or worse. And I promise to get you treated no matter what. Do you


    trust me, Scarlett?¡±


    Even though he was almost whispering, Ashton¡¯s voice reverberated loudly through my heart.


    Ashton was someone who made me feel like I could take on the whole world. With him around, I never


    needed to fear.


    I gripped his hand tight, all my worries vanishing in that instant as I whispered, ¡°I trust you.¡± Even if it


    was myst day on earth, I wanted to spend it with no regrets.


    Ashton stayed with me at the Stovall residence until the wee hours of the morning. I couldn¡¯t help but


    feel a sense of helplessness and insecurity as I watched him leave. Without him around, the world


    seemed a little harsher and colder.


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    I was starting to space out when I got pulled back into reality by my phone¡¯s ringing.


    It was odd that anyone would call at two in the morning. But since I couldn¡¯t fall asleep, I picked up my


    phone to check who the caller was.


    s, it was Zander. Not quite the call I had expected, I decided to let him wait for a while more before


    answering.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Mr. Hoffman?¡± I asked harshly.


    Ever since I found out that Zander was in cahoots with the people who poisoned me, I had lost all


    respect for him. As such, I saw no need to be polite toward him.


    ¡°What happened today was my fault. You were right. I¡¯ve indeed gone too far. I hope you won¡¯t take it


    to heart.¡±


    An apology? Is that necessary? Did he want to make peace because he¡¯s worried about me leaving


    Tinsel Group and ruining their n?


    ¡°Oh, that? I don¡¯t remember it anymore. But Mr. Hoffman, are you sure it¡¯s appropriate to call your


    female coworker thiste at night? Aren¡¯t you afraid of gossip?¡± I was on the brink of death and didn¡¯t


    care if I offended anyone. Besides, after everything Zander had done, he deserved to feel my wrath.


    As if pondering his choice of words, Zander replied after some hesitation, ¡°I¡¯ve been most


    inconsiderate. I¡¯m sorry for disturbing you.¡±


    ¡°Get out of my life if you¡¯re really sorry. Oh, by the way, you¡¯re fired. Goodbye.¡±


    With that, I hung up the phone before he could even react or protest against it.


    In my current condition, neither John nor Ashton would want me to return to Tinsel Group to fish for


    information. The work intensity there would be too much for my body to bear.


    The next day, Emery called to ask if I could apany her to a ribbon-cutting ceremony. She didn¡¯t


    know about my poisoning incident and just wanted to hang out with me. Naturally, I agreed.


    The Moores were born entrepreneurs, and Emery was no exception. She was a talented trader who


    always knew what stocks to buy. Rather than continue being in the employment of her previous


    company, she decided to start her own, which turned out to be the best investment decision she ever


    made.


    Indeed, all entrepreneurs were scheming. Emery wouldn¡¯t have gotten to where she was today if she


    wasn¡¯t crafty enough.


    When I arrived at her office, Emery was in a meeting with her staff. The ir of a young, sessful


    leader came naturally to her as she mentored and instructed her team.


    Upon seeing me, Emery dismissed them and made her way toward me. ¡°Where¡¯s Emma? Didn¡¯t I invite


    her too?¡±


    ¡°Oh, she got called back for an urgent meeting by her editor. She said she¡¯s very sorry about missing


    the opening ceremony.¡±


    The truth was Emma wanted to avoid Emery at all costs. She was worried that her tongue might slip


    and spill the beans about Hunter.


    ¡°Which magazine publisher is she in again? The audacity of them to snatch her away from me,¡± she


    muttered. However, she soon got over it as she dragged me around the office to make introductions.


    It was almost ten when everyone gathered downstairs for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.


    Even though he was slightlyte, Hunter still confidently strode through the crowd toward Emery. After


    nting a kiss on Emery¡¯s forehead, he looped his arm around her and smiled at the reporters who


    were eagerly waiting for them.

 Chapter 1265

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1265


    Hunter and Emery seemed like the picture-perfect couple, much to the envy of others around them.


    However, the more Hunter smiled, the more I found it fake and off-putting. I finally understood why


    Emma decided against attending the ceremony. After having known the truth about Hunter, there was


    no way she would have been able to feign ignorance in front of him.


    Meanwhile, Hunter was being the perfect gentleman. Ever so charismatic and impably dressed,


    even the female reporters couldn¡¯t help but steal nces at him.


    ¡°Alright, since everyone¡¯s here, we can begin the ribbon-cutting ceremony! Let¡¯s¡­ ¡°


    ¡°Wait!¡± Emery interrupted before the emcee could go on. ¡°We¡¯re still waiting for someone.¡±


    The words had only just left her mouth when she spotted a familiar face in the crowd and waved


    eagerly at him.


    Everyone followed her gaze till their eyesnded on Ashton, who was looking as cool as a cucumber.


    He swiftly made his way toward them and stood beside Hunter. The ribbon-cutting ceremony went on


    as scheduled to roaring apuse.


    While the reporters were busy taking photos, Emery gently elbowed me to get my attention. ¡°So, what


    about it?¡± she whispered, a polite smile still stered on her face.


    ¡°What about what?¡± I replied in confusion.


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about Ashton.¡± Emery sighed as she rolled her eyes. ¡°You should take this chance to talk to


    him. You¡¯ve gotten your kid back, so why not just restore your marriage?¡±


    Oh, so that¡¯s what she¡¯s trying to get at.


    I had almost forgotten that other than the Stovall family, no one else knew that Ashton and I had faked


    our divorce. Still, it warmed my heart to see Emery being so concerned about me, even on such an


    important day.


    A sudden wave of guilt washed over me. I knew that sooner orter, I would have to find an opportunity


    to tell her the truth.


    I was still mulling over it when the ceremony ended. Emery left to entertain the reporters as she


    showed them around the office. As a member of the Moore family and a prominent figure in the


    business world, it was doubly important that her business got good coverage to increase her brand


    exposure.


    As the guests and reporters gradually made their way into the office, a woman emerged from the crowd


    and gracefully made her way toward Emery and Hunter.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    I held my breath as soon as I recognized her. She was the woman whom I had seen with Hunter the


    other day. Who exactly is she?


    ¡°Hello, Mrs. Zane, I¡¯m Delh. I¡¯m here on behalf of our Economic Society to congratte Professor


    Zane and yourself.¡± There was a charming lilt to her voice as she handed a gift to Emery.


    Unbeknownst to others, I could see the deviousness behind that fake, innocent smile of Delh¡¯s. I had


    seen the same expression far too often on Reba, and the memories that flooded back only irked me


    even more.


    I had a sudden urge to step in and protect Emery from this vile woman, but before I could make any


    move, a hand shot out from behind to stop me. When I turned around and came face to face with


    Ashton, he shook his head lightly to remind me not to do anything rash.


    Even though I wasn¡¯t sure what his intentions were, I nodded back to indicate my understanding.


    Ashton seemed a lot more relieved after that and stepped away.


    Emery epted the gift from Delh happily before handing it to Hunter. ¡°Thank you, Delh. Please,


    doe in.¡±


    It was then when I saw the crack in Hunter¡¯s calm demeanor. Panic and embarrassment were written


    all over his face as if he had been found guilty of something. He frowned and stood quietly between the


    two women.


    Delh was a smart woman who knew better than to air dirtyundry in public. She still had on a


    megawatt smile as she epted Emery¡¯s invitation and followed the crowd into the office. Owing to the


    power and status of the Moore family, many reporters had shown up at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.


    The crowd was sorge that I could only stay with Emery most of the time.


    Unfortunately, that also meant I had to be with Hunter.


    Even though Hunter and I were distracted, Emery remained friendly and professional the entire time.


    Whether it was reporters or friends, she entertained them all with a natural ir and charisma.


    Her being oblivious to the ugly truth about Hunter made me feel even worse. I hated to see her being


    kept in the dark and betrayed by the person she loved so dearly. But I was also worried that she


    wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the truth.


    When the ceremony finally came to an end, Emery made her way downstairs to see her guests off,


    leaving Hunter and me behind at the reception area.

 Chapter 1266

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1266


    Hunter tugged at his tie when he saw Emery walk into the elevator. His anxiety was even more


    palpable now.


    ¡°Did you invite her here?¡± I asked solemnly.


    Hunter nced at me but remained silent, his expression even more somber now.


    I had had enough of his aloofness and could no longer control the rage that had been boiling inside me.


    ¡°I knew you were good at teaching, but now I know you¡¯re even better at breaking promises.¡± The


    words came out of my mouth dripping with sarcasm.


    Hunter continued to stay silent, though his face had turned red with anger.


    ¡°Emery is my best friend, and I hope you don¡¯t forget what you¡¯ve said before, Mr. Zane. I don¡¯t wish to


    see a repeat of what happened today.¡±


    I knew firsthand how humiliating it was to be provoked by homewreckers. I couldn¡¯t stand aside and let


    Hunter and Delh y Emery like a fool.


    My words had pushed Hunter over the edge, and he was about to object when the elevator doors


    opened. Emery lifted her gown and walked out, still as graceful as ever.


    Hunter had no choice but to bite his tongue. To prevent Emery from noticing the rage in my eyes, I


    lowered my head and looked away from her.


    Thebination of exhaustion and the fact that her guests were long gone meant that Emery no


    longer needed to keep a smile on her face. ¡°What have you been talking about?¡± she asked wearily.


    ¡°Nothing much,¡± Hunter said as he walked up to hold her hand. ¡°It¡¯s been a long day. Why don¡¯t we


    head home early to rest? The staff can clean up the rest.¡±Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Alright, as you wish. Let¡¯s send Scarlett home first,¡± Emery replied with a grin.


    I dreaded the prospect of being in the same car as them, especially after the tension between Hunter


    and me. ¡°No need, our family chauffeur is waiting outside. You guys can go on ahead,¡± I politely


    declined.


    With that, they bade farewell to me and took their leave.


    Seeing their retreating figures, I couldn¡¯t help but let out a deep sigh.


    They¡¯re perfect for each other, so why did Hunter still go astray despite having such a happy family?


    ¡°If you stare anymore, she¡¯s going to know something¡¯s up.¡±


    Ashton showed up so suddenly that it gave me a scare. He cut a dashing figure as always, with his suit


    unbuttoned and hands in his pockets.


    I tried to act threatening and squinted at him. ¡°Oh? So you¡¯ve figured out what I was thinking about?¡±


    Aston loomed over me before sighing. ¡°Your acting skills are terrible. I wonder how Armond even fell for


    them in the past?¡± he asked while patting my head.


    I pulled away from him immediately, afraid that there might still be reporters lingering around. If anyone


    realized that our divorce was a farce, the repercussions would be gnarly.


    After looking around and confirming that it was just Ashton and me, I finally rxed a little. ¡°Armond fell


    for my act because he was afraid of losing me as his bargaining chip. That had nothing to do with my


    acting skills. Wait, do you mean to say that my actions earlier were very telling?¡±


    Ashton shrugged nonchntly. ¡°You were pretty much on par with that Delh woman.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean you saw through her?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t difficult at all,¡± Ashton said matter-of-factly.


    Seeing him being so sure of himself left me speechless. If even someone like Ashton could see


    through the act, surely Emery would be able to as well. After all, she was excellent at reading body


    language.


    But if that was the case, why did she act like everything was fine earlier?


    Also, if Ashton¡¯s this good at reading people, why wasn¡¯t he like this with Reba? Or was it just like


    the old saying where only the outsider sees most of the game?


    I could only hope for that to be true. Otherwise, it would be too cruel to Emery.


    ¡°You should go home now. It¡¯ste, and it¡¯s also time for your medication.¡± Ashton reminded, his voice


    full of concern.

 Chapter 1267

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1267


    I was still steeped in anger, knowing that Hunter had cheated on Emery. And the more I looked at


    Ashton, the more I was reminded of Reba, which only made me even angrier.


    ¡°If you could tell, why didn¡¯t you say anything? Are all men alike? Do you all always help one another


    keep your dirty secrets?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯te clean to Emery either, did you?¡± Ashton said with a frown.


    Fine. He¡¯s right.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you also think that there was nothing more to Reba bing closer to you?¡± I retorted as a


    sudden urge to cry came over me.


    For two years, I had been so troubled over the affairs of the heart that I never had a good night¡¯s sleep.


    I continued to be gued by those memories even to this day.


    Ashton¡¯s expression softened as he held my gaze. ¡°If I had known I¡¯d fall for you, I never would have


    made you sad.¡±


    I bit down on my lip as I saw the sincerity in his eyes. An immeasurable amount of warmth filled my


    heart and I felt myself even more on the verge of tears.


    Even though Ashton had made mistakes in the past, he never went to the extent of going all the way


    with Reba. On the other hand, Hunter had no problem betraying his love when faced with the


    temptation of the flesh.


    ¡°Can we go home now?¡± Ashton¡¯s voice once again brought me out of my daze.


    ¡°You go on first. I feel like going over to Emery¡¯s,¡± I mumbled, still trying to hold back my tears.


    ¡°Emery doesn¡¯t need your pity now,¡± Ashton replied. ¡°The fact that she could act like nothing was wrong


    even when her love rival had turned up shows how much she values her pride. Do you want to ruin that


    for her?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s best to leave it be and let her handle it on her own. Go home now. It¡¯s almost time for your


    injection.¡±


    Even after so long, Ashton still never failed to surprise me. ¡°I thought you¡¯d know Hunter better since


    you¡¯re both men. Who knew you¡¯d rte with Emery even more,¡± I remarked.


    ¡°Is that weird?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s weird at all,¡± he replied as he pushed the button for the elevator. ¡°You¡¯re my wife,


    Emery¡¯s your friend, and Hunter¡¯s not. It¡¯s obvious who I would understand more, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    When the elevator doors opened, he was quite the gentleman as he gestured for me to step in. ¡°After


    you, Mrs. Fuller.¡±


    Back at the Stovall residence, I had barely stepped into the house when I heard Summer and Emma


    still up and ying.


    ¡°Summer, look at the time! Why haven¡¯t you gone to bed?¡±


    As soon as she heard my voice, Summer dashed toward me.


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    ¡°Look, Mommy! Isn¡¯t this wooden horse cute?¡± Her smile was big and sweet as she excitedly showed


    me the toy in her hand.


    ¡°Hey Scarlett, your daughter sure is easy to please. She has so many expensive toys to choose from,


    yet she only likes this little horse figurine,¡± Emma joked.


    I led Summer to the sofa and sat down with her before scrutinizing her favorite toy horse.


    I honestly had no idea why she loved this toy so much. There was nothing special about it, and its


    craftsmanship was shoddy. I wondered why the girl would find something like this fun.


    ¡°Summer, where did this wooden horsee from?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Cress from school gave it to me!¡± she answered in her sweet, sharine voice.


    ¡°Mr. Cress? Which Mr. Cress?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s ournguage teacher! He even praised me in ss!¡± Summer said gleefully.


    Seeing her so happy made me smile too. I was relieved to know that the school was a good fit for her.


    Just then, John appeared on the stairs, dressed in his pajamas. ¡°Summer, say goodbye to your mother.


    It¡¯s time for bed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ming! Goodnight, Mommy!¡± Summer nted a kiss on my cheek and ran up the stairs to John.


    Emma saw how well John and Summer got along together and felt a twinge of envy. ¡°John will be a


    good father in the future.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s only possible if you give him a chance.¡±


    Emma lowered her head and did not say anything.


    I was about to probe her further when the nurse came in to administer my injection. I had no doubt it


    was John who had informed her.

 Chapter 1268

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1268


    After my injection, I was so tired that I forgot what I wanted to ask Emma about. I decided to call it a


    day and went to bed.


    The next day, I woke up early so I could send Summer to school. The past few days had been so hectic


    that I hadn¡¯t been able to spend much time with her.


    When the car pulled up in front of the school, Summer excitedly pointed at a man in the distance and


    shouted, ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Cress! Mommy, look! That¡¯s Mr. Cress!¡±


    I looked in the direction she was pointing at, but from where I was, I could only see the back view of a


    young man.


    When the door opened, Summer immediately jumped out and ran toward Mr. Cress.


    I wanted to make sure I looked presentable, so I fixed my makeup in the mirror before joining Summer


    to meet her new favorite teacher.


    I couldn¡¯t have spent more than two minutes on my makeup when I realized it was now a female


    teacher standing with Summer.


    Though a little baffled, I still went over to greet her.


    Summer pouted angrily when I finally reached her. ¡°You should have hurried, Mommy! Mr. Cress has


    already left!¡±


    The female teacher and I exchanged nces and couldn¡¯t help but burst outughing.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t get the wrong idea, Mrs. Fuller. Mr. Cress is one of the younger teaching staff in the


    school and is very highly valued. The principal had just called him away, so please don¡¯t think he¡¯s


    avoiding you on purpose,¡± she exined.


    ¡°That¡¯s okay. We¡¯ll meet some other time, and then I¡¯ll have a chance to thank him for making school so


    enjoyable for Summer.¡±


    After exchanging more pleasantries, Summer left with the teacher to get ready for sses.


    I stood at the entrance for a while more, trying to see if I could catch a glimpse of this elusive Mr.


    Cress. Sure enough, Summer bumped into him when she turned a corner and happily held his hand as


    they walked to ss together. Try as I might, I still couldn¡¯t see the face of Mr. Cress.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    Summer had always been slow to warm up to outsiders, especially with men. Other than the men in the


    family, she hardly had any contact with others. I was even more curious about Mr. Cress now,


    wondering what kind of magic he had over my daughter.


    After thinking for a while, I decided to call Emery.


    ¡°Hello¡­¡± Emery¡¯s voice was hoarse like she had either just woken up or was nursing a hangover from


    the previous night.


    ¡°Emery, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, why wouldn¡¯t I be? I had to head out against night for an appointment, and I¡¯m barely awake


    now. What¡¯s up?¡± she replied curtly.


    I was reminded of Ashton¡¯s words and changed my mind. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. We¡¯ll talk again when you¡¯re


    awake.¡±


    Her voice sounded faintly annoyed when she answered, ¡°Don¡¯t beat around the bush. I might not be


    free to answer my pher, so just say what you want right now.¡±


    ¡°Alright then. I wanted to get your help to check on a Mr. Cress in Summer¡¯s school. There¡¯s something


    weird about him.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Cress? Okay, I got it. Go home and wait for my news. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll hang up now.¡±


    Less than a secondter, I heard the dial tone on the other end. She had hung up before I could say


    anything else.


    The next time I met Emery again was two dayster. We had nned to meet at a caf¨¦ near her office.


    When she arrived, she was her usual energetic self, turning heads wherever she went.


    She had only just sat down when she suddenly said, ¡°I¡¯m getting a divorce.¡±


    For one full minute, I frowned at her, speechless.


    Emery looked very rxed as she stirred her coffee. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve noticed it as well. This past year,


    Hunter and I haven¡¯t been together as much. Our problems started very early on, and ever since, we


    found our personalities shing more and more. We¡¯re still young. There¡¯s no need to drag this out any


    further. So, a divorce it is.¡±


    The more she tried to be nonchnt, the more I could tell she was upset.


    Ashton was right about Emery having a lot of pride in herself. Once she saw through Hunter and


    Delh, she decided to end her marriage to protect her dignity. She chose not to reveal the ugly truth


    about the divorce, ming it on personality differences instead. After all, there was no way someone as


    strong as Emery would let herself lose to another woman.

 Chapter 1269

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1269


    To this day, I could still remember Emery¡¯s words to me, ¡°If I ever meet such a person, I¡¯ll make sure


    they never have another day of peace in their life!¡±


    Perhaps she already had her suspicions then that her marriage wouldn¡¯tst long.


    When she saw that I was quiet, Emery decided to change the subject. ¡°By the way, I got someone to


    check out that Mr. Cress you were talking about. He seems all right. He¡¯s from K City and has been


    teaching at Summer¡¯s school for four years now. Kids love him because he¡¯s young and good-looking.¡±


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    ¡°Oh, thank you.¡± I nodded, my face devoid of expressions.


    Emery suddenly stopped stirring her coffee and dropped the spoon. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be like this. You¡¯re


    divorced too, and now that I¡¯m in the same boat as you, you should be happy for me. From now on,


    we¡¯ll have each other for support. Men can all go to hell.¡±


    Now that she had brought up my divorce, I knew I couldn¡¯t keep the truth from her anymore. I had to


    come clean to her, and it was now or never.


    After hearing the truth, Emery was surprisingly quiet. All she did was stare at me oddly.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± I finally asked as her stare was starting to make me


    ufortable.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± she quickly replied. She didn¡¯t seem all too surprised by this news as she looked away


    and sipped her coffee.


    The more rxed she seemed, the more anxious I got. ¡°That¡¯s all? Aren¡¯t you going to ask me anything


    else?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to ask?¡± She pushed her coffee away and held my gaze. ¡°I¡¯ve noticed the way you look at


    each other. Even if the divorce was real, I figured you¡¯d get back together sooner orter. That¡¯s not


    much different from a fake divorce.¡±


    ¡°Ha¡­ your eyes are really sharp.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the two of you¡­ oh, no, it¡¯s just your bad acting skills.¡±


    Again with my acting skills? How dare they!


    As I sipped my hot cocoa, I decided to tell her everything I knew about Delh. ¡°Emery, actually Emma


    and I had seen Hunter going shopping with Delh. But we were afraid you might not take it too well, so


    we kept it from you. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Emery¡¯s expression was calm as she nced at me. ¡°No wonder Emma has been avoiding me like the


    gue.¡±


    ¡°You know how bad Emma is at keeping secrets, so she had to¡­¡±


    ¡°Forget it,¡± Emery announced with a wave of her hand. ¡°Tell her it¡¯s all over now. She doesn¡¯t have to


    keeping up with excuses to avoid meeting me.¡±


    ¡°Do you really not me us?¡± I asked warily. Even though I knew her well, I still needed to make sure.


    Emery let out a deep sigh, put down her coffee, and looked at me with a calm andposed


    demeanor. ¡°The two of you could have told me the truth earlier and saved yourself all this trouble. I had


    known about Hunter and Delh for a while now.¡±


    The fact that she had found out about it even before the ribbon-cutting ceremony shoulde as a


    surprise to no one.


    After all, Emery had such acute senses that nothing her partner did could ever escape her. Besides,


    the harder one tried to fake being in love with another, the easier it was to give it away.


    I pursed my lips, unsure of what to say.


    Emery had a look of sorrow as she gazed out the window and into the distance. ¡°I hate betrayals the


    most. Sadly, I¡¯m the product of my father¡¯s betrayal, and maybe that¡¯s why I have to pay the price of my


    mother¡¯s mistake.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not your fault!¡± Emery¡¯s words had made me emotional, and I felt like I was choking back tears.


    She shook her head sadly as she continued, ¡°It¡¯s over now, and I¡¯ve made concessions. Since Hunter


    has made his choice, I¡¯ll respect it. There¡¯s no need to end this on a bad note. I¡¯ll just cherish whatever


    good hade out of this one true love of mine.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s still a long way to go in life. You just haven¡¯t met the right person yet.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that easy,¡± Emery retorted. ¡°Scarlett, there are billions of men in the world. A man like Ashton is


    one in ten million. Not everyone is as lucky as you.¡±


    After a brief pause, her expression turned even more serious. ¡°You need two hands to p in any


    rtionship. Many women can¡¯t wait to snatch Ashton from you. So my advice to you is don¡¯t go down


    the same route as I had.¡±

 Chapter 1270

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1270


    If this were in the past, I would have said she was exaggerating. But after having gone through so


    much, I do believe in Emery¡¯s foresight.


    Even though one couldn¡¯t have smoke without fire, no one could ever live their lives without having


    faced temptations. Knowing self-control and when to let go would prevent one from going astray. But


    that would only work for those who yed by the rules.


    I knew who Emery was hinting at, and it piqued my interest. ¡°Emery, yourpany is still new and


    young. You¡¯re going to need to improve on the management and nning. Will you be interested in


    going somewhere to learn more?¡±


    ¡°Where to?¡±


    ¡°To thepany where my stakes lie. Where else?¡± I replied with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Ms.


    Moore.¡±


    Emery caught my hint and smirked. The n was in motion.


    Emery¡¯s office was in the prime business district of K City, so it took less than ten minutes since we left


    the caf¨¦ to arrive at Fuller Corporation.


    It happened to be lunchtime, so most of the employees had left for lunch. When Emery and I walked in,


    the office area was mostly empty.


    ¡°How can that be? Even if Ms. Collins has the ability, she isn¡¯t qualified!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true. Haven¡¯t you heard the saying when there¡¯s a will, there¡¯s a way? She could


    still be the next Mrs. Fuller. And when that happens, you¡¯re going to have to start buttering up to


    her!¡±


    The babble and gossip in the pantry rang out especially clearly in the empty office. I had deliberately


    quietened my footsteps as I tiptoed my way toward the pantry. When I got to the door, I slowly peeked


    in to see who was inside.


    I counted a total of six people in the pantry. They were all sat on the sofa with their backs facing the


    door as they continued with their gossip.


    ¡°Maybe Mr. Fuller might really fall for Ms. Collins. He has had so many other secretaries, but none


    stayed on for as long as Ms. Collins has. And I¡¯ve heard from others that Ms. Collins packed daily


    lunches for Mr. Fuller, rain or shine. You know what they say about a woman capturing a man¡¯s heart


    through his stomach. I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯s going to capture his heart soon!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I¡¯m sure Mr. Fuller has had his fill of good food. How can he be so easily bought over


    by just a few lunches? You¡¯re in the nning Department, for goodness¡¯ sake. You have to think more


    creatively. No wonder you haven¡¯t had a promotion in such a long time¡­ ¡°


    ¡°Hey, we¡¯re talking about Mr. Fuller here. Why do you have to make it about me now¡­ ¡°


    There was a lot of back and forth in the pantry, and I listened on in enthusiasm. Emery, on the other


    hand, was probably upset by their gossip as her face darkened.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    If I let them carry on, I was afraid she might start the next world war.


    I cleared my throat to get their attention and waited to see their reactions upon seeing us.


    The pantry fell into silence as soon as they heard my cough. When the employees saw Emery and me,


    fear and panic immediately registered in their eyes.


    A voice suddenly rang out from behind me. ¡°Ms. Stovall?¡±


    I turned and came face to face with Ste looking at me in bewilderment. She had a lunchbox in one


    hand and a stack of documents in the other.


    Ashton and I had signed the divorce agreement only a month ago, and she was already reminding me


    of it. She didn¡¯t hesitate when she called me ¡°Ms. Stovall¡± instead of ¡°Mrs. Fuller.¡±


    Emery was enraged as soon as she saw Ste. She was about to march up to her when I grabbed her


    hand and shot her a look, letting her know that I had the situation under control.


    I turned to Ste and put on my best manners. ¡°Ms. Collins, are you free to help with something?¡±


    Ste was taken aback and seemed to ponder about it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Stovall. But Mr. Fuller needs


    these documents urgently. Can I get someone else to help you instead?¡±


    Before I could reply, she had turned to the handful of employees in the office. ¡°Who doesn¡¯t have


    anything to work on now?¡±

 Chapter 1271

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1271


    The way she gave the order was as though she was the owner of thispany.


    Right after she spoke, the employees in the pantry poked their heads out stealthily, waiting for the


    drama between the president¡¯s ex-wife and his flirtatious secretary to unfold.


    ¡°Are you deaf or something? Scarlett is asking you to help, not anyone else.¡± Emery stood up for me.


    Instantly, Ste¡¯s brows knitted together at her words. Biting her lip, she seemed troubled as she


    bowed her head and said, ¡°Mr. Fuller hatesteness the most. Outsiders might be clueless, but Ms.


    Stovall, I believe you know that well.¡±


    Although I was a woman too, as I stared at her pitiful look, even I couldn¡¯t help but frown and felt sorry


    for her.


    Given the situation, it would look like I was the inconsiderate one if I forced her to work for me that day.


    Staying calm and collected, I kept the smile on my face as I stood rooted to the spot. I wanted to see if


    she had other tricks up her sleeves.


    Ste¡¯s voice gradually softened and trailed off. A few secondster, a whimper was heard in the empty


    corridor. Sure enough, her shoulders moved up and down, and her chest heaved as if she was deeply


    aggrieved.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, it¡¯s alright if you want to pick on me, but please don¡¯t take thepany¡¯s businesses for


    granted. Let me send these files to Mr. Fuller first, and I¡¯ll help you afterward¡­¡±


    Taking a closer look, I saw a few glistening tears trickle down her smooth, wless face. It reminded me


    of how Juliet cried for Romeo.


    Nevertheless, she was not Juliet, and I was not Romeo. Hence, my heart wouldn¡¯t ache for her. In fact,


    I found her act ridiculous.


    ¡°Ms. Collins, I would¡¯ve forgotten if you hadn¡¯t told me about it. Previously, Ashton always worked too


    hard and overlooked his health. Now that it¡¯s lunchtime, it¡¯s the only time he could take a break.


    However, as his secretary, you¡¯re bringing documents to his office, disturbing him. Have you ever


    consider if he¡¯s able to handle it? If he forced himself to work, and something bad happened to him,


    would you be able to take responsibility for it?¡±


    I asked in an interrogative tone while walking over to her. Just as I finished speaking, Ste lifted her


    head and wanted to refute me. I met her gaze, staring right into her reddened eyes with an assertive


    and unflinching gaze.


    Did she think that I¡¯m an easy target just because I rarely flew off the handle?


    Ste¡¯s expression froze for two seconds. Afterward, she recollected herself and took a step back to


    get further away from me. She retorted, ¡°Who said that I don¡¯t care about his health? I¡­¡±


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    ¡°You what? What do you have to say?¡± I became aggressive the second I spotted her clutching the


    lunchbox in her hands tightly.


    Ste knew full well that I had seen the lunchbox many times before. If she had the nerve to admit that


    she had been sending Ashton a lunchbox every day, it would indicate that she already had her eyes on


    him much earlier and that she was a pretentious woman.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Ste looked away indignantly. Her gentle expression was reced by a scowl.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Joseph showed up unexpectedly. Perhaps he hade over earlier and heard


    our conversation for a while now. As he approached us, he questioned Ste in an icy tone, ¡°Why didn¡¯t


    I know there are some urgent documents which Mr. Fuller needs to sign right now?¡±


    Ste bit her lower lip, a hint of panic appeared on her face. She couldn¡¯t utter a word in the face of the


    upright and fair-minded man.


    ¡°Ooh, someone just got busted.¡± Emery gloated at her embarrassment while leaning against the wall


    with her arms folded. The smugness on her face wasparable to that of John when he ridiculed


    someone.


    Ste¡¯s face flushed beet red, and she went speechless.


    Ignoring the woman, Joseph cut to the chase. ¡°Ms. Stovall, what brings you here? How can I assist


    you?¡±


    Undeniably, Joseph was shrewd and worldly-wise. Ste almost prevailed against me just now.


    Joseph¡¯s question reminded me that I was one of thepany¡¯s board members, and that saved my


    crumbling dignity.


    As a board member, I must carry myself with pride and authority.


    With an expressionless face, I sized him up and nodded faintly. ¡°Emery just started a newpany, so


    she needs guidance from us. I thought that Ms. Collins was the most sweet-tempered person in our


    company and that she would definitely be willing to give us a hand, so I came over. however, it turns


    out that I¡¯ve disrupted Ms. Collins¡¯ work. I¡¯m sorry, that was rude of me.¡±

 Chapter 1272

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1272


    The world honored wealth and power more than anything else. So for an insignificant secretary like her


    to disrespect a board member and pretended to be pitiful afterward was downright preposterous. I was


    interested to find out if she would be able to get away with this.


    After all, she was not the only one who could put on a show.


    Staring intently at Ste, I heaved a long sigh and stered on a guilty face.


    Anyone who had experience in the workce knew it was full of hypocrisy. Normally, a subordinate


    was doomed when their superior put on such an expression. Unable to pinpoint any mistake that their


    superior had done, they could only ept their misfortune. I heard gasps of horror behind me. It


    seemed like the other colleagues could already foresee what wasing Ste¡¯s way and started


    praying for her.


    Joseph nced at Ste and me. Then, he instructed curtly, ¡°Ms. Collins, please head to the Finance


    Department and get three months¡¯ worth of sry. You don¡¯t need toe to work from tomorrow


    onward.¡±


    His voice was firm and loud. Even I was amazed by his boldness. He actually had the guts to fire an


    employee whom Ashton hired just like that.


    Well done, Joseph! I couldn¡¯t help letting loose a smirk.


    ¡°Mr. Campbell?¡± Ste couldn¡¯t believe her ears as she gaped at him in shock. She forced a smile and


    asked, ¡°Please don¡¯t joke about this. I¡¯m Mr. Fuller¡¯s secretary, so you need to get his approval before


    firing me.¡±


    Joseph cast her a cold nce with an indifferent expression. ¡°So you do know that you¡¯re only a


    secretary. I¡¯m in charge of coordinating all thepany¡¯s affairs, it¡¯s only natural that I have the


    authority to terminate you. You can¡¯t even fulfill a small request from our board member. Are you


    waiting for Mr. Fuller to clean up your mess? Giving you three months¡¯ worth of sry ording to the


    employment agreement is the kindest thing I can do. Don¡¯t try to push your luck.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Ste bit her lower lips. Her face contorted with distress, but she couldn¡¯t find the words to refute


    him.


    Unfazed, I watched them nonchntly, enjoying the victory. Ste had overestimated herself. She


    wasn¡¯t even as gorgeous and talented as Rachel. It was dumb of her to attempt to seduce Ashton just


    because she worked closely with him.


    What happened to Ste that day served as a warning to everyone in Fuller Corporation. The position


    of being Ashton¡¯s wife was mine alone and anyone who tried to rece me had better be ready to


    stand against the board members, as well as the Moore and Stovall families.


    ¡°Why is it so noisy?¡±


    A man¡¯s familiar, husky voice came from afar. Turning around, I saw Ashton step out of his office. With


    a stern face, he strode past the inquisitive employees to us.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, Ms. Stovall asked for Ms. Collins¡¯ help with some simple tasks, but thetter declined her


    with many excuses. I¡¯m asking her to head to the HR Department to process her termination.¡±


    Ashton¡¯s dark eyesnded on Ste, whose eyes were still reddened. Thinking that he could be her


    lifesaver, Ste gazed at him with tears glistening in her eyes, and her brows furrowed slightly, looking


    delicate and pitiful.


    As the two locked eyes, time seemed to have stood still, and the office fell silent. My eyes couldn¡¯t help


    but flick between the two spectively, and my brows drew together instinctively.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Although Ashton only looked at her for less than three seconds, I felt as if a century had passed, and


    every second passed in an extremely slow motion.


    What¡¯s going on? Is Ashton going to sympathize with her just because she sent him lunch consistently?


    ¡°Is Joseph¡¯s words true?¡± Ashton asked. His attitude was just and unbiased.


    Ste was smart enough to realize that Emery and I were against her. Looking down, she nodded her


    head firmly and admitted her fault in silence. Her docile face made it look as though I made her confess


    to it by force.


    She may look pitiful to others, but for me, I was downright irritated by it.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, you don¡¯t need to hesitate. I know you¡¯re indebted to Ms. Collins for saving your life, so


    there¡¯s no need to make a big fuss out of this.¡± I marched over and interrupted them, staring straight at


    Ste boldly. ¡°I heard that Ms. Collins is good at meal nning and taking care of people. So why don¡¯t


    we transfer her to the Logistics Department as an assistant supervisor? She¡¯ll be able to make good


    use of her talents there.¡±

 Chapter 1273

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1273


    The moment those words left my lips, the nosy employees behind me started gossiping again.


    ¡°Assistant supervisor? Is Ms. Stovall being serious? Doesn¡¯t that mean that Ste will get a pay raise?


    Is Ms. Stovall that kind-hearted?¡±


    ¡°Tsk, tsk. Dream on! Once Ms. Collins is transferred to the Logistics Department, she¡¯ll never be able to


    come back to this floor. What hope does she have when she has to face a bunch of old and rough men


    each day?¡±


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s not too bad. As long as I can get a good pay, I don¡¯t mind working with a bunch of ugly


    people every day.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. Don¡¯t you have any pursuit in life? Once she leaves, she¡¯ll never get the chance to marry


    up.¡±


    Brushing off thesements, I kept the smile on my face and stayed calm.


    Many yearster, Emery would recall that day¡¯s incident and say, ¡°At that time, when I saw the fake


    smile on your face, I finally understood that deep down, you¡¯re as ruthless as Ashton.¡±


    She was right. I indeed wanted to give Ste a hard time.


    The Logistics Department was on the lowest floor of Fuller Corporation and the furthest away from the


    president¡¯s office. If everything went smoothly, she would never be able to see Ashton again. Working


    in the samepany without meeting each other was even more disheartening than kicking her out of


    thepany. She would lose hope as she watched other women approach and seduce Ashton.


    I suppressed my feelings andpassion. The only thing I wanted now was to let Ste reap what she


    had sown.


    ¡°It¡¯s up to you,¡± Ashton answered without a second thought. ¡°Leave once you get it done. There¡¯s no


    ce for monkey business in the office.¡± With that, he turned around and walked away.


    Before long, his towering figure slipped into the president¡¯s office. Perhaps the conflict between us


    annoyed him.


    Emery and I exchanged nces, and meaningful smiles spread across our faces. Soon, we redirected


    our gaze back to Ste, who was still in a daze.


    ¡°Ms. Collins, you heard him. Can you help me out now?¡± I raised my voice deliberately.


    It was confirmed that Ste was going to be transferred to the logistics department.


    Just like the way she addressed me as Ms. Stovall, my voice sounded cheerful as I nced down at


    her triumphantly.


    None of her colleagues dared plead for her. In the end, Emery and I took her to a small conference


    room on the lower floor.


    Previously, Emery was better at tormenting people, but now, I had be a self-taught expert.


    ¡°Ms. Collins, please head to the eighth floor and get the records of this year¡¯s projects¡­¡±


    ¡°I forgot to tell you that I need the information about the investment ns in theing year. Please go


    to the eighth floor again.¡±


    ¡°Is that all? How about going to the branch office and get our customers¡¯ information? Ashton is one of


    the shareholders of Emery¡¯spany, so it¡¯s fine to share our resources with her. Come back within


    two hours, because we¡¯re in a rush.¡±


    Throughout the afternoon, I lost count of how many times I bossed Ste around, giving her no time to


    take a seat or rest.


    As soon as the door closed, Emery could no longer hold back herugh. ¡°Look at you! You¡¯re the new


    king of torture in K City. You¡¯ve made a beautiful woman so miserable.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. And same to you! Now I know Ms. Moore has muchpassion for others.¡± I made fun of


    her.


    Emery poured two sses of warm water and handed one to me. ¡°Stop mocking me. The way you


    handled the matter today is rather brutal, but I like it. Good job!¡±


    She froze for a second, pursing her lips. After drinking half a ss of water in one gulp, she stared into


    space and said, ¡±Perhaps Hunter and I wouldn¡¯t have ended up this way if I had staked my im in our


    rtionship earlier.¡±


    I rarely saw this side of her. She appeared so forlorn, like a traveler who was heading home alone at


    night, worn out and dested. For a moment, I was at a loss for words.


    Fortunately, Emery didn¡¯t dwell on her emotions. In the blink of an eye, the loneliness within her faded


    away, and she asked inquisitively, ¡±When are you and Ashton going to stop pretending to be divorced?


    Luckily, I reacted fast enough just now. Otherwise, I would¡¯ve pped Ashton to teach him a lesson


    after seeing his attitude.¡±

 Chapter 1274

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1274


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Perhaps it has to go on for a little longer.¡± I heaved a sigh, feeling dejected all of a


    sudden.


    No couple would want to pretend to be enemies if they could show off their affection openly.


    There would always be women around Ashton. Most of them might not havepatible family


    backgrounds or capabilities. But the possibility of an outstanding womaning along one day was


    never zero. Once that happens, what should I do then?


    The moment I finished speaking, I heard the sound of my phone buzzing in my pocket.


    I fished out my phone right away and saw that it was a video call from Ashton.


    ¡°Will you look at that, the big boss is checking on you now. I¡¯ll give you guys some space,¡± Emery


    poked fun at me before she stood up and walked away.


    It required connections with the influential and reputable people for Emery¡¯spany to gain a foothold


    in the corporate world. However, her rtionship with Zachary had always been lukewarm, so she


    asked for Ashton¡¯s investment. That was also why he was present for the ribbon-cutting ceremony


    previously. Since then, Emery had always joked about herself working for Ashton.


    Feeling helpless, I shook my head with a smile before picking up the phone.


    ¡°Why did you ignore me for so long? Are you still mad?¡± Ashton raised a brow and gave me a devilish


    grin.


    ¡°Are you feeling bad for her?¡± I teased.


    ¡°I¡¯m just worried that you might be exhausted. You had to stay outside and didn¡¯t get to rest the entire


    day. How are you feeling now? Is there any uneasiness?¡± Ashton chose not to banter with me.


    Listening to his gentle tone, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to keep speaking sharply to him.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine enough to get mad and mock people. Actually, I felt as if I¡¯ve been reborn. I look nothing


    like a sickly person.¡± I bet there was no terminally ill patient who was as optimistic as me.


    ¡°Well, your happiness is more important than anything else.¡± He gazed at me. His expression was


    unusually solemn as he spoke.


    I knew he was genuinely concerned about me, yet his gaze made me felt like he was seeing through


    me at my soon-to-be-dead face.


    All the terminally ill patients had one thing inmon. We loved making jokes about death, but when it


    struck us that death was actually on our way, we lied to ourselves and refused to ept it.


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m happy, but that might not be the case for you, since you won¡¯t be getting those


    lunchboxes made with love anymore.¡± I changed the subject, avoiding talking about death.


    ¡°What lunchbox are you talking about?¡± Ashton seemed puzzled.


    ¡°Huh?¡± I narrowed my eyes and stared intently at him. ¡°Are you trying to y the fool? Ste sends you


    a lunchbox every day. Didn¡¯t you eat it?¡±


    The entirepany knew about it. So how could it be fake?


    ¡°When did she send it?¡± His expression looked innocent as if he waspletely clueless about it.


    ¡°Whatever.¡± It seems that I did it again¡­ getting jealous after hearing some baseless rumor. In fact,


    Ashton had never seen any lunchbox all this while. Yet, the rumor about him and Ste still spread like


    wildfire. This showed that she was quite the scheming woman.


    Ashton, however, wasn¡¯t going to let it slide. Keeping the conversation going, he said, ¡°By the way, it¡¯s


    been a long while since Ist had your cooking. I really miss it.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I was engrossed in my own thoughts that I didn¡¯t hear him. A few secondster, I finally


    recollected myself. Is he trying to hint at me to prepare a lunchbox with love for him? With that thought,


    I teased him intentionally. ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t do lunchboxes.¡±


    Disappointed, the gleam in his eyes became dimmer as he stared helplessly and dejectedly at the


    phone screen.


    ¡°But¡­ it¡¯s the weekend tomorrow. If you¡¯reing to see the babies at the Stovall residence, I don¡¯t


    mind cooking for you.¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­ Okay, see you tomorrow night, then.¡± Ashton chuckled. His mood was already lifted as he


    hung up the phone.


    I found that it was rather easy to console him. Like a cat, I only needed to stroke his head a few times,


    and he would be tamed right away.


    Long after I ended the call, Emery came back in. When she saw that I wasn¡¯t on the phone with Ashton


    anymore, she walked over to my side, took her bag, and was about to leave.


    ¡°Something came up in my office, so I have to go over there now. Do you want toe with me?¡±Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

 Chapter 1275

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1275


    ¡°But Ste isn¡¯t back yet. What should we do with these piles of documents?¡± I asked.


    Holding out her hands, she shrugged. ¡±Just leave it. Let her clean up this mess when she¡¯s back. It


    seems that you haven¡¯t mastered the art of torturing people. You should never be considerate to your


    enemy.¡±


    She was right. Having mercy on my enemy was akin to being cruel to myself, and what was more,


    Ste was so guileful. She totally deserved this.


    After chewing on her words, I stood up, held her hands, and walked out of the room. ¡°You head on over


    to your office. As for me, I¡¯m going home since I haven¡¯t spent much time with Audrey and Gregory. I


    miss them.¡±


    Emery let out a snort of contempt. ¡°Children will more likely be sessful if you train them to be


    independent. They¡¯re going to be spoilt brats if you pamper them too much.¡±


    I don¡¯t mind. I¡¯m fine with it as long as my children stay safe and healthy.¡±


    The Stovall residence was quite a distance away from Fuller Corporation. I looked out the car window


    nkly as the children and my terminal illness upied my mind.


    At a crossroads, the car stopped in front of a traffic light. There were several bars in themercial


    district by the road. While waiting, I noticed amotion in front of the entrance of a bar nearby. It


    seemed like a woman had offended the head of a group of men. She was probably going to face the


    music soon.


    The scene reminded me of Yvonne. If the child was still around, he would know how to speak already.


    After two minutes, the light turned green. The chauffeur slowly drove away, and I watched indifferently


    as the bar vanished out of my sight.


    Half an hourter, the car drove into a residential area where the government officials in K City lived


    and made a turn. I spotted an eye-catching blue sports car in front of the Stovall residence from afar.


    As the car went closer, I saw Zander standing right beside the sports car.


    I was surprised, as he gave me the impression that he wasn¡¯t someone who would do this. There was


    no association between Zander and the Stovall family. So I guessed he was here for me.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    Once the car pulled over, I opened the door and walked toward him.


    Zander seemed to have seen my car much earlier. He came over and greeted me first. ¡°Ms. Stovall.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Hoffman, I remember that I¡¯ve made myself quite clear the other day. I don¡¯t want to have anything


    to do with Tinsel Group. And yet, here you are, waiting for me right in front of my house. What do you


    want from me?¡±


    I had written down the Stovall residence address without much thought about it because ordinary


    people would avoid a government residential area. If Zander hadn¡¯t had an influential background, he


    wouldn¡¯t havee over.


    Staring at me, he hesitated for a moment before he spoke with a foreign ent. ¡°I¡¯m here to ask for


    your forgiveness.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± My forehead puckered. What is he trying to do?


    ¡°Chanaeans say that one must be humble and admit his fault if he has done something wrong. I mulled


    over what happened the other day and I shouldn¡¯t have been so stubborn and restrained you and your


    family with that attitude of mine. I hope you can forgive me.¡± Zander then took two tickets to a concert


    out of his suit jacket. ¡°My colleague said that the women in Chanaea love this idol group from my


    country, so I asked someone in K Nation to buy these tickets. Please ept this as my way of


    apologizing.¡±


    For some reason, the way he spoke in my nativenguage was weird, but I simply couldn¡¯t tell why I


    felt that way.


    Lowering my head, I nced at the tickets in his hand. It was indeed a rare opportunity, but I was not a


    fan of any idol group.


    I reached out my hand to push the tickets back to him. However, before I could touch them, a big hand


    appeared out of nowhere and grabbed the tickets away.


    ncing up, I saw Ashton stood on my left with a sullen expression. His sinister gaze was fixed on


    Zander.


    ¡°I remember you¡¯re the man who apanied Ms. Stovall to take her exam. Nice to meet you again.¡±


    Zander seemed oblivious to his sulkiness. With a friendly smile, he held out his hand for a handshake,


    just like the first time he met us.


    ¡°No,¡± Ashton said curtly. ¡°I¡¯ll speak in yournguage since you can¡¯t understand mine well. Not only do


    Chanaeans admit their faults, but we don¡¯t covet others¡¯ loved ones as well. Scarlett is my woman.


    Even though we¡¯re divorced, she¡¯s still the mother of my children. Whatever you¡¯re nning in your


    head, you¡¯d better not do it.¡±

 Chapter 1276

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1276


    Astonished, I stared at Ashton with widened eyes. I felt as if I just knew him today. Since when did he


    learn a newnguage?


    It was only then that Zander noticed Ashton¡¯s hostility. His hand froze in the air for half a minute before


    he withdrew it in silence. He appeared embarrassed when he spoke again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the


    misunderstanding. I just feel that Scarlett has the potential to be an excellentwyer. Tinsel Group


    is my father¡¯s blood, sweat, and tears, so I yearn to recruit more talents. I sincerely hope that Scarlett


    can work with me to uphold my father¡¯s legacy.¡±


    This reason didn¡¯t sound valid to me.


    Judging from how well he could speak ournguage, he knew our culture deeply, but he didn¡¯t


    understand what Ashton meant. Hence, I wasn¡¯t convinced when he said that he meant no harm, even


    though he often tried to cozy up to me.


    Meanwhile, Ashton was showing his aversion to Zander brazenly.


    Lifting the tickets in his hand, he tore them right in front of Zander and threw the pieces onto the


    ground. Right after that, he took out a checkbook, scribbled on it, and tore it off the book. Marching


    over to Zander, he slipped the cheque into the pocket of the man¡¯s shirt and patted it.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°There. You can leave now.¡±


    Zander turned to look at me. His brows snapped together, and his gaze was full of grievance.


    Nevertheless, he could do nothing but ept the cheque and leave.


    As soon as he got into the car, Ashton turned around and headed toward the house.


    He quickened his steps. Thanks to his long legs, it only took him a few strides to leave me far behind


    him.


    ¡°Ashton, wait for me.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until he reached the room upstairs to see the babies that he finally stopped and I was able to


    catch up to him.


    Gregory was asleep. On a couch in the bedroom, Ashton was holding and ying with Audrey, gazing


    at her affectionately. The one-month-old baby looked tiny in his arms. The corner of my lips curled up


    as I looked at his gentle demeanor, acting as if the baby was made of porcin.


    The second I stepped into the bedroom, the grin on Ashton¡¯s face vanished. With a poker face, he


    turned to nce at me indifferently as if I was a stranger. Meeting his gaze, I shuddered instinctively.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯reing over tomorrow?¡±


    He remained silent, but his expression turned grimmer. His forehead creased as he asked sternly, ¡°Are


    you trying to say that I came at the wrong time?¡±


    Unexpectedly, John¡¯s voice sounded behind me just then. ¡°There you are. Come to the study. Uncle


    Louis has something to say.¡±


    With that, he didn¡¯t linger around and disappeared behind the door.


    There was pin-drop silence for two seconds. Then, Ashton gently put Audrey on the bed and strutted


    past me out of the bedroom.


    What¡¯s with that attitude? Why did he give me the cold shoulder all of a sudden? What had I done to


    offend him?


    Whatever. Everyone was bound to lose their temper once in a while. Perhaps he¡¯s dealing with some


    problems at work. I decided that I would talk to him after meeting with Uncle Louis.


    When I arrived at the study, everybody had taken a seat. The three domineering men looked in my


    direction in unison. If I were an ordinary person, I would¡¯ve gone weak in the knees.


    I was supposed to sit by Ashton¡¯s side. However, he averted his gaze on purpose. I could tell that he


    didn¡¯t want to be close to me, so I sauntered over to the single-seat couch beside John and sat down.


    ¡°Uncle Louis, John said that you have something urgent to discuss with us.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Louis nodded. He then turned to look at John, who immediately understood him. ¡°Armond told


    Holden that his men had developed the antidote. He guaranteed that you would be healed, providing


    that we return the petroleum exploration agreement to the Murphys.¡±


    Louis then added, ¡°What I mean is, Armond¡¯s reputation is in tatters, overseas and locally. Even if he


    gets the agreement, Meudari might not want to work with a man with many criminal records. As such, it


    probably doesn¡¯t hurt to give it to him. Besides, the toxin in Letty¡¯s body is like a time bomb and we


    can¡¯t afford to wait any longer.¡±


    He heaved a long sigh and asked Ashton, ¡°What do you and Letty think?¡±

 Chapter 1277

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1277


    The moment he finished his sentence, the study room fell into an awkward silence.


    Armond had revealed his trump card. Now, everyone was aware of his ambition to make aeback


    by leveraging on petroleum.


    ¡°No,¡± I replied in a serious tone. ¡°Armond¡¯s reputation is in tatters, but how will we know if he won¡¯t


    somehow reinvent himself and make aeback? If he gains control of the oil, that would be


    equivalent to getting the backing of all the countries within Meudari. By then, the shockwaves he may


    cause won¡¯t be something that we can handle.¡±


    It doesn¡¯t matter if I die. If my death could guarantee my family¡¯s safety, then it would be well worth the


    risk. Even if I could somehow survive by a stroke of luck, I still couldn¡¯t bear letting everyone else fall


    into such a dangerous predicament.


    Armond had gone crazy. Since that was the case, he should be imprisoned for life instead of allowing


    him the opportunity to recover.


    Louis and John remained silent. All they did was furrow their brows and looked at Ashton skeptically,


    waiting for his response.


    It was obvious that they were considering Armond¡¯s demands, or else I would not have heard about it.


    The Stovall family was only concerned about my survival and not about how great the risks were.


    ¡°Ashton.¡± I gave him a pleading look and shook my head solemnly. ¡°We can¡¯t do this.¡±


    Pursing his lips in silence, Ashton remained expressionless, making me wonder if he could read the


    look in my eyes. After a long while, he turned around and answered Louis. ¡°I agree with Letty that being


    controlled by someone is bad. Armond¡¯s greed is boundless. Even if we give him the contract, we might


    still not get the antidote. Separately, I have contacted the most advanced medical researchers in the


    world and invested huge sums of money for them to analyze her disease. I believe we can look forward


    to some positive news soon.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± I was surprised. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about it before?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡± Ashton¡¯s expression remained distant. ¡°I told you that you can trust me. And that you won¡¯t die


    without my permission.¡±


    I was stunned by the look he gave me. It was true that ever since I knew I had a terminal disease, I was


    always worried about my death despite iming otherwise. Hence, I was mentally prepared for it to


    ur at any time because I knew how vicious Armond could be.


    Before I could reply, Ashton¡¯s tone grew more solemn. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re considering nobly


    sacrificing yourself? Thinking that your death would somehow grant us some ridiculous form of


    ¡®stability?¡¯¡°


    Feeling my heart sink, I furrowed my eyebrows as I had nothing to rebut him with. He didn¡¯t care


    whether I believed him or not. Instead, he was more concerned that I subconsciously wanted to leave


    him by dying.


    With his eyes fixated on me, his gaze felt like a bottomlesske, ready to drown anyone that fell into it.


    Sensing the tension in the atmosphere, John quickly eased the situation. ¡°Alright now, since we already


    have a solution, let¡¯s just ignore Armond. Anyway, it¡¯s gettingte. So let¡¯s go down and have dinner.¡±


    Ashton¡¯s cold stare swept across the room as he scowled. ¡°How can you still have any appetite? I¡¯m


    not hungry at all, so I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡±


    Just as he spoke, he stormed out of the room without even saying goodbye to Louis nor turning back to


    take another look.


    It was a long while before everyone else regained their senses.


    ¡°What¡¯s up with him?¡± John asked curiously. ¡°Did you two argue again?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Uh¡­ yeah, you can say so¡­¡± I pursed my lips, unwilling to exin further.


    A few dayster, John suddenly picked Emma and me up from the mall, saying that he wanted to take


    us somewhere.


    After driving for less than five minutes, the car entered the basement carpark of the most morous


    skyscraper in the city center.


    Upon entering the elevator, Emma asked curiously, ¡°Why are you acting so secretive? Where are we


    going?¡±


    Whirling a key around his finger, John smiled smugly as he continued to keep us in suspense.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    As Emma¡¯s face grew red in anger, I could only try and calm her down.


    Ding!

 Chapter 1278

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1278


    The elevator doors opened, and an exquisitely designed reception greeted us. On the wall, there


    seemed to be a sign covered by a striking piece of red cloth.


    The moment John stepped out, the receptionist greeted him with a smile, ¡°Mr. Stovall.¡±


    ¡°Mmm-hmm.¡± John nodded as he shot me and Emma a nce. The receptionist approached us and


    ushered us to where the red cloth was. ¡°This way please.¡±


    Standing in front of it, the receptionist handed me one end of it. ¡°Ms. Stovall, if you may.¡±


    ¡°Pull it open,¡± John urged.


    As I fumbled to pull the cloth away, I saw the words written on the sign: Scarlett Stovall Attorney At


    Law.


    ¡°Are you surprised? The logo has been designed by one of the most famous designers in the country.


    Doesn¡¯t it give you the vibe of a modern independent woman?¡± John boasted. I wasn¡¯t sure about the


    vibe, but I knew better than anyone what the name ¡°Scarlett Stovall¡± symbolized.


    Not expecting John to jump the gun, I was at a loss. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to exin yourself?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the point?¡± John¡¯s enthusiasm was dampened instantly as he exined, ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? I


    know you¡¯re feeling bored at home. So, isn¡¯t having your ownw firm better than working for someone


    else¡¯s? Going forward, you will be the one calling the shots. At the same time, you will enjoy the same


    level of security as the Stovall family which will put our minds at ease.¡±


    Emma paced around and scrutinized the ce. ¡°Did you rent the whole floor?¡±


    ¡°Of course. The Stovall family doesn¡¯t need to share our territory, do we?¡± John replied in a serious


    tone.


    Any office within this building would costs at least a hundred thousand a month in rent. From the way


    John spoke, the rent would definitely be above a million every month. There¡¯s no way I, as a trainee


    lawyer, would be able to attract so much business to cover the cost¡­


    Feeling troubled, my frown didn¡¯t escape John¡¯s notice.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about not having any business in the near term. The Stovall and Moore family alone spend


    hundreds of millions in legal fees on externalwyers. Instead of benefitting someone else, wouldn¡¯t it


    be better to use your firm to save some cost?¡±


    I smiled wryly. ¡°Do they even need the savings?¡±


    ¡°Since when is anyone satisfied with the money they have?¡± John shrugged while spreading his arms.


    He walked ahead and urged me forward. ¡°Come and take a look at your office.¡±


    John always had a good eye. The whole office was minimalistic yet grand. Thergest room had the


    best lighting as it allowed the sunlight to shine through itsrge windows and provided an unobstructed


    view of the rest of the office.


    As I ran my fingers over the suede-wrapped chair, I was overwhelmed by a mixture of emotions.


    Perhaps, when I was no longer around, thisw firm would be my legacy.


    Knock! Knock! A man in a suit and leather shoes entered.


    ¡°Mr. Stovall.¡± He greeted John respectfully before nodding at me. ¡°Ms. Stovall.¡±


    John took his hands out of his pockets and pointed at the man. ¡°He is the legal adviser of Stovall


    Corporation, Brooklyn Newman. Now, he and his team will join you here. As he is someone trustworthy,


    you can leave all theplex issues to him.¡±


    I turned toward Brooklyn and exchanged nces to acknowledge him. However, the matter of


    managing thew firm came too suddenly for me to ept. Hence, I still hadn¡¯t decided what to do.


    For starters, the twins were just one month old and needed a lot of attentive care. Secondly, thew


    firm needed someone who was in it for the long haul. Considering that I had one foot in the grave, I


    couldn¡¯t bear the responsibility of running it.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you wait for us outside,¡± John instructed Brooklyn when he sensed the struggle I was


    experiencing.


    ¡°What is it? Is Brooklyn not up to your standards?¡± John teased me to ease the tension in the air. ¡°That


    shouldn¡¯t be the case. Other than not being as rich as Ashton, he is quite popr with thedies back


    in the office.¡±


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    ¡°Men love to ogle at prettydies, must it be the same for women?¡± Emma snapped.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I say youck exposure. It is man¡¯s basic instinct to crave money and sex. Just looking at


    something pretty alone will improve one¡¯s mood. This will be beneficial to Scarlett¡¯s condition.¡± John


    gave her a cursory reply before asking me, ¡°Just say the word, Letty. After all, I have bought the whole


    floor and thew firm will definitely begin its operations. It¡¯s just a matter of whether you¡¯re working for


    someone else or here instead. It¡¯s your call.¡±

 Chapter 1279

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1279


    After giving it some thought, I asked, ¡°Did you start thew firm to fulfill my wish, or do you have other


    reasons?¡±


    ¡°Both. It will guarantee that no one can make things difficult for you, and it also has a role to y within


    the Stovall family.¡± John paused for a moment as his gaze became serious. ¡°Uncle Louis has begun to


    make his move. After this, we will need aw firm we can control in anticipation of futurewsuits.¡±


    I nodded in acknowledgment. Despite how good John was to me, that reason alone wasn¡¯t enough to


    have invested so much. It appeared that thisw firm would have an important role to y in the future.


    Perhaps, this might be thest ce I¡¯m able to showcase my talents.


    After pondering upon it, I decided to ept John¡¯s arrangement. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll do it on one condition.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead. Even if you have ten, it won¡¯t be a problem at all.¡± John acted generously as he was in a


    good mood.


    ¡°Get that famous designer of yours to redesign the logo. As someone who hasn¡¯t officially be a


    practicingwyer, it would be preposterous to have my name on the sign. It would be more appropriate


    to use the Stovall name instead,¡± I exined.


    Although Brooklyn didn¡¯t fully introduce himself just now, he was likely a very experiencedwyer given


    his demeanor. To have him work under me would be too much to ask of him. Furthermore, to have the


    law firm named after me would be terrible for staff unity.


    John readily agreed without a word of protest. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll get him to redo it until you¡¯re satisfied.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to go back to him. Just leave it to me.¡± Suddenly interested, Emma remarked with her


    hands on her hips, ¡°Scarlett, what do you think about leaving this to me?¡±


    ¡°Is business at yourpany that bad? That you need to rely on friends for work?¡± John teased while


    raising his eyebrows in curiosity.


    ¡°What do you care?¡± Emma rolled her eyes at him as she walked over to hold my arm. ¡°This is between


    Letty and me. What¡¯s wrong with me doing this for free as it will be my gift for her grand opening?¡±


    ¡°Free?¡± John furrowed his eyebrow, skeptical of her words. ¡°The logo represents thepany¡¯s image.


    The design firm you work for is considered mediocre in K City. Are you sure you are able to design


    something that lives up to the Stovall Corporation¡¯s standards?¡±


    ¡°Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Who says only arge firm can produce quality work? I just want


    to design a logo for Letty because I like her. Do you have a problem with that?¡± Emma retorted.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t. But, to avoid anyints in the future that will damage yourpany¡¯s reputation, I


    would advise you to reconsider in the interest of the bigger picture.¡±


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    ¡°Who says I will definitely disgrace myself? I¡¯m going to design something so amazing that it will shut


    you up!¡±


    ¡°Stop!¡± I had no choice but to stop their argument from escting any further. After all, their tempers


    were beginning to re. ¡°It¡¯s just a sign. The most important thing for aw firm is how many cases we


    win. Aren¡¯t both of you taking this too seriously?¡±


    Right after I spoke, both of them looked at me in unison before turning their heads away.


    ¡°Pfft!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡±


    In the end, I had the final say and decided to let Emma do the design.


    As Louis wanted to take action against Ezra¡¯s men recently, John was supposed to help him. Hence,


    John had to leave after tying up loose ends at thew firm.


    As for Emma, she couldn¡¯t wait to prove herself. Therefore, she returned to her office to work overtime,


    ignoring the fact that it was her day off.


    As they took their leave one by one within half an hour, I was the only person left in the office.


    ¡°Those two really hate each other¡¯s guts,¡± I couldn¡¯t help butin.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall.¡± Brooklyn suddenly entered with a bunch of documents in his hands. Standing right in


    front of me, he ced them on my table.


    ¡°There are three cases here that involve contract disputes between some smallpanies. I¡¯ve gone


    through them and found them straightforward enough. I reckoned they will likely not cause you too


    much trouble.¡±


    Before I could be called to the bar, I needed toplete ten cases independently. It appeared that


    John had informed Brooklyn about this.

 Chapter 1280

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1280


    ¡°I appreciate what you¡¯re doing for me, Mr. Newman. I willplete this to the best of my abilities and


    not disappoint you.¡±


    It was an industry practice within the legal fraternity that anyone new would not have the opportunity to


    meet with clients. Even Eugene of Tinsel Group only allowed Zander and me to apany him to


    court. But now, Brooklyn was directly giving me his cases. By doing so, he was doing me a huge favor


    for which I was naturally grateful for.


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush. Just take your time. As someone new, it will be a while before you settle down. Also,


    there¡¯s something else I want to talk to you about.¡± Brooklyn was someone easy to talk to. Furthermore,


    his gentle expression gave off a warm and friendly vibe.


    John was right to say that pleasant sights do improve one¡¯s mood.


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± I replied with a smile.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    ¡°Since Mr. Stovall trusts me enough to put me under you, there are certain things which I want to be


    upfront with you.¡± With a serious expression, Brooklyn sped his fingers in front of himself. ¡°Although


    it is just thew firm¡¯s first day of operations, we are burning money every second. Therefore, I was


    wondering if you could link ourpany up with the Moore family as soon as possible? Or perhaps


    work out a legal partnership with Fuller Corporation? So that we can prevent any potential trouble.¡±


    As I had just thrown my weight around in front of Ste, it would be a bad idea for me to visit Fuller


    Corporation so quickly. Therefore, my only choice was to meet with Cameron and Zachary.


    It wasn¡¯t a difficult endeavor. In fact, I could even get the Harrisons and Tinsel Group to let us manage


    their legal affairs. However, Brooklyn¡¯s candidness caused me to feel concerned.


    After the many painful lessons that I had been taught, I realized time couldn¡¯t show one¡¯s true


    character. After all,pared to the eternal nature of time, the duration we could spend with anyone


    was simply too short.


    ¡°I understand. I will work on that. But, for these few days, let¡¯s just focus on stabilizing the firm¡¯s


    operations.¡±


    ¡°Sure. In that case, I¡¯ll stop bothering you then. I¡¯ll be outside if you need me.¡±


    Just as he spoke, Brooklyn stood up and left.


    His actions are all very decisive. John really knew my taste well.


    When Emery called and invited me for afternoon tea, I agreed as I was coincidentally working on a


    case with apany in the vicinity.


    The person who received me at thepany likely had been in contact with Brooklyn. Everything went


    smoothly, and I was done in less than half an hour.


    When I arrived at the caf¨¦, Emery was still driving her way there. Hence, I chose a seat by the window


    and ordered a ss of warm milk while waiting for her.


    Before long, the waiter served me my milk. The moment I took a sip and looked out the window, I saw


    Emery swaggering morously toward the caf¨¦ in her sunsses and fashionable outfit.


    Just when she was on her way here, a figure suddenly stood in front of her, blocking her way. The


    man¡¯s body was so massive that he blocked off my view of her. What worried me was that he didn¡¯t


    look friendly at all.


    The next moment, the man said something, causing Emery to take off her sunsses and stagger a


    few steps back. Realizing something was very wrong, I quickly paid the bill and rushed out.


    ¡°Emery!¡± Yelling from the entrance, I hoped to scare the man away. After which, I continued running


    toward her.


    Having heard my voice, both the man and Emery looked in my direction. As they weren¡¯t far from me, I


    managed to reach her side within a few seconds.


    ¡°Who are you? Are you trying tomit a crime in broad daylight?¡± Gritting my teeth, I calmly waved


    my phone in the air and threatened, ¡°I have already called the police. If you don¡¯t want to go to jail, I


    advise you to leave now.¡±


    ¡°Damn you b*tches for daring to call the cops!¡±


    The man had a deep scar that stretched across his nose and extended toward the corner of his mouth.


    Given how agitated he was, his expression was filled with ferocity. When he heard what I said, he


    raised his fist in rage and threw it in my direction.


    I instinctively tried to block his attack. Before his fist could reach my face, however, Emery stepped


    forward andunched a surprise attack by kicking the man in between his legs.


    ¡°Argh! F*ck!¡± Grimacing in pain, the man covered his groin and dropped to his knees.


    ¡°How dare you try and hit my friend! You are certainly asking for it!¡± Emery looked down at the man with


    a fearless expression.


    Just as she spoke, she pushed me behind her to protect me. Not far away, the Moore family


    bodyguards came rushing over. The group of young men in sunsses and ck suits caused quite a


    commotion with their appearance.

 Chapter 1281

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1281


    When the man heard them approaching, he turned back to look. Out of desperation, he forced himself


    to stand and red viciously at Emery. Reaching into the pocket of his suit, he took out a stic bottle.


    Before we could react, he quickly opened the bottle and threw its contents toward Emery¡¯s face. ¡°Die,


    you b*tches!¡±


    Emery covered me and ducked, but her heel was trapped by a crack on the payment, causing her leg


    to buckle. Losing our bnce, both of us fell backward together.


    At that exact moment, I could see traces of liquid streaking through the air. After which, Emery threw


    herself around to protect me from it.


    ¡°Be careful!


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    As the liquid hit her back, Emery¡¯s grimacing expression struck me to the core.


    ¡°Emery!¡± She copsed into my arms with her face reddened from the excruciating pain.


    When the man realized his job was done, he dropped the bottle and fled immediately.


    The bodyguards rushed over, carried Emery away, and provided me cover to leave the ce. Naturally,


    a police report had also been made.


    At the hospital, the doctor¡¯s initial diagnosis was that she had been burned by sulfuric acid. Therge


    swathe of skin on her back that was burned would likely not be able to grow back.


    Ashton was the first to call. At that moment, I was sitting at the entrance of the operating theater


    oblivious to the ringing of my phone. It wasn¡¯t until the bodyguard reminded me of it that I answered the


    call.


    ¡°Why did you take so long to pick up?¡± Ashton sounded exasperated. Despite not seeing him in person,


    I could still feel how concerned he was.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Emery is still in the operating theater. I was just feeling too anxious about her,¡± I replied in a


    dejected tone.


    It was natural for girls to enjoy unting their bodies. Emery had a good figure with wless skin.


    Hence, she loved wearing revealing outfits that expose her shoulders and back. But now, she would


    never get to wear her favorite clothes anymore. Life is just too cruel to her.


    The more frightening thought was that the man was actually aiming for her face. What sort of bad blood


    between them would cause him tomit such a heinous attack?


    On the other side of my worries was my fear. I was afraid that I was the cause of the incident and also


    afraid that I had burdened someone else before my death.


    ¡°Scarlett.¡± Ashton¡¯s tone suddenly changed. Its steadiness emanated a power that was able to calm my


    heart. ¡°Believe me, it has nothing to do with you. That man isn¡¯t one of Armond¡¯s.¡±


    The moment he read my mind, the tears that I had been holding back gushed out instantly. Holding my


    phone tightly, I cried like a child.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    Ashton didn¡¯t say another word until I managed to calm down. I heard his deep voice over the line


    again. ¡°John and the Moore family¡¯s men will arrive soon. Try and recall exactly what happened and


    exin it to them quickly. It will make it easier for them to catch the perpetrator. Can you do that?¡±


    I gritted my teeth. ¡°Yes.¡±


    When the men arrived, I began to carefully recount what had just happened.


    I had learned my lesson from previous mistakes where we allowed our enemies to seed because


    we didn¡¯t seize the initiative. This time, I wasn¡¯t going to allow the perpetrator to go off scot-free.


    Emery was mostly someone genial despite the asional temper tantrum. Furthermore, the Moore


    family didn¡¯t have many enemies. Hence, one could count with one hand the suspects that hated


    Emery so much that they wanted to disfigure her.


    ¡°Letty!¡±


    Just when I was describing the attacker, John arrived at the operating theater. After scrutinizing me for


    injuries, he heaved a sigh of relief when he found none.


    Shortly after, Cameron and Zachary rushed over. After briefly exining to them what happened,


    Zachary took charge and ordered all the Moore family bodyguards to capture the perpetrator.


    Four hourster, Emery was moved to a normal ward.


    She was already awake. But due to the injuries on her back, she could only lie on her side with the


    support of some equipment.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Emery was never close to Zachary. Hence, she resented the fact that she had to


    face them in her miserable condition.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be edgy, we¡¯re family after all.¡± Zachary¡¯s expression was both solemn and


    authoritative. When he saw Emery turn pale, he softened his tone with a sigh. ¡°You and I have never


    been good at following instructions. To have married someone I never knew and start a family, it shows


    that both of us are inherently free spirits. Hence, we should be treasuring and looking out for one


    another instead. Do you n to never acknowledge me as your bother for the rest of your life?¡±

 Chapter 1282

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1282


    For someone as headstrong as Zachary who only bowed to Cameron, he had demonstrated his


    sincerity with his humble attitude toward Emery.


    Despite her stubborn character, Emery wasn¡¯t an ungrateful person. Although she didn¡¯t respond, her


    expression softened and was no longer as distant.


    ¡°Have you caught the man who threw the acid?¡± Emery suddenly changed topics.


    For someone as courageous as her, worrying about capturing the perpetrator right after the anesthetic


    had worn off was considered nothing. In fact, if there was ever a need, she could even get off the bed


    right after childbirth.


    Given how smart she was, she would likely have a better grasp of the situation than I did. I figured that


    she had already guessed who the perpetrator was before the operation was evenpleted.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t concern yourself about the man. I will ensure whoever is responsible pays for what they


    have done,¡± Zachary dered angrily.


    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± Frowning, Emery looked conflicted. ¡°This is my problem, and I will deal with it myself.¡±


    ¡°Deal with it yourself?¡± Zachary was skeptical. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be lying here if you had managed to deal


    with it properly. You are too soft-hearted, so stay out of it this time.¡±


    Just when Emery wanted to protest, the sudden surge of emotions cause her to tear her wound. She


    grimaced in response, gritting her teeth.


    ¡°Emery knows what to do, so let¡¯s just listen to her. Watch over that man first. Once she has rested for


    two days, she can decide what to do with him,¡± I interjected.


    As a woman, I could understand her obstinance. No matter how detached a person was, one could


    never escape being tormented by love.


    Despite her sullen expression, Emery struggled to protest further.


    After ncing at me and looking back at her, Zachary finally relented. ¡°Alright, for the time being, just


    focus on getting better, then. No matter how you intend to punish those responsible, just know that the


    Moore family will stand by your decision. So don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Emery painstakingly murmured as sweat broke out on her forehead.


    Three dayster, worried that the Moore family would starve the perpetrator to death, Emery demanded


    to be discharged.


    Although this was their family matter and I shouldn¡¯t be involved, Emery insisted that I stay by her side.


    Despite not knowing the reason for it, I agreed to her request. After all, she needed someone to take


    care of her as she was still struggling to walk properly.


    In the living hall, Zachary and Cameron were seated in the center. After I helped Emery to her seat, the


    bodyguard brought the culprits in.


    After having not seen him for a few days, Hunter no longer looked like the gentleman he once was. His


    clothes were wrinkled while his face was covered with bruises. It was a pathetic sight. As for Delh,


    she didn¡¯t change much other than being in a daze after having been imprisoned for the past few days.


    ¡°Emery, are you alright?¡± When he saw her, Hunter looked as if he was very concerned, which caused


    Delh to give him the side-eye.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    As Emery¡¯s wounds had yet to fully recover, she wasn¡¯t supposed to move unnecessarily. However, at


    that moment, she straightened her posture. Putting on a calm yet indifferent expression, she looked as


    if she wasn¡¯t hurt at all.


    Only I was aware of how hard she was clenching her fist that was hidden away by her side. It was


    evident how excruciatingly painful tearing the wound on her back must have felt.


    Ignoring Hunter, she stared coldly at Delh, ¡°Why did you do this?¡±


    ¡°I should be the one asking you instead.¡± After being imprisoned for three days, it only caused Delh¡¯s


    rage to swell as she red angrily back at Emery.


    Emery¡¯s face remained expressionless as she asked again, ¡°Fine. Tell me, then, what have I done to


    you?¡±


    Seemingly undecided on who to side with, Hunter tugged at Delh¡¯s sleeve, hoping to persuade her to


    back down.


    ¡°Sure I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Shaking off his hand, Delh took a step forward.


    ¡°I know that it¡¯s my fault for stealing Hunter away. Hence, I was ready to ept any form of punishment


    you intended to mete out. However, of all the things you could have done, you chose to punish my


    family who was innocent. My dad was only one year away from retirement but you used your


    connections to have him fired. After being dealt with such a devastating blow, he fell sick and is still


    lying in the hospital. As for my brother, who is a sessful and highly sought-after professor overseas,


    he couldn¡¯t find a job after returning home. Other than you, who else has the power and influence to do


    such a thing?¡±

 Chapter 1283

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1283


    Although what happened to Delh¡¯s family was a shame, her actions of trying to disfigure and kill


    Emery were even crueler.


    Even if Emery really did all that, all this wouldn¡¯t have started if Delh hadn¡¯t stolen Hunter from her.


    ¡°It appears you have no idea how powerful the Moore family is given that you dared to hire someone to


    ssh acid when only two of your family members have beenid off. I would have wiped out your


    family if anything had happened to Emery.¡± Having been silent throughout, Zachary red at Delh. It


    was rare for someone as aloof as him to disy such ferocity.


    ¡°Hah¡­¡± Delh sneered. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying. I only know that the illustrious Emery


    resorted to unscrupulous means to destroy my happiness despite having agreed to break up in peace.


    If word gets out that she is such a venomous person, I¡¯m afraid the Moore family¡¯s reputation would be


    badly affected.¡±


    ¡°Hunter, it seems that you really have good taste in women!¡± Unable to stand it anymore, I gritted my


    teeth and interrupted.


    After hurting Emery to this extent, Delh still dared to act with such defiance. She has definitely


    outdone Reba in making one feel indignant. Besides, isn¡¯t her so-called happiness stolen from


    Emery in the first ce?


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    Realizing that he was also to me, Hunter hung his head in shame without saying a word. All he did


    was shirk away from the situation.


    If only Emery had known him better then, she wouldn¡¯t have fallen for him in the beginning.


    ¡°Do you think that just by hiring someone desperate you can wash your hands clean of the matter?¡±


    Emery might be soft-hearted, but I wasn¡¯t. ¡°Since we have captured him, I have my ways of making him


    talk. Assault alone would earn him three years of prison. With the Moore family¡¯s influence, it would


    easily be extended to ten years. As for being the mastermind, you should prepare yourself to spend


    your best years in prison.¡±


    Delh¡¯s beauty was her trump card. By sending her to prison, she would always remember that there


    was a price to pay for harming someone indiscriminately.


    When she saw how firm I was, she began to panic and averted her gaze from me.


    ¡°Let her go, please.¡± Hunter suddenly pleaded, ¡°She¡¯s pregnant, after all. Let¡¯s all just take a step


    back.¡±


    Pregnant?


    No wonder Emery¡¯s divorce waspleted with such haste. This exined everything.


    ¡°Hunter, how dare you!¡± Furrowing his eyebrows intensely, Zachary¡¯s expression was extremely grave.


    ¡°I thought that you broke up with Emery because both of you were ipatible. But now, it¡¯s obvious


    that you¡¯re just a scumbag!¡±


    Zachary had always been extremely devoted to Cameron. Fiercely loyal, he never thought of anything


    else other than spending the rest of his life together with her. Hence, he viewed Hunter¡¯s infidelity with


    contempt.


    Pursing his lips, Hunter looked at Zachary and gritted his teeth in shame. Thereafter, he turned toward


    Emery and sighed. ¡°Emery, I am the one that caused all this. You can me me and hate me. But


    Delh is right. Her family is innocent. The two of you have each made mistakes. Since we have


    broken up, can you let this matter slide on ount of Xavier?¡±


    ¡°Xavier?¡± Emery smirked. ¡°It seems you have forgotten that you abandoned him for another child.¡±


    Hunter didn¡¯t expect Emery to be so calm. Briefly stunned, he was suddenly at a loss for words.


    Indeed, Emery was moreposed than I had expected. As she shifted her eyes in Delh¡¯s direction,


    she seemed to be looking at her listlessly. ¡°With regards to your usations, do you have any proof?¡±


    Just as she spoke, everyone was stunned.


    Given how sure Delh sounded, everyone assumed that Emery did everything she had alleged. But


    after giving it some thought, it seemed that there might be another possibility.


    ¡°You use me of causing your father to be sacked and your brother to not be able to secure a job.


    You im that I did all these behind the scenes as revenge for you stealing my man. Unfortunately, you


    don¡¯t know me at all. It¡¯s as my brother has said. If I wanted to harm you, I wouldn¡¯t have just caused


    your family to lose their jobs. In fact, I would have done it openly and you would not have any doubts as


    to who is exacting revenge.¡±

 Chapter 1284

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1284


    Pausing for a moment, Emery shifted her gaze toward Hunter. ¡°It seems that I have overestimated the


    rtionship we once shared given that you can tolerate Delh¡¯s violent actions. I consider myself to


    have been blind in the past. From now onward, there is nothing left of our so-called rtionship.¡±


    Furrowing his eyebrows, it was apparent that Hunter was shocked.


    ¡°Impossible!¡± Delh reacted with greater defiance. ¡°Other than you, our family doesn¡¯t have any other


    powerful enemies. You are just making excuses!¡±


    ¡°Delh!¡± Overwhelmed with shame, Hunter stopped her.


    ¡°Did I say anything wrong? Hunter, you couldn¡¯t clean up your own mess because you didn¡¯t want to


    stain your reputation as a professor. So, I had to do it for you. But look at you now! In the midst of me


    being bullied by your ex, you choose to lecture me instead? I am now beginning to doubt whether your


    feelings for me are true.¡± Outraged, Delh switched the focus of her anger right in front of us.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    It seemed that she wasn¡¯t very smart, she was oblivious to the fact that the Moore Residence wasn¡¯t


    the ce for her own family squabbles.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care whether your feelings for each other are true. Delh, take a good look at thewyer


    representing me.¡± Emery nce at me before adding inly, ¡°Be prepared to hear from mywyer.


    Since you dare challenge me, I will dly y your game to your heart¡¯s content.¡±


    Given Emery¡¯s stature, she could hire any topwyer in the city she wanted. Handing the task to me


    was just her way of being polite.


    As for me, I just wanted to use the opportunity to scare Delh.


    After hesitating for a split second, I collected myself and smiled slightly, ¡°That¡¯s right, Ms. Delh


    Perkins. Let me introduce myself again. I, Scarlett Stovall, am awyer from Stovall Law Firm. From


    this moment on, I will represent Ms. Emery Moore in this assault-rted case. You will be hearing from


    my firm soon. As this will be my first case as awyer, it will be a wonderful opportunity for me to


    demonstrate my prowess. So don¡¯t expect me to show you any mercy.¡±


    Hiding malice behind a smile was a necessary skill everywyer practiced. Obviously, I am now one of


    them.


    Realizing that there was no way she could escape a few years of prison, Delh¡¯s face turned pale.


    Just as her knees buckled, she lost her bnce and copsed into Hunter¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Scarlett, you have been pregnant before and know that emotional shock is bad for pregnant mothers.


    Why do you need to frighten her?¡± Hunter was upset.


    As all the goodwill I felt toward him had long since dissipated, I was further angered at the sight of


    Hunter defending Delh.


    ¡°If a pregnantdy can¡¯t take the shock, should a burn victim take it then? Do you know that when the


    acid came into contact with Emery, she fainted immediately? After an operation thatsted hours, do


    you even know that she has been unable to sleep properly for thest few days?¡±


    During such times, men could be so tactless to utter such ridiculous words.


    I used to feel that Hunter was someone attentive. But now, it seemed that he will indiscriminately


    protect any woman by his side, regardless of who she was. The one person he truly loved was himself.


    Triggered by my words, Emery, who was silent for a long while, let out a deep sigh. She then asked,


    ¡°Hunter, you clearly know me very well. I would never deny something that I had done. Now, do you


    believe me when I tell you that I had nothing to do with what happened to Delh¡¯s family?¡±


    Hunter took a deep breath before replying solemnly, ¡°I believe you.¡±


    When Delh, who was leaning against him, heard his reply, she wanted to protest further. However, he


    held her back with all his strength.


    ¡°Good.¡± Emery smirked as she shifted her gaze to her front as if she was talking to no one. ¡°In that


    case, I¡¯ll take this as an admission on your part that I have never done anything to harm you. Hence,


    this matter solely revolves around Delh plotting the assault. Based on that, I will seek justice for what


    she has done.¡±


    ¡°How can you do this!¡± Delh objected. Her dejected expression from just a moment ago had now


    turned into one of anger. She scowled, ¡°This is just a misunderstanding. And yet, you insist on


    destroying us!¡±

 Chapter 1285

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1285


    By now, I couldn¡¯t be bothered to curse at Delh¡¯s preposterous words.


    ¡°Take them outside,¡± I ordered the bodyguards. ¡°Without my permission, never let them in again.¡±


    The moment I finished, the bodyguard dragged them away and threw them out.


    Once they left, the living hall fell silent.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    Very quickly, Emery lost her strength and could only support herself by grabbing onto the sofa. As cold


    sweat broke out on her forehead, she panted heavily to catch her breath. I sympathized with her but


    there was little else I could do except watching over her quietly.


    Given what a proud person she was, her pride would never let her show any weakness.


    After I returned home from the Moore Residence, my mood was down in the dumps. I then spent my


    time ying with the children.


    Having sat for a while, I naturally gave Ashton a call.


    He answered quickly but his tone was indifferent. ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°When are youing over?¡± I asked as I shook the babies to sleep listlessly.


    ¡°Where are you?¡± Ashton was economical with his words, as usual.


    ¡°The Stovall residence.¡± I raised my voice on purpose as if to remind him, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted


    to taste my cooking? Coincidentally, I cooked today. Are you sure you don¡¯t want toe?¡±


    After a brief silence, Ashton¡¯s voice rang out again. ¡°Scarlett, are you trying to get on my good side?¡±


    Sometimes, it wasn¡¯t a good thing when a man was simply too smart.


    Biting my lip, I avoided his question. ¡°Uncle Louis and John are back. We will start dinner soon if you¡¯re


    noting.¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­¡± Ashton chuckled in delight which was a sign that we had made peace. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to


    make it back tonight as I have another appointment that I can¡¯t miss. You guys just go on ahead. And


    next time, you should cook for me alone instead.¡±


    ¡°In your dreams! There¡¯s not going to be a next time.¡±


    After ending the call, my mind was finally put at ease.


    Evidently, just knowing that someone was there was enough tofort one¡¯s soul.


    Emery had always been a forthright person. As such, I knew that she won¡¯t be letting Delh off since


    she had dered that she would seek justice. Despite being herwyer, I didn¡¯t have any experience of


    going to court. Hence, I sought out Brooklyn¡¯s help to involve me in several simr trials so that I could


    gain some experience in court.


    After watching one of the trials in court for the whole day, the sky was already dark when I left.


    Getting into the car, I checked my phone and was about to reply to John¡¯s message when a news


    notification popped up.


    As it had been a long and dreary day, I wanted something to cure my boredom, so I tapped on the


    news out of curiosity.


    Once the page loaded, I saw Ashton¡¯s picture appear right before my eyes.


    It came with the title: President of Ziegler Investment Rumored to Be In a Romantic Rtionship With


    Fuller Corporation President.


    When I read the headline, I couldn¡¯t help but raise my eyebrows in surprise.


    Previously, I had heard Ashton talk about the Ziegler family. The president of Ziegler Investments was


    naturally Mitchell¡¯s elder sister, Thora.


    After reading the article, I realized the reason Ashton declined my invitationst night was that he and


    Thora were attending a dinner organized by a construction material merchant. As the reporters


    managed to get a good angle, both of them looked to be deeply in love with each other in the pictures,


    as if they were made for each other.


    Upon closer inspection, however, one could see that there was no physical contact between them.


    Even when they were whispering to each other, the gap between them was still wide enough for an


    entire person to fit in.


    Reading too much into unfounded rumors was just a waste of time. Coincidentally, John was calling


    and I subsequently put the matter at the back of my mind.


    During dinner, John and Emma even joked about the matter, but I quickly shut them up by snapping at


    them.


    Rumors do not get past the wise. Hence, I only believed in Ashton¡¯s words and my observations of his


    actions.


    Just before I went to bed, Ashton gave me a call. ¡°Aren¡¯t you even a little curious as to what my


    rtionship with Thora is?¡±


    Putting down the legal document I was holding, I picked up my phone and switched it to a video call.


    Right after Ashton epted it, I saw that he was still in the office despite the ungodly hour.


    I replied with a smile, ¡°Since you personally crippled her brother¡¯s hands, how far do you think both of


    you can go in a rtionship?¡±

 Chapter 1286

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1286


    It was normal for keyboard warriors to specte as they had no idea about the truth. But anyone in


    their right mind could see that Ashton treated Thora like an ordinary friend. It was only after the media¡¯s


    attempt at spicing up the situation that it felt like there was something going on.


    If there really was something going on between both of them, it would have to be proven by them


    registering their marriage at the Civil Affairs Bureau, instead of some blurry photos from an eye-


    catching angle.


    ¡°Hmm, you have gotten smarter I see. This sounds like what an observant person would say.¡± Ashton


    leaned backnguidly in his chair. Squinting his eyes, his face reddened a little from the wine he had


    drunk.


    ¡°Observant? Perhaps.¡± I asked, ¡°Just from what happened with Mitchell, it¡¯s obvious that the Ziegler


    family does not harbor good intentions. You¡¯d better be more careful when dealing with Thora.¡±


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    ¡°If I had any other choice, I wouldn¡¯t have chosen to sell my body.¡± Ashton suddenly widened his eyes


    as he looked at me with a helpless expression. ¡°In the uing period, I will likely interact with her


    often. Hence, don¡¯t listen to the rumors on the inte. If there is anything out of the ordinary, I will


    personally exin it to you.¡±


    For some unknown reason, Ashton looked exhausted that day.


    Smiling at him, I tried to ease his concerns. ¡°Go ahead and do what you think is necessary. The


    children and I will be fine. Just one thing, even though I¡¯m not by your side, don¡¯t keep pullingte


    nights for weeks at one go. You need to take care of your health so that you can fulfill your promise of


    making it up to me.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Pursing his lips, Ashton nodded in agreement. As if something suddenly urred to him, he


    asked, ¡°With regards to Emery¡¯s case, I heard she wants you to represent her?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s her way of supporting my career, I suppose. Both for her sake and my future, I will


    definitely do my best. After preparing for such a long time, it¡¯s time to see how good I am.¡±


    ¡°Get someone else to do it,¡± Ashtonmented.


    ¡°Why?¡± I was puzzled. ¡°Are you doubting my capabilities? Or are you worried that I¡¯m not physically up


    for it?¡±


    I could understand the former but there was no reason to worry about thetter. The toxin in my body


    was like a time bomb. Before it explodes, I was no different from any ordinary person. If I had to forgo


    my life and stay in bed, it would be no different than being dead.


    ¡°Neither.¡± Ashton exined patiently, ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious to you that Delh is evil? She dared to hire


    someone to ssh acid on Emery. Can you guarantee that she won¡¯t do something simr to threaten


    you? Given that you have so many staff at your firm, it isn¡¯t difficult to get someone else to rece you.


    There¡¯s no need for you to be involved.¡±


    After giving it some thought, Ashton¡¯s concerns did make sense. After all, before Emery got hurt, no


    one had expected a helpless-looking woman tomit such a heinous act the moment she steeled her


    heart.


    ¡°I understand. When the timees, I¡¯ll get someone else to rece me so that I can minimize the


    conflict between the both of us. So, you don¡¯t have to worry about this.¡±


    A few dayster, when Emery¡¯s case went to trial, the judge epted all the evidence that we


    presented. As expected, Delh was sentenced to prison.


    On the same day afternoon, upon my return to thew firm, I received an invitation from Ziegler


    Investment for their anniversary celebration party.


    The invitation wrote: We cordially invite Ms. Scarlett Stovall to attend Ziegler Investment¡¯s 5th-


    anniversary celebration party.


    The invitation made it clear that I would be representing Stovall Law Firm, drawing an obvious


    distinction between my rtionship with Ashton.


    Meanwhile, the rumors about Ashton and Thora continued to spread. Putting aside Ashton¡¯s n, the


    media were likely encouraged to do so by Thora and the Ziegler family. Thew firm had only been


    operating for less than a month and yet, Thora was already impatient to see me. The invitation was


    undoubtedly a trap.


    As John was the one who exposed Mitchell, he wasn¡¯t invited. Hence, I got Brooklyn toe along


    with me. On the way there, I had time to do some research on Thora.


    In truth, Thora was considered a capable woman. At twenty-two, she returned to the country after


    graduating with an MBA overseas and joined Ziegler Corporation. In three years¡¯ time, she doubled the


    Ziegler Corporation¡¯s stock price. In another two years, she had a falling out with the Ziegler family and


    left to start her ownpany. Within five years of that, Ziegler Investments had be an industry


    leader in the building materials segment and was extremely influential.

 Chapter 1287

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1287


    The picture online of Thora showed her in a suit. Her features were exquisite while her eyes sparkled


    with energy. Overall, she looked very ambitious, unlike the usual girls that were previously by Ashton¡¯s


    side. Thora was about my age and didn¡¯t seem to have anything to nitpick about. Just based on her


    resume alone, she seemed to be morepatible with Ashton than me. At least they were both


    simrly ambitious in terms of their career.


    ¡°We¡¯re here, Ms. Stovall.¡±


    Only when Brooklyn reminded me did I realize that we had arrived. When I looked out the window, I


    saw a red carpet nked by reporters on both sides, with their cameras shing away.


    Just when I steadied myself, I heard a car screeching to a sudden stop. A blue sports car had parked


    itself behind me. The next moment, the door opened and John stepped out in a tuxedo. The moment


    he emerged, he attracted the attention of all the cameras. Nevertheless, he remained unperturbed as


    he straightened his jacket before helping Emma out of the car. In front of the cameras, both of them


    were the epitome of a loving couple.


    ¡°Mr. Stovall really cares a lot about you.¡± Brooklyn teased with a whisper.


    His words were undeniably true. With John¡¯s presence, I saved myself a lot of trouble. While he had the


    reporters¡¯ attention, I quickened my pace and headed into the venue.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    The moment we entered, the emcee was in the midst of introducing Thora, ¡°¡­and now, let¡¯s invite Ms.


    Ziegler to say a few words.¡±


    With that, the spotlight moved from the stage and shone onto Thora who was dressed to the nines.


    Even the tall figure beside her became the center of attention as expected.


    As the crowd settled down for a moment, Thora waited for everyone¡¯s attention to fall upon her. After


    that, she said something to Ashton before sauntering up the stage.


    Her speech was graceful while her poise was elegant. The authoritative vibe she emanated would put


    many men to shame. The only time she softened her gaze was when she looked in a particr


    direction. It was then that her eyes were filled with longing.


    Just when I looked on with interest, John¡¯s familiar curses rang out in my ear.


    ¡°Hasn¡¯t she seen a man before?¡±


    Although my seat wasn¡¯t far from the entrance, it was quite some distance from the stage. John didn¡¯t


    even attempt to keep his voice down, but luckily it wasn¡¯t loud enough to be heard on stage.


    Nevertheless, it still managed to attract many curious stares.


    ¡°Can you lower your voice? I don¡¯t want to be seen as a troublemaker here,¡± Emmamented


    helplessly.


    It appeared that Brooklyn¡¯s observation was correct. John had arrived at the same time we did on


    purpose. Leveraging on the animosity between the Stovall and Ziegler family, he managed to divert the


    reporters¡¯ attention. This way, they wouldn¡¯t ask me about my thoughts on attending my ex-husband¡¯s


    girlfriend¡¯s party.


    As for my thoughts, I did have some.


    The tabloids did have some basis for fueling the rumors. With regards to Thora and Ashton, one was a


    lady with an illustrious background while the other was a young upstart within the business world. Both


    of them looked attractive and made a good match indeed. Especially when I saw the passion in Thora¡¯s


    eyes, I filled in the rest with my own imagination. The romantic tension between a strong couple


    intertwined withpeting business interests was simply the perfect script for a romantic drama.


    ¡°Who says I¡¯m not?¡± In the face of the curious stares from the other guests, John chose to make a


    scene. ring back at them with his brows raised, he threatened, ¡°Let me see who has discovered my


    true agenda. Coincidentally, I¡¯mcking an excuse to cause some trouble.¡±


    John was known to be fearsome, causing the onlookers to quickly disperse out of precaution. Soon, the


    crowd around us thinned significantly.


    After shooing them away, John leaned closer to me and whispered. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ashton won¡¯t fall for


    her.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Surprised by John¡¯s confidence in Ashton, I teased, ¡°You actually have faith in him?¡±


    Instead of replying, John changed the topic. ¡°Why? Can it be that you are already jealous?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± I shrugged helplessly.


    To be honest, before Thora, I had always imagined what would happen to me if someone better in


    every way appeared by Ashton¡¯s side. But now that it had be a reality, my concerns were eased


    instead.

 Chapter 1288

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1288


    One¡¯s eyes and tone would never lie. During my video call with Ashton, the exhaustion he felt from


    dealing with Thora and the enthusiasm in his voice when he spoke with me was enough for me to


    ascertain his stance. If I was unable to trust him at this stage, I really didn¡¯t deserve his love at all.


    ¡°John, you and Ashton are actually the same, thinking that getting on someone¡¯s nerves will always


    work. Do you think women are that easily cheated?¡± Suddenly, Emma interrupted with a strange tone in


    her voice.


    Having heard herment, John¡¯s expression changed at once. Clearing his throat awkwardly, he


    quickly walked away into the crowd.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Given how rare it was for John to be cowed, I found it both strange and hrious.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what got into him. Thest time he came over to mypany to discuss yourw firm¡¯s


    logo, he brought a girl with him. He should have at least chosen one with a clean reputation. Instead,


    the girl he brought had appeared in the tabloids before with countless other men. It was obvious that he


    was lowering his own self-worth just by doing that.¡± Emma red angrily at John¡¯s silhouette.


    As I followed where her gaze leads, I couldn¡¯t help but smile. John oh John, you may be adept at


    dealing with someone else¡¯s problems. But when ites to your own, you¡¯re not mindful at all.


    ¡°So, what did you do after that?¡± I asked curiously.


    ¡°I went downstairs and bought him ten packs of condoms. Then, I told him to use a couple more every


    single time and to visit the hospital whenever he was free. He shouldn¡¯t put his life at risk just for the


    sake of having a sex life. I finally realize that it¡¯s not my fault that he doesn¡¯t like me. Instead, he has


    really strange tastes!¡±


    ¡°Pfft¡­¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter and apud Emma in my heart. ¡°Emma, I gotta say, your reaction


    was really harsh.¡± Furrowing her eyebrows, Emma was both upset and curious as to why I was


    laughing at her.


    Nevertheless, I still couldn¡¯t contain myughter. Even if Emma didn¡¯t say it out loud, I could still


    imagine the stunned look on John¡¯s face. This time, he had finally met his match. He assumed that he


    could do the same to Emma as he did to Hannah. But contrary to his expectations, his n backfired


    horribly.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall.¡±


    Suddenly, a cordial voice rang out in my ear, causing the smile on my face to freeze. It wasn¡¯t until it


    faded away that I finally turned around.


    Just as expected, Thora had finallye to meet me.


    The moment we exchanged nces, we maintained a cordial smile at each other as if we were old


    friends. There was no way one could tell that we were in fact love rivals who had fallen for the same


    man.


    As the host, Thora brought with her everyone¡¯s attention the moment she arrived.


    ¡°Ms. Ziegler, congrattions.¡± I raised my champagne ss at her.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Thora smiled slightly without a hint of animosity. ¡°I heard you have started your ownw


    firm. Coincidentally, mypany is involved in someplex legal situations. So, I was wondering if


    you¡¯re willing to help?¡±


    It appeared that there was no escape for me. Despite sessfully avoiding the reporters¡¯ questions, I


    couldn¡¯t hide from the nosy gazes of high society.


    If I epted her offer, it would mean that I was less sessful than her. That after leaving Ashton, I


    had to rely on his new partner for business. However, if I declined, it would indicate that I was being


    petty. Trapped between a rock and a hard ce, it was evident that Thora wasn¡¯t someone to be trifled


    with.


    Just as John had said before, one needed to know where to strike. Since she hade to challenge


    me, there was no need for me to show any mercy.


    After giving it some thought, I pursed my lips and replied with a smile, ¡°Ms. Ziegler, you tter me


    indeed. Let¡¯s not go as far as to talk about whether I can help. After all, I have never been capable of


    much. From the time my grandma took care of me to the time my husband protected me, I hardly knew


    anything about running a business. Even now, I have to rely on the support the Stovall family provides.


    But since you have requested this of me, I will certainly try my best.¡±


    Pausing a moment, I scanned around to find Brooklyn. ¡°Mr. Newman.¡±


    Acknowledging me from within the crowd, Brooklyn approached and stood behind me. ¡°Ms. Stovall, I


    am at your service.¡±


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    ¡°Ms. Ziegler is having a little trouble. Can you take a look or simply appoint someone in thepany to


    help her? We can¡¯t very well let her be bogged down by trivial matters now, can we?¡±


    I raised my voice on purpose to emphasize the word ¡°simply¡± so that everyone else could hear it


    clearly.

 Chapter 1289

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1289


    Just as I spoke, Thora¡¯s expression darkened. Her earlier smile dissipated as she scrutinized me in


    surprise. Meeting her gaze confidently, I put on an innocent look. Given what everyone had just heard,


    their impression of me was that I was a fool that only relied on family connections.


    Nevertheless, I was a fool that could elicit jealousy from many others.


    Within this city, there was no one else that could shamelessly im to enjoy the protection of one¡¯s


    family despite having nothing to contribute.


    Within all the prominent families, their children had to either be exceptionally capable or extremely


    attractive. All of them had to work in their families¡¯ interest to enjoy the equivalent amount of protection.


    If one was born without any talent, one had to be extra careful not to bring any trouble to the family, or


    else one would be kicked out.


    As for me, by admitting my ipetence in the face of a powerful career woman, I was indirectly


    unting the unconditional love that I enjoyed. It was something I already had but everything that Thora


    craved. Hence, there was nothing more painful for her than this.


    That being said, this was her own doing. After all, she was the one that started it and I was just


    returning the favor, albeit with the intensity of a hundredfold.


    With impable timing, Brooklyn rubbed salt in her wounds. ¡°Ms. Ziegler, Ms. Stovall doesn¡¯t


    understand the situation, so let me exin it to you. Ever since thew firm began its operations, we


    have received a lot of work from both the Stovall and Moore families. Therefore, most of our top


    lawyers are bogged down with work. Hence, if you don¡¯t mind, I can get one of my assistants to help


    you. What do you think about that?¡±


    D*mn, I didn¡¯t expect Brooklyn to be so good at insults. It was really brazen of him to suggest assigning


    an assistantwyer to deal with the president of a listedpany. No wonder John liked him so much.


    After the brief exchange, Thora didn¡¯t gain any advantage at all. Instead, she had been badly beaten


    down. Nevertheless, she managed to remain calm despite the rage burning in her eyes.


    Suddenly, a figure stepped out from behind her and raised his hand to throw a ss of wine toward


    me.


    Reacting instantly, Brooklyn stepped forward to shield me from it.


    However, when the man raised his ss halfway, a hand came out of nowhere and grabbed his wrist.


    With a forceful twist, the man copsed onto his knees and pleaded for mercy.


    Losing its support, the wine ss that was heading in my direction fell onto the ground instead. Upon


    impact, its contents spilled in every direction. Unable to evade in time, Thora¡¯s pure white dress was


    now stained with jarring red.


    Amidst themotion, Ashton¡¯s threatening voice rang out.


    ¡°How dare you!¡±


    Just as he spoke, Ashton shoved the man¡¯s hand aside and kicked him to the ground.


    The incident had caught everyone¡¯s attention. Only then did I notice that Ezra and Zayne were also


    present. It was just that they weren¡¯t tall enough, hence I didn¡¯t see them earlier. But now that everyone


    came over to see what was going on, their presence was finally felt.


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    At that moment, they looked at Ashton in both a suspicious and threatening manner.


    By getting close to Thora, Ashton obviously wanted to get on Ezra¡¯s good side. But now that he had


    defended me in public, Ezra would begin to doubt the authenticity of our divorce.


    Nevertheless, Ashton didn¡¯t seem to care as he red coldly at Thora. He warned, ¡°How dare your


    assistant harm the mother of my children? Do you intend to show the whole city that anyone can harm


    my children? And that there would be no consequences for doing so?¡±


    With that, Ashton had indirectly dered that harming me was no different than harming his children.


    By doing so, he had warned everyone and guaranteed my safety.


    I couldn¡¯t help but admit that Ashton¡¯s reaction was exceptionally quick. He could easily turn any


    incident into an excuse to gain an advantage.


    Not too long ago, he had used the same reason to beat back Zander.


    Just as he spoke, the crowd fell into silence. All of them were waiting in anticipation to see how this


    competition between love rivals was going to end.

 Chapter 1290

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1290


    A whileter, a female voice boomed. ¡°You¡¯re fired.¡±


    Thora¡¯s swift decision to dissociate herself came as no surprise. After all, she was a sessful


    businesswoman who had been through many vicissitudes.


    Hearing her words, the assistant¡¯s face fell immediately. He then staggered to his feet and pleaded with


    Thora, but she shot him a look, shutting him up. Indignant, he red at me resentfully before storming


    away.


    ¡°Are you satisfied with my decision?¡± Thora asked.


    Instead of replying to her, Ashton nced at the ground for a second before removing his zer and


    draped it over her shoulders. ¡°Today is a big day for the Ziegler Corporation. Don¡¯t let the media


    capture any of these. Go change your clothes first.¡±


    As soon as he said that, he cast a quick meaningful nce at me before he turned around and weaved


    through the crowd. Meanwhile, Thora gazed at the zer thoughtfully and strode toward the door


    nearby.


    Seeing that there was nothing left to watch, the crowd that gathered around eventually dispersed.


    I adjusted my hair and scanned my surroundings. When I saw that no one was looking at me, I


    sneaked a nce at Ezra and his group of friends and found them chatting away happily at the other


    side of the room. Seeing that they had let their guards down, I heaved a sigh of relief.


    Hopefully, Ashton¡¯s n can go well after this.


    Since this dinner was meant to be a trap, we could not stay long at this banquet anymore. All of this


    was just an act. Thus, the longer we stayed, the higher the chances of giving ourselves away will be.


    After pondering for a while, I turned to Emma and Brooklyn. ¡°We should leave now.¡±


    ¡°Where did John go? Let me go and find him first,¡± Emma said.


    Before I could say anything, she had hiked up her gown and made her way into the crowd. Left with no


    choice, I trailed behind her.


    Although there were many people in the room, it was easy to see that John was not in here. As such,


    she brought us to the garden outside.


    We walked along the veranda, turned a corner, and suddenly saw John in a well-lit room opposite us.


    He was standing beside a bed with his hands in his pockets, looking solemn. It was as if he was


    discussing some serious matters.


    ¡°Jo¡­¡± Emma was about to call out to John, but I hurriedly tugged at her arm and stopped her,


    gesturing her not to act rashly.


    True enough, in the next second, Ashton appeared and stood beside John. From what I could see from


    afar, the atmosphere in the room was tense, and both men were cold and reserved, seemingly raring to


    fight.


    Seeing that, my first thought was that there must be someone else inside the room with them. If we go


    to them now, we would only bring trouble to them.


    Just when I was still focused on them, Brooklyn came out of nowhere and shushed us. Then, he


    hurriedly pulled us to hide behind the corner where we had passed just now.


    As soon as we hid, Zayne brought Ezra and his group of friends out from the ballroom and walked


    toward the room where John and Ashton were at. There were about eight of them. I did not recognize


    all of them but based on their demeanor, they must be some prominent, wealthy people.


    Soon after they went inside, rattling and nging noises came from the room. When themotion


    ended, John kicked open the door and rushed out in a huff, leaving through the back door.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    A few minutester, a wail of pain was heard, and two bodyguards came out dragging an unconscious


    person into the garden.


    Not long after that, harmoniousughter rang from the room, and some of Ezra¡¯s friends walked by the


    window every now and then, sipping on their wine happily. They looked as if nothing had happened.


    After that, we got home and bumped into John in front of Louis¡¯s study.


    Seeing him, Emma let out a snort before storming to her bedroom and mming the door shut.


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re going to sleep in the guest room tonight,¡± I teased.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Even if we sleep together, nothing will happen, anyways.¡± He shrugged nonchntly.


    ¡°What were you and Ashton doing at the garden just now?¡±

 Chapter 1291

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1291


    ¡°Nothing much. I was just putting on an act for you. You¡¯re the mother of Ashton¡¯s kid and the only


    goddaughter of Uncle Louis. No one should humiliate you in front of so many people. Since the Ziegler


    family wanted to make you lose face, firing an ordinary staff is not enough of a punishment for them.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    So I guess the fainted man who was brought out of the room was the guy who sshed wine on me¡­


    Ashton and John had a very simple intention; they just wanted the Ziegler family to know that even


    though Ashton and I had divorced, they were still not allowed to humiliate me.


    Actually, I had gotten back at them, but Thora¡¯s subordinate was too reckless, causing Ashton to be


    infuriated. Hence, he took the matter into his own hands and made them pay. I sighed. They made me


    feel so useless.


    Despite his nonchnt expression, I still could not forget the scenario I had seen in the garden. He


    confronted more than ten people, including Ashton, all by himself. Needless to say, it must have been a


    tough fight. Although he had achieved what he wanted in the end, the fact that he had risked his life for


    me was undeniable.


    In this world, no one should risk their life for the others.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re doing it for my own good, but please let me handle it by myself. Whether it¡¯s you or


    Ashton, you should take care of yourself well. You can¡¯t look after me forever; you need to think about


    yourself as well.¡±


    John was still asid back as ever. ¡°Who says I can¡¯t look after you forever? Almost half of our life has


    passed. I don¡¯t mind taking care of you for a couple more decades.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°That¡¯s not the point. What are you going to do with Emma? I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re treating


    her like that. Is it a method to test if she would leave? Or is it for other purposes? No matter what it is, I


    think you should stop.¡±


    Hearing this, the smile on his face froze. He looked down at his feet and frowned.


    ¡°John¡­¡± Seeing him being like this made me sad. ¡°Emma is not Hannah. She has never thought of


    leaving you. Why can¡¯t you have the courage to admit that you love her? Do you still remember the


    time when you came to me and talked about Hannah? Have you forgotten the heartache that you


    endured? Even though Hannah is a good woman, she never nned to spend the rest of her life with


    you. As for Emma, although she has her own issues, she loves you, John. And she¡¯s the one who is


    going to be your wife for the rest of your life. Do you think it¡¯s okay to treat her like that?¡±


    He remained silent and narrowed his eyes slightly. I wasn¡¯t sure if he was thinking over my advice.


    After a long pause, he looked up at me and smiled wryly. ¡°I know what to do. Don¡¯t worry. I know what I


    want with my life. It¡¯s gettingte. I should call the nurse to give you the injection and let you go to bed


    early.¡±


    With that, he stepped past me and went downstairs without waiting for my reply.


    Looking at him leaving, I felt a sudden pang of sorrow.


    John had so many worries that held him back, and I could not deny the fact that the root cause was


    somehow rted to me.


    After the nurse left, I called Holden.


    ¡°Hello there, Scarlett. You¡¯ve called at just the right moment. I was just about to call and thank you for


    helping me out with themunication base station. I know you would never call me for no reason, so


    tell me what you need from me, and I¡¯ll do everything I can for you.¡± Holden was exceptionally


    enthusiastic that day. I reckoned that he had probably gained a substantial amount of profit from his


    cooperation with White Corporation.


    Since he had pointed out my intention, I might as well skip the pleasantries and cut to the chase. ¡°I


    know your social circle is bigger than mine, so I need your help to find someone.¡±


    On the next day, I went to the office and asked Brooklyn to hire a personal assistant for me.


    Since thew firm belonged to the reputable Stovall Corporation, we had received more than a dozen


    of applications by that very afternoon. I interviewed all of them myself and hired an overseas female


    professor. There was once a joke on the inte that said that humans were categorized into three


    types of people, that was male, female, and female professors. It was meant to tease those women


    who had better leadership skills and were more outstanding than the men.


    Although some may find it offensive, I could somehow understand why the joke was made after


    spending a week with my new personal assistant, Millie. She was incredible in everything; there was


    nothing she was not capable of. In fact, even Brooklyn was impressed by her. Hiring her was indeed a


    correct decision as she saved me from a lot of trouble.

 Chapter 1292

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1292


    After the banquet that night, Ashton seldom contacted me anymore. I knew this must mean that he was


    getting closer to his goal.


    One night, I was staying at home as usual.


    As I came out of the bathroom, I habitually went to the single-seater sofa near the balcony to scroll


    through social media. As soon as I picked up my phone, I noticed a shadow on the ground, moving


    toward me quietly.


    Sensing danger, I kept my guard up instantly and mentally prepared myself for an attack.


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    Right then, a figure suddenly broke in through the window and charged toward the person beside me.


    When I turned around and looked at themotion, I realized that it was Miller in a camo getup


    fighting with Ashton.


    With his towering height and self-defense martial arts skills, Ashton should have been able to


    overpower Millie easily, but her attacks were equally swift and brutal. After a few blows, he still had not


    gained the upper hand and even had an obvious shoe print on his custom-made suit.


    Seeing that Ashton was not an easy opponent to deal with, Millie suddenly knelt down and rolled


    sideways before lunging at Ashton with the dagger that was strapped to her leg.


    He was forced to retreat a few steps back while Millie continued to attack him before leaping up and


    aiming her sharp dagger at Ashton¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Stop, Millie!¡± I shouted immediately.


    She stopped in her tracks instantly. Ashton grabbed the opportunity to snatch away the weapon in her


    hand, threw her over his shoulder, and pinned her on the ground.


    Silence filled the bedroom as he pressed the knife against her throat.


    Worried that he might kill her, I quickly rified, ¡°She works for me.¡±


    Ashton nced at me for a second before lowering his gaze and spoke in a hushed tone. ¡°Next time,


    remember to take down your opponents in one hit before deciding if you should let them live. If it


    weren¡¯t for Scarlett, your life would be gone a second ago.¡±


    Millie frowned and refused to admit defeat. ¡°Same goes to you. If it weren¡¯t for Ms. Stovall, you might


    not dodge my knife either.¡±


    She had always been like this; diligent and quiet. But whenever she spoke, she would catch everyone


    by surprise.


    ¡°Can you guys talk with each other peacefully without the knife?¡± I asked. It was quite worrisome to see


    the knife as they talked.


    Hearing my words, Ashton pondered for a while before releasing his grip on Millie and stepped away.


    The moment he took away the knife, Millie sprang to her feet as well.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good dagger, but you¡¯recking the skills to wield it properly.¡± He tossed back the knife to her as


    a hint of annoyance shed in his eyes.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not happy that you didn¡¯t win against me, let¡¯s fight again and quit the snarky act,¡± she


    retorted, not afraid to get on his bad side at all.


    Ashton shot her a cold look, and the tension in the air was ramped up again.


    I rolled my eyes and decided to distract their attention. I sat down on the couch and moaned in pain.


    ¡°Ouch!¡±


    Ashton immediately came over and embraced me. ¡°Have you gotten the injection today?¡±


    As soon he finished speaking, I threw my arms around his neck and grinned. ¡°Hehe. Don¡¯t be angry,


    Ashton. It¡¯s my fault. I should have told Millie about our rtionship earlier. That¡¯s why she thought


    you¡¯re going to harm me and attacked you just now. Can you forgive her for me?¡±


    I bit my lip and looked at him with an innocuous expression, acting cute.


    Ashton scowled and shook his head as if he was unhappy with my act.


    Taking a deep breath, I decided to throw my dignity away. I held his face abruptly and left a tender kiss


    on his forehead. ¡°Please don¡¯t be angry anymore. Pretty please with a cherry on top?¡±


    A smile slowly spread across his face at that before turning into a full grin, lighting up his dashing face.


    Now that he had smiled, it meant that the matter was resolved. Ashton was actually quite particr


    about hygiene and cleanliness. Moreover, the suit that was stained by Millie just now was one of his


    favorite custom-made suits. Thus, if I did not please him enough, he would not have let it slide.


    After the situation got under control, Millie chimed in, ¡°I was forced to look at your public disy of


    affection. Ms. Stovall, you should pay me for it. I¡¯ll consider it as my overtime pay.¡±

 Chapter 1293

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1293


    Millie did not seem to be joking.


    I could not help but frown. ¡°Millie, don¡¯t you know how expensive it is to hire you? Yet, you still want me


    to pay you more? If this goes on for long, I wonder if I can still afford your sry.¡±


    ¡°Then, you should pray for this guy to visit you less often.¡± She took out her phone and showed us a


    QR code. ¡°Ten million, and I won¡¯t let anyone bother both of you tonight.¡±


    ¡°What? Are you serious?¡± I was getting a bit mad. ¡°What about the medical expenses for the kick you


    gave my husband?¡±


    She looked down, deep in her thought. Before she could reply to me, Ashton walked past me and


    scanned the QR code on her phone. ¡°I¡¯ll pay you.¡±


    Beep! The transaction went through.


    Then, he put back his phone andmanded, ¡°Go out and guard the room.¡±


    Millie nced at him warily before looking back at me, staying still.


    I massaged my temples and said, ¡°You can leave now. I¡¯ll call you when I need you. And don¡¯t attack


    without my order next time.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that. You¡¯ve made it clear that I need to take action whenever someone is going to harm


    you,¡± she replied adamantly, sounding as if she was a righteous person.


    However, in truth, she was still a wanted international mercenaryst week.


    ¡°Okay. If that¡¯s so, remember not to attack Ashton Fuller next time. No matter what he does to me,


    don¡¯t do anything to him. Are we clear?¡± I could not understand why such a stubborn person could be


    the best female mercenary and got selected by Holden.


    I had told Holden over the phone that I wanted to find someone who could protect me and that they had


    to be smart. But look at her now. She even wants me to pay her service fee whenever Ashtones.


    ¡°Yes.¡± With that, she rushed out of the balcony and disappeared out of sight with a rope.


    Ashton, who had been keeping quiet, went over to the window and pulled the curtains. ¡°Where did you


    find this imp?¡±


    ¡°Holden introduced her to me. She¡¯s as tactless as him,¡± I grumbled. ¡°Speaking of which, why did you


    give her the money? That was an unreasonable request. If you continue to pay her like that, I¡¯m afraid


    that even the Stovall family won¡¯t be able to afford her anymore.¡±


    He removed his zer and ced it on the couch before walking toward me. ¡°It¡¯s okay. If the Stovalls


    can¡¯t pay her, you still have the Fullers. If that¡¯s still not enough, you can ask her to find the Moore


    family. I¡¯m sure they could pay her forever.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but¡­¡± My voice trailed off.


    Wait a minute. Something¡¯s not right. Why is he inching closer and closer? And why is his hand


    caressing my shoulder?


    I shrunk away a little and looked at him in bewilderment. ¡°Ashton, what are you doing?¡±


    Smiling, he held my face and tucked my bangs behind my ear. Then, he said suggestively, ¡°Ten million


    can buy us a peaceful night. Don¡¯t you think that it¡¯s worth it?¡±


    With Miller guarding the house, Ashton came more frequently to the Stovall residence and stayed with


    me until dawn.


    Within the same week, an emerging digital currency called Pitcoin became a hot topic in the financial


    world. Several prominent families in K City had invested in it. However, it was an extremely high-risk


    investment due to its vtile value. Thus, it did not receive the support of the national official


    institutions.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Nevertheless, the news about the cryptocurrency spread like wildfire.


    ¡°Trivett Real Estate Has Started epting Pitcoin Payments¡±


    ¡°The First Sessful Payment Transaction Using Pitcoin At The Automobile 4S Store¡±


    Louis was livid. Every day after dinner, he would gather the whole family in the living room and asked


    us to watch the news together.


    ¡°What are these television stations doing? Why are they letting Truman Bowen appear on television


    shows and brainwash citizens into buying Pitcoin?¡± he spat.


    We were only two minutes into the news and his face had already turned red with anger. He looked as


    if he would do anything to get into the television and punch the stock analyst who promoted Pitcoin.

 Chapter 1294

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1294


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so angry,¡± coaxed John. ¡°In this era where the Inte rules all, who has the time to watch


    cable television, anyway? Just let him spout his nonsense. If no one watches or listens to him, nothing


    major will happen.¡±


    ¡°I disagree.¡± Emma rolled her eyes at him gloomily. As she watched the two person on the screen


    discussing excitedly, she analyzed, ¡°You don¡¯t dabble in stocks, so you don¡¯t understand them. To


    those who exchange stocks, Truman is like God. All of them address him in a very respectful manner.


    For every single stock that he mentioned, countless people would rush to buy it. Now that he¡¯s


    promoting Pitcoin, I¡¯m afraid that the demand for it would soon exceed supply.¡±


    ¡°What does the fluctuation of the price of Pitcoin have to do with a mere stock analyst like him? Doesn¡¯t


    he know that Uncle Louis¡¯ subordinates are keeping an eye on Pitcoin?¡± John narrowed his eyes


    suspiciously, obviously doubting Emma¡¯s words.


    ¡°Of course he has nothing to do with it. However, the person directing his actions probably wishes for


    Pitcoin to be highly sought,¡± rebuked Emma.


    ¡°Are you saying that Truman has been bribed by the Trivetts?¡± John, who was quite bright, immediately


    understood. After a slight pause, he continued, ¡°Why is a designer like you so familiar with stocks,


    anyway?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are only men allowed to do business while women are barred from being well-versed


    in it?¡± rebuked Emma coldly, not holding back at all.


    John was at a loss for words to retaliate. As the previous incident with the girls put him at a


    disadvantage, he could note up with a reply. All he could do was re angrily at her.


    These two enemies could probably argue for eternity.


    ¡°Alright, stop arguing,¡± chided Louis, his face darkening. ¡°The Trivetts are seeking coborations with


    many people. Keep an eye on your own assets. John, I¡¯m warning you. I can¡¯t be bothered to care


    about the times when you¡¯re almost breaking the rules, but if you dare to dabble in Pitcoin, I¡¯ll break


    your leg!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll never do that.¡± John chuckled appeasingly before deliberately changing the topic. ¡°Don¡¯t be so


    angry. I¡¯ll talk to Truman tomorrow and instruct him to stop running his mouth on the television.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to fool me with those tricks of yours. When negotiating with him, take note of how you do it.


    You¡¯re my nephew, so don¡¯t let others have leverage over you. Otherwise¡­¡±


    I was not interested in Pitcoin or stock analysts. All I was worried about was whether the Trivetts would


    try to bring Ashton down through this.


    ording to what Louis said, this was not a legal transaction. I was worried if Ashton had no choice


    but to participate in order to take revenge. If others got dirt on him because of this, it would be hard for


    him to extricate himself from the mess in the future.


    However, I did not expect Thora to meet me before Ashton made his decision.


    When she walked into my office, I was in the midst of discussing Emery¡¯swsuit with Brooklyn. After


    the first trial, Delh was convicted of intentional assault and sentenced to a jail term of five years. As


    she was still pregnant, the jury decided to postpone the jail term to a yearter. However, we all thought


    that this was not the result we wanted.


    Someone like Delh would not stop at harming others as long as she had the chance to continue. I


    had hoped that she would be thrown into jail immediately. After all, the environment there was much


    different than bygone eras. Even though the prisoners needed to serve their sentence and work there,


    they could still enjoy basic human rights. If she was there, she would still be able to have her child.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, you have a guest,¡± announced the secretary as she knocked on the door. We raised our


    heads and nced over, spotting Thora standing at the door.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Our gazes met and Thora shed me a slight smile. Just like during the party, she seemed friendly yet


    distant at the same time.


    Then, I turned my gaze behind her and noticed that she did not bring anyone along with her. I thought


    that it was quite bold of her toe here all on her own.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wrap it up here. We¡¯ll discuss the remaining details next time.¡± After dismissing Brooklyn, I invited


    Thora in. ¡°Sorry for making you wait, Ms. Ziegler. Come in and have a seat.¡±


    Immediately after sitting down, Thora made her intention ofing clear. ¡°I won¡¯t beat around the


    bush. I¡¯d like to buy all the Fuller Corporation stocks you have. Just quote a price. I won¡¯t negotiate at


    all.¡±


    I heaved a sigh. Leaning against my chair, I scrutinized her with narrowed eyes. As expected of the


    most powerful woman in K City. She sounds like she¡¯s certain of her sess. It¡¯s definitely a good


    experience to do business with her.

 Chapter 1295

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1295


    Unfortunately, I was not a businesswoman nor did I have the intention to coborate with her.


    After a moment of silence, I smiled and made an outrageous quote, ¡°Thirty billion, then.¡±


    Thora immediately lowered her head and chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re so funny, Ms. Stovall. Fuller Corporation¡¯s


    assets don¡¯t even exceed a billion. It doesn¡¯t seem appropriate that you¡¯d quote such a price.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡± I ced my arms on the table and propped my chin up. After pretending to rack my brains


    for a while, I raised my eyes and asked innocently, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that I can quote any price that I


    want?¡±


    When Thora heard that, a stunned expression crossed her face and a look of suspicion shed across


    her eyes. It was as if she was doubting my intelligence.


    Her offer to quote my own price was merely empty words. People who made such an offer were trying


    to seek a sense of superiority while expressing their sincerity to coborate. Furthermore, the quoted


    price had to fall within fifty percent of the reasonable range. This was an unspoken rule in the industry.


    Although the person that made the offer would have to sacrifice more, both would be willing parties.


    After all, no one would go against money.


    However, I took her words seriously that day.


    George had transferred Fuller Corporation¡¯s stocks to me. Although I did not own as much as Ashton,


    the stocks probably amounted to around five hundred million, considering how much Fuller Corporation


    had developed. Yet, I quoted a price of thirty billion, which was six times the market price. Thora was


    polite enough to merely remark that it ¡°doesn¡¯t seem appropriate,¡± but others who were more hot-


    headed would have used me of scamming them.


    Thora calmed herself down and asked impatiently, ¡°What about eight billion?¡±


    It was the highest price within the reasonable range. Plus, she even threw in an additional five hundred


    million. I had to admit that it was quite a tempting offer.


    However, the fact that she wanted the stocks at all costs implied that there was an ulterior motive


    behind her actions.


    After thinking about it, I leaned back and spread my hands. ¡°I¡¯m not selling them.¡±


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    I paused for a while and looked at Thora¡¯s unreadable gaze. Smiling, I said smugly, ¡°Although my


    marriage with Ashton ended in failure, I¡¯m not a fool. With his capabilities, Fuller Corporation will only


    be better and better. I can get far more than eight billion. Why should I pass such an opportune


    path of sess to someone else?¡±


    Thora probably did not expect a spoilt woman like me to be so difficult to deal with.


    ¡°Ten billion. And we¡¯ll sign the contract today,¡± dered Thora, giving it her all. She narrowed her


    alluring eyes as a sharp look crept into them. ¡°It¡¯s true that Fuller Corporation has great potential to


    expand, but it¡¯ll need a powerful force to back them up. Ashton can¡¯t do that alone, but I can. Ms.


    Stovall, nothing in this world can be gain without putting in the effort. If you refuse to sell your stocks,


    Fuller Corporation might lose its best investor. By then, you might even lose your current five hundred


    million, let alone the ten billion I¡¯m offering you now. It¡¯s better if you consider it wisely.¡±


    To be honest, her words were quite persuasive. If George hadn¡¯t been the one to entrust them to me, I


    would have been tempted.


    Looking at her sincere expression, I feigned a look of revtion. My ignorant act was quite convincing.


    When Thora¡¯s expression rxed slightly, I smirked and continued with my stubborn insistence. ¡°I¡¯ve


    thought it through, and I still won¡¯t sell them.¡±


    Afraid that she could not hear me clearly, I deliberately articted every single word. ¡°Ms. Ziegler, you


    know very well that with the support of the Stovall and Moore family, I don¡¯tck money. I don¡¯t need to


    sell my stocks to sustain myself. In fact, you just reminded me. Although Fuller Corporation is only


    confined to the national market now, you¡¯re already yearning to buy its stocks at all costs. When Fuller


    Corporation catches the eye of investors and bankers at Wall Street in the future, I¡¯m afraid that


    demand for its stocks will exceed its supply significantly. No amount of money can buy them. If that¡¯s


    the case, why should I sell them?¡±


    Thora¡¯s face clouded over when she heard that. As she stared at me with her intelligent gaze, a look of


    fury shed across her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re smarter than I imagined.¡±

 Chapter 1296

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1296


    I pursed my lips and gave no reply.


    Indeed, a woman who took the words ¡°quote your own price¡± at face value seriously should not be


    smart enough to hoard Fuller Corporation¡¯s stocks. However, I needed to thank Thora for indirectly


    giving me an excuse. Otherwise, I would not be able to find a reason to reject the extra two billion she


    offered for no reason.


    Our gazes locked for a while before Thora suddenly looked like she remembered something. She stood


    up abruptly, grabbed her bag, and turned around. After she took a few steps, she froze in her tracks


    and nced back at me coldly. ¡°I¡¯ll change your mind.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± I pretended to look listless and leaned against my chair, looking like an


    ignorant hooligan.


    Not staying for long, Thora exited the room.


    Immediately afterward, I dialed Ashton¡¯s personal number.


    When he picked up the call, he spoke before me. ¡°Did Thora look for you?¡±


    I smiled and nodded. ¡°You¡¯ve already guessed it?¡±


    ¡°Pitcoin is so profitable now, but the Ziegler family can¡¯t dabble in it. Considering how strong-headed


    Thora is, she¡¯ll definitely not let this opportunity go. But since this is such a risky investment, she can¡¯t


    possibly involve herpany in it. Naturally, she¡¯d want to use me. Since you¡¯re the secondrgest


    shareholder in thepany, there¡¯s no one else who she¡¯ll look for,¡± exined Ashton calmly.


    However, I was still puzzled. ¡°Didn¡¯t the Ziegler family coborated with the Trivett family previously?


    Why didn¡¯t the Trivett family rope them into partaking in such a profitable opportunity?¡±


    It was only after listening to Ashton¡¯s exnation that I understood the reason why the Trivett family fell


    out with the Ziegler family. It was all because of Mitchell.


    Carolyn, the youngest daughter in the Trivett family, was a lively, smart, and beautiful girl. Everyone in


    the family adored and doted on her. It was also precisely because of that that her personality was quite


    wild and proud¡ªshe could not stand any injustices at all. Back then, Mitchell¡¯s horrible reputation was


    already known to all. To protect her, the Trivetts carefully prevented her from meeting him. They even


    chose the second-best elite school in the city so that they could avoid the unfortunate incident of


    Mitchell taking a liking to Carolyn.


    However, K City was not exactly arge ce. The children in the upper-ss society usually


    frequented the same few ces. At the birthday party of the son of a listedpany¡¯s president,


    Mitchell met Carolyn and a conflict broke out. Yearning for revenge, Mitchell stopped the Trivetts¡¯ car


    the next day, kidnapped Carolyn, and forced himself upon her.


    After the incident, the Trivetts sent Carolyn overseas and cut off all ties with the Ziegler family.


    ¡°Mitchell really sabotaged his family a lot, huh?¡± I could not help butment.


    ¡°He¡¯s irrelevant. Mentioning him will only ruin our mood.¡± Ashton sounded like he was short on time and


    immediately changed the topic. ¡°Thora won¡¯t give up so easily. She might have some other tricks up


    her sleeve, so be on your guard.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± I knew that he was worried, but I did not want him to tire himself out excessively. Hence, I said


    jokingly, ¡°You¡¯ve personally tested Millie¡¯s capabilities. The Stovall family has also sent a bunch of


    bodyguards to protect me. I doubt anyone can harm me. On the other hand, are you sure that you want


    to be involved in Pitcoin?¡±


    Pitcoin was quite a shady transaction. Naturally, I did not support it. If Ashton had other ns in mind, I


    needed to know them well so that I could react ordingly when I was up against Thora.


    ¡°What do you think? With both our capabilitiesbined, is there a need for us to seek such quick


    profits?¡± Ashton¡¯s light-hearted tone made me feel much more relieved.


    It was rare to see Ashton so proud. Laughing, I said, ¡°I know what to do now.¡±


    After a slight pause, an ingenious idea surfaced in my mind. ¡°Since Thora wants to be involved in


    Pitcoin at all costs, why don¡¯t we y along with her and sabotage her n?¡±


    When Ashton heard that, he suddenly chuckled.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    ¡°Why are youughing?¡± I was a bit puzzled. After all, in my point of view, it was always better to make


    the first move.

 Chapter 1297

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1297


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking that after you gave birth to Audrey and Gregory, you can read my mind so well. We share


    the same idea of sabotaging the Trivetts,¡± replied Ashton with a smile.


    It was a great honor to get Ashton¡¯s approval. Feigning smugness, I said, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m very smart now, so


    you best be careful. If I discover that you¡¯re being unfaithful¡­ Well, let¡¯s just say you¡¯ll be in a world of


    hurt!¡±


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough. I have a meetingter. With regards to dealing with the Ziegler and Trivett


    families, I haven¡¯t thought of the exact n yet. So, you should just observe the situation for the time


    being.¡±


    Immediately after he spoke, I could hear Joseph urging him over the phone. The call ended then.


    I ced the phone down and nced at the WhatsApp chat on the screen, feeling glum. That man


    even timed his calls precisely, not wanting to waste a single second.


    Forget it, I¡¯ll let him off the hook this time. After we finish settling this mess, we¡¯ll have nice days to look


    forward to in the future.


    Barely three hours after Thora left, loud arguments could be heard from outside thew firm.


    As thew firm was registered under Stovall Corporation, no one in their right mind would dare to seek


    trouble there. However, the argument persisted for a while, even prompting Brooklyn to intervene.


    Despite so, he did not manage to resolve it and the conflict simply continued.


    Unable to hold myself back, I opened the door to take a look.


    Brooklyn and a few other employees were in the corridor outside the pantry. They were surrounding a


    bespectacled man wearing a grey suit. He looked quite grim, more like an unsatisfied client than a


    troublemaker.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked with a smile, walking over and maintaining myposure as the boss.


    When everyone heard my voice, they nced at me. The man adjusted his sses and scrutinized me


    with a gloomy gaze.


    Brooklyn strode toward me and whispered, ¡°This client has a dispute with the Ziegler family. You


    instructed us to stay in line with our business and not offend those few families for the time being. I


    wanted to turn him away politely, but he refuses to leave. He even threatened that he¡¯ll file aint


    against us to thewyers association.¡±


    I nced at the bespectacled man and nodded in acknowledgment.


    ¡°So, It looks like you¡¯re the boss here, huh?¡± asked the man with a solemn look.


    ¡°Indeed.¡± I smiled and pointed at my office. ¡°Why don¡¯t you discuss with me in my office? I still have


    other clients here, so it¡¯s best to not make a scene.¡±


    Thinking that the enemy of an enemy was a friend. I wanted to find out why exactly he came to the


    Stovall family¡¯sw firm.


    The man contemted for a while before walking toward my office.


    When he sat down, he said, ¡°Since you allowed me to stay, it means that yourw firm is prepared to


    ept my case, right?¡±


    He sat in front of me with his legs crossed and hands ced on his knees. Twiddling his fingers


    leisurely, he did not look like an average man.


    After casting my gaze downward and thinking about it, I asked calmly, ¡°How may I address you, sir?¡±


    ¡°Bison Queen,¡± he replied.


    Bison?


    Perhaps it had something to do with my recent tendency to be hasty, but when I heard the name, I


    could not help but raise my eyebrows in surprise.


    The name ¡°Bison¡± did not really suit such a gentle-looking man like him.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    As if he could read my mind, he borated, ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking about. It¡¯s Bryson, not Bison.


    My name¡¯s not thatme.¡±


    I felt embarrassed that he managed to expose my thought so quickly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Forget it, you¡¯re not the first one to mishear my name. A rich guy like me doesn¡¯t care about these


    trivialities,¡± remarked Bryson in a half-joking tone, not bothered by it at all. He then changed the topic.


    ¡°Let¡¯s cut the crap and go straight to discussing thewsuit. Yourw firm isn¡¯t a fraud, right?¡±


    I was at a loss for words.


    As expected, one¡¯s appearance was deceiving. Although he looked like a gentleman, I could


    immediately tell that he was a wealthy man the moment he spoke. What a drastic contrast¡­

 Chapter 1298

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1298


    ¡°Haha,¡± I smiled, adjusted my emotions, and turned to ask Brooklyn, ¡°why did Mr. Queen file awsuit


    against Ziegler Corporation?¡±


    Brooklyn looked at Bryson helplessly, then lowered his head and exined in a polite tone. ¡°There is


    an investmentpany under Ziegler Corporation that deals with stocks and funds. Two months ago,


    Mr. Queen invested in somemodity futures that amounted to around two hundred million following


    the suggestion of a top investment agent.


    However, in only one month¡¯s time, he suffered aplete loss from this investment. During this time


    period, not even a single soul checked with him whether to sell off the futures to cut losses. After this


    whole event, Mr. Queen went to the investmentpany to demand an answer for his unreasonable


    loss. They refused to do anything about Mr. Queen¡¯s loss citing the reason of thepany not being


    responsible for unpredictable market changes.¡±


    At the mention of his misfortune, Bryson was especially inmed. He took off his sses and ranted,


    ¡°Damn it! I thought the Zieglers were an elite family and hoped to make friends with them. That was the


    reason I gave all that money to the Ziegler woman without worry. Who would have foreseen that it was


    a trap?


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    I went all the way to theirpany, waited a whole day, and that wretched woman didn¡¯t even bother to


    appear. Whatever it is, I am a director of a listedpany, so she¡¯s definitely looking down on me! I will


    remember this! I am not a Queen if I don¡¯t make them pay!¡±


    I was taken aback. I have only heard one person speak in this manner, and that was John. There was


    someone like him in K City? Why haven¡¯t I heard anybody mention him before?


    Looking at Bryson, I suddenly felt a slight regret at not having met him earlier.


    Based on my first impression of him, there was nothing especially remarkable about Bryson.


    Nheless, his daring attitude toward Thora made him a person worth befriending.


    ¡°Alright, I understand. Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Queen. We will take up your case, and assign our bestwyer to


    you. If that arrangement doesn¡¯t work for you, I shall represent you myself,¡± I offered generously.


    ¡°Really?¡± Bryson looked at me skeptically. He lowered his head; his cunning fox-like eyes flickered


    rapidly. ¡°It seems what was said in the magazine was right¡­¡± He mumbled to himself.


    He said it at a very low volume, but my ears caught the intriguing statement. Therefore, I gossiped


    unabashedly. ¡°What did the magazine say?¡±


    Bryson paused for a beat, then collected himself and put his sses back on. Grinning cheerfully, he


    answered, ¡°It said that the Stovall family had a bone to pick with the Ziegler family and that you were


    always on the lookout to stir up trouble for them.


    Going by this logic, it made sense to contact the Stovall family. By the looks of it, the magazine had


    been spot on. I have already made it known since a month ago that money is not an issue as long as I


    can win thewsuit against the Ziegler family and embarrass them. Up until now, you are the only one


    daring enough to take up my case.¡±


    What Bryson talked about was probably the whole ruckus that John stirred up to deal with Mitchell. It


    was no longer a trending topic, but some small publications were still milking and sensationalizing this


    incident to sell their magazines.


    Whoever gave Bryson the idea must have intended tond a blow on the Ziegler family by using the


    Stovall family, and they could avoidnding themselves in hot water at the same time. Yet, Bryson told


    us everything up front. He was evidently quite frank and not a maniptive person.


    This type of people was actually the easiest to deal with.


    I smiled and courteously replied, ¡°The Stovall and Ziegler families did have a small misunderstanding.


    However, it¡¯s not to the extent of having bad blood. Since both of our families are running businesses in


    K City, we are bound to have dealings with each other. It would be impossible to cut all ties. But let me


    rify what I heard just now. You said that as long as we win thewsuit, we can ask for any price. Did


    you really mean it?¡±


    People who had dealings in the corporate world have to be cautious and versatile, especially those


    from prominent families. Even if two families could no longer tolerate each other, they would not make it


    obvious to the public. Saving face for one another is crucial because enemies could be friends


    under other circumstances. No one would opt to burn down all their bridges.


    Still, no one was willing to take up Bryson¡¯s case except for me. The message that I was sending out


    by doing this was clear as day.


    Bryson may be a straightforward person, but he got my hint and guffawed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that for I


    have done my survey around for a bit. As long as we manage to win thewsuit, even the worst


    oue would call for Thora to pay a hundred million. You can have all of it by that time. What I want


    is just the thrill from seeing her atone for her wrongdoing!¡±

 Chapter 1299

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1299


    What Bryson said was very much to my liking.


    ¡°Here¡¯s to working together.¡±


    After shaking hands, this whole arrangement was thus confirmed.


    As I sent Bryson downstairs, he kept holding on to my hand, saying a million thanks. ¡°Ms. Stovall, from


    today onwards, we are good friends. If you need anything in the future, do not hesitate to ask me!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t hold back when the timees, thank you.¡± I sent Bryson away with a huge smile. My mood


    lightened considerably.


    Although he did not speak in a cultured and refined manner, he wore his heart on his sleeve.


    Socializing with a person like this was not taxing, as I didn¡¯t need to beat around the bush.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we inform Mr. Stovall about this matter first?¡± Brooklyn suddenly appeared by my side and


    reminded me.


    I tilted my head toward him, then directed my gaze to Bryson¡¯s conspicuous Cayenne. In a rxed


    tone, I said, ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. I will inform him myself. He would be interested to know about this.¡±


    In the evening, I purposely got off from work earlier. Before going home, I picked up Summer and went


    to the supermarket to get ingredients for cooking dinner.


    Out of habit, I left Ashton a message to invite him to drop by for dinner prior to cooking. As for whether


    he could make it or not, it would depend on his schedule for the day. With Millie around, I could see him


    almost every day. Hence, it was not a must for him toe over.


    Louis was temporarily staying at the hostel because of the Pitcoin issues. Because of that, there were


    only four of us at the dining table during dinner.


    As soon as I sat down, I took an abalone and gave it to John. ¡°Give it a taste. Let me know if my


    cooking skills have deteriorated.¡± I did my best to please him.


    John peered at the abalone on his te and raised a brow. ¡°My my, this is a rarity. I didn¡¯t think that you


    would be in the mood to cook when Ashton is not around.¡±


    With his eyebrows scrunched, he narrowed his eyes at me. Then, he crossed his arms andzily


    leaned against the back of his chair. ¡°This is too good to be true. Spit it out! What the devil are you up


    to this time?¡± he queried.


    ¡°Devil!¡± Summer gasped. ¡°Mommy, where¡¯s the devil?¡± She was scared at the mention of the word


    ¡®devil¡¯ and looked at me with watery eyes pleading for help.


    I didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. I patted her on the top of her head lightly tofort her. ¡°There is


    no actual devil! What Uncle John means is that our Summer is so smart that she¡¯s a cute little devil!¡±


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    ¡°Really? Hehe, thank you, Uncle John!¡± Summer seemed relieved and smiled contentedly. The next


    moment, she tilted her little head as she recalled something. ¡°Mr. Cress praises me for being smart


    too!¡± she boasted proudly.


    John, on the other hand, was unhappy after hearing this. ¡°Mr. Cress again! Summer, isn¡¯t Uncle John


    your favorite man?¡±


    ¡°Summer likes Daddy the most! Uncle John and Mr. Cress are second!¡± She eximed loudly while


    looking at me, as though she wanted my acknowledgment.


    ¡°Oh? Did Uncle John not treat you well? Is that why I am in second ce along with another person?¡±


    John seemed to be jealous, so he continued asking Summer about it persistently.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Summer was in a pinch now. Looking at John innocently, she fell into deep thought. After quite


    some time, she started muttering to herself. ¡°Summer likes Uncle John, and Mr. Cress too. I like them


    both all the same¡­¡±


    Her tiny face was scrunched up with conflict. She looked like a little grown-up when she seriously


    considered who was her favorite person. Seeing my little Summer being forced to make such a difficult


    decision, I felt pitiful for her.


    ¡°My dear Summer, you don¡¯t have to choose and make a ranking out of it. Just follow whatever your


    heart tells you. As long as you are happy, it¡¯s okay. Do you understand?¡± Iforted her softly.


    Summer raised her head to look at me, and I could see the confusion in her eyes. I was not sure


    whether she understood me, but she nodded earnestly and replied, ¡°Yes, Mommy! I understand.¡±


    She would slowly understand as she grew up. Exining too much right now would just increase her


    mental burden. I quickly gave Summer the green pea fritters which were her favorite and signaled at


    Emma to look after Summer. With that, we diverted Summer¡¯s attention.


    ncing to the other end of the table, a sullen John entered my vision.


    I couldn¡¯t help but poke fun at him. ¡°Did you really have topare yourself against her teacher?¡±


    John¡¯s eyes narrowed. He lifted a hand to his chin and started analyzing in all seriousness. ¡°She just


    started primary school, and my ce in her heart was quickly reced by a teacher. This person must


    be something else. I have to go see for myself. You don¡¯t need to go pick up Summer tomorrow. I¡¯ll go


    instead.¡±

 Chapter 1300

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1300


    ¡°What do you n to do? Don¡¯t scare the teacher. I¡¯ve already asked Emery to check and Mr. Cress


    isn¡¯t a bad person. It¡¯s not easy for Summer to open up to someone. You better not mess it up,¡± I


    nagged.


    ¡°Alright, I know what to do,¡± said John, waving his hand dismissively. He immediately changed the


    topic. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about your business. You haven¡¯t asked me to do anything in quite a while. What do


    you have for me this time?¡±


    ¡°I knew I couldn¡¯t hide it from you.¡± I shrugged and lifted my wine ss to toast him. ¡°Teach me how to


    do business!¡±


    ¡°Business? What kind of business? Aren¡¯t you the boss of aw firm now? On top of that, you are also


    thedy boss of Fuller Corporation. What else can I teach you?¡± John was teasing me. His shrewd


    eyes scrutinizing me closely, like he was trying to look into my soul.


    I pursed my lips and put down my ss. I responded with augh, ¡°Since I took the initiative to talk to


    you about it, it¡¯s definitely not a small business. You¡¯ll help me, won¡¯t you?¡±


    John took in a deep breath. ¡°Are you short of moneytely?¡± He asked incredulously.


    ¡°Yes! Very!¡± I nodded vehemently.


    To put things into perspective, hiring a mercenary of Millie¡¯s caliber was way more costly than hiring a


    high-level manager in Ashton¡¯s corporation. In addition to that, I hired a small team of bodyguards to


    protect Summer. That was a huge expense for me too.


    However, my main objective for coborating with John was not to make money. In fact, I needed


    John¡¯swork of contacts to get a chance to approach the Trivetts.


    John¡¯s incredulity went up a notch after hearing what I had said. He looked at me like I was some sort


    of prehistoric creature. From his expression of disbelief, you could hear his thought without him saying


    it out loud ¨C Are you kidding me?


    To be fair, I was the second major shareholder of Fuller Corporation, a daughter of the Stovall family,


    and I had financial backing from Cameron and Zachary Moore. If a person like me was short of money,


    then the rest of the poption would all be poverty-stricken.


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    After being stared at for a while, I shifted my gaze out of guilt. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll tell you the truth. Pitcoin came


    to Ashton and I need to see the perpetrator who started all of this.¡±


    ¡°You want to get close to Herman Trivett?¡± John¡¯s expression suddenly changed to a stern one, and he


    rejected me in a heartbeat. ¡°No way.¡±


    The smile on my face froze. ¡°Why?¡±


    John¡¯s face darkened, and he didn¡¯t bother to be polite anymore. ¡°Scarlett, you are awfully full of


    yourself, aren¡¯t you? I opened up aw firm for you and let you have a job. I did all this so that you


    could settle down, not for you to use it as a tform to act recklessly!¡±


    I swallowed the words that were at the tip of my tongue after getting reprimanded by him all of a


    sudden. The atmosphere at the dining table became tense instantly.


    Although he said it in a harsh way, I understood clearly that he was just too concerned about my safety.


    Pondering the issue for a while, I lifted my phone and dialed Millie¡¯s number.


    The call got through immediately. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Come in for a while. I¡¯m at the dining room.¡±


    With that, I hung up. John and I faced each other squarely. I waited in silence.


    In less than a minute, footsteps were heard from upstairs. John and I looked toward the direction of the


    sound and saw Millie walk down the stairs nonchntly with her hand on the railing.


    She was halfway down, and then she stopped. Her distant eyes lifted and peered down at us


    arrogantly.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asked John anxiously. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the secretary that you recently hired? When did


    shee in?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I hired Millie. However, her main task is not secretarial work. Instead, it is to protect me.¡± I


    exined.


    John stared at me suspiciously. I could see him analyzing the credibility of what I said.


    To assure him, I further exined, ¡°The security in the Stovall residence is tight, but Millie managed to


    appear before us without alerting anybody at all. You should believe that she is perfectly capable of


    keeping me safe.¡±


    John did not reply, which probably indicated that he was convinced.


    ¡°Do you want to eat with us?¡± I asked Millie.


    ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Millie¡¯s expression was as cold as ice. Shepletely ignored my question.


    ¡°No,¡± I replied. I felt guilty for asking her to appear on a whim just to prove her capability to John. ¡°It¡¯s


    kind of cold outside. Why don¡¯t you have some food to keep warm?¡±

 Chapter 1301

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1301


    Millie did not respond and turned to walk back up the stairs. After two steps, she paused. ¡°I¡¯m not used


    to this,¡± she announced with a sideways nce.


    After that abrupt reply, she quickened her pace and soon disappeared at the top of the stairs.


    I was befuddled.


    Not used to what? Our cuisine?


    But we were having seafood. No matter which country you¡¯re from, seafood is cooked in almost the


    same way. There shouldn¡¯t be much difference to its taste.


    Perhaps she was too far from the table and thought that the dishes were all foreign cuisine that she


    was not used to.


    My thoughts were elsewhere when John suddenly stood up and obstructed my view. His solemn eyes


    were trained onto me; they were stern yet gentle. ¡°I agree to help you.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I was overjoyed. I didn¡¯t expect John to change his mind so fast.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said without expression. I couldn¡¯t decipher his emotions. He had a naturally cool-looking


    face, and theck of expression made him seem even more distant.


    It didn¡¯t feel right for me to act yful. Therefore, Iposed myself and asked, ¡°John, did you get


    mad because you think that I was too impulsive?¡±


    John shook his head and sighed. Holding my gaze, he answered, ¡°I was just feeling relieved.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± I expressed my puzzlement.


    ¡°I always thought that you were obstinate and rash. You were impulsive like a man and always got hurt


    as a result. I felt that I needed to keep you safe at all times. But today, after seeing your secretary and


    learning that you took precautions without us knowing; I know you have matured. As long as you


    understand how precious you are, what else would I be worried about?¡±


    Matured. This was a very heavy word.


    John¡¯s words hit a soft spot in my heart. I felt a mix of emotions.


    After a while, I caught on to that singr irregrity in his touchingment. I smacked his arm with


    all my might. ¡°Who did you say was a man?¡±


    ¡°Me! I¡¯m the man, alright? So, what do you want to do? I¡¯ll see how I should cooperate with you.¡± John


    said with augh.


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    ¡°It¡¯s very simple!¡± I walked toward him and started dragging him up the stairs. ¡°Today, let¡¯s start with the


    common business knowledge about Pitcoin trading!¡±


    The next day, John and I went straight to Trivett Corporation. John visited in his capacity as the general


    manager of Stovall Corporation, while I went as the second major shareholder of Fuller Corporation.


    In the ever-changing corporate world, it wasmonly agreed that the enemy of my enemy is my


    friend. John was the mastermind who ensured that Mitchell Ziegler could not return to the country, and


    Louis was a natural barrier that blocked off profiteers. Despite these facts, Trivett Corporation did not


    refuse to see us. Instead, they showed us to their reception room politely.


    Herman Trivett had always been the leader of the Trivett family. They started in petroleum, then went


    into all sorts of investments, building up the massive wealth in the process. When the petroleum


    business no longer worked out for them, they lost their main source of ie and got into several


    financial crises. It was Herman who kept turning the tides and saving the corporation, though the


    results were not very satisfactory. However, ever since Pitcoin was introduced to the market, Trivett


    Corporation¡¯s share prices soared, and thepany¡¯s worth tripled.


    By the time the secretary served us our third cup of coffee, John could no longer rein in his temper. He


    stood up and kicked the potted nt in the corner of the room. Its leaves shook and fell all over the


    ce.


    At that moment, the door opened from outside. The secretary led a middle-aged man in a burgundy suit


    into the room.


    The man sported a neat crew cut. Even though he looked like he was around Louis¡¯ age, he had a


    head full of ck hair. The only giveaway was the wrinkles on his face which indicated his age. This


    must be Seth Trivett.


    ¡°Why so angry, Mr. Stovall?¡± Seth asked in the standard businessman tone while sitting down.


    After he was seated, another young person entered the room unhurriedly at his own pace. Without any


    greetings, he simply pulled the chair beside Seth further apart before sitting down. Looking at his


    features, this was definitely Herman, Seth Trivett¡¯s son.


    ¡°John, didn¡¯t your Uncle Louis teach you any manners? Youe to mypany for a visit and you


    damage my property. What is the meaning of this?¡± Herman put down his phone and criticized John


    with a long face.

 Chapter 1302

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1302


    Both father and son had acted their respective roles out very well.


    However, given that Seth was making his son take on the role of offending others, he clearly did not


    care about Herman¡¯s future at all. If anything happened to Seth in the future, Herman would have


    offended everyone by then. In short, the world would only sit back and watch when the Trivetts met


    their downfall.


    Whatever, it¡¯s their own problem anyway. It¡¯s got nothing to do with me.


    ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating, Mr. Trivett. My brother¡¯s only w is that he¡¯s a little anxious. He did that only


    because he¡¯d drank a little too much coffee and had to go to the restroom urgently. It¡¯d be rude to let


    the two of you arrive in an empty room, so he was finding another way to vent it out,¡± I said, hiding my


    anger with a friendly tone.


    Although John was not a patient man, he did know to think of the big picture. He would have never


    caused such a conflict if the Trivetts had not made us wait so long in the first ce. I said those words


    to tell them that the Stovall family would not simply remain silent while allowing others to take


    advantage of us.


    Seth red at me sharply for a while, then looked away calmly. He kept on a slight smile but did not


    speak.


    Then, Herman seemed to have received someone¡¯s orders and boldly tried to justify themselves.


    ¡°Trivett Corporation¡¯s not a ce that you cane and visit whenever you want. We had to end the


    quarterly report meeting earlier by half an hour for your sake. Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re trying to use


    us of treating the two of you poorly?¡±


    It seemed like my guess was right. The Trivetts were going to finish acting out their script.


    Since that was the case, there was no need for me to expose them. Thus, I got straight to the point.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a small matter; let¡¯s not talk about it anymore. We¡¯re here today for other matters.¡±


    When I spoke, Seth acted as if none of it was rted to him. He picked up his tea and slowly savored


    it, treating us as though we were nothing worth bothering about.


    ¡°I want to join the Pitcoin business,¡± I said, raising my voice as I nced over at Seth. He was still


    behaving as if he were a mere bystander, acting indifferent to the situation.


    However, Herman was very open with his suspicions about our motives. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that your


    godfather is taking the lead to oppose Pitcoin? Isn¡¯t it rebellious and unfilial to go against him?¡± Herman


    paused and shot John a mocking gaze. ¡°I heard that ever since you came back from J City, you¡¯ve


    been obeying everything Louis says. Are you finally unable to take it anymore?¡±


    His words were actually not that hostile. Since it was a business matter, judgments had to be made,


    and explicit confirmation was required.


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business,¡± John said. Then, he moved to sit beside me in a carefree manner just


    as Herman did, provoking him. ¡°Just tell us if we can join in and make some money together.¡±


    With one hand resting on the table and the other holding his chin, Herman raised his eyebrows in


    thought. A whileter, he looked up with a grim, ruthless gaze. ¡°Do you think we¡¯re so stupid as to invite


    trouble in? If you want to be a spy, go somewhere else. We don¡¯t have time to y along with your


    petty tricks.¡±


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    Just as John was about to speak, Seth leisurely put down his teacup and stepped forward. ¡°Herman,


    they¡¯re our guests. How can you speak to them like this.¡±


    After a pause, he looked at John. Then, acting as if he were a kind senior, Seth continued, ¡°John, it¡¯s


    not that I don¡¯t want to work with you. It¡¯s just that it would be too troublesome. You know your status.


    As Mr. Stovall¡¯s nephew, your family¡¯s finances are all being monitored by the authority. Although we¡¯re


    not afraid of being investigated, it¡¯ll still bring us a lot of losses at our end. Pitcoin¡¯s actually not as


    profitable as the rumors make it out to be. If there¡¯re other future opportunities, I¡¯ll definitely reserve a


    ce for you.¡±


    He was obviously saying that they would not cooperate with the Stovall family.


    However, it was not difficult to understand where he wasing from. After all, no one wanted to


    voluntarily invite a predator in.


    ¡°You¡¯re mistaken, Mr. Trivett,¡± I said, taking the opportunity to interrupt. Deliberately raising my voice, I


    continued, ¡°I¡¯m the one who wants to work with the Trivetts, not John.¡±

 Chapter 1303

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1303


    Upon hearing my words, both father and son turned to me simultaneously with their gazes full of


    surprise.


    ¡°You?¡± Herman said in a scornful tone, ¡°You¡¯re all from the Stovall family. Is there any difference?¡±


    ¡°Of course, there¡¯s a difference.¡± I looked him in the eye, then continued, ¡°Although I¡¯ve taken Louis as


    my godfather, legally, we¡¯re not family, so whatever investments I make will not be monitored. You can


    rest assured that you won¡¯t incur losses because of me.¡±


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    Herman knocked on the table as heughed coldly. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re stupid or if you¡¯re just


    pretending, but do you think you can resolve it just by saying that you¡¯re ¡®not legally family?¡¯ Do you


    really think we¡¯re idiots?¡±


    As soon as he was done speaking, the secretary standing behind Seth brought the phone to his ear


    and whispered while cupping the microphone. He then bent over and whispered in Seth¡¯s ear.


    After Seth replied in a soft voice, the secretary gave us a polite smile before exiting the room.


    As soon as the secretary turned his back to us, Seth broke into an iprehensible smile. ¡°Today


    seems to be a special day. Distinguished guests have arrived all at once. Mr. and Ms. Stovall, I¡¯m sure


    you won¡¯t mind if my friends join in our conversation, right? They¡¯re also very interested in Pitcoin.¡±


    Although his expression actually made me a little flustered, I still managed to look calm. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s


    all fairpetition. Only if we meet will you actually be able to see who has more capital, right?¡±


    Seth kept silent as the corners of his mouth started to curl upward, resulting in a very frightening scene.


    Soon, the office door opened once again as the secretary led Seth¡¯s guests in.


    As soon as Thora walked through the door, our eyes met. A sh of surprise shed across her eyes,


    but she kept herposure as she greeted both father and son. Behind her, aside from her assistant,


    entered Ashton.


    However, I was not as surprised as Thora was. As Ashton and I had already agreed to disrupt the


    Pitcoin business, we inevitably had to meet Seth. Thus, it was no surprise that we would meet then.


    Perhaps due to Seth¡¯s presence, as soon as Ashton saw me, he paused in his footsteps and frowned


    slightly before he walked over to sit down beside Thora.


    Thus, the four of us sat opposite one another. When our gazes met, there was a weird shift in the


    atmosphere.


    Ashton was the first to speak. His cold tone set the scene for our show. ¡°Why are you here instead of


    looking after the children at home?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re already divorced. My choices are none of your business,¡± I said, narrowing my eyes impatiently.


    I then turned to Seth and asked, ¡°Mr. Trivett, are they the people that are here topete with me?¡±


    ¡°You n to get involved in the Pitcoin business too?¡± inquired Thora.


    Upon hearing that, I lowered my eyes and remained silent for a while before I looked her in the eye and


    smiled. ¡°I have Ms. Ziegler to thank for this. If you hadn¡¯t wanted my shares in Fuller Corporation so


    desperately, I wouldn¡¯t have gotten someone to investigate. It turns out that Pitcoin¡¯s very popr now,


    and everyone wants a hand in it. Since I own so many shares, obviously, I had to n well for my


    future.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± said Seth, finally showing some surprise. ¡°Does that mean you¡¯re here to represent Fuller


    Corporation today, to agree to the cooperation I proposed?¡±


    He took the bait!


    ¡°Of¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡±


    Even though Ashton and I spoke at the same time, his deep voice forcibly covered my words.


    ¡°You¡¯re mistaken, Mr. Trivett. Scarlett¡¯s shares in Fuller Corporation are far less than mine, so she


    doesn¡¯t have the right to make decisions. I¡¯m purely here to apany Ms. Ziegler today. I¡¯m not


    acting on behalf of thepany, much less suggesting that I¡¯m interested in the Pitcoin business.¡±


    Although Ashton had spoken with a straight face and his words did not carry any strong tone, for some


    reason, others did not dare to talk.


    Between Ashton and I, it was clear whose words were more convincing. Seth was not the slightest bit


    conflicted and simply moved past the matter with a smile. Instead, I red at Ashton, simultaneously


    angry and amused. Seriously? Leave some space for me to y around too!

 Chapter 1304

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1304


    ¡°Looks like Ms. Stovall¡¯s not fated with Pitcoin. That¡¯s too bad. I guess I¡¯ll have to be the one that takes


    the deal,¡± Thora said, taking the opportunity to interrupt.


    When it came to rivals in love, whoever made the first concession would lose.


    ¡°Says who!¡± I eximed, unwilling to ept things just like that. ¡°Ms. Ziegler owns an entire listed


    company, so I can¡¯tpare to her. However, God has been fair. Even if I can¡¯t use my shares in Fuller


    Corporation, my birth parents, Cameron and Zachary, have enough capital for me topete with


    you!¡±


    It did not matter whether or not I was able to secure the cooperation. What mattered was to make


    Thora confused and let the Trivetts continue to be arrogant.


    It was no use only inflicting a small injury. One had to strike the opponent with a single blow so that


    they would never have a chance at recovery.


    Since the most taboo subject to Thora was her family members, her expression darkened. However,


    since there were others present, she did not make it too obvious.


    Yet, not bothering to conceal anything, I raised the phone in my hand to show it off and said casually, ¡°If


    you don¡¯t believe me, I can call Mr. Moore right now.¡±


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    Before Thora could even react, Ashton got angry first.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± he said abruptly with a hint of anger in his voice. His ck eyes shot a dark look at me


    as he continued, ¡°Scarlett, you just have something against Thora and me getting too close. There¡¯s no


    need to get everyone else involved in your foolery!¡±


    To the public eye, although Ashton¡¯s reputation was never that of an approachable person, he still


    carried the airs of a gentleman. Thus, his sudden anger inevitably surprised everyone, including myself.


    Is this guy trying to join the entertainment industry?


    I was taken aback for a while but soon recovered and stared at him with wide eyes. ¡°That¡¯s none of


    your business! If you don¡¯t want me, I still have the Moore family and the Stovall family to pamper me!


    I¡¯m going to oppose you just so that your woman will never get what she wants. What the h*ll can you


    do to me!¡±


    ¡°You are being unreasonable!¡± Ashton was so angry that he became speechless. His handsome face


    was flushed red in anger.


    The confrontation clearly showed how helpless a person felt when they had to deal with an


    unreasonable person. Only someone like the character I was ying could make an ambitious person


    like Ashton angry. His ex-wife who could do whatever she wanted.


    Both of us continued to pretend to be angry with each other for a while. Then, Ashton reacted first and


    suggested negotiating the terms with Seth. ¡°Mr. Trivett, didn¡¯t you always want Fuller Corporation to


    join in on the Pitcoin project? I rejected it before, but I¡¯ve now changed my mind. I can consider it, but I


    have a condition. You have to reject Scarlett Stovall¡¯s conditions and get them both to leave now.¡±


    ¡°Ashton Fuller, you¡¯re so shameless!¡± John said as he stood up and stared at him dangerously. ¡°No


    matter what, the two of you were once married. Letty rarely wants to do business by herself. Do you


    have to do this to her?¡±


    Ashton¡¯s expression went cold, and his gaze was filled with anger. He was clearly trying to suppress his


    anger as he said, ¡°What I want is a supportive wife who can help me, not one that does nothing all day,


    only knows how to be unreasonable, and will never grow up!¡±


    His words were not exactly harmful, but they were extremely insulting.


    If I had not known that those words were against his own intentions, I would have really gotten angry.


    However, regardless of whether or not Ashton really meant what he said, as long as it was something


    that degraded me, John deemed it as crossing the line. He was so furious that he kicked aside the


    chair and walked over to grab Ashton¡¯s cor, pulling him up from the chair. He looked him in the eye


    and said, ¡°You are a piece of shit! What did you just say? Do you really think that without Letty, you¡¯d


    be able to stand so firmly in the city so quickly? And now you¡¯re saying she¡¯s ignorant. What¡¯s your


    problem? Ashton, you can¡¯t call yourself a man!¡±


    The more he spoke, the more agitated he got. Resultantly, John clenched his fists and was about to


    punch Ashton. Then, Thora suddenly stood up and stepped on John¡¯s foot. All women would know how


    high stilettos were, and Thora had not hesitated in stepping on him. John cursed in pain as he let go of


    Ashton and jumped to the side.


    I immediately went over to help him. ¡°John! Are you okay? Ashton, how dare you touch my brother!¡±

 Chapter 1305

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1305


    Ashton tidied his suit as if nothing had just happened, and his expression was extremely indifferent.


    Instead, Thora, who for some reason was only an inch away from Ashton, raised her chin as she


    looked down on us proudly. ¡°Scarlett, don¡¯t think that everyone will give in to you. I¡¯m sure we all clearly


    saw who took action first. If you pursue it, you¡¯ll be the one who¡¯ll be embarrassed.¡±


    From her tone, it seemed as though she had fallen for Ashton¡¯s acting and regarded me as a


    submissive and well-mannereddy of a rich family.


    However, we were indeed unable to refute her. John¡¯s acting tended to be on the angrier side, and he


    would always take physical action every time. Since we knew we were losing the battle, there was no


    need to seek out any more trouble.


    At that moment, Seth slowly stood up to stop the fight. ¡°What are you guys doing? We¡¯re all just here to


    do business. There¡¯s no need to take things so far.¡±


    He pretended to sigh, then looked at John. He said apologetically, ¡°John, since you¡¯re injured, why


    don¡¯t you take your sister back home first. I¡¯ll contact you about the cooperation another day.¡±


    Keeping the weight off his injured foot, John unwillingly looked at Ashton and Thora, closed his eyes in


    displeasure, and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll do it for your sake, Mr. Trivett. Ashton, ask your woman to remember this


    well. I¡¯ll get back at her sooner orter!¡±


    Then, he dragged his injured foot as he limped away.


    Aggrieved, I was stunned for a while before I abruptly stomped my feet in anger and chased after him.


    As John had been embarrassed by a woman, his expression was bad ever since he left the room.


    Simrly, I was in a bad mood as well. Wordlessly, both of us exited the Trivett Corporation building.


    When we finally entered the car, John gasped a sigh of relief and bent over to rub his foot. ¡°What the


    hell! Thora¡¯s really ruthless. She almost pierced through my foot!¡±


    I felt both sorry and amused at the same time. ¡°It¡¯s been hard on you. But this time, the results seem


    quite good. Thora should have believed by now that Ashton and I got a divorce because our


    personalities shed. So, she¡¯d go all in and try to take everything for herself in the Pitcoin business.¡±


    However, John was only interested in thinking about how to deal with such an unexpected situation the


    next time. He mumbled to himself, ¡°When I get back, I¡¯ll get the housekeeper to order me a pair of


    customized shoes and I¡¯ll add a small bulletproof vest to the front of it. Who knows whether or not that


    b*tch will shoot me next time!¡±


    ¡°Do you need to exaggerate this much?¡±


    ¡°Let someone step on you, and you¡¯ll know how I feel,¡± said John with a dark expression. ¡°Even if it was


    all an act, I won¡¯t forget this. The Ziegler family has seriously offended me. Mitchell is disgusting


    enough, but now Thora¡¯s also an eyesore. Their entire family is seriously a bunch of trouble.¡±


    I smiled, unable to refute his words. ¡°There¡¯s always a solution to the problem. Who can take on a


    demon like you? When the timees, Ashton will naturally be able to make them all disappear.¡±


    ¡°I hope I don¡¯t have to wait too long.¡± John pressed his lips together, seemingly not caring much.


    ¡°Getting the Zieglers and the Trivetts to join forces is only the first step of our n. Tomorrow, prepare


    some funds and find some retail investors. Then, go to the stock market and make the price of Pitcoin


    rise.¡±


    ¡°I know what to do.¡± John crossed his arms as he leaned back on the leather seat. Perhaps he had


    used too much effort in his acting, as he looked a little tired.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Nothing, I just suddenly thought of how Thora was defending Ashton and thought of Hannah,¡± said


    John sorrowfully. His deep brown eyes looked out the window as if he were a lonely solo traveler at


    night.


    Suddenly, my heart seemed to have been wrapped in ice. I felt both cold and weak and was


    ufortable. At such a time, it was not suitable for me to express my own feelings.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    ¡°When you¡¯re free, let¡¯s go visit Kiki together. You¡¯re still family, so you can¡¯t just avoid each other


    forever.¡±

 Chapter 1306

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1306


    When I was done speaking, John breathed a sigh of relief and started to joke around. ¡°The Zieglers are


    so annoying. Before we make them go bankrupt, let¡¯s have some fun with them!¡±


    I sighed. Men¡¯s emotions were fleeting, passing only after a short time. Just as John was about to


    share his ns to deal with Thora, my phone rang.


    I retrieved the phone from my bag and saw that I had a message from Rose. Thest time I saw her,


    she had just given birth. She should¡¯ve just ended her confinement. Why is she looking for me now?


    To be polite, I answered the call anyway. ¡°Hi Rose, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Scarlett, I want to ask for your help with something.¡± She spoke hesitantly and seemed to be in a


    difficult position.


    ¡°Tell me. As long as it¡¯s not too much, I won¡¯t refuse.¡±


    Nick and Rose did treat me like their sister after all, so naturally, I could not act too distant.


    ¡°Can you please help me contact Nick? I¡¯ve not seen him for a week. I¡¯m a little worried.¡±


    She seemed to be deliberately covering the microphone to block out other noises. However, as a fellow


    woman, I could tell that she was distressed.


    Previously in the hospital, I had already had a bad hunch. This time, I became even more certain of my


    guess. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Tell me the truth.¡±


    The other end of the line fell into silence. After a long while, Rose replied, ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just that Nick¡¯s


    been working really hard for thepany recently, so I¡¯m worried that he can¡¯t take it. Please, if you


    meet him, please talk to him about it. That¡¯s all I have to say. I¡¯ll contact you again. Bye.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Rose¡­¡± I was just about to ask her to rify the situation when all I heard was the beeping


    sound of a disconnected call.


    When I looked at my phone, it was already back at the lock screen. My feelings of uneasiness grew


    stronger as I frowned and gave Nick a call.


    Logically speaking, if Rose was unable to contact him, Nick¡¯s phone should have been unreachable.


    However, only a few seconds after I dialed his number, a familiar voice picked up the call. ¡°Scarlett.¡±


    It all made sense then. Nick was avoiding Rose ever since she had given birth. Perhaps Rose was still


    trying to cover up for him, and they had already been out of contact for over a week.


    ¡°Where are you?¡± My tone instantly became cold.


    No matter what reason he had, as a man, he had left his wife just after she had given birth, and she


    had had no news of him for at least a week. It was an irresponsible act that no one would be able to


    ept.


    Nick did not answer my question and instead changed the subject. ¡°Is something the matter?¡±


    I understood his thinking too well. He was trying to cover it up, which only served to highlight his guilt.


    ¡°It¡¯s a business matter. Where are you now? Meet me at myw firm in half an hour. You should know


    the address. If you don¡¯t, just Google it!¡±


    I was unable to ept Nick¡¯s change and said those words in agitation before I hung up the phone.


    ¡°Who made you so angry?¡± John asked as he cowered away from me, afraid to get on my nerves.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Puffing my cheeks out and turning to him, my furious gaze fell on his innocent face. ¡°Some man!¡±


    In the end, as John was worried that I would take my anger out on him, he got out of the car on the way


    back and prepared to head to school to pick Summer up in advance.


    Back at the office, I had waited for over an hour, but Nick was still nowhere in sight. Millie, who was


    wearing sses and was dressed formally, entered with documents for me to sign. However, I was


    spacing out and did not hear a word she said.


    ¡°Boss.¡± Millie¡¯s emotionless voice rang out, startling me. She continued expressionlessly, ¡°Is it not


    enough that you go to Stovall Residence every night for a secret meeting? Are you still thinking of your


    husband even at work?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± I was stunned for a moment. When I realized what she had said, I blushed in anger and


    embarrassment. ¡°What¡¯s going on in your mind, Millie! Can you be a little more serious? I¡¯m just waiting


    for a friend. We¡¯d agreed to meet here half an hour ago.¡±

 Chapter 1307

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1307


    ¡°Oh,¡± said Millie as she adjusted her sses. ¡°He¡¯s noting. Don¡¯t waste your time waiting for him.


    It¡¯s useless.¡±


    ¡°You mean, Nick stood me up?¡± The realization came slowly to me. Millie simply shrugged, but didn¡¯t


    respond.


    Suddenly, anger and humiliation boiled inside me. I furiously dialed his phone number.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    I heard the ringtone in the background. It was connected. When the rings stopped, I opened my mouth


    to scold him but choke on my words as I heard the voicemail on the other line.


    ¡°He hung up?¡± I turned to Millie and showed her my phone screen in disbelief. ¡°How dare he hang up


    on me!¡±


    She raised her eyebrows and looked at me, as if it had nothing to do with her.


    At first impression, Nick seemed more like a sweet and innocent guy, but suddenly he was different.


    His bad attitude caused my annoyance. I quickly stood up and wore my jacket. ¡°Get the car ready. I will


    not let him get away that easily.¡±


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± asked Millie.


    ¡°To his office.¡±


    Millie and I were there the entire afternoon.


    At seven in the evening, a man opened the door and switched the light on as Nick walked in. It was so


    bright that I could see his face clearly. Nick stood there with a startled look.


    We looked at one another for a few seconds before he took off his coat and hung it on a hanger. He


    walked to his desk and asked his secretary for two cups of hot water.


    ¡°You looked happy. I bet you¡¯ve got yourself a deal in a multi-million-dor project. We should celebrate


    it over a ss of wine instead of in water,¡± I scoffed.


    He paused and nced up at me from his chair. ¡°Don¡¯t mock me,¡± he retorted.


    I sneered at him. ¡°You¡¯ve changed so much. You¡¯re as bold as brass now. Not only you stood me up,


    but you also ignored my call. I believe this little mocking is trivial to you,¡± I said solemnly.


    We stared at each other. The tension was so thick in that big room.


    Suddenly, a knock on the door broke our tense silence. His secretary brought our drinks in and ced


    it down on the table before she left the three of us in silence again.


    Shortly after, Nick sighed in exasperation. ¡°What do you want?¡± he asked as his gaze shifted away from


    me.


    ¡°I should be the one to ask that! What are you trying to do?¡± I finally vented out my anger. ¡°When did


    youst go home? Have you ever held your own son?¡±


    His face darkened when I talked of his son. ¡°What did Rose tell you?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. I just noticed that you¡¯re not by her side after she gave birth. And worse, you left her alone at


    home when she needed you the most. Isn¡¯t that too cruel of you? You are her husband, the only one


    whom she can rely on.¡±


    He simply stared at me stubbornly. There were no signs of willingness topromise.


    As a person who had experienced simr emotions, I was very sure that guilt and self-me trickled


    through him when he thought of Rose.


    The root cause of suffering, longing, and yearning was because he felt separated from his loved one.


    The gentle man I knew was gone.


    Knowing how harsh I sounded earlier, I slowly calmed myself down. ¡°Are you hiding something from


    her? Is that why¡­¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he cut me off before I could finish my question. ¡°I hate keeping things on the surface level. That¡¯s


    why I chose to open up with her about everything, including the past and my rtionship with Jackson.


    I just figured it was the right decision to end things with her.¡±


    He met my gaze with much determination, as if he was ready to fight anything that got in his way.


    I was incredulous at his decision to end his one-year marriage.

 Chapter 1308

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1308


    Nick was evidently suffering, but as a fellow woman, I was on Rose¡¯s side in that matter. I knew how


    disappointed she must be when she found out the truth.


    Whenever she talked about her husband, I could see true love and happiness in her eyes. This woman


    had unquestionably given her heart and soul to their rtionship.


    However, when she finally achieved her dream to get married and have children, Nick walked out of her


    life and tore their marriage apart.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t do this, at least not now.¡± I knew it would be a bitter disappointment to Rose if she was


    left alone when she needed all the support and care, especially after their child was born.


    For a moment, I was reminded of Camelia. She was a bright and confidentdy before Marcus broke


    her.


    Life lessons taught us that it was important to be open and honest in all aspects of life, including


    marriage. Yet honesty could sometimes be cruel when one had hopes and expectations.


    Nick took a deep breath. ¡°Do you know why Jackson appeared out of nowhere and suddenly he got


    married?¡± he asked. The frustration and coldness were in his voice.


    I frowned, stupefied by his sudden change of subject.


    Before I could respond, he tilted his head downwards andined, ¡°If Lydia hadn¡¯t told me, I


    wouldn¡¯t have known the truth. It turned out that mom has sent someone to spy on me after she knew


    of our rtionship. And before she blew up at me, she confronted him without my knowledge! Well, I


    don¡¯t know what they talked about, but I¡¯m pretty sure that Jackson disappeared after that day. Then


    soon after, he went to M Country and ended up being the scapegoat of his own brother!


    ¡°Look at him now. He isying unconscious in bed, and his parents didn¡¯t evene and visit him. Do


    you know what they told me over the phone? They said he disgusted them and that he is not their son!


    They said he deserved to suffer because he chose to leave and protect me. You see, I am the only one


    he could turn to. I must stay beside him. And I¡¯ve promised myself that I don¡¯t want to be a gutless


    coward anymore.¡±


    I could see his gaze wandered over the floor as he spoke. Then he stared ahead absently as if his soul


    leaving his empty shell of a body.


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    I knew nothing was perfect in this world. We would always fail the very person who loved us the most.


    As a bystander, I didn¡¯t have the right to judge his decision, but at the same time, I felt sorry for Rose.


    ¡°Still, Rose and your son are innocent. I know you¡¯re a busy man, but you must fulfill your


    responsibilities. Even if you want to go your separate ways, don¡¯t run and hide from your problems. So,


    think carefully before you make your final decision,¡± I said, even though I knew it was almost impossible


    to convince a stubborn man.


    If he allowed his ego to rule his decision, the problem would only drag on much longer. In the end, he


    would only make it more difficult for himself.


    I left his office. Suddenly, I received a call from the police station. I had to call off my n to visit Rose.


    ¡°Are you Emery Moore¡¯s attorney?¡±


    Half an hourter, I arrived at the police station.


    From inside the car, I saw an ambnce pulled off at the front entrance. It has an emergency light on.


    I got down from the car and walked toward the entrance. When I was inside the building, I saw a


    patient in a venttor mask being wheeled into the ambnce. It was hectic.


    Just as I was wondering about what happened, Hunter hurried out of the corridor with his father. He


    looked surprised when he saw me. Then he walked past me like we were total strangers. They got into


    a white car and followed the ambnce.


    At that moment, I could probably guess what had happened. I walked further in and saw Emery sitting


    face to face with a police officer. Her attractive features were expressionless; her eyes were cold and


    sharp.

 Chapter 1309

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1309


    The police officer exined the whole situation to me.


    Emery wanted to file an application for custody of their son, Xavier. She also requested that all the


    joints assets should go to her. Initially, both parties had reached an agreement, but their decision


    somehow reached Hunter¡¯s parents, and they were not happy about it. His parents were strict with


    family traditions, so they refused to let Emery take their precious grandson away from them. They went


    to her office to confront her and made a big fuss.


    Emery immediately called the police, and she was brought in for questioning. Hunter¡¯s mother had said


    some offensive things to her prior to my arrival. Despite that, Emery remained calm andposed.


    Instead, Mrs. Zane was aggravated with anger and passed out on the spot.


    The police released Emery since she wasn¡¯t involved in physical or verbal violence. I sent her home


    after I signed some documents.


    On our way home, she stared out the window in silence as though something was bothering her.


    I guessed she was worried about the custody, so I tried tofort her. ¡°The Zanes may seem like a


    better fit for Xavier, but you have the advantage in terms of financial resources. The judges will also


    take the morality use into consideration. We will prove his infidelity to the court, so you have the


    upper hand.¡±


    Emery turned her head to me and replied softly, ¡°Mr. Newman told me the same thing. I trust you guys


    one hundred percent on this.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± I patted her back gently. ¡°I know it¡¯s hard to deal with a stubborn parent, but just bear with


    them. Do what you think is right. Don¡¯t take their words to heart.¡±


    Then I realized that she dressed differently that day, more like the girl next door. She put on a long


    delicate silk dress on her voluptuous body, probably to hide her sexiness and scars.


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m used to it. They never like me as their daughter-inw anyway,¡± she muttered.


    After a pause, she blurted, ¡°By the way, I will go abroad in two days to do a scar removal surgery. I¡¯ll


    leave thepany to you. As for thewsuit, my standpoint is still the same. They deserve censure


    and punishment. Also, Delh and his parents might push mywyer to the wall. I¡¯ll need your help


    when that happened.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Just leave everything here to me. If I can¡¯t handle it, my bodyguard will settle it for me.¡± I


    laughed. Emery calmed down a bit and sat silently for a while before she called her secretary. She


    wanted to get her mother-inw transferred to a better hospital.


    ¡°After all, they were once my family. I must do my responsibility, nothing else,¡± she exined calmly.


    I was not surprised. I knew Emery had a clear line of demarcation between love and hate. She was


    kind-hearted and a big softie on the inside despite her sharp tongue. It was almost ten o¡¯clock when I


    reached home. I saw John sitting in the living room. And in front of him, there was a man in a suit.


    When I was about to walk up the stairs toward my bedroom after an exhausting day, John called out to


    me. ¡°Letty,e here for a bit.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked as I walked over.


    He didn¡¯t respond. Instead, the gentleman in front of him stood up and said, ¡°Ms. Stovall, it¡¯s about


    Summer¡¯s school transfer. There are some documents that need your sign of approval. When are you


    avable?¡±


    ¡°Summer¡¯s transfer?¡± I asked, confused. After a moment, I gazed down at John. ¡°What does this


    mean? Why does Summer need to be transferred?¡±


    Without any expression, he replied, ¡°I¡¯ll exin to youter. Now, you should discuss this with him. You


    know, the procedure could be troublesome.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, I know you¡¯re busy. How about you ask your secretary to email me your schedule instead?


    I will make an arrangement and let you know about it. Here, this is my name card with my contact


    information.¡±

 Chapter 1310

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1310


    ¡°I see.¡± I reached out for the name card and took a nce at it. His name was Wayne Hertel, the vice-


    president of a prestigious international school. He seemed eager to talk about Summer¡¯s school


    transfer, I figured John had made a good deal with him.


    ¡°All right now, you should get going.¡± John dismissed him after Mr. Hertel told me his purpose.


    As soon as he left, I was about to ask John to exin further, but Summer suddenly came hopping


    down the stairs. She hugged my leg and began to cry. ¡°Mommy, I don¡¯t want to be transferred! No!¡±


    Tears streamed down her cheeks as she wailed.


    ¡°All right. I get it. Don¡¯t cry.¡±


    I calmed her down. Eventually, she stopped crying. I crouched down and looked her in the eyes.


    ¡°Sweetie, why you don¡¯t want to change school?¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t want to!¡± she said and sniffed back a sob. She looked at me with a very sad frown on her


    face. ¡°I finally have friends at school. I like them, and I like Mr. Cress. I don¡¯t want to be apart from


    them!¡±


    My heart sank when I heard that. I only sighed in reply. I knew her feelings. After all, she was a child


    who would hold dear to everything she liked.


    I turned to John. He stood still with his hands in his pockets while he fixed his cold gaze on us. The


    frown on his face gave me the feeling that he was angry.


    He must be hiding something.


    I didn¡¯t want to ask him when Summer was around, so I asked Lois to take her upstairs. I waited until


    they were away from our sight. Then I turned to John grimly.


    ¡°Tell me, what is this about? Why did you suddenly want her to be transferred?¡±


    I knew he went to Summer¡¯s school that afternoon to find out about Mr. Cress, so I figured something


    had happened there to make him behave that way. Don¡¯t tell me¡­ it¡¯s him.


    John gritted his teeth. Hesitancy held him back. Almost a minute passed. He opened his mouth and


    said hoarsely, ¡°It¡¯s him.¡±


    I jumped to my feet,pletely thunderstruck by his short replied. I clenched my fist and teeth in anger.


    The guy he meant was none other than Jared, who almost got Summer killed and ruined my


    rtionship with Ashton.


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    With his expression full of hate, John fumed, ¡°His sentence was reduced after the judge reviewed his


    behavior in the prison. He was released on parole a few months ago, with the Crests¡¯ help. I believe he


    has tampered with Emery¡¯s resources because that school never hired such a highly qualified young


    teacher in the first ce! That son of a b*tch is using a fake identity to get close to Summer!¡±


    My heart raced and my breathing turned rapid.


    No wonder thest time I went to her school, Mr. Cress would deliberately avoid me. It all makes sense


    now! That jerk has it all nned out so that he could approach Summer. His identity, his appearance¡­


    Everything is fake!


    I knew Jared could do such a wicked trick.


    I immediately turned around and rushed upstairs. On my way, I reminded John to arrange a meeting


    with Mr. Hertel the next day.


    He is a dangerous man. He should stay away from Summer!


    When I entered the room, I saw my daughter on the bed while Lois read her a story.


    ¡°Lois, let me.¡± She passed me the storybook, then I took a seat beside the bed.


    Summer leaned on her pillow. The tears on her cheeks finally dried, but tears still glimmered in her


    eyes. Her big eyes were puffy as she looked at me.


    ¡°Mommy, can I stay at my school?¡± She pouted.


    I couldn¡¯t muster up the courage to tell her the truth when I saw the solemnness in her eyes.


    I patted her on the head and hastily diverted the topic. ¡°Summer, would you be happy if Uncle John and


    I were gone and left you alone?¡±

 Chapter 1311

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1311


    ¡°Why won¡¯t you be here?¡± Summer asked curiously, her wide eyes blinking up at me.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± I grew silent, pretending to contemte her words for a long while. ¡°Because your current


    school is very far from home, and Uncle John and I will have to travel very far to take you there and


    back. And right now, there are some bad people who want to hurt me and Uncle John. If you continue


    to go to that school, then we might get hurt, or worse, never be able to see you again. That¡¯s why we


    might not be here anymore.¡±


    Summer¡¯s cheeks immediately puffed up in indignation, eyes filling with tears as she threw her nket


    off and clung onto my arm tightly. ¡°I don¡¯t want you and Uncle John to go away, Mommy! I don¡¯t want


    the bad guys to hurt you! I¡¯ll change schools, so please don¡¯t leave me behind¡­¡±


    I felt upset watching her cry her heart out, but there was nothing else I could do. This white lie would


    serve to shield her from Jared¡¯s attempts to hurt her.


    ¡°Shh, it¡¯s okay,¡± I cooed quietly, patting Summer¡¯s back reassuringly. ¡°You¡¯re a big girl now, Summer.


    You need to stay strong and take care of your little siblings, not cry all the time, right?¡±


    She swiftly lifted her head at the mention of her siblings, clumsily wiping away her snot and tears and


    sitting up straight in her best impression of a grown-up. ¡°I won¡¯t cry anymore! I¡¯ll do my best to protect


    Mommy and the babies! So please ask Uncle John to help me change schools; I can make new


    friends, I promise!¡±


    It felt like Summer had instantly matured within the span of a few seconds.


    It had been hard for her to get used to her family members after returning from the chemical nt, let


    alone fit in and make new friends at school.


    I wondered if the change in her had anything to do with Jared in the back of my mind, but I quickly got


    rid of that thought.


    How could the same man who plotted for years and almost killed Summer just switch her personality


    onmand?


    The next morning, I brought Summer to the hospital for another health check-up.


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    Thankfully, the doctors found nothing wrong with her, and I let out a sigh of relief.


    Remembering how much Jackson doted on Summer, I thought of bringing her to visit him while at the


    hospital. It was only after we reached his ward that I realized Nick had already arranged for Jackson to


    move into another private, more expensive hospital.


    With nothing else left to do, I brought Summer home.


    The elevator doors slid open with a quiet ding, revealing a familiar stoic face.


    Ashton was in the elevator, his expressionpletely unreadable as Thora stood beside him. She had


    gone for a lighter, more natural makeup today, but she had on a displeased frown. Even so, the sight of


    them together was, objectively speaking, somewhat aesthetically pleasing.


    The air around us instantly dropped several degrees in temperature.


    Completely oblivious to the tension, Summer lit up and ran forward to hug Ashton¡¯s legs, beaming up at


    him. ¡°Daddy!¡±


    Ashton couldn¡¯t react much because of Thora¡¯s presence, but he reached down and gently patted the


    top of Summer¡¯s head. ¡°Hi there,¡± he greeted casually.


    ¡°Mommy!¡± Summer looked back at me over her shoulder, her eyes shining with anticipation. ¡°Let¡¯s eat


    lunch with Daddy!¡±


    Oh, sweet child. Your daddy is busy being a spy right now. He has no time for a family lunch.


    Sighing wryly, I stepped into the elevator and squeezed myself in between the two adults. ¡°Daddy¡¯s


    busy with work today, Summer,¡± I told her gently, pulling her to stand with me. ¡°Let¡¯s not cause any


    more trouble for him, okay? We¡¯ll eat lunch with Uncle John, and then I¡¯ll cook your favorite grilled eel.


    How does that sound?¡±


    ¡°Amazing!¡± she replied without even thinking twice before realizing that something wasn¡¯t right here.


    She kept ncing between me and then Ashton, knitting her eyebrows together in confusion.


    Turning her attention to Thora, Summer tilted her head in surprise.


    Thora had likely been waiting for this exact moment, meeting Summer¡¯s gaze as she put on a pretty,


    gentle smile. ¡°You must be Summer, right? You¡¯re adorable! Your daddy has told me a lot about you,¡±


    she praised in a soft voice.

 Chapter 1312

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1312


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Summer replied politely, then went on to say, ¡°Are you Daddy¡¯s secretary too? Where¡¯s


    Ms. Collins?¡±


    Thora¡¯s face fell, her expression souring significantly.


    It must have been humiliating for the president of a highly-regarded listedpany to be mistaken for a


    lowly employee such as Ste by a kid, even if it had been merely an innocent mistake.


    Who would have thought that my baby would learn to defend her mother at such a young age? Way to


    go, Summer!


    Internally snickering, I cleared my throat and pulled Summer even closer to me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, kids these


    days don¡¯t know what they¡¯re talking about,¡± I exined sarcastically. ¡°You won¡¯t take her words to


    heart, right, Ms. Ziegler?¡±


    Thora quickly regained herposure and steeled her expression once more, haughtily throwing her


    hair over her shoulder as if nothing had happened. ¡°Of course not,¡± she sniffed. ¡°It was just a joke, after


    all. These things happen with kids all the time.¡±


    I¡¯d expected nothing less from a woman who built her career up from the ground all by herself. She¡¯d


    mastered the method of getting close to people by first exchanging niceties with them before making


    her advances aggressively. After failing to appeal to Ashton¡¯s daughter, she had likely decided to steal


    him away through brute force instead.


    Clearly, her interest in Ashton was born out of calction rather than a pure crush if she didn¡¯t even


    have the patience to deal with a child.


    Ding!


    I¡¯d nned on picking apart even more of her puzzling confidence, but the elevator had arrived at our


    floor. I couldn¡¯t act too much like a bully in front of Summer either, so I took a deep breath and led her


    out of the elevator.


    Ashton and Thora followed closely behind us.


    I¡¯d barely taken a few steps before pausing, turning around, and walking up to Ashton. Leaning in close


    to him just like how I¡¯d done a thousand times before, I reached my arms around his neck and fiddled


    with his cor, making sure that Thora was watching every single move. After that, I grabbed his tie in


    an elegant motion, straightening it before stepping back to admire my handiwork. ¡°That¡¯s more like it,¡± I


    smiled to myself in satisfaction.


    ncing up at Ashton innocently, I told him, ¡°Remember to take some time out of your schedule to


    apany the kids for dinner, okay? Our arms are always open for you.¡±


    With that, I turned on my heel and pulled Summer out of the hospital.


    There was a skip in my step all the way to the car, feeling especially proud of my amazing acting skills.


    Who wouldn¡¯t feel envious after having witnessed such an intimate, tender moment between a


    handsome husband and a loving wife?


    The memory of Thora¡¯s unpleasant face turning several shades of red while she tried her best to


    suppress her rage literally made me want tough out loud.


    Who cared if she was the woman with Ashton right now? The familiarity of ten years¡¯ worth of emotions


    and the natural instinct to press close to one another was something that she, a woman who had solely


    been focused on her career for all of her life, would never be able to achieve with him.


    She and Ashton were like the pr ends of a ma. Even if they seemed perfect for each other on


    paper, the truth may turn out to be the exact opposite.


    ¡°Mommy,¡± Summer suddenly wrapped her arms around me, resting her chin on my chest as she stared


    up with questioning eyes. ¡°Does Daddy not like us anymore?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± I reached down to fix her hair. ¡°Why would you think of that?¡±


    ¡°Daddy doesn¡¯t want to eat dinner with me anymore¡­¡± She pouted, unable to conceal the


    disappointment she felt. ¡°Mr. Cress said that if you like someone, you always eat with them. That must


    mean that Daddy doesn¡¯t like me anymore.¡±


    Not Mr. Cress again.


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    Jared had infected Summer with his teachings, causing such a young child to constantly question


    herself and ruining her chances at having a happy, innocent childhood.


    Swallowing back my temper, I patientlyforted her by saying, ¡°Daddy and Mommy are the two


    people who love you the most in the world, silly. But Daddy is busy fighting bad guys now, so if we


    meet too much, he might get distracted and then get hurt by the bad guys. So, Daddy is actually


    working very hard to protect us. Knowing this, are you still mad at Daddy?¡±


    ¡°Then, is Daddy Superman?¡± Summer asked,pletely serious.


    Iughed wryly, not knowing what else to do other than to nod my head.


    I¡¯d meant to agree only as a joke, but Summer was much more earnest than I¡¯d initially thought. ¡°Then,


    that means I¡¯m mini Superman!¡± she eximed, her mouth open in a wide ¡°O¡± shape.

 Chapter 1313

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1313


    I nearly jumped out of my skin at her sudden deration. ¡°Sure!¡± I giggled. ¡°You¡¯re going to have to


    be really powerful so that you can protect not only yourself, but everyone you love, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mommy! I will!¡± Summer promised with all the passion and optimism in the world, as if she truly


    believed that she was going to transform into a superhero any moment now.


    I just grinned at her, desperately wishing from the bottom of my heart that her wish would one day


    come true.


    There was no mercy in this world. The only way you could protect everything you loved was by


    bing stronger and stronger. I wasn¡¯t sure how much longer I could protect my kids for, so I prayed


    every day that they would be able to defend themselves after I passed away eventually.


    After sending Summer home for Lois to look after her, John and I left to meet Jared.


    We sat in the most obvious seat in the caf¨¦. Just as the waiter was serving us our ordered drinks, the


    ss doors slowly pushed open, and Jared walked in.


    Our eyes met, and I finally saw for myself how much he had changed since Ist saw him.


    His face had gotten much rounder, and he was growing an unkempt beard. His eyebrows had also


    been purposefully dyed light grey, probably in an attempt to mask his identity. If he hadn¡¯t headed


    towards us and sat down at our table without an ounce of hesitation, I would have never noticed the


    simrities between this man and the angr-faced, pretty boy that I used to know.


    What quickly followed my feelings of shock was an overwhelming sense of disdain.


    All Jared had lost after three years of being in jail was some of his physique and good looks, whereas


    Summer had nearly lost her life. Everyone else who had unknowingly gotten involved in his schemes


    and became sick due to chemical pollution had also had their lives ruined because of him.


    God, you truly are unfair and unjust.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time,¡± Jared broke the silence first. His voice was now low and gravelly, I spotted the


    vague hints of the cruel, cynical humor in his eyes.


    I had been lied to and manipted by him so many times before because of this exact innocent


    appearance.


    ¡°I wish it could¡¯ve been longer,¡± I replied curtly.


    He hung his head in shame, smiling wryly in self-deprecation.


    How could heugh so casually even aftermitting so many evil acts? I couldn¡¯t believe that the


    past me had allowed him to interact with my daughter for such an extended period of time.


    ¡°I¡¯m warning you. Don¡¯t evere near Summer again,¡± I growled out through gritted teeth. My


    fingernails dug into my palm as I clenched my fists at the memory of Summer¡¯s pained cries that


    resurfaced in my mind.


    My rationality was telling me that I had to get rid of Jared from our lives, no matter what his intentions


    were.


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    He leaned back against the seat of his chair, fixing me with a calm stare. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being


    too ridiculous? I¡¯m her father. Does it make sense for me to not be with her?¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not.¡± Rage red up within me like a wildfire. ¡°She is Ashton¡¯s and my daughter. She has no


    rtion to you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡± Jared chuckled. ¡°We¡¯ll see what the court has to say about that when I send both our DNA


    for a paternity test.¡±


    My heart dropped to the bottom of my stomach.


    He had a point. After going undercover at Summer¡¯s school for so long, it would have been extremely


    easy for him to get ahold of a strand of her hair or a piece of her fingernails. He knew that he would be


    exposed one day, so he¡¯d made prior preparations in order to legally be able to get near her.


    Knock, knock. John¡¯s knuckles rapped on the tabletop to get Jared¡¯s attention. ¡°You better watch your


    mouth,¡± he threatened, his stare was aggressive. ¡°This isn¡¯t J City nor the prison. There¡¯s no one to


    protect you here.¡±


    John had never been a kind man, and he could look so intimidating that children would burst into tears


    at the sight of him if he wanted to. But Jared seemed unbothered, turning his head to meet John¡¯s gaze


    head-on with a mocking grin. ¡°I understand. You have endless connections at your disposal in K City,


    and you have the power to make anyone disappear off the face of the earth.¡±

 Chapter 1314

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1314


    Even after three years, his unnerving smile made my breath hitch in my throat and my eyebrows knit


    together in disgust.


    The rough, hard days of being in prison had failed to teach him a lesson in humility. If anything, he had


    come out even more unscrupulous and evil than he¡¯d been when he first went in.


    John hadn¡¯t expected his intimidation to not work on Jared, his face fell slightly and he became irritated.


    The two men just stared at each other while the tension around them grew thicker with every passing


    second.


    Not wanting to waste any more time in Jared¡¯s presence, I spoke up, ¡°Cut to the chase and tell us what


    you really want.¡±


    Only then did Jared turn to stare at me, silently pondering for a moment before saying, ¡°I never wanted


    to be your enemy, Scarlett, so don¡¯t act so hostile towards me. All I want is to watch Summer grow up


    and correct my past mistakes.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong. You became my enemy the moment you included Summer in your plot of revenge,¡± I


    instantly retorted. ¡°You¡¯ve gone mad. What right do you think you have to sacrifice so many people¡¯s


    lives and happiness for the sake of one deceased person?¡±


    He took a deep breath as his expression turned solemn. ¡°I¡¯ve already paid back everything that I owed


    those people while I was in prison. The Crest family is also doing their best to helppensate for


    anything that I¡¯ve yet to make up for. Why is it your ce to decide that I deserve the death penalty all


    because of that one mistake I made?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s bullsh*t!¡± John blurted out. ¡°The death penalty is exactly what you deserve! While you were


    kicking back and rxing in jail for three years, Summer was in the hospital struggling to stay alive!


    And even if she¡¯s been discharged from the hospital now, she¡¯ll need to live on medication for the rest


    of her life! That damage is something that you¡¯ll never be able topensate for!¡±


    John had verbalized exactly what I was feeling. Summer had suffered greatly as a result of Jared¡¯s


    actions, both physically and mentally.


    Jared looked slightly upset at that. ¡°I didn¡¯t know back then that Summer was my child,¡± hemented,


    staring at John with a frown. ¡°My heart hurts, too. All I want is one more chance with her. I promise that


    I¡¯ll never reveal to her my real identity, and that I¡¯ll never make her remember what happened all those


    years ago.¡±


    There was a brief pause. He held his hands on top of the table as he hung his head, staring at the


    ground. ¡°I¡¯ve also been going to therapy and counseling sessions recently. I¡¯m aware that Summer has


    slowly learned to trust me, and that no one is more suited to be her private doctor than me. I¡¯m


    confident that I can change her back into the innocent, naive child that she once was, if only you¡¯ll give


    me some more time with her¡­¡±


    ¡°No thanks,¡± I cut in. I didn¡¯t want to listen to him go on. ¡°Let me ask you. If Summer isn¡¯t your child,


    would you still be acting this way?¡±


    I recalled very clearly how many children from families living nearby the chemical nt had fallen sick


    or had been affected in some way by the pollution from the nt. Even if Jared truly regretted his


    actions, Summer was not the only child that he had topensate.


    Jared looked surprised that I would ask such a thing, his eyes widened for a brief second. ¡°There are


    no ¡®if¡¯ or ¡®but¡¯s about any of this. The fact that Summer is the flesh and blood of Macy and I is the truth. I


    can¡¯t just give up on her. I know that you¡¯ve started arranging for her to change school. If you¡¯re willing


    to go to such measures to prevent me from seeing Summer, then I¡¯ll have no choice but to take our


    paternity test results to show the court.¡±


    There it is.


    He¡¯d finally shown his true colours after being all polite and nice, just like every other maniptive


    person I¡¯d met before.


    ¡°Do you want to sue us? Go ahead and try!¡± John jumped to his feet, about to swing a fist in Jared¡¯s


    direction before I frantically tugged on his shirt under the table, signaling for him to calm down.


    Jared waspletely undisturbed, not even flinching as he went on, ¡°By the way, I forgot to


    congratte you on giving birth to twins, Scarlett. I¡¯m really happy for you, and I¡¯m sure Macy feels the


    same way up in heaven. But you must be busy with taking care of two babies, especially after having


    gone through a divorce recently. Summer is at the age where she loves running around and causing


    mischief, so it¡¯ll be a challenge for you to look after her as well. Why don¡¯t you let me take care of her


    and lift a burden off of everyone¡¯s shoulders?¡±


    ¡°What rubbish! The Stovall family has countless rtives avable and willing to help take care of a


    child!¡± John rolled his eyes, breaking free from my grasp and standing up to tower over Jared. ¡°Even if


    Letty and the maids are unable to look after Summer, she still has me as her uncle! And as long as I¡¯m


    around, you will never be able to touch her!¡±N?velDrama.Org content.

 Chapter 1315

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1315


    His sudden outburst of emotion had caused him to raise his voice, drawing the attention of the other


    customers in the quiet caf¨¦.


    If John went on like this, he might actually start a physical fight.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    I nced at Jared, who still appeared calm andposed. He hadn¡¯t taken John¡¯s threats seriously, or


    maybe this entire situation waspletely within his control.


    The rest of the caf¨¦¡¯s patrons were made up of small groups of two or three people who would


    asionally look over at us. They were just being a little nosy, but there was nothing particrly


    strange about our surroundings.


    Was this the calm before the storm? I had no clue what tricks Jared had up his sleeve, but I knew one


    thing for sure¡ªbeing too reckless might cause more trouble than we needed.


    After havinge to that conclusion, I reached up and pulled John to sit back down in his chair.


    I forced a fake smile onto my face, softening my tone as I spoke. ¡°You said you wanted to take this


    case to court, right? I¡¯ll happily agree to that, and I¡¯ll make sure we see this to the very end. As a


    lawyer, I can tell you definitively that you do have primary custodial rights as Summer¡¯s biological


    father. I also know that I have a huge disadvantage due to my marital status. I¡¯m assuming yourwyer


    told you all of this, too?¡±


    ¡°So what if they did?¡± Jared shrugged, unlocking his sped-together hands and spreading his arms


    wide in a motion of defeat. ¡°I¡¯m just a doctor; of course, I have to leave these sort of things up to a


    professionalwyer. I might as well let you in on a little secret¡ªthe country¡¯s best child custodywyer


    has already epted my case. I won¡¯t lose this time, Scarlett. I suggest you turn a blind eye and back


    off, and stop preventing me from seeing Summer again. If not, you can¡¯t me me if you have to hear


    mywyer reveal some particrly unpleasant things about you while in court.¡±


    I let out a cold scoff.


    The mere mention of a ¡°professional child custodywyer¡± wasn¡¯t enough to scare me off.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who yourwyer is, but I already feel sorry for them,¡± I fluttered my eyshes innocently.


    ¡°They won¡¯t be earning their legal fees this time.¡±


    Jared blinked owlishly at me. I could nearly see the gears turning in his head, wondering what I was up


    to.


    Leaning forward with augh, I said, ¡°I am sure you have not told thewyer the whole truth if you¡¯re


    feeling so confident in them. But of course, who would willingly admit that they nearly killed their own


    child? I can easily dig out Summer¡¯s old medical records from the time she underwent surgery at the


    hospital, as well as your criminal history. And I can safely assume that everyone else who is suffering


    because of having worked at the Crest family¡¯s factories will be more than happy to be my witnesses in


    court and testify against the evil, selfish piece of trash you are!


    ¡°Don¡¯t even get me started on custodial rights! If you¡¯re really Summer¡¯s father, let me ask you this.


    Why did you bring her to the chemical nt even knowing that it was polluted, and cause her to suffer


    from an incurable disease? She trusted you, but you left her in such a desperate, painful situation!


    ording to Article 261 of the Criminal Law, I can sue you for negligence and throw you back in jail


    where you belong!¡±


    For the first time in my life, I felt that I¡¯d been right in choosing to be awyer.


    I hadn¡¯t considered my words properly nor gotten my thoughts in order before I went on that rant, but


    I¡¯d sessfully recited the correct article effortlessly and rendered Jared speechless.


    I secretly breathed a sigh of relief when he had nothing to tell me.


    What had I been so worried about? Someone like him had long since lost the right to be a father to any


    child; thinking that he could take Summer away from me was nothing more than a far-fetched


    daydream.


    Exchanging a meaningful look with John, we both got up from our seats.


    I¡¯d barely taken a few steps before stopping in my tracks, giving Jared a sidelong nce. ¡°You can¡¯t


    always forget the past and start anew, Jared. You are so wrong to think that way; the truth is, you have


    to pay the price for your grave mistakes. This is my only and final warning to you¡ªSummer is Macy¡¯s


    daughter as well as mine. She has nothing to do with you, so don¡¯t try and humiliate yourself any


    further. If I see you anywhere near her, I¡¯ll make sure to bring down hell upon you.¡±

 Chapter 1316

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1316


    With that, I walked away and didn¡¯t look back.


    He didn¡¯t follow us out; he had no reason to, nor did he have any need to. My attitude had been enough


    to make hime to his senses and realize that trying to im custodial rights over Summer was a


    lost cause. If he dared piss me off, I would go to much further lengths to hide Summer away than just


    transferring her to another school.


    While in the car, I snuck another look out the window at the caf¨¦ while John was busy buckling his


    seatbelt. ¡°I have a weird gut feeling,¡± I told him, frowning. ¡°call some of your best men from the


    company¡¯s IT department over to the house.¡±


    He silently considered the idea for a moment before taking out his phone and swiftly tapping the screen


    several times. After that, he started up the car engine and drove us home.


    Half an hourter, we arrived at the Stovall residence, where a group of five or six nerdy-looking boys


    wearing sses and a simr style of checkered shirt were already waiting for us inside.


    ¡°Mr. Stovall,¡± they politely greeted, bowing in John¡¯s direction.


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    John made a simple sound of acknowledgment, turning to face me. ¡°The nation¡¯s highest-ranking


    graduates in the IT field this year are all here. Just tell them whatever you need from them. They might


    seem a little dense, but they¡¯re good at what they do.¡±


    I nodded, stepping forward and cutting to the chase. ¡°Have you all brought yourptops?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ms. Stovall,¡± the guy in the corner called out loudly. His gaze was fixed on the floor, and I could


    tell he was nervous from how badly he was trembling.


    The rest of them weren¡¯t faring any better; some were clenching and unclenching their fists nervously,


    while some were hanging their heads. I gave John a questioning nce, as if to ask, ¡°Are you sure


    these guys are the real deal?¡±


    He only crossed his arms, proudly lifting his chin in the air as if anticipating my reaction.


    His self-confidence left me with many suspicions, but I had no other choice except to trust him.


    Clearing my throat and taking a deep breath, I announced, ¡°I will send some information regarding the


    Crest family as well as the log in details and password to my personal ount to each of your


    smartphones I want you all to spare no expense in investigating the Crests¡¯ criminal history or finding


    out anything else that will give us an upper hand over them. Got it?¡±


    ¡°No problem, Ms. Stovall!¡±


    The loud bark startled me, and I turned towards the source of the voice to see the boy from earlier


    staring at me intensely. His attitude had changedpletely from before, as if a switch had been


    flipped.


    After holding his stare for a few seconds straight, he suddenly lowered his voice and ordered, ¡°Let¡¯s


    go!¡±


    The rest of the boys instantly got moving, bowing before me before lining up and heading for the dining


    table where they had theirptops already turned on and ready to go.


    In the blink of an eye, the room was filled with the furious, rapid clicking sounds of multiple keyboards.


    Taking a step closer and leaning in, the once stiff boys were now all gazing intently at their screens,


    eyes slightly squinted as the tips of their fingers flew across the keyboard at inhuman speeds.


    I nodded in satisfaction. I would have expected nothing less from John.


    About ten minutester, the guy closest to me ceased his actions and turned theptop around to show


    me the screen. ¡°It¡¯s all done, Ms. Stovall,¡± he exined matter-of-factly. ¡°All of the Crest family¡¯s


    finances have now been frozen. They will not be able to spend a single cent of it unless I remove the


    virus.¡±


    ¡°Good work.¡± I reached out and patted his shoulder in an act of encouragement.


    The words had barely left my mouth when I heard someone yell, ¡°Something¡¯s wrong! There¡¯s


    someone trying to rewrite our program, and they¡¯re doing it rapidly! Mine is getting destroyed!¡±


    Everyone else instantly snapped out of their dazes and got back to work on theirptops. Their anxious


    expressions made even John and I feel slightly nervous.


    In the following fifteen minutes, I witnessed what I could only call ¡°utter defeat¡±.


    The group of initially enthusiastic technicians was slowly being taken down one by one. First, their


    laptops were being controlled remotely, and then their firewalls were getting taken down, and so forth.


    In the end, I saw theptop nearest to mepletely shut down by itself, unable to be rebooted no


    matter what its owner tried.

 Chapter 1317

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1317


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. How can such a smallpany possess such powerful technology?¡±


    As though dealt a heavy blow, the boys scratched their heads in defeat. It seemed like these rookies


    were no match for the technology the other party used to stop us.


    The Crests hadpensated a hefty sum because of the incident at the chemical nt. Their business


    was affectedter on, so they couldn¡¯t possibly have enough money to hireputer experts or solve


    this crisis in such a timely manner and even retaliate against us. Based on the Crest family¡¯s


    connections, there weren¡¯t many who could be behind this.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± I grabbed my phone after some thought and went to the garden in the backyard


    before speed dialing Ashton.


    He answered within a second.


    ¡°What is it?¡± As always, Ashton sounded calm and confident, as though everything was within his


    control.


    ¡°Are you the one protecting the Crest family?¡± There was a hint of hostility in my voice as well as a


    trace of anger, and I was sure he could tell over the phone. ¡°You knew a long time ago that Jared was


    released from prison, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Besides Ashton, I really couldn¡¯t think of anyone else who would be willing to shield such a despicable


    family like the Crests or have so much power and influence in J City, not to mention how they


    countered theputer experts John recruited in J City without much efforts.


    I was angry because Ashton obviously knew about the terrifying things Jared had done in the past, but


    had the audacity to hide his release from me. If I knew about it earlier, Summer wouldn¡¯t have been


    tricked by him again and innocently ced her trust in him.


    Silence drifted across the line before Ashton replied in a low voice, ¡°Jared won¡¯t hurt Summer.¡±


    What¡¯s that supposed to mean?


    I haven¡¯t even mentioned Jared posing as a teacher to approach Summer. How does he¡­


    Panic instantly engulfed me.


    ¡°Were you involved in Jared bing a teacher named Mr. Cress?¡±


    I was dreading his answer and unsurprisingly, it didn¡¯te, but his silence was enough of an answer.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    ¡°You¡¯ve gone too far, Ashton!¡± I lost my temper. When I thought about all the days I felt so troubled I


    could barely sleep or eat, my eyes stung with tears of betrayal. ¡°You¡¯re not the one who¡¯s having a hard


    time. Who gave you the right to forgive that man in Summer¡¯s ce? Jared is a master of deception. If


    something happens to Summer this time, do you really think we¡¯ll get so lucky again to find a suitable


    donor to cure her?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t let any of this happen again.¡± Ashton reassured in a firm tone, ¡°I¡¯ve met with Jared. We¡¯ve been


    friends for decades. I can tell when he¡¯s lying, and he¡¯s not. He¡¯s a changed man now.¡±


    ¡°So? Before what happened to Summer, wasn¡¯t he your best friend too? And then what happened,


    huh? Ashton, I never knew you were such a magnanimous and selfless man that you could even find it


    in yourself to forgive someone who crossed the limit!¡±


    Ashton sighed in resignation and lowered his voice. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I deserve to die a thousand


    times over as well.¡±


    Words failed me all of a sudden and silence stretched between us through the phone.


    In the end, Ashton was the one to break it.


    ¡°Letty, I love Summer as much as you do. You¡¯ve also seen how happy she¡¯s be after interacting


    with Jared. She¡¯s slowly getting better. As parents, we shouldn¡¯t overprotect our children. She needs to


    get out there more and build her confidence to face the real world. Both of us couldn¡¯t get Summer to


    open up, but Jared seeded. It¡¯s worth giving this a try for Summer¡¯s sake, right?¡±


    Before I could respond, he powered on, ¡°I know what you¡¯re worried about. I¡¯ve arranged for people to


    watch Jared twenty-four-seven. If he so much as poses a threat to Summer¡¯s health and safety, they¡¯ll


    immediately lock him up. I promise you, he came back this time only to help Summer open up again.


    He doesn¡¯t have other motives.¡±


    I was beginning to suspect Ashton was born with some sort of supernatural power because just a few


    simple words from him seemed to put me under a spell, instantly quelling the boiling rage in me.


    Truth be told, even if I disagreed, what could I possibly do? Faced with an opponent like Ashton,


    whatever tricks we used would be ineffectual against him because he had countermeasures for


    everything we threw his way. For example, I had no idea that he paid such a steep price to employ


    such adept ¡°watchdogs¡± for the Crests.

 Chapter 1318

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1318


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll allow Jared to continue using his identity as a teacher to help Summer with her emotional


    struggles, but only for this. You must warn him not to expose his identity or even think about gaining


    custody of her. Also, I¡¯m only giving him two years. Two years, that¡¯s it. If Summer still hasn¡¯t returned


    to normal by then, he has to leave immediately.¡±


    ¡°Understood. If you want to, I can get him to put it down in ck and white,¡± Ashton suggested.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡± Although I had acquiesced, I wasn¡¯t going to go easy on him. In a tone


    oozing with sarcasm, I spat, ¡°Knowing Jared¡¯s character, we can forget about having it in ck and


    white. Even if he makes a blood oath, he won¡¯t deserve my trust. You¡¯re his guarantor, so if anything


    happens, I¡¯ll hold you ountable.¡±


    ¡°Then, you probably won¡¯t get the chance,¡± Ashton countered in a lighter tone, probably relieved that I


    had conceded.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope you¡¯re right.¡± Women weren¡¯t as forgiving as men and worry still gnawed at my chest. ¡°I¡¯m


    gonna be frank with you. I still don¡¯t fully believe that Jared has turned over a new leaf.¡±


    ¡°Trust me. You won¡¯t be disappointed.¡± I could hear the smile in Ashton¡¯s voice.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±


    Not in the mood to joke around, I hung up the call immediately.


    The moment I turned around to head back into the house, I saw John leaning against the ss door


    with his hands stuffed into his trouser pockets, looking me with a long face.


    ¡°Lemme guess. You heard everything.¡± I raised my brows.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± John inhaled deeply and straightened up before walking over to give me a solemn look.


    ¡°Summer likes me and I like her too. You might as well transfer all rights to me and let me take her in


    as my own daughter.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What the hell are you talking about?¡± My eyes went wide with shock.


    ¡°Is there anything wrong with my suggestion? Look at what Ashton said about giving Jared a chance.


    Does someone like him even deserve a chance? Summer can¡¯t handle anymore trauma. Let me adopt


    her and I¡¯ll see who¡¯d dare to harm a hair on her!¡±


    It was very rare to see John disagreeing with Ashton. Seeing how dead serious he was, I couldn¡¯t hold


    back myughter. John seemed to really regard Summer as his biological daughter.


    I shook my head helplessly and stepped forward to smack him on the shoulder. ¡°When you show the


    same amount of concern for Kiki, then we¡¯ll talk about handing my daughter over to you, hmm?¡±


    Without waiting for his response, I walked past him and went upstairs.


    It was approximately eight o¡¯clock when Emery called me. Her appointment for her treatment overseas


    had been brought forward. We chatted for a while and she had to hang up the call to board the ne.


    She was an easy-going person, but I hoped that she woulde back with good news this time.


    The next day, John insisted on sending Summer to school with me.


    I parked the car at the same spot as the previous time. Jared¡¯s tall figure was particrly eye-catching


    among the group of children, but he had deliberately dressed in a simple outfit. His jaw was covered


    with stubble, making him look like he had aged a decade.


    Having not seen him for a few days, Summer broke into a run toward him the moment she got down


    from the car.


    Jared instinctively crouched down to hold Summer. Both of them were all smiles, garnering a lot of


    envious gazes. Of course, those who felt that way were merely outsiders. John, on the other hand, was


    dripping with jealousy.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    He watched Summer and Jaredughing heartily with a murderous look on his face, looking like he


    was only a step away from tearing down this scene. I noticed his lips moving subtly as he mumbled


    something under his breath. From his expression, I could tell that it wasn¡¯t anything sweet.


    Jared nodded at us in greeting, seemingly much more courteous than the previous day.


    His behavior reminded me of Ashton back then. I had seen it too many times. Thinking about the


    scheming mind behind the kind facade, fear gripped my heart.


    Afraid that I might regret my decision, I stopped looking at him and simply said, ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble you


    to take care of Summer in school, Mr. Cress.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all. It¡¯s my job. Besides, Summer is a very good girl.¡± Jared stroked Summer¡¯s head


    and they smiled at each other, getting along very well.


    Finding this scene absolutely unbearable, John¡¯s brows scrunched together as a grim expression took


    residence on his face. He and Summer were still not on talking terms because of the matter about the


    school transfer. Unable to let go of his inted ego to initiate a conversation with her, he felt all the


    more depressed.

 Chapter 1319

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1319


    John¡¯s bing more ridiculous the older he gets. I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s being so serious with a child.


    Pursing my lips, I discreetly signaled Summer with my eyes, to which she instantly understood. With


    that, she walked over to hold John¡¯s hand and started behaving adorably. ¡°Uncle John, will youe


    pick me up tonight? Can you bring me for some ice cream? You know I love eating ice cream with you


    the most, Uncle John!¡±


    It was difficult for a man, no matter how old he was, to remain unmoved when a little girl said such


    sweet words to him, especially in such a cute voice.


    True enough, the sullen look on John¡¯s face was reced by delight. Although he proudly raised his


    chin, he couldn¡¯t conceal the smile on his lips.


    He feigned indifference as he looked down at Summer, clearing his throat mechanically before saying,


    ¡°It depends on your performance. If you¡¯re a good girl, then I¡¯ll reward you. If not, there¡¯ll be no ice


    cream for you!¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Summer raised her chubby hand and made a salute gesture, almost losing her bnce and


    looking absolutely adorable.


    John finally caved, crouching down to take Summer¡¯s hand as his gaze abruptly softened. ¡°Be a good


    girl, mm? Listen to your teachers and have fun with your friends, okay?¡±


    He was an imposing man who had once raised a colossal uproar, but he was like a tamed lion in front


    of Summer. The cautious way he treated her made others envious, thinking how nice it would be to


    have such a warm man as their family.


    But I knew that he was actually overwhelmed with worry about Summer¡¯s safety just like me.


    Still a child, Summer didn¡¯t understand the hidden meaning in a grown-ups¡¯ words and took it literally.


    ¡°Mm! I got it, Uncle John. I¡¯ll make many, many new friends and work hard to be mini Superman!¡±


    Witnessing a child¡¯s innocence was the best way to wash away all our troubles and sorrows. Summer¡¯s


    brilliant smile was immensely reassuring, and I found myself rxing considerably. Without saying


    anything else, we let Jared lead her in.


    This time, as I watched this so-called ¡°Mr. Cress¡± walking into the building hand in hand with Summer,


    the weight in my heart was no less lighter than the previous time.


    While I was lost in my thoughts, John suddenly leaned over and confidently announced, ¡°Don¡¯t worry.


    I¡¯ve arranged an assistant for Jared, to make sure that he¡¯ll never get the opportunity to be alone with


    Summer.¡±


    Hearing this, I visibly slumped with relief.


    ¡­


    Bryson¡¯s court trial received quite a lot of media attention. There were reporters waiting outside the


    courthouse, while the courtroom was filled with people there to bear witness.


    Surprise filled me when I saw Zander in the defense attorney¡¯s seat. He had only recently passed the


    bar examination but was already defending a business tycoon like Thora in court. For a newly qualified


    lawyer, this was a form of recognition as well as an honor.


    Unfortunately for him, although he tried very hard to defend his client, he failed to gain the upper hand


    over Brooklyn in the face was numerous valid pieces of evidence.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    The first verdict stated that Ziegler Investment was required topensate Bryson eighty percent of


    his investment, totaling up to a hundred and sixty million.


    After emerging from the court, seeing as there was a high chance he was going to win thewsuit,


    Bryson decided to bring us out to celebrate. Before we left the premises, Zander caught up to us with


    his assistant in tow.


    ¡°What can I do for you, Mr. Hoffman? As awyer, you should know that I can put in a request for you


    to be disqualified in court if you contact our witness in private.¡± Brooklyn was an eloquent speaker in


    court and someone you wouldn¡¯t want to offend in private.


    ¡°Of course, I know that, but surely it¡¯s not against thew to have a chat with Ms. Stovall?¡± Zander


    replied calmly.


    My brows furrowed in dubiety. He¡¯s doomed to lose thewsuit. As his opponent, what is there for us to


    talk about?


    Despite being uncertain about what Zander was ying at, I still agreed to his invitation and went to the


    pantry in the courthouse alone with him.


    ¡°Go ahead and get straight to the point, Mr. Hoffman.¡± If he wanted me to order Brooklyn to go easy on


    him, then I would immediately end this discussion.


    ¡°I admire your candor, Ms. Stovall. Since you insist, I¡¯ll cut straight to the chase. My client, Ms. Ziegler,


    hopes you can persuade Mr. Queen to drop thewsuit and settle things privately. As for the


    compensation, Ms. Ziegler said that she can pay the full amount of two hundred million.¡±

 Chapter 1320

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1320


    I was mystified by what he said. They refused to entertain Bryson before, but all of a sudden, they want


    to settle things privately? What are these people really up to?


    When I remained silent, Zander took in a deep breath and continued exining, ¡°Both the Zieglers and


    the Queens are prominent families in K City. There¡¯s no need to go head to head with each other for


    merely two hundred million. Ms. Ziegler has also expressed that Mr. Queen¡¯s investment will reap the


    most profits in the future. So, do we have a deal, Ms. Stovall?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re asking me?¡± I feigned cluelessness. ¡°Mr. Hoffman, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re mistaken. The intiff in


    thiswsuit is Bryson. I¡¯m just the assistant of thewyer representing him and don¡¯t have much of say


    in such this. Sorry, but I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t help you.¡±


    Probably never expecting that I would be so uncooperative, a frown formed on Zander¡¯s face, obviously


    displeased about the oue. ¡°Ms. Stovall, don¡¯t fool around with me. Now firm in the entire city


    dared to ept thiswsuit; all except yours. It¡¯s easy to see that everything about this has very little to


    do with Mr. Queen.¡±


    A small intern couldn¡¯t possibly have the authority to make his own decisions when two hundred million


    was involved. Needless to say, he must be acting under Thora¡¯s instructions.


    Before thewsuit was officially filed, Thora behaved very arrogantly. Seeing that Bryson had no


    connections or status in K City, even though she knew she was in the wrong, she still abused her


    power and bullied him, forcing him to suffer a loss. Now that things weren¡¯t in her favor, she wanted to


    make peace to preserve herpany¡¯s reputation. Businessmen were indeed cunning little b*stards.


    s, just like Zander had expected, both Bryson and I weren¡¯t doing it for the money.


    I lowered my head and chuckled softly, intentionally avoiding giving him a direct answer. ¡°Mr. Hoffman,


    both of us were in the same batch before. I really never thought that my firstwsuit would be against


    you as well. This must be fate, don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    Zander¡¯s face darkened subtly, but he refused to give up and tried to convince me again. ¡°Ms. Stovall,


    let¡¯s not discuss personal matters during work hours. Perhaps you¡¯re not satisfied with the conditions I


    stated? Could you be more forthright, so that it¡¯d be easier for both sides to continue cooperating?


    What do you say?¡±


    Zander was as rigid as ever.


    Pressing my lips together, I walked past him toward the exit. ¡°If it¡¯s a truce you want, show some


    sincerity. Get your client toe and see us personally, or you can forget about this.¡±


    Worried that something might happen to me, Brooklyn and Bryson both waited by the corridor. When


    they saw meing out, they immediately came up to me.


    ¡°How did it go, Ms. Stovall? Did he make things difficult for you?¡± Bryson asked with concern.


    Before I could answer, Zander emerged from the pantry with a gloomy face. As he passed by us, he


    nodded expressionlessly and left without looking back.


    ¡°He¡¯s definitely bad news since he¡¯s defending that woman,¡± Bryson spat while staring after his


    retreating figure.


    My mouth curved into a helpless smile. ¡°Well, then. It¡¯s a good thing I rejected that bad man¡¯s request


    to settle things peacefully for you. Mr. Queen, you won¡¯t use me of overstepping my boundaries, will


    you?¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡± Bryson eximed with a grin. ¡°I can¡¯t even thank you both enough for helping me.


    Naturally, everything else is for the two of you to decide.¡±


    ¡°Great.¡± I nodded and told the truth. ¡°The defense attorney said that they can pay two hundred million in


    full with the condition that we drop thewsuit. I¡¯ve rejected the offer on your behalf and expressed that


    unless Thora personallyes forward to apologize, we will not settle it peacefully.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an additional forty million. How generous of Thora,¡± Brooklyn joked.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    ¡°Forty million is nothing! It¡¯s won¡¯t bring me the same satisfaction as winning thiswsuit! You really do


    understand me well, Ms. Stovall.¡± Bryson beamed with joy. ¡°Today¡¯s such a happy day. This calls for a


    celebration and it¡¯s my treat. Both of you don¡¯t have a say in this!¡±


    Having said that, he took out his gilded phone and called his subordinate and instructed, ¡°Book the


    largest private room in The Jade and get the manager to open their most expensive bottle of red wine.


    I¡¯ll be there with my guests in fifteen minutes¡­¡±


    I mentally rolled my eyes. This man was constantly unting his wealth, but unlike those truly filthy


    nouveau riche, he treated others with sincerity and knew when to show gratitude. Hence, it was


    impossible to dislike him.

 Chapter 1321

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1321


    Pitcoin continued trending, but the Queens and the Zieglers¡¯ court case had be a piping hot topic


    and everyone was waiting for the final verdict.


    Some people looked forward to seeing the nouveau riche cum business legend emerge to victory


    miraculously, while others envisioned K City¡¯s number one career woman bowing in apology. They had


    different reasons for wanting to see her fall, but ultimately, everyone was eager to push Thora and her


    investmentpany into the eye of the storm.


    However, before Thora announced her response, it was Bryson¡¯s father, William¡¯s birthday.


    Bryson had already sent an invitation to the Stovall residence, stating that the entire Stovall family was


    invited. Due to Louis¡¯ status, he found an excuse to politely refuse. Hence, only John, Emma and I


    attended the banquet.


    The Queen family managed to knock Ziegler Corporation down a notch because of thewsuit. Once


    word got out, businessmen all over K City no longer treated Bryson coldly. On the day of the banquet,


    the scene was surprisingly lively. When we arrived, there were already a few rarely-seen owners of


    listedpanies chatting away happily with Bryson.


    ¡°Oh, Ms. Stovall!¡± Bryson instantly spotted us when we passed through the doors, leaving his guests to


    come over and greet us. ¡°I don¡¯t know why the staff didn¡¯t announce the arrival of my distinguished


    guests. I¡¯m so sorry for my poor hospitality.¡±


    ¡°This must be Mr. Stovall. I¡¯ve heard a lot about you from Brooklyn and I have to say, your reputation


    precedes you!¡±


    Then, turning a blind eye to John¡¯s stoic expression, Bryson grabbed his hand with both hands and


    shed a ttering smile at him.N?velDrama.Org content.


    John wasn¡¯t a snob. Moreover, he had heard that Bryson was a decent person from me. Thus, he


    wasn¡¯t angry and instead, spoke in an amicable tone. ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Mr. Queen. It¡¯s your father¡¯s


    birthday today. My uncle wanted to drop by to see him, but he¡¯s just too busy with his official duties and


    really couldn¡¯t step away, so he wanted me to wish your father a blessed birthday and a long life on his


    behalf. However, I¡¯ll have to trouble you to ry this message, Mr. Queen. There are too many guests,


    so we won¡¯t be going over.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Stovall. I¡¯ll definitely pass on your message. Please, enjoy yourselves tonight!¡± Bryson


    smiled from ear to ear and quietly surveyed his surroundings. Then, he leaned closer to us and


    whispered, ¡°Socializing is exhausting. If you guys get tired, go out from the side door and walk all the


    way to the end. I¡¯ve specially prepared a private room for you to rest. When the banquet is almost over,


    you cane on out again. Nobody would know.¡±


    We were dumbfounded by the degree of Bryson¡¯s double standards. I never thought that such a burly


    and rough-looking man would be so thoughtful.


    However, the Queen family was the star of the night after all. As soon as he finished speaking, more


    guests poured in.


    ¡°Mr. Queen!¡± A man came over with his family and shook hands with Bryson. Subsequently, his gaze


    landed on John and I. ¡°This must be Mr. Stovall and Ms. Stovall. I¡¯ve heard so much about you both.¡±


    ¡°You tter us.¡± I smiled lightly and nodded in greeting before smoothly steering the topic back to


    Bryson. ¡°Mr. Queen, we¡¯ll leave you to attend to your guests.¡±


    Before he could respond, I exchanged nces with John and Emma before walking toward a corner.


    As soon as we left, many guests crowded around Bryson, sandwiching him in the middle as they


    engaged in a merry conversation.


    John stopped a waiter who was passing by to ask for three sses of champagne, then handed Emma


    and me one each. ¡°I never expected Bryson Queen to be so well-known in K City. It¡¯s a shame we


    didn¡¯t get acquainted sooner.¡±


    ¡°The Queen family only made a fortune in the past few years.¡± Emma lifted her champagne flute to her


    lips and took a sip before calmly analyzing, ¡°I find it rather peculiar though. All three generations won


    the lottery one after another. Then, they relied on other capitalists to be capitalists themselves.


    Ordinary people can only dream of having such luck.¡±


    ¡°Relying on luck isn¡¯t realistic. Sooner orter, that luck would run out and their entire fortune with it,¡±


    Johnmented disapprovingly.


    Emma rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Does Bryson look like an idiot to you?¡±


    ¡°Stop being so cryptic. Just say whatever it is you want to say.¡± John¡¯s face instantly clouded over.


    I noticed that this was a frequent urrencetely. Whenever Emma started talking, he would


    immediately get defensive.

 Chapter 1322

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1322


    Emma didn¡¯t feel like arguing, deliberately turning her gaze to me, as though she could avoid him this


    way. ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled. Although the Queens¡¯ older generation weren¡¯t that refined or cultured, they had


    an eye for investment. Whatever they invested in would surge. Stocks, private equity funds, corporate


    bonds¡­ They even have investments abroad. After so many years, they didn¡¯t suffer any losses, and


    their assets even doubled!¡±


    I didn¡¯t really listen to the details, but I got the whole picture.


    Bryson wasn¡¯t some kind of rich idiot who had more money than sense. On the contrary, he seemed to


    have the Midas touch when it came to business and investments. Thinking of this, I turned to look at


    Bryson. Indeed, he had the look of an honest man. Right then, an inexplicable emotion rose in my


    chest.


    He was an urate example of how the idiom ¡°never judge a book by its cover¡± came about, and it


    was the first time I felt this way about the same person twice.


    A seemingly gentle person turned out to be a nouveau riche, and just when you thought he was naive


    and easily deceived, he proved you wrong by being a legend who had talent in making money. Who


    would¡¯ve expected such a turn of events?


    While I was lost in thought, there was some noise at the door. It seemed like a prominent figure had


    arrived. ncing over, I saw Thora in a blue tube top dress. Appearing together with her was Ashton,


    who was d in a well-tailored ck tuxedo. Due to his height, he was particrly eye-catching among


    the crowd.


    As far as I knew, Bryson did not send an invitation to the Zieglers. It seemed like Thora had listened to


    Zander¡¯s advice and made the right choice.


    Ziegler Corporation had been in close contact with the Trivettstely. Rumor had it that the matter


    regarding Pitcoin was final. Those who desperately wanted a piece of the pie were already slowly


    making their way toward Thora.


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    Ashton stood expressionlessly beside her, his impatience showing. After whispering something to


    Thora, he strode toward the washroom.


    Emma¡¯s eyes lit up all of a sudden and she raised her skirt slightly to walk somewhere to our left. ¡°I saw


    a few friends. I¡¯m going over to say hi. You guys go ahead without me.¡±


    ¡°Hey, what friends? Hey¡­¡± John was clearly anxious, but he couldn¡¯t put down his ego to go after her.


    Seeing that she didn¡¯t respond after calling out to her twice, his face darkened and he looked like he


    wanted to punch someone at that moment. I could even hear him murmuring through gritted teeth,


    ¡°She¡¯s only been Mrs. Stovall for a few days, but look at her, she has be a social butterfly.¡±


    I craned my neck slightly to look in the direction Emma went and realized that her so-called friends


    were a group of handsome young chaps. At that moment, they were gathered around her,ughing and


    chatting at the same time.


    Emma was undoubtedly a beautiful woman. Seeing as she was unapanied, the men naturally


    assumed she was single. Hence, they were all attempting to ingratiate themselves with her.


    I cracked a wry smile. My dear brother, just admit that you¡¯re jealous. If you¡¯d just go over and stand


    beside her, who would dare to spare her a second nce?


    I shook my head helplessly and patted John on his shoulder. ¡°Women need to be coaxed sometimes.¡±


    With that, I abandoned him and walked into the crowd, not once looking back to see the baffled


    expression I knew he was wearing.


    He probably never expected that he, one of the most well-known and handsome men in K City, would


    be abandoned by two women on the same day.


    ¡­


    The party had just begun right then, so there was basically no one nearby the washroom. As I made


    my way over, the sound of my heels clicking on the ground was especially clear.


    I stopped right outside the men¡¯s washroom, contemting how I should pretend to run into Ashton


    when a hand suddenly grabbed my wrist and pulled me into the washroom.


    The world spun for a moment and by the time I regained my bearings, I was already pressed against


    the door by Ashton. Our faces were barely inches apart. His warm breath tickled my cheeks, causing


    my heartbeat to turn erratic.


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, I¡¯ve been waiting a long time for you.¡± Ashton¡¯s voice was already deep to begin with.


    When he deliberately lowered his voice, it sounded even more sultry and sexy.


    How could I hold on to my anger in the face of such temptation?


    Sighing helplessly, I shied away from his heated gaze and muttered feebly, ¡°Why would you wait for me


    when you have such a beautifulpanion, Mr. Fuller?¡±


    Ashton deliberately moved closer. I quickly turned my face away, so his breath ended up tickling my


    neck instead, causing me to subconsciously bite my bottom lip.

 Chapter 1323

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1323


    Ashton chuckled softly, obviously delighted by my subtle expression of jealousy. While I wasn¡¯t paying


    attention, he swiftly dropped a kiss on my ear, then let me go and backed away.


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    My cheeks burned all of a sudden and I quickly reached up to cover my face with both hands. Seeing


    the gleeful look on Ashton¡¯s face, I shot him a dirty stare and snapped, ¡°Don¡¯tugh!¡±


    Technically, we¡¯re still not on speaking terms!


    The corners of Ashton¡¯s mouth quirked up slightly, but it vanished quickly and he returned to being


    serious. ¡°I have to constantly be on my guard in front of outsiders and it¡¯s really exhausting. Do I have


    to suppress my feelings in front of my wife too?¡±


    I adjusted the shawl around my shoulders and gave him a t stare. ¡°Is there a difference? I mean,


    you¡¯re an ace when ites to keeping secrets after all, Mr. Fuller. I¡¯m sure one more won¡¯t make


    much of difference.¡±


    Ashton¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Are you still mad about the matter regarding Jared?¡±


    I curved my lips into a smile and moved to the sink to touch up my makeup. ¡°I think you should really


    keep an eye on your buddy. That talk about a paternity test makes it seem like he¡¯s prepared to sue me


    for custody.¡±


    Ashton had a resigned look on his face when he heard that. ¡°Jared exined to me about all of this. He


    never expected that you¡¯d find out so soon. The night his identity was found out, he saw the school


    transfer application and knew that you were trying to prevent him from seeing Summer. He panicked.


    That¡¯s why he used the stupidest method there is to stop that. In fact, he isn¡¯t aware of this, but I¡¯m sure


    you are. Since he has a history of harming his child, he¡¯ll never be able to regain custody.¡±


    Sometimes, I honestly felt that Ashton had a way with words. Everything he said was scarily


    persuasive.


    Although I still stood by my belief that Jared could never change, Ashton¡¯s words still struck a chord in


    me. ¡°Maybe. Only time will prove which of us is right.¡±


    Seeing me relent, Ashton took long strides forward and wrapped his arms around me from behind.


    Leaning his head casually on my shoulder, he buried his face into my hair, inhaling long and deep. As


    though feeling revived, he tightened his arms around me.


    ¡°The party outside is in full swing, but here you are, hiding in the washroom, indulging in a secret


    rendezvous. Is this really okay, Mr. Fuller?¡± I teased him.


    Ashton was undeterred, shamelessly nuzzling my neck as he whispered, ¡°I don¡¯t know when I can


    finally fall asleep with my wife in my arms again. I just wanna imprint your smell into my mind.¡±


    It was impossible to resist a man with such a breathtaking look, especially when he was behaving like a


    clingy little puppy. Pursing my lips, I let him have his way. ¡°There¡¯s more to Bryson than meets the eye.


    Check his background and see if he¡¯s a friend or foe.¡±


    ¡°Mm¡­¡± Ashton grunted in a low voice. He was leaning his entire weight on me as if he was asleep. I


    wasn¡¯t even sure if he heard what I said.


    Looking at our reflection in the mirror, I was suddenly hit with a sense of unease.


    We¡¯ve been together for a decade. Since when did we have to sneak around for something as simple


    as a hug?


    Although reluctant to part, we had been away for far too long. If we didn¡¯t get back to the party, people


    would begin getting suspicious. After adjusting my attire, I left the washroom first.


    Coincidentally, Thora and Herman were walking toward this direction.


    I abruptly paused in my steps. If I were to continue going forward and Ashton came out soon after,


    those two shrew people would definitely know that we met just a while ago.


    Right then, I heard the door opening behind me. The sound of Thora¡¯s heels clicking on the ground


    also drew nearer. Without hesitation, I swiveled around.


    After confirming that the two people behind had seen me, I walked confidently toward Ashton and


    without warning, forced him against the wall. Grabbing the cor of his shirt, I rose on my toes and


    kissed him smack on the lips.


    For a moment, I could hardly believe what was happening. I¡¯m forcefully kissing a man!


    What¡¯s more, it¡¯s in front of an audience!


    Oh God, help me! This is so embarrassing!


    Most importantly, because of myck of control, I clearly heard the muffled sound of Ashton¡¯s head


    hitting the wall when I kissed him.


    At the same time, the footsteps behind, a blend of heels and leather shoes, stopped abruptly.


    Mission aplished! It¡¯s time to retreat!


    Sensing the murderous gaze burning a hole through my back, I instinctively wanted to move away, but


    Ashton suddenlytched onto my bottom lip and spoke in a voice only the two of us could hear. ¡°We


    need to make sure it looks real, only then will the audience buy our act.¡±

 Chapter 1324

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1324


    This man is clearly taking advantage of the situation!


    But since I had already set the ball rolling, I couldn¡¯t back out so soon. Closing my eyes, I steeled


    myself, prepared to go all out.


    Drawing a sharp breath, I raised my hands to cup Ashton¡¯s face and kissed him more passionately.


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    I could feel him smirking against my lips, obviously satisfied with my enthusiasm. In the next second,


    he suddenly reached out to push me away.


    Of course, it was just an act and he didn¡¯t actually put any force into it. I pretended to stumble two steps


    backward before standing firm.


    The carefree expression on Ashton¡¯s chiseled face morphed into impatience as he straightened his


    coat. Then, he chided, ¡°Scarlett, I¡¯ve already made it clear to you that I no longer have feelings for you.


    You¡¯re out to make my life difficult, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    We probably seeded in making Thora and Herman believe that Ashton truly resented me.


    Meanwhile, I was caught betweenughing and crying. The glee in Ashton¡¯s voice was tangible; he


    was obviously happy about that bonus kiss.


    You¡¯re enjoying this very much, aren¡¯t you, Ashton?


    Since I was the one who started it, I had to see this to the end. Hence, I continued ying along and


    said, ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who has a say in this rtionship. As long as I still have feelings for you,


    you can forget about freeing yourself from me.¡±


    Ashton narrowed his eyes a fraction, pretending to look like he was at his wits¡¯ end as he scanned me


    up and down. Due to my in-depth understanding of him, I could easily detect the delight in his eyes.


    Hearing our conversation, Herman taunted, ¡°I have to say, Ms. Stovall. You really aren¡¯t like other


    women.¡±


    Only then did I turn around to look at them, feigning innocence as I replied, ¡°Mr. Trivett, what a


    coincidence. We meet again.¡±


    Herman looked at me, then at Ashton. Stuffing both hands into his pockets and straightening his


    posture, he said in a mocking tone, ¡°Yes, a coincidence it is, but this is the male washroom. Isn¡¯t it a


    little too appropriate for someone of your status to approach a man like this, Ms. Stovall? After all, you


    have the Moores and the Stovalls¡¯ reputations to consider, no?¡±


    ¡°Exactly, I¡¯m someone who has the Moores and the Stovalls backing me, so who would dare to say


    anything about this? Besides, this is between Ashton and me. It¡¯s really none of your business, is it?


    You saw it too when we kissed. He still has feelings for me.¡±


    Pausing briefly, I turned to Ashton with a smile. ¡°Admit it. You still can¡¯t get over me. Let¡¯s find a time to


    remarry and get the formal procedures settled, hmm?¡±


    I knew that Ashton liked how I was currently gazing at him, like I only had eyes for him.


    After staring at each other for a few seconds, Ashton turned his face away and adjusted his cuff links.


    He had a grim look on his face and his eyes were hooded, but there was a hint of anger in them.


    ¡°Seeing as you¡¯re the mother of my children, I¡¯ll let you off the hook just this once!¡±


    With that, he walked away with an impassive expression, never once breaking stride, not even when he


    passed by Thora and Herman.


    After Ashton¡¯s departure, only the three of us were left in the hallway.


    Since the act was over, it was time to withdraw myself from the scene. Smoothing out my attire, I


    prepared to head back as well.


    However, just as I was about to brush past Thora, her hand shot out to block me.


    Turning my head to her, I perceived the unsightly look on her face, seemingly p*ssed off.


    ¡°Ms. Ziegler, is there something you want to say to me?¡± I boldly raised a brow at her.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Her voice was biting cold. ¡°As a woman myself, I really pity you. You have failed to make


    your man stay, but now, you¡¯re even clinging to another woman¡¯s man. Have you no shame?¡±


    Although she didn¡¯t like me before, she was never so blunt with her words. It seemed like the kiss


    Ashton and shared earlier had really provoked her.


    I continued behaving barefaced. ¡°Shame? If I can get back together with the person whom I love, no


    amount of sacrifice is worth mentioning, not even if it means trampling on my dignity.¡±


    Thora¡¯s eyes narrowed into slits as she gnashed her teeth. ¡°It¡¯s all wishful thinking on your end. Ashton


    may not feel the same. Besides, a man of his stature deserves someone better. The fact that the


    Stovalls didn¡¯t even properly seize a small business like Pitcoin already shows that you¡¯re beneath me.


    Do you think you¡¯re worthy to be my opponent?¡¯

 Chapter 1325

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1325


    Somebody¡¯s finally revealing her true thoughts.


    As expected, after the anniversary party, Thora had already taken the liberty ofbeling me as a self-


    centered and selfish person. She was convinced that someone like me wasn¡¯t worthy of Ashton, let


    alone fit to be her opponent.


    It was too bad that things didn¡¯t always go well for overconfident women.


    I turned to face her fully, making sure to level my gaze with hers before unting in ackadaisical


    manner. ¡°Perhaps I¡¯m not as good as you when ites to doing business, but capturing a man¡¯s heart


    may not be your strong suit. I only need to curl my finger at Ashton and he¡¯lle back to me sooner


    orter. When that happens, it won¡¯t just be a simple kiss. But you¡¯ve reminded me of something.


    Losing the Pitcoin business opportunity is indeed a shame. If that¡¯s the case, you should guard the gem


    in your hand, lest you slip up and allow someone the opportunity to snatch it away¡­¡±


    With that, I shed her a meaningful smile and spun of my heels to leave.


    Behind me came Herman¡¯s concerned voice. ¡°Ms. Ziegler, are you okay?¡±


    Thora, however, didn¡¯t respond.


    Only then did a smug smile tug on my lips.


    Perfect. She¡¯s not even showing her business partner any courtesy. I knew that Thora¡¯spetitive


    streak had been triggered. To gain an upper hand over me, she would undoubtedly push Ziegler


    Investment to go all out in the Pitcoin business.


    And this was exactly what I wanted.


    Back in the main hall, Ashton was already surrounded by business moguls. He discreetly nced in my


    direction. After our eyes met, he visibly rxed and focused his attention back on socializing.


    Meanwhile, I noticed that Emma and John were quarreling in hushed tones a short distance away


    before the former stormed over.


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    ¡°¡­unreasonable!¡± Emma¡¯s chest heaved with anger as she put down the empty flute in her hand and


    grabbed a ss of red wine from the tray of a passing waiter. Then, she tilted her head backward and


    took a huge sip.


    Just then, John strode over at an unhurried pace. He didn¡¯t even bother stopping her. Instead, he


    lowered his gaze and acted like this didn¡¯t concern him.


    Upon sensing his presence, Emma shot a vicious re at him. However, it was like punching cotton


    because John remained unfazed.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± I arched an eyebrow, curiosity filling me.


    ¡°Ask him!¡± Emma spat and I could feel the anger radiating from her. John flicked his eyes at her before


    shifting his face away, maintaining that unbothered look on his face. It seemed like he had no intention


    of exining the situation whatsoever.


    Emma looked like she was about to pop a vein, so I hurriedly stepped in to y peacemaker. ¡°John,


    can¡¯t you be nicer to Emma?¡±


    To my exasperation, John¡¯s expression remained as calm as a millpond, as though he didn¡¯t hear a


    thing I said.


    Seeing as he was being so difficult, I gave up talking to him and tugged Emma slightly off to the side.


    Only then did I ask in a soft voice, ¡°What did you guys argue about this time?¡±


    Emma wasn¡¯t ignorant or spoilt. During such asions, she would always make sure not to do


    anything that would humiliate John. But earlier, her face waspletely devoid of warmth. Anyone


    could see that the reason the husband and wife got into an argument was because the former had


    done something uneptable.


    After exhaling a long breath, Emma calmed down enough to exin, ¡°Recently, I nned to start a


    company with some friends and was looking for investors. This banquet was the perfect opportunity


    and I finally got the chance to rub shoulders with several business owners with extra cash on their


    hands who also happened to be interested in our project. I was this close to clinching the deal. They


    already agreed to sign the contract tomorrow, but John appeared out of nowhere with this ridiculous


    scowl on his face and ended up scaring them away!¡±


    I winced with embarrassment and nced fleetingly at John. Did he really do something thatme?


    ¡°John went overboard this time, that¡¯s for sure, but why didn¡¯t you mention that you want to start a


    company before? Besides, if you¡¯re looking for investors with more money than sense, isn¡¯t John the


    perfect candidate? Wouldn¡¯t it be great to start apany together as husband and wife? I¡¯m sure your


    business would flourish.¡±


    ¡°Him?¡± Emma shot him a sidelong nce filled with disdain before scoffing. ¡°Yes, John has the money,


    but he¡¯s not without sense. Besides, he¡¯s never shown an interest in the things that I like. He will never


    invest in my business¡­ Forget it. I guess today¡¯s just not my lucky day. I¡¯ll look for some other


    investors.¡±

 Chapter 1326

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1326


    ¡°Actually¡­¡±


    Ding, ding, ding!


    Just when I was about to resolve the conflict between them, the emcee, who was standing on the


    podium, tapped a spoon against his ss in front of the microphone. Hence, I could only swallow back


    the words at the tip of my tongue.


    ¡°Today is Mr. William Queen¡¯s seventieth birthday. May theing years bring even more happiness


    and good health to him. Now, let¡¯s invite his son, Mr. Bryson toe up and say a few words!¡±


    With that, Bryson went up on stage as the guests apuded.


    ¡°Thank you to all my friends foring to celebrate my father¡¯s birthday today. There¡¯s nothing really


    great about me, but one thing about me that hasn¡¯t disappointed my family is my ability to make money.


    Despite that, my father still worries about me, so I wish him a long life full of happiness and good


    health!¡±


    ¡°What a filial son!¡±


    The emcee expertly hyped up the atmosphere and the hall immediately erupted with thunderous


    apuse.


    Right then, a figure shed below the stage and walked directly to the emcee. After whispering a few


    words, he passed a square wooden box to the emcee and swiftly stepped off the stage.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    The podium was quite far from my position, so I couldn¡¯t see the person clearly, but he looked vaguely


    familiar to me. I just couldn¡¯t put a finger on where I had seen him before.


    Soon, the emcee spoke into the microphone again. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, it seems like you¡¯re all very


    lucky today. Ms. Thora Ziegler knew that Mr. Queen Sr. likes antiques, so she specially searched for a


    very precious item to present as a birthday gift to him. The gift is currently in my hands. Everyone,


    please take a look!¡±


    The emcee held the box with both hands and opened it in front of the guests. Following that, the


    cameraman in charge of recording the event aimed the lens at the box. In the next second, the antique


    inside the box was disyed on therge screen behind the podium. It was a Turlen bead.


    The emcee gazed at the item in his hand and didn¡¯t forget to exin excitedly, ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, this


    is the earliest bead found in ancient Turlen and it¡¯s worth more than two hundred and fifty million! Last


    year, after the auction in M Country, a private buyer kept it as a collection and it hasn¡¯t emerged since


    then. What a surprise to know that it was, in fact, Ms. Ziegler who bought it! This is truly remarkable!¡±


    This emcee was considered rather knowledgeable. To me, it was merely a bead the size of a finger. I


    never expected it to be of such great value.


    Most importantly, the bead¡¯s price provided some food for thought. Two hundred and fifty million


    seemed to have a strong interrtion with thewsuit.


    The guests present had seen their fair share of the world started discussing among themselves in


    hushed whispers.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious from the price that the Zieglers are settling things peacefully with Bryson? Perhaps this


    gift can resolve the conflict between both families.¡±


    ¡°This waspletely out of my expectations. Here we were, waiting to see that woman make a fool out


    of herself, but it looks like she came prepared.¡±


    ¡°True. If she didn¡¯t, thepany she established on her own would be crushed. Since she publicly


    presented the bead as a birthday gift, there¡¯s no way Bryson can reject it. It seems like he won¡¯t be able


    to get his revenge anymore.¡±


    ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk. Thora Ziegler is really something. After swindling him out of two hundred million, she¡¯s


    compensating him with a measly amount of fifty million. Remind me not to get on her bad side¡­¡±


    Most of the discussions were about the same, with many of the guests aiming hostile and mocking


    remarks at her, but at the end of the day, they were just envious of how well she yed her cards and


    wished they could master the ability of defeating someone without lifting a finger as well.


    Amid the animated discussions, the strain in Bryson¡¯s smile as he stood on stage was evident, but like


    everyone expected, a son would never make a scene at his own father¡¯s birthday banquet. Very soon,


    he regained hisposure. Gracefully epting the bead from the emcee, he studied it casually


    before nodding, making sure to ster a satisfied look on his face.


    Just when everyone thought that Bryson was going to begrudgingly ept Thora¡¯s indirect apology, he


    closed the wooden box, took the microphone and walked off the stage. Stopping at the nearest table,


    he picked up a bottle of whiskey and poured three sses full before facing the crowd with a broad


    smile.


    ¡°Ms. Ziegler.¡± Bryson easily found Thora among the crowd. Subsequently, the spotlight fell on her and


    the people around her. ¡°I really don¡¯t know how to thank you for such an extravagant gift. Why don¡¯t I


    offer you three toasts as an expression of my gratitude? I wonder if you¡¯ll ept, Ms. Ziegler?¡±

 Chapter 1327

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1327


    ¡°Wow, I never expected Bryson to pull such a trick. At least he¡¯s doing right by us men.¡±


    ¡°The sses are filled to the brim. Wouldn¡¯t drinking all three burn a hole right through the stomach?


    Isn¡¯t he a little bit too savage?¡±


    ¡°What do you know? Let this serve as a lesson for that conniving woman!¡±


    ¡°Hmp! You guys don¡¯t know yet, do you? To kickstart her business when she first established her


    company, she¡¯d already damaged her stomach from too much social drinking. She won¡¯t merely suffer


    from drinking these three sses of whiskey, she¡¯d probably lose her life! I never expected Bryson


    Queen to be such a ruthless man!¡±


    I was bewildered by all the gossip, wondering which part was true and which was false. However, when


    I noticed Thora remaining motionless after a long time, I surmised that therger part of it was true.


    Just like when Bryson received the gift on stage, Thora was caught between a rock and a hard ce,


    hesitating to agree to drink the sses of whiskey.


    In a world where power and money were supreme, both sides would never be able to truly end their


    dispute if they didn¡¯t put down their egos and apologize.


    At that moment, everyone¡¯s eyes were focused on Thora as they waited for her response with bated


    breaths. The air seemed to freeze and except for the faint static sounding from the microphone,


    the entire hall was quiet.


    Finally, after a good ten seconds, Thora¡¯s expression changed subtly and she walked toward Bryson.


    Without a word, she polished off all three sses of whiskey.


    The guests couldn¡¯t help from gasping aloud. Even Bryson was taken aback, probably not expecting


    her to be so cooperative.


    After downing three sses of whiskey, Thora didn¡¯t look too good, but things didn¡¯t seem to be as


    exaggerated as the gossiping crowd made it sound. Under the hollers of the emcee and the guests,


    she even shook hands to make peace with Bryson.


    Everyone was naturally happy to see their harmonious interaction. Soon after, Thora and Bryson


    returned to enjoying the banquet.


    I kept my attention on Thora the whole time, but the crowd was too thick and I lost sight of her in the


    blink of an eye. Later on, Emma informed me that she had already left through the back door.


    Not long after Thora left, Bryson brought a cheque over to me, his body reeking of alcohol.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, today¡¯s a day of celebration. This is my reward to you and Brooklyn. Take it.¡±


    With that, he stuffed the cheque into my hand.


    Looking down, I saw one hundred and fifty million written on it. Although I knew Bryson was loaded,


    this still came as a shock.


    Thewsuit was mainly to demand for apensation. ording to thew, up to thirty percent of the


    compensation could be collected as the attorney fees. Even if Bryson paid us the hundred million as


    promised, it would already be considered excessively generous. Hence, adding another fifty million was


    really unsettling.


    ¡°Mr. Queen, isn¡¯t this a bit too much?¡± I protested.


    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s not. The two of you have helped me so much, Ms. Stovall. You both deserve this. Besides, we


    already agreed on this. The extra amount belongs to you. Please ept it.¡±


    Since Bryson insisted, I had no choice but to temporarily ept it and get Brooklyn to handle itter.


    Nothing worthwhile came easily. Since I epted something that didn¡¯t belong to me, I would


    indefinitely have to pay a price. Although Bryson didn¡¯t look like he wasying out a trap for me, there


    was no way to bepletely certain. Hence, I thought it wouldn¡¯t hurt to keep my guard up for the time


    being.


    Right then, John interjected, ¡°Mr. Queen, well-yed just now. That woman is probably hooked up to


    an IV drip at the hospital now, huh?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean, Mr. Stovall?¡± Bryson asked in confusion.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you know that Thora¡¯s stomach can¡¯t handle alcohol?¡± John squinted with suspicion.


    ¡°What? Is that true?¡± Bryson¡¯s face instantly fell. ¡°I had no idea!¡±


    He was momentarily stunned before pping a hand on his forehead and saying dismally, ¡°Jesus! I


    simply wanted to do things the way we do it at home. To the Queens, an apology isn¡¯t an apology until


    alcohol is involved. If I knew about this earlier, I would never have asked her to drink!¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    John smirked and patted him on the shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Serves her right anyway. There¡¯s no need to


    feel guilty about it.


    ¡°That¡¯s not right. Okay, you all enjoy the party and I¡¯ll make a trip to the hospital. Sorry for leaving so


    soon. I hope you understand.¡±

 Chapter 1328

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1328


    Bryson apologized while hurrying toward the doors. His flustered behavior was actuallyical and


    genuinely adorable at the same time.


    It seemed like what happened earlier was indeed a misunderstanding, which surprised me quite a bit.


    The moment Bryson heard that Thora might be hospitalized, he became so nervous and even left his


    guests unattended to head to the hospital. It seems like he wasn¡¯t all that cruel after all.


    Even so, he was currently at loggerheads with her. I couldn¡¯t help but feel suspicious when he abruptly


    showed such concern for her.


    Hence, it remained to be seen whether or not Bryson was trustworthy.


    ¡°Hey, Letty. Since the host has already left, should we leave too?¡± Emma was probably tired. We had


    an excuse to leave since Bryson was gone.


    ncing at the remaining guests, I affirmed that I had already greeted most of them, so there was


    really no need to stay. Hence, I nodded to Emma¡¯s suggestion.


    That night, the search term for the Queen family¡¯s birthday banquet ranked first on social media, with


    the happenings and guests at the banquet bing the hottest topic of discussion.


    After showering, Iy in bed while scrolling through social media, but inadvertently caught a glimpse of


    a headline that was soaring in poprity.


    Ashton Fuller Thoughtfully Chaperones Thora Ziegler To Hospital And Bryson Queen Abandons


    Guests To Visit.


    Damn. For those who didn¡¯t know any better, they¡¯d think they¡¯re in a love triangle after reading this


    headline.


    When I tapped into the headline, blurry photos taken by paparazzi appeared. Among them were photos


    of the three of them entering the same hospital at different times. Not once did they appear in the same


    photo and neither of their faces were shown clearly.


    Currently, it was three hours after Thora disappeared. The anonymous ount who started this topic


    kept posting thetest information. At present, only photos of Bryson leaving the hospital were taken.


    Hence, it was safe to assume that Thora was hospitalized for the night.


    It looked like her condition was quite severe.


    I subconsciously refreshed the site several times, hoping to see some news about Ashton, but the


    situation remained the same after twenty minutes. There was no news about him whatsoever.


    Some nosyizens begun specting that Ashton was guarding Thora at the hospital that night.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Despite havingplete trust in Ashton, my heart still felt uneasy when I saw suchments.


    After all, which woman would willingly allow her lover to look after another woman?


    Ashton¡¯s too much. It¡¯s already been so long, but he hasn¡¯t even called to update me. I understand that


    he wants to gain Thora¡¯s trust, but he doesn¡¯t have to try so hard, right? Can he even sleep well in the


    hospital? It¡¯s not like Thora can¡¯t afford to hire a personal caretaker!


    The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. In the end, I called him directly.


    Surprisingly, he picked up the call very quickly. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you sleeping yet?¡±


    ¡°I could ask you the same thing.¡± I intentionally raised my voice and demanded, ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°Hospital,¡± Ashton replied.


    ¡°Oh.¡± I puffed up my cheeks in anger and didn¡¯t know what to say all of a sudden.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen?¡± Ashton queried.


    ¡°Nothing. I just made a hundred million in legal fee and wanted to share the news with you,¡± I said while


    grabbing the pillow next to me to vent my frustrations.


    Ashton¡¯s low chuckle drifted across the phone. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, you really are ideal wife material, hmm? At


    this rate, I won¡¯t be able to catch up with your money-making speed anymore.¡±


    Oddly, a thought shed across my mind. Men only spoke honeyed words when they felt guilty toward


    their wives.


    Feeling troubled, there was a bitter note in my voice when I spoke, ¡°Is that so? Well, I doubt that. Once


    you coborate with Thora, I¡¯m afraid money would fall into yourp with a mere snap of your fingers.


    Clinching multi-billion business deals would be a piece of cake to you, no?¡±


    Ashton could probably sense that I was mad.


    He released a defeated sigh. After a few seconds, he found his voice again. ¡°The medical team that¡¯s


    developing the antidote for you just happened to be in this hospital, so I¡¯m staying back to check their


    progress. Did you think I was sleeping over with Thora?¡±


    Hearing his exnation, the weight in my heart abruptly vanished and I quickly threw the pillow aside to


    sit upright. Pressing my lips together, I guiltily changed the topic. ¡°So how¡¯s the development of the


    antidote going?¡±


    ¡°The first generation of the finished product is ready and the trials willmence immediately. If it¡¯s a


    sess, they¡¯ll make it avable for your use at once. When that timees, our hands and feet will


    no longer be tied. We¡¯ll be able to deal with Armond and the rest once and for all.¡± Ashton sounded


    very confident.

 Chapter 1329

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1329


    ¡°Okay.¡± I nodded obediently and continued speaking through puffed cheeks, ¡°Get home as soon as you


    can.¡±


    A faint voice spoke up from his end of the call. It was foreign and sounded like it belonged to a man.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, you may begin now.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Ashton responded to the voice before turning back to me. ¡°I have to deal with some stuff here,


    so you should go on to bed without me. I¡¯ll text you when I get home.¡±


    Then he hung up before I could manage a ¡°goodbye¡± or even an ¡°okay.¡±


    Looking back at the call history, something didn¡¯t quite sit right in my chest.


    Am I mistaken or did Ashton sound a little nervous earlier? As I contemted giving him another call


    after he was done with his work, my phone buzzed¡ªit was a WhatsApp message from Ashton: Don¡¯t


    worry, Honey. I¡¯ll be extra careful so no one can cop a feel.


    A soft smile broke out on my face, thinking that he must be fine if he can joke around like this.


    Feeling relieved, I put away my phone and decided to check on the twins in their nursery. On my way


    there, I noticed a faint glowing from Summer¡¯s room. Seeing that her door wasn¡¯t fully shut, I


    peeked into her room out of curiosity.


    Surprisingly, Summer was still awake at this hour. She sat before her brightly litputer with her head


    leaning down, doing something that I couldn¡¯t see from where I stood.


    Thest time this happened was when Ste tried to get close to Summer. I already transferred Ste


    to the Logistics Department and made sure she suffered for it. Don¡¯t tell me that woman hasn¡¯t given


    up¡­


    Suspicion grew in me as I tiptoed behind Summer to get a better look. It turned out that Summer was


    practicing some fourth-grade math questions with the guidance of an online mathematics website.


    My lips parted slightly as I took in the unexpected sight before me. Summer had just started school, yet


    she had somehow attained this level of knowledge.


    Her head was still lowered, focusing on the fourth-grade workbook before her. She was so absorbed in


    solving equations that she hadn¡¯t even noticed me standing behind her.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    How can such a tiny human being look so mature and focused?


    I inhaled and gradually approached her side, making sure to not startle her before asking my question,


    ¡°What are you up to, Summer?¡±


    ¡°Mommy!¡± Summer beamed at me whilst eagerly motioning to the contents of her workbook. ¡°Math


    equations are so fun, and Mr. Cress said I¡¯m really good at solving them! He even assigned some extra


    homework so that I can practice. See!¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­?¡±


    I grinned before reaching for the workbook and flipping through its pages. Truthfully, there was nothing


    special about the contents since it mostly consisted of basic two-digit calctions. However, Summer


    nailed every single question so far.


    I pressed my lips into a proud smile.


    Summer resembled Macy, who had a gift for numbers before she passed. Back when Macy was a


    business owner, she would happily throw herself into the tediousness of bookkeeping. She loved it


    dearly; calcting, and tallying the sums like she was baking bread. When it came to this, Summer


    definitely took after Macy.


    In many ways, this wasforting to see. It was as if Summer was living proof that a wonderful person


    like Macy had once existed on this earth.


    I ced the workbook back down and petted the top of Summer¡¯s head. Aforting smile stretched


    across my face as I encouraged, ¡°That¡¯s great, Summer! I¡¯m so proud of you. Now, you¡¯re still young,


    and your body needs to rest. So let¡¯s get you tucked in, okay?¡±


    Summer¡¯s face scrunched as she nced at the workbook. Eventually, she returned her attention to


    me, surrendering through a cheeky smile. ¡°Okay, Mommy, but can you please tell me a story?¡±


    She did work hard earlier¡­ Oh! How could I refuse?


    The next day.


    I received Cameron¡¯s call right after I dropped Summer off at school.


    ¡°Letty, are you free tonight?¡± Cameron asked casually.


    I was too busy watching Jared, who had juste out of school to y with Summer. My eyes zoomed


    into his every move out of caution. Hence, I could only respond absently with, ¡°I think so. Why?¡±


    ¡°Come over to ours tonight. Oh, and bring Summer with you because your father and I miss her,¡±


    Cameron stated.


    Cameron and Zachary hadn¡¯t reached out ever since I rejected Zachary¡¯s offer to gift theirpany


    shares to my twins. They probably assumed that I was avoiding them and felt guilty, so they decided to


    give me some space until now.

 Chapter 1330

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1330


    Unbeknownst to them, I only refused because I wanted my kids to have a carefree life. I never


    expected them to misunderstand my actions or even go as far as to feel grief. So after some pondering,


    I spoke into the phone, ¡°Alright, see you tonight.¡±


    My gaze shot back to the school gate once I hung up. There, Jared and Summer held hands as they


    skipped into the school. Call me a softie, but I couldn¡¯t help feeling a hearth-like warmth after seeing


    them hop away like father and daughter among the other children.


    Though that feelingsted for a brief moment because everything that Jared did in the past was


    unforgivable¡ªhe would always be a despicable piece of scum in my eyes, even if he spent a lifetime


    begging on his knees.


    I understood that Ashton allowed Jared to meet Summer because he felt sorry for Jared as a friend.


    However, I personally disagreed with trusting or forgiving a horrible man like Jared. So for the sake of


    my children¡¯s health and safety, I decided to take additional precautions.


    On my way back to thew firm, I texted Holden to find a nutritionist; preferably someone certified and


    licensed.


    All I had to do now was wait.


    Arriving at thew firm, I opened my office door and saw Bryson waiting inside.


    ¡°Mr. Queen, what brings you here?¡±


    I initially nned to have Brooklyn transfer the excess of the one hundred and fifty million to Bryson.


    Yet, Bryson had unexpectedly taken the initiative and shown up here.


    Bryson burst out into boisterousughter as he stated, ¡°I¡¯m obviously here to pay you, Ms. Stovall!¡±


    At this, my brow furrowed. Didn¡¯t he shove me a check with arge sum scrawled on itst night? Did


    he lose his marbles?


    Then again, he looked like he was serious. He then threw a quick look at his assistant. In a matter of


    seconds, the assistant pulled out a document and passed it to me from across the table.


    ¡°Sign this. From today onwards, yourw firm will be in charge of my manypanies¡¯ legal affairs.¡±


    Bryson guffawed heartily.


    My eyes rounded at the thin document. Oh my god, this is my lucky day!


    ording to Emma, Bryson¡¯s worth is estimated to be far more than mine and Ashton¡¯s


    combined. If ourw firm sessfully negotiates this deal, then we¡¯ll never have to worry about rent


    ever again.


    It was like we had struck gold. Although a beaming delight smeared across my face, I still couldn¡¯t


    ignore the teeniest hint of worry inside me. After all, nothing good came this easy.


    This jackpot, along with the rough ten million that he gave mest night, might bite me in the ass


    someday. What if hees asking me for impossible favors? How am I going to refuse?


    After weighing my options, a decision finally came to mind. I cracked a smile whilst gently nudging the


    document back to him. ¡°We were only doing our jobs by settling your case. Moreover, you¡¯ve already


    overpensated us for our efforts. Mr. Newman will get the Finance Department to transfer the


    excess sum over to your personal ount. As for this other matter, there¡¯s really no need to be polite.¡±


    Bryson¡¯s smile faltered for a split second after hearing this. ¡°That¡¯s alright then. We¡¯ll put this matter


    aside for the time being since your current schedule is overwhelmed. Now, I came here today because


    there¡¯s this other thing I need your help with¡­¡±


    I knew it! No one¡¯s that nice for no reason.


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    ¡°Go on.¡±


    Seeing that I didn¡¯t refuse, Bryson raised a fist over his mouth and cleared his throat while shooting an


    impatient gaze at his assistant.


    A knowing look shed in the assistant¡¯s eyes as he nodded, then promptly turned to leave.


    Once the door clicked shut, Bryson¡¯s eyes darted around to ensure that it was just two of us before he


    finally felt safe enough to pull his phone out of his pocket.


    He then unlocked his phone and raised it before me with a giddy smile.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, take a gander at these women and let me know if any of them catches your eye.¡±


    Regardless of how ridiculous his request sounded, I still did as told.


    The screen showed a photo album. Tapping on it, the disy flickered to a photo of a stunning young


    woman. However, she stared at the camera vacantly as if she were a soulless zombie.


    I glimpsed at the thumbnails and recognized the first few women fromst night¡¯s birthday banquet.


    Nheless, I continued to scan the following pictures.

 Chapter 1331

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1331


    Although the next ones all had goddess-like curves and features, they still felt mediocre as none of


    them stood out particrly to me.


    After all, K City was an urban jungle with sky-high property prices. Hence, it wasn¡¯t rare to see streets


    flooded with men and women who looked like stunning creatures.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Bryson¡¯s voice picked up pace.


    This felt like I had just been asked an awkward question on a live talk show. I shed a thin-lipped


    smile before treading cautiously around the topic. ¡°I¡¯m curious as to why you¡¯re showing me these


    women, Mr. Queen.¡±


    Bryson¡¯s eyes widened slightly but regainedposure as he exined, ¡°It¡¯s nothing important, but a


    friend of mine is looking to find a wife. And you know¡­ a tough guy like me wouldn¡¯t know what to look


    for in a woman. Plus, I don¡¯t have many friends in K City, so I thought I¡¯d ask you.¡±


    His exnation made sense. However, his pursed-lip and pin-straight posture gave his intentions away.


    Why would anyone take it upon themselves to wife-hunt on behalf of their friend? That ¡°friend¡± is most


    likely referring to himself.


    Back when we were dealing with Bryson¡¯s case, I got a glimpse of his personal information. He was


    maybe seven or eight years older than Ashton and has illegitimate children with two of his mistresses.


    Given the currentws, Bryson¡¯s assets would be divided between him and his wife should they decide


    on a divorce. Hence, it wasn¡¯t difficult to understand why he never officially married either of his two


    mistresses.


    Bryson wasn¡¯t considered the most attractive man since he possessed boring and ordinary features. It


    was painstakingly obvious that his mistresses were only after his wealth, so it wasn¡¯t at all cruel that he


    refused to marry them.


    However, I didn¡¯tment on this since it was his private life. All I could do was offer a piece of advice,


    ¡°Truthfully, Mr. Queen, none of these women stand out to me.¡±


    Bryson slumped. The lively expression on his face darkened to a stone-grey as his fingers tapped on


    the table. ¡°I see¡­ Never mind then, I suppose it¡¯s not meant to be. I¡¯ll have my friend reconsider.¡±


    Judging from his soured reaction, there must be someone he likes among these women that I rejected.


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    Regret nipped ufortably at my chest. I didn¡¯t want him to miss out on a chance at love because of


    my advice, so I took back my words as quickly as I said them. ¡°Actually, all that matters when starting a


    rtionship is how two people feel for each other and whether they get along well. So please don¡¯t take


    my personal opinion of these women to heart.¡±


    Bryson kept his phone away at this. His eyes sparkled with hope as he spoke gratefully, ¡°Ms. Stovall,


    you don¡¯t understand how much your advice means to someone like me. I really can¡¯t exin how


    grateful I am for your help, so please ept my humble thanks. I¡¯ll buy you a meal some other day to


    express my gratitude. Anyways, you seem busy, so I¡¯ll leave you to it.¡±


    Just as he finished speaking, Bryson immediately got up and dashed out the door. I could almost


    picture him with a bushy tail tucked between his legs as he seemed terrified that I would question him


    further.


    Bubblyughter erupted from my lips after seeing tough-old-Bryson scamper off like some frazzled


    chipmunk. What an interesting man.


    ¡­


    I collected Summer in the afternoon when her school ended and told the chauffeur to head for Moore


    Residence.


    Once there, two rows of maids greeted us upon arrival.


    ¡°Good day, Ms. Stovall and Ms. Summer.¡±


    Perhaps I was overthinking, but something seemed odd about the maids¡¯ stiff behavior. Was there


    really a need to line up and greet us so formally for a simple meal?


    ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± Cameron must have waited for some time because she lept over to hold Summer¡¯s hand


    once we entered the living room. She cooed, ¡±Did you miss Granny?¡±


    ¡°Mm-hmm! Why didn¡¯t you ever visit?¡±


    ¡°Well, granny has to run a business here. How about I take you out shopping once I be rich?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll earn my own money to shop!¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Cameron chuckled in delight, ¡°What an ambitious grandchild I have! Alright then, I¡¯ll wait for that


    day toe.¡±


    Perhaps it was because they hadn¡¯t seen each other for a long time, but the two chirped away like


    excited birds.

 Chapter 1332

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1332


    In the middle of the living room, Zachary lounged on the single-seated sofa with a cigar between his


    fingers whilst brewing some tea. His sophisticated gestures exuded the charm of a matured man, even


    at the age of fifty. One could easily imagine how equally suave he must have been when he was


    younger.


    I sat down on the sofa next to his before greeting softly, ¡°Dad.¡±


    He hummed in acknowledgment before cing a teacup before me. ¡°Have a taste of this green tea that


    we imported this year.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± I took a quick sip, running the warm liquid over my tongue. Then I shed a brief smile at him


    once the vor seeped in. ¡°It¡¯s pretty good. I can taste the notes of sweet grass in there.¡±


    There was no response from him. He looked away and focused on refilling my cup.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Cameron intended to spend some bonding time with Summer before dinner. However, Summer had put


    her foot down and insisted onpleting her homework in the study. At this, Cameron gave in and


    followed along to tutor her.


    Right when they arrived upstairs, a maid¡¯s voice called out from the front door. ¡°Mr. Moore, the guest


    has arrived.¡±


    ¡°Invite them in.¡± Zachary didn¡¯t even bat an eysh at this sudden arrival. He blew at his tea in a


    rxed and unbothered manner.


    Are we not having a simple family dinner?


    Just as suspicion fizzled in my head, the guest¡¯s footsteps grew closer from behind me.


    I surrendered to my burning curiosity. Turning around, I was faced with a foreign man. The only


    indication of his identity was the superb quality of his garments; he wore a white dress shirt underneath


    a sleek, ck trench coat with a hand-knitted cashmere scarf around his neck.


    Yet, I still couldn¡¯t put a name to his face, no matter how hard I pried into my mind. It was evident that


    this man wasn¡¯t someone I knew, nor have our lives ever intersected.


    The man behaved courteously. He tilted his head to greet Zachary, then cast a warm smile my way


    before striding over.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall.¡± My name rolled off his tongue as he politely extended his arm over. ¡°I¡¯m Elliot Jacobson.¡±


    Elliot?


    As in the trader who disappeared into thin air after he single-handedly swiped billions from many


    capitalists at the stock trade in M Country? That Elliot?


    Back when Pitcoin first blew up, Emma often shared juicy tidbits about the stock-investing world. She


    also mentioned that Elliot was considered a celebrity in that realm. Hence, I couldn¡¯t help but freeze at


    the legendary Elliot who now stood before me.


    Recalling how Emma fangirled after Elliot, I civilly reached out to shake his hand. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to


    meet you.¡±


    ¡°Oh Elliot, you¡¯re here.¡± Cameron had somehow heard us chatting and trotted downstairs in a blink of


    an eye. Delight beamed on her face as she ushered, ¡°No need to stand around, please sit. I heard that


    you¡¯ve just returned from M Country?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Elliot shed a neutral smile as he continued, ¡°Father wants to return to his roots, so he


    moved our business back here.¡±


    Many of the wealthy who kept a low profile owned an abundance ofpanies under their very


    names. Sure enough, Elliot was no exception to this.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good thing,¡± Zachary nodded. ¡±There¡¯s no ce like home. And I happen to be looking for


    potential coborators for mypany¡¯s new projects. You shoulde over someday, and we can


    discuss if there¡¯s a possibility for us to coborate.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Elliot responded ordingly.


    A maid¡¯s voice then sounded from upstairs, ¡°There¡¯s a phone call for you, Mr. Moore.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Zachary replied whilst standing to head upstairs. With one foot up the stairs, his gaze turned


    over to us. ¡°I have some matters to attend to, but I¡¯ll be back in a bit. You guys continue chatting.¡±


    Right as he stepped foot onto the second floor, Cameron bounced onto her feet. She moved towards


    the kitchen as she announced, ¡°Letty, why don¡¯t you keep Elliotpany while I go prepare some


    dishes?¡±


    My cheeks puckered after seeing those two put on such a shameless show.


    I couldn¡¯t help but squint my eyes in embarrassment. Literally, anyone can tell that you guys are setting


    me up with this guy.


    Although I haven¡¯t gotten around to telling Zachary and Cameron about the fake divorce, it was pretty


    obvious that I was still hung up on Ashton. Plus, there was a huge fuss in K City about how I stalked


    Ashton. Almost everyone could tell that I still had feelings for him, yet they still arranged this blind date


    without me knowing?

 Chapter 1333

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1333


    Twisting my lips to one side, I rposed my emotions before shrugging apologetically at Elliot.


    ¡°Sorry, I apologize on behalf of my parents. It looks like you came over for nothing.¡±


    Elliot lowered his head, smiling amusedly. ¡°No, it¡¯s alright. I should be the one to apologize for showing


    up so suddenly. It is a bit too soon, but I promise I won¡¯t disappoint if you give me a chance.¡±


    This man was certainly worth giving a chance as he was devilishly handsome and possessed immense


    wealth.He was the kind of man that every woman dreamed of¡ªexcept me.


    I shook my head and smiled, not wanting to make things difficult for my parents. ¡°There seems to be a


    misunderstanding, Mr. Moore. I haven¡¯t moved on from my previous marriage, nor do I n to start a


    new rtionship soon. I apologize as I¡¯m not the woman you¡¯re looking for.¡±


    Although I spoke humbly, we both knew that I was more than worthy of having men flock before me,


    given both the Moore family and the Stovall family¡¯s support for me, as well as the assets under my


    name. Me being highly sought after was a fact, regardless of my divorce and my three children.


    Ever since Thora started pestering Ashton, I knew that this day woulde; but what I hadn¡¯t expected


    was that my parents would be the ones to set me up.


    How disappointing.


    Emery once said that my parents were ruthless in setting Reba up with Ashton. She exined that


    they wanted to grow their influential power through securing the Fuller family.


    Remembering Emery¡¯s words, I can imagine why my parents would set up this embarrassing date.


    My gaze subconsciously darted over to the kitchen. I felt a tightness in my stomach as I hadpletely


    lost my appetite.


    Elliot stood silently for the longest time beside me. I turned to look at him and saw nothing but a firm


    calmness on his face. He didn¡¯t seem to care about my rejection.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    So I spun on my heels and headed for the kitchen.


    There, Cameron leaned leisurely against the wall with a hot cup of tea in her hands as she threw sharp


    gazes on the maids who were cooking.


    It was obvious that she had lied about preparing dinner to force Elliot and me to spend time together.


    She sipped on her tea for some time before jolting nervously, realizing that I had entered the kitchen.


    ¡°What are you doing here? I can manage the kitchen just fine, now shoo! How could you leave our


    guest alone?¡±


    I crossed my arms, sighing at Cameron before looking over at the maids. ¡°Why don¡¯t you guys turn off


    the stove and head out, so Mrs. Moore and I can talk privately.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ms. Stovall.¡±


    The maids understood that I still possessed a significantly high status in this household. Hence, they


    stopped what they were doing and left without forgetting to close the ss door for us.


    They walked out, leaving Cameron and myself in the enclosed kitchen.


    ¡°Why did you invite Elliot?¡± My gaze pierced at her in an unflinching manner.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Cameron held a straight face as she approached me and leaned against


    the white oak cabry. A smile crept onto her face. ¡°The Jacobson family and us Moores are old


    family friends. Elliot is simply visiting your Dad on behalf of his father. Now, why on earth would we


    invite him over for no reason?¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Then why didn¡¯t you inform me beforehand that there would be a guest tonight?¡±


    ¡°He just called to tell us right after he got off the ne.¡±


    How bold of her to continue making excuses!


    ¡°Alright then. Since I¡¯m not that well-acquainted with him, I suppose it won¡¯t matter if I¡¯m absent while


    you guys catch up about old times. Summer and I will head home now.¡±


    Anger came to a roaring boil in my chest. I hated being set up by others, who assumed they knew what


    was best. On top of that, I hated having to guess the motives of those I called my family.


    I understood that an heir was needed to pass on the family name and inherit properties and assets. I


    also understood that a marriage alliance between two families was, indeed, the easiest path to achieve


    that. However, that didn¡¯t mean that I supported my parents, nor was I willing to be some chess piece in


    their n to unite the two families.


    As I turned to leave, Cameron¡¯s hand darted and sped around my wrist. ¡°Letty, what are you doing?


    The guest is still outside¡­ he¡¯ll feel unweed by us Moores if you leave with your child now. How


    will our families continue to stay friends after this?¡±


    My face darkened to a hideous brownish-red with no intention ofpromising.


    She eventually gave in after seeing my unwavering frown. A long and weary sigh escaped her lips as


    she nagged. ¡±Fine, I¡¯ll admit it. Your Dad and I nned tonight¡¯s dinner because we want what¡¯s best


    for you. Everything between Ashton and Thora is stirring up such a storm right now, so you should


    consider an alternative.


    Now, I know Elliot is slightly older than Ashton, but he¡¯s better when ites to respecting his parents


    and being a considerate man. Granted, he may have been too devoted to his family and preupied


    with his booming career to dabble in rtionships, but a husband like him would be hard toe by.


    You¡­¡±

 Chapter 1334

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1334


    Endless nags sprung out of her like a burst pipe. While I didn¡¯t care for most of the things she said, she


    blurted out something that spiked my anger¡ªI had three children, yet Elliot had never even been


    intimate with a woman.


    Her condescending words made my toes curl in annoyance. I snapped at her, ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s weird


    for someone his age to be unmarried?¡±


    ¡°What nonsense are you spewing! Why would your Dad and I intentionally cause you harm? We¡¯ve


    already run a private investigation on Elliot, and it¡¯s been cleared. He¡¯s healthy as can be, so he won¡¯t


    have any issues with taking care of you and your children!¡±


    ¡°The Stovall and Moore family¡¯s assets are enough to ensure afortable life for my children and me.


    Are you really doing what¡¯s best for me? Or are you just using me to secure a son-inw¡¯s financial


    investment into thepanies under your and Zachary¡¯s name? You¡¯re using me as a chess piece to


    expand your business territory, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    The reality of things was often ugly. However, I had to ept my reality and face my family¡¯s true


    nature, regardless of how rotten they were.


    Cameron froze at my sudden retort. Her lips parted, but no words were able to form.


    I held her gaze as disappointment twisted inside me. Turning on my heel, I shrugged her grip off my


    arm. ¡°If you insist on using me as a business opportunity, then I¡¯d rather us be strangers.¡±


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    My feet stepped with an unyielding force, marching out the ss door and past Elliot in the living room.


    I stormed upstairs to collect Summer, then we left without so much as a goodbye.


    Anger throbbed inside me. I had finally put Summer to bed and needed to vent, so I returned to my


    room and video-called Ashton.


    The camera captured my darkened expression, down to my crinkled eyes that frowned. As soon as


    Ashton picked up the phone, he saw my furious gaze that could burn holes through him.


    His brows twitched as he shed me an amused half-smile. ¡°Have I perhaps done anything to upset


    you today?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you ticked me off.¡±


    We wouldn¡¯t have faked our divorce if we didn¡¯t need to get revenge. Then I wouldn¡¯t get tricked into a


    blind date with Elliot, nor would I be thrown around as a pawn in Cameron and Zachary¡¯s calctive


    ways.


    Although these were only words of anger, it made sense that I would feel this way since an angered


    woman often acted emotionally rather than sensibly.


    Ashton frowned. His face scrunched into confusion. ¡°Aftering back from the hospital, I was in the


    office the entire time and only came in contact with Joseph, the secretary who delivered my coffee. So


    who could have possibly gotten my honey¡¯s knickers in a twist?¡±


    Because he had a clear conscience, he spoke in a bubbly, almost joker-like manner that prompted


    laughter from me. His exaggerated frown made it hard to stay upset at him.


    A giggle snuck out from my tightly mped lips. ¡°Quit acting so silly! I was trying to tell you that I got set


    up on a blind date.¡±


    ¡°A blind date?¡± Ashton¡¯s eyes wiggled into a doubtful gaze. Then his voice sprang with an airiness that


    teased me, ¡°Woah, it takes guts to go on a blind date with you. Who in K City could possibly be so


    reckless and not value their lives?¡±


    I let out a deep chesty scoff. ¡°How is dating me reckless? Am I really that bad?¡±


    Deepughter rumbled from Ashton. ¡°You seem to have forgotten what I said during the Ziegler family¡¯s


    anniversary banquet.¡±


    This took me by surprise as I tried to recall that night¡¯s events.


    At that banquet, Thora almost sessfully sshed her beverage all over me. It wasn¡¯t a great


    experience, but at least Ashton publicly defended me and said that no matter what, we will always


    share a bond since we have children between us.


    The pros to his words were that they discouraged anyone from purposefully making my life difficult in


    the future. At the same time, he eliminated the possibility of potential suitors around me. It deterred


    those who wanted my hand in marriage, as well as those who were after my powerful influence since I


    had the support of the Stovall and Moore family. This was because they would have topete against


    Ashton, and given his pristine status, anypetitors would be foolishly asking for social suicide.


    Seeing him so smug, my lips pinched with annoyance. ¡°How are you so confident that I won¡¯t fall for


    another man?¡±


    Ashton¡¯s gaze narrowed on me. His eyes flickered to a menacing pitch-ck. ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m


    confident. Rather, it¡¯s because I know that you won¡¯t tolerate messy rtionships in your life. We¡¯re


    alike in that aspect; fidelity is something that you regard highly, if not more than I do.¡±


    His serious words struck me by surprise and left me dumbfounded.


    He truly knew me like the back of his hand.


    This was what I believed true love to be; a love where both parties were free to conquer their own


    domains, but the love between them would remain strong and unchanged.

 Chapter 1335

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1335


    After giving it some thought, I no longer felt mad and decided to change the topic. ¡°What do you think


    Cameron and Zachary are nning? They literally wasted all their time on your and Reba¡¯s stupid


    marriage alliance in the past. They were so blinded by that and never realized that we were actually


    family. Yet, now they¡¯re trying to force me into a marriage alliance? Don¡¯t you think they¡¯re going too


    far?¡±


    ¡°People change,¡± Ashton soothed. ¡°Everyone reacts differently in tough times¡­ Maybe you should


    investigate if the Moore family is in trouble. You did deal a heavy blow to them back when you tried to


    avenge Macy. Perhaps a rival snuck past their defenses now that they¡¯re weakened. Hence, your


    parents resorted to the marriage alliance? But then again, these are just my optimistic deductions. I¡¯m


    not sure if your parents have other reasons, so I suppose we¡¯ll have to wait and see.¡±


    I nodded. A look of solemn contemtion showed on my face as I looked at Ashton. ¡°I noticed that


    Herman and Thora seemed closer at Bryson¡¯s father¡¯s birthday banquet. Have the Zieglers and the


    Trivetts signed on to the Pitcoin business deal?¡±


    Ashton cracked a proud smile. ¡°Yep. They¡¯ve taken the bait. My men have begun analyzing the steps to


    cracking Pitcoin¡¯s software, so it won¡¯t be long before they seed. You don¡¯t have to worry about a


    thing since I¡¯m handling this. Now, back to important matters since you¡¯ve piqued my interest¡ªwho¡¯s


    the man that¡¯s bold enough to go on a blind date with you?¡±


    It was indeed suspicious that Elliot rushed from overseas to go on a blind date with me during this


    tumultuous time.


    ¡°Elliot Jacobson,¡± I uttered with seriousness. ¡°A local from M Country that recently returned from


    abroad. Also, I think Zachary is interested in a business coboration with the Jacobson family.¡±


    ¡°Got it, I¡¯ll have Joseph run a checkter.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    I nodded obediently. Then in the split second that followed, I caught a glimpse of Ashton¡¯s brows


    flinching in pain. Although it was very brief and subtle, I definitely saw it.


    ¡°Ashton? Are you alright?¡± My eyes stared with great concern at his face while my smile faltered.


    ¡°Mm-hmm, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Ashton held a normal expression as if nothing had ever happened. He cast


    an innocent face at me before revealing a tired look. It seemed like he had deliberately focused the


    camera so that I could see him kneading his brows. He sighed deeply, ¡°I¡¯ve been overwhelmed with


    work these past two days and haven¡¯t had proper rest. I suppose I should take some time off to get a


    good night¡¯s sleep.¡±


    My face stiffened with concern at this. I uttered a quick response, ¡°You should hang up and turn in early


    since you¡¯re tired.¡±


    Ashton stared straight into the camera as his lips curved slightly. ¡°You should go to bed too. I¡¯ll call you


    tomorrow?¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Mm-hmm.¡±


    Ashton hung up right after I responded. Seeing the screen flicker back into the call history, my heart


    sank.


    He had always been skilled at disguising his emotions, not showing a hint of how he truly felt. It was the


    same when it came to business; he would never reveal his thoughts to his opponents, regardless of


    whether the situation he faced was good or bad.


    But I¡¯m not his opponent¡­ I¡¯m his wife, the one who¡¯s been by his side for ten years and knows him the


    most.


    I knew him all too well. It was impossible for that man, who constantly sought after perfection, to feel


    tired.


    My instincts told me that Ashton was definitely hiding something from me, and it felt like the kind of


    secret that worried me.


    I slumped on the bed for nearly a minute before the memories of recent events shed through my


    mind. With haste, I scrambled for the phone and dialed Millie¡¯s number.


    ¡°Get the car. I¡¯m going over to Fuller Corporation.¡±


    Millie¡¯s efficiency was considered one of the most elite. She had parked the car across the street by the


    time I was done getting ready.


    I mbered onto the passenger seat with my eyes glued in the distance. My lips scrunched tightly as I


    managed one word, ¡°Hurry.¡±


    Millie said nothing, but she understood my instruction perfectly. She mmed onto the elerator and


    sped for our destination.


    It took less than twenty minutes for us to arrive in front of Fuller Corporation. I dashed inside,


    unbothered if Thora or anyone else had strategically ced any spies around the area.


    At that time of day, Fuller Corporation wasn¡¯t empty. Almost every floor had about one or two lights on,


    indicating that there were many employees working overtime. I raced into the lift and hurriedly pressed


    onto the floor where the president¡¯s office is located.


    Once the elevator doors opened, I sprinted out and barged into his office. What I saw next was just as I


    had expected¡ªno one was there.

 Chapter 1336

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1336


    He said he was working overtime half an hour ago, and then I couldn¡¯t reach him no matter what I did.


    That was impossible. I stood before the door and went through my call record to call back.


    The phone kept beeping, but nobody picked it up until the end. Ashton had always been a light sleeper,


    nor would he leave a personal call hanging for no reason. I knew it. He¡¯s in trouble.


    I pondered on the matter for a short while before video calling Joseph. He took it a whileter, his


    background a great scenery. ¡°Do you need anything, Mrs. Fuller?¡± His face was deadpan as ever.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Ashton?¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t tell me where he¡¯s going,¡± he blurted without thinking.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Nope, that was obviously a lie. Ashton wouldn¡¯t keep him around as his assistant if he


    didn¡¯t even know where his boss went. ¡°Fine. I won¡¯t look for him then, but I¡¯ll have to see you. Where


    are you right now?¡±


    Joseph thought about it for a moment before answering, ¡°I¡¯ll go over to you, alright?¡±


    ¡°Good. We¡¯ll meet up at Fuller Corporation. I¡¯ll be waiting in Ashton¡¯s office. You have twenty minutes.¡± I


    hung up before he could say anything.


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    I leaned back against the chair, looking up, and thought about Ashton¡¯s reaction earlier. He had great


    control over his emotions, so he wouldn¡¯t show any signs of pain unless it was unbearable for him.


    I knew how powerless a patient was against their illness since I had experience with it. The pain was


    more than enough to strip anyone of the fa?ade they were wearing, revealing their true self.


    Well, that was the worst-case scenario. Maybe Ashton was just handling a tough issue. For our sake, I


    hope it was thetter since his life was more important than any estate after all.


    Even though I gave him twenty minutes, Joseph only came after nearly half an hour. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for


    beingte, Mrs. Fuller. I had some matters to settle.¡± He bowed.


    Instead of greeting him back, I stared at him coolly. A long whileter, I said, ¡°You were with Ashton.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Joseph didn¡¯t meet my eyes. ¡°You¡¯re reading too much into it, Mrs. Fuller. I was held up by work.¡±


    I pursed my lips and held my silence. Ashton had told him many times that Joseph should drop


    everything if he or I needed him. Joseph had never gone against thatmand, so I thought he might


    not be lying. However, that was also proof that the matter he had to settle must be huge, or he wouldn¡¯t


    have let me wait.


    The tension in the air rose for a long while, then I broke the silence. ¡°Fine. Tell me what you were doing


    then. You have no reason to hide that from me, do you, Mr. Campbell?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Joseph was surprisingly cooperative and looked up at me, his gaze calm. ¡°Mr. Fuller said


    he¡¯d be a guarantor during the interview so Thora can take over the Pitcoin business. Securities and


    Exchange Commission officers are supervising thepany right now, and they¡¯ll be auditing us


    tomorrow. I have to get everything ready by tonight.¡±


    Well, that sounded reasonable. Since Joseph answered that calmly, I thought I might have been a bit


    too paranoid. I decided toe to thepany on a whim, so it was unlikely that Joseph coulde


    up with a lie when he was already so busy. Besides, getting audited by the SEC was a big issue. The


    media would set its eyes on the matter, so his lie would be exposed easily.


    Silence descended on the office, and the air turned awkward. I thought something was off, but I


    couldn¡¯t put a finger on it. Then someone opened the door, and in came Ashton.


    He was standing at the doorstep, looking inscrutable and handsome as usual. If I didn¡¯t know better, I


    would have thought he was in his twenties.

 Chapter 1337

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1337


    I was more excited than anyone to see him showing up safe and sound. I quickly went to hug him, and


    his warmth was proof that I wasn¡¯t hallucinating. ¡°You¡¯re okay.¡± I was relieved.


    ¡°What brings you here anyway?¡± Ashton patted my head to calm me down. ¡°Leave us, Joseph,¡± he said


    coolly.


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    Joseph left the room and closed the door on the way out. I let Ashton go and frowned at him. ¡°Where


    were you? Why didn¡¯t you take my call?¡±


    Ashton asked me to sit down first and handed me a ss of water. ¡°Here, calm your nerves.¡±


    Obviously, I couldn¡¯t. I put the ss of water aside and went back to my questions. ¡°You¡¯re hiding


    something, aren¡¯t you? What didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    Ashton stared down in silence. His eyes seemed to darken a lot, keeping his secrets in the depths of


    his heart. I knew it. I knew I was right. Ashton was in big trouble.


    I held his hand. ¡°We¡¯re a couple.¡± In sickness and in health, till death do us part. That was the vow we


    took, and I intended to see it through.


    He held my hand by reflex. ¡°Herman wanted me to sign the papers along with Thora,¡± he said solemnly.


    I knew what that meant since I had been handling the firm for quite a while. If Ashton were to sign it, he


    and thepany would have to face the consequences if Pitcoin were to run into any trouble, including


    any kind of criminal case.


    I thought our fake feud could lower Herman¡¯s guard, but he was a sly old fox after all. He would trust


    nothing but a contract, since that was the most effective way to guarantee their profits.


    ¡°And you¡¯re going with it?¡± I asked.


    He shook his head. ¡°No. You¡¯re still sick. I can¡¯t make any missteps, so I won¡¯t sign it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± I would object to it if he had gone with it. ¡°You should stop if it¡¯s too risky. Ezra wouldn¡¯t


    do anything either, since he¡¯d prefer to maintain the status quo. Don¡¯t push yourself.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t. Not when I finally managed to get rid of Armond. The fewer thepetition, the better my


    chances, so I have to pick up the pace.¡± Ashton was considering his options carefully.


    I knew I couldn¡¯t change his mind once he was set on it, so I merely sighed. All I could do then was


    face the crisis with him. A moment ago I felt safe with him around. However, for some reason, he felt


    like an illusion, as if he¡¯d slip away if I took my eyes off him for a second, and my heart sank.


    Ashton was starting to get ufortable getting stared at, so he looked up and met my gaze. They


    said eyes were the windows to the soul, and that split second was enough for me to ascertain that he


    was hiding something else from me¡ªsomething he didn¡¯t want me to know.


    I was surprised, but I knew I couldn¡¯t press him for answers anyway. Dwelling on something like that


    was pointless, so I had to go with the flow.


    In the end, I decided to leave him alone. ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too much. Take it slow. I have to go now,


    or Ezra¡¯s and Thora¡¯s men are going to find out that I¡¯m gone.¡±


    I went outside, and he sent me off. ¡°I¡¯ll get Joseph to take you back.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Millie¡¯s with me. She can take me back.¡± I refused his offer and stood on tiptoe to peck his lips,


    then I left the office.

 Chapter 1338

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1338


    Thest thing I saw before going into the elevator was Ashton¡¯s sendoff, though he looked worried.


    ¡°Drive around the area,¡± I told Millie after getting into the car.


    Millie threw me a look of surprise, but when she noticed that I wasn¡¯t kidding, she revved the engine up.


    ¡­


    We came back to Fuller Corporation five minutester, but Millie parked the car where nobody could


    see us. The heamps and taillights were turned off to keep anyone from noticing us. We could see


    everyone who came in and out of thepany, but none of them could see us.


    Once Millie stopped the car, I rolled the window down and stared at the revolving door.


    Millie was getting bored from my antics, so she lit up a particrly slender cigarette, hung her arm over


    the window, and puffed. She had always been a wild one, that Millie.


    But I knew she was carrying a great sadness with her. Most women who smoked did. I looked at her,


    then I got choked by the smoke, so I covered my nose.


    Millie puffed onest time before tossing the half-finished cigarette away, then she rolled the window


    up.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, really.¡± I didn¡¯t want her to feel restrained because of me. She might be my employee, but we


    were equals, so she didn¡¯t have to pay too much attention to me if she wanted to do something.


    Millie looked at me. Her eyes were darker than ck, but they were also gleaming with danger and


    curiosity. ¡°Most women I¡¯ve met only care about themselves. Well, at least those who are experienced,


    anyway. You¡¯re an exception.¡±


    I detected sarcasm in thatment. Obviously, she was scoffing at what I was doing. Well, I was


    checking up on my husband at hispany in the dead of the night. Anyone would think Ashton might


    be cheating on me to warrant that behavior.


    Mercenaries had long abandoned love, especially elites like Millie. She didn¡¯t care about the little things


    in love or the big things for that matter.


    I was a sessful woman after opening my ownw firm and having two powerful families backing me


    up. Millie thought I should live my life to the fullest, but there I was, snooping around to see if my


    husband was cheating. At least that was how it seemed to her. Of course, she¡¯d think I was wasting my


    time.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    I was about to retort, but then I noticed Ashton and Josephing out of thepany¡ªAshton was


    hunched. They hurried to the car and drove away.


    ¡°Follow them,¡± I quickly told her, but Millie had done that before I could finish my sentence. She was a


    great driver, and the city was brightly lit, so she managed to tail Ashton¡¯s car with the heamps off.


    A short whileter, Ashton¡¯s car went into a familiar hospital. It was the one on trending that night¡ªthe


    hospital Thora was in.


    ¡°Are we going in?¡± Millie asked.


    ¡°No.¡± I went out with nothing but my handbag. ¡°Stay here.¡±


    The hospital was eerily quiet that night. There wasn¡¯t even anyone in sight. I was starting to trot in case


    I lost them, but fortunately, Ashton and Joseph weren¡¯t going too fast. They had just gone into the


    elevator when I caught up with them.


    I waited for the door to close before going over to see which floor they were on. The wards were on the


    third floor, so they should go up if they were there for visitations. However, the elevator went down to


    the basement. It was the hospital¡¯s medicine storeroom, but not everyone could get in there.

 Chapter 1339

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1339


    That was certainly suspicious. Eventually, the elevator stopped at basement level three, so that was


    where I¡¯d be going, but I used the other elevator in case I bumped into Ashton.


    The elevator¡¯s door slid back, revealing a long corridor that was lit by nothing but white fluorescent


    lamps. The air was filled with the scent of antiseptics too.


    I went down the corridor and made two turns beforeing across Joseph. He was looking coldly at a


    room, but he didn¡¯t notice me, since I was walking quietly. I hid behind the wall once I saw him.


    I calmed myself down. Something¡¯s up. Only Ashton could get Joseph to escort him. Ashton told me


    the research for the antidote was done in the very hospital I was in. He looked troubled earlier, and I


    couldn¡¯t contact him for more than half an hour, so something must have happened here.


    ¡°It¡¯s done. All that¡¯s left is the clinical trial, then we can administer it to you.¡±


    ¡°We may start now, Mr. Fuller.¡±


    I was reminded of the things I heard two nights ago, and my heart started to pound with fear, but I


    clenched my fists. Calm down, I told myself, then I took a deep breath.


    I straightened myself out before going toward the room Joseph was guarding. The sounds of my heels


    traveled across the corridor, alerting the bodyguards. A momentter, Joseph and the bodyguards


    stopped me.


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, why did youe all the way here?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯ll take you back.¡±


    The bodyguards behind him tried to escort me, but I refused to budge. If looks could kill, they would


    have been dead by then.


    Joseph¡¯s men knew who I was, so they paused halfway through when they noticed the tension in the


    air. Then they went back to him.


    I threw Joseph a look of anger. ¡°Still want to stop me?¡±


    Joseph didn¡¯t answer, but he looked troubled. That was more than enough to tell me Ashton was


    risking his life in that room. I couldn¡¯t just stand by, so I cut through them and tried to open the door.


    But Joseph suddenly called out to me. I turned around by reflex, then thest thing I saw was a chop,


    and everything went ck.


    The first thing I saw when I regained consciousness was the chandelier. I¡¯m back home, huh? I was


    alone in the room, apanied by nothing but the chirps outside. The blinds were pulled, but the


    bright sunlight still pierced through nheless.


    I tried to get up, but the waves of pain from my neck made me gasp. I held it in an attempt to soothe


    the pain as I struggled to get up. Then I closed my eyes and recalled everything that happened in the


    basement.


    I was so close to finding out what Ashton was doing, but Joseph knocked me out. There was no time


    for details¡ªI had to go back to the basement to see if Ashton was safe.


    I quickly wore a jacket and darted out, then I bumped into John. ¡°You seem to be in a hurry.¡± John


    rubbed his neck.


    I took a second to calm myself down. ¡°My firm took on a lot of cases.¡± I covered my mouth, pretending


    to yawn. ¡°We¡¯re really busy right now.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± John gave me a doubtful look before going downstairs. ¡°Is Brooklyn trying to work you to


    death!¡± he mumbled.


    I shrugged. Even though my family owned the firm, I was just an intern there. John is being


    unreasonable. Being just an ordinary employee there, Brooklyn has every right to assign work to me.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Emma and Louis were having breakfast in the dining room when I followed John down to the living


    room. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry, Uncle Louis. You guys go on ahead. I¡¯ll be going to work.¡± I went out, pretending


    nothing was wrong.

 Chapter 1340

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1340


    ¡°Hold up.¡± John caught up with me and dragged me back. ¡°Nothing¡¯s more important than your health.


    Finish your breakfast.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time! My client is waiting for me.¡± I tried to break free, but John forced me to sit down.


    ¡°Shut up and eat up.¡± John served me a bowl of chicken soup and looked me in the eye. He then


    shifted his gaze to Louis, hinting me he could tell Louis to make me stay if he wanted to.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Dammit. I couldn¡¯t refuse if it were Louis. Besides, getting lectured by him would be the worst. Well, I


    had no choice but to finish my chicken soup. At the same time, I observed everyone.


    It was odd nobody asked me aboutst night. I went outte and came back obviously knocked out. I


    expected it from Emma since she was a happy-go-lucky woman, but John? He should have known


    what happened. He was always an alert one.


    Then John gave me some sausages. ¡°Take a day off, Scarlett. Sleep in for a while longer. I need you to


    come with meter.¡±


    I looked at Emma. ¡°Who, me?¡± Then I pointed at myself. ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll find out. Now finish your breakfast.¡± John smiled mysteriously.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask Emma? I¡¯m upied.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Emma and John refused at the same time, then they threw a look of disgust at each other.


    Emma piped up, ¡°I have an appointment, Letty. Sorry, but you¡¯ll have to take this.¡±


    I was about to say something, but John retorted sarcastically, ¡°Another day, another geezer, huh? I


    don¡¯t mind putting them to the test for you, you know.¡±


    Emma sneered, ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯d prefer it if you¡¯d stay out of my way.¡± She red at him. ¡°Really,


    please. Well, I¡¯m done with brekkie. See you around.¡± She picked up her handbag and left.


    I was starting to panic, so I put everything down and got up. ¡°Alright, I have to go now, or I¡¯ll bete.¡±


    John stopped me. ¡°Are you sure you want to miss seeing Jackson over this?¡±


    That surprised me. ¡°Jackson¡¯s awake?¡±


    John shrugged smugly. ¡°And he specifically asked for you. So do you want to go?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do.¡±


    After about an hour, John took me to a house in a rural resort. We were surrounded by nothing but


    mother nature the moment we came in. The air was spectacrly fresh thanks to the morning rain.


    But when I came to Jackson¡¯s room, I was starting to get nervous.


    He was a good friend for many years. We used to be like family, but we got into a big fight over


    Summer¡¯s custody a few months ago. However, he risked his life to protect meter on. I wondered


    how our reunion would be, but I started getting nervous when the time actually came.


    My palms were sweaty. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to ring the bell, but Jackson asked, ¡°I know it¡¯s you,


    Letty.¡± His voice was as angelic as usual.


    I started tearing up, but I mustered up my courage and went inside.


    Jackson was facing the window, the sunlight enveloping him. He looked like an angel basking in the


    lights of heaven, but he looked gaunt after being bedridden for months. He was supporting himself with


    a crutch, though he looked like he could fall at any moment.


    ¡°Jackson¡­¡± I was at a loss for words, for my excitement overwhelmed me.


    ¡°Have a seat.¡± Jackson smiled, then he sat on the rocking chair beside him.

 Chapter 1341

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1341


    The clutch was sitting idly beside the rocking chair, and the sunlight shone on the room, erasing all the


    gloomy air inside.


    Jackson woke up three days earlier, then he went through rehab before finally being able to walk. But


    he looked clumsy, so I knew he hadn¡¯t fully healed just yet.


    ¡°I thought the kids would be here too,¡± Jackson joked.


    I sniffled. ¡°I was too excited when John told me you¡¯re awake.¡± I fumbled for an exnation. ¡°So I totally


    forgot about it. We can go straight back to see them though, Jackson. You should see them. After all,


    you¡¯ve risked your life for them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not in a hurry.¡± Jackson smiled warmly. ¡°I can always see them after this.¡±


    I knew he was a really nice guy. ¡°Have you forgiven me?¡± It took everything I had to ask, but the


    moment I did, everyone fell silent, much to my worry.


    A short whileter, Jackson looked at John and chuckled, ¡°I see. You were right, John. Everyone¡¯s


    been worried about me. Looks like I¡¯m more trouble than I¡¯m worth, huh?¡±


    Well, that was depressing, and it ended the conversation for me. Of course, everyone would worry.


    Someone close to them was in the ICU after all.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that.¡± Jackson shifted the topic and looked at me happily. ¡°I told mywyer to


    withdraw the case. Summer and Audrey are your daughters, Scarlett. That will never change.¡±


    I felt a surge of gratitude and affection for him. ¡°Thank you, Jackson.¡± Tears welled up in my eyes.


    Reconciliations were always touching. Even John, the tough guy, sniffled quietly. ¡°You were a b*stard,


    Jackson, but that sleep did you good. Now that you¡¯re not trying to take my niece away, you aren¡¯t that


    annoying anymore. The reports about you are taken down, so just open up the clinic after you¡¯re


    healed up. A diamond always shines no matter where it is, you know.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯m not nning to reopen my clinic.¡± He looked at me, feeling crestfallen. ¡°I¡¯ve talked with


    Lydia, and I¡¯ve decided to return to M Country.¡±


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Yeah. You gotta recharge yourself.¡± K City had nothing but malice for him. There was nothing


    memorable for him in this ice-cold metropolis.


    Jackson had a look of resolve in his eyes. ¡°No. I¡¯m going back to take over my family¡¯s business.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Jackson never liked business, so why did he change his mind?


    Jackson¡¯s face fell, and his veins popped. ¡°My brother¡¯s the one who acquired my data and leaked it to


    the media. Seems like he¡¯s getting toofy as the heir apparent. It¡¯s time for him to pay the price.¡±


    Somehow Jackson looked different. I could see something dark within his eyes¡ªa dark ambition.


    Even so, I couldn¡¯t give him any advice. An eye for an eye seemed about right, and most people would


    do that. Jackson used to be a gentle soul who¡¯d take all the beatings from his family, but he had had


    enough. It was time for him to take back what was rightfully his.


    A near brush with death wasn¡¯t bad news, apparently. Jackson wanted me to support him, so I gave it


    to him. He was an old friend, after all. I was going to lend him some money as a seed fund, but all


    Jackson wanted was my promise, so I glossed it over.


    I felt like a heavyweight had been unloaded from my shoulders. Even my soul felt light, so I stretched


    my arms in John¡¯s car.

 Chapter 1342

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1342


    The sun¡¯s warmth graced me, but I blocked out its light, though I squinted at it. ¡°It¡¯s a good day.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± John answered. We came to a crossroads, but John made a right turn. It was in the opposite


    direction of our home.


    ¡°I thought we¡¯re going home.¡± I started to panic. All I wanted to do then was to find out what happened


    in the basement.


    ¡°No, no, no.¡± John didn¡¯t even look at me. ¡°It¡¯s a good day, and the good news won¡¯t stoping. Next


    stop, here wee.¡± He bbed about his n, but I didn¡¯t get a word of it.


    I frowned, but there was nothing I could do. All I could do was go with the flow.


    Trips were fun, but not when I was in a hurry. What a waste of time. I called Ashton.


    It beeped, but then the call was hung up. Maybe it wasn¡¯t a good time. I stared at the call record for a


    few moments before texting him: Call me when you¡¯re done. It¡¯s urgent.


    Ashton didn¡¯t reply, much to my worry. Then John came to the airport. Alright, that was odd, so I didn¡¯t


    budge.


    John only noticed my absence when he was about to enter the airport. Then he shrugged. ¡°What are


    you doing? The ne¡¯snding soon.¡± He gave me a weird look.


    I crossed my arms, annoyed and refusing to cooperate. ¡°You¡¯re getting in the way of a crucial matter,


    John. This person better be important, or you¡¯re going to get it.¡±


    John chuckled and came back to push me into the airport. ¡°I¡¯ve always delivered, haven¡¯t I?¡±


    My patience ran out after fifteen minutes of waiting. I pointed at the time on my phone, shoving it in his


    face. ¡°It¡¯s almost one. Who are we waiting for, exactly?¡±


    And then someone patted my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m back, Scarlett.¡±


    I turned around, and what greeted my eyes was a woman in sunsses. She spun around, her fishtail


    skirt sticking to all her sexy curves tightly. The woman was also wearing stilettos, and she radiated


    nothing but sexual allure. I¡¯d probably flirt with her if I were a man.


    But none of that wasparable to the surprise I felt when she took off her sunsses. ¡°Oh, Emery! It


    really is you! Oh my god, you slimmed down so much.¡± I hugged her tightly.


    I knew Emery well, but I couldn¡¯t believe that she managed to recover in a mere month or so. Her back


    was fair and smooth, totally unlike what I saw in the clinic.


    Emery had her usual triumphant grin again. ¡°I couldn¡¯t stand it, so I spent tons of money to fix it up.¡±


    She paused to look around before lowering her voice to a whisper. ¡°And that¡¯s the only part that¡¯s


    healed. I got my scars under cover. Pun not intended. Right, let¡¯s leave this until we get home. Chop


    chop, don¡¯t want the paparazzi to take my picture.¡±


    As amusing as usual. Emery had always been a straightforward one. I didn¡¯t expect her toe back


    so soon though. I thought she¡¯d stay in M Country for a while longer to get back to her old self.


    The way back was filled withughter, because Emery and John would always crack dumb jokes.


    Emery regaled us about the stories and stic surgery in M Country, and they were refreshing.


    Then we stoppedughing the moment we came back.


    ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± Hunter was tending to the nts, but he looked awkward.


    Instead of a neat look of an academician, he let his hair hang awkwardly, and he was wearing nothing


    but a grey tracksuit. Well, he did look like a gardener.


    Emery¡¯sughter earlier was reced by disgust. ¡°Why are you still here?¡±


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    John and I went away. It wasn¡¯t our ce to tell someone else how to deal with their personal matters.

 Chapter 1343

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1343


    Then Xavier ran up to Hunter. ¡°y with me, daddy!¡±


    Hunter put the gardening equipment down and picked Xavier up. ¡°You promised me you¡¯d finish your


    homework, Xavier,¡± he whispered. ¡°If you¡¯re a man, you¡¯re going to see it through no matter what.¡±


    Xavier pouted unhappily, but he didn¡¯t throw a tantrum. Oh, he was taught well. Since Xavier had


    calmed down, Hunter went back to the house. ¡°Let¡¯s talk inside.¡±


    Emery didn¡¯t blow up in front of the kid, but she still looked irked. And no, she wasn¡¯t following because


    she relented. I knew her too well.


    Emery yanked Xavier away from Hunter the moment we entered the living room. Xavier didn¡¯t


    recognize her at first because she was gone for more than a month, and she had heavy makeup on.


    The boy kept struggling, but he quieted down the moment she spoke.


    ¡°Mrs. Eriksen,¡± Emery called the servant. ¡°Take Xavier upstairs. It¡¯s study time.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Emery called the shots in the house. Xavier knew that, so he let Mrs. Eriksen take him away.


    Once her son was gone, Emery turned back to Hunter. ¡°I thought I said I don¡¯t want to see you or


    anything rted to you in here. Did you lose your ss along with your job? Can¡¯t you understand


    simple English now?¡±


    After Hunter¡¯s extramarital affair and assault were made public, his institution voided the contract the


    very same day. They also made a notice that mmed his actions. Because of that, his career was


    ruined, and he lost his source of ie.


    I only found out about it after John told me. Emery didn¡¯t do it though. Hunter was too famous for his


    own good after marrying Emery. He had a lot of enemies who were just waiting for the chance to beat


    him while he was done, and Hunter gave them that chance.


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    The higher they were, the harder they fell.


    Hunter was deep in his thoughts, then he looked at John and me with a frown. The heck? What¡¯s that


    supposed to mean? Are we an eyesore now? This is Emery¡¯s ce. You¡¯re the unwanted guest here.


    John realized that faster than I did, so he raised his chin and squinted at Hunter. It was as if he was


    saying ¡°We¡¯re staying here. Bite us.¡±


    Emery didn¡¯t notice the silent tussle between them, though she was still impatient with him. ¡°Cat got


    your tongue?¡±


    Hunter sat on the sofa beside Emery, ignoring us. ¡°I¡¯ve been taking care of Xavier and tended to


    everything in the house in your absence. I realized I¡¯ve been too harsh on you. I¡¯ve given it a lot of


    thought, and I think we should give it one more shot.¡±


    John and I looked at each other, then we gasped. The heck? How could he even say that after what he


    did?


    Emeryughed mirthlessly. ¡°Alright. Tell me this: what about Delh and the baby?¡± She threw him a


    mocking look.


    Hunter had a serious look on his face. He stared down, resolving himself, then he answered, ¡°Xavier¡¯s


    still young. He should grow up with both his parents there for him. My parents persuaded Delh to


    withdraw thewsuit after the marriage. She¡¯ll deliver the baby, and we¡¯ll give her a house and a million.


    Then that¡¯s the end of it between us. My parents¡¯ rtives are going to raise that kid.¡±


    Getting a decent house in K City and paying a million inpensation was going to take a lot out of


    Hunter, especially after losing his job.


    Still, he was a piece of trash. All he cared about was himself. Even if he was better looking than Emery,


    that didn¡¯t mean he could tell anyone how to live their life.

 Chapter 1344

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1344


    Emery spoke our minds though. ¡°You cheated on me, but you¡¯re asking me to date you again for a


    stupid excuse like that? And you want me to forgive my would-be killer, and you want that woman to


    deliver your baby? So I don¡¯t even have a say in that? Sometimes I wonder if we¡¯ve not dated long


    enough, Hunter. You don¡¯t seem to understand me at all. What makes you think you can tell me what to


    do?¡±


    At that point, even Emery thought it was pointless talking to him. She shook her head in disdain. ¡°Get


    out. Before I change my mind about sparing you.¡±


    Hunter¡¯s face fell as she red at Emery intently. But then he remembered how terrifying an angry


    Emery was, so he shot up. ¡°I¡¯m Xavier¡¯s father. Nothing can change that. I¡¯m bowing my head here so


    everyone can live in peace, but you burned that bridge, Emery. You¡¯re gonna get what¡¯sing for


    you.¡±


    Emery tossed him a dark look. ¡°Is that all? Right. F*ck off.¡±


    Hunter frowned, but he couldn¡¯t say anything, so he stormed out. I looked in his direction, then I


    realized there was a sports car at the gates. ¡°Can I borrow one of your cars?¡±


    ¡°I thought John took you here.¡± Emery gave John a weird look. ¡°What are you guys doing?¡±


    ¡°Just tell me, yes or no,¡± I insisted.


    Yep, I could imagine John¡¯s smug look without even turning around, but I didn¡¯t care. I didn¡¯t want to let


    him take me around anymore. We did meet some important people, but I could have met them some


    other day, and it would still be the same thing. Not Ashton though. I wouldn¡¯t rest until I saw him safe


    and sound with my own two eyes.


    Emery lent me the most expensive car she had. I quickly went to it, then John knocked on the window


    the moment I revved it up.


    Dammit. ¡°Take your jokes somewhere else, John. I don¡¯t have time today.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not stopping you, so easy with the attitude.¡± John leaned against the carnguidly. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have


    opened the firm if I knew you¡¯d be working yourself to the bone. Just when I finally managed to take


    you on a day off, you just had to run off no matter what.¡±


    Wait. What was that? Was he actuallyining? Gosh, men were getting weird. Where¡¯d the


    stardust crusaders go? Well, I didn¡¯t have time to fool around, so I floored the elerator and dashed


    toward Thora¡¯s hospital.


    Unbeknownst to me, John made a call the moment I left.


    I went to the same elevator and descended down the basement. Then I quickly went to the ce I


    came the night before, but nobody was there to stop me. The corridor was mine to explore, so explore I


    did. My first stop¡ªthe room Ashton was in.


    Darkness. Nothing but darkness. I fumbled around for a switch, then I flicked it on. The lights shone


    brightly, but the room was empty. Well, that¡¯s it then.


    I went back up, feeling nothing but emptiness inside. Everything around me looked ethereal when I


    came back out. I couldn¡¯t understand what happened. There was no need for Joseph and the


    bodyguards to guard that room if it was empty, and if it was, then why did he knock me out?


    There was only one possibility. Someone moved everything in the room somewhere else. John was


    acting weird that morning too, so it was usible.


    I wasn¡¯t looking where I was going, being deep in my thoughts. Eventually, I bumped into someone.


    ¡°Oh, sorry, sorry.¡± I moved aside to let him pass, but he backed me against the wall, then I looked up.


    The moment I met Ashton¡¯s gaze, I leaped to him, giving him the tightest hug I could. I was afraid he


    might leave me again if I didn¡¯t.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.

 Chapter 1345

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1345


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ashton sounded husky, but also gentle.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± I tightened my hug. ¡°What did you guys do in the hospital after I left?¡± I grumbled. ¡°Are you


    doing something dangerous behind my back, Ashton?¡±


    Before he could say anything, I continued, ¡°I don¡¯t care what the answer is, but remember to live.


    Survive. I won¡¯t allow you to die before your time.¡± I almost screamed that out loud, praying that the


    Gods could grant my wish.


    Ashton said nothing. He held the back of my head and pulled me closer so I could take in everything


    about him.


    We quickly separated in case we were seen. Then he took me to the safety exit¡¯s staircase. I gazed at


    him as I talked about the events the night ago. All I wanted was an exnation from him. A reasonable


    one, at least.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Instead of answering my question, he gazed at me for a few moments. ¡°I don¡¯t keep secrets from you.


    I¡¯ll let you know about it as soon as I could.¡±


    I did not expect him to agree so quickly, so I froze up for a second before nodding. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Ashton kept to his promise. He picked me up in secret at the Stovall residence and drove around the


    urban area a few times before going into a biotechpany.


    Joseph was already waiting when we arrived. He didn¡¯t seem surprised to see me. ¡°Hello, Mr. Fuller,


    Mrs. Fuller.¡± He bowed at us as usual.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Ashton answered curtly, but I pulled a long face. Yes, I was still salty about the chop. I could still


    feel the pain on my neck even then. That was a constant reminder of what Joseph did.


    Ashton went in easily, and I followed. The ce wasn¡¯t as mysterious as the hospital¡¯s basement. Once


    I got out of the elevator, I was greeted with a high-tech office.


    The office looked cold, and ss canisters lined the whole ce. A human-sized ss container stood


    in the middle of the office. It was filled with a clear liquid, while a green test tube was fixed in the


    middle. There seemed to be air going in from both ends, since the liquid was bubbling.


    I fell into a trance looking at the container.


    ¡°You¡¯re here, Mr. Fuller.¡± A familiar voice snapped me out of it. When I looked in its direction, I saw a


    gray-haired, elderly man shaking hands with Ashton. He was probably the guy who reminded Ashton


    about the time that night.


    ¡°I¡¯ll need you to exin it to my wife,¡± hemanded calmly.


    ¡°Yes.¡± The old man smiled and came to me. ¡°I¡¯m the project manager, George Sanchez. I¡¯m a certified


    microbiology professor, and the suppressants you have been taking are made by my team.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Professor Sanchez.¡± I forced a smile, though I felt more at ease than when I first came in.


    ¡°Look, Mrs. Fuller.¡± George pointed at the green test tube smugly. ¡°This is the antidote we just made


    last night. We¡¯ll switch locations every time one antidote is made for safety purposes. In case the


    enemies find out about it. We were doing inventoryst night and getting ready for the transfer. You


    know, when your condition acted up.¡±


    ¡°My condition?¡± I didn¡¯t remember that happening. ¡°Impossible.¡± I was confused. ¡°I took my


    suppressants beforeing outst night.¡± I looked at Ashton subconsciously. Are they trying to gloss


    this over with that cheap trick?


    ¡°That¡¯s what suppressants do. They suppress. The toxins have mutated,¡± Ashton said. ¡°You can¡¯t stay


    out of contact for more than three hours from now on.¡±


    I pursed my lips and thought about the veracity of his reply. Ashton seemed to see through what I was


    thinking, so he asked, ¡°What? Do you really think Joseph was the one who knocked you out?¡±

 Chapter 1346

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1346


    I saw it with my own eyes. I didn¡¯t just think he did it. I knew the man did it! I looked at Joseph, but he


    was standing behind Ashton calmly, as if he didn¡¯t do anything.


    Well, maybe he didn¡¯t, but how would I know that? Joseph worked for Ashton long enough, so he was


    an expert in hiding his emotions. I wasn¡¯t sure if he was actually innocent or putting up an act.


    I racked my brains and calmed down. ¡°Where¡¯s the volunteer?¡± I asked Ashton. I wouldn¡¯t believe he


    didn¡¯t have anything to do with it until I saw the volunteer.


    Ashton knew that wasing, so he looked to the mechanical door on his right. ¡°Open the door,¡± he


    instructed coldly.


    The door opened. I gave Ashton another nce before going into the room. I had to go through


    another couple of rooms before finally seeing the volunteers who were taking the risk for me.


    It was a room that measured a hundred meters square, and it was divided into four equal parts. The


    volunteers were kept inside the ss walls. There was nothing but beds and desks inside. The


    volunteers were wearing patient attire and living their lives inside as if they were merchandises on a


    shelf. It made it easy for the researchers to observe the medicine¡¯s effect.


    ¡°They¡¯ll go back safe and sound after the experiment. And they¡¯ll be paid a million as thanks. Also, the


    Fullers will take care of them for the rest of their lives,¡± Ashton said coolly as if he was just listing his


    grocery list.


    I knew he was doing it for me, but I couldn¡¯t ept that someone else had to be sacrificed for it. It


    didn¡¯t even take one minute before I wanted to leave.


    Ashton sent his men away and came up to me. ¡°Just pretend you¡¯ve never seen this. I did this, so it has


    nothing to do with you. If someone¡¯s gonna get bitten in the *ss, it¡¯s me.¡±


    It was thew of equivalent exchange. Ashton made it sound so easy, but what he did was controlling


    someone else¡¯s life with money so nobody else needed to take the risk. It was insane. People should


    be equal, but I couldn¡¯t tell him that when I saw the resolve on his face.


    That was what we¡¯d do for love. I did the same thing for Summer back then. Ashton was making the


    same choice for the same reason. Telling them to stop at that point would mean death for those


    volunteers. They had no choice but to wait for the antidote.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    ¡°I want to leave.¡± I didn¡¯t know what else to say, though I was relieved Ashton didn¡¯t risk himself for me.


    I was immersed in my own thoughts on the way out. My questions were answered, but I still had that


    feeling of unease. Did I miss something?


    I nced at Ashton as I went into the car, but he didn¡¯t seem different. I wondered if I was being


    paranoid.


    Ashton buckled himself calmly. He didn¡¯t even look at me, but he said, ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking.¡±


    A pauseter, he stared at me coldly, but his anger was directed at something else. ¡°I¡¯ll risk my life for


    you, but we have to live until we get our vengeance. I won¡¯t do anything that¡¯ll hurt us. Do you think


    that¡¯s selfish of me?¡±


    He was a heroic man, but at the same time, he looked so mncholic. I was seized by an urge to hug


    him, to tell him everything was okay.


    Then I felt more at ease. As long as he was safe, nothing else mattered. I smiled and held his hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m d that you know what you¡¯re doing. Professor Sanchez said that the toxin has mutated, so we


    don¡¯t really know how long I can hold out. We¡¯re just dying the inevitable. If you had risked yourself


    for me and died, who¡¯d fend for baby and me?¡±


    Ashton thought about what I said, though he never did reply to me.


    There was no traffic in the dead of the night, but Ashton was still driving carefully. Something about him


    made me feel uneasy. I could still remember how he looked that night no matter how many years had


    passed. He was as calm as a pond on a windless day, but I could feel his love for me underneath that


    fa?ade, still going strong as ever.

 Chapter 1347

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1347


    If he had to make a choice between revenge and dying for me, I had no doubt he¡¯d choose thetter,


    but that was just hypothetical. No need to waste a life on something imaginary.


    It was quiet the whole way through. Ashton parked the car at the roadside when we approached the


    crossroads near the Stovall residence.


    I saw Millie¡¯s car, so I unbuckled myself. When I was about to go out, Ashton suddenly said, ¡°You¡¯re


    mistaken.¡±


    Well, that came out of nowhere. ¡°Sorry?¡±


    Ashton gazed into my eyes. ¡°You¡¯re the most important person to me. Nothing else matters. Yes, you


    might have guessed it wrong this time, but that doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re always wrong. I¡¯ll risk my life for


    you if you were ever in trouble, and nothing can stop me. You¡¯d better give up on dying, or I¡¯ll dump


    everything on you. You can try handling my job.¡±


    I was surprised he would go so far for that, but he was right. I was too at ease the moment I came out


    of theb. I even started thinking that I should leave my life in the hands of fate. Naively, I thought


    everything I cared about would be alright as long as Ashton was there.


    But I forgot about the fact that Ashton could never ept my death. Even the thought of it was torture


    for him. There was nothing more devastating than watching the person he loved waste away while he


    could do nothing.


    It was then I realized he needed someone to tell him everything was fine. Even though I knew


    everything was not fine, I looked him in the eye and told him otherwise. ¡°I won¡¯t. Even if I am going to


    die, I¡¯ll send Thora and her backers to jail before I do. I¡¯m not going to leave my kids alone. They¡¯re too


    adorable for this world.¡±


    Ashton stopped frowning and started smiling. He knew the kids were more important to me than


    anything.


    To think that a business genius like him would ask the same question three times just to get my


    confirmation. He was just like a child asking for candy.


    I unbuckled myself and, before he realized it, kissed him on his cheek. Then I went out of the car,


    avoiding his passionate gaze.


    When I went into Millie¡¯s car feeling all smug, she revved up the engine and took me back to the Stovall


    residence. I looked back at Ashton, who was still in his car. He was bing farther and farther away,


    but still, his gaze was fixated on me.


    It wasn¡¯t until he disappeared from my sight did I turn back to Millie. ¡°I want to know the truth.¡± I stared


    at her through the rear-view mirror.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    She looked at me calmly. ¡°Mr. Fuller should have told you everything.¡±


    ¡°Yes. He let me see the truth he wanted me to believe.¡± I gave her a solemn look. ¡°The apparatuses,


    the volunteers, everything. Everything looks so natural, so reasonable, but you guys overlooked one


    thing. There was nothing in the corridor, so even if I did fall, I should have bruises all over. But all I have


    now is my neck injury.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know why Ashton lied to me, but I didn¡¯t dwell on it. All I wanted was for him to be safe and


    sound, and that was what he did. Also, he ordered me not to die. That was a sweet bonus.


    If that was the truth Ashton wanted me to see, then I would go with the flow.


    Millie said nothing, but that silence was an answer in itself. My face fell as I asked, ¡°How much did he


    pay you? Holden told me skills and loyalty are the most important things for mercenaries. I¡¯m your


    employer, but you worked with someone else and lied to me. You ruined my trust. You¡¯d best give me a


    reason for that, or I¡¯ll terminate you.¡±

 Chapter 1348

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1348


    Suddenly, the tension was palpable. After a few moments of silence, Millie stopped the car by the


    roadside.


    She wound down her window, lit a cigarette and took a long drag before turning to me and said, ¡°It was


    indeed someone who works for Ashton that knocked you off yesterday. My contract with you is to keep


    you safe, and investigative work is not part of our deal. If you have doubts that I¡¯m taking double


    sries, feel free to cross check with Ashton. If you don¡¯t wish to see my face, I will do it out of your


    sight. But I won¡¯t leave until I fulfil my contractual obligation.¡±


    The woman was all calm and collected, as though she had already anticipated that her secret would be


    exposed any time. That, or this was all within Ashton¡¯s nning and expectation.


    Nheless, I didn¡¯t wish for him to learn that I was now aware of his arrangement.


    After some considerations, I decided to give Millie one more chance. ¡°I believe you didn¡¯t do that for


    money. However, this will be the first andst time you tried to pull something like that with me. If you


    choose to pledge your allegiance to me, we can still work things out between ourselves. Alternatively, if


    you wish to continue your work for Ashton, then I¡¯ll terminate our contract right now. I¡¯ll make sure


    you¡¯re fullypensated based on the contract, but I¡¯ll ask that you stay away from me as I don¡¯t want


    someone I can¡¯t trust around me.¡±


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Millie tilted her head a little and was quick toe to her decision. ¡°Onest time.¡±


    It was her way of apologizing and promising.


    Since I decided to forgive her, I chose to re-establish mutual trust between us.


    ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s just put this behind us and move on. Since investigative work is not your strong suit, will


    you look for someone with such talent in your circle? I want to know what Ashton is up to.¡±


    ¡°Certainly.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ste. Let¡¯s just head home.¡±


    Millie nodded and tossed the cigarette butt out the window before starting the car and heading for


    Stovall residence.


    Staring out at the blurry neon lights shing by, I felt a sudden weight on my shoulder.


    Ashton, what do I do with you?


    The man went to great length with John toe up with such an borate lie so that I could wait for


    the research of my antidote without worrying, and to stop me from ending my own life.


    Although his n was full of plot holes, it was not without any sess.


    Since I couldn¡¯t determine the imminent threats he was facing, I kept a tight lid about ¡°my death¡± for the


    time being.


    After that night, Ashton kept himself busy and didn¡¯t contact me for one whole week.


    I was in no rush to confront him. Instead, I instructed Millie to speed up the investigation covertly.


    However, before any useful information coulde to light, a piece of news materialized out of


    nowhere.


    Legendary investor Elliot Jacobson injected ten billion into Moore Corporation, making him the second


    largest shareholder after the Moores.


    Instantly, all the media outlets in K City had their cameras zoomed in on the sudden appearance of a


    new big wheel in the corporate world.


    Incidentally, Elliot had indirectly expressed his interest in me when asked about his love life by the


    press, resulting in some tabloid¡¯s exploitation of our stories to boost their magazine poprity.


    Some even went one step further with an in-depth report about the possibility of our union based on


    common business interests.


    ¡°Elliot Jacobson. Seems like a nice bloke, I must say. Not only is he good looking and loaded, he also


    sounds like a gentleman with no scandal. His only two previous rtionships during university time


    ended on amicable terms. If these were true, he does appear to be a husband material. Aren¡¯t you the


    slightest bit interested?¡± Emery asked suggestively while reading the tabloid filled with our


    photoshopped images.


    I rolled my eyes, looked at her with distaste, but kept myments to myself on this matter.


    On another level, this piece of news might actually serve as a nice addition to the rumors already


    circting around Ashton and Thora, which showed that he and I were drifting further apart. If Ezra


    dropped his guard because of this, it might provide Ashton with the perfect cover.

 Chapter 1349

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1349


    As for Elliot, I had made myself pretty clear when he visited the Moore Residencest time. I assumed


    a seasoned investor like him wouldn¡¯t shoot himself in the foot.


    ¡°Enough about me. It¡¯s Monday morning. Instead of ving away in your own office, you¡¯re here to bug


    me. What¡¯s going on?¡± I tried to change the topic.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you remind me.¡± Finally tossing the magazine away, Emery sighed. ¡°It¡¯s Hunter. He¡¯s been


    following me everywhere and pestering me to reconcile with him. It¡¯s so annoying!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t hide from him forever. Maybe it¡¯s time to consider applying for a restraining order, given the


    harassment he¡¯s causing you. You two are already divorced, there¡¯s no need to hold back.¡± Emery had


    her fair share of pain and grief from this marriage. She deserved to have a better life, not being


    entangled in this mess from her past.


    ¡°Forget about him, I¡¯ll deal with itter,¡± she said while shaking her head as her attention shifted


    elsewhere in the next moment. ¡°By the way, I¡¯ve taken over The Jade. Some fresh seafood has arrived


    from overseas yesterday. Will you be my guest?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± I agreed readily, and we left my office in tandem.


    Although Ashton had made up the mutation of the poisoned cells in my body to make his story more


    believable, they changed my treatment n and made me stick to a strict diet regimen at the Stovall


    residence. I had enough of their nonsense.


    As soon as we arrived at the restaurant, Emery asked for their most prestigious private room.


    ¡°My apologies, Ms. Moore. The room is upied at the moment.¡±


    I knew The Jade only had one VVIP room. It was almost as exclusive as a five-star hotel¡¯s presidential


    suite. Guests who could afford such a room that came with an outrageous price tag were not ones to


    mess around with.


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s just the two of us having a meal. There¡¯s no need for such extravagance. Let¡¯s just go to any


    private room.¡±


    Emery thought for a brief moment and finally nodded in assent. ¡°Alright then. But I want you to bring us


    your best wine avable. We¡¯re here to celebrate my venture into a new business. Lead the way then.¡±


    ¡°This way, please,¡± the manager said politely while leading us down a long corridor to the left.


    Even though this was not my first visit to the restaurant, I was still in awe looking at all the opulent


    private rooms that lined up on both sides of the corridor. A few familiar faces could be spotted along the


    way when the waiters flitted in and out of the rooms. They were all prominent businessmen and


    politicians in K City.


    The VVIP room was at the end of the corridor. The manager stopped at the room right across and said


    to us, ¡°We¡¯re here. Please take a seat and make yourselffortable while I bring over the menu and


    your wine, Ms. Moore.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the menu. We¡¯ll have all your seafood specials today. Bring me your best wine. You


    can leave us to attend to the VVIPs next door. Just get another waiter to serve our table,¡± Emery said to


    the manager as she waved her hand and led me into the room.


    Despite being the new owner of the restaurant, she was not one of those pompous, self-absorbed


    snobs who would insist to be served by the manager himself. Her gesture only reflected her belief in


    excellent customer service.


    With a standard smile on his face, the manager retreated from the room courteously.


    Not long after, a young waiter came in with trays of grilled salmon and butter codfish. In addition, the


    manager had taken upon himself to send in some foie gras and A5 wagyu beef.


    For the past few weeks, I had to follow the nutritionist¡¯s approved diet strictly. Now that I had the


    opportunity to dine outside, I quickly dug in without caring so much about the poison in my body. As the


    first bite of foie gras melted in my mouth, I could feel myself being enveloped in a world of happiness.


    Emery was sipping on her wine from the DRC. Then she looked at me quizzically with one raised brow.


    ¡°How long has it been since youst had meat?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t remember.¡± I shrugged and ced my ss of wine under my nose and took a whiff of the


    fermented aroma before putting it down with satisfaction. ¡°Not much since I came back from M


    Country.¡±

 Chapter 1350

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1350


    ¡°Your suffering seems endless¡­¡± Emery intoned sentimentally. ¡°Life is too short. We should enjoy it


    while we can. I had a first-hand experience when I was getting my surgery done in M Country. After


    spending some time overseas, I¡¯ve realized that it¡¯spletely okay to be single. I think I¡¯ll just stay


    away from men from now on. God knows what kind of trouble they will bring. Most importantly, they¡¯re


    like a sticky gum that I can¡¯t get rid of.¡±


    I burst out augh. ¡°I believe thest part is what you¡¯re most afraid of.¡±


    What¡¯s life without a mixture of joys and sorrows? With age, we learn to let go of many things that¡¯s out


    of our control.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you join in without killing my buzz?¡± Emery rolled her eyes at me and shot a nce at the waiter,


    who was quick to fill up her winess.


    I finally conceded. ¡°Alright, alright. It¡¯s my fault. Please stop tempting me with the wine. You know I


    have to abstain from alcohol now.¡±


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll let you off this once.¡± There was a satisfied smirk on her face.


    Just then, a male voice rang from the door, ¡°Isn¡¯t this Ms. Stovall? What a pleasant coincidence!¡±


    It was Marshall Tiedemann, CEO of Tiedemann Industrial. I met him once at a gathering, but we never


    hung out privately as friends.


    A group of men and women were standing outside the door with him. They appeared to be some


    important people he wanted to butter up to.


    Marshall strode into our room as though we were close friends. ¡°It¡¯s so good seeing you here. Why


    don¡¯t we join you two lovelydies for a meal? Manager, reset the table,¡± he said while gesturing his


    friends into the room.


    Despite feeling annoyed by his self-serving attitude, Emery and I were not ignorant ofmon social


    etiquettes. Since he meant no harm, we half-heartedly epted them into our room.


    The manager, on the other hand, was crafty enough to wait at the door for Emery¡¯s confirmation before


    excusing himself to sort out the table.


    Marshall solicitously invited Elliot to sit next to me, while another woman sat between the two men. The


    rest of their friends started to whisper among themselves. Judging from their expressions, I was sure


    my name was one of the topics.


    Sighing helplessly, I nned to finish my food and get out of there when Emery suddenly nudged my


    elbow and made a gesture for me to check my phone.


    Within seconds, my phone lit up with a WhatsApp message from her.


    The woman sitting next to Elliot seems to be Ezra¡¯s only daughter, Katharina Grant. Looks like


    someone is ying matchmaking.


    Katharina Grant.


    I muttered the name under my breath.


    If what Emery said was true, my mere presence seemed to have disrupted the matchmaker¡¯s n.


    That might exin Katharina¡¯s icy stares on me earlier.


    I looked around the table disinterestedly and brought my attention back to the food before me.


    Emery, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t contain herself as she whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything to say?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡± I shrugged and sighed wearily. ¡°I don¡¯t want to meddle in something that doesn¡¯t concern


    me. It would be better if we keep to ourselves and mind our own business.¡±


    Just because I never made a public stance against the rumors circting on the inte, that didn¡¯t


    mean I had to associate myself to Elliot in any way. He and I knew it was just a publicity stunt hyped up


    by the media.


    Away from the limelight, our social circles couldn¡¯t be farther apart from each other. Even if we were


    dating, we still had all the freedom in the world to seek other potential partners before marrying.


    Emery nodded and fell silent.


    In the meantime, Marshall was talking boisterously, whereas Katharina was as meek as a bunny


    throughout the meal. She did nothing other than a few polite nods and filled up Elliot¡¯s te from time


    to time.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

 Chapter 1351

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1351


    Elliot, being the perfect gentleman, epted her kind gestures graciously while maintaining a


    respectful distance from her.


    Their lukewarm exchanges did not escape Marshall, and he involved me in the conversations. I


    deflected them all by ying dumb.


    As time went by, Elliot started to ignore the passionate gazes from Katharina as his vision fell on me


    overtly.


    Sensing he was about to say something from the corner of my eye, I stood up abruptly. ¡°Excuse me,


    I¡¯m going to the washroom.¡±


    I moved my chair, strode purposely, and bumped right into Ashton and Thora when the waiter opened


    the door. My feet were suddenly glued to the ground.


    Of all days, Lady Luck has to choose today to let me stumble upon all these people that I¡¯ve been


    avoiding!


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, you live such a busy life. While holding on to your ex, you¡¯re also flirting with.¡± Thora made


    a snidement after she noticed Elliot in the room.


    Ashton nced at me briefly before he shifted his piercing gaze around the room. His vision fell on me


    again as I caught an inexplicable yet meaning look in his eyes.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Hold on a second. I did nothing!


    I instinctively balled my hands into fists and tried to exin myself. However, before I could utter a


    word, a figure zoomed past me from behind and stopped next to Ashton. ¡°Mr. Fuller, what a pleasant


    surprise to see you here! I have missed you so many times trying to secure a meeting with you at your


    office. Now that you¡¯re here, please join us. And I¡¯m not taking no for an answer this time!¡± Marshall


    said cheerfully, while holding onto Ashton¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Such an honor to meet you too, Ms. Ziegler. Pleasee in. This must be my lucky day!¡± Marshall


    was so all over himself he hadpletely failed toprehend theplicated rtions between the


    few of us.


    The next moment, a sense of despondent overtook me as I watched Ashton and Thora sat down


    together.


    What¡¯s this? The Last Supper?


    As though he was in a contest with Elliot, the expressionless Ashton¡¯s mere presence exuded the


    demeanor of a victor.


    Resigned, I reluctantly returned to my seat at the table.


    Emery was the only person who found the whole situation amusing. She stifled a chuckle and


    muttered, ¡°Things are about to get really interesting.¡±


    ¡°Just zip it.¡± I rolled my eyes and poked at her arm as a warning.


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller,¡± an oddly familiar male voice called. I turned around in surprise. A third person was with


    Ashton and Thora.


    The bespectacled man was now smiling ambiguously at me, suggesting he knew me well.


    ¡°Do we know each other?¡± I gave him a mental thumbs up for openly addressing me as ¡®Mrs. Fuller¡¯ in


    front of Thora.


    The man then removed his sunsses and stared into my eyes merrily. He had a burly man with a


    crew cut. After a few seconds, his identity finally struck me.


    He was Joe Quinn, the person who used to pull out all the stops to sabotage my rtionship with


    Ashton, was now calling me ¡°Mrs. Fuller¡± so intimately.


    I was astonished. ¡°When did youe back?¡±


    Joe had distanced himself from Ashton after he got married. I took it as a sign that he wanted to retire


    from the corporate world. His sudden appearance caught me by surprise.


    The man said sullenly, ¡°I never left K City, Mrs. Fuller. It¡¯s sad enough that you and Mr. Fuller didn¡¯t


    come for a visit before. Now it¡¯s just in hurtful that you think I¡¯m no longer living in this city.¡±


    It was rather amusing to see a man in his thirties with manly stubble on his chin to pout like a teenage


    girl.


    Is this still the Joe Quinn that I used to know?


    ¡°Um¡­¡± I was at a loss for words.


    ¡°Mr. Quinn, I believe today is an important day for Ms. Stovall. You should leave your reunion for


    another time.¡± Thora chimed in. ¡°It¡¯s great to see that you are finally letting go of your failed marriage


    and started dating again. Your effort is reallymendable, Ms. Stovall.¡±


    The woman paused for effect, then turned to Elliot. ¡°Mr. Jacobson, you made the right decision to go


    out with Ms. Stovall. Everyone in K City knows all the virtuous qualities she possesses.¡±

 Chapter 1352

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1352


    I really admired Thora¡¯s wless choice of words that masked her sarcasm perfectly to make it sound


    like a heartfeltpliment.


    The mere mention of my marriage with Ashton was bound to confuse those who did not know me well.


    A simple search online would produce results of me clinging on to him like a jealous ex-wife.


    Thora is still holding grudges on the fact that I had previously forced a kiss on Ashton.


    On second thought, she might have miscalcted her move to tarnish my image in Elliot¡¯s mind. If she


    seeded, her master n would backfire and give me more legitimate excuses to continuetching


    on to Ashton.


    I simply yed along and turned to Ashton. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right, Ms. Ziegler. Everyone in K City


    knows how devoted I am with love. I¡¯ll never let go of my man no matter what happens.¡±


    Thora¡¯s expression darkened instantly as she struggled to control her anger. ¡°What if your love is one-


    sided?¡±


    I let out a small yet victorious smile and replied slowly, ¡°Ms. Ziegler, you¡¯ve never been married before,


    so it¡¯s natural that you don¡¯t understand the ins and outs of a couple¡¯s married life. As we ovee the


    trials and arguments in our rtionship together, we build a rapport and strengthen our love for each


    other. This emotional bond is exactly why we, and other married couples, want kids?


    ¡°Having kids only proves that the man has normal functioning organs, nothing else. No sane man


    would reject when a woman offers herself to him for sex. One should know that schemers won¡¯tst


    forever.¡±


    Thora¡¯s eyes were burning with rage as I continued unceremoniously. ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter how


    outdated the methods are as long as it works. Given your confidence, your rtionship with your


    partner must be exemry. Bute to think of it, I haven¡¯t seen much of your current rtionship


    being reported by the paparazzi. Ah, your tight security must have stopped them from obtaining any


    sort of materials. Why don¡¯t you share with us which securitypany you hired?¡±


    Upon hearing my sarcastic retort, Thora was livid beyond words.


    Everyone in the VVIP room knew Thora and Ashton were always seen in each other¡¯spany at


    various public events. Despite that, the two had zero interactions in private. In her presence, Ashton


    never failed to maintain his distance out of courtesy.


    Although I was the clingy and shameless ex-wife, I didn¡¯t have to worry about suffering a bacsh if I


    hugged or kissed him in public because we used to be legally married.


    Regardless of how sound Thora¡¯s argument was, moral and thew were on my side.


    Both women refused to back down. The silent room was instantly filled with a tensed awkwardness


    which was unbearable for the guests.


    Joe, being immune to catfights, spoke up fearlessly at this moment, ¡°Well, if you ask me, I think it¡¯s


    pointless to fight; the result speaks for itself.¡±


    He then raised his winess to no one in particr. ¡°It¡¯s not every day that we get to gather here with


    everyone. Why don¡¯t we set aside our differences make a toast to this chance encounter instead?¡±


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    After a prolonged silence, Marshall stood up. ¡°I¡¯m with you, Mr. Quinn. Cheers!¡±


    I inhaled sharply and looked at him with disdain. Such an idiot for making the situation ten times more


    awkward than it already is.


    To think that Emery was wasting such wonderful wine on this person got under my skin, but there was


    nothing I could do right now other than hoping for this meal to end as quickly as possible.


    Ashton and Elliot remained eerily silent and motionless throughout the whole time.


    Marshall refilled his ss and approached the former. ¡°Mr. Fuller, I heard Fuller Corporation has


    sessfully won the bid for a piece ofndtely. Will you consider developing it as a potential joint


    venture to share the workload?¡±

 Chapter 1353

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1353


    I heaved a long sigh of relief, feeling grateful that the ball was no longer in my court.


    Ashton was unmoved by the ttery and replied tly, ¡°I prefer not to discuss business during meals.¡±


    I stifled augh at his outright rejection.


    From the moment Marshall had arranged for Elliot to sit next to me, he was destined to fall on the


    wrong side of Ashton. It seemed that he would never get his hands on pie for the real estate and


    properties industry.


    Marshall was caught by surprise as his hand was still hanging in mid-air; his smile froze awkwardly on


    his face.


    Coming from a prestigious background himself, he was usually on the receiving end of adtion. It was


    no wonder that he looked as though he had just swallowed a hard pill.


    The air in the room once again turned frosty.


    Thora furrowed her brows. She didn¡¯t want to offend Marshall, but she couldn¡¯t go against Ashton too.


    Atst, she decided to just keep her mouth shut.


    Just as Marshall seemed like he was about to blow a fuse, Elliot intercepted, ¡°Mr. Tiedemann, I think


    Mr. Fuller is tipsy. It would be wiser to continue the discussion about thend another time. Why don¡¯t


    we talk about the financing n for yourpany?¡±


    Upon Elliot¡¯s timely rescue, a broad grin crept across Marshall¡¯s face as he turned around and said,


    ¡°Mr. Jacobson, I appreciate you getting straight to the point. I¡¯m willing to absorb another extra five


    percent on the prior agreed amount.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine by me, as long as it¡¯s a win-win solution.¡±


    Before long, Elliot seemed to have the situation under control while he cultivated the image of a reliable


    business partner.


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    Nheless, just as the two men were about to drink to a deal sessfully struck, Ashton intervened,


    ¡°If I may, Fuller Corporation might not be the best in the city, but we have a team of top analysts. Those


    companies they deem as having no potential to grow may not submit their proposals in the president¡¯s


    office.¡±


    Marshall¡¯s body stiffened at his sudden snide remark. His expression was now as dark as


    thunderclouds.


    Even though Ashton did not spell out any names, his intention was clear. Despite being a reputable


    company, the Tiedemanns thought too highly of themselves to think that they could have the resources


    to coborate with Fuller Corporation. One might consider his words to be a warning for Elliot to be


    cautious when choosing a business partner.


    It looked like Ashton was determined to interfere with Marshall¡¯s business n.


    A clever man like Elliot understood Ashton¡¯s subtle hint for him to cut ties with Marshall. However, he


    waspletely unfazed as he raised his winess and clinked gently with Marshall¡¯s. ¡°Mr. Tiedemann,


    you heard the man. It¡¯s time to pull up your socks and show your real capabilities to the public.¡±


    Upon hearing his business partner¡¯s reassurance, the tension on Marshall¡¯s face eased up instantly.


    ¡°Thanks so much for your confidence in me. You won¡¯t regret this.¡±


    Ashton¡¯s attempt to sabotage the business deal fell t. It allowed Elliot to gain an upper hand over the


    situation without engaging him head on.


    Clink!


    Following the toast, Ashton stood up nonchntly and announced while buttoning up his coat. ¡°Excuse


    me. It¡¯s pointless to stay for the meal since we don¡¯t share amon view.¡±


    Before Thora and Joe could respond, he left the room without another word.


    The remaining guests in the private room exchanged puzzled looks with one another, wondering what


    was wrong.


    I shrugged and teased yfully, ¡°He¡¯s still that same entric man. I suppose I just couldn¡¯t help


    myself from falling for my ex-husband¡¯s charm again and again.¡±


    Emery shook her head in exasperation to show her disdain at my very public deration.


    Her disapproval didn¡¯t concern me since I was no longer having depression. I now had a newfound


    understanding of exerting my sovereignty over things. And in this case, a person who belonged to me.

 Chapter 1354

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1354


    Marshall was obviously vexed at Ashton¡¯s sudden exit. His face grew stern as he hurled a cup to the


    floor and sneered, ¡°It¡¯s great for youngsters to have dignity these days, but he¡¯s going to be taught a


    lesson sooner orter for being this disrespectful.¡±


    My lips curled into a thin smile as I nced in his direction. ¡°Well, that will have to depend on the man¡¯s


    capability if he wants to teach Ashton a lesson.¡±


    At least for now, you don¡¯t look like you are the man.


    Of course, I kept thest remark to myself. However, my downcast gaze was enough to express my


    derision.


    Marshall snickered and said nothing further. A shrewd businessman like him would not risk offending


    his two benefactors on the same day.


    Thora took the liberty to speak on behalf of Ashton. ¡°Mr. Tiedemann, Ashton is not in the best mood


    today, but he means well. You¡¯re the senior, please forgive him for his manners.¡±


    ¡°Hah¡­¡± I snorted and got up after taking my bag. ¡°It seems that Ms. Ziegler still does not know Ashton


    well enough to make this statement. With his domineering demeanor, he would never bow down to


    others. You¡¯re too naive to think that he would apologize.¡±


    Emery took her coat to leave with me. She paused for a moment when she reached the door and


    headed back to the table with a wide grin. ¡°Ms. Ziegler, don¡¯t forget to foot the bill before you leave.


    Even though I¡¯m quite close to Mr. Fuller, I still think it¡¯s better for us to draw the line, no?¡±


    Thora came from a noble family, and she had always enjoyed privileges in all of K City, except in the


    Ziegler family. Even though Emery was from the Moores, she was superseding Thora by using her


    identity as The Jade¡¯s owner. Fuming with the obvious attempt to embarrass her, Thora and said


    through gritted teeth, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ms. Moore. I will ask the manager to put it all on my tab.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much.¡± Satisfied with the response, Emery beamed with delight as we headed out of the


    room together.


    I nudged at her and muttered, ¡°Thanks for that.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡± She feigned ignorance.


    ¡°Drop the act. There are so many people in the room, yet you called Thora out to foot the bill. I know


    you¡¯re retaliating against her for mocking me just now.¡± Emery was one who would always stand up for


    her friends.


    Without batting an eyelid, she added, ¡°I¡¯ll ask the manager to put the bottle of DRC on her tab too.¡±


    I paused in my tracks and eyeballed my friend. ¡°You really are something else. How did you manage to


    learn all the trickery of those evil businessmen in such a short time?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve never been a conscientious businesswoman anyway,¡± she smirked. Her lips formed a


    devilish grin as she led me to the elevator.


    I had almost forgotten that Emery had concealed her true nature and transformed into the perfect


    trophy wife after marrying Hunter. However, the woman before me was indubitably the proud daughter


    of the Moore family, a conglomerate and one of the richest merchants in Chanaea.


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    We exited the elevator and reached the basement car park.


    She noticed Ashton¡¯s car before I did and nudged me toward his car as she stood ground.


    I staggered for a few steps before I steadied myself. How did she know that I¡¯m not out here to chase


    after Ashton?


    ¡°Go on, I can only cover you till here.¡± Emery went straight to the point, waving her hands as she


    immediately turned on her heels to head to her car.


    Her silhouette suddenly reminded me of Macy. Since she knew me better than I knew myself, she


    could read my thought with one nce.


    Beep! A honking sound rang in my ears, yanking me back to reality.


    I turned around. Ashton was watching me with a cold, hard stare. I snapped out of my thoughts and got


    in the passenger seat hastily.


    I thought he had something to say to me, but he simply cocked his head aside, saying nothing.


    I inched myself closer to him and asked, ¡°Are you jealous?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± He sprung upright and set his gaze out front with the curt reply.

 Chapter 1355

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1355


    Not buying his indifference act. I exined further, ¡°I¡¯m actually here to celebrate with Emery. However,


    we bumped into Elliot and decided to celebrate together since it¡¯s his first day being a boss.¡±


    The exnation was redundant, given Ashton¡¯s intelligence.


    Marshall was a troublemaker. When matchmaking Katharina and Elliot, he started getting ideas about


    me. Fortunately, Ashton made it in time and nipped his idea in its bud.


    His face remained impassive even after listening to me. ¡°Alright, you may get off the car now. I should


    be leaving.¡±


    Just when he reached for the gear, I stopped him.


    ¡°Ashton, you are jealous.¡±


    ¡°I am. That¡¯s why we cannot stay in the same space any longer.¡± He tried to suppress the anger in


    voice as he retracted his hand.


    The best thing about being with Ashton was I never felt apprehensive or insecure after we survived the


    minor squabbles when we first got together.


    A naturally aloof man, he had hated the world with his ever fiber before he met and fell in love with me.


    I knew he didn¡¯t have it in him to amodate another human being in his heart


    He knew I valued fidelity above everything. It was impossible for me to fall for another once I set my


    heart on my chosen one.


    I guessed his sudden tantrum was because I had contacted Elliot on my own, and he was also mad at


    me for sneaking out and disregarding my health.


    Dealing with his enemies, looking for my cure, and dealing with thepany¡¯s losses was exhausting


    him. Should anything happen to me, he would break down without a doubt.


    My heart ached for him at the thought of it, and I leaned in closer, cupping his face in my hands. As I


    forced him to make eye contact with me, I nted a kiss on his lips before he could react.


    It became my second nature.


    He relished in the soft sensation and edged himself closer for more. Before things got out of hand, I


    dodged his touch, got back to my own seat, and left him hanging.


    His hands paused momentarily in mid-air for two seconds before he retracted them with a bitter smile


    as he leaned back in his seat, disheartened by my withdrawal. ¡°You¡¯re the only woman who could take


    advantage of me repeatedly like that.¡±


    Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Wow. The way he¡¯s putting it sounds as though every woman in the world is dying to have him. Are we


    competing to see who¡¯s more charismatic right now?


    It did not matter who would win the race. The most important thing was Ashton was smiling.


    As long as he was not mad at me, he was quite an easy man to talk to.


    Unwilling to concede defeat, he narrowed his eyes as if he was contemting for a way to give himself


    the upper hand. ¡°It looks like I have not invested enough in Emery¡¯spany. I should buy some of


    The Jade¡¯s shares to keep you guys in line.¡±


    ¡°Is it really necessary?¡± When did Ashton be so controlling?


    ¡°Definitely.¡± He nodded solemnly. ¡°I¡¯m exercising my husbandry obligations to ensure my wife¡¯s safety


    by knowing her whereabouts at all times. It is a very heavy responsibility. Do you have any problem


    with that, Ms. Stovall?¡±


    Feeling a chill down my spine at his smug look, I retracted myself slightly.


    With his eloquence, I was starting to think that he had studied alongside me when I was preparing for


    my bar exam.


    ¡°No problem.¡± I shook my head innocently. Do I really dare to object?


    Ashton¡¯s expression darkened afterward as though he was mad at someone. I wondered who he was


    directing his anger at.


    After a long bout of silence, he looked right into my eyes and sighed. ¡°I could not get hold of more


    information on Elliot as of now. But from what I¡¯ve gathered, he¡¯s not a decent man at all. Look at the


    way Cameron and Zachary were trying to matchmake the two of you. I¡¯m really worried that something


    might happen to the Moore family, or worse.¡±


    His car was parked in a dark corner. The dim lights on the ceiling peeked through the car windows,


    illuminating the grim look on his face right then.

 Chapter 1356

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1356


    ¡°Mr. Jacobson came back on the pretense of returning to his roots because Elliot has conspired with


    several conglomerates in M Country to take over the government-linkedpanies in Fander state.


    Not only did they fire numerous grassroots employees with no prior notice, they also ruined thousands


    of families. They¡¯re only moving back here because their reputation was down in the dumps for being


    hical and despicable. If the Moore family really backs their development here, the family might be


    nourishing a viper in their bosoms¡­¡±


    Not one cent in Elliot¡¯s hands was clean. Although he knew handing his money to Marshall was akin to


    flushing it down the drain, he did not mind at all.


    How could he take others¡¯ hard-earned money tantly and imed it as his own wealth? What a


    terrifying man.


    If Ashton could get his hands on this information about Elliot, I suspected Cameron and Zachary¡¯s


    involvement in this. They couldn¡¯t be this clueless. What exactly were they trying to pull by


    matchmaking me with that man?


    Still, something did not quite add up.


    They were indebted to me. It was unlikely for them to stand idly by, let alone set me up on the path of


    destruction. There was only one viable exnation. They were being threatened.


    Then again, what hold did the person had over Cameron and Zachary to incite such fear in them and


    the Moores?


    As I looked at Ashton, a notion popped into my mind. Not only was it necessary for me to know the


    man¡¯s background, I should also look into my so-called birth parents.


    No matter what their reasons might be, the scales were never in my favor from the moment I was born.


    They always chose themselves over me.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll stay away from Elliot.¡± I nodded and subconsciously brushed against his shoulders. ¡°You


    really need to take better care of yourself. It doesn¡¯t matter if we have the antidote to my poison. I


    wouldn¡¯t be able to live by myself should something happen to you.¡±


    We live together or die trying. If you¡¯re not by my side, living would be meaningless.


    Ashton cast a gloomy nce at me, as if he could read what was on my mind.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± His voice was dangerously low.


    ¡°I meant exactly what I said.¡± I avoided his gaze and fixed my eyes on his chest to straighten his shirt.


    Sensing something amiss, he was about to probe further when we heard hasty footsteps approaching


    in the silent car park.


    We lifted our heads and saw Thora and Joe step out of the elevator, headed in our direction.


    I immediately returned to my senses and opened the door to get off the car. ¡°I should get going.¡±


    ¡°Scarlett.¡± Ashton grabbed my arm suddenly. He was whispering, but there was no mistaking the


    urgency and fury in his voice. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you used to think. From now on, I want you to live your


    life to the fullest, whether I live or die. Promise me!¡±


    He stressed thest two words with such emphasis and squeezed both my arm affectionately before


    letting me go. I hid behind a pir just in time to avoid Thora and Joe.


    Ashton left the two standing as he drove out of the car park. The duo was ustomed to his behavior.


    They waited for their chauffeur to pick them up and finally disappeared into the distance.


    I only emerged from behind the pir after making sure everyone was gone.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    For a few seconds, I stood and stared dazedly at the exit sign. A sudden wave of apprehension hit me


    as I recalled Ashton¡¯s words.


    A voice at the back of my head told me he was leaving me forever.


    For a man who had loved me more than he valued his life to lose all hope and arrive at such a


    distressing decision, only something drastically tragic could cause this. What could have happened that


    he was willing to die?


    I called Millie anxiously and arranged to meet up at the nearest caf¨¦.


    The Jade was located right at the heart of the city center with many famous caf¨¦s nearby. Millie arrived


    in fifteen minutes with apanion.

 Chapter 1357

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1357


    The man had a trucker hat on. He deliberately kept his head low when he passed by the reception to


    evade the surveince cameras.


    Millie had mentioned once during one of our casual exchanges that due to the handsome pay that


    came with the high-risked nature of their jobs, they had to put their life, blood and sweat on the line or


    die while they were executing their mission. It became their second nature to keep watching over their


    own shoulders, even when they were sleeping.


    For me, I was just striking a deal with the man. I could not care less how much bloodshed he had


    caused.


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    As soon as they took their seats, I cut to the chase. ¡°I want the reports on Ashton¡¯s most recent medical


    records and his whereabouts right now.¡±


    ¡°But you promised to give him three days¡¯ time to investigate,¡± Millie reminded me.


    ¡°No problem.¡± The man kept his head low. From where I was sitting, I could only see the lower half of


    his face. His chin was stubbled, and he looked slightly darker than most native K City citizens. His thin


    lips were oddly protruding, bearing the ruggedness of the desert people.


    ¡°The figures on his health records, his schedule, and the list of persons he has been in contact with are


    all simple numbers. I can send them to your phone right now. However, I cannot provide you with more


    detailed information,¡± the man muttered as he fished out his phone.


    Soon, I received a WhatsApp notification. It was a message with an attachment.


    I clicked on the file, which took mere seconds to pop open.


    I scrolled through the document, zooming in and pinching out, and noticed the ¡°In good health¡± remark


    at the bottom of his health report. No major health conditions were detected.


    I heaved a long sigh of relief at the health report. He¡¯s alright.


    Ashton had always been a cautious man. He could lose a tail easily. Although I held little hope on the


    leads of his whereabouts, the box highlighted in red in the report still stumped me.


    J City family home was imprinted on the report.


    Ashton would go back and forth from K and J Cities in the evenings, to the family home left behind by


    George.


    Ever since the headquarters of the Fuller Corporation had been moved to K City, the family home had


    remained vacant. Even Uncle Charlie hardly went back there. I knew Ashton had been swampedtely.


    So how, or rather why, did he go back and forth between two cities so frequently?


    I furrowed my brows, puzzled. No wonder I could not reach him these days. It must have something to


    do with this.


    The answer was right in the family home.


    Noticing that I was deep in silence, the man reminded me, ¡°My pay is only to locate Ashton Fuller. If


    you want to know what happens at the family home, there¡¯ll be extra charges.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Please continue to find him; leave the rest to me.¡± Money was not my concern.


    Moreover, the family home was not a dangerous ce, so it made no sense for an outsider to poke


    around, especially when there might be some huge secrets in the house.


    The man nodded and said nothing else. He cast a sideways nce at Millie before getting up to leave.


    I was about to call out after him to ask him for more details, but Millie stopped me. ¡°Ms. Stovall.¡±


    I sat right down in my seat.


    ¡°There are forces shaping K City, ones we cannot afford to cross, especially since we¡¯re not from


    around here. It¡¯s not safe to put yourself out there.¡±


    She was right. Private investigators were discreet and perfect for this kind of work. I steered the topic in


    another direction and asked, ¡°I¡¯ve booked two tickets to J City. I want you to follow me.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    I received a call from a stranger right after I was done talking.


    It was a middle-aged man with a hoarse voice. ¡°Are you Ms. Scarlett Stovall?¡±


    ¡°Yes, speaking. How may I help you?¡± I tried to register his voice to the people I knew, and only Bryson


    came to mind.


    ¡°I am calling from Coldbridge police department. Your client is detained in our custody for being


    allegedly involved in a criminal assault. We request your presence at our station.¡±


    I received a few cases on economy disputes recently. Both parties were prominent figures, seeking to


    solve the dispute amiably. I was certain that they would not resort to violence.

 Chapter 1358

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1358


    For a moment, I couldn¡¯t figure out who it was., ¡°Excuse me, can I know the name of my client who has


    been detained?¡±


    There was a brief pause on the other end of the phone. The police asked the alleged client, ¡°Your


    name, mister.¡±


    ¡°Alexander Zimmerman.¡±


    Zimmerman?


    It was not amonst name in K City, and I was certain that he was not my client.


    However, the police did not give me any chance to exin myself. ¡°Can you hear me? Please get here


    as soon as possible.¡±


    He hung up right after.


    Because of Bryson¡¯s case, our firm made its mark in K City. It was understandable for the alleged


    offender to contact Brooklyn to handle the assault charges. Why in the world would this Zimmerman


    engage an unknown and inexperiencedwyer like me to handle his case?


    Besides, he was allegedly involved in criminal assault. I decided it was best to stay away from the man


    and dismiss the case to the back of my head. However, the police department called me up twice in the


    afternoon, and I could only begrudgingly head there to find out more.


    Aswyers, it was imperative for us to maintain amicable rtionships with the police because of the


    frequent need to go to the stations. I could not risk being on thew enforcers¡¯ bad books because of


    some calls.


    The detention cell was on the right side of the office, in in sight at the lobby entrance. There was


    only one young man being detained inside. The bruises on his face, also evidence, were blows he had


    suffered in the fight.


    Even though Alexander was a disheveled mess, it didn¡¯t affect his youthful good looks. He was indeed


    worthy of his name.


    We locked gaze for two seconds. I was positive I had never seen this man in my life.


    ¡°So, are you representing this man?¡± I recognized the voice to be the police officer who had called me


    earlier. ¡°Why are you sote?¡±


    ¡°I was dyed by something. Can you tell me more about this young man¡¯s offence?¡±


    ¡°Criminal assault,¡± the police replied in an irritated tone as he flipped through the records. ¡°He attacked


    a man in the morning, and an onlooker reported the incident. Our investigation shows that they did not


    know each other. When we questioned your client, he said he did it because it pleased him to do so.


    Has he no regard for thew?¡±


    I was as frustrated as the police were furious at Alexander.


    It was obvious that Alexander wasn¡¯t some worthless, simple-minded man. Resorting to violence was


    the only solution he had to his problems. I made it a rule to stay away from these people. Now that I


    was representing him, the police must havebeled me as a troublemaker alongside him.


    Since I was already at the station, I decided to bail the young man out, lest I was bombarded with calls


    from the police station again.


    I put up an amiable front and asked, ¡°Excuse me, but could I talk to my client in private?¡±


    Alexander might have broken thew, but he was still entitled to his rights. The police said nothing and


    merely nodded his head before letting me into the detention cell.


    Alexander stood at the bars with a smug smile as soon as I walked through the door.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, you¡¯re finally here. Please quickly bail me out. It¡¯s so boring in here.¡±


    I stopped a few feet away from him. Crossing my arms before my chest, I eyeballed my client behind


    the bars.


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    He hit a person and spent almost one whole day in police custody, yet his eyes were still beaming with


    delightful youthfulness. I couldn¡¯t decide if he was a carefree soul, or he was too ignorant to know what


    was about to befall himself.


    ¡°Do you know me?¡± I asked, raising a quizzical brow.


    ¡°Who doesn¡¯t in K City? You handled the case for Bryson Queen and Ziegler Corporation like a pro.


    Your name immediately came to my mind when I was caught. I believe you are more than capable to


    get me out of here, no?¡±


    My lips curled into a thin smile as I gauged him. He was right. I made the call to take on Bryson¡¯s case,


    but Brooklyn handled the trial and media interviews after the court hearing. Only a shrewd mind who


    had analyzed the whole situation would know and appreciate the effort I had in the case.

 Chapter 1359

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1359


    There was no way a hotheaded young man in his mid-twenties could know.


    There was only one possibility. Either he did a background check on me or someone who knew me well


    told him about it.


    I refused to waste my time dwelling on the matter and cut to the chase. ¡°You have two choices. Tell me


    the truth, and you can leave this ce as soon as possible. Otherwise, prepare to stay the night in the


    cell.¡±


    Unfazed, Alexander remained on the spot. By taking his time to reply, I knew he was waiting to see if I


    would carry out my threat and leave without him. He was baiting and provoking me deliberately with his


    defiance. I saw through his petty tricks instantly and knew what had to be done.


    How na?ve! Your thoughts are written all over your face.


    After meeting his stares for a while, I turned around and headed for the exit.


    As expected, he relented. ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    I smiled and halted in my tracks without turning around to look at him.


    He blurted, ¡°I¡¯m Emery¡¯s boyfriend.¡±


    Huh?


    I thought I heard wrongly and turned around. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true. Emery and I knew each other in M Country, and we¡¯ve been dating for a while.¡± Alexander


    exined calmly as happiness filled his sapphire eyes.


    One could tell if people were acting with love. He said Emery¡¯s name with such care and tenderness,


    as if a child was showing off his precious toys to the others. He treated her name like a precious


    treasure. His reaction convinced me that he was truly in love with my friend.


    However, I had my doubts about what he said. Emery was at least six years older than him and she


    had just divorced. How did she get into a rtionship so quickly?


    ¡°It¡¯s the truth. If you don¡¯t believe it, give Emery a call. She knows who I am,¡± he said earnestly when he


    noticed my suspicions.


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    Well, this is a good idea.


    Since there was no point wasting my time with him, I called Emery directly.


    She picked up the phone almost immediately and sounded tired, as if she was sleeping. ¡°Hello¡­¡±


    ¡°Someone wants me to be hiswyer said he knows you. Does the name Alexander ring any bells?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Her reaction startled me.


    That meant Alexander was indeed telling the truth. I was at a loss for words.


    I tilted my head sideways and saw him looking at me with excitement. At that moment, he seemed like


    a child waiting to see others¡¯ reaction after pulling a prank.


    ¡°Where are you guys? I¡¯ll be there immediately.¡± Emery sounded rather serious as she put on her


    clothes.


    ¡°We¡¯re at the police station in Coldbridge. Drive safely.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    I looked at the call history of my phone and heaved a deep sigh.


    I didn¡¯t want toment on Emery¡¯s private matters. However, Alexander didn¡¯t seem to be any better


    than Hunter, so I felt the need to defend her. She is such an outstanding woman. Why are those


    childish and irresponsible men attracted to her?


    It was rather inconvenient to talk with him in the presence of the police officers, so I bailed him out and


    we waited for Emery in my car.


    It was the stupidest decision I had made that day.


    Alexander was young and extremely chatty.


    ¡°Thank you, Ms. Stovall. Right, can I visit your twins?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Emery is always talking about you. Maintaining a rtionship for so many years is such a


    rare sight. You and Mr. Fuller must love each other very much.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I replied, and fiddled with my phone.


    It didn¡¯t stop Alexander with the endless questions. ¡°Do you think Emery will agree to marry me?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s alright. I¡¯m young, so I¡¯ll wait for her. She¡¯lle around one day. You¡¯ll see.¡±


    Mister, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re being overconfident.


    Right when I was about to give him a reality check, I heard a few thuds on the car window.


    ¡°Emery!¡± Alexander unbuckled his seatbelt and got off the car in a sh.


    I followed him in disbelief. He was running toward Emery with his arms wide open, probably to give her


    a hug after a long separation.

 Chapter 1360

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1360


    Emery extended her hand and stopped him from getting closer. ¡°Act normal, please.¡±


    ¡°Am I abnormal?¡± Hurt, Alexander slowly put down his hands as he pacified her gently and coyly.


    ¡°Darling, we haven¡¯t met for so long. I miss you so much!¡±


    Is he whining?


    At 1.8 meters tall, wearing a leather jacket and a pair of jeans, he could easily be mistaken as an idol.


    Who would¡¯ve thought he could transform himself so effortlessly from an idol to an adorable puppy.


    Did Emery change her taste of men?


    Wait! Darling?


    I took in a sharp breath at the shock. Did she get hitched during her one-month overseas trip?


    Emery read my mind and hurriedly exined, ¡°Stop imagining things. It¡¯s not what you have in mind.¡±


    Alexander refused to give up and argued, ¡°Huh? No! You¡¯re going to marry me in the end, so you¡¯re my


    darling.¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡± She rolled her eyes at him with disdain. ¡°It¡¯s just a one-night-stand. No biggie.¡±


    Hearing her ruthless words, Alexander felt wronged as he pouted. ¡°Darling, do you not want to be


    responsible for me?¡±


    Emery was so furious by his shamelessness and shot him a sharp re.


    Watching the show, I couldn¡¯t hold back myughter. Who would¡¯ve known that the eloquent heiress of


    the Moore family would be rendered speechless.


    I smiled and suggested, ¡°I think you shouldfort the kid¡¯s broken heart before you do anything else.¡±


    I guess I was one of those bad friends people had.


    Emery sighed helplessly and replied, ¡°You can leave first. I¡¯ll take care of the things here.¡±


    Although I couldn¡¯t bear to watch someone close to me suffer, I got ready to leave, having done my


    part.


    I patted my friend¡¯s arm and advised her to calm down before leaving in my car.


    As the exit, I nced at the rearview mirror subconsciously. Alexander was trying to get close to


    Emery, to no avail.


    To be honest, although she was many years his senior, they still looked good together. Their interaction


    was romantic and sweet, with one of them taking the initiative while the other shying away.


    I smiled. If Emery could have someone to love her, it would be great.


    It was one in the morning when I reached J City. After driving for another one hour, I finally arrived at


    the family home.


    Ever since George passed away, there were only a few helpers left at the house. I knocked on the door


    for a long while before Ss opened the door and invited me in.


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, you could¡¯ve told me you¡¯reing. I would¡¯ve sent some men to help you with the


    luggage. The room isn¡¯t cleaned, so you¡¯ll have to bear with it tonight.¡± Ss instructed the maids to


    clean the rooms upstairs. ¡°Quick, change the bed sheets and nkets.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Ss, I¡¯ll sleep in Ashton¡¯s room. Didn¡¯t hee back here recently?¡±


    ¡°Erm¡­¡±


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Every time Mr. Fulleres here, he stays in his parents¡¯ room and sits on the couch the whole night.


    They¡¯ve passed away years ago, so there aren¡¯t bed sheets and nkets in the room. It won¡¯t be


    comfortable for you.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Ss walked away and made the arrangements


    He was quick with his instructions and got the arrangements done. Millie stayed in the living room


    downstairs that was closest to the lobby for her convenience.


    Everyone was asleep by the time I finished showering.


    I found my way to myte parents-inws¡¯ room by memory. The door was ajar, so I pushed it slightly.


    Switching on the lights, the dark room lit up instantly.


    The decor in the room was exactly the same as how I remembered. The curtains were changed into


    new ones with the same style.


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    After wandering around the room, I found a newly added couch beside the French windows. I figured


    Ashton had spent his nights in this room sitting on that couch.

 Chapter 1361

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1361


    I walked in closer to the couch and saw a picture frame ced upside down on the ground beside the


    balcony. There were shards of broken ss everywhere. Ashton cherished all his parents¡¯ belongings.


    There was no reason for such a thing to happen. Didn¡¯t he call for the maids to clean this up?


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Driven by my curiosity, I crouched down and put the broken shards away carefully. The photo frame


    held a wedding picture of Ashton¡¯s parents.


    Only Ashton and I were here recently. He was the culprit who broke the frame because I wasn¡¯t here to


    do it.


    Why?


    To avenge them, Ashton never let his guard down. Not even a second. Hatred followed him wherever


    he went. It was a constant and painful reminder that he had to seek revenge for his parents. This was


    one of their few photographs left protected by the frame, but he broke it into pieces.


    Right when I was lost in a daze with the picture frame in my hands, a series of footsteps came from


    behind. They were light, but audible for me to notice someone was approaching me slowly.


    I had many enemies in this world, but none would follow me here to the family home.


    After calming down my wild thoughts, I turned around slowly.


    Ashton¡¯s tall figure blocked my sight. His eyes were cold as though he didn¡¯t recognize me. A


    suffocating hostility filled the room.


    A shiver ran down my spine. He was looking at me like his nemesis.


    In midst of panicking, I blurted out, ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    I regretted saying those words the moment they left my mouth. Ashton came to the family home the


    most, so it wasn¡¯t odd for him to be here.


    I, however, shouldn¡¯t be here. Instead of staying in my room at the Stovall residence, I was standing in


    front of him.


    He lowered his gaze. His aloofness intensified by his silence. I finally realized he was looking at the


    picture frame in my hands.


    I handed him the frame. Time froze for a few seconds. He took it and ced it aside without sparing a


    nce.


    ¡°You¡¯re mounting an investigation on me.¡± He sounded indifferent, yet terrifying.


    Deceiving to a genius like him was equivalent to self-deception, so I told the truth.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I didn¡¯t think I was wrong. ¡°Since you refused to tell me the truth, I can only look into it on my


    own. Was I wrong to do that?¡±


    Ashton furrowed his brows as anger filled his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve told you before. You only need to take care of


    yourself; I¡¯ll handle the rest.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I know you¡¯re omnipotent. But I can¡¯t sit by and watch you risk your life. Ashton, this is not your


    problem. It¡¯s ours. Why do you always have to shoulder everything yourself?¡± I released all the pent-up


    frustration that I had been suppressing at him.


    ¡°We promised to be honest with each other. Why won¡¯t you believe me? You teamed up with everyone


    to deceive me. You thought you had a wless n, but I¡¯m no fool. I know you¡¯re hurt. Am I a selfish


    woman in your heart? Do you think I would ept all your arrangements, knowing how painful it has


    been for you?¡±


    I really couldn¡¯tprehend why was he behaving like this. Everything was finally getting better. Even


    the walls he had built around himself had crumbled.


    A deafening silence enveloped the night. I could hear my voice echoing in the room.


    Ashton was an unmovable mountain to me. The darkness from the endless abyss residing in his eyes


    was pushing me away. I couldn¡¯t pick up his emotions at all. The man I loved was hiding himself from


    me behind an indestructible barrier.


    This time, he did it. He locked me outside his formidable fortress sessfully.


    A few feet separated us, but it felt as if we were living in two different dimensions. And it was as if we


    were living in different worlds. For a long time, I thought my efforts had paid off, and I was beginning to


    understand him. In the end, he still pushed me away. We stared at each other in silence for a long time.


    Suddenly, Ashton had snapped out of his daze. He walked to the cab and took the picture frame.


    ¡°What will you do if you lose your faith one day?¡± His voice wasced with a tinge of sorrow.

 Chapter 1362

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1362


    His words came out of the blue and I didn¡¯t know how to reply. After being dumbfounded for a few


    seconds, I tested the waters. ¡°Is this rted to your parents¡¯ death?¡±


    He ignored my question. ¡°There will be a charity auction tomorrow at Subis Auction. The phnthropist


    who has a connection with Armond will show up. I¡¯ve already booked your flight ticket.¡±


    I was confused. ¡°I¡¯m not asking you about this. All I want to know is what is keeping you busy these


    days. Is there anything else besides business and revenge? Are you really okay? Can I believe the


    report for your checkup?¡±


    Ashton was way too intelligent and detail. Since he followed me to J City, he would¡¯ve everything


    nned out. Millie¡¯s friend might be trustworthy, but K City was Ashton¡¯s territory. Altering a medical


    report was a piece of cake to him.


    All my life, I took every step with caution, like treading on ice. I dealt with Armond¡¯s schemes and


    Ezra¡¯s endless and deliberate attempts to make my life a living hell. Never in my wildest imagination did


    I expect the man I loved would keep secrets from me. I couldn¡¯t even figure out when he was telling the


    truth or lying to me.


    In the face of my confrontation, Ashton remained calm. A momentter, he whispered, ¡°I¡¯m just carrying


    out my fate.¡±


    With his back against me, he drooped his head and stared at the photo in his hand.


    He took in a deep breath and ced the frame back on the cab.


    While watching his every move, it shocked me to see red gushing out from his palm. The blood was


    dripping onto the floor.


    ¡°Ashton!¡± I grabbed his hand and flipped it over. My heart sunk when I saw the deep cut on his palm.


    Has he been holding the broken shards from the frame all this time?


    He stared lifelessly at the red in his palm as if he didn¡¯t feel the pain at all.


    ¡°Ss!¡± I shouted at the top of my lungs without a care about my image. ¡°Ss, quick, get the medical


    kit here!¡±


    It pained the people who cared for us more than the ones who were wounded.


    After seeing Ashton in this state, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to question him anymore and pushed my


    doubts aside.


    I was expressionless when I bandaged his wound. Sitting face to face with him, I avoided eye contact


    with him.


    I understood how agonizing it was to suppress emotions. Without an outlet to release the unbearable


    intensity one was experiencing, one would resort to self-harm to minimize the agony.


    The pain Ashton was suffering was way worse than losing his parents.


    Ss was scared out of his wits when he heard Ashton was injured. He waited outside the room with


    the maids and refused to leave.


    The room was so silent that I could hear our breaths. I fell into a daze, staring at the bandage.


    He was human, too. His ice-icy heart would warm up one day.


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    Perhaps his heart was cold before he met me in this room. However, he couldn¡¯t bear to see me in


    tears after I showed him my pain.


    He reached out and took me into his arms. I stayed in his warm embrace for the entire night and he


    didn¡¯t let go.


    To board the earliest flight back to K City, we woke up before dawn.


    When we left the bedroom, I nced back and saw the picture frame being ced upside down again.


    After an hour, the nended. We split up at the airport and went back to make preparations.


    The charity auction was a high-profile event, and even those slightly popr media in K City posted


    articles about this. It was said that only the wealthy and the elites of the world could take part.


    I really didn¡¯t know how Ashton got his hands on two invitations.


    When I reached the Stovall residence, I ced the flight ticket and invitation card on the coffee table in


    my bedroom. The flight was scheduled at seven in the evening, so I had the entire day to get ready.

 Chapter 1363

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1363


    Initially, I nned to spend the weekend with Summer. However, ever since she realized she was gifted


    in mathematics, she would shut herself in the study all day, and I felt bad to disturb.


    Jackson and Lydia came in the afternoon. They nned to immigrate to M Country and wanted to meet


    Summer for thest time before their departure.


    I led Jackson to the study and opened the door slowly. We tiptoed into the room to avoid disturbing


    Summer. Then, he halted in his tracks and stood a metre away from Summer and looked at the child.


    After some time, she finally our presence in the room and turned around.


    When she saw Jackson, her face lit up with a wide grin. Putting away her pen, she walked toward us


    slowly to greet him politely. ¡°Mr. Jackson, you¡¯re here.¡±


    He smiled and ruffled her hair gently. ¡°I¡¯m here. Did I disturb you when you¡¯re studying?¡±


    Summer nced at her homework before turning to us with a smile stered on her face. ¡°No worries.


    I¡¯ve done the questions thrice and I¡¯m just doing some revisions today. Mr. Cress said he will arrange a


    new study n for me tomorrow, so I can rest tonight.¡±


    I smiled faintly at her words. She was intelligent and hardworking at such a young age, which was a


    relief to me. ¡°Summer, Mr. Jackson and Ms. Alder are going to M Country, so they can¡¯t visit you that


    often from now on. Spend some time with Mr. Jackson tonight and leave your studies aside


    temporarily.¡±


    Upon hearing my words, Summer furrowed her brows and looked at me. The child seemed to be lost in


    thoughts, but soon after, she rxed and smiled.


    I missed the change in her expression, but Jackson saw everything.


    Realizing that the child was hesitant, Jackson knew what to do. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Summer, do whatever you


    want. Alright?¡±


    Her smile grew wider. ¡°Yeah! Thank you, Mr. Jackson.¡±


    What was supposed to be a long conservation ended in less than five minutes.


    After exiting the room, Jackson and I strolled along the corridors. When we stepped out of the room,


    the man couldn¡¯t help but whisper, ¡°Don¡¯t you think that Summer¡¯s changed a lot?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. After getting in touch with Jared, she is more reserved now. Maybe Jared¡¯s changed for the


    good too?¡±


    Jackson shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not talking about this. Didn¡¯t you notice how fast her maturity rate is? She


    wanted to voice her objection to your ns just now, but she kept her dissatisfaction to herself. I¡¯m


    worried that she¡¯ll inherit Jared¡¯s personality with her tendency to hide her emotions.¡±


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    His wild guess made me anxious. I immediately stopped walking and turned to him. ¡°You¡¯re saying that


    Summer¡¯s bing more and more like Jared?¡±


    I knew what Jackson meant. Summer was Jared¡¯s biological daughter, so it was normal for them to


    share some resemnce. However, if she became someone scheming like her father, she wouldn¡¯t be


    able to enjoy her life.


    In fact, she would see Jared as her salvation and distant herself from others. That might not seem to be


    the case on the surface, but it could be possible that she had built walls surrounding her heart and


    shutting others away while harboring hatred toward the entiremunity.


    If Macy was a warm light, Jared would be the darkness from hell, while Summer was the fruit of their


    love. Deep down, I wished the child would inherit Macy¡¯s traits.


    Jackson assured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Perhaps it is as what Jared said, Summer is talented and progresses


    rather quickly learning new stuffs. It¡¯s normal for her to be matured at such a young age.¡±


    After saying his words, he nced in the study¡¯s direction and seemed to be lost in thought.


    Then, he started exining his n to me in detail. ¡°We mustn¡¯t trust Jared fully and don¡¯t entrust


    Summer to him. One year is enough for him to change herpletely. After going to M Country, I¡¯ll


    video call her every week. Make sure she answers the calls so I can observe her condition.¡±

 Chapter 1364

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1364


    I couldn¡¯t drive Jared away because he had Ashton to vouch for him. Besides, Summer had developed


    a dependency on him. Except for Jackson¡¯s suggestion, we had no other way.


    I nodded in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s the only thing we can do. You studied psychology in M Country. If you


    meet any professionals in this field, please let me know.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I think of Macy¡¯s child as mine, and I love Summer as much as you do.¡± Jackson smiled


    and sounded rx. It seemed that his hostility had disappeared with his illness.


    Everything felt like a dream. Back then, he was fixated on fighting for the child¡¯s custody that he even


    laid his hands on Ashton.


    Now that the nightmares were gone, the journey would be smooth for the rest of the days.


    After sending Jackson off, I packed my stuffs and left for the airport.


    However, right when I reached the door, a car from the Moore family drove here and parked by the


    roadside. Soon after, Emery got off the car hurriedly.


    ¡°You¡¯re going on a business trip, right?¡± She didn¡¯t care about pleasantries and went straight to the


    point.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I looked at her in bewilderment.


    Ashton gave me the invitation card in J Cityst night. How did she know about this?


    ¡°Good. Let¡¯s go together.¡± She quickly got into my car and sat in the seat furthest away from the door.


    Seeing how I was still confused, she urged, ¡°Quick! If not, I¡¯m going to get caught.¡±


    Upon saying her words, she pulled me into the car.


    ¡°Drive!¡± Emery instructed the chauffeur and gripped my arm tightly, as if I would kick her out of the car.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    As the chauffeur drove, she kept checking the rearview mirror now and then.


    She heaved a long sigh of relief and let go of my arm after we drove for a distance.


    I nced at her sideways and tidied up my clothes before teasing her. ¡°It seems you still have your


    charm. Your luck in love follows you everywhere.¡±


    Emery rolled her eyes in disgust at me. ¡°What nonsense are you spouting?¡±


    I pursed my lips and kept my mouth shut before I exposed her.


    Ashton booked my flight ticket. He also got one for Millie for my protection. Since Emery was traveling


    with us, she had to spend some money to buy herself a ticket from the business ss, too.


    To her, it was money well spent. Listening to the ring engines when the airne took off, she


    narrowed her eyes and rxed in the seat from the business ss cabin in absolute bliss.


    She seemed like a person going on a vacation.


    I was dying of boredom, so I started a conversation with her. ¡°Come to think of it, what happened to you


    and that guy? Are you hiding from him?¡±


    Emery was usually loud and carefree. It would be hrious if my guess was right.


    Although she was in her thirties, she led a dazzling life and was rather popr with men. However, a


    woman with her sess had no choice but to hide away from the Cupid¡¯s arrow.


    Her suitor, Alexander, was more formidable than the gods. He made her vulnerable emotionally all in


    one day. She felt like a coward.


    However, Emery refused to admit. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. I have nothing to do with that guy. I was too


    bored in K City when Hunter was clinging onto me, so I went overseas for a vacation. Men are really


    troublesome.¡± She continued with her denial.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I looked at her meaningfully before cracking a joke. ¡°Then, who¡¯s more troublesome, Hunter


    or Alexander?¡±


    Speechless at my mockery, Emery closed her eyes to ignore me. ¡°I¡¯ve had enough worries for these


    two days, so give me some peace.¡±


    She put on her sleeping mask, covered herself with a nket, and pretended to be asleep.


    I didn¡¯t have a good rest in J Cityst night. As the other passengers in the cabin were resting, I made


    myselffortable and drifted off to sleep.

 Chapter 1365

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1365


    When I woke up again, the flight attendant was making an inflight announcement. ¡°Ladies and


    gentlemen, we¡¯ll arrive at our destination, the international airport of M Country in approximately¡­¡±


    At the same time, one of the cabin crew asked me courteously, ¡°Madam, would you like to have any


    drinks?¡±


    Somehow, his voice sounded familiar to me. I guessed he must have served me on my previous flights.


    ¡°Just give me a cup of water, thank you.¡± I removed my sleep mask, rubbed my eyes groggily, and gave


    him a smile. When the smartly dressed cabin crew came into view, I gaped at him and almost let out a


    shout.


    Only then did I realize why his voice sounded familiar. Only Alexander could look this handsome and


    cheerful with his signature bright smile.


    ¡°How did you end up here?¡± I whispered and stole a nce at Emery, who sat next to me. It would be


    chaotic if she knew he was onboard our flight.


    He shrugged his shoulders triumphantly and took a cup from the trolley to pour some water for me.


    After that, he poured another and ced it on Emery¡¯s seat table before pushing the trolley back to the


    pantry.


    She woke up as soon as he vanished into the pantry. She removed her sleep mask and stretched her


    arms. At the sight of the cup of water on her seat table, she took a big sip immediately. Oblivious to the


    dramatic moment a while ago, Emery continued to drink the water as she asked inquisitively, ¡°Ah! If I¡¯m


    not mistaken, the flight attendant who served you earlier was a good-looking young man, right? I can


    judge based on his attractive voice! Did you exchange contact numbers with him?¡±


    Raising my eyebrows instinctively, my heart skipped a beat at her words.


    If Emery knows she didn¡¯t get rid of Alexander and he has been tagging along with us secretively, how


    would she react. Moreover, she just drank the water he left for her! I bet she would choke on it if I told


    her about it!


    Fearing she would lose control andsh out in anger, I decided to zip my mouth about Alexander. ¡°I


    think it¡¯s better if you go and get his contact number yourself. He might be more interested in you!¡±


    Emery gave me a puzzled look, yet she did not sense the hidden meaning in my words. After finishing


    her drink in one gulp, shey down and closed her eyes again.


    She apparently looked more exhausted than me. It¡¯s definitely mentally and physically exhausting for


    her to deal with such a clingy young guy. I could not stop myself from chuckling silently at the thought.


    The ne touched down at the airport on the dot.


    When we were getting off the ne, Emery finally bumped into Alexander at the cabin door.


    The look of disbelief on her face was priceless. It would stay in my memory for a very long time. She


    looked as if it was the end of the world.


    In the cab, she unleashed the frustration. ¡°Is he nuts? My goodness! He¡¯s following me closely


    wherever I go! Are all the young ones so persistent in pursuing love like him? How could he tag along


    so shamelessly, even after I rejected him firmly?¡±


    She rolled her eyes and raised her voice in agitation. ¡°He even told me yesterday that he wanted to be


    Xavier¡¯s stepfather! What kind of joke is that? He¡¯s practically a kid himself. How can he be a father?¡±


    Although her plight deserved my sympathy, I was also amused to see her this anxious.


    Suffocating hatred and undying love were obvious contributing factors that caused a woman to lose


    control and behave hysterically. Emery was apparently experiencing thetter situation.


    When the cab pulled up at the hotel¡¯s drop off point, we got out with our luggage.


    A familiar, clear voice called out from behind us when we were about to enter the hotel through the


    revolving door.


    ¡°Honey! Wait for me!¡±


    Alexander was nowhere in sight, but I was sure it was him. Emery made a dart toward the front desk


    manager hastily without looking back.


    ¡°K-Key Card! Just give me any!¡± She was panting and speaking incoherently.


    The front desk manager couldn¡¯t understand her at all. ¡°Sorry, madam. I didn¡¯t catch that.¡±


    Emery stomped anxiously and exined impatiently, ¡°I¡¯m running out of time. Can you arrange a room


    for me? Any room would do and give me the key card now? This is my credit card. Just swipe it and


    give me the key card at once! Do you understand me?¡±


    The manager¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw her tinum card. Without hesitation, he handed her the key


    card for the VIP room with a smile. ¡°Enjoy your¡­¡±


    Emery snatched the card from him and dashed into the elevator before he could finish talking.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Alexander made a dash for the elevator, but the door was already closed. He stood there and panted


    breathlessly, with his hands on his hips. Emery¡¯s reaction was beyond exasperation.


    I wasn¡¯t getting myself involved in their cat-and-mouse chase. After the manager made some


    necessary arrangements, I made my way to the elevator slowly with my luggage.

 Chapter 1366

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1366


    To my surprise, Alexander was waiting for me patiently at the elevator. When I entered, he immediately


    pressed the button and held the door for me.


    It was awkward indeed to be alone with someone who was going after my best friend, even if he was


    just a young guy.


    Leaning against the wall that was closer to the rows of buttons, Alexander broke the silence first.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure Emery is tough on the outside and soft on the inside. That¡¯s why she chose to hide in M


    Country to avoid me. After all, she knows I¡¯m familiar with this country. I bet she is actually giving me a


    chance without realizing.¡±


    After mumbling to himself, he nced at me and eagerly asked for my opinion, ¡°Do you think she


    prefers to hold a wedding ceremony in M Country?¡±


    It¡¯s good to be young! They have such grand ideas with love and having a rtionship.


    Once they have a special someone, the obsession of spending the rest of their lifetime together with


    that person would consume them. They are unaware of how short-lived puppy love could be or how


    difficult it is to maintain a promise that wouldst for a lifetime. Very often, their life partner isn¡¯t the


    same person they fell head over heels for.


    Ignoring his idealism, I only raised my head to look at the number of the floor disyed. Alexander was


    undoubtedly immersed in his own beautiful dream.


    Ding! I pulled my luggage out and walked toward my room. Alexander trailed behind me like my


    shadow.


    When I opened the door to my room, he wanted to get in as well. I blocked his path. ¡°What are you


    doing? You want to stay in the same room with me?¡± I red at him with displeasure.


    He nced at the room and found that the light was not on. Grinning sheepishly, he moved back with


    both hands in the air. ¡°Of course not! Since Emery is not in, I¡¯ll not step into the room. If not, she would


    be jealous and upset!¡±


    How on earth could he be so confident?


    I rolled my eyes at the young man and scoffed at him. Emery is no ordinary woman. After experiencing


    the ups and downs in her love life throughout all these years, she is feeling numb with everything.


    Jealousy? The tough woman basically doesn¡¯t feel anything now!


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    With a loud bang, I shut the door and locked him outside.


    The moment I turned round, the light in the room lit up.


    Emery was leaning against the sofa in her pajamas, trimming her fingernails leisurely. It was as if she


    did not feel the young man¡¯s passion for her at all.


    Heaving a silent sigh, I changed into the hotel slippers. ¡°You can¡¯t keep avoiding him like this. You¡¯d


    better talk him into giving up.¡±


    ¡°I tried? No matter how I rejected him, he¡¯s still being adamant. I really don¡¯t know what I should do


    now.¡± Feeling displeased, she switched the topic immediately. ¡°What have you prepared for the charity


    auction tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± I froze in my steps outside the washroom and asked in puzzlement. ¡°I¡¯ve no idea about it.¡±


    Ashton prepared the invitation card for the auction. He only told me about itst night, and I didn¡¯t have


    time to ask for details.


    I had heard about simr auction which was a bit different from the conventional ones. For charity


    auctions, the participants would donate a valuable item for bidding. The profits would be used for


    charity works. To eliminate mimunication, the participants would have a short discussion with the


    auctioneer prior to the bidding session.


    ¡°Can I buy er?¡± I could not think of any other method.


    Emery triggered my anxiety with just one question, yet she was absorbed in ying games on her


    phone. At the sight of her casualness, I was even more frustrated.


    ¡°Can you just give me some suggestions? After all, you¡¯re more familiar with this ce. You know


    where to go.¡± This red-letter event is no joke. If I¡¯m not mistaken, it¡¯s an international event. The


    attendees are big shots from all over the world. I mustn¡¯t embarrass myself there!


    Emery switched to a cozier position and replied casually, ¡°Take it easy. I¡¯m just asking you out of


    curiosity. I¡¯m sure Ashton will prepare one for you. Thus, you only need to dress up to attend this event.


    There will be priceless antiques at the charity auction. It would definitely cause an uproar! Why not you


    let me have a livestream of the charity auction? Coincidentally, I¡¯ve invested in a new mediapany


    in K City. I¡¯m sure I can get the first-hand news and be the talk of the town!¡± There was a glint of


    excitement in her eyes.


    I admired her for being business-minded. ¡°Since when are you keen on the media industry? Why have I


    never heard you mentioned about it?¡±

 Chapter 1367

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1367


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot that you don¡¯t know. Money is never enough. It¡¯s nothing wrong to have investments here


    and there if we have extra money in hand. In fact, it¡¯s important to segregate our money to prevent


    losing everything at the same time if any hups ur.¡± She paused and turned to look at me. With a


    stern look, she advised me, ¡°You must remember that nothing in this world is forever, except money. As


    assertive modern women, we can only be independent if we have money in hand!¡±


    She sounded as ambitious as any other business elite in town. I could even foresee a sessful


    entrepreneur right in front of me!


    As for me, I could only try my best to strike a bnce between the money invested and profit gained for


    thew firm. Emery had different investments ever since her divorce. Her worth had multiplied


    significantly with time. It was undeniable that one¡¯s sess in the business sector was closely rted


    to one¡¯s potential and capability.


    I truly agreed with her point of view and nodded before I entered the washroom.


    Before bedtime, I spent some time to search online for the charity auction to have a better overview of


    the points that I should pay attention to.


    Feeling more relieved after the search, I drifted to sleep.


    When I woke up the next morning, Emery was gone. She left me a note saying that she went


    sightseeing to rx her mind. I was not sure if she was trying to avoid Alexander, or she really intended


    to have a leisure session as mentioned in her note.


    The charity auction was scheduled at six in the evening. At half-past five, a car arrived to pick me up


    from the hotel.


    Most of the seats were upied when I arrived at the venue. After taking a seat, I looked around and


    was impressed by the ssy grand hall. The foreign media were well-disciplined and on standby in the


    corners.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen¡­¡± the host of the auction emerged on the stage and greeted everyone warmly,


    indicating that the long-awaited event would start at any moment.


    The moment the auction started, I scanned the rows of guests attentively to see the items for the


    bidding on the stage.


    Ashton was seated not far away from me. He seemed so unapproachable with his usual air of


    indifference. As he gazed at the stage, no one could tell what he was thinking.


    I remember him saying that whatever I wished to know would be unveiled at the auction. The event


    seemed legitimate. It went smoothly without a glitch. The only imperfection was the host invited Bill


    Young to give a speech on the stage before the official start of the bidding session.


    I kept thinking about Ashton¡¯s words. He was obviously hinting that I would get a clue from this auction,


    yet I can¡¯t seem to trace anything unusual!


    There was a banquet after the auction. To my relief, it was not open to the media. I spotted Ashton¡¯s


    stunning figure among the guests effortlessly and approached him with a winess in my hand.


    However, I was puzzled to see his grim expression suddenly. Sensing something awry, I slowed down


    my pace instinctively without shifting my gaze away from his face.


    When I remained on the spot, I was startled that Ashton was looking even grimmer than a while ago.


    He always maintains his cool, no matter the circumstances. What¡¯s the matter with him tonight? He¡¯s


    really not his usual self! Something is bothering him now?


    I followed his gaze.


    A far distance away, Bill¡¯s glowing white hair was indeed unmissable among the guests. Even though


    majority of the guests at the banquet were billionaires at their peak from all over the world, he seemed


    to gain a certain level of poprity among them. At the moment, he was surrounded by some business


    elites, engaged in a pleasant conversation. The joy was clearly reflected by the smile on their faces and


    their asionalughter.


    I still could not spot anything amiss. Even if Bill was the maniptive mastermind behind Armond,


    Ashton would not have looked at him in that way as well.


    After gazing at Bill and those surrounding him for almost one minute, I noticed the man standing aside


    him raised his winess in a toast. In a split second, I gaped at the sight of the man¡¯s face.


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    He had a face and a pair of eyes identical to Ashton¡¯s! I could not believe my eyes.


    Is it possible for someone who died in a car ident over twenty years ago to be alive?


    As time psed, the name Christopher Fuller was gradually erased from everyone¡¯s memory. The


    man¡¯s features were no different from twenty years ago. He might have preserved his looks by traveling


    through a time machine. Miraculously, there wasn¡¯t the slightest bit of residue on his face and


    complexion. He was looking his best, as if he was still in his twenties.


    I even had a wild imagination that he might not be real. Nheless, my idea was proven absurd by


    his liveliness.


    Am I having a hallucination or hypnotism? In an instant, I felt a rush ofplex feelings within myself.


    He probably sensed someone gazing at him closely, and he turned instinctively.


    My heart flinched when he stared straight in Ashton¡¯s direction, whose eyes were zing with anger.


    He finally got to meet his father again after thinking he had died two decades ago.

 Chapter 1368

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1368


    As both of them locked their gazes, not the slightest bit of surprise was traceable from their eyes. They


    knew of each other¡¯s existence long ago.


    At the moment, Christopher was even greeting Ashton smilingly and gestured to him by raising his


    winess slightly.


    Infuriated by Christopher¡¯s casualness, Ashton¡¯s face fell as he clenched his fists furiously.


    There were armed security personnel at every corner of the hall in order to secure the guests¡¯ safety.


    Anyone who stirred up trouble would be arrested as a terrorist.


    I knew Ashton too well. The veins protruding on his forehead was indication that he was seconds away


    from unleashing his fury. I trotted toward him without any hesitation.


    ¡°Ashton, stop!¡± I made it in time to hold his fists when he was about to stride toward Christopher.


    Eventually, he cooled his head off and let out a deep breath after a good twenty seconds. All this while,


    I never loosened my grip on his fists.


    His tension vanished when he caught a glimpse of my anxiety. After throwing another nce at


    Christopher, he held my hand and led me out through the side door.


    At the garden, Ashton finally slumped onto a long bench and let out a deep breath warily.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you know why I have been acting weirdtely,¡± he said evenly. Somehow, I could sense the


    helplessness and despair in his voice.


    Nobody could swallow the fact of the sudden resurrection of someone who had died over twenty years


    ago. If I did not see the man myself, I would have thought Ashton was having hallucinations because


    he missed his parents too much.


    I was at a loss for words, still overwhelmed by the sudden turbulence.


    Leaning against the back of the bench, Ashton stared into the distance. Even before I came to myself


    and asked him what had happened, he poured out to me softly.


    ¡°I discovered the truth by chance when I was investigating Bill Young. My men who were trailing


    Armond Murphy were suspicious of him. They bribed his subordinates and took pictures of his private


    residence. Among the pictures, I spotted one of Bill Young ying golf with him. Even though it only


    showed his profile, I recognized him with just a glimpse.


    ¡°Pfft! After hiding himself all these years, his secret is unveiled now. Looks like he¡¯s really aged and


    can¡¯t make the right judgement now. How foolish of him to be on the same stance with Bill Young!¡±


    Ashtonughed mockingly.


    ¡°For over twenty years, he has fooled me! What a humiliation!¡±


    My heart ached upon hearing Ashton¡¯s self-deprecating tone. He was feeling dejected, like a defeated


    wolf that was licking its own wounds in loneliness and dishevelment.


    In an instant, it struck me about what he had asked me days ago. Something about losing the faith.


    I understood my constion meant nothing to him. Time would heal everything. He just needed a


    private space to heal.


    I stayed by his side, to offer my sincerest moral support silently. I let him lie down in my arms, like how


    we did in J City the night before. I could not help him much. At least he could find a temporary refuge in


    my arms.


    Love was indeed miraculous. Even in despair, there was an incredible power within us. For our loved


    ones, we harnessed that power as a motivation to help us ovee any hardships.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Intelligent people would not allow themselves to wallow in their despair. They knew the importance to


    stay rational and alert. After a while, Ashton was back to his usual self again. He rose from my arms


    and sat up straight.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here.¡± He decided at once.


    The next moment, we heard footsteps from the gravel path.


    Both of us looked in that direction simultaneously. After a few seconds, a young man came into view.


    He looked kind of familiar. I remembered seeing him at the auction. He handed the script to Bill before


    the speech on the stage. If my guess was right, he was Bill¡¯s assistant.


    The long bench was hidden from him. Nevertheless, he found our exact location effortlessly.


    Handing Ashton a name card, he bowed and said courteously, ¡°Mr. Fuller, Mr. Young would like to invite


    you to a gathering at his ce tomorrow.¡±


    He ced the name card on the marble table next to us and left.


    Ashton picked up the name card slowly, nced at it and sank into contemtion.


    Bill and Armond were on the same side. I assumed they had something to do about the poison in my


    body as well. If he intended to see Ashton to discuss future potential business coborations, he would


    not have waited until now. I was sure he had other motives behind this invitation.

 Chapter 1369

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1369


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s his idea?¡± My instinct told me Christopher wanted to see Ashton.


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve the same thought as you.¡±


    ¡°Are you going?¡± I asked anxiously.


    He held my hand and rose at once without answering my question. ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the hotel now.¡±


    We left swiftly through the back door. After ensuring that there were no reporters around, we got into


    his car. Joseph sped off at once.


    Along the way, both of us were inplete silence. Joseph drove to the nearest hilltop. When the car


    stopped, Ashton got out right away and lighted a cigarette as he stood against the barricade.


    The hilltop was exceptionally chilly at night. As the heamps from the car shone on Ashton, his lonely


    figure was shrouded by the smoke.


    Gazing at him, I whispered to Joseph, ¡°When did he find out that his father is still alive?¡±


    ¡°About half month two weeks ago. He didn¡¯t really sleep well ever since he knew. Madam, he can only


    have a good sleep with you by his side.¡±


    My heart sank; The throbbing pain in my heart almost suffocated me.


    It was impossible to resolve a twenty-year grudge and faith within a couple of days or even weeks.


    Christopher is alive and living a luxury life while Ashton led a life of abhorrence for over twenty years.


    His sudden emergence was a great blow, shattering Ashton¡¯s faith and confidence within seconds. How


    could the arrogant Ashton ept it?


    Since he cannot save himself, he can only bear with the torment himself, day and night.


    I¡¯m his wife and the person closest to him in this world. I should have known sooner and help him


    ovee it. I¡¯m really ashamed of myself!


    Whenever I asked him with concern, he always insisted that I should trust him when he said he¡¯s fine.


    Those brief answers reflected his helplessness and struggles inbating his negative emotions. In


    my eyes, he was a mighty man who was undefeatable. I really thought he could handle anything. I


    didn¡¯t realize he lied so I wouldn¡¯t worry. How could I be so insensitive and clueless of his sufferings!


    I fought to hold the tears that were welling up in my eyes. After I got my sadness under control, I got


    out of the car and wrapped by arms around him tightly from behind.


    I could feel his body shaking, yet he did not push me away.


    ¡°You¡¯re not alone. I¡¯m here by your side,¡± I whispered to him softly so as not to trigger his emotion. ¡°No


    matter what happens, my love for you is forever. I need you; I can¡¯t live without you.¡±


    I shuddered as the chilly wind blew into my clothes. Ashton remained silent for a while and tossed his


    cigarette away. He stepped on it and turned to wrap his arms around me.


    ¡°You¡¯re the only reason I¡¯m alive.¡±


    He tightened his arms around me in case I vanished from his life. Burying his head into my hair, he took


    a few deep breaths, as if he could regain his courage with my scent.


    We held each other tightly for a long time until my hands stiffened from the chilly wind. Ashton finally


    cooled himself down and led me back to the car slowly.


    Worrying that Christopher hatching a scheme, Ashton sent me back to the hotel first. After that, he


    would return to the banquet by himself to keep Christopher¡¯s suspicions at bay.


    On the way back to the hotel, he tried his best to summarize his findings of Christopher to me.


    Two weeks ago, Ashton caught a glimpse of Christopher¡¯s profile from the picture taken by his men. He


    put aside all his ns to mount a full-scale investigation.


    Later, he found out that Christopher had secretly changed his name to Nics Hall and became a


    renowned psychology professor. The new identity didn¡¯t offer him wealth, but he gained Bill¡¯s favor and


    got along with him well. Furthermore, Bill gave him protection and took every precaution to keep


    Christopher away from the media.


    Ashton¡¯s men tried to sneak into Christopher¡¯s house for more leads, each of them went missing one


    by one. He suspected they were silence after being discovered by Christopher.


    His father appeared to be an honorable man. In fact, he was a ruthless man who was good at ying


    mind games.


    ¡°I went to the Halls personally in my family¡¯s name. They turned me away.¡± Ashton narrowed his eyes


    and stared out of the window. His dark eyes were glistening with glints of abhorrence.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    After being deceived for over two decades, he was desperate to know the truth. However, he did not


    even have the chance to see his father in person. That was why he was agitated when he saw


    Christopher at the auction.


    I furrowed my brows as I pressed my palm on the back of his hand gently. Mustering my courage, I


    asked warily, ¡°How about your mother?¡±

 Chapter 1370

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1370


    He¡¯s still alive?


    Ashton¡¯s expression turned grim and crestfallen. ¡°I don¡¯t even know who I am anymore. There are


    times I thought I might not be his biological son. I even stole Uncle Charlie¡¯s hair to run a DNA test. Yet,


    the results showed that I¡¯m a Fuller!¡±


    He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. I could hear the cracking sound of his bones as he did so.


    I totally understood his disappointment and frustration.


    Why would a father fake his own death and dump his own child for more than two decades? While his


    son grew up in misery, he was enjoying the time of his life on the other side of the world. What kind of


    father is he?


    Christopher¡¯s existence at this point had turned Ashton¡¯s entire life into a joke.


    I decided not to probe further as I could tell he was overwhelmed with emotions. After a short drive,


    Joseph parked the car by the road.


    ¡°I¡¯ll drop you here, Mrs. Fuller,¡± Joseph said, ¡°The hotel is just right across the street, and Millie¡¯s car is


    right in front.¡±


    I nodded and got down from the car.


    Since we did not know if Christopher was our foe or friend, it was better if we remained cautious.


    So many thoughts popped up in my mind that day that I could hardly sleep.


    When I was just about to catch some sleep at sunrise, someone knocked on the door.


    It must be Emery. I woke up and walked over to open the door. However, the moment I lifted my head, I


    saw a seemingly affable man standing by the door. It was Christopher.


    By right, I should call him Dad, but I could not bring myself to do so. I just stood there and locked eyes


    with him for a few seconds.


    What¡¯s his rtionship with Bill? What did Christopher do when they exchanged the kids?


    Wait a minute! What¡¯s he doing here? He should be meeting Ashton in Bill¡¯s house right now to sort


    things out!


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d invite me into your room,¡± Christopher smiled and said. From the expression on his


    face, I could not tell what was on his mind at all.


    I did not respond to his snide remark. After a short pause, I stepped aside and allowed him to enter.


    Without hesitation, he headed straight into my room.


    He moved just like Ashton; it was as if they were cut from the same cloth.


    I began to wonder if Bill had truly arranged a meeting for them.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Anyway, since the man was here, I might as well talk to him on behalf of Ashton.


    I grabbed a coat and wrapped it around myself before I sat opposite Christopher.


    ¡°How can I help you, Mr. Hall?¡± I asked, ¡°Or should I call you Mr. Fuller? I thought you were supposed


    to have a meeting with Ashton.¡±


    There¡¯s no point in me ying nice. This man is why Ashton suffered in thest twenty years.


    In fact, he should also be held responsible for the death of our first child.


    Christopher did not seem to take offense at my hostility. Instead, he poured himself a ss of water


    and remarked, ¡°You¡¯re smarter than I thought.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ttered. If you have nothing to say, I have a few questions for you.¡± I shot him a cold stare,


    detesting him for the sleepless nights he put Ashton through. How can he behave so casually as if


    nothing had happened?


    The man¡¯s lips curled into a smile. He took a sip of water from the ss and looked at me before


    asking, ¡°I know you grew up as an orphan, but hasn¡¯t Ashton taught you patience and respect after he


    married you?¡±


    So condescending. How dare he question my attitude after what he has done to Ashton!


    ¡°Of course, he taught me well,¡± I responded with a perfunctory smile. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid not everyone


    deserves my respect and patience.¡±


    He let out a cold snort and leaned against the couch, crossing his legs. His eyes held a silent warning


    as he gave me a condescending stare. ¡°Ashton or the twins? It¡¯s your call.¡±

 Chapter 1371

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1371


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± His statement got me confused.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°The twins belong to the Hall family. Do you want to hand them over to me, or do you want me to get rid


    of Ashton, so I can be the custodian of the kids?¡± Christopher threatened in a nonchnt manner.


    What? He came all the way here to see me because of my children?


    Instead of atoning for the mistake he made two decades ago, Christopher was now threatening to get


    rid of Ashton to get his hands on our babies.


    Why does he want to do this? What on earth does he want?


    It was obvious the man did not care for Ashton at all.


    A father who wanted his son to vanish off the face of the Earth. How outrageous!


    Rage throbbed in me like a heartbeat, but I tried to keep my cool. ¡°Listen carefully, Mr. Hall. My children


    will carry the Fuller family name. You faked your death twenty years ago and made Ashton¡¯s life hell.


    And yet, you now return merely to snatch our kids away? Are you heartless? How can you even bear to


    do such a thing?¡±


    I minded my words, not wanting to ruin things any further for Ashton, but I wanted Christopher to know


    how angry I was.


    Had Christopher been a decent human, he would have known that his request was absolutely


    nonsensical. I thought I had knocked some sense into his head and made him feel sorry for the things


    he had done. Yet, I saw no remorse in his eyes after my outburst. He remained unaffected.


    ¡°Are you done talking yet?¡±


    The way he spoke and his tone was exactly like that of Ashton. I felt like I was dealing with another


    Ashton, but I could not read his mind as he showed no emotions.


    Imagine how scary it was for me to deal with Ashton with zero emotions.


    Ashton was a man who would not show mercy to all his contenders even when they had conceded


    defeat. And that was how he made a name for himself and the Fuller family in K City. Right now, I was


    dealing with someone like him all by myself.


    I squinted and organized my thoughts before noting calmly, ¡°Ashton is your son. How could you do this


    to him?¡± I willed my voice to stay calm, trying to defuse the tension.


    ¡°If you really have no intention to apologize to him, then at least tell him the truth,¡± I continued, ¡°Tell him


    about the ident. Tell him about his mother.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡± Christopher folded his arms across his chest. ¡°You should be d your


    children wouldn¡¯t need to go through what Ashton experienced.¡±


    The man paused for a moment and let out a mirthlessugh that left me feeling baffled. He then


    lowered his eyes and mumbled, more to himself than to me, ¡°That¡¯s the only reason we kept him alive.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± I could not take it anymore. ¡°You really think Ashton is solely a tool to procreate? Don¡¯t


    you care for him? I¡¯m absolutely disgusted by how you present yourself as the perfect man to others.¡±


    He¡¯s nothing but a heartless beast!


    Christopher was apparently taken aback by my reaction. His expression turned grim for a moment


    before he warned in a calm voice, ¡°Do you know the danger of talking to me in such a manner?¡±


    His threat worked. I instantly regained myposure and consciously kept a distance from him.


    There was no point in arguing with him, but I could tell he was not confident that things would work out


    the way he wanted. Otherwise, he would not havee all the way here to confront me.


    I must not let my emotions get the best of me. It¡¯s not about me now. It¡¯s about Ashton; I need to be


    strong and do this for him.


    I let out a heavy sigh, stood up in a gradual manner, and took a sidelong nce at the phone nearby.


    I inched closer to the phone while trying to divert his attention. ¡°You¡¯re right. I might be too young to


    understand the consequences of my actions. However, I must seek Ashton¡¯s advice since he¡¯s the


    father to my kids.¡±

 Chapter 1372

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1372


    ¡°Just give me the kids,¡± Christopher cut in, ¡°I¡¯ll handle Ashton.¡±


    While Christopher spoke, I moved close to the phone, immediately crossing my arms to distract him


    while I dialed Ashton¡¯s number.


    I supposed Ashton would have known that he had been tricked by now.


    As expected, he answered the call almost immediately.


    After turning off the screen while leaving the phone on, I casually walked up to Christopher.


    ¡°You want my kids because you want them to inherit your family business,¡± I stated, ¡°But why don¡¯t you


    consider Ashton? Is it because of his mother? Do you hate Ashton because of something his mother


    did?¡±


    That assumption sounded awfuling out of my mouth, but that was the only way I could think of the


    clear all the misunderstandings.


    We all need closure from broken rtionships.


    Heughed. ¡°I thought you would know the answer, given how you had him investigated into before.¡±


    ¡°How did¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡±


    Before I couldplete my sentence, Ashton¡¯s furious voice roared from the other end of the phone.


    Both Christopher and I could all hear him, even though I had not turned on the speaker. He must be at


    his breaking point.


    I could not imagine the pain he had to go through after knowing why his father left him to fend for


    himself.


    The moment Christopher heard his voice, his eyes flitted around the room, trying to trace the source.


    He knitted his brows when he realized what I had done and shot me a disdainful look.


    He stood up, walked to the phone, and raised his brows. ¡°You¡¯ve married a capable wife, Ashton, but


    trust me, one day, you¡¯ll let her down. I would advise you to give me the children as soon as possible.


    There¡¯s no point in fighting to the death over this.¡±


    With that said, he got up and left.


    There was a point in time during that conversation where I thought the truth hade to light, but I still


    had a lot of doubts.


    Once Christopher was gone, I immediately picked up the phone. After a short pause, I cleared my


    throat and asked, ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    No answer came for me.


    ¡°Ashton?¡±


    There was no still no response from him.


    I then unlocked the screen with a tap of a finger and realized he was no longer on the line.


    He must have had an emotional breakdown and ended the call after hearing what Christopher said.


    Instead of wasting time, I immediately changed into new clothes and asked Millie to drive me around,


    even though I did not really have a destination in mind.


    While doing so, I gave Joseph a call. ¡°Where is Ashton?¡±


    ¡°He just grabbed his car key and drove off!¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stop him? Don¡¯t you know he¡¯s not emotionally stable?¡± I eximed while cing my


    head on my forehead in worry. ¡°His car has GPS installed, doesn¡¯t it? Track him down for me now!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Fuller. We¡¯ve just sent his car to the workshop for maintenance. The car he drove


    belongs to thepany, and it doesn¡¯t have GPS¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± I exploded, ¡°Give me the car te number!¡± I knew it was not right for me to vent


    my frustration on Joseph, but I could not control myself at that moment. All I could think about was


    Ashton.


    Millie must have noticed how anxious I was. She hit the gas and sped away. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m sure Mr.


    Fuller wouldn¡¯t do anything that will put himself in danger. He might have gone out for a spin on the


    outskirts. Let¡¯s drive out of the city and try our luck there.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t do anything about it now. Just drive.¡± I tightened my grip on the phone. Nothing she said


    could calm me down.


    Unlike K City, danger lurked everywhere in M Country. Ashton had almost been assassinated in that


    very location. I was afraid saboteurs might take this opportunity to get rid of him once and for all.


    Millie managed to beat all the red lights, and in just a short while, she avoided the jam and headed out


    of the city.

 Chapter 1373

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1373


    I kept my eyes on the road, hoping I could spot Ashton. All of a sudden, a yellow sports car overtook


    us.


    The driver¡¯s arrogance instantly reminded me of someone.


    Without hesitation, I took out my phone and called Holden.


    Since I had been his client quite regrly, the man picked up my call immediately.


    I gave him the task I needed him to help me with right away. ¡°P917RG. Track this car for me in Fander


    in M country. You can quote me any price you want, but locate this car first!¡±


    The moment Holden agreed to take this job, I hung up the call.


    Around three minutester, Holden texted me the GPS coordinates. The coordinate showed the target


    stopped at a river near a sea bridge that connected to the city.


    We followed the coordinates, arrived at the destination some ten minutester, and found the car with


    the te number Joseph had provided.


    I opened the car door and noticed Ashton standing by the river. He looked exceptionally lonely under


    the gloomy night sky.


    I walked up to him slowly, feeling bad for him. However, I was even more relieved than I had managed


    to find him.


    The truth might be brutal, and the process ofing to terms with it might be a difficult one, but as long


    as Ashton did not give up on himself, I would be there for him.


    Perhaps he was too deep in thought and not aware of his surroundings. He jolted when I embraced him


    from the back.


    A moment of silence fell between us before Ashton said in a coarse and trembling voice, ¡°Let¡¯s go


    home.¡±


    My heart sank. The pain in his voice was so palpable.


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    I instantly nodded and agreed, ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    The two of us stood by the river for a few more minutes before returning to the hotel together. We


    finally did not need to travel separately anymore.


    Neither of us spoke as we made our way back. Everything that had happened had drained all of his


    energy. After asking Joseph to make the arrangements for our trip back to the country, hey down on


    the bed in the hotel room, exhausted.


    I shut the door, went to the balcony, and gave Emery a call.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be going back tonight. Something happened. Do you want to stay or leave with us?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with any arrangement you decide on. What¡¯s wrong? Did the auction yesterday go well?¡±


    Emery had been away the entire night, so she had no clue what had happened.


    I could not help but take a quick nce at Ashton. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can exin it to you through the


    phone. Long story short, Ashton¡¯s father is still very much alive.¡±


    ¡°What? Who?¡± Emery questioned, thinking she had heard me wrongly. ¡°Ashton¡¯s father? I thought the


    man died twenty years ago¡­¡±


    ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m as just as confused as you are,¡± I sighed. ¡°Ashton has booked us a flight back to J


    City. I suppose we¡¯ll have a clearer picture once he talks to the Fullers.¡±


    ¡°Why do I feel like you¡¯re not pleased with the turn of events? Is the man a problematic person?¡± Emery


    hit the nail on the head.


    I responded with another sigh. ¡°Yes. He wants our kids and treats Ashton like his enemy. I don¡¯t like


    him at all.¡±


    I seriously detested Christopher. Zachary and Cameron had once wanted to end my life, but that was


    because they had mistaken Reba for their daughter. After they knew that they were in the wrong,


    they had tried their best to make amends.


    Christopher, on the other hand, was nothing short of a heartless monster. Not only did he not bother to


    find out how Ashton had suffered in thest two decades, but he also acted high and mighty all the


    time.


    ¡°Wow. Someone actually has the guts to treat Ashton like shit? Why though? Why did his father hate


    him so much?¡± Emery mumbled as she analyzed. Upon realizing she had bbered too much, she


    immediately diverted my attention. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, okay? Perhaps things are not as bad you thought.


    Anyway, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be going back to J City with you. I¡¯ll see you in K City soon, all right? Take


    care.¡±

 Chapter 1374

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1374


    Not long after we ended the call, Emery sent me a text message: The media back in the country found


    you and Ashton are staying in the same hotel. Just be careful of Thora.


    Isn¡¯t it ridiculous for a couple, who has been married for years, to be the talk of the town when


    they stay in the same hotel?


    I replied immediately: Got it. Thanks for the heads up. You be careful too. Emery was our close friend,


    and I was worried for her safety as well.


    The woman replied casually: Nah, I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯m not alone anyway. I chuckled at that message. She


    must have had the time of her life yesterday.


    I teased: Wow. Looks like you had a lot of fun with a special someonest night. Alexander had done


    all he could to get her attention. Who could resist a man like him?


    Emery expressed her dismay in her next message to me, texting: Stop right there, woman. It has


    nothing to do with him, alright? You know what? I don¡¯t have to exin myself to you. I¡¯m gonna go


    have more fun now. Ciao!


    I closed the app after reading her message and shook my head with a grin. Sadly, that short burst of


    happiness disappeared the moment I thought of Ashton. My expression turned grim once again.


    How I wish Ashton gets the love he deserves just as much as everyone else


    Unfortunately, there¡¯s nothing he can do to change his fate. The least I can do now is to keep him


    company and show him that he isn¡¯t alone.


    We touched down at J City in the evening on the next day and immediately paid Charlie a visit.


    Ashton¡¯s uncle was busy sprucing up his garden when we arrived.


    Ashton walked up and greeted him with a nk face.


    At the sound of his voice, Charlie turned around and looked at us. He froze for a moment before


    asking, ¡°Hey. Since when did you twoe back?¡±


    Somehow, I felt there was something amiss with his dyed response.


    Charlie was the only Fuller who knew Christopher well. He must have some inside stories about


    Ashton¡¯s father that he could share with us.


    Throughout the years, Charlie had raised Ashton well. Though Helen often gave them a hard time, the


    two men still maintained a close rtionship. Since Charlie raised him like his own, Ashton did not


    believe his uncle would lie about his father¡¯s death.


    There was no reason for Charlie to lie to Ashton.


    Charlie might not know the entire truth, but that did not mean the man was entirely innocent. He had


    watched Ashton suffered for thest two decades, yet he chose not to tell him anything about


    Christopher. Does this mean he¡¯s not at fault? I don¡¯t think so.


    Christopher had been in hiding for decades. He could have stayed away from Ashton and carried the


    secret to the grave, yet he chose to appear before his son. There was a high chance Christopher must


    have been in contact with the Fullers.


    Ashton stared at his uncle and asked in an intimidating voice, ¡°Do you really not know why we¡¯re


    back?¡±


    Ever since the passing of Christopher and his wife, Ashton had lived with George and Charlie. Growing


    up, Ashton had always been emotionally unavable. Charlie knew one day, this young man would


    be even more impassive. He had finally witnessed that today.


    Charlie looked at Ashton and froze. He lowered his head to avoid his re. ¡°Watch your manners,


    Ashton,¡± he said, ¡°How do you expect to know everything about you? You must be tired. Go and take a


    rest in the guest room. We clean it every day, hoping that you¡¯lle and visit.¡±


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    He seemed a little absentminded as he spoke, even going as far as identally pruning some


    branches off a well-shaped shrub. However, the man soon snapped out of it, turning around and


    ordering the maid, ¡°Carry their stuff into the house.¡±


    The maid came up and carried our luggage. ¡°Pleasee with me, Mr. and Mrs. Fuller.¡±


    Unlike Ashton, Charlie was not great at hiding his emotions. Based on his reaction, I believed


    Christopher must have approached him before.


    We decided toe unannounced in thete evening because we did not want Charlie to avoid us.


    Now that we were face to face with him, we hoped he could tell us the truth.

 Chapter 1375

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1375


    After taking a shower, we set out to look for Charlie again.


    The living hall was exceptionally quiet; Charlie was not around.


    I got hold of a maid and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Mr. Charlie?¡±


    The maid lowered her head and answered, ¡°He has gone to bed.¡±


    Ashton tilted his head and took a sidelong nce at the rooms upstairs. Though he had moved out of


    the family home for many years, he still remembered the location of Charlie¡¯s room very well.


    We headed up and stood outside the room. Ashton knocked on the door and called, ¡°Uncle Charlie?¡±


    No one responded.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    A corner of Ashton¡¯s mouth quirked up. It was as if he had expected this. He held my hand and brought


    me back to the living hall.


    After a short while, Charlie came down slowly with Helen.


    ¡°Did you call me?¡± The man asked, looking like he had just woken up. ¡°I would have slept straight to the


    next day if the maid didn¡¯t call me.¡± He let out a chuckle at thatment.


    ¡°You should rest early if you¡¯re tired,¡± Ashton said calmly while shooting daggers at Helen.


    I nced at him, paying close attention to his expression. He waited for them to tell him the truth for


    twenty years. I¡¯m sure he doesn¡¯t mind waiting for another few hours and asking them about it


    tomorrow.


    Charlie responded with a wry smile, ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡±


    ¡°Please take care of yourself,¡± Ashton said, ¡°I didn¡¯t get to take care of my parents since they passed


    away at a very young age. I hope I still get to repay your kindness after I¡¯ve made a name for myself in


    K City.¡±


    A line formed between Charlie¡¯s brows, but before he could respond, Helen stepped in and said,


    ¡°Thanks, but you don¡¯t have to. George raised you, not us.¡±


    I was well aware of the fact that Helen did not like Ashton through and through. She even often went


    around telling people he was good-for-nothing. Ever since my rtionship with Ashton improved, he


    seldom talked to me about them anymore.


    There was just something strange about the couple.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Ashton began, ¡°But I still hope you cane with me to K City. I can take good care of


    you that way. We¡¯re the only Fullers left in the family now. We should stay together, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    He leaned against the couch and tapped his finger on the armrest absentmindedly as he spoke.


    ¡°We¡¯ve thought about that possibility too, but since we¡¯re so used to J City, I don¡¯t think we¡¯d be


    comfortable living in a big city,¡± Charlie exined.


    No matter how hard Ashton tried to convince them, Charlie and Helen seemed to have all sorts of


    excuses to turn him down.


    I had been observing the woman, and she seemed to be oddly courteous throughout the conversation.


    I also noticed her tendency to peep at me when she was talking to Ashton. Every time she saw me


    looking at her, she would offer me a rather awkward smile.


    After Charlie had rejected the offer for the third time, Ashton kept silent for a long time. As tension


    began to build, everyone in the living hall grew nervous. Thankfully, Ashton broke his silence moments


    Upon hearing that, the other man shuddered while he was about to take a sip of tea. He quickly


    regained hisposure and asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    Ashton took out a few photos from his pocket. They were the photos of Christopher, whom he had


    secretly shot. Ashton didn¡¯t think twice before he dumped them all on the coffee table.


    Charlie took a nce at the photos, and his expression turned grim immediately.


    Helen did not seem to notice her husband¡¯s reaction. She pursed her lips and grabbed the photos from


    the table. The moment she saw the photos, the color drained out of her face. She stuttered, ¡°How¡­


    how.. how is this possible?¡±


    Ashton shot Helen a cold stare. ¡°Tell me, who¡¯s the man in the photo?¡± He raised his voice. ¡°When the


    world thought he had passed away, he¡¯s still alive and well in M Country. So, exin to me how this is


    possible.¡±


    Clearly, Ashton¡¯s patience had worn thin.

 Chapter 1376

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1376


    From Charlie¡¯s dark eyes, I could tell he was not surprised to see those photos. This confirmed


    Ashton¡¯s prediction ¡ª Charlie had known Christopher was alive.


    Ashton had once told me that even though Charlie treated him well, he often felt as if his uncle


    intentionally stayed away from him. Charlie¡¯s behavior eventually caused Ashton to lose trust in him. It


    had got to a point where Ashton did not bother trying to figure out what went on in his uncle¡¯s mind.


    Ever since he took over the Fuller Corporation, Ashton had finally learned that he could trust no one in


    this world.


    He had always attributed the problem he had with Charlie to interpersonal difficulties. Never in his life


    had he questioned if he was really rted to this family.


    Everything that had happened recently had made the man question his identity.


    ¡°Am I really your nephew?¡± Ashton asked icily.


    If Christopher could change his identity and forge his death, Ashton believed the man was capable of


    manipting the paternity test results too.


    Charlie took a deep breath to calm his nerves. ¡°Why do you even bother to ask me such a question if


    you¡¯ve already guessed it right? You¡¯re right. We¡¯re not rted by blood. You might not be a Fuller, but


    we¡¯ve never treated you differently.¡±


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Ashton let out a cold snort but kept mum. Upon seeing his reaction, Charlie shuddered.


    Charlie let out a sigh, thinking Ashton did not buy his story. ¡°Your grandpa adopted Christopher, your


    father. He was not only a hardworking person, but he also has strong business acumen. He did all he


    could to repay your grandpa¡¯s kindness. The Fullers have always had a close rtionship with your


    mother¡¯s family. Your grandpa decided to matchmake your mother with Christopher when the patriarch


    learned that she had fallen in love with him. Though your father was not pleased with the arrangement,


    we all still lived a rather peaceful life.¡±


    ¡°Unlike your grandpa, who didn¡¯t know how to run a business since he was a soldier, Christopher


    turned the Fuller Corporation into a sessful establishment,¡± Charlie exined, ¡±Yet, one day,


    Christopher¡¯s biological family came to J City to look for him. Your grandfather panicked and sent him


    off to another country. That family, who eventually took my DNA sample for the paternity test, gave up


    after obtaining the results.¡±


    Ashton¡¯s face continued to be stiffened with dismay. ¡°And?¡±


    He wanted to know why his own father detested him so much.


    While Charlie was caught up reminiscing the past, a hard glint shed through his eyes all of a sudden.


    He stood up impatiently and made a condescending remark. ¡°That¡¯s all. The Fuller family has done


    Christopher wrong, but we¡¯ve raised you well. Tell him he should consider all the old scores settled.¡±


    Charlie shot Ashton a sullen re before stalking back to his room upstairs.


    ¡°Uncle Charlie,¡± Ashton called out, but before he could say anything, Helen interrupted, ¡°It¡¯s getting


    late. He hasn¡¯t been feeling welltely. Let¡¯s talk about this some other time.¡±


    Ashton and I stared at the couple¡¯s backs as they made their way upstairs in a rather hurried manner.


    We eventually went back to your room. Annoyance was written all over Ashton¡¯s face as he went out to


    the balcony and took a puff at a cigarette.


    I sighed. It must be devastating for him to find out he isn¡¯t a Fuller by blood, even though he lived with


    them for more than two decades. More importantly, he finally knows that Charlie had kept a distance


    from him because of Christopher.


    Ashton was tired of dealing with all the lies; he was afraid to know the truth. However, the man knew he


    had to face them, no matter how hard and painful they may be.


    Instead of piling all the pressure to spill the beans on Charlie in one night, Ashton decided to take


    things slow and spend the next couple of days in J City. He was determined to uncover more


    information. He wanted the truth.

 Chapter 1377

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1377


    ns were bound to break when changes urred. After Charlie and Helen saw through us and our


    intention, they packed up and left the house early in the morning. When Ashton and I headed


    downstairs in search of them, they were nowhere to be found.


    ¡°As the saying goes, you can¡¯t wake a person who¡¯s pretending to be asleep. It¡¯s going to be hard to


    make them spill the beans.¡± I sighed.


    Ashton stared nkly at the door for a few seconds before taking his phone out to dial Charlie¡¯s


    number.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    The call rang for a while before it got through.


    Charlie immediately stated, ¡°Hi, Ashton. I forgot to tell you that we¡¯re going on a trip today. We¡¯ve


    nned this trip for a long time. Feel free to stay at the house for a couple more days and take your


    time to pack before¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, Ashton cut him off, ¡°Uncle Charlie, I won¡¯t force you to say


    anything if you¡¯re not willing to tell me the truth, but I don¡¯t want to be kept in the dark anymore. I


    promise I won¡¯t bother you again after you tell me all the things I have the right to know.¡±


    After a brief silence, Charlie replied, ¡°Meet me at the caf¨¦ opposite Fuller Corporation.¡±


    Ashton and I arrived at the caf¨¦ an hourter, nine o¡¯clock sharp.


    Soon we ordered our coffee, we sat down at a table by the window, waiting for Charlie and Helen to


    arrive.


    About half an hourter, a deafening screech of tires suddenly came from the road outside, masking


    the rxing music in the caf¨¦.


    Then, a mor of footsteps and screams ensued.


    ¡°What a terrible driver!¡±


    ¡°Did they survive? Quick, call the police!¡±


    ¡°Go and check on the victims.¡±


    I frowned. Though I felt sorry for the people in the car, the situation did not affect me as much as the


    others in the caf¨¦.


    Meanwhile, Ashton looked out of the window, seemingly deep in his thought. Suddenly, as though


    realizing something, he sprang to his feet and rushed out with a frown. Worried, I immediately followed


    him out.


    The two squeezed through the crowd and saw the crash.


    The victims were a man and a woman. The face of the unconscious woman was so bloody that no one


    could even see her appearance. On the other hand, the man, who was nearer to us,y face-down,


    and his body was twitching slightly.


    Realizing that he might be conscious, Ashton went forward and tried to put him in afortable


    position.


    However, as soon as he saw the man¡¯s face, Ashton froze and called subconsciously, ¡°Uncle Charlie?


    Are you Charlie Fuller?¡±


    The dying man tried to open his mouth to say something, but he suddenly gasped and copsed to the


    ground, motionless.


    One of the bystanders found the victim¡¯s wallet and saw his identification card. ¡°Oh my gosh! This guy


    is Charlie Fuller!¡±


    ¡°That Charlie Fuller?¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ The woman must be his wife, Helen rke.¡±


    ¡°The Fullers were doing quite well in K City recently. Of all times, why did such a horrible thing happen


    now?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe they were making dirty money. It¡¯s probably karma.¡±


    Just then, the police and ambnce arrived at the bloody scene.


    ¡°Move aside! Don¡¯t block the authorities!¡±


    Once the police dispersed the crowd, he shook Ashton¡¯s body and snapped him out of his trance. ¡°Sir,


    please cooperate with us. You need to leave now.¡±


    With a nk face, Ashton stood up and walked towards me, his face painfully expressionless.


    Behind him, the police ced a finger under Charlie¡¯s nose and checked his pulse before reporting to


    his colleagues, ¡°No breath. Weak pulse.¡±


    Ashton and I went to the police station to give our statement, and at 3 p.m. that day, Charlie Fuller was


    pronounced dead.


    The Fullers did not have any other rtives, so all the legal proceedings were handled by us. By the


    time we were done, it was alreadyte at night ¨C daytime in M Country.


    As we made our way out of the police station, Ashton¡¯s phone rang.


    The silence from the other side of the line made Ashton¡¯s face fall. ¡°Why did you do it?¡±


    He did not say much, but I instantly knew who had called him.


    Only the heartless hypocrite, Christopher, would call at this hour to check the condition here.


    Ashton¡¯s voice was low, but it wasced with anger. His face remained expressionless, but he was


    exuding an aura of deep resentment and boiling hot anger.


    The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb. For Ashton, the Fullers who raised


    him were much more important than his biological parent.

 Chapter 1378

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1378


    ¡°Ashton.¡± I held his clenched fist in my hands, letting him know that he still had me by his side.


    However, Christopher was by no means a good person who would want the better for Ashton. I did


    know what the man said to him, but Ashton could not seem to stand another word from him. He hurled


    his phone into the distance, smashing it into a thousand pieces.


    Being the head of the Fuller Corporation in J City, Charlie had a great social influence within his


    community. After his tragic death, the police formed a special task force overnight to investigate the


    ident. The report was out the next day.


    The car crash that took the lives of the couple was dered to be a motor vehicle ident.


    Ashton wasted no time in arranging Charlie and Helen¡¯s funeral.


    Although the Fullers did not have any close rtives, they had plenty of friends in J City. Many came as


    a sign of respect for George as well. Hence, many people showed up at Charles and Helen¡¯s house


    that day.


    After a long exchange of pleasantries with the guests, Ashton and I headed into the study behind the


    living room for a short moment of silence. A momentter, Joseph followed us inside.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller,¡± the man greeted respectfully.


    Slumped onto the sofa, Ashton was too burnt out. He did not bother opening his eyes to look at Joseph


    as he asked, ¡°Did you find anything?¡±


    Joseph answered stiffly, ¡°It¡¯s the same as the report from the police. It seemed to be a simple car crash.


    The car suddenly got out of control and crashed into Mr. and Mrs. Fuller. I¡¯ve also checked the driver¡¯s


    background. We found nothing suspicious.¡±


    Christopher had once forged a fake DNA report. How difficult would it be for him to n a perfect car


    crash?


    Back then, the man had also used the same tactic to run away, and he had lived peacefully ever since.


    Now, the same old trick had been yed again; a fatal blow to the man¡¯s own brother.


    Ashton did not believe that the crash happened by ident. He ordered Joseph to continue to search


    for evidence and dismissed him right after.


    Knock! Knock!


    The housekeeper knocked on the door, saying apologetically, ¡°Mr. Fuller, it¡¯s time for the eulogy.¡±


    It was time for us to pay our tribute.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Ashton stood up and adjusted his sleeves before striding out of the room.


    All the guests were quiet and behaved respectfully. Even though the service was somber, I was d


    that the service went smoothly with no hups.


    Death is not the end of life. I believe they¡¯re at a better ce now.


    After the eulogies were delivered, the guests came forward and paid theirst respects to the


    deceased. Everything seemed to be going ordingly as nned. However, when a woman with a


    dramatic derby hat caught my eye, a bad feeling washed over me.


    She had a model-like figure and a pair of sultry eyes that gave off an air of confidence. Taking a closer


    look, I realized she looked somewhat simr to Ashton.


    The said woman walked towards Ashton with her chin held high, and there was no sadness or


    sympathy in her eyes. She extended her hand elegantly and shook Ashton¡¯s hand. ¡°My condolences.¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Then, she flicked her eyes at me, sizing me up, before following the other guests and ced a flower in


    front of the deceased¡¯s portraits.


    I was not the only one who noticed her; such an eye-catching woman would undoubtedly catch


    Ashton¡¯s attention as well.


    Just as I expected, after the woman walked a distance away, Ashton shot a look at Joseph and


    whispered, ¡°Follow her.¡±


    ¡°Right away.¡± Joseph nodded and took off.


    After the funeral ended, Ashton and I headed to the garden outside. We were surprised to see the


    woman from just now.


    Wearing a pair of sunsses on her, she sat on a bench leisurely and watched us approach her with a


    steady gaze.


    We took a seat opposite of her, our figures reflecting on the lens of her sunsses that shielded the


    emotion in her eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always wondered how my elder brother would look like if I had one. By the looks of it, you¡¯re not


    as disappointing as I thought you would be.¡± She broke the silence first.


    I was shocked beyond words at her somewhat casual statement. That was not what I had expected her


    first sentence to be.


    If I¡¯m not mistaken, she must be Christopher¡¯s daughter. This means Ashton¡¯s mother may be alive¡­

 Chapter 1379

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1379


    Ashton, on the other hand, was calm and collected. He seemed unfazed when he asked, ¡°Where is


    Mother?¡±


    Years of rtionship had made both of us have the same lines of thought.


    The woman before us removed her sunsses and shed a bright smile. ¡°Does it matter? Don¡¯t you


    need to know my identity first?¡±


    Ashton fell silent for a while before answering her impatiently, ¡°You¡¯re Nics Hall¡¯s daughter. One of


    the top five hundred richest people in the world, and the youngest candidate in the Forbes list, Tiffany


    Hall.¡±


    Ashton seemed to have looked into the Hall family after finding out that Christopher was still alive.


    Tiffany lowered her gaze and chuckled. ¡°My achievement normally would overawe my peers, but you


    look so calm. It¡¯s no wonder you¡¯re Dad¡¯s son.¡±


    Ashton¡¯s face fell instantly when he heard her mention Christopher. Worried that he might take out his


    anger for his father on her, I quickly grabbed his hand to cate him. Then, I looked at Tiffany and said,


    ¡°Please do us a favor and cut to the chase. Tell us what you¡¯re here for, Ms. Hall.¡±


    The woman had purposelye to meet us on the day of the funeral of Charlie and Helen. Obviously,


    she was not a person who was considerate of other people¡¯s feelings, so she might as well stop with


    her small talk.


    It was only then Tiffany looked at me from the corner of her eyes. ¡°Oh, you must be Scarlett. Your


    children are certainly a big help to me.¡±


    I felt uneasy at once. Both Christopher and her daughter had mentioned our babies. What do they want


    from my darlings?


    She seemed to have read my mind, seeing as to how she added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I mean no harm. I¡¯m


    only here to persuade Ashton to bring all of you to the Hall family.¡±


    Judging from her appearance and her achievements, she was clearly a career-oriented woman. Why


    would she ask Ashton to go back to the Hall family and be one of herpetitors in the family?


    Only the fittest would survive the fiercepetition in an affluent family, and Thora was the best


    example.


    Ashton clenched his fists. ¡°Who told you I¡¯m a part of the Hall family?¡±


    His words were filled with anger and extreme disappointment.


    A family was supposed to care for one another and stay with each other. But, the Hall family had


    abandoned Ashton and let him suffer the loss of his parents while they lived happily on the other side of


    the world.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Tiffany had been pampered since the day she was born; that was why she could speak those words


    easily. Although she had nothing to do with the scheme of Christopher, belittling the suffering of others


    was disrespectful and contemptible.


    Being able to easily find us here meant that she was not someone ordinary. However, it was beyond


    me why she would choose the time when Ashton had just lost his family to ask him to return to the


    other family that had abandoned him years ago.


    Perhaps the Hall family members were all ruthless. Fortunately, Ashton was an exception; he did not


    have their heartless personality traits.


    Tiffany probably had not expected Ashton to reject her. She scoffed and rolled her eyes before


    retorting, ¡°I don¡¯t really like to joke around, Ashton. Even though Dad and Mom did not want you, I still


    ept you as a Hall. I¡¯m not as narrow-minded as them. We¡¯re biological siblings, so I believe you can


    definitely get along with us. Although the Hall family¡¯s property mostly belonged to my brother and I, we


    can surely help you if you need¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± I interrupted. ¡°Are you saying that Christopher has another son?¡±


    As soon as I finished speaking, Ashton¡¯s entire body tensed up. He clenched his fists even tighter.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Tiffany shed us a small smile. ¡°He tends to keep a low profile, but don¡¯t worry; he¡¯s a


    congenial person. Don¡¯t you think that it¡¯s better to get together? Ashton grew up alone, but now, we


    can finally be together and take care of each other. I¡¯m sure our family will be more prosperous.¡±


    As she continued to chatter away, she suddenly paused and looked at Ashton, smiling. ¡°Ashton, don¡¯t


    you want to be a part of the Halls?¡±


    How could a person who was born into a happy family feel the pain of an abandoned child?


    Tiffany¡¯s words were indeed hurtful, but I knew, deep down, that whatever had happened was not her


    fault.

 Chapter 1380

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1380


    Ashton, now ovee with emotion, could not take it anymore and left abruptly.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him? Does he really have to throw a tantrum in front of his sister?¡± Tiffany


    grumbled.


    I immediately defended him, saying, ¡°Since you know that he¡¯s your brother, respect him. You have no


    right toment about his rights and wrongs. Don¡¯t judge him with your own shallow view of life.¡±


    ¡°Why are you getting so worked up, Scarlett? I can understand that Ashton is in a bad mood. That¡¯s


    because we are family. But you¡¯re not one of us. I don¡¯t like to swallow my anger in front of other


    people.¡±


    What? Ashton and I have been married for ten years, and yet she sees me as an outsider?


    Ashton¡¯s father hated and abandoned his own biological son, while his sister shows no respect to her


    own sister-inw. The manners of the Hall family are surely eye-opening¡­


    Fuming, I red at her and growled, ¡°Joseph, send our guest out.¡±


    Ashton and I decided to go back to K City once everything regarded the funeral had been settled.


    Ashton was now the only one left in the Fuller family. Just like the family home, most of the


    housekeepers in Uncle Charlie¡¯s vi were dismissed. Only a few stayed to look after the vi.


    The Fullers¡¯ family home was nowpletely empty.


    Before we departed, Ashton sat in the car and looked wistfully at the house where he had grown up in.


    Holding his hand in mine, I leaned on his shoulder and waited quietly. A few minutester, he squeezed


    my hand and said to the chauffeur, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    As Christopher was still alive, the n to avenge his death became a joke. Ashton no longer had things


    to settle in J City and boarded the same ne back with me.


    As expected, after wended, the reporters swarmed us as soon as we reached the gate. Tom and the


    other bodyguards were escorting us, but still, we could not make it out of the crowd unscathed.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, you¡¯vee back here with Ms. Stovall. Does that mean both of you are getting back


    together?¡±


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Is the engagement between Mr. Fuller and Ms. Ziegler canceled?¡±


    ¡°Do you guys n to remarry? Is it because of the children?¡±


    ¡°Will Mr. Fuller reconsider cooperating with Ziegler Corporation?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, rumor has it that among all your lovers, Ms. Stovall is the one with whom you have had the


    longest rtionship. Why¡­¡±


    When Ashton heard that sentence, he stopped in his tracks abruptly and shot an icy re at the rude


    and nosy reporter.


    People who were grieving tended to have emotional outbursts. Worried that he might lose his


    composure, I quickly called out, ¡°Ashton, no.¡±


    Since wended, I had not made any physical contact with him to prevent the media from making a


    fuss out of it. Even now, I was trying to remind him with my eyes that held a warning.


    Emery had warned me that if Thora found out that she had been tricked, she might go mad and take


    drastic actions. Therefore, I made a choice to have a low profile for as long as I could.


    When Ashton heard me, the grim expression on his face faded away as he turned to look at me


    affectionately. One of the reporters standing next to us raised the camera in his hands and aimed it at


    us.


    However, a second before the reporter pressed on the shutter button, Ashton pulled me into his arms.


    I lifted my head, my gaze meeting his beautiful eyes. He nodded slightly at me, beckoning me to stay


    calm, and turned to face the camera.


    ¡°Since there seem to be so many rumors about my personal life, I would like to take this opportunity to


    rify things. Yes, Scarlett is the one with whom I have been in the longest rtionship, and she is also


    the only lover I have. All the other statements are mere rumors.¡±


    And that included the engagement and every rumored lover he supposedly had.


    While the reporters had yet to recover from their shock, Ashton shot the bodyguards a look and put his


    arm around me before forcing our way through the crowd and entered the car at the exit.


    Men¡¯s thirties were their prime. As one of the most eligible bachelors in K City, Ashton attracted even


    more attention than the others. Choosing to admit his reconciliation with me during his prime age was


    tantamount to letting go of the countless potential romantic interests and their rtive merits.

 Chapter 1381

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1381


    Within ten minutes, the hashtag #FulleReconciliation had been propelled to Facebook¡¯s most widely


    searched and used term.


    Ashton seemed in no mood to talk once he got into the car. Wary of disturbing him, I continued scrolling


    through Facebook.


    The photo that was the most widely-circted piece of information regarding this trending topic was my


    intimate photo with Ashton at the airport.


    The inte was aze with theories and frenzied discussions.


    Tsk tsk! Look at them! That¡¯s what I call true love!


    The president¡¯s a real man indeed! He didn¡¯t abandon the woman who gave birth to his child after all.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Scarlett¡¯s gorgeous! She and Ashton really look like a match made in heaven.


    I definitely ship this couple! None of those messy rtionships for me!


    Isn¡¯t this great? I¡¯m d the twins won¡¯t be separated. I was so worried that if they divorced, they¡¯d end


    up splitting the twins between them!


    I was rather thankful that the bulk of thements were positive. A handful of cynicalizens


    questioned the validity of our rtionship, citing the ambiguous closeness between Ashton and Thora.


    However, these naysayers¡¯ voices were quickly drowned out by the flood of otherizens eager to


    express their delight and support.


    As I read on, a smile hovered on my lips. Thements, no matter their nature, didn¡¯t affect me much.


    I found myself immensely moved, however, by the genuine outpouring of well-wishes from people


    Ashton and I have never even met.


    Ashton sensed my body weakening in gratitude. Perhaps mistaking it for unhappiness, he reached out


    a warm hand and pressed mine firmly into his palm.


    I turned to look at him in surprise, but he had already reclined against his seat, his eyes shut.


    Perhaps Ashton merely wanted to hold me. I thought to myself, and another wave of pleasure washed


    over me.


    It had been a while since Ashton had managed to get any rest. I briefly considered waking him up, then


    thought otherwise.


    As it turned out, however, the decision to let Ashton rest for long wasn¡¯t mine to make.


    The car soon pulled up at the Stovall residence. The moment we¡¯d entered, Thora was already waiting


    with Herman in the living room. They were both engaged in a frosty standoff with John and Emma.


    At the sound of our arriving footsteps, the four of them swiveled around in unison to face us.


    Ashton, however, looked utterly unconcerned. He airily led me into the house, where we took a seat


    beside John.


    Herman scoffed. ¡°True love, huh, Ashton? You and your wife really know how to put on a good show,


    stringing the rest of us along by the nose. Do you take us for fools?¡±


    The Trivett family had always been suspicious of the Stovalls and naturally took an excessively


    defensive attitude towards us. When they¡¯d initially agreed to let Ashton vouch for us, The Ziegler


    Corporation¡¯s coboration with Pitcoin had seen a meteoric rise in value, all thanks to the conflict


    between Ashton and me.


    The rtionship between Ashton and me was harmonious again now. Furthermore, Ashton had


    publicly dered that he¡¯d never separated from me. Neither had he ever fallen for anyone else. The


    Trivetts saw this as an affront to their alliance with Ashton. Herman, however, was reluctant to give up


    his privileged ess to confidential data.


    Ashton remained silent, his face expressionless. His look ofplete vacancy was as imprable as


    a solid wall. Unable to bear the mounting tension in the room, John burst out, enraged, ¡°Mr. Trivett, let


    me give you a piece of advice. Don¡¯t me others for your own faults. Everyone can clearly see that


    the love between Letty and Ashton is real. You¡¯re the only one who¡¯s blind, I suppose. Who¡¯s to me


    for that?¡±


    Aggrieved, Herman glowered at John. ¡°Don¡¯t think I won¡¯t dare to touch you just because you have


    Louis to back you up! If you get on my bad side, I won¡¯t rest until I¡¯ve destroyed you.¡±


    At that, John let out a snigger. ¡°Be my guest. Go ahead and try.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Herman spluttered, leaping to his feet. The air in the room was almost crackling with the


    abundant aggression between the two men.


    Just then, Ashton intervened in a low voice. ¡°Mr. Trivett, you¡¯re concerned about your Pitcoin business,


    aren¡¯t you? I¡¯ll promise you that whatever the rtionship between Scarlett and me, I¡¯ll ensure that it


    doesn¡¯t affect Pitcoin at all. Are you satisfied?¡± he asked coolly.


    Herman had actually been harboring the fear that Ashton and Louis wouldbine their strength. They


    would thus emerge as a formidable opponent. Ashton¡¯s deration, however, greatly reassured


    Herman. However, another thought struck him, prompting him to thus further demand, ¡°Mr. Fuller, I


    would have been more inclined to believe you if you had openly announced your rtionship with Ms.


    Stovall at the start. In fact, I would have been willing to continue with that deal. However, now that I¡¯ve


    come to know about this matter through hearsay, your credibility has been utterly reduced to zero in my


    eyes. How do you expect me to continue working with you?¡±


    ¡°What do you want, then?¡± John asked sharply, his wild eyes once again meeting Herman¡¯s level gaze.


    Ashton, however, stepped in before the situation could escte once again. Icily, he informed Herman,


    ¡°Fuller Corporation will withdraw from all coborations and rted enterprises with Trivett Corporation.


    We¡¯llpensate you for the breach of contract.¡±

 Chapter 1382

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1382


    That single statement silenced Herman entirely. At the same time, it hade at the cost of Ashton¡¯s


    bargaining power.


    Fuller Corporation¡¯s withdrawal from the coboration with Trivett Corporation meant that Ashton would


    be unable to interfere no matter what evil ends Pitcoin would be used for.


    It seemed as if the discovery that his parents were alive had utterly transformed Ashton. The upright,


    dignified man that George painstakingly raised had vanished.


    Ashton¡¯s words thus dropped like a bomb in the living room, scattering the uneasiness that had hung


    so heavily in the air before.


    Thora, who had been observing the scene unfold from the sidelines, chose this moment to speak.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to withdraw from all coborations? Ashton, do you really intend to sever all ties with


    me?¡± she seethed.


    The Ziegler family was no longer Ashton¡¯s target. In fact, from certain perspectives, Ashton had indeed


    wronged Thora in some aspects.


    A flowering career was all well and good for a woman, but her rtionships and emotions would always


    remain her core upation.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Thora waited in agony for Ashton¡¯s reply. Ashton, however, was in no frame of mind to deal with


    anything other than the recent tragedy. He merely gazed at her nkly with disinterest, looking absent


    altogether as if his soul had flown off to another dimension entirely. Wherever it was, it was neither


    present nor ready to engage with Thora¡¯s demands.


    It wasn¡¯t that Ashton wanted to evade her questioning. He didn¡¯t quite possess the capacity to at the


    moment.


    Every second that ticked by threw Thora into a greater frenzy. The expression on her face was growing


    increasingly desperate. Unable to endure this long-drawn awkwardness, I hastily chipped in, ¡°Ms.


    Ziegler, allow me to apologize to you on behalf of Ashton. He only hid our marriage from you due to the


    circumstances. If there¡¯s anything you¡¯re dissatisfied with, we¡¯ll do whatever we can to make amends.¡±


    Thora was an intelligent woman. I truly believed she would know that negotiating apromise would


    enable her to achieve the best possible oue from this catastrophe despite the hurt she¡¯d suffered.


    Besides, Ashton and Thora were both victims of the previous generation¡¯s wrongs. There was no real


    benefit in furthering this resentment.


    Thora, however, did not act like the reasonable woman I expected her to be. ¡°I was yed for a fool by


    the two of you. Do you think I¡¯d let you off the hook that easily?¡± she asked bitterly.


    Upon further reflection, I realized that it must have taken a considerable amount of courage and pride


    for Thora to have arrived at her current position. For her to have cast off the help of the Ziegler family


    and establish her own business, she must have had an unimaginable amount of perseverance. I knew I


    should not expect her to back down without a fight, then.


    I heaved a sigh. ¡°What does Mr. Ziegler think of this matter?¡±


    At the mention of his name, Thora instinctively started and nced away. I followed the line of her gaze


    and realized that she¡¯d been looking at Ashton.


    She had her jaw clenched in contemtion. After a while, she said evenly, ¡°I want Ashton to sign a five-


    year contract. It must clearly state that within the stipted period, Fuller Corporation will only


    coborate with one of Ziegler Corporation¡¯s constructionpanies.¡±


    I gaped at her. Thora clearly had no qualms about allowing her personal grievances to interfere with


    professional matters.


    Five years of coboration with the Fuller Corporation was a surefire way for Thora to propel her own


    company to the top. It was the best maneuver the woman could make from unrequited love.


    Ashton, however, had no discernible reaction upon hearing Thora¡¯s demand. He nodded, saying


    gravely, ¡°As long as the work is legal and reasonable, I have no problem with it.¡±


    Despite such an enormous ask, Thora remained discontent. She piped up again, ¡°Furthermore, this


    scandal put me in a bad light. Both of you will have to find a way to fix my reputation.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t take advantage of their kindness! How do you expect them to clean up your mess? Are you


    expecting Ashton to divorce Scarlett to pursue you, then let you dump him this time around?¡± John


    retorted heatedly.


    Thora, however, remained unppable. She obstinately stuck out her chin at him before saying


    haughtily, ¡°That¡¯s just what I¡¯m asking him to do. I¡¯m the only one who should be permitted to dump


    others, not the other way around.¡±


    Her ridiculous statement made John give a snort of incredulity. ¡°Who do you think you are to make


    such ridiculous demands? You¡­¡±


    I hurriedly cut in, ¡°Wait, John.¡± I nced at Thora thoughtfully, then said, ¡°I think Ms. Ziegler¡¯s request


    can be met in another way.¡±


    I was certain that Ashton¡¯s and my divorce was not the only option for Ms. Ziegler to recover her


    standing.


    Thora¡¯s features softened upon hearing my attempt at conciliation. The corners of her mouth twitched


    before she spoke, ¡°I¡¯ve finally seen for myself today that you¡¯re a practical woman. You¡¯re not the spoilt


    princess I thought you were, but a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing. You really did put up a good performance all


    those other times we met.¡±

 Chapter 1383

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1383


    There was nothing Ashton and I could say to justify ourselves, so I kept my peace.


    The next day, the country¡¯s biggest financial news station reported that the Fuller Corporation¡¯s high-


    profile investment had incurred a loss of hundreds of millions due to a decisive managerial failure. The


    Ziegler Corporation, in defense of their own interests, had cut off all coboration with Fuller


    Corporation. Stovall Corporation, on the other hand, had decided to merge with Fuller Corporation to


    bail thetter out.


    This piece of earth-shattering news was immediately lit upon byizens eager to devour the next


    piece of gossip. They immediately connected this event with Facebook¡¯s top search.


    I¡¯ll be damned. Does this mean Mr. Fuller only reconciled with Ms. Stovall for money?


    I told you all! Thora dumped that jerk because of Fuller Corporation¡¯s investment failure. His ex-wife


    had mercy on him and bailed him out despite everything that he did to her! Babes, what a tragedy this


    is for women everywhere!


    Yes, I despise Mr. Fuller now! What a beastly man he is!


    All I have to say is, poor Scarlett!


    Mr. Fuller, if you already have a woman that loves you so much, please cherish her!


    I¡¯ve always known that what Thora and Mr. Fuller had was a marriage of convenience! There were


    never any true feelings involved. I predicted this!


    Back in the Stovall residence, we were sitting in the living room when the news reports flowed in, thick


    and fast. Ashton and I were scrolling through our phones and scanning the news. The only noise


    interrupting the otherwise dead silence of the room came from the television.


    Ashton sat on the sofa, staring ahead of him, his face devoid of any expression. Ever since he¡¯d


    returned to K City, Ashton seemed to have lost all purpose.


    Even though thetest news reports had thoroughly cast Ashton¡¯s name into disrepute, we had


    managed to resolve the matter with Thora. As for the Pitcoin projects, we¡¯d managed to tie up all the


    stray ends during the day. Fuller Corporation had thus ceased all involvements in illegal activity that


    day.


    Danger or trouble had always been of little concern to Ashton. Even though we had sessfully


    concluded all of Fuller Corporation¡¯s pressing matters, Ashton did not look overjoyed at all.


    I knew then that the Hall family was another burden weighing on Ashton¡¯s mind.


    I was about to sit Ashton down for a talk when the maid suddenly dashed into the room. ¡°Mr. Stovall, a


    guest is currently waiting outside. He gave his name as Bill Young,¡± she announced.


    Something seemed to reawaken within Ashton. His dark eyes smoldered as he nced towards the


    doorway where the maid had just entered from.


    The rest of us exchanged looks uneasily. Louis then instructed, ¡°Bring him in.¡±


    The Stovall family had always been known for its openness. It wouldn¡¯t have been appropriate for us to


    have turned away a world-renowned phnthropist from our home.


    Bill, the man waiting outside, soon hobbled in on crutches. He was apanied by Tiffany, who had


    angered Ashton the day before. The woman leaned towards Bill as she helped him in. The closeness


    between the two of them suggested that they were on rather intimate terms.


    Ashton was evidently incensed by Tiffany¡¯s arrival. His face darkened by a few shades, and his eyes


    shed with fury.


    Bill was getting on in years, but he was remarkably frank in his manner. The moment he¡¯d settled down


    into his seat, he immediately dered, ¡°I came here today to convey a message on behalf of a friend.¡±


    Bill paused and surveyed the room. He nodded, pleased that all eyes were fixed attentively on him. Bill


    then continued, addressing Ashton directly, ¡°Mr. Hall has given the matter some thought. Your entire


    family can return to the Hall family and be reunited as one again. As long as you¡¯re willing, you¡¯ll be


    weed back anytime.¡±


    Did Christopher suddenly develop a conscience and decide to ept Ashton back into his fold? I


    mused.


    Before anyone else could respond, however, Ashton had erupted in anger. He stood up vehemently


    and bellowed, ¡°Keep your hypocritical pity to yourself! I don¡¯t need it!¡±


    I had rarely seen Ashton lose control of his emotions. His abrupt, violent rage threw the room in


    disarray. We gawked at him, all equally aghast.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    The tension in the room was so thick that one could cut it with a knife. Ashton took a deep breath,


    rearranging his features into their previous stoic expression before roughly shoving his way past Bill


    and storming upstairs.


    ¡°Ash-¡± Appalled, Tiffany turned on her heels to go after him, as if fearful of being discarded by the man


    a second time. ¡°Ashton!¡± she called out, a desperate plea.


    Ashton ignored her. He refused to dignify her with even a backward nce in her direction and


    hastened his footsteps.


    I lunged forward to restrain Tiffany. ¡°Ms. Hall!¡±


    My outburst got her to halt in her tracks but refused to turn back. Seeing her reluctance, I continued


    kindly, ¡°Ashton doesn¡¯t want to meet anyone who has anything to do with Christopher. Please respect


    that.¡±

 Chapter 1384

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1384


    As I spoke, I strode over to the stairs. Shouldering Tiffany brusquely aside, I said as I ascended, ¡°I


    need to discuss some urgent matters with Ashton. Please go ahead without us.¡±


    Tiffany had been raised in a life of luxury and pampering. She was thus unused to the subtle emotions


    that undergirded every social interaction. She was unable to recognize the extent of our loathing for her


    from my simple, cid expression.


    It was undeniably rude of Ashton and I to evade our guests in this manner. However, I believed our


    behavior was not entirely unwarranted. The guests had to be deserving of our respect as well.


    The bedroom door was left open, so I entered cautiously, hearing the sound of water running in the


    bathroom as I walked in.


    I closed the door softly behind me as I entered, then tiptoed towards the bathroom. At the door,


    however, I found my eyes locked with Ashton¡¯s.


    His eyes were wild and bloodshot, and his entire face was dripping with water. He looked both


    embarrassed and intimidating at the same time. Water was still gushing in torrents from the tap. I


    looked up to see that a huge crack had split the bathroom mirror. A few shards littered the floor.


    I looked down and was horrified to see that Ashton¡¯s hand had suffered a few gashes that were


    bleeding profusely.


    Ashton¡¯s forlorn figure tugged at my heartstrings. I whirled around and hurried to fetch the first aid kit to


    treat his wounds.


    Neither of us spoke throughout the entire process. Ashton merely bowed his head. With his


    unfathomable dark eyes fixed upon me, he seemed oddly contented atst.


    After a long while, when I finally lifted my head to dispose of the used cotton swabs, he said hoarsely,


    ¡°Why do you care so much for a useless castoff like me?¡±


    I froze upon hearing that, my hands arrested in the act of bandaging. I lowered them, then said slowly,


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me whether you¡¯re a useless castoff or the epitome of perfection. You¡¯re Ashton.


    You¡¯re my husband and the father of my children. I chose you because you¡¯re the one I love most. It


    doesn¡¯t matter what other people think of you.¡±


    I could feel his hands tremble in mine. He suddenly seized me and dragged me into the bedroom.


    He proceeded to sit me down on the bed, then walked over to the closet. He pulled out a small stic


    bag, then stuffed the pill bottle that had been encapsted within into my hands.


    Vitamin A Supplement Lozenges, thebel read. The package looked familiar. Ashton had been taking


    these since Summer fell ill. He¡¯d reassured me that nothing was wrong with him, and they¡¯d since been


    relegated to the back of my mind.


    ¡°Over the years, my doctor has been trying various methods to increase my intake of Vitamin A. There


    aren¡¯t many others with a simr condition, so no one, including me, really took it seriously. Recently,


    however, Ipared my medical records to the Hall family¡¯s and realized that this is a hereditary


    chronic illness. There¡¯s a seventy percent chance that I¡¯ll go blind after the age of forty. That¡¯s also the


    reason why the Halls cast me out,¡± Ashton said lightly.


    He sounded matter-of-fact as if he had long since epted the fact, but I could detect a hint of self-


    degradation in his tone.


    He seemed understanding, but I felt a bitter wave of outrage rising within me nheless.


    If his eyes were the problem, that would exin Ashton¡¯s unusual behavior over the video call. As long


    as he wasn¡¯t doing a drug trial of any sort on my behalf, I thought there was no need to further worry


    myself.


    However, this hereditary blindness was no fault of his. It wasn¡¯t even aplete guarantee that he


    would lose his sight. Yet, the Halls had thus decided to forsake their own son because of it. It was an


    utterly heartless move on their part.


    Realization dawned upon me with a sh. The reason for Tiffany¡¯s arrogance was suddenly crystal-


    clear to me.


    As Ashton¡¯s younger sister, she must have scorned what she perceived as her brother¡¯s inferior genes.


    The fact that Tiffany hadn¡¯t inherited the illness must have convinced her that she was clearly his


    superior.


    What an utterly debased family! I fumed to myself. It was ridiculous that one could despise others for


    their gic makeup in this day and age.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Ashton tilted his head and looked at me bemusedly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you concerned for me?¡± he


    teased.


    I remained silent. Ashton paused, then continued determinedly, ¡°It¡¯s only a possibility, after all. I¡¯m still


    holding out for that remaining thirty percent that everything will be fine. Besides, even if I can¡¯t see, Joe


    is back at the headquarters of thepany, and Joseph is a capable, steadfast worker. He¡¯s worthy of


    the hopes I¡¯m pinning on him. I¡¯ll only be losing my sight, not my mind. As long as I¡¯m alive, I¡¯ll keep


    striving. I won¡¯t let you and the children down¡­¡±

 Chapter 1385

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1385


    ¡°I was thinking,¡± I said, interrupting Ashton, ¡°that even if Fuller Corporation goes bankrupt, we¡¯ll still


    have help from John and the Moore family. Besides, I think I¡¯m capable of raising three children. All I¡¯m


    worried about is letting you down. You can¡¯t enjoy the wealth and influence of being a president any


    longer. You¡¯ll have to make do with our uneventful, quiet happiness. I suppose I¡¯ll be your sugar


    mommy¡­ ¡°


    I trailed off, noticing Ashton staring at me in bewilderment.


    ¡°Are you upset?¡± I asked timidly.


    Any man who took pride in his masculinity usually recoiled at the idea of getting a sugar mommy.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Ashton wrinkled his brow for a moment, then abruptly chuckled. ¡°Are you saying that you¡¯ll raise me as


    well?¡±


    I hadn¡¯t expected him to respond so jovially. My tentative smile widened into a grin. ¡°Sure, what¡¯s your


    price?¡±


    At my joke, Ashton burst into peals of genuineughter. In that instant, the dark shadows that had hung


    over him seemed to have fled. He finally looked rejuvenated.


    I saw my chance. Gently stroking his injured hand, I dered, ¡°You¡¯re mine now! I don¡¯t like people who


    are constantly putting themselves down. You have to stay positive, or I¡¯ll drop you off my list. There¡¯s a


    long line waiting after you.¡±


    A wicked gleam appeared in his eyes. He pinched my chin,pelling me to meet his eyes. ¡°Then I¡¯ll


    have to be a good boy and work hard then, won¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°You know it¡­¡± I nodded yfully.


    Ashton dipped his head towards me, and before I realized what he was doing, he stole a kiss from me.


    ¡°Is this what you¡¯re looking for?¡±


    I felt my cheeks instantly burn crimson. Gritting my teeth, I countered cheekily, ¡°It¡¯s a borderline pass.


    I¡¯m sure you can do much better than that. I¡¯ll be looking forward to it.¡±


    Ashton¡¯s dark eyes seemed overwhelmed with emotion. He reached out and pulled me over, his arms


    encircling me in a tight hug. We were so close that I could hear the throb of his heartbeat and feel the


    rise and fall of his chest with every breath.


    At that moment, the world and its worries seemed to fall away. All that remained was Ashton and me,


    wrapped in our mutual embrace. The two of us sat like this for what felt like an eternity. It was barely a


    few minutester, however, when Ashton suddenly sprang up. He ran out of the room with me in tow,


    saying, ¡°I¡¯ve spent enough time feeling sorry for myself. It¡¯s time to deal with the obstacles getting in my


    way of being a sugar baby.¡±


    Seeing his renewed vigor, I merely smiled and allowed him to lead me down the stairs.


    When we reentered the living room together, Bill and Tiffany were still seated inside.


    Tiffany straightened up when she caught sight of Ashton, saying brightly, ¡°Ashton, have you changed


    your mind? I knew it! I knew you wouldn¡¯t be able to walk away from our family just like that.¡±


    Ashton said nothing, silently leading me over to the sofa. We sat down facing Tiffany, and he took his


    time to settle down, crossing his legs before replying evenly, ¡°I can rejoin the Hall family but on one


    condition. My children will remain with the Stovall family.¡±


    A look of disquiet crossed Tiffany¡¯s face. ¡°You can¡¯t do that. The babies have the blood of the Hall


    family running through their veins! You can¡¯t leave them in the hands of outsiders.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong,¡± Emma finally spoke. There was a tremor in her voice from the state of agitation she


    was evidently under. Impassionately, she continued, ¡°The Stovall family has always treated any


    children as their own. Now that Ashton and Scarlett have reconciled, how can you call the Stovalls


    outsiders? If we¡¯re talking about bringing up children, what do you have to say about a certain family


    that brutally abandoned its child for ten years, not caring whether it lived or died? What right do you


    have to decide for Ashton and Scarlett¡¯s children?¡±


    Emma turned to look at John after speaking. There seemed to be a fleeting acknowledgment of mutual


    agreement between the two. However, it was only a brief sh that quickly faded back into their original


    stiffness.


    Ashton paid no heed to John and Emma¡¯s marital rows. Carelessly, he answered Tiffany, ¡°You¡¯re too


    late. I¡¯m already part of the Stovall family, and so are my children. Scarlett is the only one who has any


    say over where we go.¡±


    Ashton paused to direct an intent look at me. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Honey?¡±


    Caught off guard, I scrambled to keep up with his theatrical performance. ¡°That¡¯s right! Ashton¡¯s mine.


    Don¡¯t you use Facebook. Ms. Hall? The entire Fuller family belongs to the Stovall family now.¡±

 Chapter 1386

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1386


    No one would have expected that our n against Thora yesterday would actually prove to be helpful


    today. The Hall family only had themselves to me because they were the ones who were in the


    wrong.


    Tiffany was at a loss for words. Clearly, she had not seen thising. She darted her agile gaze


    around, trying to figure out a solution.


    I let down my guard when I saw the expression on her face, but Ashton was far from rxing his


    vignce. He nudged me with his elbow and his brows arched subtly, hinting me to corner Tiffany.


    Men were always sobative. They went all out when they were faced with threats. Judging from


    Ashton¡¯s expression, I could tell he would not easily let Tiffany off the hook.


    I could not choose to not cooperate with him, so I started speaking again. ¡°Since Mr. Young is Mr. Hall¡¯s


    representative, please kindly ry our intentions. The deal he offers is tempting, but the Stovall and the


    Moore family are not in want of anything. We¡¯re not desperate to an extent where we need to sacrifice


    our children, so I suggest he stop wasting his time before he loses everything.¡±


    I stopped briefly and held Ashton¡¯s hand in mine before continuing, ¡°He might be a nobody to all of you,


    but to me, he¡¯s everything. I hope the two families can each go their own ways after this. This is how


    things should have been since the ident happened. If the Hall family stops meddling with us and


    minds its own business, then the Stovalls will back down. But if your family insists on creating trouble,


    then you¡¯d better pray that you guys have someone who¡¯s a match for Ashton. The Stovalls live only by


    one mantra: we will not let any offender walk away unpunished.¡±


    I was fully aware that I might have sounded overconfident and snobbish, but what I said was no


    exaggeration. I had to stamp the Hall family to the ground and put them in their ce.


    Ashton might not be in his best state, but I could still take care of him. If he did go blind, the Stovall and


    Moore family could still be his support. Even in the worst-case scenario, we would have Sally help us.


    She was one of us, and she was kind-hearted. I was sure she would do everything within her capacity


    to help.


    The point was, Ashton¡¯s life could still go on without the Halls interfering.


    My condescending words were obviously no music to Tiffany¡¯s ears. ¡°Don¡¯t be too sure of yourself. You


    probably have no idea what our family is capable of. Do you think you will be able to keep the kids just


    because you want to?¡±


    I gave her an indifferent shrug. ¡°Of course. It goes without saying that children should stay with their


    mothers. It¡¯s the only reasonable way to do things, after all. This is how society works¡­ Unless you


    mean to tell me this rule doesn¡¯t apply to the Hall family. Come to think of it, I might be wrong to


    assume the Hall family ys by the rule.¡±


    Without waiting for retaliation from Tiffany, I turned toward Bill. ¡°Mr. Young, you¡¯re a phnthropist


    yourself. I¡¯d advise you to take a good look at who you¡¯re working with. Associating with people with


    dubious morality is only going to hurt your good name.¡±


    The first time I heard of Bill Young was when he was involved with Armond. Now that the man was


    working with Nics, I wonder how it would affect his hard-earned reputation.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Gloom settled over Tiffany¡¯s face. ¡°You don¡¯t have to insult our family in such an indirect manner. You


    can start numbering your days if my father finds out what horrid words just came out of your mouth.¡±


    Before I could say another word, Ashton sprang toward Tiffany and grabbed her, lifting her off the


    ground in a violent tug. ¡°Your family poisoned her?¡± he bellowed.


    Everyone present was suddenly rmed. Many were originally here to see how Ashton and I would


    teach Tiffany a lesson, but when they heard Ashton¡¯s sharp question, all of their curiosity was piqued. I


    could see John¡¯s tightly clenched fists quivering as anger burned in his eyes. Even Emma was looking


    at Tiffany in terror after she got a grasp of what was going on.


    I myself could not believe Ashton¡¯s very own father was the one who poisoned me.


    When Tiffany realized she blundered, she tried deviating from the topic. ¡°What poison? I don¡¯t know


    what you¡¯re talking about!¡± she cried out as she struggled to free herself.

 Chapter 1387

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1387


    Unfortunately, Tiffany was toote. Rage was already spreading in Ashton¡¯s bloodshot eyes like a


    wildfire. No one could say for sure what he would do at this rate. ¡°I¡¯m asking you onest time. Did


    Nics do it?¡± he roared.


    His shout reverberated in the living room, his booming voice bouncing off the walls. Even I was shaken.


    I could imagine the shock for Ashton. The Halls abandoned him when he was a kid, and now they even


    targeted the people he loved the most. I could not help but wonder if they took Ashton as their son or


    as their enemy.


    Tiffany¡¯s usually wellposed face turned estranged. Her neckline stiffened as she swallowed hard.


    ¡°Yes¡­ But.. I didn¡¯t do anything! I only overheard dad talking about it when he was in his study,¡± Tiffany


    exined, her lips shaking in fear.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡°Ah! You jer¡­¡±


    Ashton flung his fist toward her before she could even say the word ¡°jerk.¡±


    But instead of dealing her a square blow, Ashton¡¯s arm froze in the air for a good ten seconds before it


    landed on the couch beside Tiffany. By the time everyone came back to their senses, there was a huge


    dent in the couch because of the impact.


    Tiffany was one of the few women on the Forbes list. Despite her shriek and her trembling body, she


    still managed to feignposure, acting indifferent. ¡°Dad is in charge of all decisions at home. I¡¯m just


    his puppet. I didn¡¯t get much say of my own for the past twenty years either, so you can¡¯t me me,


    Ashton,¡± she said, tidying up her clothes in an attempt to conceal her nerves.


    ¡°As for the poison in Scarlett¡¯s body, only Dad has the antidote. You should calm down and think things


    through clearly. Since he¡¯s willing to listen to me and ept you, don¡¯t you think going back with your


    children is the best option now? Try being a good son to him. Who knows, maybe he¡¯ll soften his heart.


    You¡¯re a businessman yourself. You should know there are times when we need to lose the battle to


    win the war.¡±


    Although Ashton was on the verge of going berserk, Tiffany was still able to talk to him calmly,


    showcasing just how strong her will was. But as strong as she may seem, her evasive gaze soon


    landed on Bill, and the two took it upon themselves to leave immediately after.


    Once they were gone, the whole living room fell into dead silence. Ashton¡¯s head drooped low in


    devastation, and he stood motionless for a long time.


    As I expected, Nics had been watching his every move. Everything that happened was within his


    calction.


    Ashton¡¯s every move from J City to K City, including his career, his family, and the child we lost, were all


    under his supervision. Nics had the opportunity to save our first child, but he had not done so. Since


    he saw Ashton¡¯s child as a shameful stain to his family, there was no reason for him to save that child,


    and neither would he ept me as Ashton¡¯s wife.


    However, Nics had no choice but to back down now. He realized that Ashton and the Stovall family


    were not people he could mess with anymore. If he wanted the children, he had no other option but to


    ept me and Ashton, no matter how much the Hall family despised us.


    To put it inly, both of us were necessary evil he had to bear because he wanted the children.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do now. Both of you only have one option. That¡¯s to go back to the Hall family


    and try to get the cure for Letty. As for our next step, we will y by ear.¡± John¡¯s apathetic voice cut


    through the silence, but I could still sense a hint of anger in his tone.


    The surrounding air suddenly turned solemn.


    Everyone had heard what Tiffany said clearly¡ªI was poisoned because of Ashton. Although it was not


    his fault per se, everyone was still exasperated.


    Ashton did not reply to John. Seeing him seemingly unmoved, thetter¡¯s fists tightened as he got


    ready to speak again.


    ¡°Give us some time to discuss this,¡± I intervened before John could open his mouth to say another


    word.


    John might not know what Ashton was thinking, but I knew. His parents had made his life a living hell


    for the past twenty-plus years. It would not be easy to wee his parents with open arms overnight.

 Chapter 1388

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1388


    Louis shot John a re, hinting him to give Ashton and me some time alone. The others did not say a


    word after that.


    Ashton¡¯s furrowed brows did not rx even after he and I had headed upstairs.


    Since he was not in a good mood, I dragged him from our room to the baby room next door.


    The nanny stopped ying with the babies when we entered. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Fuller, the kids are very


    yful today.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great. Thanks for attending to them. We¡¯ll take over from here,¡± I said.


    ¡°Of course,¡± the nanny replied and left the room promptly.


    Gregory held out his hands when he felt I was close. I picked him up and carried him in my arms.


    After a few months of diligent care, both children looked healthy and strong.


    When I looked at Ashton again, the frown on his face had disappeared, and he was holding Audrey


    securely in his arms. There was love and gentleness written all over his face as he looked at our


    daughter.


    I let out a sigh of relief at the sight.


    Children were the purest beings on earth. They could certainly heal any pain and hurt in the world.


    ¡°Ashton,¡± I called out to him softly. He cast his gaze on me, and our eyes met. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I continued.


    It took him a while to finally understand what I meant.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to make your life miserable for my sake. Life has already been hard enough for you. I


    don¡¯t care about the poison, so you don¡¯t have to worry about it. I¡¯m happy to simply have you and the


    kids by my side. I only want to spend the rest of my life with you and our children.¡±


    A frown yed on Ashton¡¯s brows again, but he remained silent.


    I avoided his gaze and looked at our children. ¡°You don¡¯t have to take what John said to heart. We can


    go and live in a ce where no one can find us. I¡¯ve already thought about it. None of us owe each


    other anything, so we should just put all this behind us and live a happy life.¡±


    If we could not face it head-on, we could always run away. There must be a ce on earth where


    Nics could not find us. That would be our home.


    I might not have much time left, but Gregory and Audrey could still keep Ashtonpany. They would


    love him and take care of him.


    Both of us had been so busy for the past ten years. We never really had time to slow down and enjoy


    life.


    Just as we were deep in thoughts, the baby girl in Ashton¡¯s arms began mumbling.


    Both of our gazes turned towards Audrey simultaneously. Ashton met her gaze, and she broke out in a


    wide smile, snuggling in his embrace.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    This elicited a smile on Ashton¡¯s face, and he held her closer to his face. ¡°I¡¯m here, Audrey. I¡¯ll stay with


    you and Mommy forever,¡± he told her in an endearing tone as if Audrey could understand what he was


    saying.


    ¡°You¡¯d better keep your word,¡± I teased with a smile.


    Ashton looked up at me in a determined manner. ¡°When have I ever broken a promise to you? Let¡¯s get


    ready. We¡¯re going to see the Hall family.¡±


    ¡°What? Why? Aren¡¯t we going into hiding? Are you sure you want to go to the Hall residence?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± Ashton said with a warm smile on his face, ¡°You can¡¯t always expect me to be the bigger


    man. I want to be selfish and greedy this time around. I can¡¯t just go and hide somewhere. I want to


    keep you by my side for as long as I can. I want to stay with you and the kids. I¡¯m not letting anyone


    go.¡±


    He drilled his gaze through me, and his tone turnedmanding. ¡°Scarlett, you¡¯re not ditching me and


    running away this time. I¡¯ve endured the past twenty years, and I don¡¯t want to lose you at the end of


    this journey. I will make sure all the suffering I went through is worth it, so let¡¯s go to the Halls and


    reim the life we¡¯re supposed to have.¡±


    Three dayster, we brought the kids and the nanny along to the Halls¡¯ private ind.

 Chapter 1389

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1389


    After we arrived at M Country from K City, we took a private jet andnded on the coastline of


    international waters. The propellers spun furiously, causing turbulent ripples on the water surface. A


    foreboding shadow eclipsed our hearts as wended on the mysterious and dangerous ind.


    A castle-like frontage came into sight the moment we got off the jet. Greeneries covered the ces


    where seawater could not reach the structure. A pebble-paved path parted the grass, leading all the


    way up to the top of the hill. Walking through the ind of tropical nts felt as if we were meandering


    through a tropical rain forest, save for the slimy swamps.


    The sequestered ind made it a good hiding ce for Nics for the past twenty years.


    I busied myself with observing the surroundings, failing to notice the essorial rock on the path. If


    Ashton had not caught me by the waist in time, I would have tripped and fell.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, trying to fake a smile to calm myself down.


    Being in a foreign environment was disconcerting.


    ¡°Be careful,¡± Ashton chided, holding my hand tight. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. The Halls are only interested in


    the kids. They don¡¯t care who we are, so rx and treat this as a vacation.¡±


    His words indeed rang true, but I could not help but recall Nics¡¯ threatening words when he said he


    would make Ashton disappear from the surface of the earth the first time we confronted him.


    Although I should have assured Ashton, I still felt I needed to caution him a little. ¡°This ind is on


    international waters. It does not fall under the jurisdiction of any country. Who knows what he¡¯s gonna


    do. It¡¯s better we stay wary.¡±


    At my statement, Ashton¡¯s footsteps fell short, and his piercing gazended on my face. ¡°Remember,


    I¡¯m your husband. I¡¯ll protect you no matter what. Promise me you¡¯ll trust me no matter what happens.¡±


    My brows stitched together as I reciprocated his gaze. If Nics were a loving parent like Cameron, I


    could well let Ashton face him up on his own, but that was not the case. Nics and his wife did not


    love Ashton.


    Thoughts raced through my mind, and I let go of his hand, taking a step back to look at him sternly,


    right into his eyes. ¡°Since you married into the Stovall family, you¡¯re now one of us. I will do everything I


    can to make sure you¡¯re safe.¡±


    I might have acted too dramatically, but I meant every word I said.


    The Hall family did not take Ashton seriously, but they could not treat me the same way. They could not


    ignore the Moore and the Stovall family. I needed to use my family background in our favor.


    A resigned smile broke out on my husband¡¯s face as he looked at me, trying to maintain a serious


    expression. He thought I was trying to be funny, but I was not ying around at that moment. I went


    over and held him by his arm. ¡°I know you¡¯re always rational, but your loved ones are at stake here. It¡¯s


    difficult to be sure that you¡¯ll be able to keep your cool, so leave everything to me. All you need to do is


    to keep quiet.¡±


    Before Ashton could disagree with anything I said, I pulled him toward the huge door.


    ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Fuller.¡±


    A neat line of immactely dressed servants greeted us the moment they saw us. Seeing them all


    dressed in ck and white, I could not help but feel as if I had just time-traveled back to the past


    century.


    I stole a quick nce of Ashton and was pleasantly surprised to see him calm andposed. We


    walked down the spacious hallway before we arrived at the hall.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    The interior decor of the hall echoed the outer appearance of the castle. It wasvishly furnished, and


    every detail of the hall exuded elegance and ss.


    Over on the leather couch, the owners of the castle sat unperturbed as we walked in. That was the first


    time I ever saw Ashton¡¯s mother, Simone.


    She sat beside Nics, wearing a faint smile on her face as if she was waiting for a photograph to be


    taken. Her dark hair flowed smoothly down her fair shoulders as she watched us approach.

 Chapter 1390

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1390


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you guys. Do make yourself at home,¡± Simone said, gesturing at us to take a seat.


    Although she did not look a lot older than Ashton and me, her voice sounded frazzled.


    Ashton was clearly taken aback by her voice as well. He stood right in front of them without moving an


    inch. The air grew tense with every passing moment.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Nics buried himself in his newspapers, not bothering to look up. Simone sat slightly apart, and the


    two seemed not to have much interaction.


    I guessed Simone was probably the more expressive one between the two. I shook off Ashton¡¯s hand,


    trying to snap him back to reality. When he finally looked at me, I pulled him toward the seats.


    Now that everyone was seated, we were anticipating the patriarch to speak.


    Silence ensued for about two to three minutes before Nics showed his face behind the newspapers.


    His cold nce swept across Ashton before finally stopping at me.


    ¡°Scarlett Stovall. You¡¯re certainly a brave one. I still remember how you lectured me at the hotel,¡± he


    stated without betraying the slightest hint of emotion. His tone and demeanor made me feel as if he


    was interrogating a criminal.


    Is he raking up old grievances?


    I pursed my lips and smiled. ¡°Birds of the same feather flock together. This is why I got together with


    your son. I need to live up to my title as his wife. You and Simone must be honored to have a son like


    Ashton.¡±


    Nics scoffed without replying, allowing Simone an opportunity to interject and speak instead. ¡°Mom


    and Dad,¡± she corrected how I addressed them.


    I was stunned for a while but quickly repeated after her, ¡°Dad, Mom.¡±


    Although we had our differences, some things still had to be done for cordiality¡¯s sake. Civility was the


    basis of negotiation.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Nics spoke again, giving me a curt nod. His brown eyes darted toward Ashton, waiting


    for him to address him in the same manner.


    Calling someone ¡°Dad¡± or ¡°Mom¡± might be an easy task for many, but not for Ashton, especially after so


    many years of neglect.


    Ashton had already put aside his pride and trauma for the sake of obtaining the antidote. I could not


    bring myself to ask him to make any furtherpromises.


    Noticing the dissatisfaction budding on his face, I quickly patted him on the back and spoke on his


    behalf. ¡°Ashton caught a cold after he fell asleep beside the kids¡¯ bed while he was reading them


    bedtime stories. He¡¯s having a sore throat, so I hope both of you don¡¯t mind me doing it in his stead.


    Dad, Mom, I hope you guys can be understanding towards this matter.¡±


    Ashton cleared his throat right after I finished talking.


    ¡°Dad, Mom,¡± he said, his hoarse voice sounding across the room. It did sound as if he was really sick.


    I turned to look at him, but his provocative gaze was fixated on Nics, waiting for his reaction.


    Ultimately, Ashton still could not bear to let me deal with them on my own. He still backed down.


    I could not imagine how his heart felt, after having to call the people who caused him so much hurt and


    pain his parents.


    Before either of them could speak, a series of footsteps echoed down the staircase. A familiar female


    voice followed. ¡°Ashton, Scarlett! Let me have a look at the kids,¡± Tiffany eximed.


    Her voice and her hasty footsteps ryed the joy she felt upon seeing us. A man wearing a


    champagne-colored suit came into our line of sight after her. Underneath his neatlybed hair was a


    fine and chiseled face, entuating his debonair outfit that would otherwise be bourgeois.


    I trailed my gaze to him. He must be Nathaniel, Tiffany¡¯s second elder brother.


    Tiffany dashed toward the children, but Ashton blocked her way. ¡°The kids are still the same. There¡¯s


    not a need to see them.¡±

 Chapter 1391

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1391


    His sharp words caused Tiffany¡¯s expression to turn sour. ¡°They¡¯re my niece and nephew. Why can¡¯t I


    see them? Do you have to behave like this, Ashton? We¡¯re a family!¡±


    I wondered if Nics would say the same. After all, the man was so cold-blooded. Simone looked at


    the kids in anticipation, and all of a sudden, all eyes were on Ashton, waiting for a satisfactory answer.


    I knew I had to act quickly before they did anything to him.


    Simone would be my best bet.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that, Tiffany. Ashton is just worried about the babies.¡±


    I stered a smile on my face as I headed over to the nanny. I took Gregory, who had started crying


    the moment he realized he was in a new environment, into my arms. I coaxed the child gently, and he


    soon quietened down.


    ¡°Gregory was abducted right after he was born, so he¡¯s always on edge and very sensitive to his


    surroundings. He feels safe when he¡¯s close to someone familiar. That¡¯s why Ashton hopes we can all


    take things slow, but of course, we¡¯re more than happy to let Dad and Mom carry them.¡±


    My words put everyone present in a tight spot because the Hall family members were ountable for


    what had happened to Gregory. There was no way they could deny what they did.


    I carried my child over to Simone¡¯s side, allowing her to look at him. ¡°Mom, meet Gregory.¡±


    As expected, Gregory burst into tears the moment he saw Simone, eliciting a frown on the old couple¡¯s


    faces.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You can carry him.¡± Nics quickly added impatiently, ¡°How annoying. Ask the servants to


    bring them around the house. They should get familiar with this ce.¡±


    I breathed a sigh of relief and quickly handed Gregory back to the nanny before I gestured to Joseph to


    bring the children out for a walk.


    Since Nics had spoken, Tiffany could only sit down on the couch without ying with the children.


    Nathaniel, who had been silent all this while, came forward and held out his hand toward Ashton.


    ¡°Wee home, Ashton.¡±


    Ashton took a brief look at him and shook his hand grimly.


    Their first encounter was rather peaceful. Perhaps what Tiffany said was true. The whole family actually


    looked forward to Ashton¡¯s homing; everyone except for Nics, of course.


    Just as I was deep in thought, Nathaniel stepped forward. ¡°Dad, since Ashton is back, why not I bring


    him over to thepany to take a look around?¡±


    ¡°Forget it.¡± Nics turned down his second son¡¯s offer crudely as he walked toward the dining hall.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat first.¡±


    Nathaniel did not seem even a little disturbed by his father¡¯s attitude. He shrugged his shoulders and


    followed after the older man. He must have gotten used to Nics¡¯ behavior.


    I looked at them begrudgingly, wondering how everyone would dine together with this thick tension


    going on.


    Ashton had already calmed himself down when he sped my hand and pulled me over to the dining


    room.


    The chemistry around the table was awkward beyond measure. Nics sat at the host¡¯s seat with his


    emotionless face while Simone asked the servants to set up the table with a small smile on her face,


    giving me the impression that she was forcing it.


    I stole a look at Ashton, but he did not return my gaze. Instead, he tapped the back of my hand lightly,


    signaling me to rx.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    After some time, Nics finally gestured for everyone to start dining.


    Nics ced a piece of cut steak in his mouth the moment the food was served. Everyone else


    began digging in at hismand without any intention of striking a conversation.


    Halfway through the meal, Simone suddenly lifted her head and looked at me with a smile. ¡°Letty, I


    made you soup earlier on. It will help you strengthen your body. Let me go get it for you.¡±


    Although she was smiling, I was sure she was just putting up a front.

 Chapter 1392

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1392


    I quickly got to my feet upon seeing Simone getting up. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mom. I¡¯ll help myself.¡±


    Although I doubted her sincerity, she was still Ashton¡¯s mother. I knew better than to let her get the


    soup on my behalf.


    I followed her over into the kitchen and saw her turn off the stove. She grabbed adle and poured me


    a bowl of soup carefully. Her hands moved adroitly as she worked, and I could not help but think she


    must be a good cook herself.


    I noticed her fit figure as she bustled about in her kitchen. It must not be easy to maintain such a body


    at her age.


    I walked over to get the bowl of soup from her, but she dodged my hand and put the bowl on the


    kitchen table forcefully instead.


    My hand froze in the air before I realized the smile on her face had long faded away. She looked cold


    and cruel now.


    Although such a change was not totally unexpected, the speed at which her expression changed still


    caught me by surprise.


    ¡°Since it already spilled, I guess I won¡¯t get to try it anymore,¡± I said, turning to leave.


    ¡°What¡¯s the rush? There¡¯s still some soup left. I spent a long time preparing it. You should really try,¡±


    her dry voice rang behind me immediately.


    Her lofty tone made her live up to her name of a true Hall.


    ¡°Let¡¯s cut straight to the point. There¡¯s no use wasting time here. Ashton is a smart man. He will know


    something¡¯s going on. I know you¡¯re just trying to leave a good impression on him by being nice to me


    out there. If you don¡¯t want him to be suspicious of you, you¡¯d better cut to the chase with whatever it is


    you want to tell me. Out with it now.¡±


    It was at this moment that I thought Simone must have had a hand in poisoning me.


    ¡°I admire your honesty, and I guess I could say you have some brains too. Perhaps that¡¯s why Ashton


    likes you, but don¡¯t expect the Hall family to treat you like he does. Since you¡¯re already here, you¡¯d


    better follow our house rules and behave properly.¡±


    Simone came from a good family. She was an amiable person before the ident, but it seemed like I


    had got ahead of myself. I thought too highly of her.


    After all, she had spent such a long time with Nics. There was no way she would stay the same


    woman.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    I red at her coldly for a few seconds before talking. For a split moment, I felt a surge of pity for her.


    ¡°You must really miss your son after such a long time, but sadly, there¡¯s nothing you can do because


    there¡¯s no way Nics will let you keep in touch with someone he loathes. You did nothing to save your


    own son when he nned the ident. But look at you now. You¡¯re pretending like you¡¯re his mother


    when hees back after all these years. You have no moral ground to lecture the person he loves


    the most. Do you think this is how you show your love for him? Or do you think this will appease the


    guilt in your heart?¡±


    I could roughly understand how Simone felt as the words tumbled out of my mouth. I took up the half-


    filled bowl as I looked at her from the corner of my eyes. ¡°All you can see is me being domineering


    toward Ashton, but have you ever thought that his heart is bleeding because of you? I might not be the


    best wife for him in your eyes, but at least I won¡¯t ever leave him to suffer alone.¡±


    A smirk curved on my lips as I turned to leave with the bowl of soup in my hand. But just as I was going


    out of the kitchen, I bumped into Ashton.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± I asked.


    Ashton blocked the kitchen entrance and nced at Simone before looking at me. ¡°What took you so


    long?¡± he uttered softly.


    ¡°We got carried away talking with one another. You have nothing to worry about. It¡¯s not like I¡¯ll do


    anything to her,¡± Simone interrupted with a bitter smile on her face.


    Women had their own struggles when transitioning from being mothers to mothers-inw. It was


    understandable that they might feel jealous because they thought they lost their sons to their sons¡¯


    wives.


    ¡°It¡¯s difficult to say you won¡¯t do anything to her,¡± Ashton said reproachfully, not bothering to try treating


    his mother nicely.

 Chapter 1393

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1393


    ¡°How could you¡­¡± Simone¡¯s sad voice almost broke when she heard him.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, really,¡± I stated clearly before pulling Ashton out of the kitchen. I did not want to be the catalyst


    that made their rtionship go downhill.


    Not long after we walked out, we saw the maid leading Bill into the house through the front door.


    Behind him stood a spectacled young man dressed in formal wear. I trailed Ashton¡¯s gaze and took a


    closer look at the new guest. We both stiffly froze the moment it clicked.


    Armond was here.


    Armond felt our burning gazes and looked up without shying away. A sly smile yed on his lips,


    sending a shiver down my spine.


    Bill entered the dining hall and greeted Nics courteously, ¡°Mr. Hall, I¡¯ve brought the man here.¡±


    Everyone around the table put down their cutlery at the announcement of a guest. Simone had just


    gotten out of the kitchen as well. She had her hair tied up and looked all freshened up like an elegant


    lady after the little brush we had back in the kitchen.


    Nics nodded without haste and looked at the man behind Bill. ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re Armond?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s nice to meet you, Mr. Hall.¡± Armond bowed like a gentleman, but I could still spot a glint of


    sinister spite in his eyes through his sses.


    ¡°I¡¯ve looked at the research project you oversaw in M Country. Everything was very well done, so keep


    up the good work. Mr. Young will surely continue supporting you if you do,¡± Nics said disinterestedly.


    ¡°That¡¯s very kind of you, Mr. Hall. I will do my best to make sure you and Mr. Young see good results,¡±


    Armond replied with a smile.


    ¡°Take your time,¡± Nics said, waving his hand dismissively. ¡°I¡¯m a businessman. I¡¯m only interested in


    maximizing the profit of my investment, so you should probably focus on making my investment worth it


    and stop things difficult for Ashton and his family.¡±


    It seemed like what Tiffany said was true. Nics was really putting an end to all this and letting Ashton


    go.


    Nics¡¯ words struck Armond like a lightning bolt. The smile on his face became rigid and unnatural.


    He probably did not know the rtionship between the father and son yet. ¡°What¡¯s with the sudden


    change? We¡¯ve been working together really well all this while. It won¡¯t take long before we can take


    Ashton down.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Nics cut him short, his face darkening. ¡°Didn¡¯t Mr. Young teach you that it¡¯s impolite


    to ask too many questions? The Hall family didn¡¯t give you the money and status you enjoy right now


    for you to create trouble. Do I have to discuss and exin my decisions to you right now?¡±


    A scowl spread across Armond¡¯s face as he squinted his eyes at Ashton and I. ¡°So you¡¯re expecting


    me to put aside our grievances and work together with him under you?¡±


    I gulped a mouthful of cold air at Armond¡¯s sharp words.


    If Nics were an imposing tiger, then Armond would be a venomous snake. You would never know


    when he would decide to strike you.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Even Ashton and I knew better than to not distance ourselves from him no matter what.


    Surprisingly, Nics did not disagree with the statement. ¡°This matter does not concern you,¡± he stated


    nkly. After a period of silence, he opened his mouth once more. ¡°See the guest out.¡±


    ¡°Right away, Mr. Hall.¡±


    Just as Armond was about to disagree with Nics, Bill interjected. With that said, the man turned and


    left with Armond without giving thetter a chance to speak.


    Although Armond was discontented with the arrangement, openly challenging Nics wasn¡¯t an option,


    so he left the estate reluctantly.


    Ashton pulled me over to our seats once Armond left.


    However, before I could even resume eating, I heard Ashton¡¯s voice ringing clearly beside my ear.


    ¡°Armond isn¡¯t someone who lets people control him. Instead of letting him off just like that, why not


    leave him to me?¡±

 Chapter 1394

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1394


    Nics looked up at Ashton, unfazed. ¡°Don¡¯t try to act smart with me. That guy might be a beast, but I


    own the whole ind. Nothing goes unnoticed under my nose. This is the only thing you need to bear


    in mind. He¡¯s a lot better than you in many ways.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll admit he¡¯s better when ites to doing unscrupulous things,¡± Ashton said, ¡°I admit I¡¯m not as


    good as him in this regard. I don¡¯t have what it takes to do things like harming my own son. I don¡¯t think


    I¡¯ll ever beat him in that aspect.¡±


    ¡°Are you ming me right now?¡± Nics interrogated with a hint of anger in his voice.


    ¡°Ashton,¡± I quickly cut in, putting my hand on his and shaking my head.


    At my action, my husband clenched his jaw and kept quiet. Before long, his shoulders nted


    helplessly. ¡°I¡¯m just giving an example. If you think you can trust Armond, ignore what I said.¡±


    Ashton was a man full of pride. No one would believe him if he were to behave obsequiously to people


    he disliked. Showing his true colors on and off was more his style, and such a thing was good for us in


    some sense. The Hall family would be aware that it would not be easy to totally undo what they did to


    us.


    Nics letting Armond go right in front of us was a clear warning. He wanted us to know that he still


    had a way to get back at us if we went against him.


    The peaceful family meal we had was nothing more than a facade.


    ¡­¡­


    After Ashton secretly sent out our location yesterday, he ordered people to sneak to the ind to look


    for the antidote.


    But even the bestid ns could go awry. Nathaniel knocked on our door early the next morning.


    Ashton was sitting on the couch working on his tablet, so I went to get the door myself. ¡°Morning,


    Nathaniel. Is there anything you need?¡±


    ¡°Go get ready. We¡¯re going to the research center on the ind to take a look,¡± he replied, ncing at


    Ashton.


    My mind raced at his suggestion.


    No Hall family members were pushovers, nor were they fools. They knew we had our own agendas for


    coming to the ind. After Nics tantly turned down Ashton¡¯s request to be involved in the family


    business, there was no way Nathaniel would be kind enough to risk incurring his father¡¯s wrath just to


    help us.


    Ashton came up beside me when I was lost in my thought. ¡°Sure thing, Nathaniel. Scarlett and I will be


    downstairs in a bit.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Nathaniel nodded briefly and walked off to the staircase.


    Ashton stood at the door, watching his brother walk away before he closed the door behind him.


    When he began dressing, I headed over to help him with his tie. ¡°What do you think of Nathaniel?¡± I


    asked.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Ashton¡¯s gaze lowered before he looked back into the mirror to fasten his cufflinks. ¡°He¡¯s easily the


    most tricky one in the family. He looks harmless on the outside, but his thoughts are deep as the sea.¡±


    When I was done with his tie, Ashton took his coat from the hanger. He shot me a quick look and


    caught my gaze in the mirror before saying, ¡°He might look amicable, but his every step is calcted.


    Since he¡¯s plotting something, let¡¯s y along and see whoes out on top. It so happens that they


    just sent a message saying security is so air-tight at the research center it¡¯s difficult to break in, so we


    should just go take a look ourselves.¡±


    Ashton summarised his observation of his brother as he got ready. He seemed confident he would be


    able to deal with Nathaniel.


    I applied on some makeup as I listened to him speak. After I was done, I picked up a cardigan and


    trotted downstairs with him.


    Everyone moved around on scooters on the ind, so it took us less than five minutes to get to the


    research center.


    The entire building, which looked modern and innovative, was securely guarded by a transparent


    protectiveyer made of special materials. There were surveince cameras every one hundred and


    fifty feet, so there were no blind spots. It would not be possible for even a fly to make its way in.


    Nathaniel scanned his handprint at the security checkpoint, and we walked in through the main gate.


    Security was seen to be tighter the further in we ventured. Passwords and iris recognition were


    required to go into the base of the research center. To call it a techpany might sound morous,


    but it was nothing more than just where a bunch of people in white coats worked.

 Chapter 1395

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1395


    After a trip around the center, we figured that the main industry on the ind was pharmaceutical.


    Healthcare was an industry essential to humans both in life and in death. Not only did the Hall family


    had the manufacturing and sales of drugs covered, but they were also involved in researching. They


    had the know-how to monopolize the whole industry. I finally understood why an affluent phnthropist


    like Bill Young would work under them.


    We did note across the poison center the entire morning. The whole production chain was legal,


    sanitary, and green.


    When our group arrived at thest researchb, we bumped into Armond, who was busy inspecting the


    lab at the time.


    ¡°Why are they here, Mr. Hall?¡± Armond asked coldly without the slightest effort to hide his enmity


    toward us.


    ¡°Oh right, I forgot to tell you. I need you for another project, so just put your current project aside for a


    while,¡± Nathaniel answered without much emotion in his voice.


    ¡°Put my project aside?¡± Armond red at both of us spitefully. ¡°I thought you would know what you¡¯re


    doing, but it turned out you¡¯re just the same as these two good-for-nothings. Are you really kicking me


    aside now that your family is happily reunited? I have not forgotten the sufferings the Murphys went


    through because of your family. I will make sure you guys pay.¡±


    ¡°The Murphys only have themselves to me. The police would not have something on them if they


    were truly innocent,¡± I interrupted.


    What I saw at Armond¡¯s vi was still fresh in my memory. They were the ultimate viins on earth.


    They came in second to no one.


    No mother would be able to carry herself withposure when faced with the culprit who abducted her


    own child. Just as I was about tombast Armond, Ashton tugged me by my sleeve ¨C he was signaling


    me to calm down.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done enough to us,¡± Ashton pointed out, looking at Armond right in the eyes and pulling me


    into his arms. ¡°Since we¡¯re all working for the Hall family, I guess I can put your offenses behind.¡±


    I whipped my head toward Ashton in horror and disbelief.


    Armond had been disgruntled when Nics took our side yesterday. Is Ashton trying to stoke the


    man¡¯s anger?


    As I anticipated, Armond was vexed. ¡°So you¡¯re saying I have to be grateful to you after losing so much


    on my end?¡± he replied sarcastically.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to. I¡¯m not that petty. You simply need to make sure you¡¯ve learned your lessons from


    our past dealings,¡± Ashton rebutted coldly with a smile.


    John¡¯s ability to insult people seemed to have rubbed off on Ashton. I widened my eyes in shock,


    unable to believe the words that I had just hearde out from his mouth. My husband could outdo


    John himself.


    A chilling stillness filled the air after Ashton spoke. ¡°More like I¡¯ll teach you a lesson!¡± Armond cried out


    as he heaved a punch in full speed at Ashton¡¯s face.


    Ashton pulled me backward and stood in front of me instinctively.


    Just as the impact was about to reach Ashton, a hand shed before my eyes and caught Armond¡¯s fist


    with precision. The next thing I knew, the man was hit on the shoulders and flipped over. His body


    mmed against the floor in a painful thud.


    ¡°Mr. Murphy¡­¡±


    The many security guards around dared not move a muscle because the person who had attacked


    Armond was none other than Nathaniel himself.


    Armond¡¯s face contorted in agony as he groaned on the ground, but Nathaniel seemed totally unfazed.


    ¡°We willpensate for all the losses your family suffered. You should know your ce here. You have


    no right to touch anyone from the Hall family,¡± Nathanielmented passively as he adjusted his suit.


    Armond red at him in fury from below.


    Unlike me, who waspletely stunned by Nathaniel¡¯s swift reflexes, Ashton did not seem surprised


    by it.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 1396

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1396


    When I finally came back to my senses, I realized that everything was just as Ashton had said¡ªthere


    was no small fry in the Hall family.


    Nathaniel disregarded Armond, who was still on the floor, and wore a smile as he turned toward us.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head over to our next stop.¡±


    He walked past Armond and headed toward the door casually as if nothing had happened. His


    indifferent behavior unsettled me.


    Ashton looked at Nathaniel¡¯s back quietly before he took my hand in his and followed after his brother.


    Crash!


    ¡°You¡¯ll regret this, Nathaniel Hall!¡±


    A loud noise of shattering sses reached my ears right after we went out of the room. I jumped at the


    noise and looked back at the mechanical door nervously as a bad feeling ate me up from the inside.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Scarlett.¡± Nathaniel¡¯s voice pulled me back to reality. He still had that calm and reliable


    look on his face. ¡°He¡¯s just a nobody. I¡¯ll take care of him,¡± he assured.


    After the elevator door opened, Nathaniel led the way and went out. I caught a glimpse of his gaze as


    he walked out, and a wave of suspicion crept into my heart.


    When Ashton saw how I was refusing to move, he patted me gently on my back. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,


    Nathaniel will make sure everything is okay,¡± he said softly.


    I met Ashton¡¯s determined gaze before I looked at the enigmatic man waiting for us outside the


    elevator. This was the first time I felt so unsure ever since I set foot on the ind.


    Will anything happen to us? Will our children be safe? We¡¯re surrounded by the Halls, and Armond is


    after us. Will everything be okay?


    ¡°Ashton¡¯s right,¡± Nathaniel tried convincing me to step out. ¡°Both of you can trust me.¡±


    He sounded genuine and honest, and he looked so too. If I had not seen with my own eyes how he


    took Armond down single-handedly, I would have been deceived by his looks.


    The pressure from Ashton¡¯s hand intensified on my shoulder. He was asking me to get my act together


    so Nathaniel would not suspect that we had already seen right through him.


    I forced a smile on my face. ¡°Of course. You¡¯re the only person we can trust.¡±


    Nathaniel and I nodded at each other, and I went out with Ashton holding my hand. We continued our


    visit looking at the research projects undertaken by the family.


    After the confrontation in the morning, everyone seemed to be distracted. We took a cursory look at the


    facilities and had some casual exchanges before finding any excuse to leave.


    I was worried about the children, so Ashton and I headed back to the castle the moment we could.


    Before we arrived at the nursery, we heard someone arguing.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but Mr. and Mrs. Fuller have already insisted that no one other than our own nanny can


    touch the kids.¡±


    ¡°I understand, but I¡¯m a certified nanny who has been working for the Hall family for many years. The


    children are almost one! You should really leave things to the professional. I¡¯m not here to harm the


    children, I¡¯m only here to make some assessments.¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯re good. We¡¯ll take care of the babies ourselves.¡±


    Joseph was arguing with the nanny Nics had assigned for the children. They were speaking in


    Ustranasion, and the negotiation was done cordially.


    I stood at the door for a second, thinking about what I should do to turn down Nics¡¯ offer, but Ashton


    barged right in.


    ¡°Get out,¡± he ordered. The whole room fell into dead silence at his sudden appearance.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    The nanny Nics hired was a Chanaean woman. Despite her perfect skin and well-kept body figure,


    her eyes betrayed her age. Her dyed hair and colored contact lenses could easily make anyone


    mistake her for a local from M Country, but under a closer look, her skin tone said she was from Aploth.


    The woman was taken aback by Ashton¡¯smanding tone, but she quickly recollected herself and


    tried negotiating again.

 Chapter 1397

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1397


    The woman took a step closer to us and started speaking to us in Ustranasion. ¡°Mr. Hall has the best of


    the children in mind. They are the family¡¯s heirs. They need special care and upbringing to ensure they


    grow up to be capable members of the family. I¡¯m sure you can understand why¡­¡±


    ¡°Speak your nativenguage,¡± Ashton interjected her impatiently.


    The woman stared at him and continued speaking in Ustranasion. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t understand what


    you¡¯re¡­¡±


    ¡°It seems like you don¡¯t even know your mother tongue. How can someone like you teach my children?


    Get out of my sight, now,¡± Ashton threatened, not bothering to give her a chance to exin.


    ¡°How dare you!¡± Before the woman could continue, Joseph had already stepped in between them. He


    cast a severe re at the woman and gestured at her to leave. ¡°This way, please.¡±


    Upon seeing everyone so adamant about her leaving, the woman stomped out in a fury.


    Once themotion died off, Ashton walked over to the children to check on them. When he was sure


    Gregory and Audrey were alright, his tense face rxed.


    ¡°All of you may leave first.¡± I felt I had to talk to Ashton alone after some consideration.


    Joseph and the nanny left without any objection, closing the door behind them after they left.


    I went closer and squatted down beside Audrey, toying restlessly with her chubby hands. ¡°Do you think


    it¡¯s worth it, Ashton?¡± I blurted out anxiously.


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    My husband read my face and understood my concern almost immediately. ¡°I¡¯m not losing any one of


    you.¡±


    I understood what he meant. It would not be aplete family anymore without me. He was willing to


    undertake great risks to keep the family intact.


    ¡°But it¡¯s only the second day, and I¡¯m already gripped by fear. What if something happens? I know the


    Halls will never harm the children, but what if¡­¡±


    Armond would do whatever it took to get rid of us. What will happen to the children if something


    happens to us? The Halls are only gonna groom them into cold-hearted beasts.


    As for Nathaniel, he might seem harmless, but God knows what he¡¯s nning in his head.


    I was so lost in all these worrying thoughts that I did not realize Ashton staring at me for some time. He


    circled his arms around me from behind, causing a familiar scent to waft around me and invade my


    senses.


    ¡°It won¡¯t take long. My men are already on the ind. I¡¯ll bring you, the children, and the cure home


    safely. Summer is still waiting for us at home. You need to stay strong,¡± he whispered in my ears in a


    low voice.


    My hard look softened instantly when I looked at my children.


    Macy left and entrusted her daughter to me. There was no way I could leave Summer behind. Besides,


    how could I let Gregory and Audrey grow up without their mother?


    I held on to Ashton¡¯s hands around my waist and pursed my lips in determination. ¡°I¡¯ll stay strong.¡±


    I knew there was no turning back since the day I fell in love with Ashton.


    A week went by peacefully after Ashton sent the nanny away.


    His men, who had already located the most possible spot where the antidote was hidden, were already


    nning on how to break in to acquire the cure.


    But Ashton received a text from Armond the next day, asking him for a meet-up at the golf course on


    the ind.


    I obviously would never let him go alone. I started packing my clothes as the hour of their meeting


    approached, getting ready for whatever was toe.


    As usual, Ashton looked calm andposed as he sat on the couch reading some documents.


    I could not wrap my head around how he could remain unflustered under such a circumstance.

 Chapter 1398

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1398


    ¡°Do I have something on my face?¡± Ashton asked, growing ufortable under my drilling stare. He


    put down the document in his hands and folded his legs before leaning on the couch. ¡°Do you also


    want to put some foundation on my face? You¡¯re putting on makeup on your own face, but you¡¯re


    staring at me. You¡¯d better move on to the next step on your routine though, one side of your face is so


    pale.¡±


    I retracted my gaze and looked at the mirror, only to realize I had forgotten to put on foundation on one


    side of my face. I spread it out evenly as I talked to him. ¡°Are you not worried at all about Armond?


    What if it¡¯s a trap?¡±


    I swore Armond as my nemesis a long time ago. I could never sit still at the mere mention of his name.


    Ashton took up the documents again and repliedckadaisically, ¡°I¡¯m not a bit worried about Armond.


    On the contrary, It¡¯s the person behind him who has to worry. Before he has a clear idea about the


    Moore and the Stovall family, he will not dare to snatch the children away, and neither will he do


    anything to us. Because if he does anything hasty, there will be a bounty on his head.¡± Ashton paused


    for breath shortly before he continued, ¡°I forgot to tell you that I¡¯ve got some returns from an


    investment. I¡¯ve already used the small amount of money to open a bank ount in Sumanthova. The


    money will go to whichever bounty hunter in the world who¡¯s able to chase the perpetrator down.¡±


    It turned out that he had had everything nned out. I must have forgotten that I had married a shrewd


    man.


    ¡°A small amount of money? How small is small?¡± I asked jokingly.


    ¡°Not a lot. Around a billion,¡± he replied, not bringing his eyes to meet mine.


    I was dumbfounded by his answer and turned my head to hide my surprise. Though shocked, deep in


    my heart, I felt a sense of relief.


    A billion might not be a lot to our family, but this was a phenomenal sum of money in the eyes of bounty


    hunters who had to risk their lives every day. The interest of such a sum of money was enough for


    them to retire and live a carefree life. It went without saying that no one would be able to resist such a


    tempting offer.


    This is why Nics would never destroy us and risk going against all the bounty hunters around the


    world if he knew what he was getting into.


    ¡­¡­


    Armond was nowhere in sight when we arrived at the golf course.


    Ashton asked the bodyguards from the Hall family to check the wholepound for suspicious


    individuals, but they only found the caretakers and workers on the site.


    I spread my gaze across the limitless sea. A barb of disquietude lodged in my heart as I fell back in


    Ashton¡¯s embrace. ¡°Is he trying to pull our leg? I bet he won¡¯t show up today.¡±


    I was secretly hoping he would not make an appearance. After all, his presence meant nothing good.


    But I was disappointed by the confidence in Ashton¡¯s eyes. ¡°No. He will be here.¡±


    After many years of strife between the two, Ashton knew the man like an open book.


    His surety was probably a result of knowing that each of them was stubborn.


    The grudges passed on from the past generation had lingered to their generation. One of them pursued


    relentlessly, and the other fled tirelessly. Both of them were fiendishly clever, but they became sworn


    enemies just because of a slip on Armond¡¯s side.


    Armond was set on restoring his dignity by vanquishing Ashton, and this would never change.


    The man would seize every opportunity he had to seek revenge, so he would definitelye.


    As for Ashton, I knew him far too well. He was deliberately giving Armond a chance. He might even put


    an end to their standing conflict this time, or he probably just wanted to create havoc to disrupt the


    security on the ind so we could grab hold of the antidote.


    Regardless of what his motivation was, I needed to act ordingly.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    After we sat down around a table, we waited anxiously for Armond to turn up.


    It was not until the sun set and the moon rose to the dark sky that Armond finally showed up.


    The golf course was close to the pier, allowing Armond toe on a yacht with many men following


    behind him.


    He sat down opposite Ashton across the table after he made his way over.


    His subordinates spread out in a neat line behind him, outnumbering us by onefold.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯mte. Something came up,¡± he said casually. He seemed a lot more temperatepared


    to thest time we saw him.

 Chapter 1399

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1399


    ¡°Get to the point.¡± Ashton¡¯s patience was wearing thin.


    Armond pped his hands, and immediately, two men and a woman came forward at his signal. The


    woman had a child in her hand, and she was being held hostage by the men on both of her sides.


    Her face became clearer as she came closer. ¡°Aunt Sally¡­?¡± I mumbled as I scrutinized the woman¡¯s


    face under the faint light.


    The woman made her way into the light and looked up at me. It was really her¡ªthe second andst


    heir of the Fuller family.


    I saw Ashton¡¯s grip tighten around the arm of the chair when he saw Sally, but the expression on his


    face remained unchanged. ¡°What does she have to do with us? She¡¯s already married to Jim, so she¡¯s


    one of the Murphys.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± A cold smirk yed on Armond¡¯s lips. ¡°Kudos to you for remaining as cool as a cucumber under


    this situation, Ashton Fuller.¡±


    With that said, Armond darted his gaze at his men and tilted his chin.


    The bodyguards nodded and kicked Sally in the joints. She fell to her knees in pain, causing the baby


    to start crying at the sudden jerk. The guards then took out their guns and pointed right at the


    frightened woman who dared not move an inch.


    My first reaction was to dash over, but Ashton¡¯s hand grabbed me firmly. He sat on the chair unmoved,


    his mouth set in a grim line. I could not tell what he was thinking at that moment.


    I was as anxious as a cat on a hot tin roof. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing, Armond Murphy? They¡¯re


    your uncle¡¯s wife and child, your family! They¡¯re innocent!¡±


    He must be crazy to do something this outrageous.


    ¡°My family? Innocent?¡± Armond let out a deep chuckle as he turned to question me with a menacing


    smile that quickly vanished. He soon resumed his cruel and cold face. ¡°I¡¯m innocent too. There are


    thousands of bloodthirsty evildoers in the world, but your husband purposefully singled me out and


    wants to hunt me down. I¡¯ll admit that there are unsettled scores between our families, but the truth is


    that the Murphys are no more than scapegoats of a misunderstanding between your husband and his


    father. My whole family was torn apart because of that problem. Now, you tell me who¡¯s the innocent


    one here.¡±


    Armond was sounded self-possessed and concerted as he spoke, but his words surely hit their mark.


    When he finally stopped talking, he sat back in the chair, digging his hands into his pocket. In a blink of


    an eye, a pistol appeared in his hand, locked and loaded.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Let the game begin,¡± he smirked, pointing his pistol around carelessly between Ashton and Sally.


    ¡°Come on out, Mr. Hall.¡±


    As soon as he spoke, a ruffling sound came from somewhere. The sound of footsteps followed. A


    man¡¯s shadow elongated under the roadmp. It was Nathaniel.


    From his calm demeanor, it was apparent that he had been here for a long time. Ashton and I had


    simply not noticed him.


    Now that I thought about it, it made total sense. Given the foolproof security on the ind, there was no


    way Nathaniel would not realize anything. Besides, it was not like he hadpletely let down his guard


    toward Ashton. We had been here for a whole afternoon, so we have given Nathaniel ample time to


    know what we were up to.


    But Nathaniel did not seem to being towards us. ¡°It seems like I¡¯ve underestimated you. I can¡¯t


    believe you dare to return to the ind on your own. What do you take the Hall family for?¡±


    ¡°Well, well,¡± Armond replied casually with a smug smile on the corner of his lips, ¡°Nathaniel Hall, I


    respect you for your caliber. Since you¡¯re a talented young man, I¡¯ll give you onest chance. Apologize


    now, and I¡¯ll let you go.¡±


    Nathaniel cocked his head and looked down at Armond, his eyes narrowing. ¡°It¡¯s time you change that


    insolent attitude of yours,¡± he said, agitated.


    Indeed, Armond should be watchful of his words as he was on the Halls¡¯ territory. It would be as easy


    as breathing for the Hall family to annihte Armond and his men.


    Armond rested his hands on hisp as he leaned back against the chair. He stared into the space


    nkly as he began talking to himself. ¡°Why do I feel as if I¡¯m getting the same patronizing vibe from


    the two of you? What a disgusting pair of brothers.¡± He then turned toward his men and uttered, ¡°Well?


    What are y¡¯all waiting for?¡±

 Chapter 1400

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1400


    The tone of his voice changed at thatst sentence. When he finished speaking, the bodyguards


    behind Nathaniel took out their guns and aimed at him.


    ¡°Apologies, Mr. Hall. We don¡¯t want to be trapped on this ind for the rest of our lives!¡± the bodyguard


    nearest to him said with a sh of guilt on his face.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Nathaniel had clearly not expected that to happen as it was evident that he was momentarily stunned.


    However, he snapped out of his shock the next instant and swept his nce calmly across his


    bodyguards who had turned against him. Keeping hisposure, he paused for a moment before


    letting out an unfathomable smile. ¡°I¡¯ve known long ago that you have no loyalty, but my dad didn¡¯t


    believe me.¡±


    Armond sneered, ¡°It¡¯s not toote for him to find out now.¡±


    Then, he looked towards Ashton with an expression as cold as ice and said, ¡°It¡¯s your turn to speak


    now, Ashton. Between this woman from the Fullers and your biological brother, who are you going to


    side with?¡±


    With that said, Armond rubbed his gun with a mirthless smile on his face. His intention was obvious.


    Whomever Ashton picked would continue to live; the other one would not be able to leave the ind.


    The entire golf course was already under Armond¡¯s control. There was no way Ashton could escape


    from the situation. As such, it seemed like he had no choice but to make a decision.


    However, he remained unusually calm, and without batting an eyelid, he stated, ¡°What if I refuse to


    choose?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re probably the only person who can still sound so high and mighty in this situation,¡± Armond


    replied while straightening his back. His expression darkened as he nodded purposefully and said,


    ¡°Since you refuse to choose, everyone shall die together with you!¡±


    Sally was so terrified that she burst into tears when she heard that. ¡°Don¡¯t do that, Armond! Let that


    child go. He¡¯s your uncle¡¯s only offspring!¡±


    Turning a deaf ear to her words, Armond looked at Sally, his eyes void of any emotion. It seemed like


    he was already ustomed to life and death; a life lost meant nothing to him.


    Armond lost his patience after a while and pointed his gun at Nathaniel¡¯s chest. ¡°You still have ten more


    seconds to decide. Ten, nine¡­ ¡°


    Just then, a woman¡¯s voice sounded from afar.


    ¡°Armond.¡±


    Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw Nora walking towards them with Joseph


    supporting her.


    Nora was carrying an infant in her arms. She did not look as bubbly and energetic as she used to.


    Instead, she had be gentler and had a more feminine air to her.


    The woman looked at Armond with a passionate gaze. With tears in her eyes, she smiled and said,


    ¡°We finally meet again.¡±


    As she said that, she walked towards Armond resolutely.


    I noticed the changes in Armond¡¯s expression when he caught sight of Nora and her child.


    It was a mixture of shock, confusion, and surprise.


    ¡°Is this my child?¡± His hand that held the gun dropped.


    Nora smiled faintly as she looked at the infant in her arms lovingly. ¡°Yes. I wasn¡¯t able to inform you


    earlier. Our baby looks so much like you,¡± she uttered softly.


    As Armond looked at Nora and the baby, it seemed like his hostility subsided a little. He narrowed his


    eyes, making it difficult for me to guess what he was thinking about.


    ¡°Armond,¡± Nora called out his name again gently and said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me what you¡¯ve done


    during the past two years or what ns you have for the future. Now that we are parents, can we free


    ourselves from all the grudges and feuds and start anew? Ashton has promised me that he wouldn¡¯t


    pursue the matter further if you¡¯re willing to stop here.¡±


    Armond looked at Nora before shifting his gaze towards Ashton. He gave an imperceptible nod, looking


    convinced.


    I felt a surge of hope rise within me at that moment. However, before my happiness could sink in,


    Armond started speaking again in his chilling voice. ¡°As usual, Ashton is still so arrogant. He has even


    resorted to unscrupulous tactics such as threatening someone else¡¯s wife. Why would I need your


    forgiveness? Do you really think you¡¯re more superior than me?¡±


    The man took a pause before lifting his head and fixing his gaze on Ashton with bloodshot eyes. ¡°Do


    you think that by doing this, you will be able to threaten me?¡±


    No reply came from Ashton. Instead, he picked up the ss beside him and took a sip of water slowly.


    It seemed like a provocation.

 Chapter 1401

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1401


    Just then, Millie passed through the crowd and approached me. Leaning towards my ear, she


    whispered, ¡°Ms. Stovall, it¡¯s not safe here. You need to leave with me.¡±


    After we arrived at the ind, Millie hade here with Ashton¡¯s men and had been protecting me


    from the shadows. During this time, she had been finding out the situation on the ind. As she was a


    mature and staid person, she was not easily flustered, but it was obvious from the tone of her voice that


    she was feeling a little panicky.


    When I looked up and saw the somber expression on her face, I knew my suspicions had been


    confirmed.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked softly.


    Millie frowned and replied, ¡°While you were here, I spent the entire afternoon inspecting the nearby


    area. Armond brought a lot more men with him here. His subordinates are stationed all over the ind.


    I followed a few of them secretly and found out that they were carrying explosives!¡±


    When she said thest word, I could hear the tremor in her voice.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Just then, Joseph, who was beside Nora, took out his phone and took a nce at it. It seemed like he


    was also aware of the situation and pulled Nora and her baby towards us. After making sure that other


    bodyguards were protecting us, he walked towards Ashton and whispered into the man¡¯s ear calmly.


    Ashton did not react to what Joseph told him. It seemed as if it was all within his expectation, just like


    Sally¡¯s appearance. Meanwhile, Armond had also noticed the interactions on our side and seemed to


    have guessed what was going on. With a dryugh, he tossed his gun onto the ground and slumped


    down on the chair.


    ¡°We can all die together then. It¡¯ll be nice to havepany on the way to theherworld. Hahaha¡­ ¡°


    Upon hearing the man¡¯s hystericalughter, I took a deep breath instinctively.


    It didn¡¯t matter if we died. However, the kids were on the ind too. We had gone through so much to


    find them. It didn¡¯t make sense to put their lives in peril again.


    Just then, Ashton instructed Joseph indifferently, ¡°Joseph, take my wife to the kids and ensure that they


    stay together.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡± Joseph nodded respectfully and quickly requested that I leave with him. ¡°Mrs. Fuller,


    pleasee with me.¡±


    I could not figure out what Ashton had in mind and was at a loss. I looked at him and knew that there


    was no way I would leave him here all by himself.


    Ashton understood me well; he knew I wouldn¡¯t leave willingly. He turned to look at me, and with a faint


    smile on his face, he said, ¡°The kids have not even reached a year old yet.¡± He was right, and that was


    something I couldn¡¯t refute.


    I was stunned. Ashton had surprised me with his decisiveness even during a life and death situation


    like that. He did not hesitate to use the kids as a reason to force me topromise, giving me the will


    to live on.


    I looked at his smiling eyes and clenched my fists tightly, digging my nails into my palms. With gritted


    teeth, I put on a brave front and replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about us.¡±


    With that said, I stood up, about to follow Joseph to go to the kids.


    However, right after I turned around, Armond, who did not seem to be pleased with our decision,


    shouted, ¡°Stop right there!¡±


    After a pause, he continued, ¡°Scarlett, do you really think your family calls the shots here? Is this a


    ce you can juste and go as you please?¡±


    I stopped in my tracks but did not reply.


    Just then, Ashton growled in a low voice, ¡°This is the contract you wanted. Let¡¯s strike a deal. If you


    allow Scarlett to reunite with the kids, I¡¯ll give it to you. Otherwise, I¡¯ll tear this into pieces in front of your


    eyes right now.¡±


    Armond had been forever yearning to make aeback with the petroleum production contract, so he


    would definitely not pass on the opportunity presented to him. It only took him a moment to think before


    replying, ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll grant yourst wish then. Scarlett, you can leave now. Savor thesest moments


    with your children. There won¡¯t be any more chances for you to do so in the future! Hahaha¡­ ¡°


    The man¡¯sughter was extremely unpleasant to my ears, and I subconsciously clenched my fists


    again. However, I managed to force myself to rx and exited the golf course calmly.


    As I left, I could hear Armond barking out orders behind me, asking for the contract, ¡°I¡¯ve already done


    as you wish. You can hand over the contract now¡­ ¡°


    nked by Millie and Joseph, I hurried back to the Hall residence.


    Nics had been able to survive on the ind for such a long time, so it was possible for him to have


    measures in ce to deal with emergencies. But even if that was the case, having ample time to


    implement the measures was still crucial.


    However, it was apparent that Armond had nned for everyone to perish together with him as ast


    resort. As such, it was likely that no one would be able to leave the golf course alive. If Ashton could


    not escape in time, he would surely be blown into pieces.

 Chapter 1402

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1402


    At that thought, I slowed in my steps.


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, please don¡¯t worry. Everything is going ording to Mr. Fuller¡¯s n,¡± Joseph suddenly


    said.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    I froze, processing his words. ¡°Did Ashton already know that Armond was intending to bomb the


    ind?¡±


    Joseph turned around and took a cautious look at Armond¡¯s men, who were behind us. Then, he


    nced at his phone before urging me to carry on walking.


    I quickened my steps while looking at Joseph. ¡°Tell me. How is Ashton intending to handle this?¡±


    Joseph lowered his voice, and with a grim expression, he replied, ¡°Armond¡¯s men are scattered around


    the ind, as such, their weaponry forces are not very concentrated. Two days ago, our men took


    control of one of the ind¡¯s piers. If Armond¡¯s forces try to attack us, they will not be a match for us.


    We will be able to leave from that pier after meeting up with Mr. Gregory and Ms. Audrey.¡±


    ¡°What about Ashton? The golf course is already entirely under Armond¡¯s control. How do you n to


    rescue him?¡± I asked further while observing our surroundings, worried that something would crop up


    again.


    Before Joseph could reply, I spotted the nanny with my babies. They were heading towards us,


    escorted by a few bodyguards.


    The nanny was walking at a very fast pace, so the kids were understandably frightened by the bumpy


    journey. Audrey brawled as if she was in anguish, sounding extremely pitiful.


    I rushed over and took Audrey from the nanny. At once, my little girl stopped crying. I heaved a sigh of


    relief, but sorrow filled my heart the next instant.


    Now that the kids were here, the only one to rescue was Ashton.


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, we should leave this ce as soon as possible. Mr. Fuller¡¯s instructions were for us to wait


    for him at the pier,¡± Joseph cut in, his voice piercing through my thoughts.


    Perhaps it was because the man had worked for Ashton for a long time; he knew very well how to


    convince me. After considering for several seconds, I decided to send the kids to the pier first.


    At the pier, Ashton¡¯s men had already gotten ready the ships for us to leave in. Other rescue personnel


    was seen disembarking from the ships, and they were rushing towards the ind. They aimed to get rid


    of Armond¡¯s men as well as to buy Ashton more time.


    After settling the kids, I waited for Ashton at the pier.


    However, more than ten minutes soon passed, and he was still nowhere to be seen. I got impatient and


    asked Joseph, ¡°Why is Ashton not here yet?¡±


    Joseph¡¯s face was clearly filled with tension. Frowning, he replied, ¡°He should be here soon.¡±


    I turned around and looked at the ship that was ready to leave the pier. Then, I said solemnly, ¡°I¡¯ll go


    get him.¡±


    Joseph immediately objected to my suggestion. ¡°If any one of us were to go get him, it should be me.


    Mrs. Fuller, you need to remain in safety with Mr. Gregory and Ms. Audrey.¡±


    I sighed and asked him a rhetorical question, ¡°If you go, do you expect me to be the one protecting the


    kids if someone attacks the ship and seizes the kids?¡±


    Between me and the kids, anyone besides Ashton would choose thetter without hesitation. Indeed,


    Joseph was swayed by what I said.


    ¡°Millie will be staying with me. Don¡¯t you trust her?¡± After I said that, I turned to Millie and asked, ¡°We¡¯re


    really risking our lives this time. are you alright with that?¡±


    In an unyielding manner, Millie replied with a resolute nod, ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for this day.¡±


    After seeing that Joseph did not have any further questions or objections, I turned around and headed


    towards the ind.


    Ashton and Armond were still in the same stance as before we left. It seemed all peaceful on the


    surface, but I could feel the tension mounting in the air.


    Armond did not appear to be concerned about Ashton¡¯s escape n at all, which was strange.


    His hatred for Ashton was a well-known fact, so it wouldn¡¯t make sense for him to let our family off so


    easily. Could it be that he has suddenly developed a conscience and decided to be merciful to the


    kids?


    No matter what, I was determined to leave with Ashton.


    ¡°Scarlett?¡± Armond was the first to discover my presence. With a mirthless smile, he tilted his head and


    looked at me.


    Only then did Ashton turn around. A deep crease appeared between his brows when he saw me. I


    could sense that he was reprimanding me with his eyes, as if he was screaming at me silently,


    questioning my presence.


    After taking a deep inhale, I walked towards Ashton and stood next to him.


    Armond¡¯s smile broadened. Even though the man was a monster, on the surface, he looked like a


    gentleman. The way he looked was no different from the time when we first met. He was still the


    dashing man from a prominent family he used to be.


    But at this moment, I was clearly aware that he was a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing, a heartless and cruel


    beast.

 Chapter 1403

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1403


    Armond was going all out; he was prepared to destroy everything.


    I took a deep breath to calm myself down as I turned to look at Ashton. ¡°Are you alright?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Ashton replied, holding onto my hands as he did so. As we both had sweaty palms due to our


    nervousness, our hands slipped slightly as they came into contact before we managed to hold on to


    each other tightly.


    Ashton let out a barely noticeable sigh and nced over my shoulder. When he saw that it was just


    Millie who hade with me, he rxed visibly.


    Then, I noticed him shoot Nora a meaningful look. Understanding Ashton¡¯s intentions, Nora


    approached Armond slowly together with her child.


    ¡°Armond, I really hope that you and I, along with our child, the three of us, can leave this ce together


    safely and have a fresh start.¡±


    ¡°Come here,¡± Armond ordered as he lifted his hand and beckoned her toe closer.


    The corners of the man¡¯s lips curled into a faint smile as he took over the child from Nora¡¯s arms.


    He had never carried a child in his arms before, so his actions were obviously a little clumsy. But one


    could tell that he was being extra careful. As such, it was a ratherforting sight to behold.


    Nora let out a small smile as she observed the man¡¯s interactions with the child. ¡°I knew you were a


    good man. I have always believed in you.¡±


    While they were immersed in that seemingly heartwarming moment, I scratched Ashton¡¯s palm with my


    nail purposefully. When he looked towards me, I mouthed to him, ¡°Explosives, run.¡±


    Ashton seemed to understand what I said but did not react to it. He merely narrowed his eyes slightly to


    let me know that he got the message.


    I turned to look at Armond and noticed him looking at his child like a lover. It was a passionate and


    somewhat victorious gaze.


    Judging by the way Armond was holding the child¡¯s hand, he seemed to be trying to gain strength from


    the small being. His expression was so gentle at that moment, and there was even a hint of a smile in


    his eyes.


    Could it be that I have really thought the worst of Armond? Or it could also be that he was influenced by


    the purity and innocence of his child and saw the light out of a sudden?


    Just as I was contemting such a possibility, I saw Armond take a few steps back when Nora tried to


    approach him. He handed the child to a fierce-looking bodyguard next to him and stood up slowly.


    ¡°Take the child away,¡± he instructed.


    ¡°Understood,¡± the bodyguard replied with a nod and proceeded to leave with the child in his arms.


    Nora was momentarily stunned at the man¡¯s sudden maneuver and immediately stepped forward to


    snatch her child back. However, Armond stopped her, shoving her onto the ground. Ignoring her cry of


    pain, he said with disgust, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you love me? If that¡¯s the case, stay and apany me in


    death!¡±


    Not expecting him to say such a thing, Nora¡¯s mind went nk for a second. Unable to believe what


    she had just heard, she yelled, ¡°Armond, you¡¯ve gone mad! Our child is so young! Where are you


    taking him to?¡±


    Armond was not moved by Nora¡¯s disy of outrage. With a frosty expression, he replied, ¡°I will be


    responsible for my own child. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean¡­ ¡° Nora¡¯s voice trailed off.


    Ignoring the woman¡¯s words, Armond crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked down at her


    while saying, ¡°He is my child, so he will be well taken care of no matter where he goes. You should feel


    honored to have given birth to a kid who¡¯s as outstanding as me.¡±


    Suddenly, Jackson¡¯s reminder shed across Nora¡¯s mind. Those who suffered from antisocial


    personality disorder were incapable of loving anyone. Even if they chose to enter into a rtionship


    and eventually got married, their objective was to have a child who was exactly like them¡­


    After Armond finished speaking, he slumped hard onto the chair and announced, ¡°I¡¯vepleted my


    mission. I¡¯m feeling so exhausted. From now onward, my child will be responsible for taking over what I


    did not manage toplete in this life¡­ ¡°


    No one knew what Armond was fantasizing about at that moment. It seemed like he had suddenly


    ascended to a whole new level and wore a contented expression on his face.


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    Suddenly, Ashton yelled, ¡°Run!¡±


    Before I could react, my legs had already lifted up in the air. Ashton was holding my hands tightly as


    the both of us dashed towards the exit.


    As we ran, I could hear Armond¡¯s eerieughter lingering behind us. ¡°Hahaha, it¡¯s toote, Ashton! In


    the end, you have still lost to me¡­ ¡°


    Thereafter, sounds of explosions could be heard continuously.


    Myst memory was Ashton holding my hand as we ran for our lives amidst the explosions. The force


    of the explosions was so powerful, causing sand from the golf course to propel into the air. With our


    visions blurred, we identally ran into another explosion site while escaping from one site. The st


    sent Ashton and I flying into the deep ocean.

 Chapter 1404

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1404


    An awful stench consumed my senses, the effect of Ashton¡¯s blood gushing out of his wound from his


    injured arm. As the effect of the poison kicked in, I slowly ran out of strength. He held me in his arms


    and tried to swim us back to the shore.


    Unfortunately, a strong shock wave stopped us from approaching the shore. I could feel Ashton¡¯s


    convulsing arm and knew that he was almost running out of strength. He held me firmly in between his


    arms again, yet we were nowhere close to the shore.


    After I pulled myself together, I mustered all my strength and pushed him away from me.


    A few secondster, I was washed away by a powerful wave. That was thest time I ever saw Ashton.


    ¡­


    ¡°The chairperson of Fuller Corporation, Mr. Fuller, has shown up for the opening ceremony of


    Eastsummer International School. The six-year-old little boy who delivered the speech on behalf of the


    students resembled Mr. Fuller. The onlookers spected he was Gregory.¡±


    When I was about to regain consciousness, I could vividly recall hearing the voice of a mysterious


    woman. It seemed to be a news anchor¡¯s voice.


    I tried to open my eyes, but I had a hard time getting used to the shaft of strong light. Hence, I kept my


    eyes closed until I was ready to survey the surroundings.


    The spacious ward was illuminated by sunlight. I caught a whiff of the lingering scent of the disinfectant


    used by the hospital.


    A few nurses were huddled at the table next to the ground-to-ceiling window, discussing the content of


    the news they had just heard.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think his son is going to be as handsome as him?¡±


    ¡°I heard his ex-spouse was the little boy¡¯s mother! Since the little boy is already six-year-old, don¡¯t you


    think they have reconciled?¡±


    ¡°Is that even possible? He has a fianc¨¦e, doesn¡¯t he? Why are you bringing the past up again? A man


    should learn to move on.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough for today. Stop gossiping when it¡¯s time to work! Hurry up and return to your respective


    positions! It¡¯s time to change the solution for the drip. You better not repeat the same silly mistake you


    didst time.¡±


    ¡°Why are you so nervous? It¡¯s not like she¡¯s conscious!¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Are you supposed to say something like this as someone in the line of medicine? Stay out of


    this! I¡¯ll get it changed today!¡±


    After the group stopped bickering, the older nurse returned to the side of the bed. I couldn¡¯t see her


    clearly because of my rtively blurred vision. Thus, I could only look in the direction of the nurses.


    ¡°Oh, God! Hurry up and check this out!¡±


    ¡°What? Did a miracle happen?¡±


    Soon, a few nurses got in my way, blocking the single source of illumination.


    ¡°She¡¯s regained consciousness! It¡¯s a miracle!¡±


    ¡°Hurry! Get the doctor!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t figure out the meaning behind their conversation, too overwhelmed by fatigue. After a few


    seconds, I fell into a deep slumber once more.


    By the time I woke up, I heard a man greeting me in a hushed voice, ¡°Letty, you¡¯re awake!¡±


    I tried to form aplete sentence, yet I could merely ask in a barely audible voice, ¡°Are you talking to


    me?¡±


    The man who spoke narrowed his eyes and stated with a smile, ¡°Yes! You¡¯re Scarlett! Do you


    remember me?¡±


    I shook my head; I couldn¡¯t recall the man in front of me at all.


    He reached over and caressed my head lightly. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, allow me to introduce myself again.


    I¡¯m your fianc¨¦, Marcus.¡±


    ¡°Marcus?¡± I repeated his name over and over again. It seemed to be a name I was familiar with.


    When he approached me, I deemed it something natural; his tone and the way he carried himself gave


    me a sense of security. I felt at ease with the sprightly man around me.


    Out of the blue, another image shed in my mind. The man I thought of seemed to be different than


    the man before me; he had an intimidating presence.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    I figured I must be hallucinating because it seemed impossible for the sprightly man to be such an


    intimidating figure.


    I replied with a smile, ¡°Hello, my beloved fianc¨¦.¡±


    Marcus¡¯ eyes widened in disbelief when he heard my reply.


    After a few seconds, his eyes started brimming with tears, behaving as though he had been longing for


    the title of my fianc¨¦.


    To be precise, it felt as though calling him that was a trial imposed on me.

 Chapter 1405

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1405


    Once Marcus gathered his thoughts, he moved away and instructed the doctor and nurses with a


    serious expression, ¡°Doctor, please ensure everything is fine.¡±


    I furrowed my brows in confusion because my self-proimed fianc¨¦ of mine didn¡¯t seem to be pleased


    with my condition.


    He should be d that I had regained consciousness after the days he spent watching over me, yet his


    expression suggested otherwise.


    The doctor couldn¡¯t be bothered by his harsh reaction. After going through a series of check-ups in the


    morning, he concluded that he should have kept to himself.


    ¡°ording to the examination we ran, most of your physical parts have recovered. However, after


    drowning for such a long time after the ident, you¡¯re going to suffer from transient global amnesia


    for the time being.¡±


    I was immediately irked by the doctor¡¯s exnation. Halfway through his exnation, my mind went


    completely nk, and I started ying with a strand of my hair absentmindedly.


    Over the few hours of check-ups, I gave my best and tried to recall everything I used to go through with


    the aid of different equipment. Unfortunately, my effort was to no avail. Overwhelmed by a sense of


    insecurity, I knew a huge part of my life was gone.


    ¡°Can I have a moment with you?¡± Marcus asked my attending physician for a few minutes outside of


    his office. Whilst talking about my condition, the two men had serious expressions on their faces.


    asionally, they would look at me through the window, behaving differently than usual.


    Suddenly, the nurse, who was about to administer me the prescribed medicine, eximed, ¡°Ms.


    Stovall, I¡¯m so d you have regained consciousness! Mr. White has been keeping an eye on you over


    the three years you were unconscious. A lot of us consider Mr. White the perfect man, yet you¡¯re the


    only one he cares about. You have no idea how envious most of us are.¡±


    When the nurse mentioned Marcus, her cheeks flushed a deep shade of red.


    Although Marcus and I were slightly older than the nurse, the man was at the prime of his life,


    especially in the eyes of the rtively young women. He had a well-precedented reputation of being a


    loyal man, so I knew a lot of people, including the nurses, had a crush on him.


    Unsure of the reason behind my emotions, I couldn¡¯t be bothered by the nurse¡¯s remark at all. Instead


    of being infuriated by the nurse¡¯s response, I responded to her statement with a smile. It felt as though I


    was genuinely delighted on Marcus¡¯ behalf.


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    A few minutester, Marcus entered the ward once more. Although the gentleman seemed like a


    trustworthy man, I couldn¡¯t shake the lingering sense of doubt I had towards him.


    After he dismissed the nurse, he took a seat on the edge of the bed and served me a ss of warm


    water. It seemed like a routine he had gotten into.


    I took the ss over and held it in my hands to keep myself warm. ¡°Are we really engaged?¡±


    I had a feeling that he was a close acquaintance of mine; something essential seemed to be missing


    between us for us to be engaged. I had a gut feeling that we weren¡¯t actually in such a rtionship. He


    was lying to me.


    Something¡¯s wrong¡­ If Marcus is my fianc¨¦e, why do I not jealous at all? Not even when the nurses


    were gushing over him!


    Smiling, Marcus asked rhetorically, ¡°Do you think I would lie to you?¡±


    ¡°Y-You¡­¡± Upon recalling the fact he had been staying by my side when I was in aa, I couldn¡¯t bear


    to confront him. So, I kept my concerns to myself and shook my head. ¡°I think something happened


    between us. Otherwise, I¡¯m supposed to¡­¡±


    We were only engaged, yet he had been through thick and thin with me when I needed someone by my


    side the most. To a certain extent, he could be considered a loyal man. At the very least, I knew he


    wouldn¡¯t harm me.


    Perhaps I don¡¯t feel anything because we¡¯re not that deeply in love with one another anymore. After all,


    we¡¯re both in our mid-thirties. The passionate kind of love is not for adults like us.


    ¡°Indeed, we had all sorts of conflicts when we were young. We were overly na?ve back then. We almost


    lost one another, but the fact that we were able to make it through the challenges in our rtionship


    indicates that God has ns for us. He brought us together again. Perhaps it¡¯s our destiny to start all


    over again.¡± Holding my hand, Marcus narrowed his eyes and asked with an affectionate grin on his


    face, ¡°Will you give me another chance to take care of you for the rest of your life?¡±

 Chapter 1406

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1406


    Huh? Is this a confession?


    His genuine smile took me by surprise, and I quickly shrugged all of my concerns off my mind. I


    grasped his hand and nodded as a tiny smile yed on my lips.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡­


    After spending another fortnight at the hospital for a series of therapies, the doctor finally agreed to


    discharge me from the hospital.


    As it was early winter, the weather was just about right.


    I put on a jacket over my patient gown and took a seat next to Marcus, who was in the driver¡¯s seat.


    Irked by my hair that was shoulder-length, I ran my fingers across it, drooping it behind my shoulders


    when the car was brought to a halt at the traffic light.


    It took a little longer than usual for the traffic light to turn green. Bored, I wound down the window to


    survey the surroundings that felt familiar yet odd at the same time. ¡°Have I always been in frail health?


    It feels like I have made countless trips to the hospital. I can vividly recall this particr route to the


    hospital..¡±


    Marcus stared at me in the eyes. A few secondster, he stared dead ahead and said, ¡°I neglected you


    and your condition back in the day, but I won¡¯t leave you alone anymore.¡±


    His words felt like a double innuendo, but before I could probe further, he showed no signs to carry on


    with this conversation. Hence, I had no choice but to stop poking my nose into his business.


    Suddenly, a limousine pulled over by the road. Thevish vehicle caught my attention because of its


    ostentatious appearance.


    The passenger inside the limousine wound down the window and a mellifluous tone could be heard as


    a child yelled, ¡°You¡¯re a fascist who can¡¯t even keep his word! I don¡¯t want to see you anymore!¡±


    It was an adorable sight because the child had uttered harsh remarks that were unbefitting of the image


    of a child.


    A few secondster, a little boy who looked about five or six-year-old craned over and tried to jump out


    of the car.


    The boy had rtively chubby cheeks and his hair styled up, making him seem increasingly mature as


    compared to his peers. The checkered suit he had put on made him seem like a miniature version of a


    gentleman. He had been blessed with great features, befitting his identity as the owner of the


    limousine.


    As he was merely a step away from sneaking his way out of the car, my heart sank.


    Suddenly, a gigantic hand could be seen lifting the little boy¡¯s cor and bringing him back to the car.


    The boy seemed like a defenseless prey that had fallen victim to a vicious predator.


    When the little boy saw me, his eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°Mommy!¡±


    The man behind the little boy nced at me and asked rhetorically, ¡°Excuse me, Gregory Hall? Have


    you always considered your father a man with bad taste?¡±


    The handsome man had wless facial features that seemed to be out of this world. His abysmal pair


    of eyes seemed to be able to easily intimidate and seduce others ording to his will.


    Unsure of the reason behind the overwhelming sensation washing over my body, I had a hard time


    catching my breath. I could feel my heart sinking as the time flew by. I ced my hand on my heart in


    an attempt to catch my breath, yet it seemed to be of no avail. No matter what, I couldn¡¯t tame my


    rampaging emotions. In the end, I unwittingly leaned forward.


    Once the traffic light started flickering green, Marcus started the car again, but he soon noticed


    something was wrong with me. ¡°Are you not feeling well?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡± I shook my head and lied, not wanting to return to the hospital.


    As soon as we got on the move again, I felt so much better and returned to my usual self within a few


    seconds.


    Perhaps it was one of the aftermaths of transient global amnesia¡ªmy emotions were flooding in and


    out.


    After shooting another nce at the limousine, I noticed the other party had headed over in another


    direction. It seemed as though our paths would never cross again.


    The little boy was probably blessed with an abundance of wealth the moment he was born. He¡¯ll


    probably be a renowned figure in the future.


    Although I was an amnesiac, I could vividly recall that I wasn¡¯t a member of the upper echelon. When I


    recalled the man I saw, I secretly repeated his words in mind.


    Have you always considered your father a man with bad taste? What did he mean by that? Do I look


    bad?


    Most importantly, is that the way he¡¯s supposed to talk to his son?


    Can a woman really stand a man with such an intimidating look and an arrogant manner?

 Chapter 1407

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1407


    As I thought about it, I turned around and looked at Marcus next to me.


    Aspared to the indifferent man from before, Marcus, who was gentle and kind, seemed to be the


    perfect candidate for me to spend the rest of my life with.


    After a moment, Marcus opened his mouth, feeling awkward under my stare. He asked, ¡°Why are you


    looking at me?¡±


    I shrugged and replied with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just think you¡¯re a reliable man.¡±


    Marcus¡¯s eyes flickered at mypliment. He seemed surprised by thepliment that hade out


    of nowhere. ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡­


    We soon pulled over in front of the gate of the White residence.


    ¡°We¡¯re home.¡± After Marcus made sure the car was switch off, he leaned over to unfasten the seatbelt


    on my behalf.


    I subconsciously inched away from him, not used to such an overly intimate interaction. ¡°I can unfasten


    it myself.¡±


    Marcus stared at me wide-eyed before returning to his seat. ¡°O-Okay¡­¡±


    Although I was against the idea of being overly intimate with the man, I couldn¡¯t help but remind myself


    that he was the one who loved me wholeheartedly and stayed with me through thick and thin.


    The conflicting thoughts in my mind almost drove me nuts. I sprinted out of the car and stood at the


    entrance, trying to catch my breath.


    It had been a fortnight since I regained consciousness. Apart from ourst intimate interaction in the


    hospital, I couldn¡¯t get used to it anymore after returning to my senses.


    The feeling had morphed into an instinctive response to the extent I couldn¡¯t stand him anywhere near


    me. I couldn¡¯t possibly lie to myself and force myself into submission.


    ¡°Have you recalled anything?¡±


    Marcus¡¯ question snapped me out of my train of thoughts.


    When I turned around, I noticed that he had moved toe right next to me.


    I shrugged my shoulders and replied with a self-deprecating smirk, ¡°Nah, my mind is stillpletely


    nk.¡±


    Unbothered by my response, he showed me the way into the house. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s take it one step at a


    time.¡±


    The vi had a retro theme and was furnished with all sorts of retrospective items. A majority of the


    house¡¯s furniture was made out of wood. A phonograph could be seen in the middle of the living room,


    giving the entire house a touch of the olden days.


    Marcus showed me the way to a spacious room on the first floor. In the room sat a huge window with a


    wound-up curtain that allowed the entire room to be illuminated with sunlight.


    It felt great to be in the room with such afortable setting, but when I saw the spacious bed in the


    middle of the room, I felt myself grow stupefied again.


    Though I was d to be away from the ward full of the lingering scent of antiseptic, I was beginning to


    feel afraid of the intimate session between Marcus and I that was about toe.


    Marcus seemed to be aware of my concerns. He quickly stated, ¡°I¡¯ll be staying right next door. Call me


    if you need anything. We¡¯ll talk about everything else once you have gotten used to living here.¡±


    I immediately felt a sense of relief and grew even fonder of the detail-oriented man.


    Smiling, I replied, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Marcus responded in a simr manner and retrieved a remote control from a nearby cab. Pointing


    at the LED television, he asked, ¡°Do you remember this?¡±


    Embarrassed by his question, I asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t this an ordinary television¡­¡±


    I had merely lost my memories, not my mind. Therefore, I could still tell a television apart from other


    things.


    Marcus chuckled and stated, ¡°I¡¯m just fooling around to see if you¡¯re still sane.¡±


    Soon, he switched on the television and started browsing through different channels.


    When he browsed through a financial news channel, the news anchor announced, ¡°Mr. Fuller from


    Fuller Corporation¡­¡±


    He was about to browse another channel, yet he stopped and turned around, looking at me dead in the


    eyes.


    The news was about the charity auction Ashton had taken part in. The man in a checkered suit carried


    himself in a confidential manner that made him seemed superior to others.


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    Marcus must have stopped browsing through the channels avable because I had my eyes glued to


    the television. He looked at the television and asked, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be interested in the legal channels


    instead?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked without a second thought. When I recalled something, I added, ¡°I saw this man when


    we were at the junction on our way back from the hospital. His car was right next to ours.¡±


    As soon as I recalled Ashton¡¯s intimidating gaze, I felt a chill running down my spine, yet I couldn¡¯t


    move my eyes away from the television.

 Chapter 1408

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1408


    Perhaps the few seconds of interaction at the junction wasn¡¯t enough. God seemed to have arranged


    the show to satisfy my curiosity.


    However, aspared to meeting him in person, he wasn¡¯t as handsome as when he was on screen.


    Marcus seemed to have something in mind. He muttered, ¡°Really? I wasn¡¯t aware of it¡­¡±


    After he finished his sentence, the news anchor carried on with the interviews with other corporate


    yers.


    ¡°His son resembles him a lot, yet Ashton addressed him as Gregory Hall as though they¡¯re not


    biologically rted¡­¡± I started chuckling when I recalled the interaction between the little boy and the


    man.


    I had a hard time figuring out the reason behind the little boy being addressed with another family name


    different from his father¡¯s.


    ¡°Ashton has been the paparazzi¡¯s favorite target over the past few weeks. ording to the news, the


    court ruled that he has custody over his son, while the custody over his daughter belongs to their


    children¡¯s mother. Nheless, none of them have verified the rumor.¡± Throughout his orated speech,


    Marcus wouldn¡¯t stop sizing me up. He seemed to be anticipating something from me.


    Confused by his reaction, I expressed my point of view from the perspective of an onlooker. ¡°Is he a


    celebrity? Why has his personal life piqued the interest of the public?¡±


    Although the man was slightly older than the top-notch celebrities, his gorgeous look would allow him to


    garner the attention required. Thus, it wouldn¡¯t be much of a surprise for him to make it to the


    headlines.


    Marcus stared dead ahead and said nkly, ¡°Fuller Corporation has dominated the real estate industry


    after acquiring the support of an anonymous magnate a few years ago. As of now, he¡¯s the wealthiest


    man in the country.¡±


    I gaped at Marcus¡¯ reply and asked, ¡°Have I just missed the chance to take a photo with the wealthiest


    man of the country?¡±


    He chuckled in return, behaving as though my response was his sole source of joy. Shortly, he


    continued sharing the news regarding Ashton and Fuller Corporation with me.


    To my surprise, I wasn¡¯t bored by the news.


    I considered it just another sess story of a corporation and expressed my respect for the


    exceptional prodigy.


    After Marcus shared everything with me, I directed a tricky question at him. ¡°Why hasn¡¯t he gotten


    married to his fianc¨¦e when his child is already six-year-old? Shouldn¡¯t he get married as soon as


    possible? Could it be the rumors weren¡¯t mere rumors? Is Ashton just fooling around with his fianc¨¦e?¡±


    As a woman, I was also a natural-born busybody. I had heard all sorts of rumors regarding Ashton¡¯s


    rtionship during my time at the hospital.


    His previous marriage had ended up with a divorce. Thora, his new fianc¨¦e, was a renowned corporate


    figure as well.


    The woman was on par with him in terms of look and wealth, yet they hadn¡¯t brought their rtionship


    to the next level. That was more than enough to prove Ashton was a jerk.


    Marcus cleared his thought to suppress his urge tough at my seemingly hrious and sarcastic


    statement. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll never know because this is their personal affairs. We¡¯re not really in a position


    toment either.¡±


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right. Things work differently for those from the upper echelon. We should stop wasting


    our time on this, seeing as to how it has nothing to do with us. I¡¯m just sharing my opinion with you


    because I have no one else to talk to.¡±


    At the mention of that, hollowness came flooding out again. I suddenly recalled how I couldn¡¯t seem to


    remember a single close acquaintance of mine.


    Marcus had always been a detail-oriented man. Thus, he noticed that I had things weighing on my


    mind again. ¡°You need to give yourself a break and take your time to reflect on your past. I¡¯ll always be


    here for you.¡±


    To be honest, I was d to have him by my side.


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    Nheless, hispanionship couldn¡¯t get rid of the odd sensation irritating me. I knew it would go


    on and on until I could get rid of it once and for all.


    Suddenly, I piped another question, ¡°Do I have any other friends in K City?¡±


    I spent thest fortnight at the hospital, but no one dropped by to visit me. It¡¯s not my fault for not


    having friends, right?


    Maybe they¡¯re not aware I have regained consciousness, but it¡¯s fine! I can always pay them a visit to


    regain my memories!


    Marcus seemed to have foreseen my n. He deadpanned his reply, ¡°We used to fight a lot and spent


    most of our time apart from one another. You hated it whenever I tried to poke my nose into your


    business.¡±

 Chapter 1409

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1409


    I arched my brows in confusion because our rtionship had turned out to be far worse than I had


    imagined.


    It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to consider it broken beyond repair because it must be an intense fight


    and a serious situation for me to take such extreme countermeasures to shut him out from my life.


    Marcus told me about how I had gone abroad on my own after I brought up the request to break up. By


    the time he reached the hospital, I was there on my own without anypanions.


    Although my physical condition had improved, my mental health was far from being fine; I could merely


    recall the time I spent with the doctor and nurses.


    ¡°It will be fine. Let¡¯s take it one step at a time. The doctor said staying positive will help with regaining


    your memories.¡± Marcus ced his hand on my shoulder to console me. ¡°Since you have been


    consuming tasteless food for so long, I¡¯ll bring you out for something good.¡±


    ¡°Sounds great!¡± I said joyfully, not wanting to cause Marcus any more trouble.


    Although we could barely consider ourselves a couple, I could feel that Marcus had no intention to


    harm me. Instead, I was almost certain I was his sole priority.


    Since I had promised him to start all over again, it wouldn¡¯t be wise to rush things through.


    ¡­


    Marcus brought me to a Ferropenian restaurant.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go ahead and see if there¡¯s anything you¡¯re craving? The chef has been headhunted


    from a globally renowned eatery.¡±Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡± I took over the menu and started perusing the dishes avable.


    There were all sorts of delicate-looking delicacies, yet none of them seemed particrly appetizing. I


    had a differentfort food in mind.


    Suddenly, the restaurant turned lively out of the blue when a family of about seven or eight walked into


    the restaurant.


    ¡°Have you reserved a table?¡±


    ¡°Since there are not many guests, let¡¯s just sit wherever we want.¡±


    ¡°Can we sit next to the window to enjoy the great scenery?¡±


    As they engaged themselves in a conversation, they took a seat at the table opposite ours.


    Upon a simple nce, I caught a glimpse of a man¡¯s flickering eyes.


    The sprightly young man seemed to be in histe twenties. His pair of aquatic blue eyes could easily


    charm another woman around his age.


    .Those who would show up at that restaurant were members of the upper echelon. Judging by his


    clothes, I was certain he was from a renowned family.


    The man gaped at my presence for a few seconds before moving his eyes away from me. It took him


    quite some time to snap out of confusion.


    After he returned to his senses, he walked over in my direction, identally bumping into a waiter on


    the way. He got himself drenched in coffee, the result of him being overly anxious.


    The waiter immediately tried to wipe the coffee off the man and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Sir!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± The man waved nonchntly, his eyes still glued to me. ¡°Y-You¡¯re alive?¡±


    Overwhelmed by my presence, he could barely form aplete sentence. It took him another few


    seconds to calm himself down. ¡°Scarlett, why haven¡¯t you gotten in touch with Emery when you¡¯re in K


    City?¡±


    I asked with a frown, ¡°Do I know you?¡±


    I was at least half a decade older than the man in front of me. Never would I have thought I would


    mingle with a man with aplicated background.


    Although I couldn¡¯t recall most parts of my life, upon a simple nce through the menu, I was certain I


    had grown up in a rtively simple household because the dishes weren¡¯t my go-to foods.


    I couldn¡¯t have frequented a Ferropenian restaurant when it took me luck to encounter the wealthiest


    man of the country, let alone being acquainted with this wealthy-looking heir in front of me.


    It would take more than mutual feelings to befriend another person because the differences between


    backgrounds could be a pain in the ass.


    ¡°Y-You¡­¡± The man frowned and asked in a serious tone, ¡°I¡¯m Alexander! What¡¯s wrong with you? Are


    you indicating that I look just like another person on the streets?¡±


    He was speaking at the top of his lungs, seemingly irked. I wondered if it was because I couldn¡¯t recall


    who he was. Perhaps it was because I couldn¡¯t be bothered by his self-proimed attractive looks?


    After another few seconds of confrontation, I muttered his name to myself, yet I couldn¡¯t recall anything


    about him.


    All of a sudden, Marcus¡¯ voice could be heard,ing from behind the young man. He deadpanned his


    request, ¡°Sir, please leave her alone.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t Marcus¡¯ fault for misunderstanding Alexander¡¯s intentions. Thetter had indeed gotten overly


    worked up and surrounded me with his arms on the table. On top of that, the waiter was running


    around, looking aplete mess, making it seemed as though we had just fought.

 Chapter 1410

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1410


    Alexander, now irritated by Marcus¡¯ confrontation, turned around and scowled, ¡°Who the hell are you?¡±


    An intense fight was about to break out because Alexander was on the verge of losing his cool after


    Marcus warned him to stay away from me.


    After Marcus checked on me and ensured everything was fine, he answered, ¡°I¡¯m her friend. What


    about you?¡±


    ¡°Oh! What a coincidence! I¡¯m her friend too!¡± As a foreigner, Alexander was slightly taller than Marcus.


    He tucked his arm and announced with his chest held high, ¡°I¡¯m her best friend¡¯s boyfriend! I don¡¯t need


    to introduce myself anymore, right?¡±


    Marcus narrowed his eyes and replied indifferently, ¡°She¡¯s my fianc¨¦e.¡±


    ¡°Y-You¡­¡± Alexander¡¯s cheeks reddened in wrath. He could barely suppress his emotions anymore.


    ¡°Stop lying! I have never heard of Scarlett being engaged to another man!¡±


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure there are plenty of things you have never heard of. I think I should inform you that I


    have been keeping herpany over the past few years.¡±


    Marcus spoke nonchntly, yet he made himself clear he was superior to Alexander in terms of his


    rtionship with me.


    I was sitting in between the two men, so things quickly grew awkward for me. I couldn¡¯t see why they


    started getting worked up over a trivial issue.


    ¡°Y-You¡ª¡± Alexander was rendered speechless by Marcus¡¯ reply. Hence, he asked me, ¡°Scarlett, is he


    telling the truth? Have you been spending time with him when you were gone all this while?¡±


    Although I was confused by the reason he had gotten overly worked up, I nodded and said, ¡°Marcus


    has been taking care of me.¡±


    Alexander furrowed his brows in silence, obviously having a hard time epting the truth.


    ¡°I¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s time for her to have her meal because she¡¯s currently not in her prime. If there¡¯s nothing else,


    please keep everything you have in mind for the next time you see her.¡±


    I was about to carry on with the conversation, yet Marcus chased him away.


    The spacious restaurant seemed to be rtively stuffed because of them as things got increasingly


    intense.


    One of Alexander¡¯spanions approached him and queried with a vicious smirk, ¡°Alexander, is this


    your girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°No! She¡¯s an old friend of mine!¡± Alexander replied in a petnt manner and warned the woman, ¡°Hold


    it right there, Mom! I know what¡¯s going on in your mind, but no! Nothing is going on between us!¡±


    ¡°If nothing¡¯s going on, why have you gotten so worked up? You just behaved as if your girlfriend had


    turned her back against you.¡± His mother directed the rhetorical question at him, yet she had her eyes


    glued to me.


    It was evident that it was a warning to get me to stay away from her son. She must have driven


    countless women away from her son in a simr manner before.


    ¡°Mom, you need to stop stirring things up! Please leave us alone. I¡¯ll exin everything once I¡¯m back.¡±


    Alexander was embarrassed by his mother¡¯s confrontation. He had no choice but to bring her back to


    their table. Prior to his departure, he stated pointedly, ¡°Scarlett, please get in touch with Emery soon!¡±


    Emery? That sounds like a woman¡¯s name. Is she a close acquaintance of mine?


    I thought Alexander would share the details with me, but he stopped interacting with me throughout our


    meal. Perhaps it was because he didn¡¯t want his mother to overthink things.


    When we departed, the Zimmerman family was merely halfway through their meal.


    After we returned to the parking lot, Marcus paused and started running his hands across his pockets.


    I asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I think I might have left my keys behind. I¡¯ll head upstairs and retrieve it. Stay right here and wait for


    me.¡±


    Not wanting to be alone and bored, I suggested, ¡°I¡¯ll go along with you.¡±


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯ll be back before you know it.¡± Marcus tapped on my shoulder and sprinted in the direction of


    the elevator the moment he finished his sentence.


    It took him twenty minutes to return from a trip that was supposed to be made within five minutes. By


    the time he showed up, I had long leaned against the car, trying to keep myself awake.


    I had recovered, but the insane amount of prescribed medication I had to consume every day made me


    sleepy from time to time.


    Marcus rushed over and chided me gently, ¡°We¡¯ll be home in a short while. Try to keep yourself awake


    until then because it¡¯s not good for your neck to sleep in the car.¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡± I nodded and forced myself to stay awake. When I recalled the incident at the restaurant, I


    asked, ¡°Is Alexander a close acquaintance of mine?¡±

 Chapter 1411

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1411


    ¡°Maybe? Why don¡¯t you try to think about it?¡± Marcus kept his eyes on the road as he drove.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You mean you don¡¯t know him?¡± I was startled by his answer as I hade to the conclusion that


    Marcus and Alexander had not been on good terms ever since a long time ago.


    ¡°That was my first time encountering him. Therefore, I can¡¯t be sure if he was telling the truth. After all,


    we were separated for a long time. We only have a few friends in mutual.¡±


    I thought we used to have a superficial rtionship where we would pretend to be lovely in front of one


    another¡¯s friends and families. To my surprise, it was the exact opposite.


    On top of that, I was surprised by how Marcus seemed to be aware of the things I had in mind. ¡°C-Can


    you tell?¡±


    ¡°Currently, you¡¯re not much different from an elementary school student. It¡¯s not tough to read you¡ªall


    it takes is a little effort and some time.¡±


    It was an answer to my question, yet he stared dead ahead of him instead of looking at me in the eyes.


    I could see his side profile from my point of view. He was rtively unfazed.


    All of a sudden, he turned around and looked at me in the eyes. ¡°You need to tell me if you¡¯re touched.


    Mimunication was the reason we were apart from one another for so long.¡±


    My lips curved upwards when I heard his reply. cing my hands in front of my chest, I announced, ¡°It


    feels not half bad.¡±


    He narrowed his eyes to a slit and smiled in return.


    ¡­


    When I got downstairs for breakfast the next day, I noticed that Marcus had long departed.


    I spent my time in the courtyard reading and enjoying the sun. When it was around ten o¡¯clock, he


    showed up with his bag and took a seat next to me, carrying on with his work.


    Just as the maid served us a te of fruits, Marcus received a call. He headed over to the nearby


    corridor to answer the call. asionally, he would turn around to check on me.


    Suddenly, the maid pointed at the milk in front of me and suggested, ¡°Ms. Stovall, you should hurry up


    and finish the milk when it¡¯s still warm.¡±


    Since the maids had been pretty friendly, I picked up the ss of milk and gulped it down without a


    second thought.


    When I was about to ce the ss on the table, I noticed a note there. The maid looked at me and


    wouldn¡¯t stop signaling me to pick it up with her eyes.


    I knew the things she had in mind and stuffed the note into my pocket without hesitation.


    After I ced it in my pocket, I took a peek at Marcus, who happened to be on his way back to take his


    seat next to me.


    ¡°Is there something on my face?¡± he questioned.


    ¡°Nope.¡± After I answered his question, I stretched my limbs and yawned. ¡°I¡¯m quite sleepy. I¡¯m going to


    head inside and take a short nap.¡±


    I had no idea who had acquired the maid¡¯s aid to deliver the message to me, let alone the content of


    the note. Thus, I was afraid to check on the note in front of Marcus.


    Afraid he would notice something was wrong, I trudged back to my room. The moment I entered the


    room, I rushed into the washroom and locked the door before digging the piece of note out.


    I arched my brows in confusion when I read the contents. Apart from a single phrase, there wasn¡¯t


    anything else on the piece of paper.


    Meet me at The Jade at nine o¡¯clock. I¡¯ll be waiting for you in room 608!


    The person hadn¡¯t bothered to include a message to earn my trust, but the neat and tidy handwriting


    made me feel somewhat at ease to follow the instruction.


    On top of that, The Jade seemed to ring a bell as well.


    After muttering to myself, I tore the note into countless pieces and flushed them down the toilet.


    When I walked out of the washroom, I encountered Marcus, who happened to be walking into the


    room. He looked at me with a straight face, but I started breathing heavily, guilt washing over me.


    ¡°I respect your privacy. Therefore, you don¡¯t need to lock the door when you¡¯re merely going to use the


    washroom.¡± He must have heard the clicking sound of the door being unlocked.


    ¡°I guess it has always been a habit of mine.¡±


    His eyes flickered as though he recalled something, but he didn¡¯t seem to doubt my words. ¡°Maybe


    you¡¯re right. You¡¯re free to do anything that makes you happy, but I hope you open up and make


    yourself at home.¡±


    I shrugged my shoulders and forced a calm front, replying nonchntly, ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. After all, you have


    been taking great care of me.¡±

 Chapter 1412

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1412


    To my surprise, Marcus wrapped up the conversation and responded with a thought-provoking smirk.


    It might be a baseless usation, but it felt as though he didn¡¯t have much faith in me.


    ¡­


    After our dinner, I returned to my room way ahead of my usual schedule and pretended to fall asleep.


    All this while, Marcus had been adjusting his schedule based on mine. Therefore, after an hour of me


    pretending to tuck myself in, he switched off the light of his room.


    The maid who had passed me the note seemed to be anticipating my arrival¡ªI saw her waiting for me


    at the entrance to the courtyard the moment I walked downstairs.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, this way!¡±


    I had made up my mind to meet the person behind the note, so I stopped doubting her and tiptoed my


    way out of the vi.


    Once I made my way out, a nearby car beamed its heamps, signaling me to get into it.


    When I marched over, I was shocked because a sense of familiarity struck me when I saw the vehicle


    registration te.


    Thus, I stopped holding back and sprinted over because I was afraid Marcus would get in my way and


    stop me.


    On our way to The Jade, I had been wondering if the uing session had something to do with my


    encounter with Alexander at the Ferropenian restaurant.


    I was way skinnier than I used to be. Therefore, I had a rtively different look from my previous self.


    No one could possibly tell me apart when I had merely been out for a few hours.


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    After I alighted from the car, I noticed that the other party had already gotten everything ready.


    Someone had been anticipating my arrival at the entrance of the hotel. Once I arrived, he showed me


    the way to room 608.


    It was a spacious room that was the size of two ordinary dining rooms. The room had a modern


    contemporary design that could enable the guests to enjoy themselves on top of mere dining


    experiences. When I was on my way there, the waiter told me it was an exclusive dining room limited to


    a few important guests only.


    Thus, I knew the person who had been anticipating my arrival was a member of the upper echelon.


    Shortly after I made my way in, I heard the sound of the door being opened after my walk around in the


    room.


    Someone with a pair of high heels seemed to have entered the room with a trolley.


    A few secondster, a child¡¯s mellifluous voice could be heard, expressing his frustration. ¡°Stop


    meddling with my affairs! I know what I¡¯m doing!¡±


    ¡°Gregory, can you please put everything aside when we¡¯re dining? Haven¡¯t I repeated myself over and


    over again? You need to focus on the things you¡¯re doing and take everything seriously!¡± The woman


    made herself clear in a serious manner. It was evident she truly cared about the child.


    The child pouted his lips and rebuked, ¡°No! I¡¯m not you! I need something interesting to go along with


    the meal!¡±


    Perhaps because he was way too young¡ªhe couldn¡¯t express himself and put his thoughts into proper


    sentences.


    After her first announcement, the woman raised her volume and repeated herself, ¡°Gregory Hall! I want


    you to put your tablet aside!¡±


    Unfortunately, the child went dead silent and dismissed the woman¡¯s instruction.


    That prompted the woman to yell, ¡°Now!¡±


    ¡°Hmph! You¡¯re not my mother! What makes you think you have the right to control me?¡±


    As they started bickering, the scene of a lovely mother and son duo crossed my mind. I felt bad for the


    woman, but I couldn¡¯t hold back myughter and started chuckling in silence.


    I knew it was better for an outsider to stay out of their affair. Since I was right at their blind spot, I


    inched away and took cover behind the wall.


    Suddenly, muffled sounds of steps could be heard, and the child let out a sharp cry, ¡°Hey!¡±


    Simrly, the woman greeted, ¡°Ashton.¡± It turned out that the wealthiest man in the country was there.


    Ashton ignored them and instructed the child, ¡°You¡¯re supposed to address me as your father.¡±


    In spite of having a wall in between us, I could feel Ashton¡¯s frustration. The child, who could barely


    express his thoughts, caved into his instructions and greeted, ¡°Daddy!¡±


    A few seconds after he made a silly face and stuck his tongue out, he ran away from the man he called


    his father as though he was afraid his father would teach him a lesson.


    Surprisingly, his father paid no heed to him and allowed him to run away.


    A few secondster, the woman¡¯s gentle voice could be heard, suggesting in a sincere manner,


    ¡°Ashton, it has been two months since ourst meal together. Please let me spend some time with


    Gregory.¡±

 Chapter 1413

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1413


    ¡°Sometimes, certain things in life take more than grit. If you can¡¯t educate a child, why don¡¯t you stay


    away from Gregory in the future?¡± Ashton threw a sarcastic question at the woman in a callous tone.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± The woman seemed to be startled by the man¡¯s reply.


    ¡°You can¡¯t even understand that? If that¡¯s the case, I can¡¯t possibly allow him anywhere near you.¡±


    Things grew increasingly awkward between them as Ashton deadpanned his reply.


    Irked by his response, the woman raised her volume, yet it was evident she had been trying her best to


    keep her wrath under control. ¡°No matter what, I¡¯m your fianc¨¦e! Soon, I¡¯ll be Gregory¡¯s stepmother!


    Why are you treating me like this?¡±


    Ashton fianc¨¦e? Thora?


    I felt bad for the so-called president of a listedpany because, at the end of the day, she was just


    another woman. Despite trying her best to please the man she loved, her effort was to no avail.


    Judging by her reply, this kind of interaction seemed to be the case for a long time.


    ¡°Our engagement is nothing more than an agreement between my father and yours. As long as I refuse


    to give my consent, you will not be my wife. If it weren¡¯t because of our families¡¯ rtionship, do you


    think I¡¯ll allow you to confront me in such a manner?¡±


    The man¡¯s rhetorical reply sounded more like a warning in disguise.


    I used toe across Thora on the television. She was a gorgeous woman as well, yet Ashton


    seemed to be rtively indifferent.


    Ashton ignored Thora and reached for his phone, instructing without a second thought, ¡°Joseph, pick


    Gregory up from The Jade and bring him back.¡±


    Soon, he looked at the little boy and asked, ¡°Gregory, you know what to do, don¡¯t you?¡±


    The little boy nodded and answered, ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll be waiting for Mr. Campbell!¡±


    Ashton nodded and turned to face Thora, remarking sarcastically, ¡°A little boy can read the mood in the


    room better than you. I can¡¯t help but wonder who¡¯s the one behind Ziegler Corporation¡¯s


    achievements.¡±


    Shortly after, the sounds of someone marching out of the room could be heard. I thought the little boy


    was the only one left behind because I could only hear the sound of him ying with his tablet.


    Suddenly, the voice of ss being shattered into pieces reverberated in the spacious room.


    Crack!


    It took me by surprise; the woman was way more aggressive than I had imagined. I was worried about


    the child, yet his reply proved my concerns to be unnecessary.


    The boy seemed to have gotten used to it. He started remarking sarcastically in a manner simr to his


    father¡¯s. ¡°Daddy said you should stop wasting your time if you¡¯re aware of the oue that¡¯s in store


    for you.¡±


    Oh, God! He must have learned from the best, huh? That¡¯s even more sarcastic than his father¡¯s


    remarks!


    I gasped on behalf of the pitiable Thora because she had to go through the same thing again after


    being picked on by the boy¡¯s father.


    Another woman¡¯s voice could be heard out of the blue. ¡°Why are you getting worked up over such a


    trivial issue? Are you sure you¡¯re not going to regret wasting your effort in building up your image in


    front of the child?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go ahead and give it a try? If you were in my shoes, I don¡¯t think you would be able to


    even go through a day! There¡¯s nothing I can do to get him to open up to me! He said¡­¡±


    She continued sharing the things Ashton had said with the mysterious woman in the room.


    The woman went dead silent when she heard Thora.


    In the end, Thora heaved a long sigh andined, ¡°The Hall family shouldn¡¯t have fought over the


    custody for the boy! Since Ashton has to take care of his son, he doesn¡¯t have time for me!¡±


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Enough! Aren¡¯t you aware of the things you¡¯re supposed and not supposed to talk about in front of the


    boy?¡± It was pretty obvious that the mysterious woman was superior to Thora. She had the guts to


    reprimand the woman without holding back.


    A few secondster, the other woman brought something up to divert Thora¡¯s attention. ¡°Ashton asked


    Dad out for a meal. Why don¡¯t you tag along? He¡¯s been acting like a different person since that


    incident, but the Hall family is on your side. If you can¡¯t even stand this, you should forget about


    bing his only woman. Have you seen him being romantically involved with another woman over


    the years? He¡¯s not just giving you a hard time, but it¡¯s everyone¡ª¡±


    ¡°I hate the fact that he considers me just another woman!¡± Thora was shouting at the top of her lungs,


    but she soon replied in a hushed voice a few secondster, ¡°I don¡¯t think you will ever get it. Let¡¯s forget


    about it and head over to join your father.¡±

 Chapter 1414

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1414


    ¡°Come with me.¡±


    A few seconds after the duo walked out of the private room, silence fell once again.


    I hid behind the wall for another short while. Once the room wentpletely silent, I tiptoed my way


    out.


    As soon as I reached the entrance, I had an odd feeling. When I turned around, I noticed the little boy I


    encountered on our way back home from the hospital, Gregory, had his eyes glued to me with a bright


    grin.


    He stood upright and seemed to be anticipating my arrival because he wasn¡¯t surprised by the stranger


    in the room the slightest bit.


    When I thought things were way too awkward, Gregory broke the silence and asked, ¡°Have you figured


    out everything?¡±


    Slightly taken aback by his question, I asked, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°That woman who was here a few minutes ago!¡± Gregory tucked his arm and orated, ¡°She¡¯s my father¡¯s


    fianc¨¦e, but we don¡¯t really like her! Actually, the feelings are mutual between us! Since someone has


    to marry my father, can you be the one? I like you! You look just like my mother! Can you be my


    mother?¡±


    The boy with chubby little cheeks behaved like an old man. I started chuckling, finding his choice of


    words hrious.


    I ced my hands on my knees and leaned forward to carry on with the conversation. ¡°You¡¯re not


    supposed to poke your nose into the adults¡¯ businesses. You¡¯re just a kid. On top of that, you need to


    stop addressing a random woman as your mother because that¡¯s rude.¡±


    I looked at him in the eyes and made myself clear in a serious manner, yet I got increasingly


    discouraged as I went on because I couldn¡¯t bring myself to get mad at such a cute little boy.


    To be honest, I could barely suppress the urge to pinch his chubby little cheeks ¨C he was too adorable.


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    On the other hand, Gregory seemed to have misperceived my words as he asked sulkily, ¡°Do you hate


    me?¡±


    What? How could I possibly hate you when you¡¯re so adorable?


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean it. I¡ª¡±


    ¡°You like me, don¡¯t you?¡± Gregory interrupted me and asked rhetorically. He held his chest high and


    announced, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! My father is a great man! He will take good care of you! As long as you


    promise me to marry him, I¡¯ll deal with the rest!¡±


    I found his reaction hrious and asked, ¡°What do you mean by dealing with the rest? What are you


    going to do?¡±


    Once again, the young boy announced with his chest held high, ¡°My aunt told me I can get myself


    another few siblings if I get Daddy to spend more time with that woman. Since I don¡¯t like her, I¡¯ll get


    Daddy to spend more time with you to get myself another few siblings!¡±


    I gaped at his reply because the things he had been exposed to weren¡¯t supposed to be shared with a


    child of his age. Perhaps he had inherited the gics of the prodigy¡ªhis critical thinking skills were


    top notch.


    With that being said, he was way too na?ve in which he had approached a random woman on the


    streets for the task.


    After I took a deep breath and regained myposure, I stepped forward and caressed his head,


    exining patiently, ¡°It takes more than spending time together to bring two adults together. I can agree


    to help, but your father may not have any feelings for me. If that¡¯s the case, things will end up miserably


    and cause both of us a lot of trouble. You¡¯re not supposed to do such things, okay?¡±


    Halfway through my orated speech, his father¡¯s sarcastic remark shed back in my mind¡ªhave you


    always considered your father a man with bad taste?


    I should have been more precise with my choice of words because I was certain Ashton didn¡¯t have a


    thing for me.


    Shrugging my shoulders with a self-deprecating smirk, I said, ¡°Alright, I need to leave because I¡¯m here


    to meet someone. Stay here and wait for your uncle¡¯s arrival, okay?¡±


    Once I was done, I brought myself up in an attempt to leave the room, but I could feel a chubby hand


    on my thumb.


    When I lowered my gaze, I saw his abysmal pair of eyes. He said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to head anywhere


    because I¡¯m the one who asked you out.¡±


    ¡°You did?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe my ears¡ªno ordinary six-year-old little boy could execute such a wless n,


    including bribing someone to send me a note and sending a chauffeur my way to bring me to the hotel.


    Nodding, the little boy repeated the content of the note, ¡°Meet me at The Jade at nine o¡¯clock. I¡¯ll be


    waiting for you in room 608.¡±

 Chapter 1415

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1415


    That single statement had me convinced; he had managed to repeat the contents of the note without


    fail.


    It wouldn¡¯t be much of a surprise for a six-year-old boy from such a renowned family to be able to


    produce such neat handwriting. However, it was tough to believe he could get so many people to do his


    biddings.


    Crouching, I held his arms and asked with a serious expression, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to lie, okay? Tell


    me the truth! Do you know the one who asked me over?¡±


    ¡°Do you not believe me?¡± As Gregory asked, he walked over and essed his tablet. The moment he


    took his seat, he started executing a series ofmands. If I hadn¡¯t been there to witness it, I wouldn¡¯t


    believe have believed he had such a mature side.


    Since he had dove right into it, in fear of interrupting him, I had to sneak my way over to check on the


    things he was up to.


    Countless rows of codes could be seen on the screen as Gregory swiftly ran his chubby fingers across


    the keyboard.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    After a short while, arge notification was prompted on the screen¡ªSess!


    He seemed to have gained ess to another person¡¯s device.


    I asked, ¡°Did you hack someone?¡±


    The little boy exined in a mellifluous tone, ¡°Nah, I have merely edited a program and disguised


    myself as Daddy. I dropped our chauffeur and Mr. Campbell a text, acting as though I¡¯m my father.


    They approached you and brought you over because they thought it was Daddy¡¯s instructions.¡±


    It turned out that he had been manipting his father¡¯s subordinates in a rather creative and


    complicated method.


    With that being said, the thing that surprised me the most was the fact he could easily execute


    countlessplicatedmands to edit the software.


    However, I still had my fair share of doubts. Thus, I looked at the screen and repeated my question,


    ¡°Are you really the one behind the note?¡±


    ¡°Mmm!¡± Gregory nodded with a determined look. He must be afraid I wouldn¡¯t trust him.


    I secretly sized him up and wondered if I should consider myself lucky.


    Initially, I had thought I could regain a part of my lost memories, yet I had been brought over for


    something else.


    I can¡¯t possibly pick on the child and ruin his day, right? After all, he merely wished to see me in person.


    Sighing, I returned his tablet to him and put on a stern front, seriously warning him, ¡°You¡¯re smart, but


    you¡¯re not allowed to keep your father in the dark anymore if you¡¯re going to meet another stranger in


    person. You¡¯re the son of the wealthiest man in the country. If anyone figures out your identity, you¡¯re


    going to be in huge trouble, okay?¡±


    I had a hard time figuring out if the child couldprehend my words when he began blinking his eyes


    rapidly.


    I wasn¡¯t in the mood to teach someone else¡¯s son on their behalf anymore. ¡°Alright, since you have


    seen me, and I have turned you down, I guess it¡¯s the end of our session today. It¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯ll be


    heading back now. Goodbye.¡±


    Just as I was about to leave, the young boy stopped me and begged with his face puckered in a


    pitiable manner, ¡°What do you need from me to be my mother?¡±


    I actually started feeling bad when I heard him crying. It was indeed an odd sensation for a woman who


    had never given birth.


    When I was about to say something, a stern voice could be heard, yelling at the entrance, ¡°Stop fooling


    around!¡±


    The moment I turned around, someone had barged into the private room.


    Ashton was dressed in a gray suit and a pair of suit pants that didn¡¯t have a single wrinkle on them. His


    neatlybed hair matched his public image; he had always shown up on the television in such a


    manner.


    He nced at me before asking the little boy with a straight face, ¡°Are you going to move away from


    her or not?¡±


    When the little boy heard his father¡¯s question, he red at him and yelled, ¡°No! I want her to be my


    mother! I don¡¯t want anyone else!¡±


    It was such an awkward scene to be a part of. With no idea on how to deal with the awkwardness, I


    began with a smile, ¡°I think he¡¯s missing his mother¡­¡±


    ¡°If that wasn¡¯t the case, do you think you could get the better of him?¡± Ashton deadpanned his reply. I


    couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the man was human.

 Chapter 1416

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1416


    I was rendered speechless by his harsh remark. ¡°Mr. Fuller, I think you have misunderstood me¡ª¡±


    He strode over and brought Gregory away from me with brute force before I could finish my sentence.


    ¡°There are a lot of women who wish to be Mrs. Fuller, yet no one has tried something as silly as


    this.¡±


    Halfway through his speech, he paused and signaled Gregory to stay away from me. Although the little


    boy was stubborn, he dared not defy his father¡¯s instructions. Albeit unreluctantly, he inched away from


    me.


    Ashton looked at me and spat out, ¡°You¡¯re a smart woman because you¡¯re capable of utilizing your


    strength. Unfortunately, you have picked the wrong target. If you wish to be my wife, why don¡¯t


    youe after me? You better stay away from him in the future. Otherwise, get yourself ready for the


    things that are in store for you.¡±


    Huh? Is that a warning? Why does he make himself sound so superior?


    At that point, I had had enough of the man¡¯s arrogant remark. Suppressing my wrath, I repeated


    myself, ¡°I¡¯ll make myself clear for onest time¡ªthis is nothing more than a misunderstanding. I have


    no intention to approach your son, let alone be your wife. Although you¡¯re not half bad in terms of look,


    you¡¯re nothing more than a single parent with a son. I don¡¯t see the need to waste my time with you.¡±


    Since he didn¡¯t bother to hold back against me, I decided to return the favor and went all out in front of


    him.


    The man frowned when he heard my words. I could detect a hint of frustration through his eyes that


    had narrowed to a slit.


    There wasn¡¯t anything else I could do to prove myself innocent because he seemed to have gotten


    used to different women saying the same things.


    Okay! Considering he¡¯s such an exceptional bachelor with a great look and sturdy figure, it¡¯s not


    entirely impossible for those who have ulterior goals to approach his son to win him over!


    If hepares me to those with ulterior goals, it makes me seem as suspicious as them!


    ¡°Since you think I¡¯m up to something else, I¡¯ll leave you and your son alone at once! Also, you should


    really keep a closer eye on your son. Goodbye!¡±


    ¡°Mommy!¡±


    I was about to leave, but the moment I heard the little boy¡¯s voice, I brought myself to a halt and turned


    around to look at him for onest time. In the end, I gritted my teeth and walked out of the room.


    I¡¯m so sorry, Gregory! It¡¯s your father¡¯s fault! He¡¯s such an irritating man!


    Once I got out of The Jade, the chauffeur that had brought me there was still around. Therefore, I


    asked him to bring me back to Marcus¡¯ ce.


    As always, those in the vi had long tucked themselves in. Only a mere few faint sources of


    illumination were avable. I tiptoed my way back into the vi, afraid of waking others up.


    On top of being dehydrated after heading out for two hours, I was afraid of being busted. My thirst


    became unbearable when I reached the stairs, so I had no choice but to revert to the kitchen to get


    myself a ss of water.


    The light in the living room switched on the moment I stepped out of the kitchen. I looked in the


    direction of the door and noticed Marcus, who was in a set of gray pajamas, craned over and looking at


    me.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    He broke the silence before I could provide an excuse. ¡°Have you run out of water in your room?¡±


    As he had brought up the perfect excuse for me to disguise my trip, I yed along with him and


    nodded. ¡°Mmm. I have gulped down the entire bottle of water in my room because I¡¯m thirsty.¡±


    He nodded and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about the utility bills. Just switch on the light if you¡¯re


    heading downstairs.¡±


    When I was about to say something, he suggested, ¡°I¡¯ll head out and get you a few sets of pajamas


    tomorrow.¡±


    Once he was done, he returned to his room, leaving me behind.


    It took me some time to snap out of confusion. I looked down to stare at the set of casual clothes I had


    on and soon lost myself in another train of thoughts.


    ¡­


    I had a hard time falling asleep after the encounter with Gregory. I med it on a woman¡¯s nature for


    being overly motherly.


    In the end, I ended up tossing and turning on the bed until five o¡¯clock in the morning. When I had


    enough of wasting my time, I got up and decided to head over to the kitchen.


    Marcus always had someone to send different types of ingredients over on a daily basis. In other


    words, there were different types of ingredients avable in the kitchen.


    Oddly, the proper way to prepare the different ingredients avable would pop up in my mind. I


    wondered if it had something to do with my survivor¡¯s instinct. I ended up preparing different ingredients


    for a few dishes I had in mind.

 Chapter 1417

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1417


    ¡°What put you in such a great mood?¡±


    When Marcus showed up, I was in the middle of heating the milk.


    ¡°I decided to give cooking a try because I couldn¡¯t bring myself to sleep. Speaking of which, it turns out


    I can cook.¡±


    I once thought I couldn¡¯t cook. Therefore, I was startled when I started preparing the ingredients as


    though it was not a big deal.


    A woman will learn how to cook after they find someone worthy of their time and effort.


    That particr quote crossed my mind, causing me to think I must have brushed up my culinary skills


    when I was deeply in love with Marcus.


    He stared at me for a few seconds. Smiling, he suggested, ¡°You need to consider your condition before


    engaging in such things. You have just recovered. It¡¯s fine to have the maids deal with these.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m well aware of my limits. I actually feel better after getting myself involved in some


    activities.¡±


    The milk hadpletely heated up once we wrapped up our conversation. I poured each of us a ss


    and brought them to the dining hall. ¡°Care to join me for breakfast?¡±


    After a few minutes, he said, ¡°I need to return to thepany for a meeting. Once I¡¯m done, I¡¯ll be back


    and bring you out for lunch with me.¡±


    I replied without thinking much, ¡°You don¡¯t have to trouble yourself. I can just make myself something to


    eat.¡±


    He fell silent for a short while, but then insisted, ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about me because I¡¯m merely an amnesiac¡­ I¡¯m not handicapped. I can still


    take care of myself. If I don¡¯t start doing that, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll turn into azy bum.¡±


    The conversation was wrapped up with a smile from Marcus.


    After we had our meal, he returned to thepany. Knowing that the maid would have everything in


    the kitchen washed up, I retrieved some gardening tools with me and headed over to the courtyard.


    While watering the nts, I caught a glimpse of the afterimage of two figures with the corner of my


    eyes. When I looked ahead, I saw a male and a female sneaking their way around the building.


    The man seemed to be in his best fit, but the woman by his side had a rtively casual set of outfits¡ª


    an oversized trench coat with a floral print dress and shades to go along.


    I stared at them for a few seconds and wondered if I should call for help.


    Suddenly, the cool-looking woman removed her shades and bypassed the wall, sprinting in my


    direction. Startled by the clicking sound of her high heels, I had a hard time grasping the situation. By


    the time I returned to my senses, I was already in between her embrace.


    ¡°Scarlett! It¡¯s you! I thought Alexander had gotten the wrong person!¡±


    Confused by the situation, I stayed in between her embrace awkwardly. It took me a few minutes to


    gather my thoughts. ¡°M-Miss, may I know¡ª¡±


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Why are you being so courteous around me? I¡¯m Emery!¡±


    Emery took a step back and started sizing me up. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she announced, ¡°I


    had a hard time recognizing you because you¡¯re so skinny!¡±


    After being unconscious for six years, my appearance had undergone drastic changes. On top of that,


    after the long night I had, I seemed rtively pale and haggard.


    I tried my best to recall the woman in front of me, yet my effort was to no avail. ¡°You¡¯re Emery?¡±


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯m Emery! The one and only Emery Moore of yours in this world!¡± Her words were barely audible


    as she started sniffling once her emotions came flooding out.


    The cool-looking woman had actually burst into tears in front of me.


    She didn¡¯t bother concealing her emotions. Muttering to herself in an aggrieved tone, she started


    sharing all sorts of things with me.


    ¡°Why have you not returned to us? Are you aware we have been searching for you over the years?¡±


    ¡°Emery.¡±


    The man in his best fit approached the wailing woman and ced his hands on her shoulders to


    console her.


    After he removed his cap, his face could be seen. It was Alexander whom I had encountered back in


    the restaurant a few days ago.


    I figured that the woman was also acquainted with me since they had shown up together. Unfortunately,


    I couldn¡¯t recall anything at all in spite of her wailing in front of me. I wasn¡¯t sure if I should say


    something to console her, but after much considerations, I said, ¡°Ms. Moore, please calm down.¡±


    When she heard me, she got increasingly worked up and yelled, ¡°Ms. Moore? Have you really forgotten


    us after being away for six years?¡±

 Chapter 1418

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1418


    Emery didn¡¯t seem like a pretentious woman. She must have wailed to the extent of her makeup being


    smudged because something serious had gotten to her.


    I ran out of ideas on how to console the dejected woman, so I only had one way of action left¡ªto show


    them the way into the house first.


    After Emery touched upon her makeup and made her way out of the washroom, she finally regained


    herposure.


    Once the maids served us a pot of tea, I dismissed them and served the couple a cup each.


    Sitting on the couch, Emery had her eyes glued to me as though she was afraid I would disappear into


    thin air the moment she tried to blink her eyes.


    Not used to it, I shot her an apologetic smile, hoping she would stop. After I handed over the tea to


    them, I asked, ¡°How have you been over the years?¡±


    At my question, Emery ced her cup aside without a second thought. Nodding to indicate everything


    was fine, she asked in return, ¡°What about you? Why have you changed so much in terms of looks?¡±


    As a result of her anxious expression, I chuckled lightly. ¡°To be honest, I have no idea because I looked


    like this once I regained consciousness. On top of that¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine! It doesn¡¯t matter if you can¡¯t recall anything! We have the rest of our lives, so we can just


    create more memories together!¡± The way she spoke made me feel as if the fact of me being an


    amnesiac wasn¡¯t a big deal.


    Alexander must have mentioned I was an amnesiac. However, she seemed to be thrilled to figure out I


    was safe and sound. Perhaps me being alive was the only great news she needed.


    Judging by her response, I knew she had been telling the truth¡ªwe must have been best friends back


    in the day.


    Initially, I had thought I could acquire the fragments of my lost memories through Emery.


    Things were now slightly different from what I imagined the moment Emery asked me to tell her


    everything about me since the day I regained consciousness.


    There wasn¡¯t much to share because apart from Marcus, they were the only ones who had shown up. I


    didn¡¯t bring up my encounter with the wealthiest man in the country because I was still mad at him.


    It felt great to have Emery by my side, and we talked about all sorts of things, only stopping when the


    clock strikes eleven.


    Since it was about time for lunch, I got up from the couch and suggested, ¡°Shall we have a meal


    together to celebrate such a rare asion?¡±


    Emery had no intention to turn me down at all. Instead, she added, ¡°Of course! I won¡¯t leave even if you


    try to chase me away!¡±


    It feltfortable being around her because she behaved as though she was in her home.


    When I was about to reach the kitchen, I heard Emery whispering something in Alexander¡¯s ear, but


    her voice was too soft for me to understand what she was saying.


    Shortly after I entered the kitchen, she showed up to keep mepany.


    ¡°Ms. Moore, why don¡¯t you wait for me in the living room? It will only take a few minutes.¡±


    Emery sighed and stated, ¡°I still preferred being addressed as Emery.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    ¡°Forget about that. Let me help. You can always use another pair of hands to get things done sooner


    than usual, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a guest. I¡¯m not supposed to¡ª¡±


    ¡°You need to stop being so courteous. I have never considered myself a guest.¡±


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    ¡­


    Since the maid and Emery were in the kitchen to help me, we had the meal prepared within half an


    hour.


    Just as we were about to have our meal, I heard the sound of a car¡¯s engine being turned off.


    Once Marcus marched into the foyer, he paused when he saw the guests in the dining hall.


    I caught his eyes flickering, but it merelysted for a second. He soon greeted the guests with a smile.


    Once he approached us, he said, ¡°You should have informed me of our guests¡¯ arrival. I could have


    gotten a few extra dishes to treat them.¡±


    He sounded like a weing household leader.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have the chance to inform you because it was a spontaneous agenda.¡± I turned around and


    instructed the maid to get another set of cutleries over.


    ncing at him, I said, ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t be back.¡±


    He responded with a smile and took a seat next to me. ¡°Why don¡¯t you introduce us to one another?¡±


    It felt odd when he ced his arm on my chair, making it seem like I was in his embrace.


    Am I overthinking things again? Why do I feel like he¡¯s trying to assert dominance over me in front of


    them?


    I get that we used to be engaged, but we had agreed to start all over again as friends¡­ Oddly, when


    someone showed up, Marcus started asserting dominance over me despite his promise.

 Chapter 1419

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1419


    Was Marcus always insecure like that?


    I spaced out for a moment before making introductions. ¡°This is Mr. Zimmerman¨CYou¡¯ve met him at the


    restaurant. This is Emery Moore.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Ms. Moore,¡± Marcus said, his arm outstretched. ¡°I am Marcus White.¡± They shook


    hands gently.


    When Emery took his hand, she tightened her grip deliberately. ¡°Mr. White, it¡¯s only been a few years.


    Don¡¯t you don¡¯t recognize me already?¡±


    ¡°Do you know each other?¡± I asked.


    Marcus looked pale and nced at Alexander. It was subtle but I noticed it.


    Alexander received the signal. He separated them both,ing up with an excuse as he did so. ¡°All of


    you grew up in K City together. What¡¯s more, you¡¯re Scarlett¡¯s friend. It¡¯s not unusual for you to have


    crossed paths before. You could also have crossed paths before; who knows? This is fate. Come, let¡¯s


    talk about it over lunch.¡±


    Emery red at Alexander for yanking her arm away. She turned and stared at Marcus. I was surprised


    to see hostility in her beautiful eyes. She looked as though she had wanted to say something but


    thought the better of it.


    Anyone with brains could have seen that there was something fishy between those two, but it was


    ambiguous enough to keep me guessing.


    Thus, the meal was passed in strained silence.


    Marcus did not go upstairs immediately after dinner. He apanied me and the maid to put away the


    dishes. Our actions were like a seasoned married couple.


    I noticed that Emery was extremely unhappy.


    These three must be hiding something from me.


    After some chatter, I acted drowsy as an excuse to go upstairs. ¡°Marcus, please entertain Ms. Moore


    and Mr. Zimmerman for the moment. I¡¯m feeling sleepy after the medication. I¡¯ll just be upstairs resting


    for a bit.¡±


    ¡°Go on,¡± Marcus said unsuspectingly as he got up to help me to the stairs. I went up and disappeared


    around the bend.


    After ensuring that I was out of sight of everybody downstairs, I pressed my back against the wall to


    eavesdrop on the conversation taking ce below. Hearing Marcus turn back to the living room, I


    hurriedly tiptoed back and snuck behind the pir of the veranda. When I was well hidden enough, I


    peered over to inspect the situation downstairs.


    Emery¡¯s cold voice rang out before Marcus sat down. ¡°We have exhaustedrge amounts of resources


    to search for Scarlett all over the world. And here you are hiding her from under the noses of the


    Stovall and Moore family. Marcus, should I call you smart or brazen?¡±


    Marcus smiled pleasantly. ¡°I¡¯d take that as apliment. Thank you.¡±


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    After interacting with him for such a long time, this was the first time I was witnessing his arrogance.


    ¡°When are you nning on telling Scarlett the truth?¡± Emery demanded.


    ¡°The truth?¡± Marcus retorted. ¡°What truth? The truth was that I have been caring for her for six years,


    as everyone can see. Scarlett had died that year as you know it. The Scarlett you¡¯ve met is just a


    lookalike.¡±


    Marcus paused to draw breath. His hands were interlocked at the fingers on his knees with an


    expression of sternness on his face. ¡°I think I¡¯ve made myself very clear with Mr. Zimmerman. My


    fianc¨¦e has a good life now. I do not wish for anyone to bother her again, including you and other


    irrelevant people.¡±


    ¡°Hah!¡± Emery shouted. ¡°You¡¯re insane. What right do you have to make decisions for Scarlett? She has


    a family and her own happiness. What¡¯s more, she had rejected you a long time ago. Don¡¯t you think


    that this opportunistic behavior of yours is depraved?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Marcus stated nonchntly as he leaned back.


    ¡°I just want her to have a good life. I don¡¯t care about anything other than that.¡±


    ¡°But Scarlett cares. Doesn¡¯t that¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough.¡± Marcus did not give Emery a chance to rebut. With a look of impatience, he continued, ¡°I¡¯m


    not in the mood to listen to your lecture. You just need to know that if it weren¡¯t for me, Scarlett wouldn¡¯t


    have been able to rid herself of Armond. Now that Armond is dead, she has no more threats. I can¡¯t


    possibly let her go through that suffering again! Only I am capable of caring for her. You don¡¯t have to


    come and visit anymore.¡±

 Chapter 1420

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1420


    ¡°Impossible,¡± Emery argued. ¡°Don¡¯t think that you can imprison her forever. I am her best friend. The


    Stovall family¡­¡±


    ¡°The Stovalls?¡± Marcusughed coldly. ¡°Not even a death obituary could stop it. Do you think that she


    would be able to live in peace if we returned to the past?¡±


    At the mention of this, Emery was speechless.


    Marcus took the opportunity to get up and adjust his coat. At the same time, he haughtily said, ¡°I can¡¯t


    take it back now. Rather than having all of us live in confusion from now on, let¡¯s pretend that Scarlett


    doesn¡¯t exist anymore. I will arrange for her to take on a new identity. If you really want the best for her,


    you would mind your own business.¡±


    Alexander could not bear the sight of Emery being speechless with anger. ¡°Marcus, watch yourself!¡± he


    warned.


    Marcus pretended not to hear him. ¡°See our guests out,¡± he called out to the maid.


    Alexander was probably not used to being asked to leave. Being young and brash, he stood up and


    raised his arm but was stopped by Emery. Without another word, they departed together.


    Marcus watched their backs disappear and was motionless for a moment. Suddenly, as if he had a


    sixth sense, he turned to look upstairs where I was.


    I was still in a daze processing what I¡¯d learnt when Marcus turned to look at me. I narrowly missed


    being spotted by retracting my neck violently.


    The night was peaceful but my emotions were in turmoil.


    Emery and Marcus had my best interests in mind from different angles. However, they made the same


    decision of hiding it from me.


    The old memories buried deep in my subconsciousness¨Cwere they really as unbearable as everyone


    made it sound?


    If they were worth cherishing, where did the pain and sufferinge from?


    I realized that even I was unaware if I could bear the consequences of rediscovering my lost memories.


    After that day, I led a dull, dreary existence thatsted for a long time.


    Marcus was left to his office by day, leaving me alone at home like a full-time housewife. Other than the


    asional foray out of the house to kill my boredom, my life basically revolved around the daily


    happenings of the vi.


    It was likely caused by having plenty of rest that I have recovered exceptionally well. Though I still had


    trouble putting on weight, my mental health wasparable to an ordinary functional human being. At


    least I didn¡¯t spend two-thirds of the day sleeping anymore.


    Marcus gave me a new phone. It waspletely foreign to me and I did not know how to use it.


    One day, Emery called me.


    ¡°Scarlett, let¡¯s go out shopping. I¡¯m outside your door. Come on.¡±


    Before I had managed to ask her how she had gotten my number, she hung up on me.


    When women hear the phrase ¡°shopping¡±, they would be very excited; I was no exception. After a


    hasty change into something simple andfortable, I exited the house into Emery¡¯s car.


    ¡°How¡¯s life with Marcus?¡± Emery asked with forced casualness as I sat down.


    ¡°Not too bad.¡±


    Marcus and I were rather courteous towards each other. During this period of being with him, we began


    to run out of things to talk about. asionally when I mentioned the past, he would calmly divert the


    subject of conversation. Though I knew that it was done in my protection, I still thought that it was an


    overreaction on his part.


    The fact that Marcus was not in a hurry to repair our rtionship had put me at ease.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Emery nodded thoughtfully. She looked as though she had something to say but after a


    pause, she decided to let it slide.


    Soon, we arrived at thergest mall of the city center.


    Emery had practically emptied out the outlets of designer clothing in a frenzied spree, to the shock and


    awe of an ordinary citizen like me. Nevertheless, the art of selecting and filtering products in a retail


    store was a familiar process to me, and I spent an enjoyable afternoon in Emery¡¯spany just


    chatting and shopping.


    The only person I interacted with in Marcus¡¯s house was the maid. They treated me as the mistress of


    the house. Whenever I made some lighthearted banter, there always seemed to be a distance between


    us.


    It was azy afternoon well spent. As we were leaving the mall, we were suddenly hounded by the


    paparazzi.


    Over the past six years, Alexander had dabbled in showbusiness in K City. He became famous


    overnight after receiving the award for the best actor. As his girlfriend, Emery was ced under the


    constant spotlight. People were desperate for a slice of gossip in regards to Alexander¡¯s private life.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

 Chapter 1421

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1421


    ¡°Scarlett, let¡¯s look for a ce to hide!¡± Emery cried as she frantically pulled my arm and ran back from


    where we came. I felt like a stiff mannequin being dragged along for the ride.


    The paparazzi were not professionals in their field for nothing; in the blink of an eye, they were in full


    pursuit and soon ran us down and separated us.


    Emery felt overwhelmed and could have barely taken care of herself, much less of me. She kept


    running and soon led the paparazzi off.


    They came and went like a hurricane. Their target identified, the paparazzi pursued with full force. In


    other words, Emery had ¡°sacrificed¡± herself.


    I was just about to head out and hail a cab when a casual nce around stopped me in my tracks in


    surprise. Gregory was at the entrance staring at me. His charming features were alight with delighted


    mischief.


    ¡°Mommy, I ran into you again!¡±


    Was this how rich families cared for their six-year-old children?


    He was the heir apparent of the Fuller family. By standing still unsupervised, he became an easy target


    for kidnappers. There wasn¡¯t a bodyguard anywhere near him.


    I walked over and knelt down next to him. ¡°Why are you here all alone?¡±


    Emery invited me out atst minute. Even if Gregory was precocious enough, it would have been


    impossible for him to know ahead of time to intercept us.


    As soon as I spoke, the wunderkind suddenly pouted. He tugged on my thumb and said in a pitiful


    voice. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m lost. I¡¯m scared.¡±


    What?


    Child, you had harnessed your father¡¯s resources on your own to make an appointment with a stranger.


    It wouldn¡¯t do for you to be so pathetic at such a young age!


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m here. No one will capture you.¡± In the end, I gave in to him. I tousled his hair in an attempt


    tofort him as I picked up my phone. ¡°Greg, what¡¯s your Daddy¡¯s number?¡±


    As soon as I unlocked my phone, Gregory snatched it off my hands. ¡°Let me do it, Mommy,¡± he said.


    ¡°Daddy is at work; I am not allowed to call him. I¡¯ll just text the bodyguard and tell him where I am.¡±


    To my amazement, the child sent out a text with a fluent understanding of my device right in front of my


    eyes. It took him less than a minute.


    ¡°Alright, Mommy. Mr. Campbell will be along to pick me up soon,¡± Gregory said smugly as he handed


    the phone back to me.


    I heaved a sigh and took the phone from him.


    I saw clearly how Gregory had drafted the text. He had even entered the precise location of the mall we


    were in. The ability to recite phone numbers without hesitation seemed second nature to him; he did it


    all without even breaking a sweat.


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    I even suspected that he would have been able to find his way home by himself if he wanted to.


    At this point, I was ready to leave. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll take you to the mall security.¡±


    Gregory tugged on my sleeve with an even more pitiful look on his face than before. ¡°Mommy, you


    aren¡¯t going to abandon me, are you? I¡¯m scared to be alone¡­¡±


    As women, our hearts are the softest when confronted with adorable children, especially when they


    were being coy. I was still able to muster a look of cold indifference earlier, but at this point, I would


    consider myself mollified.


    After all, we weren¡¯t waiting for Ashton toe. It would be fine to keep the childpany a little


    longer. If I went home now, I would just be having a staring contest with the potted nts.


    We decided to look for a safe ce to wait.


    We passed a fast food restaurant and Gregory stopped in his tracks. His beady little eyes were fixated


    on the fries and burgers on the menu.


    Children were greedy, after all. I was just curious about the fact about rich people having a fondness for


    such unhealthy food.


    ¡°Greg, would you like a burger?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Gregory said calmly with a nod. ¡°I¡¯d like to give it a try, for Daddy never lets me have any.¡±


    He turned to me. ¡°He¡¯s very bossy and unreasonable. A fascist.¡±


    I was stunned. Suddenly, I recalled the other day at The Jade when I heard a kid yell ¡°Ashy¡±. So it was


    him.


    Gregory was unusually brazen to call Ashton that.

 Chapter 1422

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1422


    At the sight of me hesitating, Gregory lowered his voice. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯ll just try a bite. I won¡¯t eat more


    than that, okay?¡±


    I understood now. Gregory was the same as his father; information had to be repeated to them multiple


    times!


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind treating you, but you mustn¡¯t call me Mommy anymore. Deal?¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡± Gregory shed a wide smile and pulled me by the arm into the shop. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Ms.


    Stovall!¡±


    Gregory ordered a set meal for children on top of one of each of the best-selling items on the menu. A


    table for two was soon filled up.


    The child was true to his word; he literally tried a bite of everything. The only thing he was particrly


    fond of was the sundae.


    ¡°I thought only girls like sweet things, Gregory?¡± I teased him.


    As soon as I said that, he put down his spoon and wiped his lips in a dignified manner, refusing to


    touch another spoonful.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m just messing with you. Carry on,¡± I said as I pushed the chocte sundae back in front of him.


    ¡°That will be enough,¡± Gregory said with a solemn shake of his head.


    ¡°Really?¡± I probed him. Children are greedy.


    Gregory nodded again determinedly. ¡°Statistics show that an excessive consumption of deep-fried and


    sweet food is harmful to the body,¡± he said in a serious manner.


    I couldn¡¯t decide whether the child before me was a six-year-old or a genius who was familiar with the


    workings of the world. After a stunned silence, I said, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, shouldn¡¯t you abstain from


    thempletely?¡±


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t do you any harm in small portions. The more Daddy forbids me, the more I want to try.


    I¡¯m a child; it¡¯s normal for me to not be able to restrain my urges!¡±


    His arrogant expression was bizarre. If it was normal for a child to not being able to reason, doesn¡¯t it


    make amodating him a grievous sin?


    At the thought of this, I felt a pang of guilt, like a bright spotlight following me around. I looked up


    instinctively and jumped as I caught sight of a pair of cold eyes outside of the ss.


    Ashton stood outside the restaurant with a straight face, but the coldness that he was exuding


    permeated invasively through the ss and lowered the ambient temperature in the restaurant by


    several degrees.


    The guilty feeling solidified instantly upon looking into his eyes.


    When I had regained my senses, Ashton was already walking in.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Ashy!¡± Gregory called cheekily and stood up as he caught sight of Ashton.


    ¡°What are you supposed to call me?¡± Ashton asked coldly with a frown.


    Gregory chuckled to himself as he hugged Ashton¡¯s thigh. ¡°Daddy!¡±


    Ashton¡¯s eyes shed with helplessness but did not lose his temper. I stood up slowly.


    As I was about to say something, Gregory came to my rescue. ¡°Daddy, have you seen Ms. Ziegler?


    She said she would pick me up in a while but it¡¯s been a long time and she hasn¡¯t shown up yet. The


    adults here at the mall were ignoring me. Only Ms. Stovall was willing to lend me her phone. I


    remembered that I shouldn¡¯t call you unnecessarily. Aren¡¯t I clever?¡±


    What?


    Thora left him here? Why didn¡¯t he say so?


    Besides, with Gregory¡¯s ability to be coy, what kind of a normal adult would bear to leave him behind?


    After he intentionally emphasized my role again, it looked as if I taught the child to say some good


    words to im the credit on my behalf.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Ashton grunted indifferently before looking up at me. The depths of his dark eyes made


    guessing his thoughts impossible.


    Businessmen thought very deeply. Furthermore, we have had an interaction before. It wasn¡¯t an


    experience I wished to repeat in a hurry.


    ¡°You have your child now. I won¡¯t bother you anymore. I¡¯ve got to go.¡±


    I retrieved my purse. ¡°Goodbye Gregory, listen to your Dad, will you?¡±


    The indifferent and conceited man before me suddenly spoke up. ¡°Thank you for caring for Gregory


    today. How can I return this favor?¡± I was stunned as I did not expect him to be so courteous. ¡°There¡¯s


    no need.¡± I shook my head with a smile. ¡°Gregory is adorable. Anybody who runs into him wouldn¡¯t


    ignore him. I know it¡¯s not my ce to say this, but though it¡¯s important to earn money, please do not


    forget the safety of your family. If possible, you should assign a couple of bodyguards for Gregory.¡±

 Chapter 1423

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1423


    I did not intend to meddle; I simply cared for the boy and did not wish for him to be harmed. His father


    was too busy earning a living outside to care much. Today, he was abandoned by his future


    stepmother. Who knows what would happen tomorrow?


    With those thoughts in mind, I couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for the little fellow. It looked like he was born


    with a silver spoon in his mouth. It was not necessarily all sunshine and rainbows for him.


    Ashton¡¯s face changed at my words. He stared at me with an odd look in his eyes.


    I was ufortable with being scrutinized like that and was about toe up with an excuse to leave


    when the phone in my purse rang. I extracted it only to discover that it was Emery.


    ¡°How¡¯s everything? Are you home yet?¡± Emery sounded remorseful. ¡°It was all my fault; I should have


    nned for this beforehand. It was such a rare asion that we got to hang out and now it¡¯s all


    ruined.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s alright,¡± I consoled her. ¡°We can do this again some time. I walked around by myself for a bit


    and was preparing to leave. I¡¯ll give you a call once I reach home.¡±


    I had been chatting with Gregory non-stop after we had ordered, and hadpletely forgotten about


    Emery.


    I ended the call but the screen remained bright as a call from Marcus came in.


    It was silent on his end except for his voice. ¡°Have you gone out?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I nced at my watch and realized that it was almost seven; he would have gotten off work by


    now. ¡°I went shopping with Emery and lost track of time. I¡¯ming home.¡±


    ¡°Send me the address and wait for me there.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll hail a cab. I¡¯m not that spoiled.¡±


    I wouldn¡¯t be able to argue with him if this went on. The only thing I could do was to forcefully hang up.


    As a result, I left the mall apanied by Ashton and his son.


    It could be due to the father-and-son duo¡¯s attractiveness that cause many to nce in our direction as


    we were walking.


    At the entrance of the mall, we discovered that it was pouring outside.


    The rain did not help matters in regards to the traffic conditions. Being close to seven, the roads would


    be congested. To hail a cab under these circumstances waspletely based on luck at this point.


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, why don¡¯t you catch a ride with us?¡± Gregory asked with a tug on my sleeve. Before I


    could respond, he turned hisrge watery eyes toward his father. ¡°Daddy, Ms. Stovall has been kind to


    me today. Can we give her a ride home?¡±


    Ashton stood silent without a reply.


    We were all adults; it wouldn¡¯t do to disy our rejection too overtly.


    I was about to respectfully decline when Ashton spoke in a low voice. ¡°I¡¯ll drive the car over. Watch the


    boy.¡±


    I looked up and he was already leaving the mall.


    Soon, Ashton returned with his ck Maybach to the hotel entrance. Though it was drenched in rain,


    his prestigious status was on full disy.


    I was deliberating on whether I should get in when the mall security held an umbre over me and


    Gregory.


    With courteous gestures, he practically shoved us onto Ashton¡¯s car. I had no choice but to allow


    myself to be chauffeured.


    ¡°Oh yeah! We¡¯re going to Ms. Stovall¡¯s home!¡± Gregory cheered excitedly in the car.


    I reached out and tousled his hair with a smile. I did not speak to Ashton after providing him with the


    address.


    Ashton drove intently with Gregory and I in the back seat. We chatted the entire journey in a rare


    moment of camaraderie.


    Ashton looked back at us through his rearview mirror and seemed distracted. I wasn¡¯t sure if he was


    feeling wary toward me as I noticed that he stole nces at me more often than was necessary, as if


    he was studying me.


    It wasn¡¯t a pleasant feeling to be suspected like that. The strangest thing was that this car did not feel


    unfamiliar to me at all.


    It bothered me and made me feel somber and thoughtful throughout the entire journey.


    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Ashton¡¯s deep voice interrupted me in my reverie.


    With a jump, I exited the vehicle. ¡°Thanks a lot, Mr. Fuller,¡± I said gratefully.


    The rain had already subsided. It would only take a few strides to reach the shelter of the vi from the


    side of the road where I was dropped off.


    ¡°Hang on,¡± Ashton called out before I got off.


    With one swift motion, he descended from the driver¡¯s seat, opened the trunk, and came up to me with


    a ck umbre in his hand. He stood in silence with the umbre over the door in preparation for my


    descent.


    I spaced out as I wasn¡¯t used to this sudden intimacy. Before I managed toe to, Ashton said in a


    cold voice, ¡°Are you getting off?¡±

 Chapter 1424

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1424


    ¡°Oh, yes of course. Thank you for your trouble.¡±


    Just as the words fell from my lips, I heard a familiar voice not far away.


    ¡°Scar.¡±


    Ashton and I turned in unison toward the direction of the voice. It was Marcus.


    ¡°Marcus? It¡¯s only a few steps. You don¡¯t have toe out to receive me.¡±


    Marcus had his grey silk pajamas on. With a transparent umbre in his hand, he walked over in a


    leisurely manner.


    ¡°Is this a friend of yours?¡± Ashton asked. It could have been my imagination, but his voice sounded a


    few degrees colder.


    ¡°I¡¯m her fianc¨¦,¡± Marcus interjected at once.


    I didn¡¯t respond at the risk of sounding like I was ovepensating. The only thing I could do was


    smile awkwardly.


    ¡°Come here, Scar.¡± Marcus beckoned.


    I walked over to him obediently.


    Before I could even take a step, I felt my wrist being gripped roughly.


    It felt very strange.


    Ashton¡¯s palm was meaty and rough. He barely exerted any force but when he touched me, it scalded


    like magma. My skin seared as the pain felt as if it had prated my skin and burrowed deep into my


    bone.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, is there anything else?¡± I asked while I was rooted on the spot without an attempt to push


    him away.


    Though he did not use much strength, I had a sense that it wouldn¡¯t be easy to wrench myself from his


    grasp.


    He had acted proudly and haughtily this entire time, but now he wants to y the part of a scoundrel?


    Ashton had a puzzled look upon his face as if he wasn¡¯t sure what he was even doing.


    Marcus fixed his gaze onto Ashton¡¯s grip on my wrist. ¡°Sir, please let go of her at once.¡± Marcus¡¯s voice


    rang with cold fury in every syble.


    Ashton furrowed his eyebrows but did not insist. In the end, he did as he was asked.


    I went over to Marcus and stood under his umbre.


    Marcus adjusted his umbre to better shield me as he turned to address Ashton. ¡°Sir, I¡¯m wondering


    about your intentions towards my fiancee,¡± he said with hostility. ¡°Aren¡¯t you aware of social


    boundaries?¡±


    ¡°Marcus, listen to me.¡± I hastened to exin lest he misunderstood. ¡°When I was shopping at the mall


    with Emery, I ran into Mr. Fuller¡¯s son who had lost his way. That was when¡­¡±


    In a few minutes, I had briefly described the events of my afternoon to Marcus.


    His countenance had rxed somewhat after hearing my exnation. ¡°This was clearly a


    misunderstanding,¡± he said to Ashton apologetically. ¡°I should be thanking you, Mr. Fuller, for sending


    my fianc¨¦e home to me.¡±


    Ashton¡¯s face remained expressionless throughout the entire encounter. He only gazed deeply at me


    for a while before he turned around and departed in his car.


    ¡°This man is very strange,¡± I remarked without thinking. ¡°His mood changes quicker than the weather. I


    do not know how to interact with him.¡±


    Marcus ignored mepletely as he gave my shoulder a pinch. ¡°It¡¯s cold out here. Let¡¯s get inside


    quickly.¡± Marcus ushered me to enter the house.


    ¡°Okay.¡± As soon as I said that, I realized that we were huddled together rather closely under the


    umbre. Subconsciously, I retracted my neck and edged slightly away from him.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I still felt resistant towards Marcus¡¯s attempts at intimacy.


    He must have sensed my distance, for he lowered his arm from my shoulder a momentter.


    When we got home, I took a hot shower before slipping into my pajamas. It was dinnertime when I was


    done.


    Marcus had the maid prepare chicken soup for me. ¡°You were caught in the rain. Have some soup to


    keep yourself warm.¡±


    He took the spoon and was prepared to feed me when I hurriedly grabbed the bowl over. ¡°I¡¯ll do it


    myself.¡±


    As I was about to take a sip, I had a d¨¦j¨¤ vu of having experienced the exact same thing.


    In the past, someone used to feed me my medication with care and gentleness like this¡­


    A ferocious pain seared across my head for a split second. It was so intense that my grip on the bowl


    loosened and was nearly dropped before I hastily set it down on the table.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Marcus stared at me with wide eyes after he had jumped to his feet in a panic. His


    voice was soft as he leaned over to support me.


    I couldn¡¯t even keep my head upright; the pain was awful. ¡°My head hurts¡­¡±


    Marcus narrowed his eyes. ¡°What do you remember?¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡­¡±


    The heavy pain felt like a gust of wind; it blew away from the mere act of speaking. I heaved a long sigh


    and looked up at Marcus. ¡°Back then when I was sick, did you use to care for me like that?¡±


    He interest was suddenly piqued. ¡°What do you think?¡±

 Chapter 1425

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1425


    I pulled a face helplessly. Marcus was always caring and would not make jokes in situations like these.


    ¡°You would know. I¡¯d forgotten everything.¡±


    ¡°The things in the past are not important,¡± Marcus said evasively as he blew on a spoonful of soup to


    cool it down before bringing it close to my lips. ¡°It should be cool enough to drink now.¡±


    When we were having our dinner, my thoughts wandered over to Ashton and Gregory. ¡°You know, even


    if Ashton was a rich businessman with a lot of duties, he¡¯s a very caring father. He even picked his kid


    up during working hours.¡±


    Marcus¡¯ eyes shed; his hands paused momentarily. ¡°What kind of a person do you think Ashton is?¡±


    ¡°It depends on which perspective you¡¯re looking at. As a father, he¡¯s pretty responsible. There were


    some mistakes on his part, but he undoubtedly always thinks of his child. But as an acquaintance, he


    has a very odd and unpredictable nature which makes him difficult to interact with. I¡¯m not sure if he


    behaves like that in front of his child,¡± I analyzed out loud, hardly conscious that the amount of attention


    I had paid to him was inappropriate.


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Marcus said ndly but did not offer up his own opinion.


    I nced up distractedly only to realize that his attention had wandered too.


    ¡°What¡¯s up with you?¡± I asked with concern; it was rare for him to lose himself in front of me. ¡°Is


    everything in thepany going well?¡±


    ¡°Everything is fine,¡± Marcus said with a forced smile as he dropped a piece of salmon on my te. ¡°Eat


    up.¡±


    If he didn¡¯t want to borate, I wouldn¡¯t think much more about it. I turned my attention back to my


    meal, but we were both lost in our own thoughts.


    After dinner when we were watching TV in the living room, Marcus gave me a card with a maic


    chip.


    I took it and saw that it was a brand new identification card that had my headshot and an identification


    number belonging to Carlette Stovall.


    It was the first time seeing my name being written down in print. It felt both strange yet familiar.


    ¡°This is your new identity and life now. In sickness and in health, it will be yours to control. Do you like


    your name?¡± asked Marcus.


    To an amnesiac, there was no greater gift than a formal affirmation of one¡¯s identity. ¡°Thank you, I love


    it.¡± I epted it with joy.


    The next morning after I saw Marcus off to work, I prepared to go for my usual walk.


    When I exited the door, I saw a BMW parked across the road. Next to it was a man d in a smart suit.


    He stared at me intently.


    In a split second, he was headed my way.


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°Hello,¡± I replied in confusion. ¡°How can I help you?¡±


    The man studied my face intently butposed himself a split secondter. ¡°I would just like to


    enquire,¡± he said politely. ¡°If there are any houses to rent around here. I quite enjoy your neighborhood


    and would like to rent one for my boss.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not too sure about this,¡± I said. ¡°You could ask the residential management office. I could help you


    get a number to call.¡±


    He was gentlemanly and soft-spoken, so I turned around and got the number from the maid for him.


    ¡°I am indebted to you,¡± he said most courteously as he reached out for the card I handed to him.


    ¡°You¡¯re most wee. If we ever be neighbors, we will look out for one another.¡±


    ¡°Oh, most definitely.¡±


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    The man nodded. With a final bow, he departed without another word.


    It was such a minor episode that I hadpletely forgotten all about it until two afternoonster.


    I had Marcus¡¯s cat in my arms and was heading to thewn when I noticed that the BMW was there


    again. This time it was parked at the vi directly across from ours.


    The front door swung open and the man I had met the other day emerged.


    He walked around to open the back door. The figure of a man and a boy jumped down from the car.


    Before I could react, Gregory had already noticed me. ¡°Ms. Stovall!¡±


    The moment Ashton loosened his grip on Gregory¡¯s hand, thetter came bounding toward me.


    Worried about his safety in crossing the road, I ced the cat down and met him halfway.


    When Gregory reached me, he hugged my leg tightly and looked up at me with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s so good to


    see you again!¡±


    ¡°Ha! It didn¡¯t take you long to forget. I live here, remember?¡± I tousled his hair yfully as I moved


    aside for him to get a better view of the vi behind me.

 Chapter 1426

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1426


    It was raining that day; the child¡¯s memory was limited to what he was able to see clearly. Furthermore,


    the architecture for all the vis on my street was very simr.


    Ashton gazed at me from afar and then turned to his son. ¡°Gregory,¡± he called, with a hint of warning in


    his voice.


    Gregory frowned when he heard. He reluctantly loosened his grip on me and walked back to his father


    with a pout.


    When he reached Ashton¡¯s side, he grabbed one of his fingers coyly.


    Children were emphatic; he had probably noticed his father¡¯s anger and was keen to make amends.


    Their rtionship seems a little too stiff, I thought. He was perhaps a little strict for such a young child.


    At that age, they were developing actively. Their nature, reason, and emotional quotient had to be


    nurtured most carefully.


    I wasn¡¯t close to Ashton as we were merely casual acquaintances. It was not up to me to criticize him


    about the upbringing of his kid.


    Ashton stood where he was for a little while. He then turned and led his child into the vi opposite


    ours.


    When they had entered, the man who had opened the door for them walked up to me. ¡°So, we are


    officially neighbors now. My name is Joseph. If there¡¯s anything you may need, please feel free to ask.¡±


    He handed me his card while he introduced himself. I nced at it before introducing myself in return.


    ¡°You can call me Carlette.¡±


    ¡°Did you enquire on behalf of Ashton the other day? Is he your boss?¡± I asked after a brief pause.


    ¡°Yes, he is,¡± Joseph replied. ¡°Mr. Fuller would like a change of scenery for his child. He chose this


    neighborhood and sent me over to help him settle in. I must thank you again for that day.¡±


    ¡°Joseph.¡± Ashton¡¯s voice rang out from behind.


    We turned and found Ashton at the door with a sullen expression on his face.


    Joseph hastily excused himself and ran to Ashton.


    I felt confused as I stared at the shut door of the Fullers¡¯ new residence.


    This neighborhood is mere of an upper middle ss. With Ashton¡¯s wealth and status, shouldn¡¯t he be


    living somewhere much more expensive?


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Why did he choose to stay here, of all ces? Ashton had many puzzling things about him that could


    not be deciphered if one were to approach the problem rationally.


    With a headful of doubt, I waited for the doors opposite to shut again before turning around to return to


    my vi.


    Marcus came home at dinnertime. At the recollection of the events of the afternoon, I perked up at the


    chance of a conversational starter. ¡°You¡¯d never have guessed who just moved into the house across


    ours,¡± I began casually.


    ¡°Who?¡± Marcus asked nonchntly. It was obvious that he wasn¡¯t interested.


    ¡°They are¡­¡±


    Ding dong!


    The words almost out of my mouth when I was rudely interrupted by the doorbell.


    Marcus did not like to be disturbed during his meals. The servants had returned to their rooms after


    serving us, and there was no one left to wait on us in the living room. The door was nearer to me so I


    voluntarily got up. ¡°I¡¯ll get it.¡±


    Marcus had already put down his fork exasperatedly but at my initiative, he resumed his meal.


    Due to recent troubles in his life, he had not been attentive towards me.


    A chubby little face appeared as soon as I opened the door. ¡°Ms. Stovall!¡±


    Gregory held the door open. His beady little eyes were fixed on me with a gleeful look on his face.


    ¡°Hello, Greg! What can I help you with?¡± I smiled down at him.


    ¡°We have no electricity and water in our house. It¡¯s dark all over and no fun at all.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡± I frowned and touched the boy¡¯s head sorrowfully.


    Before Ashton moved in, that vi had been uninhabited for a long time. The problems with the utilities


    were to be expected at the sudden upation.


    Ashton suddenly leaned over and appeared before me through the half-opened door. ¡°Gregory is very


    picky with his food.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± I was stunned for a moment, unclear of his intent.


    Gregory tugged on my sleeve. ¡°Ms. Stovall,¡± he said with a grimace. ¡°I¡¯m very hungry. Look, my


    stomach is all deted.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t cook, and he doesn¡¯t like takeout,¡± Ashton chimed in.


    He remained expressionless as he spoke; it was cold and distant.


    I understood perfectly at this point; they had invited themselves over for a meal.

 Chapter 1427

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1427


    ¡°I prepared a lot of extra food,¡± I lowered my head and said with a grin. ¡°Greg, why don¡¯t you join me for


    dinner?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Ashton epted as soon as I had finished extending my invitation.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He spoke extremely calmly but quickly as though he was very eager.


    Ashton¡¯s buffet lunches probably cost him tens of millions. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if his dinners were in


    the millions as well. Why would a wealthy man like him want to share the dinner of an ordinary citizen


    like me?


    ¡°Okay!¡± Gregory cheered as he pulled me by the hand into my own house, leaving me no time to spare


    any further thought to the matter.


    I was a little worried that Marcus would not like the way I led the party in while he was still having his


    dinner. To my surprise, he did not express any dissatisfaction. Perhaps it was due to the virtues of


    hospitality that he embodied. ¡°I¡¯ll get two more sets of cutlery,¡± he said courteously.


    Gregory was well-mannered too; he hurried after Marcus to help.


    Marcus bent down and patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Young man, just have a seat and make yourself at


    home,¡± he said as he turned and walked into the kitchen.


    Ashton suddenly walked over to Gregory¡¯s side. ¡°Did you forget what we talked about yesterday?¡±


    ¡°What did he talk about?¡± Gregory replied, nonplussed. Perhaps they talked about a lot of things and


    he didn¡¯t immediately realize which one his father was referring to.


    ¡°You mustn¡¯t disturb Weird Ms. Stovall,¡± Ashton said coldly.


    ¡°Yes, I remember,¡± Gregory said with an obedient nod.


    ¡°It¡¯s the same with Weird Mr. White. In the future, you have to read the situation better. Understand?¡±


    Marcus emerged as Ashton concluded his speech. It was so awkward for me that I drew deep breaths


    to calm myself.


    Not only did this temper have a temper that was difficult to grasp, but it also seemed that he didn¡¯t


    know how to amodate others. How could someone eat and drink for free in another¡¯s house and


    teach their kids to ignore the owner of the house?


    I held my head and cringed on behalf of Gregory. With a father like this, the child would have plenty of


    hardships to endure in the future.


    It was a good thing that Marcus had plenty of patience. He stared Ashton down for a few seconds


    before looking away and taking his seat. This episode was a small incident to him.


    ¡°Have a seat wherever you like, make yourselves at home,¡± I said to our guests as I resumed my own


    seat.


    Marcus dropped some potatoes onto my te. ¡°Have some more. If I get off workte again, don¡¯t wait


    up for me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble. Dinner is no fun to have alone,¡± I said with a smile. I recalled that Gregory had a sweet


    tooth, so I gave him a piece of caramelized pork.


    Gregory held his cutlery and eyed the pork without moving. He looked toward his father as though


    awaiting his approval.


    Ashton¡¯s expression was inscrutable. ¡°It¡¯s Ms. Stovall¡¯s treat, eat up. There are no rules to follow today.¡±


    Gregory did not spare his father. ¡°But Daddy, you always look angry¡­¡±


    He helped himself to the pork, chewing slowly with satisfaction.


    Without noticing it, he had gotten the sauce all over his lips.


    Ashton caught sight of it. Instinctively, he reached for his handkerchief from his jacket pocket and wiped


    his son¡¯s lips with a practiced hand.


    Gregory took the opportunity to present his father with the pork he bit in half earlier. ¡°Daddy, try it. It¡¯s


    delicious!¡± he said coyly.


    Ashton frowned and resumed his seat. He held up his hand in a gesture of rejection.


    Gregory stuffed it back into his mouth. ¡°Daddy is so petty to be jealous of me,¡± he mumbled to himself.


    ¡°He wants Ms. Stovall to give him a piece too.¡±


    ¡°No talking during meals,¡± Ashton reminded him.


    Gregory covered his mouth nervously. He had overstepped his prohibitions again.


    With this gesture, even his hands were dirty from touching his saucy mouth.


    Ashton frowned resignedly but leaned over and cleaned Gregory up with patience.


    I couldn¡¯t help butugh at their antics.


    Ashton was a macho man, but also poured his heart and soul in caring for his son.

 Chapter 1428

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1428


    However, he had spoiled his son. It was overtly liberal for him to be calling people names.


    Gregory waved his fork at me when I was lost in thought. ¡°Ms. Stovall, Daddy would like some pork


    too!¡± he said in an attempt to instigate me.


    The atmosphere over the dining table instantly chilled.


    I did not think that a man of his wealth would stoop to eat something that I took for him.


    The difference in our status was clearer than ever before. Just sitting at the same table felt strange;


    being intimate was out of the question.


    ¡°Greg, your dad will help himself if he wants some. He¡­¡±


    It was a pathetic attempt to diffuse the tension, but Ashton chose this moment to make the situation


    extra awkward. ¡°Greg, I would like some of that pork.¡±


    Though he addressed Gregory by name, it seemed to me that he was speaking to me.


    Even Marcus¡¯s fork had frozen in midair. Everybody was confused.


    ¡°Err¡­¡± Gregory muttered with a nce down at his sticky hands helplessly. ¡°My hands are dirty. Why


    don¡¯t you ask Ms. Stovall¡­¡±


    Marcus couldn¡¯t bear it any longer. ¡°Mr. Fuller, you have such a strong bond with your son,¡± he


    interjected. ¡°You and your wife must be very close.¡±


    A hint of coldness shed before Ashton¡¯s eyes. ¡°Mr. White, your rtionship with Ms. Stovall appears


    to be pretty normal,¡± he said with a sardonicugh.


    Marcus kept his expression carefully level. ¡°It¡¯s hard to imagine how a busy man such as yourself


    would have so much time to poke his nose into other people¡¯s private matters,¡± he said without


    hesitation.


    Ashton scowled, his eyes dark as storm clouds. ¡°Second only to your ability to worry over nothing, Mr.


    White.¡±


    Marcus suddenly sat up straight in his chair. ¡°Mr. Fuller, you are indeed eloquent.¡± He smiled


    humorlessly.


    ¡°Right back at you,¡± Ashton said mildly as he turned to Gregory. ¡°Are you finished?¡± he asked. Though


    his voice had no inflections, it was dangerously soft.


    Gregory would undoubtedly have been to plenty of big events. He must have sensed that the


    atmosphere had turned hostile but was most reluctant to put down his fork. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m done,¡± he


    admitted against his will.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, then. We¡¯ve overstayed our wee. Someone¡¯s not happy,¡± Ashton said as he got up.


    ¡°Thank you for your kind hospitality,¡± he said politely to us. Gripping Gregory by the hand, they


    departed.


    I waited for the door to shut behind them before turning to Marcus. ¡°Do you have a grudge against


    Ashton or something?¡± I asked suspiciously.


    Their previous encounter was harmonious byparison. However, upon bing neighbors, the


    hostility between them had grown into something tangible.


    There was no need for harsh words to be thrown about like that over a meal.


    The most unusual thing was that Marcus was usually mild-mannered. He definitely was agitated earlier,


    which was most unlike himself.


    At my words, Marcus resumed his calm demeanor. ¡°Why would you think that?¡± he said with a light


    laugh. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking. Finish your dinner.¡±


    It was obvious that it was a topic that he did not wish to discuss.


    It only goes to show that there was indeed something going on between him and Ashton.


    Our rtionship was different from other normal engaged couples. If Marcus refused to discuss it, I


    wouldn¡¯t have any reason to get to the bottom of it.


    Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that Gregory¡¯s food was virtually untouched.


    Ashton had said that their kitchen was not ready for use yet and that the boy did not like takeout. It was


    going to be a long and hungry night for him.


    Maybe I can cook them something simple and send it over?


    That wouldn¡¯t do as well; Marcus may feel even worse. Though he wouldn¡¯t say it aloud, he may feel


    absolutely ufortable in his heart.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    I shouldn¡¯t go against him.


    ¡°Are you full enough?¡± Marcus¡¯s voice interrupted my thoughts.


    ¡°Yes, I am. I¡¯m going upstairs.¡±


    At that, I casually picked up my phone and turned to go up the stairs.


    Marcus may or may not have seen it, but he did not say a thing.


    After I shut the door and ascertained that Marcus did not follow, I opened up a takeout app and ordered


    a homecooked meal for the Fullers.


    Gregory wouldn¡¯t be starving tonight.

 Chapter 1429

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1429


    As usual, I went out for a walk the next morning. I bumped into Ashton and Gregory, who were getting


    ready to leave their house.


    Gregory seemed exceptionally excited to see me. ¡°Ms. Stovall!¡±


    ¡°Good morning Greg!¡± I smiled at him brightly before ncing towards Ashton. I was surprised to see


    him staring intently at me.


    I regained myposure before I greeted him. ¡°Good morning, Mr. Fuller.¡±


    ¡°Morning,¡± Ashton replied coldly, bundling Gregory into a ck SUV.


    As the vehicle disappeared around the street corner, I sighed in frustration.


    When I ordered the food deliveryst night, I checked Ashton¡¯s background before cing an order


    that might suit his tastes. His frosty attitude made me question if he really ate the food I had ordered.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    I snapped back to reality as I pondered about the situation I was in. Why am I so obsessed with them?


    Is it just because Gregory is adorable? Or is it because they¡¯ve been appearing in my life far more


    frequently than Marcus has these days? Argh, it¡¯s confusing!


    Emery called me just as I got home.


    ¡°Letty, there are some things I need to talk to you about.¡± Emery sounded much more serious


    compared to thest two conversations we had.


    ¡°When and where?¡± I was traumatized by my previous experience with the paparazzi, and I wanted to


    take every avable precaution.


    After I was discharged from the hospital, I had been watching the news at home. There was no


    shortage of dating scandals broken by dogged tabloid reporters. Next time, I may not be so lucky.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up in a bit.¡± She hung up before I could say anything else.


    Half an hourter, I got into Emery¡¯s car. I could tell she was in a weird mood. ¡°Are you ok? You don¡¯t


    look so good.¡±


    Though we hadn¡¯t spent much time together, I could sense that Emery wasn¡¯t a natural introvert.


    She seemed to fidget uneasily in her seat.


    With a somber expression on her face, she nodded. ¡°I¡¯m a bit nervous.¡±


    After a pause, she continued, ¡°I¡¯m about to tell you something very important. You need to know about


    it today. Actually, you- ah, never mind. This isn¡¯t the time or ce for it. I¡¯ll tell youter.¡±


    I didn¡¯t probe her since she seemed so cautious.


    She drove us to The Jade.


    ¡°This is my shop; do you remember it? You can order whatever you like. Drinks are on me for life.¡±


    I shook my head. Though I wasn¡¯t feeling particrly thirsty, I still ordered atte since Emery seemed


    so excited to bring me here.


    Emery appraised me carefully before asking, ¡°Letty, it¡¯s been so long. Do you really not remember


    anything?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I replied quietly as I looked around the shop.


    The private room in this restaurant was decorated in the same style as the one Gregory had invited me


    to. Beyond that memory, I had no further recollection of this ce.


    When I visited the hospital two days ago, the doctor had given me a clean bill of health. When I would


    recover my memories, however, was entirely up to fate.


    Living without the memories of my past felt a little like treading on thin ice. While everything seemed


    like such a wonderful dream, it also felt like it could copse at any moment.


    When I woke up every morning, even the air felt suffocating.


    Emery let out a deep sigh. She unlocked her phone and pushed it toward me. ¡°Do you remember who


    he is?¡±


    There was a photo of a man disyed on her phone. Of course I knew who he was; this was Ashton.


    ¡°I remember him. He¡¯s Ashton.¡± Confused, I asked, ¡°Why are you showing me his photo?¡±


    Evidently, Emery had a more important motive for showing me his photo. ¡°You remember? Then why


    didn¡¯t you say so earlier?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the richest man in this country. His face is in the news all the time. Why are you surprised that I


    remember who he is?¡± I was perplexed at Emery¡¯s anxious demeanor.


    Emery¡¯s expression fell. ¡°That¡¯s what you meant by you remember?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Why?¡± After some thought, I added, ¡°Though it¡¯s funny that you mention him. He¡¯s my neighbor


    now. His son is pretty cute too.¡±

 Chapter 1430

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1430


    ¡°Neighbor?¡± This seemed to catch Emery¡¯s attention. She asked hurriedly, ¡°When was this?¡±


    ¡°Just yesterday.¡± I didn¡¯t think she would be so surprised at the news. ¡°He moved into that vi opposite


    my house.¡±


    ¡°Oh my god,¡± Emery gasped, cing her hand on her chest in apparent shock.


    A momentter, she seemed to recover herself. ¡°So you¡¯ve met each other already? And I¡¯m guessing


    several times?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We had dinner togetherst night too. Why? Is something wrong?¡± Now I was the worried one. I


    recalled yesterday night¡¯s dinner situation. I mumbled to myself, ¡°Marcus doesn¡¯t seem to like Ashton


    very much.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, shoot me dead if he does,¡± Emery spat.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± I didn¡¯t know if I had heard her correctly.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Emery said before changing the topic. ¡°What do you think of Ashton¡¯s son?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a very interesting kid.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile when I thought of Gregory. ¡°You know, a while


    back he used to call me Mommy.¡±


    Emery¡¯s expression turned serious at my words. Staring intently at me, she blurted, ¡°You are his mom.¡±


    The private room fell into silence so intense you could hear the sound of a pin drop.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Sometimeter, I managed to collect myself. Testing the waters, I asked, ¡°Emery, you¡¯re not pulling my


    leg about something this serious, right?¡±


    I didn¡¯t think Emery was really telling the truth.


    As if she had long expected my reaction, she rearranged her features into a serious mask and


    answered, ¡°I swear on my heart that everything I¡¯ve told you is nothing but the truth.¡±


    My certainty began to waver at her bold statement.


    Though Emery seemed like a jokester, I knew she wouldn¡¯t mess around when she dealt with serious


    issues. Her revtion was just too inconceivable to me.


    Ashton has never publicly revealed the identity of Gregory¡¯s biological mom. How can it be me?


    Ashton and I were a thing? If that¡¯s the truth, why am I engaged to Marcus? Is Emery telling me that


    Marcus has been lying to me all along?


    ¡°Gregory Hall is my son?¡± I hugged myself, trying to calm my nerves. ¡°Does this mean Ashton and I


    were-¡±


    Emery cut in and confirmed my suspicions, ¡°It¡¯s not just a thing of the past. The two of you were never


    separated. Even if you did, it was to protect each other. You were always in love with each other.¡±


    Clink!


    As I lost focus, the cup in my hand knocked against an ashtray on the table. Coffee spilled from the


    cup, staining the tablecloth a dirty brown.


    I scrambled to clean up the mess with a bunch of napkins. I eventually calmed myself down before


    addressing Emery, ¡°I know you have nothing to gain from lying to me. But you must understand, there¡¯s


    a lot to process from what you just told-¡±


    Before I could finish my sentence, I heard a piercing scream.


    ¡°Scarlett?¡±


    The loud click-cks of high heels approached me. I turned around and saw a beautiful woman


    stomping furiously toward me.


    Her gaze was full of hatred as if I had killed her family or something.


    ¡°Damn it. Who let her in?¡± Emery swore.


    Soon, the woman was right in front of me. Her tactfully made-up face was tinged with hostility. Our


    proximity amplified her aggression.


    I had no impression of her. Subconsciously, I knew we didn¡¯t have a great rtionship in the past, and I


    knitted my brows in worry.


    ¡°It¡¯s really you! You¡¯re still alive!¡± She spoke impassionedly, grabbing my elbow in the process. She


    began yelling like a banshee as she made a move to p me.


    Emery got up from her seat and pushed the woman away. ¡°Reba, you¡¯re mad! Are you done acting


    like a b*tch?¡±


    The woman named Reba wasn¡¯t paying attention to Emery, who suddenly shoved her mercilessly


    against the door of our private room.

 Chapter 1431

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1431


    Reba seemed oblivious to the pain. Her eyes had never left mine as she yelled, ¡°Ashton¡¯s not dead,


    and so are you. Why must Armond die when the two of you managed to live?¡±


    I had no clue what she was going on about. I was only certain of her resentment of me.


    Emery butted in angrily, ¡°Armond deserved it. No one owed anything to him. If you think your life¡¯s too


    long, I can always send you and your b*tchy face to prison for life!¡±


    Reba ignored Emery¡¯s wordspletely. Her ire was directedpletely at me. ¡°You know what,


    I¡¯m d to be alive. I¡¯m going to make your life a living hell!¡±


    Emery pped her. ¡°Reba, you should go see a doctor if you¡¯re barking mad. Don¡¯t make me show


    you what a living hell really is!¡±


    Just then, a fashionably dressed man in a beret walked past our room. At the sight of Reba lying on


    the floor, he rushed forward to help her up. ¡°Oh god, why are you making a mess again? What if the


    paparazzi were around? You¡¯ll be dead!¡±


    ¡°They can take as many photos as they want! They¡¯re all just a bunch of keyboard warriors. They¡¯ve


    been attacking me since my debut, but I¡¯m still as popr as I¡¯ve ever been!¡± Reba retorted. Her


    prima donna attitude turned me off.


    I guessed that she was some sort of celebrity. The frustrated-looking man beside her was probably her


    manager.


    Her manager seemed to be more tactful than Reba was. When he recognized Emery, he


    immediately offered an apology. ¡°Ms. Moore, I¡¯m so sorry. Vivian must be drunk. I hope you can forgive


    her behavior. I¡¯ll apologize on her behalf.¡±


    Haughtily, Emery replied, ¡°If this happens again, I¡¯ll put both of you out of work.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t, I promise.¡±


    With an awkward smile on his face, he dragged Reba out of the room.


    When they reached the doors, Reba stopped and red at me.


    It took me a long time to collect myself after Reba had left.


    Emery shouted, ¡°What a b*tch!¡±


    She turned toward me and noticed that I appeared lost. ¡°Scarlett, are you hurt?¡±


    I shook my head and croaked, ¡°Is she my enemy?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Emery sat down and exined nonchntly, ¡°There were rumors that she had died at a drug


    rehabilitation center. Apparently, someone had brought her out of the ce. She got herself a new face


    and a new identity. Now, she¡¯s made herself into a C-list celebrity. Her acting¡¯s pretty sh*t, though she¡¯s


    great at keeping up her poprity. Or should I say, notoriety.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s in showbiz? Why and how do I know her?¡± I was even more confused.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    ¡°Hmph, I think it¡¯s probably best if you never have a thing to do with Reba again.¡± Emery scoffed.


    ¡°That woman stole your man, and she almost stole your entire life and your kids. She¡¯s a living example


    of an ultimate a**hole. Back then, I was still wondering what kind of blind idiot would save a hopeless


    drug addict like her. Now, I realize it¡¯s something a psycho like Armond would totally do.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, shouldn¡¯t I be the one hating her? Reba made it seem like everything was my


    fault. Are you sure you¡¯re not just sugarcoating things because you¡¯re my best friend?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Emery stared at me in iprehension. ¡°You¡¯re ming yourself for her evil schemes?¡±


    I didn¡¯t know how to argue with that. I guess there are plenty of things in this world that I¡¯ll never


    understand. Just like love and hate. We may never outrun or hide from them.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall!¡± Gregory¡¯s childish voice drifted in through the door.


    Turning around, I saw Ashton and Gregory framed in the doors of the private room.

 Chapter 1432

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1432


    Gregory was visibly shaking with excitement. Pulling on Ashton¡¯s elbow, he dragged him into the


    private room. He leaned so much of his weight into Ashton that he almost toppled over.


    Ashton, on the other hand, seemed perfectly calm. He walked over slowly.


    I didn¡¯t know to expect to meet them in the same ce twice. ¡°Greg, why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry, so Daddy brought me out for lunch!¡± Gregory loosened his grip on Ashton and stered


    himself to me.


    Faced with Ashton¡¯s chilly stare, I unconsciously took a step away.


    Ashton looked between me and Emery. He seemed surprised that we were together.


    A few secondster, I recalled Emery¡¯s bombshell. I looked at Gregory with mixed emotions.


    Is Gregory really my son? I used to be married to Ashton?


    As this thought crossed my mind, I tried to stare surreptitiously at Ashton. I began appraising him


    seriously for the first time.


    The more I looked at him, the less sure I felt about ever having marital rtions with this man.


    Plus, my impression of Ashton was a man who was difficult to please. He wasn¡¯t my type at all.


    As if he sensed my roving eye, Ashton lifted his eyes and met my gaze head-on.


    His gaze was as cold as his demeanor. I couldn¡¯t help but shiver at the hostility.


    Gregory may look like him, but he hadn¡¯t inherited even an ounce of his coldness.


    Joseph showed upter, probably facing some difficulty in securing a parking spot. He looked surprised


    to see me and Emery. He greeted us politely, ¡°Good day, Ms. Stovall and Ms. Moore.¡±


    I nodded in acknowledgment.


    Emery was shocked at his appearance. ¡°Joseph?¡±


    She nced at Ashton, puzzlement in her eyes.


    A secondter, she exchanged a loaded nce with Joseph right under Ashton¡¯s nose. They seemed


    to reach a wordless agreement.


    Joseph came forward and reminded, ¡°Mr. Fuller, the private room is ready.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Ashton replied lightly. ¡°Gregory,¡± he called as he prepared to leave.


    I could almost see the little gears turning in Gregory¡¯s head as he reached out to hold my hand in a vice


    grip. ¡°I want to eat with Ms. Stovall!¡±


    Ashton¡¯s gaze darkened, though he didn¡¯t voice his opinion. After a short moment, he gritted out, ¡°Fine,


    up to you.¡±


    He left our room right after that.


    I guess he agreed to Gregory¡¯s request.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall,e with me,¡± Gregory pleaded eagerly. He used all his might to drag me with him after


    Ashton.


    I had always had a soft spot for Gregory. Soon enough, I found myself in the private room reserved by


    Joseph. Emery had followed me here, though she purposely remained a few steps back, whispering


    furiously with Joseph.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Just as we sat down, Ashton gestured for Joseph to retrieve aptop from his briefcase. He switched it


    on before handing it to Gregory, who rushed toward a nearby couch ecstatically with his gadget.


    Once he confirmed that Gregory was preupied with the tablet, Ashton lifted his head and stared


    sharply at Emery and Joseph. He demanded sternly but softly, ¡°Spit it out.¡±


    Thanks to his muscr physique and naturally imposing aura, he seemed absolutely intimidating,


    though there was barely any anger disyed on his face.


    I thought I could guess what he was talking about, though I wasn¡¯t a hundred percent sure. I also


    stared intently at Emery.


    Feeling dwarfed by his imposing aura, Emery blurted, ¡°I want Scarlett and Gregory to reunite with each


    other. Nothing in this world can stop a mother from reuniting with her own son!¡±


    I wasn¡¯t taken aback at Emery¡¯s abrupt statement thanks to the bombshell she had dropped on me


    earlier.

 Chapter 1433

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1433


    My entire focus was on Ashton¡¯s reaction.


    Ashton happened to look toward me at the same time. His gaze lingered on me for a moment before he


    turned his head away.


    Ashton lowered his eyes and sneered as if someone had told him a childish joke. ¡°Then what?¡±


    Emery continued on in that headstrong manner of hers. ¡°She is your only wife.¡±


    She seemed to realize she might have gone too far with that statement. She peered at Ashton


    cautiously.


    Ashton seemed to be rather adept at hiding his emotions. His features had rearranged themselves into


    an expressionless mask once more. His silence was intimidating.


    Emery tugged on the corner of my blouse worriedly, unable to suss out his true feelings. She seemed


    to be hinting at me to protect her if he made any unexpected moves.


    I was confused at her immense faith in my ability.


    Even if Gregory liked me, that didn¡¯t mean Ashton would extend his kindness to me. Before figuring out


    the truth, Ashton would always think of me as a woman who approached his son with ulterior motives.


    Frankly, I was less concerned about Ashton¡¯s feelings than I was about the truth. I bit my lips briefly


    before I blurted, ¡°I know Emery may sound unreliable, but I don¡¯t think she has anything to gain from


    lying.¡±


    Ashton barely flinched at my words, though I saw his eyes sharpen in focus as he pondered about my


    statement.


    As long as he¡¯s willing to listen, we¡¯re one step closer to uncovering the truth.


    I paused and nced at Gregory.


    He looked like an adult trapped in a small boy¡¯s body. Enchanted by the lines of code on theptop, he


    seemed to have a good hand in programming. His small lips were curved in a smile.


    My whole heart softened at the sight. I couldn¡¯t help but smile along with him. I suggested, ¡°Actually,


    the solution is simple. Just let me do a DNA test with Greg, and we¡¯ll have our answer soon enough.¡±


    Now, everyone¡¯s attention had turned to Ashton.


    I couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking.


    Feeling suffocated by the silence in the room, I started flicking my nails subconsciously.


    Emery¡¯s truth bomb was already hard for me to ept, let alone Ashton.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    He¡¯s the richest man in this country, and he has an upper-ss fianc¨¦e. If Emery¡¯s telling the truth, it¡¯s


    going to give him a lot of problems.


    A sudden thought crossed my mind. I asked Ashton, ¡°Did you also forget about the past?¡±


    Since Emery¡¯s confession, I had ced all my attention on Gregory. I forgot all about my supposed


    rtionship with Ashton.


    After all, Ashton was nothing more than a despicable stranger that I had known for a few days. I


    thought Ashton nned to remain silent throughout this entire exchange. To my surprise, he threatened


    us. ¡°Everything that¡¯s been said in this room stays in this room. If even a word of this makes it out of


    here, don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you about the consequences.¡±


    This statement stunned me. I nodded eagerly after I understood his true intentions. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Ashton was the face of the Fuller Corporation. Anything that happened to him or his family could


    influence the survival of the corporation.


    The engagement between the Zieglers¡¯ daughter and Ashton was public knowledge. If the media found


    out about a son from his former wife that he had been secretly raising, share prices of the Fuller


    Corporation could fluctuate out of control.


    Suddenly, Ashton lifted his head and shot me a piercing stare. ¡°You¡¯re pretty good at acting, aren¡¯t you?


    Did Alexander send you here?¡±


    He knows Alexander? This means he still remembers our mutual friends. Though I must say, his tone is


    really hostile.


    ¡°What are you going on about?¡± I was perplexed at the malice he directed at me.


    Yes, I may be your ex-wife, and yes, maybe we split up in an ugly mess. That doesn¡¯t mean you should


    be this pissed off when I¡¯m back after fighting at death¡¯s door, right?

 Chapter 1434

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1434


    Ashtonpletely ignored my words as he turned to face Emery. He knocked his knuckles on the table


    rhythmically as he stated calmly, ¡°Scarlett¡¯s obituary was published two years ago. If you¡¯re trying to get


    something from me, try not to make such stupid mistakes.¡±


    Emery froze as if Ashton had struck exactly at her weakness.


    I was, however, utterly stunned.


    I was dead two years ago?


    A string of words shed through my mind. Thew states that once a person has been dered


    missing for four years, their immediate family or spouse can apply for their death certificate.


    Iy on that bed for six years, but the obituary was only issued two years ago. The person who wanted


    to prove that I was dead had given up a long time ago. Once the four years were up, he or she


    immediately filed for the death certificate.


    It was at this very moment that I understood what Marcus had meant. Just take it that Scarlett no


    longer exists.


    My head hurt from the unwee revtion. I looked at Ashton. The only people who can apply for a


    death certificate are my immediate family. Who did the deed? Was it my missing family or this


    indifferent man in front of me?


    I was fairly certain from his expression that Ashton still held out hope for his wife¡¯s survival.


    My heart sank inexplicably as I processed the thought. There was an odd sort of ache in my chest.


    But now¡¯s not the time for me to be sad.


    I regained myposure and stood up before addressing Ashton, ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened in the


    past, but you can see that I¡¯m clearly alive now. I definitely have the rights and means to raise my own


    child, so I would like to spend some more time with Gregory.¡±


    I truly believed that I could make up for lost time with my son.


    Ashton lifted his head slowly and stared at me. The deepness in his gaze was chilling. ¡°Did you not


    understand what I said earlier?¡±


    He paused and nced at Gregory before continuing impatiently, ¡°I¡¯ll make myself clear then.


    Gregory¡¯s mom is dead. No matter how alike the two of you are, don¡¯t ever fantasize about bing


    her recement. Trust me; you do not want to test my patience.¡±


    His words confused and angered me. ¡°Mr. Fuller, you¡¯re the delusional one. No one is trying to pass off


    as your wife. I am your wife. I¡¯m Carlette.¡±


    I pulled out the ID from my purse and showed it to him.


    I had to admit that my move was rather childish, but in the heat of the moment, this was the only way I


    could think of to prove my identity.


    I thought he¡¯d be convinced when he saw my ID. Instead, he cast a disdainful nce over the card and


    laughed mockingly.


    My hands shook as my diffidence rose.


    Just then, Emery came over and looked at my ID. She frowned and tugged on my blouse. She seemed


    to be coaxing me to stop. ¡°Keep it, Letty.¡±R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    ¡°Why?¡± I couldn¡¯t understand the situation. I snapped, ¡°Can¡¯t my face and ID prove that I¡¯m Ashton¡¯s


    former wife and Gregory¡¯s mother?¡±


    ¡°The former Mrs. Fuller was named Scarlett, not Carlette,¡± Joseph exined.


    There was no more fight left in me at Joseph¡¯s words. I tightened the grip on my ID sheepishly.


    Now I recalled Marcus¡¯s words as he handed me my ID. ¡°Carlette, not to be confused with Scarlett.¡±


    Was this just a big misunderstanding? Could I really look so alike to someone else?


    Witnessing my daze, Ashton let out a deep sigh. He appeared to rein in his anger as he said quietly,


    ¡°The Jade has been performing well under your management, but that doesn¡¯t give you leeway to stick


    a nose into my private business. I want you to prepare an official apology for this. I don¡¯t want to see


    this happen again, or I won¡¯t be so forgiving next time.¡±

 Chapter 1435

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1435


    Ashton¡¯s words were directed at Emery, though his gaze was on me.


    I had this odd sensation that he was seeing someone else as he looked at me. Or maybe, he¡¯s just like


    Emery and the rest. They see me as the dead ¡°Scarlett¡±, yet they won¡¯t let me be the real Scarlett.


    Emery wasn¡¯t a woman to be trifled with, but faced with Ashton¡¯s firm demeanor, she could only agree


    meekly. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a proper exnation.¡±


    She dragged me out of the room after that.


    As we reached the door, Ashton¡¯s deep voice rang out. ¡°You may not be able to carry the burdens of


    another person¡¯s life. Don¡¯t overestimate your abilities.¡±


    I heard his meaning loud and clear. I¡¯m not Scarlett, and I don¡¯t deserve her life.


    Little did he know that his attitude only served to strengthen my resolve. I nced at Gregory out of the


    corner of my eye, my emotions still a jumbled mess.


    After leaving The Jade, Emery offered to drive me home.


    I rode shotgun. I buckled myself in at an excruciatingly slow pace as I reyed the scene in the shop


    over and over in my mind.


    Emery could tell that my mind was elsewhere. With one hand on the steering wheel, she began


    assessing the situation. ¡°Don¡¯t you think Ashton was acting weirdly just now?¡±


    ¡°Was he?¡± I was clueless.


    Emery borated on her thoughts. ¡°Think about it. If he had been convinced that you were


    impersonating Scarlett, he would have skinned us alive! Why would he let us off unscathed?¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m close to Gregory,¡± I guessed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Emery shook her head. ¡°You know what I think? I don¡¯t think he didn¡¯t recognize you


    at all; he didn¡¯t want to.¡±


    I knitted my brows in confusion.


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    He recognized me but didn¡¯t want to? What the heck does that mean? Who else can take better care of


    her own child than a mother?


    Emery turned serious as she said, ¡°It¡¯s tooplicated. I can¡¯t exin it to you now. Let me put out


    some feelers first.¡±


    Since she herself was confused about the whole ordeal, there was nothing useful I could do at the


    moment. ¡°Ok.¡±


    After a moment¡¯s thought, I asked, ¡°What did Ashton mean by my obituary? What kind of person was


    I?¡±


    Maybe it¡¯s not that Ashton can¡¯t believe his wife is still alive. Maybe he just can¡¯t acknowledge that he


    had ever married a woman like this.


    My mind was a tangled mess. I asked Emery shakily, ¡°Maybe you really did recognize the wrong


    person. You saw it yourself. Perhaps I just happen to share a face and a simr name with this


    ¡®Scarlett¡¯.¡±


    I furrowed my brows. I didn¡¯t know if I was unable to figure out the truth or unwilling to ept my


    supposed death.


    If my closest family can¡¯t wait to erase traces of my existence, how am I different from those people


    who are rejected by the rest of the world? I¡¯ll always feel like I¡¯m living in some purgatory, forgotten and


    left behind by all that I love.


    Emery opened her mouth as if to say something, but I didn¡¯t have the emotional capacity to listen to


    her. I lifted a hand to stop her. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. I¡¯m tired; could you send me


    home?¡±


    Emery didn¡¯t force me to face my emotions at this very moment. She drove toward home in silence.


    As the car passed through the technology district, I had an urge to talk to Marcus. I had Emery drop me


    off at the side of the road.


    It wasn¡¯t hard to locate White Corporation. A short five-minute car rideter, I found myself walking into


    the lobby of its offices. The receptionist greeted me warmly, ¡°Good day, Miss. Do you have an


    appointment?¡±


    ¡°No, but I¡¯d like to meet Marcus. I¡¯m his, erm, friend,¡± I stammered, ncing towards the office area


    surreptitiously.


    I had never been to Marcus¡¯ office since I woke up from mya. It was crowded with tech workers


    dressed in shy attires. It looked hectic.


    The receptionist frowned at my exnation. ¡°Mr. White has many friends, and he doesn¡¯t meet just


    anyone. Please register, and I¡¯ll give you a call if he¡¯s able to meet you.¡±

 Chapter 1436

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1436


    Looks like Marcus¡¯ business is thriving.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not urgent.¡± I was just acting on a whim. If Marcus was busy, I could always talk to him


    later.


    The receptionist raised a brow as she kept the visitor log. She said indifferently, ¡°Have a nice day.¡±


    Just as I turned around, the elevator doors opened with a ding. Marcus exited with a few men. An older


    man in the group appeared to be his client.


    I guess he has a business meeting.


    Marcus saw me immediately. He seemed to hesitate for a moment before talking to the assistant


    standing beside him. He arranged for the client to be brought to a meeting room. Thereafter, he


    approached me. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you were dropping by? I could send someone to drive you


    here.¡±


    The receptionist probably didn¡¯t expect us to have such a close rtionship. Her face soured.


    Before I could reply, Marcus had slung his arm around my waist. He dragged me with him as he said,


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to my office.¡±


    I shivered involuntarily at his sudden and intimate gesture. Once the doors of his office closed, I


    stepped away to put some distance between us.


    Marcus seemed to be used to this. He merely fetched a ss of water for me.


    After taking a small sip, I exined, ¡°I had a spot of free time, so I decided toe and check out your


    office since I was in the area.¡±


    ¡°Why did you suddenly feel like leaving the house today?¡±


    ¡°I went to meet a friend.¡± I decided it would be prudent to keep some information to myself.


    Maybe it was because I didn¡¯t know many people here, but Marcus immediately guessed, ¡°Ms. Moore?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± There was no point in hiding this.


    The atmosphere became awkward after that conversation. I held on to my cup as I mulled over the


    suspicions in my head.


    Marcus was observing me closely. His rxed attitude told me that he had an inkling of my thoughts.


    He sat down in the chair behind his desk. Nonchntly, he asked, ¡°Did you two meet for a chat? You


    didn¡¯t bump into the paparazzi, did you?¡±


    I had mentioned our old run-in with the paparazzi to Marcus in passing.


    Marcus¡¯ question had opened up a pandora box. I couldn¡¯t rid myself of the thoughts in my mind. I


    blurted, ¡°Marcus, you¡¯ve known Mr. Fuller for a while, right?¡±


    Marcus schooled his expression into a neutral one before asking, ¡°Who¡¯s been spreading rumors?¡±


    His reply put me at a loss of words.


    Meanwhile, he didn¡¯t look guilty at all.


    Now I was the awkward one. How can I question a man who¡¯s been by my side for the past six years


    over a stranger I¡¯ve merely known for a few days? That¡¯s too much.


    Observing my hesitation, Marcus asked seriously, ¡°Is it Emery?¡±


    I pursed my lips. ¡°Emery only wants me to regain my memories ASAP.¡±


    This didn¡¯t surprise Marcus, who opted not to interrogate me about our conversation topics. ¡°Do you


    think she¡¯s telling the truth?¡±


    ¡°She has nothing to gain from lying to me.¡± My trust in Emery was unshaken.


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Marcus smiled gently. ¡°As long as you believe that she¡¯s not lying to you, then she¡¯s


    telling the truth.¡±


    Marcus¡¯ cryptic statement unnerved me.


    Marcus had never felt like a fianc¨¦ to me, let alone someone I had loved romantically in the past. He


    felt more like a tonic, male confidant who wasn¡¯t petty or jealous of my rtionships.


    Even though we lived together, we seemed to live our separate lives in that house. We didn¡¯t flirt or


    behave romantically toward each other.


    This thought had been weighing on my mind for a long time. This time, I couldn¡¯t hold in my curiosity.


    ¡°Am I really your fianc¨¦e?¡±


    Marcus¡¯ expression changed at my question. In an unusually yful mood, he asked, ¡°What do you


    think?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Suddenly heughed. He took out his phone before addressing me casually, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Do you


    want to wait for me, or shall I arrange for someone to send you home?¡±

 Chapter 1437

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1437


    His tant shift of the conversation topic wouldn¡¯t fool anyone.


    Somehow, I felt that his words masked a deeper meaning.


    Marcus was the first person I saw when I opened my eyes. Naturally, he was the most familiar person


    to me.


    At this very moment, though, I felt like I didn¡¯t know him at all.


    As if sensing my thoughtful gaze on him, Marcus lifted his eyes to mine. Hisrge hand patted me


    lightly on my elbow. Sounding every bit like the perfect gentleman, he advised, ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself too


    hard. You¡¯ll gain your memories back eventually. Take your time.¡±


    I answered weakly, ¡°Of course. Since you¡¯re getting off work soon, I¡¯ll wait for you.¡±


    If I go home early, I¡¯m just giving myself more time to imagine nonsensical scenarios in my head. I


    should use that time to observe Marcus in his daily life instead.


    Marcus arranged for his secretary to bring me a cup of coffee before he left for his meeting.


    Hispany adopted an open office concept. ss walls segregated different areas in the office.


    From where I was seated, I could observe the situation in the conference room.


    Marcus seemed exceptionallymanding in front of his business partners. He had full control over


    the atmosphere in the conference room. His stance reminded me greatly of Ashton.


    Ashton¡¯s already this imposing in daily life. He must be even more striking when ites to closing


    business deals.


    I paused in the middle of drinking my coffee. Why am I thinking about him again?


    I shook myself awake from my stupor as I started observing the decor in the office. I thought it was an


    impressive feat that Marcus owned all of this at his age, especially since his office was located in the


    bustling city center.


    My thoughts wandered to the crazy Reba.


    I didn¡¯t manage to question Emery about our rtionship thanks to Ashton¡¯s and Gregory¡¯s sudden


    appearance.


    Like Alexander, Reba was in showbiz. It shouldn¡¯t be too hard to dig up some information on her.


    I pulled out my phone and keyed in ¡°Reba Larson¡± in the search box.


    Reba Larson And Ashton Fuller Sighted On A Public Date.


    Cameron Moore¡¯s Daughter Makes A shy Comeback.


    The Golden Girl Falls Down The Wayward Path.


    Unable To Cope With Crippling Drug Addiction, Reba Larson Commits Suicide In Rehab.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Each article was apanied by a slew of paparazzi shots.


    Reba¡¯s eventful life had been stered across the news. Manyizens had expressed their


    sympathy at her tragic downfall.


    She lookedpletely different from the woman I encountered at The Jade. I guess showbiz wouldn¡¯t


    be so forgiving towards an artist who had fallen from grace, let alone someone who used to do


    drugs. She would¡¯ve had a hard time securing opportunities even if she had a strong backing. I guess


    now I understand why she had to get stic surgery.


    Just like what Emery said, Reba had reinvented her appearance and her entire identity. The public


    now only knew her as ¡°Vivian¡±, and her shocking past had been covered up.


    There was still a knot in my mind that I couldn¡¯t untie. Emery mentioned that Reba was the one who


    had wronged me. Why didn¡¯t I track her down in the past six years? And why was she infuriated once


    she saw me?


    I felt hopeless about the situation. I couldn¡¯t even confirm if I was ¡°Scarlett¡±; worrying about her enemy


    was definitely beyond me.


    I let out a long sigh as I turned my attention back to Marcus. Acting on my gut, I Googled him instead.


    The search results shocked me.


    Heir To The White Corporation. The Promising Graduate Returns. Alleged Friction Between Marcus


    White And Stepmom Sally Fuller. Marcus White Takes Over The Reins After Benjamin White¡¯s Death.


    Marcus White¡¯s Mother Dies Of Alleged Suicide.


    How did he cope with the loss of his parents in such a short time?


    His life seemed a lot more tragic than Reba¡¯s. Maybe his mncholic behavior was a result of that


    depressing period in his life.


    The articles also reported on his rtionship with ¡°Scarlett¡±.


    Six years ago, Marcus had apparently disappeared mysteriously without a trace. When shareholders of


    the White Corporation begun eyeing an opportunity to take over thepany, ¡°Scarlett¡± had stepped


    up to help Marcus protect his family business.

 Chapter 1438

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1438


    However, there wasn¡¯t talk of any romantic liaisons between Marcus and ¡°Scarlett¡±. I supposed it was


    because ¡°Scarlett¡± was married to Ashton.


    From an onlooker¡¯s perspective, I thought there was something more to the situation.


    I clicked on one of the articles. In it, I saw a photo of thete ¡°Scarlett¡±.


    The simrities in our appearance were uncanny. We looked almost identical other than her healthier


    glow and stronger-looking physique.


    Absorbed in my sleuthing, I didn¡¯t notice that Marcus¡¯ meeting had ended. He entered the office and


    commented, ¡°What are you looking at? You look like you¡¯re in a trance.¡±


    He stopped right in front of me, lowering his gaze to the phone in my hand. When he saw the contents


    of my browser, heughed carelessly. He walked to his desk and asked, ¡°Did you think you were the


    same person?¡±


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    His words unraveled my suspicions.


    I left my seat and took a chair opposite him. ¡°Don¡¯t you think we look very alike?¡± I erged the image


    before passing him my phone.


    Six years could change a person¡¯s appearance, but there were embedded characteristics that time


    could never remove.


    Marcus crossed his legs on his office chair. He appraised my face seriously for a few seconds before


    he said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    If he had made up mboyant excuses, I could have argued with him over the topic. His straightforward


    reply baffled me.


    He¡¯s confirming and denying my suspicions at the same time.


    He was basically implying that while I was the spitting image of ¡°Scarlett¡±, that was where our


    simrities ended. That¡¯s why his tone is so nonchnt


    I collected myself as I stared into his eyes. I recalled that Marcus had never mentioned his past to me.


    Since he¡¯s so close to ¡°Scarlett¡±, why is he engaged to a woman who looks exactly like her?


    ¡°Come on, I¡¯m getting off work. Let¡¯s go out for dinner.¡±


    Before I could make sense of the questions in my head, Marcus stood up and began herding me to the


    door.


    I picked up my phone and followed his lead obediently.


    I was struck with a thought. When I¡¯m with Marcus, I ept all of his decisions unquestioningly. If he


    wants to change the topic of our conversation, I always let him.


    As Marcus began to drive, a ck vehicle suddenly shot out from nowhere, blocking his path. Marcus


    barely stopped his car in time.


    Marcus honked at the vehicle several times instead of confronting the reckless driver.


    A couple of minutester, it seemed like the driver wasn¡¯t going to apologize or move his car. Resigned,


    Marcus unbuckled his seat belt and approached the car.


    Just as he knocked on the driver¡¯s window, the car zoomed off.


    Marcus was a good-natured person, though even he couldn¡¯t help but frown at the driver¡¯s rude and


    puzzling behavior. He didn¡¯t want to waste time pursuing the driver whose car had already disappeared


    around the corner, so he merely came back into his car.


    I didn¡¯t ask him about the incident since there were a lot of things on my mind. Very quickly, I tossed the


    incident to the back of my mind.


    As we got seated at the restaurant, I received WhatsApp messages from Emery. She had sent me a


    bunch of photos. They were all taken in the past from when she used to hang out with ¡°Scarlett¡±.


    ¡°Scarlett¡± was holding two young kids in some of the photos. Her joy was evident; I could tell she had a


    loving family.


    ¡°Are you still thinking about the question earlier?¡± Marcus threw out the question cautiously while he


    tried to catch a glimpse of my phone screen.


    I passed him my phone. ¡°Emery said that these might help me to regain my memories.¡±


    Marcus flipped through the photos for a moment before pausing on one where ¡°Scarlett¡± was making


    funny faces at her kids. His gaze softened. ¡°It looks like ¡®Scarlett¡¯ had a happy life with her kids before


    her death.¡±


    ¡°I guess so.¡± I smiled lightly. ¡°I don¡¯t think there are any mothers who wouldn¡¯t be this happy to y with


    their kids.¡±


    Another thought crossed my mind as I asked Marcus urgently, ¡°What about us? Did we ever have


    kids?¡±


    Stunned, Marcus pushed the phone across the table to me. ¡°No. I brought up the idea, but you rejected


    it. Maybe you didn¡¯t like kids.¡±

 Chapter 1439

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1439


    I didn¡¯t like kids?


    I thought I liked Gregory plenty.


    Kids are the best! They¡¯re all a bunch of chubby little things that are just bursting with innocence. Just


    looking at them makes me feel better.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Did my feelings towards children really change after I almost died?


    I looked at the photo of ¡°Scarlett¡± and her kids. I replied absent-mindedly, ¡°I guess so.¡±


    I thought that might be one of the reasons Marcus and I were separated for such a long time in the


    past.


    I felt a rush of guilt. If I had thought things through, I never would have allowed myself to reach this age


    without having any kids.


    I felt unsettled as if every fiber of my being was fighting against some unwee virus in my body.


    Despite all this, I felt sorry for Marcus as well.


    I didn¡¯t want to live in this void any longer. I turned to face Marcus. ¡°I want to see a psychiatrist.¡±


    Marcus was taken aback at my request. He set down the silverware in his hand before looking at me.


    He exined seriously, ¡°I did look into psychotherapy, and I talked to some doctors. Psychotherapy is


    more suited to patients who have difficulty oveing emotional hurdles. Since your memory loss was


    caused by an ident, it might not be too effective for you.¡±


    Just then, the waiter arrived to serve our orders. After he left, Marcus continued, ¡°Why did you


    suddenly think of seeing a psychiatrist? Did something happen? You shouldn¡¯t stress yourself out over


    this.¡±


    I thought for a moment before lowering my head in despair. ¡°I just want to recover my old memories. I


    don¡¯t want to live in the shadows of a stranger.¡±


    At my words, Marcus fell into a contemtive silence. He said, ¡°Since you¡¯ve made up your mind, I¡¯ll


    support your decision. We can contact a psychiatrist when we get hometer. I¡¯m still going to give you


    the same advice. Don¡¯t hold out too much hope for this. There¡¯s plenty of time for you to recover.¡±


    ¡°Ok.¡± I looked at him hopefully. No matter how small the opportunity, I had to try to regain every inch of


    my past.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat,¡± Marcus coaxed, a smile on his face.


    It was already dark by the time we finished dinner. There was a drizzle outside.


    The start of autumn brought plenty of rain to K City, which was somewhat frustrating.


    My hair was wet as we walked to the car. Marcus focused on driving slowly in this weather. From time


    to time, he¡¯d bring up a random topic.


    We drove past an intersection as we left the city. Marcus stepped on the brakes, but the car continued


    moving no matter how hard he pressed on them. In fact, the car seemed to be speeding up.


    Marcus tried to pull the handbrake, but we were moving at such a high speed that the brake wouldn¡¯t


    catch. The car shot past a red light like an arrow released from a tightly-strung bow.


    Marcus¡¯ expression darkened. He kept honking to signal the nearby vehicles and pedestrians as he


    shouted, ¡°Letty, the brakes are shot. I¡¯ll try to control the car, but you need to get off now! Or it¡¯ll be too


    late!¡±


    I had already realized that something was wrong. More than ten vehicles were caught in a mess in the


    intersection we had zoomed past. The carsing from the opposite direction were swerving away


    from us once they discovered how fast we were traveling.


    I held on tightly to my seatbelt despite my nerves. ¡°No, I can¡¯t leave you alone!¡±


    Marcus seemed infuriated instead of touched at my words. ¡°I¡¯m ordering you to save yourself! I used


    my life to save you once, and I can¡¯t put you in danger again!¡±


    I didn¡¯t have time to unpackage the meaning behind his words. I gritted my teeth before unlocking the


    passenger door. I leaped towards a grassy patch on the side of the road.


    The soft patch cushioned my fall. I only sustained minor injuries.


    I quickly ran after Marcus¡¯ car. Suddenly, I heard a loud crash. His car had rammed into a rail guard


    and was now flipped on its side.


    I sped toward the vehicle and located the driver¡¯s door. On all fours, I peered through the window to


    assess Marcus¡¯ injuries. ¡°Marcus, are you ok?¡±

 Chapter 1440

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1440


    Blood was streaming down Marcus¡¯ face, his gaze unfocused. He opened his mouth to say something,


    but no words came out. He blinked as if he recognized me, and then he fainted.


    I pulled out my phone and called the ambnce. ¡°911? Someone¡¯s been involved in an ident.


    Here¡¯s the address.¡±


    Luckily, we weren¡¯t too far from the city. An ambnce arrived within ten minutes.


    I paced outside the operating theater after Marcus had been wheeled in.


    Two hourster, the light above the operating theater switched off. The surgeon pushed open the door.


    I ran to him in a hurry. ¡°Doctor, is he ok?¡±


    ¡°The airbag protected him. He only suffered external injuries. We¡¯ve sewed him up, but he needs to


    remain in the hospital for observation.¡±


    Relieved, I thanked the doctor.


    Marcus was wheeled out by the nurse shortly after. He looked half-asleep as the anesthetic hadn¡¯t


    worn off.


    I approached the gurney and called to him softly. ¡°Marcus?¡±


    I could see his eyes moving beneath his eyelids, though he didn¡¯t reply.


    I only thought of contacting his friends and family after he was sent to the ward.


    What little information I could find online stated that he was an only child. His parents were long dead


    as well. I knew nothing about him beyond this. I didn¡¯t know his rtives or even a single one of his


    friends.


    He seemed just like me, another lonely individual.


    I empathized with him in that moment.


    The next day, Marcus was finally awake.


    I prepared some chicken soup for him.


    He sat against the bed as I fed him. He teased, ¡°You look just like one of those model wives.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°Please, this is nothingpared to you asking me to save myself yesterday.¡±


    Any dy would¡¯ve greatly increased the speed of the vehicle, causing more damage to the driver


    upon impact. Yet Marcus didn¡¯t think twice about waiting for me to jump out of the car before he


    rammed the car into the rails.


    I would be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t touched.


    Marcus smiled and finished the soup quickly. He leaned against the headboard and closed his eyes,


    weakness evident in his posture.


    My guilt overwhelmed me. I croaked, ¡°Thank god you¡¯re alive. Or I¡¯ll never be able to forgive myself.¡±


    Marcus scoffed lightly. After some thought, he said, ¡°Under these circumstances, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll forgive


    me for anything I¡¯m about to say, right?¡±


    I held back my tears as I asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    The smile on his face disappeared. Somberly, he stated, ¡°We were never engaged.¡±


    I actually felt a bit regretful at his words. I looked at him seriously.


    I felt frustrated at my inability to me him despite his deception. Instead, I lowered my head and


    avoided his gaze. ¡°Yes, I know.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re angry, you don¡¯t have to hold it back, you know. Or are you giving up on mepletely?¡±


    Marcus asked earnestly. He didn¡¯t seem to be panicking at all.


    I collected my thoughts before I answered him. ¡°If you really wanted to keep me in the dark, you


    wouldn¡¯t have let me hang around with Emery. Besides, you saved my life and took care of me for the


    past six years. I¡¯m forever indebted to you over that.¡±


    Marcus lowered his head and didn¡¯t offer a rebuke.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    I poured him a ss of warm water. ¡°I¡¯m curious, though. Why did you make up our engagement?¡±


    Heughed. ¡°In that situation, if I didn¡¯t say we were engaged, would you have trusted me and allowed


    me to take care of you?¡±


    To a person who had forgotten everything, the world was a scary and unfamiliar ce. Since the


    doctors and nurses assumed we were together, Marcus¡¯ words felt like the truth. Before I left the


    hospital, there was no reason for me to doubt him.


    My difort back then made me cautious about many things. I guess Marcus caught on to that.


    He must¡¯ve lied to protect me back then.


    I nodded and decided to drop the topic of his deception. There were more important things I needed to


    know. ¡°So am I really the ¡®Scarlett¡¯ that Emery has been talking about?¡±

 Chapter 1441

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1441


    Marcus looked at me directly. ¡°I already gave you the answer.¡±


    His answer dashed my fantasies. ¡°Oh, ok.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    You look alike, but you¡¯re not the same.


    This whole mess is because of my face.


    ¡°Are you disappointed?¡± Marcus hit the nail on the head.


    I shook my head, hiding my true feelings. ¡°No, I¡¯m d it¡¯s resolved. I don¡¯t have to worry about this


    anymore; it¡¯s a relief. I only regret that I¡¯m not Gregory¡¯s mother.¡±


    Marcus said jokingly, ¡°If you¡¯ve changed your mind about kids, I¡¯m always ready to make a baby with


    you.¡±


    ¡°Pfft.¡± I rolled my eyes and snatched the water out of his hands. ¡°You¡¯re still trying to take advantage of


    me after admitting that you¡¯ve been lying to me for years? Don¡¯t make me kick you to the curb!¡±


    Marcus¡¯ head injury didn¡¯t stop him from using his arm. He held his ss easily as he whined, ¡°You¡¯re


    going to treat a patient like this?¡±


    I red at him and dropped the subject.


    Though my memories hadn¡¯t returned, that didn¡¯t mean I was a muddled mess.


    There were too many mysteries surrounding Marcus. I would unravel them one by one once he had


    recovered.


    Marcus spent six years taking care of me in the hospital. That was proof enough that he didn¡¯t bear any


    ill will toward me.


    Drowsy after the meal, Marcus soon fell into a deep sleep. I left to get some fresh air in the corridor.


    My phone began ringing just as I sat down. It was an unknown number.


    I had a sinking feeling that the caller was my cold neighbor. This sort of mysteriousness suited him.


    I checked on Marcus through the window. He was sound asleep, his chest rising and falling steadily


    with each breath.


    Once I ascertained his safety, I picked up the call. ¡°Hello, may I know who¡¯s calling?¡±


    A familiar voice drifted through the receiver. ¡°Ms. Stovall.¡±


    I knew without a doubt that this was Ashton.


    His tone was unique, cold like thekes inte autumn with an inexplicable charisma. It was easy to


    recognize.


    Ironically, his call felt like winning the lottery. I didn¡¯t expect someone as powerful as him to call me


    voluntarily.


    I collected myself and calmed my nerves. ¡°Mr. Fuller, how can I help you?¡±


    ¡°I have the results of your paternity test with Gregory. I¡¯ll send someone to pick you up.¡±


    I noticed that I was already used to his concise manner of speaking.


    ¡°You¡¯ve caught me at a bad time. I¡¯m at the hospital.¡± I turned around and checked on Marcus once


    more. ¡°My friend is alone in the hospital, and I can¡¯t just get up and leave. Can we reschedule?¡±


    Ashton seemed topletely ignore my request as he talked over me impatiently, ¡°Ms. Stovall, do you


    know how many thousands of people are employed at the Fuller Corporation?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Surprised, I nodded though he couldn¡¯t see me. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it on the news. Why?¡±


    ¡°To amodate a change in my schedule, thousands of employees will have to change their


    schedules as well. Ms. Stovall, are you sure you want to be responsible for a change like that?¡±


    My jaw fell open at his statement. What was I thinking? That I could outmaneuver a businessman at the


    top of his field?


    In the end, I could only tell him the address of the hospital.


    He hung up immediately after I ended my sentence.


    Impatient jerk! What a rude b*stard!


    I was left staring at the call log of my phone. I decided to ask the housekeeper toe and take care


    of Marcus.


    Marcus woke up just as I pushed open the door.


    ¡°Did I wake you?¡± I asked apologetically.


    ¡°No.¡± He shook his head weakly. He looked even paler after his short nap.


    After some hesitation, I said, ¡°Marcus, I¡¯m leaving for a while as I have some things to attend to.¡±

 Chapter 1442

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1442


    Marcus¡¯ half-awakened eyes promptly lit up, and his inflection elevated a notch. ¡°To see who?¡±


    I replied with a stutter, ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡±


    He did not wait for me to finish. ¡°Go ahead if you want to, but be careful. There may be something more


    to the traffic ident than meets the eye.¡±


    His tone was calm, but his words discouraging.


    I nodded. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll be back as soon as possible.¡±


    With that, I poured a ss of water and left it within his reach. ¡°Rest up first. Mrs. Kingsley will be over


    soon.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    I left only when Mrs. Kingsley arrived.


    I was about to hire a ride when a ck van honked at me.


    Its number te was not unfamiliar to me. Ashton had once unloaded from this vehicle when he moved


    in next door to Marcus.


    I instinctively reached over for the handle. When the door to the rear seating opened, there sat Ashton.


    Cautiously, I withdrew my hand. ¡°Mr. Fuller?¡±


    ¡°Get in.¡±


    Ashton spoke briskly and without much emotion, so much so that I was unsure whether I had imagined


    hearing him.


    I caught a glimpse of his fingers rapping upon the armrest ever so often. Their movements were casual


    yet confident. Only then did I understand that he had been waiting for some time, so I promptly lowered


    my head and entered without a fight.


    The soundproofing inside the vehicle was excellent as it was rtively quiet even while we traversed


    the bustlingmercial district.


    I was first between us to break the silence. ¡°Have you found out the results of the paternity test yet, Mr.


    Fuller?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    ¡°Not yet.¡± Ashton¡¯s lips lifted somewhat patronizingly before he went on to light up a cigar for himself.


    My body had been subsisting on medication and supplements during this period and was more


    sensitive than most. I cupped my nose inside my knuckle against the smell of tobo drifting toward


    me.


    In the next moment, the windows to the side steadily lowered.


    When I turned, I saw that the freshly lit cigar was now resting quietly inside the ashtray. With the inside


    of the carpletely ventted by the night breeze, the scent of the tobo quickly dissipated.


    I felt warm inside and pursed my lips as I regarded him and his considerate gesture.


    Ashton¡¯s gaze was directed forward and unwavering. The calmness that was also reflected in his gaze


    made him hard to decipher.


    Shortly, the car rolled to a halt.


    Joseph came up to open the door. ¡°Mr. Fuller.¡±


    It would appear that he, too, had been waiting for a while as well. Upon detecting my presence, he


    bowed in greeting. ¡°Ms. Stovall.¡±


    He then walked himself to Ashton¡¯s right and whispered into his ear as he led the way.


    I followed behind in silence with a mminess inside my palms.


    Even though it was conclusive enough over on Marcus¡¯ end, I could not help but hope for some luck


    and some surprises going in.


    We did not have to wait very long before the doctor arrived with the paternity test report in hand. A


    bunch of the specialized terminology was broken down and exined, but it was all Greek to me.


    Ashton must have noticed my unease. He stretched out his legs and said staidly, ¡°Be concise.¡±


    The doctor immediately closed the file and replied solemnly, ¡°Ms. Carlette Stovall and Gregory Hall are


    not biologically rted.¡±


    ¡°No?¡± I could not mask my disappointment. Could it be that Marcus was right while Emery and the rest


    were mistaken about this?


    I absentmindedly looked to Ashton for his reaction. His face was darkened as he sat frozen in his seat.


    After a brief pause, he looked up and instructed Joseph, ¡°Send Ms. Stovall home.¡±


    His tone was frostier than before, and there was a subtle sense of urgency about it.


    Joseph, too, seemed surprised at the oue and took a while to recover. He then duly gestured to


    the door, saying, ¡°After you, Ms. Stovall.¡±


    I did not get up right away, turning to the side instead. ¡°Mr. Fuller!¡±


    It was the ties that bind. I refused to believe that Gregory¡¯s attachment toward me came out of


    nowhere. We must be missing something.


    Even though I was unable to convince myself, I would not be able to ept this if the results currently


    in Ashton¡¯s hands had been tampered with.

 Chapter 1443

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1443


    Ashton seemed to disregard me as he reprimanded Joseph with severity. ¡°Must I repeat myself?¡±


    I remained in denial. ¡°Perhaps there was an issue with the DNA sample you got from me. Maybe we


    could¡­¡±


    Ashton was in no mood to listen to me any longer. He calmly took the report from the doctor and


    inspected it carefully once more.


    I did not know how I mustered the courage to vocalize the fury I felt inside at the sight of his aloofness.


    ¡°Ashton Fuller!¡±


    That outburst finally seemed to yield some response from him. However, he merely paused in the act of


    reading; he did not look up at me.


    I tried to make a dogged attempt to state my case but was cut off firmly by Joseph. ¡°We should be


    going, Ms. Stovall.¡±


    Even if that was not something I wanted to hear, I felt the man¡¯s good intentions. He was merely


    concerned that I might anger Ashton.


    Left without alternatives, I could only back off. For now.


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    I had to break into a jog in order to keep up with Joseph¡¯s lengthy strides. ¡°Are you sure the result of


    the test is reliable, Mr. Campbell? Surely you must know the truth, having worked for Ashton for as long


    as you have?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry yourself over this, Ms. Stovall. Rest assured that Mr. Fuller will look into it.¡±


    Joseph brought me to the rear exit and issued some instructions to the chauffeur before he turned


    back.


    The more I thought about it, the more I sensed something amiss. I decided to go back and question the


    examining doctor.


    I backtracked to the house which I hade from and saw a youngdy enter as I turned the corner.


    The door was ajar, so I sneaked up and stood outside to eavesdrop.


    Ashton was still in there while two people were engaged in a heated exchange. The woman sounded


    agitated as she snatched the paternity test report from Ashton¡¯s hands. ¡°Why are you looking at me like


    that? How could you suspect me because of something someone else said? I¡¯m your own sister!¡±


    The woman was so upset that she was heaving as she hurled the report onto the floor.


    The doctor had already been dismissed earlier, so the only ones left inside were Ashton, the woman,


    and Joseph, who had just gone in.


    Thetter hesitated before he checked with Ashton if he should pick up the report. ¡°Mr. Fuller?¡±


    Ashton calmly got to his feet. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The woman did not seem like she was going to let up and seized ahold of Joseph. ¡°You! Who allowed


    you toe back?¡±


    To his credit, Joseph remained unperturbed. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Ms. Hall. Mr. Fuller was the one who


    sent for me.¡±


    ¡°So he¡¯s the one stirring things up here. Moving out from the Hall family on the ount of an outsider?


    We¡¯re your real family. Is this how you¡¯re going to treat us?¡±


    This Ms. Hall sounded increasingly indignant, as though she was genuinely hurt by how Ashton was


    handling this situation.


    Ashton was unmoved, and there was even a hint of frivolity in his inflection. ¡°Perhaps then, someone


    could exin what the deal was with Scarlett¡¯s obituary?¡±


    ¡°I see that you¡¯ve found out about it.¡± The woman paused before she continued defiantly, ¡°So what if I


    was the one who issued it under your name? You ought to know that I¡¯ve sent people out to search for


    her until we finally found the body two years ago. I was afraid that you and Gregory would be


    saddened, so I took the initiative to take care of things of my own ount.¡±


    A coldness shed across Ashton¡¯s eyes as he adjusted his tie.


    For a man of few words like him, such an untimely gesture betrayed his sentiments. I could sense his


    mounting hostility within the house even from a distance.


    Ashton snorted, ¡°More than a few people had told me that Scarlett¡¯s still alive.¡±


    The Hall woman sneered as she looked askance at Joseph, ¡°Did he tell you that? Or was it that good-


    for-nothing from the Stovalls? The body we found was verified by DNA testing. It was without a doubt


    Scarlett¡¯s.¡±


    Ashton smugly raised his chin. ¡°Since we both appear to have a case, it seems only right for me to look


    into the identity of that woman who looks just like her.¡±


    His chilling voice seemed to have frightened the woman.

 Chapter 1444

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1444


    She appeared a little rattled as she ranted, ¡°Don¡¯t you believe me, Ashton?¡±


    ¡°The truth trumps debate, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± Ashton¡¯s eyes swept meaningfully over her before he


    started for the door.


    I was jolted to my senses and went on to hide in the emergency exit nearby.


    The two men had only just left when the agitated voice of the woman emanated from the inside. ¡°Find


    out exactly who my brother met up with recently! Be thorough about it!¡±


    Only then did I slip away to the entrance and hired a ride out.


    En route, I mentally tried to piece together what had just transpired.


    However, I was not able to grasp the nuances within.


    Emery did not seem the type to mistake anyone for someone else. Ashton did not blow up in my face;


    he had merely sent me away so he may question his own sister.


    One was a Hall and the other a Fuller. Yet both were siblings. This was intriguing indeed.


    So Ashton waspletely unaware of the obituary. If that was the case, why was he not surprised at


    the appearance of someone who looked exactly like his ex-wife?


    Scarlett Stovall¡¯s DNA was found on that corpse two years ago. Gregory and I have no blood rtions.


    Was this the truth?


    If only I had not lost my memories.


    There would be no problems had I not forgotten the past.


    I would be able to know if I liked the child, what kind of enemies I had, and who I loved.


    No one would be able to lead me by the nose then.


    When I reached the hospital, I sat outside the corridor for a while before returning to Marcus¡¯ ward. A


    few people in-clothes policemen were inside.


    Marcus was having his statement taken, and he smiled when he saw that I had returned. ¡°Hey Letty,


    you¡¯re back.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± He exined the situation when I walked to the side of the bed, ¡°The police would like to get a


    better understanding of the case in order to solve it sooner.¡±


    I nodded in acknowledgment before I filled the empty ss on the table with water.


    ¡°Have you gotten into any fights with anyone recently, Mr. White?¡±


    ¡°Not that I can remember.¡±


    ¡°Or offended anyone when you misspoke? Or had any disagreements over business dealings?¡±


    ¡°No. White Corporation has always been above board in our operations. We value trust¡­¡±


    Any possible criminal motive had been covered through their inquiry but without making any headway.


    There was a tall one amongst the officers who seemed to direct his focus rather strongly upon me.


    ¡°Was Ms. Stovall also inside the car during that time?¡±


    I nodded cooperatively. ¡°That¡¯s right. Marcus and I were together. We were on our way home.¡±


    Then the rest of them started to drive the same questions they had for Marcus my way.


    Mostly, they were about who I might have encountered recently and whether any of them stood out to


    me.


    I had just regained consciousness and did not have many friends apart from Marcus, Emery, and the


    others.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    But speaking of enemies¡­


    There seemed to be just the one.


    Reba¡¯s murderous look still gave me the jitters when I recalled it.


    When I was about to mention it, Marcus put the attention back on himself. ¡°She could not remember


    much as she had onlye out of a lengthya recently. Basically, she was with me most of the


    time and rarely interacted with outsiders.¡±


    The officers nodded upon hearing that and did not probe further.


    They seemed to get on well with Marcus and left him with some good wishes before they departed.


    ¡°Leave this to us. You take care of yourself.¡±


    I turned to him after they left. ¡°Do you know someone in the station?¡±


    ¡°I helped them out with a few cases when I went overseas a couple of years back.¡±


    As he seemed to have no intention of borating, it would not seem proper for me to press further.


    ¡°The overseas cases must have been quite dangerous. It¡¯s a good thing that you made it out okay.¡±


    The man smiled slightly as he seemed to have remembered something when I spoke. ¡°Indeed. But by


    the looks of it, it was worth the trouble.¡±


    ¡­..


    After Marcus had his breakfast the next morning, I prepared to go home and make him some staple


    dishes.


    Even if he did not say so explicitly, the distinctively average fare offered at the hospital clearly did not


    appeal to his fussy taste buds.


    I had just reached the gate when a loud screeching of brakes rang out. Turning around, a ck


    automobile skidded to a stop to my side. Out stepped a woman with flowing blond locks, wearing a


    glittery dress. She came right at me.

 Chapter 1445

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1445


    Her face was obscured by a pair of shades, so I was not able to tell who she was right off the bat.


    It was when she removed them that I recognized her as Reba.


    Reba must have gotten used to the attention; her getup was more over the top than thest time I


    saw her.


    The woman gnashed and ground her teeth as she stabbed a finger at my nose. ¡°Scarlett Stovall, you


    slut. How the hell did you manage to still stand there in one piece?¡±


    She did not seem inclined to veil her blood-lust toward me in the least.


    I must be an idiot if I still couldn¡¯t figure out why.


    The thought of the moment when our lives hung by a thread had my fingers tighten into a fist. ¡°Were


    you the one who tampered with Marcus¡¯ car?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Reba raised her voice to shift the me onto me. ¡°So what if I did? Anyone who tries


    to protect you deserves to die!¡±


    Before I could react, she lunged at me and caught me by the jaw, forcing me to look directly into her


    eyes. ¡°How is it that you can manage to dodge a bullet every single time? But know that this is just the


    beginning. Next time, I¡¯ll have you know what real horror is!¡±


    The vise-like grip she had on me hurt my face.


    I gritted my teeth and shook her off. ¡°Does a human life really have so little value to you?¡±


    Reba let out a scoff, acting as though she had just heard the biggest joke ever. ¡°Human life? Isn¡¯t


    mine worth nothing to all of you? I¡¯ll never forget how I¡¯ve been left to die inside of that freezing cell, so


    don¡¯t you dare die on me yet, Scarlett. I¡¯ll have you suffering for the rest of your life!¡±


    With that, she spat on the ground and turned to leave.


    As I watched her silhouette fade into the distance, I finally understood why Emery had called this


    woman a raving lunatic who couldn¡¯t be reasoned with.


    I took a deep breath before I pulled out my phone and calmly called the police.


    ¡­..


    When I sent Marcus his lunch, I was guilt-ridden and subconsciously avoided making eye contact.


    It was as Marcus had described it when they took his statement. He was an honest-to-goodness


    businessman. Genial and humble, he would not casually make an enemy of anyone.


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    I was the cause of the ident that day; I had unwittingly dragged him into my mess.


    When I had all of the meat ced on his side, Marcus finally sensed that something was off. ¡°You look


    distracted. Are you not used to the spare bed?¡±


    There was little else I could do excepte clean. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. That ident happened because of me.¡±


    Marcus nodded. He paused briefly before he replied, almost jokingly. ¡°It looks like that person really


    wants you dead.¡±


    ¡°It does appear to seem that way.¡±


    Reba must have been tracking me for a long time and knew that Marcus and I were quite


    inseparable. That was probably why she had targeted him.


    There were no grudges between them. Reba would not have gone ahead and done what she did if


    she had even the slightest sliver ofpassion within her. In retrospect, perhaps she might have been


    inside the car that suddenly intercepted us that day.


    Reba was psychotic. She had already concluded that I was that Scarlett Stovall and wanted me


    dead, regardless of the coteral damage caused.


    It would appear imperative that I establish my own identity. Should the police be unable to take her to


    task, I fear that I would be treading on thin ice going forward.


    At the same time, I was curious about what sort of enmity there was between Scarlett and Reba


    that thetter had to seek vengeance no matter the cost.


    ¡­..


    Upon receiving my report, the police arrested Reba, who went by the alias of Vivian Wiesmann. As


    she had been quite meticulous, it took considerable effort on their part to investigate thoroughly before


    they could formally charge her.


    It was unbelievable how she managed to reappear on television a few days after. I was sure someone


    exceedingly powerful must have her back.


    The day Reba was released arrived around the same time Marcus was to be discharged.


    After I was done with the paperwork for Marcus, I returned to the ward, only to find Reba standing


    outside the door.


    She was heavily made-up and dressed to the nines, as usual. Already into the weather of October, she


    was still wearing a sparse ck spaghetti-strap dress. With her straps and golden tresses billowing in


    the wind, anyone would be excused for thinking that she was here for a televised interview.

 Chapter 1446

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1446


    I heard her footsteps as she waltzed up to me. ¡°His injuries look rather serious, so I¡¯m surprised that he


    recovered this quickly. It¡¯s just as well, so my courtesy call doesn¡¯te to waste.¡±


    With that, she received the fruit basket from her agent and pushed it in front of us. ¡°Oh, the traffic


    ident was a prank taken too far on my part. I hope we can see an amicable resolution to this. Let¡¯s


    take it that it never happened.¡±


    Her flighty tone told me that she was not at all apologetic.


    This was not an olive branch. It was obvious that all she wanted was for us to turn a blind eye to it.


    My face dimmed as I spoke coldly, ¡°Who let you out?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it was the protector of the people, the lovable boys in blue.¡± Reba shrugged wantonly


    before she loosened her grip and outright chucked the fruit basket aside. She then leaned in with


    brazenness. ¡°So long as I draw breath, you can expect no peace!¡±


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    ¡°Enough!¡± My fists tightened until they trembled. ¡°I¡¯ll say this once again. I¡¯m not Scarlett Stovall. Even if


    I was, you¡¯ve no right to treat anyone this way!¡±


    ¡°Hmph,¡± Reba sneered, then stood herself upright with arms akimbo. ¡°You¡¯re afraid, Scarlett, as you


    should be.¡±


    She paused before sheughed even more gleefully at this point. ¡°Thest time was just the appetizer.


    Look forward to the full course!¡±


    With that, the woman turned and strutted off in the most pompous manner possible. ¡°We¡¯ll meet again,


    Scarlett. Very soon!¡±


    The insouciance of her tone sounded like she was doing ap of honor.


    I attuned myself to my own breathing with my eyes closed, hoping to calm my emotions. I would have


    confronted her had Marcus not held me by the wrist. ¡°Calm down. She meant to provoke you. It¡¯s better


    to not act impulsively because we don¡¯t know who¡¯s backing her.¡±


    ¡­..


    Marcus¡¯ car had to be scrapped. It was inconvenient for him to drive, seeing as to how he had just


    recovered from a serious ailment, so we could only hail a ride back.


    We were barely past the first intersection when our cab was swiftly surrounded on all sides by several


    ck sedans.


    Out stepped men in formal dressing. It was obvious that they had no good intentions. However, our


    driver was so unnerved as he articted himself properly, ¡°Who¡­ Don¡¯t be stupid¡­ This is aw-


    abiding society¡­ I¡¯ll call the police!¡±


    The suited men outright disregarded the driver¡¯s threats. It took them no effort to drag him out of the


    driver¡¯s seat and have him subdued. Never mind calling the police, the man was so cowed that he did


    not even dare to breathe too loudly.


    The one in charge walked to the backseat and located my position with pinpoint uracy. ¡°Make it


    easier on yourself, Ms. Stovall.¡±


    Marcus and I exchanged looks. We were sure that neither of us had any clue as to what was going on.


    ¡°I¡¯ll cooperate, but first things first. Where are you taking me?¡±


    Marcus almost lost his life thest time and had not fully recovered. Now that trouble hade


    knocking again, I was determined not to implicate him this time.


    Upon hearing that, Marcus seemed to want to speak up, but I quietly pinched him in on the wrist,


    imploring him to act with restraint.


    I was quite certain that these people were not in cahoots with Reba. She would not be so banal as


    to get someone on my case immediately after showing off in front of me.


    It could not be Ashton either. He may be offish as heck, but I knew he was someone who always acted


    honorably. He would always either get someone to check in first whenever he needed to call on me or


    send Joseph to pick me up. He was not one to employ such a manner of invitation.


    That being said, apart from them, I could not think of anyone else who would do such a thing.


    I must regain my memories. I won¡¯t be able to respond decisively if I were to keep getting caught on the


    back-foot like this.


    ¡°You¡¯ll find out when you get there,¡± the man replied. He dispensed with any more formalities and


    reached out to grab me with hisrge mitts.


    There was no way Marcus could sit idly by. Despite his weakened state, he struggled against the suited


    man to protect me.


    At this critical juncture, the shrill screaming of brakes tore into the fray and echoed all around us,


    trapping our previously menacing aggressors within.


    In the corner of my eye, I spotted Joseph¡¯s familiar face.


    ¡°Mr. Campbell!¡± I cried.


    Joseph spearheaded the charge of his men and neutralized the strapping of the suited men in mere


    minutes.


    He then approached, a little short of breath. ¡°Come with me, Ms. Stovall.¡±

 Chapter 1447

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1447


    ¡°Okay,¡± I replied without much hesitancy.


    Marcus, who had been silent all this time, also expressed his sentiment. ¡°I¡¯ll go too.¡±


    I paused and turned to Joseph to seek his opinion.


    Apparently, it was no issue as Joseph slightly nodded his head, so all of us bundled in and left together.


    We saw the sirens roar pass when we turned at the intersection. I guess the police must have been


    alerted by some passers-by.


    ¡­..


    Joseph led Marcus and I to an old mansion that appeared to boast a real sense of history behind it.


    Anyone with some understanding of real estate would know that the value of heritage sites could not be


    measured in its modern mary worth. Only the cream of the crop would be able to reside in ces


    like that.


    Inside the living room, Ashton and that Hall woman sat across from each other. The atmosphere


    appeared somber.


    Gregory was fiddling with a tablet in another part of the room, deliberately incognizant to what was


    happening on this end.


    We were ushered to Ashton¡¯s side. ¡°They¡¯re here, Mr. Fuller. Ran into some trouble with some people


    who tried to abduct them along the way, but my men and I managed to get there in time.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Ashton replied inly before he raised his head. His cold eyes swept past Marcus and


    fell right upon me.


    I would consider myself acquainted with Ashton to a certain extent, but not so much with that woman. I


    regarded her as briefly as I would any stranger that I passed on the street.


    Her disquiet did not elude me.


    She reacted to me as though she had just seen a ghost. Her eyes were peeled wide open, face white


    as a sheet. ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re alive?¡±


    After my encounters with Alexander and Emery, this sort of response did not faze me anymore.


    It would seem that many thought that I should not still be existent in this world.


    How Alexander and Emery straddled joy and sincere relief upon discovering me simrly came across


    as a surprise.


    This woman¡¯s reaction, though, was reminiscent of Reba¡¯s.


    Be it Reba or this wildly expressive socialite before me, I understood the insinuations hidden within


    their words. You ought to be dead!


    I had no impressions of her whatsoever. But judging from the conversation I overheard and her


    physical resemnce to Ashton, I understood that they were family. Hence, I maintained a basic level


    of cordiality. ¡°Ms. Hall.¡±


    She clutched at her own chest in a dramatic mixture of astonishment, panic, and disbelief, as though


    she was suffering a cardiac arrest. ¡°You¡­ You¡­¡±


    Not a single line was uttered before she got her emotions in check and regarded Ashton calmly. ¡°It¡¯s


    just someone who looks like her. The real Scarlett¡¯s dead. That has been established even by the


    police. You¡¯ve been fooled, my dear brother.¡±


    The woman sounded so certain; she did not seem at all worried about ws in her narrative.


    Indeed, everything pertaining to the one who was dered deceased had been destroyed. There was


    nothing left that could be used to expose her.


    As she was his kin, even a fool would know who Ashton would trust between the two of us. The fact


    that he allowed his own son to take the name of the Hall family was a case-in-point.


    Gregory was preupied with the screen in his hands and only noticed me when the maid brought him


    some water. He sprung to life and immediately tried to run toward me with tablet in hand. Unfortunately,


    he was held back by the maid, who was concerned that he might disturb his own father, who was in the


    midst of some serious talk.


    ¡°I want to y with you, Ms. Stovall!¡± the boy shouted as he fought to free himself from the maid¡¯s


    grasp, shattering the silence in the otherwise quiet living room.


    The maid grew increasingly anxious, as though the boy¡¯s cry had just gotten her into major trouble. She


    kept trying to call for restraint from the young master of the house.


    I could only speak outfortingly, ¡°Be a good boy, Greg, and wait there. I¡¯lle over to you when


    we¡¯re done here!¡±


    Gregory pursed his lips in reluctance but pliantly lowered his head. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll stay put. You have to


    come quickly, Ms. Stovall!¡±


    An obedient and gentle child was especially endearing.


    While the living room fell back into silence as soon as Gregory did, the mood had only grown


    considerably more awkward.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

 Chapter 1448

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1448


    Joseph then passed along two copies of the paternity test report to Ashton, who received and swiftly


    mmed them down upon the coffee table in front of him. ¡°Would you be so kind as to exin why you


    said Audrey was conceived between Scarlett and another man, my dear sister!¡±


    Tiffany looked so nerve-wracked as she swallowed hard. Her face turned green, and her teeth


    chattered. ¡°I tried to fight for her custody, but the Stovalls would not let her go. You were unwilling to


    back off, so I had no choice but to do this. I needed you to go all out for thewsuit and bring our


    family¡¯s sessor back to us. The Stovall family is likely to treat the girl well, so the arrangement


    assuages the enmity between the two families. It can also help you to forget someone you should not


    be missing, so what¡¯s wrong with that?¡±


    Tiffany eased out of her initial reticence and grew bolder over time.


    Her tone turned increasingly forceful and haughty.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    In contrast to Tiffany¡¯s pretentiousness, Ashton wasparatively cid.


    A pair of dark and staid eyes transfixed upon her. There were no emotions discernible upon his face.


    Toward the end, the corner of his lips lifted slightly, and the most subtle of movement from it was filled


    with scorn. ¡°If memory serves, I believe that I have given you a chance before. What have you got to


    say for yourself?¡±


    The woman¡¯s face stiffened in an instant.


    She looked upon Ashton in fear. ¡°Were you suspicious from that day on? Have you distrusted me ever


    since you saw this woman, or have you never once believed me? If I had not done what I did, do you


    think we could have managed to get by peaceably all these years?¡±


    There was finally some semnce of emotion on Ashton¡¯s face as his eyes surged with boiling rage.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I did forget a great many things, so I won¡¯t talk about rtionships. You can¡¯t me me


    for yourck of appreciation of the many chances I¡¯ve offered you, Tiffany Hall.¡±


    Tiffany reacted as though she just got swiped across the face. She fell back to slump into the couch,


    rendered speechless.


    She probably had not expected that Ashton¡¯s indifference would supersede even their blood ties.


    However, it was clear from the resolve in his voice that there was no way back for them.


    She remained in a state of shock momentarily before she regarded Ashton indignantly. ¡°You¡¯ve been


    bewitched by these people!¡±


    She suddenly cast an using finger in my direction and howled, ¡°Never mind that this woman has


    Scarlett¡¯s face. Even if she is Scarlett herself, Dad will not have let her near you. I admit that I was


    wrong to lie to you, but do you distrust your own father as well? If not for Scarlett¡¯s promiscuity, the Hall


    family would not have had to leave our home behind. Have you already forgotten everything Dad told


    you?¡±


    It grew increasingly apparent that the motionless Ashton could no longer stand the sight of her.


    Joseph read his sentiments. He shot a nce over to his men, and someone came up to forcibly escort


    Tiffany out a heartbeatter.


    Even if they were family, it was Ashton who ultimately wielded power. His acquiescence earlier was out


    of a desire to avoid being calcting.


    The living room returned to a state of tranquility with the exit of Tiffany.


    Ashton unexpectedly turned to Marcus. His eyes darkened, and theughter he let out was unnerving.


    ¡°I happened to bump into two of your old friends, Mr. White. Let¡¯s show them in.¡±


    With that, he snapped his fingers. A bodyguard brought a woman and a boy of age six or seven in


    through the side door.


    The woman¡¯s cheeks were sallow and pallid; she wore only thin long sleeves on such a chilly day. She


    was so frail that she looked like she could be bowled over anytime by a gust of wind.


    The boy was in humble children¡¯s clothing and seemed ufortable in the presence of strangers.


    The mother and son pair huddled together as they eyed their surroundings warily.


    The expression on the woman¡¯s face froze when her gaze fell upon Marcus. She stood rooted to the


    spot, and her frazzled eyes started to well up with tears.


    The brows of the usuallyposed Marcus furrowed, and he appeared conflicted.


    Ashton¡¯s portentous voice rang out anew with a hint of levity. ¡°ording to thisdy, she¡¯s your wife


    and the boy your biological son. So I¡¯m curious, Mr. White, as to how you became engaged to be


    married to Scarlett under these circumstances? Was she aware of this?¡±

 Chapter 1449

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1449


    Wife and son?


    Even though I knew Marcus had some secrets of his own, I was truly baffled at the information Ashton


    had revealed.


    My feelings towards Marcus were purely tonic. If he had been married before, I could still ept it.


    However, I couldn¡¯t ept the fact that Marcus was wealthy while his wife was living a difficult life, poor


    as a church mouse.


    Maybe I should stand by Marcus¡¯ side and wait till the truth is revealed, but the dumbfounded look on


    his face told me enough.


    Marcus ignored Ashton¡¯s words and stomped towards the woman and child. He red at her as he


    grabbed her wrist to take her and her child away.


    Joseph immediately blocked his way, realizing Marcus¡¯ intention.


    Ashton sat on the couch impassively as he watched the scene unfold. ¡°Mr. White, we¡¯re not done here


    yet. You haven¡¯t admitted to the rtionship between you and this mother and child, yet you wanted to


    take them away from my house? Are you disrespecting me in my own house?¡±


    Marcus gritted his teeth and reluctantly looked at me. He finally released a deep sigh and admitted, ¡°As


    you said, I¡¯m her husband and the father of her child.¡±


    He recovered his usual arrogantposure after a brief pause. ¡°Can I take them away now?¡±


    Ashton finally let out a smile in satisfaction and gestured his subordinates to clear the way.


    Marcus took two steps, then halted. As he turned to look at me, his eyes were filled with apology. He


    was apprehensive but still left with them.


    Once the trio had left, Ashtonposed his expression. Joseph left with the rest of the subordinates


    after he had passed a document to the man.


    Only Ashton and I remained in the spacious living room after that.


    The man swung his gaze towards me. I could feel his solemn aura pressuring me to speak.


    Unable to withstand the difort further, I said, ¡°Mr. Fuller?¡±


    Ashton replied, ¡°It looks like Ms. Stovall doesn¡¯t have a fianc¨¦ anymore.¡±


    Huh? Is he being sarcastic?


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    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re implying.¡± Ashton should have some basic respect for Marcus despite


    them not seeing eye to eye.


    Let¡¯s first put aside the moral aspect of Marcus¡¯ actions. Can Ashton admit honestly that he didn¡¯t have


    the least bit of malicious intent when he exposed Marcus in public?


    ¡°I¡¯m not implying anything.¡± Ashton raised an eyebrow and continued, ¡°I¡¯m not a man with many skills.


    The only thing I¡¯m good at is doing business. Since you lost a fianc¨¦ because of me, I shall repay you


    with one.¡±


    ¡°Repay? How do you repay a fianc¨¦?¡±


    Ashton threw the document Joseph had given him on the table and pointed at it with a single finger.


    ¡°Have a look.¡±


    I reviewed the document curiously and realized that it was a contract. The contract¡¯s content was for


    me to be Ashton¡¯s wife.


    The whole situation was iprehensible.


    Ashton said indifferently, ¡°Are you done with it?¡±


    I nodded, then shook my head violently. I muttered, confusion in my tone, ¡°I don¡¯t understand what


    you¡¯re trying to do.¡±


    Ashton studied me with a somber look. ¡°Gregory needs a mother, and I need a wife to fight for my


    daughter¡¯s custody. I don¡¯t see why we can¡¯t help each other.¡±


    His eyes were cold, and his gaze was sharp. It was unnerving for me to meet his gaze.


    I was able to think clearly after a while. I threw the contract back onto the table and avoided meeting


    his piercing eyes that were boring into me. ¡°That is your own problem. Why would I help you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re suffering from amnesia,¡± Ashton remarked condescendingly, ¡°It has been two months since you


    woke up, and no one has sincerely helped you recover your memories. I can help you with that.¡±


    I scoffed. ¡°I can find my own memories without your help. Such an excuse is too unconvincing.¡±


    Thinking my words may be too unreasonable, I added, ¡°I think it would be best if Mr. Fuller discusses


    this situation with your fiance¨¦, Ms. Ziegler. I believe she would be more than willing to help your


    cause.¡±

 Chapter 1450

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1450


    ¡°Sure¡­¡± He nodded. When he raised hisshes, his eyes were filled with determination. ¡°But you¡¯re the


    most suitable to y Scarlett Stovall.¡±


    My brow furrowed, and I pondered. Even Emery and Alexander indeed had a hard time distinguishing


    me from the real Scarlett Stovall. So I¡¯m not worried in the slightest bit about the Stovall family catching


    me. ¡±All this talk, Mr. Fuller, yet you¡¯re only listing down your demands. A win-win proposal is important


    in every business, right?¡± My heart thudded in anticipation.


    This doesn¡¯t feel like my first time negotiating something this important.


    Ashton leaned back against the couch and crossed his legs when he saw me relent. ¡°Leave your safety


    and lost memories to me.¡±


    It would¡¯ve sounded like an empty promise if it was given by any other person other than Ashton. But


    with him, I only felt a sense of safety and assurance.


    As they said, money couldn¡¯t buy you everything, but you couldn¡¯t survive without any money. In short,


    money could help you solve most of the problems. Moreover, Ashton had more than just wealth to offer.


    No one dared to go against the Fullers with their current status in K City. Thus, I would get a free pass


    everywhere simply with one word from Ashton.


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    If he was giving me his word, that meant he already knew about Reba harassing me and the guy in


    a suit who stopped me today. There were too many people with malicious intentions around me, so his


    resources would be a huge help. I was well aware of that.


    Most importantly,pared to Marcus¡¯ reluctance, Ashton¡¯s promise to help me ¡°recover my


    memories¡± was the thing I desperately needed. So I gritted my teeth and agreed, ¡°You¡¯ve got a deal!¡±


    The corners of Ashton¡¯s lip quirked up as he rose to leave. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Go? Go where?¡± I asked, puzzled.


    ¡°To sort out the rtionship between you and Marcus, of course,¡± Ashton said with a deadpan


    expression. He then added, ¡°Also, we need to move all your stuff into my house.¡±


    ¡°That will not be necessary.¡± The rejection came out automatically. Even though I had started to have a


    good impression of him, it didn¡¯t cancel out the fact that Ashton was a self-centered jerk. ¡°Don¡¯t we


    need to sign the contract? I¡¯ve studied it. Cooperating with you to fight for your daughter¡¯s custody and


    act as a lovely couple in front of the media. I know what that entails, so there is no need for us to live


    together.¡±


    Ashton looked at me calmly, retorting, ¡°Marcus¡¯ wife and child have returned. Are you sure you want to


    live under a roof with them?¡±


    My mouth hung open for a second before I snapped it shut because I didn¡¯t know what to say while


    Ashton had made his decision. ¡°I¡¯m picky when ites to my sexual partners. Stop hesitating. Let¡¯s


    go.¡±


    Did he insinuate that I¡¯m not up to his standard of a sexual partner?


    Thatment is so unnecessary and insulting!


    He is the one who benefits the most, yet he¡¯s acting as if he¡¯s on a high horse, giving me some hand-


    outs.


    However, what he said is right¡­ I was fine with staying at Marcus¡¯ house when I was his fiancee, but


    now¡­


    I blew out a breath and followed behind the stoic man.


    When we reached the White residence, the woman and boy had cleaned up, and they were waiting in


    the living room with Marcus. I felt like an outsider when Ashton and I entered.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Marcus approached me, ignoring the presence of the woman and the boy


    completely.


    ¡°Ashton wants me to be his fiancee and the mother to Gregory,¡± I spoke directly since I had considered


    Marcus to be a close rtive.


    There wasn¡¯t much of a reaction from the man; it was as if he had anticipated my reply. ¡°What do you


    think? Is that what you want?¡±


    ¡°You have your own family, and I don¡¯t want to live my entire life not knowing what I want. He can help


    me with my lost memories and protect me at the same time. Moreover, I like Gregory.¡± I lowered my


    head, avoiding his eyes as I spoke.


    Discounting the identities of the woman and boy, I knew of Marcus¡¯ feelings towards me after we had


    been together for so long. I couldn¡¯t help feeling guilty when I picked someone else over him so easily. I


    felt like a cold, heartless person.


    ¡°Understood.¡± Marcus nodded, keeping mum after that.

 Chapter 1451

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1451


    I chanced a peek at the woman and boy. I didn¡¯t know how to break the awkward silence, so I said to


    Ashton instead, ¡°Please wait a while for me. I won¡¯t take long since I don¡¯t have much stuff here.¡±


    As I turned on my heel to head upstairs, Marcus grabbed my wrist. ¡°You¡¯re moving out?¡±


    Ashton ripped Marcus¡¯ hand from my wrist before thetter could react. ¡°Do you expect her to continue


    staying here and watch the three of you y a happy family?¡±


    Ashton purposely nudged me to the sides, then stood in front of me, creating a barrier between Marcus


    and I. The former met Marcus¡¯ eyes arrogantly. ¡°You better get your facts straight. She¡¯s now my


    woman.¡±


    His curt words angered Marcus. ¡°It has been many years, but the way you speak still irritates many.¡±


    I noticed Marcus¡¯ clenched fists by his sides.


    The situation was about to lose control, so I quickly dragged Ashton upstairs. ¡°There¡¯s some heavy


    stuff I need your help with.¡±


    Fortunately, Marcus didn¡¯t follow us.


    I released Ashton¡¯s arm once upstairs and headed towards my bedroom. ¡°I really don¡¯t understand.


    Why do you have such an immense animosity towards Marcus?¡±


    ¡°You should ask him this question instead,¡± Ashton answered indifferently as he gave the room a quick


    scan.


    After helping me pack my stuff for a while, he continued, ¡°Does Marcus sleep here with you?¡±


    I nonchntly replied as I folded my clothes, ¡°His bedroom is right next door.¡±


    Ashton continued packing in silence after that.


    As I pulled my luggage towards Ashton¡¯s vi located opposite the vi I was currently in, the man


    snatched it away from me.


    ¡°Is it not this house?¡± I pointed at the vi where Ashton had recently moved in.


    ¡°It¡¯s too old. I couldn¡¯t get used to living there.¡±


    He passed my luggage to the chauffeur, who then ced it in the trunk.


    What more can I say?


    The residence had been newly built. Ashton¡¯s vi only had an electric cut once, but he couldn¡¯t let that


    incident slide.


    Maybe this is the principle of the rich and upper echelon.


    Ashton brought me back to the house where we had negotiated.


    The moment I reached the entrance, Gregory came bouncing towards me in excitement.


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    Ashton was standing in front of me. So I clearly saw him spreading his arms, preparing to catch


    Gregory.


    Yet, Gregory cruelly passed his father, leaving Ashton¡¯s wide-spread arms empty, and threw himself


    into my embrace instead.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall!¡±


    His adorable baby tone made me feel all warm inside. Even though Ashton and I had only been away


    for an hour, it had felt like a century.


    Gregory seemed so happy every time he saw me, so I didn¡¯t hold myself back this time. I wrapped my


    arms around him, saying softly, ¡°Gregory¡­¡±


    Shortly after, I heard a soft whimper. ¡°I can¡¯t breathe¡­¡±


    I swiftly let go andughed at Gregory¡¯s heavy breathing. I lightly brushed his nose with my finger and


    eximed, ¡°Greg, how can you be so adorable!¡±


    As I turned around, eyes filled with rage were ring at both of us.


    ¡°Ashy!¡± Gregory btedly realized Ashton was present as well. He ran and clung onto one of his legs.


    Ashton pretended he couldn¡¯t hear Gregory¡¯s call, seemingly angry and hurt that Gregory had hugged


    others before him. He removed Gregory¡¯s arm from his leg and entered the house, sulking.


    Gregory was taken aback by the man¡¯s coldness. His brows furrowed as he whimpered, ¡°Does daddy


    not love me anymore?¡±


    I let out augh as I ruffled his head. ¡°It is not that he doesn¡¯t love you anymore. He¡¯s just jealous.¡±


    The boy¡¯s forehead creased with curiosity in his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t like jealousy, and neither does Daddy.¡±


    I smiled and patted his shoulder. ¡°People will change. There will be many situations simr to this in the


    future.¡±

 Chapter 1452

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1452


    Ashton had never imagined that one day he would have to fight for his son¡¯s favor with the woman he


    brought back.


    He calmed down the more he pondered about it.


    Gregory showed me around the house after leading me in. Compared to the time we had met in the


    mall, he had a much wider vocabry now.


    The maids were waiting by the hall. When we neared them, they retrieved my luggage from the


    chauffeur and greeted me respectfully, ¡°Ms. Stovall, we have your room prepared. Please follow me.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    On the second floor, the maid stopped in front of one of the rooms. She stepped aside and gestured


    while saying, ¡°Please enter.¡±


    I tentatively poked my head into the room, peeking inside. ¡°You mean to say this is my room?¡± I


    gasped.


    The maid nodded. ¡°Yes. This is Mr. Fuller¡¯s instruction. Please ry any further instructions to me if you


    have them.¡±


    She then turned on her heels and swiftly left.


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    I walked into the room with Gregory in tow.


    The room was so spacious that there was a living room in it. The interior was furnished with low-key


    luxury style, and it contrasted strongly with the external architecture of the family home.


    I gave the room a quick study, then sat on the couch with Gregory beside me.


    I had always found the boy adorable. And so, I reveled in the fact that I would be his stepmother.


    As I ruffled his soft, ck hair, I couldn¡¯t help but hug him.


    Puzzlement filled Gregory¡¯s eyes, but he returned my hug shortly after. When he noticed I was


    comfortable with his embrace, he wrapped his arms around my neck and nuzzled his cheek against


    mine.


    A child at this young age has already learned to take advantage of positions like this.


    I was about to let him go when his adorable voice softened my heart.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, can I always be with you? I really miss my mommy. Can you please be my mommy?¡±


    My arms stiffened, and my heart clenched upon hearing the pain in his tone.


    A young child couldn¡¯t have known anything. He just missed his mother badly.


    I patted Gregory¡¯s back gently andforted him, ¡°I will always be somewhere you can find me.¡±


    Feeling a heated gaze on the two of us, I lifted my head and saw Ashton staring at us intently. I didn¡¯t


    realize he hade in.


    I instantly straightened my back and tugged Gregory¡¯s arm around my neck. ¡°Your Daddy¡¯s here.¡±


    ¡°Ashy!¡± Gregory yelled excitedly, bouncing over to cling onto Ashton¡¯s leg.


    Ashton¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Call me Daddy.¡±


    Gregory yfully stuck out his tongue and stood upright after letting go of Ashton¡¯s leg. ¡°Daddy.¡±


    The man nodded in reply, seemingly satisfied as he lifted the boy up.


    The sight of Gregory in Ashton¡¯s arms filled me with warmth.


    Like what he did with me earlier, Gregory wrapped his arms around Ashton¡¯s neck and nuzzled his


    face.


    Ashton frowned. ¡°What are you sniffing at?¡±


    ¡°If you smell jealous,¡± Gregory answered puzzledly.


    Ashton ced him down on the couch gently. ¡°Jealous?¡±


    I was able to guess Gregory¡¯s next words, so I swiftly opened my mouth to interject.


    ¡°You¡¯re jealous!¡±


    ¡°Gregory!¡±


    Sadly, I was a second toote.


    Gregory, not taking any credit, said proudly, ¡°That¡¯s what Ms. Stovall said.¡±


    My mouth fell open; I had been rendered speechless.


    Ashton gave me a puzzling look. I could imagine his thought process.


    I lowered my head, pretending to adjust my outfit and nce around the room, intentionally avoiding


    eye contact with both of them.


    Ashton said a momentter, ¡°Call her Mommy next time.¡±


    ¡°Mommy?¡±


    Gregory pouted and tugged on Ashton¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Do I have to y pretend that she¡¯s Mommy?¡±


    A sense of guilt rose from my heart.


    Children can¡¯t lie. It doesn¡¯t matter how much they like you. They wouldn¡¯t want anyone to rece their


    parents.

 Chapter 1453

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1453


    Although Gregory was only six years old, he was bright enough to understand what was happening.


    He wished I could stay because he knew someone would be Mrs. Fuller in the end, but he wasn¡¯t


    willing to ept others as his mother.


    I had a lot to do for him to ept me as his mother.


    Well, such a process can¡¯t be rushed.


    I quickly kept my feelings in check after spacing out momentarily. Thora had tried to please him for so


    many years, yet to no avail. So how could I hope to gain his eptance in just one day?


    I leaned in to take the young boy into my arms. ¡°Greg, how about I make some of your favorite dishes


    for dinner tonight?¡±


    ¡°I would love that!¡± In the end, he was just a child. Excitement was bursting from him at the mere


    mention of food. It seemed he had forgotten all about his worries from earlier on.


    After dinner, I took a warm shower.


    I heard my phone ping when I was busy blow-drying my hair.


    There weren¡¯t many contacts on my phone ¨C only Emery and Marcus. It must be an emergency if it was


    from them.


    However, when I reached the door, Ashton was sitting behind the bar in the living room naked other


    than a towel wrapped around his lower half.


    He was staring sightlessly into space that he didn¡¯t even notice me.


    How can he maintain such a body at his age? That obvious V-shape that trails underneath the towel


    looks so sexy.


    When my brain cleared, Ashton was standing in front of me. His muscr chest was nearly touching


    my breasts as his dark eyes studied me intently. ¡°Like what you see?¡±


    My entire body shrunk backward, and my face heated. ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡±


    I straightened my back, remembering that we were in my room. ¡°Why are you in my room?¡±


    Ashton lowered his eyes with a deadpan look. ¡°This is my bedroom.¡±


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    ¡°No way,¡± I retorted. ¡°Even though this is my first time here, I remember clearly that the first room on


    the left by the stairs¡­¡±


    I realized something was wrong before I finished my sentence.


    The room does have the best view and is near to the stairs. It does feel like it¡¯s a master bedroom.


    ¡°You¡­¡± I raised my head in surprise and pointed at Ashton. ¡°You purposely asked the maids to lead me


    to this room?¡±


    Ashton only arched his brows, not giving me a response.


    Embarrassed and annoyed, I dashed past Ashton and muttered, ¡°Wait a sec. Something must have


    gone wrong somewhere.¡±


    I turned around and looked at his innocent face. ¡°I remember I only promised to pretend to be your


    fiancee to fight for your daughter¡¯s custody and not actually marrying you for real. Am I correct?¡±


    I signed the contract thinking the two of us had reached a consensus.


    Ashton lowered his eyes, and his lips twitched. ¡°What do you think?¡± I widened my eyes. What do I


    think?


    Naturally, that would be me staying at my house while he stays at his.


    Before I could open my mouth, he fixed his dark gaze at me while approaching me. ¡°Did nobody tell


    you to study the terms clearly before signing a contract?¡±


    I retorted as I retreated, ¡°Mr. Fuller, you¡¯re a sessful businessman. There¡¯s no reason for you to


    exploit amoner like me, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    At my remark, Ashton halted with an unreadable look on his face. Just when I thought he was about to


    let me go, he suddenly leaned in and held my hands hostage against the couch behind me. ¡°You think


    you know me?¡±


    With him so close to me, it wasn¡¯t my first instinct to push him away. My heart was beating faster and


    faster in my chest.


    But I hated being lied to, so I pretended to be calm and steeled myself. ¡°It¡¯s not toote to know now


    either. I want to terminate the contract.¡±


    Finding my memories are important, but I don¡¯t have to put myself on the line for it.


    I hadn¡¯t had the best impression of Ashton in the first ce, but now, he hadpletely lost my trust.

 Chapter 1454

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1454


    Ashton¡¯s face fell in that instant, a lingering sadness in his eyes. He let out a deep sigh as he muttered,


    ¡°Letty.¡±


    As I peered into his eyes, I couldn¡¯t tell if he was calling me or the ¡°Scarlett¡± who no longer existed.


    I had only just snapped back to my senses when I felt the warmth emanating from Ashton as he


    hugged me tightly.


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    As soon as our bodies touched, a searing pain once again shot through my entire body. All I wanted to


    do was push him away, but the sorrow in his voice made me hesitate.


    ¡°Can you please give me ten minutes? I just need a hug. I miss her so much.¡±


    He had answered the question in my head. It was histe wife that he missed.


    As a woman, there was nothing more humiliating than being used as a substitute for another woman,


    especially when it was by a man she hated. I tried to protest but couldn¡¯t get any words out.


    Even the strength I had earlier to push him away was gone. That left me with no choice but to give in.


    Five minutes had barely passed when Gregory pushed the door and ran in with his tablet. His mouth


    slowly dropped open when he saw Ashton and I hugging.


    ¡°Are you kissing?¡± he asked innocently.


    Ashton had almost his entire body on top of me, and since Gregory wasn¡¯t tall, it did seem to him that


    we were in a verypromising position.


    I snapped out of my daze and immediately wriggled out from Ashton¡¯s embrace.


    Ashton, however, didn¡¯t seem to panic at all. He slowly turned around to face his son with a stern look.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I teach you to knock on the door before entering any room?¡±


    Gregory bit his lip as he scratched his head in embarrassment. ¡°I forgot.¡±


    He must have felt his father¡¯s temper brewing because the boy immediately added, ¡°I won¡¯t do it again,


    Daddy! Please forgive me!¡±


    Ashton¡¯s expression finally softened at that, and he gently asked, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be sleeping? What are


    you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I want to sleep with Ms. Stovall!¡± Gregory eximed as he beamed with delight.


    Ashton tried to turn his son¡¯s request down tactfully. ¡°Boys shouldn¡¯t be so clingy.¡±


    Gregory knew better than to go against his father¡¯s orders, so even though he felt upset, he didn¡¯t dare


    protest any further. All he did was lower his head as he idly yed with his fingers.


    He was such a pitiful sight that my heart went out to him. He was only a boy; there was no need to treat


    him this harshly.


    ¡°Are there rules that state boys can¡¯t be clingy?¡± I asked as I led Gregory into the bedroom. ¡°Children


    don¡¯t know any better. They learn by observing adults.¡±


    At least Gregory knows how to use his adorable charms and manners. Ashton forced himself on me,


    and he still has the cheek to scold his son? Ridiculous!


    My words left Ashton speechless, and he could only look on in defeat.


    I waited till he had gone into the bathroom before having Gregory sneak out to grab the phone so I


    could check any iing texts.


    There was just one text from an unknown number: I¡¯m in K City. I¡¯ll be back soon.


    The content was strange, and there was no indication as to who had sent it.


    Just as I was about to continue mulling over the text, Gregory asked if I could sing him to sleep. It was


    such a sweet and innocent request that I had to ede to it. He was exhausted, so it didn¡¯t take long


    before he was sound asleep.


    Feeling bored, I reached over to grab my phone, wanting to text Emery, when I heard the bathroom


    door open.


    Fearing that Ashton might put on another act to gain my sympathy, I immediately turned off the lights


    and pretended to sleep while hugging Gregory.


    I heard his footsteps graduallye closer until they stopped by the bed. After a moment of silence, he


    padded away, and the next thing I heard was the sound of the door closing.


    Ashton had left.


    What an odd fellow.


    The next morning, I was awoken by Gregory.


    He insisted on eating breakfast cooked by me, so I gave in and made something simple for the two of


    us. To my surprise, he finished everything I prepared and left what the chef had made untouched.


    Ashton soon came down and joined us at the dining table. When he realized the food on his te was


    different from what we had, he seemed very amused. ¡°Is this how you treat your fianc¨¦?¡±

 Chapter 1455

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1455


    I still hadn¡¯t forgiven him for forcing himself on me the previous night, so I pretended not to have heard


    him.


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± he repeated, this time more forceful.


    ¡°Gregory said he had never eaten his mother¡¯s homemade breakfast, so I made some to coax him. Is


    that what you want too, Mr. Fuller? Then again, I wouldn¡¯t want to make your stomach upset from my


    food,¡± I replied, still refusing to make eye contact with him.


    My snarky tone riled Ashton up, and he was about to rebuke me when one of his staff announced, ¡°Mr.


    Campbell has arrived, Mr. Fuller.¡±


    Now that he had work to tend to, Ashton shot an angry nce at me before stalking out in a huff.


    Once I could no longer hear footsteps, I snuck a nce at the stairs.


    So it seems like Ashton isn¡¯t that easy to provoke.


    There were still no signs of the maning back even after twenty minutes had passed. When the


    maid started to clear the table, I decided to ask if she knew where he was.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller is currently in the study with Mr. Campbell.¡±


    Knowing Joseph was still around put a dampener on my mood as I trudged my way up the stairs.


    Once I got to the study, I could vaguely hear their voices from outside the room. I tried to eavesdrop on


    their conversation by cing my ear against the door, but it was useless.


    After a moment of hesitation, I mustered up the courage and knocked on the door. ¡°It¡¯s me, Carlette.¡±


    The door opened almost immediately; it was Ashton who walked out.


    He stood at the door with no intention of letting me in. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± he asked curtly.


    I pursed my lips and sulked. ¡°Don¡¯t you want breakfast?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll eat whatever Gregory had. I¡¯m not picky,¡± he answered after giving it some thought.


    ¡°You want a kid¡¯s breakfast?¡± Is he trying topete with his own son?


    ¡°Sure. But given your personality, you don¡¯t have to force yourself to make it if you don¡¯t want to, Ms.


    Stovall.¡±


    With that, Ashton nodded toward the stairs behind me, hinting that I should take my leave.


    I was about to do as instructed when I got hit by a sudden realization. ¡°What do you take me for,


    Ashton? Did you bring me here so you can order me around and do whatever you like?¡±


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    The man remained calm as he stuck his hands into his pockets. As soon as he leaned against the door,


    I could see Joseph behind him, holding on to a stack of documents. ¡°Don¡¯t you want your memories


    back? Want to join in?¡±


    ¡°What? What are you two talking about?¡±


    Ashton¡¯s lips curled into a smirk. ¡°Something you¡¯d surely be interested in.¡±


    I was so annoyed at the way he was keeping me in suspense, but even I had to agree that the


    temptation he threw out was too great to resist.


    After a deep sigh, I sulked my way back into the kitchen and made the same breakfast for Ashton as I


    had for Gregory.


    When I went back into the study with Ashton¡¯s food, Joseph had already left. ¡°Here. Your breakfast.¡±


    Ashton epted his food without a word and started eating.


    However, he had only had two mouthfuls when he suddenly stopped.


    What now? I opened my mouth to mutter, ¡°I told you my food wouldn¡¯t be good enough for someone


    like you.¡±


    Ashton merely nced at me before lowering his head to continue eating.


    It was a simple breakfast set for kids, yet Ashton made it look like he was tucking into a feast. Seeing


    him eat with such gusto was surprisingly heartwarming.


    Since he was busy eating, I decided to check out the documents on the table.


    The documentsrgely detailed the lives of ¡°Scarlett¡± and Ashton. They were a young couple who had


    been through thick and thin to get to where they were until an ident on the ind led to the demise


    of Scarlett.


    I had to continue pretending to be Scarlett, no matter how long it might take. But even as I took in all


    the informationid out in front of me, I felt no connection with her.


    As I pored through the documents, I felt my gaze slowly shifting toward Ashton. He was hard to fathom,


    but he was also just like everyone else. Still, it was hard to imagine that a man like him was capable of


    having such an intense and loyal love for another woman.

 Chapter 1456

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1456


    Reading about Scarlett would undoubtedly help me get better at pretending to be her, but I realized it


    had nothing to do with the life I had lost.


    I decided it would make things easier if I started reading about thetest events. I was impressed with


    how much information they had about thewsuit between the Fullers and Stovalls. But the strange


    thing was, there was no mention of me.


    I felt like I had been lied to, and the sense of humiliation quickly turned into rage. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say these


    documents would help me get my memories back?¡±


    To think I had been reading them so seriously!


    ¡°The sooner we settle the custody matters, the sooner you get to concentrate on getting back your


    memories. Is there a problem with that?¡± Ashton calmly replied.


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    ¡°Are you saying that before the custody gets settled, you won¡¯t look into my background?¡±


    I was already angry and anxious, and Ashton¡¯s calmposure added fuel to the fire. How many more


    times must I be yed like a fool by this man?


    Ashton tantly ignored my question and changed the subject. ¡°Are you done reading?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I bellowed. ¡°You¡¯ve fooled me into signing a contract with unfair terms. And now you¡¯re using me


    to achieve your goals? How can I trust that you will keep your end of the bargain once the custody


    matters are over?¡±


    I was boiling with so much rage that my chest was heaving as I shouted at him.


    Ashton was so full of lies that I started to have doubts about his character. Despite being apany


    president and one of the richest men, he still went to the extent of throwing a tantrum when he didn¡¯t


    get the same breakfast as his son. If this went on any further, I¡¯d blow his cover sooner orter.


    To my surprise, the man was unbothered by my outburst. He finished thest mouthful of his food and


    slowly dabbed his mouth with his handkerchief. He then finally looked up and met my gaze. ¡°Once


    you¡¯ve signed the contract, you¡¯d be recognized as the mother of Gregory Hall. I¡¯m not like Marcus. I


    would never ditch my flesh and blood. You can trust me when ites to protecting my wife and


    children.¡±


    Now that he had brought up Marcus, I was rendered speechless.


    Ashton was right. Marcus had seemed like a great man until his life was interrupted by the appearance


    of a woman and children. One couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he was a good person after all.


    Even though I agreed with Ashton to some extent, his condescending tone was so off-putting that I had


    to retort, ¡°Marcus may not be a good husband or father, but at least he has never once hurt me. You


    im to be an upstanding gentleman, Mr. Fuller, but you constantly speak ill of others behind their


    backs. Let¡¯s not forget how you don¡¯t seem to like keeping your promises either. You¡¯re the truly vile


    one here, not Marcus.¡±


    Ashton frowned at my words, a look of hatred on his face. But before I could say any more, his body


    started to shake uncontrobly.


    His face contorted in pain as he tried to steady himself with his hand on the table. Big beads of cold


    sweat started to roll down his forehead.


    ¡°Ashton?¡±


    I called out to him a couple more times, but no response came. As seconds went by, he looked to be in


    even more pain.


    I tried to help him, but I wasn¡¯t strong enough to keep him standing upright. Ashton gradually lost all his


    strength and crumpled to the floor. I had no choice but to kneel beside him, keeping my hand on his


    forehead in an attempt to bring his temperature down.


    Ashton¡¯s eyes were tightly shut as sweat continued to soak through his hair. But when he felt my touch,


    his hand immediately shot up to grab my wrist. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Carlette. What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    Ashton was in so much pain he couldn¡¯t even muster up an ounce of strength to reply. He remained


    silent as his grip on me tightened.


    It seemed like the tighter he gripped onto me, the more relief he felt.


    After a while, his condition seemed to have improved slightly. ¡°Ashton?¡± I whispered.


    There was still no reply from him, but it was clear that he was trying hard to keep himself from losing


    control. He tucked his head in and slowed down his breathing.


    ¡°Let go of my hand. We have to get you to the hospital for treatment.¡± I tried to pry myself from him but


    to no avail.


    It was amazing how much strength he still had despite being in such bad shape. His lips had turned


    white while his eyes remained tightly shut.


    After more time had passed, I made another attempt to wake him up by patting his shoulder. s, I had


    only just lifted my hand when Ashton once again grabbed me.

 Chapter 1457

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1457


    He slowly forced his eyes open and mumbled, ¡°It¡¯s so noisy¡­ ¡°


    What? I¡¯m doing everything for him, yet he treats me with such disdain?


    I rolled my eyes at him in frustration and decided that was thest straw. ¡°Is anybody out there?


    There¡¯s something wrong with Mr. Fuller. Pleasee up immediately!¡±


    I had already known how much of a control freak Ashton was. The second floor of his house was his


    personal space, and he didn¡¯t like having anyoneing around other than for cleaning duties.


    Thankfully, I was with him when he had his seizure. Otherwise, it¡¯d have been a while before anyone


    found him.


    Before any of his staff could reply, Ashton muttered, ¡°I¡¯ll throw you out if you speak again.¡±


    I looked down at him and saw his bloodshot eyes staring back. The worst seemed to be over, and I


    finally heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°You can throw me out if you like. But if you don¡¯t let go of my hand, you might end up getting thrown


    with me.¡±


    When Ashton realized what he had done, he pulled his hand back immediately and staggered to get


    back up on his feet.


    Finally free from his grip, I tried to get up from my kneeling position.


    Unfortunately, my legs had gone numb from having knelt for so long and buckled under me.


    I was about to fall when Ashton rushed forward to help me up. He then quickly let me go before taking


    a step back. ¡°You can leave now,¡± he ordered. I looked at him incredulously and crossed my arms in


    annoyance. ¡°Mr. Fuller, where have your manners gone? I just saved your life after all. Shouldn¡¯t you at


    least thank me?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, I have lost my manners. If you don¡¯t mind being taken advantage of, you may stay here


    for as long as you like.¡±


    I had nothing left to say as I red at him.


    It was appalling how someone as atrocious and misogynistic as him could have a child as adorable as


    Gregory.


    I had had enough. There was no point in staying and trying to reason with someone that obstinate. My


    leg was still numb, but I couldn¡¯t care less as I limped my way out.


    I had only managed a few steps when Ashton suddenly wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted


    me up.


    His behavior caught me by so much surprise that I had to hold onto the cor of his shirt to steady


    myself.


    There was still shock written on my face as I looked up at Ashton, who had a cheeky grin on as his


    eyes sparkled with mischief.


    Is this guy trying to be funny?


    ¡°Ashton, please behave yourself and let me down!¡± I warned through gritted teeth.


    ¡°I¡¯m the kids¡¯ father, and you¡¯re their mother-to-be. How do you expect me to behave?¡± he questioned


    while carrying me toward the bedroom. The tone in his voice was casual and yet so suggestive.


    My cheeks turned red in embarrassment. I bit my lips, not knowing how to respond. How did a


    shameless man like him be one of the most powerful and richest men in the world?


    We had only just gotten to the bedroom door when we ran into Gregorying up the stairs.


    He stopped in his tracks when he saw us, puzzled by the scene in front of him. With his tablet in his


    hands, he began circling Ashton and I.


    Before long, he threw his hands up in joy and eximed, ¡°I want Daddy to carry me too!¡±


    I bit my lips and pounded Ashton¡¯s chest. ¡°Hurry up and put me down!¡± I threatened.


    Because of our close body contact, I could feel my words reverberate through Ashton¡¯s body. The next


    thing I knew, he had let go of one of his hands without warning, and I fell out of his embrace.


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    Just as quickly as he had let me go, Ashton grabbed me by my waist and had his other arm around my


    shoulders. My feet could touch the ground, but the way he held me kept me suspended. We were now


    in an even more intimate position than before.


    The longer we stayed in that position, the more my mind raced. Should Ipliment Ashton for being


    nimble, or should I admonish him for once again trying to take advantage of me?

 Chapter 1458

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1458


    Then again, I would neverpliment him, but neither would I dare censure him.


    After all, I wouldn¡¯t want to provoke someone as vindictive as Ashton.


    Even though I held my tongue, he wasn¡¯t about to let me off that easily. ¡°Ms. Stovall, you were the one


    who wanted me to behave myself, yet you¡¯re now hugging me so tightly.¡±


    He leaned in even closer and looked into my eyes. ¡°Aren¡¯t you being a little hypocritical here?¡±


    As if he wasn¡¯t annoying enough, he even had to emphasize the word ¡°hypocritical.¡±


    The entire process had felt like an eternity to me, but it couldn¡¯t have been more than a minute. I doubt


    Gregory had seen or heard everything that transpired.


    Even if he had, at his age, the boy probably wouldn¡¯t have understood any of it.


    True enough, Gregory was still waiting by the side and waving his little hands. ¡°Ms. Stovall, I want a


    hug too.¡±


    He looked and sounded so sweet and innocent that my heart immediately softened.


    Ashton, on the other hand, had such a smirk on his face that I could only imagine the evil intentions


    that lurked behind that smile.


    Compared to him, Gregory was an absolute angel.


    The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. Without any care for how I looked, I mustered up all my


    strength to wriggle out of Ashton¡¯s embrace. Once I freed myself, I knelt and kissed Gregory on his


    face. ¡°Greg is the best!¡±


    I had even intentionally kissed him loudly, just to irritate Ashton. I then held my head up high and


    strutted toward my bedroom.


    Gregory stayed behind and continued to pester his father. ¡°Daddy, I want you to hug me the way you


    did with Ms. Stovall!¡±


    ¡°Ms. Stovall?¡± Ashton asked calmly.


    ¡°Yes! Ms. Stovall! Hug!¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Ashton asked with a lilt in his voice. ¡°No hugs.¡±


    Gregory immediately knew what his father meant and eximed, ¡°Not Ms. Stovall! It¡¯s Mommy!¡±


    Ashton finally smiled at his son and picked him up. The hallway filled with Gregory¡¯sughter as they


    continued to y.


    It warmed my heart to hear them having so much fun, and I couldn¡¯t help but smile at the sight.


    As I sat on my bed, I thought back on the documents I had read earlier. The more I thought about them,


    the more restless I felt.


    The uneasiness became so bad that I decided to give Emery a call. Hopefully, she could be the voice


    of reason.


    The woman couldn¡¯t hide her surprise at me having taken the initiative to call her. ¡°Letty!¡±


    ¡°Emery,¡± I replied, trying to sound as calm as possible. ¡°I have something I need to discuss with you.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯ll tell you everything I know.¡±


    I decided to be tactful as I asked, ¡°What¡¯s Ashton really like?¡±


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    After spending time with the man, I realized how passive my behavior was whenever I was with him. I¡¯d


    have to know who I was up against if I wanted to change that.


    When Emery didn¡¯t reply, I grew paranoid, thinking she might have figured out my intentions. ¡°It¡¯s okay


    if you don¡¯t want to tell me anything,¡± I quickly added.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that,¡± Emery replied sternly. ¡°The thing is, I don¡¯t know Ashton as well as you do. The two of


    you are the ones who know each other the best. If I were toment more, it would just be a biased


    opinion.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. You can put it as simply as you like.¡±


    ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s see how I should say this.¡± After pondering for a while, she finally concluded, ¡°He¡¯s


    capable and has foresight. But whenever ites to something to do with you, he lets his heart rule his


    head. And, I suppose he has terrible judgment when ites to women¡­ ¡°


    As the richest man in the country, I did not doubt that he was capable and possessed keen foresight.


    But letting his heart rule his head sounded a lot like an exaggeration. Being as vindictive as he was,


    wouldn¡¯t women be at his mercy?


    And with his intelligence, how was he not able to tell the good from the bad?


    I couldn¡¯t hide the doubt in my voice as I replied, ¡°Yeah, maybe you¡¯re right. You don¡¯t know Ashton


    well, or rather, you don¡¯t know men well enough. How can anyone not tell when someone is


    intentionally getting close to them? They¡¯re only ying along and enjoying the ride.¡±

 Chapter 1459

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1459


    Emery burst outughing on the other end of the call.


    ¡°Why are youughing? Did I say something wrong?¡±


    ¡°No, no.¡± Emery held herself back and stoppedughing. ¡°You¡¯ve changed so much in six years.


    Whenever I criticized Ashton in the past forcking self-control, you¡¯d always speak up for him and help


    him find excuses.¡±


    ¡°What? Was Scarlett that blind?¡± I blurted out. When I realized the mistake I had made, I quickly


    corrected myself, ¡°Was I that dumb?¡±


    Emery sighed. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that. Things were just way tooplicated in the past. But I can be sure


    of one thing. Ashton was an ordinary man with emotions and desires only when he was with you.¡±


    Iughed upon hearing that. ¡°Is that so rare?¡±


    No matter how privileged or outstanding Ashton was, he would still be at the mercy of his emotions


    when he was with something he liked. Why did Emery make it sound like Scarlett was blessed to have


    him express his emotions to her?


    All I could think was how submissive this ¡°Scarlett¡± must have been when she was with Ashton.


    ¡°You¡¯ll know if it¡¯s rare or not once you¡¯ve recovered your memories. But don¡¯t be fooled by one¡¯s


    appearance, especially with someone like Ashton, who doesn¡¯t wear his heart on his sleeve. It¡¯s going


    to take a lot of time and effort to see him for who he really is. But you know what? It¡¯s been so many


    years, and yet, I still can¡¯t see through this sugar daddy.¡±


    ¡°Why do you call him a sugar daddy?¡± I had only skimmed the documents in the study, so I wasn¡¯t


    entirely sure of the rtionship between Emery and Ashton.


    ¡°He invested in my office and The Jade. What else is he, if not my sugar daddy?¡± she joked with a


    chuckle.


    I was so taken aback by her deration that I didn¡¯t know what else to say.


    Just then, one of Emery¡¯s staff reminded her of an urgent meeting, so she had to cut our conversation


    short.


    She quickly arranged to meet me that afternoon and was about to hang up when she added, ¡°Why are


    you asking these questions anyway? Has Ashton been hounding you again?¡±


    Emery was so spot on with her deductions that it made me wonder if she should be a psychic instead.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ ¡° I confessed. ¡°Not only that, he even had me move in with him yesterday, and I promised to


    be his son¡¯s mother.¡±


    ¡°Have you remembered something? Or rather, has Ashton remembered?¡± Emery was so excited she


    was almost shouting now.


    Even though I couldn¡¯t see her, I could imagine how thrilled she must be just by the way she sounded.


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    ¡°Sorry to disappoint you, but the answer¡¯s no. Neither of us has remembered anything.¡±


    I do want my memories back, but reality can be so harsh.


    ¡°Fine. I got happy for nothing. Very well then, I¡¯ll be going to my meeting. I¡¯ll see youter.¡±


    I had only just ended the call when a knock on the door came.


    When I opened the door, Gregory was holding a pile of clothes while dressed in his pajamas. ¡°Ms.


    Stovall, I don¡¯t know how to put these in. Please help me,¡± he whimpered.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how to wear them?¡±


    It would be understandable if it were other children. But Gregory Hall was a child prodigy who could


    hack into programs andmand an entourage. He had that kind of intelligence, yet he couldn¡¯t figure


    out how to wear his clothes?


    ¡°I¡¯m not good at it,¡± he whined as he looked at me with his little furrowed brows. ¡°I¡¯m going to bete.


    Help me.¡±


    No woman in her right mind would be able to turn down such a request from an adorable little kid. I was


    no exception.


    ¡°Okay, Greg. I can teach you how to do it, but I¡¯ll only do it once. You¡¯re already six years old. You


    ought to have some basic self-care skills! Can we agree on that?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Gregory replied happily with a nod as he pushed his way into my room. He then kicked off his


    shoes and jumped onto the sofa, waving his hands excitedly.


    I couldn¡¯t help but smile. A child¡¯s world was indeed simple. Even a basic task like putting on clothes


    could bring so much joy.


    I only realized howplicated Gregory¡¯s uniform was after I had taken it from him. Just the top alone


    had three pieces to it. There was the shirt, vest, and coat. There was even a red-checkered bowtie for


    the cor. When put together, it looked just like a shrunken-down version of a three-piece suit. Even I


    had almost forgotten to put the vest on him. No wonder Gregory had so much trouble doing it himself.

 Chapter 1460

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1460


    Gregory started to whine as I continued to dress him for school. ¡°I don¡¯t like school. The kids there are


    all so childish. They don¡¯t even know what binary is¡­ ¡°


    I nodded at his words, though deep down, I was feeling very amused. This little guy knew so little about


    basic life skills, yet he was so advanced when it came toputer expertise.


    Oh, Gregory. Your ssmates aren¡¯t the only ones. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about either.


    Worried that my self-esteem might get crushed even further, I hurriedly finished dressing Gregory and


    ushered him out of the room. ¡°Hurry, hurry, hurry! Don¡¯t bete!¡±


    When we got to the door, we ran into Ashton, who was just about to leave for work.


    An awkward silence ensued when our eyes met. I stayed rooted in the spot, not wanting to move any


    nearer to him.


    ¡°Look, Daddy!¡± Gregory ran up to Ashton and twirled around for him. ¡°Ms. Stovall helped me get


    dressed!¡±


    Ashton hummed in response before looking back at me. ¡°Today¡¯s Sunday.¡±


    ¡°Okay. So?¡± I was still upset by what had happened this morning, so my tone was brusque.


    ¡°Which means there¡¯s no school today.¡±


    My face darkened as I turned to look helplessly at Gregory, trying to convey how hurt I was to have


    been tricked by him.


    Unfortunately, the boy thought I was making faces at him, so he grinned cheekily back at me.


    I was so frustrated I wanted to scream and pull my hair. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if I had to endure more


    of these in the future.


    ¡°Oh, right.¡± I suddenly remembered my date with Emery, so I decided to change the subject. ¡°I¡¯ll be


    going outter.¡±


    ¡°Where to?¡±


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    ¡°That¡¯s personal.¡± Does he not understand that I¡¯m informing him and not asking him for permission?


    After pondering for a while, Ashton finally said, ¡°I¡¯ll be going to the neighboring city in the afternoon.


    You have to be with Gregory. It¡¯s my right to know of your whereabouts.¡±


    I was surprised that Ashton would allow his son to be alone with a woman he had barely known for a


    month. ¡°I can bring Gregory along?¡±


    Or has he once again mixed me up with the Scarlett he knew so well?


    There was a sh of annoyance in his eyes as he grumbled, ¡°Do you want to leave him alone instead?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ That¡¯s not what I meant,¡± I quickly exined. ¡°If you must know, I¡¯m just going to meet Emery.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get the car and chauffeur ready,¡± Ashton answered as he made his way down the stairs.


    With Ashton gone, I turned my attention back to Gregory. He had fetched his tablet and was now taking


    photos of himself.


    Is he that narcissistic? ¡±Gregory?¡±


    The boy hummed in response but continued to strike poses while looking in the camera. From where I


    was standing, I had to admit he did look rather handsome.


    I smiled and crouched down in front of him. ¡°Your father said I could take you out to y today. Are you


    excited?¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Gregory¡¯s face immediately lit up. ¡°Yay! I can go out with Ms. Stovall!¡±


    I rubbed his head lovingly as my eyes darted over to his tablet.


    Piqued by curiosity, I reached out for his tablet, and Gregory handed it to me without any hesitation.


    Gregory had registered a personal Facebook ount and posted a status update with the selfie he had


    just taken.


    The caption was just a simple phrase: Don¡¯t worry about me. Love, Greg.


    I didn¡¯t need any exnation to know that he had written this for thete ¡°Scarlett.¡±


    As I scrolled through to the earlier posts, they all had the same caption with Gregory in different poses.


    An inexplicable sadness came over me, and before long, tears were streaming down my face.


    I could only imagine how sad Gregory must be to be mourning for histe mother in his little private


    corner.


    I hugged him tight and patted him gently. ¡°From now on, I¡¯ll always be with you.¡±


    Gregory couldn¡¯t understand why I had such drastic emotional changes in a short span of time. He


    listened quietly and patted my shoulders,forting me like an adult. As we stayed hugging each


    other, the sorrow I felt inside me started to spread like wildfire.

 Chapter 1461

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1461


    It took me a while to regain myposure. Afterward, we left the house and were greeted by Joseph,


    who stood waiting beside the car.


    Although Ashton had mentioned arranging a chauffeur, I didn¡¯t expect Joseph to be the one.


    Noticing our arrival, he was quick to open the door. With one hand still on the handle, he greeted


    politely, ¡°Ms. Stovall, Mr. Gregory, you¡¯re here.¡± He smiled at thetter.


    My son was delighted to see him. ¡°Mr. Campbell!¡±


    After Gregory entered the car, it dawned on me to ask, ¡°Mr. Campbell, aren¡¯t you busy? Are you sure


    it¡¯s ok for you to apany us?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about. Also, Mr. Fuller won¡¯t feel safe unless it¡¯s me.¡± His voice was earnest.


    Joseph¡¯s overly respectful behavior puzzled me. Since he had been the one to gather intel about me,


    he should know that I am not Scarlett. There was no need for him to treat me as such.


    But what he said about safety made sense. With Gregory¡¯s identity still a secret, Ashton would


    definitely want someone trustworthy, like Joseph, to look after him while he was out. ¡°All right, thank


    you.¡± After I got in the car, Joseph kindly closed the door after me.


    Emery chose The Jade for our meetup because it offered more privacy, especially against paparazzi.


    By the time we arrived, Alexander was already waiting by the entrance.


    ¡°Scarlett!¡± Alexander eximed zealously. Although he called my name, his eyes were on Gregory.


    Sensing his intention, I pulled Gregory behind me, busting his attempt to lift him up.


    ¡°Mr. Zimmerman.¡± I chuckled triumphantly. Even adults needed time to warm up to strangers, what


    more, a six-year-old. Since Ashton trusted Gregory with me, I ought to keep him safe.


    Having seen through his n, Alexander released an awkwardugh. ¡°Emery¡¯s waiting for you in the


    private room.¡± Then, he half-squat to match Gregory¡¯s eye level. ¡°You must be Ashton¡¯s son, Gregory,


    right? You can call me Uncle Zimmerman!¡± He looked at the kid with adoration.


    Gregory popped his head out from behind me. His eyes darted around nervously before replying, ¡°I


    am.¡±


    Alexander could not stop grinning at his adorable behavior. Then, he fished for some milk candies from


    his pocket and handed them out to the boy. ¡°Want some?¡±


    Had I not known Alexander¡¯s identity, I would¡¯ve assumed he was up to no good.


    Although Gregory loved sweets, he resisted the urge to take them and reluctantly pulled his gaze away.


    Then he looked at me. ¡°Ms. Stovall, can I¡­¡±


    I took the sweets and ced them in his hands. ¡°You can have them. But what should you say?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle Zimmerman.¡±


    That small interaction had Alexander on cloud nine. ¡°Gregory, I have lots of other delicious food.


    Hamburgers, fried chicken, cakes¡­¡±


    Preupied with his sweets, Gregory paid no heed to him.


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    Noticing his unresponsiveness, Alexander stopped his rambling.


    I hurriedly added, ¡°Gregory¡¯s a picky eater so he won¡¯t eat many of those. Let¡¯s not keep Emery waiting


    now. Lead the way.¡±


    Thankfully, Alexander listened and led us to the room.


    Noticing our arrival, Emery walked excitedly towards us. ¡°Sweetie! We¡¯re finally by ourselves. Let me


    carry you!¡±


    Gregory retreated a few steps back, then looked at me for assurance. Seeing how I was not stopping


    her, he allowed Emery to carry him.


    With the boy in her arms, she was overflowing with happiness. ¡°After so many years of interference by


    the Hall family, and Ashton¡¯s unwillingness to recognize our ties, I finally have you in my arms again!¡±


    Emery checked him up, taking in all the changes. Her affectionate gaze made her seemed more of his


    real mom than me.

 Chapter 1462

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1462


    Alexander got jealous of their interaction and turned away childishly.


    Based on Gregory¡¯s behavior around Emery and Alexander made me certain that this child was not


    one to judge based on appearance. Although thetter had a handsome face and a good figure, I could


    tell the kid was morefortable with Emery.


    After a while of bonding, Emery asked sarcastically, ¡°Don¡¯t our superstar here have anymercials to


    shoot today?¡±


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    Alexander ignored her underlying message. ¡°Work is never-ending. It¡¯s such a rare opportunity to see


    Gregory. Naturally, I want to spend more time with him!¡±


    His mischievous tone seemed like a provocation to Emery. Try all she might, but he would not leave.


    She rolled her eyes and resumed ying with Gregory. She could not be bothered to entertain his


    childish behavior.


    After the waiter served our dishes, he closed the door tight after him. Emery got down to business.


    ¡°Do you know Ashton had a fallout with his sister recently?¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Some time back, I had noticed Ashton got mad during thepany¡¯s performance appraisal.


    However, he had done nothing to Tiffany then. After all, they were family. Who knew what happened


    afterward.


    ¡°I¡¯m quite certain this is true. Now that Ashton discharged Tiffany from all responsibilities, many people


    in the upper management are getting restless.¡± She analyzed the situation seriously.


    Alexander chipped in his two cents¡¯ worth. ¡°Perhaps Ashton regained his memories. He¡¯s just paying


    back for what the Hall family did to him. They deserve it.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯d you mean?¡± I asked.


    Emery red warningly at him. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Shouldn¡¯t you leave now? If your fans discover you, it¡¯ll


    disrupt my business.¡±


    Alexander clearly had more to say, but kept it in. He could not go against her words and left reluctantly.


    Then Emery took the spot right next to me. ¡°So¡­ any progress with you and Ashton?¡±


    ¡°Not really. But if I have to name one, I wish he would go away.¡±


    She felt dispirited by my response. ¡°Do you really hate him this much?¡±


    I shrugged helplessly. If Emery was being harassed by Ashton repeatedly like I was, she probably


    wouldn¡¯t even have the mood to meet me for dinner. I asked her seriously, ¡°Has Ashton ever loved


    anyone seriously before?¡±


    ¡°I mean, if he didn¡¯t love you, you probably won¡¯t have given birth to his children.¡± While speaking, her


    eyes reflexivelynded on Gregory. ¡°What a looker! I¡¯m so envious.¡±


    I teased, ¡°Alexander has good genes too. Why not have one with him? I bet the child won¡¯t pale beside


    Gregory.¡±


    ¡°Forget it. One troublemaker is enough. I won¡¯t want to get myself involved in another. And, we¡¯re


    talking about you now! Don¡¯t digress.¡±


    As the conversation got deeper, she advised, ¡°You know, the both of you have been through so much


    all these years. Obviously, it¡¯ll be great to have your memories back. But if that¡¯s not possible, shouldn¡¯t


    you think for yourself and the kids? If the Hall family knows you¡¯re still alive, they won¡¯t let you off


    easily.¡±


    Some words did not have to be said explicitly. Tiffany¡¯s behavior was enough for me to infer what the


    Hall family was like. Pretending to recover my memories was so that I could help Ashton get his


    custody of our daughter back. No matter what, it would only benefit the Halls.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t thought that far. Ashton¡¯s n is to get Audrey back first.¡±


    ¡°What about you? Do you feel the same way?¡±


    I pondered for a few moments. ¡°A child can¡¯t grow up without a mother. Six years is enough. I don¡¯t


    want to miss any more of her growth.¡±

 Chapter 1463

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1463


    Emery lowered her head, deep in thought.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing! Some things are best experienced yourself. If you think that engaging in awsuit with the


    Stovall family is the right thing to do, then do it. But I know that rather than the oue, some people


    will be happy just to see you alive and well.¡±


    Her words stunned me momentarily.


    She was clearly hinting that the Stovalls were waiting for their Scarlett toe home. But if that was


    true, why didn¡¯t they search for me these past six years? They had even published her obituary to the


    world. As she said, there was no point figuring out with limited information. The only way was to


    experience everything myself.


    Amidst our conversation, Gregory had fallen asleep. Before leaving, I woke him up. ¡°Can you walk


    yourself?¡±


    In a half-asleep state, he rubbed his eyes. Meanwhile, he grabbed my thumb with his other hand and


    replied sleepily, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Bequeath with this adorable scene, Emery and I smiled at each other. I held his hand as we made our


    way out.


    At the main hall, Alexander popped out of nowhere, holding an exquisitely wrapped gift bag.


    ¡°What are you up to this time?¡± Emery asked suspiciously.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you be gentler with me?¡± Then he squatted. In ce of his furrowed brows was a tender gaze.


    He handed the gift bag to Gregory. ¡°Little one, here¡¯s a gift for you! Yourptop¡¯s outdated, so I got you


    thetest model. It¡¯ll be more efficient to use this.¡±


    At the mention of aptop, Gregory¡¯s eye lit up. ¡°Thank you, Uncle Zimmerman!¡± He was no longer


    wary of the man.


    Although it was of average size, together with the packaging, it seemed huge in the hands of a six-


    year-old. On the other hand, Gregory didn¡¯t seem to mind its weight. He was hugging it tightly.


    I let out a bitterugh. Men knew themselves best.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you like it!¡± Alexander took the opportunity to pat his head. ¡°It¡¯s not convenient carrying this. I¡¯ll


    get someone to send both of you home.¡±


    I was just about to decline his offer when I noticed someone heading towards us. ¡°My ride¡¯s here.¡±


    Alexander turned around. Ashton and Joseph were making their way here.


    ¡°Yes, indeed,¡± Emery chimed in chirpily. Their rtionship ain¡¯t as bad as I thought.


    Then she greeted Ashton, ¡°Hey big shot.¡±


    ¡°Mmhmm,¡± he replied indifferently. Then he greeted Alexander with a nod.


    Gregory eximed happily, ¡°Daddy!¡±


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    Ashton did not respond. His gazended on the gift bag. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± While asking, he lifted it up.


    I answered, ¡°It¡¯s a gift from Mr. Zimmerman.¡± I smiled appreciatively at him.


    In response, Alexander lifted his head proudly.


    Ashton fiddled the gift bag aimlessly. ¡°Gregory doesn¡¯t know how to control his usage yet.¡±


    That was true. Gregory¡¯s love forptops came second after Ashton and me.


    Alexander was stunned. ¡°It¡¯s wrapped. How did you know it¡¯s aptop?¡±


    ¡°Pretty obvious. It¡¯s what he loves.¡± Anyone slightly observant would have noticed the disdain in his


    voice.


    This put Alexander in an awkward spot. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s just a gift to make him happy. As for usage¡­¡±

 Chapter 1464

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1464


    Ashton ignored his words and turned to me. ¡°Come with me.¡±


    He¡¯s so harsh and disdainful.


    ¡°Where to?¡±


    Before I could even ask how he managed to find me, he had even made other ns for me¡­


    Ashton handed the gift bag over to Joseph and said lightly, ¡°Take Gregory home first.¡±


    Joseph bowed. ¡°Understood.¡±


    Then, Ashton looked down at Gregory. ¡°Go home with Mr. Campbell first. Daddy and Mommy have to


    go and do something. Wait for us at home, okay?¡±


    Gregory had probably realized that Ashton had not rejected the newputer. Thus, he was acting


    especially well-behaved. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Ashton was even taller than a model. Thus, although Gregory was already almost at my waist, he


    looked tiny beside his father. Even though no affectionate words were exchanged, the child¡¯s


    innocence and his father¡¯s maturity worked well together to create a heartwarming scene.


    However, Ashton seemed to have no interest in creating such scenes. As soon as he was done


    speaking, he pulled me out, leaving me no time to bid goodbye to Emery and the others.


    I could only shout to Gregory as I walked off. ¡°Greg, remember to listen to Mr. Campbell! We won¡¯t be


    gone for too long. Bye-bye!¡±


    Subconsciously, I did not want him to think that we could leave him behind at any moment.


    However, Gregory did not think too much about it. He looked at me dazedly, then eventually smiled


    widely.


    Just like that, I was dragged away by Ashton.


    Once we entered the elevator, I broke free from his grasp. ¡°Stop trying to take advantage of me. I know


    how to walk by myself.¡±


    This man had made ns for me as he pleased, left our son behind, and had not even said anything


    affectionate when he saw me. Seriously, is there anything he thinks is worth being gentle for?


    Ashton nced at me but kept silent as he pressed the button for the parking lot.


    Upset, I got in the car and asked angrily, ¡°Can you tell me where we¡¯re going now?¡±


    Instead of avoiding the question, Ashton said straightforwardly, ¡°The hospital.¡± After his reply, the entire


    drive over was silent. Soon, we arrived at the hospital.


    When I got off the car, I pretended to tie my shoce, purposely fell behind Ashton.


    He only took a few steps before he suddenly stopped in his footsteps and turned to look at me coldly.


    ¡°Are your feet tied to a rock or something?¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°Whatever. The hospital¡¯s only so big. It¡¯s not like I can get lost.¡±


    For whatever reason, Ashton could not stop nagging at me.


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    His expression was dark as he stared at me motionlessly.


    Not wanting to bother about him any longer, I straightened my back and looked straight ahead, then


    walked briskly to overtake him.


    Peeved, Ashton subconsciously quickened his own pace and managed to follow closely behind me.


    Even though I could not see him, I could feel the heat from his fiery gaze, which made me


    ufortable.


    Then, I paused and took a step back so that Ashton and I were standing shoulder to shoulder.


    Ashton narrowed his eyes slightly as a glimmer of imperceptible pride shed across his eyes.


    However, he quicklyposed himself.


    We then walked into the elevator together, as if nothing had just happened.


    When the elevator doors opened again, I noticed the empty corridors and realized that the hospital was


    rather deserted.


    Ashton instantly knew what I was thinking and said faintly, ¡°This saves time.¡±


    Was this how the rich lived their luxurious lives? By booking the entire hospital just for a mere visit? If


    you don¡¯t need the money, you can donate it to those in need, okay?


    Immediately after exiting the elevator, a bodyguard came forward to greet him. ¡°Mr. Fuller.¡±


    ¡°Is it ready?¡± asked Ashton expressionlessly.


    ¡°Everything has been prepared.¡±


    I was confused for a second but then thought of Ashton¡¯s painful look that morning. Did hee just to


    do a check on his body?


    Just then, Ashton¡¯s toneless voice sounded out. ¡°Bring her over.¡±


    Her? Who?


    I turned around to see that a group of doctors and nurses had suddenly appeared, blocking the way.


    As soon as Ashton was done speaking, a slightly older female doctor stepped forward and said,


    ¡°Follow me, Ms. Stovall.¡±

 Chapter 1465

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1465


    Why are they checking me?


    Noticing my doubtful expression, Ashton said, ¡°Take it as a normal physical examination. Everyone


    does it once or twice a year. There¡¯s no need to worry.¡±


    When he was done, he gave the doctor a look, and before I realized what was happening, I was being


    taken away by the doctors and nurses.


    ¡°Hey! I¡¯ve been going to the doctor regrly so I don¡¯t need your people to be nosy. I know my body


    the best. Ashton, get them to stop!¡±


    For the very first time, I felt the coldness of the medical staff. No matter how much I shouted, they paid


    no attention to me and simply continued their checkup procedures.


    As it was difficult to take on so many people at once, I soon gave up on struggling.


    It was already eight in the evening when all the checks werepleted.


    When the nurse brought me into the office, Ashton was sitting leisurely on the sofa as he scrolled on


    the tablet.


    I had been ¡°manhandled¡± for so long, but he was sitting there so happy and carefree?


    Resultantly, my anger rose. However, upon taking a closer look, I noticed that he was looking at my


    checkup data.


    My mood instantly changed, and I took a seat beside him. ¡°So, why on earth am I doing so many


    checks?¡±


    ¡°In case you¡¯re hiding some serious illness from me, which will affect Gregory¡¯s health,¡± Ashton replied,


    not even looking up at me. His toneless voice sounded somewhat heartless.


    I stared at him, feeling embarrassed. ¡°You¡¯re quite good at seeing things from a different perspective,


    Mr. Fuller. I can¡¯t believe you came up with such a crappy excuse.¡±


    Ashton seemed to have finished looking through all the reports as he put the tablet aside. He looked at


    me and said with a straight face, ¡°You¡¯re special too, Ms. Stovall. You¡¯re clearly angry, but you can still


    force a smile out.¡±


    Then, I was speechless for a long time.


    I locked eyes with him for a few seconds but eventually looked away first. He was simply too thick-


    skinned. Admitting defeat, I looked away and muttered to myself, ¡°Think whatever you want then.¡±


    For once, Ashton did not talk back to me. However, instead of him being kind, it was because the head


    doctor had entered the room.


    The doctor immediately ced a thick hard copy of the report onto the coffee table in front of Ashton.


    ¡°Generally speaking, Ms. Stovall¡¯s various indicators are stable. However, her body¡¯s still a little on the


    cold side and needs some treatment. These are all just minor issues. As for¡­¡±


    Ashton then cut him off. ¡°Get to the point.¡±


    The doctor obviously knew who Ashton was, for he was afraid to annoy him. He instantly changed his


    previous kind expression to a more serious one.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall¡¯s memory loss is probably because the oxygen supply to her brain got cut off for too long,


    causing the hippocampus to be damaged. ording to the medical reports, it¡¯s unlikely for her to


    recover her lost memories.¡±


    He paused for a while before he looked at Ashton and continued thoughtfully, ¡°As for your condition,


    Mr. Fuller, I¡¯m not very sure as of yet.¡±


    Ashton reassured him and said, ¡°Just tell me. I won¡¯t hold you ountable.¡±


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    The doctor was able to breathe a sigh of relief then. He rxed and said carefully, ¡°Although both of


    you met with an ident six years ago, your situations are very different. Your body is normal, Mr.


    Fuller, and there¡¯s nothing that would cause you to have amnesia. The only possibility left is hypnosis.¡±


    ¡°Hypnosis?¡± Ashton¡¯s expression darkened, and his eyes turned bitter and cold, causing his entire aura


    to turn frosty.


    Even I was a little surprised, not to mention him.


    Isn¡¯t hypnosis something that only appears in TV dramas?


    ¡°Hypnosis has always been a controversial treatment method in the medical field, and is mostly only


    used to calm patients¡¯ emotions¡­¡± The doctor pushed up his sses and continued with a serious


    expression, ¡°As the public knows, hypnosis ys a very prominent role in memory editing, and it is


    quite consistent with your situation. However, I don¡¯t specialize in that area, so I may not be of much


    help¡­¡±


    As soon as he was done speaking, the doctor got up to leave but was blocked by the bodyguards at


    the door.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller?¡± asked a bodyguard while waiting for Ashton¡¯s instructions.

 Chapter 1466

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1466


    ¡°Let him go,¡± Ashton said, not bothering to raise his head as he stared silently into space. There was no


    way to tell whether or not he had even listened to what the doctor said.


    When the doctor left, Ashton fell back into his own thoughts. His expression remained indifferent, and


    his emotions were hidden, causing others to be afraid to approach him.


    Although I was not afraid, I did not dare to provoke him either. Thus, I sat to one side and waited


    patiently.


    A long timeter, Ashton eventually gathered his thoughts and pulled me out of the hospital.


    Only after driving for a while did Ashton speak. His voice was low and deep. ¡°What do you want to eat


    tonight?¡±


    ¡°Do I even have a say in front of you, Mr. Fuller? You should decide.¡± I suddenly thought of something


    and asked, ¡°We¡¯re not going back to eat?¡±


    Ashton did not reply and simply parked the car after turning the corner. By the side of the road was a


    restaurant selling local cuisine.


    Helpless, I followed him out of the car as I muttered absently to myself, ¡°Gregory¡¯s going to be so lonely


    eating by himself.¡±


    Ashton stopped in his tracks and nced at me with an expression that said he knew it well, signaling


    that I did not need to worry about Gregory.


    How could I not worry about it? Children were aware and had their own thoughts as well. Once he


    realized that the adults had left him to fend for himself, he¡¯d feel so wronged.


    Who knows how long our mother and son rtionship willst. As long as I¡¯m still his mother, I won¡¯t


    just leave him alone!


    Just as I prepared to go home alone, Ashton¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°The peak hour in K city will at leastst


    until ten at night. There¡¯re two more hours to go. Are you sure you¡¯re not hungry?¡±


    ¡°I can bear¡­¡±


    Just as the word ¡°bear¡± left my mouth, my stomach growled loudly.


    Ever since I woke up, I had constantly taken all three meals on time. Even if a meal waste, I always


    had snacks lying around. Therefore, as I had been getting a checkup the entire afternoon, my stomach


    had been long empty. Needless to say, I was hungry.


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    There was nothing more embarrassing than that exact moment.


    Ashton narrowed his eyes, and a slight smile appeared on his face. It was as if he had seen through


    my words.


    Obviously, there was no use in trying to act tough anymore. Thus, I continued walking into the store


    while blushing.


    Ashton took a seat opposite me, then passed me the menu.


    Surprised, I widened my eyes. He¡¯s so kind?


    I nced over the menu before returning it to him while keeping vignt. ¡°You order. I¡¯m not picky.¡±


    Without another word, he ordered a few simple dishes.


    Since Ashton was still deep in thought, he barely spared me a nce while we waited for the dishes to


    be served.


    Soon after, the dishes arrived. I was a little surprised once I put my phone down.


    Half of the dishes were lightly seasoned, while the others were well-seasoned and spicy.


    I asked, ¡°You like to eat spice?¡±


    Previously, he had enjoyed the light-tasting food that I made. Did his taste buds change?


    Then, a thought suddenly popped into my mind.


    Is Ashton trying to amodate my eating habits?


    As soon as I had that thought, my chair seemed to have grown spikes. No matter how I sat, I felt


    ufortable.


    Ashton¡¯s suddenly acting so considerate. Don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s hiding something from me?


    Just as I was mentally calcting the possibility of me falling for one of his traps, Ashton replied in a


    dark voice, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    He had perfectly exhibited what it meant to be a man of few words while at the same time exuding an


    unexinable, attractive force.


    Ashton was actually trying to cater to my habits.


    I was fidgety throughout the meal, not daring to even lift my head.


    On the other hand, Ashton was calm and had a better appetite than I had ever seen before.


    Since we had avoided the rush hour, the drive home was particrly smooth.


    When we entered the living room, Gregory was holding on to Alexander¡¯s gift, one of thetestptops.


    His gaze was solemn, simr to the first time I had seen him using aputer.


    ¡°Greg¡­¡± I said in a singsong voice.


    However, Gregory only half-heartedly hummed in reply. His eyes never left theptop, and it was as if


    his hands were glued to it, constantly typing away.


    I walked over to stand behind him and gently patted him on the head.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall!¡± Gregory said distractedly as he smiled and looked up at me. Then, he turned back and


    continued studying theptop screen.

 Chapter 1467

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1467


    Gregory was very talented at programming. Resultantly, he was able to smoothly operate programming


    software on the newptop within that afternoon.


    His coding skills were seriously amazing.


    I could not help but take a seat on the sofa next to him, watching him silently.


    After a while, I realized how interesting programming actually was.


    Since Ashton knew Gregory¡¯s character very well, he knew that his son would not leave once he saw a


    computer. Without saying anything else, Ashton headed upstairs.


    After about twenty minutes, Gregory said excitedly, ¡°Ms. Stovall, I can show you something fun very


    soon.¡±


    However, as soon as he was done speaking, arge hand appeared and shut theptop.


    Gregory and I raised our heads simultaneously,ing face to face with Ashton¡¯s expressionless face.


    ¡°Go and wash up. Your bedtime has long passed.¡± His tone was cold, leaving no room for bargaining at


    all.


    Gregory¡¯s face fell, and he was reluctant to go. However, he was facing Ashton after all, so he had no


    ability to fight back. He could only reluctantly reply with an ¡°Okay¡± before he stood up to leave.


    Yet, my reaction was a second too slow. I did not realize whose territory I was in before I jumped up


    and shouted, ¡°Why are you going around switching off others¡¯puters!¡±


    It was a critical moment since we were about to see the results of the code. To have been interrupted


    just like that was indeed a very annoying thing to experience.


    Compared to my threatening reaction, there was no change to Ashton¡¯s demeanor. He asked


    indifferently, ¡°What time is it now?¡±


    I nced at the clock on the wall and replied, ¡°Ten. So what?¡±


    Ashton only spared me a cold nce before he turned around and made his way upstairs.


    Only in hindsight did I realize that usually by that timing, Gregory would have been deep asleep.


    Thus, Ashton was only doing it out of consideration for the boy. However, his in, straightforward


    manner made me subconsciously want to resist him.


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    Can¡¯t you just talk properly?


    Just then, someone pulled on my sleeves. I looked down to see Gregory giving me a pleading look.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, I still want to use theptop for a while and finish writing the program.¡±


    I was speechless. How was I to tell this smart yet silly boy that I wanted that too, but we had to do


    things ording to the rules?


    I pondered for a while, then sighed and squatted in front of Gregory. Trying my best to treat him like an


    adult, I exined, ¡°Gregory, it¡¯s toote today, and I¡¯m tired. The data is saved on theptop so it won¡¯t


    get lost. But if you don¡¯t have enough sleep, you won¡¯t grow tall, and you won¡¯t be able to protect the


    people you love in the future. Let¡¯s go wash up and sleep, and we¡¯ll continue tomorrow, okay?¡±


    Seemingly understanding my intentions, he replied, ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Good boy!¡±


    Although I had already interacted with Gregory for a few days, his good behavior still surprised me a


    little.


    It was Monday the next day, and the whole family got up very early to have breakfast. Then, Ashton


    dropped Gregory at school on the way to work.


    Once they left, I was the only one remaining in the huge house.


    Bored, I decided to pick up my old hobby again and headed out to the garden to care for the nts and


    flowers alongside the workers.


    While I trimmed the potted nts, I could not help but think of Marcus and his wife. When I had


    previously investigated him, there was no information about his marriage, so I did not know what kind


    of entanglements they had previously.


    Suddenly, there was a hoarse, tired male voiceing from behind me. ¡°Letty.¡±


    The voice was soft and sounded as if its owner had been crying. The moment I heard it, my heart sank,


    and my body felt heavy. I could not help but turn around instantly.


    The voice belonged to a man wearing a white suit and whose chin was covered with stubble. He stood


    on the gravel path in the yard, next to a little girl about Gregory¡¯s age. She wore a Lolita-style dress and


    donned a princessy-looking hat, her eyes filled with energy.


    Both of them looked as if they hade out of aic book.


    However, the man¡¯s gaze was heavy. Although he had perfect facial features, his eyes were full of


    complicated emotions¡ªrejoice, exhaustion, relief, and lost.


    Perhaps women were more empathetic for the moment my eyes met his, I could not help but feel sad.

 Chapter 1468

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1468


    ¡°Do we know each other?¡± I stammered hesitantly, frowning.


    ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± The man muttered thickly. He looked as if he was struggling to quell some intense emotion


    that was rising within him. He cleared his throat, then said, raising his voice, ¡°It¡¯s me, John Stovall.¡±


    John¡¯s eyes were brimming with tears. When his statement elicited no response from me, he looked at


    rueful, then asked, ¡°Have you really forgotten who I am?¡±


    John? I pondered. That name sounds strangely familiar¡­


    My eyes darted from him to the little girl standing just beside him. Realization dawned upon me.


    John was a member of the Stovall family and ¡°Scarlett¡±¡¯s rtive. I recalled briefly seeing him listed


    amongst the material that Ashton had given me. John had grown out his beard, which hindered me


    from recognizing him at first nce.


    ording to Ashton¡¯s n, I was to battle John in court over custody rights.


    Why do I feel such an overwhelming surge of regret within me now? I wondered. The sight of John and


    the little girl standing next to each other caused an unspeakable ache in my heart.


    I felt sorry for agreeing to Ashton, for using the pretense of ¡°Scarlett¡± to tear John and the little girl


    apart.


    In the living room, John sat the girl down on the sofa facing me. He then ced the man envelope


    he¡¯d brought along with him on the table beside.


    Before we¡¯d entered, John had briefly announced, ¡°I¡¯m taking you with me.¡±


    He seemed to be in a great hurry. Once the maid had brought us a round of water, John immediately


    broke the ice by saying frankly, ¡°The Stovall family and the Moore family have never given up on


    searching for you. To take care of the child, as well as to umte enough funds, we arranged to


    migrate. We¡¯d even made the entirepany move. It was all to no avail, however. That¡¯s why I was


    only able to finally meet with you today.¡±


    John sounded weary. He¡¯d spoken calmly, but I could detect more than a hint of sorrow in his voice. In


    front of the child¡¯s inquisitive eyes, however, John had to maintain hisposure. He paused and took


    several long, deep breaths. Lowering his gaze for a while, John¡¯s elegant fingers drumming furiously on


    the surface of the man envelope as he contemted how he should continue.


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t remember anything. I¡¯m here for you. Don¡¯t worry about anything else. This envelope


    contains DNA proof of your rtionship with Audrey, as well as a Share Transfer Agreement of half of


    Stovall Corporation¡¯s shares. When you return, you¡¯ll be the secondrgest major shareholder in


    Stovall Corporation. Just focus on your own happiness for the rest of your life and leave the rest to me,¡±


    John finally dered.


    Before I could respond, John exhaled, then turned towards the little girl. He took her hand gently, then


    led her over to me. ¡°Audrey, this is your mommy,¡± he said tenderly.


    Audrey bit her lip and looked at me uncertainly. She turned back to face John, who smiled at her


    encouragingly and gave her a nudge. Audrey turned back to look at me with an enormous beam on her


    face. ¡°Mommy!¡± she called out with a sweet voice.


    Audrey had initially appeared more cautious than Gregory had been at our first meeting. She seemed


    emboldened now by John¡¯s affirmation that this was indeed her mommy. Audrey ran towards me as


    fast as her short legs could carry her and wrapped her stubby arms around my neck. Sobbing, she


    cried again, ¡°Mommy! I missed you!¡±


    Audrey spoke in Ustranasion, and even though I wasn¡¯t fluent in thenguage, I was nheless


    moved by the earnestness with which Audrey cried. As she clung to my neck and wept, my heart


    broke. I, too, embraced her.


    It was the oddest feeling. Just as I had when I¡¯d hugged Gregory, I felt a sudden rush of tears now as I


    held Audrey¡¯s small body in my arms.


    After a long time, Audrey stopped crying. Both of us looked at each other, smiling despite our tear-


    stained faces.


    Audrey¡¯s resemnce to Ashton was uncanny. Theirrge, dark eyes were practically identical. The


    main difference, however, was that Audrey¡¯s eyes were soft and gentle, without a trace of the


    ruthlessness in Ashton¡¯s.


    I opened my mouth to speak, but Audrey broke in, saying, ¡°Mommy, it¡¯s my birthday today. Are you


    going to spend it with me?¡±


    She smiled winningly at me. However, I could see undercurrents of grief ripple beneath her sunny eyes.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    As much as I did not want to cooperate with Ashton, I could not bring myself to refuse Audrey and


    shatter her heart.


    Thus resolved, I swallowed the words that were on the tip of my tongue.


    I reached out and ruffled her hair, saying, ¡°Audrey, you haven¡¯t met your brother, have you? Gregory


    will being back for lunchter. Do you want to go y in his room for a while? We¡¯ll give Gregory a


    surprise when hees home.¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Audrey bounced on her feet happily, pping her hands in glee. ¡°I have a brother! I want to


    meet my brother!¡±

 Chapter 1469

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1469


    I beckoned to the maid waiting toe over to clear the sses of water, and gestured to Audrey,


    instructing, ¡°Bring her to Mr. Gregory¡¯s room.¡±


    Excitedly, Audrey hopped over and took the maid¡¯s hand, demurely allowing herself to be led upstairs


    to Gregory¡¯s room.


    I watched their departing figures until they had fully vanished upstairs, then turned back to gaze soberly


    at John. He looked a lot warmer and kinder than Ashton, but something about him raised my


    suspicions.


    I vainly probed my memory in an attempt to uncover just what inspired my current feelings of


    uneasiness. In the face of John¡¯s apparent sincerity, however, I found myself defenseless.


    John and Ashton each maintained their respective versions of the truth. However, the identity Marcus


    had bestowed on me back then was clearly Carlette. My mind was in a whirlwind, uncertain of who I


    could trust.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you trust me?¡± John persisted. His voice prated the fog of emotions in my head as if he


    could see right through my suspicion.


    I felt strangely relieved that I no longer had to keep up my facade of confidence. I raised my head and


    met his eyes, saying gravely, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t think I have the capability to make a decision now.¡±


    I shifted my gaze to the man envelope on the table, then reached out to touch its smooth surface. I


    laughed awkwardly, then confessed, ¡°To tell the truth, I¡¯ve seen this DNA report more than three times


    already this month. It has outlined a different result every time. If even science can be as unreliable as


    all that, I really don¡¯t know who I can trust.¡±


    John was silent for a moment. He looked down, his nails digging into the flesh of his thighs. In a low


    voice, he muttered, ¡°You¡¯re ming me.¡±


    John¡¯s words pierced my heart like a knife.


    I had decided to trust Ashton¡¯s im that I wasn¡¯t Scarlett,rgely because I could not bear to face the


    fact that my family had utterly abandoned Scarlett for six whole years.


    One could me it on either mishap or mistake, but didn¡¯t that mean that our familial ties couldn¡¯t even


    endure a hurdle like that?


    Having lost my memory, I felt as if I was spending every waking moment on thin ice, not knowing


    whether my next step would be fatal. On the bright side, if one could call it that, any loss would mean


    absolutely nothing to me. Without any ties whatsoever, I waspletely at liberty to do anything, or go


    anywhere I pleased.


    Whether I was Scarlett or Carlette, I had been reborn. I no longer had any earthly attachments, nor was


    I under any obligation to forgive anyone.


    I thus replied mildly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t know how to deal with this at the moment.¡±


    John appeared devastated. Looking into his dark, troubled eyes, I added, ¡°If I¡¯m really Gregory and


    Audrey¡¯s mother, however, I hope you will leave her with me. I¡¯m thankful to you for having looked after


    her for so long, but raising her is my responsibility, after all. I don¡¯t want to trouble you any further.¡±


    ¡°Trouble?¡± John nched. He gave me a long, hard look, then said tersely, ¡°I won¡¯t leave either Audrey


    or you here. Now that I¡¯m here, I¡¯m taking you along with me.¡±


    Are all of Scarlett¡¯s friends and family that domineering? I thought in despair.


    I shrugged, then shook my head helplessly at John. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t go with you.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t go with me? Then, who did you intend to go with? Were you nning on staying here with


    Ashton instead, that pathetic excuse of a man?¡± John demanded, his voice trembling with agitation.


    Without waiting for my reply, John turned towards the stairs and bellowed, ¡°Audrey, get down here


    now!¡±


    When Audrey heard John¡¯s roar of rage, she raced out of the room and stood uncertainly at the top of


    the stairs. She was clutching a photo of Gregory tightly in one hand. In a meek voice, she ventured,


    ¡°Uncle John, did you call me?¡±


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Without saying a word, John bolted up the stairs two steps at a time. He swept Audrey up in his arms,


    then stormed downstairs. When they passed by me, John seized my arm and hauled me out together


    with them. ¡°Follow me!¡± hemanded brusquely.


    I hurried along with him. At the door, however, we almost collided headlong with an iing Ashton.


    The eyes of the two men met. I could almost feel the air crackling between them, charged with tension


    as it was. My hair stood on end.


    Joseph followed behind Ashton, panting heavily. Both of them looked as if they had hurried over


    immediately after receiving the news.

 Chapter 1470

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1470


    Everyone froze. After a few moments, Ashton coldly surveyed our ensemble. His gazended on


    John¡¯s hand, maintaining its tight grip on mine, and lingered. Without betraying any hint of emotion,


    Ashton said coolly, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it enough for you to take Audrey away? You had toe back and take


    Scarlett too, hadn¡¯t you? Did you think I¡¯d stand idly by and let you do that?¡±


    Johnughed in derision. Narrowing his eyes, John looked at Ashton with evident contempt.


    Ashton, however, did not take the bait. He slowly shifted his gaze to Audrey, who was still perched on


    John¡¯s arms. Ashton¡¯s gaze softened. Gently, he cooed, ¡°Audrey!¡±


    Audrey¡¯s face burst into an expression of rapturous joy. Squirming in John¡¯s arms, she proimed, ¡°Mr.


    Fuller, you¡¯re so handsome!¡±


    We were all rather nonplussed by Audrey¡¯s sudden confession. Bemused, I reflected, Is this really the


    best time to be talking about looks?


    The charged atmosphere was abruptly reduced to a state of awkwardness.


    John¡¯s face looked glum. Meanly, he snapped at Audrey, ¡°Audrey, what did I teach you?¡±


    ¡°I remember now!¡± Audrey¡¯s features were squished in a moment of intense concentration. Suddenly,


    she raised her finger and intoned, as if she was reciting her lessons, ¡°Other than Uncle John, any other


    men who are handsome are bad men!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± John nodded his head in satisfaction. He gestured dismissively at Ashton, then turned to


    look at Audrey solemnly. ¡°I¡¯ll give you another chance. What do you call this man?¡±


    Audrey¡¯s mouth rounded into a perfect O. Proudly, she hollered, ¡°You¡¯re a bad man!¡±


    ¡°Good girl! I¡¯ll buy you a new dress when we get home,¡± John said approvingly. Even as he teased


    Audrey, however, his eyes never once left Ashton¡¯s face. The two men continued staring defiantly at


    each other, neither willing to concede.


    What strange theories has John imparted to Audrey? I wondered in mild surprise. Does this mean that


    besides John, no other man in this world can talk to her?


    I groaned inwardly. Men¡¯s egos can really manifest in the oddest forms!


    Ashton, however, looked utterly unfazed by the ridiculous skit he¡¯d just witnessed. Beaming brightly at


    Audrey, he said in a mellow, cajoling tone, ¡°Audrey, it¡¯s Daddy! Are you sure you don¡¯t want a hug?¡±


    Aghast, John immediately tried to intervene, but to no avail.


    ¡°Daddy?¡± Audrey¡¯s ears instantly pricked up. Wide-eyed with delight, she eximed, ¡°Are you really my


    daddy?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°No!¡±


    Ashton and John answered Audrey both at once. The difference between the two men could not be


    starker. John had spoken vehemently, his eyes wild. He looked as if he was on the verge of erupting


    with fury.


    Ashton, however, had given his answer confidently, with a look of serene assurance on his face.


    Entirely s¨¦ about John¡¯s indignation, he continued, this time extending both his arms to Audrey,


    ¡°Come to Daddy!¡±


    As he spoke, Ashton threaded his arms beneath Audrey¡¯s, coolly lifting her out of John¡¯s arms


    altogether.


    Audrey looked at Ashton, hesitating for a brief moment. She then leaned towards him tentatively.


    John was astounded by Ashton¡¯s audacity. He tightened his grip on Audrey, then quickly retreated a


    few steps backward, ordering hotly, ¡°Take your dirty hands off her!¡±


    Ashton¡¯s hands were left barren. They hung limply in the air for a moment, then fell back to his sides. A


    wry smile hovered on his lips, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Thanks foring all this way to deliver my daughter to me,


    anyway.¡±


    A cold gleam shed across John¡¯s narrowed eyes. Maintaining his firm grip on my arm, John drew


    Audrey and me aside. After gently setting Audrey down, John knelt before her, saying meaningfully,


    ¡°Princess, you haven¡¯t sung for Uncle John in a while, have you?¡±


    When Audrey heard those words, she immediately danced in glee, pping her hands joyfully. ¡°Oh,


    goody! Uncle John¡¯s going to fight!¡±


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Without another word of warning, Audrey turned me around. Our backs facing John and Ashton, she


    immediately began singing enthusiastically, ¡°Jingle bells, jingle bells¡­¡±


    I found this entire scene peculiar and twisted my body to look back at John and Ashton. In those brief


    moments, the air behind me had be charged once again with clear animosity.


    Ashton nced at Joseph. Joseph, immediatelyprehending, walked forward and rested an arm on


    John¡¯s shoulder. Briskly, almost apologetically, Joseph said, ¡°Mr. Stovall, why don¡¯t you step outside


    with me? Mr. Fuller will take care of Ms. Audrey here.¡±

 Chapter 1471

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1471


    He¡¯d just finished speaking when John violently shrugged him off. Caught off-bnce by John¡¯s abrupt


    jerk, Joseph fell to the floor.


    Joseph¡¯s moans of pains mingled with Audrey¡¯s piping voice. Joseph made a great effort to get up, but


    John cruelly stepped on him, hard, condemning him to lie pinned on the ground.


    ¡°You were never a match for me. How dare you touch me? You¡¯re really a worthy sidekick for Ashton! A


    dog behaves exactly like its master. You¡¯re both pathetic,¡± John spat resentfully. Every word, though


    directed at Joseph, was clearly meant for Ashton¡¯s ears.


    In one swift motion, John took his foot off Joseph, then spun around and sauntered over to Ashton.


    Without hesitation, John threw a hard punch in Ashton¡¯s face, then immediately followed it with a flying


    kick.


    Ashton flew backward,nding on the grass patch by the curbside. He struggled to stand, but John


    lunged forward and wrapped both arms around Ashton¡¯s neck. He strangled Ashton and thetter¡¯s


    face instantly darkened into a deep crimson. The fall had entirely wiped off Ashton¡¯s earlier dignified


    manner.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t see thising, did you? I wasn¡¯t able to take Letty with me six years ago. I will now,¡± John


    jeered. Through gritted teeth, he continued, ¡°Look at you. You haven¡¯t improved at all. Do you expect to


    be able to keep Scarlett with you based on that feeble amount of strength alone?¡±


    By then, the servants had all crept out of the main house to watch the scene. They fretted over whether


    they should intervene but ultimately were ovee by their fear. No one stepped forward.


    I, too, was dumbfounded by John¡¯s sudden violence. Recovering, however, I nced at Ashton¡¯s pale


    face in worry.


    Is John really intending to kill Ashton? I thought, horrified.


    It seemed that I had no cause for concern, however.


    When Joseph staggered over, however, intending to wrench John and Ashton apart, John had already


    taken a few steps back and was dusting his hands.


    Beside me, Audrey was still singing blissfully. ¡°Jingle bells, Jingle bells, jingle all the way¡­¡±


    John coolly straightened his clothes, then directed an icy look at Ashton¡¯s crumpled body. John then


    stepped over to where Audrey and I had been waiting and said tenderly, ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    He once again knelt down and tapped Audrey gently on her shoulder for her to turn around.


    As if rehearsed, Audrey spun around on her heels dly. She clung to John, babbling eagerly, ¡°Did you


    win, Uncle John? Did you win?¡±


    John gazed at her soberly, then thumbed her on the nose. ¡°Of course, I won! How can Uncle John ever


    lose, huh?¡±


    ¡°Hooray!¡± Audrey cried. It all seemed like a game to her where Uncle John had warded off the bad


    guys. However, her eyes darted alertly to Ashton, who was stumbling to his feet behind John. Audrey¡¯s


    little brow furrowed at the sight. She pursed her lips, asking tentatively, ¡°Uncle John, were you fighting


    that bad man just now?¡±


    Audrey made it perfectly evident that she was rather unimpressed. Her frown had deepened almost


    into a sulk.


    John looked behind him uncertainly. The arrogant demeanor John had been wearing from his earlier


    victory faded. He suddenly looked rather unsure of himself.


    Ashton, to everyone¡¯s surprise, rescued John from his humiliation. ¡°Audrey, it¡¯s all right. Daddy just


    tripped over and fell. It doesn¡¯t hurt at all!¡± he said brightly.


    One would have almost believed him if not for the bright-red specks of blood around his mouth. His


    smile was almost a grimace.


    As he spoke, Ashton asionally drew in his breath sharply through his teeth. He was clearly in agony.


    Looking at the sorry sight he made before us, I felt a surge of pity well up within me.


    Ashton, are you sure it doesn¡¯t hurt? I wondered.


    Audrey was clearly moved. Herrge eyes blinked rapidly, tears glittering in them.


    Noticing Audrey¡¯s distress, John hastily picked her up, soothing her. He pressed Audrey¡¯s head into his


    chest, then turned to look at Ashton scornfully. ¡°I raised Audrey for six years and can count the number


    of times I¡¯ve made her cry on one hand. Look at her state after just meeting you once. Do you think


    she¡¯s really better off with you?¡±


    Without waiting for Ashton to respond, John turned to me. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he said curtly.


    Ashton was clearly incapacitated and could not restrain John. I thus followed John out obediently.


    John had parked his car outside the vi. Once the three of us had gotten on, he immediately stepped


    hard on the elerator. The car flew towards the suburbs.


    ¡°Where are you bringing me to?¡± I asked curiously.


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    John gave me a look through the rearview mirror. He then said ndly, ¡°To the airport. I¡¯ve hired a


    private ne for us. It¡¯ll be arriving shortly.¡±

 Chapter 1472

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1472


    John was evidently in a foul mood. I couldn¡¯t tell whether he was jealous of the liking that Audrey had


    taken to Ashton or if other matters were weighing on his mind.


    The car rounded a corner. A gray van appeared bearing the Fullers¡¯ license te, which I recognized


    as the van which had sent Gregory to and fro. I hurriedly wound down the car window, and in that split


    second in which our vehicles crossed, I caught sight of Gregory¡¯s round face.


    Apanying him on both sides were Tiffany and Thora.


    As the distance grew between us, I felt a deepening sense of despair. I hadn¡¯t gotten to interact with


    Gregory much but felt an attachment to him nheless from our brief meetings. Now that we were


    leaving without a word of goodbye, I wondered if Gregory would miss me.


    As if she could perceive my destion, Audrey leaned against me, mewling. She was as soft and


    forlorn as a newborn kitten.


    My heart melted. Casting Gregory to the back of my mind, I reached out and gave Audrey a tight hug.


    ¡­


    We soon arrived at the VIP lounge in the airport.


    The Stovall private jet was estimated tond in two hours. Concerned that Audrey would be hungry,


    John regarded the fast-food restaurants that lined the hallway with disapproval. He disappeared, then


    soon returned with a portion of fish and chips that looked entirely superior to the rest of the meager fare


    offered there.


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Taking a leaf out of Gregory¡¯s book, Audrey sulked, insisting on being fed before she would be willing to


    eat.


    I was indefensible in the face of Audrey¡¯s adorable self. I took extreme pains to coax and tter her to


    eat. Fortunately, Audrey was easily won over. As John had promised, she was a lovely, innocent girl


    who had been pampered but was not yet spoilt.


    As Audrey and I took bites in turn, John sat facing us, smiling. It was as if he derived gratification just


    from watching us.


    ¡°I¡¯ve dreamed of this scene countless times. s, it has finallye true,¡± John muttered, half to


    himself. There was a slight choke in his voice, and I looked up, startled, to see his eyes shining with


    tears.


    John swiftly wiped at his eyes, but he was ovee with emotion topose himself immediately.


    I felt a lump rise within my throat. I was both immensely moved by the depth of John¡¯s feelings and


    frustrated by my inability to remember anything.


    I put down my fork. When I¡¯d caught John¡¯s eye, I said gravely, ¡°We¡¯re going back to M Country and


    getting together with the rest of the family, right? What happens after that? What do you n to do?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that enough?¡± John broke into a wistful smile at the thought. ¡°I¡¯m no longer the devilish scoundrel


    I used to be. I¡¯m managing both the Stovall and Moore Corporations, both of which are profiting


    tremendously now. I¡¯ve also hired the best mercenaries for you and Audrey. They¡¯ll give you the best


    protection you could ever ask for. No one will ever be able to hurt either of you again.¡±


    ¡°What about Gregory?¡± I replied briefly.


    John looked troubled. ¡°There are still days ahead of us. I¡¯ll definitely do my best to bring him over.¡±


    ¡°When will that be?¡± I persisted. ¡°If you couldn¡¯t manage it for the past six years, what makes you think


    you¡¯ll be able to do that in the future?¡±


    John¡¯s face was stony. Grimly, he said, ¡°None of us wanted that, but I was focusing all of my efforts on


    looking for you and had to give up the custody of Gregory. I¡¯m a mere businessman, not God. I can¡¯t


    perform miracles, much as I try. Gregory was given to the Hall family. That¡¯s the only life he knows now.


    Even if I could take him by force, would he be able to get ustomed to the new environment?¡±


    John¡¯s face grew flushed as he spoke, his eyes taking on a feverish ze. He paused to suppress his


    agitation, then continued in a strained voice, ¡°Letty, it¡¯s been six years. You can¡¯t, and neither will I allow


    you to, continue contacting Ashton and his family. The next time, it may be fatal¡­¡±


    John¡¯s face nched as he trailed off. I pressed him, however, saying, ¡°Do you mean that what


    happened six years ago was the work of the Hall family? But the information I received from Ashton


    said that the person who wanted to destroy the entire ind, including Ashton and me, was Armond.


    Wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°You almost died, yet you¡¯re still clinging onto Ashton¡¯s words as if they were the gospel truth,¡± John


    noted disdainfully. ¡°That was a lie spun by the Hall family to deflect me. Without assistance from the


    Hall family, Armond would surely have been stopped and killed on sight in the open waters. How else


    could he have been able to sessfully move all those explosives to the ind?¡±


    At John¡¯s exnation, thest piece of the puzzle seemed to finally click into ce. Armond¡¯s ability to


    wreak such havoc no longer seemed that mythical after all.

 Chapter 1473

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1473


    A question still lingered at the back of my mind. Disturbed, I wondered, Why on earth would Ashton lie


    to me?¡±


    Was it because Ashton already knew that I was Scarlett and wanted to distract me from the truth?


    John read the uneasiness on my face and remarked somewhat impatiently, ¡°There¡¯s no need to


    overthink things. I simply don¡¯t understand how you¡¯re willing to overlook the maniacal things that the


    Hall family has done on Ashton¡¯s ount. If I had known, I¡¯d have ruined them on the stock market


    instead.¡±


    ¡°What makes you think I will?¡± I shot back, meeting John¡¯s gaze steadily. ¡°What right does someone


    who harmed me have to raise my children?¡±


    John was taken aback. He leaned forward, spreading his hands on the smooth tabletop. Skeptically, he


    asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you feel sorry for Ashton when I hurt him?¡±


    ¡°The one who harmed me was the Hall family, not Ashton. Why would you hurt him?¡± I asked


    quizzically. Besides, Ashton was the father of my child. I didn¡¯t want to see Gregory disconste.


    John had a grave look on his face. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that Ashton is the Hall family¡¯s front man right now?


    Do you think I would have given Gregory up if it hadn¡¯t been for Ashton¡¯s continued resistance?¡±


    I felt rather disconcerted. It appeared that we were caught between a rock and a hard ce. On the


    one hand, I couldn¡¯t just abandon Gregory like that. However, Ashton remained a stubborn obstacle


    between us.


    Just as I was fretting, an idea urred to me. Turning towards John, I asked, ¡°John, are the


    mercenaries you hired really the best?¡±


    John looked bewildered by the abrupt shift in the conversation. He scratched his head, then nodded


    slowly. ¡°What are you nning to do?¡±


    I shed a wicked grin at John, then said, ¡°Can they help to kidnap two people for me? Wait, one will


    do.¡±


    After all, once one had been kidnapped, the other would surely deliver himself.


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Who do you want to kidnap?¡± John probed.


    Without hesitation, I announced, ¡°Ashton!¡±


    ¡°You want to kidnap him?¡± John asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°What do you want to kidnap him for? To


    teach him a lesson? Have you forgotten when you hated him? Once the matter ended, you¡¯ll fall back


    in love with him all over again, and the me will fall squarely on me. I¡¯m not taking the fall for this one


    again.¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± I assured him,ughing a little at John¡¯s panic. ¡°Legal custody of Gregory


    belongs to the Hall family, but it¡¯s under Ashton¡¯s name. If we kidnap Ashton and bring Gregory over,


    we wouldn¡¯t be contravening anyws, would we?¡±


    John took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. ¡°Are you serious about that?¡±


    I rearranged my features into the sternest face I could put on, then challenged John, ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m


    joking?¡±


    John examined me, then said doubtfully, ¡°I can¡¯t tell. Women change their minds more quickly than the


    wind changes.¡±


    ¡°Will you help me or not?¡± I pressed him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help,¡± John agreed atst. ¡°It¡¯s a huge task, though, so we should n it well. The luster of the Hall


    family may have dimmed, but they¡¯re not entirely incapable yet. It won¡¯t be that easy toy hands on


    their sole source of ie. Perhaps we should return to M Country first, where the rest of our family is


    waiting. We shouldn¡¯t disappoint them¡­¡±


    John rambled on, but the rest of his words fell on deaf ears. I wiped my mouth and led Audrey away


    from the table. ¡°Audrey, are you feeling tired yet? Let¡¯s go find a ce to sleep.¡±


    John stretched out a hand to stop me but quickly withdrew it when I rolled my eyes contemptuously at


    him. ¡°Letty, don¡¯t be reckless. The ne is leaving soon. Let¡¯s go home first. As for the kidnapping¡­¡±


    I had strode to the entrance of the VIP lounge with Audrey with John doggedly tailing us. His words


    died away at the sight of the airport security. John then quickly corrected himself, ¡°As for that matter,


    we¡¯ll have to wait for a suitable moment.¡±


    Audrey and I paid no heed to John. I raised a hand to wave a casual goodbye to him before sauntering


    away. ¡°Got it! Remember to get the ne to turn back!¡± I reminded John helpfully.


    My reluctance to leave K City actually stemmed from the fact that it was the only ce I was familiar


    with. I hadn¡¯t expected that John would let us go so easily. The belligerent man who had held his


    ground before Ashton had now buckled.

 Chapter 1474

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1474


    John drove us to the city¡¯s finest hotel. We proceeded straight into the presidential suite.


    We had barely sat down when John began video calling the rest of our rtives in M Country. He fixed


    his phone on the table, angling it such that both Audrey and I also appeared within the frame.


    Our call was picked up almost instantly.


    The moment Zachary and Cameron flickered into view, their eyes almost immediately glimmered with


    tears. They seemed so ovee with emotion that they were unable to speak for a while.


    Louis had since retired and was in high spirits. He thus spoke first, nodding contentedly, ¡°We are happy


    to see that you¡¯re doing well.¡±


    I felt rather embarrassed in the face of these supposedly dear family members that I had absolutely no


    recollection of. They had evidently missed me, however, and I was moved by their affection. After


    approximately half an hour of conversation that flowed naturally after a while, we ended the call as


    Audrey wasining of sleepiness.


    John left his phone lying on the table and immediately picked Audrey up, carrying her into the room. As


    John delicately held Audrey in one arm, he patted her gently on the back with the other. It was the


    model image of fatherliness.


    John ensured that Audrey was tucked into bed and turned off the lights before heading back into the


    living room.


    ¡°Can you drive?¡± John asked as he took a seat beside me. He¡¯d picked his phone up and was jabbing


    at it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I admitted, shaking my head. After I¡¯d regained consciousness, Marcus had been the


    one sending me everywhere. Afterward, Ashton too had arranged for a chauffeur for me. I¡¯d thus not


    had the chance yet to evene into contact with a steering wheel. ¡°I think I can try, though. Why don¡¯t


    you buy me a car?¡± I ventured.


    John ignored my yful request. ¡°That means you can¡¯t drive, then. You¡¯ll head downstairs on your


    ownter. The chauffeur and the car are already waiting for you at the entrance of the hotel. I¡¯ll stay to


    apany Audrey, so I won¡¯t be seeing you off.¡±


    ¡°How did you know I wanted to leave?¡± I gaped at John in astonishment.


    Without batting an eyelid, John replied smoothly, ¡°I know you far better than you think. Go back and do


    what you have to do. Once you¡¯ve wrapped up the loose ends, there won¡¯t be a need to look back and


    regret anything. Leave Ashton¡¯s kidnapping ns to me. I¡¯m not fond of that fellow, but since you¡¯re set


    on a family reunion, I¡¯ll find a way to fulfill your wish. I¡¯ll use him as a servant at the most.¡±


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    I could not help but find John¡¯s stoicism endearing. I was clearly very important to him that he was


    willing to put aside his immense hatred for Ashton to please me. At that moment, I knew then the full


    weight of what Scarlett meant to John.


    It was past five in the evening when I exited the hotel. A gray Mercedes-Benz was the only car parked


    out in front. I approached it cautiously. As I went near, I could hear the sound of the doors unlock. Thus,


    I immediately opened the car door and slid into the passenger seat.


    I was stunned to see that the chauffeur was a woman.


    ¡°Pleased to meet you, Ms. Stovall. I¡¯m Millie. You have previously hired me to protect you and your


    children. After what happened, Mr. Stovall kept me in his service to await your return. You can ask me


    anything you like. There¡¯s no need to feel shy,¡± she chirped.


    Millie¡¯s straightforward exnation and heartinessforted me. I immediately took a liking to her


    frank manner.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave my safety in your capable hands then,¡± I replied her warmly. Fastening my seatbelt, I


    instructed, ¡°To the Fullers¡¯.¡±


    Within the next second, Millie had revved the engines, and the car hurtled forward.


    We arrived at the Fullers¡¯ vi in less than twenty minutes.


    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Millie said matter-of-factly as she turned off the engine.


    I took a deep breath. It was a while before I felt confident enough to face whaty ahead of me. I


    unbuckled the seatbelt rather hesitantly.


    ¡°Do you need me to go in with you?¡± Millie asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± I asserted. ¡°Ashton will be rmed if I bring someone with me. Go back and look


    after Audrey.¡±


    I sounded more self-possessed than I was. Deep inside, I was trembling. I stepped out of the car and


    took a breath of fresh air. Millie¡¯s driving hadn¡¯t helped matters. The breakneck speed at which we¡¯d


    flown through the streets had only served to increase the level of adrenaline in me. Consequently, my


    heart was still pumping madly.


    I straightened myself out, then walked up to the entrance of the vi. As I crossed the threshold,


    however, I ran right into Ashton.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall?¡± Joseph, who was following behind, eximed in amazement.


    Gregory had been dragging his feet listlessly beside Joseph. When he heard Joseph¡¯s yelp, he


    immediately perked up and dashed over to me.


    ¡°Mommy! I thought you didn¡¯t want me anymore. I want you to be my mommy forever! Don¡¯t leave me


    behind,¡± Gregory bawled, clinging destely to my leg.

 Chapter 1475

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1475


    I quickly knelt down next to Gregory and pacified him, saying, ¡°Silly boy, Mommy only left for a while.


    How could I have left you behind? Didn¡¯t we agree that we¡¯d stick together?¡±


    However, Gregory could not be so easily appeased. He frowned in deep thought. After a moment, his


    eyes lit up. Extending his tiny pinky towards me he imed, ¡°We didn¡¯t make a pinky promisest time,


    so it didn¡¯t count. Now we have to!¡±


    I put on an unsmiling face and hooked my pinky with Gregory¡¯s. He cheered up considerably afterward.


    Looking down at Gregory d smartly in a tuxedo, I guessed that the three of them were heading out to


    dinner. In a friendly manner, I asked, ¡°Are you going out to dinner tonight, Gregory?¡±


    Before Gregory could reply, Ashton cut in with a low voice, ¡°We¡¯re going to meet my parents. You have


    toe too.¡±


    We¡¯re going to meet the Hall family? I thought, amused. I guess today isn¡¯t a wasted trip after all.


    I smiled cheerfully at Ashton, then replied, ¡°Sure! Let me go back and change. Wait here for me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Ashtonmanded, halting me in my tracks. ¡°You cane as you are. There¡¯s no need


    to be so formal.¡±


    Without another word, Ashton got into the van parked just outside the yard.


    I shrugged and followed after him, holding tightly onto Gregory¡¯s hand. At least I¡¯ve saved some time


    and trouble going back to change.


    I was actually supremely interested to meet the Hall family. They must be a callous bunch who


    attempted to wipe out their own son and daughter-inw without blinking.


    We boarded the van. I sat in the back with Gregory while Ashton sat in the front. We seemed to have


    come to a mutual understanding that the earlier matter with John would not be discussed.


    Gregory was thrilled to see me and naturally chattered on endlessly, filling me in with all the news from


    school that I¡¯d missed in my absence.


    When the van was idling at a traffic light, I suddenly thought of Audrey. Experimentally, I asked,


    ¡°Gregory, you don¡¯t really like to mix with the younger children at school, do you? Do you find them


    dull? If you have a younger sister who¡¯s very childish, would you dislike her?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t!¡± Gregory dered stoutly. ¡°I¡¯ll stay with my sister always and protect her. I won¡¯t let


    anyone bully her!¡±


    The firmness with which Gregory spoke made an amusing contrast with his still-babyish voice. A


    picture of Gregory and Audrey holding onto each other suddenly surfaced in my mind.


    Iughed, then ruffled Gregory¡¯s hair. I looked at him fondly,mending, ¡°You¡¯ve really grown up into


    a fine young man, Gregory!¡±


    Looking up, I saw Ashton sneakily watching us through the rearview mirror. However, Ashton looked


    away from the mirror the instant our eyes met, All that remained was the stiff, icy look on his face.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    He issued me with another look of utter contempt that doubled up as a warning.


    Ashton didn¡¯t seem to care that I had told Gregory about Audrey. It felt like he had full assurance that


    he would be able to acquire custody of both Audrey and Gregory.


    Time flew by as I was thus upied in thought. It seemed as if we¡¯d arrived at the Hall residence within


    mere minutes.


    Ashton led Gregory and me forward while holding onto Gregory¡¯s hand, I followed closely.


    ¡°Mr. Ashton, Mr. Gregory,¡± the maids standing by both sides of the door chorused as we entered. The


    living room, however, seemed to bepletely still. I presumed that we had arrived earlier than we


    were expected.


    Upon further inspection, however, I realized that I had jumped too quickly to conclusions.


    The entire Hall family had already assembled, and they filled the living room. They¡¯d spread


    themselves out on the sofas but remained oddly hushed. Some were flipping through the papers while


    others scrolled through their phones. No one exchanged a single word. A suffocating silence hung in


    the air.


    At the sound of our iing footsteps, Tiffany¡¯s head snapped up. The moment her gazended on


    me, she looked aggressive.


    Ashton, however, stepped forward, cing himself squarely between Tiffany and me. Ashton¡¯s sturdy


    body formed a solid barricade that prevented further esction of the tension that charged the air


    between us.


    Tiffany sulked. She flung her phone away from her, crossing her arms in front of her chest in


    annoyance.


    Ashton ignored herpletely. He strode into the room with the two of us in tow, paying no attention to


    the various looks that were suddenly focused intently in our direction.


    We¡¯d barely taken a few steps into the room when Tiffany said incredulously, ¡°Ashton, have you been


    too busy with work after firing me from thepany? We¡¯re having a family dinner tonight. It¡¯s not the


    time for you to bring random strangers home.¡±

 Chapter 1476

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1476


    Obstinately, Ashton remained standing where he was. He cast a backward nce to see Joseph


    hurrying in with a stack of gifts.


    ¡°Scarlett prepared these small tokens for Mom and Dad,¡± Ashton exined evenly.


    Baffled, I looked at Ashton. When had all these been prepared? Had Ashton already predicted that I¡¯d


    leave John behind to attend the dinner with him?


    My mind was swimming with thoughts.


    Tiffany tossed her head uncaringly. Joseph,den down by the weight of the gifts in his arms, tottered


    awkwardly into the room.


    Just then, a deep voicemanded regally, ¡°There¡¯s no need to make such a fuss. We¡¯re family, after


    all. Housekeeper, take those things from him.¡±


    As if on cue, the housekeeper nervously stepped forward, stiffly receiving the items from Joseph. The


    atmosphere within the room instantly eased.


    It was Nathaniel who had spoken. I¡¯d only heard his voice before and had only taken the briefest of


    nces at his photo. I was surprised to see that he was casually attired and looked rather youthful.


    Nathaniel appeared distinctly approachable, unlike the elderly patriarch I¡¯d envisioned in my mind.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Experience told me, however, that there was more below the surface than met the eye.


    As he watched the housekeeper set the items down conscientiously, Ashton suddenly turned and


    leisurely ced his arm around my shoulder. He then led Gregory and me to the sofa next to where


    Nics was sitting.


    We¡¯d barely sat down when Tiffany began her whining once more.


    ¡°Ashton, you take pains to ignore me whenever we¡¯re in the office. Let¡¯s take this opportunity today to


    thrash things out. You¡¯ve removed me from my position as the Finance Director and terminated my


    subordinates. What are you nning to achieve? Don¡¯t forget that thepany doesn¡¯t belong to you


    alone! I¡¯m your own flesh and blood. I should be the one you trust the most!¡±


    As Tiffany spewed her discontent, the maid arrived with cups of hot tea for us. Ashton calmly poured


    out a cup, then handed it to me. ¡°Have some tea,¡± he said cidly.


    Tiffany bit her tongue in anger. She seethed as she watched Ashton deliberately stir his tea, then drink


    it slowly. ¡°Are you even listening to me?¡± Tiffany asked querulously.


    Ashton nced coolly at Tiffany. Menacingly, he growled, ¡°Shut up.¡±


    It felt as if the air in the room had congealed, and the temperature dropped by a few degrees. A shiver


    danced down my spine.


    The smug look on Tiffany¡¯s face remained. She seemed snooty, even emboldened by the fact that she


    was on her turf and under the Hall family¡¯s protection.


    Tiffany thus paid no heed to Ashton¡¯s solemn warning. Instead, she drew herself up and pounced onto


    me, wing at my arm. ¡°It¡¯s all because of you! How dare you pretend to be Scarlett and seduce my


    brother? Get out!¡±


    Ashton stood up. Towering over Tiffany, he red at her with such hatred that even I, despite not being


    the object of his attention, quaked inwardly.


    It was Tiffany¡¯s first time witnessing this side of Ashton. She gaped at him, cowering in terror.


    Ashton¡¯s muscr arm suddenly shot out and grabbed Tiffany¡¯s neck in a stranglehold.


    His movements were so swift that it frightened even Joseph, who was used by now to Ashton¡¯s


    capricious ways. ¡°Mr. Fuller!¡± he gasped.


    Ashton, as if possessed, maintained his merciless grip on Tiffany¡¯s neck. Within less than a minute,


    Tiffany¡¯s pale face had turned a deep shade of violet.


    Locked in Ashton¡¯s hands that mped upon her neck like iron shackles, Tiffany struggled. She


    frantically hit his arms, pleading for release.


    She barely managed to gasp, almost inaudibly, ¡°Ash¡­ Ashton¡­ let go¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. You¡¯re my own flesh and blood. You should know how brutal I can be, yet you continued


    testing my limits. You deserve what you¡¯ve goting to you.¡± Ashton said with a deadly calm.


    Indeed, Ashton looked entirely prepared to let Tiffany die by his own hand.


    I was absolutely sure that if no one stopped him, Ashton would have finished Tiffany off there and then.


    That moment felt utterly surreal. It was as if a gruesome scene from a movie was ying out right


    before my very eyes. I instinctively reached out to shield Gregory from the sight, my heart palpitating


    wildly.


    If Ashton murdered Tiffany in cold blood, the rest of Gregory¡¯s life would be hell.

 Chapter 1477

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1477


    I gulped. Summoning all the courage I had left within me, I reached out and tugged Ashton¡¯s sleeve


    gingerly. ¡°Ash¡­ Ashton?¡± I stammered.


    A brief shudder ran through Ashton. With a start, he released Tiffany.


    Tiffany crumpled to the floor like a rag doll.


    The maid ran forward anxiously and helped Tiffany over to the sofa. All other eyes in the room,


    including that of Nics¡¯, were fixed on Ashton simultaneously. Nics mmed his newspaper onto


    the table, jolting the already-frayed nerves of everyone present. ¡°Are you trying to rebel against me?¡±


    he roared.


    Ashton nced at me, then down at Gregory, apparently unaffected by Nics¡¯ outburst. He then


    looked over to Tiffany¡¯s inert body with undisguised contempt.


    He strolled over to where shey feebly, then sneered, ¡°Will you say it, or shall I make you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll admit it, I¡¯ll confess to everything! Just have mercy on me. I was wrong, Ashton,¡± Tiffany babbled.


    She was almost incoherent with fear. Clenching the pillow she¡¯d picked up from the sofa, Tiffany hid her


    face behind it as if she could thus avoid Ashton¡¯s wrath.


    ¡°I lied! You were never engaged to Thora. She promised me benefits in return for matchmaking the two


    of you¡­ Joseph is your most loyal subordinate. Emery has both a good professional and personal


    rtionship with you. I was the one who manufactured Scarlett¡¯s obituary. She didn¡¯t betray you.


    Audrey¡¯s also your daughter¡­ Dad was the one who arranged for the hypnosis. We sealed your


    memories for your own good! I was wrong, but surely it doesn¡¯t merit a death sentence! Give me


    another chance, please, Ashton. I¡¯m begging you, please have mercy on me¡­¡±


    Tiffany was almost groveling at this point. She had crawled onto the floor and knelt at Ashton¡¯s feet,


    clutching at him wildly. Tears poured down her face in torrents.


    My hands still covered Gregory¡¯s eyes, but Tiffany¡¯s sheer despair permeated any refuge I could offer


    him from this nightmarish sequence of events. He began to whimper.


    I stroked Gregory¡¯s back, partly tofort and partly to quieten him down.


    Tiffany¡¯s every desire had been amodated to since she was young. Everything she ate or wore


    had to be of luxurious quality. Tiffany could get anything she set her heart upon. This fine upbringing


    had thus culminated in her attitude of absolutecency.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    However, Ashton had viciously brought Tiffany¡¯s whole world crashing down about her. She could not


    even begin toprehend the bitter environment that Ashton had grown up in, in which he¡¯d carefully


    cultivated his thirst for vengeance.


    As Ashton had dered, Tiffany got what she deserved.


    Tiffany¡¯s near-incoherent ramble had ignited, rather than extinguished, the fury within Ashton.


    Narrowing his eyes, Ashton looked at Nics.


    ¡°Do you want to exin?¡± Ashton snarled. The grimace he wore looked almost demonic in its rage.


    Nics remained unfazed. He had watched his daughter¡¯s disgrace without flinching. I thought I¡¯d even


    seen a glimmer of loathing sh across his eyes as if despising Tiffany for the shame she¡¯d incurred.


    After a moment, Nics replied smoothly, ¡°I¡¯d initially thought that you showed the most promise and


    was the one most set to inherit my position among the three of you. From the looks of it now, however, I


    think I overestimated you.¡±


    Nics then gave a slight nod to the bodyguard who had been standing unobtrusively in the side of the


    room. He immediately fished out a stack of documents and spread them out on the table.


    The photo stood out immediately amongst the rest of the documents. It clearly featured, in high


    definition, a snapshot of the time I¡¯d spent with Marcus.


    ¡°You almost lost your life six years ago because of Scarlett. I saved you! After so many years, you¡¯re


    still adamant aboutmitting the same mistake. Now, you¡¯re betraying your family for another Scarlett


    once more. Take a good look. Is this person the woman you love? She¡¯s just a substitute! When are


    you going to wake up and realize that?¡± Nics shouted.


    Ashton¡¯s eyes swept over the array of documents, then pursed his lips critically. ¡°It¡¯s true that you saved


    me. Don¡¯t pretend to be so noble, though. You knew that I had to be alive for the Hall family to continue


    living in peace.¡±


    Ashton paused. He picked up the photo and examined it closely, then snorted, flicking it away as if it


    was useless garbage. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to interfere with my business. Perhaps you should


    worry about your own route of escape first.¡±


    ¡°Have you remembered everything?¡± The neutral expression on Nics¡¯ face suddenly shifted.


    Ashton, however, remained silent.


    Maddened by Ashton¡¯s absolute disregard for him, Nics violently stood up, bellowing, ¡°Ashton, I¡¯m


    talking to you!¡±

 Chapter 1478

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1478


    The corners of Ashton¡¯s mouth twitched. Snidely, he remarked, ¡°Does it matter whether I¡¯ve


    remembered anything or not? I didn¡¯t even know that you were alive for half my lifetime. Don¡¯t you have


    your own ways of dealing with things regardless?¡±


    Nics¡¯ face had turned crimson with anger, and the veins on his neck were nearly popping out of his


    taut skin. ¡°That was a matter of expedience!¡± he retorted.


    ¡°The fake ident was a matter of expedience. My kidnapping was a matter of expedience. So was


    hurting the woman I loved and separating my two children¡­¡± Ashton repeated mockingly. ¡°You¡¯ve


    spent your whole live plotting. What¡¯s the point of even living, then?¡±


    Nics¡¯ chest was heaving with rage. Shaking his finger threateningly at Ashton, Nics fumed,


    ¡°Ashton, do you think you can be the CEO of Fuller Corporation without my support?¡±


    The look of tranquility that Ashton maintained throughout Nics¡¯ rebuke was almost ridiculous in


    contrast to Nics¡¯ extreme ire.


    Ashton¡¯s eyes met Nics¡¯ levelly. He then said breezily, ¡°Do you want mutual destruction? Perhaps


    you could have achieved that six years ago. Let¡¯s see how you try it now. You might manage to do it if I


    don¡¯t seed in ruining the entire Hall family first!¡±


    I recalled John telling me that ever since he¡¯d obtained custody of Gregory, Nics had recklessly


    ced all of his eggs in the one basket that was the Fuller Corporation. On the one hand, it would be


    useful for thoroughly manipting Ashton. On the other, Ashton was admittedly the most gifted at doing


    business than anyone else in the Hall family.


    After the incident at the ind, the Hall family had suffered severe repercussions. It had been


    impossible for Nics to personally intervene, resulting in manyplications. The Fuller Corporation


    had proven to be most useful at the crucial point in time.


    Nics had allowed himself to be ensnared by his faith in his own hypnosis techniques, never


    dreaming that Ashton would one day emerge from his stupor.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Nics looked at Ashton, utterly aghast. He frantically dismissed Ashton¡¯s im with a leer, saying, ¡°So


    what if you seed in ruining the Hall family? You won¡¯t be able to bring Scarlett back to life. You may


    despise the Hall family but the blood flowing through your veins is the same as ours. Your fate is


    irreparably bound with ours. If the Hall family is destroyed, do you think you¡¯ll be able to escape


    unscathed?¡±


    Ashton met Nics¡¯ eyes steadily. Smiling faintly, Ashton answered, ¡°Is that so? I don¡¯t think there¡¯s


    any benefit to being a member of the Hall family, though.¡±


    Not to be outdone, Nics sniffed, and said, ¡°Stop lying to yourself. Is there anything you possess that


    hasn¡¯t been purchased by me? The food you eat, the clothes you wear, your prestigious position,


    weren¡¯t all of those given readily to you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m willing to give up everything. Even if I leave the Hall family and shed everything, I¡¯ll still be Ashton


    Fuller. I¡¯ll still be Scarlett¡¯s husband and the father of my children. What about all of you? What will be


    left of the Hall family when I¡¯m gone?¡± Ashton taunted. Both Ashton and Nics had entered into this


    fight tooth and nail. Neither evidently had any qualms about ripping the other¡¯s dignity to shreds.


    ¡°Very well,¡± Nics said ominously. A perverse gleam shone in his eyes as he continued, ¡°Let¡¯s see


    just what you¡¯re capable of, then.¡±


    The tension in the room was unendurable. No one dared to meet anyone else¡¯s eyes.


    Suppressing his rage, Ashton had pressed his lips tightly into a thin white line. Through gritted teeth, he


    asked, ¡°Where are those researchers?¡±


    The mention of them roused Nics with a start. He gave a dryugh, then sneered, ¡°The


    researchers? Are you talking about the project thepany invested in? You¡¯re the one who¡¯s


    supposed to be coordinating that. How would I know?¡±


    Ashton¡¯s hands had been hanging by his side. He now cracked his knuckles, exuding an intimidating


    aura.


    Assuming that Ashton would not dare toy hands on him, Nics pressed, ¡°It must be a pretty big


    project if you¡¯re taking it so seriously. You can¡¯t miss out on having these experts on your team. Once


    you¡¯ve found them, bring me along to meet them. We may not get along but that shouldn¡¯t affect our


    business efforts.¡±


    Looking meaningfully at Ashton, Nics emphasized, ¡°After all, we¡¯re a family. We should help each


    other. Nothing is considered too much to ask. If someone wants to abandon ship, though, don¡¯t me


    us for doing what we must to survive.¡±

 Chapter 1479

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1479


    He stood up and walked past Ashton. As he sauntered towards the stairs, he casually said, ¡°I don¡¯t


    think we need to carry on with this meal. Dismiss, everyone.¡±


    The next second, a loud sound of ss shattering onto the ground rang in the living room.


    As I turned around, Ashton was standing there with his fists clenched tightly, seething with anger.


    Roses and broken pieces of porciny in a pool of water, dirtying the clean floor. The vase that was


    originally ced on the coffee table was now gone.


    A maid rushed over and said tentatively, ¡°Sir, we¡¯ll clean this up. You¡­¡±


    Ashton did not reply, he just stood still. When the maid was about to start cleaning up the mess, he


    turned abruptly and left, scaring the poor maid.


    This wealthy family had too much drama. Since he had left, I had no reason to stay here as an outsider.


    Taking Gregory with me, I rushed out to catch up with Ashton.


    He was still very agitated. As soon as he reached the door, he snatched the car key from the chauffeur


    and got behind the wheel.


    Upon seeing that, Joseph clenched his fists anxiously. ¡°Sh*t! He might get into danger.¡±


    I cast him a nce and pondered for a second before handing Gregory to him. ¡°Send Gregory home


    first.¡±


    With that, I jogged towards the car and slid inside right before Ashton started the car.


    He whipped around and red at me with his fury eyes. Locking eyes with him, I could not help but


    gulp nervously.


    ¡°Get out,¡± he enunciated his sentence word by word.


    ¡°You wish!¡± Feigning calmness, I looked away, fastened my seat belt, and stared ahead. ¡°Go on. I have


    some things to talk to you about.¡±


    He narrowed his eyes at me and stared me down for a couple more seconds before releasing the


    brake pedal and raced out of the house.


    Luckily, there were not many cars on the road and he continued to speed down the highway and drove


    around the riverside for about twenty minutes before finally stopping the car.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    I was d that I had experienced Millie¡¯s driving skills before. If not, I would not have stayposed


    throughout this deadly journey.


    Ashton lit a cigarette, took a long drag on it, and slumped into his seat. As he rested his arm by the


    window, he closed his eyes and continued to puff on his cigarette.


    The light from the streemp shone into the car and silhouetted his perfect side profile, adding a hint of


    mysteriousness onto him.


    I went straight to the point. ¡°I see you¡¯ve regained your memories.¡±


    However, he did not reply. The air was so still that I could hear him breathing.


    Turning to him, I raised my voice and said solemnly, ¡°You¡¯ve always known about the things Tiffany had


    done, but instead of seeking justice for your deceased lover, you¡¯ve opted to act as if you don¡¯t know


    anything to shield your family¡¯s mistakes. Am I right?¡±


    He opened his eyes and stared at me with his bloodshot eyes. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    I gave him a faint smile and said half-jokingly, ¡°Well, I need to know the person who I¡¯m working with,


    don¡¯t I? Ashton, do you still remember the first time you meet me? You looked disdainfully at me. It was


    as if you had believed that your lover, ¡®Scarlett Stovell¡¯, was long dead. That was why you regarded me


    as an insignificant outsider. In fact, you¡¯re just the same as your family¡ªno longer hoping for her to


    come back.¡±


    Too many things had happened in the past six years, and I needed to find the answers one by one.


    For example, why the first person I saw after waking up was Marcus, who had been missing for a long


    time? And why did I be his fianc¨¦e?


    Besides, why did the Stovall family and the Moore family leave while the Fuller family became the one


    who dominated the business in the city?


    And how did the obituary that could only be published by close family members be made without


    Ashton¡¯s knowledge?


    Clutching at the hem of my dress, I willed myself to stay calm and looked at the man beside me with a


    steady gaze.


    After six years of being surrounded by the ¡°familial warmth¡± of the Hall family, I was no longer sure if


    Ashton, the man who was once the light of my life, was still the man who loved me with all his heart


    and soul.

 Chapter 1480

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1480


    Seeing that I had seen through his act, Ashton looked away in embarrassment and snapped, ¡°That¡¯s


    none of your business.¡±


    He then ced his other hand on the steering wheel and took another drag of his cigarette. ¡°Bear in


    mind that you¡¯re just Scarlett¡¯s substitute.¡±


    Under a veil of the cigarette smoke, he drew a rather lonesome figure as if he had worn himself to a


    frazzle, trying to bear all the lies and deceptions in his life.


    As he refused to say anything else, I had no choice but to stop pressing him for more information.


    As the saying goes, you can¡¯t wake a person who is pretending to be asleep. Moreover, with his


    personality, no one on earth could make him say something he refused to say.


    An hourter, after he finished half a pack of his cigarettes, he finally started the car again and returned


    home.


    Halfway through the journey, Gregory called and said he wanted a cake from the bakery we went to


    previously, so I asked Ashton to stop the car when we were passing by the mall.


    When I was unfastening my seat belt, he said with a hint of contempt in his voice, ¡°Why bother to get


    the cake by yourself? You can always get someone else to deliver it straight to the house.¡±


    I paused in my movement and rolled my eyes at him. ¡°It¡¯s more thoughtful to get it myself. Nah, I can¡¯t


    me you for not knowing this. How could Ashton, the genius in the business realm, understand the


    importance of sincerity? Don¡¯t worry, you don¡¯t need toe with me. I¡¯ll go by myself while you wait


    for me here.¡±


    With that, I got out of the car and headed to the mall. Two minutester, a well-built figure appeared


    and walked alongside me to the mall.


    Curious, I nced up and saw Ashton¡¯s chin. ¡°Didn¡¯t you think that this is a waste of time?¡±


    He did not even nce at me. ¡°My son is worth the time.¡±


    I chuckled inwardly. This guy is so full of himself.


    Ignoring him, I whipped around and deliberately walked faster, leaving him behind.


    As we entered the bakery at the basement level, the cake that Gregory liked happened to have just one


    left. Overjoyed, I pointed at the cake and said, ¡°I¡¯d like to take away this cake.¡±


    The store manager seemed to be in a hurry to close his business. He gave me a perfunctory smile, put


    the cake into a take-out box, and handed me the box without giving me a carryout bag.


    Worried that Ashton might get impatient, I did not care much and took out my wallet. ¡°How much is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s on the house. Please leave as soon as possible.¡± The manager hurriedly put away all the leftover


    desserts and pressed on his Bluetooth earpiece. ¡°We¡¯re going to close soon. Sorry for that. You can


    come again next time.¡±


    It¡¯s for free?


    They close at seven? Isn¡¯t it too early?


    Holy crap, is he a filthy rich guy who opens a small bakery to experience amoner¡¯s life? I had no


    other choice but to leave him a fifty on the counter before taking away the cake.


    As we walked towards the exit, I kept thinking about the strange behavior of the store manager.


    He looked young, and when he tapped on his earpiece, he had his other hand in his pocket.


    Besides, I noticed that there were no other customers in the mall since Ashton and I entered here.


    In an instant, I started to feel a trace of panic rising in me. However, when I saw that Ashton was still as


    calm as ever, I took a deep breath and calmed myself down, consoling myself that I was probably


    overthinking matters.


    As soon as we stepped out of the bakery, an elevator nearby dinged and opened, revealing a man in a


    cap and a camo inside. He came out and strode in our direction.


    Without much thought, I immediately tugged on Ashton¡¯s sleeve and pulled him to the esctor at the


    other side. This floor was absolutely empty, so the man in a camo spotted us instantly and rushed


    towards the esctor next to us.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Seeing him getting closer to us, my heart started to race, and my breathing turned rapid.


    The shops in the mall were all open, but it was all quiet, and no one was loitering around. I suddenly


    thought of the bakery shop manager who seemed to be warning me to leave immediately.


    And the cautious, serious look was more like a inclothes police officer!


    As I nced sideways surreptitiously, I immediately locked eyes with the eyes of the suspicious man.


    He had taken off his cap and was leaning against the handrail. When he saw me looking at him, he


    grinned.

 Chapter 1481

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1481


    That was a maniacal, terrifying smile.


    My heart sank. I quickly tugged at Ashton¡¯s jacket and whispered, ¡°Something is wrong with the guy


    behind us.¡±


    As soon as I said that, someone made an announcement through the PA system in the mall. ¡°Brian


    Romero, you can¡¯t run away this time. Now turn yourself in, and we promise we¡¯ll give you a chance to


    start over.¡±


    By the time we reached the first floor, a group of police had been waiting at thending of the


    esctors.


    The man in camo shouted back, ¡°I don¡¯t want to listen to your bulls*it. Even if I choose to die, no one


    can stop me.¡±


    While he was speaking, Ashton¡¯s arm wrapped around my waist and before I could react, he held me


    up with one hand and dashed forward.


    When the guy saw us running away, he removed his jacket and revealed the explosives that were


    strapped to his body. ¡°You thought clearing the mall would cause no casualty? Luckily, I have two fools


    to die with me. Hahaha!¡±


    Then, he raised the remote in his hand and pushed the button.


    Boom! The bomb exploded, and Ashton used his body to shield me from the explosion as the forceful


    impact send us flying several yards away.


    There was a buzzing sound ringing in my ears and all my muscles stiffened. My mind went nk.


    After shaking my head vigorously, my vision started to clear.


    Ashton was lying face down on the floor, unconscious. As I stretched out my hand to help him up, my


    hands were met with a warm, sticky liquid.


    ¡°Oh no!¡± I stared at the blood on my hand and shouted, ¡°Help! Help! Somebody help my husband!¡±


    Before I lost my consciousness, thest thing I saw was his lifeless face.


    Gregory Hall, have you always considered your father a man with bad taste?


    If not, did you seriously think that you would get to approach him?


    If you want to be the wife of the richest man, juste and pursue me.


    Scarlett Stovall doesn¡¯t exist.


    Bear in mind that you¡¯re just a substitute.


    ¡°Ashton!¡± The moment I opened my eyes, I found myself to be staring at the ceiling of a familiar


    bedroom.


    Why am I in Ashton¡¯s bedroom?


    The image of Ashton lying unconscious in the mall shed through my mind. Not even bothered to get


    anything to cover myself, I scrambled out of bed and rushed out of the room.


    As soon as I opened the door, I almost crashed head-on into Joseph.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, you¡¯re awake,¡± Joseph greeted politely.


    ¡°Where is your boss? Why am I here?¡± I asked anxiously, scowling.


    ¡°He¡¯s in the guest room. The wound on his head has been treated, so don¡¯t worry, he will be awake


    soon.¡±


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Just then, sounds of objects being hurled onto the ground came from the room next door, and all the


    maids were chased out of the room.


    ¡°Come here,¡± Joseph called one of the maids. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    She looked aggrieved. ¡°Mr. Fuller said that he was hungry. But when we brought in the food we


    prepared, heined that it didn¡¯t taste good and threw all the food onto the floor.¡±


    Why does he have to be so angry?


    Has he be his old, hot-tempered self?


    Since he could still throw a fit, it meant that he was in good shape.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. All of you can go back to your chores. I¡¯ll tend to him myself.¡± I heaved a sigh of relief and


    went to his room.


    I arrived in front of the door and could still hear him throwing the furniture. When I entered, food was


    strewn across the floor, and the chairs were flipped over. Ashton stood in the middle of the mess with


    his robe drooping from his shoulder, unlike his usual demeanor. Despite that, he still looked great in this


    disheveled look.


    When he heard meing in, Ashton nced up at me and frowned. After staring at me for a while, he


    arched his brow and spoke in a condescending tone, ¡°Who are you? Why are you here?¡±


    Did he lose his memory again?


    I crossed my arms in front of me and walked towards him. ¡°You really don¡¯t remember me?¡±


    He narrowed his eyes and sized me up. ¡°Who allowed you toe in here?¡±


    Well, I can see that he¡¯s forgotten everything but not his arrogance.

 Chapter 1482

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1482


    I shed him a smile as an idea popped into my head.


    I uncrossed my arm and yelled, ¡°Ashton! I see you¡¯ve finally shown your true colors after being married


    to me for a few years!¡±


    He looked disgusted by the idea of him being my husband. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense? You can ask anyone here if we¡¯re husband and wife!¡± I pointed angrily at Joseph and the


    maids who were now gathered at the door.


    Ashton immediately looked over and saw Joseph nodding. Doubt finally appeared on his face, and he


    pondered for a while. ¡°Did I really marry you?¡±


    ¡°Of course. We even have two kids.¡± I pulled over one of the chairs that were not kicked by him and sat


    down. Then, I crossed my legs and pretended to be nice. ¡°Even though the Fuller family is far less


    wealthy than my family, I still epted you because I was touched by your sincerity when you were


    pursuing me. You¡¯ve even promised me that you would treat me well and listen to my every word. Are


    you going to go back on your word?¡±


    I paused for a while and continued in a serious tone, ¡°These two years, my family has helped you to


    be sessful. I guess we¡¯ve spoiled you, and now you have another woman. Don¡¯t you?¡±


    The gentleman side of him immediately surfaced. He turned his face away angrily and snapped, ¡°Only


    animals can¡¯t control what¡¯s below the belt. And I¡¯m not an animal!¡±


    He was rather serious as if he would die if he really had a mistress, reminding me of a chaste woman


    from the old generation.


    Suppressing my smile, I cleared my throat and regained myposure. ¡°If that¡¯s so, Hubby, I want to


    eat pasta now. Previously, you¡¯ll always cook for me every day. Go and make me some now. I¡¯m


    hungry.¡±


    Ashton seemed doubtful and stared at me for a few seconds before nodding and walked out of the


    room.


    Watching Ashton walk past him and go downstairs, Joseph was stunned. When I saw that he wanted to


    say something to Ashton, I cleared my throat loudly to remind him not to tell Ashton the truth.


    While I was waiting for him to prepare the pasta, I freshened up, changed my clothes, and went to the


    kitchen. He happened to be bringing a te of pasta to the dining room when I went down.


    The te and cutlery were then ced on the table.


    Ashton¡¯s eyes were fixed on me as I headed towards the dining room.


    I nced at the pasta and raised my brows in surprise. It looked as appetizing as the ones in


    advertisements.


    Craving for a taste of the mouth-watering pasta, I pulled out the chair and sat down immediately. It was


    indeed as delicious as it looked. As I savored the food, I said, ¡°We have a few guestsing for dinner


    tonight. I¡¯ll leave it in your hands.¡±


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Although the food at the hotel was not too bad, home-cooked meals were iparable. Therefore, I


    nned to ask John to bring Audrey toe and live with us. If we could live together, I could get to


    them easily and spend more time with Audrey.


    I initially thought that Ashton would agree to it, but as soon as I finished speaking, he said, ¡°No.¡±


    I stopped in my movement and nced up at him. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Hubby? Don¡¯t you like having


    guests here? You used to love to have friends over and would always be the one who prepared the


    meals.¡±


    He did not show any expression on his face, but his gaze was lowered. ¡°I have amnesia, not dementia.


    Since your family is so rich and powerful, the husband you choose surely would not be a good-for-


    nothing. Besides, just now you said that I¡¯ve be a sessful person, so that means that I must


    have been someonepetent. Even though I might not be a genius in the business field, I¡¯m sure I¡¯m


    definitely not a husband who only knows how to cook and serve guests.¡±


    I nodded in agreement.


    Even when he had lost memory, he still had such a strong reasoning ability. No wonder Nics


    changed his mind and selected Ashton to take over his assets.


    However, no matter how outstanding he was, Ashton was just a ruthless, merciless person to me. He


    was someone who had traded his soul for his family¡¯s misdeeds for the past six years.


    The smile on my face disappeared and my appetite was gone. I put down the cutlery and asked, ¡°If


    that¡¯s the case, why did you cook this for me?¡±

 Chapter 1483

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1483


    ¡°It is a husband¡¯s job to fulfill his wife¡¯s wish if they are reasonable,¡± uttered Ashton, seemingly pleased


    with himself.


    He was, indeed, acting like a desirable husband.


    Yet, I found it annoying.


    I put down my fork and stalked out.


    Ashton called out, ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    I pretended not to hear him and strode away.


    Sensing my intention, his voice grew louder. ¡°A husband has the right to know his wife¡¯s whereabouts.¡±


    Ha! Duty? Right? One will think he¡¯s awyer!


    I didn¡¯t want him toe after me, so I dismissed him with a wave and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to get you a


    doctor. It¡¯s part of my duty, so just stay at home!¡±


    Millie stopped the car in front of Tiffany¡¯s house. I got down and went in, but a bodyguard stopped me


    from going further. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Scarlett Stovall, your employer¡¯s sister-inw,¡± I replied politely.


    The bodyguard studied me for a while before replying doubtfully, ¡°Wait here. I shall inform her on your


    arrival.¡±


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Shortly after he went in, Tiffany appeared in my sight.


    She was wearing ruby red silk pajamas; her face drained of color. It seemed like she was gravely ill.


    She waved the bodyguards away.


    When we were left alone, she uttered icily, ¡°Why are you here? Do you seriously think you are Scarlett?


    My brother is siding with you because of your face. You won¡¯t gloat for long. If you¡¯re here tough at


    me, I think you should take a look at yourself!¡±


    Before I could speak, Tiffany started attacking me verbally. I felt my head throbbing from her swift


    speech.


    Frowning slightly, I retorted, ¡°I¡¯m not interested in your matter. I¡¯m here for one reason. Tell me who


    hypnotized Ashton back then.¡±


    It should be a well-known fact, but something triggered Tiffany as she yelled at me, ¡°Get out of my sight


    now!¡±


    ¡°Get out of my house right now!¡±


    Her face was contorted in anger as she shrieked with all her might.


    I wasn¡¯t close to Tiffany, but I remembered her being a haughty socialite. She would never lose her


    composure in public.


    Right now, Tiffany seemed like a madwoman instead of a socialite brought up in a well-to-do family.


    I pursed my lips and asked, ¡°Tiffany Hall, are you alright?¡±


    Upon hearing her name, her eyes lit up as she returned to her senses.


    She calmed down and immediately changed the topic. ¡°When Ashton remembers everything, he¡¯ll


    dump you as you¡¯re just a substitute. Why are you wasting your efforts on him?¡±


    She was acting strangely, but I couldn¡¯t be bothered to interfere in her business and answered, ¡°You


    don¡¯t have to remind me about that. Just tell me who hypnotized Ashton back then. Where is he? Do


    you have his contact?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just give up? I don¡¯t know anything. Even if I do, I won¡¯t say anything.¡± Tiffany got ahold


    of herself and announced haughtily, ¡°Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you. It¡¯s a bad idea to try to conquer


    Ashton. You¡¯re not the woman he loves. He¡¯s a rock that won¡¯t respond to your feelings.¡±


    Clearly, she was trying to sow discord between me and Ashton.


    I thought about it before replying icily, ¡°Ashton¡¯s life had nothing to do with the Hall family. What about


    you? You used him to reach your goals. Have you ever thought of him as your brother? If he¡¯s a rock,


    what are you then?¡±


    Hearing my exmation, Tiffany studied me nonchntly before scoffing, ¡°Carlette, you need my help,


    right? Why are you acting this way, then?¡±

 Chapter 1484

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1484


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong. I¡¯m not asking for your help.¡± I was unfazed. ¡°Ashton is in this state because of the Hall


    family. He¡¯s the only one keeping your family afloat. If you want to lead a wealthy lifestyle, you should


    pray for his safety. Otherwise, you won¡¯t remain a socialite for long even without me in the picture.¡±


    ¡°Carlette! Know your ce. How dare you talk to me that way? Do you seriously think you will be Mrs.


    Fuller forever? I will drag you down from that position one day! I¡¯ll let you pay the price for being


    arrogant!¡±


    Tiffany seemed to recall something and let out an odd chuckle. ¡°Ashton forgot he used to love Scarlett,


    so you got to be Mrs. Fuller. Since his wife just needs to look like Scarlett, do you think our family will


    choose someone as arrogant as you or create a perfect substitute ourselves?¡±


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    The Halls were smart, but they had used it in the wrong way.


    I couldn¡¯t bring myself toment on their crazy idea.


    However, Tiffany thought she had something on me as the grin on her face widened. ¡°I know what


    you¡¯re nning. You want to help Ashton reverse his hypnosis, so he will be indebted to you. That way,


    you can get the Halls¡¯ and Fullers¡¯ fortune, right? Dream on! The expert who hypnotized Ashton is a


    world-ss hypnotist. He won¡¯t be able to break free from our control!¡±


    She paused before leaning closer to me. ¡°Guess how long will it take before the next substitute takes


    over your position?¡±


    Suddenly, she looked up and cackled crazily. ¡°He won¡¯t revert back to the man he was! He will be


    nothing but an emotionless machine for the rest of his life, incapable of love or reciprocating your love!¡±


    I clenched my fists as my body tensed up. Gritting my teeth, I retorted, ¡°You¡¯re wrong. Ashton isn¡¯t a


    machine. At least he knows how to retaliate. What about you? You depend on the Hall family to


    survive. You knew Ashton went through a lot just to avenge you lot, but you abetted the devil and


    destroyed his hard found happiness. People like you are puppets controlled by others. You¡¯re so cold-


    blooded. What right do you have to criticize him?¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Tiffany reacted angrily. ¡°That¡¯s nonsense!¡±


    I stuck my chin up and scoffed, ¡°You know perfectly well whether I was talking nonsense or not.¡±


    Seeing how Tiffany¡¯s expression contorted in anger and shame before falling silent, I rxed and


    stalked away happily.


    Since six years ago, I knew Tiffany and Ashton were different though they were rted by blood.


    Tiffany was selfish and would remain quiet if it concerned her own benefits.


    Meanwhile, Ashton might seem indifferent, but he cared for his loved ones. No matter how badly he


    was hurt, he would still carry his burden and move ahead.


    Tiffany stretched her arms wide and yelled, ¡°Carlette, don¡¯t you leave! You better exin yourself!¡±


    Ignoring her annoying shrieks, I entered my car and buckled my seatbelt.


    When my car drove away, I smirked for I had an answer now.


    The person who hypnotized Ashton was none other than Nics.


    Those with vested interests would not remain silent for the interests of others.


    I was about to search for world-ss hypnotists when I received a text from Ashton.


    Ashton: John is here.


    He was asking me to return home now.


    I had texted John to ask him to bring Audrey home so she could get to try Ashton¡¯s cooking. John


    wanted to see Ashton make a fool of himself, so he agreed readily.

 Chapter 1485

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1485


    I forget to remind him that Ashton was no fool.


    As that thought urred to me, I reminded Millie to speed up lest both men ended up in a physical fight


    at home.


    When I arrived home, I rushed in to a surprisingly harmonious sight.


    Gregory and Audrey were ying in the living room merrily.


    In the kitchen, Ashton was wearing an apron in front of the kitchen ind, while John leaned on the


    wall and crossed his arms arrogantly like amander.


    I couldn¡¯t help but stare at Ashton¡¯s househusband outfit.


    It was a heartwarming sight.


    Gregory spotted me first and called out, ¡°Mommy!¡±


    He scurried toward me. Audrey flung her toy aside and hopped after her brother.


    They both hugged my legs, so I couldn¡¯t move.


    ¡°Mommy!¡±


    My lips curved up into a smile as I ruffled their hair affectionately. ¡°Hello, darlings.¡±


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    John turned upon hearing my voice. ¡°You¡¯re back.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡± I gave him a nod while furrowing my brows.


    John waved his hand and came to sit on the sofa. ¡°Ashton is getting worse at cooking. He couldn¡¯t


    even cut the vegetables properly. Any random chef out there would do a better job than him. He can¡¯t


    take care of you.¡±


    I was amused by his snarkyment.


    Previously, I told John that Ashton had lost his memory, so I arranged for him to be a househusband.


    s, John didn¡¯t know Ashton had seen through the ruse.


    After hearing John¡¯s mocking words, Ashton must have nning his revenge.


    Still, I remained suspicious. This morning, Ashton insisted he wouldn¡¯t cook, but now, he was acting like


    an obedient househusband. What makes him changed his mind?


    Shortly after, I realized what was going on.


    I was having fun with the kids in the living room when a figure appeared beside us.


    Turning at my shoulder, I saw Ashton standing in between the couch with a tray in his hands.


    Before I could react, he bent down and ced the tray on the table. I saw panda, rabbit, and cherry-


    shaped sushi on the tray. It was an adorable sight.


    Audrey immediately hopped down from my embrace and took the rabbit-shaped sushi to eat.


    It was tiny enough for her to finish it in two bites. After she finished the rabbit-shaped sushi, she took


    one from the remaining sushi and gave it to Gregory. ¡°Here, Greg. It¡¯s yummy.¡±


    Gregory took the sushi from her and bit into it. They giggled at each other happily.


    Theirughter infected me as my eyes crinkled up. Looking aside, I was surprised to see a usually


    aloof Ashton smiling. He turned as his smile widened.


    Suddenly, it urred to me why this wealthy man was willing to stoop so low as he wanted to please


    Audrey, who was a little glutton.


    Ashton btedly realized the teasing look in my gaze and immediately returned to his usual indifferent


    self. He shot me a look that seemed to scream¡ªstay out of me and my daughter¡¯s business.


    Feeling both exasperated and funny, I averted my gaze and asked, ¡°Audrey, is the sushi Daddy


    prepared yummy?¡±


    ¡°Nah,¡± replied Audrey with her cheeks puffed up. ¡°It isn¡¯t as yummy as the one I had in Uncle John¡¯s


    house, but Greg says I should eat more to make Daddy happy.¡±


    Ashton was speechless.


    Gregory Hall, you are indeed my son.


    Gregory knew his father¡¯s temper well. Seeing Ashton¡¯s scowl, he ced his sushi down and pouted


    pitifully, waiting for his father to reprimand him.

 Chapter 1486

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1486


    Yet, Ashton said nothing and merely shot him a re before striding back into the kitchen. It was a


    warming sight.


    The moment he walked away, Gregory and Audrey immediately resumed their chatter. They took the


    tray and returned to their toys.


    The vi used to be deathly quiet, but it was lively because of the children chattering and clinking


    noises from the kitchen.


    I chuckled. All my life, I wanted to lead a peaceful life just like this.


    If nothing had happened six years ago, the twins wouldn¡¯t be separated for such a long time. As


    parents, we had let them down.


    I suddenly recalled something. ¡°Where is Summer? Is she alright now?¡± I asked.


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    If I wasn¡¯t mistaken, the time I gave Jared was up. Summer must¡¯ve grown up to be a cheerful teen by


    now.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I need to tell you something, Letty.¡± John crossed his legs and leaned back into the sofa,


    his expression stern.


    I couldn¡¯t get used to how rigid he was. ¡°We¡¯re siblings, so just say it. There¡¯s no need to hesitate.¡±


    John inclined his head. He stared at the ground before meeting my gaze. ¡°Emma and I have a three-


    year-old child.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know it was about his child. It took me a while to process the news before I shed a warm


    smile. ¡°That¡¯s great. Is it a boy or girl?¡±


    ¡°A boy,¡± replied John shyly. ¡°His name is Drew.¡±


    ¡°Drew.¡± I repeated the name happily. ¡°It¡¯s a great name. I hope he will be wise as his name.¡±


    John shed a sorrowful smile. ¡°I thought you¡¯d me me.¡±


    He paused at that. Taking a deep breath, he went ahead and said, ¡°You were missing, but I got married


    and even had a son. I don¡¯t deserve to be your brother.¡±


    It seemed like he was mocking the past six years of his life, but I knew that wasn¡¯t it.


    John was no longer the frivolous and vicious young man he used to be. He had matured and was able


    to support his family and run a business empire.


    The past six years had been wasted, but it wasn¡¯t anyone¡¯s fault. He shouldn¡¯t me himself for it.


    Besides, he took great care of Audrey.


    I stood up and went to him before sitting down. Patting his shoulder, I told him, ¡°John, you¡¯ll always be


    my brother. You have an additional responsibility now, but that doesn¡¯t mean anything has changed


    between us. Thank you for what you¡¯ve done for the past six years.¡±


    John had suffered a lot when I was lying ina, doing nothing.


    In a foreign country, he had to search for my whereabouts while taking care of his parents. He also had


    to run a business. His responsibilities must¡¯ve taken too much of his life, so he could only sleep for a


    few hours every night.


    Hearing my words, tears welled up in John¡¯s eyes. His gaze softened. Though he had a dominating


    presence, the sight of him forcing back tears was a little melodramatic.


    I didn¡¯t want to continue being sentimental and hurriedly changed the topic. ¡°Tell me. How did you


    sessfully court Emma?¡±


    Before I left the country, I remembered Emma was focused on her career. She no longer wanted to be


    with John. Once a woman focused on her career, she wouldn¡¯t want to get involved with a man


    anymore.


    Thora was a great example.


    John scratched his head as though he was still the handsome and innocent young man. ¡°Err, I didn¡¯t


    really court her. After you went missing, I traveled around the world to find you. I exhausted all means


    avable and refused to stop. In the end, I copsed from exhaustion and remained unconscious for


    three whole days. Back then, Emma took over the whole Stovall family. Sometimes, she doesn¡¯t really


    act like a woman.¡±

 Chapter 1487

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1487


    Hisst sentence was clearly mocking Emma, but the blissful smile on his lips was unmistakable.


    ¡°After a while, I searched all the inds in Cranur before realizing it was basically impossible to find


    you. I returned home in a daze to see Emma ying with Audrey in the living room. The scene blew my


    mind. Immediately, I wanted to marry her and live a normal life with her. We shall form a family


    together.¡±


    As John exined everything, the grin on his face widened. Clearly, he had a blissful life.


    My lips curved up upon imagining that sight. ¡°So you confessed your feelings to her right then?¡± I


    teased.


    Confessing one¡¯s feelings, eptance, and falling in love with each other might be a cheesy route, but


    as long as the ending was good, one should still look forward to it.


    Hearing my question, John shed an evil smirk and said nothing.


    Huh. How strange.


    ¡°Did you bully Emma?¡± I pressed on.


    ¡°Bully her? Of course not. I won¡¯t do that.¡± John dismissed my question with a wave, the smile on his


    lips unwavering. ¡°Well, I used an unusual solution. Uncle Louis taught us that special circumstances


    require special measures, right?¡±


    Speaking of Louis, he seemed energetic when we talked through a video call back in the hotel. ¡°I


    thought Uncle Louis is going to battle against Ezra and the rest? Why did he go to M Country, too?¡±


    The Stovall family treated me as their own, but Louis was a righteous man. He knew Ezra and his gang


    were behaving tyrannically, so he wouldn¡¯t retire and spend the rest of his life overseas.


    ¡°Ezra Grant is history.¡±


    John leaned back into the couch and tapped on the handle nonchntly.


    ¡°A sessful person is likely to be targeted. To get to a higher position, Ezra resorted to dirty tricks. He


    tried to increase his influence and attack his rival. Yes, he did seed, but he also attracted the


    attention of internal affairs. A new broom sweeps clean, so there is bound to be someone new who


    dares to challenges the authority. After being summoned for an investigation, Ezra never came back.¡±


    He was a person of authority, yet he disappeared without a trace. It proved that the situation was too


    widespread. The only solution was to erase every trace.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Ezra¡¯s disappearance signified the end of an era.


    That was a satisfying ending.


    John wasn¡¯t interested in irrelevant people. He nced at the kitchen and narrowed his voice. ¡°How


    long are you going to stay in K City? My men are ready to kidnap him anytime.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe he took my words seriously.


    Immediately, I burst outughing, causing John to crinkle his nose up in disgust. We both nced at


    the kitchen at the same time and saw Ashton shooting us surreptitious nces.


    I calmed down and patted John¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Tell them to be on standby.¡±


    Standing up, I headed to the stairs. ¡°I¡¯ll go take a shower. Holler me when dinner¡¯s ready.¡±


    When I went for a follow-up checkup, the doctor said I¡¯ve recovered. However, I was sweating profusely


    after spending two hours outdoors. It was terribly ufortable.


    Thinking it was the medicine¡¯s side effects, I ignored it and filled the tub with hot water. When it was full,


    I entered it and closed my eyes.


    I finally found myself after regaining consciousness. It was a difficult but needed journey.


    Back then, when I opened my eyes, I saw Marcus who had gone missing for a long time. Everyone


    else thought we were a couple engaged to be married.


    I knew how obsessed Marcus was with me. He wouldn¡¯t hurt me, but he could harm a newborn baby


    just to separate me and Ashton. Hence, I couldn¡¯t reveal everything to him honestly.

 Chapter 1488

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1488


    I could only pretend to suffer from amnesia.


    We spent some time together peacefully before fate brought me to Ashton again. It was a familiar but


    cruel moment, for Ashton didn¡¯t seem to recognize me. Pain ripped through my heart when his


    indifferent gazended on me.


    I could only watch, breathless with anger, as my son became a part of the Hall family.


    After reuniting with Emery and Alexander, I thought things would get better, but they were also hiding


    something from me.


    John was the only one who hadn¡¯t changed. His jaw was unshaved, but he was still my brother who¡¯d


    go against Ashton anytime to protect me.


    That moment, I knew I could be Scarlett Stovall again.


    However, I wasn¡¯t sure if Ashton had been hypnotized.


    If he had been hypnotized, why did he bring Gregory to provoke me and Marcus several times?


    If he hadn¡¯t been hypnotized, why did he ask me to pretend to be Scarlett Stovall?


    Also, Ashton¡¯s eyesight and the toxin in my body seemed to have faded away with time.


    I was deep in thought when the sounds of footsteps jolted me out of my reverie. Turning slightly, I saw


    Ashton standing there. I didn¡¯t even know he was here.


    He was still wearing his apron as he stood expressionlessly beside the sink, his gaze fixated on me.


    We had seen each other naked before, but I still instinctively slid in so the bubbles could cover my


    whole body.


    After making sure I wasn¡¯t exposed, I turned over and put on a calm front. ¡°Don¡¯t you know I¡¯m taking a


    bath in private?¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± came Ashton¡¯s calm reply. ¡°We have two kids. There¡¯s no need to be shy.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s using my words against me!


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    I nearly suffocated from fury.


    Meanwhile, Ashton remained unfazed and righteous as though he was Superman in disguise.


    The more I thought, the angrier I got. Immediately, I smirked as an idea came to me.


    After confirming Ashton was still there, I schooled my expression into a seductive look. Rising from the


    tub, I pressed my body on the edge and winked at him invitingly.


    ¡°It¡¯s no fun to take a bath alone. Won¡¯t youe and join me? After all, you¡¯re my most intimate partner


    in the world.¡±


    I raised my hand and ced it at the edge of the tub, allowing water to drip down my hand before


    winking at him flirtatiously.


    ¡°Won¡¯t you join me?¡±


    I was certain he couldn¡¯t resist my advances.


    Hence, I shed a smile and waited for him to react.


    Ashton stood rooted to the spot. His gaze was burning with desire like it had caught fire.


    He moved swiftly and took the bathrobe from the rack before throwing it to me without warning.


    Before I could react, the bathrobe had covered my entire body. The romantic atmosphere was ruined,


    and I no longer looked sexy.


    His voice rang out. ¡°If you continue, the dishes will get cold. Don¡¯t let Audrey wait too long.¡±


    With that, he turned to leave. I removed the robe from my head to see his figure walking out of the


    bathroom. Furious, I flung the robe at his back.


    What is this? Is he ignoring his wife because he has a daughter now?


    That¡¯s no fun!


    When I arrived downstairs, dinner was ready. John and Ashton were waiting for me at the table with the


    kids.


    Everyone only began eating after I took my seat.


    Ashton was deadpanned as though he was working in his office. He could¡¯ve easily intimidated the


    other party to give in.

 Chapter 1489

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1489


    However, Audrey didn¡¯t seem to be afraid of him.


    ¡°Daddy, I want chicken wings!¡±


    ¡°Daddy, I want that thing in front of you.¡±


    ¡°More, Daddy!¡±


    She was the only one giving orders throughout dinner.


    Compared to her chattiness, Gregory was much quieter. He sat in his chair and munched on his food


    slowly. He seemed like a mini version of Ashton.


    They were affected by the family environment they grew up in.


    Audrey was brought up by the Stovall family who adored her, so she was cheeky and lively.


    Gregory was raised by Ashton. As a result of his strict upbringing, he treated dinner as part of his


    everyday routine.


    He was just a little kid, but he was exactly like Ashton and treated outsiders coldly. If he were to treat


    his family this coolly, he might end up leading a lonely life.


    At that thought, I tried to teach him how to help others.


    ¡°Gregory, I like that dish in front of you. Can you help me get it?¡±


    ¡°Gregory, your sister can¡¯t reach that. Take care of her.¡±


    Soon, Gregory knew how to express his feelings by helping others. Audrey learned from her brother


    and stopped chattering. Instead, she helped Gregory to get the food he couldn¡¯t reach.


    Dinner soon became a very heartwarming event.


    Yet, John wasining for he was considered an ¡°outsider.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re making me feel lonely.¡± John threw his fork away. ¡°Huh, I¡¯ve lost my appetite.¡±


    I arched a brow at his reaction. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Before he could reply, Audrey jumped out of her chair and scurried around the table beforeing to a


    stop beside John. She stood on tiptoe and tugged on the corner of his jacket. ¡°Uncle John, I¡¯ll give you


    all my delicious food. Don¡¯t be sad.¡±


    John picked her up so she could sit in hisp. He was grinning from ear to ear. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s eat


    together. You are my all-time favorite, Audrey!¡±


    He didn¡¯t forget to give Ashton a smug re.


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    Ashton¡¯s face clouded over and he looked terrifyingly cold.


    The dining table was split into two different atmospheres with me in the middle.


    On the left, John was acting lovey-dovey with Audrey. On my right, Ashton and Gregory were eating


    without a word as though the dishes tasted nd.


    It was so amusing that my lips curved up in a grin. I didn¡¯t manage to defeat Ashton back in the


    bedroom with my trick, but Audrey did it on my behalf.


    As a result, I gobbled down my dinner happily.


    When I was wiping my mouth, I spotted Ashton¡¯s te was still full. I looked up and saw him still


    scowling at John and Audrey. The little girl was sitting in John¡¯sp and eating dinner, which was


    prepared by Ashton. It was as if John and Audrey were father and daughter.


    Immediately, I cleared my throat and proceeded to increase Ashton¡¯s torture. ¡°You did the right thing by


    adopting Audrey. Look, she adores you. I have a suggestion. She can call you ¡®Daddy.¡¯ What do you


    think, John?¡±


    John snickered under his breath before replying resolutely, ¡°That sounds like a great idea.¡±


    He promptly turned Audrey around and joked, ¡°Audrey, call me ¡®Daddy!¡¯¡°


    Engrossed in her food, Audrey uttered without hesitation, ¡°Dad¡ª¡±


    Thud! The sound of a fork being mmed onto the table reverberated in the dining room.


    It was Ashton. He rose to his feet in a huff and strode away. He had only taken two steps when he


    stopped abruptly and turned at his shoulder. ¡°Gregory Hall, you did a good job today. I shall reward you


    with an extra half an hour of screen time. Follow me to my study.¡±

 Chapter 1490

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1490


    Gregory¡¯s favorite was hisptop. Ashton didn¡¯t want him to wear sses, so he was only allowed to


    y for an hour every day. Upon hearing he had an extra half an hour of screen time today, Gregory¡¯s


    eyes lit up. He jumped down from his seat without even bothering to swallow his food and dashed to


    his father.


    Seeing Gregory leaving, Audrey could no longer sit still. She struggled to leave John¡¯sp and wailed,


    ¡°Greg! I wanna go to him!¡±


    Afraid she would trip, Gregory slowed down and waited for her. They held hands and went upstairs


    together.


    Ashton was ahead of them, stomping up the stairs arrogantly as though he was trying to taunt John.


    Once they had left, the living room fell silent.


    ¡°Ha!¡± John spread his hands jealously. ¡°Ashton¡¯s still a sly fox though he had lost his memory. He


    knows to get the leader¡¯s attention first.¡±


    I burst outughing. ¡°You know how he climbed his way up to what he is today. You¡¯re no match for


    him.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± John nodded andmented, ¡°Perhaps he¡¯s having the best time of his life after forgetting


    everything.¡±


    Indeed, living a muddled life might be a good thing.


    Still, we couldn¡¯t pretend that nothing had ever happened.


    I changed the topic. ¡°I remember Nics injected a toxin into my body six years ago. Why did nothing


    happen even after six years?¡±


    That was also one of the reason I kept pretending to suffer from amnesia.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how long I would survive, so I dared not return to the Stovall family and reunite with my


    children. Reuniting with my family would be a joyous asion, but it would be hard to lose everything


    again.


    Compared to the short period of happiness after reuniting with my family, I was afraid of bringing


    irreversible regret to them. Hence, I decided to be alone and update myself about the events of the


    past six years.


    Immediately, John straightened as his expression turned serious. ¡°I¡¯ve been investigating this for the


    past six years. Initially, I found nothing, but now that you¡¯re alive and well, it all makes sense. We


    couldn¡¯t figure out why Nics didn¡¯t inject you with a fatal poison. Instead, he chose a toxin that


    everyone was researching. I suspect he didn¡¯t want you to disappear and¡­¡±


    ¡°Try to control me, right?¡± I suspected the same.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    After seeing how capable Ashton was, Nics tried to control me to threaten Ashton into submission.


    However, Nics had sessfully hypnotized Ashton and made thetter his puppet. He could¡¯ve


    eliminated me for I was an unstable variable. Why didn¡¯t he kill me?


    ¡°Mm,¡± John replied and inclined his head. ¡°When Emery told me you were with Marcus, I was curious


    and investigated his whereabouts six years ago. He wasn¡¯t the one who rescued you from the sea.


    There was another person who saved you, but proceeded to inform Marcus. To avoid being found by


    the Stovalls, Moores, and Halls, Marcus brought you back the very night we arrived in M Country. It


    seemed like a well-nned scheme.¡±


    Indeed, Marcus wasn¡¯t capable enough of finding me ahead of the Halls unless he had struck a deal


    with one of them.


    Who was the person who went against Nics and spared my life?


    Could it be Tiffany Hall? No, she wanted Scarlett Stovall to disappear from this world so no one would


    take Ashton away from her.


    Could it be Simone? After abandoning her son for over twenty years, she suddenly developed a


    conscience and went against Nics¡¯ wishes for her son¡¯s happiness? That didn¡¯t seem right. If she did


    have a conscience, she would¡¯ve stopped the Hall family from taking Gregory away. Yet, she didn¡¯t do


    so.

 Chapter 1491

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1491


    Only thest possibility remained.


    John nced at me and immediately understood what I meant. His gaze narrowed as he whispered,


    ¡°Nathaniel Hall?¡±


    I nodded sternly.


    Yes, Nathaniel Hall. The man who I couldn¡¯t fathom on first sight as he made my skin creep.


    The Hall family never taught their younger generation about love. If Ashton hadn¡¯t found them back


    then, Nathaniel would be the only sessor. Now, Ashton had reunited with the Hall family and even


    became the leader, taking over Nathaniel¡¯s position.


    Under the circumstances, he should be clouded by jealousy.


    However, Nathaniel did nothing and disappeared into thin air. He hid in the darkness and waited to reap


    the benefits from their fight.


    ¡°If it¡¯s Nathaniel, what is his purpose?¡± asked John.


    It seemed like Nathaniel had concealed himself well. He hadn¡¯t given himself away. I didn¡¯t really lose


    my memories, so I managed to rte everything to him.


    I shook my head solemnly as I had no idea. ¡°Compared to the other Halls, he¡¯s too low profile.¡±


    Suddenly, my eyes lit up as something urred to me. ¡°Actually, there¡¯s a way. If we want to know why


    he doesn¡¯t want fame and fortune, the best way is to force him to ept everything.¡±


    As the saying goes, ¡°One should not impose on others what he himself does not desire.¡± Still, since it


    was Nathaniel who broke the rule first, we could give him a taste of his own medicine.


    John fell silent for a moment before shing a mysterious smile. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, you¡¯re not only


    targeting Nathaniel, right?¡±


    He nced at the second floor as if something interesting was about to transpire.


    I lowered my gaze and grinned.


    Right then, Joseph arrived at our house. He greeted us and was about to go upstairs to look for Ashton


    when I stopped him. ¡°Mr. Campbell, has something urgent happened?¡±


    Joseph stopped at the stairs and replied politely, ¡°It¡¯s about work. Mr. Fuller hadn¡¯t been to work for a


    few days, so there are a few important documents which he has to sign today.¡±


    He showed us his briefcase while saying that.


    I nodded and stood up. ¡°Right. I have something to discuss with Ashton, too. Let¡¯s head up together,¡± I


    told him.


    Joseph seemed puzzled, but he said nothing and followed behind me.


    Soon, John caught up as well.


    After turning a corner, we could see what was happening in the study.


    Gregory was sitting in front of the desk, his attention focused on theptop. Ashton had Audrey in his


    lap, and they were both staring at Gregory¡¯sptop screen. None of them were moving, but it was


    strangely, a heartwarming scene.


    Kids couldn¡¯t sit still for long. Shortly after, Audrey spotted me standing by the door alongside Joseph.


    ¡°Mommy!¡±


    She hopped out of Ashton¡¯sp and came to me. Flinging an arm around my leg, sheined,


    ¡°Mommy, Greg won¡¯t talk to me!¡±


    I ruffled her hair tofort her. ¡°Good girl. Your brother loves you, so you should be good and not


    disturb him when he¡¯s busy, get it?¡±


    Audrey pouted unhappily, but she still nodded. ¡°Alright. Is he gonna take a long time?¡±


    I didn¡¯t reply to her and held her hand as we walked into the study. Ashton¡¯s brows furrowed together


    before he quickly returned to his aloof self.


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    He seems mad at me for taking Audrey¡¯s attention away, but he¡¯s too proud to admit it.


    Suddenly, Gregory rose to his feet and shut down theptop. He returned theptop to Ashton and


    uttered, ¡°Thank you, Daddy. I¡¯m done.¡±

 Chapter 1492

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1492


    ¡°Mm.¡± Ashton took theptop from him and ced it on the desk.


    ncing at my watch, I realized there was five minutes left before the half an hour was up. ¡°Gregory, it


    isn¡¯t time yet. Why did you stop ying?¡±


    Gregory shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve finished my coding. I want to y with Audrey.¡±


    He took Audrey¡¯s hand and offered, ¡°Do you want to y with me?¡±


    Audrey hopped excitedly. ¡°Yeah!¡±


    They exchanged gazes andughed merrily before heading to Gregory¡¯s room. Soon, we could hear


    their giggling from afar.


    Ashton¡¯s voice rang out behind me. ¡°Is something up?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I met his gaze before walking in slowly and sat down in a chair against the wall. ¡°Since you¡¯re


    recuperating at home, we need to talk.¡±


    Ashton signaled for Joseph to leave.


    ¡°Joseph isn¡¯t an outsider. He can stay.¡±


    Hearing my words, Ashton turned and sat down in his chair. ¡°You can begin now.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡± He was calm, so I didn¡¯t know where to begin. Lowering my head, I gathered my thoughts before


    looking up to speak. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten used to your status now, right?¡±


    ¡°What status?¡± asked Ashton.


    ¡°My husband, the kids¡¯ father, and the Stovall family¡¯s live-in son-inw,¡± I raised my voice when I


    reached thest one.


    Clearly, Ashton was stung by the term ¡°live-in son-inw.¡± He looked dazed for a moment before


    coming back to his senses. ¡°Yes. So?¡±


    He wasn¡¯t refuting my words, so I could continue with my lie.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious,¡± I replied. ¡°The kids should grow up together, and my brother can¡¯t handle his


    business alone. I was thinking, why don¡¯t you resign from your current position in Fuller Corporation?


    We can return to M Country and start anew there.¡±


    Instead of replying to my question, Ashton narrowed his gaze and scrutinized me doubtfully.


    I knew what he was thinking, but he had lost his memory now, so I bit the bullet and charged forward.


    ¡°I¡¯ve suffered from two miscarriages and taken countless hormone injections before giving birth to the


    twins for you. Are you suspecting my motive? Or have you never thought of living with us?¡±


    I apud myself silently for the logical and touching words I had just uttered.


    It was a ruse to trick Ashton, but I was telling the truth.


    My confidence grew at once. Ashton¡¯s resolve was swaying, so I hurriedly pressed on, ¡°No matter how


    unreasonable I am, you¡¯d always understand and ept me. Ashton, you said that yourself. Even if


    you don¡¯t trust me, don¡¯t you trust Joseph? He had been working for you over ten years!¡±


    Joseph, who had remained silent the entire exchange, nched in shock.


    He was already terrified seeing me manipting Ashton. Now, I was dragging him into this mess. His


    heart must be pounding furiously against his chest.


    Without giving him time to ponder, Ashton drawled dangerously, ¡°Tell me.¡±


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    Joseph¡¯s head hung low as he didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Usually, he was as stern and cautious as Ashton. Hence, I was amused to see him panicking right now.


    Chuckling silently, I reminded him. ¡°Mr. Campbell, why are you nervous? Your boss is asking you if I am


    right. Back then, will Ashton risk his life for me? Be honest.¡±


    Joseph heaved a sigh of relief and replied loudly, ¡°Yes, Mr. Fuller. Mrs. Fuller has always been the most


    important person to you!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe how good he was at lying to his employer.


    Ashton¡¯s gaze narrowed as he considered the credibility of Joseph¡¯s answer.

 Chapter 1493

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1493


    This must be the first time Joseph had lied to Ashton. As a heavy silence ensued, he kept his gaze on


    the ground lest Ashton saw through his lie.


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    John had been waiting in the hallway all along. As we had stopped talking, he strolled in and uttered, ¡°It


    has been ages since that ident happened. You had your reservations about us, but did your family


    show themselves? You might¡¯ve lost your memory, but did you forget what it was like to be a disowned


    son?¡±


    Nothing on earth was worse than beingpared.


    Ashton had been under the Halls¡¯ control for the past six years, but from what I know, his house was


    miles away from the Hall residence. In private, they led separate lives. Ashton didn¡¯t really have friends,


    so he could stay at home for a few days without having to go out.


    However, as Ashton had lost his memory, he became easily provoked and agitated. John¡¯s words only


    served to amplify the Hall family¡¯s indifference.


    After meeting John¡¯s gaze for several seconds, Ashton caved in calmly. ¡°You¡¯ve made up your mind.


    Can I even say no?¡±


    With that, he rose to his feet and went after the kids.


    John chuckled at his retreating figure. ¡°I¡¯ve underestimated him. He acts like a live-in son-inw, but


    he¡¯s still hot-tempered and annoying as usual.¡±


    ¡°It must¡¯ve been hard on him.¡± I hurriedly changed the topic. ¡°Tomorrow, Ashton and I will be going to


    Fuller Corporation. Get someone to inform the Halls, especially Nathaniel.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± John nodded. Before he left, he went to Gregory¡¯s room and watched the kids having fun with a


    wide grin on his face.


    I chuckled and shook my head in exasperation. In the end, they were all kind despite their sharp


    tongues.


    Joseph was here on business, so he kept Ashton in the study for the entire night. Nothing much


    happened after that.


    The next day, after sending the kids to school, Ashton dressed up smartly.


    When I came downstairs, he stood up from the sofa and came to me. With his chin stuck in the air and


    stern expression, he seemed like a mannequin on disy.


    Aftering to a stop, he raised an arm and gestured for me to hold it. There was an air of superiority


    about him, and I was like an essory hanging on his arm.


    Raising the hem of my dress, I marched toward the door without paying him any heed.


    I could sense Ashton gazing at me, so I quickened my pace and left him.


    Ashton only came into the car a minuteter, his face scowling in displeasure. The air was tensed.


    He was obviously upset, but I was unable to stop myself from giggling. I covered my lips and hastily


    opened the window before turning away from him.


    Silence ensued. Ashton was still grim by the time we arrived at Fuller Corporation.


    I curled my lips up into a smile before leaning into his embrace. Taking his arm, Iforted him.


    ¡°Alright. People are staring. You don¡¯t want the others to gossip about us, right? Cheer up.¡±


    Ashton looked down as a smile flitted across his lips. ¡°Yes, I should cooperate with my wife.¡±


    He was cooperating, but there was something about the look in his eyes that didn¡¯t look right to me.


    We went straight to the HR department. When the elevator doors opened, all employees on that floor


    greeted Ashton respectfully. ¡°Good morning, Mr. Fuller!¡±


    Unfazed, Ashton took my arm and stalked past the corridor.


    The nearly bald HR manager, us Oleson, trailed beside us meekly. His height only reached Ashton¡¯s


    shoulder, but he bowed politely and said, ¡°Mr. Fuller, your arrival was too short notice, so we didn¡¯t


    have time to do any preparation. Which department do you wish to inspect? Please let me know, and


    I¡¯ll make the arrangements.¡±

 Chapter 1494

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1494


    Ashton remained silent until we entered his office. He led me to the couch before he sat down.


    Crossing his legs, he ced one arm on the couch and inquired, ¡°Mr. Oleson, are you clear about our


    company¡¯s resignation procedures?¡±


    ¡°This is one of the HR department¡¯s responsibilities. Of course, I know it by heart,¡± us answered


    courteously.


    ¡°Good. Help me process my resignation. I¡¯m going to resign from all of my positions in the corporation,¡±


    dered Ashton.


    ¡°Huh?¡± us thought he had heard it wrongly. Cold sweat perspired from his bald head, so he wiped it


    off nervously. ¡°Mr. Fuller, are you joking? I¡¯m only the HR manager, so I don¡¯t have the right to process


    your resignation.¡±


    This was the first time the HR department was told to process the president¡¯s resignation.


    ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m joking?¡± Ashton¡¯s expression darkened, causing us to jolt in fright.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± us stammered. It wasn¡¯t until his assistant whispered something in his ear that his eyes lit


    up. ¡°Please wait a minute. I¡¯ll consult someone who can make a decision.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± replied Ashton calmly while tapping his fingers on the armrest casually as though he was bored.


    We didn¡¯t have to kick up a fuss just to leave Fuller Corporation, but doing this would attract the Hall


    family¡¯s attraction. I didn¡¯t stop us from leaving as I was afraid John didn¡¯t manage to leak the news


    to the Hall family.


    Just as I had expected, someone from the Hall family appeared in less than ten minutes.


    However, instead of Nathaniel, Tiffany appeared in our sight.


    It was like realizing the gold nugget you¡¯ve just discovered was a stic covered with gold paint.


    As Tiffany nearly died in Ashton¡¯s hands previously, she circled the room and took a seat across from


    me though there was an empty seat beside Ashton.


    ¡°Mr. Oleson told me you want to tender your resignation?¡± asked Tiffany.


    Ashton held his hands together and fiddled with his fingers. He shot her a mysterious smile before


    suddenly mentioning my name. ¡°Scarlett calls the shots. You should talk to her.¡±


    Huh?


    I was confused. We had agreed that I would be apanying him to deal with the resignation


    procedures, but that was about it. Hence, I had no idea what he was trying to insinuate.


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    However, I knew we should be united against outsiders. With a grin, I continued the conversation. ¡°Yes,


    I am the one who made the decision. Your brother has suffered a lot for the past few years. Now that


    our family is reunited, I want him to resign so he can spend more time with me and the kids. Tiffany,


    you¡¯re interested in thepany¡¯s operations, right? Why don¡¯t you take over your brother¡¯s position?¡±


    Tiffany nced at Ashton and me. She pondered for some time before nodding thoughtfully. ¡°After


    dinner that day, I went back home and thought about it. Since you and¡­¡± she paused before


    continuing, ¡°and Scarlett want to start all over again, I should support you. You want a temporary leave,


    right? Sure, no problem. Is one month enough? I can take over your position temporarily until you get


    enough rest. Is that alright?¡±


    Tiffany had once made it to Forbes¡¯ annual list, so she was smart enough to deflect us.


    Hearing her suggestion, Ashton¡¯s lips curled up slightly as he continued twiddling his thumb, seemingly


    deep in thought.


    Clearly, he was dumping everything on me. Left with no choice, I had to continue to conversation alone.


    Chuckling lightly, I answered insolently, ¡°Tiffany, you must¡¯ve been too exhausted to mishear our words.


    Your brother will not return to thepany, ever. After going through the resignation procedures, we


    will immigrate overseas with Gregory and never return.¡±

 Chapter 1495

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1495


    ¡°What?¡± Tiffany jumped in shock. Her eyes widened as she stared at me dazedly for a while before she


    tried to calm down. ¡°That won¡¯t do. Gregory and Ashton are both part of the Hall family.¡±


    She didn¡¯t forget to yell at the other employees in the office. ¡°What are you staring at? Scram!¡±


    Tiffany was usually snobbish, so the others tried to avoid her at all costs. After hearing about the


    president¡¯s resignation, they were so terrified and immediately scattered away lest theynded in hot


    water.


    Soon, Ashton and Tiffany, and I were left alone in the office.


    Tiffany seemed to have calmed down. She held the armrest and sat down again. Forcing a smile, she


    uttered, ¡°I mean, Dad won¡¯t agree to that. I can¡¯t call the shots for this is too important. But I¡¯m on your


    side. You should try to convince Dad. Before he agrees, I¡¯ll take good care of thepany.¡±


    She had made it clear that it was impossible for Ashton to resign. However, she was more than happy


    toply if she were to take over his position temporarily.


    What were Nathaniel and Tiffany up to?


    John had already leaked the newsst night. In response, Nathaniel didn¡¯t even show up while Tiffany


    seemed queasy at the thought of taking over thepany.


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    It was as if the family¡¯s fortune was a hot potato which no one wanted.


    I thought only Nathaniel acted that way, but even Tiffany¡¯s response suggested the same. Looks like


    she was harboring some secrets as well.


    The only way to find out why Tiffany was willing to take over the position temporarily without bothering


    about her own principles was to go along with her.


    I thought Ashton would be giving the final confirmation, but when I gazed at him, he was leaning back


    with his eyes closed.


    Furious, I poked him with my arm.


    Ashton opened his eyes slowly and stared at me innocently. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Fine! I huffed angrily. Ashton Fuller, I¡¯ll deal with you when I get home!


    I pursed my lips and stered a fake smile before reminding him, ¡°Tiffany has offered to be the acting


    president for the time being so you can take some time off. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± came Ashton¡¯s cool reply. He nodded and added, ¡°That will do.¡±


    ¡°You can handle the rest.¡± He stood up and stretched his arm out in my direction. ¡°Come on, Honey.


    Audrey¡¯s waiting at home.¡±


    Ashton was taller than me. I had to wear heels to be able to look at him in the eye. Right now, his arm


    was right at my chest level, so I knew he wanted me to hold his arm.


    I btedly realized he was acting cool earlier because of the incident this morning.


    John was right. He might¡¯ve forgotten his memories, but he was still bad-tempered as ever.


    As Tiffany was watching us, I had no choice but to y along with Ashton.


    Rising to my feet, I took his arm and smiled. ¡°Thank you, Tiffany.¡±


    Tiffany shed a smile which didn¡¯t reach her eyes. She didn¡¯t follow us as we left the office.


    As we made our way out, the other employees stared at us. It was the same as when we entered


    earlier. However, this time, as we were more intimate, they started gossiping.


    ¡°Wow, I never thought I would see Mr. Fuller with another woman!¡±


    ¡°Is that the future Mrs. Fuller?¡±


    ¡°Uh-oh. I don¡¯t think Fuller Corporation and Ziegler Corporation will cooperate now.¡±


    ¡°From this story, we learned that a backup will always be a backup. If a man doesn¡¯t like you, he won¡¯t


    even spare you a second look. Once he falls in love with someone, he¡¯ll leave his pride and principles


    aside.¡±

 Chapter 1496

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1496


    ¡°By the way, Mr. Fuller¡¯s new girlfriend seems familiar. Where have I seen her before?¡±


    Ashton and I ignored them and marched out. When I looked up, his lips were curved up as though he


    was recalling something delightful.


    When Joseph opened the car door for us, I immediately released Ashton and climbed into the car


    earnestly.


    I was acting this way as though releasing his arm earlier could even the odds.


    Ashton stood by the car for a while with his eyes narrowed. He didn¡¯t seem furious, but still he took his


    time to enter the car.


    Once he shut the door, he immediately ordered his chauffeur. ¡°We can leave now.¡±


    Before I could react, the chauffeur did a U-turn and drove to a corner on the right-hand side of Fuller


    Corporation¡¯s building.


    There, we could see the cars driving out of the underground car park.


    Soon, a red shy sports car drove out of the car park.


    Immediately, I recognized the sports car as I saw it in Tiffany¡¯s vist time. Hence, she should be the


    one behind the wheels.


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    Tiffany had just been promoted to be the acting president, so she should be swamped with work now. It


    seemed strange for her to leave thepany now.


    Ashton¡¯s deep voice rang out. ¡°Follow her.¡±


    He stared ahead and seemed to understand my confusion. ¡°An excellent hunter will create an


    opportunity for its prey to leave the safe area willingly.¡±


    I gazed at his side profile as the light illuminated his figure. Right this moment, it felt like he hadn¡¯t


    suffered from amnesia at all.


    He was still the calm businessman who had total control.


    Tiffany drove to a vi in the suburbs.


    The neighborhood was upied by the rich and powerful, but it was stillckingpared to the


    neighborhood she lived in.


    Ashton¡¯s chauffeur was careful enough to stop fifty meters away from Tiffany¡¯s destination. There was a


    wooden gate between Tiffany and us. She could see our car, but wouldn¡¯t realize it was us.


    Soon, Tiffany alighted from her car hastily. She even forgot to lock the doors before knocking on the


    vi¡¯s door.


    The door opened to reveal a bearded man. They talked for a while before the man stepped aside to


    allow Tiffany to enter the vi.


    ¡°Who is that man?¡± I couldn¡¯t hide my curiosity.


    Ashton couldn¡¯t conceal his delight. He acted as if everything was under his control and replied calmly,


    ¡°No idea.¡±


    Before I could say anything, he added, ¡°But I will find out soon.¡±


    ¡°Joseph,¡± he called.


    Joseph immediately reminded the chauffeur. ¡°Drive back home.¡±


    I was utterly confused. Did Ashton actually lose his memory?


    If he didn¡¯t lose his memory, why would he allow John and me to nitpick on him? Even the kids could


    bully him.


    If he had lost his memory, how did he predict Tiffany¡¯s next move, then?


    The more I thought about it, the more frustrated I became. When we arrived home, I couldn¡¯t hold it any


    longer and stopped Ashton before he could get off the car.


    When I tugged at his sleeves, he leaned back into his seat and turned to face me, the joy in his gaze


    evident. ¡°We¡¯re home. Audrey¡¯s here, so cheer up.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to smile as I demanded, ¡°Did you lie to me again?¡±


    His grin widened in response. ¡°What lie?¡±


    As I didn¡¯t expect him to throw the question back to me, I parted my lips, but nothing came out in the


    end.


    Ashton patted my backfortingly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t remember anything, so it¡¯s easier to lie to me.


    Honey, did you lie to me?¡±


    His teasing voice stabbed at my heart.

 Chapter 1497

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1497


    Indeed, I lied to him, fooled him, and distanced myself from him. His family was the reason I had to lie


    in bed for six whole years while being separated from my children. Couldn¡¯t I avenge myself?


    I merely wanted him to side with our family for once even though he had lost his memory.


    Tamping down my irritation, I shed a smile while shaking my head. ¡°No. We¡¯re married, and you¡¯re


    my closest partner. Why would I lie to you?¡±


    Ashton held my hand tightly. ¡°That¡¯s right. Let¡¯s go home. Audrey must be missing me by now.¡±


    I joked, ¡°John has been with her all the while, so clearly she can survive without you.¡±


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    As I said that, I tried to get up by pulling on his hand. Suddenly, Ashton¡¯s expression turned grim and


    yanked his hand away.


    I heard him snorted above me before he stalked away angrily.


    I pressed my lips in frustration seeing how unpredictable his temper was.


    It was Joseph who helped me out of the car.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller has forgotten about a lot of things. That¡¯s why he feels uneasy and keeps losing his temper.


    Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    Suddenly, it hit me that Joseph had spent a lot of time with Ashton, hence he should know thetter


    well.


    Coming to a stop, I asked, ¡°Does your boss really not remember anything?¡±


    Joseph knew I was suspecting him and hurriedly rified, ¡°No, he doesn¡¯t. Ms. Sto¡­¡± He paused and


    hurriedly corrected himself. ¡°No, Mrs. Fuller. I¡¯ve exined everything to him for thest two days.


    Nothing out of the ordinary happened.¡±


    After John moved in, Joseph realized I was merely pretending to have lost my memories. He started


    treating me respectfully like he used to do in the past. It didn¡¯t seem like he was lying to me.


    Clearly, I couldn¡¯t get anything else from him.


    Sighing, I stepped into the house and cursed silently, Sly fox!


    John was nowhere to be seen while Ashton was standing by the couch in the living room, watching the


    kids¡¯ antics patiently.


    Gregory was scheduled to learn the global financial news online from a lecturer using the tablet every


    day at this hour. If Ashton wasn¡¯t home, he would secretly use his father¡¯sptop. The little boy was


    particrly excited if that was the case.


    I had witnessed a few times myself how Gregory split theptop screen in half. The upper part was the


    lecturer¡¯s figure, while the bottom part would be his coding program. He would even ignore me as he


    was too engrossed.


    Women were prone topete to get attention. As Gregory and Audrey were twins, she refused to


    leave his side.


    Gregory¡¯s attention was focused on the screen, while Audrey was waiting for him with her doll in her


    arms. Soon, she started fidgeting. ¡°Greg, how long do I have to wait? When will you y with me?¡±


    ¡°Greg, let¡¯s buy lots of dresses for my doll, okay?¡±


    ¡°Greg, why are you ignoring me?¡± She seemed close to tears.


    Gregory¡¯s reply was calm. ¡°Wait a bit more.¡±


    Audrey pouted unhappily.


    Right then, Ashton went over to her and picked her up.


    Audrey giggled once she realized it was him. ¡°Daddy!¡±


    Ashton¡¯s lips curled up as his gaze softened. ¡°Do you want me to y with you?¡± he inquired softly.


    As soon as he finished his words, Gregory shut theptop and stood up.


    ¡°Audrey, I¡¯m done.¡±


    Immediately, Ashton¡¯s gaze darkened, the delight on his face gone. He red at Gregory as though


    warning his son not topete with him.


    s, before Gregory could change his mind, Audrey had already hopped out of Ashton¡¯s arms and led


    Gregory away from the living room. Ashton was still rooted to the spot, utterly dumbfounded.

 Chapter 1498

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1498


    I was stunned and couldn¡¯t help butugh when I snapped back to my senses.


    Ashton just got ignored!


    Upon hearing myughter, he shot daggers at me and I instantly felt his intimidating aura.


    I quickly acted as though nothing had happened and walked towards the kids confidently.


    Gregory was the first to notice me and he quickly strode towards me. ¡°Mommy, you should bring us out


    next time. It¡¯s so boring to stay at home. I want to spend time with you.¡±


    Audrey then added, ¡°Me too! I want to go out too! Mommy¡­¡±


    Left without a choice, I could only agree for the moment. ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll bring both of you out next


    time.¡±


    A certain someone was still angry as he sat on the couch. It¡¯s okay. You can treat me like I don¡¯t exist


    all you want. I¡¯m invisible after all.


    Gregory, Audrey, and I yed all afternoon and I only realized that John wasn¡¯t home during dinner.


    I was about to give him a call when he appeared at the entrance.


    ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± John took off his coat and handed it to a maid as he walked over as if the ce was his own


    home. ¡°Hey, Audrey. Do you miss me?¡±


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    ¡°Yes, I miss you!¡± she replied without any hesitation. ¡°Come have a seat, Uncle John. Let¡¯s have


    dinner.¡±


    He had a huge smile on his face and he took a nce at Ashton as he pulled up a chair. His grin


    widened when he saw that thetter wasn¡¯t smiling at all.


    ¡°Where have you been today?¡± I asked as I scooped some soup into a bowl for him.


    ¡°I went out to settle some stuff,¡± John replied. He took a sip of the soup and smacked his lips in


    satisfaction. Then, he asked while staring at his bowl of soup, ¡°This tastes familiar. Did you make this?¡±


    I smiled in response.


    I muddled along the days I spent with my children with no thoughts of tomorrow but I still hoped that I


    could take care of them as much as possible. That was why I had decided to make them a few dishes


    myself.


    He finished up his bowl of soup once he was done speaking and handed me his bowl. ¡°Another bowl,


    please. I¡¯ve been craving this soup for six years.¡±


    Ashton then joined our conversation, ¡°You couldn¡¯t even satisfy your craving in six years. I wouldn¡¯t


    mind giving financial aid to the Stovall family if you don¡¯t have enough money to hire a chef.¡±


    Oh no¡­ I was rendered speechless at that.


    Have you forgotten that you¡¯re the son-inw?


    Are you out of your mind? Giving financial aid to the Stovall family? How are you even going to do that


    when you¡¯ve left the Fuller Corporation with nothing?


    I shook my head and I couldn¡¯t help but pity him for being so innocent. He was such an outstanding


    man, yet he ended up being so dim-witted now.


    ¡°Hmph¡­¡± John scoffed coldly as if he wanted to make Ashton upset deliberately. Then, he reached out


    and handed me his bowl, insisting that I fill it up with soup. Only then did he finally draw back his hand.


    He blew lightly on his bowl of soup as he insulted distractedly, ¡°Letty¡¯s my sister. No matter where I am


    or how much time has passed, I would remember the taste of her food and who she is clearly. Unlike


    someone who vowed that he loves her so much but he ended up forgetting about her faster than


    anyone else.¡±


    The moment he said those words, the atmosphere at the dining table turned so tense one could cut it


    with a knife. Ashton¡¯s body exuded an aura that seemed to have lowered the temperature of his


    surroundings.


    I had been paying attention to his eyes earlier. They were once calm and indifferent but they turned icy


    cold the moment John finished speaking.


    This made me doubt that he had actually forgotten the past.


    John, on the other hand, was acting as if nothing had happened even though he was the one who


    started it. He was still drinking his bowl of soup and was in an entirely different world as Ashton.


    I rested my forehead in my hands. They were always in dispute and I wondered when it will finally end.


    It would be a problem if they stayed in this tense situation and I was about to say something to ease


    the tension when a maid entered to inform us, ¡°Mr. Fuller, Mrs. Fuller, you have a guest.¡±


    ¡°Please let them in,¡± I said.


    There was finally something to interrupt their situation. I was so afraid that it would be like the day they


    just met when John pressed Ashton down on the ground. His injuries had just recovered not too long


    ago so it was better to avoid any confrontations for the time being.

 Chapter 1499

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1499


    I wasn¡¯t used to thinking for him subconsciously like this but I didn¡¯t want to make this into a huge thing,


    so I just went with the flow.


    Soon, the maid led the guest in.


    The moment our eyes met, Thora¡¯s eyes widened as though she had seen a ghost and her brows were


    furrowed together.


    As expected from ady boss from K City, she managed to sort out her emotions in just a few seconds.


    After looking around the room, she nced at Ashton and augh escaped her lips. A look of disdain


    simr to John¡¯s appeared on her face as she said, ¡°I didn¡¯t believe it when I heard the news but I


    guess it¡¯s true. Who would¡¯ve thought that you actually found a recement? What a disgrace. She


    has such an ordinary face but she managed to sweep you off your feet? I have even heard that you


    resigned as the president of Fuller Corporation today? Do you even know the consequences of doing


    this?¡±


    Her tone was adamant and it didn¡¯t sound like she was jealous at all.


    Thora was always someone who wanted to be the best and was someone who was very business-


    minded. To her, the love between a man and a woman was no better than the dull love of a family. She


    was like this six years ago and had not changed.


    These remarks were not so much to defend her authority but were rather a kind of motivation.


    When Thora found out that our divorce was fake six years ago, she had never bothered us about it.


    She had the ability to let things go. I believed that she hadn¡¯t changed even after six years had passed.


    I walked over and stood before her before saying with a smile, ¡°Let¡¯s talk elsewhere, shall we?¡±


    The woman was wearing a pair of twelve centimeters stilettos and her outfit made her look like she was


    full of authority in our house. She stared down at me with a disdainful look and said, ¡°Do you think you


    have the right to do so?¡±


    Upon hearing that, John mmed his bowl on the table as a warning.


    However, Thora did not budge and she was still acting all high and mighty.


    Instead of being angry, I smiled and asked, ¡°You were a woman who dared to love and hate six years


    ago, Ms. Ziegler. You blessed someone else¡¯s wedding. Are you going to ruin our marriage now?¡±


    Hearing this, she instantly lowered her gaze at me. Compared to when she entered earlier, the


    expression in her eyes was even moreplicated as she questioned, ¡°You¡¯re still alive?¡±


    Only a handful of people knew the truth about the published news of Thora and Ashton¡¯s breakup. I


    was sure that she knew very well just who was standing in front of her at that moment.


    I smiled but said nothing. Then, I took the lead and walked towards the study on the first floor. She


    stood rooted to the ground for a moment before finally following me.


    I closed the door and got straight to the point, ¡°Ms. Ziegler, I want to know the conditions given to you


    when you promised the Hall family to act as Ashton¡¯s fianc¨¦e.¡±


    Thora leaned against the desk and crossed her arms across her chest. She then scrutinized me with a


    very arrogant look. Her smile was only skin-deep as she said, ¡°It¡¯s naturally something that I couldn¡¯t


    refuse. But I don¡¯t really have to tell you, do I?¡±


    Frankly speaking, I could already guess that she wanted money, power, and fame without having her


    say it.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite a tough person. You¡¯ve been through so many twists and turns in life, and you even faced


    death this time. I¡¯ve got to hand it to you for that.¡±


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    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t that be a huge honor then?¡± Thora was never someone who lost to someone else¡¯s temper.


    There were only a small number of people who actually managed to impress her. That was why it was


    actually quite a high praiseing from her.


    She shrugged and gave no reply.


    The atmosphere was rxed as expected since people who did not need feelings were always very


    outspoken.


    I cut straight to the point and asked, ¡°How well do you know Tiffany?¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to steal me? Do you really think I¡¯m that disloyal?¡± she answered with a smile.


    ¡°Of course, I know.¡± I looked up at her with a smile that didn¡¯t reach my eyes. ¡°Aren¡¯t your own interests


    your strongest principles? You¡¯re a smart person. I don¡¯t have to teach you how to choose between the


    Hall family and the Stovall family, do I?¡±


    Her smile faded and the look in her eyes was taken over by greed.


    We got out of the study after our conversation and I almost bumped into Gregory.

 Chapter 1500

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1500


    Luckily I reacted fast enough to prevent crashing into him.


    ¡°What are you doing here instead of eating your dinner, Gregory?¡± I bent down and asked.


    However, he said nothing and was staring at Thora warily.


    Thetter shook her head, feeling disheartened as she said in a self-mocking manner, ¡°Seems like I¡¯ll


    always be seen as the enemy in this kid¡¯s eyes.¡±


    Only then did I realize what was going on. Under the Hall family¡¯s arrangement, Gregory had to ept


    that Thora was going to be his future stepmother. He had been resisting it for so long and he was still


    feeling the same way towards her.


    I quickly patted his head and consoled him, ¡°Ms. Ziegler is my friend, Gregory. Don¡¯t be rude, alright?¡±


    His brows furrowed together as he said, ¡°What would happen to you when she bes my mother,


    Mommy? I don¡¯t want her, I want you!¡±


    Thora and I exchanged looks with each other, both of us feeling nonplussed.


    After a moment, she mimicked me as she bent down and a rare look of adoration appeared on her


    face. ¡°Hey, Gregory. I promise you that I would never steal your mommy¡¯s ce. You have to be more


    magnanimous. Let¡¯s make peace, okay?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not lying?¡± The little boy remained headstrong.


    She held up three fingers in the air and vowed, ¡°I promise.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Gregory gave her a high five and said, ¡°It¡¯s settled!¡±


    The crisis had finally been settled and John called out from the dining room, ¡°The dishes are cold. Can


    we eat now?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to eat it if you don¡¯t want to. No one¡¯s forcing you,¡± Ashton said, deliberately going


    against him.


    ¡°Where are your manners? Is this how you¡¯re supposed to talk to your brother-inw?¡±


    ¡°Right back at you. It¡¯s a first for me to see someone berating their father in front of their niece and


    nephew.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get on my nerves, Ashton!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great. I feel like doing that today.¡±


    John was rendered speechless at that.


    Thora raised her brows and said to me, ¡°Is this what they mean by ¡®lively¡¯ home?¡±


    It was obvious that the experienced female president who started her career at the age of neen


    didn¡¯t quite understand what it was like to bicker at the dining table.


    The corners of my lips curved up awkwardly as I didn¡¯t know how to exin it to her.


    She took in a sharp breath and instantly strode towards the doors as though she was running from


    someone out to get her life. The woman didn¡¯t even turn back to look at us once.


    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t leave in such a hurry! At least stay for dinner with us¡­¡±


    Before I could even finish my sentence, the thunderous rumbling of a car engine sounded.


    Thora would probably never yearn for the so-called warmth of a family anymore.


    I turned back into the dining room and saw that John and Ashton were still bickering. They threw snipes


    and jabs one after another and none of them had any intention of letting the other party win. Where are


    the reputed business elites? They¡¯re obviously babies who hadn¡¯t even finished kindergarten!


    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    Feeling pissed, I stomped my feet on the ground and shouted, ¡°Enough! Both of you! Can¡¯t we just


    have dinner peacefully?¡±


    The room fell silent in an instant. Even Gregory and Audrey didn¡¯t dare to move a muscle.


    Their gazes were all on me and that made me ufortable.


    Right then, it was as though Audrey had an epiphany as she pointed at John and Ashton and ordered,


    ¡°Mommy¡¯s angry. Stop fooling around, John! And Daddy, be good. Don¡¯t make Mommy angry. You¡¯re


    going to drive me crazy!¡±


    I wondered where she learned to call her uncle by his name. When Audrey saw that there weren¡¯t any


    reactions from them, she hopped down from her seat and pushed them down onto their own seats.


    ¡°Sit down. You won¡¯t be allowed to eat anymore if you continue this.¡±


    Ashton must¡¯ve never expected a six-year-old to control him like this as his brows were knitted tightly


    and he had an annoyed yet helpless look on his face.


    John, on the other hand, burst intoughter after being stunned for a moment. After that, he picked up


    his fork and started eating again.


    The fight between the two men was resolved by Audrey just like that.

 Chapter 1501

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1501


    Ashton didn¡¯t feel aplished after being scolded by his daughter so when he took his seat, he


    teased John by saying, ¡°You¡¯re still so happy even after being scolded. You¡¯re going to spoil Audrey.¡±


    Thetter put down his bowl said with a smile, ¡°I just thought of Emma suddenly. That¡¯s how she would


    reprimand me and I can¡¯t believe that Audrey has picked up her stunts. Besides, what¡¯s wrong with me


    spoiling her? She¡¯s my niece so it¡¯s none of your business. Any boy who tries to pursue her in the


    future will have to get my permission first.¡±


    ¡°Sons and daughters are ordained by the gods. There are very few others who have both a son and a


    daughter like me. Some people are destined to only have daughters while some are destined to only


    have sons. Blood kinship isn¡¯t something that can bepared to a few simple words,¡± Ashton drawled


    in his low voice.


    His mouth is simply too¡­


    John was amused by Audrey earlier and was in a great mood. He wasn¡¯t angry at hisment at all.


    Instead, he was serving the little girl a few dishes as if nothing had happened. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I won¡¯t talk


    about anything fake. Having the household register is the real deal. Isn¡¯t that right, Audrey?¡±


    She knew nothing about the household register. All she knew was that her uncle had served her with


    her favorite dishes so she answered with a bright smile, ¡°Yes!¡±


    Ashton was flushed red with anger that he left the table immediately. However, he was probably afraid


    that Audrey would nag him again so he was very gentle when he put down his bowl. One wouldn¡¯t have


    noticed that he was angry if they didn¡¯t look carefully.


    The little girl noticed that he had left when he had taken a few steps up the stairs. She asked in


    confusion while chewing on a piece of lobster meat, ¡°Why isn¡¯t Daddy eating anymore, Uncle John?¡±


    John continued serving her some dishes and gloated, ¡°He¡¯s full.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Daddy hasn¡¯t eaten much.¡± She didn¡¯t think too much about it and resumed eating her dinner.


    There was nothing I could do about this. The Ashton who had lost his memories was indeed too weak,


    and it was obvious that he had no mood to continue eating because of his anger.


    He was someone who liked to keep everything to himself. If this continued, he¡¯d turn himself into a


    balloon and would be blown away someday.


    ¡°You should stop bickering with Ashton in front of the kids next time,¡± I warned him.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand the joys between men. We know what we¡¯re doing so you can just let us be,¡±


    John said vaguely as he waved his hand.


    I wanted to continue with the conversation but I knew that he wouldn¡¯t reply so I had no choice but to


    shut up.


    Ashton had shut himself off in the study on the second floor the whole night.


    Since he hadn¡¯t eaten much earlier, I made him a bowl of pasta and took it upstairs for him. I knew that


    he liked stronger vors so I purposely added more spices.


    I pushed open the door and saw that he was sitting before his desk. The light from theputer shone


    on his face and it made him look extremely unapproachable.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t full from dinner so I made supper. I prepared a little extra. Do you want some?¡± I put the te


    before him as I asked.


    He took a nce at the te and pointed it out relentlessly, ¡°It has such strong vors. Are you sure


    you made extra?¡±


    My face flushed red and I asked in embarrassment, ¡°So do you want it or not?¡±


    For some reason, I would always lose control of my temper whenever I was alone with Ashton.


    He stared at me for a moment before picking up the fork and started eating.


    Perhaps it was due to his natural-born elegance, but it was pleasing to watch him eat.


    I fell into a trance staring at him and I quickly shifted my gaze when I finally snapped back to my


    senses. While doing so, I identally saw the content on hisputer¡¯s screen from the corner of my


    eyes.


    #Winning A Child Custody Battle#


    What¡¯s going on?


    He couldn¡¯t remember anything but he could remember the issue about getting custody of the kids?


    I was enraged when I remembered how he acted previously and that he might just be putting on an act.


    ¡°Why are you reading up about this?¡±


    His movement froze for a second before he continued, ¡°Is there any reason why my child¡¯s name


    should be written in their uncle¡¯s household register?¡±


    I suddenly understood what he was talking about. I was lost for a moment before I finally recovered


    from my shock. So he¡¯s trying topete with John.

 Chapter 1502

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1502


    After keeping silent for a while, Ashton said, ¡°I don¡¯t really remember what happened in the past, but


    since we¡¯re reunited, let¡¯s live a normal life. I¡¯ll apany you toplete the required documents and


    merge Audrey¡¯s registry with us. I¡¯ll take care of her from now on, so there¡¯s no need for an outsider to


    meddle with our family affairs.¡±


    Outsider? Is he talking about John?


    John had taken care of Audrey for six years. He took her as his own daughter and showered her with


    love. It seemed men were on par with women in jealousy.


    Even if he had lost all of his memories, pride still flowed strongly in him and he stood against John,


    fighting for the custody over Audrey.


    It was as if we had returned to the past when Ashton was in high spirits and vigor. As he gleamed with


    ambition and determination, he seemed like a lone wolf emerging from the heavy blizzard at the North


    Pole, marking his territory and taking everything under control.


    I was worried that he would harbor hatred against John, so I reminded, ¡°Your father was in charge of


    everything back then, and you obeyed his orders by giving up the custody over Audrey. John did


    nothing wrong.¡±


    Upon hearing what I said, Ashton was taken aback as he slowed down at eating his pasta.


    I figured he was rendered speechless because he was the one who made the decision of letting


    Audrey go.


    Even if people lost their memories, they still remembered how to differentiate between right and wrong.


    That was the case with Ashton. He knew he couldn¡¯t take back what he let go.


    Ashton finished the pasta very soon and ced his cutlery down before shutting hisptop. He lifted his


    gaze at me, devoid of any emotion. ¡°Are you happy now?¡±


    He sat on the chair with a serious expression while some pasta sauce was left on the corner of his lips.


    It was as if he was fighting with me in silence.


    Having loved each other for ten years, Ashton had always been good at picking fights with me.


    I¡¯ve only exposed the ugliness of the Hall family, so does he really have to be angry at me for this?


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    This man. Huh¡­ He is getting caught up in the past.


    I didn¡¯t have the time to act all childish with him. Shooting a re at him, I cleaned up the table before


    leaving him alone.


    When I went downstairs, Nathaniel came.


    Hearing footsteps approaching, he stood up with a gentleman-ish smile on his face. ¡°Scarlett.¡±


    The man was still the gentleman he was for six years as gentleness and kindness were etched into his


    charming features.


    I smiled faintly and greeted him as I walked down the stairs. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Nathaniel? Why are


    you here at this hour?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just that I heard Ashton has resigned from thepany, so you guys might have some


    time to spare. I¡¯m here to invite you guys to my art exhibition.¡± Nathaniel smiled and took out two


    invitation cards from his pocket before asking Gregory to pass them to me.


    ¡°Here, Mommy.¡± Gregory lifted the invitation cards to me and looked at me as I scanned the card.


    ¡°Mommy, Uncle Nathaniel¡¯s paintings are beautiful. Plus, there are many other paintings from top


    artists in the world. Many people from different cese here just to view them.¡±


    I patted Gregory¡¯s shoulder and smiled to show that I understood what he was trying to say. ¡°Good


    boy.¡±


    Frankly speaking, the gold-ted invitation cards were more than enough to show the significance of


    the Hall family¡¯s art gallery.


    A fox wouldn¡¯t give without wanting something in return. When Ashton resigned from thepany,


    Nathaniel didn¡¯t show up. Now that he took the initiative to visit us, he must be up to no good.


    Knowing one¡¯s enemy would only benefit in one taking control of the whole situation. While I wanted to


    understand Nathaniel more, I pondered over the matter for a few seconds before agreeing to it. ¡°Thank


    you, Nathaniel. I¡¯ll be there tomorrow.¡±


    The man only curled his lips slightly and said nothing in return.


    Gregory headed toward the coffee table and took theputer to Nathaniel¡¯s front and asked, ¡°Uncle


    Nathaniel, there were some errors in the information ofputer coding you sent me before. I studied


    it, but I couldn¡¯t correct them. Can you help me take a look?¡±

 Chapter 1503

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1503


    ¡°Of course.¡± Nathaniel took over theputer and sat down on the couch with Gregory.


    Once they focused on the things they liked, they would neglect others as they were absorbed into the


    world of coding. I was the centre of attention just now, but now, it was as if I was transparent.


    Knowing Gregory¡¯s personality, he would be fixated on a matter until the problem was solved. So, I took


    the bowls and tes to the kitchen and instructed the maid to clean them.


    When I exited the kitchen, Audrey was done showering and wanted to ask her brother to y with her.


    As she walked down the stairs, she kept on calling Gregory¡¯s name, but her enthusiasm was met with


    indifferent answers from thetter. ¡°Wait, Audrey. I¡¯ll be done in a minute.¡±


    While Nathaniel smiled at the girl and greeted her warmly, ¡°You must be Audrey. I¡¯m Uncle Nathaniel.


    Do you remember me?¡±


    ¡°Uncle Nathaniel?¡± Audrey scratched her head and furrowed her brows slightly before shaking her


    head. ¡°I don¡¯t. Do you know me?¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­¡± Nathaniel chuckled and exined with an amiable tone. ¡°Your father is my brother. So, do


    you understand now?¡±


    ¡°Daddy, brother¡­ oh!¡± Audrey was so shocked that her lips were curved into a big ¡°O,¡± and she


    seemed to want to express her thoughts, but she didn¡¯t make it clear. ¡°I like my brother the most, and


    you like Daddy!¡±


    Audrey probably thought that Nathaniel was close to Ashton like how it was between her and Gregory.


    Suddenly, Gregory stood up and dragged Audrey to the couch at the side. With a serious expression


    on his childlike face, the child sounded like an adult as he negotiated with thetter. ¡°Wait for me for


    about 15 minutes. Can you do that?¡±


    Audrey nodded almost immediately and blinked her beautiful eyes. ¡°Sure.¡±


    They were undoubtedly brought out the best in each other.


    Seeing how the girl was obedient, Gregory acted like an adult and let out a long breath in relief before


    running to the other living room. He took Audrey¡¯s favorite doll and shove it into her arms.


    Then, he turned to Nathaniel and said, ¡°Uncle Nathaniel, let us continue.¡±


    Nathaniel burst intoughter after seeing his actions and continued discussing the coding with him.


    I sat with Audrey and yed with her, while ncing at Nathaniel to guess what he was up to, from the


    look in his eyes to his body gestures.


    After observing for a while, I noticed that the man was trying his best to be Gregory¡¯s teacher,


    completely different from the scheming image I initially thought of him.


    He was very attentive when teaching Gregory. However, I didn¡¯t think that the Hall family would believe


    in the concept of blood was thicker than water.


    The Hall family treated Gregory so nicely, and I figured they must have some ulterior motives. There


    was nothing such as a free lunch in the world.


    About ten minutester, a low deep voice of a man sounded in the living room. ¡°Nathaniel, you¡¯re here.¡±


    I nced back and saw Ashton at the staircase on the second floor. Then, he started walking down the


    stairs.


    When the two heard his voice, they put down the things they had in their hands and got up together.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    ¡°Ashton, I heard that you¡¯ve been unwell recently, so I¡¯m here on behalf of dad and mom for a visit.


    While I¡¯m here, I might as well spend some time with Gregory,¡± Nathaniel said.


    Ashton didn¡¯t reply and sat down on the couch with his legs folded, giving off an impression of the


    owner of this house. Then, he spoke slowly, ¡°Are you here for a visit or a confrontation?¡±


    Glimpses of shock shed across Nathaniel¡¯s eyes. Soon after, a smile returned to his face as he


    lowered his gaze. ¡°Ashton, you¡¯re overthinking. We¡¯re just worried about you. Father said that you can


    go on a vacation whenever you want, and you¡¯ll always be the president of thepany.¡±


    ¡°How about you?¡± Ashton didn¡¯t give him the time to breathe and leaned in closer. Looking at him


    coldly, the man emanated an oppressing aura and said, ¡°You¡¯re the heir of the Hall family, and your


    ability is on par with me. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re not going to use this chance to take action?¡±

 Chapter 1504

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1504


    Ashton¡¯s words were exactly what I was thinking. I nced at him and got ready to watch the show.


    Suddenly, a thought shed across my mind. Could it be he¡¯s venting his anger on the Hall family


    because of me?


    I raised a brow and changed my posture of hugging Audrey to conceal my uneasiness.


    Well¡­ Nathaniel can only me himself for having bad luck.


    ¡°Haha¡­¡± Nathanielughed humbly, as his eyes curled into crescents. ¡°Ashton, stop making jokes


    about me. I know my capabilities, and Dad said you¡¯re the best candidate to inherit hispany. I¡¯m


    well aware of my shoring, so I won¡¯t think of getting what¡¯s not mine.¡±


    ¡°But why did I hear that you¡¯re the one in charge of the Hall family¡¯s assets before me?¡± Ashton


    narrowed his eyes and a meaningful smile stered on his face.


    Their gaze met one another¡¯s, and neither of them intended to back down.


    Most people showed fear when they faced Ashton, and there were only a few for those who withstood


    the pressure. Plus, none of them were simple.


    However, Ashton emerged victorious in scheming as he could make his opponent give themselves


    away after exchanging a few words.


    The silent confrontation went on for half an hour before Nathaniel was defeated. He averted his gaze


    from Ashton casually and changed the topic. ¡°Ashton, you should understand that we have little say in


    a lot of things.¡±


    Before Ashton could give a response, Nathaniel decided to leave. He turned to Gregory and patted on


    his shoulder before saying, ¡°Granatano experts in programming. I¡¯ve sent some men there to collect


    information for your references and they would be delivered to me soon. When the timees, I¡¯ll ask


    someone to send it here.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle Nathaniel.¡± Gregory actually smiled at him while in the past, the child never smiled in


    front of the others, except to me and Audrey.


    Seeing how he was amiable to Nathaniel, I figured they must¡¯ve gotten along well in the past six years.


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I have some matters to attend to, so I won¡¯t disturb you guys anymore. Goodbye.¡± With


    that, Nathaniel headed toward the exit slowly.


    His pace was calm and collected.


    On the other hand, Ashton fixed his fiery gaze on Nathaniel¡¯s figure until thetter disappeared from his


    sight. Then, he seemed to be lost in thought.


    The expression in the eyes could easily expose what one was thinking.


    Perhaps Ashton had no choice but to pretend to lose his memories. However, his acting was way too


    poor, so he gave himself away many times.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    I wanted to tear away the mask he was wearing, to see the secrets it held.


    So, I called out to him. ¡°Ashton.¡±


    He turned to me subconsciously as he furrowed his brows in confusion.


    ¡°Not only did they decline your resignation, they even send Nathaniel here to visit you. Do you not


    suspect what John and I said? Maybe the Halls value you greatly, so they were reluctant to let you go.¡±


    I looked at him in the eyes and asked seriously, ¡°Maybe I was the one ruining your rtionship with


    them. Are you really not doubting me?¡±


    Upon hearing my words, Ashton lowered his gaze and pondered for a while. Soon, he spoke, ¡°Every


    rtionship we have is rted to the benefits that followed, be it close or distant. They are just for


    beneficial gains. I don¡¯t have the time to determine who is to me, as all I wanted is to do whatever I


    want and see the truth I want to know.¡±


    His words were practical, as his tone was indifferent. After saying his words, he went upstairs.


    However, right when he stepped onto the stairs, he halted in his tracks. ¡°How did you know I¡¯m


    unhappy being the live-in son-inw of the Stovall family?¡±


    With that, he went upstairs without ncing back.


    I froze for a long while beforeing back to my senses. I didn¡¯t even notice Gregory leading Audrey


    away from my embrace.


    Ashton didn¡¯t lose his memories!


    He had been pretending to be foolish and behaving in a servile manner just to make us believe that he


    was na?ve. As a result, we let our guard down.

 Chapter 1505

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1505


    He was still as self-righteous as ever after six years.


    Is it fun pulling a trick on everyone like this?


    I gritted my teeth and clenched my fists as I dashed to the study.


    When I opened the door, Ashton wasn¡¯t there.


    If we didn¡¯t talk this through tonight, I would have trouble falling asleep, so I decided to confront him.


    Suppressing my fury, I went through all the rooms on the second floor, from the guest room to the


    storeroom. But he was nowhere to be found.


    Finally, I went into the bedroom.


    The door was wide open, and I scanned the room in the hallway. To my disappointment, the room was


    empty.


    At this moment, a ¡°thump¡± sounded from behind, and it was the sound of the door shutting.


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    I turned around and almost bumped into a sturdy ¡°wall.¡±


    Ashton was right in front of me and the distance between the two of us was less than 0.5 centimeters. If


    we got closer, we could hear each other¡¯s heartbeats.


    I pushed him away by reflex. ¡°Mr. Fuller, please watch yourself.¡±


    The man staggered for a few steps before stopping. He looked at me without any expression on his


    face, whileplicated feelings could be seen in his eyes, and it was hard to tell how he felt.


    Then, silence followed, as the man said nothing, and that was what I hated the most.


    ¡°Why are you not talking?¡± I spoke in an overbearing manner. ¡°Didn¡¯t you lose your memories? You


    forgot everyone and only take me as a substitute, right? So why are you getting so close to me?¡±


    Ashton kept silent as he frowned slightly. Staying rooted to his spot, his eyes went dull as he stared at


    me.


    His reaction only made me feel I wasn¡¯t trustworthy enough for him to tell me the truth.


    The emotions I had long suppressed erupted as I dashed toward Ashton and hurled my fists at his


    chest.


    ¡°You left the woman who gave birth to two kids for you abandoned outside for six years while your


    rtives erase the proofs of her existence.¡± I started tearing up when I recalled the painful memories of


    thest six years.


    My heart started aching as I grimaced. ¡°I¡¯ve always thought that love is endless and repeating. After


    going through so many hardships, I still found myself in love and am ready to face the future with you.


    But what about you? Do you remember what you said when we met again thest time? ¡®Not all


    women are worthy of me.¡¯ So, am I unworthy of you?¡±


    ¡°You knew I was Scarlett since the beginning. You altered the DNA test results to make me live with


    another identity. Is this what you wanted? To make me forget about the past and stay with you with this


    new identity? You are a selfish, heartless man!¡± The man stayed silent during my fit of rage, and I


    stopped punching him as my hands started to hurt.


    ¡°Say something! I hate you like this! Mm!¡± I bombarded questions at him as I wasn¡¯t able to contain the


    fury holding up inside me. Driven by the waves of emotions, I bit down hard on Ashton¡¯s shoulders with


    every ounce of my strength to let him know how hurt I was.


    Right at that moment, all my bottled up frustrations and emotions dissipated with the strength I put into


    hurting him.


    Having used up the energy in me, my body felt weak as my legs gave way and I copsed to the


    ground uncontrobly.


    Almost immediately, hisrge arm circled my waist and trapped me in his familiar embrace.


    I struggled to break free, but he tightened his grip and pulled me closer to him.


    When I raised my head, Ashton was looking at me with a fiery gaze. The man looked like an injured


    wolf as his eyes were filled with passion and sorrow.


    After staring at me for a few seconds, he extended his neck and leaned in closer to me. Our face was


    touching and slowly, he pressed his lips on mine.


    I remained rational and broke free from his grip before grabbing his arm. Looking at the man seriously, I


    asked, ¡°Can you make a choice now?¡±


    I can¡¯t coexist with the Hall family.


    It wasn¡¯t because I couldn¡¯t ept them. Instead, they just wouldn¡¯t let me off. After so many years of


    scheming against me, I figured they wouldn¡¯t let us live our lives unbothered if I remain alive.


    The anguish I had suffered was carved into my body, and I still remembered the pain to this day.


    Ashton seemed to be aloof, but he cherished his family. I believed he could¡¯ve been ruthless to the Hall


    family, but he kept on hesitating. As time went by, he couldn¡¯t make up his mind to do it, so we had


    fallen into the trapsid out by the Halls.

 Chapter 1506

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1506


    My tolerance had a limit, and they didn¡¯t seem to change after all the chances I gave them, so it was


    time to make a clear cut.


    I had been enduring what they did to us for thest six years. I continued to wish for them to be smitten


    by their conscience, but now, I wouldn¡¯t sit by and do nothing while they did as they pleased to cause


    us more suffering. They weren¡¯t worthy enough to be family, so there was no need to tolerate them.


    Only those who had gone through death knew the true happiness of life.


    I loved Ashton, but I didn¡¯t want my love to be used as a reason for his so-called family to take control


    over others close to me.


    ¡°Ashton, do you still agree to be the live-in son-inw if I force you to go against the Hall family?¡± I


    felt the urge to cry as I spoke my words. This was thest time I was fighting for our rtionship.


    To lose the love of my life was rather painful for me, let alone I had loved the man for over ten years.


    My life wouldn¡¯t be the same if Ashton wasn¡¯t by my side anymore.


    However, if he continued to neglect what his family did, those close to me would have to live their lives


    in fear and chaos. I believed Ashton knew the pain of losing those close to him as he had experienced


    it before, so he would understand my choices.


    One could go on being blinded by love only for a moment, but not one¡¯s entire life. I had awakened


    from my daze, but I still wanted to wait for the man I loved. I hoped that he would realize his mistakes


    as well.


    Ashton didn¡¯t give me a response all the while I was the only one doing the talking. After listening to my


    words, he kept silent and stared at me for about ten seconds before his lips curled into a smile.


    I was in a mess from the fit I threw just now, and my lips were chapped. However, the man paid it no


    attention and tilted his head sideways as he nted a kiss on my lips.


    Before I could react, his moist lips touched mine continuously.


    Cupping my face gently, hended kisses all over my face while my tears rolled down my cheeks.


    As he nted thest kiss on my forehead, he slowed down his movements and lowered his gaze


    lovingly at me.


    The man said, ¡°I had given you my answer ever since you walked into the room and ordered me to


    cook the pasta, ¡°


    Silence ensued in the room after he had spoken his words, and only our heavy breathing resounded.


    I was still lost in a daze as he was too sudden with his kisses. My mind was in aplete mess, so I


    couldn¡¯t react on time and blurted out, ¡°What?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    Suddenly, Ashton grimaced as he wrapped my face with his hands gently. His hands felt like feathers


    brushing on my face as he treated me with care.


    Wiping away my tears with his thumb, he smiled while furrowing his brows. His deep eyes reddened


    with tears as he said, ¡°The moment you appeared before me, I had decided to give up everything to be


    with you. Even if it¡¯s just a dream, I will make it so that it will go on forever and I will never wake up and


    stay with you.¡±


    The man burst into tears as he pulled me into his arms. We were so close to each other that I couldn¡¯t


    catch my breath. ¡°You mean the world to me. Without you, nothing matters to me, be it the Hall family


    or the Fuller Corporation. I can give them all up as long as it makes you happy.¡±


    Pausing for a while, he sniffled before continuing, ¡°It seems forgetting everything in the past can give


    me the life I wanted. I just want to be with you and our kids and to pick a fight with you sometimes,


    these are all I ever wanted. Scarlett, it seems I¡¯ve be a burden to you.¡±


    He hugged me as his voice slowly returned to normal. However, sorrow was still written all over his


    face.


    As calm as one tried to be when their emotions were stirring, they were deeply hurt inside.


    I didn¡¯t say anything in reply and hugged him back while listening to him talking about the six years that


    felt like forever.


    Six years ago, the Hall family¡¯s search team found Ashton stranded on a shore full of rocks and took


    him back for treatment.


    When he regained consciousness, they gave him new memories- He was the long-lost heir of the Hall


    family, and he had just acknowledged his paternal roots and reunited with them. Scarlett was his wife


    and was a heartless woman who betrayed him, while Audrey wasn¡¯t one of the Halls, and Gregory was


    his only child.


    The Halls sent Tom away, so Ashton could only ept the subordinates Nics arranged for him.

 Chapter 1507

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1507


    Ashton was having doubts about Scarlett betraying him and eloping with another man, so he ordered


    his men to look into it secretly. However, the information he received was all prepared and fabricated by


    Nics.


    Later on, he was caught up in a lot of matters, such as fighting for custody over Gregory and merging


    the assets of the Fuller Corporation and the Hall family. He had no choice but to put his suspicion aside


    as his memories of me were sealed.


    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    On the day we had our reunion, Ashton recognized me, even though my features had changed a lot.


    However, the only impression he had of me was just as what Nics told him. In his knowledge,


    Scarlett was nothing more than a woman who betrayed her husband, so he humiliated me when we


    met by saying, ¡°Not all women are worthy of me.¡±


    Not only was that an insult to the person who betrayed him, the way he said it made it obvious that he


    wouldn¡¯t ept me into his family, as the woman had left Gregory behind for six years.


    However, when Gregory mentioned about his mother, Ashton instructed the child to forget about her,


    but the image of the woman inside the car kept on surfacing in his mind.


    It was the same when he returned to the Fuller Corporation. The scene at the intersection continued to


    y in his mind repeatedly. It was right at that moment, the emotions in his heart erupted and surged


    through his body like an electric current. The man clenched his fists and groaned in pain as he felt


    suffocated while his memories came flooding back.


    ¡°You are getting bolder now, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I agree to file for a divorce.¡±


    ¡°Today is Grandpa¡¯s funeral!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re overestimating yourself.¡±


    ¡°My baby¡¯s gone¡­¡±


    ¡°Ugh!¡± Ashton¡¯s head throbbed in pain and he passed out.


    When he woke up, it was already the next day. His memories of the past returned, and he remembered


    everything he did.


    Six years. I had actually caused Scarlett to suffer for six years.


    Lying on the ground, the man stared at the ceiling with his red eyes and he gripped his fists tightly


    before punching the ground. ¡°Oh, Ashton Fuller, you are a useless scum!¡±


    Realizing his actions had hurt Scarlett, he continued to lie on the ground in agony until the assistant


    knocked on the door. Then, he had no choice but to get up from the ground and return to his usual self.


    The one who came in wasn¡¯t Joseph, and this reminded Ashton of his identity¡ªthe cash cow of the


    Hall family.


    Before the assistant could say anything, the man roared, ¡°Scram!¡±


    The assistant thought he had heard wrongly and raised his head to look at Ashton, but his gaze was


    met with a deadly re by thetter.


    Fear overwhelmed the assistant, and his arms felt weak, scattering the documents on the floor.


    Soon after, the assistant picked the papers up with trembling hands and left the office quickly without


    ncing back.


    The office fell into silent once again, but there were no signs of joy on Ashton¡¯s face.


    He had regained most of his memories, but he couldn¡¯t recall the reason behind his memory loss, so he


    decided to look into it. The first thing he did was to call Joseph back to investigate the truth behind the


    explosion on the ind and the culprit who had hypnotized him.


    Before he got the results, Ashton received intel from his subordinates and knew that Scarlett would


    show up at The Jade, so he changed his schedule to meet her.


    The Halls were around him, so he could only try this best to remain calm when he finally saw the


    woman he loved in front of him. However, no matter how hard he tried to hide it, his heart started racing


    when he saw her.


    Scarlett was standing in front of him. She was still the same woman he knew, but she seemed to have


    lost a lot of weight and her eyes looked dull and lifeless.


    The light that brightened up his life was lost.


    The man gulped as his heart pained for her and he dared not even get close to her.


    Perhaps it was because he was ming himself. He wanted to make Scarlett leave him, even if it


    meant to be the type of man the woman hated the most.


    ¡°If it¡¯s not because of this, you won¡¯t be able to get close to him.¡±


    ¡°There are a lot of women who wish to be Mrs. Fuller, yet no one has tried something as silly as


    this.¡±

 Chapter 1508

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1508


    ¡°You¡¯re a smart woman who knows how to avail yourself of your strength. Unfortunately, you¡¯ve picked


    the wrong target. If you want to be my wife, you should juste after me.¡±


    Ashton knew that I, who had lost my memories, would have a bad impression on him for what he said.


    He knew the youngdy who was passionate about love would probably find him hateful.


    His heart was dripping with blood. Nevertheless, he stered a smile on his face.


    Scarlett, stay away from me like how you did today. Forget about our past and live your own life. Let


    me deal with all the troubles and conspiracies.


    If everything went ording to the n, we wouldn¡¯t need to go through all these sufferings.


    Ashton wanted to let me go, yet his resoluteness andposure fell apart after reading the document


    brought to him by Joseph.


    Even if it would mean putting himself at risk of being found out that his memory had recovered, Ashton


    had insisted on moving out of the Hall residence with Gregory and moved into the house next door to


    Marcus.


    He wasn¡¯t sure if I had really lost my memory, so he resorted to other methods to take me away from


    Marcus. As such, he had made use of some of the Hall family¡¯s secret hideouts. After he found


    Camelia and the child, he made them reunite in front of me.


    Those harsh words he threw at me about the cooperation and that me being a substitute were just his


    tactics to make me stay by his side with the fake identity.


    He was afraid I might recover my memory way before he sorted everything out.


    John¡¯s appearance, on the other hand, was not within his expectation. He had forgotten that John was


    an old acquaintance of Zachary; our encounter would increase the chances of me recovering memories


    of the past.


    As expected, I became apletely different person after meeting John.


    Although his n went slightly off course, that would only light a fire under him to retaliate. Soon, he


    set his first target ¨C Tiffany.


    Ashton knew I had recovered all my memories. Regardless of his reluctance to part with me, I was the


    one who got to decide whether I wanted to stay or leave him.


    It was a surprise and a huge relief when I came back to him. My return was the best reassurance given


    to him.


    Meanwhile, Ashton and I were snuggling up on the couch in the living room. I leaned against his chest


    while the man wrapped his arm around my shoulder. Our back views looked like an elderly couple who


    had gone through thick and thin in life.


    ¡°In the mall, my mind went nk when the explosion urred. When you showed up, all my memories


    came shing back, including that piece of memory of me being hypnotized.¡±


    With a self-deprecating smile, he went on saying, ¡°How ridiculous! The culprit that messed with my


    memories turns out to be a little pocket watch.¡±


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    I felt slightly disappointed. ¡°I thought you would remember the person who hypnotized you.¡±


    Ashton held my shoulders, and his eyes bore straight into mine. ¡°To a hypnotist, his pocket watch is as


    important as a violin to a violinist as they represent their identities. Besides, the carved pattern on the


    pocket watch is unique. That might be a useful clue. I believe we can find the hypnotist pretty soon.¡±


    I felt unused to seeing the serious look on his face. ¡°Ashton, actually, I find you more likable as the live-


    in son-inw.¡±


    Ashton was slightly bewildered by my remark that came out of nowhere. Nevertheless, he curled his


    lips while hugging me tighter. ¡°If you wish, I can be the Stovall family¡¯s live-in son-inw from now on.


    I¡¯m just afraid that you might be sick of me being a jealous husband.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± I shook my head. ¡°You look more¡­ real to me that way. I will be happy every day as long as


    you¡¯re here by my side.¡±


    Ashton¡¯s tightened his arms around me. ¡°Finally, I don¡¯t need to feel your warmth and heartbeat in my


    dreams. I have you in my arms now,¡± he uttered in a deep and husky voice.


    My face flushed scarlet at his sweet words. I buried my face deeper in his chest and started raking up


    the past in an attempt to hide my shyness, ¡°You were still in a hypnotized state before I recovered my


    memories. At that time, you thought I was a heartless woman, and you couldn¡¯t be happier if I could


    just get lost. How would you even dream about me?¡±

 Chapter 1509

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1509


    Ashton shook his head. He sounded tired as he spoke, ¡°For the past few years, a woman¡¯s figure kept


    appearing in my dreams every single night. When I tried to take a closer look at her face, a transparent


    wall would appear, stopping me from getting any closer. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn¡¯t break the


    wall. It was only until I met you that I stopped having the same dream, and I could finally sleep well at


    night.¡±


    At that moment, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if it was more agonizing to live without memories for six


    years or being haunted by nightmares while living like a puppet.


    Fate had brought us together; nothing could separate us. If either one of us suffered, the other would


    feel the same as well.


    I patted on Ashton¡¯s back and decided to let bygones be bygones. ¡°Let¡¯s forget about it. You should get


    some sleep now.¡±


    Hearing that, Ashton let go of me.


    The next moment, before I had even realized it, the man had carried me in bridal style with my arms


    instinctively wrapped around his neck the moment he stood up.


    As I looked up, my eyes met with his that were full of passion and desire. ¡°W-What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°What do you think I¡¯m doing?¡± With a calm expression, Ashton spoke up while he carried me into the


    bedroom, ¡°When you were not around, Nics has always tried to set me up with other women.¡±


    This was the first time I heard about it. Nevertheless, I said jokingly, ¡°You¡¯re talking about Thora, huh?


    Well, I know you. Careerwoman is not your type.¡±


    Ashton halted in his steps. Casting his eyes downward, he stated, ¡°Thora is just one of them. In fact, I


    would meet thosedies from the prominent families every month.¡±


    Hearing that, I sneered, ¡°It looks like you enjoyed life better when I was not around. I guess I¡¯ve made


    the wrong decision ining back.¡±


    Hmph! Men only think with their d*cks!


    With that, I pushed him hard on the chest, trying to get off of him.


    Ashton briskly walked toward the bed. Then, he ced me on the bed before he climbed on top of me.


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    I struggled harder to push him away the moment I felt him pressing his lower body against mine. ¡°Get


    off me, or I¡¯ll call for help! John and the kids are here, so don¡¯t disgrace yourself.¡±


    Disregarding my warning, Ashton pinned my arms above my head. Fixing his eyes at me, he leaned


    closer and smiled faintly. ¡°Scarlett, you¡¯re a mother of a six-year-old. Howe you¡¯re still so hot-


    tempered?¡±


    ¡°Hmph! Because I¡¯m a woman.¡± Holding my head high, I retorted sarcastically, ¡°You¡¯re a generous man.


    You can give your love to a lot of women out there. Mr. Ashton, I¡¯m not like you. There is only room


    enough to fit a man in my heart. Only the one who is loyal and faithful to me gets to hold the key to my


    heart. If the man fails to remain faithful, I will not hesitate to leave him.¡±


    Ashton narrowed his eyes while the corner of his lips went up. ¡°Are you done?¡±


    As he spoke, I wished to wrench my hands free from his grasp. Yet, my effort was in vain. The man


    held my hands even tighter after finding out my intention.


    ring at him, I said through gritted teeth, ¡°I¡¯m done. Now, get out! I won¡¯t embarrass you in front of the


    kids.¡±


    Ashton let out a chuckle. He then nced at his hands that were gripping mine and teased, ¡°Scarlett,


    let me remind you that you¡¯re the captive here. You¡¯re at my mercy now. I¡¯m the one who gets to call


    the shots, not you.¡±


    His words rendered me speechless. I clenched my teeth and blustered, ¡°Let go of me before you regret


    it.¡±


    Before he could even react, I screamed out loud, ¡°Help! Somebody, help¡­ Mmph¡­¡±


    The next moment, the man mashed his lips against mine. At that instant, I froze as my whole body was


    burning up by the me of his passion.

 Chapter 1510

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1510


    When Ashton¡¯s hand touched my waist, the tingling sensation brought me back to my senses. I


    mustered up enough strength and pulled out my hand. The next moment, I grabbed hold of his hand


    that was fondling my body.


    Meanwhile, he was drowning me with his passionate kiss.


    As I was catching my breath, I gasped out a warning, ¡°Ash¡­ Ashton! Stop, or I¡­ I¡¯ll call the kids over!¡±


    There was little rationality left in that man. His kiss became ferocious, and his tongue easily found its


    way into my mouth.


    I furrowed my brows and bit his tongue. At that instant, a metallic taste spread across my mouth.


    Feeling the sharp pain, Ashton pulled himself away, looking angrily at me. Yet, the next moment, the


    anger in his eyes disappeared, reced by a tinge of sadness. He then asked in a deep voice, ¡°Must I


    admit that I¡¯m not interested in any other woman, except you?¡±


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    In fact, I was only throwing a temper earlier. The atmosphere turned awkward at Ashton¡¯s words.


    I was at a loss, not knowing how to respond. Just then, Ashton once again moved closer to me. With a


    confident smile, he teased, ¡°I have always remembered that I¡¯m the live-in son-inw. I am faithful even


    when you were not around. So, Mrs. Fuller, you should reward me now.¡±


    Hearing that, I felt a lump forming in my throat, and I swallowed my words.


    Seeing that my attitude had softened, Ashton let go of my hand. He then cupped my face and kissed


    me affectionately.


    The man¡¯s breath was tickling my ears. Having no more doubts between us, I returned his kiss.


    Bang! Right then, the sound of the door mmed open rang out. I was scared out of my wits.


    ¡°Daddy! Mommy! I want to sleep with you!¡±


    Hearing Audrey¡¯s voice, I instantly pushed Ashton off me before I climbed out of bed. Then, I tidied my


    hair and smoothed out my clothes.


    As I heaved a sigh of relief, Audrey came running into the bedroom and threw herself onto the bed. The


    little girl acted petnt as she announced, ¡°I¡¯m sleeping here tonight!¡±


    Soon after, she rolled over. Pointing at the ce next to her, she started cing hermands, ¡°Greg


    will sleep here! Daddy, you¡¯ll sleep next to Greg, and mommy will sleep next to you.¡±


    As soon as she finished saying that, both Gregory and John entered the bedroom.


    The kids started ying on the bed.


    As for John, he was leaning against the doorframe. His expression was imprable as he shifted his


    prating gaze back and forth between Ashton and me.


    Feeling uneasy under his gaze, I diverted my attention to the kids when I stooped down to coax them.


    Meanwhile, John straightened up while putting his hands in his pockets. With a wry smile, he said to


    Ashton, ¡°Let¡¯s talk.¡±


    He cast a meaningful nce at me as he spoke.


    Hearing that, Ashton nced at me. After thinking for a while, he agreed, ¡°I¡¯ll see you at the study.¡±


    With that, he made his way into the washroom and mmed the door shut.


    John gave his forehead a scratch. He knew Ashton was displeased, yet he was not bothered at all.


    Soon, he turned and left the bedroom.


    After twenty minutes, Ashton came out of the washroom in his sleep robe. The man tossed the towel


    aside after rubbing his hair until it was half dry before walking out of the bedroom.


    ¡°Wait!¡± I halted him. ¡°I¡¯m going with you.¡±


    I tucked the nket around the kids before leaving the bedroom after him.


    In the study, John was sitting on the couch. He had drunk his coffee down to the dregs.


    When we entered the study, he ordered the maid, ¡°Bring me another cup of coffee. I want it with less


    sugar and milk. Oh, it¡¯s so sweet that it¡¯s almost sickening.¡±


    The man was making an innuendo, his words oozing with sarcasm.


    I shot a look at the maid who was standing outside and ordered, ¡°There is no need to bother. You can


    leave now.¡±


    Then, I closed the door behind me. ¡°It¡¯s not good to drink too much coffee,¡± I advised. ¡°Why don¡¯t you


    have some tea?¡±


    Yet, John paid no heed to my advice. ¡°Nah, I¡¯m used to drinking coffee.¡±


    Just then, Ashton chimed in, ¡°Study shows that long-term heavy coffee consumption can cause side


    effects such as arrhythmia, gastrointestinal bleeding, and constant anxiety.¡±

 Chapter 1511

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1511


    ¡°You must be exaggerating. Do you really think I¡¯m gullible like Audrey?¡± John grew impatient.


    Disregarding his reluctance, I snatched the coffee cup from him and ced it on the coffee table. ¡°Well,


    it¡¯s better to be safe than sorry. You¡¯re not young anymore, and you should take good care of your body


    for both Emma and Drew¡¯s sake. Your family needs you.¡±


    John was rendered speechless. With a pitiful expression, he smacked his lips but said nothing.


    That was when Ashton suddenly added, ¡°However, when a person abruptly stops consuming caffeine,


    it can also cause caffeine withdrawal symptoms such as arrhythmia, abnormal gastric secretion, and


    constant anxiety.¡±


    ¡°Now what?¡± I pulled a long face. Who¡¯s side is he taking?


    Ashton remainedposed as he took a seat opposite me. ¡°Well, that means he can still drink coffee


    while gradually reduce his caffeine intake.¡±


    Both John and I rolled our eyes at him. His words didn¡¯t aplish anything.


    ¡°That¡¯s it! Now let¡¯s cut to the chase.¡± John had grown impatient after waiting for us for a long time. ¡°Did


    they stop you when you tender your resignation today?¡± he asked Ashton.


    ¡°Well, I eventually managed to resign though it was not without a hurdle.¡±


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    Then, Ashton briefly told John about our day at Fuller Corporation.


    John nodded thoughtfully. ¡°So, Nics and Nathaniel didn¡¯t show up?¡±


    That was the same thing that was bothering me as well. ¡°Well, since we have spread the news, I


    suppose it¡¯s just a matter of time before they show up.¡±


    As if something had hit me, I then asked, ¡°Did your men receive any news?¡±


    Hearing my question, John¡¯s expression grew serious. He cast a meaningful nce at Ashton, making


    it clear that he regarded thetter untrustworthy.


    Before I could say anything, Ashton beat me to it, ¡°Someone used Letty¡¯s and my name to contact the


    elders in M Country. Is this what you wanted to tell us?¡± The man wasposed as he leaned against


    the couch.


    I cast my gaze at Ashton and then at John.


    Both big shots in the business industry held their gaze, trying to stare each other down.


    In the end, it seemed like John got the upper hand in the staring contest. ¡°You actually knew about


    this? That means this is really your deed?¡± he questioned harshly.


    The two were talking in riddles, yet I didn¡¯t fail to notice the coldness in John¡¯s voice. I quickly asked,


    ¡°What were you guys talking about contacting the elders in M Country? Can anyone exin to me what


    was going on?¡±


    John suppressed his anger as he exined, ¡°This man whom you insisted on getting back with has


    gone behind my informants in K City and sent a letter to M Country. He told the elders that you and the


    kids wished to reside in the country and asked them toe back to discuss it. Hmph! He was using


    you and the kids to force the elders to return to the country.¡± Then, he said through gritted teeth, ¡°How


    despicable!¡±


    From John¡¯s revtion, I understood that someone was trying to trick the elders into returning to the


    country. That person intended to hold the elders captive to threaten us.


    That must be a devious and guileful person who came up with this n.


    After having recovered my memories, I had only managed to take care of the situation in the country.


    On the other hand, the one who plotted all these was able toe up with a countermeasure in such a


    short time and reached the elders in M Country.


    If it wasn¡¯t for John¡¯s wariness, we might be stuck in a difficult position again.


    Yet, this time, I trusted Ashton.


    In the face of John¡¯s suspicion, I held Ashton¡¯s hand and made my stance clear, ¡°John, Ashton is not


    the one behind this. I believe there must be a misunderstanding.¡±


    Gazing at me with disappointment in his eyes, John let out a deep sigh. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear him admitting


    it earlier? Oh, Letty, it¡¯s time for you to wake up and smell the coffee. Life is not only about love. You¡¯ve


    died once. Don¡¯t make the same mistake twice.¡±


    I knew it was John¡¯s earnest advice, yet I insisted on following my heart and believed in Ashton.


    I tightened my grip on Ashton¡¯s hand. With a wry smile, I uttered, ¡°I¡¯ve died once, and that¡¯s why I know


    how precious a man is when he was willing to humble himself to be a live-in son-inw.¡±

 Chapter 1512

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1512


    After a short pause, I continued saying, ¡°John, you know how Ashton became what he is today. It is


    Nics and his wife¡¯s fault. Over the past twenty years, Ashton has trained himself into living like a tool


    for revenge, cold and unfeeling. He ignored me during the past six years because of his parent¡¯s


    words.¡±


    Soon, my eyes became watery. I turned to look at Ashton through my teary eyes. ¡°Ashton has always


    been a hard-headed man who wouldn¡¯tpromise for anyone. Or else, he would¡¯ve married another


    woman a long time ago.¡±


    My words brought mirth to Ashton¡¯s eyes. Feeling pleased, he inteced his fingers with mine.


    John was sick of seeing our physical intimacy. He rose to his feet, looking down at us while voicing his


    dissatisfaction, ¡°I don¡¯t have the time watching you guys acting lovey-dovey. Anyway, I have asked my


    subordinate to investigate the matter. If I receive bad news, Ashton Fuller, don¡¯t me me for not giving


    you a chance.¡±


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    Hearing that, Ashton turned to face John. ¡°Oh, my dear brother-inw, why are you so angry? I didn¡¯t


    tell you I was the one sending the letter, did I?¡±


    John¡¯s face darkened, his expression demanding an exnation from Ashton.


    Meanwhile, Ashton watched as his hand toyed mine, caressing my finger joints. In a casual tone, he


    spoke up, ¡°Most of the time, a clever hunter would appear in the form of prey. My subordinate has


    indeed visited M Country. However, the purpose of me asking the elders back is to use them as baits


    instead of hostages.¡±


    With that, he nted a gentle kiss on the back of my hand, which tickled.


    My eyes brightened as Ashton briefly exined his n to make the mastermind suffer from his own


    scheme. If his n seeded, we could snare the mastermind and eventually find out about his


    identity.


    His n had dispelled John¡¯s doubt. Yet, thetter was still pulling a long face, staring at us as if we


    were the thorns in his flesh.


    Knock! Knock! Just then, the maid knocked on the door.


    John said coldly, ¡°Come in.¡±


    The door was being opened, and in came the very maid who was outside the study earlier. The aroma


    of coffee permeated the room as she brought in a cup of steaming hot coffee.


    She nodded politely at both Ashton and me before asking John, ¡°Mr. Stovall, here¡¯s your coffee as per


    your order. Are you going to have it here or in your bedroom?¡±


    ¡°Take it away.¡± John waved his hand dismissively as he stood up. While making his way toward the


    door, he sulked, ¡°Hmph! I¡¯ve had enough!¡±


    John left the study, leaving the maid scratching her head while holding the tray with the cup of coffee.


    I shook my head at John¡¯s childishness. Then, I dismissed the maid, ¡°You can leave now. John doesn¡¯t


    need the coffee anymore. Let him have a good night¡¯s sleep.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mrs. Fuller.¡±


    The maid soon left the study with the coffee.


    Since we had finished discussing our n, all that was left was to meet Nathaniel at his art gallery


    tomorrow. Feeling a little sleepy, I decided to head back to the bedroom.


    Just as I stood up, Ashton grabbed hold of my wrist. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°To sleep,¡± I blurted out. ¡°We are going to meet a jackal tomorrow. This doesn¡¯t only concern John, but


    us as well. So, of course we need to sleep well and be prepared.¡±


    Ashton frowned slightly and asked in a pitiful voice, ¡°Then what about me?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, feeling confused. The next moment, when I realized what the man was


    talking about, my face fell. ¡°You!¡±


    Ugh! This man is always thinking of getting me into bed with him!


    If it weren¡¯t for the kids who had probably fallen asleep in our bedroom, I would definitely give Ashton a


    payback for what he did in the bedroom earlier.


    After collecting myself, I made a face at him and snorted, ¡°Hmph! You reminded me that our bed is too


    small. Tonight, you should sleep in the guest room.¡±

 Chapter 1513

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1513


    ¡°Good night! Sweet dreams.¡±


    With that, I turned and left the study before Ashton could even voice his objection.


    ¡­


    The next morning, I was awakened by Audrey.


    The little one shook me awake after finding out that her brother was gone when she woke up.


    While yawning, I coaxed, ¡°Audrey, go and y with your brother. Let me sleep for a while¡­¡± I trailed off


    and fell back asleep.


    Still, Audrey was relentless. ¡°Mommy, I want you to help me get changed. Aunt Emma told me you


    would teach me how to wear my clothes after youe back. Mommy¡­¡±


    Yet, my mind was too groggy to even bother with the little girl¡¯s request. Feeling sleepy, I pretended to


    have heard nothing.


    In fact, Audrey should me her father for my sleepiness. My mind ran wild the entire night after the


    man teased me. In the end, I only managed to fall asleep after much tossing and turning in bed.


    Audrey was still trying to wake me up while I grumbled to myself about Ashton. Just then, the man¡¯s


    familiar voice rang out, ¡°You sleepyhead.¡±


    Oh, speak of the devil, here he is.


    ¡°Daddy!¡± Audrey was obsessed with her father. The moment she heard Ashton¡¯s voice, she threw me


    at the back of her mind and hopped into the man¡¯s arms. After giving Ashton a morning kiss, she


    exined herself, ¡°I¡¯m not a sleepyhead. I have woken up early today. Mommy is the sleepyhead!¡± I¡¯m


    sorry, mommy.


    For a while, Ashton remained silent before he spoke up, ¡°Mommy didn¡¯t sleep well because the bed is


    too small. We¡¯ll buy arger bed so I can sleep with you guys. That way, your mommy won¡¯t oversleep


    again.¡±


    ¡°Alright, daddy!¡± Audrey pped her hands in joy.


    As for me, I was still mulling over Ashton¡¯s words. Arger bed? It will take me forever to wake up if we


    get arger bed. Hmph! This man is shameless lying to a kid.


    Just then, a thought suddenly hit me. I pulled the nket off and sat bolt upright. My eyes widened as I


    looked at the man standing by the bed. ¡°You must be kidding, right?¡±


    I know what this man is up to. He is getting arger bed to satisfy his desire!


    The thought of it made my face flush. Instantly, I was wide awake.


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    Narrowing his eyes, the man stered a skin-deep smile on his face. ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m kidding?¡±


    He cast his eyes downward and smirked. Soon after, he carried Audrey out of the bedroom.


    After they left, I looked down and saw the silk camisole that I was wearing. That was when I realized


    the man was looking downblouse at my breasts just now.


    I took a deep breath and pulled the nket over my head, feeling embarrassed and angry at the same


    time. Ugh! That outrageous flirt!


    The father and daughter¡¯s teasing had chased my sleepiness away. I got out of bed and washed up.


    Later, I went downstairs to find that they were all seated at the dining table.


    Perhaps because I was feeling guilty, I felt that the man was constantly ncing at me.


    asionally, I stole nces at Ashton while eating my oatmeal to observe his reaction. Is he really


    going to get arger bed so that the whole family can sleep together?


    This man¡¯s self-control is a joke. What if the kids see us kissing and cuddling?


    I must think of a way to discourage him.


    This man is amenable to coaxing but not coercion. Perhaps I should reward him with what he always


    wanted to make him drop the idea of getting arger bed.


    At that point, I nodded in affirmation to myself.


    I shot a look at Ashton, trying to get his attention. Yet, the man gave his undivided attention to Audrey


    throughout the meal. I grew anxious when he totally didn¡¯t notice my ardent gaze.

 Chapter 1514

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1514


    Since home delivery was fast and convenient in this day and age, I was worried that the bed would


    arrive at our doorsteps even before I got to dissuade Ashton.


    By that time, I would have no choice but to sleep in the same bed with him.


    As my mind wandered off, I didn¡¯t notice that John had called me several times.


    Thetter raised his voice as he called out, ¡°Letty, yoo-hoo! What¡¯s in your mind?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± John¡¯s voice brought me back to my senses. ¡°What were you saying?¡±


    With his brows knitted, John shot daggers at Ashton, casting me at him for my absent-mindedness.


    ¡°You never for once asked about Letty when she went missing for the past six years. Once she came


    back, you exhausted her in bed. Can¡¯t you take care of her body and take it easy? You should be more


    considerate to her and control your desire. If anything happens to her, I will make you pay!¡±


    Meanwhile, Ashton had paused eating while listening to John. He remained calm and impassive all the


    while.


    I cast my gaze at him and then at John, realizing that thetter had misunderstood us. With my cheeks


    burning, I called out, ¡°John! Don¡¯t talk nonsense in front of the kids!¡±


    John gave me a sidelong nce without saying a word. Though, the helplessness on his face showed


    that he was unconvinced and that he was not talking nonsense.


    Just then, Ashton gave his words in a low voice, ¡°I will try.¡±


    Did he say he will try? I drew a sharp breath and turned to look at Ashton. I was right! This man is still


    thinking of sleeping with me!


    Since Ashton had always antagonized John, it was rare for him to give promise, in which it sessfully


    cated thetter. Soon, the two of them stopped talking and focus on their meals.


    Feeling guilty, I lowered my head and decided to let the matter go.


    After breakfast, we sent Gregory to school before heading to Nathaniel¡¯s art gallery, bringing Audrey


    along with us.


    When we reached a crossroad, Tiffany¡¯s car cut us off and blocked our way.


    A group of men in ck suits got out of the extended SUV after Tiffany and surrounded our car.


    Tiffany¡¯s attitude did a one-eighty whenpared to yesterday.


    She must be up to something, or she wouldn¡¯t show up in front of us again when it was only one day


    since she took over thepany.


    She made her way to our car and knocked on the rear car window.


    It seemed like she had gotten familiar with Ashton¡¯s habit during the past six years, for she knew


    exactly where Ashton was sitting.


    After a while, Ashton rolled down the car window. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± he asked impassively.


    Tiffany peered into the car but said nothing when she saw Audrey and me. The next moment, she cut


    to the chase by saying, ¡°Ashton, you haven¡¯t told the assistant of the password of thepany¡¯s safe.¡±


    ¡°The password?¡± Ashton thought for a while. Then, he looked up at Tiffany with an innocent expression.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember it.¡±


    Hearing that, Tiffany was dazed. ¡°You don¡¯t remember?¡±


    Without missing a beat, Ashton replied, ¡°Didn¡¯t the assistant tell you? I got into an ident a few days


    ago, and I don¡¯t remember anything when I woke up.¡±


    Unconvinced, Tiffany said jokingly, ¡°Ashton, I won¡¯t force you if you¡¯re unwilling to tell me the password.


    After all, thepany will be yours eventually. I¡¯m only taking up your position for the time being, and I


    wish to do my best while I¡¯m in office. Just say it frankly if you have any concerns. You don¡¯t need to


    come up with this kind of joke to brush me off.¡±


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Hearing that, Ashton¡¯s gaze turned icy. ¡°You think I¡¯m lying to you?¡± The anger in his voice was evident.


    Sitting next to him, I could easily sense the man¡¯s overbearing aura.


    Tiffany grew impatient with Ashton since she had almost died at thetter¡¯s hands before. She


    retreated a few steps before suggesting, ¡°Ashton, you¡¯ve misunderstood me. Actually, I knew a doctor


    who is experienced with patients who suffer memory loss. Why don¡¯t I make an appointment for you?

 Chapter 1515

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1515


    So, Tiffany wants to help Ashton recover his memory? I find it hard to believe that the Halls would be so


    kind to Ashton.


    Ashton was not interested at all in epting Tiffany¡¯s ¡°kindness¡±. He retrieved his gaze and said


    perfunctorily, ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±


    After a short pause, he raised his voice as he warned, ¡°What, are you not going to let me go if I don¡¯t


    agree?¡±


    Anyone who knew Ashton could tell from his serious tone that he was annoyed, and things could get


    really bad if he got mad.


    Although Tiffany was unwilling to give in, she couldn¡¯t tell if Ashton was telling the truth about his


    memory loss. As reluctant as she was, she ordered her bodyguards harshly, ¡°What are you still looking


    at? Move the car!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ms. Hall.¡±


    In no time, her bodyguards moved the car aside and made way for our car.


    Joseph stomped on the elerator and drove past them.


    When Tiffany and her bodyguards were no longer in sight, John gave rare praise to Ashton, ¡°Ashton,


    you have dealt with the matter well.¡±


    Ashton didn¡¯t say anything, and his expression was imprable.


    Indeed, Ashton had brushed Tiffany off. However, that didn¡¯t mean it would deter the Hall family. For


    the benefit of their business, the Halls mighte up with other ns to force him into receiving


    treatment for his memory recovery.


    We¡¯d better get rid of them as soon as possible so they would no longer pose a threat. After all, it was


    easy to dodge a spear thrust in the open, but it was hard to guard against an arrow shot in the hiding.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    With that in mind, I patted consolingly on Ashton¡¯s hand.


    Upon my touch, the man turned to face me. I shed him a reassuring smile, conveying that the whole


    family would be there for him.


    Ashton¡¯s expression softened as he nodded and held my hand in his.


    John didn¡¯t fail to notice our holding hands from the rearview mirror. With a hint of jealousy in his voice,


    he teased, ¡°Audrey, did you sense a funny smell?¡±


    Hearing that, Audrey started sniffing in the car, yet she smelled nothing. With her brows knotted, he


    asked curiously, ¡°No. Uncle John, I smell nothing.¡±


    ¡°How could you not have sensed it?¡± John looked at Audrey through the rearview mirror while saying


    sarcastically, ¡°Smell your daddy and mommy. They are giving out the distinct odor of love.¡±


    Audrey cast her eyes at both Ashton and me. Still, she couldn¡¯t seem to sense the funny smell that her


    uncle was talking about. The poor little girl scratched her head in confusion.


    I caressed her head while exining, ¡°Your uncle John was kidding with you. There¡¯s no funny smell.¡±


    ¡°Uncle John is a liar!¡± Frustrated, Audrey kicked her legs. She then pointed at the passenger seat while


    saying usingly, ¡°You¡¯re bad. I¡¯m going to tell Aunt Emma that you bullied me.¡±


    Instantly, John panicked. He turned around to coax the little girl, ¡°If you tell your Aunt Emma, then I can


    no longer squirrel away money to buy you princess dress. Audrey, are you sure you want to sell me


    out?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Audrey pouted as she gave her uncle¡¯s words some thought. Being as clever as always, she


    started bargaining with John, ¡°Alright. I won¡¯t tell Aunt Emma about it, but you need to buy me and


    Greg new clothes.¡±


    ¡°Deal!¡± John readily agreed. Then, the two made a pinky promise.


    With heartfelt smiles on our faces, Ashton and I watched as the uncle and niece yed together.


    Nathaniel¡¯s art gallery was being set up in the Golden Vi in the suburbs. He was waiting for us at the


    entrance by the time we arrived.


    As soon as the car came to a halt, he came up to greet us, ¡°Wee!¡±


    Seeing Ashton, he greeted, ¡°Ashton, you¡¯re here too!¡±


    Ashton simply uttered a response.


    Soon after, I spoke up, ¡°Nathaniel, Audrey and her Uncle John felt bored at home, so I brought them


    along. I hope it won¡¯t cause you any inconvenience.¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡± With a pleasant smile, he said, ¡°I¡¯m d to have them here. Pleasee in.¡±


    With that, he led us into the vi.


    Apart from our car, there were about a dozen luxury cars parked some distance away. It seemed like


    we were not the only guests today.

 Chapter 1516

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1516


    As expected, the art gallery was packed with guests. We seemed to be a little out of ce, being the


    only ones who showed up with the whole family.


    Nathaniel was busy entertaining his other guests, so we decided to look around the gallery ourselves.


    The gallery adopted the Epea architectural style from thest century. Its lobby with vaulted ceiling


    introduced a historic charm to the ce. Under such an atmosphere, the oil paintings on the wall


    seemed to be veiled by a sense of mystery.


    Standing in the middle of the lobby, John fixed his eyes on the Mona Lisa¡¯s smile and gauged its


    authenticity. ¡°Do you guys think it¡¯s authentic or fake?¡±


    ¡°I suppose it¡¯s authentic,¡± I blurted out. ¡°Those who show up today are all prominent figures. Besides,


    Nathaniel is rich. I don¡¯t think he would disy a reproduction in his gallery.¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡± John asked Ashton.


    ¡°Well, it can be authentic, and it can be fake. Actually, the oil paintings themselves have no value. They


    only gain poprity and rise in value because they are much sought after. To some extent, it is an


    excellent marketing tactic by attaching the artists¡¯ feelings and life experiences to the artworks.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking you about business. I¡¯m asking you if the painting is authentic.¡± John grew serious as he


    put his hands in his pockets.


    Ashton curled his lips into a cold smile. He stooped down to pick Audrey up and then replied


    nonchntly, ¡°Well, that depends on how many people believe in its authenticity.¡±


    With that, he left with Audrey to look at the other paintings, leaving John and me behind.


    Both of us shared a look and unanimously shrugged in resignation.


    Ashton¡¯s words indeed made sense. The art industry was not as simple as it seemed. It was a high-risk


    investment, just like stone gambling and stock investment, which could make a person go bankrupt and


    became debt-ridden.


    Since Nathaniel could set up such a grand art gallery, he must be one of the few who got toy down


    the rules in the industry. Hence, it was not surprising that he could make huge profits.


    After a few minutes, the excitation when we first stepped foot in the gallery faded away. After all, we


    were not art enthusiasts.


    In the end, Ashton brought the energetic Audrey outside the vi as thetter might prefer being out in


    the nature.


    Initially, John was keeping mepany. Later, he went outside to answer a call from M Country to


    avoid disturbing the others in the gallery.


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    Soon, I grew tired after standing for a while. As I decided to find a ce to rest, Nathaniel¡¯s voice rang


    out, ¡°Scarlett, do you think this painting is portraying the ebb or flood?¡±


    I straightened up upon hearing his voice. Soon, I realized he was talking about the picture in front of


    me.


    It was a beautiful piece of art featuring the sun and breaking waves, a distant view from the seaside. At


    first nce, one couldn¡¯t really tell if they were ebb or flood tide since it resembled both.


    After thinking for a while, I answered, ¡°I think it¡¯s flood tide. This is a painting of the sea when the sea


    level rises during sunset. Although the sun still looks reddish, it is sinking below the horizon.¡±


    Nathaniel cast his eyes downward while curling his lips into a faint smile. ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s ebb tide.


    During sunrise, the seagulls fly, and the tides recede and move away from the oceanfront. One can


    imagine how magnificent such a scene is. When we take a step back and make a concession in life, we


    can get a wider field of view of the peaceful scenery.¡±


    It was not surprising that Nathaniel could make an innuendo with a random oil painting. After all, he


    was a guileful one who had been hatching a plot for all these years.


    So, does he mean he wanted to make peace with us?


    Just as Nathaniel finished saying that, John was back. The two nodded at each other.


    With a troubled expression, John brought me a piece of news, ¡°Uncle Louis is back in the country with


    Zachary and Cameron.¡±


    Feeling confused, I asked, ¡°Why did they suddenlye back? They¡¯re not young anymore. How could


    they stand the tedious journey? Why didn¡¯t you dissuade them from flying?¡±

 Chapter 1517

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1517


    With that, I observed Nathaniel¡¯s reaction from the corner of my eye and as expected, he took the bait.


    Nathaniel joined in the conversation with a smile. ¡°You mean my inws will be returning to the


    country? That¡¯s great. I haven¡¯t seen them in years. When will they arrive? I¡¯ll arrange for both families


    to have a feast together.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary,¡± John refused tly, making no effort to conceal his animosity. ¡°After Ashton and


    Gregory follow us back to M Country, there is no reason for both families to keep in touch, so drop the


    act.¡±


    Although I had expected this, I still inhaled sharply when those words left John¡¯s lips.


    John was always hostile toward anyone who wasn¡¯t family. After such a strong refusal, the atmosphere


    abruptly turned tense. Even the guests around started casting curious nces at us, probably


    concerned about Nathaniel since he was the host of this art exhibition.


    On the contrary, Nathaniel was much calmer than the onlookers.


    Despite being publicly humiliated by John, he smiled broadly and replied, ¡°My apologies. That was rude


    of me. Indeed, you¡¯re straightforward in a refreshing way and I admire you for that, John. But as the


    younger generation, it¡¯s necessary for me to y host as a show of respect, so I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to


    insist. When the elders have settled down, I¡¯ll personally visit to extend my invitation.¡±


    Without waiting for a response, he looked past John and nodded in greeting to someone behind.


    ¡°Sorry, a few friends of mine have arrived. Please excuse me.¡±


    Subsequently, he strode toward the guests by the entrance and smoothly started a cordial conversation


    with them.


    John stuffed both hands into his trouser pockets and stared after him. After a while, he said frostily,


    ¡°Just look at him. He¡¯s the perfect definition of a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing. Who could¡¯ve guessed that


    he¡¯s a scumbag who¡¯d resort to underhanded means all to achieve his goal?¡±


    I didn¡¯t answer but steered the topic away instead. ¡°Is everything in ce?¡±


    John was momentarily stunned, then snapped back to his senses and nced at me. When a waiter


    passed by, he reached out to grab a ss of champagne. After taking a sip, he repliednguidly, ¡°Don¡¯t


    worry. If that guy found out, he wouldn¡¯t be behaving like this right now.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± I nodded. Although it was a foolproof n, it involved the safety of our elders, so I still felt


    uneasy about it.


    I felt a pang in my heart. They should be living their retired lives in peace, but instead, they had to


    travel across the sea for us.


    But for the sake of the bigger picture and everyone¡¯s safety in the long run, we had no choice but to


    take this risk.


    About ten minutester, Ashton came back with Audrey and asked as soon as he came to a stop


    beside me, ¡°Did any of the works capture your interest?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    ¡°Huh?¡± I was bewildered. Aren¡¯t we only here as a formality? Do we have to spend?


    Ashton ignored my confusion and turned to look at the painting of a sunset by the beach next to him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take this one.¡±


    Before I could respond, he turned back to me and said matter-of-factly, ¡°I like it. Buy it for me, Honey.¡±


    Not ustomed to this, I blinked dumbly as a shiver ran down my spine.


    John immediately gave an exaggerated shudder and snickered. ¡°You¡¯re giving me goosebumps all


    over. Please be mindful of your behavior in public.¡±


    Ashton shot him a t stare, then held his palm out to me. ¡°I need money, Honey.¡±


    This form of address was really getting to me. Afraid that we would draw unwanted attention to


    ourselves, I swiftly took out a credit card from my bag and handed it to him.


    This card was given to me by John back at the hotel and was said to be without credit limits. However, I


    had never used it, so I wasn¡¯t sure if it could be paying for such a famous and priceless piece of art.


    Ashton didn¡¯t seem to care. After taking the card, he walked toward the staff a short distance away who


    was in charge of recording the sales and purchases of the works, signaling that he wanted to buy the


    sunset by the sea painting.


    The process was rather smooth. The transaction wasplete after he signed the sales contract and


    swiped the card. Later on, the painting would be sent to the house.

 Chapter 1518

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1518


    After making the payment, Ashton returned the card to me and expressed his intention to leave.


    As Nathaniel was upied by guests trying to tter him, Ashton took the opportunity to lead us out


    through the side door.


    The moment Audrey was buckled up inside the car, Nathaniel rushed over and called out, ¡°Ashton,


    Scarlett, wait.¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Ashton turned around and asked ndly.


    Nathaniel smiled faintly and shifted sideways to allow the assistant behind him to step forward and


    present the oil painting that was already wrapped in kraft paper.


    ¡°My staff are inexperienced. Since you like this painting, just take it with you. You don¡¯t need to pay a


    single cent. I¡¯ll arrange someone to follow behind your car and deliver the painting to your house, then


    find a suitable spot to frame it up.¡±


    Having said that, one of the assistants brought a cheque forward and respectfully handed it to Ashton


    with both hands.


    There was nothing odd about bestowing gifts to your own family. In fact, it could strengthen the bond


    between them, but there was no such bond between us and Nathaniel, to begin with.


    Ashton stared unblinkingly at him and parted his lips slightly. ¡°Even brothers need to keep family and


    business separate. Besides, I don¡¯t like taking advantage of others.¡±


    After that, he swiveled around and got into the car, taking the seat next to Audrey without once looking


    back. John replicated his actions, pulling open the front passenger door and sliding in. Hence, the


    atmosphere turned rather awkward.


    I was left with no choice but to patiently lighten the situation. ¡°They don¡¯t have anything against you. It¡¯s


    just how they are. Don¡¯t take it to heart, Nathaniel.¡±


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    ¡°Of course.¡± Nathaniel didn¡¯t seem angry at all. Then, he changed the topic. ¡°Anyway, make sure


    Ashton enjoys his vacation. I¡¯ll see him at thepany.¡±


    At the mention of thepany, my expression froze slightly, but seeing that he had no intention to


    continue speaking, I pursed my lips into a smile and boarded the car.


    Even after the car roared to life, Nathaniel¡¯s smile did not falter as he stood in ce and saw us off.


    However, it was a superficial smile that concealed his scheming ways.


    After the car drove a distance away, Ashton¡¯s voice filled the car. ¡°What did Nathaniel say to you just


    now?¡±


    I was coincidently trying to figure out the deeper meaning in Nathaniel¡¯s words. A brief pauseter, I


    ryed, ¡°He said to return to thepany after your vacation is over.¡±


    John interjected from the front seat, ¡°He didn¡¯t evene forward to stop you from resigning before.


    Then he visitedte at night, but it was about his own art exhibition. He didn¡¯t show any concern for the


    company, but look, he¡¯s finally showing his true colors.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t deliberately making a jab at Nathaniel, but his actions in the past two days were too phony.


    One second he pretended to be unconcerned about the grudges between the Hall family and Ashton,


    and the next, he was making insinuations through the oil painting and the art exhibition. Unbeknownst


    to him, it was all merely a clown act to us.


    Ashton didn¡¯t disy much of a reaction. He only lowered his gaze, as though immersed deep in


    thought.


    His subtle mannerisms were all too familiar to me. I could tell at a nce that he was already


    formting a n in his mind. But as usual, he would keep everything to himself and carry the n out


    in secret. In the end, we would only get to know the oue and not the process.


    This seemed to be a habit he had developed when he dedicated his life to avenging his parents over


    twenty years ago. After falling in love, he gradually changed his ways, but after experiencing amnesia


    and breaking out of the hypnosis ced on him, his temper and habits spiraled out of control and


    everything went back to square one.


    But I knew that change couldn¡¯t be rushed. Reaching out to gently nudge his arm, I took the initiative to


    ask, ¡°What have you thought of?¡±


    Ashton turned his head to look at me as surprise shed across his eyes, but it vanished as soon as it


    appeared. In a calm voice, he exined, ¡°Let¡¯s see it to the end. Since Nathaniel is so keen on


    bing a sessful hunter, then let¡¯s work even harder to y the role of a trapped prey and return


    to thepany because we¡¯re left with no choice.¡±


    His thoughts coincided with mine. It seemed like the hypnosis didn¡¯t cause him to lose the tacit


    understanding he shared with me for more than a decade.


    I failed to stifle the smile on my face and slid my hand toward Ashton¡¯s to intece our fingers.


    ¡°Oh God, save me.¡± Upon noticing this from the front passenger seat, John held his forehead in agony.


    ¡°Please get me away from this ce this instant. I¡¯m going to die from all this public disy of


    affection.¡±

 Chapter 1519

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1519


    At her age, Audrey couldn¡¯t understand her uncle¡¯s joke. Tilting her head, she asked with concern,


    ¡°Uncle John, are you not feeling well? Me too. Just follow me, Uncle John!¡± She proceeded to


    demonstrate a breathing exercise. ¡°Breathe out all the bad energy and you¡¯ll be as good as new!¡±


    Due to my previous experience with Summer, I was worried that Audrey hade down with some


    sort of illness. ¡°Are you not feeling well, Audrey? Tell me where it hurts,¡± I asked anxiously.


    Audrey shook her head first and peered at me innocently. ¡°No. I just don¡¯t like the smell of that man¡¯s


    ce.¡±


    I immediately realized that she was talking about Nathaniel¡¯s art gallery. Indeed, oil paint gave off an


    unusual smell, but it was already much better after drying up. The paintings had also undergone


    special care and maintenance. Hence, the smell usually wouldn¡¯t affect its viewers. I never expected


    Audrey¡¯s nose to be so sensitive.


    No wonder Ashton brought her outside within a few minutes of exploring the gallery. He probably


    noticed Audrey¡¯s difort.


    My eyes snapped to Ashton, to which he calmly exined, ¡°She¡¯s allergic to oil paint, but she didn¡¯t


    come in direct contact with it, so she¡¯s fine.¡±


    I was taken aback for a moment, not expecting him to be so attentive when it came to matters


    regarding our child.


    But in the next second, I noticed that something didn¡¯t add up. If Audrey is allergic, then why did he buy


    that painting?


    As if reading my mind, Ashton added, ¡°I would never spend my wife¡¯s money if it wasn¡¯t for a good


    reason. You¡¯ll understand when we get back.¡±


    Since he put it this way and Audrey was fine, I didn¡¯t inquire further.


    Immediately afterward, Ashton instructed Joseph, ¡°Head to The Jade first. We¡¯ll go back after eating.¡±


    Audrey absolutely loved food. Thus, she immediately bubbled with excitement. ¡°Yay! I wanna eat lots


    and lots of cakes!¡±


    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    At the mention of cakes, she turned to look at me with puppy dog eyes. ¡°Mommy, does that mean Greg


    has to eat alone?¡±


    It was just a meal. It was good for boys to learn to be independent from a young age. Besides, the


    school wasn¡¯t on the way.


    Just as I was about to exin to Audrey, Ashton stated his decision, ¡°Pick Gregory up from school


    first.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Daddy! You¡¯re the best! Love you!¡± Audrey pped her hands with joy.


    After passing an intersection, Joseph replied, ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Then, he swiftly switched to anotherne and


    drove in the direction of Gregory¡¯s school.


    ncing at Ashton again, I noticed the gentle look on his face that was bordering on fatuous. Needless


    to say, this look was only reserved for his precious daughter.


    Never before had he shown such unconditional indulgence to anyone, not even me.


    Indeed, this was the magical bond of blood ties. A daughter would always be the apple of her father¡¯s


    eye.


    Thinking about this, I couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly despondent.


    John told me before that Summer recovered very well under Jared¡¯s care. Because of her great


    aptitude for mathematics, she was epted into a program for gifted children in a well-known


    university in M Country and Jared had constantly stayed by her side to take care of her.


    Although she was a genius in her own right, she was still a teenager after all. Without the warmth of her


    family, she undoubtedly missed out on many happy moments.


    I had been absent for six years of her life. At present, the crisis was still unresolved. I didn¡¯t know when


    I could finally be a part of her life again. At the thought of this, I struggled to breathe through the pain of


    failing Macy.


    I could only hope that Ashton was right and Jared had truly turned over a new leaf.


    If he was merely bidding his time to exact revenge, she wouldn¡¯t be able to handle that kind of betrayal.


    ¡­


    An hourter, we arrived at The Jade.


    Emery seemed to be expecting us as she was already waiting by the entrance when we got there. As


    soon as Audrey hopped out of the car, Emery walked forward with a wide smile and reached out to hug


    her. ¡°You¡¯re finally here. Come, give me a hug!¡±


    Audrey frequently spoke to Emery on video calls, so they weren¡¯t strangers to each other. Hence, she


    allowed her aunt to hug her.


    After greeting everyone, she turned around and led us in.


    Getting too carried away often resulted in idents. When we passed through the lobby, a waiter


    happened to be escorting some guests away. Emery was so focused on talking to Audrey that she


    almost ran into them.


    Luckily, Ashton had quick reflexes, stepping forward at lightning speed to block the simrly oblivious


    waiter. Only then did I release a breath of relief.

 Chapter 1520

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1520


    The waiter was shocked when he saw Ashton¡¯s face and apologized profusely. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Mr. Fuller


    and Ms. Moore. I didn¡¯t see where I was going. Are the two of you alright?¡±


    Emery only realized the situation after a beat and immediately chided the waiter with a stern


    expression. ¡°Didn¡¯t the manager make sure that you passed basic training? If you run into a guest, can


    you afford to bear the consequences?¡±


    This was her own business after all and there were still guests waiting beside them. Hence, Emery held


    back her anger and said, ¡°Alright, send our guests off first, then bring a good bottle of wine overter.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll go right away!¡± The waiter didn¡¯t dare to meet Ashton¡¯s gaze at all, lowering his head while he


    spoke and hastily leading the guests away.


    Ashton stood there with a face devoid of expression, but the moment the waiter left with the guests, he


    lifted his hand to dust off the spot he was bumped into.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    I initially thought he wouldn¡¯t pursue this matter, but Emery frowned and immediately called over the


    front desk manager.


    ¡°Transfer the employee from just now to logistics. He¡¯s not allowed toe to the lobby anymore.¡±


    Of course, the manager didn¡¯t care much about a small fry¡¯s welfare. He quickly nodded and bowed


    respectfully. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll arrange it right away.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Emery nodded. Seeing that Ashton gave no reaction, she decided to leave things at that.


    Only then did I realize that Ashton was seething in silence, waiting for Emery to suggest a solution.


    After all, The Jade belonged to her.


    The oue was already considered merciful. If it were in the past, that waiter¡¯s fate would be much


    worse.


    I guess this was the life of an insignificant person. If he failed to do what was required of him, he didn¡¯t


    deserve his position and could only face the consequences. Not to mention, the one he offended was a


    somewhat paranoid perfectionist such as Ashton.


    Subsequently, the manager guided us further in.


    We walked along a hallway and reached a private room. Emery stepped aside to give way to us.


    Baffled, I linked arms with Ashton and walked into the room. Upon seeing the people inside, I stood


    paralyzed to the spot.


    The girl at the table was wearing a student uniform with her hair swept in a high ponytail and her head


    already reached the shoulder of the man beside her. There was ayer of mist in her eyes, but I could


    see that she had blossomed into a graceful youngdy.


    At that moment, I thought I was seeing Macy standing there while smiling at me with joy.


    Pressure built behind my nose as tears stung my eyes. I subconsciously let go of Ashton¡¯s arm and


    shuffled closer to that familiar figure. ¡°Macy?¡±


    ¡°Mommy¡­¡±


    The girl¡¯s clear voice reminded me of the sound of bells. Perhaps it had been too long, but I couldn¡¯t


    seem to recall Macy¡¯s voice. At that moment, I only felt like I was meeting someone I knew a lifetime


    ago.


    Dazed, I slowed in my footsteps.


    However, the girl couldn¡¯t seem to wait anymore, running toward me with tears in her eyes. Before I


    could react, I was already enveloped in a warm embrace.


    ¡°Mommy, I missed you so much!¡±


    I finally snapped out of my daze. This girl wasn¡¯t Macy; she was Summer.


    She looked so much like her mother that I found it inconceivable.


    I slowly hugged her back and parted my lips to exhale a long breath, holding down the urge to cry.


    Then, I patted her on the back and whispered, ¡°Thank God you¡¯re alright. Thank God¡­¡±


    Many times, when missing her kept me up throughout the night, I would think about all the things I


    wanted to say to her. However, I found myself bereft of speech upon finally seeing her again. Instead,


    all those words seemed to be channeled into my actions and the silent tears rolling down my cheeks.


    At that moment, it seemed like nothing I said would be enough to alleviate the pain that came with six


    years of separation.


    After what seemed like an eternity, a deep male voice broke through the silence.


    ¡°Let¡¯s sit down first and talk.¡±


    Following the source of the voice, it took me two seconds to recognize the man as Jared.


    He kept the same hairstyle he had six years ago. Genuine warmth and humility shone in his slightly


    squinted eyes. The only difference was that the strands of hair curled at his temples were already


    white, making the dark stubble on his chin look a bit fake.


    Perhaps it was.


    Time was enough to resolve all grudges.


    I could no longer remember which great man said this, but when our eyes met, it felt like many things


    from the past had faded away. We nodded to each other in greeting, but we both knew who it was


    really for.

 Chapter 1521

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1521


    After taking our seats, Summer exined that Ashton was the one who arranged for them to return to


    the country. They had originally nned toe back with the elders, but due to having other ns,


    they arrived earlier but Ashton didn¡¯t tell me because he wanted to give me a surprise.


    I had to admit, he achieved his goal.


    I wanted to thank him properly, but Summer clung to me and prattled on, ¡°Mommy, do you know? I feel


    like I¡¯m the happiest person in the world now. Mr. Cress said that you were sick like me too and went to


    a ce where no one could find you. Dad couldn¡¯t handle your departure, that¡¯s why he left us. I was


    sad for a very long time but believed that you¡¯de back someday. And now you have! I knew that


    you would never abandon Audrey and me.¡±


    As Summer spoke, she clung to me like she used to when she was younger, making her look like an


    overgrown child.


    My lips curved into a smile and I gently rubbed the crown of her head with mixed emotions in my heart.


    Perhaps to Summer, the ¡°truth¡± that everyone so carefully maintained around her had be the best


    part of her life.


    As long as the lie was built out of love and belief, it could protect a child¡¯s growth.


    It had been six years since Summer and Gregory saw each other. She had grown up into a cheerful


    person and was especially fond of her quiet and elegant little brother, constantly teasing him when she


    got the chance.


    It seemed like absence indeed made the heart grow fonder because upon entering the private room,


    Audrey had hung around Summer andpletely ignored Ashton.


    As a result, the table was divided. My side was a lively long-lost reunion, while John and Ashton¡¯s was


    quiet and lonely.


    Summer¡¯s attention was fully focused on Gregory. ¡°Hey Greg, do you remember me? I¡¯m Summer.


    Your big sister.¡±


    Gregory shook his head. ¡°No, but I¡¯ll remember from now on.¡±


    Audrey cut in right then with an expectant look on her face. ¡°Summer, did you miss me?¡±


    ¡°Of course I did! I thought about you every single morning when I woke up,¡± Summer answered without


    missing a beat, then pinched Audrey¡¯s chubby cheek before turning back to tease Gregory. ¡°Greg,


    you¡¯re so cute. I¡¯m sure there are plenty of girls who give you love letters in school, huh? How many


    have you received? Tell me, hmm?¡±


    Gregory fell silent for a moment before speaking. ¡°I don¡¯t like girls.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Summer grew up in an open-minded environment after all. Hence, she smirked and continued


    probing, ¡°Do you mean you like boys, then?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Gregory immediately denied. ¡°Children are too noisy. I don¡¯t like all of them.¡±


    Summer¡¯s reaction was exactly the same as mine back then. She froze for a moment as astonishment


    shed across her face. Then, amusement filled her eyes, probably thinking that she had


    underestimated this six-year-old brother of hers.


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    Gregory wasn¡¯t insulted by Summer¡¯s expression, but perhaps it was to take care of his feelings,


    Summer stopped interrogating him. During the meal, she made sure to treat Audrey and Gregory


    equally.


    Although Gregory didn¡¯t disy any particr affection, I knew that it was only because he wasn¡¯t used


    to being the one who needed protection.


    This boy resembled Ashton in this regard. Due to his pride, it would take him some time to adapt to this


    sudden change of roles.


    I didn¡¯t eat much during the meal, but it wasn¡¯t because I didn¡¯t have an appetite. Instead, looking at


    Summer just filled every cell in my body with so much happiness.


    She had be such a radiant and kind girl who effortlessly took care of other people¡¯s feelings. It


    seemed like she had inherited at least half of Macy¡¯s genes. Every time I stared a second too long, I


    would mistake her as Macy and feel like she was beside me again. Subsequently, I would take a few


    extra nces at her, whichpletely distracted me from the delicious food spread out on the table.


    We stayed at The Jade until three in the afternoon before finally leaving.


    It was rare for the whole family to gather. Hence, I was more than eager to return home and spend the


    rest of the day enjoying life as a family.


    However, after getting into the car, Ashton took the liberty of changing our schedule. ¡°Go to thergest


    shopping mall in the city.¡±

 Chapter 1522

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1522


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we going home?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No.¡± Ashton borated with a neutral expression, ¡°Let Summer and Audrey shop for new clothes.


    Children enjoy the process of selecting clothes in malls.¡±


    Finding his words reasonable, I didn¡¯t object and went to the mall with them.


    Audrey was the happiest one. As soon as we entered a high-end clothing store, she tugged John along


    with her and expertly maneuvered her way to the princess section, wanting to try on every dress there.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Ashton followed behind silently and exined in a justified manner, ¡°I just don¡¯t trust John¡¯s fashion


    sense.¡±


    He¡¯s obviously jealous.


    No one exposed him despite it being clear as day. With knowing smiles on our faces, we watched the


    three of them walk further in.


    Come to think of it, I was quite rusty in selecting clothes. Being brought her so abruptly and without


    Ashton by my side, I lost my confidence. Thest time I picked clothes for Summer was six years ago,


    and a lot could change in that amount of time. Would my taste still suit hers?


    While I was doubting myself, someone linked arms with me. Turning around, I saw that it was Summer.


    As she leaned against me affectionately, she set her sights on the women¡¯s clothing section a distance


    away. ¡°Mommy, let¡¯s go over there. I saw something I like.¡±


    I breathed a sigh of relief and walked over arm in arm.


    Meanwhile, Jared and Joseph watched us from afar. At first nce, one would think that they were


    mannequins. Hence, the two of them drew quite a lot of attention.


    Summer had good taste. The two outfits she casually threw on entuated the vibrancy of a girl her


    age.


    While waiting for her to try more clothes, I tried choosing a modest one for her.


    Right then, I noticed that Gregory was in low spirits.


    I spected that he was probably upset because he felt left out, so I asked gently, ¡°Gregory, boys must


    be more tolerant when ites to girls. Once your sister is done, I¡¯ll apany you to buy some


    clothes, okay?¡±


    Gregory¡¯s face showed no emotion when he raised his gaze to me and shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s okay,


    Mommy. My clothes are custom-made and will be regrly delivered to our house. My wardrobe is


    already full of clothes. I don¡¯t need new ones.¡±


    Although his tone was neutral, I still sensed the subtle change in him.


    Arching my lips into a smile, I caressed his hair and said, ¡°I need to use the washroom. Apany


    your sister here and don¡¯t go anywhere. Can you do that?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Gregory affirmed and he subconsciously straightened his body and snapped his feet together,


    looking like a miniature soldier.


    Ashton was probably the one who trained him to do this.


    This boy had been with him for six years and developed well in all aspects except emotionally. Just like


    his father, he kept everything in his heart.


    Feeling reassured by the confident gleam in his eyes, I got up and left.


    When I passed by the girl¡¯s clothing area, I discovered Ashton and John in a stand-off with each other.


    ¡°¡­Listen to me, Audrey. This princess dress suits you the best. You¡¯ll be the prettiest princess


    after putting it on,¡± John persuaded.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing special about it, but this one is different. It¡¯s low profile and modest, which highlights a


    little girl¡¯s innocence. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to take Daddy¡¯s advice, Audrey?¡±


    Goodness gracious. Two grown mening together to make life difficult for a six-year-old child?


    I was about to go in and rescue Audrey, but in the next second, I realized that I was worrying over


    nothing.


    ¡°You should just focus on taking care of your son. What do you know about what little girl like?¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, you only have a son. Do you think you have more experience than someone who


    has a daughter?¡±


    ¡°Stop!¡± Audrey¡¯s shrill voice halted their verbal war. She stepped forward to grab the dress in John¡¯s


    hand, then turned around to grab the attire Ashton selected for her. With a disapproving yet cute frown


    on her face, she chided, ¡°Stop fighting. I like both Uncle John and Daddy, so the two of you must


    behave. Aunt Emma said that we¡¯re not supposed to speak loudly in public!¡±


    Ashton and John exchanged nces and instantly mped their mouths shut.


    Audrey looked at the two of them and nodded with satisfaction. ¡°That¡¯s better. I¡¯m going to try these on


    now. Wait here for me, okay?¡± she drew out her question as though she was the adult and they were


    the children.


    ¡°Okay,¡± they answered in unison.

 Chapter 1523

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1523


    Audrey hugged the clothes to her chest and entered the fitting room.


    As soon as she left, Ashton and John shot each other withering res, then turned to face different


    directions.


    I was greatly amused by this scene. Indeed, everyone had an Achilles¡¯ heel.


    After staying to make sure war wasn¡¯t about to break out again, I spun on my heels and walked toward


    my target destination.


    When women shopped, we always struggled with indecision, and it was this syndrome that profited


    many luxury brands. Faced with two sets of clothing with styles that were both to my liking, I made the


    mistake most women made.


    Something that obviously could have been solved in one minute, I used nearly ten minutes. In the end,


    I decided to just grab both sets.


    When I went back to the others, everyone was standing by Audrey¡¯s fitting room door, discussing about


    separating ways to search for me.


    I broke into a small jog and called out, ¡°I¡¯m back, I¡¯m back.¡±


    ¡°Well, finally. For a second there I thought you lost your way,¡± John said jokingly.


    I shot him a deadpan look before bringing the clothes over to Gregory. Holding out one in each hand, I


    asked, ¡°Which one do you like?¡±


    Gregory¡¯s eyes shed with pleasant surprise, but he recovered very quickly. ncing at Ashton who


    was beside him, he shook his head and rejected, ¡°I already have a lot of clothes.¡±


    It¡¯s obvious that you like it, kiddo.


    Ignoring his protests, I stacked the clothes and stuffed them into his arms, then gently pushed him into


    the fitting room. ¡°How¡¯s that the same? These were handpicked by me. You must try them on. Be a


    good boy and go on in. I¡¯ll wait for you outside, okay?¡± I coaxed.


    With the clothes in hand, Gregory took two steps, then looked over his shoulder to gauge Ashton¡¯s


    reaction.


    I quickly stepped in between the two of them, blocking them from each others¡¯ views, and advised


    solemnly, ¡°This is between you and me, okay? You don¡¯t need anyone else¡¯s opinion. Understood?¡±


    At this, Gregory¡¯s obsidian eyes lit up. He hugged the clothes to his chest and nodded vehemently.


    ¡°Mm. Understood!¡±


    shing a smile at me, he happily entered the fitting room.


    Soon, he emerged in a white two-piece casual suit.


    Relieved, I exhaled inaudibly before stepping forward to squat down in front of Gregory, carefully


    examining every inch of his body.


    Luckily, Gregory was a miniature version of Ashton. Hence, everything looked like it was tailor-made for


    him.


    ¡°Now this is what a boy your age should look like. Usually, you either wear your school uniform, or just


    like your dad, you strut around in formal attire, which is ridiculously boring, if you ask me. From now on,


    wear the casual clothes I pick for you when you¡¯re at home, okay?¡±


    Gregory¡¯s eyes curved into crescents as he nodded happily.


    As expected, which child wouldn¡¯t look forward to receiving clothes selected by his own mother?


    I merely said those words to coax a child, but my casual remark was taken seriously by the man behind


    me.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    The next second, a cleared throat carrying a hint of warning sounded.


    Of course I knew that it was from Ashton. With my back still to him, I raised a brow but pretended not to


    hear him.


    John, however, never let go of the chance to make a dig at him. ¡°Finally, someone who has a point.¡±


    The children couldn¡¯t grasp the meaning behind his words. Hence, the topic ended there.


    After paying for the clothes, we set about our journey home.


    When the elevator came to a halt at the underground parking lot, I moved to step out but was stopped


    by Ashton.


    Audrey took two steps and realized that we weren¡¯t following, so she tugged Summer to a stop and


    asked in confusion, ¡°Mommy, aren¡¯t youing back with us?¡±


    Before I could answer, Ashton beat me to it. ¡°Wait for us in the car. Your mother left something in the


    mall. I¡¯ll go with her to get it back.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡±


    I had only managed to say two words when Ashton stepped forward to press for the elevator. Hence, I


    could only swallow back my words.

 Chapter 1524

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1524


    Only when the elevator door closed did I speak. ¡°I only brought one bag here, and it¡¯s obviously still in


    my hand. What did I leave behind?¡±


    Ashton calmly watched the increasing numbers disyed in the elevator, but as though he hadn¡¯t


    heard me, he gave no reaction.


    Hence, I followed behind him in silence. Soon, we returned to the luxury store area in the mall, but this


    time, Ashton stopped at the men¡¯s section.


    Don¡¯t tell me¡­ He wants me to buy new clothes for him just like how I did for Gregory?


    While I was still trying to figure it out, Ashton had already strode in.


    Ashton¡¯s face was like a pass for ordinary citizens to hit the jackpot in K City. As soon as he stepped


    through the entrance, a salesperson immediately guided him to the most luxurious area of the store.


    Each clothing here was designed by world-renowned fashion designers and was one of a kind.


    Of course, the price was one of a kind as well.


    After giving some rmendations, the salesperson was about to start promoting. ¡°Mr. Fuller, would


    you like our professional stylist to help you select?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary,¡± Ashton tly refused before turning to face me. ¡°You choose.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± I pointed at myself in bewilderment. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Children¡¯s clothes were matching overall, so it was quite impossible to go wrong. But Ashton was


    constantly under public scrutiny, so I wasn¡¯t confident in selecting his clothes for him.


    Ashton shoved a hand into his trouser pocket, his expression turning serious. ¡°My dear wife said that


    my clothes are ridiculously boring. To make my wife happy, of course I¡¯ll have to follow her wishes. If I


    continue wearing those boring clothes, I¡¯m worried that she¡¯d lose interest in me sooner orter. How


    can I bear for something like that to happen?¡±


    Ah, I see what this is. As usual, he¡¯s being all petty about it.


    But why did he make it sound like I¡¯m going to divorce him if he doesn¡¯t change his clothing style?


    The sales manager¡¯s eyes widened at me in shock, probably not expecting to receive two explosive


    news back to back in such a short period of time.


    I could almost imagine what she was thinking. The richest man in the city stepped off his pedestal to


    grace them with his presence and even brought the wife he married in secret with him.


    However, the customers who visited luxury stores were of high social standings, so such things were


    not all that umon. The salesperson¡¯s expression swiftly went back to normal and she started to


    tter me. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, do you need me to give you some rmendations?¡±


    Thanks to Ashton, my ¡°strong independent woman¡± and ¡°perfect¡± image couldn¡¯t be more obvious, so


    of course I would feel embarrassed if there was someone watching.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can handle it myself.¡±


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    With that, I dived straight into my task, selecting two sets of moderately casual clothes even though I


    wasn¡¯t really sure what I was doing. The clothes were of the same color tone as Gregory¡¯s, so they


    could somewhat be considered a father-son matching outfit.


    Ashton had a perfect figure, so he didn¡¯t need to try them on. After asking the salesperson to take his


    measurements, the bill was settled in a haste and I left right after.


    And why was I in such a hurry?


    It was because I was the one who paid for it!


    Although Ashton had quit his job at Fuller Corporation, he wasn¡¯t at the point where he couldn¡¯t afford


    to pay for his own clothes, but when the bill came out, he yed the dumb card. ¡°How could I have


    money? I always spend whatever amount you give me, isn¡¯t that right, Honey?¡±


    As soon as those words left his lips, not just the manager, even the staff who were getting the bill for us


    looked at me strangely. This was practically a public execution.


    From then on, I swore to never go shopping alone with this man again!


    Drawing in a deep breath to calm myself down, I forced a smile and took out John¡¯s card. ¡°Settle the


    bill.¡±


    The staff took the card and swiftly swiped it, then returned it to me with both hands. ¡°Here¡¯s your card,


    Mrs. Fuller.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡± I epted it calmly and decided to y along on a whim. Steeling myself, I reminded them, ¡°I


    assume you know where to send it?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s easy to search for Mr. Fuller¡¯s residence,¡± the manager replied with an ingratiating


    smile.


    I nodded in satisfaction and walked off without looking back, not even bothering to check if Ashton was


    following behind.


    Once I was certain that the staff could no longer see me, I quickened my pace toward the elevator.


    Pressing the button, I darted in the moment the doors opened and inhaled sharply when they slid close.


    Phew.


    He¡¯s obviously the one who should feel embarrassed for living off his wife, but why does it feel like I¡¯m


    the social outcast?

 Chapter 1525

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1525


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel indignant.


    Right before the elevator doors closed, Ashton caught up with a gloating smile ying on his lips.


    I rolled my eyes at him and refused to speak throughout it all.


    As soon as the elevator stopped, I stepped out without hesitation, went to the car, picked Audrey up,


    and sat inside.


    ¡°Mommy, what did you leave behind?¡± Audrey asked innocently.


    Her question left me even more exasperated. I¡¯m pretty sure I left my dignity behind.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Thest thing I wanted to do was recall the reactions of those store employees. Hence, I


    hastily changed the topic. ¡°Let¡¯s go home now, okay? I¡¯m exhausted and don¡¯t have the energy to talk


    anymore.¡± I purposely inserted a whine in my tone.


    ¡°Mm, okay!¡± Audrey got down from myp and sat obediently. Mimicking the way adults spoke, she


    instructed Joseph, ¡°Mr. Campbell, you may drive now!¡±


    Ashton bent over to get into the car just in time to hear Audrey¡¯s words, casting her a wounded


    expression as he settled down in his seat, as though saying, ¡°Don¡¯t you want your father anymore?¡±


    Audrey stuck out her tongue at him and cheekily hid behind Summer, pretending to ignore him.


    At that moment, how I wished I was sitting in the same car as John. At least there, he would expose the


    ¡°true colors¡± of this sly and shameless man.


    Previously, he intentionally let Ashton believe that he was the Stovall family¡¯s live-in son-inw just for


    the fun of it, but I ended up getting the short end of the stick.


    No, I have to find a way to cure him of his unhealthy tendency of living off his wife!


    Fully absorbed ining up with a solution, I didn¡¯t realize we arrived home until after a good few


    seconds.


    After passing through the gates, I noticed several trucks parked in the yard, seemingly here to transport


    large items.


    But the workers were making their way out, so I surmised that they were already done with their work.


    The service was excellent as they made sure to avoiding when there were many people at home,


    so as to prevent idents.


    But when I returned to the bedroom on the second floor at night, every trace of happiness was wiped


    from my face.


    We were only out for a day, but Ashton¡¯s master bedroom had been expanded to double its original


    size and was currently connected to the bedroom next to his.


    Most importantly, the bed in the room was reced by an excessively enormous one. If it wasn¡¯t for the


    borate linen, one might even think that it was amunal bed stolen from a dorm.


    I stood by the door,pletely dumbfounded. Later on, when Audrey came over and saw therge


    bed, she instantly bolted in and flopped onto it with her slippers still on. ¡°Wow! There¡¯s a big, big bed!


    We can sleep with Mommy and Daddy now!¡±


    Behind me, Summer and Gregory helplessly watched the scene before them. Simr to me, they had


    grimaces on their faces.


    Audrey was probably the most innocent and ignorant one in this family, who was also easily satisfied.


    After letting her roll on the bed for a while, Summer walked up and tried to persuade her. ¡°Audrey, we


    haven¡¯t seen each other for so long. Why don¡¯t you sleep with me tonight, hmm?¡±


    But Audrey suddenly sat up from the bed and came up with a mischievous idea. ¡°Okay! Summer, Greg,


    Mommy, and Daddy will all sleep here!¡±


    Summer was nonplussed and could only sit beside the bed to reason with her. ¡°Audrey, you¡¯re a big girl


    now. You must learn to sleep on your own instead of clinging to Mom and Dad all the time,


    understand?¡±


    Audrey shook her head. ¡°But other kids get to sleep with their parents. I want that too. I like Mommy


    and Daddy. I don¡¯t wanna sleep alone¡­¡±


    Children were difficult to reason with, and were also easily hurt. As they spoke, Audrey¡¯s eyes became


    red-rimmed and her head drooped as she sobbed softly.


    Of course my heart couldn¡¯t take it when I saw this. Rushing forward, Iforted her. ¡°Alright, alright.


    You don¡¯t have to leave, okay? You can sleep here with me. You¡¯re still small, so you can sleep on your


    own when you¡¯re older. Don¡¯t cry anymore, hmm?¡±


    Audrey epted my offer immediately, sniffling before returning to being all smiles. ¡°Thank you,


    Mommy! I love you the most!¡±


    Who could have resisted thoserge, tearful eyes of hers?


    My mouth lifted into a smile. Then I told Summer to take her siblings to wash up while I, too, prepared


    for bed.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    After all, we were out for an entire day. Tired, I took a hot shower.


    Half an hourter, I opened the bathroom door and was surprised to see Ashton there. At that moment,


    he, Summer, and Gregory were huddled together and talking in hushed tones, which greatly aroused


    my suspicion.

 Chapter 1526

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1526


    The memory of how he¡¯d put me on the spot at the mall resurfaced in my mind, and my expression


    soured. ¡°What are you doing here? The kids and I were just about to go to sleep.¡±


    Abruptly remembering how he¡¯d changed beds without even asking me, I quickly added, ¡°Don¡¯t think


    that there¡¯s space for you just because the bed is bigger now. You¡¯ll take up Summer¡¯s space if you


    sleep here. If you really want to be a ¡®good father¡¯, then go back to your study and sleep there!¡±


    With that, I whipped around only to meet Audrey¡¯s sad, puppy-dog stare.


    As if having expected my reaction, she sat by the bedside with watery eyes and looked ready to burst


    out into tears at any second.


    I took a deep breath to steel myself, not waiting for Ashton¡¯s response before I caved. ¡°Fine, fine. Stay


    if you want. I¡¯ll take the right side and you take the left side, and the kids will sleep in the middle. Just


    try not to get too cuddly.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    Audrey threw her hands in the air and whooped in excitement, rolling over to lie down in the middle of


    the bed. She reached out and patted the empty spots to both her sides, calling out loudly, ¡°Greg,


    Summer! Come on! Time for sleep!¡±


    Upon hearing that, Summer and Gregory both got up from the sofa and headed towards the bed.


    I¡¯d expected them to sleep right by where Audrey was telling them to and thus take up most of the


    center of the bed, separating Ashton and me.


    At first, they did exactly that, obediently taking off their shoes and crawling into bed to sleep next to


    their younger sister.


    But as soon as Iid down next to them, Summer got up and moved towards the far right side of the


    bed.


    Audrey instantly noticed this, whining and tugging on Summer¡¯s clothes. ¡°No, here! Sleep here with me!


    Summer!¡±


    Summer, likely drained and jegged, didn¡¯t budge an inch no matter what Audrey did.


    In the end, Audrey had no choice but to get up from her own position as well, stubbornly squeezing in


    between Gregory and Summer and falling asleep there.


    When I eventually opened my eyes, I instantly realized that there was now a sizeable distance between


    me and Gregory and jerked awake.


    Pushing a hand against the bed to prop myself up, I wanted to reach over to correct their sleeping


    positions before a heavy weight pressed down on my body.


    In the blink of an eye, I was suddenly trapped in Ashton¡¯s embrace.


    ¡°You¡¯re crossing the line, Ashton!¡± I struggled to break free from his arms.


    His warm, sleep-addled voice sighed into my ear, ¡°Quiet. The kids are asleep.¡±


    I nced at the kids out of the corner of my eyes. It was true; they¡¯d immediately fallen asleep and


    were even snoring lightly, but there was still a risk of waking them.


    Giving up, I whispered harshly, ¡°Don¡¯t even think about trying anything. The kids will be able to see and


    hear it all.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± He huffed.


    One of his arms let go of me, reaching behind him and fumbling around for a bit before pulling out a


    remote.


    Holding it in front of me to make sure that I could see it, he pressed arge, red button on the remote


    control.


    There was a small beep sound, and I felt the bed move under me. The mattress split into two, my side


    pulling further and further away from Gregory and the kids until I was nearly ten feet away from them.


    The surprises didn¡¯t end there. I was just about to ask Ashton what was going on when the floor in the


    gap between our beds opened up, a thick steel wall rising up from the gap. Within seconds, the


    bedroom waspletely split into two separate spaces.


    I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.


    Dear God, Ashton. Scientists and engineers didn¡¯t spend all their time designing this type of modern


    technology for you to misuse it in this way.


    He gently pushed me down onto my bed and lifted himself up to hover over me, the fire in his eyes


    burning more intensely than it had before. ¡°They won¡¯t be able to hear us now,¡± he smirked.


    As the saying goes, ¡°absence makes the heart grow fonder¡±, and he seemed determined to prove his


    fondness for me after being apart for six years.


    The sun was already high in the sky when I woke up the next day. The room had returned back to its


    originalyout, with the two beds joined together and the steel wall nowhere to be found. I was also


    dressed in my pajamas as if everything fromst night had all just been a fever dream.


    A hand massaging my sore waist, I left the bedroom and walked down a quiet hallway. I looked out of a


    window and spotted Summer in the distance, having brought her siblings out to the backyard to y.

 Chapter 1527

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1527


    The two sisters looked to be having more fun out there while Gregory and the housekeeper were hiding


    under the shade,pletely in their own little world as they fiddled with some miniatureptops like


    usual.


    Hearing amotioning from the study, I tore my gaze away and headed there.


    I stopped at the doorway. Ashton and John were acting strangely civil with one another as they stared


    intently at the painting bought from Nathaniel¡¯s art gallery yesterday.


    The painting was being disyed on an easel in the center of the study. John sat in an armchair off to


    one side, asionally sneaking interested nces at the artwork.


    Ashton, on the other hand, was standing right in front of the easel. His expression waspletely


    serious and his gaze was sharp as he reached out to feel the texture of the painting, as if he would be


    able to understand the artist¡¯s emotions that way.


    It took a while for them to notice my presence, Ashton¡¯s eyes softening in mirth when he saw me.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡± I entered the room, sitting down on a chair beside John. ¡°Why were you so insistent on buying


    this painting? What¡¯s so special about it?¡±


    I eyed John as I spoke, curious about the answer.


    ¡°We should take the chance to visit while the older rtives have returned to the country,¡± John


    randomly said instead, changing the topic. ¡°It¡¯ll be easier since everyone¡¯s in one ce; I don¡¯t have to


    run here and there.¡±


    On the surface, his words sounded like he was being considerate of other people, but I could detect a


    hint of sorrow in them.


    After all, he hadn¡¯t seen Emma in a long time. He had every right to feel frustrated.


    Ashton didn¡¯t react much, but I spoke up, ¡°I think that¡¯s a good idea. We¡¯ll do as you say.¡±


    A reunion with Emma and Drew might be just the thing to lift John¡¯s spirits and prevent any further


    friction between him and Ashton.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    As expected, my brother quickly sprang into action and grabbed his phone off the table, dialing


    someone¡¯s number as he made to leave the room. ¡°Ask your guy to exin everything to you,¡± he


    reminded me before walking out.


    Does he think Ashton doesn¡¯t deserve to be called by his name?


    I looked exasperatedly towards Ashton, who didn¡¯t seem at all perturbed. The corners of his lips


    quirked up as he helped me to my feet and led me to stand in front of the painting.


    He gently lifted my right hand and guided it to touch the surface of the canvas. The rough, uneven


    texture of the dried oil paints under my fingertips added yet anotheryer of vibrancy to the artwork.


    Perhaps it was because Icked an artistic intuition, but I couldn¡¯t feel any emotions rise within me


    even while observing the painting at such a close distance. After a short pause, I awkwardly pulled my


    hand back. ¡°I¡¯d rather you just tell me outright. I don¡¯t have any talents in art, so I have no idea what


    you¡¯re getting at.¡±


    His eyes narrowed slightly. He turned around and picked up a single banknote, mysteriously pressing it


    into my hands.


    ¡°Am I supposed to absorb some sort of power from your wealth?¡± I joked. ¡°Is this going to help open up


    my third eye or something?¡±


    ¡°Possibly,¡± he answered. ¡°Feel it thoroughly, and then maybe you¡¯ll understand the profoundness of this


    painting.¡±


    Is he pulling my leg? Without thinking twice, I crumpled up the banknote into a ball in an act of


    defiance, acting as if I was going to chuck it at him.


    But the moment my fingers properly closed around the ball of paper in my hand, a sense of deja vu


    came over me. My movements froze mid-air, and I slowly unclenched my hand to take a closer look at


    the note.


    Is this a coincidence?


    The texture of the banknote was the exact same as the texture of Nathaniel¡¯s oil painting.


    ¡°Tell me what¡¯s on your mind,¡± Ashton drawled out.


    I snapped awake from my daze, reaching out and touching the oil painting again to make sure that I


    wasn¡¯t hallucinating. ¡°Are you trying to say that the canvas used for this painting is the same paper


    used to print this note?¡±


    Anyone who had studiedw before knew that the entire process of making banknotes, from designing


    to printing to being made avable for public use, was a very strictly monitored process. No matter how


    high your position was or how much influence you had, no one was entitled to privately own the original


    material for these banknotes.

 Chapter 1528

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1528


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a total coincidence,¡± I rambled on. ¡°There¡¯s so many types of paper in the world. Maybe


    they just feel simr.¡±


    Heughed out loud. ¡°I haven¡¯t even gotten started on the many possibilities, but you¡¯re already


    jumping to Nathaniel¡¯s defense. Are you really trying to patch up our rtionship with the Hall family for


    me?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly.¡± I walked over and sat back down, cing the banknote on the desk. ¡°This is a minor


    problem; we don¡¯t need to make a mountain out of a molehill. All I want is to get our ns over and


    done with so that our family can spend the rest of our days happily. There¡¯s nothing wrong with being a


    little selfish and keeping out of other people¡¯s business as long as it doesn¡¯t involve the safety of our


    family.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just concerned that if the country is thrown into danger, it¡¯ll be hard to ensure the safety of our


    family as well,¡± he said lightly, masking any and all emotions.


    It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t understand the point of view he was speaking from. Any other person with such a


    high-ranking position like him would find it hard to stay neutral in this sort of situation, and the Fuller


    Corporation was currently the nation¡¯srgest chain of estate brands. After bing a billionaire,


    Ashton had gotten involved in an increasing number of other industries and countless deals regarding


    money. He only had so many chances to turn a blind eye.


    John soon returned, leaning against the doorway as he gave us both a meaningful stare. ¡°Hook, line,


    and sinker.¡±


    At that exact moment, Ashton¡¯s phone started ringing. It had to be Nathaniel.


    But when he picked up his phone and checked the screen, Simone¡¯s name was clearly disyed as


    the caller.


    He answered the call and put his phone on loudspeaker before casually saying, ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Ashton! How could you not inform us that your inws hade back? You¡¯re lucky your dad has


    connections and managed to get someone to go pick them up, or else they might think that we were


    being impolite! But never mind about that; hurry up and bring the kids over, and let¡¯s all have a reunion


    dinner!¡±


    There was a lot of background noiseing out from the speaker. It sounded as if the two families


    were getting along quite well.


    And with that, the call ended.


    We all exchanged confused nces with each other and at the phone.


    Had we guessed wrong? What if Nathaniel wasn¡¯t the one trying to cause us harm, but the Hall parents


    who had been watching over the whole situation since the beginning?


    Ashton quickly gave us our answer.


    He slipped the phone back in his suit jacket pocket, buttoning it back up. ¡°Using other people to do your


    bidding prevents your own hands from getting dirty.¡±


    He left the study, and John followed him out shortly after. I had no other choice but to trail behind them,


    the only one left dazed and confused.


    I had gotten into the car when the realization suddenly dawned upon me: Nathaniel had woven Mr. and


    Mrs. Hall into his scheme! What a maniptive, calctive asshole.


    What on earth does Nathaniel want?


    There was no time to wonder about that. They were all enemies, and there was no guarantee that Mr.


    and Mrs. Hall would be easier to handle than Nathaniel.


    Ashton appeared extremely calm andposed, keeping his head held high as he gripped my hand in


    his. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who we have to deal with first. Let¡¯s just be grateful that Nathaniel made the


    decision for me.¡±


    No one could have expected that a reunion after six years would turn out this way.


    At the Hall residence, everyone was sitting on the couches in the living room, casually chatting with


    each other.


    Even though I had seen them through video calls before, Cameron was still excited when sheid her


    eyes upon me. She nearly got to her feet and came over to us, but Zachary held her back, effectively


    preventing our nned ¡°emotional reunion scene¡± from happening.


    Ashton held my hand as we walked over towards them instead, bowing his head humbly. ¡°It¡¯s been a


    while, dad and mom. Uncle Louis, too.¡±


    The ¡°dad and mom¡± he was referring to was Zachary and Cameron respectively,pletely ignoring


    Nics and Simone beside them.


    I¡¯d expected an immediate conflict to ur, but Nics surprisingly took everything in stride as he


    grinned at us. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you back!¡± he bellowed, patting the empty spaces next to him on the


    couch. ¡°Dinner is starting shortly after, so have a seat.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    ¡°Where are the kids? Did you bring them?¡± Simone looked around for Audrey and Gregory, ncing at


    the entrance and then us.


    I wanted to make up some excuse, but Ashton beat me to the punch. ¡°There¡¯s no need to bring the


    children into the adults¡¯ matters.¡±

 Chapter 1529

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1529


    There was no beating around the bush. He wanted to have a proper discussion.


    When Ashton brought me homest time, he¡¯d made sure that Nics was aware of his intentions.


    Nothing much had happened to either side recently except for that incident with the researcher that


    Nics had hired.


    The faked calm atmosphere from before instantly turned tense.


    We were the guests, so naturally, Nics was in a much more awkward position as the host of this little


    get-together.


    But he maintained his kind fa?ade, chuckling, ¡°Their arrival was so sudden, and you have children at


    your house, so we were worried that they might not feelfortable there. I¡¯ve already invited them to


    sleep at our ce during their stay here.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that,¡± Ashton cut in. ¡°The presidential suite at The Jade is permanently reserved


    for me. That should be more than enough to amodate them.¡±


    The corner of Nics¡¯ mouth quirked up slightly in contempt as his eyebrows furrowed together. It was


    obvious to anyone that he didn¡¯t think highly of Ashton.


    After a brief pause, he spoke up. ¡°Young people these days. Your children have already grown up, and


    yet you still haven¡¯t learned to respect your elders? The trip here from M Country was more than ten


    hours long; do you want to see them go through even more trouble? Besides, your parents-inw live


    so far apart from us that we¡¯ll need to make sure to keep in contact with each other from now on. It¡¯s


    decided that they¡¯re staying here. I¡¯ll take good care of your wife¡¯s family, so don¡¯t worry too much.¡±


    ¡°And what if I won¡¯t let them stay here?¡± Ashton asked, his tone sharp and dangerous.


    ¡°That¡¯s up to you,¡± Nics shrugged. ¡°If you¡¯re able to take them out of here, then I can¡¯t say much.


    Although, I will remind you: these fellows here are quite old and frail. If anything happens when you


    leave with them, don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you.¡±


    ¡°Are you implying that you¡¯ll make them stay here by force?¡± I had grown sick of his mask of kindness.


    Chanaea was no ce for him to be dogmatic.


    Nics gave me a sidelong nce, the disdain in his eyes from before still there. ¡°As Ashton¡¯s wife,


    you should at least call me ¡®father¡¯. Did the Stovall family nor the Moore family teach you such basic


    manners? Or did you forget to respect your elders after a six-year-long nap, Scarlett?¡±


    He didn¡¯t need to borate any further for me to realize that he already knew my true identity.


    Ashton¡¯s efforts to make the Hall family think that I was nothing more than another expendable


    recement for Scarlett had all gone to waste.


    That single word had been enough of a warning.


    He was determined that he would win against Louis because he knew that I was Scarlett, and he knew


    that Louis, Cameron, and Zachary were the best bargaining chips he had against Ashton and me.


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    Although, a small part of me felt fortunate that Nics wasn¡¯t targeting my three children instead.


    The tension in the air was so thick you could have cut it with a knife. If anyone said one wrong word, it


    might trigger a full-on screaming match.


    Just then, the housekeeper entered the living room and bowed. ¡°Dinner is ready, Mr. Hall, Mrs. Hall.¡±


    The imminent crisis was instantly averted.


    Each keeping their own emotions and burdens to themselves, everyone slowly gathered around the


    dinner table.


    Ashton and I both didn¡¯t speak during the entire meal.


    As for Cameron and Zachary, they¡¯d already agreed beforehand that if Nathaniel wanted to take them


    away by force, they would not resist. Naturally, that n had not changed, even if the person making


    them stay was Nics instead of Nathaniel.


    The Hall couple seemedpletely fine on the surface, starting and continuing one topic after the


    other just as they¡¯d perfected before. Cameron and Zachary also participated in the conversation,


    effortlessly picking up wherever the other couple would leave off.


    In the end, Cameron could only cling onto my arm as we stood by the roadside right before we were


    about to leave. She went on a long, emotional tangent, following the script ordingly.


    Ashton looked back over his shoulder as he was opened the car door, coldly warning Nics, ¡°I hope


    you¡¯ll follow through with your promise and treat Letty¡¯s family well. If not, I will bring down the entire


    Fuller Corporation with me to my grave.¡±


    We came as three people, and we returned as three people.


    Even though this was all a part of Ashton¡¯s n, I couldn¡¯t help but feel anxiety prick at my heart as I


    watched Louis¡¯ and everyone else¡¯s silhouettes slowly grow smaller and smaller on the horizon.

 Chapter 1530

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1530


    Noticing my unease, Ashton reached out and pulled me into his arms, handing me an anti-anxiety pill.


    ¡°Your family will not be harmed in any way. I promise you that.¡±


    Ashton was not someone who made promises lightly, let alone make a promise about something he


    had no confidence in. Knowing that helped ease some of my stress.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not get too ahead of ourselves,¡± John nced at us through the reflection of the car mirror.


    ¡°Looks like we have a long night ahead of us.¡±


    The sentence had barely left his mouth when lightning struck outside. The trees on both sides of the


    road were shaking violently due to the strong wind as the deafening sounds of thunder filled the electric


    air.


    This was not going to be a normal night.


    After arriving home, I quickly washed up and put the kids to sleep before putting on a warm coat,


    heading downstairs to the living room.


    John and Ashton were both already there. The former was resting his chin in one hand as he sat on the


    sofa with a gloomy expression, while thetter¡¯s back was turned to me as he stood in front of the floor-


    to-ceiling window. Every time there was lightning outside, the sudden sh of brightness would cast a


    striking, lonely shadow of Ashton on the floor.


    So they haven¡¯t gotten any updates yet.


    Waiting was always the hardest part of doing anything.


    If all went well, Ashton¡¯s men would find Nics¡¯ secret hideout tonight and ambush it.


    If not, a sleepless night like this one would likely be our daily routine for many days toe.


    Nothing happened for the entire night. My body was starting to disy signs of fatigue, but my brain


    was still fully alert.


    The darkness outside eventually turned into light, and the rain turned from a heavy downpour into a


    faint drizzle.


    John, unable to sit still, abruptly got to his feet and pulled his coat on. ¡°I¡¯m going to pull the Hall


    residence apart brick by brick if it¡¯s thest thing I do,¡± he dered, heading for the door.


    This was what we¡¯d agreed on when putting together this n: if an ident happened, we would go


    all out and not hold anything back anymore.


    But that was merely the backup n. If we really did take matters into our own hands now, Nics


    might team up with the police and we would end up being the ones at a disadvantage. That¡¯s why we


    wanted to avoid takingst-resort measures as much as possible.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait for a while longer,¡± I called out, stopping John in his tracks and ncing at the clock.


    ¡°There¡¯s still half an hour left to the time limit we gave them. Maybe there was a dy because of the


    heavy rain.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the patience for that,¡± John grumbled but stayed where he was. He seemed deep in


    thought for a second before finally looking at Ashton, letting him make the final decision. ¡°You came up


    with this idea. You tell me: are we still going to sit around doing nothing?¡±


    He wasn¡¯t explicitly ming Ashton, but I could hear an undercurrent of frustration.


    I doubt he¡¯d meant to direct his anger at Ashton; after all, our rtives were in danger, and we were all


    growing desperate.


    I trusted that this version of Ashton whom I¡¯d reconnected with after six years was no longer the man


    from before: a cold, nearly robotic person who was willing to sacrifice anyone and anything in order to


    achieve his ambitions. John¡¯s impression of him, however, was still stuck in the past.


    I opened my mouth in an attempt to defend Ashton when I suddenly heard his deep voice speak up


    from behind me: ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    The time limit had been set in ce by us to ensure that we¡¯d be able to bring our rtives back home


    safely by a certain time, even if the n had failed. Before the time limit was over, any action we took


    that the Halls might notice would risk hurting the very people we were trying to save, thus setting us


    back.


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    But Ashton had just agreed to go out and take that risk with John.


    He nced over at me, picking up a thick nket and draping it over my shoulders. ¡°Go upstairs and


    try to sleep,¡± he whispered, his voice soft and husky. ¡°I promise that I¡¯ll bring back your parents and


    Uncle Louis home safely.¡±


    Parting with a reassuring smile, he let go of me and walked towards the door.


    Even John was surprised by Ashton¡¯s response, frozen in shock for a second before quickly following


    on his heels.


    The two of them passed by me and headed for the staircase. At that exact moment, the ringing of the


    phone broke the long, tense silence of the past few hours.

 Chapter 1531

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1531


    John wasted no time in pulling out his phone and cing it next to his ear. He listened intently, his


    expression slowly growing solemn.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I hurriedly asked.


    He gave me a sidelong nce, nodding. ¡°The mission was a sess.¡±


    I felt myself let go of a breath that I hadn¡¯t realized I¡¯d been holding, and Ashton¡¯s eyebrows finally


    stopped furrowing together.


    Ashton himself was very aware of how selfish his methods had been, and had been working on


    improving himself to be a better person.


    Last night had been a test. If he failed, he might have lost the courage to continue staying by my side.


    Only seeding would be enough to prove to himself that he¡¯d changed into a true man that would do


    anything to protect me and my family.


    Ashton sighed deeply, as did I. Our eyes met and we exchanged relieved, wry smiles.


    ¡°Now that everything¡¯s done and settled, I¡¯ll go over to pick them up. You two recently recovered from


    being sick and stayed up through the whole night; hurry up and go upstairs to rest.¡±


    John got ready to leave after saying that, but Ashton grabbed ahold of his arm. ¡°Joseph will take care


    of it. Emma and Drew will be arriving this afternoon, and are you sure you want to meet them while in


    this state?¡±


    ¡°Emma?¡± John blinked owlishly at him. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Ashton let go of his arm, heading towards me. ¡°I arranged a private flight to M Country for them two


    days ago,¡± he told him over his shoulder. ¡°They should already be on the way here as we speak.¡±


    John and I wore mirrored expressions of surprise. ¡°You¡¯d made preparations that early on?¡±


    Ashton wrapped an arm around my shoulders, his eyes shining humorously. ¡°A family reunion would be


    iplete without even a single family member, after all. Besides, my dear brother-inw seemed


    extremely temperamental as a result of not being able to see his wife and child for a long time. So, I did


    this all for the sake of maintaining the peace at home.¡±


    John squinted at him, raising an eyebrow. ¡°That sounds very much like aint.¡±


    ¡°Was I wrong, Honey?¡± Ashton shrugged and turned the focus of the conversation towards me.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± How am I supposed to respond? John was ring at me icily from the other side of the room,


    while Ashton, mere inches away from me, was trying his best to look as pitiful as possible.


    Looking between them both, I groaned and squirmed out of Ashton¡¯s arms. ¡°I¡¯m getting sleepy, so ask


    meter after I wake up,¡± I waved them off, yawning as I dragged my feet upstairs. ¡°I¡¯m leaving the


    three kids to you guys. I want a good sleep, and I won¡¯t tolerate anyone whoes to disturb me!


    Bye!¡±


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Ashton trailed behind me, jokingly threatening, ¡°You heard her! Letty said that she¡¯s leaving the kids to


    you, so I¡¯m going to go up and apany her. She won¡¯t be able to sleep well otherwise.¡±


    ¡°Hey! The both of you¡ª What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± John chased us all the way to the staircase,


    shaking his fist at us as Ashton ascended the stairs three steps at a time. In the blink of an eye, John


    was left staring at an empty staircase. ¡°I¡¯m the president of apany, not your babysitter!¡±


    Hisints echoed in the hallway and all around the living room.


    It might have been the weekend, but children¡¯s biological clocks were always urate to a tee. Much


    to John¡¯s dismay, he could only get about three hours¡¯ worth of rest before he had to wake up to take


    care of the three kids.


    I grew drowsy the moment my head hit the pillow, only vaguely registering the mattress shifting under


    me as Ashtonid down on the bed as well. Too tired to give any sort of reaction, I sleepily mumbled


    out, ¡°We¡¯ll be okay from now on out, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± He pulled me into his arms, burying his face in the crook of my neck. ¡°Sleep. Arrangements have


    already been made for Uncle Louis and the others to rest somewhere else nearby. I¡¯ll wake you when


    they return.¡±


    His words acted like a sedative, instantly calming any leftover adrenaline rushing through me.


    Surrounded by his warmth and familiar scent, I drifted off to sleep.


    When I came to, the bedroom was peacefully quiet. It seemed that I was the only one left at home.

 Chapter 1532

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1532


    Thinking that Ashton had left to handle the issue with Nics, I headed downstairs to make a phone


    call.


    It was only when I arrived at the living room that I saw him and the kids all sitting on a sofa, each one of


    them as quiet as a mouse.


    My husband was holding a tablet, probably working. Gregory was having online sses with


    earphones plugged in, while Summer was reading a thick book. Even Audrey was keeping herself


    entertained by sitting down at a table and practicing her handwriting.


    There was something amiss about the entire scene.


    Ashton was the first one to notice my presence, putting his tablet down and walking over to ce a kiss


    on my forehead. ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡±


    ¡°Mhm,¡± I nodded. ¡°You guys¡­?¡±


    Audrey immediately jumped up at the sound of my voice, loudly announcing, ¡°Mommy! Daddy was


    being mean and didn¡¯t let me talk!¡±


    Summer quickly reached over to tickle her little sister in an attempt to get her to shut up. ¡°That¡¯s


    because you were being too noisy and woke Daddy up! It would be bad if you woke Mommy up too,


    you tiny monkey.¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t!¡± Audrey argued through a fit of giggles, scrambling away from Summer¡¯s hands. ¡°Uncle


    John said¡ª¡±


    Realizing that she was about to expose her uncle, she instantly stopped herself short and pursed her


    lips together.


    Of course, I wasn¡¯t that easily fooled by a kid who wore her heart on her sleeve.


    ¡°How long did you sleep for?¡± I asked Ashton.


    ¡°Daddy woke up early in the morning and helped Audrey wash up,¡± Summer interrupted before he


    could say anything.


    Doesn¡¯t that mean that he¡¯d taken John¡¯s ce and only slept for three hours?


    That realization tugged at my heartstrings a little. Just then, John walked in from outside, meeting my


    knowing gaze and then taking a look at Audrey.


    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    He awkwardly shuffled towards the other side of the living room, mumbling in a small voice, ¡°Don¡¯t


    me me. Audrey¡¯s your biological child, so she ran to find you guys as soon as she woke up. I


    couldn¡¯t have stopped her even if I tried.¡±


    I hid augh behind my hand. ¡°So you went back to sleep and left Ashton to take care of the kids


    alone?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s your daughter,¡± he shrugged. I couldn¡¯t argue with him on that, and it seemed like he was going


    to stubbornly defend himself to the very end.


    I had no choice but to try and make Ashton go upstairs to rest for a while longer. ¡°Go take a nap or


    something. You haven¡¯t slept well these past few days.¡±


    Even though the day before had been because of¡­


    I didn¡¯t let myself finish that thought. Regardless, we were no longer in our young adult life; we¡¯d grown


    old and needed sufficient sleep.


    ¡°I¡¯m used to it,¡± Ashtonughed. ¡°I¡¯ve been surviving on three or four hours of sleep for the past few


    years. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡±


    My expression soured. He must have had a rough time while being the Hall family¡¯s cash cow for so


    long.


    Noticing that I was upset, he reached up and gently massaged my stiff shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ll have plenty of


    chances to rest in the future,¡± he reassured. ¡°But I want to handle all our current problems before


    anything else. Next time, you¡¯ll be free to determine when I sleep and how much I sleep.¡±


    ¡°You swear on your life?¡± I couldn¡¯t stop myself from smiling.


    ¡°Of course! I would never dare to lie to my precious wife in front of her brother and our kids.¡±


    ¡°Bleurgh. I can¡¯t watch this anymore,¡± John shivered exaggeratedly, causing the kids to sneak nces


    at us and giggle.


    I let out a hopeless sigh at the kids¡¯ amused expressions. What kind of little monsters were they going


    to grow up into with such a drama queen for an uncle?


    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± John pped to gain the children¡¯s attention. ¡°A whole morning of being under your fascist


    dad¡¯s strict rules is more than enough. Put down your homework and go out to the garden to y.¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Uncle John is the best!¡±


    Audrey instantly jumped to her feet, dragging Gregory along to the side door that led to the garden.


    Laughing excitedly, Summer followed closely behind them.


    A six or seven-year-old child was usually at the peak of their mischievousness, but thankfully, we had


    Summer to help decrease some of the worries we had about the two younger kids.


    As soon as they were out the door, John¡¯s face turned solemn. ¡°Nics and his wife are being held in a


    basement. What are we going to do with the remaining Hall family?¡±

 Chapter 1533

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1533


    Ashton¡¯s entire life of pain and suffering had been a direct result of the Hall couple¡¯s actions. It was time


    for them to reap the consequences of their actions.


    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    But Nathaniel and Tiffany were just byproducts of the twisted, toxic environment cultivated by their


    parents. They didn¡¯t despise us, and we had no reason to kill each other.


    Ashton supported my weight as he helped me walk out the door, merely saying, ¡°Let¡¯s just get it over


    with.¡±


    I knew the severity and emotions behind that simple sentence and stayed quiet as I let him lead me.


    The entrance to the basement was in the garage next to the vi. The mercenaries that John had hired


    had all changed into casual clothes and were patrolling the area, but that didn¡¯t change the fact that


    they looked intimidating enough to scare off anyone who mighte to rescue the Halls.


    Ashton kept one arm firmly around me as we passed them and entered the basement, the floor at our


    footsteps barely illuminated by the dim overhead lights. After a few turns, we finally saw Nics and


    Simone, locked up in a makeshift jail cell.


    Nics was still wearing his pajamas, clearly having been taken straight from his home in the middle of


    his sleep. He stood up straight in the center of the dark cell, stubbornly refusing to let his clothes get


    dirty as if that would help him maintain his image of a ¡°noble¡±.


    Simone wasn¡¯t sitting either, her face looking wrinkled and as pale as a ghost without the help of


    makeup to cover up her ws.


    They seemed drained, not even noticing us when we entered the room. It was only when we walked


    forward and stood right in front of Simone that her eyes widened suddenly, lunging forwards to get


    closer to us. ¡°Ashton! You¡¯re finally here! Let us go, we can¡¯t stay here a second longer! Please,


    Ashton, I¡¯m begging you, let us go¡­¡±


    Nics peered at us down his nose, still wearing the same expression of contempt from before.


    Ashton ignored Simone, raising his head to stare straight at Nics. ¡°You¡¯ve lost.¡±


    ¡°Hmph¡­¡± The older man rolled his eyes. ¡°What do you mean, I¡¯ve lost? Isn¡¯t losing to my own son


    further proof that I was a sessful father?¡±


    ¡°You wish!¡± spat out John.


    Nics pushed his sses further up on his nose bridge before holding his hands behind his back. ¡°I


    have to say, the drastic measures you took came as a surprise. You¡¯ve grown up, Ashton. Now I know


    that I can leave the family business in your hands without any worries.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± Ashton¡¯s gaze grew sharp, and the temperature around us seemed to drop several


    degrees as he spoke. ¡°Am I supposed to thank you for that?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Nics raised his voice, strangely confident in his own convictions as he frowned at his


    son. ¡°Do you really think that you would have survived until now if it weren¡¯t for my precious blood


    running through your veins?¡±


    I¡¯d seen people blow their own trumpet before, but never to this shameless extent. I wasn¡¯t even a part


    of the conversation, but I could feel my jaw clench unconsciously.


    Ashton was where he was right now because of his own hard work. If there was anyone he should be


    grateful towards for having helped him, it should be the Fullers who raised him, and certainly not the


    Halls who had nearly turned him into a monster.


    I nced at the back of Ashton¡¯srge silhouette. He stood unmoving, the only visible proof of his


    suppressed rage being his clenched fists.


    He took a moment to regain hisposure and calm himself down. ¡°You could have publiclye out


    with the truth when you first found out that you were a Hall,¡± he told them calmly. ¡°Why did you have to


    set up an ident and bring Letty¡¯s grandma and the Murphys into this¡­? You abandoned me, and


    now you will do nothing but push me up the corporatedder?¡±


    I swore that I could hear his heart shatter as soon as he got thatst sentence out.


    My vision blurring with tears, I stepped forward and took his hand in mine, hoping that my touch


    provided him somefort.


    But Nics, the truly twisted being that he was, had the gall to want to take credit for this delicate


    scene between us.

 Chapter 1534

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1534


    ¡°Look at you two! You were made for each other. If I hadn¡¯t nned all of that, do you think you would


    have ever met in the first ce? I was the one who gifted you with such a beautiful marriage, my son.


    How could you bear to me me for it?¡±


    What?


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    The culprit is suddenly ying the victim?


    ¡°I¡¯m just speaking the truth, but it¡¯s up to you whether you want to believe me or not. Our original n


    that year had been topletely wipe you out from existence and forget that we¡¯d ever given birth to


    such a defective product. If I hadn¡¯t pitied you, you would have disappeared because of that car crash a


    long time ago! What right do you think you have to stand in front of me pretending to be a victor and


    interrogate your own father?¡±


    Ashton immediately started trembling, digging his nails into his palms so tightly that I could see the


    veins on his forearms.


    In the Hall couple¡¯s eyes, Ashton was not only an obstacle blocking their way, he didn¡¯t deserve to


    continue living either.


    From their point of view, ¡°family¡± was nothing more than a manufacturing process. They expected only


    perfect products and destroyed any that were not ¡°up to par¡± with the high standard of quality that


    they¡¯d set.


    But they were talking about a person. How could someone say ¡°you should have died a long time ago¡±


    to another person so easily?


    Ashton didn¡¯t speak for a long time. I rted to his feelings; the more precious something is to you, the


    harder it is to cope when it¡¯s suddenly destroyed.


    Yet, for some reason, Nics viewed his silence as silent agreement.


    He turned his attention towards me, squinting at me as if we were the ones currently being locked up in


    a cage. ¡°I must say: your grandma, Winona is a smart woman. She knew to team up with George Fuller


    and match you two together in order to resolve Ashton¡¯s grudge against the Murphy family. Her hard


    work and care arerge reasons why Ashton is where he is today.¡±


    ¡°Too bad that the lower-ss will always stay lower-ss for a reason,¡± he shrugged, starting to pace


    around the cell. ¡°They never realize when the thing they¡¯re trying desperately to protect is stolen from


    them right under their noses. No, that¡¯s not the right way to say it. If it weren¡¯t for that petroleum


    contract, I wouldn¡¯t have returned to the Hall family so easily. I should thank her for that.¡±


    ¡°You stole the contract?¡±


    If that were the case, then what was the reason for Armond¡¯s stubbornness all these years?


    A horrid idea abruptly crossed my mind as soon as the words left my mouth.


    Nics¡¯ lips quirked up into an evil, satisfied smile. ¡°I guess you¡¯re not as stupid as you look. What do


    you think? Don¡¯t you want to apud my perfect scheme and praise my smarts after realizing the


    truth?¡±


    Praise?


    Apud him for taking away the contract and manipte Grandma and George in his hands as if they


    were mere puppets and leading them to their demise?


    Or does he mean his scheme to make the Fullers and the Murphys hate each other so that Ashton


    would live the rest of his life in wrath and loathing?


    Ashton might have found himself unable to talk back to his birth parents, but I found no problem in


    doing so.


    ¡°So you saw through the Murphys¡¯ n since the very beginning and took the chance to pull the wool


    over their eyes,¡± I inhaled deeply to calm myself. ¡°Not only did you take away the contract for the


    petroleum farming project, but you also used the fake death case to escape from the public eye. You


    left a bunch of crippled victims behind, then proceeded to let Ashton battle the Murphys tooth and nail


    all alone. Am I right?¡±


    If my assumption was correct, it would mean that I had also been a part of his calctions.


    Nics merely shrugged in admittance.


    The relief of closure was quickly followed by a wave of fury and shock, crashing down and


    overpowering my rationality.


    ¡°You were the one who ruined Ashton as well as Armond! You knew that you could just take the


    contract away because of your background as a Hall, and the Murphys wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything


    to stop you. Instead, you wanted Ashton to harbor those unnecessary feelings of revenge against his


    parents, and you wanted him to be tortured daily by nightmares and guilt! How could you do that to


    him?¡±


    Nics spread his arms wide in a show of self-proimed innocence. ¡°If I could perfectly wipe out the


    bloody past, why would I need to take the risk and get myself involved with those low-ss vermin?


    Besides, I was merely acting in self-defense. The Murphy family had been nning for us to take the


    fall for their mistakes, but I was brainy enough to find a way out and escape my fate. They wanted to


    kill me, and Ashton is my son, so it makes sense that he would want to avenge me. What did I do


    wrong?¡±

 Chapter 1535

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1535


    ¡°The problem is that you¡¯re standing right in front of us, alive and well!¡± I screamed at him. ¡°You even


    wanted to take Ashton¡¯s life! You ruined the first half of his life, so who the f*ck do you think you are to


    stand here and call him your son? A piece of sh*t like you doesn¡¯t deserve to be called a human, let


    alone a father!¡±


    Nics tilted his head, the hints of a smile tugging at his mouth. ¡°I don¡¯t deserve to be a father? And


    what about you? Do you think that you¡¯re above me? Do you think you deserve to stand up on Ashton¡¯s


    behalf more than I do?¡±


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    ¡°At least I never treated him like a product and threw him away when he was no longer of any use to


    me,¡± I spat out venomously. If Ashton didn¡¯t have the heart to deal with this piece of trash, then I wasn¡¯t


    going to back down on his behalf.


    I must have been a sight, my face contorted in rage as I saw red, wishing for nothing more than to tear


    Nics to pieces with my bare hands.


    But in the back of my mind, I knew that all I really wanted was to protect the man I loved. Getting


    myself worked up over Nics wasn¡¯t worth it.


    Upon hearing my rant, the man in question broke out into a chuckle that grated my ears, grinning


    meaningfully at me.


    ¡°What are youughing at?¡± I scowled, unable to stop myself from responding.


    Nics¡¯ expression was now toned down as he stared at me, but his eyes were devoid of emotion. I


    felt chills run up my spine at the sight of them. ¡°Women always like to make everything into a soap


    opera, don¡¯t they? You¡¯re selfless and you¡¯re not scheming, so you expect the same from your partner?


    Should I tell you about Ashton¡¯s hereditary blindness, and how he kept it under control for so long¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Ashton suddenly interrupted, seemingly refusing to entertain Nics any further.


    He raised one hand in the air. Soon after, Joseph approached us and opened the cell door, dragging


    Nics out with his arms pinned behind him.


    At that same moment, two bodyguards entered the basement carrying a wooden chair. They made a


    beeline for the cell and set the chair down, taking some ropes out to tie Nics up to the chair. After


    that was done, they secured some sort of metal device to the back of his head, exposing only his face.


    Then, some other bodyguards hauled in arge, t bucket and ced it behind the chair, as well as


    set up a water pipe right above where the bucket was.


    Ashton walked over and kicked the legs of the wooden chair, causing Nics to fall backward andnd


    his head in the bucket behind him.


    He slowly circled around the older man, observing him carefully. When he reached the water pipe, he


    turned it on.


    A continuous string of drops of water came rushing forth from the pipe, hitting Nics¡¯ forehead one


    after the other without pause.


    My breath hitched in my throat. Is this¡­ another form of waterboarding?


    Ashton leaned down slightly to make sure that Nics would be able to hear him, his eyes fogged over


    with murderous intent and his tone as cold as ice. ¡°Have a taste of the pain you caused me for months


    and years.¡±


    With that, he walked over towards me and helped me up the stairs out of the basement, stopping in his


    tracks briefly to call out over his shoulder, ¡°Don¡¯t feed them food or water for a week straight.¡±


    When we went back to the living room, a group of people in white coats were already there waiting for


    us.


    From what I could recall, the only people associated with Ashton that would look like medical officials


    were the ones that had been in charge of researching medicine and drugs.


    ¡°They invented the very vine that Nics gave you,¡± Ashton exined to me, confirming my


    suspicions.


    Taking a good look at the group, none of them seemed particrly evil or viinous. if anything, I


    spotted some fear in their expressions.


    John approached the eldest-looking researcher. ¡°Where¡¯s the antidote?¡±


    The man, who had been hanging his head, ducked into himself even further. ¡°T- There is no antidote¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± John grabbed ahold of his cor, shaking him violently as he growled out through gritted teeth,


    ¡°So you¡¯re just going to let her die?¡±

 Chapter 1536

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1536


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that, Mr. John. Please listen to my exnation. I said no antidote means Ms. Stovall


    doesn¡¯t need an antidote. She had fully recovered from the poison a few years ago!¡±


    Hearing that, John¡¯s anger subsided. However, in the next second, his gaze turned cold again. He lifted


    Dr. Perez off the ground and queried through his gritted teeth, ¡°What the hell is going on? You¡¯d better


    tell me everything now!¡±


    After all, John used to be a frivolous and vicious young man in K City. When he was angry, the aura


    exuded was quite terrifying. Gripped by an irrepressible sense of dread, Dr. Perez started to twitch, and


    his eyes turned white.


    Old people always got shocked easily.


    Seeing that, John¡¯s heart softened. He loosened his grip, although he was angry at that time.


    Just as Dr. Perez fell to the ground, a young researcher who was standing beside him took a bottle of


    medicine and passed it to the former. After breathing in the medicine deeply a few times, his condition


    became better.


    As soon as Dr. Perez let out a long exhale, John bent down to grab the medicine and raised it above


    the former¡¯s head. Then, he continued to ask with a dour expression, ¡°I don¡¯t have much patience.


    Count yourself lucky just now. Next time, no one will bring you medicine. Quick, spill the beans!¡±


    Upon hearing that, Dr. Perez and the young researcher looked at each other with the conflicted looks


    on their faces while sneaking a peek at Ashton from every now and then.


    Rather than saying they were afraid of John, it seemed more like they were darting their inquiry gazes


    at Ashton.


    Soon, John had also noticed that, so he turned to look at Ashton. At that, his expression changed.


    Just as he was about to ask them, Ashton said, ¡°Go ahead.¡± His tone was firm and domineering.


    After that, Dr. Perez tugged on the cuff of John¡¯s trousers and exined as he sobbed, ¡°Mr. Hall is the


    mastermind. We just followed his order. We did not expect things to turn out this way¡­ Ten years ago,


    Mr. Hall took Mr. Fuller and Ms. Stovall¡¯s DNA samples back. After examination, it was found that Mr.


    Fuller encountered a gic mutation. But surprisingly, we found that aponent of Ms. Stovall¡¯s


    genes could treat Mr. Fuller¡¯s gic deformity! Mr. Hall was very concerned about the gic quality


    of his descendants, so he established this project team to figure out a way to perform gic editing.


    Ten years ago, studies that had looked at how gic editing worked on animals had shown that the


    technique was working well. Hence, after examining Ms. Stovall¡¯s genes thoroughly, Mr. Hall decided to


    perform the experiment on Ms. Stovall. Actually, the experiment would cause side effects. Mr. Hall


    knew that Mr. Fuller wouldn¡¯t agree to it, so he kidnapped the children to check if they were healthy. At


    the same time, he injected the drug into Ms. Stovall¡¯s body.¡±


    Human gic modification had always been severely restricted in many countries. Although the


    experiment was at odds with the principles of human rights, it was not hard to understand why Nics


    did this. The worst situation was basically sacrificing one life to save another. To put it bluntly, he was


    buying life.


    Maybe I had died once, so I didn¡¯t get frustrated upon hearing Dr. Perez¡¯s words. Instead, I felt a sense


    of relief at that time.


    When the toxin took effect, it was agony. I felt dizzy and vomited badly. I was barely conscious


    throughout the period. I used to worry that I couldn¡¯t apany my kids as they grow. But luckily,


    everything was over, and Ashton was healthy now. My sacrifice was worth it.


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    Nics knew Ashton very well. If thetter knew that I would need to suffer so much for his health, he


    would definitely not agree to it.


    But the former didn¡¯t know me. If he told me the truth about who he really was and exined his


    intentions, I would definitely agree with his n and be willing to sacrifice for Ashton.


    At that moment, I couldn¡¯t read John¡¯s expression. He narrowed his eyes and fixed his gaze on Dr.


    Perez as he inquired, ¡°So six years ago, Letty frequently passed out and vomited blood because of


    this? Those are the side effects of the drug?¡±


    Upon hearing the question, Dr. Perez rxed his grip on the former¡¯s trousers. He slumped onto the


    ground with his head lowered and looked around anxiously with a fearful look on his face.


    John had sharp eyes. When he noticed Dr. Perez¡¯s unusual behavior, he immediately raised his leg,


    stomped at thetter, and bellowed, ¡°Stop stuttering. Just spit it out!¡±

 Chapter 1537

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1537


    The kick was powerful. John didn¡¯t hold back his strength at all. At that moment, Dr. Perez pressed a


    hand against his chest because he was in so much pain that he couldn¡¯t speak.


    Seeing that, the young researcher rushed toward Dr. Perez, stood in front of him to stop John, and


    begged for mercy, ¡°Mr. Stovall, please stop it. I¡¯ll talk. I¡¯ll tell you everything. Vomiting blood, dizziness,


    and prolonged sleep are the side effects of another poison that we injected into Ms. Stovall¡¯s body to


    deceive the public. But shortly after Ms. Stovall lost her consciousness, she was given the antidote


    under someone¡¯s supervision. As for the side effects of human gic modification, we know nothing


    about that, so I don¡¯t know how to exin it.¡±


    ¡°What the f*ck¡­ Speak humannguage! I just want to know will Letty be alright!¡± John yelled as he


    grabbed onto the researcher¡¯s cor angrily.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I don¡¯t¡­¡± The tall and well-built man who was wearing sses was frightened to tears.


    ¡°We extracted the gene fragment that was cultivated. Theoretically, Ms. Stovall will go blind shortly after


    the experiment. But it had been so long since we injected the medicine, and nothing had happened to


    Ms. Stovall, so we really don¡¯t know if the gene fragment will undergo mutation or trigger any other


    pathological changes. Ms. Stovall is the first person involved in the human gic modification


    experiment. We haven¡¯t gathered the statistics for the analysis of experimental data yet, so we can¡¯t


    even estimate the probability of the urrence of gene mutation and the symptoms.¡±


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    At that, the young researcher broke downpletely. He dared not look John in the eyes.


    In the meantime, we were at a loss, too, when we heard that.


    It turned out that I had to sacrifice my vision for Ashton¡¯s eyesight.


    God really did bless us that I didn¡¯t encounter gic mutation, but the medicine that remained in my


    body was like a ticking time bomb, ready to be activated at any moment.


    At that time, I felt as if I was treading on thin ice. I was too familiar with this feeling that I broke into


    laughter and said, ¡°It seems like God envies me for being too blissful.¡± I was talking to Ashton, but his


    expression was grim upon hearing that.


    I knew that he felt extremely guilty toward me, but it wasn¡¯t his fault at all.


    Just as I was about to console him, an idea struck me. I turned to the young researcher and inquired,


    ¡°You said I am the first person who involves in the experiment. Does this mean that you are still


    conducting the experiment now?¡±


    It was only then that I remembered the babies that were taken captive by Armond at M Country.


    The sess rate of gene modification would be higher if the subjects were younger. Therefore, Nics


    chose to do this to the defenseless children.


    Survival of the fittest was nature¡¯sw that had never changed. But to the Hall family, it had be an


    excuse for them to take others¡¯ lives.


    In order to realize the ¡°Perfect Gene¡± n, the Hall family acted against the principle of human rights


    and used newborns asb rats. They sacrificed other families¡¯ happiness in order to keep their wealth.


    Upon hearing my question, all the researchers lowered their heads and remained silent.


    Their reaction had proved that my spection was spot-on.


    At that moment, anger overpowered me. I couldn¡¯t hold it in and shouted, ¡°What the heck?¡±


    Bing a humanb rat was very scary. Those people would be treated inhumanely like the animals


    in the circus. The rich people always tortured the ¡°lower ss¡± and ruined their hopes while enjoying


    the fruits of thetter¡¯s efforts.


    Children were gifts from heaven. They were the purest people in the world. But the Hall family got


    those children involved in the experiment for the sake of their benefit.


    I couldn¡¯t bear to imagine what would happen if the technique was fully developed one day. What would


    the Hall family do? Would they just use it to ensure their descendants inherit the perfect genes? Or


    would they use the technique to harm the descendants of ordinary people by introducing the ¡°bad¡±


    gic material into their bodies?


    At that thought, I shot the two researchers a cold stare and gritted my teeth as I scolded, ¡°You helped


    them with those evil deeds. You are not good people as well! Where are the other researchers and


    subjects that are involved in this experiment now?¡±

 Chapter 1538

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1538


    This scary and hical human experiment shouldn¡¯t exist.


    At that moment, tears streamed down the young researcher¡¯s face, and his eyes became blurry.


    Hearing my words, he muttered an address, ¡°M-M Country¡­ Cranur¡­ St. Peter¡¯s Orphanage¡­ Unit


    118¡­¡±


    His voice was too soft, so I didn¡¯t hear what he had said. Running out of patience, I didn¡¯t continue


    asking him. Instead, I gave Joseph an order, ¡°Mr. Campbell, make a trip to that ce to figure out the


    situation. Try your best to save the children.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mrs. Fuller,¡± Joseph answered without any hesitation and signaled for the subordinates to take


    the researchers out of the room before he left.


    Once they had left, there were only the three of us left in the living room. Maybe everyone was worried


    about the unknown gene mutations in my body, so the atmosphere was tense at that time.


    Furrowing his brows, John had his hands in his pocket with a preupied face.


    In the meantime, Ashton¡¯s face was grim. He always liked to give orders, but he didn¡¯t talk much just


    now, and now, he even took out a cigarette and lit it up.


    Letting out a deep sigh, I walked toward him with a frown on my face. I reached out to grab the


    cigarette in his hand and stubbed it out in the ashtray.


    ¡°If I catch you smoking again, I¡¯ll punish you based on our family rules,¡± I said with a serious and fierce


    look on my face. I thought I must have looked like a tigress at that moment.


    So what? I was just trying to liven up the atmosphere.


    To me, I was not sure if gene mutations would ur in my body. Perhaps, I might not experience any


    side effects forever. But I had no regret for bing Ashton¡¯sb rat because I was certain that he


    wouldn¡¯t go blind now.


    If a person didn¡¯t want to have a rtionship with someone, he would draw clear boundaries between


    them, just like how Ashton treated Reba. He tolerated and forgave her to repay Parker.


    However, Ashton and I were husband and wife. We were one, so we should be there for each other. It


    was only natural for us to owe each other.


    When someone fell in love with the right person, he would definitely be willing to sacrifice for that


    person.


    At that moment, there was about half a meter of distance between Ashton and me. We stared at each


    other for a period of time. His eyes were dark and mysterious.


    Although I wasining about him, I hoped that he knew I didn¡¯t mean it and I would never regret


    marrying him.


    I didn¡¯t me him for that and I didn¡¯t want him to put all the me on himself for the choices that


    Nics made. For now, we should look forward and stop brooding over past regrets.


    After a long while, Ashton¡¯s expression changed from one of gloom to relief. Then, he let out a faint


    smile as he put his hand up to his forehead like a soldier and said, ¡°Yes, Honey.¡±


    Looking at him, my lips curled into a smile unwittingly.


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    A single look by the both of us made us let go of the grudges. At that time, I felt like my life was


    complete because I had found someone who knew me so well.


    After a while, I remembered that John was also in the living room. When I turned around, I saw a sullen


    John crossed his arms over his chest and stared at Ashton and me. The scene that he had witnessed


    just now made him doubt his eyesight.


    When he realized that I was looking at him, he lifted his chin and said angrily, ¡°You guys continue. Just


    ignore me. I¡¯ll see how far you will go. Let me take a lesson from you so I can do this with my wife too.¡±


    I guessed what he really meant to say was, ¡®When my wife gets here, I¡¯ll show you how affectionate we


    are!¡¯.


    Upon hearing that, I didn¡¯t feel embarrassed at all. Instead, I teased him, ¡°Hmm. I hope the children


    don¡¯t see you as a henpecked man.¡±


    ¡°Tsk! What did you say? What henpecked man? Besides, does someone need to learn from me to be


    submissive to his wife? Recently, someone excelled in both his work and household. I think he is the


    real henpecked man!¡± John retorted angrily.

 Chapter 1539

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1539


    This time, It seems like John had gained the upper hand over Ashton.


    Originally, I figured that Ashton would rebuke. Instead, he rose to his feet and carried me in a bridal


    style. In the moment of surprise, my vision blurred as he scooped me into his embrace. Unconsciously,


    my hands found their way around his neck to stabilize myself.


    ¡°It¡¯s a rare asion that John is so eager to learn. As his honored guests, we should work harder,¡±


    Ashton addressed me with a serious look on his face.


    ¡°Huh?¡± I blinked up at him in utter confusion and shock.


    The next moment, Ashton bent down and nted a gentle kiss on my forehead.


    An electrifying feeling jolted across my body when he kissed me. At the same time, I heard John¡¯s


    ragged breathing when he saw Ashton¡¯s bold disy of affection. ¡°The two of you shouldn¡¯t take things


    so far!¡± John yelled.


    ¡°We are about to take things even further,¡± Ashton replied as he gave John a disapproving gaze, ¡°I


    wouldn¡¯t rmend for you to follow us. I¡¯m sure you can figure it out yourself. From now on, you


    won¡¯t be receiving our help.¡±


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    With that, he turned on his heel and carried me upstairs.


    As I caught a glimpse of John¡¯s face when we turned, he had a petrified look of shock painted across


    his features.


    When I finally snapped out of my daze, we were already back in our shared bedroom. We are about to


    take things even further; realization dawned upon me when I realized the true meaning of Ashton¡¯s


    words. In the blink of an eye, my face turned scarlet as I blushed in mortification.


    With a single leg, Ashton kicked the door open and ced me on the bed. Hurriedly, my hands


    outstretched to block his path when he bent down.


    My palms connected against his muscr chest. It felt as if I was shoving against a brick wall. The


    impact sent a wave of tremors through my body when I tried to resist his advances.


    ¡°Audrey and the rest are awake¡­¡± I argued.


    Despite my protests, Ashton closed the distance between our bodies. Hisrge hand outstretched


    behind me as he rustled around the bed before pulling out the remote control fromst night.


    When I caught sight of it, the ache in my waist seemed to throb as I gulped in fear.


    That night, I was helpless against his ferocity¡­


    Just as I was in the midst of my thoughts, Ashton clicked the ck button on the remote control.


    Click. As the doorknob clicked shut, the curtains along the balcony began to close automatically. In the


    blink of an eye, the bright room turned dim as it became shrouded in darkness. Even in such close


    quarters, I could barely make out the outlines of Ashton¡¯s face.


    ¡°It¡¯s dark, and the door is locked. Is it to your liking now?¡± Ashton asked in a deep and baritone voice.


    His voice echoed right beside my ear.


    ¡°I must admit¡­ you are quite thorough,¡± I mumbled. I couldn¡¯t decide if I wanted tough or cry.


    Now that Ashton had been given a second chance, is he going to focus all of his intelligence and


    energy on matters like this?


    ¡°Thank you for yourpliment,¡± Ashton replied airily.


    After he spoke, I could feel his lips connecting with mine. Yet, the recollection fromst night sent a


    feeling of fear into my heart. In the midst of trying to resist his advances, a brilliant idea shed across


    my mind. Struck with this sudden inspiration, I decided to put my n into action.


    Seizing the chance, I wrapped my hands around his neck and pretended to y along. ¡°Forget it! My


    husband will be furious if he finds out!¡± I cried out dramatically just as he was about to kiss me again.


    Upon hearing my words, Ashton¡¯s body stiffened. Even in the dark, I could see that his expression had


    turned stoic.


    His expression made me stifle my grin. My n worked! I had managed to smother the lustful mes in


    him; thus, I would be able to escape from his clutches soon.


    All of a sudden, Ashton released his grip on me. Without his support, I fell onto the floor with a


    loud crash. Just as I scrambled to my feet, he had already stripped off his jacket.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked in confusion.


    Ashton wrapped his hand around my waist and yanked me towards him with ease. Despite my


    trashing, he kept me pinned against his body as he talked. ¡°If you don¡¯t want your husband finding out,


    we should act swiftly.¡±


    As I gaped at him in shock, he pressed his cold lips against mine.


    Ashton knew my body like the back of his hand. It only took a few rounds before I was helpless against


    his ministrations andid vulnerable before him.


    After an hour, Ashton finally left me alone as he strode to the bathroom with reluctance.


    I was left lying on the bed as I peered at the ceiling; the sheer exhaustion kept me from moving. It was


    only then when I discerned that trying to fool around with Ashton would only lead to a dead end.

 Chapter 1540

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1540


    Emma and Drew had a flight scheduled at six. At seven o¡¯clock, John had arrived with his


    subordinates.


    After resting for a whole day, both Louis and Cameron made an appearance in the evening.


    After six years, our family was finally reunited. As the children yed together, the adults gathered and


    shared tales about events that had urredst night. asionally, they would discuss the hardships


    that they had experienced in the past years too. As time has flown past, they all harbored mixed


    feelings.


    When the dishes were served, Emery brought the kids back. ¡°Congrattions! The two of you have


    finally broken free of the nightmare that gued you for years!¡± she eximed cheerily as she took a


    seat.


    The neutral rtionship between Emery and Zachary had remained unchanged throughout the years.


    After her divorce from Hunter, Emery and her children relied solely on each other. Additionally, Emery


    no longer attended such boisterous events. I was worried that she¡¯d be too detached from society


    if she continued down this path. Thus I decided to invite her. Seeing her joyful mood, it seems like I was


    worried for nothing.


    In terms of social settings and rtionships, Emery would be able to mingle well unless she bumped


    into someone she disliked.


    ¡°It¡¯s too early to celebrate,¡± John added, ¡°We can¡¯t forget about Nathaniel. He is no better than the


    Halls.¡±


    He took a seat beside Emma as he spoke. Nonchntly, he reached out a hand to toy with her long


    hair.


    John pulled Emma into his embrace and wrapped his hands around her waist with a pleased look


    across his face. On the other hand, Emma remained calm despite John¡¯s actions. She continued to


    listen attentively to the ongoing conversation and treated John as if he was invisible. The stark contrast


    in their reactions painted John as a clingy and affectionate lover.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    When Hannah was still here, I had envisioned such a scene too. Although things have remained


    unchanged, they were no longer the same people they used to be. However, who could im that John


    and Emma were a bad match? Things would turn out best when decided by destiny and fate.


    Seeing that I was looking, John¡¯s movements grew bolder. He raised his arm in a semi-circle and


    ced it on Emma¡¯s shoulder as he caught her in his embrace. The scene was reminiscent of the


    sweet affection of a married couple.


    It seemed like he was still affected by Ashton. Now, he was desperately trying to regain his dignity and


    pride.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if the years had softened him, or maybe Emma was the one responsible for melting his


    heart. Right now, John had finally gained his fighting spirit.


    The thought made me smile with joy.


    ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± Ashton asked and pulled me into his embrace when he caught sight of my grin.


    ¡°Nothing much. It looks like everyone is doing well,¡± I beamed and ced my hand over his left


    shoulder.


    No matter my presence, I can finally let go of the past and start a new life.


    I kept thest sentence to myself. Ashton would have been unhappy if I said it aloud.


    ¡°It¡¯s because you are here,¡± Ashton replied with a soft smile. Gently, he tucked a stray lock of hair


    behind my ear.


    Despite hisnguid movements, Ashton¡¯s dark gaze was fixated intently on my face.


    Although I remained silent, he was able to read my thoughts as clear as day.


    ¡°Scar,¡± Cameron called out all of a sudden. Her voice snapped me out of my daze, and I turned around


    to address her. ¡°What is it? I¡¯m listening.¡±


    Cameron nodded in acknowledgment. ¡°John mentioned that your sickness isn¡¯t diagnosable?¡± she


    asked in earnest.


    I had no wish to ruin the cheery mood by talking about it. Yet, I noted that she had asked me out of


    concern for my well-being. ¡°Yes. However, it hasn¡¯t shown any symptoms in six years. I figure that it will


    not bring me any more trouble,¡± I replied reluctantly.


    Cameron shook her head profusely. ¡°You cannot neglect your health. How can you take such a risky


    gamble? Maybe the resources and facilities in this country are not up to date. After everything is


    settled, why don¡¯t you visit M Country with us and take this opportunity to confirm your illness?¡±


    After six years, Cameron ¨C a renowned and respectful figure in our generation had aged greatly. Yet,


    her kind eyes were filled with nothing but concern and worry.


    In order to relieve her worries and settle the root of this problem, the best scenario would be to ept


    her good intentions.

 Chapter 1541

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1541


    ¡°Alright,¡± I nodded in agreement.


    Regarding the matters of my flight, the schedule would be discussed on another day.


    When I shifted my attention elsewhere, I realized that our casual conversation had garnered everyone


    else¡¯s attention. A few of them even nodded solemnly in ordance with Cameron¡¯s words. It seemed


    like they had taken this matter to heart.


    Under their heavy scrutiny, my shoulders trembled with guilt. Yet, I chose not to borate any further.


    Fortunately, the men had a short attention span. It didn¡¯t take them long to shift the topic elsewhere.


    ¡°How confident is everyone against Nathaniel?¡±


    The question came from Louis. As John had brought up the topic regarding the oil painting materials,


    Louis took this matter very seriously. After all, he was a veteran officer with a strong background.


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    As soon as he spoke, a knock echoed from the door. ¡°Mr. Hall is here,¡± the maid announced politely.


    Hearing her words, Louis burst out inughter. ¡°Speak of the devil.¡±


    ¡°Why is he here? Is he looking to beg for forgiveness on behalf of Nics and his wife?¡± Emery


    guessed.


    ¡°He can try if he has the guts to do so,¡± John scowled and said in an angry tone.


    ¡°Come in,¡± Ashton called out calmly.


    On the other hand, I didn¡¯t believe that Nathaniel would act so generously. He wouldn¡¯t have let them


    fall into Ashton¡¯s trap if he had genuine feelings for Nics and his wife. Nathaniel must have an


    ulterior motive behind his visit.


    My suspicions were confirmed when I caught sight of Tiffany alongside Nathaniel.


    Upon closer look, I realized that she had a very disheveled and unkempt appearance. Her hair was a


    mess of tangled curls, and her body was bound in countless coils of rope. Additionally, Tiffany was


    missing a high-heeled shoe. It was an utter shock to see her like this because Tiffany always


    maintained a dignified and elegant appearance.


    ¡°Bring the children upstairs,¡± Ashton instructed the maids. After delivering the order, he rose to his feet


    and strode towards the door. There, he blocked the path of Nathaniel and his henchmen as he kept


    them cornered near the stairs.


    Hurriedly, the maids scurried to obey Ashton¡¯smand as they rounded up the children. In the midst


    of the chaos, Gregory somehow managed to slip from their grasps. In the blink of an eye, he rushed


    towards Nathaniel.


    ¡°Uncle Nathaniel,¡± Gregory greeted him respectfully with a slight bow, ¡°I¡¯ve finished studying most of


    the books. Will you be able to teach me when you are free?¡± Gregory had an earnest expression


    across his face when he asked.


    A young child like him was oblivious to the politics andplicated rtionships between adults. In his


    eyes, he viewed Nathaniel as a wise teacher. Needless to say, he approached Nathaniel with an open


    heart.


    How was this any different from Summer¡¯s trust towards Jared?


    Although wickedness was terrifying, seeing Nathaniel put on an act like a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing


    terrified me even more. At least I¡¯d be able to respond to any imminent danger. If he ever decided to


    lash out, Nathaniel would cause irreparable damage.


    Learning from my past mistakes, I refused to let my child fall for such deceiving traps again.


    ¡°Gregory,¡± I called out and beckoned him over with a crook of my hand.


    When he noticed that I had called for him, Gregory jogged over immediately.


    I held his hand in my own and patted his chubby cheeks. ¡°The adults have something to discuss. Why


    don¡¯t you head upstairs first? You can take care of Audrey with Summer, alright?¡± I told him gently.


    In Gregory¡¯s viewpoint, Mommy¡¯s words were to be obeyed immediately. Furthermore, he was fiercely


    devoted to Audrey. With a determined nod, he trailed after Summer and went upstairs.


    When they finally vanished from sight, Nathaniel made a move to enter. ¡°I¡¯m here to congratte my


    brother for his splendid victory. Aren¡¯t you going to let me in?¡± he smirked without any ounce of shame.


    In response, Ashton raised his hand to halt Nathaniel¡¯s path. Ashton had a stormy look on his face.


    Despite the stony silence, it was clear that he would not entertain Nathaniel¡¯s visit.


    The two brothers locked gazes for a long moment as tension filled the air. Finally, Nathaniel backed


    down.


    Nathaniel took a step back. At the same time, he gave his henchmen a look. Immediately, his


    henchmen yanked Tiffany forward and shoved her to the ground.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Tiffany fell to the floor with a loud thud. The pain caused her to inhale sharply as she struggled


    against her restraints. ¡°Nathaniel, I am your sister! How could you mistreat me this way! All I did was


    take what I deserved in hopes of spending my future with my lover! What have I done to you?¡± she


    yelled.

 Chapter 1542

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1542


    Nathaniel remained unruffled despite her outburst. He acted as if he hadn¡¯t even heard her. ¡°In the few


    days that you left thepany, Tiffany has taken advantage of thepany¡¯s interests countless times


    through embezzlement. She even tried to sell thepany¡¯s equity and attempted to transfer the


    properties for herself. Seeing that you were busy, I decided to step in and clean things up on your


    behalf. Now that I brought her here, I¡¯ll let you decide her punishment.¡±


    His words sent a chill skittering down my spine.


    Nathaniel¡¯s wickedness had no bounds. Even after sabotaging Nics and his wife, he still harbored


    such evil intentions towards his own sister.


    Catching Tiffany red-handed must have been a scheme that he plotted for a long time. After all, it was


    impossible that he managed to expose her on a whim.


    Despite her cautiousness, her own brother was the one who stabbed her in the back.


    This must be Tiffany¡¯s worst nightmare. She finally managed to elude Ashton and had a chance to


    achieve her goals. Yet, her path to sess was blocked by her meek and gentle-mannered younger


    brother. It was no wonder that she seethed with resentment and reluctance from the moment she


    stepped foot inside the house.


    Ashton nced downwards; he seemed to disregard Tiffany¡¯s existence entirely. Instead, he locked


    gazes with Nathaniel. ¡°At this point, we should learn to get along with each other. If we don¡¯t, the


    consequences of our falling out will be severe.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? I can¡¯t seem to understand what you¡¯re saying,¡± Nathanielughed


    despite Ashton¡¯s cold gaze.


    ¡°Oh, I get it now!¡± he eximed after a brief pause, ¡°From now on, we should support our family


    business to the best of our abilities! After all, we are brothers; we should watch each other¡¯s backs. Am


    I right? You can rx. Blood is thicker than water. We will never be separated.¡± Sarcasm dripped off his


    every word.


    Not only was he unashamed of his actions. Nathaniel even dared to blow his own horn.


    Despite his goals to obtain revenge, Ashton had not acted out of the line by harming innocents. On the


    other hand, Nathaniel was willing to sacrifice his family and friends without mercy. Not to mention, he


    might have even dabbled in human experimentation.


    How could such a revolting person like him hold a candle to Ashton?


    Although Ashton¡¯s broad back was facing me, the gloomy atmosphere that hung around his figure was


    easy to read. He must have a troubled expression on his face.


    Nathaniel was aware that he wouldn¡¯t be able to enter by force. With that, he decided to take the


    initiative and retreat. ¡°Since I¡¯m not weed here, I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±


    ¡°Ashton, you should appreciate both of my gifts. You shouldn¡¯t hold back on behalf of me, alright? I


    believe that you¡¯ll show me satisfactory results,¡± Nathaniel recached out his hand and straightened


    Ashton¡¯s suit.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    After giving me a knowing look, he turned around and left.


    Now that a huge crowd had disappeared from the magnificent living room, it seemed much emptier


    than before. The sudden emptiness amplified Tiffany¡¯s presence.


    Just as Ashton took a step away, he paused and turned around again. ¡°Give me a reason to forgive


    you,¡± he uttered with restrained patience.


    After several years of experience, Ashton had be more cautious when he was faced with picking


    a choice.


    Although Tiffany had nearly lost her life to Ashton in the past, she seemed to hold no regard for it.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing much for me to say. If you and Nathaniel wield the same ideals, you must see me as


    nothing more but a woman who isn¡¯t worthy of receiving my share of the property. Why don¡¯t you report


    me to the police? I have contributed to the Hall family countless times. Thus, I don¡¯t see why there¡¯s


    anything wrong with me taking away what belongs to me,¡± she replied stubbornly.


    ¡°Your parents have been kidnapped. Even until now, there is no trace of them. Despite their


    disappearance, you have been busy transferring money into your own ount. Your greedy actions


    have revealed your true colors. It seems like you¡¯ve inherited the wonderful trait that the Hall family


    shares,¡± Ashton said nonchntly as his eyes narrowed.


    ¡°They are missing?¡± There was a trace of surprise evident in her tone. Yet, she refused to believe his


    words. ¡°There¡¯s no way that¡¯s true. No one is smart enough to defeat Dad¡¯s tricky schemes and sly wit.¡±


    She shook her head in an attempt to clear her thoughts. ¡°Are you saying the truth? Is father never


    coming back?¡± she questioned Ashton again.


    Ashton¡¯s sharp gaze narrowed as he remained rooted firmly in the spot. An aura of fury seemed to


    emanate from his figure when he took a deep breath to regain hisposure.


    Although he did notment any further, the tense silence that filled the air confirmed her question.

 Chapter 1543

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1543


    Tiffany seemed to have a clue after scrutinizing him for quite a while. The next second, she burst into


    laughter and yelled gleefully, ¡°Hahaha! It must be retribution! Retribution indeed! See how he ends up


    paying the price for his heinous deed!¡±


    The smile of schadenfreude on her face seemed to indicate that she had been expecting this moment


    long ago.


    As a member of a prominent family with higher social status, Nichs had his nose in the air. He was


    very particr about the excellence of the Halls¡¯ new generation in order to maintain the prestige of the


    family. Ever since he discovered that Ashton had a gic defect, he straight away treated him as an


    inferior who would be a stain for the Halls. Somehow things had turned the other way round. The so-


    called descendants of the excellent genes had betrayed him by adding insult to injury. I wonder how he


    feels being betrayed by his outstanding children whom he had nurtured throughout all these years!


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    This was indeed the typical materialistic phenomenon as observed in most of the well-to-do families.


    Clinking sses with each other jovially at the feasts did not really mean anything. It wasmon that


    whenever any of their family members encountered financial crisis or other issues, the others who were


    self-centered would choose to ignore them and even cut their ties with them so they would not be


    affected.


    Ashton looked at her withplex emotions in his eyes. After a while, he instructed Joseph, ¡°Head


    straight for the Hall family¡¯s vi in the western district.¡±


    Upon hearing his words, there was a change in Tiffany¡¯s expression. Hercency was utterly


    erased by her agitation all of a sudden. ¡±What¡¯s your intention? How did you find out about the ce?¡±


    She seemed to have lost her mind and shrieked hysterically. There was even a ferocious look on her


    face.


    On the other hand, Ashton remained nonchnt at all the time. He turned calmly and gave Joseph a


    meaningful nce, hinting him to take her away immediately.


    The next moment, Joseph gestured to his subordinates in order to drag Tiffany who was still rebuking


    non-stop out at once.


    After they had left, the living room was finally back to peacefulness again. Ashton turned and nced


    at me before shifting his gaze away hastily. As we locked gazes momentarily a while ago, I could sense


    that he was troubled by something at the moment. However, he was pretending as if there was nothing


    amiss and moved back to sit beside me.


    Throughout years of striving hard for survival under crucial situations, he was sort of well-trained to act


    indifferently under any type of circumstances. Hence, he could easily hide his feelings from me most of


    the time. Yet if I could still sense something awry at the moment, it indicated that he was actually not


    intending to hide it from me. It was just not the time for him to pour out everything to me yet.


    I bet it was something rted to Tiffany, and Ashton would surely share it with me when it was time.


    Thus, I decided not to pressurize him into telling me at the moment.


    As for Louis and the others, Tiffany was a nobody for them. They were more curious about the motive


    behind Nathaniel¡¯s sudden emergence.


    ¡°Nathaniel is indeed a chip off the old block. In fact, he seems to be more scheming and ruthless than


    Nichs Hall. It still makes sense for him to set his parents up due to his abhorrence toward them. Yet


    it¡¯s really too much since he has the heart to put his own sister at risk. Even beasts don¡¯t inflict harm on


    their own flesh and blood. Imagine how cold-blooded he is,¡± Louismented. Staring off into the


    distance, he suddenly felt down.


    He really had a point on this. So far Nathaniel did not express his hostility toward us or provoke us in


    any way. Nevertheless, it is undeniable that he was a pain in the neck. It was as if he was a fishbone


    stuck in our throats, invisible yet causing great difort to us. At the same time, we could not easily


    let our guards down, fearing that he might strike and put us in deep water at any moment.


    As long as Nathaniel did not initiate any provocative act, it was inappropriate for us to make the first


    move. We could only continue to stay alert so we could retaliate at once when he struck the first blow.


    To my surprise, Zachary was really confident andmented casually, ¡°Anyway, K City is still our turf


    and we know every corner well. No matter how mighty he is, he¡¯s solely on his own. I bet it¡¯s a piece of


    cake for us to bring him down at any time.¡±


    Cameron chimed in, ¡°I truly agree with your Dad. Talking about Nathaniel, it¡¯s just like holding a hand


    grenade which will go off at any time. I really feel uneasy whenever I think about that. Why don¡¯t we just


    make use of this chance to get rid of this fellow once and for all?¡±


    I shook my head as I disagreed with their point of view. ¡°I see it in a different way. I suspect that


    Nathaniel was the one manipting the previous explosion case. If he¡¯s really the one, he¡¯s definitely


    not a simple person whom we can easily deal with. We would only put ourselves at risk if we act


    recklessly.¡±


    I had talked to Ashton about this earlier. Even though he did notment on anything, he actually saw


    eye to eye with me that Nathaniel was no ordinary man whom we could easily get rid of. It was really


    risky if we acted impulsively without proper nning.


    Upon hearing my words, Louis was infuriated and raised his voice, ¡°So do you mean that there¡¯s


    nothing we can do to him now? I can¡¯t ept that! Even those high-ranking son of b*tches like Ezra


    Grant and the others were managed to be pulled down. Anyway, Nathaniel hall is just a greenhorn and


    can¡¯t be as mighty as them, right?¡±


    Unable to hold in his temper, he paused and unleashed his frustration by striking the table. ¡°After all, I


    still have the connection with the department. I¡¯ll pay them a visit tomorrow and seek their help to


    investigate Nathaniel Hall. I don¡¯t think Nichs Hall¡¯s children can turn out to be any better than him!¡±


    he scoffed.


    There was a momentary silence. After a while, Louis finally realized that he had unintentionally


    offended Ashton as well when he criticized Nichs Hall¡¯s children. He stuttered in embarrassment, ¡°I-


    I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t mean that¡­¡±

 Chapter 1544

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1544


    ¡°No issue,¡± Ashton cut him off and held me up. ¡°Let¡¯s eat first. Letty has gastric problem and needs to


    have meals on time.¡±


    Ashton was never a vengeful man who really minded about petty matters. Louis was relieved at the


    sight of his casualness and said joyfully, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s eat!¡± Within seconds, the slightly tense


    atmosphere in the living room was reced by the liveliness again. Calling the kids toe down for


    their meal, we headed slowly for the dining room.


    We let the seniors make their ways first and trailed behind them slowly.


    I grabbed the opportunity and asked Ashton tactfully, ¡°What¡¯s your n for Tiffany?¡±


    When ites to his own flesh and blood, I believed that Ashton would tend to be more forgiving and


    tolerant. What¡¯s more, Tiffany was apparently not as insidious as Nichs and his wife. Hence, I bet


    Ashton would be more lenient with her.


    With a look of nonchnce on his face, Ashton continued to move forward by holding my hands and


    replied casually, ¡°As her elder brother, of course I will bear the responsibility for the sake of her


    wellbeing.¡±


    I was puzzled at his words and knitted my brows.


    Those who had crossed paths with Ashton previously knew well about his temperament. He was a


    prideful man who would not easily let anyone who had provoked him off easily. Tiffany had deceived


    Ashton and tried to match him up with Thora previously just for the sake of her own benefits. I don¡¯t


    believe that he is able to put aside his wrath within such a short span of time!


    This man really loves to twist his words and confuses me! There must be some hidden meanings


    behind his words!


    Pfft! He¡¯s overpowered by his so-called pride and self-esteem, just like all the other men. I¡¯m not


    surprised that he refuses to pour out everything to me at the moment. He surely has some ns in his


    mind and is waiting for the ideal time to unveil the truth. By then, he would be able to show off his


    intelligence in getting things resolved!


    Ah! Even an outstanding and mature man like him has such a childish mind! Pursing my lips, I could


    not help feeling amused at the thought. Even so, I decided to let him be and continued to be supportive


    of him.


    It wasmon for the elderly to lead a systematic lifestyle and have an early bedtime. Even though


    Louis looked as fit as a fiddle, he was on medication as well. When the clock struck eight at night, he


    took his medicine and went to bed right away.


    The rest of us apanied the kids while they were having fun among themselves.


    Summer was analyzing her favorite mathematic sums as usual; Gregory was attending an online ss


    with earphones plugged in. Audrey and Drew were actually the only ones ying among themselves.


    Both of them got along well with each other as they both had simr characteristics and grew up in a


    simr environment. Meanwhile, we were casually chatting while watching the two of them have fun.


    When the clock was about to strike nine, Ashton told me that he had to go outside after receiving a call.


    He exined briefly, ¡°It¡¯s regarding the orphanage. After double confirming with the police station,


    Joseph found out that nobody has ever lodged any police reports for some of the children. Thus,


    he doesn¡¯t know how to get the matter resolved. I¡¯ll go have a look and will be back soon.¡±


    In a split second, Audrey tossed her toy aside and dashed toward Ashton. She asked excitedly,


    ¡°Daddy, where are you going? I want to go as well!¡±


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Ashton stroked her hair affectionately and replied cidly, ¡°You just stay at home and help to look after


    Mommy.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want!¡± Audrey yelled instantly and pouted her lips with furrowed brows. ¡°I want to go out for


    some fun. Uncle John used to bring me to his working ce too. Daddy, you haven¡¯t brought me out for


    a long time! I don¡¯t like you anymore!¡±


    She snorted and stomped as she turned her back toward Ashton. At the sight of her crossing her arms


    over the chest like an adult, I could not resist chuckling.


    ncing at John who was seated quite a distance away, there were helplessness and resentment in


    Ashton¡¯s eyes. Oh! Looks like someone is jealous! I bet he¡¯s ming John for spoiling Audrey all this


    while. He must be cracking his head at the moment on how he can win her heart again!


    Nevertheless, the culprit of the dispute was still adding fuel to the already burning fire by saying, ¡°My


    dear Audrey, you¡¯d better don¡¯t make things difficult for your Daddy. Not everyone can treat you as


    lovingly as your Uncle John!¡±


    Upon hearing his words, Emma pinched him hard on his arm and snapped, ¡°Just zip your mouth and


    stop driving a wedge between them. Both of them are getting upset because of you!¡±


    ¡°Ouch!¡± John gasped exaggeratively and said jokingly, ¡°How nice if I can have a sweet little princess


    like our little Audrey! How about we have another baby girl?¡±


    ¡°Stop!¡± Emma straight away pressed her index finger on John¡¯s lip and snapped at him, ¡°Go ahead to


    have one by yourself! I would never go through the horrible process and endure the excruciating pain


    again!¡±


    John leaned closer to her with his smiling face and coaxed her, ¡°Cool down. Think of how adorable


    Audrey is! Oh! If we could have an adorable little princess like Audrey who can keep youpany and


    be your best helper at home. By then, you won¡¯t be grumbling about feeling bored again since you¡¯re


    the only female at home.¡±

 Chapter 1545

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1545


    Emma red at him in displeasure. ¡°Are you sure you get what I mean when I grumble that I¡¯m bored?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± John was baffled.


    Emma was enraged and almost stretched out her hand to pinch John on his arm again. Nevertheless,


    she put down her hand as something crossed her mind. ¡°Forget about it. Anyway, don¡¯t ever dream of


    having another baby girl again!¡±


    In an instant, John felt dejected like an inted balloon. Besides, he could not catch what Emma was


    thinking at the moment. Shrugging his shoulder, he was silent and did not persist to talk her into


    epting his request.


    My goodness! John is still as simple-minded and can¡¯t read Emma¡¯s mind after so many years!


    It seems he never gets to understand women. Women are the same in general. Other than being tough


    on the outside and soft on the inside, we yearn for evesting affection, attention, and care from our


    beloved partners!


    When John tried to track down my whereabouts by all means around the world previously, he had


    sacrificed his family time for Emma and their son. Since they could eventually reunite with each other,


    Emma would definitely hope that they get to have more romantic moments with each other.


    Nheless, John was never a romantic and sentimental man. As aputer expert, he was a bit too


    realistic in a way. Poor Emma, it¡¯ seems like there¡¯s a long way for her to go before my dumb brother


    learns about romance!


    Looking at how the two of them were bickering with each other, Ashton turned slowly toward me,


    hinting me to speak up for him.


    I used to be really protective of my children, and was reluctant to let them be exposed to any potential


    challenges of the outer world. As time went by, I gradually understood that the problems could not be


    resolved by hiding ourselves forever. The exposure to the hardships could be considered as intensive


    training sessions for ourselves. In other words, we tended to be mightier through the endurance


    of obstacles in life.


    Therefore, I agreed to let Audrey go to the orphanage with Ashton. I decided to reveal the other side of


    the real world to her, giving her a picture that life was not just solely about beautiful moments all the


    time.


    ¡°Just let her go this round. I¡¯ll apany her,¡± I said gently as I stood up.


    No doubt kids are innocent andck courage. We as parents should y our role well and help them in


    boosting their courage.


    Both Ashton and I could foresee that our children would never lead a free and easy lifestyle. Hence, I


    felt that it was practical to expose them to the outer world earlier so they would be able to experience


    the uncertainties and adapt better to the various types of challenges in life. Even though Ashton and I


    would try our best to be their all-time mentor and protector, we had to give them space to be


    independent.


    The moment Audrey heard that I allowed her to follow Ashton out, she was over the moon. Before


    Ashton could open his mouth to say anything, she was already trotting toward the main door as she


    yelled jubntly, ¡°Hurray! I can go out to y now! Time to go out to y!¡±


    I could not resist knitting my brows. Both Ashton and I have a cool temperament. How on earth does


    she have such a lively characteristic?


    ncing obliquely at Ashton, I was surprised that he actually looked calm and approved it silently.


    Stretching out his hand instinctively, he gestured to me to hold his hand.


    My lips lifted into a smile as I walked toward him. The moment I grabbed hold of his hand, both


    Summer and Gregory stood up and gazed at us seriously.


    ¡°Both of you want to go with us as well?¡± I asked tentatively.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Gregory nodded and replied firmly, ¡°I¡¯ll follow wherever Audrey goes. As his elder brother, I¡¯ll


    protect her well!¡±


    His words really warmed my heart. I was really proud of him.


    ¡°Oh! How sweet! Audrey is really lucky to have such a caring brother!¡± Iplimented Gregory and


    patted his shoulder as a token of encouragement.


    I was thankful that Gregory yed his role well as an elder brother and was protective of his sister at


    such a young age. At the same time, I could not help letting out a deep sigh as the dispute between


    Ashton and his siblings shed across my mind.


    Later, I raised my head and gazed at Audrey. As we locked gazes, both of us smiled knowingly at each


    other. ¡°Needless to ask, Gregory offers to protect Audrey, and you need to protect both of them, right?¡±


    I asked jokingly.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Hehe!¡± Summer giggled shyly. There were sparkles in her smiling eyes.


    In the end, we agreed to be fair and bring along all three of them.


    Drew was the youngest among them, yet he was very observant and smart like John. The moment he


    saw Audrey and the others step out, he also stood up in an instant and tried to catch up with them.


    As expected, both John and Emma tagged along with us as well since Drew was clingy to Audrey.


    Both families ended up heading for the orphanage together. It was as if we were on a special family


    outing at night.


    When we finally reached the orphanage, it was already ten at night.


    Most of the children there had gone to bed, except those who were brought back from overseas by


    Joseph. At the moment, they were all gathered in one of the ssrooms.


    I started to feel uneasy the moment Ashton told me earlier that those children were rescued from the


    illegalb involved with human gic modification. Initially, I thought that those unfortunate children


    who were abducted for the experiment might be disfigured or even in a gory mess after being ill-


    treated. Hence, I kept telling myself to stay calm so as not to scare my children a whileter.


    Nevertheless, I was surprised at what came into my view when I stepped into the particr ssroom.

 Chapter 1546

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1546


    In the old ssroom, there were about more than ten children of different ages lining up in two rows. All


    of them were dressed in the same type of white hospital gown. Apart from feeling anxious due to the


    arrival of the strangers, they looked clean without any visible wounds. Based on my observation, there


    were no physical signs which implied that they had gone through a traumatic experience.


    Heaving a sigh of relief, I was thankful that none of the children was in a pathetic state as imagined by


    me earlier.


    Ashton stepped onto the stage and nced at them before he asked Joseph, ¡°Have you done a


    background check for all of them?¡±


    Joseph replied respectfully, ¡°Yes, most of the children¡¯s information is well kept in the orphanage of M


    Country, except for these children. Basically, there isn¡¯t any record for them. Thus, they are sent here


    temporarily.¡±


    Ashton did not really react to his words. Squinting his eyes, his mind drifted into contemtion.


    On the instant, the whole ssroom was in pin-drop silence. At the moment, only the heavy panting of


    the children due to their anxiety was still audible.


    Audrey was excited as it was her first time seeing many children at the same time. When Ashton was


    still deep in his thought, she took the chance to squeeze out from my back and walked toward them.


    I instinctively stretched out my hand, yet I was not in time to hold her back.


    Fortunately, Gregory reacted fast and moved forward instantaneously. Grabbing hold of Audrey¡¯s hand,


    he apanied her to inspect all the children one by one.


    Those who lined up in the first row were about Drew¡¯s age. Since they were younger, they looked a bit


    shy and timid. Audrey just roughly browsed through the first row before she held Gregory¡¯s hand and


    moved on with the second row.


    All of a sudden, she came to a halt in front of a boy whose body size appeared to be the smallest. Her


    big round eyes were glued to him.


    After gazing at him for a while, she took out a lollipop from her pocket and handed it to him. ¡°Take this.¡±


    However, the boy was indifferent and did not ept it.


    Out of curiosity, I looked intently at the boy. For a split second, I was stunned as he looked familiar to


    me. However, when I took a closer look at him, the sense of familiarity was gone. My heart flinched at


    the sight of his sunken cheeks and dry skin due to malnutrition.


    Theboratory where the inhuman experiment was carried out was just like a smaller scale of society,


    and only the fittest could survive. He must be in the so-called lower level of society and ended up as


    the victim of bully. That was why he appeared to be a lot thinnerpared to the rest of them.


    As a mother, I was relieved that Audrey was soft-hearted and sympathized with the weaker ones.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Assuming that the boy did not dare to receive the lollipop from Audrey, I encouraged him gently, ¡°Don¡¯t


    be afraid, just eat.¡±


    As a pitiful boy who was treated as a specimen in theboratory, I expected him to beck of


    confidence and nod shyly at me to express his gratitude. Out of my expectation, he only raised his


    head and gazed at me. I was impressed by the unusual calmness in his pair of eyes. He was


    apparently more matured than the other boys of the same age. I presumed that he must have gone


    through a lot all this while and had aplicated background.


    After gazing at me cidly for a few seconds, he shifted his gaze away. The next moment, he raised


    his hand abruptly and stretched it toward Audrey¡¯s neck.


    In an instant, Gregory dragged Audrey one step backward and blocked in front of her. He yelled with a


    stern look, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Audrey almost stumbled and fall. After she managed to bnce her body, she was confused with the


    current situation. Both of the boys were facing each other as if they were opponents on a wrestling


    stage.


    Ashley¡¯s eyes lit up as something crossed her mind. She tugged at her clothes casually and jumped a


    few times on the spot.


    Out of a sudden, something dropped from her shoulder.


    Audrey¡¯s face lit up when she picked up the thing. Showing it to Gregory, she said cheerfully, ¡°Greg,


    see this? He is actually helping to take this away from my shoulder! He doesn¡¯t intend to hurt me!¡±


    There was a piece of small wrapping paper for a candy.


    Audrey had a sweet tooth like Gregory. Since we did not allow her to take too much candy, she was


    smart enough to secretly took the candy and hid it elsewhere so she could savor it without our


    knowledge.


    If I was not mistaken, Audrey must have eaten a candy earlier and hid the piece of wrapping paper


    under the cor of her blouse so nobody would discover it. Gregory was used to walking behind Audrey


    in order to cater to her safety. If not, they would be walking abreast. Therefore, it was impossible for


    him to spot the piece of wrapping paper. On the other hand, the little boy was a little taller than Gregory


    and he was standing face to face with Audrey a while ago. Hence, he could easily spot the piece of the


    wrapping paper under her cor and was about to help her take it out. Yet Gregory who was


    overprotective of his sister had misunderstood him.

 Chapter 1547

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1547


    Everyone was relieved after the previous tense moment was proven to be a misunderstanding.


    After knowing that the boy did not have any bad intentions, Gregory finally stepped aside.


    Audrey handed him the lollipop again with a cheerful smile. ¡°Thank you so much! Now you can eat the


    candy! This is my favorite candy! It¡¯s really yummy!¡±


    This time, the boy did not reject and took it at once.


    Audrey¡¯s smile widened as the boy held the lollipop in his hand.


    At the same time, Ashton made a decision and announced, ¡°Let all of them stay and give them financial


    aid under Madam¡¯s name till they grow up.


    Joseph replied in acknowledgement, ¡°Noted.¡±


    Ashton turned to look at Gregory and instructed, ¡°Gregory, bring your sister over here.¡±


    Upon hearing his words, Gregory held Audrey¡¯s hand and led her back obediently.


    When both of them were in front of Ashton, Gregory said respectfully, ¡°Daddy, I¡¯ve brought Audrey


    back.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Ashton nodded and turned to look at Audrey. ¡°Next time, never ever approach any strangers


    without your Mommy and my permission. Can you promise me that?¡± Ashton asked sternly.


    There was only the usual intimidating indifference on his cold, expressionless face.


    Audrey could sense the displeasure in Ashton¡¯s tone. Instead of refuting as usual, she nodded


    obediently and replied softly, ¡°Alright, Daddy.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home now,¡± Ashton said again.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Next, he turned to face us and prepared to leave, letting both Gregory and Audrey walk in front of him.


    Gregory obeyed Ashton¡¯s instructions as usual and stepped out at once, with Audrey trailing closely


    behind him.


    After walking forward for two steps, Audrey came to a stop abruptly. She turned to look at the little boy


    and was reluctant to move forward.


    Ashton followed her gaze and knew at once about what was ying in her mind. After pondering for a


    while, he lowered his head and asked her, ¡°You want to bring him home as well?¡±


    Pouting her lips, her forehead creased into a frown as she gazed at the boy with a look of sympathy.


    She gulped and said softly, ¡°He¡¯s so thin. If he continues to stay here, he will starve. Aunt Emma ever


    mentioned that the children in the orphanage are the most pitiful. I just feel like helping him¡­¡±


    I could sense that she was being tactful with her words, especially herst sentence. She was more


    like mumbling at that time, apparently fear of infuriating Ashton.


    John probably had taught her before that she was not supposed to be rude especially when she was


    on certain asions. As a result, she did not dare to make a big fuss despite her reluctance to part


    with the boy.


    Ashton was an assertive person who would not easily change his mind. I thought it would not be an


    exception this round, and Audrey would end up feeling upset. Nheless, he was being sympathetic


    unexpectedly.


    Instead of replying to Audrey right away, he moved forward and looked straight at the front. In a low


    and stern voice, he instructed, ¡°Come over here.¡±


    He was obviously instructing the boy.


    The boy moved swiftly from his current spot to the front of all the orphans.


    When he stood right in front of us without anyone blocking his way, we were shocked to see his


    exceptionally thin figure. Even though he was actually wearing the smallest gown, it was far too loose


    for him. I even doubted whether he would be blown away as well if there was a gust of strong wind.


    My heart started to ache as a surge of sympathy welled up from within me. I truly felt for Audrey. I


    myself could not resist feeling sad for the boy, what¡¯s more Audrey was just a child. She surely had a


    stronger feeling than me.


    Standing right in front of Ashton, the boy looked helpless like a small tree in front of the enormous


    mountain.


    ¡°I¡¯m giving you two options. If you choose to go home with me, I will raise you well and bear the cost of


    your education fee. In return, you will need to attend sses together with my daughter and stay by her


    side all the time, putting her safety as the top priority. If you choose to continue staying here, Fuller


    Corporation will provide you financial aid, but you will be on your own. Think about it and make your


    choice. The final decision lies in your own hands.¡±


    Ashton remained indifferent as usual and did not soften at all although he was facing a child.


    Within seconds, the boy made his choice and replied firmly, ¡°I choose to go back with you.¡±


    Before Ashton gave his instruction, the boy had approached Audrey. Imitating Joseph, he lowered his


    head and bent his body as he stretched out his hand to lead the way. ¡°Miss, please walk in the front.¡±


    In a blink of an eye, Audrey¡¯s face brightened up as she trotted out to catch up with Gregory.


    Meanwhile, the boy was fully aware of his status and trailed behind them obediently.


    Tucking both of his hands in the pocket, John pondered as he gazed at the boy¡¯s figure. So they just let


    the boy follow them home without a second thought? They are willing to take the risk and raise him


    even if they don¡¯t have any clue about his background?

 Chapter 1548

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1548


    ¡°Audrey likes him, so what can I do?¡± asked Emma. ¡°You¡¯re just a pot calling the kettle ck. Based on


    how you spoil children, if it were you, wouldn¡¯t the result be just the same?¡±


    John did not get the response that he was hoping for. He pursed his lips and helplessly said, ¡°We were


    talking about the children. Why did you start criticizing me instead? Oh, woe is me¡­¡±


    Emma red at him with narrowed eyes and didn¡¯t bother to respond to him.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    These two were destined to be a bickering couple.


    Drew went along with Gregory. Of course, Emma and John followed closely behind.


    Ashton and I trailed behind some distance away from the rest of them.


    Side by side, we walked through the corridor together. It was a rare moment for the two of us. Looking


    at thenky young boy shuffling along at the back, I felt a flurry of mixed emotions in my heart.


    I was not against Ashton doing charity, but how he did it did not sit well with me. Even though he did so


    out of consideration for Audrey, we couldn¡¯t foresee what would happen in the future. Maybe one day,


    the boy would grow up and think that he was humiliated and started to harbor evil thoughts.


    ¡°Besides,¡± I paused before continuing in a serious tone, ¡°I don¡¯t like the look in this boy¡¯s eyes. He may


    look young, but he doesn¡¯t have the youthful exuberance of a youngd. His eyes are like a pool of


    dead water¡­¡±


    Just like that person.


    I was lost in my own thoughts when I felt a familiar warmth on my shoulder. I turned my head. Ashton


    had slid his arm around me and enveloped me in aforting side hug.


    ¡°Audrey is pure-hearted by nature. We must handle the situation carefully to keep it that way,¡± replied


    Ashton. Each step he took was calm and steady. The way he spoke, as if he had it all under control,


    somehow managed to put me at ease. ¡°My daughter will grow up safely and peacefully. No one can


    disrupt that. A few dayster, I will look for a chance to send the boy away. By that time, I¡¯ll need you,


    my dear wife, to help cover me.¡±


    He was two steps ahead of me the whole time. My worry was all for nothing.


    I smiled and agreed to his n. ¡°If necessary, I can be the bad guy. Audrey is already not that close


    with you. I do not want anything else to drive a wedge between your rtionship with her.¡±


    In order to maintain a happy family life, husband and wife need to work together as a team.


    Ashton lightly squeezed my upper arm and smiled to himself. I wasn¡¯t sure if he took what I said to


    heart.


    It soon became apparent that our concern was not unfounded. Audrey was very fascinated with this


    boy who followed us back from the orphanage. She even paid more attention to him than to Gregory!


    The moment we stepped into our home, Ashton ordered our maid to see to the boy¡¯s cleaning up.


    Every few minutes, Audrey would approach them and secretly stare from the side.


    This made me rather uneasy.


    Excessive fascination is often the start of sinking into a bottomless pit. Even with familiar people, we


    could never know what covert schemes were simmering in their hearts. Not to mention this time


    around, we have an orphan with unknown origins.


    After some careful contemtion, I called over Gregory to have a little chat.


    ¡°Greg,¡± I said with a smile while tenderly stroking his wet hair that was sticking to his head after a wash,


    ¡°can you do Mommy a favor?¡±


    Gregory, being the good-natured boy that he was, nodded and agreed at the drop of a hat. ¡°Sure,


    Mommy. What do you need me to do?¡±


    I thought for a while. Then, I moved to his side and whispered into his ear. ¡°Audrey spent too much time


    ying today. Can you think of a way to get her to go back to her room and sleep?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± answered Gregory. With that, he went over to Audrey, who was pretending to y with some


    toys by the pir. She was actually peeking at the boy the whole time.


    Soon, the siblings were engaged in a discussion.


    I looked from afar, feeling satisfied and confident. I guess having more children around really did have


    its perks!


    In Audrey¡¯s eyes, Gregory was far more appealing than Ashton and me. Asking him to persuade her


    was more effective.


    I had full confidence that Gregory would seed, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be that quick.


    In less than a minute, Audrey threw her Barbie doll to one side and happily scampered upstairs.


    Feeling surprised, I hurriedly stopped Gregory and asked him what he had done. ¡°Greg, what did you


    say to your sister? Why did she agree to go sleep so quickly?¡±

 Chapter 1549

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1549


    ¡°Nothing much,¡± replied Gregory calmly. ¡°I only told her that if she goes to bed now, I will y with her


    tomorrow right after Ie home from school.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± To say that I was dumbfounded would be an understatement. Thanks to John, Audrey was


    so cheeky that even Ashton could not handle her. Yet, Gregory managed to convince her so easily?


    ¡°That¡¯s all,¡± confirmed Gregory. Without any change in his expression and tone, he continued, ¡°So


    Mommy, if I can make Audrey sleep early again tomorrow, can I y on theptop for half an hour


    more?¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± I was still reeling in disbelief that Gregory persuaded his sister with just a simple offer. I gave


    my consent unknowingly.


    ¡°Thank you, Mommy!¡± Gregory grinned triumphantly. ¡°Good night, Mommy!¡±


    He turned to walk upstairs without a backward nce right after saying that.


    His indomitable aura and unfazed manner reminded me once again that everyone would have their


    own Achilles¡¯ heel.


    Thinking of how Audrey had Ashton and John wrapped around her finger as well, Iughed helplessly.


    I looked to the side and saw Ashton walk over. He hade in from the balcony when I was unaware.


    He eyed me with amusement and asked, ¡°What are you thinking of that made you so happy?¡±


    ¡°Nothing much,¡± I replied. I couldn¡¯t let him know that he was inferiorpared to his son in the eyes of


    his daughter. Therefore, I swiftly changed the topic. I looked at his phone and asked, ¡°You¡¯re done with


    work?¡±


    ¡°With Joseph around, there¡¯s nothing much for me to worry about.¡± Ashton proceeded to sit down on


    the sofa next to me and ced his phone on the coffee table. ¡°I have found a well-to-do family. The


    husband and wife are both infertile. They would be happy to adopt a son.¡±


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He had been on the phone the moment we reached home. I see, so he had been busy making


    arrangements as to that boy.


    The Fuller and Stovall families were wealthy; thus, the money needed for bringing up a child was not a


    big problem. Out of goodwill, we were more than willing to take up this responsibility.


    The only problem was that we could not obtain any information about this child. Hence, his past was a


    mystery. My women¡¯s intuition kept rming me that this could mean he potentially posed an


    unimaginable threat to my children.


    When it came to our own children, all mothers would inevitably be selfish.


    Perhaps it was out of guilt, I couldn¡¯t help butment on what Ashton told me. ¡°Material wealth is a


    secondary factor. The most important thing is that they are of good character. Good family education


    and environment are crucial for a child to grow healthily.¡±


    Ashton was about to respond when I nced at him from the side and noticed a silhouette quietly


    standing by the door. I was caught by surprise. Upon seeing my reaction, Ashton put a pause to


    whatever he was about to say as well.


    The boy had just bathed and changed into pajamas. His hair was still quite wet, and his fragile body


    was next to the door frame. When our eyes met, I could see a brief flicker in his eyes.


    Did he hear everything we said just now?


    I felt awkward about it, but Ashton lightly beckoned for him toe over.


    Soon, the boy trudged over in slippers and stood before us. The flicker in his eyes a moment ago was


    now concealed.


    ¡°What is your name?¡± asked Ashton.


    The boy looked up at me, then answered, ¡°My name is Shaun.¡±


    ¡°You could remember so clearly?¡± If I was not mistaken, children who were experiment subjects were


    taken away from their families at a very young age. They would not have such a clear memory of their


    original names.


    Ashton scrutinized the boy closely. He did not say anything, but he gave off a very imposing vibe.


    Unexpectedly, under Ashton¡¯s gaze that could make a grown man cower in fear, the boy was unruffled


    and unaffected. He was as bold as ever, like how he had been at the orphanage. He nodded his head


    to show affirmation. ¡°I remember everything clearly. I was just captured and held there a month ago.¡±


    After hearing him say that, I came to a realization.


    Nics¡¯ experiment was to verify the flexibility of the genes in Ashton¡¯s body. Naturally, he would have


    to select research subjects of different ages. This boy who called himself Shaun was just the right age,


    so he was abducted.


    This exnation justified everything, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel something didn¡¯t add up somewhere.


    It was just like he was purposely leading me to think in that direction so that my suspicions toward him


    would be abated.


    However, I quickly denied my own doubts.


    This boy standing before me was just a child. He was a poor soul who lost his family. Even staying


    alive was a challenge to him. How would he have the capacity for deception?

 Chapter 1550

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1550


    At that moment, I felt that I was too cynical. I had assumed that a child would behave in the same way


    as a scheming adult.


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Ashton. He didn¡¯t seem to be suspicious of anything, he just nodded and excused Shaun.


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, you should go get some rest.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Shaun bowed slightly in a respectful manner and turned to leave the living room.


    Everything was silent once again. I noticed that Ashton¡¯s gaze was pinned on Shaun¡¯s retreating back.


    Evidently, he was just as suspicious of him as I was.


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± I asked.


    Hearing my voice, Ashton turned to face me. Out of nowhere, he said, ¡°No matter how obedient or


    cultured he may sound, these are not reasons for him to stay and get close to Audrey.¡±


    After saying that, he lifted the cup of hot tea to his lips. He then took his time savoring the tea and did


    not say anything else.


    Since our thoughts were aligned, there was no need to say everything out loud. Seeing that Ashton


    was as concerned as I was, the uneasiness that I felt arising out of worry for my daughter¡¯s safety was


    repressed.


    The next day, Ashton woke up early in the morning. After having breakfast, he took Gregory and me to


    the vi in the western suburbs.


    The normal apanying staff was reced by M Country mercenaries who were hired by John. After


    they changed into casual clothes, they were put under Millie¡¯smand.


    Joseph was already waiting at the entrance of the vi.


    ¡°Where is she?¡± Ashton asked coldly.


    ¡°In the master bedroom on the first floor. Ms. Hall kept begging for us to get a doctor¡­¡±


    Ashton simply ignored what he said and went into the vi with long strides.


    I expected a Hall property to be either luxurious yet low profile or high-ss and extravagant. Upon


    entering, I immediately noticed the peculiar interior of the vi. Colorful graffiti covered the walls. There


    wasn¡¯t much furniture in the living room, but there were many carefully ced items in various shapes.


    It seemed to be for practicing skating.


    Tiffany always appeared before everyone in heels. Who would have known that she had such a hobby


    in private?


    While curiously studying the house, we followed Ashton to the room where Tiffany was.


    As soon as Joseph opened the door, we saw a man and a woman huddled together at one side of the


    bed.


    Looking more closely, the woman was none other than the haughty Tiffany Hall. Perhaps due tock of


    rest, her face was pale at the moment.


    The man was seated on the bed, with the lower half of his body covered under the nket. He did not


    make a move to get down from the bed even after seeing us.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Both their eyes were slightly red and swollen. It was quite obvious that they had cried before we came


    in.


    ¡°Ashton! What right do you have to chase away my personal doctor? Can you bear the responsibility if


    someone dies?¡± Tiffany started yelling at us the moment she saw us. ¡°He is your brother-inw! How


    could you be so heartless?¡±


    Tilting his head slightly, Ashton nced toward the bed indifferently. ¡°So? Isn¡¯t he still alive and well?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Tiffany was so angered that she could not speak. She kept sputtering and was unable to form


    a coherent sentence. ¡°I¡­ You. You¡¯re being unreasonable!¡±


    Ashton was unfazed by the maniacal Tiffany. He walked to the side of the bed and stared down at the


    man. Even while standing at the door some distance away from them, Ashton¡¯s formidable aura could


    still be felt.


    Except for Tiffany, everything else in this vi was unusual. From the bizarre renovation to the baffling


    furniture, it was hard to tell whether the scruffy and bearded man was an artist or a reclusive shut-in.


    If I wasn¡¯t mistaken, when Tiffany mentioned ¡°brother-inw¡±, she was referring to the man on the bed.


    From what I remember, Tiffany was not married. Moreover, based on her identity and status, it was


    hard to link her and the man together with the concept of love and marriage.


    Tiffany seemed to be very afraid that Ashton would harm the man. As soon as he got close, Tiffany sat


    on the side of the bed and held the man in her arms tightly. Her eyes were alert and panicked. ¡°Ashton,


    please don¡¯t hurt him. I was the one behind everything. I will bear responsibility for all of it. Please


    consider the fact that I am your sister and hire someone to care for him. I have already caused him too


    much harm. I cannot drag him into my mess anymore.¡±

 Chapter 1551

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1551


    I thought the man was deaf. ¡°T-Tiffany¡­¡± He suddenly called out in a fearful voice.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Hearing his voice, Tiffany turned to look at him. Her eyes immediately became watery, and tears were


    about to spill out at any moment.


    Ashton was not bothered with their act of being star-crossed lovers. He coolly said, ¡°Speak up now, my


    dear sister. Besides the obituary, what other good things did you have a hand in?¡±


    There were no warnings or threats, but Ashton emphasized heavily on the words ¡°good things¡±.


    Perhaps she knew that this was the calm before the storm, or maybe she thought back to all the times


    she nearly died at Ashton¡¯s hands ¨C Tiffany was terrified. In a shaky voice, she said, ¡°I-I was the one


    who suggested hypnosis to Dad. But I was forced to do so! Dad was too frightening. In these thirty


    years, he controlled everything I did. Which school I went to, the people I saw, how many assets I have


    under my name¡­ Everything had to be ording to his wishes. Only by doing so would I be


    considered a child of the Hall family and be an emotionless robot like he was!¡±


    ¡°But he didn¡¯t stop there. He wanted to control not only everything we did but also how we think!¡±


    She paused and turned to caress the man¡¯s cheek. Her expression was suddenly full of sadness. ¡°I


    chose Keith, but Dad ordered for people to break his legs. He threatened me that if I wanted Keith to


    stay alive, I have to go back and fulfill my duties as his obedient daughter. I could onlypromise, but


    the seed of hatred was deeply nted in my heart. I swore I would escape from this hell hole one day!¡±


    ¡°Finally, you appeared, and Dad had a breakthrough in his gic experiment. If you had brought back


    the children, I would have sessfullypleted my escape n. As fate would have it, you were too


    headstrong. You were even tougher than Nathaniel and me. Hence, you would never bow down before


    Dad. I was about to give up on this n until our headquarters waspletely submerged in the


    ocean. The me of hope in my heart was ignited once again. The explosion on the ind dealt a great


    blow to the Hall family and gave me a chance. I proposed to Dad that we could hypnotize you so that


    the Hall family could have a perfect puppet. I, on the other hand, would be able to amass resources


    under your cover and wait for the best chance to leave.¡±


    Hearing Tiffany¡¯s confession, I couldn¡¯t help but feel that her whole life had been tragic and pitiful.


    ¡°Even so, you had six years to leave, but you dragged on until now. To put it simply, your greed has


    caused your own demise.¡±


    ¡°So what if I was greedy?¡± Tiffany raised her voice all of a sudden. ¡°It was what I deserved! Do you


    think my ranking in the Forbes list meant anything? In reality, all those assets were monitored by the


    Hall family! Besides daily expenses, I didn¡¯t even have the right to take a million for myself. Therefore, I


    could only turn my attention toward thepany. I was about to leave, but all of a sudden you decided


    to freeze thepany¡¯s assets. I was left with no choice but to kidnap Gregory in exchange for


    sufficient money to elope with Keith. I swear to you Ashton. I had no intention of harming Gregory!¡±


    While prattling on about her predicament, she sped her hands together and kept begging for


    Ashton¡¯s forgiveness. ¡°Please let us go, Ashton. I promise you. We will never appear before you ever


    again¡­¡± Tiffany was betting on Ashton¡¯s mercy. She did not appear to be the slightest remorseful at


    putting her own nephew at risk.


    If we had not tagged along and followed Ashton here, Gregory and I would never know that this


    woman, who kept preaching that we were all family, would betray us all in a heartbeat for her own gain.


    ¡°You are truly the good daughter of Nics Hall,¡± I said with gritted teeth. My hands would have balled


    up into fists if I hadn¡¯t been holding Gregory¡¯s shoulders. ¡°If Ashton had not seen through your n,


    Gregory would have been kidnapped by you. Did you ever consider the trauma you could cause to a


    six-year-old child if that were to happen?¡±

 Chapter 1552

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1552


    The woman who was sobbing earlier fell silent all of a sudden. Knowing that she had wronged us,


    Tiffany couldn¡¯t bring herself to nce at me and Gregory. Her eyes flickered and were out of focus.


    ¡°My men wouldn¡¯t go overboard and scare him. Besides, Ashton seized them already. What else could


    happen? You¡¯re trying to frame me¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you still denying that it¡¯s your fault?¡± Ashton¡¯s deep voice sounded.


    Tiffany bowed her head even lower and shuddered. ¡°Gregory ispletely fine. What have I done


    wrong?¡±


    ¡°You unrepentant woman!¡± Ashton said through gritted teeth.


    Afterward, he gave me and Gregory a sideways nce, asking impassively, ¡°Gregory, did you hear


    what she said? Do you see her true colors now?¡±


    Only then I noticed that Gregory had been furrowing his brows.


    ¡°Okay.¡± He nodded his head. ¡°I got it.¡±


    Tilting his chin back slightly, Ashton squinted his eyes. His gaze darkened for a split second. ¡°From now


    onward, you have only one name, that is Gregory Fuller. The Halls aren¡¯t your family.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Gregory nodded again, though he didn¡¯t fully grasp the meaning of his father¡¯s words.


    Suddenly, he thought of something and asked, ¡°How about Uncle Nathaniel?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll exin to youter.¡± Ashton¡¯s voice was t. I couldn¡¯t tell of his mood right now, but I knew that this


    was not the time to ask any other question.


    Knowing his father¡¯s temperament, Gregory took note of his words and fell silent.


    Afterward, the man turned to look at Tiffany again. His gaze grew much more frigid. ¡°I¡¯ve given you


    enough chances.¡±


    Anyone withmon sense could easily read between the lines and tell of his murderous


    intent. Tiffany went hysterical, standing up and backing away. ¡°No, you can¡¯t do this. Nothing happened


    to Gregory. You can¡¯t kill me!¡±


    Ashton¡¯s expression remained nonchnt as he stood rooted to the spot. Nevertheless, his


    overbearing aura was so palpable that she felt like she was about to get crushed anytime.


    ¡°Death is an easy way out for you. You¡¯re as good as dead the moment I found out that you¡¯re the one


    who published the obituary. Yet, I let you off because you¡¯re my sister. Now it¡¯s time for you to get a


    taste of your own medicine. I¡¯ll make your life a living hell.¡±


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    The man heaved a long sigh. His thin lips parted as hemanded, ¡°Come in.¡±


    As soon as those words left his mouth, Joseph came in with a few bodyguards. Thinking that they were


    going to take her away, Tiffany hid in a corner with her back pressing against the wall. Reluctance was


    written all over her face.


    Unexpectedly, the bodyguards made a turn and headed to the bed. Bending over to pick Keith up, they


    took him out of the room straight away.


    ¡°What are you guys trying to do to him? Let go! Let go of him now!¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Just like his subordinates, Joseph strictly executed the order. With no mercy, he shoved Tiffany


    forcefully onto the floor. Her forehead hit the bedside table, and blood gushed out instantly.


    ¡°Ouch¡­¡± The woman shook her head to stay conscious, reaching out to touch her forehead. Her face


    contorted with pain as she looked at the crimson blood on her palm. In the next second, she struggled


    and stood up to chase after Joseph and the others.


    Striding around the bed, Ashton grabbed her shoulders and pushed her onto the bed.


    The knock on her head and the fall were too much for her. Closing her eyes, Tiffany was too weak to


    get out of the bed. Moving her lips, she mumbled inaudibly.


    ¡°Since you refuse to let people who genuinely love each other stay together, I¡¯ll help you fulfill your


    wish. In this life, you¡¯ll not get to see Keith ever again. One thing is for sure, I¡¯ll get someone to feed


    and take care of him until he breathes hisst. But you¡¯ll never find him.¡±


    There was no punishment more cruel than endless mental torment.


    The only way to make Tiffany realize her mistake was to put her through the agony of being separated


    from her loved one.


    For Keith¡¯s sake, she ruined Ashton¡¯s rtionship with me, went against Nics, and disregarded the


    safety of her own nephew. She was madly in love with that man. Sure enough, she would never be at


    peace with herself in her lifetime.


    In a daze, Tiffany heard Ashton¡¯s words. Unable to move an inch, she murmured pleadingly, ¡°No¡­


    Ashton, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s my fault¡­ Please, I beg you¡­¡±

 Chapter 1553

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1553


    Darkness shadowed Ashton¡¯s eyes. He stood by the bed with a deadpan expression for a minute


    before turning and walking toward Gregory and me.


    ¡°Go home,¡± he said nonchntly. His voice was devoid of any emotions as though the cruel scene


    before had never urred.


    I lifted my hand and patted Gregory¡¯s shoulder after ncing around the room.


    As he left the room, I followed him with Ashton close behind. He didn¡¯t even look back as he left.


    Once I was seated in the car, I asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about Tiffany wanting to abduct


    Gregory?¡±


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    His gaze was focused on the road ahead of him as he answered, ¡°I have nipped that in the bud, and I


    didn¡¯t want you to worry. But it¡¯s not toote to know now.¡±


    It was his habit to immediately solve a problem instead of discussing it with others.


    Gregory was lucky toe out unharmed, but he might not be as lucky next time. ¡°I hope you can


    discuss with me when you encounter a problem and we can make a decision together. Now that


    everything has settled down, the Stovall family is no longer what they used to be. You need to change


    your habit of carrying all the burdens yourself.¡±


    Gics decided chauvinism in a man and also their ability to not register a single word their partner


    said.


    An overseas schr had said, ¡°All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own


    way.¡±


    A married couple will be together for their whole life. Honesty, tolerance, trust, and synergy are


    important in a marriage. And the marriage scale will tip one-sidedly if the burden only falls on one


    shoulder.


    Ashton¡¯s lips curled into a smile. He turned and leaned closer to me. ¡°Honey, you¡¯re stomping on my


    pride byining about me in front of our son.¡±


    I nced toward Gregory who was sitting in the safety chair in the back seat. He was in his own world,


    staring intently at theptop in his hands, not having a care for anything else happening around him.


    I felt a hand on my back when I turned around. I pped his hand away after contemting it for a


    second. ¡°Ashton, stop ying around.¡±


    Ashton pulled his hand back and ced it on the steering wheel at my rejection. He shrugged his


    shoulders, then started sweet-talking. ¡°Loving parents promote family harmony. Gregory will develop a


    fear of marriage if you¡¯re so violent all the time.¡±


    I red at him. He even has a noble excuse for being touchy-feely.


    Right then, Gregory piped up, ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±


    I turned around at the same time as Ashton. Gregory was still in the same posture as before as if we


    were in two separate worlds.


    Did I just imagine the whole thing?


    The next second, Gregory shut theptop and looked up at us naturally. ¡°My wife will be a beautiful


    woman like Mommy, and I¡¯ll have an adorable daughter like Audrey. This is my dream. It will never


    change.¡± Then his gazended on Ashton precisely. ¡°Daddy, Mommy is right. A fascist will be


    eliminated with time like in the histories.¡±


    Ashton¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Did I hear that correctly? You¡¯re nning to eliminate me? Your father?


    Is that right, Gregory Fuller?¡±


    Based on my experience, when your parents call your full name, it¡¯s time for you to escape, else you


    might end up with a beating.


    Gregory realized his slip of a tongue. With an arch of his brow, he quickly turned his face to the side,


    firing up hisptop naturally as though he had never said anything.


    His movement was so quick I almost missed it.


    Watching his actions, I couldn¡¯t suppress the risingughter. He¡¯s rational and knows when to take a


    step back. Gregory is growing up well.


    My anger was all gone from his interruption. Indeed, a child is a mother¡¯s biggest strength.


    Meanwhile, Ashton¡¯s face had clouded over. No one knew what he was thinking.


    Gregory instantly unclipped his seatbelt and rushed into the house once the car came to a stop.


    He was gone with the wind. Not a shadow to be seen by the time we reached the living room. Ashton


    halted in the hallway briefly before ncing at the whole house fiercely.


    I saw through his intention and warned, ¡°Ashton, you¡¯re dead if you dare bully Gregory. As a father,


    aren¡¯t you embarrassed to hold a grudge against your own son?¡±

 Chapter 1554

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1554


    Ashtonughed at my warning. ¡°You don¡¯t understand. This is between men,¡± he said as he took off his


    coat.


    I shrugged. ¡°I truly can¡¯t understand how a man can bully the young.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s happening here?¡± Cameron asked with concern. She thought we were arguing.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Just something about the kids.¡± Ashton ended the discussion before it could continue


    further.


    I shook my head resignedly and rolled my eyes at him when I caught his gaze. His authoritarianism and


    chauvinism are obvious in his actions, yet he continues to deny them. Men!


    Having experienced getting his full name called by Ashton, Gregory didn¡¯te out of his room for


    dinner. Instead, he locked himself in the study. Even Audrey couldn¡¯t get him out.


    After several futile attempts by the maid, Ashton got up from his seat and strode toward the stairs.


    I recognized that look. He was about to use force.


    ¡°Wait,¡± I called urgently, following behind him. ¡°I¡¯ll call him down. You stay right behind me.¡±


    When I first met Gregory, I thought Ashton was stressing him out too much. That kind of absolute


    obedience and expectation to execute every order without fail is too inappropriate for a six-year-old


    child.


    I can understand Ashton¡¯s hope for Gregory to shoulder all his burdens. However, I hope Gregory can


    understand he has another parent he can rx with.


    I soon arrived at the study with Ashton.


    Knock! Knock!


    ¡°Gregory, can Ie in?¡± I asked after knocking on the door twice.


    A child¡¯s opinion should always be respected.


    However, there was no response from within.


    Shortly after, I heard footsteps approaching the other side of the door. ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t worry about me.


    You can eat first. I should be punished for disrespecting Daddy earlier.¡±


    He was merely joking and agreeing with my opinion. How did it escte to this?


    Ashton was too cautious and strict on matters rted to Gregory.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°Gregory, I want toe in and talk to you. Can you let me in?¡±


    Another silence followed.


    I spun around, narrowing my eyes at Ashton as though telling him that I was the one in charge of


    educating the children.


    Just as I was about to give up, the door opened from inside.


    Gregory gave me a nce, then noticed Ashton behind me. He looked down immediately and walked


    out of his room with his head down.


    I bent down so that I was at his eye level and grabbed his arms. ¡°Are you not hungry? Your sister is not


    eating because you¡¯re not there. You don¡¯t want her to starve herself now, do you?¡± I said with a gentle


    smile.


    Gregory shook his head and muttered, ¡°I don¡¯t want that. But it was my fault, so I need to be punished.¡±


    I pondered briefly, then said in a somber tone, ¡°Yes. You were in the wrong.¡±


    Gregory lowered his head even further.


    ¡°And do you know what you did wrong?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have disrespected Daddy.¡± Gregory pressed his lips into a thin line. ¡°I can¡¯t say Daddy is


    wrong.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Then does that mean you think your daddy was right and Mommy was wrong?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Gregory raised his head. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. I¡­¡±


    In the end, the rims of his eyes reddened.


    My heart melted at his expression. I quickly pulled him into my arms andforted him, ¡°Don¡¯t be


    upset, Gregory. You¡¯re not in trouble here. You should insist on your opinions and express them if


    you¡¯re confident that you¡¯re right. We, as parents, are not always in the right. We can be wrong at times


    and make mistakes. Always remember to improve and be a better version of yourself. You made


    a judgment today and expressed your opinion to support me, so you deserve apliment. Okay?¡±


    Gregory sniffled, suppressing the tears welling up. He lifted his head from my chest and asked,


    ¡°Really? Then is Daddy wrong?¡±

 Chapter 1555

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1555


    He sneaked a peek at Ashton. Catching Ashton¡¯s serious expression, he skittishly snapped his gaze


    back down.


    ¡°You and your daddy were both wrong.¡± I shook my head and pursed my lips. ¡°Your daddy was wrong


    for being too stubborn and unwilling to ept another family member¡¯s opinion, while you were wrong


    because you disrespected him. You know, your daddy and I have tried long and hard to bring you and


    Audrey into this world. To protect every one of us, he has suffered a lot. He¡¯s quick-tempered, but he¡¯s


    a man who shoulders his responsibility. Don¡¯t you think a man like that is worthy of respect?¡±


    Gregory nodded his head seriously. ¡°Yes, he is.¡±


    Seeing that he understood the gist of it, I continued to guide him patiently, ¡°Then is it right for you to


    compare your daddy to a fascist in the car today?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Gregory shook his head, sincerity in his eyes.


    I let out a breath, then chuckled. ¡°So what should you do next?¡±


    Gregory pondered for a moment. He looked up at Ashton and pouted. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Daddy. I shouldn¡¯t


    have called you a fascist. I was wrong. Can you forgive me?¡±


    He caught on quickly. As expected, it¡¯s easier tomunicate with a precocious child.


    I stood up, sighing in relief.


    With a hard look on his face, Ashton casually grunted an acknowledgment, showing that he epted


    Gregory¡¯s apology.


    However, he was not going to let him off so easily.


    Perhaps Ashton had guessed my intention as he turned to leave.


    I reached for his arm with a yful smile. ¡°Mr. Fuller, shouldn¡¯t you be an example for your child?¡±


    I was winking at him madly. There was no way he could have missed my hints.


    He frowned at me, then locked his gaze with mine briefly and finally gave in.


    Schooling his expression, he bowed his head and apologized in a low voice, ¡°I was also in the wrong.


    Gregory, forgive me, will you?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t suppress myughter at his embarrassed look.


    Gregory¡¯s eyes were wide and sparkling. His entire face had lightened up. ¡°I forgive you, Daddy.¡±


    Ashton pursed his lips awkwardly. After a moment of silence, he headed downstairs.


    Gregory blinked, wondering if he had said something wrong. ¡°Is Daddy not happy?¡±


    I draped an arm around his shoulder with a smile and whispered, ¡°He¡¯s just embarrassed to admit his


    mistake. You have to keep it a secret.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Gregory¡¯s lips formed a little O at my exnation. He ced his finger over his lips and made a


    shush gesture.


    Two days after the incident.


    Our n that day was to meet up with the couple who adopted Shaun, but we received word that


    Simone had attempted tomit suicide by knocking her head against the wall. Having no choice, we


    excused ourselves and left urgently.


    Simone¡¯s head was already wrapped withyers of bandages when we arrived. Despite the thickyers


    of bandages, there was still blood seeping through them.


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    She had lost her usual dignified look. Her hair was untied, and they fell messily to her shoulders. She


    was lying immobile on the ground with half of her body leaning against the wall like a homeless beggar


    on the verge of death.


    Meanwhile, Nics was still tied to a chair. The speed of water dripping from the pipe above his head


    had increased. The droplets were hitting his face so quickly that he couldn¡¯t even open his eyes.


    After we stood there for a while, Simone opened her eyesboriously. She began to crawl toward us


    when she noticed our presence.


    Shocked by her sudden movement, I quickly took a few steps back. Ashton immediately came up in


    front to shield me and she used that opportunity to grab onto him.


    ¡°Ashton, son, please give me some water. I haven¡¯t had water for a couple of days. Please have mercy


    on me¡­¡±


    Her unkempt appearance and her indecipherable mumble were dirtier than a beggar¡¯s.


    A memory of the first time I saw Simone crossed my mind. She was beautiful, young-looking. Some


    even called her an ageless beauty.


    But now, the face, which she had spent thousands and thousands on, was filled with lines and wrinkles.


    Her eyes were empty and lifeless, which showed that she didn¡¯t have much time left on her clock.

 Chapter 1556

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1556


    Who could bear not to give in to an elderly¡¯s wishes when she was begging so pitifully?


    However, Ashton was an exception. He merely snorted at her, then pushed her away with his leg. He


    crossed the room toward Nics, who couldn¡¯t even open his eyes with the water dripping on him.


    Simone, unwilling to give up, wanted to crawl over to him to beg again, but her attempt was halted by


    the guards standing by. I quickly followed after Ashton once I was sure that the bodyguards had held


    Simone down.


    I feared Ashton wouldn¡¯t get any results since Nics had a strong mental fortitude. I thought he would


    be able to hold out.


    However, I had underestimated the fear of having water dripping onto one¡¯s face for a long time. That


    fear would unconsciously destroy one¡¯s will.


    As I neared Nics, with a slight bend of my body, the first thing I saw was his wide-open eyes filled


    with terror.


    My heart started to pound from fear. My hand instinctively settled over my chest, trying to keep myself


    calm.


    Not sure if it was from the endless water dripping onto his face, but Nics couldn¡¯t shut his eyes.


    Having been soaked in the water for a long time, his face was starting to bloat. The water would drip


    directly onto his eyeballs and that was the main cause of his fear. Even when Ashton and I came into


    his line of sight, he had no response.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I couldn¡¯t bear to look at his twisted expression. I flinched and moved aside.


    Ashton¡¯s face was still devoid of any emotion. He looked down at Nics and said indifferently, ¡°You


    silently acknowledged when Nics abandoned me and left me to fend for myself. When heid his


    hands on me and my children, you feigned ignorance. He even killed off thest line of the Fullers who


    had raised me, and yet, there was not a peep from you. Do you think you¡¯re worthy of being called a


    good wife and mother?¡±


    His words were directed at Simone despite the sharp gaze he had fixed on the unresponsive Nics.


    Ashton was right. Even thew would punish those with omission charges.


    As Nics¡¯ wife, Simone had countless opportunities to urge him to stop his bad deeds. Even if her


    attempts proved futile, she could have at least reminded him of the consequences of his actions, and


    that could have saved many lives. Yet, she never tried doing anything. She pretended not to know


    about Nics¡¯ merciless torture and allowed him to seize lives brutally, corrupting his own humanity.


    She did nothing and everything.


    Perhaps they had been a couple for so long that she had unconsciously considered him to be her God.


    And that exact ugly, twisted perception of considering others¡¯ lives to be nothing had allowed her to


    ept Nics¡¯ actions naturally.


    Simone opened her cracked lips and begged in a hoarse voice, ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m not worthy. I was


    wrong. I¡¯ll change. I¡¯ll make sure to persuade your father. So please, let us go. Please let your father


    go. Have mercy. Your father has always been an arrogant person, so it will be difficult for him to admit


    his mistakes. Let me apologize on his behalf. I¡¯ll apologize for all of his mistakes. Is that okay, son? He


    hasn¡¯t said a word sincest night. He¡¯ll die if this goes on. You can¡¯t be so cruel, son¡­¡±


    She hadn¡¯t had a single drop of water for the past few days, but despite her parched throat, she had


    managed to croak out those words. While some of her words were indecipherable, she persisted,


    hoping for mercy and forgiveness.


    In the face of death, nobleness and decency meant nothing. The virtues Nics had upheld so


    religiously couldn¡¯t even be used in exchange for a break. He had destroyed many lives, including


    Ashton¡¯s, for those exact virtues.


    A woman¡¯s howling voice echoed throughout the dungeon; the dark environment became even more


    depressing.


    With both his hands tucked in his pockets, Ashton ordered his men to release them after a long silence.


    ¡°Untie them.¡±


    Thinking she was finally free, Simone excitedly ced her palms together as if in prayer and bowed her


    head to the ground. ¡°Thank you, son. Thank you. I knew you were not as cold-hearted as you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Then you don¡¯t know me well enough,¡± Ashton cut her off before she could finish. ¡°Throw them onto


    the most bustling street. Have them kneel there and beg for food and water from those they look down


    upon. Let all of them have a look at the noble decency of the Hall family.¡±

 Chapter 1557

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1557


    That kind of humiliation would undoubtedly deal a devastating blow to Nics. But, one could


    understand where Ashton wasing from if one empathized with the hatred he had been keeping in


    him.


    The man who gave him life had wanted to take it back, but he had luckily managed to escape and


    survive to this date.


    He didn¡¯t owe his life to either Nics or Simone. But he would pay them back a hundredfold for all the


    humiliation, lies, and contempt he had suffered from them.


    Soon, the bodyguard filed into the room and untied Nics.


    Nicsy on the ground, immobile, his eyes wide open. They would¡¯ve thought he was dead if it


    wasn¡¯t for his moving chest.


    Simone immediately broke free from the bodyguard¡¯s hold and crawled over to him. ¡°Nics, answer


    me! Say something, Nics!¡±


    The room was silent, other than their breathing.


    After a short pause, the bodyguards continued to carry them both outside.


    Ashton¡¯s car was right behind the van transporting Simone and Nics. Once he had reached the


    bustling street, he pulled the car to a stop at an area with a clear, wide-angle of the square.


    It was precisely in the middle of lunch hour. People were moving about everywhere. The majority were


    white-cors and the elites.


    The ck van stopped at the most crowded square. Over a dozen bodyguards carried Simone and


    Nics down from the van and to the middle of the square. Without any hesitation, they dropped the


    two onto the ground. Then they spun around and left.


    The people at the square stared as the ck van sped away, leaving the worn-looking couple in the


    middle of the square.


    It was lunch break, so crowds of white-cors were moving about hastily, hoping to grab a bite at their


    favorite restaurant. They were used to the beggars filling every corner of the street, so they didn¡¯t even


    spare them a nce.


    Simone kneeled on the ground and begged every passerby for help, ¡°Please help us call an


    ambnce.¡±


    ¡°Please give us some water, sir. I know you¡¯re a kind man. I haven¡¯t had any water for three days. I¡¯m


    going to die soon.¡±


    ¡°Miss. Please help us, miss. I beg you, please¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m begging you with my knees on the ground. Please help us¡­¡±


    Finally, a few spectators stopped to look, and slowly a crowd circled them.


    Someone recognized Nics. ¡°Isn¡¯t this guy Nics Hall, the world-ss psychology professor who


    came back from overseas a few years back?¡±


    ¡°That woman is his wife. But how did they get those injuries? Maybe they have done something bad,


    and the victims¡¯ families took revenge?¡±


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Should we call the police? We can¡¯t just let them die.¡±


    ¡°Are you crazy? Don¡¯t you watch TV? If anyone was thrown here, someone must be keeping watch


    around. If you dare help them, you and I will have to face their wrath. Besides, I¡¯ve seen many of these


    people. Their greed knows no bounds. If they got their hands on you, they would waste your time and


    you would bete for work.¡±


    And so, those who had wanted to help immediately had that thought crossed out.


    Never had Nics imagined that these average people he had always looked down upon would decide


    on his life and death with just a few simple words.


    The crowd in the square all fell into silence. Only the sounds of Simone¡¯s cry and the advertisement


    jingle ying on the huge LED screen could be heard. And soon her hoarse cry for help was


    swallowed by the loud jingle.


    For the white-cors working from nine to five, time was of the essence. It was generous of them to


    pause and watch. Slowly, the crowd surrounding Simone and Nics began to disperse.


    They left without even a nce back. They probably wouldn¡¯t even remember seeing Simone and


    Nics in the square.


    The people who merely stared on and passed by without any sympathy couldn¡¯t help but focus on their


    lives more than anything else. They were merely pawns for those who stood at the top of the hierarchy.

 Chapter 1558

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1558


    It was amon scene nowadays for those at the top of the hierarchy to exploit those working for


    them. And the oue of that was no one lending the old couple a helping hand despite the bustling


    street.


    It was all karma. Treat the world with indifference, and the world will treat you the same.


    There were many kind-hearted people with an overwhelming sense of sympathy. But unfortunately,


    Simone and Nics had simply run out of luck.


    Simone¡¯s voice waspletely gone after thirty minutes under the hot sun. Her cracked lips opened


    and closed, but no words came out. Feeling dizzy and light-headed, she fell on her back with a loud


    thud.


    The square was left with only a few passersby. They hastened their pace and some even broke into a


    run when they passed by Simone and Nics. There was no telling if they were rushing for something


    urgent or they simply wanted to get out of there quickly.


    At two o¡¯clock sharp, only two bodies were left in the middle of the square.


    Ashton coldly retracted his gaze from the sight. He rolled up his window, blocking the view outside as if


    also cutting off the ties between him and the Hall family.


    ¡°Start the car,¡± Ashton said with a deadpan expression. ¡°We¡¯re going back to thepany.¡±


    When kinship was involved, the offender could act brazenly without consideration and the victim,


    heavyden, would not be able to fight back. Thus, it was much easier to be a bad person.


    s, Ashton wasn¡¯t a bad person.


    At such times, any kind offort was useless. And all he needed was a silentpanion.


    I held on to Ashton¡¯s arm on our way back, ying with his hand as I leaned against his shoulder. I


    could feel his asional stare, but he didn¡¯t say anything. I didn¡¯t push him for anything and simply


    pretended not to know. I cuddled in his embrace, taking on the role of a stress-relieving plush toy.


    After Ashton had be the wealthiest man, hispany was naturally situated within the tallest


    building in the city center. It was only two blocks away from the square and they arrived at their


    destination after a few minutes.


    ¡°Bring me the documents,¡± Ashton ordered Joseph as he took my hand in his and led me into his office.


    It had been too long since I hadst dealt withpany matters, so I had no memory of it and didn¡¯t


    have much of an interest when Ashton started talking business. I thought he had dropped by the


    company to settle some urgent work since we were in the area. Seeing him taking off his coat and


    heading toward his desk, I naturally took a seat at the guest area to get out of his way.


    Ashton was pulling out his chair when he caught me taking a seat on the couch. He waved his hand at


    me and said, ¡°Letty,e. Sit here.¡±


    I obediently stood up and took a seat across from him.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Joseph pushed the door open, strode toward Ashton¡¯s desk, and handed him a man envelope. Then


    he pivoted on his heels and left after giving me a respectful nod.


    As I recalled all the work Joseph had done for us all these years, I said, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t it be time for Mr.


    Campbell to set up a family in K City? Maybe we can give him a raise?¡±


    Joseph had always been by Ashton¡¯s side since their days at J City. He had shouldered a lot of


    Ashton¡¯s burden and I felt guilty about it. It would be reasonable for him to possess a portion of the


    company¡¯s share and have the same level of authority as us.


    Joseph¡¯s talent was equivalent to otherpanies¡¯ CEO. And yet, he had stayed by Ashton¡¯s sides all


    these years, working tirelessly without a singleint. He deserved to be respected and rewarded.


    ¡°I have my own n,¡± Ashton answered as he untied the string on the envelope. He set it on his desk


    and pushed it toward me. ¡°Open it.¡±


    ¡°What is it? How mysterious.¡±


    Taking out the document inside, I scanned the contents. It was simr to the share transfer agreement


    from before, and there was even my signature at the end of the page.


    It was the document I had given to Ashton when I gave up Fuller Corporation¡¯s share.


    ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± I asked in confusion. The contract was only effective for two years, so it


    had expired and was no longer in effect. I didn¡¯t expect Ashton to keep it until now.


    Ashton¡¯s lips curled into a smile. He steepled his fingers in front of his mouth. ¡°Let¡¯s talk after you¡¯ve


    finished going through it.¡±


    I looked back down at the document a secondter. There were indeed a few pages there, but I had


    overlooked them because the papers were too thin.

 Chapter 1559

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1559


    When I flipped to the next page, a notice regarding the change in thepany¡¯s personnel caught my


    eye.


    I proceeded to read it out loud, ¡°As decided by thepany¡¯s higher-ups, Ms. Scarlett Stovall has been


    appointed as the president of Fuller Corporation. This change is effective immediately.¡±


    Upon closer inspection, I realized that this notice was released one week ago.


    Doesn¡¯t this mean that it was published two days before we crafted the n to seek out Tiffany¡¯s


    headquarters?


    Immediately, I looked at Ashton with suspicion. To my surprise, he already had his affectionate gaze


    fixated on me. ¡°We¡¯ve been married for so many years; why are you still looking at me like that?¡±


    Ashton asked with a smile.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t get tired of looking at you,¡± I replied. When he heard my reply, Ashton¡¯s smile broadened.


    After a few moments of yful banter, he finally exined, ¡°I anticipated that Tiffany would take


    advantage of the situation when we made our move. Hence, I made this change in advance and froze


    all assets. Right now, the entirety of Fuller Corporation and all of the investments Tiffany has made to


    Fuller Corporation belongs to you.¡±


    I nced at the file in my hands and nodded. ¡°Doesn¡¯t this mean that I¡¯m rolling in dough now?¡±


    Yet, I couldn¡¯t find it in myself to rejoice. Right now, money and materialistic assets weren¡¯t the things I


    valued the most. Instead, I wanted to watch my children grow up in a safe environment and spend the


    rest of my life by Ashton¡¯s side.


    ¡°I suppose you can put it that way,¡± Ashton replied.


    ¡°Wow!¡± I eximed in mock surprise before cing the document back on the table. ¡°Now that I know


    what it feels like to be wealthy, where are the documents that you need me to sign? Why don¡¯t you


    hand them to me? You don¡¯t have to inform me of every little thing. I¡¯m letting you take charge of this.¡±


    After all, he had transferred the equity to me in order to trap Tiffany. Now that things were settled,


    Ashton must have shown me these files because he needed my signature to regain ownership of the


    shares. This way, Ashton would have the eligibility to sign some important documents.


    Although Ashton must have given me these files out of respect, he had always been the one who


    handled the business aspects of our rtionship. Hence, this entire ordeal felt unnecessary.


    Ashton merely shrugged. ¡°What documents are you talking about?¡± he asked, deliberately shing an


    innocent look.


    I couldn¡¯t help but shake my head in exasperation. What trick is he trying to pull now? ¡±I¡¯m talking about


    the document which will transfer all of my shares to you. You aren¡¯t going to leave this wealth to me,


    right?¡±


    Ashton¡¯s grin widened as he smiled in amusement. ¡°Why not?¡±


    I frowned and gave him a doubtful look. ¡°Ashton, this isn¡¯t funny.¡±


    To any other young woman, Ashton¡¯s ¡°gift¡± would have made them giddy with joy. However, I¡¯m not


    naive enough to be fooled by his trickery. If I take over such a huge corporation, I would spend the rest


    of my life working my fingers to the bone. Ashton is just dumping all of the work onto my shoulders.


    Ashton let out a heavy sigh as he pushed the file toward me again. ¡°This is a betrothal gift,¡± he said


    solemnly.


    Betrothal gift? ¡±What?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. ¡°Earlier, you said that we have been


    married for so many years. Why are you talking about that now? Grandpa gave it when we first got


    married. There¡¯s no such thing as paying it twice. Mr. Fuller, even if you want to quit, shouldn¡¯t you give


    me a better excuse?¡±


    Ashton leaned back into his chair as he stretched his bodynguidly. With his arms crossed together,


    he closed his eyes. ¡°Looks like I can¡¯t hide anything from you,¡± he murmured.


    The secret to a perfect marriage is to keep your wife as happy as ark. From my viewpoint, it looks


    like Ashton is trying to do the exact opposite!


    I shook my head with a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s stop joking around. You should get Joseph to prepare the


    documents. The earlier I sign it, the earlier we can leave. Besides, we shouldn¡¯t keep our guests


    waiting too,¡± I reminded him.


    After all, the couple looking to adopt Shaun was still waiting for our arrival. Making them wait for us was


    not a sign of good hospitality.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    All of a sudden, Ashton said casually, ¡°Why don¡¯t you marry me?¡±


    It felt as if time hade to an abrupt halt. I couldn¡¯t even believe my own ears. ¡°What did you just


    say?¡± I gaped at him as I tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear.

 Chapter 1560

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1560


    Promptly, Ashton opened his eyes and reached out his right hand to rap his knuckles against the file on


    the desk. ¡°Since you aren¡¯t going to ept the betrothal gift, this will be my dowry. Let¡¯s get officially


    married again.¡±


    We locked eyes across the table. When I saw the look of determination gleaming in his gaze, I couldn¡¯t


    muster a proper response. He¡¯s not joking at all.


    On the other hand, Ashton remained as cool as a cucumber. ¡°There are a total of one hundred and


    ny-seven countries in this world. In these countries, there are about six hundred news outlets


    located worldwide. The cost of prime-time advertisement amounts to around forty million a day. With a


    three hundred million budget from Fuller Corporation¡¯s quick turnover, it should be enough to keep the


    advertisements ying for a whole week.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute, what advertisements are you talking about?¡± I blurted. Is he rambling to himself? Has


    he forgotten that I¡¯m still here?


    My question seemed to jolt Ashton out of his daze. However, his look of surprise was quickly reced


    with a solemn one. ¡°I¡¯m talking about the advertising for our wedding. Since you are getting married to


    me, shouldn¡¯t we broadcast it to the world?¡±


    Oh my God, who on Earth taught him to say such absurd things with a straight face!


    ¡°Pull yourself together. Stop talking about marriage!¡± I gulped nervously. Did Simone¡¯s tragedy freak


    him out? I couldn¡¯t help but ask in worry, ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    For several moments, Ashton remained silent as his eyes locked onto my face. Wordlessly, he rose to


    his feet and circled the desk to make his way in front of my seat. All of a sudden, he lowered his head


    until it was mere inches from mine. Startled by our sudden proximity, I shied away. Yet, Ashton merely


    inched closer. Both of his hands mped around the armrests of my chair, keeping me trapped against


    it.


    It wasn¡¯t until I had my back pressed against the chair that Ashton finally halted his advances. His


    mouth was so close to mine that the slightest quiver meant that our lips would meet.


    ¡°Does it look like I¡¯m not all right?¡± A yful look flitted across Ashton¡¯s dark eyes. ¡°Is it so hard for you


    to take the title as my wife?¡±


    Given the look of arrogance on his face, Ashton must have predicted that I was afraid of getting the


    short end of the stick.


    Although I was reluctant to admit that Ashton¡¯s assumptions were correct, it was fortunate that I had


    past experiences dealing with money. I won¡¯t let him intimidate me with such ease.


    With a deep inhale to regain myposure, I straightened my back. Startled by the sudden movement,


    Ashton flinched backward.


    ¡°Did I scare you?¡± I teased him with a smug smile. ¡°Weren¡¯t you so full of yourself when you asked me


    to be your wife?¡±


    When Ashton realized I was only pulling his leg, the corners of his lips twitched upward into a smile.


    Swiftly, he nted a kiss on my lips before he drew himself to full height and backed away. ¡°I¡¯m being


    serious. In the past, the love I had for you was always restrained and limited. Now that we are spending


    the rest of our lives together, I want the entire world to know that we are a couple. Whenever someone


    sees your name, I want them to think of me too. Scarlett, even if we became inseparable, it will not be


    enough to convey the undying love I have for you.¡±


    Ashton paused before he continued, ¡°Once Shaun has been sent away, let¡¯s go to Illurasia and register


    our marriage. We can hold our wedding ceremony there too. John can take care of the children while


    we embark on a honeymoon.¡±


    Finally, I realized that Ashton was being serious.


    He wanted to use our honeymoon as an excuse for some privacy. This way we could do as we


    pleased.


    It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out the reason behind Ashton¡¯s sudden yet romantic suggestion.


    Now that I had a clear grasp of Ashton¡¯s intentions, I couldn¡¯t decide if I wanted tough or cry. ¡°I know


    what you are trying to do. However, it¡¯d be best if you dismiss that notion. We aren¡¯t children; we should


    not spend on such extravagant things. Spending hundreds of millions to promote our wedding is too


    excessive. Ashton, you were raised with a strong military background. You shouldn¡¯t forget the values


    of diligence and thriftiness that you¡¯ve learned growing up. If I let you spend as you pleased, Grandpa


    will be rolling in his grave. He¡¯ll be sure to haunt me in my dreams.¡±


    Before Ashton had a chance to retort, I quickly rose to my feet and grabbed my bag. ¡°I¡¯m doing this for


    you,¡± I said as I strode out of the room. ¡°If word about our marriage spreads, everyone will think that


    one of the most dignified men in K city has been reduced to nothing but a pathetic son-inw who


    married into his wife¡¯s family. To avoid a situation like that, we should keep a low profile, all right?¡±


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    After putting more emphasis on myst sentence, I yanked the door open and dashed out. I was afraid


    that Ashton might try to stop me. In haste, I headed into the elevator. It wasn¡¯t until the elevator doors


    slid shut that I finally smiled in relief.

 Chapter 1561

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1561


    I knew Ashton¡¯s stubborn personality like the back of my palm. He wouldn¡¯t take no for an answer. To


    achieve his goals, it was likely that he¡¯d already started to brainstorm for other ideas to convince me.


    Nevertheless, I was happy that he had his attention fixated on something else. It meant that Ashton


    was finally breaking free from the Hall family.


    After waiting in the car for several moments, Ashton finally arrivedte on purpose. When he got into


    the seat next to mine, there was a dark expression that loomed across his face.


    Even when the car started, Ashton did not spare me a single nce. Instead, he kept his hands firmly


    on his knees. It looked like he was drawing an invisible boundary between us.


    Although I had only ever seen women sulk in silence, Ashton¡¯s sullen demeanor was no different. In


    fact, the petnt pout on his face looked extremely out of ce.


    The sight of Ashton¡¯s clenched jaw caused me to stifle myughter. In an attempt to catch a better


    glimpse of his face, I leaned forward. At the same time, the car drove over a sudden bump that sent my


    flying forward because I¡¯d forgotten to put on my seatbelt.


    The next thing I knew, a pair of muscled arms had wrapped around my waist and guided me back to


    my seat with a firm yet gentle grip.


    Immediately, I looked up and saw a deep frown across Ashton¡¯s forehead. A look of exasperation and


    frustration was present in his jet-ck eyes.


    It felt like I could read his inner thoughts. Even though he¡¯s angry at me, his rage wouldn¡¯t stop him


    from protecting me.


    Unable to hold back myughter anymore, I burst into a fit of giggles.


    When he heard myughs, Ashton¡¯s mood seemed to worsen. After all, he must have never faced such


    a predicament before. In the past, he was the one who put others on the spot. Now that the roles have


    been reversed, he must be feeling very gloomy.


    Despite his foul mood, he kept one of his hands stubbornly wrapped around my waist. Ashton spent the


    rest of the journey with his face turned to the window as we sat in silence.


    On the other hand, I followed in Ashton¡¯s past footsteps. Brazenly, I ignored his foul mood and leaned


    my head on his shoulder throughout the entire car ride.


    The couple who nned to adopt Shaun were a pair of university professors. Although they spent a


    long time waiting for our arrival, they did notin. Even when they greeted us, the couple was


    amicable and cordial.


    From this act alone, I could discern their true personalities and character.


    Ashton and I quickly settled down opposite them. Although we were supposed to discuss Shaun¡¯s


    adoption, Ashton¡¯s subordinates had already done a thorough background check on the couple. Hence,


    we made idle small talk.


    After mulling it over, I said to Yuna earnestly, ¡°Shaun is introverted and shy. Once you bring him home,


    I hope you and your husband will be patient with him. Please give him ample time to adjust.¡±


    Throughout our entire conversation, Yuna had a warm smile on her face. When she heard my advice,


    she quickly nodded. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, please rx. We can¡¯t bear any children of our own. Shaun will be in


    safe hands. We promise to treat him like he¡¯s our own child. Eventually, we believe Shaun will ept


    our sincerity and love.¡±


    While she spoke, Yuna nced at her husband as theyced their hands together. I could see a spark


    of gratitude and joy gleaming in the couple¡¯s eyes.


    I nodded my head in satisfaction. It looks like Shaun has found the perfect home. Fate has led him to


    this loving couple.


    Right then, loud yells echoed from the back of the house.


    ¡°Oh no, Ms. Audrey fell into the water! Please help!¡±


    ¡°Quick, she is choking on water!¡±


    When I caught wind of the panicked cries, it felt like a bolt of lightning had struck my body. Instantly, my


    entire mind turned nk.


    Immediately, I jumped to my feet and hurtled toward the back of the house without any regard for my


    appearance.


    When I got to the scene, the bodyguard had rescued Audrey to shore. Judging from her limp body, she


    must have fallen unconscious. Without any dy, the guard began to perform CPR on her.


    Fortunately, Audrey¡¯s condition was not severe. It only took the guard a few pumps before the water


    she¡¯d swallowed earlier came spluttering out of her mouth.


    Swiftly, the maid wrapped arge towel around Audrey¡¯s wet body as Ashton scooped her into his arms


    and rushed into the house.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Now that Audrey was out of harm¡¯s way, I heaved out a huge sigh of relief. However, just as I began to


    follow Ashton, I noticed a few guards hovering in a circle nearby. When I ventured closer, I realized


    Shaun was also a victim of the drowning incident.


    Although another guard was trying to resuscitate Shaun, the young boy showed no response.

 Chapter 1562

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1562


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± I eximed in worry.


    Even the guard¡¯s shirt was drenched with water. ¡°When we hurried over, we saw him pulling Ms.


    Audrey out of the pool. He must have choked on the water while he tried to rescue her!¡± the guard


    replied as he continued to pump Shaun¡¯s chest.


    Even after the guardpleted the first-aid measure, Shaun remained unconscious. In haste, the


    guard carried him into the house. ¡°Move aside! Contact Dr. Evans right now!¡± he yelled as he ran.


    Since Dr. Evans was the Fullers¡¯ private doctor, he lived in the neighboring vi. After a quick phone


    call, he arrived in just two minutes.


    The sudden incident threw the Fuller residence into a state of utter chaos. Worried about Shaun¡¯s


    wellbeing, Yuna and James trailed after the guard¡¯s heels.


    Although Ashton was keeping Audreypany, I decided to pay her a visit and calm her emotions.


    As expected, I heard Audrey¡¯s sobs the moment I made my way upstairs.


    After all, she¡¯s still a young child. She wouldn¡¯t be able to control her emotions after such a huge fright.


    When I entered the bedroom, Audrey was huddled in Ashton¡¯s arms. Furthermore, there were tears


    and snot streaked across her entire face.


    ¡°Mommy, I want a hug,¡± Audrey whined when I arrived at the foot of the bed.


    I quickly hugged her and patted her back to calm her down. ¡°It¡¯s all right. Daddy and I are here now.


    There¡¯s nothing to be afraid of,¡± I murmured to console her.


    After a long moment, Audrey¡¯s sobs finally subsided.


    Promptly, I noticed that Audrey was still clothed in her wet garments. Afraid that she might catch a cold,


    I ushered Ashton out and helped her into a new outfit.


    ¡°Mommy, how is Shaun?¡± Audrey asked when I brushed her hair.


    It took me a moment before I realized she was asking about Shaun.


    ¡°Do you like Shaun?¡± I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was amiss. I urged Audrey to turn


    around and face me before I continued, ¡°Audrey, tell me the truth. How did you fall into the swimming


    pool? Didn¡¯t Uncle John teach you how to swim?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Audrey nodded with a look of innocence.


    ¡°Then how did you drown?¡±


    Audrey pursed her lips as she looked at me pitifully. ¡°Shaun didn¡¯t know how to swim. Although I


    wanted to teach him, he refused to go into the pool. Hence, I decided to swim alone.¡± Audrey lowered


    her head in guilt. ¡°But I swam too far from the edge. In the end, I didn¡¯t have the energy to swim back to


    shore.¡±


    ¡°So Shaun leaped into the pool to save you even though he didn¡¯t know how to swim. If the guards


    hadn¡¯t arrived on time, the two of you might have drowned. Audrey, do you know what you¡¯ve done?¡±


    Although I didn¡¯t want to reprimand her. The situation at hand was too severe for me to brush it off. I


    needed to be strict enough so Audrey could understand the consequences of her actions.


    However, Shaun¡¯s bravery caught me by surprise. In an attempt to save Audrey, he didn¡¯t even think


    twice about his own life.


    When I chastised her, Audrey hung her head even lower. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mommy. I won¡¯t do something like


    that again¡­¡±


    Toward the end of her sentence, Audrey sounded like she was on the verge of tears again.


    Usually, Audrey had a bright and cheerful temperament. She rarely cried or sulked. Judging from the


    guilty look on her face, I¡¯m sure this incident will serve as asting reminder.


    ¡°All right, it¡¯s good that you learned your mistake. However, don¡¯t forget that Shaun was the one who


    saved you. What should you do?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°I will pay Shaun a visit to thank him. I won¡¯t forget to apologize too,¡± Audrey replied earnestly.


    I nodded in agreement before helping her tidy up her appearance.


    When we walked out of the room, Ashton was waiting right outside. With a single nce, he could tell


    where we were going. He quickly carried Audrey in his arms and led the way.


    Outside Shaun¡¯s room, Yuna and James were pacing back and forth anxiously. When we arrived, they


    tagged along and followed us in.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, Mrs. Fuller,¡± Dr. Evans greeted us politely. He was in the midst of gathering his medical


    equipment.


    Ashton merely nodded his head before he asked, ¡°How is he?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s out of danger now. However, he still needs to avoid any strenuous movement as theck of


    oxygen has weakened his body. It¡¯d be best if he has a good rest.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t this mean that he cannot travel today?¡± Unbeknownst to us, John had entered the room. With


    his hands in his pockets, John leaned against the doorframe and said darkly, ¡°This ident doesn¡¯t


    seem like a coincidence.¡±Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.

 Chapter 1563

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1563


    When Audrey first brought Shaun back from the orphanage, John was displeased with the boy¡¯s


    sudden arrival. Right now, it seemed like John was deliberately picking on Shaun.


    Although Shaun had saved Audrey¡¯s life, I couldn¡¯t help but agree with John¡¯s suspicions.


    Inparison to Summer and Gregory, Audrey had always been more yful and lively. However, she


    still knew how to control herself in the right situations. Knowing Audrey¡¯s character, this drowning


    ident did not sit right with me.


    When John said that, a tense atmosphere filled the room. No one tried to refute his statement too.


    After a few moments, Dr. Evans was the first to break this awkward silence.


    ¡°Although he¡¯s in a stable condition, he¡¯s disying some symptoms of malnutrition. During this period


    of rest, it¡¯d be best if you could be more mindful of his diet. If not, it might have devastating


    consequences when he¡¯s older,¡± Dr. Evans instructed.


    ¡°We will keep that in mind. Thank you so much, Dr. Evans,¡± I said gratefully.


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, please don¡¯t thank me. I was merely fulfilling my duty as a doctor. If there isn¡¯t anything


    else, will it be all right if I take my leave?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Ashton replied nonchntly.


    After Ashton dismissed him, Dr. Evans and the nurse left the room.


    In the wake of the doctor¡¯s departure, Yuna, James, and Shaun were the only outsiders left in the Fuller


    residence.


    Clearly, John¡¯s pointed remark had affected Yuna and James. Their delight upon hearing that Shaun


    was fine had morphed into one of worry and pain. Before we could say anything, Yuna stepped


    forward. ¡°Mr. Fuller, Mrs. Fuller, since Shaun is in such a weak state, it wouldn¡¯t be wise for him to go


    embark on a long journey. Why don¡¯t we bring him home another day?¡±


    Judging from the look of worry scrawled all over Yuna¡¯s face, she must be feeling sympathetic toward


    Shaun. As a woman myself, I could empathize with her feelings.


    Shaun¡¯s adoption was something Ashton and I agreed on. Hence, it was bound to happen sooner or


    later. Nevertheless, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to dy it for a week. This way, we can repay our gratitude to


    Shaun for saving Audrey¡¯s life.


    Before I could reply, I heard Ashton¡¯s husky voice echo behind me. ¡°Can you stand it?¡±


    Immediately, I whirled around and noticed Ashton looking at Shaun. Clearly, Ashton was telling Shaun


    that his adoption would proceed no matter what.


    Even when talking to a young child, Ashton remained as headstrong as ever. How is he so bold? If I


    were in his shoes, I wouldn¡¯t even know where to start. Maybe that¡¯s why we are sopatible


    together. After all, opposites attract. There are some things that we just can¡¯t do alone.


    Promptly, silence descended over the room. We were all stunned by Ashton¡¯s coldness toward Shaun.


    At the same time, everyone was waiting for Shaun¡¯s reply. As everyone waited with bated breath, the


    room was so silent that one could hear a pin drop.


    We had kept Audrey in the dark about Shaun¡¯s adoption. Hence, she assumed that Ashton was merely


    asking Shaun if he was strong enough. ¡°Shaun, Daddy is asking if you can stand up and y with me!


    Quick, stand up! I¡¯ll cheer you on.¡± Audrey pped her hands excitedly to encourage him.


    The stark contrast between Audrey¡¯s cheerful demeanor and our solemn expressions was ring.


    Despite that, everyone remained silent as they did not reveal the harsh truth.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Ashton¡¯s gaze was devoid of any pity. In fact, it was as cold as ice. Wordlessly, he stared at Shaun as a


    menacing aura began to emanate from his tall figure.


    After Shaun locked gazes with Ashton for several moments, he seemed to admit defeat. Quickly, he


    yanked the nket away and mbered out of bed.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, I¡¯m fine.¡± Shaun raised his head to look at Ashton. ¡°The housekeeper has already informed


    me of this arrangement. I will leave at once.¡±


    ¡°Shaun, where are you going?¡± Audrey asked cluelessly.


    Shaun nced at Ashton before he tilted his head to look at Audrey. He smiled at her and said, ¡°I¡¯m


    going to buy the world¡¯s sweetest lollipop for Ms. Audrey! Can you promise me to stay at home until I


    return?¡±


    ¡°The world¡¯s sweetest lollipop?¡± Audrey mulled over Shaun¡¯s offer before a bright smile broke across


    her face. ¡°All right! But you have to promise to return as fast as you can. If you don¡¯t, I won¡¯t y with


    you again!¡±


    ¡°I promise.¡± Shaun nodded before his gaze darted toward Yuna and James. ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving now,¡± he


    murmured.

 Chapter 1564

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1564


    With that, Shaun walked toward Yuna and James.


    Yuna was told that her family had to avoid Audrey. While keeping Shaun close to them, Yuna and her


    husband nodded emotionally and looked at us in gratitude. After that, they brought Shaun to leave the


    ce.


    When they walked to the door, Audrey suddenly shouted, ¡°Shaun, I¡¯ll wait for you!¡±


    When they stopped for a moment, a glint of sadness shed across Shaun¡¯s face. However, the next


    moment, they continued walking and disappeared very quickly.


    Audrey felt disappointed because Shaun didn¡¯t even look back at her. She pursed her lips sadly, fiddled


    with Ashton¡¯s necktie, and murmured, ¡°Hmph! Since Shaun ignored me, I¡¯ll ignore him next time!¡±


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Nevertheless, I thought Audrey would forget about it very soon and wanted to y with Shaun once


    they met again.


    However, Audrey didn¡¯t know that the little boy she liked wouldn¡¯t return to this house again.


    Children were pure-minded and wouldn¡¯t pretend to love or dislike someone. Also, Shaun was probably


    the first kid whom Audrey treated sincerely as a friend. Nevertheless, I supported Ashton¡¯s decision


    precisely because of that.


    There were no perfect matches in this world, be it couples, friends, or family members. Instead, perfect


    matches only existed because someone deliberately created the illusion.


    We had no choice but to get rid of Audrey¡¯s friend to ensure that no one deliberately got close to her for


    personal interests.


    After a while, Ashton put Audrey down and instructed the housekeeper, ¡°Bring Gregory and Summer to


    the swimming pool.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Fuller.¡±


    After the housekeeper left, Ashton gazed at me and handed over Audrey¡¯s hand to me. ¡°Bring the kids


    there. I¡¯ll get changed and be thereter.¡±


    With that, he left the room.


    Does he¡ªwant to teach them to swim?


    But John has taught the children before, and Audrey almost drowned not long ago. Is it necessary to


    teach them to swim now?


    By the time I regained my senses, Ashton had already left. Hence, I couldn¡¯t raise my doubts. As such,


    I put on the swimwear for Audrey before bringing her to the swimming pool.


    Gregory and Summer had changed into their swimwear and enjoyed ying around in the water with


    their floats when we arrived.


    Apparently, the two kids didn¡¯t need any guidance with swimming.


    Seeing Gregory swimming happily, Audrey let go of my hand and rushed toward the swimming pool via


    thedder.


    ¡°Greg, Summer! I¡¯ming!¡±


    Audrey cautiously dipped her legs into the water but was afraid to get into the pool. Meanwhile, she


    fiddled with water excitedly and wished to get closer to Gregory and Summer.


    I couldn¡¯t help but shake my head smilingly. No one can tell that she has just escaped from drowning!


    Since Audrey looked anxious, Summer grabbed her hand and led her into the swimming pool.


    Suddenly, a whistling sound came from behind.


    John had changed into his swimming trunks, showing his muscr, wless, and slightly tanned body.


    ¡°Uncle John, you¡¯re so cool! Wow!¡± Audrey hit the water excitedly as though she had be John¡¯s


    fan.


    John came up to me with an arrogant smile while putting on his swim cap.


    I couldn¡¯t help but shiver and purse my lips upon seeing his arrogant face. My God! Does he know how


    old he is already? How can he be that shameless before the children?


    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Noticing the change in my expression, John ced both of his


    hands on his hips and questioned, ¡°Can you think of any of my contemporaries who still has a nice


    shape like me? See, I still have tanned skin and an eight-pack. Also, my V-cut abs would be more


    obvious if I didn¡¯t eat a lot these few days. Anyway, you¡¯re lucky to have the chance to look at me


    without paying. How dare you give me a disdainful look instead?¡±

 Chapter 1565

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1565


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± With that, I turned around to avoid dwelling on it. At that moment, I realized that


    someone was standing at the door.


    Ashton had fair skin as well as attractive chest muscles and abs. Besides, even his calf muscles looked


    perfect. I couldn¡¯t help but feel that Ashton looked like a young and pretty boypared to John.


    After many years, Ashton still maintained his nice figure and was fitter than many young men.


    I was shocked for a while, but my lips curled into a faint smile. It was probably the first time Ashton took


    off most of his clothes in front of many people. Moreover, even the maids who stood afar were stunned.


    As soon as John and Ashton arrived, the swimming pool became virtual heaven for youngdies.


    At that time, the craziestdies were my daughters¡ªSummer and Audrey.


    ¡°Daddy, is that you? I can¡¯t believe you still maintain a perfect figure! Can I take a picture and share it


    with my friends?¡± Summermended.


    Meanwhile, Audrey¡¯s jaw almost dropped, and she couldn¡¯t utter a word due to excitement.


    Since John didn¡¯t want to be left out, he stood at the nearest springboard and jumped into the pool


    perfectly. Summer and Audrey pped their hands excitedly and shouted, ¡°Wow, Uncle John is


    amazing! We love you!¡±


    After a while, John popped his head out of the water and wiped the water droplets off his face. As he


    was gasping for air, he wagged his fingers at Ashton provokingly. ¡°Don¡¯t pose for photographs over


    there. Come and show us what you got.¡±


    After shing John a disdainful look, Ashton walked toward the springboard calmly.


    Slowly, he spread his arms, held his breath, and jumped.


    There were almost no ripples on the water surface when Ashton dived. The next moment, he swam


    quickly and came up to the children in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    ¡°Ahh¡ª¡±


    Once Ashton popped his head out of the water, he ced Audrey on his left shoulder and maintained


    his bnce with another hand.


    After a while, Audrey came to her senses and felt excited. ¡°It¡¯s fun! Daddy, I want to try it again!


    Hehehe¡ª¡±


    At that moment, Ashton¡¯s hair was wet and stuck to his head. Besides, water droplets kept dropping


    down from his hair. Nheless, he maintained his overbearing aura and said, ¡°Do you know who you


    should learn to swim from?¡±


    ¡°I know! I¡¯ll learn from Daddy! Also, I almost flew just now with a whoosh! I want to try that again!¡± Two


    days ago, Audrey hugged John and said she wished to learn everything from him. It turned out that she


    was fickle, for she only admired Ashton now.


    Once Audrey finished, the two men exchanged looks. One of them showed off his victory proudly, while


    the other looked helpless.


    ¡°Ashton, you¡¯re breaking the rules. I mean, anyone can lift Audrey because she¡¯s so tiny, and thus that


    doesn¡¯t count! Let¡¯s have one more round by swimming back and forth in the pool. Whoever finishes it


    first will be the winner!¡± John shouted as he swam toward them.


    Nheless, Ashton ignored John¡¯s provocation and put Audrey down from his shoulder. After that, he


    asked Audrey, Gregory, and Summer to line up in front of him like soldiers before amander.


    ¡°Today, I will teach you how to deal with drowning¡ª¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± The glint of excitement on Audrey¡¯s face vanished once she heard Ashton¡¯smand. She


    asked Ashton helplessly and cautiously, ¡°Daddy, are we not going to y that game again?¡±


    As Audrey was speaking, her voice got increasingly lower. In the end, she noticed Ashton¡¯s cold face


    and dared not say that she wanted so badly to y the game.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Although Ashton didn¡¯t reply to her, his answer was crystal clear¡ªno way. As the atmosphere became


    tenser, John gloated over it and didn¡¯t persuade Ashton for Audrey.


    It was Ashton¡¯s principle to do everything attentively and wholeheartedly. ¡°Work hard, y hard¡± was


    not his motto in learning any skills. Since children¡¯s attention could be easily swayed, I agreed with


    Ashton¡¯s teaching method. Moreover, it was better to remain cautious because they were dealing with


    water now.

 Chapter 1566

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1566


    Summer probably remembered that Ashton would be irritated if they refused to listen. Hence, she took


    the initiative tofort Audrey, ¡°Audrey, be a good girl. Practice it first, and Daddy will reward you


    afterward.¡±


    As Summer was talking to Audrey, both of them stole a nce in sync at Ashton, who always looked


    expressionless.


    Under normal circumstances, Ashton wouldn¡¯t entertain anyone¡¯s demand. Surprisingly, Ashton wasn¡¯t


    angry and only fell silent. A few secondster, he gave in and said, ¡°As you wish!¡±


    It turned out that Ashton¡¯s daughters were his soft spot.


    ¡°Oh yeah!¡±


    As Audrey lifted her hands in excitement, she slipped through her float and fell into the water. She was


    caught off-guard and gulped down some water as a result. Fortunately, Gregory and Summer quickly


    pulled her up so that she could breathe.


    ¡°Pffft! Pffft!¡± While coughing out water, Audrey stole nces at Ashton but didn¡¯t notice any changes in


    his expression. As such, she dared squint her eyes adorably and make funny faces at him.


    After that, Ashton began to teach the children seriously. Since they had learned basic swimming skills


    before and were intelligent, they acquired the skills soon and spent the rest of the time ying.


    Meanwhile, Ashton and John continued topete secretly to please Audrey by showcasing their


    swimming skills.


    Suddenly, Emma showed up and put a halt to their intensepetition. ¡°John! Have you abandoned


    thepany and your son already? Let¡¯s get a divorce if you¡¯re tired of me!¡±


    John shriveled once he heard Emma shouting. He heaved a sigh and swam toward the coping of the


    swimming pool. ¡°Well, my leisure time has just ended.¡±


    Nevertheless, John didn¡¯t forget to coax his wife with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ming. Anyway, don¡¯t always talk


    about getting a divorce. You¡¯re like water, and I¡¯m like a fish. How can a fish get out of water?¡±


    With that, he reached out to hug Emma.


    Swiftly, Emma turned sideways to dodge John and pressed her index finger against his chest. Then,


    she narrowed her eyes and warned, ¡°Do you want to sleep in the study again?¡±


    John had no choice but to withdraw his hands and obediently follow Emma to the lobby.


    As the sky was about to turn dark soon, Ashton ended the ss and family time and brought the kids


    back to take a shower.


    When the kids surrounded Ashton and chatted with him happily, I felt that the blissful moment would go


    on and on.


    Suddenly, a scar near Ashton¡¯s knee happened to catch my attention.


    After going through a lot in Venria, I instantly recognized that it was a gunshot scar.


    The scar was rather inconspicuous. Perhaps I wouldn¡¯t notice it at all if Ashton didn¡¯t wear swimming


    trunks and walked in front of me for quite some time.


    Usually, Ashton wouldn¡¯t deliberately show me his scars. More often than not, he would have forgotten


    how he got injured when I noticed his scars.


    While I was at a loss, Joseph happened to lead a few maids to clean the swimming pool. As soon as


    he walked past me, I said, ¡°Excuse me, Mr. Campbell.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller.¡± Joseph came up to me politely and bowed.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± After murmuring a response, I fixed my gaze on Ashton¡¯s scar and asked, ¡°How did Mr. Fuller


    get injured near his knee?¡±


    Joseph followed my gaze and saw Ashton¡¯s scar. After falling silent for a while, he frowned and replied,


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Fuller. I have no idea about it.¡±


    ¡°Did you say you have no idea?¡± I felt both shocked and amused by Joseph¡¯s answer. Joseph has


    stayed by Ashton¡¯s side and served him for many years than I have. In that case, how is it possible that


    he doesn¡¯t know about it? Since when does he think I¡¯m so gullible?


    After pondering over it, I stopped walking and threatened Joseph coldly, ¡°Mr. Campbell, do you know


    that your ears will instinctively flinch whenever you lie?¡±


    Joseph was visibly startled upon hearing that. Soon, he put on a calm demeanor and said, ¡°I don¡¯t


    know, Mrs. Fuller. I¡¯m telling the truth. After all, Mr. Fuller won¡¯t tell me everything.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡ª¡± My lips curled into a smile.

 Chapter 1567

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1567


    Although I made it up that Joseph¡¯s ears would flinch, his hesitance had betrayed him entirely.


    Inwardly, I knew that Joseph was loyal to Ashton and refused to reveal anything to me because Ashton


    warned him against it. Well, both the master and the subordinate are stubborn. I don¡¯t think Joseph will


    say anything even if I torture him.


    Besides, since we had let go of the past, I thought I could persuade Ashton to open his heart to me.


    ¡°Fine, fine. I¡¯ll let you go this time. Get in.¡±


    After Joseph left, I returned to my room and sat on the couch for a while.


    When Ashton came out of the bathroom, I looked up at him and saw that he only covered the lower


    part of his body with a towel. I reckoned he would then put on some clothes to cover his body.


    However, when Ashton saw that I stared at him, he narrowed his eyes and grinned with naughty


    intentions. ¡°I have reasons to believe that you¡¯re hinting something at me.¡±


    As his wife, I certainly knew what was on his mind when he nced at me that way.


    Just as expected, Ashton walked toward the wardrobe once he finished.


    ¡°You wish!¡± I immediately dismissed his naughty thought.


    At that moment, it came to my mind that I had never seen Ashton change his clothes for a long time.


    Apart from the fact that he always came homete, we rarely spent time with each other in these years.


    Perhaps that was also why I only noticed his gunshot scar earlier on.


    With that, I stood up and followed him to the wardrobe. Then, I leaned against the door frame and


    scanned him without embarrassment.


    Meanwhile, Ashton saw that I came closer when he put on his pants.


    When we were young, it was difficult for us to look into each other¡¯s eyes. As we grew older, we got


    used to it and feltfortable about it. Pursing my lips, I didn¡¯t show any emotions. At that moment, all


    I cared about was the scar on Ashton¡¯s left knee.


    Meanwhile, Ashton looked into my eyes and realized that I was gazing at his left leg. In no time, he


    could tell that I had noticed the secret that he had buried deep in his heart for many years.


    Inwardly, I had to admit that Ashton didn¡¯t hide it from me purposely. On the contrary, I didn¡¯t notice his


    scar earlier because I didn¡¯t care enough for him.


    I didn¡¯t ask Ashton right away, for I wished to find out if he was serious about our promise¡ªwe had to


    open our hearts to one another.


    Although Ashton wouldn¡¯t deliberately keep his secrets from me, he wouldn¡¯t take the initiative to tell


    me either. After all, he wouldn¡¯t tell me about the unpleasant things that he went through. Despite that, I


    thought it was time for Ashton to confess his feelings.


    As they said, the first step is always the hardest.


    ¡°Back then, you were kidnapped when you carried our first kid. I received news from K City that the


    truth about my parents¡¯ idental death hade to light. When I rushed to the city, I was ambushed


    and shot in the leg. Although Zachary¡¯s subordinates sessfully rescued me, I still spent two months


    lying on the bed.¡±


    Ashton sounded rxed, as though he was talking about someone else. Besides, there was a sense of


    self-mockery in his tone.


    It felt piercingly painful to me when I recalled what happened back then. Apart from the despair over


    losing my kid, I had not forgotten about the two months when I was unconscious.


    During the darkest time in my life, I felt depressed because Ashton was absent when I needed him the


    most. I didn¡¯t feel any better even though many people cared about me, to a certain extent that I was


    reluctant to mention his name for a long time.


    Back then, Ashton was overwhelmed by vengeance. Despite the possibility of falling into a trap, he


    willingly risked his life to seek revenge and neglected the baby and me.


    Since we had eventually walked out of the bitter past together, I believed we ought not to be entangled


    in it ever again.


    ¡°Needless to say, Reba was the one who took care of you for two months. That was why you


    wanted to repay her kindness by agreeing to marry her.¡± I put on a faint smile and teased him.


    Upon hearing that, Ashton shrugged and didn¡¯t answer my question directly. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not the whole


    story. She always cried and even threatened tomit suicide, and I wasn¡¯t strong-willed enough to


    reject her. Besides, I had no other choice because I owed Parker. Anyway, since we were only


    engaged, any of us could back out anytime.¡±


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°Hmph¡ª¡± I snorted in disdain and said sarcastically, ¡°Well, it seems that I lost back then because I


    wasn¡¯t coquettish enough.¡±

 Chapter 1568

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1568


    ¡°It¡¯s not toote to try it now.¡± Ashton narrowed his eyes and put on a naughty grin.


    I waved my hand in response and turned around to leave the room. ¡°Forget it. Mr. Fuller, if you¡¯re so


    nostalgic about the good old days, feel free to look for your old friend. After all, Reba will be more


    than happy to take you in.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but spurt out some rancorous rant once we talked about Reba.


    Fortunately, our conversation ended because Ashton didn¡¯t respond to it.


    Surprisingly, Joseph was already in the living room when I came out. It appeared that he had been


    waiting for quite some time.


    My eyes darted from him and the wardrobe at the back. After a while, I said expressionlessly, ¡°Have


    you heard everything?¡±


    At that moment, Joseph only lowered his head but did not speak.


    I was irritated when he refused to answer me at the wrong time.


    As such, I crossed my arms in front of my chest and said with a stern face, ¡°You might not want to


    listen to me, but I¡¯ll make it clear anyway. Your boss and I are a family. Please don¡¯t keep things as


    secrets from me as though you are wary of an outsider. Get it?¡±


    Usually, I wasn¡¯t naggy and wouldn¡¯t continue to ask something that I wasn¡¯t supposed to know.


    However, since Joseph always kept things from me, I couldn¡¯t help but confront him directly.


    ¡°Got it!¡± Joseph replied with his head high. Besides, he was only gazing at the ceiling instead of me.


    Although Joseph had answered me, I still felt that it was rather weird. Is he trying to y games with


    me? Could it be that he promises me now but intends to only follow Ashton¡¯s orders as usual?


    ¡°You¡ª¡±


    ¡°What Mrs. Fuller wants is what I want.¡±


    As I wanted to threaten Joseph, Ashton suddenly came up to me. At that time, he looked gentle with


    his casual outfit and loose hair.


    Since Joseph didn¡¯t respond, Ashton added, ¡°From now on, you have to tell Mrs. Fuller everything that


    she wants to know.


    Hearing that, I felt a sense of relief and held my head high.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Joseph looked at Ashton for a while and turned to me. The next moment, he stood straight and saluted


    us. ¡°Understood!¡±


    Bang! When Joseph suddenly stepped on the floor with his leather shoes, I was frightened and patted


    my chest to calm myself down.


    Before I came to my senses, Joseph put on a stern face and exined, ¡°Mr. Fuller was wounded


    because Mr. Moore shot him. Back then, Mr. Moore shot Mr. Fuller in his knee, hoping to fulfill his


    daughter¡¯s wish to marry Mr. Fuller. Mr. Moore even threatened to put a bullet in Mrs. Fuller¡¯s belly if


    Mr. Fuller refused to marry Ms. Larson¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    The room fell silent instantly, and Ashton¡¯s expression turned grim.


    ¡°I asked you to tell Mrs. Fuller things that she wants to know. It doesn¡¯t mean that you have to confess


    everything on your own.¡±


    At that time, I could imagine that Ashton asked himself why his long-time assistant suddenly had a low


    IQ.


    Sometimes, one could see things clearer from an outsider¡¯s perspective. Although Joseph was


    probably not good at words, he cared about Ashton and remained silent as Ashton bore the unpleasant


    past for a long time. Now that there was a chance to speak up, Joseph decided to use the opportunity


    to let me know the truth.


    Meanwhile, I hoped that Joseph would reveal secrets in the heat of the moment more frequently.


    ¡°Forget it. Leave us alone.¡± Ashton cast a cold nce at Joseph and sent him away.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Fuller,¡± Joseph lowered his head and said in a deep voice before leaving the house.


    Nheless, I could see his visible smile once he lifted his head.


    He¡¯s indeed Ashton¡¯s subordinate. It looks like Joseph has be bravertely and even dared y a


    trick on us.


    Meanwhile, Ashton murmured, ¡°How unruly! It¡¯s time to recruit a new assistant to make him more


    vignt.¡±


    Initially, I thought that Ashton was irritated. However, when I looked up at him, he was neither angry nor


    delighted. On the contrary, he looked gentle in his pajamas and slightly messy hairstyle.


    Unknowingly, I pursed my lips and smiled. It¡¯s not that Joseph had be bolder. Instead, time has


    ground away Ashton¡¯s anger and softened his heart.

 Chapter 1569

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1569


    John was the one who helped me out of depression back then. On the other hand, Ashton¡¯s salvation


    came a bit toote.


    After pondering over it, I thought it was betterte than never. After all, many people were entrenched


    in their toxic mindset and couldn¡¯t escape from it. Inparison, both of us were considered lucky to


    be blessed by God.


    Meanwhile, Ashton felt a little uneasy and embarrassed as I stared at him. Nevertheless, he pretended


    to be cold and said, ¡°Joseph is aging and suffering from memory problems. I don¡¯t me him.¡±


    It seemed to me that Ashton had acquired another skill acquired by most married men¡ªlying through


    their teeth.


    I crossed my arms, behaving like I wouldn¡¯t let him go until I got an answer. Then, I narrowed my eyes


    and red at him as though I was telling him that I wouldn¡¯t believe his nonsense.


    After scanning me from head to toe, Ashton rested his forehead on his palm andughed aloud. ¡°I can¡¯t


    hide anything from you now.¡±


    Ashton then ced his arms on his waist and heaved a long sigh. Then, he beckoned at me with his


    finger smilingly and said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything. Come here.¡±


    Knowing that I got my way, I wasn¡¯t in a rush and refused to do as he said right away. Instead, I merely


    raised my eyebrows and shrugged. I wouldn¡¯t move an inch if he didn¡¯t give me a satisfying answer.


    In the end, Ashton had no choice but to exin everything.


    ¡°On the same day you were abducted, there was a guest in Reba¡¯s birthday party who knew my


    parents¡¯ whereabouts. Since he left the party midway, I rushed over but was ambushed. The Moore


    family¡¯s subordinates rescued me.¡±


    Ashton paused for a while and continued, ¡°Back then, Dad thought Reba was his biological


    daughter, and so he wanted me to get engaged with Reba to repay him. He felt humiliated after I


    refused. When I was about to leave, he shot me in the left knee with a gun. Hence, I had no choice but


    to rest in the Moore residence under their surveince.¡±


    Although Ashton remainedposed, I noticed that he instinctively moved his body a bit as he talked.


    Perhaps worrying that I wouldn¡¯t believe him, Ashton added, ¡°My knee was shot, but the nerves on my


    leg were not injured. Since Dad loved his daughter so much, he wouldn¡¯t be heartless enough to cripple


    me. That is also why I can still stand and walk before you now. After that, problems came one after


    another, and your emotions were rather vtile. Hence, I chose not to bring it up for the time being.¡±


    With that, Ashton went on in a self-mocking manner. ¡°Since I brought everything upon myself, I


    wouldn¡¯t mind if I were to be a cripple. At the very least, I can treat it as my redemption.¡±


    Immediately, I knew that he wished to seek redemption for our first kid¡ªMacy.


    It was perhaps true that Ashton was stubborn and obsessed with seeking revenge. However, no one


    knew that Ashton was under immense torture deep down.


    Also, no one could foresee the terrible consequences that a wrong decision could bring about to others.


    Since we hade so far, I believed God wanted us to cherish our future instead of punishing


    ourselves with the past.


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    After taking a deep breath, I tiptoed toward him and kissed his lips gently.


    Instantly, Ashton was stunned as though he was struck by lightning. A few secondster, he lifted his


    arm and touched his lips.


    ¡°Consider it a small prize.¡± Gazing at him, I grinned and said, ¡°I¡¯m rewarding you for opening your heart


    to me. Mr. Fuller, expect more rewards to follow when you¡¯ve finally reconciled yourself to letting go of


    the past.¡±


    Ashton opened his heart to me not because he failed to hide his secrets. On the contrary, he chose not


    to hide them from me anymore.


    None of us could im that we didn¡¯t do anything wrong in the past. Hence, I believed we didn¡¯t have


    the right to put someone under torture permanently. Instead, we could choose to let go of the past and


    embrace each other.


    Ipeted with Reba and resented Ashton in the past. However, it turned out that I gained nothing


    from it. Now, I knew that nothing could change if we refused to free ourselves from the chains of the


    past. Instead, we ought to calm ourselves down and treat our loved ones gently and sincerely.

 Chapter 1570

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1570


    Ashton pursed his lip as though he was still tasting the kiss. The next second, he suddenly pulled me


    toward him.


    Before I could react, I was locked within his embrace. He stared right into my eyes passionately. ¡°Let


    me have some interest first.¡±


    I was stunned momentarily as I struggled to get up. ¡°There¡¯s no such a rule¡­¡±


    I almost forgot. It¡¯s useless to talk rules with him. Forget it. I¡¯ll just let y along¡­


    After diner, it was almost nine. However, Audrey had no intention to go to bed as she stared at the door


    while hugging her doll.


    Without a doubt, she was waiting for Shaun.


    I nudged Ashton slightly, signaling him to ask Audrey to go to bed. After all, Shaun would never appear,


    no matter how long she waited.


    A momentter, Ashton put down the tablet in his hand and uttered faintly, ¡°Audrey, what time is it?¡±


    Audrey took a nce at her watch casually. ¡°It¡¯s eight fifty-seven, Daddy.¡±


    She seemed to have deliberately ignored the fact that it was three minutes until her bedtime.


    Ashton¡¯s tone turned stern. ¡°And?¡±


    Audrey¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She immediately stood up and pretended to tidy up the toys.


    I felt helpless as I watched her go about it with a turtle-like pace. With that pace, it will be morning by


    the time she finishes tidying.


    With that thought in mind, I interrupted her trick to stall the time without hesitation. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll tidy the


    toyster. You need to go upstairs now and freshen up together with Summer. After that, you¡¯ll go to


    bed. I¡¯ll tell you guys a bedtime story in a while.¡±


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    ¡°No!¡±


    Ashton and I were startled by Audrey¡¯s sudden shout.


    Audrey lowered her head immediately as she realized she was misbehaving. ¡°Shaun isn¡¯t back yet. I¡¯ve


    promised him that I¡¯ll wait for him. Daddy, Mommy, I¡¯m not sleepy yet. So can I please wait for a while


    more?¡±


    The three kids had always been obedient, and they knew they should never disrespect their father.


    Nheless, the atmosphere turned tensed as Audrey remained stubborn despite Ashton¡¯s numerous


    persuasions.


    Audrey would probablyply with Ashton if thetter took on a stricter gesture. But still, Ashton did


    not show any sign of persistence.


    One would quickly act up when one was emotional, especially kids. If the parents gave in to such


    moments, it would send the kids the wrong message. They would think they could achieve the things


    they wanted by acting innocent. It would be challenging to educate them in the future once they had


    that kind of mindset.


    ¡°Ahem¡­¡± I pretended to cough, reminding Ashton not to be softhearted.


    Yet, Ashton turned toward me and furrowed his brows, his expression extremely reluctant.


    I was left speechless by that.


    How could a man be so useless? I thought men should be the cold-blooded ones. Forget it. Let me be


    the bad guy, then.


    ¡°Au¡­¡±


    ¡°Audrey.¡±


    Before I could call her name, someone else did. I turned around and saw Summer at the stairs.


    Summer nodded at me, signaling me not to be worried. The next moment, she walked toward Audrey


    and squatted down to her level.


    ¡°Audrey, what¡¯s wrong? I¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long time. Why haven¡¯t youe upstairs?¡±


    Summer was only a young girl, but she behaved exactly like a mature adult. Whenever she talked in


    such a gentle tone, it would remind me of Macy.


    Even though Macy was more of a loud character, most of my memories were about her mild side.


    Audrey lifted her head and pursed her lips, looking aggrieved. In that instant, tears rolled down her


    cheeks. ¡°Summer, Shaun said he would be back. I¡¯m not being naughty. But he doesn¡¯t have a family,


    so I want to be his family. I can¡¯t just go to bed without seeing him first¡­¡±

 Chapter 1571

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1571


    Summer¡¯s heart twitched in pain as she rubbed Audrey¡¯s tears off her face. She let out a long sigh. ¡°I


    know you¡¯re a good girl, Audrey. You always are. But sometimes, even a good girl will do wrong,


    understand?¡±


    Audrey sniffed and stared at Summer with a confused look. Apparently, she did notprehend what


    Summer meant.


    Summer shed a gentle smile and continued to exin patiently, ¡°Let me ask you. Do you remember


    the time when you were in M Country? With so many people keeping youpany at that time, do you


    still miss Daddy and Mommy?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Audrey responded without hesitation. ¡°There was not a single day that I didn¡¯t miss them! I


    even dreamt of them every night!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I know you did.¡± Summer caressed Audrey¡¯s head gently. ¡°I¡¯m saying this because I want


    you to understand that parents are the most important people in everyone¡¯s life, and that includes


    Shaun. He has been alone for so many years. Do you think it is better for him to stay with us or to go


    back and live with his parents?¡±


    A gloomy expression loomed over Audrey¡¯s face. ¡°With his parents¡­¡±


    A secondter, she shouted emotionally, ¡°But he¡¯s got no parents!¡±


    Summer was still smiling. ¡°That¡¯s not true. He was just like you. He got separated from his parents, and


    now he found them. In fact, you¡¯ve met them. They¡¯re the uncle and aunty who picked him up this


    morning. They look like good people, and I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll take good care of Shaun. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    Audrey did not respond as she sank into deep thought.


    It was not easy for a young girl like her to understand love and human nature. Even though I don¡¯t get


    it, I¡¯m sure everyone won¡¯t lie to me.


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    Seeing how Audrey was starting to relent, Summer feigned a stern look. ¡°If you insist on seeing Shaun,


    then we can only separate him from his parents again. Ask yourself, would you be happy if you were


    separated from Daddy and Mommy? Are you sure you want that?¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± Audrey burst out crying. ¡°I don¡¯t want that! Never!¡±


    Wiping the tears off her face, Audrey reached out to Summer, wanting to be carried by her sister. ¡°Let¡¯s


    go to bed now. I don¡¯t want to part with Daddy and Mommy!¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Summer scooped Audrey into her arms as she cast a nce at me. With that, both of them went


    upstairs.


    After their figures disappeared thoroughly from the stairs, I turned toward Ashton, intending to give him


    a good scolding.


    ¡°Mr. Ashton, are you the head of this family or not? Shouldn¡¯t you have some principles as a father?


    How could you give in so easily?¡±


    Ashton shifted his gaze at me and smiled faintly. ¡°It might be easy for you, but not for me. I¡¯m finally


    able to get close to her after so long. I don¡¯t want to ruin it.¡±


    Pausing for a while, he leaned toward me and narrowed his eyes. ¡°Besides, who said that I¡¯m the head


    of the family?¡±


    ¡°You shameless bast*rd¡­¡±


    I pushed him away and escaped to the room. If I continued the conversation, I reckoned he was going


    to take advantage of me again.


    When Summer and Audrey were freshening up in the bathroom, I immediately found the remote on the


    bed and hid it in the closet before I tucked myself in the bed.


    As expected, Ashton¡¯s hand started to wander after switching off the light. After a while, he began


    searching for the remote.


    I was secretly ted. Letting out a long sigh, I ignored him and went off to sleep.

 Chapter 1572

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1572


    I thought Audrey would get over Shaun after that day. However, her smile seemed to disappear ever


    since, and she did not have much of an appetite. She did not even talk much with Summer and


    Gregory.


    Feeling helpless, I had no choice but to seek advice from Emery. After all, she had many experiences


    with kids.


    Around half an hour after hanging up the phone, the Moore family¡¯s car appeared at the vi¡¯s gate.


    Without even greeting us, Emery walked right toward Audrey, who was drawing on the grass. She


    squatted down and started chatting with thetter.


    I somehow felt relieved when I saw her confident expression. Someone that can lift Audrey¡¯s spirit up


    has finallye.


    Yet, in less than two minutes, Emery walked toward me, shrugging her shoulders. At that instant, I


    knew even she could not do anything.


    ¡°And here I thought the problem¡¯s solved.¡± I let out a long sigh. ¡°You¡¯ve raised Xavier all by yourself.


    How could you not know how to deal with Audrey? What did you say to her?¡±


    ¡°What else could I say? I¡¯ve tried my best to talk some sense into her and tofort her.¡± Emery


    looked at me with a helpless expression.


    I rolled my eyes upon hearing that. What she did is no different than what we¡¯ve done. I wouldn¡¯t have


    asked for her help if I knew this was all that she¡¯s capable of.


    My heart fell with a thud as I stared at Audrey¡¯s despondent figure.


    If only she got her parents to apany her since she was small, maybe she would have been able to


    socialize. However, John had been putting all his time searching for me and building his career. Thus,


    Audrey stayed at home most of the time and had no chance to mix with people. That¡¯s why she can¡¯t


    get over Shaun as he¡¯s the only one she¡¯s got. In short, this is all our fault.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. We¡¯ll find a way eventually. As the saying goes, it¡¯s up to the doer to undo the


    knot.¡±


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    ¡°Do you mean that we should get Shaun back here?¡±


    I did think of that option, but I would not want to take it if we still had other choices.


    ¡°Well, not necessarily.¡± Emery shifted her gaze at Audrey.¡± Since she wants to see him, why don¡¯t we


    take her to him? Let her witness how well Shaun is doing in his new family. Maybe then, she would be


    able to let go of him.¡±


    Upon saying that, Emery mumbled to herself, ¡°Seems to me raising a boy is much easier¡­¡±


    Displeased by her mutterings, I thought to myself, She¡¯s always sopetitive. I understand if she


    wants topete in other aspects, but she shouldn¡¯t act so when ites to a child¡¯s growth. I


    objected, ¡°Even though a son might be more independent, the happiness when having a daughter is


    irreceable. Both have their benefits and shorings. Since we¡¯re destined to be their parents, it¡¯s


    our responsibility to protect them.¡±


    Emery shrugged. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m used to growing up alone. I could never understand the happiness of


    sticking together all the time. But, you¡¯re most probably right. So, please ignore what I¡¯ve said just now.¡±


    I responded with a smile. I don¡¯t me you.


    I had known Emery for a long time, and I was aware of the person that she was. Even though she was


    not close with her siblings, she was a passionate person when it came to love. Back when she was in


    love with Hunter, she could not even bear to leave him for a second. Her current aloofness was merely


    a form of self-protection due to extreme disappointment.


    One wouldn¡¯t get hurt if one doesn¡¯t love.


    After clearing my thoughts, I approached Audrey, intending to take her to see Shaun.


    It had been more than a week since Yuna took Shaun away. I figured now was a reasonable time to


    pay them a visit.


    Audrey¡¯s lips curled into a smile when she heard me mentioning Shaun. Without a second thought, she


    skipped back to her room and got changed.


    Staring at Audrey¡¯s overjoyed behavior, Emery crossed her arms in front of me. ¡°Why don¡¯t you send


    someone to check on Shaun¡¯s situation first? It would be bad if you guys run into any inappropriate


    scenes. Should that happen, it would be harder for Audrey to let go of him then.¡±

 Chapter 1573

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1573


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary.¡±


    When Shaun left, Joseph gave him a phone and reminded him to call the emergency number if he ever


    got into trouble. Since he had not made a call so far, it proved that he had a good life with Yuna.


    All aspects of the social conditions of the adopting family were strictly screened, including their


    character. Emery was overthinking as she did not know much about this.


    Before long, Audrey got changed into a new dress. She came down the stairs joyously, with Gregory


    following behind her.


    He should be attending online sses at this time. Why is he here?


    ¡°Gregory, did something happen?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No.¡± Gregory lifted his head and stared at me, determination shining in his eyes. ¡°Mommy, I would like


    to tag along with you guys.¡±


    Before I could react, he walked past me and walked toward Joseph. ¡°Mr. Campbell, please arrange the


    car and a few subordinates. You¡¯ll be going with us too.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Gregory.¡±


    Upon saying that, Joseph left the living room.


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    Only then did I notice Gregory had changed his clothes too. So, he has made up his mind. He wasn¡¯t


    asking for my permission; he was merely informing me.


    With that, I let out a helpless sigh. He¡¯s just like Ashton.


    In the end, Emery, Audrey, and I got into one car while Joseph and Gregory were in another car,


    followed by a van with bodyguards.


    It took around two hours to get from the western district to Coldbridge.


    Yuna¡¯s family was a moderate-ie family. However, as their ancestors were from K City, they


    inherited quite an outstanding residence. It seemed that most of the residents around there possessed


    a car as we rarely saw someone on foot. Not to mention, there were a lot of ntations in this area. In


    this K City, wherends were overpriced, this area could be considered a piece of heaven.


    After parking the car in front of the building, we went inside.


    Getting out of the elevator, Joseph went out and pressed the doorbell. Ding Dong¡­


    ¡°Shaun!¡± Audrey could not suppress her excitement any longer.


    The temperature in the building was quite high.


    Even though there were only two units per floor, and we were on the eleventh floor, the heat was still


    noticeable. Besides, since it was summer, the venttion was not that good. The heat was more


    obvious especially since we had just got out of an air-conditioned car.


    There was no response from inside the door for a long while. Noticing that, Joseph knocked on the


    door a few more times.


    Still, no one came to open the door.


    My heart skipped a beat as I realized it was the weekend. There was a high chance they had taken


    Shaun out to y.


    I should have listened to Emery¡¯s advice and contacted them beforehand. It would have prevented us


    from wasting time.


    ¡°Mommy.¡± Audrey started to run out of patience as she sweated profusely. ¡°Why isn¡¯t Shaun opening


    the door? Is he ming me for not waiting for him?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that. Shaun must have gone out with his parents. We¡¯ll see him in a short while.¡±


    Feeling guilty, I asked Joseph to call Yuna and ask about their location. I figured we could go meet


    them to save time.


    Yuna picked up the phone right after the call went through. ¡°Hello, Mr. Campbell. What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Scarlett. May I ask where you are now? Are you free to talk?¡± I uttered.


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯m resting at home. What is it?¡± Yuna smiled.


    ¡°You¡¯re at home?¡± I shifted my gaze toward the door with a confused look. ¡°Well, that¡¯s great. We are


    stopping by to check on Shaun. We¡¯re at your door now. Could you open the door for us?¡±

 Chapter 1574

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1574


    ¡°What? You¡¯re at my door? How could you show up uninvited? Do the Fullers not know about basic


    manners at all?¡±


    The shrill voice from the other end made me take my ear away from the phone. I furrowed my brows,


    feeling utterly displeased.


    She sounded like a different person from my first impression of Yuna. Is she truly the university


    professor that we¡¯ve met?


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Emery asked with concern upon noticing my scrunched-up face.


    ¡°Nothing¡­¡± I took a deep breath, trying to recollect myself.


    I guess it is my fault for not informing them before Ie. Perhaps she doesn¡¯t want to let others see


    her house in an unprepared state. That¡¯s why she lost her temper.


    A few secondster, I put the phone back to my ear.


    It seemed that Yuna had realized her misbehavior, as she had passed the phone to her husband,


    James. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, I¡¯m so sorry. My wife¡¯s having a difficult time at work recently, so she¡¯s in a bad


    mood. Please forgive her. You¡¯re wee to visit us anytime. But, what Yuna failed to mention was


    that we¡¯re currently at our house in Jazona, as our parents wanted to see Shaun. We¡¯ll be here for


    quite a time. I¡¯m sorry for having youe so far for nothing¡­¡±


    With that, I was left with no choice but to appoint for the next visit and end the call.


    Fortunately, Audrey did not make a fuss out of it. She figured it was just a matter of time for her to meet


    Shaun. At that moment, all she wanted was to get back to the air-conditioned car.


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    Just when we were about to leave, a loud thud came from inside the door.


    What¡¯s going on? I thought there isn¡¯t anyone at home? Thinking that I had misheard, I turned to Emery


    and Gregory only to see them showing the same befuddled look like mine.


    At that instant, I could not help but suspect what James had told me.


    Are they really away from home? Or could it be that they¡¯re afraid to let us in the house since we¡¯ve


    made a surprise visit?


    As we exchanged looks and wondered what the hell was going on, we heard some noisesing from


    the other side of the door again.


    Click¡­ Click¡­ Click¡­


    It was a slow and rhythmic tapping sound. It was as if something was hitting the ground.


    Joseph leaned his ear against the door cautiously. After a while, he turned to us with a stern look.


    ¡°There¡¯s someone inside!¡±


    Something¡¯s wrong. Even though Shaun is quite a mysterious person, he¡¯s still Audrey¡¯s saver. With


    that in mind, I immediately instructed Joseph, ¡°Kick the door down!¡±


    I pulled Audrey aside while Emery pulled Gregory to the other corner. After that, Joseph threw a heavy


    kick on the door.


    Bang!


    The door did not budge at all.


    Feeling insulted by it, Joseph took a few steps back and got ready to charge again.


    Bang!


    The door was knocked out of its frame, causing both Joseph and the door to m onto the smooth tiles


    inside the house.


    He was indeed Ashton¡¯s most excellent assistant. Despite suffering such a huge impact, he did not


    even make a peep. Instead, he stood up after a few seconds as though nothing had happened. He


    picked up the door and ced it aside effortlessly before making way for us to enter.


    The moment we stepped into the house, the clicking sounds rang out again from the kitchen at the left.


    Joseph immediately followed the sound and went behind the cooking table.


    The next second, he bent down. When he got up again, he was carrying Shaun in his arms. Thetter


    was barely breathing.


    Shaun was not wearing any shirt, and his bone structure could be seen clearly due to his skinny body.


    However, the most mind-blowing part was the fact that his body was covered in countless wounds. In


    just a week, he had turned into a different person, looking like someone on the brink of death.

 Chapter 1575

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1575


    Despite the fact that he was already looking so frail, someone had still tied his small, thin hands


    together with a white nylon rope. The red marks and blood-stained rope were a gruesome sight to


    behold.


    Shaun¡¯s legs had also been tied, but he had somehow managed to break free from them. We could


    see where the rope had dug deep into his flesh.


    Still dazed and confused, he croaked weakly, ¡°Water¡­¡±


    Joseph quickly ced him on the couch and untied the ropes around his wrist. To appease my feelings


    of guilt, I seized the opportunity to pour him a ss of water.


    Recognizing Shaun, Audrey walked over to the couch in horror and started sobbing. Soon, her face


    was damp with tears. ¡°Shaun¡­ Shaun¡­ Don¡¯t die¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Shaun is going to be fine. Be a good girl now. Don¡¯t cry¡­¡± Joseph said soothingly. After


    cing Shaun on the couch, he hurried off to call the paramedics. I pulled Shaun gently into my arms


    and held the ss of water to his lips. There was no time for me tofort Audrey.


    Unable to stand Audrey¡¯s crying any longer, Emery gave a resigned sigh. She ced her hands on


    Audrey¡¯s shoulders and spun her around, forcing the girl to meet her gaze. Wagging a finger at Audrey,


    Emery said, ¡°Audrey, I¡¯m only going to say this once, so listen carefully. The louder you cry, the more


    painful it is for Shaun. Do you want to see him die from the pain? If you do, then keep on crying. The


    louder you cry, the faster he dies. Go on then, keep crying!¡±


    The mention of death frightened Audrey so much that she quickly sped a hand over her mouth, not


    daring to make another noise.


    Emery¡¯s method of dealing with the matter is questionable but effective. If it had been me, I wouldn¡¯t


    have had the heart to scare a child just to shut them up. I suppose it does take a person of action to get


    things done quickly.


    Emery seemed to read my mind. She straightened up and shrugged. ¡°See that? Certain teaching


    methods work on both genders.¡±


    I shook my head. Poor Xavier. How many of Emery¡¯s threats and scares has he had to endure these


    past six years? It¡¯s a good thing boys are tough. If it had been a girl, she would¡¯ve had a rough time.


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    Nheless, it was not the right time to be making jokes, so I did not answer Emery.


    After about ten minutes, Shaun finally slowly opened his eyes and looked around weakly.


    It was different from the first time I met him. Now, I could see the desire to live zing in his eyes.


    The moment he regained consciousness, he stubbornly struggled to sit up, avoiding my embrace and


    leaning against the back of the couch.


    As his body twisted, it tugged at the injuries on his body. He hissed in pain and clenched his jaw.


    I held his arm at once to help him sit up. ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself.¡±


    Shaun did not respond. He did not even dare to meet my gaze. Instead, he stared fixedly at the floor.


    His behavior clearly indicated that the Fullers¡¯ rules were still fresh in his mind. He had to respect me


    and was not allowed to get too close to me.


    I reached out a hand tofort him, but he shrank away immediately. I could only give up on the


    thought and withdraw my hand. Then, I moved to another couch so that he could sit morefortably


    without trying to keep his distance from me.


    Shaun was quick to notice my kind intentions. As soon as I moved away, he shifted into a more


    comfortable position, and the pained look on his face faded slightly.


    Nheless, his eyes darted around uneasily as if he was still on his guard.


    He looked like a little frightened mouse that would be startled by even the slightest movement and


    sound.


    Although the children in the orphanage had no one to rely on, they were calm and steady toward


    strangers. Whatever it is, we¡¯re partially responsible for the state he¡¯s in now.


    As the thought crossed my mind, I began to worry about rming him once again. Hence, I lowered my


    voice and said softly, ¡°Shaun, can you tell me how you got those injuries?¡±


    Shaun stared at the floor and was silent for a long time.


    I heaved a heavy sigh. Subconsciously, I treated him as an adult. It¡¯s my fault for not carefully thinking


    things through. In truth, he¡¯s still a child who¡¯s just a little taller than Audrey. We should count our lucky


    stars that he hasn¡¯t broken down after going through so much. It¡¯d be a torment to ask him to relive the


    painful ordeal of how he got injured. If an impatient person like Emery can restrain herself from


    pressing a child for answers, I shouldn¡¯t question him either. We should wait for the paramedics to


    arrive and get him treated at the hospital first.

 Chapter 1576

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1576


    After a while, Audrey approached Shaun again. His hand was resting on the edge of the couch, so she


    gently turned his hand over and pushed the lollipop she had prepared earlier into his palm. In a solemn


    tone, she said, ¡°Eat this, Shaun. It¡¯ll make the pain go away. Eat it¡­¡±


    Shaun still did not say a word. However, his eyes gave an almost imperceptible flick toward Audrey


    after she retracted her hand. There was tenderness in his gaze, just like how he used to look at her.


    Soon, the familiar sound of an ambnce¡¯s siren cut through the air. It wasing from downstairs.


    The paramedics rushed up and wheeled Shaun away in a wheelchair.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    As soon as they were outside, they bumped into Yuna and James.


    Yuna lunged toward Shaun when she spotted him and fell into a half-kneeling position in front of the


    wheelchair. With tears rolling down her face, she wailed, ¡°My dearest son, what happened? It¡¯s all my


    fault! I didn¡¯t take good care of you!¡±


    Sobbing, she forcefully pulled Shaun into her embrace without giving him a chance to say anything.


    She put on such a convincing act that if we did not know better, we would have fallen for it.


    Instead, we merely watched the scene with indifference.


    Emery did not hold back as she said in a tone dripping with sarcasm, ¡°That¡¯s right. Hug him harder so


    that he passes out. It¡¯d be so convenient if he were to die now.¡±


    When Yuna heard that, she scrambled to her feet and stood aside, wiping her tears away. ¡°How could


    you say something so mean? Is it wrong for parents to be heartbroken at their child¡¯s pain?¡±


    Emery folded her arms, tapping her fingers against her arm. As sharp-tongued as ever, she replied, ¡°I


    didn¡¯t say that. You don¡¯t have to be so sensitive about it if it isn¡¯t true.¡±


    Emery had always been the best at making snideebacks. Combined with her fearlessness, Yuna


    was no match for Emery at all. Emery¡¯s aura was so imposing that Yuna was rendered speechless.


    Sensing that things were getting out of hand, James hurriedly grabbed Yuna¡¯s arm and stepped aside


    to let the paramedics carry Shaun into the ambnce.


    An awkward atmosphere hung in the air after the ambnce left, but since Shaun was the top priority


    at the moment, we all got into our cars and rushed to the hospital.


    By the time the nurse finished tending to Shaun¡¯s injuries, he had already fallen asleep. Audrey refused


    to leave, afraid that she would not see Shaun again if she left. Hence, we stayed and waited in the


    ward.


    Yuna and James pestered the attending doctor, bombarding the doctor with a barrage of questions


    about Shaun¡¯s follow-up treatment. They make it look like Shaun truly is the apple of their eye, but it¡¯s


    probably just an attempt to put on a perfect front.


    It was almost dark when Shaun finally woke up. Audrey fed him some chicken soup, and he gradually


    regained some color in his cheeks.


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller¡­ Please take Ms. Audrey home. I¡¯ll be fine by myself,¡± Shaun said slowly. It was still


    difficult for him to speak.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going back! I want to stay here with Shaun!¡± Audrey protested.


    Before I could even say anything, Audrey had already thrown a tantrum. She puffed out her cheeks


    furiously and turned her back to me, sulking.


    I haven¡¯t even done anything, yet she already thinks of me as her ¡®enemy.¡¯ She¡¯s even siding with an


    outsider instead of her mother at such a young age. Gosh, what¡¯s it going to be like when she grows


    up?


    I could not help but sigh as those thoughts crossed my mind. At that moment, Ashton appeared at the


    door and walked in with an impassive expression.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You were the one who took something of mine with you when you left the house,¡± he replied. By the


    time he finished his sentence, he had already strode over to the hospital bed.


    I was puzzled. ¡°What did I take?¡±


    For convenience¡¯s sake, I had only taken a small handbag that could store my phone and bank card.


    He answered solemnly, ¡°You took my soul. You were out for so long that I¡¯m feeling rather weak now.¡±


    I shot him an exasperated look. Honestly, read the room before you crack a joke like that!


    Ashton understood the meaning behind the look I gave him, but he did not respond. He looked around


    the room and saw Audrey. She was still fuming silently.


    ¡°Audrey Stovall, didn¡¯t you notice that I¡¯ve just arrived?¡± Ashton asked, feigning a stern attitude.


    Audrey seemed to be even more infuriated. She replied coldly, ¡°I did, but I¡¯m going to ignore you.


    You¡¯re a liar, Daddy. And so is Mommy!¡±

 Chapter 1577

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1577


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± Ashton snapped. Realizing that he had spoken too harshly, he immediately lowered his


    voice and asked patiently, ¡°What did we lie to you about?¡±


    ¡°You asked Summer to convince me that Shaun was having the time of his life with his parents, but it


    isn¡¯t true! He¡¯s not doing well! Look at all his injuries! You don¡¯t care about him at all, just like how you


    don¡¯t care about me! You¡¯re nothing but liars!¡±


    As Audrey spoke, tears streamed down her cheeks. Her pitiful sobs were both heart-wrenching and


    amusing.


    How could shepare herself to an orphan boy? She¡¯s our flesh and blood! We were protective of


    her in the past, so she hasn¡¯t experienced much. When she meets anyone that she likes now, she


    thinks the world of them and cherishes them whole-heartedly. That kind of behavior will only hurt her.


    However, that¡¯s something we¡¯ll have to worry aboutter. I can¡¯t deny that we are at fault in the current


    situation.


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    Embarrassment shed in Ashton¡¯s eyes. He turned his gaze toward Shaun and pondered silently for a


    while. Just as he was about to say something, the door to the ward swung open. Then, Yuna and


    James walked in, carrying an insted lunch box.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here, Mr. Fuller,¡± Yuna greeted amiably. Holding up the lunch box, she walked toward


    Shaun and said, ¡°Shaun, I¡¯ve made you some chicken soup and congee. Why don¡¯t you eat some?¡±


    As she spoke, she ced the lunch box on the table and was about to serve the dishes she had


    prepared.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve already eaten,¡± Shaun refused tly. There was even a tinge of loathing in his tone.


    Yuna stiffened, and the smile froze on her face. It took her a while to return to her senses andpose


    herself. She continued smiling as she packed up the lunch box and said agreeably, ¡°That¡¯s all right. You


    can eat it when you get hungryter. Your father bought this insted lunch box when he was


    overseas. It can keep the food warm for one whole night, so there¡¯s no rush.¡±


    From the moment Yuna and James entered the ward, Shaun had been frowning. He looked


    ufortable.


    From the looks of it, they¡¯re responsible for Shaun¡¯s injuries.


    James seemed to be in a hurry to divert our attention. As Yuna packed away the food, he motioned


    toward the door. ¡°We¡¯re so sorry for causing you so much trouble today. We¡¯ll stay and watch over


    Shaun. It¡¯s gettingte, so you should go back and rest.¡±


    Ashton lowered his gaze and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s ratherte indeed.¡±


    ¡°Ashton¡­¡± I began, unable to stop myself. My brows furrowed. He¡¯s not really thinking of leaving things


    like this, is he? Although Shaun doesn¡¯t have anything to do with us, we were the ones who brought


    him out of the orphanage. Whatever it is, we should help him seek redress! It wouldn¡¯t hurt us to give


    them a warning. In fact, it might even make things easier for Shaun. As to what¡¯s going to happen after


    this, we can discuss it when we get back.


    Suddenly, Ashton walked over to the couch in the ward and sat down. Crossing his legs, he ced one


    arm on the armrest and picked up the remote control for the television. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with quickly,


    then. Joseph,e in!¡±


    The moment he called Joseph¡¯s name, Joseph entered the ward and bowed slightly in greeting. Then,


    he took out his phone and fiddled with something on the television.


    After a few seconds, the television screen burst to life, and a clear image popped up.


    The person recording walked through the front door and went to the master bedroom. Then, the person


    opened the doors to the wooden wardrobe swiftly and pushed aside the men¡¯s clothes hanging inside.


    Everyone immediately saw arge, jagged hole in the back. Strangely enough, something shiny


    covered the part of the wall that should have been exposed.


    The person recording shoved the wooden boards out of the way, revealing a secret room concealed


    behind the wardrobe.


    The camera panned over the room, showing an assortment of torture devices made from leather and


    metal, wooden sticks with chains, and many more.


    The video had no audio, but the shrill shrieks of a child in pain reverberated through my mind.

 Chapter 1578

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1578


    ¡°The room was specially soundproofed. Our men tested it out. We couldn¡¯t hear anything from outside,


    not even a grown man¡¯s shouts,¡± Joseph exined, shooting Yuna and James a withering re.


    Ashton rested his chin on his hand and ran a finger over his lips. Unsmiling and grave, it seemed as if


    he had returned to his former merciless self.


    Meanwhile, James and Yuna clutched each other tightly and trembled in fear. Although we were in an


    air-conditioned room, they were drenched in sweat.


    Emery was enjoying the unexpected turn of events. Fanning the mes, she said coldly, ¡°They¡¯re just


    wolves in sheep¡¯s clothing. How despicable.¡±


    The suffocating atmosphere soon became too overwhelming for the couple. James grabbed Yuna¡¯s


    arm, and they fell onto their knees with a thud. At that moment, they wished that a hole would open up


    in the ground and swallow them whole.


    In that silent court of justice, they had already been nailed to the cross to bear their sins.


    Everyone held their breaths as they waited for Ashton to speak. Nheless, he merely gazed at the


    couple expressionlessly, sitting still and silent. After a long, awkward pause, he finally turned around


    and beckoned at Audrey. ¡°Come here.¡±


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    Still teary-eyed, Audrey was momentarily stunned. She raised her hand to wipe the tears from her face


    before walking over to Ashton calmly and stood before him. Only her pouting lips showed that she was


    still angry.


    Look at her blinking herrge eyes without a shadow of fear. It really shows that John brought her up.


    Ashton reached out and pulled Audrey nearer to him. Rubbing his palm over her small, chubby hand,


    he looked straight into her eyes with a gentle gaze and asked, ¡°Are you scared?¡±


    Audrey nced at James and Yuna before turning back to Ashton and shaking her head nkly. ¡°No.¡±


    Ashton nodded slightly. After pondering for a moment, he asked, ¡°What if I told you that this couple


    inflicted those injuries on Shaun? Do you think I should give them a chance to turn over a new leaf?¡±


    I could not help but frown when I heard those words. How can he involve a child in that decision? Isn¡¯t


    that taking it a little too far? The decision to give them a chance or not will drastically impact their lives!


    But in Audrey¡¯s eyes, it¡¯s probably no different from ying house. How can she possibly understand


    the implications of her answer?


    As I worried over what to do, Audrey¡¯s voice rang out loudly. ¡°No way!¡±


    Her answer was firm and clear as if she had already known what to say for a long time. When she


    spoke, she seemed calm beyond her years.


    Audrey continued, ¡°Uncle John said that we can only give second chances to those closest to us. We


    can¡¯t simply forgive strangers. Otherwise, it could hurt our family and friends. They¡¯re bad people. I


    don¡¯t like them, so I don¡¯t want to forgive them!¡±


    With John¡¯s character, it¡¯s indeed likely that he would¡¯ve said something like that. After escaping from


    the jaws of death so many times, he has already lost all hope in humanity. Apart from those closest to


    him, he won¡¯t allow anyone to hurt him. He¡¯s a clear-headed yet heartless man.


    Almost as soon as Audrey spoke, Ashton narrowed his eyes slightly. His eyes gleamed, and he calmly


    turned toward Joseph with a slight smile. ¡°Did you hear what she said?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± Joseph replied with a respectful bow. When he straightened up, he shot a nce at the men


    outside the ward. Several bodyguards in suits came in immediately and forcibly escorted the couple,


    who were struggling to hold back their sobs, out of the room.


    As soon as they left the room, blood-curdling cries filled the hospital¡¯s hallways. Gradually, the cries


    moved further away and grew fainter.


    Why did they have to do all that? Moreover, they¡¯re highly educated people. For someone of Ashton¡¯s


    age to have tens of billions to his name, it¡¯s clear that he¡¯s no saint. It doesn¡¯t take much to know that.


    To err is human. It¡¯s not a crime for one to possess some peculiar fetish. What¡¯s despicable is when


    one imposes it onto others. After all, there are differences between humans and beasts. Humans


    should know the limits of their actions. What goes aroundes around, so one can¡¯t me the


    heavens.

 Chapter 1579

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1579


    Just as I expected, based on Audrey¡¯s calm expression, she had no idea about what would be in store


    for the couple that had just been taken away.


    As a mother, I was happy to a certain extent. However, I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was


    wrong at the sight of my child being so at peace and unruffled.


    Ashton couldn¡¯t be bothered by what had happened either. After the despicable couple had been


    brought away, he began coddling his dear daughter. ¡°Can you forgive me now? Daddy just punished


    the bad guys that hurt Shaun.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Audrey mped her tiny mouth shut as her bright eyes started looking around mischievously.


    Clearly, she was up to no good once again.


    Ashton straightened up and frowned slightly. ¡°Do you still have to think about it?¡±


    ¡°Yep!¡± Audrey yelled out happily. She was obviously in a much better mood now. With a bright smile,


    she held onto her father¡¯s fingertips with her own small hands as she whined, ¡°Daddy, let¡¯s take Shaun


    home with us. We can¡¯t just leave him here alone! Pretty please?¡±


    The smile on Ashton¡¯s face dissipated slowly at the sound of Audrey¡¯s request. He nced over at me


    helplessly before looking at the child on the hospital bed. Then, he stood up and walked toward him


    with Audrey in tow, staring down at him from above.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call for help?¡± Ashton asked.


    Shaun was silent for a little while before answering hesitatingly, ¡°The people who left me in the past


    never showed up again.¡±


    It was more than heartbreaking to hear such wordsing out of a six-year-old child¡¯s mouth. He was


    so young, and yet he already knew how fickle rtionships could be.


    Behind every nonchnt expressionyyers uponyers of pain and bitterness.


    No matter how suspicious he had been in the past, I knew this came straight from Shaun¡¯s heart. It was


    probably because I could resonate with him, having been left behind myself.


    I suddenly found myself warming up to Audrey¡¯s suggestion.


    After those words left his mouth, the remaining life in him seemed to drain out of his body and left him


    even weaker than when we first found him. He now seemed like a sack of mere skin and bones. I knew


    that any constion would pale inparison to the pain that he was feeling on the inside. After all,


    we had no idea what he had experienced. All we could do was sit there quietly and let him know we


    were there for him.


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    Ashton finally broke the silence after a long time. ¡°From now on, you will be part of the Fuller family.


    Mrs. Fuller will be your mother, and our children will be your siblings. Are you willing to ept that?¡±


    Shaun jerked his head up violently. His eyes were shining with indescribable emotions, but most


    obviously, he was in disbelief.


    Before waiting for his reply, Ashton let go of Audrey and walked toward me, slinging an arm around my


    shoulder. ¡°Still, I¡¯m not the boss of the house. If you want to stay, you¡¯ll have to convince Mrs. Fuller


    over here,¡± he said lightheartedly.


    ¡°You!¡±


    He¡¯s clearly ying good cop, bad cop! If I were to say no, that would obviously make me the bad cop.


    ¡°Mommy, please say yes! Please, pretty please!¡±


    Before I could say anything else, Audrey ran over and started shaking my arm as she pleaded with me.


    It wasn¡¯t too big of a hassle for us to have a new member joining the family, and I had no reason to say


    no. Still, I kept feeling like Ashton had just yed a trick on me and couldn¡¯t put my words together for


    a long time.


    Suddenly, Shaun swung aside the nket and stood up on shaky legs as he stared at me in


    determination. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, I want to live. I want to keep living on. Since you were the ones who saved


    my life, I want to repay both you and Mr. Fuller. Please take me in! I will not disappoint either one of


    you, and I promise I won¡¯t be a burden. Please, I¡¯m begging you!¡±


    As he spoke, he lowered his torso into a deep bow. It was a simple bow, but it was hard to say no to his


    sincerity.


    All he wanted was to keep living, and who was I to say no to giving him a chance to grow up without


    trouble?


    ¡°Yes to everything except the part about you being a bother,¡± I said. ¡°If we¡¯re too courteous with each


    other, we won¡¯t really be a family now, will we?¡±


    After deciding to take Shaun in, we checked him out of the hospital that very night and brought him


    home.

 Chapter 1580

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1580


    We sat in three cars on the way back. Ashton and I naturally sat in the same one, and he kept ying


    with my fingers the whole way home. Somehow, I felt anger rise up in me at his nonchnt demeanor.


    I pulled my hand out of his and sat up straight with my hands folded on myp. I might as well have


    written the words, ¡®Don¡¯t touch me¡¯ in marker pen on my face.


    It may be true that he have gotten rid of his prejudices about Shaun, but he also tried to make me look


    like the bad guy. Solving one did not mean I could forgive the other issue.


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    Traditionally, women were known to be detailed and have a practically perfect memory, so there was no


    way he was going to fool me.


    Ashton turned around instinctively at my harsh reaction and paused at my impatient expression. He


    smiled casually. ¡°If you¡¯re still angry about me making a decision about Shaun on my own, you can


    pretty much stop now.¡±


    ¡°Really? Go ahead then, what¡¯s your excuse?¡± I said as I folded my arms over my chest. I was


    interested to see what arguments he had cooked up this time.


    He had his own ups and downs when it came to business, but when faced with his wife¡¯s temper, he


    knew exactly what to say and do to get me to forgive him.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you realized Audrey¡¯s feelings?¡± Ashton asked me with a hint of a smile hovering on his lips.


    ¡°Feelings?¡± I asked, surprised.


    Right as the word left my mouth, I discovered what Ashton was talking about.


    Audrey clearly had some different feelings toward Shaun.


    I had always been purposely avoiding the topic. For starters, I was under the impression that even


    though she had been influenced by media from other countries, that didn¡¯t mean that she would mature


    so quickly. Secondly, since we were talking about Shaun right now, there were so many uncertainties


    that I had to take into ount. If I didn¡¯t think about it, it wouldn¡¯t happen¡­ or so I thought.


    To me, a child¡¯s idea of love was fickle and unstable. I knew she would eventually change her subject


    after her feelings reached their peak.


    Obviously, the only exception was a kid¡¯s love for their parents.


    Ashton looked away without answering me. He shifted into a morefortable position and said


    casually, ¡°Being a father has taught me a lot of things, and I¡¯ve been thinking about a lot more things as


    well. Audrey¡¯s only six, but I¡¯ve already thought about her marrying out of the family, of how she might


    meet a*sholes in the future. I haven¡¯t been able to rx since thinking about the things she could go


    through. That¡¯s why, when Shaun started bing the target of her affection, I wasn¡¯t willing to give


    him a chance even though he saved her. Even if I became the bad guy, I didn¡¯t want to let anyone hurt


    my daughter.¡±


    I felt likeughing as I wondered when Ashton had suddenly be such a sentimental person.


    Still, I did rte with him when it came to worrying about Audrey.


    ¡°Then why did you change your mind, Mr. Fuller?¡± I asked jokingly.


    Ashton looked at me and took a deep breath, displeasure evident on his face. ¡°Haven¡¯t we settled


    everything by now? You¡¯ve been calling me ¡®Mr. Fuller¡¯ for a few days now. Is it really appropriate?¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t it be?¡± I shrugged with an innocent look on my face.


    It had always been rather fun to mock Ashton a little from time to time. Appropriate or not, I felt like I


    should have been allowed to have some fun once in a while.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying I can stop calling you ¡®honey¡¯ and start calling you ¡®Ms. Stovall¡¯ then?¡± Ashton shot


    back huffily.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± I hummed, genuinely thinking about it. It sounded rather interesting, so I nodded. ¡°Sure!¡±


    Ashton fell back into his seat as he pinched his brow and unbuttoned the first button on his shirt. He


    then began taking big breaths as he pretended to feel faint.


    I couldn¡¯t believe how much of a jokester Ashton was bing, what with the whole childish act even


    at his age. I burst outughing and said, ¡°What? Are you feeling sick?¡±


    Ashton shook his head around, looking a bit helpless. ¡°Oh, definitely. I think it¡¯s pretty bad, too.¡±


    For some reason, his simple joke scared me badly. My smile immediately froze on my face.


    The car fell into an awkward silence and Ashton realized soon enough. He opened his eyes and turned


    toward me. At the sight of my pale face, he ced a hand over mine and said seriously, ¡°I¡¯m just


    kidding. Don¡¯t take that seriously. I¡¯m as fit as a fiddle. I haven¡¯t paid you back for all I¡¯ve done,


    remember? I¡¯ll be fine.¡±

 Chapter 1581

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1581


    The minute Ashton became more serious, his tone changed and became much calmer. He looked


    down in sorrow. ¡°I¡¯m just fighting a battle with myself, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what he meant, but I still found his sudden sorrow interesting and looked up


    subconsciously.


    After sessfully diverting my attention, he smiled and said self-deprecatingly, ¡°Do you want to know


    about the ridiculous ideas I¡¯ve been having recently? I started thinking about going back to the past and


    making different choices. Funny, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    I smiled and didn¡¯t reply.


    Sometimes, being imaginative was a good thing. At the very least, it meant that Ashton was beginning


    to let go of his dark past. Whether it was realistic or not was another story, because all I could ever


    really sense were whatever perverted thoughts he was having in his head every night.


    ¡°You should get a new hobby,¡± I said absentmindedly. He clearly had way too much free time on his


    hands.


    Everyone was the same. The moment someone became too free, they would begin to overthink. The


    more one overthought, the more one would lose control of their emotions, and that was dangerous.


    His smile became even brighter. ¡°I¡¯m happy with the life I¡¯m leading right now. Having a wife and kids is


    my favorite hobby.¡±


    His words were so pure it was almost as if I could see the altar and the priest asking us to exchange


    our vows.


    I started to suspect if he had gone anywhere recently, like a sweet-talking 101 ss, perhaps. He had


    recently be much too smooth with his words.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    I was certainly touched, but based on what I knew about him, there was an underlying innuendo


    directed at me. The moment I agreed, I would have to pay the price.


    I decided not to do that.


    Instead, I pulled my hand out of his grip again and became serious. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the actual issue


    right now. It¡¯ll be hard to do it at home.¡±


    I silently gave myself a pat on the back for getting rid of the lovey-dovey atmosphere that was


    beginning to develop.


    Ashton sat up straight, slightly disappointed at his failed n. ¡°It¡¯s not like we can stop Audrey from


    ever falling in love and getting married, right? Since we¡¯ll have to go through this sooner orter, then


    we might as well keep an eye on him since young. We¡¯ll be able to get a proper look at him and lower


    any risks. It makes sense, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    Something sounded a little bit off with what he was implying.


    Wanting to raise the boy who was going to marry our daughter in the future sounded pretty strange to


    me.


    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± I said in surprise. ¡°Kids are fickle creatures. Audrey¡¯s only six! Are you going to


    adopt every boy she gets interested in?¡±


    ¡°Well, I must say I haven¡¯t thought about that,¡± Ashton said seriously. He actually started thinking about


    it out loud with a frown on his face. ¡°I guess it¡¯s not a problem to have ten, or maybe twenty. Ah, but if


    Audrey gets John¡¯s bad habit of falling in love with everyone he meets, then I¡¯d need to recalcte


    where my money is going.¡±


    ¡°Hold on now!¡± I stopped him hurriedly. ¡°Are you thinking of raising a harem or something? Ten or


    twenty? What I meant was that you¡¯re wrong for thinking that you can reduce the risks of her getting


    hurt by doing this. Kids grow up and they change throughout their whole lives. How could we force her


    to marry someone simply because it¡¯s the safest option?¡±


    Ashton looked at me before nodding seriously. ¡°You¡¯re right. We¡¯ll have to keep it a secret from her,


    then.¡±


    My mouth fell open.


    That was definitely not what I meant!


    Ashton suddenly started to look more and more like a dragon, and Audrey had be the treasure


    trove he was protecting from pirates and princes alike.


    Danger had helped the human race evolve, but it seemed to have the opposite effect on Ashton.


    Everyone was their own individual. Even if we gave them clothes, food, and a roof over their heads,


    that still didn¡¯t give us the right to decide their whole lives for them. It seemed more ridiculous the more


    I thought about it.


    I really hope he was just joking out of concern for Audrey.


    ¡°These are all secondary,¡± Ashton said again. He had gotten rid of his previous attitude and sat with his


    fingers intertwined on top of hisp. His stare pierced through the gap between the door and the


    driver¡¯s seat as he red at the car in front of us, which Shaun happened to be inside of. ¡°That kid is


    determined. He¡¯s not going to take the easy way out, but he¡¯s also extremely versatile. What happened


    today might leave a mark on him. Both you and I know that the seed of hate flourishing in him is only a


    matter of time. There are two ways to settle this: first, we could make him disappear forever.¡±

 Chapter 1582

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1582


    At this, Ashton paused. When he turned back to look at me, the piercing gaze had already mellowed


    out into a gentle smile. ¡°But I know you wouldn¡¯t want that, which is why I decided to bring him home.


    It¡¯s less of a problem whether they actually fall in love or not. Rather, it would give us the opportunity to


    see whether he would grow up to be a threat to us, no?¡±


    The need to have a perfect n for everything had already been carved into Ashton¡¯s bones, but I had


    to say, he sessfully convinced me.


    One could never predict how sly and cunning the enemy could be. The only way to win in a battle of


    wits was to be more cunning than everyone else.


    There was no such thing as apletely unselfish hero. Everyone, regardless of who they were,


    always subconsciously looked out for themselves. It was simply human instinct to think about the ways


    something could benefit or harm you.


    At least, from today onward, Shaun now had a home as well as proper protection. Under the Fuller


    family, no one would ever treat him differently from our kids again. Both Ashton and I would make sure


    of that.


    I was still unsatisfied at being so easily convinced by Ashton. Even though I was already agreeing deep


    inside, I purposely started to argue, ¡°How sure are you that you can control him?¡±


    Human beings were ever-changing. Not even God could anticipate how something might turn out,


    much less us.


    Ashton suddenlyy down on myp and closed his eyes. At ease, he murmured, ¡°Even the strongest


    hero falls to temptation.¡±


    As he spoke, he even stretched outnguidly like a cat basking in the sun. Even though I started trying


    to get him off, it was practically impossible to move him.


    I couldn¡¯t do anything. The very moment I looked up, I noticed Joseph looking at us through the


    rearview mirror as he studied us secretly with a devious smile on his face. My cheeks heated up and all


    I could do was turn away and look at the passing scenery, deciding to leave Ashton be.


    ¨C


    We finally got home and met the people we had been missing for so long.


    ¡°My dear Scar! I¡¯ve missed you!¡±


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Someone dressed in a floral suit with gold-rimmed sunsses strutted toward me with open arms.


    I instinctively stepped back and Ashton reached out to press a hand against the other¡¯s chest. ¡°Excuse


    me, who are you calling Scar? In this house, there¡¯s only Mrs. Fuller. If you make the same mistake


    next time, I¡¯m kicking you out.¡±


    After he spoke, he pushed lightly and the man stumbled back a few steps.


    He pulled a face and took off his sunsses as he ranted, ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering why you¡¯ve be so


    sensitive recently. Don¡¯t you know what manners are? I was already polite enough since she was your


    wife! If not for that, I¡¯d already been hugging her!¡±


    I finally got a proper look at him.


    Holden really never changed. His actions and fashion sense were still as mboyant as ever. As


    always, he was also extremely loud.


    I had only heard about him from John. For example, he ganged up with the Hawen mafia to get rid of


    some disrespectful and huffy seniors. I also heard about how some big donations in his name had


    suddenly turned him into some angel of two small neighboring countries. He worked with both the dark


    and light sides, and he had a steady grip over his ce as the head of the Taylor family.


    ¡°No, thank you,¡± I said with disdain as I walked past him and gently coaxed both kids to go upstairs


    first.


    Holden looked at me with an ambiguous smile as he mocked, ¡°The two of you must be baby-printing


    machines.¡±


    His tone led me to believe that he almost definitely had misunderstood things.


    He was so talented at babbling on and on that I felt like I had aged ten years by the time he finished


    prying. I decided to just change the subject and move into the main topic. ¡°What brings you here, Mr.


    Taylor? I know you¡¯re a busy man, so juste out with it. I would hate to waste your precious time.¡±


    Holden chuckled evilly before following me to the living room and sitting down with one leg idly crossed


    over the other. ¡°It¡¯s been six years and yet you¡¯re still so sharp with your words. I guess the saying of


    time mellowing out women really doesn¡¯t apply to you.¡±


    ¡°The same goes for you, too.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Your skin looks just the same as before.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Holden actually lifted a hand and caressed his own cheek and chin.

 Chapter 1583

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1583


    ¡°Yep,¡± I said with a forced smile. Of course, I swallowed down what was supposed toe after it; that


    his skin was just as thick.


    Holden caught sight of my expression and immediately figured out I was mocking him. His eyes


    narrowed and he whined, ¡°Scar! Why are you mocking me again-¡±


    Suddenly, a pair of hands roughly shoved a piece of fruit into Holden¡¯s mouth.


    Holden frowned and chewed. ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°Dragon fruit,¡± Ashton said coldly.


    ¡°Sh*t! I have trypophobia!¡±


    After that, he made a beeline for the bathroom.


    After a series of loud retches, the sound of the toilet flushing rang out.


    Ashton nced at me and shrugged innocently. ¡°I had no clue.¡±


    Holden walked out of the bathroom. ¡°Sh*t. Ashton, are you a proper man or not? That was below the


    belt!¡±


    Ashton leaned against the sofa wordlessly.


    I burst outughing. ¡°Well, as the saying goes, do stupid things, win stupid prizes. God¡¯s teaching you a


    lesson.¡±


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    Holden suddenly started babbling even more. ¡°God? I fought God a long time ago and I¡¯m only


    standing here because I won! If not, I¡¯d probably have been chopped up and fed to the fishes. No one


    can teach me a lesson now unless I want to be taught.¡±


    As he spoke, he returned to hisfortable perch on the sofa andy down casually,pletely


    making this ce his home.


    He almost seemed as if he were dozing off for a second before he bounced back up like a spring. After


    he sat up straight, he suddenly stared at me intensely, looking almost like a wolf staring at its prey.


    ¡°Just to remind you, if you keep staring at me like that, the man behind you is going to teach you


    another lesson.¡±


    Holden was staring at me like a predator staking out its prey, and Ashton was like the hunter right


    behind him with his rifle pointed straight at Holden¡¯s head. As for me, the poor deer stuck in between, I


    felt goosebumps beginning to rise on my arms.


    It was already hard enough to hold back myughter at the mere sight of Holden, so I really couldn¡¯t


    find it in me to actually be serious on top of that.


    Holden looked back and waved Ashton away. ¡°I¡¯m talking business here. Don¡¯t butt in, buddy.¡±


    He ced a hand on the armrest of my armchair and leaned over. His sentimental gaze was still


    staring into my soul. ¡°You¡¯re pretty good at keeping secrets, huh? I¡¯ve known you for so long, and yet


    I¡¯ve never known that you were such an artist.¡±


    Ashton reached out and pulled him back. ¡°Hey, watch it. Haven¡¯t you heard that you should never go


    after your friend¡¯s wife?¡±


    ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°No exceptions.¡±


    Holden was speechless and sighed heavily in response. ¡°All right, I see what you¡¯re doing. I can¡¯t


    believe I¡¯ve spent thest six years helping you find your wife and this is how you treat me! What


    happened to us being friends?¡±


    The two of them stared each other down, as stubborn as bulls. For some reason, the whole scene


    looked strangelyedic.


    ¡°Hey, hey, you¡¯ve been friends for so long! Is it really worth it to fight right now?¡± I quickly decided to


    be the mediator. ¡°It was just a joke! Just be the bigger person and step down, both of you. Let¡¯s


    get back to business. Why were you talking about art just now?¡±


    Holden was clearly still in a huffy mood and he said impatiently, ¡°There¡¯s an organization in Eastern


    Epea who¡¯s been selling art pieces under your name. It¡¯s really made a huge change to our currency!¡±


    When we heard the word ¡®currency,¡¯ Ashton and I exchanged nces. Clearly, we had arrived at the


    same conclusion.


    Suddenly, a familiar male voice called out from the doorway, ¡°Oh, do you guys have a visitor? Maybe


    we should havee another day.¡±


    I turned to see Nick and Rose walk in.


    Nick was holding Rose¡¯s hand and she was holding onto his arm affectionately. Every few steps, they


    would nce at each other as if making sure the other person was still there. It definitely seemed like


    they were on great terms.


    I could tell from just Rose¡¯s gaze alone. She was smiling so hard her eyes shone and crinkled at the


    corners.


    Because of our past issues with Jackson, Nick and I weren¡¯t exactly close anymore and we chose not


    to interact with each other if possible. All I heard about him was whatever I got from Cameron, and I


    was happy to hear that he was on good terms with Rose again. I was also d to hear that he had


    managed to expand thepany through the Walker family¡¯s help and was extremely sessful now.


    Apart from being happy for him as an older sister, I was also relieved to see that the two of them were


    so lovey-dovey.

 Chapter 1584

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1584


    The giant river flow of time had always been unforgiving with washing people away. Unfortunately, as


    mere human beings, we couldn¡¯t do anything but watch them leave. Luckily enough, there would


    always be those people left behind that could huddle together for warmth.


    ¡°What are you guys doing here?¡± I moved aside with a smile, leaving some space on the sofa for Rose


    to sit down.


    She clearly had gotten past all of the Jackson drama and just sat down right next to me. ¡°I heard that


    you guys came back, and I kept thinking about dropping by, but I was in Europe at the time, so I


    pushed it all the way to now. You¡¯re not mad, are you?¡±


    ¡°Of course not! I¡¯m d to see you. Don¡¯t worry about that,¡± I said breezily. Catching on to what she


    said earlier, I continued, ¡°Has the Harrisons¡¯ business already broken into Epea?¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Rose said, a bright red blush suddenly creeping onto her cheeks. She nced at Nick before


    saying, ¡°We went for our honeymoon. Nick had been really busy the past year with work, so the


    moment he got some free time about six months ago, he took me on a global tour.¡±


    Holden smiled meaningfully and interrupted, ¡°Good for you, Mr. Harrison! I told you, men do best when


    they¡¯re with women. Now you know why we tried so hard, right?¡±


    Rose¡¯s smile stiffened at Holden¡¯s words.


    I sighed. Holden was straightforward, but he definitely needed to learn about picking a time and ce.


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him. Mr. Taylor¡¯s gone insane from counting dragon fruit seeds,¡± I quipped impatiently.


    Holden probably imagined it unwillingly and ran off to the bathroom as he started to retch again.


    ¡°What happened to him?¡± Nick asked.


    ¡°Probably overdosed on dragon fruit,¡± Ashton said calmly.


    ¡°Ah,¡± Nick said, not trying to pick a fight. He then changed the subject and said, ¡°We¡¯ve brought you a


    present.¡±


    He gestured toward the door, and his butlers walked in with arge package.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    ¡°Open them,¡± hemanded.


    The butlers opened up the package and revealed the gift inside. It was an oil painting.


    I was taken aback and fell silent in shock.


    What¡¯s going on? Is today National Art Day or something?


    ¡°What do you think? We won this at an auction in Granatano. It cost six point eight million!¡± Nick said as


    he admired the painting.


    With the Harrisons¡¯ prestige, it wasn¡¯t out of the ordinary for them to give such an extravagant gift.


    Maybe due to myck of artistic talent, I couldn¡¯t understand the point of spending so much money on


    such a fragile piece of canvas.


    Out of politeness, I received it with a smile. ¡°I like it! I really like the scenery depicted in it.¡±


    I really had no idea what else to praise out ofck of artistic talent, so all I could do was randomly point


    some things out.


    ¡°This is the ¡®Summer Walk!¡¯¡° Rose said in shock. ¡°Scarlett, have you forgotten? This is your own


    painting!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± I said in a daze. ¡°My painting?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Rose nodded frantically before saying happily, ¡°Nick said it was fate to run into it even halfway


    across the world, so we decided to buy it as a present for you. It¡¯s both charity and also a way for you


    to own your own work!¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­¡± I didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing, though. I don¡¯t know how to draw.


    Didn¡¯t Nick tell you?¡±


    Rose shook her head in disbelief and turned to look at Nick.


    Nick immediately burst out intoughter. ¡°I said it on purpose. I thought it was weird because I knew


    that Scarlett couldn¡¯t draw, but I didn¡¯t want to affect your mood on our honeymoon so I just made up a


    story. Sorry, darling!¡±


    Rose started panicking. ¡°Huh? Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier? Doesn¡¯t that mean we didn¡¯t end up


    getting a souvenir for Scarlett? Nick! How could you?¡±


    Nick just shrugged.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s not go any further into this.¡± I knew a couple¡¯s spat could go on for a long time. It was


    starting to gette, too, so I went straight into the subject. ¡°Nick, what exactly is going on?¡±

 Chapter 1585

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1585


    ¡°What else could it be?¡± A defiant voice called out from the bathroom. ¡°F*ck, it feels like I¡¯ve just puked


    my guts out. I¡¯ve only been at your house for a few minutes and I¡¯m already within an inch of my life!¡±


    For some reason, his voice sounded funny to me. He should start aedy show, I thought to myself.


    Holden¡¯s expression soured at the sight of my mirth and he clutched his stomach as he walked toward


    us. He had to support himself against the wall as he staggered into the living room and said, ¡°Your


    drawings may not be worth a penny, but art is priceless. If you sell it, your money won¡¯t be clean


    anymore. How could you miss such a simple theory?¡±


    His words hit the mark for me. After a brief moment of hesitation, I finally realized how terrifying this all


    was.


    Only dirty money had to beundered. If it was dirty money, that meant it had been acquired illegally.


    The moment the transaction got discovered by the policemen, I would at least be arrested for aiding


    and abetting a crime as the so-called owner of the painting. Even if I didn¡¯t think about the sentence I


    would get, I would still lose my freedom. I barely managed to get my freedom back, but it seemed like I


    was on the verge of losing it again.


    Why?


    Everything was starting to fall into ce, so why is everything going downhill again?


    I felt myself growing numb after all of my inwardints.


    Suddenly, a warm palm enveloped mine and I came back to my senses, realizing Ashton was holding


    my hand. I tried my best to bring myself back to reality.


    The reason evil people were evil was that they didn¡¯t know anywhere else apart from hell. Not only did


    they not realize any mistakes, but they also tried to drag innocent people inside. All they wanted to do


    was to see me panic and fret and cry, so if I showed them that they had gotten to me, they would have


    achieved their goal.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Nick said seriously. ¡°That¡¯s why I brought Rose over once wended. People are really


    cunning nowadays and you all need to be careful. I know you know how to get rid of being suspected


    as a culprit in moneyundering since you studiedw, but I just wanted to remind you to do it as soon


    as possible. It would be bad if you only try to solve it when ites knocking at your door. By then, it¡¯ll


    be even harder to get out of it.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I replied dully. I couldn¡¯t smile anymore and decided to send them off. ¡°I got it. It¡¯s been a really


    long day, so I¡¯m going to head upstairs now. Feel free to continue on with your conversation.¡±


    ¡°But Scarlett, we just arrived-¡±


    ¡°Rose,¡± Nick interrupted. He could clearly tell that I didn¡¯t want to continue talking and nced at Rose.


    After indicating for her not to continue the conversation, he helpfully suggested, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, we¡¯ll


    make ourselves scarce so you can rest. The kids are at home waiting for us, anyway.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t exactly be aloof in the face of his considerate words, so I sent them out before trudging


    upstairs.


    I still heard Holden gossiping behind me as I left, ¡°Isn¡¯t Nick gay? Has he always been such a manly


    man?¡±


    I took a hot shower and had justy down when Ashton walked in and took off his jacket before lying


    down next to me, pulling me into his embrace.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Are you stressed out?¡± Ashton asked quietly after hugging me for a while.


    Everyone¡¯s mood changed under the influence of their surroundings, and naturally, Ashton had already


    grasped the ins and outs of my own mood swings. His tone was so gentle I felt like I was floating on a


    cloud.


    ¡°A little bit.¡± I flipped around and burrowed into his embrace like a scared rabbit until I was flush against


    his chest. Sighing in relief, I murmured, ¡°When will we be able to live our lives peacefully?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m always here for you to rely on,¡± Ashton said as he leaned over and patted my arm with a warm


    hand.


    His protective gesture suddenly made me feel like a kid again.


    I shot my head up and bit onto his chin in retaliation.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± Ashton hissed as he frowned deeply. In just a second, though, his brows rxed, and he acted


    as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°Did it hurt?¡± I asked, knowing the answer.


    ¡°It itched a little bit,¡± he said seriously.

 Chapter 1586

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1586


    I couldn¡¯t hold in myugh. ¡°You¡¯re getting really good at this. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to catch you when


    you lie to me from now on!¡±


    Ashton curled his lips, tightened his hold on me, and said, ¡°We¡¯re married. You can¡¯t call that a lie. It¡¯s


    more like a tease.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re actually thinking of lying to me?¡± I pulled a hand out and pinched his nose, stopping him


    from breathing.


    Rather than getting upset, Ashton broke into augh and eventually reversed the situation after some


    hassle, where he pinched my cheeks instead.


    ¡°You done?¡± Ashton subdued me and gave me a rather meek warning.


    ¡°No.¡± I did not know why, but I just wanted to rebel against him.


    Ashton did not know how to deal with me. So, he casually tightened his pinch hold, which prompted me


    to yell, ¡°Woah! This is domestic violence! I¡¯m crying¡­¡±


    He was at a loss and let go. So, I took the opportunity to tackle and pin him down.


    That made Ashton admit defeat and carefullyy there. His hands were on my waist because he was


    worried I might get hurt. ¡°Alright, Ms. Stovall. You win. What¡¯s my punishment?¡± he said after letting out


    a deep sigh.


    ¡°That¡¯s no fun.¡± I got down of him andy beside him.


    It was less of a high since the win was too easy.


    With that, Ashton turned to the side and looked at me enthusiastically with his chin on his hand. ¡°Aren¡¯t


    you still upset at the thing with Nathaniel?¡±


    ¡°What can that do?¡± I questioned, suddenly feeling more carefree about the matter.


    Be it moneyundering or Nathaniel. There was no escape for me. I only acted weird because my


    emotions got the better of me. There was nothing to be afraid of once it was over.


    Being married was such a peculiar thing. One simple banter and all that negative emotions would


    instantly disappear. It felt better than talking to a psychiatrist.


    When I snapped out of it, I realized Ashton did not answer. So, I turned around to find him with his eyes


    closed.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you talking?¡± I asked him.


    Hearing me, Ashton came to and said, ¡°I think we need to get Audrey¡¯s enrolment application done as


    soon as possible in case she feels disconnected from her peers and can¡¯t get used to living in a


    society.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re worried that she might not get enough human interactions and actually fall for Shaun, aren¡¯t


    you? Tell me, do you not like Shaun?¡± I pursed my lips into a smile and exposed him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like anyone!¡± Ashton replied with a hint of disdain in his eyes and a smug tone.


    When he finished, he pounced onto me, leaving me no time to react, and pulled the cover over us.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± I held him off by the chest, astonished. How is it possible for men to think of


    doing that all the time!


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    ¡°I lost. You need to punish me.¡± Ashton knitted his brow. The look on his face was actually so sincere.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one that¡¯s getting punished. Why are you squishing¡­¡±


    My attempt to reason failed terrifically.


    Emery was now a big deal within the domestic investment scene since she owned shares from many


    companies. Even if half of those bankrupted, she would still be able to live a life of luxury with just the


    other half. So, she was the best choice for apany as people get way too much time on their hands


    the richer they get.


    Summer wanted to be more involved with Gregory and Audrey¡¯s lives, so she tagged along to help us


    out.


    For the sake of convenience, Audrey and Shaun were both transferred to Gregory¡¯s school. That said, I


    did manage to secretly put in a word with the principal, asking for them to be in separate sses.


    First of all, I did not want them to have too many interactions. And secondly, the Fullers would only be


    taking care of Shaun until adulthood, not forever. Therefore, he should live his life like how an average


    child would.


    After we left the school, we went to thergest mall in the area and started acquiring things they would


    need for school.


    After a round of shopping, we passed the toy shop, where Audrey broke free from Summer and dived


    into the ball pit. Thus, we sat on the side and waited for her.


    Not long after, I felt something pulling at my sleeve, so I turned around and saw a little girl with a flower


    basket.

 Chapter 1587

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1587


    ¡°Flowers, Ma¡¯am?¡± the girl asked with her big round eyes and puffy cheeks. She looked the same age


    as Audrey, and the clothes she wore were old but still clean, even though there were some random


    smudges on her face.


    I noticed it and quickly took out some tissue, wanting to help her clean it. However, as soon as I


    reached out, the girl backed away.


    She tried to take a huge step back, but kids do not make much distance with those short legs of theirs.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be scared,¡± I told her, trying my best to smile and make myself more approachable. I waved the


    tissue in my hand to indicate that I meant no harm. ¡°You have something on your nose. Let me wipe


    that off for you, my dear. Okay?¡±


    The girl was still naive, so she let down her guard in no time and got closer, quietly letting me clean her


    face without even making a sound.


    Seeing what was going on, Emery pulled out a budded flower from the girl¡¯s basket and fiddled it. ¡°It¡¯s a


    hot day, little girl. Why are you here doing business instead of staying at home? Are you that


    materialistic?¡±


    ¡®What are you saying?¡± Emery always had a sharp tongue when it came to strangers.


    But the girl did not understand what she meant and merely blinked at Emery innocently.


    I was a little amazed by her reaction, so I asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of her?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not. She¡¯s a prettydy.¡± The girl did not even blink as she said that right at Emery¡¯s face.


    ¡°Ahem¡­¡± Emery blushed instantly, but she kept up her act. ¡°That won¡¯t work, kid. I¡¯m not going to


    cough up my money just because you gave me somepliments. I¡¯m a businesswoman too. I don¡¯t


    do deals that aren¡¯t beneficial to me, understand?¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± The girl nodded. ¡°So, that one you have will only cost you two bucks. I won¡¯t be making


    any profit from you.¡±


    ¡°Not making any profit? If that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t you give it to me for free?¡± Emery teased. ¡°You


    cheeky girl. I bet the supply cost is at most half of that. You¡¯re just trying to trick me from another angle,


    aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Hearing what Emery said, the girl shook her head violently. ¡°That¡¯s not true. My flowers are the best


    and freshest flowers. They usually cost two fifty each, but I figured you won¡¯t have fifty cents, so I gave


    you a discount.¡±


    All of a sudden, it looked like Emery got serious as she turned her whole body around toward the little


    girl. ¡°Let me educate you on what for free means. It means presenting an item to someone without


    subjecting it to payment, little girl. So, you give this to me for free, and I don¡¯t have to pay for it,


    understand?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    The girl might not be able to understand all the technical terms, but she understood that she was not


    going to get the flower¡¯s cost. So, her eyes turned red in an instant as she dropped her basket to the


    floor.


    ¡°Alright now, don¡¯t worry. Thedy here is just joking with you. We¡¯ll definitely pay for it.¡± Iforted the


    child and pulled Emery in for an apology. ¡°What is wrong with you today? Why are you bullying a little


    girl? Quick, she¡¯s about to cry¡­¡±


    Emery did not seem thrilled about it. ¡°You¡¯re being too innocent here. In this day and age, little con


    artists like her are everywhere! They exploit the sympathy of mothers like you and hike up the price of


    each flower. They make hundreds in one day! It¡¯s way better than thosebor work. I¡¯m not the only


    one that¡¯s heartless. Everyone else is doing the same thing! Look, you see anyone showing their


    concern for what¡¯s happening here?¡±


    With that, the little girl¡¯s eyes got watery, and tears welled up, looking like they would burst in any


    second.


    Nevertheless, I could not refute Emery¡¯s im. People only took care of themselves even during the


    olden days, let alone now.


    ¡°She¡¯s not lying.¡± Summer¡¯s voice interrupted my thoughts. I turned around and saw that she was


    picking up something from the little girl¡¯s basket on the floor.


    Soon enough, she passed me a piece of paper. ¡°That¡¯s the receipt for the flowers. She¡¯s not lying.¡±


    I took a look, and it was indeed, as the little girl said, two fifty each. She had a total of thirty flowers in


    her basket.

 Chapter 1588

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1588


    Consequently, Emery was speechless, and her demeanor immediately softened up as she said, ¡°I was


    joking! I had intended to buy all of them from the start. I asked her to give me one for free because I


    wanted to let her learn that sometimes you need to make sacrifices to gain more benefits. s, our


    little angel here¡¯s not that smart. It doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s suited for business.¡±


    She picked up her bag as she said that, most probably to get some cash to pay the little girl.


    At that moment, the child could not hold in her tears any longer as I felt those burning droplets on the


    back of my hand.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Wait! She¡¯s buying your flowers! Don¡¯t cry!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to buy all my flowers.¡± The little girl started sobbing. ¡°I only want to sell you one each.


    Mommy has been sick in the hospital for so long! Daddy told me that each sold flower is another prayer


    for Mommy so she could get well soon. I don¡¯t want money. I just want Mommy to get better.¡±


    They really were not wrong when they said women were like water. In only a few seconds, the tissue


    was totally soaked.


    Audrey and Gregory had milder personalities and were my own, so they were easier to handle. Even


    with Summer, this type of situation had never urred with me. So, I was at a loss and could only


    watch as the girl cried.


    It was true that people were cruel and selfish, but they loved drama. Once the girl started crying, all


    those unconcerned passersby were surprisingly like-minded as they all looked toward our direction.


    That feeling of being stared at by the entire world was not great at all.


    Therefore, I signaled to Emery. ¡°You made this mess! Handle it!¡±


    But Emery acted like she was deaf, leaving me speechless.


    So this is what good friends do? Do you leave the others behind to clean up your mess?


    Right then, Summer spoke. ¡°If you can hold it in and stop crying, I have an idea that could help you


    earn a lot more money and acquire more prayers for your mommy at the same time. If you ept, wipe


    off those tears ande with me. You only have one chance, okay?¡±


    As soon as Summer finished, a mere one second was all it took for the crying to stop.


    Immediately after, Summer took the girl by the hand, right in front of me, and headed downstairs after


    picking up the flowers and basket.


    I was in awe. It was like watching Gregory tame Audrey all over again.


    ¡°In the end, Summer¡¯s still the best. Unlike you, who can¡¯t even handle a kid.¡± Emery started attacking


    me after things calmed down.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you handle the girl if you¡¯re so great? You¡¯re the one that made her cry! I have to say. We¡¯re


    both mothers now. It¡¯s about time you changed that attitude of yours. Don¡¯t just bear your fangs at


    anyone the moment you see them. Who would want to be near you after you scare them off like that?¡± I


    turned it around and lectured her instead, wanting her to be better.


    Emery was like a porcupine right now, covered in sharp spines and quills. Anyone who got near her


    would get hurt easily. That said, she actually had the softest heart out of everyone and insisted on


    hiding it.


    The truth was, I never even thought of buying all those flowers from the girl to free her up, but Emery


    did. Nevertheless, the girl would most likely only remember how ruthless Emery was and that she did


    not want to pay.


    ¡°Who cares?¡± Emery shrugged. ¡°I only need to ensure that I can always enjoy the life of a single


    woman. That¡¯s all. Why would I want to meet new people and start ying the stupid guessing game of


    what are they thinking? I¡¯m not interested and cannot be bothered. Those that would stay will stay.


    Those that won¡¯t, so be it. Why should I change? I am me. I¡¯m just built different, you know?¡±


    The atmosphere was getting heavy. It was clear that our Queen Emery did not want to dwell on the


    subject any longer. Things were not going to change even if we did.


    About twenty minutes after, Summer came back, but the girl was gone.


    ¡°Did you help her sell all her flowers?¡± I asked. I was confident Summer could do it since she was


    eloquent, but twenty minutes was still an astonishing speed.


    ¡°They¡¯re all sold, but not by me. Just know that everything¡¯s settled.¡± Summer told us and went back to


    apany Audrey and the others.

 Chapter 1589

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1589


    How did she do it? I was curious.


    And eventually, when we were leaving the mall, I got my answer.


    At the entrance, there was a setup that was not there when we first arrived that read Charity Points.


    Beside it was a shiny signboard with simple details on it.


    Fresh flower for ten bucks. Eighty percent of the proceeds will go to people in need. Leave a scent.


    This was a high-ss mall, so people that visited the ce would not mind the mere ten bucks.


    Moreover, a self-service QR code scan was utilized for making payment, so it was less of a hassle.


    Women usually picked one up as they walked by. Some even made the payment but left the flower


    there.


    While we stood there and watched, Summer gave us an exnation.


    ¡°If the customers buy the flower, the mall will track the payment to the customer¡¯s member profile and


    award them points that could be used to redeem gifts from the mall. With this, not only does the mall


    fulfill some customers¡¯ wish to do charity, but it also bes an extra source of ie. The little girl


    won¡¯t have to make her pitch one at a time anymore because we¡¯ve already made a preliminary


    agreement with the mall. This will be the girl¡¯s kiosk from now on, so she should see some


    improvements in terms of ie. I hope this helps with her mother¡¯s illness.¡±


    Emery nodded her head in satisfaction after hearing that. ¡°You did great, but I¡¯m quite curious about


    how you convinced the manager of the mall to do this.¡±


    I had that same question in mind, knowing that an agreement would only get epted if the terms


    were mutually beneficial to both parties. To malls like this, profit from these acts of charity was just


    spare change. On top of that, their partner was a little girl. With so many variables to consider, it was


    obvious that the risk outweighed the reward. As the manager, they did not need to let the mall go


    through the hassle.


    ¡°About that¡­¡± Summer calmly put up the side-eye and showed us her phone that she took out of


    nowhere. ¡°This is my Facebook ount. I promised the mall that I would write an article promoting


    their good deeds every month for theing six months, so they agreed. There were some other


    conditions, but we don¡¯t have to talk about that.¡±


    We squinted our eyes to take a look and instantly understood everything.


    ForeverAutumn. One million and more followers.


    Advertisements on Facebook ounts of that caliber usually cost around fifty thousand per post. That


    meant that the mall saved three hundred thousand in terms of advertisement expenditure by just


    utilizing a small section of the wide-open space at the entrance. It¡¯s a deal with no downsides. Why


    wouldn¡¯t they?


    Indeed, amassing such a following at such a young age would be considered a momentous feat if it


    was anyone else. But, not Summer. She was a genius that received early admission into a university


    overseas that made an exception just for her. It was almost expected of her to aplish this much.


    That said, I was still a little surprised. ¡°Did you make this ount on your own?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Summer smiled. ¡°We¡¯re living in the era of the inte. You¡¯d be amazed at how fast


    information can travel. I initially did this to amass following in hopes of finding you sooner, Mommy.


    Even though I no longer need it, it still feels great to be able to use it for a good cause.¡±


    ¡°Not bad.¡± Emery apuded as though she was Summer¡¯s superior, but she still gave her some sharp


    critiques. ¡°That name¡¯s got to go, though. It¡¯s too corny. People would think you¡¯re an old granny fromText ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    hearing that. Change it to something like FourSeasons. With some photo¡¯s taken by thepany I


    invest in and your reputation as a teenage genius, I reckon your followers would double in number.


    Then, you only have to hire someone to manage it for you and wait for the cash to roll in.¡±


    Summer pursed her lips and smiled before lowering her head to look at her phone. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I like that


    name. I want to remember how autumn feels, always.¡±


    I did not know why, but at that moment, the smile on her face looked a little gloomy, like she had gone


    through many hardships.


    Separated for six years, absent from the most crucial time of her life, it was no wonder I could no longer


    understand Summer fully.

 Chapter 1590

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1590


    The more you learned, the more you hid, they say, and Summer had been very considerate ever since


    we reunited. Now, seeing her doing things quietly on her own gave me a bad feeling.


    Coincidentally, Joseph brought the maid over to carry the things we bought and interrupted the


    conversation.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    We did not bring it up after that, so I thought it was over. However, Emery actually kept it to heart. Not


    two hours after we got back, she appeared at our doorstep. She took out an entire stack of documents


    and dumped it on the table, telling us that she wanted to groom Summer.


    ¡°We¡¯re all family here, so I¡¯ll cut to the chase. Summer is a diamond in the rough for business. Let her


    come back and learn how to do business with me. She can take MBA courses too. I¡¯ll fully support


    whatever project shees up with in the future and will not intervene. There¡¯s only one condition. I¡¯m


    not letting a talent like you get snatched away, so we need to sign a contract, so I don¡¯t have to worry.¡±


    Summer clearly did not think about that, so she did not respond and merely looked at Ashton and me.


    Suddenly, azy voice grew louder from afar. ¡°The Fullers has so many properties waiting to be


    inherited. It¡¯s still uncertain whether the kids could do it, but how great of you to snatch an heir away to


    make money for you. That¡¯s quite a n you got there.¡±


    Holden walked down the stairs with his silk pajamas and messy hair. Anyone would know he just got of


    bed from a nce.


    He¡¯s still here?


    ¡°This is family business. Keep out of it.¡± Emery could not care less about who he was. She was ruthless


    if someone spoiled her mood. ¡°You, however, are on all the covers of entertainment magazines after


    just getting back, Mr. Taylor. It looks like you¡¯re very popr no matter where you go. Are two kidneys


    enough for you?¡±


    ¡°Since when did you care?¡± Holden tied the drawstring at his waist whileing down. ¡°Would you like


    to try and see whether two is enough?¡±


    After the incident with Hunter, Emery already detested people like Holden, that went around flirting with


    girls. So, now that he triggered her, I had to interject immediately, ¡°Things are getting out of hand, you


    two. Can we talk about something else in front of the kids, for my sake?¡±


    Before he gave a response, Holden plopped himself down on the sofa and ced one leg on the


    armrest. ¡°It¡¯s a taboo for people like me that work in the grey area of thew to make enemies. And on


    top of that, I love women. I only replied because she did not sound very polite. I¡¯m a victim here, you


    know?¡±


    Emery sneered after hearing that and said, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, there would be no more criminals left in


    the world.¡±


    Even though things were not friendly between them, at least they stopped arguing and decided to


    ignore each otherpletely.


    After a while, Holden spoke once again. ¡°Summer, if you really want toe back, I have quite a few


    great connections. Maybe you can think about it.¡±


    At present, Emery just calmed herself down, but what Holden said immediately triggered her again. ¡°I


    knew something was off! So, you just wanted her for yourself! There¡¯s an order for everything, Mr.


    Taylor. Don¡¯t you dare think I, Emery Moore, am like those cheap girls you meet that gets pushed


    around!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve said nothing of the sort.¡± Holden shrugged nonchntly. ¡°I had that idea ever since Scarlett came


    back and told me about the incident with flowers. You only got the chance because I overslept. I¡¯m not


    sure you¡¯d win if we really talked about the order.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Emery was at a loss for words because of how mad she was. An eloquent person like her was


    no match for someone as thick-skinned as Holden. All she ended up doing was gritting her teeth and


    calling him a shameless bastard.


    Holden smirked, unbothered.


    ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡± Ashton came back and asked while handing his coat to the maid.


    ¡°You better take good care of your kids. There¡¯s already a devious man plotting to use them,¡± Emery


    said sarcastically.


    Hearing what she said, Holden sat up straight and wanted to refute Emery¡¯s im. But before he could


    do that, Ashton approached and asked as though he heard a funny joke, ¡°Oh? Who has that much


    guts?¡±

 Chapter 1591

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1591


    Ashton sat down beside me and instinctively wrapped his arm around my shoulders. ¡°Are you getting


    bullied, Summer?¡± he asked while looking at her.


    ¡°No, Daddy.¡± Summer smiled and exined calmly, ¡°Aunt Emery and Uncle Holden were just thinking


    of letting me tag along to learn how to do business from them.¡±


    Ashton nodded in understanding and asked, ¡°What do you think then? Are you interested?¡±


    Summer pursed her lips and looked like she was still undecided.


    Ashton was extra patient. ¡°You don¡¯t have to think about what others think. Just follow your heart.


    You¡¯re still young, so it doesn¡¯t really matter if you don¡¯t want to. If you want to continue learning, I¡¯ll


    support you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Daddy.¡± Summer seemed to have gotten some bravery from her father¡¯s words and smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯ve actually been thinking about doing business for quite a while now. I was just afraid that Daddy and


    Mommy won¡¯t agree to it.¡±


    Just as I thought, the girl was hiding so much from me, and I did not even realize. All I ended up doing


    was putting up a resigned smile. ¡°Let¡¯s hear it then.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    At that moment, Ashton raised his hand on my shoulder for a bit and ced it back down. It felt like he


    wasforting me, so I looked at him, only to find him with no reaction. Maybe I¡¯m just thinking too


    much.


    ¡°I want to open a bar!¡± Summer told us.


    ¡°Thergest one in the whole city!¡±


    ¡°A bar?¡± I blurted out before Ashton had a chance to speak. That prompted me to recall all the things


    that happened that rainy season.


    This time, the pat on my shoulder was more apparent, so I could confirm that Ashton was indeed trying


    tofort me. But this time, my eyes were glued to Summer, so I did not react to it.


    Having lost her parents since young, Macy, me, and my grandmother relied on each other. Macy was


    like a seed that fell into a crack on the wall, living tenaciously while growing up. She worked hard and


    became the youngest bar owner in J City, casting her pride and dignity aside in the shady parts of the


    city to amass some hope for our future. In those dark days, Macy was my shining star.


    s, fate was cruel to the Leeroy family, and she left us at the best time of her life.


    Every time I thought about this, I could feel my heart constrict. It was suffocating.


    So, at that moment, I was instantly engulfed in horror. I was afraid that Summer was going down the


    same path Macy did. Start a bar, be the owner, meet a selfish man, and regret it forever.


    ¡°Yes, Mommy.¡± Summer¡¯s eyes were burning brilliantly with passion and sincerity. ¡°I¡¯ve been to quite a


    few of them with my friends when I was overseas and had always been fascinated by it. I wish to build


    something that¡¯s like a club. A ce where we can maintain the atmosphere while still allowing for


    maximum privacy. A ce for the customers to rx or talk about top secrets without worries. I did


    some research and found out that there aren¡¯t many bars like that in the country. So, it should be a


    great prospect.¡±


    ¡°You little devil!¡± Emery was ecstatic after hearing Summer¡¯s proposal. ¡°You really are something


    special! That¡¯s a bold idea! I like it! I¡¯m in!¡±


    On the other hand, Holden rested his head on his hand while leaning back on the sofa. He did not go


    against Emery and merely kept his eyes on Summer. It was apparent that he was scheming up a storm


    in his head with how he looked at the moment.


    With how Holden did things, he would surely hit Summer up when Emery was not looking if he was


    interested. Emery would not even know when and how she lost.


    But that was all an afterthought as I only had Summer¡¯s intention in mind. I was more worried than


    anyone present, but I did not want to show it. So, I did my best to hold it in and kept my voice calm.


    ¡°Summer, tell Mommy, besides liking it, is there any other reason why you would like to open a bar?¡±


    When the question left my mouth, I instinctively clenched my fist. I was afraid that I might hear the


    answer in my head, that she knew.


    About her past, about Macy, and about how she died.


    That said, Summer remained smiling and looked at me innocently. There was not much change in her


    expression when she said, ¡°Mommy. Isn¡¯t that enough? This is the only thing I like besides math. Can I


    do it?¡±

 Chapter 1592

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1592


    At that moment, my sight became blurry, and I kept seeing Macy¡¯s face ovepping with Summer¡¯s. It


    was like time and space no longer bound me, and that person sitting in front of me was not Summer


    but Macy.


    ¡°A bar is challenging for a woman for sure, but aren¡¯t other jobs the same? Rather than working our


    lives away for someone else, let¡¯s work for ourselves. You know, Letty. I like that dreamy feeling under


    the flickering lights. It helps me forget about all my insecurities. And sometimes, I get to see people I


    missed.¡±


    That was what Macy said that convinced me.


    Because she liked it, I supported her. Because she liked it, I sent her over to Jared. Because of all that,


    she never got to experience true love until the day she died.


    Even if everyone was safe, I still feel that thorn in my heart rooted there, unremovable.


    There was a fog over my eyes, and I could no longer differentiate the real from the surreal. As a


    mother, I should be supportive of my children¡¯s dreams, but I could feel something weighing me down,


    forcing my mouth shut so I could not speak.


    Maybe it¡¯s Macy. Maybe she and I have the same idea. I¡¯m sure of it.


    ¡°Your mom and I understand.¡±


    Ashton¡¯s deep voice cut through my thoughts and snapped me out of them. The next second, he


    grabbed my hand and pulled it over, cing it on hisp as he fiddled with it.


    ¡°That said, you should know that opening up a bar is not an easy task. Disregarding the initial funding,


    thoseplicated under-the-table connections won¡¯t be easy to handle. Let Joseph gather some


    information first, and we can discuss it from there. Okay?¡±


    Summer and Audrey were different. She was not as stubborn, so she was easier to talk to. ¡°That will


    do.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Ashton gave a faint response and said, ¡°Since you¡¯re bored of staying at home, maybe you


    can n out the project thepany has at Wenville?¡±


    ¡°Of course I can,¡± Summer replied with a smile. It was like nothing was going on in her life worth


    grieving. ¡°But I would like Mr. Cress to help me. Will that be okay?¡±


    Summer was referring to Jared. After he sent her back, Jared had rented a ce in K City and would


    pay short visits to the kids every day.


    ¡°It¡¯s your project. So you decide.¡± Ashton gave her the green light to anything she wanted.


    As he spoke, he pulled me up and headed to our room. ¡°If you need anything, just ask Joseph.¡±


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    ¡°Got it. Thanks, Daddy. Good night, Mommy.¡±


    ¡°Good night,¡± I replied in a daze, with a voice that was no louder than a kitten¡¯s while I let Ashton drag


    my body up the stairs.


    When we got to our room, he locked it and took me into the bathroom, where he undressed me without


    uttering a single word.


    Facing each other with our naked bodies, he turned on the shower and tested the temperature before


    pulling it over my head.


    As the hot water flowed, he started massaging my head with the tip of his fingers. The warm sensation


    it gave me was enough to let me forget about even resisting.


    After he dried me off, Ashton wrapped me in a towel and carried me back to the bedroom. He lifted the


    cover and gently put me down on the bed. Then, he came from the other side of the bed and embraced


    me from behind.


    My body was soft like water, and it instinctively got closer to him.


    ¡°Why are you so nice to me today?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t I always like this?¡± His voice was hoarse.


    ¡°Nope.¡± My lips curled as I was pleased and rxed. ¡°All you wanted to do back then was take


    advantage of me.¡±


    ¡°Then, consider today an exception and let me be a saint for once.¡± Ashton adjusted his position and


    buried his chin in my neck.


    I could vaguely tell that he knew my mind was going wild, and that was why he did all that quietly. He


    wanted to calm me down, bit by bit.


    However, right or wrong, it did not matter. Ashton let me understand that as long as I stay with him, all


    my worries would go away even if I did not say anything.

 Chapter 1593

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1593


    After I collected myself, I could finally talk about Summer¡¯s decision calmly. ¡°Are you really going to


    support Summer on opening a bar?¡±


    Ashton was not some sly fox that yed around with his words. He usually meant what he said, so him


    not denying my question was a sign of his support for Summer.


    ¡°Letty,¡± he said all a sudden and took a deep breath.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Summer should have the freedom to do what she wants.¡±


    What he said hit me where it hurt. I could not refute that.


    It was true that my manic caution should not be a shackle for the child.


    ¡°Let¡¯s use the project I gave her as a test. If she can do it well all on her own, then you should also try


    and let go.¡±


    Ashton took a brief pause before he continued. ¡°I know it would be difficult if I asked you to stay on the


    sidelines, but you have to rx. Look at it from an objective standpoint. Summer¡¯s a good kid. She¡¯ll


    surprise you.¡±


    He continued, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m here if anything goes wrong.¡±


    Not long after what Ashton said, I heard a faint and consistent snore behind me. He had fallen sound


    asleep.


    Hence, I stayed in his embrace as it was unexpectedly soothing, even though I was still not sleepy.


    I got up early the next day morning and, to my surprise, bumped into Summer as soon as I opened the


    door.


    ¡°Good morning, Mommy.¡± Summer was wearing a dazzling smile on her gentle face, reminding me of


    an angel.


    I felt guilty for how I actedst night, as it was not something a good mother would do. Nevertheless, I


    put up a smile and walked with her down the stairs. ¡°Why are you up so early? You don¡¯t have school.¡±


    ¡°Did you forget, Mommy? Daddy asked me to take charge of the project in Wenville. I looked through


    the filesst night. This is the first time Daddy¡¯spany is involved in a project like this, so there¡¯s no


    reference. On top of that, the culture rting to Hanfu is exceptionally meticulous. To make sure


    everything goes well, I asked Mr. Cress to meet up with me to research the rted materials and catch


    up on my knowledge regarding that topic. Mr. Cress told me that the library¡¯s usually packed on the


    weekends, so we won¡¯t be able to find any seats if we¡¯rete.¡±


    We reached the bottom of the stairs right when Summer finished, and Jared was already waiting at the


    door.


    Thus, Summer walked straight toward the door. ¡°I¡¯ll get going now, Mommy. I won¡¯t be back for lunch.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you eat something before you leave?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Mommy. I¡¯m not hungry. Bye!¡±


    With that, Summer disappeared out the door.


    I exchanged looks with Jared, asking him to take care of Summer. He proceeded to give me an


    affirmative nod before leaving as well.


    After that, my walk to the dining hall felt like it took a lifetime. My anxiety for Summer had made me


    very high-strung. Nheless, the truth was that she had grown up to be a capable and responsible


    person. Someone that was curious about everything and would not easily feel defeated.


    With that in mind, I could not help but curl my lips. My emotion was like a ferocious beast, but it was no


    match for the innocence my children exuded as they unraveled my insecurities.


    Then and there, I had decided to support Summer in her first business endeavor.


    Ashton told me he wanted to test Summer¡¯s capabilities. But he did not say I could not help. Besides, I


    was not the type of mother who neglects what their children do.


    ¡°What are you so happy about?¡± Ashton asked aftering down the stairs. His slippers squeaked as


    they rubbed on the wooden floor.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you know how to read minds? Take a guess.¡± I was not going to give him the answer that easily.


    Hence, Ashton pulled out the chair opposite of me and sat down. He did not seem to be the least bit


    grumpy after just waking up. ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s probably because you finally realized our daughter has grown


    up. Am I right?¡±


    It looks like he found out that Summer already left the house.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    I did not get any sense of achievement from that, so I rolled my eyes at him. ¡°Wrong! And I¡¯m not telling


    you, so eat your breakfast!¡±


    After that, for the next two weeks, I could actually count the number of times I saw Summer with just


    my hands.


    Ashton already said that he wanted Summer to work on the project independently. He knew her well


    and knew that Summer would not ask me for anything unless she was in dire straits. Naturally, if she


    did not bring it up with me, I should stay put and not stress her out.


    Therefore, things would be really awkward whenever I want to know what was going on.

 Chapter 1594

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1594


    It was like Summer was not a fourteen-year-old but a strong and independent businesswoman. When


    people have their own business, it gives off an illusion of them being held back whenever their parents


    get involved.


    After a few days of thinking, I finally came up with a dignified reason to visit Summer at her workce.


    And coincidentally, Emery called.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Come with me to see how your wonder girl is doing.¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± I answered without even thinking.


    When I got ready, Emery¡¯s car arrived and bumped into Ashton, who had just gotten back. So, I quickly


    said something like, ¡°Why are you back?¡± and hopped into Emery¡¯s car under Ashton¡¯s sad gaze,


    leaving him immediately.


    ¡°That was Ashton, right? Why didn¡¯t you ask him toe along?¡± Emery asked as she took a side-eye


    glimpse at the vi.


    ¡°This is between us women. Besides, he¡¯s a busy man. He needs to make money for me to spend.¡±


    ¡°True.¡± Emery nodded in agreement.


    Ashton would probably be thinking something like, ¡°Why didn¡¯t I know I¡¯m busy?¡± if he heard that.


    Wenville was adapted from Fuller Corporation¡¯s previous project involving movie films and was going to


    be arge-scale showcase of the culture of Hanfu.


    Any and all transportation was halted at the entrance, and people in traditional attire could be seen


    everywhere, along with tourists.


    Currently, it was still in the hype-up phase of the festival, where they set up all the businesses and


    infrastructure to fulfill the consumer¡¯s needs.


    Thus, we got out of the car and did a simple registration before going in. Even the securities were in


    traditional uniforms for soldiers, so Emery and I looked highly discriminable.


    ¡°Mommy?¡±


    I heard Summer¡¯s voice behind us and turned around. Her hair was in a bun while she dressed in


    green, waving her hand at us from on top of the wall. Jared was beside her in a white robe. Even his


    hair got specially styled. Looking at them reminded me of the scenes from old stories.


    If I did not look back, I would not have known that all those girls at the entrance were actually looking at


    Jared. It was no wonder they all looked shy.


    It was not a surprise since Jared was good-looking. And due to his age, he looked more profound,


    which attracted a lot of women.


    After that, a staff member guided us to the top of the building. From there, the view was magnificent.


    The lights. The people. All of them made it so it looked like we went back in time.


    When we met up, Summer immediately started telling us about her progress. ¡°All the prep work is


    done. Mr. Cress was a lot of help. Oh, and on the day of the festival, there will be ny-nine pairs of


    couples holding their wedding ceremony here in Hanfu fashion to generate publicity. There will also be


    tours as well people live-streaming them. I¡¯m confident that this event will rock the whole country.¡±


    While she was talking, I could see that she was happy about the city that she had built. It was the same


    look that Macy had when she opened up the bar for business.


    ¡°You did great.¡± I walked over to her, ced my hand on her shoulder, and watched the incredible view


    she created with her.


    Suddenly, we heard amotion from behind us.


    ¡°Let go of her! I said let go!¡±


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Shaun! Save me, Shaun!¡±


    I knew just from hearing their voices that it was Audrey and Shaun. The two somehow got their hands


    on some children¡¯s Hanfu.


    ¡°Ms. Summer, these two didn¡¯t pay for their food and evenmitted theft. What do I do?¡± the security


    asked while the children struggled in midair like lobsters out of water.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a thief! I¡¯m not!¡±


    It was clear that Audrey asked Shaun to sneak out with her, but they ended up losing their wallets and


    couldn¡¯t pay for anything.


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, why are you here?¡± Shaun was the first to notice us.


    ¡°If I weren¡¯t, you two would be sleeping in the police station,¡± I said before approaching them. ¡°These


    are our kids. The Fuller Corporation will cover any damage these two caused. I¡¯ll personally bring them


    over and apologize to the victims. Let them go for now.¡±

 Chapter 1595

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1595


    Audrey was finally free, but she huffed in frustration, ¡°You¡¯re mean, Mommy! I called you earlier, but


    you ignored me and let me get bullied!¡±


    Oh? Is she mad at me?


    I nced toward Shaun as I was being falsely used.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    However, the boy¡¯s eyes widened as he said seriously, ¡°It¡¯s true, Mrs. Fuller. We saw you earlier, but


    you ignored us. You left your wallet and Audrey before leaving.¡±


    ¡°Were you guys seeing things?¡± I was really telling the truth because I had been brought away since I


    arrived. I never even had the chance to go anywhere else.


    Still, Shaun insisted, ¡°No, Mrs. Fuller! That person looked exactly like you.¡±


    There was a possibility if Audrey had seen it wrong since she was quite a careless person. But if Shaun


    was insistent on it, it had to mean that the woman really did look like me.


    Even so, it didn¡¯t mean that it was right for them to sneak out.


    ¡°Audrey, I¡¯m only going to say this once, okay? The woman you guys saw earlier looked like me, but it


    wasn¡¯t me. I would never leave my kids behind and ignore them. Don¡¯t you trust me?¡± I pretended to be


    angry.


    Children should know that being outside was different from being at home. It wasn¡¯t somewhere they


    should mess around as they please. Besides, as a mother, I should not be condoning their actions.


    Having heard what I said, Audrey frowned, but her anger vanished a whileter. She looked aggrieved


    and guilty as she asked, ¡°Was she really not you?¡±


    I shook my head to assure her. Emery then chimed in, ¡°Your mom was with Summer and me the whole


    time. We never left this ce.¡±


    Hearing that, the girl let out a deep sigh and dropped her head. ¡°Okay. I¡¯m sorry, Mommy. I shouldn¡¯t


    have raised my voice at you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you were wrong,¡± I said, my voice sterner than before. ¡°But your mistake isn¡¯t mistaking someone


    else for me. It¡¯s that you sneaked out without telling any of us adults. Think about it. What would you do


    if Summer and I weren¡¯t here?¡±


    Audrey fidgeted with her fingers and took a sideways nce at the security. Then, her head seemed to


    have drooped lower as she said, ¡°I¡¯d be treated like a naughty kid and be brought away by the police.¡±


    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be the end of it,¡± Emery said. ¡°You might have bumped into some bad guys and gotten


    kidnapped. Then, you wouldn¡¯t be able to see your mom, or Summer, or your Uncle John and Aunt


    Emma.¡±


    The girl paled and burst into tears the next second. She didn¡¯t dare to cry out loud and instead sobbed


    silently.


    Even a hero would have their soft-hearted moments, let alone a mother like me.


    The metal walls in my heart tumbled down and melted into goo the moment I saw my daughter cry.


    I quickly walked up to her and swept her into my arms to console her.


    At that, Audrey couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore as she cried loudly. Her tiny arms were wrapped around my


    neck as she bawled, ¡°I was wrong, Mommy! I won¡¯t sneak out anymore. I don¡¯t want to not be able to


    see you, Mommy!¡±


    My eyes burned with tears, and I couldn¡¯t get anything else out of my mouth besides repeating, ¡°I¡¯m


    d you know your mistake. It¡¯s fine now. Mommy¡¯s here¡­¡±


    She finally calmed down after a while.


    With that, I used a wet tissue to clean up Audrey¡¯s face and tidied up her clothes. Then, Emery and I


    brought the kids along to the restaurant they had dined and dashed to apologize and pay for the food.


    Perhaps it was because Summer was present, but the owner of the restaurant was surprisingly civil.


    Upon finding out that the kids were her siblings, he generously decided to waive the bill and even tried


    to get us to have a meal before leaving. The owner continued with his offer for a long while before


    Summer finally got us out of the situation by telling him that she was busy.


    Right when we got out of the restaurant, the owner caught up to us and handed me a wallet. ¡°The kids


    left this wallet here when they were brought away by the security earlier. Keep it well.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯d like to ce another order.¡±


    ¡°Okay,ing!¡±


    Before I could refuse, he rushed back into the shop to tend to his customers.


    I had no ns on taking someone else¡¯s stuff and was going to put it on one of the vacant tables. But


    for some reason, I pulled out the picture popping out from one of the corners.

 Chapter 1596

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1596


    My brows furrowed at the sight of the picture.


    Audrey was right. The woman looked just like me.


    Besides our fashion styles, it was no exaggeration to say that both of us looked exactly the same. I


    stayed stunned for a moment before noticing the other person in the picture.


    It was a man. Even though only his chin showed up in the picture, I could tell that it wasn¡¯t Ashton.


    The first thing that came to mind was that I had never taken such an intimate picture with any man in


    my life. Both of them were standing shoulder to shoulder, with their faces touching. They looked like an


    affectionate couple no matter what.


    Seeing that I wasn¡¯t reacting at all, Emery leaned closer to take a look before saying, ¡°She looks like


    your long-lost twin sister.¡±


    Without giving it much thought, I replied in shock, ¡°Really? Do I really have a twin sister?¡±


    A look of disdain appeared on the woman¡¯s face as she said, ¡°Can¡¯t you tell that I was just joking?¡±


    Then, she took the picture from my hands and started to study it. ¡°But I¡¯ve got to say, both of you really


    do look alike. It¡¯s at the point where I can¡¯t even tell that this woman isn¡¯t you. It¡¯s no wonder the kids


    would go after her like that.¡±


    I shrugged, unsure of how I should reply.


    Meanwhile, Audrey had already made her way to the car and was urging us to hurry up. I quickly


    shoved the picture back into the wallet and put it on the counter before leaving.


    With Fuller Corporation as the sponsor, the whole of Wenville seemed like a banquet out of the


    dreams. The parade of carriages stretched on for miles during the warm-up phase alone. Models with


    excellent figures stood in the carriages as they disyed the Hanfu they were wearing. Just the sight of


    them made the audience appreciate the clothing more.


    For some reason, Emery had a sudden change in attitude after receiving a call. She immediately


    dragged me to the biggest Hanfu store in the city.


    For someone who would only shop in high-end stores, she didn¡¯t seem to mind the bustling shop at all.


    In fact, she waspletely unaffected by her surroundings. The woman circled the shop and noticed a


    sign that wrote: ¡°Haute Couture upstairs (minimum spending thirty-six thousand).¡± At the sight of this,


    Emery took the wooden stairs and spent around eighty-eight thousand there, making her one of the


    shop¡¯s VIPs.


    It was a lot quieter upstairs. All the Hanfu there were made with first-ss materials, so every one of


    them looked beautiful.


    A green gown caught Emery¡¯s attention. She had a softer temperament after putting in on and looked


    absolutely stunning when she wasn¡¯t speaking.


    I was the only one being absent-minded. Is it really possible for two people to look exactly the same?


    We were in the same ce too. This is too much of a coincidence.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    ¡°Hey, Scarlett! What¡¯s on your mind? Why do you look so somber?¡±


    I finally snapped back to my senses when Emery raised her voice. Shaking my head, I said, ¡°It¡¯s


    nothing. This one suits you. Should we pick out some essories? I noticed that some of the young


    ladies outside had even changed their shoes.¡±


    ¡°We can pick out the essories, but there¡¯s no need for the shoes. High heels are a woman¡¯s secret


    weapon.¡±


    Iughed at her words. ¡°The people here truly like Hanfu, but you¡¯re paying more attention to your


    beauty. You just have to be the prettiest even when we¡¯re wearing traditional clothes, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Hearing that, she chuckled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t expose me even when you¡¯ve figured it out. You should


    pick something too. They would need a week minimum to custom-make your order. We can still make it


    to the project¡¯s opening if wee here together when it¡¯s done. We have to show off what we have at


    least.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pass,¡± I replied. I didn¡¯t have any interest in this sort of stuff. ¡°It¡¯s too annoying to get changed.¡±


    Having no desires and with life bing more stable, I started to bezy. I didn¡¯t feel like moving


    once I sat down.


    ¡°Okay, then. It¡¯s your choice.¡± Emery didn¡¯t try to force it on me, and she continued admiring the dress


    she was wearing.


    Seeing that we hadn¡¯t paid even after such a long time, the manager of the shop walked over to us and


    said, ¡°Hello, the shop is offering a forty percent discount if both of you pay together. If you are


    interested, I can tell the ones working at the counter to register both of you.¡±


    ¡°Forty percent? That¡¯s almost free, then.¡± Emery instantly turned into a shopaholic. She turned to me


    and said seriously, ¡°It¡¯s a forty percent discount! This is like picking up money from the streets. I don¡¯t


    care. You have to get something now. I don¡¯t mind paying it for you.¡±


    No woman could ever escape the clutches of a discount.


    I became serious about it now that I was going to buy something.


    There were many different kinds of essories disyed in the cabs. However, I liked the phoenix


    cor in the center the most. It was as though the cor was enchanted as I couldn¡¯t take my eyes


    off of it the moment I saw it.

 Chapter 1597

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1597


    ¡°You have a good eye, miss. This phoenix cor is our shop¡¯s most prized possession. It is entirely


    handmade, and there¡¯s only one of this in the whole country.¡±


    The manager wasn¡¯t exaggerating at all.


    With the transparent ss petals, the red tassels with white crystals, and the handmade


    embellishments, the phoenix cor looked so much more stylish and ssy than any other


    essories in the cab, let alone paired with a red gown.


    I couldn¡¯t stop the corners of my lips from tilting upward as I traced a finger over the cor.


    The memories of the wedding I had with Ashton back then were already blurry. All I could remember


    was that I felt nervous but excited. I didn¡¯t have time to rest that day. As for how the wedding went, or


    how many guests there were, I could remember none of it.


    Perhaps it was because of where I was from, but I preferred the traditional Chanaean wedding with a


    red and gold theme. Back then, we were in a rush to get married, so there wasn¡¯t time for me to think


    about this at all.


    I regretted not being able to wear a phoenix cor or a veil over my face as I went up to Ashton. Even


    after so long, I could still feel something tugging at my heartstrings whenever there was anything


    rted to weddings near me.


    Indeed, women must never miss out on the formalities, or they would carry the regret in their hearts


    forever.


    ¡°Here, I would like to pay with this card.¡±


    Emery got ready to pay for our stuff while I was still in the midst of my thoughts.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± I said, quickly reaching out to stop her. Then, I said to the manager, ¡°Sorry, please let us


    have a moment of discussion. We¡¯ll call for you if we need anything.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Fortunately, the manager was modest as he left immediately after with a polite smile on his


    face.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    I pursed my lips and made sure he was gone before putting the phoenix cor back into the cab.


    As I fiddled with the other essories, I started to advise earnestly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what the manager


    said? This is a one-of-a-kind item. It¡¯s the only one in the whole world. The ones you¡¯re wearing now


    already cost you tens of thousands. This cor will definitely cost up to hundreds of thousands. I


    won¡¯t be able to use it even if you spend that much money, so there¡¯s no need to waste your money.¡±


    I paused for a moment before continuing as I traced the sides of the cor, ¡°I can¡¯t bring myself to


    keep such a beautiful thing from the world. It¡¯ll only collect dust if I get it and put it up on a shelf, like all


    the antiques we have. Let¡¯s give it a chance to find someone better. Let the person be the most


    beautiful bride when she wears this.¡±


    ¡°Why do you overthink so much? When are you able to shop to your heart¡¯s content then?¡± Emery¡¯s


    motto was ¡°Have fun while you still can.¡± It was especially true when it came to shopping. She would


    never be stingy, nor would she try to bargain for a better price. This was the reason that her mood was


    rarely affected for material reasons.


    In a way, there were benefits when women earned a lot in their jobs.


    ¡°I¡¯m satisfied with what I have now.¡± I turned around, a smile on my face as I sighed. Then, pointing at


    my head, I said, ¡°I already have it in here. We should leave it to surprise others with its beauty. That¡¯s


    why we should just spare it.¡±


    ¡°What kind of logic is that?¡± the woman snorted with anger. ¡°You should im something for yourself if


    you like it. If you¡¯re going to be like that, you might as well open up a charity home. Why should you


    compromise yourself for someone else¡¯s benefit?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as you think. I just feel that a wedding item should be left for someone who is going to


    get married. We¡¯re just here for the cultural festival. So why not just choose something else? I really


    can¡¯t bring myself to throw away money as if it¡¯s dirt.¡±


    At my words, Emery sucked in a cold breath and was looking at me as if I was a freak. Her brows were


    furrowed as she continued to stare at me but said nothing.


    ¡°What¡¯s with the look on your face?¡± I lost my confidence after being a wet nket.


    ¡°I was thinking if anyone would believe me if I told them that the wife of the richest man couldn¡¯t bring


    herself to spend a few hundred thousand. Are you trying to y the role of a virtuous wife and help


    Ashton to save money?¡±


    Augh escaped her lips as she continued, ¡°Whatever. I¡¯m not going to force you to buy it. What


    belongs to you will end up with you in the end anyway.¡±

 Chapter 1598

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1598


    Shouldn¡¯t she be saying, ¡°There¡¯s no point in holding on to something that doesn¡¯t belong to you?¡±


    Seeing that she wasn¡¯t going to dwell on the matter anymore, I acted as though I didn¡¯t hear her and


    did nothing about it.


    In the end, I went along with Emery and bought a red gown, paired with some jade pieces as my


    essories. It was my dream wedding outfit.


    I also chose a normal-looking phoenix cor. It didn¡¯t cost much, but it was still pleasing to the eye.


    However, the previous phoenix cor had left a great impression on me. The current onecked


    meaning to it no matter what.


    Emery finally agreed to return home with me after we ced our orders.


    The streets were bustling with energy. The pedestrians all around wore traditional clothing, but they still


    looked lively. It wasn¡¯t like how the television had depicted at all.


    As we passed by a small eatery, a wave of pedestrians blocked the streets, and there was no way to


    get past them. All we could do was wait for them to move along.


    A momentter, eight men carrying a sedan chair passed by, with a group of security escorts beside


    them. The sedan was so intricately decorated that more and more people were stopping to take


    pictures and videos of it.


    ¡°If only I could get married on that sedan chair. I¡¯d have no regrets then.¡±


    ¡°You sure ask for a lot. Do you even know how special that sedan is? There are already seven to eight


    types of wood used to build it, not to mention the carving skills on it. I¡¯ve only seen a picture of it in a


    magazine previously. This particr sedan chair is especiallyplicated. It took eleven professionals


    three years toplete it. It even has intricate designs on it. One can only imagine how much it costs.


    There¡¯s no way you can have this. But Fuller Corporation really is generous with their spending. It¡¯s like


    money is nothing to them when ites to this cultural festival.¡±


    ¡°My sedan¡­ Oh, when is the man of my dreams going toe to me in his white horse?¡±


    Young women are always obsessed with romance.


    To decrease exposure, the eight men quickened their paces. They disappeared into the corner in just


    minutes. Countless pedestrians followed along, and the street became quiet in an instant.


    ¡°You should really learn how to spend your money from Ashton,¡± Emery said suddenly.


    ¡°What does this have to do with him? Summer¡¯s the one leading this project.¡± I had a confused


    expression but helplessly smiled when I realized that she was probably talking about what happened


    back in the shop.


    ¡°Please. You were the director of Fuller Corporation. Did you forget that every fund spent would need


    the president¡¯s approval? How would there be such a majestic sedan chair here if it wasn¡¯t for Ashton?¡±


    ¡°True. But it¡¯s still thanks to Summer for having such a good eye for things,¡± I said stubbornly.


    Dimples showed on Emery¡¯s cheeks as she replied, ¡°Yes, yes. You have such a great daughter. She


    spent so much time and energy on this cultural festival. I¡¯m sure she must be tired after this.¡±


    At her words, I turned to look at the walls of the city. Summer looked thin and vulnerable in her green


    outfit. It must have been hard on her to take on such an important project.


    But she would never agree to ept help since she always wanted to be strong.


    Why don¡¯t I cook something as a reward for her?


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Blood ran hot in me when I decided what I was going to do. I hooked my arm around


    Emery¡¯s and dragged her outside. ¡°Let¡¯s go wipe out the supermarket!¡±


    I was a bit rusty as it had been a long time since Ist cooked. Originally, I nned to cook alone but


    could barely manage even with Mrs. Kingsley helping.


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    ¡°Please hand me the garlic, Mrs. Kingsley. I¡¯ve already ted the prawns. Summer can have them right


    when shees home if we steam them now.¡±


    Without turning to look, I reached out my hand and felt something on it. But right when I pulled back my


    hand, I realized someone had followed my action and had leaned over.


    ¡°Ashton!¡± Annoyed, I pushed him away and added, ¡°Don¡¯t mess around here. Summer hasn¡¯t been


    eating welltely. I want to make sure everything is done before shees home.¡±

 Chapter 1599

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1599


    I took the garlic sauce as I spoke and turned to pour it over the prawns.


    The man leaned against the counter with his hands crossed. It was obvious that he was upset that I


    had gotten annoyed. ¡°Your husband is also a diligent worker. Why don¡¯t I see you worried about me?¡±


    ¡°How is Summer the same as you? You enjoy working, but she¡¯s pushing her limits. Haven¡¯t you seen


    how thin she has gottentely? Aren¡¯t you worried? Remember to talk nicely and give her


    encouragement when we¡¯re eatingter.


    Ashton¡¯s eyes narrowed as a smile appeared on his face, seemingly having a n forming in his mind.


    I suddenly thought of the wallet from earlier. After starting the fire, I turned to him and said seriously,


    ¡°Tell Joseph to keep a closer eye on the kids. I saw someone who looked a lot like me today. Even


    though we didn¡¯t meet physically, I have a feeling that things aren¡¯t as simple as it seems. There¡¯s


    nothing wrong with being too careful.¡±


    He nodded slightly and answered, ¡°Okay.¡±


    A secondter, he acted as though nothing had happened and asked, ¡°What do you think of Wenville


    after going there today? Do you like it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not bad. Summer¡¯s work is impressive. I must admit that you¡¯re right. Our daughter has grown up


    now, and it¡¯s only right that she make a career for herself.¡±


    I began picking the side dishes as I spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking about that.¡± Ashton took in a deep breath and stared at me. ¡°I meant, do you like that


    ce?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± I was stunned butughed a momentter. ¡°So what if I like it? There¡¯s no way you¡¯d abandon


    such a huge project just because I don¡¯t like it, right?¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Surprisingly, he was being serious. ¡°I spent so much money on it. What¡¯s the point of


    keeping it if I can¡¯t even move my wife¡¯s heart?¡±


    Despite not wanting to fool around with him, I couldn¡¯t stop myself from smiling at his words. ¡°I noticed


    that these things roll off your tongue so easily. Aren¡¯t you tired of it?¡±


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    ¡°Nope. I don¡¯t even think I¡¯m doing it enough, actually. It¡¯ll be best if you stay beside me, instead of


    always going out with Emery and the others. That way, I can always tell you how much I love you and


    need you,¡± Ashton told me seriously.


    I was rendered speechless.


    From what I remembered, this man was a person of few words.


    Silence ensued when suddenly, John¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°Babe, sweetheart, should we have another


    baby princess? Just one more. I really want a daughter. Please, let¡¯s just have another baby.¡±


    I massaged my temples, unsure of what I should say. As I turned to look at my husband, I realized that


    he was in the same situation.


    He took a look at John and straightened his back as if trying to show that he had a higher status than


    thetter.


    It was hard to imagine that they would be clingy once returning to their families. Shaking my head, I


    raised my voice and tried to purge my mind of the thoughts. ¡°I like it. The whole city, the people, and


    the stuff sold there. I like all of them. Summer told me that there are going to be ny-nine pairs of


    brides and grooms. I¡¯m so excited just thinking about it, not to mention the other projects.¡±


    Right then, I thought about the beautiful phoenix cor. I wanted to share it with Ashton, but after


    giving it some thought, I realized that he would have gone to get it for me that very night. Before I could


    get the words out, I swallowed them and pursed my lips.


    Ashton noticed the look on my face and started to scrutinize me before I said anything. Surprisingly, he


    didn¡¯t ask anything. The corner of his lips twitched as he went out, leaving me in a daze.


    Well, it seems like I¡¯ve been overthinking it. Ashton is still the same old Ashton. His change in attitude


    is still quick as always. I¡¯ll never know what he¡¯s thinking.


    With everyone¡¯s attention on Wenville, the opening ceremony had finally begun.

 Chapter 1600

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1600


    This was Summer¡¯s first independent project, and we originally nned on having the whole family in


    attendance to show our support. However, the school denied applications for leave due to the group


    performance. Ashton, on the other hand, had to meet up with a difficult business partner and could only


    make it to the closing ceremony. As such, I headed out with Emery, John, and his wife.


    I found myself stunned speechless by the decorations at the venue the moment we got out of the car.


    The city walls were covered with colorful lights, starting from the city gate, and both sides of the main


    road were lined with red and orange flowers. The road was split in two by a red-colored guard rail


    running through the middle.


    I found myself so captivated by the beauty of the scenery before me that I felt like I was dreaming.


    ¡°Why are you spacing out? The opening ceremony is about to start. We¡¯re attending it as special


    guests, so we can¡¯t afford to bete.¡±


    Emery¡¯s words snapped me out of my daze, and I quickly regained myposure before making my


    way forward.


    After the ribbon-cutting was done, Summer went on stage and took the microphone over from the


    emcee as she said, ¡°Thank you all for attending this cultural festival organized by Fuller Corporation.


    We hope you will all have a great time here.¡±


    The emcee quickly picked up where she left off and said excitedly, ¡°As expected of the heiress of Fuller


    Corporation! Ms. Summer truly is an elegant and beautiful youngdy! Of course, she won¡¯t be the only


    one in this grand event! Make sure you don¡¯t blink, because we are about to wee all ny-nine


    couples who look just as great!¡±Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    His speech was followed by a series of fireworks and a performance by a musical ensemble as good-


    looking couples dressed in traditional wedding attire made their way down the red carpet one after


    another.


    Each pair looked so amazing that the guests couldn¡¯t help but wish them the best in marriage.


    The sight of true love was a very beautiful one, and some of the younger girls among the guests found


    themselves touched to tears by the mere sight of those loving couples standing next to each other.


    ¡°Bad news, Ms. Summer! Two of our female models have just informed us that they won¡¯t be able to


    make it due to some unforeseen events!¡±


    Everyone was so immersed in the moment that it took them about half a minute to react to the anxious


    voice behind them.


    Summer¡¯s assistant got really agitated. ¡°What the hell? Why is this happening now? Hurry up and look


    for recements from other shows!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve already contacted them, but all the nearby businesses have postponed their shows to avoid


    having their spotlight stolen by our event! Those who are able to help out would take at least an hour to


    get here, so I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll make it on time¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care! This is your problem! By hook or by crook, I need you to get those models here and


    prepare them for the red carpet walk!¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Forget it.¡± Summer stopped her assistant when she saw the difficult situation the messenger was in. ¡°I


    know you¡¯ve put a lot of effort into the preparations for this cultural festival, but this is an unforeseen


    situation. No one wanted this to happen, so you shouldn¡¯t be ming them like this. Let¡¯s just try to


    figure something out¡­¡±


    The assistant let out a depressed sigh and took a moment to calm down before asking, ¡°How about we


    just have ny-seven couples participate in this event instead? With that many couplesing on


    stage, I bet no one will even notice the two that are missing!¡±


    ¡°No. This opening ceremony is being broadcast live by dozens of top mediapanies in the country.


    A sudden change of ns like this will be disastrous for us,¡± Jared spoke up all of a sudden.

 Chapter 1601

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1601


    Summer simply frowned and kept quiet.


    Thinking I could be of some assistance, I asked instinctively, ¡°What¡¯s going on? What models? Aren¡¯t


    the couples on stage actual ones that are going to get married soon?¡±


    ¡°Not all of them. The first few pairs are inte celebrity couples, but the rest are all just good-looking


    actors and models that we hired. Good-looking facial features can really bring surprising results,¡± Jared


    exined.


    The concept was as simple as packaging one¡¯s product nicely to make it seem more appealing, but the


    problem wasn¡¯t an easy one to solve.


    While everyone was gathered around and brainstorming for a solution, I had an idea all of a sudden.


    ¡°Since they¡¯re not real couples, we could just get two women with attractive faces to take their ce!¡±


    The staff who delivered the bad news earlier shrugged and shook his head as he said, ¡°We have


    thought about that, but we couldn¡¯t find anyone suitable. Most of us working in this field don¡¯t really care


    much for appearances, you see. We can¡¯t approach tourists for help either, so¡­¡±


    So who do we go to for help? That is the question.


    I frowned as I continued to rack my brain for a solution. That was when I noticed Emery through the


    corner of my eye and had another idea.


    Her face and figure don¡¯t look like a married woman¡¯s, that¡¯s for sure! Now, we¡¯re still short of one


    person. I know John would never let his wife make a public appearance like that, so that makes me the


    only suitable candidate for this task!


    With that in mind, I decided to go all out and proposed, ¡°We do have suitable recements. I think


    Emery and I can rece the two models. If Summer is okay with this suggestion, we¡¯ll go with this n


    and proceed with the preparations right away!¡±


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    I had thought that Summer would politely refuse my offer, and that Emery would require a lot of coaxing


    and persuading for her to agree to it.


    However, things were quite the opposite.


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll thank you in advance, Mommy!¡± Summer replied.


    ¡°Yeah, I had the same idea in mind. Come on, let¡¯s go get our makeup done!¡±


    The staff members burst intoughter. ¡°This way,dies!¡±


    Just like that, I was being dragged backstage by the staff members while still confused as to where I


    went wrong.


    The assistant was already calling for the seventieth couple by the time we entered the changing room,


    so we would be up in about ten minutes.


    As the traditional wedding dress was veryplicated in design, I couldn¡¯t figure out how to wear it and


    had to ask the staff member for help. Eventually, I managed to put it on with the help of Emery and two


    female staff members.


    I found myself shocked when I nced at the mirror and could barely believe that was me in the


    reflection.


    The stunning contrast of the vibrant red and green colors of the dress was something that all


    Chanaeans could rte to.


    This reminds me of the white wedding gown I wore when I married Ashton back then. I could barely


    see his face through the bridal veil, and I even had a pair of white gloves on my hands when we


    exchanged our rings. However, that tiny ring that was supposed to symbolize our vows and bind us


    together didn¡¯t seem to work, given all the obstacles we went throughter on. This traditional wedding


    dress, on the other hand, gives off joyful and festive vibes with its dazzling colors. Who knows, maybe


    our marriage suffered so much because I didn¡¯t wear this for my wedding? Maybe traditional wedding


    dresses had the ability to bless the couple with a happy marriage? Man, since when did a materialist


    like me start believing in such superstitions?


    I couldn¡¯t help but let out a chuckle at the thought of that.


    ¡°You look absolutely stunning, Scarlett!¡± Emery eximed in admiration as she stood next to me.


    Women love being called beautiful, and I was no exception. As I shed her a shy smile in response, I


    couldn¡¯t help but notice a huge difference between our wedding dresses.


    Emery¡¯s wedding dress looks rather in and simple, whereas mine looks really fancy and


    extravagant. And this phoenix cor that I¡¯m wearing feels kind of familiar¡­ Oh, I remember! This is


    the most valuable item in the Hanfu gship store from before!

 Chapter 1602

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1602


    Worried that there might have been a mistake, I tugged on Emery¡¯s arm and whispered, ¡°Hey, Emery,


    do you think we might¡¯ve gotten our outfits mixed up? You have a much better figure than I do, so you


    should be the one wearing this wedding dress, right?¡±


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m pretty sure Summer has her reasons for letting you wear this dress. Maybe the vibes you give


    off suit this one better or something. Don¡¯t worry about it and just wear it confidently!¡± Emery replied


    with a smile.


    I was about to say something in response but held my tongue as the assistant approached us with a


    tray in hand.


    Emery seemed to have gotten rather close to the staff members here and stepped right up to retrieve


    the items on the tray. She then turned toward me and handed me a masquerade mask as she said,


    ¡°Here, put this on and we can head over to the bridal chamber!¡±


    ¡°Bridal chamber? Aren¡¯t we supposed to go on the catwalk instead?¡± I asked in confusion as I took the


    mask from her.


    Emery arched an eyebrow at me and exined seriously, ¡°Yeah! This fashion show ces great


    emphasis on tradition, and your daughter is quite the perfectionist. It shouldn¡¯t be hard to understand


    why we have to go through these formalities, right?¡±


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    She¡¯s right. This fashion show is being broadcasted live across the entire country, after all. With so


    much detail being put into the decor, it¡¯s only natural that we go the whole nine yards and include the


    bridal chamber bit!


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. Let¡¯s do this for Summer!¡± I then put my mask on and had the assistant help me


    tighten the straps so they wouldn¡¯t fall off.


    Although it was just a tiny addition to my outfit, the mask added a sense of mystery to the beautiful


    bride vibes.


    Emery left after escorting me to the bridal chamber, and I sat on the bed all by myself.


    I scanned the room around me out of boredom, and I couldn¡¯t help but feel impressed by the amount of


    effort the staff members had put into the decoration. Every single piece of furniture was a work of art


    down to the tiniest detail, and I found myself captivated by the beauty of it all.


    ¡°Finedy of Stovall Corporation, your beauty and grace are unparalleled in this world, and I thank the


    heavens for granting me this fine opportunity to take your hand in marriage. Will you marry me?¡±


    The door to the bridal chamber was then opened, and a staff member dressed as a maid entered the


    room.


    ¡°After you, mdy.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    I took a deep breath in an attempt to calm myself down before slowly stepping out of the bridal


    chamber. The maid then held my hand as I made my way down the red carpet in front of everyone.


    Every step I took was filled with anxiety and unease.


    It wasn¡¯t until the male model ying the part of the groom stepped forward to face me that the maid


    left my side.


    The model had a great figure that reallyplimented the outfit he was wearing and looked like he had


    stepped right out of a painting.


    He was already getting everyone hyped up even with the mask on, so I didn¡¯t dare imagine how crazy


    they would get if they saw his face.


    Looks like Summer was right to have us wear masks for this. Ashton would definitely get jealous as hell


    if he saw me attending a traditional wedding with another handsome guy!


    I was so distracted by my thoughts that I spaced out for a bit before quickly carrying on with the


    procedure. The both of us then continued walking down the red carpet while the crowd cheered us on.


    The sounds of the women giving us their blessings and the men praising our aesthetics were


    apanied by flower petals flying all around us.


    It was so beautiful and dreamy that I felt like I was back to being a teenage girl experiencing love for


    the first time.


    ¡°Will you marry me, Letty?¡± The deep and attractive voice of a man from behind snapped me out of my


    daze.

 Chapter 1603

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1603


    I spun around and saw a video of Ashton dressed in a white suit like a prince from the olden days.


    He had a passionate look in his eyes as he continued, ¡°I was very young when I first met you. Little did


    I know, that encounter has nted a seed of love for you which then grew into a towering tree rooted


    deeply in my heart.


    ¡°My life was in ck and white, but then your smile filled it with colors and brightened up every dark


    moment. I¡¯m not sure if this is a blessing from you or the heavens taking pity on me, but I do know that


    there is no escaping this sweet trap of loving you.


    ¡°You have me so deeply in love that I see you everywhere I go. In fact, I¡¯m d humans do not have a


    tail, or it would surely be wagging like crazy whenever I am around you.


    ¡°The world is a dark ce, but having you around makes it bright as day.


    ¡°No one couldpare to the ce you have in my heart, and I hope you will forgive me for taking the


    liberty of proposing to you in such a manner. I did so because you are simply too amazing, and I feared


    someone else would steal you from me if I didn¡¯t make my move first. As such, I decided this would be


    the best way to show everyone that you belong to me alone.


    ¡°Scarlett Stovall, will you marry me and be mywfully wedded wife from this day forward, for better, for


    worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part?¡±


    In the video, Ashton was kneeling on one knee as the camera slowly moved closer to him. He was


    holding something blindingly shiny in his hand, and it wasn¡¯t until the camera adjusted its focus that I


    realized it was an eighty carat diamond ring.


    Our eyes met through the screen, and I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle in response.


    A ring was just a materialization of the vows in marriage, and yet Ashton had spent so much money on


    it just to prove his love for me. The fact that he even set this whole scenario up just to propose to me


    felt so silly that I found it oddly adorable.


    Ashton seemed to have anticipated my reaction and looked to the side shyly as if to tell me that it


    wasn¡¯t his idea.


    Tears rolled down my cheeks, and I couldn¡¯t even tell if I was crying over the grueling journey we went


    through to get here or the efforts he put into everything. Perhaps it was a bit of both.


    ¡°Letty, will you take my hand in marriage and spend the rest of your life with me?¡±


    Wait¡­ That sounded really close and didn¡¯t seem to being from the speakers in front. In fact, it


    sounded like it came from behind me¡­


    I quickly spun around at the thought of that, only to space out when my eyes met those of the male


    model¡¯s.


    I was so caught up with the overwhelming beauty of my surroundings earlier that I didn¡¯t get a good


    look at the guy I was walking with. As we gazed into each other¡¯s eyes, I realized an oddly familiar


    passion in his. It was the same feeling I had whenever Ashton looked deeply at me.


    The man then reached behind his head and undid the straps of his mask, revealing that familiar face


    that I knew all too well.


    His delicate facial features exuded an air of tenderness and gentleness which formed a huge contrast


    to his usual indifferent and estranged appearance. At first nce, one would easily mistake him for an


    actual prince from ancient times.


    So, the man that I had been walking down the red carpet with was Ashton the whole time!


    ¡°May I address you as Mrs. Fuller from now on, mdy?¡± Ashton asked while holding his hand out to


    me.


    I bit down on my lip and nodded profusely as I said with tears of joy in my eyes, ¡°Of course!¡±


    Ashton shed me a smile before walking up to me and wrapping an arm around my waist. The next


    thing I knew, he was kissing me so deeply and passionately that I found myself going limp from it.


    It felt like I was in a dream once again, but this time, it was one that I didn¡¯t want to wake up from.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    After what seemed like forever, Ashton slowly let go of me and whispered inches away from my face,


    ¡°Will you be as obedient as you are now in the days toe, Mrs. Fuller?¡±


    He was probably the only guy shameless enough to flirt with the whole country watching. ¡°That


    depends on your performance!¡±

 Chapter 1604

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1604


    ¡°Mommy!¡±


    The voices of my children could be heard approaching, and Ashton held me steady as I watched them


    come running over with baskets of roses in hand.


    They¡¯re obviously ying the part of page boys and flower girls. Ashton sure has found a way to


    combine traditional and modern wedding rituals perfectly!


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget me!¡± Emery walked up to the stage from my left and teased me by asking, ¡°You don¡¯t mind


    having a divorc¨¦e like me as your bridesmaid, do you?¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡± My heart was filled with so much happiness that I couldn¡¯t care less about anything


    else.


    The emcee¡¯s voice was then heard over the microphone, ¡°Now then, please put your hands together


    for the bride and the groom!¡±


    Just like that, Ashton and I made our way down the red carpet once again while the crowd cheered


    loudly around us.


    ¡°Congrattions on getting married, Mommy and Daddy!¡± The kids chanted repeatedly as they


    scattered the flower petals around us. I turned to nce at Ashton and saw him staring passionately at


    me, the look in his eyes expressing his regrets for not being able to love me even more than this.


    Meanwhile, John helped Louis onto the stage and sat him down on the chairs prepared for the


    newlyweds¡¯ parents.


    As we stood before him, the emcee continued with his speech, ¡°You have dered your consent before


    God. May God in his goodness strengthen your consent and fill you both with his blessings. What God


    has joined, men must not divide.¡±


    The entire ceremony took about fifteen minutes toplete, and I found my cheeks starting to ache


    from smiling too much.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    The event was followed by a donation from Fuller Corporation to all the guests present at the event.


    Ashton had mobilized a huge amount of people to organize this grand wedding ceremony and prove


    his love for me, so it was inevitable that he would have to reward them in some way to please the


    crowd. This resulted in the wedding being a little showy, but I was still very satisfied with it due to the


    amount of effort put into the whole thing.


    At some point, the crowd grew wilder and began chanting repeatedly in unison, ¡°Enter the bridal


    chamber!¡±


    My eyes went wide upon hearing that, and I quickly gave Ashton a look that said, ¡°We¡¯re not seriously


    going to broadcast the consummation too, are we?¡±


    However, Ashton pretended not to understand my concerns and simply held his hand out as he said


    helplessly, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s not disappoint them now.¡±


    I shifted my gaze in the direction he was pointing at, and saw a fancy carriage parked beneath the


    stairs.


    ¡°This is¡­¡± I was so overwhelmed by happiness that I couldn¡¯t evenplete my sentence.


    ¡°I made sure to pay the craftsmen an additional sum of money when I bought this carriage three years


    ago, so they¡¯ve been keeping it in good condition ever since. Who would¡¯ve known it¡¯d end up


    bing a part of our dreams today, eh?¡±


    He said ¡°our dreams¡±¡­ Ashton has subconsciously made my dreams a part of his!


    The thought of that prompted my tears to start falling yet again as I got into the carriage.


    Ashton then climbed onto a white horse in front and pulled the carriage with it while his ¡®servants¡¯


    escorted us along the way.


    Countless drones hovered around the carriage to film the process, and I didn¡¯t know whether tough


    or cry as I saw the journalists taking pictures of me with my ruined makeup.


    Of course, I knew it was all part of Ashton¡¯s idea to capture every single moment on camera, so I didn¡¯t


    mind it one bit.

 Chapter 1605

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1605


    Ashton truly had thought of everything down to the tiniest detail.


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    Afterpleting ap around the city, the carriage finally came to a halt in front of a huge mansion that


    had been prepared for us.


    ¡°We¡¯re here!¡± said one of the servants in a hrious tone.


    Right as I was smiling with my lips pursed, Ashton opened the carriage door, scooped me into his


    arms, and carried me into the mansion in a bridal position.


    Gregory and Audrey could be heard screaming behind us as Emery grabbed them by the cor and


    held them high in the air. ¡°Let go of me!¡±


    ¡°Hey, let go! I want to be with Mommy and Daddy!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m doing this for your own good, you brats! Trust me, you don¡¯t want to interrupt their consummation


    of marriage!¡± Emery snapped back at them.


    Ashton was walking really fast and climbed on top of me immediately after putting me down on the bed.


    I bit down on my lip as I pushed at him and mumbled, ¡°Close the door.¡±


    ¡°Forget the door, Letty. I can¡¯t wait any longer,¡± Ashton replied while staring at me with a scorching


    gaze.


    The two of us then had sex throughout the afternoon, but neither of us felt like sleeping at all afterward.


    The silence in the mansion was deafening as Iy there fiddling with the nket on Ashton¡¯s body, but I


    was too lost in thought to be bothered by it.


    Most married couples end up being annoyed with each other as the passion between them dies down.


    Very few are truly capable of loving each other till the end of their lives, and we were extremely lucky to


    be among the few. Although my feelings for Ashton had died down a little when I saw him again after


    six years, all of that came back when he pulled that huge stunt earlier. After all, who could possibly


    resist such a long and romantic confession from a man of few words like him? I felt like I was brought


    back to my twenties when I loved Ashton to death. For some reason, the painful memories of the past


    didn¡¯t seem all that unbearable now that my broken heart and soul had been healed.


    ¡°What are you thinking about, Mrs. Fuller?¡± Ashton¡¯s deep voice came from beside me, making the


    atmosphere in the room a lot more romantic.


    I adjusted myself into a morefortable position and leaned against his chest. ¡°Nothing much, really.


    I was just wondering when you snuck back into J City without telling me. I was thinking of visiting


    Grandpa with the kids.¡±


    Ashton shed me a faint smile and casually rubbed his hand over my shoulder as he said, ¡°Why do


    you think I recorded my proposal at the family home? I¡¯m sure Grandpa is able to rest in peace now.¡±


    He then continued after a brief pause, ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do, given what I owe the Fullers.¡±


    Nics had destroyed everything the Fullers owned with his selfishness and pettiness, leaving them


    with countless regrets that they would have to live with forever.


    The past cannot be changed, and the dead cannot be brought back to life. The only thing we can do is


    to live our lives as best we can so that their efforts and sacrifices would not be in vain.


    I gave him a few quick pecks on the lips tofort him and wrapped my arms around his neck as I


    said coquettishly, ¡°Thanks to you, the Fullers are blessed with an amazing child like Gregory, so I¡¯m


    sure Grandpa won¡¯t me you for what happened. Besides, are you sure you want to be talking about


    this on our wedding night?¡±


    I didn¡¯t really believe in the supernatural, but I couldn¡¯t just sit by and do nothing while Ashton looked so


    depressed.


    Ashton chuckled and leaned in close to breathe down my neck as he said, ¡°Oh, right, I almost forgot


    about that. Every second matters on a wedding night, mdy. We should continue where we left off if


    you have rested enough.¡±


    My mind felt all fuzzy from his actions, and it took me all the willpower I could muster just to remain


    calm and sit upright in his arms. ¡°I¡¯m hungry, and I would like to have some fried chicken! Go make me


    some!¡± I tried to change the topic aggressively.


    Thinking he had misheard, Ashton stared at me nkly for a moment before letting out a wry chuckle.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it kill the mood to have fried chicken at a time like this, Mrs. Fuller?¡±

 Chapter 1606

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1606


    I tugged at the nket fiercely in response, only to get all flustered when I realized Ashton was naked


    underneath. I then quickly turned around before stammering, ¡°I don¡¯t care! If I have to starve because I


    can¡¯t have fried chicken, then you¡¯re not getting any action either!¡±


    A smug grin formed on my face as I heard the sounds of him sighing which was then apanied by


    the rustling of clothes as he got dressed.


    Not bad! It seems he does understand the concept of ¡°happy wife, happy life¡±, after all!


    My brief moment of delight was quickly interrupted when Ashton called out from behind, ¡°Come on, get


    dressed and I¡¯ll take you to the night market.¡±


    I crossed my arms at him and said, ¡°I¡¯m not going out. You¡¯re the reason I¡¯m feeling so tired, so you


    have to take responsibility for it by buying us dinner yourself!¡±


    ¡°The ny-nine couples will be making their vowster. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to see it?¡± Ashton


    asked with a yful wink as he put on his wedding attire.


    After giving it some thought, I quickly threw the covers aside and began getting dressed, only to hit yet


    another snag.


    As I was only able to get the outfit on with the help of Emery and two other staff members, I had no


    idea how to put it on by myself.


    Ashton was about to put on his coat when he saw me standing still with a clueless look on my face. He


    then walked up to me and carefully helped me put the dress on one piece at a time.


    He was so focused on what he was doing that both of his eyebrows were arched slightly like that of an


    eagle¡¯s.


    The lighting in the room was dim, but I could clearly see the calm expression on his face which gave


    me a strong sense of security.


    I broke the silence by calling his name, ¡°Ashton.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± he mumbled in response as he continued to help me with the dress.


    ¡°Do you really love me this much?¡± I asked with a sweet yet smug grin. It had been ages since I asked


    him such questions.


    ¡°I do,¡± Ashton replied. I was about to pout at his short response when he leaned in close to my ears


    and whispered, ¡°To me, loving you is like breathing. It is something I do without having to learn how,


    and I would die without.¡±


    His words melted my heart instantly, and I couldn¡¯t bring myself to bully him any further. ¡°But I¡¯m full of


    ws! I get emotional really easily, and I love messing with you all the time! In fact, I actually felt like I


    love my kids more than I love you up until today¡­¡±


    My voice gradually grew softer as I realized I was practicing double standards by feeling depressed


    when I wouldn¡¯t let Ashton do the same.


    Ashton paused for a brief moment, only to continue his actions as he said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m fine with all that


    because I love you. Like I said at the wedding earlier, no one couldpare to the ce you have in


    my heart.¡±


    He then looked me in the eye while adjusting my cor and asked, ¡°Got that all memorized yet, Mrs.


    Fuller?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I could only nod in response as I tried to fight my tears back.


    With a satisfied smile on his face, Ashton put on his coat and handed me a mask as he said, ¡°Here, put


    this on. All the Hanfu enthusiasts will be wearing masks tonight. Wouldn¡¯t want people recognizing us,


    would we?¡±


    Given the scale of our wedding today, his concerns were perfectly justified as we would surely attract a


    huge crowd if we were spotted.


    However, we were recognized the moment we arrived at the night market.


    ¡°Wait a minute¡­ Aren¡¯t those the wedding attires worn by Ashton and Scarlett earlier today?¡±


    ¡°There were ny-nine couples getting married today, and these clothes all look simr anyway. That¡¯s


    probably someone else.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s them. The designs may be simr, but Ashton and Scarlett are the only ones


    with golden linings on their outfits. See that? It¡¯s reflecting the light from the streemps above them!¡±N?velDrama.Org content.

 Chapter 1607

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1607


    ¡°Oh, my god! You¡¯re right! Mr. Fuller¡­¡±


    The person was about to start a scene, but another quickly stopped him by saying, ¡°Shh! Why are you


    yelling? They may be rich, but they¡¯re human too! It¡¯s obvious that they¡¯re wearing masks so they can


    go on a romantic stroll like any other ordinary couple, so we shouldn¡¯t expose them like this!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right¡­ Still, we could tail them and see how rich couples spend their evening together,


    right?¡±


    Soon, Ashton and I noticed a group of people creeping behind us and snapping pictures silently on


    their phones.


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    ¡°I thought you said they wouldn¡¯t recognize us?¡±


    ¡°My mistake. Just ignore them.¡±


    How could I possibly ignore them when they¡¯re practically taking up half the road?


    The next thing I knew, Ashton made a tant public disy of affection by holding my hand in front of


    them.


    I was burning bright red as I felt ufortable having that many people staring at us during intimate


    moments. Besides, it would ruin our rxing stroll at the night market if we had a huge group of people


    following us around the whole time.


    As we walked past the Hanfu gship store, I had a great idea of how we could shake our ¡°tail¡± and


    dragged Ashton inside.


    As we made our way to the VIP area upstairs, the group of people barged into the store after us, much


    to the surprise of the sales staff. ¡°I¡¯m afraid we can only serve a limited number of customers at a time.


    Please queue up in an orderly manner while you shop.¡±


    Delighted by my own genius idea, I smiled gleefully as I continued running up the stairs.


    We had just made it to the VIP area when the sales staff got into an argument with the customers


    downstairs.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but the lounge on the second floor is reserved for VIPs only.¡±


    ¡°How much does it cost for us to be a VIP? We¡¯ll pay!¡±


    ¡°Very well, Sir. To be a VIP, you will have to spend a total of thirty-eight thousand eight hundred


    and eighty-eight in a single receipt. Will you be making the payment in cash or by card?¡±


    Naturally, nobody was willing to fork out that much money just to follow us upstairs. Thinking we would


    come out of the store eventually anyway, they all left shortly after.


    I breathed a sigh of relief when I nced over the railing and saw that the number of customers in the


    store had returned to normal.


    ¡°They¡¯re just trying to share our joy. You¡¯re getting a little too worked up about this,¡± Ashton said after


    ncing down the stairs.


    He really is dense when ites to stuff outside of work, huh? Oh, well¡­ I guess he used up his quota


    for romantic thoughts at the wedding earlier, so he probably wouldn¡¯t understand the difference


    between me not wanting to share our joy and my desire for some time alone.


    ¡°Yeah, but I want a peaceful and quiet night for ourselves, one that is free from unwanted attention.¡± I


    then turned toward the sales staff and asked, ¡°Excuse me, do you guys sell any other type of clothing


    apart from Hanfu?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m not sure I follow¡­¡± The sales staff frowned as he eyed us both from head to toe. As if he


    had suddenly recalled something, the sales staff then offered his assistance by saying, ¡°Oh, we do


    make Hanfus worn by servants for our staff members. We also have masks provided by the organizers


    of the cultural festival. All you two have to do is log in to your member ounts to im it. There¡¯s a


    passage that leads to the back door from the storage room. I¡¯ll show you where it is in a bit.¡±


    He then led us to the counter downstairs, and I logged in using Emery¡¯s ount as I didn¡¯t have one of


    my own.


    After that, the sales staff retrieved the items from the storage room and showed us where the back


    door was before leaving us alone.


    The service provided was so excellent that I couldn¡¯t help but exim as I put on the outfit, ¡°That sales


    staff sure is a smart one! I can¡¯t believe he figured out what I wanted so quickly!¡±

 Chapter 1608

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1608


    ¡°His family makes these traditional wedding attires,¡± Ashton said calmly while adjusting the straps on


    his outfit.


    ¡°He sure has a great eye for¡­ Wait, what?¡±


    I paused mid-sentence when I realized that the sales staff had helped us because he recognized who


    we were and knew what we needed.


    Ashton had seen right through it but kept it to himself when he saw me thanking the sales staff


    profusely.


    That b*stard! I can¡¯t believe he let me make a fool out of myself!


    I shot him a fierce re at the thought of that. ¡°Ashton!¡±


    He let out a little chuckle and acted all innocent as he helped adjust my outfit. ¡°Okay, okay¡­ Next time,


    I¡¯ll be sure to tell you out loud that you¡¯ve been recognized.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± My face was all puffed with anger. Tell me out loud? That¡¯ll just humiliate me in front of others


    even more!


    Ashton gave me a kiss on the forehead and led me toward the stairs as he said, ¡°Come on, we need to


    get going now. We won¡¯t even be able to leave through the back door if we don¡¯t hurry up.¡±


    Having no other choice, I could only swallow my anger and leave the store with him.


    Fortunately for us, the group of people waiting outside had yet to discover the back door, so we were


    able to get out of there smoothly. We then made a few turns through some alleys and sessfully


    blended into the crowd shortly after.


    While watching a fire-breathing performance, I noticed a rock candy vendor passing by and begged


    Ashton to buy me some.


    I¡¯ve always found it satisfying whenever I see people eat rock candy on television. Now that I finally get


    to experience that satisfaction myself, I realize vor is only a part of what truly makes a food amazing.


    What¡¯s even more important is the feelings you have while eating it as well as the environment you eat


    it in.


    I thought to myself while holding two sticks of rock candy in hand.


    ¡°Whoa, slow down there! People might think I¡¯m starving you if they see you wolfing it down like this!¡±


    Ashton said teasingly.


    Refusing to back down, I snapped back at him with the rock candy in my mouth, ¡°Is that not the case?¡±


    Ashton could only let out a wry chuckle as he said, ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. I¡¯ve been starving you because


    I¡¯m the worst husband in the world.¡±


    ¡°Exactly! You¡¯re the worst!¡± I stuck my tongue out at him smugly before moving on to the next stall.


    I was about to pass by an alley when a kid came running out and crashed straight into me. Having


    been knocked off bnce, I would¡¯ve fallen on my bottom and embarrassed myself in public a second


    time had Ashton not been there to catch me in time.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Ashton checked me anxiously for any injuries and let out a sigh of relief when he saw


    that I was fine. He then deliberately took up a stern tone and said, ¡°From now on, you are to hold my


    hand tightly whenever we¡¯re in a crowded area!¡±


    I stuck my tongue out at him mischievously before helping the child up as I asked, ¡°Are you okay,


    kiddo?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until the child stood up that I realized she was a pretty little girl. I figured she wasn¡¯t wearing a


    mask because her parents feared they wouldn¡¯t be able to spot her if they lost her in the crowd.


    The little girl was no princess and simply patted her bottom before saying with a bright smile, ¡°Don¡¯t


    worry, ma¡¯am! It doesn¡¯t hurt at all! I¡¯m sorry for running so fast and bumping into you!¡±


    What a polite and well-mannered child! On top of that, her voice sounds absolutely adorable too! Of


    course, not as adorable as my baby girl Audrey, though!


    Feeling a lot better after hearing her apology, I generously handed her a stick of rock candy. ¡°Here, this


    is a reward for bravely owning up to your mistake!¡±


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    ¡°Thank you, ma¡¯am! Thank you, mister!¡± The little girl thanked us both and waited till we gave her a nod


    before running back into the alley and disappearing into the crowded street on the other side.


    Noticing that I was staring at the little girl, Ashton leaned in and whispered softly, ¡°I think Audrey is way


    better.¡±

 Chapter 1609

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1609


    Of course! No one could possiblypare to his little princess!


    As I knew Ashton would never agree otherwise, I simply ignored him and turned around to carry on


    walking.


    I had barely taken a step forward when Ashton yanked me back toward him to check me for injuries a


    second time.


    After taking a moment to confirm that I could stand just fine, he held one of my hands and interlocked


    our fingers as he said, ¡°I just told you to hold my hand tightly when in crowded ces, remember?¡±


    I knew he was simply trying to find an excuse to hold my hand, but I didn¡¯t have any evidence to


    support my argument. As such, I had no choice but to walk hand in hand with him.


    However, we didn¡¯t get very far before I felt something tugging at my right sleeve.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    I turned around and noticed the little girl from before staring at me with puppy-dog eyes.


    ¡°What is it, kiddo?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Rock candy,¡± she replied. Although she didn¡¯t say anything about wanting more, it was obvious from


    the sight of her licking her lips.


    Did she finish it already? But it hasn¡¯t even been two minutes! ¡±Didn¡¯t I give you one just now? Did you


    drop it or something?¡± I eximed in shock.


    She shook her head and pointed at the street behind her as she replied, ¡°It was my sister that you gave


    it to.¡±


    I shifted my gaze toward the direction she was pointing at and saw another girl who looked just like her.


    She was standing next to a food vendor and waving a stick of rock candy happily. It was an adorable


    sight to behold, but I felt a spine-chilling sensation spreading throughout my body instead. I then


    subconsciously handed the little girl my rock candy and only snapped out of it after she left.


    Ashton and I continued strolling through the night market, but I couldn¡¯t seem to concentrate as my


    mind was all over the ce.


    It is indeed difficult to tell twopletely identical people apart. What if I had an identical twin? Would


    the people around me be able to tell us apart?


    I was so lost in thought that I didn¡¯t even notice Ashton falling behind. It wasn¡¯t until I had gotten really


    far that I noticed he wasn¡¯t next to me and quickly turned around.


    There were tons of tourists on the busy street behind us, but Ashton¡¯s height allowed him to stand out


    in the crowd even though he was dressed rather inly.


    Even so, we were soon separated by a huge crowd crossing the street between us.


    ¡°The ny-nine couples are about to make their marriage vows on stage! Head over now if you are


    interested in witnessing the event!¡±


    As everyone was running toward their destinations in a hurry, I had to stand on my tiptoes just to see


    where I was going.


    I used to think nothing of crowded ces whenever I saw clips of them on television. I always thought it


    was just people being a little closer to each other, only to realize how hard they were bumping into each


    other when moving. A tiny and frail woman like myself could easily get lost and stuck in the crowd.


    ¡°Ashton!¡± I called out to him desperately as I felt my legs go weak from anxiety.


    Despite insisting on us sticking together a while ago, he had disappearedpletely from sight within


    seconds when the crowd began rushing about.


    The next thing I knew, an arm had wrapped itself firmly around my waist.


    I turned around immediately and saw Ashton leaning in close as he tightened his grip on me.


    His sudden appearance caught mepletely off guard, and I found myself frozen in shock for a


    couple of seconds.


    ¡°I¡¯ll recognize you.¡± He then took a moment to catch his breath before continuing, ¡°No matter where we


    are, no matter how many Scarletts are out there, I¡¯ll always be able to recognize you instantly. Won¡¯t


    you have a little more faith in your husband?¡±


    I knew he had a strong understanding of human behavior, but I didn¡¯t think he would notice such a


    subtle change in my facial expressions.


    Regardless, my feelings of unease had nothing to do with him as they stemmed from my fear of the


    unknown. Unsure of what to say, I simply pursed my lips and kept quiet.


    Ashton broke into a wry smile and gave me aforting hug before holding my hand as he led me


    through the crowd. ¡°For now, let¡¯s go watch the couples make their vows. I¡¯ll take you somewhere


    specialter.¡±

 Chapter 1610

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1610


    We soon arrived at the venue for the event and saw that the organizers had ced choral risers on the


    stage for the ny-nine couples to stand on. That way, neither of them would have their faces blocked


    by the person standing in front of them.


    Their wedding attires looked a lot more vibrant under the warm lighting, and the colors were reflected


    on the faces of the guests standing close to the stage.


    Instead of the overwhelming euphoria that I experienced during Ashton¡¯s proposal earlier, seeing the


    couples boldly make their vows on stage had a kind of soothing effect on me. It helped suppress my


    feelings of unease temporarily, and I silently gave them my most sincere blessings.


    Ashton then brought me out of there after the couplespleted the ritual.


    ¡°If you like it, we can have people organize their weddings here every day,¡± he said as we casually


    strolled down the street.


    Knowing that he was trying to distract me, I teased him by asking sarcastically, ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to


    do that for me alone? What, is it too expensive for you?¡±


    Ashton arched an eyebrow at me and replied with a smirk, ¡°I¡¯m fine with that. You might not be able to


    handle it, though.¡±


    ¡°Are you underestimating me? Besides, it¡¯s not like it takes a lot of effort to y the role of the bride. All


    I have to do is walk a few steps and sit in the carriage¡­¡± I mumbled softly as I followed behind him.


    Ashton simply chuckled in response and said nothing further, which struck me as a little strange.


    It wasn¡¯t until we moved further away from the crowd that I realized Ashton was headed outside of the


    area.


    ¡°Are we heading back now?¡± I asked as we got closer to the entrance.


    I kind of feel like spending some time with him alone. It is our wedding night, after all. Honestly, it has


    been ages since I felt like just clinging to Ashton and spending lots of time just doing nothing in


    particr. Maybe it¡¯s because we¡¯ve already gotten to that stage where everything is stable in the


    rtionship.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Ashton replied and continued heading toward the parking lot.


    He then found the ck MPV that Joseph had parked there and opened the door before helping me


    into the car.


    The car was empty, save for aptop that Ashton began working on after sitting down.


    He then pulled up a bunch of pictures on the screen and zoomed in on them so I could have a clearer


    look.


    They were all pictures of ¡°me¡± attending high-end social events with different men, but the woman in


    the picture obviously wasn¡¯t me.


    In thest picture, I was able to clearly see the iplete photograph that was in the woman¡¯s purse.


    Although I had finally found out that the mysterious man was none other than Nathaniel, it was nothing


    worth being surprised about.


    After all, Nathaniel was incredibly adept at makingebacks. Given how he had taken out the entire


    Hall family, it would make perfect sense that he was the mastermind behind everything.


    ¡°Feel safer now that you know who¡¯s behind all this?¡± Ashton asked casually, showing no signs of


    pressure from Nathaniel¡¯s actions whatsoever.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°A little, I guess.¡± I let out a long and deep breath and stared at the pictures on theputer in


    confusion. ¡°Nathaniel hates the Hall family and has always wanted to be free from it. Why would he still


    do this to us now that he already got what he wanted?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother trying to understand a madman¡¯s logic!¡± Ashton replied with a sarcastic chuckle.


    Having found someone to target my emotions at, I eximed angrily, ¡°It¡¯s really annoying, though. We


    could all go our separate ways and live our lives peacefully! Why won¡¯t he just leave us alone?¡±


    As much as I hate to ept this fact, there are always people who can¡¯t stand others living happily and


    will do everything they can to take that happiness away. When will this madness end? Are they


    nning on fighting until one of them is dead?


    After taking a moment to calm myself down, I turned toward Ashton and suggested, ¡°Should we take


    the initiative to arrange a meet-up with Nathaniel and see what he wants? It doesn¡¯t matter if he wants


    money, power, or even an apology. We¡¯ll just give him what he wants in exchange for him to leave us


    alone.¡±

 Chapter 1611

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1611


    Ashton gave me a gentle caress on the back before staring nkly ahead as he said, ¡°He doesn¡¯t want


    any of those.¡±


    His tone was calm, but I could feel the tension in his words and asked with a frown, ¡°You mean¡­ He


    just wants to destroy uspletely?¡±


    Ashton was quick to reject his own theory. ¡°No, he has no reason to go that far. There are no


    unresolvable conflicts between us, nor do we owe him anything.¡±


    The lighting in the car was really dim, and I couldn¡¯t even make out his facial expressions unless he


    spoke.


    After a moment of silence, Ashton sat upright all of a sudden and put theptop aside before tracing a


    pattern on my palm.


    ¡°Do you know what I just wrote?¡± he asked afterpleting the pattern.


    I was so distracted trying to figure out his emotions that I didn¡¯t really pay attention to what he was


    doing. ¡°Stovall?¡± I guessed as all I recalled were the letters ¡°S¡±, ¡°T¡±, and ¡°O¡±.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°Correct,¡± Ashton said with a smirk before tracing another word on my palm.


    This time, I paid attention and gave him my answer before he even asked. ¡°Fuller, your family name.¡±


    Ashton finished tracing the word before looking up at me as he said, ¡°Nope, that¡¯s the wrong answer. I


    traced the word ¡®Stovall¡¯ both times.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible! I clearly saw you trace the word ¡®Fuller¡¯!¡± There was no way I would get it wrong as I


    had been staring at his finger the whole time.


    Ashton simply maintained the faint smile on his face as he continued tracing the third word on my palm.


    This time, he even made sure to slow down and traced the word in a neat and clean motion, so it was


    hard to get it wrong.


    However, I had learned from my mistake and waited till he traced thest alphabet before saying


    confidently, ¡°It¡¯s ¡®Audrey¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Wrong again, Letty. I¡¯ve been tracing the same word I did before.¡± Ashton¡¯s reply didn¡¯t surprise me in


    the slightest as I was kind of expecting it at that point.


    ¡°What are you ying at, Ashton? I don¡¯t get it at all!¡± I eximed with a frown.


    Ashton simply chuckled before looking up at me as he said seriously, ¡°The wrong answer isn¡¯t always


    wrong. Remember the answers today, Letty. It¡¯s going to be our secret.¡±


    Sensing that he was trying to hint at something, I took a moment to process his words and eventually


    understood what he meant.


    That would be a great way for him to identify if someone with my appearance is the real


    Scarlett! Ashton hade up with a perfect counter to Nathaniel¡¯s strategy, so we¡¯d be able to handle


    them should they make a move! There really is no need to let a bunch of clowns like them affect our


    mood.


    With that in mind, the tension in my chest seemed to have disappearedpletely, and I smiled at


    Ashton as our gazes met.


    Ashton had managed to relieve my anxiety and concerns in just thirty minutes simply through his


    understanding of my emotions. This man was still continuously giving me surprises even at his age.


    I was gradually sumbing to his gentleness and slowly discarding my armor in this silent battle for


    dominance between us. At some point, I would surrenderpletely and be unable to leave him


    anymore.


    Despite being well aware of that fact, I would still let it happen willingly because he was worth it.


    The pain and suffering in the past had rid Ashton of his hot temper and changed him from a violent


    monster into a gentle husband who prioritized me over everything else.

 Chapter 1612

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1612


    Ashton and I continued to stare into each other¡¯s eyes for quite a while until he suddenly stole a kiss


    from me and said with a smirk, ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can hold myself back until we get home if you keep


    looking at me like that.¡±


    I could tell he wasn¡¯t kidding as he was breathing heavily, but I was in such a good mood that I wasn¡¯t


    afraid to tease him. ¡°So what? It¡¯s not like you¡¯re going to do it here in the¡­¡±


    Before I could even finish my sentence, Ashton had lunged forward and ced both hands on my


    seat¡¯s armrest, trapping me within his arms in an instant.


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    I didn¡¯t think he was seriously going to do it and began to panic when I saw him moving closer with a


    mischievous grin on his face. ¡°Hey, calm down! We¡¯re in a parking lot!¡±


    However, Ashton showed no intentions of stopping and simply pushed my seat all the way back so I


    was lying t on my back, putting us both in a much more intimate position.


    I could clearly hear the passers-by egging us on, but that only seemed to make him even bolder.


    With the press from all over the city here at the cultural festival, I was really afraid of them catching our


    intimate action on camera.


    ¡°Stop it! There are journalists around!¡± I protested while pushing at Ashton¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try to keep it inconspicuous.¡± The tone of his voice had changed, and I could clearly feel his burning


    lust even with my hands between us.


    Oh, sh*t¡­ This is bad¡­ Ashton didn¡¯t get enough action in the bedroom earlier and is serious about


    doing it right here in the car! I don¡¯t know how I¡¯d face my kids if those journalists catch us on camera! I


    have to figure something out fast because he knows all of my weak spots and will quickly have me


    under his control¡­


    Eventually, I decided topromise and said, ¡°Let¡¯s head back to our bedroom. It won¡¯t take long.¡±


    Seeing no response from Ashton, I wrapped my arms around his neck and gave him a kiss on the


    cheek as I added, ¡°You can do anything you want to me once we get back to the bedroom.¡±


    With a gleeful smirk on his face, Ashton immediately let go of me and got out of the car.


    I tidied up my clothes before following suit.


    It was a ten-minute walk back to the mansion, but we arrived in less than five. Ashton then had his way


    with me throughout the night and only let go of me at dawn.


    Although Ashton and I had been very cautious and spent less than half an hour in the parking lot, the


    paparazzi was surprisingly able to catch us on camera and published our intimate photos in the


    entertainment magazines.


    Stars of the grand wedding spotted in the parking lot on their wedding night!


    Every second is precious on the wedding night, and yet they spend half an hour in the parking lot?


    John and Emma were grinning while reading the entertainment magazine when Ashton brought me


    home.


    Their smiles widened the moment they saw us return, sending a little shiver down my spine. ¡°What


    happened? What¡¯s so funny?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing!¡± John regained hisposure and cleared his throat before teasing us with a straight


    face, ¡°Looks like some people have been rather wild on their wedding night.¡±


    Emma tried her best to maintain a poker face, but the slight smile on her lips was a dead giveaway, and


    the mischievous glint in her eyes made it all the more obvious.


    Unable to suppress my curiosity any longer, I let go of Ashton¡¯s hand and stepped forward to snatch


    the magazine over from John.


    After taking a good look at the photos of us in the van and the suggestive headlines, I felt so


    embarrassed that I wished the ground would just open up and swallow me whole.


    In order to make it sound even more convincing, the articles even mentioned a previous incident where


    an idol had sex with his fan in a van.


    ¡°W-Which presspany is responsible for this? How could they invade our privacy like this?¡± I


    stamped my feet in anger and frustration.


    ¡°So it is true, then? Wow, I didn¡¯t expect you guys to do such a thing at your age!¡± John¡¯s words simply


    added fuel to the me.


    I couldn¡¯t even tell if my face was red from anger or embarrassment, and I found myself unable to


    argue with him at all.

 Chapter 1613

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1613


    Then, Ashton, who remained silent before, finally had something to say. ¡°With masks on, they could be


    anyone. Last night, you drove a car with a Fuller license te too, didn¡¯t you? There¡¯s just no way to


    tell who they were for sure.¡±


    Ashton had a good point, and I could not agree more with him. ¡°That¡¯s right. How can we tell when their


    faces were covered with a mask. Why would Ashton and I just leave our wedding outfit behind and


    sneak into some parking lot like we¡¯re having an affair? It doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that the reporters lied and that they reported fake news? What are you so nervous


    about then?¡± questioned John provokingly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not! Why would you say that? I¡¯m not nervous at all.¡± I immediately threw my hands open and


    pretended to be calm.


    ¡°Of course not. Everybody can see that,¡± remarked John sarcastically.


    It was then I finally realized that the more I tried to exin myself, the worse I was making myself look.


    I was so angry at John for making a fool out of me that I picked up a pillow beside me and threw it at


    him.


    Suddenly, a voice almost as annoying as John himself came from upstairs. ¡°Hey, would you look at


    that! The couple of the century has graced us with their presence!¡±


    Dressed in gold pajamas and a pair of slippers, Holden casually walked down the stairs.


    The man then sat down beside me before quickly getting up again to stare straight at me. ¡°I have to


    say, Mrs. Fuller. I never imagined you to be one of us.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Holden!¡± I shouted at the man abashedly. Feeling utterly helpless, I quickly turned to Ashton


    for help.


    Even though Ashton could see that I was looking at him, he took a sip of his tea and acted like


    everything was under control. ¡°Mrs. Eriksen, could you please get Mr. Taylor a ss of dragon fruit


    juice?¡±


    ¡°Wait. What? Dragon fruit?¡± After repeating Ashton¡¯s words, Holden suddenly jumped up with a


    hardened face and made a dash for the bathroom. ¡°Damn it, Ashton! I¡¯ll get you back for this!¡±


    Blech!


    While Holden was puking his guts out, Ashton continued to enjoy his tea calmly. He then set his cup


    down and looked at me. ¡°They¡¯re powerful words, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do well to remember them,¡± I promised the man with an appreciative nod. Apparently, dragon fruit is


    the magical repent to get rid of Holden.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather you not. There¡¯s a special ce in hell for people who tortured others like that.¡± Holden


    slowly made his way back by leaning against the wall.


    In response to that, I shrugged my shoulders indifferently at the man. ¡°Hey, you started it.¡± Desperate


    time calls for desperate measures.


    After reaching home for a while, I suddenly realized that I had not seen Audrey or Gregory anywhere,


    so I turned to Emma. ¡°Where are the kids?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not the weekends yet, so of course they¡¯re at school. You should be d that they¡¯re not


    around. Otherwise, they¡¯d probably see one of your most glorious moments in life on the TV or their


    phones,¡± exined Emma collectedly.


    Even though everything that the woman said was true, I could not help but feel a hint of mockery in her


    words. I guess I can¡¯t really me her since she¡¯s been with John for quite a while now. That man does


    have an effect like that on people. I bet she didn¡¯t notice it at all. Still, she does have a point. I can¡¯t risk


    having these unscrupulous media contents mislead my children, so I better figure something out.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°Ashton, maybe you should have Joseph take down this news. I really don¡¯t want the kids or their


    ssmates to see it.¡±


    As adults, we had already been through so much, so I was worried about Ashton or myself. What


    worried me was my children and how their future would be affected.


    Ashton then took his phone out and sent a text message. ¡°It¡¯s done. Don¡¯t worry; it¡¯ll never reach


    Audrey.¡±

 Chapter 1614

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1614


    ¡°Have you forgotten that you have a son? He¡¯s just as important, you know? If you don¡¯t invest more


    time and effort on the boy, who¡¯s going to take over yourpany in the future?¡± inquired John half-


    jokingly.


    I seriously thought that John was trying to sow discord between Ashton and Audrey. After all, John


    wanted nothing more than to reim his ce as the most important man to his niece. It doesn¡¯t matter


    if it¡¯s men or women. Both will do everything in their power to gain the upper hand when jealous.


    ¡°How I deal with my children is none of your business. For someone who has no daughters, you sure


    like to tell people how to raise theirs,¡± retorted Ashton straightforwardly.


    Banters like that had been happening in the house several times a week over the past few years.


    Sometimes, it made me wonder if it was even possible to have the two men get along with each other.


    Seeing how John was boiling with rage after Ashton¡¯s goading, I decided it was best that I kept quiet


    and let the two duke it out.


    It was not until the birth of John¡¯s daughter that the tension between them eased up a little.


    More importantly, as parents of three, Ashton and I realized that there were far more things that we had


    to put into consideration.


    After the Wenville project, Ashton had to fulfill his promise to support Summer¡¯s project in opening a


    bar. Neither the Moores nor the Stovalls dared to involve themselves in the industry, for they were


    afraid of the steep price they had to pay if they were to ce their fingers in that pie.


    After some thought, I suggested to Ashton, ¡°Let¡¯s have Josephe over. I want to hear the


    information he¡¯s gathered regarding the industry. After all, Summer is still underage, so I¡¯d like to help


    her however I can.¡±


    ¡°Sure, tonight then. I¡¯ve just ordered the man to work on controlling the public opinion. Summer should


    also be done with the cultural festival by then, so I¡¯ll have here over too,¡± informed Ashton.


    ¡°Okay, good.¡± If we could manage to be frank and always speak our minds like that, everything would


    be so much easier to deal with.


    As soon as our conversation ended, a maid entered the house to inform, ¡°Ms. Fuller, there¡¯s a woman


    here to see you.¡±


    ¡°A woman? Who?¡± The maids knew the name of most of our guests, so naturally, I was puzzled when


    one of them simply addressed the visitor as a woman.


    ¡°She said that she¡¯s Marcus¡¯ wife,¡± answered the maid.


    Oh, it¡¯s Camelia! We haven¡¯t had the chance to meet up yet since she got back.


    ¡°Let her in.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡±


    As ordered, the maid immediately went back to the guest but returned to me after just a brief moment.


    ¡°Madam, the woman refused toe in and insisted that you go meet her in person.¡±


    I was puzzled yet again when I was told that Camelia refused toe in.


    ¡°Is she alone?¡± I inquired as I stood up and made my way to the door.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    ¡°Yes, she is.¡± The maid nodded before cautiously reminding, ¡°She doesn¡¯t look well, though. It looks


    like she¡¯s sick or something, so you should be careful, Madam.¡±


    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll take it from here.¡±


    I could not help but pity Camelia when even the maid seemed to despise her. The fact that she used to


    be a kind and gentle person only made me pity her even more.


    Camelia was not a bad person, so I did not think that she would intentionally harm anyone or purposely


    infect others with her sickness.


    Knowing that Marcus had to be why she visited me, I had no reason to avoid her.


    After ncing at Ashton and realizing that he had no intention of stopping me, I decided with


    confidence to go meet Camelia. ¡°I¡¯ll go see what she needs. Be right back.¡±


    Without a word, Ashton just nodded in response.


    Before I reached the door, I could hear Holden¡¯s voice. ¡°Mr. Fuller, we have been friends for a long time


    now, haven¡¯t we? You should know better than anyone else how trustworthy I am in this sort of thing,


    right? Don¡¯t worry. Your daughter is in good hands. If you want to open a bar, working with us is


    probably the best decision you can make.¡±

 Chapter 1615

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1615


    After walking out the gate, I finally saw Camelia standing by the roadside.


    Decently dressed in clothes of some affordable domestic luxury brands, the woman did not look too


    bad, actually. She only looked sickly because of her pale face and sunken cheeks.


    ¡°Hey, Camelia,¡± I called out to the woman in a soft voice as if I could scare the soul out of her if I were


    too loud. ¡°Why don¡¯t youe inside?¡±


    Even though romance made me very happy, I could not say the same for Camelia, for I had seen what


    a lively person she used to be before she had had her fair share of romance.


    Facing Camelia, I dared not seem too happy since I was worried it would somehow make the woman


    ufortable. Maybe I was overthinking, but I would rather not let my happiness be a burden to


    someone less fortunate than I was.


    Speaking softly and gently to Camelia like any normal person would was one of the ways I knew how to


    care for the woman. As a fellow woman, I truly hoped for her to have a better life.


    ¡°No, thank you. Marcus is sick, and he wants to see you,¡± informed Camelia with a blenched straight


    face.


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    Only the person we loved the most could hurt us the deepest. I could not imagine how badly Camelia


    was hurting inside when she decided toe to me and tell me something like that.


    Frankly, I did not think it was necessary for Marcus and me to ever meet again, but still, I could not just


    pretend like I did not hear about the man¡¯s predicament. ¡°Is it bad? What is it?¡±


    ¡°You can ask him yourself.¡± Camelia¡¯s tone remained strangely indifferent; it was as if the woman was


    only carrying out an order like a robot.


    With that, Camelia took her car keys out and went to her car. She stopped just beside the vehicle when


    she noticed that I did not move a muscle.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to go?¡± questioned Camelia with a brow raised at me. When she was convinced that I


    had no intention of going with her, the woman finally showed some emotions. ¡°Life is just a big fat joke,


    isn¡¯t it? He doesn¡¯t love me, and you don¡¯t love him.¡±


    ¡°Camelia¡­¡± As much as I wanted tofort Camelia, I was at a loss for words.


    Camelia could tell that I felt sorry for her, so she walked back to me and gave me a cold hard gaze.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to pity me, but maybe you can do that for Marcus, a man at the brink of death. No


    matter what happened between you two, don¡¯t you think you should grant a man hisst dying wish?


    So are youing or not?¡±


    ¡°Wait. He¡¯s dying?¡± I was utterly shocked by the revtion. Thest time I saw Marcus, he was still


    alive and well. Is it because of the car ident?


    ¡°No thanks to you. If it weren¡¯t for your grandiose wedding, he would probably have a few more days


    left,¡± stated Camelia as she continued to gaze at me sternly.


    Even though I was meeting her gaze, I could not tell if the woman was hostile to me. However, her


    straightforwardness and sarcasm clearly showed that she was not trying to be friendly at all. From what


    Camelia told me, I could more or less piece together what happened to Marcus. The man was already


    severely ill when he saw the wedding between Ashton and me, and the event probably only served to


    worsen his condition. If that is the case, I can understand why Camelia sees me as her enemy.


    In the end, I decided that Camelia was right and that no one should deny a dying man hisst wish. ¡°I¡¯ll


    go.¡±


    After getting the guards to inform Ashton that I was leaving with Camelia, I got into the woman¡¯s car.


    Before long, we arrived at one of the best cancer hospitals in the country.


    Sitting outside of Marcus¡¯ room were his son and the boy¡¯s nanny. Although they looked much better


    than Camelia, they seemed tired nheless.


    It was understandable since they had a critically ill member in the family.


    ¡°Mommy!¡± As soon as Tobias saw Camelia, he leaped to his feet and dashed over to her.


    Camelia patted Tobias on the head before introducing me to him. ¡°This is Mrs. Fuller. Say hi, Toby.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve met before, Toby. Do you still remember me?¡± I asked the boy with a friendly smile. No matter


    what happened between Marcus and me, I knew the child had nothing to do with it.


    In response, Tobias only stared at me for a while before shaking his head without saying anything.


    Though most people assumed that there were many things that children could not understand, they


    underestimated how good children could be at reading the room sometimes. In fact, some children


    could tell when someone¡¯s presence created unwanted tension in their family.

 Chapter 1616

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1616


    Probably unbeknownst to even Tobias himself, the boy was actually making a case for Camelia in his


    own childish way.


    Still, I remained smiling at Tobias and did not mind his behavior.


    After patting her son on the back, Camelia gestured at the door beside her. ¡°He¡¯s inside. You can go in;


    I¡¯ll stay here.¡±


    I could understand Camelia would want to stay outside of the room. After all, no woman could bear


    seeing their beloved men reunited with the love of the men¡¯s life.


    After taking a deep breath, I readied myself to push the door open and entered the room.


    The smell of disinfectant was even more pungent inside the room than in the hallway. Once inside, I


    could see a pair of bony legs peeking out of the nket. They were so skinny that one could almost


    see the bone underneath the skin.


    I could not even recognize the man lying on the bed since Marcus looked like apletely different


    person then. Had it not been for the name on the door, I could never have figured out who the sickly


    man was.


    Since Marcus had his eyes shut and waspletely motionless, I could have easily mistaken him for a


    corpse if it were not for the venttors and heartbeat monitor just beside him.


    Suddenly, the man unconsciously turned to his side and opened his mouth to gasp for air.


    The sight almost made me cry out loud, so I immediately covered my mouth to stop myself from


    making a sound. I did not want to wake the man up from his rest. Is this really Marcus? The man who


    girls all over K City swooning over him and who single-handedly protected me? How did he end up like


    this? The man looks as if he¡¯s about to pass away any second now.


    When I thought of what Camelia said about my wedding and the days Marcus had left, I hurriedly


    rushed out of the room. After closing the door behind me, I held on to a chair to support myself as I


    finally broke down.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    So much had happened between Marcus and me. I even cursed the man and wished that he would


    vanish from the face of the earth because of my children, but when I saw just how vulnerable he was


    back in the room, I changed my mind.


    At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to withdraw my curses from the man.


    ¡°Here, use this,¡± offered a voice from behind me as a slender hand handed me a napkin.


    It was Camelia, the one who loved Marcus the most. I could not believe how she managed to remain


    calm like that. She must¡¯ve cried so many times when nobody was looking.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I knew I had no right to break down like that in front of the woman, and I also did not want


    my crying to wake up Marcus, so I quickly dried my tears and recollected myself. ¡°How did it happen?


    Is there really no way to save him? Maybe you should try sending him to the hospitals overseas.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not going to help him. The attending doctor told us not to waste any more time on treatments


    and that he should live out his remaining days in peace.¡±


    Camelia then walked over to the door and ced her hand on the small ss window as if she could


    touch Marcus that way. ¡°You know, I only get to take care of him because he no longer has the strength


    to push me away. He has no choice but to let me tend to his everyday needs, even if that¡¯s not what he


    wants. But that¡¯s okay; at least I get to be by his side until the very end. I know he¡¯s only hanging on


    just so he can see you onest time.¡±


    I only realized how simr the two were when I saw Camelia¡¯s exhausted but happy expression.


    Even though she never got Marcus to love her, she was willing to care for the dying man and enjoyed


    every second of it. I guess that must be how Marcus felt when he took care of me while I was


    unconscious. Like Camelia, it did not matter to him if I could ever love him back or even talk to him. All


    he wanted was to be with me, and that was enough to make him feel like the luckiest man alive.


    Still, I could not help but pity the two when I realized how their love would never be requited. No matter


    how hard they tried, they just could not get the other party to reciprocate.


    Having experienced firsthand the dread of unrequited love in the years before I married Ashton, I knew


    exactly how horrible it could be and how it could utterly destroy its harbored. Since I had no right to tell


    Marcus who to fall in love with, all I could was let the man make his own choice.

 Chapter 1617

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1617


    When Tobias noticed that his mother seemed off, he approached her to tug on her shirt. ¡°Mommy, are


    you crying again?¡±


    So that she would not worry her child, Camelia quickly wiped her tears away and took a deep breath


    before turning around to smile at Tobias. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    After embracing her child to assure him that she was okay, Camelia shifted her attention to me.


    ¡°Scarlett.¡±


    The woman¡¯s tone was so stern that it stunned me for two seconds. ¡°Yes?¡± I nodded at her to show her


    that she had gotten my full attention.


    ¡°You saw how Marcus is. Even though he never mentioned it, you and I both know that you¡¯re the one


    he wants to see. It has always been you, so I hope you cane to visit him for the next few days. He


    may have the necessary medications to keep him alive, but that¡¯s not all he needs. Marcus needs a


    reason to continue living, and you¡¯re the only one who can give it to him. Will you help?¡± requested


    Camelia somewhat helplessly.


    In response to that, I nodded hesitantly. ¡°I should¡­¡±


    ¡°No,¡± interrupted Ashton suddenly before I could finish my sentence. Right there at the entrance stood


    the man with a cold visage.


    Since he knew that Marcus had feelings for me, there was no way he would ever agree to let me see


    the man every day, even though the man only had very little time left.


    Worried that Ashton would make a scene, I hurriedly darted over to calm him down. This is not the right


    ce to have a heated discussion. Whatever it is that Ashton wants to say, it¡¯ll have to wait until we get


    home.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    After giving me a reassuring look and cing his hand firmly on my shoulder, Ashton turned to look at


    Camelia. ¡°You¡¯re almost as crafty as Marcus himself, so I would say that you two are a match made in


    heaven. If he fails to see that, it¡¯s his loss.¡±


    Somehow, what Ashton said to the woman sounded oddly puzzling, but before long, I realized that he


    was belittling Camelia.


    The man had always been a gentleman, but when facing someone as unreasonable as Camelia, he


    would not hesitate to speak his mind.


    ¡°Mind your words,¡± I reminded Ashton because I did not want him to take his anger out on Camelia


    when Marcus was the one that he had a beef with.


    ¡°Tell me. Was I wrong?¡± Ashton continued to re at the woman without even blinking. ¡°You¡¯re smart;


    I¡¯ll give you that. You knew that Letty would nevere here with you, so you deliberately requested


    that she meet you at the gate alone. You also knew that she was a softy. That¡¯s why you fed her the


    sad stories.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Refusing to meet Ashton¡¯s re, Camelia quickly turned aside


    to avoid the man¡¯s hostility.


    To that, Ashton scoffed condescendingly before continuing, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s assume that you have no idea


    what the man¡¯s been up to all these years just so I can tell you how unoriginal I find his schemes to be.


    That man is either pretending to be sick or purposely going MIA. So, I¡¯m going to be as straightforward


    as I can with you. The answer is no.¡±


    Without giving me a chance to say anything, Ashton then grabbed me by the shoulders and forced me


    to enter the elevator.


    ¡°Wait! I¡¯m not done here yet!¡± I writhed and struggled to go back to Camelia, unwilling to end our


    conversation like that. Ashton has a point because Marcus did try many tricks on me, but I saw the


    corpse-like man lying almost lifelessly on the bed myself. There¡¯s no way anyone could¡¯ve faked that. I


    took a total stranger under my wings just so the child could have a bright future. What makes Ashton


    think I can just turn off mypassion for a dying man?


    Still upset, Ashton refused to listen to anything I had to say and continued to hold me so that I could not


    leave his side, but while waiting for the elevator, the man gave Camelia and her child another cold


    nce.

 Chapter 1618

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1618


    ¡°Remember this. Even though Marcus had done a lot for Letty, the man also tried to hurt our family, so I


    would say that we¡¯re even now. We don¡¯t owe him anything. Come anywhere near us again, and I¡¯ll


    make sure you pay for it.¡±


    Ding!


    When the elevator door opened, Ashton almost lifted me off my feet to carry me inside.


    Only after the elevator started going down did the man loosen his grip. Angry at Ashton for what he did


    to me, I distanced myself as far away as the space allowed me to.


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Ashton had his reasons for being so jealous, and I could understand what he was going through. After


    all, Marcus had made a move on me on more than one asion.


    However, I knew I could not live with myself if I pretended like I had no idea that Marcus was dying.


    With both my hands on the elevator handrail, I suddenly thought of an idea to get the best of both


    worlds. With it, not only would I be able to sneak behind Ashton¡¯s back, but I could also reignite


    Marcus¡¯ will to live.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it.¡± Suddenly, Ashton¡¯s harsh words severed my train of thoughts.


    Embarrassed by how easily the man managed to see through me, I bit my lower lips defiantly before


    defending myself. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re referring to because I wasn¡¯t thinking about anything.¡±


    The man then narrowed his eyes at me and made a strange suggestion. ¡°Why don¡¯t you turn around?¡±


    Baffled, I hesitantly did as Ashton said, only to find absolutely nothing behind me. All I could see was


    my own reflection on the metallic elevator wall.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡±


    ¡°Take a good look at yourself,¡± demanded Ashton as he walked over to stand beside me. ¡°You think


    that I¡¯m incapable of being rational when ites to anything rted to Marcus, but what about you?


    Think about it. When have you ever not given in to your sympathy for the man?¡±


    Every single word from Ashton was delivered so objectively that it immediately cleared things up for


    me. He¡¯s right. I¡¯ve been so wrong all this time, and I never realized it. Marcus and Reba are


    practically the same kinds of people. If I could treat Marcus the way Ashton treated Reba, Ashton


    wouldn¡¯t even have to worry about me that much. I just couldn¡¯t help myself. I kept thinking about how


    Marcus saved me when I lost my first child. Even though I alwaysined how Ashton was partial


    to Reba, I somehow failed to remain objective whenever it came to Marcus. How could I have been


    so blind?


    ¡°Have you calmed down yet?¡± asked Ashton with a much softer tone. ¡°I understand that you can¡¯t act


    like nothing had happened, and I¡¯m not trying to force you to, but I won¡¯t allow anything bad to happen


    to you.¡±


    Seeing how serious the man was, I was well aware that there was nothing I could do to change his


    mind.


    Even though my subconscious wanted me to fight back, I was restrained from doing so by reason. Ever


    since I married Ashton, I seemed to have be softer toward the man.


    ¡°Marcus still has some time left, so you can wait till I confirm his condition. If the man really is dying, I


    won¡¯t stop you from going to him. Heck, I¡¯ll even take care of him with you if you want.¡±


    After hearing that, I widened my eyes in shock at Ashton, but he had already turned to face the elevator


    door. The man¡¯s deadpan expression made it difficult for me to tell what was going through his


    head. Did I hear that right? Did Ashton just offer to take care of Marcus?


    Ding!


    After the door opened, Ashton naturally turned around to take my hand before walking out of the


    elevator.


    When we drove out of the hospital parking lot, Ashton turned in the opposite direction instead of


    heading home.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± I inquired, still struggling toe back to my senses.


    ¡°Audrey just called and said that she wants dessert tonight,¡± answered Ashton with a half-smile while


    his eyes remained on the road.


    I then thought about everything the man said to me back in the hospital. Although Marcus had been in


    many life-and-death situations, he somehow always managed toe through. Besides, it¡¯s not like


    my sympathy will change the man¡¯s fate. There¡¯s nothing wrong with sympathizing with others, but that


    doesn¡¯t mean I should neglect those who love me. I¡¯m so fortunate to have such lovely children and a


    loving husband.


    Therefore, I tried my best to forget about Marcus for the moment and yed along with Ashton. ¡°Are


    you trying to fatten her up withte-night desserts? Not to mention how all that sugar is going to ruin


    her teeth. You really shouldn¡¯t spoil her like that.¡±

 Chapter 1619

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1619


    I believed that it was important for anyone, regardless of age, to look out for their own health.


    ¡°Desserts soothe the soul. If you don¡¯t want Audrey to have them, maybe you should have them


    yourself. After all, my wife deserves the best.¡±


    To that, I gave the man a look to show him that I could see right through him. ¡°You think I don¡¯t know


    what you¡¯re up to? Don¡¯t try to pacify me, Ashton. I know you¡¯re only doing this for Audrey.¡±


    Ashton chuckled in response. ¡°So, does that mean you don¡¯t want any?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do!¡± There was only one thing I could not turn down at that moment, and it was dessert.


    After parking the car, Ashton took me by the hand again and led me to a bakery named ck Angle.


    Inside were all sorts of desserts disyed in ss boxes, and each box had its own lighting and


    thermostat to regte temperature. Under the lights, the pastries shimmered like art pieces in a gallery.


    As expected, whenever Ashton paid for something, he usually wanted more than just the quality of the


    products because he also valued the overall experience in making the purchase.


    I stopped in front of a newly released Napoleon Cake and thought it was the perfect dessert for Audrey


    and me, so Ashton had the storekeeper approach us.


    ¡°Hello, sir. What can I help you with?¡± Not only did the storekeeper have the body of a supermodel, but


    she also had the voice of a radio host.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, sir, but this one is all sold out at the moment. Our White Swan series desserts are also


    quite popr. Would you like to try those?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s sold out already? But it¡¯s not even noon yet.¡± Even though I was disappointed, I could understand


    why the new product was snatched up so quickly. Since I did not make a pre-order, I never really had a


    chance at getting one.


    Sighing, I looked around while the storekeeper continued to shower us with rmendations.


    ¡°Mr. Hall, wee,¡± greeted the storekeeper suddenly as she looked to someone behind us, so Ashton


    and I curiously turned around and realized that she was talking to Nathaniel.


    Unexpectedly, standing next to the man was my doppelganger, who happened to dress very simrly to


    me. Even the storekeepers turned their heads back and forth to make sure their eyes were not ying


    tricks on them.


    Nathaniel, who did not seem surprised to see us at all, held the woman¡¯s hand and quickly walked over.


    ¡°I see that you two like the desserts in this ce too, huh?¡±


    With a friendly tone like that, anyone else would have easily mistaken the situation as a pleasant


    coincidence. Nothing more than two twin sisters bumping into each other with their boyfriends.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Ashton and I did not respond to Nathaniel but simply shifted our attention to my doppelganger.


    When the man noticed how odd we were acting, he chuckled and ced his hand on the woman¡¯s


    shoulder. ¡°What? Don¡¯t you recognize her anymore? You¡¯re old pals!¡±


    The woman kept a straight face the whole time until Nathaniel mentioned her. Then, as if she had


    finally received the permission to talk, the woman looked at Ashton and asked with a wry smile, ¡°Do


    you remember me, Mr. Fuller?¡±


    For some reason, her voice sounded strange. It was as if there was something stuck in her throat, and


    despite our simr appearance, anyone could easily tell us apart just by listening to that voice.


    Why would that woman say something like that to Ashton? Do they know each other?


    As much as I wanted answers, I knew it was not the right time to question Ashton. What mattered more


    then was to show the other party that Ashton and I got each other¡¯s back. I¡¯ll be damned if I let anyone


    besmirch my husband¡¯s honor like that!


    I then intentionally got closer to Ashton and wrapped my arm around his. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you,


    miss, but all my husband ever thinks about is me, so I¡¯m afraid he doesn¡¯t recall who you are.¡±


    In response, the woman nced at me before sneering, ¡°My, my. You¡¯ve changed, haven¡¯t you,


    Scarlett?¡±

 Chapter 1620

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1620


    The woman¡¯s rhetorical question left mepletely stunned. Who the heck is this woman? Not only did


    she seem to know Ashton, but she also sounded like she knew me well. Besides the face, there¡¯s


    nothing about her that looked familiar to me. No matter how hard I try, I just can¡¯t figure out who she is.


    ¡°Who the heck are you?¡± There was no way I could keep my cool any longer at that moment, so Ashton


    patted me on the shoulder to assure me that he had got the situation under control before chiming in,


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to excuse my wife; Letty has always been a hothead. Please forgive her


    straightforwardness.¡±


    ¡°You saw how rude she was, so how can you simply ask me to forgive her? Does that sound


    reasonable to you?¡± Obviously, the woman got a little upset because of what we said, but Nathaniel


    quickly pinched her back to remind her to watch her manners.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to have to ask you to do the same for Nora¡¯s bluntness. She¡¯s been abroad for quite a while,


    so I guess that¡¯s where she picked up the character. She doesn¡¯t mean to offend you, of course.


    Actually, I nned to introduce her to you the next time I visit, so imagine my surprise when I bumped


    into you here,¡± exined Nathaniel disingenuously.


    There was only one person that I knew named Nora, and that was Nora Oberick. I thought she was


    killed in the explosion, wasn¡¯t she?


    Even though I was looking straight at the woman¡¯s face, I could not confirm if she was the Nora I knew.


    Suddenly, the storekeeper brought a well-designed box over to Nathaniel. ¡°Here¡¯s your order, Mr. Hall.¡±


    Instead of taking the box, Nathaniel turned to smile at us. ¡°You should take the cake. My treat.¡±


    Because of the man¡¯s offer, the storekeeper, too, turned to us with the box. ¡°Here¡¯s your cake, sir.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that. I did nothing to deserve this.¡± With that, Ashton unceremoniously turned


    down Nathaniel¡¯s generosity.


    Still stuck with the box, the storekeeper found herself in an awkward position.


    ¡°You worry too much. It¡¯s just a cake,¡± reminded Nathaniel nonchntly.


    Ashton remained silent for what felt like forever before finally breaking the ice. ¡°This is just the way I


    am. You don¡¯t know Letty, just like you don¡¯t know me.¡±


    The man then turned to me and put his arm around me. ¡°Now that I think about it, the desserts made in


    a bakery have way too much sugar in them anyway. Come on, let¡¯s go home. I¡¯ll make some for you


    and Audrey myself.¡±


    Since we drove all the way there only to end up not buying anything, I suspected that the cakes in the


    bakery were never the reason why Ashton wanted to be there. With a look, the man gestured for me to


    leave empty-handed with him.


    However, as if he could not understand what Ashton was insinuating, Nathaniel continued to pretend


    that he was a close friend. ¡°I know how much you love your kids, so I¡¯m not going to take up more of


    your time. Since Audrey likes desserts so much, I¡¯ll be sure to remember to bring some over when I


    visit.¡±


    Ashton only gave the man a half-smile in response before walking out of the bakery with me.


    ¡°You knew Nathaniel was going to be there, didn¡¯t you? Is that why you brought me there?¡± I


    questioned Ashton as soon as we stepped into the car.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± replied Ashton as he fired up the car with one hand and ced the other on the steering


    wheel. ¡°I knew he was going to be there today but not the exact time. We just got lucky.¡±


    ¡°We should¡¯ve tried to find out who that woman is. We left too soon,¡± I stated while fiddling with my


    fingers anxiously.


    Even though bumping into my doppelganger saved me a lot of trouble, it also meant that I would face


    plenty more in the future, so I had to be vignt.


    ¡°You already know who she is. She¡¯s exactly who you think she is,¡± informed Ashton confidently.


    Shocked, I stared at Ashton for a few seconds before finally breaking the silence. ¡°Nora Oberick?


    Could it really be her?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d rather she be someone else?¡± asked Ashton rhetorically.


    ¡°No, of course not. But you and I both know that she was at the center of the explosion that day. There


    was no way she could¡¯ve survived.¡±

 Chapter 1621

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1621


    Nora and I used to be close, so naturally, I was d to know that she was still alive. However, because


    of her rtionship with Nathaniel, I was unsure how to feel about her then.


    The man was like a walking disease because he had infected the minds of many around Ashton and


    me.


    Even Marcus told me that he would never have made a deal with Nathaniel if it were not for me, for he


    knew that nothing good ever came from dealing with that devil.


    I did not mind Nora ming us for not saving her, but I worried for her well-being if she continued to


    stay with Nathaniel.


    ¡°But she¡¯s a mother. Armond thought he could control everyone, but like everyone else, he fled in the


    face of death. If Nora had been left behind, there¡¯s a chance that she could¡¯ve survived. I believe she


    was only able to look like you because she could not escape in time,¡± suggested Ashton calmly.


    ¡°You mean she got disfigured and had stic surgery?¡±


    With Ashton¡¯s help, I finally figured out what happened back then.


    Nora had a chance at survival because Armond left her behind before the explosion. Forced to choose


    between living on for her child and dying with the man she loved, Nora hesitated when she should be


    running.


    In the end, she decided to choose her child but barely survived the explosion because of her hesitation.


    Then, Nathaniel somehow managed to save her and turn her into my doppelganger to serve him.


    Still, that did not exin why Nora was so hostile toward Ashton and me.


    I remembered how surprised I was to see her on the ind and how strong she was then. Even though


    Armond was no longer around, she was ready to raise their child all on her own.


    ¡°How did you convince Nora to go to the ind anyway?¡± From the way the woman talked to Ashton, I


    could tell she was more upset with my husband than me. Ashton is a businessman, so if I had to guess,


    I would say that he promised Nora something in exchange for her to go to the ind. She probably got


    upset because Ashton didn¡¯t live up to his promise.


    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    Ashton then chuckled at my question. ¡°You¡¯re definitely on to something here. How did you get so


    clever? At this rate, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to keep anything from you anymore.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject; I¡¯m being serious now. You had amnesia after the explosion, so do you think


    that¡¯s the reason why you couldn¡¯t remember what you promised Nora? If that¡¯s the case, that means


    we¡¯re still in her debt.¡±


    Ashton tightened his grip on the steering wheel and straightened his back before replying, ¡°I promised


    her that I would keep Armond alive for her.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± At that moment, I did not know what else to say.


    What Ashton meant back then was that he would not harm Armond. However, nobody expected the


    man to give up on his own life like that.


    I don¡¯t think Nora is an unreasonable person. Even though Ashton failed to keep his promise, she


    should know that he was not to be med for what happened. She¡¯s not trying to make Ashton pay for


    Armond¡¯s demise, is she?


    Fortunately, what Ashton said next relieved me of my puzzlement.


    ¡°The child. He¡¯s not with Nora or Nathaniel; I¡¯ve checked. Nora must¡¯ve lost him in the explosion.¡±


    With that, Ashton finally cleared things up for me.


    Nora only went to the ind with her child because she trusted Ashton. What started with the hope of


    saving Armond eventually ended with Nora tragically losing both her loved ones.


    Although nobody was at fault for Armond¡¯s demise, Nora had more than enough reasons to me


    Ashton for what happened to her face and her child. To her, Ashton was the one who ruined her life.

 Chapter 1622

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1622


    I remembered how emotional and irrational I got when my children were kidnapped. Back then, I would


    rather the kidnappers took me as their hostage instead despite what Ashton and John said.


    With the love of her life dead, her child missing, and her face modeled to look like someone else, it was


    enough to fill Nora with hate and change herpletely.


    I knew Ashton would have disarmed the bomb if he could, but that was just not possible. This is


    probably what Armond wanted. Even in death, the man continues to haunt our lives, and there¡¯s


    nothing we can do about it.


    Feeling helpless, I sighed before asking Ashton to take us home. Nothing much we can do for now.


    What¡¯s bound to happen will eventually happen, whether we like it or not.


    On the way home, I could not stop thinking about how I could make up for Nora¡¯s losses. Her child was


    still an infant when Armond¡¯s men took him away. Maybe he¡¯s still alive somewhere. But even Nathaniel


    couldn¡¯t find him; what chance do we have now that it¡¯s been six years?


    As much as I wanted to help Nora, I could note up with a practical solution.


    Because of how sudden our meeting was, I forgot to confirm with Nathaniel if he had really dealt with


    Marcus, who personally told me that he gave his life in exchange for mine. If that was true, then I owed


    Marcus my life.


    Even though I met Ashton after the six-yeara, Marcus could have taken me somewhere far away


    and had me all to himself, but he did not do that. I wonder if Marcus hesitated to keep me to himself


    because he knew that he was going to die soon. Even the kindest man sins sometimes, so it¡¯s not that


    hard to believe even the evilest man is capable of kindness, and Marcus is definitely not the evilest


    man I know.


    I was so caught up in my own thoughts that I did not even notice that we had reached home.


    Leaning in, Ashton unfastened my seatbelt for me before giving me aforting smile. ¡°We¡¯re home. If


    you continue to frown that, I¡¯m afraid that our daughter will have no choice but to smother you with


    love.¡±


    I could not help but chuckle when I thought of how Audrey would always put her arms around my head


    tofort me. ¡°There¡¯s no better way to die,¡± I remarked jokingly before getting out of the car.


    Then, I waited for Ashton to walk over to grab my hand before we entered the house together.


    John had witnessed Ashton¡¯s cooking skills when the man pretended to be an amnesiac, so when


    Ashton promised to make desserts for Audrey, John was ready to see the whole thing flop. Like a


    pesky fly, John followed Ashton around in the kitchen and made disapproving sounds and faces while


    the man worked.


    Fortunately for John, Ashton was in a good mood, so he decided to ignore any form of disturbance.


    Ashton put the cake into the refrigerator when he was finally done but realized that the children were


    nowhere to be seen.


    When I went outside to wait for the children, I saw the chauffeur watering the flowers in the garden as if


    he hadpletely forgotten about his other duty.


    ¡°Boris.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mrs. Fuller? Is there anything I can help you with?¡± Boris put the watering away before turning to


    me.


    ¡°No. I just wanted to remind you to pick up the children. That¡¯s all,¡± I replied with a polite smile.


    Boris was not getting any younger, so I could understand that he would need a reminder from time to


    time.


    ¡°What? I thought you picked them up today. Aren¡¯t they in the house right now?¡± The chauffeur was


    utterly puzzled by my reminder.


    ¡°Me?¡± At that moment, I could feel that something had gone wrong.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± inquired Ashton, who just got out of the shower and was already in his pajamas.

 Chapter 1623

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1623


    Sensing that he had made a mistake, Boris hurriedly exined himself. ¡°I always arrive at the school


    one hour early to pick up the children, but you were there yourself today. I wanted to send you home


    along with the children, but you told me that you wanted to bring the children elsewhere and asked me


    to go home.¡±


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Boris¡¯ face was as pale as a ghost when he paused for a while to figure out what had happened. ¡°Could


    it be that you¡¯ve just forgotten about picking them up, Mrs. Fuller? Maybe they¡¯re in their rooms napping


    right now. Yes, that must be it! I¡¯ll go check on them right now. Just give me a minute.¡±


    Losing three children was no small matter, which was why the chauffeur got so nervous that he did not


    even wait for my response before dashing into the house.


    At that point, Ashton and I exchanged looks, for we both figured that it was Nora who pretended to be


    me and took the children away.


    Then, both our phones rang at the same time.


    Ashton picked up his phone but remained silent until he hung up. Whoever it was that called him, I


    could tell that they did not bring good news.


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°Nathaniel. He wants us to have dinner at his ce,¡± replied Ashton as he stared into space.


    I knew that man would make a move sooner orter, but he still caught me off guard.


    After taking a deep breath, Ashton gestured at my phone. ¡°This can¡¯t be a coincidence. I think you


    should read your text message.¡±


    Hurriedly, I unlocked my phone and did as Ashton said. The message I received read: Mommy, we¡¯re


    at Uncle Nathaniel¡¯s house. Come pick us up. Gregory.


    Even though the message came from Gregory, it was not sent from his phone, so I assumed he figured


    out a different way to reach me.


    We were not out of the woods yet then, but still, I was relieved to hear from Gregory.


    ¡°Go change. We¡¯re going to save our son.¡±


    ¡°What about our daughter?¡±


    ¡°All of them! We¡¯re going to save all of them.¡± Somehow, I was confident that I would get my children


    back, and I could not help but smirk at the thought of it.


    Ashton, too, smirked at me and said nothing else.


    As a parent, I thought it was quite normal to have a favorite among my children as long as I


    remembered to love all of them.


    Ever since I found out about Nora, I worried that she would try to rece me someday and fool


    Gregory and Audrey into thinking that she was their mother.


    All the woman needed to do was spend some time with my children and show them her motherly love,


    and she could have easily taken my ce.


    Gregory¡¯s message was a candle in the dark to me. Whether he deliberately sent it to me or not, I was


    just d that he trusted me enough to do that, and that was all that mattered to me.


    It was not my first time arriving at Nathaniel¡¯s vi, but I never went there for the same reason.


    When a maid led us into the living room, Nora was trying to gain Audrey¡¯s trust by offering the girl the


    cake Nathaniel bought at ck Angle. However, Audrey remained fiddling with her doll¡¯s arm uneasily


    while sitting beside her brother.


    Seeing how Audrey was reluctant to try the cake, I could not help but feel proud of my girl. Good girl!


    ¡°Hey, Audrey,¡± called out Ashton in his deep voice.


    The second the little girl heard the familiar voice, she leaped to her feet and rushed over to her father.


    ¡°Daddy!¡±

 Chapter 1624

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1624


    Gregory and Shaun followed closely behind.


    ¡°Mommy.¡± Gregory tilted his head upward and smiled brightly at me.


    I reveled in the warmth that spread through my body at his loving address. Stroking his head fondly, I


    cooed, ¡°Good boy, Gregory.¡±


    Audrey¡¯s gaze darted between Nora and me as a frown appeared on her face. ¡°Two mommies?¡±


    ¡°No, this is Mommy,¡± Gregory insisted softly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me that Mommy smelled weird? Why don¡¯t


    you smell her now?¡±


    A light bulb seemed to go off in Audrey¡¯s head as she immediately stretched her arms out toward me


    and cried, ¡°I want a hug!¡±


    I carried her with a smile on my face. Audrey wrapped her arms around my neck, and I giggled at the


    ticklish sensation.


    ¡°Do you smell it now?¡± I asked good-naturedly.


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    Audrey nodded vigorously and eximed, ¡°Yeah!¡± She turned her head to face me and continued,


    ¡°This is Mommy¡¯s smell! You¡¯re Mommy!¡±


    I could not help but chuckle at her innocence, and I pinched her cheek fondly as I teased, ¡°Could you


    tell me how I smell differentpared to Ms. Nora?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± My daughter pouted her lips in deep thought before shaking her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to


    exin it.¡±


    ¡°We wanted to y a prank on you two, but it looks like you knew everything from the start,¡± Nora


    interrupted as she set the cake in her hands aside. ¡°Audrey, won¡¯t you tell me how you knew we were


    different? I even used the same perfume as your mommy.¡±


    Audrey raised her volume and replied, ¡°It¡¯s not the perfume! I-I- It¡¯s just different! I know it¡¯s different.¡±


    As if fearful that we would continue interrogating her, she buried her head in my chest and avoided our


    gazes.


    I could empathize with her disy of obstinance; I had seen many children bottling up out of frustration


    at being unable to express themselves.


    At the same time, I thought I understood what Audrey meant about my unique smell. Call it a mother¡¯s


    instinct, I suppose.


    I thought of Ashton then and the scent of his pheromones, which could not be overshadowed by the


    faint smell of his expensive colognes and cigars.


    ¡°Okay, she won¡¯t ask you any more questions about that. Come on, Mommy will take you home. Daddy


    made a cake for you all. Don¡¯t you want to eat it?¡± I subtly shifted the conversation topic to encourage


    Audrey to open up again.


    My tactic worked, and Audrey eximed in glee, ¡°Yes! I want cake!¡± She probably had forgotten all


    about Nora¡¯s questions at that point.


    As expected, food typically took center stage in a glutton¡¯s mind.


    Except when it came to Shaun. Is it possible to forge a bond so quickly with a kid to whom she isn¡¯t


    rted?


    However, this was not the time for me to dwell on this issue.


    We should leave this wretched ce ASAP.


    ¡°Why are you in such a rush to leave, Scarlett? Aren¡¯t you going to introduce me to your kids? We look


    so much alike, after all.¡± Nora looked at me with an indecipherable smile on her face, looking like she


    had no intention to let us leave uneventfully.


    Ashton spoke up coldly, ¡°You think you can keep me here?¡± The authority in his tone had Gregory and


    Shaun ncing at him subconsciously.


    ¡°You¡¯re always so impatient, Ashton,¡± Nathaniel drawledzily. He had picked up on the tense situation


    and sauntered over with his hands in his pockets. ¡°I¡¯ve always been helping Gregory with any problems


    he¡¯s facing in hisputer science studies. So much time has passed; I¡¯m sure he must be brimming


    with questions. Plus, Nora and Letty are finally reunited after being separated for years. Why must we


    cut short the sisters¡¯ reunion? Stay a while longer and let them have a chat.¡±


    He had walked up to Nora by then. Standing side-by-side, I thought they made a fine pair with their


    matching smiles of faux kindness even if one of them happened to look exactly like me.


    Nathaniel¡¯s words brought a smug smile to Nora¡¯s face. ¡°Of course. I¡¯m Nora Stovall. Don¡¯t tell me you


    forgot about your older sister? We¡¯re twins, for goodness sake.¡±

 Chapter 1625

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1625


    It seemed that Nora Stovall was the new identity Nathaniel had arranged for the former Ms. Oberick. I


    realized that Nora was determined to conjure a rtionship with me.


    Outwardly, Ashton and I appeared unaffected by her announcement, treating it as a terrible joke.


    Audrey, however, took Nora¡¯s words seriously. ¡°You¡¯re twins with Mommy? Is it like Greg and me? Greg


    is a boy, and I¡¯m a girl, so we look different. Do you look the same because you¡¯re both girls?¡±


    Before I could clear things up, Nora cut me off. ¡°That¡¯s right! You¡¯re such a smart girl, Audrey!¡± She


    smiled so brightly that her eyes had narrowed into slits. Nora added, ¡°You and your brother can call me


    Aunt Nora from now on!¡±


    I could not exin why, but Nora¡¯s face that so perfectly mirrored mine suddenly became a ring


    sight.


    I would not have minded the children calling her Aunt Nora in the past when she was still a kind person.


    Now that she was notorious for her greed and ambition, I could not find it in me to allow my children to


    acknowledge such a rtive.


    How should I exin this to the kids, though?


    Thankfully, Ashton spoke up and freed me from my dilemma.


    Quietly and somewhat sternly, he said, ¡°Gregory.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Daddy.¡±


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    Ashton continued without blinking, ¡°Was what Uncle Nathaniel said true? Are you struggling with your


    computer science homework?¡±


    His words implied that he was ming Gregory.


    If Gregory could solve hisputer science problems alone, he no longer needed Nathaniel¡¯s help,


    and we could leave for good.


    I thought it rather inappropriate to drag the children into this, yet I remained silent. I was aware this


    would be the wrong time for me to voice my opinion.


    Everyone had their way of solving things, after all.


    It turned out my worry was for naught. Gregory had lived with Ashton for many years, and he was well


    aware of his father¡¯s expressions and intentions. Some thoughtter, Gregory had an answer for his


    father.


    ¡°No, Daddy. I can solve them on my own now.¡± With that, Gregory turned to Nathaniel next and bowed


    respectfully. ¡°Thank you for your guidance, Uncle Nathaniel. I can solve those problems alone now, and


    I shan¡¯t need to trouble you again. I don¡¯t have any more questions onputer science.¡±


    Whether it was Gregory putting up a tough front or caving out of fear toward Ashton, I was relieved that


    he had not made the wrong choice despite his past rtionship with Nathaniel.


    Ashton nodded lightly as satisfaction shed through his gaze. He stared at Nathaniel and said, ¡°You


    heard that.¡±


    It was impossible to discern Nathaniel¡¯s true feelings on the matter behind his smile. He chuckled and


    replied to Ashton, ¡°What about Nora and Letty¡¯s long-awaited reunion? We were so excited to introduce


    you to some of our friends. Staying a while longer won¡¯t hurt anyone. Why, Scarlett, don¡¯t you want to


    get to know your older sister a little better?¡±


    He stressed hisst sentence, and his weird tone hinted that he was up to something.


    It was not until Audrey piqued up that I knew he was targeting the children.


    ¡°Mommy, isn¡¯t Ms. Nora your older sister? Don¡¯t you want to be together if you haven¡¯t seen each other


    in a long time? Just like how I want to be with Greg forever and ever!¡±


    I exined hastily, ¡°Audrey, don¡¯t say that. Mommy¡¯s just like you as in I only have an older brother. I


    don¡¯t have an older sister. You know Mommy and Uncle John meet all the time. We have a great


    rtionship, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah.¡± Audrey nodded innocently. Barely a momentter, she eximed, ¡°But Mommy, the two of


    you look the same! Aunt Emma said that people who look the same on TV are long-lost twins!¡±


    I held in my urge to hunt down Emma that very instant.


    The situation turned incredibly awkward after Audrey¡¯s outburst.


    Suddenly, Shaun broke his silence and said, ¡°The dolls you y with every day have the same face,


    but they¡¯re not from the same family.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Shaun! Does that mean Mommy and Ms. Nora aren¡¯t sisters at all?¡±

 Chapter 1626

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1626


    ¡°Yes.¡± I nced at Shaun, barely able to hide my surprise. He had been standing silently behind


    Gregory all this while, and if I had not turned around earlier, I might have questioned my hearing.


    Shaun had, without a doubt, drawn the analogy of the dolls calmly.


    Despite the ringck of scientific evidence backing his ims, it was more than enough to convince


    Audrey.


    Children of the same age had an inexplicable way of understanding one another. Both Gregory and


    Shaun had the same uncanny way of getting through to Audrey where adults could not.


    There was virtue in keeping things simple, especially when it came to reasoning with children.


    Children viewed the world through a simple lens, and they tended to categorize things into neat cks


    and whites. They were eptable of boundaries their parents drew; yet, raising them in an overly-


    sheltered environment could inadvertently backfire and impede their development.


    I rxed slightly as these thoughts crossed my mind. The sight of Nora¡¯s eerily-simr face no longer


    frightened me as much as it did.


    Shaun¡¯s wordspletely helped us out of the situation. Thus, Nathaniel and Nora had no excuse to


    keep us from leaving anymore.


    I had no desire to stay in this wretched ce any longer.


    Ashton silently made a move to lead the kids away. Nora, however, was not about to let Shaun


    getaway after ruining her ns, and she grabbed him before he could approach us.


    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    She nted her hands on Shaun¡¯s shoulder menacingly and scrutinized him. She cooed like an


    excessively-friendly elder, ¡°Which family are you from?¡±


    Shaun nced at her calmly before looking at Ashton and me. He said, ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Fuller adopted


    me. I¡¯m their adopted son.¡±


    ¡°Is it?¡± With her gaze locked on Shaun, Nora continued, ¡°Your family has finally reunited after a long


    time. I thought you¡¯d be dying to shower your biological kids with love before taking in an unwanted


    orphan.¡±


    She paused slightly, but not long enough for any of us to rebuke her. ¡°Fate has brought this kid into our


    acquaintance. It¡¯s fortuitous that Nat and I don¡¯t have children. Why don¡¯t we adopt him instead? We


    can share your burdens of childcare.¡±


    I was about to reject her offer when Ashton¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°I can afford to care for as many kids as I


    please. There¡¯s no need to trouble outsiders at all.¡±


    He lowered his gaze and nced at Shaun. ¡°Why are you standing there? Do you really want to stay


    here?¡±


    Shaun caught his meaning immediately and plucked off Nora¡¯s hands from his shoulders. He walked


    toward us determinedly, making his stance toward her offer crystal clear.


    He did not even need to say a thing to convey his decision.


    I mussed his hair fondly in approval.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get going, then. You don¡¯t have to send us out,¡± I dered.


    I nodded at the couple in farewell and ushered the kids out the door, Ashton following closely behind.


    Once we were safely in the car, the children began fooling around in the backseat.


    Audrey was so excited that even Gregory struggled to keep her in her seat.


    ¡°I¡¯m starving! I can¡¯t wait to eat the cake when I get home! Greg, Shaun, you can¡¯t eat my share!¡±


    Gregory replied in resignation, ¡°Whatever you want.¡±


    Shaun remained silent.


    ¡°Mommy, did Daddy really make the cake? Daddy¡¯s the best! Isn¡¯t Daddy Superman?¡±


    I answered her patiently, ¡°Of course, Daddy made it himself! Daddy isn¡¯t Superman, though. Superman


    is too busy saving the world than to spend time with us.¡±


    ¡°Mommy, does Daddy know how to make lollipops too? Those super huge ones!¡±


    ¡°I- erm, why don¡¯t you ask Daddy?¡±


    Audrey¡¯s questions came flooding out like a dam that had burst.


    ¡°Daddy, do you know how to do it?¡± In her excitement, she had leaned forward between the two front


    seats in the car.


    I thought Ashton would appease her like he usually did. To my surprise, he pulled up to the curb.


    Despite his safe stop, the car still shook slightly from the sudden motion. Audrey wobbled on her feet


    and would have fallen over if I had not caught her.

 Chapter 1627

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1627


    I was getting perplexed at Ashton¡¯s poor driving technique when the man in question said sternly,


    ¡°Audrey, do you not want to eat cake tonight?¡±


    Ashton¡¯s anger was palpable, and the temperature in the car seemed to drop several degrees.


    Even Audrey knew not to behave in her usual daring manner in the face of her father¡¯s anger. She


    retreated to the backseat and mumbled, ¡°I do¡­¡±


    Ashton met her gaze through the rearview mirror and demanded, ¡°Then, why were you jumping around


    in the back when Daddy was driving? You even leaned forward to disturb me while I was driving. What


    if you got injured? Do you think that was the right thing to do?¡±


    Audrey shook her head nkly and said uncertainly, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so stern. You¡¯re going to scare the kids,¡± I whispered to him.


    Instead, Ashton seemed to ignore my words as he asked Audrey, ¡°Then, what should you do?¡±


    Evidently, no one could sway him when he got down to business, not even his wife.


    Audrey was not as naive and fragile as she looked, after all. She pondered his words for a moment


    before returning to her seat and obediently strapping herself in.


    Only then did Ashton start the engine of the car and continue driving.


    The rest of the drive passed by uneventfully.


    I half expected my princess to throw a tantrum once we got home. She foiled my expectations by


    speeding into the house excitedly as if she had forgotten the unpleasant incident in the car.


    When we walked into the living room, we saw Audreying out of the kitchen with Ashton¡¯s bunny-


    shaped cake in hand, which was missing a corner. The buttercream around her mouth tipped us off


    about what had happened.


    She walked toward the dining table as she called out to Gregory and Shaun, ¡°Greg, Shaun,e and


    eat the cake! Daddy¡¯s cake is so yummy! I love it!¡±


    Gregory¡¯s sweet tooth had him running toward Audrey at her invitation.


    Shaun walked over to her obediently and waited for her to ¡°fairly¡± distribute the cake.


    Curious about how Ashton¡¯s virgin attempt at making dessert went, I joined the trio at the dining table.


    I saw Audrey passing one-thirds of the cake to Gregory and Shaun while she kept the rest for herself, a


    silly grin on her face.


    The sight brought a wry smile to my face, and I pinched her nose lightly as I teased, ¡°You greedy girl!


    You¡¯ll wet the bed if you eat everything alone!¡±


    ¡°Nuh-uh!¡± Audrey tilted her nose in defiance and retorted, ¡°I won¡¯t!¡±


    I smiled at her antics and decided to prank her by taking her share of the cake. ¡°Won¡¯t you let Mommy


    have a bite?¡±


    With that, I pretended to swallow the cake in one go.


    Audrey pouted, though she did not refuse my request. Tears welled in her eyes.


    How could I bear to tease her when she seemed this upset? I immediately put the cake in her hands


    and coaxed her, ¡°There, there, Mommy¡¯s just kidding. I don¡¯t eat desserts. Here, have your cake!¡±


    I stroked her soft hairfortingly until she calmed down.


    Ashton tut-tutted at my somewhat ipetent way of handling our children¡¯s emotions. From where he


    stood on the staircase, he tossed out. ¡°You¡¯re a mom now. Which mom fights with her kid over food? If


    you want to try it so much, I¡¯ll make one just for you.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you offered to do that yourself. I didn¡¯t ask for it!¡± I shamelessly took him up on his offer, my self-


    control hanging by a thread after watching the children gobble down the cake.


    If I knew Ashton was talented at making desserts, I should¡¯ve snuck a few bites before leaving the


    house!


    He smiled at me lovingly before walking into the kitchen. Rolling up his sleeves, he said, ¡°Of course, my


    wife didn¡¯t ask for this, but I¡¯d love to make dessert for her. I want to feed you and the kids the most


    amazing delicacies day after day. From now on, I¡¯m going to focus on being a househusband!¡±


    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    I snorted at his bold deration, though I held myself back from ying along too much. His ego did


    not need that much inting, anyway. ¡°That¡¯s a deal! Gregory, Audrey, did you hear that? Daddy¡¯s going


    to cook a lot of good food for us every day!¡±

 Chapter 1628

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1628


    Audrey and Gregory were ecstatic. ¡°I heard that!¡±


    ¡°Me too! Daddy¡¯s the best!¡±


    Everything seemed like it was finally falling in ce, and our life would be peaceful once more.


    My hopes were shattered two dayster. That afternoon, Joseph entered our house with an anxious


    expression on his face, tipping me off that I had been too naive about our situation.


    ¡°Go on. What¡¯s wrong?¡± I was not in the greatest of moods at his arrival. My frustration grew at the


    problems that never seemed to leave us alone.


    Sometimes, I wondered why people preferred havoc and chaos over a peaceful life.


    ¡°Nora met Shaun alone.¡±


    Surprised, I asked, ¡°Alone?¡±


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    ¡°Yes.¡± Joseph nodded before continuing, ¡°They even made sure to keep Ms. Audrey in the dark.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± I trailed off, sighing at Shaun¡¯s change of heart.


    I had been relieved at his choice at the Hall residence, yet three days was all it took for Shaun to


    change his mind.


    I guess children are less impervious to temptation.


    I now realized that Ashton¡¯s earlier concerns were not wholly unfounded. Perhaps Shaun had never


    forgotten how he was abused at the hands of his previous adoptive parents, and he now saw an


    opportunity to exact revenge for his suffering.


    Ashton remained calm in the face of Joseph¡¯s news. Rather expressionlessly, he flipped through the


    newspaper in his hand and sent Joseph off. ¡°All right. You may leave now.¡±


    I watched Joseph¡¯s departing figure and pursed my lips in thought. Sometimeter, I turned to Ashton


    and stated, ¡°You don¡¯t seem surprised by the news.¡±


    ¡°Should I experience a meltdown, then?¡± He looked as unruffled as before. The ghost of a smile


    appeared on his face as his eyes pored through the financial news as if it was some piece of juicy


    gossip. ¡°If I were in Nora¡¯s shoes, I wouldn¡¯t let go of this opportunity either.¡±


    I shrugged and offered weakly, ¡°But Shaun said no to them in the beginning.¡± Frankly, I was curious to


    understand how Ashton viewed Nora and Shaun¡¯s covert acquaintance.


    ¡°So?¡± Ashton folded his newspaper and met my gaze. ¡°To a businessman, anything can lead to a deal.


    The only obstacle is price and timing. Once the stars have aligned, anything is possible. Don¡¯t you


    agree?¡±


    I grudgingly admitted the logic in his words, and I saw no point in arguing with him.


    Instead, I forced augh and teased half-heartedly, ¡°The people in the vige are the ones scheming


    for profit. Shaun is just a kid, and we¡¯ve given him a home. Things might not turn out as poorly as you


    expect.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s make a bet.¡± Ashton shifted into a cross-legged position and ced the folded newspaper across


    his knees. ¡°I bet that he¡¯ll disappoint you in the future.¡±


    Shrugging, I epted his bet. ¡°Why not? Still, we can¡¯t really let him pass on news about our family to


    Nora. Isn¡¯t there a way for us to test him?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re in no rush for that.¡± He lowered his gaze slightly. Suddenly, his body stiffened as if he recalled


    something. Ashton tossed the newspaper on the table and straightened himself. Then, he turned to


    face me and adjusted his expression before stating somberly, ¡°The results came out. Marcus¡¯ condition


    is critical.¡±


    He paused for a while before adding, ¡°I still have a lot of sway in the matter. I¡¯ll be in full support of


    whatever decision you make.¡±


    Despite Ashton¡¯s upsetting news, I felt a lot calmer than when we were in the hospital. Perhaps it was


    because I was not in the presence of a thin and sallow patient.


    ¡°Is there hope?¡± I asked.


    Ashton replied, ¡°I¡¯ve contacted the best experts in the world, and they¡¯ll arrive in K City in the next


    couple of days.¡±


    I nodded, confident in his abilities to handle such matters perfectly. I saw no need to question him


    further on the relevant details.


    Camelia¡¯s advice suddenly surfaced in my mind, and I could no longer dismiss it as an exaggeration.


    ¡°Will youe to the hospital with me tonight? I think a terminal patient needs encouragement more


    than anything else.¡±


    I seemed unusually serene and rational in the face of Marcus¡¯ deteriorating health. For the briefest


    moment, I imagined myself to be no different from the doctors who had grown numb to matters of life


    and death.

 Chapter 1629

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1629


    Ashton agreed to my request immediately. ¡°Of course.¡± He left the couch and went upstairs. ¡°I¡¯ll make


    the arrangements.¡±


    For both our sake, we kept our conversation to a minimum.


    Ashton was only human, after all. It was unreasonable and cruel of me to have him apany the


    woman he loved while she grieved over another man.


    Hiding my true feelings in front of Ashton took a considerable amount of effort because I had always


    feltfortable in my own skin around him. In contrast, my interactions with Marcus were always


    ambiguous. Eventually, I developed an appreciation for the freedom I had in expressing my emotions


    around Ashton.


    Ashton changed into a set of casual wear I had chosen for him in the past before we left for the


    hospital. The attire dimmed his usual imposing demeanor, and he looked a lot more rxed and


    approachable.


    I could not help but tease his appearance. ¡°Are you sure you want to dress like a harmless man to face


    your love rival?¡±


    ¡°Am I?¡± Barely batting an eyelid at my joke, Ashton walked toward me and slung an arm around my


    shoulder, leading us out of the house. He added cheekily, ¡°Haven¡¯t you noticed that we¡¯re wearing a


    matching couple¡¯s outfit?¡±


    I lowered my gaze and realized the truth in his words. Theugh that was about to burst out of me


    suddenly caught in my throat.


    Jealousy was natural during a meeting between love rivals, yet I worried if the sight of a couple¡¯s outfit


    might trigger Marcus and worsen his condition instead.


    Absorbed in my thoughts, I felt a hand squeezing my shoulder. Ashton said casually, ¡°I¡¯m not so petty


    that I would rub my victory in a patient¡¯s face. Marcus would never wish to see me. I wouldn¡¯t be


    surprised if hearing my name shortens his lifespan by a few days. So, you¡¯re visiting him alone.¡±


    I pursed my lips, unsure of what to say.


    Ashton had more to say. ¡°But, I¡¯m not that generous either, so I need other ways to manage my


    feelings. Putting on this couple¡¯s outfit reassures me of our feelings for one another.¡±


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    His nonchnt tone made it seem like he was talking about someone else, yet I knew better than


    anyone else how outrageous Ashton behaved when he was jealous.


    He was holding in his instinctive actions for my sake.


    Love often meant doing things one sometimes despised for the happiness of one¡¯s partner.


    A phrase in the Bible suddenly came to mind¡ªlove is patient. Ashton¡¯s behavior right now was the


    living embodiment of that sentence.


    I barely had time to feel touched by his actions when he shoved me into the car.


    We made our way through the hospital and came to the corridor outside Marcus¡¯ ward. Camelia and


    her child sat on a bench outside the ward. They looked so lost it seemed like their souls had left their


    bodies, leaving behind two empty shells.


    I did not think it was possible, but they seemed even more haggard than before.


    It was no exaggeration to say that one¡¯s illness could cripple the foundation of an entire family.


    Camelia seemed astonished to see us, and a smile soon blossomed on her pale face. She stood up


    with her child to convey their gratitude at our visit.


    We exchanged nces silently before I entered the soul-sucking ward alone.


    Surprisingly, Marcus was awake. I knew he heard my footsteps, yet he did not turn around and eked


    out weakly, ¡°Not again. If you really love me and want me to live a few more days, take the kid with you


    and marry someone else. Don¡¯t appear in my life again.¡±


    He sounded sickly and exhausted. The mean words Marcus had uttered lost their edge as they came


    out in spurts between his efforts to huff and catch his breath.


    My gut told me that this was not the first time he had said such nasty things in a bid to push away


    Camelia and their son so he would not burden them with his illness.


    Or perhaps his pride would not permit him to be the subject of pity.


    I bit down on my lip as tears streamed down my face. Despite my best efforts to stop myself from


    crying out loud, some sniffles escaped me.


    The ward descended into silence after Marcus¡¯ words, and he gradually turned his head to face me as


    he noticed that something was amiss.


    Our gazes met, and I could tell that my appearance was torture to him.


    I spoke as softly as I could while ensuring that Marcus could hear my every word. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to


    see me under such circumstances, I can leave.¡±

 Chapter 1630

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1630


    I could empathize with Marcus if he refused to be seen by someone he loved in a state ravaged by


    illness. His emotions were my priority, and I would respect any decision he made.


    Marcus stared at me quietly for a long time until it felt like the time and space around us were frozen.


    His pupils barely moved, and he did not seem angered by my presence. Only the arrhythmic beating of


    his heart assured me that he was still alive.


    I took his silence as tactful rejection. Maybe Marcus was not prepared to see me yet.


    Mustering a smile on my face, I nodded my head a fraction to let him know that I was not upset by his


    decision.


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    I had just turned around to leave when he said, ¡°I knew you woulde. Please take a seat.¡± I knew


    you woulde. Please, sit.


    The words rang in my head as I took a deep breath to push down the urge to burst into tears. I


    composed myself before returning to his bedside and taking a seat.


    ¡°How do you feel today? Better?¡± This sort of small talk felt rather clich¨¦ to me, yet it always seemed


    like the most natural thing to do.


    ¡°What would you like to hear? That I¡¯m feeling great, or no?¡± Each word seemed to sap Marcus¡¯


    energy, though he stubbornly maintained that self-deprecating expression on his face.


    Who are you trying to impress?


    I smiled as I tucked the nkets around him and teased, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t concern yourself with my


    feelings at this point. You¡¯re the patient here. So tell me how you really feel.¡±


    Life felt like one of Shakespeare¡¯s ironicedies. It was the most trivial of matters that often courted


    the harshest criticisms and the most heartless words.


    Yet, when it came time to knock on death¡¯s door, one would wear a perpetual smile and assure


    everyone that everything was fine. It was as if living in denial could change one¡¯s fate, even though it


    was no more than an act of self-deception.


    The facade intensified as one inched closer to imminent death. In a sense, lying was the only way to


    pull through the agonizing journey toward the end.


    ¡°I feel crappy,¡± came his loud answer. It seemed to exhaust him as he added weakly, ¡°I feel terrible, and


    everything hurts. It¡¯s so unfair.¡±


    I knew he was being harsh to vent his anger, yet I could not suppress the sorrow that rose in me. My


    hands paused in their motion, and I avoided his gaze.


    ¡°What are you scared of?¡± Marcus was heaving as he said this, and his warm breath fogged up his


    venttor.


    I tried my best not to reveal my emotions and shook my head. Instead, I coaxed him, ¡°Nothing. You


    shouldn¡¯t be scared, either. I¡¯ve tracked down the best doctors in the world, and they¡¯ll figure something


    out. You¡¯re Marcus White, for God¡¯s sake. You¡¯ve cheated death more times than I can remember, and


    you won¡¯t go down so easily.¡±


    I paused for a moment before lifting my gaze. Nudging his elbow, I added, ¡°Be a man and put up a


    fight.¡±


    He lowered his gaze slowly until itnded on the spot where I had touched him. The expression in his


    eyes did not change as he silently contemted my words. A whileter, he uttered, ¡°Marry me, and I¡¯ll


    hang on. Otherwise, dying now doesn¡¯t make a difference to me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be childish.¡± I sighed and continued apologetically, ¡°You were there at my wedding. Marcus, I¡¯m


    living well, and I¡¯m happy. Please stop being so stubborn and let go of your obsession. There¡¯s


    someone out there whose heart has always belonged to you but you haven¡¯t seen it yet.¡±


    Marcus¡¯ gaze grew hazy, and it was impossible to discern if he had lost focus or was paying attention to


    my words.


    ¡°I won¡¯t talk about this anymore if you don¡¯t want to listen to it. I¡¯ll be here every day to visit you and


    take care of you. Everything will be fine. Don¡¯t overthink things¡ª¡±


    ¡°I want to marry you.¡± Marcus raised his voice suddenly.


    Shocked, I lifted my head and met his stubborn gaze.


    He said coldly, ¡°You can¡¯t refuse me. I ended up like this because of you. In a bid to control Ashton, the


    Halls initially nned to skip in vivo trials and use you as their guinea pig for their radiation trials. I


    offered to take your ce instead, and this is the aftermath of their experiment.¡±


    Marcus began cackling pitifully after that, and despite the absurdity of his words, I could not find it in


    myself to hate him.

 Chapter 1631

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1631


    incurable. You owe me that, Scarlett.¡±


    I let hisment slide. It would be petty of me to argue with a patient.


    The illness seemed to dull Marcus¡¯ intuition. He had not realized that I was no longer the meek and


    spineless woman who was all ready to forgive and forget.


    The ward fell into a suffocating silence as he eventually registered my rejection. Marcus slowlyy


    down on the bed and stared nkly at the ceiling.


    ¡°I guess you won¡¯t even spare a nce for me even if I sacrificed myself for you. My efforts were


    meaningless, so meaningless. I should just die right now.¡±


    Marcus stopped speaking after that, his eyes zed over with tears.


    Some people resorted to telling white lies to appease a dying patient. In their eyes, it was a way of


    encouraging the patient to fight for their life.


    Marcus was too smart to fall for that; plus, he knew me far too well. He would only scoff at my white lie


    or even see it as my pity, and that would only worsen his condition. Honesty was the best policy in this


    situation.


    I simply could not agree to his demands and give him false hope.


    Marcus was not the only person who loved me. I owed it to the people I loved to live well and not harm


    others in the process.


    I sat in the ward for a moment longer. Unsure if the non-response was due to Marcus falling asleep, I


    decided to take my leave.


    ¡°Get some rest. I¡¯ll visit you again tomorrow.¡± After I got up, I check his vitals onest time and grabbed


    my purse. I turned around and walked to the door.


    Marcus¡¯ hoarse voice rang out the moment my hand touched the door handle.


    ¡°Scarlett, don¡¯t ever visit me again unless you change your mind and agree to marry me.¡±


    I whirled around only to find him lying on the bed like before as if he had never woken up.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    It was now clear that he had not fallen asleep. Instead of mumbling groggily, Marcus¡¯ words


    represented the emotional baggage that he had stubbornly carried around with him for over ten years.


    I said sorry to him over and over again in my heart, yet I could not bring myself to utter an apology to


    his face. Like a coward, I pretended I had not heard a thing and left the ward.


    Camelia practically jumped out of her seat when she saw me. Anxiously, she asked, ¡°How did it go?¡±


    She clenched her fists tightly as if the action would give her the strength to face any news I gave.


    I dared not discuss my conversation with Marcus in detail. Instead, I merely shook my head and said,


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t good.¡± I felt wetness pricking the corners of my eyes.

 Chapter 1632

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1632


    I repeated myself, ¡°It wasn¡¯t good.¡±


    Hope seemed to leave Camelia¡¯s gaze almost instantaneously. Her entire demeanor darkened, which


    suggested that this oue had not been within her expectations.


    And why wouldn¡¯t she be disappointed? She had made such a huge sacrifice by bringing the woman


    Marcus loved to his deathbed, yet he showed no sign of improvement.


    All she wants is for her beloved husband to live. It¡¯s not too much to ask, yet no one can give her the


    answer she seeks or dissuade her from her mission.


    Taking in Camelia¡¯s pale countenance, it was not difficult to tell that she had not been eating properly


    for a while now. After some coaxing, we managed to usher Camelia and her son to a nearby Chanaean


    restaurant.


    Ashton ordered eight dishes, and the food arrived in quick session.


    Camelia remained in poor spirits. She turned to her child and said simply, ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡±


    With that, she picked up her fork and immediately got lost in her thoughts. She was so still that she


    resembled those living statues on the streets.


    I sighed before filling the bowl in front of me with some soup. ¡°You need to take care of yourself. If you


    fall sick too, who¡¯s going to take care of Marcus?¡±


    Then, I stood up and ced the bowl in front of her child while coaxing, ¡°Be a good boy and eat. You


    need to eat well so you can take care of your mommy.¡± I starteddling some soup for Camelia in the


    meantime.


    Thankfully, the boy had not inherited Marcus¡¯ or Camelia¡¯s trademark obstinance. He nced at his


    mother before quietly picking up his spoon to eat.


    When I returned to my seat, Ashton had ced a bowl of soup in front of my te.


    I smiled at Ashton gratefully. My gaze darted to Marcus¡¯ son several times as he ate, and I asked,


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Tobias White.¡± He lifted his head to meet my gaze, and I noticed Marcus¡¯ eyes on him. The only


    difference was the youthful innocence in his gaze.


    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Tobias White,¡± I muttered to myself as my lips curved upward in a smile. ¡°It¡¯s a great name, fitting for a


    brave boy. You need to take care of your mommy and help her to stay strong, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Tobias nodded determinedly like a soldier epting his battle summons. He seemed rather


    comical with his cheeks puffed from the food he had stuffed into his mouth earlier.


    Camelia had done a great job of raising her child. Grudges between the adults did not stop Tobias from


    epting the kindness of others.


    I smiled in relief and tore my gaze from Tobias, just in time to see Camelia sighing deeply.


    ¡°Marcus¡¯ situation will be utterly hopeless if you give up.¡±


    I could not help but frown after saying those words. After the storm had passed, Marcus¡¯ most reliable


    companions were now ironically Camelia and me.


    This realization served as a timely reminder for me not to give up hope till the very end.


    As time passed and more of our loved ones passed on, it suddenly became imperative to hold on to


    those still around us tighter than ever, regardless of past grudges or grievances.


    Ashton seemed as calm as ever, though he ced a warm hand over mine, silently lending me some


    strength and encouragement.


    Camelia smiled ruefully and uttered, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have waited till now if I was going to give up. I just don¡¯t


    get it. Marcus loves you so much that he was willing to put himself through hell for you. Why would he


    give up so easily over an illness? Where did his fighting spirit go? I thought someone as ruthless as


    him would be fearless as well, but I guess he¡¯s nothing but a coward.¡±


    I replied hastily, ¡°Don¡¯t say that in front of your kid.¡± Though I was disappointed about Marcus¡¯ situation,


    I refused to show my feelings to her child. Dejection was nothing short of a gue¡ªcontagious and


    deadly. What they needed now was hope instead of stewing in despair.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I say that?¡± Camelia grew agitated all of a sudden. ¡°He was the one who messed with me.


    He stole my heart and then cast it aside. I gave up everything because I loved him! When he was so


    sick he could barely care for himself, I stayed with him and nursed him. I¡¯ve seen him in his best and


    his worst, and I¡¯m his longestpanion! I have every right to criticize him!¡±

 Chapter 1633

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1633


    She brought her hand down on the table with a loud m and shot to her feet. ¡°I¡¯m saying this loud and


    clear now. Marcus is a wimp!¡±


    Not only were we taken aback, but even Tobias froze upon witnessing his mother¡¯s burst of temper for


    the first time.


    Everyone¡¯s attention was riveted on Camelia, and time seemed to have stopped for a moment.


    However, her menacing attitude faded away almost as quickly as it manifested. Immediately after, her


    shoulders sagged, and tears welled up in her red-rimmed eyes. As she tried to get a hold of her


    unraveling emotions, her mouth pressed into a thin line.


    s, she lost the battle, and the dam broke.


    She used to be a sheltered, naive girl. However, her world was turned upside down since she met


    Marcus, and she had been torn apart in the name of love.


    Now that Marcus fell ill, she thought that he would need to rely on her, and she could stay with him


    forever. However, he chose death instead. What a sick joke.


    She knew he had given up, and that was thest straw that broke herposure.


    A wave of emotion assailed me, and the back of my eyes prickled with tears.


    Tobias¡¯ voice trembled, sounding scared and pained. ¡°Mom, are you okay?¡±


    The sight of the mother who was on the verge of breaking down and her visibly upset child was


    chipping away at my empathy. If I didn¡¯te apart at the seams, I would definitely be affected by my


    surroundings.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Ashton¡¯s hand tightened on mine, pulling it forward and cing it on his chest.


    ¡°Cry if you want to. You don¡¯t have to pretend to be strong when one of your family members is sick.¡±


    His voice was soft yet clear, and every word emanated a sense of security.


    As I steadied my nerves, I suddenly heard a woman¡¯s wailing reverberating across the room. Camelia


    slumped onto a chair and hid her face behind her palms, her body wracked with sobs.


    Tobias dissolved into tears, too as he stood up and came to his mother¡¯s side, rubbing her back


    comfortingly. It was the only thing he could do at that moment.


    Tears streamed down my face quietly, and Ashton wiped them away with his fingers. I didn¡¯t crumble


    under the weight of emotions with him being the pir of support for us. Instead, I was able to stand on


    the sidelines, sharing in Camelia and Tobias¡¯ pain but not interrupting them.


    Silence nketed the room again after some time. Camelia had calmed down, but her nose was runny


    while her eyes were red and swollen. She squinted, barely able to see through her bleary vision.


    After consoling Tobias, she nced at us and lowered her head sheepishly. ¡°Sorry for that. I must have


    shocked both of you.¡±


    ¡°Not a problem. You needed to vent. If you bottle your emotions up, you¡¯ll get sick,¡± I reassured.


    She gave a wan smile and didn¡¯t say anything else, only tousling Tobias¡¯ head with an affectionate


    expression, as if she could overlook the messier parts in life. At that moment, she was apletely


    different person from the one who had just sobbed uncontrobly.


    Camelia was exhausted down to the marrow of her bones from caring for Marcus who was terminally


    ill.


    ¡°How about this? Leave Marcus¡¯ next treatment to Ashton and me. You should take Tobias home and


    rest for a bit.¡± We had hit it off since our first meeting, and I wanted to do something for her, no matter


    how small it was.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Camelia smiled, her gaze bouncing between us and Tobias. She joked, ¡°I don¡¯t want to wash


    my hands of Marcus. He¡¯s stuck with me for the rest of his life. I want him to be indebted to me so


    much that he wouldn¡¯t be able to repay me in this lifetime.¡±


    Then she expelled a long sigh, caressing Tobias¡¯ arms as she murmured, ¡°Tobias, you can love a


    person too much. Don¡¯t do it, okay?¡±


    Camelia felt better after crying, and her muscles didn¡¯t feel as stiff. Before she returned to the hospital,


    she heeded our suggestion to take a hot shower at a nearby hotel and changed into a set of clean


    clothes, looking so much more refreshed.

 Chapter 1634

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1634


    Coincidentally, it was mealtime for Marcus. Camelia used to serve him, but today, she passed the tray


    of food to me.


    Staying alive was a lengthy process and didn¡¯t require any fancy reasons, just as long as both parties


    understood each other.


    Camelia and I were on the same page when it came to saving Marcus.


    Pushing the door open, I was greeted with Marcus¡¯ back as he sat on the edge of the bed. Camelia


    mentioned that he was very feeble, so this might be a good sign.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake. Here, you should eat something. The housekeeper has specially prepared some of


    your favorite food.¡±


    I walked to the foot of the bed and raised the overbed table,ying out all the food. Although they were


    pre-packed in insted lunchboxes, they didn¡¯tck in fragrance and vor.


    Yet Marcus didn¡¯t move a muscle, appearing uninterested.


    I reckoned it was too arduous for him to get out of bed or turn around. Hence, I rounded the bed and


    voluntarily went to help him up.


    As soon as my hand made contact with him, he shook it off irritably, his pale face looking sullen. He


    was evidently still irate at what happened.


    I let out a sigh and straightened, drawing out in a patient tone, ¡°You can¡¯t be so childish to be using


    your health as a bargaining chip, right?¡±


    Marcus snorted derisively. ¡°Your memory must becking not to remember that I¡¯m a person who would


    do whatever it takes to get what I want.¡±


    I was dumbstruck and switched tactics to divert his attention. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s agree to disagree that you will


    fight to the bitter end, but your health is important if you want to revolt. If you have something to eat,


    wouldn¡¯t your battlest longer?¡±


    Enraged, he looked up and shot daggers at me. ¡°You¡¯re just trying to deceive me now.¡±


    His furrowed brows told me his chest must have been hurting during our conversation. But in a blink of


    an eye, he had managed to smooth out the pinched expression, and once again, he looked normal.


    That didn¡¯t escape my attention, of course.


    Marcus clenched his fist as if he had something to prove and stated, ¡°If my eating is the only


    compromise, I¡¯ll continue my hunger strike until I waste away from thirst or hunger, whicheveres


    first. The door¡¯s that way if you can¡¯t stomach it. No one¡¯s stopping you.¡±


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    I was officially out of moves.


    He was right, though. It was either out of sight, out of mind, or giving in.


    It wasmon for patients to threaten others like this.


    Since we were at an impasse, I chose to back down today and left him alone.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right if you don¡¯t want to have a bite. I¡¯lle again tomorrow. If you want anything, inform me


    on WhatsApp, or you could rest if you don¡¯t have much of an appetite.¡±


    Then, I left the ward without another word.


    Camelia insisted on staying to take care of Marcus. Thus, we volunteered to look after Tobias since it


    was not the wisest choice for a kid to stay in a hospital for a prolonged time.


    Ashton instructed the doctor to administer nutritional supplements for Marcus intravenously before


    taking us home.


    When we reached home, the kids were already asleep. Only Summer and Jared were in the living


    room, surrounded by a mountain of documents, furiously calcting something.


    ¡°Mom, Dad, you¡¯re back.¡± Summer heard our footsteps, immediately putting down the tablet in her


    hands, and stood up.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I answered with a smile and introduced them to each other. ¡°This is Tobias White, Camelia¡¯s


    son. He¡¯ll be staying with us temporarily. Tobias, this is Summer.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± he greeted sincerely.


    ¡°You, too.¡± Summer continued courteously, ¡°If you need anything, juste to me, okay?¡±


    ¡°Got it. Thank you.¡±


    I changed into a pair of indoor slippers and dragged my weary body to the couch, pounding my fist on


    my shoulders and thumbing through a document on the table quickly.


    Cost ounting of the club project¡­


    ¡°You¡¯re doing cost-benefit now? Have you finished with the location and favors?¡± The Wenville project,


    which Summer and Jared had worked hard on, ended less than a week ago. They should be taking a


    break, not rushing headlong into the next project.

 Chapter 1635

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1635


    I encouraged it when kids had ambition and motivation. However, they could also take a breather under


    my roof.


    Summer shed a half-smile. ¡°Mom, beforepleting the Wenville project, Mr. Cress and I already


    started on the club affairs, such as site approval, sale and purchase of properties, and renovations.


    They are all settled. After the quotations are approved, thepany will allocate the final sum of


    capital, and we can prepare for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.¡±


    Who would have known that my daughter would favor a career in business and work tirelessly toward


    it? I might have been a little too narrow-minded before this and hadn¡¯t taken her seriously.


    I chuckled ruefully and decided not to backseat her, leaving to give them some space. ¡°You¡¯re adults,


    so I won¡¯tment much. Go to bed soon. Don¡¯t overwork yourselves.¡±


    ¡°I know, Mom. I¡¯ll head up shortly,¡± Summer assured me.


    Humming in approval with a nod, I led Tobias upstairs. ¡°Come on, Tobias. I¡¯ll show you your room. Are


    you afraid to sleep alone? If you are, leave a light on tonight, okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid.¡± He might be reserved, but he was a self-sufficient kid for his age.


    I nced back over my shoulder while climbing up the stairs to see that Summer and Jared had


    already returned to their frenzy working state. They looked like they were fighting on the battlefield


    instead of merely performing analysis.


    Perhaps to Summer, it was indeed a battle. Her streak of independence was way ahead of the curve,


    and she was soaring to greater heights.


    If Macy were able to see her, she would be proud.


    After Ashton turned off the lights and got into bed, I instinctively curled up to him.


    ¡°Marcus said he would only consent to the treatment if I married him.¡±


    ¡°His illness is caused by radiation. Nics wanted to use it on me back then, but he secretly reced


    me with Nathaniel¡¯s help.¡±


    Although Ashton didn¡¯t ask about my rtionship with Marcus, it didn¡¯t mean he wasn¡¯t curious. He was


    only refraining from asking to avoid putting more pressure on me.


    ¡°Immature,¡± he growled in the dark. Evidently, he was miffed.


    Tightening my arms around him, I shifted into a morefortable position. ¡°I said the same thing to


    him, but what could I do? Patients are usually irrational.¡±


    Ashton cradled my cheek in his big palm, his thumb stroking it. ¡°Did he anger you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said lightly. ¡°Only you could elicit such a response from me. If you don¡¯t anger me, then all is


    well.¡±


    Suddenly, he tittered as he recalled an old memory of the distant past. ¡°I was young and childish back


    then to bully you and make you angry. Sometimes I couldn¡¯t even understand myself, but now my goal


    is crystal clear. I only want you to be happy and never cry again.¡±


    I let out a long, contented sigh, my brain foggy with sleepiness. The sentimental words slid off me as I


    replied mindlessly, ¡°You¡¯re such a sweet-talker. It¡¯s unlike you.¡±


    I dimly registered Ashton leaning in closer, murmuring into my ear in a low voice, ¡°We have too little


    time together as it is. If I don¡¯t say it at least twice or thrice a day, I wouldn¡¯t be able to make up for the


    lost time.¡±


    I could feel his breath on my ear and neck. That night, I fell into a deep slumber.


    I woke up at six in the morning, Marcus¡¯ illness still lingering in the back of my mind.


    Remembering that I hadn¡¯t made the kids breakfast in a while, I padded to the kitchen and started


    preparing with Mrs. Eriksen, including Marcus and Camelia¡¯s portion to be brought to the hospitalter.


    Although parenteral nutrition could help sustain one¡¯s life, the damage to the body would still be


    inevitable if solid food was not consumed. The housekeeper¡¯s cooking might not be to Marcus¡¯ taste,


    but he would never outright reject food specially prepared by yours truly.


    While the chicken soup was simmering, Tobias hade downstairs dressed impably, standing


    guardedly by the kitchen door and looking to lend a helping hand. ¡°Ms. Stovall, can I help?¡±


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you sleep in a little more?¡± I yawned widely and led him out to the living room. ¡°Take a seat


    here. When the food¡¯s done, we¡¯ll have breakfast together before heading to the hospital to visit your


    dad. Sounds good?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he answered obediently and settled on the couch.

 Chapter 1636

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1636


    Afraid that Tobias would be bored, I had the maid bring out the set of Legos the kids enjoyed. ¡°Do you


    know how to y with these?¡±


    He gave a clueless shake of his head.


    After all, he had been moving from one city to another with Camelia these few years and probably


    never had the chance to have fun like a normal kid. Needless to say, toys were a foreign concept to


    him.


    ¡°Come, I¡¯ll show you how. See, every piece of Lego has a serial number. Assemble them all ording


    to this diagram into aplete model. Then you¡¯re done.¡± I crouched down and picked up two pieces,


    fixing them together, and gestured. ¡°Just like this. Understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± A slight smile finally appeared on his face. He immediately started piecing a few segments


    together.


    ¡°Looking great, kid.¡± I tousled his hair and showered him with praise before returning to my tasks.


    About twenty minutester, the silence in the living room was disrupted by Audrey¡¯s giggles.


    ¡°I want a bunny!¡±


    ¡°A dog! A big bad dog! Woof!¡±


    ¡°You liar! This isn¡¯t a parrot. It¡¯s a little bird! Stop lying and make another one for me. This time, I want a


    tiger!¡±


    The entire house would be roused awake by Audrey¡¯s loud voice at any minute.


    ¡°Audrey Stovall!¡± I rushed out and barked, ¡°Summer was workingtest night. Quit shouting so


    loudly.¡±


    Audrey stilled and responded with an exaggerated O-shaped mouth, putting her index finger to her lips.


    Thinking she was taking me seriously, I nted my hands on my hips exasperatedly when a giggle


    escaped her a secondter.


    What¡¯s so funny?


    I headed over to both of them and noticed that the Lego pieces of a ne model were fitted together to


    create shapes of a bunny, a dog, and a parrot. Though the angles were a little off, the general


    structures were there.


    ¡°You did all this?¡± I didn¡¯t think Legos could be yed this way and was a little surprised.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Tobias nodded, his fingers nimbly assembling Legos into a rough shape of a tiger.


    This kid is creative. He¡¯s going to aplish something in the future.


    Audrey held a dog in one hand and a parrot in another, having them attack each other.


    Seeing Shaun halfway down the stairs out of the corner of her eye, Audrey called to him, ¡°Come here,


    Shaun! This person is so good at ying Legos.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± came his mild response. He made a beeline toward the living room, took a seat in an empty


    spot beside Audrey, and picked up the bunny Tobias made, casually studying it.


    There was undeniably inequality in the world because, in front of Audrey and Tobias, Shaun¡¯s


    precociousness was especially apparent. His demeanor and gaze looked like they were of a grown-up.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°Don¡¯t be rude, Audrey. He has a name, and it¡¯s Tobias White. Remember that and address him


    properly next time, okay?¡±


    Instead of replying to her mother, Audrey eximed, ¡°Both of you share the same family name?¡±


    Tobias and Shaun exchanged a nce without saying a word.


    ¡°Since it¡¯s fate, all of you have to get along well with each other. I¡¯ll finish up breakfast. Remember, do


    not fight.¡±


    Leaving the kids to their own devices, I went back to the kitchen.


    During breakfast, Audrey held on to a candy-shaped Lego and didn¡¯t let it go throughout the meal.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a real candy, and no one is going to snatch it away from you. You could ask Tobias to make


    you a few moreter. Now, put it down and eat your breakfast,¡± I joked in a mirthful tone.


    ¡°No,¡± Audrey said while spooning chicken soup into her mouth. ¡°Shaun made this for me, and there¡¯s


    only one in the world. No one can touch it. I¡¯m bringing it to school!¡±


    I jolted in surprise and shifted to peek at Shaun, who was sitting in a corner.


    Tobias put so much thought and effort into crafting those clever Lego models, but a mere candy took


    precedence over all of them?


    John interrupted, ¡°So can I have the rest of the Legos in the living room?¡±

 Chapter 1637

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1637


    ¡°No! I¡¯m not done with them¡­¡± Audrey raised her spoon defiantly at John¡¯s impudent grin before


    realizing that he was teasing her. She pouted. ¡°Bad Uncle John! Leave me alone!¡±


    John made a slight grimace and pretended to dab his tears with a napkin. ¡°Goodness, she¡¯s going to


    grow up to be a heartbreaker and snub me, her dear uncle. I¡¯m so sad. I don¡¯t want to be here


    anymore. I¡¯ll move away tomorrow.¡±


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    The kids stared at him in horror, sharing the same sentiment that breakfast had taken an abrupt detour,


    while the adults watched as John put on an engaging performance.


    When Audrey seemed unimpressed, he pumped out more tears and sniffled noisily, almost sobbing at


    that point.


    Only then did Audrey soften a little. A momentter, she hesitated for a while before taking her candy-


    shaped Lego and offering it to him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Uncle John. Please don¡¯t cry. I still love you the most.


    Good kids are brave and shouldn¡¯t cry.¡±


    Her little hand reached out to pat his head, just like how we wouldfort a crying child.


    John lowered his head a little to amodate her, and Audrey cradled his head with both hands,


    kneading his ears. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll give you a hug. Stop crying.¡±


    Her expression was solemn, unaware that John had shed a cheeky smile at us.


    Ashton, who had remained silent the entire time, couldn¡¯t watch it anymore and cleared his throat,


    hinting that John should quit while he was ahead.


    That was Ashton¡¯s way of protest because his daughter had never coaxed him this way before.


    However, John continued, enjoying her babying.


    Then, a roar resounded, ¡°John Stovall! Who are you putting a show for? I¡¯ve said it before, and I¡¯ll say it


    again. I¡¯m not giving you a daughter!¡±


    Everyone flinched at the loud voice, and John immediately straightened in his chair, his expression


    tinged with panic. ¡°Uh oh, this isn¡¯t good.¡±


    Emma stood beside the handrail with a re and stomped up the stairs, disappearing in a sh.


    ¡°Is Emma in a bad mood nowadays?¡± I asked.


    ¡°She may be overworked and tired. It¡¯s nothing. Back to our meal. She will settle down after a while.¡±


    John brushed Emma¡¯s outburst aside and shooed Audrey back to her seat.


    Audrey had never seen Emma lose her temper and didn¡¯t realize that she had been tricked by John.


    John started fidgeting after Emma left. He wiped his hands with a napkin, then his mouth before finally


    taking his leave from the dining table. ¡°I¡¯m full. Please enjoy the rest of your meal.¡±


    His quickened footsteps betrayed his worry for Emma and made Summer snicker.


    Problems were not a big deal in marriage as long as one got married to the right person. After all,


    tolerance and love were essential in maintaining a marriage.


    At the hospital, the doctor was doing a consultation for Marcus. Ashton sat with me as we waited in the


    corridor outside.


    I thought Camelia was with Marcus, but only the doctor and nurse walked out.


    Ashton followed up with the doctor while I headed in to serve breakfast to Marcus.


    He must have been jarred awake as he was sitting against the headboard, staring out the window


    expressionlessly and motionlessly like a statue.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± I greeted softly and shut the door, uncovering the lunchboxes.


    I had only prepared one portion of chicken soup. Wafts of steam billowed out of the lunchbox as I


    stirred the soup and let it cool a little. Then, I brought a spoonful near his mouth.


    However, he had anticipated it and averted his head, protesting silently.


    I held on to my patience and asked wryly, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to try the soup I made for you?¡±


    Without turning his head, he countered, ¡°Did you think I would fall for petty favors?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be wary of me.¡± I put the lunchbox down with a ng and snapped, ¡°Skipping this


    meal wouldn¡¯t determine your survival or death, but it would quash what little fondness I have of you.


    You do not fear death, but aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯d hate you?¡±

 Chapter 1638

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1638


    No one could know for sure when one would take action upon their murderous intentions, and I did not


    want to risk agitating him with such ruthless words. Nevertheless, every creature in the world had


    something to subdue it with. Since the soft approach did not work on Marcus, I could only resort to


    tougher ones.


    We were in a stalemate for a few seconds before Marcus finally reacted¡ªhe slowly turned his head


    toward me.


    I then reached out again, and he opened his mouth to take in the chicken soup.


    The moment it went down his throat, he furrowed his brows.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± I asked. ¡°Do you not like chicken soup?¡±


    Marcus raised his head, and I noticed that his dry lips seemed to be sticking together because of the


    chicken soup, making it tougher for him to speak. ¡°How much salt did you put in there?¡±


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s too salty? Hold on. I¡¯ll make a new one for you.¡±


    The soup was made ording to my family recipe, but perhaps patients preferred nder food. I had


    to admit that was something that I neglected. It was rare for Marcus to agree to eat, so I felt that a little


    bit more effort into his meal was more than worth it.


    Just as I was about to put the chicken soup back, Marcus stopped me. ¡°I can drink it if you add a little


    water into it. I¡¯m not patient enough to wait until you¡¯re back from remaking one.¡±


    I froze, but soon, a smile crept upon my face. ¡°Sure.¡±


    With that said, I then poured some hot water into the soup before feeding him slowly. To my surprise,


    he actually finished it all.


    There were a few more snack-bite foods in the lunchbox. I was about to grab it, but he impatiently


    shook his head and rejected it.


    After putting the lunchbox away, I thought of peeling an apple for him. Hence, I pulled a chair closer to


    sit by the bedside.


    Marcus kept looking at me. When the apple was half-peeled, he finally said, ¡°If you¡¯re here, can I


    assume that you¡¯ve agreed to my terms?¡±


    I froze for a moment. Then, I muttered, ¡°No.¡±


    He took in a deep breath beforeughing self-deprecatingly. ¡°You¡¯re earlier. Much earlier than that


    foolish woman. Make a guess, then. When youe into this room tomorrow at this time, will you see


    me alive, or will you see a dead body?¡±


    His words frightened me, and I gritted my teeth. ¡°In that case, I won¡¯t shed any tears for you.¡±


    Then, I lifted my head and shoved the peeled apple to his lips. ¡°A coward who doesn¡¯t care about his


    family and friends and only thinks of death isn¡¯t worth my tears.¡±


    Instinctively, Marcus caught the apple, and I let go of it. With a furrow in my brows, I stood up and


    stormed toward the doorway.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± He clearly did not want me to leave, but he refused to relent verbally. ¡°You


    can¡¯t even stand just this bit of torment? It doesn¡¯t seem like you¡¯re interested in making me live any


    longer.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to ask the doctor about your diagnosis. If there¡¯s really no cure for you, then I¡¯ll let you have


    the euthanasia you wanted. Are you happy with that?¡± I questioned coldly.


    Unable to get a rise out of me, he averted his gaze and gloomily mumbled under his breath, ¡°I don¡¯t


    disagree with that n.¡±


    The way he was leaving his life up to fate infuriated me. ¡°Honestly, if you weren¡¯t a patient, I¡¯d have


    beaten you up right now.¡±


    Once those words were out of my mouth, I took off in my heels speedily before mming the door shut


    behind me.


    The moment I turned around, strength fled from my body, and my head felt like it had been stuffed with


    cotton.


    There was not a shred of survival instincts left in Marcus. I could not tell when he would suddenly end


    his life just like he angrily said he would.


    The very thought of the scene sent chills down my spine.


    When I went past the counter by the floor, a group of people abruptly swarmed in from the stairwell and


    crowded around the nurse. With simr looks of anxiousness on their faces, they asked the nurse,


    ¡°How can we go to the rooftop?¡±


    ¡°The rooftop isn¡¯t a ce where patients and their families can go,¡± said the plump nurse in an almost-


    frustrated tone. It seemed like working overnight had done nothing to improve her pallor or attitude.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a family member of a patient; I¡¯m a negotiator! A negotiator, do you hear me? Someone¡¯s about


    to jump off the building, and are you going to tell me that you can bear the responsibility if you end up


    dying my time?¡± blurted out the man who stood in front of the others.


    It was then the nurse realized how grave the situation was, and she hurriedly found someone to bring


    her the key to hand it to the man.


    The cycle of life and death wasmonce here. It was not at all strange to find someone unable to


    ept reality and end their pain earlier. However, I could not be unfazed by that, for I was now a friend


    of a patient in the hospital. If I could, I would like to give a word of advice to that person to keep an


    open mind. Things are not at their worst, was what I would like to tell him.

 Chapter 1639

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1639


    I watched as the negotiator rush away through the emergency exit with his subordinates. It took me


    quite a while before I could snap out of my daze and head to the attending physician¡¯s office to meet


    Ashton.


    Every step I took, the phone in my pocket would vibrate. It was a call.


    Baffled, I fished my phone out, only to see that it was Camelia¡¯s number.


    I thought she¡¯d forgotten all about modern devices.


    With that thought in mind, I epted the call and lifted the phone to my ears, about to ask her where


    she was. ¡°Hello, Camelia¡­¡±


    ¡°May I know if you¡¯re the family member of the owner of this phone?¡±


    I swallowed at the words that had been on the tip of my tongue when I heard the unfamiliar male voice


    from the other end of the line. He sounded emotionless, but somehow, it made pangs of worry shoot


    down my body.


    ¡°Are you talking about Camelia?¡± I asked, bewildered. ¡°What¡¯s the matter with her?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s best that youe to Kingston Hospital. She¡¯s at the top of the roof, about to jump at any


    time!¡±


    My mind went nk for a good two minutes. When I came back to my senses, I darted toward the


    stairwell that the negotiator had headed toward earlier. ¡°I¡¯ll be there right away! Stop her!¡±


    Fortunately, the rooftop was only two floors away. In less than two minutes, after I bypassed the police


    officers, I spotted Camelia as I stood behind the line.


    She was at the edge of the rooftop, and her skirt was billowing in the morning wind. A pretty figure she


    was, nimble and seemingly light on her toes. If not for the dire situation, the sight of her would have


    been a beautiful picture.


    It was how Marcus¡¯ mother left.


    Is she going to leave him this way too?


    ¡°Camelia!¡± My heart was thumping loudly against my ribcage. I did not know what to say to her. All I


    could think of was to force her to focus on the safer grounds.


    When she heard my voice, she turned around and calmly said, ¡°You¡¯re here.¡±


    After a pause, a brittle smile appeared on her face, and she lowered her head. ¡°You¡¯re here so quick.


    There are so many things I haven¡¯t thought of properly yet.¡±


    Just as I was pondering what she was talking about, an officer behind me whispered, ¡°Try to buy time


    with her. The firefighters are on their way. There isn¡¯t anything downstairs to catch her yet.¡±


    What? This is a joke, isn¡¯t it?


    The best hospital in the city, but the firefighters can¡¯t evene in time. Do human lives not matter to


    them?


    Nevertheless, it was not the right time for me to dwell on it. Even if the rm bells were ringing in my


    head, I had to remain calm. Even letting down my guard for a split second might spell the end of


    someone¡¯s life.


    I had once seen with my own eyes someone who sought death. I knew how ruthless and determined


    they had to be to take that one step off the building. Regardless of everything, I did not want to witness


    the same scene ever again.


    ¡°If you haven¡¯t thought about it properly, then take your time. There¡¯s no rush. Marcus was just talking


    about you earlier too.¡± Nervously, I swallowed. My muscles were all tensed up, but still, I tried to keep


    my head clear.


    To her, the name Marcus was always special. As if she was reminded by something, Camelia¡¯s smile


    froze and her face. She slowly turned around before looking at me with cold eyes. ¡°Scarlett, do you


    believe in fate?¡±


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°What?¡± Her words threw me off, but I nodded nheless. ¡°Yes, yes, I do. What is it? Why don¡¯t you


    come over, and let¡¯s have a long talk? Just don¡¯t act rashly.¡±


    I had a n of my own. As I spoke to divert Camelia¡¯s attention, I was inching forward, almost


    unnoticeably, hoping to shorten the distance between us.


    However, I had forgotten the fact that she was a smart woman other than the time she was around


    Marcus. In an instant, she had seen through my action. ¡°Don¡¯te any closer.¡±


    I thought I was hallucinating her words, but she opened her mouth to speak again, this time in an even


    firmer tone. She took a quick, small step back, letting her heels meet the air. Everything would be over


    for her if she were to lose her bnce. ¡°If you don¡¯t want me to jump right away, then stop.¡±


    I was furious but helpless. My feet made the decision before my mind could catch up with them as I


    halted in my tracks. Subconsciously, I raised my hand in a stop gesture. ¡°All right, I won¡¯t move


    anymore, so you shouldn¡¯t move either.¡±


    Threatening another with her own life to get what she wanted was frankly unharmful toward others. Yet,


    it was effective, for what she was using to threaten me into submission was just emotional harm.


    But can I assume that she never cared about our rtionship if she threatens me with her death?

 Chapter 1640

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1640


    It felt like a thorn had lodged itself in my throat, and it refused to go up nor go down. Nevertheless, it


    kept reminding me of its presence, denying me of any moment of peace.


    Fortunately, Camelia did not make any other moves, so the heart in my throat lowered slightly.


    After rposing myself, I said in a much calmer tone than before, ¡°Tell me, Camelia. What do you


    want to agree toe back?¡±


    However, Camelia ignored me and asked, ¡°Did you visit him?¡±


    Marcus?


    It was a few seconds before I nodded. ¡°I just came out of his ward. He¡¯s much better than yesterday


    and he¡¯s finally eating.¡±


    ¡°Ha,¡± came the softugh that escaped from behind Camelia¡¯s lips. The morning sun cast a warm,


    golden veil on her face, but somehow, she still looked miserable. ¡°Then, do you know that they had just


    resuscitated him?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I knew nothing about what she was saying.


    ¡°Last night, he selfishly took himself off the oxygen mask. If it was not for my worrying, I wouldn¡¯t have


    entered his ward to check on him another time. If not for that, what you would have seen in his ward


    today would have been his dead body.¡±


    His dead body.


    It was the second time of the day that I had heard those three words. Every time I heard it, it brought


    me more dread than before.


    It was only when I thought about the smug look Marcus had, then did I realize where he had gotten the


    confidence to do that. At that moment, it felt as if someone had scooped a hole in my heart and let the


    terror rush in to fill its gap.


    The fear of killing oneself would only happen on the first suicide attempt. After that, one would be


    numb. Countless images of my imagination and reality ovepped and reflected on the same ending


    for Marcus. With once came twice, and with twice came countless times. It would truly be a life where


    one only lived for the sake of living and nothing else.


    Unsure of what Camelia was trying to tell me, I tentatively said, ¡°Marcus wants to die, and you¡¯re


    nning to follow in his footsteps? Don¡¯t you care about your parents anymore? Don¡¯t you want your


    child anymore?¡±


    I could vaguely hear the officers whispering to each other behind me.


    ¡°Have you contacted any of her family members?¡±


    ¡°What? The other person on the line said that he doesn¡¯t have a daughter. Apparently, they¡¯ve cut ties a


    long time ago, so he refused to evene here to see her.¡±


    ¡°Are there such cruel parents?¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the time to chat about this. Hurry up and ask where the firefighters are at now.¡±


    Indeed, Camelia had cut ties with her family when she had chosen Marcus; she had broken her


    parents¡¯ hearts.


    Marcus was the only home she had now.


    Btedly, I realized I had said something foolish. I could only hope that Camelia did not want her child


    to be alone.


    A smile curled on Camelia¡¯s lips, but I did not know whether she wasughing at herself or at someone


    else. As if she had made up her mind about something, the look in her eyes abruptly turned sharp. ¡°I¡¯ll


    ask you just one question. Will you marry Marcus and fulfill his wish?¡±


    ¡°So you knew¡­¡± My hands slowly went down, and I did not know what else to say.


    At the end of the day, that term of his would hurt her most.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear that! I just want to know if you¡¯ll do it or not!¡± Camelia¡¯s voice rose higher with each


    word, and by the end of her sentence, her voice cracked.


    At that, I quietly said, ¡°That¡¯s impossible. I¡¯m already Ashton¡¯s wife. I¡¯d havemitted bigamy if I were


    to marry him.¡±


    After a pause, I added, ¡°Even without the legal repercussions, I don¡¯t love Marcus. I won¡¯t make the


    wrong decision. You know best what will happen if you force two people who have no love for each


    other together. Have you not suffered enough all these years?¡±


    The nervousness I felt earlier was slowly forming into a different kind of aggression. The more I spoke,


    the angrier I got, the less control I had over my emotions. ¡°Could you stop putting yourself down like


    this, Camelia?¡± I shrieked.


    It seemed like Camelia never expected me to have an outburst, for she froze after hearing my shout.


    The negotiator by my side even chided me, ¡°Speaking like this to her will easily agitate her. We should


    be prioritizing saving her. You¡¯ll be killing her indirectly by doing this!¡±


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    I could hear that he was angry but afraid that Camelia would notice our conversation. Hence, he had


    said that in a hissing whisper, and I could almost hear him gritting his teeth.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said when I realized I must have made more trouble for them.


    Nevertheless, it was not the right time to dwell on mistakes like those. After a moment of silence,


    Camelia broke down.

 Chapter 1641

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1641


    She stood by the ledge, which was only as wide as a palm, with her hands on her shaking head. ¡°I¡¯m


    sorry, Scarlett. I can¡¯t take it anymore. I¡¯m suffocating seeing all these. Do you know that when I got


    close to him¡ªwhen I felt his cold body and saw the tline on the ECG¡ªI felt a pain you could never


    imagine. The world spun, and it felt like my soul had left with the warmth of his body. At that time, I fell


    to the ground. I knew I can¡¯t live anymore. If not¡­ If not for the nurse passing by the ward at that time, I


    might have followed his footsteps there and then.¡±


    Her eyes were red from crying, and she stared at me as tears kept falling. It felt like I was staring at a


    frightened rabbit. ¡°I¡¯d rather die than to go through that again. Tell me your answer now, Scarlett. Do


    you want us dead or alive?¡±


    Loud white noise exploded in my head. It was as if she had dunked me in an icyke and froze my


    brain.


    Am I forced to be a killer if I stick to my principles?


    The officer behind me urged, ¡°Look at the big picture. Let¡¯s save her first before we talk about anything


    else.¡±


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    The negotiator at the side was even stomping his foot. ¡°Hey,dy. I¡¯m reminding you now that there are


    legal repercussions if you decide to let her die. You¡¯d better think properly on how you¡¯re going to reply


    to her!¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Before I could say that I agreed to her words, Camelia screamed hysterically again, ¡°I don¡¯t want lies!


    Scarlett Stovall, I want you to agree to marry Marcus as soon as possible. Otherwise, even if you stop


    me now, I still have countless ways to die in front of you!¡±


    ¡°Say yes to her! What are you waiting for?¡±


    ¡°You can always get a divorce even if you marry him! What¡¯s the big deal about this? Save her!¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Ashton¡¯s face emerged in my mind, and I lowered my head. In a voice almost inaudible to


    everyone but myself, I said, ¡°I don¡¯t want that. I can¡¯t do it.¡±


    Right as those words left my mouth, the screams of others traveled into my ears.


    ¡°No!¡±


    I snapped my head upward only to see Camelia¡¯s figure stepping off the ledge and falling off the


    building.


    ¡°Camelia!¡±


    Despite everyone running toward her immediately, no one could make it to her side in time.


    I could imagine what I was going to see next¡ªan unmoving husk of a body and the red that would stain


    the entire ground around it.


    Fortunately, that was not what I saw. Instead, what greeted me when I peeked over the edge was a


    gigantic safety air cushion. Camelia was in the middle of it, wrapped protectively by the cushion like a


    newborn baby. It was difficult for us to see whether she was hurt or not from our angle. We could only


    see that she had passed out from the immense impact.


    My heart rate slowed down. Finally, I could calm down and take in a deeper breath.


    Everywhere in the inpatient department, I could see small groups of two to three people. All of them


    were talking about Camelia¡¯s incident with varying responses¡ªfrom indifference to interesting gossip.


    No same misery existed in two people, so it was normal for them to think of the incident as an


    interesting tale to tell.


    However, I found them noisy, so I quietly walked past them with my arms folded.


    After what happened earlier, I finally understood what Camelia felt. The very moment she stepped off


    the ledge, I was willing to give up all my principles to keep her in the living world.


    I¡¯ve got to look for an appropriate way to deal with this.


    ¡°Where have you been?¡± Came Ashton¡¯s familiar voice that snapped me out of the daze I was in.


    Slowly blinking, I watched as he draped his jacket on me with empty eyes.


    Clothes¡­ Jacket¡­ I got it!


    My eyes lighting up, I grabbed his arm and said, ¡°Ashton, I¡¯m going to agree to Marcus¡¯ terms.¡±


    Ashton knitted his brows and lowered his voice, ¡°Say that again.¡±


    Knowing that he had misunderstood what I meant, I gave him a helpless smile before tiptoeing to circle


    my arms around his neck. ¡°I said, you¡¯re going to be a matchmaker.¡±


    Hearing my tone, the gloominess on Ashton¡¯s face dissipated as a smile grew on his lips instead. ¡°Are


    you sure that I¡¯m going to be a matchmaker instead of a cuckold?¡±


    As he spoke, he even vengefully pulled me closer toward him until the two of us were squeezed


    together.

 Chapter 1642

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1642


    As I had finallye up with a way to deal with the situation, I saw no harm in ying along. Pouting, I


    then made him guess. ¡°Well, since you¡¯re a smart man, why don¡¯t you take a guess?¡±


    ¡°Fake marriage?¡± Ashton guessed.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ You¡¯re half-right. Try again!¡± I said with a chuckle.


    All of a sudden, Ashton loosened his grip on me and raised his arm to tidy up the stray strands on my


    forehead instead. In a patient and loving tone, he said, ¡°No matter what it is, you have to remember


    that you¡¯re my wife. No one can change this.¡±


    In the face of his gentleness, my childishness and amusement escaped me.


    ¡°It won¡¯t change. It¡¯ll never change,¡± I reassured him, a reply to his trust.


    At that, Ashton¡¯s brows raised. He then led me back. As we walked, he informed me about what the


    doctors had said.


    Illness caused by radiation was irreversible. Not even the best medical specialists in the world could do


    anything about it. All they could do was rmend various kinds of very costly medication.


    Nevertheless, they could at most extend his life for another month. Moreover, during that time, the


    patient would be in so much pain and would not be able to rest or eat properly.


    To summarize, Marcus was going to live in a world of physical pain and mental torment until he met the


    grim reaper.


    Those words, without a doubt, were a blow to both him and us. If I had known that agony was what


    awaited him, I wondered if I would have seen death as salvation for him instead.


    Perhaps Camelia knew that earlier than us, and that was why she was willing to use her life in


    exchange for the fulfillment of Marcus¡¯ wish, hoping that he would be able to leave this world with a


    smile.


    Although I could understand them now, I could not forgive them. I did not head to Camelia¡¯s ward.


    Instead, I chose to message her: The wedding will be happening soon. However, you¡¯ll have to stay


    alive to witness it.


    She would know whose marriage it would be, so I did not include the details.


    At the start, I thought that Marcus¡¯ condition would improve now that he was willing to eat.


    Unfortunately, that was not what happened. Hourster, his condition deteriorated, and he was almost


    dered to be in a critical condition. Luckily, the doctors managed to treat him in time and pulled him


    out of danger. Still, he became unconscious.


    The me of hope that had just begun burning earlier was blown out again. Thest shred of hope I


    could cling to was for the wedding to be held as soon as possible to lighten his mood.


    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    At nine at night, I left the hospital. As Marcus was suicidal, I had to arrange for a group of people to


    watch over him in shifts. Only after that, then did I feel at ease about going home with Ashton.


    The car slowly drove into the manor. From afar, I could already spot two unfamiliar sports cars parked


    right outside the house. One was red, and one was ck; the shing colors seemed to radiate


    aggression. A distance away from those two cars was a van, but it was not the Fullers¡¯.


    John was the only one at home who liked cars, but he knew his limits; he would not bring his friends


    who also dabbled in cars back home. Therefore, our guests must be someone unexpected.


    ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re such an interesting character! Since we click, why don¡¯t you join in and make big


    bucks with us?¡±


    ¡°Great idea! Let¡¯s do that together!¡±


    ¡°What do you think, John? Come on!¡±


    Even before entering, I could hear the voices of the foreigners inside, speaking loudly in Ustranasion.


    The moment I stepped into the house, I nearly jumped out of my skin.


    A group of towering ck men was standing beside the couch in the living room. It was a grand sight to


    behold.


    Upstairs, Audrey was sprawled by the side of the staircase railing, peeking at the scene downstairs


    through the gaps of the baluster. When her eyes met mine, she even cheekily stuck out her tongue at


    me.


    Immediately, I shot her a warning look, telling her to return to her room. However, I caught the attention


    of the ck men instead.


    ¡°Yo, Stovall, you¡¯re back.¡±


    Somehow, I sensed that he was calling me, so I turned around to look at a smiling dark face.


    The man had a flowery shirt on with a tie, and there was an eye-catching gold chain around his neck.


    He was half a head taller than Ashton; he looked intimidating, and I took a step back in rm


    subconsciously.


    Right before he could hug me, I reached out my hand to press against his chest so that he would not


    come any closer.


    In the next second, Ashton took a step forward to separate me and the ck man.


    A scowl was on his face, and he looked positively murderous. He said nothing, but the look on his face


    told the others everything that was on his mind.

 Chapter 1643

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1643


    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1643


    Males of all creatures could always sense the danger within the shortest time possible.


    The ck man was evidently wary of Ashton, for he did notment on Ashton¡¯s action. His arms


    remained outstretched in front of him, but he shrugged and took two steps back.


    ¡°Come on, Fuller. We¡¯re buddies. Don¡¯t get so mad.¡± The ck man smiled as he let his arms return to


    his side. Then, he politely reached out a hand and introduced himself, ¡°It¡¯s me, Lucas. We should¡¯ve


    met earlier.¡±


    Ashton¡¯s eyes swept past his hand before he pressed his lips together. ¡°I don¡¯t remember you.¡±


    Ashton never once nned to shake hands with him.


    In the end, Lucas awkwardly retracted his hand as an embarrassed look crept upon his face.


    However, Ashton ignored him. He turned around and escorted me to the couch as he asked John,


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    John took in a deep breath before gesturing to the side. ¡°This is Lucas and that¡¯s Quince.¡±


    It was then we noticed that Lucas was not the only important figure there. On the couch was a shorter


    ck man. As he was much thinner and smaller in size, his subordinates had blocked him from our


    vision, and that was why we did not notice him until then.


    He must be Quince.


    After a pause, John added, ¡°They¡¯re the leaders of M Country¡¯s number one gang, Skull.¡±


    God. This can¡¯t be the Skull I know, right? Is this the horrendous gang thatmits numerous


    atrocious killings? Even the authorities in M Country can¡¯t do anything about them.


    Clinging to hope, I nced at John hoping to see a hint telling me that he was not serious. Sadly, no


    miracles happened.


    The only things behind the friendliness of strangers are money and power. It was easy to guess what


    they were at our ce for.


    The rich and the powerful were easy targets. Fuller Corporation was thergestpany that had


    managed to expand its business into five countries, and many were eager to cut a piece of Fuller


    Corporation for themselves.


    Those who took the legal route woulde to Fuller Corporation with business proposals, hoping to be


    the lucky one among the millions. Regardless of everything, Fuller Corporation remained the one to


    decide.


    However, it was apparent that our guests were not going to do things by the book.


    Nevertheless, Ashton was unfazed. He looked at John serenely, signaling him to provide a longer


    exnation.


    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    John was half-slumped on the couch, and his head rested on his arm. He made a circling motion


    around his temple with his other hand and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t Summer about to open a club? I don¡¯t know


    where these two guys got their news from, but they want to be in it.¡±


    They¡¯re here for Summer?


    Is the number one gang from overseas that short of money?


    Let¡¯s put the issue of whether or not Summer¡¯s club will seed or fail aside first. Even if it does open


    up for business, it¡¯s only within K City. It¡¯ll be a small business, and they¡¯d essentially be stealing from a


    kid. Aren¡¯t they embarrassed?


    ¡°Where¡¯s Summer?¡± Ashton asked.


    ¡°She isn¡¯t back yet,¡± John told him. ¡°Summer¡¯s a busy girl now.¡±


    Good, I thought. There was ack of shame and morals in the underground world, so it was better for


    the child to avoid dealing with them.


    While they were not paying attention to me, I sneakily tugged Ashton¡¯s sleeve, wanting him to not let


    Summer deal with them.


    Ashton gave me a barely-discernible nod before hinting to me not to get anxious. It seemed like he had


    a n.


    With that sign, I rxed a little. Then, a thought popped into my head, and I hurriedly called Joseph to


    my side. ¡°Mr. Campbell,e over for a second.¡±


    Joseph, the smart man he was, knew that I did not want to catch anyone else¡¯s attention, so he


    hunched over to get closer to me.


    ¡°Guard the door. Once Summer is back, let her return to her room via the side door,¡± I whispered to


    him.


    ¡°Understood,¡± Joseph replied before walking toward the door.


    Quince noticed Joseph¡¯s action, and he narrowed his eyes and let them trail Joseph to the doorway.


    Fortunately, we were at the Fuller residence, so he did not act on his observation. However, when he


    noticed my gaze, he curled his lips into a smile that did not reach his eyes. That smile sent shudders


    running down my spine.

 Chapter 1644

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1644


    I averted my eyes before remembering about the spying Audrey upstairs.


    That girl¡¯s really brave, huh? A normal kid would start crying for their mother at the sight of a foreign


    ck man in the house. Not only did she not cry, but she¡¯s even spying from behind the baluster.


    Carefully, I chanced a nce at where Audrey had been earlier, d to see that it was empty.


    She must have listened to me and gone back to my room.


    John had raised Audrey abroad all along, and she was the apple of his eye, so she had a little stubborn


    streak of her own. Fortunately, she was still an obedient child when she was with the family.


    ¡°Okay, Stovall, Fuller. Let me tell you my n!¡± Lucas was vastly different from Quince. First of all, he


    was much taller and cruder. Furthermore, he was rather enthusiastic and immersed in his own world.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be the ones in charge of opening the clubs, starting from K City to the rest of the country. You


    can leave the security details to us. The headquarters of Skull will be based in K City. As for the deal


    with the Chanaean police, we¡¯ll go into more detailster.¡±


    ¡°Stop,¡± Ashton interrupted Lucas¡¯ train of thought. Immediately, the room fell silent.


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    Fortunately, it seemed like they had learned about Chanaea¡¯s way of hosting guests before they came,


    so they were not angry about his interruption. Instead, Lucas beamed and gestured for him to speak as


    he patiently waited to hear him.


    ¡°The club isn¡¯t nning to take over the country nor do we have any ns to coborate with others,¡±


    Ashton said, dismissing Lucas¡¯ entire n.


    However, Lucas thought Ashton was not done with his piece, for he continued to smile and wait for him


    to continue.


    Once he was done, Ashton pressed his lips together and fell silent. He did not have any thoughts of


    trying to soften the revtion for the other man at all.


    As seconds ticked away, the atmosphere turned tenser and tenser, and the smile on Lucas¡¯ face faded


    away.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, what do you mean? Do you think that our organization isn¡¯t fit to do business with your


    daughter?¡± Quince questioned.


    I knew it. I knew he was up to no good. I¡¯m right all along! He¡¯s waiting to stir things up all this time.


    Nevertheless, who was Ashton? Even when he was powerless in J City, he had already made his move


    against Cameron and Zachary. The word fear was never in his dictionary.


    Without any changes in his expression, he let his right leg cross his left and adjusted himself into a


    morefortable position. Only then, he nonchntly replied, ¡°Kids have their own ways of doing


    things, and we¡¯ve got to give them an opportunity to try things out. If you¡¯d like to talk business with me,


    then you¡¯re always wee. However, if you¡¯re thinking ofying a finger on my daughter, then you


    should turn right once you¡¯re out of the house and take a left turn at the sixth traffic light.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Quince asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s one of the jurisdictions of K City¡¯s cops,¡± John said with a half-grin. Clearly, he was enjoying the


    show, and the look in his eyes would infuriate anyone it was directed to.


    Lucas and Quince took two seconds to figure out what he was talking about. Once they realized what


    cops were, Lucas mmed his hand on the armrest and jumped to his feet. ¡°What do you mean,


    Fuller?¡±


    People like them hated the police the most. Of course, that excluded the ones who worked for them.


    All of a sudden, the atmosphere in the room turned tense. The few underlings behind Lucas had also


    sneakily put their hands into the pockets of their suits.


    Ashton still had a cold look when he raised his head to stare into the other¡¯s man frenzied eyes. In a


    t tone, he said, ¡°I meant what I said. There¡¯s a saying in Chanaea that I¡¯d like to enlighten you with¡ª


    thieves are the only ones whoe uninvited.¡±


    To my surprise, Lucas shrugged and put on a hurt look. ¡°Why do you say that? Your woman has told


    me that visiting foreign friends brings joy. I thought you¡¯d be happy.¡±


    ¡°My woman?¡±


    ¡°His what woman?¡±


    Both Ashton and I spoke almost simultaneously. Then, we shared a look before quietly turning back to


    Lucas, waiting for his answer.


    ¡°Larson, isn¡¯t it?¡± Lucas hastily exined. He then snapped his fingers at one of his subordinates


    behind him, and one of them fished out a stack of photos to hand it to him.


    Lucas then threw the photos onto the table and said, ¡°Look, isn¡¯t this you?¡±


    I did not know why he was abruptly furious. Bewildered, I stepped forward to take the photos before


    sitting back on the couch to examine them with Ashton.

 Chapter 1645

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1645


    Once we went through the photos, we realized what was going on.


    While Reba and Ashton were indeed in the photos, the photos had been photoshopped.


    They were various photos of Ashton and Reba, who had undergone stic surgery, in different


    ces. I could see that Reba was the one initiating the intimacy between them.


    It was not the first time I had seen such photos, but thest time I saw it, Reba still had her original


    face.


    Hence, I realized what happened right away. Reba had gone overseas and used Ashton¡¯s name to


    trick the gang members before throwing the responsibility to us.


    She was right; she had sessfully disgusted us.


    What ill fate.


    Ashton took the photos from my hands, put them back on the table, and pushed them to Lucas. Then,


    he said in a solemn tone, ¡°I don¡¯t know this woman.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know this woman?¡± Clearly, Lucas did not think well of his reply. ¡°Are you saying that we¡¯re


    trying to trick you?¡±


    At the end of the day, the matter started because of us. At this point, regardless of whether Ashton and


    Reba were associated or not, Quince and Lucas hade for Ashton¡¯s influential power. That was


    something we could not deny.


    It was apparent to me from Lucas¡¯ earlier attitude that he wanted something from me too, and I had


    realized that I had to set things right. Hence, I interrupted, ¡°Calm down, Mr. Lucas, that isn¡¯t what my


    husband meant. However, since we¡¯re both saying two different things, it has be important for us


    to find out the authenticity of these photos. Mr. Lucas, you have many talented men with you, so I¡¯m


    sure you¡¯ll be able to have someone authenticate them, right?¡±


    Although Reba¡¯s move in framing us for this was an excellent one, she had forgotten something


    important. In K City, she was a dead woman. Having a new start with a new face meant that the woman


    who once had a rtionship with Ashton was no longer around.


    Both Ashton and I knew what the results of their authentication would be, but letting them do it would


    convince them better.


    Although people like Lucas earned their money through illicit means, they were rather reasonable and


    strict with their own rules. Even if they were to lose their dignity, they would not fly into a rage when


    faced with the truth. Hence, I was certain that things would not go out of our control.


    Indeed, Lucas frowned after hearing my words. He paled as if I had caught him red-handed, and he


    stammered, ¡°O-Of course.¡±


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    At that, Ashton and I exchanged a nce, and the both of us knew that things were going our way.


    ¡°Well, then, do ask your men to authenticate the photos. Once the results are out, we¡¯ll all know the


    truth, won¡¯t we?¡± I said softly with a smile.


    They wereing after Ashton¡¯s assets and power. In other words, they wereing after the entire


    Chanaea¡¯s grey area businesses. I was almost sure that she must have tempted them with the idea of


    a bright future in a gilded empire. That idea must have then been so enticing that they only thought of


    meeting their future business partner and neglected the need to authenticate the photos. It was only


    after hearing our words, then did they finally realize that they had been tricked.


    Despite that being the fact, I knew it was not a good idea to embarrass them by being too frank about


    it.


    After all, a cornered animal would bite back and the force behind that bite would be unimaginable.


    Therefore, despite everything, Reba had indeed sent us a bomb.


    Lucas was blinking, clearly thinking of how to proceed with everything. Unfortunately, his brain did not


    seem to have grown with his body size, for he could note up with anything. Slowly, a stumped look


    crept upon his face.


    However, I knew Lucas was not the terrifying one between the two.


    As I expected, the smaller man¡ªthe slyer one¡ªspoke again, and he threw the me on Ashton.


    ¡°That¡¯s just a trivial matter. We¡¯vee from a farawaynd with nothing but sincerity. Even if the


    photos turn out to be fake, are you still not nning to work with us, Fuller?¡±


    If I were someone else, I would have apuded him for his well-chosen words. He had made me and


    Ashton, be certain that Quince was the brains of the organization. Unlike Quince, everything


    Lucas thought about was written on his face.


    Nevertheless, there was something I could not wrap my mind around about.


    Why would a scheming, witty man like Quince be willing to share his power with someone simple-


    minded like Lucas?

 Chapter 1646

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1646


    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1646


    Still, all of these were minor issues. Dealing with Quince would be ten times tougher than dealing with


    Lucas. Quince had already stated his goal¡ªregardless of the authenticity of those photos, they were


    already in K City, so they were not going to return empty-handed. If we did not agree to their terms,


    then he would assume that we were deliberately going against them and looking down on them.


    Even ordinary people would be livid being looked down on by another, let alone gang members like


    them. In order to make sure that they would not return empty-handed, the next course of action they


    might take would be to destroy all of Fuller Corporation¡¯s businesses.


    After all, it was the typical act of the petty. If I can¡¯t get it, you can¡¯t too.


    Ashton feared threats the least, so I thought he would mercilessly send these people out of the house


    like he usually would. To my surprise, he calmly looked at Quince with a small smile.


    I knew Ashton too well. The more he acted in this way, the more dangerous he was.


    Ashton was a man who could kill without leaving any traces behind. However, there were over ten


    thousand members in Skull. If anything were to happen to their two leaders in Chanaea, those men in


    M Country might find their way over to Chanaea. If anything were to go wrong, they would hold us


    ountable.


    Nevertheless, Summer was still so young, and it was only her first business. How could we let her live


    among the vultures?


    As of now, there seemed to be no other way than to lure them to ourselves so that Summer would not


    have to deal with them. However, that would mean that we would involve thepany and our family


    in the mess. It was a very tough decision, so I was stumped.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Ashton suddenly said. ¡°We can work together.¡±


    He had always been a man of ns. Although we were surprised by his abrupt agreement, neither


    John nor I said anything about it. Even though we argued at home, we would always stand on the


    same side when outsiders were involved. After all, we were a family.


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s the right call you¡¯ve made, Fuller.¡±


    Lucas¡¯ frown disappeared the moment he heard Ashton relent. He stood up joyously and plopped


    himself down beside John again. As he was a heavy man, the couch sank, and John was nearly sent


    flying upward.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    Lucas then reached out past John¡¯s head to rest his arm on thetter¡¯s shoulder and merrily said,


    ¡°Remember what I was saying earlier? We¡¯re the best business partners in the world!¡±


    John had the figure of a model. Among our own people, he towered over them. Yet, he looked like a


    child beside Lucas.


    ¡°Stop it! Stoping any closer to me. I¡¯m not gay, okay?¡± John smacked Lucas¡¯ hand away before


    dusting his shoulder in disgust. As he did that, he said, ¡°He¡¯s him, and I¡¯m me. The old man is watching


    over the Stovall family, I¡¯d dare you to do it if you¡¯re trying to end our business right as we start.¡±


    Upon hearing John¡¯s words, I guessed that he must have told them about Louis¡¯ identity before we


    came home. It was because when ¡°the old man¡± was mentioned, Lucas shed him a polite smile


    before stopping the topic.


    Nevertheless, Ashton took it as a sign to say, ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m worried about. The Stovalls are raised in


    a strict environment, and Uncle Louis is about to leave the political scene. Perhaps you don¡¯t know, but


    Stovall Corporation isn¡¯t the onlypany that has to undergo frequent investigations from the relevant


    department; ourpany has to go through those as well. I¡¯d have to ask if you¡¯d be able to take these


    losses.¡±


    Lucas waved his hand in an arc and dismissed it. ¡°They¡¯re just cops. We can either use money or guns


    to deal with them.¡±


    Ashton subtly lowered his head as a meaningful grin grew on his lips.


    I smiled as well before saying, ¡°Perhaps you don¡¯t know how impressive the Chanaeanw is. Not long


    ago, a politician called Grant had been taken off his position. After his incident, the internal


    investigations will only be more vigorous and thorough. Thew enforcement officers won¡¯t be merciful


    anymore. Regardless of who you are, no one who breaks thew can escape. So, even after finding


    out about this, will you two still invest your life¡¯s savings into Chanaea?¡±


    I had to admit that Ashton¡¯s reaction was swift. Once the issue ofw was on the table, confidence


    swelled in my chest.


    If they could create a diversion, then I could find a roundabout way to deal with them.

 Chapter 1647

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1647


    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1647


    It was not that we did not want to work with them, but that thew did not allow us to work with them.


    No matter how powerful Skull was, they would not dare to go against thew of a country.


    For a moment, I wanted tomend myself for the abrupt improvement of my ability to shift the me


    onto others.


    I let myself be smug for a second as I reached out to grab Ashton¡¯s hand on his knee. It was a gesture


    of gratitude for the skill he had been teaching me for years.


    Finally, I could say that I, too, had a Ph.D. in the me game.


    It was a fine line between calmness and hastiness when personal profit was involved.


    Skull was well established in M Country, so every move they made there was watched closely by M


    Country¡¯s local authorities. Why they had tried to enter the Chanaean market without hesitation was


    because they realized that Chanaea did not know them well enough to be wary of them. That way, they


    would be able to get rich quickly.


    Therefore, Ashton¡¯s talk about the legal matters had poured cold water on their idea. The money they


    had envisioned to be in their hands had grown wings and flown off, so neither Quince nor Lucas had a


    smile on their faces. Yet, they could not lose their tempers with us, so they had to suppress their anger


    until their faces turned bright red and the look in their eyes turned murderous.


    Most of the time, being on the winning side in a situation like that would not be any good news, for we


    did not know how powerful they were. We certainly do not want things to spiral out of control.


    The tension in the room was palpable, almost unbearable. It felt like a war between us was going to


    break out at any time.


    Right then, footsteps came from the outside. It was Summer and Jareding back with Joseph


    trailing behind them. He shot me an apologetic look for not having been able to stop them.


    ¡°We can work together,¡± Summer said in a raised voice as she strode toward the center of the living


    room. After giving us a reassuring nce, she turned to Lucas and Quince. ¡°Misters, we meet again.¡±


    It seemed like the two of them had already gone to look for Summer at the club.


    Lucas¡¯ lips curled, and he lifted his head to look into her eyes. In a cold tone, he said, ¡°It¡¯s been a day,


    Ms. Summer. Have youe to a decision? Shall we do business together?¡±


    Aposed smile on Summer¡¯s face, she answered, ¡°I¡¯ve heard everything you¡¯ve said earlier. What


    Mom and Dad have said is what I think as well. Niche businesses like the ones you want will not work


    in broad daylight here. The club is under Fuller Corporation, so it has the same business goals as


    Fuller Corporation. Naturally, we¡¯ll be doing legitimate business. There will be no exceptions to that.¡±


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    ¡°Then, what did you mean by we can work together earlier?¡± Quince cut in.


    Summer turned around to look into his eyes, unafraid. ¡°It¡¯s simple. As long as the businesses you do


    are legal and meets Fuller Corporation¡¯s industrial needs, then both the club and other businesses of


    Fuller Corporation will be more than happy to cooperate with you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just messing with us!¡± Lucas bellowed as he leaped to his feet. ¡°You know what kind of


    business we¡¯re in!¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± John jumped off the couch and shoved Lucas in the chest.


    Caught off guard, Lucas took a few steps back before he found his bnce again. When he realized


    that John was the one who had pushed him, a look of disbelief appeared on his face. ¡°Are you


    serious?¡±


    ¡°Am I serious? I¡¯m always serious with whoeverys a finger on my precious niece!¡± John then undid


    his jacket and stuffed his hands into his pants pocket. It had been a while since he looked as arrogant


    as that.


    The tension in the room was like a taut bowstring, both parties ready to strike.


    ¡°You¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    ¡°Summer,¡± Ashton suddenly called out before Lucas could say anything else. ¡°Come over and sit


    beside your mother.¡±


    Hearing that, I quickly motioned her toe to me. Summer was always an obedient girl, so she


    wasted no time before turning around.


    Just as she sat down, Ashton parted his lips.


    ¡°My daughter has told you what the Fuller family¡¯s stand. We¡¯ve shown you our sincerity, but it¡¯s up to


    you if you want to work with us.¡±


    ¡°Sincerity?¡± Lucas sneered. ¡°What kind of sincerity is this? You¡¯re clearly asking us to leave!¡±


    Ashton ignored him and turned to Quince instead. ¡°Mr. Quince, is this what you think as well?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you fully understand what kind of situation you¡¯re in!¡± Livid, Lucas moved his hand toward


    his waist. From my angle, I could catch a glimpse of the gun there.

 Chapter 1648

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1648


    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1648


    ¡°Hold on.¡± Just as things were going to go south, Quince raised his hand to gesture for him to halt.


    ¡°Why?¡± Lucas evidently could not read Quince¡¯s mind. ¡°Can¡¯t you see that these people are toying with


    us?¡±


    However, Quince grinned. His eyes were glued on Ashton as he enunciated, ¡°As expected of the


    richest man in Chanaea. You¡¯re a good judge in both things and people. I will thank you on behalf of


    the organization for your goodwill, and we¡¯ll consider your offer.¡±


    After a pause, he cocked his head to the side and looked at me solemnly. ¡°Regardless of whether we¡¯ll


    get to work together or not, we won¡¯t forget the benefits you have offered to us. Do wait for good news


    from us, Stovall.¡±


    With that said, he stood up and gave us a curt nod as a farewell before turning to leave. ¡°We¡¯ll take our


    leave now.¡±


    Lucas was confounded, and it took him several seconds to snap back to his senses. ¡°What the f*ck are


    you doing?¡±


    Then, he spat on the ground before begrudgingly following Quince out.


    The sounds of the sports cars¡¯ engines revved up outside, and soon, they disappeared into the dark.


    Finally, the night was peaceful again.


    ¡°D*mn those bast*rds!¡± John cursed as he sat back down on the couch. As he tidied his clothes, he


    grumbled under his breath, ¡°That guy isn¡¯t gay, is he? He kept touching me. F*ck!¡±


    It had been so many years, but still, he did not have a brain-to-mouth filter; he still swore relentlessly in


    front of the children.


    I shook my head, exasperated, and pretended as though I had heard nothing. Instead, I quickly asked


    Summer, ¡°Did theye after you before this? Why didn¡¯t you say anything to us?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Mom.¡± Summer seemed optimistic. ¡°I¡¯ll have to deal with the club eventually, so I thought why


    not start now? However, I never thought they woulde to the house. I¡¯m sorry to have troubled you


    both.¡± She held my hand.


    The way Summer behaved was so sensible and courteous. That left me at a loss as to how I should


    close the gap between us. It felt like everything I said would be empty promises and nothing useful. I


    could only sigh inwardly.


    ¡°You¡¯re right to apologize,¡± said Ashton suddenly.


    Summer spun around. Like me, she never thought that Ashton would have actually med her for the


    situation. After a moment of contemtion, she lowered her head and softly said, ¡°Sorry, Father, I¡¯ll do


    my best. I won¡¯t make the same mistake next time.¡±


    ¡°Did you think that I¡¯m berating you for not being able to deal with those two men?¡± Ashton¡¯s expression


    was grave, and his tone was icy. It was the same demeanor he had when he used to lecture Gregory.


    Confusion was written on Summer¡¯s face. She frowned, but she did not reply to him.


    Ashton stared at her for a while, and the temperature in the room dropped. Finally, he enunciated, ¡°Mr.


    Cress.¡±


    Jared, who had been standing in the corner, stepped forward when he heard Ashton. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Someone in M Country has contacted me and told me that they would like to invite you to be a lecturer


    in their university. You¡¯ll be treated well there, and I¡¯ve agreed to it on your behalf. Your flight is


    tomorrow afternoon, so go ahead and make the necessary preparations for it,¡± Ashton told him.


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Jared frowned and fell silent.


    At the same time, Summer tightened her grip on my hand.


    Even I was taken aback by how Ashton was suddenly sending Jared away.


    ¡°Your silence is your agreement,¡± Ashton dered. With that said, he uncrossed his legs, stood up, and


    went upstairs. ¡°Say your farewells.¡±


    Soon, he disappeared behind the corner of the stairwell.


    Only after he was gone, then did Summer let a reluctant look creep on her face. Quietly she asked,


    ¡°Mommy, what did Mr. Cress do wrong to make Daddy mad?¡±


    ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t be mad?¡± John scoffed at the side.


    When I raised my head to look at Jared, I realized that he did not have any other expressions than the


    usual one he wore. He still looked like the honest, mellow man he usually was.


    However, Jared was not someone to be judged by his cover.


    Maybe Ashton noticed something.


    ¡°Calm down.¡± I patted the back of Summer¡¯s hand to console her. ¡°Let me ask him.¡±

 Chapter 1649

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1649


    Chapter 1649 Sending Jared Away 2


    ¡°All right,¡± Summer answered gratefully. ¡°Thanks, Mommy.¡±


    ¡°Silly girl.¡± I ruffled her hair like I used to do with Audrey. Right then, it seemed like we were intimate


    without the usual courtesy and distance.


    Afterforting Summer, I got up and went upstairs.


    Before entering my room, something prompted me to turn at my shoulder. I saw a child¡¯s shirt


    disappearing behind a tall vase in the corner.


    It was only a tiny part, but I immediately knew who it was.


    Pretending not to see anything, I pushed the doorknob down and entered the room.


    The living room was empty, and I heard the sound of flowing watering from the bathroom. I strode


    over and leaned on the wall nonchntly. Raising my voice to make sure he could hear it, I said,


    ¡°Shaun is too curious. I think he was observing our discussion with Quince and the others.¡±


    Perhaps it was Audrey who told him to go outside, but I wasn¡¯t sure about that.


    ¡°Go on,¡± Ashton¡¯s deep voice prompted.


    I pursed my lips and decided to ask what was niggling on my mind. ¡°Why did you send Jared away?¡±


    After so many years, people had changed. I still remembered that I was the one who couldn¡¯t ept


    Jared, but Ashton insisted that his friend would turn over a new leaf.


    Why did he change his mind all of a sudden?


    Right after I asked him that, the door was pushed open with a click. Ashton walked out with a towel


    wrapped around his waist. He wiped his hair dry as he strode toward the living room. ¡°There¡¯s no more


    reason for him to stay.¡±


    He then sat on the couch.


    ¡°But Summer is used to his presence,¡± I said, going over to him. cing my palms on the back of the


    sofa, I told him about Summer¡¯s thoughts.


    At my words, Ashton froze briefly before turning to face me. He shed an indulgent smile. ¡°Even so,


    can¡¯t you see what the problem is, Honey?¡±


    I frowned in confusion. ¡°What is the problem?¡±


    In fact, Jared had spent more time with Summer than us. It had been proven that he meant well. There


    was no harm in letting him stay since Summer liked him.


    ¡°Come here.¡± Ashton patted the empty space beside him and gestured for me to go over to him.


    I scurried over as told and gazed at him earnestly. ¡°Can you say it now?¡±


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    Ashton gave me a smile as he ced his palms on my shoulders, forcing me to turn around. His hands


    roamed all over my tensed muscles.


    As an aching sensation red up on my back, I heaved a sigh of relief subconsciously. After spending


    the whole day at the hospital, I didn¡¯t get enough rest. I had forgotten about that, but it didn¡¯t slip


    Ashton¡¯s mind.


    ¡°It¡¯s easy,¡± Ashton answered as he massaged my shoulders in a skilled manner. Slowly, he revealed,


    ¡°Never mind if Summer is used to Jared¡¯spany. Didn¡¯t you hear how they lied to us about getting in


    touch with someone like Quince?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded reluctantly, for Ashton was right. ¡°I did miss that.¡±


    People who read the international news would know how dangerous Quince was. Summer was


    inexperienced, and this wasn¡¯t Jared¡¯s forte, so they might¡¯ve exposed their weaknesses to Quince


    without knowing it. If Quince and his men used that to ckmail them, they¡¯d die a horrible death.


    Ashton wanted to make an example out of Jared to teach Summer a lesson. He meant well, but his


    approach was too hard.


    Summer has epted Jared as her teacher since young. If we don¡¯t give him a chance and send him


    away, ignoring her wishes, I¡¯m afraid Summer will just stay away from us.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we give him a stern warning?¡± I suggested. ¡°Let¡¯s not be this harsh. Besides, I don¡¯t think


    Jared will leave just like that.¡±


    As a woman, I was in the opinion that when a man had failed the woman who loved him dearly and


    gave him a child, he should spend the rest of his life with the child to make up for his mistake.

 Chapter 1650

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1650


    After all, one could only learn from one¡¯s mistakes by facing them and shouldering all the


    consequences that followed fearlessly.


    Ashton stopped massaging me. ¡°He doesn¡¯t have a choice.¡±


    After a brief pause, he changed the topic. ¡°Let me put it this way. If we¡¯re on the brink of death, who


    would you choose between me and our children? You can only pick one.¡±


    I thought he was insinuating something and immediately tensed up. Pulling his hands away, I turned to


    face him and replied firmly, ¡°That day won¡¯te again.¡±


    This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Chuckling, Ashton wrapped his arms around me and asked, ¡°Just assume it did happen. Who will you


    pick? Me or the kids?¡±


    Realizing it was a joke, I rxed visibly. As I pondered about it, I swayed my body, causing Ashton to


    sway along with me on the couch. ¡°I¡¯ll pick the kids. They are still young and have a long way to go.


    We¡¯re getting old now, so it doesn¡¯t matter if our lives end now. If something happens to you, I¡¯ll leave


    with you!¡±


    Without knowing it, I had my arms wrapped around Ashton¡¯s neck like a ko bear. Winking at him, I


    tried to fish for praise.


    My answer was satisfactory. Though I had picked the kids, we would end up together. There was no


    way he¡¯d seethe in jealousy at my answer.


    Ashton didn¡¯t seem surprised at all. ¡°I thought the same, too.¡±


    The grin on his face widened as he exined, ¡°That¡¯s the exact reason why Jared needs to leave. With


    him here, you¡¯ll never be Summer¡¯s top priority. Scar, my ranking in your heart doesn¡¯t matter. But


    those whom you prioritize should prioritize you too. That way, even when I¡¯m no longer by your side,


    you won¡¯t be the children¡¯s second choice.¡±


    What¡¯s wrong with him? He¡¯s making me tear up. He is ying the bad guy and wants everyone to


    prioritize me. Isn¡¯t he afraid that the kids will detest him?


    ¡°But Summer will love you less for that.¡±


    As though he was coaxing a child, his voice turned gentle. ¡°The person who gave birth to me and those


    who brought me up hated me. It doesn¡¯t matter if someone else shares their sentiments. I just want you


    to be happy.¡±


    ¡°Why are you so considerate¡­¡± My voice was thick with tears. It seemed that a simple gesture would


    make tears roll down my cheeks.


    ¡°To me, that isn¡¯t enough,¡± Ashton revealed with a long sigh. He tightened his grip and continued, ¡°It


    was because of me that Jared had six whole years to take Summer away from you. I shall get back


    everything that belongs to you.¡±


    I snuggled in his arms silently, not daring to utter a word. Even my breathing was controlled.


    It took a long time before I could calm downpletely. I decided to look for an appropriate way to


    clear the air between Ashton and Summer.


    I was about to part my lips when someone knocked on the door. Knock! Knock!


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    The door opened, revealing Summer, who walked in.


    ¡°Daddy, Mommy, are you going to sleep soon? Can we talk?¡± she asked carefully.


    It was obvious why she was here¡ªto help Jared.


    Besides her own ns, this was the first time Summer took the initiative to help someone else. As her


    mother, I didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry.


    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s tough to repair our rtions!¡± I stared at Ashton and whispered.


    Though our family was usually harmonious and happy, if something were to happen, the kids knew


    they had to get their father¡¯s approval first.


    Calmly, Ashton removed his hands from my shoulders and straightened his figure on the soft. Parting


    his lips, he told her, ¡°Come, have a seat.¡±


    Summer nodded and came over to sit on the couch on Ashton¡¯s left. After brief contemtion, she took


    a deep breath and looked up.

 Chapter 1651

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1651


    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1651


    ¡°Daddy, Mommy, I was wrong for not informing you about the club beforehand. I should¡¯ve asked for


    your opinions. I¡¯m sorry for acting rashly. It was all my fault, so I shall bear all the responsibility. I


    promise you it won¡¯t happen again,¡± she apologized sincerely.


    It was obvious that she had learned from the painful mistake.


    Nevertheless, one had to think logically. Summer was still young, so she could gain more experience in


    the future. Thus, that wasn¡¯t Ashton¡¯s priority.


    Children were supposed to trust and depend on their family, and a family should go through all


    obstacles together, but perhaps the years of mathematical equations had worn away her emotions.


    She could analyze a problem rationally and find the urate answer easily, but she wasn¡¯t


    experienced with the ways of the world.


    Ashton was unfazed, and it seemed like he wasn¡¯t satisfied with her exnation.


    He treated both Summer and Audrey the same, for he loved me. Though Jared used to be his best


    friend and was important to Summer, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to forgive Jared.


    Summer and I waited for Ashton to speak. However, as the air turned awkward, it was obvious he


    wasn¡¯t going to say anything.


    I didn¡¯t want to disappoint Summer. Before I could part my lips to say something, Ashton pressed down


    on my hand and frowned, signaling me to not cause more trouble.


    ¡°Now that you know your mistake, it¡¯s not toote for you to change. Mommy and Daddy trust that you


    can do better in the future,¡± Ashton replied. It was clear that he wasn¡¯t about to mention Jared.


    However, though it wasn¡¯t spoken out loud, his name resonated in everyone¡¯s heart.


    Jared¡¯s name was like a rope hanging between the two of them. They were holding both ends, secretly


    tugging but refusing to be the first one to loosen their grips.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Mm.¡± Summer nodded. She hesitated, wanting to plead for her teacher¡¯s forgiveness, but Ashton¡¯s


    stern look had stumped her.


    The silence was really tormenting. I couldn¡¯t take it any longer. Putting up an act, I stood up and


    headed for the wine cab. ¡°Want a drink so you can sleep better tonight?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Ashton replied indifferently.


    I took two sses and uncorked a bottle of wine. Without looking at their figures in the living room, I


    said, ¡°Summer is still young. I¡¯ll ask Mrs. Eriksen to prepare a ss of warm milk for you. You shouldn¡¯t


    be drinking wine.¡±


    ¡°Got it, Mommy,¡± came Summer¡¯s soft reply. I could barely hear her from where I was standing. Just


    like Gregory, she felt stressed out when facing Ashton alone.


    Drinking wine was just an excuse to lighten the mood. Worried that the tension might heighten, I only


    poured a little wine before returning to them.


    Just as I handed one ss to Ashton, Summer rose to her feet.


    ¡°I¡¯m done. I shall take my leave now,¡± she told us.


    ¡°Oh? That soon?¡± I was surprised.


    Why is she leaving before stating her purpose?


    Summer pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m a bit tired today.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t force her to stay. ¡°All right, then. Go to bed if you¡¯re tired. You can wake upter tomorrow.


    Remember, we¡¯ll always support you. Don¡¯t be too hard on yourself. You¡¯ve always been excellent, so


    there¡¯s no need for you to prove yourself, okay?¡±


    ¡°I know what to do. Thanks, Mommy. Good night!¡±


    ¡°Good night.¡±


    Having said that, Summer turned and walked out of the room before shutting the door lightly.


    As though nothing had happened, Ashton swirled the winess in his hand slowly. The light shone on


    him, illuminating his lips that curved up slightly.


    ¡°You just hurt your daughter¡¯s feelings, but you don¡¯t feel upset at all,¡± I joked. Turning at my shoulder, I


    finished the wine in a gulp.

 Chapter 1652

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1652


    Ashton reached out to take the winess from me before cing it on the coffee table out of my reach.


    Mirth shone in his eyes as he replied, ¡°Why should I be upset? Can¡¯t you see how delighted I am?¡±


    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Delighted?¡± I repeated, dumbfounded.


    Do all men think bullying girls is a way to show their love?


    ¡°Ashton, you should take lessons to learn how to be a good father.¡±


    Summer was still a child, so he shouldn¡¯t express his feelings and expectations to her as though she


    were an adult. His harsh actions might backfire on an adult, let alone a child.


    ¡°Seriously? I don¡¯t have to learn how to do that,¡± said Ashton smugly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you realize Summer has


    chosen us?¡±


    ¡°Did she?¡± I couldn¡¯t understand what he was talking about. ¡°But neither of you mention Jared, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we didn¡¯t.¡± Ashton looked up and sipped on his wine. His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed as he swallowed


    the wine. His lips stained red, he answered slowly, ¡°Summer decided to stay silent when faced with a


    choice of defending Jared or go against us. No one urged or forced her to make that decision.¡±


    He paused to study me momentarily as the smile on his lips broadened. ¡°That means we are more


    important than Jared to her. Shouldn¡¯t I be happy that she has prioritized us?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure how to react. His words seemed to make sense, but not at the same time. More


    urately, it was a bet, and Ashton had emerged as the winner.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, does Jared still have to leave?¡± I asked.


    Ashton¡¯s expression changed at my words. There was only less than a mouthful of wine in his ss,


    but he still swirled his ss stubbornly. It reflected his current emotions.


    ¡°Yes, why not?¡± Ashton stared ahead. ¡°But I¡¯ll do Summer a favor by sending him to the vi in the


    countryside. He can¡¯t live nearby.¡±


    His gaze turned sincere, and I couldn¡¯t help but get anxious.


    ¡°After Marcus¡¯ matter is dealt with, stop interfering in other¡¯s business. Spend more time at home with


    the kids. They are still young, after all,¡± he uttered.


    I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t touched. However, he was too sincere to make me take his words seriously.


    ¡°Are you sure I¡¯ll be spending time with the kids instead of the kids¡¯ father?¡± I teased.


    Ashton chuckled softly. ¡°I¡¯m just benefiting from the kids.¡±


    As the new year was approaching, everyone seemed to be in a festive mood. The streets were lit up


    with decorative lights.


    Yet, the hospital remained white as it had always been. The smell of disinfectant lingered in the air, and


    there was a depressing air about the ce.


    After making the preparations, I went to the hospital and asked for a wheelchair. I then wheeled the


    wheelchair to Marcus¡¯ ward.


    From afar, I spotted Camelia at the door, observing the situation in the ward through the ss panel. I


    was surprised to see a smile lighting her face gently.


    Sensing my arrival, she turned to look at me before her gaze returned to the skinny man in the room.


    ¡°He¡¯s in great condition today.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I smiled. Hopefully, we would only receive good news from now on. ¡°Look, he¡¯s getting better.


    If something happened to you back then, you won¡¯t be able to see this.¡±


    Camelia lowered her gaze and said nothing, but the sad air about her was already gone.


    I pressed on the door handle before halting in my tracks. Turning back, I asked, ¡°I¡¯m nning on


    bringing Marcus out so he can get some sun. Want to join us?¡±


    Camelia shook her head instinctively. ¡°No. He won¡¯t want me to join you both.¡±


    Perhaps that was what Marcus wanted. She was right to put the patient¡¯s wish as a priority.


    However, I thought we shouldn¡¯t treat him like a patient. Perhaps he¡¯d give us a surprise like what


    happened yesterday. Persuading Marcus to eat didn¡¯t work, but taking the opposite approach did the


    job.

 Chapter 1653

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1653


    Chapter 1653 No One Owes You Anything


    ¡°If you don¡¯t try, you¡¯ll never know,¡± I said as I walked behind her and subtly pushed her forward,


    encouraging her to wheel the wheelchair into the room.


    Marcus had already heard all themotion outside, and when we entered, he was staring at us


    disgruntledly. Still, I could tell that he wasn¡¯tshing out because Camelia was there as well.


    I winked slyly at Camelia. See? I told you he wouldn¡¯t say no.


    Of course, Camelia was overjoyed. She hadn¡¯t been anywhere near Marcus for a long time and even


    seemed to be nervously blushing as we got closer.


    Just as I had thought, Camelia was still the girl who would risk anything for true love. She was always


    somehow both passionate and reserved in front of the person she loved, just like how I had


    remembered her to be.


    Seeing as she waspletely stunned by her nerves, I had to approach Marcus and help him get up.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Marcus protested weakly.


    ¡°We¡¯re going out for some fresh air!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡±


    I acted as if I couldn¡¯t hear his protests and turned around, asking Camelia for help. ¡°Camelia, help me


    out here. I can¡¯t support both of his arms at once.¡±


    Camelia stood still for a minute as she absorbed my words before nodding and walking forward.


    She had barely touched Marcus when he shoved her away. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡±


    Camelia stood there in shock at the words he had just said. Frozen, she looked as if someone had just


    drenched her in cold water.


    A gust of anger suddenly welled up inside me, and I pushed Marcus firmly. He was still recovering, so


    he couldn¡¯t help but stumble backward onto the hospital bed. If he hadn¡¯t been supporting himself with


    both arms, he would already have fallen over. Then, he red at me as he slowly sat back up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that,¡± I said angrily. ¡°None of us here owe you anything, especially Camelia! You


    left her alone and mistreated her. How dare you shout at her like that after everything you¡¯ve done?¡±


    ¡°Scarlett, please don¡¯t. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Camelia reached out to stop me as she defended Marcus weakly, but I pushed her hand away gently.


    ¡°Not now, Camelia.¡±


    I turned around to look at Marcus, who was still sitting there looking frail and sorry for himself. I felt


    myself get even more annoyed just looking at him.


    Was every sick person like this? Would they all feel the need to project all of their pain and remorse


    onto the people around them before they felt at ease?


    Since resigning myself to his poor attitude clearly wasn¡¯t making the situation better, I decided to stop


    caring so much.


    I looked at both of them and reached out again. This time, I forcefully pulled Marcus onto the


    wheelchair.


    I didn¡¯t know where my sudden burst of strength came from. Perhaps Marcus had truly lost more


    weight than it seemed because he got dragged onto the wheelchair with ease. Camelia jumped in


    surprise before hurrying over to support him so that he could actually sit upright.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I said sternly. My tone left no room for any arguments, and I opened the door after throwing


    thatmand behind me.


    Marcus was panting heavily, but he couldn¡¯t do anything about it. His dark brown eyes stared at me


    from within their deeply-set sockets as if trying to bore a hole through my face.


    I looked away and reminded Camelia, ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there. Get a nket to cover his legs with, and


    let¡¯s go. The doctor said that some sun could help replenish his calcium, remember?¡±


    Camelia finally came back to her senses and quicklyid a nket over Marcus¡¯ legs before pushing


    the wheelchair out.


    The garden seemed to belong in a different universe than the hospital ward. Outside, the birds were


    chirping brightly while the sun shone down upon us. It was just the right temperature; not too hot, not


    too cold. Every breath was filled with fresh air.


    Clearly, Camelia hadn¡¯t had such a rxing time in a long while.


    Even though Marcus still looked disgruntled, he didn¡¯tsh out again. It turned out that I had to do


    things the hard way with him.


    It was pretty rare that the three of us were so peaceful. We only walked back leisurely after the nurse


    called Marcus in for another check-up.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    His attending doctor called for Camelia and me to his office in the afternoon.


    We felt pretty at ease when he called us in, but when we saw the stressed-out look on his face after we


    opened his office door, our high spirits dropped immediately.


    Camelia was already used to all the bad news after staying by Marcus¡¯ side for so long. She


    immediately sat down and asked, ¡°Doctor, is something wrong with my husband¡¯s condition?¡±

 Chapter 1654

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1654


    Chapter 1654 Bad News


    The doctor was an old professor who was around sixty years old. He took off his sses after hearing


    Camelia¡¯s question and sighed before he looked at us gravely. ¡°His condition is worsening rapidly. We


    are going to need to intensify the frequency of his treatment and up the dosage of his medication, too.


    This won¡¯t befortable for the patient. He would have a better time if he was checked out and


    brought home to rest. I called you both here to ask if you would like to continue with his treatment here


    or¡­¡± He trailed off.


    ¡°How could this be?¡± I said in disbelief. ¡°He managed to eat some food yesterday, and we brought him


    out to get some sun earlier today. He seemed to be in better shape than before. Could there be a


    mistake?¡±


    Camelia was quiet, but she had her phone in a vice grip below the table. She was clearly holding back


    her emotions and trying to stay calm as she squeezed out a pained smile. ¡°If we up his medication


    dosage, would he still be able to live for a few more months as predicted before?¡± she asked in an


    almost pleading tone.


    It was the doctor¡¯s turn to fall silent. He frowned and shook his head as he sighed, leaving no hope to


    be found.


    The scariest thing that could happen wasn¡¯t falling into despair. It was the feeling of getting kicked back


    into the dark abyss of hopelessness after seeing the faintest glimmer of hope.


    ¡°Impossible,¡± I murmured to myself, trying to stay calm.


    ¡°Where are the professionals from overseas that Ashton reached out to? Why aren¡¯t you consulting


    them, too? Marcus is getting better! You¡¯re the doctor here, so how could you ask us to let him go and


    stop treatment? That¡¯s so irresponsible!¡±


    Camelia finally exploded and began hitting the table over and over again in frustration. All I could do


    was hug her tightly, trying to contain the situation before it got worse.


    ¡°Please calm down!¡± the doctor said hurriedly as he got up and tried to help Camelia¡¯s situation. He


    finally gave us an exnation we couldn¡¯t deny. ¡°We have already exined the situation to you during


    ourst few consultations. Chemotherapy is extremely harmful to the patient. The reason he suddenly


    changed and seemed better is clearly due to terminal lucidity! His energy is close to being used up. If


    we drag things out any longer, all that¡¯s left of him will be an empty shell.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying! You¡¯re lying. Marcus won¡¯t die so easily! He won¡¯t!¡± Camelia cried out.


    She was clearly already losing control of her emotions, so I had to get the doctor to leave first so that


    we could have the room to ourselves while I calmed her down.


    After a long while, she finally calmed down and slumped down in her chair with an empty gaze. It was


    as if all her life had been sucked out of her.


    I finally sighed in relief when she suddenly sat upright and gripped my hand tightly. ¡°You promised me


    that you would marry Marcus. You¡¯re still following that promise, right?¡±


    I frowned. Deep down inside, I was feeling ufortable about this whole thing, but I forced myself to


    nod anyway. ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll do it tomorrow,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯re running out of time.¡±


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    The next day, I put on my wedding dress again. Putting it on after my actual wedding had only just


    passed felt strange and almost surreal.


    Ashton showed up next to me in a ck suit, and his gaze met mine through the reflection of the mirror.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied before asking, ¡°Everything is settled with the hospital and the church, right?¡±


    Ashton pulled me into a hug. Despite the wedding dress adding an extra bulkyyer around my midriff,


    he was still determined to hold it tightly with both hands as if defying reality. ¡°Of course. No one wants


    this under wraps more than I do.¡±


    Ipletely understood where Ashton wasing from. Our wedding had only just passed, and


    Wenville¡¯s Hanfu craze was still ongoing. The names Scarlett and Ashton had practically be a


    recement for Romeo and Juliet. If word got out that I was putting on a wedding dress to get married


    to another man, it would be instantly frowned upon. In order to avoid getting bacsh, the whole


    wedding had to be kept secret.


    After hugging him for a while longer, Ashton helped me down the stairs. I had changed the other


    wedding dress for a slightly simpler, thinner version, but I was still wearing heels that made it extremely


    hard for me to walk properly.


    We didn¡¯t add any overly modern details because I wanted Marcus to see my sincerity.


    The van was parked by the back door of the hospital, and there were bodyguards stationed throughout


    the pathway from the back door to the stairs. All the visitors and family members of the patients on


    Marcus¡¯ floor had been dispersed, and in their ce were nurses under the Fuller Corporation.

 Chapter 1655

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1655


    In Love, Never Say Never Chapter 1655


    The bright red shade of the wedding dress reflected subtly against the white hospital walls, coloring


    them with a faint blush that formed and disappeared like ocean waves as I walked past.


    No one else was there to watch, which was why the journey waspletely unobstructed.


    Joseph ced the neatly folded groom¡¯s outfit in my hands and opened the door respectfully before


    stepping aside.


    When I walked in, I saw Marcus taking a shallow nap on his bed. He only opened his eyes a few


    seconds after hearing my footsteps.


    It probably appeared to be a dream to him until he saw the dress I was wearing. The moment he saw


    me, his eyes widened, and his gaze becamepletely alert.


    ¡°Y-You-¡± Marcus stammered, unable to form a full sentence in his excitement.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    I picked up theyers of my skirt with my fingers and smiled. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it look nice? Remember how I


    told you that I would definitely wear a dress like this when I get married?¡±


    ¡°I-It looks good,¡± Marcus said in a raspy voice. His eyes gleamed with happiness before dulling down


    again. ¡°What does all this have to do with me, though?¡±


    I smiled and lifted up the groom¡¯s suit in hand. After I walked over, I ced it on his bed and said, ¡°You


    wanted to get married, right? I¡¯ve finally thought it over. Go get changed! We¡¯ll get married right now.¡±


    The longer I looked at the groom¡¯s suit, the more I started to think about Ashton instead. I couldn¡¯t help


    but smile and couldn¡¯t help myself from straightening out the creases with my palm. ¡°No matter how


    much I look at it, this is such a nice style of formal dressing.¡±


    After I spoke, I finally came to my senses and looked at him with narrowed eyes. ¡°You¡¯re not regretting


    things, are you?¡±


    Marcus didn¡¯t answer and changed the subject. ¡°Why did you suddenly change your mind?¡±


    I maintained my smile as I shrugged and said casually, ¡°You were the one who said it, remember? No


    matter what, I can¡¯t say no. If I said it was because I owed it to you or because I felt bad for you, would


    you suddenly turn me down? If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m happy to go home.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Marcus quickly said as he swung off the nket and sat up with difficulty. ¡°It sounds like you want


    me to say no. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t. I will officially be your husband.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you say. Either way, there¡¯s no way you¡¯re getting out of this one,¡± I said faux-nonchntly.


    After that, I turned around and walked out as I said, ¡°Joseph will help you change. Let¡¯s meet at the


    church.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Marcus called out, the force of his voice causing him to cough once loudly. Even after he


    coughed, though, he didn¡¯t finish his sentence.


    Despite that, I knew what he wanted to say. He was just worried that I¡¯d suddenly go back on my word.


    ¡°You know me. Since I agreed, I will keep my promise.¡±


    After that, I walked out of the room without waiting for Marcus¡¯ response.


    I closed the door and took the bag that Camelia had left in front of the door before walking to a safer


    spot. As per the n, I then made a call to Camelia.


    ¡°You finally decided to call!¡± The hospital had been closed off sincest night, so Camelia was clearly


    highly-strung after not being able to see Marcus for so long. ¡°Ashton¡¯s guards didn¡¯t let me go upstairs,


    and you weren¡¯t picking up your phone. What are the two of you up to? Even if you got cold feet, you


    shouldn¡¯t be stopping me from seeing him! He never did anything to either of you!¡±


    ¡°Just calm down first,¡± I said with a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m going downstairs. Go wait for me at the back entrance.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re leaving?¡± Camelia¡¯s logic was already taken over by her panic. ¡°Scarlett, was I wrong to trust


    you?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡± I knew that if I tried to exin now, things would only get messier, so I said abruptly,


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll see you at the back entrance. Of course, whether youe or not is up to you.¡±


    As I expected, Camelia was already waiting for me when I reached the back entrance.


    She looked at me with resentment and me in her eyes. I knew she probably had a lot of things to tell


    me, but I didn¡¯t let her explode on the spot. Instead, I passed her the bag the moment I walked in front


    of her.


    ¡°Wear this.¡±


    Camelia took the bag from me and looked at the clothes inside of it. She clearly still hadn¡¯t realized


    what was going on. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°Again, whether you change into this or not is up to you. This is as far as I canpromise.¡±

 Chapter 1656

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1656


    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1656


    After that, I walked out and sat in the car waiting for her.


    Fifteen minutes passed before the person I was waiting for finally showed up.


    We parked by the road next to the church, and I noticed the bright green grass around it.


    Marcus was clearly visible from the window, and I could see him with his hairbed back. He was all


    dressed up and was holding on to the corsage, waiting for his bride¡¯s appearance.


    Before I stepped out of the car, I rolled down the window so that Marcus could get a proper look at my


    face before closing the window again. I picked up the red veil next to me and turned back.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± I asked.


    The entire way here, Camelia was so nervous she had resorted to ying with her fingers relentlessly.


    Only when I called her name did she realize that we had arrived. She looked out of the window at


    Marcus, and she started almost hyperventting.


    ¡°What if we get noticed? He could die at any second with this illness of his,¡± Camelia murmured to


    herself. She began to pinch and pluck at the fabric over her legs, nearly digging her nails into her


    thighs.


    I took a deep breath. I was feeling as doubtful as she was, but at this point, it had to be done. ¡°Just like


    you said, he could leave at any moment. Are you really willing for that to happen without an official


    marriage?¡±


    Would she be willing?


    After so many years of her feelings getting stepped on and all the physical and emotional torment she


    went through, how could she be willing for that to all go to waste?


    I knew that Camelia had known her answer since the very second she put on the dress.


    She only hesitated for another second before looking up at me determinedly. Then, she changed seats


    with me and put on the red veil. After opening the door, she naturally reached a hand out to Marcus


    and stood calmly with his support.


    Marcus gently held her hand as if she were a fragile fairy. The corners of his eyes were angled upward


    in a bright smile, and the light that had once disappeared from his gaze finally shone brightly again.


    They walked down the aisle hand in hand. The pebbled path before them resembled their own lives


    that hade together.


    He was finally getting married to the person he loved, and so was she.


    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    The moment Marcus and Camelia stepped into the church, my job was finally done. I heaved a sigh of


    relief before turning on the tablet in the car.


    We had stationed cameras throughout the church so that we could stream the wedding live.


    The car door suddenly opened, and Ashton appeared on the side of the road. After he got into the car,


    he naturally slung an arm over my shoulders and pulled me into a hug as we watched the stream


    together.


    Marcus was holding onto the corsage and walking extremely slowly, but the smile on his face outshone


    everything else. His expression and energy matched that of apletely well person.


    Camelia still had her veil on and was matching Marcus¡¯ pace. One could see her longing in the way she


    walked and the liveliness in her demeanor. Clearly, she was overflowing with happiness.


    The church had been modified and decorated to match the theme of their clothes, and their vows were


    written out in calligraphy on one of the banners.


    ¡°The bride and groom have entered.¡±


    Joseph was dressed in a jade-colored suit matching the theme of their wedding and was both the


    witness and the emcee for the day.


    ¡°Are you two ready?¡±


    The smile on Marcus¡¯ face suddenly dimmed slightly. Instead of replying, he turned toward Camelia


    with an expectant look on his face.


    After a moment of silence, a low female voice murmured from inside the veil, ¡°Yes.¡±


    It was short and simple enough to keep from raising any suspicion.


    Marcus immediately smiled again. His eyes were practically shining with joy, and he said loudly, ¡°I¡¯ve


    been waiting for almost ten years. Let¡¯s get on with it.¡±


    Joseph nodded and became serious as he spoke. ¡°Have youe to offer yourselves to each other,


    freely and without reservation?¡±


    Both Marcus and Camelia murmured yes.


    ¡°Will you love and honor each other for life?¡±


    Once again, they said yes, and Marcus turned around to face his bride before Joseph could speak


    again.


    ¡°You may-¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    Joseph hadn¡¯t finished his sentence when Marcus cut him off and said apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but


    please wait.¡±

 Chapter 1657

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1657


    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1657


    After he apologized, his gaze became gentle and tender once again. He looked at Camelia calmly with


    a clear, determined stare, as if he could see through her.


    I stiffened in my seat. Did he find out?


    A momentter, Marcus exhaled and smiled.


    ¡°Enough,¡± Marcus said as he looked down, almost like he was speaking to himself. ¡°This is enough. At


    least now I know that loving you was worth it.¡±


    He paused before looking up again. When he did, his eyes were filled with tears. The whites of his eyes


    had be slightly red as blood vessels began to appear in his teary eyes.


    ¡°I have always known that Ashton was the man you loved. I knew you had never loved me. Still, I never


    understood why you loved him and not me. I never ever wanted to hurt you. I just didn¡¯t understand


    why you never even looked at me in that way. Now, though, I think I understand.


    ¡°If it was up to me, no matter if Ashton were still here, I could never give you up so willingly. He¡¯s willing


    to do anything for you, but all I can hope for is that only death will do us part. Yes, I¡¯ve lost to him, but I


    won¡¯t admit it. Just because I didn¡¯t love you the way you wanted to be loved doesn¡¯t mean I never


    loved you.¡±


    He must have been hurting, whether physically or emotionally. His tears slid down the curve of his


    cheek, but he made no move to wipe them away.


    I didn¡¯t know whether it was due to the connection of the stream, but from my angle, I saw Marcus¡¯


    expression change back to his frail, weak self.


    ¡°You were stubborn because you didn¡¯t want to give me a chance, and I was stubborn because I kept


    pestering you. Neither of us was willing to step back, and we ended up butting heads for the rest of our


    lives. Or at least, the rest of mine.¡±


    Perhaps due to the silence of the church, every little noise was recorded by the camera¡¯s microphone.


    Apart from Marcus¡¯bored breathing, I could also hear the quiet weeping of the woman in front of him.


    Camelia was standing right in front of him as he talked about how much he loved somebody else.


    She had been a stubborn pursuer just like him too. However, at least he got a chance to get closure


    from the person he loved before he died while all she could do was live off of stolen time as a


    recement for his true love.


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve stopped butting heads with me, what¡¯s the point of me even trying anymore?¡± Marcus


    sniffled andughed at himself mockingly. ¡°Actually, you¡¯re right. Pity, sympathy, or anything that¡¯s


    simply given to me- my pride won¡¯t allow it. You¡¯ve let go of me, so I¡¯ll let go of you now. Let¡¯s stop here.


    We don¡¯t need to say any more vows.¡±


    After that, he turned around to talk to Joseph. ¡°Go back and pass a message to Ashton from me. I may


    have lost this round to God, but I won¡¯t lose again in my next life. You may leave now. Thank you for all


    you did today.¡±


    Joseph hesitated for a mere second before nodding in acknowledgment and walking away.


    Tap. Tap. Tap.


    The sound of his shoes tapped lightly against the floor and faded the further he walked away.


    I turned and saw Joseph walking out of the church, and the tapping noises stopped.


    After he left, only Marcus and Camelia were left in the church. Both Ashton and I frowned from our


    perch in the car.


    We had nned to keep her pretending to be me until the vows were over. Then, they would separate


    for a moment while I put on the veil once again. However, now that just the two of them were left in the


    church, Marcus could very well lift the veil all of a sudden. If something happened to him then, things


    would be going out of control.


    If it weren¡¯t for the rush, I would have wired Camelia so that it was easier to tell her what to do.


    I was thinking about how to settle the situation when Marcus suddenly stumbled and held onto the


    podium next to him, which was where Joseph had been.


    Before he could properly get up, he stumbled yet again and fell to the ground, causing his head to


    knock against the podium.


    Camelia quickly bent down and helped him get up. She pulled him against her, so he was lying in her


    embrace.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, help ising soon,¡± she murmured softly, trying her best to disguise her voice.


    After that, she turned toward the cameras in an attempt to call for help when Marcus suddenly reached


    out and grabbed her.


    My entire body tensed up in worry, and Ashton was already making a call next to me. ¡°Keep the


    equipment on and drive over, now. Be ready to start the defibritors at any second.¡±Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

 Chapter 1658

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1658


    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1658


    He hung up and patted me on the shoulder gently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The doctors are near and will be here


    soon.¡±


    I leaned against Ashton as I watched the footage of everything happening in the church, terrified that I


    would identally miss something.


    Marcus¡¯ eyes were fluttering open and closed weakly. It was as if he was about to fall asleep soon.


    ¡°You¡¯re actually crying for me for once. Even your voice sounds different from how much you¡¯re crying.


    What if I can¡¯t remember what you sound like?¡±


    Camelia turned around and looked at him through the veil. ¡°No, no. Just hold on for a while longer.


    Someone will being, soon, so please¡­¡±


    ¡°Scar¡­¡± Marcus whispered weakly. His gaze was already beginning to go out of focus, and he reached


    out feebly, trying to take off her veil. ¡°C-Can I take your veil off? After that, w-we¡¯ll be married. Then,


    you¡¯ll be my wife officially. It¡¯s okay, even if no one knows it happened. I-I just want to take another look


    at you. Is that okay?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes! Okay! As long as you stay awake, anything is fine!¡±


    Her tears slipped through the gap between the veil and fell on the corner of his eye. The heat of her


    tear dissolved against the pallor of his skin.


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re the best¡­¡±


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    His hand abruptly fell to the ground and copsed against the vibrant edge of Camelia¡¯s dress.


    Marcus closed his eyes for thest time.


    That one tear was the closest he had ever gotten to the person he loved.


    Camelia went crazy with grief. Her entire body racked with sobs as she held him closer, and no matter


    how much we talked to her, she didn¡¯t let go.


    ¡°Marcus is gone. Please let us bring him back.¡±


    ¡°H-He¡¯s not dead! He¡¯s just sleeping. He¡¯s waiting to open my veil. He hasn¡¯t even said he l-loves me,


    so he can¡¯t die. Not yet.¡±


    We failed to save Marcus, even with all the medical equipment on hand.


    The funeral was scheduled to be three dayster and was settled by both of us. Camelia just locked


    herself at home and didn¡¯t show up.


    After the funeral ended, I personally sent Tobias home.


    The door wasn¡¯t locked, and I opened the door to bring Tobias in only to see apletely empty


    house.


    Now that its owner was gone, it was basically deserted.


    A steadyyer of dust had already gathered on the floor. Clear footsteps were left behind as we walked


    in. It seemed like the maids had beenid off for quite a while.


    I finally found Camelia in the master bedroom. She was still dressed in the wedding dress from three


    days ago and was sitting in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows as she hugged Marcus¡¯ favorite suit


    tightly.


    ¡°Mommy?¡± Tobias said quietly as he frowned, his little face full of concern and worry.


    I let go of him, and he scurried over to stand in front of Camelia. His small hands nudged her arm


    cautiously. ¡°Mommy, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Camelia didn¡¯t respond. It was as if she was already lost in her own world.


    Tobias looked at me for help.


    I walked in and said a little bit louder, ¡°Camelia? Can you hear me? I¡¯ve brought your son back home.¡±


    Just the same as before, she remained as still as a statue, to the point where it looked like she had


    be one with the floor.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±


    I suddenly heard a voice behind me and thought I was hallucinating, so it took me a second before I


    actually turned around.


    A woman in a tight-fitting dress was standing by the door. She looked to be quite a lot older than me


    and was looking at us in confusion. Judging from her demeanor, she seemed to be quite benevolent


    and easygoing.


    ¡°I¡¯m a friend of the owner of this house. Who, might I ask, may you be?¡±


    She was decked out in rather expensive essories, so she couldn¡¯t have been just a normal


    citizen. Maybe she¡¯s one of Marcus¡¯ rtives.


    Camelia might have been the mother of Marcus¡¯ child, but they never got officially married, nor did they


    ever get their marriage certificate. Without a name to their rtionship, it was only normal that the


    rted departments would contact Marcus¡¯ rtives instead.


    ¡°Ah, one of Marcus¡¯ friends? I¡¯ve never heard Camelia bring you up.¡± The woman¡¯s gaze was clear, and


    she was obviously a determined, no-nonsense person. Without waiting for my response, she


    introduced herself. ¡°I¡¯m Camelia¡¯s mother.¡±


    As she spoke, she walked toward Camelia and lifted her arm up in an attempt to help her stand.


    However, due to her age, it was quite hard for her to do so.


    I quickly walked toward Camelia and reached out to help her mother lift her up. Together, we finally


    managed to move Camelia from the floor to the bed.

 Chapter 1659

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1659


    Chapter 1659 Resentment


    ¡°Thank you,¡± her mother said mildly. Then, she started gently brushing Camelia¡¯s hair with her fingers.


    Camelia¡¯s defeated appearance finally became slightly warmer with her mother¡¯s help. She had


    probably forgotten how it felt like to be loved and cared for so dearly.


    I didn¡¯t want to interrupt their mother-daughter time, but seeing Tobias standing next to the bed


    hesitantly made me unwilling to just leave him behind in this situation.


    I gently pushed the child toward them and said awkwardly, ¡°This is Camelia¡¯s son, also your grandson.¡±


    I purposely avoided mentioning Marcus¡¯ name. After all, the whole reason Camelia argued with her


    family and left in the first ce was Marcus.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Her mother turned around calmly and looked at Tobias before saying, ¡°Ah, he does resemble that


    fellow quite a bit. It¡¯s definitely his kid.¡±


    Her tone was nonchnt and casual. It was as if she were simply a stranger.


    Just her calling Marcus ¡®that fellow¡¯ exined how much resentment and bitterness she must have held


    toward him.


    A secondter, she turned back around and said just as mildly, ¡°I understand. I will bring the child back


    with me. Thank you for your help.¡±


    After that, she reached out and tried to undo the buttons on Camelia¡¯s borate wedding dress.


    However, since it was brand new, it was quite hard to undo them, and she had to start using both


    hands.


    She was then forced to make bigger movements.


    Because of this, Camelia finally came back to her senses and pushed her mother away. She pushed


    herself further into the bed and clutched her cor tightly as she backed away. ¡°D-Don¡¯te any


    nearer!¡±


    She cried out desperately, ¡°I¡¯m marrying Marcus! We¡¯re getting married! Nobody can stop us. Don¡¯t


    even think about it!¡±


    Camelia¡¯s mother stood up, still in shock from Camelia¡¯s sudden outburst. After realizing what her


    daughter had just said, she finally lost it.


    ¡°So you¡¯re still thinking about that man? You¡¯repletely mad! Listen to me. Marcus is dead. He¡¯s


    dead, and he¡¯s nevering back! How could I have a daughter like you? What do I have to do for you


    to finally get your senses back? How much more do I have to cry and worry for you?¡±


    She started to cry out of heartache and sorrow. How could any mother bear to see her daughter hurt


    like this over a man? Yet she couldn¡¯t do anything to give her daughter back her innocence and


    liveliness before this all happened.


    Maybe because I was also a mother now, I could rte to whatever she was feeling.


    I walked over and helped her regain her footing before passing her a tissue. Trying my best to calm her


    down, I said, ¡°Please calm down. Camelia is only like this because of trauma. She will get better as the


    days go by. Eventually, she¡¯ll be right as rain. No matter what, she¡¯s still your daughter, right? Only you


    can really help her.¡±


    Camelia¡¯s mother kept shaking her head. Right after I finished speaking, she burst out, ¡°She¡¯s doing it


    on purpose. I know it! I brought her into this world, and I treated her like a princess for so many years.


    Not once did I ever raise my voice at her! But for Marcus, she never called or even texted me. I¡¯ve


    always known she was stubborn, and when she simply texted me saying that Marcus was gone, I


    immediately came to pick her up. Despite that, she¡¯s still making such a fuss! How could I not be


    devastated? She¡¯s trying to drive me insane!¡±


    She must have been holding all of these harsh words back for years and years for her to suddenly


    explode like that. She was already clutching her chest in pain from crying so much, but she didn¡¯t stop


    ranting about Camelia.


    ¡°Your father and I never badmouthed you to any outsiders. We even wrote your name on our wills.


    What did Marcus do? He treated you like a stray dog! Even now, after he died, not one bit of his


    inheritance is going to you. Why have you let yourself fall this far?¡±


    I felt tears forming in my eyes from the anger and sorrow in her voice and pressed my lips together


    tightly to stop them from falling.


    The love between a mother and her daughter was not just a fairytale. Eventually, Camelia started


    crying as well, her tears wetting her wedding dress and the bedsheets underneath.

 Chapter 1660

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1660


    Chapter 1660 Back To Normal


    Despite that, she still wasn¡¯t in good shape. She continued to tremble slightly, and she was still


    clutching onto her cor tightly. It was like she was terrified that someone would take it off of her and


    ruin her imaginary wedding.


    Camelia¡¯s mother finally started bawling out loud and only stopped when she ran out of energy.


    Fate was something the older generation understood much better than anyone else. Now that she was


    here, naturally, she was going to give her daughter another chance.


    In the end, a private ambnce came to fetch Tobias and Camelia away. Her mother nned to take


    her overseas to get treatment and therapy, so all of them were going to migrate there and leave their


    past behind them.


    Marcus¡¯ house was truly deserted now, and eventually, it got seized and closed off by the court. After a


    while, a distant rtive came to im it as inheritance along with all the stocks and investment funds.


    With that, K City no longer had any trace of the White family.


    After Jared moved away, Summer became even more quiet than usual. Apart from when she was


    eating, she kept her mouth shut.


    I was feeling more down in the dumps than usual after Marcus¡¯ funeral. Ashton was afraid that I would


    get too deep in my emotions if I stayed at home for too long and kept trying to get me to go to the


    center to, as he put it, keep an eye on Summer.


    Of course, I didn¡¯t actually have to keep an eye on her.


    I started off by simply sitting there. Thest thing I wanted was to be too overbearing and talk over her


    since Summer was still the boss in this ce. She was still young, so if I tried to take over too much,


    she would definitely lose her pride in front of all her staff.


    The contrast was more than obvious. Summer was always surrounded by people, and I was only sitting


    at one side. Compared to when I was at home, I began zoning out even more.


    Summer was still the kind girl she had always been. After finishing her current requests, the moment


    someone else approached her, she dragged them in front of me.


    She pretended to think about it for a second before asking me, ¡°Mommy, Daddy said you used to be a


    CEO in your oldpany. Could you help me out with this one?¡±


    I was more than happy to help. Once I regained my senses, I gave the documents a close once over.


    Then I referred to my past experiences and did my best to give a neutral opinion.


    After that, Summer started toe to me before finalizing any decisions. Apart from when we went to


    bed, we spent almost every waking moment together. Just as Ashton had predicted, we became much


    closer and even started taking breaks together. Sometimes we would run off to the mall and go


    shopping when we had free time.


    About a weekter, I received a call from Emery.


    ¡°What is going on with the both of you? Even if the business doesn¡¯t work out, we can still have a good


    rtionship, right? If you don¡¯t want me to invest in your center, just say so. You¡¯re all sneaking around


    like this is some kind of top-secret spy mission.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s sneaking around?¡± I nced at Summer and covered the mouthpiece as I said, ¡°Your Aunt


    Emery is calling. Have you been avoiding her?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± Summer said with a shake of her head and an innocent expression on her face. ¡°Aunt Emery


    hasn¡¯te by recently. I was even thinking of going to look for her.¡±


    After her confirmation, I let go of the mouthpiece and replied, ¡°You¡¯ve been sticking with Alexander too


    much. Did you two argue or something?¡±


    ¡°Why are you bringing him into this?¡± Emery asked, clearly a little annoyed. ¡°Then why have neither of


    you been home every single time I went over to visit?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been helping Summer out in the center. Aren¡¯t there other people at home? Did you ask them?¡±


    ¡°N-No.¡±


    The atmosphere suddenly quietened down, and we all fell into an awkward silence. It was rare to hear


    Emery stutter so much, so I could roughly figure out why exactly she was acting so strangely.


    Summer¡¯s center was like a juicy slice of steak that both Emery and Holden had wanted a piece of.


    However, because of Ashton, neither of them managed to even get close.


    After Wenville became a sess, the center finally revisited their projects but didn¡¯t contact Emery or


    Holden again. She didn¡¯t want to look for Summer since she was afraid it would seem like she was


    pestering her, which was why she didn¡¯t go to the center. She was also afraid that we were avoiding her


    because we wanted to protect Summer but couldn¡¯t turn Emery down directly. That¡¯s why she didn¡¯t


    approach anyone whenever she went over to visit. She didn¡¯t want to give anyone a hard time.


    After finallying to this conclusion, I couldn¡¯t help but start giggling.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡°What are youughing at?¡± Emery asked.


    ¡°I¡¯mughing at you!¡± I said. Emery was once a powerful boss that had appeared on the covers of


    financial magazines! Since when had she be so meek and timid? ¡°I¡¯mughing at how hesitant


    you were. We¡¯re a family, remember? If you needed anything, you could have asked. You didn¡¯t have to


    tiptoe around.¡±

 Chapter 1661

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1661


    Chapter 1661 Misunderstanding


    She fell silent for a second before clearing her throat awkwardly. ¡°I have no idea what you guys are


    talking about. Let me know where you guys are! My stocks have been rising recently, so I¡¯ll treat you all


    to a good meal!¡±


    After that, she hung up.


    Short and sweet, without giving me the chance to mock her again.


    I quickly sent her our location on WhatsApp. As I typed on the phone, I started jokingly ranting to


    Summer. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about how you want to go about this business, but as far as Aunt Emery


    goes, you don¡¯t have to worry. (get daily update on chapternovel) She just has a harsh way of


    speaking, but she¡¯s a great person. She didn¡¯t say much, but she¡¯s already thought about how to help


    you out the most she can, so she won¡¯t bring you any trouble. When we meet upter, just talk about


    anything you need to talk to her about. Don¡¯t worry too much about both of us.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Summer said with a big smile. ¡°I wasn¡¯t nning on worrying about her anyway. Even if she


    wasn¡¯t looking for me, I was going to go look for her. Mommy, I want Uncle Holden and Aunt Emery to


    join the center.¡±


    This time, she was telling me her own decision and not asking for any input.


    I stopped typing for a second before sending the message.


    After cing my phone back into my bag, I turned to look at Summer with a smile. ¡°Do as you please. I


    will always support you. Besides, even if I actually disagree one day, your dad will always be willing to


    help!¡±


    Onlyter did I hear from Ashton that he started sneezing randomly out of nowhere in the office with a


    dark expression, causing his staff to stop breathing in fear.


    If the staff knew what happened, they would probably be cursing me silently for talking about him


    behind his back like that. (get daily update on chapternovel) It was scary enough working with


    Ashton, but getting a little surprise every now and then was just the cherry on top.


    The three of usdies were buying things left and right. Emery seemed determined to spend as much


    as possible today, especially after the little misunderstanding we had. If Summer or I looked at


    something for over ten seconds, Emery was already at the counter waving her card to buy it. She was


    obviously trying to mend her mistakes, even if we didn¡¯t think she needed to.


    After our shopping spree, we went to a nearby shopping mall to eat.


    ¡°This restaurant has great desserts. Their chefs are all from France, and their rmended desserts


    are amazing. Don¡¯t forget to bring some home for Audrey!¡± Emery said before she ordered two things


    and passed the menu over to me.


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    I ordered something that seemed to be rather interesting and turned to ask what Summer wanted but


    realized she was looking somewhere else distractedly.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked, nudging her with my elbow.


    Summer paused before looking back at me. With a puzzled expression on her face, she said, ¡°I think I


    just saw Quince and Lucas.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I instinctively looked in the direction that Summer had been staring at but failed to see anyone


    who matched their looks. ¡°You might have just mistaken someone else for them. K City is huge, so


    there¡¯s no reason for you to suddenly see them here.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Emery asked in confusion.


    ¡°Two of your business rivals,¡± I said lightheartedly.


    ¡°Are you trying to mock me?¡± Emery said as she crossed her arms over her chest and continued


    confidently, ¡°Holden is the only one who dares to go head to head with me since he¡¯s not from around


    here. Apart from him, who else in K City could possibly be my rival?¡±


    ¡°What if those two also happen to be from outside the city?¡± (get daily update on chapternovel) I


    halfheartedly replied as I read through the menu, trying to pick some dishes that Summer would enjoy.


    ¡°Really? Damn, these foreigners are pretty nosy.¡± Emery knocked on the table unhappily before looking


    at Summer. ¡°Summer, you¡¯re not actually going to just work with some outsiders instead of me, are


    you?¡±


    Summer smiled gently. ¡°How about we sign the contract right after eating so that you don¡¯t have to


    worry anymore?¡±


    Emery clearly hadn¡¯t expected that. She had just been kidding, but at the sight of Summer¡¯s serious


    expression, she was taken aback. ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right? Are you really picking me?¡± (get daily update


    on chapternovel)


    ¡°She¡¯s serious,¡± I said with a smile as I closed the menu and put it back on the table. ¡°She was going to


    ask you from the start! She was just too busy to go and find you, and you were too hesitant toe


    and find her, which is why the whole misunderstanding happened in the first ce.¡±

 Chapter 1662

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1662


    ¡°So I really was being petty.¡± Emery pressed her lips together. She finally decided toe clean and


    apologize. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what I did. I can¡¯t believe that even as an elder, I still acted this way. I promise


    that no matter what happens in the future, even if Xavier takes over mypany, you can ask for


    anything. I won¡¯t say no.¡±


    To me and Ashton, Emery was always ready to help, but it was a different level of sincerity when she


    made such a promise to our next of kin.


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    ¡°Thank you, Aunt Emery,¡± Summer said before suddenly thinking of something. ¡°Actually, there¡¯s


    something I need help with right now.¡±


    ¡°Right now?¡± Emery raised an eyebrow before agreeing nonchntly. ¡°Of course! What is it?¡±


    ¡°I need your help looking into the background of the deputy president of Luscious Wines. I¡¯m very sure


    that he was the man who left with Quince just now.¡±


    ¡°You mean Lexis?¡± Emery seemed to know who Summer was talking about. ¡°Are you nning to buy


    his wine or something?¡±


    ¡°That was what I nned on doing,¡± Summer said with a nod. Then, she started looking hesitant. ¡°Out


    of all the samples I received, Luscious Wines had the best quality overall.¡±


    Emery nodded. ¡°It¡¯s an old brand, so they have a good reputation. However, recently, the management


    has be obsessed with abusing their power and being up to no good, so their reputation has been


    getting worse recently. Of course, their reviews have also been unsatisfactory. People who are


    interested in wine could taste even the slightest bit of impurities orck of quality control, so choosing


    Luscious Wines is still quite a risk.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Aunt Emery. Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t n on signing any contracts so soon, so nothing¡¯s going


    to happen yet.¡± Summer chuckled before asking another question, ¡°Still, Luscious Wines is at the top of


    the industry. If something happens to them, the other smallerpanies probably won¡¯t be able to


    avoid it either. What do you say we weed out their little ns first so we can find out what exactly


    they¡¯re up to?¡±


    Emery looked at Summer as her eyes gleamed in surprise before smiling. She stirred her coffee as she


    said, ¡°I knew you were naturally gifted at these things. I¡¯ll do the background checks on these people as


    soon as possible, so all you need to do is just be the boss of your center and earn more money that we


    can all split and enjoy together.¡±


    I looked at them helplessly as they yfully bantered back and forth. I jokingly knocked on the table


    and said, ¡°Excuse me, you two big shots, it¡¯s mealtime. Put the business talk aside and join me for a


    nice meal, yeah?¡±


    ¡°Haha. Look, your mom¡¯s getting jealous,¡± Emery said mockingly.


    ¡°I bet Mommy¡¯s just hungry.¡±


    ¡°I am! I could down a whole ten-course-meal right now.¡±


    Lunch would have been a fun affair if it weren¡¯t for the reappearance of someone I wish we could forget


    about.


    We had just finished eating and were about to leave. Emery fished out a card from her purse and was


    about to pay when a hand suddenly blocked her way.


    Lucas walked out from behind the waiter and stood next to the table with a grin on his face. ¡°What a


    coincidence, Stovall! Fate is really a fickle thing, huh? We seem to bump into each other no matter


    where we go.¡±


    I did my best to squeeze out a smile. ¡°Yes, it does seem that way. This restaurant was strongly


    rmended by a friend, so I came to check it out.¡±


    Lucas smiled at me ambiguously before looking at Summer. ¡°You see, dear? I¡¯ve already told you how


    close your mother and I are. We¡¯ll eventually end up coborating anyway, so have you changed your


    mind yet?¡±


    As usual, his tone wasced with cockiness. I had no idea where he had gotten the audacity to sound


    so confident from.


    Summer just smiled and didn¡¯t reply. She nced over at me and Emery, and we all understood each


    other¡¯s thoughts almost instantly. We decided to stay quiet since there were some things that were


    better off not said.


    Lucas didn¡¯t seem to feel awkward even at theck of a reply. He tilted his chin and paid our bill. He


    had clearly learned quite a lot about Chanaea¡¯s customs during his time here.

 Chapter 1663

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1663


    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1663


    Emery didn¡¯t react to it. ¡°Thank you. If you ever visit The Jade in the future, do tell them that you know


    me. You will get a discount.¡± Then she nodded with grace and left with her purse in her hand.


    ¡°How much is the discount?¡± Emery¡¯s words had caught Lucas¡¯ attention, and he started to speak in his


    poor Chanaean. ¡°Are you Stovall¡¯s friend, prettydy?¡±


    Emery stopped in her track. She red at him and responded with a hint of irritation in her tone, ¡°No,


    I¡¯m her elder.¡±


    Lucas raised his brows and teased, ¡°But you don¡¯t look so old.¡±


    ¡°Technically, I¡¯m Letty¡¯s aunt. Do you know what an aunt means? Did anyone ever tell you that you


    have to respect an elder?¡±


    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Oh, really?¡± Lucas replied without batting an eye. Instead, he took a step forward and stared at Emery


    in a bold and suggestive manner. ¡°I¡¯d like to learn that from you someday¡­¡±


    ¡°Get away from her!¡±


    All of a sudden, a figure appeared and pushed him away with great force.


    Lucas, who was unaware of that man, didn¡¯t manage to avoid it in time. The impact made him fall and


    hit the dining table next to him. A series of loud nging followed as the tables and chairs knocked into


    each other. Fortunately, Lucas¡¯ underlings managed to break his fall before his Herculean body could


    cause any further major damage.


    I followed the gaze of his angry underlings and had a glimpse of the man who had pushed Lucas.


    To my surprise, that man was Alexander.


    However, what caught my attention first was his outfit. He was wearing a white tuxedo and a red bow


    tie, and it seemed that he had put on makeup as his lips were red, and his face was glowing. He looked


    just like a prince from a fairytale.


    Most importantly, I also noticed the flower on his chest pocket that signified him as the groom.


    What is this? Is he getting married now?


    ¡°Shit! Who the hell are you? How dare you push me?¡± Lucas¡¯ chest was heaving with anger, and his


    eyes were wide with wrath.


    The underlings next to him were eager to leap at Alexander too. They were shouting and cursing about


    seeking revenge for their boss, and none of them cared that their actions were inappropriate in such a


    venue.


    Upon seeing suchmotion, the waiter immediately ran away to notify the restaurant manager.


    Alexander had no clue about Lucas¡¯ identity. He said arrogantly, ¡°Hey, you! You are in Chanaea now, so


    watch your manner. I¡¯m warning you to stay away from Chanaean women. If not, you will have to pay


    for your action.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me? Are you kidding me?¡± Lucasughed as if he had heard a great joke. He pointed at


    himself and said, ¡°You pushed me, and yet you asked me to get lost? That¡¯s so funny. Hahaha¡ª¡±


    Lucas stoppedughing abruptly. The next moment, he directed his punch at Alexander.


    Alexander was not a man who would kindly endure a beating. His face darkened, and he was ready to


    fight back.


    ¡°No! No! No!¡±


    Right then, the restaurant manager and a few security guards had arrived at the scene. They pulled the


    two men apart in an attempt to prevent any further conflict.


    ¡°Please calm down, Sir,¡± the manager firstforted Lucas, the static sound of the walkie-talkie in his


    handing out of the speaker. ¡°Sir, if you continue to cause trouble, we¡¯ll have to remove you from


    this premise.¡±


    The fact that the manager insisted on chasing Lucas out without investigating the cause of the


    commotion showed that he was tantly taking Alexander¡¯s side.


    Alexander shook off the guards¡¯ grip, dusted his clothes, and stuck his hands into his pants pockets. He


    then turned to face Lucas with an arrogant and taunting expression.


    As he saw Alexander¡¯s expression, Lucas could no longer contain his wrath. He grabbed the


    manager¡¯s cor and lifted the man into the air. He then, in Ustranasion, yelled at the manager, ¡°He hit


    me, but you¡¯re chasing me out? Are you kidding me?¡±


    Lucas was so livid that the flesh on his face trembled violently when he spoke.


    ¡°Please calm down, Sir. If you continue to act this way¡­ we will have to call the police.¡± The manager¡¯s


    voice quavered, but his order was clear. After all, the man had dealt with all sorts of situations.

 Chapter 1664

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1664


    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1664


    ¡°Well, I dare you! I¡¯ll smash your head before you can call the police!¡± Lucas pressed his face against


    the manager¡¯s. The manager was so scared that he shut his eyes tight.


    Despite the stressful atmosphere, I was reminded of the scene in Tom and Jerry where Spike, the


    bulldog, bullied Tom, the cat. It was hrious. I guessed I had spent too much time with the children.


    While my mind was elsewhere, Lucas pped the manager in the face.


    The sound shook me and pulled me back to reality. Only then did I realize that something was wrong. I


    quickly got up and stopped Lucas. ¡°Lucas, that¡¯s enough!¡±


    ¡°Stay out of this, Stovall. This is a private matter!¡±


    After brushing me off, Lucas turned to finish off the manager. His men were fighting with the security


    guards too.


    Noticing that the attention of the entire restaurant was on us, I blurted out, ¡°Are you nning to bring


    the cops here, Lucas? We are in the city center right now. There are patrols everywhere. They can get


    here within ten minutes! You¡¯d better consider your next step carefully!¡±


    Lucas froze after hearing my advice. He smacked his lips unhappily and threw the manager on the


    floor.


    ¡°You!¡± He raised his middle finger and index finger and pointed at his own eyes, then at the manager.


    ¡°Your face is engraved in my mind now!¡±


    He then grabbed one of the underlings, who was on top of a guard, and shouted, ¡°Are you all waiting


    for the police to arrest you? We¡¯re leaving now!¡±


    With that, the group of men left the restaurant together.


    The customers started gossiping after all of their figures disappeared at the entrance. ¡°Where do those


    peoplee from? They are so rude.¡±


    The guards helped the manager to his feet, and blood was spotted in the corner of his mouth. He


    appeared lifeless. After all, not everyone could take Lucas¡¯ p with ease.


    Since we were at the heart of the incident, I couldn¡¯t sit back and do nothing. I took out all the cash I


    had from my purse and handed them to the manager. ¡°Take these and lie low for a while. Don¡¯te


    back to K City for the time being.¡±


    The manager pushed my hand away, as he had no clue how terrifying Lucas could be. ¡°You don¡¯t have


    to give us the cash, Madam. It¡¯s our responsibility, after all.¡±


    I simply spread the manager¡¯s palm and stuffed the cash into his hand. ¡°Listen to my advice if you want


    to live.¡±


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    ¡°I¡­¡± The manager took a nce at me and turned to Alexander. When he saw Alexander nod, he


    epted the cash. ¡°Well, thank you, then.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. You need to go to the hospital to check on your injuries. The impact was on the head,


    so it could be serious.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll get going now.¡±


    The manager gave the guards, who were helping him, a look and stumbled out of the dining area. As


    soon as he entered the kitchen, his figure disappeared.


    The moment those men left, Alexander¡¯s attitude changed entirely. He started behaving like a puppy,


    sniffing for any injury on Emery. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    While asking, he reached out to grab Emery¡¯s hand, but she avoided it.


    ¡°Please watch yourself, Mr. Groom.¡±


    Emery emphasized the word ¡°groom.¡± It seemed that she was notpletely indifferent to Alexander


    as she noticed the flower pinned on his chest pocket.


    Hearing that, Alexander subconsciously took a nce at the flower and ripped it off from his pocket.


    ¡°Oh, you mean this? It¡¯s part of my outfit for the movie I¡¯m shooting. It¡¯s a wedding scene today. I


    spotted you guys right after I finished shooting the scene.¡±


    Alexander then paused for a moment and turned to face Emery. ¡°I¡¯ve been texting you. Why didn¡¯t you


    reply to me?¡± A hint of nervousness could be heard in his voice.


    ¡°What should I reply?¡± Emery shot back without looking at him.


    ¡°Anything.¡± Alexander¡¯s eyes were aze with sincerity. ¡°Those messages were just about my daily life.


    You can tell me those things too. I want to know what you are doing.¡±


    ¡°Well, now that you have seen me, you can go now.¡± Emery¡¯s voice was colder than before.


    Awkwardness slowly filled the air. Alexander, however, seemed to have gotten used to Emery¡¯s cold


    attitude. He smiled at her and asked, ¡°Are you angry at me because I¡¯ve been too busy to look for you?


    Shall we go for a holiday overseas after the shooting ends?¡±

 Chapter 1665

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1665


    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1665


    ¡°Anything.¡± Emery sounded frustrated. Before Alexander could say anything, Emery turned and headed


    toward the entrance. ¡°Letty, let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Why are you leaving? Emery! Hey¡­¡± Alexander shouted, but Emery ignored him and picked up her


    pace.


    Helplessness drowned Alexander as he watched the distance between them grow. However, as he


    looked away, he shrugged as if he was unfazed. ¡°I¡¯m fine. You guys go ahead and apany Emery.


    Have fun!¡±


    I nodded and walked in Emery¡¯s direction with Summer. ¡°See you.¡±


    When I got to the entrance, I nced back and saw Alexander sitting on a chair lifelessly.


    Honk! Honk!


    I tore my attention away from Alexander upon hearing Emery honk twice. I quickly walked toward the


    car and got into the back seat with Summer.


    As soon as I seated myself, Emery hit the gas and drove away.


    Silence filled the air as the car hit the road. When I recalled the incident at the restaurant, my gaze


    would stop at the rearview mirror from time to time as I tried to get a glimpse of Emery¡¯s expression.


    Emery noticed my gaze soon. When our gaze met for the third time, she couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    ¡°Fine. Just ask me whatever you want to ask. I can¡¯t concentrate on my driving if you keep staring at


    me from behind,¡± said Emery.


    I chuckled out loud. ¡°If you say so. But keep in mind that I have no interest in meddling with your private


    life. What happened between you and Alexander? He¡¯s been courting you for so many years, and that


    proved his sincerity. If I were you, I would give him and myself a chance. Don¡¯t you agree with me,


    Summer?¡±


    ¡°That mister is courting Aunt Emery?¡± Summer shot me a question instead.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded in reply and joked, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I think he¡¯s okay,¡± Summer replied rather briefly. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she was mimicking


    Ashton¡¯s attitude as a man of few words. Her reaction to the rtionship between a man and a woman


    was way too calm.


    However, before I could further exin Emery¡¯s past with Alexander, she continued, ¡°I think that mister


    can¡¯t handle Aunt Emery. After all, every couple must have equal footing for the rtionship to be long


    lasting.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°See, even Summer knows what¡¯s wrong between us,¡± Emery cut me short.


    I merely shrugged in reply.


    Emery continued, ¡°Honestly, he can¡¯t handle his father and his family too. His rtionship with his


    father hasn¡¯t been too good ever since he became an actor and received an Oscar. If he gets involved


    with a divorced woman, their rtionship will worsen. All prominent families are the same. It¡¯s a sin for


    a woman to marry more than one time. I¡¯ve seen such a situation so many times, and I¡¯m not looking


    forward to going through that. Plus, I don¡¯t need a man or a marriage to live my life.¡±


    The entire time, Emery¡¯s hand was loosely ced on the steering wheel as if she was talking about


    someone else¡¯s story. However, I detected a hint of regret in her voice.


    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    When we got to a crossroad, Emery hit the brake lightly, and the car stopped in front of the red light.


    She continued, ¡°The Zimmerman family has found him a fianc¨¦e. She¡¯s a gentle and obedient girl from


    a good family. She¡¯s suitable for a family of soldiers. He tried to hide the engagement, and he thought


    he did a good job. But unfortunately, the walls have ears. Everyone knows about the engagement now.


    In a movie, he¡¯s someone else¡¯s groom, and in reality, he¡¯s someone else¡¯s fianc¨¦e. So what¡¯s that got


    to do with me?¡±


    I never knew that Alexander had such aplicated family background. My heart was swarmed with


    mixed feelings. After a moment of silence, I only managed to say, ¡°Maybe you¡¯re too pessimistic.


    Alexander¡¯s young, but he dares to pursue his dream. He might try to persuade his family for you too.¡±


    ¡°Treat it as me being selfish, then.¡± Emery raised her head and met my gaze through the rearview


    mirror.


    From the reflection in the mirror, Emery looked beautiful and independent as always. Although time had


    flown by, her beauty remained the same. After all, time was kind to those who were willing to spend


    money on themselves.


    ¡°A family of soldiers has a lot of rules and principles. I¡¯m not the kind of woman who would willingly


    abide by those rules, either at work or at home. Even if he¡¯s willing to help me in dealing and exining


    to his family, he will be tired eventually, and I don¡¯t want to see that. For this reason, I should stay away.


    Plus, by keeping a distance, nothing will happen to the both of us, and we can still be friends in the


    future.¡±

 Chapter 1666

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1666


    In Love, Never Say Never Chapter 1666


    As she finished her sentence, the light turned green. Emery hit the gas and continued with the journey.


    ¡°Life is just the same as the traffic lights. When it¡¯s time to go, go, and when it¡¯s time to stop, stop. You


    cannot hesitate.¡±


    The car sped away as Emery floored the gas. Her breakup with Hunter was rather recent, and


    apanied by her constant frown and straight face, most men would stay away. I wondered if


    Alexander would be one of them.


    Arriving at the intersection near our house, I saw John and Emma in the car from afar. It seemed that


    they were heading in the direction of Coldbridge. They both carried the same sullen expression and


    didn¡¯t talk to each other.


    Emery left right after she dropped us at the front door. She declined my invitation to meet the kids,


    stating that she was tired.


    Tired, or troubled, only she could tell. Given her personality, it would be a futile attempt for me to pry if


    she refused to speak about it.


    Before I could get into the house, I heard Audreymanding Shaun and Gregory.


    ¡°No, Greg! Not like this. You have to put it here! Don¡¯t you agree, Shaun?¡±


    When I heard her energetic voice, my spirit lifted. I walked in and teased, ¡°What are you guys doing? Is


    Greg not doing as well as Audrey?¡±


    ¡°Mommy! Summer!¡±


    When Audrey heard me, she threw away whatever she was holding in her hands and ran toward me.


    She then threw herself into my arms and let me pick her up.


    ¡°Good girl.¡± I smiled at her and brushed her nose gently. ¡°What were you doing?¡±


    ¡°We were makingnterns!¡± Audrey announced proudly in a pitch higher than usual. ¡°Audrey was the


    fastest to finish it!¡±


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    ¡°Really? You¡¯re so amazing! Let Mommy have a look,¡± I praised while walking toward the living room.


    The couch and the coffee table were scattered with parts of thenterns. There was also an item sitting


    there that barely looked like antern.


    ¡°Is this the one you made?¡± I tried my best to act surprised and carefully examine thentern. I wanted


    Audrey to be proud of herself.


    ¡°Yes, yes! I did it myself. No one helped me! Praise me, Mommy!¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­ Audrey is the best! You¡¯re smarter than Mommy! Well, since there are so many materials left,


    why don¡¯t I make one with you all? Can you teach me?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    I gently patted Audrey¡¯s head with a smile while watching them. However, not seeing Ashton anywhere,


    I put Audrey down and looked around the house. ¡°Where¡¯s Daddy?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s cooking.¡± Audrey had continued with her project. ¡°Daddy said that the person who makes the


    best-lookingntern will get a cake!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help butugh at her words. Audrey loved dessert very much, and she would do anything to


    get it.


    I turned my attention to Shaun and Gregory. The boys weren¡¯t concentrating on making antern.


    Instead, they were just having fun. It seemed that the winner of the day had been determined.


    My gaze then shifted to the kitchen. I could see the light and hear some noises from the inside. Ashton


    had shut the kitchen door as he was worried about the greasy smell filling the living room. That was the


    reason why I couldn¡¯t see him anywhere.


    After putting down my purse, I headed to the kitchen.


    My movements in opening the door were purposely slow, as I wanted to observe the person inside


    through the gap of the door. As the gap widened, Ashton appeared before me.


    He was standing by the counter, making a sd. I watched him cut the vegetable, put them into a bowl,


    and mix them up. His movements were swift.


    At the same time, a series of bubbling sounds wereing from a pot of soup behind him. The steam


    flooded the entire kitchen, making it misty. Now, the kitchen was warm and lively, more so when I


    noticed Ashton wearing a Disney cartoon apron.


    The drawings were rather weird, as the lines were too bold.


    I couldn¡¯t help but giggle.


    Ashton raised his head and noticed me peeking at him. He put down the bowl but didn¡¯t stop stirring


    with the fork. He narrowed his eyes at me and asked with the corners of his mouth lifted, ¡°What are you


    laughing at?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± I cleared my throat and pushed the door open. A wicked grin was on my face as I walked


    into the kitchen. ¡°You have a nice apron, Mr. Fuller. Is it custom-made?¡±

 Chapter 1667

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1667


    Chapter 1667 The Apron On Ashton


    Ashton lowered his head to look at the apron. ¡°It is custom-made, baby daughter¡¯s winter edition. It¡¯s


    the only one avable in the world. You won¡¯t be able to get it elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I pretended to be confused. ¡°Which brand is it? Do they have so much time to release just


    one?¡±


    ¡°She does have time.¡± Ashton ced the fork on the counter and turned to check on the soup. ¡°Today


    in art ss, the teacher asked the students to make something for their parents. Among the other kids,


    they made pouches, stuffed toys, wallets, and other usual things, but Audrey made this apron for me.¡±


    I could no longer contain myughter after hearing Ashton¡¯s exnation. Audrey¡¯s love for her father


    was rather deep and it was proven when she seemed to have convinced Ashton to be their cook.


    I really wanted to know where she had learned this. It was too funny. I took in a deep breath and


    stoppedughing. ¡°It suits you, suits your aura.¡±


    Ashton turned to face me with an evil smile. ¡°Shall I ask Audrey to make another one for you?¡±


    ¡°No, thanks.¡± I quickly made a big cross with both of my hands. ¡°You don¡¯t understand. Audrey only


    gave you this apron because the kids love your cooking.¡±


    While distracting him, I walked up to him and slowly studied the apron on him. I then patted his


    shoulder and advised him half-heartedly as if I was his elder, ¡°This is Audrey¡¯s reward for you. Don¡¯t let


    the kids down. You will be responsible for the entire family¡¯s meal from today onward.¡±


    Ashton narrowed his eyes and stared at me for almost two seconds. Before I could react, he pulled me


    closer to him and trapped me in his embrace.


    The distance between both of our faces was only a punch away, and the atmosphere around us


    became a little ambiguous. However, Ashton didn¡¯t stop leaning closer to me. He lowered his voice and


    said, ¡°Does that mean you¡¯re being considerate of me?¡±


    I chuckled awkwardly and tried my best to push my head away from his. ¡°Of course! I¡¯m your dear wife.


    I would never lie to you. Mmm¡ª¡±


    Ashton¡¯s lips suddenlynded on mine and left swiftly as it came. His gaze was a yful one as he


    said, ¡°I¡¯m giving you another chance.¡±


    ¡°What I said was true¡­¡± I unconsciously lowered my voice and looked down. ¡°My cooking is not as


    good as yours.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Unsurprisingly, Ashton pressed his soft lips against mine again.


    The kiss was overbearing and forceful as if he was trying to teach me a lesson. Under Ashton¡¯s lead,


    my breathing started to be unsteady.


    Upon noticing the physiological change in him, I jerked awake. I immediately pushed him away and


    covered my mouth. ¡°You assh*le!¡±


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    Ashton curled his lips into a suggestive smile. ¡°I was just doing what a couple would usually do. How


    am I an assh*le?¡±


    ¡°You¡­ Hmph! I¡¯m done talking to you.¡±


    Since I couldn¡¯t trick him, I quickly fled the scene.


    My face was boiling from Ashton¡¯s kiss. As I walked out of the kitchen, I ced both of my hands on my


    face to lower the temperature. But before I could go far, Audrey stopped me.


    She was carrying apletedntern and was looking up at me. Blinking her big eyes, she asked


    curiously, ¡°Mommy, is it hot in the kitchen? Why is your face so red?¡±


    Her question rendered me speechless.


    Why don¡¯t you ask your daddy about this?


    ¡°Yes.¡± I smiled awkwardly, then tried to change the topic hastily. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re done with thentern in


    such a short time! It¡¯s so pretty. Do you want Mommy to apany you to find a ce to hang this


    up?¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Young kids were rather easy to trick.


    After going around the main house, Audrey finally decided to hang thentern on themp post at the


    main door. Though the yellow light of thentern was unnoticeable in the dark, it was enough to make


    Audrey jump in happiness.


    ¡°It will look nicer than this when we hang up all thenterns.¡± New Year was around the corner. Now


    that I thought about it, I had not spent any New Year with Ashton for the past six or seven years.

 Chapter 1668

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1668


    In Love, Never Say Never Chapter 1668


    Happiness is easy to attain. Happiness is when you still have your loved ones around and are


    surrounded by your children.


    After a moment, I noticed that I had slipped into a trance while staring at thentern. But I still hoped


    that my wish could be granted by this firstntern of winter.


    Audrey ran back into the house excitedly. While running, she imagined the mind-blowing scene where


    thenterns lit up the entire vi. ¡°Mommy, run faster! I want to finish making all thenterns and hang


    them up! It will be so, so beautiful!¡±


    I smiled at her exmation and followed behind. Based on her speed in making thenterns, I was


    pretty sure that she could only see such an astonishing scene in her dreams today.


    However, when we returned to the living room, a handful ofnterns were ready to be hung. Even


    Summer had finished making one.


    I shifted my gaze toward the boys and noticed the same chill expression on their faces as if they were


    trying to show that they did not make thosenterns.


    ¡°These two¡­¡± They wanted to satisfy Audrey¡¯s desire to win, but at the same time, they weren¡¯t willing


    to lose.


    Audrey paid no attention to thenterns. With a frown, she immediately dove into the sea ofntern


    parts and began to make a new one.


    ¡°Honey, it¡¯s time for dinner,¡± Ashton called out to me right then.


    ¡°Okay!¡± I then turned to the kids. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s wash your hands and have dinner. We¡¯ll continue after


    that.¡±


    ¡°Wait, Mommy! I¡¯m not hungry yet. I¡¯ll eat after I¡¯m done with this!¡± Audrey said. Her attention was fixed


    on thentern.


    As for Shaun and Gregory, they had put down thentern parts and were ready to go.


    ¡°No, Audrey. You have to behave. Daddy and your brothers are hungry. Are you going to let them


    starve as they wait for you?¡± I put on an angry face and tried to trick her into having dinner. ¡°If you¡¯re


    not hungry, I¡¯ll ask Daddy to give your dessert to your brothers.¡±


    Hearing that, Audrey thought for a moment and quickly darted toward the washroom. ¡°I¡¯ll go wash my


    hands! I¡¯m the fastest!¡±


    Her shameless act amused us all.


    Suddenly, Ashton came to my side and pulled me toward the dining table. He opened the lid of the


    bowl in front of me once I was seated and instantly, a wave of heat hit my face.


    ¡°What is this?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Dessert. Haven¡¯t you guessed it?¡± said Ashton with a smile.


    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°It¡¯s a lie to persuade Audrey to have dinner. I didn¡¯t know that you made one.¡± I took a nce at the


    bowl and pursed my lips. A momentter, I ced the lid back in its ce. I really didn¡¯t have the


    appetite to eat it now. ¡°Why don¡¯t you give it to Audrey? I had high tea with Emery just now, and I¡¯m still


    full. I think I¡¯ll have some sd for dinner.¡±


    Ashton raised his eyebrows but said nothing.


    He had a small appetite, and the kids¡¯ attention was on thenterns, so dinner ended in less than thirty


    minutes.


    After that, the kids continued with the project in the living room with Ashton helping them. As for me


    and Summer, we went upstairs for a shower after apanying them for a short while. Both of us


    were worn out.


    As I got out of the bathroom, I sensed a weak, sweet smell in the air. I followed the scent into the


    bedroom and saw a familiar bowl on the dressing table.


    Ashton, in his pajamas, walked toward the dressing table from the wardrobe and sat on the chair. He


    then spread his legs and patted his right leg as a gesture for me to go over to him. ¡°Come.¡±


    What is he up to?


    I smiled. I raised my hand to my head to support the towel wrapped around my hair and went up to him.


    ¡°What is it? Are you going to help me with a mask?¡± I asked after sitting down on hisp.


    Ashton merely smiled. He reached out to the bowl and lifted the lid. He then scooped a spoonful of the


    dessert and tasted it. After making sure the dessert was no longer hot, he turned the spoon to me and


    said gently, ¡°It¡¯s not hot. Open your mouth.¡±


    I nced at him and ate it. Instantly, I felt a surge of warmth in my stomach. ¡°Mmm¡­ It¡¯s good!¡±


    Ashton was a sessful businessman and a good cook. His dishes were all nicely done and so was


    the dessert. It wasn¡¯t too sweet, and it had a nice aroma.


    Ashton smiled with satisfaction upon seeing my reaction. He pulled my hand to the bowl and said,


    ¡°Drink it yourself.¡±

 Chapter 1669

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1669


    Chapter 1669 Do Not Take It Personally


    Ashton caught the towel as it was falling and dried my hair with it. I then picked up the spoon and fed


    myself the rest of the soup, gulping it down eagerly although I was not hungry at all.


    Then he switched on the hairdryer and started blow-drying my hair, holding my hair with one hand while


    carefully maneuvering the hairdryer with the other. His reflection in the mirror seemed to show that he


    waspletely immersed in the activity and thoroughly enjoying himself.


    I continued drinking the soup till I simply could not take another spoonful. As I lowered the sk, I


    peered at his reflection again, only to see that he was now smiling stupidly to himself, the way people


    do when they were secretly pleased about something.


    Looking at him, I could not help but feel that God was indeed unfair when he created this man.


    Somehow, that smile did not make him look goofy or silly in the least. Instead, it only made him seem


    more attractive and irresistible than ever.


    A faint hint of jealousy rose unwittingly to the surface of my heart. mming the sk onto the desk, I


    red at his reflection with narrowed eyes, asking in a dark tone, ¡°What are you smiling about?¡±


    Ever since the wedding incident, I felt as if I had gained a fuller understanding of Ashton¡¯s character.


    At the moment, things like women, power, or expanding his business domain hardly mattered to him;


    the only thing he cared about was making sure his wife and children were happy.


    Today, he could be secretly prepping for a wedding, but tomorrow, he would be taking up the role of the


    competent househusband instead. There was simply no way to tell what crazy idea he would try to pull


    off next.


    ncing at the mirror, Ashton furrowed his brow slightly, but his lips remained curled upward. ¡°Was I


    smiling?¡±


    ¡°Look at yourself!¡± I pointed at the corners of his lips in the mirror exasperatedly. ¡°You can¡¯t even


    suppress it anymore! Come on, just spill it. What are you hiding from me?¡±


    He chuckled in response, spreading out his hands helplessly. ¡°I swear, I really wasn¡¯t.¡±


    Then he turned off the hairdryer and put it aside. Combing my half-dried hair with his fingers, he went


    on, ¡°I didn¡¯t even realize I was smiling. I was just happy to see you. Maybe this is simply such a


    peaceful moment that the thought of masking my emotions didn¡¯t even cross my mind.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I cocked an eyebrow, testing him. ¡°You¡¯re not just saying that, are you? Haven¡¯t you heard of


    the seven-year itch before? People say the love between couples dies as time goes by. We¡¯ve been


    together for so many years. Are you sure you aren¡¯t sick of me yet?¡±


    Without answering, Ashton merely turned on the hairdryer again but to a lower temperature this time.


    Shivering as the cool wind sted into my cor, I immediately turned around to re at him. ¡°Hey, you


    weren¡¯t supposed to take that personally!¡±


    At that, his movements halted as he gazed at me, frowning. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, everything we¡¯ve been doing


    this whole time was personal, whether it¡¯s me drying your hair or just us chitchatting. How else am I


    supposed to take this if not personally?¡±


    That seemed to make sense to a certain extent, but I was still not satisfied.


    I lifted my chin indignantly, retorting, ¡°I don¡¯t care! You¡¯re just finding an excuse to bully me!¡±


    As soon as my words left my mouth, the frown on his forehead deepened. The next thing I knew, he


    was forcefully grabbing my chin and nting a kiss on my lips, taking mepletely by surprise.


    ¡°Mmm! What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say I was bullying you?¡± The frown on his face dissolved as a calm expression took


    over. ¡°Far from it, I¡¯m a man who cares only to satisfy my wife¡¯s wishes faithfully and at all times. Is


    there anything else you¡¯d like me to do for you?¡±


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    ¡°Y-You¡ª¡±


    Ring! Ring! Ring!


    The sound of my phone ringing cut me off just as I was about to settle the score with him.


    It was a call from Emery, which I picked up at once.


    ¡°What¡¯s up, Emery?¡±


    While I was on the phone, Ashton suddenly became rather restless as he buried his face in the crook of


    my neck, sending tingling sensations down my spine with his hot breath.


    ¡°Is this Ms. Stovall on the line? Your friend¡¯s drunk. I called you because I saw that you¡¯re the most


    recent contact in her call history. Do you minding over to get her?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Stunned, I froze for a moment before nodding and leaping onto my feet. ¡°I see. Sure, just send


    me your location, and I¡¯ll be there soon. Thanks.¡±


    After hanging up, I made straight for the wardrobe, exining, ¡°Emery¡¯s gotten drunk at a bar. I have to


    go and get her.¡±

 Chapter 1670

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1670


    Chapter 1670 Love Is Unstoppable


    Ashton did not answer. Instead, he tugged at my hand forcefully, causing me to lose my bnce and


    topple over into his arms.


    ¡°Stop fooling around now. Emery¡¯s waiting for me at the bar!¡± I struggled to free myself from his grasp.


    ¡°Someone else will get her.¡± He shifted his position and stood up, carrying me to the bed in his arms.


    ¡°I was the one who just received the phone call. Who else would be going if not me? Come on, Ashton,


    just let me go. It¡¯s gettingte now, and it¡¯s dangerous for Emery to be alone.¡±


    Completely ignoring my words, he ced me down on the bed and pressed his body on top of mine,


    his brow tightening into a frown. ¡°You¡¯re hardly an inexperienced woman, so how could you not


    understand this?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± My friend was drunk and needed someone to pick her up. What else was there


    to understand?


    Heaving a deep sigh, he leaned sideways and fell onto the bed beside me. ¡°The bar doesn¡¯t close so


    early. Just call back in another twenty minutes and go if there¡¯s still no one there. It¡¯s only twenty


    minutes anyway. It shouldn¡¯t make much difference.¡±


    I still had no idea what he meant by all that. However, since I failed to win that argument, I could only


    compromise and go with his suggestion.


    I waited in agony till twenty minutes finally passed before calling Emery back. The line got through


    quickly, and a familiar male voice instantly came on the line.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    ¡°You must be Scarlett. This is Alexander. Don¡¯t worry, Emery is with me now. Have an early rest and


    good night!¡±


    ¡°Good¡­ night.¡±


    It took me a few seconds after I hung up toe back to my senses. Then I turned toward Ashton and


    propped my head up with a hand. ¡°How did you know Alexander was also at that bar?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± A smug smile crept onto his lips. Hey there with his eyes shut, looking calm and confident


    as if he had everything in the palm of his hands.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t?¡± I found that hard to believe. ¡°Then how did you know someone else would surely be there


    to pick Emery up?¡±


    Only then did Ashton open his eyes. He turned over, gazing at me with his deep, dark eyes. ¡°Because I


    understand the feeling of missing another person without being able to meet them.¡±


    ¡°Tell me more about it.¡± His words had just piqued my interest, and I could not wait for him to borate


    on the subject.


    However, Ashton shut his eyeszily, refusing to cooperate. ¡°I don¡¯t think I want to. My mouth¡¯s a bit


    dry, to be honest¡­¡±


    He looked a striking resemnce to John with that sly and impish look on his face, but I guessed his


    motives in an instant.


    What to do? I¡¯ve got to hear the rest of this story, don¡¯t I?


    Thus, for the sake of satisfying my curiosity and despite being unwilling to do so, I leaned toward him


    and pecked him on the cheek.


    ¡°There! Now, will you tell me?¡±


    Immediately, another smug look flitted across his face. Although itsted for only the briefest moment, I


    still had no trouble spotting it and instantly regretted my actions.


    Damn it, Scarlett! Why were you in such a rush to please him? You should have stood your ground


    firmly, and he would eventually tell you the rest anyway.


    Fortunately, Ashton was a man of his word and did not attempt to trick me into giving him more.


    Wriggling slightly, he shifted to a morefortable position and extended his hand through the space


    between my neck and my pillow, hugging me toward him. With just a little force, he had me pressing


    against his chest while his hands aimlessly wandered across my body.


    Huh! Men!


    Just as I was about to lose my temper, Ashton finally spoke. ¡°What do you imagine I¡¯d do when you¡¯re


    not by my side and there¡¯s no way I could reach you?¡±


    ¡°No idea. What would you do?¡±


    ¡°I would go to a hidden spot, turn off the flight mode on my phone, and dial your number repeatedly.¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about the time you were in R Province?¡± A certain calmness washed over me as I


    recalled the past, but I did not want to dive into the subject so as not to evoke unpleasant emotions. ¡°I


    understand there are lots about the past that you find difficult to talk about, but those times are long


    gone now, aren¡¯t they? Nothing matters more than the present.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Sensing my intentions, he did not go further into the subject either. ¡°What I mean is, love is an


    unstoppable force akin to a great deluge or a savage beast. Even I couldn¡¯t stop myself from secretly


    andpulsively calling you when my heart called out for you, let alone a man like Alexander.¡±


    I nodded thoughtfully, feeling as if I was beginning to understand. However, another thought struck me


    suddenly, and I blurted out, ¡°B-But Emery said she was going to limit her loss. She must have blocked


    all manners ofmunication with Alexander since the beginning. Then how did he manage to


    reach¡­¡±

 Chapter 1671

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1671


    Chapter 1671 Off To Q City


    ¡°Oh, wait. Does that mean¡­¡± I trailed off, realization dawning on me.


    Despite everything she said, she still couldn¡¯t bring herself to cut connections with Alexander!


    All this time, Emery had been secretly watching as he fought to win her love back. His messages were


    read but ignored, and his phone calls that came through were deliberately missed. Although she had


    betrayed none of her emotions, she had been struggling to hold herself back from epting him as


    well. That was until she finally caved.


    Before this, I always thought Emery showed impressive rationality when it came to rtionships and


    was capable of weighing her advantages and disadvantages in each rtionship urately, whether it


    was in the case of Hunter or Alexander. Even if she might not step back from thempletely, she


    would always keep herself in the most invulnerable position possible.


    However, this rationality obviously did not apply to a rtionship with a man like Alexander. Judging


    from her behavior, it was evident that he had turned into an irregr variable in her life.


    I leaned against Ashton¡¯s chest, patting him lightly. ¡°How is it that you know so much about Emery?


    Have you sent someone to spy on her on something?¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡± He reached out to hold my hand. ¡°Alexander¡¯s current status could be considered top


    in the industry right now. There are eyes on him at all times. I hardly need a spy to know what he¡¯s


    been up to. However, I won¡¯t deny I¡¯ve indeed taken action a few times to help those two suppress


    news about themselves.¡±


    His words clearly implied that the news was sexual in nature. Eyes widening, I giggled as I yfully


    probed him to reveal more. ¡°News? What sort of news?¡±


    Suddenly, he turned over andy pressing down on me. By the time I caught on, he already had my


    arms locked above my head in a death grip. ¡°Since you¡¯re so interested in the details, why don¡¯t I let


    you experience them for yourself?¡±


    With that, his other hand slithered beneath the hem of my lingerie and traveled upward, asserting its


    presence on my body.


    Realizing that he was serious about it, I immediately pleaded, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Hubby! It was a mistake. I


    promise I won¡¯t ask about it again. Please, let me go!¡±


    Lowering his head toward mine, he rubbed his nose against mine fondly. ¡°How dare you reject me after


    epting my gift?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± I froze, utterly stunned. ¡°Y-You mean the s-soup you prepared for me earlier? So this is where


    you were going with it?¡±


    I should have known he couldn¡¯t possibly have done that without any ulterior motives!


    ¡°Of course,¡± he answered softly. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve drunk it all, don¡¯t you think you need to do something


    to burn off all that extra energy?¡±


    I merely stared back at him, fully regretting ever drinking that sk of soup.


    Nevertheless, I was simply not in the mood to satisfy his wishes that night.


    ¡°Ashton,¡± I went on with a pitiful expression, ¡°I was busy in the office all day, sorting out work matters


    with Summer, and I even went shopping after work. I¡¯m thoroughly exhausted today. Why don¡¯t we do


    this¡­ another time?¡±


    I gulped nervously, having absolutely no confidence that my attempt was at all sufficient in convincing


    the hungry beast before my eyes to back down.


    However, Ashton was surprisinglypliant. He slipped off my body andy back down beside me


    without another word.


    Before I could say anything, he spoke upnguidly. ¡°Well, there¡¯s no such thing as secrets in this world,


    especially not when ites to a famous person like Alexander. Sooner orter, the news will reach


    the Zimmermans, and that¡¯s when all hell will break loose.¡±


    I said nothing in response, thinking that the Zimmermans might be a powerful family, but Emery was


    not one who would easily back down in the face of abuse and insult either. It was far too early to tell


    who among them was on the losing side just yet.


    Thus, I merelyy leaning on him in silence and eventually drifted off to sleep.


    Due to the close connection between Luscious Wines and Skull, Summer decided to tackle the root of


    the problem and proposed to procure thergest winepany in Q City.


    Once the project kicked off, Fuller Corporation would be the only supplier of wines in the club. Not only


    would that be effective in avoiding the risk of selling fake wine, but it would also prevent any suspicious


    parties from tampering with the stock.


    After Emery¡¯s information confirmed that Lexis had had a private deal with Quince and Lucas, Summer


    and I set out for Q City to propose our acquisition formally.


    Uponnding at the airport, we headed straight for the Koandrian restaurant where we would meet up


    with the manager of the winepany.


    However, pushing open the door to the private room, we were suddenly reluctant to step in.


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Besides the manager, there was another man in the room who was sitting with his back toward us. His


    short and thin build, as well as his coal-ck skin, were such distinctive features that it was difficult and


    inexcusable for us to not recognize him.

 Chapter 1672

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1672


    Chapter 1672 An Empty Handed Return


    Summer¡¯s decision to procure the winepany in Q City was ast-minute idea, and not many knew


    about it. Yet, Quince had somehow managed to figure out her n and even got here before us. He


    was obviously not a simple-minded man.


    ¡°You must be Ms. Stovall.¡± The manager got up at once and greeted Summer, mistaking me for her


    secretary. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you¡¯re young, but you¡¯re way younger than I imagined. So young, yet so


    promising! Come in and have a seat.¡±


    Summer shot me a nce, waiting for me to speak.


    However, before I could do so, Quince¡¯s broken Chanaean sounded. ¡°Isn¡¯t there a Chanaean saying


    that goes, ¡®keep calm and take things as theye¡¯? Or are you still afraid, Stovall?¡±


    Hearing that, Summer immediately took my hand and led me to our seats withrge, confident strides.


    Maintaining a calmposure, she addressed the room with a smile, revealing not the slightest hint of


    fear or doubt.


    The manager seemed especially excited to coborate with Fuller Corporation. ¡°It¡¯s our honor to


    coborate with you, Ms. Stovall, and yet you came over here to meet us in person. You¡¯re much too


    kind and sincere. Besides, Mr. Quince and I hit it off right away as well. With the three of us working


    together in the future, we¡¯re definitely going to create a whole new empire in the wine industry, and


    Luscious Wines can see themselves out!¡±


    He was obviously already a little inebriated, but his words were still making sense.


    From the looks of it, Quince had stood in as a coborator of Fuller Corporation and reached a verbal


    agreement with the manager about a future three-way coboration before we arrived.


    Throughout the entire meeting, neither Summer nor I mentioned a word about procuring the wine


    company represented by the manager. Not only did our intention to settle things quickly not work out,


    but we ended up also feeling intensely humiliated by the way things had turned out.


    The manager drank so much he ended up drunk as a skunk, and someone immediately came to pick


    him up once the meeting ended. Quince walked us to the door and asked to speak to me privately


    when we were about to get in the car.


    ¡°I hope what happened today will never happen again, Stovall. Talk to Fuller when you get back and


    have him sign the contract with us as soon as possible. Don¡¯t spoil things for us now after we¡¯ve been


    so happy working together.¡±


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    Being shorter than me, he gazed up at me with his eyes rolled up. It was indeed a rather frightening


    sight.


    ¡°There must have been a misunderstanding. We¡¯ve never been coborators, and I¡¯m hardly one to


    dictate Ashton¡¯s actions and decisions.¡±


    Quince shook his head as I spoke as if he was running out of patience. ¡°No, this is nonsense. There¡¯s


    been a bond between us ever since I bought that painting of yours. So don¡¯t even think of ditching us to


    work alone, understand?¡±


    Shooting a vicious re at me, he turned to walk away but doubled back only after a few steps. ¡°Don¡¯t


    mind me giving you a little trouble if you really don¡¯t appreciate what we have between us.¡±


    With that, he turned and strode away.


    Watching his ratherical figure leave, I could not help the smirk that crept onto my lips.


    That man had no idea about the amount of trouble I had dealt with in my life. His minor threat meant


    nothing to me.


    Nevertheless, Summer and I were indeed feeling quite down to return empty-handed. Spotting Ashton


    waiting to pick us up at the arrival gates, we could only manage a mere smile through pursed lips.


    I told Ashton about our fruitless venture on the way back, feeling somewhat helpless. ¡°We¡¯ll probably


    have to abort our n of procuring Q City¡¯s winepany for now. If Quince thought of Q City as well,


    then we can assume he has informants in most otherpanies in the country, too. We¡¯d have to think


    of another solution.¡±


    Ashton was driving, and his expression remained cid as he listened to me. ¡°There¡¯s no rush.¡±


    After a moment¡¯s silence, he asked in the same calm tone, ¡°Would you like to go straight home to rest


    or grab a bite on the way?¡±


    ¡°Both are fine with me. You decide.¡± I could not get the thought of how Quince had just yed us out of


    my mind, and it was sending waves of anxiety through my heart.


    Before he could answer, however, Summer spoke instead. ¡°Drop me off in front, Daddy. I think I¡¯ll head


    to the club first before going home.¡±


    Ashton cast a nce at her through the rearview mirror. ¡°You sure you¡¯re not too tired?¡±


    Summer shook her head. ¡°Not really. Q City¡¯s not that far away. Quince¡¯s men have been loitering in


    the club frequentlytely. I¡¯m worried the employees wouldn¡¯t feel toofortable about that without a


    boss around.¡±


    Without answering, Ashton made a U-turn at the next bend and drove toward the club instead.


    ¡°Thanks, Daddy,¡± said Summer. Then she gazed out of the window gloomily, saying nothing else for the


    rest of the journey.

 Chapter 1673

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1673


    Chapter 1673 Dropping By At The Club


    We were caught in a traffic jam when we were just a street away from the club due to the evening peak


    hours.


    I watched glumly as the numbers on the countdown indicator of the traffic light ticked down at a snail¡¯s


    pace. Feeling restless, I decided to roll down the windows and gazed at the moving traffic on the


    opposite street instead.


    Suddenly, I spotted Lucas¡¯ face through the window of a ck BMW whizzing along in the traffic. I


    instinctively followed the car with my gaze until it reached the end of the road and disappeared around


    the corner.


    I was not sure if it was an illusion, but I somehow felt as if I had seen the woman who was in the car


    with him before.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Ashton, sensing that something was up with me.


    ¡°I think I just spotted Lucas.¡± I pointed to the left. ¡°He just went that way. I think he¡¯s just been to the


    club.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Ashton responded shortly. With a slight nce toward the back seat, he asked, ¡°Is everything


    okay at the club?¡±


    Nodding, Summer gazed back at him innocently. Then, as if struck by a thought, she hurriedly took out


    her phone and checked through her messages to make sure she had not missed anything. Only then


    did she answer, ¡°Yes, there were only a few trivial matters, all of which I¡¯d dealt with before boarding


    the ne.¡±


    Ashton merely responded with a nod and asked no further questions. Just then, the lights turned green,


    and the car started moving again, going at a significantly faster speed than before.


    I snuck a nce at him. His expression remained indifferent, but I could sense a hint of nervous energy


    radiating off him.


    We arrived at the club in no time at all. Stopping the car at the entrance, Ashton did not even bother


    removing the car keys from the ignition but hopped off the car at once and entered the club with us.


    Seeing that Summer was back, her assistant came out to greet her at once. ¡°Wee back, Ms.


    Summer.¡±


    Ashton moved past him and went straight in, his expression cold as ice.


    It was his first visit to the ce, but the assistant recognized who he was in an instant and froze


    unwittingly as he strode past, stunned by the powerful aura he exuded.


    ¡°Did those ck men find trouble here just now?¡± Summer interrupted his train of thoughts.


    ¡°No, they didn¡¯t evene today.¡± The assistant came back to his senses and shed her a grin. ¡°Only


    Lucas and a few of his guys dropped by earlier. Otherwise, there hasn¡¯t been a single ck guy in this


    area today.¡±


    Most of Lucas¡¯ men came from the mafia and carried fierce vibes. Their mere presence was terrifying,


    and the employees were always nervous around them. Naturally, they were happy and relieved that


    none of them had appeared today.


    However, Summer caught the most crucial point of the assistant¡¯s statement. She halted her footsteps,


    asking sternly, ¡°What was he doing here?¡±


    ¡°He came to deliver our wine. Did the manager not report this to you?¡± The assistant was visibly


    surprised. He swiveled backward and yelled for the manager, ¡°Ms. York? Are you there?¡± He turned


    back, puzzled. ¡°That¡¯s strange. She was just here a moment ago. I wonder where she¡¯s gone.¡±


    Seeing this, we all sensed that something was amiss.


    Summer¡¯s face darkened instantly, and she sounded exceedingly displeased when she spoke again.


    ¡°What just happened here?¡±


    As someone who was usually pleasant and agreeable, Summer rarely ever showed others this


    powerful and authoritative side of herself. Shocked, the assistant immediately minded his behavior and


    ryed the entire incident seriously.


    ¡°Lucas came here with Mrs. Fuller to deliver the wine just now. He said you had agreed with it. We


    were initially reluctant to ept it, but Mrs. Fuller said that we were all disrespecting her and was going


    to fire all of us. So Ms. York made the call and epted the stock.¡±


    Mrs. Fuller?


    I knew for sure that I had said none of those things.


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    Besides, I had been busy helping out in the club for the past few days. How could anyone have


    mistaken another person for me?


    Slightly angry, I snapped at him, ¡°Think carefully. Are you sure it was I who made you ept those


    wines?¡±


    Hearing that, the assistant smiled tteringly. ¡°Oh, it wasn¡¯t anything like that, Mrs. Fuller. You¡¯re always


    in a good temper and obviously wouldn¡¯t have put us in such a spot. I was actually talking about the


    other Mrs. Fuller.¡±


    ¡°Does she look a lot like me?¡±


    I suspected it was Nora running about scamming others and being up to no good under the guise of


    being me. Since we both shared the same look, other than people who were close to us, no one else


    could possibly tell us apart.


    ¡°Huh? How is that possible? No, that Mrs. Fuller wasn¡¯t half as attractive as you. She looked like a


    cheap inte influencer at most¡ª¡± Suddenly realizing that he had misspoken, he hurriedly changed


    his words. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to criticize Mr. Fuller¡¯s taste.¡±

 Chapter 1674

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1674


    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1674


    I came to realize that listening to the assistant¡¯s verbal report was more frustrating than I had expected,


    as his speech somehow never seemed to be going anywhere. It was no wonder that he had never


    been promoted to a higher position despite working with us ever since Wenville.


    Fortunately, Summer was skillful in grasping the main point. ¡°Where¡¯s the wine now?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s in the wine cer,¡± the assistant answered calmly as he stepped aside, allowing us to pass through


    to the basement.


    Before Summer could even take a step, however, police sirens suddenly red from outside.


    In a moment, police cars shing red and blue lights stopped at the club¡¯s entrance, and a few


    uniformed police officers came out of them, making straight for us.


    The police officer in lead shed his badge and search warrant in front of us. His ID showed that his


    name was Horace Wicke. ¡°This club is suspected of illegal trading and smuggling. We¡¯ll need to do a


    full search of the ce. Who¡¯s the person in charge here?¡±


    I immediately stepped forward, blocking Summer. ¡°I am.¡±


    In that instant, Macy¡¯s disheartened voice suddenly echoed in my mind. It was hard to believe that after


    so many years, the same situation was repeating but on Summer this time.


    I knew there was only one possible culprit behind such a dirty act.


    After all these years, even after Summer had grown up so much, that woman still had not changed a bit


    and had no other tricks up her sleeves other than nting illegal goods on others.


    The wine used in the club was expensive and worth an astronomical amount, considering therge


    bulk in store. They far surpassed the cost of the drugs nted on Macy back then. If the police caught


    us with those illegal wines, Summer, as the legal owner of the club, was bound to be taken away and


    detained.


    Horace gave me a once-over and went on coolly, ¡°Please cooperate ande with us as we search


    the ce.¡±


    Just then, the sound of cars screeching to a halt pierced through the air as several cars stopped at the


    roadside outside the club. The next thing we knew, reporters were swarming toward us with


    microphones held out.


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    Concerned with maintaining order, the police immediately blocked them from entering, and a huge


    crowd of reporters immediately formed at the club¡¯s entrance.


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, whatments do you have regarding your daughter¡¯s smuggling?¡±


    ¡°What a young age to break a federalw! Is it because she was raised abroad that she turned out so


    bold and uncouth?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Summer, did you choose to start your business in the entertainment industry because the


    pleasure-seeking nature of the industry appeals to you?¡±


    ¡°Can the police disclose the duration of the sentence Mr. Fuller¡¯s daughter is expected to face once this


    case is substantiated?¡±


    The questions were endless.


    Men and women, both young and old, waved their microphones and cameras at us madly, condemning


    Summer in the name of justice without knowing that they were, in fact, the greatest evil present at the


    scene.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± I shouted, losing control. ¡°What do you even know about my daughter? Who are you


    guys toment on her?¡±


    The rowdy crowd immediately fell silent. Most of them were terrified after my outburst, but there were


    still a few who fearlessly directed their cameras at me.


    I knew they could not wait for me to break down and lose my temper. I could already guess the


    headline they were hoping to publish¡ª ¡°The Unknown Dark Side Of Mrs. Fuller.¡±


    Unfortunately, I was dead serious at that moment. Not only was I not the least bit afraid of being caught


    on camera, but I looked straight at thergest camera among them and raised my voice.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care which newspany youe from, but I¡¯m only going to say this once. Whether or not


    anyone in my family hasmitted a crime will naturally be determined by the police. If anything


    concerning my family leaks out or appears on any news channel, I promise I will sue yourpany to


    bankruptcy.¡±


    By the time I ended my speech, all the reporters had meekly shut their camera lenses except for one


    that was still aiming right at me.


    I gazed into the camera lens, smirking derisively. The female reporter hiding behind it poked out her


    head and met my gaze.


    Seeing that, I went on in an even more domineering tone, ¡°I fully support that reporters should have


    freedom of speech, but anyone who dares to harm my daughter in any way will be up against the entire


    Fuller Corporation.¡±


    With that said, I pursed my lips, smiling at the camera with my eyes slightly narrowed.


    After staring at me for another five seconds, the female reporter finally gave in as she slowly turned off


    the equipment she was holding.

 Chapter 1675

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1675


    Chapter 1675 A Sea Of Red


    Horace scoffed at my firm statement and said sarcastically, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, that¡¯s rather bold of you to


    threaten someone in front of the police. Did you forget about the oaths you took when you became a


    lawyer?¡±


    Threaten someone? I guess he¡¯s right.


    I had no qualms about ¡°threatening¡± people if it meant protecting Summer.


    With a smile that did not quite reach my eyes, I replied stiffly, ¡°Whatever you say, sir. I¡¯m sure it would


    be difficult for any mother to stay calm when her daughter is in trouble. So sue me.¡±


    I paused and turned toward the reporters. ¡°Though, if memory serves me right, you can¡¯t open a case


    without the victim¡¯s agreement. Would any of you like to pursue this matter?¡±


    The silence that greeted me was deafening.


    Realizing that he had lost this round, Horace waved his hand in a dismissive gesture and said


    impatiently, ¡°Forget it. I¡¯m not going to waste time on useless chitchat. Rich people like you always


    think that you¡¯re better than everyone else, but I believe everyone is equal before thew. You better


    start praying that your walls don¡¯t crumble under our investigation. All I need is a little piece of evidence


    to send you to prison for the rest of your life!¡±


    With that, he roared, ¡°Raid this ce!¡±


    A horde of officers swarmed the wine cer at his orders.


    There was no way I could stop their advance. Oh well. At worst, I¡¯ll drop by the police station with


    Summer. Our innocence will prevail. The police doesn¡¯t have hard evidence on Summer¡¯s direct


    involvement in smuggling luxury wines. They can only detain her in the station for two days at max.


    I vowed to myself that I would do everything in my power to prevent Summer from shouldering the


    me in Quince¡¯s n.


    I owed it to Macy to support Summer as best as I could. My failure to be there for Macy in the past


    hung heavy over my mind.


    At the door to the cer, I patted Summer¡¯s handfortingly, silently telling her to stay calm. No


    matter what happened, I would be there with her every step of the way.


    ¡°Open it.¡± Unsurprisingly, Horace had pushed his way to the front of the crowd.


    The staff holding the key to the cer nced at Summer and me. Upon our nods, he inserted the key


    into the keyhole.


    The minute he turned the key, we heard an ear-splitting crash from within the cer. It sounded like


    ss shattering.


    The door between us and the cer could not diminish the impact of the crash.


    The police officers whipped out the guns from their holsters almost simultaneously, training their barrels


    on the cer door in preparation forbat. Horace pulled our staff aside and exchanged nces with


    his officers before kicking the door open.


    m! The door mmed heavily into the wall, revealing a cer that reeked of alcohol.


    The cer was flooded with wine, threatening to flow over the doorstep at any moment. Meanwhile,


    crates that used to hold the wine bottlesy scattered around the room in disarray. ss shards glinted


    faintly from beneath the inches of wine submerging the floor.


    Ashton stood in the middle of it all, his trousers half-soaked in wine. His zer was missing, leaving


    him in a white shirt and a loosened tie hanging crookedly around his neck. I thought I spied red wine


    stains on him.


    He only whirled around to face the door upon hearing themotion of the police officers. As he did


    so, he revealed a half-empty bottle of whiskey in his hands. Ashton swigged a gulp of liquor


    nonchntly in front of his audience.


    He then threw the bottle at the wall, just as Horace roared, ¡°Stop!¡± to no avail. s, time did not freeze


    simply at his orders, and the whiskey bottle shattered loudly, its carcass joining the rest of the broken


    bottles on the floor as it left behind arge alcohol stain on the wall.


    Horace had gone green around the gills, and I could see him clenching his jaw in silent fury.


    Ashton, however, was the perfect picture of innocence as he wiped his mouth and drawled, ¡°What¡¯s


    wrong? Why did we trouble so many police officers to visit our cer today?¡±


    I did not know whether tough or cry at his pretentious behavior.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Hurriedly, I swallowed myughter and offered, ¡°Someone reported us for alleged smuggling, and they


    even got themselves a warrant to inspect our cer.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Ashton replied lightly. ¡°How unfortunate. There¡¯s been a slight mishap, and all the wine is


    gone.¡±


    With that, he paused and turned his attention to Horace. Pointing at the mess on the floor, Ashton


    added, ¡°Help yourselves if you don¡¯t mind.¡±

 Chapter 1676

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1676


    Chapter 1676 A Risky Bet


    With the wine bottles destroyed and their contents spilled across the floor, any evidence of the alleged


    smuggling activities was gone. Entering the flooded cer at this point was a lost cause and frankly


    disgusting.


    Horace red at Ashton sullenly before reholstering his gun. He turned around to leave.


    He had barely taken two steps before he whipped around suddenly and said cynically, ¡°I must say, Mr.


    Fuller and Mrs. Fuller, the two of you make such a lovely pair. Your teamwork is admirable, and I¡¯d be


    hard-pressed to find another pair who were more in sync with one another!¡±


    He did not fool me with his thinly veiled attempt at using us of being criminal aplices.


    How good can he be if he¡¯s so intent on painting our family as viins over some baseless


    usations?


    I yed dumb and replied sweetly, ¡°What a lovelypliment. I¡¯m sure the two of us will enjoy a long


    life together over your blessings!¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Horace scoffed and said, ¡°Let¡¯s see if you¡¯ll still be smiling like this during our next encounter!¡±


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    He left in a huff with the other officers in tow.


    Horace¡¯s behavior made it seem like we were his mortal enemies, and I could not help but wonder if


    everyone else harbored this feeling of prejudice toward all businessmen. He was so ready to pin the


    me on us even before obtaining any evidence, almost as if he¡¯s confident that none of our profits


    come from legal means.


    Ashton waited for the officers to leave the vicinity of the cer beforeing out. The sound of


    rhythmic crunching greeted our ears as he walked over the ss shards littering the floor.


    The wine cer had no heating, and the chill sent me scrunching my neck into my cor. Hastily, I


    added, ¡°You¡¯re going to fall sick if you stay in those wet clothes. You should clean up in the restroom.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Ashton replied. He looked at Summer grimly and added, ¡°Get someone to move the rest of


    the wine away. Keep it in a discreet location; we might have some use for it in the future.¡±


    Summer and I turned to look at the half-open crates in the cer, paling in unison.


    It turned out that Ashton had not destroyed all of the wines. It was all an act, and most of the smuggled


    wines were lying intact in their original crates. Had the police officers been more determined to venture


    into the cer for a better look, they would have the evidence they needed to make a case.


    Ashton¡¯s risky gamble thankfully paid off.


    Worried that the officers could return at any minute, I urged Summer, ¡°Quick, follow your dad¡¯s


    instructions.¡±


    Summer nodded somberly and summoned the staff who had unlocked the cer door earlier. She


    ordered, ¡°Get all the staff in here right now, except the security guards at the door or the cleaners in the


    hall. Be discreet; we don¡¯t want to alert any of the reporters outside.¡±


    ¡°Right away, Miss.¡± The staff immediately set out to carry out her orders.


    She turned to me next and apologized, ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m sorry for troubling you all today. You should head


    to the manager¡¯s office with Daddy and get some rest. I¡¯ll have someone send a set of clean clothes up


    in a bit. Once I¡¯ve settled everything here, I¡¯ll head up to brief you all on the situation.¡±


    Instead of answering her, Ashton left quietly, and I shot a look of reassurance at Summer before


    following him.


    We passed by staff heading toward the cer on our way up.


    As we waited for the elevators, I saw Ashton casually ncing toward the main entrance. I supposed


    he was checking to see if the police cars had left.


    Ashton had juste in after a shower when Summer showed up. She wore a remorseful expression


    on her face as she approached the two of us on the couch. Summerunched into her apology


    immediately, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Daddy. I was negligent in my hiring practices, and I almost ruined the project. I


    take full responsibility for all the consequences.¡±


    She sounded as logical and distant as before, and I found myself in awe of her iron-d control over


    her emotions.


    I was struck with an epiphany then ¡ª all my efforts in the past were for naught. Summer¡¯s calmness


    and indifference were bone-deep, and she was not one to wear her heart on her sleeve.


    s, she inherited a part of Jared, after all.


    On the contrary, Ashton seemed unbothered by her distant behavior. He was only concerned about the


    matter at hand as he questioned her, ¡°How do you n on solving this?¡±


    Summer mulled over his question for a while before answering, ¡°I¡¯ll fire the manager involved and


    cklist him from any future hiring. There will be background checks on all current staff to make sure


    nothing like this happens again. Next, I¡¯ll upgrade our surveince systems so we¡¯re better prepared for


    emergencies like this in the future.¡±

 Chapter 1677

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1677


    Chapter 1677 Confrontation


    I nodded silently. Indeed, it certainly isn¡¯t an easy task to consider the issue from three perspectives in


    such a short time.


    However, Ashton seemed to be still dissatisfied with her answers as he raised his brows and said in a


    slightly overbearing manner, ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    Upon hearing that, dumbfoundedness shed across Summer¡¯s eyes instantly. She furrowed her brows


    temporarily before rxing them in the next second. With apparent helplessness in her tone, she


    replied, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Daddy, but I still couldn¡¯t figure out the others at the moment.¡±


    She had asked Ashton¡¯s forgiveness twice in less than a minute. The atmosphere grew rtively


    tenser at that instant. Ashton had always subconsciously put his employees under tremendous


    pressure, and now, he applied it to Summer as well.


    Knowing how hard it was to notice a subconscious habit, I could only interrupt jokingly to ease the


    tension, ¡°All right, it¡¯s all in the past. Why are you so serious in a family conversation? Summer is still


    young andcks experience. You¡¯re superior in this, so don¡¯t keep her in suspense.¡±


    As soon as Ashton looked at me with his dark eyes, he understood immediately. He then softened his


    expression before uttering, ¡°I¡¯m not asking you how to deal with the aftermath. What I¡¯m trying to bring


    up is that what you n to do after being schemed?¡±


    Does that mean that he wants Summer to counterattack?


    Seemingly, Summer also caught on to the meaning behind his question. However, she seemed to be in


    a dilemma as she stammered and answered evasively, ¡°Of course, I-I¡¯ll not suffer in silence. In my


    opinion, warning the employees, drawing the line with the men, and inhibiting them from entering the


    club should be effective enough¡­¡±


    At that, Ashton took in a deep breath meaningfully and lowered his eyes slowly before asking, ¡°After


    getting beaten by someone out of no reason, instead of starting a row with the wrongdoer, you restrain


    yourself and put up with it. Who taught you this? John?¡±


    Yet, it didn¡¯t make any sense. ording to John¡¯s personality, he would give it back to them at least


    tenfolds if they set him up. For him to swallow his grievances and repay a grudge with favor, dream on!


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°No.¡± As if worrying about something, Summer scrunched her face and lowered her eyes, avoiding


    Ashton¡¯s stern gaze.


    Nevertheless, her action couldn¡¯t escape his sharp eyes. ¡°What are you worrying about?¡±


    After a moment of silence, Summer raised her head but didn¡¯t answer his question. Instead, she looked


    at me worriedly.


    Feeling baffled by her gaze, I shifted my posture instinctively and tucked some stray strands of hair


    behind my ear. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? Is there anything on my face?¡±


    A gleam shed across Ashton¡¯s intelligent eyes as he noticed that something was off. He then asked


    tantly, hitting the nail right on the head, ¡°Is the reason you don¡¯t dare to take your revenge is


    because of Scarlett?¡±


    Only then did Summer nod slowly. She then pulled out a photo from her pocket and handed it to Ashton


    respectfully.


    Expressionlessly, he tossed the photo to me after ncing at it. Next, he crossed his legs and smirked,


    asking, ¡°What is in your mind? Do you think that I¡¯ve betrayed your mom and the family?¡±


    It was a photo of Ashton and Reba like the one shown by Quince and the others when they visited


    the Fuller residence previously, but, this time, it was more ambiguous.


    Back then, I¡¯d hid the photo the moment Summer showed up, not wanting her to overthink it. Yet, I still


    failed to keep it from her in the end.


    Well, there was no escaping the inevitable. We would need to solve the issue, eventually.


    Summer answered tactfully, ¡°I¡¯m a junior, so I¡¯ve no right toment about the rtionship issue


    between you and Mommy.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t umon for a man to have good rtionships with women outside despite having a wife in


    a prominent family. Growing up surrounded by rich second-generation children, Summer would


    naturally hear much about it. Perhaps, in her eyes, both the facts that Ashton and I were affectionate


    and Ashton had a mistress secretly were true.


    To put things inly, she believed in Quince¡¯s sowing discord attempt.


    Nheless, it was expected. Ashton had always been a disciplined man, with the only exception


    being Reba. Previously, she was the thorn in our rtionship. Thus, it wasn¡¯t weird for the outsiders


    to use it to provoke us at all.


    As clever as Summer, ying games with her was of no use. Therefore, I could only look at Ashton,


    purse my lips, and raise my brows. Well, I can do nothing. It¡¯s your mess, so you should handle it


    yourself.


    Upon receiving my signal, he tilted his brows and narrowed his eyes, signaling for me to stay calm.


    Only after doing so did he continue casually, ¡°I can tell you that the photo is real.¡±

 Chapter 1678

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1678


    Chapter 1678 Love


    What?


    I couldn¡¯t help but widen my eyes in surprise at his unexpected answer. Shouldn¡¯t he try his best to


    steer clear of it? Why did he admit to it right away? Did he no longer want to maintain the children¡¯s


    impressions of him?


    Summer, on the other hand, was rtively calm. She listened to it silently without giving any opinions


    as though she would only have to ept it and didn¡¯t n to judge him from the morality aspect.


    In the end, she didn¡¯t care much about us. It proved that to her, Ashton and I were merely someone


    rted to her by blood. Aside from that, we were no different from the outsiders. Hence, the issue of


    our rtionship wasn¡¯t enough to cause her to lose herposure.


    As the realization washed over me, I didn¡¯t know if I should be d.


    The house fell into a dead silence for half a minute before Ashton¡¯s low voice finally sounded. ¡°She¡¯s


    my deceased friend¡¯s sister. I¡¯ve always treated her as my biological sister, but I¡¯ve cut ties with her


    now since she keeps crossing the lines and hurt your mom multiple times.¡±


    Summer remained silent even after that. However, judging from her expression, she did pay heed to his


    exnation.


    Ashton then curved his lips and asked with an implicative tone, ¡°You don¡¯t believe it?¡±


    Eventually, Summer shook her head. ¡°I do.¡±


    After pausing briefly, she raised her eyes and added, ¡°I¡¯ll make her pay for what she¡¯d done today.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Ashton nodded. When something came to his mind in the next second, he remarked casually,


    ¡°Ask the assistant to adjust your schedule. I need you to apany us to J City tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± Summer blurted. After giving it a thought, she found his request inappropriate and voiced her


    concern. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid that if I¡¯m away for a long time right after such a big deal happened to the club,


    they would¡­¡±


    Yet, before she could finish her words, Ashton shook his index finger, cutting in, ¡°Rest assured. Since


    they¡¯ve achieved their goal already, they won¡¯t make a move for now. Thus, go ahead and make the


    arrangement.¡±


    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll do it right away.¡± With that said, she bowed and left the room, not forgetting to close the door


    behind.


    Once her footsteps receded away, I nudged him and asked, ¡°Why are we going back to J City?¡±


    With a hint of amusement in his eyes, he asked in return, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Our hometown, J City, was full of our old acquaintances as well. Since Summer didn¡¯t live there for a


    long time and was still so young back then, she would most probably harbor no feelings toward it. In


    that case, there would leave only one possibility, and that was Macy.


    ¡°Indeed, we should be visiting her soon.¡± Instantly, the realization caused a lump in my throat. Then, I


    lowered my eyes and continued mumbling under my breath, ¡°And Grandpa as well. Audrey and


    Gregory haven¡¯t been to his tombstone yet.¡±


    Indeed, all the important people in my life got buried there.


    At the thought of that, I couldn¡¯t help but realize how small and insignificant life was. It was like holding


    a handful of sand when we wanted to grab on something dearly. The stronger we tightened our grip,


    the faster we lost it.


    When a barrage of emotions welled up, they were written all over my face.


    Immediately, Ashton pulled me into his embrace. He then squeezed my shoulder twice with hisrge


    hand andforted me, ¡°As long as we are doing well, they¡¯ll be happy for us.¡±


    Despite knowing that he was attempting to console me, I couldn¡¯t help but feel emotional. As I leaned


    onto his chest, I sighed. ¡°If it¡¯s possible, I want to return to how we were in the past. Even though we


    didn¡¯t love each other that much that time, at least everyone was still alive. They would not be the


    passerby in our lives that would disperse as soon as the wind blow.¡±


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    Hearing that, Ashton took in a deep breath, causing his chest to rise and fall intensely. ¡°You can only


    hold grudges against me then.¡±


    I got up and raised my head to look at his chin. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about again? Didn¡¯t we


    make a promise before to never talk about what Nics Hall had caused before? So, why are you


    ming yourself again?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± Ashton chuckled. He then put his hand at the back of my head and pushed


    me back into his embrace. Gently, he brushed over my hair as he uttered, ¡°It¡¯s because I can¡¯t bring


    myself to love you any lesser. Otherwise, we¡¯ll end up so much different today.¡±


    At his words, I felt calm washed through me at once.

 Chapter 1679

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1679


    Chapter 1679 Reunion


    Perhaps he was right. Life and death were a part of nature, and everything had its destined fate.


    Should there be any wrong step in between, we would never be able to feel each other¡¯s warmth and


    heartbeat as what we were doing now.


    Only after visiting the seniors of the Fullers and Winona did we depart to Macy¡¯s cemetery.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    After years in and years out, the ck-and-white photo of Macy at her best age at the tombstone


    remained undamaged.


    Instantaneously, countless memories welled up inside my heart. I walked over, put the flower in my


    hand down, and crouched down. Then, I extended my hand to touch the tombstone with the hope of


    being able to feel her warmth again by doing so.


    As I looked at the photo, I started to mumble uncontrobly, ¡°It¡¯s been so long since Ist visited you. I


    bet you must be mad at me, right? You should stay safe and live well in the other world. Stop worrying


    about me. Ashton¡¯s nice to me, and we have got a pair of adorable twins now. I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ll like


    them once you meet them.¡±


    At the mention of the children, I raised my head to look at Summer before continuing, ¡°Summer is fine


    as well. She¡¯s a Math genius and has started her business now. In the future, she¡¯ll surely be ady


    boss of the bar that is much younger than you.¡±


    I sniffled to suppress my tears from rolling down my face. Next, I beckoned Summer toe over.


    ¡°Come closer, Summer. Let Macy have a good look at you. Do you still remember that I brought you


    here when you were younger?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Summer nodded before approaching me and putting down the white Lily in her hands.


    When she raised her head to look at the photo, a rare gentle smile bloomed on her face. Calmly and


    naturally, she continued, ¡°I¡¯ve never forgotten about it.¡±


    If Macy heard her remarks, she would surely feelforted. Even if Macy couldn¡¯t live in Summer¡¯s


    memory as her mother, Macy would always have a special ce in her heart.


    Perhaps it was the telepathy between the mother and her daughter. After a mere two seconds,


    Summer touched the photo subconsciously and said absentmindedly, ¡°Mommy, do I look a lot like Aunt


    Macy?¡±


    I blurted out, ¡°You do. You¡¯re basically a replica of her. When you were first born to this world, she


    adores you a lot, even making you her goddaughter. In fact, nothing is wrong if you call her mom.¡±


    Indeed, Macy had the right to hear Summer addressing her that.


    Of course, it would solely depend on Summer¡¯s decision, as I couldn¡¯t force her into that. Moreover, I


    didn¡¯t want to hurt her by telling her about the old days. After all, those memories were too burdened for


    her.


    Yet, surprisingly, Summer epted my words without resisting.


    As she cast her eyes on the photo, a smile lingered on her face, not fading even after quite some time.


    With a hint of wariness in her gentle voice, she called out, ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m here to visit you. Are you d


    to see me?¡±


    Despite the only reply she got was an endless silence, it was still a heartwarming sight to behold. How


    fortunate was the mother to reunite with her daughter to know that she was doing fine?


    Macy could finally rest in peace down there.


    At that moment, Ashton, who remained silent the entire time while standing beside, said suddenly in a


    low voice, ¡°You¡¯ve grown up and soon will have to stand on your own, so it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate if


    you keep bringing your teacher along with you as you go around. The others would mock you for being


    a dependent child. I¡¯ve decided for you and dismissed Mr. Cress. He would be leaving to Epea by


    taking the flight this afternoon and won¡¯te back anymore in the future.¡±


    Before I coulde to my senses at the sudden news, Summer sprang up in a panic. With a flustered


    look, she stood rooted to the spot in a dilemma.


    She was able to remain expressionless when the police stormed into the club before, yet, at Ashton¡¯s


    announcement, she frowned with her emotions written all over her face.


    A few secondster, Summer finally noticed Ashton¡¯s stare at her. The moment her eyes met with his,


    surprise gleamed across her eyes. Only after that did she attempt to control her emotions


    subconsciously.


    Eventually, after a great effort, she managed to revert to her calm, obedient self.


    However, it was futile. When she tried to find an excuse to slip away, she identally exposed her real


    inner thought once again.


    ¡°Daddy, I just remembered that I¡¯ve something important that needs to be settled today in Wenville, so I


    want to leave first. Can I?¡±

 Chapter 1680

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1680


    Chapter 1680 She Knows


    Summer was bold and honest as she said that. However, she instantly deted upon meeting Ashton¡¯s


    sharp and intelligent eyes after she ended her words.


    Even I was scared by his look. Thinking that there was a misunderstanding between them, I


    immediately stood up and held his arm to get the situation in control. ¡°Please, speak properly. Don¡¯t


    scare the child.¡±


    Yet, he seemed to not hear what I said. Instead, his eyes were glued on Summer the entire time as


    though he nned to see through her cover.


    As the time ticked by, Summer finally admitted defeat. Looking dejected, she lowered her head.


    ¡°When did you know about it?¡± Ashton asked coldly.


    ¡°What?¡± I was perplexed and was still clueless after shifting my gaze from Summer to him.


    Summer, on the other hand, drooped her head lower as she attempted to change the topic. ¡°What do


    you mean? Are we done visiting all the deceased? If so, I want to go back first. After what had


    happened to the club yesterday, I don¡¯t want an ident to also ur in Wenville, so can you let me


    off?¡±


    ¡°Up to this point, are you sure you want to keep being obstinate?¡± However, Ashton was persistent and


    didn¡¯t n to drop the matter at ease.


    Even though I felt that he was being too overbearing, I couldn¡¯t help but notice something was off.


    Thus, I chose to stand aside to see what Ashton nned to do next.


    Nheless, Summer knew how I could sway Ashton¡¯s decision at ease. Therefore, when she failed to


    persuade him, she changed her target to me.


    ¡°Mommy, both Wenville and the club are my businesses. I believe that you¡¯ll support me, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Without hesitation, I nodded in agreement. When I snapped back to my senses in the next


    second, I paused briefly before adding, ¡°But your dad isn¡¯t an unreasonable person. Judging from his


    serious look, he might really have something he needs to discuss with you. Although your businesses


    are important, your family should be your priority. So, why don¡¯t you listen to what he ns to say first?¡±


    Hearing that, Summer knitted her brows further, knowing that we wouldn¡¯t change our minds at that


    point.


    I felt sorry upon taking in how distressed she was. Hence, I urged Ashton to quickly ask his questions


    to spare her from this awkward situation, ¡°You always stop speaking halfway recently. Summer might


    be independent, but she¡¯s still not an adult yet. Don¡¯t treat her the same as you treat your business


    partner. It¡¯s quite a hassle to guess your words, so why don¡¯t you be straightforward and spit it out


    already?¡±


    He seemed to be considering my advice as he narrowed his eyes.


    Sadly, he decided to dismiss my words after a moment of consideration. When he once again opened


    his mouth, his voice still sounded cold.


    While pointing at Macy¡¯s tombstone, he inquired, ¡°Do you really not recognize the person lying there?¡±


    At that, Summer¡¯s expression turned even bitter. The silence went on for a few more seconds before


    she suddenly bowed at us. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Daddy and Mommy. I¡¯ll need to return to K City now.¡±


    With that said, she turned around and left. Her footsteps grew faster as she walked farther and farther


    away from us.


    Just before she started to run, Ashton suddenly raised his voice, yelling, ¡°Jared Crest doesn¡¯t n to


    leave! No one is going to leave!¡±


    As soon as his remarks ended, Summer halted in her tracks but refused to turn around.


    Ashton took in a deep breath. Next, with a hint of helplessness, his attractive voice sounded in the quiet


    cemetery. ¡°Just because Scarlett isn¡¯t your biological mother, no matter how good she does, you


    always keep your distance. Yet, when ites to him, you lose yourposure the moment you know


    that he¡¯s going to leave you. Summer Stovall, do you really feel no guilt at all?¡±


    Worried that he would reveal the incident years ago, I quickly tugged at him with a disapproving look.


    ¡°Ashton Fuller! Do you know what you¡¯re saying now?¡±


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    After saying that, my mind went nk for two seconds before the realization hit me hard.


    Dumbfoundedly, I turned to look at Summer, asking, ¡°Y-You knew?¡±


    Ashton would never say something he wasn¡¯t sure of. Hence, it could only mean that Summer had


    really known about her identity.


    To hide what happened between Macy and Jared from her is a silent rule that everyone obeys. In that


    case, who is the one that wastes all our efforts?


    Before Summer could answer him, he reminded again, ¡°If you still acknowledge us as your parents,


    you better be honest.¡±

 Chapter 1681

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1681


    Chapter 1681 Exin


    He was too overbearing. Previously, I would have already taken Summer¡¯s side and gone against him.


    Yet, at that point, I could only frown as I waited silently for the way everything would turn outter.


    Fortunately, Summer¡¯s true nature was a kind girl. Knowing that we wouldn¡¯t hurt her intentionally, she


    decided to reveal to us her secret obediently.


    ¡°Two years ago, Mr. Cress apanied me to the entrance ball of my college. Everyone who saw us


    together thought that he was my father. I¡¯d never examined our looks, but from that day onward, a seed


    of suspicion got nted in my mind.¡±


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    She then abruptly stopped as though she felt bad about it.


    However, even if she didn¡¯t finish her words, what happened afterward was predictable.


    With her strong talent in Math, she started to recall how Jared stuck close to her all the time. As a


    result, everything Jared did before, which she thought was the care from a teacher, had evolved into


    the hidden affection from a father.


    Silence enveloped the cemetery. The three of us stood in front of Macy¡¯s tombstone, lost for words.


    A long whileter, I finally managed to regain myposure. I struggled to appear calm as I tried to


    talk to Summer. ¡°How much do you know?¡±


    Feeling that the question was a bit inappropriate after giving it a thought, I rephrased it. ¡°Tell us


    everything that you know.¡±


    I believed that with Summer¡¯s intelligence, she could find out the truth with ease. However, there was


    always a possibility that Jared would take advantage and twist the truth. To help her out, I had to know


    the process of her investigation.


    Summer nodded calmly. ¡°I only took his and my hair to conduct a paternity test. That was the only thing


    that I did. He doesn¡¯t even know that I¡¯ve found out that he¡¯s my biological father.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± I breathed a sigh of relief inwardly at her answer. It¡¯s better than what I imagined.


    She repeated my words as she continued, ¡°That¡¯s all. I know that there is a reason for Mr. Cress and


    the both of you to hide the truth from me, so I don¡¯t dare to investigate it publicly. I didn¡¯t want you to


    worry.¡±


    ¡°Do you think that we won¡¯t be worrying now?¡± Ashton spoke coldly, clearly reprimanding her.


    I could understand his feeling. After all, he had been through the same before, getting torn by the


    biological rtionship that he couldn¡¯t make his own decision. How could he not be upset now that


    Summer was going to take the same path, isting and distancing herself from us because of Jared?


    ¡°Let me talk to her.¡± I intentionally lower my voice, hoping tofort him.


    Thankfully, he chose to do me a favor, turned around, and stepped aside to give us time to converse.


    Peace washed over me as I gazed at his muscr back. When I turned around to take in Summer¡¯s


    darkened face, I decided to take my time instead of starting the conversation right away.


    After staring at Macy¡¯s photo for two seconds, I bent down and sat on the stairs beside her tombstone


    to pretend that we were sitting side by side.


    By doing so, it was as though Macy was present beside me at that instant. The thought caused a


    sincere smile to crawl onto my face. I then cast my eyes down and mumbled, ¡°Your daughter isn¡¯t a bit


    like you at all. She¡¯s so good at keeping secrets, even managing to keep me in the dark.¡±


    Summer didn¡¯t react as she remained standing silently at the side. However, her rolling eyes gave her


    away, proving that she was in deep thought at the moment.


    Seeing that, I changed my tone to make it more targeting, as I wanted to get her attention this time. ¡°I¡¯m


    such a disqualified adoptive mother that she didn¡¯t dare to call you mom in front of me. What a failure.


    Don¡¯t you think so, Macy?¡±


    Atst, Summer didn¡¯t stay indifferent anymore as she muttered infort, ¡°Mommy, it isn¡¯t like that.


    You treat me well. I¡¯m the one¡­¡±


    She seemed to be suffering. Yet, no words could describe her feeling at the instant, so she could only


    shut her mouth after a while of struggling with her words.


    After treating her as my biological daughter for years, how could I feel good when she was sad?


    Anyways, whoever had started the trouble should end it. Perhaps only the truth could smooth out all


    the uncontroble variables.


    Hence, I said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything that happened in the past in front of your mother today.¡±

 Chapter 1682

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1682


    Chapter 1682 The Truth


    ¡°From my perspective, the process of falling in love between Jared and Macy had always been a


    meticulously-designed scheme. Initially, I thought that you were a product of their drunken stupor that


    one night. After all, an ident was inevitable when two adults satisfied their needs. I was fully


    supportive of Macy of her decision to give birth to you since she wanted to have a child of her own.¡±


    Then, I said, ¡°I got her belonging from thewyer after she was dead, and through her WhatsApp chat


    history, I found that Jared had already taken the initiative to acquaint himself with her back when I first


    knew Ashton. Yet, they had never mentioned it throughout the years. Do you know that the reason


    Jared stayed by Ashton¡¯s and my side previously was to take revenge on us? Thus, it was apparent


    why he approached Macy. His principle was that he would do whatever it took to achieve his goal. It


    wasn¡¯t righteous but wasn¡¯t enough to be disdainful as well.¡±


    After taking a deep breath, I said, ¡°The most despicable thing was his trampling on Macy. Just like me,


    she was an orphan. What orphans craved the most was the sense of security. Jared¡¯s appearance was


    like a ray of light in Macy¡¯s life. He appeared when her ssmates gave her a hard time, supported her


    every decision, and contributed half to her dream and the money to open the bar. He was such a fine


    man, yet he treated Macy, who was merely an ordinary woman, with immeasurable gentleness.


    Moreover, he was never absent in every crucial stage of her life. Despite not having a proper status,


    she was willing to dwell on the continuouspanionship.¡±


    Slowly, I continued, ¡°For Macy, they would still be as close as before when he stood in front of her after


    not meeting for a long time. However, he didn¡¯t want their firstborn. Macy listened to his words, aborted


    the baby, and crushed her hopes. From that day onward, she knew there was no future between them.


    Unfortunately, Jared took that incident as proof of her unwavering love for him that she could even give


    up on her child for him. He was sure that Macy would do everything for him. Finally, he exposed


    himself, his purpose, and the impurity of their rtionship in front of her. When she asked him to give


    up on his revenge, he refused, and they ended up splitting their ways.¡±


    Rage surged through me as I went on, ¡°If it ended here and he let Macy off, I would still be willing to


    regard him as a man. Nevertheless, since then, he started to torture her. He was always a scum in front


    of her. Again and again, he slept with her while calling out to another woman. Since he couldn¡¯t be


    happy, he wanted her to drown in sadness with him by destroying Macy¡¯s happiness as well. As for


    you, do you remember the time when you had a major illness? You nearly lost your life that time, and it


    was all because of him. He had kidnapped you and trapped you in the chemical nt, inflicting physical


    and mental torment on you. Moreover, he even destroyed hundreds of innocent families for his


    opinionated truth.¡±


    At that, I let out a deep breath and licked my dried lips. Then, I looked up at Summer with a bitter smile


    stered on my face. ¡°Now, do you still want to get close to him? Do you still want to keep him close to


    your side?¡±


    Summer pressed her lips together and looked up for a long time as she immersed herself in her


    thought.


    Indeed, how could she ept it with ease in such a short time when a father-like figure suddenly


    became the culprit who caused her mother¡¯s death and hurt her?


    At such a moment, she would feel better to have some alone time.


    ¡°You try to calm yourself down. If you have any questionster, feel free to ask me anytime. Regardless


    of who your biological mother is, you would forever be my daughter and always be one of the Fullers.¡±


    I inhaled sharply topose myself. Then, I walked toward Ashton, preparing to ask him to leave the


    cemetery together.


    However, he seemed to be listening to our conversation the entire time. Before I could say something,


    he turned around and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. His lips curved upward asfort before


    reverting to the original position.


    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    He then looked at Summer and said, ¡°I still have high hopes for you, so please don¡¯t disappoint us.¡±


    With that said, he motioned me to leave with him. Without resisting, I followed behind him and left.

 Chapter 1683

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1683


    Chapter 1683 It Is Tough Being a Parent


    I did not manage to go far before a sense of intuition made me turn my head. The sight that greeted me


    was one that had my chest clench tightly. Summer was on her knees in front of the tombstone, her thin


    frame shaking as she sobbed uncontrobly and helplessly.


    It was painful to see her like this, and I could feel my own tears threatening to fall. Unable to bear the


    sight a second longer, I turned and walked away with haste.


    Once I was in the car, Ashton instructed Joseph to stay behind with Summer. ¡°Make sure she¡¯s okay,¡±


    he told him. ¡°She¡¯s your boss now from today onwards.¡±


    Joseph looked surprised for a second before inclining his head respectfully. ¡°Of course. Not to worry,


    Mr. Ashton. Ms. Summer is safe with me.¡±


    Ashton nodded, giving his subordinate a grateful pat on the back. The gesture conveyed all that he had


    to say to the man.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Without further ado, Ashton got into the driver¡¯s seat and ignited the engine, driving us away.


    I leaned my head against the window, staring listlessly at the rapidly receding view. A part of me


    wondered how long it would be until my next visit to Macy¡¯s grave.


    If Macy were here, she¡¯d probably be disappointed in me. I closed my eyes wearily. She lost her life


    because of me, yet I¡¯ve failed her. I didn¡¯t take good enough care of her only daughter. Even after all


    this while, Summer doesn¡¯t feel a sense of belonging to the family.


    I knew that Summer must have wished to go back to the way things were before she found out that


    Jared was her biological father. Regardless, she could not help but put her walls up and distance


    herself from us. Knowing my daughter, doing so must have hurt her more than it did us. My heart ached


    at the thought.


    Ashton had been peering at me time and again from the rearview mirror. I ignored him, still somewhat


    annoyed by the heavy-handed approach he had taken earlier when it came to Summer.


    ¡°Are you mad at me?¡± He broke the silence a whileter.


    I was not about to continue giving him the cold shoulder now that he gave me an opening. ¡°Why didn¡¯t


    you tell me if you knew Summer might have found out about her identity?¡± I blurted out in not exactly


    the friendliest tone. ¡°You could¡¯ve discussed it with me. Maybe there could¡¯ve been a better way to do


    this.¡±


    He could be brisk and unyielding all he wants in his business dealings, but he shouldn¡¯t have used that


    attitude on Summer. She¡¯s family, for crying out loud.


    Ashton frowned. Wordlessly, he steered the car to stop at the side of the road before turning to look at


    me.


    ¡°Letty,¡± he sighed, ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking much then beyond trying to protect your feelings.¡±


    I frowned in confusion. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. You know that I always ce the children as my priority. If


    you were trying to protect my feelings, then you should be nicer to Summer all the more. What you said


    to her was way too harsh.¡±


    He fell silent, and I could tell that there was a hint of guilt that shed across his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he


    said atst. ¡°I overreacted and should have handled that better. I¡¯ll find a way to make it up to her.¡±


    It¡¯s tough being a parent, but at least he¡¯s trying. I rxed slightly and let the matter drop. ¡°What should


    we do if Summer really decides to leave with Jared?¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t,¡± Ashton confidently said as he started the car once more and resumed driving us back


    home.


    ¡°And why is that?¡± I asked dubiously. After that whole tense exchange he had with Summer earlier, I


    was less certain in his ability to make her want to stay with us.


    My husband spared a nce at me from the rearview mirror. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he said with a trace of a


    smile in his voice. ¡°Just leave everything to me. I¡¯ll handle this.¡±


    I raised a skeptical brow. Strangely, that did not assure me in the least. If anything, it only made me


    worry more. I offered a silent prayer to the heavens, hoping against hope that this man would not make


    things worse.


    Ever since then, Summer had stoppeding back to the Fuller residence, though to my knowledge,


    she was still doing a perfectly good job running the club in what I had guessed as an attempt to use


    work as a distraction.

 Chapter 1684

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1684


    Chapter 1684 The Lucky Coin


    Since I did tell my daughter that she could take time to think things through, I could not very well pester


    her toe home without breaking my promise. Fortunately, I had Joseph as my source of information.


    He told me Summer was doing rtively well, and my worries eased slightly after that.


    New Year¡¯s Eve rolled around, and the city was awash in festive colors and lights. High-spirited, Audrey


    and Gregory had decorated the house with banners and balloons, and I could not help but think how


    much nicer it would be if Summer were here to celebrate the new year with us.


    Audrey noticed the distinctck of her sister when it was dinner time. Though it was not unusual for


    Summer toe homete, it seemed to have urred to Audrey that she had not seen her sister at


    all for the past few days. ¡°Mommy, Daddy, where¡¯s Summer? Is sheing back soon?¡±


    I did not have the heart to tell her that there was a chance she might not see Summer ever again, so I


    tried to change the subject. ¡°Hey, Audrey, do you see those puddings over there on the table?¡± I


    pointed at the tray of mini puddings I had baked earlier. ¡°Mommy made them. I hid a single coin in one


    of them. Whoever found it while eating the pudding will have good luck for the whole of next year!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Audrey¡¯s eyes sparkled in excitement, and she made a beeline to the puddings at once. ¡°I¡¯m


    going to look for the coin now!¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do? Eat all of them by yourself?¡± Iughed, teasing.


    She pouted. ¡°Greg and Shaun will help me,¡± she said stubbornly, looking at thetter for affirmation.


    ¡°You¡¯ll help, right, Shaun?¡±


    The subject of her pleading quietly took several puddings to his te and started cutting them open


    one by one.


    Happy with Shaun¡¯spliance, Audrey targeted her twin brother next. ¡°Greg, I need your help too,¡±


    she wheedled. ¡°I really want the good luck coin!¡±


    Her brother shrugged, seemingly heedless of her plea, though I caught him taking several puddings as


    well and poking them with his fork.


    I bit back augh. She has them wrapped around her little finger.


    As the coin seeking continued, an unexpected and unwanted guest arrived.


    ¡°Happy New Year, my friends!¡± Lucas announced as he walked into the dining room.


    He gave a low, impressed whistle at the table of food. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a feast if there ever was one. Hey, is


    that chocte pudding? I love chocte puddings!¡±


    Without preamble, he reached to take one of my mini puddings and popped it into his mouth. A second


    later, however, he frowned as he bit into something with an audible click.


    He removed the item from his mouth, the frown morphing into a smirk when he saw what it was. ¡°Oh


    wow, it¡¯s a coin. Am I lucky, or what?¡±


    I shot him a re. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a bad penny. Just like a certain someone here.¡±


    Affected by neither the look I gave him nor the loaded meaning behind my words, Lucas shrugged and


    pocketed the coin.


    It was then that Audrey broke into tears. ¡°I didn¡¯t get the coin!¡± she wailed. ¡°I won¡¯t have good luck next


    year!¡±


    Lucas raised a brow. ¡°Seriously? It¡¯s just a coin,¡± he said dismissively before reaching into his pocket


    and handing the coin to her. ¡°You can have it. Happy now?¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡°No!¡± Audrey refused to take it and managed to pull an impressive glower for a child her age. ¡°You¡¯re a


    bad man!¡±


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m a guest, all right?¡± Lucas said indignantly. ¡°Didn¡¯t your parents teach you to be on your best


    manners in front of guests? Don¡¯t act all rude.¡±

 Chapter 1685

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1685


    Chapter 1685 The Bad Penny


    Upset, Audrey cried even harder at his words.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    You¡¯re the one acting all rude! As much as I wanted to snap at Lucas, my priority was my daughter. I


    immediately went over tofort her. ¡°Shh¡­ It¡¯s all right,¡± I said gently, pulling the sobbing girl into my


    arms. ¡°Mommy and Daddy will give you all of our good luck, okay? Everything will be fine.¡±


    Meanwhile, Lucas had already taken a seat at the table, appearingpletely at ease in someone


    else¡¯s house. The nerve of that man was astounding.


    Ashton¡¯s expression was one of frosty anger and contempt. ¡°It¡¯s a family dinner, not a party,¡± he bit out.


    ¡°Outsiders are not invited. Get out.¡±


    Before Lucas could reply, another voice came from the doorway. ¡°Come on, Fuller. Don¡¯t be such a wet


    nket. It¡¯s the holiday season! The more, the merrier.¡±


    It was none other than Quince, who had a woman hanging on his arm. She was in heavy makeup and


    dressed in a little red gown that showed off all of her curves.


    The pair came closer, and bile rose in my throat when I finally got a good view of the woman¡¯s


    face. Reba Larson.


    There was no mistaking it. She seemed to have gone through another round of stic surgery since


    west met, but I could recognize that pair of eyes anywhere. No matter how much her facial features


    had changed, those eyes still burned with the same hatred toward me.


    Many people hade and left in my life, but this woman? She simply stuck around like a persistent


    piece of gum on the bottom of my shoe. I scoffed internally. A bad penny always turns up.


    ¡°Long time no see,¡± Reba said with a cordial smile, all harmless anddylike. It was enough to fool


    an oblivious person into believing we were on good terms.


    Not nearly long enough. I stopped myself from retorting and rolling my eyes at the pretense she was


    putting up.


    Just as I was about to ask all of them to leave, however, one of the maids hurried over with an


    uncertain expression. ¡°Mr. Fuller, Madam, we have more guestsing.¡±


    This was immediately followed by the sound of footsteps and the appearance of Nathaniel and Nora.


    Ashton and I shared a look of aggravation. Both of us were probably thinking of the same thing: Way to


    ruin our family dinner.


    ¡°Festive asions are meant for family and friends, am I right?¡± Nathaniel said, smiling brazenly before


    turning to the maid. ¡°Could you get us a drink, please?¡±


    The maid looked at me and my husband for a cue. When we offered no objection, she mumbled a


    quick assent and headed toward the kitchen.


    Nathaniel and Nora took their seats opposite me, heedless of the strong ¡°get out¡± vibesing from


    Ashton.


    My husband¡¯s expression grew progressively darker with each passing second.


    After several moments of terse, awkward silence, Quince, who seemed to have noticed the tension


    between Ashton and Nathaniel, was the first to speak up. ¡°Hey there,¡± he introduced himself to the


    latter, ¡°I¡¯m Quince, a friend of Fuller. Nice to meet you, man.¡±


    I knew what he was thinking¡ªthe enemy of my enemy is my friend. If those two were to form an


    alliance against Ashton and me, they could stir up some real trouble.


    Unfortunately, there was nothing much we could do since we did not exactly have anything on


    Nathaniel to flush him out of our lives, nor were we able to take down the Skull gang at the moment.


    To my surprise, however, Nathanielpletely ignored Quince. The former continued to sip from the


    champagne flute that the maid brought over, seemingly in a world of his own.

 Chapter 1686

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1686


    Chapter 1686 The Type To Forgive And Forget


    Ashton nced at his younger brother. I knew he, too, was wondering just what game Nathaniel was


    trying to y.


    Having received no response, Quince¡¯s smile slipped off his face. Sulking, he took a gulp of drink and


    mmed the ss on the table in a disy of displeasure.


    Reba immediately sidled up to him. ¡°Mr. Quince, forget about that guy. Here, let me have a drink


    with you,¡± she said, throwing a flirtatious smile at the man and raising her ss at him.


    cated, Quince¡¯s expression eased.


    Meanwhile, Nathaniel ced the champagne flute on the table and turned to look Ashton in the eyes. ¡°I


    love new year¡¯s eve,¡± he drawled as if he was only making small conversation. ¡°It¡¯s such a great


    asion for new and old friends to gather, isn¡¯t it? Speaking of, I happened to run into an old friend of


    yours today, Ashton.¡±


    Thetter said nothing and merely narrowed his eyes. The icy aura around him, however, spoke


    volumes about what he thought of the other¡¯s remarks. Under normal circumstances, the dark look was


    enough to shut a man up instantly, but Nathaniel remained unfazed.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious as to whom it was?¡± he asked my husband with an expression of picture-perfect


    innocence. ¡°Well, I know you¡¯d want to meet him, so I took the liberty to invite him here. You aren¡¯t


    going to me me, are you, my dear brother?¡±


    ¡°Out with it,¡± I snapped, sick with his baiting. ¡°Who else ising here today?¡±


    Nathaniel smirked, eyes shing behind his sses. ¡°Ah. My apologies. I should¡¯ve known that you¡¯d


    be more eager to meet that friend, Scarlett.¡±


    He nced at the doorway and called out, ¡°You cane in now. Scarlett doesn¡¯t seem to be holding


    a grudge.¡±


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    A grudge? What is he saying? I followed his line of vision and saw a man in his fifties stepping inside


    hesitantly.


    Dressed in in and unassuming clothes, the man bent his head in a subdued manner. ¡°M-Mrs Fuller.


    You look well¡­¡± he mumbled timidly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ Do I know you?¡± I asked, bewildered.


    While I had no idea who this man was, his face seemed to have rung a bell for Reba. She regarded


    him with a pensive look. ¡°Have we met somewhere before?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t remember? This is Mr. Roger Melton,¡± Nathaniel told me. ¡°Back when the Fuller


    Corporation was expanding, Mr. Melton¡¯spany, Vista Sun Corporation, was the first to be acquired


    by your husband.¡±


    Okay, so what? Fuller Corporation has acquired countlesspanies over the years. I certainly don¡¯t


    know all of them. Not to mention that the mergers and acquisitions don¡¯t even fall under my jurisdiction.


    How am I to know who this so-called Mr. Roger Melton is?


    At my nk expression, Nora chuckled, though it was not a kind sound. ¡°Well, Scarlett, you really are


    the type to forgive and forget, huh? I¡¯m impressed.¡±


    The mocking tone had me frown in vexation. She used to be a straightforward and open character. It


    was as if her sarcasm grew in direct proportion to her antagonism toward me.


    I ignored her and instead turned to Ashton for a clue of the man¡¯s identity. He usually had an eidetic


    memory. I was certain he would know who that man was.


    My husband sent me a soothing look before his gaze turned steely on the rest. ¡°Vista Sun was already


    on the decline back then. It was only a matter of time before it would be flushed out of the race. If


    anything, the acquisition helped their business.¡±


    In a way, what Ashton said was true. Times were changing, and businesses that could not keep up


    would inevitably fold as they lost theirpetitive edge to others. As a business leader, Ashton was


    only doing what he had to do to ensure the survival and growth of his ownpany.

 Chapter 1687

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1687


    Chapter 1687 A Wet nket


    Roger Melton looked ashamed. ¡°Mr. Fuller is right,¡± he said ingratiatingly. ¡°Mypany was already


    struggling. Even if it weren¡¯t taken over by Fuller Corporation, it would be snapped up by another


    corporation. The fault was on me; I didn¡¯t manage my business well. But I didn¡¯t realize it at the time


    and went on tomit a mistake that I¡¯de to regret even till this day¡­¡±


    He fell to his knees, expression wild with desperation and remorse. ¡°Mrs. Fuller, please, I¡¯m so sorry for


    what I did to you back then! I¡¯ll do whatever you want, but please don¡¯t go after my family. I¡¯m begging


    you!¡±


    I was bing more bemused by the second. ¡°Hold on¡­ I¡¯m not even sure what you did. What did


    you do that has you begging for my forgiveness?¡±


    Roger faltered. ¡°I-I can¡¯t say it¡­¡± he mumbled in apprehension, refusing to look at me in the eyes.


    I raised a brow. Thinking that he was being unnecessarily melodramatic, I could feel what remained of


    my patience quickly evaporating. ¡°If you aren¡¯t even going to borate, then please kindly leave.¡±


    As if it¡¯s not enough that all these people are here to ruin the dinner I¡¯m having with my family. I now


    have a random man begging for my forgiveness for something I have no recollection of!


    I motioned for the maids. ¡°Escort this gentleman out, now.¡±


    Two of them stepped forward at once and tried to drag him away.


    Roger appeared even more panicky than before. He broke free of the maids¡¯ hold and fell once more to


    his knees. ¡°No¡­ Please don¡¯t turn me away, Mrs. Fuller! I¡¯ll talk¡­¡±


    He took a deep breath before continuing. ¡°It¡¯s true that I didn¡¯t manage mypany well back then, but


    my employees were loyal to me, and I had hopes of toughing it out with their support. But Fuller


    Corporation took an offensive approach and orchestrated a hostile takeover, and I was forced to sign


    over mypany in less than a month. I was resentful, so my friend suggested that I find some way to


    take revenge. I wasn¡¯t thinking clearly at that time and actually did what he said, which was to hire


    some thugs t-to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Ashton roared.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    I snapped my attention to him. What¡¯s going on?


    Roger¡¯s mouth clicked shut at once. A tense silence descended upon the room. From my peripheral,


    however, I could see the corners of Nathaniel¡¯s mouth curling upward into a small, satisfied smirk. Was


    it his goal all along to bring Roger here to spite Ashton?


    ¡°I¡¯m only going to say this once¡ªyou need to leave, now,¡± Ashton said in a calm voice, but there was a


    tempest brewing in his eyes.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Caught in a dilemma, Roger cast alternating nces at me and Ashton.


    I was about to ask my husband to let the man finish his story when Reba spoke up. ¡°We¡¯re all


    waiting to hear what happened next. Don¡¯t be such a wet nket, Ashton.¡± The way she spat out his


    name told me that all of her love for him had warped into hate.


    Smiling, she walked up to Roger, who was still kneeling. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s hear it then. What did you do


    to Scarlett? I¡¯m dying to find out if she¡¯s really the type to forgive and forget.¡±

 Chapter 1688

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1688


    Chapter 1688 Riled Up


    Reba was looking at me strangely. It was a mixture of condescension and glee and something else


    I could not pinpoint. What I did know, however, was that it was making me ufortable.


    A loud bang suddenly echoed in the room. Ashton had stood up so abruptly that the chair had tipped


    over and crashed to the floor.


    He went to Roger inrge strides. Before I could react, he was already pulling the other man up by the


    cors. In one swift motion, he mmed thetter against the wall.


    ¡°Ashton!¡± I eximed, hurriedly pulling the children to my side while covering Audrey¡¯s eyes. ¡°The


    children are watching!¡±


    He might have mellowed over time, but ever since the incident at the club, where he had smashed all


    of the alcohol on purpose, I knew that no amount of mellowing would change who he was at the core¡ª


    brisk and authoritative. He would always be a man of action and, regrettably, impatience.


    It was why I knew that he would most definitely punch Roger if I did not say anything to stop him.


    Ashton paused briefly. When he moved next, it was to fling Roger by his cors in the direction of the


    doorway.


    Thetter stumbled and fell, wincing at the pain but not daring to say a word.


    ¡°Get lost,¡± Ashton said with a tone of finality.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Roger scrambled.


    ¡°Wow, I¡¯ve never seen you so riled up before, Ashton,¡± Reba said airily. ¡°I wonder why is that? Oh,


    could it be that you¡¯re afraid of us knowing that your precious wife turns out to be damaged goods, just


    like me?¡±


    As soon as those words fell, a pair ofrge hands wrapped themselves around her neck and squeezed.


    Reba choked and struggled, wing at Ashton¡¯s arm in a feeble attempt to make him let go, only to


    have those fingers tighten around her throat even further.


    From the way her face was slowly turning purple, I guessed that she wouldst another ten seconds


    before she ran out of air.


    Instead of begging for release, however, Reba remained staunchly defiant. There was even a hint


    of a smirk on her face as she gasped for breath like a dying fish. ¡°Sore, aren¡¯t we?¡± she croaked out


    each word with difficulty. ¡°You didn¡¯t want me but still ended up marrying damaged goo¡ªah!¡±


    There was a murderous glint in Ashton¡¯s eyes as he squeezed just a little harder.


    I could not care less about Reba¡¯s life, but I was not about to have my husbandmit murder.


    While what Roger had said did seem to imply that I had been assaulted, I knew for a fact that it did not


    happen.


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong,¡± I told Reba tonelessly. ¡°Ashton was and still is the only man I¡¯ve ever been with.¡±


    She widened her eyes incredulously at my words and tried to swivel her head to look at me. The action


    only caused her greater pain and difort, however, and she started struggling anew.


    Ashton did not let go. His grip was firm all the way until Reba¡¯s eyes began rolling up the back of


    her head.


    He¡¯s really going to end her. I immediately grabbed his arm. ¡°Ashton! Let go! You¡¯re going to jail if you


    do this! Do you want to leave me behind to raise the children on my own?¡±


    The effect was instantaneous. It was as if I had pped him awake. Ashton¡¯s grip loosened, and


    Reba copsed to the floor, gasping and coughing.


    ¡°No¡­ You¡¯re l-lying!¡± Her voice waspletely hoarse. ¡°You can¡¯t be¡­ that lucky!¡±


    I was abruptly reminded of what John had told me. He said Reba had a baby as a result of sexual


    assault. She must have felt that this marked the beginning of her downhill rtionship with Ashton and


    her fall from grace.

 Chapter 1689

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1689


    Chapter 1689 Tell Me The Truth


    After she knew how I had experienced the same disgusting treatment, she thought she could finally


    drag me into hell with her. The hatred in her heart could only disappear when I became an abandoned


    pawn everyone looked down on.


    However, she seemed to have forgotten that God would not turn a blind eye to her evil deeds, and


    today was no different.


    After pushing Ashton¡¯s hand away, I stared down at Reba. Without wasting my time on her, I


    ordered the maid, ¡°Bring her out.¡±


    Turning around, I scanned the messy dining table and added, ¡°Mrs. Eriksen, take the children upstairs


    to sleep. You can wake them up to watch the fireworks at midnight.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mrs. Fuller.¡±


    Although the children seemed unwilling to head to bed, they sensed the weird atmosphere and headed


    upstairs obediently.


    The reunion dinner on New Year¡¯s Eve was ruined just like that.


    At that moment, Nathaniel took off his napkin and shot me a look. Then, he pulled the chair out for


    Nora and walked toward the door.


    Nathaniel tried to pat Ashton¡¯s shoulder when they passed by but was avoided.


    Despite getting ignored, Nathaniel did not get angry but changed the subject. ¡°Ashton, do you still


    remember your real self?¡± Without waiting for an answer, he turned around and grinned. ¡°You should


    be able to recall now. Haha!¡±


    After saying that, he left swiftly hand-in-hand with Nora.


    It was annoying how no one could me him despite causing all the drama and leaving right afterward.


    Turning around, I realized that Ashton¡¯s expression was dark, seemingly on the verge of losing control


    of his emotions.


    Is it worth getting so emotional over Reba¡¯s words? People would probably think that he still has


    feelings for her.


    Taking a deep breath, I lowered my eyes and swept a nce at the two figures. How can they be so


    ignorant not to leave in this situation?


    Since the children were out of their reach, I dragged Ashton upstairs and ignored them.


    After sitting him down on the sofa, I sat on the coffee table and sent an interrogative gaze at him.


    Initially, Ashton was still able to meet with my gaze. However, as time went by, he drooped his eyelids


    unnaturally.


    Okay. I can confirm that he has something regarding Reba hiding from me.


    ¡°Talk.¡± After experiencing many difficulties in life, I was no longer scared to face reality.


    Ashton feigned ignorance. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°The secret you¡¯re hiding.¡± With a half-smile, I poked a finger at his chest and tried to ease the


    atmosphere by cracking a joke. ¡°I already noticed that something is off. You, Reba, and Mr. Melton


    must have something going on that I don¡¯t know. If you tell me the truth, I¡¯ll let you off easy. Otherwise,


    who knows what¡¯ll happen.¡±


    However, Ashton tried to prove his innocence and stared at me. ¡°You already heard what happened.


    It¡¯s like what you said. Mr. Melton tried to force himself on you but failed. I only got angry because


    Reba ndered you right in front of the kids.¡±


    He¡¯s quite good of finding excuses, isn¡¯t he?


    ¡°Really? You¡¯re not lying to me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all,¡± he confirmed.


    Standing up, I circled him. ¡°Why can¡¯t I seem to believe it?¡±


    After all, Reba¡¯s attitude was the same as before, so there was no need for him to get infuriated


    over it. Plus, his reaction was definitely not only because of anger.


    To be precise, he seemed to be a bit embarrassed over it.


    However, what was the reason over it?


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Staring at his figure, I got lost in my train of thought. In the end, I could only sigh that I had gotten


    myself the most secretive man in the world. Thus, I could only solve it my own way.

 Chapter 1690

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1690


    Chapter 1690 Tracking Him Down


    ¡°All right, then. I believe you.¡± By saying that, I could let his guard down. This way, there would be more


    chances for me to find out the truth.


    As it turned out, I was right.


    After the fireworks performance around midnight, I apanied the children to set up more fireworks.


    Ashton, however, was secretly phoning someone.


    He thought he had fooled me, but he did not know that Mrs. Eriksen supported my n of preventing


    an affair. Since she was well-acquainted with everyone in the household, Ashton¡¯s every single action


    would not be overlooked by me.


    Confirming that Ashton was hiding something from me, I purposely made an excuse that I would set


    things right with Summer. In reality, I hailed a taxi and waited for Ashton near our house.


    The chauffeur was a middle-aged man that seemed honest and good at his job. Unexpectedly, he was


    quite a chatterbox.


    ¡°Miss, are you waiting for someone? How about you call and remind them? Since you¡¯re being so


    anxious, perhaps your husband is having an affair?¡±


    Finding it funny, I decided tough and admit to it. ¡°That¡¯s right. We had a pair of twins, but he got sick


    of me after they grew up. Now, he¡¯s out to look for another woman¡­¡± While talking, I pretended to bury


    my face in sorrow. However, I did not avert my gaze from the same spot as before, fearing I would miss


    my target.


    ¡°What a pity! However, you shouldn¡¯t be too sad about it. Men are all the same. You still need to endure


    it for your kids¡¯ sake¡­¡± Halfway through his sentence, he passed me a tissue box. ¡°Here. Wipe your


    tears away. You do have it rough.¡±


    Right at that moment, Ashton¡¯s car suddenly passed by us at lightning speed.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°That¡¯s him. Quickly follow him!


    The chauffeur was taken aback and dropped the tissue box on the floor. ¡°Are you kidding me? That¡¯s a


    race car you¡¯re talking about!¡±


    Well, I did seem to be pushing it. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Just try your best. I won¡¯t me you if you can¡¯t manage


    to catch up with him.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Sit tight!¡± The chauffeur immediately turned around and switched gears, and the car speeded


    off.


    I was hurled back onto the passenger seat by the strong impact. If I did not react quickly enough, I


    would have lost my bnce and fallen.


    The chauffeur was definitely not your normal taxi driver!


    Thankfully, it was a lucky day for me as we managed to catch up with Ashton¡¯s car near a red light.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not be too obvious. Can you switch to thene furthest from his?¡± As Ashton was a careful man,


    it was easy to give me away if I was not cautious enough.


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    We maintained a distance of two cars for about twenty minutes when Ashton¡¯s car finally stopped in


    front of a caf¨¦.


    After instructing the chauffeur to stop at the bank, I got off the car and hid behind a streetlight. There, I


    saw Ashton walking into the caf¨¦.


    I managed to see his figure walking through a row of tables and sitting down through the ss window.


    When I recognized the man sitting next to him, I was stunned and did not move.


    My initial thought was that he was there to deal with Roger. Instead, he was meeting up with Nathaniel.


    The atmosphere between them seemed off. In front of the pretentious Nathaniel, it was rare for Ashton


    to show signs of anger. His eyebrows were shooting up furiously.


    Both of them were intelligent men who knew the easiest way to provoke each other.


    As expected, Ashton jumped to his feet and left the caf¨¦ a few minutester. Both of them parted on an


    unhappy note.


    It seemed that Ashton was on the losing side.


    I was not surprised, for Nathaniel was good in giving thinly veiled threats. Ashton was simply not a


    match for a person that could betray his own parents.


    After seeing Ashton getting into his car, I dialed his number.


    The call was quickly picked up, and his voice was slightly down. ¡°Is everything going well?¡±

 Chapter 1691

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1691


    Chapter 1691 Their Secrets


    My heart could not help but throb after seeing how he was still concerned over me despite being in a


    bad mood. Unconsciously, I nodded. ¡°Everything went quite well. Summer has always been obedient.


    We¡¯re family, so there¡¯s nothing that cannot be solved by talking it through, right?¡± There was a deeper


    meaning behind my words. I hoped Ashton could remember that solving a problem together was way


    easier than burdening it on himself.


    Although men were the pir of support for families, there was no need for them to force themselves to


    take all upon themselves. Their families would always back him up, after all.


    Ashton was silent for a moment before answering. ¡°Well, of course. It¡¯s great you managed to reconcile


    with her. I¡¯ll be heading homete as I¡¯m a bit busy today, so you should spend some time with her


    instead.¡±


    ¡°All right. You should go back to work.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯m hanging up now.¡±


    After saying that, he wanted to end the call when I suddenly called out to him. ¡°Ashton.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still here. What¡¯s the matter?¡± His tone remained calm.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really remember the meaning behind the wedding etiquettes. Can you exin it to me again?¡± I


    asked.


    Ashtonughed softly but did not reply.


    ¡°Why are youughing?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± He seemed to be in a better mood than before. ¡°I think it¡¯s time to rush the editing team


    for the wedding footage. Otherwise, you¡¯re never going to stop wondering about the happy memories


    from that day. Who knows if you¡¯ll forget about it one day and stop loving me.¡±


    I could only furrow my eyebrows at his joke. ¡°Am I such a heartless person? It¡¯s not like you only treat


    me well during my wedding day.¡± After pondering for a moment, I continued, ¡°Ashton, I¡¯m not a princess


    from a fairy tale here to live happily ever after with you. Don¡¯t forget that we¡¯re husband and wife. We¡¯re


    supposed to get through the hardest time together as one.¡±


    At that, the man remained silent for a moment. I could tell he had taken my words to heart, just that he


    was ying dumb.


    If he did not want to tell the truth, no one could force it out of him.


    Thus, I could only think of another way. ¡°All right. Summer is calling for me, so I won¡¯t continue to


    disturb you. See you at home.¡±


    ¡°Bye.¡±


    Ashton¡¯s car rounded the corner and disappeared a short moment after the call ended.


    Just when I nned to leave, I suddenly noticed that a thin figure with tanned skin was currently sitting


    where Ashton had sat before. It was no other than Quince.


    He had shown up there despite getting ignored by Nathaniel in front of everyonest night. He was


    definitely a tough one.


    This time, Nathaniel did not ignore him. After talking for some while, they clinked their sses as if they


    had agreed on something.


    If there were something more troublesome than having two opponents, it would probably be the


    opponents teaming up.


    They were like humongous spiders that never stopped spinning their web, waiting for Ashton to fall into


    their trap.


    At that moment, I only had one thought in mind, which was not to be a sitting duck.


    I need to find out about everyone¡¯s secrets. Although it would be challenging as they¡¯re trying so badly


    to hide it, there¡¯ll still be clues here and there.


    As Holden was an expert in digging information, I wanted to text him when I suddenly saw John¡¯s


    contact name.


    The memories from the past rolled into my mind.


    ¡°She seemed to have been forced¡­¡±


    ¡°Although you don¡¯t want me, you still married a non-virgin¡­¡±


    ¡°The Fuller Corporation was still starting up that time¡­¡±


    Could these be somehow rted?


    Uneasiness rose within me as I quickly dialed John¡¯s number.


    ¡°John, I have something to ask you.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you find out that Reba¡¯s first child was by force? Did you find out who did it?¡±


    ¡°Why are you suddenly asking about this? It happened years ago.¡± After some thought, he added, ¡°I


    only knew that some hooligans did it, but I didn¡¯t continue investigating the person who gave the


    orders. However, it won¡¯t be hard to do so.¡±

 Chapter 1692

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1692


    Chapter 1692 Look At Me


    ¡°Can you please ask your friend to conduct a more thorough investigation on this? Oh, right. I saw


    Nathaniel meeting up with Quince today. They seemed to be teaming up against Ashton or Stovall


    Corporation. You need to be more careful.¡±


    However, John did not seem to be fazed. ¡°It¡¯s just a couple of hooligans! If they do cross the line, I¡¯ll


    send some money to M Country and get rid of their headquarters. Let¡¯s see if they can still smile after


    their nest is gone. How dare some foreignerse to cause havoc in Chanaea. Do they really think


    that we¡¯re such an easy target?¡±


    ¡°I hope it¡¯ll be easy as you say.¡± Upon hearing that, I still could not put my guard down and continued to


    remind him, ¡°You forgot about Nathaniel. Don¡¯t take him lightly.¡±


    ¡°I know that. I¡¯m also a businessman that rose to the top of the pyramid by myself. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not


    that easy to be fooled. Let¡¯s talkter. Your sister-inw is calling for me, and I¡¯m going to get a


    scolding if I don¡¯t show up now. I¡¯ll let you know if there are any updates.¡±


    After he hung up the call, I waited for hours and gradually fell asleep on the sofa at around eleven


    o¡¯clock at night.


    I did not fall into a deep sleep as I was still waiting for Ashton at the back of my mind. In my sleep, I


    could vaguely hear the sound of the door closing and soft footsteps.


    After opening the door, he tiptoed toward me and draped his jacket over me.


    Opening my eyes, I saw Ashton kneeling on the floor, wanting to carry me back to our room. When he


    saw that I was awake, he caressed my head worriedly. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say not to wait for me? Why didn¡¯t you


    head to bed first?¡±


    During dinner, he had phoned to inform me that an urgent international meeting hade up. Thus, he


    would only be back past midnight.


    While grasping the back of the sofa, I answered groggily, ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep well if you¡¯re not here.¡±


    Ashton grinned at me yfully. ¡°It¡¯s going to be worst if I don¡¯t work overtime and ensure you and our


    children¡¯s safety.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re safe and sound, we¡¯re going to be fine too.¡± I red at him. ¡°We have more than enough to


    spend for the rest of our lives. Therefore, you shouldn¡¯t work as hard as you did before. Money can¡¯t


    buy health, you know.¡±


    With a small smile, he helped me to the bedroom. ¡°Our health and safety are all exchanged by


    resources, and money is one of them. Buildings don¡¯t copse overnight, after all. We need to always


    be on guard to ensure our lives go on as usual.¡±


    I understood what he was saying. His pressure had gotten greater as his business grew, as he had to


    be on the lookout for sabotages constantly.


    However, I did not n to discuss his business with him. After my nap, I was even eager for him to


    confess his secret.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    After sitting me on the bed, he squatted down and toyed with my fingers. ¡°Honey, what will you do if


    you suddenly found out I¡¯m not as perfect as you think?¡± he asked out of nowhere.


    His words puzzled me. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Pausing for a moment, I continued, ¡°When we


    first got married, you didn¡¯t treat me nicely, but I still loved you. Otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t be here today.¡±


    Perhaps after getting married for many years, we would start to discuss weird topics.


    At our age, love was probably best expressed through the will to confide. Compared to the couples that


    get annoyed with each other after being married for years, our lives were somewhat more peaceful.


    Ashton¡¯s head was still lowered as heughed. ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is that if I¡¯m not as good as you


    think if I am, or perhaps, I¡¯m a selfish person that only cared for my own interests, would you be


    disappointed in me?¡±


    Indeed, one would be wishy-washy if they had secrets, no matter if it were a man or a woman.


    Without a second thought, I lifted Ashton¡¯s face so that our gazes were locked. ¡°Ashton, look at me and


    listen.¡±

 Chapter 1693

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1693


    Chapter 1693 Being Targeted


    ¡°I¡¯m your wife. I love you. No matter what happens, I¡¯ll always be by your side. Understand?¡±


    Something shed through Ashton¡¯s ck orbs as heughed. ¡°Understood.¡± He grinned


    mischievously.


    I¡¯ve been so patient inforting him, yet he¡¯s still unwilling to reveal the truth. How much longer do I


    need to wait?


    I was starting to get frustrated over it. Meanwhile, Ashton slowly rolled up the bottom of my pants and


    massaged my leg.


    This makes me think of the famous saying that a married man only tries to butter up with his wife when


    he makes a mistake or ns to.


    While thinking that, I wanted to grab Ashton¡¯s hand when he suddenly spoke. ¡°Nathaniel met up with


    me today. He wanted to start a business with me in producing fake bills.¡±


    My hand, which was in mid-air, was immediately lowered. Thankfully, he said it right on time.


    Otherwise, it was going to be a different story.


    ¡°How could he have the guts to do that when our country has strict rules regting it?¡± I asked.


    While massaging my leg, he exined it nonchntly, ¡°He¡¯s nning to produce it here and export it


    overseas, so that it¡¯s difficult to trace. He¡¯s smart to base it in Chanaea. Since he has no criminal


    record, there¡¯s a high chance he wouldn¡¯t be extradited if the business was exposed. He was also the


    one who provoked Quince and Lucas. They aim to make the police suspicious about Fuller Corporation


    so that all of my actions will be monitored. Now that the police are keeping a close eye on money


    It was the same situation everywhere. Nobody would remember the things good about you but would


    start pointing fingers when you made a single mistake.


    Sometimes, it would take a great deal of restraint for one to be nice in this world.


    If I were Ashton, I would feel disappointed as well. After all, he is getting such treatment from two


    foreigners with a bad reputation, despite paying years of taxes and providing jobs to many.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be afraid of if we¡¯re innocent. I believe in you, and so do everyone else in this


    household, and that¡¯s enough,¡± I said earnestly while lowering my head. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that you would


    never get defeated by people that you don¡¯t even care about.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Narrowing his eyes, the man stood up and nted a kiss on my forehead. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll go


    get a shower first.¡±


    After saying that, he turned to the bathroom, and the sound of running water came soon after.


    My heart finally calmed down after talking with him for long.


    However, I was suddenly reminded of the incident regarding Reba and Roger seconds away from


    sleep. Ashton had exined about Nathaniel but not about them.


    When I thought about that, I quickly snapped awake and looked up. However, there was nothing I could


    do as Ashton was sound asleep.


    Therefore, I could only hug him tightly while gritting my teeth in anger. I can¡¯t believe I just realized how


    tricky he was! He only chose to exin some of the problems. What a jerk!


    I was awakened by Mrs. Eriksen¡¯s knock on the door. ncing at the clock, I noticed it was barely


    seven o¡¯clock in the morning.


    ¡°Is something the matter, Mrs. Eriksen?¡± I asked sleepily, barely opening my eyes.


    ¡°An officer from the military wants to meet with Mr. Fuller. He has been waiting for quite some time,¡±


    Mrs. Eriksen answered loudly.


    The sun is barely up, and yet they¡¯re here to disturb us. After grumbling in my heart, I finally started to


    think logically. ¡°Okay. Go on and tend to him first. We¡¯lle down in a minute.¡±


    Letting out a deep sigh, I managed to open my eyes and looked toward Ashton. However, I realized he


    was still asleep despite the huge racket from just now.


    When my vision got clearer, I noticed that he seemed to be having some nightmares. His eyebrows


    were furrowed as the nightmare terrorized him in his sleep.

 Chapter 1694

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1694


    Chapter 1694 Officer Zimmerman


    When I wanted to push him awake, Ashton suddenly opened his eyes. Stunned by his actions, I almost


    screamed as I clutched my chest.


    After a few seconds, he turned around and asked me puzzledly, ¡°Why are you up so early?¡±


    ¡°A guest is waiting for us downstairs,¡± I answered. ¡°What did you dream about?¡±


    Drooping his eyelids, he quickly concealed his emotions and got up from the bed. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Isn¡¯t


    there a guest waiting for us? You should quickly get ready and head downstairs. Don¡¯t make them wait


    for too long.¡±


    Ashton thought he had hidden it well, but he did not know I had seen through him when he was asleep.


    Many dilemmas had long been solved. Therefore, I was curious about the issue that troubled him so


    badly.


    Seeing that he already had his jacket on, I quickly got ready to meet the guests.


    As we rounded the staircase, I caught a glimpse of the man from the military. The officer was wearing a


    sharp suit, and a regal aura exuded off him. Although I could only see his back, his aura was hard to


    hide.


    The two soldiers guarding beside the door seemed to be his guards. It looked like the man was


    someone influential.


    After arriving at thest step of the staircase, Ashton greeted, ¡°Sorry for the long wait.¡±


    Upon hearing that, the officer stood up and shook hands with Ashton. ¡°Nice to meet you, Mr. Fuller.¡±


    After saying that, he nodded in my direction as a greeting.


    The both of them sat down, and Ashton immediately cut to the chase. ¡°May I know why you are here


    today?¡±


    The man skipped the pleasantries and took a ck wallet out from his pocket. ¡°This is my identification


    document. I¡¯m an officer at the 4th Brigade of District 8, mainly in charge of the anti-narcotics team


    near the border.¡±


    Ashton took the documents in his hand and scanned through them with me. Then, he passed it back to


    him calmly. ¡°Officer Zimmerman, may I know what we can do for you?¡±


    Benson Zimmerman¡¯s well-defined features showed off a rugged and masculine front. He seemed to


    be a born soldier with his image that gave off a straightforward vibe.


    However, I found his eyes to be quite familiar. Perhaps I once passed by him.


    As expected, Benson went straight to the topic. ¡°ording to the information we have, it seems that


    Lucas and Quince have frequently been going in and out the Fuller residence.¡±


    There was a reason behind the saying that one would take on the color of one¡¯spany. After


    interacting with people like them, we were painted a target by the police.


    Lowering his eyes, Ashton did not deny it. ¡°It seems like that¡¯s the case.¡±


    Benson¡¯s face was solemn as he narrowed his eyebrows. ¡°How much do you know about the both of


    them?¡±


    He remained a somewhat polite attitude, for he did not group us with Ashton and Quince without


    hearing us out.


    As the officer was sincere, Ashton did not avoid the question and answered honestly, ¡°I know them


    quite well, so you can be more straightforward with your question.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± With a nod, Benson went straight to the point. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m sure you know what I want


    to ask. Please give me a definite answer, then. Yes or no?¡±


    It was apparent what Benson wanted to ask him ¡ª if Ashton was involved with the evil.


    Although the question was not difficult to answer, Ashton stayed silent.


    Everyone knew what it meant for one to stay silent after being asked a moral question.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    The both of them stared at each other, and sparks seemed to be flying among them.


    Fearing Benson would misunderstand, I quickly answered the question, ¡°No.¡±


    At that moment, Benson turned toward me. The sincere look on his face was gone and reced by a


    stern and righteous expression. He seemed ready to prove us guilty anytime soon.

 Chapter 1695

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1695


    Chapter 1695 Protection


    I borated, ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯ve been observing the foreigners for quite some time. Thus, you must


    know that we only started interacting in the past few days. Before this, the Fullers were not associated


    with Quince, Lucas, or even Skull whatsoever.¡±


    Since Quince and Lucas only arrived a short while ago, there was no way they had enough time to do


    something illegal. Therefore, it was not hard to understand that Benson was here to warn us, not


    because he had evidence.


    Although we were innocent and not scared of being investigated, we would not sit back and get


    ndered either.


    No fool would be able to be an officer in the military. Therefore, Benson¡¯s expression was not as


    stern after hearing my exnation.


    He stayed silent for a moment, seemingly pondering the best way to exin the direness of the


    situation to us.


    However, he had underestimated the cautiousness of a businessman. When faced with uncertainties,


    thetter would consider more aspects as they were afraid to make a loss.


    Since Ashton was too hostile, I could only step up and disassociate ourselves. ¡°Although we have a big


    business, we¡¯re ordinary people. No one would put their family in danger just tomit crimes like that,


    right? Both my husband and I had been in Fuller Corporation since its establishment. If I were the


    leader in the military, I wouldn¡¯t have questioned us right away upon noticing something wrong. Instead,


    I would think of ways to protect a corporation that pays billions of taxes to the government from those


    foreigners.¡±


    Benson immediately understood my meaning and apologized. ¡°It¡¯s our oversight. We¡¯re sorry about


    this.¡± Pausing for a moment, he asked again, ¡°Do you mean that you want us to protect you?¡±


    Finally, we¡¯re at the main point. After all, having the military back us up is better than nothing. ¡°Yes. You


    should understand how dangerous they are. If you consider our contributions to the country, I don¡¯t


    think it¡¯s an uneptable request.¡±


    However, Benson seemed not to have the authority to do so. ¡°It¡¯s not an outrageous request. However,


    I still need to appeal for it ording to the rules. If the both of you are innocent, I promise that you will


    be safe in this country.¡±


    My impression of soldiers was that they were big on male chauvinism, so Benson¡¯s attitude caused me


    to have a good image of him. ¡°Thank you, Officer Zimmerman.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± The officer waved his hands and got up. ¡°I still have something to do, so I¡¯ll take my


    leave.¡±


    While nobody was looking, I pped Ashton¡¯s thigh and stood up together. ¡°Goodbye.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to send me out.¡± After saying that, Benson walked to the front door.


    At that moment, Emery happened to rush through the door.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Benson seemed to recognize her and stopped in his tracks. After scanning her, he asked calmly, ¡°Are


    you Emery?¡±


    Instantly, Emery¡¯s face turned expressionless as she answered, ¡°That¡¯s me.¡±


    Benson¡¯s voice was harsher this time. ¡°Please tell Alexander to watch out.¡±


    Then he left without looking back, leaving her confused.


    Emery only came back to her senses and walked over to us after his footsteps were no longer audible.


    Before she sat down, she ced her bag down and said, ¡°What happened to Summer? Why did she


    suddenly go overseas? She¡¯s not answering her phone or WhatsApp either.¡±


    Upon hearing that, I was stunned and asked, ¡°When did this happen? She didn¡¯t inform us about it.¡±

 Chapter 1696

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1696


    Chapter 1696 The Rtionship Between Alexander and Benson


    ¡°You don¡¯t know about this?¡± Emery was taken aback but quickly exined after realizing that there


    had to be something going on. ¡°I only got to know from the club¡¯s employees. It¡¯s been three days since


    she left. She didn¡¯t say anything else other than she was going overseas.¡±


    Upon hearing that, I could not help but let out a sigh. Perhaps the memories are too hard for her to


    bear. Thus, she wants to take a break from reality.


    However, it was unsafe for a woman to be alone overseas. Therefore, I quickly asked Ashton, ¡°Can you


    ask Holden to send his men to find Summer?¡±


    Without answering, he stood up and walked to the balcony to make the phone call.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Emery noticed the strange atmosphere and asked, ¡°What happened to him? Is it about Summer?¡±


    It looks like Ashton¡¯s ability to conceal his emotions had deteriorated for even Emery to find out.


    I shook my head and hoped Emery to give some advice. ¡°Nathaniel brought an old friend from J City


    two days ago. Since then, Ashton started to behave weirdly. It¡¯s as if the old friend has dirt on him. Do


    you think that¡¯s possible?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s dirt? Ashton¡¯s?¡± Emery immediately shook her head. ¡°No way. No one in this world can be an


    opponent to him.¡± She stopped for a moment before tip-toeing to me and whispering, ¡°Perhaps the sex


    is not going so well for you two?¡±


    I rolled my eyes in exasperation. ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the topic.¡±


    However, Emery simply shrugged and replied cidly, ¡°I don¡¯t have a clue, then. Nobody can guess


    what Ashton is thinking about.¡±


    I know that. However, I don¡¯t want to give up and admit that I¡¯m useless. Despite my strong will, there¡¯s


    nothing I could do other than pray that Ashton could ovee it himself.


    After a pause in the conversation, Emery asked about Benson. ¡°Why was Benson here today?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to ask about this too.¡± I stared deep into her eyes. ¡°How did you know each other?¡±


    Benson and Alexander both had the same surname. Plus, Emery had brought up the fact that the


    Zimmerman family was a military family. Therefore, both of them might be rted.


    Emery¡¯s reaction confirmed my suspicions.


    She pursed her lips and red at me. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. This isn¡¯t any secret. Alexander¡¯s


    family background is all over the inte after being investigated by those crazy fans. There¡¯s not even


    a need to ask me about it. Can we change the topic to something more refreshing?¡±


    ¡°So you admit that Benson is Alexander¡¯s brother?¡±


    With a sigh, Emery answered impatiently, ¡°That¡¯s right. Why are you asking me when you already knew


    the answer?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just curious.¡± I smiled bitterly and drooped my eyelids. It seems like Emery isn¡¯t lying. Based on


    Benson¡¯s attitude, it looks like the Zimmerman family disapproves of their rtionship.


    To satisfy her curiosity, I decided to exin the incident just now. ¡°He¡¯s here to ask about the two men


    that we encountered recently. Besides that, he also agreed to provide us protection.¡±


    If Alexander and Emery got married, the Zimmerman family and the Moore family would be rted.


    Therefore, it could be said that Benson had handled the incident without bias.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Emery nodded her head, trying to pretend as if she did not care. When in reality, her orbs had


    given her away.


    Soon, Ashton came back inside. ¡°It¡¯s confirmed that Summer is currently in M Country. Holden is


    sending his men over there.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± As Holden was a responsible person, I did not need to worry much about it.


    Suddenly, Emery¡¯s phone started to ring. After seeing who was calling, she looked at me curiously.


    ¡°The club is calling me.¡±

 Chapter 1697

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1697


    Chapter 1697 The New Owner


    After epting the call, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± A few momentster, she hung up the call and


    picked up her bag. ¡°Reba is causing trouble at the club and is fighting with the employees. I¡¯d better


    go and take a look.¡±


    Reba? Again? Is it that hard for her to stay away for a day?


    Since Summer was not there, my job as her mother was to protect her hard work.


    Immediately, I stood up and grabbed Emery¡¯s arm to stop her from leaving. ¡°Please wait for me. I¡¯ll go


    with you after I change my clothes.¡±


    I¡¯m eager to see what else Reba has up her sleeves after failing to nder me. If she wants to go


    against me for the rest of our lives, then be it!


    Amid my fury, I failed to notice Ashton¡¯s reaction toward it.


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I didn¡¯t realize that he did not apany me there likest time until I entered the car.


    Rolling down the car window, I felt disappointed after seeing Ashton not sending me off.


    However, I quickly pulled myself together. Even without Ashton, I can still teach Reba a lesson all


    the same!


    When we arrived there, the ce was an absolute mess.


    The club¡¯s lobby was filled with people. Reba was there with Quince¡¯s subordinates, and our


    employees were guarding the door. It looked like the men were preparing an uprise the way they


    surrounded the club.


    It was hard to spot Reba¡¯s tiny figure as she was standing between big, burly men. However, her


    sharp voice was enough for me to know where she was standing at.


    ¡°Why are you making such a fuss? I¡¯m going to fire every single one of you for treating your boss this


    way. How dare you point at me! You¡¯re not going to leave this ce alive, I¡¯m telling you! What? Your


    boss¡¯ words are the proof you want. Summer already announced that I will be taking over this club from


    today onward. I¡¯ll be in charge of every decision here. What right does an employee like you have to


    doubt me? I¡¯m running out of patience. What are you all doing in a daze? Go on and chase all of them


    out!¡±


    Upon hearing Reba¡¯s order, the ck men whistled and started to catch the employees like


    maniacs.


    The club employees were not trained in fighting and equipped with proper weapons. While standing


    closely together, they held onto the mop, chairs, and stools tightly.


    The man standing in front was more petite in size. Although his sses had almost been pped off,


    he refused to back down.


    It was a touching scene, and I could only sigh that Summer had a good eye for choosing her


    employees.


    ¡°Stop, stop!¡± Even though Emery and I tried our best to scream, our voices were covered by the


    commotion.


    ¡°F*ck!¡± Emery cursed and strutted out of the room. A momentter, she returned with a megaphone.


    ¡°Stop it right now!¡±


    Although my eardrums almost burst by how loud her voice was, it worked.


    Everyone in the lobby turned around, and a hush fell over the room.


    Emery did not feel embarrassed but continued to talk into the megaphone. ¡°I know that you¡¯re acting


    like- Oh. I forgot that you are a foreigner. Okay. I¡¯ll be straightforward and remind you that you¡¯re in


    Chanaea. Do not assume you can do the same thing here as back in your country. I¡¯ll give you ten


    minutes. If you don¡¯t run off in ten minutes, I¡¯ll make sure every single one of you will have a chance to


    meet with the border police.¡± In the end, she muttered in a low voice, ¡°F*ck! I didn¡¯t manage to teach


    you a lesson back then too. Thankfully you decided to show up by yourself.¡±


    The foreigners exchanged nces, seemingly unaware of the severity of the situation.

 Chapter 1698

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1698


    Chapter 1698 An Outsider


    After all, as gang members in M Country, their existence was enough to cause panic even if they did


    notmit a single crime in Chanaea.


    Therefore, just a phone call was sufficient for the police toe running and teach Quince and his


    gang members a lesson.


    As Reba knew about the Moore family¡¯s tricks, she decided to send most of the gang members out,


    leaving a few behind to protect her.


    When they finally left, Emery and I started to console the employees¡¯ emotions before negotiating with


    Reba.


    Reba could only be so arrogant because Skull was backing her up. Therefore, I told her, ¡°I know


    Quince is the one behind this. You should tell him that it¡¯s trashy for him to cause trouble every other


    day. If this continues to happen, I won¡¯t continue to be friends with him, let alone working together.¡±


    Despite being found out, Reba remained calm and grinned slyly. ¡°Scarlett, how could you me Mr.


    Quince like that? I¡¯m here today because of personal reasons, and it has nothing to do with him. He¡¯ll


    get angry if he hears you talking about him like this.¡±


    Why is she so secretive? Besides, why should I care if he¡¯s happy or not? ¡°If that¡¯s the case, what


    reason do you have to intrude on private property in broad daylight? If you don¡¯t have a good reason, I


    won¡¯t hesitate to use legal means to protect my rights.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You won¡¯t seed in doing so.¡± Reba crossed her arms confidently. ¡°Naturally, I have


    gotten the owner¡¯s agreement for me to be here. Your daughter told me herself that the club was to be


    handed over to me.¡±


    ¡°Hah!¡± Emery snorted. ¡°Are you daydreaming? Do you know what this club means to Summer? There¡¯s


    no way she¡¯ll hand over such a precious thing to an outsider.¡±


    Emery¡¯s thoughts were the same as mine. Therefore, I did not say anything else and stared at Reba


    coldly.


    ¡°An outsider?¡± Reba lowered her eyes andughed. Her tone was calm despite being provoked.


    ¡°Anything might happen. Just because I¡¯m an outsider today doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll always be one. Who


    knows what¡¯ll happen. Am I right, Scarlett?¡±


    Why is she bringing me up again?


    ¡°What exactly are you trying to say?¡± Although I did not have much patience for this woman, I could


    only suppress the anger in my heart as I did not want to be provoked. ¡°I have no interest in knowing


    what you¡¯re trying to do. I¡¯m only here today to tell you that nobody can snatch Summer¡¯s things away


    from her.¡± Pausing for a moment, I red at Reba. ¡°If you think you can go against me,e and


    try.¡±


    Back then, she was the one hiding behind others and painting me as the assant. Therefore, I don¡¯t


    mind facing her head-on. It¡¯s a chance for me to take revenge on her, anyway. This isn¡¯t a world where


    the weak is always right.


    After noticing my hostility, Reba¡¯s gaze soon turned malicious.


    Although I could no longer make out her original look after various stic surgeries, I could still picture


    her angry look with her natural face.


    Narrowing her eyes, she clenched her fists and dug her shiny fingernails into her skin. ¡°How could you


    be so arrogant after snatching other¡¯s things? What right do you have?¡± Her body was trembling with


    every roar.


    Although she was only beautiful because of stic surgery, it did not affect her charm. When she


    screamed, it would cause one to mistake her as a weak and innocent woman.


    Even I was confused for a moment that I was the one that was in the wrong, not her.


    However, I quickly realized that it was just one of her tactics to shift the me onto the innocent.

 Chapter 1699

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1699


    Chapter 1699 Listen To Reba


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean, but I can refer you to a better psychiatrist if you need. As for the club, you


    can¡¯t possibly take it over.¡±


    Reba¡¯s life was ill-fated. She was mentally unstable, probably because she had suffered too much


    before. It might be a good thing for her to see a psychiatrist. That¡¯s the only thing I can do for her now.


    Reba suddenly spread her hands before she took her phone out. ¡°Let¡¯s listen to what Summer has


    to say then.¡±


    After dialing the number, she put the phone next to her ear and waited for the call to connect


    confidently.


    Emery scoffed at Reba, ¡°You¡¯re so pretentious.¡±


    I looked at her and pointed to my head with a look of sympathy, trying to stop her from haggling over


    the matter with a lunatic.


    Yet, a secondter, Reba¡¯s words gave us a huge p in the face.


    ¡°Hello. If you¡¯re free now, exin the situation to your staff.¡±


    The call actually got through.


    After Reba finished speaking, she put the call on speaker mode before facing her phone toward the


    crowd.


    Soon, Summer¡¯s voice rang out.


    ¡°It¡¯s me. All of you, listen to Reba. Make sure that the club is open for business as usual. I¡¯ll make


    further arrangements once I get back.¡±


    ¡°Sum-¡±


    Before I could even say aplete word, the call was disconnected. I was at a loss for a moment.


    Meanwhile, Emery seemed as blue as I was. We figured that Summer did not answer our phone calls


    and did not reply to our messages, but she actually kept in touch with Reba.


    I did not know what Emery was thinking, but I was experiencing an indescribable feeling.


    It was simr to when I saw Ashton standing beside Reba so many times back then. There seemed


    to be an unhealed wound in my heart, and that wound still hurt me until now.


    I could not even fake a smile.


    Even though I could im myself as Summer¡¯s mother in a dignified manner, it was obvious that


    Summer was closer to Reba, and she seemed to like her more.


    I had thought about various possibilities, but I had never expected that Reba would take Summer


    away from me.


    Yet, at that moment, the culprit was still showing off in front of me with her phone. ¡°Did you hear that?¡±


    Seeing that I wasn¡¯t responding, Reba pointed her phone to the employees¡¯ faces. ¡°All of you


    recognized Summer¡¯s voice, right? Your boss¡¯ mother said that you¡¯d have to follow the rules. The boss


    has spoken. Now, I have the final say here. Anyone has a problem with that?¡±


    Since the viin had shown her power, I knew that she was going to make an unfortunate person help


    her establish her prestige.


    Reba stood in front of all the staff as her eyes ran across their faces one by one. Clearly, she was


    choosing the unlucky person.


    Emery saw through her n. ring at Reba, she gritted her teeth and warned, ¡°This club doesn¡¯t


    belong to Summer alone. I have some shares in it. If you want to be the leader, show us your


    capability. Quit ying petty tricks.¡±


    Reba scoffed as she gave Emery a side nce. Indifferently, she said, ¡°I don¡¯t need you to tell me


    what to do in my territory. If you¡¯re unsatisfied with me, you can withdraw your shares. Do you think I


    can¡¯t find other investors with such a great business? You¡¯re taking advantage of me but still making a


    fuss here. I¡¯m not a fool.¡±


    ¡°Wow. You haven¡¯t even signed the contract yet, and you think you¡¯re the boss here?¡± Emery threw her


    bag aside before she stood up and rolled her sleeves. ¡°Come on. Let me see how capable you are.


    Kick me out of here then!¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to do¡­¡± Seeing Emery¡¯s reaction, Reba quickly hid behind the most muscr


    man beside her. Stretching her neck, she threatened, ¡°Let me warn you, Emery! I can¡¯t tolerate you


    anymore. Come here if you dare!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Emery chuckled in a fury. She grabbed a foldable stool beside her and rushed toward Reba.


    ¡°Calm down.¡± I knew that those men could easily smash her tiny body.


    ¡°Stay out of this.¡± Emery tried to push me away. ¡°I¡¯ve learned Taekwondo for so many years, but I


    haven¡¯t put it to good use. Finally, I found an idiot. I have to teach her a lesson today!¡±

 Chapter 1700

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1700


    Chapter 1700 Challenging Emery


    ¡°Come here then!¡± Since someone was protecting her, Reba challenged Emery shamelessly. ¡°I¡¯ll


    despise you if you don¡¯t get here!¡±


    Emery shut her eyes and took a deep breath. Then, she swung the chair above her head.


    Clearly, I had underestimated her strength.


    However, I was still rational. Even though Emery seemed to be strong, it did not mean that she could


    defeat five people on her own. Moreover, those men clearly weighed around two hundred pounds.


    Therefore, when Emery rushed toward them with the chair, I quickly wrapped my arms around her


    waist from behind. As I used all my body strength to hold onto her, she could not take another step


    anymore.


    ¡°Scarlett! You¡¯re hindering me! Hurry up and let go!¡± Emery put the chair on the floor. While she


    bnced herself on the chair with one arm, the other arm tried to remove my arms from her waist.


    Meanwhile, she yelled, ¡°Reba Larson,e here and fight me if you dare! Stop hiding behind that


    man! I¡¯ll fight you with only one hand!¡±


    I secretly sighed. Emery is really pissed off.


    In fact, if Emery had seen Reba¡¯s disgusted look when I just got married to Ashton, she would not


    be so agitated now.


    Perhaps, Emery had something else on her mind, and that became an excellent opportunity for her to


    vent her anger.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Yet, since everyone was an adult, we could not do things recklessly.


    ¡°Let it go, Emery. You¡¯ll get yourself awsuit and cause trouble for the Moore family!¡± I refused to let


    her go.


    After struggling for some time, Emery was finally exhausted. She sighed helplessly as she slowly


    calmed down.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Emery said wearily.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let go unless you promise not to do it!¡±


    Emery replied impatiently, ¡°I promise. All right?¡±


    Then, I let go of my grip hesitantly.


    Emery kept her word. After I released her, she tidied her clothes. She did not even bother looking at


    Reba. ¡°I¡¯m doing this out of respect for you.¡±


    Emery always did things as she pleased. Hearing her words, I knew that she valued me.


    Although I could not genuinely smile, I tried to lift the corners of my lips. ¡°I know that, Superwoman


    Moore!¡±


    However, Reba did not restrain herself after I¡¯d saved her from chaos. She tried to stir up trouble


    again. ¡°Why? Are you scared now? I thought the Moore family was the most powerful family in K City?


    You¡¯re the only daughter in the family, but you don¡¯t even dare to teach me a lesson? Is it because your


    family doesn¡¯t dote on you like a princess? That¡¯s why you can only endure all the unpleasant


    treatment out here in silence. Oh! I suddenly recalled something. Emery, you¡¯re nothing but an


    illegitimate daughter. Your parents don¡¯t even love you. You¡¯re not much nobler than me!¡±


    Emery instantly became expressionless. As her gaze turned cold, it was apparent that hatred was


    brewing from within her.


    What was the difference between disliking and hating a person?


    If one were to dislike a person, one could avoid dealing with the person. They could also badmouth that


    person to vent one¡¯s anger. No matter how bad the situation was, one could even beat the person up,


    but one would never take matters to heart. However, if one hated a person, Reba¡¯s situation would


    be the best example.


    Until now, I knew that she still wanted to tear me apart.


    Reba was indeed quite dim. Her intentions were clear because she would do everything in a high-


    profile manner and rashly.


    Yet, Emery was different. She became famous among the upper ss on her own.


    If Reba offended Emery, she would have to face some tough times ahead.


    As Reba chuckled arrogantly, her expression became distorted. ¡°No matter how almighty you


    pretend to be, you¡¯re just a country bumpkin who can¡¯t keep a man. I¡¯ve died once. I¡¯ve experienced


    everything in this world. Who are you to teach me a lesson?¡±


    Her words became more and more unpleasant to hear, and Emery was deeply hurt. I could not tolerate


    it anymore. As I red at Reba, I yelled at her, ¡°Shut up!¡±

 Chapter 1701

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1701


    Chapter 1701 You Will Regret It


    ¡°Who do you think you are?¡± I stood in front of Emery, just like how firmly she had fought against others


    for me countless times. Looking at Reba, I said, ¡°You¡¯re iming the club is yours, but that will only


    be official after Summeres back and signs the transferal agreement. Even so, the entire club, from


    its site selection to the renovation, was fully paid for by Fuller Corporation. Therefore, this ce


    belongs to thepany, so I can take it back anytime!¡±


    Reba wasn¡¯t expecting me to say that. When she opened her mouth to refute, I did not give her the


    chance to speak. ¡°Keep this in mind. I¡¯ll let you manage the club temporarily out of respect to Summer.


    I¡¯ll take it back in the future. However, if you drive me into a corner, I¡¯ll destroy this ce and give it to


    the beggars out there for free. I will never grant your wish!¡±


    After saying that, I felt much better.


    Clearly, I had done the right thing in order to deal with such a shameless woman.


    Seeing that Reba was speechless andpletely chickened out, I lowered my gaze and ordered,


    ¡°Apologize now.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    After taking a deep breath, I raised my voice as I repeated, ¡°I said, apologize to Emery now! Right


    now!¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± Reba turned her face away. ¡°You want me to apologize to her? Next life!¡±


    I scoffed and replied, ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s see if your mastermind is willing to wait till next life to take over the


    club then.¡±


    While speaking, I gestured andmanded the employees to close the door. ¡°All of you, pack up


    everything. We¡¯re taking a long break!¡±


    Knowing that they did not need to deal with those men any longer, all the staff were thrilled. They


    quickly did as they were told to. ¡°Roger that!¡±


    Reba became nervous when she heard that. She knew well that she had gotten everything she had


    now from the mastermind, so she could not afford to offend that person.


    She stomped her feet and finallypromised. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    ¡®What did you say?¡± Emery lifted her hand and put it beside her ear as she said innocently, ¡°I can¡¯t hear


    you.¡±


    Pulling a long face, Reba yelled unwillingly, ¡°Sorry! I¡¯m so sorry! Is that enough, Ms. Moore?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ept it, even though it sounded insincere.¡± Emery stered a threatening smile on her face and


    warned, ¡°However, you¡¯ll regret in the future for what you¡¯ve done.¡±


    Afraid that both of them would get into another argument, I quickly changed the topic and consoled the


    employees, ¡°All right. Those who are willing to work can stay in their previous positions, whereas those


    who are unwilling to work can go home now to take a break. You cane back to work after the boss


    returns.¡±


    All the furniture and employees in the club were carefully chosen by Summer, so we could not afford to


    lose any of them. Judging from Reba¡¯s bad temper, the employees might not be willing to work with


    her. Therefore, avoiding conflict was the best approach.


    If one wished to expand one¡¯s business, it was vital to retain talents.


    Summer, this is all I can do for you.


    Having said that, I nced at Reba before I held Emery¡¯s arm and left.


    So what if I¡¯m unhappy about this? Reba was appointed by Summer. Even if I look down on her, I


    have no right to make her leave.


    In a rage, Emery immediately called Summer once we got into the car.


    This time, the call went through.


    I instantly slowed down when I was fastening my seatbelt. Although I pretended not to care, I tried to


    eavesdrop on their conversation.


    ¡°Summer, are you going to let that woman take over the club?¡±


    After that, Emery ced her phone between us and put the call on speaker.


    An indifferent voice rang out from the other end of the line. ¡°I¡¯ll let her manage it temporarily,¡± Summer


    tly responded.


    Sometimes, I would suspect that Summer was actually Ashton¡¯s biological daughter. Otherwise, she


    would not react to things so calmly, just like him.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    On the surface, she appeared to be just emotionally stable. In actuality, she was an extremely rational


    person. One could never guess what was really in her mind most of the time.

 Chapter 1702

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1702


    Chapter 1702 Rebellious Daughter


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to mince words with you. Just two things. Firstly, where are you? Secondly, why didn¡¯t


    you let me or the Fullers manage the club for you? Instead, you¡¯re letting that woman do it. Don¡¯t you


    know what she has done to your parents?¡±


    I knew that Emery was standing up for me, asking the questions which I did not know how to ask


    Summer.


    However, I did not me Summer. I was just a little disappointed.


    I was feeling dejected for not being able to understand my child.


    Yet, Summer avoided Emery¡¯s questions. ¡°I have my ns, and I will return when the timees.


    Please tell my parents not to worry about me. I¡¯m busy now, so I¡¯ll hang up.¡±


    ¡°Hold on.¡±


    Beep!


    ¡°Hello? Summer! Summer!¡±


    Emery mmed the steering wheel in anger, identally hitting the horn.


    The honk startled the sparrows on the trees, but an awkward silence filled the car.


    Momentster, Emery joked, ¡°I didn¡¯t know your daughter is so rebellious.¡±


    I smiled bitterly, not knowing if I should be sad or happy.


    After Emery sent me home, she told me she had things to do and left. She did not go into much detail


    since we had nomon topics at work.


    Upon scanning through the house, I did not see Ashton anywhere. It seemed like he had left the house


    after me earlier.


    I instinctively sent Joseph a message to ask him about Ashton¡¯s whereabouts.


    He instantly replied: Madam, I¡¯m apanying Ms. Stovall in M Country.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    I paused for a moment before I lowered my head and typed: Didn¡¯t Summer leave by herself? Weren¡¯t


    you with Ashton these past few days?


    Joseph replied: Yes, so I¡¯m secretly following her. Ms. Stovall doesn¡¯t know about this. Mr. Ashton told


    me to keep an eye on her, but he didn¡¯t tell me anything else.


    That being said, I realized that Ashton had been on his own the whole time. No one knew where he


    had been, who he had met, and what he had done.


    He was turning into a troublesome man, even worsepared to when he was younger.


    After all, Joseph and the rest were abroad, so I made up a reason to reassure him. I replied: No


    wonder Ashtonins about back pain every day when he returns from work. All right, I understand


    the situation now. Keep an eye on Summer for me. Stay safe.


    Joseph responded: Okay.


    Looking at the message, I rolled my eyes. A man of few words! I swear this is the worst!


    I felt vexed as I put down the phone. Sitting on the couch, I turned on the television and started


    changing the channels randomly to vent my anger.


    Suddenly, Alexander¡¯s talk show appeared.


    Since the host was rather bold, the show started with a sensitive topic. ¡°Alexander, what kind of traits


    do you look for in your partner?¡±


    ¡°Do you mean my future wife?¡± Alexander asked calmly. He sounded very experienced.


    ¡°You can put it that way.¡± The host nodded and continued, ¡°Or should I say, in a rtionship, would you


    prefer to stay faithful to a person, or would you look around for better choices?¡±


    Alexander pondered for a moment before he looked straight at the camera. His eyes were filled with


    passion and sincerity as he answered, ¡°Love at first sight.¡±


    He firmly exined, ¡°I believe in good first impressions. Once I¡¯ve chosen someone, I will never change


    my mind. Just like how I¡¯ve chosen to be an actor, and I¡¯ll never give up in this career.¡±


    His affection and persistence could easily capture any girl¡¯s heart. Even though I had only met him a


    few times, I could not help but secretly wish that he would end up with Emery.


    If only Emery could watch this, that¡¯d be great.


    ¡°What are you watching?¡±


    As I was engrossed in the show, I did not notice Ashton was home. I quickly answered, ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s a


    variety show.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± After he responded briefly, he headed to the bathroom on the first floor. Then, he ordered the


    maid to deliver his clothes, ¡°Zekiel, get me a new set of pajamas.¡±

 Chapter 1703

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1703


    Chapter 1703 Destroying Evidence


    Soon, the sound of flowing water filled the bathroom.


    When an advertisement started ying in the middle of the show, Ashton had finished showering.


    He was drying his hair when he sat beside me. Seeing Alexander on the television show, he said


    jokingly, ¡°If I¡¯m in his ce and I get so many people¡¯s attention every day, you probably can¡¯t even go


    to sleep in peace.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re ttering yourself.¡± I smirked.


    Right at that moment, Zekiel walked out of the bathroom with a basket of clothes and asked politely,


    ¡°Mr. Ashton, there are two torn parts on the clothes you¡¯ve just taken off. I think this is your favorite


    jacket. Do you want me to send it for mending?¡±


    Ashton did not even look when he replied, ¡°No. Just throw it.¡±


    He took a shower, and now he¡¯s throwing his clothes away? Is he trying to destroy evidence?


    Due to my ominous sixth sense, I was eating some fruits as I asked casually, ¡°What happened to the


    clothes?¡±


    ¡°There was an ident during the inspection of the construction site. It¡¯s a small matter. I¡¯ll just throw


    the clothes away to get rid of the bad luck,¡± Ashton said calmly.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the supervisor¡¯s job?¡±


    I popped a grape in my mouth and chewed on it, looking worried for him.


    ¡°You¡¯re being too serious. Why do you have to do everything by yourself? Just like what Emery said,


    our money can make more money for us. The money will be endless. With our assets now, we can rely


    solely on the dividends we earn from our investments. Don¡¯t forget that you¡¯ve promised me to stay by


    my side for the rest of my life to take care of me. Judging from the situation, you might even leave the


    world before me.¡±


    That would be cruel.


    Suddenly, I recalled that when I was a child, Grandma would hold me in the courtyard every night and


    tell me the story about our neighbors¡ªJulia and Romeo.


    The couple had an arranged marriage since they were young. They had never met each other before,


    but they naturally got together when they were at the appropriate age for marriage. Ever since they got


    married, they never stopped bickering. Romeo wouldin about Julia for not having an attractive


    figure, while Julia would make a fuss about how Romeo neglected the family. They would argue at


    least eight times a week. Every time, Romeo would win the argument. However, after Julia passed


    away, Romeo copsed. Less than a monthter, he passed away as well.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Back then, Grandma said, ¡°Everyone thought that the husband was the one who supported the family,


    but Romeo¡¯s death taught them a lesson. Although men are important, women are equally important as


    well. After Julia died, Romeo¡¯s world copsed. That was why he couldn¡¯t live for long without her.¡±


    Back then, I was still young, so I could not understand the true meaning behind the story. I only knew


    that everyone would leave the world, sooner orter.


    Yet, I had truly experienced myself now. After two people had lived together for a long time, they could


    not live without the other one in peace.


    Ashton had changed a lot over the years, but he remained a stubborn person. If I talked to him


    straightforwardly, he would find excuses to avoid the topic. Therefore, I could only remind him in an


    indirect way.


    In fact, I just wanted to spend my life with him until the end of time.


    I knew well that my days in the future would be way better than the past, and it might be over in the


    blink of an eye. However, whenever Ashton held back from me, I would think that I might have to spend


    the rest of my life alone. With that thought in mind, I¡¯d be exasperated thinking about my future.


    In those unforgettable days, we were madly in love. The greatest wish after surviving chaos was to


    apany each other until the end of our lives.


    Ashton did not make fun of me as usual. He changed the topic, looking quite solemn. ¡°What happened


    to Macy back then was because of my mistake. Do you think that Summer would me us?¡±


    He had always been confident in Summer. His question surprised me, and I did not know how to react


    for a while. ¡°Is there any news from Holden?¡±

 Chapter 1704

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1704


    Chapter 1704 Property Notarization


    Ashton shook his head expressionlessly. ¡°No.¡±


    He crossed his legs and put his hands on his knees. Looking very serious, he was immersed in his own


    thoughts. ¡°I¡¯m just discussing the possibility with you. After all, Summer hasn¡¯t returned ever since she


    went to Macy¡¯s grave.¡±


    Speaking of that, Ashton suddenly lifted his gaze to look at me. His eyes were filled with an


    indecipherable look.


    ¡°If Summer can¡¯t ept it, do you still want her?¡± There was not a trace of emotion in his voice. ¡°Also,


    free up some time tomorrow to go to the office with me. We¡¯ll need to do a property notarization.¡±


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I froze, thinking of which question to answer first. It took me some time to get the words out of my


    mouth. ¡°Why are we doing a property notarization?¡±


    I was pretty familiar with the term. Judging from the current situation, the two of us had neither property


    disputes nor any problems in our rtionship. Therefore, I could not figure out the reason to do that.


    Anyone who heard of that would instinctively think that something was amiss. Division of property was


    usually just the beginning. Then, it¡¯d be followed by a divorce and custodial rights.


    Perhaps, it was just my upational disease as awyer. I might be paranoid, but Ashton wasn¡¯t


    himself that day.


    ¡°I know that you saw me meeting Nathaniel.¡± Ashton confessed, ¡°He asked me out because he hoped


    that I could join his fraudulent n. I¡¯ve thought it through, and I¡¯ll agree to his conditions.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Although Ashton disliked following rules in doing business, he was still a decent


    man. He would never break thew and go against the organization.


    Yet, Ashton did not answer my question. He looked at me calmly, as if he was telling me that he was


    being serious.


    I was rendered speechless.


    The smile on my face froze as my expression darkened uncontrobly. It seemed like I was confronting


    Ashton in the silence.


    After a long while, I finally calmed down and analyzed the situation rationally.


    There was clearly something fishy about it. Something must have made him change his mind, I


    thought.


    ¡°What¡¯s the reason?¡± I broke the silence and tried to make myself look calmer. From a rational point of


    view, I had to do that because I was his wife.


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason. I can¡¯t turn down his offer,¡± he replied calmly.


    I chuckled lightly. Is he patronizing me? Am I a child to him? We¡¯ve seen everything at this age. We


    even have children, and both of us are on good terms. Moreover, Ashton is not a lustful man. What kind


    of conditions could¡¯ve attracted him then?


    ¡°Well. Tell me then. What did Nathaniel offer you?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to know that.¡± Ashton turned his face away to avoid my gaze. ¡°It¡¯s not legal anyway.


    The less you know, the safer you will be.¡±


    Hearing such illogical wordsing out of Ashton¡¯s mouth, I was agitated. I questioned, ¡°Since you


    know that it¡¯s unsafe and illegal, why are you still doing it?¡±


    Before Ashton could answer, a voice sounded from the door.


    ¡°He¡¯s doing it for you.¡±


    Nathaniel walked toward the living room as he said, ¡°Scarlett, you should know that Ashton has good


    intentions. Just focus on educating your children. You don¡¯t have to know everything. I promise that this


    decision will be the best one he has ever made in his life!¡±


    Ashton gave him a sidelong nce. Looking at his hostile expression, I could tell that both of them


    were not willing partners.


    Meanwhile, Nathaniel did not notice Ashton¡¯s look at all. He patted thetter¡¯s shoulder and stated


    affectionately, ¡°The richest man of K City is nothing! With my help, Ashton will be richer than Bill Gates


    in less than five years!¡±

 Chapter 1705

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1705


    Chapter 1705 Do Not Get My Man Involved


    Seeing Nathaniel being so high-spirited, I guessed that he already had aprehensive n.


    However, I was concerned about the fact that they would attract too much attention after doubling their


    net worth in such a short time.


    ¡°Who said that Ashton is coborating with you?¡± I questioned assertively.


    Knowing that he wanted to get Ashton involved in his ploy, I would not let him do that.


    Nathaniel clearly had some dirt on Ashton, but he had nothing on me. Since Ashton and I were


    husband and wife, we had to get through difficulties together. As long as one of us remained aware, we


    would not let the scheming people seed.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Nathaniel¡¯s eyes fell on me. He gave me a mocking nce before he sat down. After he lit his


    cigar, he expressed, ¡°Scarlett, it seems like you¡¯ve forgotten that Fuller Corporation belongs to the


    Fullers, not the Stovalls.¡±


    He took a puff of his cigar and exhaled some smoke. ¡°However, this isn¡¯t the most important thing to


    me. I just want Ashton to be in this. I don¡¯t mind about how much resources he can provide me.¡±


    Initially, I thought that he was interested in the assets under Ashton and my name. No matter how bad


    the situation was, he could make use of our power. However, after hearing his words, I could not


    comprehend the situation.


    He doesn¡¯t want money and resources from this family. He just wants Ashton.


    It was undeniable that Ashton was extremely capable. If he had enough time, it would not be a problem


    for him to build another Fuller Corporation.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    However, it still did not make sense.


    Nathaniel was not interested in Fuller Corporation. He only wanted Ashton to work with him now. Yet,


    he would only get to know the results in five to ten years. It did not make sense.


    The only thing I was sure of was Nathaniel did not put in all the effort just for Ashton.


    Perhaps, under the influence of Nics, Nathaniel¡¯s outlook had been distorted. To him, the key to


    sess was not adhering tows and principles. Instead, he wanted to achieve sess by going


    against thew.


    At that moment, I was certain that I could not let Ashton work with him.


    ¡°Since you don¡¯t mind that, you can leave now.¡± I stood up and gestured for Nathaniel to leave the


    house. ¡°Goodbye.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry.¡± He tapped the ash off his cigar casually. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for Ashton to pack his things, and


    we¡¯ll leave together. We have to go on business trips frequently, so he has to bring more clothes with


    him.¡±


    While talking, he nced at Ashton. ¡°What do you think, Ashton?¡±


    ¡°No need for that.¡± Ashton pushed himself up from the couch impatiently and replied, ¡°You¡¯ve seen


    what you wanted to see. Let¡¯s talk outside.¡±


    Nathaniel was finally satisfied. He smirked as he stubbed his cigar out. Standing up slowly, he nced


    at me with a smug look before he turned around and left.


    When Ashton was about to go with him, I ran toward him and stopped him. ¡°Stand right there! Without


    my permission, you can¡¯t go anywhere!¡±


    If I had a mirror in my hand, I could probably see how terrifying I looked at that moment. Ashton was


    shocked to see my reaction.


    He returned to his senses after a moment before he nodded, indicating that he would not move.


    Having heard my voice, Nathaniel turned around and stared at me expressionlessly. He was probably


    trying to overwhelm me with his stare, hoping that I would give in.


    Clearly, he had underestimated a woman¡¯s determination to protect her man.


    ¡°You heard me. Ashton¡¯s not going anywhere. You can go out there and do whatever you want with


    your excellent business n. Don¡¯t try to get my man involved in this.¡±


    Ashton and I had internal conflicts, but we would solve them behind closed doors. However, in front of


    outsiders, I would never admit defeat.

 Chapter 1706

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1706


    Chapter 1706 Familiar Scene


    Nathaniel furrowed his brows. A disgusted look shed across his eyes, probably because he did not


    expect me to act like a shrew.


    However, he regained hisposure quickly. The emotionless smile on his face sent goosebumps all


    over my body.


    ¡°Scarlett, why are you doing this? Moreover, I decided not to upset you initially.¡±


    I sneered in response, ¡°Fine. I¡¯m interested to see what you¡¯re going to do to me.¡±


    Nathaniel was extremely good at convincing others. He¡¯d give people the feeling that he was greater


    than God, and everything he said was true.


    Yet, God only existed if one believed in it.


    I had a clear conscience, and I did not need God to lessen my guilt. That was why I did not believe in


    Nathaniel.


    At the same time, that also proved that Ashton was ill in my mind.


    In front of Nathaniel, I grabbed Ashton¡¯s hand tightly. Afraid that he could not see clearly, I raised his


    hand between us, brazenly showing that we would never be apart.


    As long as we were together, nothing could break us apart.


    That scene seemed to have provoked Nathaniel. It was the first time I noticed anger on his face.


    He stared at us with his dark eyes and took out his phone calmly before he dialed a number. ¡°Come in.¡±Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    I thought that I could finally see the mastermind behind this. However, the person who came in was


    Reba.


    Is this a coincidence?


    Reba¡¯s intention was clear. As soon as she entered the door, she stood in front of Ashton and me.


    ¡°Ashton, aren¡¯t you leaving? Should I talk to your wife about what happened in the past?¡± Reba


    looked at him coldly, ignoring my existence.


    Nathaniel suddenly lost his patience. He casually left after saying, ¡°Get him out in two minutes.¡±


    Hearing that, Reba furrowed her brows.


    I could undoubtedly feel Ashton¡¯s grip on my hand getting tighter. There was sweat forming between


    our hands.


    Ashton¡¯s hands would rarely sweat, but he broke out in cold sweat in such a short while.


    I would never believe any dramatic reason like Ashton had fallen in love with Reba and wanted to


    elope with her.


    ¡°Ashton, I want to hear the truth.¡± The uneasiness in me made it difficult for me to express myself. As I


    looked at Ashton calmly, I held his hand tightly.


    Ashton, I¡¯m here. Can you feel me?


    I might have overestimated the telepathy between us. After I spoke, I felt that Ashton had loosened the


    hand which was holding mine.


    The next moment, no matter how hard I held onto him, he tried to shake off my hand.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go for a while. I¡¯ll be back. Just wait for me at home, all right?¡± Ashton pleaded as he ced his


    hand on my shoulder.


    I refused to let him go. Looking at him with disappointment, I shook my head. ¡°I won¡¯t let you go.


    Ashton, we can ovee anything together, but you can¡¯t just dump me here and leave with Reba.


    We can¡¯t turn back if that happens!¡±


    Since there were only three people left in the room, we both knew what it meant if he chose to go with


    Reba.


    It was still the same person, the same choice. We could not let Reba haunt us for our entire lives.


    Ashton¡¯s expression revealed his dilemma. He did not push me away, but he could not let Reba


    leave just like that.


    That scene was extremely familiar. All of a sudden, it felt ironic.


    In the past, he did not dare to admit his love for me. He treated me so coldly that I could not even tell


    that he cared for me. After we had experienced life and death together, he knew what I minded the


    most. Yet, he still chose to hurt me like that.

 Chapter 1707

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1707


    Chapter 1707 Jump Down From The Building


    The smug look on Reba¡¯s face pierced my eyes, but it also gave me an idea.


    They have some dirt on Ashton, and they¡¯re threatening him with it. If I keep hesitating now, both of us


    will be doomed.


    Ashton once taught me that we should never show our weaknesses before our enemies.


    I let go of Ashton calmly before I sat on the couch. Crossing my legs, I shed a disheartened look.


    ¡°Go. All of you go now.¡±


    Reba let out a snort before she turned around and left.


    Ashton fell silent for a moment. He sighed exasperatedly and said, ¡°I promise that we¡¯ll never make the


    same mistakes. I¡¯ll never let anyone hurt our family.¡±


    After that, he turned around and went after Reba.


    Before they walked out of the door, I warned coldly, ¡°Ashton Fuller, if you step out of this door, I¡¯ll jump


    down from the top of this building and die right in front of you.¡±


    Before Ashton¡¯s mind could react, he turned around and stared at me in a daze. He could not believe


    his ears.


    Standing next to him, Reba scoffed as her jaw dropped, ¡°What?¡±


    None of them heard wrongly.


    Why? Am I not allowed to use this tactic? Thanks to Reba, I finally have the chance to let her have


    a taste of her own medicine.


    Ashton returned to his senses. He thought that I said that out of fury, so he reminded, ¡°The children will


    be back soon.¡±


    Reba knew what he meant. Hence, she guessed that I was just putting on a show. She sarcastically


    suggested, ¡°Why not just do it then?¡±


    Her eyes were filled with provocation and disdain. It was as if she was telling me that she had already


    yed those tricks on Ashton before, so it was impossible for him to be deceived by me.


    I nced at her calmly. The next moment, I grabbed the knife from the table and stabbed it into my


    chest.


    ¡°Letty!¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Reba and Ashton¡¯s screams filled the entire room. In the blink of an eye, Ashton was kneeling in


    front of me. His huge palm gripped my hand, which was holding the knife.


    Right at that moment, he noticed that I was actually not injured. He realized that I had inserted the knife


    under my armpit.


    Ashton frowned, but he did not expose me.


    Behind him, Reba jumped in fear. ¡°You¡¯re insane! You¡¯re insane!¡±


    I opened my mouth and pretended to pant heavily. Looking at Reba, I challenged, ¡°Do you want to


    try?¡±


    Obviously, Reba did not care if I was alive or not. She refuted, ¡°Fine! Just die if you want to! Why


    are you putting on a show here?¡±


    ¡°Reba!¡± Ashton roared. His eyes were filled with a sense of dilemma as he said, ¡°You¡¯d better pray


    that Letty is safe. If anything happens to her, I¡¯ll make you pay for it. You know how terrifying it is when


    I¡¯m determined to take revenge on someone.¡±


    ¡°Why should I be scared?¡± Reba was not frightened at all. She said impatiently, ¡°Forget it. What a


    downer!¡±


    After taking a couple of steps, she stopped in her tracks once more. ¡°You better not die so soon. My


    revenge has just begun.¡±


    With that, she stomped out the door.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    After Ashton heard the sound of the car leaving, he slowly took out the knife from under my arms and


    threw it on the coffee table. He then let out a heavy sigh.


    We exchanged looks with each other before smiling in unison.


    ¡°We have good chemistry together. Mr. Fuller, do you want to join the showbiz?¡± I teased.

 Chapter 1708

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1708


    Chapter 1708 A Show To Gain Pity


    Ashton furrowed his brows exasperatedly and said, ¡°You scared the wits out of me. Don¡¯t ever joke like


    this again.¡±


    As he frowned, he looked as if he had aged ten years in an instant.


    I stretched out my hand to cup his face before I looked straight into his eyes. Then, I smoothed the fold


    between his brows with my thumb.


    ¡°I¡¯ll never joke around again. So, stop frowning.¡±


    Ashton smiled wryly and wrapped his arms around me. With a hoarse voice, he said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    However, I was not a tame one. I grabbed his cor and warned solemnly, ¡°Next time, this wouldn¡¯t be


    a joke anymore.¡±


    Ashton¡¯s eyes dimmed instantly. Staring at me, he pulled me closer toward him tightly.


    ¡°No,¡± he responded through gritted teeth. It actually sounded more like a threat.


    However, his words acted like a stimnt. I became more confident that my existence could calm


    Ashton down.


    If I kept myself rational, his safety would be guaranteed.


    The atmosphere suddenly became tense until I felt a pain in my waist. Then, I giggled in Ashton¡¯s


    arms.


    Ashton probably was too agitated to warn me not to joke with my life, and I sessfully pushed him


    and pinned him on the couch.


    Since the children were not around, I pinched Ashton¡¯s nose yfully, stopping him from breathing.


    ¡°Tell me now. What¡¯s Reba holding against you?¡±


    Ashton opened his mouth to inhale some air. As he exhaled some warm air, my palm started to itch.


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    It seemed like he still had not fully understood the situation. Therefore, I covered his mouth as well. ¡°If


    you don¡¯t tell me the truth, I¡¯ll suffocate you to death before I take my own life!¡±


    Ashton furrowed his brows as he looked at me innocently while struggling to open his mouth.


    I was so mad that I immediately pushed my arm against his chin.


    Leaning against his body, I put all my strength on his throat. I widened my eyes while threatening him


    to tell me the truth.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Ashton¡¯s face turned red due to theck of oxygen, but he did not resist me. He smiled, trying to ease


    the tense atmosphere, but he was still tight-lipped.


    It looks like he¡¯s not going to give in.


    I knew that I had to use another method now. Retrieving the hand that was pinning Ashton down, I put


    my hand on his neck and slowly slid through his shirt. While I caressed his muscles, I said, ¡°Hubby, tell


    me the truth. I¡¯ll let you do whatever you want tonight. Okay?¡±


    Ashton¡¯s breathing became heavier, but it only took five seconds for his rationality to take over.


    He put his hand on my back and pushed himself to sit up on the couch. In the ambiguous posture, he


    tried to reason with me. ¡°That¡¯s another story. We¡¯ll talk about it at night. You¡¯ve seen the truth yourself.


    Reba can¡¯t let the past go, so she wants to find someone to vent her anger on. It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯d


    rather take her anger than let her bully you.¡±


    He paused for a moment before he pulled my arm and massaged my palm. ¡°Stop doing these things.


    It¡¯s not you.¡±


    My face turned cold as I looked at him sarcastically. ¡°People change. I didn¡¯t dare to do those things


    before, but it seems like all these aren¡¯t that difficult after all.¡±


    Since the show to gain pity worked, I realized that it was a good approach. At least it proved that


    nothing was more important than my safety to Ashton.

 Chapter 1709

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1709


    Chapter 1709 Interrupted


    Perhaps this was the reason there were so many couples who hated each other. They would act


    childish and harm themselves just to prove their love. In the end, that love faded away, and they would


    go separate ways and vow never to see each other again.


    Ashton flew into a fit of rage at the words. His veins bulged out from his temples as his expression


    scrunched up in fury.


    I was sitting on hisp, and he was gripping my shoulder as we faced each other. We were so close yet


    so far from each other.


    Right then, John hurried in with a document in his hand. When he saw us in the intimate position, he


    jolted in fright. ¡°What is this? What are you doing in public? I¡¯m standing right here!¡±


    At once, the tension in the air vanished. I quickly jumped off Ashton¡¯sp and tidied my clothes. ¡°Why


    are you here instead of keeping Emmapany at her home?¡± I asked nonchntly.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Oh, well.¡± John stuck a hand in his pocket and shook his legs. ¡°Are you ming me for interrupting


    your intimate session? Should I leave?¡±


    He made to turn and leave. I immediately called out, ¡°All right. Stop joking. Let¡¯s talk business.¡±


    Raising my chin to gesture at the folder in his hand, I asked, ¡°What is this?¡±


    John raised the folder as told and nced at it before handing it to me behind the couch. ¡°The thing


    you wanted earlier. I had no idea that person kept track of everything. It only took me a phone call to


    get it. Do you still want it?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Of course, I do!¡± I took the folder from him hastily. If my guess was right, the folder contained all the


    information about Reba¡¯s rape back then.


    Now that I had stopped bothering Ashton, he rxed and poured himself a drink. Sweeping a


    nonchnt nce over the folder in my hands, he inquired, ¡°What is it?¡±


    John exined before I could. ¡°The information about Reba¡¯s unnned pregnancy.¡±


    I happened to be pulling the document out. Hearing his words, Ashton immediately discarded his ss


    on the table and grabbed the folder away from me.


    Instinctively, I gripped the folder tightly. As both of us were tugging at it, the document, including the


    folder, ripped into two parts.


    Suddenly, it dawned on me that the truth was near. To prevent Ashton from destroying the evidence, I


    got up and hid behind John while reading the remaining half of the document swiftly.


    ¡°Scar,¡± Ashton growled. There was a hint of warning in his voice.


    However, John was on my side and blocked his advance. ¡°Hey, hey! Can¡¯t you calm down and talk?


    Why are you so excited about a document? If Scar asks for something that you think is overboard, will


    you even hit her?¡±


    Ashton ignored his words and tried to get past him to get the document from me.


    John initially thought his words could scare Ashton away. Seeing how agitated Ashton was, he took


    offense, and they got involved in a fight. Their eyes zed with anger as they grappled with each other.


    I managed to catch a glimpse of the most important detail in the document.


    Case carried out at the behest of Roger Melton.


    Clearly, Roger Melton and Mr. Melton were the same person.


    Thest thing I wanted to acknowledge had been verified. I stared at the document, froze to the spot. I


    didn¡¯t know how to react to the piece of information.


    Yes, Reba was my scapegoat.


    Back then, Roger held a grudge against Ashton, who took over his family¡¯s business. He then hired a


    gang of thugs to rape me as a form of revenge.


    Our marriage was on the rocks, and we rarely appeared together in public. Not a lot of people knew


    Ashton¡¯s wife was a mere project director in thepany.


    As Reba kept pestering Ashton and appeared with him frequently, the thugs thought she was me


    and assaulted her sexually. They took off right after the deed and left a naked Reba alone on the


    streets.

 Chapter 1710

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1710


    Chapter 1710 The Truth


    The document didn¡¯t exin how Reba was saved. She was the victim but ended up being cursed


    andbeled as a shameless whore. If I were in her shoes, I would¡¯ve taken my life on the spot.


    What should I do? The person I despised the most took a bullet for me. No wonder Reba said I


    stole everything I owned.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    If it were me who suffered in the hands of the thugs, I might¡¯ve gone crazy or go to a ce where no


    one knew me and spent the rest of my life alone until my meeting with Grim Reaper. No matter what, I


    wouldn¡¯t be Ashton¡¯s wife, and I wouldn¡¯t have given birth to our children and led a happy life like now.


    Realizing my state, both John and Ashton stopped grappling instantly.


    John strode over to me and wrapped an arm over my shoulder before giving me a pat. ¡°Are you all


    right?¡±


    Ashton¡¯s tensed voice sounded from behind. ¡°No one is all right.¡±


    Comprehension dawned, and I turned at my shoulder to look at Ashton. The anguish in his eyes


    confirmed my guess.


    It seemed that Ashton knew everything from the very beginning.


    He knew the thugs¡¯ target was me, and that they mistook Reba for me.


    The worst possibility popped up in my mind.


    Ashton was a smart man. It was normal for his enemies to take revenge on him, so he must¡¯ve


    expected this matter.


    Or rather, he said nothing and allowed the matter to happen.


    Young Ashton was arrogant and confident, and he had offended a lot of people. Knowing that losers


    wouldn¡¯t give up easily and that Reba wouldnd in trouble by sticking to him at all times, he didn¡¯t


    bother stopping the matter or rejecting her. Instead, he allowed everyone to think that Reba was his


    loved one.


    He had seeded. When the sore loser began taking revenge, Reba became his target and


    suffered on behalf of me. Besides losing her virginity, she also got pregnant with one of the thugs¡¯ child.


    That wasn¡¯t only it¡­


    Perhaps the truth was much crueler than I could imagine.


    At once, I began to understand why he acted capriciously for the first two years of our marriage. Ashton


    despised me. He hated himself for not being able to love me, and how he sacrificed his deceased best


    friend¡¯s sister.


    Ashton had always been a man with principles, but he became someone whom he despised the most


    in order to protect me.


    My throat started tingling as though ants were crawling up. Before I could say anything, Ashton stalked


    out swiftly and left John and me behind. His retreating figure seemed deste and unfathomable.


    ¡°Is he crazy?¡± John dered, staring at his back in confusion.


    I copsed onto the couch, realizing I had destroyed the pride Ashton had been carefully preserving all


    over the years and forced him to show his bad side to the public. ¡°I¡¯m the crazy one.¡±


    A general who had achieved plenty of military achievements was about to gain sess when an


    insolent witness jumped out and pointed at his military badges while yelling, ¡°He¡¯s a deserter!¡±


    Everyone lost trust in him, and the general ended up dying full of regrets.


    Just like the general, Ashton was born into an affluent family. He was proud and noble.


    Suddenly, I was afraid that the w would act as a domino effect and destroyed Ashton thoroughly.


    That very night, Ashton¡¯s phone was switched off.


    As though she could sense the adults¡¯ changes, Audrey stuck to me when he didn¡¯te back, afraid


    that I would leave.


    To make sure my feelings did not affect the children, I had to put on a calm front and pretended nothing


    happened. Privately, I used my connections to find out where he was.


    Before dawn broke, it began drizzling. I felt stuffy inside the house, so I got up and went to the balcony


    to look at the rain.


    Actually, after spending the entire night in a daze, I didn¡¯t even know if I was looking at the rain or


    hoping to see Ashton¡¯s familiar figureing back home.

 Chapter 1711

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1711


    Chapter 1711 Nathaniel Shows Up


    Finally, it was time to send Gregory and Audrey to school. After that, I changed my clothes and prepare


    to head out to thepany, bar, and the spot where we ran into each other again, among others. I¡¯d


    rather cling to a slim hope than wait at home aimlessly.


    I had just stepped out when a ck Lincoln limousine rolled to a stop before me, effectively blocking


    my path.


    The car window rolled down slowly to reveal Nathaniel¡¯s hypocritical expression. His eyes were crinkled


    up in a smile, as usual, hiding all the secrets deep within his heart.


    I nced at him briefly before deciding to ignore him. However, Nathaniel called out, ¡°Scarlett, don¡¯t


    you want to know what Ashton is doing now?¡±


    Without warning, I felt the urge to grab his cor harshly so he could reveal his real colors. s, I had


    to hold back my anger.


    Realizing I had made up my mind, Nathaniel ordered the chauffeur to open the door on the other side.


    I stalked over and got into the car without hesitation.


    Nathaniel brought me to the highest building opposite Fuller Corporation. We entered the elevator and


    went to the top floor.


    Once the doors slid open, there was a path leading to a huge space. The decoration was simple¡ªa


    ss table beside the table and a simple chandelier above it.


    There were some elegant decoration items, exquisite Ustranasion cuisine, and red wine ced on the


    table. The bright and striking colors seemed like a utopia in the middle of a desert.


    After dismissing his men, Nathaniel strode over to the table and took his seat. Lifting the winess, he


    swirled it gently while taking in its scent. He then took a sip of the wine and studied the sight of the


    busy city underneath him.


    Ashton often did the same thing. However, he¡¯d stand in front of the window and think of his ns


    silently without all the fancy stuff.


    ¡°It¡¯s not time yet. Have a seat and drink some wine,¡± he ordered. Clearly, he assumed I¡¯d obey his


    instruction to find out Ashton¡¯s whereabouts.


    Nevertheless, my patience was at its limit. Refusing to y along, I stood still and announced, ¡°Don¡¯t


    me me for being rude before I see Ashton.¡±


    Nathaniel paid no heed to my threat. He ced his winess on the table before pointing at the chair


    opposite him, gesturing for me to sit down.


    His gaze was so confident that it came as a provocation to me.


    Fine. Let¡¯s see what he¡¯s up to.


    I went over and told and plonked down in the seat. My expression was grim as I demanded, ¡°Okay, can


    you spill the truth now?¡±


    Nathaniel¡¯s lips curved into a strange grin. He propped his arms on the table and pointed at me in an


    authoritative manner. ¡°I promise that¡¯s the best viewing spot, Scarlett. You won¡¯t regret it,¡± he said.


    I wanted to tell him I had already regretted my decision. So to a strangely confident man like him,


    keeping me hanging and guessing gives him a sense of achievement?


    I couldn¡¯t help but adore Ashton more after learning that.


    Folding my arms, I red at him viciously. If someone else were here, it would seem like an


    interrogation where I was the interrogator.


    However, we were the only ones here. As though he wanted to torment me slowly, Nathaniel started


    eating his steak slowly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re trying to provoke me this way. When I lose control of my emotions and harm you,


    a bunch of police will rush upstairs to arrest me and lock me up. Am I right?¡± Perhaps I was too


    flustered, for I made a joke in a fit of exasperation.


    Nathaniel burst intoughter at my joke. He wiped his lips with the napkin andmented, ¡°You¡¯re


    funny.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    ¡°Thanks for thepliment.¡± I mmed on the table, on the verge of losing control. Glowering at him, I


    gritted my teeth and gave myst warning. ¡°Compared to that, I¡¯d rather find out where Ashton is!¡±


    Leaning back, Nathaniel spread his hands. ¡°As you wish.¡±


    The sound of wheels rolling reverberated in the air. I looked up at the source of the sound and saw a


    rolled-up screen descending behind Nathaniel before unfolding into a screen.

 Chapter 1712

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1712


    Chapter 1712 His Trap


    Next, a video appeared and began ying on the screen.


    It wasn¡¯t clear at first. I could discern that a few men in suits were in the video and guessed that Ashton


    was one of them.


    As the scene changed, Ashton¡¯s face appeared on the screen.


    The remaining content was simple. While one hand passed the money, the other passed the painting.


    They chatted briefly in Ustranasion. Something like ¡°here¡¯s to working together,¡± I guessed.


    It was pretty obvious what Nathaniel wanted to show me¡ªAshton was now his puppet.


    I instinctively found excuses for Ashton¡¯s actions.


    He might be rich, but he couldn¡¯t force a proud man to work for him.


    Ashton didn¡¯t need others to approve him worth.


    However, my steadfast trust in Ashton wasn¡¯t what Nathaniel wanted to see.


    One would need to outwit a sly hunter to achieve sess. The more Nathaniel didn¡¯t want to admit that


    Ashton was the chosen one, the more I needed to repeat it before him.


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± I asked. My eyes were calm, betraying none of my emotions. ¡°What can the


    video prove? That Ashton has new friends who he exchanged gifts with? Everyone knows my husband


    is an excellent man. So what if he befriended some new friends?¡±


    A hint of surprise shed across Nathaniel¡¯s eyes. He sped his fingers together and stared at me in


    amusement. ¡°So this is what true love looks like. To me, it is a foolish notion.¡±


    I shed a smirk without bothering to hide the disdain on my face. ¡°Only those who can¡¯t get it will vilify


    it,¡± I told him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you, but lowly feelings like this that can¡¯t affect my rational judgment.¡± Nathaniel


    remained calm, staring at me like a predator who had its eyes on its prey. ¡°You im that love is noble,


    but you had used it to pull Ashton down the pedestal. What do you feel about your own action?¡±


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I had to admit that Nathaniel was a great predator, for he managed to hit my Achilles¡¯ heel on his first


    try.


    It felt like talking to the wall and barking at the moon. We were from different worlds, so there was no


    way we¡¯d convince each other. After making that clear, I focused on my agenda. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk


    about that. Just tell me where Ashton is if you¡¯re capable of finding out his whereabouts.¡±


    Lowering his gaze, Nathaniel shed a tiny smile. ¡°Do you think that will work on me?¡±


    After a pause, he looked up and gazed at me. A faint gleam of malice shone in his eyes. ¡°You have to


    know that I am the boss here. I can reveal the location of the deal anytime. But not to you, of course.


    You know what I want. Just y along, and we¡¯ll get what we both want. Isn¡¯t that great?¡±


    The deal was an ongoing one, so he could actually reveal the location to the police. Once Ashton was


    captured with the goods, he would never get to clear his name.


    It was rather irrational for Ashton to fall for Nathaniel¡¯s trap.


    Before I could confirm his safety, I had no choice but to y along with Nathaniel. After heaving a long


    breath to calm down, I could face Nathaniel in calmly now.


    ¡°Now that you got some dirt on us, there¡¯s no need to beat around the bush,¡± I stated.


    Nathaniel avoided the topic. ¡°I haven¡¯t thought of anything. For now, I want to know something. After


    seeing Ashton ruining himself by breaking thew and retrieving the dirty money, do you still love him?¡±


    ¡°Did you do everything to prove that our love is cheap enough to be pulled back anytime?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Nathaniel admitted to it at once. ¡°You love him for his powerful status, noble character,


    and genes he gained from his family. To conclude, anyone could be ¡®Ashton Fuller¡¯ with enough money.


    Without that, Ashton is just like me, a man who knows no limits. He could do anything just for his own


    benefit. Well, he¡¯s a ¡®bad guy¡¯ just like you said.¡±

 Chapter 1713

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1713


    Chapter 1713 Time To Leave


    He raised his hand to point at the screen behind him. ¡°Look carefully. Besides his handsome face,


    Ashton is just like me. Can you still im to love him?¡±


    Do I need a reason to love someone? After all, love is a feeling that needs no reasoning.


    s, I knew Nathaniel wouldn¡¯t get it.


    Suddenly, I realized Nathaniel¡¯s intention. It wasn¡¯t enough for him to drag Ashton into hell, for he also


    wanted me to fall out of love with Ashton and make him lonely and deste before ending up as a


    monster like him.


    I wouldn¡¯t let him have his way. ¡°So? Can¡¯t I love him for his looks?¡±


    Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    When Nathaniel¡¯s smile finally slipped a notch, I went all out in provoking him. ¡°Why? Are you going to


    change your face to Ashton¡¯s and rece him to live with us? Oh, let me see. You imed to be God,


    but in fact, you can¡¯t even bring yourself to look at your own face. Am I right?¡±


    Nathaniel¡¯s expression darkened as an ominous ck thundercloud of temper settled over him. ¡°Do


    you think you¡¯re smart?¡±


    ¡°Did I say something wrong?¡± I persisted. ¡°You can see through everyone, so I¡¯m sure you know greed


    drives us to achieve more. You hate the fact that Ashton is being loved by someone, and living a better


    life. In fact, you think you are his savior and wanted to rid him of his feelings. Unfortunately, love will


    never die. The sad truth is you¡¯re driven by jealousy. You are jealous that Ashton has everything that


    you¡¯ll never have!¡±


    Crash!


    Nathaniel flung the winess before him out forcefully, and itnded on the ground with a crash. The


    red liquid flowed out like an exploded atom among the broken pieces of ss, red and dangerous, just


    like his expression.


    I stuck my chin up but said nothing else. Going to the extreme might backfire on me, so I couldn¡¯t afford


    to provoke him any further.


    The silence went on for thirty seconds, but Nathaniel refused to utter a word.


    I knew it was time for me to leave.


    Getting to my feet, I grabbed my bag and nced at Nathaniel, who was deep in thought. ¡°You might


    feel excited at the thought of wiping out the powerful love Ashton¡¯s loved ones have for him, but sorry


    to disappoint you today. So, I have to apologize in advance. If Ashton doesn¡¯te back safely, I¡¯ll love


    him until the end of my life. Not only me but his family will be waiting for his return. You¡¯ll never get


    what you want!¡± I dered.


    Having said my piece, I turned and strode to the door. When I pushed it open, Nathaniel¡¯s assistant


    stopped me.


    ¡°Mr. Hall?¡± he asked carefully.


    I looked back, but Nathaniel didn¡¯t even spare us a nce. He made a gesture to order his assistant to


    let me leave.


    His assistant immediately stood aside, and I strode out.


    I only rxed when the elevator doors closed before me.


    Nathaniel must¡¯ve understood the underlying meaning in my parting speech. The only way to destroy


    Ashtonpletely was to release him. As long as Ashton got toe back, everything can be solved.


    Perhaps Nathaniel wouldn¡¯t do as told, but I had no other choice.


    Come back, Ashton. I¡¯ve done everything I could.


    Things didn¡¯t go as smoothly as expected. I didn¡¯t receive any news about Ashton for two days in a row.


    A dayter, I received news from Holden that Ashton had appeared in a deal with some Venrians in


    Thymion three days ago. It should be the deal Nathaniel showed me live that day.


    One would need to work hard his whole life to be a righteous person, but it would take a split second to


    be a bad person. I did not know when Ashton would give up on himself, so I had to do something


    before that happened.


    John and Emery busied themselves to resolve this problem. It seemed that Holden didn¡¯t want to


    offend Nathaniel and the forces behind him, so the information he providedter was scarce. He was,


    after all, a businessperson who was used to being hypocritical. Nevertheless, his action reminded me


    not to depend on one source only.

 Chapter 1714

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1714


    Chapter 1714 Summer Is Back


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    As I couldn¡¯t get any more information from Holden, I thought of Reba. Perhaps I could probe her to


    get more clues. I had no other choice for now.


    Outside the club, I hung around for a long time but couldn¡¯t bring myself to head in.


    To be honest, after the truth was revealed, Ashton wasn¡¯t the only one who couldn¡¯t ept it after


    hiding the truth for years. As I hadbeled myself as the victim for years, I had no idea how to face


    Reba.


    I guess even the most hateful person deserved some pity. When I was the cause of her pitiful state, I


    couldn¡¯t really say that in a confident manner.


    A small discrepancy could lead to a great difference. No one could be sure if Reba could lead a


    different life if she hadn¡¯t been sexually assaulted back then.


    I was too deep into my thoughts that I only snapped back to reality when someone called my name a


    few times behind me.


    Swiveling around, I saw Reba before me. We cross paths again. Before I could figure out what to


    say, Summer got down from the car behind her and caught my attention.


    ¡°Mommy,¡± Summer greeted me calmly. Her tone was t, and I could not decipher any emotions from


    it.


    She didn¡¯t inform me when she decided to leave the country, and now she was back with Reba in


    tow. I couldn¡¯t help but think of the worst. Furrowing my brows, I demanded in an authoritative manner,


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go home now that you¡¯re back in the country?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not even her biological mother. Does her whereabouts concern you?¡± Reba was as sharp


    as usual.


    I ignored her and waited for Summer¡¯s answer patiently.


    Summer nced at Reba and looked down instead of replying to me.


    Her silence proved she was on Reba¡¯s side, creating an invisible wall between me and them. We


    were standing face to face, but it seemed like there was a bridge between us that we could never


    cross.


    I didn¡¯t want to force Summer or watch as she took the wrong path. Thus, I did my best to salvage


    things. ¡°Things have been pretty roughtely. You should move back home as soon as possible. Greg


    and Audrey miss you a lot.¡±


    After a pause, I added, ¡°Moreover, I¡¯m worried about leaving you alone, too.¡±


    Summer remained unfazed. Her pretty eyes were as calm as ake, and I couldn¡¯t figure out what was


    on her mind.


    She nodded as though she couldn¡¯t get used to my kind words. After giving me a pursed smile, she


    walked into the club.


    Reba burst out in giggles. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve taken a liking to her. She¡¯s interesting.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t good news to me. I frowned at her gloating figure, at a loss for words.


    Seeing my reaction, Reba stopped giggling and red at me. Then, she wanted to leave too.


    When she walked past me, I finally plucked up the courage to ask, ¡°Where is Ashton?¡±


    Her footsteps halted as she turned to look at her. Surprise and arrogance shed across her face. ¡°Did


    I hear it right? Aren¡¯t you stuck together like glue? Why are you asking me where he is?¡±


    ¡°Are you begging me for help?¡± Reba raised her voice, attracting the passers-by¡¯s attention. Her


    sense ofpetition was invoked, and she continued to raise her voice. ¡°I said, are you begging for my


    help?¡±


    Well, Reba was her usual self. Though she had a new face, her heart was still as ck as tar. The


    only way for her to gain happiness was to trample on someone else¡¯s dignity.


    I knew that giving in might make things worse, but I felt guilty. Words failed me. Just like Ashton¡¯s


    countless hesitations back then, when I had to face someone who took the me for me, my previous


    presumptuous statements pricked at my heart and corroded my soul.


    ¡°Get on your knees.¡± Reba¡¯s voice rang out clearly. ¡°If you kneel down before me, I might consider


    telling you something about Ashton.¡±


    She crossed her arms arrogantly, enjoying the excitement of dominating me.


    I had only one thought in my mind. If I kneel before Reba, does that mean that we¡¯re even now?

 Chapter 1715

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1715


    Chapter 1715 Are You All Right


    Secondster, I found my foolish thought ridiculous. As guilt had overwhelmed my heart, I didn¡¯t even


    think of fighting back and kept thinking of an excuse to get to my knees.


    Perhaps I fell silent for too long, for Reba grew increasingly restless. ¡°Will you get on your knees or


    not? I¡¯m running out of patience. I won¡¯t bear responsibility if something happens to Ashton!¡± she


    dered.


    Her words acted like a jab of adrenaline that boosted the energy within me before it could fade away.


    Nothing was more important than Ashton now. My fists balled up as I made up my mind to kneel before


    her.


    Watching as I lowered my body slowly, Rebashed out, ¡°You should¡¯ve done this a long while ago,


    Scarlett. Even if you kneel here forever, you can¡¯t make it up to what you and Ashton did to me! To be


    honest, kneeling before me and begging for my forgiveness isn¡¯t enough. That¡¯s nothingpared to


    what you took away from me. Soon, you¡¯ll find out what it feels like to be in hell!¡±


    Suddenly, something tugged at my nerves. I snapped back to my senses afterprehending


    Reba¡¯s words. Does she mean she¡¯ll never stop taking revenge even if I get on my knees and offer


    an apology? Even if I discard my pride and dignity, Reba will never give in. She wants to see us die


    a horrible death. I bet she wants Ashton to remain missing forever so we won¡¯t reunite with each other.


    There¡¯s no way she¡¯ll be kind enough to tell me about his whereabouts.


    Coming to my senses, I promptly straightened my back and returned her sharp re with an equally


    sharp one. No debts were equal. Just because I had a bottom line, I should be submissive to her?


    What about my dead child? Who would make it up to me?


    ¡°What about the child you killed in my womb? Did he plead for your mercy every night?¡± I calmed down


    and returned coolly. She was nothing but an ordinary person to me now.


    Surprise shed across her gaze. Reba had to gulp to steady herself. Trying to cover her guilt, she


    said, ¡°Stop intimidating me with that child. If Ashton hadn¡¯t misled me back then and made me stay with


    him, I wouldn¡¯t have fallen in love with him and ended up bing your scapegoat!¡±


    ¡°You want someone to die? Go take Ashton¡¯s life, then! He is the one who deserves to die!¡± Indeed,


    she was as unreasonable as usual. I was a fool to think that she¡¯d learn to at least think in someone


    else¡¯s shoes. Clearly, I was too na?ve.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Her pronounced guilt feelings were indicated by extremely exaggerated actions. It was useless to


    argue with her. Instead of wasting time with Reba, I decided to head back to think about my next


    step.


    Shutting my eyes, I took a few deep breaths to cool down. I then turned to leave.


    Refusing to give up, Reba stepped forward to grab my arm. I didn¡¯t expect that and slipped, falling


    onto my back.


    Before I lose my bnce, a pair of arms held my waist. My subconscious mind told me my hero should


    be Ashton, for I missed him dearly. However, after a brief dizzy spell, a pair of hypocritical eyes


    underneath sses appeared in my line of sight.


    Nathaniel¡¯s lips curled up into a smirk. ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    Instinctively, I stood up and moved aside to keep a distance between us.


    The smile on Nathaniel¡¯s lips broadened. He looked like a sly fox who had abducted its prey but kept it


    alive just for the thrills.


    After regaining myposure, I looked up to see an expressionless Ashton standing beside him.


    They came at the same time, but it was Nathaniel who rescued me. Is he trying to avoid suspicion or


    hiding it from everyone?


    Without waiting for my question, Nathaniel told me, ¡°As you wish, I¡¯ve brought him back. Are you


    satisfied now?¡±


    With the pleasant smile hanging on his lips, he looked every inch the harmless man. His ck-framed


    sses seemed like a two-way mirror. He might look sincere and intelligent on the outside, but only


    those who had faced him off would know how horribly vicious and ambitious he was.

 Chapter 1716

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1716


    Chapter 1716 Picking A Fight


    I refused to believe that he fulfilled my wish just to please me. He must have his own agenda.


    We would get what we each wanted, so I didn¡¯t bother saying thank you. I walked to Ashton and tried to


    show him how upset I was. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    Ashton¡¯s icy gazended on me. Without saying a thing, he looked like he was taunting me for trying to


    warm a stone up.


    We locked gazes, and I felt a distant feeling that I haven¡¯t felt in forever. A kite had broken free of its


    string, never looking back.


    Disappointment and anger took over. Suddenly, I had the urge to act in a wicked manner, just like John.


    As Ashton was unfazed, I whipped out my phone and made a call to John¡¯s subordinate, a leader of the


    mercenaries in K City. ¡°Bring a few men to Fuller Corporation¡¯s biggest club now.¡±


    After making the order, I hung up and red at Ashton indignantly.


    B*stard! I shall tie you up and force you toe home with me!


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± Finally, Ashton spoke up. HIs eyes narrowed as he tried to figure out my


    n.


    I was pissed off at his icy cool attitude.


    Picking a fight, huh? I shall y along then!


    ¡°What do you think?¡± I stood on tiptoes until our cheeks nearly collided. ¡°You¡¯re the Stovall family¡¯s live-


    in son-inw, my husband, and my children¡¯s father. I can do anything I like, right?¡±


    Ashton shrunk away a little, trying to keep a distance from me, but he had no route of retreat and could


    only hold his head high.


    The dappled sunlightnded on his face, and I could see every inch of his face clearly. His thick and


    long eyshes were fluttering slowly. They were curled up like butterfly wings.


    It only took one look to make me fall in love with him all over again. Why did he change so abruptly?


    Behind us, Nathaniel¡¯s persistent voice rang out. ¡°Hmm, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Should


    I get you a room so you can spend more time together?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Ashton and I spoke at the same time.


    After that, he strode into the club eagerly. ¡°Women are annoying.¡±


    He went past Reba and disappeared from sight, leaving me alone. Reba promptly mocked,


    ¡°Hear that, Scarlett? Ashton is dumping you. He no longer wants you! You¡¯re just a joke. No one wants


    you!¡±


    Am I in his way?


    Though I wasn¡¯t offended by her words, Ashton had invoked my wrath. Ished it out at Reba


    without hesitation. ¡°Oh? What about you, then? Even when Ashton got sick of me and ended up


    dumping me, he didn¡¯t even bother sparing you a nce!¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Reba pointed at me angrily. She clenched her jaw before calming down. ¡°I forgot. I don¡¯t care


    whether Ashton loves me or cares for me. Most importantly, he¡¯s on the same side as me. I¡¯ll keep him


    company as hemits all sorts of crimes. I shall watch as he bes someone he used to despise.


    Now, you can¡¯t do anything to stop him. Isn¡¯t that exciting?¡±


    ¡°Dream on,¡± I managed between gritted teeth. My voice was low but frosty.


    Reba¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Let¡¯s see about that.¡±


    With that, she sauntered into the club happily.


    I turned and stared at the club¡¯s glorious signage. It wasn¡¯t open for business yet, so the entrance was


    dark as though it was an entrance to hell.


    ¡°Your men will take some time to arrive. If you¡¯re bold enough,e in and take a seat.¡±


    Nathaniel¡¯s invitation seemed like a challenge. He was telling me that he had set up a stage to see if I


    was bold enough to ept the challenge¡ªno matter what Ashton became, I¡¯d still love him.

 Chapter 1717

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1717


    Chapter 1717 An Unfazed Summer


    I didn¡¯t take the bait, but I also refused to leave. Standing by the road, I waited for John¡¯s men to arrive


    and drag Ashton back home.


    Two minutester, the sound of tables and chairs smashing sounded inside the club, and some staff


    began pleading for mercy.


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, please spare Wilson¡¯s life. He knows his mistake!¡±


    ¡°Stop it! He¡¯ll die if this goes on. Please¡­¡±


    ¡°We prepared two ounts to protect Ms. Summer¡¯s club. She¡¯s your daughter! How could you¡­¡±


    Oh, no!


    Dread rose in my heart as I scurried in frantically.


    In the dim hall, the only light was shining on the couch that Nathaniel and Reba had upied. On


    the other side, Wilson Lipward and another male employee had copsed on the ground, their faces


    swollen and bruised. Ashton¡¯s shiny leather shoes right beside them caught my attention.


    Hearing the noise at the entrance, Ashton turned to nce at me briefly before he gave Wilson another


    kick.


    As his kicknded on Wilson¡¯s jaw, thetter rolled over and hit the bar counter behind him. He


    immediately lost consciousness.


    ¡°Ashton, what are you doing?¡± I demanded.


    s, Ashton showed no signs of stopping. He grabbed an empty wine bottle and headed for the other


    male employee.


    ¡°No, Mr. Fuller. Please, don¡¯t do this to me!¡±


    ¡°Stop it!¡±


    Crash!


    The wine bottle smashes into pieces upon contact with the employee¡¯s head. He immediately covered


    his head in pain and rolled about.


    As though he was nothing but a bystander, Ashton tossed the remains of the bottle aside and stuck his


    hands in his pockets before disappearing into a side door.


    It was an emergency, so I instinctively went up to hold the wound on the employee¡¯s head and waited


    for help to arrive.


    Silence ensued. There were two sides. One was a bunch of vicious men in ck led by Reba, and


    the other was the employees who remained here in the club to repay Summer¡¯s favor. They were


    huddled in a corner, anxiousness evident in their gaze. It was obvious that they were afraid of ending


    up as the next target.


    As a business owner, the earnings didn¡¯t matter. Once Summer lost the trust of her employees, the


    business would not grow or even go on for long.


    At the sight of the unbothered Summer standing aside, I felt extremely disappointed. My heart ached


    for her. Perhaps anger had clouded her mind. s, she had no idea she was putting her dream at risk.


    I couldn¡¯t help but express my disappointment, for Summer was my daughter. ¡°Summer Stovall, are


    you going to do nothing as your loyal employees get bullied?¡±


    Summer nced at me. ¡°They deserve to be punished for their deeds. Father did a great job.¡± Her


    voice was steady.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re talking about, Summer?¡± I couldn¡¯t believe my ears. Is beating someone up


    a form of punishment?


    This was the first time I¡¯ve ever red at her sharply. I saw a sh of difort in her eyes. She then


    looked down, refusing to talk to me.


    Perhaps she was afraid I¡¯d continue questioning her, for she stood up and left after a brief silence. Her


    footsteps came to a halt before me. ¡°Mommy, you should go home and take care of Audrey and Greg


    instead of interfering in someone else¡¯s business.¡±


    With that, she left through the side door that Ashton had entered earlier without looking back.


    What was that? A kind reminder, or a tant threat?


    No, that¡¯s impossible. I consoled myself. Macy and I didn¡¯t teach Summer to be a ruthless person who


    disregards life. There was no way she meant something horrible.


    I couldn¡¯t help but wonder why Ashton and Summer had changed abruptly.


    I was temporarily befuddled by their unforeseen change.

 Chapter 1718

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1718


    Chapter 1718 I Shall Destroy You


    I was in a daze when Nathaniel stepped out and acted like he was God again. ¡°Are you already upset?


    Or did you forget Ashton had always been a ruthless figure? Like father, like daughter. How will she


    convince others of her leadership if she didn¡¯t punish her disloyal subordinates?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but snicker out loud. Did he seriously think his warped logic could rece the criteria for


    judging good from evil in our world?


    ¡°If they did something wrong, she could discipline or fire them. However, harming someone¡¯s life is


    against thew. Ashton had never once resorted to that to gain someone¡¯s respect. Even if he did, it


    must¡¯ve been to punish an evil and despicable person. Do you think I can¡¯t tell that you arranged for me


    to witness this scene? You¡¯re the culprit!¡±


    Nathaniel did everything to destroy my love and respect for Ashton. He wanted Ashton to end up living


    in destion.


    I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t disappointed, but there was no way I¡¯d give up. I believed Ashton was upset


    at being forced to act this way. If I lost trust in him, he¡¯d give up on himself for real.


    Now, the only thing I could do was to make it up for his mistake.


    I shall offer generouspensation to Wilson and this unnamed young man in my arms, both mentally


    and financially. Perhaps that would ease our guilt.


    ¡°Smart girl. No wonder Ashton adores you.¡± Nathaniel admitted to his doing honestly. He gazed at me,


    his eyes flickering with menace. ¡°Oh, my dear greatwyer, after handling so many cases, don¡¯t you


    know it doesn¡¯t matter who is the mastermind? The onemitting the crime is the most important


    person. So what if I told him to do that? Ashton could¡¯ve done it willingly.¡±


    He added, ¡°He should be thanking me for giving him the perfect chance to unleash the beast within


    him. Holding his feelings back isn¡¯t a good thing. You¡¯d be upset if he gets sick, right?¡±


    Nathaniel lowered his body and hovered right above me. His eyes glinted dangerously as he said,


    ¡°Yesterday, you weren¡¯t honest enough, so I showed you how it feels like to get personally involved.


    Are you still going to insist that you love him?¡±


    Clenching my jaw, I didn¡¯t bother hiding my distaste and anger at him. What a psycho! He delights in


    destroying others¡¯ happiness!


    ¡°Yes, I love him!¡± I dered in a loud voice so everyone in the club could hear me. ¡°Ashton Fuller,


    you¡¯re the only man I¡¯ll ever love in this lifetime!¡±


    I was hoping Ashton could hear my deration, even though I wasn¡¯t sure if he could hear it. However,


    I shot a proud look at Nathaniel like I had won the battle.


    It was pretty hard to win mental warfare. Otherwise, Nathaniel wouldn¡¯t have spent so much time trying


    to persuade me to change my mind.


    At my words, Nathaniel straightened his back and returned to his expressionless self. He stared ahead


    and lifted a corner of his lip. ¡°Great, let the game continue, then. I used ten whole years to destroy


    Ashton. I wonder how much time you are willing to spend in defending him,¡± he mused.


    ¡°You¡¯ll never seed!¡± I announced and grounded my jaw.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Nathaniel was more patient than I had imagined. It was hard, but not entirely impossible, to defeat


    someone like him. I had to be more patient than him and wait until he exposed his Achilles¡¯ heel. That


    would be the perfect chance to crush him.


    Before that, I had to confirm if Ashton and Summer were on the same page as me.


    I wasn¡¯t good at hiding my real emotionspared to them. Perhaps that was why they chose to take


    action without informing me.


    Nathaniel could¡¯ve been right. He could¡¯ve destroyed Ashton¡¯s willpower sessfully and brainwashed


    him with his twisted logic and distorted ideas. If that were true, things would turnplicated. I had no


    chance against two extremely intelligent men.

 Chapter 1719

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1719


    Chapter 1719 I Will Always Be Here For You


    ¡°Screw you, b*stard! If you darey a finger on Scar¡­¡±


    Thud!


    Right after Nathaniel finished talking, John dashed into the club and gave him a punch without a


    second thought.


    He was so swift that no one came forward to stop him in time. Thus, Nathaniel got punched in the face,


    causing his head to drop aside. At once, the corner of his lip swelled up as blood trickled down his


    mouth. The pungent stench of blood intensified.


    I knew things had turnedplicated after John threw that punch.


    Nathanial wasn¡¯t someone who¡¯d repay a grudge with favor. Judging by the way he was glowering at


    John now, I was pretty sure he¡¯d take revenge on John soon.


    However, John was no pushover. Seeing through his n, he was about to give Nathaniel another


    punch again, but Nathaniel¡¯s men had already regained theirposure and rushed forward to


    surround their employer. The security was so tight that not even a fly could fly in, let alone John¡¯s


    punch.


    Hence, John had no choice but to put his arm down. He was still boiling in rage and promptly decided


    to go against them, though he was alone and outnumbered. Narrowing his gaze, he announced coldly,


    ¡°All right. Come at me! Don¡¯t waste my time.¡±


    The men in ck didn¡¯t respond. It was possible they had no idea what he was talking about, or


    perhaps they were waiting for Nathaniel¡¯s order.


    Feeling humiliated by their disdainful looks directed at him, John balled his hands into fists.


    Luckily, John¡¯s men arrived in time to salvage the situation. Both sides stood still in a stalemate. Once


    they took action, one side would have to defeat the other side to resolve the matter.


    My goal was to save the wounded employee. I had no intention ofplicating the issue. As they were


    still in a stalemate, I asked the employee softly, ¡°Can you get to your feet?¡±


    He bobbed his head weakly. I immediately helped him up, but his weight was too much for me and I


    nearly stumbled. John spotted that and rushed over to steady me.


    That was what I had in mind. Men were aggressive beings, but once their attention was distracted,


    they¡¯d calm down swiftly.


    I immediately gestured with my chin toward the unconscious Wilson. ¡°Let¡¯s send them to the hospital.¡±


    John nced in the direction of the bar and knew what my worry was. He swung around and ordered,


    ¡°Take the wounded man with us.¡±


    Two burly men stepped out and brought Wilson out of the club.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    I gave John a look, prepared to leave. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I urged softly.


    John shot the club interior an exasperated nce before nodding reluctantly. ¡°Mm.¡±


    Having said that, he stepped aside to make way for me.


    I was prepared to argue with Nathaniel if he refused to allow me to leave, but fortunately, no one


    stopped us as we exited the bar. It was nothing but a false rm.


    On the way to the hospital, I was filled with dread at the thought of Nathaniel taking his revenge as


    soon as possible. ¡°You punched Nathaniel in public, and he won¡¯t let this slide. You have to prepare in


    advance for he¡¯ll leave no stone unturned. You have no idea how terrifying he is,¡± I warned.


    John changed the topic and patted my hand gently. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. I¡¯ll always be here for you.¡±


    I had no idea he would see through my fears and unrest. Without warning, tears threatened to spill out


    of my eyes.


    I kept hypnotizing myself to calm down and act reasonably, but John understood my weakness. Yes,


    after Ashton¡¯s attitude did a one-eighty, and seeing how Summer had gone against me, I couldn¡¯t hide


    my panic and sorrow no matter how much I had been through in life.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I grabbed his hand in return, my voice choking up. ¡°Thank you, John.¡±


    John ruffled my hair affectionately. ¡°Aww, it¡¯s nothing..¡±

 Chapter 1720

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1720


    Chapter 1720 John Is Beaten UP


    That day, we waited patiently for Wilson to wake up at the hospital. After discussing all the


    compensation details with him, John sent me back home.


    As he stopped his car at the entrance of the vi, there was a beam of warm lighting from inside


    the door.


    I was reluctant to get out of the car as I could imagine what would happen next. Audrey would surely


    come running to hug and say she missed me. And then, she would routinely ask about Summer and


    Ashton¡¯s whereabouts.


    I feared my tears might break loose in front of them.


    Noticing my concerns, John patted on my shoulder gently. ¡°Keep yourself together. It would be a


    difficult battle from now on. I¡¯ll fetch Emma and Drew here. It¡¯s better if the whole family sticks


    together.¡±


    Not only was he my brother, but he was also Emma¡¯s husband and Drew¡¯s father. The longer he stayed


    with me, the higher risk he was putting his wife and his kid in.


    I knew I should not be so selfish. Thus, I smiled while opening the car door.


    Before I walked in, John rolled down the car window andforted me, ¡°I¡¯ll be back here in around an


    hour. Please make supper or something if you can¡¯t sleep.¡±


    My lips curled into a broader smile as I nodded firmly. ¡°Okay.¡±


    He turned his car around and drove off from the front yard of the vi. At that instant, I felt so fortunate


    to have a brother who loved me so much.


    No matter how hopeless life might seem, I felt like I could keep moving on with him by my side.


    Humans are indeed amazing creatures. No matter how much suffering one goes through physically,


    one could still feel happy as long as their spirit is not crushed.


    I wrapped my coat around my body tighter and took a deep breath. After casting ast nce atJohn¡¯s


    disappearing car, I turned around to enter the house.


    A second after that, a loud crash pierced through the air. I widened my eyes in startle and started


    running out of the house.


    John, please be safe! If anything happens to you¡­


    Before the gate closed up, I rushed through it and went outside. The security guard saw it and


    immediately shouted into his walkie-talkie, ¡°Hello, does anyone copy? Mrs. Fuller ran outside alone.


    Please send someone here now! Hurry!¡±


    I ran toward the direction where the car rm came from. At that moment, all I could see was the rear


    light of the red car and I ran there as quickly as I could.


    While I was approaching, I saw a group of ck men carrying John out of his car. John seemed to


    have lost his consciousness. My heart fell with a thud as I shouted desperately, ¡°Stop right there!¡±


    I fastened my pace and ran toward them in panic. ¡°Help! Someone, please help!¡±


    As I got closer, I noticed John¡¯s car had gotten crushed between two vehicles. I also spotted those


    ck men holding steel pipes in their hands.


    The heavy smell of petrol leaking from the car made me want to vomit. I tried to make my way toward


    John, but two tall ck men blocked me mercilessly.


    They forced me to kneel on the ground. One of them grabbed my chin forcefully, asking me to witness


    the relentless scene in front of me.


    John was lying on the ground like a dead fish. He did not show any reaction even when they threw him


    recklessly onto the floor. Blood flowed down his forehead, covering his entire face.


    A strong ck man approached John and picked him up effortlessly. He lifted John¡¯s hand with his


    other hand holding a steel pipe.


    His lips curled into an evil smile as he spoke with an eerie tone. ¡°Madam, please look closely.¡±


    Thump!


    ¡°No!¡±


    I shouted desperately, but the man did not stop beating John¡¯s hand. As the steel pipe in his hand


    started covering in blood, he got even more excited. He started beating John harder and harder.


    John regained his consciousness due to the arising pain, and he moaned on the floor in agony. ¡°Ahh¡­¡±


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    Upon seeing that, the other men surrounded him and got hold of his limbs, making him unable to move


    an inch.


    I felt as though a thousand needles were stabbing through my heart. ¡°Please. I¡¯m begging you. Please


    don¡¯t hurt him! Help! Is someone there?¡±

 Chapter 1721

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1721


    Chapter 1721 Broken Arm


    John turned around and saw me getting seized by two men. He bit his lip, trying to pretend he was fine.


    However, he could no longer bear the agony in his arm. ¡°Scar, please don¡¯t cry. Don¡¯t worry about me.


    I¡¯m fine. I¡­ Argh¡­¡±


    Despite his pain, he did not seem to be intimidated. ¡°Nathaniel! You¡¯ll regret what you did today! If I


    come out of this alive, I¡¯ll make sure you pay for this.¡±


    ¡°John, please stop talking!¡± I bawled my eyes out as I pleaded. Please. For this once, please stop trying


    to be a hero.


    Nheless, what I feared the most still happened in the end. John¡¯s stubbornness provoked the ck


    man as thetter slowly lifted his steel pipe over his head.


    Just then, the security from the residence and my house finally arrived at the scene. ¡°Stop right there!


    What are you guys doing? Put down the weapons in your hands!¡±


    As I heard those voices and the approaching footsteps, a ray of hope appeared in my heart. For a brief


    moment, I nearly believed John would be rescued.


    However, I forgot that those ck men were, in fact, a bunch of ouws. Even though they knew they


    were about to get caught, they showed no intimidation. Instead, they all stared at the ck man


    stepping on John as though they were witnessing a sacred ritual.


    Crack!


    A bone-cracking voice pierced through my ears. John¡¯s gaze went dark as his body copsed heavily


    to the ground.


    The entire world seemed to have paused at that instant. All I could see was John¡¯s bleeding arm.


    The guards immediately engaged in a fierce battle with those ck men. At first, they were at a


    disadvantage, and they had to call in for more backups. As the number of the guards increased, they


    eventually managed to hold down those ck men.


    As no one put their attention on me anymore, I slowly crawled to John¡¯s side without much trouble.


    I held him in my arms and murmured, ¡°Everything will be fine. It¡¯s just a scratch. You will recover soon.


    You¡¯ll be fine¡­¡±


    At that moment, I was not sure if I wasforting John or myself. All I knew was that I did not dare to


    touch or even look at his broken arm. This reality was too cruel to be true.


    Why would such a thing happen to someone so kind as him? He didn¡¯t do anything wrong but merely


    stood up for his sister. Why is this world so unfair?


    The more I thought of it, my hatred toward Nathaniel grew stronger. How I wish I could end his life right


    now!


    The emergency surgery continued for the whole night until the next morning. Finally, the red light went


    off, and the nurses pushed John out from the operating theater.


    Lying in bed, John was covered in a thin hospital nket, and a drip was hanging by his side. His right


    hand was bandaged by thick gauze.


    I leaned against his bed and looked at him closely. Despite the few scratches on his face, his facial


    features still looked perfect. Those wounds somehow made him look more masculine.


    All of a sudden, tears started welling up in my eyes. Taking a deep breath, I lifted my head and inquired


    the doctor, ¡°Doctor, how¡¯s my brother¡¯s condition?¡±


    The doctor looked exhausted after a long night¡¯s work. He nodded slightly and responded to my


    question, ¡°He is no longer in danger. But¡­¡±


    The doctor paused before continuing, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, Mr. Stovall¡¯s right hand is broken totally. He will need


    to conduct bone-connection surgery after this. Plus, even though he was sent in here in time, a big part


    of the muscle tissue of the arm has died. Hence, even after he recovers, the nerve won¡¯t be able to


    function¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you mean that¡­¡± I swallowed and tried to recollect myself. ¡°He won¡¯t be able to use his right arm


    anymore?¡±


    The doctor let out a long sigh. ¡°Based on our current medical technology, I¡¯m afraid so. Please be


    mentally prepared for that.¡±


    Upon saying that, the doctor left with the nurse.


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    I froze on the spot, my mind went nk.


    Just then, the ttering sound of high heels came from the corridor. Emery appeared at the door of the


    operating theater with a nervous look and put her hand on my shoulder. ¡°Is he okay?¡±

 Chapter 1722

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1722


    Chapter 1722 Utter Indifference


    I could no longer hold back my emotion as I bawled my eyes out, hugging her. ¡°John has lost his right


    arm forever. The doctor says it can¡¯t be cured! It¡¯s all my fault!¡±


    Maybe, only when we see our beloved getting hurt and humiliated do we realize how useless we are.


    The most helpless part of a human, besides love, is life and death. I failed to give my love when he


    needed it. And now, I even caused him to lose an arm. What a useless sister I am!


    The next moment, Ashton showed up. I was never so disappointed and upset with him. I stopped


    crying instantly and treated him indifferently. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Before he could respond, I spoke again, ¡°Are you here tough at us on behalf of Nathaniel? If that¡¯s


    so, congrattions. You seeded. Now, please get out of my sight.¡±


    I had been trying to rescue him from the hand of the devil countless times. Yet, now I was pushing him


    away from my life. My heart was overwhelmed with mixed feelings.


    I was left with no choice as I could not stand his indifference anymore, especially when John was still


    unconscious.


    At that moment, I hated everyone in this world, including myself. In my heart, it felt like John was the


    only innocent person on this earth.


    Ashton did not bother my attitude as he uttered gently. ¡°He acted too harshly.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Overwhelmed with emotions, I was utterly upset with Ashton¡¯s inconsiderate


    comment. Without hesitation, I rebuked with an aggressive tone. ¡°Do you mean John deserves to be


    beaten up?¡±


    Ashton bit his lip and did not reply to me while Emery tried to ease the tension. ¡°Scarlett, please calm


    down.¡±


    ¡°How could I possibly calm down after what happened?¡± At that instant, desperation filled my heart as I


    felt no one could understand how devastated I was. I knew I should not cast harsh words toward


    Ashton to release my anger, but I could not act as if nothing had happened.


    On the other hand, I feared that I might ultimately push Ashton toward Nathaniel if I spoke harshly. I


    also feared that my selfishness might cause John¡¯s sacrifice to be wasted.


    Looking at Ashton and Emery¡¯s expressions, I knew they did not share my feelings. One was still


    indifferent, while the other seemed to pity me. I had never felt so lonely.


    ¡°Forget it.¡± I sighed with disappointment as I stared into Ashton¡¯s cold gaze. ¡°You said John was acting


    rashly. How about you then?¡±


    I leaned toward him closely. ¡°After all these years, you still like to act alone. Do you think everything is


    still the same as before? Are you trying to be a hero?¡±


    My voice echoed through the corridor, yet Ashton did not react. A whileter, he opened his mouth.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s different now. I¡¯m no longer interested in being a hero. I only came here for the kid¡¯s


    sake. Regardless of what you think about today, Nathaniel¡¯s warning is clear. Please ask your family to


    stop making meaningless struggles. I doubt he would show any mercy even if it is the mother of my


    kid.¡±


    Ashton sounded like aplete stranger. I could not find any other word to describe him.


    How could he treat my trust toward him with such coldness?


    I let out a desperateugh. ¡°So, do you mean that I should be grateful that John is not dead? Should I


    thank you and Nathaniel for ruining my husband and my daughter? And is it out of mercy too that


    you¡¯ve only broken one of John¡¯s arms?


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    Ashton did not rebuke as he uttered indifferently, ¡°You need to rest.¡±


    He turned to Emery and instructed, ¡°Please take care of her.¡±


    Upon saying that, he turned and left abruptly.


    Losing my calm, I rushed toward him. ¡°Stop right there! We¡¯re not done talking here! You bast*rd!¡±


    Emery immediately stopped me from running after Ashton. As Ashton¡¯s figure disappeared coldly into


    the elevator, I fell decadently on the bench in the corridor, sobbing desperately.

 Chapter 1723

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1723


    Chapter 1723 Apology From Benson


    That morning, John¡¯s body temperature turned extremely high probably due toplications after the


    surgery. The medical staff panicked. They tried numerous methods and eventually used hormone


    injections to get the temperature under control.


    Looking at John¡¯s pale face, I felt my heart crushed by a heavy stone. After making sure John was


    asleep, I walked out of the ward to catch some air.


    It was quieter over herepared to the general ward. There were a few family members of some


    patients around, all looking depressed just like me.


    The news broadcast in the hall could be heard clearly.


    ¡°There have been many cases of missing and kidnapped children today. At present, the police are


    making every effort to investigate suspicious persons. Please get in touch with the task force


    immediately if you have relevant information¡­¡±


    It seemed like the safety of the whole city was at risk. Somehow, I felt I was not suffering alone.


    Fortunately, regardless of Ashton¡¯s n, it was clear to me now that he would not risk the kids. Or else,


    Nathaniel would have gone after Audrey and Gregory instead of John.


    Deep down in my heart, I knew Nathaniel was trying to crush my spirit by going after John.


    He figured he could manipte me easily once my mental state was down. He was trying to control me


    like what he did to Ashton.


    Is Ashton entirely controlled by him now?


    I was too overwhelmed with emotions back in the operating theater. Now that I thought of it, Ashton did


    not need to show up, actually.


    I realized that Ashton was trying to remind me to be careful. All his coldness might be a disguise of his


    care for me.


    Without realizing it, I had reached the corridor of the general ward. Before I turned around, I spotted


    Josephing out of a ward.


    I was stunned momentarily. The next second, I recalled Wilson was being hospitalized there.


    Could it be¡­


    When I was about to open my mouth to call him, he vanished from the stairs. With that, I had no choice


    but to drop the matter.


    After getting back to the ward, I ran into the cops who were there for investigation. As John was still


    unconscious, they asked me to give a brief statement.


    Based on their tone, I realized that only the ck men who got apprehended would face justice. There


    was no way they could get to the real culprit.


    After the cops left, Benson suddenly appeared at the nearest emergency exit. He was wearing a robe


    and an army cap.


    We exchanged our gaze to greet each other, and he seemed to know what happened to John.


    I asked him to sit down at the bench. ¡°John has not woken up yet. Please wait here. Sorry for the


    inconvenience.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Benson cast a nce inside the ward. ¡°Luckily, he is still alive. Ms. Stovall, don¡¯t worry too


    much.¡±


    Those words sounded extraordinarily warming out from Benson¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± I bit my lip, trying to suppress my tears. ¡°Officer Zimmerman, you didn¡¯te here just to


    visit, did you?¡±


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    I knew a military seldom had any private time. Plus, my rtionship with Benson was hardly close


    enough for a leader like him to visit me personally. With that, I knew his purpose must be something


    more.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say this is about work either.¡± Benson was being utterly honest. ¡°Ms. Stovall, you hoped to get


    the military protection from us, and our superior had agreed to it. However, we can¡¯t expose our men


    easily, so we can only monitor far away from the Fuller residence. I didn¡¯t expect those men to be so


    sick that they even dared to make a move right outside your gate. It¡¯s our fault for not being able to


    protect your family. Thus, I came here to apologize.¡±

 Chapter 1724

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1724


    Chapter 1724 Real Purpose


    I did not know how to react to his apology. They did not owe us anything, and they had even agreed to


    protect us as a tactic to gain our trust. In other words, it was just business. Now that they failed to


    protect us, they would not be able to make any request either.


    Despite that, I still expressed my dissatisfaction. ¡°If your men opened fire in thest few seconds, John


    would still have his arm.¡±


    Benson did not seem to be bothered by my statement. ¡°The ck man did not have any weapon, and


    he did not harm the victim¡¯s life. ording to thew, we can¡¯t open fire.¡±


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    That was the part I hated the most about the military. They were always bound by the rules. I feigned a


    smile. ¡°I understand. You¡¯re also in a tight spot.¡±


    Benson did not respond to me as he shifted his gaze elsewhere.


    After a while, he finally cut to the chase. ¡°Ms. Stovall, do you know about Ashton Fuller¡¯s recent


    activity?¡±


    As Benson was in charge of the drug enforcement at the border, I understood his purpose right away.


    It looked like Nathaniel had led Ashton astray far beyond the trade of counterfeit money.


    Ashton had caught the military¡¯s attention right after he started doing business. It seemed like he could


    not hide the traces in whatever he did.


    No wonder he¡¯s been addressing me as Ms. Stovall but not Mrs. Fuller. He¡¯s been trying to draw the


    line with me.


    I adjusted my posture to make myself look more rxed. ¡°I didn¡¯t notice much. He¡¯s been busy with the


    company, and he¡¯s been flying overseas a lot. Why?¡±


    Upon saying that, I sensed a sharp gazeing from Benson.


    I swallowed and bit my lip, trying hard to hide my nervousness.


    The few seconds felt like a century. To my relief, Benson eventually turned his head elsewhere.


    ¡°Since it¡¯s business, please remind Mr. Fuller not to get too greedy. The profit of the foreign business is


    indeed high, but the risk is equally high. It¡¯s not worth it to lose the entire enterprise for a small profit.¡±


    Evidently, there was a hidden meaning within his words.


    I continued to act dumb. ¡°He is always too confident with himself and thinks that he can handle


    everything himself, but he always makes mistakes. After the crisis ends, I will go back to thepany


    and manage it. Nheless, earning foreign currency is indeed a good way to profit. However, it is


    more important to contribute and help to boost the country¡¯s economy. I understand that.¡±


    I figured it was typical forpanies that do foreign business to go under the radar. After all, the


    government would not wish to see resources going to the other countries. If one were able to prove its


    patriotism, the officials usually would not nitpick thepany. I thought it was appropriate for us to


    express our stand.


    Benson nodded slightly. ¡°No wonder Mr. Louis thinks so highly of you. You¡¯re such a wise woman with a


    wide vision.¡±


    So he only approves me because of Uncle Louis.


    Anyway, things went smoother than I expected. After all, I found it hard to ept what Ashton was


    doing either. ¡°You¡¯re very generous with your praises.¡±


    Benson stood up and got ready to leave. ¡°Say hello to Mr. Louis for me then. I still have something to


    do at the office. I shall go now.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± I stood up to escort him out. ¡°Have a great day.¡±


    After seeing him entering the elevator, I immediately texted Joseph.


    Where are you? Call me now!


    There was no response from Joseph. Emma showed up instead.


    John¡¯s incident got to the news headline. Even though his name was not revealed, Emma managed to


    find out what happened after asking around. With that, she rushed to the hospital.


    Initially, I nned to inform Emma after John recovered from his fever. I did not want her to worry too


    much. As she barged in suddenly, I stood up immediately, dumbfounded.

 Chapter 1725

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1725


    Chapter 1725 A Good Wife


    However, Emma did not pay much attention to me as she went on to check on John. She let out a sigh


    of relief after confirming he was still alive.


    ¡°You should have told me yesterday.¡± She kept her voice down as she did not want to wake John.


    I was not sure if she was ming me. I lowered my head guiltily. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m his wife.¡± Emma stared at John, who was in bed. Her gaze had a trace of affection, even though


    her face looked calm. ¡°If he knows I came sote, he will nag me.¡±


    Emma had always been a strong and independent woman in my eyes. However, at that moment, she


    looked utterly gentle and vulnerable.


    I could somehowprehend how the two of them got along well. Emma was like a safe harbor to


    John in his unstable life.


    She did not me me or evenin to me as she knew John would not treat me as such. Her


    gesture wiped my initial worries off.


    I disyed a bitter smile as I thought I underestimated her heart. After all, she was someone who


    helped John to search for me for over six years. I thought I should have trusted her more.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°You can go back now. I¡¯ll stay here with him,¡± Emma uttered. ¡°You must be tired.¡±


    As she mentioned, a sense of fatigue began rising within me. I figured I should give them some private


    time after all. With that, I shared a few reminders with her and left.


    It was already bright outside. As the car went past the ident scene, I could still vaguely see the tire


    scratches on the road. John¡¯s bloodstains had been cleaned up, but I could still smell the blood in the


    air.


    After getting home, I took a hot bath and intended to get a good sleep. However, as soon as I closed


    my eyes, the scene of John getting beaten up appeared clearly in my mind.


    I failed to sleep after struggling for hours. In the end, I decided to get out of bed to prepare some food


    for Emma and John. John was very picky in terms of food, as he particrly preferred the food I


    cooked to the delicacies from the restaurant.


    It took me two hours to finish preparing the food. Before I departed, I checked my phone. Still, there


    was no reply from Joseph. I was unsure if he did not see my message or ignored it.


    Neither one was good.


    By the time I arrived at the hospital, the anesthetic effect had passed. John was teasing Emma. ¡°I¡¯m so


    lucky to have a wife like you. Thanks for serving me. I have no regrets in this life¡­¡±


    As usual, Emma did not buy into his wise words. ¡°It looks like your suffering is not enough.¡±


    Thank God. He still can joke.


    I took a deep breath and walked in with the thermal container in my hands. ¡°It sounds like you don¡¯t


    need me anymore since you¡¯ve got your wife. That¡¯s somehow heartbreaking. Do you know how much


    time I spent preparing your favorite dish?¡±


    As I ced the food on the table, I sensed both John and Emma were staring at me. The atmosphere


    got awkward instantly as my fake smile froze.


    I could no longer suppress my guilt as I lowered my head, not daring to look at John.


    John was the one who broke the awkward silence. ¡°Why are you keeping quiet? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m dead.¡±


    ¡°Ouch!¡±


    As soon as he finished his sentence, Emma pped his thigh fiercely. ¡°What nonsense are you talking


    about?¡±


    John furrowed his brows innocently. ¡°Can you be gentler with me? I¡¯m a patient, after all.¡±


    Emma ignored him entirely as she picked up an apple and started peeling it.


    John shrugged and turned to me. ¡°Just let her be. She is jealous of us. What have you prepared for


    me? Let me see.¡±

 Chapter 1726

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1726


    Chapter 1726 Pessimism


    I hurriedly raised the overbed table and took out the food. ¡°I¡¯ve made chicken soup and some


    vegetables. The doctor says you can only eat healthy food.¡±


    It seemed John would have to keep a strict diet for the next few months.


    Nheless, he did not show any displeasure, but he picked up the spoon and started eating. I knew


    he was trying not to make me feel guilty. ¡°Wow. You¡¯re bing better at cooking. I should hire you to


    be my chef now that I am hospitalized.¡±


    I tried hard not to let my tears fall. ¡°All right. I will prepare your food every day.¡±


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    John epted it casually. ¡°Thank you in advance then. Haha¡­¡±


    Emma shook her head while provoking, ¡°You don¡¯t allow others to bully your sister. Yet, you¡¯re the one


    who keeps taking advantage of her.¡±


    John was not offended at all as he let out a chuckle. ¡°Haha. If you want to cook for me, I don¡¯t mind


    humbling myself and taking advantage of you.¡±


    Emma cast a furious look upon hearing that. John ignored her deliberately and continued to drink his


    soup.


    The atmosphere was extremely rxed, as though nothing had happened. It was as though John had


    not been in the ident, and his hand was still intact. He was still the same arrogant man who would


    stand up for me whenever I got bullied.


    Deep down in my heart, I knew it was their way of being considerate to me and showing me moral


    support.


    When I thought it was our mutual understanding, so I avoid talking about the sensitive topic, John went


    in the opposite direction.


    ¡°D*mn Nathaniel. How dare he y dirty. I won¡¯t let him off so easily next time.¡± John got upset, and he


    spilled his soup slightly on his shirt.


    Emma sighed helplessly as she wiped his shirt roughly that he leaned backward.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± She eventually used both her hands to wipe his shirt forcefully, and only let go of him


    when she was happy with her work.


    John furrowed his brows and continued to provoke. ¡°They should have checked my background before


    they attacked me. Do you have any idea how I managed to survive until today? And those ck men.


    They will pay for what they did.¡±


    Emma blocked his mouth with the apple. ¡°When are you going to learn from your mistakes? Do you


    want to lose your left hand as well?¡±


    John took a bite of the apple and wanted to argue further. However, something came across his mind


    the next second, and he swallowed back his words.


    Even though I knew Emma did not me me, I was sad about John¡¯s right hand.


    Eventually, Emma seemed to be influenced by our pessimism as she let out a long sigh. ¡°Losing a


    hand is better than losing a life, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    In Emma¡¯s eyes, it was considered fortunate that Nathaniel did not decide to take John¡¯s life this time.


    Nevertheless, we should never underestimate Nathaniel. If we continued to act rashly, we would lose


    even more.


    John did not argue anymore. He lowered his head and stared at his right hand, covered in gauze. His


    gaze darkened as his mind sank into deep thoughts.


    ¡°Emma¡¯s right. The most important thing now is to recover. Everything else can wait.¡± I immediately


    weighed in and tried to drop the subject. ¡°All a patient should do is to eat and rest. Don¡¯t worry about


    anything else!¡±


    I put on a calm facade, but my heart was filled with uneasiness. I feared that John would heed Emma¡¯s


    advice and insist on taking revenge against Nathaniel.


    To my relief, he smiled and joked. ¡°Eat and rest. How am I different from a pig then?¡±

 Chapter 1727

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1727


    Chapter 1727 A Bad Actor


    ¡°You got the point,¡± Emma teased. ¡°Indeed your intelligence is simr to a pig¡¯s, despite your good


    look.¡±


    John rolled his eyes helplessly. ¡°Can you treat a patient more nicely?¡±


    Emma replied without hesitation, ¡°No.¡±


    I burst into a chuckle. My heart secretly heaved a sigh of relief.


    No one could predict how many dirty moves Nathaniel still had in his pocket. Hence, the safest way


    was to wait and do nothing. Even though John did not agree directly, I was sure he would not act rashly


    anymore.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    After leaving the hospital, I kept dialing Joseph¡¯s number, but all the calls failed to go through.


    In the end, I asked the driver to head toward the headquarter of Fuller Corporation. Luckily, the second


    I walked into the lobby, I saw Joseph talking with clients.


    I got near him and waited for him. When he was about to stand up and leave, I called him. ¡°Mr.


    Campbell.¡±


    Joseph turned around and noticed me. He walked toward meposedly and greeted, ¡°Mrs. Fuller.¡±


    He bowed to me politely just like old times.


    He was the one who spent the most time with Ashton. Thus, I trusted him the most, and I thought


    maybe I could get some news from him. ¡°Can we talk?¡±


    Joseph did not show any reactions. He scanned the surroundings and nodded slightly. ¡°Okay, Let¡¯s go


    upstairs.¡±


    I agreed without hesitation, eager to find out the truth.


    Joseph personally made tea for me. It was my favorite tea.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± I took a sip of it. The familiar taste made my heart somehow rx.


    After all these years, Joseph had be like a family. I put down the cup and cut to the chase. ¡°Did


    you notice that Ashton was acting strangely recently?¡±


    Joseph was stunned momentarily and gave a seemingly official reply. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about it. In terms of


    business affairs, Mr. Ashton has always handled it very well. As for private affairs, you have a higher


    security clearance than me.¡±


    I was quite disappointed with his response. I thought after so many years of friendship, he would be


    more honest with me. Apparently, I overestimated my ce in his heart.


    Luckily, I was well prepared for that. With that, I wrapped up my disappointment and went with my


    move. ¡°I saw you at the ward this morning. Why did you go and see Wilson and the rest?¡±


    He was left speechless briefly as he did not expect me to know that. A few secondster, he acted like


    it was not a big deal. ¡°As his special assistant, I should confirm personally if there was a chance for a


    truce.¡±


    He paused and added, ¡°I should thank you for taking care of my part. However, it was their fault,


    actually. So, you didn¡¯t have topensate them such a huge sum of money.¡±


    If I did not observe Joseph¡¯s expression closely, I would have lost my courage to move on after hearing


    his words. For a second, I nearly thought he had be a heartless man who treated money above


    human life for a second. I nearly thought he had be just like Ashton.


    Nheless, Joseph¡¯s acting was not as good as Ashton¡¯s. There was a slight trace of concern in his


    eyes. That was enough to make me regain my trust toward Ashton.


    At that moment, I even forgot to hide my delight as my lips curled into a smile.


    Joseph immediately cleared his throat as he noticed his genuine emotions were exposed. ¡°Mrs. Fuller,


    let me kindly remind you. It is normal for a man to pursue different things at different ages. Maybe you


    should give Mr. Ashton more trust. He was the one who founded thepany. There is no way he will


    destroy it.¡±


    Staring at his stern look, I somehow found it amusing.


    After being kept in the dark for so long, I could not help but provoke, ¡°So do you mean I should not stop


    Ashton from doing business with Nathaniel?¡±


    Joseph was stunned momentarily, but he did not deny it. ¡°Mr. Ashton will make sure you and the kids


    have the best life.¡±

 Chapter 1728

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1728


    Chapter 1728 A Small Celebrity


    ¡°The best life?¡± I asked.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Joseph nodded right away.


    The smile on my face disappeared as I stared at him emotionlessly. ¡°With my worth and the Stovall


    family as my support, there¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t buy. If all I want is money, I can achieve it by myself. Why


    would I need Ashton for that?¡±


    Joseph was rendered speechless by my words.


    However, I was not done expressing my thoughts. ¡°Ever since he let Nathaniel go after John, it¡¯s over


    between us. The kids are the only reasons I¡¯m willing to give him a second chance. If he remains


    stubborn, I might consider ending our marriage officially. Don¡¯t ever think of seeing the kids or me


    again!¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, please calm down¡­¡± Joseph did not know how to react to my sudden rage.


    I stood up abruptly and cast a hard look at him. ¡°I¡¯m not joking, and I am no longer the same Scarlett


    from ten years ago. If he dares to push me away, I will never ept him again.¡±


    Upon saying that, I stomped my way out.


    Ashton, let¡¯s see how long you can endure this.


    The moment I opened the door, I ran into Reba, dressed up amorously.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± A sense of disgust rose within me right away. Even though I was aware of her


    secret past, I could not hide my resentment for her.


    Reba let out a chuckle as she lifted her head and stared at me as though she was looking at a


    clown. ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard about it? Starting today, the entire entertainment resources under Fuller


    Corporation belong to me. Ashton has decided to support me.¡±


    It was normal for rich tycoons to hook up with female celebrities. In other words, a female celebrity


    belonged to whoever supported her financially. That was an unspoken rule in the entertainment


    industry.


    My heart went cold instantly.


    Just a few months ago, Ashton had just confessed his love for me in public. Yet, now he used all his


    resources to support an unpopr artist like Reba. Is he taking me as a joke?


    Sometimes, things would never get back to the way they were.


    This time, he had crossed the linepletely.


    Since he decided not to involve me in his n, I figured I could react in whatever way I wanted.


    If that¡¯s so, I have no reason to watch my husband spending all the shared assets on a worthless


    celebrity without any retaliation.


    After pondering for a while, I cast a calm look at her. ¡°Now I know. But¡­¡± I emphasized deliberately.


    ¡°Have you signed the contract? You shouldn¡¯t trust a verbal agreementpletely.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Reba thought I was trying to mess with her. ¡°I¡¯ve got both the paper and the digital


    agreement. Are you nning to stop it? It¡¯s toote!¡±


    Before I could respond to that, she spoke again. ¡°I wonder why Ashton did not inform you earlier about


    this. Was he worried you might interfere? Or he didn¡¯t care about you at all. Hahaha¡­¡±


    She meant that she had a more important ce in Ashton¡¯s heart than me.


    Nheless, I had no interest inpeting with her on this matter. Since the agreement had been


    signed, she was officially an employee under Fuller Corporation. As a shareholder and an owner, I am


    obligated to take good care of her, am I not?


    Even though Reba thought she was fully protected with Ashton on her side, her manager was wise


    enough to know that they should not offend me. With that, she pulled Reba¡¯s shirt nervously.


    ¡°Vivian, mind your words!¡±


    She nodded to me as well to show her good will.


    For the manager¡¯s sake, I decided to give Reba another chance.


    Just then, Joseph came out too. He furrowed his brows slightly upon seeing Reba. ¡°Ms. Larson,


    you¡¯re here.¡±

 Chapter 1729

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1729


    Chapter 1729 Three ps


    Reba rolled her eyes with irritation, pretending not to see Joseph.


    I was left in awe upon seeing that. What¡¯s going on? Now that Ashton and Reba have buried their


    hatchets, Joseph bes the one who suffers?


    Noticing the puzzlement in my eyes, Joseph turned awkward as he immediately changed the topic.


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, let me escort you down.¡±


    Upon saying that, he made a gesture inviting me to leave.


    I did not give it much thought as I followed him.


    After I took a few steps, Reba suddenly voiced out abruptly. ¡°Hold on¡­¡±


    Joseph halted his feet and turned around. ¡°Ms. Larson, is there anything?¡±


    Reba uttered pridefully, ¡°Nothing, but my assistant is on leave today. I want you to take her ce for


    today.¡±


    Joseph nodded. ¡°No problem. Let me escort Mrs. Fuller down first, and I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    Upon saying that, Joseph disyed a professional smile and intended to continue escorting me. Before


    he turned around, Reba lifted her hand and pped him.


    Joseph¡¯s face darkened instantly. Yet, he did not dare to resist due to his status.


    If Ashton was like a wolf, then Joseph was like a mastiff. Even when he did not speak his mind, he had


    such a domineering charisma on him.


    However, Reba showed him no respect as she walked up and poked at his forehead. ¡°Who do you


    think you are? How dare you ask me to wait? I want you to take her ce right now!¡±


    Even Ashton would never treat Joseph with such humiliation.


    After all, Joseph was a special assistant of the top rich man, and he was an extraordinarily smart man


    too. Yet, he chose to stay silent despite getting treated inappropriately.


    I could not understand how Ashton could allow such a thing to happen to someone who had been by


    his side through life and death.


    No matter what Ashton would think of this, there was no way I could ept this. ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡±


    Reba tilted her head and cast a nce at me. She shifted her gaze back to Joseph the next


    second, dripping with sarcasm. ¡°What a loyal servant. Are you waiting for Scarlett to stand up for you? I


    guess you haven¡¯t figured out the reality!¡±


    p!


    ¡°Do you understand now?¡±


    Joseph covered his face with his palm, overwhelmed with disbelief. His gaze began to turn hostile.


    There was disbelief, as well as warning, in his eyes.


    The tension in the air was positively vtile.


    Just when everyone thought Reba would restrain herself, she cast another p on him. ¡°I¡¯m asking


    you a question. Are you dumb? Answer me now!¡±


    At that moment, I was sure that Reba was not afraid of Ashton at all.


    Joseph¡¯s face was swollen after the three heavy ps. He clenched his fists, trying hard to suppress


    his rage.


    I ran to Joseph¡¯s front and pushed Reba away forcefully. ¡°Enough of this nonsense!¡±


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Reba staggered a few steps back as her manager immediately supported her. Utterly enraged, she


    scolded, ¡°B*tch, it¡¯s none of your business! Do you think Ashton will still listen to you like before? Face


    the reality! How dare you push me? Did you forget how much I had suffered for you¡­¡±


    Reba¡¯s manager was beyond panicked. She immediately tried to stop Reba. ¡°Could you please


    calm down? It was not easy for us to finally get this deal. Please don¡¯t ruin your future¡­¡±


    I crossed my arms indifferently. ¡°You should thank Joseph for not saying anything. Or else I will call the


    cops. With my professionalism inw, I will have you locked up in prison!¡±

 Chapter 1730

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1730


    Chapter 1730 Extraordinary Patience


    ¡°Sorry about that, Ms. Stovall. Vivian didn¡¯t mean it. She¡¯s having a bad day today. Please forgive her!¡±


    The manager tried to ease the situation.


    She understood fully that business was all about earning money doing everything in harmonious ways.


    Yet, the celebrity that he represented did not seem to share the same view.


    Reba was beyond exasperated seeing her manager was not on her side. She got rid of thetter


    and cast her a furious look. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare to try to stop me!¡±


    The manager froze on the spot helplessly. She had no choice but to give in to her arrogant celebrity.


    By then, Reba seemed to have recollected herself a little. However, she acted ignorantly toward my


    threat as she approached me and leaned close to me.


    ¡°I¡¯m not the same fool who was easily manipted by you and Ashton back then. If you know thew


    so well, you should know there will be no case without a victim. Why don¡¯t you ask Joseph if he wants


    to sue me?¡±


    Wow, since when does a useless parasite like her who used to rely on others know how to use her


    brain?


    Just then, the elevator opened, and Ashton walked out. Behind him was Nora, who was leaning closely


    to Nathaniel.


    ¡°Just the perfect timing.¡± Reba¡¯s eyes lit up as she shifted the me first. ¡°Ashton, what a great


    assistant you have. I merely joked with him slightly. Yet, he and Scarlett want to sue me? What are you


    going to do about that? Is this how you repay me?¡±


    Ashton¡¯s gaze darkened, and he shifted his gaze toward Joseph. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Joseph bit his lip and said, ¡°Mr. Ashton, it¡¯s just a misunderstanding. I will apologize to Ms. Larson


    now.¡±


    With that, he bowed deeply toward Reba. ¡°Ms. Larson, I¡¯m sorry. Please forgive me.¡±


    I could not help but admire his patience. How could he do that after getting pped three times? I


    couldn¡¯t do it if it were me.


    He was indeed the best assistant I had ever seen.


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Ashton should be grateful for Joseph¡¯s relent as it had saved him a lot of trouble.


    However, Reba did not seem to appreciate Joseph¡¯s gesture. She walked toward thetter in a


    victorious manner and looked down on him.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re just like Ashton¡¯s friends. You guys think I¡¯m just a promiscuous woman. In your eyes,


    only Scarlett deserves your respect and you¡¯ll only follow her words. Well, that¡¯s all right. You can


    continue to be her loyal dog. And I will make you pay for your contempt toward me.¡±


    I did not know why but I felt Reba had changed into a different person.


    Her eyes filled with cruelty as she spat her words through her tightly clenched teeth. She was like a


    ruthless beast that intended to swallow Joseph alive.


    People without principles were the most difficult to deal with, just like Nathaniel, whose existence was


    like a ghost.


    At that moment, Nathaniel was merely watching with a smile, without any intention to interfere.


    From Reba¡¯s stand, I knew she must feel that everyone in this world owed her something. A person


    like her would see everyone else as crazy, except herself. I knew it would be pointless to try to talk any


    sense into her.

 Chapter 1731

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1731


    Chapter 1731 Betrayed


    Anyway, I was not as noble as Joseph.


    ¡°How dare you try to shift the me to the innocent? You were the one who pped Joseph three


    times. Chanaea is a ce ofw. Do you really think you can bend the truth as you want?¡±


    Reba disyed a cold smile. ¡°Sue me then. Come on!¡±


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Her rogue face awakened my profession as awyer. My mind thought about whether to use thebor


    law or the personal safety protection regtions to file awsuit against her. Yet, in the end, I could


    only stare at her helplessly.


    Indeed, she got the point. Without Joseph¡¯s cooperation, there was nothing I could do.


    Noticing that, Reba continued to provoke fearlessly. ¡°Why? Are you afraid? I thought you were a


    talentedwyer, but you¡¯re just a woman who relies on men. There¡¯s not much difference between you


    and me. At least, I will own up to it. How about you? You acted like you were a kind and independent


    woman, but all facts are to the contrary. You¡¯re a bloody hypocrite! You¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough.¡± Ashton¡¯s voice put the whole room into dead silence. Reba indignantly swallowed back


    her words.


    The atmosphere in the corridor turned extremely tense. A whileter, Ashton broke the silence again.


    He shifted his gaze toward Joseph, who was waiting for his order. ¡°Go to the HR department for the


    transfer procedure. You will go to the branch office in Smend today.¡±


    Joseph kept silent for a while, but he did not rebuke. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Is that how Ashton treats a partner who worked for thepany for over ten years? Joseph is the


    victim here. How could Ashton cast him out only to please Reba? This is absurd!


    I could not bear to see Joseph getting mistreated. ¡°No way. I¡¯m afraid I have to disagree with this.


    Joseph is not going anywhere. He will stay here in K City! Ashton, are you out of your mind? I know


    you feel that you owe Reba, but Joseph is innocent. How could you make him pay for what you did?


    And do you know how unreasonable Reba was just now¡­¡±


    Ashton did not let me finish my sentence. ¡°It¡¯s included in his sry.¡±


    He looked me in the eyes and repeated to make sure I heard it. ¡°I pay him a high sry. With that, I


    buy not only his working ability but also his pride.¡±


    I could not believe those words came out of Ashton¡¯s mouth.


    Use the money to buy someone¡¯s pride? How could he say such a thing? He¡¯s changed totally. I can¡¯t


    believe this is part of his n. He keeps letting me down.


    Noticing my expression, Reba pped her hands in rejoice. ¡°Bravo. That¡¯s indeed the man I used to


    like. Compared to me doing it myself, it¡¯s more exciting to watch you teaching them a lesson for me!


    Hahaha¡­¡±


    What a lunatic!


    Just then, Nora, who had been keeping silent, suddenly walked up to me. She pretended to tidy my


    hair as she whispered to me. ¡°If I were you, I won¡¯t stay here any longer. Do you know what status we


    are now? We¡¯re the shareholders of Fuller Corporation. That¡¯s right. Nat and I are now the big


    shareholders. We¡¯ve bought your shares!¡±


    I narrowed my eyes, trying to recall if I had recently signed any crucial documents. ¡°That¡¯s impossible.


    Without my signature, Ashton has no right to ess our shared assets.¡±

 Chapter 1732

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1732


    Chapter 1732 I Am The Clown


    Nora¡¯s smile grew wider upon hearing that. ¡°You¡¯re right if we¡¯re talking about shared assets. But did


    you forget? You¡¯re dead once. So all those shares were automatically transferred to Ashton¡¯s name.


    And now Ashton has given them to Nat. You didn¡¯t see thising, did you? Scarlett, how does it feel


    to be betrayed by your loved ones?¡±


    I did not need to ask Ashton anything as his gaze had revealed everything.


    I would be lying if I said I was not shocked by this. In fact, the shock was so intense that my heart went


    numb.


    Since the day I woke up, the only identity verification I had done was the card that Marcus gave me. As


    for the procedures such as share inheritance mentioned by Nora, they did not go through formal legal


    processes. I just assumed them to be valid.


    First, as troubles kept happening since then, I did not manage to find the time. Secondly, as I was


    finally able to reunite with my family, I spent all the time hanging out with them. Plus, Ashton and I did


    not care much about wealth and money. I never expected my carelessness would lead to such a big


    catastrophe.


    Without capital, Ashton¡¯s absurdity could still be limited. However, with Fuller Corporation¡¯s support, his


    deeds might bring him at least twenty years in prison.


    If this is a show, I¡¯m the only clown on the stage.


    At that moment, all I knew was if I lost my calm like a clown, I would be ying right into Nathaniel¡¯s


    game.


    Casting a cold look at Nathaniel, I bit my lip and forced myself to calm down.


    Nathaniel¡¯s eyes were filled with excitement as he noticed the turbulences in my heart. It was as if his


    favorite drama had finally started, and he could not wait to watch the following plot.


    ¡°Nora,e here.¡± He acted like an innocent gentleman as he uttered casually, ¡°Please don¡¯t treat me


    with hostility. I merely gave my suggestion. I didn¡¯t expect Ashton to be so outstanding. I¡¯ve told you he


    is talented in this.¡±


    I did not respond to Nathaniel as I stared at Ashton calmly, hoping to find a slight clue that he was


    being forced to do what he did.


    Nevertheless, all I got was a cold response.


    ¡°Fuller Corporation has always belonged to the Fullers, so I have the ultimate right. The financial


    support for you and the kids won¡¯t be affected at all. The whole family will still be the same.¡±


    I sneered as deep sorrow filled my heart. ¡°Family? The head of the family is moving toward death. Do


    you think we still have a family?¡±


    Ashton lowered his eyes with a deadpan look. ¡°I am way smarter than you think.¡±


    He meant he was utterly confident of surviving in the grey zone of thew.


    Most ouws had the same mindset like him.


    However, he was born a rich kid, and he should not ruin his life like that. Helplessness slowly eroded


    my whole body as I almost lost my bnce.


    Just when Reba was about to interrupt, Ashton ended the conversation abruptly. ¡°Please send Mrs.


    Fuller back.¡±


    He was talking to Joseph.


    Reba immediately expressed her dissatisfaction. ¡°No. He¡¯sing with me today.¡±


    Ashton cast a look before telling Reba. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Everyone was stunned momentarily by his gesture. Reba shrugged her shoulders. ¡°I don¡¯t mind it.¡±


    Upon saying that, she grabbed Ashton¡¯s tie and walked toward the elevator boastfully. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    With that, they disappeared from everyone¡¯s sight.


    A few secondster, Reba¡¯s arrogant voice came from the elevator. ¡°Eunice, what are you waiting


    for? Come now!¡±

 Chapter 1733

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1733


    Chapter 1733 A Call From His Wife


    Eunice, the manager, immediately ran into the elevator. ¡°Here Ie¡­¡±


    After Eunice entered the elevator, the door slowly closed. The red numbers on disy began to sh


    as the elevator descended steadily.


    I understood if Ashton was forced to ept Reba¡¯s request out of his guilt. But what about now?


    Has he lost himself entirely for this woman?


    There were two voices in my head. One of them told me that not everything was as it seemed, and I


    should wait and observe with patience. Yet, my emotional side of me kept making me fall into a ck


    hole of insecurity.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that interesting?¡± Nathaniel¡¯s voice drew me back to reality. ¡°How much worse do you think


    Ashton can get?¡±


    In his eyes, it was all just a game.


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in ying games with you!¡± I stomped my way into another elevator.


    Before the elevator door closed, Joseph came in after me.


    Walking out of thepany, neither of us said anything, deliberately trying to avoid the awkwardness


    from the episode earlier.


    The chauffeur had been waiting at the entrance for me. Just when he was about to approach to


    wee me, I signaled him not toe.


    Luckily, he was quick-witted toprehend my meaning. With that, he went back into the car secretly.


    Joseph asked me to wait while he went to get his car.


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, are you heading home directly?¡± Joseph asked as soon as I got into his car.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a ride around the city.¡±


    A human¡¯s mental defense would decrease tremendously after experiencing humiliation. I intended to


    break into his heart during this opportune moment. Indeed, I would not want to miss the chance to be


    alone with him.


    Around ten minutester, our car got stuck at a crossroad in the business district. Joseph, who was


    usually calm, suddenly turned impatient as he kept knocking his fingers against the steering wheel.


    I knew my timing hade as I cast a question. ¡°How are you getting along with your wife all these


    years?¡±


    Joseph was stunned momentarily before he responded calmly, ¡°Not bad. I¡¯m contented to have a son


    and a daughter.¡±


    I nodded as emotions boiled within my heart. ¡°Indeed. We should be grateful for what we have.¡±


    Joseph sensed the disappointment in my tone andforted me. ¡°Mr. Ashton always has his n.


    Mrs. Fuller, you don¡¯t have to worry.¡±


    There was, in fact, no need for him tofort me out of courtesy. Hence, his gesture proved he still


    respected me like before.


    Somehow, I felt Ashton was the same too. If he did not care for me, he would not have asked Joseph to


    send me home.


    I feigned a bitter smile and pretended to be disappointed. ¡°Based on your professional knowledge,


    don¡¯t tell me that you don¡¯t know that kind of business is a one-way ticket to hell.¡±


    ¡°I have confidence in Mr. Ashton,¡± Joseph replied.


    ¡°So you¡¯re willing to see him fall deeper and deeper into this mistake.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Ashton won¡¯t make a mistake.¡± Joseph was stubborn as a stone.


    I knew I would not be able to change his mind. I lowered my head and murmured, ¡°You are very loyal to


    him.¡±


    Just then, Joseph¡¯s phone rang suddenly.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    It was a call from his wife.


    He unhesitatingly answered the call with a happy tone. ¡°Hello, Honey?¡±


    Pure sweetness and happiness filled the air as his lips curled into a contented smile.


    However, the voice from the other end killed the atmosphere instantly.


    ¡°Hubby, pleasee back now. There are many ck men in the house¡­¡±


    The car fell into a dead silence.

 Chapter 1734

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1734


    Chapter 1734 I Am The Jinx


    It was in as day from Savannah¡¯s voice that she was feigning calmness. However, it was uncertain


    whether it was to reassure Joseph or to mislead the men waiting to pounce at their house at that very


    moment.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Joseph¡¯s hand tightened around his phone, his angr profile reflected through the


    rear-view mirror. ¡°I¡¯ll rush home right away.¡±


    Hanging up the phone, he promptly floored the gas pedal with his entire focus on the figure at the red


    light. Some timeter, he remembered that I was still sitting in the back seat and nced over his


    shoulder. His face was devoid of expression as he asserted, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can only drive you thus far,


    Mrs. Fuller. Please alight from the car.¡±


    Despite hearing him, I couldn¡¯t possibly turn a blind eye to his predicament, so I offered, ¡°All this is


    because of me and my husband, so I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Joseph¡¯s brows creased deeply. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Fuller. Don¡¯t take this the wrong way, but I personally


    feel that things will be much simpler without you making an appearance.¡±


    A feeling of being mistrusted permeated my entire being. For an instant, I was at a loss for words, not


    quite knowing what I should say to express my sincerity.


    In that mere two seconds of stalemate, Joseph made the choice for me. Climbing out of the car, he


    opened the car door nearest to me without the slightest hesitation and stated firmly, ¡°Here you go, Mrs.


    Fuller.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to be the kind of person who left others to their own troubles, so I remained motionless


    and stared right back at him without getting out of the car.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    By then, the traffic light had already turned green. The cars at the back were honking incessantly,


    signaling us to make way for them, causing the bustling urban area to grow all the more chaotic.


    After a lengthy impasse, a hint of urgency manifested on Joseph¡¯s calm and unruffled countenance that


    was all too simr to Ashton¡¯s poised face. ¡°Have you forgotten the three ps earlier, Mrs. Fuller? For


    old times¡¯ sake, please buy some time for my wife and kids. I beg you.¡±


    Indeed, in a way, Reba couldn¡¯t have found an opportunity to humiliate Joseph thus if it weren¡¯t for


    me.


    Both Joseph¡¯s eyes and the tip of his nose turned red from his emotional state. As I gazed at his face,


    the scene of John getting beaten up shed across my mind out of the blue.


    In that split second, I realized that I couldn¡¯t bear having anyone else getting hurt even worse because


    of me. I immediately took my things and slipped out of the car. My movement was so sudden that


    Joseph was taken aback.


    His features froze for a second before he nodded at me solemnly. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    After saying that, he mmed the car door shut with a bang. Getting back into the car, he swiftly


    started the engine and disappeared into the traffic in a sh.


    He has been with Ashton far longer than me, so Ashton definitely won¡¯t allow anything to happen to


    him. At least, I hope so!


    As I stood by the side of the road, I inwardly prayed for Joseph and his family.


    Before I knew it, my thoughts drifted away. My mind was filled with Ashton¡¯s different expressions in the


    past few days¡ªaloof, vicious, arrogant, and the like. Verily, I disliked them all, but I just couldn¡¯t muster


    up any hatred for some inexplicable reason.


    One meets, dates, and gets together because of fate and destiny. Since I¡¯ve been married to Ashton


    and shared a bed with him for so many years, could there be telepathy between us? If so, those selfish


    and reckless sentiments of his could be all be exined perfectly!


    On my way home in a taxi, the unease within me intensified. Judging from Nathaniel¡¯s actions, this


    matter is far from being over. If even Joseph has been dragged into this circle of revenge, what about


    those who are even closer to Ashton and me?


    That thought was like a bucket of cold water pouring over me, jolting me back to my senses. I instantly


    phoned Cameron and Louis. Only after ascertaining that they were both safe and sound did I breathe a


    sigh of relief.


    When the sky was growing dark, worry about Joseph continued to linger within me, so I bit the bullet


    and gave him a call.


    To my surprise, Joseph answered right away. His voice, however, sounded a tad strange. ¡°Is something


    the matter, Mrs. Fuller?¡±


    Sensing a subdued atmosphere, I lowered my voice and queried, ¡°Are Savannah and the kids okay?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re fine,¡± Joseph replied. Seemingly afraid that I would continue hounding him, he hastily made up


    an excuse to elude me. ¡°My kids are calling for me, so I¡¯ll talk to you next time.¡±


    ¡°Jo¡ª¡± Before I had even finished speaking, the disconnect tone drifted into my ears.


    Staring at the screen of my phone that had returned to the main interface, I abruptly gave a self-


    deprecating bark ofughter. It seems that I¡¯m the jinxpared to Nathaniel and the others that


    everyone is eagerly avoiding me!

 Chapter 1735

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1735


    Chapter 1735 Always Stay By My Side


    But on second thought, it makes much sense. Indeed, it¡¯s safer the further away they stay from me


    during this time.


    After putting down the phone, I realized that Gregory and Audrey hade home at some time. The


    two children were standing at the side of the living room, holding hands while gazing at me from afar


    without saying a single word.


    At once, I schooled my expression and opened my arms to them. ¡°Quick,e over here, my


    darlings!¡±


    Audrey¡¯s eyes flicked down to my arms before she dropped Gregory¡¯s hand and sprinted toward me.


    She lunged at me so forcefully that I was thrown back. Still, she giggled happily and kissed me


    fervently while hugging me around the neck. ¡°Mommy! I missed you so much, Mommy! I love you


    loads!¡±


    Undeniably, the warmth brought by one¡¯s flesh and blood could easily banish one¡¯s gloom. Grinning, I


    righted her and ced her on myp. Patiently brushing off the strands of hair before her forehead, I


    inquired about her day at school as usual. ¡°Tell me what you learned today, Audrey.¡±


    At that, Audrey immediately scrambled off me and trotted over to Gregory. Snatching the drawing paper


    he was holding in his hand, she joyously ran back over to me and spread it open.


    ¡°Look, Mommy! I drew this! My teacher praised me in front of everyone in my ss. She said that my


    drawing was the best!¡±


    It was a crayon drawing with a few simple colors, but one could make out the basic outline of several


    people. Two adults and four children were holding hands as they enjoyed themselves in the grassy


    meadow under the bright sunlight. Truly, it depicted a blissful and peaceful life.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Audrey didn¡¯t even forget Shaun, making it apparent that she loved every single person in the family.


    I spaced out as I looked at it, forgetting to give her an appropriate response. In turn, it resulted in her


    feeling a sense of uncertainty and uneasiness. ¡°Do you not like my drawing, Mommy?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I do!¡± It wasn¡¯t until then that I snapped back to reality. I hurriedly nted a kiss on her


    forehead as a reward. Then I took out my phone and tapped on the camera before taking a picture of


    the drawing to unt it off. ¡°Here, let me take a picture of this beautiful drawing. I¡¯ll post it on Instagram


    so that everyone can see how smart and incredible my daughter is!¡±


    Such jubnce inundated Audrey that delight danced in her eyes. Lifting her head, she stared at me


    nkly, like a chubby porcin doll. ¡°Mommy, if I continue being good, you¡¯ll always stay by my side,


    right?¡±


    Puzzled, I reached out and stroked her head. ¡°Why would you think that? Regardless of whether you¡¯re


    good, I¡¯ll always love you.¡±


    Pouting, Audrey shook her head. ¡°No, that¡¯s not true. I was too naughty, so Daddy isn¡¯ting home.


    He doesn¡¯t want to be picked on by me anymore.¡±


    At that, her eyes went red. She clutched at my arm and shook it. ¡°Mommy, tell Daddy that I¡¯ll be good.


    Tell him toe back, okay? I miss him¡­¡±


    Tears trickled down her face as she spoke, every drop hitting me squarely in the chest.


    I hugged her tightly. After consoling her and inquiring about the matter, I finally learned that Audrey had


    been privately questioning Gregory relentlessly about Ashton¡¯s disappearance in the past few days


    though she made no mention of it before me. Gregory didn¡¯t understand the matter between adults, so


    he had picked an excuse that sounded rtively reasonable to shut her up. s, Audrey took it to


    heart and thought that she had driven Ashton away.


    Seeing his sister weep, Gregory grew distressed. With red-rimmed eyes, he apologized, murmuring,


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mommy. I just didn¡¯t want her to think too much. I never thought that she¡¯s bad or


    anything¡­¡±


    Ah, they¡¯re all sensible children! How am I to keep my defenses up in front of them?


    I beckoned Gregory over and hugged them both. Tears promptly escaped my eyes, but I held myself


    back and kept my sobs silent.


    They don¡¯t understand anything, but ironically, it¡¯s also as though they understand everything.


    After I had released the bottled emotions within me and put the children to bed, it was already nine


    o¡¯clock at night. Just when I was nning to sleep earlier so that I could wake up early tomorrow to


    make a trip to the hospital, my WhatsApp notification started pinging like crazy.


    I saw a brief preview of a video that Emery had sent me. In just the time I spent picking up my phone,


    several voice messages came in back to back.


    After unlocking my phone, I was about to y the voice messages out of habit when my attention was


    suddenly snagged by the thumbnail image of the video.

 Chapter 1736

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1736


    Chapter 1736 Joseph Had Taken Off


    The man in the video¡¯s thumbnail image was none other than Joseph, whom I had parted ways with a


    short time ago. However, he seemed to be in a bad way with his eyes sunken and dark eye bags below


    them, a world of difference from the strong man in my memories.


    Trembling, I tapped on the first voice message, and the others yed sequentially.


    ¡°Come over and help me figure out how to deal with this. I found him in the alley behind The Jade.


    There are no other wounds on him apart from a few prick marks. He has probably been injected with a


    high dosage of drugs, and the other party is determined to have him addicted at a single go. They¡¯re


    really ruthless.¡±


    And so it went.


    A buzzing started in my mind. So, Ashton still didn¡¯t protect him in the end?


    I rushed over to The Jade, only to see Emery waiting anxiously at the door. From the looks of it, she


    had been waiting for quite some time.


    While leading me in, she murmured, ¡°This way. I have someone watching over him.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s drugs?¡± I asked softly, harboring a final shred of hope within me. Like Ashton, Joseph


    was an outstanding man, so he shouldn¡¯t be tainted with such a nasty substance.


    ¡°In all likelihood, it is.¡± Emery sighed regretfully, saying nothing further.


    At the end of the corridor on the first floor, tall and burly bodyguards were keeping guard outside the


    room door on the right, one on either side. Their indifferent expressions made it so that no one dared to


    approach the room.


    Emery stopped for a moment at the door and questioned one of them, ¡°Did anything happen?¡±


    ¡°Everything has been normal,¡± the bodyguard replied.


    In response, Emery nodded. ¡°Okay. Open the door.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± the bodyguard answered respectfully. Then he took out a key and unfastened the safety


    lock hanging on the door before pushing the door open.


    But when we walked in, the huge room was empty.


    Emery and I exchanged a nce, reckoning that Joseph must have hidden away. ¡°Perhaps he¡¯s in the


    bathroom.¡±


    As I said that, I pushed open the bathroom door but still saw no one there. However, the exhaust fan on


    the ceiling had been pried open, and the hole was just the perfect size for a grown man.


    It was clear as day that he had already taken off.


    At that turn of events, Emery grew morose. ¡°Why did he hightail it out of here when I wasn¡¯t going to


    hurt him?¡±


    I gauged the distance between the exhaust fan and the floor. Although there was a chair to boost him


    up, it would¡¯ve certainly taken quite some effort to climb up. Emery said he¡¯s already doped up, so he¡¯s


    likely weak and lethargic. Still, he climbed up with sheer willpower alone.


    An unspeakable wave of sorrow flooded me as I recalled his restrained voice on the phone earlier. ¡°He


    didn¡¯t want someone he knows to see him in such a condition.¡±


    He has always been immacte before others, so how could he possibly tolerate showing others the


    most pathetic side of him? Even as a bystander, I feel as though it has never happened when I didn¡¯tText ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    behold it with my own eyes, what¡¯s more Joseph himself.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not right.¡± All of a sudden, something urred to me. If he has been reduced to this, what


    about his wife and children?


    Having thought of that, I quickly phoned thepany secretary and asked for Joseph¡¯s address. No


    matter what, I had to go and take a look at things personally before I could rest easy.


    After making the call, I contacted Millie next. Learning that she was nearby, I arranged to meet her at


    the entrance.


    Throughout it all, Emery stood at the side and watched silently without offering any opinion.


    Nevertheless, she appeared hesitant, seemingly having something to say.


    Afraid that something had happened to her, yet she was reluctant to bother me, I inquired with feigned


    nonchnce as I put my phone away, ¡°Is there anything else?¡±


    Emery shook her head, jolting out of her contemtion. She looked me right in the eye. ¡°No. Are you


    leaving right away?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I nodded firmly. Again, a rush of guilt assailed me. ¡°It was afternoon when Joseph got the call,


    so it¡¯s alreadyte that I¡¯m going now.¡±


    Emery was stunned for a moment before she dipped her head a fraction in acknowledgment.


    Subsequently, she added, ¡°I mean, Ashton is alsoing over in a while. Are you not going to see him


    first before you leave?¡±


    ¡°Why is heing?¡± I queried.


    ¡°I notified him. Joseph is his subordinate, so there¡¯s no reason for him not to show up,¡± Emery


    exined.


    No sooner had she finished saying that than even footsteps came from the door, followed by the


    bodyguards greeting, ¡°Mr. Fuller.¡±

 Chapter 1737

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1737


    Chapter 1737 Just A Mere Life


    Hearing the sounds, I cast my gaze over, only to be greeted by the sight of Ashton walking in


    expressionlessly.


    He wasn¡¯t at all surprised to see me. Instead, he calmly swept a gaze over the room. Upon seeing no


    signs of Joseph, he looked in our direction and asked cidly, ¡°Where is he?¡±


    ¡°He made off.¡± Emery shrugged, indicating that everything was as he could see, and there was no need


    to search anymore.


    After hearing that, Ashton lowered his eyes, seemingly in contemtion. In the next moment, he spun


    on his heels to leave.


    ¡°Wait!¡± I called him back. ¡°Do you know what they did to him?¡±


    Ashton stopped with his back to me, utterly silent.


    Perhaps he didn¡¯t know anything, or maybe he didn¡¯t want to admit it, but I wanted him to face it and


    confront everything he once cared about deeply.


    ¡°They broke into his house and caged his wife and children in, ckmailing and threatening him. They


    injected drugs into him. You¡¯ve seen what an addict looks like. That¡¯s exactly Joseph¡¯s condition right


    now. He trusts you greatly, but what about you? How did you treat him? You merely watched as


    Reba humiliated him and walked over him, forcing him to pay the price of his dignity for your


    personal grievance. And now, he¡¯s even tormented by drugs, not even daring to see anyone. This is


    how you treat a friend who¡¯s even closer to you than a brother!¡±


    Walking up to him, I forced him to look me in the eye. The distance between us remained mere inches.


    When I noticed that his ebony eyes were staring back at me, my confidence soared. I looked right at


    him without backing down in the least. ¡°Actually, you¡¯re only putting on an act. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t


    havee.¡±


    Ashton tilted his head slightly, his gaze darkening a shade. ¡°So?¡±


    His sudden question startled me, and my mind went nk as I stared at his familiar face.


    I thought that most bystanders in the world were kind, even toward strangers. When they saw someone


    in a sorry state,passion would then well within them. But at that very moment, there wasn¡¯t a hint


    of sympathy in Ashton¡¯s eyes.


    Is he hiding it too well, or am I too sensitive?


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you think Joseph deserves to be treated in such a manner?¡± My voice seemingly came


    from the depths of my throat. I cowardly felt that I wouldn¡¯t hear an answer I found uneptable as


    long as I didn¡¯t provoke him.


    s, reality proved me wrong.


    Without even batting an eysh, Ashton replied in a voice as calm as ever, ¡°No, but I can only say that


    he¡¯s not smart enough.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I didn¡¯t grasp the meaning of that utterance right away.


    For once, Ashton finally showed some patience though his words remained dry and unpleasant. ¡°Am I


    not safe and sound?¡±


    His words had helplessness inundating me. When did he be so egotistical? Those people were


    obviously sent by Reba to take revenge on Joseph. What has that got to do with whether Joseph is


    as astute as him?


    I propped my head against my hand in exasperation. I¡¯ve got to straighten out my thoughts before I can


    figure out a way to correct his twisted thinking.


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    However, Ashton unceremoniously moved to walk past me. Fortunately, I reacted swiftly and took a


    step to the side, blocking his path.


    It¡¯s rare that Nathaniel and Reba aren¡¯t by his side, messing things up, so I can¡¯t possibly waste this


    golden opportunity to interact with him!


    Ashton halted in his steps, his brows furrowing slightly. Canting his head with his gaze fixated on me,


    he warned, ¡°You¡¯d better allow me to leave immediately, and perhaps Joseph would live.¡±


    A strong sense of oppression hit me, and I unwittingly froze. I gazed into his ebony eyes, wondering


    whether to believe that.


    After all, he said it himself that I was trouble, and he had plenty of ways to rid himself of me.


    As Ashton clocked my expression, a faint smile of triumph bloomed on his face. ¡°You can continue


    stopping me from leaving if you don¡¯t believe me. It¡¯s just a mere life. At most, I¡¯ll pay more in death


    gratuity and consider it as repaying our friendship of the past as well.¡±


    Money, money, money! The moment he opens his mouth, it¡¯s always money and profit! This side of him


    is truly horrible! If possible, I really want to jump onto him and thump his head where those unruly


    thoughts originate!

 Chapter 1738

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1738


    Chapter 1738 Are They Really The Same Person


    Ah, no. I can¡¯t do that. Joseph isn¡¯t in his right mind, and it¡¯s dangerous for him to be alone out


    there. Despite my resentment, I could only grit my teeth and retract my hand, watching as Ashton


    strutted away.


    His back was no different from before, broad and solid. Yet, I couldn¡¯t help the grief welling up within


    me.


    What exactly are you thinking about, Ashton? You should¡¯ve kept those viins in line if you wanted to


    save Joseph. But then, why did you rush over if otherwise? I¡¯ve got no choice but to admit that I really


    have no way of discerning the truth when he truly wants to hide his emotions.


    After all, someone who naively thought that love would never change could only remain passively in a


    checkmate forever.


    ¡°Hmm? Why did he suddenly be so wily? Who did he learn it from?¡± Emery had no inkling of the


    changes in Ashton, so she assumed that they were having a fight.


    When she received no response from me, she stepped forward and nudged me gently. Then she threw


    me a wink in feigned frivolity. ¡°Cheer up. There are plenty of fishes in the sea, and you¡¯re a modern


    woman, so how could you be so crestfallen because of a man? I¡¯ll go about your business with you


    first, okay?¡±


    Lowering my head, I chuckled bitterly before riposting her teasing despite my pain, ¡°Tons of women


    would be ruined if you were a man since you¡¯re such an expert in mollifying others!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Emery took my arm with another step forward. As she walked out, she smugly dered,


    ¡°I¡¯ll start with you, then!¡±


    Millie¡¯s driving was fast and steady. Adding to the fact that we missed the evening rush hour, the trip


    that would usually take half an hour was shortened to just twenty minutes.


    I waited anxiously after ringing the doorbell, but no one answered the door.


    Don¡¯t tell me they didn¡¯t even show a woman and kids any mercy?


    Unwilling to give up, I held my finger on the doorbell. The noise was so great that all the lights along the


    entire corridor lit up. Only then did a woman¡¯s soft voice drift out from within, asking, ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±


    The rock that had been weighing on my chest finally lifted. Breathing a sigh of relief, I promptly inched


    closer and replied, ¡°Are you Savannah Sullivan? I¡¯m Scarlett Stovall. I suppose I can be considered


    Joseph¡¯s superior. Do you mind opening the door?¡±


    No sooner had my words fallen than the door opened from within, revealing a woman¡¯s delicate face.


    Savannah was wearing loose pajamas, and her hair was pulled back loosely in a ponytail with an


    stic band, leaving long bangs falling down her forehead. She was tall yet slim, and her features were


    exquisite. On the whole, she was the type of person one would take a liking to at first sight. But


    perhaps because it was night, she looked rather pale.


    Nheless, she still had a resemnce with Joseph that identified them as husband and wife at a


    single nce.


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    It seemed as though she wasn¡¯t at all surprised by my appearance. She politely inclined her head with


    a smile in greeting. ¡°Joseph often speaks of you, saying that you¡¯re very nice to him, Mrs. Fuller.¡±


    If I were really all that nice to him, it would be the two of them standing at the door, greeting me right


    now.


    shing her an awkward smile, I pretended as though I knew nothing about the incident that happened


    that afternoon. I cast my gaze beyond her and peered into the living room, inquiring, ¡°Are the children


    asleep?¡±


    Savannah wore a smile on her face. ¡°Yes. They¡¯re tired from ying today, so they went to bed very


    early.¡±


    At that point, she btedly opened the door all the way and stepped aside, warmly inviting us in. ¡°Look


    at my bad manners. I should¡¯ve invited you all into the house first. Pleasee in and have a seat,


    Mrs. Fuller.¡±


    Since my purpose was to make sure that they were safe in the first ce, I didn¡¯t want to keep them up


    late at night now that I had checked on them. Thus, I simply made up an excuse. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I just


    happened to be in the vicinity and remembered that Mr. Campbell has done a lot for the Fuller family,


    so I dropped by to see whether there¡¯s anything I can help with.¡±


    Savannah was a little more awake right then, and her smile turned even gentler. ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Mrs.


    Fuller. The high pay Mr. Fuller gives Joseph is enough for us to resolve all troubles and live a good life.


    We¡¯re very thankful, so how would we dare trouble you further?¡±


    Her voice, gaze, and even gestures were sincere, giving others a refreshing feeling. My mind couldn¡¯t


    help drifting back to the woman¡¯s panicked yet restrained voice in Joseph¡¯s phone that afternoon. Are


    they really the same person? Putting it another way, can a housewife who has just experienced having


    men with malicious intentions barging into her house truly act as though nothing has happened in such


    a short time?

 Chapter 1739

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1739


    Chapter 1739 A Weight Lifted Off


    I had no answer to that. While my brows uncontrobly knitted together, I knew deep within that it was


    a good thing Joseph¡¯s wife was even more resilient than I expected, no matter the reason.


    shing her a gratified gaze in return, I stepped forward and hugged her. ¡°Men are always so


    ambitious that they leave us waiting. How selfish of them! But everything will be fine. After this busy


    period, I¡¯ll give Joseph a long holiday so that he can spend more time with you and the children.¡±


    I patted her on her delicate back though I myself was uncertain whether I was consoling her or myself.


    Savannah probably never expected someone she was meeting for the first time to act so intimately, for


    she reflexively stiffened. When she had ascertained that I had no malicious intentions, she again


    rxed.


    A hug was undoubtedly an incredible thing, for I felt much more at peace after smelling the faint scent


    of shampoo wafting off her.


    Just when I was about to drop my hands, she hugged me back in return, reaching out to pat me on the


    back stiffly. ¡°Well, there¡¯s no end to doing business. I appreciate your kindness, but there¡¯s no choice


    sometimes, Mrs. Fuller. His sense of responsibility is also his charm. I love him, so I naturally love


    everything about him. Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t drag him down, Mrs. Fuller. He said that he¡¯d make it up to


    me. Thus, I¡¯ll continue to trust in him and wait. I¡¯ll take good care of this family and myself on his


    behalf.¡±


    After she had finished speaking, they dropped their hands from each other in unison.


    With my eyes narrowed a fraction, I questioned tentatively, ¡°Are you not worried?¡±


    Hearing that, Savannah burst intoughter as though I had cracked a hrious joke. ¡°Why should I be


    worried?¡± she asked me in return.


    Pausing for a moment, she continued, ¡°I know the kind of person Joseph is, and I believe in him. Most


    importantly, I believe in my judgment. I wouldn¡¯t have chosen the wrong person.¡±


    She¡¯s right. What is there to be worried about? And what uncertainties are there? Ashton is a man I


    chose myself, so how could someone else know him better than I do?


    ¡°I should havee and visited you earlier.¡± Enlightenment swept across me, banishing the


    uncertainties and doubts I had toward Ashton.


    Ten years of loving each other are more than enough to defy human¡¯s innate apprehension. Ashton


    and Joseph are at the same hurdle in life. Maybe he needs a longer time to resolve the problem, but I


    must let him know that I¡¯ll be there no matter when hees back.


    ¡°Not at all. It¡¯s neither early norte. Everything is destined, so it¡¯s just the right time.¡± Savannah wore a


    tender expression as though every problem would be resolved.


    Pursing my lips, I nodded. After exchanging a few more pleasantries with her, I whirled around and


    entered the elevator with Emery.


    Savannah saw me off from her door, her countenance only disappearing from my line of sight when the


    elevator doors closed.


    As the elevator descended, I felt as though a weight was lifted off me as something within me received


    an attestation.


    It was already one o¡¯clock in the morning when I returned home. In order to stop dwelling upon things


    too much, I decided to sleep the moment my head hit the pillow. But when I walked past the corridor, I


    noticed that the light in the study was lit.


    Could it be that Ashton came back?


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I entered the study with questions lingering in my mind. Pushing open the door and sweeping a gaze


    around, I spotted Shaun in the room.


    He was sitting in front of Ashton¡¯sputer, and I almost didn¡¯t see his petite body because of the


    angle.


    When he heard the door opening, he immediately got down from the chair. Standing at the side, he


    greeted deferentially, ¡°Mrs. Fuller.¡±


    Joseph previously found out that Nora had contact with him. Now that we¡¯re in a weak position, it¡¯s


    indeed the best time to steal information so as to curry favor with her. Everyone makes their own


    choices, so it doesn¡¯t really matter. A child who has been drifting about merely wants someone he can


    depend on for eternity.


    ¡°Why are you still not in bed at this hour?¡± I didn¡¯t ask about his motive directly. As I spoke, I walked


    over to the desk and picked up the open document on it, scanning it casually.


    It was Fuller Corporation¡¯s list of projects in recent years. It was publicly avable, so it was no big


    secret.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sleepy yet. The faster I learn to do business, the sooner I can help Mr. Fuller out. Then


    Summer won¡¯t be sad that she can¡¯t see him every day.¡±

 Chapter 1740

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1740


    Chapter 1740 The World Of A Child


    Shaun¡¯s answer wasn¡¯t what I expected. I shifted my gaze to him, but his face was solemn, and he


    didn¡¯t look as though he was lying.


    A wealth of warmth suffused me, and a smile blossomed on my face out of the blue. I was happy on


    Summer¡¯s behalf that she had such a thoughtful and considerate brother.


    Good things really doe at a turning point in time. Does this also mean that everything about


    Ashton will also soon usher in a change?


    ¡°That¡¯s a matter for the adults. You¡¯re still young, so you merely need to study hard and grow up


    healthily. Audrey has feelings of sorrow, and you can have your own feelings as well. You don¡¯t need to


    live for any of us. Do you understand me?¡±


    I then patted him on the shoulder in gratification. Although I was moved, I still had to guide him on the


    right path.


    Shaun pursed his lips tightly without saying anything in response, so I wasn¡¯t sure whether I got


    through to him.


    Ah, it doesn¡¯t matter. There¡¯s still plenty of time, so there¡¯ll certainly be time to teach him slowly in the


    future. He¡¯s a boy, so I¡¯ll wait for Ashton toe back and call the shots. ¡±Anyway, just do whatever


    you want to do in the future. You don¡¯t need to deliberately please anyone. Most importantly, make sure


    that you¡¯re happy. Got it?¡±


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°But I want to do this. I want to make Summer happy. Can I not do that, Mrs. Fuller?¡± Shaun gazed at


    me stubbornly.


    Faced with such an innocent question, I couldn¡¯t help but feel ashamed.


    Perhaps I¡¯m really too sensitive. He¡¯s just a child who knows how to be grateful, so I truly shouldn¡¯t use


    the yardstick of the adult world to evaluate his every action. A child¡¯s world is pure and without ulterior


    motives. They don¡¯t know what it means to pander to someone. They only know who is good to them,


    repaying the person in the same manner. He only wants the girl who gave him a family to be happy.


    There¡¯s nothing wrong with that.


    ¡°Of course you can.¡± Smiling, I shook my head and put the document in my hand back on the desk.


    Then I ruffled his hair. ¡°You can continue reading if you want to do so, but promise me that you¡¯ll go to


    bed right away if you feel sleepy. Also, you can¡¯t stay upter than three o¡¯clock in the morning. Can


    you do that?¡±


    In a rare moment, a trace of delight crept onto his features. He nodded firmly. ¡°Yes.¡±


    After saying that, he sat back down and continued reading the documents. His serious mien rendered


    him very much like an adult.


    I silently walked over to the door. ncing back over my shoulder, I sighed helplessly.


    He¡¯s still a kid at the end of the day. Not only are the few documents inadequate in exining the


    intricacies of business, but it¡¯s even uncertain whether he can make sense of all the figures at such a


    young age. It¡¯s futile that he wants to delve into the adult world.


    Clocking his enthusiasm, I couldn¡¯t bear to rain on his parade.


    I only hope that he¡¯ll learn his limits and back downter. It¡¯s too tiring for someone of his age to study


    all that. Not everyone is as talented as Gregory and finds it effortless.


    That night, I finally had a good night¡¯s sleep and only woke up at half-past eight in the morning. After


    preparing breakfast in a hurry, I rushed over to the hospital.


    It was already ten o¡¯clock when I arrived at the ward. John was so hungry that he wailed as soon as he


    caught sight of me, ¡°Ah, I¡¯m dying! Letty, you actually want to starve me to death, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Good Lord! He¡¯s really s¨¦ that he¡¯s still in the mood to tease me when his right hand is already in


    such a condition. Oh well, what can I do? No matter what, he has all the power since he¡¯s the patient


    here. Hence, I had no choice but to mollify him, saying, ¡°Sorry, my bad! I overslept. Here, I brought your


    favorite chicken soup. Besides, there are tacos, pancakes, and also super delicious casserole. Hurry


    up and eat!¡±


    Narrowing his eyes, John swept his gaze over the spread. He then arched an eyebrow and regarded


    me shrewdly. ¡°You cooked all this?¡±


    I bit my lower lip and nodded guiltily. ¡°Yup. You¡¯re picky about food, so you would¡¯ve long since gone on


    a hunger strike if I were to cook the same thing every day.¡±


    For some inexplicable reason, John snickered. Then he picked up the fork and took a forkful of


    casserole, bringing it up close and scrutinizing it. ¡°This dish needs to bake for a long time. Considering


    its golden color, it must have baked for at least twenty minutes, no?¡±


    Without even thinking about it, I nodded in agreement. ¡°Yup! I baked it for almost half an hour.¡±


    Shaking his head, John put down the fork. The smile ying on his lips was peculiar, making me feel


    awkward for some unknown reason.

 Chapter 1741

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1741


    Chapter 1741 Just Get A Divorce


    Only after a long time had passed did I realize that it took half an hour to bake a dish of macaroni and


    cheese, so it would only take longer for a casserole. Worse still, I said I had overslept just now, so I


    would definitely make something simple. As such, that dish shouldn¡¯t appear.


    Argh! He saw right through me, yet he said nothing. Anyway, what else can I say when he¡¯s smirking in


    such a manner? Feeling deted, I admitted, ¡°All right, stopughing at me. I¡¯ll tell you the truth. It was


    Mrs. Kingsley who prepared all these dishes. I only made the chicken soup. I was in a rush, but I was


    worried that it wouldn¡¯t be enough for you. Anyway, Mrs. Kingsley made you this hearty spread


    sincerely. And it makes no difference whoever cooked them¡­¡±


    A sliver of guilt crept into me as I spoke. Fearful that John would start getting picky again, I shot


    daggers at him and threatened, ¡°Are you not going to eat, then?¡±


    Timidly shrinking back, John picked up the fork again. ¡°No, no, of course not. If I don¡¯t finish this, would


    I still be able to eat Mrs. Kingsley¡¯s and your cooking again in the future? I¡¯m no fool.¡±


    At that, I breathed a sigh of relief. It looks like a patient isn¡¯t all that difficult to handle, after all.


    I watched him eat for some time before it dawned upon me that I hadn¡¯t seen any sign of Emma. While


    opening another lunchbox, I asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Emma? Why hasn¡¯t she returned?¡±


    ¡°She went home.¡± John didn¡¯t even bother lifting his head.


    ¡°No, she didn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t see her.¡± I thought he was referring to the Fuller residence.


    ¡°I¡¯m speaking of her parents¡¯ house.¡± John swallowed the taco in his mouth before he exined, ¡°It¡¯s


    hectic at my father-inw¡¯spany these days, and she¡¯s their only daughter. It¡¯ll seem unreasonable


    if she doesn¡¯t go back and help out.¡±


    ¡°So, that¡¯s what the two of you did back when you both went out together every so often?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± When John spoke of that, his gaze dimmed. The spoonful of chicken soup in his hand


    remained suspended in mid-air as hemented, ¡°In order to locate you back then, I took their only


    daughter abroad. Since we¡¯re back now, I naturally have to help out whenever possible.¡±


    For a moment, words eluded me. Love and marriage are never a matter between two people. Instead,


    everything is closely rted.


    Receiving no response from me, John instantly changed the subject. ¡°Ashton kicked you out of the


    company?¡±


    ¡°How did you know that?¡± I instinctively eximed. It wasn¡¯t until after I had said that did I realize my


    slip of the tongue and hastily changed my tune. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Anyway, I wasn¡¯t going to interfere in the


    matters of Fuller Corporation any longer. Furthermore, there¡¯ll only be incessant bickering when two


    people with differing opinions work together. It¡¯s better to split and go our different paths.¡±


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you two just get a divorce and go your separate ways?¡± John suddenly retorted out of


    nowhere.


    I didn¡¯t know whether he truly felt that way or was deliberately teasing me, so I took it to mean the


    latter. Chuckling, I tried to brush it off, countering, ¡°That¡¯s not the same at all. Family and career don¡¯t


    necessarily have to be linked together. Isn¡¯t it nice to both shine in our respective fields before going


    home to each other at the end of the day? If everything we¡¯ve got to say is the same, then only one can


    speak while the other listens. As time goes by, we¡¯ll inevitably lose interest in each other. Ashton has


    always been more visionary than me, so perhaps this time¡ª¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know when you got so good at lying to yourself.¡± John didn¡¯t even allow me to finish speaking,


    his eyes that could effortlessly steal the hearts of many young maidens fixated right on me. ¡°Have you


    forgotten Uncle Louis¡¯ identity? Did you think that I wouldn¡¯t know about Ashton trafficking drugs if you


    don¡¯t say anything?¡±


    Then, he continued, ¡°What kind of people are involved in that? They are all heinous and callous people


    who only have money in their eyes. Once you have a foot in it, you can never get out for the rest of


    your life. You are well aware of Chanaea¡¯s stance toward drugs, right? No matter how smart Ashton is,


    he will make mistakes. At that time, you¡¯ll also be a fugitive with him. Don¡¯t be a fool, Letty. Put


    away your hopes toward someone like him.¡±


    I didn¡¯t dare look him in the eye. I merely hung my head silently without uttering a single word.


    As an independent person, I naturally had the right to give my all to the man I love. Regardless of how


    irrational it appeared, it was my own choice.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 1742

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1742


    Chapter 1742 The Last Time


    But having lived thus far, I knew my life was no longer just mine. I couldn¡¯t simply disregard John¡¯s


    feelings after epting his infinite care.


    In the end, John was afraid that he would upset me, so he eased off before I could even respond to


    him. ¡°Think about it carefully. I¡¯ve never really stopped you from making your own choices, but it¡¯s


    different this time. No matter the conflicts between the two of you in the past, Ashton was at least a


    decent person with good family background. Now, however, he¡¯s cold-blooded and vicious. He keeps


    getting himself involved in illegal activities, challenging the government. That¡¯s only courting death!¡±


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    After saying that, he continued, ¡°You¡¯ve got to understand something, Letty. We do our best to continue


    living in order to see more of the world and experience the love and beauty in this world, not to plunge


    into hell and be an emotionless machine with only profit in our eyes. I understand that you¡¯re reluctant


    to ept the reality because you¡¯re waiting for him toe to that realization like me. However, people


    are different. Although I was lower than pond scum, I never touched drugs. Your waiting is entirely


    meaningless.¡±


    For some reason, Ashton¡¯s words of ¡°not smart enough¡± shed across my mind when I heard John¡¯s


    last few words. Now that I thought about it, the reference to that remark was rather vague. Was he


    referring to Joseph, or was he deliberately giving me a hint with words that carry a double meaning?


    When I realized that I had zoned out, I immediately snapped back to reality. s, it was already too


    late. John wore a dark expression on his face, his very being exuding his chagrin at my inattentiveness.


    Everyone had their bottom lines, and respecting him meant staying far away from his bottom line.


    Of course, I was no saint either, for I had driven him through the roof more than once. Even if our


    rtionship never suffered any ill effects, it still imperceptibly consumed our ardor. If I were to be wilful


    and selfish forever because of my love for Ashton, I would only end up like Reba.


    Ashton, this is thest time I¡¯m going to try with you.


    Looking at John, I made my greatest resolution to date. ¡°Let me try for the final time. There¡¯s still one


    thing I¡¯m uncertain about when ites to him. When I know for sure, I promise to give you a definite


    answer.¡±


    Exasperated beyond words, John relented. ¡°I hope that answer will be to my satisfaction.¡±


    A bitter smile tugged at my lips, and I said nothing to that. If only there were a choice that would satisfy


    everyone! But in reality, there¡¯s nothing such as the best of both worlds. Ultimately, there has to be a


    resolution between a lover who insists on walking his own path and a family member who stays


    through thick and thin!


    As I slowly walked out of the hospital, my mind remained fixated on the issue with Ashton.


    He can never be rid of the usations Nathaniel made about him, but it may not have necessarily


    tainted his heart. I would never believe that the man¡ªwho was willing to go against his moral code and


    his good friend¡¯s dying wish for my sake, and in doing so, suffer the weight of his conscience for more


    than ten years¡ªwould be so foolish as to insist on walking that path when he knows full well that he¡¯d


    lose me if he did so. It must be because Nathaniel is too cunning, so he has no choice but to use a


    different way to deal with him. If that¡¯s the case, it means things that seemingly make no sense are


    actually normal instead. Then everything can be exined. But how can I prove that?


    Engrossed in my thoughts, I didn¡¯t even notice that the stairs had ended. Stepping a leg hard onto the


    ground, I felt as though I was stepping on air.


    At that scare, I lifted my hand and patted my chest. Phew! Fortunately, it was just a step. If I were on


    the road, I might have lost my life before I even realized it!


    Just as I was exulting in the fact that I missed a brush with death, an extended Lincoln slowly came to a


    stop at the other side of the road. The car door swung open and Nathaniel alighted from the car. From


    afar, one couldn¡¯t find any ws in his countenance that bore a close resemnce to that of Ashton.


    Instead, they would presume that he was sure to be a natural gentleman. No one would suspect that


    beneath the hypocritical facadey an open Pandora¡¯s box. Anyone who drew close to him would only


    bring infinite cmity upon themselves. He was nothing more than a gue.


    I stared at him coldly, having no ns to maintain my superficial calmness. ¡°What kind of fright have


    you prepared for me today, Mr. Hall?¡±


    Nathaniel stopped before me and shed me an innocent smile. ¡°You think I¡¯ve got nothing to do every


    day and that I¡¯m merely racking my brains to think of ways to make your life difficult?¡±

 Chapter 1743

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1743


    Chapter 1743 An Abandoned Factory


    ¡°Well, that can¡¯t be the case. I¡¯ve got self-consciousness and knew that I don¡¯t have that much sway


    when I¡¯m just someone of no consequence.¡± I regarded Nathaniel cidly.


    A fleeting smile shed across his eyes. He then shifted sideways and made a path for me. ¡°Get in.¡±


    He spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, seemingly all too sure that I wouldn¡¯t dare decline.


    However, I simply wanted to irritate him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m very busy now. I¡¯ve got no time to y your


    twisted games with you.¡±


    After saying that, I strode away. I initially thought that he would hound me relentlessly, but he


    unexpectedly made no move to stop me. He merely stood there and watched me leave without a single


    word. Even when I had climbed into the Fuller family¡¯s car, he didn¡¯te over.


    ¡°What exactly is his motive?¡± I couldn¡¯t help griping, with the car window separating us.


    The car had started moving, but he still had no intention of leaving.


    While I was waiting for his next move with my eyes narrowed, he lowered his head and snickered for


    some reason. In the next second, he spun around and strode toward the hospital lobby.


    At that instant, I lost control of my body.


    ¡°Stop!¡± I roared, urging the chauffeur to stop the car. Getting out of the car at lightning speed, I sprinted


    toward Nathaniel as though I had lost my mind. Before he could enter the hospital, I blocked his path,


    holding my arms wide open.


    Nathaniel¡¯s gaze brimmed with amusement as though he was looking at his favorite toy. As our gazes


    locked, stark fear enveloped me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll put my life on the line and kill you if you make a move against John again!¡± I had no idea where my


    courage came from. All I knew was that I had to say something to stop him from getting anywhere near


    the person closest to me.


    At that, the mirth in his eyes intensified. He looked down at me with the gaze of a victor. The look in his


    eyes made it clear that he was an experienced hound, while I was merely a newly weaned puppy. A


    threat from the weak was only a clown fooling around, so it posed no danger to him.


    Anyhow, I¡¯ve got nothing other than this life of mine! This is all I have. Even if it¡¯s futile, I¡¯ll still try and


    give it my all!


    ¡°Why would I want your life?¡± Nathaniel schooled his expression, his voice turning a tad indifferent that


    his emotions were indiscernible. ¡°Can we leave now?¡±


    My hands reflexively clenched into fists. Argh! He¡¯s really a b*stard through and through!


    s, I had no other choice. I couldn¡¯t allow anyone else to get hurt anymore before I knew what other


    tricks he had up his sleeve.


    I clenched my jaw hard before I finally yielded and stalked toward the Lincoln.


    As soon as I sat down, Nathaniel got in as well.


    After closing the door, the chauffeur promptly started the engine and drove away from the hospital.


    The irritation within me made it so that everything grated on my nerves. What¡¯s the use of having a long


    car? It still moves like a snail in the city area, wasting time onmute!Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Every second I spent with Nathaniel made me exceedingly ufortable, and I only hoped the


    horrible drive would end as soon as possible.


    The car left the city center and drove to an abandoned factory in the outer suburbs.


    The ce was dozens of kilometers away from the city center, so there were no signs of anyone living


    nearby. The four-story abandoned factory was the size of roughly three football fields. When the wind


    swept past, the sound echoed everywhere.


    After getting out of the car, Nathaniel headed straight in, not at all bothered about whether I was


    following him.


    The so-called road was also a small path with ttened weeds from repeated walking. It was just the


    right size for a person. As I was wearing high heels, I struggled to walk. In no time, the distance


    between us grew.


    Fortunately, he merely stopped at the neighboring building and went no further.


    The floor structure of the building was circr, with a massive space in the middle, allowing one to look


    right down and see the situation below. Nathaniel stood at the very edge as he gazed down.


    As I headed in his direction from thending, my eyes narrowed, and I imagined a sudden gust of wind


    sweeping past and knocking him down. It doesn¡¯t matter whether he dies right away or bes


    crippled, for everything would then end!


    ¡°Falling from such a height won¡¯t result in death.¡± Nathaniel had his back to me, yet he saw right


    through me.


    My steps halted, and I stopped a meter away from him. ¡°Don¡¯t be so sure of that.¡±

 Chapter 1744

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1744


    Chapter 1744 Be My Dog


    If he were to fall head down, he¡¯d end up in a vegetative state even if he didn¡¯t die. There¡¯s no doubt


    about that.


    Nathaniel didn¡¯t bother pursuing that matter. Instead, he calmly changed the subject. ¡°I¡¯ve got some


    good news for you. Ashton has been searching for Joseph sincest night.¡±


    Indeed, that¡¯s good news for me. But why would he possibly be so kind to tell me that? Could it be that


    he discovered that Ashton still has a trace of humanity left, so he came up with an even more twisted


    way to torture us?


    ¡°However, he also took quite a lot of ice from me,¡± Nathaniel added before I could respond.


    What does that mean? Does Ashton want to give the drugs to Joseph personally? But that will only


    make things worse for him, no?


    Before I could say anything, the sound of a car engine sounded from the ground floor of the building,


    followed by a flurry of footsteps.


    A few secondster, a man in a ck suit and leather shoes was tossed onto the ground from outside,


    causing dust to fly all over the ce.


    A tall figure blocked the man¡¯s body, but the figure in the shadows soon entered our lines of sight.


    Only after I had made out Ashton¡¯s familiar features did I btedly realize that the person who was


    flung in earlier was likely Joseph.


    Taking a closer look proved my guess right. However, Joseph was trembling all over, his face rapidly


    losing color. He was a strong man who could usually go against five men at once, but he didn¡¯t even


    have the strength to get to his feet right then. Hugging himself sickly, he curled into a ball on the


    ground. His eyes were so sunken that only the whites seemed to remain. On the whole, his condition


    was so pathetic that nausea would set in at a single look.


    In the blink of an eye, Joseph got addicted to drugs. His eyes abruptly popped open, and he trembled


    even more violently. As he began sniffling all the faster, he lost his mindpletely. Disregarding the


    suit he was wearing, he rolled on the ground agonizingly like a dog and begged for his next hit like the


    tens of thousands of addicts out there.


    ¡°Give it to me¡­ Boss, please give me some ice! I can¡¯t take it anymore! I¡¯m going to die! I really can¡¯t


    hold out any longer¡­ I¡¯ve done so many things for you, Ashton! Are you just going to watch me die?¡±


    Not in the least bit affected by the heart-wrenching scene before him, Ashton merely watched as


    Joseph was all covered in dust before he drawled, ¡°Of course not.¡±


    After saying that, he took out a packet of ice from his pocket and threw it at the person on the ground. It


    hit Joseph¡¯s face hard before bouncing onto the dusty floor.


    The instant Joseph saw it, his eyes lit up as though he was a dog that had been starving for days and


    had finally found food. He excitedly yet carefully hid it in his arms, afraid that someone would snatch it


    away.


    Watching his reaction coldly, Ashton strolled over and slowly crouched before him. In a voice as calm


    as ever, he asserted, ¡°Be my dog, and you¡¯ll get however much ice you want. Do you understand me?¡±


    What? A dog is merely a creature with no dignity or spine. It carries out its master¡¯smands as it


    obeys anyone who feeds it! They¡¯re close friends who have been through thick and thin, yet Joseph


    deserves to be doomed forever in Ashton¡¯s eyes now just because he offended Reba once and


    brought him trouble?Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I couldn¡¯t fathom Ashton¡¯s thoughts, but I instinctively frowned. That packet of ice is enough to kill


    Joseph!


    In the beginning, Joseph was still immersed in his delight for having obtained ¡°food.¡± When he realized


    what Ashton wanted him to do, he suppressed the effects of the drugs and gaped at the man in


    disbelief, his entire being exuding defiance.


    He¡¯s the head of the family with a wife and children pinning their hopes on him, an outstanding man


    with a higher IQ and EQ than the average person! How could he possibly live like a dog? Although he


    has already behaved in such a manner just now, Ashton shouldn¡¯t be taking advantage of him at this


    time, not even giving him any room to breathe. He¡¯ll drive him crazy!


    Despite three floors separating us, their confrontation on the concrete floor far beneath my feet


    seemingly had the temperature around me plummeting.

 Chapter 1745

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1745


    Chapter 1745 Addicted To Ice


    It was rare to find someone who could resist Ashton¡¯s terrifying pressure. After two minutes of silence,


    a teary-eyed Joseph finally gritted his teeth and gave a dip of his head.


    No one couldprehend the immense pressure that he was feeling at that moment. His body had


    surrendered although his pride did not allow it.


    ¡°Very well,¡± Ashton said inly. ¡°Clean yourself up and go plead Ms. Larson for forgiveness.¡±


    Joseph was no longer the same person as before. With an indifferent expression, he got up holding the


    ice in his hands. He knelt in front of Ashton, hung his head low, and said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of


    it, Mr. Fuller. Thank you for bringing me these.¡±


    Lowering his gaze and as if he was omnipotent, Ashton stood up and said impatiently, ¡°This is the first


    and also thest time. If this happens again, I¡¯m sure you know what the consequences are.¡±


    At that moment, I felt as if I saw Nathaniel in him.


    Despite being the one responsible for destroying everything, he behaved as if he was a god who had


    come to save the weak.


    ¡°I do.¡± Joseph looked as though he had aged by two decades. Gasping for breath weakly like an old


    man, he stared listlessly at the muddy ground in front of him. ¡°I will be your most impressive dog.¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± I could no longer stand the sight of it. I sprinted downstairs and before anyone realized what


    was going on, I swung my hand and gave Ashton a p. ¡°You b*stard!¡±


    Somehow, Ashton had be quick-tempered. The p seemed to have awoken the rage in him. As


    he stared at me with his burning eyes, the throbbing veins on his face seemed to presage that he was


    about to explode.


    I was afraid that he would break ties with me andpletely change into another person because of


    that. After all, I was not emotionally prepared for it.


    Swallowing a lump in my throat, I turned around to help Joseph up. ¡°Come with me!¡±


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    However, Joseph tugged my arm and refused to get up. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Mrs. Fuller. Please don¡¯t put Mr.


    Fuller in a difficult position.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saving you!¡± When I saw how he was unable to differentiate who had his best interest at heart, I


    turned red with anger. ¡°Wake up, Joseph! What Ashton has given you will only harm you. If you


    continue to follow him, you will only fall deeper into the abyss!¡±


    The moment he heard my words, Joseph sat back on the ground, pitiful and powerless. ¡°This is my


    choice.¡±


    I furrowed my brows in disbelief. I was briefly stunned. In an act of desperation, I tried to pull him up.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not being rational now. Whatever you say or decide just doesn¡¯t make sense. You have to


    leave with me!¡±


    Perhaps I wasn¡¯t trying to fight with either Ashton or Nathaniel anymore. I probably couldn¡¯t get past


    myself. I couldn¡¯t allow myself to see a second friend abandon me under physical and mental duress.


    Unfortunately, whatever little strength I had wasn¡¯t enough to move Joseph¡¯s well-built body once he


    put his weight on the ground.


    When despair finally got the better of me, I released him and let out a dejected sigh. Lowering my head


    toward the ground, I suddenly felt my head spin.


    Am I dreaming? Or is this all just an illusion? How did things escte out of control as if there is no way


    out?


    An awkward silence descended upon the scene. Neither of us intended to say a word. As for Nathaniel


    who was upstairs, he too didn¡¯t take any action. I wasn¡¯t sure if he and Ashton knew of each other¡¯s


    presence and that this was all just an act to feel each other out.


    Nevertheless, one thing was for certain. Regardless of whether Ashton was good or evil, he had shown


    all his cards. Getting Joseph addicted to ice was a sign of him walking toward the path of darkness.


    There was no better person to run a cigarette business than a cigarette addict. The only thing Ashton


    was conscious about was not getting himself addicted. He had chosen to let Joseph take his ce


    instead as a ve to ice.

 Chapter 1746

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1746


    Chapter 1746 Pure Ice


    At that moment, John¡¯s words echoed in my head again. Looking at Ashton, I subconsciously hugged


    myself as if that was the only way to stop the iciness emanating from the depths of my heart.


    I couldn¡¯t help but ask myself if I could still love the current Ashton unconditionally.


    Finally, Nathaniel came down the stairs. When he emerged, he scanned the surroundings before


    settling his gaze on Joseph.


    Due to the episode earlier, the bag of crystal meth that Ashton had brought was now lying by Joseph¡¯s


    feet. Bending forward, Nathaniel picked it up and studied it in his hand. He looked in Ashton¡¯s direction


    and asked coldly, ¡°How can such substandard goods be worthy of those closest to you? Ashton, by


    doing this, it will only serve to demoralize your subordinates.¡±


    Ashton was unfazed. ¡°You have to ask your men about it. Perhaps they feel that I¡¯m only worth this


    much, and there is no need to bring out the good stuff.¡±


    Nathaniel lowered his gaze without retorting. The next moment, he raised his hand and threw the drugs


    out the main door. Before we could react, he held up his other hand at Ashton, and somehow, there


    was a syringe in his hand.


    His eyes glistened and his grin slowly widened. ¡°This is the purest form avable. Since he is someone


    you value highly, why don¡¯t you inject him with your own hands?¡±


    The purer the drug was, the stronger the addiction. Even though there might be a chance to quit in the


    future, one would have to go through even more pain.


    Ashton lowered his head and nced at the thick syringe. After receiving it, he walked toward Joseph


    and knelt down without any hesitation.


    ¡°Are you crazy, Ashton? Stop! If he can¡¯t take it, he will die!¡± As all the rm bells in my brain went off, I


    dashed ahead to try and stop him. Unfortunately, Nathaniel had grabbed hold of me. In the face of his


    massive strength, I was powerless to do anything.


    Before I realized it, Joseph had offered his left hand. He rolled up his sleeves and clenched his fist so


    that his veins could be easily seen.


    ¡°Go ahead, Mr. Fuller. Give it to me, quick. This is killing me.¡± Joseph¡¯s eyelids were twitching


    uncontrobly as if he was on the brink of aa.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°Ashton! I¡¯m utterly disappointed in you. I beg of you. Don¡¯t do this to Joseph!¡± I screamed, feeling the


    burn in my nose and tears in my eyes.


    The moment Ashton¡¯s hand moved toward Joseph¡¯s arm, I turned away, unable to bear the sight.


    Unexpectedly, Nathaniel was intrigued. Ignoring my blows, he grabbed my chin and forced me to watch


    Ashton inject Joseph with the syringe.


    I watched as the thick needle was inserted into Joseph¡¯s blood vessels. I saw the liquid inside flow into


    his body as Ashton applied pressure on the syringe. When thetter had injected everything, Joseph


    gaped at the sky with only the white of his eyes visible. After Ashton pulled out the needle, Joseph


    convulsed before rolling on the ground. There, he looked as if he was in heaven and hell at the same


    time.


    Soon, the side effects began to kick in. Since it was his first time being exposed to ice that was so high


    in purity, Joseph started foaming at the mouth after a short moment of ecstasy. With blood dripping out


    of his nose, he looked as if he was an epileptic patient who could drop dead at any time.


    Both Nathaniel and Ashton had the same look on their faces. Narrowing their gazes, they waited


    silently for Joseph to either endure through it or die trying.


    Distracted by the drama, Nathaniel had unconsciously loosened his grip on me. Taking on one person


    was naturally easier than taking on two, so I used the opportunity to stomp my leg on his leather shoe


    before dashing toward Joseph¡¯s side and dialing for the ambnce.


    While waiting for the call to get through, I pulled out the knife I had prepared earlier from my bag and


    pressed it against my throat. ¡°Either we wait for the ambnce, or I¡¯ll die together with him. Don¡¯t you


    feel smug about yourself yet!¡±


    Ashton narrowed his eyes at me. ¡°All they will do is detain him for a while at the hospital. Do you really


    think it¡¯s for his own good?¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡± An angry woman couldn¡¯t care less about the ones she loved. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk to you


    right now!¡±

 Chapter 1747

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1747


    Chapter 1747 A Bug


    ¡°Have you finally reached your limit?¡± Supporting himself on his knees, Nathaniel bent down and


    leaned closer to me. He was smiling, but the smile did not reach his eyes. ¡°Come, tell me¡ªdo you still


    love Ashton now?¡±


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    I swore I wanted to give it all up then, just as he wished. I wanted to scream to the world that I was


    done ying games and I could no longer care if Ashton insisted on walking toward his own doom.


    However, the look in Nathaniel¡¯s eyes sparked uncontroble defiance within me. A voice in my head


    repeatedly reminded me that I was looking at a demon and not a man. The difference between them


    lay in the fact that a man knew how to show mercy while a demon didn¡¯t, just like how a rat would never


    escape from the grasp of a cat.


    Once the cat got tired of toying with it, certain death was the only fate that awaited the rat.


    My gut feeling told me that if I admitted defeat now, none of us would survive.


    At that moment, the call finally got through. Ady¡¯s gentle voice rang out over the line. ¡°Hello, this is


    the emergency services. How may I help you?¡±


    With my phone in hand, I took a deep breath and ended the call. I got up to my feet and met


    Nathaniel¡¯s puzzled gaze as I walked to Ashton¡¯s side. Then, I lifted my heels, threw my arms around


    his neck, and gave him a kiss.


    Ashton was initially caught by surprise as he quickly held his breath. But after regaining his senses, he


    struggled and pushed me away.


    I stumbled backward but steadied myself again. I was unable to hold back the ecstasy I felt.


    Given how honest the reactions of our bodies were, I finally found the answer I had been searching for.


    Thereafter, I looked in Nathaniel¡¯s direction. I saw him purse his lips and that his eyes were glowing


    with suppressed rage. Evidently, he was infuriated by my actions.


    Well then, let me just add fuel to the fire.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. There¡¯s no way people with different values can be together. Butpared to Ashton,


    principles don¡¯t worth a dime. So I have changed my mind and will join both of you. I¡¯ll fork out all my


    money and y this game alongside Ashton. That way, we can continue loving each other again. Isn¡¯t


    that right, Nathaniel?¡±


    Worried that my words were not effective enough, I put on an innocent expression and an ambiguous


    smirk as I continued, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Isn¡¯t that what you have been waiting for? Aren¡¯t you nning to


    pull Ashton down from his pedestal and imprison him in this hell of yours? Since I can¡¯t stop you from


    doing it, I¡¯ll fall into it together with him. Now that you have the two of us, isn¡¯t it a pretty sweet deal for


    you?¡±


    I knew better than anyone else that Nathaniel didn¡¯t just want to ruin Ashton¡¯s reputation. He wanted to


    destroy himpletely.


    Therefore, there was no way he would allow Ashton to have his way in this underground world of his.


    Once he realized that every one had forsaken Ashton, he would consequently lose interest. By that


    time, Nathaniel would make sure that Ashton disappeared from the world.


    From Nathaniel¡¯s perspective, there was only room for one of them in this world, and he would naturally


    be thest one standing.


    Having been with Ashton for so many years, I could clearly recognize it when he hated someone. With


    regards to the kiss just now, he neither waited coldly for me to finish nor push me aside from the


    beginning. His reaction indicated that he wasn¡¯t on his guard against me. He was worried that his


    honest reactions would be exposed in front of Nathaniel.


    In the face of an unpredictable foe, one had to use the element of surprise to defeat him.


    This time, Ashton had no reason to use me of not being smart enough anymore.


    Nheless, this was still an assumption on my part. To either assist Ashton or n my next move, I


    needed him to give me a clear sign of confirmation.


    After all, joining them was just a smokescreen I was using.


    Nathaniel had gone to great lengths to destroy the beautiful image of Ashton in my heart. He wanted


    me to be so disappointed in Ashton that I would stop loving him.


    Since he regarded love as a video game, where it can be withdrawn at will, I would turn myself into a


    bug in his game in order to frustrate him.

 Chapter 1748

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1748


    Chapter 1748 I Will Follow Him To Purgatory


    By putting myself out there, I could force Ashton into revealing his true intentions.


    I didn¡¯t want to be in his way, but I couldn¡¯t tolerate the world turning its back on him either. Hence, I


    had no choice but to elicit a response this way.


    In the midst of the long silence, Joseph had lost consciousness due to the overwhelming effects of the


    drug. As the cold breeze filtered through the building, tension started to build up in the surrounding


    atmosphere.


    Nathaniel¡¯s gaze was constantly trained on me, like an eagle eyeing a rabbit.


    Just like Ashton, he was good at seeing through people. I reckoned he was hoping to read something


    from my facial expressions. Luckily, I had picked up a thing or two from John¡¯s nonchnt attitude as


    Nathaniel drew a nk in his search.


    Just as expected, he averted his gaze in defeat after a two-minute staring contest. Closing his eyes, he


    lost himself in his own thoughts.


    As the seconds ticked by, Joseph¡¯s chances of survival grew increasingly slim.


    Sneaking a nce at him from the corner of my eye, I clenched my fists and decided to negotiate the


    terms under false pretenses.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I called out to Nathaniel as if I was the wife of a mafia boss. Then I went straight to the point as I


    continued, ¡°Don¡¯t think that I will work for you for nothing in return. If you want to leverage the


    resources of the Fullers and Stovall Corporation to expand your business, you have to agree to my two


    conditions.¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°There¡¯s no ce for you to interfere in men¡¯s affairs.¡± Ashton tried to stop me. His expression was as


    icy as ever.


    I tilted my head and looked at him with a mischievous smile. ¡°What else can I do? I wish to stay by your


    side forever. In fact, both my body and soul desire it. Didn¡¯t you feel it from the kiss just now?¡±


    I winked at Ashton in front of Nathaniel as I spoke.


    ¡°Your career is at home. Raising kids is what you should be doing.¡± Ashton¡¯s frown deepened. In fact,


    the look of disgust on his face couldn¡¯t be any more obvious.


    However, I shrugged to express my defiance.


    ¡°Are you two putting up an act in front of me?¡± Nathaniel finally responded. He was emitting such a


    frosty aura that one could feel a chill down the spine just by looking at him.


    He felt that Ashton and I were colluding with each other.


    If one¡¯s betrayal was for the greater good, it was a choice worth considering. After all, Nathaniel was


    someone extremely guarded.


    Taking a deep breath, I cast my emotions aside and stared earnestly at him. ¡°What about it? What will


    satisfy you, then? Let me remind you that I am the one who¡¯s being monitored, not you. Where do I find


    the opportunity to conspire with Ashton? Or perhaps you want to hear me lie to you that I no longer


    love Ashton? Fine, if that¡¯s what you want, I¡¯ll say it out loud. I am utterly disappointed and have lost


    faith in him. From now on, we will not have anything to do with each other¡­ Are you happy now?¡±


    Nathaniel¡¯s eyes shed with disdain, as he knew those words were nothing but falsehoods.


    Nevertheless, he was hoping that those lies would be the truth so that no one would love or dare


    to love Ashton anymore, just like him.


    Gaining momentum from his vtile emotions, I continued my performance with a smirk.


    ¡°Look, even you don¡¯t buy it. Love isn¡¯t something that one can control. Yes, I admit Ashton¡¯s recent


    actions are despicable. Just as you wanted, I¡¯m disappointed in him. Still, you didn¡¯t take into


    consideration the bond we have built over the years.


    ¡°His name no longer belongs to him alone. Instead, it has been seared into every fiber of my body. I


    have grown to love and trust him so much that I will stand by his side even in the face of Armageddon!


    ¡°If you have loved someone, you will understand how powerless it feels when one is being swept away


    by one¡¯s emotions. I have gone through too many separations in my life, so there¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to


    let go of Ashton. Even if it means going to Purgatory, I will dly follow him there.¡±

 Chapter 1749

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1749


    Chapter 1749 All Of You Will Be Reunited


    ¡°You are someone who has never been loved before. I understand if you don¡¯tprehend this. But


    since you believe you can put a price on everything in this world, I am willing to give you all my assets


    in return for you staying out of our marriage. It should be an easy choice for you, shouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    Nathaniel¡¯s eyes widened as he exploded, ¡°Do you not care if the Stovall and Fuller families are


    destroyed along with you?¡±


    Raising the corner of my mouth, I turned to Ashton and looked at him fondly. ¡°Despite being the


    daughter of the Stovall family, I cannot bring myself to abandon Ashton. Every moment I spend with


    him turns into sweet memories. If both families are ruined because of me, I¡¯m willing to pay for my sins


    with my life. At the end of the day, the choice isn¡¯t mine. Just go ahead and do what you want. I hope


    you would force me to my doom so that I wouldn¡¯t even need to think about this anymore¡­¡±


    As soon as I finished, I heard the sound of someone flicking his sleeves. When I turned around, all I


    could see was Nathaniel¡¯s leaving silhouette.


    With no time to celebrate with Ashton, I knelt down at once and gently pped Joseph¡¯s face. ¡°Mr.


    Campbell, wake up! Joseph¡­¡±


    Joseph didn¡¯t respond to my calls. I had no choice but to drag him up and take him to a private hospital.


    Given the statuses of the Fuller and Stovall families in K City, I figured it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to keep the


    matter from the police.


    ¡°Ashton, help me, quick! I¡¯m not strong enough to get him up. If we dy any longer, Joseph won¡¯t


    survive.¡± Putting Joseph¡¯s arm around my shoulder, I tried my best to pull him up.


    Suddenly, a bag containing a syringe was thrown to my side. After picking it up, I turned to look at


    Ashton whose expression was frosty as ever. ¡°It contains atropine. Inject it into his chest and it will


    stabilize his condition for a while.¡±


    I heaved a sigh of relief and smiled at the fortunate turn of events.


    Worried that Nathaniel would return, Ashton dered scathingly, ¡°Only I can decide whether my man


    lives or dies.¡±


    With that, he walked away without even bothering whether I knew how to inject the syringe or not.


    Realizing how weak Joseph¡¯s breathing had be, I had no other choice but to make every possible


    effort to save him. I opened the package, ripped off his shirt, and stabbed the needle into his heart.


    Since then, Ashton and Nathaniel never showed up again.


    Joseph woke up the next afternoon and the first thing he did when he opened his eyes was to grab my


    hand and ask about Savannah and his child.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They¡¯re fine.¡± While consoling him, I poured him a cup of warm water. After making sure


    he was fine, I said, ¡°Ashton was the one who saved you.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Joseph¡¯s expression was calm as he held the cup. ¡°It means that I am still of use to Mr.


    Fuller.¡±


    From this reaction, it was obvious that he wasn¡¯t surprised at all.


    It also helped to confirm one of my suspicions¡ªJoseph was aware of the hidden agenda behind


    Ashton¡¯s drastic change in temperament.


    ¡°We are not being watched by Nathaniel¡¯s men here, so there¡¯s no need to say such ridiculous words.


    No one wants to hear them.¡± I tried to lighten the atmosphere as I spoke in a joking manner.


    Joseph looked better, but he didn¡¯t reply.


    I knew how good he was at keeping secrets, so I wasn¡¯t surprised at all. Consequently, I just treated


    him as a messenger since he excelled at it.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to talk about it. I can see it with my own eyes. After all, we will be spending a


    lot of time with each other going forward.¡± Picking up an apple, I began to peel it leisurely.


    Not knowing what I meant, Joseph looked up and shot me a nce. Then, he casually remarked, ¡°Mrs.


    Fuller, that¡¯s the way you should see it. Ultimately, Mr. Fuller will return to your side. With that, all of


    you, including Ms. Audrey and Mr. Gregory, will be reunited.¡±


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    If it wasn¡¯t for the incident at the abandoned factory, I would have thought Joseph was being sarcastic


    on purpose. But now that I thought about it, Joseph¡¯s implicit and explicit words had always been


    reassuring. It was the different state of mind that I was in that caused me to misinterpret it.


    Men everywhere were the same. Once they had a n, they would give it their all to make it a sess


    and they would be paranoid that revealing just a little would cause their ns to fail entirely.

 Chapter 1750

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1750


    Chapter 1750 Does It Matter


    I shook my head with a smile. As I continued peeling the apple, I said casually, ¡°If it was as easy as you


    say, you wouldn¡¯t need to be so fearful of telling me the truth.¡±


    Not one to be good with words, Joseph was stumped by my remark.


    Anyway, I wasn¡¯t in a hurry to force him into telling me the truth. After peeling the apple, I handed it


    over to him.


    He took it and held it in his hand without the intention to eat it. Instead, he stared nkly into space,


    visibly shaken by my words.


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to use you of anything. I¡¯m sure you have your reasons for keeping mum, and I


    understand that. Still, I hope you can empathize with me. As both a wife and ady, I don¡¯t want to and


    I can¡¯t stay out of this matter. Tell Ashton that I will continue to muddy the waters until he can strike


    when the opportunity arises.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really understand what you¡¯re trying to say, Mrs. Fuller.¡± Joseph furrowed his brows, his eyes


    filled with concern.


    I almost forgot that he was unconscious when I announced that I would join in. I gave a faint smile and


    said, ¡°It¡¯s simple. As of now, you¡¯re no longer Ashton¡¯s only right-hand man. I, as his wife, will be joining


    you guys in running the business.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Fuller won¡¯t allow it,¡± Joseph expressed his doubts.


    I put on an innocent look. ¡°Does it matter? What counts is that Nathaniel didn¡¯t object. If I¡¯m right, your


    boss will not say no to any of Nathaniel¡¯s requests now, am I right?¡±ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Joseph stared at me, not knowing what to say. Perhaps he had wanted to dissuade me from doing it,


    but when he saw the look in my eyes, he could sense the change in me. In the end, he resigned


    himself to hold his tongue.


    Having achieved my goal, I left him for the time being and returned to see John, at the same time


    allowing both Joseph and Ashton some space to exchange information.


    When I pushed open the door to John¡¯s ward, I saw that the nurse was busy packing up. John was


    dressed in casual clothing with a jacket draped over his shoulder. Its sleeves hung loosely, covering his


    hand that was in a cast. From the look of it, he was preparing to be discharged.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± John had a broken. He would need to recuperate in the hospital for at least a


    month. It was way too early to be discharged from the hospital.


    The nurse stopped what she was doing and answered, ¡°Mr. Stovall ordered it. Also, the paperwork for


    the discharge has beenpleted.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. Just continue packing,¡± John instructed before walking over. Putting his hand over my


    shoulder, he began cooking up excuses with a cheeky smile. ¡°My dear sister, I¡¯m someone who just


    can¡¯t sit still, and you know that, right? At this rate, I would be mired in depression soon. Besides,


    wouldn¡¯t I recover faster if I was happier? Just let me recuperate at home.¡±


    I lifted my head and chuckled sarcastically, then a serious expression descended upon my face. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t the doctor say that the first half a month¡¯s recovery is the most crucial? You still need to go


    through a myriad of tests. How are you going to do them at home?¡± John had hurt his right hand


    because of me. I wasn¡¯t going to allow anyone to interrupt the healing process unless the doctor


    dered that it was crippled.


    ¡°I¡¯ll juste back every day for my check-up. No matter what, I just can¡¯t stand staring nkly at the


    ceiling for another day in here,¡± John said slovenly.


    ¡°It¡¯s still a no.¡± I felt bad as I looked at him. I knew how tormenting it was for someone who was used to


    enjoying freedom to be cooped up in a ward. However, I had no other choice as I simply owed him too


    much. As long as there was a sliver of hope, I would spare no effort in trying everything until his hand


    had fully recovered.


    ¡°How about I alternate between staying at the hospital and at home?¡± When he saw how persistent I


    was, he put on a pitiful face in an attempt to elicit sympathy from me.


    In spite of that, my solemn expression made it obvious that there was no room for negotiations. ¡°Don¡¯t


    think that I don¡¯t know you. Once you leave this ce, there¡¯s no way I can force you toe back


    here. Just bear with it for half a month, and don¡¯t get any funny ideas.¡±

 Chapter 1751

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1751


    Chapter 1751 We Can Trust Ashton


    Seeing that his attempt was futile, John slumped onto the couch and crossed his legs. ¡°Then I¡¯ll just


    follow my own will. I¡¯ll go out when I want to go out ande back when I want toe back.¡±


    I folded my arms, unfazed by his threats. ¡°You¡¯d better not try that with me. I don¡¯t mind taking turns


    with Emma to monitor you round the clock. If it doesn¡¯t bother you, then please go ahead and behave


    recklessly.¡±


    John¡¯s face instantly turned sullen as heined, ¡°You only do this to me. If you¡¯re so good at it,


    why don¡¯t you keep Ashton in check instead?¡±


    At the mention of Ashton, I subconsciously knitted my brows. After pondering for a moment, I replied,


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep him in line as I have always done.¡±


    I knew that Ashton didn¡¯t change. It was just that he couldn¡¯t express it for the time being.


    Thinking that he had triggered me, John quickly cleared his throat and rephrased, ¡°I¡¯m not ming you.


    I just want you to think about the matter from my perspective. You can¡¯t let go of Ashton, and there¡¯s no


    way I can allow Emma to manage such a hugepany by herself. Her family¡­ I¡¯m a man too, Letty.


    You are my family, and so is she. I have to be fair. I can¡¯t support you unconditionally while enjoying the


    results of her efforts and then back out like a coward at a time when she needs me the most, can I?¡±


    ¡°What? Did something happen to her family?¡± His words brought a sinking feeling to my stomach, but I


    expected it to be not as bad as I imagined.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Unfortunately, John gave me a heavy nod. ¡°Someone has manipted the stock exchange and


    trapped all of the Lyons family assets.¡±


    ¡°Was it¡­ Nathaniel?¡± The look on John¡¯s face confirmed my suspicions. My teeth began to chatter in


    disbelief as the matter caught me by surprise.


    How is this possible? I acted as if I didn¡¯t care about any of it, yet he still proceeded to destroy them.


    Did he see through my ruse?


    I felt as if I had missed a step and fallen into a deep abyss.


    Why can¡¯t I ever figure out what his next step or who his next target is? Will it be the Stovall family or


    the Fuller family next? Or perhaps both at the same time?


    I swallowed a lump in my throat, feeling a chill down my spine. Maybe Ashton was right. Nathaniel was


    a lot more terrifying than I thought. The more I tried to probe, the deeper the trouble I wouldnd myself


    in.


    Given the circumstances, I no longer had any reason to stop John from leaving the hospital. ¡°Fine, you


    can recuperate at home. But you have to promise me that you wille back for your check-ups as


    scheduled. Also, don¡¯t even think about shouldering the matter with Emma¡¯s family alone. We¡¯ll fix it


    together.¡±


    That was the ideal solution that would satisfy both sides.


    ¡°No problem, you¡¯re the boss.¡± John¡¯s face lit up, but suddenly remembering something, he asked


    seriously, ¡°Millie mentioned that you met Ashton again today. Did you manage to verify what you


    wanted to?¡±


    I harked back to that day when Ashton threw me the atropine syringe while making smugments.


    He had obviously prepared to use it on Joseph. After all, no one would walk around carrying such a


    thing.


    In truth, it was a blessing in disguise. If Joseph¡¯s life hadn¡¯t been hanging by a thread, Ashton wouldn¡¯t


    have risked being discovered by taking out the syringe at the abandoned factory. It was that very


    gesture that allowed me to confirm that he was still the Ashton I loved and that he hadn¡¯t changed at


    all.


    John didn¡¯t press on with his questions when he saw that I had spaced out. He patted me on my


    shoulder andforted me, ¡°It¡¯s all right if you don¡¯t want to talk about it. I believe you know what


    you¡¯re doing.¡±


    Regaining my senses, I replied with a smile, ¡°No, I was just thinking about something else.¡±


    ¡°John¡±¡ªI wore a serious expression after getting a grip of myself¡ª¡±we can trust Ashton.¡±

 Chapter 1752

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1752


    Chapter 1752 You Are In Charge


    John furrowed his eyebrows in disbelief. Looking thoughtful, he asked, ¡°You¡¯re saying that everything


    Ashton has been doing recently is a lie and that he is doing this undercover? Are you sure about that?¡±


    As smart as he was, he quickly grasped the meaning behind my words. I nodded with my lips pursed,


    my eyes filled with undeniable conviction. ¡°I¡¯m certain of it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Unconvinced, John let out a long hum and didn¡¯t reveal his thoughts.


    I could understand his skepticism. After all, even the Lyons family had been dragged into this war,


    which was one that we couldn¡¯t afford to lose. It was too risky for him to have faith in Ashton, who had


    never pledged his loyalty to anyone.


    If he was still a youth, he would make the same bet as I did without a care for the consequences. But


    now, he was all grown up and was a legitimate head of a family. Hence, he could no longer make


    decisions recklessly.


    That day, his scathing words were not just meant to frighten me. If Ashton had really changed, he


    would go all out to take him down. But even so, he was apprehensive when faced with my decision to


    trust Ashton still.


    After all, other than being stubborn and soft-hearted at times, John was someone who would deliberate


    upon mattersprehensively.


    ¡°John¡±¡ªI suppressed the emotions in my heart and adjusted his jacket that had flipped over by his


    shoulder¡ª¡±just prioritize Emma this time, all right? What you have done for me is more than enough.¡±


    After a brief pause, I continued, ¡°Although all good things muste to an end, I know that both of us


    are different. No matter what you choose this time or whether we¡¯re on the same path, I will always


    remember that you are the biggest source of my courage.¡±


    John let out a long sigh. ¡°The way you talk really unsettles me.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, I hid away my sorrows and looked up at him. With a confident smile, I answered,


    ¡°You should get used to it because the conclusion will show that my judgment is correct.¡±


    John grinned in response. ¡°Are you really that confident in Ashton?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s more like I¡¯m confident in my own choice. After all, I picked it up from you, no?¡±


    With nothing to retort, Johnughed in resignation.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± At that moment, Emma entered with her assistant.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± John turned to her while maintaining his smile. ¡°You won. I admit my defeat.¡±


    After shooting him a knowing nce, Emmaughed alongside him.


    Sandwiched in the middle and being the third wheel, I didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. ¡°Can the two


    of you please stop flirting in front of me?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t. I¡¯m innocent¡­¡± John raised his left hand. Instead of asking for mercy, he looked as if he was


    greeting someone.


    After all, pleading for mercy required two hands, but he could only use one now.


    Holding that thought, I couldn¡¯t bring myself tough anymore.


    As for Emma, she warmly put her arm around my shoulder, just like old times. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to his


    b*llshit. We were betting whether you would still take Ashton¡¯s side this time. I put my chips on you


    while he did the opposite. The loser will be second-inmand at home forever.¡±


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Second-inmand? Doesn¡¯t that mean he no longer has any status in the family? On second


    thought, John never did possess any authority at home to begin with.


    ¡°I have lost miserably this time.¡± John began to put on a pitiful look. Although he was just pretending, it


    did lighten up the atmosphere significantly.


    Shrugging, I quickly apologized. ¡°I¡¯ll let you be the top dog in my house in the future, just as how it was


    when Ashton lost his memory. You were in charge of everything then.¡±


    With his spirit suddenly reinvigorated, John pointed to the air and said, ¡°Remember what you said.¡±


    I looked down at his well-defined fingers and pushed them aside with a smile, just as how I would coax


    a child of Audrey¡¯s age. ¡°Of course, and I won¡¯t go back on my word. You¡¯d better remember it.¡±


    John chuckled like a child. ¡°You don¡¯t even have to remind me. This is something I will definitely


    remember. By the time Ashton returns, I¡¯ll make sure I im it from him.¡±

 Chapter 1753

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1753


    Chapter 1753 Joseph Vanishes


    ¡°Yes! Do it!¡± As I bantered with him, I sensed that something was amiss and wondered if he had just


    chosen to trust Ashton.


    Having read my mind, Emma exined, ¡°It was my decision. I thought it was worth betting on Ashton¡¯s


    character, so I convinced John to stop stressing you out. Unexpectedly, you came back with this


    pleasant news. Now that we are certain Ashton is on our side, we are free to n our next move.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I looked at her in surprise, and at once, all my worries disappeared.


    Emma nodded to reassure me.


    ¡°Emma.¡± I was so moved that I was lost for words. I simply extended my hands and hugged her to


    show my appreciation.


    Emma patted me on my shoulders and quickly let go of me. ¡°There, there, it¡¯s not the time to be


    sentimental. The Lyons family needs me now, so I¡¯ll have to head over with John.¡±


    I nodded in understanding but stopped her again after a second. ¡°Would going to the office affect


    John¡¯s injury?¡±


    Emma replied with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. He¡¯s just going to meet some of the shareholders. Even


    though John and I have been married for a few years, he has not shown himself to everyone


    associated with the Lyons family. Now that my family is in trouble, and the elders refuse to listen to my


    exnation, I have no choice but to bring John to see them. After all, he is the only one they trust to


    rescue them.¡±


    Suddenly, a sense of bitterness crept into me when I imagined how tough it had been for Emma over


    the years. She was a capable wife who had built a business empire worth billions together with John.


    And yet, she barely had any authority within her own family.


    It was fortunate that I didn¡¯t insist on John keeping himself warded. Or else, I would have added to


    Emma¡¯s pile of problems.


    I nodded in agreement and said in concern, ¡°Since you¡¯re heading to see the Lyonses, it wouldn¡¯t be


    convenient for me to show up now. I suppose Nathaniel is attacking the Lyons family in an attempt to


    test whether I can truly forsake everything for Ashton¡¯s sake.¡±


    To win this psychological war, I needed to refrain from showing myself. In terms of the finances of the


    two families, we had to ensure that they were not tied together. After all, data was the best form of


    evidence. In the event Nathaniel discovered it, we would lose the best opportunity to gain his trust.


    However, due to the fact that Ashton and I weren¡¯t powerful enough, we still needed John and Emma to


    lend us a hand. Thus, I added, ¡°Although I can¡¯t prove that I am the Scarlett of old, my fingerprints and


    signature are still legally binding. I¡¯ll sign a document and send it to Emma¡¯s home. When the time


    comes, take the document to Fuller Corporation and ask for help. By pretending to sabotage Ashton,


    we can trick Nathaniel into thinking that there are some disagreements and lower his guard. That way,


    we will have more room to maneuver.¡±


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°That makes sense. It always pays to be careful.¡± Emma let out a long sigh. Suddenly, as if something


    had hit her, she asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t we make it even more convincing by having a fallout in public?¡±


    Johnughed heartily. ¡°There¡¯s no need to overdo the drama. The lesser we do, the lesser the chance


    of making mistakes. Or else, we might simply attract too much attention.¡±


    John¡¯s words alleviated the tension in the atmosphere. In truth, I had always admired John for his


    ability tough regardless of the circumstances he faced.


    After escorting them to the elevator, I did not go any further with them. John would be staying with the


    Lyons family going forward to create the impression that he had failed to stop me despite his injury. By


    doing so, we could create the illusion that we had fallen out with each other.


    On my way home, I received a call from Joseph¡¯s nurse.


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, Mr. Campbell has disappeared!¡±


    My heart sank at the news. I recollected myself and asked, ¡°Calm down, and tell me what happened.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really not my fault. Mr. Campbellined that the food in the hospital was bad and instructed


    me to get him something from outside. By the time I returned, he was already gone. Ms. Stovall, please


    don¡¯t deduct my pay. I am really stretched with many mouths to feed at home.¡±

 Chapter 1754

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1754


    Chapter 1754 Supporting The Lyons


    ¡°Forget it. No one can stop him from leaving. This isn¡¯t your fault, and I will pay you for the month as we


    have agreed. You can go home now.¡±


    After ending the call, I knitted my eyebrows and wondered what Joseph was up to.


    Being warded in the hospital was a wonderful opportunity for him to recuperate and wean himself off


    the drug addiction before it got too serious. By avoiding me like a gue, he made it look as though I


    was the viin.


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Anyway, I figured that they probably had ns of their own. What happened to the Lyons family had


    served as a lesson to me. Nathaniel would never react in the way an ordinary person would. Therefore,


    it wasn¡¯t surprising that Ashton had to change his behavior in an effort to challenge him.


    Since I was unable to guess what his n was, I had no choice but to trust him.


    Over the next three days, the attack on the Lyons family by an anonymous financier had been widely


    broadcasted across many financial news channels, causing an uproar within themunity. Finally,


    John, as the representative of Stovall Corporation, had announced that they would invest in the


    company of the Lyons family. His decision had stabilized thepany¡¯s stock price and arrested the


    losses of the Lyons family in time.


    Just when everyone thought that the matter hade to a close, the financier, who had been beaten


    back the day before, had resurfaced to attack the Lyons family¡¯s newly listedpany. Consequently,


    his actions had caused them significant losses again.


    Meanwhile, I had been monitoring the situation closely. Looking at how the matter had escted, I was


    worried that Nathaniel was mounting an all-attack to wipe out the Lyons family. Hence, I quickly gave


    John a call.


    To my surprise, John didn¡¯t sound anxious when he answered, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Letty?¡±


    ¡°Are you guys doing okay?¡± I was baffled. ¡°I saw this expert on the newsmenting that the Lyons


    family is being dragged through the mud by their powerful enemy.¡±


    ¡°You should take what those ¡®experts¡¯ say on TV with a pinch of salt. Other than doing research, all


    they know is discuss matters from a theoretical perspective.¡± John poured scorn on them before


    lowering his voice as he added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the matter has been resolved. The unscrupulous attacks


    on the Lyons family stocks are nothing but schoolboy tactics. With thebined financial strength of


    Stovall Corporation and the power of attorney you have assigned to me over Fuller Corporation, the


    attacker is doomed to fail unless there is some form of political intervention or if it¡¯s an attempt to


    destabilize the nation.¡±


    It was just as Ashton had described. Fuller Corporation was highly integrated into the nation¡¯s economy


    and wasn¡¯t easily shaken. By buying a stake in the Lyons familypany, John had directly taken it


    under his wing.


    I sighed in relief, but I still couldn¡¯t fully understand the situation. ¡°Isn¡¯t the stock market regted all


    this while? By conducting such an attack, won¡¯t they attract the regtor¡¯s attention? Since you


    imed that the Lyons family¡¯spany is safe, why is the attacker doing something that¡¯s detrimental


    to themselves?¡±


    John broke intoughter. ¡°What do you mean by detrimental? Hasn¡¯t Nathaniel already achieved his


    goal?¡±


    Puzzled, I furrowed my brows until the answer dawned upon me. ¡°Are you saying that this is the same


    as before? That Nathaniel is just trying to test me?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± John replied with certainty. ¡°Remember, you have to remain calm. After so many


    years, haven¡¯t you learned not to panic?¡±


    Having been exposed so straightforwardly, I felt so awkward that I didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Luckily, John didn¡¯t notice my embarrassment as he continued, ¡°Anyway, it doesn¡¯t matter because I


    was nning to call you. I have invited Ashton for negotiations at The Jade tonight. Are youing?¡±


    ¡°Negotiations? What for?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s about the stockholdings. Looks like you have forgotten that you own almost as many


    shares as Ashton does. After I took over, I¡¯ve blocked many of his decisions. I figured Nathaniel must


    have ordered him to do something about it; that¡¯s why he has approached me to buy my shares.¡±


    I pursed my lips. ¡°Creating conflict isn¡¯t a bad idea but will going against Ashton at every turn be


    detrimental to his n?¡±

 Chapter 1755

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1755


    Chapter 1755 Drama


    ¡°Not necessarily. We have no idea what Nathaniel is thinking, or how far he is willing to go with this


    game. Coming from another perspective, he still wants to see how much you are willing to sacrifice for


    Ashton. Or else, we wouldn¡¯t be testing your threshold repeatedly.¡±


    ording to John, Nathaniel still refused to believe that I was willing to give up everything for Ashton.


    As a consequence, he wanted me to feel that the Lyons family was still in danger despite being under


    John¡¯s protection.


    Fortunately, my first reaction was to call John to understand what had happened instead of rushing off


    to question Ashton or Nathaniel. If I had done that, everything we did would have been for naught, as I


    would have exposed my own weakness.


    Evidently, Ashton wasn¡¯t the only one Nathaniel understood well. Nathaniel easily saw through me too.


    Since I had passed the test, I decided to continue with my act. ¡°What time is the meeting tonight?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s at seven.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you at The Jade, then.¡±


    Since I would be heading to Emery¡¯s turf, I thought it would be appropriate to give her advance notice.


    Hence, I headed directly to her home upon ending the call.


    After all, Audrey and Gregory were in school during the day, and John¡¯s family had moved in with


    Emma¡¯s family. The entire house felt empty and deste.


    When I reached Emery¡¯s house, the guard told me that she had gone out in the morning and didn¡¯t say


    when she would return.


    Just when I was about to give her a call, Hunter, who was dressed in casual clothing and sandals,


    walked out the main door carrying a pair of garden shears.


    ¡°Are you here to see Emery?¡± Hunter¡¯s voice sounded more mature with the passage of time. Coupled


    with his gentle tone, he exuded a charm befitting men of his age.


    Time seemed to be kinder to men. The scars of the past felt as if they had never happened before.


    ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± I nodded politely while scrutinizing him. From the way he looked, I wondered if he had


    moved in together with Emery.


    Have they reconciled with each other? But it isn¡¯t like Emery to do so.


    Sensing what was going through my mind, Hunter waved his shears and exined, ¡°Xavier hasn¡¯t


    been feeling welltely, and Emery is bogged down at work, so I came over for a few days to take care


    of him. I¡¯m staying in the guest room by the way.¡±


    Hunter¡¯s short exnation bordered between drawing a line and indirectly showing off. He sounded as


    if he would always be a part of Emery¡¯s world as long as Xavier was around.


    As for me, I had a stubborn attitude toward such matters. Even though it had happened a long time


    ago, I still didn¡¯t know how I should interact with him. In the end, I replied with a smile, ¡°That¡¯s between


    you and her. There¡¯s no need to exin yourself to me. Since Emery isn¡¯t around, I¡¯ll be taking my


    leave.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to pass a message?¡± Hunter was considerate in the way he did things. He would


    have made a good friend if not for his rtionship problems.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll just give her a call. Bye.¡±Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    With that, I returned to my car. Right after Hunter¡¯s figure disappeared from the rearview mirror, I gave


    Emery a call.


    Since I was calling her personal line, she answered at once.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Emery asked directly.


    She had grown used to speaking in a forthright manner due to her outspoken character. Although she


    seemed domineering to outsiders, those close to her knew howfortable it was to be in her


    company.


    ¡°Wanna watch a drama together tonight?¡± I asked jokingly.


    ¡°Drama?¡± Emery had no idea what I was talking about. After giving it some thought, she asked, ¡°Are


    you talking about stage dramas? Since when are you into such arty-farty stuff? What drama and where


    is it? I¡¯ll see if I can get us some VIP tickets.¡±


    Giggling at how serious she was, I continued toying with her, ¡°The Jade Theatre. And it¡¯s titled ¡®The


    Falling Out of the Siblings.¡¯¡°


    ¡°The Jade Theatre¡­¡± Emery repeated cluelessly before she finally got it. She raised her pitch


    dramatically and questioned me, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Scarlett, are you making a fool of me to kill time?¡±

 Chapter 1756

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1756


    Chapter 1756 Make Use Of My Connections


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    The threat between best friends was the least lethal, especially since I knew how soft-hearted Emery


    was. I burst outughing. ¡°No, I¡¯m just kidding.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not funny. I was nning to work hard today. If you¡¯re trying to fool around,e again another


    time,¡± uttered Emery resignedly yet dotingly. I was sure that even if I pestered her and said a lot of


    nonsense, she would not get mad at me.


    Empathy should be mutual, so I did not take it too far. ¡°Okay. Time to get serious. The Jade will be very


    lively tonight. Since you¡¯re the owner, I¡¯m here to make use of my connections.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s more like it. Get straight to the point. What¡¯s going on?¡± Instantaneously, Emery became good-


    tempered again. Her employees would probably be wondering which one was her true nature.


    I exined the entire situation to her and finally concluded, ¡°So, this is really important. Someone like


    Nathaniel will definitely make a reservation. I need to know whether he¡¯ll be there or not. Only then can


    I think of a countermeasure.¡±


    ¡°I see. But this is a matter between Ashton and John. Nathaniel might not turn up,¡± Emery analyzed.


    ¡°No,¡± I immediately refuted her. ¡°You¡¯re wrong. Nathaniel won¡¯t miss any opportunity to trample on


    Ashton.¡±


    Destroying Ashton¡¯s happiness was Nathaniel¡¯s greatest joy. It was a morbid obsession. What he could


    not get, he would not allow Ashton to have it as well. In fact, he would even go to extremes to ruin


    everyone¡¯s happiness. Therefore, he would definitely show up.


    ¡°Wait a minute. I¡¯ll have someone check the guestlist for tonight.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After two minutes, Emery¡¯s voice sounded again. ¡°You seem to have guessed wrongly this time.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? There¡¯s no reservation from Nathaniel?¡±


    ¡°Mm-hmm,¡± she affirmed. ¡°However, it¡¯s also possible that he might show up without a reservation.


    VIPs always have the priority no matter what time they turn up.¡±


    I had seen too many unusual behaviors of Nathaniel, so it was not so surprising. Now that I was not


    sure whether he would appear or not, it was difficult to determine how far I should take the act.


    At that moment, I seemed to understand why Ashton had been so indifferent toward me because


    Nathaniel was like a ghost. It was impossible to know when he would appear and deal a heavy blow.


    Therefore, it was important to be vignt at all times.


    In that case, I could only give it a shot. ¡°All right. Send me Ashton¡¯s room numberter so that I don¡¯t


    run around like a headless chicken.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Look for the manager on duty when you arrive, and he¡¯ll lead you there,¡± responded


    Emery matter-of-factly.


    ¡°Things are different now, and rumors are spreading like wildfire. Ashton announced publicly in the


    company that day that he has taken all my shares. And every entertainment headline these few days is


    about Reba and me. Not to mention that John has moved out of the Fuller residence. The whole


    world knows that I¡¯m being detested by my own family. Who else will treat me with respect?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s their problem. If any of my subordinates dare to add insult to injury, I¡¯ll make sure they can no


    longer survive in K City.¡± Emery felt indignant on my behalf. Shortly afterward, she smiled. ¡°Why do I


    sound so serious? It¡¯s not like you¡¯ve really suffered a downfall. All of these are just an act. Anyway, I¡¯ll


    inform all my employees that they¡¯ll have to give you special treatment no matter when youe over.


    Don¡¯t worry and go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, then, Ms. Moore,¡± I quipped.


    ¡°Yeah, right. Is that all? I¡¯m busy with the ounting reports, so I have to go now. See you tonight.¡±


    ¡°Okay, bye.¡±


    The car stopped at the intersection of themercial district when I hung up the phone. I inadvertently


    nced out the window and happened to see a giant poster of Reba on the exterior of a


    supermarket building.


    She was wearing bold and bright-colored clothes with exaggerated makeup. That kind of fashion style


    might be eptable to foreigners, but the natives might think that it was too much. I bet everyone who


    saw the poster would wonder if she had offended the makeup artist.

 Chapter 1757

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1757


    Chapter 1757 Obsessive Stalkers


    However, Reba did not seem to care about that. Half of the advertising spots in themercial


    district were full of her posters, and every single one of them looked horrible.


    Everyone in K City knew that Ashton was her sponsor, but he had be an embarrassment because


    of her. It was as if she wanted the whole world to know that Ashton had abandoned his wife and


    children to be with a woman with such awful aesthetic judgment.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    They were like a young couple who was madly in love, wanting the whole world to know that they were


    quarreling so that everyone could be entertained by the drama.


    While the car slowly made its way down the street, I fell into deep thoughts. If it were me, would I still


    have trust in this world after knowing that everything that went wrong in my life was closely rted to


    the person I loved?


    I did not have an answer to the question. No one could really empathize with another person. Even a


    trivial matter would cause a series of chain reactions. My life is still a mess, so I don¡¯t have the leisure


    to worry about others.


    In just a few seconds, Reba¡¯s face was out of my sight.


    Shaking my head, I shrugged off those thoughts and took a deep breath. This isn¡¯t the time to think


    about them.


    Later that day, I sent the children to Zachary and Cameron¡¯s so that they could look after the children


    for me. It was already six in the evening when I left the Moore Residence.


    Setting off for The Jade, I took out my phone and texted Millie: Millie, are you there?


    She replied almost instantaneously: I only work for you. Ms. Stovall, you can give the orders directly.


    Seeing that, I continued typing on the phone and went straight to the point: Can you contact the


    mercenaries hired by John?


    Millie: I¡¯ve lost contact with several of them. The remaining mercenaries can reach your location in


    twenty minutes.


    Startled, I wrote: My location? But I¡¯m still on the move.


    Millie: Our people are scattered all over the city to ensure that they can reach the target location within


    half an hour.


    After reading her message, I replied: Okay then. I didn¡¯t know that John was such a thorough person.


    Please deploy all the people you can contact to the vicinity of The Jade. It¡¯s always better to be


    prepared.


    Millie: Noted.


    Staring at the phone, I mused to myself. As expected of Millie¡­ What a concise reply. She¡¯s always


    calm and proactive, giving me a sense of security.


    At that thought, I sent her another text: Since you¡¯re working for me, I hope you¡¯ll remember this. In the


    crisis of life and death, please save my family first. Thank you.


    The car stopped in front of The Jade after I sent the text. Putting the phone into my bag, I alighted from


    the car and walked inside.


    Thanks to Emery, a waiter was already waiting at the entrance. Once he saw me, he greeted me


    warmly and showed me in.


    Emery had arrived and was exining something to the manager in the lobby. When she saw me, she


    hurriedly ended the conversation and approached me. ¡°How is it? Are you satisfied with the special


    treatment?¡±


    She was being so considerate. How could I have anyints? Hence, I hurriedly responded with a


    smile, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Stop it.¡± Emery could not stand such a cringeworthy situation. She quickly dismissed the waiter and


    brought me inside. ¡°Follow me. This way.¡±


    Since it was peak hours, many customers were going up and down. Consequently, we spent a lot of


    time in the elevator. Just as we got off the elevator, we ran into Nathaniel and Nora, who came out of


    the next elevator.


    As expected, he would not miss out on any opportunity to be entertained by Ashton¡¯s drama.


    In fact, other than Reba, Nathaniel could also be considered as one of Ashton¡¯s obsessive stalkers.


    ¡°You¡¯re here as well.¡± Nora held Nathaniel¡¯s arm, looking noble and elegant. Obviously, my appearance


    was out of her expectation.


    On the contrary, Nathaniel kept an indifferent expression. He was probably immune to my sudden


    appearance.


    He probably did not want to see me. I bet he was afraid to witness my scorching love for Ashton, which


    would hurt his self-esteem and remind him that despite sharing the same gene, Ashton was cherished


    by others while he was alone in this world. Even if he died, no one would shed a single tear for him.

 Chapter 1758

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1758


    Chapter 1758 Create Opportunity


    ¡°I¡¯m here to look for my husband. What are you doing here?¡± I feigned ignorance and sounded


    impatient. On the surface, I was set up by Nathaniel and had no choice but to take his side, but it was


    him who had ruined my perfect husband after all, so of course, I would resent him.


    I was not a kind woman. Nathaniel would soon discover that I couldpromise, but I would always


    look down on him for what he had done.


    ¡°Who gave you the courage to be so impudent? There¡¯s not even one person backing you up now,¡±


    Nora sneered.


    ¡°I¡¯m a lot better than someone who can¡¯t even draw lines between the good and bad.¡±


    Although the Oberick family had not been doing well over the years, they still had a good reputation.


    Every heir of the Oberick family was upright and dignified. It was most likely that Nora had forgotten


    how admirable she used to be.


    Reba grew up without a family, so it was understandable if she could not distinguish right from


    wrong. On the contrary, Nora was born into a wealthy family and had a fine education. But because of


    Armond, a man who had done all kinds of evil deeds, she stooped to join forces with Nathaniel.


    She had the chance to live a meaningful life, but she had chosen the opposite. Such people were not


    worthy of sympathy.


    ¡°Who has the right to determine who¡¯s right or wrong? I¡¯m bad, but I was willing to take risks with my


    children for you and your husband¡¯s sake. On the contrary, you pretended to be righteous but


    separated me from my children. Is this the so-called justice?¡± uttered Nora emotionally. Momentster,


    she gradually calmed down and lowered her head. ¡°I truly despise people like you. Now that you¡¯ve met


    your karma, it¡¯s sufficient to prove that I¡¯m right.¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily so.¡± Unwilling to admit defeat, I held my chin up.


    Just then, the elevator door opened. Ashton, John, and Emma were inside.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Emery winked at me. Everyone had arrived.


    Ashton was impassive as usual. His gazended upon me for just a second before he turned his head


    away. Uponing out of the elevator and seeing Nathaniel and Nora, he stopped dead in his tracks.


    He looked around and asked in a muffled voice, ¡°Why is everyone standing here?¡±


    ¡°We just happened to run into each other,¡± answered Emery.


    ¡°Since everyone is here, we should just have dinner together,¡± said Nathaniel decisively. No one at the


    scene dared to refute him.


    Lowering his head, Ashton pondered for a short while and agreed, ¡°Whatever.¡±


    With that said, he walked past Emery and me and headed toward the private room. Nathaniel and Nora


    followed behind him.


    When John moved ahead of me while holding Emma¡¯s hand, he tapped on the back of my hand while


    no one was watching as if he was filming a spy movie, and that minor action was the secret code


    between us.


    However, Emery was observant and noticed it right away. Folding her arms across her chest, she


    shook her head and quipped, ¡°Jeez, it¡¯s almost time to go on stage, but both of you are still acting like a


    child.¡±


    ¡°This is John¡¯s ability. By butting in on the matter, he¡¯s helped to create an opportunity for us.¡±


    In actuality, I hoped that Ashton could be less serious sometimes, but he was not thenguid and


    carefree type. Moreover, he received far more attention than John. If he had really done something,


    Nathaniel would have wiped the floor with us.


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± agreed Emery. ¡°Maybe we can take advantage of the messy situation.¡±


    I kept quiet, reached out, and patted her arm lightly. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Or else we might miss the good show.¡±


    When we entered the private room, everyone was already seated. John and Emma were sitting by the


    door, and Ashton was sitting opposite them. Nathaniel and Nora were sitting on Ashton¡¯s left, and the


    seat on the right was empty, so I took that seat naturally.

 Chapter 1759

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1759


    Chapter 1759 One Million


    Until the food was served, the atmosphere in the private room was heavy, and no one broke the


    silence.


    Emery kept making tiny moves under the table, expressing that the atmosphere was too depressing.


    Meanwhile, I thought that it was quite normal, as there was always the calm before the storm.


    Finally, the table was full of exquisite dishes, and the waiters exited the room.


    Although the food on the table looked delicious, no one paid any attention to it. On such asions, the


    food was not the main point.


    Casting a brief look at Nathaniel, I tried to figure out his intentions. Nevertheless, he was eating


    gracefully and only showed a hint of impatience when Nora ced some food on his te.


    It seemed that Nathaniel was also a germaphobe, just like Ashton.


    Even though Nora had a strong sense of pride, she chose to suppress her irritation. Instead of eating


    the food that Nathaniel had rejected, she threw it on another te.


    In my eyes, the rtionship between them was pretty weird. Despite being together all the time,


    Nathaniel was not even willing to eat the food ced on his te by Nora.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re here, name your price.¡± Ashton cut straight to the point and broke the awkward silence.


    On the surface, we were supposed to decide the ownership of the shares that originally belonged to me


    through the meeting. Besides, there was already a conflict between John and Ashton when the former


    rejected thetter¡¯s decision in thepany, so there was indeed no need for customary pleasantries.


    Both of them were raring to fight as if they had really turned against each other.


    Of course, they were just acting in front of Nathaniel.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± John smirked. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll be frank with you, then. Since you were a part of our


    family before this, I¡¯ll give you a discount. One million.¡±


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    One million for the shares of a global listedpany? Since when was John so kind to Ashton? I


    thought to myself.


    ¡°Stop fooling around,¡± responded Ashton impatiently with a hint of suspicion in his voice. His reaction


    was the same as the rest of us.


    As expected, John always acted indecently on solemn asions and acted even more improperly on


    casual asions.


    ¡°I¡¯m not fooling around. One million. If you don¡¯t agree, I¡¯ll leave with my wife right now. Do you think I¡¯m


    here to have dinner with you?¡± In an instant, John¡¯s face turned grim. He looked as though he was


    serious about what he said.


    In the past, Ashton could have given John a taste of his own medicine and teased him back, but


    obviously, he could not do that in front of Nathaniel now.


    Left with no choice, he could onlypromise. ¡°Fine. Since you proposed it, I¡¯ll agree to it. I¡¯ll buy the


    equity that originally belonged to Scarlett with one million. After signing the equity transfer contract,


    we¡¯ve nothing to do with each other anymore.¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± John lifted his hand. Then he raised his eyebrows and smiled arrogantly. ¡°You got the wrong


    idea. What I mean is that I¡¯ll give you one million, and you have to leave both Fuller Corporation and


    Letty. Also, you¡¯re not allowed to appear in front of us in the future.¡±


    As if that was not humiliating enough, he leaned against the chair and added, ¡°That¡¯s how much you¡¯re


    worth.¡±


    Hearing that, I could not help but feel impressed at how good John was at teasing people.


    Of course, I could not afford to give up on such a good opportunity. Pretending to be in a tight spot, I


    chimed in, ¡°John, please don¡¯t do this. I¡¯ll never leave Ashton. Can you stop fighting with him for the


    sake of your nephews?¡±

 Chapter 1760

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1760


    Chapter 1760 You Have Changed


    ¡°No!¡± John stared at me disappointedly. ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m here today? You gave me this right in the


    past. No matter how willful you used to be in the past, you knew that you could always rely on me and


    trust me. Back then, I was the only legatee in your will. But now, you don¡¯t even care about your brother


    and sister-inw anymore. Letty, you¡¯ve changed.¡±


    Here, he paused for a while and hammered his chest. ¡°I¡¯m very disappointed in you.¡±


    John¡¯s acting was so convincing that I quickly immersed myself in the mood. Out of guilt, tears sprang


    to my eyes. Just as the tears were about to trickle down my face, I covered my mouth and lowered my


    face, acting as if I was apologetic and could not face him anymore.


    Anyhow, I was not the main protagonist. After I briefly attracted the attention of everyone in the room,


    Ashton ignored everything that I had done for him and went back to the topic. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then


    there¡¯s nothing else to discuss. Do you have to fight against me?¡±


    Spreading his arms, John stated, ¡°You¡¯re the one who wants to fight against me. If you¡¯re willing to


    divorce Letty and leave everything behind, all the problems will be resolved.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind leaving everything behind, but you have to know that all the important data of the


    company is in my brain, and I know the easiest way to destroy it. In the end, what you get is just an


    empty shell. Not only that, but you might also bring down Stovall Corporation along with it. Are you sure


    you can afford such consequences?¡± questioned Ashton solemnly.


    Given Ashton¡¯s abilities, all of us knew that it was only a matter of time for him to turn those into reality.


    The atmosphere turned tense after he finished talking.


    ¡°Will you really do that? You were the one who built Fuller Corporation from scratch. Destroying it is


    equivalent to killing your efforts. You won¡¯t do that.¡± John smiled and was not threatened by what


    Ashton said. Out of the blue, he thought of something and continued, ¡°Worsees to worst, we¡¯ll just


    go down together. If you¡¯re willing to risk Fuller Corporation, I don¡¯t mind sacrificing Stovall Corporation


    as well. You can never escape from me.¡±


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    With that said, he held Emma¡¯s hand and kissed the back of her hand. Looking at her crystal clear


    eyes, he said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. As long as Fuller Corporation exists, nothing will happen to your


    family.¡±


    It was rare that Emma did not express her dismay as she smiled shyly. Seeing that, John was


    lovestruck and almost forgot that he was still acting. Fortunately, she gave him a side nce in time,


    and he immediately pulled himself together.


    The negotiation had again reached stalemate.


    Ashton¡¯s face was frighteningly grim as John was flirting with Emma in front of him. On one side was a


    lonely man who could not even show his love for the woman he loved. On the other side was a sweet


    couple who was in love with each other. Afterparing their situation, I bet Ashton was seething with


    anger.


    At that moment, Nathaniel, who had been silent for the whole time, put down the spoon in his hand,


    and his action attracted everyone¡¯s attention.


    Subsequently, he wiped his mouth calmly. His movements were elegant, and just when everyone felt


    that he was not in the situation, he started slowly, ¡°It¡¯s futile to argue any further. We should ask the


    owner¡¯s opinion.¡±


    Once again, it was silent in the private room. Everyone was deep in thoughts, and no one seemed to


    understand what he meant.


    cing the napkin on the table, Nathaniel looked in my direction and curled the corners of his lips. ¡°If


    you don¡¯t want to see the people close to you speak ill of each other, why don¡¯t you make another will


    and decide the final owner of the shares? As a professionalwyer, it should be a piece of cake for you,


    right?¡±


    Hearing that, I did not dare to utter a word. I was worried that it would expose my anxiety. After all, that


    was how the will that authorized the shares to John hade about.


    As expected of the opponent that even Ashton is afraid of. Fortunately, I¡¯m a step ahead of him.


    Otherwise, I won¡¯t have the chance to confront him today.

 Chapter 1761

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1761


    Chapter 1761 Better To Make More Friends Than Enemies


    Seeing that, John reacted immediately and started acting.


    He looked at Nathaniel vigntly, then looked at me. Furrowing his brows, he questioned, ¡°Are you


    going to use that kind of nasty method to deal with me?¡±


    His good looks coupled with the expression of pain after being let down made me feel extremely guilty.


    If all of those were not an act, I would have knelt on the ground and begged for forgiveness.


    No one could be ruthless toward such a good-looking person.


    However, I was ying the role of a woman who would sacrifice everything for love. Moreover,


    Nathaniel¡¯s gaze was fixed on me. I pretended not to see it and stared at John with reddened eyes.


    ¡°ording to thew, the right of inheritance is subjected to the testamentary will. As long as Ashton


    has the testamentary will, your beneficiary status will be invalidated, and he¡¯ll be the legal¡ª¡±


    ¡°I dare you to say that again.¡± John lowered his voice with tears in his eyes. Laughing self-


    deprecatingly, he continued, ¡°Without my support, could you have taken the bar exam? I was the one


    who established thew firm for you, and now you¡¯re using thew to threaten me?¡±


    Looking at the tears falling from the corners of his eyes, I also became emotional. With tears in my


    eyes, I stood up timidly and tried to persuade John, ¡°I didn¡¯t. John, as long as you hand over the


    shares, they won¡¯t make things difficult for you. You can leave Chanaea with Emma and your children. I


    promise that nothing will happen.¡±


    Shaking his head disappointedly, John uttered ironically, ¡°You¡¯re taking back the things you have given


    away. Why should I trust you?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± I knew that I was at fault, so I lowered my head and did not say anything else. At that moment, I


    caught a glimpse of Nathaniel and immediately vented my anger on him. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to bring


    everyone down with you? Promise him!¡±


    I did not know where I gained the courage to say that. Since I had said it, I gave up on trying to figure


    out if it was reasonable. Women are always unreasonable when they are angry anyway.


    Obviously, Nathaniel was taken aback by my words, as he did not expect me to take it out on him.


    Nevertheless, he quickly concealed the hint of surprise in his eyes and shed John a meaningful


    smile. ¡°I promise that if the Stovall family is willing to cooperate, I¡¯ll never put you in a tight spot again.


    It¡¯s always better to make more friends than enemies. Now, it¡¯s up to you.¡±


    Hearing that, John wore a tight frown and a solemn look on his face. ¡°Are you trying to use the Stovall


    family to whitewash the things that you¡¯ve done? In your dreams!¡±


    ¡°John,¡± I called out to him to prevent further conflict between them.


    Instantaneously, John turned around and shot me an icy stare. I was so scared that I bit back the words


    that I was going to say.


    Taking a look around the room, he stopped arguing. He lowered his head and said to Emma, ¡°Let¡¯s go


    home.¡±


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    Emma did not ask anything and headed toward the door with him.


    At the door, John stopped and turned around to look at me. ¡°Take back your shares, and don¡¯t do


    anything illegal. From now on, you¡¯re no longer my sister.¡±


    Having said that, he left the private room without looking back.


    For a moment, I thought that he was really going to cut ties with me. All of a sudden, I felt a tug in my


    heart.


    Staring at the door, I was lost in thoughts. Ashton, on the other hand, picked up the spoon as if nothing


    had happened.


    Suddenly, I could feel blood rush through my veins. Reaching out, I pped away the spoon. ¡°Are you


    satisfied now?¡±


    In response, Ashton lifted his head expressionlessly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    Nathaniel did not bother to conceal the contemptuous look on his face when he said, ¡°You were fighting


    against your family because of this man a moment ago, but now you¡¯re being so harsh to him. Don¡¯t


    you think that it¡¯s contradictory?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s all thanks to you! If Ashton isn¡¯t in this state because of you, I won¡¯t need to choose between


    my family and my lover!¡± I gritted my teeth and red at him.

 Chapter 1762

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1762


    Chapter 1762 Truest Feelings


    My hatred seemed to pain Nathaniel, and his face fell instantly. Pointing his finger at me, he warned,


    ¡°This is Ashton¡¯s choice. The person you should hate is him, not me.¡±


    Is he infuriated?


    Looking at him calmly, I retorted, ¡°No matter what he did, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to hate him. What can


    you do about that? Perhaps the person who should ept the reality is you. You can¡¯t make me fall out


    of love with him. As for you, even if you don¡¯t do anything, people will still hate you and despise you. No


    one will ever love you and be willing to sacrifice for you.¡±


    ¡°Who said so?¡± Out of the blue, Nora stood up, trying to restore Nathaniel¡¯s pride. She lifted her chin,


    looking like a proud peacock showing off its feathers. ¡°As long as he needs it, I will die for him at any


    time.¡±


    What a romantic confession, but unfortunately, it was ostentatious. She forgot that I was an old friend


    who knew of her obsession with Armond. ¡°I believe in you. I¡¯m not sure if I should tell you this, but I¡¯ve


    identified the whereabouts of your son.¡±


    In an instant, the noble and elegant look on her face disappeared. Turning into a loving mother, she


    hurriedly queried, ¡°When? Where is he? Are you sure he¡¯s my son?¡±


    I did not answer and stared at her with a smile on my face.


    Humans tend to show their truest feelings subconsciously. Even though Nora could sacrifice her life for


    Nathaniel, the people she cared about the most were still Armond and her son. There was no ce for


    Nathaniel in her heart at all.


    Soon, Nora realized that her lies had been exposed and she sat back embarrassedly. Lowering her


    head, she apologized to Nathaniel, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    However, Nathaniel was deep in thought and he ignored her.


    What could be more exciting than making a powerful and wicked man speechless?


    I was thrilled and confident that my words had struck a chord with him, so I decided to take advantage


    of the situation to tear down his facade. ¡°You¡¯re looking down on Ashton because you¡¯re jealous of him.


    He¡¯s surrounded by people who love him, but you aren¡¯t. That¡¯s why you want to destroy him. However,


    that isn¡¯t all. You want to destroy him, but at the same time, you want to take over his ce and


    be another Ashton Fuller. Nora¡¯s face is the best evidence.¡±


    Nathaniel¡¯s eyes flickered under the sses. Gritting his teeth, he ordered, ¡°Watch your woman.¡±


    As if he was beguiled, Ashton reached out and pulled my hand. ¡°Sit down.¡±


    Shoving him aside, I continued, ¡°Why? Can¡¯t listen to it anymore? The only reason you wanted Ashton


    to disappear from this world is that you knew that no matter how hard you try, you will never be better


    than him and you¡¯re afraid to admit it.¡±


    Nathaniel was enraged by my words. He swept the ss in front of him to the ground and ss shards


    strewn all over the floor.


    I swallowed a lump in my throat and took a deep breath, maintaining a calm appearance.


    I knew that jealousy and self-esteem had burnt away the veil of his confidence. His ego was slowly


    leading him into my trap.


    Silence ensued in the room, and the atmosphere was tense. I pressed my lips tightly and stopped


    provoking him.


    It was the same as fishing. After the fish bit the bait, one should not reel in the line while the fish was


    swimming away, as the line would snap if it was tight. Instead, one should rx and wait until the fish


    stopped struggling.


    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Later on, Emery told me that it was the first time she felt that a minute seemed tost forever.


    A minuteter, Nathaniel seemed to have regained hisposure. Lifting his head, he said


    dissatisfiedly, ¡°Do you think that this will irritate me and make me lose control like those ipetent


    men? You¡¯re too naive. I¡¯m perfect, so I don¡¯t have such ws. Simrly, everyone knows that I¡¯ve


    defeated Ashton, and I¡¯m better than him. This is an indisputable fact.¡±

 Chapter 1763

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1763


    Chapter 1763 Set Up


    ¡°Is that so? Then let me ask you a question. Do you think Ashton has ever loved me?¡± I asked calmly.


    ¡°Of course.¡± A hint of delight shed across Nathaniel¡¯s eyes. ¡°Unfortunately, it was ruined by me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really? Then he should show you his gratitude. Otherwise, he would need to give up his life and


    pride because of love and live in agony. Ashton Fuller, you¡¯re so lucky.¡± Both Ashton and Emery were


    confused and could notprehend what I was doing.


    Luckily, Nathaniel took the bait. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    I quickly turned around and fixated my gaze on him. ¡°It¡¯s very simple. You don¡¯t even dare to love


    someone. How can you say that you¡¯re better than him?¡±


    Listening to that, Nathaniel lowered his head, seemingly mulling over my words.


    Afraid that he would see through my trick, I immediately continued and interrupted his thoughts, ¡°Didn¡¯t


    you say that you can¡¯t understand my foolish behavior of sacrificing everything for love? Perhaps you¡¯ll


    only understand how difficult it is to control your emotions when you really fall in love with someone.


    Even so, Ashton managed to break free from it. How can I not love such a man? If you don¡¯t have


    confidence in yourself, then you don¡¯t have to try. Not everyone can get out of it without getting hurt.


    Admitting that you¡¯re inferior to others is better than falling for someone, right?¡±


    Never had I imagined that I was so good at bluffing.


    Just as I was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Nathaniel stood up abruptly and left the private room


    without saying a word. It happened in a split second, and Nora could not react immediately. She only


    snapped back to reality and chased after him after a moment.


    As a result, my heart missed a beat, and I started to grow anxious. I was not sure whether the words I


    had said earlier could persuade him. If he found out that I was setting him up and decided to deal with


    us in a fit of anger, then we would be doomed.


    On the contrary, if he epted the challenge, then we would be one step away from victory.


    Once he fell in love with someone, she would be his weak spot, and when he had a weak spot, he


    would no longer be indestructible.


    As the sound of Nora¡¯s heels gradually faded away, I slowly calmed down. Losing strength, I propped


    myself up with my hands on the table to support my body.


    ¡°You¡¯re always so reckless.¡±


    Hearing Ashton¡¯s voice, I remembered that he was still there. I raised my head and looked at him. ¡°I¡¯ve


    always been like this. You only realize that now?¡±


    His ck eyes glittered under the light. For some reason, I felt that it was because of me. However, in


    the next second, he ignored my words and walked away.


    My gaze was fixated on him until his tall figure disappeared from my sight. Feeling discouraged, I fell


    back into the chair.


    While sighing, I lifted my hand to press my temple.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What a bluff. Why didn¡¯t I realize that you have such an ability before?¡± Emery was greatly shocked by


    the scene earlier.


    ¡°Nathaniel forced it out of me.¡± I waved my hand and continued weakly, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I can seed or


    not. We¡¯d better not count the chickens before they hatch. Nathaniel is always acting out of the norm.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯ve been quite unpredictable as well recently. The two of you are a good match,¡± Emery


    joked.


    ¡°Ew!¡± I was jolted awake by her words. ¡°What nonsense are you saying? I¡¯m doing all this to survive.


    Don¡¯t curse me.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? If Nathaniel does use you as his test subject, you can take this opportunity to get


    your revenge.¡±


    I shook my head vigorously. ¡°The situation is alreadyplicated enough. Nathaniel is such a scary


    man. I don¡¯t think I can handle him. Besides, there are so many women in this world. Why would he


    choose a woman who is divorced and has given birth?¡±

 Chapter 1764

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1764


    Chapter 1764 Engrossed In Acting


    ¡°Well, that does make sense.¡± Emery quirked her eyebrows and did not continue the topic. She lowered


    her head and started to eat.


    I looked at her and remembered about Hunter, so I queried, ¡°What about you and Xavier¡¯s father?¡±


    ¡°What about us?¡± Emery did not even lift her head and was all focused on eating.


    If she was being so open about it, it proved that there was nothing between them. If something was up,


    just like Alexander, she would have acted awkwardly.


    Thinking of that, I did not pursue the matter any further. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. I happened to meet him


    earlier today.¡±


    Emery was unbothered. She ced a piece of abalone on my te andmented, ¡°I¡¯ve hired a new


    chef, and he¡¯s really good at cooking seafood. Hurry up and try it¡­¡±


    When I left The Jade, my phone rang. It was a message from John: How is it? Was it sessful?


    It seemed that it was the same for everyone. No one knew what Nathaniel would do and could only


    wait for a rtively safe time to ask about the result.


    Even though I was not utterly confident, my intuition told me that it was not much of a problem. Thus, I


    replied jokingly: Have confidence in your acting skills.


    Soon, I received a text from him: Then it¡¯s done.


    After a while, he sent me another message: You can¡¯t have possibly used the excuse of acting to voice


    out your true feelings, right? When you said that you would choose Ashton over me, I felt so upset.


    And it seemed that being too engrossed in acting was not a good thing either. I smiled while typing on


    the phone: I cried hard after you left. Do you feel better now?


    John: Yeah. Now, we only have to wait and see what will happen tomorrow.


    After that, he stopped replying to me.


    Hence, I ced my phone aside and entered the car.


    The night was still early, and the city was lively and bustling. Everything outside the car window was


    like a picture scroll, exiting my line of sight at a constant speed. None of those excitements had


    anything to do with me.


    If Ashton or any of our children was sitting next to me at that time, I would probably have had a different


    feeling.


    ¡°Mommy¡­¡±


    As soon as I entered the house, Audrey ran into my arms while crying.


    Later on, I found out that she had refused to eat her dinner unless she saw me. But the food Lindsey


    cooked was too mouth-watering. The more she waited, the hungrier she became.


    ¡°All right. All right. It¡¯s all my fault. Don¡¯t cry anymore. We¡¯ll have dinner together now, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Audrey puffed her cheeks and pursed her lips. Just one nce at her melted my heart


    instantly.


    Feeling guilty and distressed, I hurriedly carried her up and walked toward the dining room. ¡°Mrs.


    Kingsley, please heat up the food. Eating cold food isn¡¯t good for the children.¡±


    ¡°I just heated the food. It¡¯s the perfect timing to eat them now,¡± responded Lindsey.


    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Hearing that, I sat down and apanied the children as they had their dinner.


    ¡°Mommy, why aren¡¯t you eating? All these dishes are delicious,¡± mumbled Audrey while chewing the


    food in her mouth.


    On the contrary, Gregory and Shaun were eating elegantly. I did not need to worry about them at all. All


    of a sudden, warmth filled my heart, and I smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry. You should eat more so that you can


    grow taller.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Audrey nodded and swallowed all the food in her mouth. Then, she stopped eating and looked


    at me solemnly. ¡°Mommy, is Ashy noting back anymore?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± For a moment, I forgot that it was Ashton¡¯s nickname. I frowned when I came around. ¡°Audrey,


    you can¡¯t call Daddy that.¡±


    I then turned to Gregory and reprimanded, ¡°Gregory, were you the one who taught her that?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Audrey did not give Gregory a chance to speak. ¡°I saw it in Greg¡¯s book. Daddy is a bad guy! He


    hasn¡¯te home for such a long time, and because of that, Mommy doesn¡¯t like to stay at home. I


    don¡¯t like him anymore!¡±

 Chapter 1765

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1765


    Chapter 1765 Remarry


    I wondered if Ashton would continue his pretense if he found out that his beloved daughter was so


    discontented with him.


    However, I could not exin the situation to the kids, so I could only educate them indirectly. Putting


    down the spoon, I looked at her seriously and said, ¡°Audrey, did Uncle John tell you that there are


    many children in this world who don¡¯t have enough food to eat? In order to support them, their parents


    have to leave their hometown and work at a ce far away from home. For a year or maybe many


    years, those children won¡¯t be able to see their parents.¡±


    Holding her spoon, Audrey blinked and nodded. ¡°Yes, Aunt Emma showed me their photos before. She


    also told me that those children¡¯s parents are dead. If Uncle John donates money to them, they will


    have food to eat, and Mommy will alsoe back to me. Aunt Emma wasn¡¯t lying.¡±


    For a brief moment, I was stunned, not knowing that John had done all that to look for me.


    Someone fearless like him had actually believed that life would reward him for his good deeds.


    Not hearing any news from me must have left him in despair, but fortunately, fate had reunited us.


    Taking a deep breath, I tried to get hold of my emotions before continuing, ¡°Yes. Without money and a


    home, you¡¯ll end up like those children. They might not be able to eat all the food that you¡¯re eating now


    in their whole life. Because of Daddy¡¯s hard work, you can live in a cozy house and eat delicious meals


    every day. Do you think it¡¯s right for you to say he¡¯s a bad guy?¡±


    ¡°No, but¡­¡± Audrey pursed her lips, and her voice trailed off.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I know what you mean. Daddy has indeed neglected us during this time, but we¡¯re the closest people


    to him. Shouldn¡¯t we be more considerate of him?¡± I stretched out my hand and caressed her hair. ¡°Do


    you know that he always says that you¡¯re his beloved daughter?¡±


    I did not know which sentence had moved her. In an instant, she was on the verge of tears again. ¡°I¡¯m


    sorry, Mommy. I was wrong.¡±


    She felt like crying, but knowing that she was at fault, she was too embarrassed to cry out loud, so she


    pressed her lips together tightly and stared at me.


    Looking at her forlorn expression, I quicklyforted her while fondling her hair, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Since


    you¡¯ve admitted to your mistakes, I¡¯m sure Daddy won¡¯t me you.¡±


    Soon, Audrey lifted her hand to wipe away the tears and continued to eat her dinner obediently.


    Seeing that, I breathed a sigh of relief and prayed for Ashton in my heart. This is all I can do for you. If


    you don¡¯te back and apologize to your precious daughter soon, you¡¯d better be prepared to face


    her wrath.


    Since Ashton was not around, Audrey kept clung to me and wanted to sleep with me.


    She exined that it was too scary for her not to see Ashton or me the moment she woke up. Thus,


    she wanted to see me as soon as she opened her eyes. That way, she would not cry when she woke


    up and found that Ashton was not by her side.


    After she fell asleep, I sent Ashton a text after much consideration: Are you abandoning your daughter


    as well? If you don¡¯te back anytime soon, the kids might disown you!


    Worried that his phone had been tampered with, I did not dare to write anything ambiguous in my text,


    nor did I expect him to reply.


    Nevertheless, it was the first time I had contacted him after such a long time, so I could not help but


    feel nervous.


    Unexpectedly, I received his reply in a short time: No matter what, I¡¯m still their biological father.


    Even though he sounded domineering, it was reassuring. I stared at the phone screen for a while


    before replying to him: Don¡¯t be so confident. I might divorce you and remarry another man. At that


    time, your children will take another man¡¯sst name!

 Chapter 1766

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1766


    Chapter 1766 That Would Be Great


    I thought Ashton would reply immediately, but he did not.


    It took him five minutes to reply: That would be great.


    What¡¯s great? Remarry?


    I wondered if he really meant it or if there was a hidden meaning behind those words of his.


    All of a sudden, my heart missed a beat, and I felt restless. Picking up my phone, I went to the balcony.


    After waiting for a while, there was still no reply from him. Soon, I lost my patience and typed on my


    phone again: What do you mean?


    For the whole night, I felt uneasy. Worried that I might miss his reply, I did not dare to sleep soundly.


    However, there was no reply from him after that.


    The next morning, I heard my phone ringing in a daze and jolted out of bed reflexively. It turned out to


    be my rm. I had promised Audrey to make breakfast for her in the morningst night.


    Feeling disappointed, I went to the bathroom and washed myself up.


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    Unexpectedly, after I sent the kids to school, Nathaniel¡¯s car stopped in front of me.


    However, it was Nora who came down from the car.


    Wearing a grimace, she rushed over and pped me in the face.


    ¡°Why are you always going against me?¡±


    Because of the stinging sensation on my face, I finally regained my senses.


    Nevertheless, the only thing I cared about now was Nathaniel¡¯s movement. Unwilling to waste time on


    her, I looked at her calmly and questioned impatiently, ¡°Do you know that you look like a shrew now?¡±


    Nora had been a sophisticated and sensible woman. No one would have ever rted her to the word


    shrew, but her act of hitting someone without any reason now was simply barbaric.


    ¡°It¡¯s all because of you! Even if we have a different stance right now, I¡¯ve never hurt you. I only wanted


    to stay by Nathaniel¡¯s side and get back my son. You¡¯re a mother as well, so you should understand my


    feelings. But why do you have to destroy all my ns?¡±


    Confused, I asked, ¡°When did I ruin your ns?¡±


    ¡°You exposed my purpose of buttering him up in front of him!¡±


    My mind went nk for a moment. After a while, I realized that she was angry because of what had


    happenedst night. They probably had a conflict after getting home.


    My original intention was to stimte Nathaniel. I did not know that I would hurt her by mistake. ¡°I¡¯m


    sorry. I didn¡¯t have time to think about the situation at that time. If I¡¯ve caused you harm, I¡¯ll try my best


    to make it up to you.¡±


    ¡°Make it up to me? Nathaniel has chased me away, and I can no longer use his resources to find my


    son. What can you do to make it up to me?¡±


    It seemed that Nathaniel was indeed affected by what I had said.


    Since it all started because of me, I could understand why she was so furious. Pondering over the


    situation, I suggested, ¡°Even if Nathaniel wants to look for someone, he will need help from Holden,


    and Holden owes me a favor. I can ask him to look for your son. As long as your son is still alive, he¡¯ll


    be able to find him.¡±


    ¡°One hundred percent?¡± Nora queried doubtfully.


    In response, I shook my head. ¡°Even saints make mistakes. There¡¯s no guarantee that he¡¯ll definitely


    find your son.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know if Holden can find my son, but you want me not to me you for messing with


    my life? After being with Ashton for such a long time, your ability to set people up has improved, huh?¡±


    Nora remarked sarcastically.


    Both of us had taken different paths in life. It would be a waste of time to continue arguing with her.


    ¡°Apart from this, do you have a better choice? Kill me to vent your anger? Do you think Ashton and the


    Stovall family will let you off easily? Nora, let us both take a step back and let go of each other. In the


    future, you¡¯ll know that it¡¯s a good thing that you¡¯ve left Nathaniel.¡±

 Chapter 1767

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1767


    Chapter 1767 Source Of Entertainment


    I could still see anger in Nora¡¯s eyes. She stayed silent for several seconds, then lowered her head and


    stared at the phone in my hand. ¡°Call Holden now. I need to see it with my own eyes,¡± she said in a


    commanding tone.


    I forced a smile. Her worry was totally unnecessary. It was just a phone call. I would not go back on my


    words.


    Immediately, I called Holden to put her mind at rest. After exining the matter, I gave them each


    other¡¯s contact numbers.


    Nora looked at Holden¡¯s name on her WhatsApp contact list and her expression softened. However, it


    was only for a split second as she soon returned to her usual cold demeanor. Casting a quick look at


    me, she put away her phone, turned around, and got into the car. ¡°This isn¡¯t the end.¡±


    With that, she closed the car door with a bang and sped off.


    Perhaps it was because I had the same experience of losing a child. Her neurotic behavior made me


    feel for her.


    Only the people who had experienced it would know how torturing it was to search for a lost child. In


    the first half of her journey, she had been forced to work together with Nathaniel. I hoped that she


    would meet a good person for the remaining journey.


    After Nora left, I kept waiting for Nathaniel to appear, but one day had passed, and I heard nothing from


    him.


    The only thing that I could do was tofort myself that it was normal. Nathaniel was always


    unpredictable and acting out of the norm.


    Despite that, when the phone rang that night, I still sprung forward to answer it. When I saw that it was


    John, I lost my bnce and slumped on the couch.


    Looking down, I saw that my ankle was swollen. I rubbed it for a while, hoping to alleviate the pain


    before answering the call. ¡°Hello?¡±


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    ¡°What took you so long?¡± John sounded a little anxious.


    Afraid that he would be worried, I took in a deep breath and replied calmly, ¡°The phone is in the room. I


    just came up.¡±


    Fortunately, he did not grow suspicious as he changed the topic naturally. ¡°Nathaniel didn¡¯t leave his


    vi for the whole day.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± I sat up from the couch. ¡±This is out of my expectation.¡±


    ¡°This man tends to waste time on an insoluble or insignificant problem once he starts to brood over it.


    It¡¯s not necessarily a good thing.¡±


    Thinking of Ashton¡¯s strange behaviorst night, I hurriedly interjected, ¡°You sent someone to follow


    Ashton, right? Did anything happen to him today?¡±


    ¡°My dear sister, don¡¯t you know that he¡¯s the safest person in the world right now? As long as you¡¯re


    still in love with Ashton, Nathaniel will keep him alive. Why do you need to worry about him?¡± uttered


    John jealously. He was probably angry at Ashton again.


    Left with no choice, I could only tell him what had happenedst night. ¡°He didn¡¯t reply to me after that.


    How can I not worry about him?¡±


    ¡°You asked for it. You should know Ashton better than anyone. It¡¯s not even the first time he has done


    something like this. There¡¯s no need to feel nervous.¡±


    Roasting Ashton was probably one of John¡¯s greatest sources of entertainment, but I was not in the


    mood to y along with him. ¡°John!¡±


    ¡°Fine. There¡¯s nothing special. Except for hanging out with Lucas and the gang, he only went to the


    Notary Office. Then, he stayed at Summer¡¯s club and never left.¡±


    ¡°Why did he go to the Notary Office?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe he went there to deal with business matters. What else can he do there?¡±


    That was true. No matter what, Ashton was still the legal person of thepany. It was not weird for


    him to be there in person when dealing withpany matters.


    After that, John brought up some other news that he had found out before hanging up.


    Audrey had already fallen asleep in the bedroom. After spending the whole day waiting for nothing, I


    felt frustrated, so I poured a ss of red wine and leaned against the couch.


    Eventually, I fell asleep.

 Chapter 1768

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1768


    Chapter 1768 ept Your Challenge


    When I opened my eyes again, I saw a blurry figure sitting in front of me. Subconsciously, I thought that


    it was Ashton and murmured, ¡°You¡¯re back¡­¡±


    Gradually, my vision became clearer, and I noticed that the person in front of me was not Ashton but


    Nathaniel.


    The moment I met his eyes, I instinctively flinched. Is this a dream or reality?


    Nathaniel raised the corners of his lips and smiled. ¡°The fearless Scarlett is actually afraid of seeing


    me?¡±


    The disgust I felt from listening to his voice instantly pulled me back to reality. Looking at him


    impassively, I gritted my teeth and said, ¡°You¡¯re wrong. No one wants to get near to filthy things. I¡¯m


    different from you. I can distinguish right from wrong, and I¡¯ve done nothing illegal. But you, on the


    other hand, have done all sorts of evil deeds. I bet you can¡¯t even sleep soundly at night because you¡¯ll


    be worried that the police might appear at your door and arrest you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong again.¡± He removed the scarf around his neck. ¡°I¡¯ve never taken those stupid cops


    seriously. As long as I want, I can get myself out of this situation at any time and live a normal life.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just what you think. You won¡¯t get away with this. Justice always prevails!¡±


    Heughed and turned around to look at me contemptuously. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you argued so strongly


    in court when you were awyer. What¡¯s the matter now? Do you like to argue with me whenever you


    see me?¡±


    The look in his eyes showed me that he was not afraid of my threats.


    Even after hearing what he said, I showed no hint of fear. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because bothwyers and police


    are full of sense of justice. Whenever we see anything that¡¯s against thew, we can¡¯t help but exercise


    our duty.¡±


    Surprisingly, Nathaniel only nodded and did not refute.


    I stared at him vigntly, only to see him getting up and taking a wine ss from the bar. Subsequently,


    he sat back on the couch, picked up the bottle of red wine I had opened earlier, and poured himself a


    ss. Lifting his head, he finished the wine in one shot.


    I clenched my fists anxiously and sat up, my heart hammering in my chest.


    Audrey was inside my bedroom while Gregory and Shaun were in another room. If Nathaniel was going


    to harm us, I could only protect Audrey. Both Gregory and Shaun were smart. Hopefully, they could


    read the situation and protect themselves by hiding away from Nathaniel.


    ¡°I ept your challenge,¡± Nathaniel piped up.


    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    As expected, even saints could make mistakes. No matter how smart he was, he still fell into my trap.


    However, he shattered my wishful thinking in the next second by saying, ¡°Do you think that I don¡¯t know


    what you¡¯re thinking? You want me to fall in love with someone and take control of her so that you can


    use her to negotiate with me. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    He was right, but what could I possibly say? There was no way that I wouldpliment him for being


    smart.


    Since he already knew that I was plotting against him, I wondered what he would do next.


    Although I was looking at him while keeping myposure, I was actually thinking that as long as he


    could let the children go, I would not mind kneeling and begging for mercy.


    While I was deep in thought, I heard him saying in a low voice, ¡°But even so, you will not seed. I¡¯ll


    prove to you that even if I fall in love with someone and have a weak spot, you¡¯re still no match for me.¡±


    At that, he rubbed the wine ss with his fingers. Seeing that I did not respond after a long time, he


    turned around and asked, ¡°Why are you silent?¡±


    ¡°What do you want me to say?¡± I secretly gulped and maintained a poker face. ¡°What you said is


    beyond my understanding. I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not as smart as you. I¡¯m afraid that I can¡¯tmunicate


    with you.¡±


    ¡°I know that you¡¯re provoking me to attract my attention, but I must remind you that I¡¯m not a good-


    tempered person. You¡¯d better restrain yourself. Otherwise, you may not have the chance to live until


    the day you sessfully scheme against me.¡± Nathaniel¡¯s expression darkened. He was exuding an


    intimidating aura.

 Chapter 1769

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1769


    Chapter 1769 Make Me Fall In Love With You


    I stopped feeling afraid the moment I did not feel any murderous intention from Nathaniel.


    Nevertheless, I still restrained myself and did not argue further with him.


    Then, he turned his face away, took out two stamps from his pocket, and threw them on the table.


    One of them rolled on the table and stopped in front of me. At a nce, I saw that it was Fuller


    Corporation¡¯s corporate seal.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°I¡¯ve sent some of the documents to your email. From today onward, Ashton Fuller and Fuller


    Corporation have nothing to do with you anymore.¡±


    Subsequently, he looked at me and smirked. I saw the hint of mischief in his eyes when he said, ¡°And


    what you have to do is make me fall in love with you.¡±


    I held my breath, and my mind went nk. Emery was right. I had gotten myself into big trouble.


    Setting aside whether I could handle a man like him, I was a divorced woman with three children. Not


    only was I not young anymore, but I was still in love with my ex-husband. How could someone like me


    possibly make a man who was not interested in love fall for me?


    Fate had to be toying with me. How could this happen to me?


    Nathaniel observed my reaction and incited, ¡°You can¡¯t do it? It seems like the love that you worship


    like a god isn¡¯t that miraculous. I¡¯m here in front of you, not fighting back nor resisting, but you can¡¯t


    make me fall in love with you.¡±This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    With that condescending look, he sounded as if he had secured the victory and was waiting for me to


    admit defeat.


    I remained silent because I was well aware that it was impossible to hold sway over another person¡¯s


    feelings. I could not fight a losing battle.


    Mustering up my courage, I tried to bargain with him. ¡°Can¡¯t you change your target to someone else?¡±


    ¡°No way.¡±


    ¡°Then there¡¯s no need to continue this talk. You should leave now.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try my patience,¡± he warned.


    Closing my eyes, I leaned forward and said, ¡°Since I¡¯m going to die anyway, why don¡¯t you kill me here


    and now?¡±


    Silence nketed the entire house. For a long time, there was no reaction from him at all.


    I opened my eyes slowly, only to find that Nathaniel had been looking at me for the whole time. We


    were very close to each other, but I did not feel any hostility from him.


    ¡°Since it¡¯s aparison, then I must fall in love with the same woman as Ashton. Moreover, you¡¯re the


    only woman who has surprised me over and over again. This is your only chance to defeat me. Do you


    really want to give up?¡±


    He was right. It was my only chance.


    At the same time, it also meant that he had already decided to destroy us. If I did not agree to his n,


    then all of us would have to suffer destructive damage from him.


    ¡°Okay, I agree.¡± It would not hurt to give it a try. Sooner orter, Ashton would be able to find the


    evidence of his crime. And before that, I would have to deal with him.


    Besides, a person¡¯s feelings are not inflexible. Maybe I could use this opportunity to change him.


    ¡°Good.¡± Nathaniel crossed his legs and smiled with satisfaction. He still had not realized the


    seriousness of the matter.


    ¡°Then what are we waiting for? Let¡¯s start now,¡± I said while loosening my muscles.


    He spread his arms wide and raised his eyebrows frivolously, telling me to do anything I want.


    ¡°Okay. Since you want topete with Ashton, I¡¯ll teach you how to love me like him. Can you


    cooperate with me?¡±


    ¡°It depends,¡± he said.


    I gave him a sideways nce. ¡°You were the one who talked about fairness, but if you can¡¯t do it, why


    bother?¡±


    In response, Nathaniel sighed and gave in. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll do as you say.¡±


    ¡°Then now I need you to do something for me.¡±

 Chapter 1770

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1770


    Chapter 1770 Deal


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Please leave my house right away.¡± Emery was right. I did not need to be so careful after taking


    control of the situation. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you anymore, and I need to rest. If you stay, you¡¯ll only


    make me hate you more. It¡¯ll affect me from doing my best.¡±


    Nathaniel shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s reasonable.¡±


    With that said, he stood up and went out.


    ¡°Wait!¡± I stopped him before my eyes drifted toward the scarf on the couch. ¡°Your scarf.¡±


    Nathaniel turned around to look at it. The first look that shed past his eyes was a nonchnt one, but


    a beatter, he took the scarf and swiftly made himself scarce.


    I kept staring at the door until I heard the sounds of a car starting up downstairs. After making sure that


    he was gone, my heartbeat slowed down a little, and I let out a deep sigh of relief. In the next second, I


    fell back onto the couch and stared at the ceiling.


    Even now, I could not believe that I had just ordered Nathaniel.


    Patting my chest to calm myself further, I then rposed myself to scan my surroundings. Only when


    I saw the stamp on the table did I recall that Nathaniel had mentioned Ashton earlier.


    Almost immediately, I jerked upright and grabbed the stamp. Then, I studied it and realized it was the


    real thing.


    Nathaniel said that the email was already sent to me¡­


    With that thought in mind, I hastily turned on theputer.


    Upon logging into my email, I saw the signed digitalized copy of Ashton¡¯s divorce agreement, as well as


    the transfer agreement of all his assets.


    Like Nathaniel had said, Ashton was going to leave without taking a single cent.


    What is Ashton nning to do? Has he struck a deal with Nathaniel? No, I can¡¯t feel at ease at all. I


    have to find out more.


    Just as I keyed in the number, I realized that it was too risky to make a call. Thus, I decided to test the


    waters with a WhatsApp message.


    We¡¯ve been together for so long. Shouldn¡¯t we meet up and have a talk even if you want to split up?


    Right as I finished editing the message, I sent it. However, in the next second, a bright red exmation


    mark popped up on the screen, along with a line of words.


    System: You are unable to send messages to this user.


    Did Ashton block me? I wondered.


    I was met with the same results when I tried to call him¡ªthe number couldn¡¯t be reached.


    At that, I could no longer keep my cool, and I instantly called Nathaniel.


    Unlike Ashton, Nathaniel answered the call in seconds. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯ve fallen for me and


    can¡¯t stay even a second away from me.¡±


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    That¡¯s disgusting. Cheesy much.


    However, I was not in the mood to joke with him. ¡°What have you done to Ashton?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that it¡¯s inappropriate to talk about another man to the man you¡¯re about to start a


    rtionship with?¡±


    ¡°Cut the crap. You know that I haven¡¯t let go of him yet. You¡¯re the one who chose me. I¡¯m not the one


    who should be trying hard to make me forget him. If you want more brownie points from me, hurry and


    give me my answer.¡±


    ¡°Sure, but you¡¯ll have to change that temper of yours. I really don¡¯t like the way you¡¯re talking to me


    now.¡± The connection of the call was rather poor, so Nathaniel¡¯s voice sounded robotic. That was also


    why I could not decipher what he was truly feeling at that moment.


    Nevertheless, nothing was more important than Ashton¡¯s safety, so I swiftly recollected myself and


    softly pleaded, ¡°All right, my bad. I shouldn¡¯t have been that rash. My apologies. Perhaps you haven¡¯t


    understood what¡¯s going on. What I mean is that, while I teach you how to love a person, I need Ashton


    to be safe. That way, I¡¯ll be able to focus on my job and give you what you want.¡±


    Fortunately, Nathaniel was convinced. ¡°Good, you¡¯re reasonable. I¡¯ve forgiven you. Don¡¯t worry. I didn¡¯t


    do anything to him. However, I want you both to cut ties properly, so I¡¯ve made a deal with him and


    gave him what he wanted. That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°What did you give him?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Something good enough that he would exchange you for it.¡±


    With that, the line went dead.

 Chapter 1771

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1771


    Chapter 1771 Weak Spot


    Before I could ask for more details, the line had ended; Nathaniel had hung up on me.


    I had to stare at the empty house for a long while before my wits returned to me. John was right;


    Nathaniel knew that Ashton was my weak spot. As long as the game did not stop, Ashton could


    continue to live in peace.


    I shouldn¡¯t have made that call, I thought to myself. It¡¯ll only tell him more about my rtionship with


    Ashton. I won¡¯t be able to convince him that I¡¯ve fallen for him anymore.


    Before sleeping, John sent me a message about what happened earlier. He nonchntly teased, It¡¯s


    pretty good that you¡¯re epting the courtship of another man. Ashton might appreciate you more that


    way.


    Not in the mood for jokes, I turned off my phone and went to sleep.


    It seemed like Nathaniel was fascinated by the idea of courtship. The next morning, he appeared at my


    house to make breakfast for me.


    When I went down the stairs, I saw him preparing sandwiches in an apron.


    Lindsey and the others had been driven out of the kitchen, and they were all standing right outside the


    kitchen at that moment. None dared to disturb him, but none dared to take the time off.


    When they spotted me, Lindsey hurried toward me and said, ¡°Madam, Mr. Hall is¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Go to the back and help to clean up. You can leave this ce alone.¡±


    After sending the maids away, I stepped into the kitchen and put on an apron before helping him out in


    his cooking.


    Nathaniel lifted his head to look at me before replying, ¡°You don¡¯t actually need to do anything. It¡¯s


    simple in the kitchen, and I¡¯ll be able to learn everything soon. I¡¯ll be the one to make your meals from


    then on.¡±


    Something felt off about his words, and I could not help but shudder after hearing it. ¡°Are you trying to


    butter me up?¡±


    Nathaniel wiped his hands and fished out his phone from his pocket. After unlocking it, he turned the


    screen to let it face me.


    On the screen was a file. A Hundred Ways To Be More Intimate With Each Other.


    The first on the list was the preparation of breakfast and apanying the other party while they were


    eating it.


    Then, it was watching the sunset by the seaside, holding hands while shopping, watching a romantic


    movie, and more.


    Objectively, these were all romantic gestures. What would move the other was the effort and time. Any


    human engaging in those activities would eventually grow feelings for the other person.


    However, that was only if both parties were interested; that was only if both parties never had a


    complicated past and an unforgettable love.


    I, obviously, did not fit the requirements, let alone Nathaniel. Doing all of those were just to skip steps in


    the game. Nothing of those activities would move me, let alone make me fall for him.


    However, I could not embarrass Nathaniel for how enthusiastic he was. Thus, I patiently read the entire


    file.


    At the end of it, I spotted a small line of words that said: True love depends on your fate. The upgraded


    version of this guide can be unlocked with neen bucks.


    Huh. This is useless, I thought.


    After turning the phone to face him again, I said, ¡°It seems like you¡¯ve been fooled.¡±


    Nathaniel then skimmed through the text. Embarrassment flicked past his eyes, but he soon schooled


    his features to a neutral look and calmly kept his phone back into his pocket. With a smile, he said,


    ¡°Sorry, my mistake. I won¡¯t do this again.¡±


    The harmless demeanor he adopted made chills run down my spine. Perhaps that was what they


    meant when they said not to judge someone by their cover.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to apologize about. It¡¯s not that it¡¯spletely useless either. Other than those who


    have experienced love at first sight, most people would slowly fall in love with each other after some


    time,¡± I btedly and half-heartedly consoled.


    At that, Nathaniel raised his te and emotionlessly responded, ¡°Then, it seems like we don¡¯t need to


    skip the eating together part.¡±


    Then, seemingly sensing that he did not have the right demeanor, he curled his lips and smiled.

 Chapter 1772

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1772


    Chapter 1772 Not The Other Way Round


    ¡°Hold on.¡± The flowery print apron truly did not fit with his style. I awkwardly shrugged my shoulders


    before changing the topic. ¡°There¡¯s something I don¡¯t think you realize yet, and we have to talk about it.


    The rule of the game is to make you fall for me and not the other way round, right?¡±


    Nathaniel put down the te. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°However, what¡¯s happening now is that you¡¯re trying to blend into my world. Although the chances of


    me falling for you aren¡¯t high, this is clearly going against our original aim, right? I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t


    want to waste that much time to get an oue you don¡¯t want,¡± I continued.


    At that, Nathaniel¡¯s eyes narrowed, seemingly mulling over my words.


    The truth was that I was not afraid that he would refute my words. From the moment he decided to start


    the game despite knowing that it was a trap, Nathaniel had no choice but to go with my flow until the


    game ended.


    I added, ¡°So there¡¯s no need for you to humble yourself to this point¡ªto make breakfast for me so early


    in the morning. It¡¯ll do nothing but make you tired the whole morning.¡±


    It looked like Nathaniel understood what I meant, for he put his hands on the table and leaned forward.


    ¡°So what you mean is that I should be opening up to you so that you can find a way into my heart?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± I answered as I stared at him without blushing. If I did not do that, how was I going to get


    to know him enough toe up with a n and send him to jail?


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Everyone had their own safe spot in their mind, and once I entered it, I would be able to worm my way


    into his heart.


    However, before that, what I had to break through was the invisible wall between the two of us, who


    were individuals from different worlds. I had to make myself be someone important to him instead


    of just a passerby in his life.


    Just as those words were out of my mouth, Nathaniel fell silent.


    Right then, a youthful voice came from the outside of the kitchen. ¡°Uncle Nathaniel?¡±


    Both Nathaniel and I turned at the same time to see Gregory standing by the stairwell.


    He was already dressed in his school uniform. Even if he was still wearing the same soft house slippers


    as his sister, he was like a boy with a warm personality in that uniform. In fact, he was like a mini


    version of Ashton.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Gregory blinked before taking a few steps closer. ¡°Is Daddy back too? Why didn¡¯t I


    see him?¡±


    Hearing that, a small smile appeared on Nathaniel¡¯s lips, and he replied, ¡°No. Do you not want to see


    me, Gregory?¡±


    Gregory meant to ask about his father¡¯s whereabouts, but the moment Nathaniel¡¯s words were out in


    the air, it became awkward. Thus, Gregory quickly shook his head and exined, ¡°No, no, that¡¯s not it.¡±


    ¡°Good to hear that.¡± Nathaniel gazed at him for a moment as a mysterious smile grew on his lips. Then,


    he began untying his apron.


    ¡°Are you leaving?¡± I could not hide the excitement from my voice, but at the same time, I was worried


    about the earlier unanswered question.


    Maybe it¡¯ll be just like yesterday? Does Nathaniel need a day to make up his mind about important


    decisions?


    However, after taking off his apron and putting it on the table, he did not leave. Instead, he lifted his


    head to look at me and asked, ¡°Do you want to get changed?¡±


    I froze, taken aback by his question. ¡°What for?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you want toe into my life?¡± Nathaniel asked.


    I hesitated only a second before answering, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Wearing casual will make me less nervous.


    However, if you think that my current dressing will affect your reputation, I don¡¯t mind changing.¡±


    Nathaniel ruminated about it. Rather than saying anything, he immediately walked toward the outside. I


    hurriedly followed him.


    When we went past Gregory, he cried out, ¡°Uncle Nathaniel, where are you going with Mommy?¡±


    Nathaniel halted in his tracks and turned his head to the side. With a gentle look on his face, he said,


    ¡°I¡¯m taking your mommy to a ce she has always wanted to go.¡±


    After a pause, he added, ¡°Do you want toe along?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± There was no way I was going to involve a child in our matter. I rushed to stand in front of


    Gregory, shielding him away from Nathaniel¡¯s cunning stare. Livid, I red at him and hissed, ¡°You¡¯re


    not that incapable to the point you¡¯ll need to use a child to reach your goals, are you?¡±

 Chapter 1773

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1773


    Chapter 1773 Pedestal


    ¡°True.¡± Nathaniel turned his head to face the front again. ¡°Gregory is like me. He should spend more


    time improving himself.¡±


    Gregory stared at us, seemingly realizing what was going on. Before I could stop him, he said, ¡°Uncle


    Nathaniel, can you promise that you won¡¯t let Mommy get hurt?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Nathaniel replied. ¡°I always stick to my promise.¡±


    Gregory nodded vigorously and hummed, ¡°Okay.¡±


    I then quickly crouched down and held his arm before saying, ¡°Daddy¡¯s not around, so Gregory¡¯s our


    big boy at home. I¡¯m going to go out with Uncle Nathaniel to deal with some stuff now, so can you take


    care of your siblings?¡±


    Gregory stared into my eyes for two seconds before replying confidently, ¡°Yes. Audrey and I will be


    waiting for Mommy toe home for dinner.¡±


    I stiffened, knowing that he was telling me toe home to them.


    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll be back as early as I can,¡± I said as I reached out to pinch his soft cheeks. I knew my son


    was smart enough to know what was going on.


    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Not necessarily.¡± Nathaniel was impatient, so after saying that, he walked off.


    I had reassured Gregory earlier, but when the boy heard Nathaniel¡¯s words, he drew his brows together


    worriedly.


    ¡°Gregory, look at me.¡± I quickly patted his cheeks to catch his attention. ¡°If I say I¡¯ming back, I will.


    Do you believe in Mommy?¡±


    Gregory visibly hesitated. Nevertheless, it seemed like he knew he could not make me stay, so he


    reluctantly nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Furthermore, to not worry me, he put on a smile on his face and said, ¡°Mommy, go now. You cane


    back earlier if you leave now. It¡¯s fine even if youe backte. I¡¯ll make sure Audrey doesn¡¯t kick up


    a fuss.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sweetie.¡± Moved, I kissed his forehead before steeling myself and rushing after Nathaniel.


    Nathaniel was a man who changed his mind quickly; I had to go through my n before he changed


    his mind again.


    When I got into the car, Nathaniel was looking at his WhatsApp. The moment he saw me, he kept his


    phone away.


    ¡°Overprotecting a kid doesn¡¯t necessarily help them,¡± Nathanielmented as he looked to the front,


    expressionless.


    So, what he means is that children should be among people who scheme all the time? So Gregory


    should learn to be cold-blooded like the Halls and be a menace to the peaceful society?


    His words reminded me of my first meeting with Ashton¡¯s biological father; they both enjoyed


    preaching.


    Self-centeredness was what was written in Nathaniel¡¯s bones. It was impossible to change him in such


    a short amount of time, so I could not outright disagree with him. Instead, I huffed out, ¡°If you keep


    looking down on everything I do, you¡¯ll never be able to truly fall for someone.¡±


    ¡°This is just education for children. It has nothing to do with love,¡± Nathaniel replied, unfazed.


    ¡°Of course it does!¡± I turned around to look at him. ¡°You¡¯re the one who chose a woman with children.


    I¡¯m but an ordinary woman, and that¡¯s a fact you can¡¯t change. Love is fair. If you want to fall for me,


    please step down from your pedestal and start living like a normal person! But of course, you¡¯re the one


    who started this game. If you want to add on a rule that states that you get to interpret anything


    however you like and reject my suggestion, then there¡¯s nothing I can do. I can only wait for my doom.¡±


    With that said, I turned around to look out of the window, not wanting to engage in a talk with him


    anymore.


    I could sense Nathaniel staring at me for a long time, but I knew that I could not relent. Hence, I never


    once turned back to him.


    The car came to a stop by a port. We then changed to a yacht. Two hourster, we reached an ind


    in the west.


    The moment I stepped out of the yacht, I supported myself by leaning against a rock and began


    retching.


    Beside me, nothing good came out of Nathaniel¡¯s mouth. ¡°You used to not have motion sickness. Is


    your health getting lousier the older you be?¡±

 Chapter 1774

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1774


    Chapter 1774 Factory


    Suppressing my nausea, I straightened up and side-eyed him. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. My health isn¡¯t the only


    one getting lousier; my temper is too. You better pray to God that you won¡¯t fall in love with me, or else


    I¡¯m going to make your life a living hell.¡±


    Hearing that, Nathaniel wiped away the smile on his face and uttered, ¡°I don¡¯t believe in gods.¡±


    At that, he left me alone and walked further into the nameless ind.


    I gritted my teeth as I watched him go. Maybe the only god in his world is himself. Good. As long as I


    have my hand around his heart, it¡¯ll be easy for me to destroy him. But I won¡¯t stop there. That¡¯s not


    even a tenth of what he had done to the Fuller family and us. When that dayes, I¡¯ll make him pay


    ten times what he has done to us.


    The sea breeze caressed my face and disrupted my train of thoughts. However, it lessened my


    symptoms of motion sickness. When I noticed that Nathaniel was only a few steps away from the car


    that hade to pick us up, I rushed over before I had any time topose myself.


    It seemed like Nathaniel was well-respected on the ind. As we drove down the road, almost


    everyone was bowing and smiling at our car.


    The smiles of the vigers were genuine, but the person beside me did not react as if he had seen it


    thousands of times.


    It felt like I was on a tour with a god. The god¡ªNathaniel¡ªneeded to do nothing but silently enjoy the


    love that the vigers gave him. It was as if his presence alone was already a blessing to them.


    Right then, my heart raced, and I looked away from the vigers. I did not know whether I should


    describe them as foolish or naive.


    Soon, we arrived at thergest factory on the ind. The workers there must have been pre-informed,


    for they were standing in a line outside, waiting to wee us.


    All of them were wearing blue uniforms, and they were all young, energetic people. Like the


    generations before them, it seemed like all they needed was an order before they began working until


    the sun went down.


    ¡°Wee, Mr. Hall!¡±


    Both of us came down from the car as they greeted us enthusiastically. However, Nathaniel did not stop


    to talk to his admirers. Instead, he walked past the crowd emotionless with a managerial-looking young


    man and entered the factory. I had to follow him closely so that I would not be pushed to the side by the


    workers.


    The assembly line in the factory continued its usual routine, seemingly undisturbed by our arrival.


    Perhaps it was because the employees there were all well-trained enough to not do anything out of the


    ce while they were working.


    However, I noticed something odd. Regardless of whether it was the group of people outside


    weing us, the workers at the assembly line, or even the supervisors, they were all young men.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    I could not believe that I could not find a single woman in a factory of that size.


    Even as I stepped into the elevator, I was ruminating about whether or not I had somehow missed out


    on seeing the female employees. Right then, the walkie-talkie in front of me buzzed, and I raised my


    head. Then, I saw a sh of white on the screen that had been showing the floor number earlier before


    the disy turned into a scanning window.


    The manager who had led us in then leaned closer. It only took a second for the words¡ªsessful


    recognition¡ªto appear on the screen.


    Just as I was looking around and waiting for the elevator to go up, loud groaning sounds came from


    behind me. Then, it was the feeling of falling as the elevator began moving downward.


    Almost a minuteter, the elevator slowly stopped. When we stepped out, I noticed a fork that branched


    out into three tunnels. Each of the paths was inplete darkness, so I could not see where it led to.


    Furthermore, we were underground, so it was humid. It only made the darkness of the paths even


    creepier.


    Right then, Nathaniel turned to look at me. A smile that did not reach his eyes appeared on his face as


    he said, ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll change your impression of me after seeing my factory.¡±


    As if, I thought as I frowned at him. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it, but nothing¡¯s changing. I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you.¡±

 Chapter 1775

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1775


    Chapter 1775 Going Underground


    Instead of getting angry, Nathaniel chuckled and looked toward the front instead. Then, he pped.


    In the next second, a rhythmic clicking sound came from the dark paths before the row of lights slowly


    turned on, starting from the ones closest to us. They lit up the concrete path, and at the end of the path,


    a steel door slowly opened to reveal a whole new world to me.


    Who would have ever thought that there would be a factory deep underground which was identical to


    the one above ground?


    Despite myself, I walked toward the center path and into the illuminated world. When I locked eyes with


    one of the employees, I knew I was not hallucinating.


    Perhaps a better way was to say the underground factory was Nathaniel¡¯s real factory. Here, what they


    manufactured was not unnamed parts but ice.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Not only had that man make himself a god to others, but he had also created a world for himself.


    The ce I was in was meant to be a bomb shelter, but he had made it into a drug factory.


    On the conveyor belts were packets and packets of crystals. I could not help but think about the


    ferocious look Joseph had when he was controlled by ice.


    What was on the belts were not mere chemicals but lives; human lives.


    ¡°Are you surprised?¡± came Nathaniel¡¯s voice beside me. ¡°Even Citraine¡¯srgest group of drug dealers


    have bare minimum factories. They can¡¯t exist anywhere, so they¡¯re usually shabby ces. But look,


    the ce I¡¯ve made here is essentially a masterpiece!¡±


    The way he was gleeful about his factory made me tighten my fists to hold myself back from wanting to


    destroy the entire ce.


    ¡°What about the people? Don¡¯t you know how many lives and families you¡¯d ruin by creating so much


    ice?¡± I asked.


    A cold look appeared in Nathaniel¡¯s eyes as he muttered,pletely unperturbed by my words,


    ¡°Everyone has to pay the price for their choice. Everyone¡¯s the same. It¡¯s just that the strongest will


    survive.¡±


    ¡°But they shouldn¡¯t even have this choice in their life!¡± I yelled out, arguing with him as fury


    overwhelmed my mind. However, a secondter, I btedly realized I was only wasting my breath, so I


    buried my face in one hand and bitterlyughed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that, Scarlett. I¡¯m not as fragile as you think I am,¡± Nathaniel abruptly said as though he was


    teasing me.


    Calm down, Scarlett Stovall. I kept repeating that to myself in my mind. Only when you¡¯re calm can you


    continue to fight with this heartless creature.


    It was that moment I thought about Ashton. Did hee here too? Is that why he decided to strike a


    deal with Nathaniel? But fate ys cruel jokes on people sometimes.


    Just as thest thought shed past my mind, a faraway elevator slid open.


    The pale man who had to be supported by Joseph to stay upright was none other than Ashton.


    His breathing was heavy, and it seemed like he had sustained an injury to his left chest. Blood had


    stained arge section of his clothes, and when he lifted his head, our eyes met. However, he only


    spent a second looking at me before he turned to re at Nathaniel.


    Joseph was hurt as well. That man was wearing a thin dress shirt with dirt and blood coating it. He


    looked much more disheveled than Ashton, but his re was much more feral than Ashton¡¯s. Like


    Ashton, his re was directed at Nathaniel.


    Staring at them ached my heart so badly to the point I could barely take in any breaths. A beatter, I


    choked out, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Ashton pressed down hard on his wound before forcing a sneer onto his face. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I want


    to ask too. What¡¯s going on, my dear brother?¡±


    Nathaniel nced at him before half-heartedly gasping. ¡°Oh my, did the cops find you when you were


    doing the deal? Why are you careless?¡±


    Please. Did you even try to put on a convincing act? It¡¯s as if you¡¯re scared that no one would realize


    you¡¯re the one behind this.

 Chapter 1776

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1776


    Chapter 1776 Ashton And Joseph


    A chill ran down my spine, and I abruptly recalled Nathaniel messaging someone when I went into the


    car a few hours ago.


    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Now that I thought about it, I realized that he had nned for everything. Bringing me to the factory for


    a tour was a lie, and having Ashton intervene in the business was a lie too. He wanted to use this


    opportunity to make me see Ashton hurt for his choice.


    So that was what he meant when he said that everyone had to pay the price for their choice.


    His words were not only directed to the people on the ind but also to me.


    I was foolish enough to presume that Nathaniel would stick to the rules and protect the man I love; I


    was foolish to assume that Nathaniel would be too preupied with the game to care about Ashton. As


    it turned out, I had underestimated how cruel he could be.


    He wanted to y the game, but he also wanted to kill Ashton.


    What do I do now?


    My hands shook. Before I could think of anything, I pped Nathaniel.


    Smack!


    At that very moment, the world fell silent.


    One observant employee who witnessed the scene dropped his jaw and nearly made a mistake in his


    work. Despite recollecting himself, he could not wipe away the look of shock on his face.


    No one thought that their god¡ªNathaniel Hall¡ªwould be treated in that way.


    Nathaniel¡¯s face was turned to the side by the force of the p, and he did not turn his head back as he


    went still for a moment.


    When the numbness of my palm traveled up my arm, I finally sobered up a little.


    Oddly enough, the most genuine reaction was my only way of getting away with things when I was


    around Nathaniel.


    I nervously gulped before shooting him a re. ¡°You deserved this.¡±


    It was then Nathaniel came back to his senses and turned to me. As he grimly stared at me, he


    cracked his stiff neck.


    If I were to let my fear appear on my face at that moment, I would lose. Thus, I gritted my teeth and


    steeled myself for what I was going to say next. ¡°The game is over. I¡¯m not going to y this anymore.


    It¡¯s a waste of my time to y a game with someone like you¡ªsomeone who has no principles and


    won¡¯t even stick to the rules.¡±


    ¡°When have I not stuck to the rules? I promised that I would leave Ashton alive. Is he not alive right


    now?¡± Nathaniel narrowed his eyes as he studied me. ¡°So can I assume that you¡¯ve made a mistake


    pping me?¡±


    For a moment, I was so taken aback by his words that no words formed in my head.


    However, Nathaniel did not urge me for a quick reply. Instead, he abruptly reached out his hand to grab


    my chin.


    He then leaned his face closer to mine. For a second, I thought his breath was as cold as he was.


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve done that, you¡¯ll have to endure the punishment. Now, coax me in front of everyone


    else.¡±


    I thrashed, but that only made him tighten his grip on me. A pang of pain shot up into the top of my


    skull, and I was forced to relent and mutter, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡± Nathaniel smiled. ¡°Kiss me. Hug me.¡±


    I frowned when I heard that before silently letting my eyes flick toward Ashton.


    At that, Nathaniel tightened his grip and used pain to force me to pay attention to him. ¡°I¡¯ve fulfilled


    many of your requests, and you should do the same. You shouldn¡¯t reject me. Otherwise, I¡¯ll have to


    use another way to resolve this misunderstanding.¡±


    With that said, he turned to grin at Ashton and Joseph with a homicidal look in his eyes.


    It was right then I realized what kind of situation Ashton was trapped in. He would sacrifice everything


    to save the one he loved, and so would I.


    ¡°Okay.¡± I dropped my arms and let them hang beside me before closing my eyes. After a heavy sigh, I


    continued, ¡°I¡¯ll do as you say, so let go of me.¡±


    Instantly, Nathaniel released his grip on me and started caressing me gently instead. ¡°I love the way


    you are right now.¡±


    What way? The way I¡¯m forced to submit to him even though I feel nothing but hatred? The way I have


    to let him order me around as if I¡¯m his maid? Forget it. I can¡¯t always have the upper hand in this.


    That¡¯ll only raise his suspicion.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start then.¡± Nathaniel patted my cheeks before retracting his hand. He then hunched over and


    waited to receive his reward from me.

 Chapter 1777

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1777


    Chapter 1777 Another p


    There was no use crying over spilled milk, but I could not help but nce at the silent Ashton. All of a


    sudden, a thought popped into my head. The moment Nathaniel closed his eyes, I raised my hand to


    swing it downward again, leaving a clear palm print on his face.


    Finally, Nathaniel was infuriated. He immediately grabbed my neck and hissed, ¡°You¡¯re pushing your


    luck!¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller!¡± Joseph tried to rush over to rescue me, but after a loud bang, he copsed onto his


    knees.


    At some point in time, Nathaniel had fished out a gun and shot Joseph¡¯s calf.


    By the time I came back to my senses, the warm muzzle of the gun was already pressed against my


    forehead.


    He won¡¯t pull the trigger. That was what I guessed.


    However, at the same time, I realized that Nathaniel¡¯s choices were always different from an ordinary


    person¡¯s choices. That bullet was something I would not be able to avoid.


    Bang!


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Before I could think about what I should do next, Nathaniel swung his gun to the side and shot the


    other leg of Joseph, who was trying to mber to his feet again. Blood pooled underneath him, and he


    could only support himself to a partially upright position with his hands.


    Perhaps he was afraid that he would infuriate Nathaniel. Joseph bit down hard on his lip as he shook


    from the pain, forcing down the whimpers that threatened to escape past his lips. He endured it to the


    point where even the veins on his temples popped.


    Meanwhile, Nathaniel was bloodthirsty. He slowly shifted the gun to point it at Ashton, who was already


    injured.


    I have to stop this.


    Before anything else passed through my mind, I fixed my eyes on the gun in Nathaniel¡¯s hand.


    In the next second, I grabbed his hand and pulled to make the muzzle point at my left shoulder instead.


    Then, I pressed down on Nathaniel¡¯s index finger and pulled the trigger.


    Bang!


    It was toote for Nathaniel to stop me. The bullet buried itself into my flesh, and it felt like I had fallen


    on a pit of spikes. The agonizing pain nearly rendered me unconscious.


    Forcing the pain to rest at the back of my mind used up all my strength. I could not gain control over my


    body anymore, and I gradually lost bnce and consciousness.


    Even though I knew that the bullet had not hit anything vital, I could not help but look toward Ashton


    longingly as my vision blurred.


    He¡¯s looking at me.


    Upon registering that, I let go of everything and fell.


    Thest bit of memory I had before passing out was a tug on my waist.


    My eyes rolled in their socket, and I realized that I was alive. Instantly, I opened them.


    From the decor of the space around me and the scent of disinfectants in the air, I deduced that I was in


    the hospital.


    I then moved my fingers and pinched my thigh. The pain told me that I was not in a dream¡ªthat I was


    still alive. Soon, the sharp pain on my shoulder sobered me up for good.


    I won. What about Ashton?


    In a rush to find out the answer to that, I pulled away from the nket and struggled upright on the bed


    despite the pain. Just as I stuck on a foot and before I could put it onto the floor, a familiar low voice


    above my head said, ¡°Are you that eager to die with Ashton?¡±


    Ashton¡¯s dead? No. He must be lying. If he killed Ashton, then he wouldn¡¯t let me alive either.


    ¡°Of course.¡± I lifted my head to re daggers at him. ¡°I live only for him. If he dies, there¡¯s no meaning


    for me to keep living. You can save me once, but you won¡¯t be able to be there in time forever. As long


    as the opportunityes to me, I¡¯ll definitely follow in Ashton¡¯s footsteps.¡±


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Do you think I care?¡± Nathaniel questioned, his voice devoid of emotions. The icy and prideful look on


    his face made him seem like a grim reaper who just came from hell.


    Of course you do, I thought. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t do all these to keep me alive. Soon, you will know


    how terrifying one person¡¯s intense emotions can be.


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t care, so¡­¡± Halfway through my sentence, my eyes flickered toward the television


    stand. A secondter, I jerked upright and mmed my head at it.


    Although I managed to avoid its sharp corner, the force of the collision made the world spin around me.


    I slumped against the stand and copsed.

 Chapter 1778

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1778


    Chapter 1778 Pushing My Luck


    Nathaniel spun around, so angry that his eyes were as wide as saucers. ¡°Scarlett Stovall, you¡¯re


    pushing your luck!¡±


    I raised my uninjured hand to press down on the wound. I could barely open my eyes, but still, I forced


    out a smile. ¡°I know I am, and you are the reason for it. Y-You know that if Ashton dies, I¡¯ll be dead too.


    If you take his life, you take mine too. You¡¯re ying the role of a nice man visiting me, but who are you


    ying this role for? Yourself? Hrious! You¡¯re a joke, Nathaniel!¡±


    Nathaniel waspletely still in his spot. The cold light of the fmentmp shone on him, casting a


    shadow over his eyes. The more I looked at his eyes, the darker they seemed, but the entire time, his


    expression was a calm one. He was not panicking from getting exposed for his lies, and neither was he


    refuting my words nor giving any exnations.


    The spacious room was engulfed by silence. Perhaps he was ruminating about something, but that was


    something I could not decipher. Nevertheless, it was evident that my fake suicide attempt was effective.


    After a long while, and just as I was about to pass out, Nathaniel reacted.


    He walked over and gently held my wrist, about to help me out. ¡°Get up first.¡±


    His voice was soft. It was as if he was afraid of scaring me.


    It was then I finally opened my eyes wide to warily watch him. However, I did not n to listen to him.


    Nathaniel then took a deep breath, and an exasperated look and a frown crept upon his face. ¡°He¡¯s not


    dead. I was only joking with you.¡±


    ¡°Not funny.¡± I red at him before flinging his cold hand away. Shakily, I supported myself with the


    drawer and climbed back onto the bed.


    Nathaniel quietly watched me from the side. Once I was on the bed, he left the ward.


    A whileter, a nurse came in to treat my head wound.


    During that time, I asked the nurse a few questions. I then learned that I was back at K City and that no


    one was guarding my ward at all times. In other words, I had a certain amount of freedom, but that did


    not mean that no one was watching me from the shadows. Nheless, I could not bother myself with


    that.


    After the nurse left, I contacted John.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    He picked up the call almost immediately. ¡°Thank god you finally called me back. Gregory told me that


    Nathaniel was the one who took you away. Are you okay?¡±


    While I was unconscious, John had been spamming me with calls, but I missed them all. It seemed like


    I had made him worry.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I replied as I took a glimpse at the injury on my shoulder. ¡°How are Gregory and Audrey?¡±


    I made a promise to the kids, but I broke it. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re disappointed.


    ¡°What do you think? I¡¯ve brought them to my ce. Don¡¯t you know how Emma works? She¡¯s great at


    consoling the children; she yed with Audrey and Drew, and they¡¯ve forgotten about you in the midst


    of their fun,¡± John half-jokingly said.


    I pressed my lips tightly but smiled. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    If they only have bad memories of me, then I¡¯d rather they forget about me so that they can stay happy.


    ¡°Yeah, right. When are you going toe back?¡± John asked.


    ¡°I still have something else to do. Maybe in a few days.¡± The boy was smart, so going back while I was


    injured would only worry him more. Thus, I would rather recover a little bit more before meeting him


    again.


    Fearing that John would notice something amiss, I quickly changed the topic. ¡°I called you for


    something else. I think I¡¯ve found Nathaniel¡¯s base.¡±


    John instantly turned solemn. ¡°Where are you right now?¡±


    At that, my heart leaped into my throat. Does he know that I¡¯m in the hospital?


    ¡°On an ind,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°What ind? Are you in the country or overseas?¡± John continued.


    It was then I let out a sigh of relief. ¡°I need your help because I don¡¯t know which ind I¡¯m on.


    Nathaniel has already brought me to his drugb. I¡¯m mostly certain that¡¯s the core of his empire is. As


    long as we destroy that ce, it¡¯ll be much easier for us to deal with him.¡±


    ¡°Stop,¡± John suddenly said.


    However, there was no way I was going to stop at that moment. ¡°No, listen to me. This is a little hard,


    but we can¡ª¡±

 Chapter 1779

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1779


    Chapter 1779 Pretending To Hear Nothing


    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I asked you to stop!¡± John bellowed, scaring all the words I had on the tip of my tongue back down my


    throat.


    Then, in a cautious but firm voice, he said, ¡°Once a spy is exposed, they can¡¯te back in one piece.


    I don¡¯t want to see only bits of you the next time I see you. What we have is time. Come back first, and


    we¡¯ll slowly resolve this matter. Before that happens, no matter what you say to me, I¡¯ll pretend that I


    heard nothing.¡±


    Rendered speechless for a moment, I then reluctantly agreed, ¡°All right. Sorry to trouble you with taking


    care of Gregory and Audrey for now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s troublesome,¡± John said in a serious tone. ¡°So get back here as quickly as possible


    and take them back.¡±


    What a soft-hearted person. He¡¯s clearly afraid that it¡¯s too dangerous for me out here, so he¡¯s urging


    me to go back. I chuckled and nodded. ¡°All right. I¡¯lle back once I¡¯m done with everything. I won¡¯t


    even dy for a second.¡±


    ¡°Be careful.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± With that said, I ended the call.


    The sky outside the window was gloomy. I could not tell what time it was, so I unlocked my phone to


    look at the time.


    It¡¯s twenty minutes to eleven in the morning. I must have slept for an entire day and night. I wonder how


    things are at Ashton and Joseph¡¯s side. Nathaniel doesn¡¯t want me to die. In other words, I must mean


    something to him now. That will be my bargaining chip. With that, I won¡¯t be forced to do as he says the


    next time we meet. It¡¯s not that he can¡¯t love someone, but that he doesn¡¯t want to lose. If I¡¯m dead, he


    won¡¯t be able to match up to Ashton. He¡¯ll forever be a loser. I can¡¯t die, but I have to make Nathaniel


    think that I¡¯m not afraid of death. That¡¯ll be the only way I can make him wary of me.


    What I had most was time while I was recovering in the hospital. While Nathaniel was not around, I


    tried to find out the general location of that ind.


    Unfortunately, when I zoomed into the map, I realized there were tons of inds around the maind.


    My memory of the trip alone was not enough for me to figure out which ind I was on.


    It was then I came to the realization that Nathaniel must have chosen that ce as his factory because


    of that. The news of the nearby inds getting swarmed by police would give them enough time to


    respond.


    Around noon, the door to the ward opened again, and Nathaniel entered with a thermal food jar. It


    seemed like he was going to plead for forgiveness by acting like a good husband.


    There was a total of six dishes, including two kinds of soup and a dessert. It was a sumptuous meal for


    a patient.


    Nathaniel quietly unpacked the food before getting a te with a fork and putting it in front of me. He


    then said, ¡°Eat.¡±


    I lowered my head to nce at it before lifting it again. Stubbornly not taking the fork, I said, ¡°I have an


    injury on my shoulder, and my head is spinning. How am I supposed to eat?¡±


    Hearing that, Nathaniel glimpsed at my forehead before standing up to head out. ¡°I¡¯ll get the nurse.¡±


    However, he halted in his tracks two stepster. After a second of standing transfixed, he turned


    around and picked up the te and fork. He then stabbed a piece of broli and held it in front of my


    lips, saying, ¡°Open your mouth.¡±


    I instinctively flinched. After a moment of hesitation, I reluctantly opened my mouth and slowly ate the


    broli.


    The moment the broli entered my mouth, my tastebuds came alive. I had to admit that the food


    tasted great.


    However, I kept a calm look on my face. As a matter of fact, I even taunted, ¡°You made this? It¡¯s not as


    good as Ashton¡¯s, but it¡¯s somewhat edible.¡±


    Nathaniel did not respond immediately. After feeding me a piece of meat, he said, ¡°This is made by


    Ashton.¡±


    I nearly choked on my own saliva.


    ¡°I was afraid that you might not eat, so we made a deal, and I got him to make a meal in exchange,¡±


    Nathaniel added as he carefully adjusted the angle of the fork. He made it seem like feeding me was


    something so important that no mistakes could be made.


    ¡°What deal?¡± I asked as I continued chewing. Ashton knows me well. No wonder the food has the right


    intensity of vor of my preference.

 Chapter 1780

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1780


    Chapter 1780 A Deal Made


    ¡°Something you¡¯re not interested in.¡± Nathaniel then put down the fork and scooped some soup for me


    instead. ¡°Drink this. It¡¯ll be good for you.¡±


    Nevertheless, I did not even spare it a nce; I was more interested in finding out what deal he had


    made with Ashton. ¡°What deal?¡±


    ¡°Are you a parrot?¡± Nathaniel furrowed his brows as a tinge of angerced his voice.


    I fell silent, and my mood turned foul. A scowl appeared on my face, and I turned away from him, a sign


    that I did not want to speak with him anymore.


    ¡°Have Ashton ever said that you¡¯re a difficult person?¡± Nathaniel questioned, evidently not used to


    courting a woman.


    Difficult? This is called a sweet burden. I¡¯m under great pressure flirting with you here. Not only are you


    not expressing gratitude toward my act, but you¡¯re even being picky and questioning my ability to y


    the role you want?


    Thus, I turned my face further from him and ignored him. In other words, I was giving him the cold


    shoulder.


    Once again, the atmosphere in the ward turned tense. Nathaniel put down the fork loudly on the table


    and warned, ¡°For you not to finish this means that Ashton isn¡¯t a good enough cook. A call from me will


    make sure that you¡¯ll never see him again.¡±


    Hearing that made my fury spring to life as well. I instantly jerked upright and red at him. ¡°You¡¯re


    always using this same old trick. You¡¯ll even betray the ones who are loyal to you. You¡¯re shameless.


    Do it then! Make the call! Once you make the call, I¡¯ll bite my tongue and kill myself! Do it! Do it right


    now!¡±


    Nathaniel, who had always been calm and collected, knitted his brows upon hearing that. His narrowed


    eyes were telling me that I was being ridiculous, but he was too furious to do anything but re at me


    in silence.


    He was a man born in a prestigious family; he was a drug lord. Both of his identities were high and


    mighty. No woman would ever try to mess with him. Perhaps he had indeede across other fussy


    women but confidently thought he would be able to deal with an ever-changing woman when the time


    came.


    However, the theory was unlike practical. In reality, he was panicking.


    It was the same thing as him thinking that he could control Ashton¡¯s life. That was nothing but wishful


    thinking on his part.


    I smiled sweetly at him before leaning closer to give him a once-over. When I saw the traces of panic in


    his eyes¡ªthe panic of a teenager in love¡ªI said, ¡°Let me take a guess. You were the first person I saw


    when I woke, and that wasn¡¯t because you were eager to do something to me, but because you wanted


    to see me at all times, right?¡±


    Of course, Nathaniel was not going to admit to it. He gritted his teeth and forced a menacing


    expression back onto his face. ¡°Don¡¯t bother trying your trickeries on me. For me to be there when you


    woke was only a sign of how good the doctor was. It was but a coincidence. Did you think that I¡¯m like


    those foolish men who¡¯d waste an entire day waiting for an unconscious patient to wake?¡±


    Without missing a beat, I asked, ¡°You won¡¯t?¡±


    Nathaniel froze for half a second before replying, ¡°Of course not.¡±


    That half a second was more than enough to tell me what was the truth.


    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    So he really did stay by my side for such a long time. Most importantly, he hasn¡¯t realized that he¡¯s


    exining to me. He told me he wouldn¡¯t waste his time on unimportant people and matters. He told


    me that himself, but now, he¡¯s arguing with me about this. Good. The more lies he utters, the likelier he


    will do something that he eventually has to cover up.


    ¡°Okay. Then I¡¯ve been overthinking this. I thought¡­¡± Instead of pressuring him into admitting it, I


    lowered my head and pretended to be disappointed.

 Chapter 1781

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1781


    Chapter 1781 Growing Interest


    ¡°What did you think?¡± Nathaniel asked.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± I deliberately averted my eyes from his eager ones, pretending not to realize that he was


    starting to be interested in me.


    As if he had been humiliated, Nathaniel questioned, ¡°Did you think that I can¡¯t read your mind?¡±


    ¡°So you can read my mind?¡± Despite knowing that he was warning me, I amped up my ridiculous act


    and leaned closer to him. Resting my chin on my hand, I continued, ¡°But so what? The better you know


    my aim, the faster you¡¯ll realize not to keep this up, right?¡±


    ording to the rules of the game, Nathaniel could not stop me even if he knew that everything I did


    was to test his limits.


    Falling for someone was akin to a moth flying toward the me. Even if one knew that a pit of fire


    awaited them, they would still jump down.


    After hearing my words, Nathaniel narrowed his eyes. The fire in his eyes slowly faded away, and what


    reced the angry look was a mysterious smile.


    However, secondster, his expression changed again¡ªthis time, his face was devoid of emotions.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Interesting. You¡¯re making me see you in a new light.¡±


    ¡°Can I assume that means you¡¯re starting to get interested in me?¡± I asked with a smile.


    After briefly studying me, he lowered his eyes and left the room silently.


    Is he too annoyed to exin, or does he not want to admit to what he¡¯s feeling?


    Confidence still coursing in my vein, I decided that thetter was likelier.


    My stay in the hospitalsted for a week. Nathaniel came to visit me almost every day, but he had


    be much more cautious. Other than watching me finish the food he brought to me, he did nothing


    else.


    It seemed like he was determined to make us partners in a game instead of two people with a budding


    rtionship like the start. It was as if he was trying to numb and remind himself we were only ying a


    game.


    My discharge from the hospital was an abrupt one. I informed no one but Millie about it.


    There was no one in the house at all. The silence amplified the sense of loneliness, and I could not


    help but think about the memories in this house. In fact, I could remember everything that happened in


    every corner of this house¡ªAshton ying action figures with Audrey, Gregory using hisptop on the


    couch, and Audreying up with all kinds of ways to mess with Shaun.


    All of those things felt like they had just happened the day before, but in the blink of an eye, they were


    all gone.


    Nathaniel was to me.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t overexert yourself right after your discharge from the hospital. Do sit down,¡± Millie


    reminded.


    At that, I took in a deep breath to calm myself down and nodded before letting her help me to the couch


    in the living room.


    After sitting down, I took out my phone and tapped into my conversation with Nathaniel. I then tossed


    the phone to Millie.


    ¡°Compose the message with my style and send him my schedule bit by bit today.¡±


    Millie did not know what was going on, but she did not ask any questions before taking the phone and


    doing as I said.


    Less than a minuteter, she threw the phone back to me. ¡°Done.¡±


    I leaned back on the couch, not wanting to even open my eyes to catch the phone. Instead, I slowly


    moved my hand around to search for the phone. Just as I found it, the phone buzzed.


    A nce at the screen told me that Nathaniel had returned the message.


    Nathaniel: I¡¯m not interested in these boring things.


    Millie sent two messages. ¡°I¡¯m out of the hospital¡± and ¡°I¡¯ve reached home.¡±


    True disinterest was to not reply instead of returning an annoyed message like Nathaniel had done so.


    The mere act of him returning the message told me what I needed to know.


    Without spending too long mulling over it, I texted back: Is that so? I thought you¡¯d want to know what


    I¡¯m doing.


    Two minutester, no replies came back from him. Perhaps he was fuming from how I had read his


    mind.


    That was what I wanted.


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    There was no reason for me to suffer the pain of having my family separated while he enjoyed the time


    of his life. After all, karma was always waiting around the corner.


    After rposing myself, I then decided to find out more news about Ashton through Holden.


    Although thetter might not reject lending me a hand to avoid crossing Nathaniel, money was what


    made the world go around. I was certain that there would be no deal he would not take up as long as


    what he was going to get was good.

 Chapter 1782

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1782


    Chapter 1782 Calling Holden


    Nevertheless, no one answered the call when I dialed his number.


    After a long moment of contemtion, I decided to show him the card up my sleeve on WhatsApp.


    ¡°Five percent of Fuller Corporation¡¯s shares. This is the highest price I can offer to you.¡±


    Unsurprisingly, the person I could not get through earlier instantly called on WhatsApp.


    The moment the video loaded, I was greeted by Holden¡¯s greedy grin. ¡°My, my, look at me. I¡¯ve been so


    busy that I missed Ms. Stovall¡¯s call. What¡¯s the matter? It seems like you¡¯re interested in talking


    business with me.¡±


    A question that he obviously knows the answer to.


    Although we used to be on good terms, we were no best friends. Moreover, I had a favor to ask, so I


    was in no position to point out that he was ying the fool.


    ¡°I want to know whether Ashton is dead or alive,¡± I told him.


    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± Holden asked with a smirk.


    ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m sure you know that¡¯s not enough to cover the shares I¡¯ll be giving to you.¡± We were


    talking business, after all, so I saw no need to be too polite with him.


    ¡°Go on.¡± Although Holden was a sweet-talker, he knew how to read a room well. When he realized that


    I was not in the mood for jokes, he quickly stopped the teasing tone.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t thought of anything yet, but I¡¯ll tell you when something pops up. I hope that it won¡¯t be that


    difficult to reach you when that timees,¡± I said.


    Holden visibly stiffened, but he soon put on a look that told me he was going to start appeasing me.


    ¡°My, what are you talking about? I¡¯m always avable to both you and Mr. Fuller.¡±


    ¡°I hope so.¡± Not wanting to look at his pretentious face, I then ended the call.


    Minutester, I received news about Ashton. However, it was not from Holden but from a tabloid


    magazine. Journalists truly had remarkable instincts sometimes.


    With whom Ashton was, he would naturally be the focus if he were to appear in a magazine.


    The title of the article was rather direct too. The President Lowering Himself And Falling For A C-List


    Celebrity.


    In other words, Ashton had apanied Reba to her filming site.


    The media were all over it. To the public, Ashton was a well-loved bachelor who, for some reason, had


    to have Reba, a woman who had fallen from grace.


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    A famous celebrity evenmented: Not sure who¡¯s the victim here.


    After throwing the magazine on the table, I called for Millie, ready to leave the house.


    ¡°Where to?¡± she asked.


    I took out a baseball cap from its dusty corner before putting it on and looking at myself in the mirror.


    Then, I replied, ¡°To the filming site.¡±


    I could only be at ease after seeing Ashton with my own two eyes.


    The filming site was also in the suburbs, but it was not in the same direction as the Fuller residence.


    Furthermore, it was the weekend. Thus, we only reached our destination when it was evening. The film


    crew that Ashton was in was popr even at the filming site, so we soon found out where they were at


    from a production assistant.


    When we reached where the film crew was, they were filming an outdoor scene. Coincidentally, both


    Ashton and Reba were in that scene.


    The gist of the story was that Ashton was ying the role of a minor character who was confessing to


    the main character for the third time but was still rejected.


    Ashton was a professional, so despite his minor role in the story, his eyes were bright as he asked,


    ¡°Josie, will you ept me now?¡±


    The perfect appearance, along with his faithful character, would surely win over the audience¡¯s hearts.


    However, Reba had set herself up to be the kind of character who would pick a bone with others.


    She waspletely unfazed by Ashton¡¯s pleading eyes. ¡°Save it. I have told you I don¡¯t love you. Even


    if all the men in the world are dead, I still won¡¯t choose you. The very look of you disgusts me!¡±


    p!


    All of a sudden, she pped Ashton.


    It seemed like Reba had used all her strength in that p, for Ashton¡¯s head was tilted to the side


    by the force.

 Chapter 1783

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1783


    Chapter 1783 Ad Lib


    For a moment, the entire film crew went into an uproar. They were all discussing among themselves


    who Reba truly was.


    ¡°Who is she to have the guts to hit the richest man around?¡±


    ¡°She might not necessarily have someone to back her up. Maybe he just can¡¯t resist her.¡±


    ¡°He can¡¯t resist her? Is this your first day here? Do you not know that Ashton¡¯s partner is Scarlett? I


    was even there at their wedding. How long has it been since then? The old town is still there, and the


    video is still circting around, but the people in it have changed. I¡¯d say Vivian bewitched Ashton!¡±


    ¡°Oh please, do you know how to whisper? If Vivian hears it, the whole film crew¡¯s going to suffer with


    you.¡±


    ¡°What are you afraid of? Are you telling me she has the guts to do it but not the guts to hear the people


    talk about it? Look at what Ashton has been doing recently! He¡¯s acting so strange. It¡¯s truly a case of


    those who sleep with dogs will rise with fleas.¡±


    Gossips would always happen in ces where people crowd, but they had no idea that the one they


    were talking about was right beside them.


    Nevertheless, their words did not bother me; my focus was entirely on Ashton.


    I could not believe that a prideful man like him had no reactions to such a humiliating moment. He only


    lowered his eyes and recollected himself before quietly leaving the ce and disappearing into a


    studio.


    No staff members rushed to console him. Instead, the director ran toward Reba and began


    buttering her up. ¡°Vivian, you¡¯re such a great actress. That adlib was fantastic!¡±


    Reba rolled her eyes but did not answer. Ignoring the way the director¡¯s smile froze, she asked the


    makeup artist to continue touching up her makeup.


    Embarrassed, the director instantly scowled and sarcastically uttered, ¡°Actors and actresses are really


    getting more and more disrespectful of the script nowadays. They¡¯ll change it on the spot whenever


    they want to. Are they looking down on the scriptwriter and the directors?¡±


    Reba instantly understood what the director meant. She sneered before turning around. ¡°You there.


    Are you talking about me?¡±


    The rudeness of her tone was a clear disy of how pompous she usually was in the crew.


    When the director heard that, he instantly turned cowardly as he smiled apologetically at her. ¡°Of


    course not. I¡¯m telling the rookies that. Vivian, everyone knows how capable you are! All right, all right.


    This part of the filming is over. Let¡¯s take a rest for now, everyone. We¡¯ll be starting again in half an


    hour.¡±


    With that said, the director turned and left to retreat to his breakroom. The very second he turned


    around, he dropped the smile and cursed at her under his breath.


    Millie then led me to the break room that Ashton was at while avoiding Reba.


    When we entered, Ashton had his back against the door in silence. I did not know what was on his


    mind. His broad back had blocked out all of the light from themp above, making him seemrger


    than he usually was.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Thinking that it was the assistant, Ashton growled, ¡°Spit it out and get lost once you¡¯re done.¡±


    It had only been one week, but it seemed like ages since I had heard his hoarse voice.


    The longer I stared at his back, the more I wanted to rush forward and give him a hug.


    That was exactly what I did.


    However, Ashton was far too wary. He thought that I was a stranger with wicked intent, so the moment I


    touched his body, he instinctively moved to the side and put a gap between us.


    When he spun around and saw that it was me, he furrowed his brows. ¡°Why are you here?¡¯


    Nathaniel was not around, so even if he tried keeping a sense of distance between us, I could still hear


    the gentleness in his voice.


    ¡°You never appeared in the hospital despite my long stay there, so I had no choice but toe to you.¡±


    The concept of yearning was so odd to me. When I could not see him, I could barely eat and sleep, but


    after seeing him, I miss him even more than when we were apart.


    If only I were quicker. I would be able to hug him. I would be able to get some strength to stay afloat


    longer. A hug, and I¡¯ll realize that I¡¯m not fighting this battle alone.

 Chapter 1784

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1784


    Chapter 1784 Iing Death


    ¡°Nathaniel¡¯s anxious about you. You¡¯ll be fine.¡± Ashton lowered his eyes and avoided my gaze.


    A fresh swell of hot tears brimmed in my eyes, and Iughed bitterly. ¡°That¡¯s right. He¡¯s about to fall in


    love with me. A man as smart as you is slowly creeping into my life. What do you feel about that?¡±


    ¡°If I were you, I¡¯d be happy. At the very least, this shows that you¡¯re currently safe.¡± Ashton¡¯s tone was


    still as t as ever, so I could not decipher what he was feeling at that moment.


    Perhaps what he wanted to say was that all was fine as long as I was safe, but I was greedy¡ªI wanted


    to hear something else other than that. ¡°But you¡¯re not me. Otherwise, you¡¯d know that the words I want


    to hear aren¡¯t these.¡±


    Ashton then nced, almost unnoticeably, in the direction of the doorway. Despite how cautious he


    was, I noticed his action and informed him, ¡°Millie¡¯s guarding the room outside. No one¡¯s going toe


    in. We¡¯ll be alone here.¡±


    I was telling him that we were in a safe spot, so he did not need to worry about Nathaniel¡¯s sudden


    appearance or him abruptly realizing something amiss.


    However, Ashton was determined to y safe. ¡°If I can say things that nice to your ears, we wouldn¡¯t


    be divorcing each other and fighting over the assets,¡± he said, cold and ruthless.


    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Once that was said, he hurried to the door. However, right as he was by the doorway, he skidded to a


    stop.


    ¡°Time can change everything, and it can ruin everything.¡±


    Then, without sparing me another nce, he left the break room.


    Although the heater in the break room was working, I found myself shaking from the cold, and I could


    not help but wrap my arms around myself.


    Time can change everything. Does he mean it literally, or is he hinting me at something else?


    I stayed in the break room for a long time, thinking about what Ashton had saidst. Yet, no matter how


    much I mulled over his words, I could not wrap my mind around what he meant.


    The door creaked open. Thinking that it was Millie¡ªthat she hade to urge me to hurry¡ªI muttered


    to her, ¡°Millie, say, what do you think it means by time can change everything?¡±


    However, when I lifted my head, what greeted me was the sight of Nathaniel¡¯s too-pale face under the


    bright light.


    It was at that very moment I realized what Ashton meant.


    Nathaniel had been watching us for a long time. Even if we did nothing, our time spent alone in an


    enclosed space was more than enough to tell him about our rtionship.


    After all, how could two people who abhorred each other be able to peacefully stay in the same room


    for long?


    Nathaniel studied me from head to toe. A beatter, he said with amusement, ¡°It seems like Ashton is


    more determined to not love you than to love you.¡±


    I froze before I btedly realized what had happened¡ªNathaniel had assumed that Ashton¡¯sst


    words were a rejection.


    He had clearlye to rub salt on my wound.


    It seemed like the messages in the morning had been a shock to his system.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. He¡¯s good, isn¡¯t he? He can stop loving someone right after dering so. Yet, he can fall


    for another woman almost immediately after that. On the other hand, you, Nathaniel, don¡¯t even know


    what it¡¯s like to love someone,¡± I said with a small smile.


    That was why people said not to cross a woman, especially a woman in one¡¯s heart. Otherwise, one


    would only be hurting themself when one hurt her.


    I had managed to make Nathaniel drop his smile and begin scowling. His head was slightly lowered,


    and even the lights above could not help conceal the menacing aura he was exuding. ¡°Have you


    forgotten what it¡¯s like to infuriate me right after leaving the hospital?¡±


    Ruthless words from him, and I knew that he could do what he said. However, he had forgotten how


    much more annoying I could be when I put my heart to it.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t, so are you going to shoot me again? Aim well this time,¡± I taunted as I pointed at my heart.


    I was fearless, for the sledgehammer to my body was a sledgehammer to his heart.


    At that, Nathaniel took in a deep breath to calm himself. He then muttered, ¡°The reason that you can


    live is not because I didn¡¯t want you to die but because only I can decide when you should die. Do you


    know this, Scarlett? The grim reaper is going to knock on your door soon.¡±

 Chapter 1785

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1785


    Chapter 1785 Putting On A Show


    ¡°Really?¡± I put my hands down and walked toward him while refusing to believe in superstitions. Then, I


    walked around him in circles. Nathaniel¡¯s eyes were subconsciously glued to me.


    I stopped right behind him. ¡°In that case, wouldn¡¯t I die even earlier?¡±


    While I was speaking, I reached out to touch his right hand.


    The moment our skin made contact, Nathaniel¡¯s reaction was exactly the same as Ashton¡¯s. He pulled


    his hand away abruptly and turned toward me in shock.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Nathaniel queried.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m just doing what lovers should do to each other. Since you¡¯re so clueless, don¡¯t you think I should


    take the lead?¡± I stared at him affectionately as if I had fallen for him.


    However, what I really wanted was to tear him apart.


    Nathaniel was still in shock. His facial expression was of a person who had just gotten taken advantage


    of. Something remained unchanged, though. His eyes were still filled with evil intentions, and he was


    like an impatient monster ready to pounce at any moment.


    Fortunately, it wouldn¡¯t work on me. After all, once the monster was all softened up, it was harmless.


    While he was looking at me, I stared back with a grin. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that you¡¯ve neverid a finger on a


    woman before?¡±


    Nathaniel shrugged. ¡°You guessed wrong.¡±


    I was wondering why he was speaking with such a snobbish tone. Or perhaps, that was just how men


    were when they talked to the opposite sex.


    I shifted my gaze away and chuckled lightly. While acting like I was a bit riled up, I said, ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve


    underestimated you then. It seems like your experience in intimate rtionships is far beyond my


    expectations.¡±


    With that, I looked down and fiddled with my fingers. In my head, I was thinking about what could I do


    to make Nathaniel feel the greatest pain in the world. But the way I acted was as if I was a grumpy and


    jealous woman whining about her man having affairs.


    With romance and the feeling of uneasiness intertwined, the atmosphere in the private restroom was


    getting more and more dreadful by the minute. So bad that it could make a person gasp for air.


    After a while, Nathaniel cleared his throat and said, ¡°I¡¯m not as sleazy as you think I am.¡±


    Upon hearing that, my lips curved into a smile, and my eyes glistened with confidence. Why are you so


    eager to exin yourself, Nathaniel? Why are you so worried? Or do you want me to keep teasing


    you? Don¡¯t worry, Nathaniel. Nothing is going to happen to you. Not until you are totally enchanted, at


    least.


    A few momentster, I raised my head, looked at him with wonder in my eyes, and asked, ¡°You said


    that just to make me happy, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    His brows furrowed. ¡°What?¡±


    Without giving him time to react, I looked down and mumbled, ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s better this way, I guess. I


    understand that everyone has their own past. I have no right to ask anything of you.¡±


    My words had just implied Nathaniel¡¯s purity as a dark past which he couldn¡¯t bring himself to admit.


    Not only that, I¡¯d said it in a way that portrayed myself as an inferiordy who craved for nothing but his


    love.


    But in reality, I was only luring him closer, so I could cause him the pain he had never felt before.


    After all, true hunters would often present themselves as prey.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Nathaniel was about to exin, but then he changed his tone and coldly said, ¡°It¡¯s good that you


    know. I¡¯m not a man that can be easily fooled by you.¡±


    Still refusing to give in, are you, Mr. Hall? But too bad, it¡¯s toote now. Once I heard he had the


    intention to draw a line between us, I stopped acting desperate and put on a straight face. I stood up


    bearishly and started walking out while saying, ¡°Fine then. Treat it as I was overthinking.¡±

 Chapter 1786

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1786


    Chapter 1786 Abuse


    As I walked out of the room, I mmed the door shut behind me.


    Meanwhile, Millie was surrounded by Nathaniel¡¯s bodyguards outside the room. It was a tense


    situation. But when she saw meing out, she calmed down a little. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± she asked.


    I nodded and gave her a look of reassurance.


    Not long after, Nathaniel came out as well.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Then, I couldn¡¯t help but tease him a little. ¡°Since we don¡¯t know each other well, I guess you have no


    reason to detain my bodyguard, right? Mr. Hall?¡±


    Nathaniel nonchntly took a nce at his bodyguards and gave them a signal to let Millie go.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I thanked him ndly before leaving with Millie.


    While we were walking away, I whispered to Millie, ¡°Were Nathaniel¡¯s bodyguards hard to handle?


    Seeing that you had to do it alone just now, how about I hire someone to assist you?¡±


    Millie then put on a serious face and said, ¡°Thank you for your concern, Ms. Stovall. But there¡¯s no


    need. I didn¡¯t engage because Nathaniel had no intention to cause you any harm. I would only be


    causing you more trouble if I started a conflict with them. But if needed, they were no match for me,


    anyway.¡±


    I was rendered speechless.


    But right as those words left her mouth, we heard loud pping soundsing from nearby.


    I waded in through the crowd, and as soon as I turned, I saw that it was Reba and her set.


    As I expected, the sounds originated from Reba relentlessly pping Ashton on the right side of his


    face.


    Although he didn¡¯t seem to mind the constant abuse, I couldn¡¯t stand watching from the side anymore.


    Hence, I rushed toward him to shield him from Reba. She missed, and her palmnded on my head


    instead.


    The impact was so hard that I lost my bnce. But Ashton was quick to react as he reached out to help


    me up.


    But the moment I managed to stand upright, he swiftly took a few steps away from me and remained


    still.


    His reactions were understandable because, firstly, we were in public. Secondly, we were in Reba¡¯s


    territory. He had no choice but to keep a distance from me.


    Before I could even regain myposure, Reba went bananas again. She started pointing at me


    and had a go at me. ¡°You disgusting woman! Ashton had already left his family behind. He even lost his


    dignity just to please me. And yet, you still have the courage toe and defend him? You deserve


    everything that¡¯s happening to you right now!¡±


    I gritted my teeth and red at her. But I had to hold myself back from retaliating because she was so


    mentally unstable.


    ¡°What? Did I say anything wrong? But then again, there¡¯s nothing else you can do to me besides


    ring. Did you see that? Your beloved Ashton stood still and let me p him as I wished. Is your heart


    aching for him?¡± Rebaughed hysterically and continued, ¡°I will not let him off the hook, and the


    same goes for you. After I¡¯m done with him, you¡¯re next.¡±


    ¡°Are you done?¡± Ashton suddenly asked in a frosty voice.


    ¡°Ashton Fuller, how dare you speak to me like that? Have you forgotten what you¡¯ve done to me?


    There¡¯s nothing you can do to repay me, not even with your life!¡± Reba yelled in anger. Her tantrum


    didn¡¯t seem like it was going to end anytime soon. She evenshed out at the crew and yelled, ¡°What


    are you all looking at? Get lost! What a bunch of useless dimwits!¡±


    Although the crew was infuriated upon hearing that, they had to do whatever she had instructed


    because she was an investor.


    By then, Ashton couldn¡¯t care to be gentle anymore. He walked toward Reba and grabbed her by


    her wrist. Without hesitation, he dragged her away from the set.


    ¡°Let me go, Ashton! I said, let me go!¡±


    Reba¡¯s voice lingered until both she and Ashton disappeared from sight.


    The crowd dispersed soon after that. As I took a quick nce around, I saw Nathaniel standing right


    outside the studio expressionlessly.


    Without a doubt, he had seen how I defended Ashton.

 Chapter 1787

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1787


    Chapter 1787 Jealousy


    As soon as our gazes met, I looked away subconsciously and awkwardly. But yet, I could feel his eyes


    lingering all over me.


    After a long torment thatsted a few seconds, he squinted and withdrew his gaze before he left.


    I wondered if he had seen through me, or was he just jealous?


    Although I couldn¡¯t be sure, I had to assume it was thetter.


    The more jealous he was, the more reason I had to stay out of his sight from then on. That was the


    only way to make him crave for me more.


    For the next three days, I had to shut him out. I went to John¡¯s house and fetched the kids. Throughout


    the entire time, I focused all my energy and time on them.


    Atst, on a Saturday afternoon, I decided to go to the garden for some rxation after putting Audrey


    to sleep. That was when Nathaniel showed up out of nowhere.


    He was standing motionlessly still on the gravel road leading to the back entrance. Perhaps the gloomy


    weather yed a part, but I saw an utter sadness in his eyes when he was staring at me.


    At that moment, I was wearing a set of matching pajamas I got for Audrey and me. My hair was


    casually tied up to a messy bun. In fact, I looked like a mess, to say the least. I wondered why he


    looked so sad, though.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here,¡± I greeted him coldly.


    Without saying a word, he just kept looking back at me with those depressed eyes.


    ¡°Come and have a sit.¡± I was acting as though I didn¡¯t notice the expression in his eyes. I poured a cup


    of tea and blurted, ¡°Have a cup of tea to warm yourself up.¡±


    Then, I silently enjoyed a sip of my tea.


    A few momentster, Nathaniel slowly walked toward me, and instead of sitting down, he stood right in


    front of me. He was staring down at me as I sensed a hint of anger in his gaze. Maybe it was because


    he was unhappy with me behaving as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± I refused to look at him while I kept my palms warm with my cup of tea.


    Without getting a response from Nathaniel after a long wait, I raised my head and looked at him. The


    moment our eyes met, he grabbed my wrist and gripped onto it tightly.


    Argh! Due to my injured shoulder, I instinctively screeched in pain when I struggled to set my wrist free.


    Although he did loosen up his grip for a while, he then squeezed even tighter. ¡°You¡¯re still in love with


    Ashton, aren¡¯t you?¡± he fumed.


    Refusing to give in, I lifted my chin and furrowed my brows. ¡°What does it have to do with you?¡±


    ¡°Answer me now!¡± Nathaniel clenched his teeth as hard as he was squeezing my wrist.


    I started breaking out in a cold sweat from the pain. I took a deep breath to gather my strength and


    snapped with my trembling lips, ¡°Yes! I still love him. I will love him till the day I die! Are you satisfied


    now?¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Nathaniel suddenly burst into a rage. He then grabbed my throat with his other hand.


    Instantly, I started choking.


    As I was gasping for air, I struggled relentlessly to break free. I waspletely at his mercy.


    Despite that, I still kept staring into his eyes with an absolute determination not to submit to him.


    Nathaniel¡¯s veins were throbbing, and his eyes were bloodshot. He looked just like a murderous devil.


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    When I felt I was losing consciousness, I used myst remaining energy to let out a sinisterugh while


    still staring at him. ¡°Haha. Y-You¡¯ve lost.¡±

 Chapter 1788

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1788


    Chapter 1788 Moment Of Truth


    Almost instantaneously, it was as if Nathaniel came back to his senses, and he withdrew his hands at


    once.


    I dropped to the chair I was initially sitting on. Although I was almost choked to death, I held my chest


    andughed out loud. ¡°Hahaha! When I was choking to death, did you feel that your heart was aching


    as well? Nathaniel, how does it feel when you have no control over something?¡±


    He remained prideful when he stood strong before me. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t control.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I believe you.¡± I nodded andughed even more eerily. ¡°Then, do you care to exin why you


    have shown up here out of the blue?¡±


    Even when he was hurt emotionally, three days was all it took for him to realize his urge to see me.


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    I supposed those were the most torturous three days in his life. However, it meant nothing. Because in


    his words, this was only the beginning.


    Nathaniel kept mum because he had absolutely nothing to say. There was nothing he could say to


    reverse what he had just done. He had practically exposed his true emotions. He had no option but to


    admit the fact that he had fallen for the person who he imed not to care.


    Furthermore, he lost control over who his heart truly desired. Over the past decade, he had all the fun


    he wanted. From now onward, his days would be filled with misery and redemption.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, really.¡± I put on a smile and got up from the chair. I looked at him withpassion and


    kindness. ¡°We are meant to be, right? This is all part of your n. So from now on, we should just


    cherish the love we have for each other, right?¡±


    Listening to that, Nathaniel¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he looked at me with doubt in his eyes. I could see he


    was contemting his next moves.


    As I resisted the urge to strangle him, I raised my hand and stroked his cheeks lovingly. ¡°Now you can


    be with me in public, isn¡¯t that good?¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯ve just told me you¡¯ll love Ashton till the day you die,¡± Nathaniel said stubbornly.


    Well, I had to oblige if he couldn¡¯t see past what I said. I lowered my gaze before I continued to


    brainwash him. ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. As I said, we¡¯re all greedy by nature. I do love Ashton, but that


    doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t love you at the same time. At the moment, there¡¯s nothing I would do for him I


    wouldn¡¯t do for you. Now, I guess everything depends on which of you two wants me more.¡±


    Suddenly, Nathaniel grabbed my waist and pulled me toward him. We were standing so close to each


    other that I could feel his breath on my cheeks. ¡°You¡¯re so greedy,¡± he blurted.


    I felt a hint of unwillingness in his words because his tone was so cold. Not only did he emit a


    dangerous aura, but it was like he was the hunter and I was the prey.


    With zero distance separating us, I tried my hardest to squeeze out a smile, albeit an awkward one.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a good thing?¡±


    I could tell that he didn¡¯t fancy my answer, but he couldn¡¯t resist me. He put his hand at the back of my


    head and hugged me.


    He hugged me so tightly I had no choice but to let him have his way with me. As a reaction to his


    affectionate hug, I then forced myself to give him a few pats on his back.


    At the same time, I felt that he wasn¡¯t as tense anymore. A hug was all it took to soften up the beast


    inside of him.


    I always believed that hugs could intensify the love two people had for each other. The more love he


    felt from me, the more miserable his life would be. I was prepared to torture him for a long time to


    come, but I wondered how much he could take.


    After a few seconds, he finally let me loose. Our eyes met, and an awkward silence hung in the air. It


    was as though he wasn¡¯t used to being so close to me.


    As a gentle and loving girlfriend, I smiled blissfully at him. I intended to say something in order to bring


    the awkward moment to an end.


    But before I could utter a word, he fled like a scaredy-cat.

 Chapter 1789

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1789


    Chapter 1789 Life Lessons


    As I watched him dashing away, I continued sipping my tea with great satisfaction.


    You can never escape my clutches, Nathaniel. As long as I am still alive, you¡¯ll be my prisoner.


    It was exactly like what Ashton did to me for four years when I was still in R Province. I¡¯ll toy you


    around while making sure that you can¡¯t get rid of me.


    After Nathaniel left, I rang Emery. I was hoping that she could get Alexander to meet me.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll try. I can¡¯t promise you that he¡¯ll show up,¡± Emery said hesitantly.


    I wondered if she was making a fool out of me because I knew Alexander wouldn¡¯t say no to her.


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    Just as I expected, Alexander agreed to meet at The Jade that afternoon.


    Evidently, he didn¡¯t know I was the one requested to meet him. When he entered the private room, he


    casually blurted, ¡°Emery, it didn¡¯t take long for you to forgive me¡­¡±


    He immediately stopped speaking when he saw me inside. Embarrassed, he scratched the back of his


    head and asked, ¡°Scarlett? What are you doing here? Where¡¯s Emery?¡±


    While asking, he swept a cursory nce around the room, searching for Emery.


    ¡°Stop looking around. I was the one who requested to see you. Emery isn¡¯t here.¡± I raised my head and


    pointed at the sofa next to me. ¡°Sit.¡±


    Immediately, he turned moody. Before I could even speak a word, he blurted out, ¡°I know you¡¯re here


    for Emery. Honestly, I didn¡¯t do anything wrong to her. It was my mom who arranged that woman for


    me. I¡¯m not even interested in her. Hence, it wouldn¡¯t affect my feelings for Emery.¡±


    Then, he leaned back and rested his head on the sofa. ¡°I know I¡¯m younger by a few years. But that


    doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m not a grown man. It has been seven years. Don¡¯t any of you see my sincerity?¡± he


    grumbled.


    Then and there, I got a grasp on the situation. Alexander approached another woman because of his


    family¡¯s arrangement. Hence, he wasn¡¯t on good terms with Emery.


    That¡¯d exin Emery¡¯s hesitation when I asked her to ask Alexander out. She just wanted to avoid him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not here for that,¡± I answered. ¡°But I do believe you care for Emery.¡±


    ¡°Really? You believe me?¡± Alexander was surprised. So much so that he sat straight abruptly.


    ¡°Yes, but that doesn¡¯t matter.¡± I shook my head and advised, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s not so good of an idea to drag


    out a potential rtionship. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s about time the two of you should take the next step? A


    real man wouldn¡¯t let ady wait too long.¡±


    Alexander waved his hand in dismissal. ¡°Don¡¯t you think I want that? It¡¯s just that Emery doesn¡¯t want to


    go official with me. Obviously, I want to be acknowledged as well.¡±


    Speechless, I held onto my forehead. He had been in countless shows depicting life lessons, and yet,


    he had no idea how everything worked in life! ¡°If Emery really doesn¡¯t see her future with you in it, why


    would she still stick around for the past seven years? Think about that!¡±


    Some men would nevere to their senses.


    Alexander was visibly confused by what I said. It seemed like he needed more time to figure it out. But


    unlike Emery, I don¡¯t have the luxury to wait. I quickly took the map from my bag, put it on the table,


    and said, ¡°Give this to Benson. But don¡¯t look for him right away. It¡¯s best to do after a couple of days.¡±


    Indeed, I used Emery to ask Alexander out because I didn¡¯t want to be seen to have anything to do with


    Benson.


    Although I could use the rtionship between Emery and Alexander as a smokescreen, it would still be


    suspicious if the three of us were to be seen showing up at The Jade at the same time. Also, it was a


    possibility someone would notice if Alexander were to look for Benson right after we¡¯d met.


    ¡°Okay,¡± he answered half-heartedly. He was still dwelling on the advice I¡¯d give him.


    As I was about the leave, I got worried about Alexander¡¯spetency. Hence, I turned around, shoved


    the map into his pocket, and reminded him, ¡°This is very important. Please don¡¯t mess this up.


    Otherwise, I¡¯ll stop putting in good words for you in front of Emery.¡±


    I got his attention as soon as I mentioned Emery. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll get it done,¡± he said.


    ¡°Well, thanks in advance then.¡±


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll make a move if that¡¯s all.¡± Alexander stood up.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to wait for Emery?¡± I thought they had things to say to each other.


    ¡°She would already be here if she wanted to see me.¡± Alexander let out a long sigh and left.


    I waited for a while before leaving the private room so that we wouldn¡¯t be seen together at the


    entrance of The Jade.

 Chapter 1790

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1790


    Chapter 1790 Vain


    I bumped into Emery while I was waiting for the elevator. ¡°You¡¯re done speaking to him?¡± she asked.


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    I nodded. ¡°You¡¯d have been able to see him if you came earlier.¡±


    Emery rolled her eyes at me. ¡°Are you crazy? I only came after I saw him leave.¡±


    I shrugged nonchntly. When a person like Emery had nothing to hide, she wouldn¡¯t even hide the


    fact that she avoided him on purpose.


    Since Emery was good at reading others¡¯ thoughts, I pulled her back into the private room and told her


    the things that had happened in the past few days.


    To my surprise, Emery wasn¡¯t shocked to hear what I had to say.


    ¡°What¡¯s the fuss about? When two people of the opposite sex were to mingle for a few days, feelings


    were bound to show up.¡± Emery was unfazed.


    She did have a point. I pouted and said, ¡°Well, I just didn¡¯t expect it.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? You didn¡¯t expect him to be attracted to you?¡± Emery responded quickly. ¡°But this


    has nothing to do with your attractiveness. Everything happened just because you¡¯re Ashton¡¯s woman.


    That¡¯s why Nathaniel couldn¡¯t resist you. He can try as hard as he may, but his jealousy and


    competitiveness would make him fall even harder for you. Men are all attracted to this sort of


    excitement in life.¡±


    As I was listening, I understood why Nathaniel fell for me. In hindsight, the answer had been obvious all


    along. That man was so vain he thought he could own anyone and everyone around him. However, the


    competition between him and Ashton prompted him toe after me as well.


    Nathaniel knew that I was the only person who could influence Ashton. Hence, I became a prized


    possession he desperately craved.


    Nathaniel would normally despise the people who tried to seduce him. But since he knew how much


    Ashton loved me, his perception of me changed. Regardless of how normal I¡¯d act, he¡¯d always


    perceive it otherwise. Hence, I became someone special in his heart.


    It just so happened to be me because of the external circumstances.


    When I figured it all out, my lips curled into a self-deprecating smile. ¡°Previously, I desperately looked


    for a woman who could seduce Nathaniel. Who would¡¯ve known that I would end up as the best


    candidate to spy on him.¡±


    Emery then tapped on my shoulder and said earnestly, ¡°What you¡¯re doing is a big task. You must be


    alert at all times. Now that I think about it, it¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re doing this personally after all. At least


    you¡¯d be in control of the oue.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± I pursed my lips and smiled at her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be able to handle it. By the way, is


    everything fine with Summer?¡±


    Actually, I wasn¡¯t too worried about Summer. She was a wise person. Besides, Ashton would always


    have her back.


    Emery looked at me with a strange expression the moment I mentioned Summer. ¡°What could go


    wrong? She¡¯s bold, decisive, and organized. At times, as her godmother, I feel like I¡¯m not even as


    impressive as her.¡±


    Her tone was cold and t when she said that. Besides that, she folded her arms and looked away as


    she was speaking.


    As a friend of Emery for more than a decade, I didn¡¯t feel the need to phrase my sentences indirectly.


    So when I felt something weird with her tone, I asked, ¡°Did Summer do something that annoyed you?¡±


    Without denying it, Emery lowered her gaze. But perhaps due to the friendship we had, she didn¡¯t


    speak too badly of Summer. ¡°Well, not really. It¡¯s just that we have different views on things. Perhaps


    it¡¯s because of our age gap. Our opinions are bound to contradict.¡±


    Emery phrased her words expertly. That way, she avoided offending anyone. Her words were always


    harsh, but she¡¯d always have the best interests of others at heart.


    After all, she¡¯d been around ever since Summer was still a kid. I was certain that she would never


    cause Summer any harm.

 Chapter 1791

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1791


    Chapter 1791 Family Business


    Initially, I wanted to get to the bottom of what happened between her and Summer. However, she kept


    avoiding the topic intentionally. So I decided not to ask further.


    After leaving The Jade, I went to Summer¡¯s club.


    The servers were all Lucas¡¯ subordinates. They were all dressed in uniforms with bow ties on them. At


    first nce, they looked out of ce. However, they somehow managed to hide their hostility


    underneath those bow ties. Along with the smiles on the customers¡¯ faces, everything looked


    surprisingly normal.


    Although my arrival had put everyone on edge, they still escorted me to my seat politely. They even


    served me drinks while I waited for Summer.


    Not long after, Summer showed up. ¡°Mommy! What brought you here today?¡±


    Being her usual self, Summer shed a perfunctory smile.


    Due to her decisions made, I was actually worried that it¡¯d be awkward to see her. But she handled


    herself surprisingly well. In fact, her warm wee made me feel like nothing had ever happened


    between us.


    I smiled and blurted, ¡°I was only passing by. Then I realized we hadn¡¯t had a meal together for some


    time now. Audrey and the others are missing you badly. Are you free toe home and have dinner


    with us?¡±


    She took a short pause and agreed. ¡°Yeah, sure. Shall we go buy some groceries?¡± she asked sweetly.


    ¡°Sure!¡± I nodded and apanied her to the biggest mall nearby.


    Summer was walking next to me with a cart. While she watched me pick out groceries, she


    asionally put snacks for Audrey and the others into the cart.


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    After picking out everything we needed, we strolled around leisurely. When I thought the time was right,


    I casually mentioned Emery to her. ¡°I heard from Aunt Emery that the club is doing well. Is there any


    new n going forward?¡±


    ¡°Yes, there is,¡± Summer said calmly. ¡°Our marketing efforts have worked well. Hence, our cash flow has


    improved by quite a bit. Aunt Emery wants to use the money for investments. She said that by doing


    so, we¡¯d achieve passive ie.¡±


    ¡°Well, that sounds like a good idea! Besides, she has an eye for investment. Do you think otherwise?¡± I


    stopped in my tracks and analyzed.


    Summer stopped walking as well and smiled gently at me. ¡°I do agree with her. It¡¯s just that I want to


    use the money to open up new branches. I have nothing against investing the money elsewhere. But it


    can wait.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no right or wrong when ites to business decisions. But Emery means well. If the two of


    you have any contradicting opinions,munication is key. Otherwise¡­¡±


    ¡°Mommy.¡± Summer cut me off, and she suddenly held my hand. With a smile, she said, ¡°Daddy has told


    me that I have the final say in managing the club. Hence, I¡¯ll do what¡¯s best.¡±


    I was shocked upon hearing that. I could only swallow whatever I wanted to say in the first ce.


    Summer¡¯s words, re, and action were her way of telling me to back off. I had no say in her decisions.


    I had always felt there was a distance between us. But at that instant, she felt like a stranger to me.


    Before I could react, Summer said, ¡°Since you¡¯ve said what you came here for, I shall make a move,


    Mommy. The club needs me.¡±


    After that, she let go of my hand and left without giving me a second nce.


    The cart was full, and yet, all I could feel in my heart was emptiness. I took out my phone and called


    Emery. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I couldn¡¯t get Summer to change her mind. If you¡¯re unhappy with her decisions, do


    whatever you feel is right. I¡¯ll understand.¡±


    In response, Emery chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. I won¡¯t be making a fuss out of it. Why didn¡¯t you tell me


    you were going to meet her?¡±


    I let out a sigh and said helplessly, ¡°I just don¡¯t want things to be difficult between the two of you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen. I¡¯ve seen enough families ruined because of business matters to know


    that won¡¯t happen to us. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll keep an eye on Summer. I guess she¡¯s just going through a


    rebellious phase. Soon, it¡¯ll all be all right.¡± Emery wasn¡¯t bothered at all.


    ¡°Well, I hope so too.¡± I could only helplessly wait and hope for the best oue.

 Chapter 1792

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1792


    Chapter 1792 Compassion


    ¡°Hey, Scarlett?¡± Emery suddenly blurted.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I felt I didn¡¯t deserve her gratitude because I didn¡¯t confront Summer for her. I just wanted what was


    best for Summer. ¡°That¡¯s unnecessary. Unlike Alexander, I can¡¯t be deceived by your sweet gestures!¡± I


    joked.


    ¡°Haha! Maybe you should learn a few tricks from me. That way, you can deceive Nathaniel and get him


    to be more invested in you!¡± Emery started joking around as well.


    ¡°He¡¯s already all over me!¡± I paused and continued, ¡°However, I haven¡¯t heard from him since


    yesterday. I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°Be patient. He¡¯ll surelye back for you. All we have to do now is wait,¡± Emery said convincingly.


    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll wait. Do you want toe over for dinner tonight?¡± I asked as I gazed at the full cart of


    groceries.


    ¡°Are you cooking?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am,¡± I answered firmly.


    ¡°Well, okay! I¡¯ll see youter.¡±


    I had prepared a variety of dishes for dinner. The kids were being supportive as well by eating more


    than usual.


    Since Emery was around, Audrey didn¡¯t mention anything about Summer.


    For the first time in so long, the atmosphere in the house was lively and warm again.


    Late that night, the strong winter wind was blowing, mming the windows every minute. I felt


    incredibly troubled and was unable to sleep at all. I got up with my nket wrapped around me and sat


    by the window.


    There was still a tiny me in the firece. The wind blew the embers onto the nearby rug and turned


    to ash.


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    Suddenly, I heard my phone vibrate.


    I wondered who could be texting me at thatte hour. Could it be Ashton?


    Part of me was hoping it was him who texted. I got up quickly and fetched my phone.


    It was Holden. He sent me a text through WhatsApp.


    Drogawolf will be at Mr. Fuller¡¯s suburbs tomorrow. Thanks to Mr. Fuller, I found out that the famous


    Drogawolf is an extremely beautifuldy.


    He could¡¯ve just told me Ashton was going to meet up with a beautiful drug lord the next day.


    I then replied to his text expressionlessly: What time? Where is Ashton now?


    He texted me back almost instantly: It¡¯s ten in the morning, at Silverwood Court vi. We should settle


    the financial matters clearly. Have you decided on the terms you mentioned before, Ms. Stovall?


    Five percent sure was a good rate! No wonder he was so anxious about it.


    I replied: Not yet.


    WhatsApp then showed that he was typing. But I didn¡¯t receive a reply for a good long minute. Instead,


    it showed that he was typing the whole time.


    That whole time, it was like we were stuck in an awkward moment. While he was waiting for my


    decision anxiously, I refused to give in. Neither of us wanted to be taken advantage of.


    However, I didn¡¯t want to miss out on Ashton¡¯s schedule for the next day. So I texted him: Your share


    will be sent to you soon.


    Instantly, he replied: That¡¯s good then.


    As I stared at his reply, sorrow engulfed me. With the social status and fortune I had, I wouldn¡¯t want to


    lose the humane side of me.


    Perhaps he had his reasons for doing so. But I was just grateful that I wasn¡¯t that close to him.


    Nevertheless,passion was a must-have.


    The next day, at eight-thirty in the morning, I was already waiting in the car at the entrance of


    Silverwood Court.


    Ashton¡¯s car showed up fifteen minutester. I waited for him to approach the entrance of the residence


    before driving toward him at top speed. I stopped my car right in front of him.


    Before he could react, I opened the door on the passenger side and got in his car. After that, I fastened


    my seat belt immediately.


    ¡°What are you doing here? Get out!¡± Ashton yelled at me with annoyance.


    ¡°Whatever you¡¯re going to do, I¡¯m doing it as well. Just drive the car. I won¡¯t cause you any trouble.¡±


    Then, I leaned back and showed no intention of getting out.

 Chapter 1793

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1793


    Chapter 1793 Meeting Drogawolf


    Ashton furrowed his brows and made to unbuckle his seatbelt. I knew he wanted to do this the hard


    way and pull me out of the car, so I stated, ¡°It will be nine soon. Time doesn¡¯t wait for anyone, so it isn¡¯t


    easy to start all over again. Are you sure you want to waste time with me here?¡±


    It was obvious that Drogawolf was a ruthlessdy. If he wasn¡¯t on time for their first meeting, he might


    miss the opportunity to establish connections with her.


    Ashton shot me an exasperated look and gave up. ¡°Stay in the car when we arrive. Don¡¯t wander


    around and ruin my n.¡±


    I shrugged without bothering to reply. We¡¯ll see.


    Ashton immediately reversed his car and sped away.


    Ten minutester, the heater kicked in. As the temperature rose, the fragrance of the perfume


    intensified.


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    For years, Ashton still loved using the same perfume. I teased, ¡°We¡¯ve separated for a while, but you¡¯re


    still using the same perfume. Quite the sentimental man, huh?¡±


    Ashton gave me a sideways nce before saying, ¡°Perfume and human beings are different matters.¡±


    His tone was insensitive.


    Fine. I know you¡¯re trying to avoid suspicion. Shut up. I refuse to listen.


    I rolled my eyes and lost interest in teasing him. Silence ensued.


    We finally arrived at the destination at nine fifty-five.


    Drogawolf¡¯s men had evidently prioritized this meeting, too. Besides arranging men guarding


    downstairs, there were also six cars parked outside.


    ¡°Stay here.¡± Ashton buttoned his suit, his expression stern. He then pushed the door open and stepped


    out.


    I came to him to provoke Nathaniel. Though I had my own agenda, I didn¡¯t want tond him in trouble.


    At the sight of the impressive disy of force outside, I dispelled the idea of kicking up a fuss inside.


    s, I had no say over my freedom here.


    Less than five minutes after Ashton went upstairs, the bodyguard who was on patrol spotted me and


    forced me to get out of the car before bringing me to the abandoned building opposite.


    On the second floor, I finally saw the woman Holden called Drogawolf.


    Indeed, Drogawolf was an attractivedy. As she was around my age, she wasn¡¯t stunningly beautiful


    anymore.


    Drogawolf was d in a simple white suit, emanating a professional and staid vibe. She was sitting


    across from Ashton with a pleasant smile ying on her lips. If we weren¡¯t in an abandoned building,


    this would seem like a normal business meeting.


    The bodyguard escorted me in, and Drogawolf¡¯s features became clearer to me. The more I stared at


    her, the more I found her familiar.


    Soon, Ashton realized I had been captured. He rose to his feet and exined, ¡°Ms. Schmidt, she has


    no idea about our deal. It¡¯s all a misunderstanding.¡±


    Yes, Drogawolf was none other than Freja Schmidt, the youngest CEO of Schmidt Pharmaceuticals.


    I was shocked, for the businessperson who developed medicine was involved in an illegal drug deal.


    Freja¡¯s family had been in the pharmaceutical industry for a long time, and they were influential in the


    industry. A few years ago, the previous CEO and his wife passed away in an ident, and their


    daughter, Freja, took over thepany. As Freja was influenced by foreign consortiums and business


    philosophies, she resorted to extreme means to expand Schmidt Pharmaceuticals. Many shareholders


    were displeased at her actions, but that didn¡¯t stop Schmidt Pharmaceuticals from bing the top


    pharmaceuticalpany in the country.


    Everyone needed medicine some time in their life. Freja was the owner of a lucrative business. Even if


    she closed the business down, the earnings would still be able to support her future generations. I


    couldn¡¯t help but wonder why she ended up dabbling in illegal businesses.


    I had met Freja at a banquet and talked to her briefly. Most wealthydies would only gossip about


    family affairs, so she was a rare presence, sophisticated and funny. I couldn¡¯t rte her to Drogawolf.


    Hearing Ashton¡¯s words, Freja didn¡¯t fly into a fit of rage. She came to me politely and greeted, ¡°Ms.


    Stovall, we¡¯ve met previously.¡±

 Chapter 1794

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1794


    Chapter 1794 The Deal


    I took her hand briefly. It was only a split second, but it felt like I hade in contact with a block of ice.


    My entire body shivered, but I held it back and forced out a smile. ¡°Ms. Schmidt.¡±


    Pursing her lip, Freja nced at the bodyguard who was pinning my hands behind my back. He


    promptly left as instructed.


    Before I realized what was going on, Freja said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you, Ms. Stovall. To be honest, I


    admire you for your willingness to sacrifice for love.¡±


    Why does that sound like an insult? I shed an awkward smile and muttered, ¡°You¡¯re ttering me.¡±


    ¡°Please, rx. I mean every word I say.¡± Freja chuckled and took my hand, patting it lightly. She acted


    as though we were close friends.


    However, I felt a chill going down my spine. On such an asion where we were meeting with brand


    new identities, anyone would feel ufortable seeing how rxed she was. It felt like my trump card


    had been exposed in advance.


    Calmly, Freja turned and returned to her seat. Crossing her legs, she said warmly, ¡°Ms. Stovall, please


    take a seat.¡±


    I nced at Ashton and received his approval before joining him.


    After sitting, I looked up to see Freja scrutinizing Ashton and me. Her gaze was narrowed as she


    shed a smirk.


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    ¡°Indeed, you are a match made in heaven. Even though you¡¯re separated, you look every inch a


    couple. If we can coborate, you¡¯ll be known as Romeo and Juliet in the industry,¡± Frejaplimented


    us in a ttering manner.


    I thought she was trying to butter up to us, but Ashton seemed anxious. ¡°What do you mean, Ms.


    Schmidt? Don¡¯t you trust me?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Fuller, calm down. I admire Ms. Stovall for her courage, that¡¯s all. After all. I¡¯m merely thirsty for


    talents,¡± Freja replied. Her smile faded away, but the glint in her gaze remained.


    Ashton¡¯s lips curved into a smirk. ¡°Ms. Schmidt, you should get rid of the unrealistic notions in your


    mind. If the Stovall family is that easy to trick, you won¡¯t know about Scarlett¡¯s deeds.¡±


    Obviously, Ashton wasn¡¯t praising me.


    It looks like Uncle Louis didn¡¯t work in vain. Though he had retired, his name can still be used as a form


    of protection in such circumstances.


    Ashton was right. No one could make him cross the line, for he had been adhering to it for his entire


    life. They had no idea how powerful his faith could be.


    ¡°We can¡¯t be sure about that, can we? There will always be a way,¡± Freja said calmly, ignoring my


    presence as she winked at Ashton. I had no idea what she was trying to get at.


    Ashton wore a frosty expression as he leaned back. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me. You should ask Nathaniel about it.¡±


    He sounded like he had nothing to lose.


    Hearing his answer, Freja shrugged nonchntly. ¡°It was just a joke. You¡¯re too serious, Mr. Fuller. It¡¯s


    a bad habit that you need to change.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t change it. I just want to know if you¡¯re capable enough of epting the goods that we¡¯ve


    prepared,¡± Ashton said. He was clearly irritated, for his expression had darkened.


    However, this was the Ashton Fuller that I was familiar with. He was serious, assertive, and dominant.


    ¡°Ha!¡± Freja chuckled lowly. ¡°You used to be a smart businessman, but why are you so narrow-minded


    when ites to another product? I might be easily satisfied, but there are millions of people in the


    country. Do you seriously think I can¡¯t sell the goods?¡±


    Unfazed, Ashton continued, ¡°When the cat is away, the mice will y. Do you think you can control


    your subordinates who aren¡¯t in K City? When one of them slips and gets caught, what should we do?¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t happen,¡± Freja replied confidently.


    ¡°I will only trust you if you provide me with all the information about your distributors. I need to check


    them out and confirm that they are trustable. Or you can take in my suggestion and assign my


    subordinates to each city. If something crops up, it¡¯ll be easy to rid of the trouble and save both sides,¡±


    Ashton concluded.

 Chapter 1795

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1795


    Chapter 1795 You Can Call The Shots


    The smile on Freja¡¯s face froze. ¡°Mr. Fuller, did you forget that we¡¯re in the middle of discussing a


    business? I¡¯m not your subordinate, so I have my own way of doing things. Why are you making it


    seem like I¡¯m a middleman? If I want your goods, I would have to relinquish my men and locations?¡±


    After a pause, her expression turned vicious. ¡°Are you nning on taking control of my business, Mr.


    Fuller?¡±


    Immediately afterward, the sound of guns being loaded prated the building. Clearly, Freja¡¯s


    subordinates had aimed their guns at me. They were prepared to wipe us out anytime.


    Ashton and Freja¡¯s gaze met midair. I could almost feel the air crackling between them, charged with


    tension as it was. My hair stood on end.


    I couldn¡¯t help but gulp nervously before studying the situation behind me.


    How many men are there behind us? Three? Or four? There¡¯s a blind spot on the left. If they open fire,


    we should run to the right.


    Right then, the old elevator started rumbling as it rolled up. Secondster, the bodyguard pulled the


    door open and greeted the man inside. ¡°Mr. Hall.¡±


    Nathaniel then strode out of the elevator and came to us.


    Aftering to a stop beside the table, he took off his leather gloves slowly.


    Freja¡¯s eyes narrowed as she stared at him warily.


    When everyone was wondering what Nathaniel would do next, he suddenly reached out and grabbed


    Freja¡¯s head before mming her on the table.


    Once, twice, thrice¡­


    Freja was disoriented from the sudden attack when Nathaniel whipped out a mini pistol from nowhere


    and ced it right next to her temple.


    His eyes squinted dangerously, and his lips lifted into an icy smirk.


    Lowering his body, he inched nearer to Freja¡¯s indignant face and parted his lips to say, ¡°I¡¯ll handle the


    goods and men. You¡¯ll get a twenty percent share. If you reject my offer, you¡¯ll die today. Make up your


    mind.¡±


    Freja was initially in control of the entire market in Chanaea. She could pocket ny percent of the


    earnings before giving her subordinates a measly share. Now, Nathaniel wanted her subordinates and


    her locations. He didn¡¯t bother showing her any mercy.


    Nathaniel was offering her a twenty percent profit without needing to do anything. As Freja was brave


    enough to handle the illegal business, she wasn¡¯t at all afraid. She clenched her jaw and red at him


    furiously, refusing to cave in.


    She¡¯d rather die than let Nathaniel take over the Schmidt family¡¯s business!


    However, Nathaniel wasn¡¯t one to give up, too. When Freja assumed he dared not fire the pistol and let


    out a disdainful snort, he pulled the trigger. Bang! A hole appeared in the table five centimeters away


    from her. Her brain started ringing.


    Nathaniel had made himself clear. Freja could agree to his conditions, and it would be a happy ending


    for everyone. Otherwise, he¡¯d take her life and spend time wiping out herwork before building his


    ownwork.


    Comprehension dawned, and Freja had to admit he was a hot-tempered and unpredictable man. He


    could kill her any minute.


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Right as she made up her mind, the icy pistol pressed into her temple once again. Nathaniel


    announced confidently, ¡°This time, I won¡¯t miss my target.¡±


    The sound of him disengaging the safety sounded like Hades¡¯ arrival.


    Freja shut her eyes and raised her arms in defeat. ¡°All right! You call the shots!¡±


    Nathaniel chuckled. ¡°The pistol is loaded, so I have to fire it out!¡±


    He then pulled on the trigger swiftly.


    Freja held her breath. She couldn¡¯t even bring herself to yell out loud.


    However, after a bang sounded, she felt no pain. Opening her eyes, she ran her hands all over her


    head and made sure she was all right before heaving a sigh of relief.

 Chapter 1796

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1796


    Chapter 1796 Escaped Death


    In reality, Nathaniel had aimed the pistol at Ashton and me before pulling the trigger. The bullet whizzed


    past the space between us before hitting the cement wall behind us.


    Freja wasn¡¯t the only one who had escaped death.


    Nathaniel enjoyed the sight of a humiliated Freja before releasing her. He raised his arms in the air as


    though he were enjoying the sight of his subjects kneeling before him. The arrogance on his face was


    evident.


    After freeing herself, Freja jolted up and tidied her appearance as she retreated a few steps back. At a


    safe distance away from Nathaniel, her expression turned grim, and she was once again the elegant


    Freja Schmidt of the Schmidt family.


    She didn¡¯t even act this way back at the banquet, where everyone treated people differently ording


    to their status. It seemed like this was the only way to hide her previously disheveled state and wipe


    away her fear of losing her life.


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    ¡°Isn¡¯t this great? Being an obedient dog is better than a corpse that won¡¯t bite,¡± Nathanielmented,


    showing her no mercy.


    Freja gritted her teeth and stared ahead arrogantly without uttering a word.


    She was still the fearless Drogawolf a few minutes ago, so there was no way she¡¯d admit to being a


    lowly dog who would only beg for scraps.


    Though Nathaniel was now in control of Freja, he couldn¡¯t control her arrogance.


    Nathaniel couldn¡¯t be bothered about her thoughts and turned his attention to Ashton.


    He walked over to Ashton, and they were mere inches away from each other.


    ¡°Some things depend on talent. If you can¡¯t do it, don¡¯t force yourself and admit that you¡¯re a loser. Be a


    man.¡± Nathaniel was insinuating that Ashton didn¡¯t do that job well.


    The dark belonged to Nathaniel. He might¡¯ve allowed Ashton to enter his territory, but there was no way


    he¡¯d let Ashton be the other beacon in the dark.


    Though he was the one who trained Ashton, they had beenpeting in secret to win over each other.


    To defeat Ashton, Nathaniel had sold out information about him that resulted in a police raid. As a


    result, Ashton was wounded.


    Today was no different. Back then, Nathaniel¡¯s business had nothing to do with Chanaea, but strangely,


    he had decided to get a piece of the market. Gaining control of the market would prove that he was the


    better one among both of them.


    For now, Freja was forced to back down, and Nathaniel would get the merit. Ashton was no match for


    him.


    Hearing his provoking words, Ashton didn¡¯t bother putting up an act and returned to his previous snarky


    self. Turning back to look at me, he sneered, ¡°Hear that? Don¡¯t force yourself.¡±


    Me? Hello? Are we even rted?


    Having said that, he shook his head andughed coldly before striding out of the ce. I stared at his


    annoying back in exasperation.


    When the elevator doors slid shut, I suddenly remembered that I had hitched a ride here in his car. I


    parted my lips to stop him, but it was toote.


    Left with no choice, I had to go to Nathaniel for help. It was the perfect chance to spend some time with


    him to win over his irritating heart.


    The moment I spun on my heels to butter up to him, I realized he was ring at me darkly. When our


    gazes met, he whipped his head around and marched down the stairs.


    ¡°Nathaniel!¡± I called out. ¡°Hey!¡±


    Never mind if Ashton didn¡¯t hear me. I was certain that he heard me, but all he did was to quicken his


    steps.


    What is going on? Am I a gue or something?


    ¡°Ms. Stovall, if you don¡¯t mind, I can give you a ride,¡± Freja offered suddenly.


    There was no way I¡¯d head back on my heels. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    However, I quickly regretted my decision. Perhaps Freja was upset after what Nathaniel did to her, for


    she said nothing on the journey home. An awkward and tensed silence ensued.


    I alighted from the car once we entered the city, nning to get my chauffeur to pick me up.


    Freja gave me a side nce. ¡°We¡¯re still a distance away from the city center. Are you sure?¡±

 Chapter 1797

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1797


    Chapter 1797 Sense Of Security


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I need to attend to something nearby, so I¡¯m not heading back home yet. Thank you, Ms.


    Schmidt,¡± I thanked her gratefully.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Freja looked down and shut the door. She then ordered the chauffeur to leave.


    Soon, the car sped off.


    I watched as the car disappeared from sight and heaved a long sigh of relief. Finally, I could take a


    breather alone.


    It was peak hour, and I didn¡¯t want to be stuck in a jam for hours. That would be too agonizing. After


    calming down, I walked into themercial district slowly.


    When I walked past a caf¨¦, the aroma of coffee caught my attention. Thus, I went in and sat down at a


    table before ordering a hot Americano with half a spoonful of sugar.


    Ashton was the only person who loved drinking an Americano without adding any sugar.


    I pondered for a while before dialing Jackson¡¯s number.


    His phone rang for several seconds before he answered. ¡°Scar? How are you?¡± His familiar voice


    drifted through the call.


    ¡°I¡¯m all right. Were you still up at this hour?¡± I was merely trying my luck, so it was surprising when the


    call got connected.


    ¡°I¡¯m in the middle of a war,¡± came Jackson¡¯s answer.


    ¡°What?¡± I was confused, for there didn¡¯t seem to be any military operations in M Country recently.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s nothing serious. What about you? Why did you call me?¡± As usual, Jackson knew me well.


    Friends like us would fight when we were in the same city, but now that we were on different


    continents, he still remembered every bit of detail about me.


    I lowered my head and chuckled. Going straight to the point, I asked, ¡°You major in psychology, right? I


    have a question. If a man is in love with a woman but ignores and avoidsmunicating with her, what


    the hell is he thinking?¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about Ashton?¡± Jackson responded. ¡°The media in M Country has reported about him


    and Reba. That was really bad.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s quite troublesome, but I¡¯m not talking about him.¡± I scratched my head and shed a helpless


    smile. ¡°This is about a friend. I¡¯m asking it on behalf of a friend.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t nice to y with someone else¡¯s feelings. Jackson was innocent, so I didn¡¯t want to air my


    dirty deeds before him.


    ¡°Right, your friend¡­¡± Jackson repeated and sounded like he didn¡¯t believe me fully. ¡°All right. Tell your


    friend that it¡¯s a prime example of a dismissive-avoidant attachment style. The more he likes someone,


    the more afraid he is to face that person. It might be his prideing in the way, for he feels that he


    isn¡¯t a worthy partner. He might be worried that he¡¯d lose the person after revealing his feelings. To


    conclude, your friendcks security and confidence when ites to rtionships.¡±


    He deliberately put emphasis when he mentioned my so-called friend to highlight his sarcasm to tease


    me like the friend he was.


    I ignored his teasing words and mumbled to myself, ¡°Lack of security, huh?¡±


    Nathaniel is as evil as Grim Reaper himself. He looks as though he has a strong heart, but it turns out


    hecks confidence?


    Comprehension dawned. Yes, that¡¯s right. Everyone is a coward before their loved ones!


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What should I¡­¡± I blurted out without thinking much before correcting myself. ¡°I mean, what should my


    friend do to get to the next step?¡±


    Jackson burst outughing. It took him a while to calm down and regain hisposure before


    whispering, ¡°Remember, Scar, jealousy is a catalyst in every rtionship. If you want it to work out,


    make sure to utilize that well.¡±


    I nodded in agreement. A moment of silenceter, I huffed, ¡°It¡¯s my friend, not me!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be a fool, Scar. You don¡¯t have to exin everything to me as long as you¡¯re the winner,¡±


    Jackson joked. It urred to me that he sounded really mature now.


    I fell silent without offering an exnation.


    Just then, Lydia¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°Jackson¡­¡±

 Chapter 1798

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1798


    Chapter 1798 Paying Ashton A Visit


    ¡°I have to go. Talk to youter.¡± Jackson abruptly hung up after saying that.


    ¡°Goodbye¡­¡± Before I could bid him goodbye, he had already hung up.


    Jackson seemed to be leading a great life now. I felt happy for him, for life would only get better if hope


    were alive.


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    I put down my phone and sipped on the warm coffee. The temperature was just right. Staring at the


    bustling street, I fell into deep thought.


    Nathaniel is avoiding me, so how should I make him jealous until he loses control of his emotions?


    Right then, an olddy trotted over, holding a dog on the leash. She was moving slowly with her


    walking cane. There was a shopping bag hung over her cane with a few oranges in it. A young man


    holding a skateboard dashed past her and ripped her shopping bag open. Instantly, the oranges fell


    onto the street. Perhaps the olddy had lost her hearing, for she sensed nothing and continued


    walking forward. However, her Labrador instantly tried to turn back.


    The olddy pulled the dog¡¯s leash twice before giving up and turning back. It was only then that she


    realized the oranges were scattered all over the ground and turned back to pick them up.


    The warming sight made my lips curve up. Perhaps it was a nice idea to keep dogs as pets in the


    future.


    Suddenly, an idea popped up in my brain. I nced at the olddy and her dog before making up my


    mind.


    Yes, Nathaniel might¡¯ve ignored me, but he wouldn¡¯t give up any chance to spy on Ashton. Otherwise,


    he wouldn¡¯t have arrived that soon in the lounge at the filming site.


    Thus, I could take the opportunity to use power for personal gain.


    ¡°Bill, please!¡±


    I paid for the coffee and gave a tip. Before leaving, I told the owner, ¡°Sir, the coffee was unique!¡±


    ¡°Thank you! I¡¯ll make sure you get to try a homemade dessert for free on your next visit!¡± The plump


    owner beamed at my praise.


    ¡°Sure!¡± I shed a grateful smile in return before stepping out.


    The olddy was no longer in sight, but the air seemed fresher than before. I stretchedzily and hailed


    a cab. It was time to strike while the iron was hot.


    After getting Ashton¡¯stest address from Holden, I went there without hesitation and pressed on the


    doorbell.


    I then crossed my arms and tapped my arm absentmindedly. I couldn¡¯t wait to see how Ashton would


    react upon seeing me.


    Soon, footsteps sounded inside, and the door was pulled open. The person who appeared was not who


    I expected to be. ¡°Reba?¡±


    She¡¯s living with Ashton?


    Reba was d in a ck minidress, and she didn¡¯t seem surprised to see me here. After giving me


    the once-over impatiently, she took one step back and was about to m the door shut.


    I was fast enough to dash forward and block her action with my body so I wouldn¡¯t get locked outside.


    However, I didn¡¯t hold back and pushed the door wide open to reveal the scene inside.


    Ashton had removed his suit jacket. He was wearing an apron and cleaning up the trash in the living


    room, while an attractive man was lounging on the sofa. The only piece of clothing on his body was a


    tiny piece of underwear. His fair skin and ripped body were exposed as he munched on chips on the


    sofa.


    Oh, how strange. Is this a threesome? Forgive me for overthinking.


    Everyone in the house stared at me silently. I was rendered embarrassed as though I was here to catch


    them in the act.


    Finally, Reba folded her arms and chided, ¡°Juste on in. The paparazzi will get to publish a


    pictorial book from all the photos they have snapped of us.¡±


    I btedly realized that there was a strange reflection in the mirror in the house. Turning at my


    shoulder, I was shocked to see around eight cameras aiming at us. One even had an assistant to hold


    a ring light.

 Chapter 1799

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1799


    Chapter 1799 Two Boyfriends


    Uh, they are photographing us in the open?


    Before I could react, a pair of hands reached out and pulled me into the house before mming the


    door shut.


    A long silence ensued.


    I blurted out, ¡°Did Ie at the wrong time?¡±


    Even the stranger realized what I meant and arched a brow in amusement.


    I fell silent immediately and waited for someone to break the silence and save me from the


    embarrassment.


    ¡°This is Reba¡¯s boyfriend.¡± Indeed, Ashton still had feelings for me.


    I heaved a sigh of relief before it struck me that something seemed off. What? Didn¡¯t Ashton and


    Reba im to be dating?


    The young man seemed to be younger than Alexander. He looked like he belonged in a boy band. If his


    makeup was any thicker, he could have passed off as a girl. I had no idea Reba was into someone


    like him.


    ¡°What? First time seeing someone with two boyfriends?¡± Reba strode over and hissed, ¡°So what if I


    have two boyfriends? Do you have a problem with that?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I mumbled.


    She was probably lying, and I wouldn¡¯t fall for her lies.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Reba stared me down before extending an invitation. ¡°Stay for dinner,¡± she said warmly.


    Turning to the young man on the sofa, shemanded, ¡°Room, now.¡±


    The young man nced at Ashton and me before trotting after her obediently. They stuck to each other


    like glue as they made their way upstairs.


    Shortly after, strange moans sounded from the stairway.


    However, Ashton continued clearing the mess and ignored the embarrassing sounds.


    I put down my bag and went over to help him. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you get the maid to do this?¡±


    Ashton continued cleaning up as he exined, ¡°She¡¯ll feel better if I¡¯m suffering.¡±


    Realization hit me. Compared to me, Reba hated Ashton more.


    Suddenly, I felt the urge to ask whether Ashton¡¯s selfish decision had changed Reba¡¯s fate.


    Nevertheless, after a brief deliberation, I decided to trust him.


    Hiding the truth was the biggest form of torture for him. Ashton wasn¡¯t someone who¡¯d set his best


    friend¡¯s sister up.


    No matter what, he felt guilty about Reba¡¯s plight.


    I felt the same way, too.


    Thus, I had the responsibility to bear his load. I took the cloth from him and said, ¡°I¡¯ll do this. Wash the


    ingredients for dinner. I¡¯lle and help youter.¡±


    However, Ashton stood unmoving and tilted his head to study me.


    ¡°What are you doing? Taking a risk in order to seed?¡± he asked nonchntly.


    To be exact, he was being scornful.


    I looked up and looked into his unfathomable gaze.


    ¡°Do you know what Freja was thinking when she wanted to bring the Stovall family down?¡± he added.


    ¡°I¡ª¡±


    He didn¡¯t give me a chance toplete my sentence. ¡°She wanted to kidnap you. John would give her


    anything she demands.¡±


    I was shocked. It didn¡¯t cross my mind that Freja¡¯s n was such a vicious one.


    Did she give me a ride because of Nathaniel?


    Having said that, he strolled toward the kitchen. ¡°We¡¯re not meant to be. You should leave. I don¡¯t have


    time to exin your rtionship with Nathaniel every time.¡±


    Is that a warning? Or is he jealous?


    It felt like a reminder. Nathaniel¡¯s feelings for me were pretty obvious to everyone. He was the only one


    who refused to admit it. Thus, I should use it against him.


    With that n in mind, I had no reason to leave.


    After cleaning up the living room, I tossed the dirtyundry into the washing machine before moping the


    floor. Finally, when I felt my waist hurting from all the house chores, a fragrant smell wafted out of the


    kitchen.

 Chapter 1800

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1800


    Chapter 1800 Drugged


    Reba and the man came downstairs after dinner was served. The young man was especially


    hungry, for he immediately reached out to steal a bite. s, Ashton hit him with a fork to stop his


    action.


    The man hissed in pain and was about tosh out when he met Ashton¡¯s dark gaze. At once, he


    slumped down and hopped toward the bathroom. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Fuller. I shall go wash my hands


    now.¡±


    Ashton remained silent, and Reba didn¡¯t side with either of them. She went to the basement and


    grabbed a bottle of wine.


    Finally, the four of us took our seats. Reba¡¯s boyfriend sat beside her, and Ashton took a seat


    beside me. Though it felt somewhat strange, at least the situation was a harmonious one.


    The only problem was that Reba wore a foul expression as though she was mad at everyone.


    When her boyfriend picked up his fork to begin eating, Reba pped his hand. ¡°Get me two


    sses.¡±


    It had been less than ten minutes since he wasst stopped from eating. The young man seemed


    unhappy, but he dared not go against Reba. He stood up obediently and trudged away in his


    slippers to get the wine sses as requested. The sses were lined up before her neatly.


    Reba filled both sses and ced the cork back into the bottle. She grabbed one ss and


    gulped the contents down.


    Her boyfriend did the same before turning his attention to the food. As his gaze was practically


    devouring the food, it was clear that he had exercised a lot this afternoon.


    After emptying her ss, Reba plonked it back to the table. She exhaled loudly before looking up at


    Ashton.


    Soon, she uncorked the wine bottle and refilled the ss. Handing it to Ashton, she jutted her chin out


    and signaled for him to drink it. ¡°Well?¡±


    Ashton gave no response.


    Her brows furrowed up. ¡°Are you looking down on me?¡±


    Hearing that, Ashton took the ss from her. He avoided the area where her lips touched earlier and


    downed the drink.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Reba narrowed her gaze and grinned icily. She got to her feet and grabbed the ss from


    him before refilling it for me.


    As Ashton had finished his drink, I had no reason to refuse her offer. Thus, I finished the wine in a few


    swigs.


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    I then flipped the ss upside down and shook it to show that I didn¡¯t try to trick her.


    In Chanaea, one would have to drink during business talks, parties, and even when you were mad at


    someone.


    Just like Ashton had said earlier, Reba would feel upset if we were to refuse her drink.


    However, instead of burying the hatchet, Reba started guffawing in a strange manner. ¡°Hahaha!¡±


    Her bizarre behavior perplexed Ashton and me.


    It was then that Reba picked up the wine opener and showed us the part that dug into the cork. A


    tiny mechanism appeared in our gaze.


    Shit, we stepped right into her trap!


    Ashton was the first to realize what was going on. He mmed the table and stood up, but the drug


    immediately took effect. Falling back into the chair, he lost consciousness as his head lolled aside.


    My gaze turned blurry, so I shook my head hastily to stay awake as long as possible.


    One second before I lost consciousness, I realized she had everything nned out the moment she


    asked me to stay for dinner.


    Guilt was her best weapon to gain our trust. When I opened my eyes again, I was still in the dining


    room.


    When I tried moving my limbs, sure enough, I was tied up.


    Every dish on the table had been touched. Clearly, Reba enjoyed her dinner after Ashton and I


    passed out.


    I turned toward Ashton¡¯s seat, but it was empty.


    Where is he?


    ¡°You woke up earlier than expected,¡± Rebamented.


    I turned toward the living room where the sound came from. Everyone was still there, including the


    boyfriend, who was ying games nonchntly. Just like me, Ashton was tied up and tossed on a


    sofa.


    The clock showed that the time was eight twenty. I had passed out for less than two hours.


    ¡°Ashton didn¡¯t do anything wrong. If you want to get revenge,e at me.¡± I went all out. The worst


    thing that could happen was to die to make up for her past sufferings.

 Chapter 1801

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1801


    Chapter 1801 Getting Revenge


    Reba didn¡¯t even bother looking at me.


    Ten minutester, when the clock struck half-past eight, the doorbell rang.


    Reba got to her feet calmly and went over to answer the door. After the door clicked shut, a few


    muscr men strode into the living room.


    As though she were a teacher, Reba folded her arms and asked, ¡°Do you know why you¡¯re here?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The leader nodded before turning to her boyfriend. ¡°Is it this skinny guy?¡±


    Her boyfriend was immersed in his game before he sensed the muscr man staring at him. He turned


    at his shoulder and tossed his game controller aside before hugging himself fearfully. ¡°What are you


    doing? I might sell my body for a living, but not to men!¡±


    Reba red at them before rolling her eyes in exasperation. ¡°No, not him.¡±


    She gestured at the unconscious Ashton on the sofa. ¡°That one.¡±


    ¡°You may begin now.¡± Suddenly, she whipped out a camera from the TV cab and fixed it on the


    tripod. After pressing on the recording button, she stood aside icily and watched as the men went for


    Ashton.


    A strong sense of foreboding gripped my heart as I yelled, ¡°What are you doing, Reba? You¡¯re


    crazy!¡±


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Without turning back to look at me, she replied nonchntly, ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing. Back then, Ashton


    was capable enough to set me up with a bunch of men, so I can do the same to him now. He¡¯ll find out


    what it feels like to be utterly miserable. The same goes for you. I think it hurts more to watch as your


    beloved gets sexually assaulted. You owe me that, so I¡¯m going to make sure you pay for it! Open your


    eyes wide and take everything in!¡±


    As she was talking, the muscr men had untied Ashton and were going for his shirt buttons.


    Their hands were too big and clumsy, so it was a difficult task. One man got impatient and grabbed the


    corner of Ashton¡¯s shirt before ripping it off.


    Before their filthy hands couldnd on Ashton¡¯s body, I shut my eyes tightly and pleaded, ¡°No, don¡¯t do


    this to Ashton. He¡¯s a proud man. He won¡¯t survive the ordeal!¡±


    ¡°What about me? I was brought up in a loving family! My father and brother wouldn¡¯t have died if it


    wasn¡¯t for Ashton! How dare he promised to take care of me before dashing my hopes? It¡¯s not over


    just because you said so. I won¡¯t ept that. Unless Ashton dies, he¡¯ll always be indebted to me!¡± Her


    trembling voice held a hint of desperation.


    Right then, scuffling sounds sounded from the living room. I opened my eyes to see Ashton awake and


    about. He had already kicked two well-built men who were closest to him aside.


    ¡°Ashton! Run!¡± I hollered. He was Reba¡¯s target, so it would end if he were to escape.


    s, he was severely outnumbered. After having the advantage for a while, the four muscr men


    pinned him down. As the drug¡¯s side-effects kicked in, he wasn¡¯t strong enough to struggle free. He


    could only watch as the men unbuckled his belt.


    No!


    That was the only thought in mind. I can¡¯t let them have their way!


    My brain raced, and I soon came up with a crazy idea. Without hesitation, I dered, ¡°You¡¯re wrong! I


    was the one who set you up, not Ashton! The men had found me back then, but I directed them to you


    instead. I hated you for taking Ashton away from me and wanted you to lose your virginity! Fool, you


    don¡¯t even know who to take revenge! Who else would I set up if not for you?¡±


    Hearing my words, Reba marched over angrily and snagged my hair. ¡°What was that? You¡¯re a liar!


    You made up nonsense to try to save Ashton, right? There¡¯s no way you¡¯re that smart. You¡¯re a fool!¡±


    I endured the pain and shot her a scornful look. ¡°Why? Did you forget how you put up an act to gain


    Ashton¡¯s sympathy? I was just giving you a taste of your own medicine so you¡¯d know your ce. I


    didn¡¯t know you¡¯d stick to Ashton like glue after the incident. That was unexpected. Luckily, you¡¯re


    finally losing to your stupidity!¡±

 Chapter 1802

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1802


    Chapter 1802 Saved By Nathaniel


    Anger heated Reba¡¯s blood as she grabbed my cor. She then gave me a tight p. ¡°B*tch!¡±


    Turning at her shoulder, shemanded, ¡°Two of you,e over here. You can y with her until


    she¡¯s no longer breathing!¡±


    The men hesitated. ¡°We agreed upon one man. That way, we won¡¯t get too much time in jail. If you


    insist on adding another woman, that isn¡¯t possible¡­¡±


    Reba shut her eyes to regain herposure. She was shaking with fury as she managed between


    gritted teeth, ¡°I¡¯ll triple your initial pay.¡±


    They promptly perked up at her words and came for me in delight.


    Once they left, Ashton got the chance to grapple with the remaining few men.


    s, I wasn¡¯t that lucky. Although they couldn¡¯t subdue Ashton, it would be easy for them to restrain


    me, a harmless woman.


    Shortly after, their unfamiliar breaths were all over my neck and ears.


    I clenched my jaw so I wouldn¡¯t make any embarrassing sounds. Please, God, let me win this gamble.


    This crazy scene shocked Reba¡¯s boyfriend senseless, who immediately scurried toward the


    bathroom to grab his clothes. He was putting on his clothes as he ran for the door. ¡°Damn it. I only


    wanted to get more jobs by keeping youpany. I had no idea you¡¯re a psycho! This has nothing to


    do with me. I¡¯m innocent! Don¡¯t drag me into the mess!¡±


    The young man stumbled toward the door and turned the doorknob. The moment the door opened,


    someone kicked him back into the house.


    As he fell to the ground, the men who were touching and kissing me stopped abruptly. The next


    second, Nathaniel appeared before Reba¡¯s boyfriend, d in a ck trench coat.


    I instantly rxed at the sight of him. Thank God he arrived in time. I knew he wouldn¡¯t let anything


    happen to me.


    Reba was so determined to get her revenge that she no longer feared Nathaniel. She demanded,


    ¡°Why are you here? Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m busy?¡±


    Nathaniel had never been treated this way before. He gave her a creepy look before whipping out his


    mini pistol that scared the life out of Freja earlier. He fired two shots that hit the beefy men who were


    around me.


    Pointing his pistol at Reba, he tilted his head and asked, ¡°You want to try it out too, right?¡±


    Obviously, Reba didn¡¯t have a death wish. She shut up at once and retreated to a corner obediently.


    The other muscr men heard themotion and stopped disturbing Ashton. When they saw their


    colleagues on the ground after being shot, they thought Nathaniel was here to save Ashton. As he was


    armed, they immediately halted in their tracks.


    Ashton took the chance to knock them all out. Drained of energy, he copsed onto the sofa and


    blinked weakly at Nathaniel. Though he had already lost his ability to fight, the hostility in his gaze was


    evident.


    Nathaniel spared him a sinister look before pocketing his pistol. He came over to me and untied the


    ropes bounding me. I felt the world spin as he picked me up and marched out of the house. He was


    careful enough to avoid the pool of blood on the floor.


    Behind me, I heard Reba yelling like a madwoman. I could hear her voicemanding the unhurt


    beefy men to continue their sodomy act on Ashton.


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    However, it wasn¡¯t important anymore. When Nathaniel¡¯s car drove out of the neighborhood, I saw


    Reba¡¯s boyfriend talking to someone on the street, and there was a police car behind them shing


    its lights.


    Nathaniel didn¡¯t send me back to the Fuller residence, nor the vi where Nora and I resided earlier.


    Instead, he brought me to a house in the suburbs.


    It was located on top of a hill, so it took some time to drive up the hill. Besides the basic structure, there


    were no other houses nearby. It fitted his usual disdainful behavior.

 Chapter 1803

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1803


    Chapter 1803 Sshed All Over The Tabloid


    After alighting from the car, Nathaniel¡¯s gentlemanly side disappeared. He dragged me into the house


    and chucked me onto the sofa unceremoniously.


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± I hissed in pain. On the way here, I had regained my senses and was extra sensitive to pain


    now. Frowning, I held my arm that was tingling in pain from the harsh drop.


    Seeing my reaction, Nathaniel furrowed his brows. It seemed like he was on the verge of exploding in


    anger.


    I sat up and returned his re so he¡¯d know I was still the prickly hedgehog who wouldn¡¯t cower in fear


    even if he treated me rudely.


    After a brief stalemate, Nathaniel suddenly picked up a stack of magazines nearby and hurled them in


    my direction.


    The sheets fluttered in the wind andnded all around me in a harmless manner.


    I looked down and saw the cover page instantly. The photo disyed the scene of me breaking into


    Reba¡¯s house, where the four of us exchanged awkward looks. It was an extremely embarrassing


    photo.


    The paparazzi gave it an eye-catching headline¡ªA foursome in the upper-ss society ¨C how would


    you fare?


    I smirked at the sight of that. The paparazzi sure were efficient enough to publish the article in such a


    short time.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that you can still smile,¡± came Nathaniel¡¯s icy sneer.


    I gathered my thoughts before picking up a magazine. Gazing at the clearest photo avable, I joked, ¡°I


    look nice here.¡±


    ¡°The article sure is interesting,¡± Nathaniel added.


    Though he was being sarcastic, I didn¡¯t get upset. Calmly, I flipped the magazine open and read it


    aloud. ¡°The millionaire and his current lover were enjoying a threesome. His ex caught them in the act.


    To get him back, she joined them willingly. I¡¯m impressed¡­¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud upon imagining the newscaster reporting this in a ridiculous ent. It


    was beyond me why Nathaniel got upset. I cleared my throat as my smile faded away. Putting on a


    serious front, I said, ¡°Indeed, if I were the owner, I¡¯d increase the pay of the ones who took the photos


    and wrote the article¡­¡±


    Before I could finish, Nathaniel gripped my chin and lifted me into the air.


    ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m joking?¡± He arched a brow frostily. ¡°You¡¯re going all out for Ashton, huh?¡±


    Oh, so that was why he got upset. Everyone thinks I¡¯ve l discarded my dignity because of Ashton, and


    he¡¯s upset because of that.


    I took his hand that was gripping my chin so I could at least breathe. ¡°You know me well. I can even


    disown John, so I don¡¯t give a f*ck,¡± I argued.


    Nathaniel¡¯s lips curled upwards, but his eyes remained arctic and vicious, just like the day where he


    shot Tom continuously. ¡°I had no idea you were a b*tch. Do you know that whenever you are with


    Ashton, your gaze and your actions resemble a dog begging for a pat on the back?¡±


    ¡°So what if I¡¯m a dog?!¡± I shut my eyes and cried. With that said, my eyes snapped open as I red at


    him savagely. Grinding my teeth, I dered, ¡°Even if I¡¯m a b*tch, that has nothing to do with you! You


    have no right to question me, for we are not rted at all!¡±


    Nathaniel froze as his grip went ck for a few seconds. Fury contorted his expression as he exerted


    force on my chin once more. ¡°Scarlett, don¡¯t be ungrateful!¡±


    ¡°The same goes for you.¡± I swallowed a mouthful of blood so my parched throat would get some relief.


    ¡°You¡¯re no better than me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯tpare the both of us,¡± came Nathaniel¡¯s reply as his expression turned frosty. However, the


    glint in his gaze remained.


    ¡°What is the difference? I won¡¯t give up on Ashton, and you¡¯re attracted to me. Yes, I¡¯m a b*tch for


    bing his ything, but at least I am honest. You, on the other hand, don¡¯t even dare to admit your


    feelings. You hide in a corner like a disgusting rat and spy on my life, just like how you spied on Ashton


    back then!¡± I sneered, my fear for him long forgotten.

 Chapter 1804

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1804


    Chapter 1804 The Master


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    No hunter would allow himself to tremble in fear before his prey.


    The first to fall in love had no choice but to surrender his heart and all.


    Suddenly, Nathaniel threw me back onto the sofa. He seemed chagrined as he turned and refused to


    look at me. I felt pressured by his lurking presence. However, he said nothing, and I did not know what


    was going on in his mind.


    There was no reason to discipline someone else. However, when there was an exception, that


    rtionship was destined to be different.


    Nathaniel seemed fine to be addressed as a disgusting rat, so Jackson was right. He had ced


    himself in a lower position than me. Perhaps he was coddling me. No matter what, I should add fuel to


    the fire now.


    I slumped onto the sofa and twisted my body to show a few seductive poses. In a low voice, I


    mumbled, ¡°Either you take my life, or you¡¯ll have to endure simr scenes in the future. I want you to


    see how much I love Ashton. It could¡¯ve been yours, but you rejected it.¡± Chuckling, I raised my voice to


    make sure he could hear each and every word clearly. ¡°You were the one who avoided me and gave


    up!¡±


    Nathaniel turned at his shoulder as though he had just heard a ridiculous joke. ¡°I gave up? Does that


    mean you¡¯re the one who decides whether I will get to love you? Am I a charity case?¡±


    Charity case was a rather degrading term, and it wasn¡¯t what I meant. s, I had no choice but to go


    on. ¡°I said nothing of the sort, but I wanted to treat you and Ashton fairly. You were the one who hid


    away from me. You know I love him dearly, so I couldn¡¯t control myself.¡±


    After all, the more intimate one was with someone, the better one would be ating up with hurtful


    sentences.


    Though it might be my own wishful thinking, besides Nora, I should be the only person of the opposite


    sex that Nathaniel had spent the most time with. I knew him better than anyone, so it was pretty easy


    for me to deliver a fatal blow to him.


    Indeed, Nathaniel was infuriated. He grabbed my hands swiftly when I tried to struggle and flipped me


    over.


    Pressing his cheek next to mine, he warned, ¡°You¡¯d better know who your master is!¡±


    Flustered, I went all out. ¡°I¡¯d rather end myself than let you seed!¡±


    Nathaniel was unfazed, for he continued unbuttoning his shirt as though he were a robot carrying out


    an order. ¡°You want to treat us fairly, right? If we don¡¯t have a try, how would you find out whether your


    body prefers me or Ashton more?¡±


    I didn¡¯t expect someone as arrogant as Nathaniel would be foolish enough to connect one¡¯s body and


    heart together. He thought that conquering either would get him the other one.


    I sneered, raised my chin, and prepared to end myself by biting on my tongue hard. I wanted to show


    him how stubborn I was. He could never win my heart or mess around with my body.


    Nathaniel hadn¡¯t realized my n. He couldn¡¯t wait to vent his lust, so after unbuttoning his shirt, he


    reached out to me.


    I was wearing a long dress with buttons all the way up to my neck. It had as many buttons as his shirt. I


    saw Nathaniel frowning in irritation as he stretched his hand out.


    At that, Iughed gaily. Nathaniel grabbed my cor, an ominous ck thundercloud of temper settling


    over him.


    Rip!


    I was both embarrassed and furious. Without thinking much, I bit my tongue. Hopefully, our ancestors


    weren¡¯t lying when they imed one would die when one¡¯s tongue broke off. I didn¡¯t want to end up as


    helpless as a pping fish and regain consciousness to face the humiliating situation.


    As sweat trickled down my forehead from the excruciating pain, I btedly realized Nathaniel had


    stopped his advances.


    At once, I stopped biting on my tongue and opened my eyes.


    Nathaniel was still towering over me. However, he had narrowed his gaze and was staring at my left


    shoulder, seemingly in a daze.

 Chapter 1805

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1805


    Chapter 1805 Admit To It


    Before I could react, something seemed to ur to Nathaniel. He whipped his head around to look at


    me and squeezed my cheeks, forcing me to open my mouth.


    At the sight of the blood on my tongue, he bristled. ¡°I knew it! You tried to end yourself!¡±


    I btedly recalled the gunshot on my left shoulder. It happened when he forced me into a corner.


    The ugly scar reminded him that the woman he was infatuated with would take her own life if she were


    forced into a corner.


    I was inwardly pleased. After all, I could use my life to threaten him.


    Nathaniel knew why I had a smile hanging on my lips, but his hands were tied. In the end, he released


    his grip on me and stood up. Walking away, he buttoned his shirt again.


    I coughed and regained myposure. ¡°Are you finally admitting that you can¡¯t bring yourself to harm


    me?¡± I didn¡¯t forget to tease him.


    ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re right. But from today onward, you¡¯ll have to stay here.¡± Nathaniel was cool and


    collected as usual.


    ¡°Why? Trying the familiarity breeds fondness trick?¡± I retorted.


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    After fastening thest button, Nathaniel turned to shoot me an exasperated look. In the end, he chose


    not to say anything. Picking up the suit jacket on the ground, he strode upstairs.


    I made sure his footsteps had faded away before my smile slipped. Scrambling to my feet, I studied the


    house closely.


    The house was minimalistic and simple. There was a sofa, a ceiling light above it, a coffee table, and a


    dining table about half a meter long. The open kitchen had a grey and white color scheme. It seemed


    like there were only the both of us here.


    Is this Nathaniel¡¯s den? Hmm, it doesn¡¯t look like it.


    After a brief tour of the first floor, I didn¡¯t find anything suspicious. As Nathaniel wasn¡¯t going to force


    me into submission, I plucked up my courage and headed to the second floor.


    There were three rooms on the second floor. The door of the room right next to the stairs was slightly


    ajar. I tiptoed over carefully and pushed the door open.


    Once inside, I realized Nathaniel was taking a shower. His clothes were draped over the sofa. There


    was another door leading to his bedroom. The most intimate space would be one¡¯s bedroom. Perhaps


    there was evidence of his crime inside.


    I turned at my shoulder and confirmed the water was still running in the bathroom before dashing in


    cautiously.


    The interior was emptier than I had expected. Besides the bed and the light hanging on the ceiling, the


    view was unobstructed. I knew I wouldn¡¯t get anything here.


    ¡°You¡¯d rather die than be coerced into submission earlier, and now you¡¯re offering yourself. Don¡¯t tell


    me you¡¯re trying to y hard to get.¡± Nathaniel¡¯s voice boomed out, snapping me out of my reverie. I


    had no idea when he stepped out of the bathroom.


    Feeling guilty, I turned on my heels to the sight of Nathaniel with only a bath towel around his waist. His


    upper torso was exposed, so I instinctively cowered back.


    Without giving me a chance to react, Nathaniel gazed at me for two short seconds beforeing over


    to sweep me off my feet. He then strode into the bedroom with me in his arms.


    Coming to a stop beside the bed, he pulled the covers open and tossed me into the bed.


    I had just gotten to my feet when Nathaniel joined me in bed. He flung his arm around me, and we fell


    back into bed together. With one arm pinning me down, he pulled the covers up.


    Before I could struggle out of his reach, Nathaniel pinned me down with his weight and warned, ¡°I won¡¯t


    touch you, but you need to give me something to look forward to. Be a good girl.¡± He was right. I had to


    give him something so all hell would break loose.


    The fish had taken the bait, so I¡¯d be a fool to not reel it in. Tamping down my hatred, Iy beside him


    obediently.


    Eventually, his breathing steadied, and he dozed off.


    Someone as sharp as Nathaniel wouldn¡¯t fall into a deep sleep. A tiny move might jolt him up. As I had


    provoked him countless times today, it wouldn¡¯t be a great idea to continue provoking him. I couldn¡¯t


    risk it.


    I stayed up the entire night. When dawn broke, I sensed Nathaniel waking up and immediately shut my


    eyes to pretend to be asleep.

 Chapter 1806

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1806


    Chapter 1806 Come With Me


    A few minutester, Nathaniel got up. He changed out of his pajamas and went downstairs.


    He had prepared breakfast, and it was served on the dining table. When I headed downstairs, he was


    nowhere to be seen.


    I didn¡¯t feel like eating. Besides, after what I went throughst night, I wasn¡¯t nning on eating


    everything that Nathaniel offered me.


    I went upstairs with the n of exploring the other two rooms. s, I had underestimated Nathaniel¡¯s


    vignce, for both rooms were locked. I couldn¡¯t even get in.


    After searching around, I didn¡¯t find anything to break the lock and slumped in disappointment.


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    I was about to call for help before recalling that my phone and bag were left behind in Reba¡¯s


    house. There was nothing for me to contact the outside world in this house.


    Left with no choice, I ran outside and prayed fervently that the reason I didn¡¯t see any houses nearby


    was that the lighting was badst night. Today, I finally got an unobstructed view of the hilltop.


    Nathaniel¡¯s house was the only house here, and there were no other houses nearby. He was literally


    living in seclusion.


    Stumped, my only alternative was to return and get some rest. After staying up yesterday and this


    morning, I was exhausted. Not long after I returned to the bed, I fell into a deep sleep.


    When I woke up, it was already nighttime. The bedroom was dark, but the living room in the suite was


    brightly lit.


    A set of clothes was ced at the end of the bed. Everything inside out was included. I assumed


    Nathaniel had prepared an outfit for me to change into.


    I got up and walked toward the living room slowly. Nathaniel was sitting on the sofa, his gaze fixated on


    theputer.


    I discarded my slippers and stepped onto the soft carpet as I made my way to his back.


    Once I reached the sofa, I leaned forward and saw a WhatsApp message mentioning something about


    a deal location.


    It looked like Nathaniel was dealing with his goods. If I wasn¡¯t mistaken, everything about the deal was


    in that conversation.


    To be more specific, they were on thisputer.


    I perked up and was prepared to inch nearer to get a closer look. Right then, Nathaniel¡¯s phone on the


    desk started buzzing. A call hade in.


    Nathaniel didn¡¯t notice me. He got his phone and answered it, mumbling a few acknowledgments


    asionally.


    I sighed in relief, but he ended the call swiftly. ¡°That¡¯ll do.¡±


    After returning his phone to the desk, he sensed something. Turning back, he met my nonchnt gaze.


    At once, he shut hisptop and asked calmly, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you sleep until tomorrow morning? You might


    as well do that.¡±


    Is he ming me for being asleep for that long?


    ¡°I can¡¯t do anything without a phone or aptop. What else am I supposed to do except sleep? Stare at


    you?¡±


    I strode over to the other sofa and plopped down, looking disgruntled. I was the grumpy type after


    waking up, so I was nning on giving him a hard time.


    Nathaniel remained unfazed. He ced hisptop on the desk and propped his arm on the armrest.


    ¡°Get changed. We need to go somewhere,¡± he ordered.


    ¡°No.¡± If I agreed immediately, that would mean I was a harmless person.


    Nathaniel got up calmly and went to the bathroom. He stood before the mirror and tidied himself up. ¡°I


    thought you¡¯d be interested in the locations I got from Schmidt,¡± he remarked.


    ¡°You want to bring me to patrol the locations?¡± I turned to look at him like the worthless idiot I was. I


    couldn¡¯t get the data on theptop, so this seemed like a great constion prize.


    However, patrolling the locations was simr to a business inspection. Only those close to the owner


    would be brought along. Obviously, my position had moved upwards in Nathaniel¡¯s heart.


    As that thought struck me, I immediately went into the bedroom. I burrowed under the covers and


    changed my clothes swiftly.


    Nathaniel¡¯s bedroom had an open concept design, with a doorframe separating the living room and


    bedroom. There was nothing else in between.


    After crawling out of the covers, my hair was in a mess. I went to the bathroom to take the spot in front


    of the mirror from Nathaniel.


    Fortunately, when I stepped out, Nathaniel was already waiting on the sofa, effectively stopping a


    conflict from happening.

 Chapter 1807

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1807


    Chapter 1807 Survey


    Everything was ready. After staying there for about twenty-four hours, I could finally leave the deserted


    ce.


    Nathaniel didn¡¯t have hisptop with him at that moment. That meant anyone could get their hands on


    the data stored inside it if they were to break in right then. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have my phone with


    me, so I couldn¡¯t contact anyone. I had no choice but to let this opportunity slip away.


    Earlier, I saw, on the screen, that Nathaniel mentioned something about a ce. I assumed that the


    ce in question was a pub or club because ces like those had loud music and dim lighting. These


    factors would make it perfect for Nathaniel to make any shady business deals.


    However, he drove to a run-down vige, and I realized that I had a lot more to learn.


    The vige was small, and there was only one road in and out of the vige. Nathaniel¡¯s enormous car


    could barely fit on that road. Off the main road, however, there were many smaller paths. A junction


    would show up every few feet, and I could see kids in washed-out clothes running around. They would


    turn a corner and be out of sight soon after, though.


    The older kids would chase after the car. It was likely that it had been a while since theyst saw a


    luxurious car traveling down the road.


    Nathaniel didn¡¯t get out of the car until we reached the point where it was absolutely impossible for his


    car to keep going.


    It didn¡¯t take long before we entered a simple cabin. It was crowded, and everyone was working. Some


    were there to sell their drugs, and some were there to provide transportation. Yet, they all had one thing


    inmon ¡ª their clothing was washed out, and they looked like they had been starving.


    As soon as we entered, Nathaniel and I reacted the same way. When our noses detected the pungent


    smell exuding from the poor vigers, we both tantly got our handkerchiefs out to cover our nose


    and mouth. He frowned in annoyance and said, ¡°Maybe I should havee to their rescue sooner.¡±


    Nathaniel saw his own factory as an art museum and regarded the drugs as exquisite pieces of art.


    ¡°Mr. Hall,¡± greeted a man in a tuxedo. He was probably the only person who worked directly under


    Nathaniel.


    Still frowning deeply, Nathaniel behaved like a man who was not ustomed to the environment that


    the poor lived in.


    The man in tuxedo exined the process after that.


    ¡°This entire vige is the distribution center, and the head of this vige is the one responsible for


    managing the operation. The other vigers will deliver the product after they receive their orders. This


    vige¡¯s paths areplicated, so the men we hire can get away easily should the police show up. We


    don¡¯t have to worry about our customers losing their ways, though, because a viger wille to lead


    the way for them. Oh, and I should also mention that the vigers are united. If anyone were to hold


    one of them as a hostage, every other viger woulde to the rescue. Hence, the only way to deal


    with the issue is if someone somehow manages to eradicate the entire vige.¡±


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    It was undeniable that Freja¡¯s n was virtually perfect. She took advantage of the legal system and


    the hatred the vigers had for the government that had abandoned them. Even if an unpredictable


    issue arose, it would be difficult for the authorities to do anything in a ce like this. ¡°Okay, then just do


    as I asked. You will have full control over this operation. Just give me a satisfactory result as soon as


    possible,¡± replied Nathaniel, who wasn¡¯t really in the mood to continue listening to what the man in the


    tuxedo had to say.


    ¡°Understood,¡± said thetter.


    I wanted to take a closer look, but Nathaniel didn¡¯t want to stay any longer. Thus, he dragged me out


    and left in the car quickly.


    He didn¡¯t roll the windows down until the vige was quite far away. After that, he sighed a breath of


    relief. He had one hand on the steering wheel, and he had his other arm rested beside the car¡¯s


    window. As he drove, hemented on Freja¡¯s work. ¡°A disaster ¡ª that is the only word to describe a


    ce like that vige. There is no way we can make it big in a ce like that. No wonder the country¡¯s


    market has been underperforming all these years! Women just can¡¯t be trusted to n for the future.¡±


    The man used words like ¡°underperforming¡± and ¡°market.¡± Frankly speaking, a random stranger might


    think that he was talking about a promising and legitimate business if they didn¡¯t know the context.


    I was already upset about how the so-called survey onlysted for less than one minute, so I picked a


    fight. In an icy tone, I asked, ¡°Excuse me, but are you referring to me when you say that women can¡¯t


    be trusted?¡±


    Only then did Nathaniel realize that his words included me. He narrowed his eyes at me a little and


    readjusted his sitting posture before exining, ¡°You¡¯re not like the other girls.¡±


    ¡°How so? Am I different just because I¡¯m not a virgin, whereas every other woman you came in contact


    with isn¡¯t? Is that why you say that I¡¯m not like the other girls? Because you¡¯re not interested in sleeping


    with me?¡±

 Chapter 1808

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1808


    Chapter 1808 Chat History


    The truth was that Nathaniel wouldn¡¯t even think about all that when his emotions heightened and


    judgment clouded. Still, I wanted to verbalize everything and remind him of my past. I saw it as a smart


    move because it would prevent me from having to bite my tongue again.


    Nathaniel¡¯s expression took a sharp turn immediately after he heard that. His tone carried a hint of


    anger when he said, ¡°Don¡¯t try to get under my skin.¡±


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Not wanting to back down, I challenged, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m the one making a fuss? Who was the one who


    dragged me out of bed in the middle of the night and made me travel several hours by car just to take a


    fleeting look at the site? Just be honest and say that you don¡¯t trust me. You didn¡¯t need to put on a


    show like this.¡±


    After saying all that, I turned around to ignore him and put a stop to that argument.


    The reflection on the window showed me that Nathaniel had parted his lips as if he had something to


    say, but he didn¡¯t say anything in the end.


    It was three in the morning when we returned to the vi on the mountain. The silent treatmentsted


    the entire trip.


    After opening the door, I tossed my shoes at a random spot and walked barefoot on the icy floor. It was


    so cold that my entire body trembled.


    ¡°Stop it right there,¡± requested Nathaniel in exasperation.


    ¡°What?¡± I was standing on the spot, but I didn¡¯t turn around because I was pretending to be mad and


    had to behave that way.


    Surprisingly, Nathaniel didn¡¯t reply. All I heard were some shuffling sounds before I sensed him getting


    close to me.


    ¡°Get your leg up,¡± instructed Nathaniel. He sounded like he was crouching at the time.


    That got me to tilt my head down, and that was when I saw him kneeling on one knee. He was holding


    a pair of slippers and was testing the waters by pushing my leg a little. ¡°The floor is cold, so put these


    on.¡±


    ¡°No, thank you,¡± I replied stubbornly and held my head up high to show zero respect.


    I felt myself levitating at the very next second. Nathaniel had lifted my foot and slipped one slipper onto


    it before he did the same for my other foot.


    After doing all that, he stood up slowly and stared calmly at me. He sounded like he was teasing me


    when he pointed out, ¡°You¡¯ve been giving me the silent treatment for over two hours. Aren¡¯t you tired?¡±


    Stubbornly, I refused to look at him anyway, but then I thought about theptop in the room, and


    inspiration hit me. I immediately changed my mind, turned to him, and said, ¡°I am tired, but that¡¯s not


    enough to get me to stop being angry. That might change if I have some pasta with me, though.¡±


    Nathaniel grinned before he put on a straight face and replied, ¡°Go wait on the second floor.¡±


    I smiled in return before running up the stairs.


    When I was at the door, I felt anxious, so I turned back and snuck a peek at the stairs. I waited until I


    saw Nathaniel walking into the kitchen. After that, I hurried to the room and closed the door before


    rushing to theptop.


    I was lucky because Nathaniel didn¡¯t turn hisptop off properly, so it had simply been idle the entire


    time. All I had to do was move the mouse, and the screen lit up to show the WhatsApp messages.


    Swallowing hard, I then turned my head to check and make sure that Nathaniel hadn¡¯te to the


    room. After that, I used the mouse to check his chat history.


    As suspected, the illegal business deal was done behind Ashton¡¯s back. Or rather, the owner of that


    new number was the one who was making the decisions.


    My first instinct was to log into my own ount and make a copy of that chat history. Unfortunately,


    that would leave a record, and I wouldn¡¯t be able to delete everything in time if Nathaniel suddenly


    came in.


    While panicking, I saw the screenshot button on the desktop, and a lightbulb instantly went off in my


    head.


    I made a screenshot of the most important bit of the WhatsApp chat history before I attached it to a


    new e-mail I created using Nathaniel¡¯s e-mail ount.


    For the title, I wrote: It¡¯s me, Scarlett. I hope this will help. Don¡¯t reply.


    I looked for Ashton¡¯s name before I clicked on it to send the e-mail.


    Then, I deleted the e-mail from the folders and turned off all software.


    Everything was done in one go, and it was perfect.


    I didn¡¯t rx or heave a breath of relief until I got everything back to its original position.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Nathaniel¡¯s nonchnt tone broke the silence.


    A chill ran down my spine, and I stiffened as if someone had just pointed a gun at my head.


    I bit my lip a little and tried to force myself to calm down. After that, I moved the mouse to the web


    browser andined, ¡°What do you think I was doing? The day has been so boring, so I¡¯m going


    online to watch some news. What? Do you actually think I¡¯m a criminal?¡±

 Chapter 1809

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1809


    Chapter 1809 Fake News


    Nathaniel sat down with a te of pasta and put the dish aside before he got hisptop from me to


    examine it. He found nothing out of the ordinary.


    In a hostile tone, I retaliated by challenging, ¡°Do you see me as a spy? You are the one who brought


    me over, and you are the one who ced yourptop here. You should¡¯ve told me earlier if you don¡¯t


    want me to use it, so stop looking at me like that. I am not your ve, and I get to do certain things like


    using theputer.¡±


    Nheless, Nathaniel ignored me entirely. His expression remained aloof as he put theptop, which


    he had since turned off, aside and pushed the pasta over to me. After that, he said, ¡°Eat up.¡±


    His response made me feel as though I was talking to a wall. It¡¯d feel weird if I keptining about


    it, and I was hungry anyway, so I picked up the fork and ate away.


    That night, Nathaniel insisted on sleeping while hugging me like a pillow. He only left after the sun had


    risen, and he took theptop away as he left.


    I couldn¡¯t sleep because I kept thinking about the e-mail and wondered if Ashton had received it.


    It was ten o¡¯clock at night, but I was too nervous. Besides, the bed felt ufortable no matter how


    much I tossed and turned. I then gave up and decided to go out for some fresh air.


    When I walked down the stairs, I bumped into Ashton, who happened to be entering at the time.


    I thought I was dreaming, so I pinched myself hard.


    Ouch, that hurts! Huh? So this is not a dream, then. Ashton really is here.


    Ashton, however, had no idea what I was doing. He seemed taken aback when he asked, ¡°What are


    you up to this time?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Once again, I wondered if I was dreaming.


    It had been a while since hest spoke to me in that tone.


    Ashton took a deep breath and straightened his back before shifting his gaze away. His tone was so icy


    that it was borderline inhumane when he said, ¡°I¡¯m talking about the e-mail fromst night.¡±


    After a sharp breath, I stared at him strangely and started questioning myself once more.


    He should be aware of the risks I took to get my hands on that information. Why is he interrogating me


    in that tone? It¡¯s as if I had just pulled the worst prank on him. Did I misunderstand the situation? Was I


    wrong to assume that he trusts me?


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    ¡°What e-mail?¡± A familiar voice rang out all of a sudden. The owner of that voice, Nathaniel, was


    walking over from the living room with a ss of whiskey in his hand. It seemed like he had already


    downed half a ss. The man draped one of his arms around my shoulder and nonchntly asked,


    ¡°You guys don¡¯t mind if I join in on the conversation, right?¡±


    I knew that I was at fault, so my heart started thumping fast. At that moment, I couldn¡¯t respond to that


    at all.


    Ashton, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t contain his anger. His tone was as sharp as daggers when he spat,


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what game the two of you are ying, but I will have none of it. This is the first andst


    time you¡¯ll test me with fake news, get it?¡±


    How could that be fake?


    Surprised, I turned to Nathaniel. The confident grin on his lips and the tant arrogance shining in his


    eyes showed that he had anticipated everything that was happening at that moment.


    It also meant that the information I risked for and stole on the night before was nothing but fake


    content. That sly fox likely nted everything there to test the waters as he tried to figure out how often


    Ashton and I stillmunicate with one another.


    That was a good move.


    Pretending to let his words slip, acting all nervous when he took theptop away from me¡­ I had been


    putting on a show, but in the end, he was the one who fooled me.


    It seems I have underestimated my opponent.


    But this doesn¡¯t exin why Ashton is acting like this. If he knows that the information is fake, shouldn¡¯t


    he try to get in touch with me and warn me to be more careful around Nathaniel? Why is he acting this


    way?


    It is as if he is convinced that Nathaniel and I are on the same side.


    I was reminded countless times, but I would never believe that Nathaniel could tempt Ashton to do


    anything immoral.


    At that thought, I mped my mouth shut and tried my best to keep myself calm before saying, ¡°I didn¡¯t


    know that the information was faked and was unaware of the situation.¡±


    ¡°Do I look like an idiot?¡± growled Ashton almost immediately after I finished speaking. His tone was icy


    and almost cruel.


    After he said that, he turned his attention to Nathaniel and added, ¡°The two of you are living together,


    huh? No wonder Scarlett changed her stance so quickly and is working against me now.¡±


    Meanwhile, Nathaniel tightened his hold on me and shrugged a little. He had an infuriating expression


    on. At that point, it seemed like his silence worked better than spoken words.

 Chapter 1810

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1810


    Chapter 1810 Our Secret


    I was quick to break free from Nathaniel and put some distance between us. Rolling my eyes at him in


    distaste, I then turned to Ashton to say, ¡°Ashton, you trust me, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Nathaniel had already seen through my tricks and knew that I was spying on him, so there was no point


    in keeping the charade up anymore. Under those circumstances, it was better to just be sincere. At


    least I¡¯d be able to give Ashton a firm response then.


    Ashton suddenly chuckled, and an evil glint shed past his eyes. ¡°Do you honestly want me to answer


    that question?¡±


    I nodded and replied, ¡°It¡¯s an answer you should¡¯ve told me ages ago.¡±


    Nathaniel took a step forward and stood beside me, but his grin had since faded. ¡°You know, I¡¯d like to


    know that answer as well.¡±


    Ashton scoffed. He suddenly acted as if he wasn¡¯t bothered about anything and almost seemed


    generous when he said, ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s y a game. Give me your hand.¡±


    ¡°A game?¡± I asked because I couldn¡¯t catch up to his quick thinking.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± murmured Ashton. He raised his brows, then looked at my hand, which I had left dangling at


    my side.


    I moved as though I was possessed and reached out for him.


    Ashton used his finger to trace his surname on my palm.


    After writing that, he retracted his hand and looked right into my eyes. His lips parted, and he asked,


    ¡°What did I write?¡±


    The entire scene felt so familiar that I had goosebumps. Nathaniel once hired someone to assume my


    identity. We were trapped in the car for a while at the time, and Ashton yed this game with me.


    At that time, I answered¡­


    ¡°Fuller,¡± I replied mindlessly as I stared at him.


    ¡°Wrong,¡± replied Ashton mercilessly, but his words were an exact duplicate of what he said back then.


    I insisted, ¡°That is not possible. I know what I saw. It¡¯s Fuller.¡± When I spoke, I kept my gaze on Ashton.


    Nathaniel, on the other hand, stood at the side and kept staring, but he couldn¡¯t figure out what was


    going on.


    In the end, Ashton said, ¡°Fine. I will give you one more chance to answer that question.¡±


    He held my hand and wrote Audrey¡¯s name.


    My nose became runny, and my voice was thick. I was smiling and crying at the same time while


    answering, ¡°It¡¯s my daughter¡¯s name.¡±


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Ashton grinned before he retracted his hand and replied, ¡°That¡¯s not what I wrote, either.¡±


    There was a pause. When he spoke again, he emphasized every word. ¡°Here¡¯s my answer to your


    earlier question.¡±


    After saying that, he turned around to leave, never sparing another look at me.


    I stood there on the spot, stunned and at a loss for words. My hand remained in mid-air as tears rolled


    my cheeks. Yet, the familiar warmth filled my heart once more.


    Nathaniel took the opportunity to fan the mes. ¡°See? That¡¯s the kind of man you¡¯re willingly


    sacrificing yourself for. It doesn¡¯t matter if what you¡¯re saying is the truth. He simply doesn¡¯t believe in


    you, and he will find fault in every word you say from now on.¡±


    Naturally, Nathaniel didn¡¯t know that there was more to the story.


    Back then, Ashton said that he wrote ¡°Stovall¡± both times.


    He also said that the wrong answer wouldn¡¯t remain wrong forever, and that was our secret.


    That day, in that house, I finally understood what he really meant. He was telling me that he would


    choose to believe me, and he wouldn¡¯t regret his decision, even if it turned out to be the wrong one.


    Peace resonated with me, and I was so happy that I could barely contain it. Still, I suppressed those


    feelings when I heard Nathaniel¡¯s words. I red from the corner of my eyes and growled, ¡°Are you


    happy now? Ashton will never trust me again!¡±


    Nathaniel wasn¡¯t going to let me vent, so he continued mocking me. In fact, he sounded pleased when


    he replied, ¡°I was simply reminding you that juggling two men is not an easy feat. Things turn out well


    for you, right? Now, you need only focus on loving me.¡±


    I had always hated how presumptuous Nathaniel was, so I took advantage of the situation and raised


    my voice. My tears, for some reason, also freely flowed as Iined.


    ¡°Loving you? Yes, it¡¯s true that my heart is filled with love, but that love is not directed to you! Ashton is


    the man I have loved my entire life; my youth and memories are all linked to him. Heck, even my life


    and my entire sense of being are connected to him. He hates me now and is angry at me. That makes


    me feel a hundred, if not a thousand, times worse than being stabbed in the heart. Do you even


    understand the agony of being hated by the person you love? No, you will never understand it. All you


    ever do is make things worse. It seems that torturing me is the only way for you to be happy, and that


    makes you nothing more than a cruel murderer. You might as well just stab me to my death right now!¡±

 Chapter 1811

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1811


    Chapter 1811 All A Show


    Slowly but surely, a frown appeared on Nathaniel¡¯s face. He stared without saying a word, and I had no


    clue what he was thinking about at the time.


    However, I didn¡¯t bother to try deciphering it. Instead, I held on to the opportunity to vent out all of my


    emotions. Then, I fell back against the wall while staring nkly at the floor.


    The truth was that I was trying to figure something out. I was wondering when Ashton began nning


    everything, but Nathaniel couldn¡¯t know that. With my head down, I looked like an angry wife who had


    just been chased out of the house.


    I only had a slipper on, and between sobs, I muttered, ¡°He doesn¡¯t love me anymore¡­ He doesn¡¯t love


    me anymore¡­¡±


    A few momentster, Nathaniel¡¯s phone rang. He returned to the living room to pick the call up. After


    that, he rushed out of the door. I stopped crying as soon as he closed the door.


    For the entire time, I kept my expression nk as I got up from the floor, put on my slippers, and went


    to wash my face. When I was done with all that, I grabbed some food from the refrigerator and cooked


    for myself.


    Pretending to cry was a tiring task, and I actually got hungry after Ashton left.


    I think that was the time I truly appreciated movie stars and understood how tough their job was.


    I couldn¡¯t help strategizing as I ate away. It was crucial I figure out how Nathaniel would treat me after


    this incident because it¡¯d determine what my next move should be.


    If I¡¯m right, this incident is one of the defining moments in this war. Nathaniel had, in a way, recalled his


    army, and this may be my shot to infiltrate his army¡¯s base.


    At that moment, I knew how Ashton felt, and I believed that all I had to do was to help him in any way I


    could.


    We were on the same side and were fighting the same war. The only difference was that he was


    fighting from the corporate angle, while I was attacking from the emotional side.


    Being certain of all that made me feel better than I had in a long time. That, in turn, got my appetite to


    return, and I finished everything I cooked.


    When I returned to the second floor, I noticed that the door to the room next to mine was left open. The


    decoration suggested that it was a study, and Nathaniel¡¯sptop, the one he used yesterday, was sitting


    right there. It was resting peacefully on the desk.


    My eyes glowed, but I made a beeline to my bedroom and mmed the door shut.


    I¡¯ve learned my lesson after going through all that. In that house, anything that was easily essible


    was of no value to me. They were only there to allow Nathaniel to trick and mock me.


    There was no point in making any moves, so I ended up crawling back onto my bed and napping.


    I was half asleep when I felt someone holding me from behind my back. That instantly scared me so


    much that I woke up. I sat up and turned on themp on the nightstand.


    When I saw Nathaniel there, I scrunched my nose and pulled the nket away. Then, I walked toward


    the living room in a fit of anger.


    Nathaniel chased after me. After a while, he caught up when we were by the door and gripped my


    wrist. The man then asked impatiently, ¡°It¡¯s the middle of the night. Why are you acting up?¡±


    ¡°Let me go. Let me go!¡± It took me everything I had to finally break free. I turned around after that and


    dashed out the door to walk down the stairs.


    When I was out of the house, I walked right into Nathaniel¡¯s car and opened the door.


    As suspected, he left the keys in the ignition because we were in a secluded ce.


    Nathaniel chased over at that moment. I ducked quickly and got into the car. After that, I fired up the


    engine. Ignoring Nathaniel¡¯s protests, I turned the steering wheel before I stepped on the gas without


    hesitating.


    However, Nathaniel managed to open the door at thest second and got into the passenger¡¯s seat.


    ¡°Stop the car,¡± howled Nathaniel, who had dropped his gentleman¡¯s facade. ¡°Did you hear what I say,


    Scarlett Stovall? Stop the car now!¡±


    I gripped the steering wheel andpletely ignored him while speeding down the road as fast as I


    could.


    The route down the mountain was steep, and there were many turns. Almost every turn I made was


    dangerous, and the tires screeched every time I did so.


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    I wasn¡¯t suicidal, but at that moment, I was ying the role of a woman who had just lost the man she


    loved. On top of that, the man in question hated her. Hence, something would seem off if I didn¡¯t act


    like I hated the world or do something extreme. Nothing was more convincing or more perfect than


    speeding down the road like that.


    It took some time, but we finally reached thest turn. I deliberately let go of the steering wheel and


    acted like I was weing death¡¯s embrace.


    Nathaniel quickly reached over to grab the steering wheel. His voice brimmed with fury when he


    roared, ¡°Have you gone nuts?¡±


    Unfortunately, the car was moving too quickly, so there was no way he could turn the car around in


    time.


    The sports car instantly lost control and ran through the railings at the side of the road before it flew into


    the air. It fell down the mountain after that.

 Chapter 1812

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1812


    Chapter 1812 Fake Attempted Suicide


    As the car hovered in the air, Iughed like a maniac and said, ¡°Yes, I have gone nuts. To me, losing


    Ashton is equivalent to losing everything. There is no point in living anymore.¡±


    An intense pressure attacked the car at the very next second, and the airbags got activated. It


    smashed my head mercilessly.


    The car only stopped after it ran into an enormous tree in the forest.


    Before I lost consciousness, I heard Nathaniel spewing his threats through gritted teeth. ¡°If you die, I


    will kill your kids, John, and all of the members of the Stovall and Moore families. Their blood will be on


    your hands!¡±


    The moment I regained consciousness, I sensed a light so bright that I couldn¡¯t even open my eyes. I


    thought that morning had rolled by, and the light was the sun, but when I opened my eyes, I saw the


    familiar chandelier hanging on top.


    A-Am I home?


    I wanted to figure out where I was, so I scanned the surroundings. I turned around, and that was when I


    saw a familiar figure standing by the window.


    In my annoyance, I turned around to ignore him.


    Secondster, a crisp and clear voice came. ¡°Are you really so angry that you won¡¯t even look at me?¡±


    I frowned. How did he know that I am awake?


    ¡°You really are stubborn,¡±mented Nathaniel.


    However, I ignored him and acted as if he was nothing but air.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill Ashton.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± I blurted those words before I realized that it was all a part of his scheme. Irritation


    and regret instantly filled me.


    Nathaniel smiled in a taunting way before he walked to the side of the bed and stared icily at me. He


    pointed out, ¡°You¡¯ve died once, so in a way, you don¡¯t owe him anything anymore. You don¡¯t need to


    love him now.¡±


    I stubbornly replied, ¡°Sorry, but that is not possible.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll help you¡­ if you¡¯ll let me, that is,¡± said Nathaniel, who had suddenly be strangely


    patient. It seemed like he was worried about triggering me, so he lowered his voice and added, ¡°The


    scores you gave us earlier no longer count. From now on, I willpete against the Ashton Fuller in


    your memory and will fight for your heart.¡±


    What is he nning now?


    I red over and was a little suspicious. When I spoke again, I pretended to be upset. ¡°There are no


    do-overs in life, so why should I give you another shot at this?¡±


    ¡°You will,¡± insisted Nathaniel and smiled. That smile was so sincere that it looked out of character on


    him. ¡°Time can erase everything, and I will give you a happy life. Scarlett, if there is any part of you that


    wishes to move on with your life, please give me another chance. I won¡¯t disappoint you.¡±


    I had to admit that Nathaniel was pretty good at pretending to be Prince Charming. His fake, loving


    smile oozed with sincerity and anticipation, and he looked like an idiot waiting to be ughtered. To be


    honest, he appeared extremely ugly at that moment.


    That ugly smile, however, made me see hope. I felt like I could see my reunion with Ashton in that


    smile.


    Thus, I kept staring quietly at him without rejecting his offer.


    The prolonged silence answered the question Nathaniel asked me. That got him to smile as though he


    were a teenager meeting his first love. He hovered beside the bed for a long time before he finally left.


    He imed that he needed to take care of me, so he moved into the Fuller residence.


    Since he wasn¡¯t hurt at all, he could stay by my side and tend to my every need.


    He was going to help me with every single thing, including something as private as showering, but I


    was firm in rejecting him. We ended uppromising by having a nurse help me.


    I was on bed rest for three days, and Nathaniel would be away for some time every single day. He


    spent more and more time away as the day went by.


    The fifth morning rolled by soon after, and I woke up as I always had. I hadn¡¯t even turned on the lights


    before I noticed that a man was sitting on the couch.


    I assumed that he was Nathaniel, so I didn¡¯t pay much attention to him. Therefore, I turned around and


    pretended to still be asleep.


    It didn¡¯t take long before I felt the mattress sinking down on the other side. The situation made it seem


    like Nathaniel was trying to take advantage of me, so I pped his hand away. Then Iined, ¡°I


    told you that I don¡¯t want to be forced.¡±


    ¡°Letty,¡± said someone with a deep voice. Ashton!


    ¡°Honey,¡± said Ashton. He held me so tightly in his arms that it was as if he wanted to attach himself to


    me.


    Is this a dream? Tears rolled uncontrobly down my cheeks. At that moment, the only fear I had was


    that I wouldn¡¯t remember his embrace. Hence, I rested there without moving a muscle.


    ¡°You are so silly. How could you have forgotten about our secret? I¡¯m so sorry. I really shouldn¡¯t have


    told you the truth so soon.¡±

 Chapter 1813

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1813


    Chapter 1813 A Fleeting Moment Together


    He buried his head into my neck, and his unshaved beard grazed my cheek a little. At the very next


    second, a drop of warm tear dripped onto me, igniting all the emotions I worked hard to suppress.


    ¡°Ashton!¡±


    I was so overwhelmed that I didn¡¯t care if it was all a dream. I didn¡¯t care that I might wake up and lose


    him again, either. As soon as I turned around, I threw my arms around him and buried my face in his


    chest. His familiar scent came to me, and I greedily took it all in.


    The room was dark, so there was no way to see anything clearly. I had to tap on him a few times and


    pinch myself a little. The pain confirmed what I already know. I wasn¡¯t hallucinating!


    ¡°You¡¯re really here!¡± I couldn¡¯t be bothered to behave anymore, so I draped my arm around him.


    My hand caressed his face in the dark, and my mind conjured an image of his face.


    ¡°You must¡¯ve really let yourself go.¡± I was grinning sadly when I uttered those words to joke about his


    uneven beard. The mere thought of Ashton looking strangely mature had me giggling a little, though.


    Ashton put his hand on the back of my head and led me closer to his chest. Only then was he able to


    sigh in relief. ¡°I honestly thought that you were trying tomit suicide, so I haven¡¯t been sleeping the


    past couple of days.¡±


    My heart ached for him when I heard that. Hence, I gestured for him to release me from his embrace


    and said, ¡°Now that you¡¯ve seen me, you know that I¡¯m fine. Go home and rest up, or exhaustion will


    kill you before Nathaniel could make his move.¡±


    ¡°Ten minutes. Give me another ten minutes. I¡¯m too tired and need a quick recharge. Can I just stay for


    a while?¡±


    He was obviously stalling, but his tone was so sweet and helpless that I couldn¡¯t bear to push him


    away. In a way, I had no choice but to let him do as he pleased.


    He described it as a quick recharge, but he didn¡¯t rest for long before he shared, ¡°When I heard about


    how you got hurt, I went and stayed guard at the exit closest to the ER. I had everything nned, and if


    you had died, I would¡¯ve marched right in to kill that a*shole. After that, I would take my own life so that


    our souls could reunite.


    ¡°I worried, even after they told me that you had survived. That was why I messed things up for


    Nathaniel every day and made it so that he had to leave to handle the issue. It took me some time, but


    I eventually created a small window of opportunity toe to visit. I¡¯m sorry. This is my fault for not


    making you feel secure enough.


    ¡°I think the antidepressants you have been taking are messing with your memories. Letty, I want to tell


    you this in person. I trust you, and I will always trust you. What I did that day, and how I behaved¡­ It


    was all to trick Nathaniel, so please¡­ please don¡¯t ever think about hurting yourself again.¡±


    He looked as though he had been wanting to say all that for a while, and he seemed more rxed after


    he got them all out. That prompted him to switch to a morefortable position and held me tightly in


    his arms.


    ¡°Also, thest time¡­¡±


    At that point, I was already crying, so I couldn¡¯t continue listening to what he had to say. Hence, I


    interrupted him with a tease. I even had both my hands on his lips before I said, ¡°Oh my, Mr. Fuller, you


    are so naggy. The thing is, Ashton, you have to know that your wife¡¯s acting still is just as good as


    yours. I timed both the shooting incident and the car ident perfectly and knew that I would survive


    both. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not suicidal. I have too much to live for. Just promise me this one thing, okay?


    Don¡¯t be distracted by what I do and focus only on destroying our enemy.¡±


    Ashton didn¡¯t reply to anything. Instead, he made some incoherent noise.


    ¡°Will you promise me?¡± I sensed that something was off as soon as I was done speaking. That was


    when I realized that my hands were still on his lips, so I put them down to let him talk.


    Ashton sighed and replied, ¡°I think it¡¯s more probable that I die from being too worried about you.¡±


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    I refuted, ¡°It¡¯s like the old wives¡¯ tale said ¡ª dying for a beautiful woman is the most worthy cause there


    is, so you¡¯re not allowed toin about it, even if you die.¡±


    Ashton chuckled and replied, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t even dream ofining.¡± His hug tightened a little, and his


    tone was filled with reluctance when he said, ¡°I have to go now.¡±


    The joy in my heart dissipated instantly. I hugged him back and nodded. ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    I said those words, but I couldn¡¯t get myself to put my arms down.


    We held each other in silence for another minute before Ashton finally took the initiative to let go of me.


    He got out of bed after that and left without saying another word.


    I ced my hand on his side of the bed. The warmth he left behind was slowly fading away, and I felt


    as though the mattress had suddenly be too empty.


    I was lost in my thoughts for a while and kept reying everything in my mind. A thought shed past


    my mind, and it made me tremble. Before I knew it, I had already turned around and had hastily turned


    on themps.


    The bright lights illuminated the room, and I turned around to see that the sheets on the other side of


    the bed had crumpled up. That was the proof that Ashton was there earlier.

 Chapter 1814

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1814


    Chapter 1814 Shopping Spree


    I lost all desire to sleep and ended up sitting numbly on the bed until morning rolled by.


    Sharing that moment with Ashton had given me a huge boost, and I was able to get off the bed for the


    first time after I was discharged. At seven o¡¯clock in the morning, I hopped out of bed and went to make


    breakfast.


    I saw Nathaniel walking up the stairs as soon as he got back. He must¡¯ve hurried back down those


    stairs when he realized that I wasn¡¯t in my room because I saw him walking to the phone immediately


    after. He stopped punching the numbers into his phone as soon as he saw me leaving the kitchen.


    Meeting his gaze, I calmly gestured to the two tes I had with me and asked, ¡°Would you like to have


    breakfast together?¡±


    The furious expression on Nathaniel¡¯s face faded away and was reced by warmth and disbelief. He


    nodded and replied, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    For a moment there, we were so quiet that only the sound of slurping and gulping could be heard. I


    noticed that Nathaniel was eating slowly, but he would sneak a peek at me every now and then.


    That got me to roll my eyes at him and nonchntly asked, ¡°Will you stop messing with those things?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± He seemed taken aback. It took him some time before he realized what I was talking about, and


    that stunned him. When he came around, he asked, ¡°Will you ept me if I do as you asked?¡±


    I shrugged and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know, but at the very least, I¡¯ll hate you less.¡±


    Nathaniel¡¯s expression stiffened. To my surprise, he actually said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll think about it.¡±


    That was not the best result, but at least it was not the worst response, either.


    We were quiet for a moment there, but heter broke the silence by saying, ¡°I invited Emery out on


    your behalf. If you¡¯re free after this, you should take a walk with her. It¡¯d help you recover.¡±


    His kind gesture surprised me, but he fished out a card over at the very next second. Then, he pushed


    that card over and informed, ¡°It¡¯s not password-protected.¡±


    I shot a look at the card, then at Nathaniel before I pointed out, ¡°Money can¡¯t buy love.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± replied Nathaniel as he cut his sausage up. ¡°The problem is that your card is lost, and it¡¯d take


    some time before a recement is made. You can¡¯t exactly have your friends pick up the tab this entire


    time, right?¡±


    I teased, ¡°How thoughtful of you.¡±


    ¡°I am so much more than that, and you will learn, bit by bit, just how great I am,¡± replied Nathaniel with


    a straight face.


    I had no intention of listening to him bragging nonstop, so I kept the card and replied, ¡°Then I¡¯ll just


    keep this card. Let¡¯s eat up.¡±


    Nathaniel¡¯s lips parted, and he looked as though he had more to say. That prompted me to signal him


    to keep quiet when eating.


    Only then did Nathaniel stop talking.


    After breakfast, I took up on Nathaniel¡¯s offer and went to the most luxurious mall in the city center with


    Emery. That shopping spree must¡¯ve cost a fortune because I never bothered holding back.


    However, Emery felt bad about it, so she dragged me into a cafe and put a pause on my shopping


    spree.


    ¡°With a tip like that, the waitress can go on a year-long vacation,¡± said Emery as she stirred the cup of


    coffee she had with her.


    Annoyed, Iined, ¡°It¡¯d be a shame to not spend this money, anyway. You know, I think I¡¯ll


    withdraw some funds from this card and donate it to a third-world country. This money is tainted with


    blood, anyway, so donating it will at least get some good out of it. You should take everything we


    bought earlier. Keep whatever you like and donate the rest.¡± I had just finished speaking when Emery¡¯s


    phone rang. She picked it up, but mere secondster, she handed the phone over and said, ¡°It¡¯s for


    you.¡±


    She mouthed the words ¡ª ¡°It¡¯s Nathaniel¡± ¡ª as she gave me the phone.


    I answered the phone impatiently and growled into it. ¡°What? Was I supposed to report back to you or


    something?¡±


    I had only been out for less than three hours, so I was annoyed. I just can¡¯t get a break, can I?


    Nathaniel chuckled and informed, ¡°I¡¯m just calling to remind you toe home earlier tonight. We¡¯ll


    have guests for dinner.¡±


    I didn¡¯t bother showing any mercy and was quick to say, ¡°So what? They¡¯re your guests, not mine, so


    why should I bother showing up? Who do you think I am? An escort?¡±


    It was possible that Nathaniel liked being yelled at because I could¡¯ve sworn that I sensed his


    amusement. It was almost as though the more I yelled at him, the happier he was.


    I heard him chuckling soon after. In a devious tone, he reminded, ¡°I saw the bank statement, Scarlett,


    and you spent quite a bit of my money. Isn¡¯t it only right that you do something for me in return?¡±


    This is all a trap!


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who gave me the card, so why are you demanding that I pay you back now?¡±


    Nathaniel calmly shared, ¡°Does that mean you don¡¯t n on paying me back?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    I was so angry that I hung up the call and gritted my teeth. If I could, I would¡¯ve thrown that stupid card


    right to his stupid face.


    A conman. He is such a freaking, good-for-nothing conman!


    In less than a minute, my phone vibrated. The text Nathaniel sent over read: I¡¯ll be waiting at home.


    See you there.


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    ¡°F*ck you, you a*shole!¡± Anger was burning so wildly in me that it prompted me to cuss aloud. Many


    turned their attention over when they heard me. Even Emery was taken aback. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that


    Nathaniel is in love with you? Why did he make you so angry?¡±

 Chapter 1815

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1815


    Chapter 1815 The Note


    I didn¡¯t really know how to exin the situation, so I handed the phone back to Emery instead. After


    that, I said, ¡°It¡¯s a long story, but I¡¯ll need to return all the items we bought earlier.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be in such a hurry. Shopping is supposed to be a rxing event, and if we rush


    over like that, the entire experience won¡¯t be rxing,¡± replied Emery. Her words were calm and


    philosophical, and she looked graceful when she sipped some coffee.


    The way she acted made it impossible for the burning rage inside me to survive. In a way, I had no


    choice but to follow her suit and enjoyed the exquisite coffee.


    Just then, a couple of rich men¡¯s wives entered the cafe. One of the more observant wives saw Emery


    and me sitting at our table, which was out in the open. The observant wife came over to say, ¡°Hi, Ms.


    Moore and Mrs¡­ Ah, sorry, I mean, Ms. Stovall. What a coincidence. Do you both like this cafe as


    well?¡±


    Emery was practically a professional when it came to small talks. She grinned and replied, ¡°Yeah, this


    ce is quite nice, and the environment is great.¡±


    One of the cafe¡¯s main attractions was its serene environment and silent ambiance.


    Most could tell that Emery had no intention of sharing the table with anyone.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Unfortunately, the woman who greeted us was socially blind. She walked to the seat beside Emery and


    sat right down. To make matters worse, the former showed no hesitance when she said, ¡°Please move


    further in, Ms. Moore. We have too many people here.¡±


    Emery¡¯s expression took a sharp change, and she looked infuriated. Still, she was forced into the


    innermost part and couldn¡¯t even stretch her legs.


    I suffered the same fate as she did.


    Withdies squeezing in from both sides, it was impossible for me to even catch a breath. Emery and I


    turned to one another, and I imagined I looked just as hopeless as she did at that moment.


    We were signaling to each other and were about to sneak away when someone gently nudged my right


    foot.


    I instinctively shifted my gaze over and realized that the woman sitting on my right had put her hand


    over. She had a note with her at the time. The second she realized that she had gotten my attention,


    she dropped the note onto my skirt.


    While all that was ying out under the table, the mysterious woman leaned in as though everything


    was fine. She acted like she had been paying close attention to the gossip shared.


    I didn¡¯t bother analyzing anything and was quick to hold that note in my palm. After that, I stood up and


    shouted, ¡°Enough! Goodness, you people are noisy. Move aside, I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    Emery turned to me and stared as though she was looking at an angel from heaven. Her eyes shone


    with appreciation and respect as she stood up soon after and helped me. ¡°You heard her. Get the hell


    out of here, you socially blind idiots!¡±


    Our outbursts frightened the others and forced them to make way for us.


    We left the cafe right then. Following the restroom signage above my head, I then dragged Emery with


    me.


    The first thing I did was to check every stall and make sure that no one else was inside. Only then did I


    reveal the note to Emery.


    ¡°Where did you get that from?¡± asked Emery nervously as she stopped fixing her makeup.


    I answered honestly. ¡°It¡¯s from one of thedies who barged in.¡±


    ¡°Ah, everything makes sense now. I was wondering how a rich woman from K City could be that


    socially blind. It turns out that it¡¯s all just part of their n,¡± murmured Emery. ¡°Go on. Read the note.¡±


    I unfolded the note to read the content. ¡°Map received. The analysis is in progress. Call the following


    number if an emergency urs.¡±


    The map was a huge clue, and I could more or less guess who the note was from. ¡°Benson sent them.¡±


    ¡°Benson? As in Alexander¡¯s brother?¡± asked Emery.


    I nodded and replied, ¡°Yeah. Nathaniel brought me to an ind once, and that ind is where he


    manufactures all of his products. I memorized the general location and had Alexander share the


    location with Benson.¡±


    Emery nodded without saying anything else.


    The situation had me thinking for a while and prompted me to say, ¡°Emery, borrow me your phone.


    Nathaniel¡¯s bank ount might contain some information that could help Benson with his investigation.


    I¡¯ll send him a photo of the card Nathaniel gave me.¡±


    I did all that and memorized the emergency number before flushing the note down the toilet. After that,


    Emery and I left the restroom as though everything was fine.


    We didn¡¯t want to raise any suspicion, so we browsed another mall and made some small talks with


    some friends before we headed home.


    Emery didn¡¯t stay after dropping me off. She imed that Summer was asking for her, so I didn¡¯t make


    Emery stay, either.

 Chapter 1816

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1816


    Chapter 1816 An Awkward Meal


    When I reached home, I saw a few luxurious cars parked at the gate. I assumed they belonged to


    Nathaniel¡¯s guests, so I didn¡¯t pay much attention to them.


    However, I soon learned that it was a mistake. The moment I entered the ce, I saw Cameron and


    Zachary sitting there.


    ¡°Mom? Dad? What are you doing here?¡±


    I had just ced the bags aside when I heard John saying, ¡°Emma and I are here, too.¡±


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    I couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of what was going on and had to ask for help by signaling John.


    John wasn¡¯t free to say anything, but he discreetly gestured for me to look in the direction of the


    staircase.


    I followed his line of sight and saw Nathaniel walking down the stairs in a casual outfit. As he did so, he


    said, ¡°I asked everyone toe over because I know that you miss hanging out with your family. Did I


    guess right?¡±


    He had made his way to me by then. His eyes looked straight into mine as he added, ¡°I know you lost a


    lot in the past, and I will get everything back for you.¡±


    I was exasperated when I saw how strangely confident he seemed, but I didn¡¯tin or anything.


    Nathaniel was there when things between John and me fell apart, so I had no idea why Nathaniel


    thought that he could fix that broken siblinghood.


    The truth was that things between John and I were fine, but we still had to keep the pretenses up.


    That made everything super awkward. Nathaniel tried his best to behave like an easy-going guy, but


    his obnoxiousness still made him talk as though he was a king ordering his subordinates around.


    ¡°The two of you are Scarlett¡¯s parents, so you should move here. That way, the whole family can be


    together. Ande on, John, man up, and stop throwing a tantrum. Let¡¯s forget about all that unhappy


    past after having a meal together. When the sun rises again, you and Scarlett will return to being


    siblings who love and respect each other.¡±


    No one responded to Nathaniel¡¯s words, and the aura of the ce became so overwhelming that it was


    hard to breathe.


    It reached the point where I simply couldn¡¯t handle it anymore. I didn¡¯t want Nathaniel to keep making


    things so awkward for everyone, so I smashed a te and yelled, ¡°That¡¯s enough! I will solve the


    matter between me and my family. You don¡¯t need to be our middleman.¡±


    I ran to my room and mmed the door. Fury burned in my veins as I stood in front of the window.


    Nathaniel entered the room soon after.


    He carefully closed the door and walked toward me. There was a pause when he stood behind me, but


    his hesitation didn¡¯tst long. Soon enough, his long arms stretched over as he tried to hold me in his


    arms.


    Yet, I moved to the side to avoid his hug.


    As a result, his arms hung awkwardly in the air. All his stunned gaze saw was my furious re when


    our eyes met.


    Nathaniel retracted his arm right away and shoved his hands in his pocket before sighing deeply. ¡°I


    honestly don¡¯t know what you¡¯re so angry about.¡±


    It was only natural that someone like him would not understand what was going on. Anyone with even


    a smidge of conscience and morality would be able to empathize with the situation. No one could


    pretend that nothing had happened after learning that someone close to them had chosen to aid an


    inhumane criminal like Nathaniel. It was only natural that it¡¯d take some time to fix a broken trust, and


    they couldn¡¯t ept someone like Nathaniel as one of their own.


    Hence, Nathaniel wasn¡¯t doing anything for my sake. He was humiliating my family and me.


    There was a difference between being an upstanding man and a horrendous demon, and he could not


    switch from one to the other with just a simple gesture.


    The silence dragged on for a while. Nathaniel eventually showed his displeasure toward the re he


    was given. He furrowed his thick brows and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t a family reunion what you wanted all along?¡±


    What I want is for you to never exist! I want you to disappear!


    Nathaniel could never understand the pain he caused. I could tell that he still stubbornly thought that he


    could change everything. It was just like how he assumed that he even had the slightest shot at


    recing the love Ashton and I shared for over a decade.


    I red over without saying a thing. At that moment, it felt as though I was looking at a foolish clown.


    Nathaniel sighed exasperatedly. He sounded annoyed when he asked, ¡°You still miss Ashton, don¡¯t


    you?¡±


    I refuted, ¡°Well, what do you expect? I have loved that man ever since I learned what love is, so there


    is no way I can just pretend that he was never a part of my life. Getting over that rtionship will take


    time, and I don¡¯t even know how long. Besides, you promised that you would help me move on, but you


    keep talking about him. Seriously, if you¡¯re that bothered about my past with him, you can just get out of


    here. You don¡¯t need to stay here and look at this face.¡±


    Nathaniel suddenly chuckled. His eyes didn¡¯t shine with a murderous glow, but loneliness and self-


    mockery were abundant. ¡°You¡¯d only talk to me¡­ or at least yell at me when I mention Ashton.¡±

 Chapter 1817

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1817


    Chapter 1817 Argument


    Nathaniel was right about that. Ashton had upied every inch of my mind and heart.


    Good. Suffer in jealousy and boil in pain, Nathaniel. You deserve it.


    I didn¡¯t say anything even as I stared heartlessly at him.


    That was what he deserved.


    ¡°You make me feel like I deserve this pain,¡± said Nathaniel while tilting his head down. He looked so


    pitiful at that moment.


    The light only managed to illuminate a part of his face, but his long eyshes were still visible. They


    were thick and beautiful, proving that the Hall family¡¯s genes were superior.


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Unfortunately, his beauty was his only good attribute. Everything else was horrible.


    It didn¡¯t take long before he started muttering, ¡°It¡¯s fine. This is not your fault. I¡¯m doing this out of my


    own free will.¡±


    Nathaniel paused for a moment. His spirit glowed with determination once more, and when he looked


    at me, his eyes shone withpromise. ¡°I¡¯m at fault. I didn¡¯t do a good job and haven¡¯t learned how to


    be a decent man. Will you teach me how to be that man? Tell me how I can grow to be the man you


    can love.¡±


    Right at that moment, I learned just how ridiculous a man could be when he was in love. Nathaniel was


    lying to himself and was in denial. He used to be the man who wanted to be my one and only, but


    now¡­ Now, he was so pitiful that he simply wanted me to look his way.


    All that crushed thest bit of sanity I had left in me.


    I crossed my arm and secretly massaged myself to warm myself up. Then, I turned over calmly to say,


    ¡°You can¡¯t do what I ask of you, but keep making random gestures that I never wanted. You may im


    that you love me and may say that you¡¯re doing everything for my sake, but all I see is how you did all


    that to present yourself as the hero. In short, we are too different, and there is nothing I can teach you.¡±


    Nathaniel¡¯s expression changed once more. At that moment, I could almost see the ck and


    terrifyingly chilly aura exuding out of him.


    Is he angry? Are my words too harsh and unbearable? Good! Suffer, you jerk. It won¡¯t be fair until this


    jealousy slowly consumes your sanity and teaches you what it feels like to suffer from insomnia and a


    complete loss of appetite.


    The agonizing silence dragged on. Nathaniel broke that silence by spitting his words through his gritted


    teeth. ¡°Ashton never loved you, but you keep changing your stance and belief for him. On the other


    hand, I have done nothing butpromise for you. Yet, you repay me with this sort of insanely strict


    treatment. That is not fair, Scarlett!¡±


    I found those words to be hrious. He was the criminal who ignored the value of others¡¯ lives and


    thrived on wreaking havoc. Yet, he wanted equal treatment.


    If being fair was essential, then what was Nathaniel going to do about the ruined lives he was


    responsible for? Ashton¡¯s life, my life, the bullet that Joseph had endured¡­ What could Nathaniel even


    do to begin making up for all that?


    The funniest bit, however, was that I noticed Nathaniel couldn¡¯t stop talking about Ashton. That proved


    that Nathaniel wasn¡¯t in love with me. He was just like Reba, but he was more extreme, insane, and


    possessive. His desire to prove that he was better than Ashton was overwhelming as well.


    Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t share all my thoughts just like that. I had no choice but to be patient and y


    my part, so I said, ¡°Okay, that¡¯s fair. You¡¯re right, and I am sorry. I am partially responsible for the mess


    today, so we¡¯re even now.


    ¡°Still, I wish that you will stop inviting my family over without consulting me first. Our family has a


    tradition, and it will be impossible for them to ept you. Please don¡¯t do anything to force them to do


    anything. I owe them too much as it is, and I don¡¯t want to trouble them again.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I can do that. I promise I won¡¯t get in touch with your family again,¡± agreed Nathaniel. He looked


    more at ease at the time.


    I murmured an affirmative reply before uncrossing my arms and letting them rest naturally at the side. I


    had to make my bodynguage show that I had temporarily lowered my guard.


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ Scar¡­¡± said Nathaniel all of a sudden. He got his hand out of his pocket, but he had a


    diamond ring with him when he did so.


    That ring had a pink diamond, and the diamond was so polished that it shone with different colors.


    ¡°In return, I¡¯d like you to put this on. For me,¡± requested Nathaniel while showing me the ring.


    A ring was a sign of a lifetime ofmitment, and it often represented as one of the most romantic


    gifts.


    For a moment there, I was stunned in ce. I didn¡¯t even know when he started thinking about being


    with me for the rest of our lives, so I stood there. My brain couldn¡¯t evene up with a single word to


    say.


    ¡°Put it on so that it¡¯ll remind me to never give up on us and to do everything you ask,¡± shared Nathaniel.


    I challenged, ¡°Do everything I ask? Even if I tell you to drop dead?¡±


    ¡°Yes, even if you tell me to drop dead,¡± replied Nathaniel as persistence shone brightly in his eyes.


    ¡°Okay.¡± After that, I grabbed the ring and put it on. ¡°Satisfied?¡±

 Chapter 1818

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1818


    Chapter 1818 Secret Meeting


    Glee glowed in Nathaniel¡¯s eyes, and his lips instinctively curved into a smile. That was when I realized


    that he had a ring on him as well.


    At first, I didn¡¯t think he knew what it meant to have the ring on, so I deliberately ignored it. I actually felt


    guilty and worried that he was forcing me to kick Ashton out of my heart. That was why I looked away


    and pretended to not have noticed anything.


    ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s go and have some food now. I¡¯ll take you to a meeting tonight,¡± said Nathaniel. I


    couldn¡¯t tell if he was deliberately teasing me, but the hand he offered me was the one where he had


    his ring on.


    He looked rather at ease, though, so I didn¡¯t have my guard up. I simply reached out to hold his hand


    and walked down the stairs with him. By the time we reached downstairs, John and the others had


    already left.


    Nathaniel and I had a quick meal. I went to take a shower after that and changed my clothes. Then, he


    brought me out.


    My previous experience in the poor vige taught me to hold no hope for the trip that night. It was


    probably just a quick inspection, and he likely only brought me over because he worried that I would


    flee otherwise.


    However, the car soon drove up to a luxurious resort, and I realized that I made a wrong guess. Again.


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    I remained confused when we got out of the car, and Nathaniel had to circle around to me. He draped


    his arm over my shoulder and led me into the long corridor. As we walked, he said, ¡°I will show you how


    sincere I am.¡±


    It made no sense, and I wondered what game he was ying at the time.


    As we ventured down the corridor, I noticed that no other guests were present there. A few servers


    would show up every now and then, but no one else was within sight. Thend in K City was


    expensive, so that resort likely wouldn¡¯tst long if business remained that stagnant.


    Nathaniel knew every inch of that private room, though. He had an earpiece on and was talking into a


    microphone. All it took was one word from him to get a beefy bodyguard to stand by the door. Security


    cameras were installed everywhere, and they recorded everything that happened there.


    The bodyguards must know Nathaniel because they didn¡¯t budge, even as Nathaniel brought me over.


    Their eyes remained alert, and they looked almost as stiff as a robot.


    The room¡¯s decoration differed from the rest of the ce. It had modern furniture, and the design was


    minimalist yet luxurious. A few paintings hung on the wall, and they were obviously the work of famous


    painters because they truly stood out.


    We had to walk past another door and take a turn before we reached our destination.


    A long table and a few chairs were the only things in that room. Every single seat was taken, and


    among them were a few elderly individuals who had a scowl on their faces. Sitting right across them


    were a bunch of younger men and women, and Ashton was one of them.


    We were thest ones there. Nathaniel let me take the most prestigious seat and stood at the side to


    apologize. ¡°Sorry, there was a slight dy, and we werete.¡±


    He then had a server get another chair over and sat beside me.


    My first instinct was to shoot a look at Ashton. He rested one arm on the table while having his other


    arm at the backrest. A quick nce would suggest that he was rxed, but the way his fingers tapped


    against the table revealed that he was anxious.


    Nathaniel noticed that as well. His tone was hostile when he barked, ¡°Oy, who said that you¡¯re allowed


    to be here?¡±


    An elderly man with a head of white hair spoke up before Ashton could. The former pointed out, ¡°You


    have been missingtely, and Ashton has been managing everything, so the few of us made a


    decision. We appointed him as Leslie¡¯s temporary recement.¡±


    Another elderly man, who was balding, spoke up as well. His tone was off, but he insisted, ¡°This is only


    right. Everyone knows how skilled Ashton is. Besides, Leslie was so young, and he only died because


    someone leaked the information to the police. There were so many loose ends, and we wouldn¡¯t have


    regained our footing if Ashton hadn¡¯t worked so fast and so well. Nat, you don¡¯t wish to deal with minor


    matters like these anyway, so just outsource it to Ashton. He can do it well.¡±


    When the guy said that the information was leaked to the police, he probably meant the incident where


    Ashton was shot. If that were true, then everyone there was Nathaniel¡¯s business partner.


    At first, I thought that Ashton was simply ambushed. I didn¡¯t know that someone had died. It means that


    this whole thing is much more dangerous than I initially imagined.

 Chapter 1819

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1819


    Chapter 1819 Venturing Into Domestic Market


    Looking at the current situation, Ashton seemed to have won a lot of support in thepany through


    Nathaniel¡¯s ckmailing, which could be considered a blessing in disguise.


    A faint smile yed on Nathaniel¡¯s lips as he threw a question back at the two condescending old men.


    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    Although he maintained a calm demeanor without making a fuss, the chilling aura he was exuding


    seeped silently into the bones of every person in the room.


    As soon as he spoke, the few people who had been aggressively demanding him to hand over power


    immediately stopped talking.


    No one dared to be the first to speak up.


    Right then, a sharp voice of a woman rang out. ¡°Mr. Warner and Mr. Chadwick were merely speaking


    the truth. You can go ahead and indulge yourself in romantic bliss, but don¡¯t dy the group¡¯s


    progress.¡±


    It was then that I noticed the only other woman at the table. She was the perfect embodiment of an ice


    queen, with attractive features and a far more imposing aura than Freja. Her dark-red lips gave her the


    impression of a femme fatale.


    She shot me a cold look when she caught me staring at her, but then she shifted her gaze away


    immediately afterward.


    Nathaniel seemed fazed by her words, judging by his lips curling into a mocking smile. ¡°Okay. I ept


    all your opinions. I¡¯ll spend more time on the group¡¯s affairs in the future.¡±


    Everyone fell silent, looking dubious but making no move to reply.


    Seeing theck of response, Nathaniel leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms in apparent


    nonchnce as he said, ¡°Let¡¯s discuss your thoughts on venturing into the Chanaean market.¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Hearing this, Desmond Henley, who had remained silent while sitting next to Nathaniel, cleared his


    throat. ¡°Let me say a few words. I think that the risks are too high alongside great uncertainty. The


    Chanaean police are far stricter than those in any other country. We¡¯ll lose everything should things go


    wrong, so it¡¯s not advisable to take risks.¡±


    Vincent also voiced his agreement, ¡°We joined the group back then on the premise that we won¡¯t


    venture into the domestic market. We should be content ourselves with earning money from foreigners


    and having peaceful lives. Don¡¯t leave us nowhere to turn to in the future.¡±


    The elderly Theodore was naturally on their side as he nodded vigorously to their words. ¡°That¡¯s true.


    Look at those who are doing businesses in the gray areas in the legition. Hardly any of them can


    afford to conduct affairs openly like us. Men cannot be too greedy.¡±


    Nathaniel nodded his head before turning to look at the indifferent woman. ¡°Do you agree with them?¡±


    Without missing a beat, she replied nonchntly, ¡°I abstain my vote.¡±


    ¡°All right, then. I hereby announce that Ramona Sutton will take charge of the domestic market. My


    assistant will liaise with youter. Any questions?¡± Nathaniel ignored Ashton as he directly made the


    decision.


    After he finished speaking, the faces of the elderly men darkened as they fidgeted uneasily in their


    seats.


    ¡°Whatever.¡± Ramona got up and left right after she said that.


    After that, Ashton followed suit.


    There was only a young man with no right to speak left in the room, exchanging nces with the senior


    members. Despite being furious at Nathaniel¡¯s decision, they did not dare speak their mind.


    However, the young man was more perceptive than the others and knew who was in charge, so he


    immediately stered on a ttering smile. ¡°Mr. Hall, Chanaea is such a big market, and it¡¯s way too


    stressful for Ramona to manage on her own. Perhaps I can share the burden?¡±


    Nathaniel gave the man a once-over and nodded soon after. ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful! I¡¯ll be sure to do a splendid job!¡± The man broke into a huge smile, not forgetting to hand


    me a name card as he added, ¡°Mrs. Hall, you¡¯re the only woman that Mr. Hall has ever brought to a


    meeting with the higher-ups. I¡¯m Teddy Barker. Don¡¯t hesitate to look for me should you need my help


    in the future.¡±


    Nathaniel shot him a death stare. ¡°Do you have a death wish?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Hall is so protective¡­¡± Teddy beamed as he hurriedly put away the name card. He then ced his


    hands together in an apologetic gesture. ¡°My apologies to you both for the slip-up. Please be


    magnanimous and don¡¯t harbor any grudge against me.¡±

 Chapter 1820

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1820


    Chapter 1820 Dispute


    ¡°Get lost!¡± At Nathaniel¡¯s bellow, Teddy hurriedly gathered his things and left without making a sound.


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Only when he had left did Nathaniel turn to look at me. ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    I shrugged to indicate that it was not a big deal, but that did not stop me from roasting him. ¡°He does


    look like a teddy bear dog.¡±


    It was originally said as a joke to liven up the atmosphere. However, several senior members seemed


    to take offense at it, as they left the room one after another the moment those words left my lips. I


    raised my brows in self-mockery. ¡°They don¡¯t seem to like me very much.¡±


    Nathaniel¡¯s lips curved upward slightly. ¡°They don¡¯t have to. It¡¯s enough that I like you.¡±


    ¡°Speak properly, will you? That¡¯s cheesy.¡± I ducked to avoid his face as he drew closer.


    Nathaniel seemed to be in a good mood as he let it slide. He got up and led me out through a different


    door to a viewing tform at a high point of the vi.


    The winter night of K City had always been chilly, especially on that night, as there were signs of


    iing snow. Feeling the strong breeze on the mountain top, I instinctively wrapped my arms around


    myself as I stomped my feet to keep warm.


    Nathaniel was still quite gentlemanly, seeing as he immediately draped his jacket over me.


    I stood still when my body was finally warmed up. Then I began to survey the surroundings.


    We seemed to be standing on the highest point of the viewing tform. Looking down, I noticed that


    other than the brightly lit vi in the distance and the dim lights of the viewing tform on the


    mountainside, the rest of the surroundings were pitch ck.


    While blowing warm air onto my hands, I asked, ¡°What are you up to?¡±


    For some reason, Nathaniel let out a chuckle as he walked over to a wooden bench at the side and sat


    down. While still maintaining his silence, he tilted his head to look at the sky with a blissful expression.


    It¡¯s alreadyte. Did he bring me here to have a heart-to-heart chat? He¡¯s pretty good at making my life


    difficult, isn¡¯t he? But of course I¡¯ll willingly go along with it if it were Ashton.


    To avoid making him think that I was easy-going, I stubbornly stood at the side, fidgeting as I waited for


    him to grow weary of me and leave.


    ¡°What do you think of Ramona?¡± Nathaniel asked abruptly.


    As I expected. He really knows the perfect ce to talk. I petntly replied, ¡°Pretty. Can¡¯t afford to


    offend her.¡±


    He smiled. ¡°You¡¯re my woman, and she¡¯s merely a subordinate. It is she who cannot afford to offend


    you.¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to say? Are you telling me that I can bully whoever I want, and you¡¯ll back me up?¡±


    I said with a grin.


    And be a heartless and vicious evildoer who is scorned by the whole world, just like him.


    I did not say thest sentence out loud, of course. After all, it would be exhausting to argue at a ce


    like this.


    Nathaniel admitted without hesitation, ¡°I suppose you can put it that way. You wouldn¡¯t want to be the


    person that is always being bullied, would you? In a world where only the fittest survive, you have to let


    others fear you to protect yourself.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s pure sophistry,¡± I spat, unable to bear his words any longer.


    ¡°You always think that I¡¯m wrong, but you never tell me what you think is right, and you refuse to


    communicate with me,¡± heined, sounding like a grumpy olddy.


    I could not deny that he was good at reasoning, but I had no excuse to avoid it, so I argued back, ¡°Your


    perception is fundamentally wrong. The cruelty that you speak of only exists in the uncivilized world.


    There is harmony and warmth in the world we¡¯re living in now. Of course, provided that there aren¡¯t any


    troublemakers like you. You don¡¯t have to bully others to protect yourself. As long as you protect


    yourself without hurting anyone, you can still live a good life.¡±


    ¡°Do you think what you said wille true? So many people all over the world have died of various


    man-made causes. Even when they¡¯ve done absolutely nothing, they still end up dead. This is the


    consequence of only knowing not to hurt others.¡± Nathaniel narrowed his eyes with an unusually


    contemptuous look.


    To him, the lives of those people were meaningless.


    ¡°Those were idents, and it only happened to one out of millions of people. It¡¯s because of people


    like you who don¡¯t follow the rules and do whatever you like that such incidents happen. You¡¯re one of


    those culprits. I don¡¯t understand how you can sound so righteous!¡±

 Chapter 1821

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1821


    Chapter 1821 Despicable Man


    ¡°Scarlett!¡±


    My face was flushed red by the time our yelling had stopped.


    See? I¡¯m wasting my breath trying to advise an incorrigible man.


    For a moment, our breaths were erratic as we stared at each other, bing archenemies once again.


    Bang!


    A loud noise sounded in the sky. I instinctively turned and watched as the dazzling fireworks exploded


    at the highest point, transforming into colorful flowers for a brief moment before disappearing


    completely.


    One after another they came as the sky became a stage for the disy with no signs of stopping.


    They reminded me of the festive season in J City. With no explicit orders to ban fireworks, they could


    be spotted in the sky at any point throughout the night of new year¡¯s eve, illuminating the entire city as


    a symbol of weing the new year.


    Ashton was still with me at that time. Summer was also very clingy, and the Fullers had not met with


    any mishap. The family I had then is the only family I know.


    Those were beautiful memories. However, alongside the flow of time came sadness that raged like a


    torrent. The brilliance of the fireworks only served to amplify the destion in my heart, and the cause


    of it all was Nathaniel.


    I gritted my teeth as my hands curled into fists. The smile that I had on my face due to those memories


    gradually turned into a scowl of resentment.


    However, Nathaniel thought that I was engrossed in the fireworks. He came forward and hugged me


    from behind. ¡°I may not know what love is, Scarlett, but I know for sure that at this moment, I am


    reluctant to leave you. Although I don¡¯t believe that rtionships canst a lifetime, I swear that my


    feelings for you are like these fireworks. Even if they¡¯re short-lived, they¡¯re still intense and passionate.¡±


    I red my nostrils as I said in a cynical tone, ¡°There¡¯s no need for the sweet talk. What you¡¯re trying to


    say is that you¡¯re currently interested in me, so you¡¯ll do anything to make me stay. Once you¡¯ve lost


    interest, you hope that I¡¯ll learn from the fireworks and vanish from your sight.¡±


    Nathaniel chuckled. ¡°Maybe.¡±


    As he said that, he released me and led me toward the guardrails. ¡°Stand closer so you can get a


    clearer look.¡±


    However, as we drew closer, we could clearly see the situation on the viewing tform directly below


    us. The sight rendered us silent instantly.


    Under the warm light of the pavilion on the viewing tform stood a man and a woman.


    It was not hard to tell from their silhouettes that they were Ashton and Ramona.


    From afar, they looked like a perfect couple.


    The two failed to notice us, as they were also looking at the fireworks.


    ¡°Ashton and Ramona are both outstanding within this industry. I think they¡¯ll achieve great things if


    they¡¯re together,¡± whispered Nathaniel.


    Upon hearing that, I turned my face away and red at him with narrowed eyes. Just say it


    straightforwardly that you wish to frame them on the pretext of having an affair. Don¡¯t beat around the


    bush.


    However, I still feigned ignorance. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Nathaniel looked down to meet my eyes, his lips curling upward as though he was gloating at the


    situation. ¡°Just the literal meaning. The old me would have also chosen a woman who is evenly


    matched to be my other half. Would you take a guess as to whether Ramona would be Ashton¡¯s


    choice?¡±


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    I smirked as I walked up to him and said through gritted teeth, ¡°Nathaniel, you¡¯re truly a despicable


    man.¡±


    Right after saying that, I reached out and shoved him hard, causing him to stagger back a few steps.


    He grabbed hold of the guardrail and proudly answered as soon as he steadied his stance, ¡°Thank you.


    I have always been a despicable man.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. A gentleman would never defame his opponent to advance his agenda.¡±


    With that said, I removed the jacket and threw it at him before making my way down the mountain


    using the same route we came.


    Nathaniel followed closely behind me while still adding fuel to the fire. ¡°No matter where you go,


    whatever that happened is already the reality. Hiding won¡¯t change anything.¡±


    ¡°Says who? Tell them to stay there forever. If I don¡¯t return and can¡¯t see it, then I¡¯ll reckon it never


    happened!¡± I eximed as I quickened my pace.

 Chapter 1822

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1822


    Chapter 1822 Spare Key


    After returning home, I ran into the bedroom and locked the door when Nathaniel was not looking.


    Knock! Knock!


    ¡°Open the door, Scarlett.¡±


    Nathaniel came over not long after and knocked on the door several times.


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± I leaned against the door, refusing to sleep on the same bed with him no matter what. ¡°You


    have yourself to me for leading me to see Ramona and Ashton. I don¡¯t feel good, so I won¡¯t let you


    get away with this. Go and sleep in the study!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re one smart girl,¡± he said softly with a slight tease in his tone.


    It¡¯s not because I¡¯m smart, but his horrible acting betrayed him. While pretending to bring up Ramona,


    he led me to a position where I could clearly see the foot of the mountain. His motives were simply too


    obvious.


    However, he came up with another argument in no time. ¡°It¡¯s true that I didn¡¯t make it up out of nothing.


    They are indeed very close. If this wasn¡¯t the case, you wouldn¡¯t have witnessed it despite my


    schemes. Isn¡¯t that so?¡±


    Refusing to listen to his twisted logic, I retorted, ¡°But I have the right to choose, and I can choose not to


    look. You need not worry about making decisions for me. That¡¯s it. Our conversation ends here. I don¡¯t


    wish to argue with you. I¡¯m going to bed, and I wish you a sleepless night!¡±


    I took off my shoes and jumped onto the bed before burying myself at the spot where Ashton had slept


    the night before. Then I turned over to stare at the ceiling.


    I should be able to sleep soundly in our room tonight while smelling his distinct scent.


    At the thought of Ashton, I could not help but wonder about his intention to approach Ramona.


    From what I saw today, it¡¯s not hard to tell that Ramona isn¡¯t a conservative person. In some aspects,


    she may indeed get along very well with Ashton. He managed to reach his current position in such a


    short time, and there¡¯s hardly any room for advancement. In order to further divide Nathaniel¡¯s criminal


    group, he must win over his opponents. The attitudes of those senior members toward Ashton are


    apparent. However, as they¡¯re old, I bet they won¡¯t be of much help. The key person is still Ramona.


    Getting her onto his side might be the crucial factor in breaking down the organization. She doesn¡¯t


    seem to care much about love, so I wonder what he would do to move her.


    I drifted off to sleep while still pondering over the matter.


    While I was half asleep, I had the feeling of being engulfed in a warm embrace.


    Thinking that Ashton had entered my dream, I did not reject it. Instead, I rxed and let down my


    guard.


    However, when I opened my eyes the next day, I was startled to find Nathaniel sleeping beside me. I


    jumped out of bed immediately and stood at the side barefooted.


    Although he was awoken by the noise, he took his time to sit up, stretch his limbs, and lean against the


    bed frame. ¡°Morning. Are you refusing to acknowledge this after waking up?¡±


    I took one look at his expression and instantly boiled with rage, knowing that he was up to no good. ¡°I


    was sure that I had locked the door. Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s an item in this world called the key. I¡¯m not stupid as to not know how to use it. Besides, the


    spare key was in the study, and you even told me to go there. So, it¡¯s not my fault.¡± Nathaniel gave me


    an innocent look, spreading out his hands as though he was speaking the truth.


    ¡°You dirty sc*mbag!¡± I rolled my eyes at him in disgust before fleeing into the bathroom and locking


    myself in it.


    As soon as I closed the door, I rushed to the basin and sshed water on my face to try to calm down.


    After that, I stared nkly at my reflection in the mirror.


    I hope I didn¡¯t do anything I shouldn¡¯t have donest night.


    Knock! Knock! Nathaniel leaned against the bathroom door as he teased, ¡°I didn¡¯t see you acting shy


    when you were curling into my armsst night.¡±


    ¡°Get lost!¡± I bellowed.


    He let out a few chuckles before his voice slowly faded into the distance.


    Unwilling to bump into him downstairs, I loitered there for some time before heading down slowly.


    When I reached the stairs, I even scanned the living room to make sure he was not there before


    heading to the kitchen in search of food.


    However, I immediately caught sight of him checking his phone at the dining table as soon as I turned.

 Chapter 1823

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1823


    Chapter 1823 Police Raid


    Although his attention was on his phone, Nathaniel instructed Janice in an indifferent voice just as I


    was about to turn back, ¡°Reheat the breakfast. My wife and I will eat itter.¡±


    I reluctantly went over and sat opposite him.


    Noticing my presence, he threw his phone on the table and stared at me with great interest.


    Puzzled, I reached up to touch my face. ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    Nathaniel frowned as he gave me a perplexed look. ¡°Did you sleep again? I¡¯m curious as to how you¡¯re


    able to sleep for so long.¡±


    Is he dense?


    ¡°It¡¯s up to me. Why do you care?¡± I retorted before grabbing one of the tes Janice had brought over.


    Then I began eating my breakfast.


    After several bites, I sensed that he was still looking at me, so I raised my head. I was right.


    I stiffened. While gripping my knife tightly, I warned through clenched teeth, ¡°Are you not done?¡±


    Only then did Nathaniel turn away with a raised eyebrow.


    Not long after, Janice served him breakfast.


    I quickly finished my meal and prepared to head upstairs after wiping my mouth. When I was passing


    by the living room, I saw the man in a suit walking in. He was the man who I had met at the slum


    vige. I hurriedly turned and sat in the living room, pretending to peel an apple.


    ¡°Mr. Hall.¡± The man stood at the door near the living room and shot Nathaniel a look.


    Nathaniel remained unmoved as he ate his breakfast. ¡°Get straight to the point. There aren¡¯t any


    outsiders here.¡±


    I pouted, feeling somewhat ttered.


    Upon hearing that, the man went straight to the topic. ¡°Several locations that are taken over from Ms.


    Schmidt have been investigated. Our men said¡­¡±


    ¡°What did they say?¡± Nathaniel inquired.


    The man in a suit first looked at me and then at Nathaniel before continuing, ¡°They said that Ashton


    had been to every one of them before trouble struck. There¡¯s amotion going on now. The people


    we sent there nearly got into a fight with those men who previously worked for the Schmidt family.¡±


    Nathaniel cocked his eyebrows slightly at those words and smiled at me from a distance. ¡°Ashton is


    really not stopping even for a moment.¡±


    Although the words were directed at the man, Nathaniel was clearly looking at me as though


    soundlessly asserting something.


    Meeting his gaze, I put down the knife calmly and took a huge bite of my apple. Then I casually leaned


    back on the couch, crossed my legs, and turned on the television to watch the news.


    Even the man, who was ustomed to dealing with major issues, was stunned by my actions.


    ¡°Go and wait outside,¡± Nathaniel instructed before lowering his head again to finish his breakfast.


    When he stopped to wipe his mouth, he calmly urged me to change my clothes. ¡°Don¡¯t you wish to see


    what problems Ashton has brought upon me?¡±


    He knew very well that I would be more than happy to see Ashton give him a hard time.


    I openly admitted to it by throwing my apple core into the bin and hurrying upstairs. Having learned my


    lesson from yesterday, I changed into warmer clothing before I went downstairs and got into the car


    with Nathaniel.


    Since the raided territories were under investigation, someone of Nathaniel¡¯s status naturally did not


    need to go there in person. However, he would still need to exin the happenings to the elders we


    had met the day before.


    Hence, the man in a suit drove us back to the vi we were atst night.


    It was the same group of people sitting around the same table in the same private room. The


    atmosphere was also more or less the same, except for the sour expressions on the faces of Vincent


    and those who were against venturing into the Chanaean market. They did not bother to hide their


    displeasure even while they were greeting Nathaniel.


    Ashton and Ramona arrivedte, and as soon as they sat down, Vincent began tosh out at


    Nathaniel.


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    ¡°I told you earlier that we shouldn¡¯t venture into the Chanaean market. Now, so many of our men died,


    and we even lost more than ten million worth of goods. Who¡¯s going to be responsible for such a huge


    loss?¡±

 Chapter 1824

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1824


    Chapter 1824 Suspicions And Interrogations


    Desmond, who had seemed calm the day before, could no longer contain himself this time. He held


    onto the armrest of his chair with one hand and pointed his finger at everyone with the other. ¡°Money


    and goods are trivial matters. But more importantly, the police are now keeping an eye on Theodore


    and me. Something¡¯s definitely up!¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Theodore nced at the people at the table before he mmed the table and uttered coldly,


    ¡°Our decades of hiding are in vain. We cannot let this matter slide. We must get to the bottom of it.


    Otherwise, don¡¯t even think about leaving today!¡±


    As befitting his status as one of the elders, the aura he exuded was extremely imposing, and not even


    Nathaniel dared to speak up at once.


    Teddy, as the most tactful person in the group, merely spoke out gingerly to calm him down. ¡°Let¡¯s all


    calm down. Business is all about earning money harmoniously, so Mr. Warner and Mr. Henley¡¯s issues


    are ours as well. Thepany will definitely give you both a proper exnation.¡±


    At that moment, Theodore was still fuming, so he merely rolled his eyes and ignored the other man,


    whom he thought was a subordinate who only knew how to win over his superiors through ttery.


    Meanwhile, Vincent did not n on letting the matter slide, so he shifted the me to Nathaniel in the


    name of upholding justice for Desmond and Theodore. ¡°It¡¯s obvious to me that someone wants to have


    sole control over thepany and thinks that the elders are in the way. So, he¡¯s taking advantage of


    this matter to kick us out!¡±


    However, it was clear that he had not discussed this with the other two men, as they were both


    fidgeting uneasily in their seats.


    Noticing that Vincent was still staring intently at Nathaniel, Desmond cleared his throat, intending to


    remind the former not to act recklessly.


    However, Vincent misunderstood it as cowardice, so he taunted once more, ¡°That¡¯s enough, Desmond.


    Stop coughing. Do you think that I¡¯m unaware of your thoughts? Aren¡¯t you just afraid of Nathaniel? Let


    me tell you this. I¡¯m going to expose him today. I don¡¯t believe that he could have the whole group


    under his thumb. We should stand up against him and see if he can still maintain his position as


    chairman!¡±


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Even I thought that he was looking for trouble. Having seen that they could not stop Vincent, they could


    only keep silent as an agreement that they were on his side.


    I watched everything unfold with a sneer. Looks like I¡¯m very lucky to be able to witness the dog-eat-


    dog scene within this seemingly impregnable group so soon.


    Nathaniel strongly believed that only the fittest could survive. Therefore, the trust between people, to


    him, was like fragile paper that could be easily torn apart.


    Despite Vincent¡¯s continuous interrogations, Nathaniel merely took a sip of his coffee as though he had


    not heard anything and that the former¡¯s words meant nothing to him.


    Seeing this, Vincent felt humiliated. He then red at him and scolded, ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this,


    Nathaniel Hall?¡±


    After another short silence, Nathaniel smacked his lips and put his coffee down. He then raised his


    head to look at everyone present before saying calmly, ¡°I don¡¯t mean anything, Mr. Chadwick.


    Everything you¡¯ve said so far makes sense, and I was listening attentively. However¡­¡±


    As his voice trailed off, he shifted his gaze toward Ashton and smirked as his eyes brimmed with


    menace. ¡°Mr. Chadwick, it¡¯s all right to be suspicious of me, but shouldn¡¯t you also consider our new


    formidable leader, Ashton?¡±


    He managed to shift the me to Ashton with just a few words.


    Indeed, rather than suspecting that Nathaniel intended to clear out his subordinates, Ashton seemed


    more suspicious as a new member who had risen to power within a short time.


    There were only two possibilities to exin Ashton¡¯s remarkable achievement. Either he was an


    undercover agent working for the police, or he was a born leader. However, the former was usually the


    reason in most simr cases.


    In no time, everyone began to stare at Ashton with an intrigued look, and I could not help but feel


    nervous for him.


    ¡°Is there anything you wish to say, Ashton?¡± Desmond asked.

 Chapter 1825

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1825


    Chapter 1825 Finish Him Off


    Ashton seemingly spaced out earlier. Only when he heard Desmond calling his name did he snap back


    to his senses. ¡°I¡¯ve got nothing to say,¡± he sneered.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re admitting that it was your doing? Vincent demanded sharply.


    Straightening leisurely, Ashton drawled, ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡±


    ¡°What did you mean by that, then?¡± Vincent¡¯s voice abruptly rose several decibels, for he felt as though


    he had been yed for a fool.


    With a smirk tugging at his lips, Ashton turned and looked in the direction of Nathaniel and me. ¡°My


    meaning is simple enough. I know my capabilities better than anyone else.¡±


    That¡¯s true. He has always erred on the side of caution, so it makes no sense that he¡¯d shoot himself in


    the foot.


    When I saw the others at the table nodding in contemtion, I couldn¡¯t help breathing a sigh of relief.


    Even though the people in the room were all dressed ordinarily, we were both well aware that the


    civilized facades were merely masking ruthless souls. Therefore, one had to be wholly on guard while


    being in the same room with them.


    Right after quelling the suspicion against him, Ashton gave Nathaniel a taste of his own medicine,


    dering, ¡°Since you¡¯re being so frank with us here, Nathaniel, I¡¯ll also save myself the effort of beating


    around the bush. There¡¯s a question that¡¯s been eluding me. I hope you can exin it to me.¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Nathaniel remained calm and unruffled. ¡°There¡¯s no need to hold back with me. Go ahead and ask your


    question.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not something huge. It¡¯s just about your frequent contact recently with the godson of the former


    Chanaean official, Louis Stovall. I wonder if there¡¯s anything you¡¯re nning?¡±


    The moment Desmond heard Louis¡¯ name, he shot to his feet. ¡°Louis Stovall is the most rigid official


    and has always abhorred our illegal dealings!¡±


    Vincent set his sights on Nathaniel once more, and he aggressively questioned, ¡°How are you going to


    exin that, Nathaniel?¡±


    Ashton could have pointed out my rtionship with John, but he didn¡¯t do that, probably out of concern


    for my safety. For that reason, he went about it in a roundabout way by linking John and Louis, two


    renowned figures in Chanaea.


    Everyone knew that birds of a feather flocked together, so there was no way Nathaniel could dig


    himself out of the grave.


    However, he didn¡¯t miss a single beat and wasn¡¯t the slightest bit panicked. Instead, he straightened his


    clothes in a seemingly distracted manner. ¡°I don¡¯t need to exin myself to you.¡±


    Vincent was so livid that he gritted his teeth. His eyes narrowed into slits with a cunning and brutal


    gleam in them. ¡°In that case, don¡¯t me me for showing you no courtesy!¡±


    After saying that, he raised his right hand and beckoned at his subordinate behind him. At that, the man


    immediately whipped out a gun and aimed it at Nathaniel.


    Nheless, Nathaniel merely lifted his head calmly. shing Vincent an elegant yet strange smile, he


    murmured, ¡°You¡¯ve always been waiting for this day, no, Mr. Chadwick?¡±


    Snorting, Vincent no longer bothered to pay him any mind since he was going to bite the dust soon. ¡°So


    what if I have? You betrayed the organization and everyone this time, so no one can save you! You


    only have yourself to me for not knowing your ce!¡±


    Without an ounce of hesitation, he thundered, ¡°Finish him off!¡±


    When his voice rang out, however, the anticipated sound of a gunshot was nowhere to be heard. The


    entire room was deathly silent.


    The smug smile on Vincent¡¯s face froze, and he promptly whirled around to berate his subordinate for


    being so dense. ¡°Hey! I told you to shoot! Are you deaf or¡±


    While he was moring, the gun in the man¡¯s hand gradually shifted, changing directions to point right


    at his head.


    Not even deigning to exin anything, the man pulled the trigger. Whizz! The bullet went through the


    silencer and hit Vincent in the head.


    As the pop of the gun pierced the air, Vincent copsed onto the ground before he even realized what


    had happened. His body twitched a few times before going entirely still.


    Nathaniel got to his feet without any change in expression. Picking up the napkin on the table, he wiped


    his hands while casting his gaze at Vincent¡¯s body on the ground and uttered indifferently, ¡°As you said,


    Mr. Chadwick, there¡¯s only one ending for someone who betrayed the organization and everyone.¡±


    When he had finished speaking, he held up the napkin he had used to wipe his hands over the man¡¯s


    wide eyes and dropped it, allowing it to cover his gruesome state in death.

 Chapter 1826

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1826


    Chapter 1826 The First And Final Time


    Upon seeing their long-time good friend dying a tragic death, Desmond and Theodore both saw red.


    They were on the verge of losing their tempers when Nathaniel walked over to their backs and patted


    them on the shoulders heavily. In a solemn voice, he advised, ¡°You should both consider carefully


    before acting. Are you really going to turn on me because of someone who betrayed you both?¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that it was Vincent who leaked our information out? That¡¯s impossible!¡± Desmond


    countered at once.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Nathaniel wasn¡¯t in the mood to exin things to them; thus, he drawled, ¡°Feel free to think about it.


    There¡¯s plenty of time if you want to avenge him. But now¡­¡±


    At that, he abruptly trailed off. Spinning around, he took the gun from the killer and pointed it at


    Ramona, who hadn¡¯t said a single word, across the table.


    That struck such stark fear into Theodore that he descended into a panic. His gaze alternated between


    the gun and Ramona, terrified that he would be the next person. ¡°Why¡­ Are you nning to kill us all


    here today?¡±


    Nathaniel ignored his words altogether, staring at Ramona with resentment brimming in his eyes.


    Grounding his jaw, he spat, ¡°Why did you do that?¡±


    Ramona had been through hell and back and was sitting here with her own capabilities, so she showed


    nary a hint of fear despite Vincent¡¯s precedence. She calmly lit a cigarette and started puffing away


    impassively, making it evident that she had no intention of exining anything.


    The fury in Nathaniel¡¯s eyes zed hotter. Deciding to eliminate her, he ced his finger on the trigger.


    With one seized by the urge to kill and the other making no move to dodge, the result was seemingly


    destined.


    However, Ashton spoke up at just that precise moment. ¡°There¡¯s no need to put her in a difficult


    position. I was the one who persuaded her to leak the locations to the cops.¡±


    Nathaniel swiftly swung the gun sideways and aimed it right at his heart. ¡°Great, just great! You


    managed to win my trusted aide over and get her on your side in such a short time! Should I notud


    you, my dearest brother?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Ramona snubbed the cigarette out, interrupting their confrontation. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m


    so easily swayed? I only did that for your own good. If Uncle Garrett were to learn that you did so many


    ridiculous things for this woman, you¡¯d be the next one to die! If I hadn¡¯t made some trouble for you,


    you¡¯d really think that you could control everything! Scarlett should have died long ago in M Country.


    How are you going to exin it to him when he sees you with her?¡±


    Every single word out of her mouth carried concern for Nathaniel. Of course, it was also the most


    hostile remark she had even made toward me thus far.


    Nathaniel took a deep breath, but he didn¡¯t n on epting her kindness. ¡°I have my own ns. You


    shouldn¡¯t have interfered. Since you betrayed the organization, you have to bear the consequences.¡±


    Undeniably, he was really a heartless person. Everything Ramona did was out of consideration for him,


    but all that mattered to him was cleaning house and thereby taking her life.


    Ramona remained unfazed. She turned her head in disappointment as though resigned to her fate.


    ¡°Since I decided to do it, I wasn¡¯t afraid that you¡¯d find about it. Just do your worse.¡±


    Sure enough, Nathaniel adjusted the angle of the gun, lining it up with her bangs-covered forehead. He


    flicked the safety off and ced his finger on the trigger.


    Is she really going to cross the great divide? It¡¯s quite a pity for such a beautiful woman to die. But on


    second thought, the hands of everyone in this organization are likely stained with blood. No one is


    innocent.


    Following that thought, I stopped worrying about it.


    Surprisingly, Nathaniel ended up not pulling the trigger after contemting for a long while.


    Something seemingly urred to him, for he suddenly put down the gun in his hand. As he turned and


    headed back to me, he coldly warned, ¡°This is the first and final time.¡±


    Ultimately, he decided to let her go.


    Everyone there didn¡¯t expect him to actually show mercy.


    Ramona stood up at seemingly the same time. Her face was ashen, and her gaze dull. As though


    throwing a tantrum, she huffed, ¡°I¡¯m not going to thank you because I did nothing wrong! You¡¯ve gotten


    soft-hearted, Nat. It¡¯ll kill you one day.¡±


    After saying that, she shot me a sidelong nce before stalking off.

 Chapter 1827

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1827


    Chapter 1827 Apologized Unwillingly


    Seeing that, Ashton went after her. He had just taken two steps when Nathaniel called him back.


    ¡°Ashton! Remember that your life is mine, and I can take it away anytime! Don¡¯t be too arrogant!¡±


    Ashton paused midstride, but he didn¡¯t turn back. After listening to the man, he continued chasing after


    Ramona.


    If I were in his shoes, I would make the same choice.


    After all, how many people in this world can have Nathaniel showing them mercy?


    As soon as they left, Theodore and Desmond quietly made themselves scarce as well.


    When everyone was gone, Nathaniel deted. He propped his hand with the gun on the table,


    seemingly thinking about something or other.


    ¡°Are you feeling distressed now? It doesn¡¯t feel good to hurt someone who only has eyes for you, huh?¡±


    I tactlessly teased him. In a rare moment, Nathaniel treated me with a hint of impatience. ¡°What


    nonsense are you spouting?¡±


    It was as though he couldn¡¯t tell that Ramona had feelings for him.


    Hmm, this is even better. It¡¯s easiest for trouble to arise when feelings are fuzzy. Once there¡¯s a rift and


    Nathaniel¡¯s faction fractures, the risk will be much lower. Human life is of no value here, but I


    want Ashton to live!


    ¡°Then, just regard it as nonsensical talk. Drive me home.¡± Shrugging, I got up and left the crime scene.


    Nathaniel couldn¡¯t say no to me, so he chased after me shortly after.


    When we reached the gate of the vi, a man in traditional attire walked out from the side all of a


    sudden and blocked our path.


    ¡°Mr. Jensen would like to see you.¡±


    Those words were directed at Nathaniel, making it apparent that they were acquainted.


    Since he knew this ce and even exhibited such a pompous attitude in front of Nathaniel, his position


    among these people is definitely not to be underestimated.


    ¡°Did he say why?¡± Nathaniel asked.


    ¡°You¡¯ll know when you arrive.¡± As the traditionally-attired man said that, he nced at me and added


    somberly, ¡°Mr. Jensen specifically requested that you bring Ms. Stovall along.¡±


    After he had said that, he whirled around and led the way ahead of us.


    Nathaniel¡¯s expression was solemn. He reached out and ced a hand on my back in reassurance.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to say anything. I¡¯ll handle everything.¡±


    Then, he pushed me along and followed after the man.


    After a two-hour drive, followed by a ferry ride, we finally arrived at our destination in the middle of the


    sea. It was a luxurious yacht. To be precise, it was a cruise ship.


    When we had boarded the ship, a server led us to an opulent private room on the cruise ship.


    The space on the ship was limited, but the room didn¡¯t feel cramped at all. Despite Nathaniel¡¯s height,


    he could still stand upright without banging his head against the ceiling.


    When we stepped into the room, the mysterious Mr. Jensen was having a shave. He was lounging on


    the single couch with his eyes closed as though he was asleep.


    ¡°They¡¯re here.¡± The man in traditional attire stood beside the man.


    Garrett Jensen murmured an acknowledgment without even opening his eyes. ¡°Where are we now?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to enter international waters soon,¡± the man replied.


    International waters weren¡¯t under the jurisdiction of any country. For that reason, it was a paradise of


    crime.


    Hearing that, Garrett slowly opened his eyes and tilted his head to look at Nathaniel. His cloudy eyes


    shone with undisguised shrewdness. ¡°I heard that quite a lot of things have happened in the


    organization recently?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re just some minor issues, and I¡¯ve resolved everything,¡± Nathaniel answered with his gaze


    fixated ahead, neither servile nor overbearing.


    ¡°If that were truly the case, it wouldn¡¯t havee to my knowledge.¡± Garrettnguidly sat up from the


    couch. Taking the face towel, he wiped his face. Then, he got to his feet and headed to the desk further


    in the room. ¡°Desmond and the others were all people who worked with me back then. Their merit is


    indispensable to the sess of the organization today. Therefore, you¡¯ve got to be mindful of the


    method you deal with things when ites to them.¡±


    Nathaniel¡¯s brows furrowed slightly, and he lowered his eyes before apologizing unwillingly, ¡°It was my


    oversight in handling Mr. Chadwick¡¯s matter. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Hmm? Did he deliberately ask us here so he could stand up for his good friend who died?


    Unexpectedly, Garrett waved a dismissive hand after hearing that. ¡°Huh? No, you handled it very well.


    It¡¯s nothing to sacrifice a chess piece that can¡¯t keep up with the pace. There¡¯s nothing regretful about


    that.¡±


    Uh¡­ Is this the kind of friendship these people have?

 Chapter 1828

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1828


    Chapter 1828 Taking Three Bullets


    As Garrett spoke, he picked up the ss of whiskey on the table and brought it to his mouth, taking a


    sip. When he lowered his head, he caught a glimpse of me out of the corner of his eye. With the wine


    ss in his hand, he started strolling toward me.


    Judging from the wrinkles on his face, he was already in his fifties. But still, he was filled with vigor, his


    solid muscles rendering him particrly strong. His eyes that were ustomed to carnage and


    bloodshed were like sharp des, intent on carving me up.


    A second before he stepped right into my personal space, Nathaniel stepped forward and inserted


    himself between us.


    ¡°The matters of the organization have nothing to do with her, Mr. Jensen,¡± Nathaniel remarked.


    Garrett swept a gaze over him, the look in his eyes turning deadly in a sh, carrying intense


    oppression. Despite having someone separating us, a chill inexorably struck me.


    However, Nathaniel stood firm against the pressure and budged nary an inch.


    That was clearly beyond Garrett¡¯s expectation, for scrutiny manifested in his eyes as he stared at the


    man.


    It was as though he suddenly didn¡¯t know him anymore.


    After a long while, he lifted his hand and patted Nathaniel on the shoulder with a chuckle. ¡°Very well,


    Nat. You gave me a surprise.¡±


    Having said that, he plopped down on the couch with his wine ss in hand. When he had finished the


    liquor, he ced the ss on the coffee table at the side.


    He crossed his legs, propping a hand on the arm of the couch while idly resting the other on his knee.


    He studied the two of us with interest.


    Perhaps I should be saying something at that moment, but Nathaniel had instructed me to keep quiet


    unless absolutely necessary, so I could only pretend to be mute.


    After a brief silence, Nathaniel started, ¡°The fact that she¡¯s alive will not change anything. However, I


    can promise you that the organization¡¯s profit will double in the next three years. It¡¯s just three years, so


    you still have that long, Mr. Jensen.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Garrett bit his lower lip as a pensive smile lifted the corner of his mouth, seemingly


    doubting the man¡¯s statement greatly. After some time, his expression abruptly turned cold. ¡°Are you


    negotiating with me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just speaking the truth.¡± Nathaniel lowered his voice.


    There was no longer the slightest hint of calmness on Garrett¡¯s face, but a darkness that carried


    brewing fury overtaking his features. In an exceedingly caustic voice, he retorted, ¡°It¡¯s your duty to


    manage the business well, not your bargaining chip to ckmail me! I told you that you couldn¡¯t trust


    anyone in this world except yourself, but you decided to keep this ticking time bomb by your side!


    You¡¯re simply digging your own grave!¡±


    Nathaniel was lectured to the point that he was left with no retort. He merely stood there like a statue


    without twitching a muscle.


    I knew right away that I was the ¡°ticking time bomb¡± he mentioned. After all, I still had that much self-


    awareness.


    Ramona was wholly right to say that Nathaniel¡¯s authority among them might be curtailed because of


    me.


    When there was no forting response from him, Garrett jutted his chin at the man beside him.


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    The man immediately threw the bodyguards behind me a look. In mere seconds, they had restrained


    my hands.


    Striding over, the man deftly whipped out a gun. With the barrel aimed right at me, he pulled the trigger.


    Seeing that, I frantically screwed my eyes shut in preparation for my death. Bang! Bang!


    Bang! Gunshots rang out in my ears, but no pain assailed me.


    I opened my eyes in a daze, only to see Nathaniel standing in front of me. Blood gushed out of his


    shoulder uncontrobly.


    The shocking sight of crimson blood made me waver for a moment. But in the next instant, I hoped that


    the three bullets would kill him.


    Well, you¡¯re merely reaping what you sowed. Have you ever thought that this day woulde when


    you hurt my family and friends, Nathaniel Hall?


    My focus was so intent on his injury that I only raised my head after a long time had passed. However,


    my eyes then met with the man¡¯s pained expression.


    He seemed to have seen right through me, his eyes filled with resentment and grief. Regretfully, I


    remained stubborn, unwilling to even put on an act.


    In the end, his body slowly copsed onto the ground in a puddle of blood.


    Even so, he mulishly looked up at me. The excruciating pain had the veins on his face popping, and his


    eyes turned bloodshot. On the whole, he appeared horrific and pathetic.


    ¡°I took the three bullets for her, so can you please take it as Scarlett Stovall having died, Mr. Jensen?¡±

 Chapter 1829

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1829


    Chapter 1829 It Has Been A Long Time


    Nathaniel was a talented man, so Garrett was reluctant to take his life for real. In utter disappointment,


    he dismissed his subordinates. ¡°Let them go.¡±


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Perhaps he didn¡¯t want to witness Nathaniel¡¯s weak state, for he stormed out of the private room in a fit


    of rage.


    When he had reached the door, he unwittingly halted in his tracks and snapped frostily, ¡°I¡¯m very


    disappointed in you.¡±


    After saying that, he left without a backward nce.


    It wasn¡¯t until after his footsteps faded outside the corridor that all strength drained out of Nathaniel,


    and he copsed onto the ground before me without warning.


    If it weren¡¯t for the bodyguards who rushed forward to save him, I would watch him die slowly without


    any hesitation.


    It was clear as day that Garrett was far more rational than Nathaniel. Despite thetter having


    disappointed him greatly, he still sent some men to escort the injured and unconscious man and me


    back.


    Of course, there was another possibility¡ªhe was afraid that Nathaniel would die at my hands.


    If that was the case, it proved that they knew me all too well.


    After Nathaniel was injured, the man in the suit moved into the Fuller residence to look after him 24/7.


    In fact, he guarded against me even more than he did Garrett¡¯s subordinates.


    That was all the better, for it gave me much more freedom than I usually had.


    The afternoon after the day we came back, I nned to go out on the pretext of having some fresh air


    and return to the mall back then for a fortuitous meeting with the mysterious woman.


    I applied light makeup and hid the note I had long since prepared into the hiddenpartment in my


    backpack before I went downstairs.


    When I bumped into the man in the suit at Nathaniel¡¯s door, he cast a long look at me.


    I reckoned he was wondering how there could be such a heartless woman in the world who was still in


    the mood to go shopping when his employer sustained such a severe injury because of her.


    I simply ignored his look and sauntered downstairs.


    In terms of being heartless, I was far from Nathaniel¡¯s level. As such, I was just giving him a taste of his


    medicine.


    Armed with my experience back then, I headed straight for the cafe after entering the mall and sat


    there for the entire afternoon.


    s, luck wasn¡¯t on my side that day. I waited until five o¡¯clock in the afternoon when the cafe started


    serving dinner, but still to no avail. In the end, I could only foot the bill and leave.


    Disheartened, I strolled about the mall with my head lowered when someone blocked my path out of


    the blue. Just when I was going to move around that person, she called out to me. ¡°It¡¯s been a long


    time, Scarlett!¡±


    It was none other than Rose. Although six years had passed, she hadn¡¯t changed much other than the


    addition of the undisguised affection and contentment on her face. Hmm, it looks like Nick has been


    taking good care of her.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time,¡± I greeted cidly in return. I didn¡¯t n on talking to her at length since the


    situation was precarious right then. Whoever drew close to me would also be unwittingly putting


    themselves in danger.


    Thus, I proceeded to murmur, ¡°I still have something to do, so please excuse me. We¡¯ll have a meal


    together another day.¡± While saying that, I made to leave.


    Rose, however, stepped forward and took my arm. She dragged me along enthusiastically. ¡°Let¡¯s make


    it today instead of another day. I know of a restaurant that will certainly be your cup of tea, so let¡¯s eat


    there together!¡±


    ¡°Let go of me first, Rose. Please do as I say. Rose, Rose!¡± After entering the elevator, I finally shouted


    at her with my face flushed from panic.


    Rose was at a momentary loss, and her grip loosened. Seizing the opportunity, I broke free from her


    hold. At once, the atmosphere in the elevator turned exceedingly awkward.


    After a brief silence, Rose apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Scarlett. I didn¡¯t know that you¡¯re in a bad mood.¡±


    My wrath wasn¡¯t directed at her, so there was actually no need for her to apologize. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It has


    nothing to do with you. It¡¯s something personal.¡±


    The matter about Nathaniel didn¡¯t reach Nick¡¯s ears. Hence, they were in the dark about many


    things. Now that things have be tense between us, it¡¯ll keep them safe instead.


    ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t bump into you by chance. I purposely came to try my luck in meeting you. My friend


    told me that she saw you here, so I came over. I¡¯m not doing this for myself but Nick. I want to help him,


    so¡­¡±


    Ah, she¡¯s still the foolish woman who loves Nick wholeheartedly!


    ¡°I got it. No matter the problem with Nick, I¡¯ll have someone resolve it. But for today and the near future,


    I hope that neither you nor Nick look for me or go to the Fuller residence if I didn¡¯t make the first move


    in contacting you both. Can you please do that?¡±

 Chapter 1830

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1830


    Chapter 1830 A Suicide Attack


    ¡°But why?¡± Rose was clearly stumped by my sudden estrangement. Nheless, she was the wife of


    the general manager of Cruise Corporation, so she had the ability to read between the lines. In no time,


    she nodded in acknowledgment. ¡°I got it. Don¡¯t worry, Scarlett. Nick and I will remember to do as you


    said.¡±


    No sooner had she finished speaking than the elevator came to a stop. Rose insisted on seeing me


    out.


    When we arrived at the entrance, a boy of about Audrey¡¯s height blocked our path with a toy gun in his


    hand.


    The boy was all smiles and appeared exceedingly cheerful. He seemingly knew me, but he mistook


    Rose for me. Looking up at Rose with a silly smile on his face, he inquired, ¡°Are you Ms. Scarlett?¡±


    Rose chuckled the moment she heard that and self-deprecatingly remarked, ¡°Nick often tells me that I


    used to look just like your biological sister, Letty.¡±


    As she said that, she crouched. Pinching the boy¡¯s arm, she asked, ¡°Why are you looking for Ms.


    Scarlett, sweetie? Why don¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    ¡°Are you Ms. Scarlett?¡± The boy was still smiling, but the toy gun in his hand was so realistic that it


    transported me back to the scene on the cruise ship the day before. I remembered that Garrett¡¯s


    subordinate¡¯s gun was of the same model.


    Rose was tickled pink by his stubbornness. ¡°Haha, just tell me what it is. When I hear it, Ms. Scarlett


    will also know about it!¡±


    ¡°Then, you must be Ms. Scarlett,¡± the boy affirmed in emphatic tones this time.


    ¡°All right, stop teasing him,¡± I urged since I was in a hurry to leave.


    Only then did Rose shrug and decide to tell him the truth. ¡°Okay, then. Actually, sweetie, you got the


    wrong¡­ person-¡±


    Bang!


    Before she had finished speaking, the sound of a gunshot broke the silence at the mall entrance in the


    blink of an eye.


    I could only look on helplessly as blood sttered onto the ground a near distance from where Rose


    was crouching.


    Subsequently, the second and third gunshots rang out.


    The bullets pierced Rose¡¯s body and whizzed past my cheek, spattering my face with her blood.


    It was as though there was a drizzle, and the raindrops were her fading life.


    In truth, the gun in the boy¡¯s hand was no toy gun but a real gun.


    I couldn¡¯t believe all that had happened for real. The lively and kind girl had just obtained true love for a


    few years, but she was lying in a pool of blood at that very moment.


    Meanwhile, the boy who looked to be merely six or seven years oldughed maniacally with her blood


    on his face. Aiming his gun at Rose, who had gone entirely still, he pulled the trigger once more.


    My legs felt as though they were weighed down with a heavy boulder, giving me no way out of that


    horrific and bloody scene.


    Is this God¡¯s punishment upon me, wanting me to see every gunshot hitting Rose so clearly? No, I


    must be dreaming!


    A child with an angelic smile had turned into the devil right then, taking such a youthful and pure life


    away.


    Rose seemed to have finally felt the pain. Her chest heaved, and blood gushed out of her mouth. I


    could seemingly hear her moaning in a sob-filled voice, ¡°It hurts, Scarlett. Will you please help Nick?¡±


    Even at the end of her life, she was still sacrificing herself for the man she loved the most.


    In the end, she no longer moved.


    Like a bloody rose blooming, blood spread around her ceaselessly.


    ¡°Rose! Ahh!¡±


    The crowd descended into a panic, all rushing to hide. Conversely, I stood frozen at the spot, shrieking


    until I lost my voice.


    The boy was seemingly encouraged to hear my scream, for hisughter grew all the more joyous. He


    grinned widely and stared at me for three seconds before pointing the gun at himself with both hands.


    In the next instant, he pulled the trigger without hesitation.


    Blood spurted, and the boy copsed onto the ground.


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    In less than a minute, two lives were gone, one after another. Even the air was saturated with the


    cloying stench of blood.


    I thought a suicide attack would only happen in television series. That realistic feeling felt as though


    someone had a hand around my throat, strangling me to the point that I was going to suffocate.


    Before I could even snap out of that nightmarish incident, several hands suddenly grabbed me from


    behind. They covered my nose and mouth. Restraining me, they carried me right down the steps at the


    mall entrance and tossed me into a van.

 Chapter 1831

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1831


    Chapter 1831 Let Her Go


    As soon as the door mmed shut, the driver floored the gas pedal and sped away.


    Not only did they bind my hands and feet, but they also taped my mouth in addition to blindfolding me.


    Throughout the drive, they made no attempt tomunicate with me.


    After an indeterminate time, the van came to a stop at longst.


    One of the men then carried me out of the car like carrying a chicken. Subsequently, he flung me onto


    the ground.


    Shortly after, my blindfold was yanked off roughly. Being exposed to sunlight once more after a long


    time in the darkness had me unable to open my eyes right away.


    While I was gradually adapting, the culprit who kidnapped me spoke.


    ¡°We meet again, Ms. Stovall.¡±


    It was none other than Freja.


    I lowered my eyes without saying anything.


    When I was in the van, I surmised that the incident at the mall was definitely Garrett¡¯s doing because


    the gun was of the same model.


    Besides, they were the only ones who were totally brutal and had not even a hint ofpassion.


    But from the look of things then, everyone in the drug trade was ruthless.


    I was the one who got Rose killed and it was Nathaniel who killed her!


    ¡°As expected of Nathaniel¡¯s woman, you¡¯re calm and unruffled even when the world is splintering apart.


    I admire you,¡± Freja drawled before saying to her subordinate, ¡°Get a chair for Ms. Stovall. She has


    helped me a lot, so don¡¯t treat her shabbily!¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡± I was then tossed onto the chair while all bound up.


    When I hadposed myself and looked at Freja again, the hatred in my eyes zed hotly.


    Freja was sitting in a car. Catching a glimpse of my reaction out of the corner of her eye, she


    nonchntly swept her gaze over me before retracting it. She remained seated rxingly. ¡°Don¡¯t stare


    at me with such a look in your eyes. You can only me Nathaniel for going against the rules.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just kill me?¡± I demanded through gritted teeth as I forcefully stifled my towering rage.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    Freja scoffed, ¡°Hah! How am I going to threaten Nathaniel if I were to kill you? Even if you want to die,


    Ms. Stovall, you¡¯ve got to be patient. Don¡¯t worry. Just regard it as me owing you a favor. When you¡¯re


    dead, I promise to bury you with him.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t in the mood to listen to all her high-sounding excuses. Only one thing snagged my attention¡ª


    she didn¡¯t n on finishing me off at the mall.


    With that, the culprit was in as day.


    Mr. Jensen¡¯s methods are really cold-blooded just to have Nathaniel stop being influenced by me.


    No sooner had she finished speaking, a bodyguard came forward and reported, ¡°He¡¯s here, Ms.


    Schmidt.¡±


    As his words fell, a jeep sped over and screeched to a stop a distance away from Freja. Then,


    Nathaniel got out alone.


    In an effort to conceal his gunshot wounds, he even wore a loose trench coat that made him appear


    much bulkier.


    Even then, he still walked very slow, taking one small step at a time in fear that he would reveal some


    w.


    When he drew near, a few subordinates of Freja with guns in their hands surrounded him.


    Nathaniel nced at me from afar before he started negotiating terms with Freja. ¡°I¡¯m here, so let her


    go.¡±


    Freja climbed out of the car. Like in the abandoned building that day, she shed him a polite smile and


    replied unhurriedly, ¡°Don¡¯t be in such a rush. Let¡¯s talk slowly.¡±


    Just when she had finished speaking, her subordinate at the side tactfully snagged a chair and ced


    it behind her.


    Freja sat down slowly and crossed her legs. She contemted for a moment before asking, ¡°Do you


    still remember when we first met? That was the first time someone ever held a gun to my head in my


    whole life. Even now, I can still remember every single movement clearly.¡±


    Nathaniel showed no hint of fear. He calmly queried, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll know soon enough.¡± The smile instantly disappeared from Freja¡¯s face, and she threw a look at


    her subordinates.


    Her subordinates immediately understood her meaning. Three burly men grabbed Nathaniel right away


    and pinned him down with his face stered against the ground.


    Subsequently, the car door of another vehicle swung open. A man wearing sunsses climbed out.


    The man¡¯s vision was seemingly impaired. When he was steady on his feet, one of Freja¡¯s men went


    over to support him. Only then did he start walking before stopping a mere inch away from Nathaniel¡¯s


    face.


    Then, the man who supported the visually-impaired man ced his gun into thetter¡¯s hand and


    instructed him to grip it tightly. Guiding his hand, he pointed the barrel right at Nathaniel¡¯s head.

 Chapter 1832

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1832


    Chapter 1832 Fire


    ¡°Open your eyes and look clearly, Nathaniel! The man holding the gun went blind because he battled it


    out for the Schmidt family¡¯s territory. That day, you pointed a gun at me and stole the territory he got at


    the risk of his life. Today, I¡¯ll have him retrieve it in the same manner. As for whether you survive, we


    shall leave that decision to God!¡±


    Pausing slightly, Freja narrowed her eyes a fraction before she raised her voice and ordered, ¡°Fire!¡±


    Bang!


    A gunshot pierced the air at about the same time her voice rang out.


    I watched everything indifferently, not worried for Nathaniel for even a second.


    The scene ying in my mind was that of John pinned on the ground, his hand broken mercilessly.


    Well, it turns out that karma is real, and this is his retribution. No, this isn¡¯t enough. He should also


    experience all the pain he has ever put us through! He¡¯s getting off far too lightly with just a bullet!


    s, God just had to favor him. Thanks to the gun¡¯s recoil and the blind man¡¯s impaired sense of


    direction, the bullet went wide.


    Even in the face of death, Nathaniel remained proud and dignified. His bushy eyebrows creased


    deeply, proving that he indeed braced himself for death at that very moment.


    Harrumphing, Freja sneered, ¡°Hmph! I didn¡¯t expect you to be so lucky.¡±


    She got to her feet and sauntered over to him. Her subordinates then loosened their hold on Nathaniel,


    upon which the man straightened up from the ground.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    As Nathaniel kneeled on the ground, infinite ruthlessness brewed in his ebony eyes. In a threatening


    tone, he warned, ¡°If you kill me, I can guarantee you that none of the Schmidt family will be able to live


    past tonight!¡±


    Hearing that, Freja wore an expression of mockery. ¡°Oh? It looks like you¡¯ve made arrangements


    beforehand. Let me guess. You¡¯re referring to my beloved mother and grandmother, yes? That¡¯s just


    perfect. I find them a hindrance in the first ce, but there hasn¡¯t been any valid reason to eliminate


    them. I¡¯ve got to thank you now instead.¡±


    It seemed that the family who owned the top pharmaceuticalpany in K City wasn¡¯t all that peaceful


    internally.


    This time, Nathaniel had made a mistake. Not only did he fail to ckmail Freja, but he actually did her


    a favor.


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll allow you to live for a while longer.¡± Freja abruptly changed her mind, gesturing to her


    subordinate to bring me over.


    The man keeping watch over me promptly picked me up from the chair and tossed me to the ground


    across from Nathaniel. Then, he whipped out his gun and aimed it right at me.


    Our gazes locked, and I shot him a vicious re before averting my gaze stubbornly.


    Freja stood between us and circled me with much interest. As she did so, she remarked, ¡°Killing you


    isn¡¯t half as fun as having you watch the woman you love die right in front of your eyes. Is that not so?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Nathaniel flew into such a rage that the three burly men behind him almost couldn¡¯t


    maintain their hold on him. As though having been provoked, Freja took the gun from her subordinate.


    Crouching, she ced the barrel of the gun against my heart. ¡°Remember this, Nathaniel. There is a


    price to pay if you steal something that belongs to someone else.¡±


    While speaking, she flicked the safety off. It was also at that instant that Nathaniel went off and broke


    free from the few burly men in the blink of an eye.


    At the same time, the roar of engines split the air around them, and it felt as though the ground had


    even started shaking.


    In the next second, a helicopter streaked over in the sky. Bullets sprayed the ground, instantly killing


    Freja¡¯s men.


    Amidst the chaos, a few quick-witted men quickly moved forward and protected Freja as they beat a


    hasty retreat.


    While taking off, they attempted a counterattack on the helicopter with their guns. Unfortunately, they


    lacked firepower, and that rendered them sitting ducks.


    Driven to the side of the car, Freja¡¯s men dragged her along as they made their escape. ¡°Ms. Schmidt,


    there are still plenty of opportunities in the future! The most important thing now is to stay alive!¡±


    Meanwhile, Nathaniel had regained his freedom at longst. However, the burning of the gunshot


    wound at his shoulder had him gritting his teeth with a hand propped against the ground for a while


    before he finally struggled to his feet to head over and protect me.


    Nevertheless, Freja wasn¡¯t willing to let us off just like that. Before she got into the getaway car, she


    snatched the rifle from her subordinate¡¯s hands and shot Nathaniel in the left leg. The man¡¯s knees


    went weak, and he fell to the ground on his knees.


    I cackled maniacally, not the least bit bothered about the bullets that were hitting increasingly nearer to


    me. All I knew was that he had finally had a taste of Joseph¡¯s injury.

 Chapter 1833

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1833


    Chapter 1833 Trust Me


    Freja wanted to shoot Nathaniel another time, but the bullets from the helicopter were already


    peppering their car. Having no other recourse, they could only scramble into the car and take off like a


    bat out of hell.


    As soon as they had left, the helicopter stopped spraying bullets and slowly hovered over me.


    Subsequently, the helicopter door opened, and adder was thrown out. Several men in military


    fatigues swiftly climbed down and surrounded me in a tight circle. One of the men with heavy


    camouge face paint stepped forward and untied the ropes binding me.


    The moment I glimpsed his eyes, I recognized him as Ashton.


    Stark distress and anguish surged within me at once, and my nose stung. The dam broke, and tears


    streamed down my face. In a voice that was only audible to us both, I poured out my grief to him. ¡°Rose


    is gone. Ashton, they mistook her for me and killed her. She died because of me. How am I going to


    face Nick?¡±


    As Ashton calmly unknotted the rope on me, his massive and warm hands covered mine. His gaze was


    firm and resolute. ¡°Stay strong, Letty. Hang in there for a while longer. We¡¯ll avenge her. Trust me. Trust


    your man, okay? I beg you.¡±


    I really wanted to hug him and cry my heart out, then be selfish for once and have him bring me to a


    ce where there¡¯s no pain or sorrow, hiding there cowardly.


    Nheless, I knew that it wasn¡¯t practical. The dead can no longere back to life, so the living has


    to live vicariously for their sake. Only when we¡¯ve personally put an end to the source of evil will they


    have peace in the afterlife.


    Holding back my tears, I gritted out a single word from between clenched teeth¡ª¡±Okay.¡±


    Ashton cast me a forbearing look before he stepped back and slipped into the ranks of the military


    personnel, keeping his head lowered.


    After the military personnelmunicated among themselves and ascertained that it was safe,


    Benson, who had been taking the lead at the front, walked in and inquired after me. ¡°Are you okay, Ms.


    Stovall?¡±


    I lifted my hands and wiped my tears, forcing a smile onto my face. ¡°I¡¯m fine, thanks to all of you.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s thanks to¡­¡± Benson trailed off mid-utterance and nced in Ashton¡¯s direction before he


    immediately changed his tune, dering, ¡°It¡¯s thanks to Lady Luck smiling on you, Ms. Stovall. We


    didn¡¯t do much. However, I hope you don¡¯t mind ying along when I speak to Nathanielter.¡±


    I nodded without a single word of protest. They then helped me up and led me over to Nathaniel to


    check on him.


    When we reached him, the soldier keeping guard over him was treating the gunshot wound on his leg.


    Benson proceeded to exin in an exceedingly official tone, ¡°Freja Schmidt heads the top drug


    trafficking ring in the country, and we have been keeping a close eye on her for a very long time, but we


    couldn¡¯t arrest her due tock of evidence. I¡¯m sorry for dragging the two of you into this mess. Are you


    okay, sir?¡±


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    His tone was sincere, and it really seemed as though he had no idea about Nathaniel¡¯s identity.


    That wasn¡¯t surprising since Nathaniel had been hiding his tracks very well. Almost no one knew that


    the man who was feared abroad was living freely within the country.


    Gritting his teeth, Nathaniel shook his head slowly. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that. We¡¯ll arrange for two people to keep both of you safe, so you don¡¯t have to worry


    that she¡¯lle back for revenge,¡± Benson added.


    In response, Nathaniel rejected him outright. ¡°No, that¡¯s fine. I like having my freedom and loathe


    someone following me around. I¡¯ll look for bodyguards myself.¡±


    If someone like him were to get involved with the police, it would be no different from being monitored


    at all times. As such, he naturally didn¡¯t want that.


    Benson was merely offering out of courtesy in the first ce, so he didn¡¯t insist. ¡°All right, then. I¡¯ll send


    you both to the hospital.¡±


    After that, no one said anything more.


    As I sat in the helicopter, I didn¡¯t dare look in Ashton¡¯s direction at all, afraid that Nathaniel would


    suspect something.


    Even so, I felt ever so secure, knowing that he was right there with me.


    The shot to Nathaniel¡¯s leg was just a flesh wound, but he still got treated in the hospital for half a


    month.


    During that period, the man in the suit who had been following him around kept guard over me. Even


    when I went to bed, someone kept watch outside the bedroom.


    Almost every night, I saw Rose and that little boy dying as soon as I closed my eyes. It pushed me to


    the brink of insanity.

 Chapter 1834

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1834


    Chapter 1834 Push Him Into The Line Of Fire


    The weather was exceptionally good that day. The sun shone brightly, chasing the cold away. I sat in


    front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, basking in the sun. Out of the blue, Nathaniel appeared at the


    bedroom door.


    The instant I spotted him, the peace that had suffused me crumbled into nothingness, and my


    expression darkened in a sh.


    He walked over to me, his steps were slow and unsteady. Every single step he took probably tugged at


    his wound, for his brows creased slightly.


    ¡°I¡¯m back,¡± he announced.


    He stood half a meter away from me, and his voice was calm and indifferent.


    ¡°You¡¯ve never visited me once during the whole two weeks.¡± He gave a bark of self-derisiveughter.


    So, he¡¯s here to reprimand me?


    I had nothing to say to him; hence, I stood up and headed out the door.


    Nathaniel reached out and grabbed my arms, a hint of weariness staining his eyes. ¡°Do you really


    detest seeing me that much?¡±


    p! I swung my hand and struck him across the face.


    Stunned, Nathaniel froze for a long moment. A sh of murder flitted across his face, but he promptly


    suppressed it and coaxed me patiently, ¡°Okay, you¡¯ve vented your anger, so please stop throwing a


    tantrum.¡±


    p! I pped him in the same spot but even harder this time.


    In the next instant, I snapped and lost all control. I struck him across the face again and again with both


    hands.


    Swaying slightly, Nathaniel tried to stop me. ¡°All right, that¡¯s enough, Scarlett. Don¡¯t challenge my


    bottom line.¡±


    I ignored him, baling my hands into fists and raining blows upon him desperately with all my might.


    ¡°You¡¯re a devil! A murderer, in fact! You killed a mother, she had such a beautiful life! Just go and die!¡±


    ¡°Stop! That¡¯s enough! Scarlett!¡± He finally blew his top and clutched at my arms, keeping me immobile.


    Then, he forced me to look into his eyes. ¡°Why? Why must you treat me in such a manner? Scarlett, I


    risked my life to save you, yet you¡¯re ming me instead?¡±


    ¡°It was Mr. Jensen who sent someone to kill Rose!¡± I roared, ring at him with eyes brimming with


    sheer hatred. ¡°I recognized the gun in the boy¡¯s hand! Do you think that I would be in the dark just


    because you don¡¯t say anything?¡±


    Nathaniel stiffened, making it clear as day that he didn¡¯t expect me to have guessed the truth. He


    remained rooted to the spot, at a loss for words.


    Sneering, I started struggling once more. ¡°Let go of me! Don¡¯t touch me with your hands that are


    stained with the blood of countless innocent lives! I find it revolting!¡±


    Nathaniel merely stood there motionlessly like a statue, neither allowing me to leave nor uttering a


    single word.


    A long whileter, he sighed as though exhausted to the core. ¡°What would you have me do for you to


    forget all that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll never forget about it!¡± I blurted.


    ¡°The matter has to be resolved sooner orter. You can never leave me, and it doesn¡¯t benefit either of


    us for you to hold a grudge within you. Just say the word. As long as it¡¯s something within my capability,


    I¡¯ll do it without the slightest hesitation,¡± Nathaniel offered cidly.


    Hah! My grudge isn¡¯t just because of Rose alone. How forgetful of him! Ashton said we¡¯ll avenge her,


    and she died at Mr. Jensen¡¯s order. Fine, then. I¡¯m also going to push him into the line of fire!


    ¡°Well, unless you break away from Mr. Jensen and no longermit all those heinous deeds


    henceforth. I know it¡¯s within your capability. You¡¯ve got legal businesses.¡± I narrowed my eyes as I


    probed at his bottom line.


    Mr. Jensen almost took his life just because he wanted to keep me by his side. What would the


    consequences be if he were to leave that criminal organization?


    Nathaniel¡¯s expression went cold, and his grip on me loosened considerably. His gaze turned


    unfocused for a moment, and he didn¡¯t reply immediately.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    He knew full well the price he would have to pay if he were to do so.


    ¡°Why, are you reluctant to do so? Sure enough, money earned through reprehensible means and days


    spent killing people are more important to youpared to me!¡± I drawled mockingly.


    Then, I added, ¡°That¡¯s fine. This is a game, after all. The fact that you can¡¯t do it only proves that you¡¯re


    as outstanding as Ashton and will never lose your sensibility because of love. The only difference is he


    once did it for my sake. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t forget him until this very day. You, on the other hand, are


    smarter. You don¡¯t sacrifice anything; thus, you won¡¯t lose anything. When you¡¯re sick of me, you won¡¯t


    be harassed by me either. You¡¯re the smartest!¡±

 Chapter 1835

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1835


    Chapter 1835 Two Choices


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s just end the discussion here. I never expect much from you anyway.¡±


    After saying that, I broke free from Nathaniel while he was still in a trance. I sprinted into the adjacent


    guest room and mmed the door shut.


    I didn¡¯t lock it since he could either get the key or kick the door open, rendering that futile.


    However, I just wanted to be alone right then, even if it were only for a few seconds.


    To my surprise, he didn¡¯te and pester me. By the time I exited the room at noon, there was no


    longer any sign of him in the house. Even his men who had been stationed in the house were gone.


    I was rather astonished, and I thought that he had given up the idea of keeping me under lock and key.


    It wasn¡¯t until I went downstairs did I realize that they had merely moved out of the house.


    Ah, I was too naive!


    Nheless, I rejoiced that I at least didn¡¯t have to face him again that day.


    Late at night, I spaced out as I stared at the female anchor chattering away on television, wondering


    how much longer it would take Ashton before he finally busted Nathaniel¡¯s operation.


    Without warning, Nathaniel stumbled in just then. He had just reached the door when the reek of


    alcohol hit me hard.


    I pinched my nose in disdain, watching as he plopped onto the couch. Only then did I notice the bruises


    marring his face and the swelling at the corner of his mouth.


    Hmm? Was he beaten up outside after imbibing too much?


    Despite my curiosity, I didn¡¯t voice that question as the narcissistic man would interpret any question


    from me as being concerned about him.


    He leaned his head back against the sofa. After a moment, he lifted his heavy eyelids and wanly


    unknotted the tie at his neck.


    After slipping it off, he tossed it to the side casually. With his elbows propped against his knees, he


    ced his hands on his face and rubbed it to ease the difort from the alcohol. In the end, he kept


    his hand over his mouth and nose, only baring his eyes as he slowly murmured, ¡°Are you not the least


    bit concerned about why I ended up in such a state?¡±


    Why should I be concerned?


    I said nothing, but I still curiously cast him a nce.


    Compared to his gentlemanly appearance in the past, he¡¯s indeed a tad sloppy today. As far as I


    remember, this is the first time he¡¯s ever been this unseemly.


    ¡°I talked to Mr. Jensen.¡± Suddenly, Nathaniel seemed to no longer give a whit about anything. After


    saying that, he dropped his hands and leaned back against the couch. He stared at me tipsily as he


    awaited my reaction.


    Verily, I was surprised by his statement. With my eyes pinned on him, I quirked an eyebrow as I did not


    expect him to do that for real.


    ¡°Then?¡± In reality, the injuries on him and the fact that he returned rtively unscathed had given me


    the answer. I only wanted to know how Garrett crushed him.


    ¡°Hah! He naturally turned me down. Then, he beat me up, almost shattering my ribs.¡± Nathaniel gave a


    bark of self-derisiveughter and stared right ahead nkly as though he was talking about someone¡¯s


    matter.


    ¡°Oh, really? Since he didn¡¯t shatter them in the end, it proves that he has some affection for you that he


    didn¡¯t consign you to death,¡± I intentionallymented sarcastically.


    Hearing that, Nathaniel shook his head. ¡°He gave me two choices. It was either to die with you or to


    continue being his outstandingckey, and he won¡¯t touch you anymore.¡±


    ¡°So, you dragged a battered and bruised body back to tell me that not only did you anger Mr. Jensen


    because of me, but you¡¯re even willing to be his dog for my sake?¡± I questioned in a scornful tone.


    Judging from his attitude before Mr. Jensen previously, he probably has quite a lot of dignity in that


    organization. But if he wants to secure our safety, he can only obey the man to the letter from now on,


    going and doing whatever is asked of him.


    Nathaniel didn¡¯t deny it, but he changed the subject with a grim smile. ¡°You¡¯ll hate me if I stay by Mr.


    Jensen¡¯s side, but we¡¯ll both die if I don¡¯t do so. From the look of things, there¡¯s nothing too bad about


    maintaining the current situation. At least, I can keep you by my side.¡±


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You might as well say that you¡¯re afraid of dying.¡± I curled my lips without hiding the contempt within


    me.


    ¡°You may put it however you want. I don¡¯t want to care about all that anymore. As you said, I¡¯ll get sick


    of you sooner orter. Therefore, we can just put up with each other before that dayes.¡±

 Chapter 1836

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1836


    Chapter 1836 We Meet Again


    The alcohol had probably gone to Nathaniel¡¯s head, for his voice turned increasingly softer. Leaning


    back against the couch, he slowly closed his eyes.


    Watching as his chest rose and fell, the urge to end him right then and there abruptly seized me.


    As long as he¡¯s dead, no one will keep targeting Ashton anymore.


    But in the next instant, I realized that it wasn¡¯t feasible.


    Regardless of whether it¡¯s Ramona or Mr. Jensen, they both hold affection toward him. Thus, they


    won¡¯t stand idly by if he dies. If I want eternal peace, the only way is to take them all down.


    While I was lost in my thoughts, Nathaniel¡¯s voice sounded out of the blue. ¡°Are you thinking of killing


    me again?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d love to skin you alive so that you¡¯ll wish for death!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Having you hate me is better than you treating me as though I don¡¯t exist.¡± Not in the


    mood to listen to his twisted logic, I huffily stood up and went back to my room upstairs.


    At breakfast the next day, Nathaniel¡¯s appearance had reverted to its usual noble and elegant look. He


    sat at the dining table silently like a stately prince, but the bruises on his face and mouth proved his


    pathetic state the night before.


    As he said, I merely treated him like thin air, so I didn¡¯t spare him a single nce though we sat at the


    same table.


    ¡°What do you want to do today?¡± Nathaniel queried.


    I didn¡¯t answer him but continued eating the food on my te quietly.


    When Nathaniel didn¡¯t receive any response from me, he lifted his head and nced at me. Then, he


    commented cidly, ¡°You¡¯ll understand in the future that everything I do is for your good. No one knows


    where Freja has fled. With my men here, they can keep an eye on you wherever you go. At least, the


    incident back then wouldn¡¯t happen again.¡±


    That had me so livid that I mmed my cutlery down with a bang. ¡°Don¡¯t attempt to brainwash me with


    your absurd reasoning! Is it not enough to monitor me at home that they¡¯re to follow me whenever I go


    out? Can I not even have some peace? Just take a knife and slit my throat then! The end result is the


    same anyway!¡±


    Nathaniel put his cutlery down as well and exined unhurriedly, ¡°This is only temporary. You¡¯ll have


    your freedom back anytime when I¡¯ve dealt with Freja.¡±


    In response, I sneered, ¡°Are you going to kill again? That¡¯s a fight between the two of you, so don¡¯t


    drag me into it! No matter how nice you put things, it can¡¯t hide your hypocrisy! Actually, there¡¯s no


    need to make a choice between two options. If you really want me to live happily, you should respect


    my choice and give Ashton and me your sincere blessings while removing yourself from our


    rtionship. However, that¡¯s not what you¡¯re doing! You¡¯re just selfish! You want to have what belongs


    to someone else! From the beginning to the end, your happiness matters most to you. To that end, you


    even made me into the person everyone hates and targets. Your love is too scary.¡±


    I then picked up a napkin and wiped my mouth, regarding him calmly. ¡°Thanks, but no thanks.¡±


    Having said that, I got up and went upstairs, not wanting to tarry for even a second longer.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    Ever since that night after Nathaniel negotiated with Garrett, he had been exceedingly busy and left


    right after breakfast.


    In the afternoon, when I was scouring the inte for information on Garrett, I suddenly heard an ear-


    splitting noise from outside the house that had me jolting in fright.


    Thinking that it might be Ashtoning to save me, I draped a coat over myself before going


    downstairs to check on the situation.


    I had just reached thending when I caught sight of Ramona standing in the living room.


    She held a gun in her hand and stared at me expressionlessly. In the distance, the men keeping guard


    at the door were all lying on the ground at that moment. Hmm, it looks like the noise earlier was from


    her killing them.


    She was a core member of the drug trafficking organization, so those men didn¡¯t guard against her.


    And for that reason, they didn¡¯t even struggle before they died.


    I don¡¯t quite understand why she¡¯s killing Nathaniel¡¯s men when they¡¯re obviously on the same side.


    Her gaze trained on me, she airily remarked, ¡°We meet again. Come down and have a chat with me.¡±


    After saying that, she took the lead and sat down on the single couch in the living room. Then, she


    mmed the gun in her hand onto the table, the muzzle pointing slightly to the side.


    Tightening the coat around me, I slowly descended the stairs and sat down across from her.


    While I was doing so, she flipped through her phone. By then, she seemed to have found what she was


    looking for since she tossed it before me after tapping on the screen.

 Chapter 1837

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1837


    Chapter 1837 What A Coward


    I nced at the phone in puzzlement before I realized that Ramona wanted me to watch the video she


    brought up on the screen. Thus, I picked up the phone and tapped on the y button.


    As soon as the video yed, the scene of Nathaniel copsing onto the ground after Garrett hit him


    with a golf club appeared after a brief dy.


    Besides the obvious spots such as his face and head, he also suffered several blows on his body.


    There was even some conversation in between, but there was no voice, so I had no idea what was


    said. However, he seemed adamant about something, so Garrett hit him increasingly harder. In the


    end, the man only stopped when the club was bent.


    The video came to an abrupt end, leaving the scene of him lifting his hand to wipe the blood from the


    corner of his mouth.


    Undeniably, I took pleasure watching it.


    ¡°Do you also reveal your thoughts so tantly before Nat?¡± Ramona¡¯s voice was chilly to the core, very


    much aggressive.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I feigned ignorance.


    ¡°I meant your thoughts of wanting to see him dead and end him with your own hands.¡± Ramona


    appeared remarkably calm, seemingly long since used to seeing entangled rtionships.


    Sure enough, women understand women best! Since we¡¯re both intelligent people, there¡¯s no need to


    beat around the bush anymore.


    Therefore, I admitted frankly, ¡°Of course. He¡¯s well aware that I¡¯m thinking of ways to kill you every


    second of every day.¡±


    Ramona narrowed her eyes, a hint of amusement showing in her alluring gaze. ¡°You¡¯re painfully


    honest.¡±


    I merely shrugged. ¡°If you were in my shoes, and someone hurt your family, persecuted your lover, and


    coerced you into doing something against your will, I think you¡¯d also make the same choice.¡±


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Hearing that, Ramona tilted her head. ¡°I¡¯m an orphan, so I don¡¯t understand those feelings, nor am I


    interested in doing so.¡±


    ¡°Okay, no offense.¡± We were strangers, so I could only think of a reason she came to seek me out after


    racking my head for a long while. ¡°So, you want me to persuade him to not go against Mr. Jensen?¡±


    ¡°Would you do that? You¡¯ll only push him into the line of fire.¡± Derision was written all over Ramona¡¯s


    face.


    It seems that she has investigated me, so I can¡¯t fool her.


    I was stunned for a moment. Only when I glimpsed the corpses at the door from my peripheral vision


    did understanding abruptly dawn upon me that she was here to kill me.


    She¡¯ll only need to eliminate Nathaniel¡¯s men if she wants to kill me. After all, she knows full well that


    he ordered them to keep me safe, so they¡¯ll undoubtedly stop her. For that reason, she made the first


    move. She¡¯s really decisive and ruthless, so it¡¯s no wonder that she¡¯s able to sit at the table mostly


    upied by men! In the face of such a person, ying tricks is useless. But I can¡¯t die yet. I haven¡¯t


    avenged Rose or brought Nathaniel down!


    After mulling it over, I concluded that the only way out was to make a fuss out of her feelings for


    Nathaniel.


    ¡°Then, I know the purpose of your visit.¡± Taking a deep breath, Iposed myself. I deliberately


    guffawed and feigned a rxed look, lounging back against the couch. ¡°That¡¯s great! I can finally be


    free instead of being tortured every day!¡±


    Stretching, I picked up the gun on the table and handed it to her. With a smile on my face, I urged, ¡°Go


    on and make your move. Set me free.¡±


    As expected, Ramona was suspicious of my unexpected reaction. Her brows furrowed, and she parted


    her dark lips. ¡°Are you not afraid of death?¡±


    I nodded in response. ¡°Nope! Didn¡¯t Nathaniel tell you that I didn¡¯t want to live anyway? When Ashton


    broke things offpletely with me, I should have died in that car crash. However, he saved me. It¡¯s


    good that you¡¯re here now. With you doing me this favor, I don¡¯t need to live in agony anymore.¡±


    I thought Ramona would continue picking up where I left off, but she took the gun from me under my


    watchful gaze and pointed the barrel right at me.


    She leaned forward, putting all her weight on her elbows that were propped against her knees. Then,


    she rolled her neck. Roaming her gaze all over my face, she whispered, ¡°What a coward.¡± After saying


    that, she raised the gun and got to her feet, aiming it at my forehead.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. My bullet travels fast, so you won¡¯t feel any pain.¡±

 Chapter 1838

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1838


    Chapter 1838 Standoff


    Looking at her, I gulped by reflex, as I could imagine what was going to happen in the next second. A


    bullet piercing through my skull.


    Suddenly, a bullet whizzed through the full-length windows of the living hall before striking Ramona¡¯s


    hand, causing her to drop the gun.


    Without any hesitation, I grabbed it and held her at gunpoint. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±


    Holding onto her injured hand, Ramona copsed onto the sofa. Despite the cold sweat beading down


    her face, she didn¡¯t make a sound. Nevertheless, her breathing had grown heavy.


    She gave me a bewildered look, likely shocked at how I managed to turn the table in the blink of an


    eye.


    But given how sharp she was, she quickly found the answer. Looking at the dpidated window from


    afar, she squinted her eyes as it dawned upon her. ¡°Are you working for the police?¡±


    Her guess was only half correct. Technically, it was the army.


    Her question helped me get a good grasp of the situation. It seemed that after what happened to John,


    Benson reorganized the security around Fuller Corporation. Theyy in wait until Ramona triggered


    them.


    Although I wanted to have a candid discussion with her, I wasn¡¯t sure if the house was bugged by


    Nathaniel. Hence, I yed dumb. ¡°Quit with the jokes, Ms. Sutton. You have already done your


    homework on me. If I worked for the police, do you think Nathaniel would let me live till now?¡±


    Just as I spoke, a deep male voice rang out from the door. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Turning around, I saw Nathaniel enter the room.


    Ramona pleaded with him for help, ¡°Quick, kill her! She¡¯s with the police!¡±


    Evidently, it wasn¡¯t convincing at all. Nathaniel simply knitted his brows in curiosity.


    ¡°What are you hesitating for? The police shot me just now. Or else, how do you think she managed to


    get the gun? Nat, stop deluding yourself. This woman is here to kill you!¡± Ramona yelled.


    Interpreting her words differently, Nathaniel questioned with a sarcastic tone, ¡°In that case, who held


    the gun initially?¡±


    After a brief pause, his eyes sharpened. ¡°What were you nning to use the gun for? And what¡¯s with


    the bunch of guys outside?¡±


    Momentarily stunned, Ramona admitted, ¡°That¡¯s right. I did all that. Today, my objective is to eradicate


    this woman before you do something beyond your capabilities and die because of it. Just tell me! Are


    you going to kill Scarlett?¡±


    Ramona had lived a violent and turbulent life, causing her to emanate a murderous aura. Despite


    having one of her hands crippled, she was still powerful and not to be underestimated.


    Nevertheless, Nathaniel didn¡¯t answer her question. Instead, he focused on the fact that Ramona had


    overstepped her boundaries by killing his subordinates. ¡°Help me? You got Ashton to distract me, came


    to my ce armed, and killed my men. Ramona, it seems this incident has shown me who you truly


    are!¡±


    Sometimes, men and women just saw things differently.


    Ramona wanted to save his soul, but all he cared about was the facts.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Closing her eyes in resignation, she suddenly dived at me and snatched the gun away from my hand.


    Unfortunately, she wasn¡¯t left-handed and needed some time to get into position. The dy allowed


    Nathaniel to pull out his gun.


    While Ramona had her gun pointed at me, Nathaniel aimed his at her. Threatened by the Mexican


    standoff, she held back from pulling the trigger.


    Staring into the barrel of his gun, she asked in disbelief, ¡°Are you actually pointing that gun at me?¡±


    ¡°You are certainly quick with a gun, but don¡¯t forget who taught you how to do it.¡± Nathaniel ignored


    Ramona and warned her with an indifferent expression, ¡°Put the gun down right now and leave the


    organization. I will then pretend that this never happened.¡±


    ¡°Are you kicking me out?¡± Ramona¡¯s beautiful eyes suddenly lost their sparkle.

 Chapter 1839

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1839


    Chapter 1839 Ramona


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You were the one who chose this,¡± Nathaniel replied calmly. ¡°When I took you in, I told you that I would


    take your life if you betrayed me.¡±


    Unwavering, Ramona raised her gun higher. From the look she gave me, I would see the tears


    glistening in her eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t forget that you saved my life. And that is the reason why I¡¯m willing to


    sacrifice everything to prevent you from destroying your future.¡±


    ¡°You should mind your own business.¡± Nathaniel¡¯s tone firmed and sounded just like the time he


    humiliated Ashton, cold and devoid of emotion. ¡°Ramona, my patience is wearing thin.¡±


    Breaking into a smirk, Ramonaughed wryly. Despite the fact that she was crying, she desperately


    tried to maintain herughter. ¡°Ha, haha. Finally, you are going to abandon me. I might as well


    annihte this threat for you!¡±


    Just as she spoke, Ramona pulled the trigger with a chiseled finger.


    Bang!


    A bullet flew out but not from Ramona¡¯s gun.


    It was Nathaniel who fired the shot.


    He had killed a woman that was willing to give up her life to eliminate a threat to him.


    Just as the gunshot rang out, Ramona copsed onto the ground. Her eyes refused to shut and stared


    nkly in despair, unwilling to believe that he had shot her.


    With that, a deathly silence descended upon the living hall.


    At that moment, I could feel a chill extending through my limbs. Looking at Ramona¡¯s corpse, I was


    struck by how fragile life was again and hugged myself in reflex.


    Without a doubt, that was Nathaniel¡¯s true face.


    Regardless of whether one was family or had his best interest at heart, everyone was an expendable


    tool for him as long as he didn¡¯t care.


    After a long while, Nathaniel let out a devilish smile before kneeling down and closing Ramona¡¯s eyes


    for her.


    Standing back up, he looked down at me andmented with an icy tone, ¡°Ashton has never changed


    while you never nned to love me, am I right?¡±


    Sitting on the sofa in silence, I didn¡¯t answer. Instead, I hugged myself tighter.


    As long as I stayed by his side, I would always be surrounded by death. Unable to shake the sensation


    away, I began to feel suffocated by it.


    ¡°Scarlett, will you only give me a second look when I die?¡± Nathaniel mumbled inaudibly to himself.


    ¡°No,¡± I replied, trembling.


    After pondering a moment, he let out a sarcastic grin. ¡°For a moment just now, I was struck by a


    thought. I wondered if you meant that as long as I¡¯m willing to change, you would spare a thought for


    me. But the very next second, I realized that you wouldn¡¯t do so due to your hatred for me. Even if I


    were to die right in front of you now, you wouldn¡¯t even bat an eyelid.¡±


    It was a pointless question since he already knew the answer.


    Pursing my lips, I couldn¡¯t help but worry about Ashton¡¯s situation.


    With Ramona dead and my intentions exposed, I was trapped between a rock and a hard ce.


    I felt as if we were standing by a cliff where a gentle push from Nathaniel would send me hurtling down.


    Ever since the beginning, Nathaniel knew how strong my feelings for Ashton were. It was just that he


    thought he was superior to Ashton and could change me. He also assumed he could change how love


    or even the world worked. Unfortunately, it was nothing but a fool¡¯s fantasy.


    Ramona¡¯s death didn¡¯t juste as a massive shock to me, it also caused Nathaniel to realize that by


    continuing this game, he would end up losing everything he had.


    Nevertheless, Nathaniel didn¡¯t do anything further after that. Instead, he reholstered his gun, carried


    Ramona up and left.


    Watching their miserable silhouettes, I could feel my desire to destroy Nathaniel burning stronger than


    ever. After all, it no longer felt as if it was out of reach.


    Given how close I was to my goal, it would be a shame to give up now.


    However, Nathaniel¡¯s tendency to gamble would cause him to bet everything he had even if he would


    meet a miserable end.


    As Ashton¡¯s actions became clearer by the day, the final showdown seemed to be approaching. If


    Nathaniel backed out right now, he might still have the chance to save his own skin.

 Chapter 1840

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1840


    Chapter 1840 Revenge


    In spite of that, I hoped that he would continue with his folly.


    After all, not every mistake can be forgiven.


    That night, Nathaniel didn¡¯te home.


    The next day, when I was still in a daze, I was jolted awake by amotion downstairs.


    After adjusting my night robe, I got out of bed. Just when I drew the curtains and wanted to admonish


    the new guards, I saw Nick surrounded by the four of them, and they seemed to be in an altercation.


    With no time to be bothered about how I looked, I darted downstairs at once.


    Just when I passed by the door, one of the subordinates was giving Nathaniel a call. ¡°Mr. Hall, there¡¯s


    someone by the name of Nick Harrison causing trouble here. What should¡ª¡±


    Stopping in my tracks, I snatched the phone away and yelled into it. ¡°This is a family matter. I¡¯ll get him


    to leave, so don¡¯t get involved!¡±


    Just as I spoke, I ended the call before Nathaniel could reply. After hurling the phone back at the


    subordinate, I rushed out to save Nick.


    ¡°What are you doing? Let him go! Didn¡¯t you hear me? I order you to let him go!¡±


    When they refused to release him, I jumped in and struck off their hands instead.


    As they didn¡¯t dare hurt me, they simply watched as I pulled Nick into the house.


    Inside, I could vaguely hear them reporting back to Nathaniel. But, I was already used to it by now.


    Inside the living hall, I released my grip on Nick. After exchanging nces, both of us suddenly


    descended into silence.


    Rose¡¯s funeral was held just a week ago. Given how closely Nathaniel¡¯s men were watching me, I was


    unable to attend in person. But from what I could see on the television, the Walker family and Rose¡¯s


    child looked utterly devastated.


    The incident was ssified as a suicide attack against society atrge because the perpetrator was an


    innocent child from one of the poorest regions in the nation.


    Nheless, I was keenly aware that she had died to save me.


    As for Nick, he looked rtively good given the circumstances. In spite of that, no one truly knew how


    much he was suffering underneath the calm exterior. In fact, I didn¡¯t even have the courage to


    apologize for causing the death of his wife.


    Nevertheless, Nick¡¯s experience in the business world helped him read my expressions and decipher


    what was going through my mind.


    ¡°Rose doesn¡¯t me you, really.¡± His voice was visibly more raspy than before. Despite his steady


    tone, I could see how he was desperately trying to keep his emotions in check.


    The mention of Rose caused me to have a shback of the incident. I was standing right behind her,


    staring at the blood soaking all over her body.


    Despite her small frame, the flow of blood seemed endless. Recalling the scene alone triggered its


    deathly color to cloud my vision.


    Holding that thought, I couldn¡¯t help but feel my nose burn. I then hung my head and choked, ¡°I¡¯m


    sorry.¡±


    Nick suddenly broke out into a faint smile. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. I¡¯m sure you know how kind Rose is. She


    wouldn¡¯t want anyone of us to feel sad for her sake.¡±


    I nodded in agreement. Suddenly, when I realized how persistent he was in barging into here, I looked


    up at him warily. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Pursing his lips apologetically, Nick maintained a faint grin. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Rose was always worried for


    me even in death. Therefore, I wouldn¡¯t do anything stupid that would cause her to worry. I¡¯m not here


    for revenge if that¡¯s what you¡¯re thinking.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± My fears quickly eased. Even though I knew he needed me by his side, I was also


    worried that he would run into Nathaniel. Hence, I had no choice but to get him to leave. ¡°In that case,


    you should go now if there¡¯s nothing else. I¡¯m feeling under the weather and need some rest.¡±


    Now that Rose was dead, Nick shouldn¡¯t be involved anymore.


    ¡°I¡¯m nning to leave,¡± Nick promised. He quickly added, ¡°But before that, I need to see Nathaniel. I


    know everything now, including the fact that he was behind this.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯re not here for revenge?¡± I began to feel anxious. ¡°Are you taking me for a


    fool?¡±


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Without any hesitation, I stepped forward to drag him out. ¡°No, just leave. There¡¯s no way you can beat


    him.¡±


    In the blink of an eye, I was pulled back instead by his solid stance.

 Chapter 1841

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1841


    Chapter 1841 A Deal


    Turning around, I saw that Nick refused to budge. All he did was shake his head at me. ¡°No, Scarlett. I


    will seek justice for Rose.¡±


    ¡°Tell him toe out and see me. All I want him to do is to apologize in front of Rose¡¯s grave.¡±


    Nathaniel, apologize? Impossible. How can a demon who kills his own confidantes ever show any


    remorse? I understand no husband can ever tolerate the murder of his wife, but now just isn¡¯t the time.


    ¡°I promise you that I will help you get what you want out of Nathaniel. Sometime down the road, I will


    personally get him to apologize to Rose. But today, you should leave first, all right?¡± I persuaded him


    anxiously.


    Given how closely Nathaniel had been watching me, he was probably nearby. In fact, he should


    already be on his way home.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°No,¡± Nick stubbornly refused. With his feet glued to the ground, he didn¡¯t move an inch despite how


    hard I pulled him.


    As the seconds ticked by, there was simply nothing I could do. After shifting my gaze from the door to


    him, I had no choice but to relent.


    ¡°Are you sure an apology is all you¡¯re looking for? And that you¡¯re not trying to exact revenge?¡± I asked


    grimly.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Nick answered. ¡°The child cannot lose their father.¡±


    ¡°Can I trust you, Nick?¡± Although I couldn¡¯t find any w in his argument, I remained concerned.


    ¡°Definitely.¡± Nick¡¯s smile widened, further emanating his sincerity.


    Left without a choice, I decided to give the reckless idea a go. ¡°Fine, wait here. I¡¯ll give Nathaniel a call


    and get him to apologize to you.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± Nick agreed before sitting on the sofa to wait.


    Considering that he was at the peak of his masculinity, Nick had the bearing of a distinguished


    businessman looking to negotiate with his rival.


    Nheless, it felt to me like the calm before the storm.


    Regardless of whether I was being over-sensitive, I knew I had to pacify Nathaniel before the


    impending confrontation. Hence, I left Nick by himself and headed out of the house instead.


    Just as expected, Nathaniel returned in twenty minutes.


    He wasn¡¯t surprised to see me as he walked up and asked calmly, ¡°Have you been waiting for long?¡±


    ¡°No, but I have something to discuss.¡± I got straight to the point. ¡°Nick is here. He is the husband of the


    lady killed by Mr. Jensen and also someone important to me. He wants justice for his wife. Thus, can


    you apologize to himter?¡±


    However, Nathaniel digressed, ¡°Last night, I watched a movie where the situation is simr to what¡¯s


    going on now. The only difference is the female lead was worried about her man¡¯s well-being.¡±


    The gap inmunication exasperated me. But for Nick¡¯s sake, I had to suppress my anger. ¡°Hmm,


    that sounds really sweet, but what I¡¯m talking about is urgent. Can you answer me? All you need to do


    is apologize to the person you hurt. There¡¯s nothing for you to lose.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s in it for me?¡± Nathaniel smiled insidiously.


    I had expected him to demand something in return. Hence, I didn¡¯t bother reasoning and made my offer


    instead. ¡°As a reward, I will promise to do something you want, as long as it doesn¡¯t involve harming


    others.¡±


    ¡°Anything I want?¡± Nathaniel¡¯s eyes narrowed as if he was weighing the attractiveness of the deal.


    ¡°Yes. As long as you don¡¯t hurt him and allow him to leave unharmed,¡± I pleaded, as that was all I could


    do for Nick.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Nathaniel¡¯s eyes sparkled like a child who had just received a lollipop.


    Jolted by the look in his eyes, I quickly averted his predatory gaze.


    Now that we had a deal, I eagerly led Nathaniel back in.


    Seemingly lost in deep thought, Nick didn¡¯t realize we were there until we came up close.

 Chapter 1842

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1842


    Chapter 1842 I Failed Her


    ¡°This is Nathaniel.¡± Clenching my fists, I kept my eye on Nick so that I could restrain him if needed. ¡°He


    is the man you are looking for.¡±


    Standing expressionless beside me, Nathaniel had no intention to speak.


    With a wary smile, Nick met Nathaniel¡¯s gaze with a gentle one of his own. A short whileter, he said,


    ¡°Do you know that you are responsible for the death of a wonderful woman?¡±


    Unmoved, Nathaniel replied with cold professionalism, ¡°I don¡¯t. But, Scarlett told me that I¡¯ve caused


    you and your family to suffer. For that, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Nathaniel reacted like a remorseless murderer.


    If it wasn¡¯t because of my inferior position, I would have given him a forceful p.


    Nick needed a demonstration of sincere remorse, instead of an emotionless bureaucratic response.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    Hence, Nathaniel¡¯s answer only served to fan the mes of fire.


    Just when I wanted to sugarcoat Nathaniel¡¯s words, Nick had reached into his jacket pocket and pulled


    out a gun.


    ¡°Nick, no!¡±


    My scream was futile. The moment the gun was aimed at Nathaniel, Nick had already pulled the


    trigger.


    The resulting gunshot rang out thought the vi.


    Unfortunately, Nick was the one that ended up being shot instead.


    His unfamiliarity with a gun seemed to have caused it to misfire. The bullet which was meant to fly


    toward Nathaniel backfired into his right arm instead.


    Stung by the pain, Nick dropped the gun onto the ground, causing a crack on the tile. The next


    moment, his hand was already covered by gushing blood.


    ¡°Nick!¡± I rushed forward to support him. ¡°Are you all right? Bear with it while I send you to the hospital.¡±


    Just as I spoke, I tried to help him out the door.


    However, Nick flew into a fit of rage. Covering his wound, he refused to budge. All he did was grit his


    teeth and stare daggers at Nathaniel. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you! You b*astard!¡±


    ¡°Kill me?¡± Nathaniel closed his eyes and thrust his chin forward. Looking down at Nick, he sneered,


    ¡°You can¡¯t even tell that you have a faulty gun. How are you going to kill me?¡±


    ¡°Can you shut up?¡± I thundered, worried that Nick would be triggered into doing something worse.


    Having detected something from Nathaniel¡¯s words, Nick¡¯s eye lit up in fury. He hissed, ¡°You were the


    one who sabotaged the gun!¡±


    Stunned by his words, I was struck by a sudden realization.


    Indeed, guns were regted in Chanaea, and themon man had no ess to them. Hence, for


    Nick to get his hands on one, he had to go to the ck market, which was an avenue controlled by


    Nathaniel.


    With no intention to hide, Nathaniel readily admitted, ¡°I promised Scarlett that I won¡¯t harm her family.


    Hence, your wife¡¯s death was nothing but an ident. Initially, I was watching you to see if there was


    any way I could make up for your loss. Unfortunately, you chose to act presumptuously by thinking that


    you could actually kill me.¡±


    ¡°Pfft! Who needs yourpensation? You killed Rose, my wife. No matter what, I want you to pay with


    your life!¡± Nick raged.


    Despite my urge to berate Nathaniel, I swallowed my words when I saw the guards swarming in


    through the door.


    ¡°Nick! Nick!¡± As I tried to help him stand, I cupped his face and forced him to look at me instead of


    Nathaniel. Screaming at the top of my lungs, I tried to knock some sense into him. ¡°Listen to me, Rose


    told me to take care of you before she died. She has always worried about you. If anything happened


    to you, she would have died in vain!¡±


    While trying to get through to him, I couldn¡¯t stop myself from crying. My mind was filled with the image


    of her giving birth in the hospital and also how she covered for Nick by putting up a strong front.


    The moment Nick heard Rose¡¯s name, his eyes began to redden. As tears streamed down his cheeks,


    he finally broke down crying like a child. ¡°Scarlett, Rose is dead. She¡¯s no longer here. The day before


    she died, she even suggested we have more kids, as it was too quiet at home. Despite how kind she


    was, I never appreciated it. Scarlett, I failed her¡­ I have really failed her¡­¡±

 Chapter 1843

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1843


    Chapter 1843 Freedom


    Given that I was filled with guilt over Rose¡¯s death, Nick¡¯s words unleashed the pent-up emotions within


    me.


    Suddenly, Nathaniel reached out to grab me. Before I could react, heunched an uppercut and


    knocked the wind out of Nick. After which, Nick was taken away.


    ¡°Nick!¡± Despite my attempt to get to him, I was powerless against Nathaniel¡¯s strength. All I could do


    was scream, ¡°Let me go! Let me go, you b*stard!¡±


    Having lost his patience, Nathaniel grabbed both my arms and forcefully turned me to face him.


    ¡°You told me that you won¡¯t harm my family. Are you going back on your word?¡± I bellowed. Despite the


    sharp pain in my bones, I didn¡¯t wince at all.


    ¡°It¡¯s up to you whether I keep my promise or not.¡± With a darkening gaze, Nathaniel broke into a vicious


    smile. ¡°I don¡¯t like to see you crying, Scarlett. The next time I see him make you cry, he will have to pay


    for it with his life.¡±


    ¡°In that case, you should kill yourself first! The person who hurt me the most is you, and no one else.¡±


    Stung by my words, Nathaniel was shocked momentarily. However, he quickly regained his


    viciousness. ¡°Don¡¯t try and reason with me. In my world, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s being unreasonable.


    Despite how much Ipromised with you, why don¡¯t you ever learn what¡¯s good for you?¡±


    ¡°In that case, stop tolerating my actions!¡± Just when I was desperately struggling, I was struck by an


    idea. Taking the ring off my finger, I threw it away in front of him. ¡°I don¡¯t want this nor you anymore! I


    don¡¯t need a crazy control freak in my life!¡±


    Ding! Ding!


    A crisp clink was heard the moment the ring hit the ground. After rolling by the window, it finally came to


    a stop.


    Nathaniel had let go of me the second I threw the ring away. His eyes trailed the ring¡¯s trajectory until it


    fell onto the floor. As if he was frozen, he continued to stare nkly at it.


    The silence that ensued was deafening.


    Under such uncertain circumstances, I wasn¡¯t sure if I had crossed his threshold. As if I had lost it, I


    was ready to die. ¡°Go on, make it quick.¡±


    After staring intently at the ring for a long time, Nathaniel suddenly walked over and put it back into his


    palm before walking away just like that.


    As I watched his silhouette disappear out the door, it felt surreal to me.


    Given that the ring was the only thing he asked of me, I was surprised he didn¡¯t react to me throwing it


    away.


    Perhaps, breaking a promise never meant anything to him at all.


    Nevertheless, I was unable to imagine what Nathaniel was going to do to Nick. Despite feeling


    pessimistic about his fate, I was powerless to do anything.


    As for Ashton, Nathaniel had realized that he was none other than a Trojan horse. Therefore, I


    wondered how many more life-threatening plots Ashton was going to face within the perilous


    environment he was in.


    Consequently, I spent the rest of the day feeling unsettled. When it was close to dinnertime, the sound


    of a car stopping could be heard.


    Now that security at the Fuller residence was airtight, it could be no one else other than Nathaniel.


    Just when he entered and prepared to head upstairs, he saw me pacing back and forth in the living


    hall. He then put a bag in front of me before taking a seat.


    When I nced at it and couldn¡¯t tell what it was, I asked, ¡°What¡¯s that for?¡±


    ¡°A phone, a bank card, and car keys,¡± Nathaniel inly replied.


    ¡°And then?¡± Why is he giving me these?


    ¡°The guards outside have been ordered to back down. From today onward, you can go wherever you


    please,¡± Nathaniel dered.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    My first response was to narrow my eyes and doubt his intentions.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be surprised. I just felt the need to change my approach. Since you don¡¯t


    appreciate my way of treating you well, I¡¯ll do it your way instead. I will continue to love you, but you will


    still have your freedom.¡± Nathaniel¡¯s gaze was so calm that I couldn¡¯t read his emotions.

 Chapter 1844

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1844


    Chapter 1844 Reunited


    Picking up the keys warily, I gave it a closer look. ¡°Are you saying your men won¡¯t follow me like a


    swarm of flies anymore?¡±


    ¡°No, they will keep their distance and are only responsible for your safety. Also, they won¡¯t interfere with


    your decisions,¡± Nathaniel exined.


    I nodded in acknowledgment, as I found the arrangement to be reasonable. Pushing my luck, I asked,


    ¡°Do I only have freedom of movement, or can I also do whatever I want?¡±


    Spreading his hands, Nathaniel leaned back into the sofa. ¡°It¡¯s entirely up to you.¡±


    His answer caught me by surprise, as he was unusually approachable.


    Nevertheless, Nathaniel¡¯s mood had always been vtile and could change at a moment¡¯s notice.


    Therefore, before he changed his mind, I knew I had to take milk it for all it¡¯s worth.


    ¡°Fine.¡± I took the keys boldly, along with the phone and bank card. At the same time, I made a brazen


    request. ¡°In that case, please bring Gregory over here as I miss him. Only he will do, as he knows you


    well.¡±


    Just when I headed upstairs with my things, I turned around at the staircase and added, ¡°Go now


    because I would like to have a meal with him.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Nathaniel agreed. Before I reached the second floor, he was already gone.


    Half an hourter, the phone Nathaniel gave me rang. John had called to check if he was to allow


    Nathaniel to take Gregory with him. Once he received my confirmation, he ended the call.


    Finally, I managed to see Gregory an hourter.


    After dinner, I brought Gregory back to the room and stopped Nathaniel by the door with the excuse


    that we needed some family time.


    The moment I closed the door, I wiped away the genial expression I had when facing Nathaniel.


    Lowering my gaze at Gregory, who was holding onto a smallputer, I brought him to the bathroom


    and turned on the shower. Then, I knelt down and asked seriously, ¡°Sweetheart, how are your


    computer science studiesing along? Can you check if the room is bugged?¡±


    ¡°Mommy, are you saying that someone is eavesdropping on us?¡± Gregory was stunned.


    As there was no time to exin, I summarized, ¡°That¡¯s right. This will be our secret, and you¡¯re not


    allowed to tell anyone else. Now, can you do it?¡±


    Gregory nodded. Turning hisputer on, he began to type on his keyboard while reassuring me.


    ¡°Mommy, just wait for a while.¡±


    Given how fast he worked, the furious taps on the keyboard kept pace with my pounding heart.


    After a long while, I was finally jolted by Gregory¡¯s ted voice. ¡°It¡¯s done, Mom. There¡¯s no one


    listening in on us right now.¡±


    Heaving a sigh of relief, I brought him back into the room and handed him my phone. ¡°Can you check if


    there¡¯s anything suspicious on this phone?¡±


    ¡°Mmm-hmm!¡± When he noticed that I was in a good mood, Gregory was equally motivated.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    After half an hour, he stared at the phone dejectedly.


    ¡°What is it, sweetheart? Is it too difficult? ¡° I walked over and patted him lightly on the shoulder.


    ¡°No, Mommy, there¡¯s actually nothing wrong with the phone,¡± Gregorymented in surprise.


    Stunned, I was taken aback at how liberal Nathaniel was this time. ¡°Good to hear that there are no


    problems. I¡¯m just worried that I had missed something. After doing so much, are you tired?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± Gregory shook his head and looked at me earnestly as if he knew how urgent the


    situation was. With a serious tone, he asked, ¡°Mommy, is there anything else you need me to do?¡±


    ¡°Good boy.¡± I tousled his hair with pride. Also, I noticed that he had grown taller after being apart for so


    long. Now that we had been reunited, I felt guilty for getting him to do work instead of spending quality


    time with him.


    However, the moment I thought about Ashton¡¯s predicament, I steeled my heart. Smiling, I requested,


    ¡°In that case, Gregory, please help me install a GPS app, and make sure it is undetectable.¡±

 Chapter 1845

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1845


    Chapter 1845 My Goal


    ¡°Sure.¡± Gregory didn¡¯t say much. He simply nodded and got to work. Once the app was installed,


    Nathaniel knocked on the room door.


    Knock! Knock!


    ¡°What is it?¡± I snapped at the door.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to send Gregory back. John isn¡¯t ufortable with him spending such a long time with us,¡±


    Nathaniel exined inly. Much to my surprise, he wasn¡¯t angry at all.


    On the surface, John and I were still at odds with each other. Hence, it made sense for him to show


    such concerns.


    The second reason was that he knew I had summoned Gregory to act as a messenger.


    After giving it some thought, I replied, ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll get him changed right away. You can wait


    downstairs.¡±


    Soon, I heard the footsteps outside the door gradually soften until silence returned.


    While helping Gregory change, I spoke to him in a voice only audible to both of us. ¡°Sweetheart, if you


    have the opportunity to contact Daddy, tell him to stir up the situation further. Do you understand?¡±


    When Gregory stared at me with his eyes widened, I wasn¡¯t sure if he got it entirely. Nevertheless, he


    reassured me, ¡°Mommy, trust me, I won¡¯t let you down.¡±


    When I saw how sensible Gregory was, it filled my heart with a sense of security, probably due to my


    maternal instinct. Suddenly, everything that I had suffered didn¡¯t seem to matter much anymore.


    Suppressing the reluctance in me, I hugged Gregory again before leading him downstairs.


    Despite having waited for a long time, Nathaniel remained calm as he gestured for Gregory to go over.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send you home.¡±


    Gregory nced at me and then at Nathaniel before walking out the door.


    With his hand awkwardly stuck in mid-air, Nathaniel was caught off-guard. In spite of that, he retracted


    it in silence.


    In truth, children usually had good intuition. Despite not being unaware of the situation, they could


    differentiate who to approach and to avoid.


    Obviously, I didn¡¯t say anything about it to Gregory. After all, he still had to spend half an hour alone in


    the car with Nathaniel.


    After sending him off, I returned to my room.


    Using the one hour that Nathaniel was away, I tried sending a message to the number on the note from


    earlier.


    Me: Mr. Zimmerman? This is Scarlett.


    Benson: Go ahead.


    The response was short and immediate, characteristic of the military where information was all that


    mattered.


    Me: I¡¯m going to find a way to get closer to the core of the criminal organization. Hence, I hope you can


    continue to track my location all the way. Is that achievable?


    Benson: It¡¯s doable, but it¡¯s too dangerous to approach them. Therefore, I would advise you against it


    for now.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Me: I will ensure my own safety. Before that, please coordinate with Ashton to rattle Nathaniel¡¯s cage.


    Since Gregory was just a child, I couldn¡¯t rely on him entirely. As Ashton and Benson had worked


    together to rescue me from Freja, I was confident that both of them had a way to contact each other.


    Hence, it was more reliable for Benson to pass the message.


    Benson: Don¡¯t worry.


    After receiving his confirmation, I deleted the chat records.


    Meanwhile, Ashton had moved faster than I thought. The next afternoon, Nathaniel¡¯s subordinates


    brought him bad news.


    ¡°Mr. Hall, Desmond and Theodore have been arrested while the vi has been sealed by the police.¡±


    With both men from the inner circle apprehended, it was clear that the authorities had set their sight on


    the organization. It was not just a problem for low-level subordinates, even the leaders were in danger.


    However, Garrett was overseas and consequently out of reach of the Chanaean police. Therefore, as


    the second-inmand of the organization, Nathaniel naturally became everyone¡¯s target.


    Once the subordinatepleted his report, he turned to me with a murderous gaze.


    I obviously knew what was going through his mind. It wasn¡¯t a coincidence that all this happened right


    after Nathaniel brought me to the vi and allowed me the freedom tomunicate.


    Unfortunately for them, my goal wasn¡¯t just the vi. His suspicions were spot on, but it was a shame


    they came too early.

 Chapter 1846

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1846


    Chapter 1846 Traitor


    My innocence gave me the courage to act defiantly. I questioned, ¡°What are you looking at me for? Are


    you suspecting me?¡±


    ¡°Are my suspicions misced?¡± Gritting his teeth, the subordinate ignored Nathaniel¡¯s presence.


    Compared to the man in a suit, this man, who had scars all over his face, was a lot more vicious and


    intimidating.


    Someone like him would never obey unconditionally. The moment he lost his temper, no one would be


    able to stop him.


    Without sufficient confidence to challenge him, I deflected the matter to Nathaniel instead. ¡°Do you feel


    the same way too?¡±


    Nathaniel put his cigar back into his mouth and inhaled. After puffing out a cloud of smoke, he gradually


    turned around. In the midst of it, he narrowed his eyes at me. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what I think. I want to


    hear your answer instead.¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t,¡± I answered readily.


    ¡°Fine, I believe you.¡± Nathaniel looked at me calmly, as if he already expected it.


    Ever since I threw the ring away, he seemed to have changed a lot. Putting that aside, his answer had


    driven a wedge between his subordinates and him.


    ¡°Mr. Hall, that woman is obviously¡±


    Nathaniel didn¡¯t give him the opportunity to finish. ¡°Enough, out you go. Going forward, don¡¯te into


    the house. Whatever you have to say, we can talk in the yard.¡±


    ¡°But-¡±


    Just when he wanted to remonstrate further, he bit his tongue when Nathaniel shot him a piercing


    nce.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the least bit suspicious?¡± I teased.


    ¡°Do you think I should?¡± Nathaniel threw the question back at me.


    Not seeing iting, I was stumped.


    Nathaniel took another puff of his cigar and relished in the intoxication of nicotine. Then, he remarked


    in nonchnce, ¡°Scarlett, I¡¯m no longer the same person as before. From now on, I¡¯ll trust you


    unconditionally.¡±


    What does he mean? Is the cold-blooded devil suddenly repenting? What can he change? Can all the


    innocents he killede back alive? No, they can¡¯t.


    ¡°But,¡± Nathaniel suddenly added, ¡°Everything that happened today will be on Ashton. Soon, all this will


    come to an end.¡±


    As expected, a leopard never changes its spots.


    After letting out a mockingugh, I sneered, ¡°You might as well hold me responsible for it. After all, if


    anything happens to Ashton, I wouldn¡¯t want to live anymore. Hence, there¡¯s no need for you to do this


    in a roundabout way.¡±Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong.¡± Nathaniel didn¡¯t bother looking at me. Instead, he stared nkly into space and


    commented, ¡°I won¡¯t kill him. But, I have my ways to make him suffer a fate worse than death.¡±


    ¡°How dare you!¡± I sprang to my feet in anger.


    Unfazed, Nathaniel stubbed his cigar out on the ashtray. ¡°Only then it¡¯s fair.¡±


    ¡°Fair? All this while, you were the one trying to harm us by attacking Ashton first. What did he ever do


    to you?¡±


    Nathaniel finally turned to look at me and grimly replied, ¡°You did.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, since when-¡± I choked on my words when it dawned upon me what he meant.


    Loving someone who didn¡¯t love you back was indeed a fate worse than death.


    After staring at each other in silence, I turned around and left. He didn¡¯t follow me this time.


    After all, there was nothing more to say, as everything was going ording to n.


    When forced into a corner, I had no choice but to disregard my principles in an effort to protect my


    friends and family.


    Against someone despicable, there was no point in maintaining them anyway.


    The next day, I woke up early and prepared to go out and get some air.


    The moment I came downstairs, I saw two uninvited guests in the form of Quince and Lucas.


    Both of them sat gloomily at the table with their guns in front of them. The moment they saw me, Lucas


    stood up and pointed his gun at me. ¡°B*tch, Tell us the truth! Have you been nning this all along?¡±


    Previously, both of them were cordial to me due to my rtionship with Ashton. But now, one was


    holding me at gunpoint while the other didn¡¯t seem intent on intervening.

 Chapter 1847

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1847


    Chapter 1847 Summer


    At that moment, Nathaniel came out of his room and stood by my side. Looking down at Lucas, he


    admonished him, ¡°Has no one ever taught you assh*les any manners?¡±


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What did you say? Assh*les? I dare you to say that again!¡± Triggered by Nathaniel¡¯s insult, Lucas


    unlocked the safety pin and cocked his gun.


    Ignoring him, Nathaniel turned to me and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go and have breakfast.¡±


    Just as he spoke, he calmly walked past Lucas¡¯ gun barrel and headed toward the dining room.


    In the end, Lucas didn¡¯t fire.


    Only then, did I follow and sit at the dining table with him.


    Something must have happened for both of them toe by. Therefore, I made sure not to miss any


    crucial information at this point in time.


    The moment I took my seat, Lucas ranted, ¡°F*ck, all of our men have been captured and this is entirely


    her fault! If not for her disallowing us to carry guns, our men wouldn¡¯t have been defeated. Da*n it, I


    demand you do something about this!¡±


    Nathaniel calmly nced at him before turning his attention to the breakfast that was served. After


    laying his napkin, he picked up his fork and knife and began eating leisurely.


    After swallowing his first mouthful, he continued cutting through his food and exined, ¡°Without lifting


    a finger, they were easily arrested by the police and had their weapons taken away. No one was hurt


    throughout. Given how the enemy was defeated without a fight, your daughter has demonstrated how


    exceptional she is.¡±


    Stunned by his words, I recalled what happened at the club the other day. All I had wanted was for the


    thugs to dress in suits on the ount of the club¡¯s reputation. However, I wasn¡¯t aware that Summer


    had such a massive n up her sleeve.


    After all, I had assumed that she had changed. Evidently, she was also using her own way to defeat


    these men, just like Ashton.


    ¡°Did you hear me?¡± Lucas exploded, brandishing his gun. ¡°Listen to me, okay? I don¡¯t care who is the


    one behind this, I just want both of you to rescue my men!¡±


    ¡°I have no time to be bothered with your affairs.¡± Nathaniel lowered his gaze to express his annoyance.


    Outraged by Nathaniel¡¯s response, Lucas was about to take action but was quickly interrupted by


    Quince, who had been silent throughout. ¡°Mr. Hall, do you mean that whatever Summer does, it has


    nothing to do with you? In that case, we no longer need your permission to do anything we want with


    her?¡±


    Are they going to harm Summer?


    Just when I was about to stop them by reflex, Nathaniel answered nonchntly, ¡°Do what you want.¡±


    His tone sounded as if Summer was someone irrelevant to him.


    She might be so from his perspective, but not mine.


    I waved my hands at Quince and Lucas at once. ¡°No, he doesn¡¯t mean that. Whatever Summer did, we


    will take responsibility. I will take responsibility, so don¡¯t you dare do anything to harm her!¡±


    Unfortunately, Quince ignored me and waited for an answer from Nathaniel instead. When he didn¡¯t get


    a response, his expression darkened. He then raised his gun and hissed, ¡°Nathaniel, you had better


    prepare to live with the consequences of your decision!¡±


    After a brief pause, he added, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    With that, he hurriedly left with Lucas.


    Given that Nathaniel didn¡¯t want to get involved, he naturally wouldn¡¯t want to protect Summer. Even if


    just the two of them sought Summer out for revenge, it would pose an overwhelming threat to her, as


    these men were skilled assassins.


    Therefore, Summer was no longer safe the moment both of them left.


    When I darted out to stop them, they had already disappeared by the time I left the dining hall.


    Given how furious they were, it was likely that they were already on their way to get Summer. Seized


    by rage, I roared at Nathaniel, ¡°Have you gone mad? Why did you have to tell them that? Even if you


    don¡¯t want to protect Summer, can¡¯t you dy them with some excuse on my ount? By saying what


    you said, Summer will die. Do you know that?¡±

 Chapter 1848

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1848


    Chapter 1848 Losing Family


    ¡°It has nothing to do with me.¡± Nathaniel continued eating indifferently as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°Trying to understand you is difficult enough, and I have no interest in other women.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± I was rendered speechless when I realized it was pointless to reason with him.


    Without any time to think it through, I grabbed my bag and rushed toward the club.


    On my way, I prayed that Quince and Lucas were terrible drivers so that I could beat them in getting


    there.


    Unfortunately, luck wasn¡¯t on my side, as I was held up by three traffic lights consecutively. By the time


    I reached the club, one hour had passed.


    Sitting in the car, I was already looking around anxiously before I arrived at the entrance.


    Since it was out of business hours, there was only a couple of staffing in and out of the club.


    Moreover, it didn¡¯t look like anything had happened.


    With no time to waste, I stopped opposite the club, alighted, and prepared to walk in.


    On my way there, I tried to call Summer but couldn¡¯t get through. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was just engaged, or


    she had changed her number. No matter what it was, I had to get to her as soon as possible.


    Just when I was halfway across the street, I saw Summering out of the lobby with Jared beside


    her.


    Didn¡¯t he already leave? Since when did hee back?


    Nevertheless, there was no time for me to think. All I wanted to do was to warn Summer. Hence, I


    yelled at the top of my voice, ¡°Summer! Go back quickly!¡±


    Due to how far I was, Summer turned around when she heard my voice but didn¡¯t back away.


    At the same time, one of the many cars parked in front of the club opened its doors.


    Quince and Lucas suddenly appeared and aimed their guns at the club entrance.


    ¡°Run! Run!¡± I yelled, ignoring the passing cars.


    The very next moment, their guns rattled away.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Quince and Lucas unleashed a hail of bullets in Summer¡¯s direction.


    Just when my heart sank, Jared moved in front of Summer to shield her. In the blink of an eye, four to


    five bullets were peppered into his chest.


    Many of the staff who happened to be around were also hit.


    At the same time, a group of men in military uniform appeared out of nowhere and began firing.


    Assailed by the fire, Quince and Lucas were shot and copsed onto the ground in a pool of blood.


    Before I could react, the piercing sound of a car honk grew increasingly loud in my ears.


    The moment I turned, I saw a ck sedan right in front of my eyes.


    The next second, someone appeared from behind and pushed me to the ground.


    With my head still spinning, I opened my eyes to be greeted by the sight of Ashton.


    Before both of us could catch our breath, the car had already passed us by.


    All that was left were the screams from the club.


    The gun battle just now had caused quite amotion. When the bystanders saw that the army had


    the situation under control, they surged ahead and formed a crowd in front of the club.


    Meanwhile, Ashton helped me up and escorted me toward the crowd.


    Many of the injured were brought into the club¡¯s main hall. By the time we were inside, Jared had


    already stopped breathing in Summer¡¯s arms.


    Despite not saying a word, her eyes were already bloodshot. With tears raining from her eyes, anyone


    who saw her couldn¡¯t help but feel equally saddened.


    To Summer, who had never seen how Jared harmed Macy, the man in her arms was a beloved father


    to her.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Hatred was temporary, but blood was thicker than water.


    Now that he had died for her before she had the chance to call him ¡°dad¡±, she was filled with remorse


    that she could never get over.


    Just when I wanted tofort her, Ashton stopped me. ¡°Let them be alone for a while.¡±


    After all, that was thest time they would be together.


    When the thought struck me, I figured Ashton must¡¯ve shared the same sentiment.

 Chapter 1849

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1849


    Chapter 1849 Suicide


    Just like that, we stayed by Summer¡¯s side quietly until the ambnce came and took Jared¡¯s body


    away.


    After watching Summer leave together with the ambnce, I caught a glimpse of Nathaniel from the


    corner of my eye.


    He was standing far behind the crowd as if he was a lonely spirit. Despite the distance, I could feel the


    animosity he emanated that seemed to warn everyone to keep their distance.


    Although we were standing far apart, I was certain that he was looking at me.


    In fact, I figured that he was already watching when Ashton dived to save me.


    Instead of confronting me about it, he just wanted to convey the fact that he was aware of everything I


    was doing.


    It was just like a husband who was unwilling to disturb the status quo despite knowing his wife was


    cheating on him. Even though the betrayal was obvious to all, both sides chose to remain oblivious


    instead.


    Evidently, that was the choice he made.


    By the time I reached home, feeling uneasy, Nathaniel was sitting on the sofa. He didn¡¯t question me


    nor did I say a word. The atmosphere was rather peaceful as if nothing had happened at all.


    Since he didn¡¯t bring up the matter, I continued to y dumb. Staying by his side, I waited for the next


    opportunity to execute my n.Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    The awkward tensionsted for about a week. One afternoon, Nathaniel came back home suddenly


    after having just left.


    When I saw him barge in, I couldn¡¯t help but sneer, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Were you not able to resist


    checking on me? Are you going to revoke my freedom and privileges next?¡±


    Nathaniel didn¡¯t respond to my taunts. After a long silence, he muttered grimly, ¡°Nick is dead.¡±


    My body froze while still holding the remote. At the same time, I felt my heart sink.


    The next moment, my heart pounded so fast that it felt numb, causing me to wonder if I had heard


    wrong.


    After more than ten seconds, I looked at him doubtfully and remarked, ¡°This joke of yours isn¡¯t funny at


    all.¡±


    He did promise me that as long as I didn¡¯t cry, he would allow Nick to live.


    Despite having a questionable character, Nathaniel was still someone who kept his word to me.


    Hence, I assumed that it was one of his tricks to break the ice between us.


    Unfortunately, Nathaniel furrowed his brows suddenly. With an apologetic look on his face, he stared at


    me without rebutting.


    His reaction caught me by surprise. I was looking forward to him telling me that it was nothing but a


    joke.


    As panic slowly gripped me, I gulped and asked seriously, ¡°Did you kill Nick?¡±


    ¡°Not me,¡± Nathaniel rified instantly. ¡°Hemitted suicide by jumping from the same spot his mother


    did. Moreover, he didn¡¯t hesitate at all.¡±


    All of a sudden, I stopped breathing and could feel my heart squeezing so painfully that I could barely


    open my eyes.


    As blood rushed into my brain, my nose began to fill with its stench.


    Without any warning, I began to puke intensely. Holding onto the sofa for support, I was nothing but a


    total mess.


    It wasn¡¯t until my stomach was empty that I finally stopped.


    Meanwhile, when Nathaniel tried tofort me a couple of times, I shoved him away. Just like a kid


    that had done something wrong, he stood there helplessly.


    Since Nick had told me that he would live on for the child, I came to the conclusion that Nathaniel was


    behind his death. Pointing at him, I used him in a harrowing tone, ¡°It¡¯s you! You¡¯re the one that


    pushed him down. You¡¯re the murderer! I will never forgive you and will haunt you even after I¡¯m dead! I


    will kill you and dice you into pieces so that Nick and Rose can have their revenge!¡±


    Just as I spoke, I charged at him and strangled him by the neck with all my might.


    In spite of that, Nathaniel didn¡¯t dodge and allowed me to suffocate him till his face turned red. Even


    though his neck was resisting stiffly, he still didn¡¯t budge. In fact, he broke into a smile as if he was


    looking forward to it.

 Chapter 1850

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1850


    Chapter 1850 It Is Time


    At that moment, he wanted to die by my hand, but I couldn¡¯t allow it to happen while Ashton was still in


    the organization.


    As long as the organization wasn¡¯t destroyed, someone else would just rece Nathaniel in the event


    of his death. Consequently, Ashton, as an undercover agent, and I, as Nathaniel¡¯s killer, would still be


    in danger.


    Gritting my teeth, I desperately suppressed my urge to kill him. A long while passed before I finally


    released him and fell back onto the sofa.


    ¡°Are you reluctant to let me die?¡± Nathaniel coughed for quite a bit before he caught his breath.


    Reading my thoughts, he smiled wryly, ¡°I¡¯m surprised you couldn¡¯t bring yourself to kill me.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t it. My true goal was to make sure I eradicate himpletely from my world.


    But, I wasn¡¯t going to tell him that.


    Lowering my head, I allowed his imagination to run wild.


    Sometimes, it was one¡¯s expectation that would end up killing one.


    After a long while, Nathaniel finally regained hisposure. He then took out a piece of folded paper


    from his pocket and handed it to me.


    Shooting a nce at it, I refused to take it, as I was wary that it was one of his tricks.


    Sensing my apprehension, Nathaniel nudged the paper toward me. ¡°Nick left this.¡±Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    When he noticed how doubtful I was, he exined, ¡°It¡¯s up to you whether you want to believe me or


    not. I have killed so many people that there¡¯s no reason why I would not admit to one more. However, I


    really had nothing to do with Nick¡¯s death.¡±


    After he finished, he locked eyes with me before cing the piece of paper on the table. Then, he


    turned around and left the room.


    It wasn¡¯t until his figure had disappeared from my sight that I heaved a sigh of relief. When I finally


    calmed down, I endured the burning sensation in my nose and picked up the paper.


    The moment I recognized Nick¡¯s handwriting, I sobbed uncontrobly.


    Nick: I¡¯m going to be with my wife, as I have caused her to wait for too long in this life. I hope our next


    life together will be better.


    Despite how short the message was, it was filled with guilt and longing.


    I could imagine how happy they were over thest few years. If not for the ident, they would have


    lived a long and blissful life by each other¡¯s side.


    Only in tragedy did their love turn into a story worthy to be told. At that moment, I had wished that I


    wouldn¡¯t have heard their story at all. At the very least, it meant that they would still be happily alive.


    Nevertheless, the suicide note in my hand reminded me that both of them had left this world.


    I consoled myself with the thought that there would be no one to break them up wherever they were.


    It took me a long while before I could pull myself out of my sorrow. After washing my face, I kept the


    note in my cab before getting changed.


    Standing in front of the mirror, I knew that it was time.


    I took out my phone and called the only number on the contact list.


    Soon, Nathaniel¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°And here I was, thinking that you would never call this number.¡±


    It was obviously a sarcastic statement. After all, that was the only number inside the phone when he


    gave it to me.


    ¡°Where are you?¡± Not in the mood for jokes, I spoke candidly, ¡°I have made my decision. I want to be


    the official Mrs. Hall.¡±


    After a brief silence, he asked in an uncertain tone, ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I feel like now. Who knows I might change my mind anytime,¡± I replied in an arbitrary


    manner. ¡°Regardless of what it is, I feel like I need to understand you better. If you¡¯re still keen,e


    back and pick me up.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m still keen.¡± Nathaniel hesitated for a while before adding, ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯te


    today as a group of important people want to see me personally. Hence, I¡¯ll be out of the country over


    the next seven days.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think this a good opportunity to introduce me?¡± Iid out my bait. ¡°Of course, if you¡¯re


    confident that I won¡¯t change my mind in seven days, you can go right ahead.¡±


    With that, I ended the call before Nathaniel could even answer.


    After that, I sent a message to Benson¡¯s men: It¡¯s time, please lock on to my location.


    The moment I sent the message out, I received Nathaniel¡¯s reply: Get yourself changed and wait for


    me at home.


    Having read the text calmly, I walked around the house that used to belong to Ashton and me. Then, I


    sat patiently in the living room and waited.

 Chapter 1851

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1851


    Chapter 1851 Sess Is Close


    Around one hourter, the sound of Nathaniel¡¯s car could be heard. Without any hesitation, I got into


    the car and sat beside him.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be ufortable where we¡¯re going. Are you sure you¡¯re up to it?¡± Nathaniel asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me. I am, after all, someone that caught your eye. I¡¯m not going to disgrace you,¡±


    I answered indifferently.


    Smirking in response, Nathaniel ordered the driver, ¡°Drive.¡±


    One hourter, we arrived at a golf course on the outskirts of the city. There, we boarded a helicopter


    and headed for Loang.


    Just as Nathaniel had said, he was the only person in the business that was a germaphobe and


    suffered from obsessivepulsive disorder.


    All I saw were men in messy clothing and bases filled with wooden structures. The drug lords there


    looked like vagabonds while some of the other bases didn¡¯t even have toilets. Hence, one had to do


    one¡¯s business out in the wild.


    The only good thing being by Nathaniel¡¯s side was that I had ess to a hot bath before I slept every


    night.


    There, even the children were given guns. To them, human life was worth less than animals.


    What shocked me the most were the children. Instead of ying with toys, they gathered in a circle


    ying poker, where the winner got to shoot the loser to death. After that, the children would drag the


    loser¡¯s body aside in a nonchnt manner before continuing with their game. Those that survived


    would go on to join the drug cartel.


    During the entire seven days, we went to a total of thirteen different countries and met with most of


    Nathaniel¡¯s directpetitors.


    No one really treated me as Mrs. Hall. Instead, they just assumed that Nathaniel had finally discovered


    how amazing women are. In fact, they evenmented brazenly on my body and looks behind


    Nathaniel¡¯s back. They were of the opinion that Nathaniel should¡¯ve found someone younger.


    Despite how uncouth they were, they treated me with respect on the ount of Nathaniel¡¯s status.


    Moreover, I even managed to avoid all security checks which allowed my phone to continue


    transmitting my location.


    On the afternoon of the ninth day, our trip came to an end as we returned to K City.


    After dropping me off at home, Nathaniel went to deal with the problems elsewhere.


    As for me, I washed up quickly and picked Gregory up from school before heading to John¡¯s ce.


    The moment I entered, I handed my phone to Gregory. ¡°Sweetheart, did you manage to trace my


    location over thest few days?¡±


    ¡°Mmm-hmm.¡± Gregory nodded. ¡°I saw that you were overseas for a long time. Why didn¡¯t you take me


    and Audrey with you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take both of you when I have the opportunity next time.¡± I tousled his hair with a smile and added,


    ¡°Now, please help me extract the data of where I have been. Select the ces that I have spent more


    than one hour in.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Now that he was experienced, Gregory went about it more efficiently. In slightly more than ten


    minutes, he hadpleted the task.


    ¡°It¡¯s done, Mommy. I havepressed the data into a document and stored it on my desktop. Do you


    want me to send it to your phone?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I carefully stopped Gregory from pressing the send button. Then, I brought out the note with


    Benson¡¯s number. ¡°Send it to this one instead.¡±


    Although Gregory looked surprised when he saw the number, he did as he was told without any


    questions.


    In less than a minute, theputer prompted that the transfer was a sess.


    As a result, I let out a sigh of relief.


    After all, sess was now within our grasp. Watching what had just happened, John interrupted,


    ¡°Destroy the original tracking program so that you don¡¯t leave a trail.¡±


    John was right. Once the overseas bases werepromised, Nathaniel¡¯s suspicions would definitely


    be raised. Therefore, it was necessary for me to destroy all evidence.


    Looking at Gregory, who was waiting for my answer, I patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Follow Uncle John¡¯s


    instructions.¡±


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Okay.¡± All of a sudden, Gregory seemed to turn into an emotionless android. Turning around, he


    began furiously typing away on hisputer.

 Chapter 1852

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1852


    Chapter 1852 Into A Corner


    While waiting for Gregory to be done, John served me a cup of warm milk. ¡°Drink it. Look at you now,


    you¡¯re as thin as a rake.¡±


    ¡°Better thin than being shot dead,¡± I teased him before drinking half the milk.


    Despite being annoyed, John¡¯s expression became serious. He suggested, ¡°Now that you have the


    data, you shouldn¡¯t return to his side. Given how unpredictable he is, he might harm you anytime.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± I shook my head at once. ¡°No, with me there, he won¡¯t try to flee. This matter has tormented


    me for years. It¡¯s time we end this.¡±


    ¡°Since you have made up your mind, you should just get it done. Don¡¯t worry about Gregory, Emma


    and I will take care of him,¡± John finally relented.


    Just as he finished, Gregory was also done. John jolted for a moment when he tried to reach out and


    stroke Gregory¡¯s hair. After switching to his good hand, hepleted what he set out to do.


    Concerned by what I saw, I asked softly, ¡°Have you been going to the physio recently?¡±


    ¡°How can I not?¡± John replied in a half-joking manner. ¡°Emma would skin me alive if I don¡¯t.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know whether tough or to cry. ¡°In that case, you¡¯d better obey her.¡±


    John shrugged his shoulders without saying a word.


    After a few days, I received a message from Benson: The operation has begun.


    I deleted it and pretended that nothing had happened while I continue to stay by Nathaniel¡¯s side.


    Ever since we went overseas together, he lowered his guard against me and brought me along


    wherever he went.


    One weekter, Benson, in coboration with other foreign forces, finally raided the bases, dealing a


    significant blow to Nathaniel¡¯s organization. Consequently, Garrett ordered Nathaniel to bring me in for


    questioning, but all he did was end the call in silence.


    Two dayster, when Nathaniel and I returned home, we saw Garrett, who was supposed to be


    overseas, sitting in the living room. At the same time, the entire house was swarmed with armed


    bodyguards in suits which felt extremely intimidating.


    Upon hearing footsteps, Garrett turned to look at the door with a piercing gaze. From the look in his


    eyes, I could tell that he seemed intent on tearing me apart.


    Under normal circumstances, Garrett would stay overseas to avoid the police. But this time, he took the


    risk of returning personally due to Nathaniel¡¯s refusal to carry out his instruction.


    Meanwhile, Nathaniel paused at the door momentarily before holding my hand and leading me in.


    Standing beside the sofa, he greeted respectfully, ¡°Mr. Jensen.¡±


    In response, Garrett gradually stood up and pped Nathaniel on his face. At the same time, he gritted


    his teeth and berated, ¡°Nathaniel, do you know what sort of present you have given me? Hmm? The


    attacks on our bases have caused me to suffer a massive loss!¡±


    The final p even threw Nathaniel¡¯s face to the side.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Turning his face back in silence, Nathaniel didn¡¯t utter a word of protest.


    Unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t enough to quell Garrett¡¯s anger. After giving me the side-eye, he returned to


    his seat in annoyance and ordered, ¡°Kill that woman.¡±


    With that, all the bodyguards in the house raised their weapons. It was followed by the sound of


    cocking guns echoing through the house.


    All of a sudden, Nathaniel screamed at the top of his lungs, ¡°Go ahead and fire if you want everyone


    here to die!¡±


    Holding back from pulling the trigger, everyone looked toward Garrett for further instructions.


    However, before Garrett could say a word, Nathaniel revealed his trump card. ¡°The entire house has


    been nted with enough explosives to level it to the ground. Mr. Jensen, please don¡¯t force me into a


    corner.¡±


    Suddenly, I felt a chill down my spine when I realized that Nathaniel had such a terrifying n in ce.

 Chapter 1853

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1853


    Chapter 1853 Staredown


    As a result, I wondered if there was a limit to what he was capable of doing.


    Meanwhile, although Garrett¡¯s men didn¡¯t fear death, they were not willing to lose their lives because of


    me.


    Having heard the threat, Garrett raised his gaze at Nathaniel and fell silent in thought.


    After a long while, he regained his senses and sneered, ¡°Looks like I have raised nothing but a


    worthless dog. Instead of catching prey, you end up biting me instead. Well done, Nathaniel. Well


    done.¡±


    Just as he spoke, he sprang up from the sofa and red at Nathaniel face to face. Both of them were


    within striking distance of each other.


    Even though Garrett was shorter than Nathaniel, he made up for it with hismanding presence. At


    that moment, both of them were standing toe to toe against each other.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to be fooled. After all, you¡¯re not going to die for this woman.¡± Narrowing his gaze,


    Garrett¡¯s murderous aura intensified.


    Staring right at him, Nathaniel retorted steadily, ¡°Mr. Jensen, why don¡¯t you try me?¡±


    With their eyes locked, the tension in the atmosphere reached a crescendo as an invisible


    psychological battle began. It felt as if all hell would break loose at any moment.


    After a staredown thatsted a minute, Garrett wavered. Raising his hand, he signaled for the guns to


    be lowered.


    He understood how desperate one could be when forced into a corner, let alone the fact that


    Nathaniel¡¯s methods were never conventional. Therefore, a kamikaze attack by him was entirely


    possible.


    ¡°Do you think you can protect her?¡± Mr. Jensen scoffed. ¡°The factions in Southeast Asia alone will


    never let her live!¡±


    ¡°Drop the scare tactics, Mr. Jensen. I¡¯m not a three-year-old.¡± Nathaniel broke out into a faint but


    dangerous smile. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t bring it up, they have no evidence to use her of being


    involved. Even if you have the evidence and hand it over in an attempt to rebuild your empire, no one


    will trust you after that. You¡¯re a smart man. I¡¯m sure you know what¡¯s best for everyone. In the end,


    you will still protect me. What happened overseas is just your excuse to dispose of Scarlett, am I right?¡±


    Garrett was stung at how Nathaniel saw through him. It took him a long while before he regained his


    composure and responded sarcastically, ¡°You are indeed a sharp man. As I said before, only you are


    qualified to be my heir. Unfortunately, you have used your wits in the wrong ce this time. The only


    thing that awaits you now is death!¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, you might be disappointed again,¡± Nathaniel smirked.


    ¡°Hmph! Retreat!¡± Garrett snorted and left with his men. Once they were gone, Nathaniel released me.


    He then dropped onto the sofa and heaved a long sigh.


    After ncing at him, I turned around to head upstairs.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to thank me for saving your life?¡± Even though Nathaniel was resting with his eyes


    closed, he was entirely aware of all my movements.


    I would have uttered my thanks if it was anyone else. Just not him.


    ¡°In that case, I should really thank you for burying such a huge amount of explosives in my home


    without my knowledge. Mr. Hall, if you had detonated them earlier, you wouldn¡¯t need to agonize over a


    trivial matter such as my gratitude,¡± I sneered while suppressing the rage inside me.


    Despite trying to kill my entire family, he still insisted that he loved me. At that moment, I was lost as to


    what his definition of love was.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t,¡± Nathaniel rebutted stubbornly. ¡°Even thew has a lighter sentence for attempted crimes.


    And yet, you couldn¡¯t wait to find me guilty before I did anything.¡±


    I found his argument ridiculous. ¡°If you really did it, I wouldn¡¯t even have the opportunity to protest.


    Nathaniel, let¡¯s be clear, you intended to kill me and my family. Do you need me to remind you of the


    number of people who died in your hands? In fact, killing you wouldn¡¯t be enough to make up for it!¡±


    ¡°In that case, you should just do it.¡± Suddenly, Nathaniel vented his frustration. ¡°After all, dying in your


    hands makes me happy.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re mad!¡± I snapped. Not wanting to continue the argument, I headed upstairs instead. Just as I


    did, I heard two gunshots echo through the house.

 Chapter 1854

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1854


    Chapter 1854 Ashton Arrives


    Thinking that it was Garrett¡¯s men attacking, I turned to look. Instead, it was Ashton¡¯s figure that


    greeted me.


    Nathaniel too had noticed his presence. After the two of them exchanged nces, Ashton turned away


    first and called out to me. ¡°Letty,e to my side.¡±


    Although he was holding a gun, I couldn¡¯t sense any animosity from him. As if he was worried that I


    would be frightened, he even slowed down his speech on purpose.


    I nodded and hurried to his side.


    Opening his arms, he embraced me tightly.


    After being apart for such a long time, I was finally reunited with the familiar warmth and scent.


    Having noticed Nathaniel¡¯s piercing gaze, I was suddenly struck by a thought. Letting go of Ashton, I


    warned, ¡°Run! Nathaniel has nted bombs all over the house!¡±


    Just as I spoke, I grabbed Ashton¡¯s hand and sprinted outside without giving Nathaniel another look.


    Unexpectedly, Ashton pulled me back. Closing his eyes, he signaled for me to calm down. He then


    turned his attention toward Nathaniel with a darkened gaze.


    Standing there, Nathaniel¡¯s eyes were bloodshot at the sight of his rival. Not bothered to hide his


    emotions, he was filled with enmity toward Ashton.


    ¡°The police are on their way. Hence, you still have a five-minute window to flee.¡± Ashton broke his


    silence.


    When I realized he hade prepared, my fears began to ease.


    ¡°Flee?¡± Nathaniel narrowed his eyes. With an indifferent expression, he spread his hands. ¡°What¡¯s the


    point of that? We might as well all go down together and end it all right here.¡±


    When I saw how he was on the brink of lunacy, I grew increasingly worried. Tugging Ashton by his


    sleeve, I reiterated, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Now that Mr. Jensen¡¯s men have been scared away, there¡¯s no shame in


    leaving. Given how hard it was to reach this stage, I can¡¯t bear for any more idents to happen.¡±


    In spite of my words, Ashton shook his head and calmed me down. ¡°They don¡¯t understand Nathaniel.


    He won¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°No, he will really kill us all in a suicide attack,¡± I pleaded with Ashton to trust my judgment. After all, it


    was pointless to understand someone who was brutal and insane.


    Watching us with a hidden smile, Nathaniel looked like he was enjoying a drama.


    When I saw the confident look he had, I felt a shiver down my spine, causing me to tug harder at


    Ashton.


    In the end, Ashton gave in to my pleas and followed me out of the vi. It wasn¡¯t until we were about a


    hundred meters away that we finally stopped.


    I heaved a sigh of relief once I was sure we were safe. Patting myself on the chest, I stared at the vi


    and admonished Ashton, ¡°You were too reckless just now. So what if you were right that he was just


    trying to scare us? You of all people know how much he hates you. What if he really did it? What would


    happen to me or the children? Have you ever thought about that?¡±


    After observing me for a long time, Ashton didn¡¯t retort. Instead, he reached his arms over to hug me.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right now. Everything is fine. Nothing else will happen.¡±


    Instead of resisting, I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him back, as if that was the only way


    to prevent us from being separated again.


    It wasn¡¯t until the police arrived that we let go of each other. Together with them, we reentered the vi.


    By the time we did, Nathaniel was no longer there. Moreover, closer examination revealed that there


    were no explosives around the house. Nathaniel¡¯s threat was nothing but an empty lie.


    I asked Ashton, ¡°How did you know that he was bluffing?¡±


    Ashton smiled at me. ¡°All the credit goes to you.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± I pointed to myself, puzzled. Nheless, Ashton didn¡¯t borate.


    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Now that I could drop my front, I no longer had the mood to guess what Nathaniel was thinking. Hence,


    I put it at the back of my mind and changed the topic. ¡°Since you led the police here, why didn¡¯t you


    wait a while for them to arrest Nathaniel?¡±


    ¡°That was my initial intention, but Mr. Jensen and his men left earlier than expected. We can only lure


    him out again using Nathaniel.¡± Now that he could drop the act, Ashton¡¯s tone was rxed. Smiling, he


    added, ¡°Even if they were there, I still wouldn¡¯t have done it, as I couldn¡¯t risk putting you in danger.¡±

 Chapter 1855

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1855


    Chapter 1855 Set Up A Trap


    Ashton was worried for a legitimate reason. Hence, I guessed that everything had turned out for the


    best.


    Ashton had almost gathered all Nathaniel¡¯s incriminating evidence. Thetter had also exposed his


    identity, so he would not escape for too long.


    Although the police would patrol the vi, Ashton still felt that the ce was unsafe for us to stay in.


    Hence, he sent us to John¡¯s housete at night.


    John was staying in Louis¡¯ precious yard. The ce was kept under strict surveince by the security


    guard there. Moreover, there was a military base not far from the ce, so Garrett¡¯s people would not


    get near.


    The moment we entered the house, I jolted when I heard a loud voice. ¡°Mrs. Fuller!¡±


    When I regained my senses, I finally noticed that Joseph was right in front of me.


    He¡¯s alive!


    ¡°Joseph!¡± I eximed. ¡°Y-You¡¯re not dead! You¡¯re alive!¡±


    Joseph smiled as he exined awkwardly, ¡°Yes. I¡¯m still alive. I went into hiding for detox and


    recuperation. I must¡¯ve embarrassed Mr. Ashton since I¡¯ve recovered so slowly.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not embarrassing.¡± I felt warm inside as I stretched out my arms to hug him. ¡°Give me a hug. It


    must¡¯ve been hard on you.¡±


    Joseph turned to look at Ashton for permission before he gave me a brief hug.


    ¡°Thank you, Joseph,¡± I mumbled gratefully.


    Joseph smiled without uttering a word.


    Just then, Audrey and Gregory ran down the stairs and threw themselves at me.


    ¡°Mommy!¡±


    ¡°Mommy!¡±


    ¡°I missed you so much¡­¡±


    ¡°I missed Daddy too!¡±


    ¡°I miss you too!¡±


    Seems like my senses have malfunctioned. Why do my tears taste sweet today? The next morning,


    Benson was dressed in his military uniform when he visited us.


    ¡°Congrattions, both of you. The darkest days are already over.¡±


    Lying in Ashton¡¯s arms, I looked at him to exchange nces with him before I smiled. Then, I invited


    Benson into the house.


    After serving the tea, Ashton asked Benson the question I was concerned about the most. ¡°Did you get


    any news about Nathaniel?¡±


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    Benson had just sipped his tea as he heard Ashton¡¯s words. He slowly ced his cup down as he


    shook his head with remorse. ¡°We¡¯re still investigating. The same goes for Mr. Jensen and his men. It¡¯s


    like they¡¯ve disappeared into thin air. There¡¯s absolutely no news about them.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean that Nathaniel might have escaped?¡± I frowned my brows worriedly.


    Putting aside his identity, Nathaniel was highly intelligent. Once he had avoided the police, with his


    capability, it would be a matter of time for him to make hiseback.


    Ashton and our family had never owed him anything. We did not deserve to live under constant threat


    and endless harassment.


    ¡°Mrs. Fuller, don¡¯t be pessimistic. You should trust us. Those who I¡¯ve intended to capture have never


    gotten far. Please don¡¯t worry and enjoy your time with your family and forget about this issue.¡± Benson


    did not even see Nathaniel as a threat.


    I did not me him at all.


    One would only be terrified when mishaps befell him.


    Looking at the children who were ying in the living room, I could not stay calm. Ashton is suffering


    now because of all the grudges from the previous generation. I can¡¯t let history repeat itself and have


    my children suffer from hurting each other. I can¡¯t let that happen.


    As my heart sank, I looked at Benson and said, ¡°Mr. Zimmerman, we can¡¯t be on the passive side.


    There are almost a hundred billion people in K City. It¡¯s impossible to find a needle in the haystack.


    Why don¡¯t we change our n, and try setting up a trap?¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Benson raised his eyebrow, looking interested. ¡°How do we set a trap?¡±


    ncing at Ashton, I exined sternly, ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee that my method will definitely work, but we


    can give it a try¡­¡±


    The next morning, an ambnce drove into the Stovall residence and sent me to the best private


    hospital in K City. After a diagnosis, I was sent to the emergency ward.


    The social media was soon awash with news, and someizens predicted that I only had a month left


    to live.


    That was actually a trap to arrest Nathaniel. Yet, the person who appeared was Reba.


    In order to let Nathaniel get into the hospital, all the patients on my floor were transferred away.


    Instead, soldiers came to disguise themselves as patients and their family. Reba managed to get in


    because the guard was cking.

 Chapter 1856

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1856


    Chapter 1856 Pretending To Be Sick


    Right at that moment, I was lying on a bed in the istion ward. Breathing through the oxygen mask, I


    saw Reba¡¯s reddened eyes when I opened my eyes.


    Reba chuckled when she noticed that I was taken aback by her presence. ¡°Haha! Are you


    shocked? Scarlett, don¡¯t you think that you deserve this? After going against me for all your life, you¡¯re


    going to die anyway. What a waste of time!¡±


    Since I was a patient who was close to death, I could only widen my eyes to re at her.


    Since I could not move, Reba started pacing around my bed. She took the oxygen mask off my face


    and threw it on the floor. ¡°You¡¯ve always depended on others for protection. Back then, you needed


    Ashton and the other men, now you¡¯re depending on this lousy mask. Come on, show me what you¡¯ve


    got. Let¡¯s see how long you can go without this thing.¡±


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    While speaking, she walked closer to the expensive medical devices and started to mess around with


    them. She mumbled, ¡°Let me pull all these out and break them and see how you can keep ring at


    me! Since you¡¯re dying, why didn¡¯t you just give me Ashton? You¡¯ve destroyed me! I¡¯ll kill you now and


    watch you suffer a terrible death!¡±


    In the end, a t line appeared on the heart rate monitor.


    Since the truth was going to expose soon, I quickly pressed the emergency button under my nket.


    That should send all the police who were hiding in the room next door to arrest Reba.


    However, before I could even press it, Reba hugged the heart rate monitor and eximed, ¡°Haha!


    She¡¯s dead! Scarlett is dead! I finally killed her! I¡¯m the happiest person in the world! There is no more


    Scarlett Stovall!¡±


    She lunged herself at me, and her expression became nervous. Putting her index finger on her lips,


    she shushed me. ¡°Shh! Scarlett is dead! Ashton is dead too! This is my world. I can do whatever I want!


    I¡¯m the queen, so everyone loves me! I want everyone to love me!¡±


    After screaming hysterically, she kept repeating her words. ¡°I want everyone to love me. I want


    everyone to love me¡­¡±


    While murmuring to herself, she walked out aimlessly. It seemed like she could not see me, and she


    looked like she was possessed.


    After some time, someone disguised as a nurse came to ask me, ¡°Mrs. Fuller, Mr. Fuller sent me in


    here. Are you all right? That crazy woman has probably escaped from the psychiatric ward. Did she


    scare you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± I shook my head and ordered, ¡°Send someone in to repair the medical devices.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Please hold on.¡±


    I did not pay attention to her at all as I was busy thinking about Nathaniel.


    What if he doesn¡¯te? What should I do? If he managed to escape, I would live in fear for the rest of


    my life.


    Finally, in the middle of the night on the next day, footsteps rang on the entire floor of the hospital. I


    opened my eyes and found that everyone who was prepared for the ambush, was running downstairs.


    Without a doubt, I knew that the scene was caused by Nathaniel.


    I hurriedly yanked the IV tube which was stuck onto my body before I put on my jacket and went after


    the people.


    Upon arriving at the back entrance, I saw Nathaniel being surrounded by the police in the middle of the


    road.


    Although Nathaniel did not have any weapons in his hands, all the police still ran for cover. They dared


    not to confront an ouw recklessly.


    Nathaniel was looking at them disdainfully. He smirked as he despised everyone around him.


    His expression made the police even more worried. They were afraid that he had a terrifying n in


    ce. Therefore, they did not dare to get closer to him.


    Nathaniel noticed me among the crowd very quickly. His eyes darkened as he questioned, ¡°Scarlett?


    Did you really fall sick?¡±


    Clearly, he guessed that it was all a trick, but he still showed up.


    I was deeply moved by him for a tad moment. Yet, that feeling stayed for just a mere second.

 Chapter 1857

    When There Is Nothing Left But Love Chapter 1857


    Chapter 1857 I Love You


    I saw Nathaniel¡¯s expression as he threw threats at the police earlier. That reminded me of how


    terrifying of a person he was, and my sympathy for him now would turn into a weapon against my


    family and friends in the future.


    ¡°No,¡± I admitted to it calmly. ¡°Just as you¡¯ve guessed, this is just a trap. You¡¯ve fallen right into it,


    Nathaniel.¡±


    Having heard that, Nathaniel smiled bitterly. ¡°Really? Luckily¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not good news for you.¡±


    ¡°Now that I¡¯m here, I¡¯m not afraid of anything.¡± Nathaniel gave me a faint smile as if he had seen


    through the world.


    Just then, Ashton arrived and pulled me into his arms. He was afraid to lose me.


    Yet, right at that moment, a jeep rushed toward us from the road on our left side. It hit all the police cars


    which surrounded Nathaniel and instantly came to a halt beside him.


    The driver was wearing a bulletproof vest as he fired at the police, trying to force them back.


    In the middle of the shower of bullets, the back door of the jeep was pushed open. Garrett suddenly


    stepped out of the car.


    While gripping the back of the front seat with one hand, he shouted at Nathaniel, ¡°Do you believe me


    now? That woman wants you dead. Get in right now! You¡¯re putting everyone here in danger!¡±


    Once he finished his words, a bullet shot through his head.


    Many snipers were hiding on top of the building, and they were all waiting for that moment.


    When Garrett copsed, everyone else panicked. One of them started screaming, ¡°Nat! Get in, or else


    we¡¯ll have to leave you-¡±


    Before that man even finished speaking, those men copsed one by one.


    In no time, Nathaniel was the only person left alive.


    It seemed like he had expected all this as a faint smile was still stered on his face. Then, he slowly


    opened his arms, and the gun on his hand was revealed.


    At that moment, I clearly saw that he was mouthing some words to me. Yet, before I could see properly,


    Ashton covered my eyes with his hand.


    Bang! Bang! After several gunshots sounded, I heard the sound of a body dropping on the ground.


    When Ashton moved his hand away from my eyes, Nathaniel was lying on the ground. He had lost the


    ability to move.


    Under the protection of the crowd, one of the police approached Nathaniel and kicked the gun away


    from thetter¡¯s hand. He checked Nathaniel¡¯s pulse before he announced, ¡°He¡¯s dead!¡±


    Just then, everyone else rushed over and started cleaning up the mess.


    Ashton did not want me to witness such a brutal scene, so he led me back to the hospital. Vaguely, I


    could hear a police shouting, ¡°Boss, his gun is not loaded¡­¡±


    I could guess that they were talking about him, but I did not ask them further.


    How is it possible? He knew that he would die. Nathaniel wasn¡¯t stupid.


    The only thing I was certain was the Fullers would no longer live in misfortune anymore.


    Two monthster, a wedding was held.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    Alexander got down on one knee and started weeping. ¡°I¡¯m Alexander Zimmerman. I promise to take


    care of you for the rest of my life. Emery Moore, will you marry me?¡±


    Even though Emery had been through many struggles in life, she was still moved. She nodded


    fervently in response. Worrying that she might embarrass herself, she pursed her lips as she stretched


    out her hand to take the ring.


    They kissed passionately and announced their endless love on the stage. At the end of the wedding,


    Alexander snatched the microphone from the host¡¯s hands and pulled Emery to the video camera. He


    yelled on top of his lungs, ¡°I¡¯ve found the female lead in my life! Give us your blessings! I¡¯ll be happy,


    and I¡¯ll make her happy! I will!¡±


    Ashton stayed at the wedding ceremony from the beginning until the end and left with me.


    We did not return home immediately. Instead, he drove toward the best nursing home in K City.


    The director of the nursing home led us to his office respectfully before he turned on the projector.


    Once the light was switched off, three different scenes appeared on the screen.


    The first one was Simone feeding Nics, who was paralyzed on the bed, in a clean and warm room.


    The second scene was Tiffany and her boyfriend doing strengthening exercises in the physiotherapy


    room.


    Whereas, thest one was Reba.


    She was dressed in a hospital gown with the sleeves bound to each other, and she had a clean face


    with no makeup. With her hair tied into a bun, Reba was running around the room like a child, while


    a nurse was chasing after her. The nurse looked exasperated.


    ¡°Why are they¡­¡± I thought that the people on the screen had passed away, or even begging on the


    streets just like Ashton¡¯s condition back then.


    Ashton¡¯s attention was focused on the people on the screen. He appeared calm as he exined,


    ¡°Perhaps, I didn¡¯t know what I want. I wanted them to suffer, but I realized that I couldn¡¯t do that.


    Therefore, I¡¯ll just feed them and let them live like normal people. Everyone will go through life and


    death. In the end, all of us are just ordinary people. Nothing is wrong with living a in life.¡±


    Yes. Ordinary people live in lives. Nothing¡¯s wrong with it. What¡¯s the point of differentiating people


    with social sses? All of us are going to die in the end anyway.


    I hugged him tightly andy my face on his chest. Feeling his heartbeat, I said, ¡°Do you know that I¡¯ve


    always trusted you? I knew you wouldn¡¯t change because you¡¯re different. You¡¯re not a cold-blooded


    animal. In fact, you¡¯re soft-hearted and stubborn. Although you never say it, I understand everything.¡±


    ¡°I should thank you then.¡± Self-mockingly, he replied, ¡°When I was undercover, I wanted to punch


    myself so badly, but you didn¡¯t push me away.¡±


    Hearing that, I chuckled and punched his chest lightly. ¡°Yes. You have to suffer first. Otherwise, you


    would be too presumptuous.¡±


    Ashton chuckled in response and did not resist me. Suddenly, he took out a medal from his pocket.


    Benson gave him the medal. On behalf of the country, he rewarded Ashton with it for contributing to


    drug enforcement.


    Although Ashton¡¯s identity could not be revealed, his record was stated in the files. Now, he was a


    registered soldier.


    Moreover, Alexander had promised that if the Fullers were ever threatened in any way, Ashton could


    use the medal to request help in the army the Zimmerman family was serving in.


    ¡°What?¡± I thought that he was showing off the medal, so I pretended that I did not care about it.


    Yet, he took my right hand and carefully put the medal on my palm. In a deep voice, he announced,


    ¡°Letty, this is the first and only medal of my life. This is a gift for you.¡±


    Knowing the story behind the tiny medal, I felt that it was particrly heavy on my palm.


    ¡°A gift for me? Are you willing to do that?¡± Ashton valued it very much. He had always kept it in the


    most obvious position in his study.


    ¡°I¡¯m willing to. If I could, I would even give you my life,¡± Ashton teased.


    ¡°Stop it. You sweet-talker,¡± I whined.


    However, Ashton ignored me and pulled me into his embrace again.


    ¡°When I was twelve, I wanted to be a soldier. I insisted that men should serve in the military at


    least once in their life. I want to know how much I can push myself to the limit as I protect this nation. I


    want to contribute to it. Not longter, I lost my parents. My life was then filled with the drive to avenge


    their death. I gradually lost my direction, and I didn¡¯t know what I want anymore. After that, I met you


    and fell in love with you. You kept mepanied, and found the real me, who I¡¯ve lost a long time ago.


    Although it¡¯ste now, I want you to know that you¡¯ve given me this new life, and this precious medal. I


    love you.¡±


    I love you too.

 Chapter 1857

    I saw Nathaniel''s expression as he threw threats at the police earlier. That reminded me of how terrifying of a person he was, and my sympathy for him now would turn into a weapon against my family and friends in the future.


    "No," I admitted to it calmly. "Just as you''ve guessed, this is just a trap. You''ve fallen right into it, Nathaniel."


    Having heard that, Nathaniel smiled bitterly. "Really? Luckily..."


    "It''s not good news for you."


    "Now that I''m here, I''m not afraid of anything." Nathaniel gave me a faint smile as if he had seen through the world.


    Just then, Ashton arrived and pulled me into his arms. He was afraid to lose me.


    Yet, right at that moment, a jeep rushed toward us from the road on our left side. It hit all the police cars which surrounded Nathaniel and instantly came to a halt beside him.


    The driver was wearing a bulletproof vest as he fired at the police, trying to force them back.


    In the middle of the shower of bullets, the back door of the jeep was pushed open. Garrett suddenly stepped out of the car.


    While gripping the back of the front seat with one hand, he shouted at Nathaniel, "Do you believe me now? That woman wants you dead. Get in right now! You''re putting everyone here in danger!" Once he finished his words, a bullet shot through his head.


    Many snipers were hiding on top of the building, and they were all waiting for that moment.


    When Garrett copsed, everyone else panicked. One of them started screaming, "Nat! Get in, or else we''ll have to leave you-"


    Before that man even finished speaking, those men copsed one by one.


    In no time, Nathaniel was the only person left alive.


    It seemed like he had expected all this as a faint smile was still stered on his face. Then, he slowly opened his arms, and the gun on his hand was revealed.


    At that moment, I clearly saw that he was mouthing some words to me. Yet, before I could see properly, Ashton covered my eyes with his hand.


    Bang! Bang! After several gunshots sounded, I heard the sound of a body dropping on the ground.


    When Ashton moved his hand away from my eyes, Nathaniel was lying on the ground. He had lost the ability to move.


    Under the protection of the crowd, one of the police approached Nathaniel and kicked the gun away from thetter''s hand. He checked Nathaniel''s pulse before he announced, "He''s dead!" Just then, everyone else rushed over and started cleaning up the mess.


    Ashton did not want me to witness such a brutal scene, so he led me back to the hospital. Vaguely, I could hear a police shouting, "Boss, his gun is not loaded..."


    I could guess that they were talking about him, but I did not ask them further.


    How is it possible? He knew that he would die. Nathaniel wasn''t stupid.


    The only thing I was certain was the Fullers would no longer live in misfortune anymore.


    Two monthster, a wedding was held.


    Alexander got down on one knee and started weeping. "I''m Alexander Zimmerman. I promise to take care of you for the rest of my life. Emery Moore, will you marry me?"


    Even though Emery had been through many struggles in life, she was still moved. She nodded fervently in response. Worrying that she might embarrass herself, she pursed her lips as she stretched out her hand to take the ring.


    They kissed passionately and


    announced their endless love on the


    stage. At the end of the wedding,


    Alexander snatched the microphone from the host''s hands and pulled Emery to the video camera. He yelled on top of his lungs, "I''ve found the female lead in my life! Give us your blessings! I''ll be happy, and I''ll make her happy! I will!"


    Ashton stayed at the wedding ceremony from the beginning until the end and left with me.


    We did not return home immediately. Instead, he drove toward the best nursing home in K City.


    The director of the nursing home led us to his office respectfully before he turned on the projector. Once the light was switched off, three different scenes appeared on the screen.


    The first one was Simone feeding Nics, who was paralyzed on the bed, in a clean and warm room.


    The second scene was Tiffany and her boyfriend doing strengthening exercises in the physiotherapy room. Whereas, thest one was Reba.


    She was dressed in a hospital gown with the sleeves bound to each other, and she had a clean face with no makeup. With her hair tied into a bun, Reba was running around the room like a child, while a nurse was chasing after her. The nurse looked exasperated.


    "Why are they..." I thought that the people on the screen had passed away, or even begging on the streets just like Ashton''s condition back then.


    Ashton''s attention was focused on


    the people on the screen. He appeared calm as he exined, "Perhaps, didn''t know what I want. I wanted them to suffer, but I realized that I couldn''t do that. Therefore, I''ll just feed them and let them live like normal people. Everyone will go through life and death. In the end, all of us are just ordinary people. Nothing is wrong with living a in


    life."


    Yes. Ordinary people live in lives. Nothing''s wrong with it. What''s the point of differentiating people with social sses? All of us are going to die in the end anyway.


    I hugged him tightly andy my face on his chest. Feeling his heartbeat, I said, "Do you know that I''ve always trusted you? I knew you wouldn''t change because you''re different. You''re not a cold-blooded animal. In fact, you''re soft-hearted and stubborn. Although you never say it, I understand everything."


    "I should thank you then." Self-mockingly, he replied, "When I was undercover, I wanted to punch myself so badly, but you didn''t push me away."


    Hearing that, I chuckled and punched his chest lightly. "Yes. You have to suffer first. Otherwise, you would be too presumptuous."


    Ashton chuckled in response and did not resist me. Suddenly, he took out a medal from his pocket.


    Benson gave him the medal. On behalf of the country, he rewarded Ashton with it for contributing to drug enforcement.


    Although Ashton''s identity could not be revealed, his record was stated in the files. Now, he was a registered soldier.


    Moreover, Alexander had promised that if the Fullers were ever threatened in any way, Ashton could use the medal to request help in the army the Zimmerman family was serving in.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    "What?" I thought that he was showing off the medal, so I pretended that I did not care about it.


    Yet, he took my right hand and carefully put the medal on my palm. In a deep voice, he announced, "Letty, this is the first and only medal of my life. This is a gift for you.¡±


    Knowing the story behind the tiny medal, I felt that it was particrly heavy on my palm.


    "A gift for me? Are you willing to do that?" Ashton valued it very much. He had always kept it in the most obvious position in his study.


    "I''m willing to. If I could, I would even give you my life," Ashton teased.


    "Stop it. You sweet-talker," I whined.


    However, Ashton ignored me and pulled me into his embrace again.


    "When I was twelve, I wanted to


    be a soldier. I insisted that


    men should serve in the military at


    least once in their life. I want to know how much I can push myself to the limit as I protect this nation want to contribute to it. Not longter, Host my parents. My life was then filled with the drive to avenge their death. I gradually lost my direction, and I didn''t know what I want anymore. After that, I met you and fell in love with you. You kept mepanied, and found the real me, who I''ve lost a long time ago. Although it''ste now, I want you to know that you''ve given me this new life, and this precious medal. I love you."


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    I love you too.


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